Creator / David Whitaker

David Whitaker (18 April 1928 – 4 February 1980) was an English screenwriter. He served as the original story editor of Doctor Who up until "The Dalek Invasion of Earth", contributed eight scripts of his own to the series and wrote the first works of the Doctor Who Expanded Universe. The influence of Whitaker cannot be understated - until Robert Holmes came along Whitaker was the Doctor Who writer, defining much of the series' early lore and tone.

Characteristic Tropes:

• Adaptation Expansion:
  • His novelisation of Terry Nation's The Daleks adds such details as the TARDIS bathrooms; what the city-confined Dal descendants actually look like, and their Glass Dalek leader.
  • His serial The Evil of the Daleks introduces the Dalek Emperor.
• Author Appeal: Alchemy and alchemical logic show up a lot in Whitaker stories.
• Canon Immigrant: Whitaker wrote much of the early Dalek material, including the novelizations, the comics and the "Dalek Book" annuals. The first "proper" Canon Immigrant in all of Doctor Who is the Dalek Emperor, who debuted in the comic.