 | By: | Michael Herbert | | | Rating: | Awaiting 3 votes Vote here | | | Review: | None yet Add a review | | | Released: | 19 February 2025
| | | Publisher: | Lulu | | | ISBN: | 978-1-326-67651-3 | | | Format: | paperback | | | Owned: | | | | Buy: |  |  | (Not currently available) |
 | | (Not currently available) |
 | | (Unable to fetch price) |
 |
Description: Self-published biography of the screenwriter and author Malcolm Hulke, best known from a Doctor Who perspective for writing several classic TV stories from the Troughton & Pertwee eras, including The Sea Devils and Frontier in Space.
This is the first biography published about this notable figure in Who history — however, a previous book by John Williams called Mac: The Life and Work of Malcolm Hulke was announced by Miwk Publishing in 2013 (and even went as far as having its front cover designed) but ultimately was never completed. Cover blurb:
‘During all The Avengers time when the most popular baddies were Soviet spies, my baddies were capitalists. No one noticed. For seven years running I wrote subversive Doctor Who serials. No one noticed. I’ve since attacked the Right in my Writing for TV in the 70s and in six Doctor Who books. Not a comment.’
Mac Hulke in a letter to a Jean Tate, June 1975 Malcolm ‘Mac’ Hulke (1924-1979) was a successful writer for television, film, the theatre and the radio from the 1950s to the 1970s. His work included episodes for such major television series as Pathfinders in Space, The Avengers, Crossroads, Danger Man, Sergeant Cork, and Doctor Who.
He also wrote four Crossroads novels and seven Doctor Who novels; The Making of Doctor Who with his friend Terrance Dicks; and the influential Writing for Television in the 1970s which brought together all his experience and expertise in his craft.
Mac was active in his trade union, the Writers’ Guild, and a member of the Communist Party for a time. His political views led subtly into his work on occasions.
This is the first biography of Mac Hulke to be published and draws upon interviews with his friends, family and work colleagues; his scripts, novels and non-fiction works; his letters to friends and family, and his MI5 file. Michael Herbert is a socialist historian. His previous books include: Never Counted Out! The Story of Len Johnson, Manchester’s Black Boxing Hero and Communist; “The Wearing of the Green”: a political history of the lrish in Manchester; “Up Then Brave Women”: Manchester’s Radical Women 1819-1918, “For the sake of the women who are to come after”: Manchester’s Radical Women 1915 to 1945; and M.A.L: the journalism and writing of Madeline Alberta Linford. |
