R.I.P. Nicholas Courtney 1929-2011

It is with great sadness we bring you the news that actor Nicholas Courtney has passed away, aged 81. Who is he? Well, one of my childhood (and modern) heroes. He played the classic Character Brigadier, who is one of the most famous Doctor Who characters in it's entire run.

Courtney played a huge part in classic-era Doctor Who, starring in over 100 episodes between 1965-1989. His first appearance was with the first Doctor William Hartnell in The Daleks’ Master Plan.
Courtney returned to the show in 1968 this time playing Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, a character who would go on to battle monsters alongside five incarnations of the Doctor. No mean feat.
Courtney reprised the role one last in time in 2008, when he helped his old friend Sarah Jane in The Sarah Jane Adventures story Enemy of the Bane.
Sadly, the Brigadier never got the chance to meet a modern-era Doctor, although the character was referenced a couple of times.

Rest in peace Nicholas Courtney, a true Doctor Who legend, and one of my heroes. You will be missed.