Andrew Cartmel

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Lore & Background

Cartmel's most significant contribution was the 'Cartmel Masterplan,' a backstory developed with other writers to restore the mystery of the Doctor's background. Although hints were dropped in the two final series he edited, the proposed revelations never materialised on screen because the programme was taken off the air in 1989. The Virgin New Adventures novels later utilized elements of this masterplan, particularly in Marc Platt's Lungbarrow, which served as the last Seventh Doctor novel. Cartmel also developed a script for the third series of Torchwood entitled 'The Jinx,' but it was dropped when the show's format was reworked. In 2010, he worked as script editor for Big Finish Productions' The Lost Stories line, adapting story ideas created for Doctor Who's unmade 27th series into audio dramas released in 2011.

In Their Own Story

In late 1986, Cartmel was hired as the script editor for Doctor Who's twenty-fourth season. He brought in several young, new writers and attempted to take the series in a new creative direction despite declining ratings. The production team worked on a narrative arc where the Doctor became more manipulative, hinting at secret origins that would have explained exactly who he was. Cartmel wrote two scripts for these audio adaptations of unmade 27th series stories: 'Crime of the Century' and 'Animal,' while co-writing a third, 'Earth Aid,' with Ben Aaronovitch. When production placed on indefinite hold in 1989, Cartmel moved to edit one season of the BBC's medical drama Casualty before shifting focus to writing novels and comics.

Reader's Guide

Cartmel's career spans diverse roles including magazine editor, film studies lecturer, and novelist. He wrote three Doctor Who novels for Virgin Books' New Adventures series: Cat's Cradle: Warhead (1992), Warlock (1995), and Warchild (1996). In 2005, he published Atom Bomb Blues for BBC Books alongside Script Doctor – The Inside Story of Doctor Who 1986–89. His first original novel, The Wise, appeared in 1999 in Virgin Worlds. He also wrote Judge Dredd: Swine Fever and Strontium Dog: Day of the Dogs (both 2005), and Miss Freedom for The Prisoner universe in 2008. Common themes in his work include animal rights, animal perspectives, and extended metaphors of animal behaviour, appearing across his Virgin New Adventures novels, The Wise, Swine Fever, and the audio play Animal.

Did You Know?

• Cartmel worked on computer-aided design for Shape Data Ltd in Cambridge during the mid-1980s before turning to writing.
• He was hired as script editor after John Nathan-Turner's agent saw some of his unproduced scripts.
• In 2007, Cartmel was a finalist in the Nicotinell 'Lose the Smoke Keep the Fire' Stand Up Comedy Auditions.
• He developed a script for Torchwood called 'The Jinx' which was dropped when the show's format changed.
• His novel Miss Freedom, set in The Prisoner universe, was released on 15 February 2008.