Lesley Scott

Lesley Scott is best known as the first woman to receive a writing credit in the history of the British science-fiction program, Doctor Who.

Background

Scott received a full co-writing credit for the 1966 serial, The Ark, despite having contributed nothing to the script.^[1] The credit came at the request of writer Paul Erickson's agent, on Erickson's behalf. He wanted, for reasons still obscure, to share the writing credit with his then-wife. However, she did not receive any part of the copyright for the serial.^[2]

She remained the only woman credited as a writer on Doctor Who until Barbara Clegg in 1983. She is not a professional television writer, and has no other writing credits in that medium to her name.^[3] The Lesley Scott credited as a contributor to the Dr. Who Annuals published by World Distributors/World International^[4] is not the same person but another writer with the same name who worked in the World editorial department from 1982 to 1984. This Lesley Scott wrote 'The Nemertines' and 'Fungus' for the Doctor Who Annual 1984.

References