David Weir (writer)
Encyclopedia
David Weir was a British
writer, whose work was used primarily in television and film.
in the 1950s, and began writing scripts for television in the 1960s. He was the writer of many popular 1960s and 70s series, notably The Plane Makers (1963-64) and The Troubleshooters, (1966–69; known in the USA as Mogul), as well as The Lotus Eaters
(1972). Weir also wrote occasional scripts for many other British TV series, such as Danger Man
(1964), A Family at War
(1970-72), The Onedin Line
(1971-80), Crown Court
(1972-84), Space: 1999
(1975-78) and others.
English-language adaptations The Water Margin (1977, based on the traditional Chinese story Water Margin
) and Monkey
(1978–80, based on Journey to the West
). These two series were produced in China and Japan using local actors and crew and dubbed into English using British voice over artists
. The original English scripts were conceived and written by Weir without the aid of translations, using only brief plot synopses. Today, Monkey retains its strong fanbase and has been described as a cult classic
. Weir later wrote a novelisation of The Water Margin, based on the BBC TV series.
Weir's only known interview was published in the BBC magazine Radio Times
from 10 to 17 November 1979, to coincide with the start of the second series of Monkey. During the interview, he expressed an interest in Buddhism
and Eastern
culture and religion, which would remain with him for the rest of his life.
that were considered too expensive for contemporary budgets and were never filmed, although they were originally due to form part of the fifteenth season, starring Tom Baker
as the Fourth Doctor
, in 1978. The episodes, collectively titled The Killers of the Dark, would have introduced a race of cat people found to be living on Gallifrey
, the homeworld of the Time Lord
s. It is unknown whether Weir's scripts have survived, or whether the BBC has plans to produce the episodes in future.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
writer, whose work was used primarily in television and film.
Early life and career
Born on 11 February 1934, Weir attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic ArtRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
in the 1950s, and began writing scripts for television in the 1960s. He was the writer of many popular 1960s and 70s series, notably The Plane Makers (1963-64) and The Troubleshooters, (1966–69; known in the USA as Mogul), as well as The Lotus Eaters
The Lotus Eaters (TV series)
The Lotus Eaters is a BBC television drama made between 1972 and 1973.The series, written by Michael J. Bird, dealt with the lives of various British ex-pats living on the island of Crete and their reasons for being there...
(1972). Weir also wrote occasional scripts for many other British TV series, such as Danger Man
Danger Man
Danger Man is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the program and wrote many of the scripts...
(1964), A Family at War
A Family At War
A Family At War is a British drama series that aired on ITV from 1970 to 1972. It was created by John Finch and made by Granada Television for ITV. The director was David Giles....
(1970-72), The Onedin Line
The Onedin Line
The Onedin Line is a BBC television drama series which ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham.The series is set in Liverpool from 1860 to 1886 and deals with the rise of a shipping line, the Onedin Line, named after its owner James Onedin...
(1971-80), Crown Court
Crown Court (TV series)
Crown Court was an afternoon television courtroom drama produced by Granada Television for the ITV network that ran from 1972, when the Crown Court system replaced Assize courts and Quarter sessions in the legal system of England and Wales, to 1984....
(1972-84), Space: 1999
Space: 1999
Space: 1999 is a British science-fiction television series that ran for two seasons and originally aired from 1975 to 1977. In the opening episode, nuclear waste from Earth stored on the Moon's far side explodes in a catastrophic accident on 13 September 1999, knocking the Moon out of orbit and...
(1975-78) and others.
The Water Margin and Monkey
Weir's most popular TV scriptwriting credits are probably his BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
English-language adaptations The Water Margin (1977, based on the traditional Chinese story Water Margin
Water Margin
Water Margin , also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese, the story, set in the Song Dynasty,...
) and Monkey
Monkey (TV series)
Monkey is the dubbed English language version of the Japanese television series , based on the classic sixteenth century Chinese novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en. It was originally produced by Nippon Television and International Television Films in association with NHK.The series ran for...
(1978–80, based on Journey to the West
Journey to the West
Journey to the West is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. It was written by Wu Cheng'en in the 16th century. In English-speaking countries, the tale is also often known simply as Monkey. This was one title used for a popular, abridged translation by Arthur Waley...
). These two series were produced in China and Japan using local actors and crew and dubbed into English using British voice over artists
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
. The original English scripts were conceived and written by Weir without the aid of translations, using only brief plot synopses. Today, Monkey retains its strong fanbase and has been described as a cult classic
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
. Weir later wrote a novelisation of The Water Margin, based on the BBC TV series.
Weir's only known interview was published in the BBC magazine Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
from 10 to 17 November 1979, to coincide with the start of the second series of Monkey. During the interview, he expressed an interest in Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and Eastern
Eastern world
__FORCETOC__The term Eastern world refers very broadly to the various cultures or social structures and philosophical systems of Eastern Asia or geographically the Eastern Culture...
culture and religion, which would remain with him for the rest of his life.
Doctor Who
Weir wrote scripts for six episodes of the BBC science-fiction TV series Doctor WhoDoctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
that were considered too expensive for contemporary budgets and were never filmed, although they were originally due to form part of the fifteenth season, starring Tom Baker
Tom Baker
Thomas Stewart "Tom" Baker is a British actor. He is best known for playing the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction television series Doctor Who, a role he played from 1974 to 1981.-Early life:...
as the Fourth Doctor
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
, in 1978. The episodes, collectively titled The Killers of the Dark, would have introduced a race of cat people found to be living on Gallifrey
Gallifrey
Gallifrey is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and is the homeworld of the Doctor and the Time Lords...
, the homeworld of the Time Lord
Time Lord
The Time Lords are an ancient extraterrestrial race and civilization of humanoids in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' eponymous protagonist, the Doctor, is a member...
s. It is unknown whether Weir's scripts have survived, or whether the BBC has plans to produce the episodes in future.