Mat Irvine
Encyclopedia
Mat Irvine was born on 7 July 1948. He was a Technical Consultant and Visual Effects
Designer who worked on television
, primarily for the BBC
, from the 1970s to the 1990s.
As a Technical Consultant, Irvine worked on shows such as The Sky at Night
, Tomorrow's World
and, most recently, Robot Wars
, on which he was hired as a technical consultant in 1998.
As a Visual Effects Designer, Irvine worked on shows such as Rentaghost
, Terry and June
, Blake's 7
, The Tripods, Edge of Darkness
and To the Manor Born
.
He is perhaps best known for his work on Doctor Who
, for which he was a Visual Effects Designer, from the 1970s to the 1980s. He is credited with building the first K-9
prop for the serial The Invisible Enemy
, (1977). He was not told that it would be required beyond that story, thus the prop he designed was only capable of traversing the studio floor and proved useless when brought on location for subsequent stories. Irvine eventually built a second K-9 that could cover rougher ground. He occasionally operated the K-9 prop during filming.
His connection with K-9 has continued. In 1981, Irvine served as Visual Effects Designer for the Doctor Who spin-off, K-9 and Company
. In 1993, he operated K-9 for the Doctor Who charity special, Dimensions in Time
. In 1999, he once again operated the robotic dog when a model K-9, (in reality one of the original props), was given to the character Vince as a Birthday present in Queer as Folk
. He operated K-9 in an episode of Totally Doctor Who
in 2006.
He spoke about his work on Blake's 7 and The Tripods in 2006 on BBC Four's
The Cult of... series, in the episodes The Cult of...Blake's 7 and The Cult of...The Tripods.
Nowadays, he makes appearances at sci-fi and Doctor Who conventions, often alongside K-9.
He appeared alongside K-9, (the Mark III model used on K-9 and Company
), and Elisabeth Sladen
on Totally Doctor Who
in July 2006.
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
Designer who worked on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, primarily for the BBC
BBC
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...
, from the 1970s to the 1990s.
As a Technical Consultant, Irvine worked on shows such as The Sky at Night
The Sky at Night
The Sky at Night is a monthly documentary television programme on astronomy produced by the BBC. The show has had the same permanent presenter, Sir Patrick Moore, from its first airing on 24 April 1957, making it the longest-running programme with the same presenter in television history.The...
, Tomorrow's World
Tomorrow's World
Tomorrow's World was a long-running BBC television series, showcasing new developments in the world of science and technology. First aired on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003.- Content :...
and, most recently, Robot Wars
Robot Wars (TV series)
Robot Wars is a British game show modelled on a US-based competition of the same name. It was broadcast on BBC Two from 1998 until 2003, with its final series broadcast on Five in 2003 and 2004. Additional series were filmed for specific sectors of the global market, including two series of Robot...
, on which he was hired as a technical consultant in 1998.
As a Visual Effects Designer, Irvine worked on shows such as Rentaghost
Rentaghost
Rentaghost is a British children's television comedy show, broadcast by the BBC between 6 January 1976 and 6 November 1984. The show's plot centred on the antics of a number of ghosts who worked for a firm called Rentaghost, which rented out the ghosts for various tasks.-Background:The company,...
, Terry and June
Terry and June
Terry and June is a British sitcom that was broadcast on BBC1 from 1979 to 1987. The programme is largely a continuation of Happy Ever After, and stars Terry Scott and June Whitfield as a middle-class suburban couple, Terry and June Medford...
, Blake's 7
Blake's 7
Blake's 7 is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC for its BBC1 channel. The series was created by Terry Nation, a prolific television writer and creator of the Daleks for the television series Doctor Who. Four series of Blake's 7 were produced and broadcast between 1978...
, The Tripods, Edge of Darkness
Edge of Darkness
Edge of Darkness is a British television drama serial, produced by BBC Television in association with Lionheart Television International and originally broadcast in six fifty-five minute episodes in late 1985...
and To the Manor Born
To the Manor Born
To the Manor Born is a British sitcom that first aired on BBC1 from 1979 to 1981. A special edition appeared in 2007. Starring Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles, the first 20 episodes and the 2007 special were written by Peter Spence, the creator, while the 1981 finale was written by Christopher...
.
He is perhaps best known for his work on Doctor Who
Doctor 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...
, for which he was a Visual Effects Designer, from the 1970s to the 1980s. He is credited with building the first K-9
K-9 (Doctor Who)
K-9, or K9, is the name of several fictional robotic canines in the long-running British science fiction television series, Doctor Who, first appearing in 1977...
prop for the serial The Invisible Enemy
The Invisible Enemy
The Invisible Enemy is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 1 October to 22 October 1977...
, (1977). He was not told that it would be required beyond that story, thus the prop he designed was only capable of traversing the studio floor and proved useless when brought on location for subsequent stories. Irvine eventually built a second K-9 that could cover rougher ground. He occasionally operated the K-9 prop during filming.
His connection with K-9 has continued. In 1981, Irvine served as Visual Effects Designer for the Doctor Who spin-off, K-9 and Company
K-9 and Company
K-9 and Company was a proposed television spin-off of the original programme run of Doctor Who . It was to feature former series regulars Sarah Jane Smith, an investigative journalist played by Elisabeth Sladen, and K-9, a robotic dog. Both characters had been companions of the Fourth Doctor, but...
. In 1993, he operated K-9 for the Doctor Who charity special, Dimensions in Time
Dimensions in Time
Dimensions in Time is a charity special crossover between the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and the soap opera EastEnders that ran in two parts on 26 and 27 November 1993. It was filmed on the EastEnders Albert Square set, and features several of the stars of that programme...
. In 1999, he once again operated the robotic dog when a model K-9, (in reality one of the original props), was given to the character Vince as a Birthday present in Queer as Folk
Queer as Folk (UK TV series)
Queer as Folk is a 1999 British television series that chronicles the lives of three gay men living in Manchester's gay village around Canal Street. Both Queer as Folk and Queer as Folk 2 were written by Russell T Davies...
. He operated K-9 in an episode of Totally Doctor Who
Totally Doctor Who
Totally Doctor Who is a children's television series produced by the BBC that was originally broadcast between 13 April 2006 and 29 June 2007, accompanying the second and third revived series of Doctor Who. No episodes have been produced following the third series...
in 2006.
He spoke about his work on Blake's 7 and The Tripods in 2006 on BBC Four's
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
The Cult of... series, in the episodes The Cult of...Blake's 7 and The Cult of...The Tripods.
Nowadays, he makes appearances at sci-fi and Doctor Who conventions, often alongside K-9.
He appeared alongside K-9, (the Mark III model used on K-9 and Company
K-9 and Company
K-9 and Company was a proposed television spin-off of the original programme run of Doctor Who . It was to feature former series regulars Sarah Jane Smith, an investigative journalist played by Elisabeth Sladen, and K-9, a robotic dog. Both characters had been companions of the Fourth Doctor, but...
), and Elisabeth Sladen
Elisabeth Sladen
Elisabeth Clara Heath-Sladen was an English actress best known for her role as Sarah Jane Smith in the British television series Doctor Who. She was a regular cast member from 1973 to 1976, alongside both Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, and reprised the role many times in subsequent decades, both on...
on Totally Doctor Who
Totally Doctor Who
Totally Doctor Who is a children's television series produced by the BBC that was originally broadcast between 13 April 2006 and 29 June 2007, accompanying the second and third revived series of Doctor Who. No episodes have been produced following the third series...
in July 2006.