GOODBYE, JOHN LEESON...

John Leeson and friend at the BBC during the late 1970's.

On the eve of everyone's favourite electronic superpooch K9's Fiftieth Anniversary next year, the sad news has come in that the man who brought such unique and distinctive vocal life to a Time Lord's best friend, the much-respected and gracious John Leeson, has sadly passed away at the age of 83. The K9 creation, from Bob Baker and Dave Martin, designed by Tony Harding and practically built by Matt Irvine, was a wonderful idea and looked terrific onscreen, but it was Leeson who really ran with it and gave the part the humorous, spirited and intellectual character it needed beyond K9's memorable introductory story, The Invisible Enemy, performing the role on his hands and knees in the BBC rehearsal rooms as reference to his fellow actors, much to the amusement but also huge respect of Tom Baker, who greatly admired working with Leeson and his contribution to the series regarding what he put into K9 and the relationship the robot would share with the Fourth Doctor and his subsequent companions. Such respect also came from the general audience too, who loved the character (especially during their childhood years) and Leeson's voice instantly, as K9 garnered a well deserved devoted following then and beyond the series across all kinds of media in the show's subsequent forty-nine years, all of which Leeson was happily involved with beyond his acting and other diverse personal pursuits.

I met the late Mister Leeson several times in the eighties and found him very good humoured and kind, and went on to have further respect for him when he did the K9 voice within a bitterly cold booth during the two-day Longleat Twentieth Anniversary event, informing fans of what to see and do there, which was a lovely thing to do for thousands of attendees (including me and my family!)

Thank you, John Leeson, for all your incredible contributions to the evolving world of Doctor Who. RIP.