Johnny Byrne, 1935 - 2008

Well, nuts. Johnny Byrne, writer for Space:1999 and the older Doctor Who, died last week of undisclosed causes. Johnny was a good guy. I met him in 2000 at a Space:1999 convention, and I liked him immensely. We talked at length about a science fiction program he was thinking over involving an ark, a giant spaceship that travels at slower-than-light speeds through space. For well over an hour we sat and discussed various aspects of such a mission, including what the voyagers would see out their windows if they had any. I thought it would have made a really good show. He wrote several Doctor Who episodes, including some very good ones. Along with Barry Morse from Space:1999, he'll be missed.