Rob Shearman
Robert Shearman (also credited as
Rob Shearman; born
February 10 1970 near
London) is currently best-known as a writer for
Doctor Who and for his ongoing association with Jarvis & Ayres Productions (
Martin Jarvis and
Rosalind Ayres) which has resulted in six plays for
BBC Radio 4:
About Colin (2000),
Inappropriate Behaviour (2002),
Afternoons with Roger (2003),
Forever Mine (2004),
Teacher's Pet (2005) and
Odd (2006). These have all been broadcast in the station's regular weekday
Afternoon Play slot.
Shearman was educated at
Reigate Grammar School (where he was a contemporary of
David Walliams) and
Exeter University.
An established theatrical playwright, Shearman has worked with
Alan Ayckbourn, had a play produced by
Francis Ford Coppola, and has received several international awards for his work in
theatre. His plays include
Fool to Yourself, which premiered at the
Stephen Joseph Theatre in 1997.
His association with
Doctor Who began with a play written for
BBV Audios,
Punchline, in which
Sylvester McCoy played the Dominie, a disguised version of the
Seventh Doctor. This was penned under the pseudonym "Jeremy Leadbetter" (the name of a character from the popular BBC sitcom
The Good Life). Several
audio plays for
Big Finish followed.
Shearman wrote the television episode
Dalek for the 2005 series of
Doctor Who produced by
Russell T. Davies for the
BBC. This was, at Davies' request, a re-working of the themes introduced by his earlier Big Finish audio play
Jubilee. He has also had
Doctor Who short stories published. He did not return to write a script for the second series due to other work commitments. Previous television work has included episodes of the 1950s-set rural drama
Born and Bred, broadcast on
BBC One.
The Holy Terror (
Sixth Doctor,
Frobisher; November
2000)
The Maltese Penguin (Sixth Doctor, Frobisher; November
2001)
The Chimes of Midnight (
Eighth Doctor,
Charley; February
2002)
Jubilee (Sixth Doctor,
Evelyn Smythe; January
2003)
Deadline (Doctor Who Unbound, featuring
Sir Derek Jacobi; September
2003)
Scherzo (Eighth Doctor, Charley; December
2003)
