Christopher H. Bidmead was born in 1941 and embarked on a career in acting, training at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). He went on to secure numerous roles on stage, television, and radio, including a regular spot on the popular series Emergency-Ward 10 (1957) and various episodes of the BBC's "Waggoner's Walk". As his acting career progressed, Bidmead gradually shifted his focus to script-writing, penning episodes for two Thames TV shows, Harriet's Back in Town (1972) and Rooms (1974).
Later, he transitioned to a career in journalism, specializing in scientific and technical subjects, until 1979 when he was recruited by Robert Banks Stewart to serve as script editor on the iconic British sci-fi series Doctor Who (1963). Working alongside producer John Nathan-Turner and executive producer Barry Letts, Bidmead aimed to revitalize the show by introducing a more serious tone, which he believed had become too humorous under the previous creative team. His tenure as script editor lasted for a year, during which he wrote two pivotal stories, Logopolis: Part One (1981) and Castrovalva: Part One (1982),which marked the transition from Tom Baker to Peter Davison.
Following his departure from Doctor Who, Bidmead returned to freelance projects, contributing a third script, Frontios: Part One (1984),and novelizing all three of his scripts for Target Books. He remains a significant figure in the world of Doctor Who, alongside 1960s scientific advisor Kit Pedler, for his efforts to incorporate genuine science into the fantasy-orientated world of the show. To this day, Bidmead continues to work as a scientific and technical journalist, contributing to publications such as the magazine "Wired".
