Doctor Who: 14 Cool Details Revealed In Steven Moffat's Wedding Of River Song Commentary

A true legend of the Doctor Who world, Nicholas Courtney sadly passed away in early 2011. The actor made a name for himself thanks to his portrayal of the Doctor's great friend, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, and it was an awful day for Who fans when news of his passing first broke.

As someone who grew up with classic Doctor Who as a teatime staple, Moffat naturally felt a strong attachment to the Brigadier, and as a result, the character's death was actually used as a plot point in The Wedding Of River Song, mirroring Courtney's real-life death and serving as a way to honour the actor.

In the middle of the episode, the Doctor attempts to get in touch with the Brigadier, only to find out that he has passed away. This helps the Doctor accept his own impending demise, giving him the push he needs to step out onto that lakeside and face the impossible astronaut.

Moffat chose to acknowledge Courtney's death in this way because it "didn't feel right" to give him a simple "In Memory Of..." caption at the end of a random episode, and he firmly believed that a character as beloved as the Brigadier (and an actor as beloved as Courtney) deserved to be given more recognition.

And thankfully, this ended up being one of the strongest emotional beats in the episode. Moffat's skilful writing, Matt Smith's sensitive performance, and Murray Gold's beautiful Brigadier theme (which was used again in episodes like The Power Of Three and Death In Heaven) combined to create a small moment of magic.