Roger Murray-Leach trained as an architect before becoming a set
designer for the BBC. His imagination and talent for making the most of
a small budget resulted in regular designs for
Doctor Who (1963) under producer
Philip Hinchcliffe, who was keen to
improve the design element of the series. Roger's first work for the
show was the interior of a space station for "The Ark in Space", one of
the most impressive futuristic sets the series had featured, which
delighted Hinchcliffe and the cast of actors. Six more serials used
Roger's designs and he proved his versatility by creating an
atmospheric alien jungle in "Planet of Evil" and a gloriously detailed
Victorian set in "The Talons of Weng-Chiang", the latter giving the
impression of an expensive and prestigious period drama.
David Maloney, who had been a director of
Doctor Who (1963), was so
impressed by Roger's work on the series that he recruited him for the
new series he was producing,
Blake's 7 (1978). Roger designed not
only the interior of the iconic Liberator spacecraft but also the model
exterior, which would normally have been the responsibility of a visual
effects model designer.
After leaving the staff of the BBC, Roger became a very successful
designer for British films.