James Anthony Coburn (10 December 1927 – 28 April 1977) was an Australian television writer and producer, who spent much of his professional career living and working in the United Kingdom.
While working as a staff writer for the BBC in 1963 and living in Herne Bay, Kent, he became involved in the early development of the science-fiction series Doctor Who.
[2] He liaised closely with the series' first story editor, David Whitaker, on establishing the format and characters of the show, which had been initiated by various BBC drama executives before being handed on to the new production team.
The Robots was continually delayed and put back in production order, and then finally rejected – following this, Coburn severed his links with the show.
[6] The story would see the Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Susan landed the TARDIS on the moons of Luxor, after they find a strange light signal.
Coburn produced the original pilot episode of The Onedin Line; his tasks included searching many inlets and harbours before finally finding, in Dartmouth, Devon, the schooner that would be the Charlotte Rhodes.
Prior to his death, he finished writing a science fiction disaster novel called Gargantua, the first of a planned trilogy based on a rejected BBC pitch.