Dawkins had been a close friend of Douglas’s for a number of years. He had sent Douglas a fan letter—the only time Dawkins had been moved to do so—after reading (and re-reading) Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. It transpired that Douglas had greatly enjoyed Dawkins’ book on evolution, The Blind Watchmaker, and the two of them hit it off immediately. In 1992, at his fortieth birthday party, Douglas introduced Dawkins to the actress Lalla Ward who had played the Doctor’s companion, Romana, during Douglas’s time as script editor on the show. Dawkins married her later that year.
