Born: 2nd February 1930 (as Donald Herbert Houghton)
Died: 2nd July 1991 (aged 61 years)
Episodes Broadcast: 1970-1971

Paris-born Don Houghton suffered a number of childhood illnesses, during which he began writing to entertain himself. This led him to sell his first short story in 1948, and then to pursue a career in radio from 1951. In 1958, Houghton moved to television; he wrote more than three dozen episodes of Emergency -- Ward 10 and became the script editor for Crossroads and The Flaxton Boys. Having worked with Doctor Who producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks during the Sixties, he was invited to contribute two stories for Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor: 1970's Inferno and 1971's The Mind Of Evil. Houghton's wife, actress Pik-Sen Lim, appeared in the latter as Chin Lee.

Houghton spent much of the Seventies writing for Hammer Films, including the horror movies Dracula AD 1972 and The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires. On television, Houghton wrote for programmes such as Ace Of Wands, New Scotland Yard, The Doombolt Chase and The Professionals. He also published two novels: Blood Brigade (1976) and Column Of Thieves (1977). In 1980, Houghton created the Scottish Television soap opera Take The High Road, which ran until 2003. He published a tie-in novel, Summer's Gloaming, in 1982. Other Eighties work included episodes of Sapphire & Steel and CATS Eyes, in addition to serving as the executive story editor on Hammer House Of Mystery And Suspense.

Houghton died on July 2nd, 1991. He and Lim had a daughter, Sara, who appeared in The Curse Of Clyde Langer, a 2011 story for The Sarah Jane Adventures.