Terry Nation (August 8, 1930 – March 9, 1997) wrote the opening gambits for Target MacGyver, Thief of Budapest & The Golden Triangle, and was a writer and producer for seasons 1 and 2.
Born in Cardiff, Wales, Terry Nation was a major contributor to science fiction television during a key point in its development. He started his career as a comedy writer in the 1950s, with his first break coming in 1955 when Spike Milligan spotted his work and bought one of Nation's sketches "because he looked hungry". Nation's profile began to rise, notably with his engagement as a writer for Tony Hancock, and he went on to write scripts for all the other big British comedians of the 1960s.
Nation then became involved in a new sci-fi project being developed by the BBC, which turned out to be Doctor Who. He is often mistakenly credited as the creator of the series, which is untrue, although he was undeniably a leading force in the success of the series with over 60 episodes to his name and several spin-offs. His most famous and enduring creation was the Daleks.
He also wrote for several other high profile British TV programmes such as The Avengers, The Baron, The Persuaders!, The Champions, and The Saint. He created Survivors in 1975 and Blake's 7 in 1978.
He moved to Los Angeles in 1980 where he worked on several American TV projects, including MacGyver. Terry Nation died of emphysema in 1997.