John Killick Where Is He Now

You know that moment when you’re deep into a Wikipedia rabbit hole at 2 AM, and you stumble on a name that feels like a half-remembered dream? That was me last Tuesday with John Killick. I was reading about a forgotten TV pilot from the 1970s, and there he was—a writer who apparently vanished from the public eye after a cult sci-fi series. I had to ask: Where is he now?

For the uninitiated—and let’s be honest, most of you are—John Killick wasn’t exactly a household name. He was a British television scriptwriter, mostly active from the mid-60s to the early 80s. He wrote for shows like The Troubleshooters and a certain little program called Doctor Who. Yes, that Doctor Who. You’d think that alone would earn you a commemorative plaque or at least a decent Wikipedia page, right?

The Man Behind the Typewriter

Killick’s big swing was the 1971-72 series The Guardians, a dystopian political drama that’s now a cult classic. Imagine The Prisoner’s paranoia mashed up with 1980s Thatcherism, but filmed a decade early. The show was bleak, smart, and completely ignored by mainstream audiences. Critics loved it. Network executives? Not so much. It got cancelled after one season.

And then—silence. I don’t mean a slow decline into writing manuals or teaching screenwriting. I mean a full, radio-silent, “he walked into the fog” disappearance. By the mid-80s, Killick stopped getting credits. No new plays, no TV movies, not even a grumpy letter to a fan magazine. It’s like he decided the industry wasn’t worth the paper his scripts were printed on. (Side note: Can you imagine ghosting your own career like that? Respect.)

Hunting for Clues

I spent a good hour (and maybe three cups of coffee) digging through forums and old fan sites. The most concrete clue? A single post from 2009 on a Doctor Who discussion board. Someone claimed they met Killick in a pub in Cornwall, and he said he’d “retired to grow vegetables.” Vegetables! Not a screenplay, not a novel—cabbages. If that’s not a mood, I don’t know what is.

Other rumors suggest he moved to Canada in the early 90s. But here’s the thing—no one has a photo of him past 1985. Not a single confirmed sighting, no obituary (he’d be in his late 80s now), and no recorded “where are they now?” interview. It’s as if he willed himself into being a footnote. And honestly? That kind of privacy in a world that demands your entire life story on Instagram? It’s almost rebellious.

The Modern Legend of John Killick

So, where is he now? The honest answer is: nobody knows. And maybe that’s the point. In an era where every washed-up actor has a podcast and every writer has a Twitter meltdown, Killick is a beautiful anomaly. He’s a ghost who happens to have a handful of credits on IMDb. He’s the guy who said, “I wrote my stories, and now I’m done.”

I like to imagine him living in a small coastal town, drinking tea at the same café every morning. He probably doesn’t own a smartphone. Maybe he looks at the constant stream of TV reboots and just smiles to himself, knowing his work doesn’t need a sequel. (I bet he’s annoyed that “The Guardians” isn’t on streaming, though. I would be.)

Why You Should Care

If you’re a writer, John Killick is your hero. He proves you can create art, disappear, and still be remembered by a tiny, dedicated tribe. He didn’t sell out, he didn’t pivot to “content creation”—he just quit. And in a culture obsessed with “hustle,” that’s the most radical thing you can do. It’s also a little sad, but mostly it’s badass.

So, to John Killick, wherever you are—tending your tomatoes or sipping a pint in a Cornwall pub—thanks for the mystery. You made one show, one cult classic, and one hell of a disappearing act. I hope the vegetables are thriving. And if you’re reading this? Drop a postcard. I promise I won’t tell anyone.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a sudden urge to watch a grainy VHS rip of The Guardians. And maybe plant a carrot or two.