Doctor Who Vs. The ABC Murders

This thriller (another Agatha Christie Ltd. and Mammoth Screen collaboration) is
the latest adaptation from Sarah Phelps, and is based on The A.B.C. Murders, widely regarded as one of
Christie's best mysteries. Published in 1936, the form of the novel is notable for combining first-person and third-person narratives,
previously employed in
The Man in the Brown 
Suit. Captain Arthur Hastings acts as narrator
of the story, but Poirot's friend is absent from this new reworking.
Mike Holgate's book,
Stranger Than Fiction, claimed that the Queen of Crime was inspired by the infamous White-
chapel Murders of 1888.
The whodunit was first adapted in 1965 as The Alphabet Murders, followed
by LWT's version for the popular Poirot series (in 1992), then a BBC radio dramatisation in 2008.
Here, Hercules Poirot (now portrayed by Illinois-born actor John Malkovich) hunts ABC, a serial  killer who dispatches his victims in alphabetical order.
The period drama (shown over three consecutive nights from Boxing Day)  concluded on BBC1 last night and featured Rupert Grint (as Inspector
Crome), Andrew Buchan, Tara Fitzgerald, Gregor Fisher, and fourteen
Doctor Who cast and crew connections:

• Kevin McNally (Inspector Japp here; Somerset in The Blue Geranium) was Hugo Lang in The Twin Dilemma, and voiced Henry for Big Finish's The Death Collectors (2008)
• Shirley Henderson (Rose here; Honoria in Murder is Easy) was Ursula Blake in Love & Monsters
• Christopher Villiers (Carmichael here; Restarick in They Do It With Mirrors) was Hugh Fitzwilliam in The King's Demons, Professor Moorhouse in Mummy on the Orient Express, and voiced Cacothis for Absolution (2007)
• Tamzin Griffin (Alice) voiced Negotiator Vresha for Dreamtime (2005)
• Lizzie McInnerny (Jenny here; Nurse & Miranda in The Million Dollar Bond Robbery) voiced Harriet Quilp for The Yes Men (2015)
• Anya Chalotra (Lily) voiced Ensign Murti for The Time War 2 (2018)
• Karen Westwood (Mrs. Kirkham) was Tabetha in The Big Bang
• Suzanne Packer (Capstick) was Eve Cicero in The Tsuranga Conundrum
• Jonathan Keeble (Newsreader) voiced Clegg for The Revolution Game (2019)
• Alexander Kirk (Weddle) was an Orderly in P.R.O.B.E. The Zero Imperative, Colonel Ackroyd in P.R.O.B.E. Unnatural Selection, and Hopkins in Global Conspiracy?
• Adam Darlington (Passenger) was a Passerby in Arachnids in the UK
• Sarah Davies was also first assistant director on thirty-six stories (from Love & Monsters to Series 11) and The Sarah Jane Adventures, following work as production runner on four other episodes
• George Atkins was also ADR mixer on The Time of the Doctor, Flatline and Empress of Mars
• hair/make-up assistant Andrew Whiteoak was a Millennium FX technician on World Enough and Time and The Doctor Falls

Doctor Who Vs. Oliver Twist (1985)

Victorian literary classic Oliver Twist (also known

as The Parish Boy's Progress, and originally pub-

lished monthly in Bentley's Miscellany from 1837-

39) was only Charles Dickens' second novel.

The first television adaptation of the story was

shown on BBCtv in 1962, followed by this more faith-

ful version in 1985. Produced by Terrance Dicks as
part of the corporation's Classic Serial strand (which
ran regularly on Sunday afternoons for twenty years
from 1975), the drama originally aired in late 1985.

 The twelve-part saga featured Ben Rodska as Oliver,
Eric Porter (Fagin), and twenty-six other Doctor Who
cast and crew connections:

• Terry Molloy (Brittles) was the third actor to portray Davros on TV (from Resurrection of the Daleks), a role reprised for Big Finish's audio series I, Davros (2006), then Davros (2003), The Juggernauts, Terror Firma (both 2005), The Davros Mission (2007), Masters of War (2008), The Curse of Davros (2012), Daleks Among Us (2013), The Lights of Skaro (2014), and even on stage for The Trial of Davros (2005) - he was also Russell in Attack of the Cybermen, and voiced Magus Riga for Kingdom of Silver, Examiner for Keepsake (both 2008), Dr. Christopher Wallace and the Rat King for Rat Trap (2011), Lord Ampthill for Jago and Litefoot: The Hourglass Killers (2012), Quadrigger Stoyn for The Beginning, The Dying Light (both 2013), and Luna Romana (2014), and Rone for Time Reaver (2016)
• Brian Badcoe (Magistrate) was Adam in Invasion of the Dinosaurs
• June Brown (Mrs. Mann) was Lady Eleanor in The Time Warrior
• Donald Eccles (Limbkins) was Krasis in The Time Monster
• Davyd Harries (White) was Shapp in The Armageddon Factor
• Nicholas McArdle (Master) was De Vries in The Stones of Blood
• Edward Burnham (Grimwig) was professors Watkins and Kettlewell in The Invasion and Robot respectively
• Lysette Anthony (Rose/Agnes) voiced Clara Harris for Assassin in the Limelight (2008), Hazel Bright for Hothouse (2009), and Sophia for The Secret History (2015)
• Michael Attwell (Bill Sikes) was Isbur in The Ice Warriors, and Bates in Attack of the Cybermen
• Godfrey James (Bumble) was Tarn in Underworld
• Gillian Martell (Mrs Maylie) was Lily Gregson in K9 and Company
• Chrsitian Rodska (Barney) voiced Laan Carder for Faith Stealer (2004), and Reverand Small for AudioGo's Hornets Nest: The Dead Shoes (2011)
• Miriam Margolyes (Mrs Corney) voiced Leef Apple Glyn Slitheen-Blathereen in The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Gift, and Frau Tod for The Beast of Orlok (2009)
• Christopher Driscoll (Crackit) was the Security Guard in The Idiot's Lantern
• Janet Henfrey (Martha) was Miss Hardaker in The Curse of Fenric, and voiced Mrs. Vanguard for The Spirit Trap (2010), Old Woman for Counter Measures 3, and Dr. Petherbridge for An Eye For Murder (both 2014)
• Mark Bassenger (Cabbie) made his TV debut as a Cyberman in The Five Doctors
• David McKail (Dr. Losberne) was Sergeant Kyle in The Talons of Weng Chiang
• Dicken Ashworth (Sergeant) was Sezon in Timelash
• Harry Fielder (Big Man) was a Guard (in serials PP, ZZZ, 4L, 4P, 5A, 5F, 5Z), Crewman (SS, 4T), Vogan (4D), Assassin (4Q), Tigellan (5Q), and Krarg in Shada 
• Leslie Schofield (Patterer) was Leroy in The War Games, and Calib in The Face of Evil
• Henry Stamper (Fang) was Anton in The Enemy of the World
• Alan Bennion (Magistrate) was Slaar in The Seeds of Death, Izlyr in The Curse of Peladon, and Azaxyr in The Monster of Peladon
• Charles Pemberton (Warden) was a titular alien in The Tomb of the Cybermen, and Alien Technician in The War Games (5)
• production manager Nigel Taylor began his career as assistant director on The Stones of Blood
• script editor Brian Wright was Dassuk in The Ark
• incidential music was provided by Dudley Simpson, composer on almost 300 episodes (from Planet of the Giants to The Horns of Nimon)

Doctor Who Vs. Some People

Produced by Vic Films, this low-
budget musical tale of teenage
rebellion (a contemporary
obsession) was filmed and set
in Bristol.

Released by Anglo Amalgamated
in 1962, the film premiered on
the Talking Pictures TV channel
 last night, and featured Anneke 
Wills, Kenneth More, David
Hemmings, Harry H Corbett,
and eight future Doctor Who
cast and crew connections:

• Ray Brooks (Johnnie) played David in Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD, and voiced the titular renegade for Big Finish's The Trouble With Drax (2016) - he was offered the role of Orcini in Revelation of the Daleks in November 1984, but William Gaunt was cast
• Angela Douglas (Terry) was Doris Lethbridge-Stewart in Battlefield
• Richard Davies (Harper) was Burton in Delta and the Bannermen
• Fred Ferris (Clerk) was Bert Rowse in Planet of Giants: Crisis
• Cyril Luckham (Magistrate) was the White Guardian from The Ribos Operation to Enlightenment
• Geoff Glover was focus puller on the sequel to Dr. Who and the Daleks too
• John Wilcox was also cinematographer on both Dalek films
• prolific Australian composer Ron Grainer's iconic theme tune was realised by Delia Derbyshire and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Doctor Who Vs. Strangers

Produced by Two Brothers
Pictures, ITV's latest crime
drama concluded last night.
Originally titled White Dragon,
the series was mainly filmed in
its Hong Kong setting.

The thriller debuted on the ITV
Hub on September 6, then
began an eight-week run four
 days later - it featured John 
Simm (as Jonah), Anthony
Wong, Emilia Fox, Katie
Leung, and twelve Doctor Who cast and crew connections:

• Dervla Kirwan (Megan) was Miss Hartigan in The Next Doctor
• Kae Alexander (Becky) voiced Waywalker for Big Finish's The Memory Bank and Other Stories (2018)
• Tim McInnerny (Bach) was Halpen in Planet of the Ood, and voiced Admiral Dolne for The Well-Mannered War (2015)
• Raquel Cassidy (Racel) was Miranda Cleaves in The Rebel Flesh and The Almost People, and voiced Mesca for The Judgement of Isskar (2009), Inquisa for Paradoxicide, Destiny Gray for Recorded Time: Question Marks (both 2011), Dr. Alison Foster for Destination: Nerva (2012), and Guinevere Godiva for Jago & Litefoot 5 (2013)
• Andrew Knott (Conrad) voiced James O'Meara for 1963: Fanfare for the Common Men (2013), and Sean Casey for Dark Eyes 2: The White Room (2014)
• Tina Simmons (Mother) made her TV debut as an Inferno Customer in (episode 1 of) The War Machines
• Liana Del Giudice was also film editor on The Empty Child, The Doctor Dances, The Christmas Invasion, New Earth, School Reunion and The Day of the Doctor
• property master Garry Dawson worked on stand-by props for Cold War, The Crimson Horror and The Sarah Jane Adventures pilot episode
• Nick Murray was also art director on Thin Ice and Knock Knock
• Sophie Powell was graphic designer on Last Christmas too
• ADR mixer Robert Searl was recordist on Twice Upon a Time
• Charlie Bluett was also prosthetics technician on forty-eight stories (from Rose to The Husbands of River Song), Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures and Class

Doctor Who Vs. Press

Produced by Lookout Point for BBC1, this drama
 (conceived and scripted by prolific dramatist
Mike Bartlett) is set in two warring news-
rooms in the British newspaper industry.
Charlotte Riley played Holly Evans, deputy news
editor at The Herald, whilst Ben Chaplin was
Duncan Allen, editor of tabloid The Post. The
rival papers, neighbours in the same London
square, are ethically chalk and cheese, but
both chase the same scoop, a MI5 whistle-
blower.
The six-part series concluded last night, and
featured Al Weaver, and sixteen Doctor Who 
cast and crew connections:

• Shane Zaza (Kane) was Prem in Demons of the Punjab
• David Suchet (Emmerson) was the Landlord in Knock Knock
• Dominic Rowan (West) voiced Corwyn for Big Finish's The Burning Prince (2012)
• David Schofield (Cartwright) voiced Billy for Death in Blackpool (2009), and Nostradamus for The Doomsday Quatrain (2011), then appeared in The Girl Who Died as Odin
• Tom Bell (Brooks) voiced Fakrid/Jinka for The Highest Science (2014), Arran/Shift for The Age of Endurance (2016), and Brian Sherborne for Intelligence for War (2023)
• Elliot Levey (PM Harper) voiced Gobernar and Blank for Vampire of the Mind (2016), and Colonel Marsden for Red Planets (2018)
• Pandora Clifford (Anna) voiced Zeeb and Zeet for Wicked Sisters (2020)
• Thalissa Teixeira (Angie) voiced Dr. Lenni Fisk for Into the Stars (2022), and Jenel Kilum'bu/Saggy for Defender of the Earth (2023)
• Dan Li (Lawyer) was Alexis in The Bells of Saint John
• Bern Callaco (Journalist) was an Operator in The Return of Doctor Mysterio, and Soldier in Thin Ice
• Lorna Brown (Carla) voiced Veega for Gallifrey: Time War 3 (2020)
• Tina Simmons (Director) made her TV debut as an Inferno Customer in (episode 1 of) The War Machines
• stunt co-ordinator Nick Gillard was the stunt arranger on Silver Nemesis (2)
• Faith Penhale was co-executive producer on The Day of the Doctor too
• Sean Clayton was also the second assistant director on Dalek and Father's Day
• Toby Wood was a music engineer on An Adventure in Space and Time too

Doctor Who Vs. The Avengers, Series 4

The cult British fantasy show returned to ITV 

in the autumn of 1965, with Patrick Macnee's
Steed now joined by fellow agent, Mrs. Emma
Peel, portrayed by Diana Rigg (who replaced
 the original choice, Elizabeth Shepherd).

The chemistry between the two leads resulted 

in the show's most popular and successful era

- The Avengers now aired in over a hundred

countries and was syndicated in America.

Like her predecessor, Honor Blackman's Cathy 

Gale, Peel was unlike any female character 

seen on British TV at the time. The role earned 

Rigg sex-symbol status, and she became an

icon of Sixties feminism.
Born in Yorkshire in 1938, Rigg became a Dame

in 1994, and one of her most recent television appearances was as Mrs. Gillyflower in The 

Crimson Horror, alongside her daughter, 

Rachael Stirling.

Future Doctor Who script writers Malcolm Hulke, John Lucarotti and Robert Banks Stewart all provided screenplays here.

The fourth, twenty-six part season (which began another repeat run on the 

Movies 4 Men channel today) featured Bernard Cribbins (as Arkwright in

The Girl From Auntie), and another ninety-three Doctor Who cast and crew

connections:

The Town of No Return (UK TX: September 28 1965)

• Patrick Newell (Smallwood here; Collins in Something Nasty in the Nursery; Mother in Series 6) and Peter Brace (Soldier) both appeared in The Android Invasion, as Colonel Faraday and Guard respectively, whilst Brace was also Guard in The Curse of Peladon
• Terence Alexander (Warren) was Lord Ravensworth in The Mark of the Rani
• Roger Lloyd-Pack (Man here; Professor in The Avengers, 1998) was John Lumic in Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel
• Rocky Taylor (Fencing Double here; Martial Artist in The Cybernauts; Maker in The Danger Makers; Man in Hospital in The Fear Merchants; Mitchell in Escape in Time; Mercenary in Have Guns Will Haggle; Stunt Double in The New Avengers: The Eagle's Nest; Cybernaut in The Last of the Cybernauts; Soldier in Dirtier by the Dozen) was Egyptian Warrior in The Daleks' Master Plan: Golden Death; Guard in (episode 4 of) The Curse of Peladon; and a stuntman on The Idiot's Lantern

The Gravediggers (UK TX: October 7)

• Ronald Fraser (Winslip) was Joseph C in The Happiness Patrol
• Wanda Ventham (Nurse) was Jean Rook in The Faceless Ones, Thea Ransome in Image of the Fendahl, and Faroon in Time and the Rani - she auditioned for the role of Emma Peel in a screen test opposite Moray Watson as Steed
• Steven Berkoff (Sager) was the Shakri in The Power of Three
• Bryan Mosley (Miller) was Prop Man in The Daleks' Master Plan (7) and Malpha (in episode 11)
• Alan Chuntz (Pallbearer here, Henderson in The Hour That Never Was) appeared in fifteen classic era episodes (from The Seeds of Death to State of Decay)
• Billy Cornelius (Pallbearer here; Martial Artist in the next story; Glynn in Dial a Deadly Number; Tribeman in Small Game For Big Hunters) was Man-at-Arms in The Crusade (4), and Morok Guard in The Space Museum
• Aubrey Richards (Palmer) was Professor Parry in The Tomb of the Cybermen
• Michael Stevens (Pallbearer here; Guard in Castle De'ath; Stunt double in A Surfeit of H2O, Dial a Deadly Number, Room Without a View, The House That Jack Built; Cleaner in Super Secret Cypher Snatch) was Soldier in The Myth Makers (1), Daffodil Man in Terror of the Autons (3), UNIT Motorcyclist/Prisoner in The Mind of Evil, and Guard in The Curse of Peladon (1)

The Cybernauts (UK TX: October 14)

• Michael Gough (Armstrong) was the titular villain in The Celestial Toymaker (he was married to Anneke Wills at the time) and was Councillor Hedin in Arc of Infinity
• for Frederick Jaeger (Benson) see Series 2: Death of a Great Dane
• Bernard Horsfall (Jephcott) was Lemual Gulliver in The Mind Robber, Time Lord in The War Games, Taron in Planet of the Daleks, Chancellor Goth in The Deadly Assassin, and voiced Arnold Baynes for Big Finish's Davros (2003)
• for Burt Kwouk (Tusamo) and Ronald Leigh-Hunt (Lambert) see Series 1: Kill the King and Dragonsfield
• for John Hollis (Sensai) and Gordon Whiting (Hammond) see Series 2: Warlock and The Golden Eggs
• John Franklyn-Robbins (Gilbert) was a Time Lord in Genesis of the Daleks (1)
• Katherine Schofield (Oyuka) was Sabetha in The Keys of Marinus
• Dinny Powell, Mike Reid, and Derek Ware (Martial Artists) all had minor roles in the classic run - Powell was a stuntman on Terror of the Autons (1), and Guard in The Curse of Peladon (4) and Genesis of the Daleks (2); Reid was a Thal in Dr. Who and the Daleks, Soldier in The Myth Makers (3) and The War Machines, and Guard in The Massacre (4); whilst Ware worked on twenty-four instalments as stuntman, fight arranger or extra (from An Unearthly Child to The Claws of Axos (1))

Death at Bargain Prices (UK TX: October 21)

• for Andre Morell (Kane) and John Cater (Jarvis) see Series 3: Death of a Batman and The Nutshell
• TP McKenna (Wentworth) was Captain Cook in The Greatest Show in the Galaxy 
• George Selway (Massey) was George and Frank Meadows in The Faceless Ones
• Peter Howell (Popple) was the Investigator in The Mutants (6)

Castle De'ath (UK TX: October 28)

• James Copeland (Roberton here; Gymnast in the next episode) was Selris in The Krotons

The Master Minds (UK TX: November 4)

• Bernard Archard (Leeming) was Bragen in The Power of the Daleks, and Marcus Scarman in Pyramids of Mars
• Nigel Lambert (Hardcastle) was Hardin in The Leisure Hive
• Martin Miller (Spencer) was Kublai Khan in Marco Polo
• Paddy Ryan (Heavy here; Chef in The Hour That Never Was) was Kaled Scientist in Genesis of the Daleks (6)

The Murder Market (UK TX: November 12)

• for John Woodvine (Stone) see Series 1: Square Root of Evil and Dead of Winter
• Edward Underdown (Jonathan) was Zastor in Meglos

A Surfeit of H2O (UK TX: November 19)

• Alan Gerrard (Villager here; Fintry in Quick-Quick Slow Death) was Bovem in The Dominators
• Talfryn Thomas (Barker) was Mullins in Spearhead from Space (1), and Dave in The Green Death
• Charles Rayford (Heckler here; Cook in The Hour That Never Was; Napoleon in Honey for the Prince; Bluebell for Who's Who?) was Kaled Scientist in Genesis of the Daleks
• John Timberlake [born Murphy] (Heckler here; Witness in The Curious Case of the Countless Clues) was Prisoner in The Dalek Invasion of Earth (6), Shelterer in The Enemy of the World, and Kaled Scientist in Genesis of the Daleks
• for Geoffrey Palmer see Series 1

The Hour That Never Was (UK TX: November 26)

• Royston Farrell (Officer here; Audience member in Two's A Crowd; Marshall in The Girl From Auntie) was Guardian in The Ark, Elder in The Savages (1), Technician in The Seeds of Death and The Claws of Axos (4), and Guard in The Curse of Peladon (1)
• Fred Haggerty (Driver) was a stuntman on The Time Meddler (2)

Dial A Deadly Number (UK TX: December 3)

• Tina Packer (Suzanne) was Anne Travers in The Web of Fear
• Ernest Blyth (Steward here; Guest in Wish You Were Here) was Villager in The Daemons
• for John Carson (Fitch), Peter Bowles (Harvey) and John Bailey (Warner) see my blog for Series 3
• for Michael Barrington (Todhunter) see Series 1: The Yellow Needle

Man-Eater of Surrey Green (UK TX: December 10)

• Edwin Finn (Taylor) was the Landlord in The Massacre

Two's A Crowd (UK TX: December 17)

• Julian Glover (Vogel) was King Richard in The Crusade, and Scaroth in City of Death
• for Wolfe Morris (Pudeshkin) see Series 1: The Yellow Needle

Too Many Christmas Trees (UK TX: December 23)

• for Robert James (Jenkins) and Edwin Richfield (Teasel) see Series 1: Hot Snow and Girl On The Trapeze

Silent Dust (UK TX: December 31)

• William Franklyn (Omrod) voiced Pharaoh Amenhotep for The Roof of the World (2004)

Room Without a View (UK TX: January 7 1966)

• for Paul Whitsun-Jones (Chessman) see Series 3: Man With Two Shadows
• Peter Jeffrey (Varnals here; Prendergast in The Joker; Bristow in Game; Perov in The New Avengers: House of Cards) was the Pilot in The Macra Terror, and Count Grendel in The Androids of Tara
• Philip Latham (Carter) was President Borusa in The Five Doctors
• Vernon Dobtcheff (Pushkin) was an Alien Scientist in The War Games, and voiced Dadda Desaka for The Cradle of the Snake (2010), and Shamur for The Children of Seth (2011)

Small Game For Big Hunters (UK TX: January 14)

• Bill Fraser (Rawlings) was Captain Grugger in Meglos, and Commander Bill Pollock in K9 and Company
• Peter Thomas (Kendrick) was Captain Edal in The Savages

The Girl From Auntie (UK TX: January 21)

• Sylvia Coleridge (Hetty) was Amelia Ducat in The Seeds of Doom
• Maurice Browning (Russian) was Carlton in The Daleks' Master Plan
• Jonathan Burn (Betty) was Silas P in The Happiness Patrol

The Thirteenth Hour (UK TX: January 28)

• Victor Maddern (Jackson) was Chief Robson in Fury from the Deep 
• Donald Hewlett (Waversham here; Torrance in The New Avengers: Faces) was Hardiman in The Claws of Axos

Quick-Quick Slow Death (UK TX: February 4)

• John Woodnutt (Noble) was Hibbert in Spearhead from Space, the Draconian Emperor in Frontier in Space (5), Broton and the Duke of Forgill in Terror of the Zygons, and Seron in The Keeper of Traken
• Graham Armitage (Huggins) was Barney in The Macra Terror (1)
• Michael Peake (Fehr) was Tavius in The Romans

The Danger Makers (UK TX: February 11)

• Moray Watson (Peters) was Sir Robert Muir in Black Orchid

A Touch of Brimstone (UK TX: February 18)

• Peter Wyngarde (Cleverly Cartney) was Timanov in Planet of Fire
• Colin Jeavons (Darcy) was Damon in The Underwater Menace, and George Tracey in K9 and Company
• Robert Cawdron (Horace) was Taltalian in The Ambassadors of Death
• Jeremy Young (Castigan) was Kal in 100,000 BC, and Gordon Lowery in Mission to the Unknown
• Alf Joint (Big Man) was stunt arranger on Battlefield
• for Steve Plytas (Boris) see Series 2: Immortal Clay

What The Butler Saw (UK TX: February 25)

• David [Bernard] Swift (Barber here; Turner in The New Avengers: The Midas Touch) was cast as Count Federico in The Masque of Mandragora but was replaced by Jon Laurimore

The House That Jack Built (UK TX: March 4)

• Griffith Davies (Burton) was Kennedy in The Evil of the Daleks
• for Keith Pyott (Pennington) see Series 2: The White Dwarf
• Alan Lake (Officer) was Herrick in Underworld

A Sense of History (UK TX: March 11)

• Jacqueline Pearce (Marianne) was Chessene in The Two Doctors, then voiced Sherilyn Harper for The Fearmonger (2000), Admiral Mettna for Death Comes to Time, Queen Zafira for Hexagora (2011), and Cardinal Ollistra for The War Doctor (2015-17), Doom Coalition 4, Day of the Vashta Nerada and The Time War 1 (all 2017)
• for Nigel Stock (Carlyon) and John Ringham (Acheson) see Series 3; Concerto and The Secrets Broker
• Robin Phillips (Pettit) was Altos in The Keys of Marinus
• Kenneth Benda (Broom) was The Minister in The Claws of Axos

How To Succeed.. At Murder (UK TX: March 18)

• Christopher Benjamin (Hooter) first appeared in the classic run as Sir Keith Gold in Inferno, then the revived series as Colonel Hugh Curbishley in The Unicorn and the Wasp, but is best known as Henry Gordon Jago from The Talons of Weng Chiang - he reprised the role for The Mahogany Murders (2009) then Big Finish's Jago and Litefoot series (2010-present), Voyage to Venus and Voyage to the New World (both 2012), The Justice of Jalxar (2013) and Jago & Litefoot & Strax (2015) - he also voiced Tardelli for Grand Theft Cosmos (2008)
• for David Garth (Barton) and Jerome Willis (Rudge) see Series 2: The Big Thinker and Intercrime

Honey For The Prince (UK TX: March 25)

• Ron Moody (Ponsonby-Hopkirk) voiced the Duke of Wellington for Other Lives (2005)
• George Pastell (Arkadi) was Eric Klieg in The Tomb of the Cybermen
• Jon Laurimore (Westcott) replaced David Swift as Count Federico in The Masque of Mandragora
• Reg Pritchard (Postman) was Ben Daheer in The Crusade, and Man in The Daleks' Master Plan (7)
• Peter Diamond (Bernie) was a regular stunt double and fight arranger (from The Daleks (7) to The Daemons)

Doctor Who Vs. Mayday

Produced by Kudos for BBC One,
this thriller was first broadcast over
five consecutive nights in March
2013.
Scripted by Whitechapel writers Ben
Court and Caroline Ip, the drama
told the story of murdered schoolgirl
Hattie Sutton, who disappeared on
her way to join her village's
May Day celebration as the May Queen. 

The cast featured Peter Firth, Aiden
Gillen, and thirteen Doctor Who 
cast and crew connections:

• Sophie Okonedo (Fiona) voiced Alison Cheney for Scream of the Shalka, then played Queen Liz 10 in The Beast Below and The Pandorica Opens
• Lesley Manville (Gail) depicted Heather Hartnell in An Adventure in Space and Time
• Adrian Rawlins (DS Mills) was Dr. Ryder in Planet of the Ood
• David Fynn (Spicer) was Marcellus in The Pandorica Opens
• Kerry Godliman (Amelia) voiced Karen for The Eight Truths and Worldwide Web (2009)
• Caroline Berry (Jo) was a Dinner Lady in School Reunion
• Frances Ashman (Teacher) was Christine in The Big Bang
• Edmund Kente (Ken) was Mr. Scoones in The Next Doctor
• Big Finish actor Tim Treloar (Searcher) voiced Lord Jack Corrigan for Destination: Nerva, Tyron for The Burning Prince, The Ancient One for Gods and Monsters, Van Cleef for Return of the Rocket Men, the Lord President for Dark Eyes (all 2012), the Third Doctor for The Light at the End (2013) and The Legacy of Time (2019), Telephus and Cisyphus for Mask of Tragedy (2014), Ergu for The Exxilons, and Narrator for The Third Doctor Adventures (from 2015), Damascus (2016) and Gardeners' World (2017)
• costume designer Lucinda Wright and her assistant Joanne Hayes both worked in those posts on all thirteen episodes of Series 1
• Karl Probert was also art director on The Doctor's Wife, Night Terrors and The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe
• Andy Piers Morris was the safety free-diver on The Vampires of Venice too
• David Barrett was also film editor on The Hungry Earth and Cold Blood

Doctor Who Vs. The Final Cut

The final serial in BBC1's Francis Urquhart trilogy followed House 
of Cards (1990) and To Play The King (1993), and again starred 
Ian Richardson as the scheming 
Conservative Prime Minister in 
his last, turbulent years in power. 
The drama generated much 
controversy by opening with 
Margaret Thatcher's funeral.
This four-part political thriller, 
based on Michael Dobbs' novel, 
originally aired in late 1995,
and featured seventeen Doctor 
Who cast and crew connections:

• Big Finish actor Nickolas Grace (Pitt) made a brief TV appearance as Albert Einstein in Death is the Only Answer, and voiced Loozly for Bang-Bang-A-Boom! (2002), Straxus for Human Resources (2007), Sisters of the Flame (2007) and The Vengeance of Morbius (both 2008), Balancer and Viktor Skaarsgard for Equilibrium (2015), Goole for Gallery of Ghouls (2016), Professor Grove for Shadow Planet/ World Apart, and Chevalier D'Eon for The Sword of the Chevalier (both 2017)
• Paul Freeman (Makepeace, pictured right) voiced Jalnik for The Foe from the Future (2012)
• Isla Blair (Claire) was Lady Isabella Fitzwilliam in The King's Demons, and voiced Paula for Exotron (2007)
• John Rowe (Watling) voiced Sir Isiah Hardy for Entanglement (2018)
• Miles Richardson (Jardine) was Captain Douglas Cavendish in Downtime and Daemos Rising, then voiced Charles Darwin for Bloodtide (2001), Irving Braxiatel for Zagreus (2003), Gallifrey 4 (2011), Gallifrey 6 (2013), Theatre of War (2015), Gallifrey: Enemy Lines (2016) and Gallifrey: Time War (2018), and Black Rod for The Gunpowder Plot
• Kevork Malikyan (Nurse) was Kemel Rudkin in The Wheel in Space
• Peter Symonds (Polecutt) was a Soldier in Terror of the Zygons
• David Ashford (Newsreader) was Dad in The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
• Derek Lea (Thug) was a stuntman on Dalek, Bad Wolf, The Parting of the Ways, The Age of Steel and Partners in Crime
• Trevor Steedman (Detective) was a Seabase Guard in Warriors of the Deep
• Joseph Long (President) was Rocco Colasanto in Turn Left
• for David Ryall (Bullerby), Nick Brimble (Corder), and crew members Ian Punter, Dave King, and Ken Ledsham see my blog for To Play The King
• associate producer Tony Redston production manager on The Mark of the Rani and Time and the Rani

Doctor Who Vs. Bodyguard

This political thriller from World Productions
 (now part of ITV Studios) was created and
scripted by Jed Mercurio, writer of Cardiac 
Arrest and Line of Duty.
When protection officer Sergeant David
Budd (portrayed by Richard Madden) is
assigned to guard the ambitious and
powerful Home Secretary Julia Montague
(Keely Hawes) he is torn between his duty
and his beliefs. The former soldier despises
everything she stands for but is responsible
for her safety.

The six-part series attracted an audience of
11 million as it concluded last night, the best
ratings for a BBC drama since The Next
 Doctor aired in 2008. Bodyguard featured
Gina McKee, and ten Doctor Who cast and
crew connections:

• Hawes played Ms. Delphox in Time Heist
• Stephanie Hyam (Chanel) was Heather in The Pilot and The Doctor Falls
• Vincent Franklin (Travis) voiced Lord Stormblood for Big Finish's Doom Coalition 2 (2016)
• Pippa Haywood (Craddock) voiced Jaxa for Ravenous 2, and Teremon for The War Master 2 (both 2018)
• Nina Toussaint White (Rayburn) was Mels in Let's Kill Hitler, and voiced Brooke 2 for The Diary of River Song 3, and Loba Christata for Tales From New Earth (both 2018)
• David Westhead (Vosler PM) was Kempe in The Shakespeare Code
• Anji Mohindra (Nadia) was Rani Chandra in The Sarah Jane Adventures, and voiced Jyoti Cutler for Scavenger (2014)
• Wendy Albiston (Receptionist) voiced Madame de Chevreuse for The Church and the Crown (2002)
• Tina Simmons (Nurse) began her career as an Inferno Customer in (episode 1 of) The War Machines
• Iain Atkinson was second assistant director on Flatline too

Doctor Who Vs. To Play The King

The first sequel to House of Cards, 

again starred Ian Richardson as 

scheming Francis Urquhart (now 

the Tory Prime Minister), and 

Michael Kitchen, who earned the

BAFTA Best Actor award for his 

role as the newly crowned British 

monarch. The Final Cut followed
in 1995.

Writer Andrew Davies again 

employed the old theatrical
convention of breaking the 

fourth wall, were Urquhart
occasionally addressed the
audience.

Again based on the works of
Michael Dobbs, this four-part  political drama was first screened in the autumn of 1993, and featured eighteen Doctor Who cast and crew connections:

• Big Finish actor Don Warrington (Gaunt) was the President of Great Britain in Rise of the Cybermen, and voiced Rassilon for Seasons of Fear, The Time of the Daleks, Neverland (all 2002), Zagreus (2003), Caerdroia, and The Next Life (both 2004)
• Nicholas Farrell (Mycroft) was Brian Green PM in Torchwood: Children of Earth, then voiced Gammades for Time Reef, Phil for A Perfect World (both 2008), and Captain Frank for Last of the Cybermen (2015)
• Frederick Treves (Quillington) was Brotadac in Meglos
• Pip Torrens (Harding) was Headmaster Rocastle in Human Nature and The Family of Blood, and voiced Charlie Gibbs for Eldrad Must Die! (2013)
• David Ryall (Bullerby) voiced Carthok and Valentine for Phantasmagoria (1999)
• George Raistrick (Gropeham) made his TV debut as a Guard in (episode 3 of) Day of the Daleks
• James Snell (DI Hackett) was Harry in The Daemons
• John Bleasdale (Journalist) was one of the titular The Robots of Death
• John Paul Connolly (Beggar) voiced William Russell and Russian Guard for The Angel of Scutari (2009)
• Julian Harries (Officer) voiced Governor Lawson for Bloodtide (2001)
• for director Paul Seed, Colin Jeavons (Stamper), Christopher Owen (McKenzie), Kenneth Gilbert (Earle), Nick Brimble (Corder), Nigel Taylor (associate producer), Ken Ledsham (production designer), Rosalind Ebbutt (costume designer), Ian Punter (cinematographer), and Barrie Tharby (recordist) see my blog for House of Cards
• film editor Dave King edited The Mutants too
• stunt arranger Terry Forrestal was a Driver in K9 and Company
• casting assistant Andy Pryor has worked as casting director on the revived run since 2005, then The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood

Doctor Who: More Series 11 News

So the long wait is almost over. We have just another month to go until the
debut of the first female Doctor, portrayed by Jodie Whittaker.

The BBC have finally revealed the start date for the historic, eleventh season
of the reworked run of Doctor Who. Chris Chibnall's latest TV assignment
 continues to court controversy - the ground-breaking revival will now air on Sunday nights. Since 2005, the programme has been shown in the traditional Saturday slot.

The new series will launch on October 7th with an hour-long adventure written by the showrunner, entitled The Woman Who Fell to Earth. The ten-part run will therefore conclude on Sunday December 9th, and will be followed by the show's fourteenth Christmas special.

Writers Malorie Blackman, Ed Hime, Pete McTighe, Vinay Patel and Joy 
Wilkinson have also contributed stories, whilst directors Jamie Childs, 
Sallie Aprahamian, Mark Tonderai, Jennifer Perrott and Wayne Yip 
were all assigned to Doctor Who. Segun Akinola replaced Murray Gold as
show composer.

Actors Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill play new companions
Graham O'Brien, Ryan Sinclair and Yasmin Khan respectively. Sharon D 
Clarke will also appear, and confirmed guest stars include Alan Cumming,
 Lee Mack and Shaun Dooley.

Doctor Who Vs. Bulletproof

Sky One's latest crime drama was created
by London-born actors Noel Clarke and
Ashley Walters, who also portrayed
detectives and best friends Aaron Bishop
and Ronnie Pike.
Produced by Vertigo Films and Company
Pictures, Bulletproof followed the
investigations of NCA officers, overseen
by Tanner (played by Lindsey Coulson).
Following his work on the remake of
The Sweeney, co-creator and writer Nick
Love was approached by Sky to work
here. The show was filmed on location
in Liverpool, which doubled for London.

The six-part series concluded last night
 (then was promptly recommissioned)
and featured sixteen other Doctor Who 
cast and crew connections:

• Walters was Gregor Van Baalen in Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS
• Christina Chong (Nell) was Lorna Bucket in A Good Man Goes to War
• Mandeep Dhillon (Kamal) was Shireen in Knock Knock
• Clarke Peters (Pike) voiced Night Eagle for Dreamland
• Richard Price (Officer) was Guest in both The Runaway Bride and The Lazarus Experiment, Passerby in Partners in Crime, Takran Soldier in The Doctor's Daughter, Cyberman in The Doctor Falls, and Shadow Kin in Class
• Mark Hugh Williams (Worker) was the Bus Driver in Series 11
• Matthew Stirling (Sasa) was stuntman on The Angels Take Manhattan and The Name of the Doctor
• Xavier Lake was stuntman on The Woman Who Fell to Earth too
• Des Hughes was also line producer on eight stories (from The Snowmen to The Time of the Doctor), and had a cameo in The Five(ish) Doctors
• Matthew Tabern also edited Smith and Jones, The Shakespeare Code, Human Nature and The Family of Blood
• Danny Hargreaves was also SFX (technician then) supervisor on fifty-five episodes (from The Girl in the Fireplace to Last Christmas) 
• Dave Kneath was also SFX technician on nine stories (from Into the Dalek to the 2015 festive special)
• Jade Poole was also SFX co-ordinator on seventeen adventures (from In the Forest of the Night to Knock Knock) and Class
• Russ Perkin was also SFX technician on eleven episodes (from The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe to The Husbands of River Song)
• Rob Garwood was also assistant editor on The Pilot, Smile and Class
• Gareth Hughes was also a camera operator on fourteen instalments (from Rose to Heaven Sent)

Doctor Who Vs. A Very English Scandal

BBC One's latest political drama
was based on the 2016 novel by
John Preston, and tells the true
story of the first British politician
to stand trial for murder.
Liberal MP and former party
leader Jeremy Thorpe (portrayed
here by Hugh Grant) was
accused of conspiring to kill his
alleged lover Norman Scott (Ben
Whishaw) in 1979. Thorpe (1929-
2014) was acquitted but his
political career was over.
During recent promotion for the
programme, writer Russell T
Davies revealed that he had
always intended to cast Grant
as the Doctor when Doctor Who was commissioned in 2003.
Produced by Blueprint Pictures, the three-part series featured Eve Myles,
Alex Jennings, and twenty-four other Doctor Who cast and crew alumni:

• Grant depicted the Doctor in The Curse of Fatal Death
• David Bamber (Lord Arran) was Captain Quell in Mummy on the Orient Express, and voiced Emperor Constantine for The Council of Nicaea (2005), and Colonel Ulrik and Whitmore for The Four Doctors (2010)
• Blake Harrison (Newton) voiced Lieutenant Daniel Hopkins for The Helliax Rift and Hour of the Cybermen (both 2018)
• Anthony O'Donnell (Abse) was Commander Kaagh in The Sarah Jane Smith Adventures: The Last Sontaran and Enemy of  the Bane
• Steffan Rhodri (DCS Challes) voiced Commander Korshal for Dreamtime (2005), Minister for Torchwood: Outbreak (2016), and Ted for The Silent Streets of Barry Island
• Adrian Scarborough (Carman) was Kahler Jex in A Town Called Mercy and The Making of the Gunslinger
• Jason Watkins (Hooson) was Webley in Nightmare in Silver, voiced the Legate of the Caliph for The Destroyer of Delights, and was the White Guardian for The Chaos Pool (both 2009)
• Lucy Briggs Owen (Sue) voiced Tina Andresson for The Havoc of Empires, Rejoice for The War Doctor 1: The Innocent (both 2015), Miranda for Maker of Demons (2016), Charlotte Mayfly for The Paternoster Gang: Heritage 1 (2019), and was cast in The Primeval Design (2021)
• Charlotte Lucas (Janet) voiced Bio Technician Valis and Echelon for Cobwebs (2010), and Duchess Miranda for Kingdom of Lies (2018)
• Paul Freeman (Cantley) voiced Jalnik for The Foe from the Future (2012)
• Tim Hudson (Lethaby) voiced the Tar-Modowk Leader for No More Lies (2007), then was Edward Lawn Bridges in The Giggle
• Andrew French (Sergeant-at-Arms) voiced Obingo for The Ghosts of Gralstead (2014), Beltempest for Original Sin, Muren for The Eternity Cage (both 2016), the Racnoss Consort for Empire of the Racnoss (2017), and Veritas for Morbius 1 (2024)
• Susan Wooldridge (Countess) auditioned for the role of Leela in 1976
• Morgan Watkins (Steele) voiced Ruck for The Dispossessed (2018)
• Zina Badran (Clerk) was the Morpheus Presenter in Sleep No More
• Daniel Weyman TV (Reporter) voiced Ragan Crezzen for The Butcher of Brisbane (2012)
• Nigel Hastings (Stable Owner) was the Commander in The Pyramid at the End of the World
• Nick Malinowski (Officer) was Eric in A Christmas Carol
• Tim Chipping (Guard) voiced Grigory [Rasputin] and the Dahensa for The Wanderer (2012), and Constable Wolsey and Mandrake for The Widow's Assassin (2014)
• Pablo Raybould (Auctioneer) was an Aide in Daleks in Manhattan
• Richard Price (Party Member) was Guest in The Runaway Bride and The Lazarus Experiment, Passerby in Partners in Crime, Takran Soldier in The Doctor's Daughter, Cyberman in The Doctor Falls and Shadow Kin in Class
• stunt co-ordinator Paul Kennington was stuntman on Rise of the Cybermen, The Age of Steel, Army of Ghosts, Doomsday and The Doctor's Daughter
• Murray Gold was composer on the revived run (from 2005 to last year) too
• Suzanne Cave was costume designer on An Adventure in Space and Time too