Doctor Who Vs. Jack the Ripper (1988)

"In the early hours of Friday morning, August the 31st 1888,

a penniless prostitute was slaughtered on a London street.

With the death of this one woman began a reign of terror

so horrifying that the world remember it still."

Co-produced by Thames Television, Euston Films and CBS, this two-

part mini-series was originally broadcast in the UK and America in

October 1988 to mark the centenary of the Whitechapel Murders.

 Writers Derek Marlowe and David Wickes presented a fictionalised

account of the hunt for the infamous Victorian serial killer, and drew

 heavily from Stephen Knight's now discredited book, The Final

Solution (1976). 

The Royal/Masonic conspiracy theory, first postulated by Thomas

Stowell in 1970, was popularised by BBC1's Jack the Ripper, then
the films Murder By Decree (1978), and From Hell (2001).

Original casting choices Barry Foster (Van Der Valk) and Brian

Capron (Coronation Street) were replaced by Michael Caine and

Lewis Collins (The Professionals). Caine won a Golden Globe for his

role here as Inspector Frederick Abberline (1843-1929), and was

joined by Collins' DS George Godley (1856-1941), Ray McAnally

 (Sir William Gull, 1816-1890), Edward Judd (Thomas Arnold, 1835

-1907), Jane Seymour (Emma Prentiss), Edward Judd (DCS Thomas

Arnold, 1835-1907), Michael Gothard (George Lusk), and Susan

George (Catherine Eddowes, 1842-1888).

A repeat run of this production (narrated by Michael Jayston)

concluded on Talking Pictures TV last night - it featured a total

of twenty-two Doctor Who cast and crew connections:

• Ken Bones (Robert James Lees, 1849-1931) played the General in The Day of the Doctor and Hell Bent - a role reprised for Big Finish's Dreadshade (2020), The War Room 1, The War Doctor 4 (both 2022) and A Genius for War (2023) - he also voiced Thomas Bloodchild/ Dreislav for The Bloodchild Codex (2013), and Anders Kristiansen/ David for Battlegrounds (2022)
• Hugh Fraser (Sir Charles Warren, 1840-1927) voiced Zero for Spring (2007), Dr. Hanri Kerrem for The Cradle of the Snake (2010), Tallister for War Against the Laan (2013), Edwin Tremayne for Moonflesh (2014), Dr. Schwartzmann/Rider for Criss-Cross, Sherringford Holmes for All-Consuming Fire (both 2015), the titular renegade for The Trouble With Drax (2016), and Second Elder for Sphere of Influence (202)
• Lysette [Anne Chodzko] Anthony (Mary Kelly, 1863-1888) voiced Clara Harris for Assassin in the Limelight (2008), Hazel Bright for Hothouse (2009), and Sophia for The Secret History (2015)
• T[homas] P[atrick] McKenna (TP O'Connor, 1848-1929) was Captain Cook in The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
• Denys [Vernon] Hawthorne (Asst. Commissioner Anderson, 1841-1918) was Rudge in Terror of the Vervoids
• Roger Ashton Griffiths (Rodman) was Quayle in Robot of Sherwood
• Trevor Baxter (Lanyon) first played Professor George Litefoot in The Talons of Weng-Chiang - a role reprised for the Jago and Litefoot series (from 2009)
• Jon [Sleeman] Croft (Thackeray) was Tom Girton in The Daemons
• Martin [Michael De] Friend (Vendor) was Styggron in The Android Invasion
• Roy Evans (Doorkeeper) was Trantis in The Daleks' Master Plan, Bert in The Green Death, and Miner in The Monster of Peladon
• [George] Gertan Klauber (Louis Diemschultz) was Galley Master in (episode 2 of) The Romans, and Ola in The Macra Terror
• Jon [St. John Livermore] Laurimore [born Livermore] (Inspector Spratling) replaced David [Bernard] Swift (Lord Salisbury) as Count Federico in The Masque of Mandragora
• John Normington (Dresser) was Trau Morgus in The Caves of Androzani, and Trevor Sigma in The Happiness Patrol
• Frank Jarvis [born John Francis Train] (Passerby) was the Corporal in The War Machine (3), Ankh in Underworld, and Skart in The Power of Kroll
• Eric Mason (Publican here; Extra in Double Event, 1973) was Smedley in The Sea Devils, and Green in The Mind of Evil
• Ronald [Raymond] Nunnery (Davis) was a Kaled Councillor in Genesis of the Daleks (1)
• Iain Rattray (Cop) was Habris in State of Decay
• David [John] Ryall (Bowyer) voiced Carthok for Phantasmagoria (1999)
• Peter Brayham was also the stunt co-ordinator on The Christmas Invasion, New Earth and School Reunion
• Raymond Hughes was costume designer on The Invisible Enemy too
• Sandra Exelby was a make-up artist on The Time Warrior too

BBC1's six-part Jack the Ripper (broadcast in July & August 1973)
featured Doctor Who alumni Stratford Johns, Frank Windsor,
 Christopher Benjamin, Kenneth Thornett, Chris Gannon, Maurice
O'Connell, Frank Gatliff, Cyril Shaps, Brian Badcoe, Norman Henry,
Terry Bale, Alan Chuntz, Sean Caffrey, Christopher Burgess, Mark
Eden, Bernard Kay, Morris Perry, Hilary Sesta (who also appeared in
 Murder By Decree), Sonnie Willis, Colin Thomas, Wendy Williams,

Eric Dodson, Chris Gannon, Roy Pattison, David Neal, Kenneth

Colley, Margaret Pilleau, John Rolfe, Stanley Price, Keith James,

George Raistrick, Geoffrey Todd and Will Stampe.