Doctor Who Vs. Oliver Twist (1985)

Victorian literary classic Oliver Twist (also known as

The Parish Boy's Progress, and originally published

monthly in Bentley's Miscellany from 1837 to 1839) was only Charles Dickens' second novel.

The first television adaptation of the story was shown

 on BBCtv in 1962, followed by this more faithful

version in 1985. Produced by Terrance Dicks for the

the corporation's Classic Serial strand (which ran reg-

ularly on Sunday afternoons for twenty years from

1975), the drama originally aired in late 1985. A

repeat run of the twelve-part saga began on U&Eden

(formerly UKTV's documentary channel) today - it

featured Ben Rodska as Oliver, Eric Porter (Fagin),

Terry Molloy, and a total of twenty-five Doctor Who

cast and crew connections:

• Brian [Parry] Badcoe (Magistrate) was Adam [Nigel Castle] in Invasion of the Dinosaurs
• June [Muriel] Brown (Mrs. Mann) was Lady Eleanor in The Time Warrior
• Donald [Yarrow] 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 [Noel] Burnham (Grimwig) was professors Watkins and Kettlewell in The Invasion and Robot respectively
• Lysette [Anne Chodzko] 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 [John] Attwell (Bill Sikes) was Isbur in The Ice Warriors, and Bates in Attack of the Cybermen
• Godfrey James (Bumble) was Tarn in Underworld
• Gillian [Mary] 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 The Dead Shoes (2011)
• Miriam Margolyes (Mrs Corney) provided the voice of Leaf Apple Glyn Slitheen Blathereen for The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Gift, and voiced Frau Tod for The Beast of Orlok (2009), and the Soothsayer for The Dying Breed (2025), then was cast in The Star Beast as the Meep
• Christopher [Denis] Driscoll (Crackit) was the Security Guard in The Idiot's Lantern
• Janet Henfrey (Martha) was Miss Hardaker in The Curse of Fenric, Mrs Pitt in Mummy on the Orient Express, and the Adjudicator in Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor - she then voiced Mrs Vanguard for The Spirit Trap (2010), Dr. Petherbridge for An Eye for Murder, Mrs Jefferies for The Concrete Cage, Woman for The Forgotten Village (all 2014), Dorothy for The Screaming Ceiling (2019), Sister Magdalene for Abbey of Heretics (2020), Verkuvia for The Day of the Comet (2021), and Narrata for Morbius 1 (2024)
• 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
• [Terence] 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 [Thomas] 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
• 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 [George] Simpson, composer on almost 300 episodes (from Planet of the Giants to The Horns of Nimon)