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, then voiced Charlana for Ace and Tegan (2025)
• 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