Doctor Who Vs. Operation Crossbow

Shown on BBC2 today, this British war

film was a fictional account of the real

life Allied operations to infiltrate the

Nazi V1 and V2 rocket programmes,

between 1943 and 1945.

Released by MGM in 1965, the thriller

 starred a stellar cast led by John Mills,

George Peppard, Trevor Howard, Tom

 Courtenay, Anthony Quayle, Patrick

Wymark, Sophia Loren, and featured

 these twenty-one Doctor Who cast

connections:

• Richard [Andrew Palethorpe] Todd (Wing Comm. Kendall) was Sanders (pictured left) in Kinda
• Sylvia [May Laura] Syms (Constance) was Lady Pritchard in Ghost Light
• John [Alexander] Fraser (Flight Lt. Post) was the Monitor in Logopolis
• [William] Maurice Denham (Air Chief Marshal) was Azmael in The Twin Dilemma, then voiced the President for The Paradise of Death 
• Moray [Robin Philip Adrian] Watson (Colonel Post) was Sir Robert Muir in Black Orchid
• William Mervyn [Pickwoad] (Examiner) was Sir Charles Summer in The War Machines
• John Abineri (Policeman) was Van Lutyens in Fury From the Deep, General Carrington in The Ambassadors of Death, Richard Railton in Death to the Daleks, and Ranquin in The Power of Kroll
• Bernard Barnsley (Operator) was a Monoid in The Ark, and UNIT Soldier in (episode 2 of) The Silurians
• Ernest Blyth and John Tatham (Officers) were both Villagers in The Daemons
• George Curtis (Policeman) and Paul Phillips (Engineer) both starred in The War Games, as Firing Squad Soldier (1) and Guard/Prisoner (2) - Phillips was also Miner in The Monster of Peladon (3)
• Anton Diffring [born Alfred Pollack] (Soldier) was De Flores in Silver Nemesis
• [George] Gertan Klauber (Guard) was the Galley Master in The Romans, and Ola in The Macra Terror
• Alan Harris (Soldier) was Sevateem Council Member in The Face of Evil, and titular alien in Terror of the Vervoids
• Philip [Arvon Jones] Madoc (Police Officer) was Eelek in The Krotons, the War Lord in The War Games, Dr. Mehendri Solon in The Brain of Morbius, Fenner in The Power of Kroll, Brockley in Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD, then voiced Victor Schaeffer for Big Finish's Master (2003), and Rag Cobden for Return of the Krotons (2009)
• Billy Cornelius (Operator) was stuntman on 100,000 BC (4), Man-at-arms in The Crusade (4), and Morok Guard in The Space Museum
• Paddy Ryan (Operator) and Harry Van Engel (Van Ostamgen) both appeared as Kaled Scientists in Genesis of the Daleks
• Fred Wood (Steward) and Alf Mangan (Engineer) were both Extras in the second Dalek feature

NEW COMPANION ANNOUNCED TODAY

Casting of the Doctor's new companion was announced

tonight by the official Doctor Who social media accounts.

Rose (rumoured to be Donna Noble's daughter) will be

played by Yasmin Finney, star of Netflix's Heartstopper,

and will join the programme during it's diamond

anniversary year.

Speaking on joining Doctor Who, the actress said: "If anyone

would have told 8 year old Yasmin that one day she'd be part of

this iconic show, I would never in a million years believed them.

This show has a place in so many people's hearts, so to be seen

as a trans actress by the legend himself Russell [T Davies], has

not only made my year, it's made my life. I cannot wait to begin

this journey and for you all to see how Rose blossoms. Get ready."

Showrunner Davies added: "Life on Doctor Who gets brighter and

wilder, how can there be another Rose? You'll find out in 2023, but

it's an absolute joy to welcome Yasmin to the set. We all fell in love

with her in Heartstopper, one of those shows which changes the

world - and now Yasmin can change the Whoniverse!"

NEW DOCTOR ANNOUNCED TODAY

With no fanfare whatsover, Jodie Whittaker's successor

was fianlly announced today on the official Doctor Who

social media accounts.

The Fourteenth Doctor will be played by 29-years old

Rwandan-born actor Ncuti Gatwa, star of Netflix's Sex

Education. He revealed that he was cast in February.

Speaking on his new role, Gatwa said: "There aren't the

words todescribe how I'm feeling. A mix of deeply

honoured, beyond excited and of course a bit scared.

This role and show means so much to so many around

the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly

talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility

and privilege with the utmost care. I will endeavour to do the

same.

Russell T Davies is almost as iconic as the Doctor himself

and being able to work is a dream come true. His writing is

dynamic, exciting, incredibly intelligent and fizzing with danger.

An actor's metaphorical playground. The entire team have been

so welcoming and truly give their hearts to the show. And so

much as it's daunting. I'm aware I'm joining a really supportive

family. Unlike the Doctor, I may only have one heart but I am

 giving it all to this show."

Meanwhile, returning showrunner Davies commented: "The

future is here and its Ncuti! Sometimes talent walks through

the door and it's so bright and bold and brilliant, I just stand

back in awe and thank my lucky stars. Ncuti dazzled us, seized

hold of the Doctor and owned those TARDIS keys in seconds.

 It's an honour to work with him, and a hoot, I can't wait to

get started. I'm sure your'e dying to know more, but we're

rationing ourselves for now, with the wonderful Jodie's epic

finale to come - I promise you, 2023 will be spectacular!"

Doctor Who Vs. Innocent, Series 1

Co-produced by TXTV and All3Media

for ITV, this crime drama mini-series

was co-written by Matthew Arlidge,

creator of the DI Helen Grace police

procedural book series.

After serving seven years in prison,

David Collins' conviction for his wife

Tara's murder is overturned. The

thriller focused on the new homicide

 investigation, whilst Collins (played

by Lee Ingleby) struggled to prove

 his innocence to his estranged

children. Series two, starring

Katherine Kelly, was shown in May

last year.

First shown over four consecutive

week-nights in May 2018, Innocent began another repeat run on

ITV3 last night - it featured thirteen Doctor Who cast and crew

connections:

• Richard Clark was also director of Gridlock, The Lazarus Experiment, The Doctor's Wife and Night Terrors
• Ingleby voiced Samson Griffin for Big Finish's Terror Firma (2005)
• Daniel Ryan [born O'Brien] (Phil) was Biff Cane in Midnight
• Hermione [Jane] Norris (Alice) was Captian Lundvik in Kill the Moon
• Adrian Rawlins (Moffatt) was Dr. Ryder in Planet of the Ood
• Angel Coulby (DI Hudson) was Katherine in The Girl in the Fireplace
• Christina Cole (Louise) was Lilith in The Shakespeare Code
• Zahra Ahmadi (DS Garcia) was Missy in Nightmare in Silver
• Tony Gardner (CS Hillman) voiced Stapleton Petherbridge for The Wrong Doctors (2013), then was Douglas in The Pyramid at the End of the World
• Nicholas Asbury (Ryland) was Etoine in The Zygon Inversion, and voiced Rowe for The Many Deaths of Jo Grant (2011), Captain Anthony Burmaster for UNIT: Assembled, Chairman Bart Falco for The Silurian Candidate (both 2017), Visguard, Captain Morgan and Officer for Churchill Victorious, Dante for Kings of Infinite Space, Whodunnit? and Someone I Once Knew (all 2018), Captain Zenna and Kivall for Out of Time 1, Tenebrae and Franz Albrecht Stuart for Rulers of Earth (both 2020), Mollis for Colony of Fear, Pietersen and Commander Stevenson for Return of the Cybermen, William Shakespeare for The Hollow Crown, and Preacher Stem for The Melting Pot (all 2021)
• Elliot [Aidan] Cowan (Wilson) voiced Gark for The Fifth Traveller (2016)
• Justin Salinger (Journalist) was Tasker in Oxygen, then voiced Ambassador Ribble for The Poison of Peladon, the President for Doctor of War 2, and Dr. Miroy/Huntmaster (all 2022)
• Tim Faraday (Eric) was Tom's Dad in Fear Her

Doctor Who Vs. Dangerous Davies: The Last Detective

Accident prone detective 'Dangerous'

Davies appeared in four comic crime

novels by Leslie Thomas, published

between 1976 and 1998.

The first case, The Last Detective, was

adapted by ITC in 1981, followed by

Granada's TV version in 2003 - Davies

was played by Peter Davison.

The film was shown on Talking Pictures

TV last night - it featured Bernard

Cribbins (the titular DC), Colin Baker,

Bill Maynard, Joss Ackland, and nine

Doctor Who cast connections:

• Frank Windsor [Higgins] (Fennell) was Sir Ranulf Fitzwilliam in The King's Demons, and Inspector Mackenzie in Ghost Light
• Maureen [Diane] Lipman (Ena) was the Wire in The Idiot's Lantern
• Eric Francis (Albert) was the First Elder in The Sensorites
• Sam Dastor (Longton) voiced Professor Narayan for The Emerald Tiger (2012)
• Roy Stewart (Pomeroy) was Toberman in The Tomb of the Cybermen, and Tony in Terror of the Autons
• [John] Frank Jarvis [born Train] (Heavy) was the Corporal in (episode 3 of) The War Machine, Ankh in Underworld, and Skart in The Power of Kroll
• Mike Reynell (Officer) was an Exxilon in Death to the Daleks, and Kaled Scientist in Genesis of the Daleks (6)
• Charles Pemberton (Evans) was a titular alien in The Tomb of the Cybermen, and Alien Technician in The War Games (5)
• Pam [Ann] St. Clement (Mrs. Norris) reprised her EastEnders role of Pat Butcher for Dimensions in Time

Doctor Who Vs. The Shadow Line

This dark and gritty crime drama was
written, produced and directed by
Hugo Blick. Here, DI Jonah Gabriel

(played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) is assigned

to investigate the murder of a notorious

London drugs baron.

Following a BAFTA screening, the seven

-part thriller was shown on BBC2 from

May to June 2011, and featured
Christopher Eccleston (as Joseph
Bede), Sharon D Clarke, Stephen
Rea, Rafe Spall, and twenty-three
other Doctor Who cast and crew
connections:

• both Lesley Sharp [born Karen Makinson] (Julie) and Ace [born Ahsen Rafiq] Bhatti (Khokar) also appeared opposite Eccleston in The Second Coming
• Robert Pugh (Harris) was Tony Mack in The Hungry Earth and Cold Blood, and voiced Emmett Burrows for Big Finish's Five Twenty-Nine (2016)
• Sean Gilder (Beatty) was the Sycorax Leader in The Christmas Invasion
• Sasha Behar (Laing) and Lorraine Burroughs (WPC) both starred in The Fires of Pompeii, as Spurrina and Thalina
• Clare Calbraith (Laura) voiced Trooper for Urban Myths, Maria for Son of the Dragon (both 2007), Starling for The Phoenix Strain (2016), and Orla for The Blood Furnace (2017)
• Tobias Menzies (McGovern) was Lieutenant Stepashin in Cold War
• Rachel [Joanne] Bavidge (Nurse) voiced the European Leader for The Defectors (2015), and Seru for The Isos Network (2016)
• Tony Osoba (Solicitor) was Lan in Destiny of the Daleks, Kracauer in Dragonfire, and Duke in Kill the Moon
• Martha [Esther] Cope (Reporter) was the Controller in Bad Wolf, and voiced Captain Tanya Oswin for The Nowhere Place, Talia for 100, and Commander Lind for The Sons of Kaldor (2018)
• Simon [Timothy] Chandler (Consultant) voiced Corporal Arthur Dimes for Churchill Victorious (2018)
• Nigel [Edward] Hastings (Spokesman) was the Commander in The Pyramid at the End of the World, and voiced Quain for Creatures of Beauty (2003), and Boden for Return to Skaro (2020)
• Anjela Lauren Smith (Kirsten) voiced Genevieve for The Coney Island Chameleon (2019)
• John Heffernan (PC Felix) voiced Vonchef for Revenge of the Swarm (2004), Honos for The Trial of a Time Machine (2018), and the Nine for The Crucible of Souls (2016), Companion Piece, Relative Time (both 2019) and The Dreams of Avarice (2022)
• Lloyd McGuire (Clerk) was Lugo in The Face of Evil, and voiced Tendexter for The Architects of History (2010)
• Charles Kay [born Piff] (Halton) voiced the Curator in Excelis Rising (2002)
• Nadine [Panchita] Marshall (Officer) voiced Shepstay for Earth Aid (2011), Katrice for You are the Doctor, and Kordel for The Grand Betelgeuse Hotel (both 2015)
• David Schofield (DS Foley) was Odin in The Girl Who Died, and voiced Billy for Death in Blackpool (2009), Nostradamus and Conclave Leader for The Doomsday Quatrain (2011), Parval for The Sorcerer of Albion (2020), and Gostak for The End of the Beginning (2021)
• Jonathan [Louis] Tafler (Book keeper) voiced Captain Waldo for The Paradise of Death, and Pietro Clemenza for The Ghosts of N-Space
• Alex Kaye Besley was also assistant director on The Sarah Jane Adventures: Invasion of the Bane and The Shakespeare Code
• stunt co-ordinator Gareth Milne was George Cranleigh in Black Orchid, Mortuary Attendant in Vengeance on Varos, and doubled for Peter Davison in Warriors of the Deep
• Ian Pead was stunt double on Twice Upon a Time too

Doctor Who Vs. Witness for the Prosecution

Agatha Christie's courtroom drama

began life as a short story (published

as Traitor's Hands by Flynn's Weekly

in 1925), which then featured in

anthologies in 1933, 1948 and 1993.

The mystery was first adapted for radio

 in 1949, then was dramatised for the

London stage in late 1953. During its

run, Christie also had two other plays

staged, making her the only female

playwright to have three productions

performed simultaneously in the West

End. A Broadway version followed a

year later. The play was adapted for 

cinema by in 1957, starring Charles 

Laughton, Marlene Dietrich and Tyrone Power. Acclaimed revivals of

the play opened in York, Leeds, and latterly at County Hall, London.

The original story has garnered four treatments for television - two

from the BBC (broadcast in 1949 and 2016), one from CBS (1953),

and this production from Hallmark. The TV movie premiered in late

1982 - it featured Sir Ralph Richardson (pictured), Beau Bridges,

Deborah Kerr, Donald Pleasence, Wendy Hiller, and twelve Doctor 

Who cast and crew connections:

• [Enid] Diana [Elizabeth] Rigg (Christine here; Arlena in Evil Under the Sun, 1982) played Winifred Gillyflower in The Crimson Horror
• Peter [John] Sallis (Carter here; Poirot in Hercule Poirot's Christmas, 1986) was Elric Penley in The Ice Warriors, and was due to appear as Striker in Enlightenment
• [Francis] Michael Gough (Judge here; Durand in The Fourth Man) was the titular entity in The Celestial Toymaker, and Councillor Hedin in Arc of Infinity 
• [Albert] Frank Mills (DCI Hearne here; Crump in A Pocket Full of Rye, 1985) was the Telescope Director in (episode 1 of) Terror of the Autons
• Peter [Francis Gabian] Copley (Dr. Harrison here; Brabazon in Nemesis; Burgoyne in The Mystery of the Spanish Chest) was Dr. Warlock in Pyramids of Mars
• Primi Townsend [born Beardsley] (Diana) was Mula in The Pirate Planet
• Aubrey [Harold] Woods (Tailor) was the Controller in Day of the Daleks
• Walter Henry [born Israel Nagelkop] (Juror here; Waiter in Evil Under the Sun) was an Extra in The Myth Makers (2) and The Silurians (6), Primord in Inferno, and Brother in The Masque of Mandragora
• Harry Van Engel (Juror) was a Kaled Scientist in Genesis of the Daleks
• Zulema [Noel] Dene [born Walliker] (Miss Johnson) voiced Danna for Soldier Obscura (2018)
• Cliff Culley (optical FX) was VFX designer on Planet of the Daleks, Invasion of the Dinosaurs and Robot
• Maurice Gillett was supervising electrician on both Dalek films too