Doctor Who Vs. Miss Marple: Sleeping Murder

Agatha Christie's final novel (but not the last she

wrote) was published posthumously in 1976.

Subtitled Miss Marple's Last Case, the mystery

was probably written in 1940, although Christie

scholar John Curran argued that it was com-

pleted ten years later.

The book was dramatised for BBC1, starring Joan Hickson as the definitive Miss Marple, and was

originally broadcast in January 1987.

George Gallaccio (former production assistant

then manager on the classic era) produced all

twelve dramas in the run. ITV Studios' version

followed in 2006.

Repeated on U&Drama last night, the two-part

 thriller featured twenty-one Doctor Who cast

and crew connections:

• Geraldine Alexander (Gwenda here; Susan in The Tragedy of Marsdon Manor; Blanche for Absent in the Spring) was Areta in Vengeance on Varos
• Terrence Hardiman (Fane here; Siddaway for The Case of the Missing Will) was Hawthorne in The Beast Below, then voiced King Sitirc for Big Finish's The Book of Kells (2010), Reverend Dobbs for AudioGo's The Broken Crown (2011), Lord Richard Pollard for The Fall of the House of Pollard (2014), Hepworth Stackhouse for The English Way of Death (2015), Sorvix for Escape Room (2018), and Rassilon for Time War 2 (2019)
• Frederick [William] Treves (Dr. Kennedy; Lacey in The Theft of the Royal Ruby) was Brotadac in Meglos
• John [David] Bennett (Erskine here; Waiter in The Alphabet Murders; Barnsby in Murder at Midnight) was General Finch in Invasion of the Dinosaurs, and Li H'sen Chang in The Talons of Weng-Chiang
• David McAlister (West here; DI Glen in The ABC Murders; Dr. Lord for Sad Cypress, both 1992) voiced a Megara for The Stones of Blood
• Esmond [Pennington] Knight (Galbraith) was Dom Issigri in The Space Pirates
• John Ringham (Dr. Penrose) was Tlotoxl (pictured) in The Aztecs, Josiah Blake in The Smugglers, and Robert Ashe in Colony in Space
• Kenneth [Charles] Cope (Afflick) was Packard in Warriors' Gate
• Struan Rodger (voice of Ferdinand here; Van Braks in The Adventure of the Western Star; Merlin for Philomel Cottage) provided the voice of the Face of Boe for New Earth and Gridlock, was Clayton in The Woman Who Lived, then voiced the Kasaavin in Spyfall
• Georgine Anderson (Mrs. Hengrove) was May in Gridlock
• Gary [Garrowby Cawthorne] Watson (Halliday) was Arthur Terrall in The Evil of the Daleks
• Geraldine Newman (Janet) voiced Eliza Applewhite for The Wishing Beast (2007), and Lady Sybil for The Doomwood Curse (2008)
• John Davies was director of The Macra Terror too
• make-up artist Sheelagh Wells began her career as an uncredited assistant on Planet of the Spiders, worked on Mawdryn Undead, then returned to the show for The Christmas Invasion and the whole of the following season
• Michael Cameron was production manager on Revelation of the Daleks too
• cinematographer Peter Hall had been a film cameraman on The Seeds of Death, The Space Pirates, Colony in Space, Terror of the Zygons and Logopolis
• Judy Pepperdine was costume designer on Warriors of the Deep too
• series film recordist Malcolm Campbell was sound recordist on The Caves of Androzani and The Twin Dilemma
• Victor Meredith was production designer on Shada too
• Thea Murray and Patricia Greenland were also production assistants (PAs) on The Masque of Mandragora and Full Circle and Logopolis respectively

Doctor Who On This Day #289

1964 - The Daleks, Episode 1: The

Dead Planet first screened on TV1

1965 - The Myth Makers, Episode 1:

Temple of Secrets first screened on BBC1

1970 - The Evil of the Daleks, Episode 7, The 

Tomb of the Cybermen, Episode 2 and The

Abominable Snowmen, Episode 5 all repeated

on TV1; The Krotons, Episode 4 repeated and

The Seeds of Death, Episode 2 repeated and

Episode 4 first screened, all on ABC

1974 - Terror of the Autons, Episode 3, The Claws 

of Axos, Episode 3, Colony in Space, Episode 5, Day

of the Daleks, Episode 2 and The Curse of Peladon,

Episode 3 all repeated on ABC

1976 - The Hand of Fear, Part 3 first

screened on BBC1

1977 - The Time Warrior, Part 3, The Monster

of Peladon, Part 5 and Planet of the Spiders,

Parts 5 and 6 all repeated on ABC

1978 - The Android Invasion, Part 2 and The 

Hand of Fear, Part 4 both repeated on ABC

1979 - The Android Invasion, Part 1 first

screened on DR1; and The Seeds of Doom,

Parts 2 and 5 both repeated on ABC

1980 - The Masque of Mandragora, Parts

2 and 4 all repeated on ABC

1981 - The Creature from the Pit, Part

3 repeated on KQED Plus

1984 - Inferno, Episode 1 repeated on

KQED Plus; and Terror of the Autons,

Episode 1 repeated on ABC

1985 - Terror of the Zygons, Part 2

repeated on KQED Plus

1986 - The Ark in Space, Part 2 repeated

on ABC; and Vengeance on Varos, Part 1

(of 4) both repeated on KQED Plus

1987 - The Ark in Space, Part 4 repeated

on KQED Plus

1990 - Invasion of the Dinosaurs, Part

3 repeated on KQED Plus; and The Greatest

Show in the Galaxy, Part 1 repeated on ABC

1991 - Planet of Fire, Part 3 both repeated

on KQED Plus

1994 - Terminus Omnibus repeated on UK Gold

1995 - Pyramids of Mars, Part 4 repeated

on UK Gold; and Warriors of the Deep and

The Awakening Omnibuses both repeated

on KQED Plus

1996 - The Chase, Episode 3: Flight

Through Eternity repeated on UKTV (Aus)

1997 - The Stones of Blood, Part 1 repeated on UKTV (Aus)

1998 - The War Games, Episode 5 repeated on UKTV (Aus);

and The Sontaran Experiment, Part 2 repeated on Space

1999 - Spearhead from Space, Episode 4 repeated

on Space; The Green Death, Episodes 2 and 3 both

 repeated on Iowa PTV; Planet of the Spiders

Omnibus repeated on UKTV (Aus); Robot, Part

3 repeated on Prairie PTV; Planet of Evil, Parts

3 and 4 both repeated on Colorado PTV; The

Brain of Morbius, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated

on BBC America; Destiny of the Daleks, Part 1

repeated on BBC Prime; and Doctor Who TV

Movie repeated on HBO (LA)

2000 - Inferno, Episode 3 repeated on Prime;

Frontier in Space, Episode 4 repeated on UKTV

 (Aus); Terror of the Zygons, Parts 3 and 4 both 

repeated on BBC America; and Time and the

Rani Omnibus repeated on KQED Plus

2001 - Enlightenment, Part 2 repeated on UKTV (Aus)

2002 - The Leisure Hive, Part 4 repeated on BBC Kids (Can)

2003 - The Aztecs, Episode 1: The Temple of Evil repeated on ABC; 

The Robots of Death, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated on BBC Kids (Can); 

and The Ribos Operation, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated on UK Gold

2004 - The Mark of the Rani Omnibus repeated on UK Gold

2005 - Arc of Infinity Omnibus repeated on UK Gold

2006 - Love & Monsters repeated on BBC3

2007 - The Empty Child repeated on UK Gold and

NHK BS3; and Tooth and Claw repeated on UKTV (Aus)

2008 - The Pirate Planet, Part 4 and The Stones

of Blood, Part 1 both first screened on MTV3 SciFi

2009 - Greatest Moments: The Doctor repeated on BBC3

2010 - The Vampires of Venice repeated on Syfy (Spa)

2011 - The Seeds of Death, Episodes 3 and 4 both repeated

 on KBTC; The Sun Makers, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated on

Syfy (Aus); The End of Time, Part 1 repeated on MPTV; and

Doctor Who Confidential: A Brush With Genius repeated

on UKTV (Aus)

2012 - The Sea Devils, Episodes 3 and 4 both repeated on Syfy

 (Aus); The Eleventh Hour repeated on UKTV (Aus); A Christmas 

Carol repeated on BBC America; and Greatest Moments: Donna 

repeated on ABC2

2013 - The Sun Makers, Parts 3 and 4 both

repeated on Syfy (Aus); Rose repeated on

UKTV (Aus); Tooth and Claw, Cold Blood,

Vincent and the Doctor and The Pandorica

Opens all repeated on BBC America; The

Runaway Bride and Doctor Who Confidential:

Finale both repeated on BBC Entertainment

AP; The Shakespeare Code repeated on Syfy

(Port); Utopia repeated on BBC Entertainment

LA; The Poison Sky repeated on Watch; The

Lodger repeated on BBC America and TV3

 (Spa); A Christmas Carol repeated on France

 4; The Impossible Astronaut repeated on

ABC2; The God Complex repeated on RAI4;

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship and A Town Called

Mercy both repeated on BBC Entertainment

LA HD; and Cold War first screened on Ztélé

2014 - The Silurians, Episode 7 and Inferno, Episode 1 both first 

screened on Horror; Terror of the Autons, Episode 4 and The Mind of 

Evil, Episode 1 both first screened on Retro TV; The Leisure Hive, Parts 

1 and 2 both repeated on Syfy (Aus); Boom Town repeated on Watch; 

Rise of the Cybermen repeated on UKTV (NZ); Human Nature repeated 

on KCPT2; Vincent and the Doctor repeated on YLE TV2 and Really Scary 

TV; Let's Kill Hitler repeated on BBC America; Night Terrors repeated

 on BBC America and Syfy (Aus); A Town Called Mercy repeated on

WTTW Prime; Nightmare in Silver repeated on Karusel; Time Heist

repeated on BBC Polska; and Mummy on the Orient Express

repeated on BBC2

2015 - The Silurians, Episode 7 and Inferno, Episode 1 both repeated 

on Horror;  The Daemons, Episodes 4 and 5 both repeated on UNC-MX;

 The Sea Devils, Episodes 5 and 6 both repeated on Retro TV; The 

Christmas Invasion, The Runaway Bride, Gridlock, Partners in Crime 

and The Fires of Pompeii all repeated on BBC America; Bad Wolf, The

 Impossible Planet, The Satan Pit, Love & Monsters, Fear Her and Army 

of Ghosts all repeated France 4 on Syfy (Aus); New Earth repeated on 

BBC America and EBRU; Tooth and Claw repeated on EBRU;

The Age of Steel repeated on TV Cultura; Smith and Jones and

The Shakespeare Code both repeated on BBC Entertainment

AP; Daleks in Manhattan repeated on BBC America and

BBC Entertainment AP; Vincent and the Doctor repeated

 on France 4; Let's Kill Hitler repeated on KCPT2; Cold

War and Hide both repeated on UKTV (NZ); Journey to

 the Centre of the TARDIS repeated on BBC Nordic

 HD, BBC Polska HD and Syfy (Port); Nightmare in

 Silver and The Name of the Doctor both repeated

on Syfy (Port); Listen repeated on KLRU; and Before

 the Flood repeated on BBC2 and Space

2016 - The Daleks, Episodes 5 and 6 both repeated

 on KBTC; The Sea Devils Omnibus repeated

on MPTV; The Ark in Space, Part 4 repeated 

on KRWG; The Sontaran Experiment Omnibus repeated on WVPB; The 

Seeds of Doom, Parts 4 to 6 all repeated on WXXI and Iowa PTV; The 

Masque of Mandragora Omnibus repeated on WILL; The Talons of 

Weng-Chiang Omnibus on KERA; Underworld, Part 2 repeated on KPTS 

and Omnibus repeated on WFWA; The Pirate Planet Omnibus repeated 

on WSRE; The Androids of Tara Omnibus repeated on WYCC; The 

Leisure Hive Omnibus repeated on KAKM; The Family of Blood 

repeated on Syfy (Aus); The Vampires of Venice first screened on TLC 

TV; The Almost People, A Good Man Goes to War and The Science of 

Doctor Who (2013) all repeated on Watch; The Snowmen, The Bells

 of Saint John, The Rings of Akhaten and Cold War all repeated on

Syfy (Spa); Deep Breath repeated on KLRU; The Zygon Invasion

 and The Zygon Inversion both repeated on BBC First (ME); and

Under the Lake repeated on BBC Entertainment AP and Syfy

(Aus)

2017 - The Masque of Mandragora, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated on 

Retro TV; Arc of Infinity Omnibus repeated on WETA-UK; Father's Day

 repeated on Syfy (Aus); and Boom Town repeated on BBC Polska HD

2018 - The Androids of Tara, Parts 2 and 3 both repeated on Retro 

TV; School Reunion, Partners in Crime, Extremis and Twice Upon a

Time all repeated on ABC; Mummy on the Orient Express repeated

 on BBC Polska HD; World Enough and Time and The Doctor Falls

 both repeated on One ARD and Sony SciFi; and The Ghost 

Monument repeated on ABC ME

2019 - The Visitation, Parts 1 and 2 both repeated

on Retro TV; Flesh and Stone and The Vampires of

Venice both repeated on Sony SciFi; Cold Blood

repeated on BBC Polska HD; and Heaven Sent

repeated on BBC Entertainment EU

2020 - The Witch's Familiar repeated on

 BBC Polska HD; and Extremis repeated

on BBC Entertainment EU

2021 - The War Games, Episodes 9

and 10 and The Creature from the Pit

Omnibus all repeated on Retro TV; and

The Name of the Doctor repeated on

ABC ME

2022 - The War Games, Episodes

7 and 8 both repeated on KBTC; The

Sontaran Experiment Omnibus repeated

on Iowa PTV; The Visitation Omnibus

repeated on Retro TV; Let's Kill Hitler

repeated on BBC Polska HD; Night Terrors

repeated on BBC Polska HD and BBC First

Turkey; The Girl Who Waited, The God

Complex and Closing Time all repeated on

BBC First Turkey; Time Heist, The Caretaker

and Spyfall, Part 1 all repeated on Fox SciFi;

and Ascension of the Cybermen repeated on

BBC Entertainment EU