Saturday, 6 June 2026

Doctor Who Vs. Marple: Towards Zero

Agatha Christie's thirty-fourth crime novel
(which did not even feature Miss Marple, again
portrayed here by Geraldine McEwan) was
published in 1944, and was the fifth and final Superintendent Battle case.
The Scotland Yard detective (replaced here by
Mallard, played by Alan Davies) first appeared
in The Secret of Chimneys (1925).
Towards Zero was dramatised for the stage by
Christie in 1956, whilst a planned film version
was rejected by the author's estate in 1995 and
became a loose adaptation called Innocent Lies.
A four-part treatment for Radio 4 (which also
replaced Battle with another detective) first
aired in 2010. 
This ITV Studios serial (first shown in 2008) was repeated on ITV3 today - it featured Tom Baker,
Julian Sands, and these ten Doctor Who cast and
crew connections:
  • Greg Wise (Strange) voiced Garrison Clay for Big Finish's Last Words (2024)
  • Zoe Tapper (Kay) voiced Collis for Legion of the Lost (2016)
  • Julie Graham (Mary) was Ruby White in The Sarah Jane Adventures: Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith, and Ravio in Ascension of the Cybermen and The Timeless Children - she also voiced Prime Minister 470 for Planet X (2016), Carolyn for The Blood Furnace (2017), Miss Beecham for Silver Medal, and Sovari for Deceived (both 2021)
  • Amelda Brown (Barrett) voiced Margaret for The Gunpowder Plot
  • Peter Symonds (Hurstall here; Whalley in The Big Four) was a Soldier in Terror of the Zygons
  • Jo Woodcock (Alice; Jennifer in Cat Among the Pigeons) voiced Ziv for Starlight Robbery (2013), Susannah Nash for Static (2017), Marie for The Iron Maid (2018), and Kayla Worthington for The Day Before They Came (2021)
  • Thomas Arnold (Jones) voiced Vaylen for Fear of the Light (2026)
  • Paul Kennington was also a stuntman on Rise of the Cybermen, The Age of Steel, Army of Ghosts, Doomsday and The Doctor's Daughter
  • for Michael Pickwoad and Jason Gill see At Bertram's Hotel

Doctor Who On This Day #157

 

1964 - The Aztecs, Episode 3: The
Bride of Sacrifice first screened on
BBCtv
1966 - The Crusade, Episode 4: The
Warlords repeated on ABC
1968 - The The Tenth Planet, Episode 2, The Power
 of the Daleks, Episodes 2 and 6, The Highlanders
Episode 4, The Underwater Menace, Episode 2 and
The Moonbase, Episode 4 all repeated on ABC 
1970 - Inferno, Episode 5 first
screened on BBC1
1971 - The Space Pirates, Episode
5 repeated and The War Games,
Episodes 2, 3 and 5 repeated and
Episode 6 first screened, all on ABC
1975 - Death to the Daleks, Part 4
repeated and The Monster of Peladon,
Parts 2 and 5 both repeated and Part 6
first screened, all on ABC
1976 - The Ark in Space, Part 2 repeated
on ABC
1979 - Day of the Daleks, Episodes
2 and 4 both repeated on ABC
1980 - The Talons of Weng-Chiang,
Part 5 first screened on WTTW 11
1981 - The Brain of Morbius, Part 4
repeated on KQED  Plus
1982 - Pyramids of Mars Omnibus
repeated on KQED Plus
1983 - Carnival of Monsters, Episode 4 and
Frontier in Space, Episode 1 both repeated
on ABC; The Visitation, Part 1 first screened
on TV1; and Time Flight Omnibus first
screened on WTTW 11
1984 - The Invisible Enemy, Part 3 repeated
on KQED Plus; and The Visitation, Part 4
 repeated on ABC
1985 - Planet of the Spiders, Part
5 repeated on KQED Plus
1986 - Kinda, Part 3 repeated on KQED Plus
1987 - Colony in Space, Episode 1 repeated
 on KQED Plus; and The Seeds of Doom,
Parts 5 and 6 both repeated on ABC
1988 - Robot, Part 1 repeated on Super
Channel (UK); and Kinda Omnibus repeated
on WTTW 11
1989 - The Sontaran Experiment, Part 2 repeated
on KQED Plus; and Genesis of the Daleks, Part 2
repeated on TV de Galicia
1990 - Revelation of the Daleks,
Part 4 (of 4) repeated on KQED Plus
1991 - The Horns of Nimon, Part
2 repeated on KQED Plus
1992 - The Time Monster, Episode
5 and The Robots of Death Omnibus
both repeated on KQED Plus
1993 - The Three Doctors Omnibus
 repeated on UK Gold; and Planet
of Fire, Part 4 repeated on ABC
1994 - The Keeper of Traken, Part
1 repeated on UK Gold; and Paradise
Towers Omnibus repeated on KQED
Plus
1995 - The Mutants, Episode 2 repeated
on UK Gold; and Attack of the Cybermen,
Part 2 repeated on VOX
1997 - The Time Monster, Episode 5
repeated on UKTV (Aus); and The Ark
in Space, Part 1 repeated on UK Gold
1998 - The Dalek Invasion of Earth, Episode
3: Day of Reckoning repeated on Space; and
Mindwarp, Parts 5 to 8 all repeated on UKTV (Aus)
1999 - Spearhead from Space, Episode 2 repeated
on Space; Inferno, Episode 7 and Terror of the
Autons, Episode 1 both repeated on KBTC; The
Daemons, Episodes 4 and 5 both repeated on
WCET; The Sea Devils, Episodes 2 and 3 both
repeated on NHPTV; Robot Omnibus repeated
on KRWG; The Ark in Space, Part 1 repeated
on Twin Cities PTV; Genesis of the Daleks, Part
2 repeated on Lakeshore PTV; Terror of the
Zygons Omnibus repeated on KNME; Planet
of Evil, Parts 1 and 2 both repeated on MiND;
 The Hand of Fear, Part 3 repeated on MPBN;
Image of the Fendahl Omnibus and Doctor
Who TV Movie both repeated on UK Gold;
Castrovalva Omnibus repeated on KSPS; and
Enlightenment, Part 3 repeated on WUSF
2000 - The Keys of Marinus, Episode 5: Sentence
of Death first screened on Prime; and The War
Games, Episode 4 repeated on UKTV (Aus)
2001 - The Brain of Morbius, Parts 3 and 4 both
repeated on BBC America; The Armageddon Factor,
Part 5 repeated on UKTV (Aus); and The Horns of
Nimon, Part 3 repeated on Prime
2002 - Image of the Fendahl, Part 2 repeated on BBC
Kids (Can); Silver Nemesis, Part 1 repeated on BBC
Prime; and Survival, Part 3 repeated on UKTV (Aus)
2003 - Revenge of the Cybermen, Part 4 repeated on
 Tele 5; Pyramids of Mars, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated 
on BBC Kids (Can); The Brain of Morbius Omnibus
repeated on UK Gold; and Shada, Episode 6 released
 on BBCi
2004 - Spearhead from Space, Episodes 3 and 4 both
repeated on KBTC; Colony in Space Omnibus repeated
on MPT; The Curse of Peladon, Episodes 3 and 4 both
repeated on Colorado PTV; The Androids of Tara Omnibus
repeated on UK Gold; Destiny of the Daleks, Parts 3 and
 4 both repeated on Iowa PTV; Kinda, Part 2 repeated on
WILL; Mawdryn Undead, Part 4 repeated on KUED; and
The Mark of the Rani, Parts 3 and 4 (of 4) both repeated
on MiND
2005 - The Creature from the Pit,
Part 3 repeated on ABC
2006 - The Unquiet Dead repeated
on People+ Arts (Spa)
2007 - The Empty Child, The Doctor Dances,
Doctor Who Confidential: Special Effects and
Weird Science all first screened on KQED Plus;
The Girl in the Fireplace Omnibus repeated
on UK Gold; and Rise of the Cybermen first
screened on People+ Arts (LA)
2008 - Colony in Space, Episodes 1 and 2 both first 
screened on MTV3 SciFi and TV4; Rose, The Parting
 of the Ways, Doctor Who Confidential Cutdown:
Bringing Back the Doctor and The Last Battle and
Resistance is Useless repeated and The Infinite
Quest Omnibus first screened, all on UKTV (Aus)
Red Button; The Christmas Invasion repeated on
UKTV (Aus); and Blink repeated on Syfy (US)
2009 - The Girl in the Fireplace repeated on TV3 (RI);
Rise of the Cybermen and Doctor Who Confidential:
Cybermen both repeated on UNC-MX; The Satan Pit
and Doctor Who Confidential Cutdown: Religion,
Myths and Legends both repeated on UKTV (Aus);
 and Last of the Time Lords repeated on OETA
2010 - The Satan Pit and Doctor Who Confidential
Cutdown: Religion, Myths and Legends both repeated
on UKTV (Aus); Partners in Crime first screened on
WVPB; The Vampires of Venice first screened on
Prime; The Hungry Earth and Doctor Who Confidential
Cutdown: After Effects both first screened on ABC1;
Amy's Choice first screened on Space; Vincent and
the Doctor repeated on BBC3; and The Beast of Orlok,
Episode 2 first broadcast on Radio 7
2011 - Castrovalva, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated on
MTV3 SciFi, TV2 and TV4; The Lazarus Experiment 
repeated on Watch; The Vampires of Venice repeated
on BBC America; and A Good Man Goes to War
repeated on BBC3
2012 - The Curse of Fenric, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated 
on MTV3 SciFi and TV4; The Empty Child repeated on
BBC America; Rise of the Cybermen first screened on
YLE TV2; Fear Her and Doctor Who Confidential Cutdown:
The Fright Stuff both repeated on ABC2; The Impossible
Astronaut, Day of the Moon and The Curse of the
Black Spot all repeated on France 4; and Doctor Who
Confidential Cutdown: Shadow Play repeated on UKTV
2013 - Love & Monsters repeated on Syfy (Port);
Gridlock and Daleks in Manhattan both repeated
 on BBC America; Forest of the Dead and Doctor
Who Confidential: Religion, Myths and Legends
both repeated on BBC Entertainment AP; The 
Time of Angels repeated on Watch; The Curse
of the Black Spot first screened on YLE TV2;
Asylum of the Daleks and Dinosaurs on a
Spaceship both first screened on RAI4; and
Doctor Who  Confidential Cutdown: Open
All Hours repeated on UKTV
2014 - The Sontaran Experiment, Part 2,
Dalek, The Long Game, Father's Day, The
Empty Child, Midnight and Vincent and the 
Doctor all repeated on Syfy (Aus); The Masque
of Mandragora, Parts 1 and 2 both first screened
on Horror; Bad Wolf repeated on RAI4; The
Poison Sky and The Doctor's Daughter both
repeated on Fox (FRG); Victory of the Daleks
and The Time of Angels both repeated on BBC
Nordic HD and BBC Polska HD; Amy's Choice
and The Hungry Earth both repeated on BBC
America; The Doctor's Wife repeated on Syfy
(Ben); and Closing Time, The Wedding of River
Song and Asylum of the Daleks all repeated on
Really Scary TV
2015 - Spearhead from Space Omnibus, The Satan
 Pit and Doctor Who Confidential: Religion, Myths
and Legends all repeated on UNC-MX; Death to the
Daleks Omnibus and Image of the Fendahl, Parts
3 and 4 all repeated and Timelash, Parts 1 and 2
(of 4) both first screened, all on Retro TV; Pyramids
of Mars, Part 4, The Android Invasion, Part 1, The
Lazarus Experiment, 42, Human Nature, The Family
of Blood and Blink all repeated on Syfy (Aus); The
Robots of Death Omnibus repeated on Horror; The
End of the World repeated on France 4; Bad Wolf,
The Parting of the Ways, New Earth,
Tooth and Claw and School Reunion repeated and The 
Christmas Invasion first screened, all on FX (Ind); The 
Unicorn and the Wasp repeated on BBC America and Fox 
(FRG); Silence in the Library repeated on UKTV (NZ) and Fox;
Forest of the Dead, Midnight, Turn Left, The Stolen Earth and
Journey's End all repeated on Fox; Planet of the Dead and The 
Waters of Mars both repeated on BBC America; The Hungry 
Earth, Cold Blood, Doctor Who Confidential: Arthurian Legend
and What Goes on Tour and Doctor Who Explained all repeated
on BBC Entertainment EU, Rom and ME; Let's Kill 
Hitler repeated on OETA; The Girl Who Waited repeated
on Jeem TV (ME); Asylum of the Daleks repeated on BBC
Nordic HD, BBC Polska HD and Karusel; Dinosaurs on a 
Spaceship, A Town Called Mercy, The Power of Three and The 
Angels Take Manhattan all repeated on BBC Nordic HD and BBC 
Polska HD; The Bells of Saint John, The Rings of Akhaten and 
Cold War all repeated on UKTV (Aus); Flatline repeated on
RAI4; Doctor Who Confidential: The New World of
Dr. Who and Welcome to Torchwood both repeated
on BBC Entertainment AP; and Energy of the Daleks
first broadcast on Radio 4 Extra
2016 - Planet of the Spiders, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated
 on WETA-UK; The Christmas Invasion repeated on France
 4; The Runaway Bride repeated on BBC Polska HD;
Journey's End 
repeated on Watch; The End of Time, Part 1 and Robot of 
Sherwood both repeated on Syfy (Aus); Amy's Choice 
repeated on TV Cultura; The Almost People repeated on 
Space; The Girl Who Waited and Doctor Who Confidential: 
What Dreams May Come both repeated on ABC2; Cold War 
repeated on BBC Entertainment AP; and The Crimson
 Horror repeated on BBC First (ME)
2017 - The Keys of Marinus, Episode 6 and The Sensorites,
Episode 1: Strangers in Space both repeated on Retro TV; 
The Seeds of Doom, Part 2 repeated on The Zone; The Unquiet 
Dead and Aliens of London both repeated on RAI4; The Girl in 
the Fireplace, Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel all 
repeated on One ARD; The Hungry Earth, Cold Blood, Vincent
and the Doctor, The Lodger, The Pandorica Opens
and The Big Bang all repeated on BBC America;
The Almost People repeated
on Syfy (Bra); The God Complex repeated on Syfy (Aus);
Asylum of the Daleks repeated on FX (Ind); A Town Called 
Mercy repeated on BBC Polska HD; and Hide and Journey to
 the Centre of the TARDIS both repeated on Syfy (LA)
2018 - The Web of Fear, The Dominators and The Mind
 Robber Omnibuses all streamed on Twitch TV; The War
Games, Episodes 8 and 9 both repeated on Retro TV; The
Girl in the Fireplace repeated on BBC Polska HD; Into the
Dalek repeated on Star World Premiere; and Sleep No
More repeated on BBC Entertainment EU
2019 - The Mutants, Episodes 5 and 6 both repeated on
Retro TV; The Girl in the Fireplace repeated on Syfy (Fra);
The Pandorica Opens repeated on BBC Polska HD; Cold War
and Hide both repeated on Sony SciFi; and The Witch's 
Familiar and Under the Lake both repeated on Fox (FRG)
2020 - Revenge of the Cybermen, Parts 2 and 3 and The
Power of Kroll Omnibus all repeated on Retro TV; Gridlock,
Daleks in Manhattan, Evolution of the Daleks, The Lazarus
Experiment and 42 all repeated on Sony SciFi; The Next
Doctor, Planet of the Dead, The Waters of Mars and The
End of Time, Parts 1 and 2 all repeated on BBC Turkey;
Oxygen, The Pyramid at the End of the World and The Lie
of the Land all repeated on BBC Polska HD; The Eaters of
Light repeated on Star World Premiere; and World Enough
and Time and The Doctor Falls both repeated on BBC
Entertainment EU and RAI4
2021 - The Curse of Peladon Omnibus
repeated on Retro TV; Image of the
Fendahl Omnibus repeated on Iowa PTV;
Delta and the Bannermen, Parts 1 and 2
both repeated on KBTC; The Rings of
Akhaten, Cold War, Hide, The Woman Who
Fell to Earth and The Ghost Monument all
repeated on W and W+1; and Praxeus
repeated on Fox (FRG)
2022 - The Big Bang repeated on Fox SciFi
2023 - The Ambassadors of Death,
Episodes 5 and 6 both repeated on
Retro TV; and Daleks in Manhattan
and Evolution of the Daleks both
repeated on Fox SciFi
2024 - Aliens of London repeated
on ABC2 and ABC ME
2025 - Sleep No More repeated on ABC
Entertains; and The Reality War repeated
on BBC2
2026 - Flatline and In the Forest of the
Night both repeated on BBC3