Thursday, 21 May 2026

Doctor Who Vs. A Very Peculiar Practice

"It's the sight of the off-
kilter [nefarious] nuns
on campus that people
tend to remember about
this 1986 satire, rather
than that it was written
by Andrew Davies. So
associated did he be-
come with adapting the
classics that his original
 work is overlooked, but
this depiction of Thatcherite [era] cuts and the [privatisation of] higher education is well worth revisiting. Peter Davison is ideally suited to the lead role of
[Dr. Daker] a callow medic navigating a gallery of grotesques at the
fictional [Lowlands] University practice." - Radio Times
The first two episodes of the black comedy (first shown forty years ago
 this month) were repeated on BBC4 last night. The two seasons
 (concluded by April 1988) featured David TroughtonJohn Bird,
Hugh Grant, Geoffrey Beevers and total of thirty-eight Doctor
Who cast and crew connections:
  • [Clement] Graham Crowden (McCannon)
  • Barbara [Jay] Flynn [born McMurray] (Dr. Marie)
  • Trevor Cooper (Ackerman)
  • Liz [Ann] Crowther (Antonia)
  • Alexander [Joseph] DorĂ© (Bickerton)
  • Haydn Gwynne (Donizetti)
  • [Anne] Harriet Reynolds (Deirdre) provided the Tannoy Voice for The Leisure Hive
  • Kate Eaton (Megan) was Ange in (part 1 of) Survival
  • Timothy [Lancaster] West (Furie)
  • Joanna Hole (Secretary)
  • Geraldine Alexander (Jeannie)
  • Eiji Kusuhara (Interpreter)
  • Kathy [Lucy Bridget] Burke (Alice)
  • Christopher Good (Ember)
  • Michael Shannon (Daniels)
  • Joanna Kanska (Grete) voiced Rachel for Situation Vacant (2010)
  • Anthony O'Donnell (Perks)
  • AndrĂ© [Gaston] Maranne [born Maillol] (Sieberman) was Roger Benoit in The Moonbase
  • Colin Stinton (Dusenberry)
  • Clive [Walter] Swift (Platt) was [Joshua] Jobel in Revelation of the Daleks, and [Bayldon] Copper in Voyage of the Damned
  • Tim Wylton [born Higginson] (Lillicrap)
  • James Grout (Bunn)
  • Godfrey James (Sweet)
  • Chris Jury (Wagstaff)
  • Joseph Long (Eugenides)
  • Tim Preece (Gregory)
  • David Bamber (Middling)
  • John Halstead (Waiter) provided a Monoid Voice for The Ark
  • Clive Wood (Frith)
  • Mark Addy [born Johnson] (Prentis)
  • Perry Benson ( was the Ice cream man in The Eleventh Hour
  • Tim Munro (Smallcott)
  • Martyn Whitby (Guard) was a Drayman in The Mark of the Rani
  • Marc Warren (Extra)
  • Ian [Anthony] Brooker (Extra)
  • CREW Mike Houghton
  • Chris Pemsel
  • Ken Trew

Wednesday, 20 May 2026

Doctor Who On This Day #140

  

1926 - Writer John Lucarotti born in Aldershot
1966 - Director Mervyn Pinfield died in Islington,
aged 54; and The Romans, Episode 4: Inferno
repeated on ABC
1967 - The Evil of the Daleks, Episode
1 first screened on BBC1
1968 - The Savages, Episode 3, The War Machines
Episodes 3, The Smugglers, Episode 3, The Tenth
Planet, Episode 3, The Power of the Daleks, Episode
 1 and The Highlanders, Episode 1 all repeated on ABC
1969 - The Tomb of the Cybermen, Episode
3 repeated on ABC
1972 - The Time Monster, Episode 1
first screened on BBC1
1974 - The Silurians, Episode 2 repeated
on ABC
1977 - Director Lennie Mayne died at sea,
aged 49
1980 - The Deadly Assassin, Part 4 first
screened on WTTW 11; and The Invisible
Enemy, Parts 1 and 2 both repeated on ABC
1981 - Pyramids of Mars, Part 3 repeated
on KQED Plus
1982 - The Armageddon Factor, Part 3
repeated on KQED Plus; and The Visitation,
Part 3 repeated and Part 4 first screened,
both on ABC
1983 - The Ark in Space, Part 3 first
screened on KSPS; Planet of Evil, Part
2 repeated on KQED Plus; and
Enlightenment, Part 3 repeated and
Part 4 first screened, both on ABC
1985 - Planet of the Spiders, Parts
4 to 6 all repeated on KQED Plus
1986 - The Curse of Peladon, Episode 1 repeated on
ABC; Planet of the Daleks, Episode 1 first screened on
TV1; and Logopolis, Part 2 repeated on KQED Plus
1987 - Terror of the Autons, Episode 2 repeated on
KQED Plus; and Genesis of the Daleks, Part 2 first
screened on TV2
1988 - Revenge of the Cybermen, Part
2 first screened on TV3; and The Keeper
of Traken, Part 3 repeated on KQED Plus
1989 - Planet of the Spiders, Part
5 repeated on KQED Plus
1990 - The Daleks, Episode 4: The Ambush repeated
 on BSB; The Face of Evil Omnibus repeated on KQD
Plus; and The Curse of Fenric, Part 1 first screened
on RTL
1991 - The Two Doctors, Parts 1 and 2
both repeated on WTTW 11
1992 - The Sea Devils, Episode 4 repeated
on KQED Plus
1993 - Inferno, Episode 2 repeated on UK
Gold; and Frontios, Part 1 repeated on ABC
1994 - Meglos, Part 2 repeated on UK Gold
1995 - Terror of the Vervoids Omnibus
repeated on KQED Plus
1996 - Actor John Devon Roland Pertwee died
in Timber Lake, Connecticut, aged 76; and The
Daleks Omnibus repeated on KQED Plus
1997 - Revenge of the Cybermen, Part
2 repeated on UKTV (Aus)
1998 - The Aztecs, Episode 4: The Day of Darkness repeated
on Space; and Timelash, Part 1 repeated on UKTV (Aus)
1999 - The Seeds of Death, Episode 1 repeated on Space;
and The Curse of Fenric, Part 1 repeated on UKTV (Aus)
2000 - The Dominators Omnibus repeated on UKTV (Aus);
The Seeds of Doom, Parts 1 to 3 all repeated on Iowa PTV;
The Deadly Assassin, Parts 1 and 2 both repeated on BBC
America; Horror of Fang Rock, Part 3 repeated on
Colorado PTV and Part 4 first screened on Prairie PTV
and repeated on Colorado PTV; and Full Circle, Part
3 repeated on BBC Prime
2001 - The Aztecs Omnibus repeated on MPT; Terror of the Zygons
Part 3 repeated on WILL; The Robots of Death Omnibus repeated
on UK Gold; The Talons of Weng-Chiang, Part 2 repeated on KUED;
The Ribos Operation, Parts 2 and 3 both repeated on WCET; The 
Stones of Blood, Part 1 and 2 both repeated on KBTC and Part 3
repeated on Twin Cities PTV; The Androids of Tara, Parts 3 and 4
both repeated on NHPTV; Destiny of the Daleks, Parts 3 repeated
 on Lakeshore PTV and Part 4 repeated on Prime and Lakeshore
PTV; Frontios, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated on MiND; and The 
Greatest Show in the Galaxy, Part 2 repeated on WUSF
2002 - Carnival of Monsters, Episodes 1 and 2 both repeated
 on KQED Plus; The Talons of Weng-Chiang, Part 3 repeated 
on BBC Kids (Can); and Battlefield, Part 1 repeated on UKTV
 (Aus)
2003 - The Ark in Space, Parts 1 and 2 both repeated
on BBC Kids (Can) and Part 3 repeated on Tele 5
2004 - The Claws of Axos, Episode 3 repeated on ABC;
and Time Flight, Parts 1 and 2 both repeated on BBC
Kids (Can)
2006 - Boom Town first screened on Syfy (US); The Age
 of Steel first screened on BBC1; Doctor Who Confidential: 
From Zero to Hero first screened on BBC3; and Totally
Doctor Who (1.6) repeated on CBBC
2007 - The Face of Evil, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated on WCET; 
Rose repeated on WLVT and NHPTV; The End of the World first
screened on UNC-TV and repeated on WLVT and MPTV; Aliens of 
London and Doctor Who Confidential: I Get a Sidekick Out of You 
both first screened on MPT and repeated on WTTW 11;
World War Three first screened on KSPS; Dalek and Doctor
Who Confidential:
 The Daleks both repeated on KQED Plus and Oregon PB; The Long 
Game first screened on WEDU, WJCT, KERA, WPBT2 and Panhandle 
PBS and repeated on WUCF and Georgia PB; Father's Day first 
screened on WSKG, WUFT and Georgia PB and repeated on WUCF; 
The Empty Child first screened on Ozarks PTV and S Dakota PB;
 The Doctor Dances first screened on WTVP; Boom Town first 
screened on Idaho PTV; 42 repeated on BBC3; Doctor Who
Confidential: Bringing Back The Doctor repeated on NHPTV;
Doctor Who Confidential: Aliens, the Good, the Bad and
the Ugly first screened on UNC-TV and repeated on MPTV;
Doctor Who Confidential: The Dark Side first screened
 on WEDU, WJCT, WPBT2 and KERA; and Doctor Who
Confidential: Time Trouble first screened on WUFT and
Georgia PB
2008 - The Ambassadors of Death, Episodes 3 and 4 both
 first screened on MTV3 SciFi and TV4; Dalek repeated
on SVT 24; and The Age of Steel repeated on Prime
2009 - The Seeds of Death, Episodes 3 and 4 both
repeated on MTV3 SciFi, TV2 and TV4; 42 and Doctor
Who Confidential: Space Craft both repeated on BBC3;
and The Sound of Drums repeated on Syfy (Ben)
2010  - The Sound of Drums repeated on Syfy (Spa);
and Last of the Time Lords repeated on Syfy (Ben)
2011 - The Keeper of Traken, Parts 1 and 2 both repeated
on MTV3 SciFi, TV2 and TV4; The Satan Pit and Love &
Monsters both repeated on Watch; Last of the Time Lords
repeated on Space; Journey's End repeated on BBC
America; The Doctor's Wife repeated on BBC3 and HD;
 and The Whispering Forest, Episode 1 first broadcast and
 Cobwebs, Episode 4 repeated, both on Radio 4 Extra
2012 - The Edge of Destruction Omnibus, Genesis of the Daleks,
Parts 4 to 6 and City of Death Omnibus all first screened on France
4; Colony in Space, Episode 6 and The Daemons, Episode 1 both
repeated on KBTC; Gridlock repeated on Watch; The Beast Below 
and Doctor Who Confidential: All About the Girl both repeated on 
MPTV; Amy's Choice repeated on Idaho PTV; and The Sarah Jane 
Adventures: Death of the Doctor Omnibus repeated on CBBC
2013 - The Long Game and Father's Day both repeated on BBC
America; The Empty Child, The Doctor Dances and Boom Town
all repeated on Syfy (Port); The Sound of Drums repeated on
BBC Entertainment AP; Partners in Crime and Silence in the
Library both repeated on BBC Entertainment LA; The Fires of
Pompeii repeated on Watch; The Time of Angels first screened
on YLE TV2; The Rebel Flesh and The Almost People both
repeated on DR3; The Girl Who Waited repeated on Ztélé;
Closing Time repeated on WTTW HD; and The Name of the 
Doctor and Greatest Moments: Aliens both repeated on ABC2
2014 - Death to the Daleks, Parts 3 and 4 both first screened on
Horror; Logopolis, Part 1, Terminus, Part 2 and Blink all repeated
on Syfy (Aus); Rise of the Cybermen repeated on KCPT2; Last of 
the Time Lords and Voyage of the Damned both repeated on BBC
America; The Sontaran Stratagem and The Poison Sky both
repeated on TV3 (Spa); The Lodger repeated on Really Scary
TV; The Angels Take Manhattan and The Bells of Saint John
both repeated on Syfy (Port); Cold War repeated on WGVU;
 and Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS and The Crimson
 Horror both repeated on Fox (FRG)
2015 - The Silurians, Episode 7 and Inferno, Episode 1 both 
repeated on Horror; The Horns of Nimon, Parts 3 and 4, The 
Leisure Hive, Part 2 and The Empty Child all repeated on Syfy
 (Aus); The Face of Evil, Parts 1 and 2 both repeated and Planet 
of Fire, Parts 1 and 2 both first screened, all on Retro TV; The
Unquiet Dead repeated and Aliens of London first screened, both
on FX (Ind); Evolution of the Daleks repeated on TV Cultura; Blink
 repeated on ABC2; The Poison Sky and Doctor Who Confidential: 
The Fright Stuff both repeated on BBC Entertainment AP;
The Lodger repeated on KCPT2; The Rebel Flesh and A Good Man 
Goes to War both repeated on BBC Nordic HD and BBC Polska HD;
The Almost People repeated on BBC Nordic HD, BBC Polska HD
and Jeem TV (ME); The Snowmen repeated on WGVU; Cold
War and Hide both repeated on Syfy (Ben); Nightmare in Silver
repeated on KLRU and RAI4; and Time Heist, The Caretaker
and Kill the Moon all repeated on BBC America
2016 - Mindwarp, Parts 5 and 6 both repeated on Retro TV; The 
Shakespeare Code repeated on EBRU; Gridlock repeated on BBC
Polska HD and EBRU; The Doctor's Daughter and The Snowmen 
both repeated on Syfy (Aus); The Next Doctor repeated
on TV Cultura; The Big Bang and Doctor Who Confidential:
Out of Time both repeated on ABC2; Closing Time
repeated on BBC Entertainment AP; The Power of 
Three repeated on Jeem TV (ME); and Flatline,
Dark Water and Death in Heaven all repeated 
on Syfy (Bra)
2017 - The Ambassadors of Death, Episodes 5 to 7 and Inferno
Episode 1 all repeated on Retro TV; The King's Demons Omnibus 
repeated on WYCC; The Empty Child, The Doctor Dances and The 
Hungry Earth all repeated on Syfy (Aus); Boom Town repeated
on BBC Polska HD and Syfy (Aus); Bad Wolf, The Parting of the 
Ways, The Christmas Invasion, New Earth, A Christmas Carol and
Behind the Lens: The Day of the Doctor all repeated on BBC 
Polska HD; The Impossible Astronaut, Day of the Moon, The Curse
of the Black Spot and The Doctor's Wife all repeated on BBC Polska
 HD and FX (Ind); The Almost People and A Good Man Goes to War 
both repeated on Syfy (LA); The Caretaker, Kill the Moon and
Mummy on the Orient Express all repeated on BBC Entertainment
EU; Knock Knock first screened on DR3; Oxygen repeated on
BBC2 and Syfy (LA); Extremis first screened on BBC1, BBC HD
and BBC First (ME); Leviathan, Episode 1 first broadcast on 
Radio 4 Extra
2018 - The Web Planet Omnibus repeated on Idaho PTV;
The Mutants, Episodes 3 and 4 both repeated on KBTC;
The Pirate Planet Omnibus repeated on MPTV; The
Armageddon Factor, Part 1 repeated on KPTS; Time
Flight, Parts 1 and 2 both repeated on Retro TV; Arc
of Infinity Omnibus repeated on Iowa PTV; Warriors
 of the Deep and The Awakening Omnibuses both
repeated on WSRE; The Unquiet Dead repeated on
BBC Polska HD; The Christmas Invasion and New
 Earth both repeated on One ARD; Rise of the
Cybermen, The Age of Steel, The Idiot's Lantern,
The Impossible Planet and Journey's End all
repeated on W; The Bells of Saint John and
The Rings of Akhaten both repeated on Star 
World Premiere; Before the Flood repeated
on ABC and Fox (FRG); The Girl Who Died
repeated on Fox; and The Doctor Falls
repeated on Sony SciFi
2019 - The Power of Kroll, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated
on Retro TV; World War Three repeated on Syfy (Fra);
The Pandorica Opens repeated on Sony SciFi; and The
 Ghost Monument and Rosa both repeated on BBC First
(ME)
2020 - Death to the Daleks, Parts 2 and 3 both repeated
on Retro TV; New Earth and Tooth and Claw both
repeated on Sony SciFi; The Caretaker and Kill the Moon
both repeated on RAI4; and Hell Bent repeated on BBC
Polska HD
2021 - The Creature from the Pit,
Parts 1 and 2 both repeated on Retro
 TV; The Crimson Horror repeated on
ABC2; and Spyfall, Part 2 and Orphan
55 both repeated on Fox (FRG)
2022 - The Curse of Fenric, Parts
3 and 4 both repeated on Retro TV;
and The Beast Below repeated on
Fox SciFi
2023 - The War Games, Episodes 4 and
5 and Mawdryn Undead Omnibus all
repeated on Retro TV; The Vampires of
Venice and Amy's Choice both repeated
on Fox SciFi; and Knock Knock repeated
on ABC2
2025 - Spearhead from Space
Omnibus repeated on U&Eden; Time
Heist repeated on ABC Entertains;
 and Doctor Who: Time and Space for
Everyone repeated on Radio Wales