Doctor Who Vs. The New Avengers @ 45: Series 1 [Part 2]

In 1969, Dennis Spooner

(1932-1986) said that The

Avengers had gone as far as

 it could in terms of parody.

Producer Brian Clemens there-

fore aimed for espionage-based

narratives for the sequel series

- the first, thirteen-part season

also included sci-fi themes.

The titular Avengers were now

 a triumvirate, but John Steed

(again portrayed by Patrick 

Macnee) now acted more like 

the Mother figure from the

parent show.

A repeat run of the cult drama

continued on the Sony channel

last night - these seven episodes

featured a total of thirty-two

Doctor Who cast connections:

To Catch A Rat (UK TX: December 3 1976)

• Barry Jackson (Cledge) was Ascaris in The Romans, Jeff Garvey in Mission to the Unknown, and Drax in The Armageddon Factor
• Dallas Cavell (Farmer here; Manager in The Avengers: Box of Tricks) was the Overseer in (episode 2 of) The Reign of Terror, Bors in The Daleks' Master Plan (3), Jebb Trask in The Highlanders, Sir James Quinlan in The Ambassadors of Death, and the Head of Security in Castrovalva (1)
• Anita Graham (Helga) was Bollitt in Delta and the Bannermen

The Tale of the Big Why (UK TX: December 10)

• Derek Waring (Harmer) was Shardovan in Castrovalva
• George A Cooper (Brandon here; Barker in White Dwarf; Burgess in The Curious Case of the Countless Clues) was Cherub in The Smugglers
• Roy Marsden (Turner) was Dr. Stoker in Smith and Jones, and voiced Todd Hulbert for Big Finish's Human Resources (2007)
• Geoffrey Toone (Minister) was Temmosus in Dr. Who and the Daleks, and Hepesh in The Curse of Peladon

Faces (UK TX: December 17)

• [Rafael] David de Keyser (Prater) provided the Atraxi voice in The Eleventh Hour, and voiced the Cybermen for The Eternity Clock
• Richard Leech (Terrison here; Franks in Traitor in Zebra; Policeman in Dressed to Kill; Drew in Mission Highly Improbable) was Gatherer Hade in The Sun Makers
• Neil Hallett (Clifford here; Roberts in Medium Rare; Weber in Dead of Winter; Packer in The Winged Avenger; Ryder in Get-a-Way!) was Maylin Renis in Timelash
• Donald Hewlett (Torrance here; Waversham in The Thirteenth Hole) was Hardiman in The Claws of Axos
• Michael Sheard (Peters) was Rhos in The Ark (2), Dr. Roland Summers in The Mind of Evil, Laurence Scarman in Pyramids of Mars, Lowe in The Invisible Enemy, Mergrave in Castrovalva, the Headmaster in Remembrance of the Daleks, then voiced Orsino for The Stones of Venice (2001)

Dirtier by the Dozen (UK TX: January 7 1977)

• Stephen Moore (Prentice) was Eldane in The Hungry Earth and Cold Blood, and voiced Clark Goodman for The Eight Truths and Worldwide Web (2009)
• Michael Barrington (Stevens here; Waiter in The Yellow Needle; Todhunter in Dial a Deadly Number) and John Challis (Soldier) both appeared in The Seeds of Doom, as Sir Colin Thackeray and Scorby respectively
• Brian Croucher (Terry) was Borg in The Robots of Death, and Kurt in Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans, then voiced Cotton for Kaldor City (2001-03)
• David Purcell (Orderly) was Abbott in The Hand of Fear
• Richard Derrington (Turner) voiced Dr. Farrer for The Harvest, Landscar for The Last (both 2004), and Commander Burton for Storm of the Horofax (2017)

Sleeper (UK TX: January 14)

• Mark Jones (Chuck) was Arnold Keeler in The Seeds of Doom
• Prentis Hancock (Bart) was a Reporter in Spearhead from Space, Vaber in Planet of the Daleks, Salamar in Planet of Evil, and the Captain in The Ribos Operation
• Walter Henry (Officer here; Security Man in Obsession) was an Extra in The Myth Makers (2) and The Silurians (6), Primord in Inferno, and Brother in The Masque of Mandragora
• Reg Woods (Gangmember here; Soldier in Dirtier by the Dozen; Wigmore in Medium Rare; Journalist in The Lion and the Unicorn) was a Krarg in Shada, and Guard in State of Decay (1)
• Maxwell Craig (Gang member here; Guard in Trap; Wilson in Murdersville; Thug in Homicide and Old Lace) was Fighter in Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD

Three Handed Game (UK TX: January 21)

• Stephen Greif (Juventor) voiced Kwundaar for Primeval (2001), and Gurney for The Infinite Quest
• Annie Lambert (Helen) was Enlightenment in Four to Doomsday
• Hugh Morton (Professor here; Admiral in Esprit De Corps) and Ronald Leigh-Hunt (General here; Reddington in Dragonsfield; Lambert in The Cybernauts) both appeared in The Seeds of Death, as Sir James Gregson and Radnor respectively - the latter was also Commander Stevenson in Revenge of the Cybermen

Gnaws (UK TX: January 28)

• Julian Holloway (Thornton) was Paterson in Survival
• Peter Cellier (Carter) was Andrews in Time Flight
• Jeremy Young (Chislenko here; Frant in A Touch of Brimstone; Penrose in Never, Never Say Die; Burton in The Forget-Me-Knot) was Kal in !00,000 BC, and Gordon Lowery in Mission to the Unknown
• Keith Marsh (Tramp) was Conway in the second Dalek film
• William Morgan Sheppard (Walters) was the Older Canton in The Impossible Astronaut