Doctor Who Vs. Breaking Point

William Russell (born Russell William Enoch in

1924) followed his portrayal of Ian Chesterton with

the lead role in this long-lost thriller for BBC2, as

secret service agent Martin Kennedy.

Russell was an established television actor by the

time he was cast as Coal Hill School's science

teacher, and had already played the title roles in

five period dramas of the Fifties - St. Ives, The

Adventures of Sir Lancelot, Nicholas Nickleby,

David Copperfield and Hamlet. Russell's most

recent TV role was as Harry (pictured) in An Adventure in Space and Time.

The five-part espionage drama was screened in

October and November 1966, and Russell starred

here opposite twelve other Doctor Who cast and

crew connections:

• producer Alan [James] Bromly (1915-1995) wad director of The Time Warrior and Nightmare of Eden
• director Douglas [Gaston Sydney] Camfield (1931-1984) was production assistant on 100,000 BC and Marco Polo, then director on fifty-two further episodes (from Planet of Giants to The Seeds of Doom)
• Malcolm Middleton was production designer on The Abominable Snowmen too 
• Richard [Gibbon] Hurndall (Sir Alfred) depicted the First Doctor in The Five Doctors
• Bernard [Frederic Bemrose] Kay (Stevens) was Carl Tyler in The Dalek Invasion of Earth, Saladin in The Crusade, Inspector Crossland in The Faceless Ones, and Caldwell in Colony in Space, then voiced Major Dickens for Big Finish's Night Thoughts (2006)
• Vernon [Alexandre] Dobtcheff (Hedworth) was an Alien Scientist in The War Games, and voiced Dadda Desaka for The Cradle of the Snake (2010), Sibelius Crow for The Necropolis Express, Shamur for The Children of Seth (both 2011), Professor Schumann for Threshold (2012), and Jorenzo Zorn for The Genesis Chamber (2016)
• Ves Delahunt (Servant) was a Thal in The Daleks (7), and UNIT Soldier in The Silurians
• Norman Hartley (Richard) and Michael Miller (Hines) both appeared in The Time Meddler, as Ulf and Wulnoth respectively, whilst Hartley was also Sergeant Peters in The Invasion
• Royston Tickner (Gregson) was Steinberger P Green in The Daleks' Master Plan (7), and Robbins in The Sea Devils (1)
• Roger Avon (Sergeant) was Saphadin in The Crusade, Daxtar in The Daleks' Master Plan (4), and Wells in Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD
• Lynda [born Lilian] Baron (uncredited Extra) recorded The Ballad  of the Last Chance Saloon (sung off screen) for The Gunfighters, was Captain Wrack in Enlightenment, and Val in Closing Time