Doctor Who Vs. A Very British Coup

Published in 1981, this novel by Chris

Mullin (Labour MP for Sunderland South

from 1987 to 2010) explored the term

of beleaguered left-wing Prime Minister,

Harry Perkins. The story was first adapted

by Alan Plater for Channel 4 in 1988.

Here, against all the odds, working-class

MP for Sheffield Central and leader of the

Labour party Perkins (portrayed by Ray

McAnally) becomes Prime Minister.

Elected on a mandate of open government,
Perkins vows to dismantle Britain's nuclear
deterrent and media monopolies, but is soon
faced with an Establishment coup planned
by MI5, the CIA and right-wing press barons.

The book was written at a time when Tony
Benn (1925-2014), a fierce opponent of the Conservative regime, looked likely to become Labour's deputy leader.

The storyline was also informed by rumours (only confirmed in 1986)

 that the security services had plotted to depose Harold Wilson in the

mid-seventies.

This landmark political drama was reworked as Secret State in 2012,

and Mullins is working on a sequel. The original three-part series won

four BAFTA awards and an International Emmy (was finally released

on DVD in 2011), and featured Caroline John, Geoffrey Beevers,

Keith Allen, and seventeen other Doctor Who cast connections:

• Bernard [Frederic Bemrose] Kay (Page) was Carl Tyler in The Dalek Invasion of Earth, Saladin in The Crusade, DI Crossland in The Faceless Ones, and Caldwell in Colony in Space, then voiced Major Dickens for Big Finish's Night Thoughts (2006)
• Hugh Martin (Sampson) was Munro in Terror of the Zygons, and the Priest in Vengeance on Varos
• Tim McInnerny (Fiennes) was Halpen in Planet of the Ood, and voiced Admiral Dolne for The Well-Mannered War (2015)
• Christine [Mary] Kavanagh (Liz) was Aram in Timelash, and voiced Patience for Cold Fusion (2016), Dora Muse for Muse of Fire (2018), and Magog and Juno for The Iron Legion (2019)
• David McKail (Robertson) was Sergeant Kyle in The Talons of Weng-Chiang
• Shane Rimmer (US Secretary of State) was Seth Harper in The Gunfighters
• Clive [Robert] Merrison (Interviewer) was Jim Callum in The Tomb of the Cybermen, and the Deputy Chief Caretaker in Paradise Towers, and voiced George Augustus for The Contingency Club (2017)
• Philip [Arvon] Madoc (Fison) was Eelek in The Krotons, the War Lord in The War Games, Dr. Mehendri Solon in The Brain of Morbius, Fenner in The Power of Kroll, Brockley in Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD, then voiced Victor Schaeffer for Master (2003), and Rag Cobden for Return of the Krotons (2009)
• Jeremy Young (Alford) was Kal in 100,000 BC, and Gordon Lowery in Mission to the Unknown
• Stephanie Fayerman (Editor) was McLuhan in Dragonfire
• Jim [Edward] Carter (Newsome) voiced Brother Bernard for The Book of Kells (2011)
• [David] Roger Brierley (Andrews) was Trevor in (episode 8 of) The Daleks' Master Plan, and voiced Drathro in The Mysterious Planet
• Preston [Rginald Herbert] Lockwood (Fain) was Dojjen in Snakedance
• Barbara Ward (Reporter) was Ruth Baxter in Terror of the Vervoids
• Jessica [born Judith] Carney (Maureen) is the grand-daughter of William Hartnell and the author of his 1996 biography Who's There? (she was depicted in An Adventure in Space and Time by Cara Jenkins)
• Julian Fox (Porter) was Peter Hamilton in Death to the Daleks
• Zulema [Noel] Dene [born Walliker] (Vision Mixer) voiced Danna for Soldier Obscura (2018)
• Ernest Vincze was also the cinematographer on thirty-eight adventures (from Rose to The Waters of Mars)