Doctor Who Vs. Witness for the Prosecution

Agatha Christie's courtroom drama

began life as a short story (published

as Traitor's Hands by Flynn's Weekly

in 1925), which then featured in

anthologies in 1933, 1948 and 1993.

The mystery was first adapted for radio

 in 1949, then was dramatised for the

London stage in late 1953. During its

run, Christie also had two other plays

staged, making her the only female

playwright to have three productions

performed simultaneously in the West

End. A Broadway version followed a

year later. The play was adapted for 

cinema by in 1957, starring Charles 

Laughton, Marlene Dietrich and Tyrone Power. Acclaimed revivals of

the play opened in York, Leeds, and latterly at County Hall, London.

The original story has garnered four treatments for television - two

from the BBC (broadcast in 1949 and 2016), one from CBS (1953),

and this production from Hallmark. The TV movie premiered in late

1982 - it featured Sir Ralph Richardson (pictured), Beau Bridges,

Deborah Kerr, Donald Pleasence, Wendy Hiller, and twelve Doctor 

Who cast and crew connections:

• [Enid] Diana [Elizabeth] Rigg (Christine here; Arlena in Evil Under the Sun, 1982) played Winifred Gillyflower in The Crimson Horror
• Peter [John] Sallis (Carter here; Poirot in Hercule Poirot's Christmas, 1986) was Elric Penley in The Ice Warriors, and was due to appear as Striker in Enlightenment
• [Francis] Michael Gough (Judge here; Durand in The Fourth Man) was the titular entity in The Celestial Toymaker, and Councillor Hedin in Arc of Infinity 
• [Albert] Frank Mills (DCI Hearne here; Crump in A Pocket Full of Rye, 1985) was the Telescope Director in (episode 1 of) Terror of the Autons
• Peter [Francis Gabian] Copley (Dr. Harrison here; Brabazon in Nemesis; Burgoyne in The Mystery of the Spanish Chest) was Dr. Warlock in Pyramids of Mars
• Primi Townsend [born Beardsley] (Diana) was Mula in The Pirate Planet
• Aubrey [Harold] Woods (Tailor) was the Controller in Day of the Daleks
• Walter Henry [born Israel Nagelkop] (Juror here; Waiter in Evil Under the Sun) was an Extra in The Myth Makers (2) and The Silurians (6), Primord in Inferno, and Brother in The Masque of Mandragora
• Harry Van Engel (Juror) was a Kaled Scientist in Genesis of the Daleks
• Zulema [Noel] Dene [born Walliker] (Miss Johnson) voiced Danna for Soldier Obscura (2018)
• Cliff Culley (optical FX) was VFX designer on Planet of the Daleks, Invasion of the Dinosaurs and Robot
• Maurice Gillett was supervising electrician on both Dalek films too