Doctor Who Vs. A Bridge Too Far

Shown on ITV4 today, this epic Anglo-American war film was

based on the 1974 novel by Cornelius Ryan. Directed by Richard

Attenborough, the production chronicled the collapse of Operation

Market Garden in September 1944. Allied forces intended to break

through German lines and seize bridges in the occupied Netherlands, but they failed to cross the river Rhine and expectations of ending

the war by Christmas ceased.

Released by United Artists in 1977, the film starred an international

ensemble cast (led by Dirk Bogarde, Michael Caine, Sean Connery,

Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Edward Fox, Ryan O'Neal, Gene 

Hackman, Robert Redford) and twenty-nine Doctor Who cast

connections:

• Donald [Ellis] Pickering (Mackenzie) played Eyesen in The Keys of Marinus, Blade in The Faceless Ones, and Beyus in Time and the Rani
• Donald [Macleod] Douglas (Lathbury) was Vural in The Sontaran Experiment
• Paul [Mackriell] Copley (Wicks) was Clem McDonald in Torchwood: Children of Earth, and voiced Dad for Big Finish's Spare Parts (2002), Mick Huff for The Miniaturist (2022), and Wendell for The Conservitors (2023)
• Stephen [Vincent] Moore (Steele) was Eldane in Cold Blood, and voiced Clark Goodman for The Eight Truths and Worldwide Web (both 2009)
• Keith Drinkel (Cornish) was Flight Engineer Roger Scobie in Time Flight, Parker in BBV Productions' Race Memory, Moses in The Green Man, and Bob Calhoun in Zygon, then voiced Henry Hallam for Catch 1782 (2005), the Cinder for Frostfire (2007), and Oberon Fix for The Great Cyber War (2023)
• Ian [Stuart] Liston (Whitney) was the Hero in (part 1 of) The Armageddon Factor
• Christopher Good (Carlyle) was Morgan The Beast Below
• Michael Wolf [born Socher] (Aide) was Nils in The Moonbase
• Geoffrey Hinsliff (Operator) was Jack Tyler in Image of the Fendahl, and Fisk in Nightmare of Eden
• Michael [Donald] Bangerter (Colonel) was Curt in Planet of Fire (1)
• [Roger Michael] Hilary Minster (Officer) was Marat in Planet of the Daleks (3), and Thal Soldier in Genesis of the Daleks (3)
• Garrick Hagon (Rafferty) was Ky in The Mutants, Abraham in A Town Called Mercy, and voiced the Jester for The Axis of Insanity (2004)
• Ben Howard (Towns) was Hinks in The Green Death
• Jack [Stewart] Galloway (Vincent) was Captain Joseph Willow in The Awakening
• Richard [George] Kane [born Wright] (Weaver) was Valmar in The Power of the Daleks
• Simon Chandler (Simmonds) voiced Corporal Arthur Dimes for Churchill Victorious (2018)
• Patrick [Geoffrey] Ryecart (German Lieut.) was Dr. Crozier in Mindwarp
• Colin Farrell (Cpl. Hancock) was Benni in Orphan 55
• Frank Jarvis [born John Francis Train] (Aide) was the Corporal in The War Machines (3), Ankh in Underworld, and Skart in The Power of Kroll
• Gerald Martin, Stuart Blake, Stephen Churchett, Adrian Gibbs, James Snell, Roy Boyd and Jon Croft (Soldiers) all starred in the classic run
• Erik Chitty (Organist) was Charles Preslin in The Massacre (1), and Co-ordinator Engin in The Deadly Assassin
• Brian [John Lumley] Hawksley (Vicar) was Brewster in Black Orchid
• Alf [Charles Richard] Joint was stunt arranger on Battlefield too, and Heavy in The Ambassadors of Death (1)