Doctor Who Vs. The Avengers, Series 5B

The cult British fantasy show returned to ITV

in the autumn of 1967 then American screens

in early 1968. Patrick Mcnee and Diana Rigg

again portrayed the quintessentially English

spies John Steed and Emma Peel.

The programme's fifth production block was

extended when Rigg agreed to remain for

the rest of the season. Like her predecessor

Honor Blackman, Rigg was later cast in the

James Bond franchise, as Tracy di Vicenzo in

On Her Majesty's Secret Service opposite

George Lazenby.

A repeat run of Rigg's final assignments began

on Great! TV today - they featured Anneke

Wills (as Judy in part three) and Nicholas

Courtney (Captain Gifford in the final serial),

both making their second appearances in The

Avengers. Peter Cushing also starred here

with a total of thirty-four other Doctor Who

cast connections:

Return of the Cybernauts (UK TX [London]: September 28 1967
& US [New York] TX: February 21 1968)

• [William] Fulton [Beith] Mackay (Chadwick here; Glover in You'll Catch Your Death; Master in Bizarre) was Dr. Quinn in The Silurians
• [John] Roger Hammond (Russell) was Francis Bacon in (episode 1 of) The Chase, Dr. Runciman in Mawdryn Undead, and voiced Harold Withers for Big Finish's The Eternal Summer (2009)
• for Noel Coleman and Frederick Jaeger see Series 2

Death's Door (UK TX: October 5 & US TX: January 31)

• William [Thomas] Lucas [born Clucas] (Stapley here; Brett in Invasion of the Earthmen) was Range in Frontios
• Ron [Leonard] Gregory (Delegate) was a Guardian in The Ark, UNIT Soldier in The Ambassadors of Death (7), Priest in The Androids of Tara, and Officer in Time Flight (1)
• for Royston Farrell, Alan Harris and Peter Thomas see Series 4

The £50,000 Breakfast (UK TX: October 12 & US TX: February 28)

• Richard Atherton (Smoker) was Lama in The Abominable Snowmen, Inspector/Prison Officer in The Mind of Evil, Noble in The Androids of Tara, and Passenger in Time Flight
• for Nigel Lambert and Jon Laurimore see Series 4

Dead Man's Treasure (UK TX: October 19 & US TX: March 13)

• [James Arnold] Rio Fanning (Danvers here; Lane in False Witness) was Harker in Horror of Fang Rock
• Derek Chafer (Guest here; Packer in Homicide and Old Lace;  Monk in The New Avengers: The Eagle's Nest) appeared in forty episodes (from The Time Meddler to Warriors' Gate)
• for Edwin Richfield and Neil McCarthy see Series 1
• for Gerry Crampton see Series 5A

You Have Just Been Murdered

(UK TX: October 26 & US TX: January 24)

• Barrie [Stanton] Ingham (Unwin) was Alydon in Dr. Who and the Daleks, then Prince Paris in The Myth Makers
• John Baker (Hallam in You Have Just Been Murdered; Vicar in Requiem) was Time Lord in Colony in Space (1), Meditator in Planet of the Spiders, and Ralph in The Visitation (1)
• Clifford Cox (Chalmers) was the Sergeant in Spearhead from Space (3)
• for Leslie French see Series 2

The Positive Negative Man

(UK TX: November 3 & US TX: January 17)

• for Rocky Taylor see Series 3

Murdersville (UK TX: November 10 & US TX: February 7)

• Eric [William] Flynn (Croft) was Leo Ryan in The Wheel in Space
• for Robert Cawdron and Paddy Ryan see Series 4
• Joseph Greig (Higgins) was a titular alien in The Sensorites
• for Geoffrey Colville see Series 3
• Tony [Patrick] Caunter (Miller) was Morgan in Colony in Space, and Jackson in Enlightenment
• Gareth [Daniel Noake] Thomas (Assassin) voiced Lord Tamworth for Storm Warning (2001), Kalendorf for Return of the Daleks (2006), and Morax for Last of the Colophon (2014)
• Les Conrad (Villager) was Patron in The Massacre (1), Pirate in The Space Pirates, Union Soldier/Alien Guard in The War Games, UNIT Soldier in The Silurians (3), The Ambassadors of Death (3) and Terror of the Autons (4), Prisoner in The Mind of Evil, Thal in Genesis of the Daleks (6), and Guard in The Twin Dilemma (1)
• Maxwell Craig (Wilson here; Guard in Have Guns - Will Haggle & The New Avengers: Trap; Forensics in The Interrogators; Thug in Homicide and Old Lace; Gang in The New Avengers: Sleeper) was Fighter in Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 AD

Mission Highly Improbable

(UK TX: November 17 & US TX: January 10)

• Kevin [Harvest] Stoney (Bancroft here; Tomkins in The New Avengers: Cat Amongst the Pigeons) was Mavic Chen in The Daleks' Master Plan, Tobias Vaughn in The Invasion, and Tyrum in Revenge of the Cybermen
• for Dinny Powell and Mike Reid see Series 4
• for Richard Leech see Series 2