Doctor Who Vs. Marple: By the Pricking of My Thumbs

This period crime drama was

first broadcast in February

2006 for the second season

of ITV Studios' Marple.

Published in 1968, the source

novel featured the Queen of

Crime's detective couple,

Tommy and Tuppence

Beresford (played here by

Anthony Andrews and Greta

Scacchi), not Jane Marple -

portrayed by Geraldine

McEwan. The duo first

appeared in the The Secret

Adversary (1922), then N or M? (1941), the short story collection

Partners in Crime (also 1968), and Agatha Christie's final work,

Postern of Fate (1973). Shown on ITV3 today, the mystery also

starred Bonnie Langford, and nine Doctor Who cast connections:

• [Patricia] Claire Bloom (Aunt Ada here; Marina Gregg in The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, 1992) and June [Rosemary] Whitfield (Mrs. Lancaster) both appeared in The End of Time, as the Woman and Minnie Hooper - Whitfield was cast in the lead role for BBC Radio's own Marple series (from 1993 to 2001)
• Michelle [Claire] Ryan (Rose) was Lady Christina de Souza in Planet of the Dead - a role reprised by Big Finish for Last Chance, Lady Christina (both 2018), Prism (2022) and Two's Company (2023) - then Narrator of BBC Audio's The Rising Night (2009)
• Steven Berkoff [born Leslie Berks] (Eccles) was the Shakri in The Power of Three
• Michael Begley (Maxwell) was Mulligan in The Curse of the Black Spot
• OT [Olatunde] Fagbenle (Murphy) was Other Dave in Forest of the Dead and Silence in the Library
• Michael Maloney (Dr. Waters here; Argyle in Ordeal By Innocence, 1984, Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express, 2024) voiced Frederick Simonsson for Grand Theft Cosmos (2008), Fratalin for Patient Zero, the Viryans for Blue Forgotten Planet (both 2009) and Charlotte Pollard 1 (2014), Rennol for Kiss of Death, Adam Farrow for The Circus of Doom, Narrator of The Silent Stars Go By (all 2011), Hilary for Enemy Aliens (2013), Gregor Saraton for Zygon Hunt (2014), William Hogan for The Rockery (2019), and the Two for Two's Company and The Union (2023)
• Leslie Phillips (Starke here; Bradley in The Pale Horse, 1997) voiced Robert Knox for Medicinal Purposes (2004) and Assassin in the Limelight (2008)
• Stephanie Carey (stunt double here & Poirot: Elephants Can Remember) was stunt performer on Voyage of the Damned, The Beast Below, The Curse of the Black Spot, Let's Kill Hitler, The Girl Who Waited, The Angels Take Manhattan, The Crimson Horror and Torchwood