Doctor Who Vs. Mrs. Caldicot's Cabbage War

Collins as would-be companion,
Samantha Briggs in The Faceless
Ones

This independent British film
comedy premiered at German
then Moscow film festivals,

 before a UK cinema release in

2003. The story (based on the

book from Vernon Coleman)

centred on housewife Thelma

(played by Pauline Collins), who

finally becomes free of her

boorish husband when he's

killed by a cricket ball, only to be confined to a retirement home by her son Derek (Peter Capaldi).

Upset with the care she and the

other residents receive, Thelma

leads a revolt. Shown on 5 today, the drama also featured Camille Coduri, John Alderton, and thirteen more

Doctor Who cast and crew connections:

• Martin Jarvis (JB) and Sheila Reid (Joyce) both appeared in Vengeance on Varos, as the Governor and Etta - Jarvis was also Hilio in The Web Planet, Butler in Invasion of the Dinosaurs, then voiced Nigel Rochester for Big Finish's Jubilee (2003), whilst Reid was also Clara's Gran in The Time of the Doctor and Dark Water, and voiced Claire Summerfield for Good Night, Sweet Ladies (2014), and Janaiya for The Middle (2017)
• [Albert] Frank Mills (Leslie) was the Telescope Director in (episode 1 of) Terror of the Autons
• Isla Blair (Matron) was Lady Isabella Fitzwilliam in The King's Demons, then voiced Paula Taylor for Exotron (2007), Marge for Kidnapped!, Charn for Palindrome (both 2020), and Old Mary Mortimer for Friend of the Family (2023)
• Paul [John] Freeman (Jenkins) voiced Jalnik for The Foe from the Future (2012)
• Wanda Ventham (Victoria) was Jean Rook in The Faceless Ones, Thea Ransome in Image of the Fendahl, and Faroon in Time and the Rani
• Angela Bruce (Gina) was Brigadier Winifred Bambera in Battlefield, a role reprised for Animal (2011) then UNIT: Brave New World and The War Factory (both 2022) - she also voiced Mother for The Persistence of Dreams (2018), Herb for Conversion (2019), and Oya/Andarta for Consequences (2021)
• Annette Badland (Cook) was Margaret Blaine [Blon Fel Fotch Pasameer Day Slitheen] in Aliens of London, World War Three, Boom Town and Sync (2019), then voiced Queen Karlina for Equilibrium, Thelma for Suburban Hell (both 2015), Guilana for Asking for a Friend (2017), Judge/Computerr for Barrister to the Stars, Mrs. Slinger/Batraxus for Whatever Remains, Maude Polwart/Mermaid for The Ghost Writers (all 2020), Mrs. Goose/Fleshkin for The Hunting Season (2021), Mrs. Chinn for Mind of the Hodiac, the eponymous role for The Miniaturist, Eminent Sedanya for Blood of the Time Lords (all 2022), and the Toymaker for Metamorphosis (2024)
• Nicholas McArdle (Dale) was De Vries in The Stones of Blood
• Jamie Bradley (Driver) was Strood in Bad Wolf
• Lisa Kay (Sally) voiced Beatrix Butcher for The Witch from the Well (2011), and Alayna for Empire of the Racnoss (2017)
• Rocky [Laurie] Taylor was an Egyptian Warrior in The Daleks' Master Plan (9), Guard in The Curse of Peladon (4), then stuntman on The Idiot's Lantern too
• unit manager Peter Bennett was first assistant director on fourteen stories (from Bad Wolf to The End of Time), production manager on The Doctor's Daughter, Midnight, The Stolen Earth and Journey's End, then producer on twenty-eight other episodes (from The Beast Below to Twice Upon a Time)