Doctor Wo Vs. Prime Suspect

Granada's ground-breaking police procedural 

drama began in April 1991, and spawned six 

sequel series, an American TV spin-off, and the 

prequel novel Tennison was adapted by ITV

Studios as Prime Suspect: 1973.
Helen Mirren (born Helen Mironoff in 1945, and 

made a Dame in 2003) debuted here as DCI 

Jane Tennison, a role which earned her three 

BAFTA and two Emmy awards.

Created by Widows screenwriter, author and
ex-actress Lynda La Plante (born 1943), Prime 
Suspect focused on the murder investigations 
of Tennison, one of the Metropolitan Police 
Service's first female Chief Inspectors, whilst 
confronting the institutionalised sexism at her Southampton Row base. La Plante won an 
Edgar Award and a BAFTA for her screenplay.

A repeat run of the two-part case began on

ITV3 last night - it featured John Bowe (as

George Marlow), Tom Bell (DS Otley), Jack

Ellis (DI Muddyman), Craig Fairbrass (DI Burkin), Richard Hawley (DC

Haskosn), Tom Wilkinson, Ralph Fiennes, and thirteen Doctor Who cast

and crew connections:

• John Benfield [born Jonathan Edmund Fulford Turner] (DCS Kernan) voiced Don for Big Finish's Autumn (2007), and Captain Greeg for The Song of Megaptera (2010)
• Zoe Wanamaker (Moyra) was Lady Cassandra in The End of the World and New Earth
• Andrew Tiernan (DC Rosper) was Jim Purcell in Night Terrors
• Angela Bruce (Helen) 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)
• James Snell (Upcher) was Harry in The Daemons
• Rod Arthur (Tomlins) was [Bob] Parsons in School Reunion
• Bryonie Pritchard (WPC) was Dr. Sally Arnold in BBV's Auton trilogy
• Owen Aaronovitch (Tony) voiced Antonio Ferrando for Fiesta of the Damned (2016), Dr. Javier Santos for The Splintered Man (2017), Luis Ortega for Young Winston (2018), Newbold/Mitchell for An Unearthly Woman (2019), and Gabriel for Dark Universe (2020)
• Vincent Pickering (Witness) made his TV debut as Sagan in Warriors' Gate
• Susan [Elizabeth] Brown (Linda) was Bridget Spears in Torchwood: Children of Earth, and voiced Mary for Bedtime Story (2007), Alice Withers for The Eternal Summer, Maud for Castle of Fear, Mrs. Withers /Mrs. Sowerby for Plague of the Daleks (all 2009), Margaret for Deimos and The Resurrection of Mars, Eleanor Harvey for Return of the Krotons, Chief Engineer/Chanel for The Song of the Megaptera, Babs for Prison in Space (all 2010), and Kastrella for Death Match (2015)
• Anna Savva (Mrs. Salbanna) voiced the Guardian for The Key to Key to Time, and Commander Bixen for Master! 2 (both 2022)
• Peter Brayham was also the stunt co-ordinator on The Christmas Invasion, New Earth and School Reunion
• Alf Tramontin was the steadicam operator on Attack of the Graske too