Doctor Who Vs. James Bond, Part 14: Never Say Never Again

This unofficial entry in the Bond canon marked

Sean Connery's seventh and final assignment as

iconic Agent 007, twelve years on from Diamonds

are Forever. The independent production from

Taliafilm was based on Ian Fleming's ninth spy novel, Thunderball (previously adapted by Eon in

1965), and was distributed by Warner Bros in late

1983 (just months after Eon's Octopussy).

Shown on ITV1 last night, the film featured

Edward Fox (as M), Alec McCowen (Q), Pamela

Salem (Moneypenny), Max Von Sydow, Rowan

Atkinson, and twenty-six Doctor Who cast

connections:

• Salem auditioned for the role of Leela, and provided a Xoanon voice for (part 3 of) The Face of Evil, then was cast as [Lish] Toos in The Robots of Death (a role reprised for Big Finish's The Robots), and Professor Rachel Jenson in Remembrance of the Daleks - and reprised for Counter Measures (2012-20) - she also voiced Loretta Waldorf for The Silent Scream (2017)
• Ronald [Alfred] Pickup (Elliott) made his TV debut as the Physician in The Reign of Terror (4), and voiced Kestorian for Time Works (2006), Elder Bones for Spaceport Fear (2013), the Old One for Jago & Litefoot 12 (2016), and Jacob Harmer for The Wizard of Time (2023)
• Sylvia Marriott (Minister) and Tony Alleff (Auctioneer) both appeared in Meglos, as Lexa's Follower and Gaztak
• Derek Deadman (Porter) was Commander Stor in The Invasion of Time
• Brenda [Elizabeth] Kempner (Masseuse) was Mrs. Grose in Ghost Light
• for Robert Rietty, Arnold Lee, Dinny Powell and Rocky Taylor see Dr. No
• for Peter Roy see Thunderball
• for Walter Henry and Lewis Alexander see Casino Royale
• for Ron Gregory see Diamonds are Forever
• for Peter Ross Murray and Aileen Lewis see Octopussy
• Valentino Musetti (stunts here, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights, Licence to Kill & Tomorrow Never Dies) was Mongol Bandit in Marco Polo (5), Saracen Warrior in The Crusade (1), Egyptian in The Daleks' Master Plan, Prisoner in The Mind of Evil, and Extra in Colony in Space (1) and The Time Monster (1)
• Tracey Eddon (here, A View to a Kill, Goldeneye & The World is Not Enough) was a stunt performer on Remembrance of the Daleks (2) too
• for Terry Walsh and Billy Horrigan see The Spy Who Loved Me
• for Marc Boyle and Bill Weston see You Only Live Twice
• for Terry Forrestal see Moonraker
• for Eddie Powell see From Russia With Love
• for Roy Street see Goldfinger
• for Nick Wilkinson see For Your Eyes Only