Doctor Who Vs. Doomwatch

Short-lived British film company

Tigon Films was founded to com-

pete with the horror productions

from Hammer and Amicus - their

Doomwatch spin-off was based

on the classic BBC drama series,

created by Gerry Davis and Kit

Pedler.

Channel 5's planned TV revival

only produced a pilot episode

(entitled Winter Angel) in 1999.

Released by Embassy Pictures in

1972, the film (known as Island of

the Ghouls in America) was shown

on Talking Pictures TV last night - it featured John Paul, Simon Oates (from

the parent version), Ian Bannen, Judy Geeson, George Sanders, and these

nine Doctor Who cast connections:

• Jerome [Barry] Wilis (Tavener) was [Jocelyn] Stevens in The Green Death
• Reg Lever [born Stanley Edward Russell] (Sam) was the Joker in The Celestial Toymaker
• Rita Davies (Mrs. Murray) voiced Janneus for Primeval (2001), and Tashek for Innocence (2006)
• Walter Turner (Murray) was UNIT Soldier in (episode 3 of) The Silurians
• Paddy Ryan [born Frank Ryan McCree Singletary] (Grandfather) was Kaled Scientist in Genesis of the Daleks (6)
• James Mellor (Man) was Sean Flannigan in The Wheel in Space, and Varan in The Mutants
• Pam [Ann] St. Clement (Woman) reprised her EastEnders role of Pat Butcher for Dimensions in Time
• Jim Brady [born George Clifford Watkin] (Pallbearer) and Fred [Thomas] Wood (Villager) both starred in Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 AD

Working Title TV's Doomwatch: Winter Angel starred Trevor

Eve, Miles Anderson, David Bradley, Michael Sheen, and a

dozen further Doctor Who links:

• Steve Toussaint (Luke) was Feekat in Ascension of the Cybermen
• Ben Crompton (McAllister) was Ross in Into the Dalek
• Oliver Hallinan (Jessica) voiced Jane Asta for Order of the Daleks (2016)
• Chu Omambala (Roffey) was Major Thomas Blake in The Christmas Invasion
• Wolf Kahler (Director) voiced the Teacher for Willkommen (2022)
• Janet Henfrey (Julie) was Miss Hardaker in The Curse of Fenric, Mrs. Pitt in Mummy on the Orient Express, and the Adjudicator in Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor - she then voiced Mrs. Vanguard for The Spirit Trap (2010), Dr. Petherbridge for An Eye for Murder, Mrs. Jefferies for The Concrete Cage, Woman for The Forgotten Village (all 2014), Dorothy for The Screaming Ceiling (2019), Sister Magdalene for Abbey of Heretics (2020), Verkuvia for The Day of the Comet (2021), and Narrats for Morbius 1 (2024)
• Rob Dixon (Guard) voiced Sergeant Wood for No Man's Land (2006), and Reggie Mead for Project: Twilight (2001)
• Christian Rodska (Driver) voiced Laan Carder for Faith Stealer (2004), and Reverend Small for The Dead Shoes (2011)
• Ben Bishop (Ahania) voiced Johnny Stone for The Justice of Jalxar (2013), and Kenny White for Changing of the Guard (2014)
• Raji James (Prideaux) was Dr. Rajesh Singh in Army of Ghosts and Doomsday
• Dani Biernat was also a stunt performer on The Christmas Invasion, New Earth, The Sound of Drums and Amy's Choice
• Liz Pearson was post-production supervisor on An Adventure in Space and Time too