Sunday, 1 November 2026

Doctor Who Vs. The Curse of the Were Rabbit

That great British inventor and
cheese enthusiast known only
as Wallace (of West Wallaby
Street in Wigan) and his anthro-pomorphic pet dog Gromit first
appeared in the BBC animated
short A Grand Day Out in 1989.
The plasticine duo were created
by Nick Park (born 1958) way
back in 1973, and brought to
life by Aardman Animations
(based in Bristol since 1972).
Three more 'claymation' TV
adventures followed, and in
2005, Wallace and Gromit
made their full-length film debut in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,
released by Dreamworks. The Wrong Trousers (1993), A Close Shave
(1995), and this film all won Academy Awards, whilst A Matter of Loaf
and Death (2008) received Park's fifth BAFTA prize.
Upto Vengeance Most Fowl, Wallace had always been voiced by Peter
Sallis (1921-2017), and it was intended that Gromit should talk too -
Peter Hawkins (one of the original Dalek and Cybermen voice artists
 on classic Doctor Who from 1963) was to provide his voice, but this
proved  too difficult to realise.
The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was co-written by Bob Baker, writing
partner of Dave Martin (1935-2007), and they were nicknamed the
Bristol Boys by the Doctor Who production teams. Together they
scripted nine TV serials (from The Claws of Axos to Nightmare of
Eden), and created K9.
Shown on BBC1 today, the film featured the vocal talents of Ralph
Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, John Thomson, Geraldine McEwan,
Liz Smith, Mark Gatiss, and these ten Doctor Who cast and crew
 connections:
  • Sallis was Elric Penley in The Ice Warriors, and was due to appear in Enlightenment as Striker
  • Peter Kay (PC Mackintosh here & Vengeance Most Fowl) was Victor Kennedy [the Abzorbaloff] in Love & Monsters
  • Nicholas [John] Smith (Hedges) was Wells in The Dalek Invasion of Earth
  • Edward [Harry] Kelsey (Growbag) was Slave Buyer in (episode 2 of) The Romans, Resno in The Power of the Daleks, and Edu in The Creature from the Pit
  • [Terence] Dicken Ashworth (Mr. Mulch) was Sezon in Timelash
  • Vincent Ebrahim (Caliche) voiced Shardul Khan for Big Finish's The Emerald Tiger (2012)
  • Christopher Fairbank (additional voices here & Flushed Away) voiced Pierre Arronax for The Wreck of the Titan (2010), Doc Baroque for The Scapegoat (2009), and Marc Brunel for Iron Bright (2018), then appeared as Fenton in Flatline
  • ADR recordist Robert Edwards was a mixer on Hide, Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, The Crimson Horror, Nightmare in Silver, The Name of the Doctor and Space and Time
  • Peter Gleaves was also ADR mixer on The Magician's Apprentice and The Witch's Familiar
  • assistant cameraman Adam Lincoln was clapper loader on Blink

Doctor Who On This Day #305

 

1963 - One-day studio filming session
at Lime Grove for 100,000 BC, and
filming continued at Ealing for The
Daleks
1965 - The Sensorites, Episodes 1
and 4 both repeated and Planet of
Giants, Episode 1 first screened, all
on ABC
1966 - Marco Polo, Episode 1: The Roof of the World
repeated on TV1; The Chase, Episodes 2 and 6,
The Time Meddler, Episode 4: Checkmate and Galaxy
4, Episode 4: The Exploding Planet repeated and
The Myth Makers, Episode 4: Horse of Destruction 
first screened, all on ABC
1970 - The Seeds of Death, Episodes 5 and 6 both repeated on ABC 
1974 - Day of the Daleks, Episode 1, The Curse of Peladon, Episodes 
1 and 4, The Sea Devils, Episode 1 and The Time Monster, Episode 5 
all repeated on ABC
1975 - Inferno, Episode 3 first screened on WTTW 11;
 and Pyramids of Mars, Part 2 first screened on BBC1
1978 - The Masque of Mandragora, Part 2 and The
 Talons of Weng-Chiang, Part 2 both repeated on ABC
 1980 - The Invisible Enemy, Part 1 repeated on WTTW
11; and Full Circle, Part 2 first screened on BBC1
1982 - The Invisible Enemy, Part 1 repeated on ABC
1983 - Planet of Evil, Parts 2 and 3 both repeated on ABC;
and he Horns of Nimon, Part 3 repeated on KQED Plus
1984 - Colony in Space, Episode 1 repeated on KQED
Plus; and The Green Death, Episode 5 repeated on ABC
1985 - The Daemons, Episode 5 first screened and
Day of the Daleks, Episode 1 repeated, both on TV2;
and The Android Invasion, Part 2 and Meglos
Omnibus both repeated on KQED Plus
1986 - The Two Doctors, Part 5 (of 6) repeated
on KQED Plus; and Terror of the Vervoids, Part
9 first screened on BBC1
1987 - The Edge of Destruction Omnibus
repeated on KQED Plus
1988 - Mindwarp, Part 8 repeated on KQED
Plus; and Time and the Rani, Part 2 first
 screened on repeated on ABC
1989 - The Power of Kroll, Part 4 repeated on KQED Plus;
Delta and the Bannermen, Part 1 repeated on ABC; and
The Curse of Fenric, Part 2 first screened on BBC1
1990 - The Monster of Peladon, Part 5 repeated
 on KQED Plus; and Battlefield, Part 3 first screened
on ABC
1991 - Attack of the Cybermen, Part
3 (of 4) repeated on KQED Plus
1993 - The Daleks, Episode 3: The Escape repeated on
UK Gold; Image of the Fendahl, Part 1 repeated on ABC;
and Terminus Omnibus repeated on KQED Plus
1994 - Planet of Evil Omnibus repeated on KQED Plus; and
Timelash, Parts 2 and 3 (of 4) both repeated on UK Gold
1995 - The Seeds of Doom, Part 3 repeated on UK Gold
1996 - The War Games, Episodes 8 to 10 all repeated on UK Gold
1997 - The Daleks, Episode 6: The Ordeal repeated on Space;
and The Androids of Tara Omnibus repeated on UKTV (Aus)
1998 - The Romans, Episode 3: Conspiracy repeated
 on Space; The Silurians Omnibus repeated on
Colorado PTV; TheDaemons Omnibus
repeated on WILL; The Mutants Omnibus
 repeated on UK Gold; The Time Monster,
Episodes 5 and 6 both repeated on LPB;
The Sontaran Experiment Omnibus repeated
on MPBN; Genesis of the Daleks, Part 4
repeated on WQED; Revenge of the Cybermen,
Parts 1 and 2 both repeated on BBC America;
The Face of Evil Omnibus repeated on KSPS;
Warriors' Gate Omnibus repeated on WFWA;
Castrovalva Omnibus repeated on WTBU;
The Visitation, Part 2 repeated on WUSF;
The Caves of Androzani, Part 3 repeated
on KRCB; and Paradise Towers, Parts
3 and 4 both repeated on KBTC
1999 - Invasion of the Dinosaurs, Part 3 repeated on BBC Choice; 
The Sontaran Experiment, Part 2 repeated on Space; The Horns of 
Nimon Omnibus repeated on KQED Plus; and Remembrance of the 
Daleks, Part 4 repeated on UKTV (Aus)
2000 - The Mind of Evil, Episode 6 repeated on Prime; The Green Death, 
Episode 4 repeated on UKTV (Aus); and The Hand of Fear, Parts 3 and
4 both repeated on BBC America
2001 - Warriors of the Deep, Part 4 repeated on UKTV
(Aus); and The Twin Dilemma, Part 4 repeated on BBC Prime
2002 - State of Decay, Part 3 repeated on BBC Kids (Can); and 
Vengeance on Varos, Parts 3 and 4 (of 4) both repeated on NHPTV
2003 - Inferno, Episodes 3 and 4 and Terminus Omnibus all
repeated on UK Gold; Underworld, Parts 1 and 2 both repeated
on BBC Kids (Can); and Logopolis, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated
on UKTV (Aus)
2004 - Genesis of the Daleks, Part 1
repeated on ABC
2005 - The King's Demons, Part 2
repeated on ABC
2006 - Genesis of the Daleks, Parts 1
and 2 both repeated on UK Gold
2007 - The Satan Pit repeated on UK Gold
2008 - The Creature from the Pit, Part 4 and
City of Death, Part 1 both repeated on MTV3
SciFi and TV4; The Empty Child and Doctor
Who Confidential: Special Effects both repeated
on UNC-MX; The Christmas Invasion repeated
 on OETA; The Age of Steel and Doctor Who
Confidential: From Zero to Hero both repeated
 on WGVU; The Impossible Planet repeated on
Syfy (Rus); The Satan Pit first screened on
HRT2 and repeated on KQED Plus; Love &
 Monsters repeated on Syfy (FRG); 42
repeated on Syfy (Ben); Voyage of the
Damned first screened on Jimmy; and Doctor
Who Confidential: Religion, Myths and
Legends repeated on KQED Plus
2009 - The Impossible Planet repeated on WXXI; Army of Ghosts 
repeated on Idaho PTV; Doomsday repeated on Ozarks PTV; The 
Shakespeare Code and Doctor Who Confidential: Stage Fright both 
repeated on MPTV; Human Nature and Doctor Who Confidential:
Alter Ego both first screened on KERA; The Family of Blood
repeated on WTTW 11; and 42 repeated on Syfy (Ben)
2010 - The Empty Child and Doctor Who Confidential Cutdown:
Special Effects both repeated on UKTV (Aus); Love & Monsters
 repeated on Syfy (FRG); Human Nature repeated on BBC3;
Voyage of the Damned repeated on WTTW 11; and The Unicorn
and the Wasp and Silence in the Library both repeated and Cold
Blood first screened, all on Syfy (Spa)
2011 - The Androids of Tara, Parts 1 and 2 both repeated on Syfy
 (Aus); Black Orchid Omnibus repeated on MTV3 SciFi, TV2 and TV4;
 The Long Game repeated on BBC America; The Shakespeare Code 
repeated on Space; and The Pandorica Opens repeated on UKTV
2012 - Frontier in Space, Episodes
1 and 2 both repeated on UK Gold
2013 - The Stones of Blood, Parts 3 and 4 both
repeated on Syfy (Aus); The Two Doctors Omnibus
repeated on ABC1 iView; The Impossible Planet,
Day of the Moon and The Doctor's Wife all repeated
on Watch; Voyage of the Damned repeated
 on Syfy (Port); The End of Time, Part 1 and Doctor
Who Confidential: War Games both repeated on BBC
Entertainment AP; The Lodger and The Pandorica Opens 
both repeated on France 4; The Curse of the Black Spot
repeated on BBC3 and Watch; The Wedding of River Song
 repeated on BBC Nordic HD, BBC Polska HD and ABC2;
The Crimson Horror repeated on RAI4; Doctor Who in
the US repeated on BBC America; and Doctor Who
 Confidential: Oods and Ends repeated on BBC
Entertainment EU, Romania and ME
2014 - The Chase, Episodes 5 and 6 and The
Time Meddler, Episodes 1 and 2 all repeated on
Retro TV; The Curse of Peladon, Episodes 3 and 4
both first screened on Retro TV; The Three Doctors
Omnibus repeated on Horror; The Doctor Dances, 
Boom Town and Bad Wolf all repeated on UKTV
(Aus); The Age of Steel repeated on UKTV (NZ);
Army of Ghosts repeated on Watch; The Fires of
Pompeii, Planet of the Ood, The Sontaran Stratagem 
and The Poison Sky all repeated on Syfy (Aus);
The Doctor's Daughter repeated on Syfy (Aus) and
KCPT2; Midnight and Turn Left both repeated on Space; 
Let's Kill Hitler repeated on OETA; Night Terrors and
The Girl Who Waited both repeated on RAI4 and
Really Scary TV; The God Complex repeated on Really 
Scary TV; Closing Time repeated on BBC Nordic HD, BBC 
Polska HD and Really Scary TV; The Wedding of River Song
 repeated on BBC Nordic HD and BBC Polska HD; The Doctor, 
the Widow and the Wardrobe repeated on Syfy (Port); The
 Power of Three repeated on Jeem TV (ME); The Angels
Take Manhattan and Doctor Who Explained both repeated
on BBC Entertainment EU, Romania and ME; Time Heist first
screened on DR3; Mummy on the Orient Express repeated 
on BBC Polska; Flatline repeated on Fox (FRG); In the Forest
 of the Night repeated on ABC and Fox; Dark Water first
screened on BBC1, BBC HD, ABC1 and Fox; Doctor Who
Extra: In the Forest of the Night first screened on ABC2; 
and Doctor Who Extra: Dark Water released on BBC iPlayer 
and BBC Red Button
2015 - Revenge of the Cybermen, Part 1 repeated on KRWG;
 Terror of the Zygons Omnibus repeated on BBC America;
The Android Invasion, Part 1 and The Impossible Planet both 
repeated on Syfy (Aus); The Robots of Death, Part 3 repeated 
on KPTS and Omnibus repeated on BBC America; The Caves 
of Androzani, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated on KBTC; 
Rise of the Cybermen, The Age of Steel and The Shakespeare 
Code all repeated on EBRU; Voyage of the Damned repeated 
on BBC Entertainment AP; Partners in Crime and Doctor Who
Confidential: A Noble Return both repeated on UNC-TV; The 
Next Doctor, Planet of the Dead, The Waters of Mars and The 
Wedding of River Song all repeated on KCPT2; The Power of 
Three repeated on BBC Entertainment EU, Romania and 
ME; The Bells of Saint John repeated on BBC Nordic HD, 
BBC Polska HD and Watch; The Rings of Akhaten, Cold
 War, Hide, The Doctors Revisited: The Seventh Doctor,
The Eighth Doctor and The Ninth Doctor all repeated
 on Watch; Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, The 
Crimson Horror, Nightmare in Silver and The Name of
the Doctor all repeated  on Fox (FRG); Into the Dalek
repeated on MPTV; Listen repeated on WVPB; Time Heist 
repeated on WPT; The Caretaker repeated on KLRU and 
Iowa PTV; Kill the Moon repeated on KCPT; Mummy on the 
Orient Express first screened on Idaho PTV and repeated 
on OETA, WILL, WXXI, Idaho PTV and Syfy (Aus); The 
Girl Who Died first screened on FX (Ind); The Woman Who
Lived repeated on BBC America, BBC First (Ben) and BBC
Entertainment AP; The Zygon Invasion first screened on
BBC America, BBC Entertainment AP, Space, Prime and
ABC; and The Best of the Companions repeated on BBC
Nordic HD and BBC Polska HD
2016 - The Sontaran Experiment, Part 2 and Genesis of the Daleks, 
Part 1 both repeated on Retro TV; The Age of Steel repeated on BBC 
Polska HD; Voyage of the Damned and Under the Lake both repeated 
on BBC America; The Unicorn and the Wasp, The Rings of Akhaten
and The Woman Who Lived all repeated on Syfy (Aus); The Beast
Below repeated on BBC Entertainment AP; Vincent and the Doctor
repeated on Syfy (Bra); The Pandorica Opens repeated on The Zone
and RAI4; The Big Bang and A Christmas Carol both repeated on RAI4;
Listen repeated on One ARD; Under the Lake repeated on BBC America;
Before the Flood repeated on BBC America and Fox (FRG); and The Girl
Who Died repeated on Fox
2017 - Image of the Fendahl, Parts 1 and 2 both repeated on Retro
 TV; The Leisure Hive, Part 2 repeated on Jones! too; Rise of the
Cybermen and The Age of Steel both repeated on BBC America;
The Idiot's Lantern repeated on BBC America and Syfy (Aus); The
Satan Pit repeated on BBC Polska HD; The Unicorn and the Wasp
and Silence in the Library both repeated on Space; The Time of 
Angels and Flesh and Stone both repeated on DR3; and The Zygon
Invasion and The Zygon Inversion both repeated on Fox (FRG)
2018 - Nightmare of Eden, Part 4 and The Horns of Nimon, Part 1
both repeated on Retro TV; The Girl in the Fireplace, Blink and
Vincent and the Doctor all repeated on ABC; Heaven Sent repeated
 on BBC Polska HD and ABC; The Lie of the Land and Empress of 
Mars both repeated on Fox (FRG); Rosa repeated on Sony SciFi;
and Arachnids in the UK first screened on France 4 and YLE TV2
2019 - Terminus, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated on Retro
TV; New Earth repeated on Syfy (Fra); A Good Man Goes
to War repeated on BBC Polska HD; and Asylum of the
Daleks and Dinosaurs on a Spaceship both repeated on
Sony SciFi
2020 - The Time Meddler Omnibus repeated on
Iowa PTV; Robot Omnibus repeated on MPTV; The
 Leisure Hive Omnibus repeated on WSRE; Frontios,
Parts 1 and 2 both repeated on KBTC; The Caves of
Androzani Omnibus repeated on Idaho PTV; Smith
and Jones, The Shakespeare Code, Gridlock, Daleks
in Manhattan and Evolution of the Daleks all repeated
on ABC; and The Almost People, A Good Man Goes
to War, Let's Kill Hitler, Night Terrors, The Girl Who
Waited and The God Complex all repeated on W
2021 - The Rebel Flesh repeated on ABC2;
The Day of the Doctor repeated on BBC
America; Dark Water repeated on ABC ME;
and The Halloween Apocalypse first screened
on TV2 and ABC2
2022 - The Invasion of Time, Parts
5 and 6 both repeated on Retro TV;
Mindwarp Omnibus, The Unicorn and
the Wasp, Silence in the Library and
Forest of the Dead all repeated on One
ARD; and Rose repeated on Fox SciFi
2023 - School Reunion, The Girl in the
Fireplace, Rise of the Cybermen, The
Age of Steel, The Idiot's Lantern, The
Impossible Planet, The Satan Pit, Love
& Monsters, Fear Her, Army of Ghosts,
Doomsday and The Runaway Bride all
repeated on Foxtel; The Doctor's Daughter
repeated on Fox SciFi; Tales of the TARDIS
released on BBC iPlayer; and Talking Doctor
 Who and Doctor Who at 60: A Musical
Celebration both first screened on BBC4
2024 - Time Heist repeated on ABC
Family; and The Caretaker repeated
on ABC Entertains
2025 - Cold Blood and Doctor Who
Confidential: What Goes on Tour both
repeated on BBC3; and Dr. Who and the
Daleks screened on Film4
2026 - The Ultimate Foe Omnibus
repeated on KBTC