Doctor Who Vs. Dr. Who and the Daleks

Image from The Zero Room/Etsy

AARU productions was formed by

filmmakers Amicus, to create a

cinematic reworking of the BBC's

Doctor Who, the programme's first

ever spin-off.

The company acquired the option to

produce this version (based on the

seven-part television serial The

Daleks) and two sequels from the Corporation and Terry Nation.

The feature was the first Doctor Who

adventure made in colour (only used

on the TV series from 1970) and widescreen (introduced with the

2005 revival). Dr. Who and the Daleks was scripted by Nation,

David Whitaker, and (producer)

Milton Subotsky, and directed by

Gordon Flemyng.

The cast was led horror film stal-

wart, Peter Cushing (1913-1994)

as human inventor Dr. Who. Jennie Linden (born 1939) and Roberta Tovey (b. 1953) played his grand- daughters, Barbara and Susan, whilst Roy Castle (1932-94) was the

hapless Ian Chesterton.

Shown on Film4 today, the film (released by British Lion in August 1965)

featured fourteen other links to the parent TV series:

• Cushing's long career included roles opposite Patrick Troughton (in Hamlet, The Black Knight, The Gorgon, Frankenstein and Sherlock Holmes), Jon Pertwee (The House that Dripped Blood), John Hurt (The Ghoul), Roger Delgado (also Sherlock Holmes), Richard Hurndall (I, Monster), Kate O'Mara (The Vampire Lovers and Corruption), and Bernard Cribbins (She and Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 AD)
• Tovey had uncredited roles in The Blood on Satan's Claw (opposite Wendy Padbury and Anthony Ainley), and Runaway Railway with Pertwee - her father, George Tovey was the Poacher in Pyramids of Mars
• Linden voiced Professor Klyst for Big Finish's Unregenerate! (2005)
• Barrie [Stanton] Ingham (Alydon) was Prince Paris in The Myth Makers
• Geoffrey Toone (Temmosus) was Hepesh in The Curse of Peladon
• Bruce [Albert] Wells (Thal) was a Cyberman in The Tenth Planet, an uncredited Alien in (episode 3 of) The War Games, and Ogron in Day of the Daleks and Frontier in Space
• Gary Wyler (Thal) was a Soldier in The Aztecs (1)
• Len Saunders (Dalek operator) was a Slave (3) and Cameraman (4) in Day of the Daleks
• Mike Reid (Thal) was a Soldier in The Myth Makers (3) and The War Machines, and Guard in The Massacre (4)
• Dalek operators Robert Jewell (in eight TV serials, Clown in The Feast of Steven, Zarbi in The Web Planet, and Macra operator), Bruce Castagnoli (Egyptian Warrior in The Daleks' Master Plan (9)), Gerald Taylor (also Assistant in The Underwater Menace, Man in The Daemons, Vega Nexos in The Monster of Peladon, Zarbi and War Machine operator) and Kevin Manser (also a Zarbi)
• Dalek voices were provided by David [Michael] Graham (who also voiced Skaro's finest in five TV serials, was Charlie in The Gunfighters, and Kerensky in City of Death) and Peter [John] Hawkins (also voiced the Daleks in seven stories, and voiced the Cybermen in four others)

Doctor Who Vs. The Blood on Satan's Claw

Short-lived British film company Tigon Films was

founded to compete with the Hammer and Amicus

features of the Sixties.

Here, a village set in early 18th century England is

taken over by demonic possession. In his 2010

documentary, A History of Horror, Mark Gatiss

referred to a sub-genre he called folk horror that

included this low-budget production, and the

influencial The Wicker Man.

Shown on Legend Extra last night, the film

(released in 1971) featured Patrick Wymark,

Wendy Padbury (pictured), Anthony Ainley,

Roberta Tovey, and eleven other Doctor Who

 cast and crew connections:

• [Hugh Valentine] Simon Williams (Edmonton) was Group Captain Ian Gilmore in Remembrance of the Daleks, a role he reprised for Big Finish's Counter Measures, 1963: The Assassination Games (2013), The Reesinger Process (2014) and The Split Infinitive (2019) - he also voiced Paul Addison/Shara for Nekromanteia (2003), the eponymous Lord for The Ruthven Inheritance (2011), and titular keeper for The Guardians of Prophecy (2012)
• Barry Andrews (Gower) was Stott in Nightmare of Eden
• Godfrey James (Blake) was Tarn in Underworld
• Dinny [born Dennis] Powell (Gravedigger) was stuntman on (episode 1 of) Terror of the Autons, and Guard in The Curse of Peladon (4) and Genesis of the Daleks (3)
• Geoffrey Hughes (Drinker) was Popplewick in The Ultimate Foe
• Eric Mason, Anna [Eva Lydia Catherine] Wing and Andrew McCulloch (Villagers) were Smedley in The Sea Devils, and Green in The Mind of Evil; and Anatta in Kinda (1) respectively - the latter co-write Meglos
• Harry Fielder (Militiaman) was Guard (in PP, ZZZ, 4L, 4P, 5A, 5F, 5Z), Crewman (SS, 4T), Vogan (4D), Assassin (4Q), Tigellan (5Q), and Krarg in Shada
• Les Conrad (Villager) was Patron in The Massacre (1), UNIT Soldier in The Invasion, The Silurians (3) The Ambassadors of Death (3), Terror of the Autons (4) and The Time Monster, Pirate in The Space Pirates, Union Soldier/Alien Guard in The War Games, RSF Soldier in Inferno, Prisoner in The Mind of Evil, Colonist in Colony in Space, Thal in Genesis of the Daleks (6), Extra in The Pirate Planet, Policeman in Time Flight, Teacher in Mawdryn Undead, Gunrunner in The Caves of Androzani, and Guard in The Twin Dilemma and Vengeance on Varos
• cinematographer Dick Bush was film cameraman on The Romans