Doctor Who Cast & Crew Guide: July 2013

Friday, July 26, 2013

The Crusade

Barbara (Jacqueline Hill) comforts
Maimuna (Sandra Hampton)

Four episodes (The Lion, The Knight of Jaffa, The Wheel of Fortune, The Warlords)
First broadcast Mar 27 to Apr 17 1965
Average audience for serial: 9.38m

A pictorial guide to the guest cast can be seen at the bottom of this entry. Read an episode-by-episode review of this story on Time Space Visualiser here!

REGULAR CAST

William Hartnell (The Doctor) Jan 8 1908 to Apr 23 1975 (heart failure after a series of strokes) For a full career biography for William Hartnell, click here.

William Russell (Ian Chesterton) Nov 19 1924 to Jun 3 2024 For a full career biography for William Russell (aka Russell Enoch), click here.

Jacqueline Hill (Barbara Wright) Dec 17 1929 to Feb 18 1993 (bone cancer) For a full career biography for Jacqueline Hill, click here.

Maureen O'Brien (Vicki) Born Jun 29 1943 For a full career biography of Maureen O'Brien, click here.

GUEST CAST

David Anderson (Reynier de Marun)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Caravan warrior in Marco Polo (1964, uncredited)
Played: Palace guard in Marco Polo (1964, uncredited)
Played: Aztec captain in The Aztecs (1964)
Fight arranger: The Aztecs (1964), The Time Meddler (1965), The Daleks' Master Plan (1965-66)
Played: Soldier in The Reign of Terror (1964, uncredited)
Played: Reynier de Marun in The Crusade (1965)
Played: Sven in The Time Meddler (1965)
Played: Egyptian warrior in The Daleks' Master Plan (1965-66, uncredited)

Roger Avon (Saphadin) Nov 23 1914 to Dec 21 1998
Doctor Who credits
Played: Saphadin in The Crusade (1965)
Played: Daxtar in The Daleks' Master Plan (1965-66)
Played: Wells in Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD (1966)
Career highlights
Roger started his career in Fun at St Fanny's (1956), followed by roles in Variety Incorporated (1957), The Benny Hill Show (1958/65), Hancock's Half Hour (1959), Citizen James (1961), The Likely Lads (1965), Quatermass and the Pit (1967), The Good Old Days (1967), On the Buses (1970), The First Train Now Arriving... (1975), The Likely Lads (1976), When the Boats Comes In (1976-81), The Baker Street Boys (1983), Black Adder the Third (1987), Grace and Favour (1993), Our Friends in the North (1996) and Grafters (1998).

Gabor Baraker (Luigi Ferrigo) Jun 10 1926 to Apr 30 1983
Doctor Who credits
Played: Wang-Lo in Marco Polo (1964)
Played: Luigi Ferrigo in The Crusade (1965)
Career highlights
After Doctor Who he appeared in Redcap (1965), George and the Dragon (1966), The Saint (1969) and From a Bird's Eye View (1971).

John Bay (Earl of Leicester) Nov 30 1928 to Nov 7 1982 (brain cancer)
Career highlights
American-born John's CV began with O.S.S (1958), then Richard the Lionheart (1962), The Hanged Man (1975), Two's Company (1976) and The Professionals (1978).
Facts
At the time of his death John was married to actress Elaine Stritch (see them acting opposite one another in a 1975 episode of Two's Company). For the length of their nine-year marriage they lived in the Savoy Hotel, London. In 1933, John's family established Bay's English Muffins in Chicago, well-known in the USA and the muffins first used by McDonald's for their original Egg McMuffin in 1972.

David Brewster (Turkish bandit)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Mongol bandit in Marco Polo (1964, uncredited)
Played: Turkish bandit in The Crusade (1965)
Played: Egyptian warrior in The Daleks' Master Plan (1965-66, uncredited)
Career highlights
David also made appearances in A for Andromeda (1961), The Big Pull (1962) and The Andromeda Breakthrough (1962).

Tony Caunter (Thatcher) Born Sep 22 1937
Doctor Who credits
Played: Thatcher in The Crusade (1965)
Played: Morgan in Colony in Space (1971)
Played: Jackson in Enlightenment (1983)
Career highlights
Tony's long career stems back to 24-Hour Call (1963), then The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling (1964), The Ipcress File (1965), The Likely Lads (1966), The Avengers (1967), The Queen Street Gang (1968), Parkin's Patch (1969), Ace of Wands (1970), War and Peace (1973), Marked Personal (1974), The Legend of Robin Hood (1975), Blake's 7 (1978), Angels (1979), Home to Roost (1985), London's Burning (1988), Boon (1990), Westbeach (1993), May to December (1994), Down to Earth (2004) and Doctors (2004/08). Tony will be best known as Roy Evans in the soap EastEnders (1994-2003), but he also had regular roles in Queenie's Castle (1970-72) as Jack, All Our Saturdays (1973) as Ken Hicks, Beryl's Lot (1973-77) as Trevor Tonks, Juliet Bravo (1980-82) as Jim Logan, Big Deal (1984) as Henry Diamond and The Chief (1990-94) as Arthur Quine.
In 2016 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Tony here.

Anthony Colby (Saracen warrior) 1937 to Oct 4 2018
Career highlights
Anthony's other work includes No Hiding Place (1961/62), Redcap (1965), Sat'day While Sunday (1967) and Special Branch (1969).

Billy Cornelius (Man-at-arms) Born Aug 18 1934
Doctor Who credits
Played: Man-at-arms in The Crusade (1965)
Played: Morok guard in The Space Museum (1966)
Career highlights
Billy debuted in No Hiding Place (1963), and later appeared in Dave's Kingdom (1964), Redcap (1965), The Avengers (1965-67), The Ronnie Barker Playhouse (1968), Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1970), When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970), Sam and the River (1975), Law and Order (1978), The Long Good Friday (1980) and The Nightmare Man (1981). Carry On fans will also know Billy from his numerous appearances in the franchise between 1966-75, most memorably as hairy Oddbod Junior in Carry On Screaming! (1966).

John Flint (William des Preaux) Aug 1 1929 to Sep 9 1987
Doctor Who credits
Played: William des Preaux in The Crusade (1965)
Played: Captain Urquhart in Time-Flight (1982)
Career highlights
John's debut came in Jo's Boys (1959), then Emergency Ward 10 (1961), The Flying Swan (1965), Spyder's Web (1972), Upstairs, Downstairs (1973), Famous Five (1978), Bognor (1981), King John (1984) and The Fools on the Hill (1986).

Julian Glover (Richard the Lionheart) Born Mar 27 1935
Doctor Who credits
Played: Richard the Lionheart in The Crusade (1965)
Played: Count Scarlioni/ Scaroth in City of Death (1979)
Career highlights
Prolific character actor Julian made his screen debut in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1959), followed by roles in An Age of Kings (1960), The Alphabet Murders (1965), Quatermass and the Pit (1967), The Champions (1968), Nicholas and Alexandra (1971), Spy Trap (1972), Churchill's People (1975), Couples (1976), Blake's 7 (1978), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), For Your Eyes Only (1981), By the Sword Divided (1983), Remington Steele (1985), Cry Freedom (1987), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), King Ralph (1991), The Chief (1995), Holby City (2000), Troy (2004), Scoop (2006), Merlin (2012), Spies of Warsaw (2013), Atlantis (2013), We Still Steal the Old Way (2016) and Black Earth Rising (2018). He also played Grand Maester Pycelle in Game of Thrones (2011-16).
Awards
1993: Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Henry V)
2013: Commander of the order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to drama
Facts
Julian was married to actress Eileen Atkins between 1957-66, and latterly actress Isla Blair (who appeared in 1983's The King's Demons) since 1968. Julian and Isla's son is actor Jamie Glover, who played William Russell in An Adventure in Space and Time (2013). Julian's half-brother is musician Robert Wyatt, founder of the band Soft Machine.

Sandra Hampton (Maimuna)
Career highlights
Other work includes Up a Gum Tree (1962), The Mouse on the Moon (1963), Sherlock Holmes (1965), Three Hats for Lisa (1966) and The Cuckoo Patrol (1967). She was also a dancer and appeared in this capacity on the BBC's Jimmy Logan Show (1959-60).

Bernard Kay (Saladin) Feb 23 1928 to Dec 25 2014
Doctor Who credits
Played: Carl Tyler in The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964)
Played: Saladin in The Crusade (1965)
Played: Inspector Crossland in The Faceless Ones (1967)
Played: Caldwell in Colony in Space (1971)
Career highlights
Bernard's first acting job was in ITV Television Playhouse (1957), followed by Carry on Sergeant (1958), The Avengers (1962), Compact (1964), Doctor Zhivago (1965), Breaking Point (1966), Witchfinder General (1968), The Hunting Party (1971), Warship (1974), Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977), Accident (1978-79), The Gentle Touch (1982), The Bill (1984), Remington Steele (1987), Bomber Harris (1989), Century Falls (1993), Jonathan Creek (1997), Foyle's War (2002), Harry Hill's TV Burp (2008), Casualty 1909 (2009) and Psychosis (2010).
Facts
Bernard began as a reporter on the Manchester Guardian and Bolton Evening News in the 1940s. In 2006 he won the creative non-fiction prize of the New Writing Ventures Awards for his account of life growing up in 1930s/40s Bolton. Between 1963-77 (until her death) Bernard was married to actress Patricia Haines (first wife of Michael Caine).
In 2013 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Bernard here.

Chris Konyils (Saracen warrior)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Saracen warrior in The Crusade (1965)
Played: African ISC officer in The Tenth Planet (1966, uncredited)
Played: Crewmember in The Wheel in Space (1968, uncredited)
Career highlights
Chris' other screen work includes The Bed-Sitting Room (1969) and Carry On Up the Jungle (1970).

Robert Lankesheer (Chamberlain) Apr 28 1914 to Dec 29 1993 (emphysema)
Career highlights
Robert's earliest credit was in The Malory Secret (1951), followed by Emil and the Detectives (1952), Deadline Midnight (1961), Out of This World (1962), Dad's Army (1969), Doctor in Charge (1972), Beryl's Lot (1973), Fawlty Towers (1979), Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983) and Mixed Doubles (1985).

Tutte Lemkow (Ibrahim) Aug 28 1918 to Nov 10 1991
Doctor Who credits
Played: Kuiju in Marco Polo (1964)
Played: Ibrahim in The Crusade (1965)
Played: Cyclops in The Myth Makers (1965)
Choreographed: The Celestial Toymaker (1966)
Career highlights
Norwegian born Tutte had a long career appearing in The Lost People (1949), Moulin Rouge (1952), Hancock's Half Hour (1957), The Guns of Navarone (1961), The Moon-Spinners (1964), The Wrong Box (1966), Fiddler on the Roof (1971, as the title character), Theatre of Blood (1973), Huntingtower (1978), Sphinx (1981), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Red Sonja (1985). He was also an experienced choreographer, including on Casino Royale (1967), and helped adapt Ibsen's The Wild Duck (1983) for film, for which he was nominated for an Australian Film Institute Award.
Facts
Tutte's first wife was Swedish actress Mai Zetterling.

George Little (Haroun) Nov 6 1928 to Jan 8 2022
Career highlights
George debuted in Close My Door (1957), then Maigret (1961), Man of the World (1962), The Plane Makers (1963), A Tale of Two Cities (1965), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), I, Claudius (1976), The Professionals (1980), Minder (1984), Boon (1986), Evita (1996) and The Brief (2005). George also had regular roles as Rev Edward Ruskin in Emmerdale Farm (1973-74/93) and Dicker in Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989-90).
Facts
George was an expert on the composer Frederick Delius, an appreciation of whom he passed on to his classical violinist daughter, Tasmin Little.

Petra Markham (Safiya) Born Mar 17 1944
Career highlights
Petra started her acting career playing Alice Beverley in The Children of the New Forest (1964), then appeared in Five More (1966), The Revenue Men (1967), The Expert (1969), Get Carter (1971), Marked Personal (1974), Angels (1983), Aliens in the Family (1987), Plotlands (1997), Doctors (2007), Hotel Babylon (2008), Criminal Justice (2009) and Back to the Garden (2013). She also had regular roles as Lydia Hackett in Albert and Victoria (1970-71), Mikki Diamond in Ace of Wands (1972) and Rose Chapman in EastEnders (1993).
Facts
Petra is the daughter of actor David Markham and radio dramatist Olive Dehn, and her sisters are actress Kika (widow of actor Corin Redgrave), Sonia (who worked as make-up artist on Doctor Who between 1964-66, including The Crusade) and writer Jehane (widow of actor - and Rise of the Cybermen/ The Age of Steel actor - Roger Lloyd-Pack).

Jean Marsh (Joanna) Jul 1 1934 to Apr 13 2025 (complications from dementia)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Joanna in The Crusade (1965)
Played: Sara Kingdom in The Daleks' Master Plan (1965-66)
Played: Morgaine in Battlefield (1989)
Played: Party guest in An Adventure in Space and Time (2013, uncredited)
Career highlights
Jean's career began in The Infinite Shoeblack (1952), then The Limping Man (1953), The Twilight Zone (1959), I Spy (1967), UFO (1970), Frenzy (1972), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), Hawaii Five-O (1978), Return to Oz (1985), Willow (1988), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1989), The Tomorrow People (1994), Fatherland (1994), Dangerfield (1997), Sensitive Skin (2007), Sense and Sensibility (2008), Crooked House (2008), The Last Post (2011), Outlier (2014) and Grantchester (2014). Jean co-created the series Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-75 and 2010-12, and appeared in it as Rose Buck), and The House of Eliott (1991-94). She had regular roles as Sylvia Parrish in The Informer (1966-67), Roz Keith in 9 to 5 (1982-83) and Mrs Croker in The Ghost Hunter (2000-01).
Awards
1975: Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Upstairs, Downstairs)
2012: Officer of the order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to drama
Facts
Jean was married to Third Doctor Jon Pertwee between 1955-60, and trivia fans might like the fact she appeared in Nicholas Courtney's first and last stories in Doctor Who - The Daleks' Master Plan and Battlefield! In 2011 she suffered a minor stroke and heart attack, causing her to miss much of the filming for the second series of the Upstairs, Downstairs reboot. Jean studied ballet as a child in order to overcome a nervous paralysis she suffered as a result of witnessing deaths and bombings during World War Two.

Diana McKenzie (Hafsa)
This is Diana's only known acting work.

Valentino Musetti (Saracen warrior) Born Jan 7 1943
Doctor Who credits
Played: Mongol bandit in Marco Polo (1964, uncredited)
Played: Saracen warrior in The Crusade (1965)
Played: Egyptian warrior in The Daleks' Master Plan (1965-66, uncredited)
Played: Prisoner in The Mind of Evil (1971, uncredited)
Played: Extra in Colony in Space (1971, uncredited), The Time Monster (1972, uncredited)
Career highlights
Other credited acting roles include The Avengers (1962-64), Callan (1972), The Professionals (1980), Bergerac (1988) and Batman (1989). Stuntwork includes The Eagle Has Landed (1976), The New Avengers (1977), Superman II (1980), An American Werewolf in London (1981), A View to a Kill (1985), Willow (1988), Nightbreed (1990), Alien 3 (1992), Pie in the Sky (1995), Bright Young Things (2003) and 55 Degrees North (2004).
Facts
Italian Valentino was British Junior Judo Champion in 1958 and later went on to become a motor racing driver, competing in the 1970 Brazilian series and in the MCD Formule Libre Championship (which he won), the ShellSport 5000 series and selected Formula 2 races.

Raymond Novak (Saracen warrior)
His only other CV entry is for Carry On Cowboy (1966).

Reg Pritchard (Ben Daheer) 1925 to Jan 18 2013
Doctor Who credits
Played: Ben Daheer in The Crusade (1965)
Played: Man in mackintosh in The Daleks' Master Plan (1965-66)
Career highlights
Reg's CV begins with Dixon of Dock Green (1961), then No Hiding Place (1964), The Saint (1968), Budgie (1971), A Question of Guilt (1980) and Something in Disguise (1982).

Walter Randall (El Akir) Jun 26 1929 to May 5 2006
Doctor Who credits
Played: Tonila in The Aztecs (1964)
Played: El Akir in The Crusade (1965)
Played: Hyksos in The Daleks' Master Plan (1965-66)
Played: Patrolman in The Invasion (1968)
Played: Harry Slocum in Inferno (1970)
Played: Guard captain in Planet of the Spiders (1974)
Career highlights
Dancer/ actor Walter's long career began in Rock You Sinners (1958), then Nudist Paradise (1959), Man from Interpol (1960), The Hands of Orlac (1961), Ghost Squad (1963), Danger Man (1964), All Gas and Gaiters (1967), Trial (1971), Follyfoot (1973), The Double Dealers (1974), Target (1977), The Professionals (1980) and Yes, Minister (1982).
Facts
Former dancer Walter went into partnership with Jon Pertwee in the 1970s, owning a hamburger diner called Pertwee's Takeaway for five years. In the late 60s and early 70s, Walter also ran nightclubs and restaurants in London, including the Fiasco Club, Davina's Place, CW's, the 606 Club and Tweedledum.

Zohra Segal (Sheyrah) Apr 27 1912 to Jul 10 2014 (heart attack) DOCTOR WHO CENTENARIAN!
Doctor Who credits
Played: Attendant to Ping-Cho in Marco Polo (1964, uncredited)
Played: Sheyrah in The Crusade (1965)
Career highlights
Indian Zohra's career began in 1946's Neecha Nagar, then Afsar (1950), Heer (1956), The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling (1964), The Vengeance of She (1968), It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974), Mind Your Language (1978), The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Caravaggio (1986), Tandoori Nights (1985-87), Never Say Die (1987), Bhaji on the Beach (1993), Firm Friends (1992-94), Dillagi (1999), Bend It Like Beckham (2002), The Mistress of Spices (2005) and Cheeni Kum (2007). Zohra also worked as choreographer on productions in the 1940s and 50s.
Facts
Zohra was born as Sahibzadi Zohra Begum Mumtaz-ullah Khan and became Doctor Who's first centenarian when she turned 100 years old in 2012.

Vivianne Sorrel (Fatima)
Career highlights
Vivianne's only other credit is Theatre 625's Enter Solly Gold (1965).

Derek Ware (Saracen warrior) Feb 27 1938 to Sep 22 2015 (cancer)
Doctor Who credits
Fight arranger/ stunts: An Unearthly Child (1963), The Aztecs (1964), The Crusade (1965), The Myth Makers (1965), The Daleks' Master Plan (1965), The Smugglers (1966), The Underwater Menace (1967), The Web of Fear (1968), Terror of the Autons (1971, uncredited)
Played: Saracen warrior in The Crusade (1965)
Played: Bus conductor in The Chase (1965, uncredited)
Played: Trojan soldier in The Myth Makers (1965, uncredited)
Played: Tuthmos in The Daleks' Master Plan (1966)
Played: Spaniard in The Smugglers (1966)
Played: Soldier in The Web of Fear (1968, uncredited)
Played: UNIT soldier/ sergeant in The Ambassadors of Death (1970)
Played: Private Wyatt in Inferno (1970)
Played: Pigbin Josh in The Claws of Axos (1971)
Career highlights
Derek was a successful stuntman who worked in this capacity on Z Cars (1962), The Spread of the Eagle (1963), The Battle of Culloden (1964), Rupert of Hentzau (1964), The War Game (1965), The Italian Job (1969), The Changes (1975), Doom Castle (1980), Krull (1983), Jane (1984), Ever Decreasing Circles (1986), Hannay (1988), Willow (1988) and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), as well as acting in small roles (which often involved stuntwork) in Street Scene (1959), An Age of Kings (1960), The Primitives (1962), The Idol (1966), Adam Adamant Lives! (1966-67), Up the Junction (1968), Witchfinder General (1968), The Italian Job (1969), Budgie (1971), The Lotus Eaters (1972), Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973), The Legend of Robin Hood (1975), The Onedin Line (1976), King Cinder (1977), Mind Your Language (1979), Cribb (1980), Johnny Jarvis (1983), Last of the Summer Wine (1985/86), Sky Bandits (1986), The Two Ronnies (1977-87), London's Burning (1988), Haggard (1990), Grange Hill (1990) and Revenge of Billy the Kid (1992).
Facts
Derek sustained an injury in 1990 which brought an end to his stunting career, but he became a fencing tutor soon after. In 1965, Derek formed the stunt team HAVOC to work in TV (namely Doctor Who (1970-72), Adam Adamant Lives! (1966-67) and Dick Barton: Special Agent (1979)); the name hails from William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: "And Caesar's spirit, ranging for revenge, With Ate by his side come hot from hell, Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice Cry Havoc, and let slip the dogs of war". In the early 1990s, Derek criticised actor Brian Blessed because the latter had been employed as an unregistered fight arranger for the panto Peter Pan at Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre. Derek believed this would put actors' safety at risk, and was particularly aggrieved as he had to take work as a department store Santa Claus over the Christmas period. Derek said: "Brian Blessed is no more a fight director than I am a large and revered character actor." Shortly after, actor Simon Bridge suffered an eye injury after being hit in the face by a sword in a stage fight directed by Blessed.

Bruce Wightman (William de Tornebu) Mar 5 1925 to Jan 8 2009
Doctor Who credits
Played: William de Tornebu in The Crusade (1965)
Played: Scott in The Daleks' Master Plan (1965-66)
Played: Radio operator in Terror of the Zygons (1975)
Career highlights
Australian Bruce began his career in The Black Tulip (1956), then Blood of the Vampire (1958), The Rag Trade (1961), The Heart of Midlothian (1966), Confessions of a Window Cleaner (1974) and Count Dracula (1977).
Facts
Bruce co-founded London's Dracula Society in 1973 with fellow actor Bernard Davies (who appeared in The War Games in 1969). During the 1970s and 80s Bruce ran Dracula tours in Romania. In the 1990s he lived in Bulgaria working as an art critic and journalist, but moved to New Zealand in 2001 to continue writing about the career of Bram Stoker.

CREW

David Whitaker (writer) Apr 18 1928 to Feb 4 1980 (lymphoma) Click here for David Whitaker's entry on An Unearthly Child

Douglas Camfield (director) May 8 1931 to Jan 27 1984 (heart attack) Click here for Douglas Camfield's entry on Planet of Giants

Verity Lambert (producer) Nov 27 1935 to Nov 22 2007 (cancer) Click here for Verity Lambert's entry on An Unearthly Child

Dennis Spooner (story editor) Dec 1 1932 to Sep 20 1986 (heart attack) Click here for Dennis Spooner's entry on The Reign of Terror

Click to enlarge

Friday, July 19, 2013

The Web Planet

The Optera were just one type of
creature which inhabited Vortis

Six episodes (The Web Planet, The Zarbi, Escape to Danger, Crater of Needles, Invasion, The Centre)
First broadcast Feb 13 to Mar 20 1965
Average audience for serial: 12.50m

None of the guest cast is facially recognisable from The Web Planet, but you can see some of the actors' real faces at the bottom of this entry. Read an episode-by-episode review of this story at Time Space Visualiser!

Ian Thompson (Hetra) Aug 11 1939 to Jul 16 2022
Doctor Who credits
Played: Hetra in The Web Planet (1965)
Played: Malsan in The Chase (1965)
Career highlights
Ian's prolific career began with 1956's David Copperfield, followed by roles in The Old Curiosity Shop (1962), The Persuaders (1972), Crown Court (1974), Sam (1975), Couples (1975), Little Lord Fauntleroy (1976), Blake's 7 (1978), Freud (1984), Inside Story (1986), Andy Capp (1988), Moon and Son (1992), Our Friends in the North (1996), Midsomer Murders (1999), Wire in the Blood (2005) and The All Together (2007). He had the regular role of John Porter in A Family at War (1970-72).

CREW

Bill Strutton (writer) Feb 23 1918 to Nov 23 2003
Career highlights
Australian Bill wrote for television and film, including Ivanhoe (1958), The Avengers (1961), Rendezvous (1960-61), The Saint (1963), The Protectors (1964), Undermind (1965), Emergency Ward 10 (1966-67), No Hiding Place (1959-67), The Pathfinders (1973) and Crown Court (1973). He also wrote for and script edited Adventures of the Seaspray (1965-67) and Strange Report (1969).
Facts
During World War Two Bill was captured by the Germans and sent to Stalag VII. After the war he took up writing and journalism (writing several books, including A Jury of Angels (1957) and The Island of Terrible Friends (1961)), but retired in 1978 (aged 60) following a heart attack. He died on Doctor Who's 40th anniversary.

Richard Martin (director) Born Jan 3 1935 Click here for Richard Martin's entry on The Daleks

Verity Lambert (producer) Nov 27 1935 to Nov 22 2007 (cancer) Click here for Verity Lambert's entry on An Unearthly Child

Dennis Spooner (story editor) Dec 1 1932 to Sep 20 1986 (heart attack) Click here for Dennis Spooner's entry on The Reign of Terror

Click to enlarge

Monday, July 08, 2013

The Romans

Derek Francis as the amorous
Emperor Nero

Four episodes (The Slave Traders, All Roads Lead to Rome, Conspiracy, Inferno)
First broadcast Jan 16 to Feb 6 1965
Average audience for serial: 11.63m

A pictorial guide to the guest cast can be seen at the bottom of this entry. Read an episode-by-episode review of this story at Time Space Visualiser!

Doctor Who credits

Played: Citizen of Millennius in The Keys of Marinus (1964, uncredited)

Played: Revolutionary soldier in The Reign of Terror (1964, uncredited)

Played: Rebel in The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964, uncredited)

Played: Court messenger in The Romans (1965)
Career highlights
Tony's other credits include The Avengers (1964), Steptoe and Son (1965) and Frankie Howerd (1966).

Kay Patrick (Poppaea) Born Sep 2 1941
Doctor Who credits
Played: Poppaea in The Romans (1965)
Played: Flower in The Savages (1966)
Career highlights
Kay started her career in front of the cameras, appearing in The Call (1962), The Flying Swan (1965), Nana (1968) and The First Churchills (1969), but then moved behind the camera to become director on soaps such as Emmerdale (1998-99), Brookside and EastEnders (1986), as well as Jupiter Moon (1990), In Suspicious Circumstances (1993-94) and Sunburn (1999). In later years she became a producer on Coronation Street (1996-97), Crossroads (2001) and Mersey Beat (2002). Her latter career has concentrated on directing the soap opera Coronation Street (1994-2015).
Facts
In 2009 Kay was hit and injured badly by a car while working on Coronation Street (needing a plate in her shoulder and a reconstructed knee), but she was back on set in the new year.

Michael Peake (Tavius) Oct 13 1918 to Apr 1 1967
Career highlights
Michael's earliest credit was the narrator of The Ambermere Treasure (1956), followed by roles in William Tell (1959), Strip Tease Murder (1961), Strongroom (1962), The Gorgon (1964), The Troubleshooters (1965), The Avengers (1966) and The Rat Catchers (1967).

Brian Proudfoot (Tigilinus) Mar 15 1932 to Sep 7 2009
Doctor Who credits
Played: Dr Who in The Reign of Terror (1964, uncredited)
Played: Tigilinus in The Romans (1965)
Career highlights
Other work includes The Andromeda Breakthrough (1962) and The Desperate People (1963).
Facts
Brian has the honour of being the first actor to appear in Doctor Who on location - and as the Doctor to boot! The shots of the Doctor wandering the French countryside in The Reign of Terror (1964) are actually Proudfoot, not William Hartnell.

Derek Sydney (Sevcheria) Jan 11 1920 to Jun 18 2000 (heart attack)
Career highlights
Derek's earliest credit was a 1949 adaptation of Macbeth, followed by roles in Hot Ice (1952), The Constant Husband (1955), Man from Tangier (1957), Sword of Freedom (1957-58), The Men from Room 13 (1959), Danger Man (1960), Carry On Spying (1964), The Likely Lads (1966), Carry On Up the Khyber (1968) and Timeslip (1971).

Margot Thomas (Stallholder) Jan 16 1919 to Sep 26 2008 (cancer)
Career highlights
Margot debuted in Oliver Twist (1962), followed by roles in Katy (1962), Z Cars (1967), Take Three Girls (1969), The Befrienders (1972), The Dragon's Opponent (1973), The Stud (1978), Roger Doesn't Live Here Any More (1981), Bullseye! (1990) and After Henry (1992).
Facts
Margot was an ardent supporter of the theatre and in the 1960s helped revive the fortunes of Henley's Kenton Theatre, which first opened in 1805 but fell on hard times in 1963. Her husband was RAF pilot Gilbert Travers Thomas, who also wrote screenplays for the BBC in the 1940s and 50s.

Ann Tirard (Locusta) Jun 5 1917 to Aug 12 2003
Doctor Who credits
Played: Locusta in The Romans (1965)
Played: The Seeker in The Ribos Operation (1978)
Career highlights
Ann's earliest credit was on Nathaniel Titlark (1957), then Violent Playground (1958), Emergency Ward 10 (1960), The Avengers (1961), Let's Go Out (1965), Witchfinder General (1968), Rogues' Gallery (1969), Jane Eyre (1973), Crossroads (1966-67), Within These Walls (1976-78), Schalcken the Painter (1979), Moonlighting (1982), The Witches (1990) and Devil's Advocate (1995).
Facts
Ann was married to actor William Lyon-Brown.

CREW

Dennis Spooner (writer & story editor) Dec 1 1932 to Sep 20 1986 (heart attack) Click here for Dennis Spooner's entry on The Reign of Terror

Christopher Barry (director) Sep 20 1925 to Feb 7 2014 (following a fall) Click here for Christopher Barry's entry on The Daleks

Verity Lambert (producer) Nov 27 1935 to Nov 22 2007 (cancer) Click here for Verity Lambert's entry on An Unearthly Child

Mervyn Pinfield (associate producer) Feb 28 1912 to May 20 1966 Click here for Mervyn Pinfield's entry on An Unearthly Child

Click to enlarge

Wednesday, July 03, 2013

Maureen O'Brien (career biography)

Maureen O'Brien (Vicki) Born Jun 29 1943

Doctor Who credits
Played: Vicki in The Rescue, The Romans, The Web Planet, The Crusade, The Space Museum, The Chase, The Time Meddler, Galaxy 4, The Myth Makers (1965). Return appearance in Tales of the TARDIS 2023)

Career

Maureen as Vicki with James
Lynn as Troilus in her last
Doctor Who, The Myth
Makers (1965)

Maureen's first TV work was playing Vicki in Doctor Who, the companion which replaced the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan. On October 9th, 1964, Maureen was contracted to play a character called Tanni (renamed Vicki on November 20th) for an initial 12 episodes (this would comprise The Rescue, The Romans and The Web Planet). After being unveiled to the media with a photo call on November 11th, she started recording The Rescue on December 4th, and appeared in a total of 38 episodes broadcast between January 2nd and November 6th, 1965. On July 30th, 1965, Maureen was issued with a revised contract which included an option for a further 20 episodes after The Myth Makers (which meant she would have appeared in The Daleks' Master Plan, The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve, The Ark, The Celestial Toymaker, The Gunfighters and The Savages, and then probably leave with Peter Purves). However, after Maureen complained about the dialogue she was being given for the serial Galaxy 4, producer John Wiles decided to replace Vicki with a new companion after The Myth Makers, which the actress was told on September 3rd. Her final recording day on Doctor Who was October 8th, 1965 - just one day shy of a year since she was first contracted for Doctor Who!

So what was the first thing Maureen did after leaving Doctor Who? Well, it was over six months until her next on-screen role, playing Janet Kent in three episodes of the medical soap Emergency Ward 10 (broadcast May 24th-31st, 1966). All three episodes are missing from the archives, but the ironic thing is that her first episode was written by William Emms, the man who'd written the dialogue she'd complained about on Doctor Who: Galaxy 4! Joining her on the cast list of her episodes were Ken Barker (Revelation of the Daleks, 1985), Ian Cullen (The Aztecs, 1964), Leslie Dwyer (Carnival of Monsters, 1973), Colin Jeavons (The Underwater Menace, 1967) and Pik Sen Lim (The Mind of Evil, 1971).

On January 4th, 1967, Maureen appeared in a Thirty Minute Theatre on the BBC entitled Taste, written by novelist Roald Dahl and directed by John Glenister (father of actors Robert and Philip). At a dinner party, the host hints that one of his guests, an appalling wine snob, will be unable to identify a particularly rare vintage. The snob takes on the bet, but suggests an unusual stake... Maureen played Louise Schofield in this now missing drama, and was joined by Donald Pleasence, Leonard Rossiter, Marion Mathie and Barbara Leake (Terror of the Autons, 1971). This Dahl story was remade for Tales of the Unexpected in April 1980, with Debbie Farrington in Maureen's previous role.

Sat'day While Sunday was a twice-weekly ATV series about first-year university students in the north of England, and starred Malcolm McDowell and Timothy Dalton (The End of Time, 2009-10). Maureen played a salesgirl in The Boss's Son Part 1, broadcast on October 13th, 1967 and also starring Sandra Bryant (The War Machines, 1966, and The Macra Terror, 1967), Eric Francis (The Sensorites, 1964) and Godfrey Quigley (Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD, 1966).

Next up was the TV special Mr Dickens of London, a 55-minute production in which the ghost of Charles Dickens (played by Michael Redgrave) materialises in 20th century London and escorts actor Juliet Mills around some of the locations important to him in his life and novels. It was made for an American market, and was shown there on December 12th, 1967. It's not clear what part Maureen took, as with her co-stars Michael Crockett and Sydney Sturgess. The play still exists, but is not available commercially.

The Mock Doctor was a three-part serial broadcast between March 13th-27th, 1968 presenting an English language translation of a Moliere comedy, Le Medicin Malgre Lui, which is an attack on quack doctors. Maureen played Lucinde, who pretends to have lost the power of speech in order to get out of a marriage arranged by her father (played by Robert Eddison). Others in the cast included Patrick Bedford, Ken Wynne and George Benson, and it was directed by Charles Warren. Again, these recordings have not been retained.

On April 3rd, 1968, Maureen appeared in a now-missing Wednesday Play called Light Blue, written by Gerald Vaughan-Hughes and directed by Alan Cooke. An African-American jazz trumpeter spends a few hours in a provincial English town with a white girl and each learns to care for one another as human beings rather than as representatives for their race or culture. Maureen played the girl, Jane Peel, to Calvin Lockhart's Damon Page.

ITV Saturday Night Theatre presented Maureen as Jackie in the play Steve, written by Hugh Forbes. Broadcast on April 26th, 1969, Steve's maverick personality costs him his job and he drops out of conventional society to earn a living by rogueish means. Then he meets Paula, who forces him to question his ideals and beliefs. The play starred Jon Finch and Isobel Black, with Billy Murray, Richard Shaw (The Space Museum, 1965; Frontier in Space, 1973; and Underworld, 1978), Rudolph Walker (The War Games, 1969) and Derrick Slater (The Seeds of Death, 1969). All indications are that this play still exists in the Yorkshire Television archives.

A few weeks later, on May 12th, Maureen was in an ITV Playhouse called Double Agent, a story written by John Bingham and adapted for TV by Anthony Steven (writer of The Twin Dilemma, 1984). Maureen played Nadia Seranova, alongside Leonard Rossiter, Brian Blessed (The Trial of a Time Lord, 1986), Bernard Archard (The Power of the Daleks, 1966, and Pyramids of Mars, 1975), Edward Judd, Hildegard Neil (Blessed's wife), Timothy Carlton (husband of Wanda Ventham; father of Benedict Cumberbatch), Edwin Finn (The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve, 1966) and Harold Innocent (The Happiness Patrol, 1988). This play is thought to survive in the Anglia TV archives.

Maureen's next role was in a two-part story for Z Cars, called Not That Sort of Policeman, broadcast September 29th-30th, 1969 (and now, of course, missing!). Written by David Ellis and directed by Gerry Mill, who co-wrote and directed respectively The Faceless Ones in 1967, it also featured Timothy Carlton (who appeared in Maureen's previous project), James Ellis (Battlefield, 1989), Bernard Holley (The Tomb of the Cybermen, 1967, and The Claws of Axos, 1971), Colin Prockter (The Long Game, 2005, and Victory of the Daleks, 2010) and Leonard Trolley (The Faceless Ones, 1967). Maureen played Nora Leach in a story about amateur thieves who blow up an office with gelignite, injuring themselves in the process but only making off with £20.

Two and a half years passed until Maureen's next role on TV, playing Alayne in episode one of The Whiteoaks of Jalna on February 13th, 1972. It was a $2m Canadian mini-series based upon the novel by Mazo de la Roche.

Maureen then appeared in the BBC2 themed anthology series Away From It All, in Carey Harrison's The New Life, broadcast on April 8th, 1973. Produced by former Doctor Who producer Innes Lloyd, it told the tale of Helen (Maureen's character), who recalls an old life when she goes on holiday with her parents. It co-starred Philip Latham (The Five Doctors, 1983) and Kathleen Byron. Seven of this eight-part series are missing, The New Life one of them.

Vienna 1900: Games with Love and Death was a series of adaptations of the work of Arthur Schnitzler, and Maureen appeared in the fourth story, The Gift of Life, on January 5th, 1974, playing Marie (the episode was repeated twice, in August 1975). Marie's lover Karl was played by Christopher Gable (The Caves of Androzani, 1984), and others included Robert Stephens, Jacqueline Pearce (The Two Doctors, 1985) and Neville Phillips. The director was Herbert Wise, and this series survives in the BBC archive.

Maureen seemed to have a liking for anthology drama series around this time as her next project was another, Six Days of Justice, a Thames TV series telling tales from magistrate and children's courts. Maureen appeared in a Series 4 episode called Angelica, broadcast on April 28th, 1975. It was written by actress Eleanor Bron (City of Death, 1979, and Revelation of the Daleks, 1985) and directed by 1960s Doctor Who director Richard Martin, and featured Maureen as Susan Derby, alongside Anne Ridler (The Wheel in Space, 1968) and John Woodnutt (various stories, 1970-81). Series 1 and 2 were released on DVD in 2012, but series 3 and 4 have yet to follow.

The Poisoning of Charles Bravo was a melodrama in which a Victorian gentleman becomes convinced that somebody is trying to kill him. Told in three parts from June 18th, 1975, the plays featured Maureen as Florence, who gets engaged to the ill-fated Charles, played by Paul Darrow (Doctor Who and the Silurians, 1970, and Timelash, 1985) after ending her affair with Dr Gully. After Charles dies, Florence becomes a prime suspect... Also on the bill were Milton Johns (The Enemy of the World, 1967-68; The Android Invasion, 1975; and The Invasion of Time, 1978), Donald Bisset (The Highlanders, 1966-67), Geoffrey Palmer (Doctor Who and the Silurians, 1970; The Mutants, 1973; and Voyage of the Damned, 2007), Roger Hammond (The Chase, 1965, and Mawdryn Undead, 1983), John Woodnutt (various stories, 1970-81) and Charles Morgan (The Abominable Snowmen, 1967, and The Invasion of Time, 1978).

Persevering with her penchant for anthology plays, Maureen's next role was in the series Victorian Scandals, which dramatized true stories that shocked mainstream Victorian society. Broadcast on September 10th, 1976, Skittles was written by Elizabeth Jane Howard and directed by June Howson. Maureen played the title character - the last Victorian courtesan - and was joined by Simon Callow (The Unquiet Dead, 2005, and The Wedding of River Song, 2011), Julian Fellowes and John Moulder-Brown.

Maureen as Lizzie in The Duchess of
Duke Street (1976)

Maureen was in another costume drama next, an episode of The Duchess of Duke Street called Trouble and Strife, broadcast on October 23rd, 1976. The cast included Gemma Jones (who I always thought strikes a remarkable resemblance to Maureen), John Cater (The War Machines, 1966), Richard Vernon, Mary Healey (The Happiness Patrol, 1988) and Robin Wentworth (The Daemons, 1971). Maureen played Lizzie, an old acquaintance of hotel porter Starr who agrees to get her a position at the Bentinck. But soon after Lizzie starts work as a maid, money starts to go missing from guests' rooms... You can see a clip of Maureen as Lizzie on Videomosh here.

The Squirrels was a sitcom made by ATV and written by Eric Chappell which concerned office politics in the accounts department of a TV rental firm. It starred Bernard Hepton, Ken Jones, Patsy Rowlands, Alan David (The Unquiet Dead, 2005) and Ellis Jones (Spearhead from Space, 1970), and Maureen appeared in three episodes in the second and third series (Fluffy-Bun, July 16th, 1976; The Weaker Sex, August 27th, 1976; and What a Way to Go, January 6th, 1977) as Jean. Some episodes of this sitcom are missing, but luckily all three of Maureen's exist, and were released on DVD in 2013.

Maureen as Mathilde in The Devil's
Crown (1978)

The Devil's Crown was a BBC series telling the stories of King Henry II and his sons Richard the Lionheart and John Lackland. Maureen appeared in Tainted King, broadcast on July 16th, 1978, the penultimate in the series. Maureen played the ill-fated Mathilde (or Maud), Lady of Bramber, and was joined by a cavalcade of other Doctor Who names, including Christopher Gable (The Caves of Androzani, 1984), Anthony Ainley (the Master in the 1980s, here playing the Pope!), Denis Carey (The Keeper of Traken, 1981, and Timelash, 1985), Anthony Carrick (The Masque of Mandragora, 1976), Vernon Dobtcheff (The War Games, 1969), Jimmy Gardner (Marco Polo, 1964, and Underworld, 1978), John Hallam (Ghost Light, 1989), Ian Hogg (Ghost Light, 1989), Alan Judd (The Dalek Invasion of Earth, 1964), Clifford Rose (Warriors' Gate, 1981) and, wonderfully, the Second Doctor himself, Patrick Troughton! The entire episode is viewable on YouTube here:

Maureen as Mary Barrie in
The Lost Boys (1978)

The Lost Boys was a docu-drama series directed by Rodney Bennett (The Ark in Space, 1975; The Sontaran Experiment, 1975; and The Masque of Mandragora, 1976) about the relationship between Peter Pan creator J M Barrie and the Llewelyn Davies boys, the inspirations for the author's work. Aired on BBC2 in three 90-minute episodes from October 11th, 1978, the series featured Maureen as Mary Barrie (J M's wife) along with Ian Holm as Barrie, and Ann Bell (The Dalek Invasion of Earth, 1964), Tim Pigott-Smith (Invasion of the Dinosaurs, 1974, and The Masque of Mandragora, 1976), Anna Cropper, William Hootkins, Peter Tuddenham (Time and the Rani, 1987) and Hugh Martin (Terror of the Zygons, 1975, and Vengeance on Varos, 1985), while the producer was Louis Marks (writer for a number of stories, 1964-76), the composer Dudley Simpson (Doctor Who's go-to musician, 1964-80) and the designer was prolific Doctor Who designer Barry Newbery.

Diana Rigg and Denis Quilley as
Clytaemnestra and Agamemnon,
parents to Maureen's Elektra

Maureen next appeared in a staging of the Oresteia, a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus concerning, among other incidents, the murder of Agamemnon by Clytaemnestra. This is ironic, of course, as Maureen's Doctor Who character Vicki left the series when she married Troilus and remained in ancient Greece in The Myth Makers (which also featured Agamemnon!). Maureen appeared in two episodes - Agamemnon, broadcast on March 7th, 1979, and Grave Gifts, broadcast on March 14th, 1979 - and played Elektra, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytaemnestra, who plots revenge against her mother for her father's murder. Playing her mother was Diana Rigg (The Crimson Horror, 2013) - in truth, only five years older than Maureen - while Agamemnon was played by Denis Quilley. Also featured were Alfred Burke, Nickolas Grace (Death is the Only Answer, 2011), Terrence Hardiman (The Beast Below, 2010), Anton Lesser, Patrick Magee, Frank Middlemass, Helen Mirren, Eileen Helsby (The Ark, 1966), Flora Robson, Billie Whitelaw and Geoffrey Toone (The Curse of Peladon, 1972).

Maureen as Morgan le Fay in The Legend
of King Arthur (1979)

The Legend of King Arthur was an eight-part series, again directed by Rodney Bennett, and produced jointly by the BBC, Time-Life and the Australian Broadcasting Commission and broadcast between October 7th and November 25th, 1979 (Maureen was in all but episode 1). Maureen played Morgan le Fay, while Andrew Burt (Terminus, 1983) played King Arthur. Also on the cast list were Godfrey James (Underworld, 1978), Denis Carey (The Keeper of Traken, 1981, and Timelash, 1985), Tom Kelly (The Face of Evil, 1977; The Sun makers, 1977; and The Invasion of Time, 1978), Kevin Stoney (The Daleks' Master Plan, 1965-66; The Invasion, 1968; and Revenge of the Cybermen, 1975), Richard Beale (The Ark, 1966; The Gunfighters, 1966; The Macra Terror, 1967; and The Green Death, 1973), Geoffrey Beevers (The Ambassadors of Death, 1970, and The Keeper of Traken, 1981), Donald Eccles (The Time Monster, 1972), Eric Francis (The Sensorites, 1964), Hilary Minster (Planet of the Daleks, 1973, and Genesis of the Daleks, 1975), William Morgan Sheppard (The Impossible Astronaut, 2011) and Margot van der Burgh (The Aztecs, 1964, and The Keeper of Traken, 1981). Very poor copies of the series are on YouTube, but it has also been issued on DVD.

Maureen in Tales of the Unexpected

Next was an edition of Tales of the Unexpected called Depart in Peace, written by Ronald Harwood from a Roald Dahl story, and directed by Alan Gibson. Broadcast on May 3rd, 1980, it told the story of art dealer Lionel, who asks painter Roydon to paint his fiancee Janet nude - but Janet (Maureen's character) is not amused. The drama co-starred Joseph Cotten, Gloria Grahame, Peter Cellier (Time-Flight, 1982) and John Bennett (The Talons of Weng-Chiang, 1977). The episode is on YouTube, albeit squeezed through a strange cinema screen graphic:

Maureen in C2 H5 OH (1980)

On October 28th, 1980, Maureen appeared in her first of two Play for Todays, called C2 H5 OH, written by David Turner and directed by James Cellan Jones (the title is the chemical formula for ethanol, or alcohol!). An alcoholic writer in a psychiatric hospital enters into an intellectual duel with his patronising, passive-aggressive doctor - the brilliance of the writer finally prevails! It starred Dinsdale Landen (The Curse of Fenric, 1989) and John Normington (The Caves of Androzani, 1984, and The Happiness Patrol, 1988) with Maureen as Jill Secombe. Also featured were Keith Drinkel (Time-Flight, 1982), Anne Ridler (The Wheel in Space, 1968) and Roy Holder (The Caves of Androzani, 1984), while the producer was Doctor Who's own Innes Lloyd. The opening of the play (including Maureen's scene) can be seen on YouTube:

Maureen in Bergerac (1981)

Next up was an episode of Jersey-set detective series Bergerac called Relative Values (broadcast December 13th, 1981) in which Maureen played Joan Hadley, accompanied by regulars John Nettles and Terence Alexander (The Mark of the Rani, 1985), as well as Lynda La Plante, Geoffrey Bayldon (The Creature from the Pit, 1979), Warren Clarke, Annette Badland (Aliens of London/ World War Three and Boom Town, 2005) and Freddie Earlle (Warriors' Gate, 1981). The series was, of course, created by Robert Banks Stewart, writer of Terror of the Zygons (1975) and The Seeds of Doom (1976). The episode can be watched on Dailymotion here.

The second Play for Today Maureen appeared in was John David (broadcast November 23rd, 1982) in which she had a small role as 1st Social Worker. After giving birth to a Down's Syndrome baby, Judith decides she doesn't want to keep him. She chooses John David as his birthname; a few months later she learns the baby has died. The play, written by Paula Milne and directed by Rodney Bennett (The Ark in Space, 1975; The Sontaran Experiment, 1975; and The Masque of Mandragora, 1976) starred Dearbhla Molloy, James Hazeldine and Gwen Watford, and co-starred Edward Hardwicke and Rhoda Lewis (State of Decay, 1980). The play was designed by Dalek designer Raymond Cusick.

With no screen work in 1983, Maureen's next role was in the one-off drama On the Shelf, for Central Television. Based upon a novel by Mary O'Malley, it concerned Linda (played by Maureen), who discusses every aspect of her relationship with Michael (James Hayes) with her friend Jackie (Jill Baker). It also featured Eric Francis (The Sensorites, 1964) and Stephen Thorne (The Daemons, 1971, and The Three Doctors, 1972-73).

Zina (1985) was a biographical film by Ken McMullen about Zinaida Volkova, daughter of Leon Trotsky, who is exiled to Berlin following Stalin's purges. As the Nazis rise to power in Germany, Zinaida becomes obsessed with Antigone, from the Greek tragedy, and loses her mind. It starred Domiziana Giordano as the title character, with Philip Madoc (various roles between 1968-79) as Trotsky and Maureen as Natalya.

Maureen as Joan in She'll Be Wearing
Pink Pyjamas (1985)

Also that year, Maureen appeared in the film She'll Be Wearing Pink Pyjamas, based on the novel by Eva Hardy, and directed by John Goldschmidt. Eight women attend one of Britain's toughest survival schools in the Lake District to challenge themselves and conquer the fears, but they learn there's more to survival than passing the course. It starred Julie Walters, with Janet Henfrey (The Curse of Fenric, 1989, and Mummy on the Orient Express, 2014), while Maureen played Joan, one of the eight survivalists. The whole film is on YouTube, and if you've ever wanted to see Janet Henfrey (or Maureen, come to that!) in a swimsuit, this is the video for you...

Maureen on Children in Need (1985)

On November 22nd, 1985, Maureen joined a whole host of former companions and Doctors to present a £100 cheque from the Doctor Who Appreciation Society to Children in Need on the charity's annual telethon. Doctors 2, 3, 5 and 6 were there, as well as actors now sadly no longer with us, such as Adrienne Hill, Nicholas Courtney, Ian Marter, Elisabeth Sladen, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee.

Maureen's next role was as a regular in the BBC's medical drama Casualty. She secured the role of Elizabeth Straker in 15 episodes of the second series, shown between September 12th and December 19th, 1987 (pretty much the duration of Doctor Who's 24th season!). Straker was a hospital administrator who went from being quite resistant to change, to becoming quite open to it, but at the end of the series she left Holby for a new life in America. Several of the series 2 episodes are available on YouTube.

Maureen as Elizabeth Straker in
Casualty (1987)

Maureen in Needle (1990)

It was another three years until Maureen next appeared on screen, in the play Needle (broadcast September 12th, 1990), written by Jimmy McGovern and directed by Gillies McKinnon. The play imagined an alternative Britain where a pilot scheme to decriminalise heroin had been launched in Liverpool to combat the rising tide of criminality and disease. The story follows hapless Danny who begins as a casual user, but succumbs to addiction.

Maureen played a prison doctor in the 85-minute play, accompanied on the cast list by Sean McKee, Emma Bird, Pete Postlethwaite, John Bennett (The Talons of Weng-Chiang, 1977), Paul Barber, John Shackley (best known for his lead role in the BBC's adaptation of The Tripods), Stephen Walters (Cold Blood, 2010), Mark Moraghan, Tim Barlow (Destiny of the Daleks, 1979), Vincent Maguire and Geoffrey Hughes (The Trial of a Time Lord, 1986). Maureen's part is very small, near the end (1hr 19m 39s).

Maureen in Taggart (1994)

On April 24th, 1993, Maureen appeared in her first of three episodes of police series The Bill. In Coming to Terms she played Pat Tolman, and was joined by Stephen Churchett as the parents of a young man awaiting trial for the murder of a child. When their home is broken into and they receive threatening phone calls, WPC Ackland discovers the connection!

Maureen's next role was in the Scottish detective series Taggart. In Forbidden Fruit (broadcast on New Year's Day, 1994) Taggart and Jardine are confronted by a bizarre case revolving around a fertility clinic. The series starred Mark McManus, Blythe Duff and James MacPherson, and also featured Phyllida Law and Gray O'Brien (Voyage of the Damned, 2007). Maureen played Ruth Millar, the wife of a doctor discovered to have fathered 60 children at an IVF clinic. The episode is available to view on the STV Player here (registration required).

Maureen in Cracker (1994)

Maureen's next role was in another popular crime series, Cracker. In the three-part story The Big Crunch (broadcast October 31st to November 14th, 1994) she played Virginia Trant, the wife of a respectable schoolmaster and lay preacher who is seen by his sister-in-law having sex in the woods with one of his students. When it is revealed that the girl is pregnant, the Trant brothers and their wives devise a plan to eliminate her and throw the blame on a local innocent. Also taking part were Robbie Coltrane, Jim Carter, Samantha Morton, Barbara Flynn, James Fleet, Geraldine Somerville, Lorcan Cranitch, Ricky Tomlinson, Ellie Haddington (Last of the Time Lords, 2007), Kieran O'Brien and Emma Cunniffe (Night Terrors, 2011). You can see The Big Crunch on YouTube, with one of those odd cinema graphics framing it:

Maureen in The Sculptress

On June 8th, 1995, Maureen appeared in her second episode of The Bill. In Other Voices she played Joy Grainger, the owner of a home for the mentally ill where a violent stabbing takes place. The detectives think they've identified the culprit until the victim wakes up and reveals that their attacker was none other than Joy Grainger...

The Sculptress was a four-part psychological thriller which gave Pauline Quirke - usually known for comedy - one of her first mainstream straight roles, playing convicted murderer Olive Martin in an adaptation by Reg Gadney of the Minette Walters novel published in 1993. Quirke was nominated for a Best Actress BAFTA.

Maureen appeared in episode one as Sister Bridget (broadcast February 24th, 1996), joined on the cast list by Christopher Fulford, Caroline Goodall, Dermot Crowley and Timothy Bateson (The Ribos Operation, 1978). The series was directed by Stuart Orme. You can find the entire series on YouTube (Maureen appears at 35m 36s):

A Royal Scandal was a BBC/ WGBH co-production written by Stanley Price and directed by Sheree Folkson (In the Forest of the Night, 2014) about the matrimonial disaster which took place between George IV and his wife Caroline of Brunswick in the 1790s. Broadcast in the UK on June 16th, 1996, it starred Richard E Grant (The Snowmen, 2012, and The Name of the Doctor, 2013), Michael Kitchen, Denis Lawson, Frances Barber (Madame Kovarian in the 2011 series), Ian Richardson, John Arnatt (The Invasion of Time, 1978), Cheryl Fergison (The Empty Child, 2005) and Philip Voss (Marco Polo, 1964, and The Dominators, 1968). Maureen played Lady of Edinburgh.

Maureen in Moll Flanders (1996)

Also in 1996, Maureen played Mrs Richardson in a four-part ITV adaptation of Daniel Defoe's 18th century novel The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders (broadcast December 1996). The series was a vehicle for the rising talent Alex Kingston (better known to Doctor Who fans as River Song), and also featured Geoffrey Beevers (The Ambassadors of Death, 1970, and The Keeper of Traken, 1981), Struan Rodger (the voice of the Face of Boe (2006-07), plus The Woman Who Lived, 2015), Mary Healey (The Happiness Patrol, 1988), Daniel Craig, Christopher Fulford, Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Robot of Sherwood, 2014), Tom Ward (The Snowmen, 2012), Diana Rigg (The Crimson Horror, 2013), James Fleet, John Savident (The Visitation, 1982), Milton Johns (The Enemy of the World, 1967-68; The Android Invasion, 1975; and The Invasion of Time, 1978), Nicola Walker and Ronald Fraser (The Happiness Patrol, 1988).

Maureen in Jonathan Creek (1997)

Next up was an episode of Jonathan Creek called Jack in the Box (broadcast May 17th, 1997) in which Maureen plays Kirsten Holiday, wife of the "victim of the week", Jack Holiday (played by John Bluthal).

The murder mystery starred Alan Davies and Caroline Quentin, with Bernard Kay (various stories between 1964-71), Robin Soans (The Keeper of Traken, 1981, and Face the Raven, 2015) and Geoffrey Beevers (The Ambassadors of Death, 1970, and The Keeper of Traken, 1981).

The episode is on YouTube, surrounded by a delightful blue chequered graphic:

September 25th, 1997 saw the broadcast of the third of Maureen's three episodes of police series The Bill, Sparks, written by P J Hammond. Maureen played Margaret Ames.

Maureen in The Land Girls

The film The Land Girls was released on June 12th, 1998 and concerned three young women from very different walks of life who join the women's land army during World War Two and are sent to work together on a farm in Dorset - the experience changes their lives forever. Starring Catherine McCormack, Anna Friel and Rachel Weisz, the film was directed by David Leland and also featured Steven Mackintosh (Timelash, 1985), Tom Georgeson (Genesis of the Daleks, 1975, and Logopolis, 1981), Paul Bettany, Ann Bell (The Dalek Invasion of Earth, 1964), Nigel Planer, John Gill (Fury from the Deep, 1968) and Alan Bennett. Maureen played Mrs Lawrence, the wife of Tom Georgeson's John Lawrence, who owns the farm the girls are sent to. The film is not available on YouTube, but Maureen is seen very briefly in the trailer.

As Corinne in Falling for a Dancer

In September, 1998, the four-part serial Falling for a Dancer was broadcast on BBC1, a romantic drama set in rural Ireland in the 1930s. Adapted by Deirdre Purcell from her own 1993 novel, and directed by Richard Standeven, it starred Elisabeth Dermot Walsh, Dermot Crowley and Liam Cunningham (Cold War, 2013), with Maureen playing Corinne Sullivan, the religious mother of the main character.

It also featured a pre-Hollywood Colin Farrell, Oliver Maguire (The Ribos Operation, 1978) and Brian McGrath. All four episodes are on YouTube. Maureen appears just a few minutes (4m 51s) into episode one, but she doesn't seem very impressed with her daughter's lateness...

Maureen's next role was in crime drama A Touch of Frost, in the episode Private Lives broadcast on March 21st, 1999. Written by Russell Gascoigne and directed by David Reynolds, the plot revolved around a woman who id discovered in a critical condition in a remote village, the apparent victim of a hit and run. Inspector Frost's investigations uncover the secrets of a rural corner of England. It starred David Jason and Philip Jackson, along with Peter Egan, Tom Chadbon (City of Death, 1979, and The Trial of a Time Lord, 1986), Jerome Willis (The Green Death, 1973) and Peter Benson (Terminus, 1983). Maureen played maid Marion, and can be seen 1h 5m 42s into this YouTube copy:

Maureen appeared in Heartbeat, the rural police drama set in the 1960s, twice. On February 27th, 2000, she appeared in Wise Guys, which concerned strife in the world of fish and chip restaurants! In a side-plot, Maureen plays lonely widow Emily Poole, the victim of a break-in which PC Ventress investigates too willingly as she serves him tea and biscuits at a time when his wife has put him on a diet! Ventress was played by William Simons (The Sun Makers, 1977) while the episode also featured Jason Durr, Mark Jordon, Bill Maynard, Philip Franks, Peter Benson (Terminus, 1983), Clive Russell, Derek Fowlds and Tricia Penrose.

The Closer You Get (aka American Women) was a film directed by Aileen Ritchie released on September 8th, 2000 and written by William Savory from a story by Herbie Wave. Irish lads sent an advert to the Miami Herald inviting fit and enticing women aged 20-21 to live in their remote Donegal village. The entire village knows of the advert, and it makes them consider how happy they are living there. It starred Ian Hart, Sean McGinley and Niamh Cusack and featured Maureen as Dollie Doyle.

The Blind Date was released on March 13th, 2000, and concerned Lucy Kennedy trying to get her life back together after the death of her sister. She has her memories of her sister's murder revived when her friend enters the world of the blind date... Directed by Nigel Douglas and based on the novel by Frances Fyfield, it starred Zara Turner, Mark Letheren, Samantha Beckinsale, Ben Miller (Robot of Sherwood, 2014), Joanna David and Michael Elwyn (The Highlanders, 1966-67), and Maureen as Mrs Smythe.

McCready and Daughter was a short-lived BBC crime drama starring Lorcan Cranitch and Patsy Palmer as father and daughter Irish private investigators (the father character was written with Tony Doyle in mind, but he died just days before shooting began). In the episode Pasta la Vista (broadcast July 5th, 2001, about the murder of a TV chef, Maureen played Sinead Fiorucci, who works at the Italian restaurant where the chef worked. The drama co-starred Richard Hope (Cold Blood, 2010), Christine Kavanagh (Timelash, 1985), Philip McGough (Resurrection of the Daleks, 1984) and Albert Welling (Let's Kill Hitler, 2011), while it was written by John Flanagan and Andrew McCulloch (Meglos, 1980). The series was a huge flop and has never been commercially released (this episode attracted 4.6m viewers when standard dramas of the time were regularly getting twice as much).

Maureen's penultimate screen acting role to date was in her second Heartbeat, The High Life (broadcast March 9th, 2003) in which she played Joyce Greaves, disabled wife of vicar Harold Greaves who grows marijuana to ease her suffering. But when the local mods find out about the drug, they begin harass them for a supply. As well as starring Jason Durr, Derek Fowlds, Mark Jordon and William Simons (The Sun Makers, 1977), the episode also starred Peter Benson (Terminus, 1983), Robert East and Tricia Penrose.

Maureen's very last acting role to date was in an episode of BBC1 daytime medical soap Doctors, in an episode called Good Grief, broadcast on May 20th, 2003. Written by Bernard Padden (Full Circle, 1980), the story also featured Toby Whithouse in his acting days, before he became a writer for Doctor Who (School Reunion, 2006; The Vampires of Venice, 2010; The God Complex, 2011; A Town Called Mercy, 2012; Under the Lake/ Before the Flood, 2015). Maureen played a character called Doreen Crossland.

And Maureen hasn't appeared on screen since, seemingly having retired from the acting profession at the age of 60. She did, however, appear at the BBC3 Doctor Who at 50 After Party, along with most of the other Doctors and companions, on November 23rd, 2013, and reprised the role of Vicki for Tales of the TARDIS series 1 on November 1st, 2023.

Facts
Maureen, who is married to photographer Michael Moulds, was a founding member of Liverpool's Everyman Theatre in 1964, and lived for a time in Canada in the 1970s. In 1970 she learned that she could not have children of her own due to having tuberculosis of the ovaries ("I lost a great deal of weight and grew weaker and weaker," she told the Liverpool Echo in 2003. "Even though I had countless blood tests they could find nothing wrong with me.") In 1987, Maureen became a crime novelist, all of her books featuring the character Detective Inspector John Bright, in titles including Every Step You Take, Unauthorised Departure, Revenge, Dead Innocent, Mask of Betrayal, Deadly Reflection and Close Up on Death.
In 2014 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Maureen here.

Maureen O'Brien, aged 71, at Big Finish Day 5 in September 2014