The Seeds of Doom

Poor Winlett (John Gleeson) is
consumed by the Krynoid

Six episodes (Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six)
First broadcast Jan 31 to Mar 6 1976
Average audience for serial: 10.97m

REGULAR CAST

Tom Baker (The Doctor) Born Jan 20 1934 Click here for Tom Baker's entry on Robot

Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith) Feb 1 1946 to Apr 19 2011 (pancreatic cancer) Click here for Elisabeth Sladen's entry on The Time Warrior

GUEST CAST

John Acheson (Major Beresford) Mar 31 1934 to Sep 15 1997
Career highlights
John's only other known appearances were in Department S (1970), You Can't Win 'Em All (1970), Paul Temple (1971) and The Persuaders! (1971).

Michael Barrington (Sir Colin Thackeray) Jul 3 1924 to Jun 5 1988 (heart attack)
Career highlights
Michael's career started out in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1957), followed by appearances in Maigret (1961), The Dark Island (1962), The Victorians (1963), Coronation Street (1963), The Villains (1964), You Can't Win (1966), Privilege (1967), Haunted (1967), Up the Junction (1968), Department S (1969), The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970), Freewheelers (1972), South Riding (1974), Raffles (1975), Edward the King (1975), The New Avengers (1976), The Stud (1978), Can We Get On Now, Please? (1980), Janet and Company (1981-82) and Number 10 (1983). Michael might be best remembered as Governor Venables of HM Prison Slade in the sitcom Porridge (1974-77), but his final role was as Prince Poorly in the Boggle's Kingdom sections of Emu's All Live Pink Windmill Show (1984-86) and Emu's Wide World (1987-88).
Facts
Michael, who was married to actress Barbara New, had to largely retire from acting in 1983 after being diagnosed with lung disease.

Ray Barron (Sergeant Henderson) Nov 1 1940 to Feb 13 2016
Career highlights
Ray's career began with Danger Man (1965), followed by Poor Cow (1967), Mrs Lawrence Will Look After It (1968), Ace of Wands (1970), 10 Rillington Place (1971), Harriet's Back in Town (1973), Rooms (1975), The Famous Five (1978), Shoestring (1979), The Incredible Mr Tanner (1981), Lytton's Diary (1985) and The Second Victory (1987).

Tony Beckley (Harrison Chase) Oct 7 1929 to Apr 19 1980 (brain tumour)
Career highlights
Tony made his first appearance in Miss Em (1958), followed by War and Peace (1963), Suspense (1963), Z Cars (1964), Knock on Any Door (1965), The Penthouse (1967), The Long Day's Dying (1968), The Lost Continent (1968), Parkin's Patch (1970), Callan (1970), In the Devil's Garden (1971), Jason King (1972), Sitting Target (1972), Gold (1974), Diagnosis: Murder (1975), The Velvet Glove (1977), Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) and When a Stranger Calls (1979). He may be best remembered as playing Camp Freddie in The Italian Job (1969) and Peter the Dutchman in Get Carter (1971).
Facts
Tony was a veteran stage actor in more than 1,000 productions by the time of his death. His next acting engagement was to be acting alongside Elizabeth Montgomery in a TV movie called My Fat Friend (this never got made), a film called American Dreamer (eventually released in 1984 starring JoBeth Williams and Tom Conti), and an NBC mini-series called Beulah Land (eventually made starring Lesley Ann Warren, Hope Lange and Jenny Agutter). Tony's death was given at the time as cancer (brain tumour), but in her autobiography, actress and close friend Sheila Hancock suggests it could have been the then relatively unknown AIDS. Tony's partner was film producer Barry Krost, who has worked on movies such as the aforementioned American Dreamer and Tina: What's Love Got to Do With It (1993). Tony is buried at Los Angeles' Hollywood Forever Cemetery, alongside Tyrone Power. Here's a nice tribute to the man and his work written for Entertainment Focus, including a photo of his gravestone.

John Challis (Scorby) Aug 16 1942 to Sep 19 2021 (cancer)
Career highlights
Debuting in Where Has Poor Mickey Gone? (1964), John's further credits include Softly Softly (1968), Dixon of Dock Green (1969), Brett (1971), Nightingale's Boys (1975), The Sweeney (1975), Z Cars (1967/71/72-75), The Cedar Tree (1976), Open All Hours (1976), Citizen Smith (1980), Beau Geste (1982), Juliet Bravo (1985), Roland Rat: The Series (1986), CATS Eyes (1987), Ever Decreasing Circles (1987), Wish Me Luck (1988), Sitting Pretty (1992), Soldier Soldier (1996), Heartbeat (1998), My Family (2007), Last of the Summer Wine (2008), Are You Being Served? (2016) and In Vino Veritas (2018). He also provided the narration for the 1979 cartoon series Dr Snuggles, but will be best known as car dealer Boycie in sitcom Only Fools and Horses (1981-2003) and its spin-off The Green Green Grass (2005-09). He also regularly played Monty Staines in sitcom Benidorm (2015-18).
Facts
John's past wives include Sabina Franklyn and Debbie Arnold.
In 2015 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with John here.

Alan Chuntz (Chauffeur) Apr 21 1927 to Aug 8 2009
Doctor Who credits
Played: Harvey in The Seeds of Death (1969, uncredited)
Played: Thug in The Ambassadors of Death (1970, uncredited)
Played: Technician in Inferno (1970, uncredited)
Played: UNIT soldier in Terror of the Autons (1971, uncredited)
Played: Prisoner in The Mind of Evil (1971, uncredited)
Played: Mercenary in The Mind of Evil (1971, uncredited)
Played: Omega's champion in The Three Doctors (1972-73, uncredited)
Played: Guard in The Green Death (1973, uncredited), Planet of the Spiders (1974, uncredited), Genesis of the Daleks (1975, uncredited), State of Decay (1980, uncredited)
Played: Kaled soldier in Ravon's HQ in Genesis of the Daleks (1975, uncredited)
Played: Chauffeur in The Seeds of Doom (1976)
Career highlights
Stuntman Alan's other work includes Danger Man (1966), You Only Live Twice (1967), The Dirty Dozen (1967), The Avengers (1965/67), The Champions (1968), Ace of Wands (1970-71), Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973), Brannigan (1975), The Onedin Line (1976), Gangsters (1978), Hazell (1979), Fox (1980), Journal of Bridget Hitler (1981), Minder (1984), Cover Her Face (1985) and Inside Story (1986).
Facts
Alan was a member of the short-lived stunt group HAVOC. The infamous 1960s gangsters the Krays asked Alan for martial arts training, but he politely declined the offer. He also worked as a black cab taxi driver for a time.

Sylvia Coleridge (Amelia Ducat) Dec 10 1909 to May 31 1986
Career highlights
Sylvia, born in Darjeeling, India, made her earliest credited appearance in Cross My Heart (1937), after which she became a familiar face in productions such as The Importance of Being Earnest (1937), I Met a Murderer (1939), Jailbirds (1940), Buoyant Billions (1949), As I Was Saying (1955), Bonehead (1957), Inside Story (1960), Dr Finlay's Casebook (1963), Cluff (1965), The Avengers (1966), Pride and Prejudice (1967), Sinister Street (1969), Paul Temple (1971), Jason King (1972), The Lotus Eaters (1972), Ace of Wands (1972), The Tomorrow People (1974), Beryl's Lot (1975), Survivors (1977), Supernatural (1977), Quiet as a Nun (1978), Blake's 7 (1979), The Ghost Sonata (1980), Angels (1976/79/82), Who Dares Wins (1984), Victoria Wood As Seen on TV (1985), Bleak House (1985) and Paradise Postponed (1986).

Ian Fairbairn (Dr Chester) Sep 17 1931 to Dec 2 2014
Doctor Who credits
Played: Questa in The Macra Terror (1967)
Played: Gregory in The Invasion (1968)
Played: Bromley in Inferno (1970)
Played: Dr Chester in The Seeds of Doom (1976)
Career highlights
Ian's career began with a 1960 episode of Scotland Yard, and then appeared in Emergency Ward 10 (1961-62), Adam Adamant Lives! (1966), The Troubleshooters (1969), The Lotus Eaters (1973), The Professionals (1977/80), Dramarama (1986) and Last of the Summer Wine (1991). Self-confessed hoarder Ian, who played Dr Frazer in Timeslip between 1970-71, retained the only original Timeslip scripts known to exist!

Harry Fielder (Guard) Apr 26 1940 to Feb 6 2021
Doctor Who credits
Played: Guard in The Enemy of the World (1967-68, uncredited), The Seeds of Doom (1976), The Ribos Operation (1978, uncredited), The Armageddon Factor (1979), Castrovalva (1982, uncredited)
Played: Wheel crewmember in The Wheel in Space (1968, uncredited)
Played: Vogan in Revenge of the Cybermen (1975, uncredited)
Played: Second assassin in The Face of Evil (1977, uncredited)
Played: Titan Base crewman in The Invisible Enemy (1977, uncredited)
Played: Tigellan in Meglos (1980, uncredited)
Played: Voice of the Krargs in Shada (1992 video release, uncredited)
Career highlights
Frighteningly prolific bit-part actor Harry's first appearance was in A Challenge for Robin Hood (1967), although he wouldn't get his first on screen credit until 1971's Freelance. His many other appearances include Billion Dollar Brain (1967), The Vengeance of She (1968), Oliver! (1968), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969), Cry of the Banshee (1970), The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971), Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Frenzy (1972), Mutiny on the Buses (1972), five Carry On films (1967-74), Harriet's Back in Town (1973), Moonbase 3 (1973), Steptoe and Son (1973), The Mutations (1974), Poldark (1975), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), Survivors (1977), Star Wars (1977), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Superman (1978), Quadrophenia (1979), Fawlty Towers (1979), Secret Army (1977-79), McVicar (1980), Superman II (1980), An American Werewolf in London (1981), Blake's 7 (1978-81), The Les Dawson Show (1982), Walter (1982), Hi-De-Hi! (1982), Maybury (1983), The Man from Moscow (1985), Oscar (1985), The Doctor and the Devils (1985), Mona Lisa (1986), Casualty (1987), London's Burning (1990), Mission: Impossible (1996), Wilde (1997) and Entrapment (1999).

Kenneth Gilbert (Richard Dunbar) Jun 24 1931 to Oct 29 2015
Career highlights
Kenneth debuted in The Three Musketeers (1954), followed by roles in The Granville Melodramas (1955-56), Over to William (1956), Sir Francis Drake (1962), Spindoe (1968), The Legend of Young Robin Hood (1969), Twins of Evil (1971), Crown Court (1972), On the Buses (1973), The Changes (1975), The Sweeney (1976), Buccaneer (1980), The Gentle Touch (1980), Stig of the Dump (1981), One By One (1987), The Lady and the Highwayman (1989), House of Cards (1990), To Play the King (1993), Cracker (1995), Midsomer Murders (2003) and Hustle (2011).
Facts
After completing studio recording on November 17th, 1975, Kenneth discovered he had caught his daughter's chicken pox and so had to miss the rest of recording until the final sessions. He was married to actress Beth Harris.

John Gleeson (Charles Winlett)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Thal soldier in Genesis of the Daleks (1975)
Played: Charles Winlett in The Seeds of Doom (1976)
Career highlights
John's other credits include Public Eye (1975), The Sweeney (1978), Accident (1978), Butterflies (1978), To the Manor Born (1979-80), Terry and June (1985), Lovejoy (1986), The Les Dennis Laughter Show (1991) and Lexx (2001).
Facts
John's father was early cinema and Broadway actor Leon Quatermaine, and his uncle was fellow actor Charles Quatermaine.

Seymour Green (Hargreaves) Oct 9 1912 to May 7 1998
Doctor Who credits
Played: Hargreaves in The Seeds of Doom (1976)
Played: Chamberlain in The Twin Dilemma (1984)
Career highlights
Seymour debuted in The Fake (1953), followed by The Grove Family (1954), Sixpenny Corner (1955-56), The Crooked Sky (1957), Maverick (1958), Top Secret (1962), Zero One (1963), The Wild Wild West (1966), Spy Trap (1973), Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973), The Phoenix and the Carpet (1976), Get Some In! (1975/78), The Professionals (1983), Chessgame (1983), Bleak House (1985) and The Bill (1988/89).

Mark Jones (Arnold Keeler & Voice of the Krynoid) Apr 22 1939 to Jan 14 2010
Career highlights
Mark first appeared in The Twelfth Hour (1966), followed by roles in Marat/ Sade (1967), Tell Me Lies (1968), Germinal (1970), Tom Grattan's War (1970), The Adventurer (1972), Under Milk Wood (1972), Layout for 5 Models (1972), ADAM (1973), Whodunnit? (1975), The Sexplorer (1975), It's Getting Harder All the Time (1976), The New Avengers (1976), Secrets of a Superstud (1976), Bear Island (1979), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Don't Open Till Christmas (1984), Blott on the Landscape (1985), Dempsey and Makepeace (1985), Call Me Mister (1986) and Casualty (1986). Mark also had regular roles as Michael Armstrong in A Family at War (1970-72) and Ray Mason in Buccaneer (1980).

David Masterman (Guard leader)
Career highlights
David's other credits include Dixon of Dock Green (1974-75), The Sweeney (1975), The Greek Tycoon (1978), Bottle Boys (1984), The Two Ronnies (1985), The Krankies Elektronik Komik (1985), The Kenny Everett Television Show (1983-88) and The Les Dennis Laughter Show (1991).

Michael McStay (Derek Moberley) Born Jan 31 1933
Career highlights
Michael first appeared in Dixon of Dock Green in 1960, followed by Playdate (1961), Psyche 59 (1964), Battle Beneath the Earth (1967), The Avengers (1968), Jason King (1971), Bread (1971), The Lotus Eaters (1972), The Black Arrow (1973-74), The Sweeney (1975), Tycoon (1978), A Spy at Evening (1981), Juliet Bravo (1983), Super Gran (1985), Starlings (1988), French Fields (1990), Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady (1991), Jack and Sarah (1995), EastEnders (2000), Ted and Alice (2002), The Grotlyn (2005), The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (2006) and Coronation Street (2011). He also played Detective Sergeant Perryman in almost 80 episodes of No Hiding Place (1964-66), and wrote the 1984 series Pull the Other One.
Facts
On November 18th, 1975 Michael was involved in a car accident on the way home after completing studio recording, but survived to tell the tale. 

Hubert Rees (John Stevenson) Apr 27 1928 to Oct 20 2009
Doctor Who credits
Played: Chief engineer in Fury from the Deep (1968)
Played: Captain Ransom in The War Games (1969)
Played: John Stevenson in The Seeds of Doom (1976)
Career highlights
Hubert's career began with 1958's Uncle Harry, followed by roles in 1962's Richard the Lionheart, Ring Out an Alibi (1964), Menace (1970), Fish (1973), Public Eye (1971-75, as George), The Government Inspector (1976), Sweeney 2 (1978), The Sandbaggers (1978), Buccaneer (1980), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1982, as Inspector Lestrade to Tom Baker's Sherlock Holmes), The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1982), The Baker Street Boys (1983, as Dr Watson), Howards' Way (1985), Chance in a Million (1986), Jeeves and Wooster (1991), Dandelion Dead (1994), Class Act (1995), Darklands (1996) and Sunburn (2000).

Note: The uncredited actors inside the Krynoid costume were Ronald Gough and Keith Ashley.

CREW

Robert Banks Stewart (writer) Jul 16 1931 to Jan 14 2016 (cancer)
Doctor Who credits
Wrote: Terror of the Zygons (1975), The Seeds of Doom (1976), The Talons of Weng-Chiang (1977, story outline only)
Career highlights
Robert's writing career began with the 1959 series Knight Errant, and he went on to pen scripts for Interpol Calling (1959-60), Danger Man (1960-61), The Human Jungle (1963), Thorndyke (1964), Dr Finlay's Casebook (1964-65), Undermind (1965), The Avengers (1965-66), Adam Adamant Lives! (1966), Callan (1967-69), Special Branch (1969), Jason King (1972), Arthur of the Britons (1973), The Protectors (1974), The Sweeney (1975), Sutherland's Law (1975-76), Rooms (1977), Shoestring (1979-80), Jukes of Piccadilly (1980), Bergerac (1981-91), The Darling Buds of May (1991), Moon and Son (1992) and My Uncle Silas (2001-03). He also worked on many of these dramas as a producer, as well as Intrigue (1966), Lovejoy (1986), Hannay (1988) and Frank Stubbs (1993). He was also script editor on series such as The Human Jungle, Undermind, Harriet's Back in Town (1973), Van der Valk (1973) and Armchair Thriller (1978).
Facts
In 1981 he was nominated for BAFTA's Best Drama Series for Shoestring. Robert published his first novel in 2011 at the age of 81, called The Hurricane's Tail, and his memoirs, To Put You in the Picture, in 2015.

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

Philip Hinchcliffe (producer) Born Oct 1 1944 Click here for Philip Hinchcliffe's entry on The Ark in Space

Robert Holmes (script editor) Apr 2 1926 to May 24 1986 (chronic liver ailment) Click here to see Robert Holmes's entry on The Krotons