The Armageddon Factor

Romana (Mary Tamm) and the Doctor
(Tom Baker) assess their progress with
the Key to Time

Six episodes (Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six)
First broadcast Jan 20 to Feb 24 1979
Average audience for serial: 8.48m

REGULAR CAST

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

Mary Tamm (Romana) Mar 22 1950 to Jul 26 2012 (cancer) Click here for Mary Tamm's entry on The Ribos Operation

John Leeson (Voice of K-9) Born Mar 16 1943 Click here for John Leeson's entry on The Invisible Enemy

GUEST CAST

Iain Armstrong (Technician)
Career highlights
Iain's CV also includes The Swordsman (1974), King Lear (1982), Robin of Sherwood (1986) and The Killing Zone (1999).
Facts
Iain co-founded AJTC in 1997, a publicly-funded small-scale new writing theatre company, and is a member of the Wildcard Theatre Company based in High Wycombe.

John Cannon (Guard) May 22 1938 to Sep 19 2020
Doctor Who credits
Played: Miner in The Monster of Peladon (1974, uncredited)
Played: Elgin in The Hand of Fear (1976)
Played: Passer-by in The Talons of Weng-Chiang (1977, uncredited)
Played: Trog in Underworld (1978, uncredited)
Played: Technician in The Pirate Planet (1978, uncredited)
Played: Guard in The Armageddon Factor (1979), The Creature from the Pit (1979, uncredited)
Played: Extra in Time-Flight (1982, uncredited)
Played: Striker's helmsman in Enlightenment (1983, uncredited)
Played: Servant in The King's Demons (1983, uncredited)
Career highlights
His other work includes The Onedin Line (1972), Frenzy (1972), Moonbase 3 (1973), When the Boat Comes In (1976), Secret Army (1977-78), Blake's 7 (1978-80), An American Werewolf in London (1981), Beau Geste (1982), Classic Ghost Stories (1986) and Out of Town (1989).

Valentine Dyall (Black Guardian) May 7 1908 to Jun 24 1985
Doctor Who credits
Played: Black Guardian in The Armageddon Factor (1979), Mawdryn Undead (1983), Terminus (1983), Enlightenment (1983)
Played: Slarn (voice) in Slipback (radio serial, 1985)
Career highlights
Valentine's immense CV stretches back to an uncredited supporting role in The Missing Million (1942), with subsequent roles in The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), Pink String and Ceiling Wax (1945), Brief Encounter (1945), The Ghost of Rashmon Hall (1947), Woman Hater (1948), Room to Let (1950), Stranger at my Door (1950), Treasure Island (1951), Stranger from Space (1951), Johnny on the Spot (1954), The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d (1956), A Show Called Fred (1956), Hancock's Half Hour (1956), Son of Fred (1956), The City of the Dead (1960), The Cheaters (1960-62), The Haunting (1963), The Wrong Box (1966), Frankie Howerd Meets the Bee Gees (1968), The Avengers (1968), Decidedly Dusty (1969, as co-host), Freewheelers (1970), Bright's Boffins (1970), The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine (1971-72), Not on Your Nellie (1975), Come Play With Me (1977), The Old Crowd (1979), Blake's 7 (1980), The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy (1981), Nanny (1982-83), The Black Adder (1983) and Love's Labour's Lost (1985). He also had a long-running role as Dr Pascal Keldermans in Secret Army (1977-79). Valentine was perhaps best known for his voice work, his resonant and mellifluous tones creating the Man in Black storyteller on BBC Radio's Appointment With Fear in the 1940s, and also used in various storytelling/ narration capacities on productions such as Man in Black (1949), The Final Test (1953), The Goon Show (1950s), Fury at Smuggler's Bay (1961), The Naked World of Harrison Marks (1965) and A Child's Voice (1979).
Facts
After Valentine's death, BBC Radio's Man in Black was portrayed by Edward de Souza, who appeared in Mission to the Unknown (1965). Valentine's father was actor and producer Franklin Dyall, who appeared with his son in Yellow Canary (1943), while Valentine's son was the late BBC sitcom costume designer Christian Dyall.

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)
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).

Pat Gorman (Pilot) May 10 1933 to Oct 9 2018 Click here for Pat Gorman's entry on The Invasion

Davyd Harries (Shapp) Born Jan 31 1937
Career highlights
Davyd debuted in Stranger in the City (1962), and was then cast in The White Rabbit (1967), Sorry, I'm Single (1967), Big Breadwinner Hog (1969), The First Churchills (1969), Special Branch (1970), Budgie (1971), Tom Brown's Schooldays (1971), Overlord (1975), Target (1977), Anna Karenina (1977), Accident (1978-79), Blake's 7 (1980), Angels (1981), S.W.A.L.K (1982), The Citadel (1983), A.D. (1985), The Charmer (1987), Merlin of the Crystal Cave (1991), Anna Lee (1994), The Chief (1995), Beautiful Thing (1996), Accused (1996), Bugs (1997), Emmerdale (1998-99), The Knock (1999), Prime Suspect 6 (2003), Hollyoaks (2004), Hex (2004), The Queen (2009), The Other Wife (2012) and Unknown Heart (2014). He also appeared in 39 episodes of Hunter's Walk (1973-76) as Sergeant Ken Ridgeway.
Facts
Davyd is married to Pam Valentine, who scripted sitcoms such as How's Your Father? (1979-80), That's My Boy (1981) and My Husband and I (1987), and writer/ creator of the sitcom You're Only Young Twice (1977-81).

Barry Jackson (Drax) Mar 29 1938 to Dec 5 2013
Doctor Who credits
Played: Ascaris in The Romans (1965)
Played: Jeff Garvey in Mission to the Unknown (1965)
Played: Drax in The Armageddon Factor (1979)
Career highlights
Barry enjoyed a long career, starting with An Age of Kings (1960) and taking in A for Andromeda (1961), The Desperate People (1963), Kenilworth (1967), Ryan's Daughter (1970), Doomwatch (1972), Diamonds on Wheels (1974), Poldark (1975), Moll Flanders (1975), The New Avengers (1976), Blake's 7 (1978), Churchill and the Generals (1979), Cribb (1981), Them and Us (1985), Fortunes of War (1987), Growing Rich (1992), Three Seven Eleven (1993-94), Bernard's Watch (1999-2000), Wimbledon (2004), Derailed (2005), Toscanini in His Own Words (2009), Foster (2011) and The Wedding Video (2012). He played Walter Peters in A Touch of Frost (1994/2002) and played Dr George Bullard in 76 episodes of Midsomer Murders (1997-2011). Barry also acted as a fight arranger under the name Jack Barry, most notably on Adam Adamant Lives! (1966).
Facts
Barry was named after the theatre impresario Sir Barry Jackson, founder of Birmingham Rep.

Ian Liston (Hero) Aug 4 1948 to Oct 1 2016 (prostate cancer)
Career highlights
Ian's first role was in The Breaking of Bumbo (1970), then Softly Softly (1973), The Brothers (1974), Coronation Street (1974), Within These Walls (1975), Overlord (1975), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Scum (1979), Thundercloud (1979), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), I Remember Nelson (1982), Crossroads (1981/85), The Bill (1991/95), Bramwell (1995), Bugs (1997), Captain Jack (1999) and I Love Christmas (2001).
Facts
Ian founded the Hiss and Boo Theatre Company in 1974 and became one of the foremost pantomime and Christmas show producers in the UK. Ian was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in 2003 and told by doctors to "find a hospice". The cancer spread to his shoulder, ribs and hips, but Ian refused to give in and registered for drug trials at the Royal Marsden Hospital. He underwent various trials over the subsequent 12 years based upon revolutionary sampling of his DNA. In March 2016, Ian was given the all-clear, but succumbed seven months later.

Ian Saynor (Merak) Born 1952
Career highlights
Ian's further credits include The Corn is Green (1979), The Mallens (1979), Doom Castle (1980), The Cuckoo Waltz (1980), Screamtime (1983), The District Nurse (1984), Swallows (1985), Jilting Joe (1998), A Mind to Kill (2002), Dad (2005), The Tudors (2010), Hinterland (2015), Ordinary Lies (2016), Dawning of the Dead (2017) and Hidden (2018).
Facts
Ian has worked extensively in Welsh language TV and theatre since the 1980s.

Susan Skipper (Heroine) Born Jan 27 1951
Career highlights
Susan debuted in Rooms (1974-75), then took roles in Carry On Laughing! (1975), Sweeney! (1977), Raffles (1977), Prince Regent (1979), West End Tales (1981), Airline (1982), Sorry! (1985), Wish You Were Here (1987), No Frills (1988), Westbeach (1993), Home Again (2006), Re-Evolution (2011) and Anonymous (2012). She also played Victoria Bourne in 100 episodes of The Cedar Tree (1976-78) and Madeleine in 20 episodes of the sitcom Don't Wait Up (1983-90).
Facts
Susan's second husband was actor Anthony Valentine (at the time of appearing in Doctor Who, she was married to her first husband, John Skipper). In 2001, her voice was used as the British English option on OnStar's concierge and navigation system in Jaguar cars. Mega-trivia: Susan's name was the inspiration for Viz Comic's Susan's Kipper.

William Squire (The Shadow) Apr 29 1917 to May 3 1989
Career highlights
William's CV began with The Long Dark Hall (1951), followed by The Man Who Never Was (1956), Alexander the Great (1956), Under Milk Wood (1957), Hilda Lessways (1959), The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (1959), How Green Was My Valley (1960), The Wars of the Roses (1965), Where Eagles Dare (1968), Canterbury Tales (1969), Jason King (1972), The Black Arrow (1972-74), The Venturers (1975), The XYY Man (1977), Blake's 7 (1979), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1982, with Tom Baker as Sherlock Holmes), Marco Polo (1982), Badger Girl (1984), Late Starter (1985) and Rumpole of the Bailey (1988). William also played Hunter 4 in 19 episodes of Callan (1970-72) and provided the voice of Gandalf for the 1978 animated film of The Lord of the Rings.
Facts
William was once married to actress Juliet Harmer, best remembered as Georgina Jones in Adam Adamant Lives!

Lalla Ward (Princess Astra) Born Jun 28 1951
Doctor Who credits
Played: Princess Astra in The Armageddon Factor (1979)
Played: Romana in Destiny of the Daleks, City of Death, The Creature from the Pit, Nightmare of Eden, The Horns of Nimon, Shada (unbroadcast), The Leisure Hive, Meglos, Full Circle, State of Decay, Warriors' Gate (1979-81). Return appearances in The Five Doctors (1983) and Dimensions in Time (1993).
Career highlights
Lalla's earliest acting credit was in Dr Finlay's Casebook (1969), then Vampire Circus (1972), Crime of Passion (1972), Shelley (1972), Hot Summer: Do Not Sell (1972), The Upper Crusts (1973), England Made Me (1973), The Protectors (1973), Van der Valk (1973), Matushka (1973), Got It Made (1974), Rosebud (1975), Ten from the Twenties (1975), Hoodwink (1975), Quiller (1975), The Ash Tree (1975), The Duchess of Duke Street (1977), Leap in the Dark (1977), Jubilee (1977), Crossed Swords (1977), Who Pays the Ferryman? (1977), The Professionals (1978), Hazell (1978), Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (1980), Schoolgirl Chums (1982) and Riviera (1987).
Facts
Lalla, whose real name is the Honourable Sarah Ward as she is the daughter of Edward Ward, the seventh Viscount Bangor, married Tom Baker on December 13th 1980, but divorced him in April 1982. Her second husband (married September 1992) was controversial biologist Dr Richard Dawkins, who is most famous for his theories debunking religion and exploring the possibilities of evolution, particularly in the book The God Delusion. The two met at the 40th birthday party of one-time Doctor Who script editor/ writer Douglas Adams, in March 1992. In July 2016, they announced their amicable separation. Both of Lalla's husbands have appeared in Doctor Who, as Richard enjoyed a cameo in The Stolen Earth. In 1974, Lalla appeared in a film called Got It Made (aka Sweet Virgin), which the makers later re-released with added sex scenes performed by other actors. Lalla won a libel action against Club International Magazine after it ran stills from the film claiming them to be of her. Since quitting acting, she has written and painted for various children's books, as well as Dawkins's biology books. Lalla's forebears include George Plantagenet, brother of King Edward IV, and scientist Mary Ward, who has the dubious honour of being the first person in the world to die in a car accident, in 1869. In 1985/87 Lalla wrote and illustrated two knitting books, Beastly Knits and Fowl Knits, and various patterns were modelled by Lalla in the book. Lalla's father was a BBC war correspondent during World War Two, while her mother was a writer and BBC producer (she committed suicide in July 1991). Lalla has a main-belt asteroid named after her (8347 Lallaward) following its discovery in April 1987.

John Woodvine (Marshal) Born Jul 21 1929
Career highlights
Appearing in over 120 productions since Champion Road (1958), John's CV includes The Haunted House (1960), Danger Man (1961), The Villains (1964), Diary of a Young Man (1964), The Saint (1966), The Further Adventures of the Musketeers (1967), The Caesars (1968), The Dustbinmen (1969), Elizabeth R (1971), The Devils (1971), An Unofficial Rose (1974-75), When the Boat Comes In (1976), Return of the Saint (1978), An American Werewolf in London (1981), Swallows and Amazons Forever! (1984), The Prisoner of Zenda (1984), The Browning Version (1985), The Tripods (1985), Edge of Darkness (1985), Knights of God (1987), Chelmsford 123 (1990), Spender (1992), Leon the Pig Farmer (1992), Runaway Bay (1992), Fatherland (1994), Finney (1994), Peak Practice (1998), Bob and Rose (2001), Paradise Heights (2002), Shameless (2005), Distant Shores (2005), Miss Potter (2006), City of Vice (2008), Emmerdale (2008), Coronation Street (2010), Hebburn (2013), Vera (2014), A Song for Jenny (2015), The Musketeers (2016), The Crown (2016) and Decline and Fall (2017). John had a regular role as Detective Inspector Witty in Z Cars (1968-69) and DCI John Kingdom in New Scotland Yard (1972-73).
Awards
1988: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance (The Henrys)
Facts
John's daughter is actress Mary Woodvine, while his wife is actress Lynn Farleigh (incidentally, Lynn only ever marries Doctor Who actors - her other husbands include David Yip (Destiny of the Daleks) and Michael Jayston (The Trial of a Time Lord)).

CREW

Bob Baker (writer) Jul 26 1939 to Nov 3 2021 Click here for Bob Baker's entry on The Claws of Axos

Dave Martin (writer) Jan 1 1935 to Mar 30 2007 (lung cancer) Click here for Dave Martin's entry on The Claws of Axos

Michael Hayes (director) Apr 3 1929 to Sep 16 2014
Doctor Who credits
Directed: The Androids of Tara (1978), The Armageddon Factor (1979), City of Death (1979)
Played: Man exiting at Metro station in City of Death (1979, uncredited)
Career highlights
His earliest directing duties were on An Age of Kings (1960), and then A for Andromeda (1961, which he also produced), Moonstrike (1963), Maigret (1963), Sherlock Holmes (1965), The Wars of the Roses (1966), Boy Meets Girl (1967), The Troubleshooters (1965/69), Take Three Girls (1971, which he also produced), Churchill's People (1974-75), Z Cars (1964-75), Rooms (1977), When the Boat Comes In (1976-77), The Standard (1978), All Creatures Great and Small (1980), Skorpion (1983) and Nice (1984).
Facts
Michael's son Patrick (who was 14 at the time) had two unseen roles in The Androids of Tara - pushing the boat that K-9 gets marooned in at the end of the story, and waving some bushes around prior to the attack on Romana by the terrifying Taran Wood Beast! Between 1986-94 Michael read news bulletins on the BBC World Service. He was, for a time, married to actor Mary Chester.

Graham Williams (producer) May 24 1945 to Aug 17 1990 (shooting incident) Click here for Graham Williams's entry on Horror of Fang Rock

Anthony Read (script editor) Apr 21 1935 to Nov 21 2015 Click here for Anthony Read's entry on Underworld