Dragonfire

The Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) gets more
than he bargained for from well-informed
guard Arnheim (Chris MacDonnell)

Three episodes (Part One, Part Two, Part Three)
First broadcast Nov 23 to Dec 7 1987
Average audience for serial: 5.07m

REGULAR CAST

Sylvester McCoy (The Doctor) Born Aug 20 1943 Click here for Sylvester McCoy's entry on Time and the Rani

Bonnie Langford (Melanie Bush) Born Jul 22 1964 Click here for Bonnie Langford's entry on The Trial of a Time Lord Parts 9-12

Sophie Aldred (Ace) Born Aug 20 1962
Doctor Who credits
Played: Ace in Dragonfire, Remembrance of the Daleks, The Happiness Patrol, Silver Nemesis, The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, Battlefield, Ghost Light, The Curse of Fenric, Survival (1987-89). Return appearances in Dimensions in Time (1993), The Power of the Doctor (2022) and Tales of the TARDIS (2023).
Career highlights
Doctor Who was Sophie's acting break; her subsequent acting roles have been in Rainbow (1990), Melvin and Maureen's Musicagrams (1992-96), Zzzap! (1999-2001), EastEnders (1993), Shadow Play (2004), The Search for Simon (2013), Shadow Season (2013) and Cops and Monsters (2016). She has also been a TV presenter, often for children, including Corners (1988-90), Playdays (1990), Words and Pictures (1993), Tiny and Crew (1995-99) and It's a Mystery (1996), and has also done voice work for Sergeant Stripes (2003), Noddy in Toyland (2008), Dennis and Gnasher (2008), Bob the Builder (2009-10), Bananas in Pyjamas (2010-13) and Tree Fu Tom (2012-14). Sophie has also appeared in a number of Doctor Who spin-off video productions, such as More Than a Messiah (1992), The Zero Imperative (1994), Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans (1994), Mindgame (1998) and Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor (2019), and Big Finish's audio plays since 2000. In 1996, she wrote a book, Ace!, based on her time in Doctor Who, and in 2020 released the novel At Childhood's End, featuring Ace and the Thirteenth Doctor. She has also presented several BBC Schools radio series, including Singing Together, Music Workshop, Time and Tune and Music Box.
Facts
In 1990, Sophie had an affair with TV actor/ comedian Les Dennis while he was married to his first wife (Dennis documents this in his 2008 autobiography). Les left his wife to be with Sophie, and met Amanda Holden - due to become his second wife - while they were together. In 1997, Sophie married TV quiz show and sports programme presenter Vince Henderson. She shares her birthdate with both Sylvester McCoy and Anthony Ainley, as well as her own mother! Here's Sophie's website and Twitter.

GUEST CAST

Sean Blowers (Zed) Born Jan 12 1961
Career highlights
Sean made his debut in a 1985 episode of CATS Eyes, then appeared in Me and My Girl (1985), To Have and To Hold (1986), Crossroads (1987), Minder (1988), Bluebirds (1989), Tank Malling (1989), The Krays (1990), Black Beauty (1994), First Knight (1995), Staying Alive (1996), Best (2000), Dalziel and Pascoe (2005), Law and Order UK (2009), EastEnders (2014), Jericho (2016), Game of Thrones (2016) and I Am Vengeance (2018). His most famous role was firefighter John Hallam in 87 episodes of London's Burning (1988-96).

Miranda Borman (Stellar) Born Mar 5 1981
Career highlights
Miranda also appeared in Helping Henry (1988) and Playdays (1989).
Facts
Miranda also appeared as Young Cosette in a London West End run of Les Miserables in the 1980s, after which her family moved to Australia where she studied creative arts. It's difficult confirming facts about Miranda as she has in recent years been the subject of a bizarre identity theft in which somebody has been pretending to be her online. However, the real Miranda Borman is now a comedy cabaret performer going by the stage name Mindi Buttons.

Stephanie Fayerman (McLuhan) Born Oct 7 1947
Career highlights
Stephanie made her debut playing Aggie in Backs to the Land (1977-78), then took roles in Rumpole of the Bailey (1979), Bull Week (1980), Juliet Bravo (1980), Agony (1981), Miracles Take Longer (1984), Ruth Rendell Mysteries (1987), Thin Air (1988), All Good Things (1991), Mothertime (1997), Ultraviolet (1998), Hearts and Bones (2001), The Brides in the Bath (2003), The Inbetweeners (2010), Doctors (2014), Father Brown (2017), Eaten By Lions (2018), Victoria (2019), Scarborough (2019), Sick of It (2020) and Call the Midwife (2020).

Lynn Gardner (Announcer)
Career highlights
Lynn's also appeared in On the Black Hill (1988), Tagget (1991) and Alleyn Mysteries (1994).
Facts
Lynn was initially cast as Ray in Delta and the Bannermen (1987) but the role had to be recast when she suffered a bad fall in a scooter accident. As recompense, Lynn was given this role in the following story.

Chris MacDonnell (Arnheim) Born Oct 30 1954
Career highlights
Chris's other work includes Out of Order (1987), Soldier Soldier (1991), The Bill (1993), Wycliffe (1996), The Great Dome Robbery (2002), Down to Earth (2003), Skins (2008), Courage, New Hampshire (2012) and Unlucky Charms (2013).
Facts
His late brother John was a BAFTA-winning film editor, while his great-niece Emily Carey is an actress who played a young Diana in Wonder Woman (2017) and a young Lara Croft in Tomb Raider (2018). Here's Chris, on Twitter!

Ian MacKenzie (Anderson)
Career highlights
Other work includes Doomwatch (1971), Within These Walls (1975), Target (1977), Into the Labyrinth (1981), Made in Heaven (1990) and Bookmark (1992).

Leslie Meadows (The Creature) Born Mar 29 1947
Doctor Who credits
Played: Adlon in Delta and the Bannermen (1987)
Played: The Creature in Dragonfire (1987)
Played: Cheetah Person in Survival (1989, uncredited)
Career highlights
Singer and dancer Leslie's further work includes Half a Sixpence (1967), Up the Junction (1968), Doomwatch (1970), Love Thy Neighbour (1972), The Apple (1980), Mack the Knife (1989) and Peak Practice (1995). He also played Alan Parker in Ours is a Nice House (1969-70).

Nigel Miles-Thomas (Pudovkin) Born Jun 23 1958
Career highlights
Nigel debuted uncredited playing a footballer in Carry On Emmannuelle (1978), after which he appeared in The Dick Emery Show (1980), How's Your Father? (1980), Metal Mickey (1981), Minder (1988), Middlemarch (1994) and 14 episodes of Grange Hill as Mr Davies (1995-96).
Facts
Nigel is now artistic director of Edinburgh Festival specialists Fringe Management as well as performance enhancement training company The Garnett Foundation, after having worked for London Full Circle Productions, which produced theatre for dinner occasions. In 1992, Nigel directed Zsa Zsa Gabor as the Fairy Godmother in a production of Cinderella at Los Angeles' University of California (UCLA) which resulted in him putting on a one-man show called Zsa Zsa and Me at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017.

Stuart Organ (Bazin) Nov 8 1951 to Feb 15 2024
Career highlights
Stuart's earliest role was in Those Glory Glory Days (1983), after which he took roles in By the Sword Divided (1983), Bulman (1985), Casualty (1996), This Life (1996), The Waiting Time (1999), London's Burning (2001), Bad Girls (2004), Mile High (2004), New Tricks (2005), Down to Earth (2004-05), Random Quest (2006), Maxwell (2007), Secret Diary of a Call Girl (2007-08), Crime Stories (2012) and Lucan (2013). He also had a recurring role as Kevin Cross in soap Brookside (1984-89), and provided voices for the English language version of the anime series The Legend of Snow White (1994-95). He will forever be remembered as teacher Peter Robson in more than 260 episodes of children's drama Grange Hill (1988-2003). In recent years Stuart has also provided voices for various video games, including Risen (2009), Dante's Inferno (2010), Star Wars: The Old Republic (2011/14/19) and Assassin's Creed: Unity (2014).

Tony Osoba (Kracauer) Born Mar 15 1947
Doctor Who credits
Played: Lan in Destiny of the Daleks (1979)
Played: Kracauer in Dragonfire (1987)
Played: Duke in Kill the Moon (2014)
Career highlights
Scottish born Tony made his earliest appearance in Antony and Cleopatra (1974), and then Crown Court (1976), Target (1978), Charles Endell Esq (1979-80), Star Games (1980), The Flame Trees of Thika (1981), Educating Marmaldade (1982), The Cleopatras (1983), Brookside (1984), Return to Treasure Island (1986), Gruey (1988), Snakes and Ladders (1989), Making News (1990), Coronation Street (1982/90), Watt on Earth (1991), Between the Lines (1994), Cross Wits (1994, as a team captain), Bugs (1997), The Demon Headmaster (1998), Taggart (1999), Family Affairs (2000), Fran's People (2002), Mersey Beat (2002-03), Dinotopia (2002-03), Revolver (2004), Tanner (2007), The Shadow Line (2011), Extended Rest (2014), Planetfall (2014) and The Widower (2015). He will forever be remembered as Jock McLaren in the hit sitcom Porridge (1974-77) and its spin-off Going Straight (1978). He also had a regular role as Detective Sergeant Chas Jarvis in Dempsey and Makepeace (1985-86).
Facts
Tony's mother Margaret Osoba, a former BBC researcher, popularised the theory that crime writer Agatha Christie "stole" her character Hercule Poirot from thriller writer Frank Howel Evans, who in 1909 published a story featuring a detective named Poiret. Tony is married to the casting director Sally Osoba.
In 2013 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Tony here.

Daphne Oxenford (Archivist) Oct 31 1919 to Dec 21 2012
Doctor Who credits
Played: Archivist in Dragonfire (1987)
Played: Elderly Agatha Christie in The Unicorn and the Wasp (2008, deleted scene*)
Career highlights
Daphne's earliest credit was in a 1949 TV movie called Oranges and Lemons, after which she appeared in Family Affairs (1949), For the Children (1950), Skyport (1960), It's a Woman's World (1964), The Villains (1965), Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969), The Dustbinmen (1970), The Befrienders (1972), Tarbuck's Luck (1972), The Dick Emery Show (1973), Des O'Connor Entertains (1974), The Nearly Man (1975), Yanks Go Home (1976), Rising Damp (1977), Sweet William (1980), Cousin Phillis (1982), That's My Boy (1984), Victoria Wood As Seen on TV (1985), The Children of Green Knowe (1986), Drop the Dead Donkey (1991), Land of Hope and Gloria (1992), The House of Elliot (1994), How to Be a Little Sod (1995), Murder Rooms (2001), Prince William (2002), The Royal (2004), Heartbeat (2005) and Midsomer Murders (2004/06/08). She had recurring roles in a number of series, including Esther Hayes in 63 episodes of Coronation Street (1960-63/71-72), Chrissy's mother in Man About the House (1973-76), Mrs Patterson in To the Manor Born (1979-81) and Miss Denham in Fresh Fields (1984-86). Daphne also provided a variety of voices for the animation The Wind in the Willows (1984-88).
Facts
Between 1950-71 Daphne was the voice of the BBC Home Service's children's slot Listen With Mother (opening each edition with the famous lines: "Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin..."), and between 1956-92 provided voiceovers for What the Papers Say. Joyce was great friends with comic actor Joyce Grenfell.
* Daphne recorded scenes as an elderly Agatha Christie for The Unicorn and the Wasp, but these were edited out before transmission (it's on the DVD).

Edward Peel (Kane) Born 1943
Career highlights
Edward's debut came in 1967's The Fellows, followed by Fly Into Danger (1972), Second City Firsts (1973), Treasure Island (1977), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), The Sweeney (1978), A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979), Breakaway (1980), Shogun (1980), Bognor (1981), Strangers (1982), The Fourth Arm (1983), Lassiter (1984), Dempsey and Makepeace (1985), Truckers (1987), The Castle of Adventure (1990), Underbelly (1992), Hillsborough (1996), Clocking Off (2003), The Royal Today (2008), Hollyoaks (2011), Ripper Street (2013) and Undercliffe (2018). He regularly played Walter Jackman in By the Sword Divided (1983-85), DCI Mark Perrin in Juliet Bravo (1983-85), the Chief Superintendent in Cracker (1993-95) and John Coleman in London's Burning (2000-01). He has also had two regular roles in rural soap Emmerdale Farm - firstly as the second actor to play Tom Merrick (1980-82) and then Anthony Cairns (1997). Between 2007-2020 he provided the voice for the King and admiral in the cartoon Little Princess.

Patricia Quinn (Belazs) Born May 28 1944
Career highlights
Northern Ireland born Patricia made her debut in August for the People (1963), after which she appeared in Where has Poor Mickey Gone? (1964), Parkin's Patch (1969), Up the Chastity Belt (1971), Up the Front (1972), Van der Valk (1972), Rentadick (1972), Shoulder to Shoulder (1974), The Love School (1975), I, Claudius (1976), Sebastiane (1976), Beauty and the Beast (1976), A Christmas Carol (1977), Fox (1980), Hawk the Slayer (1980), Shock Treatment (1981), Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983), The Box of Delights (1984), Lost Empires (1986), Fortunes of War (1987), England, My England (1995), Tamara Drewe (2010), Mary Horror (2011) and The Lords of Salem (2012). Her most memorable role is as Magenta in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) - it's Patricia's lips which can be seen in the film's publicity images.
Facts
Patricia was one of the first London Playboy Bunnies in 1963. Her first husband was actor Don Hawkins, while her second was another thespian, Robert Stephens, making her stepmother to his acting sons Toby Stephens (whose wife Anna-Louise Plowman appeared in Dalek) and Chris Larkin (who appeared in The Shakespeare Code). Her marriage to the knighted Robert Stephens leaves her with the title Patricia, Lady Stephens. Her nephew Jonny Quinn is the drummer with the band Snow Patrol, while her other nephew Bradley is the band's official photographer. She had an affair with rocker Meat Loaf while filming The Rocky Horror Picture Show. In 2006, Patricia launched herself as a DJ, hosting the monthly Club Myra night at various venues throughout Central London.

Tony Selby (Glitz) Feb 26 1938 to Sep 5 2021
Doctor Who credits
Played: Sabalom Glitz in The Trial of a Time Lord Parts 1-4 & 13-14 (1986), Dragonfire (1987)
Career highlights
Tony debuted at the age of 13 in 1951's Menius Was a Bad Boy, followed by roles in Skippy Smith Goes to the Circus (1953), The Explorer (1955), An Alligator Named Daisy (1955), An Age of Kings (1960), Teletale (1964), Alfie (1966), King of the River (1966), Poor Cow (1967), The Informer (1967), The Avengers (1968), Witchfinder General (1968), According to Dora (1969), Shine a Light (1970), Catweazle (1971), Villain (1971), Ace of Wands (1970-71), Warship (1973), Reg Varney (1974), Moody and Pegg (1974-75), The Good Life (1975-76), Superman (1978), Jack of Diamonds (1983), Give Us a Break (1983-84), Hideaway (1986), The Secret Garden (1987), The World of Lee Evans (1995), Loop (1997), Holby City (1999), Burnside (2000), EastEnders (2002), Dream Team (2006), My Family (2011), Cockneys vs Zombies (2012) and Stan Lee's Lucky Man (2016). Tony also regularly played Corporal Percy Marsh in Get Some In! (1975-78), Bert in Mulberry (1992-93), Max Taplow in Love Hurts (1992-94) and Sergeant Nozzer Richardson in The Detectives (1994-97).

Shirin Taylor (Customer) Born 1956
Doctor Who credits
Played: Camper in The Stones of Blood (1978)
Played: Customer in Dragonfire (1987)
Career highlights
Shirin's further credits include Men of Affairs (1974), Crown Court (1982), Nana (1982), The Cleopatras (1983), Give Us a Break (1983-84), Crossroads (1985), I Woke Up One Morning (1985-86), Turn On To T-Bag (1988), Bust (1988), Streetwise (1989), A Touch of Frost (1995), London's Burning (1998), Night and Day (2001), Doctors (2001) and Extended Rest (2014). She may be best remembered as Mike Baldwin's love interest Jackie Ingram (later Baldwin!) in 75 episodes of Coronation Street (1990-92).

CREW

Ian Briggs (writer) Born Oct 31 1958
Doctor Who credits
Wrote: Dragonfire (1987), The Curse of Fenric (1989)
Career highlights
Ian's further screen writing work includes Casualty (1990) and The Bill (1990).

In 2019 Toby Hadoke released the first of a three-part Who's Round interview with Ian here.

Chris Clough (director) Born Mar 9 1951
Doctor Who credits
Directed: The Trial of a Time Lord Parts 9-14 (1986), Delta and the Bannermen (1987), Dragonfire (1987), The Happiness Patrol (1988), Silver Nemesis (1988)
Played: Voice of Fifi in The Happiness Patrol (1988, uncredited)
Played: Policeman in Silver Nemesis (1988, uncredited)
Career highlights
Further directing work includes Brookside (1982), EastEnders (1985-88), Casualty (1994-95), The Bill (1992-95), Ballykissangel (1996) and Skins (2007). Chris later went into production, handling The Bill (1995-97), Ballykissangel (1998-99), Black Cab (2000), Table 12 (2001), Born and Bred (2003-04), The Ghost Squad (2005), Skins (2007-13), Sirens (2011), Strike Back (2012), Lucan (2013), The Missing (2014), Stan Lee's Lucky Man (2016), Rellik (2017), Dark Heart (2018) and World on Fire (2019).
Awards
2019: BAFTA TV Award for Best Single Drama (Killed By My Debt) - with Joseph Bullman, Tahsin Guner and Aysha Rafaele.

John Nathan-Turner (producer) Aug 12 1947 to May 1 2002 (liver failure) Click here for John Nathan-Turner's entry on The Leisure Hive

Andrew Cartmel (script editor) Born Apr 6 1958 Click here for Andrew Cartmel's entry on Time and the Rani