 |
| Spot the Monoid |
1. The Steel Sky (5.5m)
2. The Plague (6.9m)
3. The Return (6.2m
4. The Bomb (7.3m)
Average audience for serial: 6.48m
Inigo Jackson (Zentos) July 19th 1933 to August 25th 2001
Career highlights
Other credits include Becket (1964), The Brigand of Kandahar (1965), The Trygon Factor (1966), Z Cars (1967), Man in a Suitcase (1968), Hell Boats (1970), Ivanhoe (1970), Twins of Evil (1971), Better Than the Movies (1972), The Death of Adolf Hitler (1973) and Wolfshead: The Legend of Robin Hood (1974).
Facts
Born Anthony Michael Jackson, he changed his name to Inigo after leaving drama school as he believed the name Michael Jackson was too mundane-sounding for a career in showbusiness...
Kate Newman (Mellium)
Career highlights
Kate's only other credit is in a 1966 Armchair Theatre.
Can you help?
There is a possibility that Kate was actually actress Kay Dotrice (wife of the actor Roy Dotrice) who went by the name Kay Newman in the 1960s. There is a Kate Newman who lived 1929-2007, just like Kay Dotrice, so they could be the same person. Does anybody know? To help, I've created a montage of images at the foot of this entry of Kate Newman in The Ark, Kay Dotrice as Mrs Crisp in Crossroads in 1978, as well as Kay Dotrice pictured in 1995. I reckon it is her, but I'm not sure. Leave a comment if you can help!
Michael Sheard (Rhos) June 18th 1938 to August 31st 2005 (cancer)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Rhos in The Ark (1966)
Played: Dr Summers in The Mind of Evil (1971)
Played: Laurence Scarman in Pyramids of Mars (1975)
Played: Lowe in The Invisible Enemy (1977)
Played: Mergrave in Castrovalva (1982)
Played: Headmaster in Remembrance of the Daleks (1988)
Career highlights
Michael was a prolific character actor, appearing in over 120 productions, starting in a 1962 episode of Suspense. Further roles included The Likely Lads (1965), Adam Adamant Lives! (1966), The Gamblers (1967), The Borderers (1969), Albert! (1969), The Adventures of Don Quick (1970), Paul Temple (1971), Merry-Go-Round (1971), The Onedin Line (1972), On the Buses (1973), The Sweeney (1975), Space: 1999 (1975), Warship (1976), The New Avengers (1976), The Cedar Tree (1976), The Tomorrow People (1978), Blake's 7 (1980), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), The Walls of Jericho (1981), Take a Letter Mr Jones (1981), The Outsider (1983), Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1983-84), The Invisible Man (1984), Bulman (1985), Knights of God (1987), Hannay (1988), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Saracen (1989), The Darling Buds of May (1991), 'Allo 'Allo (1992), Takin' Over the Asylum (1994), Another Life (2001), The Green Door (2005) and Shadows in the Woods (2006). Michael had a regular role as Mr McKinley in Maggie (1981-82) and as Mr Bronson in children's school series Grange Hill (1985-89).
Facts
During his career, he played Adolf Hitler five times, and Heinrich Himmler three times. He acted alongside five Doctors in the TV series, and a sixth (Paul McGann) in audio story The Stones of Venice (2001). Michael was the one to formally identify actor Declan Mulholland (who appeared in The Sea Devils and The Androids of Tara) at the police mortuary after he was found dead on a train.
Roy Skelton (Monoid voice) July 20th 1931 to June 8th 2011 (pneumonia following a stroke)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Voice of the Monoids in The Ark (1966)
Played: Voice of the Cybermen in The Tenth Planet (1966), The Wheel in Space (1968)
Played: Control technician in The Tenth Planet (1966, uncredited)
Played: Voice of the Daleks in The Evil of the Daleks (1967), Planet of the Daleks (1973), Genesis of the Daleks (1975), Destiny of the Daleks (1979), The Five Doctors (1983), Revelation of the Daleks (1985), Remembrance of the Daleks (1988). He also performed Dalek voices for the Comic Relief spoof The Curse of Fatal Death (1999)
Played: Computer voice in The Ice Warriors (1967)
Played: Voice of the Krotons in The Krotons (1968-69)
Played: Norton in Colony in Space (1971)
Played: Wester in Planet of the Daleks (1973)
Played: James in The Green Death (1973)
Played: Chedaki in The Android Invasion (1975)
Played: King Rokon in The Hand of Fear (1976)
Career highlights
As a specialist voice artist, Roy also provided voices for A Rubovian Legend (1958-59), Out of the Unknown (1967) and Ghosts of Albion (2003-04). Roy's most famous voices, apart from the Daleks, were for Zippy and George in the children's series Rainbow (1973-92), for which he also wrote 28 scripts. As an actor, Roy's CV includes The Comedy of Errors (1954), Detective (1964), Quick Before They Catch Us (1966), Z Cars (1968), Fraud Squad (1969), Ivanhoe (1970), The Last of the Mohicans (1971), Take a Chance (1980-81), Alice in Wonderland (1986) and four episodes of The Bill (1989-98).
Roy Spencer (Manyak)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Manyak in The Ark (1966)
Played: Harris in Fury from the Deep (1968)
Career highlights
Roy's career began uncredited in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), then The Reception (1961), Zero One (1963), Our Man at St Mark's (1965), R3 (1965), Help! (1965), The Dark Number (1967), The Expert (1969), Macbeth (1970), War and Peace (1972-73), The Bellcrest Story (1973), Dracula (1973), Barry Lyndon (1975), Peer Gynt (1977), Grange Hill (1978), Julius Caesar (1979), Break in the Sun (1981), The Gentle Touch (1983), Bergerac (1983), Howards' Way (1986), The Rainbow (1988), Bomber Harris (1989), EastEnders (1989) and Campion (1990).
Facts
Roy is an authority on the life and works of D H Lawrence, having written books and a one-man stage show about him.
Brian Wright (Dassuk)
Career highlights
Brian made his acting debut in Cheerio Lou (1961), then appeared in The Alderman (1962), Emergency Ward 10 (1962), Compact (1963), Z Cars (1965), The Canal Children (1976), No Room to Run (1978) and Case for the Defence (1978). However, he was principally a writer, on series such as Trapped (1967), Skippy (1969), Spyforce (1971-73), The Canal Children (1976), The Young Doctors (1977), No Room to Run (1977), Case for the Defence (1978) and Golden Soak (1979). He also wrote scripts for productions such as Adventure Unlimited (1965), Trapped (1967), Contrabandits (1968), Skippy the Bush Kangaroo (1969), The Long Arm (1970), Lane End (1972), Catch Kandy (1973), Childhood (1974), Luke's Kingdom (1976), Crown Court (1975-79), Skyways (1979), Carson's Law (1983) and The Flying Doctors (1989). He was also the creator of the Australian war drama Spyforce (1971) and was script editor on series such as Maelstrom (1985), Oliver Twist (1985) and Chain (1990).
CREW
Paul Erickson (writer) November 22nd 1920 to October 27th 1991 (stroke)
Career highlights
Paul's other writing credits include Three Steps to the Gallows (1953), The Green Carnation (1955), The New Adventures of Charlie Chan (1957), Kill Her Gently (1957), Interpol Calling (1960), Night of the Prowler (1962), The Saint (1964), Out of the Unknown (1965), Paul Temple (1970), Freewheelers (1971) and Rogue's Rock (1974). Paul started out as an actor, in productions such as Old Mother Riley Overseas (1943), The Adding Machine (1948), The Petrified Forest (1951) and White Fire (1953).
Facts
Paul claimed that his co-credit to Lesley Scott was a personal arrangement with his then wife, but later research has found no trace of Paul ever marrying a person of that name. Somebody called Lesley Scott also wrote stories for some of the World Distributors Doctor Who annuals, but there is no established connection between the two. There is a theory among researchers that "Lesley Scott" was a pseudonym for Paul's real-life first wife, the Italian Gemma Vitale (aka Gemma Sighe), born September 1st 1930, married 1951. By 1986, Paul was married to somebody else, so whatever happened to Gemma/ Lesley is a mystery. Whatever the truth, Paul claimed Lesley played no part in the script-writing process. Had it not been for this misleading credit, it would not be until 1983 that a woman received a writing credit on Doctor Who.
Michael Imison (director) Born February 9th 1935
Career highlights
Michael had previously directed Compact (1963-64), Mary Barton (1964), Swizzlewick (1964), The Flying Swan (1965) and Buddenbrooks (1965). He had also adapted Dear Charles for television (1961), and wrote two episodes of Storyboard (1961). In 1963 he script edited 10 episodes of soap Compact, and two of Out of the Unknown in 1966.
Facts
Michael's wife was eminent educator Dame Tamsyn Imison, and his brother was dramatist Richard Imison. Just before completing work on The Ark, Michael was made redundant by the BBC and later became a literary agent with a particular focus on authors and poets from the former Eastern bloc. Additionally, his agency represented the likes of Noel Coward, Terence Rattigan, David Edgar and Mary O'Malley. In 1978, Imison and O'Malley were involved in a car accident, hitting a lamppost, which resulted in O'Malley being unable to write for the next two years. In 1985, O'Malley sued Imison for damages and was awarded £55,000 in costs. Michael also founded the Noel Coward Society, has worked for the British Humanist Association, and has acted as chair of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Society. He has also occasionally worked as a Salman Rushdie lookalike!
John Wiles (producer) September 20th 1925 to April 5th 1999 Click here for John Wiles's entry on The Myth Makers
Gerry Davis (script editor) February 23rd 1930 to August 31st 1991 (stomach cancer) Click here for Gerry Davis's entry on The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve
Average audience for serial: 6.48m
- A pictorial guide to the guest cast is at the bottom of this entry. Read an episode-by-episode review of this story at Time Space Visualiser here.
REGULAR CAST
William Hartnell (The Doctor) January 8th 1908 to April 23rd 1975 (heart failure after a series of strokes) For a full career biography for William Hartnell, click here.
CREDITED GUEST CAST
Terence Bayler (Yendom) January 24th 1930 to August 2nd 2016
Doctor Who credits
Played: Yendom in The Ark (1966)
Played: Major Barrington in The War Games (1969)
Career highlights
New Zealander Terence's career began in Broken Barrier (1952) and has seen roles in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1956), Spy-Catcher (1959), Hamlet (1961), Moonstrike (1963), Carmilla (1966), The Troubleshooters (1969), The Tragedy of Macbeth (1971), The Brothers (1974), Upstars, Downstairs (1975), Rutland Weekend Television (1975-76), The Rutles: All You Need is Cash (1978), Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979), Time Bandits (1981), Murphy's Mob (1983), Brazil (1985), All at Number 20 (1986), Ffizz (1987), Me and My Girl (1988), She-Wolf of London (1990), Ashenden (1991), The Other Side of Paradise (1992), Lipstick on Your Collar (1993), The Remains of the Day (1993), Dangerfield (1995), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001), Life Begins (2005), Chemical Wedding (2008) and We Know What We Know (2010).
In 2014 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Terence here.
Richard Beale (Refusian voice) May 13th 1920 to March 27th 2017
Doctor Who credits
Played: Refusian voice in The Ark (1966)
Played: Bat Masterson in The Gunfighters (1966)
Played: Broadcaster in The Macra Terror (1967)
Played: Minister of ecology in The Green Death (1973)
Career highlights
Richard's career began in The Battle of the River Plate (1956), followed by roles in Private Investigator (1958), Moonstrike (1963), Madame Bovary (1964), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1965), Vendetta (1966), The Man in the Iron Mask (1968), The Mating Machine (1970), Jude the Obscure (1971), Emmerdale Farm (1972), Special Branch (1974), The Prince and the Pauper (1976), Treasure Island (1977), Blake's 7 (1978), Secret Army (1979), Love in a Cold Climate (1980), Bergerac (1983), Camille (1984), CATS Eyes (1985), The Tripods (1985), Return to Treasure Island (1986), A Handful of Dust (1988), Agatha Christie's Poirot (1990), EastEnders (1990-91), A Touch of Frost (1994), Lovejoy (1994), Family Money (1996), The Sins (2000), Down to Earth (2001), Teachers (2004) and Afterlife (2005). He also regularly played Edward Derwent in A Horseman Riding By (1978).
Facts
After leaving the Royal Navy, Richard worked for his father's print firm for a decade until becoming an actor. He retired from the profession in 2005, aged 85, but continued his love of sailing and racing single-handedly until he turned 90. In 2015, he released a memoir entitled One Man's War.
John Caesar (Monoid Four) January 23rd 1926 to June 11th 2000 (pancreatic cancer)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Second man in market in The Romans (1965)
Played: Egyptian warrior in The Daleks' Master Plan (1965-66, uncredited)
Played: Monoid Four in The Ark (1966)
Played: Cowboy in The Gunfighters (1966, uncredited)
Played: Guard in The Macra Terror (1967)
Played: Pirate guard in The Space Pirates (1969, uncredited)
Played: CPO Myers in The Sea Devils (1972)
Played: R/T soldier in Invasion of the Dinosaurs (1974)
Career highlights
John's first credit was in Paul of Tarsus (1960), then The Lenny the Lion Show (1961), Maigret (1963), Bat Out of Hell (1966), No Hiding Place (1967), Germinal (1970), The Guardians (1971), War and Peace (1972), Boy Dominic (1974), The Legend of Robin Hood (1975), Lorna Doone (1976), Janet and Company (1982), Bootle Saddles (1984), Big Deal (1984) and The Bill (1989).
Ralph Carrigan (Monoid Two) November 1st 1933 to April 4th 2007
Doctor Who credits
Played: Trojan man in The Myth Makers (1965, uncredited)
Played: Monoid Two in The Ark (1966)
Played: Cheerleader in The Macra Terror (1967)
Played: White Robot in The Mind Robber (1968)
Played: Cyberman in The Invasion (1968)
Career highlights
Ralph's other credits are a Stand Up, Nigel Barton (1965), The Newcomers (1966), Point Counter Point (1968) and The Body Stealers (1969).
Edmund Coulter (Monoid One) June 19th 1936 to March 28th 2015
Edmund's only other UK acting credit was a 1964 edition of the soap Compact.
William Hartnell (The Doctor) January 8th 1908 to April 23rd 1975 (heart failure after a series of strokes) For a full career biography for William Hartnell, click here.
Peter Purves (Steven Taylor) Born February 10th 1939 For a full career biography of Peter Purves, click here.
Jackie Lane (Dodo Chaplet) July 10th 1941 to June 7th 2021 For a full career biography for Jackie Lane, click here.
CREDITED GUEST CAST
Terence Bayler (Yendom) January 24th 1930 to August 2nd 2016
Doctor Who credits
Played: Yendom in The Ark (1966)
Played: Major Barrington in The War Games (1969)
Career highlights
New Zealander Terence's career began in Broken Barrier (1952) and has seen roles in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1956), Spy-Catcher (1959), Hamlet (1961), Moonstrike (1963), Carmilla (1966), The Troubleshooters (1969), The Tragedy of Macbeth (1971), The Brothers (1974), Upstars, Downstairs (1975), Rutland Weekend Television (1975-76), The Rutles: All You Need is Cash (1978), Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979), Time Bandits (1981), Murphy's Mob (1983), Brazil (1985), All at Number 20 (1986), Ffizz (1987), Me and My Girl (1988), She-Wolf of London (1990), Ashenden (1991), The Other Side of Paradise (1992), Lipstick on Your Collar (1993), The Remains of the Day (1993), Dangerfield (1995), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001), Life Begins (2005), Chemical Wedding (2008) and We Know What We Know (2010).
In 2014 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Terence here.
Richard Beale (Refusian voice) May 13th 1920 to March 27th 2017
Doctor Who credits
Played: Refusian voice in The Ark (1966)
Played: Bat Masterson in The Gunfighters (1966)
Played: Broadcaster in The Macra Terror (1967)
Played: Minister of ecology in The Green Death (1973)
Career highlights
Richard's career began in The Battle of the River Plate (1956), followed by roles in Private Investigator (1958), Moonstrike (1963), Madame Bovary (1964), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1965), Vendetta (1966), The Man in the Iron Mask (1968), The Mating Machine (1970), Jude the Obscure (1971), Emmerdale Farm (1972), Special Branch (1974), The Prince and the Pauper (1976), Treasure Island (1977), Blake's 7 (1978), Secret Army (1979), Love in a Cold Climate (1980), Bergerac (1983), Camille (1984), CATS Eyes (1985), The Tripods (1985), Return to Treasure Island (1986), A Handful of Dust (1988), Agatha Christie's Poirot (1990), EastEnders (1990-91), A Touch of Frost (1994), Lovejoy (1994), Family Money (1996), The Sins (2000), Down to Earth (2001), Teachers (2004) and Afterlife (2005). He also regularly played Edward Derwent in A Horseman Riding By (1978).
Facts
After leaving the Royal Navy, Richard worked for his father's print firm for a decade until becoming an actor. He retired from the profession in 2005, aged 85, but continued his love of sailing and racing single-handedly until he turned 90. In 2015, he released a memoir entitled One Man's War.
John Caesar (Monoid Four) January 23rd 1926 to June 11th 2000 (pancreatic cancer)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Second man in market in The Romans (1965)
Played: Egyptian warrior in The Daleks' Master Plan (1965-66, uncredited)
Played: Monoid Four in The Ark (1966)
Played: Cowboy in The Gunfighters (1966, uncredited)
Played: Guard in The Macra Terror (1967)
Played: Pirate guard in The Space Pirates (1969, uncredited)
Played: CPO Myers in The Sea Devils (1972)
Played: R/T soldier in Invasion of the Dinosaurs (1974)
Career highlights
John's first credit was in Paul of Tarsus (1960), then The Lenny the Lion Show (1961), Maigret (1963), Bat Out of Hell (1966), No Hiding Place (1967), Germinal (1970), The Guardians (1971), War and Peace (1972), Boy Dominic (1974), The Legend of Robin Hood (1975), Lorna Doone (1976), Janet and Company (1982), Bootle Saddles (1984), Big Deal (1984) and The Bill (1989).
Ralph Carrigan (Monoid Two) November 1st 1933 to April 4th 2007
Doctor Who credits
Played: Trojan man in The Myth Makers (1965, uncredited)
Played: Monoid Two in The Ark (1966)
Played: Cheerleader in The Macra Terror (1967)
Played: White Robot in The Mind Robber (1968)
Played: Cyberman in The Invasion (1968)
Career highlights
Ralph's other credits are a Stand Up, Nigel Barton (1965), The Newcomers (1966), Point Counter Point (1968) and The Body Stealers (1969).
Edmund Coulter (Monoid One) June 19th 1936 to March 28th 2015
Edmund's only other UK acting credit was a 1964 edition of the soap Compact.
Facts
In 1967, he was appointed tutor to the children of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani, and travelled with the family extensively. In 1972, the emir was deposed by his cousin Khalifa, and the family moved to Dubai, and Edmund with them. Edmund moved to Dallas, Texas, in the 1990s, and finally settled in Seattle, Washington.
Eric Elliott (Commander) October 5th 1902 to September 25th 1981
Career highlights
Eric's other credits include The Awakening (1938), Quatermass and the Pit (1958), Top Secret (1961), Doomsday at Eleven (1962), Maigret (1962), The Avengers (1961/62), Sergeant Cork (1964), Corridors of Power (1966), The Swan Won't Go in the Fridge (1969) and Z Cars (1973).
Stephanie Heesom (Guardian) Born June 25th 1942
Career highlights
Other credits include Hugh and I (1966), Dixon of Dock Green (1966), George and the Dragon (1966), Adam Adamant Lives! (1967), All Gas and Gaiters (1969), Marty (1968/69) and Under and Over (1971).
Facts
She left acting to open an antiques shop in London. In 1990, Stephanie was diagnosed with breast cancer, and ever since has been a campaigner, support worker and even head of trustees for Breast Cancer Care (under her married name of Stephanie Jacobs). In 2025, she received the Helpline Lifetime Service Award for her work with Breast Cancer Now.
Eileen Helsby (Venussa) Born June 30th 1937
Career highlights
Eileen's career began in The Happiest Days of Your Life (1961), followed by roles in The Flying Swan (1965), Broome Stages (1966), The First Lady (1969), Doomwatch (1970), Owen M.D (1971), Cakes and Ale (1974), Looking for Clancy (1975), Fathers and Families (1977), The Copyist (1978), My Son, My Son (1979), The History of Mr Polly (1980), Juliet Bravo (1980), Maybury (1981), Red Monarch (1983), Strangers and Brothers (1984), By the Sword Divided (1985), Bergerac (1985), Bust (1987), The Bill (1990) and My Kingdom for a Hose (1991). She regularly played Prudence Penrose in soap The Newcomers (1967) and Charmian Wentworth in Survivors (1975).
Facts
She later married and emigrated to Connecticut, USA.
Eric Elliott (Commander) October 5th 1902 to September 25th 1981
Career highlights
Eric's other credits include The Awakening (1938), Quatermass and the Pit (1958), Top Secret (1961), Doomsday at Eleven (1962), Maigret (1962), The Avengers (1961/62), Sergeant Cork (1964), Corridors of Power (1966), The Swan Won't Go in the Fridge (1969) and Z Cars (1973).
Ian Frost (Baccu) March 1st 1933 to July 7th 2024 (pneumonia)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Baccu in The Ark (1966)
Played: Draconian messenger in Frontier in Space (1973)
Career highlights
Ian's further credits include Silent Evidence (1962), Lorna Doone (1963), The Bond (1965), Market in Honey Lane (1967), Z Cars (1968), Out of the Unknown (1969), Ivanhoe (1970), Something in Disguise (1982), Another Flip for Dominick (1982) and Girls on Top (1986).
Facts
Ian, who latterly lived in Florida, became heavily involved in stage plays and monologues centred on Lord Byron, Shelley and Keats, touring in North America, Europe and the UK, accompanied by playwright Bill Studdiford. He was a founder member of Actors' Touring Company London.
Frank George (Monoid)
Frank's CV also includes Maigret (1961), Z Cars (1963) and Sex Pervers (1970).
Doctor Who credits
Played: Baccu in The Ark (1966)
Played: Draconian messenger in Frontier in Space (1973)
Career highlights
Ian's further credits include Silent Evidence (1962), Lorna Doone (1963), The Bond (1965), Market in Honey Lane (1967), Z Cars (1968), Out of the Unknown (1969), Ivanhoe (1970), Something in Disguise (1982), Another Flip for Dominick (1982) and Girls on Top (1986).
Facts
Ian, who latterly lived in Florida, became heavily involved in stage plays and monologues centred on Lord Byron, Shelley and Keats, touring in North America, Europe and the UK, accompanied by playwright Bill Studdiford. He was a founder member of Actors' Touring Company London.
Frank George (Monoid)
Frank's CV also includes Maigret (1961), Z Cars (1963) and Sex Pervers (1970).
Paul Greenhalgh (Guardian) February 15th 1942 to August 26th 2017
Career highlights
The Ark was Paul's first credit, and he went on to appear in The Saint (1968), Boy Meets Girl (1969), UFO (1970), Arthur of the Britons (1973), Edward the Seventh (1975), Within These Walls (1975), The Crezz (1976), Miss Jones and Son (1977), Lillie (1978), Babylon (1981), The Member for Chelsea (1981), Brideshead Revisited (1981), Shroud for a Nightingale (1984), First Among Equals (1986), A Sort of Innocence (1987) and Cause Celebre (1987).
Facts
See images from Peter's career in the 1960s here.
John Halstead (Monoid voice) Born May 30th 1936
Career highlights
Other credits include King of the River (1966), Poor Cow (1967), The Sweeney (1975), Murphy's Mob (1985), Little Dorrit (1988), Waiting for God (1991), Minder (1993), Treasure Island (1995), My Hero (2001) and Top Boy (2023). He also regularly played Arnold Capper in General Hospital (1973-75).
Facts
John (born Michael Ross), now a seasoned stage performer, has a close connection with the Queen's Theatre in Hornchurch. In 2018 he published the first volume of his autobiography, No Expectations: The Tale of an East End Orphan Growing Up.
Career highlights
The Ark was Paul's first credit, and he went on to appear in The Saint (1968), Boy Meets Girl (1969), UFO (1970), Arthur of the Britons (1973), Edward the Seventh (1975), Within These Walls (1975), The Crezz (1976), Miss Jones and Son (1977), Lillie (1978), Babylon (1981), The Member for Chelsea (1981), Brideshead Revisited (1981), Shroud for a Nightingale (1984), First Among Equals (1986), A Sort of Innocence (1987) and Cause Celebre (1987).
Facts
See images from Peter's career in the 1960s here.
John Halstead (Monoid voice) Born May 30th 1936
Career highlights
Other credits include King of the River (1966), Poor Cow (1967), The Sweeney (1975), Murphy's Mob (1985), Little Dorrit (1988), Waiting for God (1991), Minder (1993), Treasure Island (1995), My Hero (2001) and Top Boy (2023). He also regularly played Arnold Capper in General Hospital (1973-75).
Facts
John (born Michael Ross), now a seasoned stage performer, has a close connection with the Queen's Theatre in Hornchurch. In 2018 he published the first volume of his autobiography, No Expectations: The Tale of an East End Orphan Growing Up.
Stephanie Heesom (Guardian) Born June 25th 1942
Career highlights
Other credits include Hugh and I (1966), Dixon of Dock Green (1966), George and the Dragon (1966), Adam Adamant Lives! (1967), All Gas and Gaiters (1969), Marty (1968/69) and Under and Over (1971).
Facts
She left acting to open an antiques shop in London. In 1990, Stephanie was diagnosed with breast cancer, and ever since has been a campaigner, support worker and even head of trustees for Breast Cancer Care (under her married name of Stephanie Jacobs). In 2025, she received the Helpline Lifetime Service Award for her work with Breast Cancer Now.
Eileen Helsby (Venussa) Born June 30th 1937
Career highlights
Eileen's career began in The Happiest Days of Your Life (1961), followed by roles in The Flying Swan (1965), Broome Stages (1966), The First Lady (1969), Doomwatch (1970), Owen M.D (1971), Cakes and Ale (1974), Looking for Clancy (1975), Fathers and Families (1977), The Copyist (1978), My Son, My Son (1979), The History of Mr Polly (1980), Juliet Bravo (1980), Maybury (1981), Red Monarch (1983), Strangers and Brothers (1984), By the Sword Divided (1985), Bergerac (1985), Bust (1987), The Bill (1990) and My Kingdom for a Hose (1991). She regularly played Prudence Penrose in soap The Newcomers (1967) and Charmian Wentworth in Survivors (1975).
Facts
She later married and emigrated to Connecticut, USA.
Inigo Jackson (Zentos) July 19th 1933 to August 25th 2001
Career highlights
Other credits include Becket (1964), The Brigand of Kandahar (1965), The Trygon Factor (1966), Z Cars (1967), Man in a Suitcase (1968), Hell Boats (1970), Ivanhoe (1970), Twins of Evil (1971), Better Than the Movies (1972), The Death of Adolf Hitler (1973) and Wolfshead: The Legend of Robin Hood (1974).
Facts
Born Anthony Michael Jackson, he changed his name to Inigo after leaving drama school as he believed the name Michael Jackson was too mundane-sounding for a career in showbusiness...
Kate Newman (Mellium)
Career highlights
Kate's only other credit is in a 1966 Armchair Theatre.
Can you help?
There is a possibility that Kate was actually actress Kay Dotrice (wife of the actor Roy Dotrice) who went by the name Kay Newman in the 1960s. There is a Kate Newman who lived 1929-2007, just like Kay Dotrice, so they could be the same person. Does anybody know? To help, I've created a montage of images at the foot of this entry of Kate Newman in The Ark, Kay Dotrice as Mrs Crisp in Crossroads in 1978, as well as Kay Dotrice pictured in 1995. I reckon it is her, but I'm not sure. Leave a comment if you can help!
Michael Sheard (Rhos) June 18th 1938 to August 31st 2005 (cancer)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Rhos in The Ark (1966)
Played: Dr Summers in The Mind of Evil (1971)
Played: Laurence Scarman in Pyramids of Mars (1975)
Played: Lowe in The Invisible Enemy (1977)
Played: Mergrave in Castrovalva (1982)
Played: Headmaster in Remembrance of the Daleks (1988)
Career highlights
Michael was a prolific character actor, appearing in over 120 productions, starting in a 1962 episode of Suspense. Further roles included The Likely Lads (1965), Adam Adamant Lives! (1966), The Gamblers (1967), The Borderers (1969), Albert! (1969), The Adventures of Don Quick (1970), Paul Temple (1971), Merry-Go-Round (1971), The Onedin Line (1972), On the Buses (1973), The Sweeney (1975), Space: 1999 (1975), Warship (1976), The New Avengers (1976), The Cedar Tree (1976), The Tomorrow People (1978), Blake's 7 (1980), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), The Walls of Jericho (1981), Take a Letter Mr Jones (1981), The Outsider (1983), Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1983-84), The Invisible Man (1984), Bulman (1985), Knights of God (1987), Hannay (1988), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Saracen (1989), The Darling Buds of May (1991), 'Allo 'Allo (1992), Takin' Over the Asylum (1994), Another Life (2001), The Green Door (2005) and Shadows in the Woods (2006). Michael had a regular role as Mr McKinley in Maggie (1981-82) and as Mr Bronson in children's school series Grange Hill (1985-89).
Facts
During his career, he played Adolf Hitler five times, and Heinrich Himmler three times. He acted alongside five Doctors in the TV series, and a sixth (Paul McGann) in audio story The Stones of Venice (2001). Michael was the one to formally identify actor Declan Mulholland (who appeared in The Sea Devils and The Androids of Tara) at the police mortuary after he was found dead on a train.
Roy Skelton (Monoid voice) July 20th 1931 to June 8th 2011 (pneumonia following a stroke)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Voice of the Monoids in The Ark (1966)
Played: Voice of the Cybermen in The Tenth Planet (1966), The Wheel in Space (1968)
Played: Control technician in The Tenth Planet (1966, uncredited)
Played: Voice of the Daleks in The Evil of the Daleks (1967), Planet of the Daleks (1973), Genesis of the Daleks (1975), Destiny of the Daleks (1979), The Five Doctors (1983), Revelation of the Daleks (1985), Remembrance of the Daleks (1988). He also performed Dalek voices for the Comic Relief spoof The Curse of Fatal Death (1999)
Played: Computer voice in The Ice Warriors (1967)
Played: Voice of the Krotons in The Krotons (1968-69)
Played: Norton in Colony in Space (1971)
Played: Wester in Planet of the Daleks (1973)
Played: James in The Green Death (1973)
Played: Chedaki in The Android Invasion (1975)
Played: King Rokon in The Hand of Fear (1976)
Career highlights
As a specialist voice artist, Roy also provided voices for A Rubovian Legend (1958-59), Out of the Unknown (1967) and Ghosts of Albion (2003-04). Roy's most famous voices, apart from the Daleks, were for Zippy and George in the children's series Rainbow (1973-92), for which he also wrote 28 scripts. As an actor, Roy's CV includes The Comedy of Errors (1954), Detective (1964), Quick Before They Catch Us (1966), Z Cars (1968), Fraud Squad (1969), Ivanhoe (1970), The Last of the Mohicans (1971), Take a Chance (1980-81), Alice in Wonderland (1986) and four episodes of The Bill (1989-98).
Roy Spencer (Manyak)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Manyak in The Ark (1966)
Played: Harris in Fury from the Deep (1968)
Career highlights
Roy's career began uncredited in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), then The Reception (1961), Zero One (1963), Our Man at St Mark's (1965), R3 (1965), Help! (1965), The Dark Number (1967), The Expert (1969), Macbeth (1970), War and Peace (1972-73), The Bellcrest Story (1973), Dracula (1973), Barry Lyndon (1975), Peer Gynt (1977), Grange Hill (1978), Julius Caesar (1979), Break in the Sun (1981), The Gentle Touch (1983), Bergerac (1983), Howards' Way (1986), The Rainbow (1988), Bomber Harris (1989), EastEnders (1989) and Campion (1990).
Facts
Roy is an authority on the life and works of D H Lawrence, having written books and a one-man stage show about him.
Terence Woodfield (Maharis) September 18th 1931 to March 4th 2016
Doctor Who credits
Played: Celation in The Daleks' Master Plan (1965-66)
Played: Maharis in The Ark (1966)
Career highlights
Terence started out in Boyd QC (1961), then The Hidden Truth (1964), Object Z (1965), Object Z Returns (1966), The Inside Man (1969), Doctor in the House (1970), Robert's Robots (1973), Get Some In! (1978), The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1979) and The Tomorrow People (1979).
Doctor Who credits
Played: Celation in The Daleks' Master Plan (1965-66)
Played: Maharis in The Ark (1966)
Career highlights
Terence started out in Boyd QC (1961), then The Hidden Truth (1964), Object Z (1965), Object Z Returns (1966), The Inside Man (1969), Doctor in the House (1970), Robert's Robots (1973), Get Some In! (1978), The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1979) and The Tomorrow People (1979).
Facts
Terence was credited as playing Celation in episodes 8 and 11 of The Daleks' Master Plan, whereas actor Ian East played Celation uncredited in episode 2. Both actors passed away in 2016, just four weeks apart.
Brian Wright (Dassuk)
Career highlights
Brian made his acting debut in Cheerio Lou (1961), then appeared in The Alderman (1962), Emergency Ward 10 (1962), Compact (1963), Z Cars (1965), The Canal Children (1976), No Room to Run (1978) and Case for the Defence (1978). However, he was principally a writer, on series such as Trapped (1967), Skippy (1969), Spyforce (1971-73), The Canal Children (1976), The Young Doctors (1977), No Room to Run (1977), Case for the Defence (1978) and Golden Soak (1979). He also wrote scripts for productions such as Adventure Unlimited (1965), Trapped (1967), Contrabandits (1968), Skippy the Bush Kangaroo (1969), The Long Arm (1970), Lane End (1972), Catch Kandy (1973), Childhood (1974), Luke's Kingdom (1976), Crown Court (1975-79), Skyways (1979), Carson's Law (1983) and The Flying Doctors (1989). He was also the creator of the Australian war drama Spyforce (1971) and was script editor on series such as Maelstrom (1985), Oliver Twist (1985) and Chain (1990).
CREW
Career highlights
Paul's other writing credits include Three Steps to the Gallows (1953), The Green Carnation (1955), The New Adventures of Charlie Chan (1957), Kill Her Gently (1957), Interpol Calling (1960), Night of the Prowler (1962), The Saint (1964), Out of the Unknown (1965), Paul Temple (1970), Freewheelers (1971) and Rogue's Rock (1974). Paul started out as an actor, in productions such as Old Mother Riley Overseas (1943), The Adding Machine (1948), The Petrified Forest (1951) and White Fire (1953).
Facts
Paul claimed that his co-credit to Lesley Scott was a personal arrangement with his then wife, but later research has found no trace of Paul ever marrying a person of that name. Somebody called Lesley Scott also wrote stories for some of the World Distributors Doctor Who annuals, but there is no established connection between the two. There is a theory among researchers that "Lesley Scott" was a pseudonym for Paul's real-life first wife, the Italian Gemma Vitale (aka Gemma Sighe), born September 1st 1930, married 1951. By 1986, Paul was married to somebody else, so whatever happened to Gemma/ Lesley is a mystery. Whatever the truth, Paul claimed Lesley played no part in the script-writing process. Had it not been for this misleading credit, it would not be until 1983 that a woman received a writing credit on Doctor Who.
Career highlights
Michael had previously directed Compact (1963-64), Mary Barton (1964), Swizzlewick (1964), The Flying Swan (1965) and Buddenbrooks (1965). He had also adapted Dear Charles for television (1961), and wrote two episodes of Storyboard (1961). In 1963 he script edited 10 episodes of soap Compact, and two of Out of the Unknown in 1966.
Facts
Michael's wife was eminent educator Dame Tamsyn Imison, and his brother was dramatist Richard Imison. Just before completing work on The Ark, Michael was made redundant by the BBC and later became a literary agent with a particular focus on authors and poets from the former Eastern bloc. Additionally, his agency represented the likes of Noel Coward, Terence Rattigan, David Edgar and Mary O'Malley. In 1978, Imison and O'Malley were involved in a car accident, hitting a lamppost, which resulted in O'Malley being unable to write for the next two years. In 1985, O'Malley sued Imison for damages and was awarded £55,000 in costs. Michael also founded the Noel Coward Society, has worked for the British Humanist Association, and has acted as chair of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Society. He has also occasionally worked as a Salman Rushdie lookalike!
Gerry Davis (script editor) February 23rd 1930 to August 31st 1991 (stomach cancer) Click here for Gerry Davis's entry on The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve
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| Kate Newman montage - click to enlarge |
While looking around, I found a source saying that KATE NEWMAN was born on 9 May 1929 and died on 2 August 2007 (http://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=12801) from a heart attack. However, the US IMDb did not have this information on her page. The closest thing I discovered to this information was that the dates tally with the actress Kay Dotrice, the late wife of actor Roy Dotrice. She was born Katherine Newman and during the 1960s, she was credited with this name as well as Kay Newman. Could she have also used Kate Newman? Are they the same person? Maybe it’s something you could ask on her entry like you’ve done with EDWARD PHILLIPS.
ReplyDeleteHave you had a chance to listen to the DVD commentary for 'The Ark'? It's possible that there's a reference on there to the question involving the identity of Kate Newman/Kay Dotrice. I haven't listened to it yet myself, but I know that actor Peter Purves & director Michael Imison provide the commentary, so one of them may say something about it. I'll try to check it out soon. :)
ReplyDeleteLooking at IMDB it agrees with you that Kate Newman/Kay Dotrice is the same person. Having just done a very quick online search there is reference to her stage name regarding a convention in the US, not Doctor Who related.
ReplyDeleteThere's a picture on Getty Images of Roy Dotrice with Kay and their daughters Yvette and Karen. Somehow, I don't think it resembles Melium (looks older). It's taken less than a year after The Ark.
ReplyDeletehttps://media.gettyimages.com/photos/british-actor-roy-dotrice-with-his-wife-actress-kay-newman-and-their-picture-id970352138
You've asked if anyone has a picture of LESLEY SCOTT. The below thread talks about PAUL ERICKSON and how he married a Gemma Vitale/Sighe in 1951. He didn't marry anyone else between then and 1986 so could she be the elusive Lesley?
ReplyDeletehttps://forums.deathlist.net/topic/8572-deadpool-detective-work/?page=7
To this effect, I have found Brazillian travel records for the couple in 1950 (his real name being Frederick Redwood Watts). Her birthdate is given as 1 September 1930. After that, I don't know if she died, moved abroad or is still alive.
https://imgur.com/ZtiTgQr.jpg (possible passport shot)