The Stones of Blood

Vivien Fay (Susan Engel) tries to
out-stare the Doctor (Tom Baker).
She lost, obviously.

Four episodes (Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four)
First broadcast Oct 28 to Nov 18 1978
Average audience for serial: 8.03m

• A pictorial guide to the guest cast is at the bottom of this entry

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

Gerald Cross (Megara voice) Feb 20 1912 to Feb 26 1981
Doctor Who credits
Played: White Guardian voice in The Stones of Blood (1978, uncredited)
Played: Megara voice in The Stones of Blood (1978)
Career highlights
Gerald debuted in The Man with the Cloak Full of Holes (1946), after which he appeared in The Olive Jar (1955), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955), The Adventures of the Big Man (1956), The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956), A Time of Day (1957), William Tell (1958), Our Mutual Friend (1958-59), Law and Disorder (1958), Bleak House (1959), The World of Tim Frazer (1960), Murder She Said (1961), The Avengers (1962), Murder Ahoy (1964), The Scarlet and the Black (1965), The Newcomers (1967), Doctor in Charge (1972), Doctor on the Go (1975-77), Rumpole's Return (1980) and Bless Me Father (1978/81).
Facts
He was married to actress Nuna Davey.

Susan Engel (Vivien Fay) Born Mar 25 1935
Career highlights
Austrian born Susan first appeared in The Comedy of Errors (1964) before taking roles in The Wars of the Roses (1965), A Farewell to Arms (1966), The Rat Catchers (1966), Charlie Bubbles (1967), The Queen's Traitor (1967), Inspector Clouseau (1968), King Lear (1971), The Lotus Eaters (1973), Moody and Pegg (1975), The Barry Humphries Show (1977), Armchair Thriller: Quiet as a Nun (1978), Scorpion Tales (1978), Hopscotch (1980), We'll Meet Again (1982), A Kind of Alaska (1984), Damage (1992), Inspector Morse (1997), Underworld (1997), Trial and Retribution (2002), Dalziel and Pascoe (2005), Afterlife (2005), The Cafe (2011/13) and Holby City (2016). She will be best remembered as Helen Bourne in the series The Cedar Tree (1976).
Facts
Susan's husband is fellow actor Sylvester Morand.

Elaine Ives-Cameron (Martha) Dec 5 1938 to Nov 15 2006
Career highlights
Debuting in Illegal Abortion (1966), American-born Elaine's further roles include Codename (1970), The Road Builder (1971), The Message (1977), Terror (1978), Murder By Decree (1979), Ragtime (1981), Supergirl (1984), Dempsey and Makepeace (1985), Northanger Abbey (1987), Selling Hitler (1991), Revenge of Billy the Kid (1992), Dead Babies (2000) and Time Trumpet (2006).
Facts
Elaine was particularly prolific on the stage, having written and performed the one-woman show Sylvia Plath: Reflections in a Psychic Landscape. In the early 1990s Elaine was embroiled in a bitter legal battle to evict squatters from her home after a former tenant, who failed to pay rent, brought in other illegal occupiers and locked her out of her own home. She wrote about her ordeal in the Independent in 1994.

Beatrix Lehmann (Professor Rumford) Jul 1 1903 to Jul 31 1979 (following a stroke)
Career highlights
Beatrix's earliest screen credit was in The Passing of the Third Floor Back (1935), and later had roles in Strangers on Honeymoon (1936), Candles at Nine (1944), The Key (1958), Operation Snafu (1961), The Ghost Sonata (1962), The Spread of the Eagle (1963), The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966), Out of the Unknown (1967, the episode The Prophet, which featured the black versions of the White Robots from The Mind Robber), The Portrait of a Lady (1968), Staircase (1969), Paul Temple (1970), Affairs of the Heart (1975), Just William (1977), Love for Lydia (1977), Armchair Thriller: The Limbo Connection (1977), The Cat and the Canary (1979) and Crime and Punishment (1979).
Facts
Beatrix started her acting career predominantly on the classical stage in the 1920s, moving into TV and films in later life. Beatrix was also an author, having written books such as Rumour of Heaven (1934) and a number of short stories. Her father was writer Rudolph Chambers Lehmann, who most famously wrote for Punch magazine and was founding editor of Granta magazine, and was also Liberal MP for Harborough between 1906-10. Her brother was poet and writer John Lehmann, one of the 20th century's foremost literary editors and a contemporary of Virginia Woolf; her sister was author Rosamond Lehmann, a member of the infamous Bloomsbury set; and her great-uncles were artists Henri and Rudolf Lehmann. Beatrix was a strong, openly gay woman throughout her career, and her links to homosexuality don't end there - sister Rosamond's most popular book Dusty Answer (1927) boldly depicted homosexuality among the university set of the age, while brother John was a key chronicler of gay male life in London during World War Two. Beatrix was also a friend of gay author Christopher Isherwood, who dedicated his The Berlin Stories (the basis for the musical Cabaret) to Beatrix and John Lehmann. It is also thought Beatrix may have enjoyed a sexual relationship with infamous Hollywood legend Tallulah Bankhead in the 1920s during a period when she was understudying Bankhead in a series of plays in London. Beatrix suffered a stroke in May 1979. At the time of her death, Beatrix had been in a relationship with actor Shelagh Fraser (best known as Aunt Beru in Star Wars: A New Hope) for 15 years. Beatrix left Shelagh her house, but her sister Rosamond prevented her from inheriting the property. Thirteen portraits of Beatrix are housed by London's National Portrait Gallery.

David McAlister (Megara voice) Apr 2 1951 to Jun 26 2015 (cancer)
Career highlights
Debuted in The Human Jungle (1964), and was then cast in Secret Army (1977), The Sandbaggers (1978), Triangle (1982), Widows 2 (1985), Brookside (1985), Kit Curran (1986), A Taste for Death (1988), Traffik (1989), Waterfront Beat (1991), Specials (1991), Harry Enfield and Chums (1994), Fatherland (1994), Bugs (1995), Rab C Nesbitt (1996), Cor, Blimey! (2000), Starhunter (2000), Two Thousand Acres of Sky (2003), Time Commanders (2003), Red Cap (2004), Mike Bassett: Manager (2005), Silk (2014), Holby City (2014) and Starhunter ReduX (2018). He also narrated 16 episodes of the children's series Time Commanders (2003) and played rapist Dennis Richardson in soap Hollyoaks in 1999 and 2003. He was a prolific voice actor and worked extensively in this field, including voiceovers for commercials for HSBC Bank, Kleenex tissues and Marks and Spencer.
Facts
David played Friedrich Von Trapp in the original West End production of The Sound of Music in the early 1960s.

Nicholas McArdle (De Vries) Born 1940
Career highlights
Nicholas started out playing various roles in the series Broaden Your Mind (1968-69), and was then cast in Softly Softly (1969), The Gnomes of Dulwich (1969), The Liver Birds (1971), Colditz (1974), Heidi (1974), Late Call (1975),The Howerd Confessions (1976), Little Lord Fauntleroy (1976), The Mike Reid Show (1978), Z Cars (1978), Butterflies (1978), Porridge (1979), To the Manor Born (1979-80), The Goodies (1980), The Flipside of Dominick Hyde (1980), Only When I Laugh (1982), No Place Like Home (1984/86), Wipe Out (1988), Taggart (1990), Strathblair (1992-93) and Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War (2000).
In 2017 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Nicholas here.

James Murray (Camper) Aug 6 1952 to Aug 5 1981 (suicide)
Career highlights
James's other credits include The Fenn Street Gang (1971), The Dancing Years (1976), Raffles (1977), 1990 (1978) and An Ordered Life (1980).
Facts
James (real full name Michael Murray James) was the son of actor and DJ Peter Murray OBE, a BBC and commercial radio DJ and presenter of Top of the Pops. James suffered from depression and drug addiction, which led to him taking his own life one day before his birthday.

Shirin Taylor (Camper) 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

David Fisher (writer) Apr 13 1929 to Jan 10 2018
Doctor Who credits
Wrote: The Stones of Blood (1978), The Androids of Tara (1978), The Creature from the Pit (1979), The Leisure Hive (1980), and provided the original concept for what became City of Death (1979).
Career highlights
David's other writing work includes Between the Lines (1965), This Man Craig (1966-67), Orlando (1967), Dixon of Dock Green (1969), Crime of Passion (1971), The Troubleshooters (1969-71), The Lotus Eaters (1972), Sutherland's Law (1973), Crown Court (1972-75), General Hospital (1975-77), The Mackinnons (1977), Hammer House of Horror (1980) and Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense (1984). David also wrote several non-fiction books about World War Two with Anthony Read, his sometime script editor on Doctor Who.
Facts
He submitted a script entitled A Gamble with Time for Doctor Who's 17th season, but due to a tricky divorce he had to withdraw, and the concept became City of Death, one of the series' best loved stories.

Darrol Blake (director) Born May 15 1937
Career highlights
Darrol started his TV career as a production designer on the likes of Quatermass II (1955), Blue Peter (the original set from 1958), Peridot Flight (1960), What's New? (1962), Pops and Lenny (1963), Tricks 'n' Nixon (1963), Crackerjack! (1962-63), The Graham Stark Show (1964), Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life (1964-65), The World of Wooster (1965-66), Adam Adamant Lives! (1966) and The Dream (1967), but then moved into directing programmes such as BBC3 (1965-66), The Late Show (1966-67), Paul Temple (1971), The Onedin Line (1971), Doomwatch (1971-72), Ace of Wands (1972), Harriet's Back in Town (1973), The Tomorrow People (1974), Shadows (1975), Crossroads (1976-77), Coronation Street (1977), The Boy Merlin (1979), Triangle (1981-83), Tucker's Luck (1984-85, which he also produced), EastEnders (1989-90), 77 episodes of soap Emmerdale (1977-94), Brookside (1987-95) and Family Affairs (1997).
Facts
Darrol is married to actress Anne Cunningham, who may be best remembered as Linda Cheveski in soap Coronation Street (1960-84).
In 2016 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Darrol here.

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

Click to enlarge

The Pirate Planet

The Pirate Captain (Bruce Purchase)
ponders his next dastardly move

Four episodes (Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four)
First broadcast Sep 30 to Oct 21 1978
Average audience for serial: 8.28m

• A pictorial guide to the guest cast is at the bottom of this entry

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

Clive Bennett (Citizen) Born Aug 10 1942
Clive's only other credit is Who Do You Do (1976).

Bernard Finch (Mentiad) Feb 11 1939 to Oct 15 1990
Career highlights
Debuting in An Age of Kings (1960), Bernard's further credits include The Spread of the Eagle (1963), The Liars (1966), Signpost (1966), Blackmail (1966), Out of the Unknown (1969), Merry-Go-Round (1971), The Regiment (1973), Tycoon (1978), Robin's Nest (1981), I Remember Nelson (1982), Lytton's Diary (1985) and The Bill (1989/90).

Adam Kurakin (Guard) Oct 21 1945 to Apr 8 1989
Career highlights
Born as Richard Parsons, Adam debuted in The Mating Machine (1970), then Doomwatch (1970), Colditz (1974), Accident (1978), Enemy at the Door (1980) and The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare (1982-84).

Rosalind Lloyd (Nurse) Born Mar 25 1953
Career highlights
Debuted in Menace (1970), and then took roles in Wives and Daughters (1971), The Wild Geese (1978), A Question of Guilt (1980), Inseminoid (1981), Only Fools and Horses (1982), Bergerac (1984), The Optimist (1985) and The Noshing with Nina Show (2017).
Facts
Rosalind is the daughter of film producer Euan Lloyd and actress Jane Hylton, who sadly died of a heart attack four months after The Pirate Planet aired. Rosalind's stepfather was actor Peter Dyneley, the voice of Thunderbird Jeff Tracy. In the 1980s Rosalind appeared in an in-store promotional video for Hoover.

Ralph Michael (Balaton) Sep 26 1907 to Nov 9 1994
Career highlights
Ralph enjoyed a long career, beginning with False Evidence (1937), and then The Girl Who Forgot (1940), Gert and Daisy Clean Up (1943), They Came to a City (1944), Dead of Night (1945), Emma (1948), Breaking the Sound Barrier (1952), The Count of Monte Cristo (1956), A Night to Remember (1958), Date at Midnight (1959), The World of Tim Frazer (1960-61), It Happened Like This (1962-63), Children of the Damned (1963), The Heroes of Telemark (1965), Khartoum (1966), The Avengers (1969), Gazette (1968), Doctor in the House (1969-70), Doctor At Large (1971), Justice (1974), Hadleigh (1976), Rob Roy (1977), The Devil's Crown (1978), A Tale of Two Cities (1980), Kessler (1981), The Borgias (1981), Scarecrow and Mrs King (1984), Dempsey and Makepeace (1985), Empire of the Sun (1987), A Bit of Fry and Laurie (1990), Selling Hitler (1991), The Camomile Lawn (1992), Jeeves and Wooster (1990-93) and The All New Alexei Sayle Show (1994).
Facts
Ralph was married twice, to actresses Fay Compton (they divorced when he had an affair with actress Patricia Roc) and Joyce Heron.

Bruce Purchase (Captain) Oct 2 1938 to Jun 5 2008 (cancer)
Career highlights
6ft 2in New Zealander Bruce first appeared in The Newcomers (1965), then The Big Spender (19665), The Paradise Makers (1967), The Flaxton Boys (1969), Mary, Queen of Scots (1971), Doomwatch (1972), Alice Through the Looking Glass (1974, incidentally starring Nyssa actress Sarah Sutton as Alice), Fall of Eagles (1974), Clayhanger (1976), The New Avengers (1976), I, Claudius (1976), London Belongs To Me (1977), A Horseman Riding By (1978), Quatermass IV (1979), The Quiz Kid (1979), Blake's 7 (1979), Freud (1984), The Tripods (1985), Casanova (1987), Law and Disorder (1994), David (1997), Killer Net (1998), ChuckleVision (2000) and Another Life (2001).
Facts
Bruce was a founding actor-member of Sir Laurence Olivier's National Theatre. Bruce became seriously ill while touring with the production The Last Confession in 2007. Bruce was once declared bankrupt, and emerged from the hearing in court to encounter a tramp, to whom he confessed his difficult situation. He was so taken with the tramp's response - "Yes, it's happening to so many" - that he gave him the £6 in his pocket. Bruce was married for a time to New Zealand historical novelist Elspeth Sandys.

Andrew Robertson (Mr Fibuli) Born 1941
Career highlights
Andrew's first credit was in The Master of Ballantrae (1962), then The Likely Lads (1966), Far from the Madding Crowd (1967), The Rebellious Red Gauntlets (1970), Hold the Front Page (1974), Oil Strike North (1975), Blake's 7 (1979), Take the High Road (1980), One By One (1987), Colin's Sandwich (1988-90), KYTV (1992), The Blackheath Poisonings (1992), The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends (1995), Rab C Nesbitt (1996), The Creatives (1998), Gimme Gimme Gimme (2000) and Anybody's Nightmare (2001).

David Sibley (Pralix) Born Jul 16 1948
Career highlights
David debuted in Survivors (1976), and has since gone on to appear in Wings (1977), Rooms (1977), A Family Affair (1979), Blake's 7 (1980), An Inspector Calls (1982), Gandhi (1982), Stars of the Roller Skate Disco (1984), Willow (1988), Ruth Rendell Mysteries (1989), The Manageress (1989-90), Middlemarch (1994), Princess Caraboo (1994), Frontiers (1996), Guest House Paradiso (1999), Attachments (2000), Fun at the Funeral Parlour (2001), Judge John Deed (2001), Trial and Retribution (2007), Land Girls (2009), New Tricks (2012), Utopia (2013), Broadchurch (2013), Closed Circuit (2013), The Sleeping Room (2014), 45 Years (2015), War & Peace (2016) and Vanity Fair (2018).

Primi Townsend (Mula) Born Mar 2 1951
Career highlights
Primi's other credits include Harriet's Back in Town (1972), My Honourable Mrs (1975), Schizo (1976), 1990 (1978), Tycoon (1978), Blake's 7 (1980), Bergerac (1984), Lame Ducks (1984), Life Without George (1987) and Grange Hill (1991).

David Warwick (Kimus) Born Jan 15 1948

Doctor Who credits

Played: Kimus in The Pirate Planet (1978)

Played: Police Commissioner in Army of Ghosts (2006)

Career highlights

David debuted in Savage Messiah (1972), then Buggins' Ermine (1972), The Prince of Denmark (1974), The Glittering Prizes (1976), The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976, as son Mark Perrin), Ripping Yarns (1979), Shelley (1980), Dear John (1987), On the Up (1990), The Bill (1990), Peak Practice (1994), All About Me (2002), EastEnders (2012), Surviving the Impact: A Tale of Restorative Justice (2015) and Trust Me Babydoll (2019).

Facts

David is the ex-partner of Doctor Who companion Louise Jameson.

Note: Although uncredited for her role as Old Xanxia, Vi Delmar (Sep 26 1902 to Nov 26 1994) deserves a mention here, if just for the fact she asked for extra payment to remove her false teeth in her scenes! She also appeared in No Hiding Place (1963), A Little Big Business (1965), Z Cars (1970), Within These Walls (1975/78) and Everyday Maths (1978).

CREW

Douglas Adams (writer) Mar 11 1952 to May 11 2001 (heart attack)
Doctor Who credits
Wrote: The Pirate Planet (1978), City of Death (1979, as David Agnew), Shada (1980, unbroadcast)
Script edited: Destiny of the Daleks, City of Death, The Creature from the Pit, Nightmare of Eden, The Horns of Nimon, Shada (unbroadcast) (1979-80)
Career highlights
Douglas is most famous for writing the BBC radio series The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy in 1978, which then became a series of books (1979-92), a TV series (1981), a film (2005), a stage play, a computer game and even a bath towel. Douglas's first TV writing was for Monty Python's Flying Circus (1974), followed by Out of the Trees (1976), Doctor on the Go (1977), Doctor Snuggles (1979), Not the Nine O'Clock News (1979) and Hyperland (1990). He also made appearances in front of the camera in Monty Python's Flying Circus, Out of the Trees, The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy and Rockstar (2000).
Facts
Douglas, who was heavily involved in computer technology, created the Digital Village/ h2g2, and inspired the online encyclopedia Babelfish. It was Douglas who popularised the now commonly accepted belief that 42 is the answer to life, the universe and everything. He owned the first two Apple Macintosh computers ever in the UK. Douglas also wrote the Dirk Gently series of novels, and a short-lived TV series of the same name based on them was made by the BBC 2010/12. Further trivia... Douglas helped come up with the title for Pink Floyd's 1994 album The Division Bell... He was part of the team that originally founded the UK charity Comic Relief in 1985... There are asteroids named after both Douglas and his Hitch Hikers "hero" Arthurdent... Towel Day is celebrated every year on May 25 by fans as a tribute to Douglas, on which people carry a towel around with them all day because "a towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have", according to his multi-million selling book!

Pennant Roberts (director) Dec 15 1940 to Jun 22 2010 (cancer)
Doctor Who credits
Directed: The Face of Evil (1977), The Sun Makers (1977), The Pirate Planet (1978), Shada (1980, unfinished), Warriors of the Deep (1984), Timelash (1985)
Career highlights
Pennant's directing career began with Doomwatch in 1972, followed by work on The Regiment (1973), Sutherland's Law (1974), Oil Strike North (1975), Survivors (1975-76), Blake's 7 (1978), The Onedin Line (1979), Juliet Bravo (1980), Tenko (1981), Cold Warriors (1984), Howards' Way (1985), The Snow Spider (1988, for which he was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Children's Drama), The Bubblegum Brigade (1989), Emlyn's Moon (1990), The Chestnut Soldier (1991), Crime Story (1992), Wycliffe (1993) and The Sherman Plays (1993-97). He also acted as producer on a handful of these latter series.
Facts
Pennant was also chairman of the Directors' and Producers' Rights Society (now Directors UK), vice-president of the Strasbourg European Film Forum, chair of Media Skills Wales, a governor of the Welsh College of Music and Drama, and a board member of Sgrîn, the Welsh audiovisual media agency. He campaigned for many years for the rights of actors and directors to receive fees when programmes are repeated on television.

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

Click to enlarge

The Ribos Operation

The Doctor (Tom Baker) meets his new
assistant, Romanadvoratrelundar
(Mary Tamm)

Four episodes (Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four)
First broadcast Sep 2 to 23 1978
Average audience for serial: 8.13m

• A pictorial guide to the guest cast is at the bottom of this entry

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)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Romana in The Ribos Operation, The Pirate Planet, The Stones of Blood, The Androids of Tara, The Power of Kroll, The Armageddon Factor (1978-79)
Career highlights
Mary's earliest TV was Hunter's Walk (1973), followed by The Donati Conspiracy (1973), Tales That Witness Madness (1973), Coronation Street (1973/2002), A Raging Calm (1974), The Odessa File (1974), The Girls of Slender Means (1975), Whodunnit? (1975), The Likely Lads (1976), Return of the Saint (1978), Rampage (1978), Only When I Laugh (1981), Jane Eyre (1983), Bergerac (1984), The Hello Goodbye Man (1984), Three Kinds of Heat (1987), Poirot (1989), Perfect Scoundrels (1991), Crime Traveller (1997), The New Adventures of Robin Hood (1997), Sorted (2000), Amazons and Gladiators (2001), Jonathan Creek (2001), Paradise Heights (2002), Twisted Tales (2005), Holby City (2006), Diamond Geezer (2007), Wire in the Blood (2008), Doghouse (2009) and EastEnders (2009). Mary had a regular role in soap Brookside (1993-96) as Penny Crosbie, and also played Jill Fraser in two series - The Assassination Run (1980) and The Treachery Game (1981). Mary reprised the role of Romana for Big Finish's audio plays from 2005.
Facts
Mary's first language was Estonian, and she didn't learn English until she started school. Tragically, Mary's husband Marcus Ringrose collapsed and died on August 7th 2012, just hours after returning from his wife's funeral, and 12 days since Mary's death. Initial reports suggested a heart attack, but a post mortem could find no evidence of this - his heart had simply stopped beating (Sudden Adult Death Syndrome). He was sitting at his computer writing thank you letters to people who had passed on their condolences since Mary's passing. The double tragedy left their daughter Lauren, 32, and grandson Max, seven.

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

GUEST CAST

Timothy Bateson (Binro) Apr 3 1926 to Sep 16 2009
Career highlights
The enormously prolific Timothy's earliest screen credit was in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby in 1947, after which he appeared in The Outsider (1948), White Corridors (1951), Richard III (1955), The Adventures of Peter Simple (1957), Mother Courage and Her Children (1959), The Mouse That Roared (1959), Barnaby Rudge (1960), The Girl on the Boat (1961), The Unstoppable Man (1961), No Place Like Homicide! (1961), Ring-a-Ding Rhythm! (1962), Crooks Anonymous (1962), Nightmare (1964), The Knack... and How to Get It (1965), Champion House (1967), Torture Garden (1967), The Anniversary (1968), Twisted Nerve (1968), The Italian Job (1969), Shine a Light (1970), Both Ends Meet (1972), The Dick Emery Show (1976), All Creatures Great and Small (1978), Famous Five (1978-79), Chintz (1981), Grange Hill (1980-82), Ever Decreasing Circles (1984), Chelmsford 123 (1988), Morris Minor's Marvellous Motors (1989), 2Point4 Children (1992), Zorro (1990-93), Paul Merton's Life of Comedy (1995), Neverwhere (1996), Les Miserables (1998), Relic Hunter (2001), Barbara (2002), Midsomer Murders (1998-99/2005), My Hero (2006), Hogfather (2006) and Kreacher in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007).
Facts
Timothy's father was prestigious solicitor Sir Dingwall "Dingo" Latham Bateson, sometime financial advisor to Noel Coward, while his mother's father was composer Walter Galpin Alcock, who had the distinction of playing the organ at the coronation of three British monarchs (Edward VII, George V and George VI). Timothy's wife was actress Sheila Shand Gibbs.

Iain Cuthbertson (Garron) Jan 4 1930 to Sep 4 2009
Career highlights
Iain's screen debut came in 1957's The Boy David, followed by roles in 1960's Para Handy - Master Mariner, Storm in a Teacup (1962), Adam Adamant Lives! (1966), The Avengers (1969), Department S (1970), The Railway Children (1970), Tom Brown's Schooldays (1971), The Chastity Belt (1971), The Stone Tape (1972), Scotch on the Rocks (1973), Caesar and Cleopatra (1976), Children of the Stones (1977), Survivors (1977), The Standard (1978), Danger UXB (1979), The Walls of Jericho (1981), Vice Versa (1981), The Assam Garden (1985), Bulman (1987), Gorillas in the Mist (1988), Scandal (1989), Rab C Nesbitt (1988/90/92), Seaforth (1994), The Tales of Para Handy (1995), The Baldy Man (1997), Brotherly Love (2000) and Strictly Sinatra (2001). He is indelibly linked with the roles of Charlie Endell in both Budgie (1971-72) and Charles Endell Esq (1979-80), as well as John Sutherland in Sutherland's Law (1973-76). He also had a regular role as Sir Walter Ker of Cessford in The Borderers (1968-70) and baddie Scunner Campbell in Super Gran (1985-87).
Facts
Iain suffered a serious stoke in January 1982, leaving him with speech loss and partial paralysis, and which led to him giving up stage acting. But after an 18-month recovery period he returned to TV acting as he had the opportunity of multiple takes which were not possible on stage. His first wife was actress Anne Kristen. As associate director of the Royal Court in 1965, Iain had been cautioned by the police for staging Edward Bond's Saved, with its notorious scene of a baby being stoned in a pram. His support of the play led to pressure for the 1968 Theatres Act and the abolition of stage censorship. Iain's father was medical researcher and nutritionist Sir David Cuthbertson (who co-founded the saline drip), in whose name the annual Cuthbertson Medal is awarded to promising young scientists, and the annual Sir David Cuthbertson Lectures are held at the Nutrition Society's Winter Meeting.

John Hamill (Shrieve) Born May 3 1947
Career highlights
John's other work includes A Dandy in Aspic (1968), The Beast in the Cellar (1970), Trog (1970), The Shadow of the Tower (1972), Horror on Snape Island (1972), The National Health (1973), Crossroads (1972-73), Space: 1999 (1975), Under the Bed (1977), The Dick Emery Christmas Show (1977), The Professionals (1978) and Black Sun (1978).
Facts
John left acting in the late 1970s as he wasn't making enough money, and opened his own pine furniture shop. One of the ways he tried to make a living acting in the 1970s was the ubiquitous sex movie, one of which he tried to direct and star in himself - Doing the Best I Can (1975) - which he never finished, but the making of which was chronicled in the Man Alive documentary Xploitation (interestingly, in 1995, David McGillivray claimed the Man Alive documentary was mostly a "pack of lies"). Years later, John said: "The sex movies ruined my career. But you know how it is, I was out of work, the birds were smashing, and I've always been a born flasher". As a "born flasher", he was referring to his earlier career in the 1960s as a physique model and bodybuilder (one of the first to pose nude in the UK), appearing on the cover of various beefcake publications and in 8mm "posing strap" films (here's one example of him stripping out of a leather/ PVC outfit). He also appeared in both straight and gay pornographic movies. Here he is shirtless and nude.

Prentis Hancock (Captain) Born May 14 1942
Doctor Who credits
Played: Second reporter in Spearhead from Space (1970)
Played: Vaber in Planet of the Daleks (1973)
Played: Salamar in Planet of Evil (1975)
Played: Captain in The Ribos Operation (1978)
Career highlights
Prentis debuted in Dr Finlay's Casebook (1969), then became prolific in the 1970s in series such as The Last of the Mohicans (1971), Z Cars (1971), The Shadow of the Tower (1972), Colditz (1973), The Protectors (1973), Life and Death of Penelope (1976), The New Avengers (1976), Survivors (1977), Return of the Saint (1979) and Secret Army (1979), followed by roles in Fox (1980), The House on the Hill (1981), Kim (1984), Defence of the Realm (1986), Bergerac (1989), Bodyguards (1997), CI5: The New Professionals (1999) and Outlander (2014). He may also be recognised as Lieutenant Saunders in Spy Trap (1972-73), Paul Morrow in Space: 1999 (1975-76) and Arnold Meyer in Chocky's Children (1985) and Chocky's Challenge (1986).
Facts
In 2010 Prentis wrote a children's book called Hotshot - A Chilling Tale.
In 2015 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Prentis here.

Robert Keegan (Sholakh) Dec 3 1924 to Jan 16 1988
Career highlights
Robert's earliest screen role was also the one he enjoyed most exposure with, playing Sergeant Bob Blackitt in over 100 episodes of Z Cars (1962-65) and then in Softly Softly (1966-67). After leaving the police franchise in May 1967, Robert found work in Julius Caesar (1970), All the Right Noises (1971), Straw Dogs (1971), Frenzy (1972), Endless Night (1972), Lizzie Dripping (1973), A Little Bit of Wisdom (1976), The Children of the New Forest (1977), Airline (1982), A Kind of Loving (1982), Crown Court (1983), Brookside (1985) and Business As Usual (1988). He also had three other regular roles, as Will Tarrant in The First Lady (1968-69), Horace Harris in sitcom Beryl's Lot (1973-77) and Maurice Froggitt in Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt (1976-77).

Cyril Luckham (White Guardian) Jul 25 1907 to Feb 8 1989 (heart attack)
Doctor Who credits
Played: White Guardian in The Ribos Operation (1978), Enlightenment (1983)
Career highlights
Cyril's earliest credit was in Query (1945), then The Poppenkast (1952), Immediate Disaster (1954), Out of the Clouds (1955), The End Begins (1956), How to Murder a Rich Uncle (1957), An Age of Kings (1960), Coronation Street (1960-61), Invasion Quartet (1961), Some People (1962), Billy Budd (1962), No Cloak No Dagger (1963), The Great War (1984), The Alphabet Murders (1965), The Forsyte Saga (1967), Angel Pavement (1967), Happy Deathday (1968), Ryan International (1970), On Trial (1970), he Guardians (1971), Scotch on the Rocks (1973), Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973-74), The Venturers (1975), The Lively Arts (1978), Return of the Saint (1979), The Omega Factor (1979), To Serve Them All My Days (1980-81), L for Lester (1982), The Barchester Chronicles (1982), Hallelujah! (1984), In Loving Memory (1986) and The Houseman's Tale (1987). Cyril also had a regular role as Charles Ashley in The Cedar Tree (1976-77).
Facts
Thomas Hardy fan Cyril was married to actress Violet Lamb, with whom he performed recitals at festivals and National Trust properties until his death. Cyril's son Robert Luckham appeared in The Power of the Daleks.

Oliver Maguire (Shrieve) Apr 17 1936 to Jan 10 2012
Career highlights
Oliver's earliest work was in The Sugar Cubes (1966), followed by Paul Temple (1971), The Fenn Street Gang (1971), Father Brown (1974), Hennessy (1975), The Ash Tree (1975), The XYY Man (1977), The Tomorrow People (1979), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Educating Rita (1983), Cover Her face (1985), Hidden Agenda (1990), In the Name of the Father (1993), The Hanging Gale (1995), Ballykissangel (1996), The Boxer (1997), Angela's Ashes (1999), Bloody Sunday (2002), Omagh (2004) and Pure Mule (2005).

Nigel Plaskitt (Unstoffe) Born Jul 27 1950
Career highlights
Nigel's acting career began with Warship in 1976, after which he took roles in Spy Story (1976), Young at Heart (1981), The Cleopatras (1983) and The Pickwick Papers (1985). However, he has been most successful as a puppeteer, working on the likes of Pipkins (1973-81), Spitting Image (1985-91), Labyrinth (1986), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Round the Bend! (1988), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Muppet Treasure Island (1996), Potamus Park (1997), Lost in Space (1998), Mopatop's Shop (2000), The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Bunnytown (2007), That Puppet Game Show (2013-14) and Muppets Most Wanted (2014), as well as providing various voices for the animated Captain Scarlet (2005) and puppeteering for TV commercials such as the ITV Digital/ PG Tips Monkey, and the Gorillaz live show Demon Days (2005).
Facts
Nigel is also the consultant for many touring live shows involving puppets, including Peppa Pig and Avenue Q. He might also be remembered as playing Malcolm in a series of TV commercials for Vicks Sinex nasal spray in the 1980s.

Paul Seed (Graff Vynda-K) Born Sep 18 1947
Career highlights
Paul started out as an actor but later went into directing. His other acting credits include Doomwatch (1972), The Double Dealers (1974), Survivors (1977), The Human Factor (1979), Escape (1980) and Tales of the Unexpected (1982), after which he moved behind the camera on productions such as Belles (1983), The Man from Moscow (1985), Fighting Back (1986), House of Cards (1990), To Play the King (1993), Have Your Cake and Eat It (1997), Murder Rooms (2000), Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (2002), New Tricks (2004), Lark Rise to Candleford (2010), Just William (2010), Blandings (2013) and Doc Martin (2011-13).
Awards
1999: BAFTA TV Award for Best Single Drama (A Rather English Marriage) - with Jo Willett and Andrew Davies
1999: Royal Television Society Award for Best Single Drama (A Rather English Marriage)
2001: International Emmy Award for Best Drama (Dirty Tricks) - with Jo Willett
2011: BAFTA Children's Award for Best Drama (Just William) - with John Chapman
Facts
Paul is married to actress Elizabeth Cassidy. Here he is, on Twitter!

Ann Tirard (The Seeker) 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

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

George Spenton-Foster (director) Nov 11 1926 to Dec 26 1993
Doctor Who credits
Directed: Image of the Fendahl (1977), The Ribos Operation (1978)
Career highlights
After starting out as a call boy on The Quatermass Experiment in 1953, George's directing CV begins with Dr Finlay's Casebook in 1963, and also includes Londoners (1965), Out of the Unknown (1965/66), Paul Temple (1971), The Brothers (1972), Survivors (1977), Blake's 7 (1979) and Cribb (1981). George also acted as associate producer on the sci-fi anthology series Out of the Unknown between 1965-67, and produced Boy Meets Girl (1967), Thirty-Minute Theatre (1967-68) and The Link Men (1970).
Facts
In 1982, George walked off the set of new soap Brookside because of bad language in the scripts. It is believed he died through alcoholism.

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

Click to enlarge

The Invasion of Time

The Doctor (Tom Baker) offers Andred
(Christopher Tranchell) a wedding
gift of a jelly baby

Six episodes (Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six)
First broadcast Feb 4 to Mar 11 1978
Average audience for serial: 10.52m

REGULAR CAST

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

Louise Jameson (Leela) Born Apr 20 1951 Click here for Louise Jameson's entry on The Face of Evil

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

GUEST CAST

John Arnatt (Borusa) May 9 1917 to Dec 21 1999 (prostate cancer)
Career highlights
Born in Russia, John's long career began with The Only Way in 1948, followed by Dick Barton at Bay (1950), Evidence for Hire (1952), My Friend Charles (1956), The Last Chronicle of Barset (1959), The Invisible Man (1959), Whistle Down the Wind (1961), The Impersonator (1961), Sir Francis Drake (1962), Fog for a Killer (1962), Dr Crippen (1963), Emergency Ward 10 (1963-64), Hysteria (1965), Our Mother's House (1967), A Challenge for Robin Hood (1967), Strange Report (1969), The Main Chance (1969-70), Steptoe and Son (1970), Crucible of Terror (1971), The Pathfinders (1972), Paganini Strikes Again (1973), The Cedar Tree (1977), Rings on Their Fingers (1980), The Cleopatras (1983), Tripper's Day (1984), The Kenny Everett Television Show (1981-86), Bluebell (1986), House of Cards (1990), Keeping Up Appearances (1993), Dangerfield (1995), A Royal Scandal (1996) and Dad (1999). He also had a regular role as the Deputy Sheriff of Nottingham in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1957-60).
Facts
In the 1950s, John was a sports reporter for the UK commercial network using the pseudonym Howard Peters. John's first wife was actress Betty Huntley-Wright, best known as Mrs Twitchen in the Fawlty Towers episode Gourmet Night (1975), while his second wife was Sheila Tracy, musician and broadcast journalist (who became the first female newsreader on BBC Radio 4 in 1974).

Ray Callaghan (Ablif) Sep 24 1939 to Jan 8 2023 (natural causes)
Career highlights
Ray first appeared in Detective (1968), and then The Internecine Project (1974), The Doll (1975), Backs to the Land (1977), Rebecca (1979), Boon (1986), Brookside (1988), Scarlett (1994), The Bill (2005), Dead Rich (2006), Hard Times (2009), Pusher (2012), Folie a Deux (2012), Episodes (2015) and You, Me and the Apocalypse (2015).

Christopher Christou (Guard)
This is Christopher's only known acting work.

Eric Danot (Castellan guard) Born Jan 31 1951
Career highlights
This is Eric's only acting credit. In 1990 he opened a bonsai business in Brighton.

Derek Deadman (Stor) Mar 11 1940 to Nov 22 2014 (complications from diabetes)
Career highlights
Derek's first credit was on The Darwin Adventure (1972), followed by Harriet's Back in Town (1973), Dr Watson and the Darkwater Hall Mystery (1974), Not On Your Nellie (1974), Bill Dainty Esq. (1976), The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1977), The Ken Dodd Laughter Show (1979), A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979), The Dick Emery Hour (1980), Time Bandits (1981), Dead Ernest (1982), The Boy Who Won the Pools (1983), Never Say Never Again (1983), Brazil (1985), Bread (1987), Super Gran (1985-87), The Benny Hill Show (1988-89), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), The All New Alexei Sayle Show (1994), Honest (2000), Crush (2001), Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and A Goldfish of the Flame (2010). He also had a regular role as Ringo in sitcom Never the Twain (1981-91).

Dennis Edwards (Lord Gomer) Dec 28 1916 to Mar 15 2008
Doctor Who credits
Played: Centurion in The Romans (1965)
Played: Lord Gomer in The Invasion of Time (1978)
Career highlights
Debuted in Toad of Toad Hall (1953), followed by The Scarlet Pimpernel (1956), The Black Brigand (1956), The Prince and the Showgirl (1957), Private Investigator (1959), Ghost Squad (1963), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1967), Jackanory (1971), Father Brown (1974), The Brothers (1976), Nicholas Nickleby (1977), People Like Us (1978), Ladykillers (1981), No Problem! (1983), Grange Hill (1985) and Birds of a Feather (1991).

Max Faulkner (Nesbin) 1931 to Feb 13 2010 Click here for Max Faulkner's entry on The Ambassadors of Death

Stuart Fell (Sontaran) Born 1942 Click here for Stuart Fell's entry on The Curse of Peladon

Michael Harley (Bodyguard)
Career highlights
Other credits include Nipper (1977), Love in a Fallen City (1984), Harry's Hong Kong (1987), Yellowthread Street (1990), To Be the Best (1992) and Soldier Soldier (1992).
Facts
Michael was once a leading light in Hong Kong's Chung Ying Theatre Company.

Reginald Jessup (Lord Savar) Feb 8 1920 to Feb 1 2000
Doctor Who credits
Played: Servant in The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve (1966)
Played: Lord Savar in The Invasion of Time (1978)
Career highlights
Debuted in Puck of Pook's Hill (1951), then Quatermass II (1955), Silent Evidence (1962), The Saint (1964), Gideon's Way (1965-66), The Avengers (1968), The Signalman (1976), Target (1978), Shine On Harvey Moon (1984) and The Bill (1990/91/96).
Facts
Reginald was married to actor Janet Brandes until her death in 1983.

Milton Johns (Kelner) Born May 13 1938
Doctor Who credits
Played: Benik in The Enemy of the World (1967-68)
Played: Guy Crayford in The Android Invasion (1975)
Played: Castellan Kelner in The Invasion of Time (1978)
Career highlights
Milton's career began in The Shop at Sly Corner (1960), then Orlando (1965), The Three Musketeers (1966), The Devil in the Fog (1968), The Flaxton Boys (1969), Sense and Sensibility (1971), Budgie (1972), The Jensen Code (1973), South Riding (1974), Poldark (1975), The Good Life (1977), King of the Castle (1977), Midnight is a Place (1977-78), Going Straight (1978), Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1978), A Horseman Riding By (1978), Spearhead (1978-81), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), The Gaffer (1982), Pink Floyd's The Wall (1982), Tucker's Luck (1983), Butterflies (1979-83), Foxy Lady (1982-84), The Pickwick Papers (1985), Ever Decreasing Circles (1986), Supergran (1987), Campion (1989), Happy Families (1989-90), Haggard (1992), Harry's Mad (1995-96), Glam Metal Detectives (1995), Chalk (1997), The X-Files (1998), The Scarlet Pimpernel (1999-2000), Micawber (2001), Born and Bred (2002), The Basil Brush Show (2003-07, as Mr Rossiter) and Kidz Time TV (2015). He also had a long-running role as shop owner Brendan Scott in soap Coronation Street (1991-93).
Facts
For a number of years he served as treasurer of actors' union Equity, and also as course announcer and MC at Lingfield racecourse.
In 2015 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Milton here.

Tom Kelly (Vardan)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Guard in The Face of Evil (1977), The Sun Makers (1977)
Played: Vardan in The Invasion of Time (1978)
Career highlights
Debuting in Angels (1976), Tom's other credits include Blake's 7 (1978), The Lost Boys (1978), Julius Caesar (1979), Agony (1981), Chintz (1981), Shine on Harvey Moon (1984), The Green Man (1990) and The Bill (1992). He may be remembered by cult TV fans as the soldier Sam Pearce in the railway station adventure of Sapphire and Steel (1979).
In 2016 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Tom here.

Stan McGowan (Vardan)
Career highlights
Stan's only other credits were in I, Claudius (1976), Life of Shakespeare (1978) and Eureka Street (1999).
Facts
Stan is now a playwright based on Inch Island, Donegal, having written productions such as The Wood of the Crows and Knock, the Hill of Mary.

Charles Morgan (Gold Usher) Jul 21 1909 to May 1994
Doctor Who credits
Played: Songsten in The Abominable Snowmen (1967)
Played: Gold Usher in The Invasion of Time (1978)
Career highlights
First appearing in Train of Events (1949), Charles went on to appear in The New Adventures of Charlie Chan (1957), All Aboard (1958), Hell is a City (1960), Maigret (1961), Call Oxbridge 2000 (1962), Softly Softly (1966-67), Sexton Blake (1967), Hadleigh (1969), Ace of Wands (1971), Helen: A Woman of Today (1973), Bless This House (1974), The Howerd Confessions (1976), Within These Walls (1976-78, as Ted Armitage), Tenko (1981), Angels (1983), Cover Her Face (1985) and After Henry (1989). Charles was best known for playing Superintendant Rodway in over 40 episodes of Sergeant Cork (1964-68).

Michael Mundell (Jasko) Mar 20 1942 to Jul 25 2003 (heart attack)
Career highlights
Michael's career began with Fothergale Co. Ltd. (1965), then Fahrenheit 451 (1966), Maroc 7 (1967), The Blood Beast Terror (1968), Coronation Street (1968), Crossroads (1968-69), The Devil's Widow (1970), UFO (1970-71), Ace of Wands (1972), The Professionals (1978), Secret Army (1978), Home and Away (1989/91) and Pirates Island (1991).
Facts
Michael played the part of Mr Lucas in the Blackpool stage version of Are You Being Served? in 1976.

Hilary Ryan (Rodan) Born Aug 20 1955
Career highlights
After debuting in Doctor Who, Hilary's CV includes The Getting of Wisdom (1978), Target (1978), The Professionals (1978), Breakaway (1980), Badger by Owl-light (1982), Scandalous (1984) and Dance (1988).
Facts
Hilary is married to actor Adam Norton, best known as David Edding in Lytton's Diary (1985-86) but who is also the younger son of the second Baron Rathcreedan (being the heir-presumptive of that honour). Hilary and Adam married in the House of Lords chapel in 1979. Her parents were American actors Anne Sargent and Edmon Ryan. Hilary made the shortlist to play the role of Cally in Blake's 7.

Gai Smith (Presta) Born Sep 2 1954
Career highlights
The daughter of legendary Australian racehorse trainer Tommy (TJ) Smith, Gai made a name for herself in the late 1960s and early 70s as a model and actor, including in the Australian soap The Young Doctors. After moving to the UK, Gai made her only British acting appearance in Doctor Who, then returned Down Under where she became a racehorse trainer and has gone on to be highly successful in the sport in Australia (eg, she trained the 2013 Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente).
Awards
2000: Australian Sports Medal for outstanding contribution to thoroughbred horse racing
Facts
Now known as Gai Waterhouse (she is married to bookmaker Robbie Waterhouse), she is one of the National Trust of Australia's Living Treasures. At the 2013 Sydney Cup day, racehorse owner John Singleton sacked Gai live on television after her son Tom, a bookmaker, allegedly told acquaintances that Singleton's horse More Joyous would lose the All Ages Stakes, which it did. Both Gai and Tom denied any wrongdoing, but Gai was found guilty and fined $5,500 (Aus). In 2018 she was inducted into the Sports Australia Hall of Fame.

Christopher Tranchell (Andred) Born Apr 13 1941
Doctor Who credits
Played: Roger in The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve (1966)
Played: Jenkins in The Faceless Ones (1967)
Played: Andred in The Invasion of Time (1978)
Career highlights
Christopher's other credits include The Whisperers (1961), 199 Park Lane (1965), Out of the Unknown (1971), Churchill's People (1975), Survivors (1975-76, as Paul Pitman), County Hall (1981), Casualty (1992/93), Between the Lines (1993) and The Bill (1987/96), and he also presented Playschool (1976-84).

CREW

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

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

Gerald Blake (director) Dec 3 1928 to Apr 5 1991
Doctor Who credits
Directed: The Abominable Snowmen (1967), The Invasion of Time (1978)
Career highlights
Gerald's earliest directing work was on Dr Finlay's Casebook (1962), followed by work on Rupert of Hentzau (1964), Curtain of Fear (1964, which he also produced), Compact (1963-65), Legend of Death (1965), Girl in a Black Bikini (1967), The Newcomers (1966-68), Out of the Unknown (1969), The Doctors (1969-71), The Edwardians (1972), Dial M for Murder (1974), Survivors (1975), The Mackinnons (1977), Z Cars (1967-77), The Onedin Line (1972-78), The Omega Factor (1979), Blake's 7 (1980), The Gentle Touch (1982-84), Nanny (1983), Emmerdale Farm (1978-85), Super Gran (1986-87) and Coronation Street (1987-88).
Facts
Young Gerald and his family were bombed out during the London Blitz and evacuated to Wales. In later years Gerald directed corporate videos and held classes in television technique at Bristol University. He suffered two heart attacks and a stroke before passing away at the age of 62.

Underworld

The Doctor (Tom Baker) shows his
artistic side to Leela (Louise Jameson)

Four episodes (Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four)
First broadcast Jan 7 to 28 1978
Average audience for serial: 9.65m

REGULAR CAST

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

Louise Jameson (Leela) Born Apr 20 1951 Click here for Louise Jameson's entry on The Face of Evil

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

GUEST CAST

Imogen Bickford-Smith (Tala) Born Jul 3 1953
Career highlights
Imogen's other work includes Jubilee (1977), Fawlty Towers (1979), Minder (1980), CATS Eyes (1985) and A Fish Called Wanda (1988).
Facts
At the time Underworld was aired, Imogen's agent rather naughtily began touting the actress as Louise Jameson's replacement as the Doctor's companion. She wasn't. In 2009 Imogen sought information from the Rural Payments Agency about claims for subsidies in the New Forest, UK. The Information Commissioner decided that, "on the balance of probabilities", the Agency did not hold the information she required, and declined the request, adding that the information may be classed as "personal data". This led in 2010 to Imogen appealing against the Commissioner's decision, the result being that some of the requested information should be released (but not all). Imogen then appealed against this decision to the Upper Tribunal, but this was unsuccessful. In 2016, a Department for Education professional conduct panel ruled that a 39-year-old teacher working in Hampshire called Charles Bickford-Smith was prohibited from teaching after engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a female pupil (an allegation he denied).

Jimmy Gardner (Idmon) Aug 24 1924 to May 3 2010
Doctor Who credits
Played: Chenchu in Marco Polo (1964)
Played: Idmon in Underworld (1979)
Career highlights
Jimmy first appeared in Tyger's Hart (1954), then Stranger in the City (1962), The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964), The Elusive Pimpernel (1969), 10 Rillington Place (1971), The XYY Man (1977), Coronation Street (1978), The Company of Wolves (1984), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Martin Chuzzlewit (1994), My Hero (2002), Finding Neverland (2004) and Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005). He played Ernie Prang, driver of the Knight Bus, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).
Facts
His father Teddy was a jockey and came second in the 1923 Epsom Derby.

Godfrey James (Tarn) Apr 16 1931 to Oct 29 2019
Career highlights
Prolific Godfrey's CV begins with The Avengers (1961) and takes in Out of this World (1962), The Amorous Mr Prawn (1962), Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964), The Forsyte Saga (1967), Witchfinder General (1968), The Oblong Box (1969), Department S (1969), Cry of the Banshee (1970), UFO (1970), Trial (1971), Menace (1973), The Lotus Eaters (1973), The Terracotta Horse (1973), The Boy with Two Heads (1974), At the Earth's Core (1976), The Basil Brush Show (1977), Kidnapped (1978), The Aphrodite Inheritance (1979), Turtle's Progress (1980), In Loving Memory (1982), Hart to Hart (1984), The Tripods (1985), Oliver Twist (1985), Gems (1988), Maigret (1992), The Good Guys (1993), Chris Cross (1995), Leapin' Leprachauns! (1995), Crime Traveller (1997) and The Infinite World of HG Wells (2001). He regularly played Harry Mowlam in soap Emmerdale Farm between 1983-86.
Facts
In October 2015, Godfrey's home in Eastbourne was raided by burglars, who stole an 18-carat gold fob watch, an Omega watch and a carriage clock.

Frank Jarvis (Ankh) May 13 1941 to Sep 15 2010
Doctor Who credits
Played: Corporal in The War Machines (1966)
Played: Ankh in Underworld (1978)
Played: Skart in The Power of Kroll (1978-79)
Career highlights
Frank's extensive career began in 1962's Mix Me a Person, then That Kind of Girl (1963), Adam Adamant Lives! (1966), Z Cars (1967), The Italian Job (1969), Callan (1972), The Brothers (1974), Poldark (1975), Warship (1976-77, as Burnett), Grange Hill (1978), The Professionals (1978/79), Juliet Bravo (1981), Jenny's War (1985), Lovejoy (1992), EastEnders (2000), Catterick (2004), The Penalty King (2006) and Dear Father (2009).
Facts
The theme tune to The Italian Job, Self Preservation Society aka Get a Bloomin' Move On, was played at Frank's funeral.

Alan Lake (Herrick) Nov 24 1940 to Oct 10 1984 (suicide)
Career highlights
Alan debuted in 1964's The Midnight Men, after which he found roles in Cluff (1965), Orlando (1966), Charlie Bubbles (1967), The Avengers (1966/68), A Bit of Crucifixion, Father (1968), The Contenders (1969), Layout for 5 Models (1972), It's Not the Size that Counts (1974), The Amorous Milkman (1975), The Playbirds (1978), Confessions from the David Galaxy Affair (1979), Blake's 7 (1980), Hart to Hart (1983), Don't Open Till Christmas (1984) and Lytton's Diary (1985).
Facts
Alan - who between 1970-71 served 12 months of an 18-month prison sentence for his involvement in a pub brawl - was married to British film star Diana Dors between 1968 and her death, and with whom he had a son, Jason Dors Lake. In 1970 he recorded a cover of Harry Nilsson's Good Times as a single. In 1972 Alan fell off a horse and broke his back, and for a time it was thought he would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life (he was actually on his feet again within three weeks!). The pain from his recovery drove Alan to drink and he began hallucinating and suffering psychotic episodes. He managed to kick the addiction thanks to Catholicism, but fell off the wagon again in 1975 when Diana Dors miscarried. When Diana died of cancer in May 1984, Alan became depressed, and on October 10th, after dropping son Jason off at the railway station, he went home and shot himself in the head in his son's bedroom. It was 16 years to the day since he and Diana had first met on the set of The Inquisitors. Alan's friend, the actor Lionel Jeffries, once claimed Alan killed himself because he had developed a brain tumour. Dors apparently hid away what she claimed to be over £2m in various banks across Europe. In 1982, she gave her son Mark Dawson a sheet of paper, on which was a code that would reveal the whereabouts of the money. Alan Lake supposedly had the key that would crack the code, but as he had committed suicide, Dawson was left with an apparently unsolvable code - one which still hasn't been fully cracked to this day.

James Marcus (Rask) Jun 23 1942 to May 4 2020
Doctor Who credits
Played: Peasant in Invasion of the Dinosaurs (1974)
Played: Rask in Underworld (1978)
Career highlights
James debuted in Hello, Good Evening and Welcome (1968), and later The Virgin Soldiers (1969), A Clockwork Orange (1971), The Chinese Puzzle (1974), The Naked Civil Servant (1975), Let's Get Laid (1978), Grandad (1980-84, as Bert Bamford), McVicar (1980), The Chinese Detective (1981), Mitch (1984), King of the Ghetto (1986), Pulaski (1987), Dodgem (1991), Woof! (1992/95), Lovejoy (1993), Heartbeat (1995) and The Last Detective (2005). He also played series regular Sidney Tate in London's Burning (1986-90) and wrote and directed the Ray Winstone film Tank Malling (1989).
Facts
Mega-trivia: James's sister-in-law was also actor Roy Marsden's sister-in-law (ie, his wife's sister was married to Roy's brother!). James (born Brian James) started out as a rock 'n' roll musician in the late 1950s/ early 60s, before training as a printer.

James Maxwell (Jackson) Mar 23 1929 to Aug 18 1995
Career highlights
American-born James made his screen debut in Julius Caesar (1949), followed by roles in productions such as Othello (1955), Twelfth Night (1957), The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (1959), Danton's Death (1959), Antigone (1959), Design for Loving (1962), Private Potter (1962), The Evil of Frankenstein (1964), The Hidden Truth (1964), An Enemy of the State (1965), The Power Game (1965-66), The Avengers (1964/67), The Portrait of a Lady (1968), Frontier (1968), Manhunt (1970), Doomwatch (1971), The Shadow of the Tower (1972), Hadleigh (1973), Call My Bluff (1973), Raffles (1975), Oppenheimer (1980), Bognor (1981), Bergerac (1987) and Doctor Finlay (1994).
Facts
James was married to actress Avril Elgar and in 1976 was a founding member and artistic director (from 1977-94) of the Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre Company - and according to the supernatural entertainment programme Most Haunted (2006), his spirit haunts the theatre!

Jay Neill (Klimt) May 21 1932 to Jun 14 2006
Doctor Who credits
Played: Guard in The Enemy of the World (1967-68, uncredited)
Played: Policeman in Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970, uncredited)
Played: Pikeman in The Masque of Mandragora (1976)
Played: Silvey in The Invisible Enemy (1977)
Played: Klimt in Underworld (1978)
Career highlights
Jay's career began in Softly Softly (1968), then The First Lady (1969), Trial (1971), Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973), Not on Your Nellie (1975), Fawlty Towers (1975), The Emigrants (1976), Edward and Mrs Simpson (1978), The Dick Emery Show (1979), Yes, Minister (1981), Terry and June (1982), Sorry! (1985) and Kit Curran (1986).
Facts
Between 1958-63 Jay was a member of the Dior Dancers variety act, which specialised in apache/ adagio aerobatic dance and reached great success, including in Las Vegas and at the 1960 Royal Variety Performance (he's the leaner one on the right!).

Jonathan Newth (Orfe) Born Mar 6 1939
Career highlights
Jonathan's earliest role was uncredited in Carry On Spying (1964), followed by Coronation Street (1967), The Man in the Iron Mask (1968), The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970), Ace of Wands (1971), Pretenders (1972), Napoleon and Love (1974), Notorious Woman (1974), Poldark (1975), An Englishman's Castle (1978), The Squad (1980), The Nightmare Man (1981), The Day of the Triffids (1981), Champions (1984), Tenko (1981/84), Great Expectations (1991), Casualty (1996), Bugs (1997), EastEnders (2000), Heartbeat (2004/08), Doctors (2010). The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies (2014), Maigret (2017) and The Crown (2016-17). Regular roles include Charles Booth in Emergency Ward 10 (1964-65), Nicholas Fox in The Brothers (1973-74), Roger Powell in Triangle (1982) and Russell Bryant in sitcom After Henry (1988-92).

Christine Pollon (Voice of the Oracle) 1927 to Aug 29 2012
Career highlights
Debuted in Sixpenny Corner as Grete Edler (1955-56), then Dead Giveaway (1957), How Green Was My Valley (1960), Romeo and Juliet (1962), Imperial Palace (1969), Two Women (1973), Moody and Pegg (1975), Angels (1981), She-Wolf of London (1990) and Dandelion Dead (1994). Christine enjoyed several recurring roles, as Janet Ellis in 91 episodes of soap Compact (1962-65), as Joan Riley in The Doctors (1970-71), as Aunt Gwyneth in The Duchess of Duke Street (1976-77), as Mary Sutton in regional soap Together (1981) and as Dilys Humphries in The District Nurse (1987).
Facts
Christine was married to actor Donald Hewlett, but in the early 1950s was the subject of an infatuation by British comedian Ronnie Barker.

Richard Shaw (Lakh) Nov 19 1920 to Apr 11 2010
Doctor Who credits
Played: Lobos in The Space Museum (1965)
Played: Cross in Frontier in Space (1973)
Played: Lakh in Underworld (1978)
Career highlights
Richard's career began uncredited in Johnny Comes Flying Home (1946) and included roles in Black Orchid (1953), Man from Tangier (1957), Quatermass and the Pit (1958), Sir Francis Drake (1962), 633 Squadron (1964), Carry On Don't Lose Your Head (1966), Market in Honey Lane (1968-69), The Onedin Line (1976), The Sandbaggers (1978), Coronation Street (1980), Matlock (1987) and Young Toscanini (1988). He regularly played Ryan in Freewheelers (1971).
Facts
In interview, Richard said: "Bill Hartnell was a long standing friend and we had worked together many times. When I played Lobos I sustained a severe blow to my left eye which caused some problems for the first episodes but we had to carry on." Two years after Richard's death, someone called Sven posted this credulity-stretching comment on Toby Hadoke's obituary for him (did Richard really believe in alien lizards and UFOs?).

Stacey Tendeter (Naia) Jun 21 1949 to Oct 26 2008 (breast cancer)
Career highlights
Stacey debuted in Uncle Vanya (1970) and then took roles in Two English Girls (1971), Spyder's Web (1972), The Pallisers (1974), Boy Dominic (1976), Prisoners of Conscience (1981), Jury (1983), Run for the Lifeboat (1988) and The Bill (1994).
Facts
In 2009, Stacey's widower Andy Elton paid tribute to his wife: "I met Stacey at school 46 years ago and we remained married for 38 of those years. Stacey fought her cancer courageously and fiercely, but the last two years were extremely difficult. She became very weak and unable even to move in bed by herself, but her courage never left her. She said: "I would rather be alive like this than not alive at all." Her work lives on and she will live with me forever."

Norman Tipton (Idas)
Career highlights
Norman's other work includes Angels (1976), Blake's 7 (1978), Rings on Their Fingers (1978), Horse in the House (1979), The Dick Emery Show (1979), Two Up, Two Down (1979), Yes Minister (1980), Shoestring (1980), The Last Song (1981/83), Emmerdale Farm (1986), Blind Justice (1988) and Virtual Murder (1992). He also played Norman Wallace in 26 episodes of Do It (1985-88), which he also wrote material for.

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

Norman Stewart (director) (deceased*)
Doctor Who credits
Production assistant: The Daleks (1963-64, uncredited), Planet of Giants (1964, uncredited), The Web Planet (1965, uncredited), The Savages (1966, uncredited), The Underwater Menace (1967, uncredited), Day of the Daleks (1972, uncredited), The Invisible Enemy (1977)
Directed: Underworld (1978), The Power of Kroll (1978-79)
Career highlights
Norman also directed episodes of The Newcomers (1967-69), The Omega Factor (1979), and Emmerdale (1980), but this strand of his CV was short-lived and he returned to being a production manager on series such as Bergerac (1983-84) and Tenko (1984) (it's spooky how his credits tend to be series featuring Louise Jameson!). *It is known that Norman has died.

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 (cancer)
Doctor Who credits
Script edited: Image of the Fendahl (uncredited), The Sun Makers (uncredited), Underworld, The Invasion of Time, The Ribos Operation, The Pirate Planet, The Stones of Blood, The Androids of Tara, The Power of Kroll, The Armageddon Factor (1977-79)
Wrote: The Invasion of Time (1978, as David Agnew), The Horns of Nimon (1979-80)
Career highlights
Anthony's writing career began with episodes of Detective in 1962, followed by stints on This Man Craig (1967), Sherlock Holmes (1967), The Troubleshooters (1966-70), The Black Arrow (1974-75), Z Cars (1976-77), The Omega Factor (1979), Into the Labyrinth (1980), Sapphire and Steel (1981), the Chocky trilogy (1984-86), The Chief (1995), Heartbeat (1998) and Revelations (2002-03). He also acted as script editor on many of these series, as well as Hammer House of Horror (1980), and was producer on The Troubleshooters, The Lotus Eaters (1972) and The Dragon's Opponent (1973).
Facts
In later years Anthony has become an author and historian, concentrating on World War Two, often teaming up with Doctor Who colleague David Fisher, as well as writing prose based on his 1980s series The Baker Street Boys.
In 2015 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Anthony here.

The Sun Makers

The Gatherer (Richard Leech) is thrown
off the top of a tall building, but doesn't
go without demonstrating his famous
impression of Kenneth Williams first

Four episodes (Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four)
First broadcast Nov 26 to Dec 17 1977
Average audience for serial: 8.83m

REGULAR CAST

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

Louise Jameson (Leela) Born Apr 20 1951 Click here for Louise Jameson's entry on The Face of Evil

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

GUEST CAST

Adrienne Burgess (Veet) Born Nov 20 1947
Career highlights
Australian Adrienne first appeared in Affairs of the Heart (1974), followed by roles in Space: 1999 (1975), Dickens of London (1976), Blake's 7 (1979), Priest of Love (1981), Cold Warrior (1984), Just Good Friends (1984), The Bill (1989/93) and The Yellow Wallpaper (1989).
Facts
In 1992 Adrienne wrote a book on fatherhood and parenting, and has since become an international authority on the subject. Adrienne is currently policy advisor to Fathers Direct, the British information centre for fathers, and also contributes to family policy in the Lord Chancellor's Department, the Cabinet Office and Number 10 Downing Street. She has, since the 1960s, been a jobbing journalist in both Australia and the UK. She is married to actor Martin Cochrane (who appeared in The Caves of Androzani in 1984).
In 2013 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Adrienne and her husband Martin here.

Derek Crewe (Synge) Jun 6 1945 to May 16 2011
Career highlights
Debuting in Canterbury Tales (1969), Derek's first regular role was as Lefty in The Tomorrow People (1973), after which he appeared in The Fortunes of Nigel (1974), Z Cars (1975), Oil Strike North (1975), Secret Army (1979), All Creatures Great and Small (1980), The Citadel (1983), We Are Seven (1989/91), Archer's Goon (1992), All Quiet on the Preston Front (1995), Picking Up the Pieces (1998), Holby City (2003) and Grass (2003).
Facts
In the 1960s Derek was in a group called Roy and the Renegades which frequented the same venues in Liverpool as the Beatles (and it seems he was a very much loved member of his community in Llay, Wrexham - see this tribute page for evidence). In the late 1980s he appeared in a memorable TV commercial in the UK for Trebor Extra Strong Mints.

Carole Hopkin (Nurse) Born Dec 1945
Career highlights
This is Carole's only acting credit. Carole is nowadays known as Carole Morgan-Hopkin, of the renowned Morgan-Hopkin artistic family from Wales (her sister Mary Hopkin is the singer of Those Were the Days fame, making Mary's husband - famous music producer Tony Visconti - Carole's brother in law. Carole also used to be Mary's manager in the 1960s). Watercolourist Carole has lived and exhibited in London and the United States, and has featured in American Vogue. She is also an interior designer, having designed a lounge for fashion designer Oscar de la Renta and a Japanese garden for Beatle George Harrison (Carole and her sister Mary are lifelong friends of the Beatles, the latter having toured with them in the 1960s, with Carole as chaperone). Carole is also one of the backing vocalists on the Beatles classic Hey Jude (along with Mary and Yoko Ono).

Michael Keating (Goudry) Born Feb 10 1947
Career highlights
Michael's earliest credit was a 1969 episode of Special Branch, followed by roles in Doomwatch (1972), The Dragon's Opponent (1973), Yes, Minister (1981), Rainbow (1986), Capital City (1989), London's Burning (1990), Between the Lines (1993), Midsomer Murders (2009) and Micro Men (2009). He will forever be remembered as Vila Restal in the sci-fi show Blake's 7 (1978-81), the only character to appear in all 52 episodes. He has enjoyed a recurring role as Reverend George Stevens in soap EastEnders since 2005.
Facts
Michael's first job was as a mailing clerk for United Artists Film Corporation in London. One of his duties was to take telegrams to the Post Office in Soho, and it was during that period he took one to be sent to the US to announce that the Beatles were to make their first film, A Hard Day's Night!

Tom Kelly (Guard)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Guard in The Face of Evil (1977), The Sun Makers (1977)
Played: Vardan in The Invasion of Time (1978)
Career highlights
Debuting in Angels (1976), Tom's other credits include Blake's 7 (1978), The Lost Boys (1978), Julius Caesar (1979), Agony (1981), Chintz (1981), Shine on Harvey Moon (1984), The Green Man (1990) and The Bill (1992). He may be remembered by cult TV fans as the soldier Sam Pearce in the railway station adventure of Sapphire and Steel (1979).
In 2016 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Tom here.

Richard Leech (Gatherer Hade) Nov 24 1922 to Mar 24 2004
Career highlights
Irish-born Richard's first credit was in The Temptress (1949), followed by Tygers Hart (1954), The Dam Busters (1955), The Iron Petticoat (1956), Curse of the Demon (1957), Ice Cold in Alex (1958), A Night to Remember (1958), Tunes of Glory (1960), The Terror of the Tongs (1961), Ricochet (1963), Ghost Squad (1963), Walk a Tightrope (1965), three episodes of The Avengers (1962/63/67), The Devil in the Fog (1968), The Gold Robbers (1969), The Doctors (1969), Seeing and Believing (1964-70), Special Branch (1973-74), The Gathering Storm (1974), Bill Brand (1976), The New Avengers (1976), Rooms (1977), Smiley's People (1982), Gandhi (1982), The Nation's Health (1983) and A Handful of Dust (1988).
Facts
The godfathers to his two daughters are Noel Coward and Alec Guinness. Before becoming an actor, Richard worked as a doctor with his own surgery in 1946; he wrote a column for the magazine World Medicine for 30 years. He also owned English vineyard Rocks Country Wines, and was an authority on Rudyard Kipling. Richard, whose second wife was book editor and romance novelist Diane Pearson, became very deaf in his latter years, curtailing his acting.

Roy Macready (Cordo) Born 1934
Career highlights
Roy debuted in Paul Temple (1970), and then took roles in The Mating Machine (1970), Fathers and Sons (1971), The Moonstone (1972), Clayhanger (1976), Pinocchio (1978), Flickers (1980), The Deceivers (1981), Bognor (1981), Janet and Company (1982), Britannia Hospital (1982), Rentaghost (1982), Luna (1983-84), Foxy Lady (1984), Alice in Wonderland (1986), So Haunt Me (1992), Harry's Mad (1993), The Upper Hand (1995), Madame Bovary (2000) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014).

Colin McCormack (Commander) Dec 2 1941 to Jun 19 2004 (cancer)
Career highlights
Debuting in All's Well That Ends Well (1968), Colin then took work in Trial (1971), General Hospital (1972), Thriller (1973), Dixon of Dock Green (1974), Quiller (1975), Rooms (1977), Out (1978), The Spoils of War (1980), Kelly Monteith (1981-82), Yes, Minister (1981), Chocky (1984), The Chief (1990), EastEnders (1991), A Touch of Frost (1992), Spender (1993), First Knight (1995), The Knock (1994/97) and Longitude (2000).
Facts
Colin was married to actress and movement specialist Wendy Alnutt. Colin also tutored at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and his students included Ewan McGregor, Joseph Fiennes and Daniel Craig. His children are Katherine McCormack Wherry (a publicist on various blockbuster films) and composer/ pianist Andrew McCormack.

David Rowlands (Bisham) Born 1944
Career highlights
Welshman David debuted in The Wars of the Roses (1965-66), followed by Mr Aitch (1967), The Dickie Henderson Show (1968), Counterstrike (1969), Elephant's Eggs in a Rhubarb Tree (1971), On the Buses (1971), Bless This House (1972), Sir Yellow (1973), The Regiment (1973), Rising Damp (1975), The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1977), Pennies from Heaven (1978), The Two Ronnies (1976-80), The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy (1981), Bognor (1981), Metal Mickey (1981), The Cleopatras (1983), Blott on the Landscape (1985) and 'Allo 'Allo! (1992).
Facts
Qualified teacher David also worked as a reporter for BBC Radio Sussex.

Jonina Scott (Marn) Sep 24 1943 to Oct 7 2018
Career highlights
After debuting in Harriet's Back in Town (1973), Jonina's other roles were in The Paradise Run (1976), Running Blind (1979) and The Onedin Line (1979). She then married actor David Ashton (who appeared in Timelash in 1985) and moved to Iceland, where she appeared in 101 Reykjavik (2000) and The Seagull's Laughter (2001) as Jonina Ólafsdóttir, her birthname.

William Simons (Mandrel) Nov 17 1940 to Jun 21 2019
Career highlights
William debuted as a child actor in Ivory Hunter (1951), and later appeared in West of Zanzibar (1954), A Castle and Sixpence (1954), Rex Milligan (1956), Jo's Boys (1959), Francis Storm Investigates (1960), The Old Curiosity Shop (1962-63), Mr Rose (1968), Hadleigh (1971), The Guardians (1971), Coronation Street (1972), Wessex Tales (1973), Secret Army (1977), Parables (1978), Cribb (1980-81), Minder (1984), Juliet Bravo (1985), Late Starter (1985), Wish Me Luck (1989), A Bit of a Do (1989), The Woman in Black (1989), The Darling Buds of May (1992), Lovejoy (1992), Haggard (1990-92), Casualty (2014) and Celebrity Antiques Road Trip (2017). Between 1973-83 William played Martin O'Connor QC in Crown Court, and between 1990-94 he played Inspector Fox in the Inspector Alleyn Mysteries. However, his most indelible role is as the much-loved (PC) Alf Ventress in over 350 episodes of Heartbeat (1992-2009) and in its spin-off series The Royal (2003-04).
Facts
Since adolescence William suffered with severe acne, hence his famously pock-marked face, and was patron of the Changing Faces charity, in aid of those with facial disfigurements. In 2008, William was forced to leave his home of 14 years near Goathland, where Heartbeat was filmed, due to fan intrusion.

Henry Woolf (The Collector) Jan 20 1930 to Nov 11 2021
Career highlights
Henry made his acting debut in Jacks and Knaves (1961), and then Stranger in the City (1962), A Home of Your Own (1964), Marat/ Sade (1967), Great Catherine (1968), The Lion in Winter (1968), The Bed Sitting Room (1969), Figures in a Landscape (1970), The Edwardians (1972), Full House (1972), Steptoe and Son Ride Again (1973), Skinflicker (1973), Rutland Weekend Television (1975-76), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Joseph Andrews (1977), Sykes (1978), Superman III (1983), Gorky Park (1983), Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1989), The Silver Chair (1990), Revenge of the Land (1999), Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story (2006), Smallfilm (2007) and Dancing Day (2018). He also hosted the 1970s children's TV series Words and Pictures, and was a lifelong friend of playwright Harold Pinter (who dedicated his play The Hothouse to him).
Facts
Henry, whose wife was actor Susan Williamson, moved to Canada in 1978, where he joined the staff of the University of Saskatchewan in 1983, and was eventually promoted to full professor in 1990. He also served as artistic director of the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival in Saskatoon between 1991-2001. In 1957, Henry directed the first production of Pinter's first play The Room, and reprised the role of Mr Kidd for an anniversary production in 2007. In 2005, Henry said of his time in Doctor Who: "I put the heroine in a steamer and was generally a nasty so-and-so. I ended up disappearing down a plughole but I loved it because I had an electric chair. I told the BBC I had to have lots of rehearsal time for it so I spent the morning scooting about in my chair. That was fun."
In 2016 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Henry here.

CREW

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

Pennant Roberts (director) Dec 15 1940 to Jun 22 2010 (cancer) Click here for Pennant Roberts's entry on The Face of Evil

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