Dimensions in Time

The Seven Doctors anyone?
Pic: Christopher's Doctor Who Covers

Two episodes (Part One, Part Two)
First broadcast Nov 26 to 27 1993. Note: Part One was broadcast as part of BBC1's Children in Need charity telethon, and Part Two as part of BBC1's Noel's House Party programme
Average audience for serial: 13.7m

DOCTOR WHO CAST

Jon Pertwee (The Doctor) Jul 7 1919 to May 20 1996 (heart attack) Click here to see Jon Pertwee's entry on Spearhead from Space

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

Peter Davison (The Doctor) Born Apr 13 1951 Click here for Peter Davison's entry on Logopolis

Colin Baker (The Doctor) Born Jun 8 1943 Click here for Colin Baker's entry on Arc of Infinity

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

Carole Ann Ford (Susan) Born Jun 16 1940 For a full career biography for Carole Ann Ford, click here.

Deborah Watling (Victoria Waterfield) Jan 2 1948 to Jul 21 2017 (lung cancer) Click here for Deborah Watling's entry on The Evil of the Daleks

Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart) Dec 16 1929 to Feb 22 2011 (cancer) Click here for Nicholas Courtney's entry on The Daleks' Master Plan

Richard Franklin (Captain Mike Yates) Jan 15 1936 to Dec 25 2023 Click here for Richard Franklin's entry on Terror of the Autons

Caroline John (Liz Shaw) Sep 19 1940 to Jun 5 2012 (cancer) Click here to see Caroline John's entry on Spearhead from Space

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

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

Lalla Ward (Romana) Born Jun 28 1951 Click here for Lalla Ward's entry on The Armageddon Factor

Sarah Sutton (Nyssa) Born Dec 12 1961 Click here for Sarah Sutton's entry on The Keeper of Traken

Nicola Bryant (Peri Brown) Born Oct 11 1960 Click here for Nicola Bryant's entry on Planet of Fire

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

Sophie Aldred (Ace) Born Aug 20 1962 Click here for Sophie Aldred's entry on Dragonfire

Kate O'Mara (The Rani) Aug 10 1939 to Mar 30 2014 (ovarian cancer)
Doctor Who credits
Played: The Rani in The Mark of the Rani (1985), Time and the Rani (1987), Dimensions in Time (1993)
Career highlights
Kate's first role was Home and Away (1956, credited as Merrie Carroll), followed by roles in Emergency Ward 10 (1957), Danger Man (1965), Weavers Green (1966), Adam Adamant Lives! (1967), Great Catherine (1968), The Desperados (1969), The Avengers (1969), The Main Chance (1969), The Vampire Lovers (1970), The Horror of Frankenstein (1970), Spy Trap (1973), The Tamarind Seed (1974), The Two Ronnies (1977), The Plank (1979), Dempsey and Makepeace (1986), Cluedo (1990), Bad Girls (2001), Absolutely Fabulous (1995/2003), Crossroads (2003), Family Affairs (2005) and Benidorm (2012). Kate had regular roles as Jane Maxwell in The Brothers (1975-76), Katherine Laker in Triangle (1981-82), Cassandra Morrell in US soap Dynasty (1986) and Laura Wilde in Howards' Way (1989-90). In 1971 Kate, who started her career as a speech therapist, appeared in the stage version of The Avengers, playing the villainous Madame Gerda. Kate reprised the role of the Rani in the 2000 audio play The Rani Reaps the Whirlwind, and was expected to do so again for Big Finish in 2014 in the story The Rani Elite, but she died before recording took place. The character was recast in the form of Siobhan Redmond.
Facts
Kate's mother was actress Hazel Bainbridge. Between 1961-76, Kate was married to actor Jeremy Young, who appeared in An Unearthly Child and Mission to the Unknown. In 1965, she had a brief liaison with an actor called David Orchard (he can be seen as the swimmer in the title sequence of the Bond film Thunderball), and as a result had a baby son which she had to have adopted. Her second husband was also a Doctor Who actor: between 1993-96 she was married to Richard Willis (who appeared in Full Circle). Her sister is actress Belinda Carroll, which made her brother-in-law the actor Michael Cochrane (who appeared in Black Orchid and Ghost Light). Belinda was previously married to actor Simon Williams (who appeared in Remembrance of the Daleks), making Simon Kate's ex brother-in-law (are you following this?). Kate founded The British Actors' Theatre Company in 1987, for which her son Dickon Young worked as a set designer. Kate had Dickon following an affair with the actor Ian Cullen (who appeared in The Aztecs), but Dickon was brought up by his stepfather, Jeremy Young. On New Year's Eve 2012, Dickon - who for years had suffered from alcohol and drug abuse, which had worsened since he sustained brain damage after being hit by a car - was found hanged at the family home, aged 48 (Kate was in hospital with double pneumonia at the time so her son's body was not found for three weeks).

Samuel West (Cyrian) Born Jun 19 1966
Career highlights
Sam's acting debut came aged nine in Edward the King (1975, playing a five-year-old!), followed by Nanny (1981), Reunion (1989), Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1989), Stanley and the Women (1991), Howards End (1992, for which he was BAFTA-nominated), As Time Goes By (1994), Persuasion (1995), Zoya (1995), Strangers (1996), Jane Eyre (1996), The Ripper (1997), Notting Hill (1999), Longitude (2000), Complicity (2000), Iris (2001), Cambridge Spies (2003), Van Helsing (2004), Random Quest (2006), Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley (2008), Desperate Romantics (2009), Dark Relic (2010), Any Human Heart (2010), Eternal Law (2012), Fleming (2014), The Crimson Field (2014), Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (2015), The Frankenstein Chronicles (2015), Suffragette (2015), The Hollow Crown (2016), Midsomer Murders (2007/17), Darkest Hour (2017), On Chesil Beach (2017), Trust (2018), Grantchester (2019), The Crown (2019), Death in Paradise (2020), Westworld (2020) and All Creatures Great and Small (2020). He also had a regular role as Frank Edwards in 36 episodes of Mr Selfridge (2013-16).
Awards
2001: London Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Shakespearean Performance (Hamlet)
Facts
Sam is the son of acting legends Timothy West and Prunella Scales, the grandson of actor Lockwood West, and the great-grandson of actor H. Carleton-Crowe. Samuel is a socialist activist and has spoken at a number of political and union rallies. He has been involved in a great number of recitals of both prose and poetry, both with and without choral or orchestral accompaniment, and is a choral singer himself. His partner is playwright Laura Wade. Sam appears in Billy Bragg's 2013 music video for Handyman Blues.

EASTENDERS CAST

Letitia Dean (Sharon Watts) Born Nov 14 1967
Career highlights
Letitia's first acting job was the regular role of Lucinda Oliver in school drama Grange Hill (1983-84); she also had roles in soap Brookside (1984) and Relative Strangers (1985) before securing the role of Sharon Watts in EastEnders. At the time of writing, Letitia is still in the soap, having played the character in more than 2,280 episodes since 1985. Other acting credits include Casualty (1995), England, My England (1995), The Hello Girls (1996-98), Doctors (2000) and Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married (1999-2000).
Facts
In 1986, Letitia and EastEnders co-star Paul Medford released a single called Something Outta Nothing which peaked at number 12 in the UK chart. In 2007, she was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing.

Shobu Kapoor (Gita Kapoor) Born May 28 1961
Doctor Who credits
Played: Gita Kapoor in Dimensions in Time (1993)
Played: Scared woman in Journey's End (2008)
Career highlights
Shobu debuted in Family Pride in 1991, and then secured the role of Gita in EastEnders which she would play in more than 280 episodes between 1993-98. After leaving EastEnders, Shobu found roles in Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Nevermind Nirvana (2004), Chicken Tikka Masala (2005), Banglatown Banquet (2006), Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj (2006), Fair City (2006), Shameless (2007), The Infidel (2010), The Jury (2011), Silent Witness (2012), Some Things (2014), Hank Zipzer (2015), Loaded (2017), The Boy with the Topknot (2017), The Split (2018), Unforgotten (2018), Krypton (2018-19), Four Weddings and a Funeral (2019) and I Hate Suzie (2020). She also had the regular role of Mrs Khan in 33 episodes of the sitcom Citizen Khan (2012-16).
Facts
In 2013 she appeared as a contestant on Celebrity Mastermind, her specialist subject being the author Roald Dahl. Here she is, on Twitter!

Ross Kemp (Grant Mitchell) Born Jul 21 1964
Career highlights
Ross made his TV debut in Emmerdale Farm (1986), followed by roles in Playing Away (1987), The Picnic (1989) and Birds of a Feather (1989). He won the role of Grant Mitchell in EastEnders in 1990 and played him in over 1,000 episodes between 1990-2016. Other acting work includes City Central (1998), In Defence (2000), Without Motive (2000), A Christmas Carol (2000), The Crooked Man (2003), Spartacus (2004), 10 Minute Tales (2009) and Nothing to Declare (2020). He also had a regular role as Henry Garvie in Ultimate Force (2002-06). In recent years Ross has branched out into documentary filmmaking, and has fronted investigative series such as Alive in Alaska (1999), Ross Kemp in Afghanistan (2008), Ross Kemp on Gangs (2007-09), In Search of Pirates (2009), Battle for the Amazon (2010), Extreme World (2011-17) and Britain's Volunteer Army (2020). He has also acted as executive producer on several of these programmes.
Awards
1999: British Soap Award for Best Actor (EastEnders)
2006: British Soap Award for Best Actor (EastEnders)
2007: BAFTA TV Award for Best Factual Series (Ross Kemp on Gangs) - with Amelia Hann and Clive Tulloh
Facts
Between 2002-09 Ross was married to the tabloid journalist Rebekah Wade (who many years later was embroiled in the newspaper phone hacking scandal); in 2005 police were called after Wade (now Brooks) assaulted her husband, but no charges were pursued. It was revealed during the phone hacking court proceedings years later that she had been having an affair with tabloid colleague Andy Coulson between 1998-2007. In 2011 Ross wrote his first novel, Devil to Pay, followed by Moving Target the following year.
This is Your Life: Ross was the subject of BBC TV's This is Your Life on February 3rd, 1997, surprised by host Michael Aspel on the set of soap EastEnders.

Steve McFadden (Phil Mitchell) Born Mar 20 1959
Career highlights
Steve made his acting debut in Buster in 1988, followed by roles in Minder (1989) and Bergerac (1990) before winning the role of Phil Mitchell in EastEnders. He has played the role in more than 3,200 episodes since 1990. While most of his career has been spent in the soap, there have been occasional appearances in other productions, such as Kevin and Perry Go Large (2000), Murder in Mind (2001) and Provoked: A True Story (2006).
Awards
2001: British Soap Award for Villain of the Year (EastEnders)
2016: British Soap Award Outstanding Achievement Award (EastEnders)
Facts
In 2014, Steve successfully sued the Metropolitan Police and the News of the World newspaper after a police officer sold details about him to the publication. Between 1999-2003 Steve was in a relationship with EastEnders co-star Lucy Benjamin, who had an uncredited role as the young Nyssa in Mawdryn Undead.

Mike Reid (Frank Butcher) Jan 19 1940 to Jul 29 2007 (heart attack)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Thal in Dr Who and the Daleks (1965, film, uncredited)
Played: Greek soldier in The Myth Makers (1965, uncredited)
Played: Guard in The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve (1966, uncredited)
Played: Soldier in The War Machines (1966, uncredited)
Played: Frank Butcher in Dimensions in Time (1993)
Career highlights
Mike started out as a stuntman, working on productions such as Spartacus (1960), The Avengers (1965), The Dirty Dozen (1967), Casino Royale (1967), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) and Department S (1969). His second career in the entertainment industry then took off when he became a stand-up comedian in working men's clubs, which soon caught the attention of TV producers. He made his first comedy appearances in The Comedians (1972-74), after which he became a popular face on screen in the 1970s and 80s in The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club (1974), Runaround (1975), The Good Old Days (1977-78), The Mike Reid Show (1976-78), Starburst (1981-83) and Punchlines! (1983-84). His acting career continued in the likes of Steptoe and Son (1972), Yus My Dear (1976), Noah's Castle (1980), Worzel Gummidge (1980), Minder (1982), Big Deal (1986), The Detectives (1995), Underworld (1997), Moussaka and Chips (2005), The Bill (2007), Inferno (2008) and Jack Says (2008). However, it is his role as Frank Butcher in EastEnders for which he will most be remembered, who he played in 720 episodes between 1987-2005. Mike also released several of his live stand-up routines on video, including Live and Uncensored (1992), Alive and Kidding (1998) and Seriously Funny (2000).
Facts
In 1985, Mike's son Mark accidentally shot dead his 17-year-old friend and received a suspended sentence. Five years later Mark, suffering from schizophrenia, committed suicide by setting himself on fire. As if that wasn't tragic enough, within weeks Mark's daughter Kirsty (Mike's granddaughter) died in her cot, aged six months. Ironically, Mike had been given a thorough examination and a clean bill of health just two weeks before he died. At the time of his death he owed £900,000, so creditors took all of his legacy.
This is Your Life: Mike was the subject of BBC TV's This is Your Life on November 16th, 1994, surprised by host Michael Aspel following a stand-up gig at the Lakeside Country Club in Surrey. Fellow EastEnders (and Doctor Who!) actor Barbara Windsor paid tribute on the show.

Wendy Richard (Pauline Fowler) Jul 20 1943 to Feb 26 2009 (breast cancer)
Career highlights
Wendy made her acting debut in the 1961 series Saturday Spectacular, followed by roles in Hugh and I (1962-66, as Hugh's daughter), The Arthur Haynes Show (1962), Harpers West One (1962), HMS Paradise (1964), The Day of Ragnarok (1965), The Sullavan Brothers (1965), The Likely Lads (1965), Weavers Green (1966), Up Pompeii! (1970), On the Buses (1971), Please Sir! (1971), Both Ends Meet (1972), Bless This House (1972), Not On Your Nellie (1975), Spooner's Patch (1979) and Function Room (1985). Wendy's first brush with fame came playing Joyce Harker in soap The Newcomers between 1965-67, and later as blonde bombshell Miss Shirley Brahms in 69 episodes of the department store sitcom Are You Being Served? (1972-85) and its sequel Grace and Favour (1992-93), as well as the 1977 film version. During the 1970s Wendy also had a couple of recurring roles in sitcom Dad's Army, as Edith Parish in 1970 and then as Shirley in 1972-73. Also in the 1970s Wendy became a secondary regular member of the Carry On comedy team, appearing in Carry On Matron (1972, as Miss Willing) and Carry On Girls (1973, as the amusingly named Ida Downs) as well as the 1970 TV Christmas special. In 1985, Wendy secured the role for which she will be most remembered, Pauline Fowler in the soap EastEnders, who she played in 2,054 episodes between 1985-2006. After leaving the soap, Wendy took roles in Benidorm, Agatha Christie's Marple and Here Comes the Queen (all 2008).
Awards
2000: Member of the order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to television drama
2007: British Soap Awards Lifetime Achievement Award
Facts
In 1962, Wendy joined Mike Sarne on the number one UK hit single Come Outside. She was a collector of ornamental frogs, which numbered more than 1,000. Wendy beat cancer twice - in 1996 and in 2002 - before it spread in 2008.

Nicola Stapleton (Mandy Salter) Born Aug 9 1974
Career highlights
Nicola began as a child actor, her first work being uncredited in the James Bond film Octopussy (1983), after which she had roles in Dempsey and Makepeace (1985), Hansel and Gretel (1987), Snow White (1987), Hannay (1988), Courage Mountain (1990) and the regular character of Sally in Simon and the Witch (1987-88). Nicola joined EastEnders as Mandy in 1992, and played her for almost 200 episodes between 1992-94 and 2011-12. Work outside EastEnders has included The Thin Blue Line (1995), Urban Ghost Story (1998), The Killing Zone (1999), Audrey and Friends (2000), Chunky Monkey (2001), Goodbye Charlie Bright (2001), South West 9 (2001), Holby City (2004), The Commander (2007), Hollyoaks Later (2009), Postcode (2011), Blood and Carpet (2015), The Rise of the Krays (2015), The Fall of the Krays (2016), Dusty and Me (2016), White Gold (2017), Intruders (2017) and London Kills (2019). She also had the recurring role of Janine Nebeski in Bad Girls (2005-06) and Danielle Hutch in Emmerdale (2008-09), but more recently is known for voicing the character of Rosie in Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (2017-20).
Facts
In 2001, Nicola's father Vincent was jailed for five years for his part in an £11m VAT computer chip fraud. Her brother was also fined £10,000 for helping in the fraudulent business, which involved importing VAT-exempt microchips from the EU and selling them to firms with added VAT, before claiming money back from the Government. In 2008, Nicola battled against the Customs Prosecution Office at the High Court in order to keep her property in London, which she had purchased from her father for £175,000 before his imprisonment. The prosecution claimed the house had originally been purchased from "ill-gotten gains" and wanted to seize the property as part of the confiscation order. Nicola maintained she bought the property out of her earnings as an actress in 2000 and the court found in her favour.

Pam St Clement (Pat Butcher) Born May 11 1942
Career highlights
Debuted in Doomwatch (1972), then The Fenn Street Gang (1973), All Our Saturdays (1973), Hedda (1975), A Horseman Riding By (1978), Emmerdale Farm (1980), The Bunker (1981), Angels (1981), Scrubbers (1982), Bottle Boys (1984), The Tripods (1985) and CATS Eyes (1986). Former teacher Pam won the role of Pat in 1986, and went on to play her in more than 2,500 episodes until 2012. After leaving the soap, Pam appeared in Leonardo (2012) and Casualty (2016-17).
Awards
2012: British Soap Awards Lifetime Achievement Award
Facts
Bisexual Pam is an avid campaigner for both gay rights and animal welfare.

Gillian Taylforth (Kathy Beale) Born Aug 14 1955
Career highlights
Gillian's acting debut came in Eleanor (1974), after which she appeared in Zigger Zagger (1975), Somebody's Daughter (1978), The Rag Trade (1977-78), Thundercloud (1979), Watch This Space (1980), The Long Good Friday (1980), Sink or Swim (1981), On Safari (1982-84), The Gentle Touch (1984) and Stars of the Roller State Disco (1985). She won the role of Kathy Beale in EastEnders in 1985, and she has played the part in more than 1,600 episodes since. Her later work includes Big Cat (1998), The Knock (2000), Messiah (2001/03), The House That Jack Built (2002), Jane Hall (2006) and Missing (2010). Regular roles have included Jackie Webb in 38 episodes of Footballers' Wives (2002-06), Sergeant Nikki Wright in 56 episodes of The Bill (2006-08) and Sandy Roscoe in 161 episodes of soap Hollyoaks (2013-15). Gillian also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing as a contestant in 2008, and on Celebrity Big Brother in 2013.
Facts
Her sister Kim Taylforth is also an actor. In 1994, Gillian was involved in a high-profile court case when she sued The Sun newspaper for libel after it ran a story claiming she and her then partner Geoff Knights had performed sexual acts on a slip road on the A1 in their vehicle. Gillian claimed her partner had suffered an attack of pancreatitis and she was merely massaging his stomach to soothe his abdominal pain; however, a police officer claimed she was performing fellatio. In the case, the jury returned a verdict in favour of The Sun.

Deepak Verma (Sanjay Kapoor) Born Feb 11 1969
Career highlights
Deepak debuted in Taggart in 1992 before securing the role of Sanjay in EastEnders which he would play for more than 360 episodes between 1993-98. After leaving EastEnders, Deepak appeared in Empty Mirror (2000), Holby City (2001), White Teeth (2002), All About Me (2003), 5 Aside (2014), Dominion (2015), City of Tiny Lights (2016), The Good Karma Hospital (2017) and Emergency: LA (2021). He also appeared in almost 400 episodes of the Hindi comedy drama Kyunki... Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi between 2000-02.
Awards
2017: Member of the order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to the arts
Facts
Deepak runs his own production company, Pukkanasha Films.

Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale) Born Jun 28 1968
Career highlights
Adam's acting debut came playing Shiner in The Baker Street Boys (1983), after which he took the role of Dave Firkettle in 1983's The Witches and the Grinnygog. His third acting job was playing Ian Beale in EastEnders, which he joined in 1985 and has played in more than 3,900 episodes to date.
Awards
2013: British Soap Awards Lifetime Achievement Award (EastEnders)
2015: British Soap Awards Best On-Screen Partnership (EastEnders) - with Laurie Brett
Facts
Between 1983-85 Adam trained as a butcher in Wales. Here he is, on Twitter!

CREW

David Roden (writer)
Career highlights
At the time that he helped John Nathan-Turner write the script for Dimensions in Time, David was researcher on productions such as Derek Jarman's Wittgenstein and Blue. After this he became a production assistant on French Film (2008), a script editor on Casualty (2009-10) and Coronation Street (2013-14), a director on Doctors (2013), and a director and producer on Irish drama Red Rock (2015-17).
Facts
David used to run the BBC's Writers Academy, which trained writers to work on the BBC's continuing drama shows, and now runs his own screenwriting courses. He also wrote the schools version of the musical We Will Rock You. David also wrote several works of fiction for the Doctor Who Magazine Yearbooks in the 1990s, as well as the 2009 BBC audio adventure The Nemonite Invasion and one quarter of the 2008 BBC novel The Story of Martha. In 2013, David was on the cusp of being awarded a top drama producer's job at the BBC, but when allegations of sexual abuse against young men were highlighted by police, the job offer was withdrawn. No charges were subsequently brought against Roden by either accusers or police. Roden challenged the BBC's conduct in an employment tribunal in 2014. The case failed, but Roden was granted anonymity, which was subsequently overturned in 2015 after an appeal by the BBC.
In 2015 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with David here.

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

Stuart McDonald (director) Died Apr 12 2021 (car accident)
Career highlights
Stuart directed variety and entertainment shows since the 1980s, including Top of the Pops, That's Life!, morning television, Stars in Their Eyes, The National Lottery, Before They Were Famous, Robot Wars (for which he also provided the robot voices and announcements), Trisha, Tomorrow's World, BAFTA Tributes, Royal Variety Performance, The Two Ronnies Sketchbook, Test the Nation, Parkinson, Gladiators, Pointless, The Chase, The Apprentice: You're Fired!, Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two and Question Time. He started out as a vision mixer on series such as Chockablock and Bellamy's Backyard Safari in 1981. Stuart did not leave his experience with 3D television behind either, as he also pioneering 3D TV broadcasting with Sky.