The Doctor Who Thread

[Susan Foreman]

Who: Before And After #907a

Name: Alfred Lynch [1931 - 2003]
Year(s): 1989
Stories: The Curse Of Fenric part 1 – The Curse Of Fenric part 4
Character(s): Commander Millington

Note(s):

• Was the partner of Who actor James Culliford
• Was previously considered for the roles of Nilson in the 1984 story 'Warriors of the Deep' and also the recurring role of Sabalom Glitz

Before Who:
Films: Daphne Laureola (1958), Look Back in Anger (1959), On The Fiddle* (1961), Two and Two Make Six (1962), Smashing Day (1962), The Password Is Courage (1962), 55 Days at Peking (1963), West 11 (1963), The Hill* (1965), The Taming of The Shrew (1967), Something Like Love (1968), The Sea Gull (1968), For Loving (1972), The Blockhouse (1973), Joseph Andrews (1977), Loophole (1981), On the Razzle (1983), The Oresteia: The Trilogy by Aeschylus (1983), The Deliberate Death of a Polish Priest (1986)

Television: Wideawake [2 episodes as Whitey (1957)] / Big Guns; Gaol Delivery (1958) / BBC Sunday Night Theatre: The Lower Depths (1958) / Theatre Night: The Long and the Short and the Tall (1959) / ITV Play of the Week: Echoes on a Lonely Shore (1961) / Thirty Minute Theatre: Already Its Tomorrow (1962) / BBC Sunday Night Play: Two by the Sea #1 - See the Pretty Lights (1963) / Drama 61-67: Drama '64 - A Memory of October (1964) / Theatre 625: The World of George Orwell - Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1965) / Hereward the Wake [16 episodes as Hereward (1965)] / Blackmail: Lone Rider (1966) / The Wednesday Play: House of Character (1968) / Armchair Theatre: The Ballad of the Artificial Mash (1968) / ITV Playhouse: Your Name's Not God, It's Edgar (1968) / The Gold Robbers: Dog Eat Dog (1969) / Manhunt* [19 episodes as Squadron Leader Jimmy Briggs (1970)] / Thirty-Minute Theatre: Something for the Children (1971) / Jackanory: Richard the Lion-Heart [5 episodes as the Storyteller (1971)] / Jackanory: The Legend of Roland [5 episodes as the Storyteller (1972)] / Jackanory: Hayseed and Company [2 episodes as the Storyteller (1973)] / The Fortunes of Nigel [5 episodes as King James IV (1974)] / Late Night Drama: Item (1974) / Churchill's People [2 episodes as King James I (1975)] / Going Straight: Going Off the Rails (1978) / Murder at the Wedding [4 episodes as Ken French (1979)] / The Good Companions [3 episodes as Joby Jackson (1980-1981)] / Shades of Darkness; Bewitched (1983) / Bulman [2 episodes as Joe Revell (1985-1987)] / Floodtide [4 episodes as P.F. (1987)] / A Tale of Two Cities [2 episodes as Jerry Cruncher (1989)] / Boon: Of Meissen Men (1989)

After Who:
Films: The Krays* [as Charlie Kray] (1990), Until the End of the World (1991), Second Best (1994)

Television: Bergerac: Under Wraps (1990) / The Secret Agent ]3 episodes as The Professor (1992)] / Lovejoy: The Ring (1993) / Pie in the Sky: The One That Got Away (1995) / Kavanagh QC: A Stranger in the Family (1996) / Monsignor Renard (2000)

Who: Before And After #907b

Name: Stevan Rimkus [? - ]
Year(s): 1989
Stories: The Curse Of Fenric part 1 – The Curse Of Fenric part 4
Character(s): Captain Bates

Before Who:
Films: Cal (1984), The Hidden Curriculum (1984), Three Wishes for Jamie (1987), Prick Up Your Ears (1987), Hidden City (1987)
Television: The Chinese Detective: Bounty Hunter (1982) / Play for Today: Aliens (1982) / Killer [2 episodes as Gordon (1983)] / Gems [39 episodes as Matthew Roberts (1985)] / Summer Season: Pity in History (1985) / Heart of the Country [4 episodes as Bernard (1987)] / The Play on One: Airbase (1988) / The Bill [6 episodes, different characters (1988-2000)] / Les Girls [2 episodes as Paul (1988)] / Hard Cases (1989)

After Who:
Films: Wild Flowers (1989), Conquest of the South Pole (1989), Shoot to Kill (1990), Eye Contact (1991), London Kills Me (1991), One Against the Wind (1991), A Pin for the Butterfly (1994), Gefährliche Spiele (1994), Mind Games (2001), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2001), American Cousins (2003), Hidalgo (2004), Modigliani (2004), Mangal Pandey (2005)
Television: El C.I.D.; My Brother's Keeper (1992) / The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Somme, Early August 1916 (1992) / Between the Lines: A Watch & Chain of Course (1992) / Doctor Finlay: Forbidden Fruit (1993) / Crime Story: The Prince (1993) / Frank Stubbs: Babies (1994) / Elidor [6 episodes as Malebron (1995)] / Thief Takers: Whispers in the Dark (1996) / Wycliffe: Dance of the Scorpions (1997) / Dangerfield: Haunted (1999) / Trial & Retribution: Trial & Retribution VI (2002) / Doctors [3 episodes as Victor Keane (2002)] / Casualty: Finding Faith (2004) / Monarch of the Glen (2004) / Houdini (2014)

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Jobel (Clive Swift) and Tasambeker (Jenny Tomasin) in Revelation of the Daleks (1985)

[Susan Foreman]

The 'series 8' Blu-ray set is due to be released in 'standard packaging' on November 14 - pre-order available at Amazon UK - £39:99

[Susan Foreman]

Who: Before And After #908a

Name: Marcus Hutton [1964 - ]
Year(s): 1989
Stories: The Curse Of Fenric part 1 – The Curse Of Fenric part 4
Character(s): Sergeant Leigh

Note(s): Appeared in a number of Big Finish Productions audio adventures:

• In the 'Doctor Who Main Range' stories 'The Church and the Crown' / 'The Kingmaker'
• In the 'Bernice Summerfield' stories 'The Temple of Questions' / 'Private Enemy No. 1' / 'Many Happy Returns'
• In the 'Iris Wildthyme' story 'Iris Rides Out'

Before Who:
Films: None
Television: None

After Who:
Films: Diana: Her True Story (1993), Made in Dagenham* (2010), Trinny & Susannah: From Boom to Bust (2010), Act/Or (2015), Saint Maud (2019)

Television: Love Hurts: Let's Do It (1992) / The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries: Scales of Justice (1994) / Crocodile Shoes II: Boom (1996) / Brookside [46 episodes as Nathan Cuddington (1998-2000)] / Smack the Pony [2 episodes (1999)] / CI5 - The New Professionals: Skorpion (1999) / Hollyoaks (2007) / Holby City: Anger Management (2011) / Midsomer Murders; The Killings of Copenhagen (2014) / Daye's Work: Pilot (2016)

Who: Before And After #908b

Name: Christien Anholt [1971 - ]
Year(s): 1989
Stories: The Curse Of Fenric part 1 – The Curse Of Fenric part 3
Character(s): Perkins

Before Who:
Films: Reunion (1989)
Television: None

After Who:
Films: Hamlet (1990), One Against the Wind (1991), The Power of One (1992), Class of '61 (1993), Mama's Back (1993), Seventeen (1994), Preaching to the Perverted (1997), The Ruby Ring (1997), Appetite (1998), 30 Years to Life (1998), The Harpist (1999), The Waiting Time (1999), Dark Corners* (2006), Flyboys (2006), Ben 10: Race Against Time (2007), The Laureate (2021)

Television: Press Gang: The Last Word (1991) / Casualty: Humpty Dumpty (1991) / The Blackheath Poisonings* [3 episodes as Paul Vandervent (1992)] / Screen One: Money for Nothing (1993) / Hard Times [2 episodes as Tom (1994)] / Cadfael; The Devil's Novice (1996) / The 10%ers: Runner (1996) / Felicity: Spooked (1998) / Relic Hunter [66 episodes as Nigel Bailey (1999-2002)] / Adventure Inc. [2 episodes as Brother John (2003)] / Doctors: Love, Honour, Betray (2014) / Hitler: The Opportunist [as the narrator] (2016) / Holby City: Twist of the Knife (2017) / World's Greatest Palaces [10 episodes as the Narrator (2019)] / Malory Towers [3 episodes as Mr. Lacey (2022)]

Who: Before And After #908c

Name: Tomek Bork [1952 - ]
Year(s): 1989
Stories: The Curse Of Fenric part 1 – The Curse Of Fenric part 4
Character(s): Captain Sorin

Before Who:
Films: The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988), Journey's End (1988), Murder by Moonlight (1989), Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airliner Tragedy (1989)
Television: Mr. Palfrey of Westminster: Official Secret (1985) / The Bill: Public and Confidential (1986) / C.A.T.S. Eyes: Honeytrap (1986) / The One Game: Friday (1988) / Piece of Cake [2 episodes as 'Zaddy' Zardarnowski (1988)] / Gentlemen and Players: Three Can Play (1989) / Saracen: Ratline (1989)

After Who:
Films: None
Television: Capital City: Max in Poland (1989) / Sleepers: The Awakening (1991) / Second Thoughts: Vice Principle (1992) / Crime Story: A Question of Identity (1992) / Love Hurts: Your Money or Your Life (1993) / Lovejoy: Taking the Pledge (1993) / Taggart Prayer for the Dead (1995) / Doctors: Evil Spirits (2007)

Who: Before And After #908d

Name: Peter Czajkowski [1958 - ]
Year(s): 1989
Stories: The Curse Of Fenric part 1 – The Curse Of Fenric part 3
Character(s): Sergeant Prozorov

Before Who:
Films: Hanna's War (1988)
Television: The Bill [2 episodes as P.C. Wright (1985)] / A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery: Strong Poison (1987)

After Who:
Films: Hilary and Jackie (1998)
Television: Screen Two; They Never Slept (1991) / Moon and Son: The Place of the Cold Fires (1992) / Love Hurts [2 episodes as Dmitri Kapolev (1993)] / Soldier Soldier: Hide and Seek (1993) / Nice Day at the Office: Stupid Cupid (1994) / Birds of a Feather: Puppy Love (1994) / British Men Behaving Badly: Pornography (1995) / The New Adventures of Robin Hood: The Rebellion (1997) / Goodnight Sweetheart: ... But We Think You Have to Go (1998) / Heartbeat: The Buxton Defence (2001) / Lee Evans: So What Now?: The Limo (2001) / The Last Detective; Pilot (2003) / Holby City: Wonderland (2003)

Who: Before And After #908e

Name: Mark Conrad [? - ]
Year(s): 1989
Stories: The Curse Of Fenric part 1
Character(s): Petrossian

Before Who:
Films: Stacy's Knights (1983)
Television: Troubles [2 episodes as Mortimer (1988)]

After Who:
Films: Arrivederci Millwall (1990)
Television: Cardiac Arrest [2 episodes as Peter Broome (1994)]

[Susan Foreman]

According to a report in The Daily Mirror, Bonnie Langford is due to make a cameo appearance in an episode in the 2024 series

EXCLUSIVE: Bonnie Langford returning to Doctor Who with guest appearance as companion Mel Bush

"Bonnie Langford is set to make a guest appearance in Doctor Who, reprising her TV role as companion Mel Bush from the 1980s.

The actress, 58, has been lined up for a cameo in the episodes being planned for 2024 by new showrunner Russell T Davies, alongside incoming Doctor Ncuti Gatwa.

Langford played companion Mel for from 1986-87, working alongside both the sixth Time Lord Colin Baker and the seventh, played by Sylvester McCoy.

She has returned to the role on TV just once, in 1993’s Dimensions in Time, a special charity Doctor Who/ EastEnders mash-up for Children in Need.

The Just William star has returned as Mel in several audio versions of Doctor Who for Big Finish - but has told how she gave two conditions before accepting the role.

Speaking this summer, she explained: "No screaming, and please can we build her character a bit? I was constantly seeking a more substantial role.

Melanie just said, 'But Doctor…’, and screamed.”

Russell T Davies, who was the original reboot producer in 2005, is known to be a fan of Langford. Last year it emerged that, as a 14-year-old, he wrote a script for Baker and assistant Mel which he discovered in his loft during lockdown, and had hoped to resurrect.

Speaking on a podcast, Langford said: “I don't know what it's like or what it's about but he's emailed me and said, 'Would you do it?' I said, 'Yes, absolutely'. It's just so fascinating.”

Since then Russell has re-signed as show-runner, taking over from departing boss Chris Chibnall.

It is not clear whether Langford’s return will be linked to this particular story or not.

Fans of the BBC1 sci-fi show have long clamoured for another glimpse of Mel, with one declaring: “As a character Mel would have grown so much since leaving the Doctor. Would be wonderful to see Bonnie return to Doctor Who on TV, she's returned already so often via Big Finish. We need more classic companion returns to see what happened to them.”

Another agreed: “I have really fond memories of watching that season when I was a kid. I know they're not the very ‘best’ episodes of Doctor Who, but I think nostalgia counts for a lot.”

When rumours of her reprising the role surfaced, one fan noted: “She looks better without the perm ,” leaving another to point out that her red curls were all natural.

Mel bowed out of her TV role with the 1987 story Dragonfire. Nearly thirty years on, Langford won awards for her portrayal of Carmel Kazemi in EastEnders for three years from 2015.

Current Doctor Jodie Whittaker will make her exit following her five-year stint in the TARDIS later this month, with a regeneration scene expected at the end.

Sex Education star Ncuti has been unveiled by the BBC as the next Doctor, but it is not yet clear who Whittaker will regenerate into as David Tennant and Catherine Tate are returning for a set of specials to run next year.

They will be joined by other retro favourites including Bernard Cribbins, who returned to film scenes as Wilfred Mott before his death earlier this year.

A BBC spokeswoman declined to comment on Langford’s return."

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) implores the changing Ace (Sophie Aldred) to transport them back to Earth in order to stop the Master in Survival (1989)

[Susan Foreman]

Rumour has it... Centenary trailer coming tomorrow!!!!

[Susan Foreman]

Who: Before And After #909

Name: Nicholas Parsons CBE [1923 - 2020]
Year(s): 1989
Stories: The Curse of Fenric part 1 – The Curse Of Fenric part 3
Character(s): Reverent Wainwright

Before Who:
Films: Hay Fever (1946), The Princess and the Woodcutter (1947), The Master of Bankdam (1947), Spring at Marino (1951), Nor Care Beyond Today (1953), Cash on Delivery (1954), Simon and Laura* (1955), An Alligator Named Daisy (1955), The Third Key (1956), Eyewitness (1956), Brothers in Law (1957), Just a Little Cuckoo (1957), Happy Is the Bride (1958), Too Many Crooks (1959), Man in a Cocked Hat (1959), Upstairs and Downstairs (1959), Let's Get Married (1960), Doctor in Love (1960), Carry on Regardless* (1961), Murder Ahoy* (1964), Seaside Swingers (1964), The Wrong Box (1966), The Ghost Goes Gear* (1966), Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River (1968), Danger Point (1971), Spy Story (1976)

Television: BBC Sunday Night Theatre: March Hares (1950) / The Passing Show [2 episodes as Robert MacKay (1951)] / The Eric Barker Half-Hour [21 episodes (1951-1953)] / Look at It This Way [6 episodes, Various Roles (1955)] / Here and Now [7 episodes (1955-1956)] / The Adventures of Robin Hood: Trial by Battle (1956) / The Adventures of the Big Man: Baby Sitter (1956) / Rheingold Theatre: Crown of the Andes (1956) / The Arthur Haynes Show [121 episodes (1956-1965)] / Saturday Playhouse: Trilby (1959) / Mess Mates; The New Broom (1960) / Four Feather Falls [39 episodes as the voice of Sheriff Tex Tucker (1960)] / Vacation Playhouse: He's All Yours (1964) / Night Train to Surbiton [6 episodes as Guy Bretherton (1965)] / The Ugliest Girl in Town [9 episodes as David Courtney (1968-1969)] / The Very Merry Widow and How [5 episodes as Francis (1969)] / Know Your Onions [12 episodes as the presenter (1969)] / The Benny Hill Show [11 episodes (1969-1974)] / Sale of the Century [411 episodes as the presenter (1971-1983)] / Comedy Playhouse: The Rescue (1973) / The Morecambe & Wise Show: Eric & Ernie's Xmas Show 1978 (1978) / Super Troupers [6 episodes (1985)] / Roland Rat - The Series (1986) / Who Dares Wins (1986) / The Comic Strip Presents: Mr. Jolly Lives Next Door (1988) / The New Statesman: Live from Westminster (1989)
Radio: Just a Minute [over 950 episodes as the presenter (1967 - 2019)]
Music Video: Captain Sensible (1985): Come On Down [as himself]

After Who:
Films: Hospital! (1997), Lady Godiva (2008), Caught in a Trap (2008)
Television: Laughlines [66 episodes (1990)] / Bodger and Badger; The Bare Mayor (1991) / Spatz; Tango (1992) / Kappatoo [7 episodes as the Presenter (1992)] / Cluedo [6 episodes as the Reverend Green (1993)] / Just a Minute [48 episodes as the presenter (1994-1999)] / Zig and Zag's Dirty Deeds; This Party Sucks (1996) / The 10%ers: Table 11 (1996) / Get Fit with Brittas: The Great Outdoors (1997) / Psychic Witness: Overkill (2006) / Marple: The Pale Horse (2010) / The Wotwots [40 episodes as the Narrator (2010)] / Comedy Lab: Rick and Peter (2011) / Just a Minute [10 episodes as the host (2012)] / Good Omens: In the Beginning (2019)

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

A Dalek patrols the city on Skaro in The Mutants (1963)

[Susan Foreman]

The official trailer for 'The Power Of The Doctor'