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On This Day (USA) - 9 May



The Keys of Marinus: Sentence of Death premiered on BBC One in 1964 at 5:14pm BST, watched by 7.90 million viewers.

Inferno: Episode 1 premiered on BBC One in 1970 at 5:15pm BST, watched by 5.70 million viewers.
UNIT are at a project run by Professor Stahlman who plans to penetrate Earth's crust. But the drilling has already released something deadly from beneath the planet's surface.

Shada (Online): Part Two premiered on BBC Online in 2003 at 12:00pm BST

Warriors of Kudlak: Part Two premiered on SyFy (East Coast Feed) in 2008 at 8:00pm EDT


Planet of the Ood premiered on SyFy (East Coast Feed) in 2008 at 9:00pm EDT

 Birthdays
Daniel Fearn will be 47 - credited as Crowd in The Woman Who Lived

Daniel Fearn trained at Mountview Theatre School (UK) and has a BA Hons in performance. Since graduating in 1999 he has appeared in notable TV shows, Theatre and film. Daniel first discovered his love for acting at Chichester Festival Youth Theatre where he was a member for 8 years. Daniel has two brothers.

He has appeared in shows such as Silk, Sherlock, Peaky Blinders, Ripper Street and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

(biography via IMDB)


Anna-Louise Plowman will be 52 - credited as Goddard in Dalek

Anna-Louise Plowman (sometimes known as Anna-Louise Stephens) is an actress. She played consultant anaesthetist Annalese Carson in Holby City and Dr. Sarah Gardner in Stargate SG-1. In 2003 she played Melinda MacLean, wife of British communist spy Donald Maclean, and mistress of spy Kim Philby (played by her husband Toby Stephens), in the TV mini-series Cambridge Spies. She played Diana Goddard in the Doctor Who story "Dalek" in 2005. Plowman also played the role of "C" in a revival of Edward Albee's play, Three Tall Women, in 2006, at the Oxford Playhouse.

Education

Plowman attended the Samuel Marsden Collegiate School, New Zealand between 1982 and 1989, where she graduated from Form 7. She later attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and the Lecoq School in Paris.

Personal life

Plowman married actor Toby Stephens in London, in 2001 and thus has actress Maggie Smith as her mother-in-law. In May 2007, Plowman and Stephens had their first child, a son named Eli Alistair. Simon Gray, the renowned British playwright (who penned Japes, a stage play, and Missing Dates, a radio drama, both of which starred Stephens), was reportedly Eli's godfather. The couple became parents of a second child, a girl named Tallulah, in May 2009. Their third child, a daughter named Kura was born in September 2010. Plowman and Stephens performed together as Sibyl and Elyot in Jonathan Kent's revival of Private Lives for the 2012 Chichester Festival, reprised at the Gielgud Theatre in 2013.

Biography from the wikipedia article, licensed under CC-BY-SA


Tessa Peake-Jones will be 67 - credited as Marta in The Time of the Doctor

Tessa Peake-Jones is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Raquel in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses.

She had a co-starring role in the 1999 TV series Births, Marriages, and Deaths. Her other television appearances include The Demon Headmaster, Midsomer Murders, Casualty, Holby City, The Bill, Up the Garden Path and So Haunt Me

She appeared in the BBC adaptation of Iris Murdoch's The Bell (1982).


Patrick Ryecart will be 72 - credited as Crozier in The Trial of a Time Lord (Mindwarp)

Patrick Ryecart is an English actor.

He played Crozier in the 1986 story Mindwarp.

Ryecart was born in Warwickshire. His first West End appearance was in Bernard Shaw's Candida at the Albery Theatre, playing the young poet Marchbanks opposite Deborah Kerr, directed by Michael Blakemore. Among a string of fine reviews Bernard Levin in the Sunday Times described his performance as "supernova" and that he had not seen "such a talent in embryo since the young Richard Burton". Ryecart has continued working in theatre, television and film (his last fim role Lord Wigram in "The Kings Speech") with lead roles in the classics of Shaw, Sheridan, and Shakespeare to light comedies, tv situation comedy, thrillers and musicals. Among his notable credits in London are Jack Absolute in "The Rivals" with Michael Hordern as his father and Geraldine McKewan as Mrs Malaprop, and Lord Goring in Peter Hall's "An Ideal Husband". He has acted on many British television shows since the mid-seventies includingLillie,"Silas Marner" ' "Pericles" "Arms and the Man"'Romeo and Juliet, The Professionals, Minder, Rumpole of the Bailey, Lovejoy, Coming Home, Holby City" Hustle" "Midsomer Murders". 

He was one of the lead characters in the BBC TV comedy series The High Life playing Captain Hilary Duff. He also appeared in the 1997 Agatha Christie's Poirot episode, Dumb Witness., and for the BBC in My Son My Son. Also Dalziel & Pascoe episode and many mini series for the U.S.

His extensive theatre credits include The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B by J P Donleavy in London's West End which he also produced, first playing Balthazar to Simon Callow's playing Beefy, ( who was later replaced by Billy Connolly ). Numerous tours include "Donkeys Years", "Rebecca", "Tunes of Glory" and "The Millionairess" opposite Raquel Welch. He also produced, at the Garrick Theatre London (and later redirected for tour and the Edinburgh Festival 2011) "Jus' like That!" the highly successful affectionate tribute to the great Tommy Cooper, written by John Fisher.

Biography from the Wikipedia article, licensed under CC-BY-SA


Virginia Wetherell will be 81 - credited as Dyoni in The Daleks

Virginia Wetherell is an English actress best known for her roles in Hammer horror films such as Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971) and Demons of the Mind (1972). 

Other film appearances include Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968), Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971) and the television film Dracula (1973).

On television, she was a regular cast member of The Troubleshooters as Julie Serres, and played Dyoni in the first Dalek story serial The Daleks.


John Black will be 84 - 3 credits, including Director for The Keeper of Traken

John Black  is a retired British TV director. 

Among his directing credits include Coronation Street, Play for Today, Crown Court, Doctor Who (the serials The Keeper of Traken, and Four to Doomsday plus the spinoff K-9 and Company) and The Bill.


Joan Sims (died 2001 aged 71) would be 94 - credited as Katryca in The Trial of a Time Lord (The Mysterious Planet)

Joan Sims was an English actress, best remembered for her roles in the Carry On films, and latterly for playing both Madge Hardcastle in As Time Goes By, and Mrs Wembley the cook with a liking for sherry in the TV comedy series On the Up.

Sims was born in 1930, the daughter of the station master of Laindon railway station in LaindonEssex. Sims' early interest in being an actress came from living at the railway station. She would often put on performances for waiting passengers. She decided that she was certainly interested in pursuing show business, and soon became a familiar face in a growing number of amateur productions locally, during her teens.

In 1946, Sims first applied to RADA, but her audition was unsuccessful. Her first audition included a rendition of Winnie the Pooh. She did succeed in being admitted to PARADA, the academy's preparatory school, and finally, on her fourth attempt, she graduated and was trained at RADA. She graduated from RADA in 1950 at the age of 19. One of her first stage performances was in the 1951 pantomimeThe Happy Ha'penny, opposite Stanley Baxter at Glasgow's Citizens Theatre.

Sims appeared in a number of Brian Rix's Aldwych Theatre farces, but revue was Sims' greatest medium, especially in the works of Peter Myers. In 1958 she got a part in Peter Coke's play Breath of Spring, which opened at theCambridge Theatre in March, transferring to the Duke of York's Theatre in August 1958, and running until April 1959. Sims preferred film to stage work. "It was, of course, lovely to be in a successful play, to have the excitement of performing a hit to packed houses (and, not least, the assurance of a regular income for the foreseeable future). But, on the other hand, I found it extremely difficult to keep a performance fresh, and I'd soon get bored."

Sims made her first film appearance in Will Any Gentleman? with George Cole in 1953, closely followed by Trouble in Store with Norman Wisdom. In 1954 she made a cameo appearance in Doctor in the House, opposite Dirk Bogardeas the sexually repressed Nurse Rigor Mortis. Sims became a regular in the Doctors series, which was produced by Betty E. Box, and was hence spotted by Box's husband Peter Rogers.

In 1958, Sims received a script from Peter Rogers: it was for Carry On Nurse. The film Carry On Sergeant had been a huge success at the box office and in the autumn of that year and Rogers and director Gerald Thomas began planning a follow-up.

She first starred in Carry On Nurse, then Carry On Teacher, followed by Carry On Constable and Carry On Regardless, and this sealed her future as a regular Carry On performer. Following a bout of ill health, Dilys Laye had to be brought in to take her place in Carry On Cruising at very short notice; however, Sims rejoined the team with Carry On Cleo.

After the Carry On series ended in 1978, Sims continued to work on television. She appeared opposite Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier in the award-winning 1975 television film Love Among the Ruins and had a recurring role as Gran in the BBC comedy series Till Death Us Do Part. From 1979 until 1981 she played the recurring character Mrs Bloomsbury-Barton in Worzel Gummidge for Southern Television. During 1986 and 1987, Sims starred as Annie Begley alongside Angela Thorne in the Yorkshire Television sitcom Farrington of the F.O.. Also in 1986, Sims appeared in Doctor Who in the four episodes of The Trial of a Time Lord: The Mysterious Planet as Katryca. She also played Miss Murgatroyd in the Miss Marple adaptation, A Murder is Announced, Betsy Prig in a star-studded adaptation of Dickens' Martin Chuzzlewit and Lady Fox-Custard in Simon and the Witch.

In 1989, she appeared as a medium in the video for Morrisey's "Ouija Board, Ouija Board".

She played Mrs Wembley in the BBC comedy series On the Up, which starred Dennis Waterman and ran from 1990 to 1992. From 1994, she played Madge Hardcastle, stepmother of Geoffrey Palmer's character Lionel in As Time Goes By. Sims also appeared in episodes of the hit television comedy series Only Fools and Horses and The Goodies, in One Foot in the Grave special One Foot in the Algarve, and made a guest appearance in a sketch show with Victoria Wood.

In her later years, Sims fought a long battle against depression. This was worsened by the deaths of her agent Peter Eade, her best friend Hattie Jacques and her mother, all within a two year period, which resulted in her falling intoalcoholism. Sims suffered from Bell's palsy in 1999 and fractured her hip in 2000 but recovered well. However, her alcoholism was beginning to dominate life in her rented Kensington flat, and she described herself as "the queen of puddings."[2][10] After assessment by a doctor, she was offered a place in a rehabilitation centre, but she decided to take control of her life. Offered the opportunity to write her autobiography, she took a role in the BBC television film The Last of the Blonde Bombshells, alongside Dame Judi Dench and Olympia Dukakis.

During 1963 Sims made several recordings. "Hurry Up Gran" / "Oh Not Again Ken" was issued as a single followed by "Spring Song" / "Men". Neither single made an impact on the UK Singles Chart. This did not deter her from releasing a third and final single during 1967 "Sweet Lovely Whatsisname" / "The Lass With the Delicate Hair". Although again it failed to chart and as a result the singles are now quite rare. As of 2009, both "Spring Song" and "Men" are available for the first time through iTunes and other download services, as well as on CD as part of re-issues of the comedy compilation albums Oh! What a Carry On! and Laugh A Minute. Sims also featured on an original cast recording of The Lord Chamberlain Regrets in 1961, as well as The Water Gypsies.


John Arnatt (died 1999 aged 82) would be 107 - credited as Cardinal Borusa in The Invasion of Time

John Arnatt  was a British actor born in Russia.

He played Borusa in the Doctor Who story The Invasion of Time.

John Arnatt was born in Petrograd

He amassed numerous television credits in popular productions such as Keeping Up Appearances,DangerfieldLovejoyThe ProfessionalsHouse of Cards and Z-Cars and had a recurring role in the early episodes of the ITV legal drama The Main Chance.

One of Arnatt's most high profile roles was as "The Deputy Sheriff of Nottingham" in the fourth and final season of 1955-60 TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Richard Greene. His character filled in for Alan Wheatley, who played the regular sheriff. Arnatt's character was introduced and interacted with Wheatley's character in the episode "The Devil You Don't Know". In the 1962 film Dr Crippen, starring Donald Pleasence, Arnatt played Chief Inspector Walter Dew. Arnatt also played an imitation "M" to Tom Adams' imitation James Bond in two films, Licensed to Kill (1965 film) and Where the Bullets Fly (1966).


May Wardon (died 1978 aged 87) would be 133 - credited as Old Sara in The Daleks' Master Plan

May Warden was born in Leeds, England.  

She was an actress, known for Der 90. Geburtstag oder Dinner for One, Billy Liar and Dinner for One

She was married to Silvester Stewart. 

She was one of the earliest born actors to appear in any episode of Doctor Who. 


 Deaths
Michael Earl (died 2013) - 7 credits, including Technician (inferno Project) in Inferno

Extra on Doctor Who


Bernard Spear (died 2003 aged 83) - credited as Man with Carrier Bag in Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.(Aaru)

Bernard Spear was an English actor.

He played the man with the carrier bag in Daleks' Invasion Earth 

He was born to a Polish father and Russian mother.

Spear starred in the BAFTA TV Award-winning television play Bar Mitzvah Boy, and also appeared in the films Bedazzled and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In 1968, he played the dual roles of Cervantes's manservant and Sancho Panza in the London stage version of Man of La Mancha.