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On This Day (USA) - 1 February



The Daleks: The Rescue premiered on BBC One in 1964 at 5:17pm GMT, watched by 10.40 million viewers.

The Thals and the time travellers attack the Daleks from all sides as the Daleks start the countdown to release deadly doses of radiation into the atmosphere.


The Seeds of Death: Episode Two premiered on BBC One in 1969 at 5:15pm BST, watched by 6.80 million viewers.

With the commerce of the world grinding to a halt, the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe agree to investigate. They set off for the T-Mat Relay Station on the Moon in Professor Eldred's old fashioned rocket.


The Ark In Space: Part Two premiered on BBC One in 1975 at 5:30pm GMT, watched by 13.60 million viewers.

When the Doctor restores the power to the Ark, the humans begin to revive. But the station has been invaded by the giant insectoid Wirrn.


Kinda: Part One premiered on BBC One (Not Wales) in 1982 at 6:57pm GMT, watched by 8.40 million viewers.

Mawdryn Undead: Part One premiered on BBC One in 1983 at 6:50pm GMT, watched by 6.50 million viewers.

 Birthdays
Elisabeth Sladen (died 2011 aged 65) would have been 78 - 80 credits, including Sarah Jane Smith in The Time Warrior

Born in Liverpool in February 1946, Elisabeth Sladen took an interest in acting from an early age; she joined the Liverpool Playhouse repertory company as assistant stage manager after drama school, where she would meet her future husband Brian Miller. After a stint touring the country in repertory, she settled in Manchester, during which she had her breakthrough television role in 1970, appearing as Anita Reynolds in Coronation Street. More small roles were to follow in popular shows like Doomwatch, Z Cars and Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em.

Then in 1973 came what would be her defining role as she was cast as the replacement companion for third Doctor Jon Pertwee. Following in the footsteps of popular companion Jo Grant played by Katy Manning, Sladen was to hit the ground running as investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith in her debut story The Time Warrior, and over the next three years would see her popularity soar as she became part of what is arguably known as the "golden years" of Doctor Who alongside fourth Doctor Tom Baker, an era including the story frequently appearing top of fan polls, Genesis of the Daleks.Despite choosing to leave the programme in 1976, with an emotional departure scene at the conclusion of the serial The Hand of Fear, 

Sladen later stated in interviews that although she had left Sarah Jane, "Sarah Jane never left me". Although she declined producer John Nathan-Turner's offer to come back as support for the Fourth Doctor's regeneration (being present at his own arrival at the end of this week's DVD release Planet of the Spiders), she did returned to the role for the 1981 pilot: having been described by the Doctor as his best friend, Sarah was form her second long-lasting partnership with his "second-best friend" in the titular K9 and Company.Sladen was re-united with "her" Doctor, Jon Pertwee, in the 1983 20th anniversary celebration The Five Doctors, and again during the 1990s for the two radio stories The Paradise of Death and The Ghosts of N-Space, written and produced by the person who originally cast her, Barry Letts - the two would also be joined by another popular Doctor Who legend in the form of Nicholas Courtney as the Brigadier.

Outside of Doctor Who, Sladen continued to work in theatre and television, often alongside her husband Brian; roles included Josie Hall in Take My Wife, a small role in the film Silver Dream Racer, and as Lady Flimnap in a production of Gulliver in Lilliput by her former producer Barry Letts, followed a few years later in his production of Alice in Wonderland as the Cheshire Cat. However, with the birth of her daughter Sadie in 1985, she was to focus more on her family.

However, Sarah would never be far from her life, with the actress continuing to be a popular guest at Doctor Who conventions, and also featuring in a series of audio adventures from Big Finish. Then, in 2005, a discussion with the revived Doctor Who's head writer and long-term fan of hers, Russell T Davies, led to a guest appearance in the second series adventure School Reunion, which re-united Sarah (and K9!) with the Doctor in his most recent incarnation (David Tennant) - her appearance proved instrumental in cementing the connection between the 20th and 21st Century productions in a way that the Daleks couldn't!

The character, and Sladen's performance, proved to be as popular as ever, if not more so, and led to her own starring role in spin-off series, The Sarah Jane Adventures; the CBBC series continued on from her re-introduction in Doctor Who as an independent investigator of alien activity - now joined by her young own assistants as well as her faithful K9 - and winning a whole new legion of fans, both young and old. It is also a testament to the strength of the show that it has been graced by the appearance of the both the Brigadier (Nicholas Courtney), and the Doctor himself in both his Tenth incarnation in The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith (and David Tennant's final performance as the Doctor), and Eleventh in the form of Matt Smith in Death of the Doctor - where Sladen was also to come 'full circle' by performing with the actress she 'replaced' way back in 1973, Katy Manning, aka Jo Jones née Grant.

The series itself has gone on to win awards, including the Royal Television Society award for Children's Drama last month.


Peter Sallis (died 2017 aged 96) would have been 103 - credited as Penley in The Ice Warriors

Peter SallisOBE  is an English actor and entertainer, well known for his work on British television

Sallis is best known for his role as the main character Norman Clegg in the long-running British TV comedy Last of the Summer Wine, set in a Yorkshire town. He was the longest serving cast member, appearing in all 295 episodes, and by the end of the show's run was the only one surviving from the programme's first episode in 1973. He also appeared in all 13 of the episodes of the prequel series First of the Summer Wine as Norman Clegg's father. He is also famous for providing the voice of Wallace in the Wallace and Gromit films.

He played Elric Penley in the 1967 Doctor Who serial The Ice Warriors. He was later due to play Striker in Enlightenment but industrial action caused filming times to change and his schedule could no longer fit the role in

Sallis was born on 1 February 1921 in TwickenhamMiddlesex, England, the only child of Dorothy Amea (n�e Barnard) and Harry Sallis. After attending Minchenden Grammar School in North London, Sallis went to work in a bank. After the outbreak of World War II he joined the RAF. He failed to get into aircrew because he had a serum albumin disorder and he was told he might black out at high altitudes. He became a wireless mechanic instead and went on to teach radio procedures at RAF Cranwell.

Sallis started as an amateur actor during his four years with the RAF when one of his students offered him the lead in an amateur production. His success in the role caused him to resolve to become an actor after the war, and so he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, making his first professional appearance on the London stage in 1946.

Sallis married Elaine Usher at St John's Wood Church in London on 9 February 1957. Their son, Timothy Crispian Sallis was born in 1959.


Joan Young (died 1984 aged 81) would have been 121 - credited as Catherine de Medici in The Massacre

Joan Young played Catherine de Medici in the 1966Doctor Who story The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve.

Other credits include All Creatures Great and Small, Salvage 1The Chiffy KidsShades of GreeneSykesBilly LiarThe Stanley Baxter ShowZ CarsThe Wednesday PlayNo Hiding PlaceDixon of Dock GreenDr. KildareDoctor KnockThe CitadelThe Inn of the Sixth HappinessMaverickAnne of Green Gables


 Deaths
Robin Sachs (died 2013 aged 61) - credited as British professor in The New World(TW)

Robin David Sachs was an English actor.

Sachs was born in London, the son of actors Leonard Sachs and Eleanor Summerfield. He was married twice: to Welsh actress Siân Phillips (1979–1991), and to Casey Defranco.

Among his roles, he played the evil magician Ethan Rayne in Buffy, The Vampire Slayer as well as General Valen in Star Trek: Voyager and Coplann in Babylon 5: In The Beginning. He also made three different guest appearances in Babylon 5 and was the warmongering General Roth'h'ar Sarris in the sci-fi comedy parody film Galaxy Quest.