Statistics


On This Day (USA) - 30 March



Fury From the Deep: Episode 3 premiered on BBC One in 1968 at 5:16pm BST, watched by 7.70 million viewers.

Despite the mounting evidence, Chief Robson refuses to acknowledge that matters have escalated beyond his ability to control them.


The Monster of Peladon: Part Two premiered on BBC One in 1974 at 5:30pm BST, watched by 6.80 million viewers.

Chancellor Ortron accuses the Doctor and Sarah of being in league with the rebel miners and sentences them to be punished by Aggedor himself.


Time-Flight: Part Four premiered on BBC One (Not Wales) in 1982 at 6:51pm BST, watched by 8.10 million viewers.

The Twin Dilemma: Part Four premiered on BBC One in 1984 at 6:43pm BST, watched by 7.30 million viewers.

Revelation of the Daleks: Part Two premiered on BBC One in 1985 at 5:22pm GMT, watched by 7.70 million viewers.

The last of the present series
Starring Colin Baker
A two-part story written by Eric Saward
Will Necros be the last resting place for the Doctor and Peri?
(Doctor Who exhibitions will be on display at Longleat House, Wiltshire, and in Blackpool, opposite Central Promenade, from Good Friday)
CEEFAX SUBTITLES


The Weakest Link: Doctor Who Special premiered on BBC One in 2007 at 8:30pm BST

Front Row: Steven Moffat (writing Doctor Who) premiered on Radio 4 in 2010 at 7:15pm BST

Steven Moffat on the challenges of writing the re-launched Doctor Who, starring Matt Smith.


The Bells of Saint John premiered on BBC One in 2013 at 6:14pm GMT, watched by 8.44 million viewers.

 Birthdays
Stephen Jenn (died 2012 aged 61) would be 74 - credited as Secker in Nightmare of Eden

Actor who had a long career in British television.

Appeared in the 1979 story Nightmare of Eden.


Michael Burdle (died 2012 aged 69) would be 82 - 2 credits, including Costume Designer for The Armageddon Factor

Michael Burdle was born in Weymouth in 1942. Becoming a costume designer for the BBC, his early work included episodes of Dad's Army and Dombey & Son, with work continuing throughout the 1970s in shows such as The Edwardians, Notorious Women, and his two stints on Doctor Who. In the 1980s he worked on The Borgias, The Importance Of Being Earnest and The Ginger Tree


Peter Welch (died 1984 aged 62) would be 102 - 2 credits, including Sergeant in The Highlanders

Peter Welch  was a British actor who appeared in various television programmes including Dixon of Dock GreenZ-CarsSpy TrapSoftly, SoftlyDoctor Who, and Danger Man with Patrick McGoohan.

He appeared in the 1976 story The Android Invasion.


 Deaths
Myra Frances (died 2021 aged 78) - credited as Adrasta in The Creature from the Pit

Myra Frances  was a British actress.

She wa best known for her recurring role as Anne Tranter in the 1970s television drama series Survivors and for her appearance in the 1979 Doctor Who serial The Creature from the Pit, in which she played the villainous Lady Adrasta. She also appeared in several comedy films of the 1970s including Don't Just Lie There, Say Something! (1973)

She also played James Hadleigh's love interest, Stella Clisby, in the fourth series of Hadleigh, as well as playing a barrister, Valerie Scott, in several episodes of Crown Court in 1976.

She was married to the actor Peter Egan.


Kate O'Mara (died 2014 aged 74) - 3 credits, including The Rani in The Mark of the Rani

Kate O'Mara was an English film, stage and television actress. 

She was most widely known for her portrayal of strong women such as role as Caress Morell, the sister of Alexis Colby in  Dynasty, The Rani in Doctor Who and Laura Wilde in Howards' Way.

O'Mara made her stage debut in a production of The Merchant of Venice in 1963. Her earliest television appearances included guest roles on Danger Man, Adam Adamant Lives!, The Saint, Z-Cars and The Avengers in the 1960s. In 1970, she appeared in two Hammer Studio horror films; The Vampire Lovers and The Horror of Frankenstein. In 1975, she had a regular role in the BBC drama series The Brothers.

In the early 1980s, O'Mara starred in the BBC soap opera Triangle. In 1985, she was cast as The Rani in the Doctor Who adventure The Mark of the Rani. A  role she reprised in the 1987 story Time and the Rani.

In 1986, she was cast as Caress Morrell in the American primetime soap opera Dynasty. Playing the sister of Alexis Colby (Joan Collins), O'Mara appeared in 17 episodes of the sixth season and 4 episodes of the seventh. She was later cast as another scheming villain, Laura Wilde, in the BBC soap Howards' Way in 1989.

O'Mara continued to make television appearances throughout the 1990s, including Cluedo and Absolutely Fabulous. In 2001, she had a recurring role in the ITV prison drama series Bad Girls before appearing in the short-lived revival of the soap opera Crossroads. 

She also continued to perform on stage and in March 2008 she played Marlene Dietrich in a stage play entitled Lunch with Marlene. From August to November 2008, she played Mrs Cheveley in Oscar Wilde's stage play 'An Ideal Husband' directed by Peter Hall and produced by Bill Kenwright.


Dave Martin (died 2007 aged 72) - 13 credits, including Writer for The Claws of Axos

Dave Martin  was an accomplished television and film writer. He was born in Handsworth, Birmingham, England and contributed numerous scripts for Doctor Who  between 1971 and 1979

Martin collaborated with Bob Baker. Together they were nicknamed "The Bristol Boys" by the Doctor Who production teams with whom they worked.

Baker and Martin's most notable contributions to the Doctor Who mythos were probably the robot computer K-9 (created for The Invisible Enemy) and the renegade Time Lord Omega (created for The Three DoctorsDoctor Who's tenth anniversary story).

They also worked together on the 1975 children's science fantasy television serial Sky and Into the Labyrinth.

In 1986, he wrote the Doctor Who Make Your Own Adventure book Search for the Doctor.

In early 2007, Martin, a smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer; he died of the disease in March.