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On This Day (USA) - 5 May



Planet of the Daleks: Episode Five premiered on BBC One in 1973 at 5:51pm BST, watched by 9.70 million viewers.

Desperate to prevent the Daleks from releasing their plague, the Doctor, Jo and the Thals infiltrate their base. But the Daleks detect the intruders!


The Empty Child premiered on SyFy (East Coast Feed) in 2006 at 9:00pm EDT

The Lazarus Experiment premiered on BBC One in 2007 at 7:00pm BST, watched by 7.19 million viewers.

Monsters Inc premiered on BBC Three in 2007 at 7:45pm BST

 Birthdays
Laurent Maurel will be 52 - credited as Nicolas in Extremis

Laurent Maurel is a French actor, author, and director.

Born in Martigues in the south of France  he grew up in Morocco.

He was a member of the École d'Art dramatique de la Criée at the Théâtre National of Marseille and ENSATT (Rue Blanche Paris) and before studying acting at Middlesex University in London. 

He has appeared in many shows and has worked for film and television. 

Alongside his acting career, he also wrote, directed and produced for theater, television and film. 

He speaks fluent English, Spanish, Creole Reunionese and Arabic.


Richard E. Grant will be 67 - 5 credits, including Doctor Simeon in The Snowmen

Born in Mbabane, Swaziland, in 1957 Richard Grant Esterhuysen moved to London in 1982 where he changed emphasis on his name for Equity registration. His first film role is also the one that he is best known for, playing the titular character in Withnail and I, alongside future Doctor Paul McGann. Later film roles include L.A. Story, Spice World, Bright Young Things, Jack and Sarah, Corpse Bride and recently as Michael Hesiltine in The Iron Lady, and he wrote and directed the semi-autobiographical film Wah Wah in 2005. On television, he appeared in Dennis Potter's Karaoke, The Legends of Long John Silver, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Crimson Petal and the White, and most recently in Rev.

Grant is not a stranger to Doctor Who, having played the Doctor twice! He first appeared as the "Quite Handsome" Tenth Doctor in the Steven Moffat-penned Comic Relief special The Curse of Fatal Death in 1999; the actor then had a brief spell as the official Ninth Doctor for the online adventure Scream of the Shalka by Paul Cornell in 2003 - until the television series was announced with Christopher Eccleston at the helm.


Terry Walsh (died 2002 aged 62) would be 85 - 36 credits, including Fight Arranger for The Time Warrior

Terry Walsh  was a British actor stuntman, stunt arranger and fight arranger best know for hos work on Doctor Who during the 60's and 70's where he stunt-doubled for Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker.

Walsh was also the stunt co-ordinator for Robin of Sherwood, devising three swordfighting sequences which subsequently became standard movements on television and film. The moves were known as Robin Hood 1, 2 and 3.

His other credits include The Sandbaggers, Tales of the Unexpected, Z-Cars, Space: 1999, Dixon of Dock Green and Softly, Softly.


Delia Derbyshire (died 2001 aged 64) would be 87 - 116 credits, including Title Music Arranger for The Creation of Doctor Who

Delia Derbyshire was born in Coventry, England

Educated at Coventry Grammar School and Girton College, Cambridge, where she was awarded a degree in mathematics and music.

In 1960 Delia Derbyshire joined the BBC as a trainee studio manager. Within a matter of months she had created her recording of Ron Grainer's Doctor Who theme, one of the most famous and instantly recognisable TV themes ever. On first hearing it Grainer was tickled pink: "Did I really write this?" he asked. "Most of it," replied Derbyshire.

Thus began what is still referred to as the Golden Age of the Radiophonic Workshop. Initially set up as a service department for Radio Drama, it had always been run by someone with a drama background. Derbyshire was the first person there with any higher music qualifications, but as she wasn't supposed to be doing music, much of her early work remained anonymous under the umbrella credit 'special sound by BBC Radiophonic Workshop'.

Derbyshire soon gained a reputation for successfully tackling the impossible. When asked to "make some TV title music using only animal sounds" - much thought and ingenuity resulted in Great Zoos of the World. Delia always managed to soften her purist mathematical approach with a sensitive interpretative touch - 'very sexy' said Michael Bakewell on first hearing her electronic music for Cyprian Queen.

Derbyshire also worked with the composers Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Roberto Gerhard (on his 1965 Prix Italia winning 'Anger of Achilles'), and Ianni Christou, doing sound treatments of their orchestral music. She was also assistant to Luciano Berio at the 1962 Dartington summer school.

Delia's works from the 60s and 70s continue to be used on radio and TV some 30 years later, and her music has given her legendary status with releases in Sweden and Japan. She is also constantly mentioned, credited and covered by bands from Add n to (x) and Sonic Boom to Aphex Twin and The Chemical Brothers.

A recent Guardian article called her 'the unsung heroine of British electronic music'. She had exploratory encounters with Paul McCartney, Karlheinz Stockhausen, George Martin, Pink Floyd, Brian Jones, Anthony Newley, Ringo Starr and Harry Nilsson.

Derbyshire returned to music in the late nineties after having her interest renewed by fellow electronic musician Peter Kember and was working on an album when she died aged 64 of renal failure while recovering from breast cancer surgery.

The composer is played by Sarah Winter in the 50th Anniversary drama An Adventure In Space And Time.


John Boyd-Brent (died 2005 aged 86) would be 105 - credited as Sergeant in The War Machines

 Deaths
David Harcourt (died 2013 aged 97) - 2 credits, including Camera Operator for Dr Who and the Daleks(Aaru)

Camera Operator on the feature films Dr Who and the Daleks and Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.

The son of actor James Harcourt and the father of film technician Jamie Harcourt.

Telegraph Obituary