Statistics


On This Day (USA) - 21 October



The Abominable Snowmen: Episode Four premiered on BBC One in 1967 at 5:24pm BST, watched by 7.10 million viewers.

Imprisoned in the monastery, Victoria is able to escape. The old High Lama is in the control of the alien Great Intelligence which plans to invade Earth.


The Pirate Planet: Part Four premiered on BBC One in 1978 at 6:22pm BST, watched by 8.40 million viewers.

Doctor Who Greatest Moments: Rose premiered on BBC Three in 2009 at 7:45pm BST, watched by 0.31 million viewers.
A look at some of the best bits featuring Rose, the Londoner who won the Doctor's heart. David Tennant, Billie Piper and other cast members share their favourite Rose moments and explain what makes her such a memorable companion. Narrated by Jo Whiley.

Rosa premiered on BBC One in 2018 at 6:55pm BST, watched by 8.41 million viewers.

The Doctor and her friends travel to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. There they meet someone trying to rewrite the history of the black civil rights movement.


 Birthdays
Adam Kurakin (died 1989 aged 43) would have been 79 - credited as Guard (Pirate Planet) in The Pirate Planet

Adam Kurakin  played a Guard in DW: The Pirate Planet.

Also worked on Pericles, Prince of Tyre , The Two Gentlemen of VeronaKing LearEnemy at the DoorAccidentColditzDoomwatchThe Mating Machine


 Deaths
Chris D'Oyly-John (died 2009) - 13 credits, including Production Assistant for Doctor Who And The Silurians

Chris D'Oyly John worked on many stories from the classic era of Doctor Who. He was an Assistant Floor Manager on the William Hartnell story The Ark, before working as Production Assistant on several Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee stories.

As Production Unit Manager, he worked on six Tom Baker stories working with producer Philip Hinchcliffe on some of the most-loved stories in the series history, including The Robots of Death and The Talons of Weng-Chiang.

His work outside of Doctor Who included The Bill, Poldark, House of Elliot and EastEnders.


Peter Moffatt (died 2007 aged 84) - 7 credits, including Director for State of Decay

Peter Moffatt was a British television director.

For Doctor Who he directed six stories starting with the 1980 Tom Baker story State of Decay and finishing with the 1985 story The Two Doctors which featured both the second and the sixth Doctors.

He was something of a specialist in multi Doctor stories having also directed the 20th anniversary story The Five Doctors which was shown as part of the BBC's 1983 Children in Need programme.

In recent years he was involved in the production of the Classic series DVD's, providing a commentary to a number of his stories. A retrospective of his work was featured as an extra on the DVD release of the 1982 story The Visitation.

His other work includes Crane (1963), All Creatures Great and Small (1978) and The Gentle Touch(1980).


Peter Barkworth (died 2006 aged 77) - credited as Clent in The Ice Warriors

Peter Barkworth was an English actor.

He played Leader Clent in The Ice Warriors

He is best remembered for playing Mark Telford in the TV series Telford's Change. This series followed the life of a senior banking executive as he downsized to Dover to start his life over again.

Barkworth won a BAFTA for his roles in Professional Foul and The Country Party (both 1977). Barkworth also played the expatriate British novelist Hugh Neville in the episodes Guilt and Lost Sheep of Secret Army (1977). 

Later TV included the part of Stanley Baldwin in Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years (1981), and the serials The Price (1985) and Late Starter (also 1985)

Barkworth appeared in numerous plays in the West End, notably as Edward VIII in Royce Ryton's Crown Matrimonial starring alongside Wendy Hiller at the Haymarket Theatre in 1972, a role which he repeated on TV two years later. He also devised a one-man show based on the work of Siegfried Sassoon.

His film career began in 1951 with A Touch of Larceny. He had subsequent roles in Where Eagles Dare (1968), Patton (1970) and International Velvet (1978). His last appearance was in the film Wilde in 1997. 

Barkworth was a member of the Council at RADA for 16 years during the 1980s and 1990s. His book About Acting – formerly titled The Complete About Acting – is often recommended reading for students and professional actors alike.


Alan Rowe (died 2000 aged 73) - 4 credits, including Edward of Wessex in The Time Warrior

Alan Rowe was an New Zealand actor. Born in Palmerston North he had a long career in British television ranging from roles in Sword of Freedom in 1957 to Wycliffe in 1997.

He was the long-term partner of actor Geoffrey Bayldon.