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On This Day (USA) - 15 December



The Time Warrior: Part One premiered on BBC One in 1973 at 5:10pm GMT, watched by 8.70 million viewers.

UNIT investigates when scientists go missing, kidnapped by an alien trapped in the 13th Century. Travelling back in time in the TARDIS, the Doctor is unaware that he has stowaway.


Nightmare of Eden: Part Four premiered on BBC One in 1979 at 5:56pm GMT, watched by 9.40 million viewers.

The Launch Of BBC7 premiered on Radio 4 Extra in 2002 at 8:00pm GMT

Presented by Paul Merton. A Radio 4/BBC7 simulcast to celebrate the launch of the BBC's new digital speech radio station. Paul chooses a selection of comedy, drama and readings from the new network, including Knowing Me, Knowing You, Dead Ringers, The Goon Show, Fatherland and The Ruby in the Smoke.


Fear Her premiered on SyFy (East Coast Feed) in 2006 at 8:00pm EST

Fern Britton meets... Ken Dodd premiered on BBC2 in 2013 at 10:00am GMT

Ken Dodd is about to celebrate his showbiz diamond jubilee. Over sixty years he's competed with the Beatles in the charts, had a record breaking run at the London Palladium and thanks to the diddymen, put his hometown of Knotty Ash on the map.

This veteran of variety nearly died at the age of two and believes that his survival is evidence that God has a purpose for him. Doddy, as he is affectionately known, talks to Fern Britton about his life, and how his faith has helped him through triumphs and trials of an incredible career spanning six decades.


Lorraine (featuring Natalie Gumede) premiered on ITV in 2014 at 8:35am GMT

Strictly star and award-winning Coronation Street actress Natalie Gumede joins Lorraine to chat about her role as a North Pole Scientist in this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special, which will be screened on Christmas Day.


 Birthdays
Emily Head will be 36 - credited as Rosaline Evans in Eye of the Gorgon(SJA)

Emily Head is an English actress, best known for playing Carli D'Amato in E4's sitcom, The Inbetweeners.

She played Rosaline Evans in The Sarah Jane Adventures television story Eye of the Gorgon.


Neil McDermott will be 44 - credited as Jed in The Next Doctor

Neil McDermott is a British stage and television actor who is best known for portraying Ryan Malloy in the BBC television soap opera EastEnders from April 2009 until 2011.

McDermott appeared in the 2008 Doctor Who episode "The Next Doctor" as well as Casualty and Rosemary and Thyme, amongst others, the feature film Goal!, and various stage productions including The Sound of Music in the West End. He trained at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. He joined the cast of EastEnders in 2009. In June 2011

McDermott replaced fellow Enders actor Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad in Shrek the Musical at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London's West End on 29 February 2012.

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


Gary Williams will be 54 - credited as Singer in Doctor Who: A Celebration(Music)

Gary Williams is a jazz and easy listening singer.

He has appearances on BBC Radio 2’s Big Band Special, BBC television’s Pebble Mill at One with David Jacobs, and Gloria Hunniford's 'Open House' with Burt Bacharach. 

He played the role of Frank Sinatra for the West End show 'The Rat Pack'[2] for 150 performances at the Haymarket Theatre, the Adelphi Theatre, and subsequent UK and European tours. He performed for HRH The Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace and was invited to a reception by the Prime Minister's wife Sarah Brown at 10 Downing Street in acknowledgement of his work for The Caron Keating Foundation.

In 2006 he performed in BBC1’s 'Doctor Who - A Celebration' concert with David Tennant and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales with the BBC National Chorus of Wales conducted by Ben Foster


Paul Kaye will be 60 - credited as Prentis in Under the Lake / Before The Flood

Paul Kaye is an English comedian and actor.

He achieved notoriety in 1995 portraying the character of Dennis Pennis, a shock interviewer on The Sunday Show.

Recently he has been known as rude New Jersey lawyer Mike Strutter with his own show Strutter on MTV. Kaye also plays the voice of Vincent the fox on the BBC comedy Mongrels and Thoros of Myr in HBO'sGame of Thrones. 


Paul Wilmshurst will be 63 - 3 credits, including Director for Mummy On The Orient Express

Paul Wilmshurst is a writer, producer and director, best known for the direction of three series of Strike Back.  He has also directed for Da Vinci's Demons, Law and Order UK and Silent Witness in recent years, and wrote/produced/directed Runaway for CBBC in 2009.


Sarah Hellings will be 79 - credited as Director for The Mark of the Rani

Sarah Hellings directed the Doctor Who serial The Mark of the Rani.

Sarah Hellings joined the BBC as a film editor before moving on to make documentaries for the BBC children's magazine programme "Blue Peter." She worked on my "Blue Peter Special Assignments" before leaving the BBC to work as a freelance director on shows including "Juliet Bravo" (1982-83). 

After doing the Doctor Who episode, "The Mark of the Rani," she continued to work as a freelance director on many shows, including episodes of "Howard's Way."


Pennant Roberts (died 2010 aged 69) would be 84 - 6 credits, including Director for The Face of Evil

Pennant Roberts was a British director noted for his work on British television.

Roberts was born at Weston-super-Mare to Welsh parents. He worked on the following BBC programmes: Softly, SoftlyDoomwatchThe Onedin Line,Sutherland's LawSurvivorsAngelsBlake's 7Doctor WhoJuliet BravoTenko and Howards' Way. A fluent speaker of Welsh, he was also active in the principalities television industry.

Roberts was active within the Association of Directors and Producers and chair of the body for many years.

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


 Deaths
Edward Underdown (died 1989 aged 81) - credited as Zastor in Meglos

Edward Underdown was an English theatre, cinema and television actor. He was born in London and educated at Eton College in Berkshire.

He appeared in the 1980 story Meglos.

Early theatre credits include: Words and MusicNymph ErrantStop Press and Streamline (revue)

His film credits include: They Were Not DividedBeat the DevilWings of the MorningThe Rainbow Jacket,The Woman's AngleHer Panelled DoorThe Camp on Blood IslandDr. Terror's House of Horrors,ThunderballKhartoumThe Magic Christian and Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World.

Television appearances include: Danger ManThe SaintThe AvengersThe Rat CatchersWeavers Green,Man in a SuitcaseDoomwatchThe RegimentColditzUpstairs, DownstairsSurvivorsThe Duchess of Duke Street

Both Wings of the Morning and The Rainbow Jacket were set in his beloved racing world, the former being set on Epsom Downs. Wings of the Morning, starring Henry Fonda, was Britain's first technicolour movie.

Edward Underdown was also a gentleman jockey and rode with great aplomb both on the flat and over sticks (see references to his riding career in John Hislop's books).

 

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