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On This Day (USA) - 2 December



The Ice Warriors: Four premiered on BBC One in 1967 at 5:25pm GMT, watched by 7.30 million viewers.

Victoria is chased by the Ice Warriors deep into the caves inside the glacier. The Doctor goes to the Ice Warriors' ship in an attempt to broker a peace, but they do not trust him.


The Androids of Tara: Part Two premiered on BBC One in 1978 at 6:21pm GMT, watched by 10.10 million viewers.

It Takes You Away premiered on BBC One in 2018 at 6:31pm GMT, watched by 6.42 million viewers.

In a deserted cottage by a Norwegian fjord, someone is in need of the Doctor's help.


 Birthdays
John D Collins will be 82 - credited as Talor in Arc of Infinity

John D. Collins is an English actor, best known for appearing in the BBC sitcom 'Allo 'Allo! in which he played Flt. Lt. Fairfax, a stranded British airman in occupied France during World War II. 

He is the actor to have been cast most frequently in writer/producer David Croft's hit sitcoms: a total of six different series and ten characters.

He won the Ivor Novello and Robert Donat Scholarships to RADA. After graduating he went on to run the Summer Theatre at Frinton-on-Sea for three years and then went to work in the first season of The New Nottingham Playhouse.

In his early years he made a number of films, including some for Hammer Films, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave and The Ghoul, and also many plays for Granada Television. As a vicar in Coronation Street, he failed to marry Albert Tatlock.

For ten years he worked with Spike Milligan as his Assistant Director and as an actor, in Son of Oblomov and The Bed-Sitting Room. He also appeared with Milligan in his ‘Q’ series on television.

He became a regular cast member of two television series – A Family At War and also with Robert Lindsay in Get Some In!. He first worked for David Croft in the film version of Dad's Army in 1971, and subsequently was cast in episodes of It Ain't Half Hot Mum, Hi-de-Hi!, Are You Being Served? and Oh, Doctor Beeching!, as well his regular role in 'Allo 'Allo! and the recurring character of Jerry in You Rang, M'Lord?.

Other TV work includes The Brittas Empire, On the Up, Birds of a Feather, Trial & Retribution, Family Affairs, Peak Practice, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Harry’s Mad, Wycliffe, Mosley, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, The Sweeney, Secret Army, Citizen Smith, Yes Minister, the Doctor Who serial Arc of Infinity, Only Fools and Horses, and Lovejoy.

Other theatre credits includes the tour of When Did You Last See Your Trousers?, The Winslow Boy, That’s Showbiz, Richard III and the title role in King Lear. He has also played the role of Mr. Paravicini in the record-breaking production of The Mousetrap at St Martin's Theatre, London, UK.

John has appeared in a number of pantomimes as Abanazer and as an ugly sister in Cinderella.

He has narrated The Snowman, Carnival of the Animals, Peter and the Wolf and William Walton’s Façade and has also recorded a Shakespearean CD with the Gesualdo Consort. He has just played the voice of God in Noye's Fludde by Benjamin Britten and has been appearing regularly as Henry VIII at the banquets in the Old Palace at Hatfield House.

Collins made a guest-appearance in the British BBC Sictom Only Fools and Horses, in the episode "Ashes to Ashes", as a river policeman who informs Del and Rodney that they have to have river permission to empty ashes into a river (St. Katharine Docks).

wikipedia


Colin McCormack (died 2004 aged 62) would be 83 - credited as Commander in The Sun Makers

Colin McCormack was a professional Welsh actor who enjoyed considerable success in classical stage performances and television shows over a career approaching fifty years from his debut as a child actor in a BBC TV's Dixon of Dock Green episode, a show he returned to twenty years later when he played a police constable. Later his presence and bearing as a stage actor and member of the Royal Court Theatre and Bristol Old Vic companies and the Royal Shakespeare Company was admired by audiences and fellow performers alike. McCormack also appeared in several feature films during his career.

As a celebrity, McCormack was probably little known to the public who may well have recognised his face but been unable to place a name to it, but as a character actor he was part of that high-quality and essential fabric that binds the elements of any production or a company together. McCormack was probably best known to a whole generation of British teenagers for his recurring role as Alan in the 1984 science fiction series Chocky. Older viewers may remember him better from his 1991 stint playing Kevin Masters in EastEnders.

In his close to fifty TV roles McCormack's electric presence and square jaw coupled with his imposing athletic build usually placed him in roles like soldiers, policemen or criminal types. However, he could also demonstrate a light and sympathetic capability that fitted equally into comedy roles in programmes like Man About the HouseThe Good Life and Yes, Minister. He was generous with his skills as an actor and was always keen to nurture budding talent, as shown by his regular time spent tutoring and coaching at the Guildhall School of Music and Dramawhere his students included Ewan McGregorDaniel Craig and Damien Lewis.

McCormack died of cancer aged 62 after a short illness, following a tour of the RSC's Romeo and Juliet in Hong Kong.

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


Ernest Mothle (died 2011 aged 69) would be 83 - credited as Jazz Quartet Member in Silver Nemesis

Ernest Mothle was a jazz bass player from South Africa.

He was born in Tshwane, Pretoria in 1941. When he attended St. Marin's School in Sophiatown, Johannesburg he played as part of the Father Huddlestone Band alongside Hugh Masekela and Jonas Gwangwa. Then, in 1959 he founded Dominoes with Francis and Cornelius Kekana and Gabriel Tladi, in which he played bass. By 1969 he had joined Henry Sithole in the Heshoo Beshoo Group, and recorded the album Armitage Road. He also collaborated with Gibson Kente for his musical works Manana, The Jazz Prophet, Life and Sikhalo and Phiriwith.

In 1972 he moved to London, and in 1974 played with the Julian Bahulas band Jabula, and recorded Ommadawn with Mike Oldfield. He also played with Jim Dvorak in the group Joy for the album Cadillac in 1978. Other performances included bands of Dudu Pukwana, Trevor Watts Drum Orchestra and Moire Music. From 1981 he was a member of Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath and accompanied her to the Moers Festival in 1981 and 1988, and the Jazz Festival Willisau also in 1988. He also toured regularly in Germany during 1986 with the Jazz against Apartheid project. Other collaboration included several recordings of Working Week, Nothing Can Stop Us, and Talks Laughing Stock.

He performed on a number of occasions with Courtney Pine, including Halfway to Paradise and as part of the quartet Ace and the Doctor listen to in Silver Nemesis. Other jazz legends included Errol Clark, Sonny Stitt, Archie Shepp and Jimmy Witherspoon. He also appeared with Jonas Gwangwa at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert held at Wembley Stadium

He returned to South Africa in 1995 and taught as a music teacher at the Tshwane University of Technology. In 2004 he appeared in the documentary Acoustic Africa, and in 2007 he played with his quartet at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival.

Mothle died in 2011 from the effects of diabetes.


 Deaths
Richard Easton (died 2019 aged 86) - credited as Captain Stapley in Time-Flight

Richard Easton is a Canadian actor. 

He is best known in for his portrayal of Brian Hammond in the 1970s BBC serial The Brothers.

He played Captain Stapley in the 1982 Doctor Who story Time-Flight.

He has had television guest appearances on L.A. Law, Frasier, and Ed and made a guest appearance in the second season of Boardwalk Empire.

Between 2005 and 2011, he has appeared as Benjamin Franklin in a series of commercials and videos about Freemasonry, produced for the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts A.F. & A.M..


John Baker (died 2002 aged 85) - 4 credits, including Paramilitry in Silver Nemesis

John Baker appeared in two Doctor Who stories: as a Time Lord in Colony in Space and Ralph in The Visitation.

Had a long career in British television appearing in Class ActAnglo Saxon AttitudesThe Brittas EmpireAmerican RampageThe Dark AngelDavid CopperfieldBergeracBy the Sword DividedOne by OneSquadronPlay for TodayShine on Harvey MoonA Tale of Two CitiesSpy!Crime and PunishmentSecret ArmyBlakes 7Our Mutual FriendThe Growing Pains of PC PenroseAre You Being Served?Heil Caesar!Casanova '73War & PeaceAlcock and GanderThe DoctorsTrogThe Wednesday PlayThe AvengersTwo in CloverCold Comfort FarmTheatre 625It!Quick Before They Catch UsRotten to the CoreR3Contract to KillCount of Monte CristoThe Big NoiseSergeant CorkThe Edgar Wallace Mystery TheatreFive to OneSix More Faces of JimMan Who Couldn't WalkThe Frightened CityEcho Four TwoThe Unstoppable ManDeadline MidnightEmergency-Ward 10Mother Courage and Her ChildrenLife in Emergency Ward 10The Last Chronicle of BarsetCover Girl KillerThe ViseBig GunsThe Adventures of Robin HoodCat GirlBBC Sunday-Night TheatreSuspended AlibiThe End of the RoadThe Crime of the CenturySatellite in the SkyThe Black RiderThe Beggar's OperaThe Broken HorseshoeNocturne in ScotlandMidshipman BarneyFive Children and ItFace to FaceThe Cruise of the Toytown BelleGood FridayR.U.RKing LearAliceMorning DepartureHere We Come Gathering: A Story of the Kentish OrchardsHotel Reserve