Statistics


On This Day (USA) - 21 December



The Daleks: The Dead Planet premiered on BBC One in 1963 at 5:15pm GMT, watched by 6.90 million viewers.


The Invasion: Episode Eight premiered on BBC One in 1968 at 5:15pm BST, watched by 7.00 million viewers.

The Cybermen have launched their deadly megatron bomb which will destroy all life on Earth unless the Doctor can deactivate the homing signal.


The Greatest Show in the Galaxy: Part Two premiered on BBC One in 1988 at 7:35pm GMT, watched by 5.30 million viewers.

Loose Ends: Orla Brady premiered on Radio 4 Extra in 2013 at 6:15pm GMT
Clive finds a Message In A Bottle from singer-songwriter Sting, who talks about fronting The Police and his successful solo career. He performs the title track to new album 'The Last Ship', which draws upon his memories of growing up in the shadow of the Swan Hunters Shipyard in Wallsend and explores the complexity of relationships, community and the passage of time. An intimate live performance, recorded in New York 'Sting: When The Last Ship Sails' is on 22nd December at 22.55 on BBC One. Clive takes off in the Tardis with actress Orla Brady, who's starring in the Christmas episode of Doctor Who. Orbiting a quiet backwater planet, the massed forces of the universe's deadliest species gather, drawn to a mysterious message that echoes out to the stars - and amongst them, the Doctor. 'Doctor Who - The Time Of The Doctor' is on Christmas Day at 19.30 on BBC One. David Quantick talks to musician and Jesus of Cool, Nick Lowe. A pivotal figure in UK music, Nick has recorded a string of solo albums. 'Quality Street - A Seasonal Selection For All The Family' is a twinkling blend of traditional hymns, forgotten gems and Lowe originals that conjure up all the nostalgia, good cheer and warmth of the season. Nick also performs 'Christmas At The Airport'. It's Sausage Time for Clive, who has a festive mash-up with comedian Harry Hill, now in a cinema near you with 'The Harry Hill Movie'. Under the mistaken impression that his pet hamster, Abu, is ill, matters deteriorate when Harry and his Nan are wrongly informed by the Vet that Abu's days are numbered. Unbeknownst to them, the Vet is the henchman of Harry's evil twin brother Otto, who plans to kidnap Abu for a plastinated hamster world he's creating in his evil lair

 Birthdays
Mandeep Dhillon will be 34 - credited as Shireen in Knock Knock

Mandeep Dhillon is a British actress.

Her first TV appearance was in Some Dogs Bite (2010) and she made her film debut in Tears of Kali (2004).

She starred as the character Saz Kaur in Some Girls, which aired on BBC Three. In April 2017, she played in the British romantic comedy Finding Fatimah.


Eva Mauro will be 43 - credited as Maria Candido in The Categories of Life(TW)

Eve Mauro is an Italian-American actress and fashion model.

Born to a Sicilian father and a Russian mother, Mauro is the youngest of five siblings. She moved from Orlando, Florida to Los Angeles at the age of 21 and began her acting career on stage. Mauro's first television appearance was on the hit American series Ugly Betty. She had a recurring role on CSI: Miami and appeared on shows such as BonesUndercoversIt's Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaCSI: NYDexterTorchwood and Men of a Certain Age.

Mauro had dramatic roles in The Chaos Experiment, and The Grind, both in 2009. She worked along side Will Ferrell and Danny McBride in the Land of the Lost and landed a role in Miss March the same year.


Chris Porter will be 52 - 9 credits, including Jeffery Secombe / Mozz Consolidated in Fourth Doctor - Series 10: Volume 1

Chris Porter voiced the Smilers and the Winders in 2010 Doctor Who story The Beast Below.

Also worked on The Genius of MozartFootballers' WivesBeginner's LuckBad GirlsThe Winslow BoyThe Bill


Catherine Cusack will be 56 - credited as Blue Kang Leader in Paradise Towers

Catherine Cusack (born London) is a British actress

She is the half-sister of the actresses Sinéad CusackSorcha Cusack and Niamh Cusack, and the fourth daughter of the actor Cyril Cusack and his second wife Mary Rose Cunningham's only child. She was accepted to study at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, but became a stage manager at the Tricycle Theatre in London. She made her professional debut in Brendan Behan's play The Hostage before making her television debut in the BBC series Sophia and Constance.


Jane How will be 73 - credited as Rebec in Planet of the Daleks

Jane Onslow How (born in London) is an English actress with a range of television,film and stage credits. In 1977 she married actor Mark Burns and had a son Jack in 1981. Subsequently married actor Richard Durden in 1996.

After training at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art where she won the Rodney Millington Award she spent several years in provincial theatre.

She is best known for her role as Jan Hammond, the mistress of Den Watts in EastEnders. She appeared in the programme regularly from 1986 to 1987 and also made brief return appearances in 2002 and 2003, the latter leading up to Den's return to the show.

Other roles include two series of "The Spoils of War ",'Anno Domini","War and Remembrance ","Anglo Saxon Attitudes", "The Cazalet Chronicles", "Zoya", "Love in a Cold Climate",another famous mistress, Camilla Parker-Bowles, in the TV mini-drama Charles and Diana: Unhappily Ever After (1992). She has also appeared in The Citadel,Midsomer Murders,"Judge John Deed","Byron"," Bad Girls", "Love Soup",, "Armadillo","Poirot","Daniel Deronda", as well as in four series of the sitcom Don't Wait Up as Helen with Nigel Havers. Her first television credit was in the 1973 Doctor Who story Planet of the Daleks.

Her films include "A Good Woman", "Miss Potter"," A.K.A." and "Cosi".

In the West End she has appeared for the R.S.C. in "The Return of A.J.Raffles", as Larita in Noel Coward's "Easy Virtue" at The Garrick,she was in the original cast of "Don't Dress for Dinner" at The Apollo,"Home and Beauty"at the Lyric and "Top People " at the Ambassadors Theatre In 2009, How appeared as a finishing school teacher in a commercial for Go Compare insurance, while in March 2010 she appeared briefly as hospital executive Zara Merrick in the BBC1 drama series Casualty.

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


Alibe Parsons will be 79 - 2 credits, including Matrona Kani in The Trial of a Time Lord (Mindwarp)

Alibe Parsons (born 21 December 1945) is an actress who has worked extensively in both film and television.

On television, she is best known for her regular role in the 1970s BBC drama Gangsters as Sarah Gant. She also had a recurring role in the science fiction series Space: 1999 and will be remembered by fans of Doctor Who for her appearance in the 1986 serial Mindwarp.

Other credits include: BergeracLovejoyHolby CityThe Bill and Walking the Dead.

Her film roles include: A Game for VulturesThe Bitch and Aliens.



 Deaths
Daphne Oxenford (died 2012 aged 93) - 2 credits, including Archivist in Dragonfire

Daphne Margaret du Grivel Oxenford was an English actress known for her television and radio work.

Early life and early career

She first appeared on stage at the age of thirteen and trained at the Embassy School of Acting in Swiss Cottage, London. She was briefly employed by a bank before working in censorship during the war while performing in revues in her spare time. At the end of the war she toured with ENSA before returning to revues in London. After her marriage she moved to Manchester and appeared regularly at the Library Theatre and the Royal Exchange Theatre as well as in the West End. In 1947 she successfully auditioned for Joyce Grenfell, who became a close friend and godmother to Oxenford's daughter.

Radio and television

Her best-known role was the voice for BBC radio's Listen with Mother from 1950 to 1971; she was also a reader on the newspaper review programme What the Papers Say for over thirty years. One of the original cast members of Coronation Street, she played Esther Hayes from 1960 to 1963, 1971 and 1972. She played Mrs. Patterson' the owner of the village shop' in the popular sitcom To the Manor Born. In the seventies and early eighties she was part of Listen to Les The Les Dawson Radio Show on BBC Radio 2, and performed in The Clitheroe Kid radio comedy series from time to time. She played Chrissy's mother in three episodes of Man About the House- Series 4 - Episode 5 (1973–76).

Other TV credits include: The Sweeney, The Duchess of Duke Street, Juliet Bravo, The Children of Green Knowe, Doctor Who (in the serial Dragonfire and The Unicorn and the Wasp) and Hetty Wainthropp Investigates. In 2006, guest-starred in the audio drama Sapphire and Steel: Cruel Immortality. She appeared in three episodes of Midsomer Murders (2004–2008) as Muriel, Cully's grandmother. Her film credits include All Creatures Great and Small (1975). Her voice was used for a 'Listen With Mother' programme in 1977 for the sitcom Rising Damp.

Personal life

Oxenford was married to David Marshall from 1951 until his death in February 2003. They had two daughters.

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


Kevin Manser (died 2001 aged 72) - 8 credits, including Dalek Operator in The Dalek Invasion of Earth

Born in Adelaide, Australia in 1929, Kevin Manser emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1957 and worked as a stage manager before taking on a number of roles on stage and in television. He was one of the original Dalek operators from their first story, and continued to operate them until The Power of the Daleks - he also operated one of the Daleks in the first Aaru movie, Dr Who And The Daleks

He returned to Australia in 1969, where he later became popular on the convention circuit. He published his autobiograpy, Memoirs of a Dalek, in 2001 shortly before his death.


John Lee (died 2000 aged 72) - credited as Alydon in The Daleks

John Lee was an Australian actor.

He is best known in Australia for his roles on television, including Andrew Reynolds in Prisoner and Philip Stewart in Return to Eden.

He also worked in the United Kingdom throughout the 1960s and 1970s, appearing in series such as The Avengers, The Troubleshooters, Doomwatch, Marked Personal, Warship, Survivors and Wilde Alliance. 

He played Alydon in the second Doctor Who story, The Daleks.


John Arnatt (died 1999 aged 82) - credited as Cardinal Borusa in The Invasion of Time

John Arnatt  was a British actor born in Russia.

He played Borusa in the Doctor Who story The Invasion of Time.

John Arnatt was born in Petrograd

He amassed numerous television credits in popular productions such as Keeping Up Appearances,DangerfieldLovejoyThe ProfessionalsHouse of Cards and Z-Cars and had a recurring role in the early episodes of the ITV legal drama The Main Chance.

One of Arnatt's most high profile roles was as "The Deputy Sheriff of Nottingham" in the fourth and final season of 1955-60 TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Richard Greene. His character filled in for Alan Wheatley, who played the regular sheriff. Arnatt's character was introduced and interacted with Wheatley's character in the episode "The Devil You Don't Know". In the 1962 film Dr Crippen, starring Donald Pleasence, Arnatt played Chief Inspector Walter Dew. Arnatt also played an imitation "M" to Tom Adams' imitation James Bond in two films, Licensed to Kill (1965 film) and Where the Bullets Fly (1966).


Roger Avon (died 1998 aged 84) - 3 credits, including Saphadin in The Crusade

Roger Avon was a British film and television actor

He appeared in the 1965 story The Crussade.

Some of his television appearances include Hancock's Half HourDad's ArmyWhen the Boat Comes InDepartment SRandall and Hopkirk (Deceased)Our Friends in the North and Blackadder the Third. He appeared in the films Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 ADThe Likely Lads,Mutiny on the BusesQuatermass and the Pit and Curse of the Crimson Altar amongst others.


Colin Douglas (died 1991 aged 79) - 2 credits, including Donald Bruce in The Enemy of the World

Colin Douglas was an English actor. 

He had two major roles in Doctor Who, playing Donald Bruce in the 1967 story Enemy of the World, and Ruben in the 1977 story Horror of Fang Rock.

His film credits include: The Trollenberg Terror (1958), The Valiant (1962), Captain Clegg (1962) and Mister Ten Per Cent(1967).

His theatre credits include: One For The Pot, one of Brian Rix's Whitehall farces in the 60's, a spell with the Royal Shakespeare Company which included a production of Toad of Toad Hall with David Suchet, and Exchange in the late 80's, with his good friend Martin Jarvis.

On TV had roles in Fire Crackers, The Buccaneers, Danger Man, Love Story,Follyfoot, Telford's Change, The Sweeney, Dick Barton - Special Agent, The Seventh Juror, The Flockton Flyer,Headmaster, Thicker than Water (an instalment of the anthology series Play for Today), The Night People, The Omega Factor, The Greenhill Pals and The Pickwick Papers.

Douglas had a lead role in the drama A Family at War (1970-1972) where he played Edwin Ashton in a glum portrayal of a Liverpool family in the 1930s and 1940s. 

Colin Douglas's last role was as troubled Labour Party veteran, Frank Twist in Alan Bleasdale's TV series G.B.H..


Edmund Warwick (died 1989 aged 82) - 3 credits, including Robot Dr Who in The Chase

Edmund Warwick was a British actor.

Some of his credits included The Adventures of Robin HoodZ-Cars and Doctor Who where he stood in as a double for William Hartnell on several occasions.

Warwick also portrayed the character of Darrius in The Keys of Marinus.


Edmund Bailey (died 1982 aged 78) - 2 credits, including Councillor in The Time Monster

Edmund Bailey was a British actor active from the 1960's and 1970's

He had parts in Dr Finley's Casebook, The Wednesday Play and Z Cars.