DOCTOR WHO: The Omega Pages: November 2013

Friday 22 November 2013

Exterminez!

THE DEGAULLEK

Cartoon by Leslie Gilbert Illingworth from the Daily Mail newspaper
16th Deccember, 1964

Illingworth created the “Degaullek”
(a Dalek with the head of General de Gaulle)

to mock the intransigence of the then French president’s dealings with his international partners.

Wednesday 6 November 2013

David Tennant and the actors from 'Who.

"Weren't you in Doctor Who? "

Arthur Darvill as Reverend Paul Coates,
Olivia Colman as Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller,
and David Tennant as Detective Inspector Alec Hardy

When the crime drama: 'Broadchurch' aired earlier this year, a great many people commented on how, in addition to David Tennant, the cast list also included Doctor Who actors Arthur Darvill, Olivia Colman; and David Bradley.

Arthur Darvill of course played 'Rory'

Olivia Colman played an unnamed woman in a coma in the Royal Leadworth Hospital in: The Eleventh Hour.

David Bradley played 'Solomon' in: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

He was also the voice of the Shansheeth in The Sarah Jane Adventures story Death of the Doctor.

(And portrays William Hartnell in the docudrama: An Adventure in Space and Time )

However, the Broadchurch cast list also included several other actors who have had roles in Doctor Who stories:

Sanchia McCormack played
'The Housing Officer' in: Turn Left

Simon Ludders
A patient in the New New York Hospital in: New Earth.

Matthew Gravelle
A Doctor in: End of Days
A security guard in the audio drama: Asylum
'Bob' in the audio drama: The Dead Line.

Carolyn Pickles
'Lady Meera' in the audio drama: Army of Death.

Susan Brown
'Bridget Spears': Children of Earth

The midwife in the audio drama: 100 BC
'Mary' in the audio drama: Bedtime Story,
'Eleanor Harvey' in the audio drama: Return of the Krotons
'Maud the Withered' in the audio drama: Castle of Fear,
'Alice Withers' in the audio drama: The Eternal Summer,
'Mrs Withers/Mrs Sowerby/Computer Voice' in the audio drama: Plague of the Daleks,
'The Chief Engineer/Chanel' in the audio drama: The Song of Megaptera.

Tracey Childs
'Metella': The Fires of Pompeii.
'Elizabeth Klein' in the audio dramas:
Colditz

A Thousand Tiny Wings
Klein's Story
The Architects of History
Dominion
Persuasion
Starlight Robbery
Daleks Among Us
'The Figurehead' in the audio drama: Time Works.

Simon Rouse
'Hindle' in: Kinda
'Master John Kincaid' in the audio drama: The Witch from the Well.

David Sibley
'Pralix' in: The Pirate Planet
'The Eminence' in the audio drama: The Seeds of War
'Kurt Schalk' in the audio drama: Persuasion.

Of course, several people might be wondering if there is some kind of "Whovian Nepotism" at work here.

Though in reality it's probably all a matter of pure coincidence that this collection of Who-related actors ended up working in the same series with David Tennant ...

Well, isn't it?

Then, more recently, I saw this publicity shot for 'The Escape Artist' – the new three-part BBC drama, starring David Tennant – and I thought:
"I recognise that woman, it's Sophie Okonedo..."

Sophie played companion 'Alison Cheney' in the animated webcast serial: Scream of the Shalka.
She also played 'Liz 10' in The Beast Below and The Pandorica Opens

So, just out of interest, I took a closer look at the cast list for The Escape Artist, and found:

Brid Brennan
Time Lady 'The Visionary' in: The End of Time.

Patrick Ryecart
'Crozier' in: Mindwarp.

Jeany Spark
'Florence Nightingale' in the audio drama: The Angel of Scutari
'Jelena' in the audio drama: Prisoner of the Sun.

Tony Gardner
'Stapleton Petherbridge' in the audio drama: The Wrong Doctors.

Roy Marsden
'Mr. Stoker' in Smith and Jones.
'Hulbert' in the audio drama: Human Resources.

Michael Cochrane
'Charles Cranleigh' in Black Orchid
'Redvers Fenn-Cooper' in Ghost Light
'Lieutenant-Colonel Brook' in the audio drama: No Man's Land
'Murgat' in the audio drama: Brotherhood of the Daleks
'Colonel Hugh Spindleton' in the audio dramas :
Trail of the White Worm
The Oseidon Adventure.

Geoffrey Leesley
'Mortund' in the audio drama: Arrangements for War.

And going back to 2010, the cast list for the four-part BBC drama: 'Single Father' - starring David Tennant - includes:

Isla Blair
'Isabella Fitzwilliam' in: The King's Demons.
'Paula Taylor' in the audio drama: Exotron.

Suranne Jones Suranne had already played 'Mona Lisa' in: Mona Lisa's Revenge (Sarah Jane Adventures)
and would later play 'Idris' / the Doctor's TARDIS in: The Doctor's Wife.

Neve McIntosh
Neve had already played the Silurians 'Alaya' and 'Restac': The Hungry Earth/ Cold Blood.
And would later play 'Madame Vastra'

Rupert Graves Rupert would later play
'John Riddell' in: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship.

Warren Brown
Warren would later play
'Stephen Gibson' in the audio drama: Industrial Evolution
'Johnny Skipton' in the audio drama: Dead Men's Tales.

Even the latest movie starring David Tennant: 'What We Did On Our Holiday'
(expected release 2014), has, amongst it's cast:

Celia Imrie
'Miss Kizlet' in: The Bells of Saint John.

and

Emilia Jones
'Merry Gejelh' in: The Rings of Akhaten

It seems as if there might be a pattern emerging:

"David Tennant and the actors from 'Who"

So I have to ask

Who's next?