Bibliogryphon 8,669 Posted November 19, 2014 Original Doctor Who assisstant and The Great Escape alumni William Russell is 90 today. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Guest Posted November 23, 2014 Original Doctor Who assisstant and The Great Escape alumni William Russell is 90 today. Happy birthday to him! Same birthday as my dad as it happens ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Davey Jones' Locker 1,324 Posted June 26, 2017 William Russell, at 92, is still well enough to travel to a convention in the United States: http://www.timeeddy.com 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msc 17,763 Posted June 26, 2017 William Russell, at 92, is still a legend. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
YoungWillz 19,106 Posted November 19, 2018 Ah, well in more positive news, Happy 94th Birthday to William Russell. The man seems to be immortal, did he lead Vietnam at some point? 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msc 17,763 Posted February 17, 2019 On 19/11/2018 at 12:37, YoungWillz said: Ah, well in more positive news, Happy 94th Birthday to William Russell. The man seems to be immortal, did he lead Vietnam at some point? TV legend William Russell, aged 94, still well enough to fly over to LA and take part in hour long Q&A sessions. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CoffinLodger 1,247 Posted April 30, 2019 The actor William Russell , who played the role of Doctor Who's first male companion way back in 1963, is to star with his son in a new film to be made in Brazil, at the age of 94.He's looking pretty good for his age too ! http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2019/04/william-russell-brazil-270419140008.html P.S his son Alfred Enoch is currently starring in the tv series Trust Me on Tuesday nights on BBC 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msc 17,763 Posted October 24, 2020 Aww talking pictures did a sitdown with William Russell taped earlier this year. I was aware from fandom that he's starting to show his age but he's got the old person slurred speech now and has four layers of clothing on. Age comes to us all. Still chatty mind you. Very dl worthy in my book. Edit - went looking up the recording date as there's an audience. November 2018. He's more chatty here than now, apparently. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
YoungWillz 19,106 Posted February 14, 2022 Tired of Ukraine, partygate, doped up ice skaters and Ivan Reitman death reports? Cheer up, there's always William Russell on Talking Pictures right now in the 1957 movie The Big Chance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Commtech Sio Bibble 1,369 Posted August 16, 2022 The latest Doctor Who Blu-Ray collection has been announced featuring (from what i can tell) a recent interview with William Russell (who is now 97). If this is recent he is looking a lot better than other people his age. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msc 17,763 Posted August 19, 2022 On 16/08/2022 at 15:21, Stuart Beck said: The latest Doctor Who Blu-Ray collection has been announced featuring (from what i can tell) a recent interview with William Russell (who is now 97). If this is recent he is looking a lot better than other people his age. Alas, no, that's from 2018. Well, I say alas, he's still alive which is good in itself, but its recorded before his health declined. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheKeysOfMarinus 366 Posted August 20, 2022 15 hours ago, msc said: Alas, no, that's from 2018. Well, I say alas, he's still alive which is good in itself, but its recorded before his health declined. I’m curious - what do we know about his health decline? Is it just that he’s gone very quiet? I met him in 2018. So glad I did. Such a sweet man and very alert at the time. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msc 17,763 Posted August 20, 2022 1 hour ago, TheKeysOfMarinus said: I’m curious - what do we know about his health decline? Is it just that he’s gone very quiet? I met him in 2018. So glad I did. Such a sweet man and very alert at the time. Not much given those who know him are understandably guarded about it, other than saying "he's not well", but he has had age related issues for a while. After filming the 50th anniversary docudrama he agreed to a cameo in the 50th anniversary Dr Who story (filmed a few months later) but his health precluded it. Sometimes he'd be his old self, sometimes not. Apparently he was suffering memory issues towards the end of his Big Finish run. He did an interview with Talking Pictures about 5 years ago, and started brightly but you could see him tire and fade quickly, unlike the William Russell of old. tbh, people do get old. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msc 17,763 Posted August 20, 2022 Spoiler tagged for future anniversary stuff - yes, I know the fact there's a spoiler tag in the first place is a spoiler. Spoiler I am aware of the heavy rumours William Russell has a spot in one of the 60th anniversary tales - likely Jodie's final in October. I am sceptical - though archive footage is always possible - but then, Bernard Cribbins wasn't a well man and appears to have done some filming for the 60th before his untimely death. In other words, no idea - but his health may not preclude a quick appearance. Or maybe it does. Fence sitting! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drol 10,067 Posted August 20, 2022 Just a suggestion... IMHO William Russell deserves a thread and a DL spot. Of course the first is a much more simple request. You can count very few actors as notable as him born in fucking 1924 and still alive. Guy deserves more recognition. 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msc 17,763 Posted August 20, 2022 36 minutes ago, drol said: Just a suggestion... IMHO William Russell deserves a thread and a DL spot. Of course the first is a much more simple request. You can count very few actors as notable as him born in fucking 1924 and still alive. Guy deserves more recognition. Worth noting (reminding folk) he was actually a huge TV name before Doctor Who even. He played Sir Lancelot in The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, which was a huge ratings draw nearly a decade before the kids time travel show. (And he filmed The Great Escape before Dr Who, too.) As for his own thread, I 100% agree he is DL worthy but there's a lot of posts all over the place about him so I'll leave the yes/no on thread to @Death Impends! Also, you know, I am very biased! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Summer in Transylvania 1,619 Posted August 20, 2022 As suggested by a few people about the forum, the William Russell thread. He first came to fame in 1956, portraying Sir Lancelot in the ITV series The Adventures of Sir Lancelot. In 1963, Russell was cast as science teacher Ian Chesterton, who was to be the first male Doctor Who companion, a role he kept until 1965. Chesterton would return with an entirely new personality later in 1965 for a Doctor Who film portrayed this time by Roy Castle OBE, a DL alumnus. Since 2018, Russell has been reported to be in declining health, and turns 98 in November. He certainly feels like a deathlisty name. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Death Impends 7,373 Posted August 20, 2022 Sure, why not. Clearly big enough and generates enough discussion. ETA earlier posts about Russell merged into Summer in Translyvania's thread. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msc 17,763 Posted August 20, 2022 15 minutes ago, Death Impends said: Sure, why not. Clearly big enough and generates enough discussion. Nice work! Beyond The Great Escape and Superman and his obvious famous roles, I also quite like Death Watch, a SF flick set in rundown 70s Glasgow by the late Bertrand Tavernier. William Russell has a role in that as a corrupt doctor! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toast 14,850 Posted August 20, 2022 aaaaand it seems he's actually had a thread since 2014 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Death Impends 7,373 Posted August 20, 2022 4 minutes ago, Toast said: aaaaand it seems he's actually had a thread since 2014 No, that was just old posts about him (mostly from the British sci fi thread) I merged into the new thread. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msc 17,763 Posted August 20, 2022 26 minutes ago, Toast said: aaaaand it seems he's actually had a thread since 2014 Me - If Russell gets a thread, can we merge all the posts about him there to declutter? A normal admin - Oh piss off, its Saturday. DI - Cool, give me a minute. Top work. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toast 14,850 Posted August 20, 2022 Is there anyone here who saw the very first episode of Doctor Who? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Old Crem 3,181 Posted August 20, 2022 52 minutes ago, Toast said: Is there anyone here who saw the very first episode of Doctor Who? My dad might have. He was a child of the 60’s and loved Doctor Who. He can’t remember if he saw the first episode through. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bibliogryphon 8,669 Posted August 20, 2022 3 hours ago, Toast said: Is there anyone here who saw the very first episode of Doctor Who? I imagine there are many who have seen it albeit very few on original broadcast. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
