British Science Fiction Series

[YoungWillz 18,967]

Clive Leighton, technical co-ordinator and studio lighting on Doctor Who's The Web Of Fear, reported dead: 

 

 

Worked on The Two Ronnies, Grange Hill and Top Of The Pops. If he died in France, unlikely he will appear on the usual British probate sites.

[Octopus of Odstock 1,853]

50 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Clive Leighton, technical co-ordinator and studio lighting on Doctor Who's The Web Of Fear, reported dead: 

 

 

Worked on The Two Ronnies, Grange Hill and Top Of The Pops. If he died in France, unlikely he will appear on the usual British probate sites.

I think there's a online French death index somewhere but blow me if I can remember what it's called. I'm sure it's popped up on here before.

[msc 17,738]

Richard Franklin's recent hospital stay was covid related. He's on the mend from it, apparently.

[Commtech Sio Bibble 1,329]

Thought it only right to mention the passing of David Warner here considering his massive involvement in Doctor Who, from roles on TV to playing the Doctor himself in Big Finish.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-62219839

[msc 17,738]

1 hour ago, Stuart Beck said:

After a few seconds of research it appears there was one...

Actress Jean Conroy died about a month before the airing of her role in The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964)

 

Moved from the Cribbins thread.

 

Jean Conroy died before her episode of Dalek Invasion of Earth was shown, yes. She was hit by a car.

 

The baby who subbed for Benton in The Time Minister died days after filming. 

 

People who appeared in Dr Who shortly before their deaths are more common - Kevin Lindsay for example.

 

The shortest times between Dr Who appearance and death afaik are (and I've skipped the baby because too depressing):

 

 

1.       Jean Conroy (minus 1 month) - killed by a car before her episode aired

2.       Kevin Lindsay – 1 month - heart issues most of adult life, ill while filming his Sontaran roles

3.       Jonathan Battersby – 1 month - cancer iirc, had minor roles in early Matt Smith episodes

4.       Roger Delgado – 3 months - Killed in an infamous car crash

5.       Peter Evans (3 Doctors, uncredited Time Lord) – 4 months 

6.       Anton Diffring (Silver Nemesis) – 5 months - Was frail while filming, which was shaped around him

7.       Erik Chitty (Deadly Assassin) – 7 months 

8.       Beatrix Lehmann – 7 months - Dr Who her last role

9.       Howard Attfield – 10 months - cancer

10.   Henry Gilbert (Torbis, Curse of Peladon) – 11 months

11.   Jack Bligh (Gaptooth, Smugglers) – 11 months - oldest actor in show at the time

12.   Peter Cartwright (Power of Three) – 14 months

13.   Lis Sladen – 15 months - pancreatic cancer, was still filming her spinoff series.

14.   Neil FIngleton (Before the Flood) – 16 months - gigantism

15.   Lionel Gadsden (extra, Aztecs) – 17 months

16.   Rashid Karapiet (God Complex) – 18 months

17.   Paul Whitsun-Jones (Mutants) – 20 months - sudden appendicitis

18.   Simon Lack (Androids of Tara) – 20 months - heart

19.   Hamilton Dyce (General Scobie, Spearhead from Space) – 24 months - took ill filming Unwin Wittering and Zigo

20.   Norman Stanley (Master’s disguise, Terror of the Autons) – circa 2 years

21.   Michael Peake (Tavius, Romans) – 2 years 2 months - heart attack aged 48

22.   William Hartnell (3 Doctors) – 2 years 3 months

23.   Valentine Dyall (Black Guardian) – 2 years 3 months - very frail, Black Guardian trilogy filmed around him so he could keep going

24.   Rollo Gamble (Winstanley, Daemons) – 2 years 3 months

25.   Jack Cunningham (jailer, Reign of Terror) – 2 years 4 months - alcoholic

26.   Patrick Moore – 2 years 8 months - well known frail TV star achieved long held ambition of appearance in Dr Who

27.   Derek Seaton (Deadly Assassin)  - 2 years, 11 months - sudden brain haemorrhage 

28.   Byrd Wilkins (A Town Called Mercy)  - 3 years 1 month - cancer

29.   John Hurt – 3 years 2 months - pancreatic cancer

30.   Clive Morton (Trenchard, Sea Devils) – 3 years 5 months - Sea Devils his last role, took ill afterwards.

 

[Commtech Sio Bibble 1,329]

51 minutes ago, msc said:

The baby who subbed for Benton in The Time Monster died days after filming. 



Yikes never realised that.

One of my favourite moments in Doctor Who is at the end of that serial when Benton re-ages, tarnished a bit now.

[TheKeysOfMarinus 366]

1 hour ago, msc said:

 

Moved from the Cribbins thread.

 

Jean Conroy died before her episode of Dalek Invasion of Earth was shown, yes. She was hit by a car.

 

The baby who subbed for Benton in The Time Minister died days after filming. 

 

People who appeared in Dr Who shortly before their deaths are more common - Kevin Lindsay for example.

 

Brilliant work!

Had no idea about Driffing and Dyall being frail.

[Commtech Sio Bibble 1,329]

1 hour ago, msc said:

 

Moved from the Cribbins thread.

 

Jean Conroy died before her episode of Dalek Invasion of Earth was shown, yes. She was hit by a car.

 

The baby who subbed for Benton in The Time Minister died days after filming. 

 

People who appeared in Dr Who shortly before their deaths are more common - Kevin Lindsay for example.

 

The shortest times between Dr Who appearance and death afaik are (and I've skipped the baby because too depressing):

 

1.       Jean Conroy (minus 1 month) - killed by a car before her episode aired

2.       Kevin Lindsay – 1 month - heart issues most of adult life, ill while filming his Sontaran roles

3.       Jonathan Battersby – 1 month - cancer iirc, had minor roles in early Matt Smith episodes

4.       Roger Delgado – 3 months - Killed in an infamous car crash

5.       Peter Evans (3 Doctors, uncredited Time Lord) – 4 months 

6.       Anton Diffring (Silver Nemesis) – 5 months - Was frail while filming, which was shaped around him

7.       Erik Chitty (Deadly Assassin) – 7 months 

8.       Beatrix Lehmann – 7 months - Dr Who her last role

9.       Howard Attfield – 10 months - cancer

10.   Henry Gilbert (Torbis, Curse of Peladon) – 11 months

11.   Jack Bligh (Gaptooth, Smugglers) – 11 months - oldest actor in show at the time

12.   Peter Cartwright (Power of Three) – 14 months

13.   Lis Sladen – 15 months - pancreatic cancer, was still filming her spinoff series.

14.   Neil FIngleton (Before the Flood) – 16 months - gigantism

15.   Lionel Gadsden (extra, Aztecs) – 17 months

16.   Rashid Karapiet (God Complex) – 18 months

17.   Paul Whitsun-Jones (Mutants) – 20 months - sudden appendicitis

18.   Simon Lack (Androids of Tara) – 20 months - heart

19.   Hamilton Dyce (General Scobie, Spearhead from Space) – 24 months - took ill filming Unwin Wittering and Zigo

20.   Norman Stanley (Master’s disguise, Terror of the Autons) – circa 2 years

21.   Michael Peake (Tavius, Romans) – 2 years 2 months - heart attack aged 48

22.   William Hartnell (3 Doctors) – 2 years 3 months

23.   Valentine Dyall (Black Guardian) – 2 years 3 months - very frail, Black Guardian trilogy filmed around him so he could keep going

24.   Rollo Gamble (Winstanley, Daemons) – 2 years 3 months

25.   Jack Cunningham (jailer, Reign of Terror) – 2 years 4 months - alcoholic

26.   Patrick Moore – 2 years 8 months - well known frail TV star achieved long held ambition of appearance in Dr Who

27.   Derek Seaton (Deadly Assassin)  - 2 years, 11 months - sudden brain haemorrhage 

28.   Byrd Wilkins (A Town Called Mercy)  - 3 years 1 month - cancer

29.   John Hurt – 3 years 2 months - pancreatic cancer

30.   Clive Morton (Trenchard, Sea Devils) – 3 years 5 months - Sea Devils his last role, took ill afterwards.

 

Missing Richard Hurndall - Died April 1984 after the airing of The Five Doctors in November 1983

[Commtech Sio Bibble 1,329]

5 minutes ago, Stuart Beck said:

Missing Richard Hurndall - Died April 1984 after the airing of The Five Doctors in November 1983

And David Dukas - Played Elias Griffin Jr. in Rosa (October 2018), died July 2021 - 2 Years and 9 Months

[Commtech Sio Bibble 1,329]

1 hour ago, msc said:

The shortest times between Dr Who appearance and death afaik are (and I've skipped the baby because too depressing):

 

Expanded media (Torchwood and SJA)

 

1. Elisabeth Sladen (Going from her final posthumous appearance) = minus 6 months

2. John Normington (Tom Flanagan, TW) = 9 months

3. George Murdock (Preacher, TW) = 9 Months

4. Robin Sachs (British Professor, TW) = 1 year 7 months

5. Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier, SJA) = 2 years 2 months

[msc 17,738]

30 minutes ago, TheKeysOfMarinus said:

Brilliant work!

Had no idea about Driffing and Dyall being frail.

 

Go compare Dyall's presence in Secret Army to his spot in Terminus a few years later. iirc he had cancer.

 

16 minutes ago, Stuart Beck said:

And David Dukas - Played Elias Griffin Jr. in Rosa (October 2018), died July 2021 - 2 Years and 9 Months

 

And Denis Carey from Timelash died a few months after too. There's probably lots of extras in the same boat too. 

[msc 17,738]

A new addition to the shortest time between Dr Who appearance and death. One of the young lads in Praxeus was killed last year aged 24, only about 20 months after the episode was shown. On phone so having a failure with links but that's horrific.

[DaDeathGuy 202]

28 minutes ago, msc said:

A new addition to the shortest time between Dr Who appearance and death. One of the young lads in Praxeus was killed last year aged 24, only about 20 months after the episode was shown. On phone so having a failure with links but that's horrific.

Richard Hurndall is the record as far as I know, dying less than five months after his appearance. He replaced William Hartnell for the 20th anniversary special.

[Commtech Sio Bibble 1,329]

1 hour ago, msc said:

A new addition to the shortest time between Dr Who appearance and death. One of the young lads in Praxeus was killed last year aged 24, only about 20 months after the episode was shown. On phone so having a failure with links but that's horrific.

https://www.thesouthafrican.com/lifestyle/celeb-news/breaking-thapelo-maropefela-death-security-guards-beating-memorial-funeral-murder-investigation-latest-news-update/

 

Link

[Commtech Sio Bibble 1,329]

The Classic Doctor Who directors that are still with us, someone did this about 5 years ago so i thought i'd give it an update, since there have been 7 deaths since 2017.

 

Waris Hussein (1938), 2 Serials 1963-64

Richard Martin (1935), 5 Serials 1963-65

John Gorrie (1932), 1 Serial 1964

Michael Imison (1935), 1 Serial 1966

John Davies (1934), 1 Serial 1967

Gerry Mill (?), 1 Serial 1967 

Tristan de Vere Cole (1935), 1 Serial 1968

Timothy Combe (1936), 2 Serials 1970-71

Michael E. Briant (1942), 6 Serials 1971-77

Darrol Blake (1937), 1 Serial 1978

Paul Joyce (1944), 1 Serial 1981

John Black (1940), 2 Serials 1981-82

Tony Virgo (1948), 1 Serial 1983

Michael Owens Morris (?), 1 Serial 1984

Matthew Robinson (1944), 2 Serials 1984-85

Graeme Harper (1945), 2 Serials 1984-85 (12 post 2005 episodes)

Sarah Hellings (1945), 1 Serial 1985

Chris Clough (1951), 6 Serials 1986-88

Andrew Morgan (1942), 2 Serials 1987-88

Alan Wareing (1958), 3 Serials 1988-89

Geoffrey Sax (?), TV Movie 1996

 

Norman Stewart, 2 Serials 1978-79, is reportedly deceased however I cannot find a date.

 

To my surprise there is a quite a few pre-1980 directors left considering that there is only one writer from that time frame (Chris Boucher) .  

[msc 17,738]

8 minutes ago, Stuart Beck said:

 

John Gorrie (1932), 1 Serial 1964

 

 

Just to pick one, John Gorrie has long had a reputation for having the energy and health of someone a good 15 years younger than he is. He's got multiple conventions booked in the next year.

 

 

 

[Commtech Sio Bibble 1,329]

A table showing how many credited cast members are still living from every single episode of Classic Doctor Who.

 

For those who don't want to read the whole thing, the only episode with a confirmed sole survivor is The Deadly Assassin that being Tom Baker, there are five episodes with non of the main cast (Doctor, Companion, UNIT trio) surviving those being Spearhead from Space, Doctor Who and the Silurians, The Time Warrior, Death to the Daleks and The Monster of Peladon however all of these episodes do have at least one actor confirmed to be living.

 

A star in the confirmation box means that the number of living guest cast is possibly lower than stated due to some actors having very few credits (such as the children in The Celestial Toymaker) in their acting career or having stopped acting decades ago but with no confirmation of death (or living status). For a lot of the later episodes those numbers are probably the most accurate due to the fact that actors will have been younger at the time and are probably still alive but for some no new information will be found out about them before their death, which the Doctor Who fandom will almost certainly know about somehow when it ultimately happens. 

 

Serial Name	No. of Credited Cast	Living Main	Living Guest	Confirmation
An Unearthly Child	9	2	0
The Daleks	27	2	10	*
The Edge of Destruction	4	2	0
Marco Polo	20	2	2	*
The Keys of Marinus	24	2	6	*
The Aztecs	12	2	2
The Sensorites	19	2	3
The Reign of Terror	27	2	5
Planet of the Giants	9	2	0
The Dalek Invasion of Earth	25	2	6	*
The Rescue	6	2	0
The Romans	22	2	2
The Web Planet	19	2	5
The Crusade	31	2	11	*
The Space Museum	14	2	2	*
The Chase	32	3	8	*
The Time Meddler	12	2	3
Galaxy 4	14	2	6	*
Mission to the Unknown	10	n/a	2
The Myth Makers	15	2	3	*
The Daleks' Master Plan	48	2	10	*
The Massacre	24	1	5	*
The Ark	22	1	7	*
The Celestial Toymaker	11	1	3	*
The Gunfighters	17	1	2
The Savages	18	1	8
The War Machines	28	1	3	*
The Smugglers	13	1	1
The Tenth Planet	23	1	4
The Power of the Daleks	20	1	1
The Highlanders	17	2	2
The Underwater Menace	16	2	3
The Moonbase	26	2	2	*
The Macra Terror	25	2	8
The Faceless Ones	20	2	5
The Evil of the Daleks	20	1	4
The Tomb of the Cybermen	23	1	7	*
The Abominable Snowmen	15	1	3	*
The Ice Warriors	16	1	1
The Enemy of the World	24	1	8
The Web of Fear	22	1	9	*
Fury from the Deep	16	1	4
The Wheel in Space	19	2	7	*
The Dominators	21	2	5	*
The Mind Robber	26	2	16	*
The Invasion	30	2	11	*
The Krotons	16	2	5	*
The Seeds of Death	19	2	2	*
The Space Pirates	14	2	2	*
The War Games	39	2	13	*
Spearhead from Space	21	0	4
Doctor Who and the Silurians	28	0	10	*
The Ambassadors of Death	35	1	3	*
Inferno	19	1	4	*
Terror of the Autons	23	3	1	*
The Mind of Evil	27	3	8	*
The Claws of Axos	21	3	6
Colony in Space	25	1	5
The Daemons	22	3	6	*
Day of the Daleks	30	3	9	*
The Curse of Peladon	15	1	6
The Sea Devils	26	1	7	*
The Mutants	18	1	5
The Time Monster	28	3	8	*
The Three Doctors	14	2	2
Carnival of Monsters	11	1	3
Frontier in Space	36	1	10	*
Planet of the Daleks	13	1	4
The Green Death	20	3	5	*
The Time Warrior	13	0	3	*
Invasion of the Dinosaurs	24	2	7	*
Death to the Daleks	14	0	4
The Monster of Peladon	18	0	5
Planet of the Spiders	29	2	8	*
Robot	10	2	3
The Ark in Space	12	1	5	*
The Sontaran Experiment	10	1	3
Genesis of the Daleks	27	1	11	*
Revenge of the Cybermen	13	1	3
Terror of the Zygons	16	2	3
Planet of Evil	12	1	5
Pyramids of Mars	13	1	3
The Android Invasion	14	2	4
The Brain of Morbius	13	1	7	*
The Seeds of Doom	19	1	4	*
The Masque of Mandragora	21	1	9	*
The Hand of Fear	14	1	4	*
The Deadly Assassin	14	1	0
The Face of Evil	17	2	10	*
The Robots of Death	18	2	10	*
The Talons of Weng-Chiang	18	2	8	*
The Horror of Fang Rock	9	2	2
The Invisible Enemy	17	3	6	*
Image of the Fendahl	11	2	6
The Sun Makers	15	3	6
Underworld	16	3	4
The Invasion of Time	21	3	11	*
The Ribos Operation	13	2	4
The Pirate Planet	13	2	6	*
The Stones of Blood	11	2	3
The Androids of Tara	11	2	3
The Power of Kroll	11	1	3
The Armageddon Factor	16	2	6	*
Destiny of the Daleks	13	2	10	*
City of Death	11	2	7
The Creature from the Pit	15	2	4	*
Nightmare of Eden	18	2	10	*
The Horns of Nimon	14	2	5	*
The Leisure Hive	15	3	7	*
Meglos	11	3	4
Full Circle	16	4	6
State of Decay	16	4	6	*
Warriors' Gate	13	4	5
The Keeper of Traken	13	3	6	*
Logopolis	10	5	2
Castrovalva	10	4	1
Four to Doomsday	11	4	3
Kinda	14	4	6
The Visitation	15	4	8	*
Black Orchid	13	4	4
Earthshock	18	4	12	*
Time-Flight	16	4	6
Arc of Infinity	17	3	9	*
Snakedance	13	3	4
Mawdryn Undead	13	4	3	*
Terminus	14	4	6
Enlightenment	12	3	5	*
The King's Demons	10	3	4
The Five Doctors	33	10	9	*
Warriors of the Deep	15	3	9	*
The Awakening	10	3	5
Frontios	17	3	11	*
Resurrection of the Daleks	23	3	13	*
Planet of Fire	15	3	4	*
The Caves of Androzani	18	7	4
The Twin Dilemma	15	2	8
Attack of the Cybermen	18	2	12	*
Vengeance on Varos	14	2	10	*
The Mark of the Rani	15	2	7	*
The Two Doctors	13	3	3
Timelash	18	2	12	*
Revelation of the Daleks	23	2	12
The Mysterious Planet	14	2	7
Mindwarp	14	2	9
Terror of the Vervoids	21	2	10	*
The Ultimate Foe	8	2	1
Time and the Rani	11	2	6	*
Paradise Towers	14	2	8	*
Delta and the Bannermen	29	2	20	*
Dragonfire	17	3	13	*
Remembrance of the Daleks	24	2	13
The Happiness Patrol	21	2	15	*
Silver Nemesis	18	2	11	*
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy	17	2	12	*
Battlefield	17	2	10
Ghost Light	13	2	6
The Curse of Fenric	19	2	13	*
Survival	15	2	11	*

[Gisooo 2,527]

On 16/08/2021 at 16:50, msc said:

27.  1949 – Susan Penhaligon, Andrew Johns, Rob Edwards, Neil Dalglish, Keith Skinner, Martyn Whitby, Jeananne Crowley, Zoe Wannamaker, Simon Callow, Geoffrey Sax, David Allister (c.), Judy Norman, Ian Gelder, Bill Nighy, Mike Elles, Deep Roy, Carmen Gomez, Keith Parry

 

Judy Norman (IMDb), Ma in Gridlock dead last year

 

 

 

 

[time 7,940]

Ages 90, 87 & 83 respectively, looking good.

[TheKeysOfMarinus 366]

They all look great but Gorrie might be the youngest-looking 90 year old I’ve ever seen. 

[Deathrace 1,095]

On 27/08/2022 at 18:23, time said:

Ages 90, 87 & 83 respectively, looking good.

They all look like they are in their 70s. 

[Commtech Sio Bibble 1,329]

Recent photograph of Anneke Wills, for 80 she has only a few signs of age on her face. 

[YoungWillz 18,967]

According to this Tweetthread John C Hogan, the last of the Yeti actors but also a Cyberman in Tomb, died early in 2022: 

Never seemingly mentioned on the Forum.

[Bibliogryphon 8,624]

Post from the B7 Appreciation Society on Facebook has indicated that Brian Croucher (Travis + Eastenders and Doctor Who) is very ill in hospital

[Commtech Sio Bibble 1,329]

Italian Actor Marcello Magni who played the main form of Prisoner Zero in the Doctor Who episode The Eleventh Hour has died aged 63.