British Science Fiction Series

[msc 17,763]

 

The fact Douglas Adams died before writing the City of Death book is far worse, to my mind. Or for the new series, in fact. Just think, if Russell T Davies had commissioned Adams back in 2003, we might be getting near to seeing the episode any decade now...

Douglas Adams was never going to do City of Death it was just not worth it for him but his estate have allowed other writers to do CoD, Shada & The Pirate Planet. I do not insist Saward writes the books but allows them to be written. James Goss who adapted CoD got closer in tone to Adams than Eoin Coifer in the official Sixth Hitch-hiker book.

 

 

From memory, Adams line was that he wasn't going to let anyone else write them, and he might go round to it eventually. It's in the Neil Gaiman biography.

 

Any book would be improved by not having Eric Saward write it.

[Bibliogryphon 8,662]

 

 

The fact Douglas Adams died before writing the City of Death book is far worse, to my mind. Or for the new series, in fact. Just think, if Russell T Davies had commissioned Adams back in 2003, we might be getting near to seeing the episode any decade now...

Douglas Adams was never going to do City of Death it was just not worth it for him but his estate have allowed other writers to do CoD, Shada & The Pirate Planet. I do not insist Saward writes the books but allows them to be written. James Goss who adapted CoD got closer in tone to Adams than Eoin Coifer in the official Sixth Hitch-hiker book.

 

 

From memory, Adams line was that he wasn't going to let anyone else write them, and he might go round to it eventually. It's in the Neil Gaiman biography.

 

Any book would be improved by not having Eric Saward write it.

 

Yeah but his daughter realised that the fan appetite for them was bigger than her Father's pride and so relented. Eric Saward needs to get this through his skull.Though the Nation estate are equally at fault

[YoungWillz 19,104]

Report that Terence Bayler, New Zealand born actor, has died aged 86. https://twitter.com/DrWhoCastCrew/status/778613048965824512

 

Appeared in the Doctor Who stories The Ark (not The Ark In Space) and The War Games.

 

Other works include Gregory in The Life Of Brian, Leggy Mountbatten in The Rutles and The Bloody Baron in Harry Potter.

 

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0063027/

 

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_Bayler

 

Edit: Express Obit: http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/712999/Terence-Bayler-Harry-Potter-Life-of-Brian-Mr-Gregory-Bloody-Baron-Monty-Python-Eric-Idle

[themaninblack 2,112]

Report that Terence Bayler, New Zealand born actor, has died aged 86. https://twitter.com/DrWhoCastCrew/status/778613048965824512

 

Appeared in the Doctor Who stories The Ark (not The Ark In Space) and The War Games.

 

Other works include Gregory in The Life Of Brian, Leggy Mountbatten in The Rutles and The Bloody Baron in Harry Potter.

 

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0063027/

 

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_Bayler

 

Edit: Express Obit: http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/712999/Terence-Bayler-Harry-Potter-Life-of-Brian-Mr-Gregory-Bloody-Baron-Monty-Python-Eric-Idle

 

[Youwanticewiththat 610]

Vague thought that Dr Who has it's own thread - so apologies if 'tis so for posting here - however apparently Colin Baker's in hospital. Trying to source more detail.

[msc 17,763]

He's just tweeted that he's fine.

 

Hopefully this doesn't turn out to be Tom, though that'd be everywhere by now, I'd think.

[themaninblack 2,112]

Could be the ITN reporter?

[Cat O'Falk 3,287]

Could be the ITN reporter?

He has got cold feet and an aching heart.

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

<p>As I can only enter 3 DDP teams I have discarded this one in case anyone is interestedBlake's Heaven

• Gareth Thomas (b.1945)
• Brian Blessed (b. 1936)

The great Brian Blessed turned 80 last week.

[CoffinLodger 1,247]

 

<p>As I can only enter 3 DDP teams I have discarded this one in case anyone is interestedBlake's Heaven

• Gareth Thomas (b.1945)
• Brian Blessed (b. 1936)

The great Brian Blessed turned 80 last week.

 

Happy birthday Brian !

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

Matt Smith nearly died making The Crown when his horse bolted down a ravine: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/nov/03/matt-smith-nearly-died-filming-on-the-set-of-new-drama-the-crown

[Bibliogryphon 8,662]

In the latest edition of DWM there is a list of the 100 directors who have directed episodes of Doctor Who. I am sure some sad individual is going to review that list to see how many are still with us.

[msc 17,763]

In the latest edition of DWM there is a list of the 100 directors who have directed episodes of Doctor Who. I am sure some sad individual is going to review that list to see how many are still with us.

 

I don't buy DWM, but from Classic Who: Warris Hussein, Richard Martin, Frank Cox, John Gorrie, the formidable Paddy Russell, Bill Sellars, Michael Imison, Michael Ferguson, John Davies, Tristan DeVere Cole, Timothy Combe, Michael E Briant, Derrick Goodwin, Ken Grieve, Paul Joyce, Matthew Robinson, Graeme Harper, Chris Clough, and Alan Wareing are still with us. Couldn't tell you their DOBs off the top of my head, though. There's a few one shot Davison era directors who might be still around, whose names escape me, but a bunch of them are dead now.

 

Russell is circa 90, Sellers is mid-90s, rest in their 70s or 80s.

 

Ken Grieve got drunk one night with Douglas Adams in a bar at the BBC, and woke up in West Germany.

[msc 17,763]

Producers are easier. All classic era producers dead except Derrick Sherwin (b. 1936) and Philip Hinchcliffe (b. 1944).

[themaninblack 2,112]

Ken Grieve, who directed 'Destiny of the Daleks' in 1979, one of the first Doctor Who stories I remember watching, has died aged 74.

[msc 17,763]

Ken Grieve, who directed 'Destiny of the Daleks' in 1979, one of the first Doctor Who stories I remember watching, has died aged 74.

 

 

"You know those days when you've been drinking, and you wake up, and you can't remember what continent you're on?"

 

RIP.

[CoffinLodger 1,247]

Ken Grieve, who directed 'Destiny of the Daleks' in 1979, one of the first Doctor Who stories I remember watching, has died aged 74.

He was on the commentary track for the DVD

[YoungWillz 19,104]

Johnny Dennis, who played the bus driver in Delta And The Bannerman for Doctor Who has died. http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2016/12/johnny-dennis.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

Also a long term announcer who became the voice of Lord's Cricket Ground.

 

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219483/

[YoungWillz 19,104]

Peter Messaline, one of two actors who voiced the Daleks in the Jon Pertwee story Day Of The Daleks, has died aged 72. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=peter-messaline&pid=183113103&fhid=17710

[msc 17,763]

According to the grapevine, character actor Alan Curtis is very frail now. 87 next year, and he'll obit due to appearances in enough cult classics (Dr Who, Jason King, even the odd Carry On film).

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

 

 

Paul Bearer closed my poll thread before I could comment and offer my commiserations. Our Welsh intergalactic hero is dead.

 

 

I am much more gutted about this than I was about Nimoy's passing even though it will be lucky to get 1% of the media coverage.

 

 

RIP Gareth and condolences to the family.

His passing's not even mentioned on the BBC site yet. Even though Blakes 7 was a BBC production back in the late 1970s.

A few obits are starting to pop up on UK news sites now.

Quite shocked and sad a big childhood favourite has gone. This is my "Bowie" moment for the year.

When I put that poll up, I didn't expect him to drop a few weeks later at "only" 71!

The Welsh news has left Gareth Thomas off its "definitive" list of celebrity deaths of 2016 even though he was one of their own!!! :(

 

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/celebrity-deaths-2016-final-extraordinary-12389510

 

Is Blake's 7 really that little remembered now? It is not like television abounds with Welsh leading men, let alone sci fi stars.

[msc 17,763]

BBC gave him a video bit in their memorial video and led with Blake's 7. Think its quite well remembered by folk of my mums generation, though their memories tend to significantly improve the SFX budget.

[Davey Jones' Locker 1,324]

Okay, he is listed on this very extensive BBC page as you said: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38418802

 

Still miffed that the coverage of his death was so slight compared to that for Nimoy, Yelchin and Carrie Fisher. Just shows the power of the Hollywood marketing machine, I suppose. For even the Welsh news to forget about the local boy though makes them look fairly bad.

[rockhopper penguin 2,264]

Blake's 7 was iconic and deserves more recognition. Of course Blake (Thomas) wasn't in half the series and was [spoiler alert] contractually killed in the very last episode. Shame about Welsh coverage - they still go on about that try after all!

[YoungWillz 19,104]

Toby's annual In Memoriam for Dr Who for 2016: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q210-JfcVuo