A Matter of Time: Frank Gatliff

(31/12/1927 – 23/06/1990)

DESCRIPTION: Frank Gatliff played played the character of Ortron in the Third Doctor story ‘The Monster of Peladon’.

FACT: Ortron strongly opposed the presence of the Galactic Federation on Peladon, and joined forces with Gebek when the Ice Warriors led by Azaxyr took over.

A Matter of Time: The Three Doctors

(30/12/1972)

DESCRIPTION: ‘The Three Doctors’ was the first story of Season 10 of Doctor Who, and starred Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor.

FACT: William Hartnell was too ill to play a more active role in the story, so his scenes were filmed in Ealing Television Film Studios with cue cards.

A Matter of Time: Alan David

(29/12/1947)

DESCRIPTION: Alan David played the character of the undertaker Gabriel Sneed in the Ninth Doctor story ‘The Unquiet Dead’.

FACT: The part of Gabriel Sneed was originally written for David Tennant, who would instead later play the Tenth Doctor.

A Matter of Time: The Krotons

(28/12/1968)

DESCRIPTION: ‘The Krotons’ was the fourth story of Season 6 of Doctor Who, and starred Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor.

FACT: This is the first collaboration between writer Robert Holmes and script editor Terrance Dicks, who would work together in the Third and Fourth Doctors’ eras.

A Matter of Time: Christopher Benjamin

(27/12/1934)

DESCRIPTION: Christopher Benjamin played Sir Keith Gold in ‘Inferno’, Henry Gordon Jago in ‘The Talons of Weng-Chiang’, and Colonel Hugh in ‘The Unicorn and the Wasp’.

FACT: He returned to the role of Jago in the recent Big Finish ‘Jago and Litefoot’ audio series.

A Matter of Time: Dudley Jones

(26/12/1914 – 10/11/1990)

DESCRIPTION: Dudley Jones played the character of John Dyson in the First Doctor story ‘The Tenth Planet’.

FACT: John Dyson was the supervising engineer stationed at the Snowcap South Pole Base, who used radiation against the Cybermen.

A Christmas Message from Blink

A Matter of Time: The Christmas Invasion

(25/12/2005)

DESCRIPTION: ‘The Christmas Invasion’ was the first official Christmas Special episode and starred David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.

FACT: One of the outfits considered by the Doctor in the wardrobe is the costume worn by David Tennant in his Casanova role.

A Matter of Time: The Highlanders

(24/12/1966)

DESCRIPTION: ‘The Highlanders’ was the fourth story of Season 4 of Doctor Who, and starred Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor.

FACT: Although Elwyn Jones was commissioned to write the story, Story Editor Gerry Davis carried out the entire work for the scripts.

A Matter of Time: The Power of Kroll

(23/12/1978)

DESCRIPTION: ‘The Power of Kroll’ was the fifth story of Season 16 of Doctor Who, and starred Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor.

FACT: The BBC’s Head of Serials was so unimpressed by the set designs in this story that he ordered that designer Don Giles was never to work on the series again.

A Matter of Time: The Horns of Nimon

(22/12/1979)

DESCRIPTION: ‘The Horns of Nimon’ was the fifth story of Season 17 of Doctor Who, and starred Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor.

FACT: This story was supposed to have been followed by ‘Shada’ in the series, however due to a strike the production of Shada was abandoned.

A Matter of Time: The Daleks

(21/12/1963)

DESCRIPTION: ‘The Daleks’ was the second story of Season 1 of Doctor Who, and starred William Hartnell as the First Doctor.

FACT: This was the first ever story to feature the Daleks, and was originally broadcast under the title of ‘The Mutants’.

A Matter of Time: Jacqueline Pearce

(20/12/1943)

DESCRIPTION: Jacqueline Pearce has played many roles in Doctor Who, including Chessene in the Sixth Doctor story ‘The Two Doctors’.

FACT: Pearce has also acted in the Doctor Who webcast ‘Death Comes to Time’ and the Big Finish audio drama ‘The Fearmonger’.

A Matter of Time: Matthew Waterhouse

(19/12/1961)

DESCRIPTION: Matthew Waterhouse played the character of Adric between ‘Full Circle’ and ‘Earthshock’.

FACT: Waterhouse’s name was used by comedians Matt Lucas and David Walliams for a character who created bizarre inventions in ‘Little Britain’.

A Matter of Time: The Daleks’ Master Plan

(18/12/1965)

DESCRIPTION: ‘The Daleks’ Master Plan’ was the fourth story of Season 3 of Doctor Who, and starred William Hartnell as the First Doctor.

FACT: At the beginning of Episode Eight, the grams operator accidentally plays the TARDIS background hum instead of the Daleks’ control room sounds.

A Matter of Time: The Sun Makers

(17/12/1977)

DESCRIPTION: ‘The Sun Makers’ was the fourth story of Season 15 of Doctor Who, and starred Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor.

FACT: When the Gatherer is to be thrown off the roof by an angry mob, it is fairly obvious that it is only a dummy prop.

A Matter of Time: Nicholas Courtney

(16/12/1929)

DESCRIPTION: Nicholas Courtney played Colonel and then Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart during the classic series, and was a regular character in Jon Pertwee’s era.

FACT: Courtney’s first appearance in Doctor Who was in the First Doctor story ‘The Daleks' Master Plan’, where he played Bret Vyon.

A Matter of Time: The Time Warrior

(15/12/1973)

DESCRIPTION: ‘The Time Warrior’ was the first story of Season 11 of Doctor Who, and starred Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor.

FACT: This was the first story to reveal the name of the Doctor’s home planet as Gallifrey, and it was originally called ‘Galfrey’ in the script.

A Matter of Time: The Invasion

(14/12/1968)

DESCRIPTION: ‘The Invasion’ was the third story of Season 6 of Doctor Who, and starred Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor.

FACT: In the DVD’s animated version of Episode 1, the words ‘Bad Wolf’ are written on Isobel’s wall as an in-joke to the series.

A Matter of Time: State of Decay

(13/12/1980)

DESCRIPTION: ‘State of Decay’ was the fourth story of Season 18 of Doctor Who, and starred Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor.

FACT: The story was originally planned to open Season 15, but was cancelled as the BBC was preparing to begin a major drama about Dracula.