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Doctor Who showrunners Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat come together to celebrate the "phenomenal" casting of one Doctor in particular. Looking back at the Fourth Doctor era, Tom Baker assumed the role in 1974, leading the show for 172 episodes across 7 seasons. Baker's final battle against the Master (Anthony Ainley) in 1981's "Logopolis" brought his adventures to an end with the Fourth Doctor's regeneration, but he has since reprised the role in one-off appearances and audio dramas.

When speaking to Doctor Who Magazine (via RadioTimes) in a larger retrospective on Phillip Hinchcliffe's producing tenure, Moffat turned attention to the cast of that era, particularly praising Baker, Elizabeth Sladen, and Ian Marter's Tardis team of the Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, and Harry Sullivan. He went so far as to say Doctor Who hasn't a better cast, explaining:

Steven Moffat: I know this was a legacy of the previous producer, but...

One of the most intriguing characters in the latest season of Doctor Who was undoubtedly Mrs. Flood. Portrayed by Anita Dobson, Flood seemed to be more than she was letting on, and now Who showrunner Russell T Davies is teasing that Dobsons character has "the best stuff ever" coming up in the next season, while at the same time hinting at her possible true identity.

Speaking with SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar), Davies spoke about Dobsons appearance in Season 14 of Doctor Who, mentioning one scene in particular in the final episode, Empire of Death, where she broke the fourth wall to proclaim to the audience that the Doctor's story "ends in absolute terror." Davies said that thanks to her appearance, fans would definitely be speculating about her true identity.

"She had us all roaring with laughter at that scene, she is so brilliant. I promise you next year, great answers to that,...

Russell T Davies teases Mrs. Flood's bigger role in Doctor Who season 15 after her major season 14 finale twist. Speculation about Flood being a classic character like Romana has also been addressed by Davies, hinting at possible red herrings in the show. Flood's knowledge of Time Lords and her diabolical motives make her a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming season of the sci-fi classic show.

With Anita Dobson's Mrs Flood set to take on a greater role in Doctor Who season 15, showrunner Russell T Davies has teased the character's presence and addressed speculation about her true identity. The character made her debut in Ncuti Gatwa's first full story, "The Church on Ruby Road", as the neighbor to companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), who seemingly has knowledge of the Time Lords. Flood would later return in "73 Yards", though her appearance in the Doctor Who season 14 finale...

Warning: Contains Spoilers for Doctor Who's season 14 finale, "Empire of Death".

Doctor Who's season 14 finale explained Ruby's origins but left mysteries for season 15 to solve. Season 14 and 15 were shot back-to-back suggesting bigger, inter-connected storylines next year. Clues about Ruby's father and Susan's return suggest big developments in Doctor Who seasons ahead.

Doctor Who's season 14 finale wraps up the story of Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) and her origins, but leaves several unanswered questions for Ncuti Gatwa's second season to answer. Doctor Who's season 14 finale, "Empire of Death" revealed who Ruby's mother was, and explained why the Tardis has been wheezing and groaning more than usual. However, the packed ending of Doctor Who season 14 leaves various mysteries up in the air, answers to which will likely be forthcoming in season 15.

Doctor Who seasons 14 and 15 have been shot back to back, which suggests that showrunner Russell T Davies...

Warning: contains spoilers for Doctor Who “Empire of Death”.

Along with ‘why was Ruby’s gymslip mum wearing a hooded cloak in 2004 Manchester?’ and ‘did the Doctor skip Skaro and Telos on his death-to-death planet-restoring tour?’ another mystery was left unanswered by Doctor Who’s series 14 finale: the true identity of Mrs Flood.

Fans (and outlets) have swapped theories ever since Anita Dobson’s character first appeared in 2023 Christmas special “The Church on Ruby Road” and stared down the camera lens to ask, “Never seen a Tardis before?” Then, right at the end of “Empire of Death”, the Sundays’ neighbour Mrs Flood returns for another fourth-wall-breaking cliffhanger.

On the Notting Hill rooftop above the Sundays’ flat after Ruby and the Doctor have said goodbye, Mrs F appears Mary Poppins-style, carrying a brolly. Using the clipped Rp accent she first unveiled in “The Legend of Ruby Sunday”, she looks into...

This Doctor Who article contains spoilers.

Back in 2012, Doctor Who fans freaked out. We’d been told in advance that Clara (Jenna Coleman) would eventually replace Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) as the next companion of the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) in series 7 of the show. But fans weren’t prepared for just how soon Coleman would make her Doctor Who debut. Although she wouldn’t officially join Matt Smith in the Tardis until a few episodes later, Coleman first appeared in the series 7 premiere “Asylum of the Daleks” as a seemingly different character named Oswin, who, although she met a tragic end, encouraged the Doctor to remember her.

And now, 12 years later, it looks like Who history is repeating itself. In the absolutely wonderful Steven Moffat-penned episode, “Boom,” the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) encounters a host of new allies, including a marine named Mundy. For fans of Star Wars: Andor,...

Tom Baker wanted Miriam Margoyles to be his companion in Doctor Who, but producers declined, highlighting casting challenges in the show's classic era. Margoyles' distinct style and energy would have brought audacity and rebellion to a role that was often constrained by traditional stereotypes. The potential pairing of Margoyles and Baker could have revolutionized the companion role, similar to the dynamic between Catherine Tate and David Tennant's characters in the modern series.

When we think of the sprawling legacy of Doctor Who across decades, specific character partnerships often shine brighter than the rest. While Tom Baker, the iconic Fourth Doctor, is renowned for such partnerships, a recent revelation suggests that a significant opportunity was missed. This missed chance also spotlights broader casting challenges faced during the show's classic era. Tom Baker, celebrated as the longest-serving Doctor, navigated through the series alongside a variety of companions. From the fierce Leela...

Miriam Margoyles' near-miss as a Doctor Who companion highlights the classic era's narrow vision of what companions should be. Margoyles' offbeat personality and refusal to fit into the conventional mold would have brought a unique dynamic to the show. The BBC's refusal to cast Margoyles exemplifies the mistakes Doctor Who has made with its companion characters, but improvements have been made in the modern era.

Tom Baker wanted a famous comic actor as his Doctor Who companion, and this would-be casting highlights a wider issue with the classic series' vision of what Tardis companions should be. As the longest-reigning Doctor in Doctor Who history, Tom Baker enjoyed his fair share of companions, ranging from the wild and untamed Leela to the refined Time Lady Romana. Baker presided over one of Doctor Who's most popular and critically-acclaimed periods, and his companions played a significant part in his success as the Fourth Doctor.

In the long-running British television series Doctor Who, there have been 40 series regular companions that have accompanied The Doctor, however, there has been only one instance where a companion was recast. Doctor Who tells the story of a lone Timelord, who travels through time and space to protect the galaxy. The Doctor rarely embarks on these journeys alone, as they are typically accompanied by a companion or two on their adventures. Although they have encountered various species, The Doctor's companions always seem to be human.

These human individuals play a vital role in grounding The Doctor, making sure they are reminded of morality while fighting adversaries. However, there was an exception with Romana, who, like The Doctor, was a Timelord. Initially portrayed by Mary Tamm, Romana's character underwent a recasting after one season, which made it the sole occurrence of a companion being replaced in Doctor Who. Because the move was so unusual,...

When the 13th season of Doctor Who concluded at the end of October 2022, fans immediately rejoiced over the countless cameos from former companions, with characters like Donna and her grandfather Wilf also poised to return for critical roles in 2023 and beyond. The BBC also recently announced that the 15th Doctor's upcoming companion will be a young woman named Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson.

With the 60th anniversary episode slated for next fall, now is a great time to assess which Doctor Who companions have endured the longest tenure on the show and how fans felt about their specific storylines. There have been so many beloved characters down the years.

Zoe Heriot

Wendy Padbury appeared in 49 episodes of Doctor Who from 1968 to 1983, playing the companion to the Second Doctor. The bright astrophysicist was fun, campy, and a joy to watch thanks to her easygoing dynamic with Patrick Troughton. Independent and...

The cast of Young Widder Brown.

"History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."

― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1938: Young Widder Brown premiered on NBC Radio. The popular Frank and Anne Hummert radio soap opera told the story of young Ellen Brown, a 30 year old mother, who struggled to raise her children without the small town mentality that came with living in Simpsonville. The show ran for nearly 18 years, until June 22, 1956.

1972: On As the World Turns, Tom Hughes (Peter Galman) and Carol Deming (Rita McLaughlin) were married. The wedding was shot on location at...

The cast of Young Widder Brown."The best prophet of the future is the past."

― Lord Byron

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1938: Young Widder Brown premiered on NBC Radio. The popular Frank and Anne Hummert radio soap opera told the story of young Ellen Brown, a 30 year old mother, who struggled to raise her children without the small town mentality that came with living in Simpsonville. The show ran for nearly 18 years, until June 22, 1956.

1972: On As the World Turns, Tom Hughes (Peter Galman) and Carol Deming (Rita McLaughlin) were married. The wedding was shot on location at the Riverdale Presbyterian Church in Riverdale, New York.

1976: One...

From the Queen Vic to the Tardis. As Eastenders prepares to mark its 30th anniversary, we look back at its encounters with Doctor Who...

Back in the mid-eighties an actor who played "Third Assistant" in a Doctor Who story called The Savages (1966) and the director of another Doctor Who adventure, The Underwater Menace (1967), came together to create one of the BBC’s most successful television shows.

And when they got together, it was murder. Well, not quite. (Though the first episode did feature a victim who would later die, fact fans.) But what they did create was Eastenders.

Broadcast on February the 19th 1985 (in between episodes one and two of The Two Doctors), this creation of Who alumni would go on to share numerous links with the long-running science-fiction for years to come. Even its time-slot owes much to the adventures of everyone’s favourite Gallifreyan.

In an interview in...

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Released in 2013, The Auntie Matter was the first of the second series of Big Finish’s The Fourth Doctor Adventures, and reunited Tom Baker with Mary Tamm for the first time in Doctor Who since 1978’s The Armageddon Factor. Oh, and for another day Big Finish are making it available for a jaw-droppingly paltry £2.99...

The post Big Finish’s 12 Days: The Auntie Matter for £2.99 appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Here's another installment featuring Joe Dante's reviews from his stint as a critic for Film Bulletin circa 1969-1974. Our thanks to Video Watchdog and Tim Lucas for his editorial embellishments!

Fairish collection of mini‑chillers has Kim Novak and class cast for marquee plus routine horror angles. Title may prove a hindrance, otherwise a passable ballyhoo entry. Rating: R.

Multiple‑story horror films have met with some commercial success recently but few, if any, have amounted to much as movies. The plots usually rely entirely on gimmicky "kickers" at the end, and by now, the supply of possible twist endings seems to be depleted. As a result the stories often seem maddeningly predictable. Such is the problem with Tales That Witness Madness, a four‑story British effort that appears headed for just fair boxoffice response in saturation ballyhoo markets, despite a classy cast toplining the long‑absent Kim Novak.

Peter Capaldi is far from the only Doctor Who actor to appear in multiple roles. Mark talks us through the many others to have done so...

It's been just over a year since the BBC announced that Peter Capaldi would play the Twelfth Doctor. There were rumblings of his casting in the week before the announcement was made, to the point where bookies stopped taking bets on it.

We've spent the last twelve months in anticipation of what seems like dream casting for the Time Lord, but some of us were a little sceptical that an actor of his profile and standing would take the role until it was actually announced, but “he's been in it before” was not atop the list of reasons why we thought it was too good to be true.

Over the course of 50 years, Doctor Who has inevitably reused actors as different characters- there are...

Feature Alex Westthorp 16 Apr 2014 - 07:00

Alex's trek through the film roles of actors who've played the Doctor reaches Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy...

Read the previous part in this series, Doctor Who: the film careers of Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker, here.

In March 1981, as he made his Doctor Who debut, Peter Davison was already one the best known faces on British television. Not only was he the star of both a BBC and an ITV sitcom - Sink Or Swim and Holding The Fort - but as the young and slightly reckless Tristan Farnon in All Creatures Great And Small, about the often humorous cases of Yorkshire vet James Herriot and his colleagues, he had cemented his stardom. The part led, indirectly, to his casting as the venerable Time Lord.

The recently installed Doctor Who producer, John Nathan-Turner, had been the Production Unit Manager on...

Alex Skerratt is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Brainy specs at the ready, book fans! Fantom Films has a range of titles coming up that are bound to send shockwaves through the Whoniverse, (or, at the very least, get bookmarks flapping!) First up is the second part of Mary Tamm’s (Romana’s) Autobiography. Titled Second Generation, it picks up where First Generation ended, talking

The post Fantom Films Upcoming Books Round Up appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Regular followers are probably aware that we here are at Sound on Sight are more than a little fond of an obscure British science fiction program that celebrated an anniversary of some kind last weekend. Anniversaries are always an excellent time to reflect upon and celebrate a show’s history and the lead up to last Saturday’s “The Day of the Doctor” saw the entire Whoniverse coming together to share their thoughts on everything from their favourite episodes, most beloved eras, and of course, “their” Doctor. I just love that a top ten list can be the beginning of a good conversation or a great fight, and I find that the most heat, and some of the best light, is generated when Whovians start talking about their favourite Companions. A Companion is more than just our surrogate, they’re a gateway and guide to the series who helps us...

Romana II

Portrayed by: Lalla Ward

Doctor(s): Fourth Doctor

Tenure: 10 stories, from Destiny of the Daleks (Sept, 1979) to Warriors’ Gate (Jan, 1981)

Background: Romana is a Time Lady first assigned to travel with the Doctor by the White Guardian* (*Spoilers!). After traveling with him for the Key to Time season, she chooses to regenerate, with fans distinguishing between these incarnations by calling her Romana I or Romana II. Just like the Doctor, she has a distinctly different personality in her new regeneration and she and the Doctor have a distinctly different rapport.

Family/Friends: For information about her past, see Romana I. Romana II has a close relationship with the Doctor and the two are incredibly playful with each other. She’s also close with Adric, for the brief span that they overlap in the Tardis, and when she leaves, she takes K-9 with her.

Personality: Romana II, in contrast to her earlier regeneration,...

Romana I

Portrayed by: Mary Tamm

Doctor(s): Fourth Doctor

Tenure: 6 stories (the Key to Time season), from The Ribos Operation (Sept, 1978) to The Armageddon Factor (Feb, 1979)

Background: Romanadvoratrelundar (the Doctor dubs her Romana) is a Time Lady who is foisted upon the then-Companionless Fourth Doctor (and vice versa) by the White Guardian* to help him in his search for the Key to Time, a highly powerful item broken into six parts and scattered throughout the universe. She’s fresh from the Academy and incredibly intelligent, more so even than the Doctor. Romana is also much younger than the Doctor and, having just left Gallifrey for presumably the first time, he’s a far more experienced adventurer.

Family/Friends: Aside from hearing a bit about Romana’s teachers at school, we know little about her family or past. It’s implied she had very few friends at school. Despite...

Meredith Burdett is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Big Finish keep the Doctor Who fun coming this month with the finale of the second run of Fourth Doctor adventures starring Tom Baker and Mary Tamm, The Final Phase!...

The post It’s Time for The Final Phase! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Meredith Burdett is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Very sadly in the sci-fi world, we’ve lost quite a few major players in the last few years. Liz Sladen, Mary Tamm, Caroline John and Iain Banks have all been...

The post Help Evil UnLtd Beat Cancer appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Well, my Big Finish monthly mega-review was well-received, so when I review the July titles, it will be in one big group. In the meantime, here’s the reviews of of the two remaining June Who audios!

The Dalek Contract

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

‘These creatures have ravaged half the cosmos. They’re experts at this kind of thing. Nothing can stand in their way.’

The Doctor and Romana find themselves in the Proxima System, where enigmatic Conglomerate CEO Cuthbert has been conducting his infamous ‘experiment’. An experiment which might accidentally rip the universe apart.

Meanwhile, living conditions on Proxima Major have become harsh and hostile. Climate change has turned the landscape into a freezing wasteland and an alien power has condemned much of the population to life inside internment camps. For those still clinging to their freedom, the struggle for survival is now beyond desperate and outsiders such as...

Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Mary Tamm as Romana, John Leeson as K-9 and Alice “The Borg Queen” Kirge as a submarine captain. What could possibly go wrong?

As you gathered from that set up, I wasn’t overly impressed with this story. It starts with the Doctor and company arriving in the Marianas Trench. No sooner have they figured out where and when (the 2040s) they are, when the Tardis is picked up by a submarine and brought inside.

Turns out the sub is a special deep sea exploration vessel that my mind kept wanting to call SeaQuest. As they probe around under the water, they spot a group of intelligent squid who try to warn them away. Does the sub crew say, “Hey, great idea. These squid can’t have an agenda against us. Let’s make for the surface?” No, of course they don’t. Soon...

The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Collection. Eleven Classic Adventures. Eleven Brilliant Writers. One Incredible Doctor.

Festival Of Death by Jonathan Morris is NuWho Series Six. Or, to put it another way, Series Six of NuWho is Festival Of Death. First published in 2000, Morris’ novel sees the Doctor arriving somewhere he’s already saved only to find he made the ultimate sacrifice to do so. Realising his fate and accepting it in less than Moffat’s year-long storyline, the fourth Doctor travels back in time to the same place to meat his destiny.

This novel is a classic example of having to read a book more than once to get everything out of it, as it contains more time travelling confusion than anything the television series has cooked up. Near the halfway mark I was getting frustrated by the novel, not being able to understand a great deal, which conflicted with my level of enjoyment massively.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Back in the day, one of the best old series Who episodes aired. It was called “The Talons of Weng-Chiang”, and it featured the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) and Leela investigating sinister goings on in 1890s England. That story introduced two characters who went on to be very popular, namely theatrical impresario Henry Gordon Jago (Christopher Benjamin) and coroner George Litefoot (Trevor Baxter).

Jago and Litefoot were often talked about for their own spinoff series, something that eventually happened when Big Finish began their line of (really excellent) Jago and Litefoot stories. They even teamed up the two with the Sixth Doctor for a set of (really excellent, and very cheap) adventures, but they’d never gotten around to having them run around with the Fourth Doctor. Until now.

This story concerns the arrival of the Doctor and Romana (Mary Tamm) in London in the 1890s.

Feature Cameron K McEwan 5 Apr 2013 - 07:00

Cameron selects ten tremendous Doctor Who series openers, from Rose to Ribos, and Tomb to Terror...

Over the years, Doctor Who has suffered from what is commonly known as "Sos" or "Season Opener Syndrome". There's been some stinkers like Destiny of the Daleks, Attack of the Cybermen and Arc of Infinity and some mundane instalments such as New Earth, Robot and The Dominators. But there are some genuinely good ones out there too - some damn good ones. So here's ten of the best season openers over the last forty-nine and a bit years of Doctor Who. 

10. Partners In Crime (2008) 

Despite the levity of the episode, and we're talking about the Adipose here, this Russell T. Davies beauty managed a couple of mean feats. Firstly, he re-introduced us all to the mighty Donna Noble again (The Doctor and Donna's meeting through the windows...

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Well, now. Here we are at part two of Big Finish’s two-part Laan story. When we last saw the Doctor (Tom Baker), he and Romana (Mary Tamm) were trying to protect Earth from the twin menaces of slimy corporate CEO, Cuthbert (David Warner), and from an alien species known as the Laan, who believed that Earth was their homeworld and were going to give birth here; a process that would result in the destruction of all life. So there’s that going on.

This story is the conclusion, and it picks up right where part one left off, as the Doctor continues his struggle, this time with the assistance of Earth president Moorkurk (Haley Atwell), who was elected on a platform opposing the Conglomerate, the corporation that Cuthbert runs. Cuthbert is, not surprisingly, disinclined to help her, and simply wants revenge against the Laan for...

Back in 1986 the BBC, by way of an experiment, gave us a Doctor season based entirely around one idea – The Doctor was on trial. Unlike the previous Key To Time trilogy in which Tom Baker’s Doctor and Mary Tamm’s Romana had a set of six linked adventures which could stand alone, this was presented as a running story (the trial) with three stories dropped into it.

The whole thing was topped off by a twisty-turny ending that sort of ended happily ever after. I say sort of as this was to be, unfortunately, Colin’s last outing as the Doctor until he returned to the role in triumph under the auspices of Big Finish.

Apart then from finishing off Colin’s tenure in the role, what else should we take from The Trial? I have reviewed and considered the wider canon (if such a thing exists) and bring you the following…...

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Here we have story two of season two of The Fourth Doctor Adventures. It’s a good, solid story, but it’s also part one of at least two, and that makes it ever so hard to review. On the other hand, we have Tom Baker, Mary Tamm, John Leeson and David Warner, so at the very least, we know at the outset that we’re going to get something pretty amazing!

Our story starts off in the future of Earth, with the Doctor (Baker), Romana (Tamm) and K9 (Leeson) arriving at about the same time as several billion alien life forms, rather like space manatees, show up. This happens at the same time as a new Earth president (Haley Atwell) is taking office.

Romana and the Doctor are soon captured, of course, and blamed for the apparent invasion; something that at least seems plausible given...

[rating 4.5]

It is a bittersweet thing to listen to the first story in Big Finish’s second season of Fourth Doctor adventures. It’s nice to have Tom Baker back, and the story is as good as anyone could want from them. But…Mary Tamm. Poor, dear, Mary Tamm.

This story is chock-full of Season 16 goodness. It starts with the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Romana (Mary Tamm) leaving the Tardis to spend some time on Earth. The Tardis itself has had its randomizer turned on so that it can lead the Black Guardian on a merry chase while K9 stays inside to keep it company. Meantime, the Doctor and Romana set up housekeeping in London in the 1920s.

While this is going on, a young man (Robert Portal) is having a problem with his aunt (Julia McKenzie). It seems said aunt keeps killing his fiancées and stealing and stealing their bodies,...

2012. It's as if you came and went in the blink of an eye. But very few years have been quite as quintessentially British as 2012 – it'll probably be mentioned in years to come in the same way that ageing, craggy-faced football pundits look back on 1966 with a tear in the eye and a sigh of nostalgia. Whether Mrs Maj pretended to look interested at the Take That man's aggregation of pop stars and comedians; whether countless medals were achieved at the Olympics; or whether the country had maybe one week of glorious sunshine, 2012 would probably boom “Britain. Britain. Britain.” Big Tom-style.

And one typically British aspect still made its presence felt this year. 2012 has been a bit of a mixed bag for Who aficionados – new episodes, new companions, but then goodbyes to past companions, both in the series and in the real world. Add in an ex Doctor attempting gangsta rapping...

What my followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ saw today: • Oh dear god no please someone make it stop. 'Alf' Movie Lands at Sony Animation With 'Smurfs' Producer (Exclusive) • There's a lot of wisdom in this. Why I Write: George Orwell on an Author's 4 Main Motives • Oh, man. :-( Doctor Who actor Mary Tamm's husband dies hours after her funeral • How is NBC's new series Revolution not a *complete* theft of S.M. Stirling's fab series Dies the Fire? • I figured this went without saying. Guess I figured wrong. The 'Greatest Films Ever' List Includes Nothing From the Past 40 Years? Good...

Doctor Who star Tom Baker has paid tribute to former co-star Mary Tamm. Tamm - who played Romana opposite Baker's Fourth Doctor in 1978 and 1979 - recently passed away following an 18-month battle with cancer. "The dreadful news of Mary Tamm's death amazed me," Baker wrote on his official website. "I had no idea she was ill. We got on terribly well and I admired her wit and style and warmth. "We used to meet at different Who conventions and sometimes had time for a little chat. I remember meeting her at Heathrow in the first class section: her section, of course. She was flicking through a magazine and sipping a beer: the epitome of cool style." 78-year-old Baker also reflected sadly on the passing of fellow (more)...

What my followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ saw today: • Funny! • Best smackdown yet, by John Scalzi, of the idea that geek girls must demonstrate their geek cred by swooning over Joe Peacock: Who Gets To Be a Geek? Anyone Who Wants to Be • More Twenty Twelve goodness: A special Sport Relief edition of 2012 • If you’re lamenting the fact that the onset of the Olympics means no more Twenty Twelve, here’s a bonus for you, as Siobhan Sharpe explains the Games’ social-media plan: • Sad news. Doctor Who star Mary Tamm dies aged 62...

British actress Mary Tamm, known for playing the first incarnation of Romana during Doctor Who’s “Key To Time” season in 1978 and 1979, has died of cancer. She was 62. The child of Estonian refugees, Tamm graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, starting her career in the early 1970s with appearances in British TV shows like Coronation Street, as well as the films The Odessa File and The Likely Lads. She joined Doctor Who in the sci-fi series’ sixteenth-season opener “The Ribos Operation” as the haughty but inexperienced Time Lady Romanadvotrelundar—"Romana" for short—who ...

Tom Baker has praised his late 'Doctor Who' sidekick Mary Tamm as a ''darling companion''. The 78-year-old actor paid tribute to Mary - who played Romana, the companion of his Fourth Doctor in the 1978-79 'Key to Time' series - after she lost her 18-month battle with cancer yesterday (26.07.12) aged 62. He said: ''She was a darling companion and wonderfully witty and kind. I'm so sorry to hear of her death.'' The late actress' friend Helen Lederer said: ''Mary was such an energised, talented woman with a great twinkle in her eye and she was so very beautiful.'' Nicola Bryant -...

Doctor Who star Mary Tamm, who played companion Romana alongside Tom Baker, has died aged 62.

The actress, who was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, fought a long battle with cancer and died in hospital in London.

Agent Barry Langford, who confirmed the news, said she had a “zest for life”.

“She was a darling companion and wonderfully witty and kind,” said Tom Baker, who played the fourth Doctor. “I’m so sorry to hear of her death.”

Colin Baker, who played the sixth Doctor, wrote on Twitter: “Shellshocked to hear Mary Tamm is gone. A funny, caring, talented, lovely and down to earth lady.”

via BBC News – Doctor Who actress Mary Tamm dies.

Related articles Doctor Who actress Mary Tamm loses cancer battle (standard.co.uk) “Zest for life”: Tributes paid to Doctor Who actress Mary Tamm after she loses cancer battle (mirror.co.uk)

Originally published on ComicMix...

Like many people associated with Doctor Who for its nearly 49 years of existence, actors who’ve played companions to the wandering Doctor may choose depart from show, but they never fully leave it.

Yes, fandom is sometimes difficult. Science fiction fans are loyal, adoring and sometimes over the top, but in the end, they love the character as much as they love the actor who plays them, which is why, at this time, our hearts hurt to learn of their passing. And the fact that is, in the last eighteen months, Doctor Who has lost four beloved actors who played enduring roles on the cult show in the 1970s –Nicholas Courtney, Elizabeth Sladen, Caroline John and now Mary Tamm.

Tamm, who joined the show for season sixteen as Romanadvoratrelundar (Romana for short), passed away on July 26, after an 18 month battle with cancer. She was 62. Like Elizabeth Sladen, like Caroline John,...

Tributes have been paid to Doctor Who actress Mary Tamm, who died in a London hospital today at the age of 62 after an 18-month battle with cancer.

She played Romana (pictured above and below), a Time Lady who was companion to Tom Baker's fourth Doctor from 1978 to 1979. Tamm opted not to return for another series and the role was recast with Lalla Ward.

The daughter of Estonian refugees, Bradford-born Tamm trained at Rada. Her first professional job was at the new Birmingham Repertory theatre where she spent nine months working alongside Derek Jacobi, Joan Sims and Ronnie Barker.

She also appeared on the big screen in The Odessa File and The Likely Lads and after leaving Doctor Who was in numerous other TV shows including EastEnders, Brookside and Wire in the Blood.

Doctor Who returns to our living rooms for a seventh series in August, with guest stars including Stratford-upon-Avon actor David Bradley,...

Mary Tamm has died at the age of 62. The former Doctor Who star lost her 18-month battle with cancer in London this morning (July 26), her agent confirmed. Tamm was perhaps best known for her role as Romana, the companion of Tom Baker's Doctor in the 1978-79 Key to Time series. "She had a great zest for life. She was a fantastic actress - she played stage parts of such range, parts that would take your breath away. She could play any role, and do so wonderfully," her longtime agent Barry Langford told Pa. The stage and screen actress starred in a number of films including The Odessa File and The Likely Lads. Following Tamm's role in Doctor (more)...

Actor played Doctor's companion Romana opposite Tom Baker and also starred in The Odessa File and The Likely Lads

The Doctor Who actor Mary Tamm has died aged 62, her agent has said.

Tamm, who played the Doctor's companion Romana alongside Tom Baker, died at a hospital in London on Thursday morning. She had been suffering from cancer for 18 months.

The actress was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, the daughter of Estonian refugees, and had a long career on stage and screen. She starred in the films The Odessa File and The Likely Lads and had recurring roles in the soaps Brookside and EastEnders.

Tamm leaves her husband Marcus Ringrose, daughter Lauren and seven-year-old son Max.

Barry Langford, her agent of 22 years, said: "She had a great zest for life. She was a fantastic actress – she played stage parts of such range, parts that would take your breath away. She could play any role,...

One minute there's a Christmas present. The next minute it's taken away from you. Presumably, the sizeable army of Jonathan Creek fans found this when rumours of a 2012 Christmas special recently surfaced on the web. Alas, it turned out to be a false hope, since the main man himself Alan Davies said that the news was no more than a rumour and that nothing had been set up to compete alongside Time Lord festivities, Brucie's frosty-looking wig and Scrooge-esque happenings in Albert Square.

So what is it about Jonathan Creek that still brings the viewers back for more? The last Christmas special, The Grinning Man (broadcast in 2009) gained nearly 10 million viewers, a strong showing for the festive competition, suggesting that there was still a healthy demand for the unassuming fellah in the duffle coat. Basically, for the most part, it's a two-pronged mystery. Not only can it feature whodunnit elements,...

Ah, the Doctor’s companions. No matter who they are, they exist to allow the Doctor to have someone to exposit to and keep him company on his adventures. There’s been about forty of them, mostly attractive women, and they’ve been everything from a Scots highlander to a 51st century time traveler, to a Time Lady, to a robot dog.

Now before we get into this list we have to define what makes for a companion. There’s several possible definitions, but I’ll be adopting the incredibly subjective definition of “they’re a companion because I say they are”. I have the vague guideline that they have to have stared in more than one story, and not get written out in their second story. Traveling with the Doctor in the Tardis is a nice bonus, but not required. Thus I include potential top 10 companions like the Brigadier,...

Flicking through my encyclopaedia-sized driving theory book, I'm forever cursing not having the opportunity to try for a driving licence earlier in my life. Put it down to lack of funds or too much work – the downsides of being an incompetent fool are all too obvious when it comes to getting around. Take public transport, in which hapless masses are forced to pay eye-watering amounts for services so shoddy, a horse and cart could get you from A to B in quicker time.

What's worse is that those who wield almighty power in the public transport domain seem possessed by the worst sort of misanthropic gloom, so much so, that it's easy to think that wholesale grumpiness is a vital prerequisite for the job. Take travelling by bus – a joyless experience at the best of times, but more often than not, the driver in charge will respond to your cheery...

Tom Baker has agreed to star in a series of Doctor Who audio plays for Big Finish Productions, it has been announced. An official statement posted on the company's website confirmed that Baker will reprise the role of the Fourth Doctor alongside former co-stars Louise Jameson (Leela) and Mary Tamm (Romana I) in a series of dramas due for release next year. Big Finish's executive producer Nick Briggs, who also voices the Daleks in the current BBC One series, expressed excitement over the 77-year-old actor's decision to join the project and promised further announcements in the coming months. "I am delighted that Tom will be joining the Big Finish audio adventures of Doctor Who," fellow executive producer Jason Haigh-Ellery added. "As a small child, I remember how charismatic and engaging his performance was each Saturday tea time - and (more)...

Some comments on my review of the Doctor Who Christmas Special 'A Christmas Carol' got me thinking about how it came to be that everyone's favourite Time Lord can never seem to get any 'action', romantically speaking. It's not been for want of attention or admirers; even back in the William Hartnell days, The Doctor was capable of flirting and even having a matrimonial 'near-miss' in the 1964 Who outing 'The Aztecs', so Matt Smith's Doctor is breaking no new ground in running away from connubial bliss with the 1957 version of Marilyn Monroe in 'A Christmas Carol'.

Can 47 years of sexual tension ever be released without killing the fundamental dynamic of the show? I've come to believe that it probably can't - which, if true, puts the Gallifreyan rogue at least neck-and-neck with Star Trek's Mr. Spock in terms of 'attractive unavailability'.

When the show...

Narcissist that I am, I sometimes go back to read my past reviews on the Shadowlocked website. I was just checking out the one for The Big Bang, in which I was foolishly attempting to make out that I'd found the ability to travel back in time to meet my five-year-old-self.

As you do.

Anyway, the ham-fisted point that I was trying to make was that Doctor Who is chiefly for kids. Although it enjoys a sizeable adult following, kids especially love Who. What's great about this is that they take it at face value, ignore the shortcomings and get caught up in the different fantasy worlds, scenarios and monsters. A good example of this approach is season 17 adventure The Creature From The Pit.

The difference between adults' reactions and kids' reactions to Pit is bigger than Mick Jagger's gob. To a child, Pit is an atmospheric fantasy adventure...

After the 26-episode story arc of The Key To Time, things get free and easy for season 17, a season that’s paradoxically had something of a turbulent press.

On the production front alone, six stories are whittled down to five, as the dreaded strike action kicks in for the season finale. Behind the scenes, the main man Tom Baker is starting to rule the roost, allegedly booming at Graham Williams, who himself is plagued by last-minute script rewrites, cost problems and directors going Awol.

No wonder the behind-the-scenes friction shows in some of the final results. Season 17 has not had the best press from fans, who have taken brickbats to some of the stories for being too lightweight and flippant or shoddily made. However, the dust has settled, as fans have recently started to reappraise the season. Looking at the stories again, the season contains a frustrating mix of genius and ineptitude.