The Invasion of Time

The Doctor (Tom Baker) offers Andred
(Christopher Tranchell) a wedding
gift of a jelly baby

Six episodes (Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six)
First broadcast Feb 4 to Mar 11 1978
Average audience for serial: 10.52m

REGULAR CAST

Tom Baker (The Doctor) Born Jan 20 1934 Click here for Tom Baker's entry on Robot

Louise Jameson (Leela) Born Apr 20 1951 Click here for Louise Jameson's entry on The Face of Evil

John Leeson (Voice of K-9) Born Mar 16 1943 Click here for John Leeson's entry on The Invisible Enemy

GUEST CAST

John Arnatt (Borusa) May 9 1917 to Dec 21 1999 (prostate cancer)
Career highlights
Born in Russia, John's long career began with The Only Way in 1948, followed by Dick Barton at Bay (1950), Evidence for Hire (1952), My Friend Charles (1956), The Last Chronicle of Barset (1959), The Invisible Man (1959), Whistle Down the Wind (1961), The Impersonator (1961), Sir Francis Drake (1962), Fog for a Killer (1962), Dr Crippen (1963), Emergency Ward 10 (1963-64), Hysteria (1965), Our Mother's House (1967), A Challenge for Robin Hood (1967), Strange Report (1969), The Main Chance (1969-70), Steptoe and Son (1970), Crucible of Terror (1971), The Pathfinders (1972), Paganini Strikes Again (1973), The Cedar Tree (1977), Rings on Their Fingers (1980), The Cleopatras (1983), Tripper's Day (1984), The Kenny Everett Television Show (1981-86), Bluebell (1986), House of Cards (1990), Keeping Up Appearances (1993), Dangerfield (1995), A Royal Scandal (1996) and Dad (1999). He also had a regular role as the Deputy Sheriff of Nottingham in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1957-60).
Facts
In the 1950s, John was a sports reporter for the UK commercial network using the pseudonym Howard Peters. John's first wife was actress Betty Huntley-Wright, best known as Mrs Twitchen in the Fawlty Towers episode Gourmet Night (1975), while his second wife was Sheila Tracy, musician and broadcast journalist (who became the first female newsreader on BBC Radio 4 in 1974).

Ray Callaghan (Ablif) Sep 24 1939 to Jan 8 2023 (natural causes)
Career highlights
Ray first appeared in Detective (1968), and then The Internecine Project (1974), The Doll (1975), Backs to the Land (1977), Rebecca (1979), Boon (1986), Brookside (1988), Scarlett (1994), The Bill (2005), Dead Rich (2006), Hard Times (2009), Pusher (2012), Folie a Deux (2012), Episodes (2015) and You, Me and the Apocalypse (2015).

Christopher Christou (Guard)
This is Christopher's only known acting work.

Eric Danot (Castellan guard) Born Jan 31 1951
Career highlights
This is Eric's only acting credit. In 1990 he opened a bonsai business in Brighton.

Derek Deadman (Stor) Mar 11 1940 to Nov 22 2014 (complications from diabetes)
Career highlights
Derek's first credit was on The Darwin Adventure (1972), followed by Harriet's Back in Town (1973), Dr Watson and the Darkwater Hall Mystery (1974), Not On Your Nellie (1974), Bill Dainty Esq. (1976), The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1977), The Ken Dodd Laughter Show (1979), A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979), The Dick Emery Hour (1980), Time Bandits (1981), Dead Ernest (1982), The Boy Who Won the Pools (1983), Never Say Never Again (1983), Brazil (1985), Bread (1987), Super Gran (1985-87), The Benny Hill Show (1988-89), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), The All New Alexei Sayle Show (1994), Honest (2000), Crush (2001), Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and A Goldfish of the Flame (2010). He also had a regular role as Ringo in sitcom Never the Twain (1981-91).

Dennis Edwards (Lord Gomer) Dec 28 1916 to Mar 15 2008
Doctor Who credits
Played: Centurion in The Romans (1965)
Played: Lord Gomer in The Invasion of Time (1978)
Career highlights
Debuted in Toad of Toad Hall (1953), followed by The Scarlet Pimpernel (1956), The Black Brigand (1956), The Prince and the Showgirl (1957), Private Investigator (1959), Ghost Squad (1963), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1967), Jackanory (1971), Father Brown (1974), The Brothers (1976), Nicholas Nickleby (1977), People Like Us (1978), Ladykillers (1981), No Problem! (1983), Grange Hill (1985) and Birds of a Feather (1991).

Max Faulkner (Nesbin) 1931 to Feb 13 2010 Click here for Max Faulkner's entry on The Ambassadors of Death

Stuart Fell (Sontaran) Born 1942 Click here for Stuart Fell's entry on The Curse of Peladon

Michael Harley (Bodyguard)
Career highlights
Other credits include Nipper (1977), Love in a Fallen City (1984), Harry's Hong Kong (1987), Yellowthread Street (1990), To Be the Best (1992) and Soldier Soldier (1992).
Facts
Michael was once a leading light in Hong Kong's Chung Ying Theatre Company.

Reginald Jessup (Lord Savar) Feb 8 1920 to Feb 1 2000
Doctor Who credits
Played: Servant in The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve (1966)
Played: Lord Savar in The Invasion of Time (1978)
Career highlights
Debuted in Puck of Pook's Hill (1951), then Quatermass II (1955), Silent Evidence (1962), The Saint (1964), Gideon's Way (1965-66), The Avengers (1968), The Signalman (1976), Target (1978), Shine On Harvey Moon (1984) and The Bill (1990/91/96).
Facts
Reginald was married to actor Janet Brandes until her death in 1983.

Milton Johns (Kelner) Born May 13 1938
Doctor Who credits
Played: Benik in The Enemy of the World (1967-68)
Played: Guy Crayford in The Android Invasion (1975)
Played: Castellan Kelner in The Invasion of Time (1978)
Career highlights
Milton's career began in The Shop at Sly Corner (1960), then Orlando (1965), The Three Musketeers (1966), The Devil in the Fog (1968), The Flaxton Boys (1969), Sense and Sensibility (1971), Budgie (1972), The Jensen Code (1973), South Riding (1974), Poldark (1975), The Good Life (1977), King of the Castle (1977), Midnight is a Place (1977-78), Going Straight (1978), Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1978), A Horseman Riding By (1978), Spearhead (1978-81), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), The Gaffer (1982), Pink Floyd's The Wall (1982), Tucker's Luck (1983), Butterflies (1979-83), Foxy Lady (1982-84), The Pickwick Papers (1985), Ever Decreasing Circles (1986), Supergran (1987), Campion (1989), Happy Families (1989-90), Haggard (1992), Harry's Mad (1995-96), Glam Metal Detectives (1995), Chalk (1997), The X-Files (1998), The Scarlet Pimpernel (1999-2000), Micawber (2001), Born and Bred (2002), The Basil Brush Show (2003-07, as Mr Rossiter) and Kidz Time TV (2015). He also had a long-running role as shop owner Brendan Scott in soap Coronation Street (1991-93).
Facts
For a number of years he served as treasurer of actors' union Equity, and also as course announcer and MC at Lingfield racecourse.
In 2015 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Milton here.

Tom Kelly (Vardan)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Guard in The Face of Evil (1977), The Sun Makers (1977)
Played: Vardan in The Invasion of Time (1978)
Career highlights
Debuting in Angels (1976), Tom's other credits include Blake's 7 (1978), The Lost Boys (1978), Julius Caesar (1979), Agony (1981), Chintz (1981), Shine on Harvey Moon (1984), The Green Man (1990) and The Bill (1992). He may be remembered by cult TV fans as the soldier Sam Pearce in the railway station adventure of Sapphire and Steel (1979).
In 2016 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Tom here.

Stan McGowan (Vardan)
Career highlights
Stan's only other credits were in I, Claudius (1976), Life of Shakespeare (1978) and Eureka Street (1999).
Facts
Stan is now a playwright based on Inch Island, Donegal, having written productions such as The Wood of the Crows and Knock, the Hill of Mary.

Charles Morgan (Gold Usher) Mar 23 1909 to Mar 11 2000
Doctor Who credits
Played: Songsten in The Abominable Snowmen (1967)
Played: Gold Usher in The Invasion of Time (1978)
Career highlights
First appearing in Train of Events (1949), Charles went on to appear in The New Adventures of Charlie Chan (1957), All Aboard (1958), Hell is a City (1960), Maigret (1961), Call Oxbridge 2000 (1962), Softly Softly (1966-67), Sexton Blake (1967), Hadleigh (1969), Ace of Wands (1971), Helen: A Woman of Today (1973), Bless This House (1974), The Howerd Confessions (1976), Within These Walls (1976-78, as Ted Armitage), Tenko (1981), Angels (1983), Cover Her Face (1985) and After Henry (1989). Charles was best known for playing Superintendant Rodway in over 40 episodes of Sergeant Cork (1964-68).

Michael Mundell (Jasko) Mar 20 1942 to Jul 25 2003 (heart attack)
Career highlights
Michael's career began with Fothergale Co. Ltd. (1965), then Fahrenheit 451 (1966), Maroc 7 (1967), The Blood Beast Terror (1968), Coronation Street (1968), Crossroads (1968-69), The Devil's Widow (1970), UFO (1970-71), Ace of Wands (1972), The Professionals (1978), Secret Army (1978), Home and Away (1989/91) and Pirates Island (1991).
Facts
Michael played the part of Mr Lucas in the Blackpool stage version of Are You Being Served? in 1976.

Hilary Ryan (Rodan) Born Aug 20 1955
Career highlights
After debuting in Doctor Who, Hilary's CV includes The Getting of Wisdom (1978), Target (1978), The Professionals (1978), Breakaway (1980), Badger by Owl-light (1982), Scandalous (1984) and Dance (1988).
Facts
Hilary is married to actor Adam Norton, best known as David Edding in Lytton's Diary (1985-86) but who is also the younger son of the second Baron Rathcreedan (being the heir-presumptive of that honour). Hilary and Adam married in the House of Lords chapel in 1979. Her parents were American actors Anne Sargent and Edmon Ryan. Hilary made the shortlist to play the role of Cally in Blake's 7.

Gai Smith (Presta) Born Sep 2 1954
Career highlights
The daughter of legendary Australian racehorse trainer Tommy (TJ) Smith, Gai made a name for herself in the late 1960s and early 70s as a model and actor, including in the Australian soap The Young Doctors. After moving to the UK, Gai made her only British acting appearance in Doctor Who, then returned Down Under where she became a racehorse trainer and has gone on to be highly successful in the sport in Australia (eg, she trained the 2013 Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente).
Awards
2000: Australian Sports Medal for outstanding contribution to thoroughbred horse racing
Facts
Now known as Gai Waterhouse (she is married to bookmaker Robbie Waterhouse), she is one of the National Trust of Australia's Living Treasures. At the 2013 Sydney Cup day, racehorse owner John Singleton sacked Gai live on television after her son Tom, a bookmaker, allegedly told acquaintances that Singleton's horse More Joyous would lose the All Ages Stakes, which it did. Both Gai and Tom denied any wrongdoing, but Gai was found guilty and fined $5,500 (Aus). In 2018 she was inducted into the Sports Australia Hall of Fame.

Christopher Tranchell (Andred) Born Apr 13 1941
Doctor Who credits
Played: Roger in The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve (1966)
Played: Jenkins in The Faceless Ones (1967)
Played: Andred in The Invasion of Time (1978)
Career highlights
Christopher's other credits include The Whisperers (1961), 199 Park Lane (1965), Out of the Unknown (1971), Churchill's People (1975), Survivors (1975-76, as Paul Pitman), County Hall (1981), Casualty (1992/93), Between the Lines (1993) and The Bill (1987/96), and he also presented Playschool (1976-84).

CREW

Graham Williams (writer (as David Agnew) and producer) May 24 1945 to Aug 17 1990 (shooting incident) Click here for Graham Williams's entry on Horror of Fang Rock

Anthony Read (writer (as David Agnew) and script editor) Apr 21 1935 to Nov 21 2015 Click here for Anthony Read's entry on Underworld

Gerald Blake (director) Dec 3 1928 to Apr 5 1991
Doctor Who credits
Directed: The Abominable Snowmen (1967), The Invasion of Time (1978)
Career highlights
Gerald's earliest directing work was on Dr Finlay's Casebook (1962), followed by work on Rupert of Hentzau (1964), Curtain of Fear (1964, which he also produced), Compact (1963-65), Legend of Death (1965), Girl in a Black Bikini (1967), The Newcomers (1966-68), Out of the Unknown (1969), The Doctors (1969-71), The Edwardians (1972), Dial M for Murder (1974), Survivors (1975), The Mackinnons (1977), Z Cars (1967-77), The Onedin Line (1972-78), The Omega Factor (1979), Blake's 7 (1980), The Gentle Touch (1982-84), Nanny (1983), Emmerdale Farm (1978-85), Super Gran (1986-87) and Coronation Street (1987-88).
Facts
Young Gerald and his family were bombed out during the London Blitz and evacuated to Wales. In later years Gerald directed corporate videos and held classes in television technique at Bristol University. He suffered two heart attacks and a stroke before passing away at the age of 62.