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Paul O’Grady: 1955-2023

Paul O’Grady: 1955-2023

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Comic Paul O'Grady from Aldington recovers after 'feeling poorly' and ...

It was with great sadness that this morning we heard about the sad death of Paul O’Grady, known to millions for his altar ego Lilly Savage, for hosting “Blankety Blank” and For The Love Of Dogs, however Paul does also have a link with Doctor Who, as he appeared in a cameo playing himself during the 2008 story “Stolen Earth” alongside Dave Tennant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTDVFhXZxtk

He also played “The Doctor” in a parody sketch as part of The Lilly Savage Show in 1997.

Paul James O’Grady MBE DL (14 June 1955 – 28 March 2023) was an English comedian, broadcaster, actor, writer and drag queen. He achieved notability in the London gay scene during the 1980s with his drag queen persona Lily Savage, through which he gained broader popularity in the 1990s. O’Grady subsequently dropped the character and in the 2000s became the presenter of various television and radio shows, including The Paul O’Grady Show.

Born to a working-class Irish migrant family in Tranmere, Cheshire, O’Grady moved to London in the late 1970s, initially working as a peripatetic care officer for Camden Council. He developed his drag act in 1978, basing the character of Lily Savage upon traits found amongst female relatives. Touring England as part of drag mime duo, the Playgirls, O’Grady then went solo as a stand-up comedian in the early 1980s. Performing as Savage for eight years at a South London gay pub, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT), he gained a popular following among London’s gay community and used his character to speak out for gay rights. After being nominated for a 1992 Perrier Award, O’Grady attracted mainstream attention and made various television, radio, and theatrical appearances. As Savage, he presented the television shows The Big Breakfast (1995–1996), Blankety Blank (1997–2002), and Lily Live! (2000–2001), earning various awards and becoming a well known public figure.

Wishing to diversify from Savage, O’Grady starred in the BBC One sitcom Eyes Down (2003–2004) and presented two travel documentaries for ITV. In 2004, he began presenting ITV’s daytime chat show The Paul O’Grady Show. After the network refused to transfer creative control of the series to O’Grady’s production company Olga TV, he moved to Channel 4 in 2006, where the show was rebranded as The New Paul O’Grady Show, airing until 2009. O’Grady presented the late night ITV show Paul O’Grady Live (2010–2011) and BBC Radio 2’s Paul O’Grady on the Wireless (2009–2022). Additional television shows included Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs (2012–present), Paul O’Grady’s Animal Orphans (2014–2016), Blind Date (2017–2019), and Paul O’Grady’s Great British Escape (2020). He published several books, including a four-volume memoir.

O’Grady was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours for services to entertainment. In 2020 he became president of the British Music Hall Society, taking over the role from Roy Hudd. He was a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Kent.

Doctor Who: Redacted Season 2

Doctor Who: Redacted Season 2

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Doctor Who: Redacted cast Holly Quin-Ankrah, Lois Chimimba and Charlie Craggs.

The creator of podcast drama Doctor Who: Redacted has claimed she was dropped from the show, amid reports of a second season being in the works for BBC Sounds.

The series, which debuted last year, followed university dropouts Cleo, Abby and Shawna, who maintain a long-distance friendship by making a podcast about conspiracy theories – including one about a certain blue box.

They soon find themselves wrapped up in a supernatural conspiracy as anyone with ties to the Doctor begins to disappear without trace, as if being redacted from reality.

Before long, they are the only ones left who can uncover the truth of what’s going on.

Though yet to be confirmed by the BBC, reports of a second season have cropped up across the internet, stemming from a recent update by writer Karissa Hamilton-Bannis.

Redacted season 1 producer Ella Watts responded to the news on her personal Twitter account, expressing her dismay at being apparently replaced “without explanation”.

The statement began: “It looks like there’s a Doctor Who: Redacted season 2 in the works. Sadly, I won’t be working on it. Whilst I was clear I wanted to remain on the project, I was replaced by the BBC without explanation or an application process.

“I believe I’ll be replaced by James Goss as producer. If Redacted s2 is anything like his previous work, it’ll be fantastic and I wish him the best.”

Watts continued:

“Doctor Who means different things to different people. As a fan and a queer woman, to be part of bringing a queer women fronted show to the Whoniverse was an immensely proud moment in my life.

“From pitching it in 2018, to bringing Juno [Dawson, writer] on board in 2019, then producing, casting, script-editing, writing on and directing it – it’s been incredible.”

She added:

“I’m sorry I’ve not been given the opportunity to see it through. This isn’t the first time in podcasting that women have been replaced by men following successful first seasons. I’m heartbroken it happened here. “I don’t know more. I hope production goes well. I can’t wait to listen!”

It is not a rare occurrence for creative talent to change between seasons on a production.

David Tennant shows off new Doctor Who costume for Red Nose Day

David Tennant shows off new Doctor Who costume for Red Nose Day

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David Tennant
David Tennant

Doctor Who star David Tennant has given fans another look at his Fourteenth Doctor costume in new photos for Red Nose Day — and it looks absolutely glorious.

The actor, who played the Tenth Doctor, has returned to the show to star in the 60th anniversary specials alongside co-star Catherine Tate (Donna Noble).

Now, ahead of his return to host Red Nose Day, Tennant has posed alongside Comic Relief co-founder Lenny Henry in a whole host of epic snaps.

One of the photos shows him recreating his regeneration in The Power of the Doctor, while more see him proudly sporting a red nose and striking a pose with Henry.

Fans are absolutely thrilled to see more of the epic costume and have even speculated that it means the iconic Doctor Who ‘minisodes’, which used to form part of the Red Nose Day broadcast, might be making a comeback.

Tennant is no stranger to Red Nose Day. During his first run as the Doctor, he appeared on the broadcast various times, including in a beloved sketch that saw the Tenth Doctor meet Tate’s iconic character Lauren Cooper.

This year, Tennant is returning to host Red Nose Day alongside AJ Odudu and Joel Dommett as well as Zoe Ball and Paddy McGuinness.

Fans first saw Tennant’s new costume when he made a surprise appearance in The Power of the Doctor after the Thirteenth Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, regenerated.

Returning showrunner Russell T Davies previously said of Tennant and Tate’s return to the show: “They’re back! And it looks impossible — first, we announce a new Doctor, and then an old Doctor, along with the wonderful Donna, what on Earth is happening?

“Maybe this is a missing story. Or a parallel world. Or a dream, or a trick, or a flashback. The only thing I can confirm is that it’s going to be spectacular, as two of our greatest stars reunite for the battle of a lifetime.”

Red Nose Day returns to BBC One on Friday 17th March.

Doctor Who Up For Auction for Comic Relief 2023!

Doctor Who Up For Auction for Comic Relief 2023!

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Red Nose Day Uk 2023
Comic Relief 2023

This year, Red Nose Day is set to be sweeter than ever, giving the Red Nose Nation the opportunity to win incredible objects from some of the BBC’s best known programmes, including EastEnders, The Traitors, Waterloo Road, Killing Eve, The Apprentice: You’re Fired and of course Doctor Who.

The initiative was announced in a trail fronted by Sharon Horgan and Lenny Rush, who revealed some of the amazing objects on offer.

Items up for grabs include Pat Butcher’s earrings, Luther’s tie and coat, Craig’s Strictly ‘10’ paddle, a cloak from The Traitors and much more.

Find out about how you can get involved here.

It is completely free to enter, however entrants can choose to make a donation to Comic Relief if they wish, which will help make a life changing difference to people facing the toughest time of their lives.

Katie Taylor, Commissioning Editor, BBC Entertainment, says:

“This is a fantastic chance for Telly Treasure hunters to win and own a bit of BBC TV magic and to help raise awareness of Comic Relief which changes the lives of people for the better”.

For the very first time, AJ Odudu and Joel Dommett will host the Red Nose Day night of TV alongside Zoe Ball, Paddy McGuinness and David Tennant. Returning to screens live on BBC One on Friday 17 March, they will be joined by a host of stars and supporters to bring viewers an unmissable evening of comedy, live music, exclusive prizes and plenty of surprises.

The Telly Treasures Giveaway campaign was devised by BBC Creative, the BBC’s in-house creative agency, and made possible by contributions from across the BBC.

Prize list:

  • Waterloo Road – School jumper, tie and blazer
  • Casualty – Ethan’s scrubs, stethoscope and nametag
  • Strictly Come Dancing – Craig Revel Horwood’s ‘10’ judges paddle
  • Eastenders – Pat Butcher’s earrings
  • Pointless – Winners trophy
  • The Apprentice: You’re Fired – Hired/Fired cards
  • Richard Osman’s House of Games – Suitcase prize
  • The Traitors – Cloak
  • RuPaul’s Drag Race UK – Brit crew pants and judges badge
  • Gardener’s World – Monty Don’s wheelbarrow
  • The Graham Norton Show – Graham’s jacket
  • Luther – Tie and coat
  • Killing Eve – Villanelle’s (stunt doubles) suit
  • Doctor Who – Thirteenth Doctor’s t-shirt
  • Inside No 9 – Bear head football mascot
  • Motherland – Julia’s onesie and Kevin’s jumper from the Christmas special
  • Bedtime stories – Cushion
  • CBBC – Hacker’s bowl
  • Blue Peter – Henry the dog’s collar
  • Football Focus – BBC Sport mic cover
  • Morning Live – Mug
  • This Country – Kerry’s football shirt
  • SAS Rogue Heroes – Beret
Chris Boucher: 1943-2022

Chris Boucher: 1943-2022

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Doctor Who: The Robots of Death, written by Chris Boucher (1977)

GNR is saddend to hear of the death of the writer Chris Boucher who Doctor Who fans will be familiar as the writer of three classic Doctor Who stories from the Tom Baker ear (1977)

Chris Boucher (born 1943) was a British television screenwriter, script editor and novelist. He is known for his frequent contributions to two genres, science fiction and crime fiction, and worked on the series Doctor Who, Blake’s 7, Shoestring, Bergerac, The Bill and Star Cops.

https://twitter.com/twilightstreets/status/1601996856854200320

Prior to becoming a television writer, Boucher worked at Calor Gas as a management trainee and gained a Bachelor of Arts in economics at the University of Essex.

Boucher began his work in television science fiction for the series Doctor Who, writing the serials The Face of Evil, The Robots of Death and Image of the Fendahl (all broadcast in 1977). Prior to his death in he was the last remaining living Doctor Who scriptwriter from prior to Season 18 in 1980. One of his contributions to Doctor Who was the creation of the companion Leela (Louise Jameson), the savage who featured in the series from 1977 to 1978. The character was inspired by the Palestinian terrorist Leila Khaled. Boucher was commissioned for the programme by script editor Robert Holmes, who suggested that Boucher should be appointed in that role for the science fiction series Blake’s 7 (1978–81). He served in this role for the entirety of its four-series run, and also wrote several episodes himself, including the final episode.

Boucher was the script editor of the second season of the drama series Shoestring in 1980, which followed the investigations of private detective and radio show host Eddie Shoestring (Trevor Eve). Following the end of Blake’s 7, Boucher script-edited and wrote for the third season of the police drama series Juliet Bravo in 1982. He then moved on to script-edit another detective show, Bergerac, working on the programme from 1983 to 1987.

All of the above programmes were produced in-house by the BBC and broadcast on the BBC1 network. For the ITV network, he worked on Thames Television’s police drama series The Bill as script editor in 1987. In that year he also returned to the BBC to create his own series, Star Cops, which combined the science fiction and crime genres. The series encountered several production problems and was not a ratings success, lasting only nine episodes on BBC2, but has maintained a cult following among fans of science fiction.

Later works included several Doctor Who novels for BBC Books, all featuring the character of Leela, and a series of straight-to-CD full-cast audio dramas entitled Kaldor City, which combine elements from his Doctor Who serial The Robots of Death with his Blake’s 7 work.

Writing credits

 

Production Notes Broadcaster
Braden’s Week
  • “Episode #2.1” (1969)
 BBC1
The Saturday Crowd
  • “Episode #1.6” (1969)
  • “Episode #2.10” (1969)
  • “Episode #2.12” (1969)
 ITV
That’s Life!
  • “Episode #1.1” (1973)
 BBC1
Dave Allen at Large
  • “Episode #3.4” (1973)
  • “Episode #4.1” (1975)
 BBC1
Romany Jones
  • “Run Rabbit Run” (1973)
  • “The Invitations” (1974)
 ITV
Slater’s Day
  • Television film (1974)
 ITV
Doctor Who
  • “The Face of Evil” (1977)
  • “The Robots of Death” (1977)
  • “Image of the Fendahl” (1977)
 BBC1
Shoestring
  • “The Dangerous Game” (1980)
 BBC1
Blake’s 7 Script editor for all 52 episodes (1978–1981)

Wrote:

  • “Shadow” (1979)
  • “Weapon” (1979)
  • “Trial” (1979)
  • “Star One” (1979)
  • “City at the Edge of the World” (1980)
  • “Rumours of Death” (1980)
  • “Death-Watch” (1980)
  • “Rescue” (1981)
  • “Blake” (1981)
 BBC1
Juliet Bravo
  • “Where There’s Muck…” (1982)
 BBC1
Bergerac
  • “Fires in the Fall” (1986)
  • “The Memory Man” (1987)
 BBC1
Star Cops
  • 9 episodes (1987)
 BBC2
Home James!
  • “Never Say Die” (1990)
 ITV
The Bill
  • “Lying in Wait” (1990)
 ITV

 

Richard Osman marries Doctor Who star Ingrid Oliver

Richard Osman marries Doctor Who star Ingrid Oliver

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Newlyweds: The pair wed on Saturday in a West Sussex ceremony, with Richard dubbing the day 'full of love and laughter'

Richard Osman married Ingrid Oliver in a ‘magical’ ceremony on Saturday.

The Pointless star, 52, took to Instagram today to share a picture from their big day, which showed the newlyweds beaming while walking hand in hand.

Ingrid, 44 – who is best known for her role as Petronella Osgood in Doctor Who – looked sensational in her bridal gown, which featured puffball sleeves and a mermaid hemline.

Richard looked dapper by her side in a fitted navy suit with a red rose fastened on his lapel.

He shared with his followers: ‘The most magical, joyful day on Saturday with my beautiful wife. Surrounded by wonderful friends and family, a day full of love and laughter. We’re so, so happy.”

The couple reportedly tied the knot at Goodwood House, the Duke of Richmond’s West Sussex seat, known for the Glorious Goodwood horse race meeting and the annual Festival of Speed.

Last month, Richard revealed his wedding would be ‘very un-showbizzy’, stating: ‘We’re getting married in December, which is lovely and it’s going to be a very un-showbizzy wedding, just all our school friends. I can’t wait,’

The couple announced their engagement in May after two years of dating, with Richard confirming the news in an interview by stating: ‘exciting, isn’t it?!’

Sid Sutton Was 42 Years Ahead Of His Time!

Sid Sutton Was 42 Years Ahead Of His Time!

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The first image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope
The first image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope

The deepest image of the universe known to date was released on Monday, marking a key moment in astronomical history.

Released by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the sharpest infrared image (known as Webb’s First Deep Field) has plenty of detail, including previously invisible galaxies and the faintest objects ever recorded in the infrared.

The image is a photo composite made from images at different wavelengths, adding up to 12.5 hours, and it shows the galaxy cluster as it appeared 4.6 billion years ago.

Despite the significance of the new release though, there were plenty of people who couldn’t help noticing it reminded them of something: Doctor Who.

More specifically the remarkable similarity of these new NASA images to the opening title sequence of Doctor Who between 1980 – 1986 as designed by Sid Sutton, take a look here and see what you think!

Sonny Caldinez: 1932 – 2022

Sonny Caldinez: 1932 – 2022

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Sonny Caldinez | Tardis | FANDOM powered by Wikia
Sonny Caldinez: 1932 – 2022

Tributes have been coming in today after the news that Sonny Caldinez who played an Ice Warrior in all four of the classic adventurers, The Ice Warriors (1967) The Seeds of Death (1969) The Curse of Peladon (1972) and The Monster of Peladon (1973).  He also appeared as Kemel in The Evil of the Daleks (1967).

Sonny Caldinez was a Trinidadian actor and former professional wrestler. He was often cast in television and films for his great height and muscular physique. As well as Doctor Who he also starred in films such as The Man with the Golden Gun, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ali G Indahouse, Arabian Adventure and The Fifth Element.

Other television roles include Abdullah on Sexton and Blake and the mulatto on The Return of Sherlock Holmes (episode “Wisteria Lodge”).

https://twitter.com/twilightstreets/status/1514570050119905287