The Television Director Ken Grieve has died at the age of 74

For Doctor Who Ken Grieve directed the first story of Season 17, Destiny of the Daleks, which saw the reintroduction of the Daleks to the series, after a gap of four years, and the return of Davros. It was the last script wirtten by Dalek creator Terry Nation, altough the story was heavily rewritten by Script Editor Douglas Adams.

Ken Grieve was born in Edinburgh in 1942.

After training as a cameraman, he moved into directing, working on episodes of the soap opera Coronation Street, with 42 episodes to his credit. He directed the location film footage of Manchester used in the Coronation Street opening titles used between 1976 and 1990, which included the first Corrie cat.

As well as Doctor Who his credits include The XYY Man, Buccaneer, Crown Court, Game, Set, and Match, Bergerac, Bugs, Peak Practice, The Bill and the Casualty episode Stormy Weather.

He taught at the National Film School and the Manchester Film School.

Kenneth Grieve died peacefully, on Tuesday, November 15 after a long illness. He is survived by his long-term partner Jane, his four children and three grandchildren.

The comic book artist Steve Dillon has died at the age of 54.

Steve Dillon was a regular contributor to Doctor Who Magazine in the 1980's where he created the character of Abslom Daak.

Dillon's art was first seen in the fifth edition of the magazine, then called Doctor Who Weekly, in which he co-created the character of Kroton with writer Steve Moore.

He was the main backup strip artist until issue #29, during which time he had helped to create Daak as well as Plutar, a bumbling Time Lord student, and Gnork a hyper-intelligent Ogron.

He returned to the magazine as the artist on the final Fifth Doctor comic story, The Moderator, which portrayed the death of comic-strip companion, Gus.

Dillon was best known for his work with writer Garth Ennis, including the critically acclaimed Preacher as well as Hellblazer and The Punisher.

Steve Dillon was born in Luton in 1962. He died in New York earlier this week.

The actor Terence Bayler has died at the age of 86

Terence Bayler appeared in two Doctor Who stories. In 1966 he played Yendom, one of the Monoids' slaves, in the First Doctor story The Ark. In 1969 he returned to the series playing Major Barrington, an officer in the British Army, in the final Second Doctor story, The War Games.

Bayler was born in New Zealand, where he first trained as an actor, appearing the 1952 film Broken Barrier, playing a young journalist who falls in love with a Maori woman.

After moving to the UK he made regular appearances on British Television appearing in Hamlet, Moonstrike, Compact, Maigret, Ivanhoe, The Brothers, Upstairs, Downstairs, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Squad, London's Burning, The Bill and Dangerfield.

In 1971 he needed stitches above an eye after he was injured in a sword fight while the shooting Roman Polanski's 1971 film of Shakespeare's Macbeth where he played Macduff.

Terence Bayler had a long association with the Monty Python team, appearing in Eric Idle's BBC TV series Rutland Weekend Television as well as in The Rutles, All You Need Is Cash and in the play Pass The Butler. He appeared in two Terry Gilliam films, Time Bandits and Brazil. He had a small but memorable role in the film The Life of Brian declaring I’m Brian and so’s my wife.

In later years he played the Bloody Baron in the Harry Potter films.

Terence Bayler died early last month.

The actor Michael Leader has died after a short illness.

He was best-known for his 31-year stint as Eastenders extra Michael the Milkman, appearing in the first episode. He was a stalwart as a background artist on scifi shows, including Red Dwarf, Blakes 7 and '80s Doctor Who (The Leisure Hive/The Visitation/The Kings Demons/Mawdryn Undead).

He was best known among Star Wars fans as the stormtrooper who knocked his head while boarding the Deathstar in A New Hope (1977), although this particular acclamation was contested by a fellow extra. He spoke at many signings and scifi conventions around the world, and in particular, his fond memories of working with Peter Davison (the Fifth Doctor) were both heartfelt and amusing, as were Davison's anecdotes of him.

Born in 1938, he was the son of well-known bandleader Harry Leader. He would later play the resident bandleader throughout the run of '80s comedy "Hi de Hi". His other diverse background comedy roles included Keeping Up Appearances and Yes, Minister.

A founder member of The Laurel and Hardy Appreciation Society, his long-standing friendships across the entertainment industry included the likes of Rolling Stones founder member and hellraiser Brian Jones, Doris Day and Dame Barbara Windsor. It was Windsor who insisted that he played a small part in her exit storyline in Eastenders, when he he chauffeured her around the Square in his milk float and was given some dialogue with her to mark the importance of their friendship, and his contribution to propping up the Queen Vic bar.

Leader had a reputation across Showbiz as a true professional and a friend of rising talent, with the tributes on Eastenders' Facebook page and on Twitter, including from Bonnie Langford (Mel), a testament to the support and encouragement he gave to younger members of the cast.

The Leader, as we called him, will be sorely missed at the 'Club for Acts and Actors' in London's Covent Garden, a popular haven for many Doctor Who actors and fans. Married three times, he is survived by a daughter and many pals who will remember his humour, his remarkably funny anecdotes and his unstinting friendship

The actor Michael Napier-Brown has died at the age of 79.

Michael Napier-Brown appeared in the 1969 story The War Games, playing Arturo Villar, a soldier plucked from the Mexican Civil War who helped the second Doctor in his battle against the War Lords.

Napier-Brown had a long career in British Television and Theatre. His first credited role was in a 1963 episode of the crime series Maigret. He played Miller in several episodes of the 1970 adaptation of Ivanhoe. Other roles include parts in Secret Army, The Dick Emery Show, Terry and June, 1990 and Casanova.

He was a long standing stalwart of the Nottingham Theatre scene and was the last artistic director of Northampton's Royal Theatre. He is credited with discovering Gian Sammarco, the actor who played Adrian in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, and who later played Whizzkid in The Greatest Show in the Galaxy.

His daughter Kate broke the news of his death with a statement on her Facebook page:

The actor William Lucas has died at the age of 91.

William Lucas played Range in the 1984 Doctor Who story Frontios. It was a role he took over shortly before the story was recorded following the murder of the original actor Peter Arne.

Lucas's best known role was playing Dr James Gordon in the TV series The Adventures of Black Beauty, which ran on ITV from 1972-1974. The series, continuing the adventures of the horse from the famous novel by Anna Sewell, regularly topped the TV charts with its iconic theme tune seared into the memories of children from the era.

Lucas began his career in 1948 as an assistant stage manager at Chesterfield civic theatre. Several years in repertory followed before his television breakthrough in 1955 playing the blackmailing car dealer Reg Dorking in the crime thriller Portrait of Alison. He reprised the role in the film version later the same year.

For the next forty years he was a regular on British television, appearing in over 100 different drama productions. He played John Friend in The infamous John Friend, Detective Inspector Mitchell in Flower of Evil and Days of Vengeance and Eddie Prior in The Prior Commitment. He had regular roles in Coronation Street as well as the ill fated El Dorado.

In 1990 he returned to his most famous role playing Dr Gordon in The New Adventures of Black Beauty.

He was still working into the new century with parts in episodes of Last of the Summer Wine, Doctors and The Bill.

William Lucas died on Friday 8th July. He is survived by his second wife Camilla and by Daniel and Thomas, the sons of his first marriage.

The actor Burt Kwouk has died, aged 85.

Born in Manchester, raised in Hong Kong, and eventually graduating from Bowdoin College in the United States, the internationally travelled Burt Kwouk returned to the United Kingdom in 1954 and was soon an actor in great demand owing to his oriental appearance.

On television he worked on a range of ITC productions including The Avengers, The Saint, The Champions and Danger Man; he was a co-star in The Sentimental Agent, playing Chin Sung in 12 of its 13 episodes. He also provided English narration for both The Water Margin and Monkey. On film his first big break was in Inn Of The Sixth Happiness. He later appeared in two of the Sean Connery run of James Bond, Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice, plus the independent film starring David Niven and Peter Sellers, Casino Royale. However, it was alongside Sellers that Kwouk was to achieve 'immortality', playing the kung-fu servant Cato whose ambushes against Inspector Clouseau became key scenes to look forward to!

In 1982 he took on the role of the Mandarin leader Lin Futo in Four to Doomsday, acting alongside a fresh-faced Time Lord Peter Davison in his first filmed story. He was to later return to Doctor Who as Doctor Hayashi, again alongside Davison, in the Big Finish adventure Loups-Garoux

Other television roles included Major Yamauchi in the prisoner-of-war drama series Tenko, Mr Lee in Howard's Way, Philip Chen in Noble House, and Peter Lo-Ching in The House of Elliot; in film he played Mr Chen in Empire of the Sun, General Lu Soong in Air America and Fu King in I Bought A Vampire Motorcycle. He became a regular on the Harry Hill show between 1997 and 2000, provided voiceovers for Japanese spoof betting show Banzai between 2001 and 2004, and then settled into the role of Entwistle in the BBC's long-running Last of the Summer Wine between 2002 and 2010.

In 2011 he received an OBE for services to drama.


A statement issued by his agent said: "Beloved actor Burt Kwouk has sadly passed peacefully away. The family will be having a private funeral but there will be a memorial at a later date."


Herbert Kwouk, OBE. 18th July 1930 - 24th May 2016

The BBC have announced the death former Senior Camera Operator, Alec Wheal, at the age of 81

Alec Wheal worked on at least 159 episodes of Doctor Who, mainly as Senior Camerman, or as it was later known, Camera Supervisor.

The Camera Supervisor led the team of five or six camera operators, during the studio recordings of classic era Doctor Who. The role was important as Studio Camera Operators had only the studio day to absorb the director's camera script and instructions, before recording each Doctor Who episode in the evening.

They would work closely with the Director to make sure the required shots and effects could be recorded during each studio recording session. Each recording had a strict 10pm cut off and any mistakes would lead to shots being missed or expensive overruns.

Alec Wheal led the Camera teams on most Doctor Who stories from Destiny of the Daleks in 1979 right through to The Greatest Show in the Galaxy in 1988.

Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison paid tribute. As well as Doctor Who, Wheal worked on programmes such as EastEnders, Last of the Summer Wine, Just Good Friends, The Tripods, Black Adder, Grange Hill and Fanny by Gaslight.

The actor Barry Howard has died at the age of 78.

Barry Howard played Oliver Barnes, a member of the Sliver Cloak gang, in the 2010 story The End of Time.

The actor was best known for playing the professional dancer Barry Stuart-Hargreaves in the BBC Comedy Hi-Di-Hi, a role he played in seven series from 1980-1986.

Other roles included parts in Terry and June, You Rang, M'Lord?, Dad and he played Danny Jackson in the ITV comedy The House of Windsor.

Howard, who lived in Poole in the south of England, was also a veteran of pantomime shows, and regularly appeared alongside Are You Being Served? star John Inman as the ugly sisters.

The actor Gareth Thomas has died at the age of 71.

Gareth Thomas played Ed Morgan in the 2006 Torchwood story Ghost Machine. He also appeared in a 2001 Big Finish production, Storm Warning.

However Thomas was best known for playing the eponymous hero of the 1970's science fiction series Blake's 7.

Thomas played Roj Blake, leader of a disparate band of rebels, pitted against a corrupt federation, in the series conceived by Doctor Who writer, and Dalek creator, Terry Nation. The series ran on BBC One from 1978-1981, with Thomas taking the lead role for the first two series. When Thomas decided not to renew his contract for series 3, the character of Blake was killed off. The ghost of Blake was present throughout the remaining series and Thomas returned twice, once at the end of series 3 and once for the climatic final episode, Blake.

Gareth Thomas was born in Wales in 1945. He trained at RADA and made his TV debut in a 1965 production of Romeo and Juliet.

A steady succession of TV roles followed, including parts in Coronation Street, Z-Cars, Harriet's Back in Town, Sutherland's Law, Edward VII, Jackanory and How Green Was My Valley where he played Rev. Gruffydd. In 1972 he was nominated for a BAFTA for his performance in the BBC Play for Today, Stocker's Copper. He played Adam Brake in the 1977 children's series Children of the Stones, and Shem in the ITV series Star Maidens.

Following his role as Blake, Thomas played Philip Denny in the 1983 version of A.J. Cronin's The Citadel and took the lead in the BBC One drama Morgan's Boy, about a Welsh hill farmer who finds himself looking after a teenage boy, a performance which won him his second BAFTA nomination.

He appeared in By the Sword Divided and Knights of God and had a regular role in the ITV series London's Burning. In 1998 he took on the role of Nathaniel Clegghorn in Heartbeat.

In 2012, Thomas returned to the role for which he was best known, playing Roj Blake in the Big Finish Production, Blake's 7: The Liberator Chronicles.

Gareth Thomas died Wednesday 13th April. He is survived by his wife Linda.