Actor Nicholas Parsons, among whose many roles is that of Reverend Wainwright in "The Curse of Fenric," has been awarded the designation of OBE (Order of the British Empire) for the year 2004, according to the Fanderson site. The comedy actor and presenter was given the honor in recognition of his contributions to British television and radio over the last 50 years, including "Just a Minute," "Sale of the Century," "Carry On Regardless" and "Cluedo". The OBE was created in 1917 by George V and is bestowed by the Queen every year. This is, rather coincidentally, the third story about a member of the "Curse of Fenric" supporting cast in as many weeks, though this is by far the happiest one (as we previously reported the deaths of co-stars Alfred Lynch and Dinsdale Landen). (Thanks to Rich Kirkpatrick and Fanderson)

The Story of Doctor Who aired on BBC One on December 30, as we previously reported. The hour-long documentary focused on the seven Doctors during the long-running series, but omitted Paul McGann and the 1996 TV movie. (Response from the BBC has been that the film was "an American production" and got low ratings, despite the fact it did far better than most of the series.) 4.4 million viewers tuned in (a 20% share), although the ratings peaked toward the very end.

Dinsdale Landen, who played Dr. Judson in "The Curse of Fenric" and was a veteran of British stage, TV and film, died this weekend from cancer at his home in Norfolk. His TV roles, besides Doctor Who, included "All Creatures Great and Small," "The Avengers" and "Lovejoy"; he also claimed a huge repetoire on the stage, where he was nominated for a prestigious Olivier Award for his role in the West End play "Alphabetical Order". He was 71. Read the BBC news article about his passing here. (Thanks to Steve Freestone, Paul Hayes)

A reminder to our UK readers: The Story of Doctor Who, the 40th anniversary documentary, airs tomorrow, Tuesday, December 30 from 6:30-7:30pm on BBC1. Here's the listing from the official BBC1 site (with thanks to Gareth Jelley):