Celebrity Deathwatch – Doctor Who

“One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back,” the First Doctor announces in his final scene. This blog is dedicated to those who didn’t.

William Hartnell – First Doctor (1963-66) – 23 April 1975, aged 67. At the end of ‘The Tenth Planet’ the First Doctor collapses on the floor of the Tardis and is “renewed”. Before recording of the third episode Hartnell actually did collapse due to bronchitis. Originally trained as a jockey. Series of strokes leading to heart failure.

Patrick Troughton – Second Doctor (1966-69) – 28 March 1987, aged 67. Was torpedoed while returning to England during WWII. Escaped by lifeboat. The ‘Cosmic Hobo’ brought a mix of comedy and shrewdness to the role, and of course, cemented the notion that the Doctor can regenerate. Died during a sci-fi convention in Columbus, Georgia. Just before breakfast. Heart attack.

Jon Pertwee – Third Doctor (1970-74) - 20 May 1996, aged 76. Turned down by one acting school for a speech defect; thrown out of another for refusing to play a Greek Wind. During WWII transferred from HMS Hood shortly before it was sunk by the Bismark. First choice for the role of Captain Manwairing in Dad’s Army. Heart attack.

Jacqueline Hill – Barbara – 18 February 1993, aged 63. Spoke the very first words in Doctor Who. Gave up acting to raise a family, but returned to Who in 1980 in ‘Meglos’. Cancer.

Adrienne Hill – Katarina – 6 October 1997, aged 60. Katarina, a handmaiden of the prophetess Cassandra during the siege of Troy, Katarina, only lasted five episodes before heroically sacrificing herself in ‘The Daleks’ Master Plan‘. First companion to be killed, and last until Adric in Earthshock.  Adrienne later became a drama teacher. Cancer.

Michael Craze – Ben Jackson – 8 December 1998, aged 56. Spanned the Hartnell/Troughton era. Fell down steps picking up his neighbour’s newspaper the day before he died. Heart attack.

Roger Delgado – the Master – 18 June 1973, aged 55. Typecast as a villain Delgado died in Turkey while filming a comedy Bell of Tibet. It was never completed. Car crash.

Anthony Ainley – the Master – 3 May 2004, aged 71. The Master mark 4 was a keen amateur cricketer and played rugby for Richmond and Middlesex in the 1950s. Unspecified.

Ian Marter – Harry Sullivan – 28 October 1986, aged 42. Auditioned for role of Mike Yates and appeared in ‘Carnival of Monsters‘ before landing the part of the Navy surgeon with a stiff upper lip. Wrote wrote nine novelisations of Who stories. Joke character, yet appeared in some of the best Doctor Who episodes. Heart attack.

Valentine Dyall – the Black Guardian – 24 June 1985, aged 77. This spectacularly gifted actor was father of costume designer Christian Dyall. Unspecified.

David Brierly – voice of K-9 – 10 June 2008, aged 73. Succeeded John Leeson (happily still with us) as voice of K-9 from ‘The Creature from the Pit’ to ‘The Horns of Nimon‘. Cancer.

Gerald Flood – voice of Kamelion – 12 April 1989, aged 61. Grandfather of English international fly-half Toby Flood. Heart attack.

Michael Wisher – Davros – July 1995, aged 60. Although Davros was resurrected several times Wisher only portrayed him in the original ‘Genesis of the Daleks’. Wisher did however voice the Daleks in several other storylines, including‘Planet of the Daleks’, and ‘Death to the Daleks’. Heart attack.

Sydney Newman – Head of Drama BBC – 30 October 1997, aged 80. Newman came up with the ideas that the Doctor stole the TARDIS from his own people, and that it should be be bigger on the inside than the outside. Later became head of Canadian National Film Board. Heart attack.

Verity Lambert – Producer – 22 November 2007, aged 71. Began her career as a typist for ABC. Went on to become one of the most powerful and productive figures in UK TV. As Head of Drama at Thames Television she oversaw The Naked Civil Servant, Rumpole of the Bailey, and Edward and Mrs. Simpson. Her own production company Cinema Verity gave May to December, G.B.H. and ah-hem Eldorao. Cancer.

Terry Nation – scriptwriter – 9 March 1997, aged 66. Most famous for inventing the Daleks, Nation also created the original (far superior) ‘Survivors’, ‘Blakes 7′, and script edited MacGyver. Emphysema.

Dave Martin – scriptwriter – 30 March 2007, aged 72. One half of the ‘Bristol Boys’, who created K-9 and Omega. The other half, Bob Baker, happily very much still with us, went on to writee four Wallace and Gromit films. Lung cancer.

Robert Holmes – scriptwriter – 24 May 1986, aged 60. Quite simply the best writer and script editor classic Who ever had. Former policeman. Syphilis.

Barry Letts - producer/director/scriptwriter – 9 October 2009, aged 84. Took a show with falling rating and doubts about its future and transformed it into a powerhouse. Practising Buddist.  Cancer.

John Nathan-Turner – producer – 1 May 2002, aged 54. The man in charge when Who was cancelled in 1989, JNT is a highly polarising figure. Truth is, he had little ‘feel’ for a good story, and a weakness for petty feuds. Yet without his organisational flair Doctor Who would never have stayed on air as long as it did. JNT’s openness to fandom also fleshed out a template followed by most TV shows today. Worked as a floor assistant on Who in the 1960s. Liver failure.

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Celebrity Deathwatch – Star Trek

Thankfully, many of the original cast of Star Trek are still with us. Sadly, other favourites neither lived long, nor prospered. This is their story.

Gene Roddenberry – producer & writer – October 1991, Santa Monica, California, aged 70. The Great Bird’s reputation has taken a battering in recent years. But the fact remains The Wagon Train to the Stars was his idea. And it was his persistence which overcame the initial ratings failure and ensured the show grew into a world-wide phenomenon. Heart failure.

DeForest Kelly - Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy – 11 June, 1999, Woodland Hills, California, aged 79. Only member of the original crew never to have written an autobiography. Gastric cancer.

James Doohan – Montgomery “Scotty” Scott – Redmond, Washington, aged 85. During the D-Day landings was hit six times by friendly fire. His right middle finger was amputated. Famously didn’t get on with William Shatner, saying “I like Captain Kirk, but I can’t say I’m very fond of Bill.” Credited with inventing the Klingon language. Pneumonia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Majel Barrett – Number One & Nurse Chapell – 18 December 2008, Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, aged 76. Only performer to appear in all of the Star Trek series. Married Gene Roddenberry two months after original series was cancelled. Left her pet dogs a $4 million dollar trust.  Leukemia.

Gene L. Coon - producer & writer – 8 July 1973, Los Angeles, California, aged 49. What a writer. Created Khan Noonien Singh in ‘Space Seed‘, the Klingons, Zefram Cochrane, The Prime Directive. Hugely underrated. Diagnosed with cancer only the week before he died. Lung cancer.

Mark Lenard - Sarek – 22 November 1996, New York City, New York, aged 72. Spock’s father also played Urko, the bad, bad gorilla in the TV version of Planet of the Apes. Multiple myeloma.

Jeffrey Hunter - Captain Christopher Pike - 27 May 1969, Los Angeles, California, aged 42. The original captain of the Enterprise died the week before the final episode of TOS was aired. Cerebral hemorrhage.

Roger C. Carmel – Harcourt Fenton ‘Harry’ Mudd – 11 November 1986, Hollywood, California, aged 54. Wild rumours swirl around Roger’s death, from suicide to a crack overdose with a young male prostitute. Heart disease.

Ted Cassidy – Ruk – 16 January 1979, Los Angeles, California, aged 46. Better known as Lurch in the Addams Family. Complications after heart surgery.

Meg Wyllie – the Talosian Keeper – 1 January, 2002, Glendale, California, aged 84. Star Trek’s first memorable villain was played by a woman, but voiced by a man, Malachi Throne, who was originally offered the part of McCoy, but turned it down. Heart failure.

Check out my films here.

Evil Barbie Laughing Update

Made it up to 38th this morning on YouTube’s most viewed list. Already slid back down. Shows how quickly things change. Click below and send it climbing again!

Movie Update – Evil Barbie Laughing

Here’s the new movie in all its YouTube glory!

Don’t forget to rate and sub if you like it!

Also upped to Metacafe here.

Script – Evil Barbie Laughing

Just posted the latest Microfilum on YouTube, and here’s the script to go with it.

Follow the free download instructions. (pdf)

Celebrity Deathwatch – Bewitched

Recently, I became fascinated by old childhood favourite Bewitched, after reading the script for the episode ‘The Phrase is Familiar‘. It’s so much funnier than I expected.

Luckily, Living TV is showing reruns of Bewitched at 8am here in the UK. It makes for great breakfast viewing.

Sadly, most of the cast is now six feet under. Given my morbid fascination for such things, here’s how they went:

Elizabeth Mongomery – Samantha Stephens. Died 18 May 1995, Beverley Hills aged 65. Apparently she began to feel ill during the filming of Edna Buchanan and acted too late. Colorectal cancer.

Dick York – Darrin Stephens. Died 20 February 1992, Grand Rapids, Michigan, aged 63. Had to give up Bewitched because of a back injury. Rumour has it he spent much of the next 20 years in bed addicted to pain killers. Emphysema.

Dick Sargent – Darrin Stephens Mark 2 – 8 July 1994, Los Angeles, California, aged 64. York’s replacement lasted only two more years in real life. Prostate cancer.

Agnes Moorehead – Endora – 30 April 1974, Rochester, Minnesota, aged 73. Not many people know this but Moorehead appeared in Orson Wells’ production of War of the Worlds, and starred as his mother in Citizen Kane. Uterine cancer.

David White – Larry Tate – 27 November 1990, North Hollywood, California, aged 74. Son died two years before on Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie. Heart attack.

Alice Pearce – original nosy neigbour Gladys Kravitz – 3 March 1966, Hollywood, California, aged 48. Already diagnosed with terminal cancer before cast. Made it through to second season. Ovarian cancer.

Sandra Gould – Gladys Kravitz mark two – 20 July 1999, Burbank, California, aged 82. Also wrote two books, ‘Always Say Maybe‘ and ‘Sexpots and Pans‘. Died following heart surgery.

George Tobias – Abner Kravitz – 27 February 1980, Los Angeles, California, aged 78. Hearse containing his body stolen on the way to the mortuary. Bladder cancer.

Maurice Evans – Samantha’s father, Maurice – 12 March 1989, Rottingdean, East Sussex, aged 87. Played Dr Zaius in Planet of the Apes and Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Also in Rosemary’s Baby. Heart failure as a result of bronchial infection.

Paul Lynde – Uncle Arthur, Endora’s brother – 10 January 1982, Beverley Hills, California, aged 55. Voice of Roger the Alien in American Dad! modeled after him. Heart attack.

Marion Lorne – Aunt Clara – 9 May 1968, New York City, New York, aged 84. What an actress! The best thing about Bewitched. Character has a doorknob obsession – as did Lorne in real life. Heart attack.

Alice Ghostley – Esmeralda – 21 September 2007, Studio City, California, aged 81. Appeared in The Graduate with Marion Lorne. Colon cancer and a series of strokes.

Reta Shaw – Bertha/Hagatha – 8 January 1982, Enricho, California, aged 69. Also appeared in Mary Poppins. Emphysema.

Dick Wilson – the Drunk – 19 November 2008, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, aged 91. Born in Preston, UK. Natural causes.

Kasey Rogers – Louise Tate – 6 July 2006, Los Angeles, California, aged 80. Throat cancer/stroke.

Mabel Albertson – Phyllis Stephens – 28 September 1982, Santa Monica, California, aged 81. Alzheimers.

Robert F. Simon – Frank Stephens – 29 November 1992, Tarzana, California, aged 83. Heart attack.

Surviving members of the cast include Diane and Erin Murphy, twins who played Tabitha Stephens. Diane left Bewitched after the first season. Erin now works as a stunt double and make up artist.

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The Simpsons – the Inside Scoop

Even if you aren’t a Simpson’s fan, John Ortved’s ‘Simpson’s Confidential‘ is well worth investigating.

It’s the snarky warts and more warts inside story of how the world’s favourite yellow family came to be. It’s also the best description of the US-style Writing Room I’ve ever read.

You want big egos, its got the biggest egos in the business. You want feuds, here are all the carpet-chewing shouting matches you could wish for. All this to create a cartoon.

For me the real revelation: Matt Groening wasn’t the powerhouse creator behind the Simpsons at all. At least, not in terms of the half-hour show beloved of billions. According to Ortved, Groening was a marginalised figure, left to fiddle with his Bart merchandising, while the real creative genius, Sam Simon, put together the writing team, and and created TV history.

Interesting to note that since Sam Simon left the show he spends his time running a foundation for dogs.

Ortved is particularly good at bringing out the in(s)ane competitiveness/bitchiness/ruthlessness of everyone involved. He’s also spot on about when the show stopped being funny, and why.

No idea if one syllable of the book is true, of course. But then, that’s half the fun …

YouTube Update

Spruced up my YouTube Channel.

Check out the new look here.

Video Sharing Websites – Crunching the Numbers

As well as writing scripts and making movies I’m fascinated to learn how, and how well, the various video sharing platforms work. So I thought a breakdown of how my films have performed so far might help you choose where to put your own clips.

YouTube.

The best known, and the best performing by far. Statistically at least.

‘Barbie Gets A Lapdance’ is the most popular film with 1438 views.

‘A Very Barbie Christmas‘ comes in 2nd with 1037 views.

Total video views stands at 3900.

Metacafe.

Probably the second best known video sharing site on the net, and this shows in the stats.

Most viewed video is ‘Barbie Gets a Lapdance‘ with 238 views. Total video views: 2065.

The numbers might not seem huge, but I like this site. It’s informal. A nice community. Viewers take the trouble to rate clips. If you want a continuous trickle of views don’t discount Metacafe.

Dailymotion.

Disappointing at 34 views (Total). And they banned ‘A Very Barbie Christmas‘!

Vimeo.

Not bad at 63 views (Total).

Yahoo! Video.

Terrible!  3 views (Total).

Viddler.

7 views and 11 embeds (Total).

So for once the hype doesn’t lie. Choose YouTube and Metacafe if you want serious numbers to check out your clips. At the same time, it is worth exploring the alternatives. Who knows, maybe one or more of Viddler, Yahoo! Video, Vimeo or Dailymotion might become more popular one day? Or your videos might fit a channel profile better than mine did.

I didn’t say this post was going to be definitive! But I’ve certainly learned a lot from familiarizing myself with such a broad range of sites. And gained a few viewers along the way.

Celebrity Deathwatch – Are You Being Served?

Another strange bit of scheduling by the BBC.

As part of its Are You Being Served night, the BBC broadcast two documentaries about actors Mollie Sugden and John Inman. None of the pre-publicity mentioned that both actors are now no longer with us, or that nearly all of the talking heads involved are themselves dead.

For the record, here are the cast details by year of death:

Arthur Brough – Mr Grainger – died 28 February 1978.

Harold Bennett – Young Mr. Grace – died 15 September 1981.

James Hayter – Mr. Tebbs – 27 March 1983.

Alfie Bass – Mr. Goldberg – 15 July 1987.

Larry Martyn – Mr. Mash – 7 August 1994.

Arthur English – Mr. Harman – 16 April 1995.

John Inman – Mr. Humphreys – 8 March 2007.

Wendy Richard – Miss Brahms – 26 February 2009.

Mollie Sugden – Mrs. Slocombe – 1 July 2009.

Which leaves only three of the original cast still with us. Nicholas Smith (as jug eared store manager Mr. Rumbold), Trevor Bannister (as young Mr. Lucas), and Frank Thornton (as Captain Peacock). Sadly in the second documentary Frank Thornton wasn’t looking very well at all. But then Mollie Sugden was pretty ill in the 1990s and rallied for another good ten years …

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