Richard Franklin

A rogue band of resistance fighters unite for a mission to steal the Death Star plans and bring a new hope to the galaxy.

In April 1983, Roger Stevens and James Russell were given “Access All Areas” passes to the BBC’s Doctor Who celebrations at Longleat. Armed with a Ferguson Videostar camera they set out to record as much of the event as they could. While the BBC’s official footage amounts to only a few minutes for news broadcasts, James and Roger recorded several hours, and their material includes interviews with both Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker. Some of this material has been used in other productions by both Reeltime Pictures and BBC Video, but the original tapes were thought to be lost forever – until rediscovered earlier this year. So now enjoy another chance to take a trip to Longleat in 1983. The sound may not be perfect and the pictures come from ageing VHS tapes – but the atmosphere is unmistakable. So avoid the queues, and get to the front of the line with a trip down memory lane!

This exclusive documentary looks at the life and career of Jon Pertwee. With contributions from actors Katy Manning, Judy Cornwell, David Jacobs, Geoffrey Bayldon and Kenneth Earle, Doctor Who writer and script editor Terrance Dicks and long-time friend Stuart Money.

A shy, stuttering professor brings satanist Aleister Crowley back to life.

Producer Steve Broster takes a look back to 1983 and the celebration of Doctor Who's twentieth anniversary, including the production and transmission of 'The Five Doctors', the media interest and the BBC Enterprises' event at Longleat House. Featuring actors Peter Davison, Elisabeth Sladen, Nicholas Courtney, Mark Strickson, Janet Fielding, Carole Ann Ford, John Leeson, Richard Franklin and Caroline John, writer Terrance Dicks, director Peter Moffatt, visual effects designer Mike Kelt, new series writers Paul Cornell and Gareth Roberts, prominent fans Andrew Beech, Ian Levine, Richard Molesworth and James Goss. Presented by Colin Baker.

Philosophical Time Travel

It was a operation worthy of UNIT itself… bringing The Brigadier (Nicholas Courtney), Captain Yates (Richard Franklin) and RSM Benton (John Levene) back together again at Chicago TARDIS. In this production we tear through the red tape to cover the convention and also talk to Katy Manning, Jon Pertwee, Terrance Dicks, Gary Russell, J. Jeremy Bentham and many more about the secret behind UNIT’s success.

Video footage telling the story of the biggest Doctor Who (1963) convention ever in the UK, "Longleat 83", which was put together to celebrate the 20th anniversary in 1983.

By her own admission, Katy Manning is ‘as blind as a bat’ and never knows where she’ll end up. When she suddenly arrived in the UK, Katy was probably as surprised as the rest of us! Determined to thank the legion of Doctor Who fans who had written and supported her during her years abroad, Katy embarked on a whirlwind tour of British conventions and shops before leaving (yet again) for Australia… Along the way bump into Nicholas Courtney, Richard Franklin, John Leeson, Sophie Aldred, Sylvester McCoy, Michael Sheard and other surprise guest stars!

All of the Doctor's incarnations are in crisis when The Rani creates a time-loop in the East-end of London in this 30th Anniversary Special.

During the early 1970’s the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT) featured heavily in Doctor Who. Captain Mike Yates joined the ‘three man army’ during Terror of the Autons and was a regular cast member right through the Jon Pertwee era. Richard Franklin’s portrayal of the young and idealistic army officer was an instant success with viewers and eventually led to Mike Yates playing a pivotal role in both Invasion of the Dinosaurs and Planet of the Spiders. This Myth Makers consists two interviews with Richard, the first shot on location at his former Yorkshire home in 1989 and the second in studios in 1996. Mind you, Nicholas Briggs did have to persuade Richard to participate…

Many incarnations of the Doctors and their old companions are taken out of time and deposited in the Death Zone on Gallifrey. There, they must battle the Master, Daleks, Cybermen and Yeti in order to reach the Dark Tower and discover the Tomb of Rassilon.

The blue crystal that the Doctor took from Metebelis III in a previous adventure is desperately sought by the Eight Legs, a race of mutated spiders, as the final element in their plan for universal domination. With help from an old mentor, the Doctor realises the only way to foil the plot is to make the ultimate sacrifice. The Doctor must risk death to return to the cave of the Great One and save the universe.

The Third Doctor and Sarah arrive in 1970s London to find it has been evacuated because dinosaurs have appeared mysteriously. It turns out the dinosaurs are being brought to London via a time machine to further a plan to revert London to a pre-technological level.

The Doctor and UNIT investigate a deadly infection lurking underneath the Welsh mining town of Llanfairfach. It's an adventure that will change Jo Grant's life forever...

The Master, in the guise of Professor Thascalos, has constructed at the Newton Institute in Wootton a device known as TOMTIT - Transmission Of Matter Through Interstitial Time - to gain control over Kronos, a creature from outside time. The creature is summoned but proves to be uncontrollable.

Guerillas time-jump back from the 22nd century to assassinate Sir Reginald Styles - a diplomat working for World Peace, The Doctor discovers they are from a future where the Daleks have invaded the Earth (Following wars precipitated by Styles's destruction at the peace conference). With the Daleks desperate to maintain their version of history, The Doctor and Jo find themselves in a totalitarian future, where they must discover who really happened and prevent it.

On the eve of May Day, dark elemental forces begin to disturb the village of Devil's End as the Master summons the demon Azal: unexplained murders, a stone gargoyle come to life, and a nigh-impenetrable infernal energy dome. With the Master fully prepared to destroy the Earth, the Doctor and UNIT - aided by a benevolent practitioner of witchcraft - battle the wicked rites of a secret science wielded by an alien from another world.

A group of gold-skinned aliens known as the Axons land on Earth and offer wondrous technology in exchange for fuel. The Doctor, however, isn't fooled, uncovering the Axons' true nature and once again facing his archenemy the Master...

Professor Emil Keller has created a machine that can pacify even the most dangerous of criminals. But when the Doctor and Jo arrive at Stangmoor Prison for a demonstration, things start to go horribly wrong - especially when they discover that the Doctor's old enemy the Master is responsible for the machine.

The Master, an old adversary of the Doctor, has arrived on Earth to destroy humanity with the aid of the Nestene Consciousness and their army of Autons and killer plastic daffodils - unless the Doctor, joined by new assistant Jo Grant, can stop them.

Simon Templar is hired by a friend in the book publishing trade to protect one of his stars, a secretive recluse named Amos Klein who writes a popular (and lucrative) series of adventure novels about a manly and suave spy.