Whoniversaries 2 November

i) births and deaths

2 November 1936: birth of Andrew Staines, who played Benik's sergeant in The Enemy of the World (Second Doctor, 1968), Goodge in Terror of the Autons (Third Doctor, 1971), the Captain in Carnival of Monsters (Third Doctor, 1973) and Keaver in Planet of the Spiders (1974). He was a nephew of Barry Letts, the show's producer for the Pertwee years.

2 November 1952: birth of Michael Kerrigan, who directed Battlefield (Seventh Doctor, 1989) and also the 2008 Sarah Jane Adventures stories The Day of the Clown and Secrets of the Stars.

2 November 1977: birth of John Pickard, who plays the very annoying Thomas Brewster, audio-only companion of the Fifth and Sixth Doctors.

2 November 2017: death of Paddy Russell, who directed The Massacre (First Doctor, 1966), Invasion of the Dinosaurs (Third Doctor, 1974), Pyramids of Mars (Fourth Doctor, 1975) and Horror of Fang Rock (Fourth Doctor, 1977) – a pretty good record.

ii) broadcast anniversaries

2 November 1968: broadcast of first episode of The Invasion. The Tardis lands invisibly, and the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe seek help successively from Isobel Watkins, and Tobias Vaughn of International Electromatics.

2 November 1981: BBC broadcast repeat of "An Unearthly Child", the very first episode of Doctor Who, kicking off the "Five Faces of Doctor Who" repeat season.

2 November 1987: broadcast of first episode of Delta and the Bannermen. Ken Dodd sends the Doctor and Mel to 1950s Wales where a holiday camp is being infiltrated by aliens.

2 November 1988: broadcast of first episode of The Happiness Patrol. Helen A rules Terra Alpha ruthlessly by killing anyone who is unhappy, supported by the sinister yet ridiculous Kandyman.

2 November 2010: broadcast of second episode of The Empty Planet (SJA). Clyde and Rani's new friend Gavin turns out to be an alien prince (not the last we'll see in a Who spinoff) and once this is revealed and the msinister robots placated, everyone returns to the Earth. A good Clyde/Rani episode.

iii) dates specified in canon

2 November 1657: death and burial of Richard Maynarde, as described in Silver Nemesis (1988).

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