51 years ago today, Roger Delgado appeared for the first time as the Master in Part One of Terror of the Autons. Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks had decided on a regular foe for the Doctor, now that he was trapped on Earth. Noting how the Doctor was like Sherlock Holmes to the Brigadier's Dr Watson, they realised they needed a Prof Moriarty figure. The name came came from Dicks, who thought he should have an academic title like the Doctor, but the actor came from Letts, who had worked with Delgado many times as an actor. He was the only choice for the role.
Over the decades, the Master has proven himself to be A Powerful Enemy - which just happens to be the title of the first instalment of The Rescue, which made its debut on this date in 1965.
This story introduced the new companion Vicki (Maureen O'Brien). The villain - Koquillion - was played by one Sydney Wilson, according to the Radio Times. The name was made up from Sydney Newman and Donald Wilson - the architects of Doctor Who - to conceal the villain's true identity.
Also, The Scream of the Shalka reached its fourth instalment today in 2004.
Today we remember John Woodnutt, who appeared in the programme on four memorable occasions. The first was in 1970, when he played plastics factory owner Hibbert in Spearhead From Space.
He was back, under latex face mask, as the Draconian Emperor in 1973's Frontier in Space.
His best remembered role came next - the triple one of Broton, Warlord of the Zygons; the Duke of Forgill; and the Duke's Zygon replica - in 1975's Terror of the Zygons.
His final role was as Consul Seron in The Keeper of Traken (1981).
Woodnutt passed away on this day in 2006, aged 81.
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