On This Day... 18th February

Only two episodes have ever made their debut on this date over the decades. The earliest, in 1967, was Episode Two of The Moonbase, one of the two instalments from this Cyberman story which still exist.

The other episode was Part Three of The Invasion of Time, in 1978.

Today we remember one of Doctor Who's first stars - Jacqueline Hill, who played history teacher Barbara Wright during the first two seasons (from An Unearthly Child to The Chase).

She passed away on this date in 1993, aged 63.

Some actors first appeared in a minor guest part, then got promoted to a companion role (e.g. Freema Agyeman, Karen Gillan), but Hill started off as a companion and was later invited back for a guest role, as a totally different character. This was as Lexa, the Tigellan religious leader, in Meglos.

One of Hill's stories was The Sensorites which briefly featured John Bailey, who also passed away on this date.

Bailey appeared only in the closing section of the 1964 story, playing the commander of the crazed Earthmen who were trying to kill the native peoples.

A more substantial role followed in 1967 when he played Victoria Waterfield's father, Edward, in The Evil of the Daleks. His last role was again a small one in the closing part of a story - Sezom in The Horns of Nimon.

Bailey died in 1989, aged 76.