On This Day... 19th March

 

The third instalment of The Ark, which made its debut today in 1966, was called The Return. What had looked like a quick two-parter turned out to be a longer story, as the TARDIS immediately returned to a location where the Doctor had already resolved a major problem.

Also about to experience a change within its structure was The Talons of Weng-Chiang, which reached its fourth episode in 1977. Disliking six-parters, Robert Holmes liked to structure them as a two-part section coupled with a slightly different four-part section - the difference being a change of location, for instance. With this story, we leave the theatre which as been the focus of the first four episodes, and move to Greel's new HQ, the House of the Dragon, for the concluding two parts. 

In 2008 Torchwood was Adrift - a Gwen Cooper centred episode which looked at the human consequences of the Rift that ran through Cardiff.

Today we remember actor Clinton Greyn, who featured in the series on two occasions - plus a very odd little spin-off. He first appeared as the village leader Ivo in State of Decay in 1980, and then returned in 1985 as the Sontaran Group Marshal Stike in The Two Doctors. On the back of this appearance he then played another Sontaran Group Marshal - Nathan - in a skit for Jim'll Fix It, in which a young fan named Gareth got to have an adventure with the Sixth Doctor and Tegan Jovanka.

Greyn passed away in 2019, aged 82.