Geoffrey Bayldon

Posted on by Tony CrawleyCategories:Actors
  1. William Hartnell, Doctor Who, TV, 1963-1966.
  2.  Patrick Troughton, Doctor Who, TV, 1966-1969.
  3. Frederick Treves, Doctor Who #110: Meglos, TV, 1980.    Second John Nathan-Taylor production of his sex-scandalous 80s’ reign had Bayldon, Timothy Bateman and Colin Jeavons in the loop for Lieutenant Broadtac… which none of them noticed was the scenarists’ anagram gag for… bad actor.
  4. John Fraser, Doctor Who #115: Logopolis, TV, 1981.     Age apparently, didn’t matter. The Monitor was 60 but producer John Nathan-Taylor’s usual suspects ranged from Harry Andrews at 77 to Hywel Bennett at… 37! Plus Maurice Denham, 72; Marius Goring, 69; Peter Cushing, 68; Bernard Archard, Michael Gough, 65; Nigel  Stock, 62; Geoffrey Bayldon, 57; William Lucas, 56; Frank Finlay, 55; Barry Foster, Frank Windsor, 54; John Fraser, 50; Peter Wyngarde, 48. Bayldon – who rejected offers to be the Doc1 and Doc2 – and his long time partner, New Zealand actor Alan Rowe (1926-2000), were regulars on the Whoverse casting register. Rowe making four tales, between 1967-1980, to Bayldon’s one – as Organon in #106: The Creature From the Pit, 1979.
  5. Moray Watson, Doctor Who #120: The Black Orchid, TV, 1982.      Not a rehash of Sophia Loren’s 1958 Hollywood melo, but an adventure (with cricket!) in 1925 England for for Doc5 Peter Davison. In the frame for Sir Robert Muir were Bayldon, Robin Bailey, John Carson, William Lucas, Nigel Stock and Peter Vaughan.
  6. Nigel Stock, Doctor Who #122: Time-Flight, TV, 1982.       After several invites, Stock finally joined the Whoverse – by winning Professor Hayter from Bayldon, Bernard Archard, John Carson, Peter Cushing, Maurice Denham, Michael Gough and William Lucas… in The Case of the Missing Concorde!
  7. Leonard Sachs, Doctor Who # 123: Arc of Infinity, TV, 1983.       In the loop for Lord President Borusa also with Doc5. And indeed Doc6… as Colin Baker played Commander Maxil.
  8. John Carson, Doctor Who #124: Snakedance, TV, 1982.      Also up for the archeologist Ambril opposite Doc5 Peter Davidson on Manussa were many of the usual ‘80s crowd… Bayldon, Joss Ackland Frank Finlay, Richard Johnson, Dinsdale Landen, William Lucas, TP McKenna and Clifford Rose.
  9. Richard Hurndall, Doctor Who #129: The Five Doctors, TV, 1983.     Archive footage of Doc 1 William Hartnell would be featured, of course, but the script required more scenes with the first Time Lord. Bayldon, once offered Doc1 and Doc2, was favourite until producer John Nathan-Taylor watched his opposition, Blake’s 7 in 1981, and noticed a closer resemblence between Hartnell and Hurndall.
  10. Terence Alexander, Doctor Who #139: The Mark of the Rani, 1984.     Bayldon, Joss Ackland, Harry Andrews, Bernard Archard, Robin Bailey, George Baker, Ian Bannen, John Carson, Peter Cushing, Alan Cuthbertson, Frank Finlay, Robert Flemyng, Michael Gough, Dinsdale Landen, TP McKenna, Donald Pickering, Peter Sallis, John Standing, Patrick Stewart, Peter Vaughan… and the Z Cars cops James Ellis and Jeremy Kemp – were the 23 contenders for Lord Ravenworth. Phew! Standing was the most suitable as he was the the fourth baronet in his family’s line.

  11. Patrick Stewart, Lifeforce, 1984
  12. Aubrey Morris, Lifeforce, 1984.
  13.  Frank Finlay, Lifeforce, 1984.    
  14. Leslie French, Doctor Who #150 : Silver Nemesis, TV, 1988. Offered The Mathematician in the Silver Anniversary adventure – with Doc7 Sylvester McCoy. By 2010, Bayldon had clocked up 218 screen roles.
  15. James Ellis, Doctor Who #152: Battlefield, 1989. Also short-listed for Peter Warmsly opposite Doc7 Sylvester McCoy in the final episode of Nicholas Courtney’s Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart were Bayldon, Joss Ackland, George Baker, John Carson, Kenneth Colley, Freddie Jones, Ronald Lacey and David Warner. But producer John Nathan-Taylor had been determined to land the Irish Ellis since the 1980 start of his here ending tenure.  JNT never got Bayldon, though. His only Whovian rôle was Organon in #106: The Creature from the Pit, 1979, the year before JNT opened for business… calling the male targets of his (and his partner’s) sex-abuse: “Doable barkers”.   

 Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls:  15