William Lucas

Posted on by Tony CrawleyCategories:Actors
  1. Ray Barrett, Doctor Who #2: The Daleks, 1964.      The story that really put The Doctor on the geeks’ map. Nor that they were called geeks in those far off days. Terry Nation was invited to write a six-parter – and he invented… the Daleks. So no one really noticed if Bennett/Koquillion was played by Lucas, Bernard Archard or the tough Aussie, Barrett? Archard made it into #2: The Power of the Daleks, 1966… and was never far from the 80s producer John Nathan Taylor’s casting (or dart) board.
  2. Ray Barrett, Doctor Who #11: The Rescue, TV, 1965.     The future Black Beauty stay (twice over, in the 70s and 90s) was among director Christoper Barry’s notions for Bennett in Doc1 William Hartnell’s two-parter on planet Dido.
  3. Denis Lill, Doctor Who # 94: Image of the Fendahl, TV, 1977.      Lill, Anthony Bate, John Franklin-Robbins and Michael Gough were also short-listed for scientist Dr Fendelman (researching a 12million-year-old skull) in the adventure with Doc4 Tom Baker. Not the last time Gough and Lucas would be rivals for joining the Time Lord.
  4. George Baker, Doctor Who #111: Full Circle, TV, 1980.      The baker’s dozen actors up for Login were familiar names from the 80s Whoverse casting. register… and the astonishing army of 203 actors seen for 18 roles in Lifeforce, 1984.   Lucas, Baker, Joss Ackland, Brian Blessed, John Carson, James Ellis, Frank Finlay, Bernard Hepton, Donald Houston, Jeremy Kemp, Alfred Lynch, TP McKenna, Edward Woodward. And they stayed listed until they became available. Lucas, for example, was Range in #132 Frontios, 1984.
  5. 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 Finley, 55; Barry Foster, Frank Windsor, 54; John Fraser, 50; Peter Wyngarde, 48. This as the episode that Brian Epstein would not let The Beatles appear in. But he OKed Top of the Pops footage of Ticket To Ride.
  6. Michael Robbins, Doctor Who #119: The Visitation, TV, 1982.       One of Doc5 Peter Davison’s three favourite tales, although Robbins hated his rôle as much as scenarist Eric Saward disliked the performance. Also up for Richard Mace were such regulars on the Whoverse casting (or dart) board as Bannen, John Carson, Frank Finlay, Ronald Fraser, Donald Houston,  Glyn Owen and Donald Pleasence.
  7. Moray Watson, Doctor Who #120: Black Orchid, TV, 1982.      Not a rehash of Sophia Loren’s 1958 Hollywood melo, but an adv enture (with cricket!)   in 1925 England for for Doc5 Peter Davison. Also in the frame for Sir Robert Muir were Lucas, Robin Bailey, Geoffrey Bayldon, John Carson, Nigel Stock and Peter Vaughan.
  8. Richard Easton, Doctor Who #122: Time Flight, TV, 1982.      The 19 nominations for Concorde pilot Captain Stapley in the worst Doc5 Peter Davison episode (the budget ran out…) were  Lucas, Easton, Terence Alexander, Peter Arne, Keith Barron, Brian Blessed, John Carson, Michael Craig, Paul Darrow, Peter Gilmore, Michael Gothard, John Hallam, Terrence Hardiman, Del Henney, Glyn Houston, Martin Jarvis, Conrad Phillips, Anthony Valentine and Frank Windsor.
  9. Nigel Stock, Doctor Who #122: Time-Flight, TV, 1982.       After several invites, Nigel Stock finally joined the Whoverse – when winning Professor Hayter from Lucas, Bernard Archard, Geoffrey Bayldon, John Carson, Peter Cushing, Maurice Denham, Michael Gough… in The Case of the Missing Concorde!
  10. Michael Gough, Doctor Who #123: Arc of Infinity, TV, 1983.     Old rivals meet again, this time Gough gets the part – opposite Doc5 Peter Davison. Sad to relate but when Lucas finally netted a Whoverse role (in Doc5’s #132:Frontios,TV, 1984), it was because the booked actor (Peter Arne) was dead- victim of a brutal murder.

  11. John Carson, Doctor Who #124: Snakedance, TV, 1982.     Also up for the archaeologist Ambril opposite Doc5 Peter Davidson on Manussa, were many of the usual ‘80s crowd… Lucas, Joss Ackland, Geoffrey Bayldon, Frank Finlay, Richard Johnson, Dinsdale Landen, TP McKenna and Clifford Rose.
  12. Patrick Stewart, Lifeforce, 1984.
  13. Michael Gothard, Lifeforce, 1984.
  14. Aubrey Morris, Lifeforce, 1984.
  15. Frank Finlay, Lifeforce, 1984.
  16. Ronald Fraser, Doctor Who #149: The Happiness Patrol, 1988.     If the cap fits… Sixteen actors, from the rarely changing Whoverse register, were seen for the same three roles. Fraser won Joseph C from Lucas, George Baker, Keith Barron, John Carson, Peter Cellier, Kenneth Cope, Frank Finlay, Nigel Hawthorne, Glyn Houston, Michael Robbins, Clifford Rose, Moray Watson, Frank Windsor.
  17. Harold Innocent, Doctor Who #149: The Happiness Patrol, 1988.       Innocent became Gilbert M from the same group…
  18. John Normington, Doctor Who #149: The Happiness Patrol, 1988.     …and Normington was selected for Trevor Sgma instead of any of the others…

 Birth year: 1925Death year: 1977Other name: Casting Calls:  18