Tardis Party: Carole Ann Ford/ Deborah Watling ~ Sixties Screamers

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Talent…

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… These are the lovely ladies and gorgeous girls of eras gone by whose beauty, ability, electricity and all-round x-appeal deserve celebration and – ahem – salivation here at George’s Journal…

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So even the most causal of visitors to this blog would surely realise that, at present, celebrating a wee little sci-fi show that’s been running for a full five decades is something of a must with it. And the latest post committed to this cause is surely itself a cause for celebration as it celebrates one of Doctor Who‘s most well observed aspects – yup, its protagonist’s penchant for picking rather attractive members of the opposite sex with whom to travel in his TARDIS. And the two such female sidekicks focused on here are classic lookers all right, Carole Ann Ford (The Doc’s own grand-daughter Susan) and Deborah Watling (the fair Victorian maiden Victoria). Time then, indeed, for these two time-travellers to be inducted into this blog’s Talent hall of fame…
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Profiles

Names: Carole Ann Ford/ Deborah Watling

Nationalities: English

Professions: Actress and voice coach/ Actress and author

Born: June 16 1940/ January 2 1948, Fulmer, Buckinghamshire

Known for: Carole – playing the original companion in Doctor Who, namely The Doctor’s grand-daughter Susan (Foreman). She came to the attention of the director of the show’s first serial An Unearthly Child (1963) after appearing in an episode of the BBC’s long-running police procedural drama Z-Cars (1962-78) and left at the end of 1964’s The Dalek Invasion Of Earth, before returning for the anniversary specials The Five Doctors (1983) and Dimensions In Time (1993). Following her stint on Who, she cropped up in Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? (1973-74) and on the panel of classic Saturday night pop music showcase Juke Box Jury (1959-67) a week before Doctor Who began. She has appeared numerous times on stage and her film credits include The Day Of The Triffids (1962) and The Great St. Trinian’s Train Robbery (1966). She will play a minor role in this year’s BBC drama An Adventure In Time And Space (about the making of An Unearthly Child), in which she herself will be portrayed by newcomer Claudia Grant.

Deborah – daughter of respected actor Jack Watling and older sister of fellow sex symbol and actress Dilys Watling, Deborah essayed the role of Second Doctor companion Victoria Waterfield, beginning with the serial The Evil Of The Daleks (1967) and culminating in Fury From The Deep (1968) – she also appeared in Dimensions In Time, though. A former child actress in the series The Invisible Man (1958) and as Lewis Carroll‘s heroine in Dennis Potter’s BBC version of Alice In Wonderland (1965), she followed up her stint in Who with a supporting role in the David Essex headlined rock ‘n’ roll flick That’ll Be The Day (1973) and as the promiscuous Norma Baker in ITV’s London Blitz drama Danger UXB (1978).

Strange but true: In the 1970s, Carole had a bizarre brush with near death when severe back pain on holiday in Spain resulted in a doctor prescribing her medication that made her allergic to a vast array of different things, including aspirin, the use of backfired and required a shot of adrenalin literally to save her life/ Despite appearing in seven serials across Seasons 4 and 5, the only Doctor Who serial in which Deborah appears to exist in its entirety is The Tomb Of The Cybermen (1967), owing to the Beeb’s 1970s policy of wiping tapes of its old shows.

Peak of fitness: Carole – although cute as a button when playing the somewhat otherworldly Susan, she was never really allowed to showcase her charms, unlike in the pre-Who ‘cheesecake’ images she posed for (see below)/ Deborah – again, lovely as the delicate  Victoria was, it was as ‘naughty’ Norma in Danger UXB that Watling was allowed to be at her most sexiful; on-screen that is, for surely  in promotional images for a 1978 theatre production of the farce Two And Two Make Sex  she most blatantly proved what a hot property she was (see below)

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deborahwatling.net

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CLICK on images for full-size

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