Obituary: Laurence Haddon
Actor Laurence Haddon (b.1922) died on May 10. Haddon appeared in episodes of Knight Rider, The Greatest American Hero, The Incredible Hulk, and the short-lived My Living Doll.
Obituary: Steve Forrest
Actor Steve Forrest (b.1924, as William Andrews) died on May 18. Forrest, the younger brother of actor Dana Andrews, appeared in several science fiction and horror television shows, including episodes of The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, Circle of Fear, and Team Knight Rider. His films included Amazon Women on the Moon and Phantom of the Rue Morgue. He won a Golden Globe in 1954 for Most Promising Newcomer and in 1982, he “won” a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor. He may have been best known for his role on S.W.A.T.
Doctor Who Wins Peabody Award
Doctor Who won a George Foster Peabody Award, one of the highest awards given for American television. The award, which was accepted by Steven Moffat, Matt Smith, and Jenna-Louise Coleman, was presented for “evolving with technology and the times like nothing else in the known television universe.”
Obituary: Richard Thorpe
Actor Richard Thorpe (b.1932) died on May 22. Thorpe is best known for his lengthy role on Emmerdale, but also appeared in an episode of Timeslip. He played Sir Gareth in the film Sword of Lancelot and also appeared in the horror film Melody in the Dark.
Obituary: Mike Gray
Producer Mike Gray (b.1935) died on April 30. Gray served as a producer and director for the 1986 television series Starman, based on the film of the same title. He also produced thirteen episodes of the series Star Trek: The Next Generation. In addition to writing for both of those series, Gray co-wrote the influential film The China Syndrome.
Obituary: Christine White
Actress Christine White (b.1932) died on April 14. White appeared in two episodes of The Twilight Zone, playing Kitty Cavanaugh in “The Prime Mover” and Julia Wilson, William Shatner’s seatmate, in “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” She also appeared in the Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond adaptation of The Haunting.
Obituary: Aubrey Woods
Actor Aubrey Woods (b.1928) died on May 7. Woods is best known for his role as the candy store owner in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but the following year, he also portrayed the Controller in the Doctor Who serial “Day of the Daleks.” He also appeared in an episode of Blakes 7 and the film The Abominable Dr. Phibes. In addition to his roles in film and television, Woods had a long career on the British stage.
Obituary: Bryan Forbes
Actor, writer, and director Bryan Forbes (b.1926) died on May 8. Forbes started his career as an actor, appearing in films such as Quatermass II: Enemy from Space and Satellite in the Sky. He went on to become a director, whose films included The Stepford Wives. He wrote The Man Who Haunted Himself and as a screenwriter may be best known for Chaplin. In addition to his work in films, Forbes was also a photographer and helped create the album sleeve for Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Forbes also wrote several novels.
Obituary: Ray Harryhausen
Special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen (b.1920) died on May 7. Harryhausen created a type of stop-motion animation known as Dynamation and used it in films ranging from The Clash of the Titans to Mighty Joe Young to The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. Harryhausen was inspired by the film King Kong and became close friends with Ray Bradbury and Forrest Ackerman, joining the Los Angeles Science Fiction League. In later years, Harryhausen wrote several books showcasing his techniques and models. Harryhausen was a Worldcon Guest of Honor in 1987 in Brighton and in 2005, Harryhausen was inducted in to the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, one of the first non-authors so honored.
Obituary: Jack Shea
Actor Jack Shea (b.1928) died on April 28. Shea is best known for directing television sit coms and was the president of the Directors Guild of America for five years from 1997-2002. His one foray into science fiction was the 1969 comedy The Monitors.