Peter Davison Movies

This feature-length dramatization of James Herriot's best-seller was issued by EMI as a big-screen theatrical release in England, but debuted on NBC as a telemovie in the United States, February 4, 1975. It stars Simon Ward as Herriot in his early days as a veterinarian. The story picks up in 1937, with Herriot's first assignment as assistant to eccentric Yorkshire vet Siegfried Farnon (Anthony Hopkins). The film's highlight is the strenuous delivery of a newborn colt; its most poignant moment is the mercy killing of a seriously ill dog. In between "cases," Herriot courts pretty farmer's daughter Helen (Lisa Farrow). The film eventually spawned a television series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season one of All Creatures Great & Small begins in late 1936 as newly qualified veterinarian James Herriot (Christopher Timothy) arrives at his first assistant's post at Skeldale House, Darrowby, Yorkshire. Here he meets his boss, the irascible Siegfried Farnon, and Siegfried's long-suffering but fun-loving, food-devouring younger brother Tristan (played by future Doctor Who star Peter Davison), who is kept on as a partner despite having flunked out of college. Though he thinks he is thoroughly prepared for his life's calling, James could never have imagined that his first patient would be a little girl's pet turtle. Not long afterward, however, our hero shows his mettle by curing a very valuable horse. In the third of season one's 13 episodes, James meets Helen Alderson (Carol Drinkwater), the farmer's daughter who will one day become his wife. First, however, James must overcome the resistance of Helen's father, who has an inbred distate for everyone in the medical profession. This he does, and by episode ten James and Helen are on their honeymoon...albeit using their spare time to carry out tuberculin testing! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season three of All Creatures Great & Small begins with one of the series' customary dual crises as young Yorkshire veterinarian James Herriot (Christopher Timothy) and his wife Helen (Carol Drinkwater) try to save a cow from the slaughterhouse, while James' partners Siegfried and Tristan Farnon (Robert Hardy, Peter Davison) minister to a flock of ailing grouse. In later episodes, Tristan makes a mess of things filling in for his brother's housekeeper, Mrs. Hall (Mary Hignett); a young juvenile delinquent has an epiphany when his dog comes down with distemper; a goat eats the Herriots' checkbook, leaving them with nary an extra shilling for their wedding anniversary celebration; and an epidemic of foot and mouth disease is made doubly problematic when Britain and Germany go to war. The season ends as James and Siegfried leave their Darrowby practices to enlist in the RAF. All Creatures Great and Small ends at this point as well -- at least for the next eight years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy began as a 1978 BBC radio series by Douglas Adams, who adapted the material into a bestselling novel in 1979. This six-part BBC television miniseries - a witty and farcical science-fiction send-up -- stars Simon Jones as gormless Arthur Dent, who wakes up one morning to discover that a demolition crew is preparing to destroy his house and put in a new highway bypass. Saddened by this news, Arthur accepts the offer of his buddy Ford Prefect to head down to the local pub for a drink, but is soon greeted by Ford's wild revelation that he is in fact not a human but a space alien from a small planet just outside of Betelgeuse, who has spent many years on the planet Earth in the guise of a human actor, doing background research for a book called 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.' Before Arthur can fully digest this news, a Vogon spaceship appears in the sky and blasts out the message that the entire Earth will soon be destroyed to put in an intergalactic superhighway. At the last moment, Arthur and Ford manage to board the spaceship to escape obliteration themselves. Arthur is soon ensconced in a strange space vessel festooned with all manner of confusing hardware, and jets through a series of increasingly off-the-wall adventures, where he meets such wild characters as three-armed galaxy president Zaphod Beeblebrox; Trillian, the latter's girlfriend; neurotic robot Marvin; and Veet Voojagig, a graduate student with a ballpoint pen fixation. Like Dr. Who and other BBC productions, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy took its US bow on PBS affiliate stations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the four-part story "Kinda," the TARDIS and an expeditionary earth vessel have both landed on the outwardly tranquil jungle planet of Deva Loka. While helping the Doctor (Peter Davison) explore the planet, Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding) falls under the evil spell of a malignant force known as the Mara. Written by Christopher Bailey, "Kinda, Episode 2" originally aired on February 2, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "Four to Doomsday," the Doctor (Peter Davison) discovers that the alien Urbankans intend to wipe out humankind, then repopulate the earth with androids designed to resemble the planet's various ethnic types. Only by hoodwinking the androids into performing a series of frenzied ritualistic dances will the Doctor be able to prevent this cataclysmic disaster. Stratford Johns guest stars as the frog-like Urbankan Monarch. First telecast January 26, 1982, "Four to Doomsday, Episode 4" was written by Terence Dudley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the four-part story "The Visitation," the Doctor (Peter Davison) and his companions arrive in 17th century London at the height of the Great Plague. Their visit coincides with the crash-landing of an alien spacecraft. Could these visitors from another world pose an even greater threat to humanity than the "Black Death?" Written by Eric Saward, Doctor Who: The Visitation, Episode 2 first aired on February 16, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "Kinda," the Doctor (Peter Davison) is among the visitors to the planet Deva Loka who have fallen under the evil spell of a malignant telepathic force known as the Mara. His desperate efforts to free himself, his colleagues, and the native Kinda tribe are dramatically played out amidst a Welles-ian circle of mirrors. Written by Christopher Bailey, "Kinda, Episode 4" originally aired on February 9, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the four-part story "Time-Flight," the Doctor investigates the disappearance of a Concorde jet from Heathrow Airport. In hopes of solving the mystery, the Doctor and his companions, Tegan (Janet Fielding) and Nyssa (Sarah Sutton), board a second Concorde to reconstruct the events leading up to the disappearance -- whereupon the three time travelers end up vanishing from sight themselves! First telecast March 23, 1982, "Time-Flight, Episode 2" was written by Peter Grimwade. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "The Visitation," the Doctor (Peter Davison) squares off against the alien Tereleptils, who hope to capitalize upon the Black Plague sweeping through 17th century London by spreading a deadly viral epidemic throughout the rest of the world. This episode proposes to answer the age-old question: Who really ignited the Great Fire of London? Written by Eric Saward, "The Visitation, Episode 4" first aired on February 23, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "Time-Flight," the renegade Time Lord the Master (Anthony Ainley) has split the alien Xeraphin in two halves, one good, one evil. Fortunately, the "good" half aligns itself with the Doctor (Peter Davison), who fully intends to thwart the Master's latest scheme to take over the universe. The Doctor also hopes to pilot a stolen Concorde jet from 140 million B.C. to contemporary London! Written by Peter Grimwade, "Time-Flight, Episode 4" was first telecast March 30, 1982, as the final episode of Dr. Who's 19th season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "Earthshock," the leader of the Cybermen intends to destroy the earth by forcing the crash-landing of a huge, heavily armed space vessel. The Doctor (Peter Davison), Tegan (Janet Fielding), and Nyssa (Sarah Sutton), all locked in the TARDIS, are unable to prevent this catastrophe. It is up to Adric (Matthew Waterhouse) to save the day -- and without giving away the ending, it should be noted that this episode represented Adric's final Doctor Who appearance, at least until a surprise guest-shot in the 21st season adventure "The Curse of Androzani." Written by Eric Saward, "Earthshock, Episode 4" originally aired on March 16, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide