STS-117

Space ShuttleSpace Shuttle Atlantis lifts off the 118th shuttle flight, on a two-week mission to resupply and continue assembly of the International Space Station. Two major structural trusses and two large solar power arrays are delivered and installed, and a damaged array is removed. Aboard Atlantis for her 28th flight are Commander Rick Sturckow, Pilot Lee Archambault, and mission specialists Patrick Forrester, Danny Olivas, Clayton Anderson, Jim Reilly and Steven Swanson. Anderson remains on the station, joining the crew of ISS Expedition 15.

Doctor Who: Blink

Doctor WhoThe 736th episode of Doctor Who (the 38th since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. Though it is this season’s “Doctor lite” story – featuring minimal appearances from David Tennant and Freema Agyeman – Blink proves to be hugely popular, thanks in no small part to the most popular enemy that the new series has produced to date, the Weeping Angels, making their first appearance here. Blink goes on to win a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short-Form). Read more

Doctor Who: Utopia

Doctor WhoThe 737th episode of Doctor Who (the 39th since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. Guest starring John Barrowman and Sir Derek Jacobi, this is the first part of a three-part season finale reintroducing the Master, the Doctor’s rival Time Lord from the classic series. Read more

Doctor Who: The Sound Of Drums

Doctor WhoThe 738th episode of Doctor Who (the 40th since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. Guest starring John Barrowman and John Simm (Life On Mars), this is the second part of a three-part season finale reintroducing the Master, the Doctor’s rival Time Lord from the classic series. This episode offers the first glimpse of the Time Lords – in full classic series regalia – since the beginning of the new Doctor Who series. Read more

Doctor Who: Last Of The Time Lords

Doctor WhoThe 739th episode of Doctor Who (the 41st since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. Guest starring John Barrowman and John Simm (Life On Mars), this is the final part of a three-part season finale reintroducing the Master, the Doctor’s rival Time Lord from the classic series. Freema Agyeman departs the TARDIS as Martha in this episode, returning as a recurring character the following season. Read more

Blake’s 7: The Logic Of Empire

Blake's 7: The Logic Of EmpireMagic Bullet Productions, the makers of the Kaldor City audio series, release The Logic Of Empire, an unofficial audio drama continuation set in the world of Terry Nation’s Blake’s 7. Available on cassette tape, the story features Paul Darrow as Avon, Jacqueline Pearce as Servalan, and Peter Tuddenham as Orac; Trevor Cooper (Star Cops) is also featured. Read more

Eureka: Phoenix Rising

EurekaSci-Fi Channel airs the 13th episode of the quirky modern-day science fiction series Eureka, starring Colin Ferguson, Salli Richardson, Debrah Farentino, Joe Morton, and Matt Frewer. (In the UK and elsewhere, this series is retitled A Town Called Eureka.) Tamlyn Tomita (Babylon 5, Star Trek: Picard) guest stars in the second season premiere. Read more

Peter Tuddenham, Blake’s 7 actor, dies

Peter TuddenhamActor Peter Tuddenham, perhaps not been a familiar face to fans of British SF, but certainly a familiar voice, dies at the age of 88. After playing voice-over-only characters in a few episodes of Doctor Who, he became a series regular on the cult favorite series Blake’s 7, providing the voice of the Liberator’s on-board computer Zen and later the feisty supercomputer Orac throughout the series. (When the Liberator was destroyed at the end of the show’s third season, he voiced its replacement, the obsequious Slave, aboard the crew’s new ship.) He did play numerous characters in person in guest appearances on many shows, and also served as a dialect coach for other actors throughout much of his career.