6. Bernard Bresslaw – The Ice Warriors
A returning foe in Series 10 are the Ice Warriors, reptilian soldiers of Mars who previously fought against the Second, Third and Eleventh Doctors onscreen. Last time we saw them was in 2013’s Cold War, where it transpired they were actually gremlins in Kinder Egg-style suits of armour. However when the Martian menace debuted in 1967 they were a more mysterious opponent. Carry On star and 6’7 actor Bernard Bresslaw played Varga, the very first Ice Warrior to be seen by terrified viewers, thawed out of an ice block by scientists in the Arctic. The stranded giant caused mayhem in the search for his crewmates from the red planet, who he’d became separated from.
Other famous faces from the Carry On series to appear in Doctor Who were Peter Butterworth (as rogue Gallifreyan The Time Meddler), Joan Sims (The Mysterious Planet), Angela Douglas (Battlefield) and Barbara Windsor (Army Of Ghosts). Though Bresslaw usually had a gentle side to his performances, with the Ice Warriors it was war all the way. Luckily Patrick Troughton’s second incarnation was on hand to tackle the scaly threat, blowing up Bresslaw and his hissing accomplices. By the time Jon Pertwee inherited the part, the military race appeared to be ready for peace. That all appears to have gone to the wall for forthcoming adventure The Empress Of Mars, episode 9 of the new series.
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