Norman Clegg, Sir Humphrey Appleby, and Nurse Gladys Emmanuel

Time rolls on, even those who sought to bring the Eternal Captain Striker to life in the Doctor Who story "Enlightenment." A few years ago, Nigel Hawthorne, who was approached to play Captain Striker, passed on. Last year, actor Peter Sallis departed our Temporal ranks. A few months later, Keith Barron likewise departed our shores. The three actors who would have, and ultimately did portray Captain Striker in "Enlightenment" breathed their last, and spread their wings upon the great solar winds. Now they race toward the ultimate prize. Whatever sense of Enlightenment eluded them on Earth, we can only hope they will grasp it in Eternity.

Author Roy Clarke, who created and wrote "Last of the Summer Wine," created another comedy series called "Open All Hours." Although it only lasted a few years, it was so successful, and so beloved, that it recently spawned the sequel series "Still Open All Hours." Lynda Baron (no relation to Keith Barron), played the role of Nurse Gladys Emmanuel. In the first series, she played an important role, as the love interest of Arkwright, the proprietor of the local grocery store. 

After the death of actor Ronnie Barker, who played Arkwright, there was no real dramatic reason for her to return. Yet she came back for the sequel, simply because people loved seeing her in that role. It was comforting to imagine her sitting in her house across the street from Arkwright's, and in her own way, looking out for Granville, Arkwright's nephew, who now runs the shop.

In "Enlightenment", actress Lynda Baron played the role of Captain Wrack, an Eternal who sought to win the race through the solar system by sabotaging the ships of her competitors. I find it ironic how director Fiona Cumming sought out Peter Sallis, Nigel Hawthorne, and Lynda Baron, such noted comedy actors, to fill these dramatic roles. After all, the Eternals are supposed to be detached, used up creatures. In grasping eternal life, the Eternals seem to have lost their souls. Their only interest in life is derived from feeding on the emotions and thoughts of lesser, Temporal beings. 

This begs two questions. If the Eternals exist solely by constantly seeking diversions, who better to play such roles, than the people who divert us mere Temporals through their comedic performances? And if Eternals are beings who exist solely by constantly seeking diversions, could Foggy Dewhurst, Compo Simmonite, and Norman Clegg really be Eternals in disguise? 

Given the first choice of director Fiona Cumming for the casting of Captain Striker, it's ironic that the creator of "Enlightenment," the first woman to ever write for "Doctor Who," was veteran TV actor and writer Barbara Clegg. I wonder if she would have approved of well-known comedy actor Peter Sallis as Captain Striker. Or would she have seen his inclusion as one Clegg too many in her otherwise fine story...

Dragon Dave