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Longest gaps between Doctor Who appearances
Fiona Walker appeared as Kala in The Keys of Marinus in 1964. After a record-breaking absence of 24 years and 191 days, she returned as Lady Peinforte in Silver Nemesis.
Jean Marsh played Princess Joanna in The Crusade in 1965, and Sara Kingdom in The Dalek Masterplan in 1965/66. 23 years and 190 days later she returned as Morgaine in Battlefield.
Clive Merrison appeared as Callum in The Tomb of the Cybermen, returning 20 years and 12 days later as the Deputy Caretaker in Paradise Towers.
Carole Ann Ford stopped being Susan Foreman in The Dalek Invasion of Earth at the end of 1964. She revived the role 18 years and 334 days later in The Five Doctors.
Michael Attwell was Isbur in The Ice Warriors in 1967. 17 years and 20 days later he appeared unmasked as Bates in Attack of the Cybermen.
John Flint appeared in The Crusade in 1965 as William des Preaux. After an absence of 16 years and 339 days, he returned as Concorde pilot Captain Urquhart in Time-Flight.
Leonard Sachs became the third Borusa in Arc of Infinity in 1983, 16 years and 311 days after appearing as Admiral de Coligny in The Massacre.
Michael Gough appeared alongside Sachs in Arc of Infinity. 16 years and 255 days earlier he had been the menacing Toymaker in The Celestial Toymaker.
Margot van der Burgh was the cocoa wielding temptress Cameca in 1964's The Aztecs. 16 years and 232 days later she played Consul Katura in The Keeper of Traken.
Ivor Salter was Odysseus in The Myth Makers in 1966. He returned as Sergeant Markham 16 years and 115 days later in Black Orchid.
Eileen Way played Old Mother in 100,000 B.C. in late 1963 and returned 15 years and 324 days later looking no older as Karela in The Creature from the Pit.
When Carl Forgione appeared as Nimrod in Ghost Light, 15 years and 153 days had passed since his previous appearance as Land in Planet of the Spiders.
Jacqueline Hill bowed out as Barbara Wright at the end of The Chase. 15 years and 93 days later, she returned as Lexa in Meglos.
Paul Darrow was an unknown when he appeared as Captain Hawkins in Doctor Who and the Silurians in 1970. He was better known as Avon from Blake's 7 when he appeared as Tekker in Timelash 14 years and 360 days later.
David Weston appeared as Nicholas in The Massacre in 1966. 14 years and 311 days later he played Biroc in Warrior's Gate.
Richard the Lionheart was an alien? Julian Glover's appearances as King Richard in The Crusade and Scaroth in City of Death were separated by a gap of 14 years and 165 days.
Both Wendy Padbury and Frazer Hines reprised their roles as Zoe and Jamie in The Five Doctors, 14 years and 157 days after departing in The War Games.
Laurence Payne played Johnny Ringo in The Gunfighters. 14 years and 101 days later, he returned as Morix in The Leisure Hive.
Jimmy Gardner was Chenchu in Marco Polo, becoming Idmon in Underworld after a gap of 13 years and 292 days.
Ann Tirard appeared as the amoral court poisoner Locusta in The Romans. 13 years and 229 days later she donned a set of antlers for her re-appearance as the Seeker in The Ribos Operation.
After providing Dalek voices in five stories, David Graham finally appeared on screen as the hard-nosed bartender Charlie in The Gunfighters. That was his last Doctor Who work for 13 years and 138 days before re-appearing as the timid Professor Kerensky in City of Death. Maybe they didn't like his face?
Barry Jackson was the streetwise Time Lord Drax in The Armageddon Factor in 1979. He wasn't so streetwise 13 years and 131 days earlier when he found himself being turned into a walking thorn bush as Garvey in Mission to the Unknown.
Roy Herrick played the part of the counter-revolutionary Jean in The Reign of Terror, returning after a gap of 13 years and 40 days as Professor Marius' doomed assistant Parsons in The Invisible Enemy. Less than a year before his visual return, he spoke three words as one of Xoanon's voices in The Face of Evil.
Dennis Edwards went from Roman warrior to doddery old man in 13 years and 19 days, playing the Centurion in The Romans and Gomer in The Invasion of Time.
After appearing as Lieutenant Carstairs in The War Games, David Savile soon returned as Winser in The Claws of Axos less than two years later. He then had to wait a further 12 years and 236 days before being asked to play Colonel Crichton in The Five Doctors.
John Bailey played Victoria Waterfield's father Edward in The Evil of the Daleks in 1967. After an absence of 12 years and 195 days, he played Sezom in The Horns of the Nimon.
Edwin Richfield was the (almost) unflappable Captain Hart in The Sea Devils, returning after 11 years and 357 days as the grotesque Mestor in The Twin Dilemma.
After appearing as the Servant in The Massacre, Reginald Jessup went awol for 11 years and 350 days before appearing as Savar in The Invasion of Time.
Stacy Davies played Perkins in The Invasion in late 1968, returning to play Veros in State of Decay 11 years and 317 days later.
Tony Caunter played Thatcher in The Crusade in 1965 and Morgan in Colony in Space in 1971. It was a full 11 years and 290 days before he graced Doctor Who with his presence again, as Jackson in Enlightenment.
Dallas Cavell's appearance as Quinlan in The Ambassadors of Death in 1970 was his fourth in Doctor Who in less than six years. He then missed Tom Baker's entire Who career before appearing as the bewildered Head of Security in Castrovalva, 11 years and 282 days later.
Peter Jeffrey appeared twice, as the Pilot in The Macra Terror and as Count Grendel in The Androids of Tara 11 years and 238 days later.
Hammer Horror star Ingrid Pitt played the alluring Queen Galleia in The Time Monster in 1972, returning 11 years and 195 days later in Warriors of the Deep as Solow, despite looking only five years older.
Most supporting actors tended to make several appearances over a short period of time. Frank Jarvis however was different, 11 years and 182 days elapsing between his appearances as a Corporal in The War Machines and as Ankh, complete with silly robot head, in Underworld.
Hugh Walters appeared briefly as William Shakespear in The Chase in 1965. 11 years and 161 days later, he lasted a bit longer as Commentator Runcible in The Deadly Assassin.
James Bree was the creepy Security Chief in The War Games in 1969, and waited 11 years and 126 days before returning as the not-so-creepy Nefred in Full Circle. His third appearance was a mere 6 years and 35 days later in The Trial of a Time Lord as the Keeper of the Matrix.
Martin Jarvis was another three-timer, with just under 9 years between his first and second appearances and 10 years, 337 days between his second and third appearances as Butler in Invasion of the Dinosaurs and the Governor in Vengeance on Varos respectively.
When Patrick Troughton retired as the Doctor in 1969, he said it was so he wouldn't become typecast. Two-and-a-half years later he was reprising his role in The Three Doctors. 10 years and 309 days later he was back again in The Five Doctors, and made a third re-appearance just over a year later in The Two Doctors. So much for not wanting to be typecast!
Caroline John's husband, Geoffrey Beevers played a minor role as Johnson in The Ambassadors of Death. 10 years and 274 days later he had a larger part as the pre-Anthony Ainley Master in The Keeper of Traken.
Hugh Lund was one of those squeezed into a Zarbi costume in The Web Planet. 10 years and 247 days later he appeared in the flesh as Matthews in The Android Invasion.
Erik Chitty was another member of the cast of The Massacre to wait more than a decade for a reappearance, 10 years and 246 days elapsing between his portrayals of Preslin and Co-ordinator Engin in The Deadly Assassin.
Ian Collier was the hapless Stuart Hyde in The Time Monster in 1972. 10 years and 193 days later he had a complete change of image as Omega in Arc of Infinity.
The lovely Wanda Ventham made three Doctor Who appearances, the first in The Faceless Ones in 1966 as Jean Rock, the second 10 years and 169 days later in Image of the Fendahl as Thea Ransome, the third as Faroon in Time and the Rani 9 years and 292 days later, just 73 days short of becoming the only person with three appearances ten years apart from each other.
Charles Morgan was the Abbott Songsten in The Abominable Snowmen, returning as Gold Usher in The Invasion of Time 10 years and 92 days later.
