Connections Years and Years

Broadcast 14th May, 2019

Directed by Simon Cellan Jones and Lisa Mulcahy 

Written by Russell T Davies

The series of 6 episodes follows the busy Lyons family from Manchester, UK, and their lives that seem to fly by, when they all converge on that one crucial night in 2019. It's so stark and realistic that you truly wouldn't put it past certain governments in countries around the world to do something as crazily scary, in this world we live in.

The series has the whole of social media hyped up about and I can see why. The episodes are gripping from the get go and the characters are people you would expect to meet. Nothing is dressed up. The Lyons are a normal family, with family dotted everywhere. In amongst the chaos ensuing, there's one woman who stands out from the crowd which makes this connection all the more amazing.

Vivienne Rook. Why did that name sound so familiar to me? Was she a real politician? No. Cast your mind back to 2007 - Doctor Who episode, The Sound of Drums. The woman from Torchwood who had dug up all the facts about Harold Saxon and fed them to Saxons wife Lucy. You remember her? Played by Nicola McAuliffe? Do you remember her name?

I do.

Her name was Vivien Rook.

We’ve done the research, so you don’t have to.

Writing Credits 

Russell T. Davies was creator of 6 episodes in 2019. Again, just like Murray Gold, to list all of Russell's credits with Doctor Who and the Whoniverse would take until probably the sun explodes. So to condense it as best we can is to say that Russell created the Judoon, the Ood and the Sycorax for Who. That he created the spin offs from Doctor Who - Torchwood and Sarah Jane Adventures. That he wrote 5 episodes of Torchwood from 2006 - 2011, a story for one episode in 2011 and a teleplay for 1 episode in 2011. That he created 54 episodes of SJA from 2007 - 2011 and wrote 3 episodes from 2007 - 2010. That he wrote the segment Music of the Spheres for Doctor Who at the Proms in 2009.

That he wrote 31 episodes of Doctor Who from 2005 - 2010, and I really wish he was back at the helm again. I miss RTD.

Russell was executive producer of Torchwood for 37 episodes from 2006 - 2011. Executive producer for Web of lies in 2011. Executive producer of SJA from 2007 - 2010 and the same for SJA: Alien Files in 2010. Was executive producer for Doctor Who series from 2005 - 2010. Including 58 episodes of Doctor Who Confidential - another series I truly miss, from 2005 - 2010.

Let's just say, everything with a Doctor Who/TW/SJA stamp has Russell T Davies all over it and we have loved him for it. Thank you!

Cast 

Sharon Duncan-Brewster played Fran Baxter (the storyteller) for 6 episodes in 2019. Played Maggie Cain in Doctor Who episode The Waters of Mars in 2009.

Jessica Hynes played Edith Lyons for 6 episodes in 2019. Played Joan Redfern and Verity Newman in Doctor Who stories The End of Time: Part Two in 2010, and The Family of Blood and Human Nature in 2007. At both times in the three episodes there were nods to the creator and producer of Doctor Who.

T'Nia Miller played Celeste Bisme-Lyons for 6 episodes in 2019. Played a Female General in Doctor Who episode Hell Bent in 2015.

Anne Reid played Muriel Deacon for 6 episodes in 2019. Played Florence Finnegan in Doctor Who episode Smith and Jones in 2007. Played Nurse Crane in Doctor Who classic serial The Curse of Fenric parts 1 - 4 in 1989.

Russell Tovey played Daniel Lyons for 6 episodes in 2019. Played Midshipman Frame for 2 episodes of Doctor Who from 2007 - 2010.

Nila Aalia played the Question Time Host for 1 episode in 2019. Played the flying instructor in Torchwood episode Out of Time in 2006 - (except I don't recall seeing her).

Andrew Byron played a Ukrainian Policeman for 1 episode in 2019. Played Ilya in Doctor Who episode The Pyramid at the End of the World in 2017.

Beatrice Curnew played British Expert for 1 episode in 2019. Played Group Commander in Doctor Who episode The Lie of the Land in 2017.

Emma Fielding played Jane Bordolino for 1 episode in 2019. Was the voice of Kisar in Doctor Who episode Demons of the Punjab in 2018.

Gracy Goldman played Wytel Expert for 1 episode in 2019. Played Mrs Woods in Doctor Who episode The Caretaker in 2014.

Mark Heal played a Red-Faced Man for 1 episode in 2019. Played a Security guard in Torchwood episode Everything Changes in 2006.

Mark Hugh-Williams played a Family Friend for 1 episode in 2019. Played a Bus Driver in Doctor Who episode Rosa but uncredited in 2018. 

Dan Starkey played Mr. Briscoe for 1 episode in 2019. Played a variety of characters for Doctor Who including Commander Skorr, Strax, Ian, another Sontaran, and Commander Jast (uncredited) from 2008 - 2014. Sontar-HA!

Played himself in The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot in 2013, was the voice of Major Skar and Sontaran voices in The Doctor and the Dalek video game in 2014. Was again the voice of Sontarans and Major Kaarsh in The Adventure Games - The Gunpowder Plot video game in 2011, and was Plark in SJA two parter The Man Who Never Was in the same year. Was commander Skorr in Doctor Who at the Proms in 2009.

Roy Tucker played a Bank Customer (uncredited) for 1 episode in 2019. Played the crane Worker in Doctor Who episode The Woman Who Fell to Earth in 2018 uncredited.

Cinematography

Tony Slater Ling was director of photography for 4 episodes in 2019. Was director of photography for 2 episodes of Doctor Who in 2010. Uncredited for The Eleventh Hour in 2010: pre title sequence.

Casting Director

Andy Pryor was casting director for 6 episodes in 2019. Was casting director for Doctor Who for 161 episodes from 2005 - 2020.

Was casting director for An Adventure in Space and Time in 2013.

Was casting director for 31 episodes of Torchwood from 2006 - 2009, and original casting director for 2 episodes in 2011.

Was casting director for Doctor Who: The Adventure Games - Blood of the Cybermen video game in 2010, for Doctor Who: Dreamland in 2009 episode #1.1, and 35 episodes of SJA from 2007 - 2009. And for Doctor Who: Music of the Spheres in 2008

Sound Department

Howard Bargroff was re-recording mixer for 6 episodes in 2019. Was dubbing mixer for 4 episodes of Who in 2018.

Helen Dickson was sound effects editor for 6 episodes in 2019. Was foley editor for 13 episodes of Doctor Who in 2010, was dialogue editor for 4 episodes in 2017, sound editor for 2 episodes from 2014 - 2015, and sound effects editor for 1 episode in 2014.

Was sound editor 12 episodes of SJA in 2009.

Gibran Farrah was adr mixer for 4 episodes in 2019. Was adr mixer for 2 episodes of Doctor Who in 2018.

Emma Butt was a.d.r. mixer for 1 episode in 2019. Was a.d.r. recordist for 2 episodes of Doctor Who in 2018.

Visual Effects

Antonio Buffa was digital compositor for 3 episodes in 2019. Was roto prep artist for 1 episode of Doctor Who in 2017 and prep artist for 1 episode in 2016.

Stunts

Xavier Lake was stunt performer for 1 episode in 2019. Was stunt double/performer for Tosin Cole but uncredited for episode 1 in 2018.

Camera and Electrical Department

Nick Powell was bestboy for 6 episodes in 2019. Was electrician for 6 episodes of Doctor Who from 2012 - 2013.

Tom Williams was B Camera Operator for 6 episodes in 2019. Was first assistant camera for 1 episode in 2011.

Casting Department

Ri McDaid-Wren was casting associate for 6 episodes in 2019. Was casting assistant for 25 episodes of Doctor Who from 2014 - 2015 and casting associate for 15 episodes from 2016 - 2018.

Location Management

Joe Gradwell was unit manager: dailies for 1 episode in 2019. Was location assistant for 2 episodes of Doctor Who in 2018.

Music Department

Murray Gold composed the music for 6 episodes in 2019. Murray is no stranger to the world of Who and indeed Torchwood. He was nominated for a BAFTA 6 times in the Best Original Television Music category, for Queer as Folk, Vanity Fair, Casanova, Doctor Who, and A Very British Scandal - much of those dramas being written and created by Russell T Davies - so I guess it's no surprise that he graces our screens with more of his creative style and it's such a powerful drama, that why indeed not.

I only wish Murray was back on Twitter, as I miss his posts and his occasional tweets back.

Murray's list of credits is scattered throughout 'time and space' with regards to Doctor Who. Bringing music to our ears for the 9th and 10th Doctor, the 11th and indeed the 12th Doctor.

It would take up pretty much all of this article to list everything Who and Who related that Murray has been involved in since 2005 onwards. So, here is a condensed list of credits. For a more in depth look at Murray Gold's history of music - visit IMDB.

As composer - Doctor Who from 2005 - 2017, Torchwood (title music, and additional music) 2006 - 2011. Sarah Jane Adventures composer of 53 episodes from 2007 - 2011. Doctor Who online adventures from 2009 - 2013.

Let's not forget Doctor Who at the Proms. Doctor Who video games, mini series animated. Behind the series - Torchwood/Doctor Who. Music of the Spheres, Attack of the Graske.

As an actor, he was a band member in the Voyage of the Damned episode.

Let's see a show of hands for those who still have the Doctor Who and indeed the Torchwood soundtracks still on CD in their rooms? How many? You don't say!