“Without his genius as Doctor no. 2, we wouldn’t still be going!”
Legends of classic Doctor Who gathered to pay tribute to Patrick Troughton as a plaque was unveiled in his honour at his former school.
The Doctor Who Appreciation Society, the show’s longest-running fan club, collaborated with Mill Hill School in London to place the plaque at the school’s Patrick Troughton Theatre.
Sylvester McCoy, who played the Seventh Doctor, Sophie Aldred, who played Ace, and Frazer Hines, who played Jamie McCrimmon, were among those pictured in attendance to celebrate the actor, best known as the Second Doctor.
Carole Ann Ford (Susan), actors Hugh Frasers and Michael Jayston, and director Graeme Harper were also among those attending, alongside Troughton’s children Joanna and Michael.
Respect pic.twitter.com/DQo54h1P1u
— Sylvester McCoy (@4SylvesterMcCoy) July 17, 2023
McCoy shared a picture of himself with the plaque, tweeting: “Respect.”
Aldred shared a snap of herself and McCoy, referencing the show’s legacy and writing on Instagram: “Very lovely event celebrating Patrick Troughton, who I sadly never met, but to whom I owe this long career in Dr Who: Without his genius as Doctor no. 2, we wouldn’t still be going!”
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Troughton took over from William Hartnell as the Doctor in 1966, leaving the series in 1969. He went on to reprise the role several times.
It’s said that Hartnell approved of the choice, saying: “There’s only one man in England who can take over, and that’s Patrick Troughton.”
The actor died in 1987 at the age of 67. Many of his episodes still remain missing from the BBC Archives, with just two stories left in their entirety – The Tomb of the Cybermen (1967) and The Enemy of the World (1968).
Pictures unearthed this year from the Radio Times archive also show the stars of Troughton’s era before they were cast in Doctor Who.
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