LEGENDARY LOSS

‘Doctor Who’ Star Dies at 79

“His cheery presence on studio days was always most welcome,” a friend and producer recalled.

Michael Keating, best known for his roles in Doctor Who and Blake’s 7, has died at the age of 79. The cause of his death has not been revealed. The London native had a long and fruitful television career, starring as Goudry in the 1977 Doctor Who story “The Sun Makers.” Just a year later, Keating landed one of his most famous roles as Vila Restal in Blake’s 7, a character he played in all 52 episodes until 1981 and in later audio projects. Keating also portrayed the recurring character of Reverend Stevens in EastEnders from 2005 to 2017. The multitalented actor remained a major part of the Doctor Who franchise, later voicing various characters in audio projects for the long-running British series. He also appeared on stage in the 1985 West End play Are You Lonesome Tonight about Elvis Presley. “His cheery presence on studio days was always most welcome. I would sit at the back of the Audio Sorcery control room hooting with laughter at his comic timing in our recordings,” Blake’s 7 producer Peter Anghelides recalled.