With Sci-Fi Weekender 14 (SFW XIV) being amazing back in March this year, here at Blazing Minds, we are so pleased to bring you news direct from SFW HQ of the first run of guest announcements for the 15th Anniversary of Sci-Fi Weekender that will be teleporting its way back to Camp SFW in Great Yarmouth on 14th-17th March 2024.
As many of you know, Blazing Minds has been a big supporter of the event that brings like-minded geeks and nerds together to celebrate the love of all things Sci-Fi and much more. In November I was given the prestigious honour of being given the first SFW Ambassador award at the SFW Awards.
So let’s take a look at the first three announcements for Sci-Fi Weekender 15 in March 2024.
Amazing Guests Announced for Sci-Fi Weekender 15th Anniversary
SFW wouldn’t be SFW without a Doctor on standby, and the SFW team are delighted to welcome along Fifth Doctor PETER DAVISON who joins the event for the Friday Only.
Peter Davison’s television debut came in three episodes of children’s sci-fi series The Tomorrow People (ITV, 1973-9) where he played a space cowboy but his big break came with the romantic period serial Love For Lydia (ITV, 1977) before being cast as Tristram in All Creatures Great and Small (BBC, 1978-80; 1988-90). There followed two successful sitcoms, Holding the Fort (ITV, 1980-82) and Sink or Swim (BBC, 1980-82). He also hosted the children’s lunchtime storytelling show Once Upon a Time (ITV, 1979-82) and, a keen musician, he provided the theme tune to another children’s lunchtime series, Button Moon (ITV, 1980-88), and also wrote and sang the theme to the sitcom Mixed Blessings (ITV, 1978-80). Alongside the two sitcoms, he was also cast as the actor to replace Tom Baker in Doctor Who, and was the subject of This Is Your Life (ITV, 82) aged just 31.
With several high-profile roles already behind him the spectre of typecasting often associated with roles like Doctor Who seemed to avoid Peter. He next appeared in the period drama Anna of the Five Towns (BBC, 1985) and then playing Dr Stephen Daker in Andrew Davies’ satire A Very Peculiar Practice (BBC, 1986-88; 1992) this show pushed Peter from the family entertainment bracket into something edgier without damaging his bankability as a ‘TV star’, as shown by his casting as 1930s detective Campion (BBC, 1989-90).
Revivals of All Creatures Great and Small re-established his nice guy image but it was At Home With the Braithwaites (ITV, 2000-03), a drama about a family of dysfunctional lottery winners, that finally broke the mould of genial types with Peter playing the distinctly flawed and unlikeable David Braithwaite. He has since played an out-and-out villain as a stalker in Too Good To Be True (ITV, 2003), down-on-his-luck cop Dangerous Davies in The Last Detective (ITV, 2003-) and the curmudgeonly Dr Bill Shore in Distant Shores (ITV, 2005- ). Not to mention guest spots on many shows like Toast of London, Thunderbirds are Go, Good Omens and Murder They Hope. Recent shows as a regular include The Larkins and The Gold.
The amazing MICHAEL TROUGHTON to SFW. Actor and writer Michael Troughton, son of the late Second Doctor Patrick Troughton, is best known for his roles on TV including Testament of Youth (1979), Minder (1984-89), The Heart Surgeon (1997), The New Statesman (1987-92) and the film Enigma (2001). Other notable television appearances include playing Professor Albert in the Doctor Who Christmas special ‘Last Christmas’, as well as the series Birds of a Feather, Jonathan Creek and Breathless. He has written two books about his father: Patrick Troughton: The Biography, and Smile on Your Face, chronicling Patrick’s long career through photographs and words.
More recently, Michael has taken to producing audiobooks for Amazon Audible, and voiceovers and narrations from his own studio, becoming an Audible Approved Producer. He has enjoyed working on a number of projects with Big Finish Productions, including most recently taking the role of the Second Doctor in the audio adventures.
One of the very best purveyors of horror and science fiction on both the big and small screens, top director NEIL MARSHALL will be heading to SFW XV. Neil is an English film and television director, editor, producer, and screenwriter. He directed the horror films Dog Soldiers (2002) and The Descent (2005), the science fiction action film Doomsday (2008), the historical war film Centurion (2010), the superhero action film Hellboy (2019), and the adventure horror film The Reckoning (2020) and most recently The Lair (2022). Marshall has also directed numerous television series, including Lost In Space, Westworld, Hannibal, Constantine, Black Sails and two episodes of the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Thrones: ‘Blackwater’ and ‘The Watchers on the Wall’, the latter of which earned him a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series.
SFW is also welcoming actor MARK RYAN. Mark is an English actor, author, singer, and action director. He portrayed pirate quartermaster Mr Gates in the Michael Bay/Starz production of the pirate show Black Sails, Nasir in the British TV series Robin of Sherwood, and is known for his work as Bumblebee and Lockdown for the Transformers film franchise. He has also appeared in the TV show Alias. In June 2015 Mark’s autobiography Hold Fast was published, detailing his life, in which he has combined his acting career with a secret existence as an operative of British Military Intelligence.
LEIGH GILL is best known for his role as Gary, Arthur’s co-worker in Joker. He also starred as Bobono in the HBO series Game of Thrones. An outgoing and lively personality, Leigh became a regular on Keith Lemon’s Celebrity Juice. Other credits include Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The Witcher and Scorpion Ling 4. Leigh is currently looking forward to reprising the role of Gary in the forthcoming Joker: Folie à Deux.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
