Derek Benfield

 (1926-2009) voiced Melanie Bush's uncle, Dr John Hallam, in the Big Finish Doctor Who audio story Catch-1782.

A stalwart of British television, his career stretched back to at least the mid-1950s. He was known for several recurring characters from the 1960s to the 1990s, including: "Higgenbottom" in 1961's Three Live Wires, a series that is now mostly lost; "Tom Collis" in 1965's Paul Bernard-directed science fiction programme, ; "Andrew Parsons" in 1965's ; "Walter Greenhaigh" from 1967 to 1969 on Coronation Street; "Frank Skinner" on 1970's ; "Bill Riley" on, with Colin Baker and Kate O'Mara; "Albert Handyside" on 1979's ; the lead on in 1988; and "Robert Wainthropp" on  in the late 1990s.

His list of guest-starring credits is exceptionally long. Amongst the higher-profile shows on which he appeared were: ; ; ; ; ; ; Z-Cars; and, a show for which he also wrote a few episodes.