10 Worst Guest Stars In Doctor Who History

2. Richard Briers

Doctor Who fans know their favourite show is often pretty rubbish but they don't like other people saying it. Something they like even less is when a guest star turns up and visibly takes the mick out of it. Paul Darrow was one who showed his lack of respect for Who but this pales next to the performance that Richard Briers gives in Seventh Doctor tale Paradise Towers. He plays the role of the Chief Caretaker, a jobsworth who is in nominal charge of a tower block where cleaning machines are killing the youngsters. Oh, and the grannies are cannibals, too. This is hardly gritty realism so it kind of relies on the cast taking it seriously else it all falls to pieces. Briers has played two long running sitcom characters in The Good Life and Ever Decreasing Circles but seemingly saved his most out there turn for Doctor Who. With a silly voice, zany expressions and a dodgy moustache, Briers is terrible. Whether this is totally his fault or that of the producer or director Nick Mallett is hard to tell. What is staggering, however, is that Briers actually goes even more over the top when his Caretaker is possessed by the disembodied spirit of the Great Architect. Growling and shuffling his way through the show's last episode like a zombie who has recently suffered a stroke, Briers is horrific in every way bar the type of horrific he actually needs to be. That the show is still a good watch is testament to the clever and quirky writing of Stephen Wyatt.