DR WHO (BBC1 7.30pm)
SITCOM veteran Richard Briers abandons his cuddly. woolly image tonight to play a fascist monster.
He exchanges the suburban single for a hostile planet and a role as the villainous Chief Caretaker in Dr Who.
Fans of Ever Decreasing Circles and The Good Life might have trouble recognising him -- a Hitler moustache disguises his familiar look.
Richard is making the most of his chance to indulge in a touch of melodrama.
"Most of the roles I play are naturalistic so this is a chance to show off a bit," he says.
"The Chief Caretaker is an absolute monster who eats people. He lives in an appalling high-rise block of flats and pops up in the next four episodes."
Although Richard is not a Dr Who fan -- "I've always found it too frightening and so have the children" --he jumped at the chance to star in the cult show.
"It's been extremely hard work. You are in a TV studio for 12 hours a day. It's very exhausting for the actors.
"Fortunately the new Dr Who, Sylvester McCoy, has a very good temperament and he doesn't flip!"
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