William Russell starred as the character of Ian Chesterton in Doctor Who in the early 1960s. In the 1964 story titled The Outlaws Russell had a dual role and also portrayed Robin Hood. Doctor Who: The Television Companion called this "one of his finer performances in the dual role of Robin and Ian, making Robin an unsympathetic and callous treat" with "the only drawback [being] the "trouble-up-at-the mill" accent he adopts".
In 2004, when the story was released on a BBC Video, Russell provided linking narration for episodes three and five, "The Alchemist" and "Ransom" respectively, as they were missing from the BBC archives. (PROSE: The Thief of Sherwood)