Coming as it did on the day after the news of the assassination of President Kennedy, the first transmission of the first episode of 'Dr Who' could easily have been missed by many people. As it was, I saw it on that Saturday, 23rd November 1963. I remember that it was supposed to start at 5.15pm but that there was a slight delay due to a further news announcement about the assassination. I also watched the repeat on 30th November, when it was broadcast just before the second episode.
The original opening titles.
This was back in the day when BBC TC programmes were broadcast in 405-line back and white (actually monochrome, but everyone called it black and white) and by modern standards it was probably rather drab and grainy. Despite this, I was hooked from the very beginning, and although I cannot claim to have seen every episode that has broadcast, I've seen every incarnation of the Doctor onscreen ... including Peter Cushing.
When any groups of Whovians (i.e. Dr Who fans) get together, the conversation usually turns to who was their favourite Doctor. Having seen them all in action, I find this a difficult question to answer. If one splits the pack into two (i.e. the first generation from 1963 to 1989 and the second generation from 2005 onwards), I would probably select Jon Pertwee's and David Tennant's Doctors as my favourites ... but all of the other actors brought interesting nuances to the role which helped to make it such an iconic TV and film series. As to my favourite companions ... well, they must be (in order of appearance):
- Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney)
- Sarah Jane Smith (Elizabeth Sladen)
- Leela (Louise Jameson)
- K9 (voiced by John Leeson and David Brierley)
- Ace (Sophie Aldred)
- Rose Tyler (Billie Piper)
- Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman)
- Wilfred Mott (the incomparable Bernard Cribbins!)
- Amy Pond (Karen Gillan)
- Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman)
* I would have loved to see Paul McGann make more episodes as the Eight Doctor, but it was not to be. Likewise, I would have loved to have seen him portray Richard Sharpe, a part for which he was cast but in which he was replaced after two weeks of filming because he suffered a knee injury playing kick-about football on location. At least he managed to fill the role of Lieutenant William Bush (Hornblower's best friend and later subordinate) very convincingly in the 'Hornblower' series.
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My favourites were Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, though this is completely biased by age as those were the Doctors I saw most.
ReplyDeleteMaudlin Jack Tar,
DeleteI suspect that he Doctors who were around when we were teenagers are the ones that we remember best and hold in highest esteem. Both Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker made their mark on the role, and looking at my list of favourite companions, I note that the first two pairs go with Pertwee and Baker respectively.
All the best,
Bob
Hi BOB,
ReplyDeleteTom Baker is now 90 years old and Sylvester McCoy -the 7th Doctor- is now 80 years of age...I guess that as a teenager I watched John Pertwee the 3rd Doctor and Tom Baker the 4th Doctor a fair bit between studies for school and university...much later in life I've come to enjoy the adventures of Sylvester McCoy- the 7th Doctor with Sophie Aldred as 'ACE'. I've watched a fair amount of Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor and have very much enjoyed the episodes. I like all the Doctors and their series- though the 7th Doctor is probably my favorite- something about the 1980s shows- they are more my pace and style. Best Wishes. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteMany, many years ago an Irish friend and I spent an interesting couple of hours in a London pub with Tom Baker. He was a very interesting man ... even when he was not quite sober!
I suspect that we all have a favourite Doctor and companions that date back to when we were early teenagers and therefore more receptive to the nuances the actors brought to the role.
It has been very interesting to see how the story lines have always seemed to be reasonably relevant to the contemporary world, and I think that is one of the reasons why - sixty years on - it is still a popular TV programme.
All the best,
Bob
Hi BOB,
DeleteIt is very interesting that you have met Tom Baker- that'd be great. I've joined an Australian Doctor Who Fan Club hoping that I can meet up with some people who have an interest in the 5.5 inch Doctor WHO figures as made by Character Options...the meeting place in Sydney however is a fair way from my home and difficult to get to...anyway I'll try to make it to a gathering and see what is going on in Sydney. Regards. KEV.
Kev Robertson )Kev),
DeleteI met Tom Bakler a long, long time ago ... but it was a fun evening!
Good for you for joining the fan club! Even if you cannot meet face-to-face, at least you can communicate with other Whovians, and you never know, there may be some who live close to where you do.
All the best,
Bob
THE Dr Who for mine was the first: William Hartnell. For some reason I never really cottoned to Dr Who after he left the show.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite baddies were by far and away the Daleks, and I liked best Rose Tyler as Dr Who's companion. But I was never much of a fan, and, after the first two, have seen maybe half a dozen of the story lines.
SF is one of those genres that seems to promise more than it delivers. Still, I found this amusing...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do-wDPoC6GM
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteSome years ago the BBC broadcast a TV drama that recreated how the series started and its affect on William Hartnell. He was already a very well-established and well-known actor who seemed to specialise in playing minor authority figures (NCOs, and policemen for example) or villains. By the time Dr Who came along, his career was waning as he aged, and although he was not the easiest person to deal with on and off the set, he made the role his own. From what I can remember, he eventually realised that it was the crowning glory to his career, and resented being replaced when he was no longer able to carry on in the role.
I loved the 'Children in Need' sketch, and especially the repeated 'I'll explain it all later' line.
All the best,
Bob
Three of my favourites missing from the list - K9, Zoe and Victoria. Sadly, these are two with the most missing episodes. Currently working through on BBC i Player - halfway through Series 7. As in, 'real' Series 7.
ReplyDeleteRob Young,
DeleteThere have been great strides made to find the missing episodes, and every so often a new one will turn up in someone's collection. One of my ex-pupils is a bit of an expert in this field, and he keeps me in touch with the latest finds.
Zoe and Victoria were great characters, but the ones I listed are my particular Top Ten.
All the best,
Bob
Whoops - just noticed K9 was there. How did I miss that?
ReplyDeleteRob Young,
DeleteEven though she has never quite 'got' Dr Who, K9 was my wife's favourite companion. In fact, she still has the friction toy that I bought for her that used to say 'Yes, master' as it moved!
All the best,
Bob
The first two Doctors were my favorites, followed by the fourth.
ReplyDeleteI liked that Hartnell played a character who was at once very 'human' and also fantastical. His grumpiness and initial selfish tendencies, I found made him more endearing than the 21st century versions that became more and more like superheroes.
The most moving scene, I felt. was when the Doctor had to part with his granddaughter. She did not want to choose between her grandfather and her new love, but the Doc made it for her when he left without her. he sacrificed his own happiness to have a lonely existence so she could have her new life on Earth.
My favorite assistants were Jamie, Sarahjane, Leela and Perry. Jamie looked like a fish out of water, in his kilt and clasping a claymore but his bravery stood him well. Sarahjane always gave a heartfelt, believable performance. Leela was great as a foil to the Doctor, he being the peaceful one and she brandishing a big knife. Perry had a couple of obvious assets and was maybe the sexiest of the female assistants.
Quantrilltoy,
DeleteWilliam Hartnell and Patrick Troughton certain set the bar and tone for all the following Doctors to reach and match. I liked Jon Pertwee, who depicted a Doctor who had been confined to Earth as a punishment by the other Time Lords. He worked with UNIT, which was commanded by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and organised, armed, and uniformed like the contemporary British Army.
I well remember the episode when the First Doctor parted company with his granddaughter, and as you write, it was a very moving scene.
I don’t know of a single Whovian who totally agrees with another’s choices of best Doctor and best Companion, but the discussions of the merits of this character as opposed to another is always very enjoyable.
All the best,
Bob
I agree with you on the two favourite doctors. Obviously Tom Baker is up there, but that's as much to do with him being an entertaining person in his own right.
ReplyDeleteAs for companions, I started making a mental list (Romana, Peri..) and realised I may not have been making my judgment on character or acting ability.
The first generation Dr Who conjures up tea time on wet Saturdays, after the classified football and rugby results.
Nundanket,
DeleteOne of my favourite stories - which was re-telling oft he Prisoner of Zenda - was a Tom Baker one. As to the choice of the top ten companions … well, it was well known that quite a few fathers became avid watchers of the series when certain female companions were onscreen.
I know just what you mean about Saturday evenings! I well remember having to sit in silence during the football results, wishing for the immoral ‘Forfar 5, Fife 4’ to be read out!
All the best,
Bob
Your last two posts came flooding into focus last night when the BBC aired its dramatisation of the gestation of the first Dr Who series and William Hartnell's story. And of course JFK's assassination.
DeleteSimilar style to the programme a few years ago about the making of Dad's Army.
Nundanket,
DeleteThe programme about how the series came to be aired was very interesting. It was particularly interesting that the actor who portrayed William Hartnell/The First Doctor (David Bradley) in 'An Adventure in Space and Time' played the Doctor again in three of the Dr Who 'Specials' in 2017 and 2022.
I did watch one interesting documentary about the Kennedy assassination that I had not seen before. It concerned the alleged involvement of Ruth Paine (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Paine) who was a friend of Oswald's wife and who may or may not have had connections to the CIA.
I am looking forward to watching the latest Dr Who episode tonight (Saturday 25th November) and several more related programmes over the weekend.
All the best,
Bob
I always thought that Nicholas Courtney must have provided great PR for the forces and probably helped recruitment.
ReplyDeleteNigel Drury,
DeleteYou’re probably right. The Sharpe books and TV programmes certainly helped to make The Rifles the biggest infantry regiment in the British Army.
All the best,
Bob