WILLIAM HARTNELL ARCHIVE MATERIAL

Desert Island Discs... A classic radio show that lasted for many long years. Just released on the BBC Radio 4 website is a lovely curious; an episode that features William Hartnell, the very first Doctor!

Hartnell was well-known for his abrasive persona, with 2013's dramatised special about the creation of Doctor Who, An Adventure in Space and Time, painted a poignant picture of the man. But here is a wonderful chance to hear the considered, more relaxed, side of the man.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009y3yj

REVIEW: AN ADVENTURE IN SPACE AND TIME

As a man who has never really dabbled much in Doctor Who, I was somewhat unsure about how to feel about the madness surrounding the 50^th anniversary episode. Was it to be something exclusively for the fans, or a possible invitation for newcomers such as myself to join the party? Or maybe even both? Either way, my knowledge of the programme was insufficient. I needed a way to feel educated about the universe of Doctor Who without necessarily watching through the hundreds of available episodes. Thankfully, An Adventure in Space and Time serves this purpose nicely.

The story chronicles the birth of the show and its various production troubles, from William Hartnell’s (David Bradley) ailing health and struggles as a typecast actor, to Verity Lambert’s (Jessica Raine) own trouble as one of the early female figures in British television. It becomes clear from the very first scene that this is not necessarily the smooth and obstacle-free ride that one might initially think.

With a keen sense of nostalgia, particular effort has been put into replicating both the context of 1960s Britain in all its gloomy-weather glory, and the harsh realities that come with working from within the BBC – a place not often associated with second chances. As a result, I was immediately drawn towards Hartnell, played with excellent cynicism and humanity by David Bradley. As an actor with very little direction in his career, Hartnell’s only desire was to steer clear of the authority figures he became so often associated with. Yet with the show’s aim to inform and educate as well as to thrill and terrify, the role was understandably irresistible.

What follows is an intense, but often fun series of events that follow Hartnell and Lambert as they both fight desperately to keep Doctor Who alive, regardless of whether it came from artistic integrity or something to pay the bills. Yet in a bizarre twist, I found the story’s finest moments were the ones that distanced themselves from Doctor Who. Such moments include Hartnell’s often adorable interaction with his granddaughter and wife, reminding us that he was still a human being, with familial concerns and constant reminders of his growing age in an industry that was constantly seeking to modernise itself.

Naturally, the references to the series itself are littered throughout the script. Some are impossible to miss, while others will no doubt be detected by only the most hardened of fans. But as the story reached its conclusion, I couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed by the amount that was being thrown at me. Of course, there exists five whole decades of history behind Doctor Who, and it would be a missed opportunity not to acknowledge it through various nods and winks, but at times, it felt just a little too much.

 

Regardless, this was easily outweighed by the positives. Every actor gave an outstanding performance, in particular Brian Cox’s dominating presence as the iconic Sydney Newman – a role he clearly had incredible fun playing. But at its very core, An Adventure in Space and Time was a very human story about a very otherworldly concept. It provided an informative but touching look at both a man desperately looking to push past his own ‘grumpy old man’ persona, as well as the now cemented position Doctor Who holds as a key part to our history and culture.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

AN ADVENTURE IN SPACE AND YOUTUBE!

With the 50th anniversary rapidly approaching, it’s easy to forget some of the other fantastic material the BBC has on offer.

As a one-off special, An Adventure in Space and Time will demonstrate to fans exactly how the iconic television show got started. From its humble and unpredictable beginnings, through to its 50th anniversary celebration, it’s a must-see for both hardened veterans as well as newcomers to the series.

The BBC have since released a collection of trailers and clips, which can be seen below. Judging by the content we’ve seen, it looks like every effort has been put into replicating the look and feel of the show, in particular the uncanny performances by David Bradley and Brian Cox as William Hartnell and Sydney Newman respectively.

Check out the second clip to see Cox in action.

A WHO-HEAVY NOVEMBER AHEAD!

Just when you thought the 50^th anniversary episode ‘The Day of the Doctor’ was enough in itself to get you excited, the BBC have announced an entire range of programmes to celebrate the show’s golden years.

For a start, ‘The Day of the Doctor’ will be as fans assumed it – a feature length episode lasting a tasty 75 minutes. But the man of the hour, Matt Smith, appears every bit as excited as the fans. He says: “The Day of the Doctor is nearly here! Hope you all enjoy. There’s lots more coming your way, as the countdown to the 50^th begins now.”

With the BBC already in full swing preparing for the occasion, an assortment of separate programmes is to be spread out across each channel, showcasing various aspects of the show’s past, present and future.

BBC Two will kick off the celebration with an hour long show hosted by Dr Brian Cox discussing the level of reality applied to Doctor Who. Is time-travel possible? Do aliens exist? How would TARDIS work in our world? For fans of any kind of science-fiction, this is an absolute must.

Continuing the festivity, BBC Two will also present ‘Me, You, and Doctor Who’ – an hour-long special of lifelong fan Matthew Sweet exploring the show’s historical significance and its place within the sci-fi genre. The show's position as a major force in British popular culture definitely doesn't seem to be waning then.

One of the more intriguing programmes however, is the dramatisation of the making of the programme itself, titled ‘An Adventure in Space and Time’. Written by Mark Gatiss and starring David Bradley, Brian Cox, Jessica Raine and Sacha Dhawan, it will tell the story of Sydney Newman and the rest of the crew as they take on the first steps towards the creation of Doctor Who.

CBBC will be making their own contribution through 12 Again – bringing an array of ‘super-fans’ together including Chris Johnson, Jon Culshaw, Tommy Knight, Warwick Davies, Neve Mcintosh, Dan Starkey, Louise Jameson and the 7^th Doctor himself, Sylvester McCoy. The programme's aim will be to explore the childhood memories of growing up with Who on the screen. How has it helped us shape our own thoughts on space, time and extraterrestrial light? Definitely one for the family.

BBC Three will also make their own contribution with Doctor Who: Monsters and Villains, a countdown of the country’s favourite Who monster.

Danny Cohen, Director of BBC Television, says “Doctor Who is a titan of British television and I’m incredibly proud to have it on the BBC. It’s an astonishing achievement for a drama to reach its 50^th anniversary. I’d like to thank every person – on both sides of the camera – who has been involved with its creative journey over so many years.”

With all this on offer, any Who fan will be hard-pressed to find something that quenches their thirst. With entertainment coming from all angles, 2013 will definitely be a year to remember for us Who-fans.

DOCTOR WHO IN 3D, REECE SHEARSMITH AS PATRICK TROUGHTON AND THE RETURN OF THE ICE WARRIORS

THE DOCTOR IS IN YOUR LIVING ROOM

Doctor Who's 50th anniversary show will be filmed in 3D.

This is the first, and probably one of the more unsurprising announcements to be confirmed by the BBC, as, with the current popularity (apparently) of 3D films and with 3D being used more prominently in television, Doctor Who is the perfect platform to show what this technology can do on the small screen. 

Although most of us here at type40 news whinge and moan non-stop about the onslaught of 3D (they're putting it into our phones now... Why?!), we have to admit that we are rather excited about the TARDIS flying into our living rooms and feeling truly involved in the landmark episode.

Image- guardian.co.uk

Aware of the huge expectation surrounding him, The Moff spoke about the decision to take our favourite Time lord into another dimension:

"It's about time. Technology has finally caught up with Doctor Who and your television is now bigger on the inside."

Whether the use of 3D will add to the experience is yet to be seen but one thing's for sure, we hate those glasses!

MARK GATISS' AN ADVENTURE IN SPACE AND TIME CASTS THE SECOND DOCTOR

As we all know, Mark Gatiss is currently in the process of filming his Doctor Who 50th anniversary biopic and, with David Bradley recently announced to play the first Doctor, it was about time we found time who will be his successor.

Image - zimbio.com

Reece Shearsmith, famously known for his work on the League of Gentlemen with Mark Gatiss has been cast as Patrick Troughton in the upcoming drama.

Gatiss recently spoke to the Radio Times about his choice:

"We were in the midst of League of Gentlemen and I just remember thinking, if anyone plays Patrick Troughton, it should be Reece." he said,

"Like the second Doctor, he's small, saturnine and a comic genius. The complete package."

Acting alongside Shearsmith and David Bradley are Brian Cox (BBC Head of Drama Sydney Newman), Jessica Raine (Doctor Who's first producer Verity Lambert), Jeff Rawle (Doctor Who's associate producer Mervyn Pinfield), Jemma Powell (actress Jacqueline Hill) and Claudia Grant (actress Carole Ann Ford).

Images- liveforfilms.com / microfilums.wordpress.com

An Adventure In Space and Time is currently in production with Breaking Bad director Terry McDonough taking the reigns and will coincide with the 50th anniversary show.

THE ICE WARRIORS ARE BACK

Although he's got his hands full with 50th anniversary biopic An Adventure In Space and Time, Mark Gatiss has also found the time to bring back a forgotten foe of the Doctor.

First seen battling Patrick Troughton's second Doctor in 1967's 'The Ice Warriors', the reptilian Martians are making their return in the second half of season 7.

Showrunner Steven Moffat recently admitted that he wasn't sure about the return of the classic monsters:

"I thought they were maybe the default condition for what people thought of as rubbish Doctor Who monsters – they moved very, very slowly and spoke in a way that meant you couldn't understand a word they said."

The Moff eventually came round to Gatiss' pitch insisting that the episode is "an absolute cracker."

Image - radiotimes.com

The Ice Warriors will make their first appearance since Doctor Who's 2005 revival in the third episode when the seventh series continues on March 30th.