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 50th 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.
