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Doctor Who, Series 4 Summaries, Credits, Air Dates, Viewing Figures
THE DOCTOR WHO FACTS & FIGURES PAGE
Compiled by Paul Rance
Doctor Who - Back To Form
By Paul Rance
The first few episodes of series 7 of 'Doctor Who' have been a return to form. Though Matt Smith has filled the prestigious Doctor role with distinction, the series had been missing a spark since David Tennant's departure.
The storylines are much improved, though when you begin a series with Daleks, dinosaurs, Queen Nefertiti and the Wild West, then there's a fair chance an audience will be engaged. On the downside, Karen Gillan's departure will be a loss, as the female heroine Amy Pond is in the feisty Emma Peel and Lara Croft mould - but without the propensity for violence! Another loss will be her gormless but likeable boyfriend Rory Williams, played by Arthur Darvill. Ah, hardly anything in life is all good...
Our Doctor Who Series 3 Reviews
Yes, series 3 has some out of this world episodes! - Human Nature/The Family of Blood was wonderful; Blink was genuinely terrifying; The Shakespeare Code was incredibly clever; and the Sound of Drums - what can you say about that episode? It was astonishing from beginning to end - funny, scary, sad, manic, twisted, delicious! My theory is that the Master actually swapped bodies with his wife, Lucy, before the Doctor arrived back to earth. So at the end, when the 'Master' died, it was in fact Lucy who died..... Possibly. The Master is capable of even killing his own wife...Yeah, I know, it can get confusing! - P.R. Doctor Who Series 2 Summary David Tennant replaces Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor in the second series of 'Doctor Who'. Whereas Eccleston was more of a serious Doctor, Tennant is more chirpy and eccentric, and the second series was still at least as good as the first. The Cybermen made their appearance, and even fought with flying Daleks in a thrilling and moving finale, which sees the Doctor realise just how much assistant Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) means to him. - P.R. Freema's Big Break Freema Agyeman won the role as Martha Jones, after impressing as Torchwood operative Adeola in the second series of 'Doctor Who'. Still working as a theatre usher, Freema was sworn to secrecy about her upcoming role. Freema recalls: "I sold ice creams with a big smile on my face!" - P.R. Some info relating to the Doctor's comeback in 2005. I guess maybe Christopher Eccleston will now be more well-known in the US for being in 'Heroes'! - P.R. Christopher Eccleston Bio Acclaimed as one of the most gifted British actors of his generation, Christopher has taken on some very powerful roles in his career, including playing unjustly hanged teenager Derek Bentley in 'Let Him Have It', in 'Hillsborough' as tragic father Trevor Hicks, and as a latter-day Messiah in 'Second Coming'. He has been in numerous well-known TV shows, such as 'Heroes', 'Boon', 'Casualty', 'Morse', 'Poirot', 'Linda Green', 'Our Friends In The North', and 'Clocking Off'. Christopher has starred in major films such as 'The Others', 'Elizabeth', '24 Hour Party People', and in the Hollywood movie which kicked off his big screen career, the 1994 film, 'Shallow Grave'. Born in Salford, Lancashire, on the 16th of February, 1964, Christopher will be the 9th TV Doctor, and the 10th to be portrayed on screen (Peter Cushing seems to be mysteriously forgotten by many). He'll be the first actor to play the Doctor who is actually younger than the series! Christopher is a Manchester United supporter, and fights for local issues, and is a patron of his local arts. He trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. He's not a big Shakespeare fan, though he's played in 'Othello'. The new 13 part series of Dr. Who was filmed in Cardiff, by the BBC, and will air in 2005. After a 16 year break from our screens (Paul McGann's 1996 movie apart) , Executive Producer, Russell T. Davies, says the new series will retain "its core traditional values" and that it will be "surprising, edgy and eccentric". Of the Doctor's relationship with his new assistant, Eccleston says: "She teaches him huge emotional lessons. They love each other, but it's not a conventional love affair. It's far more mysterious than that."
Billie Piper was born in Swindon, Wiltshire, on the 22nd of September, 1982. Initially gaining fame as Britain's youngest-ever solo chart-topper, for a first release, with her 'Because We Want To' in 1997 (I must confess it passed me by), Billie has latterly claimed acclaim as an actress in 'The Canterbury Tales (including the infamous butt kissing scene)' and 'Bella And The Boys'. Her role in Doctor Who as Rose Tyler will no doubt put her even more in the public eye, which is something she is probably more used to than any other assistant who has ever been in the series. Especially after her marriage to that shrinking violet, Chris Evans! |
46 Years in the TARDIS - an appreciation of Doctor Who by Paul Rance Doctor Who Special: The Waters Of Mars, BBC1, November 15th, 2009 Set on November 21st, 2059 (five days after my 100th birthday!), 'The Waters Of Mars' was one of the scariest episodes in the history of 'Doctor Who'. The inhabitants of Bowie Base One (a nod to David Bowie and his classic 'Life On Mars' song) are going down with a horrific infection, which transforms them physically, and makes them spew out copious amounts of water! One drop of water is enough to prove fatal. Second in command Ed Gold (Peter O'Brien) becomes infected and takes the heroic way out blowing up the escape shuttle, but the Doctor has the dilemma of telling base commander Adelaide Brooke (Lindsay Duncan) that she must die today, and she should have been caught up in that explosion, as it is written in history. Things then get very complicated for the Doctor, Adelaide, and two more of the base's inhabitants, Yuri Kerenski (Aleksander Mikic) and Mia Bennett (Gemma Chan). An unexpected ending too, which I won't spoil. This episode was dedicated to legendary 'Doctor Who' producer Barry Letts, who died in October. A medal should also be given to the cast who had to put up with the cold water special effects in a British winter! Oh, and the robot GADGET was cute. The Waters Of Mars Cast List
"I was desperate for it to work - and it has." - BARRY LETTS, former Doctor Who producer The ratings figures for Doctor Who's successful comeback...The only depressing thing is the ratings went down after every episode, but we were heading into Summer. Dalek oil painting by Paul Rance |
THE MAGNIFICENT 7 - The First Seven TV Doctors
WILLIAM HARTNELL (1963-1966) - The avuncular Doctor. A character actor who appeared in such British films as 'Brighton Rock', playing a gangster, and in 'Carry on Sergeant' (the first 'Carry On' film), playing a domineering sergeant.
PATRICK TROUGHTON (1966-1969) The neurotic Doctor. Appeared in such films as 'Jason and the Argonauts' and 'Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger'. Also remembered for being an unlucky priest in 'The Omen'!
JON PERTWEE (1970-1974) The dandy Doctor. Immortalized for British children, growing up in the '70s, as Worzel Gummidge. He appeared in several 'Carry On' films, and in 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'.
TOM BAKER (1974-1981) The eccentric Doctor. Arguably the most successful actor of the seven, he has appeared in such diverse TV shows as 'Medics' and 'Blackadder' - the latter as the craziest pirate ever seen on television!
PETER DAVISON (1982-1984) The serious Doctor. The unlucky vet in the classic veterinary soap, 'All Creatures Great and Small', he turned to comedy in the surreal, 'A Very Peculiar Practice' - which starred Patrick Troughton's son, David.
COLIN BAKER (1984-1986) The flamboyant Doctor. First came to prominence in 'The Brothers'. As larger than life off screen, as he was as the Doctor on screen.
SYLVESTER McCOY (1987-1989?) The playful Doctor. Previous to his role as the Doctor, was a fine children's presenter on British telly.
EARTHDATES:
HARTNELL (1908-1975); TROUGHTON (1920-1987); PERTWEE (1919-1996); TOM BAKER (1936- ); DAVISON (1951- ); COLIN BAKER (1943- ); McCOY (1943- ).
3 FILMS
PETER CUSHING (1913-1994) starred in 'Dr. Who and the Daleks' (1965), and 'Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD' (1966).
PAUL McGANN (1959- ) starred in the TV movie, 'Doctor Who: The Movie' (1996). American title: 'Doctor Who: Enemy Within'.
1 ANIMATION
RICHARD E. GRANT (1957- ) The voice behind the BBC's 2003 animated series.
1 TARDIS
Time And Relative Dimensions In Space.
2 HEARTS INTO 12 DOCTORS
He may have two hearts, but the Doctor can 'only' regenerate twelve times.
Sea Devil pen and ink drawing by Paul Rance
30 SCARY MONSTERS, SUPER CREEPS DALEKS |
WHO'S COMPANY - 17 Famous Assistants SUSAN (CAROLE ANN FORD) |
Cyberman pen and ink drawing by Paul Rance
RISE OF THE CYBERMEN
First screened, Saturday, 13th May, 2006*
The return of the Cybermen in 'Doctor Who' saw the steel guys as scary as ever, and their marching through the windows at a party was the definition of gate-crashing!
David Tennant is certainly growing into his role as the Doctor. That affected mockney chirpiness I thought might grate after a few episodes (my pathological dislike of the lamb killing J***e O****r is showing), but it's not been overdone. Though he's not going to be too chirpy when the Cybermen are threatening to delete him, of course.
Rose (Billie Piper) as a waitress may be a male fantasy, but it was an interesting idea, having her in a parallel universe, and it bought a welcome return to 'Doctor Who' for Rose's social climbing mum (Camille Coduri). With this new incarnation of 'Doctor Who' there is a penchant for moving touches, and Rose's father (Shaun Dingwall) not quite recognising her was one such occasion.
Mickey's (Noel Clarke) doppelganger seems much more interesting than Rose's boyfriend. Here being the leader of a frighteningly miniscule freedom fighting force.
Roger Lloyd Pack as the sinister creator of the Cybermen, John Lumic, may have seen an unlikely casting choice, to those of us familiar with his Trigger character from 'Only Fools And Horses', but he's up there with Anthony Head for glowering malevolence. Pack said he played the Lumic character with US Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, in mind!
Don Warrington, as the UK President, seemed just as smug as his 'Rising Damp' character. He really should have taken the Doctor's advice!
The Cybermen themselves have evolved since the early days of 'Doctor Who', but they're still as evil. The crunching sound effects of the Cybermen marching were reminiscent of Nazi stormtroopers, and that was the intention, I suspect.
'Rise of the Cybermen' is certainly the most scary 'Doctor Who' episode since its re-emergence.
* Scheduled for 7.00pm, but was delayed due to that other great British institution, the FA Cup Final, overrunning.
- Paul Rance/booksmusicfilmstv.com.
1 MASTER
The late Roger Delgado made the role his own. Imperious, demonic. Who couldn't love him? According to Jon Pertwee, Roger was a very gentle man in real life. Surprisingly, he appeared in Dr. Who for only two years, 1971-1973.
DOCTOR WHO BOOKS and CDs available from booksmusicfilmstv.com - in association with Amazon.co.uk
"Doctor Who", to the Slaughter
~Stephen Cole
BBC Books
Paperback - February 7, 2005
About Time: The Unauthorized Guide to Doctor Who, 1975-1979: Seasons 12 to 17 (About Time (Mad Norwegian Press)) ~Lawrence Miles, Tat Wood Mad Norwegian Press Paperback - December 30, 2004 |
DOCTOR WHO CD BOOKS
Doctor Who - Ish - Starring Colin Baker
Doctor Who and the Pirates
Doctor Who at the BBC
Doctor Who Missing Stories: Galaxy Four
ATLANTEAN PUBLISHING Publishers of Monomyth, The Monomyth Supplement, Awen, Garbaj and Bard. Send a Stamped Self-Addressed A4 or A5 Envelope (SAE + IRC, overseas) for our guidelines, lists and sample copy of Awen. Contact: 38 Pierrot Steps, 71 Kursaal Way, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 2UY. Website: http://atlanteanpublishing.web.officelive.com/default.aspx
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Nigel - a self-portrait
How RON GRAINER and his boys inspired me, by
the legendary NIGEL PRETENTIOUS of THE WARDEN HILLS WALKERS
Ron Grainer was a genius, like Robin Hood. The original Dr. Who signature tune still sounds fresh. If Fatboy Slim had put it together, it'd have been acclaimed as being ahead of its time! I loved all the incidental music, too. Remember, there were no computers to aid Ron and his pals in those early days.
The Dr. Who sounds influenced a lot of what I do, and my 'The Master was a Good Guy All Along' was an attempt to get that scary, sudden, dark synthy sound - whenever the cameras zoomed in on The M's maniacal visage. Only it wasn't a modern synth, of course. A moog, maybe. I don't know. Anyway, I loved that sound, so I just had fun trying to get a similar sound, only over-exaggerating it, as is my wont. I deliberately conjured the sound up from memory.
I was influenced by a lot of sci-fi stuff growing up in the '60s and '70s. Mostly TV, but films, too - 'Dr. Who, Star Trek, and Sexy Dinosaurs' was my little nod in that direction. There seemed greater invention then. There's still been a few, good, inventive sci-fi/fantasy shows in recent years like 'Buffy' and 'The X-Files', but much is regurgitated. I get a bit tired of humanoid lifeforms in every thing. It just wouldn't be like that...Y'know, not every really intelligent lifeform would either be naturally humanoid, or change into a form to appeal to us. Some wouldn't bother!
Who's Who
In all there were 26 seasons of Dr. Who. The first-ever episode was screened on British TV, by the BBC, on 23rd November 1963, and had the unwieldy title of 'An Unearthly Child/The Tribe of Gum'. The first episode was shown the day after President Kennedy had been assassinated, and it was shown on a Saturday, after the football results.
The memorably weird and wonderful theme tune was by Ron Grainer (who also composed themes for 'The Prisoner', and 'Steptoe and Son'). Verity Lambert (early 'Eastenders', 'Eldorado', etc.) was the producer of the early series.
William Hartnell was the very first Doctor, and his first assistants were his granddaughter, Susan Foreman (played by Carole Anne Ford), Ian Chesterton (William Russell), and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill).
The final show was shown on December 6th, 1989 - a story inappropriately named, 'Survival', starring comedians Hale & Pale. Some 695 episodes had been shown, and Dr. Who had been seen in over a hundred countries.
The most-watched episode in the U.K. was Episode 4 of 'City of Death' in 1979, which featured John Cleese. 16.1 million tuned in. The lowest U.K. viewing figures were for an episode of the 1989 story, 'Battlefield', when only 3.1 million watched.
Arguably the most intriguing story came in 1983, with 'The Five Doctors'. All five Doctors, to date, were mixed into one story. Richard Hurndall (1910-1984) did a fine job as William Hartnell's Doctor.
There were two feature films of Dr. Who; 'Dr. Who and the Daleks', starring Peter Cushing as the Doctor, plus Roy Castle as his assistant, Ian. Jennie Linden played Barbara, and Roberta Tovey played Susan (which she reprised in the second film). This film was made in 1965, and was the first time Dr. Who had been seen in colour. The Daleks looking even more menacingly metallic. The film's story was about a gentle race finally standing up for themselves against the Daleks, thanks to the human time travellers. This race were strikingly similar to the Eloi in the classic Wells' novel/film, 'The Time Machine'.
The second film, made in 1966, was entitled 'Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD'. Peter Cushing again played the title role, and his assistants were Bernard Cribbins as Tom Campbell, Ray Brooks as David, Jill Curzon as Louise, and Andrew Keir as Wyler. This time the action centred around the Daleks attempting to take over the Earth, and much of the activity is set in Bedfordshire.
In summing up, who can forget the first time they heard the Daleks utter the dreaded "Exterminate!"? Or the awesomely-ugly half-Dalek, Davros, or the piercing eyes of the Master, chillingly and brilliantly played by the late, great Roger Delgado? Or the bacofoil Cybermen?
Created by Sydney Newman, Dr. Who may return, via Steven Spielberg. If it does, let's hope he sticks to the parameters of what made the programme so successful in the first place - good characters, good stories, and simple but effective special effects.
This Paul Rance article is amended from an article which originally appeared in issue 4 of EASTERN RAINBOW (published by Peace & Freedom Press) in 1994.
BBC - Cult Television - Doctor Who Homepage - From the horse's mouth.
THE DALEK-TABLE DALEKS!
The Daleks were invented by comedy scriptwriter, Terry Nation (later to create 'Blake's 7'). When pestered by journalists as to how the name 'Dalek' came about, he said he was "inspired" by the letter coding on an encyclopedia, DAL - LEK, but this was just a fib, and he couldn't really remember how the name came about.
There was a Dalek stage show, 'Seven Keys to Doomsday'.
Dalek merchandise ranged from Dalek sweet cigarettes to Dalek soap! The author still has his evil black Dalek model, and models ranged from one shilling cheapies (about 5p/7c) to 4 foot monsters.
The Daleks made their first appearance in a seven-part story called either 'The Dead Planet' or 'The Daleks' - depending on who you believe - which was only the second story of the first series. This story first appeared on December 21st, 1963.
The Daleks came from the planet Skaro.
MEDIA
Dr. Who has been covered in comics by the likes of Marvel, and in novels by the likes of Paul Cornell.
There have been radio series, and now audio plays are available.
Dr. Who first appeared in colour, on TV, in 1970.
The first TV show of Dr. Who, to be broadcast in stereo, appeared in 1988.
Dr. Who now has many fans - who were too young to see ANY of the episodes when they were originally screened - thanks to BBC videos and repeats.
A good resource, for info on actors who have appeared in Dr. Who, is THE INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE.
Doctor Who Collector's Edition - Doctor Who And The Daleks / Daleks Invasion Earth - 2150 AD [1965]
booksmusicfilmstv.com Comments on Doctor Who Movies
The Doctor Who Movies in the 1960s weren't quite as good as the TV series. Maybe it was because the sets looked better in the Doctor Who films, and the films were in colour! They're good, though, and in the '60s the Daleks were iconic figures in Britain, on a scale only The Beatles surpassed perhaps!
Peter Cushing makes an avuncular Doctor Who, in the mould of William Hartnell, and well-known British entertainer Roy Castle, and equally well-known British comedy actor Bernard Cribbins, make good, comical sidekicks. Roberta Tovey and Jennie Linden play The Doctor's two granddaughters with a dignified calm, considering all what's going on around them.
The placid Thals in 'Doctor Who And The Daleks' are taught lessons in how to defend themselves from the evil pepper pots, and in 'Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD' the Daleks are up against fierce resistance in a battered London, in an analogy of the Nazis (Daleks) and London/Europe of World War Two. - Paul Rance.
Click the link above to buy the DVD from Amazon.co.uk, or here to buy them from Amazon.com Doctor Who & The Daleks Doctor Who - Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD
Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965)
Cast
Peter Cushing .... Dr. Who
Roy Castle .... Ian
Jennie Linden .... Barbara
Roberta Tovey .... Susan
Barrie Ingham .... Alydon
Michael Coles .... Ganatus
Geoffrey Toone .... Temmosus
Mark Peterson .... Elydon
John Brown .... Antodus
Yvonne Antrobus .... Dyoni
rest of cast listed
John Bown .... Thal
Robert Jewell .... Dalek operator (as Robert Jewel)
Kevin Manser .... Dalek operator
Gerald Taylor .... Dalek operator
Directed by
Gordon Flemyng
Writing credits
Terry Nation story
Sydney Newman characters
Max Rosenberg
Milton Subotsky
Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. (1966)
Cast
Peter Cushing .... Dr. Who
Bernard Cribbins .... Tom Campbell
Ray Brooks .... David
Andrew Keir .... Wyler
Roberta Tovey .... Susan
Jill Curzon .... Louise
Roger Avon .... Wells
Keith Marsh .... Conway
Philip Madoc .... Brockley
Geoffrey Cheshire .... Roboman
Eddie Powell .... Thompson
Godfrey Quigley .... Dortmun
Kenneth Watson .... Craddock
Steve Peters .... Leader Roboman
Robert Jewell .... Leader Dalek Operator
Sheila Steafel .... Young woman
Directed by
Gordon Flemyng
Writing credits
Terry Nation story
Sydney Newman characters
Milton Subotsky
David Whitaker
Legendary BBC Producer Verity Lambert Obituary
Written by Paul Rance
Friday, 23 November 2007
Verity Lambert, who died on November 22nd, aged 71, was without doubt one of the most successful television producers in the BBC's history. She was also a pioneer, being the first woman to produce a major BBC TV drama - 'Doctor Who', and was this immortal show's first producer in 1963. When the show launched, Verity Lambert was also the BBC's youngest TV producer, as the 1960s began to give youth its head.
Verity produced other notable series for the BBC ('Jonathan Creek'), ITV ('Rock Follies', 'Minder', 'Rumpole Of The Bailey', 'Widows'), and Channel 4 ('G.B.H.'), and her Cinema Verity company created the BBC soap, 'Eldorado', in the 1990s.
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