DR.WHO ~ Discover how it all began, way back in 1963.

Doctor Who is © BBC ^ | 1962 | Canadian Sydney Newman

[restornu]

In the 1950s kids hid behind the sofa when Professor Bernard Quatermass battled aliens on the BBC whilst ITV gave us Pathfinders in Space - the brainchild of Canadian Sydney Newman.

Fast forward to 1962 and Newman, now promoted to Head of BBC Drama, needed a new Saturday night family series to fit snugly between Grandstand and Juke Box Jury.

Concepts pitched for the show included telepathy, flying saucers, scientific trouble-shooters from the future - and a time machine. We all know who won.

Main stars of the show would be a couple of school teachers - the square-jawed Ian Chesterton and the improbably bouffant Barbara Wright. The teen audience could identify with Susan Foreman, one of their pupils. Even if she was an alien.

Finally, a mysterious anti-hero in the mould of Conan-Doyle’s Professor Challenger would complete the line-up. He would be known only as ‘The Doctor’. Doctor Who?

Travelling in their time and space machine, the TARDIS, the Doctor and co. began their adventures on November 23rd 1963 by voyaging 100,000 years into Earth’s past to help some slightly dim cavemen discover fire.

Random Fact: Did you know what connects Hancock’s Half Hour and American action series McGyver? Dalek creator wrote episodes of the former and created the latter. Tony Hancock’s brother manages the late Nation’s estate and controls the licensing of everything Dalek-related.

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A Brief History of a Time Lord

Doctor Who Chronology: Table of Contents

List of Who's
William Hartnell | Patrick Troughton | Jon Pertwee | Tom Baker | Colin Baker | Peter Davison | Sylvester McCoy Paul McGann -

[restornu]

K-9

[Grig]

My favouite episodes:

Genisis of the Daleks
Logopolis
The Deadly Assasin
Leisure Hive

Favourite companions:

Romanaveratnalundar
Sarah-Jane Smith
Nyssa

[Wrigley]

Add Adric to your companion list.

[Grig]

I never really cared about Adric much. Ace was sorta OK. Joe Grant I hated.

Worst episode ever:
Delta and the Bannermen

Best villian:
Davros
The Master
The Valeyard (but not used well, or enough)

[Wrigley]

Delta and the Bannermen

I couldn't agree more with you. That was in a period of time where the writing was terrible.

UNIT were a good group of characters.

The Valeyard was in the Trial of the TimeLord wasn't he?

[Grig]

"UNIT were a good group of characters."

Yes, too bad they were tied to the evil UN. :)

"The Valeyard was in the Trial of the TimeLord wasn't he? "

Yes, he is the 2nd last regeneration of the Doctor, or so he claimed.

Are you against the Fox movie just because you didn't like it, or because it wasn't a pure BBC creation? Some parts were horribly overacted, but I think it still good. I would love a clean (sound effects free) copy of the version of the Dr Who theme they used in the opening credits.

[Wrigley]

I didn't mind it was Fox, but it was 'Americanized' too much. Plus I thought the story was weak.

My youngest brother has a mpeg of it somewhere. When he finally gets settled in WA state, I'll ask him to send it to me. Then I can get you a copy.

[billbears]

Used to watch Dr. Who on PBS all the time. Was a big Pertwee/Baker fan. One year for Christmas my parents paid someone to make me a scarf just like Baker's, exact same thread design, number of rows on each color, etc. Only wore it a few times out(the thing was so long!!) but I always, and still do, want a TARDIS!!

[HairOfTheDog]

Thanks for the ping on the other thread! All day Dr. Who marathons on a slow weekend are a good thing.

Ramius! - Something more cheerful for you!

[restornu]

When we had DW in NYC it was on 3 PBS stations NYC,Long Island, And New Jersy and than there were none. Because of all 3 there was not enough money to support it and they all fought who was going to air it!

Than WNEW had it for the tail end and died quickly when Sylvester McCoy was DW the worst of the DW's. how sad he really took good family entertainment and turn it into the baffoon!

[Grig]

I made a 6 inch tall TARDIS from balsa wood that looked pretty good. I was going to make it into a model rocket, but never actually went that far.

[Grig]

Perhaps someone can answer this Dr Who question for me:

In 'The Time Monster' the Dr and the Master are talking to eachother while both are in the time vortex in their own TARDIS. Because of the time differential between them, the Master is hearing what the Dr says a bit before the Dr actually says it, and he creates some kind of feedback loop that causes the Dr to start speaking backwards, like a record spun the wrong way.

Does anyone know what it was the Dr said backwards? (I'm pretty sure it isn't "All your base are belong to us!")

[Wrigley]

I remember that episode vaguely. My brother Phil might have a copy of it somewhere. I'll see if I can dig it up.

[Ramius]

Yes! Tom Baker was always my favorite of the Dr's.

It's about time for an all-weekend marathon. Too bad PBS only runs those when they're doing their darn donation drives. Same with Red Dwarf. Love those.

[restornu]

If you do all yourself they other party is not flagged!

***

Perhaps someone can answer this Dr Who question for me:

In 'The Time Monster' the Dr and the Master are talking to eachother while both are in the time vortex in their own TARDIS. Because of the time differential between them, the Master is hearing what the Dr says a bit before the Dr actually says it, and he creates some kind of feedback loop that causes the Dr to start speaking backwards, like a record spun the wrong way.

Does anyone know what it was the Dr said backwards? (I'm pretty sure it isn't "All your base are belong to us!")

[Leper Messiah]

Hmm, I used to watch this, I think Tom Baker was the one I liked but I'm not sure.

[Jeff Chandler]

K-9? Here's one:

[supercat]

Delta and the Bannermen

Remind me the basics of that episode/story?

[supercat]

Tom Baker appeared in five stories with single-word titles: "Robot" (his first), "Underworld", "Shada" (never completed nor broadcast), "Meglios" (don't think I've seen), and "Logopolis".

Peter Davidson, however, had a whole boadload of such episodes: "Castrovalva" and "Kinda", "Earthshock", "Snakedance", "Terminus" and "Enlightenment", and "[The] Awakening" and "Frontios". Interestingly, though, his reign ented with a multi-word-titled "The Caves of Androzani".