"Mary Whitehouse will never accept this" : A Dr Who Production History (Inspired by Guajolote)
- Thread starter nezza
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So Barry Letts .
I was hoping that maybe you have Letts team up with Philip Hinchliffe .
He was the Producer of the Talons of Weng Chiang episode of Doctor Who and did a mystery series "Target " after he left Doctor Who in the OTL.
Maybe let Douglas Camfield direct a number of episodes . He did the Sweeny after Who and a couple of episodes of Danger UXB. (Just still let him do Nightmare Man in 81. Best Unit Story not done by Doctor Who)
And maybe some script for Sherlock Holmes .by Robert Holmes .
Lets see what happens. We still have to deal with finding a 5th Doctor.
My top choice would be Brian Blessed .
Second would be David Warner .
I sure you have some one interesting in mind however
Obviously Brian Blessed is top choice.My top choice would be Brian Blessed .
Second would be David Warner .
I sure you have some one interesting in mind however
Jeremy Brett is now available and he would make a very interesting Doctor. Or at the other extreme John Mills did Quatermass series in 1979, so could be tempted in if the producers want to make a big break from the Chapman era. And I've always loved John Mills
"Looking back now it was a miracle that we were able to finish Timewyrm without Graham. We looked through what footage we had and we were able to cobble together an ending. The last part of the story featured a battle in the Doctor's own mind between he and the Timewyrm so we could use what effects we had at the time to finish the job. I have to give credit here and now to Diana Quick who acted like a trooper. Thanks to her and the fantastic editing work we were able to rearrange the story. Originally the Doctor and Romana beat the Timewyrm and fly off in the TARDIS but the series ended with the TARDIS somehow in flight and Romana looking at the body of the doctor. As we panned up to the face we used visual effects to mask the face of the stand-in we had found. I forget his name but he was superb. The final shot was a freeze frame of the masked face and straight into the titles. We then had to find a new Doctor and quick..."
Terrance Dicks
Chapter 6:Pastels instead of Posters
The BBC had decided to postpone the next series of Doctor Who until 1980 which gave us some time. Terry and I sat down to discuss who we wanted as the 5th. We were looking for someone who was as far away from Graham as it was possible to get. We had gone through some ideas, John Nettles, Peter Davison, Robert Powell and even Robert Lindsay were touted....I went to see him in New York in mid 1979 and saw him on stage the night before. He was mesmerising. I thought 'he won't agree to it'
I met him the next day and he was charming and smooth. He listened quietly and intently to my pitch. I stopped talking and he looked at me with that deadpan expression of his. For a few seconds I though he was going to say no. He asked me one question
"Will I have to say any of that claptrap"
I said "not if you don't want to"
He said
"I'll do it"
(Philip Hinchcliffe)
I met him the next day and he was charming and smooth. He listened quietly and intently to my pitch. I stopped talking and he looked at me with that deadpan expression of his. For a few seconds I though he was going to say no. He asked me one question
"Will I have to say any of that claptrap"
I said "not if you don't want to"
He said
"I'll do it"
(Philip Hinchcliffe)
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"Ive fucked up, I've fucked up". Graham repeated that over and over again after his sacking as Dr Who. He was absolutely heartbroken and angry with himself, whatever your views are about trade unions you simply can't go around breaking people's noses. The BBC were right to sack him. But that was the push that ultimately gave Graham the strength he needed to get himself together."
(David Sherlock, Graham's Partner)
(David Sherlock, Graham's Partner)
Series 15 1980-1981
City Of Death
A damaged TARDIS lands in revolutionary Paris. Trying to lie low the 5th Doctor and Romana try to avoid both getting involved in the bloodshed and meeting up with the 1st Doctor (4 Episodes)
The Sunmakers
As OTL Tom Baker story (4 Episodes)
The Invasion Of Time
AS OTL Tom Baker Story but Romana stays on Gallifrey (6 Eps)
The Keeper Of Traken
AS OTL but with Lalla Ward as Nyssa
City Of Death
A damaged TARDIS lands in revolutionary Paris. Trying to lie low the 5th Doctor and Romana try to avoid both getting involved in the bloodshed and meeting up with the 1st Doctor (4 Episodes)
The Sunmakers
As OTL Tom Baker story (4 Episodes)
The Invasion Of Time
AS OTL Tom Baker Story but Romana stays on Gallifrey (6 Eps)
The Keeper Of Traken
AS OTL but with Lalla Ward as Nyssa
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We played it safe with Tom's first series. The BBC had taken a lot of criticism following Graham's sacking and had delayed the start of the 5th Doctor's era until 1980 to allow things to cool off. To have Tom's first appearance as the doctor in the first episode of the new series was the one change we did make. We really had no option. The end of the Timewyrm arc was a mess. It was convoluted, disjointed and in some ways farcical. Tom was still playing in "Who's Life Is It Anyway" in New York until late 1979 and couldn't fly over to film his regeneration scene until the spring of 1980. We asked Myra to stay on for a second series, originally the story was was Romana to be attacked the Timewyrm and regenerate. We were treading on eggshells in the early 80's
(Philip Hinchcliffe)
(Philip Hinchcliffe)
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Is Jeremy Brett playing Watson?
He did the role on stage a couple of times .
Ian Richardson , was always a favorite of mine as Holmes and I wish that he done more Holmes ,
"Its safe to assume that Tom's first season is the poorest of the four which is understandable. Chapman's sacking caused the whole planned series 16 to be scrapped and its to the credit of the writers that they were able to find a replacement set of stories so quickly. City of Death is pretty much a rehash of The Massacre. The Sunmakers could have been so much better in terms of the satire had Chapman still been in harness. The Invasion of Time is by far the worst. At 6 episodes its flabby and overwrought. It may have been better as a 4 parter. The Keeper Of Traken is the best of what is a bad bunch.
There is are some good bits Tom's calmness as the Doctor is evident throughout and he brings every one of his incredible acting chops to the role. Lalla Ward's emotional rant at the end of the story is impressive as it Anthony Ainley's debut as the Master making a welcome return since The Final Game in 1974
But on the whole Series 16 is forgiven because of it tortuous arrival.
There is are some good bits Tom's calmness as the Doctor is evident throughout and he brings every one of his incredible acting chops to the role. Lalla Ward's emotional rant at the end of the story is impressive as it Anthony Ainley's debut as the Master making a welcome return since The Final Game in 1974
But on the whole Series 16 is forgiven because of it tortuous arrival.