WI: "Dr Who" was on Canadian TV?

Conceived by Canadian Sydney Newman, suppose, instead of BBC getting it, Newman stayed in Canada & CBC bought it, instead?

Would it last as long as it has?

Would it be notorious for cheap sets and effects?

Is there any chance a U.S. network might pick it up (since there's no cost to produce it)?

Does it have bigger butterflies on Canadian TV generally?

Any thoughts on casting?
 
The CBC doesn't exactly have a reputation for big budgets now- in the 1950s they were even smaller. A Sci Fi TV show create under a 1950s CBC show budget is absolutely going to get a reputation for low-rent appearances.

A lot fewer people will be watching it compared to its British incarnation as well- Canada's population being clustered along the American border as it is, competition from American networks has always been a problem for the CBC that the BBC hasn't had to worry about.

Ultimately, I can't see a CBC Who lasting very long or becoming more than a Sci Fi cult classic at best.
 

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You made two damned near word for word identical thread here.

Don't do that.
 
Conceived by Canadian Sydney Newman, suppose, instead of BBC getting it, Newman stayed in Canada & CBC bought it, instead?

Would it last as long as it has?

Would it be notorious for cheap sets and effects?

Is there any chance a U.S. network might pick it up (since there's no cost to produce it)?

Does it have bigger butterflies on Canadian TV generally?

Any thoughts on casting?
I thought you meant it was show alongside Britain with no delay
 
It becomes the Canadian equivalent of "Phoenix Five" and ITV shows it on Sunday mornings in the middle 1970s.
 
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AFAIK the only Canadian series that was successful in the UK in the 1960s was "Tales of the Riverbank" except that it was really made by "Canadians on the Isle of Wight" (instead of "Brewed by Germans in the UK" or "Made in Scotland from girders") and it was dubbed into British English with the legendary Johnny Morris doing all the voices. However, when it was dropped by the BBC it was taken up by ITV it was broadcast in the original Canadian.

In the 1970s there was "The Beachcombers" which was on ITV on weekday afternoons so in common with "Painting with Nancy" and "Crown Court" people of my generation only watched it during he school holidays or when we were off sick. There weren't any Canadian TV's on British TV until the 1990s when we got "Due South" which was one of the last foreign programmes to be shown in a primetime slot on BBC1.
 
Interestingly, James Doohan (famous as 'Scotty' on Star Trek) featured on Space Command- the OTL CBC 1950's Sci Fi series. I presume that Space Command would be booted from the lineup if the CBC decided to purchase a different Sci Fi series, so perhaps he would have some role ITTL's Dr. Who. Or, in a more dystopian twist, perhaps his acting career would be cut short or redirected and he would exit SF stardom for some other field, never to appear on Star Trek at all.
 
AFAIK the only Canadian series that was successful in the UK in the 1960s
I thought you meant it was show alongside Britain with no delay
Not clear why you think I meant it to be sold or shown in UK...

Considering...
CBC bought it, instead?
The CBC doesn't exactly have a reputation for big budgets now- in the 1950s they were even smaller. A Sci Fi TV show create under a 1950s CBC show budget is absolutely going to get a reputation for low-rent appearances.

A lot fewer people will be watching it compared to its British incarnation as well- Canada's population being clustered along the American border as it is, competition from American networks has always been a problem for the CBC that the BBC hasn't had to worry about.
Both very true...
Ultimately, I can't see a CBC Who lasting very long or becoming more than a Sci Fi cult classic at best.
No chance of an American "bottom" network buying it because it's cheaper than paying for their own production?
You made two damned near word for word identical thread here.

Don't do that.
I'd intended only the "Dr Who" thread, until I found out Newman was also behind "Avengers"...
 
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I'd intended only the "Dr Who" thread, until I found out Newman was also behind "Avengers"...
They're probably what he's best known for outside the UK.

However, when at ABC he was also responsible for "Armchair Theatre" and after he moved to the BBC added "The Wednesday Play", "The Forsyte Saga" and "Adam Adamant Lives!" to his CV. According to Newman's Wikipedia entry "The Forsyte Saga" was seen by 100 million people in 26 countries. The other programmes may not be well known internationally but they were all very successful domestically.

Brian Cox played him in the 2013 docudrama that was made to mark the 50th anniversary of "Dr Who".
 
Interestingly, James Doohan (famous as 'Scotty' on Star Trek) featured on Space Command- the OTL CBC 1950's Sci Fi series. I presume that Space Command would be booted from the lineup if the CBC decided to purchase a different Sci Fi series, so perhaps he would have some role ITTL's Dr. Who. Or, in a more dystopian twist, perhaps his acting career would be cut short or redirected and he would exit SF stardom for some other field, never to appear on Star Trek at all.
FWIW I thought of James Doohan too, but then I thought he was too obvious.

However, as Doohan has been mentioned how about William Shatner as Ian Chesterton? According to Wikipedia he was 32 in 1963 and William Russell was 39.

If Lois Maxwell hadn't moved to the UK she might have been Barbara Wright. She was two years older than Jaqueline Hill.

Other possibilities for Ian Chesterton might have been Bruce Boa, Paul Maxwell and Shane Rimmer if they hadn't moved to the UK.

Robert Beatty was a year younger than William Hartnell. He might have made a good First Doctor and he'll still be able to appear in "2001 A Space Odyssey" and "Where Eagle's Dare".

AFAIK Barry Morse worked extensively in Canada. He was born the same year as Jon Pertwee and was a year older than Patrick Troughton. He might have made a good Second or Third Doctor but in the latter case at the expense of being Victor Bergman in "Space: 1999".
 
Would it be notorious for cheap sets and effects?
The sets and effects on "The Tomorrow People" ITV's (sort of) answer to "Dr Who" were worse.

But OTOH ITV also had Gerry Anderson's programmes with Derek Meddings' and Brian Johnson's wonderful special effects.

FWIW the initial run of "The Tomorrow People" was from 1973 to 1979. However, there was a revival series that ran rom 1992 to 1995 which Christopher Lee and a young Naomie Harris appeared in. Then there was an American version in the 2010s.
 
Yup!
My mom was a big fan of that. (We only had the one TV, then, so I had to watch them all, too.:p I remember nothing but the title...)
FWIW I've not watched it. AFAIK it hasn't been repeated for years. I didn't watch Granada's version that was made in 2002 either.

Though I did listen to the 1990 BBC Radio Four version (when they cancelled The Saturday Night Play and moved The Classic Serial from Sunday nights to Saturday nights) in which Dirk Bogarde was the voice of John Galsworthy.

Neither has "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" which AFAIK hasn't been on British TV since 1980 although "Elizabeth R" has had regular repeats. Although "Who" alumni Waris Hussein did direct the film.

Does Verity Lambert emigrate to Canada in your TL and become as important a person in Canadian TV as she did in British TV?
 
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I thought of Alanis Morrisette for Rose Tyler as she and Billie Piper are pop stars cum actresses, but she was 31 in 2005 an Piper was 23.

As I've mentioned "Due South" Paul Gross (b. 1959) might work as a substitute for Christopher Eccleston (b. 1964).

I'd forgotten about "The Murdoch Mysteries" which were on one of ITV's channels. Yannick Bisson (b.1969) might work as a substitute for David Tennant (b.1971).
 
Canada doesn’t have London and Britain’s thousands of years of history, though I expect they might still try and set a lot of stories there. If they try going into First Nations stuff it might be seen as offensive, if only because of the arts and crafts projects they would use as props instead of actual local art. If it was ever remade, I expect there would be issues of demanding Half the characters or episodes be Francophonic. Not really an issue with Wales.
 
Does Verity Lambert emigrate to Canada in your TL and become as important a person in Canadian TV as she did in British TV?
I honestly hadn't thought about it (since I have no clue who she is:openedeyewink: ), but I have no problem with her becoming important. Provided that doesn't screw the career of somebody I really like.;) (That can be hard, even if you allow a bigger TV landscape than OTL.)
I expect there would be issues of demanding Half the characters or episodes be Francophonic.
I suspect it's because there's such easy access to American programming, but French-language Quebec production was actually more advanced than English for a long time. A CBC *"Dr. Who" becoming really successful (lasting more than two or three years) would be a very big deal, in an era when "R.C.M.P" and "Wojeck" weren't.
 
I honestly hadn't thought about it (since I have no clue who she is:openedeyewink: ), but I have no problem with her becoming important. Provided that doesn't screw the career of somebody I really like.;) (That can be hard, even if you allow a bigger TV landscape than OTL.)
She was the first producer of "Dr Who" having been given the job by Sydney Newman. It was the beginning of a glittering career in the British TV industry that continued into the 2000s. One could argue that her influence on British television was even greater than Sydney Newman's.
 
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