I like Webb. What an unexpected, but inspired choice. Pity to hear that Time Splintered seem to be such a mess.
"Mary Whitehouse will never accept this" : A Dr Who Production History (Inspired by Guajolote)
- Thread starter nezza
- Start date
"Yet there was some good stuff. It was great to have what effectively were new stories. You had 3, Jo and LS battling the Cybermen which was nice because 3 only met the Cybermen during the 5 Doctors. You had 4 and Sally foiling a hitherto unknown Silurian plot at Loch Ness while 5 and Nyssa combat the Daleks leaving 6 and Leela to lock horns with the Master. If these stories had been made as separate standalone adventures with 7 appearing at the beginning and end to wrap the arc up it would have worked better. Miriam Margoyles as Romana once again does a stellar job and its obvious now that her bit was the back door pilot to what would later be Gallifrey.
But it's the behind the scenes documentary "Endings and Beginnings" that is the stand out aspect of the set. Clocking in at 2 and half hours long it tells the story of the tortuous production behind the scenes. Director Graeme Harper's interview illuminates how the logistical nightmares nearly derailed the production.
He speaks of the tension on set over shooting dates and how Baker and Mayall in particular were fighting to keep calm because of their other commitments (Mayall was shooting the second series of Bottom while Baker was on his way to Casualty as Dr Harry Andrews.
But the most spellbinding and heart wrenching part were the interviews with Vicki Michelle and Graham Chapman's partner David Sherlock. It was obvious in 1993 that Chapman was dying and as with April Walker and Ian Matter in 1983 he wanted to atone for his actions. Vicki in particular speaks about how here intense determination not to have anything to do with Chapman again was dissolved by of all people Gorden Kaye and how Kaye with his gentleness and deep christianity persuaded Vicki to return to the show where Sherlock speaks about his role as an interlocutor between Michelle, Kaye and Chapman. The feeling of closure during 4's story is evident and the final shot of the TARDIS dematerialising away from Loch Ness and the fade out is truly moving but that is a brief respite before returning to Jones's torment.
The documentary also puts to rest a rumour that Caroline Langrishe retuned as Lorel just to smile at the very end of the show. Harper said that Langrishe was filming Lovejoy at the time and that the smile was from cutting room floor footage.
Its the documentary that helped me reconsider my views about Time Splintered. Yes it was and still is a mess with Jones' part reduced to linking material but its part of Doctor Who history and a warning over what happens when you try and change something that had previously worked."
But it's the behind the scenes documentary "Endings and Beginnings" that is the stand out aspect of the set. Clocking in at 2 and half hours long it tells the story of the tortuous production behind the scenes. Director Graeme Harper's interview illuminates how the logistical nightmares nearly derailed the production.
He speaks of the tension on set over shooting dates and how Baker and Mayall in particular were fighting to keep calm because of their other commitments (Mayall was shooting the second series of Bottom while Baker was on his way to Casualty as Dr Harry Andrews.
But the most spellbinding and heart wrenching part were the interviews with Vicki Michelle and Graham Chapman's partner David Sherlock. It was obvious in 1993 that Chapman was dying and as with April Walker and Ian Matter in 1983 he wanted to atone for his actions. Vicki in particular speaks about how here intense determination not to have anything to do with Chapman again was dissolved by of all people Gorden Kaye and how Kaye with his gentleness and deep christianity persuaded Vicki to return to the show where Sherlock speaks about his role as an interlocutor between Michelle, Kaye and Chapman. The feeling of closure during 4's story is evident and the final shot of the TARDIS dematerialising away from Loch Ness and the fade out is truly moving but that is a brief respite before returning to Jones's torment.
The documentary also puts to rest a rumour that Caroline Langrishe retuned as Lorel just to smile at the very end of the show. Harper said that Langrishe was filming Lovejoy at the time and that the smile was from cutting room floor footage.
Its the documentary that helped me reconsider my views about Time Splintered. Yes it was and still is a mess with Jones' part reduced to linking material but its part of Doctor Who history and a warning over what happens when you try and change something that had previously worked."
Its Colin Baker that's going to Casualty. His Master will have one adventure with 8 and then regenerate.
Chapter 12: Back To Basics.
"Danny's arrival gave us the chance to effectively perform a soft reboot of the show. Time Splintered had had mixed reviews and we thought 'ok, lets not try that again' So we took a year to get it right and we knew from early 1994 that the BBC wanted to make Danny's first full story an integral part of Christmas.
The 8th Doctor was going to be a swashbuckler, a hedonist and even a romantic lead. We were heavily influenced by Indiana Jones and we wanted Doctor Who to go back to what it was, an adventure series set in time and space"
Greenwood.
The 8th Doctor was going to be a swashbuckler, a hedonist and even a romantic lead. We were heavily influenced by Indiana Jones and we wanted Doctor Who to go back to what it was, an adventure series set in time and space"
Greenwood.
I have an idea who should play the 8th doctor Sarah-Jane Potts thoughts on that @nezza
I can't see the producers going for that. "A warning over what happens when you try and change something that had previously worked."
I would love this, but I think he is far too young at this point. Daniel Day-Lewis would be utterly hilarious, but I can't see him abandoning Hollwood much as I would love the idea of a "method" Dr Who. Daniel Craig might fit more of the action/adventure/swashbuckling plans?
Sarah Jane Potts was born in 1976. Had she become Doctor Who in 1993 she would have been 17 years old. A fine actress yes but there was no way that the audience would accept that. There will be a female doctor though...
I was thinking about Michael Jayston as the 7th Doctor and even had an idea about Miriam Margoyles taking the role instead of Romana II.
I chose Danny Webb because of his ability to portray charm and menace in quick succession:
I was thinking about Michael Jayston as the 7th Doctor and even had an idea about Miriam Margoyles taking the role instead of Romana II.
I chose Danny Webb because of his ability to portray charm and menace in quick succession:
"We've all heard it, that determination. 'I'm gonna enjoy this Christmas'. That rang true more than ever in 1994. John Smith must have opened the curtains at home and had the exact same thought. He had just guided the country through one of its worst periods since the war."
From the moment Labour formed a minority government in 1992 following one of the bitterest elections ever Smith found himself fighting on multiple fronts. He was determined to ensure that Labour delivered on its promises but was hamstrung by both not being able to control Parliament but also some of his own backbenchers were against him. The financial situation was a grave one with inflation at an eye wateringly high 9% and interest rates at a jaw dropping 13%. That may have been great for savers but not if you were trying to feed a family.
Both Smith and Chancellor Gordon Brown were obsessed with the financial crisis but there was more than that. Iran was once again threatening instability in the Middle East and the USA under Dole was demanding action. Smith knew he couldn't rely on the Commons to support military intervention. Both the Lib-Dems as well as a small faction of his own party such as Benn, Skinner and Corbyn were opposed. The Tories under Heseltine were clearer, something had to be done but Heseltine like Smith knew that the financial straits the country was in would cause problems.
Looking back now its a minor miracle that Smith alongside Defence Secretary Mo Mowlam was able to come to a deal. The UK would provide logistical and intelligence support but not personnel. There would be no boots on the ground in Iran. Dole was very unhappy about this and lambasted Foreign Secretary Tony Blair (who was given the job to keep him out of domestic affairs) regularly. Blair moans to Smith who supposedly said:
'I don't know what he's complaining for. He's got weapons on shelves and soldiers on tap, we haven't. We're in shit street here. I'm trying to sort out the mess that the fucking tories left us in. That's what we're offering and if Dole doesn't like it he can stick it up his arse!"
(Andrew Marr, "A History Of Modern Britain" 2007)
From the moment Labour formed a minority government in 1992 following one of the bitterest elections ever Smith found himself fighting on multiple fronts. He was determined to ensure that Labour delivered on its promises but was hamstrung by both not being able to control Parliament but also some of his own backbenchers were against him. The financial situation was a grave one with inflation at an eye wateringly high 9% and interest rates at a jaw dropping 13%. That may have been great for savers but not if you were trying to feed a family.
Both Smith and Chancellor Gordon Brown were obsessed with the financial crisis but there was more than that. Iran was once again threatening instability in the Middle East and the USA under Dole was demanding action. Smith knew he couldn't rely on the Commons to support military intervention. Both the Lib-Dems as well as a small faction of his own party such as Benn, Skinner and Corbyn were opposed. The Tories under Heseltine were clearer, something had to be done but Heseltine like Smith knew that the financial straits the country was in would cause problems.
Looking back now its a minor miracle that Smith alongside Defence Secretary Mo Mowlam was able to come to a deal. The UK would provide logistical and intelligence support but not personnel. There would be no boots on the ground in Iran. Dole was very unhappy about this and lambasted Foreign Secretary Tony Blair (who was given the job to keep him out of domestic affairs) regularly. Blair moans to Smith who supposedly said:
'I don't know what he's complaining for. He's got weapons on shelves and soldiers on tap, we haven't. We're in shit street here. I'm trying to sort out the mess that the fucking tories left us in. That's what we're offering and if Dole doesn't like it he can stick it up his arse!"
(Andrew Marr, "A History Of Modern Britain" 2007)
Yes they took Baghdad. Saddam used Chemical weapons against the Allies and all hell was unleashed. Saddam was captured and stood trial at The Hague in 1998 where he was jailed for life. Iraq was firmly under Allied control and now faced an angry and scared Iran. "Operation Desert Fox" as it was known was co-ordinated from Baghdad and was mercifully brief lasting 5 weeks. The UN found evidence of nuclear and chemical weapons testing. Ayatollah Khameni fled to Saudi Arabia where he died in 2001.
I can see Iraq folding very quickly and 'nation building' taking place there providing the same mistakes as OTL are avoided, but I cannot see a war vs Iran taking only 5 weeks unless there is a popular uprising in support of the invaders? Not impossible I suppose, but just feels unlikely.
Do the Kurds get a homeland carved out of Iran, and Iraq?
What's happening in Syria?
What's NATO/America doing with its vast Middle East domain now?
If Khameni flees to Saudi Arabia then the Americans would pressure their 'allies' to hand him over, unless its the thing that splinters US-SA relations?
Khameni in Afghanistan or Pakistan might make more sense?
Do the Kurds get a homeland carved out of Iran, and Iraq?
What's happening in Syria?
What's NATO/America doing with its vast Middle East domain now?
If Khameni flees to Saudi Arabia then the Americans would pressure their 'allies' to hand him over, unless its the thing that splinters US-SA relations?
Khameni in Afghanistan or Pakistan might make more sense?
@Ogrebear There was an uprising but it was due to both internal and external factors. It didn't come out until 2018 that before and after the first Gulf war in 1991 there was some deep co-operation between the UK and Iranian sympathisers. Home Secretary Margaret Beckett revealed the existence of "The Covert Operations Directorate" which was a small "inner cabinet" group of Smith, Brown, Blair, Beckett and Mowlam who monitored potential threats to the UK from without and within and had been secretly working with and co-ordinating operations between London and anti-Khameni forces in Iran.
Following the fall of Baghdad and Saddam's capture Khameni tried to fill the power vacuum in the Middle East but Dole who was riding a massive wave of popularity in 1991 was damned if he was going to allow Iran to gain influence.
Saudi Arabia kept Khameni as "an honoured guest" but effectively kept him in palatial house arrest. Both Saudi Arabia and Syria were wary of the the new US/UK presence.
The People's Republic of Kurdistan was formed in 1995 following the Treaty Of Washington. It was Dole's last major act as President before losing to Al Gore in 1996
@Wiw:
UK Prime Ministers
1987-1992 Norman Tebbit
1992-???? John Smith
Rulers of Iran
1979-1989 Ruhollah Khomeini
1989-1993 Ali Khameni
Following the fall of Baghdad and Saddam's capture Khameni tried to fill the power vacuum in the Middle East but Dole who was riding a massive wave of popularity in 1991 was damned if he was going to allow Iran to gain influence.
Saudi Arabia kept Khameni as "an honoured guest" but effectively kept him in palatial house arrest. Both Saudi Arabia and Syria were wary of the the new US/UK presence.
The People's Republic of Kurdistan was formed in 1995 following the Treaty Of Washington. It was Dole's last major act as President before losing to Al Gore in 1996
@Wiw:
UK Prime Ministers
1987-1992 Norman Tebbit
1992-???? John Smith
Rulers of Iran
1979-1989 Ruhollah Khomeini
1989-1993 Ali Khameni
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PLASTIC FANTASTIC
"For those of us of a certain age Christmas Day on BBC1 was Morecambe and Wise. For weeks beforehand we would wonder who was going to be on. Would it be Des, would it be Angela. Would Peter finally get paid?
For those of you born after 1978 you wouldn't have the first idea what I'm talking about but you might have had similar discussions about Doctor Who. Certainly the BBC have been pushing the thing for what seems like eternity. Many have claimed that having the titular time lord going up against double length Coronation Street was a risk.
Well lets be honest Corrie did win the battle for ratings but not by that much. So what did we get? Well we got a new faceless title sequence which wasn't a problem because we knew who Danny Webb was with the floor to carpet trailers and previews.
'Miracle On Regent Street' was the most punning title but that's were the jokes ended. What we go was a superb blend of scares and thrills. The Autons were back, killer shop dummies dedicated to absorbing the planet's emissions and only the good Doctor could stop them.
Webb's first full adventure was a rip-roaring story with the flavour of Indiana Jones. Dressed in jazz musician clobber with a taste for Miles Davis the initially confused hero leapt into action with charm and athleticism leaping from roof to roof and blasting the twisted marionettes into the next dimension.
Alphonsia Emmauel as shop manager Rachel Cassidy was fantastic. Her sassiness and no nonsense manner was more than a match for Webb's flair whilst her empathy enabled the Doctor to lament on his losses and errors during the quieter moment of which there were some.
Yes, it was a risk for the Beeb to have the Doc up against Bet and Co but he scrubbed up well"View attachment 678731
"For those of us of a certain age Christmas Day on BBC1 was Morecambe and Wise. For weeks beforehand we would wonder who was going to be on. Would it be Des, would it be Angela. Would Peter finally get paid?
For those of you born after 1978 you wouldn't have the first idea what I'm talking about but you might have had similar discussions about Doctor Who. Certainly the BBC have been pushing the thing for what seems like eternity. Many have claimed that having the titular time lord going up against double length Coronation Street was a risk.
Well lets be honest Corrie did win the battle for ratings but not by that much. So what did we get? Well we got a new faceless title sequence which wasn't a problem because we knew who Danny Webb was with the floor to carpet trailers and previews.
'Miracle On Regent Street' was the most punning title but that's were the jokes ended. What we go was a superb blend of scares and thrills. The Autons were back, killer shop dummies dedicated to absorbing the planet's emissions and only the good Doctor could stop them.
Webb's first full adventure was a rip-roaring story with the flavour of Indiana Jones. Dressed in jazz musician clobber with a taste for Miles Davis the initially confused hero leapt into action with charm and athleticism leaping from roof to roof and blasting the twisted marionettes into the next dimension.
Alphonsia Emmauel as shop manager Rachel Cassidy was fantastic. Her sassiness and no nonsense manner was more than a match for Webb's flair whilst her empathy enabled the Doctor to lament on his losses and errors during the quieter moment of which there were some.
Yes, it was a risk for the Beeb to have the Doc up against Bet and Co but he scrubbed up well"View attachment 678731
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