Part 25
Put the big reveal in spoiler tags so you don't see it while scrolling
After the highs and lows of 1990 and 1991, 1992 seemed to pass by in a daze. Season 28 held onto the audience won with Season 27. Many fans were overjoyed to see the season being produced by Barry Letts. "In all modesty, I was just brought in to keep it ticking over. I returned to the production office to find an efficient operation. It was just my job to make it sure it stayed that way. It went off without a hitch."
While BBC Enterprises wouldn't be making any more requests for further series, there was no question of this being the definitive final series of Doctor Who. If the Amblin deal fell through, the BBC was now more likely to press ahead with a series of its own. On top of all this, before Season 28 ended it was announced that 1993 would see a feature-length 30 anniversary special. No-one knew yet, but the fireworks behind the scenes would be as spectacular as anything onscreen.
- Doctor Who In The Nineties, Gordon Weythe and Andrew Barbicane
The heart attack was a nasty shock, followed by a sad realisation and finally a strange reassurance.
I don't have to explain the shock. But once I'd established that I wasn't going to die this time around, I was left with the realization that I was an old man. Seventy-four was a grand, old age and I wasn't going to be able work at the same pace. I had a horrible vision of being unable to do anything for myself and being a burden to Kismet. I felt the pain of not wanting to retire, I've always loved my work, but also the fear of not being able to enjoy whatever time I had left with my beloved wife.
Then came the reassurance, or rather the reassurances. The doctors told me that the attack was a warning sign. I had to take it easy, but not give up altogether. After the doctors, I got a visit and some advice from The Doctor. Iain Cuthbertson stopped by to see how I was and told me about how he'd had recovered from his stroke and readjust his working methods and schedule. Finally, of course, there was the outpouring of love from my Doctor Who family all over the world.
Iain's visit reassured me on another level. He'd been unable to fully take part in the 20th anniversary special and there was a big 30th anniversary special coming up and I wasn't going to be able to carry on like I used to. But Iain said there was no danger of the fans being disappointed in me. "If it's anything like like the 20th, they'll just be happy to see you back. That was what I kept hearing from the fans. They were just happy to see me back in uniform, so to speak."
I hoped the Doctor Who production office would be similarly upbeat.
- Roger Delgado, "Scornfuls, Spaniards, Sleuths And Spacemen", 1999
"We knew from the beginning that we had to have a plan in case any Doctor couldn't take part for any reason. Not just for reasons of health, any one might have decided they didn't want to do any more Doctor Who or might have had a better job to go to. We considered ourselves lucky that every living Doctor was onboard. Each one had different levels of availability, so that had to be written around, but at least we were going to be able to get a scene with all of them together.
"The plan to help lighten the load was to add another Doctor. It was based around an idea I'd had in the 70s but had never run with. A future Doctor, maybe the last Doctor. One whose work correcting the web of time had come at the cost of his own timeline. His past is completely broken. We'd had that story where The Doctor changed Dalek history and I wondered, how would that effect The Doctor's history? What happens to the previous Doctors who've had adventures that were part of the unchanged Dalek history? Have they been changed? That was where the idea of The Lost Doctor came from.
"I'd had different plans for this notional Doctor depending on who may or may not be available. Having a full compliment of Doctors with Colin, Tony and Don able to handle some action stuff, we didn't need an action Doctor. So we could have a Doctor who could take some talky scenes and move the plot. We asked Peter Cushing, but he very politely declined.
"We knew Roger was feeling guilty about being on light duties, so I called him to tell him of this plan. He took a great deal of interest and wanted to know who we were going to cast. I told him we didn't have anyone yet and he got very excited. He'd just been talking to a friend of his and he was sure he'd say yes. Would it be OK to ask his friend?
"Note that Roger didn't say who his friend was. He was a devil for that sort of thing. Wicked sense of humour. He wanted to let me squirm a little as I wouldn't know if it was John Gielgud or Bozo the Clown. Roger knew everybody. I had squirmed enough and I asked Roger who he meant.
"I dropped the phone with surprise.
"The following day, Roger called, said his friend was very interested, wouldn't want all that much money and his agent would be giving us a call.
"I dropped the phone again."
- PJ Hammond, DVD extra, The Wrong Doctors
"I gather his presence is a bit of an outlier for Doctor Who fans. Of course, Doctor Who is a bit of an outlier in his filmography. He himself admitted that the surprise election victory of Al Gore in 1988 had caused him to lose perspective a little and maybe overstate his case. I think Doctor Who was an opportunity to do something that might take attention away from some of the interview clips that had been dogging him."
- Biographer Harlan Baulke, DVD extra, The Wrong Doctors
"Hello, chaps. This is my dear friend Chuck. He's promised not to talk about politics."
- attributed to Roger Delgado at rehearsals for The Wrong Doctors
The sometimes insular world of Doctor Who fandom was more or less nonplussed at the casting announcement. But without him, it's unlikely that The Wrong Doctors would have secured its choice Christmas Day on BBC1 slot.
- Doctor Who In The Nineties, Gordon Weythe and Andrew Barbicane
"I was a bit put out by this 'Lost Doctor' idea when Peter [Hammond] explained it to me. I know Roger couldn't be involved as much as he wanted to be, but I didn't see that as a reason to introduce an interloper. Of course, Peter was playing the same trick on me Roger played on him. When he told me who'd be the Lost Doctor, I had to admit he'd be crazy to turn him down.
"It was really just down to Roger trying to be helpful. I think he felt guilty at not being able to carry his share as he saw it. At rehearsals he kept apologizing for not being quite as quick on the cues as usual. He was fine, naturally. He held himself to a higher standard.
"The BBC were all for the special being called The Lost Doctor, but Peter insisted they stick with the original title as it referred to all of us. Very diplomatic. That diplomatic side helped with the US deal, apparently."
- Colin Baker, convention appearance, 2007
I hadn't been happy with the prospect of a 30th anniversary special. It indicated to me a lack of commitment by the BBC to the co-production deal. I did wonder if the talks with Amblin were being used as a bargaining chip in some other deal I wasn't being told about.
The BBC reassured me that this was just a "thank you to the fans" and nothing Amblin had to worry about. Then I saw the casting announcement and I hit the roof. The BBC people I'd been talking to were equivocating and I was all for pulling the plug. The day was rescued by PJ Hammond, previous Doctor Who producer who'd been drafted back in to oversee the special.
"I gather we've been causing you a bit of heartache," he calmly said. "I'm calling to reassure you. This is the last in-house BBC production of Doctor Who for the foreseeable future. As far as I'm aware, Doctor Who's future is with Amblin.
"About that bit of casting." Bit of casting?! Mr Hammond was a perfect example of British understatement. "It just so happens he's a friend of Roger's and I think he's just doing it for a bit of a laugh." I wasn't sure I trusted Mr Hammond. "We're not paying him all that much. I think he's going to get a tiny percentage of the home video sales on top of that, but it's peanuts compared to what he could usually ask for." Then his tone changed.
"Mr Segal, have you had some difficulty selling the idea of Doctor Who to your co-workers? Are they wondering why you're involved in this insignificant little show?" I had to admit, he'd read the situation perfectly. "We all go through it, we Doctor Who producers." He thought of me as a Doctor Who producer, that was reassuring. "Just show them that casting announcement. If he's in, it's not that insignificant, is it? I bet you won't find any actors you're looking at being quick to turn you down now that they're following in his footsteps." I was beginning to warm to him. I had to ask why he'd been able to say all this and no-one else had. "It's the BBC," he sighed. "None of this will occur to them until next year." It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
- Philip Segal, Regeneration - The Story Behind The Revival of a Television Legend, 2000
After the highs and lows of 1990 and 1991, 1992 seemed to pass by in a daze. Season 28 held onto the audience won with Season 27. Many fans were overjoyed to see the season being produced by Barry Letts. "In all modesty, I was just brought in to keep it ticking over. I returned to the production office to find an efficient operation. It was just my job to make it sure it stayed that way. It went off without a hitch."
While BBC Enterprises wouldn't be making any more requests for further series, there was no question of this being the definitive final series of Doctor Who. If the Amblin deal fell through, the BBC was now more likely to press ahead with a series of its own. On top of all this, before Season 28 ended it was announced that 1993 would see a feature-length 30 anniversary special. No-one knew yet, but the fireworks behind the scenes would be as spectacular as anything onscreen.
- Doctor Who In The Nineties, Gordon Weythe and Andrew Barbicane
__________________
The heart attack was a nasty shock, followed by a sad realisation and finally a strange reassurance.
I don't have to explain the shock. But once I'd established that I wasn't going to die this time around, I was left with the realization that I was an old man. Seventy-four was a grand, old age and I wasn't going to be able work at the same pace. I had a horrible vision of being unable to do anything for myself and being a burden to Kismet. I felt the pain of not wanting to retire, I've always loved my work, but also the fear of not being able to enjoy whatever time I had left with my beloved wife.
Then came the reassurance, or rather the reassurances. The doctors told me that the attack was a warning sign. I had to take it easy, but not give up altogether. After the doctors, I got a visit and some advice from The Doctor. Iain Cuthbertson stopped by to see how I was and told me about how he'd had recovered from his stroke and readjust his working methods and schedule. Finally, of course, there was the outpouring of love from my Doctor Who family all over the world.
Iain's visit reassured me on another level. He'd been unable to fully take part in the 20th anniversary special and there was a big 30th anniversary special coming up and I wasn't going to be able to carry on like I used to. But Iain said there was no danger of the fans being disappointed in me. "If it's anything like like the 20th, they'll just be happy to see you back. That was what I kept hearing from the fans. They were just happy to see me back in uniform, so to speak."
I hoped the Doctor Who production office would be similarly upbeat.
- Roger Delgado, "Scornfuls, Spaniards, Sleuths And Spacemen", 1999
__________________
"We knew from the beginning that we had to have a plan in case any Doctor couldn't take part for any reason. Not just for reasons of health, any one might have decided they didn't want to do any more Doctor Who or might have had a better job to go to. We considered ourselves lucky that every living Doctor was onboard. Each one had different levels of availability, so that had to be written around, but at least we were going to be able to get a scene with all of them together.
"The plan to help lighten the load was to add another Doctor. It was based around an idea I'd had in the 70s but had never run with. A future Doctor, maybe the last Doctor. One whose work correcting the web of time had come at the cost of his own timeline. His past is completely broken. We'd had that story where The Doctor changed Dalek history and I wondered, how would that effect The Doctor's history? What happens to the previous Doctors who've had adventures that were part of the unchanged Dalek history? Have they been changed? That was where the idea of The Lost Doctor came from.
"I'd had different plans for this notional Doctor depending on who may or may not be available. Having a full compliment of Doctors with Colin, Tony and Don able to handle some action stuff, we didn't need an action Doctor. So we could have a Doctor who could take some talky scenes and move the plot. We asked Peter Cushing, but he very politely declined.
"We knew Roger was feeling guilty about being on light duties, so I called him to tell him of this plan. He took a great deal of interest and wanted to know who we were going to cast. I told him we didn't have anyone yet and he got very excited. He'd just been talking to a friend of his and he was sure he'd say yes. Would it be OK to ask his friend?
"Note that Roger didn't say who his friend was. He was a devil for that sort of thing. Wicked sense of humour. He wanted to let me squirm a little as I wouldn't know if it was John Gielgud or Bozo the Clown. Roger knew everybody. I had squirmed enough and I asked Roger who he meant.
"I dropped the phone with surprise.
"The following day, Roger called, said his friend was very interested, wouldn't want all that much money and his agent would be giving us a call.
"I dropped the phone again."
- PJ Hammond, DVD extra, The Wrong Doctors
__________________
CHARLTON HESTON IS THE DOCTOR!
- Doctor Who Magazine cover, April 1993
- Doctor Who Magazine cover, April 1993
__________________
"I gather his presence is a bit of an outlier for Doctor Who fans. Of course, Doctor Who is a bit of an outlier in his filmography. He himself admitted that the surprise election victory of Al Gore in 1988 had caused him to lose perspective a little and maybe overstate his case. I think Doctor Who was an opportunity to do something that might take attention away from some of the interview clips that had been dogging him."
- Biographer Harlan Baulke, DVD extra, The Wrong Doctors
__________________
"Hello, chaps. This is my dear friend Chuck. He's promised not to talk about politics."
- attributed to Roger Delgado at rehearsals for The Wrong Doctors
__________________
The sometimes insular world of Doctor Who fandom was more or less nonplussed at the casting announcement. But without him, it's unlikely that The Wrong Doctors would have secured its choice Christmas Day on BBC1 slot.
- Doctor Who In The Nineties, Gordon Weythe and Andrew Barbicane
__________________
"I was a bit put out by this 'Lost Doctor' idea when Peter [Hammond] explained it to me. I know Roger couldn't be involved as much as he wanted to be, but I didn't see that as a reason to introduce an interloper. Of course, Peter was playing the same trick on me Roger played on him. When he told me who'd be the Lost Doctor, I had to admit he'd be crazy to turn him down.
"It was really just down to Roger trying to be helpful. I think he felt guilty at not being able to carry his share as he saw it. At rehearsals he kept apologizing for not being quite as quick on the cues as usual. He was fine, naturally. He held himself to a higher standard.
"The BBC were all for the special being called The Lost Doctor, but Peter insisted they stick with the original title as it referred to all of us. Very diplomatic. That diplomatic side helped with the US deal, apparently."
- Colin Baker, convention appearance, 2007
__________________
I hadn't been happy with the prospect of a 30th anniversary special. It indicated to me a lack of commitment by the BBC to the co-production deal. I did wonder if the talks with Amblin were being used as a bargaining chip in some other deal I wasn't being told about.
The BBC reassured me that this was just a "thank you to the fans" and nothing Amblin had to worry about. Then I saw the casting announcement and I hit the roof. The BBC people I'd been talking to were equivocating and I was all for pulling the plug. The day was rescued by PJ Hammond, previous Doctor Who producer who'd been drafted back in to oversee the special.
"I gather we've been causing you a bit of heartache," he calmly said. "I'm calling to reassure you. This is the last in-house BBC production of Doctor Who for the foreseeable future. As far as I'm aware, Doctor Who's future is with Amblin.
"About that bit of casting." Bit of casting?! Mr Hammond was a perfect example of British understatement. "It just so happens he's a friend of Roger's and I think he's just doing it for a bit of a laugh." I wasn't sure I trusted Mr Hammond. "We're not paying him all that much. I think he's going to get a tiny percentage of the home video sales on top of that, but it's peanuts compared to what he could usually ask for." Then his tone changed.
"Mr Segal, have you had some difficulty selling the idea of Doctor Who to your co-workers? Are they wondering why you're involved in this insignificant little show?" I had to admit, he'd read the situation perfectly. "We all go through it, we Doctor Who producers." He thought of me as a Doctor Who producer, that was reassuring. "Just show them that casting announcement. If he's in, it's not that insignificant, is it? I bet you won't find any actors you're looking at being quick to turn you down now that they're following in his footsteps." I was beginning to warm to him. I had to ask why he'd been able to say all this and no-one else had. "It's the BBC," he sighed. "None of this will occur to them until next year." It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
- Philip Segal, Regeneration - The Story Behind The Revival of a Television Legend, 2000
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