"Where Are We Going This Time": The Golden Age of Science Fiction

[Timelordtoe]

Part I, Chapter IV: "Tell Me Doctor, Where Are We Going This Time?"​

“Personally, I think that it is better to see the film as a stand-alone soft reboot rather than a straight continuation. The story is very good, and it was the first experience of Doctor Who for much of the fandom. The level of gatekeeping surrounding it and people enjoying it being ‘not true fans’ is simply ridiculous [1]. Is it the best Doctor Who story? No, but it is a good story.”​

- tipple [2] user MasterWho on a thread titled “What are your opinions on the first Amblin Doctor Who film.”


Doctor Who: Back to the Future was released on July 3 1985, and was met with critical acclaim. While critics noted that it was radically different from anything else in the Doctor Who franchise up until that point, they also praised it for its enjoyable story. Reviewers also had much praise for the music in the film, composed by Alan Silvestri, drawing attention to his revision of the Doctor Who theme [3], and "Marty's Theme" [4]. In addition, the contributions of Huey Lewis and the News were praised, and even got them their first Number 1 single, with "The Power of Love", "Back in Time" also charted, but did not perform as well [5].


Plot Synopsis for Doctor Who: Back to the Future:


In 1985 Hill Valley, California, teenager Martin “Marty” McFly and his girlfriend Elyse Parker are chastised by the school’s principal for lateness. Marty is an aspiring musician, and auditions for the Battle of the Bands, but is rejected for being “too loud”. At home, Marty’s father George is bullied by his supervisor Biff Tannen, while his mother Lorraine is overweight, depressed and alcoholic. At dinner, Lorraine reminisces over how she met George when her father nearly ran him over.

Marty is invited by his eccentric friend the Doctor, going by the name of Dr Emmett Brown, to meet him in a parking lot in the early hours. The Doctor unveils his time machine, revealing to Marty that he is not from his time. It had been damaged when he crashed in 1952 [6], and it had taken him until now to find a source of energy to jump start the device, which he calls the TARDIS, standing for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. Preparing to demonstrate the time machine, the Doctor sets the destination date to November 5 1955, the day he figured out how to fix the TARDIS. The TARDIS is being jump-started by a small nuclear reactor powered by plutonium, stolen from terrorists. Just as the Doctor is about to set off, the terrorists arrive and shoot the Doctor, seemingly killed permanently. Marty attempts to hide in the TARDIS, discovering that it is larger on the inside than the outside, and in doing so, accidentally activates it.

Marty soon discovers that he is in 1955, with no plutonium with which to kick start the TARDIS again. He soon encounters the teenaged George, who is bullied by his classmate Biff. After Marty saves George from an oncoming car, he is rendered unconscious, and wakes up to find himself being tended to by Lorraine, who is infatuated with him.

Marty tracks down the younger Doctor for help. With no plutonium, the Doctor explains that the only power source capable of producing the 1.21 gigawatts required to jump-start the reaction would be a bolt of lightning. Marty shows the Doctor a flyer from the future that recounts a lightning strike at the town’s courthouse due to a storm on Saturday night. The Doctor instructs Marty not to leave the house, or to interact with anyone, as he could alter the future; because of this, he refuses to listen to Marty’s warnings about the Doctor’s death.

It soon becomes apparent that Marty has already altered the timeline, by inadvertently preventing his parents from meeting. The Doctor warns Marty that he must find a way to get George and Lorraine to meet, or he may be erased from existence. The Doctor begins plans on how to harness the lightning, while Marty sets about getting his parents to meet.

After Lorraine asks Marty to the school dance, Marty comes up with a plan: he will feign inappropriate advances on Lorraine, providing an opportunity for Geroge to “rescue” her. The plan goes awry, however, when a drunken Biff attempts to force himself on Lorraine. George, enrages, knocks out Biff, and Lorraine follows him to the dance floor, where they kiss as Marty plays with the band.

As the storm arrives, Marty returns to the clock tower, and the lightning strikes, sending Marty back to 1985. The Doctor has survived the shooting, having worn a bullet-proof vest, as he heeded Marty’s warnings. The Doctor takes Marty home, and departs to the future. Marty awakens the next day to find that his father is a successful author, Lorraine is fit and happy, and Biff is a more timid auto valet. As Marty reunites with Elyse, the Doctor returns in the TARDIS, insisting that they accompany him to 2045, where the future of humanity is at stake. The trio board the TARDIS, which has now been fully repaired, and dematerialise to the future. [7]


Cast List for Doctor Who: Back to the Future:

• The Sixth Doctor – Christopher Lloyd
• Marty McFly – Michael J. Fox
• Lorraine Baines-McFly – Lea Thompson
• George McFly – Crispin Glover
• Biff Tannen – J. J. Cohen [8]
• Elyse Parker – Melora Hardin [9]
• The Fifth Doctor - Peter Davison

Following the success of Doctor Who: Back to the Future, it felt only natural that a sequel follow. Immediately, most of the main cast signed on to film two further sequels, to be released in late 1986 and 1987 respectively.

One notable exception was Crispin Glover, who left due to a contract disagreement. It was decided that rather than recast, the character would be written out, as his future part would likely be small anyway.

The BBC decided that any future film had to have a more “Doctor Who” story, as many fans had been disappointed by the disparity between the TV show and the film. With a large fan base accumulated from the film, it was felt that by transitioning to a more “Classic Who” approach, syndications of the TV series would become more popular.

The race was now on to produce the two follow up films. [10]

[1] Pop culture may be changed a lot by the end of this, but there will always be those people.
[2] tipple is TTL's version of reddit. The name is nonsensical, and not related to the verb of the same name.
[3] I don't have an actual idea as to what this sounds like, but my best guess would be Hardwire's redo of the 1996 TV Movie theme. Seriously check out his stuff, it's great.
[4] OTL's Back to the Future theme.
[5] I couldn't leave them out with two incredible songs like that. The name for this timeline, part and even update are taken from "Back in Time", which also gave me the inspiration for the big POD.
[6] This is where Davison's regeneration scene is. He crashes in Hill Valley after the events of The Caves of Androzani, and the TARDIS is damaged. By 1985, he's sort of given up hope on returning to Peri, especially with how different he looks.
[7] I've done the best I can with the plot. It feels okay, and probably isn't quite as much fun as OTL's BTTF, but should still be a good laugh, even as a stand alone film.
[8] He was originally going to be Biff, but he was too small to intimidate Stoltz. He is kept on for this.
[9] She was originally going to be Jennifer, but producers though she was too tall to be against Fox. Here, the producers don't care about that.
[10] Part I will go to the start of 1988. The remainder of Part I will focus mostly on the production of the two films, with the start of ST:TNG covered, as well as a slight musical interlude before we really get going.

 

[TheDimensionalWatcher]

Keep up the good work!

 

[Timelordtoe]

Well, I'm done with exams for the week, so I'm going to try and get a few updates out over the next few days. The next update won't be story, but will be a profile of the Sixth Doctor, but hopefully without giving too much away for the future. I'll do my best to get it out tonight.

 

[Timelordtoe]

The Sixth Doctor (1985-1987)

Christopher Lloyd​

The casting of an American for the traditionally British character of the Doctor was not an uncontroversial one. Many fans were outraged that their beloved franchise appeared to be being sold out to an American company. On the release of the film however, opinion changed sharply. Critics praised his portrayal for balancing the dramatic and comedic sides of the character.

Christopher Lloyd stayed for the three Amblin produced films, though left afterwards. Through the films, he was accompanied by Martin "Marty" McFly, portrayed by Michael J. Fox. Marty filled the role that many of his predecessors had, namely in being the "everyman" that the audience could identify with. The Amblin films brought in a large American audience, especially families and young people. The first film in the series was also credited with the popularisation of the skateboarding subculture.

Modern critics and other commenetators often list Lloyd's portrayal as a key reason for the strength of the franchise of Doctor Who becoming popular in the Americas. It is often argued that other actors would not have portrayed the Doctor with the same level of semi-insanity that lent him an air of genius, but also made him fun. Indeed, John Lithgow, who had originally been cast as the Sixth Doctor, once stated in an interview that he was glad that things did not end up working out between him and the studio, as he felt that he would not have been able to capture the essence of the character.

Behind the scenes, Lloyd was always in two minds about the character. While he enjoyed portraying him, Lloyd was worried about being typecast, especially following the advice of Peter Davison, whom he had met on the set of Doctor Who: Back to the Future. As a result, it was not for many years after leaving the role that he would begin to engage fully with the fans, many of whom had been introduced to the franchise with his portrayal. [1]


In the canon of Doctor Who, the Sixth Doctor first appears in Doctor Who: Back to the Future, which shows the Fifth Doctor regenerating after crashing the TARDIS in Hill Valley of 1952, following his being poisoned during the story The Caves of Androzani. Little was known about the Sixth Doctor's early life until after the films had been aired, barring the events that transpire during Back to the Future.

With the lowest amount of screen time of any of the Doctors, it is no surprise that most of the detail that is known about the Sixth Doctor comes from stories or books that are not strictly confirmed as canon. This, paired with Lloyd's eventual acceptance of the character, leaves many fans eager to see more Sixth Doctor media produced, even though such an endeavour has been confirmed as "unlikely" by the BBC. [2]


The Sixth Doctor is a great deal more unkempt and wild than his predecessors, and was the first to be portrayed by a non-Brit. His demeanour was done as such to allow for him to be a 'fun' character that all of the family could like. Lloyd's Doctor is so iconic and important in the history of Doctor Who that his face is the first to spring to mind when many are asked to picture the Doctor. [3]

Despite this, great effort was made to ensure that the character would still come across as the Doctor to those who had been fans for longer. This included the darker side hinted at at certain points in the film, such as the fact that the Doctor had been dealing with terrorists. In order to confirm that this was a continuation of continuity, rather than a reboot, the regereation scene was included, as well as many throwaway lines throughout the films including "at least I'm not wearing that celery anymore" when a character criticises the Doctor's dress sense. [4]


The Sixth Doctor's tenure was decidedly the most musical since that of Partick Troughton. Though the Doctor himself did not play any instruments, his companion Marty was in a rock band, and the films each saw singles released alongside them, from groups such as 'Huey Lewis and the News' and 'Electric Light Orchestra'. [5]


Christopher Lloyd would stay until the end of 1987, with the release of the third, and last of the Amblin trilogy of films. Citing a wish to avoid typecasting, he left the role, and had little interaction with the franchise until 1993, even then only participating minimally. [6]

[1] Lloyd was like this with Back to the Future, with how busy his schedule will be over the next two years, he will be even more eager to leave than in OTL. He will eventually, as hinted, return to the franchise, though more minimally.
[2] The BBC will eventually adopt a policy similar to the one IOTL, that no franchise owned by them can require fans to pay money to keep up with the story. That's why Big Finish and the like are in a grey area of canonicity.
[3] These films will be how the most audiences are introduced to Doctor Who for the next 15-20 years or so.
[4] Every Doctor has their look, and the Sixth Doctor will eventually settle on one almost identical to that seen in BTTF II, I just couldn't find a good picture to use.
[5] ELO didn't make music for BTTF IOTL, but they will for Doctor Who here. While they will break up at around the same time as OTL, Lynne will have a bigger part to play. He will be the focus of the "musical interlude" that I've alluded to before.
[6] Good old Troughton rule. We've not skipped to 1987 by the way, this is just an overview of Lloyd's time as the Doctor. Part I should last another 5-6 updates at least. Next update will be late 1985/early 1986, with the production on the sequels beginning.

 

[TheDimensionalWatcher]

I want to see if Doctor Who 2 and 3 would be like?

 

[Timelordtoe]

I've got the next update mostly written. Will try to get it up this afternoon, after my lectures. It will detail the start of production of the second and third Doctor Who films.

 

[Timelordtoe]

Part I, Chapter V: "Lightning Never Strikes Twice"​

“I mean, the films sold well and all, but I don’t think anybody came out of the production of those feeling that we’d made an instant classic like we had with the first part. Plenty of people involved with the making of those two films have thrown blame around, but I don’t think that it was any one thing really. How could we really have followed that up?”​

- Steven Spielberg on the production of the second and final Amblin Doctor Who films, taken from An Adventure in Space and Time.


The production of the second Doctor Who film got off to a rough start. It seemed that nobody had a clear idea as to what the story should be. Zemeckis and Gale had pitched a few ideas, but most had been shot down by Spielberg and the BBC, who wished for a return to a more classic feel. [1]

Over time, more rifts would appear between those who wished for a film more akin to an episode of Doctor Who with a much higher budget, and those who wanted to go in a new direction. Eventually, the so-called “classicists” would win out, and the scripts would be chosen soon after.



For the first film, the script would be written by Doctor Who veteran Robert Holmes. Holmes had written the final episode of the television series, and had gained a reputation amongst the producers for being one of the better writers to grace the franchise. [2]

The first draft of the script was liked by most, though it was requested that more humour be put in, to ensure that family audiences would get more enjoyment out of it. Zemeckis and Gale were asked to do the rewrite, but were encouraged to leave the story as intact as possible. The result was a script both camps were happy with, the story was more in line with the television series, but it had much the same humour that had given the previous film its charm. Following this, all three of Holmes, Zemeckis and Gale would be credited as writers for the film.

The script involved The Doctor, Marty and Elyse going to the future, where they find that the Cybermen are launching an invasion, attempting to take control of the Earth. Their base of operations is at Hill Valley, which is situated on top of a “rift”, a weak point in space and time that can be harnessed as a source of power. [3]


It soon became apparent that the release would mean that Doctor Who: The Cyber Invasion was up against stiff competition. Its main competitor would be Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. This clash would prove to be only the first in what would become known as one of popular culture’s greatest rivalries. The release of Doctor Who would also push back An American Tail to late 1987, rather than November 1986 as planned. [4]

The third film would also be up against some other contenders, this time, another British franchise in The Living Daylights, which was to be Timothy Dalton’s first outing as James Bond. [5]

Both 1986 and 1987 would prove to be big years in film, and perhaps even more important for Doctor Who.


Production of Doctor Who: The Cyber Invasion began in April of 1986. The schedule would once again mean that filming needed to be done quickly, but this time, casting and locations had been arranged beforehand, meaning that there was little chance of delays in production. In addition, the BBC producers, who were becoming a more and more frequent sight on set, had much experience with producing effects with lower budgets and time.

Production would go smoothly, for the most part. It soon became apparent however, that Lloyd was increasingly not enjoying his role, and was just in it to fulfil his contract. While Lloyd had enjoyed the making of the first film, the rising tension between the Zemeckis and the BBC executives made for a more stressful workplace.

One notable thing about the making of the second Amblin Doctor Who film was the involvement of The Jim Henson Company, which would produce the costumes and puppets for the Cybermen to be used in the film. Originally, a greater involvement had been planned, but The Jim Henson Company was heavily involved with the making of Labyrinth, a film that was to be released around the same time as the second Doctor Who film. This would prove to be just the first of many collaborations between the two franchises. [6]


But soon, developments would come that would result in Doctor Who changing drastically once more... [7]

[1] The BBC is going to want more creative control now that it sees that Doctor Who can work with an American audience.
[2] He lives for a bit longer here, allowing him to work on the films.
[3] A more classic style epsiode. This isn't based on anything, so in the next part, which will detail the release of the second film and the drastic change, you'll get to see how bad I am at actually writing a story.
[4] The Cyber Invasion gets An American Tail's release date here. At this point, Doctor Who is the bigger franchise, so it wins. Also, this will be the first of many appearances of another certain franchise to come. As previously stated, things will be a bit more broad when Part II hits.
[5] We'll see increasing collaborations "across the pond", and while we're a ways off with Bond yet, the franchise will change.
[6] The Jim Henson Company was involved with a proposed special for Doctor Who IOTL, but it never saw the light of day. That's not what this story is, but it will make an appearance down the line.
[7] The change won't be quite as drastic as the initial television to film move, but it's going to be perhaps the next most important thing for the franchise ITTL

 

[unclepatrick]

For the first film, the script would be written by Doctor Who veteran Robert Holmes. Holmes had written the final episode of the television series, and had gained a reputation amongst the producers for being one of the better writers to grace the franchise.

I like Robert Holmes as a writer but he does not do Slapstick Humor very well and as a Sequel with Zemeckis would require a bit more humor then we see in most of Holmes writing.
Someone else would have to do the rewrite.

 

[Unknown]

If you could somehow save Judith Barsi ITTL, that would be really nice...

 

[Timelordtoe]

I like Robert Holmes as a writer but he does not do Slapstick Humor very well and as a Sequel with Zemeckis would require a bit more humor then we see in most of Holmes writing.
Someone else would have to do the rewrite.

Yeah, looking at Holmes' work, I agree with you. I'll have him write the story, but Zemeckis and Gale will redo much of the dialogue, and put in more comedy. A sort of compromise between the two camps of "classicists" and newcomers. I'll edit the post.

 

[TheDimensionalWatcher]

This thread is the best TTL ever.

 

[Timelordtoe]

Thank you all for the encouraging words. My apologies for no update over the past couple of days. It's still exam season for me, and my day today is pretty packed. That being said, think I might be able to squeeze an update or two out today. The next update will cover the release and story of Doctor Who: The Cyber Invasion, while the second will be a pop-culture overview of everything else up to this point.

 

[Timelordtoe]

Part I, Chapter VI: "Neon Lights"​

“It was scary back then, not just as a producer, but as a fan. We had come back so strong with Back to the Future, and for all that to be thrown up in the air once again, but this time to be in the middle of it, it really made you wonder if this was going to be the end after all.”​

- Steven Spielberg, on the release of Doctor Who: The Cyber Invasion, taken from An Adventure in Space and Time.


Doctor Who: The Cyber Invasion was released on November 21 1986, and was met with mixed reviews. While many fans of the classic series enjoyed the return to a more familiar story, yet still with much of the comedy that had given Back to the Future its charm, for general audiences, the change was too drastic. [1]



Plot Synopsis of Doctor Who: The Cyber Invasion:

The Doctor, Marty and Elyse arrive in 2045, immediately after the events of Doctor Who: Back to the Future. While Elyse comes to terms with the dimensions of the TARDIS, the Doctor warns that the world they are about to enter is far more dangerous that of their 1985, but that the mission that they are about to embark on is to save the human race.

Upon exiting the TARDIS, it is revealed that the Hill Valley of 2045 is a war torn landscape, with a large complex visible in the near distance. The Doctor explains that in late 2044 a race of beings known as the “Cybermen” invade, and set about conquering Earth, and “upgrading” humanity to become like them. [2]

While exploring, the group are discovered by a Cyberman patrol, who apprehend them, intending to take them back to the facility to be upgraded. En route, the patrol is attacked by a group of humans stylising themselves as “The Resistance”. Some of the Cybermen escape, still holding the Doctor captive.

The members of the Resistance take Marty and Jennifer back to their base of operations, an underground facility. They enlist Marty and Jennifer, and tell them of their plan to take out the Cybermen by hacking into their systems and breaking the communications network they have established, allowing for the humans to rise up and take the Cybermen down.

Meanwhile, the Doctor is taken to the Cybermen’s facility. They soon recognise him, after scanning him and seeing that he is a Time Lord. Their plan of taking over Earth was in fact a plan to lure the Doctor in, so that they could capture him, and take the TARDIS. With the TARDIS, they would be able to conquer many more planets, and expand to be able to upgrade other races than humanoids. The base at Hill Valley is situated on top of a “rift” in space-time, which is how the Cybermen arrived. Since their arrival, they have been harnessing it as a source of near-unlimited energy to fuel their invasion.

The leader of the Resistance, Barnes, prepares a group to raid the Cyberman base. Both Elyse and Marty volunteer, hoping to find and rescue the Doctor. They are joined by a few others, including a young woman called Eve, and begin the journey to the Cyberman base of operations.

The group travels through a set of secret tunnels underneath Hill Valley in order to avoid the Cyberman patrols. They emerge close to the Cyberman base, and break their way in, utilising makeshift weapons that capitalise on the weaknesses of the Cybermen, namely their aversion to gold. They make their way in, reaching a terminal, though they trigger an alarm, resulting in their capture.

The group are taken to be converted, with the exception of Marty and Elyse, who the Cybermen realise are the Doctor’s companions. The Cybermen hold them hostage in order to get the Doctor to co-operate and tell the Cybermen where the TARDIS is located, as their numbers are too few at the base to launch a full search.

While being interrogated, the Doctor is able to activate his sonic screwdriver, and frees himself. He evades the Cybermen, managing to free Marty and Jennifer as well. They tell the Doctor of the Resistance’s plan, which he approves of. They rush to the conversion chambers to rescue the resistance members, but all but Barnes and Eve have already been converted.

The group rushes to a terminal, pursued by a group of Cybermen. They manage to disrupt the network in time, which results in the Cybermen becoming unorganized, with some beginning to remember their pasts. In the confusion, the Doctor, Marty, Elyse, Barnes and Eve are able to escape.

The Doctor remarks that the world will likely recover from “the Cyber Invasion”, and that if not he will “be back”. He offers Barnes and Eve the chance to travel with him, though they turn it down, preferring to stay behind to rebuild.

The Doctor, Marty and Elyse return to the TARDIS, the Doctor thanking them for their help. He asks them if there was anywhere they had ever wanted to visit. Marty simply says “I’ve always wanted to see what the West was really like back in the frontier days”. The Doctor replies with “say no more”, and they depart.


Main Cast of Doctor Who: The Cyber Invasion:

• The Sixth Doctor – Christopher Lloyd
• Marty McFly – Michael J Fox
• Elyse Parker – Melora Hardin
• Barnes – Thomas F Wilson [3]
• Eve – Jill Schoelen [4]

The reception of Doctor Who: The Cyber Invasion was lukewarm. Most who went to see the film enjoyed it, but many came out disappointed, having expected a film much more like Back to the Future. It ended up making its budget back, though it did not produce large profits.

This, combined with the tense atmosphere on set, resulted in Christopher Lloyd deciding to leave the role of the Doctor. He had previously enjoyed the role, but found that it was increasingly becoming a burden. He would stay on for the third film that was to begin shooting shortly after the release of The Cyber Invasion, as his contract demanded, though he wished for little involvement in the franchise afterwards.

The loss of Christopher Lloyd would have large scale repercussions. Shortly after deciding to retire from the role, Universal would decide that it did not want to distribute any films beyond the upcoming third. When no other studios expressed interest, Amblin would decide to sell the rights to produce Doctor Who media after the third film. [5]



Things were looking grim for Doctor Who once more, but help would soon come... [6]

[1] To clarify, it will be seen as a decent story by most of the fan base, but even with Zemeckis and Gale's rewrite, the story is just too different to the previous film for most audiences to really get into it.
[2] The Cybermen of this story look like those of Davison's era but with a bit more "Hollywood shine" on top.
[3] I cast him because I could really see him as a gruff freedom fighter. Plus, with him having been considered for Biff, he'll be in the minds of the producers already.
[4] Another actress originally considered for the role of Jennifer.
[5] It's not that they don't want to make more, they just don't think they'll turn a profit. So Spielberg sadly lets the rights go.
[6] Help will come in a couple of updates. Next update is an overview of pop-culture from the POD until now (November 1986), pretty much everything I've wanted to put in, but wasn't important enough for its own update. Pretty soon, we'll see the subjects of the updates diversifying somewhat.

 

[Timelordtoe]

I'm just about done with Chapter VII, it will be a quick overview of popular culture from 1983 to the November 1986 mark we are at now. It will be less substantial than the past few updates, but should act as a nice break from all of the drama with Doctor Who at the moment, especially with what's around the corner.

 

[Timelordtoe]

Part I, Chapter VII: "Getting Up to Speed"​

“When looking at the lead up to the ‘Golden Age of Sci-Fi’, it’s easy to get lost in everything that happened with Doctor Who in the early days. In reality, there was so much more happening in the world of popular culture.”​

- Joss Whedon on the events that began the “Golden Age of Sci-Fi”, taken from Where None Had Gone Before, a documentary on the prevalence of science fiction in popular culture. [1]


1983

1983 saw the end of one large science fiction story, and the seeming beginning of the end for another. In May 1983, Revenge of the Jedi was released, seemingly finishing the saga. There was hope among many fans that this would not be the end, especially as the opening crawl had titled it as “Episode VI”. They would however, remain empty handed for a long while.

1983 saw Doctor Who’s 20th anniversary, and with it, the special The Five Doctors. It followed the penultimate season of the “classic” series, and saw all of the previous Doctors making an appearance, though the First Doctor was portrayed by Richard Hurndall, as William Hartnell had passed away. Tom Baker, who did not want to come back to film new scenes, was shown through footage taken from the unproduced story Shada.

In 1983, the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Munich, West Germany. The contest was won by Corrine Hermes, representing Luxembourg, with the song “Si la vie est cadeau”. [2]


1984

For Doctor Who, 1984 is one of the most pivotal years. With the departure of Peter Davison, the classic series came to an end, and the future was mostly uncertain. While the rights would soon be bought up by Amblin Entertainment, it seemed to most fans at the time that it would be the end for their beloved franchise.

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock was released in 1984, and was met with mostly positive reviews, though less so than the previous entry.

The Eurovision Song Contest was held in Luxembourg. It was won by The Herreys, representing Sweden, with their song “Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley”.


1985

1985 was a year of firsts and lasts. It saw the first American produced Doctor Who film, with Doctor Who: Back to the Future. It also saw the release of Norwegian group a-ha’s debut album, Hunting High and Low.

Roger Moore retired from the role of James Bond with A View to a Kill, citing age. Moore was 58 at the time of the film’s release, and holds the joint record of most films as James Bond, with Sean Connery.

In 1985, the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Gothenburg, Sweden. It marked a rare occasion in the contest, where the hosting country won. The winner was Kikki Danielson, representing Sweden, with the song “Bra vibrationer”. Despite their win, Sweden would pull out of hosting the following contest, citing financial concerns. As a result, the hosts would be the United Kingdom, who had, by this point, become the go-to host when the winning country pulled out. [3]


1986

In 1986, the Electric Light Orchestra released their final studio album, Balance of Power. Balance of Power received mixed reviews, with many seeing it as too much of a deviation from their earlier works. Following this, ELO would disband, though Jeff Lynne would soon find work in producing. [4]

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was released in 1986, and soon after, Paramount would announce their intent to produce a new Star Trek television series, set after the events of the films, following a new crew. The cast would not be announced until May 1987.

Doctor Who: The Cyber Invasion was also released in late 1986, marking the first time that Doctor Who and Star Trek had gone “head to head” with releases. Following the poor reception to the film, Amblin sold the rights to produce Doctor Who media, and it seemed as though the franchise was in jeopardy once more.

Also in 1986, Timothy Dalton was announced as the new actor to portray James Bond. He was to debut in 1987’s The Living Daylights, with the theme to be produced by A-ha.

In 1986, the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Brighton, United Kingdom. Belgium would initially win the contest, with the song “J’aime la vie”, performed by Sandra Kim. At the time, it was believed that she was 15, but after the win, it was revealed that she was 13. In response, multiple countries appealed for her to be disqualified. The appeals were successful, and the win was given to Switzerland, who finished second with the song “Pas pour moi”, performed by Daniela Simmons. Following this, Belgium would not participate in protest for the next five years. [5]


[1] We'll start to see some more familiar names as the series goes on. I'll try not to give too much away in advance, but some things are inevitable without just lying to you in these updates, and I won't do that.
[2] I'm a big Eurovision fan. I won't give it its own updates, at least not for a while, but I figured that I might as well have a bit of fun it. No actual change in 1983, just establishing the format.
[3] First real change to Eurovision. It was a close one in 1985, so I've changed it a bit to make things interesting.
[4] As I've said before, Jeff Lynne will have a part to play in all of this, albeit a peripheral one. Also, I can't help but to include my favourite band ever, even if it is ending them here, with no reunion.
[5] Nearly happened in OTL. Switzerland appealed, but was rejected. Here, more counties feel that Belgium has circumvented the rules, even if it gave them no advantage. Belgium, understandably, are none too happy with this outcome.

 

[Time Enough]

Good section, the Eurovision stuff is quite funny and it's nice to see A-Ha and ELO (and with there disbandment Jeff Lynne can go and do other stuff) get a mention. Speaking of music, I'm guessing New Order is still on the same path? Well just thought I would say that around 1989 as Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook were doing other things, Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert used the name whilst doing work for TV (Reportage Theme) etc. and well Stephen Morris is a fan of Dr Who, so possible musicians for the future maybe?

 

[Timelordtoe]

Good section, the Eurovision stuff is quite funny and it's nice to see A-Ha and ELO (and with there disbandment Jeff Lynne can go and do other stuff) get a mention. Speaking of music, I'm guessing New Order is still on the same path? Well just thought I would say that around 1989 as Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook were doing other things, Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert used the name whilst doing work for TV (Reportage Theme) etc. and well Stephen Morris is a fan of Dr Who, so possible musicians for the future maybe?

Thanks. Yeah, they're pretty much on the same path for now. There's not much left in Part I now, only about four-five updates. Once we hit Part II, there will be much more music in the timeline. We haven't seen the last of Lynne or A-ha.

 

[Timelordtoe]

Part I, Chapter VIII: "Third Time's the Charm"​

“There was a real sense of melancholy on the set of the third film. I mean, all of us were holding out hope that we’d be saved by some other studio, and that we could keep making these films, but I think we all knew that this was the end in some way. Some have accused Christopher of ‘phoning it in’ during that last film, and maybe they’re right. The simple fact of the matter is that he knew this was going to be his last film, the rest of us, we hoped it wasn’t. And though it was, what it led to made it all worth it, at least in my opinion.”​

- Michael J Fox speaking on his role as Marty McFly, taken from An Adventure in Space And Time. [1]


As production began on the third of the Amblin Doctor Who films, a shadow of doubt would be cast over the future of the franchise. With Christopher Lloyd having announced his departure from the role, it became clear to the producers that a new actor needed to be found for films after the third. But soon after, citing reduced interest in the franchise and unrest on the set, Universal announced that they would not be involved with any production following the third film.

At this point, it was the opinion of Steven Spielberg and the rest of Amblin that if no other distributor could be found soon, that their best option was to sell the rights. As it transpired, no other distributor could be found, and so the rights were once again made available for purchase.


Pre-production for the third Amblin Doctor Who film had been completed by the time the second film had wrapped, this was done in part to ensure that the film would have plenty of time for post-production and reshoots if required, without needing to push the release date back, as had been the case for the first film.

The script would be written by Bob Gale, with help from Robert Zemeckis, as part of a compromise with the ‘Classicists’ on the set that allowed Robert Holmes to write Doctor Who: The Cyber Invasion. Much as they had done re-writes to ensure a semi-comedic tone for the second film, the BBC producers would have a say on the story, to ensure that it did not conflict with pre-existing canon. [2]

As a result, the original idea, to set the story around “The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” was dismissed, as the third season story The Gunfighters already concerned those events. Gale still wanted to do a story set in the Old West, so he decided to set it in the Hill Valley of 1885.


The story would see the Doctor, Marty and Elyse arrive in 1885 Hill Valley, only for the TARDIS to be damaged in a gunfight between Native Americans and settlers. Much like the first film, there would be no alien element, beyond the Doctor himself.

As Christopher Lloyd was leaving the role after the film, the decision was made to mortally wound the Doctor and the end of the film, after returning Marty and Jennifer to 1985. As the future was left uncertain, the Seventh Doctor would not be cast unless it was made clear that Doctor Who would continue. [3]


Filming would occur primarily in California, in various smaller towns, so as to give an authentic feel. Much of The Cyber Invasion had been filmed in studios, and the producers generally agreed that the story felt less convincing for it.

Filming of the third movie began almost immediately after the second film wrapped, in part to ensure that actors schedules were still free, and also to ensure that all of the studio filming could be done while the studios were still booked. As a result, what the response to the second film would be was not known until approximately half way into filming. [4]


Drawing on criticism directed at the second part, the actors would be encouraged to ad-lib their lines somewhat, to provide a more genuine feel to the film, and lend a comedic tone that many felt was somewhat absent from The Cyber Invasion.

The situation on the set was a great deal less tense than it had been for the second film, in part due to the agreement on the scripts. In addition, having continued filming from the second outing, there was now more time available than there had been for either of the previous two films. Consequently, there was much less pressure to “just get the scenes filmed” than there had been previously.


Filming wrapped and post-production began in January 1987, leaving plenty of time for the May release. As a result, marketing would be much larger for the final part, to be titled; Doctor Who: The Mad Dog Gang. [5]


But before the release, news would come that would change Doctor Who for many years to come… [6]


[1] I thought it was about time we heard from some of the actors involved.
[2] This is part of the compromise between the two camps on the set. Expect this to be more like Back to the Future Part III in many ways.
[3] The producers at the BBC, however, have written a shortlist.
[4] Not dissimilar to BTTF parts 2 and 3, but here the stories are more separate, one merely leads into the other.
[5] Many thanks to user The Jovian, who came up with this title.
[6] I keep teasing what this might be. The actual change won't be for another two updates, but I can't reveal it without delving into another franchise first. So, just a heads up: next update will be the first proper look at Star Trek in this world.

 

[The Jovian]

​

Filming wrapped and post-production began in January 1987, leaving plenty of time for the May release. As a result, marketing would be much larger for the final part, to be titled; Doctor Who: Frontier. [5]

[5] I'm bad at titles

How about Doctor Who: The Mad Dog Gang (reference to Beuford "Mad Dog" Tannen) for the title of the film?

 

[Timelordtoe]

How about Doctor Who: The Mad Dog Gang (reference to Beuford "Mad Dog" Tannen) for the title of the film?

A wise idea, and one that I will take. I'll credit you and change the footnote.