Doctor Who Vortex: The Big 50th

THE BIGGEST DWV EVER!

DWV is a fan made publication by Stephen Henderson (issuu.com/StephenDavidHenderson) and is no way connected to BBC. BBC LOGO © BBC 1996.

DOCTOR WHO LOGO © BBC 2009.

TARDIS IMAGE © BBC 1963.

DALEK IMAGE © BBC/TERRY NATION 1963.

CYBERMAN IMAGE © BBC/KIT PEDLER/GERRY DAVIS 1966.

K-9 IMAGE © BBC/BOB ANDERSON/DAVE MARTIN 1977.

All photography remains the property of the original owner, generally this is BBC. Text © Stephen Henderson 2013 except extracts.

DWV is published on issuu.com on a non-regular basis. This is a special extended edition for the 50th Anniversary. This publication is known as 'Doctor Who Vortex' or 'DWV' and is not connected or affiliated with any publication of similar name. At time of writing, the Twelfth Doctor had not been cast and as such does not feature, except in a speculative nature. But we now know it's Peter Capaldi. www.issuu.com/StephenDavidHenderson www.twitter.com/GammaMonkey #DWVortex www.youtube.com/StephenDHenderson stephendavidhenderson.tumblr.com

It's the 23rd November 1963. It's 5.15pm.

It's time for Doctor Who. That was 50 years ago and now that little show that began the day after Pres. Kennedy was assassinated has turned into one of the BBC's (and the world's) biggest shows.

50 Years Later, the show has returned to it's rightful place as the King of Saturday night television. One of it's virtues is that the show has no genre. Sure, it's sciencefiction but only in the fact that A) he's an alien and B) he's got a time machine.

After that, the genre changes each week: one week it's spacey, one week it's a western, then a gothic horror and the formula of the show means that you can have any type of story.

That's why it has lasted 50 years. Look at Star Trek.

Every week something or someone attacks the ship in very similar circumstances. That's why they had to keep spinning off so that they could come up with more story lines.

But in other aspects, the show has remained the same: It's still a story about a mysterious alien who flies about time and space in a bigger-on-inside Police Box with some, often human, companions.

The show relies on change: a different supporting cast, set - and often – planet every week whilst fundamentally remaining the same. Thanks to Regeneration, every couple of years the leading actor changes and the show with it, meaning that we have eleven distinct versions of the same show, but all eleven incarnations, whilst having very different characteristics, are similar to each other to allow us to accept the 'next Doctor' into the fandom. This means that the

story of Doctor Who isn't just the bugeyed monsters vs the Doctor. It's a story of adventure (with friends), love (of friends), loss (of friends) and in some episodes a reflection of real-life problems. Just because something is happening on Metebilis 3, doesn't necessarily mean it's alien. Peladon was trying to gain entrance to the Galactic Federation at the same time the UK was holding a referendum on whether to join the EU. Miners strikes also featured prominently many stories.

But it does more than reflect the real world, some aspects BECOME real life.

Scientists really have invented a prototype sonic screwdriver, TARDIS and Dalek are both in the Dictionary (the

former often used by estate agents to sell pokey houses and the latter to describe someone who is emotionless in either their actions or in speech).

Doctor Who is officially the longest and the most successful sci-fi series in the world. It is also the longest licensed fictional series to feature the same central character (over 400 books). It also has the most dedicated fans in the world, without whom...

It's no longer, and never has been, just a TV show. It's more like a religion, we buy into the whole ethos of the show and the ideals and we take ownership, we've all got 'our' Doctor. Harsh critics would say that today's show is much better than the original because the effects are better , but try telling that to a 60s kid.

However longevity, inevitably leads to fatigue and all good things must come to an end. In 1989, Doctor Who's unbreakable formula ran tired and the show ended for ever. Sad really, because if only someone would bring it back for a TV movie and then wait a bit and bring it back for good. If only...

THE BIG 50TH STARTS HERE!

In early 2003 (40 years later), the first rumblings of a new Doctor Who series began. Speculation was later confirmed when it was announced that, indeed, Russell T. Davies, famed as the creator and writer of shows such as 'Children's Ward' and 'Queer as Folk' , would take on the unenviable task of reinvigorating the show, that by the end of its run, was the unloved pet of the BBC family ready to be put down.

He assembled a team of writers, directors and the like that he knew would get his vision of a new Doctor Who. Most of these people, such as Steven Moffat and Mark Gattiss, like him, grew up watching the original show. They regenerated the show as a multi-million pound drama that would put Saturday night TV back into the hearts of the nation.

show the brilliant show it is today. But, crucially, it was no longer the Doctor's show. The first person we see is Rose. It's her story of meeting up with the Doctor and going off into space and time. The companion is no longer the side show, she is now crucial to the show. Imagine if that hadn't worked out. How sad would this world be without people knowing about Doctor Who. What would Tumblr be full of without Doctor Who? When, after only one series, Eccleston left the show, Davies called upon another of his former colleagues and , like the team he had assembled initially, grew up with Doctor Who – David Tennant. Chris's Doctor was harsh, but Rose had managed to calm him, humanise him even, and now David takes that down another level. He's the definition of cool – exactly what the Doctor should be. It's like F1 drivers. They are such inspiration to young kids because they've got a cool job and a cool car. Here we've got that personified in David Tennant's performance.

Then, in 2009, DT announced his resignation along with Russell T. Davies and producer Julie Gardner. Steven Moffatt took over from Davies as the new 'headwriter' . He cast Matt Smith as the youngest Doctor ever, but who could convincingly pull off the 'old man of the universe' performance if required. Moffat's tenure takes the series into a whole different type of show. The mind bending plots take the show into whole new league.

Christopher Eccleston took on the role of the Doctor having previously worked with Davies on ITV's The Second Coming.

Billie Piper was a fomer teen-popstar who was beginning to make her self a name as an actress.

And that takes us to now. 50 years, 238 TV stories, 11 Doctors (or 12 and soon to be 13) Between them and the later. crew, they made the

“HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE WANDERERS IN THE FOURTH DIMENSION?” By the early 1960s William Hartnell had become frustrated with being typecast as the 'tough-guy' or the 'authority figure', having played roles including PE teachers (The Sporting Life) , Sergeants (in the original Carry On film) and gangsters (Brighton Rock), and was looking for a new challenge. A children's (is it?) fantasy show would prove his career changing role.

of the arteries causing him to have memory loss so was becoming frustrated. However, his fellow cast members would support him and knew when he was about to lose his temper and knew to have sympathy with him.

This illness would ultimately lead to him leaving the show in 1966.

Hartnell was only in his 50s when he took on the role of the Doctor, but wore a The idea of the first Doctor was for the white wig to make him appear older – Doctor to become 'just like your more of a grandfather figure.

Grandfather' so that the children in the audience could imagine that it was them The First Doctor is brilliant, just because in Susan's shoes with their own of that. If he hadn't been so brilliant in grandparent. It's, therefore, unsurprising the role, Doctor Who would have ended that children across the country sent him after the original few weeks it was fan letters simply addressed to intended to run for.

'Grandfather Who', 'Dr Who', 'Mr Who', or 'Uncle Who' which he would endeavour to reply to with the help of his wife Heather. Even she would get autograph requests because she was Dr Who's wife.

The First Doctor is often received, unfairly, as a bit of a grumpy old man.

This may be true of early episodes but he soon mellows and becomes the loveable grandfather figure we all love, but still with the occasional irritability. This, sadly, was also true of real life and Hartnell would often become angry when on set, often shouting at fellow cast and crew (but always apologising profusely afterwards). Sadly, this was because he was suffering from hardening

“OH MY GIDDY AUNT!” To be the first Doctor is one thing. To be the first to take over is another. Patrick Troughton had the unenviable task to taking over from the much loved original.

Imagine how George Lazenby, Ashton Kutcher, Nick Weir or Buster Merryfield felt about taking over from a much loved and successful original (Sean Connery, Charlie Sheen, Roy Walker and Lennard Pierce, respectively). The only way to do it is by doing your own thing – don't try to copy what came before because you won't be accepted. Imagine if Troughton had played the Doctor in a white wig in the same style as Hartnell. I'd have given it a year and it definitely wouldn't have worked into a third actor.

accepted the role as the new Doctor. He holds the honour of being the first person ever to have played Robin Hood on TV. He would continue to have roles in TV and movies (such as the blockbuster The Omen) continuing to show the breadth of his acting talent – proving he wasn't just the 'eccentric space-hobo'.

Troughton's costume wasn't much of a departure from Hartnell's (strangely, they did change during the regeneration!). The trousers were tartan rather than plain and the smart and proper suit became a bit scruffier to suit the 'eccentric space-hobo' feel. Perhaps, the not too dissimilar look would reassure the public that this was still the Troughton is probably the most Doctor. important Doctor ever as he's the one who played it so differently and kept the The Second Doctor is one of the best and show going. He's the one that continued most loved Doctors, it's just a shame that the show totally reinventing the the b*&^%$£$ at the BBC decided to character – regenerating him if you will. junk the vast majority of his performances. To save money! Think how From the stern authority figure of the much someone would pay for that now!

First Doctor here we have the 'cosmic- As Fraser Hines pointed out in an hobo' or the 'clown' like figure. From the interview that some of his episodes no grandfather to the mad uncle. It's longer exist, but all of the corresponding Troughton's Doctor that brings across paperwork was perfectly archived and the out-and-out eccentricities that we could even tell you how much the entire associate with the Doctor. Matt Smith cast were paid. cites him as the biggest inspiration to his Doctor.

Patrick Troughton is certainly a one-off.

His Doctor was too, and that's why his Patrick Troughton was already a well- legacy, both on and off-screen continues established character actor when he to shine through today.

“REVERSE THE POLARITY...”

Jon Pertwee was asked to play his incarnation of the Doctor 'as Jon Pertwee'. His reply was 'Who the hell is that?' He'd always been playing a character, so didn't really know what that meant. In the end Pertwee, best known as a comic actor decided to play it straight (a smart move, considering the comic portrayal of his predecessor and former Navy comrade) but bringing across his love of cars and gadgetry to make his Doctor – the 'James Bond Doctor'. More than any actor before or after he BECAME the Doctor, how many conventions did he attend AS the Doctor?

This gadgetry often lead to the defeat of an enemy via a 'reversal of the polarity of the neutron flow' which is often credited as his catchphrase despite only saying it in full on a few occasions. However, just like Bond, he needs a good car. His famous Bessie was a yellow wooden car that – at a push of a button – could go like the clappers and was theft proof. His other car was actually designed (and paid for!) on a whim by Pertwee. He took it to producer Barry Letts to suggest it be used. It would later be known as 'The Whomobile'. This love of cars is exemplified in the story 'Planet of the Spiders' in which there is a car chase in which features amongst others: hovercraft;car;bike and helicopter which lasts almost an entire episode.

But fiction is far more stranger than fact and Pertwee really was the action hero and had many escapades in the Navy: being blown up, and blown across a building, leaving a boat to join the Radio Corps just days before it sunk killing almost everyone on board and himself being mistakenly regarded as dead, mistaking an ancient castle for a U-boat, sitting in with Churchill's meetings, selling his cigars to Americans and taking pictures of Patrick Troughton wearing a tea cosy.

The action hero Doctor wore what every action hero does – a frilly shirt and a smoking jacket giving him the look of the dandy man. But he's still the weapons hating Doctor we know, so unlike Bond, never used a weapon. Therefore, he displayed his talents for Venusian Aikido for the first time.

Pertwee, whilst playing it straight, also brings across some lighter moments: the shower scene in Spearhead and the Milkman/ Cleaning lady scenes from the Green Death spring to mind. But equally he can make it touching - “A tear Sarah?”.

The third Doctor's earthbound stories meant that he had to become the action hero, he had to adjust to staying on the one Level 5 planet so some elements of his character were necessary but as a Doctor – he's one of the greatest.

“JELLY BABY?” “Stop! Or I'll kill you with this deadly jelly baby” is just one of many Tom Baker adlibs that appear during his tenure as the Doctor. Such a big personality in the show is vital. And, as Colin would later prove, it's the star of the show that gets it in the neck when things go wrong. As such, he refused to film a scene in which he was to be seen threatening to kill with a weapon, and replaced it with a jelly baby creating one of the most memorable scenes ever.

is almost a metaphor for the Doctor. It's a normal looking scarf, except it's miles long in the same way that it's Tennant wearing a smart stripy suit... with trainers or Davison wearing a cricket outfit... with celery.

Of all of Tom Baker's tenure nothing can beat Season 12. There's not a single dud episode and the action moves from one episode to another in a loose story arc.

You've got the imaginatively titled 'Robot', 'The Ark in Space', the epic 'Genesis of the Daleks', the short and sweet 'The Sontaran Experiment' that broke Tom Baker's collarbone and the Cybermen get their revenge on the Doctor back on Ark's Nerva Space Beacon in what is an obvious but ingenious cost-saving measure.

Tom Baker had already appeared as a baddie in a Sinbad movie and a few minor bit parts and was down on his luck and working on a building site when he got the job on Doctor Who. He wrote a letter to the BBC demanding employment. His letter just happened to arrive on the desk of the producer tasked with replacing Jon Pertwee. That's that Contrastly, Baker's final season is not so big personality shining through! To have good. This is the beginning of JNT's that audacity to demand employment. meddling (which eventually caused Baker to quit) such as replacing the scarf and Tom Baker is the most iconic, longest putting question marks over everything running Doctor and is often regarded as and it's not helped by the fact that Tom everyone's favourite Doctor. He's often had recently contracted a hideous been quoted as saying that he's never disease that made him look so gaunt and has as much fun as he did whilst on even his hair has lost that frizz, Doctor Who. He, like many actors, ultimately leading to a somewhat claimed that he would often stay in understandably lacklustre performance. character (such as in Interviews) because “It was much more fun being Dr Who So, Tom Baker: Legend and Icon, the than being Tom Baker”. He's the Doctor man who exploded the mould of the with the iconic big long scarf which Doctor.

“LIKE ALICE, I TRY TO BELIVE THREE IMPOSSIBLE THINGS BEFORE BREAKFAST” Peter Davison was the youngest Doctor ever (a record he held until Matt Smith took over the role). After almost eight years of the eccentric Tom Baker – whose energy and enthusiasm had visibly drained from his final series (due to illness) – in comes a breath of bounding fresh air. Suddenly the old man of the universe hasn't had his thirtieth birthday!

This is the beginning of the running around Doctor, gone are the days of the constant being trapped in cells – you can't catch Five!

Cricket? The costume he wore was, in comparison to his next incarnation, quite normal (especially when he's seen playing cricket in it) but it's his Doctor that introduces trainers and suits as well as the 'brainy-specs', a clever tool that makes the old eyes of William Hartnell shine through Davison's young persona.

David Tennant has a lot to thank his father-in-law for!

However, Peter Davison has since stated

that he feels that the costume was far too “designed” and that while he did like the costume, he'd liked to have added his own personal flair – it's a similar to situation to Matt Smith and his Fezes.

Like David Tennant, Peter grew up as a fan of the show, so brings a certain excited youthfulness to the role. Due to his status as the fan-boy it was apt that he teamed up with his fellow, and much more fanatical, fan-boy and future sonin-law for 'Time Crash' in which David Tennant just explodes with excitedness whilst Davison is his usual consummate self.

It's also unsurprising that with the original fanboy Doctor, it's under Davison's watch that we see the return of Cybermen, the majority of the Ainley Master, The Brigadier, Omega and the Silurians.

I often say that from Tom Baker onwards, the show goes down-hill slightly. But, on reflection Peter is a brilliant Doctor

Peter's family life became a bit complicated as of late. His daughter Georgia Moffett (the Doctor's daughter) starred as the Doctor's daughter. She then married David Tennant – so the Doctor's daughter (twice) was now also the Doctor's wife. She then had a daughter meaning the Doctor's daughter was also the Doctor's grand-daughter and the Doctor's daughter was having the Doctor's daughter.

“A LITTLE GRATITUDE WOULDN'T IRRETRIEVABLY DAMAGE MY EGO!” Colin Baker is a good Doctor. Full Stop.

The End. That is so. Of all the Eleven Doctors, nobody has failed. Nobody has ever been universally disliked in the role.

drop in viewing figures. It's under Colin's tenure that the quality of the scripts drops but why Colin was the only head to roll I don't see. Colin was treated so shoddily and that fact that he, among Sure, his Doctor doesn't get off to the others, reprises his role on audio to this best of starts. He's given one of the worst day just goes to show that he was first episodes in 'The Twin Dilemma', and anything but the weak link in the chain. while it's a good idea to show the Doctor completely crazy, not to mention in And after being treated like that, it's a completely out of Doctor fashion wonder he continues to compliment the homicidal, after his regeneration it's not show in the way he does. A Doctor Who very well executed, script wise, and it documentary, he's there. Conventions, means that Colin's Doctor seems very he's there. He's dedicated to this show, unlikable. A massive departure from even after he was treated like sh*t. His Davison's Doctor. And it's not helped by a appearance on 'I'm A Celebrity...' just long gap between this crapfest and the goes to show what a lovely, kind and next episode, which leaves viewers caring man he is. Such a great wondering if that's going to be how the personality and a world away from 'The Doctor is permanently.

Twin Dilemma'.

The Doctor, however, does recover and becomes the nice Timelord that he is.

The Sixth Doctor has the irascibility of Hartnell's Doctor with the occasional (but not often) bonkers eccentricity of many of his predecessors – the sort of person who would wear a multicoloured patchwork jacket by choice. Speaking of the jacket, deliberately designed to be as tasteless as possible, Colin himself hated it and he had proposed a kind of leather jacket, Eccleston style.

Colin Baker has the distinction of being the only Doctor to be fired as a result of a

“I AM FAR MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER TIMELORD” “I feel I wasn't given a fair crack of the hiring a companion (Mel) just because whip!” remarked Sylvester McCoy when she can scream (It's as if Sarah-Jane, Liz, once asked about his time on the show.

Tegan and Leela never happened!) or the shoestring budget and some dodgy That, completely sums up his time on the scripts meaning that Sylvester, as the show, really, because there is nothing to show's front man, performance gets fault Sylvester's performance. He's great slated – despite the fact he is brilliant.. as the Doctor,and coming from a comic background – he's also very funny. He's The Seventh Doctor's finest hour is often criticized for being 'too much of a definitely during Ben Aaronovitch's (a clown' in his performance, but why is writer that DOES get Doctor Who) that a bad thing. McCoy himself has 'Remembrance of the Daleks'. This often said that the Doctor needs a episode's got everything it's got the certain eccentricity to him and that what aforementioned baseball bat, spaceships some would pass of as clowning around landing in Coal Hill School and Daleks vs could be said to be the eccentricities of Daleks. That's an interesting one actually, his character as he can also be very because it means that you almost have serious if need be. to see one fraction of Dalek as the good guys which plays against everything the His costume reflected this eccentricity. show has done before (but in a good The question marked tank top and the way). And we get to see one of the straw hat, with the question mark brolly coolest Daleks ever – The Special (Why, JNT? Just why?) are all sort of Weapons Dalek, a veritable tank of a mish-mashed in the way that DT's Dalek that can blast a Dalek to dust in trainers shouldn't go with a suit – but do. seconds. That shot of the Doctor in the This new era was also intended to playground (“Ashes to Ashes...”) shows revitalise the show and return it to it's off the bad-ass side we rarely get to see mysterious roots, and to an extent that of him. worked but not as well as it could have done if it weren't for the constraints the So in a word: Underrated.

BBC had given the show.

Now, there were some things that worked to his disadvantage. By the late 80s the show was having it's final curtain call. The show was on a downward slope.

Some bad decisions were made, such as

“I KNOW WHO I AM!

I...AM...THE DOCTOR!!”

For One Night Only! In 1996, Paul McGann played the Doctor in a backdoor pilot, TV Movie co-produced between FOX and the BBC. And 90minutes later his on-screen time as the Doctor is over.

which his Doctor is given the chance at being the Doctor he deserved to be rather than just be seen as 'the one night stand'. In recent audio adventures, he has been given a new-look: a much more modern look with short haired, leather jacket and a first for the Doctor – a man The TV Movie is not perfect, the bag, which can't be that practical when annoyingly American and rebooted feel running. and the pace-slowing regeneration in the first act (which RTD learned from, not So don't write McGann off as the star of a showing the 8 to 9 regeneration at all) failed (by US standards) pilot – he's good. and the nature of Seven's demise is It's also ironic that a highly Americanised ridiculous as well as the regeneration pilot didn't go down well in America – the (how can a Time Lord corpse very country that now has one of Doctor regenerate?) and the whole half-human Who's biggest audiences, because of it's smells of trying to make him like Spock, 'Britishness' among other things. but it is not, by any standards, bad. It had a bloody good leading man: Paul McGann as the Doctor. He brought across the best parts of the previous incarnation (as all the best Doctors do) but bringing his own shine to he character. Look back, but don't stare.

He's a ball of energy with eccentricity, wit and rage all popping up in his performance.

Costume wise he's wearing a costume that's not dissimilar to Hartnell's costume – a nice little reference back to the old days.

But that one movie is not the end for the Eighth Doctor as his story continues to this day on Big Finish audio stories in

“FANTASTIC!” Like it or otherwise, Christopher Eccleston's Doctor is one of the most important Doctors in the show's history – perhaps third after Hartnell and Troughton.

Because without his 'fantastic' performance – and that of the entire cast and crew, there would be no Doctor Who today. No Tenth Doctor. No Eleventh Doctor. No 50th Anniversary.

Just a show that has failed to resurrect twice.

And what a way to kick start 'new-Who'.

Series One is for all intents and purposes, perfect. Not one of thirteen of the Ninth Doctor's episodes have a dull moment and in all truthfulness, that's something that no other series – with the possible exception of Tom Baker's Season 12 - has done before or since. Flawlessness and that's why The Ninth Doctor is the only one I had to pick a Top 4 – and even that was difficult.

But, what other way could you start this off again with? Mediocrity can kill a new show, a reboot even more so as it has a reputation of what came before to live up to.

And it's for that reason Russell T Davies went for an established and 'fantastic' actor to reaffirm Doctor Who in the hearts of the nation. A quality actor to relaunch a new quality drama. That's why it works so well.

Incidentally, he is the first actor to play the Doctor that hadn't been born when the original series began, only by a few months being born on February 1964.

Eccleston's character, like his battered leather coat, was of a war-torn Time Lord, deeply affected by the events of the Time War. At first, he's not The Doctor we know. He doesn't want Rose to travel with him, “Go back and eat chips!”, presumably because he's just lost so much he can't bear to meet someone else he'll just lose again. That bit of the Doctor's character returns during Tennant's 2009 series.

But Rose brings the Doctor back out of his shell and by episode three he's ”so glad he met her”. Some say that new Who became a love story between Rose and the Doctor. But the majority of the lovey-dovey begins in the Tennant era. To be honest the perceived age-gap (not to mention the actual age-gap between both characters) makes any love story between 9 and Rose a little bit (cue a Monica-from-Friends reference) icky.

Eccleston only stayed for one series and doesn't really do conventions and has distanced himself from Doctor Who. Which is fine, because that's his affair as he wants to take his career to new dimensions. But Chris, while we had you – You were FANTASTIC!

“I'M THE DOCTOR,

I'M A TIMELORD FROM THE PLANET GALLIFREY...

I AM 903 YEARS OLD AND I'M THE MAN WHO'S GONNA SAVE YOUR LIFE AND ALL 6 BILLION PEOPLE ON THE PLANET BELOW!” David Tennant is MY Doctor. I'm of that age where I wasn't even born when Doctor Who was axed. Heck, I was still crawling when the TV movie came along. As such I wasn't that fussed about a new series – so unfussed I missed the first episode.

Twice. I got on the bandwagon with Christopher Eccleston's second episode. And that was me hooked. As good an actor as he is though, he didn't stick around long enough to become my Doctor.

those moments that he turns on that raw emotion. A prime example being after the death of Jenny. He just goes bat sh*t crazy. He even takes a gun, and you just see fire in his eyes – but the Doctor we love, that never would, shines through.

There's nothing really you can fault about David's Doctor, sure he's a douche to Martha – but that's him being hung up over Rose and he eventually realises David Tennant is the fanboy that got his mistake and she's forgiven lucky. He's the 3-year-old that idolised him, so we should.

Tom Baker and wanted to be an actor and got his chance to become the David's last episode was a TV Doctor. event, the perfect roller-coaster of all the emotions of his tenure.

And that's what makes his Doctor so Humour straight down to likeable as from his performance you despair. I'll admit. I cried. Twice. can tell he's just loving it. He brought (When I realised he was saying so much to the role – even his shoes – good-bye to everyone and when that he was voted 'Favourite Ever the regeneration happened). I Doctor' and it's under his watch that cried when Chris left. I cried the show exploded. I've a sneaking when Rose left (and when she suspicion that the female (and came back with those teeth and perhaps, some male) audience grew that new voice) and I cried at Toy with Tennant's casting.

Story 3. But they were nothing like DT's demise. Your Doctor David's Doctor is one of the younger has a special connection to you, Doctors but he summons some form he's the Doctor that you get of age-old experience to a still attached to and when they damaged Timelord. He bounds around leave, it hits you harder. space and time 'Allons-y-ing' as he goes with a cheesy grin, but there are But hey, he's back in November.

“I AM DEFINITELY A MAD MAN WITH A BOX !”

The Eleventh Doctor is not long for this an ancient character young again. world. Matt Smith is leaving us.

The Eleventh Doctor had his own unique He's gone from the man who was to style, much of which was suggested by young to play the Doctor that was weird Matt himself. The tweed jacket, his idea. looking with rubbish hair to the brilliant The multitude of hats, his idea. The hair, actor who played a great Doctor despite what his hair was normally like. It was his age, with awesome hair (with it's own even his idea to change the costume up a Tumblr)and who gets fan-girls swooning bit every now and then. That's why we around the world! get him in the long green coat, the purple tweed, the Ebeneezer look in 'The I'll admit, I wasn't sold initially. In Snowmen', the bowler hat in 'The hindsight it was just because I like DT so Crimson Horror' top hat and tails (but much. By 'fish-fingers and custard' I had always with a bow-tie) all to change it all accepted him. He wasn't my Doctor yet up a bit – just like his character. but he was THE Doctor. The definite article, you might say!

I am gutted Matt's leaving. We've had three years of him and they've been With Steven Moffat taking the series in a brilliant. We've got to know Matt as much darker realm, it's interesting that much as we know his Doctor and both we get one of the least dark are lovely people. Matt's such an performances – the bounding young ball ambassador for the show and that's of energy and quirkiness – who can turn partly because you can tell just how on a pinhead into the dark character much fun he had making it. I'm just you'd expect from someone who's been worried that the next Doctor – as excited through what he has in 1000 years of as I am as to who he will be, I just worry time-travel. he won't have that passion (UPDATE: I think we'll be OK – Ed) .

Matt's main inspiration for his performance was Patrick Troughton. I So Matt, Good Luck and Bon Voyage, can see that. Where else do you think he we've loved having you in the family and picked up on bow-ties being cool? the DWU will be a different place without Whereas David Tennant channelled Peter you. Anyway it's not goodbye yet. Not Davison, it is true of Troughton and now anyway, until Christmas.

Smith. But never imitation, he puts his own spin on the Doctor and makes Get them hankies ready.

We all know there have been Eleven actors to play the Doctor. Right? Ah well, I'm about to get all QI on you and make you doubt what you thought you knew.

First off, the First and Second Doctors would be often written out of particular episodes due to illness (Dalek Invasion of Earth 4, The Tenth Planet 3) or holidays (The Celestial Toymaker 3, The Wheel in Space 2 , The Seeds of Death 4) and would usually feature the Doctor out cold on the ground. Therefore stand-ins would be used. These are: Albert Ward, Gordon Craig, Chris Jeffries and Tommy Laird. However the Actor who played William Hartnell in Dalek Invasion also appeared as 'Robot Dr Who' in The Chase because of his striking resemblance to William Hartnell *cough*. Patrick Troughton's son David also replaced his late father in an audio story in December 2011. These are further detailed on pages 48 & 49.

In the 1960s at the height of Dalekmania, two Dalek movies (based on the first two Dalek serials) were made in colour. The TV cast were unavailable due to working 48 weeks a year.

Peter Cushing, of the Hammer horrors, played 'Dr Who' a human scientist. His performance is great, a little bit Hartnell-y but with his own spin on it. However, as this movie was in the height of Dalekmania you can't help thinking that the Daleks were the focus of the film. A third film was in the pipeline, but as the second movie 'flopped' (despite it being the better of the two) it was never made. A pilot radio show was made with Cushing but the series was not picked up and the recording is now lost.

Trevor Martin also played the 'alternate' Fourth Doctor (before Tom Baker's era began) on stage in The Seven Keys to Doomsday and reprised the role in a Big Finish audio. David Banks also played the Doctor on stage, standing in for Jon Pertwee in 'The Ultimate Adventure'. Nick Scovell has also played the Doctor on stage.

By the time 'The Five Doctors' came along, William Hartnell had passed away. Blake's 7 star Richard Hurndall put on a Hartnell wig and suddenly Hartnell is back *cough*. It's a good performance but it's always going to comparable to his late predecessor.

In the Red Nose Day special - which isn't really a Doctor Who story (but I'd watch it before 'Dimensions in Time' any day!) - written by Steven Moffat (so it counts!) we have five alternate Doctors. The first is the best one of the bunch, Rowan Atkinson plays a brilliant spoof Doctor.

The whole thing has a lovely balance of spoof but with all of the elements of proper Doctor Who as you'd expect of Steven Moffat (who was best known as a comedy writer at this point). Then quick regenerations provide us with Hugh Grant (who was considered for the part of the Ninth Doctor), Jim Broadbent (who only appears for about ten seconds as he can't even speak to his fiancĂŠe) and Joanna Lumley (the only woman to play the Doctor on-screen). She plays it hilarious - finding an on-switch on her breasts and the 'buzzing sonic screwdriver with three settings' is... well, yeah... say no more.

Richard E. Grant is also in there. He also played the animated Shalka Doctor. He's not very likeable as the Doctor (which is why he's a good villain as The Great Intelligence) which lead to Russell T. Davies claiming that he never even considered him for New Who claiming it was a poor performance and that Grant has probably only done it for the money. However, all things considered, REG's Doctor, unlike all of the Movie Doctors, Replacement Doctors, Spoof Doctors and Alternate Doctors, his Doctor is totally unique so it's not all bad.

There have been many actors considered for the role of the Doctor. Many turned it down, and some never got as far as an audition. And some turn out to be nothing more than tabloid speculation:

The First Doctor Geoffrey Bayldon, Organon in 'The Creature from the Pit' and an alternate First Doctor in two Big Finish stories was offered the role of The Doctor. The future Director of 'The Highlanders' and 'Fury from the Deep', Hugh David, was also considered but as he was 38, Verity Lambert thought he was too young. Alan Webb and Cyril Cusack turned down the role whilst Leslie French was also considered.

The third Doctor When Jon Pertwee declared an interest in playing the Doctor, it later transpired that he had been second on a list for eighteen months.

Ron Moody was first on the list but turned it down. He later regretted it.

The fourth Doctor

The second Doctor Rupert Davies, Valentine Dyall and Michael Hordern were all approached for the role but none wanted to commit to a long-running series. Dyall would later play the Black Guardian.

The fifth Doctor Richard Griffiths was another actor considered for the Fifth Doctor.

Graham Crowden, Soldeed in 'The Horns of Nimon', turned down the role and Michael Bentine was turned down for the role as the production team felt he wanted too much influence over the series. Also considered were Bernard Cribbins, now in the Whoniverse as Wilfred Mott, and Fulton Mackay, who had previously played Dr. Quinn in 'The Silurians' but later became famous for his role as Mr MacKay in Porridge, as was Carry On actor Jim Dale. Richard Hearne was reportedly offered the role but as he wanted to play the character in the style of his 'Mr Pastry' character he was turned down.

The sixth Doctor After impressing in Arc of Infinity as Maxil, and despite thinking this had ruled him out for the role of the Doctor, Colin Baker was the only person offered the role.

The seventh Doctor When Colin Baker was fired by the bosses at the BBC, as a scapegoat for the show's decline, the show was given one final shot as it teetered on the edge of cancellation.

The final four actors considered for the role were Sylvester McCoy (who eventually got the role), Dermot Crowley, Ken Campbell and Chris Jury. Campbell's audition was

The ninth Doctor Hugh Grant (who was previously in Curse of Fatal Death) has stated that he turned down the role and regretted it once he saw the success of Series One. Bill Nighy was also rumoured as was Eddie Izzard (Tom Baker supported his potential appointment as has Sylvester McCoy and has been said many times among fan groups). considered too dark for the series, Jury was remembered by the production team and cast as Kingpin in 1988's The Greatest Show in the Galaxy. In reality producer, John Nathan-Turner had already decided that he wanted Sylvester McCoy, but in order to make sure that the bosses at the BBC agreed he auditioned three more actors who he thought, whilst good in their own right, would be totally wrong for Doctor Who.

The tenth Doctor After working with RTD on Casanova, David Tennant was the only person offered the role.

The eighth Doctor Richard Griffiths was considered as a possible replacement for Sylvester McCoy had the show not ended.

The great and the good of British actors and comedy were among those who auditioned for the role as the Doctor in the TV movie.

These included: Rowan Atkinson, Liam Cunningham, Mark McGann (brother of Paul McGann, who eventually got the role), Robert Lindsay, Monty Python's Eric Idle, Tim McInnerny ("Planet of the Ood"), Nathaniel Parker (Merlin), Peter Woodward, John Sessions , Anthony Head ("School Reunion"), Bottom and 'The Young Ones'' Rik Mayall and Tony Slattery. Billy Connolly has claimed he was also considered for the part.

The eLEVENTH Doctor After David Tennant's departure speculation hit fever pitch and the weird and the wonderful and Richard Hammond were being tipped for the role. Bookmakers William Hill reported that 85% of bets were bets for Stargate's Robert Carlyle. Russell T. Davies often tipped Harry Lloyd (Son of Mine) and Russell Tovey (Midshipman Frame) as among his favourites to take over.

But who will be the twelfth doctor?

James Nesbitt, Paterson Joseph, Dutch/Australian actor David Knijnenburg (who was publically supported by Sylvester McCoy), David Walliams and Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch (who had discussed with friend David Tennant whether he should consider the role) were all rumoured to have been offered the role. In the end Matt Smith was the third person through the door on the very first day of auditions and at that moment Steven Moffat had made his mind up. *** With Matt Smith's imminent departure more names are being thrown into the ring.

Russell Tovey and Benedict Cumberbatch are back in the running as are Tom Hiddleston, Rory Kinnear, Rupert Grint, Idris Elba, Billie Piper, Dame Helen Mirren and Olivia Coleman.

RANDOM DOCTOR WHO FACTS We know of at least four times the Doctor has been married: Elizabeth I (who will reappear in the 50th Anniversary), Marilyn Monroe, River Song and presumably Susan's Grandmother.

A woman called Begonia Pope knitted the famous Fourth Doctor's scarf. The BBC delivered a vast amount of wool to her home, not knowing how much was required. However, she assumed that all the wool was to be used and knitted the very Jon Pertwee died aged 76 whilst Patrick long scarf we know and love. The producers liked Troughton and William Hartnell were both 67 it and decided not to trim it to normal length. (the reverse of 76). All three from heart attacks or heart failure. Jon Pertwee and Smith and Jones are the most common Patrick Troughton both died in America. surnames in Scotland and Wales respectively.

They are also the most common names in Doctor Both Tom Baker and Sylvester McCoy almost Who. There's Matt, Mickey, Sarah-Jane, Sky, perused careers in Religious Institutions (as a Luke, Mr, Dr John (of UNIT), Martha (once Monk and Priest respectively). Also, David married) and John (Teacher) Smith and Jo (once Tennant's Dad was once Moderator of the married), Martha, Tish, Leo, Francine, Clive and Church of Scotland.

Ianto.

Russell T. Davies real first name is Stephen a Frazer Hines wore khaki shorts under his kilt. name he shares with current showrunner Steven Moffatt.

Many of the Doctor's companions have been Doctors: Dr Liz Shaw, Dr Grace Holloway, Dr Both Colin and Tom Baker hate Jelly Babies. Martha Jones and Dr River Song. Harry Sullivan is 'only qualified to treat sailors'. Adelaide Brooke Adelaide Brooke was portrayed by Lindsay also had a PhD. Duncan. Adelaide was born in Finchley, North London. Lindsay Duncan had previously The 5th Doctor's shape-changing robot companion, portrayed, former Prime Minister, Margaret Kamelion, was a real programmable Thatcher in a BBC Drama. Mrs Thatcher was pneumatically operated robot and had no actor MP for Finchley. inside.

When the show first began, the Doctor's companions were introduced to allow the viewers to relate to the show: The human characters were the viewer's way in to the story. However, they've since become so much more and in so many cases, the Doctor's equal. But who counts as a companion? Some people count if they have had a trip in the TARDIS (e.g. those people would count Adam from Series One) and some people also count if they have had their name in the opening titles - for the new series, that is - (and as such count Lady Christina, despite her never actually travelling in the TARDIS). Here are some of the Doctor's best (and worst) friends:

Victoria, jamie and zoe Ian, Susan and Barbara The Doctor's first companions were in a word – kidnapped after they (the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan's teachers) discovered the mysterious Doctor and he took off so they wouldn't tell the police and before long they were all the best of friends. In a way, these three companions reflect a lot of the Doctor's character. For Example, being a Timelord he knows a lot about history (Barbara is a history teacher), he has a keen eye for science and technology (Ian is a science teacher) and views the world like an excitable child and is prone to bouts of childishness (Susan is his 15-year-old granddaughter). Susan remained on Earth in 2167 with David Campbell. Ian and Barbara would later return to Earth, get married and, as some reports claim, not age since the 1960s.

The original idea of the companion was for them to be relatable to the audience.

However Patrick Troughton, after the departure of Ben & Polly, had two companions from the past (but, surprisingly, they were still relateable): Highlander Jamie who referred to a plane as a “big flying beastie” and Victoria from the Victorian era. Jamie, would go on to be the longest ever companion (in terms of episodes). Uneducated does not mean unintelligent and despite being from a primitive time, he could soon managed to fit in. His bravery was his most endearing quality and often rescued Victoria and Zoe from danger. When Victoria left, who better to replace someone from the past with someone from the future? Zoe was a scientist from the future and was more than a intellectual match for the Doctor.

However actress Wendy Padbury decided to leave when she felt that her character was becoming more and more stereotypical, i.e. 'the screamer'.

leela

Liz, jo and sarah-jane The Third Doctor's earthboundworking-as-a-scientific-advisor stories meant he needed an employed assistant. The first was Dr Liz Shaw, a fellow scientist, and like Zoe more than a match for the Doctor.

However, she left after a year claiming that the Doctor only needed her to pass him testtubes. She was replaced by the loveable-but-ditzy Jo Grant who entered the Doctor's life by spoiling his experiment with a fire extinguisher. But like most of the Doctor's companions she also proved her salt and holding her own. Sarah-Jane Smith replaced Jo when she went off to the Amazon with her new husband-to-be. Sarah, was already perfect for a companion as she was a investigative journalist so had an enquiring mind. She met the Doctor whilst investigating (and later the Tenth Doctor in the same capacity). Sarah has proved to be one of the most memorable companions as she has returned to the show on a number of occasions and also lead her own band of alien investigators in her own show.

Leela was a primitive warrior who wore very little. Like Jamie before her, this by no means meant she was unintelligent. However, if Tom Baker had his way she wouldn't have existed at all as he did not want a companion after Sarah's departure which caused initial tension between him and Louise Jameson but this soon disappeared and they got on much better, both off and on-screen.

k-9 K-9 was the robot dog that was loved by children and merchandisers alike. The 'tin-dog' was a source of information and lazer bolts and much frustration to the crew as the prop would either refuse to work properly or the radio waves would interfere with the camera equipment. K-9 Mark I left with Leela, K-9 Mark II left with Romana and K9 Marks III and IV lived with Sarah-Jane Smith.

romana When the Doctor was tasked with searching for the Key to Time he was paired up with a fellow Gallifreyan, the Time Lady Romana. An equal match for the Doctor she was much more sensible against Tom Baker's eccentric Doctor. Mary Tamm played her originally but the character regenerated into a body similar to Princess Astra.

This would suggest that Time Ladies can choose what their regenerations look like – unlike the male of the species. Romana returned to Gallifrey and later became President. If all Gallifreyans bar The Doctor are extinct, we must assume Romana died in the Time War

The 80s companions The 1980s are unique for Doctor Who, in giving us irritating companion after irritating companion. We had the moaning pain-in-the-arse that is Adric who was always airing his superior education and intelligence and was killed by the Cybermen, the loud-mouth Australian Tegan (although that is understandable, she had been accidentally kidnapped by a mad man with a blue-box), the Ginger kid that kept trying to kill the Doctor and finally Peri, whose awful American accent was decided upon purely because Doctor Who was beginning to take off in America. And let's not even mention Little Miss Bonnie “hired-because-she-can-scream” Langford.

ace Not all of the 1980s companions were pains in their respective Doctor's arses. The brilliant Ace (not Dorothy, she hates that name) was, in a word, BadAss! Unlike her predecessors she didn't scream and run away when she saw the Daleks, she whacked them with a baseball bat. That rebellious streak – and some explosive – meant that she saved the Doctor on more than one occasion.

rose Rose was the first companion that we met along with her family and life before she met the Doctor. Therefore this is, really, HER story. She's brave – in her first episode she uses her gymnast skills to save the Doctor – and sassy – calls Cassandra a bitchy trampoline. For the first time, Doctor Who becomes a love story as Rose completely falls in love with the Doctor (more so in his Tenth incarnation) as does he. When they are separated, they're both heartbroken which leads him to go on the rebound and her to rip across the Void to get back to him.

Martha and donna Martha completely fell in love with the Doctor and, because he was on the rebound from Rose, he treated her shockingly and as such she 'got out', but not before walking the Earth to help save it, became a Doctor and later came back with all forgiven. Donna was in some ways the complete opposite of Martha, in that she had absolutely no romantic attraction to the Doctor, but she is just as bold and brave, but with the thought in her head that she was 'just' a normal woman. But it meant that she would become the most important woman in the universe – but she can't remember it or she'll burn up.

The ponds The first family of the TARDIS met when they were kids. He loved her, she thought he was gay.

Their best friend was actually their daughter. Then she ran off with the Doctor on her wedding day, came back for a stag-night. Then he died. Then she forgot him. Then he came back in plastic. Then the universe got rebooted. Amy remembered she had parents. Then Rory and Amy finally got married. She got pregnant and that baby became River Song. Then the Doctor married River and then Rory and Amy got zapped back in time. A simple story, really. Amy was one of the feistiest (and so Scottish!) companions ever whilst Rory died and waited a lot.

The two big names in Alien Fighting and investigating are UNIT and Torchwood.

clara Clara has always been the Doctor's companion, it's just that he didn't notice her until recently.

She had been scattered all throughout time to save the Doctor. She first turned up in the Dalek Asylum when she turned out to be a Dalek. Then she turned up in Victorian London and she died. And then Doctor tracked her down in modern day London and she continues her travels with the Doctor.

For someone who is born to save the Doctor she is nigh on perfect as a companion as she's always there to save him, always there to stop him.

UNIT, the Unified Intelligence Taskforce (previously the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce) are a specialist military section, lead from Geneva, who are tasked with eliminating the latest alien threat to the world. They operate worldwide – in UN countries – so can combine a vast wealth of talent in order to defeat the threat. The UK 'branch' was run by the legendary Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart . He was of the 'Keep Calm and Carry On generation who never failed in a crisis.

However, he tended to go in all guns blazing which did not always please his most famous

recruit, one Doctor John Smith. Employed as UNIT's scientific advisor, but also it's resident alien and alien advisor. It was the Third Doctor – the James Bond of Doctors – who invented most of the elaborate gadgets that led to the downfall of certain enemies for UNIT. However, as UNIT were a military organisation, the Doctor and the Brigadier often

''Chap with the wings there, five rounds rapid!''

didn't see eye to eye.

For example, he was horrified when the Brigadier ordered the explosive destruction of the Silurians. The Brigadier would meet the Doctor on a number of occasions (Nicholas Courtney is the only actor to have worked with all of the first eight Doctors, as well as David Tennant, not playing the Doctor, in an audio adventure) and despite their differences they remained good friends and when he met UNIT again, he wished the Brigadier, stranded in Peru, was still in charge. He was

devastated when he found out he had died. UNIT now has another Lethbridge-Stewart in charge, his daughter Kate.

Torchwood was set up by Queen Victoria, after her encounter with the Doctor and a werewolf in order to protect the British Empire from alien threats, including the Doctor. By the 21st Century they had become an organisation that used alien technology that, in many cases, had been shot down by them. It was such alien technology that led to the Cybermen vs Dalek invasion at Canary Whorf which led to Rose Tyler being lost from the Doctor.

''outside the government, beyond the police''

This led to the organisation closing down. However, Cpt. Jack led his team in Cardiff as a break away band of rebels fighting aliens. However, it's dangerous work at Torchwood and you're more likely to die than retire. That is, unless you are immortal.

But UNIT vs Torchwood. Who would win? In real life terms you could say that Original Torchwood is MI5, more about monitoring aliens (and shooting them down) whilst UNIT is more the Armed Forces, shoot at the alien. Cpt Jack's Torchwood became more like UNIT, except not governed by any official body. As UNIT takes it's orders from Geneva it means that politics comes into.

Torchwood, in it's heyday, is a match for UNIT. But, broadly speaking and except for playful banter, they're on the same side so a fight is unlikely.

The Dream Team These are the people who were there at the start. These are the people who made Doctor Who what it is today.

Without them, we'd have no Doctor Who.

In 1962, Controller of BBC Television, Donald Baverstock, decided that he needed a show that would fill the gap between Grandstand and Jukebox Jury. It was decided that a sci-fi show would fit the bill.

In December of that year, Canadian-born Sydney Newman arrived at BBC Television as the new Head of Drama. It was Newman who assembled his new show: “Doctor Who” about a mystery time traveller (He loosely based this on a children's cartoon he had created for Canadian Television, in which a time traveller took children back to history for educational purposes). He and his team, including BBC Director of Serials, Donald Wilson and caretaker producer Rex Tucker, decided that this Doctor should have some sort of secret, it was also discussed that there should be no 'bugeyed monsters' (but after the success of the Daleks this was soon forgotten about). Newman, also, personally came up with the idea of a time machine larger on the inside than the outside.

He hired Verity Lambert as producer and script editor David Whitaker and for the pilot episode writer C.E. Webber and director Waris Hussein and the principal stars: Hartnell, Russell, Hill and Ford.

However, many technical mistakes, actors forgetting their lines (and with cuts expensive) and plot holes the series almost went no further. Newman, thankfully, and despite telling them all that they should have been fired on the spot, gave them another shot at making episode one. This meant the mistakes could be ironed out and the character of the Doctor was softened more – thanks

to a rewrite by Anthony Coburn.

The next serial, however, was more important to the series legacy as it featured what would become the series most famous enemy – The Daleks. They were the brain-child of Terry Nation who drew influences from the horrors of the Nazis in creating screaming emotionless killers. Whilst it was Nation that created them in script, the design of the Dalek was down to Raymond Cusick. He had been advised to build the creature from large and small cardboard tubes, which he duly ignored. Instead he built the the shape around an operator sitting down.

He also wanted to have all of the globes on the lower half of the body to light up but the cost of car batteries that would have been required was too much.

Budget constraints meant that sink plungers were used instead of a mechanical arm which made it into the design classic it is today. As a BBC employee he had no rights of ownership to the design so made no money from the later merchandising of the Daleks – however was given a nominal payment in goodwill.

Doctor Who is also iconic for it's theme tune. It was composed by Ron Grainer, who also provided the tune for 'Steptoe and Son' and is sometimes only attributed to him. However, credit must also be given to Delia Derbyshire who painstakingly used random beeps and blipps to create the first ever electronic TV theme.

So in this 50th year, these are the people, more than any, who we should celebrate.

In the 1960s, the scheduling of Doctor Who meant that the main cast were working for up to 48 weeks per year on a week per episode basis, rehearsing throughout the week and then filming on a Friday evening, only to begin the next episode the following Monday. Therefore, opportunities for holidays were few and far between.

This was made even worse as often weekends off would be lost due to location filming. This means that if any of the cast wanted a holiday, their character would have to be temporarily written out, generally a whack on the head or by just shifting focus towards other characters. For the same reasons if an actor were to fall ill, the show had to go on as there was no time to postpone towards. This arrangement is unique to the first two Doctors as the series lengths were shortened after the Troughton era. However, some new series episodes such as Love & Monsters, Blink, Midnight and Turn Left do not heavily feature either the Doctor or Companion (or both) due to two episodes filming simultaneously.

Marco Polo, 2

William Hartnell was too ill to attend rehearsals through the week, but was well enough to attend recording, but as he had not rehearsed, he was only given a brief cameo appearance.

The Keys of Marinus, 3 &4

William Hartnell takes a fortnight-long holiday. The focus shifts to Barbara, Ian and Susan while The Doctor goes adventuring elsewhere.

The Aztecs, 2&3

Carole Ann Ford absent.

The Sensorites, 4&5

Jacqueline Hill took time off.

The Reign of Terror, 2&3

William Russell absent. This means four concurrent stories in which each of the regulars takes a fortnight off.

The Web Planet, 3

Jacqueline Hill absent.

The Crusade, 3

William Russell takes a holiday.

The Time Meddler, 2

William Hartnell on Holiday.

Mission to the Unknown

None of the Regular appear in this prequel to The Dalek's Masterplan.

The Celestial Toymaker, 2&3

The Doctor becomes invisible and William Hartnell is replaced with a hand-double.

The Tenth Planet, 3

William Hartnell, already leaving due to ill health, failed to attend studio recording due to illness.

The Enemy of the World, 4

Deborah Watling and Fraser Hines absent.

The Web of Fear, 2

Patrick Troughton on holiday.

The Mind Fraser Hines Robber, 2 contracted chicken pox so was replaced by Hamish Wilson.

This was written into the story.

Invasion, 3

Wendy Padbury absent.

Invasion, 8

Fraser absent.

Hines

The Seeds Troughton of Death, absent.

4 The Space All three of the Pirates, 6 series regulars, Troughton, Hines and Padbury are absent.

DID YOU KNOW?

Sherlock Holmes has often been identified as an archetype for the Doctor. Tom Baker is the only actor to have played both Sherlock Holmes and the Doctor. Tom Baker's Doctor wears a costume resembling Sherlock's in 'The Talons of Weng Chiang'. Matt Smith's Doctor impersonates Sherlock in 'The Snowmen'.

There has never been, nor will there ever be, a Complete Box Set of Doctor Who. This is for two reasons: 1) It will be over 360 hours long (and that's not even counting the special features and Easter Eggs) and 2) Not all episodes currently exist in the BBC archives.

...

WHY DO SO

MANY

EPISODES

NO

LONGER

EXIST? However, nobody had taped them as personal video recorders were not common but thanks to fan audio recordings it was possible to recover all of the audio. To date thanks to tireless work by the BBC and some diehard fans tracking down prints from all over the world as far flung as Africa and Asia only 43 Hartnell and 62 Troughton do not exist. In 2011, the discovery of two episodes (one from Galaxy 4 and one from The Underwater Menace) gave hope that more may be found in future.

Well, you may well be thinking: “How did this massive accident happen? How could it possibly be allowed to happen?” Well, it was BBC policy until late into the 70s to re-use tapes. Yep, Doctor Who got taped over. This was to save money in both tape (which was so expensive you weren't allowed to cut for mistakes (because you cant re-use a broken tape)) and to save shelf space. Only programmes with cultural or historical significance (such as the Queen's Coronation) were kept.

However, in the meantime all those missing episodes are able to be So for a time the entire archive of watched – in a way. Reconstructions the first two Doctors (and the Third) have been made by people such as did not exist. The BBC, that same Loose Cannon. These use the fan audio organisation that threw them away, recordings alongside photographs began an archive policy that meant 'tele-snaps' taken at the time of they had to find all of those missing recording and scraps of film left over episodes. This involved sourcing such as clips that exist thanks to them prints that were made for overseas being censored or the fact that they broadcasting or prints that had were used to promote the show in the miraculously survived at BBC shows such as 'Blue Peter' to provide premises. the viewer with all the relevant

information to follow the story.

CDs were also released of these audio recordings. There are only three stories of which not a second of footage exists: Marco Polo, Mission to the Unknown and The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve. In addition to this for the 2| entertain DVD ranges episodes are being animated along with the existing audio, using what scraps exist as reference, to give a true as possible representation of the original episode. Animated episodes include Invasion 1&4, The Tenth Planet 4 and The Reign of Terror 4&5 with more planned. So, in one form or another, soon we will have the entire history complete.

Whilst the third Doctor's episodes exist in full, some only as Black and White copies, which have since been colourised.

Missing Episodes Marco Polo (1-7) The Reign of Terror (4-5) The Crusade (2&4) Galaxy 4 (1,2,&4) Mission to the Unknown The Myth Makers (1-5) The Daleks' Master Plan (1, 3-4, 6-9, & 11-12) The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve (1-4) The Celestial Toymaker (1-3) The Savages (1-4) The Smugglers (1-4) The Tenth Planet (4) The Power of the Daleks (1-6) The Highlanders (4) The Underwater Menace (1&4) The Moonbase (1 & 3) The Macra Terror (4) The Faceless Ones (2 & 4-6) The Evil of the Daleks (1 & 3-7) The Abominable Snowmen(1 & 3-6) The Ice Warriors (2 & 3) The Web of Fear (3) Fury from the Deep (1-6) The Wheel in Space (1-2 & 4-5) The Space Pirates (1 & 3-6)

Daleks are the most supremely evil But why is a cold blooded metal killing beings in the Universe, except Simon machine one of the most endearing Doctor Who villains? Well, there's a Cowell. number of reasons to that: The Daleks, created on paper by Terry Nation and in vision by Raymond Cusick, First off, they were the first making them are essentially hangovers from the the iconic villain and the one that sticks Nazis. The cold killing supposed in the mind. Second, that voice is so superiority complexed hierarchy that just recognisable and like a Looney Toons or Britain character very want to kill everything – because they Little honestly believe they should. And if you impressionable. Look at any 1960s needed a metaphor there's more than playground and I guarantee they're all one occasion they are seen with sucker walking around with their arms outstretched going 'EXTERMINATE!'. arms up in the air a la Hitler.

Three, they're so marketable hat simple But, despite appearances, they are not but instantly recognisable design means robots. They are essentially tanks they can become shampoo bottles, containing mutants forced to live there remote controlled models or lunch bags. to escape the radiated surface of their war-torn planet. They're (almost) But there's no definitive answer... If there undefeatable which makes them the was every single villain would be as successful and so many other villains most feared creatures in the universe. have failed trying. Chumblies, Quarks It was that fear that led the Timelords to and Krotons anyone? attempt to wipe out the Daleks When it came to designing the new So as the ultimate power in the universe, Daleks, it was decided to keep them it's even better when we see them doing Daleky. The most Daleky Daleks ever. something we would think they would. Everything that made a Dalek a Dalek.

Looking over their shoulders in the The one eye, the bumps, the voice, the Manhattan sewers when they're plotting sink plunger. All those decisions made by Sec's downfall or 'The Chase's' comedy necessity with the budget in mind have stuttering Dalek. And who doesn't love become design classics. In some ways that moment in 'Power of the Daleks' Daleks have become bigger than the when the Daleks revert to childhood and show itself – Terry Nation even tried to the very notion of a Dalek PLAYING and build a Dalek TV series in a similar vein to having fun is just such a great subterfuge the Dalek comic strips which featured in the same vein as “I. AM. YOUR. everyday life on Skaro. Think PondLife SERVANT/SOLDIER.” or Strax the meets Mission to the Unknown. And Sontaran nurse. But all that façade that's why If you mention Doctor Who to doesn't last long, and they're back to a novice, they'll probably say 'Dalek'. their evil ways.

Lord and

Master!

The Master. The Doctor's greatest nemesis. A fellow Time Lord, they were once good friends at the Academy. At the age of eight, faced with the raw power of the time vortex – he went mad. Hell bent on world domination he teamed up with many powerful enemies such as the Autons

and even the Daleks.

Always failing at the hands of the Doctor. Jon Pertwee's Doctor was often pitted against Roger Delgado's original Master. The Master was on his final life by this point so when the time came of his death all that remained was literally a living corpse as

played by heavily made up Peter Pratt and later Geoffrey Beevers. He was now fighting (quite literally) for his life. This problem is solved by stealing the body of another – effectively beginning his life again. He was now played by Anthony Ainley who drew his Master as a younger Roger Delgado even down to the beard.

The next time we meet the Master he's more gang-boss than Time Lord. He appears originally as a ghostly snake who, in an original fashion, takes over someone's body. That person is Julia Robert's brother, Eric. Dressed with leather coat and mobster glasses he once again tries to defeat Paul McGann's Doctor in the TV movie. Defeating the Doctor took a back seat for a higher calling. The Time War, the epic battle against the Daleks. The Doctor was on the front line fighting, and dying regenerating into Christopher Eccleston (or possibly John Hurt), probably. The Master too did a bit of regenerating into Derek Jacobi before making himself human to hide away from the war. Derek Jacobi had played the Master before in an audio drama and was the obvious choice to play him when the Master returned to our screens in 2007.

Masquerading as Prof. Yana, the Master met the Doctor again, before realising his Time Lord identity and nicking the Doctor's TARDIS to become Harold Saxon, British Prime Minister. He enslaved the human race and also killed a load of them (decimalised 1/10 of them). The Doctor, of course defeated him, but couldn't save him from that lady in red, Lucy Saxon. She blasts him for the evil things he has done to her fellow humans. The Master, as evil as he is, is the last Time Lord besides the Doctor, so when he refuses to regenerate – the Doctor is distraught.

But all is not lost. A few years later, reborn by a Saxon cult he is brought back to life. But, that Lucy pushes her nose in again and stops the process only bringing him partially to life – and making him blonde. His hair-brained scheme this time is to bring back the Time Lords. The 4 beats in his head has been that link to the Time War, by Rassilon in order to escape the Time War. Gallifrey begins descending to Earth, this is not the good thing the Master believes it to be. The Time Lords were no longer this brilliant race of peaceful on-lookers and bystanders. They were dangerous, that was why the Doctor had to stop them, by wiping them out. The Master does the wiping out this time though. Realising it was them who put the dum-dum-de-dum into his head, burning up his final morsel of power he shoves the Time Lords and Gallifrey back into the Time War. Probably killing himself in the process.

They can't live with each other, or without.

The Master wants to rule to universe. The Doctor wants to make it better. Who is the power mad one, really? They are so the same, yet so different at the same time.

The Mystery Doctor That cliffhanger. Eh? John had to do to end the Time Hurt is the Doctor. But is War. It seems he had to he? sacrifice Gallifrey, giving him the title 'Destroyer of Worlds' He's certainly got the look. (although in 'Remembrance There's that mysterious of the Daleks' he destroyed face paired with the Skaro's sun, frying Skaro in fantastic voice of such a the process, too!). legendary actor.

He's dressed in a big overstated Now, word on the street (and coat (Tennant) a waistcoat by street, I mean those fake (McGann, Hartnell, Smith) streets they have on the sets) with that Timelord staple is that the reason we've the pocket watch. But is he never heard of this Doctor is properly the Doctor? That that he was so ashamed of caption seemed to think what he had done, he almost so. The 11th Doctor seemed wrote that period out of his to think so, “He's the history which was why even Doctor who broke the Clara who had met all of the Doctors throughout history, promise”. had no idea who he was.

Now, speculation in the press (well, The Sun) is that So if the Mystery Doctor is John Hurt's Doctor is the 9th Doctor it makes actually the ninth Doctor. Christopher Eccleston ten, This would mean he's the David Tennant eleven and Doctor who fought in the Matt Smith twelve.

Time War and he's the Doctor who had to end it. Or it could just be a Jackson “What I did, I did without Lake, Banto Zame or Martin choice. In the name of Bannister (Big Finish Fans, peace and sanity”. Could he you know what I'm talking be referring to the about) situation again. Find unspeakable horrors he out on 23.11.13

DOCTOR

WHO IN NUMBERS

41

st

Century in which we first meet the Dalek Emperor.

33 Number of Series of Doctor Who there have been.

19m City of Death's record-breaking viewing figures.

27 Age Matt Smith was when he first played the Doctor.

26th March 2005, Doctor Who returns to TV.

3rd

January 1970, first appearance of the 3rd Doctor

Talking 'bout

regeneration The first time the Doctor regenerated, nobody had any idea what was happening. He had collapsed in the TARDIS and suddenly he became another man.

There were so many questions: Was this man still the Doctor? Had this new man teleported and replaced our Doctor. Would we see the first Doctor again? It would all be a matter of time.

2.

1.

Three years later, it happened again. The Doctor changed. “Your appearance has changed before, it can change again”. The Doctor was put on trial and found guilty of stealing the TARDIS. He had his face changed and he was exiled to earth. Why, the question remains, was he exiled in the TARDIS that wasn't his?

The Doctor returns from Metebilis 3 worse for the wear with radiation sickness. He collapses on the floor and, dies. He actually dies. Sarah Jane closes his eyes. This is the first time we hear it called a regeneration. Jon Pertwee becomes Tom Baker in the quickest regeneration ever.

4.

3.

During Logopolis, Tom Baker is being stalked by a white figure. By the end of the episode he hanging by a finger to a radio telescope. He falls, at varying speeds if his companions reactions are anything to go by. The white figure walks into the Doctor and he regenerates. “The Watcher! He was the Doctor all along!” We never hear him called the Watcher, yet the companions know his name, another DW mystery we're never likely to know the answer to.

5.

The Doctor and Peri are infected with deadly Spectrox Toxaemia. The only known cure is bat's milk. There's only one dose and predictably he gives it to his friend, but is unsure whether he'll survive the regeneration.

The Doctor would die for anyone: more so for his companions and he regenerates into Colin Baker. Could have been worse!

An attack on the TARDIS causes the Doctor to regenerate. There are many things wrong with this. Why does his companion not die? The TARDIS is indestructible, so why are it's contents not safe. The truth, in real life was that Colin Baker had been sacked and in protest refused to film the regeneration scene. The person we see on the floor is Sylvester McCoy in a blonde wig.

7.

The TV movie is often slated for starting slowly with a ridiculous regeneration that slows the pace of the plot. The Doctor is shot when gangland thugs randomly shoot at him, unflinched by a blue box landing. He dies in surgery by a well meaning nurse confused by his alien biology. He later regenerates in the morgue.

Determined not to repeat the failure of the movie, Russell T Davies' relaunched series didn't answer the question of how Paul McGann became Christopher Eccleston. We think it was to do with the Time War, the epic battle between the Daleks and the Time Lords. There may have been another regeneration between these, into John Hurt's Doctor.

9.

6.

8.

Rose has taken the power of the heart of the TARDIS in order to defeat the Daleks. But it is killing her. The only thing to save her is to absorb the power out of her himself. He knows it'll kill him, but he's prepared to die for any of his companions. This leads to the most explosive, and the first standing-up, regeneration ever.

Talking bout regeneration

10.

The Doctor knows his death is imminent.

“He will knock four times.” He,and we, think this is the Master as he's got 4 beats in his head. But it turns out to be Wilfred Mott who he'd first met by chance one Christmas before - and with Kylie ,no less, trapped in the radiation shelter, which is about to flood with the

stuff it's supposed to be protecting against. To save his friend (again) he bravely releases the door knowing he'll be trapped in a radiated room.

He makes a last trip to all his previous companions, while making sure not to interfere with his time lines. Then, in the TARDIS after the worst last words ever “I don't want to go” he regenerates into Matt Smith's Doctor with the best first words ever “Legs!

I've still got legs!” Matt Smith himself will regenerate at Christmas. Who knows how that will happen? And who will be the Next Doctor?

DOCTOR WHO IN NUMBERS

1879 The Doctor meets Queen Victoria

4 Number of Torchwood Bases: Glasgow, London (x2), Cardiff

5 (Satellite) The Doctor visited here in 200,000 and 200,100

6th December 1989 The last episode of 'classic Doctor Who' airs

15:39 Scheduled time for Earth Death

13 Bannerman Road is where Sarah Jane Smith lives

7 (Financial Family) Guests on Platform One

29th 10th

(Planet), Earth's Twin Planet Mondas

October 1966 First Ever Regeneration (The Tenth Planet p4) airs

36 Number of David Tennant Stories (37 counting the 50th Anniversary)

12 Number of years between the first and second meetings of the Doctor and Amelia Pond

ALSO INSIDE

THE MASTER ATE MY HAMSTER! EXCLUSIVE INSIDE

THE DRIVING DOCTOR CAUGHT ON PHONE

DOCTOR IN CHILD MAINTENANCE SCANDAL

“You've Changed the Desktop Theme!”

The TARDIS has been the one constant in the show's 50 years. The exterior – except minor changes to the dimensions (which have never exactly matched the original 1950s Police Boxes) has stayed the same. But the exterior has undergone many vast changes over the years.

The TARDIS interior as featured in the very first episode has many of the features we would still recognise today.

The circular 'roundels' on the wall – albeit some are just a photocopied print on one wall for the first two Doctor's eras around a hexagonal console with the moving time-rotor.

The console and the interiors remained much the same throughout the Hartnell, Troughton and Pertwee eras with minor cosmetic changes and repairs. Other parts of the TARDIS were shown to include a Food Machine and the TimeSpace Visualiser (basically, a space telly).

For 'The Time Monster' the set was completely rebuilt. The roundels became bowl shapes whilst the console remained of a similar look. However, the set was not stored properly between Series9 and 10 and was damaged beyond use so was only ever used once.

The Three Doctors saw a new TARDIS design. It harked back to the early days but was smaller and had a large 'window'-like scanner and continued into the Baker years.

However, the Baker years also introduced the idea of a secondary console room. This was of a similar layout but in brown and without the famous time-rotor in the middle of the console.

The Davison era continued with the console from the Baker years.

Then, like the Three Doctors, the Five Doctors saw a new console (hence the Doctor is seen polishing it in the opening scene). Again, it was much like the old one, but the time rotor was full of much more lights and the introduction of a computer screen.

When the series returned, the 9th Doctor was given the 'Coral' Theme.

The 10th Doctor also had this theme, but much was lit much brighter to reflect Ten's much happier personality.

The 6th and 7th Doctors continued this Eleven's regenerated TARDIS was a console, again with minor alterations continuation of the theme of through the years. previously but much bigger with staircases leading off everywhere.

When the Ponds left he replaced this with a much darker and metallic theme (reflecting him being upset again?). It is much smaller and harks back towards the original TARDIS. Steven Moffat also wanted to make the journey from doors to console much shorter.

For the TV Movie, Paul McGann was given a massive cathedral-like TARDIS set. A dark and gigantic space but with the familiar time rotor. The entire ceiling could become a scanner to display the whole of space.

NEW TO WHO? Have you got that friend that still doesn't watch Doctor Who? Here's a guide to some perfect 'getting-on' points for the show!

AN UNEARTHLY CHILD

The very first episode seems the perfect place to start you'd think. It introduces the whole ethos of the show. Everything is there. A mystery Doctor claiming to be from space, the TARDIS and a cliffhanger that signals danger. However, be aware that the story which follows isn't the best , so perhaps for the more sci-fi cynic just go straight to the next story...

THE DALEKS

Unlike the last story, this story introduces the classic format of 'aliens' rather than the last story's historic feel.

It's a remarkable looking episode, even if it does drag slightly, but this is the episode which cemented the Daleks as a classic design and as a formidable enemy and the show as an institution. In 1963, this is where people 'got-on' the show.

SPEARHEAD FROM SPACE

This story has a lot of 'firsts'. It's the first story in colour, the first for the third Doctor and the first for Liz Shaw and the Autons. Because there's no 're-cap' of the last episode's regeneration (because we never actually properly see it!) you would be mistaken for a brand new programme as it is so different from anything that came before. It's just a story of a mystery man who has fallen from space. It's the introduction for the new 'earth-bound' stories that would define most of the Pertwee era stories. But if you're going to introduce someone at this stage, make sure and come back to the First and Second eras as it would be a big shame to miss out two of the most iconic Doctors.

THE THREE DOCTORS As an anniversary special, featuring all of the good things about Doctor Who – and, indeed, Three Doctors. It means you can introduce someone to all three Doctors in one episode as well as getting them into the idea that this alien can change his whole personality but yet still be the

same person. In terms of introducing the whole 'regeneration' idea, you could watch 'THE TENTH PLANET' which has the very first regeneration within. However, while it is a simple story to introduce someone to (and to the Cybermen) it does mean showing the First Doctor in his last episode. It means that first impressions are of a weak and dying man and just when you've got used to Hartnell, along comes someone completely different.

as this is the new state of the art Doctor Who that can stand up to the opposition.

However, it does run the risk of someone classing the 'Classic' series and the current series as separate, so you have to always make sure of an awareness of the old series.

THE ELEVENTH HOUR

For the same reasons as 'Spearhead' and 'Rose', everything in this episode is new.

It's perfect for getting on to as it just another story of a man from space with no (well, one) references to the Doctors who came before. With the Eleventh Doctor, the majority of American fans got on board (or the tail-end of DT's era).

THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY

ROSE

Of all, this is perfect. It''s the point that the new generation of fans got interested in Doctor Who. There's no fear of putting someone off with crummy SFX

It promises to be a celebration of everything that has come before, so if you are open-minded enough this is just everything you need to know (timetravel, wibbily wobbly, regenerations, Daleks, Cybermen and Zygons) in an hour and a half. Not perfect though as all three of the featured Doctors won't be around for much longer.

The first episode ever to feature the Cybermen,brain child of DW's scientific advisor Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis, was in 1966. It was William Hartnell's final episode. It featured the discovery of Earth's twin planet, Mondas. (The Tenth Planet) The inhabitants of Mondas decided to change themselves to extend their lives. They added mechanics to their bodies which became more and more sophisticated throughout time, although one thing became a constant – the handle-shaped heads, everything else can be redesigned and upgraded.

But the two planets could not co-exist so the Cybermen raged war on Earth. But when the Doctor is about – The Cybermen's planet exploded, along with all the Cybermen...

The first Cybermen had clunky life support systems and cloth covered face under which remained the original humanoid face. But soon, the Cybermen were back. Now, on their adopted home of Telos, where they had been hibernating in ice tombs. (The Tomb of the Cybermen) Awoken by archaeologists, they soon went on the attack. They looked a bit different, now with a slimmer life support and fully metal face. The Doctor, now played by Patrick Troughton met the Cybermen many times later. In a space station the continued (The Wheel in Space) – then onto London where they were attacking in the most iconic scenes in Doctor Who history (Invasion). The next time we met the Cybermen was later, when Tom Baker was playing the Doctor. They were spearheading a plan to wipe out a planet of gold, which causes their life support systems to stop working, from a space station (Revenge of the Cybermen).

The Cybermen met each of the 5th , 6th and 7th Doctors only once. Earthshock saw Adric sacrifice himself in order to destroy the Cybermen. The Cybermen, still unhappy about the events of The Tenth Planet , decided that using time travel to the year before – they would try to stop Mondas ever being destroyed (Attack of the Cybermen). Finally, Silver Nemesis saw the final appearance of Cybermen in the classic series.

In a parallel universe, scientist John Lumic (Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel) worried about his own imminent demise created the Cybermen as a way to stop himself dying. They set about killing the president and taking over control and a quick jump to our planet saw them have their most epic battle ever against the Daleks (Doomsday). It could have been the most terrifying alliance ever, but the Daleks collaborate with no one and the Cybermen were no match for the more powerful Daleks.

The Cybermen even joined forces with the Doctor (briefly). However, neither were a match for the Doctor and both were trapped in the void...

Then the Cybermen of this Universe turned up. First, Miss Hartigan helped them invade Victorian London alongside some primitive furry animal conversions (Cybershades) and a massive mechanical Cyberman, with patented 'orphan-power', the Cyberking. Then, the 11th Doctor met the Cybermen first as they were locking him up in the Pandorica. Then, the Doctor defeated them as they began snatching people from a department store.

This saw the reintroduction of the 'Cybermats' small rat-like things that acted as scouts for the Cybermen.

'Nightmare in Silver' saw the Cybermen become the most indestructible they have ever been. They began to instantly upgrade so that as soon as you had found a way to kill them, they upgraded so that no longer worked – and they could transmit this to every other living Cybermen. The new Cybermen were sleek and fast – for the first time ever the Cybermen could RUN! Also, with the introduction of the 'Cybermites' – a miniature version of the Cybermats saw the quickest conversions ever.

And this constant upgrading, in reaction to modern-day society's desire to constantly have the 'latest thing', shows the Cybermen mirroring the reason for their creation – in reaction to new technology (prosthetics).

MORE RANDOM DOCTOR WHO FACTS Grace Holloway is the first character to swear in Doctor Who (on-screen). She says 'crap' during the TV movie. The jury is still out. Martha is the second person, first in the new series, to swear saying ' we're on the bloody moon''. Matt Smith is the only Doctor to have sworn in character telling River that he ' could bloody kiss'' her. That's rich as he (in his Tenth incarnation) had previously told Wilf off for saying ' not bloody likely''.

Barry Letts is the only person to have 'scored the treble'. That is, to have produced, written and directed the same episode (Planet of the Spiders).

When the 50th anniversary episode airs, Christopher Eccleston will become the only Doctor not to have reprised his role (both in TV and audio).

However, he will be joined by Matt Smith when he leaves the show at Christmas 2013.

Louise Jameson was originally to wear coloured red contact lenses as Leela, but they caused her discomfort so it was decided against.

A power cut prevented many from seeing Episode One of An Unearthly Child so it was repeated the next Saturday before Episode 2.

Marco Polo was the first serial to receive the lucrative Radio Times cover. It has since adorned the cover more times than any other show.

Graeme Harper is the only director to The Krynoid costume in 'The Seeds of Doom' was have directed both 'old' and 'new' Who. actually an Axon costume from 'The Claws of Axos' painted green.

Joan Redfern's descendant, Verity Newman, both played by Jessica Hynes is During the filming of 'The Talons of Weng Chiang', named after producer Verity Lambert and residents of a street were asked to remove their creator Sydney Newman. Verity and cars for filming – due to the Victorian setting.

Sydney are also the fictional John Smith's However, someone had left a Porsche and gone on parents. holiday. It was covered in hay to disguise it.

Newsreader Kenneth Kendall was the first A scene featuring John Barrowman's naked person to play himself in Doctor Who. He bum was cut from 'Bad Wolf'. played a newsreader in 'The War Machines'.

Tom Baker has a visible wound on his top lip The Christmas Invasion was the first Doctor during the episode 'The Pirate Planet' due to a Who episode to feature on the Radio Times dog bite sustained during the recording of the Christmas cover. However, only one episode previous story.

(The Dalek's Masterplan: The Feast of Steven) The silent closing titles of 'Earthshock', Episode had aired on 25th December before.

4 to reflect the death of Adric is the only time in 'The Idiot's Lantern' takes place on Florizel the show's history this has happened.

Street, the working title for Coronation Street.

'The Two Doctors' was originally to have been Gareth Roberts, writer of 'The Shakespeare filmed in New Orleans, but after American coCode', among others, also worked on financier Lionheart pulled out. It was Coronation Street where he named the factory eventually filmed in Spain.

'Underworld' after the 1978 Doctor Who story The computer-controlled opening sequence to with Tom Baker.

'Trial of a Timelord' cost ÂŁ8.000, making it the Footage of the 2012 Olympic Games stadium, show's most expensive special effect to date. featured in the episode 'Fear Her' was actually enhanced stock footage from the 2002 Bassett Foods' chairman complained that Kandyman was a copy of it's Bertie Bassett.

Commonwealth Games, held in Manchester.

'Fear Her' was a last minute replacement for a Mark Gatiss is one of only two people to have both starred in and written for Doctor Who. planned script by Stephen Fry. Glyn Jones is the only other person to have The Next Doctor was originally titled 'Ghosts in done this. the Machines' but was renamed to tease the audience after the announcement that David 'Planet of the Dead' was the first episode to be broadcast in High Definition.

Tennant was to leave the show.

Suggested Series Titles Some series of Doctor Who were given series titles such as 'The Key to Time' and 'Trial of a Timelord'. But what if they all had these?

Season 10: Ten Years Later (1972– 1973) ITS TEN YEARS LATER

Season 1: Genesis (1963–1964) NO EXPLANATION NEEDED

Season 11: Swansong (1973–74) JON PERTWEE'S SWANSONG

Season 2: Return (1964–1965) THE SERIES RETURNS

Season 12: Trouble in the TARDIS (1974–75) THIS SEASON ALL TAKES PLACE DURING ONE TROUBLESOME TRIP IN THE TARDIS

Season 3: Epic Conclusion (1965–1966) HARTNELL'S FINAL FULL SERIES DRAWS TO AN EPIC CONCLUSION Season 4 :A New Man(1966–67) THE FIRST REGENERATION BRINGS US A NEW MAN Season 5: Cybermen and Yeti (1967–68) COULDN'T THINK OF A BETTER NAME, THEY EACH APPEAR IN TWO EPISODES Season 6: This is War! (1968–69) THIS SEASON CULMINATES IN THE WAR GAMES, BUT WE'VE ALSO GOT INVASION'S UNIT VS CYBERMEN

Season 13: Horrors Unknown (1975–76) COULD DESCRIBE ANY SEASON, COULDN'T THINK OF BETTER Season 14: Don't Forget Me (1976– 77) SARAH-JANE'S FINAL WORDS TO THE DOCTOR... FOR NOW Season 15: No Time to Waste (1977–78) TIME BASED PUN

Season 7: The Adventures of Dr. John Smith (1970) THIS JUST SUMS IT ALL UP REALLY, DOCTOR JOHN SMITH HAVING ADVENTURES ON EARTH

Season 16: The Key to Time (1978– 79) WHAT ELSE? THE WHOLE SEASON IS ABOUT GETTING THAT BLOODY KEY

Season 8: Lord and Master (1971) THE MASTER APPEARS IN EVERY STORY

Season 17: A Partner in Time (1979–1980) LALLA WARD JOINS AS ROMANA, BUT SHE LATER BECAME TOM BAKER'S WIFE, SO A PARTNER IN TIMELORDSANDLADIES BUT ALSO IN REAL LIFE

Season 9: Earthtime (1972) THIS COULD DESCRIBE MOST OF PERTWEE'S TENURE BUT COULDN'T THINK OF BETTER

Season 18 : Entropy (1980–81) THIS SEASON'S FINAL THREE STORIES DEAL WITH ENTROPY AND E-SPACE Season 19: New Beginnings (1982) HELLO, PETER DAVISON

Series 1 (27): Regeneration (2005) THE SERIES ALL ABOUT REGENERATION, HAS ONE OF IT'S OWN

Season 20: Twenty Years Later (1983) IT'S TWENTY YEARS LATER

Series 2 (28): Hello, Goodbye (2006) INSPIRED BY THE BEATLES SONG, WE SAY HELLO TO TEN BUT GOODBYE TO ROSE

Season 21: Falling Apart (1984) THIS IS WHERE IT ALL STARTS FALLING APART, DAVISON'S FINAL SERIES

Series 3 (29): Martha, Manhattan and the Master (2007) A CLEVER ALLITERATION

Season 22: Collision Course (1985) RUBBISH NAME, COULDN'T THINK OF BETTER, BUT BY THIS TIME THE SERIES WAS ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH MICHAEL GRADE

Series 4 (30): A Noble Return (2008) Ms NOBLE'S BACK

Season 23: The Trial of a Time Lord (1986) THAT'S JUST IT'S NAME Season 24: Questions without Answers (1987) TRIAL OF A TIMELORD LEAVES SO MANY QUESTIONS, MADE MORE CONFUSING BY COLIN BAKER'S DEPARTURE LEAVING MANY CONTINUITY ERRORS, WHICH NEVER GET ANSWERED Season 25: This is Ace (1988–1989) ACE'S CATCHPHRASE Season 26: The End? (1989) IT COULD HAVE BEEN Television movie: Enemy Within (1996) THE TVM PRODUCER SUGGESTED THIS

Specials: Timelines (2008–2010) THE TIMELINE OF THE TENTH DOCTOR DRAWS TO A CLOSE,AND ALL OF THE OTHER TIMELINES FROM RTD'S TENURE ARE TIED UP Series 5 (31): Eleventh Heaven (2010) HELLO ELEVEN Series 6 (32): River's Run (2011) WE FINALLY KNOW WHO SHE IS Series 7 (33): Old Friends and New Friends (2012–13) IT'S GOODBYE TO THE PONDS AND HELLO TO CLARA, AND CLARA, AND CLARA

DID YOU KNOW?

Colin Baker's Twitter name is @SawbonesHex. Sawbones is a medieval name for 'Doctor' and Hex is latin for six.

Therefore it means Sixth Doctor.

For killing in cold blood, there's none better than those with, erm, cold blood.

The Doctor has faced his fair share of reptilian enemies.

curious goings-on in Victorian London (and Yorkshire!) as well as aiding the Doctor in many an adventure. However, there are still millions of Silurians and Sea Devils underground in large hibernation facilities.

When the show was 'rebooted', as the However, there is one less, thanks to an act cool kids say nowadays, in the 70s to it's of genocide by the Brigadier and UNIT. earth-bound format, it was soon realised that only two types of story were However, Mars also has it's reptilians. available – either Mad Scientists (such as Known as the Ice Warriors, they lived in Frankenstein) or Alien Invasion. However, cold temperatures. However they left Mars there was a third option. What if the in undocumented circumstances, but it is 'aliens' had been here all along and that believed to have been to escape the entity we humans were the invaders. This was known as The Flood, possibly freezing it the basis of Homo Reptilia, better known within a large Glacier. They wore large as the Silurians. They were far more bulky bodysuits giving them immense advanced than we humans are today strength, but could also escape to reveal a (this assuming that you, the reader, are much smaller, but much quicker reptile human) but had moved underground to creature. Many cases of Ice Warriors have hibernate to escape the devastation of been reported on Earth. Ice Warriors also an upcoming collision with a massive sit on the Galactic Federation. In the planet. Unbeknownst to them it actually Doctor's first trip to Peladon, whom were became the Moon. However, human appealing for membership, the Ice Warriors fascination with drilling leads to them had become peaceful, however on his next waking up and trying to reclaim the trip they were back to their old selves. planet for themselves. They also have slightly more primitive cousins known as The Doctor has also met Dinosaurs – and the Sea Devils. the Loch Ness Monster. Not strictly reptiles, but they are scaly and green! The Madame Vastra was avenging the death Third Doctor met Dinosaurs that had been of her people by killing people in the transported through time. The Eleventh London Underground when she met the Doctor discovered all manner of Dinosaurs Doctor who made her see the error of her that had been collected on-board a Silurian ways and as such became a detective (reptiles again) ship that had been stolen by alongside her band of misfits: Her human Solomon. wife and a Sontaran, investigating

Steven Moffat has brought us gas mask zombies, clockwork droids, invisible shadow monsters and a big eye in the sky. But two of his most loved – or feared – monsters both have one thing in common: Don't Look Away!

His first of these was the now legendary Weeping Angels. It's an interesting starting point – an enemy that only exists when you look at it. It's playing with your mind, instinct is to look away from something scary. But what if that's gonna let them kill you? The Angels are quantum locked which means that as long as you look at them, they turn to stone and you can't kill a stone.

If they get you, you are sent back in time , which Kathy, Billy Shipton, The Doctor, Martha, Amy and Rory all found out.

Then, in there next encounter with the Doctor we find out more about them – whatever looks like an angel – is an angel. Whaaaa? So even a film or an image in your eye can become an angel!

That's what got them voted as the best monsters ever, they're pretty unbeatable, as Rory and Amy found out when they were chased relentlessly by them in New York. (Hang on! If the Angels were relentlessly chasing Rory and Amy through time, why are the Doctor (Ten) and Martha not relentlessly chased either?) The Angels in Manhattan makes them look so at home. And remember, that what looks like an Angel, is one. You will never look at the Statue of Liberty in the same way ever again.

Steven Moffat claimed that he saw the inspiration for the Angels on holiday when he saw an Angel statue in someone's garden. When he returned years later – it had gone!

Then he brought us the 'Silence' creatures: They still exist when you look away from them, but you just don't remember them.

There's only two ways to remember: write all over yourself to remember yourself or wear an eye-drive as external storage (although these can also be a bit electrocutey) .

They are another example of Moffat's ingenuity by taking one simple aspect and developing a whole complex story and character around them.

Aesthetically, they are inspired by Munch's 'The Scream' , but it's more inspired from childhood – which Moffat revels in twisting be it peg dolls or fear of the dark. Most people would write off the Silents as a bad dream you can only remember fragments of: We've all had one of those. Again it's playing with something everyday and flipping it over to mess with your head.

This is what Moffat does so brilliantly. Why he gets criticised for that, I don't know and some people just need to realise what a brilliant asset he is to the show.

The Sontarans: They're creatures with only one aim in life, to fight. They are involved in a long war with the shapeshifting Rutans and as such Generations have known nothing but war.

They are a clone-race and therefore have no such need for time-wasting pregnancies (they also have no concept of gender) and this is pretty handy for a warrior race as it means that millions of Sontarans can be waiting in the wings to continue to the fight. It also means that the average life expectancy can be as low as 12.

However, an undefeatable enemy would make for a bad day for the Doctor so in the way of things they have a weakness.

Instead of feeding on food (because that would waste time) they feed from chemicals in the air (clone-feed) via a probic vent which is handily situated on the back of the neck. So, run up behind and whack them in the vent.

But how do you pronounce that name?

Donna Noble wasn't the only one who had a problem pronouncing it. Kevin Lindsay - the original actor to portray a Sontaran (both Linx and Styre) clashed with the director who thought it should be pronounced 'Sonturun', but Lindsay thought it was 'Son-TAR-an'. He's quoted as saying that he knew better because he “comes from the f**king place” so should know better. And that's why we pronounce it 'Son-TAR-an' to this day.

brilliant. The creepy looking potato face looks so realistic with a shine to it as you would expect from a living thing. The way that Kevin Lindsay pokes his tongue out of the mask makes it look even more malevolent However, in subsequent appearances the masks just looked crap. They had a sophisticated look of cardboard and the worst look is that in 'The Two Doctors' where the trademark look of the neck fitting the entire collar has gone and in it's place we have a lop-sided head and far too tall actor. However, the new series saw the brand new (and blue) versions of Sontarans. It is also interesting to note that the episodes 'The Sontaran Stratagem' and 'The Poison Sky' are the first time a full-scale battle fleet has been seen on screen, in the past is has been just a lone fraction. Their success has even lead them to turn up in 'The Sarah Jane Adventures' and in the independent spin-off: 'Shakedown'.

Commander Strax, however, is one of the best creations of the relaunched show.

After being forced to be what a Sontaran would never be, a Nurse, by the Doctor in one of his ruthless moods. It means we get one of those great subterfuges (“Get well soon, and I hope one day to obliterate you on the battlefield”), especially when he's part of Vastra's team, of Strax struggling to adjust to living on Earth. Dan Starkey plays it totally for laughs which means that the once most feared creature in the The look of the Sontarans has remained universe becomes hilarious. And he looks – as you would expect from a cloned race good in a top hat. However, he did – of a similar look. The first incarnation as discover one way of unleashing the featured in 'The Time Warrior' looks warrior in him - Glasgow.

He's the man who cancelled Doctor Who... twice! But was there method in his madness?

Is Michael Grade a...

For most Doctor Who fans, he is the devil incarnate.

When Michael Grade took power of the BBC, his first act was to axe Doctor Who. “I thought it was rubbish.” Grade later told Paul Merton on BBC's Room 101.

“I thought it was pathetic. I had seen Star Wars … and then I had to watch these cardboard things clonking along the floor... You just sit and laugh at it.”

So Doctor Who was put on a 18-month hiatus – the Television equivalent of being put on the naughty step. The fans, the press and Ian Levine's dreadful 'Doctor in Distress' song all fought against it. When it did return it was half the normal length.

Michael just doesn't

get sci-fi and particularly doesn't get Doctor Who. In the good days the show's effects were innovative and had that special charm to it. However, as big budget shows took over (a problem the BBC could have solved by giving Doctor Who some more money, perhaps), Doctor Who became the embarrassing Uncle at the party.

Grade struck again when he meddled in a show he didn't even understand.

He fired Colin Baker without any negotiation to allow him to end properly, put the show up against Coronation Street and then wondered why ratings had fallen.

Then, in 1989, his legacy killed the show off once and for all.

But was that a good thing?

In the long run, pehaps.

By the bitter end in 1989 the show

had become a shadow of its former self. Even the die-hard fans thought it was becoming like a pantomime spoof of the show it once was.

Compare the 1989 shows to the 1963 shows and the differences are all too clear.

Its a big drop in quality in both story and in effects and film quality and it just makes the thing look as sophisticated as a fan-film. All the decisions that have been made by both Michael Grade (moving it around the schedules, not giving it enough money) and JohnNathan Turner (turning down advice from oldschool writers that know what they are doing and hiring people who had no idea how to write Doctor Who,Pip and Jane, I'm

looking at you!).

Perhaps Michael saw that absence makes the heart goes fonder and put Doctor Who out of its misery.

If the show had continued into the 90s the quality could have dropped so low that people were glad to see it go. If that had happened, it probably wouldn't have been rebooted in 1996 and 2005 and brought back to the brilliant show it is today.

So perhaps, that is what Michael Grade saw. If fans are up in arms about something being cancelled, it's probably the right thing to do – as there is still someone who would want it if it were ever to be brought back.

Besides, it wasn't actually him on the handle of the axe second time around, (but he had set the wheels in motion back in 1986 when he tried first time).

1989, the axe falls, but that is not the end of the story. Between 1989 and 2005 Doctor Who continued – it was just that it wasn't on the telly.

go onto write for the series when it came back in 2005 such as Russell T. Davies, Mark Gatiss and Gareth Roberts. Paul Cornell's book Human Nature was later remade into the Tenth Doctor story Human Nature/The First off, Virgin Books, who had been Family of Blood. publishing novelizations until 1989 continued to publish brand-new stories Doctor Who Magazine (name-dropping the featuring stories featuring the current, competition!) also continued during this seventh, Doctor as well as the 'lost' period, despite not having a show to talk stories in a separate series of books. about. The features concentrated on the These stories had a much darker and past TV shows, new books and interviews. adult tone as it was felt that kids were no The comic strip also continued the story. longer interested in Doctor Who and it was just the adults who had been kids Independent film companies such as BBV that were interested. and Reeltime pictures who had began producing interviews began making Many of the authors of the series would independent spin-off low-budget productions, the first of which was Wartime continuing the story of Sgt. Benton. Due to licensing problems there could be no references to The Doctor, Daleks , TARDIS or Cybermen. 'Have You got a License to Save this Planet?' was one big spoof of the show and the unlicensed nature of the production. Sylvester McCoy played The Foot Doctor who travelled around space and time in a washing machine (no, me neither!) whilst battling Autons, Sontarans (as they're not licensed) and Cyberons (which bear no resemblance to Cybermen because they don't have ears ). It's one big massive in-joke. He even regenerates into himself in a blonde wig.

Other productions included a new Sontaran story written by Terrance Dicks, an Auton trilogy and PROBE, a spin off series featuring Caroline John as Liz Shaw and Downtime, featuring Professor Travers, Victoria, Sarah-Jane and the Brigadier. Many of these productions featured Doctor Who stars some in character whilst others were playing completely different characters.

The Airzone Solution featured Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy with Nicola Bryant playing completely different characters with no reference to the show. Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant's even characters share a cringe worthy love scene. There was none of that in the TARDIS! However the show is let down by the fact that you can't get over the fact these actors have only been cast because they used to be the Doctor.

In 1996, Paul McGann was the Doctor and the show continued for just one TV Movie.

It was intended as a pilot for the Fox network in America as a co-production.

However, in the states it all fell through and again, the wilderness years continued.

The BBC again had some productions going. There were some animated and audio series such as Realtime (Colin Baker) and Death Comes to Time (McCoy) which were broadcast online on the BBC's relatively new website. Richard E. Grant also played the Doctor in the webisode Scream of the Shalka as well as the Red Nose Day spoof written by Steven Moffat.

Big Finish was also , and continues to, produce audio stories featuring the cast of Doctor Who from the classic era. Through time all surviving Doctors (even Tom Baker eventually) have produced stories as well as companion spin-offs such as with Jo Grant, Bernice Summerfield (who began in the Wilderness Years) and Jago and Litefoot.

Sarah Jane's spin-off audios ended when The Sarah-Jane Adventures began. The 50th Anniversary story is fufilling every fans dream by reuniting Doctors 4-8 in a story written by voice of the Daleks, Nicholas The BBC also continued the show on Briggs.

Radio with two Jon Pertwee specials 'The Ghosts of N-Space' and 'The Paradise of Death'. There was also the Children in Need special (nothing special about it!)

'Dimensions in Time'.

THE NEXT

50 YEARS

2014 The All-New Doctor, Clara and occasionally River Song go on fourteen movie-like adventures.

2015 Jenna-Louise Coleman guest stars in Emmerdale alongside former co-star Matt Smith in what is definitely not a publicity grabbing event.

2016 Sir Bernard Cribbins returns as Wilf.

2017 Steven Moffat kills off Clara and the Doctor, who regenerates into Daniel Radcliffe 2018 Emma Watson films a guest spot in the show in an episode written by JK Rowling. The Harry Potter books 'just happen' to be re-released the same day as this episode is shown.

2019 Daniel Radcliffe's Doctor regenerates into a previously unknown actor.

2020 Steven Moffat leaves the show. All characters in the entire canon of the show are killed off in his last story. The entire internet explodes as a result.

2021 Mark Gatiss takes over as showrunner. He reintroduces the Chumblies who instantly become more infamous than the Daleks.

2022 The actor playing the Doctor takes a year off and three specials are made without the Doctor focusing on the postdoctor futures of previous companions.

(Actually that's an idea! Hang on. Don't Big Finish do that already?)

2023 The show turns 60. A celebratory episode featuring all surviving all past Doctors. In other news a blue moon is reported and hell freezes over.

2024 Russell T. Davies writes a new episode.

2025 Big Finish Productions begin audio adventures with David Tennant to celebrate 20 years since he first played the Doctor.

2026 The Entire BBC is caught up in some scandal or other and is closed down.

Production moves to Channel 5 for one disastrous and heavily product placed series.

2027 The show moves on-line as fifteen minute shorts.

2028 The BBC is resurrected and Doctor Who returns to the BBC, now filmed in Glasgow.

2029 The Doctor becomes addicted to Deep Fried Mars Bars in a controversial storyline which is bemoaned by Mary Whitehouse's ghost 2030 Following a Martian exodus and subsequent 'equal rights for Martians' marches, Doctor Who casts it's first Martian Actor. Jab Ral-oh , despite being a brilliant actor, takes on the role of the Doctor in just one TV movie.

2031 The Doctor regenerates into a 2051 David Tennant wins the 50th series previously unknown actor who becomes of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here. the first black actor to play the Doctor.

2052 Michael Grade is resurrected by the 2032 The BBC Headquarters are raided BBC overlords. He immediately axes

by Cybermen.

Doctor Who. 2033 A Former Rovers Return barmaid 2053 Michael Grade is assassinated He plays the new companion. regenerates. Turns out, he's the Master.

2034 Doctor Who/Sherlock crossover 2054-2058 Wilderness launches 2059 Doctor Who returns to TV 2035 Doctor Who movie is released.

2060 Time Travel is proven by scientists 2036 A second movie is released. at CERN 2037 A third movie is filmed but all copies 2061 Tom Baker announces he is lost in a fire. immortal. However, he did not ask for it, which was why he was given it.

2038 Police Boxes reintroduced to UK 2062 The Face of Boe is Captain Jack 2039 43,000 people arrested for running Harkness story is resolved into Police Boxes and shouting "Doctor!!!!"

2063 The show celebrates it's 100th anniversary with a ten hour episode 2040 The Doctor awarded the Nobel which is accidentally sent to fans who pre-ordered the DVDs, in America, three Peace Prize weeks before broadcast 2041 Ten Years are lost due to a time jump caused by North Korea

EVEN MORE RANDOM FACTS

*David Tennant took his stage name from The Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant *David Tennant shared a scene with Christopher Eccleston in the 1996 film Jude *Colin Baker, Matt Smith, David Tennant and Christopher Eccleston have all appeared on Top Gear *In 1992, Colin Baker became the first (and so far only) Doctor to write a published Doctor Who story,, The Deal, as part of Doctor Who Magazine's Brief Encounters series * Sylvester McCoy's real name is Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith

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In memory of those with whom we cannot share the 50th celebrations: WILLIAM HARTNELL PATRICK TROUGHTON JON PERTWEE PETER CUSHING ELISABETH SLADEN NICHOLAS COURTNEY ROGER DELGADO CAROLINE JOHN MARY TAMM SYDNEY NEWMAN BARRY LETTS VERITY LAMBERT DOUGLAS ADAMS RAY CUSICK TERRY NATION RON GRAINER DELIA DERBYSHIRE JOHN NATHAN-TURNER JOHN SCOTT MARTIN ROY SKELTON PETER HAWKINS DAVID BRIERLY ANTHONY AINLEY HOWARD ATTFIELD MICHAEL CRAZE JACQUELINE HILL

And all of those we have lost in the last fifty years.