Daily Archives: September 20, 2013
The Daunting Task
50 years ago yesterday, the first filming on Doctor Who was made.
We are inching ever closer to that magical night, The 50th Anniversary. 🙂
The following day (Today), the four principal cast members met at BBC Television Centre at 3pm to take part in a photocall for Radio Times. A small mock-up of the junkyard set and the classroom had been rigged, and it was hoped by the production team that the series would be awarded the cover of the relevant Radio Times, but this was not confirmed.
William Hartnell Jacqueline Hill William Russell Carole Ann Ford
Tomorrow: The next day, on Saturday 21st September 1963, that first TARDIS team met in a West London hall, where they would begin the very first rehearsals for the very first episode of Doctor Who. The location was the Drill Hall at 117 Walmer Road, London, W2 (it’s the glass fronted one one the left).
As it looks today:
As super fan of the show I get excited by such details.
But what about the more daunting aspects of this show.
Namely, when you mention it being 50 years old, some people can be put off by that because of the enormity of 798 serials so far.
Hell, I haven’t watched Arrow which all my friends rave about because I’m one season behind with Season 2 imminent.
Though, that’s not insurmountable. I watched 5 Seasons of The Big Bang Theory in about a year so that by Season 6 I was all caught up.
But the perception and the willingness are an issue.
So these days I suggest starting with the Re-launch just because of the sensibilities of the modern CGI-Laden audience and if you can hook them on those then maybe they will be a big enough fan to want to see the rest of them.
If not, a fan is a fan.
Another good place to start is with regeneration because they do tend to re-explain the premise and the basics to the new companions and the new viewers.
I obviously never had that kind of opportunity. Plus as a fan from back in the pre-historic times I have grown up with the technology and don’t even worry about how the old ones looked. I didn’t know any better at the time.
I have relevant experience with the pacing and the way things were done back then.
The modern hyper-CGI “MTV Cuts” fan doesn’t. I call them “MTV cuts” (even though MTV barely never shows videos anymore I understand- I don’t have it programmed on my satellite ) because in the early days of those videos you’d get these quick cuts and these weird camera angles to suggest action and motion. I see quite often in movies today and it still drives me crazy. 🙂
If you want to start with the older episodes, the one I started on, The Ark in Space is a good one. (Robot NOT so much). They just have to stop giggling about bubble wrap long enough to understand how good this one is.
Tomb of The Cyberman is also an excellent choice. But you have to have someone who is willing to put up with Black & white. I have a friend who is notorious for not wanting to watch anything in Black & White. And he know who he is…
If they are a Fan of Douglas Adams, causally mention that he was the Script Editor for 1 season of the show just prior to hitting it big with Hitchhikers. The City of Death is by far his best work.
Don’t be intimated by the vast history at the beginning. Start small. Then open up the wide array of visions later.
But with all of time and space, where you can go anywhere at any point in the history of the Universe the possibilities are infinite and that should be exciting and nearly unique.
Like looking into the Untempered Schism. 🙂
So where do you want to start? 🙂
MY Doctor Who 