Who would have thought
- Publication: Liverpool Echo
- Date: 1988-11-23
- Author:
- Page: 6
- Language: English
IF Dr Who ever decides to leave the Time Lord business he could make a packet marketing the secret of his youthful looks.
At hundreds of years old (different sources give his age as 750 or 924) he's the oldest doctor going and apart from the occasional body swap (there have been six changes) remains In remarkably good shape.
Today the subject of the world's longest-running science fiction series celebrates 25 years on the box with the start of a new three-part adventure, Silver Nemesis (BBC1, 7.35 pm).
The series that has triggered off scores of fan clubs around the world (It is screened in 65 countries) was first shown on November 23, 1983, 10 minutes behind schedule because of an up-date on the Kennedy assassination.
Despite the initial hiccup, the series soon became a hit, frightening younger viewers so much that a whole generation were sent scuttling to safety behind the settee whenever the Daleks appeared!
Even though there have been numerous series over the quarter century, there is still mystery surrounding the Doctor's background-although it is known that he roams through time and space because of boredom with his own planet and fellow Time Lords.
In practice his spaceship is temperamental and unreliable. The 'chameleon circuit' jammed on a visit to London In the 60's and left the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space) exterior as a police box.
But the Doctor is not without his problem-solving talents and is well known for making things 'do'. The some applies to the producers of the show who, whenever the current actor playing the Doctor has left for whatever reason, have made sure the Time Lord has been 'reincarnated'.
First to take up the mantle of the Doctor was William Hartnell, followed by Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker and currently Sylvester McCoy.
There have also been plenty of companions to help the Doctor, beginning with Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman. When interviewed and asked about the qualities needed to be his assistant, she answered simply that you had to be able to "scream and run at the same time."
Celebrations to mark the silver jubilee are planned at various Dr Who Appreciation Societies around the country.
The Merseyside group have invited Sophie Aldred, the actress who plays the Doctor's current assistant Ace, to a silver jubilee celebration on Saturday at the Kingston Hotel, James Street, where different episodes of the series, each featuring a different Doctor, will be shown.
Caption: The Doctor and Ace tangle with the Cybermen in Silver Nemesis.
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- APA 6th ed.: (1988-11-23). Who would have thought. Liverpool Echo p. 6.
- MLA 7th ed.: "Who would have thought." Liverpool Echo [add city] 1988-11-23, 6. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: "Who would have thought." Liverpool Echo, edition, sec., 1988-11-23
- Turabian: "Who would have thought." Liverpool Echo, 1988-11-23, section, 6 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Who would have thought | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Who_would_have_thought | work=Liverpool Echo | pages=6 | date=1988-11-23 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=29 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Who would have thought | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Who_would_have_thought | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=29 March 2025}}</ref>
