Who Turns 20 with the Help of 5 Doctors
- Publication: The Herald (Australia)
- Date: 1983-11-17
- Author:
- Page:
- Language: English
LONDON, Wed. — The longest-running Time lord, Dr Who, celebrates his 20th anniversary of shuttling through time and space this month. The British Broadcasting Corporation's science fiction series "Dr Who" will be 20 years old on Wednesday.
The event will be marked by a 90-minute special called "Dr Who: The Ultimate Celebration" which will be shown in Britain and on more than 75 television stations In the U.S. alone.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is showing repeats of "Dr Who", with Tom Baker, on week nights at 6.30.
In addition to the special, a 'Dr Who convention is scheduled for November 26 and 27 In Chicago at the Expo Centre, which can hold 12,000 people.
Explaining the show's longevity, BBC producer John Nathan-Turner said: "We have a foolproof basic premise that can never go stale. Put a man and his sidekicks in a police box and send hint to outer space, and you can do whatever you want."
A British police box is a phone booth for police calls. In this case, the box is not exactly a space ship but once its door is closed, it can send people to the past or future.
With this flexibility, Mr Nathan-Turner never worries about keeping up with science-fiction tends.
"Dr Who" first aired in Britain on November 23, 1963, has had nine producers and five doctors.
"People react to a new doctor with difficulty," said Mr Nathan-Turner. The latest transition was the most difficult.
"The current Dr Who, Peter Davison, had to follow Tom Baker, who had played the role for seven years. So you had nine-year-old kids who only knew Baker in the role.
"But after several episodes with Davison, people adjusted."
Fans will be put to the test again in March, when Colin Baker takes over.
Other Dr Whos are William Hartnell who premiered the part, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee.
But despite the shown ability to adapt to its times and its audience, certain changes seem unlikely.
Asked whether Dr Who might ever be played by a woman, Mr Nathan-Turner replied: "That would be a foolhardy mission."
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- APA 6th ed.: (1983-11-17). Who Turns 20 with the Help of 5 Doctors. The Herald (Australia) .
- MLA 7th ed.: "Who Turns 20 with the Help of 5 Doctors." The Herald (Australia) [add city] 1983-11-17. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: "Who Turns 20 with the Help of 5 Doctors." The Herald (Australia), edition, sec., 1983-11-17
- Turabian: "Who Turns 20 with the Help of 5 Doctors." The Herald (Australia), 1983-11-17, section, edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Who Turns 20 with the Help of 5 Doctors | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Who_Turns_20_with_the_Help_of_5_Doctors | work=The Herald (Australia) | pages= | date=1983-11-17 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=30 April 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Who Turns 20 with the Help of 5 Doctors | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Who_Turns_20_with_the_Help_of_5_Doctors | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=30 April 2025}}</ref>
