Back again--the show that pulls in 110m viewers
- Publication: Reading Evening Post
- Date: 1986-09-05
- Author: Linton Mitchell
- Page: 10
- Language: English
HE is 900 years old, has two hearts, a lung temperature 10 degrees lower than we have, and many excellent human qualities which do not include hiding his light under a bushel.
He has tremendous style and a wealth of still untapped scientific knowledge, yet tends to turn up trumps at the last moment through a combination of luck, elastic bands and plasticine.
Oh yes, and he travels around in a time machine which looks like a police box on the outside.
Who is he?
Doctor Who, of course, back after a lapse of 18 months on BBCI tomorrow evening in the shape of Colin Baker, his sixth materialisation.
The good doctor had departed our screens in a blaze of controversy. Was that last series too violent? Or was it simply that the time had come for him to stand down? He had, after all, been around since 1963.
Well, with one mighty bound (after all, 18 months isn't much in the doctor's lifespan) he's back and looking better than ever, with the accent very much on humour.
The new season consists of one 14-part story The Trial of a Time Lord, in which Doctor Who is put on trial for allegedly interfering in galactic affairs over a very long period.
Evidence
The evidence presented by the prosecutor, The Valeyard (Michael Jayston), whom Doctor Who insists on calling "The Brickyard," to the Inquisitor (Lynda Bellingham) takes the form of splendid new adventures.
Not the least of the millions of people delighted at the return of Doctor Who is Colin Baker, who took over the role for the last series.
And his delight is not entirely based on the fact that with the nature of the series in balance, yet still himself under contract to the BBC, Colin has been unable to undertake any long-term commitments during the limbo period.
Colin Baker really does enjoy playing Doctor Who, and loves travelling around meeting the countless numbers of Doctor Who fan clubs.
Indeed, my introductory description of the Doctor was actually put together by Colin In a matter of seconds when someone asked him at a preview of the new season what made the character so special.
Feeling
"I couldn't believe that a national institution like Doctor Who could be dropped," Colin told me. "Yet there was always this feeling in the pit of my stomach that it might just happen.
Despite the popularity of the series it has some 110 million viewers worldwide I could understand the thinking of the BBC.
"Doctor Who earns as much as it costs, but the money all goes back into a central pool. I can well appreciate the BBC's feeling that the series had been given a good run, more than 20 years, and it might be time to give some other series a chance.
"But it's back, and is I believe going to be as popular as ever. And I'm delighted."
Colin enjoyed the series how before his involvement with it, though at 43 now, he could scarcely be said to have been in his pram. Come to think of it, his daughter Lucy won't be watching it from her pram either.
She's 17 months old. Her mother Marion did watch the end of the last series when she was in hospital expecting Lucy.
Previous Doctors have been William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker and Peter Davison.
Colin reckons that he has probably borrowed a bit from all of them in his own portrayal of the character. "I've tried to take a touch from their characterisation," he reflected, "the tetchiness of William, the quirkiness of Patrick, the forceful, getting-straight-to-grips approach of Jon, the humour of Tom, and the honesty and integrity of Peter."
Both Colin and John Nathan-Turner, who has produced Doctor Who for the past seven years, confirmed that the new series leaned towards the humorous aspect of the Doctor's adventures.
This was deliberate policy," said John Nathan- Turner, "and I believe that it will pay off."
Colin was quick to point out, however, that the humour had been enforced at the expense of the traditional cliff-hanging action.
"Humour has to be handled very carefully," said Colin. "Doctor Who cannot continually be ninny at the expense of the villains. The tension has to be maintained." The Trial of a Time Lord is in effect divided into three stories. No Daleks this time, though the Doctor does encounter another old enemy, Sil (Nabil Shaban), the galactic slug.
There's also a bonus in the shape of an absolutely splendid new villain Glitz, a galactic pirate given to constant self-analysis, played by Tony Selby who positively revels in the role.
We first meet Glitz in the opening episode. "I'm from a broken home, you know," he says chattily to his companion while preparing to line up the Doctor in the sights of his super-charged rifle. Follow that! Viewers still remember Tony form his hit comedy series about RAF like Get Some In, ten years back, though just occasionally he wishes that they wouldn't.
"That was a good series and great while it lasted," he told me, "but I was out of all got on very well together work for a long time afterwards. Producers couldn't see me as anything else but a sergeant."
However, the tide has certainly turned for Tony over the last couple of years.
He's had no shortage—or variety—of roles. He's played in the stage comedy Run For Your Wife in Canada and Australia, made a big impact in the BBC thriller Hideaway, soon be seen in the classical drama Antigoni (BBC again), and will be appearing in Toad of Toad Hall, the special Christmas edition of ITV's 3-2-1.
"Variety," he said, "is what acting is all about. I'm having a whale of a time."
He added: "It was a joy working on Doctor Who. We all got on very well and I think that comes through. We shot one scene on location in the freezing cold and we just kept on going - cracking jokes being takes."
Given Tony's type-casting problem following Get Some In, I am almost afraid to mention this, but his role Run For Your Wife in as Glitz has made him an absolute "natural" for a substantial supporting role in any science-fiction/fantasy movie epic which may be in the wind.
I have every confidence, however in the ability of the Doctor, with a little bit of luck, and of course the help of those elastic bands and the plasticine, to overcome.
In fact I don't see how he and the series can fail.
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: Mitchell, Linton (1986-09-05). Back again--the show that pulls in 110m viewers. Reading Evening Post p. 10.
- MLA 7th ed.: Mitchell, Linton. "Back again--the show that pulls in 110m viewers." Reading Evening Post [add city] 1986-09-05, 10. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Mitchell, Linton. "Back again--the show that pulls in 110m viewers." Reading Evening Post, edition, sec., 1986-09-05
- Turabian: Mitchell, Linton. "Back again--the show that pulls in 110m viewers." Reading Evening Post, 1986-09-05, section, 10 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Back again--the show that pulls in 110m viewers | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Back_again--the_show_that_pulls_in_110m_viewers | work=Reading Evening Post | pages=10 | date=1986-09-05 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=6 April 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Back again--the show that pulls in 110m viewers | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Back_again--the_show_that_pulls_in_110m_viewers | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=6 April 2025}}</ref>
