Doctors in a time trip down memory lane
- Publication: The Herald (Australia)
- Date: 1983-12-13
- Author: Brian Adams
- Page: 29
- Language: English
For 20 years, Britain's longest running television science fiction series has been intriguing and delighting an estimated audience of 100 million people in 54 countries.
The show began in 1963 and concerned itself with the travels of a renegade time-lord, an irritable and absent-minded old man named "Dr Who".
William Hartnell, who died earlier this year, played the original Doctor and the series has seen another four actors take his place in turn as the lead character.
The Doctors were: William Hartnell (1963-66), Patrick Troughton (66-69), Jon Pertwee (70-74), Tom Baker (74-81) and Peter Davison (82-early 84).
A special movie-length episode, made to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the program, can be seen on the ABC tonight at 7.30 and guarantees all avid fans a most enjoyable trip down memory lane.
The special contains everything that has made the series a hit, including the mind-boggling language and, of course, some of the deadliest beings in the universe.
DEATH ZONE
The five Doctors, plus the Daleks, Cybermen, The Master and a yeti, are all in the Death Zone of Gallifrey to play the Game of Rascillon, which could spell the end for them all.
The show also has guest appearances by the people who have travelled the universe at one time or another as cohorts to the different Doctors.
They include Carole Ann Ford as Susan, Elizabeth Bladen as Sarah Jane, Nicholas Courtney as the Brigadier, Mark Strickson as Turlough and Janet Fielding (a noticeably Australian actress) as Tegan.
The show might be a little baffling for the uninitiated but the memories that come flooding back for Dr Who fans are enough to guarantee a captive viewing audience.
Another interesting thing about the show is that due to Hartnell's death, his role as the original Dr Who has been taken over by Richard Hurndall. But there is some vintage film of Hartnell to introduce the special, titled "The Five Doctors".
And if your favorite Doctor was Tom Baker you might be a little disappointed with his limited appearances on the screen.
GRAFTED
The two scenes where Baker is shown appear to have been cut from other episodes of "Dr Who" and grafted on to the special.
It is belleved Baker didn't like the other Doctors very much and refused to do the show.
The BBC had to use a wax dummy of Baker in promotional pictures and have a man hiding at the back of the car to hold him up.
Caption: Twenty years of doctors... Tom Baker (left), Peter Davison, Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton and Richard Hurndall, standing in for the original Doctor Who, William Hartnell. But look again at Tom Baker; it's really a wax dummy, propped up by a man seen crouching at the back of the car.
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.: Adams, Brian (1983-12-13). Doctors in a time trip down memory lane. The Herald (Australia) p. 29.
- MLA 7th ed.: Adams, Brian. "Doctors in a time trip down memory lane." The Herald (Australia) [add city] 1983-12-13, 29. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Adams, Brian. "Doctors in a time trip down memory lane." The Herald (Australia), edition, sec., 1983-12-13
- Turabian: Adams, Brian. "Doctors in a time trip down memory lane." The Herald (Australia), 1983-12-13, section, 29 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Doctors in a time trip down memory lane | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctors_in_a_time_trip_down_memory_lane | work=The Herald (Australia) | pages=29 | date=1983-12-13 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=24 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Doctors in a time trip down memory lane | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctors_in_a_time_trip_down_memory_lane | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=24 March 2025}}</ref>
