Dr. Who helps to rob '1984' of impact
- Publication: Daily Express
- Date: 1965-11-29
- Author:
- Page: 4
- Language: English
B.B.C.-2 : 1984.
Express TV Critic
MR. GEORGE ORWELL'S "1984" was the first big sensation of television. Twelve years ago the brainwashing sequences curdled the nation and set the viewers reaching for their telephones—more than 250 horrified phone calls within minutes.
At 10.10 last night, with Nigel Kneale's new adaptation off the screen by 10 minutes, the count on the B.B.C. switchboard was— one call.
Such is the new sophistication of the TV audience. I suppose that too much horror and violence, truth and fiction, has flickered its way across the parlour corner for "1984." to satisfy the staggering emotional weight it did.
Big Brother
In its earlier moments, some of its tricks almost raised a smile. Dr. Who has met more dreadful things, in visible terms, than Winston Smith dreamed of when he trembled at the thought of Big Brother.
This is not though, to belittle the steely mixture of warning and satire which Orwell contrived for humanity. I remember the original TV production and the stride forward in technique demonstrated by director Christopher Morahan last night was the difference between D. W. Griffith and Cinerama.
The limited time factor of TV does not allow for a true build-up of these zombie society created by The Party. The crushing impact of the play comes in the final moments of Winston Smith's torture and final acceptance of "double think."
David Buck, as Smith, and Joseph O'Conor, as the flinty political manipulator, played out these final sequences with terrible force.
The trouble is that as "1984" itself creeps nearer, the hero must perforce get younger. In the next B.B.C. revival, 12 years from now, he will be only seven-- and Mr. Bucks had a cherubic innocence about him which did not help.
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- APA 6th ed.: (1965-11-29). Dr. Who helps to rob '1984' of impact. Daily Express p. 4.
- MLA 7th ed.: "Dr. Who helps to rob '1984' of impact." Daily Express [add city] 1965-11-29, 4. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: "Dr. Who helps to rob '1984' of impact." Daily Express, edition, sec., 1965-11-29
- Turabian: "Dr. Who helps to rob '1984' of impact." Daily Express, 1965-11-29, section, 4 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Dr. Who helps to rob '1984' of impact | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr._Who_helps_to_rob_%271984%27_of_impact | work=Daily Express | pages=4 | date=1965-11-29 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=22 April 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Dr. Who helps to rob '1984' of impact | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr._Who_helps_to_rob_%271984%27_of_impact | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=22 April 2025}}</ref>
