New faces for spaces in Dr Who?
- Publication: The Sunday Times (Western Australia)
- Date: 1983-09-04
- Author:
- Page: Magazine, p. 13
- Language: English
REMEMBER last week's piece about Colin Baker replacing Peter Davison as Dr Who?
This is the chap with Nicola Bryant who will be his companion in sci-fi adventures aboard the Tardis.
The new doctor will appear on Channel 2, who knows when, after Davison goes through the customary metamorphosis needed to change the Time Lord.
All I know about Davison at the moment is that he decided to quit after a short spell of gallivanting around the galaxy from Galifray, his home base among the stars.
Actors who previously played the part were. William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker.
Dr Who's success has been phenominal. The BBC launched it late in 1963. intending to run it for 40 weeks.
The original budget was only $4000 an episode and the idea was to make it a semi-educational series about a young girl travelling in time with her grandfather. meeting famous figures from history. Hartnell started as a crusty old observer of history, then mellowed into a humorist-
The show attracted three million viewers in the UK, but when scriptwriters introduced the evil Dalek machines the audience lumped to eight million and science fiction replaced history.
When ill-health took Hartnell out of the show, the BBC risked a new actor—Patrick Troughton who turned the doctor into a flute-playing cosmic hobo.
He was succeeded by Jon Pertwee who probably did more than anyone to establish Dr Who as the world's longest-running science fiction series.
Color
Pertwee was helped by the introduction of top class scripts and plots and the advent of color gave the special effects wizards tremendous scope.
Pertwee was followed by Tom Baker, and during his seven years as the absent minded. jellybean chewing, brilliant nutcase, Dr Who broke all viewing records.
Davison's "who's for tennis" quality didn't seem the ideal follow-up to Baker's mixture of super intelligence and boyish enthusiasm.
Colin Baker has been a long-time fan of the series. He now has the task of maintaining its momentum.
Caption: Colin Baker, the new Dr Who, with Nicola Bryant, his companion.
Spelling correction: Gallifrey
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.: (1983-09-04). New faces for spaces in Dr Who?. The Sunday Times (Western Australia) p. Magazine, p. 13.
- MLA 7th ed.: "New faces for spaces in Dr Who?." The Sunday Times (Western Australia) [add city] 1983-09-04, Magazine, p. 13. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: "New faces for spaces in Dr Who?." The Sunday Times (Western Australia), edition, sec., 1983-09-04
- Turabian: "New faces for spaces in Dr Who?." The Sunday Times (Western Australia), 1983-09-04, section, Magazine, p. 13 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=New faces for spaces in Dr Who? | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/New_faces_for_spaces_in_Dr_Who%3F | work=The Sunday Times (Western Australia) | pages=Magazine, p. 13 | date=1983-09-04 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=18 April 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=New faces for spaces in Dr Who? | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/New_faces_for_spaces_in_Dr_Who%3F | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=18 April 2025}}</ref>
