Who's Army
- Publication: West Lancashire Evening Gazette
- Date: 1990-09-22
- Author: Gary Jenkins
- Page: 27
- Language: English
What might have been...
AT 71, Jon Pertwee still lives life in the fast lane whether waterskiing, scuba diving or piloting the monstrous motor-bikes which are his pride and joy. But the man who found fame as Doctor Who and a thousand and one other characters was too busy to take up the part that made Arthur Lowe (pictured left with John Le Mesurier) a national institution. GARRY JENKINS reveals the whole exclusive story.
THE very idea is enough to stretch even the infinite imagination of a Time-Lord.
Captain Mainwaring, the blustering, balding Blimp in the front line of Dad's Army, parading instead as a roguish, womanising alcoholic!
But set Jon Pertwee's memory back 20 years or so and he recalls a moment when that was the battle plan within the BBC's comedy department.
And he reveals that if fate had not shown its hand he may well have become the pride of the Home Guard rather than TV's most famous troubleshooting time traveller, Doctor Who.
"It should have been me rather than dear old Arthur Lowe that played the role. This is the first time I have ever said this because it would have been very pompous of me when Arthur was still alive," says Pertwee.
"But I did do a series for the BBC called Beggar My Neighbour in which I occasionally played a bank manager who was the boss of a Home Guard brigade. He gave his troops hell until he had a few drinks and then became very amorous.
"The BBC liked it and decided to build it up into a series of its own with me playing the bank manager.
"Unfortunately I was touring in America when they made the decision."
I was forced to decide whether to stay in America or go back to Britain. I stayed put."
Arthur Lowe, of course, went on to create one of British TV comedy's most memorable characters, the irascible George Mainwaring. And Pertwee soon found himself instead in a role which more than 20 years on he is still associated with around the globe.
Pertwee followed William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton through the famous weather-beaten doors of the Doctor's dimension-hopping police box, the TARDIS. He brought to the role more than a touch of Bohemianism that marks him as one of British acting's most colourful characters. For five years Pertwee's Doctor was a dashing, debonair superhero, a sophisticated antidote to the brash cartoon-strip characters imported from American TV.
Armed with little more than his wits and a walking stick he flitted to and fro across the universe to do battle with Daleks, Yetis and the very worst the BBC's special effects department could come up with.
It is a measure of his success in the role that it is still his face that stares out from the covers of Dr Who fanzines around the world, and his educated speaking voice that is perpetually in demand at Dr Who conventions.
Pertwee along with six other stars to have played the good Doctor is one of the star attractions this weekend when British Satellite Broadcasting's Galaxy Channel devotes itself to a series that has been part of our staple screen diet for a remarkable 27 years.
"I have never stopped being involved with Doctor Who, I attend conferences all over the world. I am going to a conference in Brisbane next month and then on to Christchurch, New Zealand," he explains.
"In America in particular there is still a huge following.
"The Doctor Who Fan Club of America has its own newspaper which goes out every month. God knows how many there are around the world in fan clubs, there must be millions.
"I've still got an affection for it although I think doing a long run as the Doctor was perhaps a mistake. Young directors now still look at me as a culty actor and raise their hands in horror at the thought of working with me," he adds.
"There are a lot of character roles that are right for me in mini-series but it is very hard to persuade people. There is a real cult stigma to the Doctor."
Pertwee came to Doctor Who in 1968 almost as well travelled a creature as the Time-Lord himself.
Born into aristocratic stock-his family the Perthuis de Laillavaults are, via the Hugenots, direct descendants of the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne - he entered RADA before working in repertory and in variety where he performed as an acrobat.
He served in the navy, lived for a while in Tahiti, and then made his name in radio's The Navy Lark.
Throughout all this Pertwee a physically imposing man of 6ft 2in has lived at a pace that would shatter many a lesser mortal. At the age of 71 he still water-skis, scuba dives and roars around his homes in Putney, West London and Majorca on monstrous 1.000cc motor bikes.
This almost insatiable zest for life has taken its toll-he has suffered a serious spinal injury and almost lost his right leg when it was caught in the propeller of a speedboat in a water-skiing accident off the coast of Ibiza.
His daredevil ways do not always meet with the approval of Pertwee's second wife, German-born Inge, with whom he has two children, Dariel, aged 27, and Sean, aged 24 who has followed him into acting with roles in series like Chancer.
"I have had my share of scrapes over the years. But I still like to be involved, if someone tells me about a new piece of machinery I want to be the first to ride it," he says.
"I have always done these things and I don't see why I should stop now."
WIN A DALEK
THE Familiar Dr Who theme tune will be ringing out dozens of times this weekend as BSB's Galaxy channel devotes itself to the first 10 years of television's most enduring science fiction series.
The weekend brings back the talents of William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee the first three doctors screening entire storylines, single rare episodes, documentaries and two feature films.
To help the special weekend along here's a chance to win some super Dr Who prizes:
- Three 25th Anniversary Commemorative Dr Who sets containing a bumper bundle of Dr Who items.
- Six Daleks and other Dr Who foe models.
- Six signed photographs of Jon Pertwee. All you have to do is answer the following Dr Who Trivia questions.
1. Apart from the three above actors name two other people who have played the part of Dr Who.
2. The Daleks may be the most famous of Dr Who's enemies but name two other well-known foes.
3. Name Dr Who's time travelling machine.
4. Actress Katy Manning was one of Dr Who's faithful sidekicks. What was the name of the character she played?
5. In what year was the first Dr Who series screened?
6. Name one of the feature length Dr Who films.
Don't worry if you can't answer all the questions. Have a go at as many as you can - you could still be a winner. The closing date is Friday, September 28.
Write your answers on a postcard or the back of a sealed envelope and send to Dr Who Competition, Features Department, PO Box 20, New House, Preston New Road, Blackpool FY4 4AU.
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.: Jenkins, Gary (1990-09-22). Who's Army. West Lancashire Evening Gazette p. 27.
- MLA 7th ed.: Jenkins, Gary. "Who's Army." West Lancashire Evening Gazette [add city] 1990-09-22, 27. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Jenkins, Gary. "Who's Army." West Lancashire Evening Gazette, edition, sec., 1990-09-22
- Turabian: Jenkins, Gary. "Who's Army." West Lancashire Evening Gazette, 1990-09-22, section, 27 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Who's Army | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Who%27s_Army | work=West Lancashire Evening Gazette | pages=27 | date=1990-09-22 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=1 June 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Who's Army | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Who%27s_Army | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=1 June 2025}}</ref>
