View source for Dr Who to Film Here

{{article
| publication = The Sunday Telegraph (Sydney, NSW)
| file = 1984-04-15 Sunday Telegraph.jpg
| px = 450
| height = 
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| date = 1984-04-15
| author = Pam Corkery
| pages = 45
| language = English 
| type = 
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| categories = 
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| text = 
Sydney plan for TV series

THE MOVING force behind one of the world's most successful television shows has big plans for the Sydney Opera House — he wants to land a time machine on it.

John Nathan-Turner, producer of the British-made Dr Who series, says an Australian set of episodes is high on the new venture list for 1985.

On a working holiday in Sydney this week, he revealed to The Sunday Telegraph his long-held dream of Down Under hi-jinks for the Doctor.

"Even though it's still in the early planning stages. I've already worked out this great opening shot," he said with eyes skyward. "We'll land the TARDIS (the Doctor's time machine) on top of the Opera House."

Censors

No problem for a science-fiction show which has an eccentric doctor and companions travelling through time in a cramped phone box.

"The	 ever-improving technology allows us to do wonderful things and I'm really keen to try out a few ideas here," Nathan-Turner said with admirable generosity, considering the recent banning of [[broadwcast:The Caves of Androzani|two Dr Who epsiodes]] by the Australian censors.

The programs, which were to have screened last Thursday and Friday, will air mid-June, once scenes ruled too violent have been cut out.

The episodes dealt with the demise of the fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) and his "regeneration" into Dr Who Number Six, played by Colin Baker.

"I do find it a bit odd," the producer said. "The episode two before those was really violent, with police gunning dozens of people down. That got a run here with no outcry."

He said the only disappointment with the decision was for Australian fans, who will have to wait longer to see the new Doctor, who Nathan-Turner predicts will be the most popular of the 20-year-old series.

John Nathan-Turner, 36, took over the series in 1978 after working his way up in less than 15 years from the "lowly" job of floor assistant. Before that, he spent three years at drama school to come to the conclusion that he couldn't act.

He is now the BBC's youngest drama producer, and in his five years with Dr Who has taken the show's audience to a record 110 million viewers in 54 countries.

"With all modesty, I have to admit the phenomenal success of recent times is due to me," he joked.

"But seriously, while I love the classic serials the BBC puts out, I don't think I'd enjoy working on a program that hardly anyone watches.

"It's great for the ego having something like 150 letters from fans a day."

Nathan-Turner also revels in the various peripheral activites associated with Dr Who.

He does the quality testing on Dr Who soaps, underpants, aftershave, and many other products, and attends regular Whovian conventions in Britain and the United States.

While here, Nathan-Turner will attend a hastily-arranged	Whovian convention in the Sydney suburb of Lane Cove on April 22.

"I've been especially busy with the launching of Colin Baker — I cast him, so it's only fair to see that he gets off to a good start." he said. keen to get the conversation back to the new Doctor

'Tasteless'

"I have no real worries though, he's such a likeable, tasteless eccentric. "Apart from being more verbal, he's also a lot more physical than previous doctors.

"He's more likely to wade in with his fists rather than sort things out by ingenuity. If it's any indication, he tries to strangle his new female companion in the first episode."

So what about the Australian censors and the violence ruling?

"Kids are more likely to be frightened by cop show killings than they are by someone struck down by a ray gun.


Caption: The "physical" sixth Dr Who, Colin Baker

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