John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = The Guardian | file = 2003-12-31 Guardian.jpg | px = 650 | height = | width = | date = 2003-12-31 | author = Gareth McLean | pages = | language =..."

2016-01-28T22:18:21Z

Created page with "{{article | publication = The Guardian | file = 2003-12-31 Guardian.jpg | px = 650 | height = | width = | date = 2003-12-31 | author = Gareth McLean | pages = | language =..."

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Did she have the bottle?

The day after Aldous Huxley died, Dr Who was broadcast for the first time. The date - at least according to our rather naive, linear notion of time - was November 22 1963. The Story of Dr Who (BBC1) charted the lives and regenerations of the good doctor, from the irascible William Hartnell through the "impish cosmic hobo" of Patrick Troughton and Establishment dandy Jon Pertwee, to the otherworldly Tom Baker, the boyish Peter Davison, the other Baker and Sylvester McCoy. In retrospect, you could see the writing was on the wall for the Time Lord when he started duking it out with Bertie Bassett's evil twin sister.

Even the most casual Dr Who fan (Whovians, they are called apparently) has a fondness for a different doctor, though I am yet to meet anyone who considers Colin Baker or McCoy as the best Gallifrey had to offer.

Still, Dr Who is, you realise, bigger than any one of his incarnations. He's a great big pop culture artefact in whom thousands of people have an (emotional) investment and about whom they have an opinion. Often, it's quite a fiercely held opinion expressed with pointy fingers and sweaty brow. It makes you consider the task Russell T Davies has taken on in resurrecting him. Or, indeed, her. Time, I suppose, will tell.
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The Story of Dr Who - Revision history

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = The Guardian | file = 2003-12-31 Guardian.jpg | px = 650 | height = | width = | date = 2003-12-31 | author = Gareth McLean | pages = | language =..."