Dr Who's Who (1986)
- Publication: Daily Mirror
- Date: 1986-02-28
- Author: Graham Barnes
- Page: A5
- Language: English
THE CHANGING FACE OF TV's FAMOUS TIME TRAVELLER..900 YEARS OLD THIS WEEK
DR WHO is on the way back... and he's facing the most deadly battle of his time-travelling life!
Forget the Daleks. Forget the Cybermen. This time he's up against the toughest warlord of the lot BBC boss Michael Grade.
And the challenge to the Doctor-900 years old this week is clear.
Win back the viewers... or you'll be ex-ter-min-ated!
As filming gets under way for the next series, Dr. Who's main mission is to take the show into the 21st century.
Survival
The Beeb are spending £20,000 an episode to attract a new generation of young fans. If that fails, the Tardis is set for a supersonic flight off our screens. Bubbly Bonnie Langford has been chosen as the Doctor's new companion in his fight for survival. She plays Melanie, a 21-year-old fitness fanatic with trendy ideas on health and beauty. She'll try to get him to im to change his stodgy diet.
Bonnie is Dr Who's NINETEENTH girl assistant. And she breaks a trend going back 23 years.
Before her, every companion was an unknown actress.
But now BBC bosses are gambling on a big name star to give a new look to the series when it returns in the autumn.
Colin Baker survives as the Doctor. He's the EIGHTH actor to play the part.
There have been six TV regulars-William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison and Colin Baker.
Peter Cushing and Richard Hurndall have also played the role.
The longest running Doctor was Tom Baker who lasted for six years.
Here's a Who's Who of the TV timelords through the ages...
HARTNELL
WILLIAM Hartnell (1963-6) He was the first. Letters would arrive at his home marked Mr Who and even Uncle Who! He died in April 1975, aged 67. Companions: Carole Ann Ford, Jacqueline Hill, Maureen O' Brien, Adrienne Hill, Jean Marsh, Jackie Lane, Anneke Wills.
TROUGHTON
PATRICK Troughton (1966- 70). Now 66, he says of his four-year reign: "Doctor Who gave me the chance to indulge my passion for dressing up as well as a bit of clowning." Companions: Deborah Watling, Wendy Padbury.
PERTWEE
JON Pertwee (1970-74). The only Dr. Who to launch into an even more famous character afterwards Worzel Gummidge. When Pertwee, 66, landed the doctor role he was told: "Play it as yourself!" Companions: Caroline John, Katy Manning, Elizabeth Sladen.
TOM BAKER
TOM Baker (1974-80), now 52, was working on a building site when his big break came. He clocked up the most appearances of all the eight doctors and is the only one on display at Madame Tussaud's in London's Baker Street. Wooed, won and wed his Girl Friday Lalla Ward. They married in 1980-divorced 16 months later. Companions: Louis Jameson, Mary Tamm, Lalla Ward and Sarah Sutton.
DAVISON
PETER Davison (1980-84) inherited the role the day America got a new leader... President Reagan. But Ronnie outlasted Peter, 34, who was one of TV's most famous vets in All Creatures Great and Small. His companion was Janet Fielding (Tegan) from 1981-84.
COLIN BAKER
COLIN Baker (1984-?) has seen his weight rocket from 13 to 15 stone since he landed the job. The 41-year-old actor was better known to millions as Paul Merraney, the Mr. Nasty of the hit TV series The Brothers. Now he's Dr. Nice and into his third year as the eternal Timelord. His first companion was Nicola Bryant who played Peri from 1984-86. Now he's getting a new pal-and a star name at that! Bonnie Langford is set to arrive as computer programmer Melanie, who annoys the Doctor by her constant singing in the Tardis.
DAYS OF THE DALEK
THE Doctor first hit the screen at 5.25pm on November 23, 1963-the day after President Kennedy's assassination.
In all there have been more than 600 episodes and two feature films.
Sixty per cent of the viewers are over 16.
There are appreciation societies in Britain, Italy, Australasia, Canada and the USA.
A three-part Radio Four special was broadcast last May-just to keep addicts going.
The Daleks appeared in the second adventure boosting the ratings to eight million.
They and the Cybermen are the Doctor's best-known foes, but do you remember the Yeti, the Sil, the Zygons and the Terrileptils?
Tardis, the name of the Doctor's faster-than-light police phone box, stands for Time and Relative Dimensions In Space.
Mary Whitehouse condemned the series, along with East- Enders and Robin of Sherwood, as too violent.
Who did you say?
THE often forgotten Doctor Whos are: Peter Cushing, who appeared in two full-length Dr Who feature films. Richard Hurndall: stood-in for the deceased William Hartnell in a one-off 20th birthday celebration show in 1983.
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.: Barnes, Graham (1986-02-28). Dr Who's Who (1986). Daily Mirror p. A5.
- MLA 7th ed.: Barnes, Graham. "Dr Who's Who (1986)." Daily Mirror [add city] 1986-02-28, A5. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Barnes, Graham. "Dr Who's Who (1986)." Daily Mirror, edition, sec., 1986-02-28
- Turabian: Barnes, Graham. "Dr Who's Who (1986)." Daily Mirror, 1986-02-28, section, A5 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Dr Who's Who (1986) | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr_Who%27s_Who_(1986) | work=Daily Mirror | pages=A5 | date=1986-02-28 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=29 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Dr Who's Who (1986) | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr_Who%27s_Who_(1986) | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=29 March 2025}}</ref>
