Nine million viewers eagerly await each new adventure of... DOCTOR WHO
- Publication: Diana
- Date: 1971-10-02
- Author:
- Page: 12
- Language: English
SINCE Doctor Who first materialized on the TV screen he has been portrayed by three actors - William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and now Jon Pertwee.
Jon had never thought about playing the Doctor - and a friend told me Patrick Troughton was giving up the part.
We were rehearsing for the Navy Lark," recalled Jon. "Tenniel Evans, another member of the cast told me Patrick was leaving 'Dr Who.' He suggested I put my up for the part, but I told him not to be stupid.
However, the idea remained with Jon so he asked his agent to contact the BBC.
"My agent phoned the BBC and found I was already second on the shortlist.
ASTOUNDED
Naturally Jon was delighted - but he was even more astounded when he discovered the BBC had considered him a couple of years before when Patrick Troughton had thought of leaving.
"We've made lot of changes in Doctor Who now," says Jon. We've made it grow up a bit.
Acting is in Jon's blood. He was born at an [?] in Chelsea, London, on July 7, 1919
"Practically all my family are connected with the business. My father was Roland Pertwee, the actor and my brother Michael is a success playwright and screenwriter.
"When I started I did the usual R.A.D.A. training, then I went [?]at the Beringfeld Theatre in Jersey."
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Jon joined the navy and [?] all over the world - first as an ordinary seaman, and later as an officer.
It was during a Navy stint that he met and teamed up with Eric Baker who [?] broadcasts for the BBC.
Soon Jon became an established name on radio and following the war he starred in many radio series.
"The most access The Navy Lark, which is still running after 14 years! We recently did our 200th edition."
When Jon isn't working he likes speding his tiem with his wife Ingeborg andtheir two children, Dariel and Sean.
"I love water skiing. I think I was one of the first people in this country to take it up. I race go-karts and I also used to race hydro[?].
"Underwater diving is another of my [?] in fact. I love most underwater and [?] activities
FAN CLUB
"I get quite a bit of fan mail these days! Most of them are technical questions which I'm afraid I can't answer! I usually pass them on to a Doctor Who fan club.
Two Dr Who fans as Jon's son and daughter.
"The kids love to watch it. My son [?] it's his favorite programme! Dariel and Sean come to the studios quite often. They like to see [?] monsters.
"Sometimes bring them the models of the various sets we use in the series. They've got quite a collection now!
Jo Grant, the young lady who gets into so many scrapes with the Doctor, played by pretty 22-year-old KATY MANNING
Katy first auditioned for the part of Jo Grant in July 1970.
"I didn't really think I was going to get the part though - mainly because everyone kept remarking on how short I was."
Anyway, I did a reading for them which wasn't bad - but it definitely wasn't brilliant.
"However the producer sent me a script to learn.
"Then I had to [?] see how I worked under direction.
"The day after [?] the producer phoned me and told me not to worry about my height - I had the part."
"I hadn't really pictured myself as being the right type for the Dr Who girl. I thought they would want one more [?]. And I thought they would has chosen someone else.
Born in Guildford, Sussex, Katy attended the Webster Douglas Drama School for one tear, then joined a repertory company in Wolverhampton.
"I couldn't take much of that though - it only lasted six weeks.
"After that I started doing commercials [?], believe me.
Then came Katy's first role in a TV production - a little part in "Softly Softly."
"A while later I heard that [?] were holding auditions, so I went along a small part in "Man at the Top." After doing that f r a week, they took me out of it and gave me a bigger part in another series!"
Katy had one more part in "Man at the Top" - and then she landed the role in 'Dr Who'.
"I found it terribly hard work. I didn't get much time [?] at all. I haven't even been on holiday for the last three years.
When she does get a spare moment Katy has quite a collection of [?].
KICK AROUND
"I make candles every now and then. I love anything to do with sports - especially football. I love to have a kick around the football pitch.
"I collect all so of odd things rocks and stones and other late bits and pieces. And I'm a [?] maniac. I always have my flat full of them!"
Clothes naturally enough are another oft Katy's loves.
"I'd much rather buy clothes than wear them, if you know what I mean. I like having lots of super clothes about the house. I [?] there at the time - especially when I can't afford them.
"I used to design my own clothes as most shops don't sell anything [?] - which is what I am. I always ended up being disappointed at [?] - it was never [?]
"I don't ever have that problem now most places stock my size."
GREAT HELP
Katy has found Jon Pertwee a great help during the series.
"He gave me a great deal of confidence which I really needed. I think he realised I was rather green. He helped me tremendously, especially with things like comedy timing."
The Doctor's arch enemy is The Master. Behind than evil glare is actor ROGER DELGADO.
Roger was born on 1 March, 1918.
"Within the sound of Bow Bells, so I regard myself as a true cockney.
When Roger latch work in a bank, but ...
"I hated it. My stage career started by accident really, when I accompanied a school friend on his first visit to an agent's office."
"I walked out of the bank on a Friday and the following Tuesday I was on the Theatre Royal stage in Leicester, rehearsing!
Since that day, Roger - whose full name is Roger Caesar Marius Bernard de Delgado Torres Castillo Roberto - has been numerous baddies on stage, television and films.
Roger's TV credits include "The Saint," "The Champions," "The Avengers, "Randall & Hopkirk - Deceased", The Freewheelers" - and of course Dr Who.
When he's not working, Roger enjoys swimming, [?] and driving fast cars.
Battling the many weird creatures that always seem to be threatening the Earth might be a bit of a problem for the Doctor - if it wasn't for U.N.I.T. - the [?] commanded by Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart.
In real life the Brigadier is 42-year-old NICHOLAS COURTNEY.
Nicholas sorted acting career at the age of 20, when he attended the Webber Douglas Drama school - where you'll recall Kay Manning so attended.
"I spent two years there then went to the theatre in the West End. Then I made my first TV appearance as Charles II in a schools programme.
Since then Nicholas has done a wide range of television of work.
VILLAINS
"Mostly villains - so Doctor Who makes a nice change."
Surprisingly, Nicholas appeared in Doctor Who many years ago - before the Brigadier had even been thought of.
"It was when William Hartnell" was playing the Doctor. I was cast as a sort of intergalactic James Bond - but I was killed off after four episodes."
Nicholas lives in Muswell Hill, London, with his wife Madeline and their two children Isabelle who is 6 and Phillip who's 25.
And yes, they do both watch Dr Who!
BARRY LETTS is the man behind the whole Doctor Who team.
"I became the producer in October 1970," says Barry.
If you are wondering what exactly a producer's job is, here's Barry's definition.
"I'm the man in charge of the whole thing the programme's policy, atmosphere and appearance. And I have to make sure I have the right person to do each job."
"After my first week, my wife asked me what my job was. I told her I sit in an office and every five minutes someone comes in and says "You'll never guess what's happened now."
Time, apart from being one of the important themes of Dr Who, is also one of the biggest headaches for the production would be impossible for the production team.
"It would be impossible for us to put on the series every week of the year - that's why we have a break the summer.
"As an example, take the first four part serial planned for next year. We were having discussions about that before Christmas and the programme was being written in May.
"The director joined us in July to commence filming and will leave in October!"
When the instrument panel of the Tardis - which stands for Time And Relative Dimension in Space - begins to flash and whirr, or when a weird alien robot suddenly blows up, have you ever wondered how the BBC manages this?
The people responsible are the visual effects department.
Peter Day, one of the designers says, "In one episode of Dr Who a gargoyle had to come to life. We were asked to make a special gun for him that would also be safe for him to hold. Eventually managed to work out a design for it."
"In another sprede wage chu could b to bow up by blow up the rating, so using ph graph we de a scale model at it model and on moming to it
Peter says that every new effect is a challenge.
"But we have been stumped yet. There's always some way to do it."
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- APA 6th ed.: (1971-10-02). Nine million viewers eagerly await each new adventure of... DOCTOR WHO. Diana p. 12.
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