The Lambert Legacy

[SiHart]

What do you think was the best decision Verity Lambert took as Doctor Who's original producer? Certainly she played a monumental role in the creation of a programme with a massive longevity, and one that has brought us all here.

So what do you think was the finest of her many fine achievements? What was the greatest legacy she gave to the fledgling Doctor Who?

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

Would it be too obvious to say... William Hartnell? We've all heard or read the anecdote about how she was drawn to that contrast between his 'sergeant-major' character, and his character in This Sporting Life, but to have had such an acute awareness, and the bravery to make that decision, was really something. Getting David Whitaker on board, even hiring Terry Nation, probably aren't solely down to Verity, but I think by all accounts it seems that the choice of William Hartnell was. Inspired, and absolutely perfect.

[SiHart]

For me, I think it will always be the employment of Ron Grainer and Delia Derbyshire that stands as her finest decision. Her efforts to commission a theme tune that was unlike any other (sounding out Les Structures Sonores to begin with shows this) was a brilliant creative decision and resulted in the creation of a theme that stands as a timeless piece of music in its own right, as recognisable today as it was unearthly back in 1963.

Si xx

[Stephen Morgan]

Would it be too obvious to say... William Hartnell? We've all heard or read the anecdote about how she was drawn to that contrast between his 'sergeant-major' character, and his character in This Sporting Life, but to have had such an acute awareness, and the bravery to make that decision, was really something. Getting David Whitaker on board, even hiring Terry Nation, probably aren't solely down to Verity, but I think by all accounts it seems that the choice of William Hartnell was. Inspired, and absolutely perfect.

Quite right there Andrew. Without Hartnell the show would have been quite different altogether, he was the best choice for the role at that time, and set the benchmark for all that were to follow, and I think it's quite easy to say there's a little of Hartnell's performance in each and every doctor.

[Dave Tudor]

Standing up to her bullish boss and insisting that she was right to include those goddam BEMs which appeared in the second serial obviously helped the programme no end....

[Larry]

What do you think was the best decision Verity Lambert took as Doctor Who's original producer? Certainly she played a monumental role in the creation of a programme with a massive longevity, and one that has brought us all here.

So what do you think was the finest of her many fine achievements? What was the greatest legacy she gave to the fledgling Doctor Who?

Si xx

For me it would have to be going againsy Sydney Newmans, original remit for Doctor Who, and introducing the Daleks, if Verity had not done this then IMO it;s doubtfull Doctor Who, would of survived much past the original 13 episodes it was commisioned for.

[Captain Tancredi]

I can't help thinking it was putting together a team in that first year of people who were committed to the series and could see its potential, getting regulars who were prepared to give their best and creative staff who relished the challenges to their imagination. She seems to have had a talent for finding her lead actors in unusual places- not just William Hartnell but later on George Cole both took on roles which they could easily have dismissed as not the sort of character they wanted to play, and both went on to turn their roles into much-loved popular characters.