The Day of the Doctor: 50th Anniversary special *spoilers*

[SiHart]

We're zooming towards the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who in 2013.

How would you like to see it commemorated both off screen and on?

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

McGann, Tennant, Eccleston and Smith in "The Four Doctors".

That would be my New Series Wish List completed.

Si.

[Dirk Gently]

What Si said.
Also I'd love Nick Courtney to have a last hurrah on screen as the Brig & then to have the tear-welling moment of an on screen death & funeral.
Doctor Who's tribute to the longest serving companion/friend of the Doctor on earth and on screen.

[Dino]

A special BBC 2 themed night. In fact a themed day! Documentaries, repeats of "Resistance Is Useless" etc. Would it be too much to ask for a repeat of "An Unearthly Child"? Just the first episode. In fact we could get through a lot more if we only showed one episode of each Doctor. We've seen them before anyway I know, but I'd like to see it. I imagine the "Watch" channel will celebrate with repeats of the new series first season?
Maybe even one of the films? "Dalek Invasion Of Earth" as Bernard Cribbins co-stars. (although I prefer Dr Who And The Daleks)
I'd love to see "The Four Doctors" as mentioned by Si Hunt, but also reckon they should show "The Five Doctors" and the "TV Movie".
Ok, I'm making a wish list!

Introduction to "50 Years Of Doctor Who" (NOT presented by Jo Whiley...)
An Unearthly Child (episode 1)
Interview footage of Verity Lambert, possibly William Hartnell
Dr Who And The Daleks film
The Mind Robber (episode 1)
Interview with Frazer Hines, Wendy Padbury
The Daemons (episode 5)
Interview footage of Jon Pertwee, Roger Degaldo, Barry Letts
Genesis Of The Daleks (episode 6)
Interview with Elizabeth Sladen (hopefully not having to use interview footage of Tom Baker!)
The Five Doctors in full.
Interview with Peter Davison and others of that era
Attack Of The Cybermen (episode 2)
Interview with Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant
Rememberance Of The Daleks (episode four)
Interview with Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred.
The TV Movie
Interview with Paul McGann
Rose
Interview with Christopher Eccleston
School Reunion
Interview with David Tennant, Billie Piper, Noel Clarke
Amy's Choice (or "The Four Doctors" if they make it)

What do you think? Is it too Dalek heavy? If you were putting it together for the benefit of people who have just reached the age to get into Doctor Who and casual viewers who couldn't care less about it normally (apart from Trevor Eve- one doesn't need to say any more.) would you pick the same episodes? Or would you pick choices that made me slap my forehead and go "Oh of course! THAT"?

I think as a schedule that's not bad for the top of my head with no idea how television is run! Didn't have time to fit in "Resistance Is Useless" in the end...

[Si Hunt]

Interview footage of Jon Pertwee, Roger Degaldo, Barry Letts

I don't think there is any interview footage of Delgado is there? Might be a bit difficult!

Interview with Christopher Eccleston

Interview with Delgado suddenly seems more likely!

Si.

[Dirk Gently]

Interview with Christopher Eccleston

Interview with Delgado suddenly seems more likely!

Si.

[SiHart]

Interview with Delgado suddenly seems more likely!

Someone ask Adrian Rigglesford- he's got one

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

Has he?

Si.

[Lissa]

I'd like them to do something similar to "Trials and Tribble-ations" where Matt Smith and Amy get digitally inserted into Genesis of the Daleks and have a terribly clever adventure in the midst of Tom's fun.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

I'd like that too, but they should go through the entire series really. Well not EVERY story, but all the Doctors at the very least. Not sure if it will still be Matt and Karen by then though that would make her the longest-serving companion ever wouldn't it? Bit much to hope for.

[Simon R]

There isn't any interview footage with Hartnell either is there? I think we need a drama based on the series launch a la The Road to Coronation Street for a starters!

[Si Hunt]

Indeed. I'm kind of hoping she'll be gone by the middle of the next series. God bless 'er etc.

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

I'm probably in the minority, but I don't really think I'd want to see a multi-Doctor story. If they didn't include all the surviving actors, it would seem somehow wrong - but on the other hand, if they did, Tom and Colin and Sly and even Peter TBH, all of them look a lot older than when they were the Doctor. Suspension of disbelief is one thing, but I just don't think it would be credible.

I would like some kind of serious drama-documentary on the origins of the show, and some kind of special a la the Trials & Tribble-ations episode of DS9 that Lissa mentions would be great.

In fact, going back to the drama-doc' idea, maybe they could do one on the origins - one on the mid-80s cancellation furore, and one on the various attempts to revive the show in the 90s, ending on some kind of "Ah, Mr T Davies, come in - I'd like to talk to you about the possibility of coming to work here at the BBC..." note.

Or failing that, if Paul McGann could come round and wallpaper my sitting-room, that would be nice.

[Simon R]

I'd love to see them re-build the original TARDIS set and do an episode (or more) using it.

I do think they wasted a good idea with "Time Crash". Great as it was, it could easily have been stretched out for a whole episode.

[Si Hunt]

I think there have been so many Doctors now that, narratively, it would barely be possible to have all surviving Doctors in a story anyway. The thing is, all the actors were the epicentre of the show in their day, so if they come back you've either got to cram 8 leading men into a story and somehow make them all the Star, or face the ludicrous prospect of sidelining a Doctor in a cameo (and we all know how well that idea went down in 1993).

Now, it's not unfeasible to team up a small group of Doctors in a story - it's been done before of course, in The Two Doctors and indeed The Three Doctors when they only had three. And the New Series provides a neat dividing line.

The final factor is Looks. Yes, we're going to have to be judgemental and perhaps even harsh about appearance - because appearance dictates belivability. At worst, the viewer has to half-believe that these Doctors have been 'snatched' from their era of the program and squint past obvious signs of ageing (the excuse given in "Time Crash" almost worked, but still didn't quite convince - Davison didn't even BEHAVE like he used to); at best, the actors have to not look like someone squeezing into the proverbial ten-year-old pair of jeans; the "My God, isn't he old" reaction immediately takes one out of the drama. Unfortunately ALL the Classic Series Doctors are now old men - and look it. We all love Colin, but no-one wants to see a fat old man squeezed back into his old Doctors costume. Ouch, eh? But true.

So another reason to draw the line at Recent Doctors. Stretch it back to McGann because he still looks almost the same (the wig helps as it means the Eighth Doctor officially has Timeless Hair) and on top of that deserves another shot on TV. So we have McGann, Eccleston (offer him a stack of money, he'd do it), Tennant and Smith together on screen. All recent enough to still look decent, plus four is a nice number of starring leads. It all works out rather well.

Si.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Hmmm - I suspect it's nice to think "what would we like" ... but I get the feeling it'll be more "Dick and Dom celebrate 50 years in the TARDIS".

[Larry]

McGann, Tennant, Eccleston and Smith in "The Four Doctors".

That would be my New Series Wish List completed.

Si.

I to would like to see a multi Doctor, story but only with Mcgann and Smith - my choice would be to have a story set over say 3 episodes where the 8th and 1th Doctors never meet but are in a linking story set in two different time zones. It could be set in the dying days of the time war or just after it and the story would then finally reveale the reasons for why the 8th Doctor regenerated.


would also like 2/entertain do an updated version of "30 years in the TARDIS" Obviously calling it "50 years in the TARDIS" including the original documentory and then a look at all the novels. BF stuff tv movie and new series.


And a similar docu-drama to "road to Coronation Street" would be nice to.

[Dino]

As far as docu-dramas go I think Andrew has the best idea with one set on the cancellation.
The docu-drama of how the BBC invented Dr Who would be nice, charming and wholesome but the story of how it was cancelled would make a more gritty and bloody docu-drama. It would seem unthinkable to the newer fans who love the show as to why anyone would want to end it?
And I've googled and googled, but can't find any conclusive reasons for why the BBC cancelled the show in the first place? Even Colin Baker interviews don't go deep into the reasons. Cost? Too violent? Embarrassment?*
This does mean we'll get "Doctor In Distress" dramatised!
But would Michael Grade have the influence from ITV to put BBC chiefs off the idea? Old boys network and all that...

So I'm now favouring a cancellation drama more than a multi-Doctor story!

*=Permission to start a thread on it?

[Zbigniev Hamson]

So another reason to draw the line at Recent Doctors. Stretch it back to McGann because he still looks almost the same (the wig helps as it means the Eighth Doctor officially has Timeless Hair) and on top of that deserves another shot on TV. So we have McGann, Eccleston (offer him a stack of money, he'd do it), Tennant and Smith together on screen. All recent enough to still look decent, plus four is a nice number of starring leads. It all works out rather well.

Si.

Well it all works rather well as far as getting people who still look like they used to together, but it's absolutely pants as any sort of 50th anniversary celebration, to basically only go back 5 years (or 14 I suppose). You have to have them all for it to really be a true 50th anniversary celebration. But most are old and fat, if not dead, so you can't do that either. Trials and Cybermatulations is the only way.

I don't think one need say any more.

[Rob McCow]

Okay, I'm going out to left-field a bit with this suggestion, but perhaps they could bring the Daleks back?

[Ian Lethbridge-Stewart]

Okay, I'm going out to left-field a bit with this suggestion, but perhaps they could bring the Daleks back?

I didn't realise that they had gone away!!! - they seem to be for ever present these days!

[brandynigma]

A classic series repeat run on BBC Four.

An episode a night, say at 10pm. Given the eclectic nature of the channel, you could probably even get away with the broadcast of the orphan episodes, and maybe even the condensed recon of Marco Polo!

Finally, as I understand it, the repeat negotiations for a digital channel are much, much cheaper...

[Si Hunt]

can't find any conclusive reasons for why the BBC cancelled the show in the first place? Even Colin Baker interviews don't go deep into the reasons. Cost? Too violent? Embarrassment?*

It was cancelled because the BBC needed to raise a lot of money to fund Eastenders and the launch of Breakfast television, and Doctor Who was seen by Michael Grade as cheap and shoddy and failing to compete with Star Wars. A number of other shows (Pop Quiz, Hot Shoe Show, Crackerjack) were taken off at the same time.

When the fans got in a lather, they backpedalled and said it was because it was too violent.

Si.

[Dino]

It was cancelled because the BBC needed to raise a lot of money to fund Eastenders and the launch of Breakfast television, and Doctor Who was seen by Michael Grade as cheap and shoddy and failing to compete with Star Wars. A number of other shows (Pop Quiz, Hot Shoe Show, Crackerjack) were taken off at the same time.

When the fans got in a lather, they backpedalled and said it was because it was too violent.

Si.

Intrigue! I suppose they never thought of reducing the salaries of the BBC heads? "Michael Grade In Money Where Mouth Is Shock!" Probably wouldn't have been enough though...
Oh well, it's back on now anyway and I hope it sticks in his throat everytime he looks at the ratings!

[Logo Polish]

Considering he's claimed he loves it nowadays, I doubt if he cares. He isn't at ITV any more either, he left about a couple of years ago. He's probably retired from television by now as he's only just over two years short of turning 70.

I'd refine Si's account of the 1985 business by mentioning that any fan lather about it which caused the BBC to change their plans would have to have been confined to the small number who would have been aware of it before it was made public. When it was publically announced in February 1985 it was made very clear that the next series was going to be on in eighteen months' time. So, in other words, any reversal of any plans to drop it for good would have already been done before the public announcement. The BBC did not claim, at any point during that month, that they were cancelling the series wholesale, just that they were delaying the following series planned by an extra eight months.