Whose Dr. Who

[Stephen Morgan]

The day after the final episode of Talons was shown, Melvyn Bragg presented, in an edition of the regular BBC2 show, The Lively Arts, Whose Doctor Who, a documentary exploring the impact of Doctor Who and the history of the series. Featuring clips from a number of Doctor Who episodes, we were treated to a series of vox pops with children (in some shocking seventies fashions) and parents, educationalists and other authoritative adults, including clean up TV campaigner Mary Whitehouse. Bragg discussed the appeal of the long-running series and how it developed from actor to actor.
It's a very formal feeling programme that is low on humour, but quite in depth. It's also interesting to see footage from the effects work in the series (particularly Dick Mills and the Radiophonic Workshop).
It's a kind of early Doctor Who Confidential if you like, and at the time such an in depth look at a series like this was almost unheard of and was compulsory viewing on that otherwise cold Sunday evening of April 3rd.
I remember watching it at the time but some of you here would only have seen it on the Talons DVD, what do you think of it, and what kind of impact do you think it would have had back then as we watched the rehearsals for Talons of Weng Chiang?

[Andrew Curnow]

The psycho analysis stuff seems very bizarre to modern eyes I think, but the behind-the-scenes stuff is so tantalising. Just little passing shots of them readying the studio, or Tom and Deep Roy in rehearsal, make you wish they'd filmed reams of that sort of stuff. Like you say, Steve, a Confidential of its time.

I don't remember being allowed to see it at the time (shame!) but I'm sure if I had then all those old clips would have blown my mind!!

[Stephen Morgan]

I don't remember being allowed to see it at the time (shame!) but I'm sure if I had then all those old clips would have blown my mind!!

If I could find an old Radio Times for that week, I'm sure I have one in my parents attic, I'd check out the time of transmission, but it's probably a late night one, 10 O-clock I would have thought. Hence the reason you wouldn't have been allowed to see it.

Just checked IMDB's Lively Arts section to see if any time slot was indicated on it, but sadly not.

[SiHart]

"Mummy and I like to go round the house being Ice Warriors."

I first saw this on the BSB Doctor Who weekend and rather liked it at the time for the old clips. There's some great behind the scenes stuff, the little bits of interview with Tom Baker are wonderful and the whole thing while being terribly serious shows how the show was regarded in 1977. That they could get surgeons, psychologists to talk about he show along side students and families was rather wonderful.

[J.R. Southall]

If I could find an old Radio Times for that week, I'm sure I have one in my parents attic, I'd check out the time of transmission, but it's probably a late night one, 10 O-clock I would have thought. Hence the reason you wouldn't have been allowed to see it.

Just checked IMDB's Lively Arts section to see if any time slot was indicated on it, but sadly not.

Sunday April 3rd 1977, 8.20pm.

Thanks to In-Vision magazine.

[J.R. Southall]

Incidentally, I'm fairly sure that, at the very least, the "script sessions" are staged for the Lively Arts cameras, and probably so is the rehearsal stuff - obviously the rehearsals would have happened, but those specific moments were probably carried out purely for the benefit of the attendant camera crew.

[Stephen Morgan]

Incidentally, I'm fairly sure that, at the very least, the "script sessions" are staged for the Lively Arts cameras, and probably so is the rehearsal stuff - obviously the rehearsals would have happened, but those specific moments were probably carried out purely for the benefit of the attendant camera crew.

Your statement there bears out the comment of Terrance Dicks on the DVD of Talons, "...he and Doctor Who script editor Robert Holmes faked an argument over a script, knowing it would be filmed as part of the program. He now finds it embarrassing to watch."

Thanks for the time check btw.

[J.R. Southall]

You're welcome!

It was an excellent show for its time, of course, but it is horribly dated now. I do love it though, even if when I watch it, half the time it's from behind the sofa! (Those fashions! Those frighteningly irony-free people!)