Obscure Doctor Who Trivia

[Si Hunt]

What's the most obscure bit of Doctor Who related trivia you can unearth? Your challenge is to share something Who-wise that nobody else knows!

My two bits of obscure Who-trivia: did anyone know that Edward Burham's daughter (he played Kettlewell in "Robot") designed Aslan the Lion from the BBC's version of Narnia?

Also Carey Blighton (who scored "Death to the Daleks") was Enid Blyton's neice! Not sure if that one was generally known about or not, despite the surnames.

Anyone else got any really bizarre bits of Doctor Who info?

Si.

[SiHart]

I always thought, for no reason in particular that Carey Blyton was a man!

Good trivia! I'm thinking it through at the mo... I've got a lot stored in my head!

Si xx

[brandynigma]

Not sure if this is obscure over there, but Sylvester McCoy very much dislikes Time and the Rani, simply because he thinks it was disrespectful of the BBC not to have Colin in it.

And Colin Baker once asked me if I was going to sell the books he was signing on eBay!

[Pip Madeley]

I always thought, for no reason in particular that Carey Blyton was a man!

Carey Blyton's a WOMAN?!

[Si Hunt]

Someone should tell Sylv that the BBC asked Colin to be in "Time" but he didn't want to do it. So they wern't being disrespectful at all.

In fact, wasn't it originally written for Colin when they hoped he'd come back for a full four-parter before regenerating?

Si.

[Dirk Gently]

I'm not sure if this is what you're after but John Nathan-Turner appeared as an extra in "Crossroads".

[brandynigma]

Someone should tell Sylv that the BBC asked Colin to be in "Time" but he didn't want to do it. So they wern't being disrespectful at all.

In fact, wasn't it originally written for Colin when they hoped he'd come back for a full four-parter before regenerating?

Si.

As far as I know, the process was something like this:

*JNT is told to get rid of Colin. Colin is none to happy, but asks for a swansong.
*JNT asks Pip and Jane to write Time and the Rani, with the Sixth Doctor to die in the closing scenes (his role was eventually given to Beyus.
*The Powers tell JNT that Colin is not to appear in a full story, but can be in the opening regeneration scene.
*Colin calls the Powers directly, telling them he won't be in just a single scene, but is content to do a full final story as he'd hope. The Powers say they will consider it.
*Colin is never called back (JNT, AFAIK, was unaware that Colin had made a direct appeal), and Sylv is fitted for a wig...

This is what I can recall from the Colin Baker Years (many moons ago) and Whovention 2001 (still quite a few moons ago!). I seem to recall Colin also saying somewhere that he feels he ought to have done the scene to please the fans, but at the same time hope the fans understand his position at the time.

As a segue, but continuing the theme: Colin was actually asked to go on a publicity junket to the states after he was fired, along with JNT, Michael Grade and Mrs Grade. Over dinner with the convention organisers:

MRS GRADE: Colin, John won't tell me a thing, but come on- what can I expect to see you doing next year? What does the Doctor do after the Trial? Is he still angry about it?
COLIN: Well, um... actually- I'm not in the show next year.
MRS GRADE: What? You want to quit? But I thought you loved it!
COLIN: Oh, I do, I do- but certain people at the BBC take a different view of my interpretation and performance. I'm sure Michael can tell you more about it than I can, though...

Again, from Whovention 2001...

[Rob McCow]

Tom Baker was reluctant to appear in costume for Dimensions In Time. But when JNT invited him over for an interview before recording, he left Tom alone in a room that 'happened' to have the Season 18 hat, scarf and jacket hanging up on the wall.

Tom duly turned up downstairs a little later, dressed as Doctor Who.

[Logo Polish]

As far as I know, the process was something like this:

*JNT is told to get rid of Colin. Colin is none to happy, but asks for a swansong.
*JNT asks Pip and Jane to write Time and the Rani, with the Sixth Doctor to die in the closing scenes (his role was eventually given to Beyus.
*The Powers tell JNT that Colin is not to appear in a full story, but can be in the opening regeneration scene.
*Colin calls the Powers directly, telling them he won't be in just a single scene, but is content to do a full final story as he'd hope. The Powers say they will consider it.
*Colin is never called back (JNT, AFAIK, was unaware that Colin had made a direct appeal), and Sylv is fitted for a wig...

This is what I can recall from the Colin Baker Years (many moons ago) and Whovention 2001 (still quite a few moons ago!). I seem to recall Colin also saying somewhere that he feels he ought to have done the scene to please the fans, but at the same time hope the fans understand his position at the time.

Colin was offered four episodes (Time And The Rani), and he turned them down. What he wanted was a full season, which he said he was willing to leave at the end of, if the BBC desired. He wasn't willing to do just one story in the season.

As for an obscure fact...

Patrick Troughton used to keep his fanmail in the toilet apparently.

[Andy Frankham]

The very last epsiode of Star Trek: The Next Generation season one features all the Doctors up to that point (minus McCoy!). When whatshername, the woman from the past, checks her family record on the screen, the names of William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison and Colin Baker appear.

[Andy Frankham]

Torchwood trvia: "The Ghost Machine". The tunnel under which that girl is murdered, and Owen gets his flashback, does NOT lead to the train station despite what they say. Indeed, the direction from which the woman entered the tunnel would mean she had to climb a wall first.

[Stuart Wallis]

Patrick Troughton was British television's first Robin Hood. Well at least it's a topical fact...

[Dave Tudor]

did anyone know that Edward Burham's daughter (he played Kettlewell in "Robot") designed Aslan the Lion from the BBC's version of Narnia?

On a related note (but not particularly obscure), Ailsa Berk, who played Aslan, now does all the choreography for the monsters in the new series.

I can't think of any obscure trivia at the moment, as I too am still reeling from the revelation that Carey Blyton is a woman.

[Antony Cox]

I think this may settle the confusion!

http://www.careyblyton.co.uk/

[brandynigma]

The very last epsiode of Star Trek: The Next Generation season one features all the Doctors up to that point (minus McCoy!). When whatshername, the woman from the past, checks her family record on the screen, the names of William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison and Colin Baker appear.

Not only that, but they appear to have married one another...!

They could have at least, for instance, made the alterations of Patricia, Joan and Peta...

[Andy Frankham]

Nah, they didn't marry. The became each other. Don't ya know anything?

[BettyZygon]

hehe Is that what happened? The things I learn.

[shada pavlova]

Here's something obscure. In The Girl in the Fireplace, the inside leg measurement of Evil Droid 3 is 32 inches.

NOTHING is more obscure than that!

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Anthony Ainley was apparently as "bald as a kneecap" and wore a wig.

[Andrew Curnow]

Christopher Lee is one of the Timelord extras in The Deadly Assassin.

[Andrew Curnow]

Sylvester McCoy's grandmother was William Hartnell's nanny.

[Andrew Curnow]

Please note, one of my above posts was made up.

[Andrew Curnow]

And when I say one, I mean two.

[P-Bal]

The colour for monsters is gween.

[Si Hunt]

Fire extinguishers.

That's the word.

I was looking for.

Si.