Rooting Around in the Archives: Doctor Who
Wherein I share a link to the Doctor Who archives at the BBC and mention, once again, just how much I love the show.
BBC has a fun page that contains a number of documents and photos reflecting the creation of Doctor Who. The following is from a report about the viewer response to the pilot:
‘Tonight’s new serial seemed to be a cross between Wells’ Time Machine and a space-age Old Curiosity Shop, with a touch of Mack Sennett comedy. It was in the grand style of the old pre-talkie films to see a dear old Police Box being hurtled through space and landing on Mars or somewhere. I almost expected to see a batch of Keystone Cops emerge on to the Martian landscape. Anyway, it was all good, clean fun and I look forward to meeting the nice Doctor’s planetary friends next Saturday, whether it be in the ninth or ninety-ninth century A.D.’wrote a retired Naval Officer speaking, it would seem, for a good many viewers in the sample who regarded this as an enjoyable piece of escapism, not to be taken too seriously, of course, but none the less entertaining and, at times, quite thrilling . . .
If you are a Doctor Who fan, new or old, I recommend checking the site out and seeing some of the elements that went into the show’s origin nearly fifty years ago.
Wow. Nearly fifty years ago: November 23, 1963. You just know that 2013 is going to be a huge year for Doctor Who in celebration of that achievement (despite the show being off the air for fifteen of those years). I loved growing up with this show and I love that it’s back and can’t wait to see where the story goes from here.