The Doctor Who Cuttings Archive - User contributions [en]

Rogues gallery 17

2026-04-08T02:52:42Z

John Lavalie:

{{rogue}}{{clear}}<gallery mode="packed" heights="200px">
File:1982 Struggling.jpg|1982
File:1982-03-17 nasty end.jpg|Mar. 17, 1982
File:1982-09-15 assistant no 24.jpg|Sept. 15, 1982
File:1982-05-08 Take-off.jpg|May 8, 1982
File:1983 Five Doctors.jpg|1983
File:1983-11-26 Chris Rundle.jpg|1983
File:1984 Sun sexy surprise.jpg|1984
File:1984-03-06 Tale of Two Doctors.jpg|Mar. 6, 1984
File:1993 It's good nudes.jpg|1993
File:1964 Dalek at Broadstairs.jpg|1964
File:1973 Happy birthday to Who.jpg|1973
File:1986-09 East Grinstead Courier.jpg|East Grinstead Courier, Sept. 1986
File:1984-05 Star Enquirer.jpg|Star Enquirer (Australia), May 1984
File:Secrets of the Small Screen.jpg
File:1986-05-xx Express and Star So who's afraid of Who.jpg|Express & Star, May 1986
File:1986-09-xx Express and Star Time stands still for Dr Who.jpg|Express & Star, Sept. 1986
File:2005-03-xx Daily Mail.jpg|Daily Mail, Mar. 2005
File:1996-01-xx Express and Star.jpg|Express & Star, Jan. 1996
File:1981-12-xx Express and Star.jpg|Express & Star, Dec. 1981
File:1982-04 Look-In.jpg|Look-In, Apr. 1982
File:1993-xx-xx Daily Express.jpg|Daily Express, 1993
File:Mother was right about Louise.jpg
File:They Who Can't Forget the Time Lord.jpg ‎
File:Holiday town in grip of Daleks.jpg ‎
File:Leee calls the tune on Doctor Who.jpg
File:McCoy Wrinkly.jpg ‎
File:Peter Davison, a bit of a handful.jpg ‎
File:2005-12 (2).jpg|Dec. 2005
File:2005-12.jpg|Dec. 2005
File:2005-04-04.jpg|Apr. 4, 2005
File:1984 Express and Star Short Haired Tom - Copy.jpg|July or August 1984
File:Daleks set to fly off the shelves - Express & Star - Copy.jpg|Express & Star
</gallery>

File:Daleks set to fly off the shelves - Express & Star - Copy.jpg

2026-04-08T02:52:26Z

John Lavalie:

Who would have thought it?

2026-04-08T02:48:05Z

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = OK! | file = 2005-04-05 OK.jpg | px = 450 | height = | width = | date = 2005-04-05 | author = Ruth Hilton | pages = | language = English | type =..."

{{article
| publication = OK!
| file = 2005-04-05 OK.jpg
| px = 450
| height =
| width =
| date = 2005-04-05
| author = Ruth Hilton
| pages =
| language = English
| type =
| description =
| categories =
| moreTitles =
| morePublications =
| moreDates =
| text = 'DAILY EXPRESS' SHOWBIZ EDITOR RUTH HILTON ON WHY THE DOCTOR WON'T NEED LIFE SUPPORT

Looking at the quagmire of recent remake disasters from The Italian Job and Alfie to The Stepford Wives and Thunderbirds, it's not surprising the BBC initially ran screaming when a Doctor Who comeback was first mooted. But luckily for British TV viewers and Whovians the world over, writer-director Russell T Davies put the thumbscrews on.

The Queer As Folk creator told BBC bosses that the only way they'd gain his skills was to give him the chance to reincarnate the Timelord - and what a job he was done. Thanks to him the show has created the biggest tug-of-war between BBC1 and ITV1 since Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor clashed last year. Ratings winners Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly were knocked off their perches with around ten million viewers tuning in to the Doctor, compared to Saturday Night Takeaway's 7.2 million.

The first two episodes of the returning sci-fi series have received an ecstatic reception. Internet sites lit up with messages from delighted aficionados and Billie Piper won rave reviews for her performance. As Daily Express TV columnist Charlie Catchpole wrote: Billie Piper is perfectly cast as the Doctor's assistant Rose, a lippy, streetwise South Londoner with oodles of attitude, a wardrobe from TopShop and enough cleavage on display to delight the dads without frightening the kids.' He adds: 'Christopher Eccleston makes a marvellous Doctor Who. With his leather jacket, bristling crew-cut and piercing gaze, he's brash, brusque, blokey and in your face. Like the best Doctors before him, he's also mischievous, charming, occasionally naive and a bit clumsy.'

What separates this remake from other TV turkeys - such as ITV1's Crossroads reincarnation or the BBC's Superstars - is that the BBC pushed the boat out, gambling $10 million of our licence fees to ensure the Doctor got the best money can buy.

Apart from hiring the finest writing team Britain currently has to offer (all fans of the series since childhood), the production team used the same firm as Hollywood blockbuster Gladiator to create its special effects. And old foes like the Daleks are back, ensuring that the original concept is retained. A stellar cast of guest stars including Bruno Langley, Simon Pegg, Penelope Wilton, Richard Wilson, Tamsin Greig, Simon Callow and Zoë Wanamaker are also helping to make this series stick in the mind.

For its diehard fans, the axing of Doctor Who in 1989 was a black event, so the comeback has been marked with much rejoicing - though it could have fallen flat on its face. The problem with the level hype given to remakes is that they rarely live up to expectations. Jude Law taking on the famous Michael Caine role in Alfie is a good example. It was the first film he has ever carried and it was supposed to break him into Hollywood's A-list. But the derisory response it received has done more harm than good to his career.

Nicole Kidman was unable to carry the dismal re-working of The Stepford Wives, while even with such box office success as the two Charlie's Angels films, armchair critics have been unimpressed. Nevertheless the remakes just keep on rolling. Movie versions of Miami Vice, starring Colin Farrell and Dallas, for which Brad Pitt is in negotiations, are already in the offing. It seems that the latest trend of the entertainment industry is to plunder old ideas.

There are lessons that even Hollywood execs can learn from the BBC's Doctor Who remake. While cash and big names help, an excellent script, clever casting and a team who all really believe in the project is what drives success. It seems that Doctor Who will again become a permanent fixture on our screens thanks to Mr Davies and his team's hard work.

Even though Christopher Eccleston will not return for the next series it's a testament to the production that it can already stand alone and does not just rest on its stars. Who knows, a movie version could be next...

Caption: Above: Billie Piper and Christopher Eccleston have set the screens alight in Doctor Who, overtaking Ant and Dec (left) in the ratings. Below left: Colin Farrell in Miami Vice. Hollywood's obsession with remakes continues

}}

File:2005-04-05 OK.jpg

2026-04-08T02:47:04Z

John Lavalie:

Rogues gallery 17

2026-04-08T02:26:37Z

John Lavalie:

File:1984 Express and Star Short Haired Tom - Copy.jpg

2026-04-08T02:25:33Z

John Lavalie:

OK!

2026-04-08T02:18:17Z

John Lavalie:

{{Publisher
|firstPublished=1993
|lastPublished= 
|location=England
|website=https://www.ok.co.uk/
|notes=
}}
{{Publication|England}}

OK!

2026-04-08T02:18:04Z

John Lavalie:

{{Publisher
|firstPublished=1993
|lastPublished= 
|location=England
|website=https://www.ok.co.uk/
}}
{{Publication|England}}

OK!

2026-04-08T02:17:45Z

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{Publisher |firstPublished=1993 |lastPublished=  |location=England |website=  |notes=  }} {{Publication|England}}"

{{Publisher
|firstPublished=1993
|lastPublished= 
|location=England
|website= 
|notes= 
}}
{{Publication|England}}

Time to hide behind the sofas again

2026-04-08T02:17:17Z

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = OK! | file = 2004-08-10 OK.jpg | px = 450 | height = | width = | date = 2004-08-10 | author = Ruth Hilton | pages = 132 | language = English | typ..."

{{article
| publication = OK!
| file = 2004-08-10 OK.jpg
| px = 450
| height =
| width =
| date = 2004-08-10
| author = Ruth Hilton
| pages = 132
| language = English
| type =
| description =
| categories =
| moreTitles =
| morePublications =
| moreDates =
| text = 'DAILY EXPRESS' SHOWBIZ EDITOR RUTH HILTON CELEBRATES THE RETURN OF DOCTOR WHO'S ENEMIES

Children will once again be hiding behind their sofas after the Daily Express revealed last week that the daleks are to return to the nation's television screens in the much anticipated new series of Doctor Who. It seemed as if the doctor's arch enemies would not be featured in the new shows because, until last week, the BBC had been locked in dispute with the estate of Terry Nation, the late writer who created the daleks.

A month ago the BBC announced that the Time Lord's most infamous enemies would not be joining the new doctor, Christopher Eccleston, after negotiations with Tim Hancock, the agent for Terry Nation's estate, broke down. The BBC claimed Hancock had demanded unacceptable levels of editorial control while Hancock accused the BBC of trying to ruin the dalek 'brand' apparently by making them too evil! BBC sources say the original plan was for a single, rogue dalek to threaten the doctor and his sidekick, played by Billie Piper, before letting loose an entire dalek army at the end of the series.

The BBC says that the new series will meet what it calls 'modern production values', meaning that the fondly remembered men in rubber suits and wobbly sets will be a thing of the past.

Russell T Davies, creator of Queer As Folk, will be writing the new show and says: 'The new series will be fun, exciting, contemporary and scary. Although only in the early stages of development, I'm aiming to write a full-blooded drama which embraces the Doctor Who heritage, at the same time as introducing the character to a modern audience.'

Last week the Daily Express uncovered one of the original dalek actors, who played one of the rattling galactic bad guys in 110 episodes. John Scott Martin, 77, said he was delighted that the robotic aliens will appear again and even said he hopes he will once again be given the chance to terrify children by walking around inside the shell of one of the metallic monsters. John, who was recently seen on TV as the elderly athlete in the 118 118 directory enquiries adverts, said: 'I loved playing a dalek in the '70s and it would be brilliant if I could do it again. It was quite hard work at times sweating away inside a dalek - especially under the hot studio lights but I am sure I could still cope. I might not be as fit as I was, but I have still got the old razzmatazz. The BBC knows my number and it would be fantastic if they called up and asked me to be a dalek again."

John, of Great Maplestead in Essex, was one of four key actors who played daleks between 1964 and 1980. He said: 'There was no special technique to make them move. You just trampled around and they glided about on three castor wheels - a bit like a supermarket trolley. We didn't even have to do the real dalek voices because they were dubbed on later. They didn't require much strength to move, but at the beginning they were wooden and they would become a bit heavy at the end of the day. And you were done for if you had to go into the countryside in a field or woods because they were difficult to move in uneven terrain. I would frequently topple over and be left screaming: "Get me out of this thing!""

John was often forced to wear swimming trunks and a T-shirt inside his dalek costume because it was so hot. He added: 'It wasn't so bad when we were rehearsing because we could take the tops of the robots off and just walk around inside the skirts, but in the summer it was sweltering. We used to be employed for six weeks for filming. It was great because I got on with everyone. I'm really glad that the Daleks are coming back."

He believes they are an integral part of the show. 'Doctor Who just wouldn't be the same without them. They were a great success. They were the first screen monsters where you didn't realise there was a person inside. I don't think they have dated that much over the years. And I don't think it will be long before we see kids in the streets pretending to be daleks again."

Caption: Above: Tom Baker and Lalla Ward - with daleks - pictured in 1979 during the show's heyday. The programme ran from 1963 to 1989 and was must-see Saturday night TV for millions. After pressure from fans, the BBC is now reviving the show. The 13-part series will be broadcast next year and promises to be 'fun, exciting, contemporary and scary' Below: Billie Piper will play the doctor's assistant in the new series

Caption: Christopher Eccleston (left) will be the ninth actor to play the Time Lord in the TV series. Billie Piper (above) has 30 predecessors as the doctor's assistant

}}

File:2004-08-10 OK.jpg

2026-04-08T02:15:33Z

John Lavalie:

Rogues gallery 17

2026-04-05T21:43:04Z

John Lavalie:

Who's Who? (2007)

2026-04-05T21:34:25Z

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = Daily Mail | file = 2007-05-26 Daily Mail Weekend.jpg | px = 450 | height = | width = | date = 2007-05-26 | author = Alice Grebot | pages = Week..."

{{article
| publication = Daily Mail
| file = 2007-05-26 Daily Mail Weekend.jpg
| px = 450
| height =
| width =
| date = 2007-05-26
| author = Alice Grebot
| pages = Weekend, p. 29
| language = English
| type =
| description =
| categories =
| moreTitles =
| morePublications =
| moreDates =
| text = The monsters may have been a joke, but as Doctor Vho's former sidekicks tell Alice Grebot, the show was unbeatable as a springboard to showbiz success

Peter Purves played Steven Taylor, 1965-66, with the first Doctor, William Hartnell

Peter. 68. was a Blue Peter presenter for ten years and was recently a judge on the BBC's The Underdog Show. He says: I played an American hillbilly who meets the Doctor and the Daleks on the top of the Empire State Building. It was supposed to be a one-off appearance, and I was dumbfounded when I was offered the part of Steven Taylor. I loved working with Bill. For me, he is the Doctor. He used to fluff his lines a lot because his memory was going, but we never did retakes because editing was too complex and expensive.

Deborah Watling played Victoria Waterfield, 1967-68, with the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton

Deborah, 59, has continued to work as an actress in theatre, TV and film. She says: I had a great time filming with Frazer Hines. who played Jamie [see right], and had such fun during an about the Abominable Snowmen in Snowdonia. Frazer and being chased down a hill by them. All of a sudden, they fell over and started rolling down. We were hysterical. All I could hear from inside the suits were these big butch men screaming to get out.

Caroline John played Liz Shaw, 1970, with the third Doctor, Jon Pertwee

Caroline, 61, is married with three grown-up children. She continues to act, mainly in theatre. She says: In the last series, Nick Courtney, who played the Brigadier, wore an eye patch. So Jon got us all to wear patches for filming. When Nick walked in, we all saluted and then collapsed with laughter. To this day, Nick still claims that he didn't laugh. Doctor Who fans are amazing. I've been in the most remote places arid had people recognise me, for example. at 2am in a bar in Wisconsin, in the U.S. Now that was weird.

Nicola Bryant played Peri Brown, 1984-86, with the fifth and sixth Doctors, Peter Davison and Colin Baker

Since leaving Doctor Who, Nicola, 44, has had many TV, theatre and film roles. She says: Getting the part was fantastic, especially as everyone knew the TV show. Saying I was going to be the next Doctor Who companion was akin to saying I was going to be the next Bond girl. I remember filming [[broadwcast:Revelation of the Daleks|a Dalek story]] with Alexei Sayle where we were fighting them with ray guns, and I just couldn't believe I was living out my childhood fantasy.

Frazer Hines played Jamie McCrimmon, 1966-69, with Patrick Troughton

Frazer, 62, is currently touring in a production of Agatha Christie's The Unexpected Guest. He says: I had such a ball on Doctor Who. Patrick was a marvellous Doctor and we were very close. We giggled a lot. If sorriody is pointing a big rubber claw at you, you can't help but laugh. You weren't supposed to touch the props, but one lunchtime I go inside a Dalek when two actors, not realising I was inside, started to criticise the director. So, in my best Dalek voice, I said, 'I heard that. I'm going to tell him.'

Sophie Aldred played Ace, 1987-89, with the seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy

Sophie, who is 44 and married with two children, has presented educational children' s TV programmes, and now does voice-overs. She says: I have so many great memories from Doctor Who. I remember how thrilling it was to see the Tardis for the first time. Ace really was a gift of a part. She was a feisty girl who could stand up for herself, which was a very different role for TV at that time. I even beat up a [[broadwcast:Remembrance of the Daleks|Dalek]] with a baseball bat - I think that was Ace's ultimate claim to fame. I'll probably end up with it on my tombstone.

Caption: Deborah Watling, Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines
}}

File:2007-05-26 Daily Mail Weekend.jpg

2026-04-05T21:32:33Z

John Lavalie:

File:2005-12.jpg

2026-04-05T21:14:32Z

John Lavalie:

File:2005-12 (2).jpg

2026-04-05T21:13:19Z

John Lavalie:

File:2005-04-04.jpg

2026-04-05T21:11:16Z

John Lavalie:

The Lombard Spectator

2026-04-04T01:37:36Z

John Lavalie:

{{Chicago}}{{Publisher
|firstPublished=1925
|lastPublished= 
|location=Lombard, IL
|website= 
|notes= 
}}
{{Publication|United States}}

Dr. Who Still Intrigues Science Fiction Buffs

2026-04-04T01:37:29Z

John Lavalie:

{{article
| publication = The Lombard Spectator
| file = 1984-02-24 Lombard Spectator.jpg
| px = 550
| height =
| width =
| date = 1984-02-24
| author = Trevor Jensen
| pages = sec. 1, p. 1
| language = English
| type =
| description =
| categories = fan clubs
| moreTitles =
| morePublications =
| moreDates =
| text = The Doctor is definitely In

Not Lucy Van Pelt, psychiatrist. but Dr Who. time traveller He is not a comic book figure. but a flesh and blood embodiment of British writers' imaginations seen at 11 p m. every Sunday on [[broadwcast:WTTW|channel 11]]. The show has a massive cult following in the Chicago area, where more than 350,000 fans tune in weekly—the Doctor's biggest audience in the country.

Dr. Who (not his real name, which. according to an early episode, is impossible for humans to pronounce). produced in England by the BBC, is the longest-running science fiction series of all time, having recently celebrated its 20th year on the tube

The show has sparked no end of fan clubs and related organizations. one of which operates in Elmhurst under the acronym MWDWFC. the Midwest Doctor Who Fan Club. Started in the spring of 1981 by Elmhurst residents Dave Kopp. J.R. Pett and Donald Glass. the group serves not so much as a club but as a clearinghouse for the immense amounts of Dr Who literature. merchandise and convention information available to the science fiction consumer.

"We began with the intention of forming a fan club." said Glass, a 21-year-old college student and walking Dr Who encyclopedia, "but the effort involved with such an undertaking proved too much. We decided to devote ourselves to distributing what information we were able to get hold of to interested fans instead."

Glass belongs to one of the several large Dr Who clubs in the area, the Disciples of Rassilon. While these organizations are able to provide videotapes of favorite Who episodes and sponsor major Dr. Who conventions, MWDWFC contents itself with sending out newsletters and anything else to spread the good Doctor's fame. A typical MWDWFC newsletter includes not only the latest scoop on where to pick up Who paraphernalia, but also updates on television episodes and news about the various actors who have portrayed the Doctor.

Glass says the group began when he, Kopp and Pett went to the WTTW studios in Chicago to man phones during a pledge period wearing their Doctor Who T-shirts. "The first week, we were the only Who fans there." said Glass "But the next week, there were all kinds of Who fans around. Channel 11 has had to get used to dealing with the fact that they are airing a cult show, with all the inherent risks.

Indeed, WTTW has paid the price of Doctor Who's popularity. When negotiations with the show's distributor touched off rumors that the station would not renew its Sunday night extravaganza, Who fans picketed and jammed phone liner during pledge week, creating an animosity between the station and the fans which still exists WTTW has agreed to carry the show until 1991.

Glass says the show owes its immense popularity and long life to the infinite story possibilities of the Who character.

The Doctor is a Time Lord from the highly advanced planet of Gallifrey who can and does travel freely through time and space, though Earth is one of his favorite planets.

More than 700 years old, he possesses two hearts, a body temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit and almost unlimited longevity—which is a good thing considering the length of the show's run.

Like a farm boy tired of rural living, the Doctor leaves Gallifrey in search of adventure, roaming through space and time in his temperamental space craft. the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimensions In Space), which, because of a malfunction in its chameleon circuit during a trip to London, has permanently taken the form of an English police call box.

The earliest episodes were geared toward a children's audience, showing the Doctor encountering such historical figures as [[broadwcast:Marco Polo|Marco Polo]]. Since then, however, the character has become increasingly developed. Some might say he is sophisticated—but not a Dr. Who fan. "There is a definite tongue-in-cheek quality to everything the Doctor does," says Glass. "Nothing's taken too seriously, which is why the show is popular with more than just hard-core science fiction fanatic."

Like his craft, the Doctor is not infallible, and his human absent-mindedness increases the suspense in many a tense situation. The series has been able to overcome the old soap opera dilemma of gracefully retiring the characters of departing actors by giving the Doctor the ability to regenerate himself into a new body. Five different actors have played the character in his 20 years of existence, each giving the role his own interpretation.

The best-known Doctor to American audiences is played by Tom Baker, a young, mop-topped actor who has popularized his incredibly long, multi-colored scarf among Who fans. There is even an official pattern for the scarf, specifying the colors used and the order in which they are placed.

Monster movie veteran Peter Cushing has made two movies as Dr. Who, but. according to Glass, the movies were quite different from the television episodes and not very. popular.

"The show is a classic battle between the forces -of good and evil," says Glass. "The doctor gets mixed up with all kinds of interplanetary scoundrels and vii*zis and somehow winds up on top despite himself. The local people from where the action takes place do not always understand the Doctor, so he has to work without their cooperation, making him a sort of Lone Ranger character."

Another aspect of the show which keeps it light and, at times, positively humorous, are what Glass calls "among the worst special effects ever seen in science fiction." The low BBC budget for the show necessitates this, yet it has probably increased the show's unique attraction.

Glass says the show attracts all kinds of people. WTTW statistics back this up, indicating there is no one demographic profile regularly tuning into the show. Science fiction is no longer only for the strange kid in class, though Glass points out, "Dr. Who fans are likely to do weird things. My license plate is XTRM, which stands for Exterminate, the favorite phrase of one of the Doctor's chief antagonists, the Daleks."

Considering the Doctor's powers and popularity, it will probably be quite a while before the Daleks are able to succeed. Even if the show does reach a conclusion, (which may bring on a scene as emotional as the last episode of M*A*S*H) the Doctor will live on in the novelizations of individual television episodes, not to mention the inevitability of syndication. The Doctor. it would appear, is here to stay. (For more information about MWDWFC, write Box 1023, Elmhurst, Ill., 60126)

'Dr. Who' Still Intrigues Fans...

}}

Lombardian

2026-04-04T01:37:00Z

John Lavalie:

{{Chicago}}{{Publisher
|firstPublished= 
|lastPublished= 
|location=Lombard, IL
|website=https://theindependentnewspapers.com/
|notes= 
}}
{{Publication|United States}}

Template:Chicago

2026-04-04T01:36:47Z

John Lavalie:

<div style="float:right; border:3px solid blue; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em; padding-top:10px; padding-bottom:5px; padding-right:5px; max-width:30%; min-width:20%;">
<center>'''Chicago Portal'''</center>[[File:Chicago flag.png|250px|center|link=]]
<ul>Cuttings Archive - city
*[[Chicago Tribune]] | [[Red Eye]] | [[Tribune Media Services]]
*[[Chicago Sun-Times]] | [[Chicago Daily News]]
*[[Chicago Reader|The Reader]] • [[Southtown Economist]]
*[[Chicago Metro News]]
</ul>

<ul>Cuttings Archive - suburbs
*[[The Courier-News (Elgin, IL)|The Courier-News]] • [[Chicago Heights Star]]
*[[Daily Herald]] | [[This Week]] | [[Northwest Herald]]
*[[Des Plaines Times]] • [[The Joliet Herald News]]
*[[The Lombard Spectator]] • [[Lombardian]]
*[[Naperville Sun]] • [[Niles Journal]]
*[[Northbrook Star]] • [[The Star (Tinley Park, IL)|Tinley Park Star]]
*[[Wilmette Life]]
</ul>

<ul>BroaDWcast
*[[broadwcast:WTTW|WTTW]] • [[broadwcast:Chicago chronology|Chicago chronology]]
</ul>

<ul>epguides
*[http://chicago.epguides.com/DoctorWho/ Chicago epguides]
</ul>

<ul>conventions
*[http://chicagotardis.com Chicago TARDIS] • [[wikipedia:Visions (convention)|Visions]]
</ul>
</div>

Dr. Who Still Intrigues Science Fiction Buffs

2026-04-04T01:36:16Z

John Lavalie:

{{Chicago}}{{article
| publication = The Lombard Spectator
| file = 1984-02-24 Lombard Spectator.jpg
| px = 550
| height =
| width =
| date = 1984-02-24
| author = Trevor Jensen
| pages = sec. 1, p. 1
| language = English
| type =
| description =
| categories = fan clubs
| moreTitles =
| morePublications =
| moreDates =
| text = The Doctor is definitely In

Not Lucy Van Pelt, psychiatrist. but Dr Who. time traveller He is not a comic book figure. but a flesh and blood embodiment of British writers' imaginations seen at 11 p m. every Sunday on [[broadwcast:WTTW|channel 11]]. The show has a massive cult following in the Chicago area, where more than 350,000 fans tune in weekly—the Doctor's biggest audience in the country.

Dr. Who (not his real name, which. according to an early episode, is impossible for humans to pronounce). produced in England by the BBC, is the longest-running science fiction series of all time, having recently celebrated its 20th year on the tube

The show has sparked no end of fan clubs and related organizations. one of which operates in Elmhurst under the acronym MWDWFC. the Midwest Doctor Who Fan Club. Started in the spring of 1981 by Elmhurst residents Dave Kopp. J.R. Pett and Donald Glass. the group serves not so much as a club but as a clearinghouse for the immense amounts of Dr Who literature. merchandise and convention information available to the science fiction consumer.

"We began with the intention of forming a fan club." said Glass, a 21-year-old college student and walking Dr Who encyclopedia, "but the effort involved with such an undertaking proved too much. We decided to devote ourselves to distributing what information we were able to get hold of to interested fans instead."

Glass belongs to one of the several large Dr Who clubs in the area, the Disciples of Rassilon. While these organizations are able to provide videotapes of favorite Who episodes and sponsor major Dr. Who conventions, MWDWFC contents itself with sending out newsletters and anything else to spread the good Doctor's fame. A typical MWDWFC newsletter includes not only the latest scoop on where to pick up Who paraphernalia, but also updates on television episodes and news about the various actors who have portrayed the Doctor.

Glass says the group began when he, Kopp and Pett went to the WTTW studios in Chicago to man phones during a pledge period wearing their Doctor Who T-shirts. "The first week, we were the only Who fans there." said Glass "But the next week, there were all kinds of Who fans around. Channel 11 has had to get used to dealing with the fact that they are airing a cult show, with all the inherent risks.

Indeed, WTTW has paid the price of Doctor Who's popularity. When negotiations with the show's distributor touched off rumors that the station would not renew its Sunday night extravaganza, Who fans picketed and jammed phone liner during pledge week, creating an animosity between the station and the fans which still exists WTTW has agreed to carry the show until 1991.

Glass says the show owes its immense popularity and long life to the infinite story possibilities of the Who character.

The Doctor is a Time Lord from the highly advanced planet of Gallifrey who can and does travel freely through time and space, though Earth is one of his favorite planets.

More than 700 years old, he possesses two hearts, a body temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit and almost unlimited longevity—which is a good thing considering the length of the show's run.

Like a farm boy tired of rural living, the Doctor leaves Gallifrey in search of adventure, roaming through space and time in his temperamental space craft. the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimensions In Space), which, because of a malfunction in its chameleon circuit during a trip to London, has permanently taken the form of an English police call box.

The earliest episodes were geared toward a children's audience, showing the Doctor encountering such historical figures as [[broadwcast:Marco Polo|Marco Polo]]. Since then, however, the character has become increasingly developed. Some might say he is sophisticated—but not a Dr. Who fan. "There is a definite tongue-in-cheek quality to everything the Doctor does," says Glass. "Nothing's taken too seriously, which is why the show is popular with more than just hard-core science fiction fanatic."

Like his craft, the Doctor is not infallible, and his human absent-mindedness increases the suspense in many a tense situation. The series has been able to overcome the old soap opera dilemma of gracefully retiring the characters of departing actors by giving the Doctor the ability to regenerate himself into a new body. Five different actors have played the character in his 20 years of existence, each giving the role his own interpretation.

The best-known Doctor to American audiences is played by Tom Baker, a young, mop-topped actor who has popularized his incredibly long, multi-colored scarf among Who fans. There is even an official pattern for the scarf, specifying the colors used and the order in which they are placed.

Monster movie veteran Peter Cushing has made two movies as Dr. Who, but. according to Glass, the movies were quite different from the television episodes and not very. popular.

"The show is a classic battle between the forces -of good and evil," says Glass. "The doctor gets mixed up with all kinds of interplanetary scoundrels and vii*zis and somehow winds up on top despite himself. The local people from where the action takes place do not always understand the Doctor, so he has to work without their cooperation, making him a sort of Lone Ranger character."

Another aspect of the show which keeps it light and, at times, positively humorous, are what Glass calls "among the worst special effects ever seen in science fiction." The low BBC budget for the show necessitates this, yet it has probably increased the show's unique attraction.

Glass says the show attracts all kinds of people. WTTW statistics back this up, indicating there is no one demographic profile regularly tuning into the show. Science fiction is no longer only for the strange kid in class, though Glass points out, "Dr. Who fans are likely to do weird things. My license plate is XTRM, which stands for Exterminate, the favorite phrase of one of the Doctor's chief antagonists, the Daleks."

Considering the Doctor's powers and popularity, it will probably be quite a while before the Daleks are able to succeed. Even if the show does reach a conclusion, (which may bring on a scene as emotional as the last episode of M*A*S*H) the Doctor will live on in the novelizations of individual television episodes, not to mention the inevitability of syndication. The Doctor. it would appear, is here to stay. (For more information about MWDWFC, write Box 1023, Elmhurst, Ill., 60126)

'Dr. Who' Still Intrigues Fans...

}}

Who dares and wins (2006)

2026-04-04T01:15:28Z

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = The Sunday Times | file = 2006-10-15 Sunday Times Culture.jpg | px = 450 | height = | width = | date = 2006-10-15 | author = Sally Kinnes, Matt W..."

{{article
| publication = The Sunday Times
| file = 2006-10-15 Sunday Times Culture.jpg
| px = 450
| height =
| width =
| date = 2006-10-15
| author = Sally Kinnes, Matt Wolf
| pages = 19
| language = English
| type =
| description =
| categories =
| moreTitles =
| morePublications =
| moreDates =
| text = Doctor Who rekindled the sci-fi genre. Now Torchwood, its urban spin-off, is fanning the flames, says SALLY KINNES

To its creator. Russell T Davies, Torchwood is "an urban thriller with a sci-fi element". To Chris Chibnall, one of its writers, it is "a dark, wild, sexy adult drama". Either way, Torchwood is the latest series to break out of Doctor Who's universe and land in its own dimension, which turns out to be somewhere beneath Cardiff. Having rescued Doctor Who from its 16-year oblivion, Davies has taken one of its characters (the sexy charmer Captain Jack Harkness), combined him with a long-standing idea for a science-fiction drama and created a Welsh thriller for adults.

Torchwood is an anagram of Doctor Who. "The two shows share DNA," says Chibnall, "but Torchwood is a different animal. It's about 21st-century life in the city. It tells us something about the nature of evil in our society, but it's not about technobabble. You get more of an emotional hit. People really feel what is going on around them, and Harkness is a slightly more troubled character than the Doctor."

Torchwood, as Harkness (John Barrowman) puts it in episode one, is an organisation that is "separate from the government, outside police jurisdiction and beyond the United Nations". It catches aliens that pop up through the temporal rift that Cardiff doesn't realise it is sitting on, then grabs their technology before someone else does. It is a bit like a secret but supercharged FBI with a penchant for pizzas.

Designed to be dark and funny, it features cybernised women, characters with names such as Ianto Jones and an earth so obviously polluted that Harkness can detect recycled oestrogen in the weather. "Contraceptives in the rain," he says, tasting the rain drops. "Love this planet."

Following the takeaway trail Torchwood has left behind it, PC Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) tracks down the unit. "She has exactly the same role as Rose in Doctor Who," Davies says. "She is the ordinary person who stumbles into something extraordinary and finds herself their equal."

When it began, Davies imagined Torchwood would be a crime show with added aliens. But as it developed, it morphed into something else, something best summed up. he says. by an episode in which a character gets a pendant that allows her to hear other people's thoughts. "Imagine hearing what other people think of you. That 'was one of our purposes, to 'explore people, and when I saw - that episode, I thought., 'That's what this show was invented for'," Davies explains. "All the cruelty of what best friends think of you, and the selfishness of people. But there are moments of nobility and grace. It's very human. There are times when you feel uplifted and people strive to find something positive, and there are friendships that survive."

If science fiction is a way to say something about the world, what Davies wants to say is that there is a happy ending. "I think pessimism is easy. It's very sixth-form to say the world is terrible and we're all going to die. Though Torchwood is a much darker world than Doctor Who, it is all about optimism. I think, if you put people in terrible circumstances. some — not all, but some — will find a way out. I think that is the point of fiction, to be optimistic and to shape an ending. That's why it exists in the first place."

Certainly, Davies can feel optimistic about what the success of Doctor Who has done for sci-fi. Like a character in Torchwood who can revive the dead, he has rescued it from a kind of far-off planet inhabited by nobody but Trekkies. "There was a moment when everything changed, and I can tell you exactly when it was,"
he says. "It was in 1990, when Star Trek: The Next Generation was scheduled at 6pm on BBC2. If they had run it at 8pm on BBC1, science fiction would never have fallen off the radar. The Next Generation ran for seven years, with 26 episodes a year. It wasn't my favourite show — one of the problems was that they were members of the military — but it was a good, solid, enjoyable programme, and if it had been shown at peak time, it would have kept the sci-fi world alive." Instead, it became a cult, a genre downgraded to the edges. rather as Pluto was recently booted out of the brotherhood of planets.

Now the genre has a ne'k life force. ITV is making Primaeval. a multimillion-pound sci-fi series. Doctor Who has become the Christmas television highlight and Davies is making a second spin-off for CBBC. The Sarah Jane Adventures. 'People are so snotty in television and say. 'You're not making a kids' show. are you?' Well. f*** off."

As for setting Torchwood in Cardiff, Davies is on a personal mission to make Wales mainstream. -Torchwood is being made in Cardiff, and I think you should show where you are. I get fed up with seeing. everything being made in London or Manchester and Welsh is one of the least heard accents on television. I want to make it as acceptable as Scottish or Irish, and setting it in Cardiff widens the whole voice of British television." So. memo to all aliens: if you are thinking of coming to earth. Cardiff is where you will find your friends.

Episodes one and two of Torchwood will be on BBC3 on Sunday, October 22, repeated on BBC2 on Wednesday, October 25

Caption: Alien expert: Indira Varma plays Suzie Costello
----
Captain Jack's back

John Barrowman was starring in Anything Goes in the West End when he got the offer of a Whovian's dreams: would a performer best known for socking Cole Porter, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim across the footlights consider a shift to television sci-fi? "Since I was a kid, I've been a Doctor Who fan; it is so in my DNA, in my genes, that it's not even funny," was his immediate response.

And so it was that the square-jawed Barrowman landed the role of Captain Jack Harkness, first for a limited run on Doctor Who, alongside Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, and now in a spin-off series of his own. "When I read the script, I said, 'This is perfect.' It's a role I could really get my teeth into, because it's a lot like me. I actually said to them, 'Look, you would be making a little boy's dream come true."

Barrowman is relating his enthusiasm over tea during a whistle-stop trip to London before returning to Cardiff, where Torchwood is filmed, for an early Sunday call. He grins as he notes what was necessary to play Jack, at least as the role was originally presented. "They said he was a time agent who was a matinee-idol type. And, you know, I've done many matinees," he laughs, "and had a lot of idols.

"From a character who was only meant to be in five episodes, it's turned out that I'm in my own series, plus I'm going back into Doctor Who as well. Jack is the only character who will go back and forth between the series, because the Doctor can't." How does Jack stack up in the Doctor Who world? "He's a little more adult, because of his sexuality," Barrowman says. "He's from the 51st century, so he doesn't label people. If he fancies it, he'll go for it, whether human — male or female — or alien."

He sounds rightly pleased to have triumphed over labels of his own, as a "musicals man". In 1989, barely in his twenties, he ended up opposite Elaine Paige in a previous revival of Anything Goes, having been spotted at an open casting call in Glasgow, his home town.

Since then, he's done Sondheim on Broadway and in Washington DC, and Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard on both sides of the pond.

"TV people need to take the risk — musicals have some of the best actors and actresses, goddammit, they really do. When I hear people say 'Do you want to do real acting?', I want to punch them."

But he sounds at ease doing small-screen work. "I get driven to work, sit in make-up and get to go and fight aliens, fly a spaceship and shoot a couple of guns. I mean, what more can I ask for?"

}}

File:2006-10-15 Sunday Times Culture.jpg

2026-04-04T01:10:47Z

John Lavalie:

Dr Who is set to face Cybermen

2026-04-04T00:50:46Z

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = Express & Star | file = 2005-11-11 Express and Star.jpg | px = 250 | height = | width = | date = 2005-11-11 | author = | pages = | language = Eng..."

{{article
| publication = Express & Star
| file = 2005-11-11 Express and Star.jpg
| px = 250
| height =
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| date = 2005-11-11
| author =
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| text = The Cybermen are returning to Doctor Who.

The evil silver aliens [[broadwcast:Silver Nemesis|last appeared]] in the BBC series in 1988.

Now they're back — and this time they are a more deadly breed.

They will do battle with David Tennant, who replaces Christopher Eccleston as the Time Lord in the next series, in their bid to take over the Earth.

Producer Phil Collinson said: "The villainous Cybermen are as much a part of Doctor Who heritage as the Daleks, so it's a huge personal thrill to see them back.

"I hope that the evil silver giants will terrify a whole new generation of viewers as they confront the 10th Time Lord."

}}

File:2005-11-11 Express and Star.jpg

2026-04-04T00:49:54Z

John Lavalie:

Scottish actor says signing as 10th Doctor is a lifelong dream

2026-04-04T00:29:33Z

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = Express & Star | file = 2005-04-15 Express and Star.jpg | px = 450 | height = | width = | date = 2005-04-15 | author = Sherna Noah | pages = | lan..."

{{article
| publication = Express & Star
| file = 2005-04-15 Express and Star.jpg
| px = 450
| height =
| width =
| date = 2005-04-15
| author = Sherna Noah
| pages =
| language = English
| type =
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| text = Casanova star will be the new Dr Who

Scottish actor David Tennant has signed up as the new Dr Who, the BBC announced today. The Casanova star is replacing Christopher Eccleston, who announced he was bowing out of the iconic role after just one series.

The 33-year-old, who decided to become an actor after watching Dr Who at the age of three, will become the 10th Time Lord. Eccleston, 41, had taken on the role when the show returned to the BBC last month following a 16-year hiatus.

Tennant follows Eccleston, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker, Peter Davison, Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton, William Hartnell and Paul McGann, who played the Doctor in a one-off [[broadwcast:TV movie|TV movie]], in the role.

Today Tennant, who worked with the sci-fi show's writer Russell T Davies in the drama series Casanova, said playing the Doctor, and getting his own Tardis, was a "lifelong dream".

He will begin filming the second 13 part series for BBC1 the summer.

Tennant said: "I am delighted, excited and honoured to be the 10th Doctor. "I grew up loving Doctor Who and it has been a lifelong dream to get my very own Tardis.

Tribute

"Russell T Davies is one of the best writers television has ever had, and I'm chuffed to bits to get the opportunity to work with him again.

"I'm also really looking forward to working with Billie Piper who is so great as Rose."

Tennant also paid tribute to his predecessor, saying: "Taking over from Chris is a daunting prospect; he has done a fantastic job of reinventing the Doctor for a new generation and is a very tough act to follow."

At 33, he celebrates his 34th birthday on Monday, Tennant is one of the youngest actors to tackle the part, giving the time traveller a youthful image.

He will make his appearance in the new adventure with Billie Piper, 22, who will return as the Time Lord's assistant Rose.
}}

File:2005-04-15 Express and Star.jpg

2026-04-04T00:28:18Z

John Lavalie:

BBC warns parents Dr Who is too scary

2026-04-04T00:19:45Z

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = Express & Star | file = 2005-04-14 Express and Star.jpg | px = 450 | height = | width = | date = 2005-04-14 | author = Sally Dolan | pages = | lan..."

{{article
| publication = Express & Star
| file = 2005-04-14 Express and Star.jpg
| px = 450
| height =
| width =
| date = 2005-04-14
| author = Sally Dolan
| pages =
| language = English
| type =
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| text = Parents have been warned not to let under-eights watch the new series of Doctor Who after an episode featuring zombies left youngsters terrified.

The BBC has issued advice that young children should not watch the revived series after it was bombarded with 50 complaints from parents saying Saturday's show caused sleepless nights for many kids.

In the opening scene of The Unquiet Dead an apparently dead old woman sprang out of her coffin and strangled her grandson. The episode, written by Mark Gatiss of The League of Gentlemen, featured ghoulish aliens spewed from corpses' mouths as the Doctor, Rose and their new sidekick, Charles Dickens, battled against the undead.

A BBC spokesman said: "Doctor Who has never been intended for the youngest of children.

"We would suggest that only children aged eight and above should watch with their parents."

But Doctor Who fans, who have grown up with the familiar sights of Daleks and Cybermen over the last 40 years, have slammed the warning.

Protecting

Tom Silsbury, deputy editor of Doctor Who magazine, said: "Children enjoy being scared and nothing is more likely make them want to watch a programme than being told they can't."

However parents argued that their children needed protecting from a BBC which has gone too far in the battle to win ratings.

Dave Edwards, aged 28, from Liverpool, said: "The kids were really shaken up by the whole programme and they refused to go to bed.

"It's not the type of thing you expect to see on TV at 7 o'clock in the evening.

"The BBC have stepped way over the mark."

Caption: One of the scary daleks

Caption: Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) and The Doctor (Christopher Eccleston), from the show.

Spelling correction: Tom Spillsbury
----
The top six monsters

Top six scary Dr Who monsters:

1. The Daleks. Have terrified young and old viewers with their cries of 'Exterminate!' since the series [[broadwcast:The Daleks|first appeared]] on screens in 1963. Mocked by many for years over their inability to climb stairs - a limitation which has been overcome with the aid of a nifty anti-gravity device.

2. The Cybermen. [[broadwcast:The Tenth Planet|First appeared]] in 1966 at the very end of the William Hartnell era. Their mechanical voices, unlimited strength and plans to conquer the galaxy have made them a hit with viewers ever since.

3. The Master. The Doctor's evil arch-enemy introduced during the Jon Pertwee era of the early 1970s. A villain in the classic mold set on domination of the universe and destruction of the Doctor. His ray, which shrinks humans, and ability to hypnotise people to do his bidding have proved popular with fans for years.

4. The Autons. Shop window mannequins created and brought to life by the Nestene Consciousness to do their bidding. They have guns built into their hands. Frightened a generation of children in Jon Pertwee's [[broadwcast:Spearhead from Space|very first story]] as they went on a killing spree on the streets of London. They were chosen as the first enemies to appear against Christopher Eccleston's Doctor in the new series.

5. The Silurians and [[broadwcast:The Sea Devils|Sea Devils]]. Reptilian creatures who were the first inhabitants of Earth and have plotted to get the planet back ever since their introduction in an early Jon Pertwee story proved memorable enough for two return appearances the last against Peter Davison's Doctor in the mid-80s.

6. Sil. A ruthless reptilian businessman who stopped at nothing to gain power and wealth. His gurgling laugh and alien appearance became one of the show's most iconic moments of this 1980s. He proved so popular the character appeared for another story a year later

}}

File:2005-04-14 Express and Star.jpg

2026-04-04T00:18:03Z

John Lavalie:

What a critic picks for himself

2026-03-24T18:40:16Z

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = Chicago Sun-Times | file = 1975-10-13 Chicago Sun-Times.jpg | px = 350 | height = | width = | date = 1975-10-13 | author = Bill Granger | pages = 7..."

{{article
| publication = Chicago Sun-Times
| file = 1975-10-13 Chicago Sun-Times.jpg
| px = 350
| height =
| width =
| date = 1975-10-13
| author = Bill Granger
| pages = 72
| language = English
| type =
| description = [[broadwcast:Day of the Daleks|Day of the Daleks]] had just finished.
| categories =
| moreTitles =
| morePublications =
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| text = Have you ever wondered what television critics watch on TV when they're not paid for It?

Here's my Monday night then, when I'm watching TV for run:

6:30—Dr. Who on Channel 11 has hooked me. It's a sci-fi show made by British television and is funny and scary on a low budget. It's aimed at kids, of which class I consider myself one.

}}

File:1975-10-13 Chicago Sun-Times.jpg

2026-03-24T18:38:04Z

John Lavalie:

Chicago Heights Star

2026-03-24T18:29:34Z

John Lavalie:

{{Chicago}}{{Publisher
|firstPublished= 
|lastPublished= 
|location=Chicago Heights, IL
|website=
| notes =
}}
{{Publication|United States}}

Chicago Metro News

2026-03-24T18:29:20Z

John Lavalie:

{{Chicago}}{{Publisher
|firstPublished= 
|lastPublished= 
|location=Chicago
|website= 
| notes = 
}}
{{Publication|United States}}

Chicago Daily News

2026-03-24T18:29:12Z

John Lavalie:

{{Chicago}}{{Publisher
|firstPublished=1875
|lastPublished=1978
|location=Chicago, IL
|website=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Daily_News
|notes=
}}
{{Publication|United States}}

Template:Chicago

2026-03-24T18:28:54Z

John Lavalie:

<div style="float:right; border:3px solid blue; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em; padding-top:10px; padding-bottom:5px; padding-right:5px; max-width:30%; min-width:20%;">
<center>'''Chicago Portal'''</center>[[File:Chicago flag.png|250px|center|link=]]
<ul>Cuttings Archive - city
*[[Chicago Tribune]] | [[Red Eye]] | [[Tribune Media Services]]
*[[Chicago Sun-Times]] | [[Chicago Daily News]]
*[[Chicago Reader|The Reader]] • [[Southtown Economist]]
*[[Chicago Metro News]]
</ul>

<ul>Cuttings Archive - suburbs
*[[The Courier-News (Elgin, IL)|The Courier-News]] • [[Chicago Heights Star]]
*[[Daily Herald]] | [[This Week]] | [[Northwest Herald]]
*[[Des Plaines Times]] • [[The Joliet Herald News]]
*[[Naperville Sun]] • [[Niles Journal]]
*[[Northbrook Star]] • [[The Star (Tinley Park, IL)|Tinley Park Star]]
*[[Wilmette Life]]
</ul>

<ul>BroaDWcast
*[[broadwcast:WTTW|WTTW]] • [[broadwcast:Chicago chronology|Chicago chronology]]
</ul>

<ul>epguides
*[http://chicago.epguides.com/DoctorWho/ Chicago epguides]
</ul>

<ul>conventions
*[http://chicagotardis.com Chicago TARDIS] • [[wikipedia:Visions (convention)|Visions]]
</ul>
</div>

Chicago Daily News

2026-03-24T18:17:14Z

John Lavalie:

{{Publisher
|firstPublished=1875
|lastPublished=1978
|location=Chicago, IL
|website=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Daily_News
|notes=
}}
{{Publication|United States}}

Chicago Daily News

2026-03-24T18:17:07Z

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{Publisher |firstPublished=1875 |lastPublished=1978 |location=Chicago, IL |website=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Daily_News |notes=  }} {{Publication|United Stat..."

{{Publisher
|firstPublished=1875
|lastPublished=1978
|location=Chicago, IL
|website=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Daily_News
|notes= 
}}
{{Publication|United States}}

Colored employment neglected in British TV

2026-03-24T18:16:25Z

John Lavalie:

{{article
| publication = The Daily Illini
| file = 1975-01-18 Daily Illini.jpg
| px = 650
| height =
| width =
| date = 1975-01-18
| author = Raymond R. Coffey
| pages = 13
| language = English
| type =
| description =
| categories = race
| moreTitles = Few nonwhites on British TV
| morePublications = Chicago Daily News
| moreDates = 1974-08-30
| text =
During a full week in England last spring a total of 380 actors, actresses, newscasters and assorted other performers appeared on two television channels.

Only 27 of them were black—and 12 of those were members of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team.

That probably reads like the start of a story-about American television a few years back.

But it happened here, in Britain, in the week of May 26-June 1, and the two channels were those of the govenment-run and widely-admired British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

And the statistics are now part of a complaint about British television that will strike a familiar note among Americans.

Equity, the actors union, has published a survey showing that there just are not enough black and brown faces appearing on British TV sets.

Britain's minority racial community—usually referred to as "colored," rather than "black" because it includes large numbers of Indians, Pakistanis and other Asians as well as West Indians and Africans—is nowhere near as large, Of course, as America's.

The total non-white population is no more than about two per cent of Britain's 55 million people.

But still it is substantial and, according to the Equity report, unemployment among colored performers is double that among whites.

The Equity survey found that, in the survey week, a total of 891 persons appeared on the two BBC channels.

Only 45 of them were colored.

In all British TV, it found, there is only - one black news reporter, Trevor McDonald, of Independent Television News.

In more than 50 drama and comedy series programs aired during the survey week, no black performer had a leading role.

There are also, according to the Equity report, not enough blacks appearing in TV commercials—though they are often used to sing (unseen) commercial jingles.

In [[broadwcast:The Talons of Weng-Chiang|one episode]] of the science thriller series "Dr. Who," the report notes wryly, the script called for an Oriental to play the part of a Tibetan—but in that case a white man was "yellowed up" with makeup to do the job.

Peter Plouviez, general secretary of Equity, commented that "we are not suggesting" that TV authorities and employers "are motivated by racialism or discriminate in any way."

He said Equity was charging. only "neglect and lack of imaginition by directors and casting departments."

Black performers who want to play parts bigger than those of waiters or bus conductors, according to Equity, are faced with the argument that there really just aren't many black bank managers, say, or detectives or lawyers in Britain.

"There is," as Plouviez put it, "a resistance by the broadcasting authorities to do more than reflect the racial composition a the society."

But Equity, he said, believes the TV operators "can go on and do a positive service" to society "by simply not casting black people in the lower strides of society."

}}

The TARDIS got a new - if somewhat familiar - lick of pink paint

2026-01-24T14:18:55Z

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = SFX | file = 2023-09 SFX p16-17.jpg | px = 550 | height = | width = | date = 2023-09-01 | display date = issue 369 (September 2023) | author = | p..."

{{article
| publication = SFX
| file = 2023-09 SFX p16-17.jpg
| px = 550
| height =
| width =
| date = 2023-09-01
| display date = issue 369 (September 2023)
| author =
| pages = 16
| language = English
| type =
| description =
| categories = merchandise
| moreTitles =
| morePublications =
| moreDates =
| text = The TARDIS got a new - if somewhat familiar - lick of pink paint for its arrival in London on 12 July. No, it's not (sadly) the return of the Happiness Patrol, but rather a cross-promotion for Warner Bros blockbuster movie Barbie, which stars new Doctor Ncuti Gatwa as a Ken.

Season 20 is the latest blu-ray release for Doctor Who: The Collection. Due for release in September, this Peter Davison box set is the biggest in the series so far, including studio footage and a(nother) revamped version of "[[broadwcast:The Five Doctors|The Five Doctors]]". For more information see [[Five Star|page 78]].

The Complete New Who Blu-ray Collectors Set has been announced for release in the US on 14 November. Alongside every episode from 2005-2013, it features remastered versions of series 1-4 and new extras from David Tennant and Russell T Davies. Limited to 6,000 copies, it comes with a certificate of authenticity and a set of five Titan figures.

The Fourteenth Doctor's new sonic screwdriver was revealed on Wednesday19 July ahead of the release of Character Options' toy replica at San Diego Comic-Con 2023. The limited-edition version has an exclusive "electro plated" finish, with five brand new sound and light effects. Online stock sold out within eight hours, with a restock due in a few months. A standard retail version will also be made available soon. Four new character posters were also revealed, featuring the two newest Doctors, Donna and Ruby - these were only available to social media at the time of going to press.

Covers for the latest chapters in the Big Finish anniversary series Once And Future have been revealed. Two's Company stars Colin Baker as the Doctor, alongside Camille Coduri as Jackie Tyler and Michelle Ryan as Lady Christina de Souza. The Martian Invasion Of Planetoid 50 stars David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, alongside Michelle Gomez as Missy, and the return of the Paternoster Gang.

New Target novels have been announced for release in January 2024, based on the 60th anniversary specials. "The Star Beast" is written by Gary Russell, "Wild Blue Yonder" by Mark Morris and "The Giggle" by James Goss.

Filming has completed for the 2024 season of Doctor Who. The 15 July wrap for season 14 was confirmed by showrunner Russell T Davies on Instagram.

The Tom Baker Record Collection is released by Demon on 15 September. The box set, limited to 600 copies, features audio dramas, interviews with, and a reading by the Fourth Doctor. Each set has a print signed by Tom Baker.

Doctor Who is on BBC One and Disney+ from November.

Celebrating 60 years of

SCI-FACT! "The Star Beast" is based on a 1980 comic strip In Doctor Who Weekly. It% also been adapted as an audio drama by Big Finish.

Caption: The Tom Baker Dream! Collection. 'Nuff said.

}}

File:2023-09 SFX p16-17.jpg

2026-01-24T14:16:53Z

John Lavalie:

Five Star

2026-01-24T14:15:37Z

John Lavalie:

{{article
| publication = SFX
| file = https://cuttingsarchive.org/images/0/0c/2023-09_SFX_p78-83.pdf
| px =
| height =
| width =
| date = 2023-09-01
| display date = issue 369 (September 2023)
| author = Robbie Dunlop
| pages = 78
| language = English
| type =
| description =
| categories =
| moreTitles =
| morePublications =
| moreDates =
| text = Fasten your seatbelts for a time flight into the future with Janet Fielding's Aussie air hostess Tegan Jovanka

WHEN SFX JOINS JANET Fielding for a natter, she's on a break from recording a Doctor Who audio play for Big Finish. But don't expect her to divulge anything about the plot. "I could tell you, but I think I'd have to kill you!" she laughs. However, she can reveal that "It's a fun story It's more episodes than usual. And as per usual it's a great cast"

Secrecy is nothing new for Fielding. NDAs accompany virtually every Doctor Who job she lands, whether it's a documentary, commentary or audiobook. However, no project in recent years has been on quite the same scale as her return to the television series. A few white lies were told to ensure that the news didn't leak. "I had to," she stresses. "People all the time on Twitter were saying, 'Wouldn't you love to come back into Doctor Who?' 'Yes, I would!' You know?"

RETURN TO OZ

Tegan's long-awaited comeback in "The Power Of The Doctor" was seemingly a wish-fulfilment for showrunner and '80s-era fan Chris Chibnall, who had expressed his desire to bring back the character in a February 2020 interview. Fielding was aware of his comments when Doctor Who casting director Andy Pryor contacted her.

"He asked whether I'd be interested in returning to the show. I thought about it for all of three seconds and then said yes," she says. "And then I worried on all sorts of fronts. Because I hadn't been in front of the camera for 37 years, would I be able to remember lines? I don't need to learn lines any more, so I'm out of the habit"

Fielding was given the opportunity to share her ideas on Tegan and where she might be in her life. "[Chibnall] liked them - I think they meshed with the sort of things in which he was interested. My theory was that you couldn't travel in the TARDIS without being profoundly changed, and so the Tegan who went into the TARDIS was not the Tegan who eventually came out of the TARDIS. And that it changed the course of her life."

"The Power Of The Doctor" was filmed in Cardiff in autumn 2021. "The worst thing was that they started with my first scene," Fielding says, "and unfortunately it involved talking to a mobile phone."

In the scene, Tegan reconnects by video call with fellow companion Ace (Sophie Aldred). "Sophie wasn't there," Fielding says, "so the First Assistant Director was reading in for me. That was a bit weird. And I could see myself on the phone! I had to get them to put tape over it because it was so off-putting. Now whenever I see somebody talking on a phone, holding it out and talking, I think, 'Can you see yourself?' How off-putting is that?"

To prevent her and Aldred from being spotted by fans, they were driven to and from set wearing heavy robes which Fielding compares to those worn by people who go cold-water swimming.

"We'd have to put the hood over our heads and then they'd hold an umbrella over us," she recalls. "People were always turning up to see who was going in and out. Luckily, because of Covid, we all had to wear masks. So, if we had time off and we were walking around Cardiff, we could wear a mask, and nobody would recognise us. The dread was running into people I knew. They were really lovely to us," she concludes of her Cardiff caper. "Sophie and I got treated right royally. It was a lovely experience."

Tegan's return was made public in a trailer following an episode broadcast at Easter 2022. "That was amazing," Fielding smiles. "My Twitter feed went absolutely bananas." But did she apologise to any of the friends she'd lied to? "No. Too bad!"

We're speaking to Fielding days after the announcement of the Season 20 box set, the second of her three Peter Davison seasons to be released on Blu-ray. "People liked the trailer, didn't they?", she smiles. She's referring to "The Passenger", a mini-episode written and directed by Pete McTighe, which reunited Tegan with her fellow time traveller Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) after four decades. "It was lovely," Fielding says. "It was really nice to see her character back on screen. Fans absolutely adore her, so that was a real treat. And I love the script - it's fabulous. Such a cool idea."

The filming took place at a funfair in Southend. "It was late at night the week before the longest day of the year, so the sun hadn't set. But we were really cold."

However, as Sutton made evident in a behind-the-scenes video, the moment had been prepared for. "I often take a hot water bottle because it's a great way to help keep you a bit warmer," says Fielding. "Sarah expressed her envy for my hot water bottle. They all did actually. Pete must have been freezing - he had a T-shirt on if I remember rightly. There's hardy, then there's 14 hardy!"

Seeing Fielding snuggled cosily under a blanket is a familiar sight for viewers of the Blu-ray range's Gogglebox-esque Behind The Sofa features. In this case, it's not because the studio is chilly. "It doesn't matter how warm it is, I like to watch television under a covering of some kind," she says. "My sister-in-law owns the Urban Sewing Lounge [in Brisbane] and over the years she's made me various patchwork things, and then other people have given me blankets. Then as a wind-up for Peter Davison, [Blu-ray range producer] Russell Minton made an 'Everybody Loves Tegan' blanket, which I proudly unfurled, much to Peter's horror!" She laughs. "I love him really!"

With the forthcoming box set, Fielding will have appeared in a record-breaking 10 seasons of Behind The Sofa. "That's because I'm so lippy," she states, defiantly. She knows that her style is popular with viewers. "It started back in the '90s when Peter [Davison] and I were doing DVD commentaries," she explains. "We were more honest than most. We wanted to make it more interesting. We could be rude about each other and the special effects and things like that if they didn't work We'd tell it how it is."

Fielding has watched (and remarked upon with great honesty) dozens of classic Doctor Who stories over the past couple of years. So what has she learnt about the show?

"God, I don't know," she laughs, pausing to reflect on an aspect of the series that clearly resonates with her. "I've learnt that Doctor Who has a very rich culture. And a lot of people find it a really good place to escape to. And what you find over time is that it's meant a lot to people at various crisis points in their life. You occupy a place in their hearts for that reason. And that's a very privileged place to be."

TEAM TEGAN

As for the stories, does she enjoy watching them? "No. Not if I'm in them. I can enjoy them if others are, but not if I'm in them." Season 20 - which includes prominent roles for Tegan in "Snakedance" and "Enlightenment" - will prove a more challenging watch for her than usual, then.

Despite her fond memories of the classic series, fielding has a preference for 21st century Doctor Who. "I think the character development is better these days and that makes it more universal," she says, "but I could be wrong. It had a huge following back in the day, and it has a huge following now, so I'm obviously wrong.

"Science fiction is a very strange beast, isn't it? People become really devoted. I think partly because it's a place of escape and it's also a place of exploration. You can get to explore all sorts of different ideas and concepts. Very often the stories are analogies, or they're exploring themes that are current, that are present in the wider world."

The upcoming box set includes several new documentaries. We'll see Fielding, Sutton and Davison on a road trip to the Timelash convention in Kassel, Germany - "We had such a laugh. We bicker all the way!" - and on a visit to Amsterdam where they filmed "[[broadwcast:Arc Of Infinity|Arc Of Infinity]]" in 1982. This involved a get-together with the Dutch Doctor Who fan club.

"I had been somewhere, and somebody from the fan club had given me a card. I said to Russell, 'Why don't we hook up with these people?' And so that's what we did. They thought there was going to be a BBC crew, but they didn't realise until they arrived at the location that we were going to be there too." The cast joined the fan club on a boat trip, on which they answered questions and signed memorabilia, before revisiting several original filming locations.

"The trouble was Pride was about to happen so everything had changed," Fielding says. "There were things up all over town, so it was very different. But I had a great time."

Before Fielding heads back to the studio, SFX makes an observation. In all the years she has been recording for Big Finish, she has yet to appear in a play with her original Doctor, Tom Baker. Is there any particular reason?

"I only did one story with Tom [on television]," she says, "so basically he always gets Lou [Jameson] to do them." Fielding's first appearance in "Logopolis" coincided with Baker's departure, so the two worked together only fleetingly. Was Baker a welcoming presence on the set?

"No," she states, honestly. "He wasn't a welcoming presence on the set. Quite the contrary." She pauses. "It was a long time ago. I don't have strong feelings about it one way or the other now."

It's no secret that Baker was tired and frustrated as his tenure on the programme came to an end. Fortunately, Fielding's experience with the Fifth Doctor and co is a very different story. "Look, that's my team. And it's a bit like my last lines [on the show]: I want to do something that I'm going to enjoy. I know I'll enjoy working with Peter and, when I did 'The Power Of The Doctor', I knew that I'd enjoy working with Sophie. Do you know what I mean? Why bust a gut to work with someone when you may or not enjoy working with them?

"I don't know. People tell me that Tom's changed a lot, and he says he has. But I don't know. We did a DVD commentary together, him, Chris Bidmead [script editor] and me. That was fine.

"The thing is," she continues, "I don't feel particularly relaxed with Tom. I don't feel unrelaxed but... Yeah. On the other hand, Pete [Davison] and I take the piss out of each other all the time, and I like to operate on that level. It's very Australian."

Seventeen years on from her Big Finish debut, Fielding's time in the studios with "Team 5" is no less enjoyable. She'll continue to play Tegan for as long as she's asked. "Why wouldn't I? I enjoy it!"

Bonzer news for Doctor Who fans. Now, someone please tell us where we can buy one of those Tegan blankets?

Doctor Who: The Collection Season 20 is coming soon. Doctor Who: In The Night is released by Big Finish on 5 September.

Captions:

A press photo call for "Resurrection Of The Daleks".

"Is this the button for BBC Two?"

Fielding hated "the bloody boob tube"!

Reunited with Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) for "The Passenger".

Careful everyone, the Mara is back!

Fielding does her best Tommy Cooper.

High summer but still freezing cold. Aussies. eh?

Filming "The Passenger" in Southend.

The Tegan who went into the TARDIS was not the Tegan who eventually came out

Her lag story "Resurrection Of The Bolds".

In her debut "[[broadwcast:Logopolis|Logopolis]]" with Baker.

Shooting "[[broadwcast:Time-Flight|Time-Flight]]" at Heathrow.

}}

Five Star

2026-01-24T14:15:06Z

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = SFX | file = 2023-09 SFX p78-83.pdf | px = | height = | width = | date = 2023-09-01 | display date = issue 369 (September 2023) | author = Robbie..."

{{article
| publication = SFX
| file = 2023-09 SFX p78-83.pdf
| px =
| height =
| width =
| date = 2023-09-01
| display date = issue 369 (September 2023)
| author = Robbie Dunlop
| pages = 78
| language = English
| type =
| description =
| categories =
| moreTitles =
| morePublications =
| moreDates =
| text = Fasten your seatbelts for a time flight into the future with Janet Fielding's Aussie air hostess Tegan Jovanka

WHEN SFX JOINS JANET Fielding for a natter, she's on a break from recording a Doctor Who audio play for Big Finish. But don't expect her to divulge anything about the plot. "I could tell you, but I think I'd have to kill you!" she laughs. However, she can reveal that "It's a fun story It's more episodes than usual. And as per usual it's a great cast"

Secrecy is nothing new for Fielding. NDAs accompany virtually every Doctor Who job she lands, whether it's a documentary, commentary or audiobook. However, no project in recent years has been on quite the same scale as her return to the television series. A few white lies were told to ensure that the news didn't leak. "I had to," she stresses. "People all the time on Twitter were saying, 'Wouldn't you love to come back into Doctor Who?' 'Yes, I would!' You know?"

RETURN TO OZ

Tegan's long-awaited comeback in "The Power Of The Doctor" was seemingly a wish-fulfilment for showrunner and '80s-era fan Chris Chibnall, who had expressed his desire to bring back the character in a February 2020 interview. Fielding was aware of his comments when Doctor Who casting director Andy Pryor contacted her.

"He asked whether I'd be interested in returning to the show. I thought about it for all of three seconds and then said yes," she says. "And then I worried on all sorts of fronts. Because I hadn't been in front of the camera for 37 years, would I be able to remember lines? I don't need to learn lines any more, so I'm out of the habit"

Fielding was given the opportunity to share her ideas on Tegan and where she might be in her life. "[Chibnall] liked them - I think they meshed with the sort of things in which he was interested. My theory was that you couldn't travel in the TARDIS without being profoundly changed, and so the Tegan who went into the TARDIS was not the Tegan who eventually came out of the TARDIS. And that it changed the course of her life."

"The Power Of The Doctor" was filmed in Cardiff in autumn 2021. "The worst thing was that they started with my first scene," Fielding says, "and unfortunately it involved talking to a mobile phone."

In the scene, Tegan reconnects by video call with fellow companion Ace (Sophie Aldred). "Sophie wasn't there," Fielding says, "so the First Assistant Director was reading in for me. That was a bit weird. And I could see myself on the phone! I had to get them to put tape over it because it was so off-putting. Now whenever I see somebody talking on a phone, holding it out and talking, I think, 'Can you see yourself?' How off-putting is that?"

To prevent her and Aldred from being spotted by fans, they were driven to and from set wearing heavy robes which Fielding compares to those worn by people who go cold-water swimming.

"We'd have to put the hood over our heads and then they'd hold an umbrella over us," she recalls. "People were always turning up to see who was going in and out. Luckily, because of Covid, we all had to wear masks. So, if we had time off and we were walking around Cardiff, we could wear a mask, and nobody would recognise us. The dread was running into people I knew. They were really lovely to us," she concludes of her Cardiff caper. "Sophie and I got treated right royally. It was a lovely experience."

Tegan's return was made public in a trailer following an episode broadcast at Easter 2022. "That was amazing," Fielding smiles. "My Twitter feed went absolutely bananas." But did she apologise to any of the friends she'd lied to? "No. Too bad!"

We're speaking to Fielding days after the announcement of the Season 20 box set, the second of her three Peter Davison seasons to be released on Blu-ray. "People liked the trailer, didn't they?", she smiles. She's referring to "The Passenger", a mini-episode written and directed by Pete McTighe, which reunited Tegan with her fellow time traveller Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) after four decades. "It was lovely," Fielding says. "It was really nice to see her character back on screen. Fans absolutely adore her, so that was a real treat. And I love the script - it's fabulous. Such a cool idea."

The filming took place at a funfair in Southend. "It was late at night the week before the longest day of the year, so the sun hadn't set. But we were really cold."

However, as Sutton made evident in a behind-the-scenes video, the moment had been prepared for. "I often take a hot water bottle because it's a great way to help keep you a bit warmer," says Fielding. "Sarah expressed her envy for my hot water bottle. They all did actually. Pete must have been freezing - he had a T-shirt on if I remember rightly. There's hardy, then there's 14 hardy!"

Seeing Fielding snuggled cosily under a blanket is a familiar sight for viewers of the Blu-ray range's Gogglebox-esque Behind The Sofa features. In this case, it's not because the studio is chilly. "It doesn't matter how warm it is, I like to watch television under a covering of some kind," she says. "My sister-in-law owns the Urban Sewing Lounge [in Brisbane] and over the years she's made me various patchwork things, and then other people have given me blankets. Then as a wind-up for Peter Davison, [Blu-ray range producer] Russell Minton made an 'Everybody Loves Tegan' blanket, which I proudly unfurled, much to Peter's horror!" She laughs. "I love him really!"

With the forthcoming box set, Fielding will have appeared in a record-breaking 10 seasons of Behind The Sofa. "That's because I'm so lippy," she states, defiantly. She knows that her style is popular with viewers. "It started back in the '90s when Peter [Davison] and I were doing DVD commentaries," she explains. "We were more honest than most. We wanted to make it more interesting. We could be rude about each other and the special effects and things like that if they didn't work We'd tell it how it is."

Fielding has watched (and remarked upon with great honesty) dozens of classic Doctor Who stories over the past couple of years. So what has she learnt about the show?

"God, I don't know," she laughs, pausing to reflect on an aspect of the series that clearly resonates with her. "I've learnt that Doctor Who has a very rich culture. And a lot of people find it a really good place to escape to. And what you find over time is that it's meant a lot to people at various crisis points in their life. You occupy a place in their hearts for that reason. And that's a very privileged place to be."

TEAM TEGAN

As for the stories, does she enjoy watching them? "No. Not if I'm in them. I can enjoy them if others are, but not if I'm in them." Season 20 - which includes prominent roles for Tegan in "Snakedance" and "Enlightenment" - will prove a more challenging watch for her than usual, then.

Despite her fond memories of the classic series, fielding has a preference for 21st century Doctor Who. "I think the character development is better these days and that makes it more universal," she says, "but I could be wrong. It had a huge following back in the day, and it has a huge following now, so I'm obviously wrong.

"Science fiction is a very strange beast, isn't it? People become really devoted. I think partly because it's a place of escape and it's also a place of exploration. You can get to explore all sorts of different ideas and concepts. Very often the stories are analogies, or they're exploring themes that are current, that are present in the wider world."

The upcoming box set includes several new documentaries. We'll see Fielding, Sutton and Davison on a road trip to the Timelash convention in Kassel, Germany - "We had such a laugh. We bicker all the way!" - and on a visit to Amsterdam where they filmed "[[broadwcast:Arc Of Infinity|Arc Of Infinity]]" in 1982. This involved a get-together with the Dutch Doctor Who fan club.

"I had been somewhere, and somebody from the fan club had given me a card. I said to Russell, 'Why don't we hook up with these people?' And so that's what we did. They thought there was going to be a BBC crew, but they didn't realise until they arrived at the location that we were going to be there too." The cast joined the fan club on a boat trip, on which they answered questions and signed memorabilia, before revisiting several original filming locations.

"The trouble was Pride was about to happen so everything had changed," Fielding says. "There were things up all over town, so it was very different. But I had a great time."

Before Fielding heads back to the studio, SFX makes an observation. In all the years she has been recording for Big Finish, she has yet to appear in a play with her original Doctor, Tom Baker. Is there any particular reason?

"I only did one story with Tom [on television]," she says, "so basically he always gets Lou [Jameson] to do them." Fielding's first appearance in "Logopolis" coincided with Baker's departure, so the two worked together only fleetingly. Was Baker a welcoming presence on the set?

"No," she states, honestly. "He wasn't a welcoming presence on the set. Quite the contrary." She pauses. "It was a long time ago. I don't have strong feelings about it one way or the other now."

It's no secret that Baker was tired and frustrated as his tenure on the programme came to an end. Fortunately, Fielding's experience with the Fifth Doctor and co is a very different story. "Look, that's my team. And it's a bit like my last lines [on the show]: I want to do something that I'm going to enjoy. I know I'll enjoy working with Peter and, when I did 'The Power Of The Doctor', I knew that I'd enjoy working with Sophie. Do you know what I mean? Why bust a gut to work with someone when you may or not enjoy working with them?

"I don't know. People tell me that Tom's changed a lot, and he says he has. But I don't know. We did a DVD commentary together, him, Chris Bidmead [script editor] and me. That was fine.

"The thing is," she continues, "I don't feel particularly relaxed with Tom. I don't feel unrelaxed but... Yeah. On the other hand, Pete [Davison] and I take the piss out of each other all the time, and I like to operate on that level. It's very Australian."

Seventeen years on from her Big Finish debut, Fielding's time in the studios with "Team 5" is no less enjoyable. She'll continue to play Tegan for as long as she's asked. "Why wouldn't I? I enjoy it!"

Bonzer news for Doctor Who fans. Now, someone please tell us where we can buy one of those Tegan blankets?

Doctor Who: The Collection Season 20 is coming soon. Doctor Who: In The Night is released by Big Finish on 5 September.

Captions:

A press photo call for "Resurrection Of The Daleks".

"Is this the button for BBC Two?"

Fielding hated "the bloody boob tube"!

Reunited with Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) for "The Passenger".

Careful everyone, the Mara is back!

Fielding does her best Tommy Cooper.

High summer but still freezing cold. Aussies. eh?

Filming "The Passenger" in Southend.

The Tegan who went into the TARDIS was not the Tegan who eventually came out

Her lag story "Resurrection Of The Bolds".

In her debut "[[broadwcast:Logopolis|Logopolis]]" with Baker.

Shooting "[[broadwcast:Time-Flight|Time-Flight]]" at Heathrow.

}}

File:2023-09 SFX p78-83.pdf

2026-01-24T14:13:55Z

John Lavalie:

Doctor Who: Travel in Hope

2026-01-24T14:13:31Z

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = SFX | file = 2023-09 SFX p111.jpg | px = 250 | height = | width = | date = 2023-09-01 | display date = issue 369 (September 2023) | author = Will S..."

{{article
| publication = SFX
| file = 2023-09 SFX p111.jpg
| px = 250
| height =
| width =
| date = 2023-09-01
| display date = issue 369 (September 2023)
| author = Will Salmon
| pages = 111
| language = English
| type =
| description =
| categories =
| moreTitles =
| morePublications =
| moreDates =
| text = {{stars|4|5}}

RELEASED OUT NOW!

165 minutes <nowiki>|</nowiki> CD/download

Publisher Big Finish

Did you enjoy the Jodie Whittaker episode "Kerblam!", but like the ending was a let down? "Below There", the first story in the latest Ninth Doctor set, offers a more convincing take down of sci-fi ultra-capitalism, as Christopher Eccleston's Doctor encounters a worker in deep space. Initially a two-hander, Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle's script gives us some playful banter between the Doctor and Vyx (Kelly Adams) before revealing a truly dark secret. Excellent stuff.

"The Butler Did It" is, as you might expect, a whodunnit, as the Doctor investigates the poisoning of an old friend at an intergalactic port. These sets have leaned into making Eccleston's Doctor chattier, something that this story dials all the way up to "annoying" - as one character points out. It's breezy enough, but the central mystery never quite grabs you, making this the slightest of the three stories.

"The Ninth Doctor meets Alpha Centauri" may sound like Big Finish have been sticking pins in random pages of The Doctor Who Programme Guide, but "Run" has a compelling idea at its heart, with the Doctor encouraging the Pertwee-era alien hermaphrodite to run in a political race against a populist demagogue.

If you can get on with the daft voices then this is a funny story with an earnest point.
}}

File:2023-09 SFX p111.jpg

2026-01-24T14:11:24Z

John Lavalie:

Horses

2026-01-24T14:10:55Z

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = SFX | file = 2023-09 SFX p112.jpg | px = 450 | height = | width = | date = 2023-09-01 | display date = issue 369 (September 2023) | author = Ian Be..."

{{article
| publication = SFX
| file = 2023-09 SFX p112.jpg
| px = 450
| height =
| width =
| date = 2023-09-01
| display date = issue 369 (September 2023)
| author = Ian Berriman
| pages = 112
| language = English
| type =
| description =
| categories =
| moreTitles =
| morePublications =
| moreDates =
| text = Saddle up, riders, and proceed to the starting gate, as we test your knowledge of all things equine

QUESTION 3

In Doctor Who, which Doctor was the first to be seen on-screen riding a horse? And in which story? (Half a point each)

QUESTION 16 Picture Question

Name this Doctor Who episode.

Answers

3 Fourth, "The Masque Of Mandragora"

16 "The Girl In The Fireplace"
}}

File:2023-09 SFX p112.jpg

2026-01-24T14:09:08Z

John Lavalie:

Photographer Chris Ridley took these never-before-seen shots of Doctor Who star Tom Baker

2026-01-20T16:19:31Z

John Lavalie: Created page with "{{article | publication = Radio Times | file = 2025-01-04 Radio Times.jpg | px = 450 | height = | width = | date = 2025-01-04 | author = Huw Fullerton | pages = 8 | languag..."

{{article
| publication = Radio Times
| file = 2025-01-04 Radio Times.jpg
| px = 450
| height =
| width =
| date = 2025-01-04
| author = Huw Fullerton
| pages = 8
| language = English
| type =
| description =
| categories =
| moreTitles =
| morePublications =
| moreDates =
| text = On 3 August 1975, photographer Chris Ridley took these never-before-seen shots of Doctor Who star Tom Baker and his Tardis on St Martin's Lane, London. The then 41-year-old actor was about to film linking material for a BBC1 children's TV series called Disney Time at a nearby cinema, and was by now well established in the role, in which he'd been starring since the previous December. Though speaking to RT a few months before the picture was taken, he was still in shock about just how much his life had changed.

"I was carrying a hod on a building site when I got the part," Baker recalled, before explaining just how much his day-to-day life was changed for ever: "I was gambolling along to Gerry's [a Soho drinking den favoured by the acting profession] one evening and I was walking between two coppers, and one says, absolutely on cue, 'Good evening, Doctor!' I was delighted! And then they were delighted that I was delighted!"

Baker was speaking to Radio Times in March 1975, three months after his first episode — [[broadwcast:Robot|Robot]] — aired, on 28 December
1974. This week, we're 50 years on from that auspicious debut that changed Baker's life — and arguably, television itself — for ever.

To mark the occasion, we have collated a 64-page Tom Baker bookazine that's available as a digital download. Featuring rarely seen pictures unearthed from the RT archive and classic Tom Baker Doctor Who interviews, it stretches from the 1970s all the way to last year, as he reflects on the role that made him a household name. "Knowing anything is a bit dangerous when you play Doctor Who," [[I'm Mildly Contemptuous of the other Doctors|he told us in 2023]]. "It's better to know nothing. And to be good-natured."

In 1975, though, his take on the Time Lord was simpler. "The thing about Doctor Who is that he must be eternally in the present. Like when you fall in love," he mused. "You know, that wonderful sense of surprise."

The RT Tom Baker bookazine can be downloaded for free at radiotimes.com/tombaker50

Caption: BAKER'S DOZEN Pictured on St Martin's Lane in London, Tom Baker played the fourth and longest-serving incarnation of the Doctor, from 1974 to 1981

}}

File:2025-01-04 Radio Times.jpg

2026-01-20T16:18:32Z

John Lavalie: