January 22, 2013
90 minute version of a documentary created for Doctor Who’s 30th anniversary in 1993, crammed full of classic clips and interviews.
The deeper dive:
- Introducing the first seven Doctors, a selection of monsters and the classic companions, while covering such thorny issues as sexism, violence and horror in Doctor Who.
- There are new contributions from the Third, Sixth and Seventh Doctors, as well as Sarah Jane-Smith actress Elisabeth Sladen and writer Douglas Adams. Also included are the memories of famous fans such as Toyah Wilcox and Ken Livingstone, and fierce critic Mary Whitehouse.
- Watch out for the fantastic compilation video of companion’s costumes through the years, accompanied by unofficial spin-off single Who’s Who.
- There’s also a first when the little boy enters the TARDIS. It’s the first time there’s a single unbroken shot going from the Police Box prop to the TARDIS studio set.
- The then-Controller of BBC One, Alan Yentob appears right at the end to awkwardly neither confirm nor deny that the series would be returning one day via America…
Lovely extras?
There’s a thorough and thoughtful celebration of the Brigadier in Remembering Nicholas Courtney, featuring much of the last interview he gave before his death in 2011. The Verity Lambert Tapes gives an interesting overview of the birth of the series from the woman in charge, and Those Deadly Divas is a camp trawl through the series’ villainous ladies.
Why buy?
If you’ve become a fan of the series after 2005 and fancy understanding some of its heritage, this is a great place to start.
The bottom line:
A fantastic introduction to the first 30 years of Doctor Who’s history.
