The Celestial Toyroom Annual Is Becoming a Tradition. This Is The
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me! I would like to express my thanks to every contributor. And on that note, regular readers of DWAS publications may note a number of new names amongst the contribu- tors. Regular, reliable writers are always the backbone of any such project but a request made via our The Celestial Toyroom Annual is Facebook pages resulted in a lot of becoming a tradition. This is the new (or new to DWAS) contributors third in the series, and once again, coming forward, which I am delight- we are concentrating on a specific ed about. I hope that this will go to Doctor’s era. The First Doctor was further demonstrate that you do not an obvious pick, as it was in 2018 need to be part of any mythical ‘in that as fans, we raised the funds crowd’ to take part in DWAS. necessary to place a blue heritage plaque to honour William Hartnell at On that note, I shall leave you to Ealing Studios. This era of the show travel back to 1963, the beginning seemed the natural choice. of the show, and the man who for many people is still ‘The Doctor’.. This book follows the usual format; an item on each story from the era, along with a few others such as ‘The Three Doctors’. We gave seri- Paul ous thought as to how far we should go, as in recent years, the first Doctor era has expanded quite significantly with the Big Finish ranges (both The Companion Chronicles and the David Bradley series) adding a great deal to the story. This is in addition to the many novels published over the years by the BBC and Virgin. Eventually, we decided to limit the content to pro- grammes that actually featured Wil- liam Hartnell, with the one addition of ‘An Adventure in Space and Time’ which although Hartnell was not actually part of, still concentrat- ed on his role in the programme. A book like this relies very heavily on those who contribute. Without people writing for us, the annual would either not happen, or might just have content exclusively by 1 2 the moment. But I do not think that merchandise, despite what they they are comparing like with like. may think of some of the Doctors. Until the advent of the video record- er you simply had to be there at the To be honest I see the version of It was the day that really changed time when the schedulers decreed the programme in its earliest days my life, and all these years later I that a programme should start, oth- to be a very different show to what remember it well. It was not the erwise you missed it completely. it is today. Yes there is the Tardis, twenty third of November 1963, but And for that you had to be dedicat- the Doctor and the companions but rather a week later. I had heard a ed - otherwise you would miss epi- to my mind the stories and the way lot of good things about this new sodes. Perhaps that commitment they are told are very different. serial that had just started on the meant that the original watchers of BBC and that unusually the channel Doctor Who became so passionate Back when it first started it was very was repeating that first episode police box in time? They did – but I about the programme because in much seen as one long story and along with their first screening of wondered whether they would al- order to see it, it usually meant they while the travellers had adventures the second episode the following ways be that lucky! had to make sacrifices as regards in different times and places for a week. It sounded most interesting other parts of their lives. time they were the same travellers. and I sat down to watch the pro- Unfortunately, a Sunday School In the beginning Doctor Who was gramme with my father. party meant that I missed the first I have often wondered if I would very much about four characters episode of the next story which have become a fan if I had started having adventures. Between them Having enjoyed the first episode meant that when I caught up with watching the show at another peri- these characters spanned three very much with this mysterious the four characters they were al- od of its life. Nowadays I really en- different generations. In the early Doctor and his granddaughter I ready in the Dalek city. By that time joy watching the Pertwee adven- days Ian and Barbara were the hero watched the second as well. With this new show had become my fa- tures but at the time I never enjoyed and heroine while the Doctor was the hero sharing my name and both vourite programme replacing Badg- them as much as the original sixties that ‘strange other character’ who my parents being teachers, I sup- er’s Bend the Animal Hotel which series. And even now while I have was much more difficult to fathom pose I found that I connected very had been my favourite up until then. all the surviving episodes on my out. well with this new serial. But I was There was something about this shelves it is to the monochrome era puzzled about the Doctor and I re- adventure show which was special. that I return again and again – es- For me of all the Doctors the first member asking my father whether Something about it that gripped me pecially these Hartnell adventures. Doctor was the most complex. He he was a goody or a baddy. He unlike any other programme before The BBC nowadays I think. wants could be charming, amusing, abra- resembled the character of the it or since. to have it both ways. It wants us to sive, thoughtful, wise, strong, trans- Grandfather in The Old Curiosity see the show as one continual un- parent, mysterious… the list could Shop a serial I had enjoyed watch- I remember always hating missing folding story from November 1963 go on and on. One never quite ing the previous year. It was a Sun- an episode of any serial that I was to the present. But at other times it knew where you were with him. He day classic serial starring Patrick watching. However with Doctor is quite happy to see it as a collec- has been described by some as a Troughton and it was one of the Who I tried to make a real effort to tion of different series all with the ‘wizard’ but unlike so many of the programmes that we watched as a ensure that no matter what, I was same overall title, but as different recent Doctors he had not got a family. Many of these classic seri- next to a television at whatever time versions of the programme accord- wand (i.e. sonic screwdriver) to get als were set in the past and I re- the programme was scheduled to ing to who is playing the Doctor. himself out of difficulties. He had to member very much enjoying any start each week. I was not always This means that it is acceptable to use his brains to get himself out of programme which had an historical successful and I missed no fewer like some Doctors much more than problems. He also suffered quite a background to it. than seven episodes of the first others. With the recent, to my mind lot during his adventures and one season of the programme. But radical change with the thirteenth thing you could not say of the early I eagerly awaiting the next two epi- none after that! Doctor, I can understand the BBC days was that it was ‘all jolly fun.’ sodes and the chase through the wanting to keep Doctor Who fans The Tardis transported her occu- forest was exciting. Would the four There is much talk about the huge on board particular as regards the pants to many dangerous places travellers be able to get back to that ratings that programme is getting at 3 4 and it was not always easy for them But I find all the Tardis occupants in had the Tardis crew moving from there are some Hartnell episodes to extricate themselves from their the Hartnell years likeable. I have place to place, as they did in The that I know better than others as a problems. to admit that I was sad every time Keys of Marinus. There were jour- result of re-watching them on video one of them left and hoped that one neys in The Romans and in the and then DVD. I could never say Back then Doctor Who was filmed day I would see them in the pro- Reign of Terror. In some more re- that the best episodes are the ones more like a stage play than a film. gramme again. But sadly it never cent times an adventure has tended that survived. If I was asked to sin- The range of special effects that we happened. The only character who to take place in a small region of a gle out which two episodes of this have now was not available. That left and returned in the Hartnell planet. But in the early days adven- era were the most interesting I meant that the emphasis back then years was the Meddling Monk. And tures took place over quite a large would say Bell of Doom from The had to be on the stories and on the for me one of the wonderful thing geographical era in addition to them Massacre which has the brilliant acting.