MADMAN WITH A BOX

THE DOCTOR WHO CHRONOLOGY

This is not a chronology of the Doctor Who continuum. Rather, this is a chronology of the Doctor Who TV show. From its early beginnings to the present day. It will list broadcast dates of episodes, cast and crew info and behind the scenes peek, to give readers a good grasp of Doctor Who's tortuous history.

For those of you familiar with my other blog, The Midnight Theatre, you know I have written about the show, however since that blog was not specifically created to talk about that particular programme, I thought it best to confine my Doctor Who obsession to this one, Madman With A Box. I have decided to wait until all the hoopla surrounding the 50th anniversary and Matt Smith's ultimate story have died down a bit to start. Since we won't have a new series until August-September 2014, this will give me more than enough time to catch up.

Such an undertaking would not be possible if information about the show had not been thoroughly discussed and laid down in other important work. My principal sources will be the About Time series, written primarily by Lawrence Miles and Tat Wood (along with other contributors) and the Doctor Who Handbook overseen by David J. Howe and others. Shannon Sullivan's site A Brief History of (Time) Travel is another invaluable tool for production details.

PREHISTORY

April 1962
Donald Wilson, head of the BBC's Script Department set up the Survey Group. It's job is to find new and exciting programming ideas for the BBC. The rationale being that the BBC must always remain competitive, particularly against its chief rival, ITV. Wilson asks the Survey Group to focus its attention on Science-Fiction. Donald Bull, Alice Frick and, later, John Blaylock come up with two popular Sci-Fi mainstay: time travel and telepathy.

January 1963
The BBC pulls quite a coup when it poaches Sydney Newman from ITV. Newman had previously created The Avengers for ITV. Newman is made Head of Drama and soon set up a wind-of-change regime at the Beeb. Meanwhile, Donald Baverstock becomes the BBC's new Head of Programmes (essentially, he's Newman's boss). Newman disbands the BBC's Children Department. From now on, kids' TV will be produced under the Drama Department.

March 1963
Baverstock needs a new show to bridge the late afternoon and early evening time-slots. More to the point, he needs something between Grandstand (sports) and Juke Box Jury (light entertainment). Newman is given the brief. Newman asks Donald Wilson to submit a proposal. Wilson then meets with Blaylock, Frick and C.E. "Bunny" Webber who discuss a program tentatively named The Troubleshooters. The characters are a "handsome, young man hero", "handsome well-dressed heroine" and a "maturer man, with character twist" who happens to travel through time. The only thing Newman agrees with is the time machine aspect. Moreover, Newman deplores the lack of younger, teenage characters. On the other hand, he really likes the "mature man with character twist". With a few broad strokes, the character becomes a frail, old man who has stolen a time machine from his people. We're getting there...

May 1963
Newman brings Rex Tucker as the new show's producer. The show is christened Doctor Who. Hooky, kooky, mysterious and spooky. Tucker writes the show's original bible, detailing the format, characters etc. The characters are:

Bridget (or "Biddy") is a fifteen years-old teenager.
Lola McGovern, 24-years old.
Cliff, 27-28, the strong, action hero.
Dr. Who, the frail, old man from an ancient civilisation, lost in time and space.

Webber also details the show's first episode, Nothing at the End of the Lane, where Biddy, Cliff and Lola meet Dr. Who. The relationships between the characters is also outlined: Dr. Who mistrusts anyone, Cliff distrusts the Doctor, Biddy doesn't like Lola and Lola has a crush on Cliff.

The time machine is also discussed, Webber doesn't want it to be too "science-fictiony" or fantastical. However, the idea that is has a mind of its own and going haphazardly in time and space is firmly established at this point. Other ideas will not please Newman, and changes will be amended. Newman wants the show to have a strong educational bent, as well as avoid sci-fi clichés such as "Bug Eyed Monsters".

Australian writer Anthony Coburn is brought in to help. It is he who decides that the time machine should look like a British Police Box and be larger on the inside than out.

On may 16, 1963 a new version of the bible is written by Webber, Wilson and Newman. In this new version, Biddy's name changes to Sue. Later that month, Webber is commissioned to write the first 4 part serial, a tale of miniaturisation called The Giants. However, due to many issues, the proposed serial was dropped.

June 1963
When The Giants is no longer a going concern, Webber develops a new script, around cavemen and incorporating elements of Webber's original scrip for the first episode. Mervyn Pinfield is named Associate Producer of Doctor Who and Tucker has his eyes on Hugh David to play Dr. Who. However, the actor refuses. Tucker himself leaves the programme shortly afterwards. Though nominally the producer, Tucker prefers directing. Newman asks Don Taylor to take over, but he declines. His next candidate will not. Verity Lambert takes over as Doctor Who's producer, along with David Whitaker as the show's first script editor and, finally, Waris Hussein as director for the first serial. The production is assigned to Lime Grove Studio D, a run-down facility, severely limiting what Doctor Who can or cannot do.

Anthony Coburn's script amends some of the character's names: Sue becomes Susan Foreman, and becomes the Doctor's granddaughter. Cliff becomes Mr. Chesterton. Lola's still on board, though.

Meanwhile, the hunt is on for the Doctor with Leslie French, Geoffrey Bayldon and Cyril Cusack None of them are interested, though.

July 1963
Lambert approaches veteran character actor William Hartnell to play Dr. Who. Hartnell had just finished working on Lindsay Anderson's This Sporting Life. Hartnell had often been typecast as a "rough and gruff" military men or gangsters. He saw Doctor Who has a perfect opportunity to play a grandfather-type. Other cast members falls into place, around that time. William Russell is selected to play Ian Chesterton. Lola McGovern, now renamed Barbara Wright, is to be played by Jacqueline Hill. Susan's part goes to Carole Ann Ford. Contracts are duly signed on July 31, 1963. In the meantime, Script Ed. David Whitaker rewrites the bible. Ron Grainer, from the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop, is writes and produces the theme tune. He is helped in this task with electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire. The final piece of the puzzle falls into place when the Doctor's time machine is christened the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space). Everything's set for a long, long journey...

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