Myth Makers

After fifty years ‘in the business’ William Russell may well have thought he’d seen it all… but not a Myth Makers! As William travels around London with Nicholas Briggs to the few locations used in the early years of Doctor Who, Nick draws out William’s memories of working with Jacqueline Hill, Carole Ann Ford and William Hartnell at the very beginning of the world’s longest running science fiction series. Admittedly it was an unusual means of transport… but at least they didn’t have to pay a fare!

Directly involved in creating the very basis of the programme’s success and steering it through the first years of production. In this rare interview, Nicholas Briggs chats to Verity about the challenges and limitations involved in producing such a technically difficult programme in the early 1960’s and the behind-the-scenes struggles she faced to get Doctor Who on air the way she believed it should be. This is a Myth Makers every Doctor Who fan should have.

Those who worked with her fondly remember Jacqueline Hill as a kind and generous colleague. She had a long and varied career and as Barbara Wright she played one of the original TARDIS crew who put Doctor Who firmly on the road to success. We talk to Carole Ann Ford, William Russell, Maureen O’Brien, Verity Lambert and Jacqueline’s husband Alvin Rakoff about a remarkable woman. We also feature rare footage of Jacqueline at DWAS Social 5 held in 1985. Technical details, RTP 0148

When TURLOUGH first appeared alongside PETER DAVISON's Doctor in MAWDRYN UNDEAD he was out to kill him - not the best start as a DOCTOR WHO assistant! But over the next ten stories MARK STRICKSON managed to steer this most complicated of characters through an equally intricate series of storylines to become a firm favourite with fans. Given MARK's ability to deal with challenges, it's lucky he's with NICHOLAS BRIGGS as they return to the location used for THE AWAKENING. Because while chatting about MARK's career and his time in DOCTOR WHO they are pursued by an echo from the past - and it's getting closer!

Roger Delgado appeared in only eight Doctor Who stories, but today he is fondly remembered as creating one of the most exciting characters to grace the series. As The Master, Roger was the perfect nemesis for Jon Pertwee’s Doctor and in this special Myth Makers many of the team from that era, including Jon Pertwee, Nicholas Courtney, Barry Letts, Paul Bernard and Shaun Sutton, recall Roger’s time in the show and his career in television and films.

Directing any television programme is demanding enough, Doctor Who brings its own special challenges. Between them, Christopher Barry and Paul Bernard have directed thirteen stories in the BBCtv series and worked with four Doctors. Here, in this special Myth Makers, they talk about their careers in television and share memories of working on Doctor Who. Since recording his interview Paul Bernard has sadly died. This production is respectfully dedicated to him.

Until this Myth Makers, most Doctor Who fans (when asked about Katy Manning) would have said, ’Where is she?’ Well we found her, and what’s more, we dragged her onto the set of Lust in Space to make a guest appearance. And being the practical people we were (and are!), we thought it wise to record a Myth Makers at the same time. So that’s what we did. And here it is!

During his long and varied career, Shaun Sutton has been an actor, writer, producer, director and ultimately Head of BBCtv Drama for twelve years. He was there when William Hartnell left the series and was instrumental in casting Patrick Troughton as his successor. Three years later he was still there to help in the choice of Jon Pertwee as the third Doctor! He was even there when Tom Baker joined the programme… He and Sidney Newman oversaw what is now called ‘the golden age of television…’ it was certainly the golden age of Doctor Who. Shaun shares with Nicholas Briggs his unique experiences in television production at the BBC and on Doctor Who in particular.

If there is one designer who contributed most to the early success of Doctor Who it was surely Raymond Cusick. Ray worked on ten Doctor Who stories and created some of the most stunning designs ever seen in the series. Nicholas Briggs chats to Ray about his career and uncovers the creative talent that gave us such classic monsters as the Daleks and Mechanoids!

Derrick Sherwin joined the Doctor Who production office during the latter days of Patrick Troughton’s tenure as the second Doctor. As Story Editor, Script Editor and eventually Producer, he became deeply involved in the planning of the changeover from Patrick to Jon Pertwee – the third Doctor. In this fascinating Myth Makers, Nicholas Briggs uncovers the quite detailed planning that went into the changeover, the creation of UNIT and the fact that the switch to Earthbound stories would have gone ahead even if Patrick had stayed!

As the very first Doctor, William Hartnell created the character that made Doctor Who a success. No other actor made such a lasting contribution to the programme or influenced it so greatly. In this special Myth Makers, Nicholas Briggs meets William’s friends, colleagues and family and explores the personality of this shy, complex and private man. With contributions from William Russell, Carole Ann Ford, Maureen O’Brien, Peter Purves, Verity Lambert, Michael Craze, Anneke Wills, Donald Tosh, Christopher Barry and a revealing interview with Jack Pitt, who was an extra in Doctor Who and shared William’s flat in London. Also featured is Jessica Carney, who has written a biography of the grandfather’s life titled Who’s There? This is not just a Myth Makers tribute… it’s almost a chance to meet the man himself.

Donald Tosh joined the Doctor Who production team as Script Editor (then titled Story Editor) in 1965. He and John Wiles faced the formidable task of taking over from Verity Lambert and building on the success she had made the series. Thrown in ‘at the deep end’, Donald found himself faced with a cast under pressure as William Hartnell’s health deteriorated and his performance suffered. Despite these problems, Donald supervised some memorable stories including Galaxy 4 and The Dalek’s Master Plan. He was also the first to consider ways of writing William out of the series…

Who might you ask is Jack Pitt? He was actually one of the extras who inhabited the legion of monsters seen in Doctor Who during the William Hartnell era of Doctor Who. His memories of the early days of television and (more importantly) squeezing into Venom Grubs and Mechanoids are both evocative and humorous. But what Jack really brings to Myth Makers is a personal insight into William Hartnell’s life. For eighteen months Jack shared digs with William and this gave him a unique view of a pivotal point in both William Hartnell’s career and in Doctor Who history. Nicholas Briggs reminisces with Jack about Doctor Who in the 1960’s and uncovers some surprising facts…

In the early days of television designers were experimenting in ways that are difficult to comprehend today. In this Myth Makers, Nicholas Briggs chats to Barry Newbery about the challenges this brought and the change to colour pictures in the late 1960’s. Off and on, Barry worked on Doctor Who for over 20 years, from the very first story right through to The Awakening in 1984. He has a unique view of the programme’s history. Jam packed with rare drawings and photographs, this is vintage Myth Makers!

Through a variety of different owners, editors, writers, artists and contributors - Doctor Who Magazine (DWM) has reviewed, analysed, supported and created new fiction about DOCTOR WHO for 20 years. Reeltime’s cameras were at City University for DWM’s ‘20th Birthday Bash’ where Nicholas Briggs managed to corner Gary Gillatt, Dez Skin, J. Jeremy Bentham, Andrew Pixley, Gary Russell and guest editor Sophie Aldred to discuss the magazine's successes and failures and what the future may hold.

In the seventies, Graeme worked as an Assistant Floor Manager at the BBC and worked on three Jon Pertwee Doctor Who adventures, Colony in Space, Planet of the Daleks and Planet of the Spiders. He was also Production Assistant on the highly regarded Tom Baker stories The Seeds of Doom and Warriors’ Gate, working with directors like Douglas Camfield and Michael Briant. In between assignments on Eastenders and Grange Hill, Graeme took time out to discuss his career with Nicholas Briggs. In a lively discussion, Graeme talks about his career at the BBC, his hopes for the future, and reveals all about the aborted 30th anniversary special The Dark Dimension.