Doctor Who At The BBC

Our good friend the Doctor may continually jump from the past to the present and back to the future, but he's never really gone away. Since 1963 he has had a massive influence on our popular culture – as this second volume of rare material illustrates. Doctor Who has long been a favourite source of inspiration for comedy shows including The Mary Whitehouse Experience, I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue and Dead Ringers. It has also provided an endless source of features for programmes such as Nationwide, Pebble Mill at One, Woman's Hour and Talkback. All of these and more are featured here. We hear from no less than seven of the first eight actors to play the Doctor on TV: Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann all talk about what it's like to play the role, and the effect it has had on their lives. The Doctor's companions are also well featured, with Elisabeth Sladen, Louise Jameson, Matthew Waterhouse and John Leeson popping up in interviews recorded during their time on the programme. The issue of violence in Doctor Who is discussed by producer John Nathan-Turner, writer Kit Pedler and some very angry parents; director Paul Joyce takes us behind the scenes on the series; and there's a plethora of news items about the Doctor's many returns since 1989. So hold on to your hats – the latest journey starts here!