The time for
a new Doctor Who series is fast approaching us again and fans will be watching in
anticipation, hoping for appearances of favourite baddies; the Daleks, The
Cyber men and the Weeping Angles and perhaps some new villains too.
Ever since
Doctor Who first appeared on our TV screens way back in 1963, the time
travelling Galefrean in a blue police box has scared, thrilled and enthralled
viewers in the UK around the world.
The series
has had its ups and downs though, from wobbly cardboard sets, some ludicrous
villains to cringe worthy plot lines, but the legend of the Doctor lives on.
So, in celebration of another mind-blowing journey through time and space with
Doctor Who, here are some Doctor Who facts that you may not have known.
1. Doctor Who was intended to be an
educational programme
When it was
first conceived, Doctor Who was planned to be an educational programme for
kids. Scheduled for early Saturday evening viewing, the show was to use trips
to the future, to teach children about the science and trips to the past, to
help with a history lesson. It turned out though that the historical episodes
weren’t as popular as the science fiction episodes, so the monsters and robots
prevailed.
2. Hiding behind the sofa
Hiding
behind the sofa, the phrase that has become a common cliché, first came from
Doctor Who. I know this for a fact because I remember doing it! Back in the
1960’s and 1970’s, nothing like Doctor Who had been seen on TV before and while
you may laugh at some of the earlier episodes now, back then they were scary!
3. The Dalek’s were based on the Nazis
There are
many references to the Nazis in the Daleks. In the early episodes of Doctor who
there are even mentions of the final solution and the Dalek’s having been bred
for the sake of racial purity. In “Genesis of the Daleks” you can also spot
similarities in the uniforms of the Daleks ancestors, the Kaleds, and their
heel clicking Nazi style salutes.
4. The BBC lost 103 episodes of Doctor Who
Despite the
classic cult status of Doctor Who, the BBC actually managed to lose 103
episodes of the show. Mostly episodes shot in the 1960’s and 1970’s and
starring the first and second doctors, these episodes were lost or wiped to
save space at the BBC. Since then, thanks to the efforts of Doctor Who fans
around the world, many have now been recovered.
5. The Daleks nearly didn’t reappear in the
latest runs of Doctor Who
The estate
of the original co-creator of the Daleks, Terry nation, still owns the rights
to the Doctors most famous adversary. When talks were taking place before the
re-launch of the show in 2005, agreement regarding editorial control could not
be reached between the BBC and the owners of the Daleks, so the Toclafane were
going to be used instead. Thankfully, the Terry Nation estate relented and a
whole new generation of fans has been able to discover the Daleks.
6. It wasn’t Michael Grade who cancelled
Doctor Who
Michael
Grade became the biggest villain in Doctor Who history when the show was
cancelled in 1987. Although Grade didn’t like the show, it was his successor,
Jonathan Powell, who actually cancelled it. But let’s be honest, even the most
ardent of fans will admit that it had got a bit silly by then!
7. The twisted plot of the Doctor's
daughter
In a plot
that would be worthy of a Doctor Who episode, the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant,
is married to Georgia Moffett who played in the role of the Doctor’s daughter.
To further twist the time lines, Georgia Moffett is the real-life daughter of
the fifth Doctor, Peter Davison!
8. The fourth Doctor's scarf was created by
accident
The
extra-long scarf worn by the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, came about completely by
accident. The costume designer of the time, James Acheson, sent too much wool
to the knitter, Begonia Pope, who instead of reading the instructions used all
the wool. Tom Baker liked the scarf so much; it became a permanent feature of
his wardrobe.
9. One actor has appeared in Doctor Who,
Star Wars and Star Trek
Deep Roy is
the only actor to have appeared in all three of the most well-known science
fiction franchises. He played Droopy McCool in Star Wars, Return of the Jedi in
1983, Keenser in Star Trek in 2009′s and in 1977 he appeared in Doctor Who as
Mr. Sin in the episode “The Talons of Weng Chiang”.
10. Torchwood is an anagram of Doctor Who
The name of
the spin off series ‘Torchwood’ is an anagram of Doctor Who. Apparently, when
the first series of the latest run of the show was being filmed, the producers
were so concerned about tapes of the show being pirated and released before the
show was aired that they used the code name of Torchwood when shipping tapes.
The name was later used for the spin off series.
11. The Doctor's regeneration was
introduced when the first doctor, William Hartnell became ill
The
brilliant idea of regeneration, which has enabled the show to go on for so long
without any unexplained changes in the Doctors face, was first introduced in
1966. This allowed the smooth transition to the second Doctor, Patrick
Troughton in 1966.
12. The Metropolitan Police tried to steal
the Tardis
Well, it
wasn’t quite stealing, but the police did object to the BBC filing for a patent
on the police box design of the Tardis. You really would have thought that the
Met would have better things to do. The court eventually ruled in favour of the
BBC.
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