GB
  
You are currently viewing the United Kingdom version of the site.
Would you like to switch to your local site?
24 MIN READ TIME

THEDIARYOF DoctorWho

By ALISTAIR McGOWN
Purchase options below
If you own the issue, Login to read the full article now.
Single Digital Issue Chronicles 1965
 
£8.99 / issue
This special issue is not included in a new Doctor Who Magazine subscription. Subscriptions include the latest regular issue and new issues released during your subscription.
Annual Digital Subscription £54.99 billed annually
Save
39%
£4.23 / issue
PRINT SUBSCRIPTION? Available at magazine.co.uk, the best magazine subscription offers online.
 

This article is from...


View Issues
Doctor Who Magazine
Chronicles 1965
VIEW IN STORE

Other Articles in this Issue


Doctor Who Magazine
DOCTOR WHO: CHRONICLES
Illustration by Anthony Lamb. Few would deny that
THE CHANGING FACE OF DOCTOR WHO
Fuelled by Dalekmania, Doctor Who  rode a wave of popularity in 1965  that’s rarely been equalled in the  programme’s history. The series also  began testing the boundaries of its  uniquely flexible format, embracing  the concept of change
NOWHERE MEN
Left inset: The Monk (Peter Butterworth) is horrified
MEANWHILE, ON PLANET EARTH IN 1965…
JANUARY Sir Winston Churchill dies at the age
DOCTORED  HUE
For the past three years, designer and former Doctor Who Magazine editor CLAYTON HICKMAN has been colourising Doctor Who photos on Twitter. Here, alongside a selection of his images from 1965, he takes us through the painstaking process of converting grayscale images to (almost) living colour
THE RESCUE
On the desolate planet Dido, crash survivor Vicki longs for liberation from the tyranny of a bizarre being
Liver Birds
T wo actresses were screen-tested for the role
Hyde Part
D uring the course of the adventure, the
Oh, Sandy!
K oquillion might have been a man in
Maureen O’Brien
The newest member of the TARDIS crew made her on-screen debut in January 1965.  For the actress playing the orphaned Vicki, this was the beginning of a largely frustrating year
THE ROMANS
All roads lead to Rome – and an inescapable date with the city’s fiery fate
In the Arena
T he Romans isn’t without its
Up in Smoke
T he Romans didn’t entirely depart from Doctor
Caveat Emperor
“N ero was a comic character written specially
FROM THE ARCHEIVES
The BBC’s Audience Research Reports of 1965 read like the Gogglebox of their era. What do these documents have to say about the public’s perception of Doctor Who, and how can they can help us evaluate those episodes today?
KITCHEN SINK DRAMA
A selection of comments from the Audience Research Reports on Doctor Who’s 1965 episodes
THE WEB PLANET
The TARDIS is dragged down to the strange world of Vortis – and into the clutches of its insectoid inhabitants…
Antecedent Antennae
T he Web Planet wasn’t
Antagonistic Antics
Z arbi movement presented a still greater challenge
Frenzied Anticipation
T he Zarbi attracted a huge amount of
SPECOAL EFFECTS
In the early days of Doctor Who special effects were created by the designer working on each serial, with outside contractors bringing their plans to life. In 1965, most of this work was handled by a company called Shawcraft
FUNGI TO BE WITH
While Shawcraft were the main contractors to the
THE CRUSADE
Richard the Lionheart faces the mighty Saladin in 12th-century Palestine – while the Doctor and friends find themselves on opposite sides of a holy war
Knight Thoughts
Second episode The Knight of Jaffa
Family Matters
R ichard (1157-1199) was played by the then
And Afterwards…
A ll along, the Doctor knows that Richard’s
TOY STORIES
In the second half of 1965 Dalek toys became some of the most popular children's gifts. Looking back on the number and diversity of licensed items that became available, it’s hard to believe that tie-in merchandising was still in its infancy
BETTER BY DESIGN
I t was in the interests of BBC
THE SPACE MUSEUM
To save themselves from a future on display in the Moroks’ museum, the Doctor and friends must inspire a revolution
Moroks Conquer and Destroy
G alactic conquest belongs in the Museum-curating Moroks’
Hemisphere of Influence
T he final episode features the first appearance
The Machine Stops
I n fact, the ‘freezing machine’ was meant
Getting THE PICTURE
In 1965 Doctor Who was stretching television technology to the limits on a weekly basis – and this was pushing the production team to breaking point
LENS FLAIR
W ith time so tight on studio recording
THE CHASE
A Dalek assassination group pursues the TARDIS travellers through all eternity – in a time machine of their own!
Malign in the Sand
T he Doctor’s first meeting with the Daleks’
House of Mystery
I n the fourth episode, the TARDIS arrives
Manhattan Transfer
T he Daleks make a New York stopover
Peter Purves
The actor cast as companion Steven Taylor originally joined Doctor Who in a completely different role
DR. WHO AND THE DALEKS
Dr Who visits the lost planet Skaro, where he helps the peaceful Thals overcome their cruel but brightly coloured oppressors – the Daleks!
Most Exciting
C time and space machine TARDIS, is first
Unimagined Thrills
I n the trailer, Dr Who invited the
Feel Their Fire!
T he trailer promised that the Daleks would
DREAM TICKETS
In 1965 the Daleks meant business. A lavish tour of department stores was just part of the marketing campaign that propelled them into cinemas – and one of the biggest box-office grosses of the year
MOVIE MERCH
A degree of copyright confusion had blown up
THE TIME MEDDLER
You wouldn’t expect to find a wristwatch-wearing Monk in 1066 AD – let alone one plotting to rewrite the Battle of Hastings…
Naughty Boy
W riter Dennis Spooner’s stage directions described the
The Play’s the Thing
E arly in the final episode, the Monk
Vikings and Electrical Toasters
E xcepting the Daleks’ brief stop-off aboard the
A CLOSE SHAVE
In the mid-1960s recognition of Terry Nation’s now ubiquitous creations extended to commercial television
GALAXY 4
The TARDIS travellers find themselves trapped between rival factions of aliens… on a planet that’s about to explode!
Little Monsters
T hroughout, the Drahvins are the Doctor’s companion Vicki calls
Making Anti-male Aggression Great Again
W ith the warthog-like Rills shown to be
After Effects
A round the time of transmission, the Chumblies
GAME PLAN
As pressure mounted to maintain sales of Dalek merchandise, both the BBC and its licensing agents began casting around for the Next Big Thing. If the Daleks lost their place on toyshop shelves, what would replace them?
PAGES OF HISTORY
The publication of the very first Dr Who Annual began a tradition that would continue for decades. What did this pioneering book tell young fans about their mysterious new hero?
ROBOTIC REMATCH
T he Dr Who Annual wasn’t the only
MISSION TO THE UNKNOWN
Plotting the complete destruction of our galaxy, the Daleks organise a deadly conclave on the planet Kembel…
UGH
C ory learns that six emissaries from the
UFOs
O nly one of the alien delegates was
UCLan
M ission to the Unknown
Rembrandt OF THE DALEKS
Richard E Jennings created opulent artwork for the Dalek comic strip in TV Century 21 and for the hardback book, The Dalek World.
Dalek Studio
I saw Dad once a week, most often for
THE MYTH MAKERS
Beware Greeks bearing gifts… and desperate time travellers with a working knowledge of the classics!
Happily Ever After?
T he Myth Makers doesn’t
Maxed Out
T roilus and Cressida influenced The Myth Makers’
Prophet and Loss
T he Doctor and the wounded Steven depart
Adrienne Hill
Cast as a doomed handmaiden from ancient Troy, Adrienne Hill soon discovered that her membership of the show’s regular cast would be very short indeed
THE DALEKS’ MASTER PLAN
Having teamed up with the Guardian of the Solar System, the Daleks and their alien allies are plotting the destruction of time itself…
Horror Spectacle
B ret wasn’t the only character to die
Avenger Assembled
K atarina’s equally temporary replacement was Bret’s assassin
Christmas Crackers
F ormer Tony Hancock gag writer Terry Nation
Jean Marsh
The Daleks’ Master Plan was foiled with help from an actress whose association with the series wasn't confined to her brief portrayal of Sara Kingdom
THE CURSE OF THE DALEKS
As they pursued the Doctor through space and time on television, the Daleks made a stop in London’s theatreland
BREAKING NEWS
With Doctor Who reaching new  heights of popularity, the popular  press was hungry to report any  stories relating to the series –  especially if they involved Daleks
NOT A CAMEL
W illiam Hartnell gave few interviews during his
DAILY DALEKS
Dalekmania spawned numerous ‘silly season’ stories in the press, from wildly inaccurate eggbox Daleks to celebrity photo opportunities
ON THE BOX
In 1965 Doctor Who was a consistent ratings winner in the BBC’s diverse portfolio of shows. ITV worked hard to steal audiences back…
TOP TV
The year’s most-watched p rogramme in the U
THE ENEMIES OF DOCTOR WHO
D uring 1965, BBC1 regularly scheduled Doctor Who
FINAL SCORE
1965’s episodes of Doctor Who inherited a large audience who had enjoyed spending their Christmas with Daleks. But their attention would soon wander