W illiam Hartnell gave few interviews during his time as the Doctor, but the press provided some fascinating snippets.
At a time when the Doctor’s background was shrouded in mystery, Hartnell observed in the 7 January issue of Reveille magazine that “I see Dr Who as a kind of lama… no, not a camel. I mean one of those long-lived old boys out in Tibet who might be anything up to 800 years old, but look only 75.” In the Sunday Mirror on 7 February, he suggested children were “hypnotised” by the Doctor: “I am hypnotised by Dr Who, myself… When I look at a script I find it unbelievable. So I allow myself to be hypnotised by it.