For many years, the departure of a Doctor and the announcement of a new actor for the show’s lead role has been a big news story But it wasn’t always this way.
Jonathan Morris’ article Back With a Bang, which begins on page 36, describes the time in 1966 when the arrival of Patrick Troughton’s Doctor was decidedly underplayed by the BBC. The series was at a low ebb when William Hartnell left, but replacing him was considered so risky that the Daleks were brought in, both to divert our attention and reassure us that this was business as usual.