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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

THEDIARYOF DoctorWho

A month-by-month account of the year in which Doctor Who and the Daleks dominated more than just the television ratings

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