Feature by PAUL KIRKLEY
Doctor Who may owe its existence to a somewhat prosaic scheduling problem – namely, Sydney Newman’s need to fill that awkward gap between Grandstand and Juke Box Jury – but the BBC drama boss had lofty ambitions for the new show from the start.
One of Newman’s earliest edicts was that the series should be “rooted in reality” and “avoid science-fiction clichés”. He was also known for annotating early discussion documents with considered notes like “NUTS!” So when David Whitaker, a staffer in the BBC’s Script Department, was hired as Doctor Who’s first story editor, it was clear he needed to be on his mettle.