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An Adventure in Space and Time
An Adventure in Space and Time is a 2013 British biographical television film, starring David Bradley, Brian Cox, Jessica Raine and Sacha Dhawan. Directed by Terry McDonough, and written by regular Doctor Who writer Mark Gatiss, it premiered on BBC Two on 21 November 2013, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the science fiction television series. Further, international broadcasts of the television film were made after its premiere on British television.
The biographical film focuses on a dramatised version of events surrounding the creation of Doctor Who in the 1960s, with emphasis on actor William Hartnell, portrayed by Bradley, as he took on the role of the original incarnation of the show's main character, the Doctor. Alongside Hartnell, the story also focused on the behind-the-scene events with the production staff, including the involvement of Sydney Newman, Verity Lambert and Waris Hussein. The television film received positive feedback after its broadcast and received a number of award nominations. Following his role in the film, Bradley would take part in Doctor Who in the role of the First Doctor, for the 2017 episodes "The Doctor Falls" and "Twice Upon a Time", and the 2022 special "The Power of the Doctor", as well as for a series of audio adventures for Big Finish Productions.
In 1963, Sydney Newman (Brian Cox) becomes the BBC's new Head of Drama. To plug a gap between the broadcasts of Grandstand and Juke Box Jury, he devises a new science-fiction series, to be titled "Doctor Who", which will cater to children and sports fans alike, and feature a central character who is an old man and a "doctor". Newman recruits a former production assistant Verity Lambert (Jessica Raine) to head the programme as its producer, despite the difficulties she faces from others in her new role. Lambert and Waris Hussein (Sacha Dhawan), the programme's director, recruit William Hartnell (David Bradley), typecasted for army roles, to portray The Doctor, despite his trepidation over how it will aid his acting career.
Meanwhile, Lambert strengthens her assertiveness and secures a set piece for the programme for the interior of the TARDIS, the Doctor's spaceship. Production of the pilot episode "An Unearthly Child" is beset by difficulties. Newman dislikes the end results and orders a re-shoot, including a request for Hartnell's character to be gentler and kinder on screen. Lambert and Hussein manage to complete the re-shoot in time for the pilot to be broadcast on its scheduled transmission date. Upon learning that the programme is to be cancelled, due to the diminished audience the pilot episode received in the wake of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Lambert successfully appeals to Newman for it to be broadcast again before the second episode is transmitted and for the next serial to introduce monsters into Doctor Who, against Newman's beliefs. After The Daleks is broadcast, he admits he was mistaken upon seeing strong viewing figures.
Hartnell takes delight in his role, becoming attached to his character and the popularity it brings him with children. As the programme progresses, and both cast and crew change (including Lambert and Hussein), Hartnell's health begins to decline. Concerned over his failure to remember his lines, Newman agrees to his superior's request to replace Hartnell for a new actor, Patrick Troughton (Reece Shearsmith), for the next series. Hartnell agrees to leave, but breaks down upon telling his wife the news, stating "I don't want to go". As Hartnell prepares for his final scene in 1966, recalling how Doctor Who began and his involvement with it, he commends Troughton for being his successor before his first scene is filmed. As filming begins, Hartnell looks across the TARDIS console and sees a brief vision of another actor playing the Doctor decades later, silently acknowledging his work.
The film ends on an epilogue narrative of each of the main real-life figures in the story, before closing on the real Hartnell's speech made at the end of the serial The Dalek Invasion of Earth.
A number of the cast have appeared in Doctor Who at one time or another, most notably original companions William Russell and Carole Ann Ford. David Bradley appeared in the Series 7 episode "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship"; Jessica Raine was in the Series 7 episode "Hide" and the Call the Midwife charity cross-over mini-episode; Jeff Rawle was in the Season 21 serial Frontios; Mark Eden appeared as the title character in the Season 1 serial Marco Polo; Nicholas Briggs, who has voiced the Daleks since the series was revived in 2005, portrayed his own predecessor and Brian Cox voiced the Elder Ood in "The End of Time". Jean Marsh and Anneke Wills, who both played companions to Hartnell's First Doctor also appeared during Verity Lambert's leaving party scene, while William Russell appeared as security guard Harry. Sacha Dhawan would go on to play the Master starting with the Series 12 episode "Spyfall", while Bradley appeared as the First Doctor costume to play the part himself in the 2017 Christmas episode, "Twice Upon a Time", and then again five years later in Jodie Whittaker's final episode as the Doctor "The Power of the Doctor". Bradley also appeared as the Doctor in a series of audio adventures produced by Big Finish Productions alongside Jamie Glover, Jemma Powell and Claudia Grant as Ian, Barbara and Susan.
For the thirtieth anniversary of Doctor Who in 1993, filmmaker Kevin Davies pitched an idea called The Legend Begins to the BBC. The Legend Begins would have mixed documentary interviews with those responsible for the creation of Doctor Who with a dramatised strand showing the programme's beginnings. Eventually, the dramatisation idea was abandoned in favour of a standard documentary format looking at the entire history of Doctor Who, which was broadcast on BBC1 as Doctor Who: Thirty Years in the TARDIS in November 1993. Ten years later, for the fortieth anniversary, writer and executive producer Mark Gatiss pitched the idea for the film to BBC Four, unaware of Davies's previous attempt. However, the proposal was rejected, and Gatiss was told that there was no available slot or budget.
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An Adventure in Space and Time
An Adventure in Space and Time is a 2013 British biographical television film, starring David Bradley, Brian Cox, Jessica Raine and Sacha Dhawan. Directed by Terry McDonough, and written by regular Doctor Who writer Mark Gatiss, it premiered on BBC Two on 21 November 2013, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the science fiction television series. Further, international broadcasts of the television film were made after its premiere on British television.
The biographical film focuses on a dramatised version of events surrounding the creation of Doctor Who in the 1960s, with emphasis on actor William Hartnell, portrayed by Bradley, as he took on the role of the original incarnation of the show's main character, the Doctor. Alongside Hartnell, the story also focused on the behind-the-scene events with the production staff, including the involvement of Sydney Newman, Verity Lambert and Waris Hussein. The television film received positive feedback after its broadcast and received a number of award nominations. Following his role in the film, Bradley would take part in Doctor Who in the role of the First Doctor, for the 2017 episodes "The Doctor Falls" and "Twice Upon a Time", and the 2022 special "The Power of the Doctor", as well as for a series of audio adventures for Big Finish Productions.
In 1963, Sydney Newman (Brian Cox) becomes the BBC's new Head of Drama. To plug a gap between the broadcasts of Grandstand and Juke Box Jury, he devises a new science-fiction series, to be titled "Doctor Who", which will cater to children and sports fans alike, and feature a central character who is an old man and a "doctor". Newman recruits a former production assistant Verity Lambert (Jessica Raine) to head the programme as its producer, despite the difficulties she faces from others in her new role. Lambert and Waris Hussein (Sacha Dhawan), the programme's director, recruit William Hartnell (David Bradley), typecasted for army roles, to portray The Doctor, despite his trepidation over how it will aid his acting career.
Meanwhile, Lambert strengthens her assertiveness and secures a set piece for the programme for the interior of the TARDIS, the Doctor's spaceship. Production of the pilot episode "An Unearthly Child" is beset by difficulties. Newman dislikes the end results and orders a re-shoot, including a request for Hartnell's character to be gentler and kinder on screen. Lambert and Hussein manage to complete the re-shoot in time for the pilot to be broadcast on its scheduled transmission date. Upon learning that the programme is to be cancelled, due to the diminished audience the pilot episode received in the wake of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Lambert successfully appeals to Newman for it to be broadcast again before the second episode is transmitted and for the next serial to introduce monsters into Doctor Who, against Newman's beliefs. After The Daleks is broadcast, he admits he was mistaken upon seeing strong viewing figures.
Hartnell takes delight in his role, becoming attached to his character and the popularity it brings him with children. As the programme progresses, and both cast and crew change (including Lambert and Hussein), Hartnell's health begins to decline. Concerned over his failure to remember his lines, Newman agrees to his superior's request to replace Hartnell for a new actor, Patrick Troughton (Reece Shearsmith), for the next series. Hartnell agrees to leave, but breaks down upon telling his wife the news, stating "I don't want to go". As Hartnell prepares for his final scene in 1966, recalling how Doctor Who began and his involvement with it, he commends Troughton for being his successor before his first scene is filmed. As filming begins, Hartnell looks across the TARDIS console and sees a brief vision of another actor playing the Doctor decades later, silently acknowledging his work.
The film ends on an epilogue narrative of each of the main real-life figures in the story, before closing on the real Hartnell's speech made at the end of the serial The Dalek Invasion of Earth.
A number of the cast have appeared in Doctor Who at one time or another, most notably original companions William Russell and Carole Ann Ford. David Bradley appeared in the Series 7 episode "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship"; Jessica Raine was in the Series 7 episode "Hide" and the Call the Midwife charity cross-over mini-episode; Jeff Rawle was in the Season 21 serial Frontios; Mark Eden appeared as the title character in the Season 1 serial Marco Polo; Nicholas Briggs, who has voiced the Daleks since the series was revived in 2005, portrayed his own predecessor and Brian Cox voiced the Elder Ood in "The End of Time". Jean Marsh and Anneke Wills, who both played companions to Hartnell's First Doctor also appeared during Verity Lambert's leaving party scene, while William Russell appeared as security guard Harry. Sacha Dhawan would go on to play the Master starting with the Series 12 episode "Spyfall", while Bradley appeared as the First Doctor costume to play the part himself in the 2017 Christmas episode, "Twice Upon a Time", and then again five years later in Jodie Whittaker's final episode as the Doctor "The Power of the Doctor". Bradley also appeared as the Doctor in a series of audio adventures produced by Big Finish Productions alongside Jamie Glover, Jemma Powell and Claudia Grant as Ian, Barbara and Susan.
For the thirtieth anniversary of Doctor Who in 1993, filmmaker Kevin Davies pitched an idea called The Legend Begins to the BBC. The Legend Begins would have mixed documentary interviews with those responsible for the creation of Doctor Who with a dramatised strand showing the programme's beginnings. Eventually, the dramatisation idea was abandoned in favour of a standard documentary format looking at the entire history of Doctor Who, which was broadcast on BBC1 as Doctor Who: Thirty Years in the TARDIS in November 1993. Ten years later, for the fortieth anniversary, writer and executive producer Mark Gatiss pitched the idea for the film to BBC Four, unaware of Davies's previous attempt. However, the proposal was rejected, and Gatiss was told that there was no available slot or budget.