The Doctor Who primer
- Thread starter V\'ger
- Start date
Confessions: a few weeks ago, when V'ger first posted the primer, I had constructed a detailed set of qualifications to the primer, including this observation. Unfortunately just before I posted it, my slipper fell from my foot on to the extension cord's circuit-breaker switch, shutting down my PC.
The only other observation I'd make now is that while most of V'ger's characterisations of the different 'eras' of the programme are well attested in Doctor Who fan culture, they are very much generalisations and are disputed. Don't go to the final McCoy season, for example, expecting to find serials of the same style and tone as, say, most of Tom Baker's second or third season, because it's likely that you won't, although IMO there is much to commend in at least three of the four serials.
YOu should probably mention that animated webcasts, photonovels of classic episodes, eBooks and so forth are available to watch/download at http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/index.shtml
Gary
Gary
Hey folks I see you started a primer here for New Who Fans.
I got a linky for ya.
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=251982
That thread is a summary done by one of the posters over at RPG.net and it is a rather detailed summary of every Dr Who series from 1963 to present. The summary is up to the books between the 7th and 8th doctor but hasn't made it to the TV movie yet.
Really good stuff and quite enjoyable reading. It made viewing the pilot episode a lot more understandable as I recongized the autons (plastic people) right off.
I got a linky for ya.
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=251982
That thread is a summary done by one of the posters over at RPG.net and it is a rather detailed summary of every Dr Who series from 1963 to present. The summary is up to the books between the 7th and 8th doctor but hasn't made it to the TV movie yet.
Really good stuff and quite enjoyable reading. It made viewing the pilot episode a lot more understandable as I recongized the autons (plastic people) right off.
G
Guest
Guest
Hi All:
I first watched this series back in the early 80's and quickly became one of my favorites. Tom Baker was the doctor at the time ( and was the best one too) hence my name. For no good reason- my station could no longer afford to show it and dropped it. I am looking forward to the new editions of Dr Who. I just loved the old wacky special effects of yesteryear. It's probably going to take a little time to get used to these new ones.....
The Fourth Doctor
I first watched this series back in the early 80's and quickly became one of my favorites. Tom Baker was the doctor at the time ( and was the best one too) hence my name. For no good reason- my station could no longer afford to show it and dropped it. I am looking forward to the new editions of Dr Who. I just loved the old wacky special effects of yesteryear. It's probably going to take a little time to get used to these new ones.....
The Fourth Doctor
An other excellent site is the Doctor Who Reference Guide which has, for me, become the one-stop for plot references.
http://www.drwhoguide.com
This site has detailed (and I mean scene by scene) synopses of not only every televised story, but also all but a few of the audio productions, comic strips, original novels, and other odds and ends including spin-off productions ranging from independent films featuring Doctor Who characters to literary spinoffs like the Benny Summerfield novels. I can't recommend this site highly enough for people who are looking for detail on the Doctor's adventures but who either are unable to obtain past episodes/audios/books or don't have the time to watch/read them.
Cheers!
Alex
Good point.
Theme composed by Ron Grainer
1963-1980, theme arranged and realised by Delia Derbyshire and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
1980-1985, theme arranged and realised by Peter Howell and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
1986, theme arranged by Dominic Glynn. Not certain if he did it at the workshop, but it seems likely.
1987-89, theme arranged by Keff McCulloch. Again, not certain if he did it at the workshop, but it seems likely.
1996, arranged by John Debney. Fully orchestrated. By some Canadians, probably.
2005 (series), arranged by Murray Gold, based on the original Derbyshire version. This omitted the "middle 8".
2005- present, beginning with The Christmas Invasion, arranged by Murray Gold, and performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Restores the middle 8, to much rejoicing.
Theme composed by Ron Grainer
1963-1980, theme arranged and realised by Delia Derbyshire and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
1980-1985, theme arranged and realised by Peter Howell and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
1986, theme arranged by Dominic Glynn. Not certain if he did it at the workshop, but it seems likely.
1987-89, theme arranged by Keff McCulloch. Again, not certain if he did it at the workshop, but it seems likely.
1996, arranged by John Debney. Fully orchestrated. By some Canadians, probably.
2005 (series), arranged by Murray Gold, based on the original Derbyshire version. This omitted the "middle 8".
2005- present, beginning with The Christmas Invasion, arranged by Murray Gold, and performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Restores the middle 8, to much rejoicing.
It is the triumphant bit that is probably most prominant in the McCoy theme.
This bit:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/ram/2006theme.asx
This bit:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/ram/2006theme.asx
Only Delia and Peter worked for the Radiophonic Workshop, actually; all of the theme composers since then have been freelance.
Thanks!
I've been picking up episodes from past Dr. Who's in a hit or miss fashion, and that means that I'm watching the first doctor one week and the sixth the next, so it's nice to have a good overview that is also fairly spoiler-free to help me fit things into some sort of framework.
I've been picking up episodes from past Dr. Who's in a hit or miss fashion, and that means that I'm watching the first doctor one week and the sixth the next, so it's nice to have a good overview that is also fairly spoiler-free to help me fit things into some sort of framework.
A couple of notes on Doctor Who "Expanded Universe" fiction:
-The canonicity of these, like that of Star Wars, is often debated. Wikipedia states their canon is 'unclear'. However it is worth nothing that several new series writers, including RTD himself, have written for the novel and audio lines.
-There have been several Doctor Who novel lines, although some are currently defunct. These include:
-The Target Novelizations, which adapted almost all serials of the show into novel form. They ceased production in the early 90s, with only the Douglas Adams and Eric Saward Dalek stories unfinished.
-The New Adventures, which featured the adventures of the Seventh Doctor post-SURVIVAL. Published by Virgin. The line also includes one Eigth Doctor novel and after the license was lost the line continued for some time afterwards featuring the adventures of novel-original companion Benny Summerfield.
-The Missing Adventures. Several novels that take place between classic series serials, many of which feature sequels to television stories.
-BBC Eigth Doctor Adventures, which continue the adventures of the Eigth Doctor between the TV movie and Rose.
-BBC Ninth Doctor adventures, featuring adventures set during the first season of the new series.
-BBC Tenth Doctor Adventures, featuring adventures set at this point during the second season.
-BBC Past Doctor Adventures, which serve the same function as the Missing Adventures.
I'll post a writeup on the audios and comics later.
-The canonicity of these, like that of Star Wars, is often debated. Wikipedia states their canon is 'unclear'. However it is worth nothing that several new series writers, including RTD himself, have written for the novel and audio lines.
-There have been several Doctor Who novel lines, although some are currently defunct. These include:
-The Target Novelizations, which adapted almost all serials of the show into novel form. They ceased production in the early 90s, with only the Douglas Adams and Eric Saward Dalek stories unfinished.
-The New Adventures, which featured the adventures of the Seventh Doctor post-SURVIVAL. Published by Virgin. The line also includes one Eigth Doctor novel and after the license was lost the line continued for some time afterwards featuring the adventures of novel-original companion Benny Summerfield.
-The Missing Adventures. Several novels that take place between classic series serials, many of which feature sequels to television stories.
-BBC Eigth Doctor Adventures, which continue the adventures of the Eigth Doctor between the TV movie and Rose.
-BBC Ninth Doctor adventures, featuring adventures set during the first season of the new series.
-BBC Tenth Doctor Adventures, featuring adventures set at this point during the second season.
-BBC Past Doctor Adventures, which serve the same function as the Missing Adventures.
I'll post a writeup on the audios and comics later.
These aren't two separate lines- it's one series called "New Series Adventures." The (Gallifreyan) numbers on the spine confirm that all nine published to-date are a single series.
[/pedant]
^Thanks for the correction 
In the late 90s, the company Big Finish got the license to create Doctor Who audio dramas-basically sound-only serials. The audio dramas feature cast members from the show, as well as several other notable British actors (David Tennant made his WHO debut in the audios, in fact). However they are mainly limited to the 80's incarnation of the show (Tom Baker refuses to do them, and his predecessors are all deceased, although Jon Pertwee did do similar projects in the 90s), with Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sylvestor McCoy, as well as Paul Mcgann who appeared briefly in the 1996 TV movie. Some people believe it's sort of a 'second chance' for actors like Baker and McCoy, whose eras were short-lived and frought with all sorts of behind-the-scenes drama, as well as Mcgann, who only got one TV movie. (Baker has probably benefitted the most from the audios in esteem among fans). In addition the audios have featured "What if" series (Unbound) and series dedicated to the Doctor's enemies the Daleks, Cybermen, companions Sarah Jane Smith, the planet Gallifrey, and an upcoming Davros series.
Another company, BBV, also publishes audios related to Doctor Who, but not referencing the Doctor himself, who is licensed to BF. These often feature cast from WHO but are not officially the Doc and co....they also feature monsters such as the Zygons, Wrynn, Sontarans and Krynoids, villains such as the Rani, and novel creations such as Faction Paradox and Iris Wildthyme.
BBV has also published some VHS and DVD series, such as the Stranger featuring Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant, the Auton trilogy and several others.
In the late 90s, the company Big Finish got the license to create Doctor Who audio dramas-basically sound-only serials. The audio dramas feature cast members from the show, as well as several other notable British actors (David Tennant made his WHO debut in the audios, in fact). However they are mainly limited to the 80's incarnation of the show (Tom Baker refuses to do them, and his predecessors are all deceased, although Jon Pertwee did do similar projects in the 90s), with Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sylvestor McCoy, as well as Paul Mcgann who appeared briefly in the 1996 TV movie. Some people believe it's sort of a 'second chance' for actors like Baker and McCoy, whose eras were short-lived and frought with all sorts of behind-the-scenes drama, as well as Mcgann, who only got one TV movie. (Baker has probably benefitted the most from the audios in esteem among fans). In addition the audios have featured "What if" series (Unbound) and series dedicated to the Doctor's enemies the Daleks, Cybermen, companions Sarah Jane Smith, the planet Gallifrey, and an upcoming Davros series.
Another company, BBV, also publishes audios related to Doctor Who, but not referencing the Doctor himself, who is licensed to BF. These often feature cast from WHO but are not officially the Doc and co....they also feature monsters such as the Zygons, Wrynn, Sontarans and Krynoids, villains such as the Rani, and novel creations such as Faction Paradox and Iris Wildthyme.
BBV has also published some VHS and DVD series, such as the Stranger featuring Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant, the Auton trilogy and several others.
