DOCTOR WHO
~ STAR WARS
Doctor Who is a very British cult sci-fi phenomenon. So how does it compare to some of its legendary US counterparts?
in 1996 and the odd Children in Need?
appearance, that was it for 16 years. So why did the Doctor eventually make a comeback when he did? Bishop has only one over-riding answer: ‘It was just waiting for someone to come along with the creativity, the wit, the nous and the will to revive this lost icon of
British television — and, fortunately, Russell T Davies was the man selected. He’s managed to ; keep what was best about the original series .
and bring it bang up to date with some great writing and the money to make it actually look good on screen.‘
Oh, and there is one other figure who has been most instrumental in the show’s success; ‘John Smith', the good Doctor himself, an enduring British hero to rival James Bond, Robin Hood or Sherlock Holmes. ‘We’ve all grown up with a version of him,‘ says Greenhorn. ‘and even the younger generation have now known him for four or five years. So there’s the sense that you should know who he is, but what I love about Doctor Who is that the character‘s constantly shifting, constantly
surprising you; he’s just familiar enough to ;
trust, to welcome in as a hero, but there‘s
always the reminder that he’s a 900-year-old alien with an enormous intellect who knows things we could never understand. He’s a mystery, a complete unknown, but you know
he'll make things alright in the end.’ For Matt Smith, the youngest ever incumbent and just six years old when Sylvester McCoy
left our screens in 1989, the Doctor Who
challenge will be about as tough as it was for the ten (official) actors who preceded him.
Whichever way it goes, though, we reckon the 5
Doctor will survive.
The Dr Who Exhibition la at Kelvingrove Muaeum and Art Gallery, Glasgow, Sat 28 Mar-Mon 4 Jan 2010. “Planet of the Dead’ wlll be screened on BBC 1 on or around Eaater Sunday.
The planet of Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous
The eponymous doctor, a lone and mysterious alien traveller known as a Time Lord.
The TARDIS, lTime And Relative DllTleflSlOOS In Spacei the Doctor's only means of hanspon.
Fairly drab for intergalactic adventure. Except Tom Baker's Stripy scan inaybe.
One successful soft- core cousm, and two kids' favourites. Hammer mowe starring Peter Cushing.
Numerous nubile assstants plus one faithful robotic dog. K-9.
Original series ran from 1963-89 before it was re—
. commiSSioned in 2005.
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James Tiberius Kirk William Shatner famously played the passionate hero and Startleet's youngest Captain
The flip top communicator Like mobiie 5"” phones ' WllllOtll the stupid ringtone.
60s sauce: clingy in all the right places wrth easy to tear sleeves for bulging biceps. Lt Uhura’s barely-there mini- dress.
Eleven movres, one animated series and tom teleVised live action series'.
The coolly logical Dr Spock and harnrny Dr McCoy. The three made for great sparring.
Lasted only three of its planned five years before being axed.
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Robots, ‘SlliliTthslllllfr. phasers The usual stuff. Stiii no limit in pill form though
Slightly austere leisure suits for the old series. Mandarin fire fighters Jackets or revealing nightclub chic tor the new.
One equally unsuccessful 80s TV series and the ever popular 2001 re- imagining.
Captain Apollo and Lieutenant Starbuck prowded the intergalactic eye candy plus some kid and his robot dog Muffit originally.
The original series only lasted from 1978-1979; the new series from 2003 to
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A 1939 Buster Crabbefronterl serial, a 1951 version starring i-"arl Hammond The later She/J ran from 197971981.
Apr 8004 Christopher Eccleston is mnounced
Jun 2008 David Tennant is named as the
Jul 2006 Freema Agyeman becomes the
Feb 2009 A ' e.'. K 9
Oct 2006 The first Successful Doctor
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as the ninth Doctor: Billie tenth doctor. first black actress to Who spin off, SDQC'Tlcali‘, at children, Matt Srnitn, is r‘ial'lefl as adv/11%;!) ”tr 9W is named as his play the Doctor's Torch-wood. The Sarah Jane the 1 Ytti and ,Uungest the BBC. begi' ', companionThe first aSSIStant. debuts on Adventures. debuts to actor to play the Doctor ‘i;n»ir;g
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