The Doctors: 30 Years of Time Travel and Beyond: Difference between revisions
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Because the producers had no relationship to the [[British Broadcasting Corporation]], they were unable to use any footage from ''[[Doctor Who]]''. Still photography was limited to use of only production and advertising stills. Thus, the original interviews which form the basis of the documentary are interspliced with home movies made of the filming of certain episodes of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. As a result, the documentary was, at the time of its release, famous for being the first home of some never-before-seen footage, particularly involving the filming of ''[[The Smugglers]]'' and ''[[The Abominable Snowmen]]'', two [[serial]]s with [[missing episode]]s. | Because the producers had no relationship to the [[British Broadcasting Corporation]], they were unable to use any footage from ''[[Doctor Who]]''. Still photography was limited to use of only production and advertising stills. Thus, the original interviews which form the basis of the documentary are interspliced with home movies made of the filming of certain episodes of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. As a result, the documentary was, at the time of its release, famous for being the first home of some never-before-seen footage, particularly involving the filming of ''[[The Smugglers]]'' and ''[[The Abominable Snowmen]]'', two [[serial]]s with [[missing episode]]s. | ||
Curiously, though, the cover design | Curiously, though, the cover design featured the BBC's trademarked [[police box]] design, and the DVD menu utilized images of [[Dalek]]s, whose design is also reserved by the BBC. | ||
==Anachronistic release== | ==Anachronistic release== | ||
The length of time between the completion of the documentary and its DVD release set up an interesting phenomenon. Consumers would have bought a "new" DVD, purporting to be a history of "[[The Doctor]]s", that was lacking coverage of the [[Eighth Doctor]]. They might well have been even more confused by the DVD menu. While the cover had images of only the first seven Doctors, the menu contained a picture of [[Paul McGann]]. His name was never even mentioned in the documentary, as all interviews were completed before he had been cast. Nevertheless, the interview with ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' staff touched briefly on the ''possibility'' of a project for [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox Broadcasting]] in the [[United States]]. | The length of time between the completion of the documentary and its DVD release set up an interesting phenomenon. Consumers would have bought a "new" DVD, purporting to be a history of "[[The Doctor]]s", that was lacking coverage of the [[Eighth Doctor]]. They might well have been even more confused by the DVD menu. While the cover had images of only the first seven Doctors, the menu contained a picture of [[Paul McGann]]. His name was never even mentioned in the documentary, as all interviews were completed before he had been cast. Nevertheless, the interview with ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' staff touched briefly on the ''possibility'' of a project for [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox Broadcasting]] in the [[United States]]. | ||
[[Category:BBV documentaries]] | [[Category:BBV documentaries]] | ||
[[Category:Doctor Who documentaries]] | [[Category:Doctor Who documentaries]] | ||
Revision as of 07:42, 17 March 2010
The Doctors (sometimes known by its subtitle, 30 Years of Time Travel and Beyond) was a 1995 documentary produced by BBV Productions. It was a 65-minute retrospective on the entire history of Doctor Who from 1963 to 1995. Although completely unofficial, it nevertheless included interviews with many famous Doctor Who personalities still alive in 1995. It was mostly compiled from previous interviews that had been conducted by Bill Baggs and his associates.
It was notable for featuring home movies of the filming of several Doctor Who serials, including the debut of some colour footage of the filming of a few missing episodes from the 1960s. It also contained interviews with some people who have not generally appeared on official BBC DVD documentaries or commentaries.
Overview
The Doctors interviewed people important to the first 32 years of the franchise's history. It was arranged in mostly chronological order, and took its viewers through a brief overview of each Doctor's "era" on the programme. In its concluding chapter, it discussed things that had happened to the franchise since its cancellation — such as the continuing life of Doctor Who Magazine and the Virgin New Adventures series. It ended by discussing the early 1990s history of the franchise.
Amateur video
Though published professionally, The Doctors was an amateur production. This was obvious in many interviews, where microphone booms were clearly in shot. At one point, as well, Peter Davison and Mark Strickson were walking at the location of Mawdryn Undead, and they had to alert the cameraman that he was about to back into a park bench. Furthermore, there was no attempt at grading the raw footage, or at improving technical flaws in the recording. The DVD version, in particular, entirely failed to meet the usual technical specifications of the medium.
Home movies
Aside from the interviews themselves, the only moving pictures in the documentary were home movies of location filming of Doctor Who. As these were not made by the BBC, it cannot exercise any control over their dissemination. The movies on this volume are some of the few published glimpses of the filming of Doctor Who in the 1960s and 1970s. What is believed to be the full, unexpurgated versions of some of the movies were presented as the DVD's only special feature. These movies were further remarkable for being entirely in colour — all the more unusual since some of the filming was of the traditionally monochromatic First and Second Doctors. Serials represented by the home movies included: The Smugglers, The Abominable Snowmen, The Demons, City of Death and Shada'. None of the Fourth Doctor's home movies were included in the special features.
Since the DVD was published, however, these movies gradually made their way onto official BBC DVD releases — most notably as a part of the Lost in Time box set.
Interviews
Many of the interviewees were people who would go on to contribute to BBC DVD releases. However, this documentary was one of the few homes to interviews with John Nathan-Turner and Shaun Sutton. The Nathan-Turner portions came from what was likely his longest filmed interview about Doctor Who before his death. Furthermore, it offered rare interviews with two members of the production team of The Dark Dimension — a 1993 project that came close to reviving Doctor Who before the 1996 tele-film.
Unofficial status
Because the producers had no relationship to the British Broadcasting Corporation, they were unable to use any footage from Doctor Who. Still photography was limited to use of only production and advertising stills. Thus, the original interviews which form the basis of the documentary are interspliced with home movies made of the filming of certain episodes of Doctor Who. As a result, the documentary was, at the time of its release, famous for being the first home of some never-before-seen footage, particularly involving the filming of The Smugglers and The Abominable Snowmen, two serials with missing episodes.
Curiously, though, the cover design featured the BBC's trademarked police box design, and the DVD menu utilized images of Daleks, whose design is also reserved by the BBC.
Anachronistic release
The length of time between the completion of the documentary and its DVD release set up an interesting phenomenon. Consumers would have bought a "new" DVD, purporting to be a history of "The Doctors", that was lacking coverage of the Eighth Doctor. They might well have been even more confused by the DVD menu. While the cover had images of only the first seven Doctors, the menu contained a picture of Paul McGann. His name was never even mentioned in the documentary, as all interviews were completed before he had been cast. Nevertheless, the interview with Doctor Who Magazine staff touched briefly on the possibility of a project for Fox Broadcasting in the United States.
