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Donald Baverstock: Difference between revisions
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'''Donald Baverstock''' was the [[Controller of BBC One]] who ordered [[Sydney Newman]] to create the Saturday tea time show that became ''[[Doctor Who]]''. | '''Donald Baverstock''' was the [[Controller of BBC One]] who ordered [[Sydney Newman]] to create the Saturday tea time show that became ''[[Doctor Who]]''. Much is known about Baverstock's involvement with the creation of ''Doctor Who'' because of the sheer volume of memos and minutes that were archived. | ||
Newman once summed up Baverstock's attitude towards ''Doctor Who'' as being "very keen" but "worried about money". ([[REF]]: ''[[The First Doctor Handbook]]'') | |||
== History with ''Doctor Who'' == | == History with ''Doctor Who'' == | ||
Baverstock was actively engaged in the creation of the programme. | Baverstock was actively engaged in the creation of the programme. He had several well-documented meetings and written exchanges with [[Sydney Newman]] in the run-up to the series' premiere, dating back to at least [[1962]]. On or about [[20 May]] [[1963]] he personally signed off on the format document prepared by Newman, [[Donald Wilson]] and [[C. E. Webber]], saying that series was "looking great". ([[REF]]: ''[[The First Doctor Handbook]]'') | ||
After much internal discussion over the course of several months, it was Baverstock who eventually personally decided on [[5 July]] 1963 that the length of ''Doctor Who'' episodes would be 25 minutes, as they would remain until 1989. | |||
Baverstock was also responsible for continuing to extend the commission of the programme as it progressed through production. At first green lighting only a four epsiode commitment, he extended it to thirteen on the strength of what eventually became known as "[[The Pilot Episode]]". He soon reversed his decision, however, after he started looking at the numbers harder. | Baverstock was also responsible for continuing to extend the commission of the programme as it progressed through production. At first green lighting only a four epsiode commitment, he extended it to thirteen on the strength of what eventually became known as "[[The Pilot Episode]]". He soon reversed his decision, however, after he started looking at the numbers harder. | ||
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{{quote|Last week I agreed to an additional £200 to your budget of £2,400 for the first four episodes. This figure is now revealed to be totally unrealistic. The costs of these four will be more than £4,000 each ... Such a costly serial is not one that I can afford for this space in this financial year. You should not therefore proceed any further with the production of more than four episodes.|{{PAGENAME}} 18 October 1963}} | {{quote|Last week I agreed to an additional £200 to your budget of £2,400 for the first four episodes. This figure is now revealed to be totally unrealistic. The costs of these four will be more than £4,000 each ... Such a costly serial is not one that I can afford for this space in this financial year. You should not therefore proceed any further with the production of more than four episodes.|{{PAGENAME}} 18 October 1963}} | ||
This forced a week-long "crisis" in which all manner of BBC executives, along with [[Verity Lambert]] and [[Donald Wilson]] seriously re-examined the financial assumptions of the show. Baverstock re-instated his 13-week commitment after Lambert and Wilson demonstrated that they could produce the show at a lower cost. The major sacrifice was that ''Doctor Who'' was not able to avail themselves of the [[BBC Visual Effects]] department on a regular basis. This forced [[visual effects]] to be sub-contracted. Thus Baverstock was somewhat directly responsible for the [[Dalek]]s and other significant props being created by [[Shawcraft Models]] rather than the BBC itself. | |||
And he put up other roadblocks for ''Doctor Who''. | And he put up other roadblocks for ''Doctor Who''. | ||
He was a key figure in the long-running dispute over whether the show could move from what [[Donald Wilson]] and later [[Verity Lambert]] considered the wholly inappropriate [[Lime Grove Studio D]]. In June 1963, he denied a request to move ''Doctor Who''{{'}}s specialised recording equipment to [[Riverside Studios]] so that his own pet project, {{wi|That Was the Week That Was}}, could enjoy the superior facility. He was involved in several other meetings with various BBC executives and department heads about the headaches caused by Lime Grove's inadequate facilities. | He was a key figure in the long-running dispute over whether the show could move from what [[Donald Wilson]] and later [[Verity Lambert]] considered the wholly inappropriate [[Lime Grove Studio D]]. In June 1963, he denied a request to move ''Doctor Who''{{'}}s specialised recording equipment to [[Riverside Studios]] so that his own pet project, {{wi|That Was the Week That Was}}, could enjoy the superior facility. He was involved in several other meetings with various BBC executives and department heads about the headaches caused by Lime Grove's inadequate facilities. | ||
Later, [[Donald Wilson]] and he clashed after Baverstock withdrew a commitment for ''Unearthly'' to be featured on the cover of ''[[Radio Times]]'' in [[November]] [[1963]]. ([[DWMS Summer 1994]]) | Later, [[Donald Wilson]] and he clashed after Baverstock withdrew a commitment for ''Unearthly'' to be featured on the cover of ''[[Radio Times]]'' in [[November]] [[1963]]. ([[DWMS Summer 1994]]) | ||
