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Donald Baverstock: Difference between revisions
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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. | 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. | ||
Having now satisfied Baverstock as to the seriousness of their financial intent, Wilson and Lambert successfully pressed for extensions to their commission. Wilson received a thirteen-week extension on [[22 November (people)|22 November]] [[1963]], in which Baverstock signalled that he'd probably give an ''additional'' thirteen weeks in early [[1964]]. In the event, though — and almost certainly influenced by the December success of ''[[The Daleks (TV story)|The Daleks]]'', he extended ''Doctor Who'' again on [[31 December ( | Having now satisfied Baverstock as to the seriousness of their financial intent, Wilson and Lambert successfully pressed for extensions to their commission. Wilson received a thirteen-week extension on [[22 November (people)|22 November]] [[1963]], in which Baverstock signalled that he'd probably give an ''additional'' thirteen weeks in early [[1964]]. In the event, though — and almost certainly influenced by the December success of ''[[The Daleks (TV story)|The Daleks]]'', he extended ''Doctor Who'' again on [[31 December (production)|31 December]] 1963, and yet again in [[February]] [[1964]]. By [[April]], he was ready to renegotiate contracts with the regulars and move into a second [[production block]]. | ||
Baverstock ordered that Lambert could not give the regulars a rise in their new contract without going through him, personally. [[Jacqueline Hill]], [[William Russell]] and [[William Hartnell]] all refused Lambert's initial offer of a new contract at the same rate, largely because Baverstock refused to reveal his own commitment to the programme's renewal. Consequently, she could not tell her stars how long their services would be required. For all they knew, they were being ask to agree to work for a few more weeks, at the same pay as before, in order to bring the series to a swift conclusion. | Baverstock ordered that Lambert could not give the regulars a rise in their new contract without going through him, personally. [[Jacqueline Hill]], [[William Russell]] and [[William Hartnell]] all refused Lambert's initial offer of a new contract at the same rate, largely because Baverstock refused to reveal his own commitment to the programme's renewal. Consequently, she could not tell her stars how long their services would be required. For all they knew, they were being ask to agree to work for a few more weeks, at the same pay as before, in order to bring the series to a swift conclusion. | ||
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Baverstock was demonstrably interested in the quality of the drama itself. On or about [[20 May (production)|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". | Baverstock was demonstrably interested in the quality of the drama itself. On or about [[20 May (production)|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". | ||
Later, when extending the commission of the series on [[31 December ( | Later, when extending the commission of the series on [[31 December (production)|31 December]] [[1963]], he advised [[Donald Wilson]] to make sure that the internal logic of episodes was improved. | ||
{{quote|I hope ... that you will brighten up the logic and inventiveness of the scripts ... I suggest that you should make efforts in future episodes to reduce the amount of slow prosaic dialogue and to centre the dramatic movements much more on historical and scientific hokum.|Baverstock to [[Donald Wilson]], 31 December 1963}} | {{quote|I hope ... that you will brighten up the logic and inventiveness of the scripts ... I suggest that you should make efforts in future episodes to reduce the amount of slow prosaic dialogue and to centre the dramatic movements much more on historical and scientific hokum.|Baverstock to [[Donald Wilson]], 31 December 1963}} | ||
He found it problematic that the Doctor and Susan seemed smart while they were in [[the TARDIS]], but then rather dull when they left the Ship and began to explore. He strongly felt that both the TARDIS team and the people that they met would overall behave differently than had been portrayed in ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'' and the early episodes of ''[[The Daleks (TV story)|The Daleks]]''. People from the past, he reasoned, should exhibit "lost simple knowledge", while those from the future should have "credible skills and capacities that can be conceived likely in the future". | He found it problematic that the Doctor and Susan seemed smart while they were in [[the TARDIS]], but then rather dull when they left the Ship and began to explore. He strongly felt that both the TARDIS team and the people that they met would overall behave differently than had been portrayed in ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'' and the early episodes of ''[[The Daleks (TV story)|The Daleks]]''. People from the past, he reasoned, should exhibit "lost simple knowledge", while those from the future should have "credible skills and capacities that can be conceived likely in the future". | ||
