A Matter of Time: The Power of Kroll

(23/12/1978)

DESCRIPTION: ‘The Power of Kroll’ was the fifth story of Season 16 of Doctor Who, and starred Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor.

FACT: The BBC’s Head of Serials was so unimpressed by the set designs in this story that he ordered that designer Don Giles was never to work on the series again.

Doctor Who Day: Forty-Seventh Anniversary

Today is the forty-seventh anniversary of Doctor Who, which began in 1963 with William Hartnell as the First Doctor. Although the show has changed a lot since the early days, the main themes and concepts have remained the same, which has ensured that the programme continues to be loved by new generations.

As well as celebrating the past of the show on this Doctor Who Day, we should also look forward to the future of the programme, with the broadcast of the Christmas Special now just over a month away.

Wherever you are today, I set you the challenge of watching at least one Doctor Who story. It can be from any era of the show, and can star any of the eleven actors to have played the role. My personal choice of the day will be a cracking story to get myself in the festive spirit, ‘The Unquiet Dead’.

Happy Doctor Who Day!

A Matter of Time: An Unearthly Child

(23/11/1963)

DESCRIPTION: ‘An Unearthly Child’ was the first ever story of Doctor Who, and starred William Hartnell as the First Doctor.

FACT: The original airing received very few viewers due to the assassination of John F. Kennedy the day before, so it was repeated before the second episode.

A Matter of Time: The Myth Makers

(23/10/1965)

DESCRIPTION: ‘The Myth Makers’ was the third story of Season 3 of Doctor Who, and starred William Hartnell as the First Doctor.

FACT: William Hartnell was struck and injured by a camera during the filming of the first episode and sustained a bruise to the shoulder.

A Matter of Time: Patrick Tull

(28/07/1941 – 23/09/2006)

DESCRIPTION: Patrick Tull provided the voice for the robotic Krotons in the Patrick Troughton story ‘The Krotons’.

FACT: He also appeared in the very popular show ‘Z-Cars’, a programme about a police force in Newtown, which many other Doctor Who actors have appeared in.

A Matter of Time: Innes Lloyd

(24/12/1925 – 23/08/1991)

DESCRIPTION: Innes Lloyd was the producer of Doctor Who from the end of William Hartnell’s era to the middle of Patrick Troughton’s era.

FACT: Lloyd worked with the script editor Gerry Davis to come up with the original concept of ‘regeneration’, so that multiple actors could play the Doctor.