An Adventure in Space and Time

I'm a relatively new fan to Doctor Who and as such searched out the beginning seasons of the series to better understand the premise and origins of the show.

In my opinion William Hartnell Is Doctor Who, and all those portraying the role after Mr Hartnell are reflecting a small part of his performance into their personal incarnation of the Doctor.

That being said, I love this film ! It explains so much about the origin and talent that was behind the beginnings if this now iconic sci-fi series, and shows how the persistence and drive of a few individuals can overcome the overwhelming task of trying to turn an idea into a successful TV show.

An incredible performance by David Bradley in the starring role. His Bio says he's a fan of Hartnell's and it shows. He seems to channel Hartnell's spirit in many of the scenes, and his inflections and mannerisms are spot on. Jessica Raine was great in the role of Verity Lambert the budding producer, as was Sacha Dhawan as the director Waris Hussein, and a strong support role by Brian Cox portraying BBC studio executive Sydney Newman.

This movie captures the look and feel of the early Who shows and is an insightful and sometimes sad story but I highly recommend it to any Doctor who fan, or anyone who appreciates a well executed movie in which the underdogs triumph over incredible odds.

Faithful and loving recreation of those early days of "Doctor Who", when William Hartnell(played excellently by David Bradley) first took on the mantle of that mysterious wandering time & space traveler the Doctor, with a fine supporting cast portraying his costars(William Russell, Jacqueline Hill, and Carole Ann Ford) and real-life production crew(like producer Verity Lambert, young director Waris Hussein, and their boss at the BBC Sydney Newman.) Behind the scenes turmoil and uncertainty are well portrayed, and were quickly settled once the Daleks debuted, and the ratings climbed to ten million...

The script by Mark Gatiss is quite good, with nice touches that long-time fans will appreciate, though at only 90 minutes, it does move along a bit too fast, with other key participants(like script editor and writer David Whitaker) left out altogether, and the final little nod to the "future" will either leave viewer hot or cold, since not all fans like what the series later became(I stopped at Peter Davison), but those are small complaints in this otherwise worthwhile special, which also gives a most interesting view of the private side of Hartnell, with his loyal wife and granddaughter. Most effective and moving.

Of course, as a die hard Doctor Who Fan, this film really contained few surprises for me, or I would imagine for any other DW fans who watched it know this story.

The irony is, that if William Hartnell hadn't had his health issues, the BBC would have never been forced to write in the "Regeneration" plot device that has kept the show alive this day.

The scenes with Bradley as Hartnell are kind of touching, where you see an actor who really never quite hit the level of fame he wanted, getting the role of a lifetime and then watching it slip through his fingers because of his own physical ailments.

The portrayal of Verity Lambert as a visionary was great as well. Let's be honest, most of the things that we associate with Doctor Who- The Tardis, (It's bigger on the inside and looks like a police box) The Daleks, the Cybermen, all came from this era of the series.

Kudos also for the recreation of 1960's era England.

If I had to sum this up in one word, I would: 'Beautiful".

"One day, I shall come back..." I live in Australia, and this special was screened on ABC1 at 8:50PM on Sunday November 24, immediately after an encore screening of "The Day of the Doctor". I only got to see the first fifteen minutes or so before being told to go to bed, however I was recording it. When I watched most of it the next night, it changed everything.

It was only a few days ago that I watched the special in full for the first time. (It was the third time I'd sen it, however the first in one full sitting). I was home alone, so nobody got to see me crying.

That's what happened. The cast and crew of "An Adventure In Space And Time" have created a drama filled with action, emotion and, importantly, history. I congratulate writer Mark Gatiss for his success with the wonderful script. I feel he captures the essence of all seen in the programme as they were in 1963 perfectly. Of course it is an ultimate dream, I Definitely would do something like this, and he has made a work of equisite art of it. Mr Gatiss, your love letter to "Doctor Who" is truly 'fantastic!'.

The actors cast as roles are evidently well-thought of. I particularly liked Jesscia Raine's portrayal of producer Verity Lambert, David Bradley's performance as the original Who, William Hartnell; and also Sacha Dhawan's living performance as first director Waris Hussein. All capture what it must have been like during the pioneering days of the series. The portrayal of William Hartell by David Bradley is what made me cry. Hartnell had his hearts broken at least twice, and to see the man who began it all so sad, it nearly broke mine. I also liked the cameo roles from two original companions: actors William Russell and Carole Ann Ford, as the Guard and the Mother, Joyce respectively. Also, the surprise of seeing Matt Smith opposite the First Doctor is a highlight, showcasing that, although no one knew it at the time, the show would reach a golden 50-year landmark. Who'd have thought? These roles added to the spirit, the magnificence on how "Doctor Who" has touched the lives of millions of people.

In all, this docudrama fittingly celebrates the Fiftieth Anniversary of the world's longest-running Sci-Fi series. It's emotional, historical, educational, and inspiring. It made me cry, and I haven't done that since David Tennant left in "The End of Time: Part Two".

The cast and crew definitely should go ahead and recreate classic/missing Doctor Who stories. Why not? They've got the cast, the production values, the spirit.

Congratulations to all involved in the making of this special. It was definitely a highlight of 2013, the year of all time. A fitting way to celebrate the best television show on the planet, or indeed the universe.

11/10

I was privileged to attend the premier at the National Film Theatre. The audience was asked not to give away any spoilers, so I'll respect that wish (not that I wouldn't have done so anyway, of course).

The programme was far more emotional that I had expected and the audience's reaction - laughs, tears and much rapt silence - showed I wasn't alone. Admittedly, the place was packed with Doctor Who fans, so it was hardly going to send any of them to sleep, but they could also have been counted on to be highly critical of any factual errors.

The time frame covers 1963 to 1966 and is as much a biography of William Hartnell, the first Doctor, as the early years of the show he fronted. The Doctor is played by David Bradley (no complaints from me about his crotchety but committed portrayal) and is pretty much throughout seen as ailing in physical health or mental agility, which seems like a true depiction but is rather unfortunate for his legacy as someone often described, in his earlier years, as a fine character actor. Hartnell's granddaughter, who was in attendance at the post-screening Q&A) referred to the fact that prided himself on remembering his lines, so his problems with this as depicted here should be taken into context, although it would have been a tall order for the programme to have tried to focus on any more of the man's life without overrunning its 90 minute time.

Many of the key production staff have key roles, although (as writer Mark Gatiss acknowledged during the Q&A) not all of them were included as to do so would have been made the programme too difficult to follow. Thus there is no David Whitaker, for example, but there is much screen time for the Sydney Newman, the Canadian Head of Drama at the BBC, amusingly played by Brian Cox. His pivotal role in appointing and supporting Verity Lambert, the Doctor Who producer, was one of the unexpected revelations here.

Without giving away any really key moments (and there are plenty of lovely surprises) the show is both reverential of the programme as well as poking fun at the ridiculousness of making a prime time science fiction programme on a BBC budget with no computer technology and live editing. Plenty more such contrasts abound: the daleks are both funny and awesome at the same time; Hartnell's crotchety but committed personality is shown to be a benefit and a hindrance.

If you are even slightly interested in Doctor Who I'm sure you'll love it as much as the audience who gave it a standing ovation. Young children would probably be unlikely to find much of interest in it but older ones with more than a 30 second attention span may well enjoy it. Considering that much of the story of the programme is known to many of us and that there are no deaths or love affairs involved (that's not a spoiler - surely you weren't expecting that?) it is to its credit that it managed to be so entertaining for a film-length duration.