The Doctor Who Thread

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

A renegade Dalek from 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks.

[Susan Foreman]

April 22nd: Today in WHO-story

Births
1923 - Hugh Lloyd (Goronwy in Delta and the Bannermen)

1939 - Mark Jones (Arnold Keeler & Krynoid voice in The Seeds of Doom)
1942 - Denis Lill (Doctor Fendelman in Image of the Fendahl and Sir George Hutchinson in The Awakening)
1984 - Michelle Ryan (Lady Christina de Souza in Planet of the Dead and audio adventures from Big Finish Productions)

Deaths
1982 - Harold Goldblatt (Professor Dale in Frontier in Space) aged 82
1989 - Kenny McBain (director of The Horns of Nimon) aged 42

Episodes
1967 - The Faceless Ones, Episode Three: 7.9 million viewers
1972 - The Mutants, Part Three: 7.9 million viewers
2006 - Tooth and Claw: 9.24 million viewers
2017 - Smile: 5.98 million viewers

Documentaries
2006 - Doctor Who Confidential: Fear Factor

Releases
2010 - Apollo 23, Night of the Humans and The Forgotten Army (BBC Books); issue 163 of Doctor Who Adventures (BBC Magazines); The Episode Guide [5th edition, 2nd hardback] (Pocket Essentials)

2014 - The Web of Fear (DVD - region 1)
2016 - Toby Hadoke's Who's Round 166 (Big Finish)

Behind-the-Scenes
2001 - Recording of the Big Finish audio Dust Breeding took place
2008 - Recording of the Big Finish audios The Destroyer of Delights and The Chaos Pool took place
2011 - Recording of the Big Finish audio Energy of the Daleks took place. This was Tom Baker's first recorded story as the Fourth Doctor for Big Finish

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Mavic Chen, the Guardian of the Solar System, from The Daleks' Master Plan (1965)

[Susan Foreman]

April 23rd: Today in WHO-story

Births
1904 - Leslie French (Mathematician in Silver Nemesis)
1921 - Gerald Champion (Wilkin in the untransmitted story Shada)
1922 - Jack May (General Hermack in The Space Pirates)
1961 - Art Wetherell (pencil artist for Doctor Who comic strips published in Death's Head and The Incredible Hulk Presents)

1968 - Ricky Groves (Markus Creevy in the Big Finish audios Thin Ice and Crime of the Century)
1974 - Verona Joseph (Penny Carter in Partners in Crime)
1987 - Kelly Gough (Rannus & Kharrus in the Class episode Co-Owner of a Lonely Heart)

Deaths
1975 - William Hartnell (First Doctor; Abbot of Amboise in The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve) aged 67

1988 - Alan Judd (Dortmun in The Dalek Invasion of Earth) aged 78
1998 - Denis Goacher (Control Voice in The Macra Terror) aged 72
2010 - Eiji Kusuhara (extra in Four to Doomsday and Professor Toshio Shimura in the Big Finish audio Enemy of the Daleks) aged 63
2013 - Norman Jones (Khrisong in The Abominable Snowmen, Major Baker in Doctor Who and the Silurians and Hieronymous in The Masque of Mandragora) aged 80

Episodes
1966 - The Celestial Toymaker, Episode Four ('The Final Test'): 7.8 million viewers
2005 - World War Three: 8.98 million viewers
2011 - The Impossible Astronaut: 8.86 million viewers
2016 - Friend from the Future (mini-episode)

Documentaries
2005 - Doctor Who Confidential: Why on Earth?
2011 - Doctor Who Confidential: Coming to America; My Sarah Jane: A Tribute to Elizabeth Sladen (CBBC); Rewind (BBC America)

First Appearances
2011 - Launch of the sixth series of the 'revived era' of Doctor Who; first appearance of the Silents (sometimes referred to as the Silence)

Releases
2009 - Issue 112 of Doctor Who Adventures (BBC Magazines)

2014 - Issue 344 of Doctor Who Adventures (Immediate Media Co.)

Behind-the-Scenes
2008 - Recording of the Big Finish audio The Chaos Pool took place
2009 - Recording of the Big Finish audio Ringpullworld took place
2010 - Recording of Big Finish Productions' audio adaptation of Animal took place
2012 - Recording of the Big Finish audio The Acheron Pulse took place
2013 - Recording of the Big Finish/AudioGO story Enemy Aliens took place
2016 - Pearl Mackie was confirmed as new companion Bill Potts in an exclusive mini-episode Friend from the Future. An enhanced, re-edited version of this scene was used in The Pilot
2017 - Recording of Big Finish's Time War-themed Doctor Who spin-offs The War Master: Only the Good and Gallifrey: The Time War Volume One took place

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Beast from 2006's The Satan Pit.

[Susan Foreman]

April 24: Today in WHO-story

Births
1933 - Claire Davenport (Empress in Marco Polo)
1936 - Graham Armitage (Barney in The Macra Terror)
1973 - Julie Cox (Mary Shelley (Eighth Doctor companion - Big Finish Productions audio adventures)

Obituaries
1996 - Preston Lockwood (Dojjen in Snakedance) aged 83
2008 - Tristram Cary (music composer for The Daleks, Marco Polo, The Rescue, The Daleks' Master Plan, The Ark, The Gunfighters, The Power of the Daleks and The Mutants) aged 82

Episodes
1965 - The Space Museum, Episode One ('The Space Museum'): 10.5 million viewers
1971 - Colony in Space, Episode Three: 9.5 million viewers
2010 - The Time of Angels: 8.59 million viewers

Documentaries
2010 - Doctor Who Confidential: Eyes Wide Open

Releases
1980 - Issue 29 of Doctor Who Magazine (Marvel)

2003 - Wonderland (Telos Publishing); Short Trips: Companions and The Audio Scripts (Big Finish)
2008 - Issue 61 of Doctor Who Adventures (BBC Magazines)

2009 - Torchwood: Rift War (Titan Comics)
2010 - The Runaway Train (BBC Audio - released as a freebie with the Daily Telegraph)
2013 - Bernice Summerfield: Filthy Lucre and Toby Hadoke's Who's Round 14 (Big Finish)
2015 - Toby Hadoke's Who's Round 117 (Big Finish)
2017 - Jago & Litefoot: Series 13 (Big Finish)

Behind-the-Scenes
2006 - The Times announced plans for a Doctor Who spin-off entitled K9 Adventures

2007 - Recording of the Big Finish audio Frozen Time took place
2008 - Recording of the Big Finish audio The Judgement of Isskar took place
2009 - Recording of the Big Finish audio Freakshow took place
2010 - Recording of Big Finish's Bernice Summerfield story Year Zero took place
2012 - Recording of the Big Finish audio The Acheron Pulse took place
2017 - Recording of Big Finish's Doctor Who spin-off The War Master: Only the Good took place

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The rather damning BBC audience report for season 24 of Doctor Who.

BBC - Archive - The Changing Face of Doctor Who - Audience Reaction Report for 'Doctor Who' for 1987.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Android from Earthshock (1982)

[Susan Foreman]

April 25th: Today in WHO-story

Births
1923 - Paul Whitsun-Jones (the Squire in The Smugglers and the Marshal in The Mutants)

1939 - Marina Martin (Drahvin One in Galaxy 4)
1944 - John Ogwen (Bostok in Revelation of the Daleks)
1950 - Peter Jurasik (Lieutenant Peter Sandoz in the Big Finish Productions audio Winter for the Adept)
1961 - Cyril Nri (the Shopkeeper in the Sarah Jane Adventures stories Lost in Time and Sky)
1980 - Samuel Barnett (Big Finish actor - Hans Tod in The Beast of Orlok and Robin Yeadon in Nightshade)
1988 - Jonathan Bailey (Psi in Time Heist)

Deaths
1989 - George Colouris (Arbitan in The Keys of Marinus) aged 85
2013 - Sean Caffrey (Lord Palmerdale in Horror of Fang Rock) aged 73

Episodes
1964 - The Keys of Marinus, Episode Three ('The Screaming Jungle'): 9.9 million viewers
1970 - The Ambassadors of Death, Episode Six: 6.9 million viewers

Introductions
1964 - First episode of Doctor Who to not feature the Doctor (The Keys of Marinus, Episode Three)

Releases
1970 - Insect, Part Four (TV Comic)

1977 - The Claws of Axos (Target Books - hardback edition)
2005 - The Claws of Axos (DVD -region 2)
2010 - Pest Control, Part One (BBC Audio - released as a freebie with the Daily Telegraph)

2013 - Issue 317 of Doctor Who Adventures (Immediate Media Co.)

[Susan Foreman]

Why each actor left the role of Doctor Who, from Hartnell to Capaldi | Digital Spy

1. William Hartnell

Although Hartnell wanted to stay in the role that was beloved by millions and had helped create a massive hit for the BBC, ill-health got in the way.

The actor, who was in his late 50s at the time, was increasingly erratic and, on occasion, had to miss an episode. Producers took the dramatic, unprecedented (and not to mention, historic) step of replacing their lead actor.

If you want a dramatic recreation of this time, we do recommend you check out An Adventure In Space & Time from Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss.

2. Patrick Troughton

Pretty straightforward here.

Troughton, already a very familiar face/voice in the UK, took on the role on the proviso that this was a three-year gig. He's also commented on the fact that, as an actor, he didn't want to be typecast.

3. Jon Pertwee

Publicly, Pertwee stated that the Doctor Who "team" was breaking up: Robert Delgado (The Master) had died and Katy Manning (companion Jo Grant) had left. However, in the same year (1974), Jon also spoke of back pain which had afflicted him for the past two seasons as a reason for quitting.

Elisabeth Sladen, who was effectively Manning's replacement as Sarah Jane Smith, revealed that Pertwee had asked for more money (not an unreasonable request) but the BBC didn't agree. Thus, he resigned from the role.

There's anecdotal support for this financial focus. For example, when asked by Terry Wogan if he was happy to be back in the role for the 1989 stage show 'The Ultimate Adventure', he replied, "Oh, sure, the money's good."

Pertwee's also on record as saying he didn't get a lot of money for Doctor Who and Tom Baker often talks of teasing Pertwee about how much money he got paid for events.

4. Tom Baker

Towards the end of his tenure in the TARDIS, Baker was – he admitted – not an easy man to work with. He fought with directors, writers and, crucially, producers and is quite happy to 'fess up to his difficult nature.

On numerous occasions, Tom has said that he handed his "notice" in at the end of every year but was talked back into staying as the Doctor (the most popular to date at that time).

But when producer John Nathan-Turner came along, attitudes changed. JNT, as he is affectionally known, wanted to bring the show into the futuristic decade that was the '80s. Who got a shiny makeover.

A makeover that would see Baker's notice finally accepted.

5. Peter Davison

Perhaps one of the most clear-cut reasons, here. Davison took Troughton's advice of not staying longer than three years despite producer John Nathan-Turner asking for him to stay.

He did say, however, "It was very demanding, so I was too tired to feel sad when it was all finally over."

Over the years, Davison has expressed regret at not doing a fourth season in the TARDIS due to the rise in quality of scripts during his third and final season (with classics like his swan song, 'The Caves of Androzani').

He'd already handed his notice in by this time, so the decision was made.

6. Colin Baker

Although Colin once stated he wanted to beat Tom's record in the role, he ended up being the Doctor for the shortest time to date.

His time in the TARDIS was fraught: his second season, the aptly-named The Trial of a Time Lord, was delayed and fandom felt cancellation was nigh (causing Baker and various other luminaries to release the non-charting single 'Doctor In Distress').

Whilst the show wasn't canned, Colin was. His contract was not renewed although he was asked to come back for four episodes in the following season for his regeneration story. The actor, perhaps rightly, felt more than a little aggrieved and refused the BBC's plans, "I told them what they could do with their offer."

Colin told The Sun in 1987, "I have been treated shabbily."

7. Sylvester McCoy

Another candidate for being poorly treated.

Doctor Who, as we know now, came to an end in 1989 but the show wasn't actually officially cancelled at any stage. McCoy has often lamented the short-sightedness of the BBC given that he and companion Ace (Sophie Aldred) were just hitting their stride. So this entry is an oddity: he didn't leave and he wasn't sacked (as such).

McCoy did make a glorious return for the 1996 TV movie where he handed the TARDIS keys over to Paul McGann.

8. Paul McGann

Currently starring as another doctor in the BBC's long-running soap Holby City, the story of McGann and Who is a slightly sad one.

For one night only, back in 1996, the Withnail & I actor was most definitely the best thing about the ill-fated Doctor Who TV Movie. But a series didn't follow and fans had to make do with his Big Finish audio dramas.

When the show returned, some nine years later, McGann was nowhere to be seen. Not even a regeneration. But what happened?

Speaking at the BFI in the show's 50th anniversary year, the Eighth Doctor star told fans he would have come back to the role if the then-showrunner Russell T Davies had asked. The clean slate of 2005 resulted in McGann's removal from the role.

Whovians were rewarded with more McGann action during the 50th Anniversary in the Steven Moffat-penned, 'The Night of the Doctor' (see above).

9. Christopher Eccleston

We may never known precisely what happened here.

Doctor Who made a blistering return to television in 2005 with Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor and Billie Piper as his best bud Rose. But, Whovians around the world were rocked to their very core when it was announced that their new Doctor was leaving at the end of the season.

Whilst showrunner Russell T Davies stated that the plan was always to have the regeneration take place, recent comments by Christopher Eccleston have suggested that he himself quit the show.

He says the relationship with Russell and the producers (which included Julie Gardner, Mal Young and Phil Collinson) broke down "irreparably" at the start of filming and "never recovered".

Eccleston added, "They lost trust in me, and I lost faith and trust and belief in them."

10. David Tennant

Tennant rather spectacularly announced his decision to leave Doctor Who live on ITV during the National Television Awards in 2008.

Deciding to move on after making the role his own, the Scottish actor didn't want to "outstay" his welcome, saying: "It would be very easy to cling on to the TARDIS console forever and I fear that if I don't take a deep breath and make the decision to move on now, then I simply never will."

According to Russell T Davies, David did a have a "wobble" and seriously thought about staying on as the Time Lord. So much so that he met with Steven Moffat to discuss his plans though, in the end, stuck to his guns and hung up his sonic screwdriver.

11. Matt Smith

"When ya gotta go, ya gotta go!" Matt stated in his official leaving statement in 2013.

Later that year, The Crown star commented, "I'd have very happily done another year," adding, "for me, it just felt like the right time to move on"

Like Davison before him, Smith has publicly stated he regrets leaving the role so soon having wanted to do a full season with co-star Jenna Coleman (Clara). Steven Moffat has also stated that he planned to quit at the same time as Matt.

12. Peter Capaldi

In an emotional interview on BBC Radio 2, Peter Capaldi announced that he was leaving the show. The Twelfth Doctor said it was "the right time to move on".

Later that same year, Capaldi revealed his own self-doubt about playing the role for longer. He commented, "I want to always be giving it my best and I don't think if I stayed on I'd be able to do that. I can't think of another way to say, 'This could be the end of civilisation as we know it'."

The Thick of It actor also hinted that complacency may have been a factor too, "I really never wanted to get to a place where I knew how to do this because that's not what being creative is. The actual amount of time we were spending on the show, I realised I was getting the hang of it. And that made me frightened."

And just a couple of days ago, he told Australia's Courier Mail that the "brand is a lot of work," adding,"There's a lot more than just acting."