Anyone who owns a television in Britain cannot have failed to at least notice the huge and seemingly never ending build up to the barnstorming 50th anniversary celebrations of Doctor Who. Make no mistake, as a self-confessed Whovian I am rather loving it and am greatly looking forward to The Day of the Doctor like everyone else. However I feel that we need to at least step back first and marvel at this jewel in the celebratory crown - BBC2's An Adventure in Space and Time. Not just a great part of the Who celebrations, but a supremely great piece of television, full stop.
Penned by Doctor Who and Sherlock great Mark Gatiss, this is a self-confessed "love letter" to Doctor Who. Intrinsic to that is a marvellous story that also greatly allows for non-fans who are presented a marvelous dramatization of television history, oodles of wonderful moments for fans, and incredible amounts of character and great performances.
Historically the attention to detail is stunning. The props, the sets (a lot of which also seemed like a homage to the iconic and now sadly defunct BBC Television Centre) the costumes, even the lighting, all scream 1960's Britain and BBC. Not only that but getting the time and setting right on screen only increases the sense of purpose, and power and eventually legendary status that the whole process of making Doctor Who was. I think the temptation to make the conception a rosy tale of success after success would have been prevalent for the 50th, but no, this is a continuing story that builds, has set backs, builds some more, has more set backs and tragedy, and gets back up again until finally celebrating the finished product.
Now for the true Doctor Who moments, and I am quite sure fans won't be dissapointed. We saw the conception of the show itself, we saw the bespoke original Doctor come to life, we saw the conception and sketching out (literally) of the TARDIS, we saw the first companions, we saw the script ideas that were trashed and we saw those that triumphed to launch this wonderful story. I could go on...so I shall. We saw the First Doctor get to grips with his console, we saw the first outing of the Daleks and their infamous evil, we even had quotes and references from "the future" of the show; to hear the First Doctor issue those immortal and heart-wrenching words - "I don't want to go" was a real moment for me. AND THAT CAMEO! I don't want to spoil too much for people (if I haven't already - sorry!) but it was the best cameo, Doctor Who-based or otherwise, that I have ever seen. So simple, yet so powerful, not just another Whovian thrill but a terribly emotive moment that was the culmination of a fantastic programme.
The cast. Starting from the top, I believe David Bradley (or Argus Filch for those of you routed in Hogwarts) was perfect as William Hartnell. He gives huge gravitas to the back story of the First Doctor, making people, as was apparently the case with Hartnell himself, feel on edge and slightly in fear of this eccentric old man, but also feel tremendous love, sympathy and warmth, for the actor and the Doctor he portrayed. Getting to see Hartnell's journey from creating the Doctor, to stepping off the TARDIS to make way for Patrick Troughton, was a real treat for me, as I'm sure it was for everyone else who witnessed it.
We get treated to some other gems too.Verity Lambeth, who at the time is portrayed as a struggling yet aspiring woman in a man's world, and who went on to be a television production legend, is played by the beautiful, measured and incredibly watchable Jessica Raine. In An Adventure in Space and Time, Doctor Who is as much her story as it is Hartnell's. Young yet experienced actor Sacha Dhawan gives added charm as the first director of Doctor Who, Waris Hussein. Legend of stage and screen Brian Cox rounds it all off with healthy and regular infusions of the comical, manic and passionate Sydney Newman, Head of Drama at the time and co-creator of Doctor Who.
So there we are. I'd just like to say really a heartfelt well done to all involved in An Adventure In Space and Time. The Doctor Who 50th celebrations have been wide and varied, and look to culminate magnificently. Yet I am glad we got to see this masterpiece of television, that also happened to have something to do with the Doctor.
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