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JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED
With iconic show Doctor Who reaching its golden anniversary there is much
anticipation for arrival of Peter Capaldi, as Doctor number 12, in the Christmas
special. Stephen Springate looks at the last five decades of the Doctor. pics: BBC
I
t’s hard to really imagine another British
television programme which has had both
the longevity and renewed enthusiasm that
Doctor Who has experienced over the last half
a century. Now approaching its 50th anniversary,
Doctor Who has stayed in the foreground of popular
culture generation after generation, since it was
first broadcast in 1963 and begun bringing families
together by both delighting and terrifying viewers
of all ages. Every viewer, no matter how casual or
fanatic, has an unquestioningly outright favourite
Doctor (I’m a Davison man) and hiding behind the
sofa from one of the show’s vast parade of villains,
whether it was a Dalek, Sutekh, Cyberman or
Weeping Angel. Over the years this cowering has
become a rite of passage for every younger viewer
and probably quite a few older ones too. The fact
that the recent discovery of nine episodes of the
show from the 1960s, in a Nigerian television station,
made national headlines across the UK is testament
to the importance that many fans still hold for the
programme.
The glossy, CGI-heavy poutfest that we see in 2013
may seem to have barely anything in common with
the grainy, almost go F??26??rF?B?FR?G2FV'W@?F?RF?gFW"?d?v27676??FVB???c2??@??B?2G'VRF?BF?R7G??R?7V'7F?6R?BF??R?bF?P?&?w&??26??7F?F?6??gFVB2V6??Wr7F? ??2?VgBF?V?"?v?F?7F??7F?fR?&?2F?RF?7F?"?bvR????7BF??2F??Vv??F?R6??r&V???6?( ?@?6??vVB?V6?B????F?R?7BS?V'2?F?RF?7F? ??27F????V66V?G&?26?&7FW"?v??????r&?WBF?P??%U??@??V??fW'6Rv?F???V?r?B??F?vV??276?7F?B??@?????2?VV?2?f????rWF?RVF?V?6^( ?2??v??F????'?f?6?F??rV???v??&?R?6W2f???VBv?F?&?vP??( ?v?V?F?RF?7F? ??6?( ?B6f??r6??P?F?7F?B??WB?? ?&Ww&?F??r?W"??7F?'???F?V??R?26f??p?6??FV??&'??'&?F??g&??W&??( ??bV???v??&?RV??R?6??WF??W2FVW??F?P?&V6W76W2?bV'F?( ?2??7F?'???B6??WF??W2???6???WFV?F?ffW&V?B??WB?v?V?F?RF?7F?"?6?( ?@?6f??r6??RF?7F?B??WB??"&Ww&?F??r?W"??7F?'???F?V??R?26f??r6??FV??&'?'&?F??g&??W&?????BF?&?Vv??WB?G2S?V'2F?R6??r?2?v?0??V?BW?'&?"F??W"6?6?WG??V??Rv??vF6?F?P?6??rF?F??B6???????r( ?( ??B?6?( ?BF?R6?R0???BfW'6???( ?( ?6VV?F?6???WFV?&R?76??rF?R???C??F?R6??r?2?WfW"6??V?FVBv?g&??F?Rf7BF?@??B?2&?GV7B?b?G2F??R??BF?R6??7F?F?Wf??f??p?F??R?bF?R6??r?2????GW&?2?W"7V?GW&P?Wf??fW2v?F??B??B?6?( ?BF?R6?R2F?R??BfW'6??????&V6W6RF?Bv?V?BF?Rv?F?R???B?b?B?v?F??WFW"6?F???vV???W6?6??6V?2F?R?W?BF?7F?"??v?????w2v?B&?WFRF?R6??rv???v?F?v???F?P?gWGW&S??6&F?fb?2&VV?7???????W2v?F?F?7F?"v????B?G2F&?W"?GV?B?fb?6???BF?&6?v??B6??6RF?P?&V&??B?bF?Rg&?6??6Rv2?&VB??#R?&?GV6V@?????W6R'?$$2v?W2?F?R6W&?W2?2???7BV?F?&V??f???VB??&?F?F?R$$27GVF??2??6&F?fb&???@?????6F??????B&?V?BF?R6?G??F??2?V?2F?@??V?G??b6&F?fb6?v?G26?&R7?GFVB??F?RfW&vP?W?6?FR?bF?7F?"v???F?Rv?W2???V???V?6V?G&R?F?R6V?VFB?6&F?fb67F?R?????bF?P?f?7F?&??&6FW2?F?R6??W?6??vR?B????`?F?R'V??F??w2&?V?B6F??2&?6???&R6VV???V?G??bW?6?FW2?????r?BF?RW&fV7B6??p?f?"&?V?B?b6??WF??r( ?( ?fR&VV?F?W&R ( ?BF?REb??F?&6?v??BW6W2?????6F???2WfV???&RW??6?F???2F?Rv???R6W&?W2?2&6VB??F?R6?G???&V??r&?RF?vWB&?v?BWg&??BF?????bF?Rf????p???6F???2?2?VBF?6&F?fb&V6???r?V66f? ?F??W6?G2?bf?2?bF?R6W&?W2WfW'??V"??@?f&??W2f????r??6F???F?W'2?b6&F?fb6?&RF?V??F?&?Vv??WBF?R?V"?f?2?6?6??RF?f?6?BF?P?F?7F?"v??W?W&?V?6R??6&F?fb&??v??6??2F?P?6??6RF?F?R'B?????FW&7F?fRGfV?GW&Rv?F??F?RF?7F?"?2vV??2&V??r&?RF?6VRF?R?&vW7@?6???V7F????bF?7F?"v??'FVf7G2??F?Rv?&?B??F?7F?"v??#26?&?7F?27V6???$$0???R?vVB#RFV2???f??wwr?&&2?6??V???F?7F?'v?????