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45 BILLYFLUFFS
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William Hartnell’s habit of cocking up the odd line enlivens many an otherwise dreary First Doctor episode. Here’s three of our favourites:
1. “Anti-radiation gloves” instead of “drugs” (“The Daleks”).
2. “Two burnt cinders floating around in Spain… er, in space!” (“The Chase”)
3. “I prefer walking to any day. And I hate climbing!” (“The Time Meddler”)
Of course, in Hartnell’s time, the programme was recorded in very long takes; Matt Smith would probably make just as many fluffs in the same circumstances. And the hardening of the arteries that Hartnell suffered in his later years was also a contributory factor to his line-learning woes. Still funny, mind.
46 TOM BAKER’S “IMPROVEMENTS”
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Directors no doubt rolled their eyes every time Tom boomed, “Now what I think would be funny here is…” Many of his suggestions were, to use a phrase Tom often employed of the scripts, whippet shit, but occasionally he hit the jackpot. Take the moment in “The Face Of Evil” where the Doctor, surrounded by warriors, threatens to kill one “with this deadly jelly baby”. Amusing, yet perfectly logical (they wouldn’t know it’s just a sweet), it’s the highlight of the episode.
47 HARTNELL’S WIG
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It reminds us that Hartnell wasn’t really that old – much of that doddery old goat business was just good acting. Hartnell was 55 when he first took on the role of the Doctor – that’s four years younger than Peter Davison is now! And 12 years younger than Mick Jagger!
48 IN-JOKES
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Take “Inferno”, where the stern Big Brother type seen on posters in a dystopian alternate Earth is visual effects designer Jack Kine. Or the “mind-bending battle” in “The Brain Of Morbius” (above), in which earlier incarnations of the Doctor flash up on a screen – actually the likes of producer Philip Hinchcliffe and director Christopher Barry, wearing stock costumes. Then there’s the group of Doctor Who alumni seen taking a guided tour of Windsor Castle in “Silver Nemesis”, which include director Peter Moffatt and Nicholas “The Brigadier” Courtney. We love spotting this stuff – so much so that we were kinda hoping a towering Welsh bloke would be spotted lobbing around handfuls of confetti at Donna’s wedding… Sadly, it was not to be.
Ian Berriman
