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Colin considered asking his agent to put him up for the role of The Doctor after Tom Baker left in 1981.Peter Davison decided in May 1983 not to renew his contract. John Nathan-Turner, in November 1983, said, "We do want to make the next doctor a little more eccentric than Peter's been. To make him a little more crotchety and perhaps give him a kind of acid wit, which we think would make a nice change."On June 10, 1983, JN-T meets Colin and offers him the part. Colin says yes!Colin is introduced to the press as the Doctor on August 20, 1983. He hints that he'd like to try and beat Tom Baker's record number of years in the role.Colin, about the role of the Doctor, said, "I thought it would be quite nice if sometimes he didn't behave in the way we would expect him to behave. So, on one day, if a person was mown down in front of him he might just step over them and ask somebody the time; on another day, he might go into terrible paroxysms of grief about a sparrow falling out of a tree.Obviously we'd have to be able to explain why, and what it was that was concerning the Doctor, I just didn't want him to behave in an obvious, sentimental, approachable way. I wanted him to be a little bit unapproachable. He could get extremely angry about something - a build-up followed by a sudden explosion, so that the rage might seem to be about one thing when it was actually about something which had happened two episodes ago, perhaps. I think there's a danger with this kind of programme that it's all too pat, all too obvious."After talking over the character with John Nathan-Turner, "...we both went upstairs to see David Reid, who was then the Controller in charge of BBC1. Fortunately he was watching a Test Match on TV at the time, and I asked, 'How's Botham doing?', or something. He said, 'Oh, do you like cricket?' and we chatted about cricket for twenty minutes - to JN-T's total perplexity, because he knew nothing about cricket! After that, we talked about the role of the Doctor for a minute or two, and David Reid said, 'Well, I think that's great, excellent.' Apparently the fact that I liked cricket did it for me!"Eric Saward, then script editor, was unhappy about the casting of Colin as the Doctor. He felt Colin lacked the screen presence that was needed for the role.Colin on the Doctor, "I would describe him as embodying all the Doctor's traditional virtues - compassion, kindness, high principles, a crusading spirit and a desire to relieve oppression and deal with the oppressor - but at the same time tinged with arrogance, irritability and impatience, which I got a little bit from the first Doctor. He enjoyed the pursuit of the mind and did not find it necessary to display what he was feeling, and could therefore appear to the Earthling observer to be a little unfeeling. That doesn't mean he was unfeeling; he just didn't feel the necessity to display it."Colin was first introduced as the Doctor in the last story of Season 21, instead of the first story of the new season as per usual. This was supposedly to give viewers a "taste" of the new Doctor. Unfortunately, with Twin Dilemma featuring a schizophrenic Doctor, it left viewers more uncertain about the new Doctor than if we had only glimpsed him in the last few seconds of the season.Most of Colin Baker's scripts were heavily re-written by Saward.Bloody, violent, beheadings, acid baths, hangings, cell mutation experiments, executions by laser, cannibalism, poisonings, stabbings, suffocation by cyanide, ...this season had it all!For Season 22 the Controller of the BBC, Alan Hart, decided to double the length of the episodes to 45 minutes (and, therefore, halving the number of episodes made) to JN-T and Saward's enthusiastic agreement.Series 22 was seen as very violent, bleak and oppressive. Saward disagreed with this, however, saying the violence was necessary and realistic. Also, it needs to be remembered that the season was originally planned to be screened at 6:20 pm - not the 5:20pm slot it was eventually given. Peri's "revealing" costumes were also questioned.Attack of the Cybermen was a sequel to The Tenth Planet and The Tomb of the Cybermen.Vengeance on Varos was originally written for Peter Davison's Doctor.Season 22 was also attacked for losing its strong moral standpoint that was always a feature of the show. The production team denied this.The Doctor's final sentence in the final story for the season, Revelation of the Daleks, is, "I'll take you to Blackpool." The word "Blackpool" was deleted from the story once it was confirmed the next season would not go ahead as planned.The WORLD EXCLUSIVE Cancellation Timeline, only here at 6:13. The timeline tries to make sense of all the events around the time of the show's cancellation for 18 months.| Rumors that Season 23 had been cancelled began to circulate. | |
| JN-T is told by BBC Head of Series and Serials, Jonathan Powell, that Doctor Who is to be postponed. The decision devastates the morale of the production team and the cast. | |
| JN-T later that year stated: "It's a horrid thing to happen, to be told that the season you've prepared is kind of pulled from under your feet. I think my feeling was that of the rest of my team and of all the actors concerned, and indeed of all the directors who had been engaged. It's all very well to get your money at the end of the week but it's far far better actually to earn it. So I think we all felt fairly devastated." | |
| Eric Saward, the script editor, said: "I really don't know what the thinking was. I'm sure that Jonathan Powell hated the show. He was always very hostile to us at playbacks. Very indifferent, whether the show was good or bad. It seemed he'd really decided that he didn't like us. I think it was entirely his decision. I don't think Michael Grade cared one way or the other." | |
| The Standard Newspaper confirms Who has been cancelled. "Doctor Who is being dropped by the hard-up BBC for the first time in 22 years. It has been decided that Dr. Who's adventures are too expensive to produce. BBC1 Controller Michael Grade has ordered the series, which stars Colin Baker, to be suspended for at least 18 months." | |
| More media get on the story and attack the BBC and Michael Grade for the decision. | |
| Fans around the world start letter campaigns. | |
| The UK national press pick up the story and make Doctor Who front page news. | |
| The Sun's headline: "Dr Who Axed in BBC plot"! | |
| Baker is reported as "staggered" and Bryant is "surprised and upset" | |
| Michael Grade claims: "We intend to make a lot of new drama, and we cannot afford to do that and Doctor Who." | |
| Newspapers pick up Grade's comments and point out that each episode of Doctor Who only costs 180,000 pounds, against an average 220,000 pounds for drama. Doctor Who is sold to 54 other countries and had a world-wide viewing audience of 110 million viewers - axing the programme actually cost the BBC money - not save it any! | |
| BBC try to play down the story, but the media won't let up. | |
| The Sun and Daily Star newspapers launch their "Save Doctor Who" campaigns. | |
| The BBC, caught completely by surprise by the media and fan furore, release a press statement to "clarify" their position, confirming that the series would return in 1986 and in its original format of 25 minute episodes - but stating that the series would run in the Autumn schedule, not the January run as per usual. | |
| The Star newspaper breaks the story that the BBC has paid 500,000 pounds for a US series it hasn't even seen! Kane and Abel, based on a Jeffrey Archer best-seller, was being made by Embassy Films which, until 1983, was headed by Michael Grade! He even has an executive producer credit on the show! | |
| The Daily Mail newspaper tracks Grade down in the French Alps! His irritation at the press coverage is clear. Grade says the fans are a special interest group and that the rest of the world would barely notice - how wrong he was! | |
| Bill Cotton replies to the Doctor Who Appreciation Society's letter for more meaning ful assurances on the future of Doctor who, saying: "The problem is not just financial, it is also about scripts and resources." | |
| Recording of the "Doctor in Distress" record takes place. Written and produced by Ian Levine, the money raised was to go to a cancer relief charity. Under the group name Who Cares?, Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Anthony Ainley and Nicholas Courtney performed the song alongside 25 other celebrities and entertainers. The record was cut and released on March 15. | |
| The Daily Express publish a letter from Michael Grade to a fan. "The response of Doctor Who enthusiasts is bordering on the hysterical given the exact nature of the BBC's decision. Doctor Who has not been cancelled, just delayed for a year. The ratings for the current season have been disappointing and we need time to consider the reasons for this. The current series is an experimental 45-minute length and this has not proved as popular as we had hoped. We were looking to make some financial savings in the coming year and it seems that after 21 years a short rest would do the Doctor no harm at all. Long-running television series do get tired and it is because we want another 21 years of Doctor who that we have prescribed a good rest." This caused more press coverage and again tried to shift the focus from the BBC's alleged "financial problems." | |
| JN-T and the production team are told the new season will be only 14 episodes long. | |
| Rumors fly as Ian Levine announces the new Season 23 might be reduced from 26 to 20 episodes. JN-T denies this. | |
| The Head of Series and Serials at the BBC, Jonathan Powell, replies to a fan letter with another batch of reasons for the hiatus. "We decided to postpone Doctor Who for two reasons. Firstly, we have a financial problem on BBC1and looking at the programmes we decided that Doctor Who would benefit from some breathing space. It seems to me that the show does not work in its new three-quarter-hour episodes, and would be much better returned to its traditional 25-minute format. To change the format requires time and I believe it to be entirely advantageous that the producer of the programme has some time to consider it in depth. As yet we have not decided how many episodes we shall make when the show returns. We plan to have it on screen by Autumn 1986 and the number of episodes will be decided according to our editorial wishes balanced against the financial means." | |
| Grade gives another batch of reasons on The Late Clive James show, this time there was no mention of financial problems, just an all out attack on the programme. "The truth about Doctor Who is that it was a target for a cut, because the show's not doing very well. It's overly violent. It's losing audiences. It's appeal is not what it was. It's not getting new generations of children. We needed time to take it off the air and get it right." No right of reply was give and Clive James did not disagree. Even though the show rated, on average, 7.12 Million viewers a week! Also, dramatic changes had been made in the past (ie: 45 minute epsides for Season 22) without the need for an 18 month break to "get it right". Grade was clutching at straws. | |
| The Sun reports Grade, Powell and BBC Director of Programmes, Brian Wenhan jave decided to reduce Season 23 to 14 episodes and to subsequently cancel the series altogether if ratings failed to improve. The BBC Press Office deny this. | |
| The Sun's report about the number of episodes is confirmed: "Beeb chief John Harrison wrote a secret telex message to US distributors, saying next year's series will be trimmed from 26 shows to 14 25-minute episodes. But someone mixed up the telex numbers and the message went to the American Doctor Who Appreciation Society!" The BBC Press Office deny all once more. Even though photocopies of the telex are distributed to fans. | |
| Grade attacks again - this time it's the production team who are at fault. "The people who make it have got rather complacent. The show got rather violent and lost a lot of its imagination, a lot of its wit, and was relying far too much on straightforward on-the-nose violence and had failed really to capture a new audience. There's no question of it being killed off. There is going to be another series next year. The problem with the programme was that it had been losing its appeal. I decided that it was time to take stock, to look at the show, to rethink the scripts, to rethink the shape of the programme, to think how we might revitalise Doctor Who so that it's going to last another 20 years." | |
| BBC admit the new Season 23 will be only 14 episodes long. | |
| The enormous outlay for producing 104 episodes of Eastenders a year later came to light. It debuted the very same week Doctor Who was postponed and money at the BBC was short because of this outlay and also due to the decision to begin the BBC daytime TV service. Money was clawed back from across the board. | |
| Colin spoke more about the cancellation. "Originally it was the axe; it was coming off! Grade back-tracked very swiftly when he found out the reaction was as strong as it was, and it turned into a suspension, which was the only way he could get it back without losing too much face, I suppose." | |
| Ian Levine breaks his silence on the cancellation. "The day it was cancelled John [Nathan-Turner] and Gary [Downey, a Doctor Who production assistant] came round to my house and spent the whole evening plotting what to do and how to get the press involved. John got me to phone Charles Catchpole of The Sun. He told me that there were code names within in the BBC that Catchpole would know, so I phoned him and said that I worked on the sixth floor [of TV centre] under Michael Grade and that my name was Snowball. I said that there was a plot to get rid of Doctor Who. While I was talking John and Gary were busy scribbling away telling me what to say. I told Charles how the show made profits for the BBC, how the series was being used in a plot to defend the licence fee increase - John was even reeling off figures off the top of his head for the number of countries that Doctor Who was sold to, and for the millions of pounds [it made], for me to quote at him! John was pulling the strings and using me because he couldn't risk being identified as being involved. He knew this whole code thing and exactly what to say. Then we did that same thing with Geoff Baker at the Daily Star." |
The decision to suspend Doctor Who for 18 months caused the stories already being worked on for the then unmade season to be dropped. Actors and production staff already commissioned were paid, but the stories were not produced. The stories (originally drafted as 45 minute episodes) are listed below:The Nightmare Fair by Graham Williams. This two part story had already been distributed to cast and crew and was in an advanced stage of production. The story would have seen the Doctor and Peri arrive at Blackpool's Pleasure Beach where they would have discovered that one of the amusement arcades was a deadly trap set by the Celestial Toymaker who originally appeared in a William Hartnell story in 1966. "Blackpool" is the word deleted from the end of Revelation of the Daleks - this deletion was done once the suspension was announced.The Ultimate Evil by Wally K. Daly. This two part story would have involved the Doctor and Peri arriving in the peace-loving domain of Tranquela with the intention of taking a holiday, only to get caught up in the schemes of an unscrupulous arms dealer known as the evil Dwarf Mordant, who hopes to provoke a war between the Tranquelans and their neighbouring race, the Amelierons, by causing them to suffer sporadic fits of extreme violence.Mission to Magnus by Philip Martin. Another two part script that was previously titled Planet of Storms. The story was set on the female-dominated planet of Magnus and would have featured the return not only of Sil, but also the Ice Warriors and a new Time Lord villain called Anzor who was a childhood nemesis of the Doctor! Yellow Fever by Robert Holmes. This was a three part story and destined to be the season's longest story. The original title was Yellow Fever and How to Cure It. It was set in Singapore and included return appearances by the Autons, the Rani and possibly the Master. This story only exists in a brief outline.In the Hollows of Time by Christopher H. Bidmead. Another two-part story. Story unknown.The Children of January by Michael Feeney Callan. Story unknown. This two part story would have finished the season, although two other stories were commissioned as fall-backs:Title Unknown by Bill Pritchard. Story unknown, so is the title. And: Gallifrey by Pip and Jane Baker. The story is believed to involve the destruction of the Doctor's home planet.Once the postponement was announced, all writers were asked to continue work on their stories, but to write for the old 25 minute format. In the end, however, when the production team learned that the new season would only have 14 episodes, the stories were all abondoned in favor of the Trial "umbrella season" approach. This is a shame as the new season looked good on paper, old foes and new, and some terrific stories that would have solidified Colin Baker as the Doctor in the public mind. Another wasted opportunity due to BBC tinkering...Season 23 was less violent and less agressive, and the relationship between the Doctor and Peri was much more settled and friendly.Season 23 saw a return to the 25 minute episodes and the violence toned down - a response to a specific instruction from Michael Grade.According to JN-T, Peri's tendency to whinge in Season 22 was due to the lack of ingenuity on the writers' part.With Mel as a companion, the Doctor and companion took on a more father / daughter role. Unlike the Doctor and Peri, the Doctor was now allowed to show affection.Eric Saward suggested the season have a season-spanning story where the Doctor would be placed on Trial, reflecting the current state of the programme. JN-T agreed.The season premise was that the Doctor would be brought home to Gallifrey by the Time Lords to stand trial for his interference in the affairs of other worlds. The evidence would be presented in three parts - one part concerning a story in the Doctor's past; another part with a story from the present; and the final part with a story from The Doctor's future. Then, the story would be completed in the final fourth segment. Robert Holmes was to write the first four episodes and the last two episodes, ending the season with the Doctor and the Master locked in mortal combat and a question mark hanging over the outcome. Both Saward and JN-T agreed to this.The Master was, originally, to be a witness and two of the jurors were to be prejudiced against the Doctor.The new theme music was recorded by Dominic Glynn in just five days!Michael Grade took no active interest in the production of the 23rd Season, even though he had said in the press he would. In his only meeting with JN-T (which lasted less than 10 minutes) Grade told the producer to drop the violence and replace it with more humour. JN-T instructed the writers to do this.The writers originally hired for the season were: Robert Holmes (eps 1 - 4 & 13 - 14), Philip Martin (eps 5 - 8); and David Halliwell and Jack Trevor Story working together, but writing two episodes each (eps 9 - 12). Parts 1 - 8 progressed well, but parts 9 - 12 fell apart alarmingly and Attack from the Mind (as the story was called) was dropped.Time was running out and Christopher H. Bidmead was commissioned to write episodes 9 - 12 in fast time. The story, titled The Last Adventure, then re-titled Pinacotheca, was dropped by Saward who found it dull and lacking substance.Sapphire and Steel creator P.J.Hammond was commissioned, but his End of Term (later re-titled Paradise Five) was also dropped - this time by JN-T.Finally, Pip and Jane Baker are commissioned to write a "whodunnit in space". The Ultimate Foe (the title would later be changed to Terror of the Vervoids) would be accepted as the deadlines loomed for shooting. On February 4 1986, Robert Holmes was commissioned to write the final two part story of the trial under the working name of Time Inc. He was also offered the chance to write episodes 9 - 12, but declined. Time Inc. was to tie up all the loose ends of the other stories and provide a dramatic climax to the season, and would later be know as The Ultimate Foe.Holmes became seriously ill and died on May 24, 1986 having completed only a rough draft of episode 13 and an initial outline for episode 14.Saward had resigned as script editor after overseeing the first two segments of the trial, citing conflicts with JN-T over production decisions. "I was getting very fed up with the way Doctor Who was beging run, largely by John Nathan-Turner - his attitude and lack of insight into what makes a television series like Doctor Who work." Even so, he took over the task of writing episode 14 and polishing up Holmes' episode 13 - according to the agreed outline. In order to facilitate this he also rewrote completely the latter scenes of Holmes' episode 13, introducing a completely new character, Mr. Popplewick.Saward then had a major disagreement with JN-T over the way in which the story was to end. He then withheld permission for the use of his script for part 14 to be used. As Saward recalls, when JN-T eventually saw the script for the final episode, he refused to accept the cliff-hanger ending to the season, stating it was too down-beat and would end the series on an inconclusive note if the BBC chiefs should then decide to cancel the programme permanently. Stunned by this, Saward then withdrew permission for the use of this script - a decision he declined to reconsider even though JN-T wrote to him in conciliatory terms in an attempt to persuade him to do so.Here is a summary of the unused Eric Saward script for episode fourteen of The Trial of a Time Lord (our summary is based on the outline given in "The Eighties" by Howe, Stammers and Walker):JN-T commissions Pip & Jane Baker at the last minute to write a completely new episode 14. Pip and Jane have no idea what the "original" ending is and, due to copyright reasons, JN-T can tell them nothing. An extended "20 questions" session then begins. As Pip explains: "We went in the following morning...there was another person there as a witness to ensure that John didn't tell us anything that was in script fourteen, because of copyright difficulties. Obviously he wanted us to provide a replacement, but he couldn't tell us how the season was supposed to end! There were thirteen episodes leading up to a conclusion that wasn't there." The Baker's write episode 14 and it is accepted.The cat badges worn by Colin during the Trial season were designed and hand-painted by Maggie Howard of Maggie's Moggies and were modelled on Colin's own cats, Eric & Weeble.Saward disliked Peri's character, calling her weak and feminine in all the worst ways. Nor did he like Mel, stating that the character was created to fulfil JN-T's wish to have a companion with red hair - possibly due to the fact thathe already knew who he was going to cast! Saward said in 1992, "Bonnie Langford, I'm convinced, was Nathan-Turner's most cynical piece of casting." And, Ian Levine, speaking at the same time said, "I'm not alone in believing he hired her not simply because in his opinion she'd be good for Doctor Who, but because he saw her as a big draw for Teynham Productions' pantomimes." (Teynham Productions was an organisation run by JN-T and others which ran regular Christmas pantomimes during this period!)Bonnie was an unpopular choice with fans too and she continued the recent tradition of hiring "guest stars" for stories - diluting the drama and making the show a light-entertainment variety show. JN-T said Bonnie would bring more children to the series (she was known at that time for her role in Peter Pan) and that guest stars attracted valuable extra publicity for the series.Season 23 went up against The A-Team. 30 million viewers turned on for the violence - violence Grade had specifically banned from Doctor Who! Also, Doctor Who was slotted in the shedule after Roland Rat - The Series!Saward would later hit out at JN-T, saying his former colleague had, amongst other things, brought pantomime aspects to Doctor Who; neglected important tasks in favor of trivial ones, such as making arrangements for and attending fan conventions in the USA and approving merchandise for BBC Enterprises; been reluctant to work with experienced people in case they undermined his authority; taken insufficient interest in the series' scripts; and made poor casting decisions.Saward was not alone in these criticisms. Joining him here Peter Grimwade (writer and director), Anthony Ainley (the Master) and Ian Levine.But JN-T was supported by many people too, such as Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Bonnie Langford, Pip and Jane Baker, and directors Fiona Cumming and Nicholas Mallett - all who praised and supported JN-T. Colin Baker is informed by JN-T on October 29, 1986 that his contract as the Doctor was not to be renewed. "When the time came for the option on my contract to be taken up by the BBC, which was the end of October, he [JN-T] rang up and said, 'I don't even know if we're doing the programme. They haven't even told me if I'm producing it next year, so I can't take up the option at the moment.' So the option lapsed. Then, at the beginning of November, he rang me up and said, 'Look, I've got a bit of bad news. The programme is going ahead but Michael Grade has instructed me to replace the Doctor.'On Dec 13 1986 the news breaks that Colin has been sacked.When asked to come back in season 24 to film four episodes as a "regeneration story" Colin declined, stating: "I was offered the chance to do the first four episodes of the following season - that was actually a concession won by John - but I said, 'Quite honestly, if I've got to leave, I want to leave now and start making a career.' The analogy I've always used is that it's like your girlfriend giving you the push and saying, 'But you can come back and spend a night with me next year!' It's just not on."In 1989 Colin returned to play the Doctor in the stage play Doctor Who - The Ultimate Advernture. One reviewer wrote that Colin, "gives a great performance, which leaves you yearning for more." How ironic.On the stage-play, Colin said, "Doing this show has been like putting on a pair of comfy old slippers. I was a little alarmed at how easily I slipped into it again, and how much I enjoyed it, although it's rekindled old sadnesses as well. I won't feel particularly sad when it finishes, mind you, because I've done nearly a hundred performances, and that's enough. But it's been nice to play the part again. In a way, it's laid a ghost, it's added a coda. It's made me believe that my Doctor has a part in the scheme of things." Contrary to popular belief, Colin Baker's Doctor did not send ratings crashing through the floor. In fact, when you look at the ratings for Colin's first full season (Season 22) you'll find he consistently rated as popular as Davison's Doctor. He kept the ratings steady and, in the case of Attack of the Cybermen, the first story of Season 22, actually rated more viewers for that story than Davison did for any story in his final season (Season 21)!
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