Actor and comedian Reece Shearsmith has spoken briefly about playing Patrick Troughton in the 50th Anniversary docudrama, An Adventure in Space and Time.
Shearsmith told Digital Spy it is only a small scene: “I was honoured to be part of it. I think [Mark Gatiss] just always had this idea that I would [play Troughton]. It’s very small – I’m literally only in a very small little bit, but it was lovely to be part of it.”
He added: “Mark was in his absolute element, wandering around the TARDIS… the attention to detail was immaculate. He’s done a really good rendering of that time and that story. I think it’s a real treat.”
Of course, Shearsmith is asked about the possibility of himself becoming the 12th Doctor.
“Oh God, no! I’ve literally not even thought about it. I’ve had a few people tweeting me that, saying, ‘You should be the Doctor’… I’m like, ‘What??’ It could be literally anyone. I can’t imagine who we’re gonna get. But it would be good to go older, I think, because they’ve done two younger ones.”
Shearsmith would actually be quite a good choice as the Doctor. He's the best actor from the League, and I don't think his talent has been fully tapped into yet.
At the recent Paris Comic-Con, a sneak peek of Mark Gatiss’ 50th Anniversary docudrama An Adventure in Space and Time was shown at the panel.
Pictures have surfaced on Twitter giving us a glimpse of the action. There’s a great look at David Bradley costumed as the First Doctor, William Hartnell, and Claudia Grant as companion Susan (Carol Ann Ford):
The BFI will be premiering An Adventure In Space And Time - the drama about the genesis of Doctor Who - on Tuesday 12th November.
The 90-minute production for BBC Two has been written by Mark Gatiss, directed by Terry McDonough, and stars David Bradley as William Hartnell. Before it airs on TV screens, though, it is being shown first on the big screen as part of the BFI's Doctor Who At 50 season.
The event will start at 8.20pm and a question-and-answer session with a special guest panel will also be held, with the names of those taking part still to be confirmed.
Tickets will be allocated by two separate ballots via the members' section, with one ballot for BFI Champions, opening on Monday 30th September, and another ballot for members, which will open on Tuesday 1st October. Champions can enter both ballots. The ballots will close at midday on Friday 4th October and will be run over the weekend of 5th and 6th October, with all entrants being notified on Monday 7th October as to whether or not they have been successful. All tickets reserved for Champions and members via the ballots will be held for claiming by them until 8.30pm on Friday 11th October, and any that are unclaimed by then will be released for public sale on Saturday 12th October.
Although it will undoubtedly sell out to Champions and members, as has been the case with all previous events in the season, returns and stand-bys will be a strong possibility, so keep checking with the BFI.
A broadcast date for the drama is yet to be announced.
BBC America has released a set of five pictures promoting the forthcoming BBC Two drama An Adventure In Space And Time.
Written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Terry McDonough, the 90-minute production tells the story of the genesis of Doctor Who and stars David Bradley as William Hartnell, Claudia Grant as Carole Ann Ford, Jemma Powell as Jacqueline Hill, Jamie Glover as William Russell, Sacha Dhawan as Waris Hussein, Jessica Raine as Verity Lambert, and Brian Cox as Sydney Newman.
A date for its broadcast is yet to be confirmed, but it will premiere at the BFI on Tuesday 12th November.
The BBC have released more details and poster art for the 50th Anniversary docudrama, An Adventure in Space and Time.
This special one-off drama travels back in time to 1963 to see how the beloved Doctor Who was first brought to the screen.
Actor William Hartnell felt trapped by a succession of hard-man roles. Wannabe producer Verity Lambert was frustrated by the TV industry’s glass ceiling. Both of them were to find unlikely hope and unexpected challenges in the form of a Saturday tea-time drama, time travel and monsters!
Allied with a team of brilliant people, they went on to create the longest-running science fiction series ever, now celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The show will air in the UK the week before the 50th anniversary episode, with the exact day and time to be confirmed. The US airdate is also forthcoming.
In Australia it will premiere Sunday 24 November at 8.45pm on ABC1.
Wide-ranging interviews with cast members of An Adventure In Space And Time and its writer have been released by the BBC. The 90-minute BBC Two drama, which will air next month, tells how Doctor Who was first brought to the screen, and the interviewees talk in depth about what the production has meant to them.
What I wish someone had asked them is how it was like to do research on Hartnell when there is no footage of him in "real life". No interviews, behind-the-scenes stuff or anything. That I'm aware of, anyway. Heck, I can't even remember having seen any written interviews of Hartnell. So all Bradley had to base his portrayal on were the actual drama footage and second-hand accounts from people around the first doctor.
What I wish someone had asked them is how it was like to do research on Hartnell when there is no footage of him in "real life". No interviews, behind-the-scenes stuff or anything. That I'm aware of, anyway. Heck, I can't even remember having seen any written interviews of Hartnell. So all Bradley had to base his portrayal on were the actual drama footage and second-hand accounts from people around the first doctor.
I have seen occasional bits and bobs broadcast of Hartnell...Publicity appearances and the like...but yes, must have been a challenge to pull this together....part of me, if I'm honest, is looking forward to this more than "Day of the Doctor"!
What I wish someone had asked them is how it was like to do research on Hartnell when there is no footage of him in "real life". No interviews, behind-the-scenes stuff or anything. That I'm aware of, anyway. Heck, I can't even remember having seen any written interviews of Hartnell. So all Bradley had to base his portrayal on were the actual drama footage and second-hand accounts from people around the first doctor.
I have seen occasional bits and bobs broadcast of Hartnell...Publicity appearances and the like...
You have? I sure like to know where (if it's online). I'm only aware of some photos, no live footage or audio beyond the actual acting in the films and tv shows.
WOW....I just found this video on Youtube that I hadn't seen before, brand new from October 15th. It's the first time -- ever -- that I've seen live footage of Hartnell that isn't acting:
Either he had a bad day, or he seems just as grumpy as people make him out to be.
WOW....I just found this video on Youtube that I hadn't seen before, brand new from October 15th. It's the first time -- ever -- that I've seen live footage of Hartnell that isn't acting:
Either he had a bad day, or he seems just as grumpy as people make him out to be.
I imagine a mixture of both. Hartnell by all accounts was a bit of a perfectionist. The interview is on The Tenth Planet DVD. There is also a making of featurette concerning Hartnell's last story which I found interesting.
You have? I sure like to know where (if it's online). I'm only aware of some photos, no live footage or audio beyond the actual acting in the films and tv shows.
I honestly can't remember specifically where I've seen it...a publicity appearance for Dr Who or something similar...it's out there somewhere...maybe as a DVD extra in among the many gems...I haven't seen that bit you posted before...interesting!!
You have? I sure like to know where (if it's online). I'm only aware of some photos, no live footage or audio beyond the actual acting in the films and tv shows.
I honestly can't remember specifically where I've seen it...a publicity appearance for Dr Who or something similar...it's out there somewhere...maybe as a DVD extra in among the many gems...I haven't seen that bit you posted before...interesting!!
The Hartnell interview is one of the extras on The Tenth Planet DVD.
BBC America have now confirmed that the 50th Anniversary drama An Adventure in Space and Time will be broadcast in the United States on Friday 22nd November at 9:00pm ET.
An Adventure in Space and Time - BBC America Poster (Credit: BBC America) DOCTOR WHO’S FIRST DOCTOR REGENERATED IN BBC AMERICA’S AN ADVENTURE IN SPACE AND TIME PREMIERING NOVEMBER 22
The story of how it all began stars David Bradley, Jessica Raine and Brian Cox
What do you get when you mix C.S. Lewis with H.G. Wells, and sprinkle in a bit of Father Christmas? An alien Time Lord exploring space and time in a Police Box spaceship called the “TARDIS” (Time And Relative Dimension in Space). On November 23, 1963, a television legend began when the very first episode of Doctor Who was broadcast on BBC One. Fifty years later, the genesis story is retold in a new BBC AMERICA co-production film celebrating the 50th anniversary of the franchise, An Adventure in Space and Time, premiering Friday, November 22, 9:00pm ET/PT on BBC AMERICA.
Travel back to witness the genius that was the first Doctor, William Hartnell (David Bradley, Game of Thrones, Broadchurch) and the unlikely production team behind the series, Verity Lambert (Jessica Raine, Call the Midwife), Waris Hussein (Sacha Dhawan, After Earth) and Sydney Newman (Brian Cox, The Bourne Identity, X2: X-Men United). From writer and executive producer Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Doctor Who), executive producers Steven Moffat (Doctor Who, Sherlock) and Caroline Skinner (Doctor Who, The Fades) and director Terry McDonough (Breaking Bad, The Street), the stylish drama reveals the struggles and ultimate triumph of the British series created to “keep the sports fans and kids hooked.”
"An Adventure in Space and Time is principally a human interest story you can enjoy even if you know nothing about Doctor Who," says writer and executive producer, Mark Gatiss. "You’ll see the story of some amazing people who come together under extraordinary circumstances to create this wonderful thing that is still with us today."
An unlikely trio of misfits set out to create a genre series that all ages would love. A 55-year-old actor conceivably at the end of a frustrating career, a former production assistant fighting to make her mark in television, and a foreign born, novice director were tasked with bringing a vision for an exciting new science fiction story to life. William 'Bill' Hartnell, displeased with his career, was presented with a chance to break out of the hard-man roles he’d become known for. And with the instincts of first time producer, Verity Lambert and first time director, Waris Hussein, The Doctor was born. As the success of the show grew, William went from unhappy curmudgeon to beloved television star who relished his career resurgence and found a new lease on life. But all good things come to an end. How will Bill face leaving behind the part that has made him a hero to millions of children? And can the show survive without him? Journey back fifty years through space and time to witness the exciting beginning and untimely end of the First Doctor in this touching drama.
William Hartnell (David Bradley) THE DOCTOR – “We can’t have Doctor Who without Doctor Who, can we?” – William Hartnell Aged 55, William Hartnell was already a well established character actor primarily known for playing gruff, military parts. Unhappy with being typecast, Hartnell was approached about playing the lead in a new children’s drama. Initially reluctant, he accepted the role which would change his life and make him a beloved household name. Serving the series from 1963-1966, Hartnell’s Doctor was a doting yet difficult father figure and fierce opponent. But behind the character, Hartnell, committed to his role, saw his world changing rapidly and his health taking a turn for the worse. As those he’d come to rely on moved onward and upward, he was left alone to carry the show they’d built together on his shoulders. A feat that ultimately proved too difficult for him to complete.
Mark Gatiss on David Bradley: "I’d had David Bradley in mind for the part of William Hartnell for some time and I probably asked him before I should have!” says Gatiss. “I was watching the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee regatta from the National Theatre, and asked David then and there and he responded ‘I’ve just done one!’ [David Bradley had appeared as Solomon the trader in Doctor Who’s “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship”]. I explained that this was a chance to play William Hartnell in a very different story and he was thrilled. He’s absolutely magnificent in the film. He plays Bill Hartnell’s journey from a grumpy old man to a pied piper figure with touching brilliance.
Verity Lambert (Jessica Raine) THE PRODUCER – “If feathers don’t ruffle, nothing flies…” – Verity Lambert Newman needed a producer for his new show and was determined that, having worked with her before, Verity Lambert was the right woman for the job. At the time, there were no female executives at the BBC so this appointment was groundbreaking. He described her as “bright, gutsy and full of piss and vinegar.” Lambert enjoyed great success producing Doctor Who until 1965 and was later behind huge hits including The Naked Civil Servant, A Cry in the Dark and Jonathan Creek. She was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for her services to film and television production in 2002 and passed away in 2007. The Doctor Who Christmas special from that year Voyage of the Damned is dedicated to her memory.
Waris Hussein (Sacha Dhawan) THE DIRECTOR – “It’ll never work…when do we start? – Waris Hussein British-Indian television director, Waris Hussein, was a surprise choice to direct the very first episode of Doctor Who. At 24, he was young and relatively new to the BBC, having joined only three years previously as a trainee. He returned to the series to direct the seven part 1964 adventure Marco Polo, the entirety of which is currently missing.
Sydney Newman (Brian Cox) THE EXECUTIVE – “No bug-eyed monsters!” – Sydney Newman The Daleks – the mangled and mutated remains of the Kaled people, placed in metal war machines by the Kaled’s chief scientist, first appeared in the series in 1963, earning the show 10 million viewers.
"So what do I know about anything..." – Sydney Newman As Head of Drama for the BBC, and a life-long science fiction fan, Canadian film and television producer, Sydney Newman, was responsible for the idea and the development of this new sci-fi series. With successful credits including The Avengers and The Forsyte Saga, Newman wanted to find a producer who had “piss and vinegar in their veins.” Making history with his vision, Newman brought on BBC’s first female producer to bring his creation to life.
Mark Gatiss on the film's importance: "This is a story that I’ve always wanted to tell. In fact I pitched it for the 40th anniversary ten years ago and now it’s finally happening! I wanted to write it because I grew up with Doctor Who and even though Jon Pertwee was my Doctor, the legend of how the show began has always been there for me, in my blood. From how the show started small, then along came the Daleks, and ultimately, how the part changed William Hartnell’s life – this is a story that had to be told."
William Russell (Jamie Glover) William Russell was cast as school teacher, Ian Chesterton, in the very first story of Doctor Who and continued to play the role until the 1965 adventure The Chase. Since then he has performed in numerous theatre and television productions and has been an avid supporter of Doctor Who, lending his voice to numerous audiobooks and commentaries. He also appears in An Adventure in Space and Time.
Jacqueline Hill (Jemma Powell) An established stage actress, Jacqueline Hill, played the role of history teacher Barbara Wright and became one of the first people to travel through space and time in the TARDIS. Hill’s character left in the same episode as William Russell’s Ian Chesterton. Shortly afterwards she gave up acting to raise a family but returned to the series in 1980 to play high priestess Lexa in Meglos alongside Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker. Hill passed away in 1993.
Carole Ann Ford (Claudia Grant) Young actress Carole Ann Ford won the role of the Doctor’s granddaughter, Susan Foreman after an initial appearance in Z-Cars. She played the character until 1964 when she became the first companion to leave the TARDIS when Susan stayed on a future Earth to rebuild it after a Dalek invasion. Ford stayed in acting until 1997 and reprised her role as Susan for the 1983 episode The Five Doctors. She also appears in An Adventure in Space and Time.
CAST AND PRODUCTION CREDITS:
William Hartnell David Bradley Sydney Newman Brian Cox Verity Lambert Jessica Raine Waris Hussein Sacha Dhawan William Russell Jamie Glover Jacqueline Hill Jemma Powell Carole Ann Ford Claudia Grant Heather Hartnell Lesley Manville Judith Cara Jenkins Delia Derbyshire Sarah Winter Meryvn Pinfield Jeff Rawle Rex Tucker Andrew Woodall Richard Martin Ian Hallard Peter Brachacki David Annen Douglas Camfield Sam Hoare Donald Baverstock Mark Eden Patrick Troughton Reece Shearsmith Peter Hawkins Nicholas Briggs
Written by Mark Gatiss Executive Producers Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat, Caroline Skinner Director Terry McDonough
An Adventure in Space and Time is a co-production between BBC Cymru Wales and BBC AMERICA.
Details have been announced of the Region 2 DVD release of An Adventure In Space And Time - the forthcoming drama looking at the genesis of Doctor Who.
The BBC Two production, written by Mark Gatiss and starring David Bradley as William Hartnell and Jessica Raine as Verity Lambert, is due to be shown on BBC Two on Thursday 21st November at 9pm, following its sell-out première at the BFI on next Tuesday, and now BBC Worldwide has revealed that the PG-rated drama will be given an R2 release on Monday 2nd December, with what looks to be a reversible cover plus the following extras:
•Leaflet featuring programme images and an exclusive foreword by writer and executive producer Mark Gatiss •William Hartnell: The Original •The Making of An Adventure - narrated by Carole Ann Ford •Reconstructions: - Scenes from An Unearthly Child and the pilot episode - Regenerations - Farewell to Susan (from The Dalek Invasion of Earth) - Festive Greeting (from The Daleks' Master Plan) •The Title Sequences •Deleted Scenes: - The Radiophonic Workshop - Verity's Leaving Party •English subtitles for the hard of hearing, audio description and audio navigation. •5.1 soundtrack
Synopsis Actor William Hartnell felt trapped by a succession of hard-man roles. Wannabe producer Verity Lambert was frustrated by the TV industry's glass ceiling. Both of them were to find unlikely hope and unexpected challenges in the form of a Saturday teatime drama, time travel and monsters! Allied with a team of brilliant people, they went on to create the longest-running science fiction series ever, now celebrating its 50th anniversary As previously reported, the drama was originally to have formed part of an anniversary release that also included The Day of The Doctor. Both will now come out separately on the same day.
