Title: An Adventure in Space and Time
Release Date: 22 November 2013
Director: Terry McDonough
Production Co: British Broadcasting Company
Country: UK
Language: English
Genre: Docudrama
Rating: ****
This movie recreates the history of the birth of the BBC family science-fiction classic Doctor Who. You can tell it’s the early 60s because everyone smokes and the clothing is fabulous, but also gives a feel for a much different era (just a decade after the end of WWII rationing) when a science-fiction show would be shocking and new. It’s also interesting that a show that would become a British cultural icon was created by a Canadian (Sidney Newman), produced by the first woman producer on a BBC drama (Verity Lambert), and initially directed by a man born in India (Waris Hussein). The film focuses mainly on Lambert’s challenge of getting the show off the ground as well as the first star of the show William Hartnell dealing with ill-health and memory loss while creating a classic character. All of the lead actors do a terrific job and really look the part and make for a charming if bittersweet story. While some of the facts of the real story are modified for dramatic effect, it is a good introduction to the series.
For a more detailed history of Doctor Who‘s origins, check out this article on the Oxford University Press blog.
