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November 21st, 2013 103 comments

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What did You Think of An Adventure In Space And Time ?

What did You Think of An Adventure In Space And Time ?

This special one-off drama travels back in time to 1963 to see how 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.


An Adventure In Space And Time stars David Bradley (William Hartnell); Jessica Raine (Verity Lambert); Sacha Dhawan (Waris Hussein) and Brian Cox (Sydney Newman). It is written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Terry McDonough.

William Russell…

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Nicholas Briggs…

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Carol Ann Ford…

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Jean Marsh and Anneke wills…

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An Adventure in Space and Time (DVD)

Available to order now from www.bbcshop.com or www.amazon.co.uk

This fantastic 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!

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Allied with a team of brilliant people, they went on to create the longest-running science fiction series ever, now celebrating its 50th anniversary.An Adventure in Space and Time is written by Mark Gatiss, executive produced by Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat and Caroline Skinner and directed by Terry McDonough.

David Bradley (Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Broadchurch) plays the lead role of William Hartnell while Jessica Raine (Call the Midwife, The Woman in Black) co-stars as the first ever producer of Doctor Who, Verity Lambert.

The stellar cast is joined by Sacha Dhawan (Waris Hussein), Lesley Manville (Heather Hartnell), and Brian Cox (Sydney Newman). A must see drama for all doctor who and drama fans alike.

DVD extra features include:

• 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

- Regenerations 

– Farewell to Susan

- Festive Greeting
– The Title Sequences
– Deleted Scenes

- The Radiophonic Workshop

– Verity’s Leaving Party”

Available to order now from www.bbcshop.com or www.amazon.co.uk


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103 comments

  • the astroanut of death

    November 22nd, 2013 - 7:23am

    that was truly amazing it made almost cry. I loved the cameo of matt smith and all the actor and actresses it was fantastic

    I hope this gets awards

    Reply
  • The 14th Doctor

    November 22nd, 2013 - 7:20am

    It was amazing. So happy yet so sad as well. I especially love how William Hartnell was the only one who bothered to learn which controls were which etc. Shows how devoted he was.

    Reply
  • the astroanut of death

    November 22nd, 2013 - 7:17am

    it was good

    Reply
  • DOCTOR WHO ONE

    November 22nd, 2013 - 7:04am

    Not quite what I was expecting, as I was expecting it to be a fantastic tale of Doctor Who’s origins, but instead, it seemed to be more centered the entire time around William Hartnell himself, played brilliantly off course by David Bradley.

    I won’t lie, but, even at the age of 25, I almost shed a tear down one side of my face, when it got to the part about William crying at home when he said “I don’t want to go”, it was really heart breaking that moment, but fantastic to see Matt Smith. Maybe the real William stood inside the Tardis and imagined a young man, not yet born, playing his character 50 years later in the here and now of 2013.

    After the story, I went out into my families garden, looked up at the moon, and said thank you to William Hartnell, Verity Lambert, Sydney Newman and all those who are not alive today, and those off course who still are, for creating the best series . . . . in the universe 😀

    Reply
  • lepter

    November 22nd, 2013 - 1:51am

    fantastic….full of love for the show. well done mark gattis. Take the helm good man.

    Reply
  • Mark

    November 22nd, 2013 - 12:46am

    It does not matter what the professional reviewers ever say about the Doctor. He will always be a part of my life,I cried when I read about Elisabeth Sladen’s death, cried when Nicholas Courtney died, cried when I saw the McGann minisode last week, and I cried when I saw Matt smile back to David Bradley as William Hartnell. Jon and Tom were the doctor I grew up with, I was a fan as a child, as a young man, and I will be a fan until I die.

    Thank you to the cast and crew of an Adventure in Time and Space, for showing me the birth of a legend, both the Doctor, and all those who have been associated with him since 1963 to date.

    Reply
  • Mick Who?

    November 22nd, 2013 - 12:44am

    A sublime, superlative piece of entertainment. Beautifully written, lovingly realised – and the attention to detail was outstanding! David Bradley embodied both William Hartnell and The Doctor….and the scene where he broke down in tears at the fireplace was heart-wrenching!

    Reply
  • The 13th Doctor

    November 22nd, 2013 - 12:41am

    Truly amazing drama, and it really showed how the few who kept faith were rewarded and succeded in their endeavours!
    Loved it!
    and after it finished I watched an unearthly child on bbc 4!
    Thank you Verity Lambert and William Hartnell; may you rest in peace
    🙂

    Reply
    • The 13th Doctor

      November 22nd, 2013 - 7:55am

      Forgot to say how it also excellentely portrayed the way it succedeeded against all the odds thanks to those with faith, god bless them!

  • Derek Browell

    November 22nd, 2013 - 12:27am

    William Hartnell was MY first Doctor…..Mark has shown us a very sympathetic person in William Hartnell….Verity and William supporting each other was ,for me a special moment…..I am now sixty and have just said goodbye to a young supportive line manager who knew my limitations…so this was so realistically and sensitively written .I don’t enjoy change so I felt strongly for Bill….and finally seeing Matt smiling back….Tissues out….Thank you.

    Reply
  • Julian

    November 22nd, 2013 - 12:13am

    Words cannot describe the emotional ride this show took me on, I feel totally honoured to be given an insight on how it started, the cast were fantastic, and when matt did his cameo it took my breath away so emotional, pure genius the first and the current, the legacy, and matts smile, thanking William, heart reaching, then the Tennant line at the end had a tear falling, and in most whovian eyes I could imagine, bravo and Thank you, can’t wait until Saturday now.

    Reply
  • Julian

    November 22nd, 2013 - 12:09am

    Words cannot describe the emotional ride this show took me on, I feel totally honoured to be given an insight on how it started, the cast were fantastic, and when matt did his

    Reply
  • stephen taylor

    November 21st, 2013 - 11:31pm

    Well done to the BBC for a BRILLIANT show. I really think the BBC could be on to something here. Please let’s see David Bradley play the Doctor again in the NEW series with Peter Capaldi.

    Reply
  • Obsie

    November 21st, 2013 - 11:19pm

    I sat, bottom lip and chin quivering, when Matt
    Smith appeared and smiled in respect to the programme itself and William Hartnell. I can tell you now the tears fell down my cheeks. I am not afraid to admit it.

    Reply
  • Silence Will Still Fall

    November 21st, 2013 - 11:00pm

    Did anybody else think the cyberman smoking followed by the line i wish he’d hurry up i’ve got a planet to invade was hilarious. Reece shearsmith looked brilliant as patrick troughton, i easily could have watched another 90mins following on from where this left off.

    Reply
    • booboo

      November 21st, 2013 - 11:03pm

      its a very very long time since i have watched a TV programmes that i didn’t want to end

    • drjakeyoung

      November 21st, 2013 - 11:18pm

      It was brilliant!

    • Obsie

      November 21st, 2013 - 11:22pm

      You are not the only one, I suppose that accounts for their voices in the “tenth Planet”.

  • Steve Jarvis

    November 21st, 2013 - 10:58pm

    It was a fascinating and moving insight into the birth of Doctor Who and the people who made it all happen. Well done again BBC. For a short time we all became time travellers and witnessed the Genisis of Te Doctor.

    Reply
  • Professor When

    November 21st, 2013 - 10:57pm

    ‘An Adventure in Space and Time’ was Brilliant! A fantastic docu-drama, the appearance from Matt was most welcome. Although I would say William was portrayed as quite a pitiful character- he was much more… ‘Active’ in real life.

    Reply
  • Spike

    November 21st, 2013 - 10:56pm

    Thoroughly enjoyed it. Hats off to the research that went into this really great celebration of the Dr’s 50 years. Like in 1963 l will miss Saturdays broadcast. Watched the repeat the following week. It brought back some many memories being the same age as the boys on the bus. Well done to every one concerned.

    Reply
  • AlphaOmega

    November 21st, 2013 - 10:50pm

    David Bradly can be the First Doctor anyday in my books 😉

    Reply
  • DrWhoTwins

    November 21st, 2013 - 10:49pm

    Truly wonderful and very moving, it was lovely.

    Reply
  • Steve Jarvis

    November 21st, 2013 - 10:47pm

    It was a insight into the birth of Doctor Who and the people who made it all happen. Well done again BBC.

    Reply
  • Silence Will Still Fall

    November 21st, 2013 - 10:46pm

    A truly beautiful piece of work.

    Reply
    • Professor When

      November 21st, 2013 - 10:57pm

      Your picture and that comment have just made my life complete.

  • Jonny Scoones

    November 21st, 2013 - 10:43pm

    I cried buckets, and I now want to buy every single Hartnell dvd , I feel I understand him So much more now!! It was truly amazing

    Reply
  • ZygonTerror

    November 21st, 2013 - 10:43pm

    I think one possible wonderful result of this programme may be that William Hartnell becomes a more popular Doctor for many people who may have been put off by B&W Doctor Who serials.

    Reply
  • omega of the 50th

    November 21st, 2013 - 10:40pm

    truly amazing a outstanding performance by david bradley, really feel for how hartnell was for doctor who,

    R.I.P mr hartnell the one, the only and the original doctor who,

    and big thanks for mark gatiss and bbc fantastic insight into doctor who at its 50 year anniversary

    Reply
  • Jaketorwho

    November 21st, 2013 - 10:40pm

    Wow! Words cannot describe the true beauty of this show! Im speechless! The acting was superb! And when Bill broke down about leaving, i was crying aswell! Bravo! I take my hat off to you Mr Gatiss!

    Reply
  • ZygonTerror

    November 21st, 2013 - 10:38pm

    Sheer brilliance all round. The acting, the sets, the research has clearly been carried out well and it was very moving. I think for myself this will be the highlight of the Doctor Who 50th television scheduling.

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    November 21st, 2013 - 10:36pm

    When Matt Smith did his cameo I almost cried, I admit it!!!

    Reply
  • Still Not Ginger

    November 21st, 2013 - 10:33pm

    Just fantastic. Great acting from everyone involved. Matt Smiths cameo was great! I learnt so

    Reply
    • Still Not Ginger

      November 21st, 2013 - 10:33pm

      *I learnt so much

  • Booboo Jr

    November 21st, 2013 - 10:31pm

    That was sensational. Just unbelievable. Truly amazing acting from David Bradley, and the rest of the cast.

    I feel I really understand Bill Hartnell now, and I loved the scene with Matt Smith.

    This truly is a special year for Doctor Who.

    Reply
  • Scott’s TARDIS

    November 21st, 2013 - 10:28pm

    This was very good, very heart wrenching, very informative and very enjoyable!

    Reply

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