When I was a kid in the 1980s, most of my leisure time was spent in libraries or bookshops, hunting for insights into ‘Doctor Who’, the television show that obsessed me from the moment I could form memories. I was hungry to know anything and also everything about the history of the show, especially from the fifteen seasons that were made before I was born. Later, I would save up pocket money to attend conventions to hear interviews with the talent involved in its making. Yes, I was a sad child, but never lonely when losing myself in the world of ‘Doctor Who’.
The one thing that has recaptured that magic of discovery in adulthood is the deep dives into the series’ history as revealed in the Reeltime Pictures’ Myth Makers interviews. Many collections from their archives have been released on DVD, and ‘The Doctors – The Pat Troughton Years Behind the Scenes Vol. 2’ is the latest. One impressive feature of these interviews is how carefully the makers personalise each instalment. What other show would offer nearly an hour finding out about the life and career of a designer? Who would recognise a successful television director if they passed one in the street? The people who work behind the scenes in TV are almost without exception unsung, apart from when it comes to ‘Doctor Who’.
True, one has to be a real fan (or more honestly, obsessive) to get the most out of these extraordinary collections, but there is certainly an audience of enthusiasts out there for whom these releases are an overflowing treasure trove. The era of the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) spanned the late 1960s, and is the most badly impacted by the heinous videotape clearances that saw many classic stories lost to the mists of time. It is now over half a century since Patrick Troughton relinquished the role, meaning that anyone who worked on the show that long ago is now elderly or sadly no longer with us. This collection of interviews winds the clock back and captures the insights of those talented individuals who were working for the BBC at a special and mythical time.
The first contributor is director Derek Martinus, who died in 2014. He is filmed at home in front of his book collection in 2006, and sets out for the camera his experiences of working on stories featuring the first three Doctors, William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee. Given the name of this collection – no guesses as to which actor he nominates as his favourite! He is followed by an extremely rare chance to see arguably the most-revered ‘Doctor Who’ director of all time – Douglas Camfield – give his account of working on the show. He is captured on camcorder at Panopticon V in 1982, joking that he has hair like Jon Pertwee. Although the picture and especially audio quality is poor, it is watchable thanks to effective subtitles. Camfield died young in January 1984, so hearing him talk for almost an hour about his work, covering every Doctor he worked with (Hartnell through to Tom Baker) is a privilege that cuts through the dip in quality.
If the interview with Camfield isn’t enough to provoke plenty of nostalgia for old-school conventions, then the Directors Volume One will certainly do the trick. This one has better picture and sound quality, and brings together an impressive panel. Michael E Briant and Christopher Barry (died 2014) speak for fifty-one minutes during Panopticon VII in 1986. For context, Colin Baker’s second and final season was being broadcast at the time, and there is some disquiet in the questions from fans, asking if either of the directors would be tempted to take over as producer. They handle the awkward moment well.
Disc two opens with Barry Newbery (died 2015) who worked as a designer on the show from the Hartnell era through to the Peter Davison era. His designs features in classics ranging from ‘Marco Polo’ to ‘The Gunfighters’, ‘The Brain of Morbius’ and ‘The Awakening’. During the course of nearly an hour, interviewer Nicholas Briggs coaxes out of him how he approached the design for such diverse stories, and Newbery supplies his own collection of black and white studio photographs that preserve his work. Originally released in 1999, the interview catches up with the retired Newbery at home, when he was pursuing his interest in painting.
Next up is more convention footage. This time it’s a panel from Panopticon IX in 1988 featuring writers, directors and producers (who had all at one time or another been actors!) Morris Barry, Victor Pemberton, Derek Martinus and Peter Bryant. They have all since died, and interviewer and ‘Doctor Who’ expert Ian McLachlan sadly left us very recently, making this particular segment an especially poignant one. Highlights include Morris Barry talking about shooting the Troughton classic ‘The Tomb of the Cybermen’ and Peter Bryant recalling joining the show whilst director Julia Smith was at the helm for the troubled ‘The Underwater Menace’.
The final instalment on this release is ‘Flight Through Eternity 2007’, which runs to 53 minutes and catches up with guest actors at a convention. On previous releases, the names involved have been too obscure even for me, but this one boasts a cracking collection of performers. Peter Craze (died 2020), whom I once had the pleasure to interview, gives his memories of three ‘Doctor Who’ stories over three different Doctors; Jane Sherwin (wife of producer Derrick Sherwin) recalls her celebrated performance as Lady Jennifer in ‘The War Games’, and Hubert Rees (died 2009) was also in ‘The War Games’ but is perhaps best-remembered for ‘The Seeds of Doom’. New Zealand actor Terence Bayler (died 2016) talks about setting down his experiences before he dies, and as well as appearing in Patrick Troughton’s final serial, he also had roles in ‘Monty Python’s Life of Brian’! Finally, Roy Spencer gives his memories of working on ‘The Ark’ with William Hartnell, and more prominently, in the missing Patrick Troughton classic ‘Fury From the Deep’.
This is another collection of personal experiences from talented individuals who clearly relished their time on ‘Doctor Who’, and who have an abundance of cherished memories. From rare convention footage with mythical directors to at-home encounters with retirees whose work still means so much to so many people (even after their deaths), there are many anecdotes and insights to satisfy the hungriest of ‘Doctor Who’ fans. I enjoy the personal touches provided by this range. The DVDs are an integral part of any fan’s collection, sitting neatly alongside stories from the show itself. If you love early ‘Doctor Who’, you’ll love the stories on ‘The Doctors – The Pat Troughton Years Behind the Scenes Vol. 2’.
See also our review of ‘The Doctors – The Pat Troughton Years Behind the Scenes Vol. 1‘.
Cast: Derek Martinus, Douglas Camfield, Christopher Barry, Michael E. Briant, Barry Newbery, Morris Barry, Victor Pemberton, Peter Bryant, Peter Craze, Hubert Rees, Jane Sherwin, Terence Bayler, Roy Spencer, Nicholas Briggs Director: Keith Barnfather Certificate: E Released by: Reeltime Pictures Running time: 314 mins Release date: August 2022 Buy ‘The Doctors The Pat Troughton Years Behind the Scenes Vol. 2’
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