The latest DVD compilation of Myth Makers interviews brings together the talent behind the era of the Seventh Doctor – Sylvester McCoy. Fans who love that era of ‘Doctor Who’ from the late 1980s will enormously enjoy diving into these in-depth dialogues with many creatives who brought the show to the screen. There is much discussion to be found on these two discs about classic adventures including ‘Remembrance of the Daleks’ and ‘The Curse of Fenric’.
Disc one finds loveable interviewer Robert Dick speaking to several of the writers. Although writers tend to be bashful and have very little to say for themselves, Dick’s line of interviewing is reassuring and coaxes the best out of them. Each interview runs to just over an hour, and the first two are brand new, having been filmed at Myth Makers Live 2 in January. If you wanted to make it to that convention but couldn’t get there, then this is the ideal way to catch up. The writers share in common that they were young and just starting their career at the time they contributed scripts to ‘Doctor Who’. Their personal stories show that it was an era that wasn’t afraid to hire new talent and take storytelling risks, but the downside is that fast rewrites were often needed to render their ideas achievable on screen.
If you’re a writer yourself or have a story you want to tell, then listening to the interviews on the opening disc will be enormously helpful. You get to hear experienced writers reflect on their work from several decades earlier, and consider the pros and cons of it with commendable modesty and honesty.
Ben Aaronovitch has always been a very engaging speaker, and he is perhaps the best of the interviewees at connecting with a live audience. He relates his brash early ambition of linking ‘Remembrance of the Daleks’ to the origins of ‘Doctor Who’ in 1963, and how he decided to destroy Skaro. His other contribution, the less-celebrated ‘Battlefield’, is nevertheless an interesting story (and close to my heart as I often meet up with friends at the filming location, where we have been known to recite Ben’s lines in front of bewildered locals). He divulges whether or not he regrets ducking the opportunity to kill off the Brigadier.
In Ian Briggs’ interview, the writer explains his thought processes in creating the character of ‘Ace’, played by Sophie Aldred, for the story ‘Dragonfire’. He tells Dick how different his original concept was for his debut story compared to what ended up on screen. His second contribution, ‘The Curse of Fenric’, is rightfully regarded as the last truly great bona fide ‘Doctor Who’ classic, and one of the few to have a wartime setting. Briggs recounts why he came to direct certain close-up shots, and the differences between the studio-based first story and location-based second.
The final interviewee on the first disc is Stephen Wyatt, with whom Robert Dick catches up at home. The author talks about his satisfaction in how ‘Paradise Towers’ has come to be reappraised, as it tended to be hated by fans in 1987. I was nine years old at the time and I absolutely loved it. The story has found a new lease of life in comic book form. Surprisingly (considering the high concept of ‘Paradise Towers’) Wyatt considers himself a character rather than concept writer. His other contribution, ‘The Greatest Show in the Galaxy’, is generally more universally loved. Wyatt explains his concept behind the creepy clowns, and why he thinks Ian Reddington’s portrayal of the Chief Clown is more powerful and scary because of the few lines of dialogue that he provided for the character.
All three writers offer a cerebral analysis of their careers and their contributions to ‘Doctor Who’ that will be of interest to all creative people, especially those serious about writing science-fiction for television. The second disc features interviews with other creative talents.
Director Andrew Morgan is the first up. Like some of the writers, Morgan’s two contributions to ‘Doctor Who’ could not be viewed more disparately by fandom. ‘Time and the Rani’, which introduced Sylvester McCoy’s Doctor, is widely considered amongst the worst stories ever broadcast, whilst his second offering, ‘Remembrance of the Daleks’, would likely find its way into the top ten of any Who fan. He talks about the challenges and highlights of both at length in this interview. Filmed at Whooverville 12 in 2021, Robert Dick and Sophie Aldred take turns to question Morgan on the day. He recalls with affection working with the late, great stuntman Tip Tipping and much else besides.
The final two interviews feature visual effects designer Mike Tucker, who worked on both the classic series and on the current iteration (winning a BAFTA for his troubles). Nicholas Briggs catches up with him for an interview that dates from 2014. The last contributor, in the shortest interview in this collection (running to 45 minutes) is Keff McCulloch, the composer who provided the incidental music for half of the Sylvester McCoy era, and who recorded a new version of the theme tune. Nicholas Briggs travels to Australia to find out more about McCulloch’s story and his memories of working on ‘Doctor Who’ in an interview from 2003. It’s the only instalment on the discs to dig further back into the archives.
Although I’ve been a ‘Doctor Who’ fan for forty years and attended many conventions in my youth, there was a lot I learned about my favourite show over these six interviews. They all provide an affectionate look back on a much-loved show and ensure that each contributor can tell their own story. If you love behind-the-scenes tales and cherish the Sylvester McCoy era, then this strong set of interviews is highly recommended.
Cast: Robert Dick, Sophie Aldred, Ben Aaronovitch, Ian Briggs, Stephen Wyatt, Andrew Morgan, Mike Tucker, Keff McCulloch Director: Keith Barnfather Certificate: E Released by: Reeltime Pictures Running time: 315 mins Release date: November 2023 Buy ‘The Doctors The Sylvester McCoy Years Behind the Scenes’
