Tommy Steele, and a still from 1966’s The Power of the Daleks CREDIT: BBC/REX
Early rock-and-roll star Tommy Steele nearly beat Patrick Troughton to the lead role in Doctor Who, according to his co-star Anneke Wills.
Wills, who played the Doctor’s companion Polly, said that Steele’s name was put forward as a possible replacement for William Hartnell after the actor left the sci-fi series in 1966.
“We all knew Bill [Hartnell] was going to leave at the end of the summer season,” said Wills. “There were discussions about is that the end of the show or shall we have another actor. And then there were all the different people who were up for it – Michael Hordern was one. Tommy Steele was another one, and I thought – coo, he’s sexy! That would be good!”
Steele, who has been called Britain’s first teen idol, became a star after his single Singing the Blues topped the UK charts in 1957. Alongside his musical career, he was also a successful actor, creating the lead role of Arthur Kipps in 1963 West End musical Half a Sixpence, and reprising the character for the 1967 film.
Wills revealed that Steele was in the running for the role yesterday, at a premiere screening for The Power of the Daleks, a newly animated version of Patrick Troughton’s first adventure which was first broadcast 50 years ago this week. It was the first time that the Doctor “regenerated”, although that term was never used until much later in the series’ run.
Patrick Troughton in his first outing as the Doctor CREDIT: BBC
“When we heard it was Patrick we knew that we had a chance. But we still didn’t know if the audience would accept it and accept that the Doctor could change his body,” Wills said.
Although The Power of the Daleks has been wiped from the BBC archives, a new animated version has been created using a soundtrack which survived from the recording, featuring the cast’s original vocal performances.
“In the animation you see how adorable [Troughton] was, you couldn’t resist him. And they didn’t resist him. So luckily it was him and we’re all here talking about it,” said Wills. The episode sees Polly and the Doctor visit a human colony on Vulcan, where a Dalek has tricked the colonisers into believing it wants to help them.
“Clearly it was a something of a punt to take such a large and important story and animate it,” said BBC Worldwide producer Paul Hembury. “We need to see what the fans think and how well received it is… There are lots and lots of missing stories, and the soundtracks exist for all of them, so there is clearly more that can be done.”
The Power of the Daleks is available on demand from the BBC Store from November 5
An Explosive New Class Trailer Reveals What We Can Expect From The Rest Of The Series
If you’re a Class fan all excited for this week’s new episode to drop on BBC3 online tomorrow morning, then we have some good news for you – because a brand-new trailer for the Doctor Who spin-off has arrived revealing all sorts of juicy details about the remaining episodes of the series.
Explosions! Swords! Shadow Kin! Romance! Weird meteors that seem to make people angry like the Horcrux necklace in Harry Potter! This trailer has it all – as well as a hint that Katherine Kelly’s tamed alien warrior Quill might be losing her implant to become a free agent once again. Uh-oh…
So now we know more than ever about what to expect, but have to suffer the anticipation of ALSO knowing about episodes that we’re still weeks away from seeing. Oh well – such are the travails of the online TV speculation biz.
New episodes of Class are released on BBC3 online every Saturday at 10:00am
Outlander Stars & Peter Capaldi To Walk BAFTA Scotland Red Carpet In Glasgow
Outlanders stars Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe will walk the red carpet at the BAFTA Scotland awards in Glasgow this weekend.
The pair, who play Jamie Fraser and Claire Beauchamp in the hit US show, will attend the BAFTA Scotland ceremony at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow on Sunday, November 6.
Nominees attending the ceremony include Ashley Jensen, Douglas Henshall, Greg McHugh, Jack Lowden, Jason Connery, JB Gill, Game of Thrones star Kate Dickie and Doctor Who’s Peter Capaldi.
Anneke Wills Recalls Battling Daleks With Patrick Troughton
Anneke Wills played Polly from 1966-67 with both William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton’s Doctors
Former Doctor Who actress Anneke Wills says Patrick Troughton’s “adorable” performance was key to keeping the show going in the 1960s.
Wills played companion Polly to William Hartnell’s grandfatherly first Doctor and Patrick Troughton’s scruffy second incarnation in 1966-67.
The show’s producers decided to “regenerate” the lead role when Hartnell’s health declined.
Saturday is the 50th anniversary of The Power of the Daleks, Troughton’s debut.
The six-part adventure sees Troughton’s time lord, and his Tardis companions, Polly and Ben (Michael Craze), do battle with the evil Daleks on the planet Vulcan.
To mark the anniversary, BBC Worldwide is releasing a black-and-white animated reconstruction of the “lost” story, based on surviving photographs and audio recordings.
The Power of the Daleks was first broadcast from 5 November to 10 December 1966
Speaking at a screening of the first two episodes, Wills recalled how various actors – including Michael Horden – auditioned for the role of the new Doctor.
“We all knew Bill [William Hartnell] was going to leave at the end of the summer season, and then there were discussions about is that the end of the show or shall we have another actor,” she said.
“When we heard it was Patrick, we knew that we had a chance.
“But we still didn’t know if the audience would accept it and accept that the Doctor could change his body.
“And it was entirely up to Patrick that the audience did.
“In the animation you see how adorable he was, you couldn’t resist him. And they didn’t resist him.
“So luckily it was him and we’re all here talking about it.”
In this interview, Anneke Wills talks about about her memories of 1960s Doctor Who and what she think of Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor.
Michael Craze (Ben), Anneke Wills (Polly) and Patrick Troughton (The Doctor) filming The Power of the Daleks in 1966
Why is The Power of the Daleks so important in Doctor Who history?
This is the first time ever the Doctor changes his body.
For us at the time, it was a momentous moment.
Were we going to have a Bill Hartnell lookalike? Or someone totally different?
There were all these different names coming up. But also, as an actor, you were thinking: “I hope I’ll be in work at the end of the summer break.”
How did you find the transition from William Hartnell to Patrick Troughton?
Bill had become very difficult to work with – we had to be very generous and kind and pick up his lines.
The thing about Patrick was that he had no ego. That was an astounding thing.
I think his performance in this story is the most astounding of all the Doctors – and I’ve watched them all.
What other memories do you have from this story?
We had two weeks of rehearsal so Patrick had extra time to get into the role.
He put on his Harpo Marx curly wig, and Michael Craze said: “If you’re going to wear that, I’m not bloody working with you,” and went off for a smoke.
I was worried we were wasting time, so I took a comb out of someone’s pocket and combed his hair forward in a Beatles style and messed it up a bit.
There was a silence as Patrick looked in the mirror.
And then he said: “I like it.”
Ninety-seven Doctor Who episodes are still missing. How do you feel about them being junked?
We did that in those days. We never saw any of the work that we’d done. It was like rep theatre. You’d do a wonderful performance and then it’s gone.
Now, looking back, it seems a terrible waste.
I love that Polly and Ben have been brought back [in animated form] because there’s so little of us that survives.
What would you like to see animated next?
I would love it if they would do The Smugglers [a swashbuckling Troughton story from 1966], next I’d love to see The Crusade [a 1965 first Doctor adventure starring Julian Glover as Richard the Lionheart], and Fury of the Deep [a second Doctor sea-monster story from 1968].
Do you think any more 60s episodes will turn up?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful? I don’t know any more than the fans. They always think that I’ve got secrets, but I haven’t .
If anybody’s got one in their cupboard bring it forth – now is the moment.
Someone should make a spy thriller about the search for the missing episodes of Doctor Who.
How much has role of companion changed over the past 50 years?
Polly was created as a proactive young woman and, in a way, that hasn’t changed. However, I take exception when the companion slaps the Doctor. That makes me really angry.
How much would you like Polly to return to the TV series?
That scares me to bits. All these wrinkles in high definition? I don’t think so.
I talked to Peter Capaldi. I think he’s astounding. He’s luminous.
He asked me if there was a lot of pressure in the 1960s and I said we’d start rehearsals on a Monday, and he said: “You rehearse?”
But if they asked, would you do it?
Yes. Of course I’d take on the challenge. Maybe I could be in a wonderful mask.
The Power of the Daleks will be available on Saturday 5 November at 17:50 GMT on BBC Store, 50 years to the minute after it was first broadcast in 1966.
The first three minutes of episode one will also be streamed globally on Twitter.
The long wait for a new episode of Doctor Who is so close to being over, with less than two months until Peter Capaldi’s Time Lord returns for a festive special this December 25th.
However, it turns out that fans won’t have to hold on quite that long to see what awaits for the Twelfth Doctor and co – because charity appeal show Children in Need is set to air an exclusive clip from the upcoming episode on 18th November.
According to a release, the “sneak peek” will see Capaldi’s Doctor and companion Nardole (Marr Lucas) team up with a journalist (Charity Wakefield) and a masked vigilante (Justin Chatwin), set to “defend New York from a terrifying alien invasion.” Other cast members in the episode, titled The Return of Doctor Mysterio, include Adetomiwa Edun, Aleksandar Jovanovic and Logan Hoffman.
Oh, and there’s also this picture from the clip (bit of a teaser for a teaser) which shows the Doctor talking on the phone. We envy his roaming contract.
Of course, this announcement isn’t a huge surprise. The preview follows in a long tradition of the BBC’s Children in Need Appeal airing exclusive Doctor Who teasers, beginning in 2005 with a specially-filmed look at David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor in action and continuing ever since with a mix of one-off sketches and clips from upcoming episodes.
Here’s hoping this one can live up to expectations.
The Doctor Who clip will form part of BBC Children in Need’s Appeal Show on Friday 18th November, 7pm, BBC One whilst the 60 minute special will air later in the year at Christmas
If you’ve enjoyed the first three episodes of Doctor Who spin-off Class, then we have some good news – because according to series creator Patrick Ness, this week’s episode kicks off the biggest story yet.
Talking to fans on his Twitter account, Ness revealed that this Saturday’s story “Co-owner of a Lonely Heart” was more than just any ordinary episode, adding that some “shocks” were in store for Class’ first double edition.
Class episode 4 will be released on BBC3 this Saturday at 10.00am
New Companion Bill Is Shaping Up To Be Quite The Style Icon
Clara Oswald was always pretty on point when it came to her fashion sense (back in the day, we often showed you how to get Jenna Coleman’s latest look). And it seems like new companion Bill is going to pick up the baton, fielding a striking style all of her own.
When she first made her appearance as the Doctor’s new partner in time, Pearl Mackie was rocking an 80s-influenced look that included the sneakers everyone wanted and a seemingly prescient Prince T-shirt, just a day after his Purpleness passed away.
We’ve since seen her in some other great outfits, including this stripy number…
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Sylvester McCoy Set To Talk Doctor Who and The Hobbit in Southbank Bar Q&A Session
The seventh incarnation of The Doctor from classic BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who is coming to Nottingham to talk about his travels through time.
Scottish actor Sylvester McCoy played the Time Lord from 1987 to 1989 before briefly returning in 1996 for a television film.
He later appeared as Radagast the Brown in The Hobbit trilogy of films and will be talking about his career at a question and answer session at the Southbank Bar, Friar Lane, on Tuesday, March 21.
