Happy 50th Anniversary of Recording of The Very First Doctor Who Episode

"An Unearthly Child" was recorded today, 50 years ago today.  While officially not the first day of shooting (several inserts were filmed ahead of time including the shot of the shadow near the TARDIS seen at the end of the episode) today is the anniversary of the actual transmitted episode which would launch Doctor Who a month later.

A previous recording had been done earlier in September but was of poor quality with mistakes and such and so it was decided to record again on October 18, 1963.

Happy 50th Anniversary Doctor Who!!!!

On this day, Thursday September 19, 50 years ago, shooting began on Doctor Who!!  Some filmed sequences were created ahead of time before the actual in studio recording was done.  The first scene filmed was of the TARDIS as seen at the end of the episode "An Unearthly Child."

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-09-19/first-ever-doctor-who-scene-filmed-fifty-years-ago-today

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: The Top Five Colin Baker Stories

Unfortunately Colin Baker’s tenure as The Doctor wasn’t that long to warrant a top 10 list.  Being unceremoniously fired after The Trial of a Time Lord Colin’s Doctor wasn’t able to build a big back catalog of stories to pick from and he only had 11 stories so in fairness I picked the top 5 from his era which is often overlooked and has some really good stories in it.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: The Power of Kroll

Doctor Who: 

The Power of Kroll 

By Robert Holmes

“Doctor? Sometimes I don't think you're quite right in the head.”

The Doctor and Romana have landed on the swampy moon of Delta Magna where there sits a methane refinery.  The factory is run by a group from Earth who the Swampies he inhabit the moon believe they have been taken for fools and believe they will lose their home.   To make matter worse there is a weapons dealer giving the Swampies guns to help in their battle with the people from Earth.

The Doctor and Romana have gotten themselves stuck in the middle of the disput between the two sides and Romana gets herself captured by the Swampies and is going to be sacrificed to Kroll.   It turns out to be a Swampie in costume as The Doctor comes to her aid.   To make matters worse the real Kroll has decided to rear his head after many years and this time he is going after everyone.  So not only does The Doctor and Romana have to find the fifth segment of the Key to Time but also have to find a way to defeat a humongous giant squid like creature in Kroll.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: Planet of Giants

Doctor Who:

Planet of Giants
By Louis Marks

“These things haven't been made bigger. We've been made smaller.”

The first story of season two is Planet of the Giants which in itself is a pretty clever story.  Something went wrong with the TARDIS during dematerialization and the whole crew ends up being shrunk to a very small size. So much so that things in everyday life are a bit more of a danger to them than it would be if they were normal size.  Things like cats, fly’s, and worst of all insecticide that unfortunately Barbara got all over her hands and it is now slowly killing her.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: The Aztecs

Doctor Who:

The Aztecs

By John Lucarotti

"But you can't rewrite history! Not one line!"

The Aztecs is the second trip to the past for the TARDIS crew and this time it is to one of the more hostile or maybe barbaric in Earth’s history.  The TARDIS lands in 15^th century Mexico at the height of The Aztec society.  Barbara is mistaken for the Priestess Yetaxa who the Aztecs believe has returned from the dead and thus is a god.  Barbara sees her chance to try and save the Aztec people by trying to get rid of sacrifices against the advice of The Doctor.  Now they have a bigger problem as the High Priestess of Sacrifice Tloxol has his doubts if Barbara is who everyone thinks she is.

Shada paperback edition, and many more Doctor Who publications expected in 2013

In the run-up to Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary, it has been announced by BBC books that a number of special publications will be released in 2013.

Eccleston Says "No" to Who!!

Christopher Eccleston, the ninth Doctor, stated on the Graham Norton Radio Show that he would not return as the Doctor in any 50th anniversary special if indeed one was planned.

This happened with Tom Baker for The Five Doctors special in 1983 so it is nothing new and really not a surprise.  Eccelston's abrupt departure from the show after only one season seemed to indicate something else was at work.  Still, there is time for him to change his mind or perhaps enough money thrown his way may be enough.  If a 50th anniversary special was made, it wouldn't be until 2013 of course.

Perhaps they can use a wax dummy of Eccleston in the promo shots!!