Invasion of the Fez and the Screwdriver

Fifty years in time and space. Blimey. That’s pretty impressive isn’t it really? I can barely manage fifty minutes in a lecture hall! Our trusty and quintessentially British Timelord truly has some longevity in those braces of his.

I suppose the main question really is, why? Why did a pokey little British sci-fi from humble beginnings, with wonky sets and BEM’s (Bug-Eyed-Monsters), get to where it is today?

Well I suppose for myself, a self-confessed Whovian clutching a sonic screwdriver and adorned in tweed as I headed to London’s ExCeL Centre on the morning of November 24, the question was answered a number of years ago upon viewing my first episode.

But for those who perceive Doctor Who to be some kind of camp space opera, the official 50th anniversary convention  in London – from the 22^nd to 24^th November – served as an answer for Doctor Who’s presence and influence on Saturday night television.

Why did a pokey little British sci-fi from humble beginnings get to where it is today?

It may sound clichéd, but it can’t be argued with here – everyone behind the scenes of the show you meet is genuinely enthusiastic for the show that they help to produce. Whether they are working in the make-up trailer, getting lost in the costume collection or behind the camera of the latest episode, attention to detail is always paramount to every facet of the production.

My first impression of the day is one of bemusement after being shepherded into the main arena by a hormonal Cyberman, and then experiencing a whistle-stop tour of an assortment of Doctor Who monsters, props and costumes from all fifty years of the show.

A group of Yeti, Daleks, the Silence and a homogenous tyrannosaurus-rex are alarmingly surreal when you are put into close quarters with them. Credit where credit is due, coming face to face with a Silent is truly intimidating.

You might be unaware of just how much detail goes into designing a Doctor Who monster – I certainly was. We were treated to a talk about how the Who team redesigned the new Cybermen by researching ancient Samurai armour and latest cybernetic technologies to produce a legitimate idea of what such a human-robot hybrid may look like.

The actual creation of a monster exemplifies the cooperation of the various BBC departments. Altogether, the conception of a new Who creature requires the following: a voice artist (often provided by Nicholas Briggs), the art department for initial designs, Millennium FX for the actual creation of the final creature and an actor to provide the choreography.

Throughout the day we heard from some classic doctors, including Peter Davidson, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy. (On a side note, the latter is a whimsical fellow with some well-timed wisecracks, taking no small pleasure in gently reminding the other two of his current film stardom in The Hobbit.) The three are so utterly proud of the show that has essentially defined them – as they reviewed clips from their respective series, they fondly recalled specific anecdotal moments.

One of The Silence that wished Daniel a warm welcome to the ExCeL photo: Daniel Cope

The Eleventh Hour panel consisted of Matt Smith, Jenna Coleman (current assistant Clara), Steven Moffat and Nick Hurran (the director of the 50^th anniversary special), providing an insightful view into the secrecy that surrounds the show and, in particular, the anniversary episode, ‘The Day of the Doctor’.

Steven Moffat looked profoundly pleased but ultimately quite exhausted by the whole experience. Recalling how he viewed the special next to a fan who kindly whispered “I won’t make any noises, I promise”, Moffat wryly said he would be making noises of panic about how the episode would be perceived. He needn’t have worried because the auditorium was full of admiration for the episode. One fan, dressed as a Dalek, even sobbed in the front row as a clip was replayed from the episode’s finale.

The Doctor will be around for another fifty years, and I know this because generations will never let him stop adventuring

Doctor Who really means the world to people and none more so than the current, and soon to be outgoing (sob), Doctor. Matt Smith was filled with a pensive regret as he summed up his time on the show as a pleasure, before tragically adding that he wished he had done another series with Jenna.

Don’t we all Matt, don’t we all?

The last show was a special Fx event that was perhaps the most informative for those wanting to go into special effects production in television and film. Danny Hargreaves and his company RealSFX have been the special effects supervisors on the show since it made its successful return in 2005. They were even behind the extraordinary time war sequence in the anniversary episode which took a mere two days to film and had action to match a Hollywood blockbuster.

Whilst their part in the show did allow a young fan to shoot at a Cyberman and watch as a Dalek was blown to smithereens, it also featured a very fresh and interesting message for young hopefuls wanting to go into the TV industry.

I’m sure many parents would initially scoff at the idea of their child wanting to get involved in something as niche as special effects. Indeed, Hargreaves’ own mother quipped, “it was either mass murderer or special Fx supervisor” for young Danny.

But the questions from some young audience members who indicated an interest in special effects as an occupation certainly opened up my eyes to how Doctor Who, by its nature as a sci-fi show, is a platform for which many talented individuals can express their creativity in television production.

The Doctor will be around for another fifty years, and I know this because generations will never let him stop adventuring. It is such a brilliant opportunity for insight and experimentation in television, whether you are creating the make-up for a monster or mapping the narrative of a companion whisked away on voyages with a mad man in a box. The dedication of the team and the fans that assembled on ExCeL over that magical weekend was a sight to behold. Behind the scenes, in front of the cameras or wailing at the TV like the fan you are, Doctor Who has a created an industry that is well and truly bigger on the inside.