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Post by John W King on May 30, 2012 8:22:30 GMT
In answer to George D:-John...I think those notes would be amazing reading.. Any chance of having them available? It would also be a great tool for those who are working reconstructions such as LC.
May 25, 2012, 10:18am, John W King wrote:My earliest memory is from Saturday 16th November 1963 (yes - a week before the very first episode) . I was 9. Fllowing the end of Deputy Dawg ?) there was a trailer saying:- Starting next week - An Unearthly Child. There was a series of clips centering on Susan with voice overs from Ian and Barbara questioning who she was and why did she seem highly knowledgeable in some areas and not in others (I think short extracts from an Unearthly Child). It finished by saying Doctor Who starts next saturday.
The trailer was repeated again through out the week. I seem to recall the last repeat was on thursday evening around 18.00 or 18.25.
And then, we as a family sat down to tea. The news about president Kennedy and then it started. I was entranced and immediately hooked.
The following saturday i was at a friend's house. The television was on and to my surprise the first episode was repeated immediately followed by the second.
By the time Marco Polo started I began to write simple notes to remember each episode usually a brief synopsis of the cliff hanger. As rhe years went on the notes become more detailed.
However the impact of seeing that first episode was so great I was able to write a detailed synopsis years later. Before videos, books, magazines etc. Then came the Five faces of Doctor Who and for the first time I was able to relive that first episode and yes, my synopsis was pretty accurate. Amazing. And now we stand on the verge of the 50th Anniversary.
The only problem with putting my notes out in any format is that they are hand written and a little difficult to read (except by me!) My earliest notes were no more than a couple of sentences. Later I confined the notes to half a page, then a page. Round about the time of the repeat of Evil of the Daleks I was sat with notebook in hand making notes as the show was being broadcast.This was a difficult time domestically as my Mum was often in hospital and Saturday afternoons was visiting time. It was then that I would get my older brother to record the soundtrack on to open reel tape. My brother had wired a phono socket to the speaker wires so the recording quality was excellent and with out extraneous sounds. Sadly the only recording from those days that was kept was Troughton's last ... the War Games!
Any way I'll dig out my notebooks and see what's there.
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Post by richardtipple on May 30, 2012 9:39:42 GMT
I have my father to thank. We were in HMV together, I was about seven or eight years old. My dad was just wasting a bit of time before are bus when he spotted the double VHS of The Dalek Invasion of Earth and thought he'd buy it. It reminded him of his childhood spent behind the sofa.
My dad, aunt, and I sat down to watch it the next day - I was hooked. My poor family were met with a constant barrage of questions - 'Who is the Doctor', 'Why is it bigger on the inside?', 'Where did the Daleks come from' - as I recall this annoyed my dad quite a lot!
That's why Hartnell is my Doctor. I was petrified of the Daleks and the Robomen and totally in AWE of Hartnell's performance. It's still my favourite story for sentimental reasons. The image of the Dalek coming out of the Thames as the Cliffhanger haunted me for years.
If I have children one day, they are watching it with me as soon as they're old enough. It's important kids grow up able to appreciate black and white film.
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Post by John W King on May 30, 2012 15:31:42 GMT
Richard,
Similar recollection on the first Dalek story. It was a cold frosty saturday afternoon. My family, Mum, Dad and my two brothers two brothers were walking down Bridge Street in Abingdon. We popped into Bridge Street newsagent to get the Radio Times. I started to read it and turned to Saturday's page. My favourite programme had ended last week with the time travellers in a strange metallic city. Barbara was confronted by - what? - and screamed. The entry for Dr Who was sadly not very revealing but did mention these "cast members" called Dalek Operators. I turned to my Dad and asked "what are Dayleks? (that is how I pronounced it - DAYLEK)" My Dad looked at the radio Times and said "I have no idea. You'll just have to watch it."
And so we did. Found out the word was DARLEK and yes, for me Hartnell WAS IS and ALWAYS will be the Doctor. He was brilliant (closely followed by the amazing Patrick Troughton)and the Daleks first story remains my absolute favourite whether as the original TV story, David Whitaker book or even the Peter Cushing film.
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Post by rdevelyn on May 30, 2012 15:32:37 GMT
@ John: I would also love to read your notes, particularly of the missing episodes. You may well have recorded details that have been lost to us now.
All the best
Richard
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Post by Jim Exley on May 30, 2012 17:33:51 GMT
Strange to say perhaps, but I'm not exactly sure what my earliest memories are. I can recall isolated but unidentifiable scenes from early to mid-Pertwee, but the first episode I can identify was Robot, episode four. (I'm in the UK so this would have been the first transmission). I was obviously aware of Pertwee as I was confused as to who Tom Baker was - I knew the Doctor was supposed to have white hair!
I started watching in earnest with the beginning of Season 13 - and saw them all in black and white until 1988!
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Post by George D on May 30, 2012 21:06:58 GMT
John,
I appreciate you filling us in. While Ian and others may have made notes during the original airings, many people recalled different things and it could stir memories, and help preserve more of the visuals which might not be in the scripts, and also help create more accurate recons.
I think the notes (especially those of the missing episodes) are a very important find in the dr who universe and appreciate you transcribing and sharing them.
Since you hard wired your recorder to your tv, if space pirates (or others) are found, they could be upgrades.
Also if you recorded audio of other SF shows such as Out of the Unknown, Adam Adamant, or Doomwatch, those would be finds also.
Thanks for sharing this amazing news.
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Post by B Thomas on May 31, 2012 8:10:48 GMT
I started watching in earnest with the beginning of Season 13 - and saw them all in black and white until 1988! So I'm guessing you never understood the fan reactions to Colin's coat then?   |
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Post by John W King on May 31, 2012 14:29:05 GMT
I am working on my notes.
I also have episode synopses produced once a month by the RNID not only of Dr Who but many many BBC shows like Dixon of Dock Green, Hereward the Wake, Doctor Finlay, Triton, Pegasus, Doomwatch etc. Although I wasn't deaf I was very naughty and applied to RNID to have them sent to me from 1966 to 1973. (i.e from episode 1 of Daleks Masterplan to Planet of the Daleks ? - I think). There must be many synopses of now missing programmes. The interesting thing is Many of these synopses were based on production notes, not the broadcast programmes as sometimes the titles are working titles.
I kept every issue sent to me even though they are on very fragile paper.
As to my tapes - the first Dr Who I recorded was the Savages part 4 but it was horribly affected by foreign interference that used to afflict us every summer. Other episodes I had but were erased were the Space Wheel, the Space Pirates, . I did put together a tape of theme tunes taken "live" from broadcasts that had Dr. Who - Seeds of Death, Troubleshooters, Doomwatch, Paul Temple that I still have. Interestingly I recorded the theme and a segment from Adam Adamant - A Slight Case of Re-incarnation that is currently available, uncredited to me, on the Adam Adamant DVD package. I also recorded a lot of the BBC live broadcasts of Apollo 11 that I have preserved. I know I'm now going a bit off beam from Dr. Who - earliest memories but listening to my tapes of the landing with James Burke and Patrick Moore and no music is absolutely electrifiying.
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Post by richardmarple on May 31, 2012 16:23:10 GMT
From what I've read a few Dr Who fans sent off for the RNID synopses.
I presume they were useful before Ceefax subtitles were available.
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Post by George D on Jun 1, 2012 3:32:12 GMT
John King, I think its great that you're transcribing the first hand notes. I cant wait to read them. There is an apollo 11 tread currently in the general show area.. If you have recordings that the BBC doesnt have, then somewhere it would be great to have those preserved also. probably the rnid notes could be scanned easily. Im glad you had the foresight to save what you did. Just wish we find a box in your folks house with the recordings of adam adamant and other shows of which nothing is existing .. You should have been credited on the dvd. Glad you were there  |
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Post by Guest on Jun 1, 2012 7:48:27 GMT
As a long-time lurker who just joined officially, let me say how I love this thread! Hearing people's views on episodes that no longer exist make for enthralling reading. I remember the anticipation and excitment I felt when waiting for every episode of the series, and wondering which season ABC TV Australia picked up for repeats at a time in the 80s and 90s when most repeats were only selected Pertwee stories and early Tom Bakers.
My earliest memories are Time Flight and Terminus, although I wasn't too impressed with either apart from finding them a bit bizarre. After being convinced by a friend from school, I started watching again from a repeat of Carnival of Monsters. I loved it! It gripped me and my brother, and I became hooked forever!
Never saw any Hartnell and Troughtons until much, much later, so I'd love to hear what those older people on the forum felt about them on their original transmission. In fact, it would make a great book! I'd even welcome those 'cheating memories'. After lisening to Evil of the Daleks and loooking at photos, my 5 year-old son is now convinced he has seen the episode with the Doctor playing trains and the grand finale with the Emperor. How I cherish his imagination!
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Post by Ross Mann on Jun 1, 2012 8:05:54 GMT
I was thinking a bit more about it the other day, and my earliest memory would definitely be Peter Davisons Doctor pushing the Dalek out of the upper story of the warehouse in Reserrection of the Daleks. I used to recreate that scence over and over again with my Lego lol
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Post by adamjordan on Jun 1, 2012 8:53:57 GMT
My earliest memory is of Jon pertwee being strangled by the nestene tentacle at the end of Spearhead from space. it is my earliest dateable memory and I was 2 years and 3 months old! I remembered it for years as the Doctor with a coiled cable around his neck but it wasn't until the episode came out on Video that I could positively identify that scene.
My only other memory from Season 7 is the Primords from Inferno. From Season 8 onwards my memories started to become firmer and more frequent.
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Post by steveb on Jun 1, 2012 10:06:57 GMT
By the time Marco Polo started I began to write simple notes to remember each episode usually a brief synopsis of the cliff hanger. As rhe years went on the notes become more detailed. Funnily enough I did the exact same thing - kept a notepad with cliffhangers and radio time pics pasted in. Had some (very rubbish) off-screen pics as well. From S2 to Green Death (by then the notes were several A4 pages per story), for S1 I had pasted in the summary from the RT for PoG. Didn't keep it though (before anyone asks!), threw it out in embarrassment when I was about 20. By the way a friend of mine was in Sierra Leone a couple of weeks back and said it was wonderful!!!! - said, it's the first time in her life she was ever sad to come back home. She met the president while she was there, i should have asked her to ask him if was hiding any lost epis ;-) |
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Post by richardtipple on Jun 1, 2012 10:15:24 GMT
By the time Marco Polo started I began to write simple notes to remember each episode usually a brief synopsis of the cliff hanger. As rhe years went on the notes become more detailed. Funnily enough I did the exact same thing - kept a notepad with cliffhangers and radio time pics pasted in. Had some (very rubbish) off-screen pics as well. From S2 to Green Death (by then the notes were several A4 pages per story), for S1 I had pasted in the summary from the RT for PoG. Didn't keep it though (before anyone asks!), threw it out in embarrassment when I was about 20. By the way a friend of mine was in Sierra Leone a couple of weeks back and said it was wonderful!!!! - said, it's the first time in her life she was ever sad to come back home. She met the president while she was there, i should have asked her to ask him if was hiding any lost epis ;-) Did you throw out the pictures as well? That could have been an amazing resource.. I'm glad your friend had fun in Sierra Leone, she didn't bump into any 16mm film collectors out there did she?! |
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