[[mw:]]>Soviet2.0 No edit summary |
[[mw:]]>OpticalSpectre m (OpticalSpectre moved page Season 888888877777777666i8765tgjk (Doctor Who) to Season 35 (Doctor Who) over redirect) |
(No difference)
| |
Revision as of 10:37, 4 April 2020
Dr gjjghfujutyt67ugg5677gu5666f57u6v6utv656utreggOverview
Another New Era
Season 35 was considered as a new era for the show; the newest since 1990. Very few elements remained from the last season, the main one being Paul McGann returning for his third season as The Doctor. Experienced television director and producer, Susan Belbin took over the producer’s chair from Stephen Garwood; Steven Moffat replaced Colin Brake as script editor. This season would be significant for it being the first to be under the 'Paramount Deal' which saw Paramount Television co-own the show with the BBC.
New plans
In late-1997, talks began between the BBC and Paramount to co-own the show which was formally agreed at the end of the year. With the show not only continuing, but a giant restoration project was also ordered for the 1960s episodes to be colourised and every missing episode animated. With the addition of a new producer under Belbin, she brought along her frequent collaborator David Renwick. Joining them as script editor was Steven Moffat who wanted to express some ideas he had for the show that thought of over time. Other changes took place both in front and behind the camera. The first was the update in camera production; using the new single-camera shooting method permanently, which had only been used for location filming. This marked the beginning of the end of the multi-camera use which had been used for many television programmes for decades.
The switch to widescreen
A more notable change came with the launch of digital television set to debut in October 1998. To give the show a digital feel, the BBC decided to make the show be recorded fully digital. This was also helped with the change in aspect ratio from 4:3 to 16:9, making Doctor Who one of the first things filmed in that ratio; one of the first being the BBC One balloon idents, that although debuted on 4th October 1997 (the same day Season 34 did as well) but wouldn’t be seen that way until a year later.
American aboard the TARDIS
Elsewhere, this season also saw a new companion to the show: Sammy Thompson, played by American actress Laurie Holden; the first proper American actress to play a companion. This was especially helped with the fact that the BBC pushed for the show to reach a more mainstream American audience, and the recent deal, which made her fit in well.
New title sequence
To go with the new aspect ratio and feel, a new title sequence was commissioned by Santa Barbara Studios who also worked on the previous titles for Seasons 33 and 34. Although Belbin liked the former titles, she and many fans agreed that it simply didn’t have a traditional Doctor Who feel to it, with the use of names, creator credits, longer length, and slower-paced theme tune as well as the lack of traditional elements, instead opting out for Earth shots with the occasional appearance of the TARDIS flying around. For her, it was too slow and didn’t have a “Let’s go on an adventure with the Doctor!” feel.
Retaining Dominic Glynn's second arrangement of the theme tune, it instead started from the last few bars of the slower part before going into the main section which was used only in the end credits; accompanied with the visuals of the Earth. In the last shot of Earth, it reaches towards the black of space. As the main theme kicked in, the TARDIS appears to reveal the logo and dust clouds whilst flying out, which then flashes and zooms out where the names appear. McGann’s face then slowly zooms out via a 'dark ghost' transition, preceded by the creator credits, the story title and writer and the part number. All of this happens whilst accompanied by blue and grey space clouds background which darkens and disappears at the end.
A logo flying with wings
The new logo was very different to that of all the previous ones, but it was designed to make use of it on screen, to fill out the new aspect ratio but remain 4:3 safe. Some compared it to that of the movie ‘Top Gun’ and with the 1987 McCoy logo due to the negative reactions despite being created by Bernard Lodge who previously worked on the titles and logos for the show from its inception until 1980.
Scheduling issues
With only thirteen episodes and the recent deal, worries began that the season may not be ready in time for the year following a tradition that a new season always began every year since 1963. Though it may have been easier, episode lengths were now 45-minutes long, similar to several American TV formats. Despite this, the show was just about ready in time but started near the end of November; part of this was due to Season 34 starting slightly later than normal.
Stories
Stories that featured in this season included the introduction of Sammy in Scotland, the end of the world, robots messing with time, a crossover with Star Trek, the Ice Warriors on Mars, the threat of blinking and dark goings-on at Christmas.
Cast
Regular
- The Doctor - Paul McGann
- Sammy Thompson - Laurie Holden
Recurring
- The Great Intelligence - Ian McKellen
- Romana - Lalla Ward
- Leela - Louise Jameson
- Voice of K-9 - John Leeson
- Brigadier Winifred Bambera - Angela Bruce
- Lady Flavia - Makla Ghansa
Guest
- Mrs Rumford -
- Duncon -
- Fiona -
- Morag -
- Geng Seignh -
- Lord Crantrope -
- Rainwest -
- Dr Ahkmed -
- Prime Minister - Patrick Stewart
- Kate Lethbridge-Stewart -
- Sarah -
- King Doomwraith -
- Prince Doomwraith -
- President of America -
- President of Russia -
- Ruby Duvall -
- General Pamela Cutler -
- Cyber-Controller - David Banks
- Cybermen Performers -
- Joe Adler -
- Jude Black -
- Gary Venning -
- Bono Brooks -
- Whitehead -
- Ben -
- Dave Hilliard -
- Diana Milton -
- Leslie Laughland -
- Michael Brack -
- Nike Palmer -
- Philip Duvall -
- Lord Stanley Straker -
- Captain Trench -
- Capt. Samuel Battes - Mark Hamill
- Cmdr. Harry Madison - Hugh Laurie
- Lt. Cmdr. Katherine Armetts - Sophia Myles
- Lt. Cmdr. Davitch Steinberg - Peter Czajkowski
- Ensign Annabell Thomas - Sarah Michelle Gellar
- Voice of the Jakkoyd - Warwick Davis
- Voice of the Computer - Elisabeth Sladen
- Sarr -
- Tharr -
- Majel -
- Victoria -
- Ambassador Twyne -
- Remanian -
- The Historian -
- Tyann Leader -
- Tyanns -
- Voice of The Daleks - Nicholas Briggs
- Dalek Operators -
Television Stories
| Story | Serial | Title | Written by | Directed by | Air Dates (UK) | Production Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | 1 | The Castle that Time Forgot | Mervyn Haisman & Henry Lincoln | Waris Hussein | 08/08/1998
15/08/1998 22/08/1998 29/08/1998 |
9J |
| 201 | 2 | Killers of the Dark | Russell T Davies | Chris Clough | 05/09/1998
12/09/1998 19/09/1998 26/09/1998 |
9K |
| 202 | 3 | Doomwraiths | Philip Martin | Colin Cant | 03/10/1998
10/10/1998 17/10/1998 24/10/1998 |
9L |
| 203 | 4 | Iceberg | David Banks | Gary Russell | 31/10/1998
07/11/1998 14/11/1998 21/11/1998 |
9M |
| 204 | 5 | A Case for the Blue Box | Nicholas Meyer | 28/11/1998
05/12/1998 12/12/1998 19/12/1998 |
9N | |
| 205 | 6 | Attack of the Mind | David Halliwell | Terry Windell | 26/12/1998
02/01/1999 09/01/1999 16/01/1999 |
9O |
| 206 | 7 | Wallpaper | Joseph Lidster | Chris Sanderman | 23/01/1999
30/01/1999 06/02/1999 13/02/1999 |
9P |
| 207 | 8 | The Man with the Hollow Head | Steven Moffat | Graeme Harper | 20/02/1999
27/02/1999 06/03/1999 13/03/1999 |
9Q |
Home Media
VHS
- The Castle that Time Forgot (1998)
- Killers of the Dark (1998)
- Doomwraiths (1998)
- Iceberg (1998)
- A Case for the Blue Box (1999)
- Attack of the Mind (1999)
- Wallpaper (1999)
- The Man with the Hollow Head (1999)
DVD
- This season released as the Complete Season 35 Box Set in July 2003.
- The season, along with all other Ninth Doctor stories was included in the Complete Paul McGann Era Box Set.