Many Doctor Who fans will best remember Michael Wisher for his definitive performance as Davros, creator of the Daleks. Most certainly Michael was a gifted actor, a chameleon who could transform his voice and appearance, working regularly in television and on Doctor Who during the 1970’s. Michael loved his times working on the programme and appeared in several spin-off dramas including Wartime and Shakedown. In this special production, we’ve included highlights of Michael’s original interview in 1985 and recall his life and career in the company of Nicholas Briggs, Peter Miles and Michael’s son Andrew Wisher.
Ever wondered how to marinade a Yeti?… No? Well neither had a rather bemused Nicholas Briggs until he caught up with John Leeson on location for the Doctor Who drama Downtime. Ten years earlier, it was all a lot easier for Keith Harrison when he interviewed John for the second Myth Makers. Life was simple then, you just sat down and had a nice chat about life and being the voice of K9. Now you have to run round the inside of the Doctor’s faithful robot companion, plus learn how to cook (and more importantly, how to catch) a Yeti! Well these are the ingredients, it’s all been cooking in the oven, so take your seats for dinner. Confused? Not half as much as Nick!
Back in the mid 1980’s two Nicks (Courtney & Briggs) strolled around the location for the Doctor Who story Mawdryn Undead and chatted about Nick C’s life and career. Now, parked in a little red car on the shores of Rutland Water (location for Battlefield) they find not only that it’s too cold to venture outside, but also that they are surrounded by sheep! With the aid of previously unseen footage from their original Myth Makers, Mr B delves deeper and Mr C reveals a good deal more! Nick Courtney is on top form in this extended release.
Carole Ann Ford portrayed a unique character in Doctor Who. As Susan, The Doctor’s granddaughter, she left Gallifrey with the errant Time Lord before the very first episode, An Unearthly Child. This Myth Makers combines two interviews by Nicholas Briggs, the first at Carole’s home in 1985 and the second at a London TV studio in 1996. Together they give a very personal view of the early days of Doctor Who and the effects the programme had on Carole’s life and career.
Janet Fielding played the Australian air stewardess Tegan in Doctor Who from 1980 to 1983. She started with Tom Baker and then did every Peter Davison story except his last two! Janet is a founder of Women in Film and Television UK which she ran for the first four years. When legendary London agent Marina Martin was ready to retire she recruited Janet to take over her eponymous agency. As an agent, Janet represented Paul McGann when he was offered the part of The Doctor in the 1996 Doctor Who TV pilot. In 2008, she moved to Ramsgate and started Project MotorHouse, which is a charity and social enterprise that works with local youths and specialises in photographic projects. This unique Myth Makers combines two interviews recorded with Janet in 1985 and 2020.
Undoubtedly, Nicola Bryant’s portrayal of Perpugilliam Brown has become one of the most popular assistants in the history of Doctor Who. When Nicholas Briggs first talked to Nicola in 1985, Doctor Who had been cancelled (for the first time) and its future was uncertain. Eleven years later in 1996, they met again to discuss her last season in the programme and life after Doctor Who. Both interviews are combined in this Myth Makers, giving us a fascinating insight into Nicola’s evolving life and career.
Wendy Padbury first appeared in Doctor Who in the late sixties, playing the diminutive cat-suited computer expert Zoe Herriot. Now she reveals all about playing Zoe and working with Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines… not to mention Cybermen, Ice Warriors and Quarks! Wendy also talks about the 1974 West End stage play Doctor Who and the Daleks in the Seven Keys to Doomsday in which she played one of the Doctor’s companions. Featuring location footage from the stage production of Superted and a guest appearance by Jon Pertwee as Spotty himself, this Myth Makers even tells us which Cybermnn design Wendy prefers!
Michael Craze was present during a critical period in Doctor Who’s history. If the first change of Doctor from William Hartnell to Patrick Troughton hadn’t succeeded, the programme would have failed and it’s unique formula lost forever. Combining two interviews by Nicholas Briggs, this Myth Makers draws out Michael’s memories of that time and appearing as cockney seaman Ben Jackson alongside two Doctors. In a frank and revealing programme, we even find out which Doctor was Michael’s favourite!
This Myth Makers combines two interviews with Sarah Sutton; one filmed at Harrison’s Rocks, the main location for Castrovalva; the second recorded in a London studio eight years later and featuring some familiar monsters. Sarah chats to Nicholas Briggs about working with Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Matthew Waterhouse. There are also many behind-the-scenes stories about working on Doctor Who.
Deborah Watling portrayed Victoria Waterfield during Patrick Troughton’s tenure as The Doctor. Famous for the practical jokes that went on behind the cameras, this era produced some classic Doctor Who stories and Victoria became one of the most popular of the Doctor’s companions. This Myth Makers features material shot at Monstercon in Liverpool in 1985, together with an interview recorded on location during the shooting of Downtime, the Doctor Who spin-off drama, in which Deborah re-created the part of Victoria after more than twenty five years! Deborah and her late father, Jack Watling (Professor Travers) chat to Nicholas Briggs about working together again and we feature unique behind-the-scenes material from Downtime. And, of course, there’s the odd Yeti around!
Victor Pemberton’s association with Doctor Who is long and varied. As extra, writer, script editor, producer and novelist, he is in a unique position to comment on the programme’s successes and failures – and he’s prepared to do just that! Victor certainly wouldn’t claim credit for writing the dramatic links in this Myth Makers, where he encounters a strange bewildered Nicholas Briggs and the even stranger source of a ‘plopping’ noise. In fact, this is the culmination of the ultimate kitchen sink drama – just what is outside the window? This Myth Makers combines two interviews with Victor, the first shot on location at his country home in Essex and the latest at studios in London.
Doctor Who fans fondly remember the late Ian Marter as the charming, bumbling Harry Sullivan. The man behind the character was equally as likeable, but many times more sharp witted. As Nicholas Briggs and Ian walk and talk their way through locations for Terror of the Zygons, you’ll learn of Ian’s life as a prolific writer and actor. This is an extended version of the Myth Makers recorded in 1986, with a special introduction by Ian’s close friend Nicholas Courtney.
Peter Tuddenham is a unique subject in Myth Makers history, not only did he play three characters from a famous cult tv series… he was also never seen! As the voices of Zen, Orac and Slave, he brought three computers to life, imbuing them with individual characters that made them come alive. But what makes this Myth Makers even more unique is that Nicholas Briggs has been usurped! Taking his place as the host of this programme is none other than Orac himself. It must be quite disconcerting for Peter, being quizzed about his life and career by his own creation… But like the true professional he is, Peter soldiers on! A truly unique experience… don’t miss it!
Jan Chappell grew up in South London and trained at RADA, graduating with an honours diploma and the Kendal and Jenny Laird Prizes. During her long and successful career, Blake’s 7 proved to be both an eventful and fortuitous casting… giving her valuable experience in a long-running drama series and helping her through the early years of bringing up her son, Sam. Nicholas Briggs chats to JAN about her career before and after Blake’s 7 and her memories of working on the cult-tv series. This Myth Makers was shot entirely at Quex Park, the location for the Blake’s 7 story BOUNTY… except when it was raining and everyone went indoors!
Born in 1926, Robert Sloman had an idyllic upbringing with most of his spare time spent on the beach in Devon. He went to University in Exeter, but was far more interested in sport (rowing for Torquay and rugby for Plymouth Albion and Devon). He became interested in the theatre and, after joining a fortnightly fit-up repertory in Sidmouth, realised quickly he was a lousy actor and writing was better than performing! After becoming a successful playwright, he was introduced to Barry Letts and thus began one of the most unique writing duos in the history of Doctor Who. Robert and Barry co-wrote four scripts The Daemons, The Time Monster, The Green Death and Planet of the Spiders. In this rare interview for Myth Makers, we find out the thinking behind these classic Doctor Who stories and why Robert moved on so quickly after having had such success in the series…
2004 was the 25th anniversary year of Doctor Who Magazine. Reeltime’s cameras dropped in on current editor Clayton Hickman and assistant editor Tom Spilsbury, to get a snapshot of DWM today and look to the future with a new Doctor Who television series in production…
After many years as a successful conductor and musician in Australia, Dudley Simpson came to Britain to conduct at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. He started composing music for television in 1963 on a series called Moonstrike, which eventually led to his being asked by Mervyn Pinfield to compose for Doctor Who. The rest… as they say… is history! Dudley became the composer for music in Doctor Who during the Jon Pertwee era. Working with The Radiophonic Workshop, he created a totally unique sound for the programme that made a huge contribution to its success. In this Myth Makers, recorded at Dudley’s home in Australia, we find out why he moved into music for television and what it was like working on Doctor Who for over 20 years!
Timothy Combe joined the BBC in 1963 as an Assistant Floor Manager and steadily moved ‘up the ranks’ to become the last BBC Staff Director in 1970. He went on to direct over 50 network productions, including: Z Care, The Doctors, Angels, The Newcomers, The Brothers, Ballet Shoes (which won a BAFTA and Emmy), Golden Soak and, of course, the Doctor Who stories The Silurians, The Mind of EvilL and a bit of Evil of the Daleks! In this Myth Makers, TIM talks about working as an AFM and PA on Doctor Who, how he became friends with William Hartnell, working with Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee, directing his Doctor Who stories and what he’s been doing since leaving the BBC. And as a bonus we feature a panel from the Doctor Who convention PanoptiCon 9 featuring Tim, Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks!
With Michael E. Briant & Christopher Barry
Kai Owen is from the beautiful town of Llanrwst in Wales. He went to school at YsgolL Dyffryn Conwy and quickly became involved with the school drama group. This led to a three year course at Mountview Theatre School in London. He graduated in 1998 and went straight to work playing Ariel in The Tempest. Kai later become an associate actor at Clwyd Theatr Cymru – Wales’ premier theatre company, appearing in over fifteen productions for them. He made his West End debut playing Harry Secombe in Ying Tong – A Walk With the Goons and has recently finished a tour of The Full Monty. Kai is a familiar face on the Welsh language channel S4C, having played Bob Lewis in Treflan, also Kev in Tipyn O Stad. He’s had various guest roles in top TV shows nationwide, such as Casualty, Waterloo Road, The Syndicate, Fun at the Funeral Parlour, Being Human, Rocketman and Hollyoaks. Torchwood started filming in 2006 and Kai has played the role of Rhys in all four seasons. In this Myth Makers he chats to
Robert Shearman began his career in the theatre. He was resident dramatist at the Northcott Theatre in Exeter and regular writer for Alan Ayckbourn at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough.
Dan is best known for his work in Doctor Who as various members of the war-like Sontaran race, most prominently as the Doctor’s psychotic alien ally Strax. Also, for BBC Wales Cymru, he has appeared in Wizards vs Aliens, The Sarah Jane Adventures and Casualty.
Often acknowledged as one of the best companions The Doctor never had, Keith Jayne’s role as Will Chandler in the Doctor Who story The Awakening was memorable.
Glen McCoy has had a long and varied career as a scriptwriter for television, working on programmes such as Angels, Eastenders, Emmerdale and Eldorado.
Chris Clough’s first TV credit as a director was Go With Noakes, while employed by Granada television. After going freelance, he directed episodes of Brookside and Eastenders.
Ben Aaronovitch was born and raised in London. He had (he says) the sort of unrelentingly uninteresting childhood that drives a person to drink or Science Fiction!
After a period working as an actor and stage manager, Andrew Morgan joined BBC Television in 1967 and became a production manager in drama before becoming a freelance director in 1978. Since then he’s specialised in producing and directing drama for the BBC, ITV Companies and Independents in the UK and throughout Europe and Canada.
Ian Briggs studied drama at Manchester University and went on to work at the BBC Script Unit. It was there that he met Andrew Cartmel and, when Andrew became Script Editor on Doctor Who, he offered the opportunity to write for the programme.
Annette Badland is an award-winning actress, nominated for an Oliver for her role as Sadie in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice.
Kate Easteal joined the BBC as a teenager, straight from school, in 1983. She soon found herself working in the Blue Peter office, which led eventually to her becoming Producer’s Secretary to John Nathan-Turner on Doctor Who.
Simon Williams is probably best known for his performance as James Bellamy in the ITV series Upstairs Downstairs and has had an incredible career as both an actor and writer. To Doctor Who fans, he is fondly remembered for his portrayal of Group Captain Ian Gilmore in the Sylvester McCoy series Remembrance of the Daleks.
A great deal has happened since Sylvester’s first Myth Makers interview in 1994. He’s reprised his role as the Seventh Doctor in the Doctor Who movie starring Paul McGann and was delighted to be invited back to the television series for both Tales of The TARDIS, to celebrate the series’ 60th Anniversary, and The Power of the Doctor, celebrating Jodie Whittaker’s finale. The character is also alive and thriving in Big Finish audio recordings. On film you will also know him as Radagast the Brown in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy; as Igor in Rob Zombie’s The Musters, and in the psychological thriller The Owners which won him the Best Actor Award at Frightfest. Sylvester discusses this and so much more with his ACE companion Sophie Aldred in this unique interview recorded in front of an audience at Myth Makers Live 3, held at Whooverville 14 in 2023.
Sophie studied drama at the University of Manchester and is well known for her work on programmes like Jackanory, Words & Pictures, Corners, Melvyn & Maureens’ Music-O-Grams, Tiny & Crew and ZZZap! But to Doctor Who fans it’s her portrayal of ACE in the Sylvester McCoy era that will always be remembered … and in her first Myth Makers interview, filmed in 1991, she discussed this in detail. So much has happened since then … Sophia has married and had children, she has reprised her role as ACE in The Power of the Doctor, Jodie Whitaker’s farewell story, which was chosen to celebrate the centenary anniversary of the BBC and transmitted on 23rd October 2022. Then, in Autumn 2023 she recorded Tales of the TARDIS with Sylvester McCoy for BBC iPlayer as part of Doctor Who’s 60th Anniversary. Sophie discusses this and so much more with her Doctor Sylvester McCoy in this unique interview recorded in front of an audience at Myth Makers Live 3, held at Whooverville 14 in 2023.