h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I know Tom Baker did 7 years and was the longest serving Doctor, but did he actually spend the longest aggregate minutes as the time lord?

Tom Baker did 173 episodes, each of which was 25 minutes long. That's 4325 minutes total. Since 2005 the episodes have been
45 minutes long. An actor would have to do 97 episodes to beat Tom Baker. AFAIK, none of them come close to that.

Longest time served was Paul McGann. By default.

Which isn't the most filmed minutes, I know. But one of those weird little facts

Since McGann didn't regenerate until this year, he served... what 18 years?

He was the Doctor from 1996 until 2005, 9 years.

So yes, either 9 or 18. Longer than 7.

On The Ultimate Guide, shown last Friday, McGann said he was both the shortest and longest serving Doctor Who. He has probably lost 'shortest' to John Hurt, but it was a fun statistic while it lasted. (Paul McGann took 17 years to regenerate, but he was replaced as The Doctor after 9 years. Either way the statistic works.)

Not sure if he lost his statistic, Hurt arrived in The name of the Doctor and carried on until the end of The Day of the Doctor. Isn't that longer?

In a way William Hartnell will always be the Doctor.

Among the several hours of Dr Who anniversary special prgramming which I recorded over the weekend was a dramatic recreation of the BBC's mighty endeavour to create the first Doctor with William Hartnell called "An Adventure in Space and Time".

I have finally just watched it and in spite of being old enough to be cynical and critical of a few anachronistic references I have to say it was bloody well done. The appearance of Matt Smith near the end was quite a nice touch. And it spanned the 50 years quite nicely.

It was more than a little moving to take a look behind the scenes - especially poignant was the portrayal of Hartnell as an actor and human being. I identified quite strongly and will never be able to watch the 1st Doctor in the same critical way again. Applause all round - both to the origins and to those who took the trouble to memorialise it in this drama.

The use of the now abandoned old BBC building showed me views of that building which I had never seen before - especially looking upward at the moon through the open circular sky. Wow! And how fitting for the time and the subject matter.

One scene, a street scene, a very short scene but lovingly re-created with lots of old British cars and dozens of extras, had perhaps too many British cars with the bonnets up and 'mechanics' standing about fixing them. Looked a bit like one my car club meetings.

Cheers
~jwf~

I agree jwf, I thought the appearance of Matt Smith was a clever touch. My journal yesterday was all about this, and how it sent me back to my dvd collection to re-watch Unearthly Child and give it a fresh and more positive appraisal.

Yes we enjoyed that. My other half didn't want to watch it at the start but when we discovered there was nothing else on worth watching we left it on and slowly got caught up in it all.
I hadn't realised he was kicked off the show, I always thought he just retired, I have been reeducated. It was very touching at times.
I also came away with the feeling that he was *the* doctor, despite growing up with Tom Baker's version. Without him and the team behind him none of the rest would have followed.

"Not sure if he lost his statistic, Hurt arrived in The name of the Doctor and carried on until the end of The Day of the Doctor. Isn't that longer?"

I don't think so. If we're talking about minutes served in episodes, Paul McGann had a 90 minute 'TV movie'. Then he had 9 years until he was replaced, compared with Tom Baker's 7 years as The Doctor. He had 17 years until he regenerated in a 10 minute short. John hurt had less than a minute in The Name of the Doctor, a few seconds in the 10 minute short that showed Paul McGann regenerating and 75 minutes in The Day of the Doctor.

I can't remember at what point in the TV movie Sylvester McCoy regenerated, but the recent short adds to McGann's time as The Doctor. McCoy would have had to regenerate more than 25 minutes into the movie for McGann to still hold the record. If it was less than that, John Hurt now holds the record for the shortest time as The Doctor.

Have a look at: http://regmedia.co.uk/2013/11/04/dwv_1a.jpg

It is a chart showing the aggregate minutes of all Dr Whos. Tom Baker is in front and William Hartnell is next. The early series were, I hear, all year.

The associated commentary is here on The Register: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/04/doctor_who_data_11_doctors_durations/

I like the choice of purple for Jon Pertwee and brown for Tom Baker. Christopher Ecclestone should have been black, though.

It doesn't include the War Doctor, the second David Tennent or Rowan Atkinson.

I'm confused. Who got kicked off the show?

William Hartnell. That was the subject of the programme after all.
Or is it nicer to say, was 'retired' by them?

I think retired is nearer the mark, based on the events shown in the drama.

I remember a Three Doctors episode with the first three doctors. William Hartnell appeared only on a screen whereas the others were there in the flesh. The reason given wsd that the actor was incapable of remembering his lines.

The Three Doctors was a brilliant episode and among the first
I ever watched. I remember being fascinated by the premise of
regeneration and delighted at the way this plot-line was being
examined and revealed in an otherwise straight forward story
of a good guy rebel being tried for his anti-social behaviours
by the high judges of Gallifrey.

Later there was a Five Doctors episode in which the first three
were badly represented in old B&W footage and still shots that
seemed so old fashioned and out of place. (I think the Master
was there this time in a tardis that looked like a Roman plinth.)

One of the great joys and major resolutions of the 50th anniversary -
was the way old ones were integrated into current video technology.
God bless photo shop - it keepeth myths alive and eternal.


~jwf~

PS: Not sure what Gnomon meant about the second Tennant.
Although he had a couple of partial regenerations didn't he?
A hand, the original kept in a glass jar...