It would, if it were taken care of.
Would Doctor Who be a success if it made it's debut on ITV rather than BBC?
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No in my opinion wouldn't be able to handle the constant ad breaks and it just doesn't fit with Doctor Who ITV IMO can't picture it, The only thing ITV seems to like is Period Dramas and Reality Shows.
Originally Posted by Brandon_Smith:
“No in my opinion wouldn't be able to handle the constant ad breaks and it just doesn't fit with Doctor Who ITV IMO can't picture it, The only thing ITV seems to like is Period Dramas and Reality Shows.”
“No in my opinion wouldn't be able to handle the constant ad breaks and it just doesn't fit with Doctor Who ITV IMO can't picture it, The only thing ITV seems to like is Period Dramas and Reality Shows.”
Totally agree.
ITV is riddled with excessive advertising and I shudder at the thought of Doctor Who having ad breaks. Especially during the New Series where every episode of 45 minutes would then become an hour which would involve at least three advert breaks.
Originally Posted by Jedi_Knight:
“It would, if it were taken care of.”
“It would, if it were taken care of.”
No it wouldnt. Alough I do think ITV probably wouldnt have junked anything.
Originally Posted by dave_windows:
“No it wouldnt. Alough I do think ITV probably wouldnt have junked anything.”
“No it wouldnt. Alough I do think ITV probably wouldnt have junked anything.”
No, ITV did also junk old recordings. It was common practise at that time. Video tape was very expensive in those days and there wasn't enough storage space to retain what was thought to be recordings of little value.
Originally Posted by GDK:
“No, ITV did also junk old recordings. It was common practise at that time. Video tape was very expensive in those days and there wasn't enough storage space to retain what was thought to be recordings of little value.”
“No, ITV did also junk old recordings. It was common practise at that time. Video tape was very expensive in those days and there wasn't enough storage space to retain what was thought to be recordings of little value.”
Exactly. And the person responsible for signing off on the mass junkings at the ABC archive in the 1970s was none other than Verity Lambert.
It's perfectly possible that if Sydney Newman had come up with Doctor Who while he was there that we'd actually have far fewer episodes existing today and maybe none at all.
It would have been nice if Doctor Who had had the kind of special effects budget that Space 1999 had.
Originally Posted by kjhskj75:
“It would have been nice if Doctor Who had had the kind of special effects budget that Space 1999 had.”
“It would have been nice if Doctor Who had had the kind of special effects budget that Space 1999 had.”
Good job they didn't have the storylines though
Originally Posted by daveyboy7472:
“Totally agree.
ITV is riddled with excessive advertising and I shudder at the thought of Doctor Who having ad breaks. Especially during the New Series where every episode of 45 minutes would then become an hour which would involve at least three advert breaks.
”
“Totally agree.
ITV is riddled with excessive advertising and I shudder at the thought of Doctor Who having ad breaks. Especially during the New Series where every episode of 45 minutes would then become an hour which would involve at least three advert breaks.
”
Try watching Doctor who on UKTV channel 'W' for example
That is exactly what they do
45 Minutes episodes get 3 Advert Breaks
1 Hour episodes get like 4
Not to Mention sometimes they show a edited verison of a 50 Minute+ episode
Like 'The Pandorica opens' or 'Turn left'
Once I watched 'Midnight' on 'W'
They placed an ad-break TWO MINUTES before the end of the episode
TWO ****ing Minutes before the end
If Doctor Who were on TV it probably would have lasted as long as The Tomorrow People and then constantly rebooted over the years.
It would have looked lovely on film and later colour film if their Avengers, Prisoner, Saint, etc. are anything to go by.
Originally Posted by david_Robinson:
“Try watching Doctor who on UKTV channel 'W' for example
That is exactly what they do
45 Minutes episodes get 3 Advert Breaks
1 Hour episodes get like 4
Not to Mention sometimes they show a edited verison of a 50 Minute+ episode
Like 'The Pandorica opens' or 'Turn left'
Once I watched 'Midnight' on 'W'
They placed an ad-break TWO MINUTES before the end of the episode
TWO ****ing Minutes before the end”
“Try watching Doctor who on UKTV channel 'W' for example
That is exactly what they do
45 Minutes episodes get 3 Advert Breaks
1 Hour episodes get like 4
Not to Mention sometimes they show a edited verison of a 50 Minute+ episode
Like 'The Pandorica opens' or 'Turn left'
Once I watched 'Midnight' on 'W'
They placed an ad-break TWO MINUTES before the end of the episode
TWO ****ing Minutes before the end”
Yes, Channel 4 did the same for a show I used to watch on there. It's ridiculous. You can imagine a Doctor Who getting to an exciting end of episode where we're all on tenterhooks and look, two minutes to go, advert break.
ITV used to do that with the F1 when they had it.
Annoying.
Originally Posted by Daniel Dare:
“It would have looked lovely on film and later colour film if their Avengers, Prisoner, Saint, etc. are anything to go by.”
“It would have looked lovely on film and later colour film if their Avengers, Prisoner, Saint, etc. are anything to go by.”
And it would have been cancelled by 1969 which is when ITV gave up on action / adventure TV.
We would have colour episodes made on 35mm film but we would probably only have 39 of them (not counting the 70's reboot with Ian Ogilvy as the Doctor).
Originally Posted by daveyboy7472:
“Yes, Channel 4 did the same for a show I used to watch on there. It's ridiculous. You can imagine a Doctor Who getting to an exciting end of episode where we're all on tenterhooks and look, two minutes to go, advert break.
ITV used to do that with the F1 when they had it.
Annoying.
”
“Yes, Channel 4 did the same for a show I used to watch on there. It's ridiculous. You can imagine a Doctor Who getting to an exciting end of episode where we're all on tenterhooks and look, two minutes to go, advert break.
ITV used to do that with the F1 when they had it.
Annoying.
”
Imagine a regeneration? ITV would cut for adverts just before it started.
I guess the more pertinent question for this week is how would Doctor Who fare if it were bought by Channel 4?
Originally Posted by Mulett:
“I guess the more pertinent question for this week is how would Doctor Who fare if it were bought by Channel 4?”
“I guess the more pertinent question for this week is how would Doctor Who fare if it were bought by Channel 4?
”
If the GBBO farce is anything to go by Channel 4 would buy the rights to Doctor Who without making sure Peter Capaldi was part of the deal
Originally Posted by Daniel Dare:
“It would have looked lovely on film and later colour film if their Avengers, Prisoner, Saint, etc. are anything to go by.”
“It would have looked lovely on film and later colour film if their Avengers, Prisoner, Saint, etc. are anything to go by.”
Agreed, it would have remained a much loved ITC Cult show from the 60s
I imagine if still interested in the "sector", ITV would have come up with a replacement show
Originally Posted by Brandon_Smith:
“No in my opinion wouldn't be able to handle the constant ad breaks and it just doesn't fit with Doctor Who ITV IMO can't picture it, The only thing ITV seems to like is Period Dramas and Reality Shows.”
“No in my opinion wouldn't be able to handle the constant ad breaks and it just doesn't fit with Doctor Who ITV IMO can't picture it, The only thing ITV seems to like is Period Dramas and Reality Shows.”
ITV also likes to keep programmes such as Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Midsomer Murders and Endeavour on their channel too.
As for the question in hand: no. The show wouldn't have been as successful. The viewers would get so frustrated with the adverts. DW is a programme that works much better without ads interrupting it.
Can you also imagine watching Doctor who on ITV player?
Bad enough watching live with adverts, you also have to watch adverts trying to catch up online
ITV player makes you watch adverts BEFORE the show AND during the show
Want to skip to the end? Please watch these adverts!
Bad enough watching live with adverts, you also have to watch adverts trying to catch up online
ITV player makes you watch adverts BEFORE the show AND during the show
Want to skip to the end? Please watch these adverts!
There were successful "kids" science fiction shows on ITV, but they were fairly short lived. I remember enjoying Timeslip and The Tomorrow People in the early 1970s. Timeslip is still fairly watchable but I'm afraid The Tomorrow People, the early stories at least, was quite poor and I found it to be almost unwatchable now. Both had great theme tunes though.
At around the same time were the two Gerry Anderson early live action science fiction shows, UFO and Space: 1999, both on ITV. UFO holds up pretty well, but the second season of Space: 1999 was especially dire.
If Doctor Who had been on ITV the writing would have been different in at least one respect due to the commercial breaks. There would have been mini-cliffhangers just before each advert break.
At around the same time were the two Gerry Anderson early live action science fiction shows, UFO and Space: 1999, both on ITV. UFO holds up pretty well, but the second season of Space: 1999 was especially dire.
If Doctor Who had been on ITV the writing would have been different in at least one respect due to the commercial breaks. There would have been mini-cliffhangers just before each advert break.
Originally Posted by GDK:
“There were successful "kids" science fiction shows on ITV, but they were fairly short lived. I remember enjoying Timeslip and The Tomorrow People in the early 1970s. Timeslip is still fairly watchable but I'm afraid The Tomorrow People, the early stories at least, was quite poor and I found it to be almost unwatchable now. Both had great theme tunes though.”
“There were successful "kids" science fiction shows on ITV, but they were fairly short lived. I remember enjoying Timeslip and The Tomorrow People in the early 1970s. Timeslip is still fairly watchable but I'm afraid The Tomorrow People, the early stories at least, was quite poor and I found it to be almost unwatchable now. Both had great theme tunes though.
”
The theme tune for The Tomorrow People is by the great Dudley Simpson: a different version of it can be heard on the soundtrack for Frontier in Space. Early (indeed, all) episodes of TMP are vastly enhanced by watching with the (often scabrous) DVD commentaries enabled.
Besides the science fiction shows you mention, ITV (HTV in particular) also produced a number of fantasy/SF programmes such as Sky, Raven, and Children of the Stones which cover some portion of Doctor Who territory - a series of Doctor Who produced by Patrick Dromgoole would have been worth watching. If you add into the mix the sort of adventure story represented by Southern's Freewheelers, the ingredients are all there for ITV's having the capacity to produce an accomplished and successful version of Doctor Who throughout the seventies, although the talent is spread over several independent companies.
But it is doubtful that Doctor Who would have lasted to the seventies if it had been made by ITV. Being made by ITV means no access to BBC designers, and the single greatest reason for Doctor Who's success is Raymond Cusick's original design for the Daleks. Without that design, there would have been no Dalekmania to propel the show into the forefront of the public consciousness, and it would have lasted three or four series at best before sinking into oblivion.
Originally Posted by Vopiscus:
“The theme tune for The Tomorrow People is by the great Dudley Simpson: a different version of it can be heard on the soundtrack for Frontier in Space. Early (indeed, all) episodes of TMP are vastly enhanced by watching with the (often scabrous) DVD commentaries enabled.
Besides the science fiction shows you mention, ITV (HTV in particular) also produced a number of fantasy/SF programmes such as Sky, Raven, and Children of the Stones which cover some portion of Doctor Who territory - a series of Doctor Who produced by Patrick Dromgoole would have been worth watching. If you add into the mix the sort of adventure story represented by Southern's Freewheelers, the ingredients are all there for ITV's having the capacity to produce an accomplished and successful version of Doctor Who throughout the seventies, although the talent is spread over several independent companies.
But it is doubtful that Doctor Who would have lasted to the seventies if it had been made by ITV. Being made by ITV means no access to BBC designers, and the single greatest reason for Doctor Who's success is Raymond Cusick's original design for the Daleks. Without that design, there would have been no Dalekmania to propel the show into the forefront of the public consciousness, and it would have lasted three or four series at best before sinking into oblivion.”
“The theme tune for The Tomorrow People is by the great Dudley Simpson: a different version of it can be heard on the soundtrack for Frontier in Space. Early (indeed, all) episodes of TMP are vastly enhanced by watching with the (often scabrous) DVD commentaries enabled.
Besides the science fiction shows you mention, ITV (HTV in particular) also produced a number of fantasy/SF programmes such as Sky, Raven, and Children of the Stones which cover some portion of Doctor Who territory - a series of Doctor Who produced by Patrick Dromgoole would have been worth watching. If you add into the mix the sort of adventure story represented by Southern's Freewheelers, the ingredients are all there for ITV's having the capacity to produce an accomplished and successful version of Doctor Who throughout the seventies, although the talent is spread over several independent companies.
But it is doubtful that Doctor Who would have lasted to the seventies if it had been made by ITV. Being made by ITV means no access to BBC designers, and the single greatest reason for Doctor Who's success is Raymond Cusick's original design for the Daleks. Without that design, there would have been no Dalekmania to propel the show into the forefront of the public consciousness, and it would have lasted three or four series at best before sinking into oblivion.”
I like to collect original versions of music from TV and films.
Timeslip's theme music is an excerpt from Rite de la Terre (Rite of the Earth) by Edward Michael. It's a De Wolfe Production Music item and it's on CD on an album called "Top Dog: A Retrospective of Classic TV and Radio Themes 1960-1982"
The Tomorrow People's theme is on CD on an album called "The Man from UNCLE - Cult TV Classics".
I've got both Timeslip and The Tomorrow People on DVD and both the CD tracks I mention seem to be the original versions.
There are a couple of themes I'd love to "track" down on CD. In both cases I don't think they've ever had a release on CD. One is the theme music to the 70s TV spy thriller series starring Michael Jayston, Quiller. It's by Richard Denton and Martin Cook (well known for other TV series themes). The other is the theme to the 70s BBC TV series Survivors.
Originally Posted by GDK:
“I like to collect original versions of music from TV and films.
Timeslip's theme music is an excerpt from Rite de la Terre (Rite of the Earth) by Edward Michael. It's a De Wolfe Production Music item and it's on CD on an album called "Top Dog: A Retrospective of Classic TV and Radio Themes 1960-1982"
The Tomorrow People's theme is on CD on an album called "The Man from UNCLE - Cult TV Classics".
I've got both Timeslip and The Tomorrow People on DVD and both the CD tracks I mention seem to be the original versions.
There are a couple of themes I'd love to "track" down on CD. In both cases I don't think they've ever had a release on CD. One is the theme music to the 70s TV spy thriller series starring Michael Jayston, Quiller. It's by Richard Denton and Martin Cook (well known for other TV series themes). The other is the theme to the 70s BBC TV series Survivors.”
“I like to collect original versions of music from TV and films.
Timeslip's theme music is an excerpt from Rite de la Terre (Rite of the Earth) by Edward Michael. It's a De Wolfe Production Music item and it's on CD on an album called "Top Dog: A Retrospective of Classic TV and Radio Themes 1960-1982"
The Tomorrow People's theme is on CD on an album called "The Man from UNCLE - Cult TV Classics".
I've got both Timeslip and The Tomorrow People on DVD and both the CD tracks I mention seem to be the original versions.
There are a couple of themes I'd love to "track" down on CD. In both cases I don't think they've ever had a release on CD. One is the theme music to the 70s TV spy thriller series starring Michael Jayston, Quiller. It's by Richard Denton and Martin Cook (well known for other TV series themes). The other is the theme to the 70s BBC TV series Survivors.”
I too collect original TV themes on vinyl and CD.
I have the original Quiller theme on the BBC Detective Themes album, I managed to rip it via my turnatable and although my vinyl album is practically in mint condition, I still digitalised it and remastered the track using an Adobe audio program. It's a great theme by Denton & Cook (who also did my favourite version of the Tomorrow's World theme back in the early 1980s, the 'Oxygene' type one).
I also have the original Survivors theme on CD too, although for the moment I can't remember which CD it is on?! I'll have a rummage sometime and check which..
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