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Post by nucleusofswarm on Jan 14, 2023 1:43:17 GMT
Classic Who is one of the few programmes where its producers are talked about and analyzed as much as its writers or directors. But who would you say was its pinnacle, the person whose eye for talent, drive and skill really brought out the best in a show famous for tight purse strings and tighter sets?
Lambert for getting it up and running at all; Letts for transforming it from passing 60s fad to BBC institution; Hinchcliffe for presiding over, arguably, the show's most sustained period of popularity and the era that probably still continues to define the popular image of the franchise today? Maybe even someone more left field - Who's yours?
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Post by martinw8686 on Jan 14, 2023 11:56:39 GMT
That's a tough one, Lambert and Letts are certainly worth a mention, for me it's got to be Hinchcliffe. Such a sustained run of brilliant gothic themed stories. So many 5 star stories
Arc in Space Genesis of the Daleks Terror of the Zygons Pyramids of Mars Brain of Morbious Seeds of Doom The Deadly Assassin Robots of Death Talons of Weng Chiang
Many of the sets and Monsters stand up to this day, Davros, Planet of Evil jungle, Morbious, Zygons and Sutek/mummies all look iconic.
The stories and characters are so iconic that the revived show continues to revisit them to this day, for example Sarah Jane, Davros, "do I have the right", the Fourth Doctor, Zygons, Sisterhood of Karn, pompous Timelords and of course jelly babies.
I rewatched Pyramids of Mars last night, perfection.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2023 13:11:54 GMT
No brainer... Philip Hinchcliffe. (For the reasons stated above.)
The Hinchcliffe years were probably the greatest era of Doctor Who, an era that stands the test of time.
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Post by Digi on Jan 15, 2023 18:00:47 GMT
Also Hinchcliffe for me. Strictly in terms of number of stories I enjoyed vs number of stories I was a little cool on/didn't like at all, the Hinchcliffe era simply gives me the most bang for my buck.
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Post by Sir Wearer of Hats on Jan 15, 2023 21:44:39 GMT
Hinchliffe for all the reasons stated above, but mostly because that’s the run I most enjoy revisiting. HOWEVER, without RTD there’s a good chance Who would not be even a Big Finish thing, let alone a global franchise.
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lidar2
Castellan
You know, now that you mention it, I actually do rather like Attack of the Cybermen ...
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Post by lidar2 on Jan 17, 2023 13:14:26 GMT
Put another tick against Hinchcliffe
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Post by grinch on Jan 17, 2023 13:24:30 GMT
Probably Hinchcliffe as well.
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Post by bonehead on Jan 17, 2023 13:54:55 GMT
Perhaps we should call this thread Classic Who's Greatest Producer apart from Philip Hinchcliffe!
Certainly, even now looking back, Hinchcliffe's time embodies my consistently favourite time for Who. As a kid, I remember, everyone used to talk about it. I'm sometimes not sure Barry Letts gets enough praise, because he comissioned many of the stories for Series 12. Equally, Verity Lambert got the thing off the ground in the first place! John Wiles kept it going but ruffled a few feathers, before Innes Lloyd calmed everyone down, and then sacked the leading man!
I think a list of favourite producers would be too complicated for my poor old brain, and of course, they all contributed hugely to the ongoing 'journey', and they all had their fair share of challenges.
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Post by mark687 on Jan 17, 2023 14:23:47 GMT
Perhaps we should call this thread Classic Who's Greatest Producer apart from Philip Hinchcliffe!
Certainly, even now looking back, Hinchcliffe's time embodies my consistently favourite time for Who. As a kid, I remember, everyone used to talk about it. I'm sometimes not sure Barry Letts gets enough praise, because he comissioned many of the stories for Series 12. Equally, Verity Lambert got the thing off the ground in the first place! John Wiles kept it going but ruffled a few feathers, before Innes Lloyd calmed everyone down, and then sacked the leading man!
I think a list of favourite producers would be too complicated for my poor old brain, and of course, they all contributed hugely to the ongoing 'journey', and they all had their fair share of challenges.
Agreed Regards mark687
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Post by martinw8686 on Jan 17, 2023 21:24:44 GMT
Taking Hinchcliffe out of the equation leaves a lot to consider, personally I'd probably say Barry Letts, the show evolved so much throughout the Pertwee era and developed many of the elements that are quintessential to Who lore;
Rebooted the show when it was at risk of cancellation
Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor
Increased writing from legend Robert Holmes
First appearance of the Master
Brigadier and Unit era after the pilot appearances in the Troughton era
Gallifrey named for first time
Creation of the Silurians, Sea Devils, Sontarans,
Katy Manning as Jo Grant and Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith
Cast Tom Baker and paving the way for Season 12 (Arc in Space and Genesis of the Daleks yay) before leaving and returned for the underated season 18
Some of my favourites Letts era stories;
Spearhead from Space Inferno Terror of the Autons The Dæmons The Sea Devils Day of the Daleks The Time Warrior Carnival of Monster The Three Doctors The Green Death
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Post by ollychops on Jan 17, 2023 22:20:21 GMT
Yeah, sorry, going for Hinchcliffe too. I just love the tone and atmosphere a lot of the stories in his era has and the era is just full of classics.
Barry Letts is a very close second though.
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Post by masterdoctor on Jan 17, 2023 22:31:10 GMT
I actually would put Barry Letts in 1st, Verity Lambert in 2nd and then Hinchcliffe. I think that without Letts and Pertwee's era being such a reinvention, the show wouldn't have continued past the 60's, and formed such a basis for every other era afterwards. Lambert is responsible for bringing everything together for the first time, and while I can't deny how brilliant Hinchcliffe's era is in terms of stories, I don't think he had as much of an impact as the other two.
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Post by number13 on Jan 19, 2024 17:22:47 GMT
I've just found this thread while idly browsing, so while it's a bit late, here's my vote:
Barry Letts
In terms of 'most best stories' it would be Phillip Hinchcliffe of course (and yes, that is me the Pertwee fan saying that) because S12-S14 are outstanding, a non-stop powerhouse of classics virtually one after another, glorious Gothic and I love it.
But Barry Letts did much more to shape TV 'Doctor Who' as we have known it for the last 50 years. Imagine 'Doctor Who' without the Hinchcliffe/Holmes era - we'd have lost many superb stories for sure, and Leela, but would TV Who as we know now it be very different? (Dav-ros, I hear you say IN-THAT-VOICE, but he's been rewritten anyway.)
Now imagine 'Doctor Who' without the Letts/Dicks era and the Doctor's exile to Earth. No Master, no UNIT, the Brig. only in two stories and then perhaps forgotten, no Jo, no Sarah Jane and her adventures, the Time Lords just a misty presence in the Doctor's distant past... unthinkable!
(And of course, he brought us five years with the best Doctor ever, but I'm not letting that sway me, honest. Really, I'm not!)
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Post by timleschild on Jan 19, 2024 18:07:42 GMT
Hinchcliffe
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shutupbanks
Castellan
There’s a horror movie called Alien? That’s really offensive. No wonder everyone keeps invading you.
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Post by shutupbanks on Jan 19, 2024 22:27:52 GMT
Yes: Letts.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2024 7:23:55 GMT
For my money, Hinchcliffe produced the best seasons of Doctor Who.
Letts definitely impacted the show more, but I don't know if that makes him a better producer. If the McGann reboot of the show had happened that would have enormously impacted the show, but it wouldn't have made Segal a better producer.
I'm going to have to put my money on Lambert. She made the programme happen, despite all the odds, and made it a success, when everyone was betting against it. I think if you look at her career since, you can see that she was clearly a superb calibre of media professional. Her stories were victims of their times, and the budgets and resources available, so they can't stand up against Hinchcliffe or Letts, but they shouldn't be overlooked because of that. Those gentlemen both achieved what they did with the show because they were standing on the shoulders of giants, and one giant in particular.
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Post by theillusiveman on Jan 20, 2024 7:58:58 GMT
An odd choice but Philip Segal The dude for several years worked so hard to try and get Doctor who off the ground and managed to get the tv movie made which gave us Paul McGann’s Doctor which impacted the novel, comic and audios The tv movie also influenced the revival and showed that there was still an audience hungry for Doctor who
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Post by Sir Wearer of Hats on Jan 20, 2024 10:22:10 GMT
An odd choice but Philip Segal The dude for several years worked so hard to try and get Doctor who off the ground and managed to get the tv movie made which gave us Paul McGann’s Doctor which impacted the novel, comic and audios The tv movie also influenced the revival and showed that there was still an audience hungry for Doctor who Despite the TV movies’ many MANY shortfallings, you’re right. Dude needs loads more props than he gets.
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Post by Timelord007 on Jan 20, 2024 13:09:23 GMT
Philip Hinchcliffe, 3 outstanding consist well written seasons featuring some of the shows best stories & Tom Baker at his absolute best.
Letts & Dicks era a close second.
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Post by bethhigdon on Jan 31, 2024 20:06:16 GMT
Personally I've never rated the Hinchcliffe era all that highly.
For me Lambert is the clear winner just for getting the show off the ground, producing my favorite era of the program, and for making history as one of the BBCs first female producers.
JNT would be my second place choice for just the sheer amount of bullshite he had to put up with to keep the series afloat. Not every decision he made was successful, but without him the classic series would have ended much, much earlier.
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