‘Fresh and compelling… As definitive an account of those early years as I have read’ Toby Hadoke
When Doctor Who began on Saturday November 23 1963, few could have
guessed that it marked the start of perhaps the most extraordinary story
in the history of BBC television drama. But there had already been
another story, equally extraordinary yet unseen, leading up to the
transmission of that opening episode – the creation of the series
itself.
Pull to Open explores the behind-the-scenes saga of Doctor Who in
1963, when a chain of events at the BBC brought together a disparate
group to launch what would become one of British TV’s best-loved and
most successful programs. It’s the story of why these events happened;
the BBC creative culture into which Doctor Who was born; how television
drama was made in the early 1960s; and an insight into the people who
started this epic journey.
Drawing from the BBC’s written archives and new interviews with some
of those who were there, including Doctor Who’s first director Waris
Hussein and original co-star Carole Ann Ford, Pull to Open is a detailed
and comprehensive account of the program’s path to the screen.
Immerse yourself in the world of BBC Television in 1963 and discover how
a series which was almost cancelled before a single episode was shown
survived to cement its place in the popular culture of a nation.
Foreword by Toby Hadoke
Paul Hayes was born and raised in West Sussex, and now lives in
Norwich. A writer and broadcaster, he has contributed feature articles
to the likes of Doctor Who Magazine, BBC Online, The Stage and the
Eastern Daily Press. For the BBC he has produced and presented a variety
of radio documentaries, on subjects including The Beatles, motor
racing, broadcasting history, politics, film, football and – of course! –
Doctor Who, a program which he has loved for as long as he can
remember.
Paperback: 424 pages in black and white
