.jpg "Doctor Who: 'The Ark' BBCDVD2957")
- Broadcast:
- 5th - 26th March 1966
- Doctor:
- William Hartnell
- Companions:
- Steven, Dodo
- Adversary:
- Monoids
- Written by:
- Paul Erickson, Lesley Scott1
- Director:
- Michael Imison
- Music:
- Stock, Tristram Cary2
- Script Editor:
- Gerry Davis
- Producer:
- John Wiles
- Average Viewers:
- 6.48m (5.5, 6.9, 6.2, 7.3)
The Ark is something of a transitional story. It is the first fully script edited by Gerry Davis, the last produced by John Wiles, the first full adventure for new companion Dodo (who's accent goes through a change of its own!) and the first turn around in viewing figures since The Daleks' Master Plan was approaching its climax (though just like with that occasion it wouldn't last). Greater changes were also around the corner as the incoming producer would make sweeping changes to the cast so really this was just the start of a transitional period.
In the news, the British Government had just announced plans to decimalise the pound (though not for 5 years) and the BBC announced plans to start broadcasting in colour (BBC 2 would be the first in July 67). John Lennon made his infamous "more popular than Jesus" comment (though it would be five months before it caused controversy when it received its American publication), Austria won Eurovision (the UK entry came 9th), US manned craft Gemini 8 made the first space docking and Soviet probe Venera 3 reached Venus (but failed to land successfully). The Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen from an exhibition and found in a garden by a dog named Pickles a week later, the top half of Nelson's Pillar in Dublin was blown up by former IRA volunteers and the Irish Army engineers caused greater damage and disruption when they blew up the remaining stump to clear the unrepairable ruins. Two plane crashes in Japan took 188 lives in two days - the first crash when trying to land in Tokyo at night with poor visibility, the second hit turbulence over Mount Fuji shortly after taking off from Tokyo. Finally, there were protests in America (against the Vietnam War), Indonesia (against communism), and South Vietnam (against government policies)
Cinema releases during this story included The Reptile, Born Free, and Our Man Flint, and the music charts were still topped by Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" until The Walker Brothers began their own four week run with "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore". Oh, and influential and career launching satirical comedy show "The Frost Report" started.
In the news, the British Government had just announced plans to decimalise the pound (though not for 5 years) and the BBC announced plans to start broadcasting in colour (BBC 2 would be the first in July 67). John Lennon made his infamous "more popular than Jesus" comment (though it would be five months before it caused controversy when it received its American publication), Austria won Eurovision (the UK entry came 9th), US manned craft Gemini 8 made the first space docking and Soviet probe Venera 3 reached Venus (but failed to land successfully). The Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen from an exhibition and found in a garden by a dog named Pickles a week later, the top half of Nelson's Pillar in Dublin was blown up by former IRA volunteers and the Irish Army engineers caused greater damage and disruption when they blew up the remaining stump to clear the unrepairable ruins. Two plane crashes in Japan took 188 lives in two days - the first crash when trying to land in Tokyo at night with poor visibility, the second hit turbulence over Mount Fuji shortly after taking off from Tokyo. Finally, there were protests in America (against the Vietnam War), Indonesia (against communism), and South Vietnam (against government policies)
Cinema releases during this story included The Reptile, Born Free, and Our Man Flint, and the music charts were still topped by Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" until The Walker Brothers began their own four week run with "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore". Oh, and influential and career launching satirical comedy show "The Frost Report" started.
