BW Media Spotlight

Here’s what Google AI has to say when I typed in “the state of science fiction in the UK in the 1960s”:

In the 1960s, British science fiction experienced a significant shift towards the “New Wave,” characterized by experimentation and a focus on social and psychological themes. This era saw the rise of authors like Brian Aldiss and J.G. Ballard, who explored complex social and psychological issues through the lens of science fiction. The New Wave also influenced the emergence of science fiction on television, with shows like Doctor Who and Out of the Unknown gaining popularity.

It also pointed to a Wikipedia (question both sources) page on British television science fiction:

Two important events for the future of British television science fiction occurred in 1962. The first was that the BBC’s Head of Light Entertainment, Eric Maschwitz, commissioned Head of the Script Department, Donald Wilson, to prepare a report on the viability of producing a new science-fiction series for television. The second was that Sydney Newman was tempted away from ABC to accept the position of Head of Drama at the BBC, officially joining the corporation at the beginning of 1963.

The BBC developed an idea of Newman’s into Britain’s first durable science-fiction television series. Taking advantage of the research Wilson’s department had completed, Newman initiated the creation of a new series, and along with Wilson and BBC staff writer C. E. Webber oversaw its development; Newman named it “Doctor Who.” After much development work, the series was launched on 23 November 1963. It ran for 26 seasons in its original form, through which first emerged many of the writers who, until the 1980s, would create most of the genre’s successful British shows.^{[example needed]} One of the few science fiction series to have become part of the popular consciousness, its success led the BBC to produce others in the genre, notably the science fiction anthology series Out of the Unknown (1965–1971), which ran for four seasons.

What does that have to do with this?

While looking for the next story bible/writer’s guide to review I came across a series of Doctor Who related postings on this site simply called TV Writing that collects writer’s guides for study. That was after one of my other new go-to sites had one of these files, but going to a dead link. There doesn’t seem to be an actual writer’s guide for the original Doctor Who online on any of my choices. For all I know the BBC didn’t and still doesn’t use them. I’m not a historian. I’m a reviewer, semi-artist, and storyteller. Still, this site has some of those notes and early pitches for Sidney Newman’s long-running-with-a-long-break series and possibly the notes mentioned above. I didn’t know about any of this, but in this next series of articles, which I’m putting into my story bible category on a technicality, we’re all about to.

Welcome to a new article series.

Continue reading →