List of Doctor Who documentaries

There have been many documentaries about Doctor Who over the years. A considerable number have been featured as part of the BBC DVD range. The 2005 revival of the series has been accompanied by a documentary series entitled Doctor Who Confidential.

Series overviews

 * Whose Doctor Who - A BBC Two documentary, part of the Lively Arts, from 1977, presented by Melvyn Bragg.
 * Resistance is Useless - A 1992 documentary using only clips.
 * Thirty Years in the TARDIS - A 1993 documentary to celebrate the show's 30th anniversary.
 * More than Thirty Years in the TARDIS - A 1994 expanded 90 minute BBC Video release of Thirty Years in the TARDIS.


 * VISIONS: For Fans, By Fans - Doctor Who's 31st Anniversary Celebration - A 1994 PBS documentary.
 * Adventures in Time and Space - A 1999 documentary as part of the BBC Two Doctor Who Night.
 * The Story of Doctor Who - A 2003 documentary to celebrate the show's 40th anniversary.
 * The Ultimate Guide - A 2010 special broadcast just before the start of Series 5. This special covers the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors.

Era overviews

 * Doctor Who: Origins - A fascinating 55-minute documentary, detailing the creation of Doctor Who. Looking at the factors that led to the birth of the programme, it includes a rare interview with the programme's creator, the late Sydney Newman, and new interviews with producer Verity Lambert, directors Waris Hussein and Richard Martin, actors William Russell and Carole Ann Ford, title sequence designer Bernard Lodge, and TARDIS sound effect creator Brian Hodgson. (2006)
 * The End of the Line - Once the nation's favourite, by its third year Doctor Who was in trouble. With changes afoot in the production office and increasing problems with its lead actor, the programme was heading for the Last Chance Saloon. This new documentary includes contributions from actors Maureen O'Brien (Vicki), Anneke Wills (Polly) and Peter Purves (Steven), script editor Donald Tosh, new series writer Gareth Roberts, and long-term viewer Ian Levine. (2011)


 * Second Time Around - Retrospective documentary on Patrick Troughton's tenure as the Second Doctor
 * Serial Thrillers - A look back as the Philip Hinchcliffe era and what made it one of the most successful and popular periods in Doctor Who's history
 * A Matter of Time - A documentary exploring Graham Williams' three year tenure as Doctor Who's producer and the Key to Time season as a whole
 * A New Beginning - A look at the radical changes made to Doctor Who by incoming producer John Nathan-Turner
 * Doctor Who: Endgame - Documentary delving into why Doctor Who was cancelled at the end of Season 26 and what might have been in store for the Doctor and Ace if the series had continued into Season 27

Makings of

 * Creation of the Daleks - A documentary which looks at the origins and creation of Doctor Who's most feared villains, the Daleks. From Terry Nation’s script, through to the visual design of the creatures and their unique rasping voices, the concepts behind the Daleks are explored. With contributions from producer Verity Lambert, director Richard Martin, designer Raymond Cusick, sound designer Brian Hodgson, original Dalek voice David Graham, and original Dalek operator Michael Summerton. (2006)
 * Over the Edge - A look at the production of The Edge of Destruction, featuring interviews with producer Verity Lambert, directors Frank Cox and Richard Martin, designer Raymond Cusick, and actors William Russell and Carole Ann Ford. (2006)
 * Don't Lose Your Head - A revealing documentary examines the troublesome making of The Reign of Terror with actors William Russell, Carole Ann Ford and production assisstant Tim Combe. (2013)
 * Future Memories - A new 45-minute documentary, featuring members of the cast of The Dalek Invasion of Earth discussing their memories of the making of the story. Featuring contributions from Ann Davies (Jenny), Nick Evans (Dalek/Slyther), Peter Fraser (David Campbell), David Graham (Dalek Voice), Bernard Kay (Tyler), Nicholas Smith (Wells), Peter Hawkins (Dalek voice) and Robert Jewell (Dalek). (2003)
 * Mounting the Rescue - The cast and crew of The Rescue look back on the making of the story. With actors William Russell (Ian), Maureen O'Brien (Vicki) and Ray Barrett (Bennett), director Christopher Barry, designer Raymond Cusick and 1960's viewer Ian McLachlan. (2009)
 * What has "The Romans" ever done for us? - Actors, crew and historians look at both the reality and fantasy behind the story of The Romans. With actors William Russell, Kay Patrick, Barry Jackson, Anthony Andrews and Christopher Biggins, director Christopher Barry, designer Raymond Cusick, historian Dr. Mark Bradley, writer James Moran, Doctor Who Magazine editor Tom Spilsbury and 1960s viewer Ian McLachlan. Narrated by John Bowe. (2009)
 * Tales of Isop - Many of the original cast and crew recall the making of this story (The Web Planet. Featuring contributions from William russell (Ian), Maureen O'Brien (Vicki), Martin Jarvis (Hilio), Verity Lambert (Producer), Richard Martin (Director), John Wood (Designer) and Sonia Markham (Make-Up). (2005)
 * The Thrill of The Chase - Director Richard Martin looks back at the making of the story. (2010)
 * Frozen Out - Cast and crew look back on the making of the story. With actors Anneke Wills, Earl Cameron and Reg Whitehead, designer Peter Kindred and vision mixer Shirley Coward. (2013)


 * A Darker Side - Looks at the making of Planet of Evil with contributions from many of the cast and crew
 * Adventures in Time and Spain - Production manager Gary Downie offers his insight into the making of The Two Doctors
 * A New Body at Last - Looks at the transition from Tom Baker to Peter Davison, featuring many of the actors and production team involved
 * Anti-Matter from Amsterdam - Presented by Sophie Aldred, this documentary examines the making of Arc of Infinity
 * Are Friends Electric? - A documentary examining Tom Baker's introduction as the Doctor and the making of his first story
 * Back to School - Cast and crew talk about the making of Remembrance of the Daleks
 * Beginning the End - The cast and crew of The Time Warrior look back on the making of this story
 * Being Nice to Each Other - Looks at the making of The Keeper of Traken
 * Can You Hear the Earth Scream? - Looks back as the making of Inferno
 * Cat Flap - Documentary covering the making of Survival
 * Celebration - A look back at Doctor Who's 20th anniversary celebrations in 1983
 * Changing Time - Looks at the making of The Hand of Fear and the special relationship between the Fourth Doctor and Sarah
 * Defining Shadows - The cast and crew look back as the making of The Armageddon Factor
 * Evolution of The Invasion - Cast and crew recall the making of The Invasion
 * From Avalon to Argolis - David Fisher and Christopher H. Bidmead recall the writing of The Leisure Hive
 * Genesis of a Classic - Looks at the making of Genesis of the Daleks with contributions from many of the cast and crew
 * Getting Blood from the Stones - Cast and crew look back as the making of The Stones of Blood
 * Going Underground - The Producer, Director, and Designer of Doctor Who and the Silurians discuss the problems of creating caves in a TV studio
 * Hello Sailor! - The trials and tribulations of filming The Sea Devils are discussed by the cast and crew
 * Leisure Wear - June Hudson talks about the costumes for The Leisure Hive
 * Light in Dark Places - A look back at the making of Ghost Light
 * Lords and Luddites - Actors and crew recall the making of The Mark of the Rani
 * On Location - Eric Saward, Matthew Robinson, and John Nathan-Turner interviewed about Resurrection of the Daleks
 * Osirian Gothic - A nostalgic look back at the making of Pyramids of Mars
 * Paris in the Springtime - A look at the making of City of Death, and in particular, the contribution of writer and Script Editor Douglas Adams
 * Parrot Fashion - A documentary looking back at The Pirate Planet and Douglas Adams
 * Philip Segal - Talks about the making of the telemovie
 * Planetary Performance - A look at the production of Planet of Evil from an actor's perspective
 * Putting the Shock into Earthshock - Charts the development and creation of Earthshock, and the unique effect it had on viewers
 * Remembrances - Cast and crew talk about the influences and references to other adventures in Remembrance of the Daleks
 * Revelation Exhumed - The cast and crew of Revelation of the Daleks look back on the making of the story
 * Robert Sloman - An interview with the writer about the writing of The Green Death
 * Scoring The Visitation - Composer Paddy Kingsland discusses his score.
 * Shattering the Chains - Ian Briggs talks about writing The Curse of Fenric
 * Stewart Bevan - An interview with the actor about The Green Death
 * The Depths - The production team and cast recall their experiences of working on Warriors of the Deep
 * The Fact of Fiction: The Making of The Mind Robber - The cast and crew look back on a story which had more than its fair share of challenges
 * The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Looks at the making of Timelash
 * The Humans of Tara - The cast and crew look back as the making of The Androids of Tara
 * The Ribos File - Cast and crew look back as the making of The Ribos Operation
 * Visual Effects - Colin Mapson talks about the effect in The Green Death and how to build a giant maggot
 * What Lies Beneath - The cast and crew explore how the socio-political climate of the late 1960s shaped Doctor Who and the Silurians
 * Writing a Final Visitation - Writer Eric Saward talks about the origins of his first script for Doctor Who
 * The Vampire Lovers - The cast and crew look back at the making of State of Decay.
 * The Cold War - The cast and crew look back at the making of Attack of the Cybermen.

Actors and acting

 * Companion Piece - A psychologist, writers and some of the Doctor's companions over the years examine what it means to be a Time Lord's fellow traveller. With actors William Russell, Elisabeth Sladen, Louise Jameson, Nicola Bryant and Arthur Darvill, writers Nev Fountain and Joseph Lidster, and psychologist Dr . (2013)
 * Last Stop White City - Schoolteachers Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton were the first people from Earth to travel with the Doctor. This documentary tells their story. With actor William Russell, director Richard Martin, studio vision mixer Clive Doig and writer Simon Guerrier. (2010)
 * My Grandfather, the Doctor - Jessica Carney talks about the career of her grandfather, William Hartnell. (2010)
 * Remembering The Aztecs - Actors John Ringham, Ian Cullen and Walter Randall recall the production of The Aztecs. (2002)
 * Suddenly Susan - Carole Ann Ford talks about her role as the Doctor's granddaughter and the first companion in the TARDIS in this interview originally recorded for 2003's The Story of Doctor Who. (2012)


 * Being Doctor Who - Peter Davison dicusses how he approached this iconic role
 * Highlander - The Jamie McCrimmon Story - Frazer Hines takes an informal look back at his time in Doctor Who
 * Mouth on Legs - Actress Janet Fielding talks about playing Tegan Jovanka
 * Philip Madoc - A Villain for all Seasons - A retrospective of actor Philip Madoc's numerous roles as a Doctor Who villain down the years
 * There's Something About Mary... - Actress Mary Tamm looks back at her time as Romana

Doctor Who Stories

 * Doctor Who Stories - Anneke Wills - Anneke Wills looks back on her role as Polly in the series, in an interview recorded for the BBC's Story of Doctor Who in 2003. (2013)


 * Doctor Who Stories - Frazer Hines - From an interview recorded in 2003 for the BBC's Story of Doctor Who

Girls! Girls! Girls!

 * Boys! Boys! Boys! - Peter Purves, Frazer Hines and Mark Strickson reminisce about their time as companions to the First, Second and fifth Doctors respectively. (2013)
 * Girls! Girls! Girls! - The 1960s - An affectionate look back at the sixties Who-Girls. With actors Carole Ann Ford (Susan), William Russell (Ian), Peter Purves (Steven), Anneke Wills (Polly), Deborah Watling (Victoria), Frazer Hines (Jamie), Jean Marsh (Sara) and Honor Blackman (Professor Lasky), script editor Donald Tosh and director Christopher Barry. Narrated by Dona Croll. (2009)

Concepts

 * Inside the Spaceship - Members of the original cast and crew talk about the Doctor's unique time and space ship, the TARDIS.


 * The UNIT Family (Part One) - Looks at the role of UNIT in the world of Doctor Who through to the end of Jon Pertwee's first year as the Doctor
 * The Ties that Bind Us - Examines the links to the show's past and future in The Five Doctors
 * Double Trouble - A brief history of doubles in other Doctor Who stories
 * The Crowded TARDIS - A look at the increase in the TARDIS crew at the end of Season 18

Design and production

 * Cusick in Cardiff - Raymond Cusick, the designer of the Daleks, visits the new series production studios in Cardiff to be shown around the TARDIS set and meet the latest version of a Dalek. With Raymond Cusick, production designer Edward Thomas and designer Peter McKinstry. (2010)
 * Designing The Aztecs - Designer Barry Newbery talks about his work on the story, illustrated with many never-before-seen production drawings and photographs from his personal collection. (2002)
 * Future Visions - A newly-recorded documentary, looking at the work of this story's (The Dalek Invasion of Earth) designer Spencer Chapman. (2003)
 * Riverside Story - Matthew Sweet takes actor Peter Purves back to the studio that hosted numerous Doctor Who productions in the 1960s. This documentary also features the director of The Ark, Michael Imison. (2011)
 * Secret Voices of the Sense-Sphere - Clive Doig reveals the truth behind the mysterious background voices in The Sensorites. (2012)
 * The Sets of Marinus - Designer Raymond Cusick recalls his work on The Keys of Marinus, and discusses the challenges that this story held, with its weekly changes of location and inventive set-pieces. (2009)
 * Shawcraft - The Original Monster Makers - This documentary looks at the work of -based Shawcraft Models, who provided many go the props and models for Doctor Who during the 1960s. (2010)
 * Vision On - The tricks of putting together a television drama show 'as live' are discussed with vision mixer Clive Doig. (2012)


 * Synthesizing Starfields - Peter Howell and Sid Sutton recall the creation of the new titles sequence and theme arrangement
 * The Tunnel Effect - Grpahic designer Bernard Lodge explains how he created the complex opening titles for Tom Baker's stories

Now and Then

 * Now and Then - The Locations of The Dalek Invasion of Earth - A look back at the locations used in 1964 for the recording of this story, comparing and contrasting them to how they now appear, nearly 40 years later. (2003)
 * The War Machines - Now & Then - A look at the locations used in the making of the story, comparing how they were in 1966 with how they are today. (2008)

Directors

 * Roma Parva - Director Christopher Barry demonstrates the use of a model of the studio set in the planning of camera positions and moves during recording. (2009)


 * Directing Who - A series of short documentaries involving directors from the series
 * Fiona Cumming
 * Michael Ferguson
 * Ken Grieve
 * Michael Hayes
 * Peter Moffatt
 * Paddy Russell: A Life in Television - In this special interview, Paddy looks back over her forty year career in television as an actress, stage manager, and director

Influences, history and science

 * All's Wells That Ends Wells - The First Doctor was the kind of scientist and adventurer popularised by the novels of H.G. Wells. But how much does Doctor Who owe to the 'Father of Science Fiction'? This documentary features writers and historians Matthew Sweet and, author and critic Kim Newman, literary editor , and of the . (2011)
 * One Foot in the Past - Politician and ex- Tony Benn investigates the history of the Post Office Tower and is allowed up to the now-defunct revolving restaurant and onto the roof, in this extract from the.


 * Hammer Horror - A featurette considering the influences of horror films on Doctor Who stories over the years

Monster and villains

 * Beyond the Screen - A look at the merchandising opportunities presented by the popularity of the Daleks. (2010)
 * Daleks Conquer and Destroy - Since they first appeared snout television screens in 1963, the Daleks have been a source of enduring fascination for followers of Doctor Who. But just what was their appeal? With producer Verity Lambert, Dalek designer Raymond cassock, director Richard Martin, actress Carole Ann ford, writer Robert Shearman, designer Matthew Savage, model unit supervisor Mike Tucker and voice of the new series Daleks, Nicholas Briggs. (2010)
 * One Hit Wonder - What separates one-off monsters such as the Monoids from eternal favourites like the Daleks? This short documentary tries to answer this question, with help from Dominic Sandbrook, Matthew Sweet, Kim Newman, and author Jacqueline Rayner. (2011)


 * Built for War - The genesis and development of the Sontaran race through the history of the series
 * Davros Connections - An in-depth look at the history of the Daleks creator, Davros
 * Rogue Time Lords - A potted history of errant Gallifreyans
 * Sssowing the Ssseedsss - Interviews with Alan Bennion, Sonny Caldinez, Bernard Bresslaw, and Sylvia James about the Ice Warriors
 * The Dalek Tapes - Tells the story of Doctor Who's most iconic villains, as well as providing a history of the 'classic series' Dalek stories
 * The Omega Factor - Writers and actors look at the character and motivation of the renegade Time Lord, Omega
 * The Return of the Master - Geoffrey Beevers, Christopher H. Bidmead, and John Black talk about the return of the Doctor's arch-enemy
 * They Came from Beneath the Sea - A featurette exploring the realisation of the Silurians, Sea Devils, and the Myrka in Warriors of the Deep
 * The Cyber Story - The changing design of the Cybermen.

Music and sound

 * Masters of Sound - A look inside the BBC Radiophonic Workshop through interviews with the musicians and technicians who brought composer Ron Grainer's Doctor Who theme to life using electronic music. Features interviews with Dick Mills, Brian Hodgson, Verity Lambert and the late Delia Derbyshire. (2006)
 * Talking Daleks - A look at the creation of the Daleks' unique voices, with contributions from David Graham, Brian Hodgson, Nicholas Smith and Peter Hawkins. (2003)


 * Musical Scales - A look back at an era of musical experimentation in Doctor Who
 * Playing with Time - An interview with composer Jonathan Gibbs

Preservation, restoration, and special editions

 * Rediscovering the Urge to Live - The team behind the reconstruction explain how it was put together. With actors Carole Ann Ford, William Russell, John Guilor and Toby Hadoke, reconstruction director Ian Levine and DVD feature producer Ed Stradling. (2012)
 * Restoration - A featurette showing 'before and after' examples of techniques used during the restoration of The Time Meddler for its DVD release. (2008)
 * Restoring The Aztecs - A short feature demonstrating the restoration and videoisation effects used. (2002)
 * WOTAN Assembly - A look at how theses four episodes were restored and remastered for this DVD. (2008)


 * Character Design - A featurette showcasing Steve Maher's character design drawings and animation tests for The Invasion DVD
 * Colour Silurian Overlay - A featurette explaining how Doctor Who and the Silurians was restored to full colour for DVD
 * Film Restoration - Before and after examples of techniques used during the restoration of the location film elements of Black Orchid
 * Flash Frames - A featurette about the creation of the animated Episodes 1 and 4 of The Invasion
 * Reverse Standards Conversion - The Axon Legacy - A featurette that looks as the restoration of The Claws of Axos
 * Love Off-Air - An affectionate tribute to the people dedicated enough to capture the soundtracks of Doctor Who in the sixties
 * The Missing Years - About the missing episodes of Doctor Who

Producers

 * The Lambert Tapes - The Doctor - Doctor Who's original producer looks back on her time on the series in the second part of this interview recorded for The Story of Doctor Who. (2012)

Writers

 * Dennis Spooner: Wanna Write a Television Series? - A look at writer Dennis Spooner's work on Doctor Who. With actors William Russell and Peter Purves, script editor Donald Tosh, writers Brian Clemens and Rob Shearman, and Spooner's friend Jane Clemens. Narrated by Anna Hope. (2009)
 * Looking for Peter - Who was Peter R. Newman, creator of the Sensorites? Toby Hadoke tries to find out with the help of Hammer Films archivist Marcus Hearn and researcher Richard Bignell.


 * Behind the Sofa: Robert Holmes and Doctor Who - Looking at this popular writer
 * Terrance Dicks: Fact & Fiction - With a career spanning six decades, the special documentary looks at Terrance Dicks' work for books and television
 * Terror Nation - A documentary about the writer Terry Nation, creator of the Dalek characters

Other

 * Defending the Museum - New series Doctor Who writer Robert Shearman provides a personal and robust defence of this often overlooked story. (2010)
 * The Golden Age - Historian Dominic Sandbrook examines the myth of a 'Golden Age' of Doctor Who. (2013)

Doctor Forever!

 * The Celestial Toyroom - The first of a five-part series looking at Doctor Who toys. With Verity Lambert, new series creator Russell T Davies, writers Mark Gatiss, Rob Shearman, Paul Cornell and Joseph Lidster, BBC Worldwide's Richard Hollis and Dave Turbitt, book range editor Steve Cole, AudioGO editor Michael Stevens, Character Options' Alasdair Dewar, Doctor Who Magazine's Jim Sangster and Doctor Who's Winston Churchill, Ian McNeice. (2013)

Stripped for Action

 * The First Doctor - A look at the First Doctor's comic strip adventures. Featuring interviews with artist Bill Melvin, comics historians Jeremy Bentham and John Ainsworth, and former Doctor Who Magazine editors Gary Russell and Alan Barnes. (2008)

Tomorrow's Times

 * The First Doctor - contemporary news coverage of the William Hartnell era is examined in this new documentary presented by Mary Tamm. (2011)


 * The Doctor's Strange Love - Fans' point of view with writers Joseph Lidster and Simon Guerrier

Documentaires autour de Doctor Who