The Chase (Doctor Who)

] [cite web
url= http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/r.html
title= The Chase
publisher = A Brief History of Time Travel
last = Sullivan
first = Shannon
date = 2006-04-18
accessdate = 2008-08-30]
*Terry Nation's original title for this story was "The Pursuers". There were several changes made from his original proposal in the finished serial. In the original storyline, the TARDIS crew would witness on the visualizer Shakespeare discussing with his wife the possibility of allowing Francis Bacon to use his name on Bacon's plays, as well as a speech by Winston Churchill; Ian and Vicki would see through the sands the vast underground Aridian city; and Ian and Barbara would not return home to Earth at the end of the serial. [ cite journal | last = Peel | first = John | authorlink = John Peel (writer) | date = January 1989 | title = Production Notes: The Chase | journal = Doctor Who Magazine | issue = 144 | pages = p. 10–12]
*Some of the Daleks appearing in this serial were created by Shawcraft Models for the "Dr. Who and the Daleks" film in 1965. Although the plan had been to refurbish them to resemble the television Daleks, this proved to be impractical, and the borrowed Daleks were used only in the background of shots. [Howe, Walker, p. 86] As "The Chase" was broadcast before the movie was released, this marks the first appearance of the movie Daleks.
*The shots of Ian and Barbara on Earth in the final episode were made during shooting for the next story, "The Time Meddler", and were directed by that serial's director, Douglas Camfield. [Howe, Walker, p. 85]
*The clip of The Beatles singing "Ticket to Ride" is taken from an episode of Top of the Pops from 15 April 1965. In an unusual twist, the original version of the performance has now been junked, and the only surviving footage is the 25 seconds on the episode of Doctor Who.

Casting

*Morton Dill, the young man from Alabama whom the travellers meet at the top of the Empire State Building, [cite serial | title = The Chase | episode = Flight Through Eternity | series = Doctor Who | credits = Writer Terry Nation, Directors Richard Martin, Douglas Camfield, Producers Verity Lambert | network = BBC | station = BBC1 | city = London | airdate = 1965-06-05] was played by Peter Purves, who would appear in the last episode as Steven Taylor. [cite serial | title = The Chase | episode = The Planet of Decision | series = Doctor Who | credits = Writer Terry Nation, Directors Richard Martin, Douglas Camfield, Producers Verity Lambert | network = BBC | station = BBC1 | city = London | airdate = 1965-06-26]
*Earlier drafts of the story used the names "Bruck" and "Michael" for the character of the captured astronaut, before settling on "Steven". [Howe, Walker, p. 86]
*The story also features The Beatles in a film clip. It was originally planned for the band to appear as themselves, but under heavy "aging" make-up, to represent themselves in the future; but their manager, Brian Epstein, objected to them appearing on the programme. Thus, footage from the BBC pop music music chart programme "Top of the Pops" of the group performing "Ticket to Ride" was used instead. [Howe, Walker, p. 86]

Reception

According to the BBC's Audience Research Report, contemporary reception of this serial was mostly positive. Though a significant minority found the "haunted house" action of the episode "Journey into Terror" ludicrous, most reported finding the episode very entertaining. The battle between the Daleks and Mechonoids in the final episode of the serial, "The Planet of Decision", was particularly well-received, with viewers describing it as "dramatic" and "full of adventure". [Howe, Walker, p. 87-88]

Doctorwhobook
title=The Chase
series=Target novelisations
number=140
featuring=


writer=John Peel
publisher=Target Books
coverartist=Alister Pearson
isbn=0 426 20336 4
set_between=
pages=
date=20 July 1989
preceding=Mindwarp
following=Mission to the Unknown
The Ultimate Evil|

Commercial releases

*In 1966, audio of the final episode was edited together with new narration (provided by David Graham) and released on a 33 r.p.m. vinyl album by Century 21 Records in the UK and by Astor Records in Australia.
*This story was released alongside "Remembrance of the Daleks" in a special Dalek tin set on VHS in 1993 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of "Doctor Who".
*A DVD release is expected in 2009.

In print

A novelisation of this serial, written by John Peel, was published by Target Books in July 1989. It was the first of several Dalek story novelisations Peel would write after Target came to an agreement with Terry Nation's estate.

Because many of the changes made to Nation's original proposal were for timing and budgetary reasons, rather than artistic ones, Peel restored most of Nation's original ideas in his novelization. The one exception was omitting the fifty-year reunion of the Beatles, since by the time Peel came to write the novel, Beatle John Lennon had been killed. [cite journal | last = Peel | first = John | authorlink = John Peel (writer) | date = January 1989 | title = Production Notes: The Chase | journal = Doctor Who Magazine | issue = 144 | pages = p. 11]

Footnotes

References

*cite serial | title = The Chase | series = Doctor Who | credits = Writer Terry Nation, Directors Richard Martin, Douglas Camfield, Producers Verity Lambert | network = BBC | station = BBC1 | city = London | began = 1965-05-22 | ended = 1965-06-26
* cite book
author = Howe, David J & Walker, Stephen James
year = 2003
title = The Television Companion: The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to DOCTOR WHO
edition = 2nd ed.
location = Surrey, UK
publisher = Telos Publishing Ltd.
id = ISBN 1-90388951-0

External links

*BBCCDW | id=chase | title=The Chase
*Brief |id=r | title=The Chase
*Doctor Who RG | id=who_r | title=The Chase
*OG | id=r | title=The Chase
* [http://www.doctorwholocations.net/stories/chase Doctor Who Locations] - The Chase

Reviews

*DWRG | id=chas | title=The Chase
*OG review | id=r | title=The Chase

Target novelisation

* [http://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/~ecl6nb/OnTarget/1989/chase/89chase.htm On Target — "The Chase"]