Children in Need - A Whovian History
Britain’s annual charity apeal, BBC Children in Need, kicks off tonight in the U.K. at 7 p.m. Since 1980 the appeal has raised money for childrens charities in the U.K. and in 1983 Doctor Who joined the programming line-up with the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors
Ten years later the Doctor(s) were back in the inexplicable Doctor Who/EastEnders crossover Dimensions in Time.
(I can’t stop laughing at this one, the floating heads get me every time. God bless the wilderness years.)
In 2005 Doctor Who was the BBC “it” show and, when requested, Russell T. Davies delivered the critical “in between” scene that bridged Parting of the Ways and The Christmas Invasion. Since we’ve all watched this 3,298 times I’m foregoing the YouTube clip.)
2006 was another departure. Rather than contributing to the programming line-up, a benefit concert was held in Wales featuring music from the show, Cyberman, Daleks and an amazing performance by Melanie Pappenheim. David Tennant, dressed in the shiniest suit ever, hosted the concert which was aired live via BBC Radio Wales and later broadcast on Christmas as an accompaniment to The Runaway Bride.
Another bridge “mini-episode”, Time Crash, was featured in 2007. Taking a nostalgic look at the past, writer Steven Moffat brought together the Peter Davison and David Tennant in a delightful Fifth and Tenth Doctor reunion. It also attempted to explain the whole Titanic in the TARDIS gag delivered at the end of The Last of the Time Lords.
Sadly, that was the last time we saw a specially commissioned Doctor Who piece on the Children in Need broadcast. Despite tantalizing rumors of multi-Doctor reunions and other potential delights, time gave us an extended preview for the The Next Doctor and in 2009, a preview The End of Time. This year will be more of the same with a special preview clip for this year’s Christmas special A Christmas Carol and possibly a few pre-filmed bits with Matt and Karen. Still, given the tight lips surrounding this year’s special and the lack of set photos flying through the internet, even this will be a welcome holiday treat.
So, Whovians - what are your memories of the BBC Children in Need specials?
Posted by Deborah on Friday, November 19 at 12:00 pm
4 Comments...
It sounds like there might be a bit more than a preview this year - something about Matt and Karen doing some hosting from the TARDIS (presumably prerecorded as they’re in Utah this week). That said, it’s not likely to be a mini-episode like Time Crash. Hopefully we’ll get to see another one of these gems before long, though to be fair to Moffat, 2010 has seen a higher-than-usual number of “special projects” ranging from the Meanwhile in the TARDIS scenes for the box set, to the videogames and Amy’s History Hunt, to the specially filmed material Matt filmed for the Proms and Doctor Who Live (both of which, I hope, will adorn a future box set).
Posted by Alex on 11/19 at 05:53 AM
Alex - you’re absolutely right. I started drafting this last evening for publication this today and woke up to a re-boooted computer *shakes fist at Microsoft* and a posted entry - now edited!
The special projects this year are lovely, but not as easily accessible. Well, at least the games. Plus, the CiN outlet gives leeway to try something a little different that might not fit in with the regular program. (Why yes, I’d love to see something similar to Time Crash again.) But I’m not going to be greedy and take what I can get. And I’m with you hoping for the extras to show up on DVD!
Posted by Deborah on 11/19 at 01:31 PM
Forgive the linking to another blog, but the trailer for the Christmas Carol special is now online at the BBC’s YouTube channel:
http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-carol-first-trailer.html
Looks great, and there’s a weird moment where a) it looks like Amy’s wearing a certain costume again that many of us remember fondly and b) she’s on a set that honest-to-pete looks at first glance like the bridge of the USS Enterprise! This is going to be one weird Christmas special!
Posted by Alex on 11/19 at 10:45 PM
Another update: the “other” part of the CiN broadcast wasn’t a story or anything - Matt and Karen, in costume, hosted a tea party for a couple of kids in the TARDIS set, which was rather cool. Clip here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJCiXMDXbtc
Posted by Alex on 11/19 at 10:48 PM
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