An Adventure In Space And Time Receives Standing Ovation

Doctor Who biopic An Adventure In Space And Time was shown at a BFI event on Tuesday night... and received a standing ovation from the crowd of journos in attendance.

Following on from this rapturous reception, the creator of the film, Mark Gatiss, spoke to the crowd.

"The strange thing is, because I'm a Jon Pertwee child, this was before my time," Gatiss said. "But I grew up with the story - almost like a bedtime story - of how the show came together. These very unlikely people coming together… nobody liking the Daleks… all these little stories that were like holy writ.

"I always thought it would just be a fantastic story to tell and it's just come together at the right time."

Gatiss went on to talk about the thrill he felt making the film - a real labour of love that he has been trying to produce for many years - not just as a producer, but also as a man who was once a child who grew up loving The Doctor.

"Stepping onto designer Dave Arrowsmith's amazing reproduction of the TARDIS for the first time, I actually had to stuff my scarf into my mouth - I was that excited!"

That he was a self-confessed fan did cause Gatiss some problems, though - with such a love for every aspect of the show's past, it was hard to pick and choose which parts of the show's history to include.

"That was genuinely the biggest challenge - taking off my anorak, which is almost impossible, and narrowing it down" he admits.

"There was a draft where Sydney Newman [Brian Cox] was walking down the corridors of Television Centre and there were about 100 people behind him with names bobbing above them - it was like Sherlock - and there was 'Bunny' Webber and Donald Wilson and David Whitaker…

"It just didn't work and eventually you've got to go for it and say, 'You can't have everyone…' - but that's why we've got a website going live with the show which has a massive timeline, really to say thank you to all those amazing people."

"At its heart," Gatiss concludes, "An Adventure in Space and Time is a story about change and how we're all replaceable.

"We think of it going on with Patrick Troughton, the whole thing carrying on… but that for [Bill Hartnell - David Bradley in the film] was the moment where it all stopped. Doctor Who came about because of change at the BBC… but then actually it was change that did for Bill… that to me was fascinating."

Despite the nature of Hartnell's exit from the show, forced against his will by deteriorating health, and despite the less savoury aspects of Hartnell's character - brought back to the public attention by the revelations in the recent Tenth Planet DVD - Gatiss insists that viewers will also find the acclaimed character actor's life story "very uplifting".

"I wanted it to be a celebration - not any kind of hatchet job. It's born of love and I think it shows in every frame."

An Adventure In Space And Time airs on BBC2 on the 21st of November at 9pm. It will be followed by a screening of An Unearthly Child on BBC4.