REVIEW: An Adventure in Space and Time

David Bradley as William Hartnell

It is a rare thing indeed to create a piece of drama that from start to finish never once drops the ball, but that is precisely what Mark Gatiss managed to pull off with An Adventure in Space and Time (AAISAT), which aired yesterday on the BBC.

It's fair to say that fans don't always make the best creative visionaries. If you've ever cast your eye over the frothing fanfics that exist out there on the interweb, you'll know what I mean. But then Gatiss is far from your average Whovian anorak. From his legendary characters in the League of Gentlemen to his stunning collaboration with Steve Moffat that gave birth to Sherlock, he has delivered in spades on pretty much every project he's turned his hand to. His scripts for Doctor Who (and his novels) have been amongst the very best the show has seen, so the expectations for AAISAT were already very high from the moment it was announced. And from the very first couple of scenes, I was won over.

It's hard to know where to start, but perhaps the first thing to note are the splendid casting choices. Jessica Raine positively shines as show producer Verity Lambert, equal parts gutsy and vulnerable. She is totally believable as a young woman trying to make her mark in a stuffy, tweed-dominated Beeb where old men call the shots and dear ladies make the tea. Brian Cox is a fantastic Sydney Newman, the showman head of drama at the Beeb who pop-pop-pops with ideas and gives Verity her chance. Cox is always good value, and he certainly doesn't disappoint on this outing. The scene in which he cajoles a despondent Hartnell by showering him with praise, only to fire Verity Lambert a warning shot as she thanks him for doing so, is lightning stuff. Sacha Dhawan plays a very likeable Waris Hussein and Lesley Manville puts in a warm, solid performance as Hartnell's devoted (if, at times, frustrated) wife.

The star of the show, however, is David Bradley. He captures William Hartnell so perfectly, it's easy to forget that he isn't the man himself. His transition from a surly, disillusioned actor annoyed at his 'variety' castings and lack of starring roles through to a devoted grandfather to both terrestrial and Gallifreyan granddaughters is spellbinding. I was genuinely worried at the beginning that I would come away from AAISAT not much liking Hartnell. His gruff manner with his own family and his diva-like behaviour when approached for the role made me fear that I would lose my Whovian idol forever. But such fears were to prove entirely groundless, for by the time Bradley was giving his own take on the "one day I shall come back" monologue, Hartnell's halo had been well and truly burnished. If Bradley isn't festooned with awards for such a towering performance, the world just isn't fit for purpose.

There are so many beautiful touches scattered throughout the drama. A number of them hark back to Gatiss' League days: a Mondasian Cyberman having a fag break, the slightly surreal appearance of a group of Menoptera nonchalantly wandering through a car park and the Cockney moans of a Dalek operator in need of a wee are all perfectly executed and very funny. Then there are the blink-and-you'll-miss-them cameos from the real actors who played the First Doctor's companions, as well as some substantial nods to the groundbreaking work of Ron Grainer and Delia Derbyshire of Radiophonic workshop fame. Sydney Newman's well known hatred for B.E.M.'s (bug-eyed monsters) was highlighted many times, and it was lovely to watch Verity Lambert defending the Daleks ("NOT Day-leks!") only to have her passion vindicated by a bunch of schoolboys on the bus yelling EXTERMINATE down the aisle. And, of course, it wouldn't be an authentic homage to Hartnell without a few 'Chesterfield' fluffed lines. We even had a classic Hartnell "hmm!" when Waris and Verity explain the role to him and he grabs his lapels to exclaim "Doctor...Who? Hmm!"

Hartnell's devotion to the show and his belief that he had to keep going on because the show couldn't exist without him was heartbreaking stuff. His final dismissal, and the tearful breakdown at home were almost too painful to watch. This was all the more poignant because of the beautiful scene in the park only moments before, where a group of children recognise him and he takes them on an expedition in character as the Doctor.

The final scenes in the TARDIS where we meet Pat Troughton (played to perfection by fellow League alumnus Reece Shearsmith) and Hartnell knows he is about to bow out are handled superbly. The decision to include Matt Smith at the console, exchanging a knowing look with Bradley, could have backfired - but it is so tastefully done, masterfully tying the show's origin to its present-day incarnation. It's pure indulgence to have this knowing nod to the show's future, but it just works so well. It's as if First and Eleventh Doctors are both acknowledging the admiration each has for the other: Smith to Hartnell out of respect, and Hartnell to Smith out of wonder that "his" show is still going, 50 years later.

So, thank you, Mark Gatiss and David Bradley for such a beautiful tribute to Doctor Who, a show which, but for the pioneering efforts of Verity Lambert, Sydney Newman, Waris Hussein and William Hartnell would not be celebrating its 50th anniversary today.