50 for 50: Celebrating 50 Years of the Doctor Who Family was published in November 2013.
Paula Hammond’s book, 50 for 50 was described by Starburst as “an absorbing, wonderful book that really deserves to be on the bookshelf of every self- respecting Whovian” and could certainly be described as one of the true hidden gems of Doctor Who’s 50th Anniversary.
Collecting together 50 interviews from the length of the show’s history, the book is a fascinating and insightful look at some of the key names in Doctor Who history. Looking to find out more, DWW spoke to author Paula Hammond.
Your book 50 for 50: Celebrating 50 Years of the Doctor Who Family was published not long ago, the book collecting together an apt 50 unpublished interviews ranging throughout the history of the show. What was that inspired the idea for the collection?
It was a slow burn. I’d been collecting Doctor Who interviews for many years and quietly ferriting them away. Initially, I was interested in simply recording the recollections of those actors who had been involved in the show in the ’60s and ’70s - they were getting older and a lot of them had never really been asked about their experiences. It was only at the end of 2012 that I realised that I had the makings of quite a substantial book.
The collection covers so many aspects of the show, from actors such as Colin Baker and director Waris Hussein to designer Bernard Lodge and effects man Mike Tucker. Did you purposely set out to cover such a wide range of experiences on the show?
I did. I’ve been to conventions where some actors will start an anecdote and then say ‘you all know that story’… And it’s true. The Doctors and their Assistants have been interviewed so many times that most of us have heard the stories before. I really wanted to give the fans something new.
Do you believe that the personalities involved in Doctor Who, be it on screen or behind the camera, play a large role in how the show has developed over these 50 years?
Absolutely! Doctor Who has always hinged on the ability of the actors to make us believe it (and for me, no has done that better that Tom). But behind every successful serial there are writers, directors, stunt guys, effects teams and they all leave their mark. Back when I was a kid, I don’t think we really knew that it was the likes of Philip Hinchcliffe and Terrance Dicks who were making the show we loved so damn exciting. Now, fans are a lot more switched on and they appreciate the incredible contribution that Russell T Davies’ and Steven Moffat have made to the show.
Which of the 50 interviews would you consider your personal favourite? did any of the interviewees surprise you in any way?
That’s tricky! The main surprise was that everyone involved was so generous with their time. Crawford Logan not only took time out from rehearsals to speak to me, but got me tickets to his show and walked my friend back to her hotel after. John Leeson left a casserole burning to come out and chat. Victor Pemberton was incredibly gracious - he’d suffered a personal tragedy during the two or three weeks we were in touch but still wanted to help out. I guess I shouldn’t have been that surprised - I think Doctor Who has always attracted nice people. However, if I had to choose then I think Angela Bruce is the one interviewee who really stands out in my mind. A lot of actors have a professional ‘face’ that they present to the world, but Angela was all raw, open honesty.
Was there anybody who you’d have liked to interview for the book who you didn’t manage to?
It goes without saying that I would have loved to have interviewed any of the older era Doctors. Troughton would have been fascinating, especially as he rarely spoke about his work. However Susan Engel, who played Vivien Fay in Stones of Blood, was on my list. It’s such a wonderfully well-developed character and I’ve always been curious about the nature of the relationship between Vivien and Professor Rumford. There seemed to be a slight frisson there - or perhaps that’s just my interpretation. Ha! But, of course, it was the ’70s and Who was still considered to be a kid’s show, so any gay subtext would have been very definitely sub text.
Your book was published by David J. Howe’s Telos Publishing, how important do you feel independent publishers are to authors such as yourself?
Incredibly important. Telos like most independent publishers, really understand their market and have a very close relationship with their customers. They’re also interested in what you as an author have to offer. That might sound odd, but it is quite rare now. I started working in publishing at a time when authors still sent in manuscripts and publishers actually read them! Today, the larger publishing houses are only really interested in franchises and big names. Lady Gaga’s ex-assistant has just signed a million dollar book deal. Can she write? Who cares - it’s the name that sells.
Interviewing 50 people connected with the show is in itself an achievement, is there an art to the interview? did you take a different approach with different people and would you have any advice for authors and journalists on conducting an interview?
Thank you. Well, everyone has a technique that works for them. I tend to do quite a bit of prep. in advance as there’s nothing worse than an interviewee referencing something and you have no idea what they’re talking about! I usually start with a couple of standard questions. ‘What inspired you to act?’ is a nice generic one that will get people talking and thinking. Beyond that, I like to let the interviewee speak and then follow up on any interesting points, rather than slavishly follow a list of questions. My only rule is that I always tell interviewees that they will have final approval on all text. When I was writing 50 for 50 there were several interviewees who had had very bad experiences with other publications and were really afraid of being misquoted. I don’t think they would have spoken to me at all if I hadn’t given that assurance. It does sometimes mean that the story you end up with isn’t the same as the one you were told in the pub, but I’m not interested in ruining careers or reputations.
And finally, what are your next plans? any further Doctor Who endeavours on the agenda?
Ooh. I always have plans. Getting the time to work on them is the trick. You have to be flexible as a writer, so I tend to juggle magazine work with larger book projects. One of those is out this month. It’s a retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray for children, illustrated by the wonderful Kev Hopgood of 2000 AD and Iron Man fame. I’ve been helping Bob Furnell of Whotopia with some interviews for a Sapphire & Steel book that he has planned. I’ve started gathering more Doctor Who interviews, so perhaps a “50 More” could be in the pipeline. Then there’s that Gothic novel that’s stalled at about 40,000 words that I really should finish… !
50 for 50: Celebrating 50 Years of the Doctor Who family is available now from Telos Publishing and comes highly recommended. A kindle edition can be purchased via the Amazon link below.
With thanks to Paula Hammond and David J. Howe.
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