Pull To Open: 1962–1963: The Inside Story of How the BBC Created and Launched Doctor Who

‘Fresh and compelling… As definitive an account of those early years as I have read’ Toby Hadoke

When Doctor Who began on Saturday November 23 1963, few could have guessed that it marked the start of perhaps the most extraordinary story in the history of BBC television drama. But there had already been another story, equally extraordinary yet unseen, leading up to the transmission of that opening episode – the creation of the series itself.

Pull to Open explores the behind-the-scenes saga of Doctor Who in 1963, when a chain of events at the BBC brought together a disparate group to launch what would become one of British TV’s best-loved and most successful programmes. It’s the story of why these events happened; the BBC creative culture into which Doctor Who was born; how television drama was made in the early 1960s; and an insight into the people who started this epic journey.

Drawing from the BBC’s written archives and new interviews with some of those who were there, including Doctor Who’s first director Waris Hussein and original co-star Carole Ann Ford, Pull to Open is a detailed and comprehensive account of the programme’s path to the screen. Immerse yourself in the world of BBC Television in 1963 and discover how a series which was almost cancelled before a single episode was shown survived to cement its place in the popular culture of a nation.

Foreword by Toby Hadoke

Paul Hayes was born and raised in West Sussex, and now lives in Norwich. A writer and broadcaster, he has contributed feature articles to the likes of Doctor Who Magazine, BBC Online, The Stage and the Eastern Daily Press. For the BBC he has produced and presented a variety of radio documentaries, on subjects including The Beatles, motor racing, broadcasting history, politics, film, football and – of course! – Doctor Who, a programme which he has loved for as long as he can remember.

Paperback: 422 pages in black and white