Dr. Who's "regeneration" meant to be like bad acid trip

Internal memos recently posted to the BBC Archive reveal that Doctor Who's "regenerations," in which the Time Lord was replaced by a new actor, were meant to convey the experience of a bad acid trip. From a 1966 memo about the tansition from the first Dr. Who, played by William Hartnell, would be regenerated into the actor Patrick Troughton:

"The metaphysical change... is a horrifying experience - an experience in which he relives some of the most unendurable moments of his long life, including the galactic war," it said.
"It is as if he has had the LSD drug and instead of experiencing the kicks, he has the hell and dank horror which can be its effect," the memo added.

"Doctor Who regeneration was 'modelled on LSD trips'"

David Pescovitz is Boing Boing's co-editor/managing partner. He's also a research director at Institute for the Future. On Instagram, he's @pesco.

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thebelgianpanda

It’s an even bigger shame that virtually all Dr. Who from the beginning we destroyed or wiped. Not that I would likely watch them, it just feels wrong.

Regarding not liking Tennant–that’s perfectly okay, the only one you are not allowed to dislike is Tom Baker. If you don’t like Tom Baker, then get off my internetz!
Anonymous

The character is the Doctor. The show is Doctor Who. They are not interchangeable.
- Ceronomus
  
  Actually, until recently, the character was listed in the credits as “Doctor Who.” I think it was DT that dropped the “Who” from the credits.
  - akbar56
    
    Technically, many of the past doctors have been credited both as “Doctor Who” and “The Doctor”
  - Shinju
    
    Hate to be the terrible geek who actually goes and checks these things, but I did and it switched from Doctor Who to The Doctor when Peter Davison took over from Tom Baker, continued as The Doctor til Sylvester McCoy finished. Paul McGann got a simple “Starring Paul McGann”. Then it was back to Doctor Who for Christopher Eccleston and switched once again to The Doctor for David Tennant and Matt Smith.
    - Ceronomus
      
      Shinju, are you sure you aren’t just looking at the IMDB listings as opposed to the actual episodes themselves?
- Ambiguity
  
  The character is the Doctor. The show is Doctor Who. They are not interchangeable.
  
  This is what the Internet was invented for!
  
  Sometimes I miss the days of old, before Google, before Amazon, before every Big-box presence…
- thebelgianpanda
  
  I thought his name was John Smith? (ducks and runs)
Maggie Koerth-Baker

I saw the first episode of Dr. Who on YouTube recently. I really liked Number 1, far more than I expected (or think I’m supposed) to. He’s just such a delightful jackass.
_OM_

Of course, I like Colin Baker. A lot.

…Ah, so *you’re* the one that’s left. Quick kids, get a rope! We can finally rid the universe of this infestation once and for all!!!
Alden

That may just be a reference to Colin Baker’s outfit.
Anonymous

I cut my teeth on Tom Baker when I was ten years old. They would show Doctor Who at 10:00 on channel 39 in Ft. Worth, Texas. That show changed my life and set up my obsessions as an adult. The music, sound effects, and stories are such a huge influence for me.

According to the lore, the Doctor can only regenerate 12 times. So, who will the last Doctor be?
- akbar56
  
  13 Time Lords or not. Interestingly enough, this is one thing that I have found that fans have never been able to agree on. Some say its canon, others don’t. Besides, the Master is already well past his 13th incarnation. Who is to say the Doctor can’t continue past 13 as well.
  
  Other factors to consider for Doctors 13 and beyond.
  -The rest of the Time Lords are gone. Who knows what that does for the universe.
  -BBC has a huge hit and if they play their cards right another 40 years could happen.
  - Ceronomus
    
    Hmm, I know that William Hartnel was credited exclusively as “Doctor Who” and so has virtually every actor playing the role up through Christopher Eccleston. Heck, Peter Cushing was credited as “Dr. Who.”
    
    Both Paul McGann and Sylvester McCoy were credited as “The Dotor” in the TV Movie.
    
    That doesn’t mean that the other actors haven’t been referred to as “The Doctor”, but the character has pretty much always been listed as “Doctor Who” with a single exception in forty two years.
    
    David Tennant changed the way the character is credited with the “Christmas Invasion.”
  - Ceronomus
    
    Well, seeing as the Master was offered a new Regeneration “cycle” by the Timelords in the Five Doctors, it would appear that the twelve regeneration limit seems to be an artificial one.
    
    The Timelords also granted the Master a new body during the Time War so it looks liek the regeneration limit is something that was pre-time war.
    
    Thanks for letting me totally geek out today though!
Anonymous

Funny how non-news-worthy this is. The memo in question was reproduced in “The Handbook: The First Doctor” back in 1994 (Virgin Publishing). In fact, the book reproduced enormous numbers of memos leading up to the creation of the series in 1963 to the end of the first Doctor’s era; fascinating stuff that shows the creative process in the 60s that started it all.
Shinju

Nope, I was checking the end credits of the episodes.
- lewis stoole
  
  i was just watching some jon pertwee dr who episodes and he is listed as being “dr. who”. he even has a “who” vanity license plate blatantly displayed on his personal hot wheels in “the green death”
Snig

Actually, there’s a very simple way they’ll be able to get around the 12 regneration limit. Wait… someone’s coming. I’ll explain later.
Anonymous

This old and loyal Doctor Who fan is still watching, and Matt grew on me the first episode(faster than Peter Davidson did in the early 80′s..maybe I was still upset from the demise of Blake’s 7..well still am so that might not be it..don’t upset a 10 year old).

The worsed Doctor was the 7th. Watching all of that incarnation lends me to believe it was more the BBC than the actor or the show. Of course Tom was the best, couple that with Douglas Adams’ humour, and it’s pure gold.
Anonymous

Since when does an LSD trip produce “hell and dank horror”? AFAIK the only thing that does that is British pub food.

Hmpf, BBC amateurs.
Anonymous

I really liked David Tennate much more then Matt Smith. The new Doctor seems to have a mean streak and comes across as seems to really come across as a woman disliker (yes, I know there is no such word but woman hater is too strong a word to use) Tennant was a softer and more fun character. His facial expressions were spot on and very appealing.

Meanwhile, I have a question. Why can’t the Doctor visit Gallifry at a period before he was born since he seems to miss it so. How about having him meet and The Master and in those early years.

I love the program and hope to be able to find some of the books on line or at the library.

S
chgoliz

Are those of you who have already seen the new Doctor in action living in the UK? AFAIK, the US doesn’t get the first new episode until this coming weekend.
- thebelgianpanda
  
  I am in the US, and I am unethically using Youtube to watch the episodes. I would gladly pay to view real, honest to FSM BBC, but I haven’t found a sanctioned, legal way to do it. Are you listening BBC overlords? I come bearing monies!
- 13tales
  
  There’s a Thing. Its name rhymes with shmit-shmorrent.
  - robulus
    
    Ghnit-ghnorrent?
    - Snig
      
      Ghnit-ghnorrent? That was the monster from the fifth doctor that you thought was killed by something clever and then it tore off it’s mask and explained it wasn’t actually dead but was the Master.
Ceronomus

I’m in the US. I think Matt Smith is doing well. I think that the second episode of the season was far better than the first.
taliesyn30

I certainly think that Smiffy’s first two episodes have been above average – and usually (weirdly) the first episodes of each of the new series have been a little, well, naff to be frank.

However, I think he is going to be great (that’s what the kids tell me anyway) and if The Beast Below is anything to go by we are in for some cracking episodes..

I too was concerned about his age but he is about the same age as Peter Davison was when he started, perhaps even a little older (I’ll let one of you guys check that one out, getting too late for whosearch!).

Steven Moffat has recently said that he imagines the show more as a fairy tale than a science fiction show, which is interesting. As long as he pulls out all the stops and produces episodes even better than Girl in the Fireplace (my all time favourite from the new series) and Blink, I will be more than happy!
robulus

You mean there’s some sort of apparently legitimate discussion about whether “David Tenant” is the “Best Doctor”?

Tom Baker is the only Doctor, and the series with Tenant was an awful, unwatchable mess.

At first I thought it was cool that the original Doctor Who staff were all off their heads on acid, but then when I read the quote I realised they were getting their information from high school social ed classes.
- thebelgianpanda
  
  Nope, there is no such discussion.
  - robulus
    
    Thank God for that. I can get back to scaring kids off of my lawn.
Ceronomus

Thankfully, Tom Baker finally returned to the role after all this time. If you haven’t listened to “Hornet’s Nest” I HIGHLY recommend it.
thesunneversets

In the 1966 episode “The War Machines”, unnaturally omniscient supercomputer WOTAN refers to the Doctor as “Doctor Who is required” on multiple occasions. Now, the Doctor may never call *himself* Who, but I’ve always thought WOTAN was onto something. Especially when Matt Smith can yell out “Who da man!” in last week’s episode and look a bit surprised when everyone cringes.

David Tennant seemed alright at the time, but watch him in the light of just 2 Matt Smith episodes and marvel at how phenomenally un-alien his portrayal suddenly appears.
chgoliz

Thebelgianpanda and 13tales, thank you for your responses. I was wondering if I’d somehow missed conventional TV/DVD options. That does not seem to be the case.

I plead the fifth when it comes to usage of bit torrent and YouTube!
Ceronomus

Nope, random sampling shows that I am in error. I grabbed Earthshock and Davison is indeed listed as “The Doctor.”

Of course, this still helps solidify my original point that Doctor Who and the Doctor are interchangeable. But yes, I was in error on the continuity of the billing for the character.
Anonymous

The NEW Dr. Who “SUCKS”. It seems we have DUMBED DOWN the Dr. and the new cast. WHAT HAPPENED? Did NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND catch up to the Dr.? The writing is nothing like the past 4 seasons. I am SOOO disappointed. You might as well run the new Dr. Who on MTV or let Paris Hilton star in it, it’s all about being popular and involving a younger audience now. Thank you BBC, you have turned a great Sci-Fi show that I have watched for years into something less than ‘fish custard’. I hope you are going to win your ratings game, the old loyal fans of Dr. Who are leaving. What a bunch of crap………..
Rusty Idols

Watching some extras on DVDs of the earliest episodes, it’s interesting how much the show has come full circle. The whole last survivor of a hideous galactic war thing that is part of current continuity was part of the original conception of the show.

The Doctor was originally actively sinister – one of the earliest episodes had a companion catching him about to smash a caveman’s brains out with a rock and remember he basically kidnapped the first two companions Ian and Barbara – though his reason that just glimpsing the Tardis could make them change Earth history seems nonsensical – more likely he just wanted companions for his grand-daughter (Whether she’s his real grand-daughter or not is a whole other question) and not that he could admit it, for himself.

There’s no getting around it, whatever else changes about the Doctor, he enjoys having pretty young girls around.
thebelgianpanda

I’m starting to warm up to Matt Smith (the new Doctor), even though I am a tad disappointed they cast someone quite similar to David Tennant. I really, really hope their casting decisions don’t stagnate due to fear of not being as popular as the Tennant episodes. That being said, I think Mr. Smiths performance on the latest episode had a good spark of originality.
mark.leaman

This has been bothering me for a long time… I have to get this off my chest. I’ve been keeping it a secret from my friends for too long!

I actually didn’t care that much for David Tennant as Dr. Who. Ahhh. I feel so much better. =D
- mgfarrelly
  
  Mark…I hold my hand out to you and say “Brother?”
  
  I won’t go all fanboy nerd and hate on the guy, and he had moments that were just lovely. But Chris Eccleston and, so far, Matt Smith just feel more…right. Kind of spooky, kind of crazy, kind of avuncular, and always,always dangerously brilliant.
  
  Of course, I like Colin Baker. A lot.
- Chris S
  
  Mark,
  I liked Christopher Eccleston more than David Tennant.
  
  As the Belgian Panda says below. Liking Tom Baker is de rigeur. If you don’t like Tom Baker, the angels come get you.
- BookGuy
  
  @mark
  
  Now you know how I feel when I admit to friends, family, and acquaintances that I liked Roger Moore’s James Bond much better than Sean Connery’s.
  - Anonymous
    
    Connery was a better Bond by pure portrayal but Moore got the better scripts (overall) and thus has the better movies of the series.
- dculberson
  
  Tennant always seemed to have stepped off the set of a cheap B movie. Not that Dr. Who isn’t cheap, but it’s more British TV cheap and not B movie cheap. There’s a difference.
Tristan Eldtritch

I love the tone of the memo. I think if i see anyone behaving strangely in the next while, I will anounce in an upper-class accent: “By God! It’s as if he’s had “the LSD drug!” Without the kicks, too, by the cut of his jib!”
Rider

It sucks that the BBC lost the original the first transition so no one will ever see it.
- Ceronomus
  
  Do you mean this one?
  
  http://igossip.com/watch_video.php?id=y39RnQjQQlg&feature=youtube_gdata&title=Doctor%20Who:%20William%20Hartnell%20Regeneration
  
  It is about all that does still exist from that specific episode of the Tenth Planet, but it does exist.
lewis stoole

peter cushing: worst dr. who ever! (yes, yes–said with the internal voice of the “comic book guy”)
insatiableatheist

I must admit, I was never a fan.
Seems as though they’re getting younger with each incarnation. The next Doctor is gonna be about 12 I reckon.
As for the acid. Never had a bad trip. It’d be great if it made you younger though.