An Adventure in Space and Time Page #6

Goodbye, my dear.

That's lovely, Bill. Really lovely.

Doesn't like farewells, does he?

Just stepping off

for a minute, Waris.

Waris?

He's been doing that a lot lately.

That's it.

Look over towards Bill, Maureen.

That's it. Smile over here, please.

Big smile!

Cheers!

Cheers!

One more. One more!

Just look at Bill.

You look all-in.

Mm.

Come on, love. Why don't

you get your head down?

We can go through this

in the morning.

No, no. Got to get 'em in.

Got to.

Maybe it's time you

thought about moving on, love.

Moving on?

You're shattered all the time.

I can't! Even if I wanted to.

They're all relying on me.

Hundreds of people, aren't they?

And all those kiddies out there.

You can't have Doctor Who without

Doctor Who, can you? Come on.

Vortis? What galaxy is that in?

It's the Isop Galaxy.

The Isop Galaxy, Chesterton.

It's many... Many.

.. many... light years... Away... away.

'He is becoming delirious.

I do not understand his words. '

'He is becoming delirious.

I do not understand his words. '

Bill mustn't know I've spoken

to you. He'd play merry hell.

What's the matter?

Our GP rang.

Bill's not very well.

Oh, dear. Nothing serious?

Not in the short-term. It's, um...

er... arteriosclerosis.

It's a hardening of the arteries.

I see.

He smokes too much. Drinks too much.

And these days, the only exercise

he gets is walking the dog.

That, plus doing Doctor Who

virtually all year...

Do you think he should stop?

No. No, he couldn't bear that.

He loves the programme.

He's so proud of it. And all of you.

You should hear him.

But if there's anything you can do

to lift the burden

from his shoulders,

you know,

let him slow down a little.

Well... I'll have a quiet word

with my successor.

Oh.

Oh. I see.

Vortis? What galaxy is that in?

The Isop Galaxy, Chesterfield.

Chesterton!

Many, many light earths...

light years...

from us.

From... from Earth.

And yet the... Vortis...

Vortis planet hasn't a moon.

Hm? Eh?

Right, hold it there, please!

All this stuff,

I can do it with a look.

Bill, I really think we should stick

with what's on the page.

Verity. I can do all this

with a look, you know.

I don't need all these lines.

It's like ruddy King Lear!

I remember Lindsay Anderson saying

the same thing about me

on Sporting Life.

He just ripped a couple of pages

out of the script.

"Bill can do all this

with a gesture," you see.

"A raised eyebrow. "

Do you see what I mean?

Of course.

Bless you.

Actually, I'm glad to have the

chance to talk to you, Bill...

You're my rock, Verity. Oh...

You know that. My rock.

I don't know about that...

Since that day you first started

telling me about Doctor Who,

I've been spellbound.

Spellbound! But look at us now, eh?

Just look at us!

Our arses are in butter!

What did you want to tell me?

.. Which, of course, was her way

of saying take a hike!

So, I am justifiably

proud of myself.

I can spot talent light years away.

Ladies and gentlemen, Verity.

Best goddamn appointment

I've ever made.

Verity!

For she's a jolly good fellow

For she's a jolly good fellow

For she's a jolly good fellow

And so say all of us!

And so say all of us!

And so say all of us!

For she's a jolly good fellow

For she's a jolly good fellow

For she's a jolly good fellow

And so say all of us.

Not joining us?

Perhaps in a minute.

Bill, I wanted to say thank you.

For everything you've done.

- I'm in demand and it's all down to you.

- Oh, nonsense.

In no small measure, Bill.

Doctor Who has made me.

But why does it have to change?

Why do things always have to change?

Why can't we just go on as we are?

Life.

What about you?

Not ready for a rest?

Me? No. No. Not a bit.

This old body of mine

is good for a few years yet!

I'm going to miss all this.

You've got, erm...

Oh.

Let me.

What am I going to do without you?

Till we meet again.

That's it. Everybody ready?

Smile! Mr Purves... Jackie...

Look at each other.

That's it. Lovely!

Peter, give us a smile. Lovely.

All right, when you're ready, Bill.

Mr Hartnell to you, sonny.

Sorry.

You might call me by my first name

if we get to know each other better.

If you...

if you last on my show, that is.

Can we go from the top of the scene,

Mr Hartnell?

You make the TV screen come on.

The scanner.

Scanner, right.

And then you flick the switch

and the doors open.

- No, no. Can't do that.

- Beg pardon?

I'd have to move

round to the other side.

That's where the door switch is.

- Does it matter?

- Of course it matters!

All right. We'll work around it.

You move where you like...

- Mr Hartnell.

- Thank you. I will.

Okay. Top of the scene, then.

The glass cylinder

should be going up and down.

- The ship is in flight.

- Right. Yes. Sorry.

- Well?

- Sorry. Be right with you.

Anybody know how to make it go?

For Christ's sake! Doesn't anyone

know how to do anything?

Out you go, out, out.

I'll sort it myself.

Red light, and bell.

Roll to record.

In 15, 14...

Quiet, please, everyone.

OK, everyone ready? Ready now.

There's a... Ten...

.. a lot of people

dancing about in my eyeline.

It's very off-putting. Do you mind?

Thank you... five, four...

Now... they've all gone.

All gone.

None of them ever understood.

Not even young Susan, or...

.. or V-V-Vicki.

And then there's Barbara

and Chatterton...

Ch-Ch-Chesterton!

Oh, God.

Perhaps I should go back

to my own time.

To my own planet.

But I...

I can't...

I can't...

Is everything okay?

I, er... I can't...

Are you all right?

I...

I can't...

Mr Hartnell? I, er...

Mr Hartnell?

Anneke! Anneke, turn to me, love.

Turn to me. Thanks, love.

I could get used to this.

How about you?

As you can see...

Yeah, yeah, I hear you.

It can't go on. He's become

so difficult to work with.

And his lines... I hear you!

The poor man's worn out.

Shame. Goddamn shame.

- So, that's that, I suppose.

- What do you mean?

Well, we can't have Doctor Who

without Doctor Who, can we?

Pop, pop, pop.

- Sampa! Sampa! Sampa!

- Oh, hello there.

Where are you going to take

the TARDIS next, Sampa?

Oh, I don't know, darling.

Miss says you should go back in

time and see Oliver Cromwell

and tell him not to be so horrible.

Yes, maybe I should.

But I want the butterfly men

to come back! They were pretty.

We did them at school

and I was a Zarbi.

Listen, Judi... They could have

a big fight with the Daleks

and you could fly on their backs

with a bow and arrow.

Listen, darling.

You mustn't expect too much

from your old grandfather, you know.

I get very tired

these days and, er...

Graham Potter says the TARDIS

will run out of petrol soon.

I need to take things a bit easier.

But I told him he was stupid.

The TARDIS will go on and on for

ever because it's special and magic.

- Like my Sampa.

- Well, I...

My Sampa's Doctor Who

and he can do anything.

I hope you don't think it

presumptuous of me

to ask for this meeting, Sydney...

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