Black Archive Special - An Adventure in Space and Time

Saturday, 2 May 2026 - Reported by Marcus
Black Archive - Special (Credit: Obverse Books)

The latest instalment in the Black Archive series from Obverse Books looks at the 2013 docu-drama based on the creation of Doctor Who, An Adventure in Space and Time

‘The following programme is based on actual events. It's important to remember, however, that you can't rewrite history. Not one line. Except, perhaps, when you embark on an Adventure In Space And Time...’

In 1966, William Hartnell is about to record his final scenes as Doctor Who. Having helped establish the series as a smash hit for the BBC, he is not keen to go, but ill health means he simply can't continue.

Tracing the story of the series creation from Sydney Newman's first suggestion of a new science fiction series to Hartnell leaving the role behind, An Adventure in Time and Space is more than just a biopic of William Hartnell; it's the story of the creation of a television legend. 

David Rolinson is a lecturer at the University of Stirling. He teaches and writes on a wide range of topics but specialises in docudrama and terrorism. He wrote a guide to Alan Clarke and co-edited The Art of Invective, a collection of Dennis Potter’s non-fiction writing.

AN ADVENTURE IN SPACE AND TIME is available now in paperback and electronic formats, direct from Obverse Books and from selected online retailers.





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