The Long Game: 1996–2003: The Inside Story of How The BBC Brought Back Doctor Who

by Paul Hayes

When Russell T Davies’ triumphant Doctor Who relaunch hit screens in 2005, it didn’t simply appear out of nowhere—the show’s journey back to television was long and complicated. The years since the last attempt to revive the programme had seen enormous changes at the BBC, not least in the Drama department; along with battles between different parts of the Corporation over who should get to bring the Doctor back to the screen; and even doubts over whether or not the BBC still held the rights to make the show at all.

The Long Game is the story of those conflicts and setbacks, during a transformative time for the BBC. It’s a story told by those who were there, including BBC One Controllers Lorraine Heggessey and Alan Yentob, drama bosses Julie Gardner, Jane Tranter and Mal Young, BBC Worldwide executives Rupert Gavin and Mike Phillips, and BBC Films head David Thompson—many speaking in depth for the first time about the part they played in the attempts to bring back Doctor Who.

Drawing on more than thirty new interviews and extensive research, The Long Game tells how Doctor Who went from a one-night stand in May 1996 to a headline-making major recommission in September 2003.

Genres: Doctor Who, Nonfiction

365 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2021

Reviews

[Gareth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of TV production - and the pitfalls and irritations that lead to things *not* getting made - will enjoy this well researched and colourful account of how Doctor Who eventually came back to our screens in 2005.

It’s easy to forget the state the programme was in before Russell T Davies came along, with endless rumours off the back of the quietly discarded Paul McGann TV movie; the general opinion of Doctor Who was one of wobbly sets and goofy light entertainers in the lead. But as Paul Hayes shows (with a thorough mix of fresh and archive interviews) there was always some interest in reviving it in one format or another, but this was invariably thwarted. It’s fascinating to track the changes in the turbulent TV landscape that led, often Rube Goldberg-like, to making it possible.

Highlights include the earlier-than-I-would-have-expected involvement of Davies; a prophetically annoying use of a Dalek toy; detailed accounts of rumours and pitches I only knew about via brief mentions on Wikipedia; and a surprising last minute effort from a well known party to throw a spanner in the works.

Highly readable, with frequent refreshers on who the main players are and how they relate to the story, this is an easy recommendation to Who fans and general telly fans alike.

[Simon Heldreich · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much more than just another making of Doctor Who. This book dives deep into the state of UK TV in the mid-nineties and early 21st century and gives a fantastic insight into the workings of the BBC. The book meticulously details every step on the road to revival and goes into the background of the major players.
One of the best behind the scenes books I've read, if you are a Whoover you need to read this.

[Jefferson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very detailed look at the state of British television and Doctor Who fandom in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a show that's been running for near enough sixty years at this point, Doctor Who didn't actually stay alive throughout all of it. Yes, there were some dark days in the shows history in which the BBC decided to no longer fund and produce any more episodes of the show, this happened during the seventh doctor's run. So on the 6th of December 1989, the final episode of Season 26's Survival story aired and as the Doctor and Ace walked off into the credits, Doctor Who fans were left with the sad reality that this was the end of era. The sixteen year period from which the show was abruptly ended and it's eventual resurrection by Russel T Davies aren't the most well documented, so it was nice to find that Paul Hayes decided to write a book detailing the history of that time with so much detail.

Paul Hayes has a considerable history at the BBC and is a self-proclaimed fan of Doctor Who so it made perfect sense that he would wish to outline the history of the shows time off air. The Long Game covers a more relevant period that stems from just after the release of the TV Movie and describes how events which followed lead towards the show's approval for revival. at the BBC. It's written in a way which outlines a detailed history behind the corporate influences and decisions which all had their own intrinsic impacts towards the shows resurrection

I think the level of detail Hayes goes into to describe this period ins fantastic. He's pretty robust on detailing the inner-workings at the BBC during this time and going into even further-depth on certain subjects pertaining to elements like the TV movie, rights issues, extended media, etc. While a lot of these chapters and details are very insightful to get a clear perspective on the history of this subject, I can't help but feel there were some chapters which felt a bit redundant to the books core aim. I appreciate Hayes wanted to give as much clarity and exposition as possible on all the relevant components to what led to the show's revival, but some elements feel like they trail off too hard and don't tie-up into the core subject all that well. I do like how Hayes adds a timeline, index and source section near the end to give readers extra details to reinforce what they're reading.

I think Hayes did an admirable job in trying to outline the history of this era, and thanks to this book I'm a bit more educated on the substantial efforts so many people went to get this show back on television screens. Whether Hayes effort to detail every single aspect works for the read is a subjective takeaway I think and in my case I think most of the chapters kept on track and had a lot of relevancy so it didn't feel as much of a detractor.

[Andrew Foxley · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The Long Game' delves into an underemployed era of 'Doctor Who'... a period when, in the eyes of the public at least, there wasn't very much going on at all. But in fact, the period between the 1996 TV Movie and the announcement of the shows return to television as a regular fixture in 2003 is full of untold tales, false starts and what-might-have-beens. Information is scant, but author Paul Hayes attempts to piece together what was happening during these years as the idea of the BBC making 'Doctor Who' again began to coalesce in the minds of the people with the power to make it happen.

There are a few things I love about this book. The author has managed to secure an impressive - if not quite exhaustive - level of access to key players in the story, plenty of whom I don't recall seeing interviewed on this subject before. But also, he sets the scene brilliantly as to how the BBC was changing through the 90s, and it's complexities as an organisation, none of which would smooth 'Doctor Who's path back to TV. I'd have dearly loved more information on what happened once the shows return was announced, and pre-production was ongoing, but that's just beyond the remit of this volume, and some of the other bits and pieces (like the substance of whatever film might have been in the works with BBC Films circa 2000) remain frustratingly out of reach. But it really is worth a read for anyone with an interest in this era though, as I don't think you'll see such an authoritative account of this period of 'Doctor Who' history.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a lot of Doctor Who non-fiction/behind the scenes books over the years but I think this is one of the best.

Paul Hayes has left no stone unturned in telling the story of how Doctor Who returned in 2005. He follows all the threads post-1996 inside and outside the BBC. It's covers all the things that stopped Doctor Who from coming back, the things they tried to replace Doctor Who with (including the British televisions slight discomfort with science-fiction and fantasy at the time), how fans felt about the constant rumours etc. Hayes does a great job of trying to track down the origins of every rumour and every failed attempt to bring it back.

It's like All the President's Men but for Doctor Who fans.*

Hayes speaks to a lot of the people involved inside and outside the BBC.

If you're not a Doctor Who fan this ins and outs of all this might be a little niche but actually if you're interested in how British TV gets made and cultural history this is a pretty good option.

Loved it and can only applaud Paul Hayes for all the effort he must have put in.



*Actually it's not really like that at all but I'm trying to think of a comparison outside the realms of Doctor Who.

[Earl Ecklund III · Rating 5 out of 5]

for many the long period following the cancellation of the classic run of doctor who is called the wilderness years, in this well researched volume Paul Hayes shows how the show was finally brought back following the failure of the Paul McGann TV Movie in 1996 to generate a new series to the announcement on September 26, 2003 that a new series was finally being made with Russell T. Davies at the helm. Hayes expertly navigates both the worlds of Doctor Who fandom and the internal hierarchy of the BBC. Hayes does a great job of explaining the changes at the BBC during this time and how it eventually cumulated in the successful team of Jane Tranter, Lorraine Heggessey, Mal Young & Russell T Davies bringing the series back to TV.

[Seb Hasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great insight into the inner workings of British television in the late 90s/early noughties. Full of information and surprising facts, it builds quite timely from the TV Movie until the day of Dr Who’s return being announced. Some of the information is slightly speculative but on the whole the book is a fantastic read interested in television and what happened in the latter part of the ‘Wilderness Years’.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed indeed, so if you're interested in internal BBC commisisoning and rights issues in the late 90s and early 2000s you'll enjoy this book. Not that it's dull, of course. It would be nice to see a follow-up one day about all the behind the scenes dramas when making that first year of 'New Who.'

[Rob Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely detailed and meticulously researched book on the wilderness years of Doctor Who between 1996 and 2003. I particularly enjoyed the aspects looking at other cult TV of the era and also the BBC Cult website.

[Alix McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes books like these are dry and dull pedantry fests but this is eminently readable, enjoyable and feels very timely with the return of Davies, Tranter and Gardner to Doctor Who.

[Reuben Herfindahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and fill a hole in fan knowledge. Highly recommended.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and well written examination of how Doctor Who returned to our screens.

[Tim Drury · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the slow process in the tv industry that led to Doctor Who being revived in 2005.