TV Review: AN ADVENTURE IN SPACE AND TIME and BLACKFISH: THE WHALE THAT KILLED

This article was originally published in The Courier on 23rd November 2013.

An Adventure in Space and Time: Thursday, BBC2

Storyville – Blackfish: The Whale That Killed: Thursday, BBC4

Paul Whitelaw

As deranged though it may sound to Doctor Who agnostics – amazingly, such people still exist - I'm not ashamed to admit that, by the end of An Adventure in Space and Time, my eyes were prickled moist. An emotional experience for life-long fans such as myself, this beautifully realised drama about the programme's troubled origins paid heartfelt tribute to the pioneers who set it in motion.

Anchored by a sensitive performance from David Bradley as original Doctor William Hartnell, it was clearly a labour of love for all concerned, including writer/producer and Doctor Who acolyte Mark Gatiss – as a dramatist, it's the best thing he's written – and director Terry McDonough. The latter's lovingly framed, almost magical shots of dear, departed Television Centre – fittingly, this was the last drama to be filmed there before it closed earlier this year – spoke volumes about the alchemy of creative endeavour.

Accessible and authoritative, it offered an astute blend of acceptably broad strokes and fan-pleasing attention to detail. I suspect that, even for viewers who've never watched Doctor Who in their lives, Gatiss' touching tale of an ailing character actor given a late, fleeting lease of life would've struck a tender chord.

Bolstered by extraordinarily accurate production design – the original TARDIS console room looked stunning – An Adventure in Space in Time was, at heart, a traditional story about a gang of “misfits” triumphing against the blinkered establishment.

Waris Hussein and the heroically dedicated Verity Lambert (an assured performance from Call the Midwife star Jessica Raine) were, respectively, the BBC's first Indian director and female producer. Both surmounted prejudice and obstruction to create something bold, new and experimental, despite being banished to a cramped studio with a budget of around ninepence. I'm no knee-jerk patriot, but somewhere in there lies the proud and decent essence of Britishness.

Although tempered with affectionate humour and the grit and pathos of Bradley's performance – Hartnell's irascibility wasn't ignored – the celebratory mood peaked with a fleeting cameo from current incumbent Matt Smith. As the outgoing first Doctor shared an understanding glance with the outgoing eleventh, the far-reaching scale of Hartnell and co's achievement was encapsulated in one wordless flash of magical symbolism.

Sentimental and self-indulgent? Oh yes. But if you can't indulge yourself on your 50^th birthday, when can you? As much as I'm looking forward to the anniversary special starring Smith, David Tennant and John Hurt, it'll have to work hard to trump this charming love letter.

A deeply angering yet essential documentary, Storyville – Blackfish: The Whale That Killed exposed the appalling mistreatment of killer whales at SeaWorld marine parks.

In 2010 an orca called Tilikum killed an experienced trainer. SeaWorld tried to blame the victim, conveniently ignoring the fact that Tilikum had killed on two previous occasions. With candid assistance from sincerely repentant former trainers, the film showed how these intelligent, sociable creatures were driven to violence and despair after being kept in inhumane conditions for almost their entire lives. It's hardly a coincidence that no human has ever been killed by an orca in the wild.

A necessarily distressing experience, this powerful document should, by rights, be instrumental in obliterating our outdated view of animals as entertainment. If you missed it, then I urge you to watch it on iPlayer. Rarely have I witnessed such a compassionate, comprehensive attack on the amoral deeds of corporate self-interest.