Reeltime Pictures

It was a operation worthy of UNIT itself… bringing The Brigadier (Nicholas Courtney), Captain Yates (Richard Franklin) and RSM Benton (John Levene) back together again at Chicago TARDIS. In this production we tear through the red tape to cover the convention and also talk to Katy Manning, Jon Pertwee, Terrance Dicks, Gary Russell, J. Jeremy Bentham and many more about the secret behind UNIT’s success.

In the early 1970s, the BBC decided to launch a series of exhibitions featuring monsters and props from Doctor Who. Over the next three decades, untold thousands of children (and adults too!) were thrilled by a mix of innovative, exciting and stunning extravaganzas! For many fans, these exhibitions were their first and only real chance to get close-up to their favourite TV programme

3. The Pertwee Years - We take an in-depth look at the Jon Pertwee era, which has been featured more thoroughly at PanoptiCons than any other. Experience the special mix that made this period one of the most popular in Doctor Who’s history. However, you’ll see lots of other personalities from other eras as we stop along the way to look at particular aspects of the programme.

6. Panopticon VII - 1986 was the 10th Anniversary of the DWAS and for the first time professional cameras were there to record the event. This special production includes highlights from the convention, home movies from early Panopticons (featuring Tom Baker and Patrick Troughton) and the reminiscences from organisers, actors and production staff about the early days of fandom. However, you’ll see lots of other personalities from other eras as we stop along the way to look at particular aspects of the programme.

Retired commander of the United Nations' Intelligence Taskforce, and long-time associate of the mysterious time traveler the Doctor, Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart faces the toughest battle of his military career when he is embroiled in a plot unwittingly set in motion by university chancellor Victoria Waterfield, herself a former companion of the Doctor, to take over the Earth by an evil alien entity called the Great Intelligence, aided by its ferocious robot Yeti cohorts. Can the Brigadier defeat this menace to the Earth without the Doctor's help?

To coincide with a new era for Doctor Who we take a nostalgic look back at the glory days of the programme in a tribute to its unsigned heroes. Ever wondered what it’s like inside a Dalek? How, exactly, of you portray a Fish Person? What was it like recording Doctor Who during its 26 year run? And just how do you get to be a Doctor Who monster? Now you can find out as, for the very first time, we speak to the men and women who ensured we spend out Saturday nights behind the sofa. Their stories are funny, moving, unbelievable and sometimes tragic. Presented by the seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy, and containing unique film and newly discovered photographs, this all adds up to an entertaining trip down memory lane – go on treat yourself to a slice of nostalgia!

4. The JNT Years - Peter Davison and Colin Baker’s portrayals of the Doctor conceded with one of the most controversial periods of the programme’s history. Was the programme as good as it used to be… or just different? What did the production staff, both past and present, think? However, you’ll see lots of other personalities from other eras as we stop along the way to look at particular aspects of the programme.

A brand new documentary featuring Sophie Aldred. Combined with all six digitally remastered episodes of Saffron - a long-lost animated series starring Sophie Aldred in the title role. Created by animator Paul Thomas, Saffron was initially shot for TV in the early 1990s but never broadcast..

1. The Main Event - What are PanoptiCons like to organise? What do the fans think of them? What do the stars think of the fans? All this, and there’s still time for a liberal sprinkling of stories from the production team! However, you’ll see lots of other personalities from other eras as we stop along the way to look at particular aspects of the programme.

While on a seemingly routine delivery run for the Brigadier, Benton finds himself close to his childhood home, where ghosts from his past have never rested easily… Trapped in a nightmare world where past and present are one, will he be lost forever or can he fight his way back to reality, where he is desperately needed?

2. The Early Years - The stars and production team give a unique insight into Doctor Who from its beginning with William Hartnell to Patrick Troughton’s portrayal of the Doctor. However, you’ll see lots of other personalities from other eras as we stop along the way to look at particular aspects of the programme.

Doctor Who travelled with the most gorgeous girls in the Cosmos. But was there any Lust in Space? Doctor Who is on trial - and the charge is sexism! The scene is set, the witnesses called. We expose Doctor Who’s final taboo! It’s everything you wanted to know about sex (in Doctor Who) but were afraid to ask!

It seemed like a great idea! Yee Jee recording a video diary during his first signing tour of the UK. But after a gruelling flight over and jumping into a car to be at Memorabilia the same day – all he wanted to do was sleep, not record a diary! But he stuck with it, through signings, two long studio sessions with Big Finish, and finally a photo call at Battlefield with Sylvester McCoy! During all this, Yee Jee managed to record a highly personal video diary of his trip…

Documentary on the making of the film Auton.

5. Dragonfire - How is a Doctor Who story made? Cast and crew from the Doctor Who story Dragonfire got together at Panopticon IX in a lively and sometimes hilarious discussion which covers every aspect of the making of a television programme. However, you’ll see lots of other personalities from other eras as we stop along the way to look at particular aspects of the programme.

In 1996, Doctor Who returned as a TV Movie, filmed on location in Vancouver, Canada. Actress Daphne Ashbrook was cast as the eighth Doctor’s assistant, Grace Holloway. Bold and new, the film gave Paul McGann the chance to play Doctor Who and Daphne made Grace a powerful and uncompromising character … and a controversial love interest for The Doctor! In the Summer of 2004, Daphne visited the UK to make some personal appearances and re-join the world of Doctor Who, by recording an audio play, The Next Life, for Big Finish! In this unique programme, featuring interviews, appearances, signings … and film of Daphne’s Big Finish recording with Paul McGann, we discover much about this talented actress and her memories of filming the Doctor Who TV Movie.

By her own admission, Katy Manning is ‘as blind as a bat’ and never knows where she’ll end up. When she suddenly arrived in the UK, Katy was probably as surprised as the rest of us! Determined to thank the legion of Doctor Who fans who had written and supported her during her years abroad, Katy embarked on a whirlwind tour of British conventions and shops before leaving (yet again) for Australia… Along the way bump into Nicholas Courtney, Richard Franklin, John Leeson, Sophie Aldred, Sylvester McCoy, Michael Sheard and other surprise guest stars!

In April 1983, Roger Stevens and James Russell were given “Access All Areas” passes to the BBC’s Doctor Who celebrations at Longleat. Armed with a Ferguson Videostar camera they set out to record as much of the event as they could. While the BBC’s official footage amounts to only a few minutes for news broadcasts, James and Roger recorded several hours, and their material includes interviews with both Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker. Some of this material has been used in other productions by both Reeltime Pictures and BBC Video, but the original tapes were thought to be lost forever – until rediscovered earlier this year. So now enjoy another chance to take a trip to Longleat in 1983. The sound may not be perfect and the pictures come from ageing VHS tapes – but the atmosphere is unmistakable. So avoid the queues, and get to the front of the line with a trip down memory lane!

On August 6th 1977, the world’s first Doctor Who convention was held in a church hall in Battersea, South London. Organised by The Doctor Who Appreciation Society (DWAS), Convention ’77 was ground breaking, featuring star appearances from the, then, current Doctor Tom Baker with his latest assistant Louise Jameson and former Doctor Who Jon Pertwee. Together with autograph sessions, a display of props, a visual FX lecture by Mat Irvine and talks by Terrance Dicks and producer Graham Williams, this convention set the tone for the future and led directly to the legendary DWAS PanoptiCons of the 1980s and 90s. 40 years later, stars, guests, fans and organisers returned to the church hall to reminiscence about that special day … what they expected and what they experienced. Also, to evaluate its importance … what it started … and what it led to!

The Grand Pier opened on the 11th June 1904. The first pavilion housed a 2,000-seat theatre and the second a vast entertainment complex. Both were destroyed by fire. This is the story of over 100 years of history up to 2008. After a devastating fire destroyed the pavilion in 2008, owners Kerry and Michelle Michael immediately decided to rebuild and embarked on an amazing journey that took over two years to complete. In 2010, with the new pavilion nearly complete, everyone was working toward the re-opening. The pavilion had to be fitted out and 300 new staff employed. Would it open on time and, more importantly, would it be a success?