CELEBRATING PATRICK TROUGHTON, AND 'THE POWER OF THE DALEKS'

The Second Doctor unveiled - Patrick Troughton, an image used for the 1968 UK Doctor Who annual. Below is the restored image by Clayton Hickman.

Celebrating the new release of the updated animated version of  The Power of the Daleks on Blu-ray and DVD from 27th July, 2020, plus the centenary of Patrick Troughton's birth, enjoy this ongoing tribute to the Second Doctor's debut on UK TV, a soon-described 'Cosmic Hobo' emerging after his 'rejuvenation' from the dying body of William Hartnell incarnation, as witnessed by millions of dedicated Saturday night BBC 1 viewers from 5th November, 1966.

An image surely taken during the final costume test for Patrick Troughton's Doctor at BBC TV centre, London. The harlequin check trousers would only be worn for his first two stories then replaced.

An early reference photo presumably from Power director Christopher Barry's personal archive, used as the memorable cover to Doctor Who Magazine.

Note that Troughton would have a different bow tie by the time of filming. Restoration by Clayton Hickman.

Image restoration by Clayton Hickman.

The image in B/W (used in colour for the 1968 annual, but this time presented here in the right side). Note the yet to be painted recorder, of which the prop was the actor's suggestion in having.

First off is the earliest imagery of Troughton in visual character as the Doctor, images we assume from a costume test reference taken at BBC TV centre in the week or two leading up to filming. (Note the stove pipe hat that would disappear by the actor's third story, a haircut changed to a Beatles' mop haircut, and a different bow tie). Two colour images from the test shoot were used within the first Second Doctor annual of 1968, which would be published in the UK by World Distributors in September, 1967. The same two images (and likely a third that remains unpublished) were also used as reference for interior art in the annual's text adventures. The annual's story content and profile of the newly 'regenerated' (not 'rejuvenated') Doctor, with companions Ben and Polly, centred on their characters as written and portrayed in The Power of the Daleks. Presumably because of a tight timeline of production for the annual in early 1967 (at a time when the series future and merchandising potential may have been in doubt with Hartnell's departure), of which future decisions from the TV series production office possibly caused a delay, there was no way for World Distributors to incorporate Jamie McCrimmon as a companion, who'd be introduced in the next TV story, until 1968.

The first Second Doctor annual of 1968. The main Troughton art may have come from a very rare B/W image of The Doctor with Ben and Polly in the TARDIS, from this story.