In a sentenceDavid Bradley makes caring this much about a television job seem entirely reasonable
In the early 1960s, William Hartnell (David Bradley) becomes involved in bringing Doctor Who to television. Verity Lambert (Jessica Raine) wants to get the programme made in a business dominated by men, with Waris Hussein (Sacha Dhawan) part of the undertaking. Hartnell’s prickly manner makes working together difficult, but there is warmth beneath it. Lambert presses ahead with her plans as the programme begins to take shape. For Hartnell, the venture offers work that starts to matter beyond the ordinary demands of a job.
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David Bradley gives this drama about the beginnings of Doctor Who enough warmth to reach beyond its devotees. The first half is thin, but his performance makes the affection feel earned.
An Adventure in Space and Time is a warm, affecting drama with a rather thin account of how its television programme gets started. Written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Terry McDonough, it is most persuasive when William Hartnell’s investment in Doctor Who becomes its central concern. There is affection for the programme throughout, and sometimes that affection excuses scenes which need more friction or detail. David Bradley gives it the human interest that a dutiful recreation would lack.
David Bradley lets William Hartnell be difficult without making difficulty his whole personality. The prickliness has weight, and the warmth does not arrive as an apology for it. We were moved by the affection for the job that shows through his bad temper; it makes his attachment to Doctor Who easy to understand, even without sharing it. There is enough going on in this performance to hold our attention when the writing takes a familiar route.
Jessica Raine’s Verity Lambert gives the film another useful source of energy, with her determination set against a television business run largely by men. That difficulty is clear, but the first half could spend more time letting us understand how she thinks and works. Mark Gatiss gets the broad pressures across without always giving individual encounters enough substance. The opening stretch is watchable, but we kept wanting a more detailed account of her work.
John Pardue’s cinematography and Dave Arrowsmith’s production design make the recreated early 1960s persuasive without requiring us to inspect every detail. The period setting gives these people a working environment we can accept, which matters in a drama so dependent on their attachment to the job. There is care here, and it helps. Terry McDonough keeps the performances central, so the reconstruction seldom becomes the only reason to watch.
Philip Kloss keeps the 83-minute film brisk, though speed cannot give the thinner early scenes more substance. The rhythm grows more comfortable once William Hartnell becomes the main concern. Edmund Butt’s music gives the tenderness a little more emphasis than it needs, but the feeling is already present in the performance. David Bradley is doing enough for us to believe it.
As a drama about the beginnings of a much-loved programme, it faces the usual temptation to treat everything as important because of what came afterwards. Mark Gatiss does not avoid that trap entirely, and familiarity with Doctor Who will supply some of the interest that the opening cannot generate for itself. Yet the attachment to work is plain enough to reach beyond the fans. We need not know the programme’s history to recognise the pleasure of finding a job that matters. Give the opening a little patience; David Bradley is worth waiting for.
Most critics respond warmly to An Adventure in Space and Time, with praise centred on David Bradley’s portrayal of William Hartnell. The reviews repeatedly credit him with finding warmth beneath the actor’s irascibility and giving the Doctor Who origin story its emotional force. Several find the drama particularly affecting when it concentrates on the people invested in making the programme. The recreation of the early 1960s and the portrayal of Verity Lambert’s determination also draw praise.
Reservations concern the storytelling and historical accuracy rather than the performances. Digital Spy acknowledges liberties with history but still finds the drama engaging and moving. Den of Geek is more guarded about a formulaic, thin first half, while remaining persuaded by Bradley and the film’s affection for its subject. The available verdicts differ chiefly in enthusiasm, with no strongly negative response; the supplied Time Out material offers no specific judgement to explain its lower score.
The review finds the docudrama strongest when it centers on the people for whom Doctor Who was more than a job. It especially praises David Bradley’s portrayal of William Hartnell, capturing his irascibility and hidden warmth.
Read the full review →Setchfield finds the drama a magical, triumphant blend of history and fantasy. He particularly praises David Bradley’s soulful portrayal of William Hartnell and the meticulous recreation of the early 1960s.
Read the full review →Bernardin praises the film as a heartfelt, lively origin story that pays tribute to Doctor Who. He especially singles out David Bradley’s warm, heartbreaking performance as William Hartnell.
Read the full review →Lloyd finds the film potent and affecting, especially for Doctor Who fans. He singles out David Bradley’s portrayal of William Hartnell for its blend of triumph and tragedy.
Read the full review →Wollaston calls the drama a lovely way to begin the Doctor Who anniversary celebrations. He praises its portrayal of Verity Lambert’s vision and determination in a male-dominated television world.
Read the full review →The available page metadata identifies this as a critical review, but does not reveal the critic’s verdict. No specific praise or complaint is available in the supplied page text.
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Ed WoodAnother affectionate portrait of stubborn people making screen entertainment under unpromising circumstances.
Day for Night · not reviewed yetThe working relationships behind a production receive their own patient, amused attention.
The Dish · not reviewed yetA small team’s technical work becomes a warmly comic piece of television history.
Their Finest · not reviewed yetA woman negotiates a male-dominated film business while trying to make worthwhile work.
Good Night, and Good Luck.For more television history, with workplace pressures given a sharper political edge.
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