While audiences are gearing up for The Day Of The Doctor, Doctor Who fans can also expect another great special coming from the BBC called An Adventure In Space And Time – telling the story of how Doctor Who came to be in real life, 50 years ago on November 23 – an valuable depiction of the beginning of what would become a cultural phenomenon and the longest-running sci-fi series in history.

Mark Gatiss, of Doctor Who and Sherlock fame, writes and produces the special, which features David Bradley (Harry Potter, Game of Thrones) as William Hartnell – the first Doctor – in a piece of casting that sees Bradley look just like Hartnell. The similarities are eerie.

An Adventure In Space And Time tells of how the television show came into being, the importance of first showrunner Verity Lambert (played by Jessica Raine), and the world-shattering approach in the impossible task of trying to tell stories on poor budgeting and how much of a phenomenon the series quickly became.

In tribute to the classic haunted house/ghost horror movies of the 1970s, Doctor Who enters into the paranormal of a poltergeist fare, with Hide as Series 7 continues. In a story written by Neil Cross, and directed by Jamie Payne, the Doctor (Matt Smith) and companion Clara Oswald (Jenna-Louise Coleman) arrive at Claiburn House on November 25, 1974, where they meet two ghost hunters.”

In the gigantic mansion, Professor Alec Palmer (Dougray Scott) and his assistant, an empath named Emma Grayling (Jessica Raine) are investigating a strange apparition that has been appearing on the site since well before it was built. The Doctor and Clara begin to assist them with their investigation, suspecting more to the story than just being a ghost story; while the Doctor may have an additional reason for visiting Claiburn House in 1974…

During TARDISblend 62, we discuss the tributes made to classic horror movies and stories from the Seventies, and take a look at the numerous references to Classic Doctor Who. We also look at the connections with made with the upcoming docudrama focusing on the beginnings of Doctor Who, called An Adventure In Space And Time.

As usual, we make some Classic Who recommendations too… All this and more on the latest TARDISblend!