2. We Can Overcome The Odds
In the beginning, "Doctor Who" was the scrappy little program that never gave up on itself. There's a hilarious scene in "An Adventure in Space and Time" where the sprinklers in the old, crumbling studio the production is forced into open up and drown the set. Lines are fumbled and left in because they only have four chances to edit the tape. The TARDIS doors won't stay closed. The higher-ups are keen to cancel the show before it even has a chance to start. The show didn't survive due to the talent and brilliance of the team though there was plenty of that. It triumphed through sheer perseverance. This is the shiny, little secret behind everything that is made and endures. Brains and ability can only take you so far. At some point you find yourself slogging through the stinking cesspools of the third moon of Diogenes Three and you have to decide whether to forget rescuing the colonists and head back to the TARDIS or brave the muck on the off chance your actions will make a difference. Verity Lambert and Waris Hussein never looked back, and neither does the Doctor.