Doctor Who producer reveals how classic episode narrowly avoided "alarming" hospital incident

During his time on the early years of Doctor Who, producer Innes Lloyd witnessed the series narrowly avoid what he described as an "alarming" incident in British hospitals.

Lloyd documented his thoughts about his life and work in personal notes that were found upon his death in 1991, which are the focus of new BBC Four documentary, Innes Lloyd: The Producer.

In an exclusive clip shared with RadioTimes.com, one undated personal note from the 1970s sees him reflect on the violence in Doctor Who, particularly in one scene from The Underwater Menace.

He said: "I think one was always aware of the violence because I had, at the time, very young children.

"One incident that did alarm us at the time was in an episode where we showed one of the characters in the programme being given an injection. I've forgotten why. When it went out, a nurse rang up and said, 'Do you realise how many children will be coming into hospital and having injections today? Your programme has probably made them very afraid.'"

However, as Lloyd recalled, the scenes had quite the opposite impact.

"As it happened, that next day we had reports of children in hospital and doctor's surgeries, asking for injections like the ones shown in Doctor Who," the note adds.

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Lloyd's tenure on Doctor Who began in 1966 and saw him oversee iconic serials like The Celestial Toymaker and The Gunfighters. He also oversaw the first ever regeneration, which saw William Hartnell hand the baton over to Patrick Troughton.

The producer stayed with Doctor Who for two years, leaving in 1968, and handing over to Peter Bryant after The Enemy of the World.

In 1991, Lloyd died of cancer at the age of 65, however his legacy continues to live on.

The new documentary, narrated by Jane Asher, features excerpts from his interviews over the years and from his personal notes, as well as interviews with those close to him, including his wife, Susan Lloyd, and former Doctor Who star Frazer Hines.

Innes Lloyd: The Producer will air on BBC Four on 23rd December at 8:25pm. Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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