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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #150
Doctor Who: Survival
The Doctor takes Ace back home to Perivale so she can catch up with her old friends. But Perivale has changed, the old gang has split up, and some of them have vanished without trace. They are not the only ones - West London is plagued by unexplained disappearances.
Before long the mysterious kidnappers make themselves known. A race of galactic hunters called the Cheetah people have found a way to transport themselves to Earth - and the entire human race is their prey. They have been shown the doorway to the planet by an old foe of the Doctor, a bitter and desperate enemy who needs the Doctor's help to free him from a diabolic enchantment.
As the Doctor tries to unravel the mystery, Ace finds some of her old friends, trapped on the savage and beautiful world of the Cheetah People. But the only way she can lead them to safety is to allow herself to succumb, like so many before her, to the curse of the planet. The Doctor realises that Ace's new powers will provide the only route home, but it will mean the sacrifice of her humanity to the most bestial and dark side of human nature...
Before long the mysterious kidnappers make themselves known. A race of galactic hunters called the Cheetah people have found a way to transport themselves to Earth - and the entire human race is their prey. They have been shown the doorway to the planet by an old foe of the Doctor, a bitter and desperate enemy who needs the Doctor's help to free him from a diabolic enchantment.
As the Doctor tries to unravel the mystery, Ace finds some of her old friends, trapped on the savage and beautiful world of the Cheetah People. But the only way she can lead them to safety is to allow herself to succumb, like so many before her, to the curse of the planet. The Doctor realises that Ace's new powers will provide the only route home, but it will mean the sacrifice of her humanity to the most bestial and dark side of human nature...
136 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1990
2 people are currently reading
210 people want to read
About the author
Rona Munro
74 books14 followersRona Munro is a Scottish writer. She has written plays for theatre, radio, and television. Her film work includes Ken Loach's Ladybird, Ladybird (1994), Oranges and Sunshine (2010) for Jim Loach and Aimée & Jaguar (1999), co-authored by German director Max Färberböck. Her television work includes the last Doctor Who television serial of the original run to air, Survival (1989), episodes of the drama series Casualty (BBC) and the BBC film Rehab., directed by Antonia Bird.
Her play Iron which has received many productions worldwide. Other plays include Strawberries in January (translation) for the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Mary Barton for Manchester Royal Exchange, Long Time Dead for Plymouth Drum Theatre and Paines Plough, and The Indian Boy for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Munro contributed eight dramas to Radio 4's Stanley Baxter Playhouse: First Impressions, Wheeling Them In, The King's Kilt, Pasta Alfreddo at Cafe Alessandro, The Man in the Garden, The Porter's Story, The German Pilot and The Spider.
In 2006 the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith presented Munro's adaptation of Richard Adams' classic book, Watership Down.
Her play, The Last Witch, was performed at the 2009 Edinburgh Festival, directed by Dominic Hill, and in 2011 by Dumbarton People's Theatre. Her history cycle The James Plays, James I, James II and James III, were first performed by the National Theatre of Scotland in summer 2014 in a co-production with Edinburgh International Festival and the National Theatre of Scotland.
Her play Iron which has received many productions worldwide. Other plays include Strawberries in January (translation) for the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Mary Barton for Manchester Royal Exchange, Long Time Dead for Plymouth Drum Theatre and Paines Plough, and The Indian Boy for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Munro contributed eight dramas to Radio 4's Stanley Baxter Playhouse: First Impressions, Wheeling Them In, The King's Kilt, Pasta Alfreddo at Cafe Alessandro, The Man in the Garden, The Porter's Story, The German Pilot and The Spider.
In 2006 the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith presented Munro's adaptation of Richard Adams' classic book, Watership Down.
Her play, The Last Witch, was performed at the 2009 Edinburgh Festival, directed by Dominic Hill, and in 2011 by Dumbarton People's Theatre. Her history cycle The James Plays, James I, James II and James III, were first performed by the National Theatre of Scotland in summer 2014 in a co-production with Edinburgh International Festival and the National Theatre of Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 8, 2016
I'm wondering if Rona Munro's playwriting skills helped in the crafting of this little gem of a novelization. For a three-part television story, translated into Target's strict word count, this book contains an enormous amount of emotion & depth of detail, numerous delightful character touches, and a grim mood so thick you could reach out and touch it. It's a novel that manages to be both concise & immensely satisfying, and compares favourably to the best of the early Target books, especially the "Doctor Who" novelization of the late Malcolm Hulke. It still holds up after nearly 20 years.
January 18, 2018
42 WORD REVIEW:
The Target range of Doctor Who books for the most part offered mere echoes of the televised serials. Survival is something of an exception, Rona Munro turning her scripts into a straightforward but effective novel operating free of the story’s on-screen limitations.
The Target range of Doctor Who books for the most part offered mere echoes of the televised serials. Survival is something of an exception, Rona Munro turning her scripts into a straightforward but effective novel operating free of the story’s on-screen limitations.
April 2, 2023
There wasn’t so much of a surprise when the novelization of Survival did not end with that monologue that practically every Doctor Who fan can quote, as an understanding that the novelization didn’t actually need it. Survival was published in 1990 and enough time had passed that it was clear the show would not be back in 1991, with the first four New Adventures novels being just on the horizon, that the speech doesn’t feel necessary. This just would have added Andrew Cartmel’s, albeit always interesting, unnecessary influence on perhaps the more interesting form of Rona Munro’s story. Like other three part stories on television, Survival has a script that is crafted specifically to work, but in novelization naturally has more time to breathe. This is not a novelization which was given an extension in terms of length or word count, but Rona Munro takes a story that is already very much focused on characterization and intensifies it. There is this early moment where Ace reflects on her last two adventures, Ghost Light and The Curse of Fenric, with how her relationship to the Doctor has changed. While it obviously wouldn’t happen, there is this idea that Survival could have been Ace’s final adventure in the TARDIS.
Much of what makes the novelization improve on an already great television story is how the characters’ relationships are almost heightened. Munro thrives in the prose format, perhaps due to her history as a playwright before this. The Cheetah People feel all the more alien yet still more human throughout, partially due to more emotion being seen without having to look at the cumbersome costumes. The costumes on television were great and served their purpose, but in the novel there is something almost greater about having the ability to get in their heads. This also helps Munro’s subtext between Ace and Karra, something that was done well on screen due to the script and performances, feel all the more real here in the novelization. There is this homoerotic subtext throughout Survival, more than just with Ace, but it’s there due to the anti-authoritarian bent of the story adds this big tear of society breaking down. The breakdown of society is what the Cheetah People represent, with the implication being this is due to some militarism and allowing authority to turn them into savages. It makes an interesting parallel to ideas towards acceptance bringing people together as a group that is clearly intended by Munro.
Overall, Survival was perhaps one of the more surprising and sadly overlooked Target novelizations due to being latte and less notable. There aren’t any scenes that are really added, but the moments that are there are clearly there because this is a book and not a television story. It’s among the best novelizations and people should track this one down in particular. 10/10.
Much of what makes the novelization improve on an already great television story is how the characters’ relationships are almost heightened. Munro thrives in the prose format, perhaps due to her history as a playwright before this. The Cheetah People feel all the more alien yet still more human throughout, partially due to more emotion being seen without having to look at the cumbersome costumes. The costumes on television were great and served their purpose, but in the novel there is something almost greater about having the ability to get in their heads. This also helps Munro’s subtext between Ace and Karra, something that was done well on screen due to the script and performances, feel all the more real here in the novelization. There is this homoerotic subtext throughout Survival, more than just with Ace, but it’s there due to the anti-authoritarian bent of the story adds this big tear of society breaking down. The breakdown of society is what the Cheetah People represent, with the implication being this is due to some militarism and allowing authority to turn them into savages. It makes an interesting parallel to ideas towards acceptance bringing people together as a group that is clearly intended by Munro.
Overall, Survival was perhaps one of the more surprising and sadly overlooked Target novelizations due to being latte and less notable. There aren’t any scenes that are really added, but the moments that are there are clearly there because this is a book and not a television story. It’s among the best novelizations and people should track this one down in particular. 10/10.
July 20, 2021
While not an amazing story, is a strong story to finish off the classic Doctor Who run. While the Doctor has chosen the destination, this is more in the mould of earlier stories, where it is a purely reactive based adventure with the Doctor not at all aware of what is going to occur before he gets into it.
The Master returns here, and is in great form here really - is less pantomime than in prior versions (though I do enjoy that factor of this incarnation), but his malevolence is right up there, and is very driven in this story, leading to great interactions between himself and the Doctor, and anyone who may get in the way.
I found it nice that even here, where it is sort of continuing the idea that the Doctor is no mere Time Lord, here it is made clear that the Master is still more or less his equal but opposite as such, so he still feels a definite threat.
The plot itself is an interesting one, with an interesting idea about how planets can be, and some interesting twists and turns along the way as well, and fits nicely as a finale.
It doesn't have the final lines of dialogue that the TV episode has, which is a shame, but still leaves a bit of a melancholy feeling that this was the last one. Certainly when younger would be a sad read, and I couldn't get into the New Adventures as found it too adult as such for me (when only a young teenager at the time), but nowadays with the new series, and also eventually getting into the Big Finish audios which very much capture the varying tones of the classic doctor who stories, there is much more to look forward to now, so it isn't quite so sad finishing this one :)
The Master returns here, and is in great form here really - is less pantomime than in prior versions (though I do enjoy that factor of this incarnation), but his malevolence is right up there, and is very driven in this story, leading to great interactions between himself and the Doctor, and anyone who may get in the way.
I found it nice that even here, where it is sort of continuing the idea that the Doctor is no mere Time Lord, here it is made clear that the Master is still more or less his equal but opposite as such, so he still feels a definite threat.
The plot itself is an interesting one, with an interesting idea about how planets can be, and some interesting twists and turns along the way as well, and fits nicely as a finale.
It doesn't have the final lines of dialogue that the TV episode has, which is a shame, but still leaves a bit of a melancholy feeling that this was the last one. Certainly when younger would be a sad read, and I couldn't get into the New Adventures as found it too adult as such for me (when only a young teenager at the time), but nowadays with the new series, and also eventually getting into the Big Finish audios which very much capture the varying tones of the classic doctor who stories, there is much more to look forward to now, so it isn't quite so sad finishing this one :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2025
I really liked the orginal tv story of survival and I did feel abit disappointed with this one. In fact I kind of had to force myself to finish it. The book itself isn't a bad one, it's well written, and the characters are the main focus here. Which allows us to really feel the weight of the story and Aces journey of fighting within herself. I enjoyed that, however the story of the planet and the cheeter people doesn't get the coverage it needs to make any sense. I did find it much more understandable here but theres still not a lot of answers more hints. The planet is alive and evolves people into killer cats essentially. The dr tells Ace she mustnt fight or become aggressive as it will consume her. Which is what ends up happening with the master. However the line is cut of "if we fight like animals. well die like animals". Here it's just "if we fight well die". So it seems odd when surely that's the point of the story. There's also alot of padding made about how you can jump in and out of the planet. But the dr does it twice and its never explained why.
On the little hints of Aces sexualty, this isn't as big as on the tv, which I find interesting. Did this get cut from the writer or did target do it. Its there but I didn't feel like how they show it in the tv story. But maybe it's just me. I also thought it ended so quickly and rather dull. There's no reason why we still couldn't have that beautiful speech from the dr at the end. So overally it's a fine book but a little dull.
On the little hints of Aces sexualty, this isn't as big as on the tv, which I find interesting. Did this get cut from the writer or did target do it. Its there but I didn't feel like how they show it in the tv story. But maybe it's just me. I also thought it ended so quickly and rather dull. There's no reason why we still couldn't have that beautiful speech from the dr at the end. So overally it's a fine book but a little dull.
May 26, 2021
This is the novelization of the last TV story of the Classic series of Doctor Who (1963-1989). Essentially, the Doctor brings Ace home to Perivale but her friends have gone missing. This leads the Doctor and Ace into a confrontation with Cheetah people and the Master. At the center of the story, is the concept of survival of the fittest. It's a good story and the audio is read by Lisa Bowerman who played Karra in the TV story (but more famously, the New Adventures companion Bernice Summerfield in her long series of Big Finish audios). Bowerman is an excellent narrator and the book gets into the character's heads, especially Ace's, more than what comes across on screen (especially towards the start). The only major complaint is that the Doctor's speech at the very end is excluded, but that's excusable as it was a last-minute addition when it became clear that this was potentially the end.
July 3, 2021
"Survival" was the final story in the regular run of Doctor Who. It has all the elements of the transformation that script editor Andrew Cartmell made to Doctor Who. The story is more fantasy than science fiction. It concentrates its narrative focus on the companion Ace more than on The Doctor. And it has just a bit historical kitsch, in this case in the form of Midge's transformation into a leather-clad, sunglass-wearing, 1950s style biker. Rona Munro's novelization of her script starts in Terrance Dicks fashion, being mostly a faithful and unimaginative transcription of the TV script, written for an audience about 12 years old. However, the narrative picks up about halfway in, with the writing level rising and the novelistic touches more apparent. Curiously, Munro leaves out the most memorable speeches from the TV broadcast. Perhaps these had been added by Cartmel and she felt no attachment to them. The novelization, then, is serviceable.
January 21, 2024
"You can never completely leave the planet because you carry it with you inside yourself."
This is the last novelization of tv episode of classic who (before the tv movie novel that is) Ace wants to see how the old gang is getting on, so The Doctor takes her back to Perivale. Only to discover her friends have gone missing. Which leads the pair to another planet where The Master is involved and Cheetah people are roaming around.
I enjoyed the adaptation and I loved the character development of Ace. I wished more of the original dialogue was kept- especially the concluding monologue from The Doctor- it might not have been in the original script and added in on a later date??? That's the only reason I can thing of for not being included.
"So what's so terrible about Perivale?"
"Nothing ever happens here." - famous last words
This is the last novelization of tv episode of classic who (before the tv movie novel that is) Ace wants to see how the old gang is getting on, so The Doctor takes her back to Perivale. Only to discover her friends have gone missing. Which leads the pair to another planet where The Master is involved and Cheetah people are roaming around.
I enjoyed the adaptation and I loved the character development of Ace. I wished more of the original dialogue was kept- especially the concluding monologue from The Doctor- it might not have been in the original script and added in on a later date??? That's the only reason I can thing of for not being included.
"So what's so terrible about Perivale?"
"Nothing ever happens here." - famous last words
May 22, 2017
If Terrance Dicks had written the novelization of Survival, the book would've been 30 pages. Watching the actual televised episode, Rona Munro's story doesn't feel padded, but when plotted as a chapter book, good LAWD this thing drags.
Here's the gist of the story: the Master is stuck on a planet that's exploding (?) and filled with cheetah people (??) and he needs the Doctor to help him escape (???), and thrown in there somewhere is a lesson about Darwinism, yet to save everyone the Doctor yells "If we fight we die!" and everything is resolved (?!?!?).
Usually Target novelizations are fun, or kitschy, or cute facsimiles of their original serials, but Survival felt like homework.
Here's the gist of the story: the Master is stuck on a planet that's exploding (?) and filled with cheetah people (??) and he needs the Doctor to help him escape (???), and thrown in there somewhere is a lesson about Darwinism, yet to save everyone the Doctor yells "If we fight we die!" and everything is resolved (?!?!?).
Usually Target novelizations are fun, or kitschy, or cute facsimiles of their original serials, but Survival felt like homework.
November 28, 2023
Doctor Who : Survival (1990) by Rona Monro is the serialisation of the final serial of the original Doctor Who series. The serial, like The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, the final serial of the previous season no doubt referring to the looming end of the show.
The Doctor and Ace return to a mysteriously quiet Perivale where Ace finds her friends to be missing. Nefarious strange cats are involved in the disappearances. The serial has a strong shade of fantasy to it. The disappearances lead to an even stranger planet where the Master and Cheetah people roam.
It’s not a bad serial but it’s more one for completionists.
The Doctor and Ace return to a mysteriously quiet Perivale where Ace finds her friends to be missing. Nefarious strange cats are involved in the disappearances. The serial has a strong shade of fantasy to it. The disappearances lead to an even stranger planet where the Master and Cheetah people roam.
It’s not a bad serial but it’s more one for completionists.
April 2, 2022
A very well written and well thought-out novel that unfortunately started to drag towards the end. It was pretty fun just taking in the atmosphere of the alien world (creatively named the 'planet of the cheetah people') but then all the main characters escape and just sorta wander about for 30ish pages. One thing I didn't expect is how thematically complex this was, especially given the premise, but that combined with the pretty tense atmosphere gave this the potential to be rated a lot higher.
August 10, 2022
A great adaptation to a great story! Survival was the final story in the classic run of 1963-1989 for Doctor Who, and it is really ending the classic series on a high note. It provides amazing character development for Ace (as did the prior two stories in season 26) and shows that even the Doctor is helpless sometimes. Although Chapter Five was way too long, (three times all the other chapters) this book didn't drag anywhere and was a fun read!
September 12, 2023
Survival was the last episode of the original Doctor Who series and so holds a bittersweet place in the DW canon. Although I don't think this is the best episode in fact, I think it is quite an odd story. But because it has a lot of nostalgia for me, I ended up giving it four stars when it probably is closer to three.
May 17, 2018
I would have liked to hear the lines that were added to the end of the episode, but otherwise it was a good novelisation of the last episode of Classic Doctor Who.
September 15, 2024
Brutal, and a brillliant study of Ace.
August 26, 2025
3.5. I vaguely remember this series of episodes, it's making me want to hunt them down again (pun intended, of course)
July 21, 2015
In many ways the televised version was better than this - there are minor changes (Paterson is a police sergeant, not Army; the epilogue spoken by the Doctor as he and Ace head back to the TARDIS is missing... though as that was a dub anyway as a sort of post script before the cancellation that hardly counts as a difference!) but the rest of the story is more or less as seen. A missed opportunity to fill out the Cheetah People a bit more (if Karra turns human again as she dies are the others also human?). The best bits are probably the description of Perivale - it reads as a dull Sunday afternoon (though not wet!); no wonder Ace wanted out!
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April 8, 2009http://nhw.livejournal.com/1081346.html#cutid4[return][return]Well, a decent novelisation of what I felt was not such a great story. The whole thing seemed a bit more coherent on the page than on screen, and Ace's reactions to returning to Perivale somehow made more sense here. A reasonable effort with unpromising material, with the Cheetahs' planet much more convincing (and an interesting digression on the Master/Doctor relationship which I may copy separately). Passes the Bechdel test thanks to the Ace/Karra scenes.
April 16, 2008
The last of the original TV episodes had a cool, different kind of alien and the return of an old bad guy in an interesting way.
Was sad when Who went off the air, but glad they went out with a good one.
Was sad when Who went off the air, but glad they went out with a good one.
June 3, 2016
One of the best and probably the most under rated original Who ever. Well worth a read.
March 17, 2025
A solid novelization of a solid episode. The prose helps to elevate portions of the episode which did not come across well on screen.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews