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Doctor Who 50 : The Essential Guide
This essential guide to fifty years of Doctor Who includes all eleven incarnations of the Doctor and fascinating facts on his adventures in space and time, as well as his helpful companions and fearsome foes. Find out all about the Doctor's TARDIS, his regenerations, and much, much more!
208 pages, Hardcover
First published October 7, 2013
14 people are currently reading
501 people want to read
About the author
Justin Richards
330 books241 followersJustin Richards is a British writer. He has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and he is Creative Director for the BBC Books range. He has also written for television, contributing to Five's soap opera Family Affairs. He is also the author of a series of crime novels for children about the Invisible Detective, and novels for older children. His Doctor Who novel The Burning was placed sixth in the Top 10 of SFX magazine's "Best SF/Fantasy novelisation or TV tie-in novel" category of 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
December 24, 2015
4/5 Stars
I LOVE Doctor Who! Simple as. The only problem is I know/knew rather nothing about the previous Doctor's or their pasts. You see I first watched Doctor Who when it came back on TV in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston. From that moment on I was drawn towards all things Doctor Who and watched it right up until the end of David Tennant's time as Doctor. For reasons that would just take too long for me to even begin why I haven't watched it since then will take too long so I won't.
After re-watching the entire 2005-the end of like I said, end of David Tennant's time as Doctor, with my partner, I thought what a shame it is that I know nothing about the previous Doctors and who played them. So here came this book (that I sneaked from my partner to read) that I came across everything that I wanted to know.
The book is beautifully designed in it's entire layout and how it presents it's information. The information is straight forward and to the point which is what I wanted. I can say now I am feeling a lot more update with the Doctor Who past and have to say that I am pretty impressed with the storylines that were conducted all those years ago and can easily understand why they have brought back some of the foes from all those years to now present day.
A great catch up read.
I LOVE Doctor Who! Simple as. The only problem is I know/knew rather nothing about the previous Doctor's or their pasts. You see I first watched Doctor Who when it came back on TV in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston. From that moment on I was drawn towards all things Doctor Who and watched it right up until the end of David Tennant's time as Doctor. For reasons that would just take too long for me to even begin why I haven't watched it since then will take too long so I won't.
After re-watching the entire 2005-the end of like I said, end of David Tennant's time as Doctor, with my partner, I thought what a shame it is that I know nothing about the previous Doctors and who played them. So here came this book (that I sneaked from my partner to read) that I came across everything that I wanted to know.
The book is beautifully designed in it's entire layout and how it presents it's information. The information is straight forward and to the point which is what I wanted. I can say now I am feeling a lot more update with the Doctor Who past and have to say that I am pretty impressed with the storylines that were conducted all those years ago and can easily understand why they have brought back some of the foes from all those years to now present day.
A great catch up read.
January 15, 2024
A very interesting book full of information about the First Doctor to the Twelfth Doctor. I've been a fan of Torchwood and the New Who, so I'm familiar with the Doctors/characters and the storylines.
It is really nice to learn about the classic Doctors who I didn't really know about until I read the book. To be honest I am interested in watching the classic Doctor Who - I've already watched a few episodes of the First Doctor and that's it really.
What was surprising is I didn't know the Doctor had quite a lot of enemies.
I found this book very fantastic (in the words of the Ninth Doctor). It's a must have book for any Doctor Who fan, young and old.
It is really nice to learn about the classic Doctors who I didn't really know about until I read the book. To be honest I am interested in watching the classic Doctor Who - I've already watched a few episodes of the First Doctor and that's it really.
What was surprising is I didn't know the Doctor had quite a lot of enemies.
I found this book very fantastic (in the words of the Ninth Doctor). It's a must have book for any Doctor Who fan, young and old.
December 29, 2013
I am a newbie to the world of Doctor Who. Having watched the 50th Anniversary episode I decided I needed to check out the most recent seasons of the series. This book, given to me as a Christmas present, was a great way to "catch up" on the backstory behind DW. Although I would have liked more detail in regards to the over-arching timeline of events (because that is the most confusing to a new fan like me), I still got a sense of how each Doctor was portrayed. This guide also provided a great Who's Who in regards to companions and enemies. The pictures provided key visuals that complimented the text, and it was fun to see how the series has evolved over time. Just a side note...I agree with a few others who've reviewed The Essential Guide to 50 Years of Doctor Who, who noticed there were some editing slips (typos, punctuation/spacing issues) here and there. But, nothing to be overly concerned with considering the errors didn't diminish the overall purpose of the book.
September 19, 2014
While I guess this book makes an okay overview of the 50 years of Doctor Who, there isn't really much substance to it. I know it can't discuss everything totally in depth or it would be one giant tome, but one sentence descriptions of several of the companions and foes just don't cut it for me. If you've seen the episodes there's not really much new in the information given. There's also some occasionally weird choices on what's included, for example I wouldn't have called the fish people "foes". This is a decent book, especially if you haven't watched the original seasons and just want a quick overview, but it's a bit lacking in detail for me personally.
March 8, 2014
Nicely laid out, glossy, fun. The info is certainly not much new for fans who have actually watched the series but was still nice to paw through. There are little "tidbit" boxes scattered throughout each Doctor's pages which do add a bit of fun trivia even for a fan who's watched as many episodes of both series as possible.
March 28, 2015
I love Doctor and this book is simply gorgeous! I'm so glad that I've picked it up! <3
November 16, 2022
As a Whovian, I have had this book for 10 years. I have gotten it signed by David Tennant who will always be my Doctor that got me into this amazing show. Who has inspired me to do acting. When I met David Tennant I got the chance to tell him that and I saw a great smile on his face and he even asked how it was going. Slow at the time and still now but I will never forget that moment. Best 3 hours of standing in line I ever had.
This book going from the 1st Doctor in 1963 to at the time current 11th Doctor, this book covers it all. All the adventures the amazing Time Lord ever had, all his companions and their end or leave, and all his historical foes that come famous throughout the series. You learn about the actors, how they created the effects in each season of each doctor, the makeup behind each costume and how they were created, how each models of villains was created and who voiced them if it was Daleks, Cybermen, and more. I never knew that the Weeping Angels who I thought were created statues by the prop department were actually real people dressed up to look like statues. Now that is cool and that takes amazing skill as The Weeping Angels had to stand completely motionless, sometimes with arms stretched out, whenever someone looked at them. That takes skill.
I also didn't know about all the different little personality traits of The Doctor each time he regenerated. That each was a different person all together. I mean you kind of get that in the show when watching it but this book goes into much more detail about each incarnation of The Doctor and his personalities.
With the 60th Anniversary coming out in November 2023, I wanted to get this finished so that I can get the next special edition Anniversary book or Doctor Who Magazine. Whichever form the 60th Anniversary takes. I am sure it will be a book or there will be some kind as we had 2 other Doctors, many more companions, and David Tennant returning for the specials as considered the 14th Doctor. This is history in the making and I am glad to be a Whovian along this ride with all the other fans. Here is to another 60 years of Time Travel.
This book going from the 1st Doctor in 1963 to at the time current 11th Doctor, this book covers it all. All the adventures the amazing Time Lord ever had, all his companions and their end or leave, and all his historical foes that come famous throughout the series. You learn about the actors, how they created the effects in each season of each doctor, the makeup behind each costume and how they were created, how each models of villains was created and who voiced them if it was Daleks, Cybermen, and more. I never knew that the Weeping Angels who I thought were created statues by the prop department were actually real people dressed up to look like statues. Now that is cool and that takes amazing skill as The Weeping Angels had to stand completely motionless, sometimes with arms stretched out, whenever someone looked at them. That takes skill.
I also didn't know about all the different little personality traits of The Doctor each time he regenerated. That each was a different person all together. I mean you kind of get that in the show when watching it but this book goes into much more detail about each incarnation of The Doctor and his personalities.
With the 60th Anniversary coming out in November 2023, I wanted to get this finished so that I can get the next special edition Anniversary book or Doctor Who Magazine. Whichever form the 60th Anniversary takes. I am sure it will be a book or there will be some kind as we had 2 other Doctors, many more companions, and David Tennant returning for the specials as considered the 14th Doctor. This is history in the making and I am glad to be a Whovian along this ride with all the other fans. Here is to another 60 years of Time Travel.
September 15, 2018
I was trialing reading this as part of a series of suggestions for new fans of Doctor Who (in spite of being a long and obsessive fan) to see how well suggestions would work with little knowledge.
This is very clearly designed for younger readers but whilst it is generally factually accurate (for the time of initial publication) it is not really informative. Much of the information is duplicated, the explanations are often one sentence and it clearly assumes an already working knowledge of Doctor Who. Also the information is also interrupted by random pieces of trivia whose relevance or interest I would query.
It would make a reasonable gift for a younger child who has seen some Doctor Who and wanted an idea of what else is out there but otherwise has little to offer.
This is very clearly designed for younger readers but whilst it is generally factually accurate (for the time of initial publication) it is not really informative. Much of the information is duplicated, the explanations are often one sentence and it clearly assumes an already working knowledge of Doctor Who. Also the information is also interrupted by random pieces of trivia whose relevance or interest I would query.
It would make a reasonable gift for a younger child who has seen some Doctor Who and wanted an idea of what else is out there but otherwise has little to offer.
April 4, 2018
You pretty much have to be a fan to enjoy this, though if you're relatively "new" to Doctor Who (i.e. since the reboot a decade ago) then it's a great, fairly thorough, overview of the show's fifty year history. I was reminded of things I'd seen in the old episodes I've been able to see, learned about characters and stories I didn't know about, and made some connections from the original/old episodes to the more recent reboot. More nods to the past than I'd realised.
March 22, 2018
while it's not up to date with the Twelfth Doctor as of right now, and is also missing the War Doctor, it's a nice book to read and remember about things in the Who-Series universe! to learn a bit more of the characters of the Old Who for those who didn't yet see it. it was nice to see the faces of some foes and companion I heard of or read of!
April 17, 2023
A great book for Whovians, especially those who may not know a lot about classic Doctor Who. There's a chapter for each Doctor (One through Eleven), noting their episodes, briefly describing more prominent ones, listing their companions, helpers and villains, time tech each Doctor used and how their times ended. Plenty of photos for everything too and little behind the scenes tidbits.
May 28, 2018
A great guide of Doctor Who. From the first Doctor until the Eleventh Doctor.
It talks about each Doctor, their companions, their enemies, their technology, each regeneration and some of their adventures.
It talks about each Doctor, their companions, their enemies, their technology, each regeneration and some of their adventures.
July 10, 2021
lots of pictures (thus I couldn't but love it!) and essential information on episodes, companions, foes and doctors..or rather a Doctor! this edition only goes as far as the 12th, before the Doctor lost his Sonic Screwdriver!!
July 20, 2023
В питаннях класики видання класне і кайфове, але от в питанні існування серіалу починаючи з 1997 і по дату виходу книжки (2016) цей essential guide надивовижу не те щоб essential. Але читати було цікаво)
January 1, 2018
Basic guide for all Doctor Who fans!
January 25, 2017
A good overview of Doctor Who from the beginning until Matt Smith. Lots of pictures and a summary of the storylines, companions and enemies from each season.
August 12, 2017
Good idea for a good little summary of one of the best scifi programmes.
January 3, 2019
A gift from spouse. Interesting. Lots of photos. But not comprehensive.
April 27, 2021
4.2/5 stars
October 3, 2021
I remember being a little underwhelmed when I first got it because I figured it's going to be a story and then it was just.. About the doctors. I have zero regrets though
June 13, 2024
Decent enough though as always with Doctor Who, quickly out of date. Even still, several gaps, especially with the 8th. And nothing at all about War?
August 12, 2016
Justin Richards, “Doctor Who The Essential Guide: Twelfth Doctor Edition” (London: Penguin, 2016)
Fantastic resource. The best book on this amazing TV series I've come across. Well laid out, awesome pictures, well resented. *****
“Originally Doctor Who was intended to alternate between science fiction and historical drama.”
Later the producers came up with “... the idea of 'regeneration' (though they didn't call it that at the time).” (p7)
FIRST DOCTOR
In season two (shown in 1965) the 'Time Meddler' (4 episodes) by Dennis Spooner, William Hartnell's “The Doctor discovers that the single monk at the local monastery has a TARDIS. He is a time meddler from Gallifrey ...” (p10, 13).
“The Meddling Monk is never given a name and is never called a Time Lord. Back then, no one knew where the Doctor was from.” (p18)
“The Meddling Monk's TARDIS looked identical to the Doctor's, on the inside, though it was apparently a later model. The Monk's TARDIS also retained the ability to ability to blend in with its surroundings, while the Doctor's was 'stuck' disguised as a police telephone box designed to blend into 1960s London.” (p20)
SECOND DOCTOR
“After discussing several ideas about how to play the role, Patrick Troughton eventually decided to make the Doctor an intergalactic wanderer – a 'cosmic hobo'. He created an entirely new persona that was still true to the core of the character.” (p24)
THIRD DOCTOR
“... They also discover that the local vicar is actually the Master in disguise.” (p45)
FOURTH DOCTOR
“Born in 1934, Baker had spent time in a monastery before turning to acting. He played … the villain in the film 'The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'.
Almost as eccentric as the Doctor he portrayed, Tom Baker played the role for longer than any other actor.” (p58)
“'Shada' is the 'lost story' of Doctor Who. A six-part adventure written by Douglas Adams, it was to follow 'The Horns of Nimon'. But industrial action at the BBC meant the story was never completed. What was actually shot is available on DVD, and the story can be experienced as a novel by Gareth Roberts. (p65)
FIFTH DOCTOR
“The Fifth Doctor provided all these young people with a safe haven; a home. When things became too much for Tegan and she left, the Doctor was devastated by the thought that he had let her down.” (p80)
SIXTH DOCTOR
“Commander Maxil, responsible for executing the [fifth] Doctor in 'Arc of Infinity', was played by future [sixth] Doctor actor Colin Baker.” (p91, 96)
SEVENTH DOCTOR
“Sophie Aldred (Ace) has done lots of voice-over work … Bob the Builder, and as Dennis the Menace.” (p119)
“... the Doctor got into the Guinness Book of World Records for the greatest number of novels written about a single fictional character...” (p126)
EIGHTH DOCTOR
“... this is the Doctor who not only mentioned his own parents, but also claimed to be half human on his mother's side.” (p128)
NINTH DOCTOR
“Christopher Eccleston … (had a role in) Elizabeth ...” (p136)
TENTH DOCTOR
“David Tennant grew up with Doctor Who. In fact he has cited his love of the programme as one reason why he became an actor. Born in West Lothian in Scotland in 1971, Tennant's real name is David McDonald.” (p154)
ELEVENTH DOCTOR
“Karen Gillan [Amy Pond] has appeared in Doctor Who before, playing one of the soothsayers in The Fires of Pompeii.” (p194)
“The Weeping Angels were not statues – but actresses made up to look like stone, standing very still. And not blinking.” (p198)
“The Silence were based on the figure in Edvard Munch's famous painting 'The Scream'.” (p200)
TWELFTH DOCTOR
“As he finally remembers in The Girl Who Died, the Twelfth Doctor has the same face as Caelilius – the Roman who the Doctor saved, together with his family, fro the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in The Fires of Pompeii. This memory prompts the Doctor to save the life of a Viking girl named Ashildir.” (p208)
“Peter Capaldi ...has also appeared in the Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood ...” (p208)
“Never cruel and never cowardly, always saving others and running towards the next adventure, he will forever be …. the Doctor.” (p231)
The back cover has my favourite quote: “I'm the Doctor and I save people.”
- - -
Blurb:
A new edition of the ultimate and most essential guide to Doctor Who, now updated to include all twelve incarnations of the Doctor and covering all his newest adventures from Series 8 and 9.
With fascinating facts from all of space and time, as well as information on the Doctor's helpful companions and fearsome foes, this book will tell all about the Doctor's TARDIS, his regenerations, and much, much more!
Fantastic resource. The best book on this amazing TV series I've come across. Well laid out, awesome pictures, well resented. *****
“Originally Doctor Who was intended to alternate between science fiction and historical drama.”
Later the producers came up with “... the idea of 'regeneration' (though they didn't call it that at the time).” (p7)
FIRST DOCTOR
In season two (shown in 1965) the 'Time Meddler' (4 episodes) by Dennis Spooner, William Hartnell's “The Doctor discovers that the single monk at the local monastery has a TARDIS. He is a time meddler from Gallifrey ...” (p10, 13).
“The Meddling Monk is never given a name and is never called a Time Lord. Back then, no one knew where the Doctor was from.” (p18)
“The Meddling Monk's TARDIS looked identical to the Doctor's, on the inside, though it was apparently a later model. The Monk's TARDIS also retained the ability to ability to blend in with its surroundings, while the Doctor's was 'stuck' disguised as a police telephone box designed to blend into 1960s London.” (p20)
SECOND DOCTOR
“After discussing several ideas about how to play the role, Patrick Troughton eventually decided to make the Doctor an intergalactic wanderer – a 'cosmic hobo'. He created an entirely new persona that was still true to the core of the character.” (p24)
THIRD DOCTOR
“... They also discover that the local vicar is actually the Master in disguise.” (p45)
FOURTH DOCTOR
“Born in 1934, Baker had spent time in a monastery before turning to acting. He played … the villain in the film 'The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'.
Almost as eccentric as the Doctor he portrayed, Tom Baker played the role for longer than any other actor.” (p58)
“'Shada' is the 'lost story' of Doctor Who. A six-part adventure written by Douglas Adams, it was to follow 'The Horns of Nimon'. But industrial action at the BBC meant the story was never completed. What was actually shot is available on DVD, and the story can be experienced as a novel by Gareth Roberts. (p65)
FIFTH DOCTOR
“The Fifth Doctor provided all these young people with a safe haven; a home. When things became too much for Tegan and she left, the Doctor was devastated by the thought that he had let her down.” (p80)
SIXTH DOCTOR
“Commander Maxil, responsible for executing the [fifth] Doctor in 'Arc of Infinity', was played by future [sixth] Doctor actor Colin Baker.” (p91, 96)
SEVENTH DOCTOR
“Sophie Aldred (Ace) has done lots of voice-over work … Bob the Builder, and as Dennis the Menace.” (p119)
“... the Doctor got into the Guinness Book of World Records for the greatest number of novels written about a single fictional character...” (p126)
EIGHTH DOCTOR
“... this is the Doctor who not only mentioned his own parents, but also claimed to be half human on his mother's side.” (p128)
NINTH DOCTOR
“Christopher Eccleston … (had a role in) Elizabeth ...” (p136)
TENTH DOCTOR
“David Tennant grew up with Doctor Who. In fact he has cited his love of the programme as one reason why he became an actor. Born in West Lothian in Scotland in 1971, Tennant's real name is David McDonald.” (p154)
ELEVENTH DOCTOR
“Karen Gillan [Amy Pond] has appeared in Doctor Who before, playing one of the soothsayers in The Fires of Pompeii.” (p194)
“The Weeping Angels were not statues – but actresses made up to look like stone, standing very still. And not blinking.” (p198)
“The Silence were based on the figure in Edvard Munch's famous painting 'The Scream'.” (p200)
TWELFTH DOCTOR
“As he finally remembers in The Girl Who Died, the Twelfth Doctor has the same face as Caelilius – the Roman who the Doctor saved, together with his family, fro the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in The Fires of Pompeii. This memory prompts the Doctor to save the life of a Viking girl named Ashildir.” (p208)
“Peter Capaldi ...has also appeared in the Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood ...” (p208)
“Never cruel and never cowardly, always saving others and running towards the next adventure, he will forever be …. the Doctor.” (p231)
The back cover has my favourite quote: “I'm the Doctor and I save people.”
- - -
Blurb:
A new edition of the ultimate and most essential guide to Doctor Who, now updated to include all twelve incarnations of the Doctor and covering all his newest adventures from Series 8 and 9.
With fascinating facts from all of space and time, as well as information on the Doctor's helpful companions and fearsome foes, this book will tell all about the Doctor's TARDIS, his regenerations, and much, much more!
August 12, 2016
Justin Richards, “Doctor Who The Essential Guide: Twelfth Doctor Edition” (London: Penguin, 2016)
Fantastic resource. The best book on this amazing TV series I've come across. Well laid out, awesome pictures, well resented. *****
“Originally Doctor Who was intended to alternate between science fiction and historical drama.”
Later the producers came up with “... the idea of 'regeneration' (though they didn't call it that at the time).” (p7)
FIRST DOCTOR
In season two (shown in 1965) the 'Time Meddler' (4 episodes) by Dennis Spooner, William Hartnell's “The Doctor discovers that the single monk at the local monastery has a TARDIS. He is a time meddler from Gallifrey ...” (p10, 13).
“The Meddling Monk is never given a name and is never called a Time Lord. Back then, no one knew where the Doctor was from.” (p18)
“The Meddling Monk's TARDIS looked identical to the Doctor's, on the inside, though it was apparently a later model. The Monk's TARDIS also retained the ability to ability to blend in with its surroundings, while the Doctor's was 'stuck' disguised as a police telephone box designed to blend into 1960s London.” (p20)
SECOND DOCTOR
“After discussing several ideas about how to play the role, Patrick Troughton eventually decided to make the Doctor an intergalactic wanderer – a 'cosmic hobo'. He created an entirely new persona that was still true to the core of the character.” (p24)
THIRD DOCTOR
“... They also discover that the local vicar is actually the Master in disguise.” (p45)
FOURTH DOCTOR
“Born in 1934, Baker had spent time in a monastery before turning to acting. He played … the villain in the film 'The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'.
Almost as eccentric as the Doctor he portrayed, Tom Baker played the role for longer than any other actor.” (p58)
“'Shada' is the 'lost story' of Doctor Who. A six-part adventure written by Douglas Adams, it was to follow 'The Horns of Nimon'. But industrial action at the BBC meant the story was never completed. What was actually shot is available on DVD, and the story can be experienced as a novel by Gareth Roberts. (p65)
FIFTH DOCTOR
“The Fifth Doctor provided all these young people with a safe haven; a home. When things became too much for Tegan and she left, the Doctor was devastated by the thought that he had let her down.” (p80)
SIXTH DOCTOR
“Commander Maxil, responsible for executing the [fifth] Doctor in 'Arc of Infinity', was played by future [sixth] Doctor actor Colin Baker.” (p91, 96)
SEVENTH DOCTOR
“Sophie Aldred (Ace) has done lots of voice-over work … Bob the Builder, and as Dennis the Menace.” (p119)
“... the Doctor got into the Guinness Book of World Records for the greatest number of novels written about a single fictional character...” (p126)
EIGHTH DOCTOR
“... this is the Doctor who not only mentioned his own parents, but also claimed to be half human on his mother's side.” (p128)
NINTH DOCTOR
“Christopher Eccleston … (had a role in) Elizabeth ...” (p136)
TENTH DOCTOR
“David Tennant grew up with Doctor Who. In fact he has cited his love of the programme as one reason why he became an actor. Born in West Lothian in Scotland in 1971, Tennant's real name is David McDonald.” (p154)
ELEVENTH DOCTOR
“Karen Gillan [Amy Pond] has appeared in Doctor Who before, playing one of the soothsayers in The Fires of Pompeii.” (p194)
“The Weeping Angels were not statues – but actresses made up to look like stone, standing very still. And not blinking.” (p198)
“The Silence were based on the figure in Edvard Munch's famous painting 'The Scream'.” (p200)
TWELFTH DOCTOR
“As he finally remembers in The Girl Who Died, the Twelfth Doctor has the same face as Caelilius – the Roman who the Doctor saved, together with his family, fro the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in The Fires of Pompeii. This memory prompts the Doctor to save the life of a Viking girl named Ashildir.” (p208)
“Peter Capaldi ...has also appeared in the Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood ...” (p208)
“Never cruel and never cowardly, always saving others and running towards the next adventure, he will forever be …. the Doctor.” (p231)
The back cover has my favourite quote: “I'm the Doctor and I save people.”
- - -
Blurb:
A new edition of the ultimate and most essential guide to Doctor Who, now updated to include all twelve incarnations of the Doctor and covering all his newest adventures from Series 8 and 9.
With fascinating facts from all of space and time, as well as information on the Doctor's helpful companions and fearsome foes, this book will tell all about the Doctor's TARDIS, his regenerations, and much, much more!
Fantastic resource. The best book on this amazing TV series I've come across. Well laid out, awesome pictures, well resented. *****
“Originally Doctor Who was intended to alternate between science fiction and historical drama.”
Later the producers came up with “... the idea of 'regeneration' (though they didn't call it that at the time).” (p7)
FIRST DOCTOR
In season two (shown in 1965) the 'Time Meddler' (4 episodes) by Dennis Spooner, William Hartnell's “The Doctor discovers that the single monk at the local monastery has a TARDIS. He is a time meddler from Gallifrey ...” (p10, 13).
“The Meddling Monk is never given a name and is never called a Time Lord. Back then, no one knew where the Doctor was from.” (p18)
“The Meddling Monk's TARDIS looked identical to the Doctor's, on the inside, though it was apparently a later model. The Monk's TARDIS also retained the ability to ability to blend in with its surroundings, while the Doctor's was 'stuck' disguised as a police telephone box designed to blend into 1960s London.” (p20)
SECOND DOCTOR
“After discussing several ideas about how to play the role, Patrick Troughton eventually decided to make the Doctor an intergalactic wanderer – a 'cosmic hobo'. He created an entirely new persona that was still true to the core of the character.” (p24)
THIRD DOCTOR
“... They also discover that the local vicar is actually the Master in disguise.” (p45)
FOURTH DOCTOR
“Born in 1934, Baker had spent time in a monastery before turning to acting. He played … the villain in the film 'The Golden Voyage of Sinbad'.
Almost as eccentric as the Doctor he portrayed, Tom Baker played the role for longer than any other actor.” (p58)
“'Shada' is the 'lost story' of Doctor Who. A six-part adventure written by Douglas Adams, it was to follow 'The Horns of Nimon'. But industrial action at the BBC meant the story was never completed. What was actually shot is available on DVD, and the story can be experienced as a novel by Gareth Roberts. (p65)
FIFTH DOCTOR
“The Fifth Doctor provided all these young people with a safe haven; a home. When things became too much for Tegan and she left, the Doctor was devastated by the thought that he had let her down.” (p80)
SIXTH DOCTOR
“Commander Maxil, responsible for executing the [fifth] Doctor in 'Arc of Infinity', was played by future [sixth] Doctor actor Colin Baker.” (p91, 96)
SEVENTH DOCTOR
“Sophie Aldred (Ace) has done lots of voice-over work … Bob the Builder, and as Dennis the Menace.” (p119)
“... the Doctor got into the Guinness Book of World Records for the greatest number of novels written about a single fictional character...” (p126)
EIGHTH DOCTOR
“... this is the Doctor who not only mentioned his own parents, but also claimed to be half human on his mother's side.” (p128)
NINTH DOCTOR
“Christopher Eccleston … (had a role in) Elizabeth ...” (p136)
TENTH DOCTOR
“David Tennant grew up with Doctor Who. In fact he has cited his love of the programme as one reason why he became an actor. Born in West Lothian in Scotland in 1971, Tennant's real name is David McDonald.” (p154)
ELEVENTH DOCTOR
“Karen Gillan [Amy Pond] has appeared in Doctor Who before, playing one of the soothsayers in The Fires of Pompeii.” (p194)
“The Weeping Angels were not statues – but actresses made up to look like stone, standing very still. And not blinking.” (p198)
“The Silence were based on the figure in Edvard Munch's famous painting 'The Scream'.” (p200)
TWELFTH DOCTOR
“As he finally remembers in The Girl Who Died, the Twelfth Doctor has the same face as Caelilius – the Roman who the Doctor saved, together with his family, fro the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in The Fires of Pompeii. This memory prompts the Doctor to save the life of a Viking girl named Ashildir.” (p208)
“Peter Capaldi ...has also appeared in the Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood ...” (p208)
“Never cruel and never cowardly, always saving others and running towards the next adventure, he will forever be …. the Doctor.” (p231)
The back cover has my favourite quote: “I'm the Doctor and I save people.”
- - -
Blurb:
A new edition of the ultimate and most essential guide to Doctor Who, now updated to include all twelve incarnations of the Doctor and covering all his newest adventures from Series 8 and 9.
With fascinating facts from all of space and time, as well as information on the Doctor's helpful companions and fearsome foes, this book will tell all about the Doctor's TARDIS, his regenerations, and much, much more!
March 2, 2017
This was really cool and helpful especially to reference to.
May 4, 2020
A fun little guide through 50 years of Doctor Who. Stylistically beautiful and jam-packed with tidbits of information, it is a great memento to have. The only things that bothered me about it were that at times it had some spelling and spacing errors as well as the fact that some paragraphs were written more for a newbie than an established fan.
October 17, 2014
This book, in a nutshell, is all you could need to know about the last 50 years of Doctor Who. It features: episode guides, the villains that the Doctor encountered, his companions, the time technology he used and of course, the regeneration of each doctor. Even if you are an avid Doctor Who fan, I would recommend this book to you - because I myself am a huge Doctor Who fan and I learnt a thing or two about the series. Admittedly, I didn't go into the book expecting a great deal; but I was very pleasantly surprised! Another thing to note is that the artwork in this book is absolutely wonderful.
I liked how the author of this explained the villains thoroughly but didn't ramble on about them - he was straight to the point and explained what they are, where they came from and the damage they did. He did something similar whilst explaining the companions, too; he explained who they were, how they had met and how they departed. I also really loved the explanation of the Doctors' feelings towards each of the companions - it was really refreshing to see something like that and it added a bit more depth to the book.
Another thing I really loved: the author took the time to write about other things the actor had been in, so not once did I get the "oh my gosh what else has he been in?!" feeling that I would've gotten otherwise.
I wouldn't say that this is a book that you could read in one sitting as the layout of the book can get quite repetitive - it's the same structure throughout, which whilst this is a good thing; it does make the book a little bit tedious at times. But I found it's a really awesome book to have on the go with a novel to break things up a little when you're in need of a small break.
If you are just getting into Doctor Who or are an avid Who fan, I would recommend you check this book out for a bit of light reading! It makes for a simple, fun and interesting read.
5*'s (though, honestly, I would've rated more if I could've)
I liked how the author of this explained the villains thoroughly but didn't ramble on about them - he was straight to the point and explained what they are, where they came from and the damage they did. He did something similar whilst explaining the companions, too; he explained who they were, how they had met and how they departed. I also really loved the explanation of the Doctors' feelings towards each of the companions - it was really refreshing to see something like that and it added a bit more depth to the book.
Another thing I really loved: the author took the time to write about other things the actor had been in, so not once did I get the "oh my gosh what else has he been in?!" feeling that I would've gotten otherwise.
I wouldn't say that this is a book that you could read in one sitting as the layout of the book can get quite repetitive - it's the same structure throughout, which whilst this is a good thing; it does make the book a little bit tedious at times. But I found it's a really awesome book to have on the go with a novel to break things up a little when you're in need of a small break.
If you are just getting into Doctor Who or are an avid Who fan, I would recommend you check this book out for a bit of light reading! It makes for a simple, fun and interesting read.
5*'s (though, honestly, I would've rated more if I could've)
September 22, 2014
The Essential Guide gives a terrific overview over the 50 years of Doctor Who leading up to the anniversary special of 2013.
For me, who just got into Doctor Who over the summer, it was great to see how the show evolves from it's days as a black-and-white television show to the HD produced behemoth it is now. It's great to learn about the history of the Doctor and his foes and to have an overview over his companions.
However, it is just a general overview and it is also very friendly. I would have loved to learn more about the controversies and stories surrounding the show throughout the last 50 years. One sentence descriptions of the companions are just not enough.
But it definitely made me want to see the old, classic epsiodes and the pictures are fun to look at. All in all, it delivers exactly on its promise: it covers the essential knowledge and stories about the Doctor.
For me, who just got into Doctor Who over the summer, it was great to see how the show evolves from it's days as a black-and-white television show to the HD produced behemoth it is now. It's great to learn about the history of the Doctor and his foes and to have an overview over his companions.
However, it is just a general overview and it is also very friendly. I would have loved to learn more about the controversies and stories surrounding the show throughout the last 50 years. One sentence descriptions of the companions are just not enough.
But it definitely made me want to see the old, classic epsiodes and the pictures are fun to look at. All in all, it delivers exactly on its promise: it covers the essential knowledge and stories about the Doctor.
January 17, 2014
Great book if you're a Doctor Who fan who has only come to the series in the new era like me. Lots of photos and summaries of all the Doctors, most of his companions and friends, his enemies and highlighted adventures. You get a better sense of the personalities of each and how he's evolved. There is no mention of the Time War Doctor, mainly, I presume, as this was published before the 50th anniversary special and probably sent to the publisher before the end of the season where that Doctor's identity and involvement is revealed.
November 20, 2013
Though i did find one major mistake, The Dream Lord being titled as the Dream Master, i did very much enjoy this book and it was a great way for a modern whovian like myself to learn about the classic series. It is a quick read that only took me a couple hours and has great pictures and shows the evolution of the shows special effects. With all this information David Tennant and Colin Baker are still my favorite Doctors.
March 10, 2016
I started watching Doctor Who in the mid-eighties with Tom Baker (who always reminded me of Harpo Marx) as the 4th doctor. I wasn't aware of the previous doctors. I followed until the next regeneration, but then was without a television for some time. When the series restarted, I watched some episodes and became fascinated and haven't missed an episode. This is a nice compilation of doctors, companions, foes, and plots. Not exhaustive, but certainly entertaining for any fan.
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