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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #64
Doctor Who and the Three Doctors
A mysterious black hole is draining away power from the Universe. Even the Time Lords are threatened. The Doctor is also in trouble. Creatures from the black hole besiege UNIT Headquarters. The only person who can help the Doctor is... himself.
The Time Lords bring together the first three incarnations of the Doctor to discover the truth about the black hole and stop the energy drain.
The Doctors and their companions travel through the black hole itself, into a universe of anti-matter. Here they meet one of the very first Time Lords - Omega, who gave his race the power to travel through time. Trapped for aeons in the black hole, he now plans to escape - whatever the cost.
This novel is based on a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 30 December 1972 to 20 January 1973.
Featuring the first three Doctors as played by William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee, together with Jo Grant and the UNIT organisation commanded by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
The Time Lords bring together the first three incarnations of the Doctor to discover the truth about the black hole and stop the energy drain.
The Doctors and their companions travel through the black hole itself, into a universe of anti-matter. Here they meet one of the very first Time Lords - Omega, who gave his race the power to travel through time. Trapped for aeons in the black hole, he now plans to escape - whatever the cost.
This novel is based on a Doctor Who story which was originally broadcast from 30 December 1972 to 20 January 1973.
Featuring the first three Doctors as played by William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee, together with Jo Grant and the UNIT organisation commanded by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
127 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 20, 1975
15 people are currently reading
578 people want to read
About the author
Terrance Dicks
326 books219 followersTerrance Dicks was an English author, screenwriter, script editor, and producer best known for his extensive contributions to Doctor Who. Serving as the show's script editor from 1968 to 1974, he helped shape many core elements of the series, including the concept of regeneration, the development of the Time Lords, and the naming of the Doctor’s home planet, Gallifrey. His tenure coincided with major thematic expansions, and he worked closely with producer Barry Letts to bring a socially aware tone to the show. Dicks later wrote several Doctor Who serials, including Robot, Horror of Fang Rock, and The Five Doctors, the 20th-anniversary special.
In parallel with his television work, Dicks became one of the most prolific writers of Doctor Who novelisations for Target Books, authoring over 60 titles and serving as the de facto editor of the range. These adaptations introduced a generation of young readers to the franchise. Beyond Doctor Who, he also wrote original novels, including children’s horror and adventure series such as The Baker Street Irregulars, Star Quest, and The Adventures of Goliath.
Dicks also worked on other television programmes including The Avengers, Moonbase 3, and various BBC literary adaptations. His later work included audio dramas and novels tied to Doctor Who. Widely respected for his clarity, imagination, and dedication to storytelling, he remained a central figure in Doctor Who fandom until his death in 2019, leaving behind a vast legacy in television and children's literature.
In parallel with his television work, Dicks became one of the most prolific writers of Doctor Who novelisations for Target Books, authoring over 60 titles and serving as the de facto editor of the range. These adaptations introduced a generation of young readers to the franchise. Beyond Doctor Who, he also wrote original novels, including children’s horror and adventure series such as The Baker Street Irregulars, Star Quest, and The Adventures of Goliath.
Dicks also worked on other television programmes including The Avengers, Moonbase 3, and various BBC literary adaptations. His later work included audio dramas and novels tied to Doctor Who. Widely respected for his clarity, imagination, and dedication to storytelling, he remained a central figure in Doctor Who fandom until his death in 2019, leaving behind a vast legacy in television and children's literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
August 25, 2021
This is a novelization of the tenth-anniversary celebratory episode of Doctor Who, which was the first serial of the tenth season and was broadcast December, 1972-January, 1973. All three versions of the title character from the first decade of the show appear, though the only official companion was Jo Grant, the feisty UNIT member who traveled with the third iteration. UNIT operatives Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Sergeant Benton also figure in the story; in fact, Dicks gives many of the best lines to Benton. His adaptation is, of course, based on the teleplay, which was written by Robert Baker and Dave Martin. It also seemed to me that the second version of The Doctor kind of upstaged the current star in the book. The original Doctor is trapped and interacts only electronically. It's a fun, if simple, story, about a foe so ominous that Time Lord law has to be bent and broken in order to face it down, thus allowing the triple-convergence. The mad Time Lord Omega threatens all of existence from his anti-matter prison, but the real thrust of Dicks' book is the amusing interplay between the characters. The ending is fun, too, with everyone going back to when they belong, and the current Doctor rewarded with a part he needs to repair his TARDIS. This was the first multi-Doctor story, and the success led to many of the most popular future adventures.
February 28, 2013
I re-read this recently. I think these novelisations are my favourite form of this franchise. They cover the vintage era, which I like better than the slick current stuff, but they allow me to create my own, far more effective, special effects in my mind's eye. This was a pretty gripping story with its glimpses into Time Lord history and the multiple Doctors. I can't say anything deeper than that, I revert to being 12, mentally at least, when I read these books and that can be a most rewarding experience.
October 24, 2018
An enjoyable celebratory adventure for the tenth anniversary of the show, seeing all Three Doctor’s returning.
Multi-Doctor stories are always fun, the previous incarnations get plenty to do in this novelisation.
Hartnell was suffering with ill health at the time, so Dicks is able to add more scenes for the First Doctor in print.
Omega is such a great villain, I’d loved for him to return in the new series.
Multi-Doctor stories are always fun, the previous incarnations get plenty to do in this novelisation.
Hartnell was suffering with ill health at the time, so Dicks is able to add more scenes for the First Doctor in print.
Omega is such a great villain, I’d loved for him to return in the new series.
April 12, 2015
This is the novelisation of a four part serial that ran from December 1972 to January 1973 and featured the Third Doctor as played by Jon Pertwee, Jo Grant and UNIT in the form of the Brigadier and Sergeant Benton. It is of course notable because it also starred the Second and First Doctors, though William Hartnell was too ill to do much more than a cameo appearance, so much of the hard work falls of the shoulders of Patrick Troughton.
This was a well written and thrilling story as the three Doctors are sent by the Time Lords to work together to save the universe from being destroyed by a mad Time Lord called Omega. There's a lot of adventure as our heroes are sucked into Omega's anti-matter universe and have to find a way to stop him from sucking all the energy from our universe into his. Omega is actually something of a tragic hero, as he was responsible for providing the source of all the Time Lords energy, but millennia tapped in another universe has sent him mad, especially as he thinks that the Time Lords abandoned him. The two Doctors each have their moments and play to their own strengths, although they also have a tendency to bicker with themselves, which the First Doctor has to clamp down on. Jo Grant, the Brigadier and Benton also have plenty to do battling Omega's minions, blob-like creatures created from his own will.
The Doctors succeed in destroying Omega, who is discovering to comprise only of pure will as his physical body has been destroyed by the hostile environment of the anti-matter universe. As a reward, the Time Lords restore the Tardis's ability to travel through time and space. It is a bitter sweet moment for Jo as she realises that the Doctor will soon be off on his travels, and that she may not end up going along for the ride, though he assures her that she is welcome to travel with him. The story is also notable for it being the Brigadier's first trip in the Tardis - needless to say he doesn't believe that it really is bigger on the inside, he thinks it is some kind of optical illusion (typical Brigadier).
I think that this is one of those stories that is better on the page than on the screen, as there are a lot of special effects here that sound good but I'm willing to bet looked a bit rubbish. It's a good story though, and an important one for the reasons I have already mentioned.
July 2, 2012
A strange creature emerges from a weather balloon with a mission to hunt the Doctor. On Gallifrey the Time Lords monitor a strange power loss, tracking it back to a black hole. In desperation they decide to break the First Law of Time.
Whenever I think of the tv version of The Three Doctors I think of it as the one with the 'comedy Brigadier'. Back when I was a kid though it was the one with the 'thingy' that made folk disappear. That 'thingy' scared the heck out of me.
Terrance Dicks goes to town on this one. He completely rewrites just about every scene though amazingly without changing the plot at all. So, gone are many of the comedy lines that the Brigadier made famous but he still remains the 'comedy Brigadier' because Dicks just replaces them with his own brand of cheekiness. Dicks is having fun throughout, from the Brig's comment about Omega's domain looking like a quarry, to the over the top huge battle between the Brig, Benton, Hollis (Ollis), Tyler and Jo, all tooled up like the A-Team, waging total war on a horde of blobbies. The blobbies were so awful in the tv version that it's hard to even imagine them as anything remotely dynamic, so Dick's gleeful slaughter of the bobby blobbies, blowing them up with anti tank ordinance and scything them in two with machine gun fire, is a welcome bit of pay back. With the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who fast approaching this one really is a fitting release as the original tv story kicked off the tenth anniversary.
Original artwork, features on script to novel, Terrance Dicks, Bob Baker/Dave Martin and a new introduction by Alastair Reynolds.
Whenever I think of the tv version of The Three Doctors I think of it as the one with the 'comedy Brigadier'. Back when I was a kid though it was the one with the 'thingy' that made folk disappear. That 'thingy' scared the heck out of me.
Terrance Dicks goes to town on this one. He completely rewrites just about every scene though amazingly without changing the plot at all. So, gone are many of the comedy lines that the Brigadier made famous but he still remains the 'comedy Brigadier' because Dicks just replaces them with his own brand of cheekiness. Dicks is having fun throughout, from the Brig's comment about Omega's domain looking like a quarry, to the over the top huge battle between the Brig, Benton, Hollis (Ollis), Tyler and Jo, all tooled up like the A-Team, waging total war on a horde of blobbies. The blobbies were so awful in the tv version that it's hard to even imagine them as anything remotely dynamic, so Dick's gleeful slaughter of the bobby blobbies, blowing them up with anti tank ordinance and scything them in two with machine gun fire, is a welcome bit of pay back. With the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who fast approaching this one really is a fitting release as the original tv story kicked off the tenth anniversary.
Original artwork, features on script to novel, Terrance Dicks, Bob Baker/Dave Martin and a new introduction by Alastair Reynolds.
June 8, 2024
Mr Dicks translates the tenth anniversary story admirably to the page. We get a fair bit of character work but even the big ideas of the story can’t disguise the fact that Onega’s castle only has three rooms in it or that UNIT HQ only consists of the Doctor’s lab. I have such fond memories of this book, though, that it really doesn’t matter.
June 10, 2010
This is one of the few Target novels I didn't read growing up. Whether it was because it was never available in any of my local bookstores or that I was just a bit underwhelmed by the story when I first saw it, I'm not sure.
But listening to it now as an audio book and realizing that this is the version of a story that a generation of "Doctor Who" fans grew up with, I can see why it's so beloved. Terrance Dicks' adaptation of the tenth anniversary story adds a few elements that the television story just can't compete with, including a purple sky in Omega's world, Gel Guards that multiply at will and a few other points. Given the limitless palate of the imagination, I can see why Dicks chose to do this and it makes some of the sequences seem far more alien and exciting than we eventually see on screen.
Dicks also tightens the narrative a bit, eliminating at least one corridor running sequence in part two and not dwelling on a protracted farewell when everyone gets to head back to Earth while the Doctors remain behind in Omega's singularity. In short, the book works well and it's a fun little read or listen that has a lot to offer. The only thing that the television version has over this is you can see and hear Troughton's performance and how easily he upstages everyone else in the story.
But listening to it now as an audio book and realizing that this is the version of a story that a generation of "Doctor Who" fans grew up with, I can see why it's so beloved. Terrance Dicks' adaptation of the tenth anniversary story adds a few elements that the television story just can't compete with, including a purple sky in Omega's world, Gel Guards that multiply at will and a few other points. Given the limitless palate of the imagination, I can see why Dicks chose to do this and it makes some of the sequences seem far more alien and exciting than we eventually see on screen.
Dicks also tightens the narrative a bit, eliminating at least one corridor running sequence in part two and not dwelling on a protracted farewell when everyone gets to head back to Earth while the Doctors remain behind in Omega's singularity. In short, the book works well and it's a fun little read or listen that has a lot to offer. The only thing that the television version has over this is you can see and hear Troughton's performance and how easily he upstages everyone else in the story.
September 3, 2019
It's impossible for me to be objective in this review. This was the first DoctorWho book I ever bought, way back at they awn of the 80s. As such it's got a special resonance for me, something that's a direct line back to childhood. And for that alone it gets five stars. Add to that the memories of seeing it as part of the Five Faces season and this is one of my favourite stories as it means so much. It helps that it's a suitably mythic story, the Doctors reuniting to battle a Time Lord legend. It's all told in Terrance Dicks' deceptively straightforward style, bringing out the spirit of adventure that characterises the best of the show. It's my definition of comfort reading.
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September 29, 2024im being so real here why does this guy keep writing episodes where there's all previous incarnations of the doctor but one is only barely there like...... idk its weird its happened. three times. off the top of my head. The Three Doctors The Five Doctors The Eight Doctors <- literally why does this guy keep doing that.
really this is 'two & three bicker & one shows up on the tardis screen to bully them into getting anything done' lol but it was fun i guess its nice to read an actual paper copy
really this is 'two & three bicker & one shows up on the tardis screen to bully them into getting anything done' lol but it was fun i guess its nice to read an actual paper copy
June 10, 2025
'You've redecorated. I don't like it.'
Haven't read a Target novelisation in ages so this was a nice treat. The first ever multi-Doctor story where First, Second and Third join forces to defeat Omega's plot to exact vengeance on the Time Lords and destroy the universe in the process. Classic stuff. Highlights for me included Troughton and Pertwee's Doctors bickering, the Brigadier's reaction to the fact he has to deal with more than one Doctor, and, of course, the first itteration of the TARDIS redecorated quote :)
Haven't read a Target novelisation in ages so this was a nice treat. The first ever multi-Doctor story where First, Second and Third join forces to defeat Omega's plot to exact vengeance on the Time Lords and destroy the universe in the process. Classic stuff. Highlights for me included Troughton and Pertwee's Doctors bickering, the Brigadier's reaction to the fact he has to deal with more than one Doctor, and, of course, the first itteration of the TARDIS redecorated quote :)
June 12, 2022
When the universe is threatened, the Time Lord President authorises the impossible. Break the First Law of Time and use the three incarnations of the Doctor to try to solve the mystery and ensure the future of everything.
'The Three Doctors' is well written and flows beautifully, sticking to the story as seen on screen, but works as a good novelisation.
'The Three Doctors' is well written and flows beautifully, sticking to the story as seen on screen, but works as a good novelisation.
March 3, 2021
I am so sorry that I didn't like this book more than I did. I don't know if it is me or the book, but I had to give it 2 stars. I don't have any background with Dr. Who, so perhaps that would've helped. I am glad that it was super short and I was able to finish it quickly. Doctor Who and the Three Doctors are nothing I care to write about for sure. So let me just say I didn't care for the plot,
November 11, 2023
"Please, you're only confusing my assistant. The fact of the matter is, Jo, he is me, and I am him." -Third Doctor
1st, 2nd and 3rd Doctor, Jo, Brigadier, Sargent Benton
I love a multi- Doctor story, especially when they always end up bickering with each other .In this story 2ns and 3rd Doctor particularly. Terrance Dicks did an amazing job on this novel, expanded and added more to the story that was lacking in the tv episode due to budget. Especially with Omega castle and the purple sky.
It was a fun, quick read and probably one of my favourite novels done by Terrance Dicks.
"Do you know, Doctor,' he said suddenly, 'this thing seems to be bigger on the inside than on the outside?'- Brigadier
'Well, I had noticed."- The Doctor
1st, 2nd and 3rd Doctor, Jo, Brigadier, Sargent Benton
I love a multi- Doctor story, especially when they always end up bickering with each other .In this story 2ns and 3rd Doctor particularly. Terrance Dicks did an amazing job on this novel, expanded and added more to the story that was lacking in the tv episode due to budget. Especially with Omega castle and the purple sky.
It was a fun, quick read and probably one of my favourite novels done by Terrance Dicks.
"Do you know, Doctor,' he said suddenly, 'this thing seems to be bigger on the inside than on the outside?'- Brigadier
'Well, I had noticed."- The Doctor
December 22, 2015
Little more than a transcript of the television show. Opportunities for creativity were instead "blob men" and "grey sand". To be fair, there was a lot of the latter, but an opportunity to visit our characters thoughts was very much missed - this is mostly dialog and action.
Oh well, at least it was short.
Oh well, at least it was short.
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June 17, 2009I'd've liked a little more detail about how things made of matter were stabilized in the antimatter universe--might be useful against future need, eh?
September 23, 2015
Thoroughly enjoyed- a great quick read and pick me up. Feels like I haven't read anything for ages, when in reality it is probably only a week or so. This has gotten me back in the mode again.
February 25, 2024
Of course, the title Doctor Who and the Three Doctors implies there’s four Doctors, not three. Is the Second Doctor even the Doctor, given they’ve used a picture of Salamander on this reprint’s cover? The mind boggles.
While a faithful translation of script to page, Dicks has some flourishes which make the story grander and exceed the budgetary restraints of the ‘70s. The greater world-building for Omega’s dominion - with its purple sky - and the attack on the UNIT base are fleshed out. Jo’s POV is the mainstay of the novel, so much so that her moniker for the Second Doctor - Doctor Two - is adopted for most of the novel. It’s quaint and charming, if inconsistent at points. Nevertheless, there’s some lovely little lines that flesh out the internal thoughts of the characters, doing what the serial didn’t do in places.
“He felt this second Doctor was like a sort of younger brother, with a number of rather irritating mannerisms that he himself had outgrown.”
The Doctor realising he ‘doesn’t want to go’ and leave his found family is also a lovely little touch and speaks to the Doctor’s fondness for Earth that runs through the show (“For the first time, in many years of wandering, he’d found something that could be called a home, and he didn’t want to give it up. Not completely, that is. One or two little trips from time to time, of course…”). All in all, a nice and neat novel that captures the spirit of the serial while adding in a few nice surprises and flourishes.
While a faithful translation of script to page, Dicks has some flourishes which make the story grander and exceed the budgetary restraints of the ‘70s. The greater world-building for Omega’s dominion - with its purple sky - and the attack on the UNIT base are fleshed out. Jo’s POV is the mainstay of the novel, so much so that her moniker for the Second Doctor - Doctor Two - is adopted for most of the novel. It’s quaint and charming, if inconsistent at points. Nevertheless, there’s some lovely little lines that flesh out the internal thoughts of the characters, doing what the serial didn’t do in places.
“He felt this second Doctor was like a sort of younger brother, with a number of rather irritating mannerisms that he himself had outgrown.”
The Doctor realising he ‘doesn’t want to go’ and leave his found family is also a lovely little touch and speaks to the Doctor’s fondness for Earth that runs through the show (“For the first time, in many years of wandering, he’d found something that could be called a home, and he didn’t want to give it up. Not completely, that is. One or two little trips from time to time, of course…”). All in all, a nice and neat novel that captures the spirit of the serial while adding in a few nice surprises and flourishes.
August 27, 2017
Uno de los recuerdos que me traje de la Doctor Who Experience, una reedición de las novelizaciones de seriales Clásicos de Doctor Who que publicaba hace años Target Books en el Reino Unido y que para muchos fue la única forma de experimentar algunas historias clásicas.
Una lectura rápida y más interesante a nivel de estudio de la historia de la serie que narrativo si uno ya conoce la historia, pero recomendable desde ese punto de vista. Es muy interesante ver cómo se estructuraban esta clase de novelizaciones y notar algunos detalles que hacen evidente que se escribió en una época en la que la serie cargaba bastante menos bagaje de continuidad establecida.
Elegí The Three Doctors precisamente por ser una historia importante, el primer gran aniversario y la primera historia multi-Doctor, pero he descbierto que no se adapta muy bien a este formato, al ser una aventura de estructura muy simple que basaba su mayor reclamo en ver interactuar a actores, lo cúal se pierde aquí. Otro aspecto desafortunado es que los aspectos misoginos en la manera de escribir a Jo Grant se notan mucho más por escrito, y sin la interpretación de Katy Manning por encima para corregirlos o recontextualizarlos, lo cúal saca bastante de la narración cúando ocurre.
Por lo demás, un estilo correcto y funcional de la parte de Dicks. Lo dicho, si os llama la atención y algún día os queréis pillar alguna lo recomendaría, pero con una historia más compleja que esta.
Una lectura rápida y más interesante a nivel de estudio de la historia de la serie que narrativo si uno ya conoce la historia, pero recomendable desde ese punto de vista. Es muy interesante ver cómo se estructuraban esta clase de novelizaciones y notar algunos detalles que hacen evidente que se escribió en una época en la que la serie cargaba bastante menos bagaje de continuidad establecida.
Elegí The Three Doctors precisamente por ser una historia importante, el primer gran aniversario y la primera historia multi-Doctor, pero he descbierto que no se adapta muy bien a este formato, al ser una aventura de estructura muy simple que basaba su mayor reclamo en ver interactuar a actores, lo cúal se pierde aquí. Otro aspecto desafortunado es que los aspectos misoginos en la manera de escribir a Jo Grant se notan mucho más por escrito, y sin la interpretación de Katy Manning por encima para corregirlos o recontextualizarlos, lo cúal saca bastante de la narración cúando ocurre.
Por lo demás, un estilo correcto y funcional de la parte de Dicks. Lo dicho, si os llama la atención y algún día os queréis pillar alguna lo recomendaría, pero con una historia más compleja que esta.
April 29, 2025
Based on a script by Bob Baker and Dave Martin this is number 64 in the Target catalogue.
This is a brilliant novelisation. I read them entire book in one sitting. It was a case of I’ll just read the next chapter before turning the light off as X is about to happen. And then Mr Hollis is telling his wife she’d never believe him.
I’ve loved this story ever since the first time I saw it. It’s a shame Hartnell wasn’t well enough for a more active part in the story, but it was brilliant to see the dandy and the clown with him.
Terrance’s solution to identifying which Doctor was which without the visuals I thought worked well. It would have been harder if Hartnell’s Doctor had had a greater role. I’m looking forward to the Five Doctor and how the end scene with them all together will be handled.
And Omega. He was brilliant in the TV version and has been brilliantly captured in this novelisation.
One thing that did get a little annoying was how brazen the test was. The word seemed to turn up on every page when we were inside Omega’s castle. There were a couple of continuity flaws too, like referring to Hartnell’s Doctor as they oldest Doctor. The actor was, but in the Doctor’s personal timeline that is his youngest self. It’s all very wibbly-wobbly.
I’m almost tempted to sit down and re-read the whole thing again right now I enjoyed it that much.
This is a brilliant novelisation. I read them entire book in one sitting. It was a case of I’ll just read the next chapter before turning the light off as X is about to happen. And then Mr Hollis is telling his wife she’d never believe him.
I’ve loved this story ever since the first time I saw it. It’s a shame Hartnell wasn’t well enough for a more active part in the story, but it was brilliant to see the dandy and the clown with him.
Terrance’s solution to identifying which Doctor was which without the visuals I thought worked well. It would have been harder if Hartnell’s Doctor had had a greater role. I’m looking forward to the Five Doctor and how the end scene with them all together will be handled.
And Omega. He was brilliant in the TV version and has been brilliantly captured in this novelisation.
One thing that did get a little annoying was how brazen the test was. The word seemed to turn up on every page when we were inside Omega’s castle. There were a couple of continuity flaws too, like referring to Hartnell’s Doctor as they oldest Doctor. The actor was, but in the Doctor’s personal timeline that is his youngest self. It’s all very wibbly-wobbly.
I’m almost tempted to sit down and re-read the whole thing again right now I enjoyed it that much.
March 23, 2021
The first multi-Doctor story, and a really enjoyable read it is. While the First Doctor doesn't feature that prominently, due to the actor's illness, still certainly has a lot of gravitas in the scenes he is in, but lots of great scenes between the Second and Third Doctors.
Really nice to have the Brigadier and Benton in this one as well, shame no Yates though, who have dealt with the Second and Third Doctors before, and get their first look inside the TARDIS and travel to another world as well.
The storyline itself has a couple of interesting twists, and opens up a lot more backstory for the Time Lords, though at times the plot seems to just be there to allow the characters to interact, but this isn't a bad thing for me, as this really is a celebratory story and there more for the characters than the plot.
A little bittersweet at the end, when the other Doctors disappear again, knowing that it was Hartnell's last appearance, and that UNIT will be featuring less in future (albeit the prior season they were only in 2 stories as well).
Really nice to have the Brigadier and Benton in this one as well, shame no Yates though, who have dealt with the Second and Third Doctors before, and get their first look inside the TARDIS and travel to another world as well.
The storyline itself has a couple of interesting twists, and opens up a lot more backstory for the Time Lords, though at times the plot seems to just be there to allow the characters to interact, but this isn't a bad thing for me, as this really is a celebratory story and there more for the characters than the plot.
A little bittersweet at the end, when the other Doctors disappear again, knowing that it was Hartnell's last appearance, and that UNIT will be featuring less in future (albeit the prior season they were only in 2 stories as well).
April 18, 2018
Great memories
As a kid I collected almost all of the Target Doctor Who novels and read them avidly,but,as I got older i moved on to other types of sci fi and kept them boxed up,only dipping into the box from time to time.Eventually growing older,getting married they remained in the attic forgotten and then lost in transit after moving home several times.After seeing the books being released on kindle i thought it would be nice to re-read some of my old favourites.After reading The three doctors in one go,it's such a easy read,there were a lot about the story and the book its self i had forgotten,there are a few differences between the tv story and the book versions,but that doesn't spoil the pleasure,such great memories.If you're a fan of the early stories of The Doctor treat yourself and go back in time to the 60s and 70s to when the adventures of the Doctor was thrilling you every Saturday night.
As a kid I collected almost all of the Target Doctor Who novels and read them avidly,but,as I got older i moved on to other types of sci fi and kept them boxed up,only dipping into the box from time to time.Eventually growing older,getting married they remained in the attic forgotten and then lost in transit after moving home several times.After seeing the books being released on kindle i thought it would be nice to re-read some of my old favourites.After reading The three doctors in one go,it's such a easy read,there were a lot about the story and the book its self i had forgotten,there are a few differences between the tv story and the book versions,but that doesn't spoil the pleasure,such great memories.If you're a fan of the early stories of The Doctor treat yourself and go back in time to the 60s and 70s to when the adventures of the Doctor was thrilling you every Saturday night.
August 16, 2025
The 10th Anniversary story, The Three Doctors, gets an unlimited budget in Terrance Dicks' adaptation, with Omega's lair less claustrophobic, his planet more expansive, and the Gel guards (Blob men, here) far less silly. There's, in fact, every indication that Dicks thought the end result was lacking and decided to make the appropriate changes. One almost wishes he'd gone further and restored the First Doctor's role to what it was before the production was told Hartnell was too ill to do more than read cue cards on a closed set. I'd have loved to see what that would have been like. As it is, Dicks does give him a little more to do, but he's still trapped in limbo somewhere. The adaptation creates a FEW new scenes, actually, and Dicks has fun making clear which Doctor is which (could have been confusing). A brief note on the title: Only the second edition of the book was called Doctor Who AND the Three Doctors, which sounds ridiculous.
May 4, 2021
There is something to be said about Doctor Who novelizations which make an effort to improve on the visuals of the television serial. Doctor Who, for as much as everyone loves it and adores it, is a show made on a limited budget, often out of the producers’ control, with a premise that would stop even the most expensive of budgets from fully realizing. The Three Doctors is one of those stories whose plot involves the entering of an anti-matter universe and creatures from said universe threatening UNIT. Omega’s realm and the battle in Omega’s mind in particular are aspects which the viewer can see are being done on a set, yet Terrance Dicks’ adaptation actually builds up the script’s inklings of a cave of wonders, emphasizing the great fire which causes the characters to leave the universe when on television it’s just a small jet of steam. The imagery is beautiful as Dicks’s prose allows for Omega’s character to be more of a tragic figure, separated from Stephen Thorne’s iconic over the top portrayal of the Time Lord. There is also the Gallifrey sequences of this book which are taken straight from the television serial, but there is this sense of desperation as Dicks removes some of the stoicism of the Time Lords which gives some emotional depth. There is also an interesting note that this story is the first where the earlier Doctors are referred to as the First and Second Doctor, respectively.
Overall, The Three Doctors is a different style of adaptation as it follows the same beats, making the interesting decision not to increase the First Doctor’s participation in the plot while still giving some more depth. It is however, slightly inferior even with the lush prose and descriptions as nothing can replicate Pertwee, Troughton, and Manning’s chemistry. 8/10.
Overall, The Three Doctors is a different style of adaptation as it follows the same beats, making the interesting decision not to increase the First Doctor’s participation in the plot while still giving some more depth. It is however, slightly inferior even with the lush prose and descriptions as nothing can replicate Pertwee, Troughton, and Manning’s chemistry. 8/10.
September 4, 2018
An enjoyable runaround with two-and-a-bit Doctors, even if there is a lot of running around and not much else.
Fair play to Terrance Dicks, though, for getting the two available Doctors together early on and giving them plenty of time together: less fair play to Terrance Dicks for turning the Brigadier into an idiot for want of something to do with him.
The novelisation benefits from being able to shed the rather limited and dated production work of the TV serial on which it's based: Omega's realm is much more an alien world and much less a Welsh quarry, and his man-blob monsters a much more alien menace.
Bread and butter Doctor Who.
Fair play to Terrance Dicks, though, for getting the two available Doctors together early on and giving them plenty of time together: less fair play to Terrance Dicks for turning the Brigadier into an idiot for want of something to do with him.
The novelisation benefits from being able to shed the rather limited and dated production work of the TV serial on which it's based: Omega's realm is much more an alien world and much less a Welsh quarry, and his man-blob monsters a much more alien menace.
Bread and butter Doctor Who.
November 17, 2019
A fun adaption of a decent television story, that adds a little extra relish to the descriptions and action, it is the epitome of "special effects are better in the imagination".
The novelisation might not suffer all the limitations of the small screen adventure, but it does inherit a plot that goes slack in a few places. On the other hand it has a villain that is far better realised on the page, and given a little more depth than could have been otherwise afforded.
It also embodies some of the best elements of the Jon Pertwee era of the Doctor: A certain charm, a sense of fun, and the gung-ho momentum of a ripping adventure yarn.
The novelisation might not suffer all the limitations of the small screen adventure, but it does inherit a plot that goes slack in a few places. On the other hand it has a villain that is far better realised on the page, and given a little more depth than could have been otherwise afforded.
It also embodies some of the best elements of the Jon Pertwee era of the Doctor: A certain charm, a sense of fun, and the gung-ho momentum of a ripping adventure yarn.
May 28, 2023
Doctor Who and the Three Doctors (1975) by Terrance Dicks is the novelisation of the first serial of the tenth season of Doctor Who and the 65th serial overall.
The third Doctor, Jo and Unit are off to investigate curious disappearances. A strange shimmering blob approaches and eventually appears intent on finding the Doctor. Meanwhile a mysterious force is taking energy from the Time Lords. It turns out that only one thing can help the Doctor and that is the Doctor.
The Three Doctors was made on the tenth anniversary of the series and they decided to make the first multi-doctor episode. It’s all pretty fun.
The Three Doctors is a good Doctor Who serial.
The third Doctor, Jo and Unit are off to investigate curious disappearances. A strange shimmering blob approaches and eventually appears intent on finding the Doctor. Meanwhile a mysterious force is taking energy from the Time Lords. It turns out that only one thing can help the Doctor and that is the Doctor.
The Three Doctors was made on the tenth anniversary of the series and they decided to make the first multi-doctor episode. It’s all pretty fun.
The Three Doctors is a good Doctor Who serial.
February 3, 2022
In the autumn of his years a long-standing Doctor Who fan revisits an old friend.
Terrance Dicks almost at the top of his game, it’s the embellishments that deliver. A fairytale castle, a Roman arena, a ramshackle gun battle with Jo fighting Gelguards - a glorious reimagining.
Actually, it’s not just the embellishments that deliver, it’s the whole, breathless package. No one could write 1970s Doctor Who like Dicks. A true legend.
Terrance Dicks almost at the top of his game, it’s the embellishments that deliver. A fairytale castle, a Roman arena, a ramshackle gun battle with Jo fighting Gelguards - a glorious reimagining.
Actually, it’s not just the embellishments that deliver, it’s the whole, breathless package. No one could write 1970s Doctor Who like Dicks. A true legend.
October 24, 2017
3.5/5 stars
Initial Thoughts Upon Finishing
I was skeptical at first, but this ended up being much better than I anticipated. Despite not being overly familiar with the Doctors that are in it, I thought it was very much so like any other good Doctor Who novel. I'm really curious to watch the TV serial that this one was based off, now too!
The Three Doctors
The Three Doctors is a short novel that is based off one of the old episodes of Doctor Who . It revolves around the Doctor and his companion — Jo — but in this particular story, events unfold that lead to there being three doctors all at once. These are the first three doctors: Hartnell, Troughton and Pertwee.
The events of the book see the Doctor trying to stop the original Time Lord, Omega, from destroying the universe with a blackhole that he has created. Along the way, an alarming number of humans are wrapped up in the events and it’s really quite a busy and fun story.
I have to say this totally surprised me with how much I did end up liking it. I’m a Whovian through and through but I am infinitely more familiar with the reboot Doctors (nine onwards). So I was unsure as to how much I was enjoy this book, it being focussed on older regenerations.
But in the end, this is just as much fun as any other Doctor Who novel I’ve read and gives me confidence that it’s simply the familiarity with the show itself that makes it enjoyable, rather than the characters. Although I’m sure it would be even better if you had that familiarity, too.
Things I Found Difficult
Evidently, I did not give this a 5 star rating. Why? Because it was a very light-hearted book that just didn’t seem like it was up there with other books that I’ve rated so highly. Also because, my god, is it difficult to understand what is going on.
The basic premise of the story — there being a black hole that is slowly destroying the universe — is added to by “blob-monsters” as Dicks has named them (although in the serial they are referred to as “Gel Guards” during the credits). There is a lot of discussion (and it’s really rather crucial to the plot) about anti-matter and the like. Usually, I find all the crazy science stuff that the Doctor goes on about to be just fine; this time I confess I was so confused. I mean, at the end of the day I understood perfectly what was going on, but sometimes it was a little overkill.
I guess my ultimate reason for not rating it higher was just down to it being less complex that the show usually is. It wasn't simple by any means - but it was much quicker and easier to resolve than Doctor Who tends to be. It was no brain-bamboozaler by The God Complex, that's for sure.
What I Enjoyed
I absolutely loved the bickering and hilarity of the three Doctors together. I loved the subtly foreshadowing of how events were going to resolve themselves and I enjoyed the human companion’s contributions to the plot throughout.
It’s certainly worth a read if you are a Whovian, it’s the type of classic plot line that is just irresistible. Plus, the fact that maybe you don’t know these three Doctors too well isn’t really a problem — at the end of the day, the Doctor is the Doctor and you can see that classic bumbling idiot inside of him no matter what version.
Summary
In the end, this was a fun, quick-paced adventure that I’m glad to have finally read! I recommend this to any Whovian out there who has a spare few hours to give to this story and enjoy it. I’m certainly impressed with Dicks’ writing and keen to read more of his novelisations!
Happy reading!
Initial Thoughts Upon Finishing
I was skeptical at first, but this ended up being much better than I anticipated. Despite not being overly familiar with the Doctors that are in it, I thought it was very much so like any other good Doctor Who novel. I'm really curious to watch the TV serial that this one was based off, now too!
The Three Doctors
The Three Doctors is a short novel that is based off one of the old episodes of Doctor Who . It revolves around the Doctor and his companion — Jo — but in this particular story, events unfold that lead to there being three doctors all at once. These are the first three doctors: Hartnell, Troughton and Pertwee.
The events of the book see the Doctor trying to stop the original Time Lord, Omega, from destroying the universe with a blackhole that he has created. Along the way, an alarming number of humans are wrapped up in the events and it’s really quite a busy and fun story.
I have to say this totally surprised me with how much I did end up liking it. I’m a Whovian through and through but I am infinitely more familiar with the reboot Doctors (nine onwards). So I was unsure as to how much I was enjoy this book, it being focussed on older regenerations.
But in the end, this is just as much fun as any other Doctor Who novel I’ve read and gives me confidence that it’s simply the familiarity with the show itself that makes it enjoyable, rather than the characters. Although I’m sure it would be even better if you had that familiarity, too.
Things I Found Difficult
Evidently, I did not give this a 5 star rating. Why? Because it was a very light-hearted book that just didn’t seem like it was up there with other books that I’ve rated so highly. Also because, my god, is it difficult to understand what is going on.
The basic premise of the story — there being a black hole that is slowly destroying the universe — is added to by “blob-monsters” as Dicks has named them (although in the serial they are referred to as “Gel Guards” during the credits). There is a lot of discussion (and it’s really rather crucial to the plot) about anti-matter and the like. Usually, I find all the crazy science stuff that the Doctor goes on about to be just fine; this time I confess I was so confused. I mean, at the end of the day I understood perfectly what was going on, but sometimes it was a little overkill.
I guess my ultimate reason for not rating it higher was just down to it being less complex that the show usually is. It wasn't simple by any means - but it was much quicker and easier to resolve than Doctor Who tends to be. It was no brain-bamboozaler by The God Complex, that's for sure.
What I Enjoyed
I absolutely loved the bickering and hilarity of the three Doctors together. I loved the subtly foreshadowing of how events were going to resolve themselves and I enjoyed the human companion’s contributions to the plot throughout.
It’s certainly worth a read if you are a Whovian, it’s the type of classic plot line that is just irresistible. Plus, the fact that maybe you don’t know these three Doctors too well isn’t really a problem — at the end of the day, the Doctor is the Doctor and you can see that classic bumbling idiot inside of him no matter what version.
Summary
In the end, this was a fun, quick-paced adventure that I’m glad to have finally read! I recommend this to any Whovian out there who has a spare few hours to give to this story and enjoy it. I’m certainly impressed with Dicks’ writing and keen to read more of his novelisations!
Happy reading!
July 23, 2024
This was a good novelisation of the 10th anniversary special of Doctor Who - The three doctors. The novelisation is a bit different to the tv story but the changes and extra details breathe life into the story. Jo and the Doctor are great as always, ably supported by the Brigadier and Sergeant Benton. The guest characters are okay and Omega feels a bit pantomimey.
December 14, 2020
An enjoyable quick read.
I'm working my way through watching classic Who and haven't seen this one so I wasn't comparing it to anything.
It's a fairly simple plot but an interesting interplay of several characters who you know. Some nice inter-Doctor banter/bickering in particular ;)
I'm working my way through watching classic Who and haven't seen this one so I wasn't comparing it to anything.
It's a fairly simple plot but an interesting interplay of several characters who you know. Some nice inter-Doctor banter/bickering in particular ;)
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