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Doctor Who: The Wife in Space #1
The Miserable Git: The Wife in Space Volume 1
"They should have called the show 'Ian'…"
Join Sue Perryman as she encounters the classic series of Doctor Who for the very first time. Admire her eye for bespoke carpentry, laugh at her inability to grasp how the Time War works, and marvel at her talent for spotting actors who have appeared in EastEnders, as she offers a fresh – and occasionally bizarre – perspective on the greatest television show ever made.
This volume collects Sue's blog commentary to the William Hartnell era (100,000 BC to The Tenth Planet plus two very silly movies) and includes four blogs exclusive to this book ('Marco Polo', 'An Adventure in Space and Time', 'An Unearthly Child' Redux and 'Galaxy 4' Redux), exclusive episode annotations, a new interview with Sue, a video transcript and a foreword by Robert Shearman.
Join Sue Perryman as she encounters the classic series of Doctor Who for the very first time. Admire her eye for bespoke carpentry, laugh at her inability to grasp how the Time War works, and marvel at her talent for spotting actors who have appeared in EastEnders, as she offers a fresh – and occasionally bizarre – perspective on the greatest television show ever made.
This volume collects Sue's blog commentary to the William Hartnell era (100,000 BC to The Tenth Planet plus two very silly movies) and includes four blogs exclusive to this book ('Marco Polo', 'An Adventure in Space and Time', 'An Unearthly Child' Redux and 'Galaxy 4' Redux), exclusive episode annotations, a new interview with Sue, a video transcript and a foreword by Robert Shearman.
- GenresDoctor WhoNonfiction
299 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2015
6 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 15, 2024
Every Doctor Who fans goal is to try and watch the entire series in chronological order.
In this first volume we are introduced to fan of the show Neil, he convinces he’s wife Sue to partake in that very mission. The fact that she had only seen some of the newer episodes meant that she was watching the First Doctor era with no prior opinions.
Similarly during 2009, myself and now wife did the same thing. It was fascinating to see the similarities of both people’s opinions.
Embarking on this era of the show with little knowledge about the episode length or received fan wisdom is the closest your ever going to get for what it must have been like experiencing the show on its original broadcast.
With much discussion on Internet forums, magazines and polls - it’s easier for Who fanatics to spoil a serial before they’ve even watched it.
This experiment gives a fresh new insight into my favourite show!
In this first volume we are introduced to fan of the show Neil, he convinces he’s wife Sue to partake in that very mission. The fact that she had only seen some of the newer episodes meant that she was watching the First Doctor era with no prior opinions.
Similarly during 2009, myself and now wife did the same thing. It was fascinating to see the similarities of both people’s opinions.
Embarking on this era of the show with little knowledge about the episode length or received fan wisdom is the closest your ever going to get for what it must have been like experiencing the show on its original broadcast.
With much discussion on Internet forums, magazines and polls - it’s easier for Who fanatics to spoil a serial before they’ve even watched it.
This experiment gives a fresh new insight into my favourite show!
April 24, 2021
A very enjoyable, humorous ebook. Neil Perryman is a life-long Doctor Who fan. His wife Sue, is not. So, what does Neil do? Convince his wife to watch every episode of Classic Doctor Who (1963-1989) plus the 1996 TV Movie, and then blog about the experience. This is the first volume which covers the William Harntell era (An Unearthly Child through The Tenth Planet). As a Doctor Who fan and having watched these episodes, it's a really fun, and funny, read. I finished this one in a day the first time I read this. There is language and minor adult comments, so it's not for kids. Otherwise, a great Doctor Who book.
April 22, 2020
I wasn’t a follower of Neil and Sue’s original blog, but I did love the first book “Adventures with the Wife in Space: Living with Doctor Who”, so it’s nice to finally follow this journey from the start as part of my lockdown reading.
September 24, 2015
"Yes, it all started out as a mild curiosity in a junkyard, and now it's turned out to be quite a, quite a great spirit of adventure, don't you think?"
The beginning of Dr Who fan Neil Perryman's crazy mission to not only sit down and watch every episode of Doctor Who from 1963 to 1989, with his partner Sue, for whom Dr Who had been a closed book for their entire relationship thus far, but also blog Sue's reactions to each and every episode, in all their untained, irreverent, and frequently VERY SWEARY glory. With a lot of references to carpentry.
For many fans, it was an eye opener - a chance to get an impression of our much loved show by someone not blooded by Dr Who fandom's arcane lore, received opinions, much less consumed by a fan's unconditional love for a show which, let's face it, is frequently preposterous. It also provided much succour and amusement for fans who have attempted to share their enjoyment of the show with bemused or indifferent other halves. For hardcore Who nutters many of her reactions were pure heresy, which justified the experiment - us fans can take Dr Who too seriously, as many portentous, solemn commentaries on the show attest.
Fortunately, not only did Sue Perryman provide a refreshingly irreeverent take on our favourite show, over time her commitment to see this mad project through endeared her to many, as did her often hilariously blunt commentary, all Northern no-nonsense piss and vinegar (did I mention ALSO VERY SWEARY). The banter between Neil and Sue always feels totally natural, and you grow to get to love their rapport, not to mention Neil occasionally leading Sue up the garden path with his own foreknowledge of each episode and Who lore.
Like the first stirrings of the show itself, the early days of this blog were challenging and difficult as our heroes settled into the show's evolving format, and Sue took some time to warm to the show's titular hero (hence this volume's title) and its madly inconsistent tone, but once they hit their stride, a date with Neil & Sue on the sofa became something to savour. Adventures With The Wife & Space was as addictive as any drug!
It's those early blogs that are compiled in this book, and having these journeys bound together in paper form gives it a different shape and form to the episodic nature of a running blog, and all the better for it. You're not just paying dollar for something you can read for free online - it's a genuine chronicle worth preserving for posterity and future enjoyment, with a few enhancements such as some postscripted notes after each entry, a collection of ephemera (rediscovered episodes after the event, a Q&A, a transcript of Sue's hilarious solo podcast of the second Dalek movie) and a sweet, charming and funny foreword by the sweet, charming and funny Rob Shearman.
The beginning of Dr Who fan Neil Perryman's crazy mission to not only sit down and watch every episode of Doctor Who from 1963 to 1989, with his partner Sue, for whom Dr Who had been a closed book for their entire relationship thus far, but also blog Sue's reactions to each and every episode, in all their untained, irreverent, and frequently VERY SWEARY glory. With a lot of references to carpentry.
For many fans, it was an eye opener - a chance to get an impression of our much loved show by someone not blooded by Dr Who fandom's arcane lore, received opinions, much less consumed by a fan's unconditional love for a show which, let's face it, is frequently preposterous. It also provided much succour and amusement for fans who have attempted to share their enjoyment of the show with bemused or indifferent other halves. For hardcore Who nutters many of her reactions were pure heresy, which justified the experiment - us fans can take Dr Who too seriously, as many portentous, solemn commentaries on the show attest.
Fortunately, not only did Sue Perryman provide a refreshingly irreeverent take on our favourite show, over time her commitment to see this mad project through endeared her to many, as did her often hilariously blunt commentary, all Northern no-nonsense piss and vinegar (did I mention ALSO VERY SWEARY). The banter between Neil and Sue always feels totally natural, and you grow to get to love their rapport, not to mention Neil occasionally leading Sue up the garden path with his own foreknowledge of each episode and Who lore.
Like the first stirrings of the show itself, the early days of this blog were challenging and difficult as our heroes settled into the show's evolving format, and Sue took some time to warm to the show's titular hero (hence this volume's title) and its madly inconsistent tone, but once they hit their stride, a date with Neil & Sue on the sofa became something to savour. Adventures With The Wife & Space was as addictive as any drug!
It's those early blogs that are compiled in this book, and having these journeys bound together in paper form gives it a different shape and form to the episodic nature of a running blog, and all the better for it. You're not just paying dollar for something you can read for free online - it's a genuine chronicle worth preserving for posterity and future enjoyment, with a few enhancements such as some postscripted notes after each entry, a collection of ephemera (rediscovered episodes after the event, a Q&A, a transcript of Sue's hilarious solo podcast of the second Dalek movie) and a sweet, charming and funny foreword by the sweet, charming and funny Rob Shearman.
June 12, 2015
I was lucky to discover Neil Perryman's "Wife in Space" blog right when it started and I enjoyed following along as he and his wife watched their way through Doctor Who from the beginning.
I admit that when he ran a Kickstarter to turn the blogs into books, I tossed up about backing it and chose not to do so. However, once the book was out, I changed my mind and bought a copy.
It only took me a couple of days to read this, but it was a lovely, fun break from more serious or complicated things when I needed it. I enjoyed it all over again, and the extras at the end, including Sue re-watching things after the entire project was completed, were a lot of fun.
I'm glad I bought it and perfectly happy that I did go ahead and back the second volume's Kickstarter. I'll enjoy rereading that as well, once it comes out, I'm sure.
I admit that when he ran a Kickstarter to turn the blogs into books, I tossed up about backing it and chose not to do so. However, once the book was out, I changed my mind and bought a copy.
It only took me a couple of days to read this, but it was a lovely, fun break from more serious or complicated things when I needed it. I enjoyed it all over again, and the extras at the end, including Sue re-watching things after the entire project was completed, were a lot of fun.
I'm glad I bought it and perfectly happy that I did go ahead and back the second volume's Kickstarter. I'll enjoy rereading that as well, once it comes out, I'm sure.
June 2, 2015
Along for the ride
Following on the heels of Neil and Sue's life story and summary of their experience in the book, Adventures with the Wife in Space, the two wayward adventurers traverse William Hartnell' First Doctor era.
The book is so much fun and completely enjoyable. It is a blast experiencing the stories that fans are already familiar with, delivered through Sue's perspective on the series. The wit and humor by which it is presented is a real treat.
Following on the heels of Neil and Sue's life story and summary of their experience in the book, Adventures with the Wife in Space, the two wayward adventurers traverse William Hartnell' First Doctor era.
The book is so much fun and completely enjoyable. It is a blast experiencing the stories that fans are already familiar with, delivered through Sue's perspective on the series. The wit and humor by which it is presented is a real treat.
January 12, 2024
Neil and Sue Perryman sat down to watch (or listen to) every 'Doctor Who' episode in order. Behold the fruit of their labours!
An amusing account of a raving fan making his poor wife indulge his fandom. As Perryman points out, this can safely be read alongside 'TARDIS Eruditorum' with very little crossover.
An amusing account of a raving fan making his poor wife indulge his fandom. As Perryman points out, this can safely be read alongside 'TARDIS Eruditorum' with very little crossover.
May 10, 2018
As hilarious as I remember from the blog. The best of the exclusive Extras is Sue's commentary of "An Adventure in Space and Time", which has a bit of added poignancy that wasn't really present in the blog.
June 7, 2020
Funny, informative quick read
I really enjoyed this book. It only gets four stars because the Hartnell years aren’t an era of Doctor Who that I know well so felt I was missing a lot of the jokes - but that is defiantly my fault and not the books!
I really enjoyed this book. It only gets four stars because the Hartnell years aren’t an era of Doctor Who that I know well so felt I was missing a lot of the jokes - but that is defiantly my fault and not the books!
May 14, 2024
Enjoyed this a lot
Came across the original paperback and enjoyed it so much I was inspired to go back and do a “Sue” myself. Then discovered this set of e books to work through. Part way through the second doctor now and will continue.
Came across the original paperback and enjoyed it so much I was inspired to go back and do a “Sue” myself. Then discovered this set of e books to work through. Part way through the second doctor now and will continue.
August 10, 2016
charming first doctor run, lots of giggles to be had and I felt better watching selected Hartnell along with Neil and Sue. Recommended.
April 20, 2015
An excellent read for any fan of classic Dr Who. Almost makes me want to go and re-watch all of the first Doctor adventures again!
June 23, 2015
Just brilliant. Thoroughly entertaining with some laugh-out-loud moments, and no previous knowledge required.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews