What do you think?
Rate this book
Totally Tasteless: The Life of John Nathan-Turner
Richard Marson's book, Totally Tasteless: The Life of John Nathan-Turner (previously titled JN-T: The Life and Scandalous Times of John Nathan-Turner) tells the story of the most controversial figure in the history of Doctor Who.
For more than a decade, John Nathan-Turner, or 'JN-T' as he was often known, was in charge of every major artistic and practical decision affecting the world’s longest-running science fiction programme. Richard Marson brings his dramatic, farcical, sometimes scandalous, often moving story to life with the benefit of his own inside knowledge and the fruits of over 100 revealing interviews with key friends and colleagues, those John loved to those from whom he became estranged. The author has also had access to all of Nathan-Turner’s surviving archive of paperwork and photos, many of which appear here for the very first time.
This new edition features a cover painting by artist Andrew Skilleter, some additional photographs and documents and a new chapter detailing the year of the book's release, and the full story behind the press attention. The basic text of the book remains the same as in the previous edition.
For more than a decade, John Nathan-Turner, or 'JN-T' as he was often known, was in charge of every major artistic and practical decision affecting the world’s longest-running science fiction programme. Richard Marson brings his dramatic, farcical, sometimes scandalous, often moving story to life with the benefit of his own inside knowledge and the fruits of over 100 revealing interviews with key friends and colleagues, those John loved to those from whom he became estranged. The author has also had access to all of Nathan-Turner’s surviving archive of paperwork and photos, many of which appear here for the very first time.
This new edition features a cover painting by artist Andrew Skilleter, some additional photographs and documents and a new chapter detailing the year of the book's release, and the full story behind the press attention. The basic text of the book remains the same as in the previous edition.
381 pages, Hardcover
First published May 31, 2013
5 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
May 28, 2017
Astounding stuff !! Someone needs to make a film or tv series out of this.
June 18, 2016
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2655080.html
There is no more controversial figure in the history of Doctor Who than John Nathan-Turner, the show's producer for the last 11 years years of its first run. And, apart from the man himself, there can surely be few better qualified to write about it than Richard Marson, who cut his teeth as a teenage correspondent for Doctor Who Magazine and then went into television production himself. On the strength of this I went out and bought Marson's biography of Verity Lambert.
It's a very good biography, portraying its central character warts and all, through his own interviews, interviews with others at the time, interviews with his co-workers and friends and lovers specially for the biography (Peter Davison comes across as a particularly thoughtful commentator on Nathan-Turner, Doctor Who and what was really going on), and the copious documentary evidence that is available from various sources. It's difficult to imagine anyone doing a better job (or indeed wanting to).
As in his own memoirs, JN-T comes across as a gifted but flawed character. He was addicted to spectacle and activity rather than plot, characterisation or reflection; without really trusting them sufficiently he relied too much on his script editors, the longest-serving of whom, Eric Saward, savagely and viciously turned on him. He was usually drunk by the afternoon and often bad-tempered (perhaps not unconnected). Some blame must attach to the BBC hierarchy, who could find nobody else to take on Doctor Who, and could find no other use for him, leaving both to slowly spiral into decline.
Marson's forensic analysis of what actually happened during the Great Cancellation Crisis of 1986 is surely going to be the classic account; he recounts what happened in the last week of February 1985 almost hour by hour, JN-T stuck at a convention in America as the story raced out of control behind him. He also has a decently brief but clear account of the circumstances of Patrick Troughton's demise. And the story of JN-T's decline into ill health and early death (at 54, on 1 May 2002) is a very sad one of talent misdirected and eventually wasted.
Most of this book will only be really interesting to Who fans, because Doctor Who took up most of JN-T's career (he was hired by the BBC in 1968, and worked on Doctor Who almost continuously from 1977 until he was fired in 1990). But I think there are some wider lessons as well, about the shift of BBC internal culture leaving some people behind who were not ready for change, about the interactions between show-runners and fans, and about the ways in which creativity can be a curse to individual creators.
There is no more controversial figure in the history of Doctor Who than John Nathan-Turner, the show's producer for the last 11 years years of its first run. And, apart from the man himself, there can surely be few better qualified to write about it than Richard Marson, who cut his teeth as a teenage correspondent for Doctor Who Magazine and then went into television production himself. On the strength of this I went out and bought Marson's biography of Verity Lambert.
It's a very good biography, portraying its central character warts and all, through his own interviews, interviews with others at the time, interviews with his co-workers and friends and lovers specially for the biography (Peter Davison comes across as a particularly thoughtful commentator on Nathan-Turner, Doctor Who and what was really going on), and the copious documentary evidence that is available from various sources. It's difficult to imagine anyone doing a better job (or indeed wanting to).
As in his own memoirs, JN-T comes across as a gifted but flawed character. He was addicted to spectacle and activity rather than plot, characterisation or reflection; without really trusting them sufficiently he relied too much on his script editors, the longest-serving of whom, Eric Saward, savagely and viciously turned on him. He was usually drunk by the afternoon and often bad-tempered (perhaps not unconnected). Some blame must attach to the BBC hierarchy, who could find nobody else to take on Doctor Who, and could find no other use for him, leaving both to slowly spiral into decline.
Marson's forensic analysis of what actually happened during the Great Cancellation Crisis of 1986 is surely going to be the classic account; he recounts what happened in the last week of February 1985 almost hour by hour, JN-T stuck at a convention in America as the story raced out of control behind him. He also has a decently brief but clear account of the circumstances of Patrick Troughton's demise. And the story of JN-T's decline into ill health and early death (at 54, on 1 May 2002) is a very sad one of talent misdirected and eventually wasted.
Most of this book will only be really interesting to Who fans, because Doctor Who took up most of JN-T's career (he was hired by the BBC in 1968, and worked on Doctor Who almost continuously from 1977 until he was fired in 1990). But I think there are some wider lessons as well, about the shift of BBC internal culture leaving some people behind who were not ready for change, about the interactions between show-runners and fans, and about the ways in which creativity can be a curse to individual creators.
September 5, 2015
Definitely fascinating. Indeed, a quote on the back cover by David Reid sums it up quite well - "Gripping, fascinating, appalling and, by the end, truly moving." I didn't enjoy how it was told, a never ending stream of quotes. It may add to its authenticity, but it doesn't make for a satisfying style. But overall, it is an utterly compelling read. And for all his faults, JN-T doesn't come out of it half as bad as his greatest critics, Ian Levine and the frankly repugnant Gary Leigh.
March 10, 2016
Could not put this down. It is a masterfully compiled biography and spectacularly entertaining not only because of its larger-than-life subject but because it evokes an entire era of showbiz and television. The BBC may be a more efficient place these days with its new corporate mentality (though W1A rather calls that assumption into question), but this book made me nostalgic for the creative anarchy of the past, and which resulted in the kind of television I grew up watching.
This included Doctor Who, in what turned out to be its dying years. Now that my juvenile enthusiasm for the Sylvester McCoy era has given way to a (slightly) more objective appreciation of that era, I am able to appreciate the real strengths of JN-T's approach, as well as the weaknesses - the last two series broadcast remain some of the strongest episodes made for the series, and this book makes it clear quite what an achievement this was given how much the odds were stacked against all involved. JN-T's ability to stretch a budget, his eye for publicity and his passion for the show are what enabled him to keep Doctor Who alive for so long, and there seems little doubt now that it would have been ditched much sooner but for his continued involvement.
Not that the book shies away from passing judgement on his failures. The Colin Baker era comes under particular scrutiny: artistic judgements heaped on top of each other collide head on with personal disputes and fandom at its ugliest. Ironically, a producer whose first move was to take Doctor Who in a more serious, less pantomimey direction, ended up (briefly) turning it into more of a pantomime than it ever was before. Mind you, given the extent of the antagonism and fallings out behind the scenes, it's amazing anything even reached the screen. Even more scurrilous are the (much publicised) stories of the predatory sexual activities of John and his partner. It is not always comfortable reading, but it's ever bit as compelling as a slow motion motorway pile-up.
You might imagine John Nathan-Turner wouldn't come out of the whole thing terribly well. In fact, others fare much worse - Jonathan Powell epitomises a bunch of pathetic BBC department heads, unable to understand the appeal of Doctor Who but too cowardly to do anything about it ('we didn't know what to do with it,' moans Powell, in defence of continuing to let Doctor Who run on the same kind of budget per episode given to Eastenders) and Marson allows the grotesque figures who populated Who fandom to pretty much condemn themselves.
John Nathan-Turner, on the other hand, seems to have commanded plenty of genuine respect and affection, and in some ways the warts-and-all approach succeeds in explaining exactly why. What it also makes this is a story with a heartbreaking trajectory, an ambitious young producer drained of his potential by an organisation who at best didn't care, at worst conspired to bring him down. It would be nice to think that couldn't happen any more at the BBC, but some things don't change.
History, in any case, has shown just how unimaginative that BBC management were, and the book points out how much 21st century Doctor Who owes to JN-T, both in style and commercial sense. The whole thing is a fitting tribute to a man who could have achieved so much more, yet achieved a great deal all the same.
It is also an absolutely stonking read.
This included Doctor Who, in what turned out to be its dying years. Now that my juvenile enthusiasm for the Sylvester McCoy era has given way to a (slightly) more objective appreciation of that era, I am able to appreciate the real strengths of JN-T's approach, as well as the weaknesses - the last two series broadcast remain some of the strongest episodes made for the series, and this book makes it clear quite what an achievement this was given how much the odds were stacked against all involved. JN-T's ability to stretch a budget, his eye for publicity and his passion for the show are what enabled him to keep Doctor Who alive for so long, and there seems little doubt now that it would have been ditched much sooner but for his continued involvement.
Not that the book shies away from passing judgement on his failures. The Colin Baker era comes under particular scrutiny: artistic judgements heaped on top of each other collide head on with personal disputes and fandom at its ugliest. Ironically, a producer whose first move was to take Doctor Who in a more serious, less pantomimey direction, ended up (briefly) turning it into more of a pantomime than it ever was before. Mind you, given the extent of the antagonism and fallings out behind the scenes, it's amazing anything even reached the screen. Even more scurrilous are the (much publicised) stories of the predatory sexual activities of John and his partner. It is not always comfortable reading, but it's ever bit as compelling as a slow motion motorway pile-up.
You might imagine John Nathan-Turner wouldn't come out of the whole thing terribly well. In fact, others fare much worse - Jonathan Powell epitomises a bunch of pathetic BBC department heads, unable to understand the appeal of Doctor Who but too cowardly to do anything about it ('we didn't know what to do with it,' moans Powell, in defence of continuing to let Doctor Who run on the same kind of budget per episode given to Eastenders) and Marson allows the grotesque figures who populated Who fandom to pretty much condemn themselves.
John Nathan-Turner, on the other hand, seems to have commanded plenty of genuine respect and affection, and in some ways the warts-and-all approach succeeds in explaining exactly why. What it also makes this is a story with a heartbreaking trajectory, an ambitious young producer drained of his potential by an organisation who at best didn't care, at worst conspired to bring him down. It would be nice to think that couldn't happen any more at the BBC, but some things don't change.
History, in any case, has shown just how unimaginative that BBC management were, and the book points out how much 21st century Doctor Who owes to JN-T, both in style and commercial sense. The whole thing is a fitting tribute to a man who could have achieved so much more, yet achieved a great deal all the same.
It is also an absolutely stonking read.
September 1, 2014
Not sure what to make of this, I'm also not sure if this is about TV production in the 80's or about being GAy in the 80's. It also seems to have a downer on JNTs long term boyfriend Gary, numerous people say that they have no idea why he loved him and that he was the worst thing about being friends with JNT, a lot of time is spent explaining how bad GD was, but no time is spent in working out why such an important figure in his life was important to him.
Another problem is the curious order of things, while pages are spent dealing with the problems he had with scripts, and upper management but very little time is spent on the good points, I would have liked for example to know the reaction to the fact that the best scene in The Five Doctors was the scene he directed, or the way the last two series took a massive leap in quality, rather than another take on being forced to fire Colin Baker.
Another problem is the curious order of things, while pages are spent dealing with the problems he had with scripts, and upper management but very little time is spent on the good points, I would have liked for example to know the reaction to the fact that the best scene in The Five Doctors was the scene he directed, or the way the last two series took a massive leap in quality, rather than another take on being forced to fire Colin Baker.
June 1, 2013
A wonderfully researched and written book that just so happens to be ridiculously depressing in places. And I should know depressing - I've read the novelization of Home Alone 2. Jack the Voord need not apply.
May 8, 2024
"Stay tuned..."
Well now I have time to write a review. This book is not a traditional biography, but rather a series of interview quotations strung together to tell Nathan-Turner's life through the eyes of others. He left only a short recorded memoir, so this is as good as we can get. The most quoted are friends or at least people well-disposed to him, so it is mostly positive, but the blemishes and errors are there. I read this as a fan of the classic series but one who finds the 1980s period the most interesting, perhaps due to my fascination with failure. As with any disaster there were a lot of hands in that pie, and if anything Nathan-Turner kept it alive and managed to pump out the two best seasons which were 25 and 26, at the very end (although The Trial of a Time Lord might be the show's lowest point, the season not even having something like City of Death). Failure is often relative but particularly here. The accusations of declining quality were overstated; there were always hits and misses since 1963 and nothing in this era was as bad as The Horns of Nimon, an episode I die laughing at not but with (unlike say The Room or other bad movie classics). Truth is, the series had run a long time and had actual toxic and entitled fans. The series was so old it needed to grow up, but at its heart it remained silly, leading to confusion. BBC leadership hated it, and they come across here as clueless, feckless, and petty, although the Powell stuff is great for its candor. One point not raised was that special effects in the era were so good with the likes of Blade Runner that Doctor Who looked terrible by comparison. In the 1960s-1970s (at least until Star Wars) specials effects in major films were shoddy save for the occasional 2001 or Jason and the Argonauts, but what could be excused in Pertwee years could not with McCoy. Nathan-Turner also made his mistakes for sure (bad scripts in particular), but he made more good decisions, and he kept it all on time and under budget, no mean feat. He was not the author of the show's demise, although a few of his critical errors certainly helped it happen.
Because the book from so many points of view and the subject is controversial, and Nathan-Turner was a showman, the book paints a multi-faceted portrait of a simple man. At his core, he loved attention, and that explains most of his actions. Today the worst accusations involve his sex life, which today would have had him cancelled and while that fate did not befall him then it certainly made him enemies and was not without cost. Even if a bit long and repetitive, and the book is more gossip and personality study than analysis of the show, it works. I leave with two small quibbles. I would have liked more on Anthony Ainley, another controversial figure but one who was intensely private and came from a troubled background. He only barely pops up and his falling out with Nathan-Turner is chalked up to money, but I detect something more here, perhaps that most of his stories were duds with him as the lone saving grace. I also have more sympathy for Eric Sward than most. Some of that is I like the three stories he wrote with his name on them (Earthshock, Resurrection of the Daleks, and particularly Revelation of the Daleks), but his complaints are also understandable. Sadly, the man aired the dirty laundry, seemed listless after Doctor Who, and usually shies away from things like this book. But I felt bad for him all the same, perhaps also because I am a writer, and we love to complain as much as we love to drink, and both undid Saward as much as Nathan-Turner's mistakes when it came to scripts.
Well now I have time to write a review. This book is not a traditional biography, but rather a series of interview quotations strung together to tell Nathan-Turner's life through the eyes of others. He left only a short recorded memoir, so this is as good as we can get. The most quoted are friends or at least people well-disposed to him, so it is mostly positive, but the blemishes and errors are there. I read this as a fan of the classic series but one who finds the 1980s period the most interesting, perhaps due to my fascination with failure. As with any disaster there were a lot of hands in that pie, and if anything Nathan-Turner kept it alive and managed to pump out the two best seasons which were 25 and 26, at the very end (although The Trial of a Time Lord might be the show's lowest point, the season not even having something like City of Death). Failure is often relative but particularly here. The accusations of declining quality were overstated; there were always hits and misses since 1963 and nothing in this era was as bad as The Horns of Nimon, an episode I die laughing at not but with (unlike say The Room or other bad movie classics). Truth is, the series had run a long time and had actual toxic and entitled fans. The series was so old it needed to grow up, but at its heart it remained silly, leading to confusion. BBC leadership hated it, and they come across here as clueless, feckless, and petty, although the Powell stuff is great for its candor. One point not raised was that special effects in the era were so good with the likes of Blade Runner that Doctor Who looked terrible by comparison. In the 1960s-1970s (at least until Star Wars) specials effects in major films were shoddy save for the occasional 2001 or Jason and the Argonauts, but what could be excused in Pertwee years could not with McCoy. Nathan-Turner also made his mistakes for sure (bad scripts in particular), but he made more good decisions, and he kept it all on time and under budget, no mean feat. He was not the author of the show's demise, although a few of his critical errors certainly helped it happen.
Because the book from so many points of view and the subject is controversial, and Nathan-Turner was a showman, the book paints a multi-faceted portrait of a simple man. At his core, he loved attention, and that explains most of his actions. Today the worst accusations involve his sex life, which today would have had him cancelled and while that fate did not befall him then it certainly made him enemies and was not without cost. Even if a bit long and repetitive, and the book is more gossip and personality study than analysis of the show, it works. I leave with two small quibbles. I would have liked more on Anthony Ainley, another controversial figure but one who was intensely private and came from a troubled background. He only barely pops up and his falling out with Nathan-Turner is chalked up to money, but I detect something more here, perhaps that most of his stories were duds with him as the lone saving grace. I also have more sympathy for Eric Sward than most. Some of that is I like the three stories he wrote with his name on them (Earthshock, Resurrection of the Daleks, and particularly Revelation of the Daleks), but his complaints are also understandable. Sadly, the man aired the dirty laundry, seemed listless after Doctor Who, and usually shies away from things like this book. But I felt bad for him all the same, perhaps also because I am a writer, and we love to complain as much as we love to drink, and both undid Saward as much as Nathan-Turner's mistakes when it came to scripts.
January 5, 2014
Richard Marson’s biography of Doctor Who producer Jon Nathan-Turner was compelling yet awful, like a nerdy version of Heat! magazine. Turner was a complex person, in a committed relationship for most of his adult life, yet he and his partner were quite open about sexually exploiting fans. (In the case of the partner, this included attempts at outright sexual assault, including one on the author.)
Turner’s tenure was the most turbulent time in Doctor Who‘s history, some of which was caused by circumstances beyond his control. Other parts … you know, there’s a reason why Russell T Davies never engaged with fandom, and why Steven Moffat should never have tried Twitter. Doctor Who fandom can be toxic, and if you have the ego it takes to survive in the entertainment industry, you’re going to wind up being equally toxic back. And not just to the fans: there’s a really ugly account of JN-T spitting in actress Nicola Bryant’s face after she joked about sleeping with a gay man he fancied.
The information in this biography would make fascinating entries in, say, a history of the culture of the BBC (which I would totally read), but as an account of an individual’s life, much of it felt prurient. But then, one suspects JN-T would have appreciated that.
Turner’s tenure was the most turbulent time in Doctor Who‘s history, some of which was caused by circumstances beyond his control. Other parts … you know, there’s a reason why Russell T Davies never engaged with fandom, and why Steven Moffat should never have tried Twitter. Doctor Who fandom can be toxic, and if you have the ego it takes to survive in the entertainment industry, you’re going to wind up being equally toxic back. And not just to the fans: there’s a really ugly account of JN-T spitting in actress Nicola Bryant’s face after she joked about sleeping with a gay man he fancied.
The information in this biography would make fascinating entries in, say, a history of the culture of the BBC (which I would totally read), but as an account of an individual’s life, much of it felt prurient. But then, one suspects JN-T would have appreciated that.
December 4, 2013
If you are a classic Doctor Who fan, buy and read this book. If you're a fan of new Who, buy and read this book. None of us would be here without JN-T and creaky old Whovians like me and 12 year olds who are just now finding the show owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for keeping the show alive in the 1980's. His tireless US publicity work on PBS and the US con circuit laid the groundwork for the current show's success. He is no saint of course, and Marson takes pains to show him fairly, warts and all. This book is a clearly written, thoughtful, and painstakingly researched biography. Recommended.
Read
December 19, 2022I thought I knew what this book was from its reputation (it sparked a number of "red top" stories on its first publication, lifted from one chapter around the middle of the book), and to be honest I was a little resentful that I couldn't buy it in my preferred format (ebook). You can pretty much only buy it from the publisher, and it has only just had its second edition released, which also made it an annoyance to track down.
This isn't the book I thought it was.
Richard Marson has written the most well-researched and moving history of a moment in history I've read in a long time. You get a very clear picture of how television worked in the 70s and 80s, through the eyes of nearly everybody involved in the making of Doctor Who during that period. You also get a very clear picture of all the different facets of Nathan-Turner's personality - the contradictions and heel turns that in a lesser biography would get smoothed out in the name of presenting a coherent story. Marson clearly has a lot of affection for his subject, but that doesn't prevent him from detailing the man's flaws - hence the tabloid interest.
For all that JN-T was a monster, the story of his downfall, betrayal and eventual death is incredibly moving. All the prejudices and annoyances I had about the book on page one has gone by the time I read the last page, replaced by an incredible respect for what Marson had achieved ... and better understanding of the many contradictions and conflicting stories that make up a person.
This isn't the book I thought it was.
Richard Marson has written the most well-researched and moving history of a moment in history I've read in a long time. You get a very clear picture of how television worked in the 70s and 80s, through the eyes of nearly everybody involved in the making of Doctor Who during that period. You also get a very clear picture of all the different facets of Nathan-Turner's personality - the contradictions and heel turns that in a lesser biography would get smoothed out in the name of presenting a coherent story. Marson clearly has a lot of affection for his subject, but that doesn't prevent him from detailing the man's flaws - hence the tabloid interest.
For all that JN-T was a monster, the story of his downfall, betrayal and eventual death is incredibly moving. All the prejudices and annoyances I had about the book on page one has gone by the time I read the last page, replaced by an incredible respect for what Marson had achieved ... and better understanding of the many contradictions and conflicting stories that make up a person.
December 23, 2022
As the Doctor Who DVD range unfolded over the past 20 years, it retold the story of the making of the program. With the years and distance, some memories faded, while other memories finally came forward to tell a more complete story. One voice that was missing, however, was the enigmatic John Nathan-Turner, who had died just as the range was getting off the ground.
Professionals in television production tend to be very publicly polite to each other, and as a result, there's often something missing from the historical record about the behind the scenes landscape. This book helps to correct such a tendency. I found it well written, well researched, and a compelling story. It's essential reading for anyone interested in the production of classic Who, and finally offers a deeper and more useful understanding of JNT.
He continues to be a pivotal figure in the series, in good ways and in bad ways. I'm glad it could finally be written.
Professionals in television production tend to be very publicly polite to each other, and as a result, there's often something missing from the historical record about the behind the scenes landscape. This book helps to correct such a tendency. I found it well written, well researched, and a compelling story. It's essential reading for anyone interested in the production of classic Who, and finally offers a deeper and more useful understanding of JNT.
He continues to be a pivotal figure in the series, in good ways and in bad ways. I'm glad it could finally be written.
November 23, 2025
An insightful account of a divisive figure, not just in terms of Dr Who, but for his behaviour towards fans and ex-friends. This was a well balanced account, warts and all, and although the style of the book, being mostly made up of quotes from friends, enemies and acquaintances makes it a bit dry at times, it's never not fascinating. Some of the anecdotes are pretty reprehensible, on the part of JNT and his long term partner, but on the other hand there is some appalling treatment by upper management at the BBC, and the ending is poignant and moving. A good insight into 80s Dr Who TV production
December 5, 2021
A very well put together book about the tragedy of JNT. No whitewash of his faults, but equally open about the way senior BBC execs stitched him up. As someone who didn't like much of JNT era at the time but has come to appreciate it more now I'm older it was interesting to read.
Ultimately it is very sad.
Ultimately it is very sad.
September 26, 2023
A fair, honest and balanced portrayal of a very complicated man who was a tragic figure in the world of Doctor Who. Given I’ve been a fan for over 40 years, the amount contained in these pages that I never knew astounded me. It’s a riveting read. As much about the culture of the BBC as it is an expose on a problematic figure in Dr Who lore. Certainly worth a read - if you can find it!
October 20, 2025
Had left reading for some time but this is really great. Very well written and is a hell of a page turner. Fun, depressing and everything in between. Read only a few Dr Who books but this is miles above the rest. Maybe as the subject himself is so interesting.
April 20, 2019
Well researched biog from an 'insider'. Showed the many facets of JN-T, good and bad to an ultimately sad demise. Defined by Dr Who when this shouldn't have been the case.
May 26, 2020
Absolutely riveting & essential reading for all Dr Who fans out there. Brilliantly researched with many lovely colour photos. I would love to see this made into a film!
August 9, 2021
A fair and objective examination of the life of John Nathan Turner, showing both the good times as well as the bad.
April 17, 2023
A fantastic read, privileged to have met JN-T once at a signing hopefully didn't come across as a barker!
September 18, 2017
Absolutely brilliant. An essential read for anyone with an interest in Doctor Who or the state of the BBC in the 70s and 80s.
_abbandonati_dnf_
December 23, 2015Ci ho provato... ma un anno per leggere solo tre capitoli denotano una incompatibilità profonda.
Non mi sono ritrovata con lo stile dell'autore, più volte sono dovuta tornare sul paragrafo appena letto.
Ho trovato fastidioso il (poco) sottintendere in negativo tutte le volte che, nella narrazione, veniva citato Gary Downie (compagno di JN-T). Le voci di abusi e soprusi subiti dall'autore per mano di Dowie sono comparse in rete e tabloid più volte, soprattutto in occasione dell'uscita della biografia.
Non nego che siano vere, ma rendono la biografia parziale e meno attendibile ai miei occhi, soprattutto quando nessuno dei coinvolti può dire la sua.
Cercherò di riprendere in mano il libro più avanti, perché sono curiosa di scoprire di più su uno dei nomi più citati e bistrattati della storia di Doctor Who.
Non mi sono ritrovata con lo stile dell'autore, più volte sono dovuta tornare sul paragrafo appena letto.
Ho trovato fastidioso il (poco) sottintendere in negativo tutte le volte che, nella narrazione, veniva citato Gary Downie (compagno di JN-T). Le voci di abusi e soprusi subiti dall'autore per mano di Dowie sono comparse in rete e tabloid più volte, soprattutto in occasione dell'uscita della biografia.
Non nego che siano vere, ma rendono la biografia parziale e meno attendibile ai miei occhi, soprattutto quando nessuno dei coinvolti può dire la sua.
Cercherò di riprendere in mano il libro più avanti, perché sono curiosa di scoprire di più su uno dei nomi più citati e bistrattati della storia di Doctor Who.
April 25, 2022
JNT was definitely the wrong producer for Dr Who, but to start off with he got a lot of things right, and his decisions affect the current series to this day! (Who can forget him spinning the female doctor concept when Tom Baker announced his departure on TV). That aside it’s the gossip and bitchy JNT everyone wants to read about, and you get it in spades here. I think a more interesting read would be JNT’s life partner Gary Downie who at times comes off worse than John and an unwanted interloper in the Dr Who production office! No doubt time will tell if die hard fans like me of the classic era will get to find out???
August 1, 2013
There is a bit of "scandal" as the title implies, but it's a very well written book. Surprisingly, it's a bit of a love story. There was pretty much no untangling the story of JNT from Gary Downie's story. Obviously the book is squarely aimed at the classic Who community who grew up in the timeframe where JNT was king, and unless you have some backstory and understanding of that period you may get a bit lost. Anyway, fascinating read. If you grew up on Dr. Who back then, or are a bit deep in fandom now it's a can't miss.
September 12, 2013
Not far into this book, but surely Mark Gatiss should be casting his follow up Telemovie...this is great stuff.
Essential reading for anyone who had an awareness of the DW production process and history of the show in its 80's incarnation. Completely engrossing, quite shocking in parts, and ultimately an emotional and sad read. The man was ahead of his time but from an outmoded past. Hard to put things into perspective given the passage of time, but anyone reading the book will see what I mean.
Essential reading for anyone who had an awareness of the DW production process and history of the show in its 80's incarnation. Completely engrossing, quite shocking in parts, and ultimately an emotional and sad read. The man was ahead of his time but from an outmoded past. Hard to put things into perspective given the passage of time, but anyone reading the book will see what I mean.
April 6, 2013
Richard Marson's no-holds-barred account of the life of Doctor Who's last 'classic' series producer is immaculately researched, revelatory, effortlessly readable and very moving. Up there with Russell T Davies & Benjamin Cook's "The Writer's Tale" as a book that prompts admiration and reevaluation of the series.
June 29, 2013
An absolutely essential read for anyone interested in the history of Doctor Who in the 1980s or the decline and fall of the old BBC Television Drama Group established by Sydney Newman and curated by Shaun Sutton, as well as the intersection of professional, fan and queer cultures surrounding the BBC in the 1970s and 1980s.
November 25, 2014
42 WORD REVIEW:
Alternatively, “Over-promoted and over-promoting: John Nathan-Turner and the wretchedly flamboyant demise of Doctor Who.” Apologist Richard Marson argues the self-fulfilling tragedy of JNT’s being shackled to a programme he lacked the wherewithal to produce. An assiduously researched, disheartening exposé of 1980s Who.
Alternatively, “Over-promoted and over-promoting: John Nathan-Turner and the wretchedly flamboyant demise of Doctor Who.” Apologist Richard Marson argues the self-fulfilling tragedy of JNT’s being shackled to a programme he lacked the wherewithal to produce. An assiduously researched, disheartening exposé of 1980s Who.
September 24, 2013
A fascinating book, really goes into JNT's life in detail and brings out some great anecdotes and analyses from those who knew him. Not always a happy read, though, with a strong sense that despite everything he achieved, he had the talent to do so much more.
January 6, 2014
Wow. The golden era of Dr Who was a pit of backstabbing, butt-biting, corporate BS and tons and tons of sex and alcohol. Chockablock full of great behind the scenes anecdotes and gossip... A riveting and often tawdry read, thoroughly enjoyable, if a bit unsettling at the same time.
May 19, 2014
Compulsive, enjoyable and tinged with quite a lot of sadness in places. This is about TV in a VERY different era - for both good and bad. If you're an 80s kid like me, it's a real eye opener about Dr Who from your childhood and the people behind it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews