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The John Nathan-Turner Production Diary 1979-1990
In this fascinating account of one of Doctor Who ‘s most turbulent periods, noted researcher Richard Molesworth presents an unprecedentedly detailed record of producer John Nathan-Turner’s day-to-day activities on the show. Drawing on unique archive documents, the book tells the full story of how one of the most divisive figures in Doctor Who ‘s history steered it through the entire decade of the 1980s, revealing the key decisions that shaped its development and affording an invaluable insight into how the production office responded to the many controversies that dogged it during that period. An unmissable treat for all fans of classic Doctor Who !
- GenresDoctor Who
431 pages, Paperback
Published June 6, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 15, 2022
Doctor Who factual books by Richard Molesworth are typically well-researched, well-written and informative and this is no exception. Thanks to JNT having saved so much of Doctor Who's paperwork, photos and scripts from being skipped after the original run of the series finished (something Doctor Who fans should thank him for, if they thank him for nothing else), we can look over his shoulder as he produces the show and be with him in the Doctor Who production office, or, at least as often it seems, in the BBC Club bar. We get to be privy to scripts being commissioned, episodes being recorded, JNT's trips to conventions, his occasional arguments and losses of temper, and receive a real insight into his decisions. One thing is for sure: he worked hard.
It's hard to see from this why the sea change in Doctor Who's fortunes took place in the mid-1980s, but we can plainly see when it did. It's around the end of the Peter Davison era. The first half of the book sees Doctor Who as a major BBC show, with the production office flooded with requests for its inclusion in other programmes, and John constantly entertaining the press. In the second half of the decade this drops away and BBC suits become increasingly indifferent to the programme. By the end of the 1980s only one newspaper turns up to cover filming. JNT is pretty much still doing what he always did, so the only conclusion is that the BBC itself had changed, with independent filmed productions gaining priority and the days of in-house, multi-camera coming to an end. Although arguments on the production team becoming public can't have helped, it's hard to believe the non-renewal of Doctor Who was JNT's fault, much as fans blamed him at the time. Doctor Who needed to change, and it took sixteen years (with a one-off return in 1996) to make this happen.
I recommend this as invaluable to anyone interested in the history of Doctor Who. I'm only deducting one star due to many typos and spelling errors, which a good edit and proofread could have sorted out.
The final chapter, with the end of his BBC career, is desperately sad. He deserved far better - but at least Doctor Who gave him a pleasant final day in work. I won't spoil it by revealing how.
Stay tuned!
It's hard to see from this why the sea change in Doctor Who's fortunes took place in the mid-1980s, but we can plainly see when it did. It's around the end of the Peter Davison era. The first half of the book sees Doctor Who as a major BBC show, with the production office flooded with requests for its inclusion in other programmes, and John constantly entertaining the press. In the second half of the decade this drops away and BBC suits become increasingly indifferent to the programme. By the end of the 1980s only one newspaper turns up to cover filming. JNT is pretty much still doing what he always did, so the only conclusion is that the BBC itself had changed, with independent filmed productions gaining priority and the days of in-house, multi-camera coming to an end. Although arguments on the production team becoming public can't have helped, it's hard to believe the non-renewal of Doctor Who was JNT's fault, much as fans blamed him at the time. Doctor Who needed to change, and it took sixteen years (with a one-off return in 1996) to make this happen.
I recommend this as invaluable to anyone interested in the history of Doctor Who. I'm only deducting one star due to many typos and spelling errors, which a good edit and proofread could have sorted out.
The final chapter, with the end of his BBC career, is desperately sad. He deserved far better - but at least Doctor Who gave him a pleasant final day in work. I won't spoil it by revealing how.
Stay tuned!
June 14, 2022
Definitely one for the committed Whovian, this tracks what producer John Nathan-Turner did day to day during his tenure on Doctor Who, and all the production hiccups and surprises that entails. There are fascinating snippets about stories that were never made, and ideas floated that wouldn’t come to fruition for years (such as a “Hartnell Years” compilation video - Turner was thinking of this in 1983 but it didn’t happen until after the show was cancelled). There’s also a great deal of acrimony as the years go on, for example with script editor Eric Saward getting increasingly upset with the producer, and one actor waiting literally years to be paid a fee for a short interview spot. Sometimes it doesn’t go into as much detail as I’d like, probably because JN-T didn’t in his notes; the killing off of Adric, for example, comes and goes mostly unremarked upon. But this gets a lot out of what Richard Molesworth has to work with.
July 13, 2023
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/the-john-nathan-turner-doctor-who-production-diary-1979-90-by-richard-molesworth/
this is the archive of papers retrieved from John Nathan-Turner’s estate after his death, briefly running through most of the days of each of the years in which he was in charge of the show. The bones of the story have been told elsewhere, notably by Nathan-Turmer himself and by Richard Marson, so this is just extra supporting documentary evidence.
I did find a couple of points of interest, all the same. I hadn’t appreciated that JNT and Peter Davison were already friends from All Creatures Great and Small, which both had worked on. It’s clear that the 1986 cancellation crisis was caused in part by JNT taking his eye off the ball and doing too many pantomimes and US conventions. And I don’t think I had absorbed that the eventual cancellation in 1989 came about almost accidentally after a co-funding opportunity for the show fell through.
It’s also interesting to see the scripts that never were. A few of these have since been completed and recorded by Big Finish, most notably “Song of the Space Whale” by Pat Mills. I wonder what happened to American writer Lesley Elizabeth Thomas, who submitted a four-part story which never got to screen? There’s not much else about her online; I bet she is mainly known under a different name.
Anyway, this really is for the completist only, but the completist will enjoy it.
this is the archive of papers retrieved from John Nathan-Turner’s estate after his death, briefly running through most of the days of each of the years in which he was in charge of the show. The bones of the story have been told elsewhere, notably by Nathan-Turmer himself and by Richard Marson, so this is just extra supporting documentary evidence.
I did find a couple of points of interest, all the same. I hadn’t appreciated that JNT and Peter Davison were already friends from All Creatures Great and Small, which both had worked on. It’s clear that the 1986 cancellation crisis was caused in part by JNT taking his eye off the ball and doing too many pantomimes and US conventions. And I don’t think I had absorbed that the eventual cancellation in 1989 came about almost accidentally after a co-funding opportunity for the show fell through.
It’s also interesting to see the scripts that never were. A few of these have since been completed and recorded by Big Finish, most notably “Song of the Space Whale” by Pat Mills. I wonder what happened to American writer Lesley Elizabeth Thomas, who submitted a four-part story which never got to screen? There’s not much else about her online; I bet she is mainly known under a different name.
Anyway, this really is for the completist only, but the completist will enjoy it.
August 25, 2025
I bought this book as I remember John Nathan-Turner (JNT) from the days when I was an anorak-wearing member of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society in the early 1980s.
This is a painstakingly researched book drawn from huge bags of paperwork containing JNT's expenses claims and letters found after his death.
Unfortunately I found it rather tedious reading through the endless list of trips, meetings, and correspondence. There are occasional anecdotes from other people's interaction with JNT slotted into the timeline.
This isn't a criticism of the book as it delivers exactly what it says on the cover - a production diary.
This is a painstakingly researched book drawn from huge bags of paperwork containing JNT's expenses claims and letters found after his death.
Unfortunately I found it rather tedious reading through the endless list of trips, meetings, and correspondence. There are occasional anecdotes from other people's interaction with JNT slotted into the timeline.
This isn't a criticism of the book as it delivers exactly what it says on the cover - a production diary.
September 22, 2022
This book covers the period of John Nathan-Turner's time as the producer of 'Doctor Who'.
Richard Molesworth has collated the various papers from Nathan-Turner's office at the BBC and created a thorough narrative of the eleven years based on letters, receipts, reports and complaints. An interesting look at the behind the scenes of 'Doctor Who'.
Richard Molesworth has collated the various papers from Nathan-Turner's office at the BBC and created a thorough narrative of the eleven years based on letters, receipts, reports and complaints. An interesting look at the behind the scenes of 'Doctor Who'.
May 6, 2022
An excellent account
The story of Doctor Who throughout the 1980s using the actions of producer JNT
A well presented book with a high level of detail
The story of Doctor Who throughout the 1980s using the actions of producer JNT
A well presented book with a high level of detail
July 13, 2022
A fascinating look at the minutia of Doctor Who's production in the 1980s, but probably only of interest to hardcore Who fans.
July 6, 2023
A fascinating read, giving you a genuine insight into how busy a job JNT had as producer of Dr Who in the 1980s.
September 9, 2025
A fascinating read for hardcore Dr Who fans charting a difficult time in the show's long history. John Nathan-Turner is often unfairly judged by the fans but this book helps paint a picture of a man working his socks off for the programme, both commercially and thematically. Although he presided over it when it was cancelled the book demonstrates that this was really not his fault, far from it. The show's global success owes a lot to his efforts.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews