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Running Through Corridors #1
Running Through Corridors, Volume 1: The 60s - Rob and Toby's Marathon Watch of Doctor Who
In Running Through Corridors, two Doctor Who lovers of old - Robert Shearman and Toby Hadoke - embark on an epic quest of friendship: spend the gap year of 2009 (when Doctor Who consisted of a handful of specials rather than a full season) re-watching the whole of Who two episodes a day, every day, from the show's start in 1963 and ending with David Tennant's swan song on New Year's, 2010.This three-volume series contains Shearman and Hadoke's diary of that experience - a grand opus of their wry observations about the show, their desire to see the good in every story, and their chronicle of the real-life changes to Who in that year.With this book, Who fans will feel that they're watching along with Shearman (World Fantasy Award winner, Hugo Award nominee and writer on the new Doctor Who) and Hadoke (renowned stage performer for his one-man comedy show, Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf) as they make their grand journey through the world's most wonderful and longest-running drama series.
336 pages, Paperback
First published December 14, 2010
37 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Robert Shearman
174 books223 followersRobert Shearman has worked as a writer for television, radio and the stage. He was appointed resident dramatist at the Northcott Theatre in Exeter and has received several international awards for his theatrical work, including the Sunday Times Playwriting Award, the World Drama Trust Award and the Guinness Award for Ingenuity in association with the Royal National Theatre. His plays have been regularly produced by Alan Ayckbourn, and on BBC Radio by Martin Jarvis. However, he is probably best known as a writer for Doctor Who, reintroducing the Daleks for its BAFTA winning first series, in an episode nominated for a Hugo Award.
His first collection of short stories, Tiny Deaths, was published by Comma Press in 2007. It won the World Fantasy Award for best collection, was shortlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize and nominated for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Prize. One of the stories from it was selected by the National Library Board of Singapore as part of the annual Read! Singapore campaign. In 2008 his short story project for BBC7, The Chain Gang, won him a Sony Award, and he provided a second series for them in 2009.
He is now at work on his first novel.
His first collection of short stories, Tiny Deaths, was published by Comma Press in 2007. It won the World Fantasy Award for best collection, was shortlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize and nominated for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Prize. One of the stories from it was selected by the National Library Board of Singapore as part of the annual Read! Singapore campaign. In 2008 his short story project for BBC7, The Chain Gang, won him a Sony Award, and he provided a second series for them in 2009.
He is now at work on his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 20, 2020
A Doctor Who podcast actually reminded me that I'd also use to own this book. A quick search on Amazon shows that it must be quite rare (£24), which is a shame as I remember it to be quite funny and informative.
During Doctor Who's gap year in 2009 many fans embarked on a marathon of the classic series.
Toby (Comedian and DVD commentary moderator) and Rob (writer of the Ninth Doctor story Dalek) took up the challenge with trying to watch 2 episodes a day whilst sending their thoughts which included trying to say something positive about each story.
This volume covers the Hartnell and Troughton era's.
Very humorous with plenty of nice anecdotes as two friends enjoy their favourite show together.
It can also prove quite hard to try and fit an hour of TV in each day!
Their enthusiasm and love for the show really does rub off and makes for one of the best series guides.
During Doctor Who's gap year in 2009 many fans embarked on a marathon of the classic series.
Toby (Comedian and DVD commentary moderator) and Rob (writer of the Ninth Doctor story Dalek) took up the challenge with trying to watch 2 episodes a day whilst sending their thoughts which included trying to say something positive about each story.
This volume covers the Hartnell and Troughton era's.
Very humorous with plenty of nice anecdotes as two friends enjoy their favourite show together.
It can also prove quite hard to try and fit an hour of TV in each day!
Their enthusiasm and love for the show really does rub off and makes for one of the best series guides.
November 14, 2012
This weekend I finished the book Running Through Corridors: Rob & Toby's Marathon Watch of Doctor Who.
Award winning playwright, novelist and screenwriter, Robert Shearman and actor, writer and comedian Toby Hadoke spent the “gap year” of 2009 (when Doctor Who consisted of a handful of specials rather than a full season) re-watching the whole of Doctor Who two episodes a day, every day, from the show’s start in 1963 and ending with David Tennant’s swan song on New Year’s Day, 2010.
Published in December 2010, this is the first of a three-volume set containing their diary of that experience – a record of their observations about the show, their desire to see the good in every story, and their chronicle of the real-life changes to Who in that year.
Now, as a lifelong Doctor Who fan, I'm a sucker for this kind of book. I loved The Discontinuity Guide and Who's Next because, even though I may disagree with some of the opinions they express, it's fascinating knowing what other fans think. Actual well thought out and reasoned opinions, rather than simple knee-jerk reactions. I've been taking part in a podcast that's doing exactly the same thing, only it's taking a bit longer at one a month...
So, the good news is that the content is wonderful. Shearman and Hadoke's email banter is perfect. Witty, clever, objective and reasoned, with some wonderful personal touches that give what could be a very dry book, a warm and comfortable feel, like sitting round watching with your friends. This volume covers the first six years of the programme (the black and white era) taking us through the first two Doctors, William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton - back in the day when the show was on almost every week of the year!
The layout and cover are beautiful and Mad Norwegian Press should be congratulated for consistently producing such great books about the show. Despite being an unofficial resource they knock the spots off of anything the BBC has ever produced about the show. Along with Telos, they are the definitive publishers for anyone who wants to really know about Doctor Who.
However, before we get Volumes 2 and 3 I would like to make one request: Use a professional sub-editor, PLEASE!
One of the disadvantages to very small presses is that in a lot of cases they are usually only one or two steps removed from vanity publishing and when non-professionals are in charge, mistakes can start to creep in. The odd spelling mistake here or there is acceptable as every publisher has been guilty of that from time to time and it's fair to say that no-one is perfect. In this book though, the proofreading seems to have been missed out entirely. We're not talking about occasional grammatical errors. There are entire lines missed, some duplicated (more than once on occasion and sometimes mixed in with another), spelling and punctuation errors... The list could go on if I was feeling heartless.
It's such a shame as this is a REALLY good read but the mistakes are many and throughout the whole thing. Having been in the book trade for twenty years, I find this truly awful and as a former Buyer for the largest book wholesaler in Europe, had I seen an advance copy I'd have mentioned this to them before it reached the customers. Speaking purely as a customer, it's appalling that I've parted with a reasonable sum of money for something that, quite frankly, hasn't been finished.
If this sounds harsh I make no apologies because, for something that has been so well written and lovingly put together in every other respect, it's so disheartening to see the text mangled in this way. Not only does it show no respect to the authors, it also damages the reputation of the publisher. This may sound like I am being over-the-top but there really are a truly staggering number of errors. I hope that any reprint will be revised properly and that the remaining two volumes don't suffer the same fate as the first.
Anyway, in the style of the book itself, I will head back to the positives: This is a great read for anyone into Doctor Who and I gladly recommend it to them all. Just switch your mind off to all the embarrassing mistakes. You know, like we do with all the rubber monsters...
Award winning playwright, novelist and screenwriter, Robert Shearman and actor, writer and comedian Toby Hadoke spent the “gap year” of 2009 (when Doctor Who consisted of a handful of specials rather than a full season) re-watching the whole of Doctor Who two episodes a day, every day, from the show’s start in 1963 and ending with David Tennant’s swan song on New Year’s Day, 2010.
Published in December 2010, this is the first of a three-volume set containing their diary of that experience – a record of their observations about the show, their desire to see the good in every story, and their chronicle of the real-life changes to Who in that year.
Now, as a lifelong Doctor Who fan, I'm a sucker for this kind of book. I loved The Discontinuity Guide and Who's Next because, even though I may disagree with some of the opinions they express, it's fascinating knowing what other fans think. Actual well thought out and reasoned opinions, rather than simple knee-jerk reactions. I've been taking part in a podcast that's doing exactly the same thing, only it's taking a bit longer at one a month...
So, the good news is that the content is wonderful. Shearman and Hadoke's email banter is perfect. Witty, clever, objective and reasoned, with some wonderful personal touches that give what could be a very dry book, a warm and comfortable feel, like sitting round watching with your friends. This volume covers the first six years of the programme (the black and white era) taking us through the first two Doctors, William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton - back in the day when the show was on almost every week of the year!
The layout and cover are beautiful and Mad Norwegian Press should be congratulated for consistently producing such great books about the show. Despite being an unofficial resource they knock the spots off of anything the BBC has ever produced about the show. Along with Telos, they are the definitive publishers for anyone who wants to really know about Doctor Who.
However, before we get Volumes 2 and 3 I would like to make one request: Use a professional sub-editor, PLEASE!
One of the disadvantages to very small presses is that in a lot of cases they are usually only one or two steps removed from vanity publishing and when non-professionals are in charge, mistakes can start to creep in. The odd spelling mistake here or there is acceptable as every publisher has been guilty of that from time to time and it's fair to say that no-one is perfect. In this book though, the proofreading seems to have been missed out entirely. We're not talking about occasional grammatical errors. There are entire lines missed, some duplicated (more than once on occasion and sometimes mixed in with another), spelling and punctuation errors... The list could go on if I was feeling heartless.
It's such a shame as this is a REALLY good read but the mistakes are many and throughout the whole thing. Having been in the book trade for twenty years, I find this truly awful and as a former Buyer for the largest book wholesaler in Europe, had I seen an advance copy I'd have mentioned this to them before it reached the customers. Speaking purely as a customer, it's appalling that I've parted with a reasonable sum of money for something that, quite frankly, hasn't been finished.
If this sounds harsh I make no apologies because, for something that has been so well written and lovingly put together in every other respect, it's so disheartening to see the text mangled in this way. Not only does it show no respect to the authors, it also damages the reputation of the publisher. This may sound like I am being over-the-top but there really are a truly staggering number of errors. I hope that any reprint will be revised properly and that the remaining two volumes don't suffer the same fate as the first.
Anyway, in the style of the book itself, I will head back to the positives: This is a great read for anyone into Doctor Who and I gladly recommend it to them all. Just switch your mind off to all the embarrassing mistakes. You know, like we do with all the rubber monsters...
February 5, 2017
I'll fully admit that i'm in the weeds when it comes to Doctor Who and its fandom. I mean, I don't know how much you go into it, and I'm not the sort who goes onto tumblr to see what certain sects of fandom are saying, but fandom itself, how it evolved, how it is in dialogue with the show itself... All of that is fascinating to me, and it's impossible to talk about a book like Running Through Corridors without referencing Doctor Who.
So with that in mind....
I will admit that it's really hard for me to be impartial about this book, given that I am obsessed with reading opinion pieces about things I love. And I have a deep, deep love for Robert Shearman (and I did listen to "Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf" and enjoyed it very much). And it's an attempt to be outrightly positive about this show that I love so much. Sure, there are times when it buckles (they really drop the ball on "The Space Pirates", but who wouldn't? Everyone else did), but for the most part, this all-in-order attempt to find the good and find the love makes this whole experience really warm and really uplifting.
It also helps this perpetual cycle of Doctor Who that I live in, where, ever since I dove into the Classic Series I can't seem to escape its gravitational pull, circling eternally in this "I'm either reading about it or watching it" scholarship thing. It might be a problem. And yet, books like this really get my blood moving in terms of wanting to re-watch. Because I've never done a watchthrough in order, and watching Shearman and Hadoke come around to new lines of thinking or new evaluations on what they'd previously expected really makes it come across as this great thing that I need to do (and I will).
Granted, this isn't a book for everyone. If you aren't a Doctor Who fan you aren't reading this review. If you haven't seen the Classic series you will be super lost and you won't get it. Hell, if you don't know the Classic series that well you might be super lost.
But if you're going through the Classic stories and want some friends to help you through the journey, you'd be hard pressed to find another book that is as accessible, celebratory, and fun.
So with that in mind....
I will admit that it's really hard for me to be impartial about this book, given that I am obsessed with reading opinion pieces about things I love. And I have a deep, deep love for Robert Shearman (and I did listen to "Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf" and enjoyed it very much). And it's an attempt to be outrightly positive about this show that I love so much. Sure, there are times when it buckles (they really drop the ball on "The Space Pirates", but who wouldn't? Everyone else did), but for the most part, this all-in-order attempt to find the good and find the love makes this whole experience really warm and really uplifting.
It also helps this perpetual cycle of Doctor Who that I live in, where, ever since I dove into the Classic Series I can't seem to escape its gravitational pull, circling eternally in this "I'm either reading about it or watching it" scholarship thing. It might be a problem. And yet, books like this really get my blood moving in terms of wanting to re-watch. Because I've never done a watchthrough in order, and watching Shearman and Hadoke come around to new lines of thinking or new evaluations on what they'd previously expected really makes it come across as this great thing that I need to do (and I will).
Granted, this isn't a book for everyone. If you aren't a Doctor Who fan you aren't reading this review. If you haven't seen the Classic series you will be super lost and you won't get it. Hell, if you don't know the Classic series that well you might be super lost.
But if you're going through the Classic stories and want some friends to help you through the journey, you'd be hard pressed to find another book that is as accessible, celebratory, and fun.
December 18, 2011
An odd book, and one that's going to appeal to Doctor Who fans only. The estimable Rob Shearman decided one day that he wanted to watch or (in the case of episodes missing from the archive) listen to every televised episode of Doctor Who, in order, right from the start. To enhance the pleasure (gluttony is always best shared), he convinced Toby Hadoke to join him. This book is part one of that quest, in which they discuss each story in turn, trying their best to concentrate on the good (and occasionally failing). This volume takes them through the first two actors to play the role, William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton. It's a tome for fans, but if you are one, it's an intelligent, often funny discourse, that manages never to be disrespectful. Best of all, the conversation is inclusive. Reading the book is like sitting next to Shearman and Hadoke in a pub as they get into it, and you wouldn't want to interrupt there either. Buy it if you're a big fan, or know one, and you'll be very glad you did.
January 15, 2011
Running Through Corridors shouldn't be a five-star book. It really shouldn't. Just for the repetition of having prominent fan/writers work their way through the series (oh good, I thought, Time Team redux), it should only, really get 3 1/2, maybe four on my personal scale.
Then I read it. I read it and saw the love these two have for the series I love and--most importantly--they (especially Hadoke) recognize that what we consider a good Doctor Who story has as much to do with the context in which we first experienced it as with the plot, acting, or production values.
There are no dull facts here, no synopses, just love, and the occasional frustration. As a measure of this book's worth, I'll point out that it made me want to rewatch They Keys of Marinus. Wow.
Volume 2, please, @madnorwegian. As quickly as you can!
Then I read it. I read it and saw the love these two have for the series I love and--most importantly--they (especially Hadoke) recognize that what we consider a good Doctor Who story has as much to do with the context in which we first experienced it as with the plot, acting, or production values.
There are no dull facts here, no synopses, just love, and the occasional frustration. As a measure of this book's worth, I'll point out that it made me want to rewatch They Keys of Marinus. Wow.
Volume 2, please, @madnorwegian. As quickly as you can!
April 15, 2024
I had long wanted to start a Doctor Who marathon from the start (I'm a long time fan since watching the Tom Baker era in the UK as a child), although I'd seen all of the existing episodes previously, but mostly in the order they came out on DVD. Sometime either right before or after I started the marathon, I ran across this book and thought it would make a good companion to the rewatch. It actually far outweighed my expectations. You forget that the professionals actually like the show compared to a great chunk of fandom, so even if there was criticism in this book it was all done with a great deal of love, and an even bigger helping of insight. The book takes each episode at a time, with a write up by Robert Shearman and then a write up by Toby Hadaoke and they're a really good match. Shearman (who I'd known about from writing Dalek, but also some of his own rather astonishing fiction as well) tends to be mostly from a writing perspective and is the more serious of the two, but he's quite the expert illuminating the emotional underpinnings of the show as well. Hadoke is the comedian but also a walking library of the show, knowing it on a detailed level I had never known about before, with all sorts of interesting trivia and insights. It was like checking in with old friends throughout the watch and by the middle of the Troughton years I had bought Volume 2 which I'll certainly start up after a break. Perhaps the only issue I had was that this was written early enough not to have had a lot of the animations and recently found episodes, I would imagine an updated version with some of this plugged in could be neat. And it doesn't look like there ever was a Volume 3, or at least not yet but I'm not privy to the reasons for the delay. Anyway this is an excellent, nearly perfect companion, certainly quite recommended.
November 18, 2018
42 WORD REVIEW:
A book tailored to serious fans (although even those casual New Millennium Whovians who spurn the old DVDs could do worse than experience Doctor Who’s black and white era by proxy of Shearman and Hadoke). Generous critical analysis meets nostalgic love letter.
A book tailored to serious fans (although even those casual New Millennium Whovians who spurn the old DVDs could do worse than experience Doctor Who’s black and white era by proxy of Shearman and Hadoke). Generous critical analysis meets nostalgic love letter.
January 3, 2025
What a delight to spend the year watching classic Doctor Who whilst I follow along with the journal entries of these little scamps.
October 23, 2015
This weekend I finished the book Running Through Corridors: Rob & Toby's Marathon Watch of Doctor Who.
Award winning playwright, novelist and screenwriter, Robert Shearman and actor, writer and comedian Toby Hadoke spent the “gap year” of 2009 (when Doctor Who consisted of a handful of specials rather than a full season) re-watching the whole of Doctor Who two episodes a day, every day, from the show’s start in 1963 and ending with David Tennant’s swan song on New Year’s Day, 2010.
Published in December 2010, this is the first of a three-volume set containing their diary of that experience – a record of their observations about the show, their desire to see the good in every story, and their chronicle of the real-life changes to Who in that year.
Now, as a lifelong Doctor Who fan, I'm a sucker for this kind of book. I loved The Discontinuity Guide and Who's Next because, even though I may disagree with some of the opinions they express, it's fascinating knowing what other fans think. Actual well thought out and reasoned opinions, rather than simple knee-jerk reactions. I've been taking part in a podcast that's doing exactly the same thing, only it's taking a bit longer at one a month...
So, the good news is that the content is wonderful. Shearman and Hadoke's email banter is perfect. Witty, clever, objective and reasoned, with some wonderful personal touches that give what could be a very dry book, a warm and comfortable feel, like sitting round watching with your friends. This volume covers the first six years of the programme (the black and white era) taking us through the first two Doctors, William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton - back in the day when the show was on almost every week of the year!
The layout and cover are beautiful and Mad Norwegian Press should be congratulated for consistently producing such great books about the show. Despite being an unofficial resource they knock the spots off of anything the BBC has ever produced about the show. Along with Telos, they are the definitive publishers for anyone who wants to really know about Doctor Who.
However, before we get Volumes 2 and 3 I would like to make one request: Use a professional sub-editor, PLEASE!
One of the disadvantages to very small presses is that in a lot of cases they are usually only one or two steps removed from vanity publishing and when non-professionals are in charge, mistakes can start to creep in. The odd spelling mistake here or there is acceptable as every publisher has been guilty of that from time to time and it's fair to say that no-one is perfect. In this book though, the proofreading seems to have been missed out entirely. We're not talking about occasional grammatical errors. There are entire lines missed, some duplicated (more than once on occasion and sometimes mixed in with another), spelling and punctuation errors... The list could go on if I was feeling heartless.
It's such a shame as this is a REALLY good read but the mistakes are many and throughout the whole thing. Having been in the book trade for twenty years, I find this truly awful and as a former Buyer for the largest book wholesaler in Europe, had I seen an advance copy I'd have mentioned this to them before it reached the customers. Speaking purely as a customer, it's appalling that I've parted with a reasonable sum of money for something that, quite frankly, hasn't been finished.
If this sounds harsh I make no apologies because, for something that has been so well written and lovingly put together in every other respect, it's so disheartening to see the text mangled in this way. Not only does it show no respect to the authors, it also damages the reputation of the publisher. This may sound like I am being over-the-top but there really are a truly staggering number of errors. I hope that any reprint will be revised properly and that the remaining two volumes don't suffer the same fate as the first.
Anyway, in the style of the book itself, I will head back to the positives: This is a great read for anyone into Doctor Who and I gladly recommend it to them all. Just switch your mind off to all the embarrassing mistakes. You know, like we do with all the rubber monsters...
Award winning playwright, novelist and screenwriter, Robert Shearman and actor, writer and comedian Toby Hadoke spent the “gap year” of 2009 (when Doctor Who consisted of a handful of specials rather than a full season) re-watching the whole of Doctor Who two episodes a day, every day, from the show’s start in 1963 and ending with David Tennant’s swan song on New Year’s Day, 2010.
Published in December 2010, this is the first of a three-volume set containing their diary of that experience – a record of their observations about the show, their desire to see the good in every story, and their chronicle of the real-life changes to Who in that year.
Now, as a lifelong Doctor Who fan, I'm a sucker for this kind of book. I loved The Discontinuity Guide and Who's Next because, even though I may disagree with some of the opinions they express, it's fascinating knowing what other fans think. Actual well thought out and reasoned opinions, rather than simple knee-jerk reactions. I've been taking part in a podcast that's doing exactly the same thing, only it's taking a bit longer at one a month...
So, the good news is that the content is wonderful. Shearman and Hadoke's email banter is perfect. Witty, clever, objective and reasoned, with some wonderful personal touches that give what could be a very dry book, a warm and comfortable feel, like sitting round watching with your friends. This volume covers the first six years of the programme (the black and white era) taking us through the first two Doctors, William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton - back in the day when the show was on almost every week of the year!
The layout and cover are beautiful and Mad Norwegian Press should be congratulated for consistently producing such great books about the show. Despite being an unofficial resource they knock the spots off of anything the BBC has ever produced about the show. Along with Telos, they are the definitive publishers for anyone who wants to really know about Doctor Who.
However, before we get Volumes 2 and 3 I would like to make one request: Use a professional sub-editor, PLEASE!
One of the disadvantages to very small presses is that in a lot of cases they are usually only one or two steps removed from vanity publishing and when non-professionals are in charge, mistakes can start to creep in. The odd spelling mistake here or there is acceptable as every publisher has been guilty of that from time to time and it's fair to say that no-one is perfect. In this book though, the proofreading seems to have been missed out entirely. We're not talking about occasional grammatical errors. There are entire lines missed, some duplicated (more than once on occasion and sometimes mixed in with another), spelling and punctuation errors... The list could go on if I was feeling heartless.
It's such a shame as this is a REALLY good read but the mistakes are many and throughout the whole thing. Having been in the book trade for twenty years, I find this truly awful and as a former Buyer for the largest book wholesaler in Europe, had I seen an advance copy I'd have mentioned this to them before it reached the customers. Speaking purely as a customer, it's appalling that I've parted with a reasonable sum of money for something that, quite frankly, hasn't been finished.
If this sounds harsh I make no apologies because, for something that has been so well written and lovingly put together in every other respect, it's so disheartening to see the text mangled in this way. Not only does it show no respect to the authors, it also damages the reputation of the publisher. This may sound like I am being over-the-top but there really are a truly staggering number of errors. I hope that any reprint will be revised properly and that the remaining two volumes don't suffer the same fate as the first.
Anyway, in the style of the book itself, I will head back to the positives: This is a great read for anyone into Doctor Who and I gladly recommend it to them all. Just switch your mind off to all the embarrassing mistakes. You know, like we do with all the rubber monsters...
April 13, 2025
Pretty fun to read the opinions of my favorite Doctor Who author: Robert Shearman.
August 6, 2011
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1722591...
This is a book about watching the whole of Doctor Who in sequence, so of course it appealed to me. It is structured as correspondence between Robert Shearman, author of the Christopher Ecclestone episode Dalek, and Toby Hadoke, author of Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf and moderator of numerous recent DVD commentaries, spaced over the course of 2009, with the intention being to start on 1 January with An Unearthly Child and finish with The End of Time part 1 on 31 December. This first volume covers the 1960s, ie the entire Hartnell and Troughton period plus the two Peter Cushing films, at a rate of (usually) two episodes a day.
During a week when my ability to concentrate on long texts was not of its usual quality, the structure of this book was absolutely perfect for me, with each individual episode getting about a page of discussion. It helps of course that it's less than a year since I finished rewatching this period of the show myself, so it was all pretty fresh for me. (I just hope they don't publish the other two volumes before I've finished my own rewatch - spoilers!) Shearman writes of "that aghast expression that a classic Doctor Who fan affects when he knows that something on screen is rubbish, and he's painfully aware that all the non-fans watching with are about to glance over, in unison, to see if he's noticed how terible it is." But you can feel in safe company here. Both Shearman and Hadoke are deep deep fans of the show and email each other with tidbits of information for the reader which I am sure were known to both of them. Both are witty and amusing writers; Hadoke occasionally deteriorates into awful puns, but makes up for this by contributing his knowledge of stagecraft and the stage.
Their mission is to try and say something positive about each episode, and they generally succeed (with understandable lapses for The Sensorites and The Dominators). Sometimes I wished they had found a little more charity for, for instance, the mid-parts of The Daleks' Master Plan. Sometimes their enthusiasm surprised me - Hadoke's love for the second Cushing film, for instance. But I also cheered when our tastes coincided, for instance with the wonderful Power of the Daleks. And anyway, these things are personal and not objective; Hadoke explains in detail the very specific reasons why Fury From the Deep is a special story for him which he can never evaluate neutrally.
I'm within a few months of finishing my own Doctor Who rewatch (suggested to me in 2008 by Paul Cornell, but started only in September 2009) but I think this books will be very much enjoyed even by those who feel that it's a step too far to do it themselves. You can easily dip in and check out particular stories that may interest you, and the writing is generally chatty and lucid. Very strongly recommended to the thinking Old Who fan.
This is a book about watching the whole of Doctor Who in sequence, so of course it appealed to me. It is structured as correspondence between Robert Shearman, author of the Christopher Ecclestone episode Dalek, and Toby Hadoke, author of Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf and moderator of numerous recent DVD commentaries, spaced over the course of 2009, with the intention being to start on 1 January with An Unearthly Child and finish with The End of Time part 1 on 31 December. This first volume covers the 1960s, ie the entire Hartnell and Troughton period plus the two Peter Cushing films, at a rate of (usually) two episodes a day.
During a week when my ability to concentrate on long texts was not of its usual quality, the structure of this book was absolutely perfect for me, with each individual episode getting about a page of discussion. It helps of course that it's less than a year since I finished rewatching this period of the show myself, so it was all pretty fresh for me. (I just hope they don't publish the other two volumes before I've finished my own rewatch - spoilers!) Shearman writes of "that aghast expression that a classic Doctor Who fan affects when he knows that something on screen is rubbish, and he's painfully aware that all the non-fans watching with are about to glance over, in unison, to see if he's noticed how terible it is." But you can feel in safe company here. Both Shearman and Hadoke are deep deep fans of the show and email each other with tidbits of information for the reader which I am sure were known to both of them. Both are witty and amusing writers; Hadoke occasionally deteriorates into awful puns, but makes up for this by contributing his knowledge of stagecraft and the stage.
Their mission is to try and say something positive about each episode, and they generally succeed (with understandable lapses for The Sensorites and The Dominators). Sometimes I wished they had found a little more charity for, for instance, the mid-parts of The Daleks' Master Plan. Sometimes their enthusiasm surprised me - Hadoke's love for the second Cushing film, for instance. But I also cheered when our tastes coincided, for instance with the wonderful Power of the Daleks. And anyway, these things are personal and not objective; Hadoke explains in detail the very specific reasons why Fury From the Deep is a special story for him which he can never evaluate neutrally.
I'm within a few months of finishing my own Doctor Who rewatch (suggested to me in 2008 by Paul Cornell, but started only in September 2009) but I think this books will be very much enjoyed even by those who feel that it's a step too far to do it themselves. You can easily dip in and check out particular stories that may interest you, and the writing is generally chatty and lucid. Very strongly recommended to the thinking Old Who fan.
January 1, 2015
I've read rather a lot of Doctor Who related non-fiction over the last few years, which has almost become a micro-genre unto itself- it's amazing how possible it's become to become a writer through sheer interest in this one sci-fi show. Doctor Who seems to have become such a touchstone for (British) sci-fi as a genre that you can almost use it as a cipher or sample unto itself.
In particular, if you catch enough attention as a fan/blog, you can literally write a book that is essentially just a watch-through of the show. On the one hand, this can be irritating- do we really need to publish liveblogging as a book rather than just admit it as a hobby? On the other hand, some people are in a position to make a worthwhile book from their observations, if an incredibly niche one.
That's the category I'd put Running Through Corridors into. It's incredibly niche, but also works surprisingly well as an examination of a sci-fi show that is, admittedly, a household icon in the UK. There's plenty of value in a close watching of something that inspired so much pop culture if you're as entertainingly aware of minutia as these two.
They go through every single episode (not serial- episode!) of 60s Who in this long volume, and along the way they demonstrate a good critical eye, thorough grounding in the conventions of sci-fi in the sixties, an interest in the context of the show itself and an ability to link it to the genre in a way that's relevant. Shearman in particular is great, having written for both Big Finish's audio plays and the new series, while Toby Hadoke has worked as an actor and been involved in various things Who-related. Crucially, this means both of them can talk from a position that is actually interesting, since they aren't just wondering what goes on in making TV all the time.
While the book sets out to be as positive as possible, they're also not afraid to cop to the show's problems. While some of it is sort of wishy-washy (anathema to someone as blunt as me when it comes to writing), it's kind of refreshing to see hardcore Who fans not ignore the fact that yes, 60s Who in particular did some nasty shit. Like, say, blatant yellowface. I'd be interested in a more critically minded approach, admittedly, but then again, it's better than the out and out circle-jerk approach of many oldschool Who fans. (Not coincidentally, this is also why I enjoyed two previous Who books along these lines, Doctor Who and Race and Who's 50.)
All in all, if a longass book meticulously examining every episode of 60s Who, then all ten of you should look at getting this book! Hah.
In particular, if you catch enough attention as a fan/blog, you can literally write a book that is essentially just a watch-through of the show. On the one hand, this can be irritating- do we really need to publish liveblogging as a book rather than just admit it as a hobby? On the other hand, some people are in a position to make a worthwhile book from their observations, if an incredibly niche one.
That's the category I'd put Running Through Corridors into. It's incredibly niche, but also works surprisingly well as an examination of a sci-fi show that is, admittedly, a household icon in the UK. There's plenty of value in a close watching of something that inspired so much pop culture if you're as entertainingly aware of minutia as these two.
They go through every single episode (not serial- episode!) of 60s Who in this long volume, and along the way they demonstrate a good critical eye, thorough grounding in the conventions of sci-fi in the sixties, an interest in the context of the show itself and an ability to link it to the genre in a way that's relevant. Shearman in particular is great, having written for both Big Finish's audio plays and the new series, while Toby Hadoke has worked as an actor and been involved in various things Who-related. Crucially, this means both of them can talk from a position that is actually interesting, since they aren't just wondering what goes on in making TV all the time.
While the book sets out to be as positive as possible, they're also not afraid to cop to the show's problems. While some of it is sort of wishy-washy (anathema to someone as blunt as me when it comes to writing), it's kind of refreshing to see hardcore Who fans not ignore the fact that yes, 60s Who in particular did some nasty shit. Like, say, blatant yellowface. I'd be interested in a more critically minded approach, admittedly, but then again, it's better than the out and out circle-jerk approach of many oldschool Who fans. (Not coincidentally, this is also why I enjoyed two previous Who books along these lines, Doctor Who and Race and Who's 50.)
All in all, if a longass book meticulously examining every episode of 60s Who, then all ten of you should look at getting this book! Hah.
January 22, 2012
Probably the best volume of criticism about 1960's Who. I've read quite a few, and although other books are useful in gauging conventional fan wisdom about various stories, Shearman and Hadoke go an extra step.
These two guys are entertaining, which is nice, but more importantly, they are good analysts. Both are experienced writers steeped in Doctor Who knowledge, which is an excellent combination for critiquing story structure and character arcs. They know what they're talking about not just in terms of the program, but in terms of how drama is constructed as well.
The book is not quiet perfect. It's full of egregious typos, and part of their agreement setting forth on the project was to "be positive". I don't mind that, but it sometimes seems a bit forced, especially when Shearman, in his eloquent exuberance, keeps trying to read meta-textual commentary and sly deconstruction into what are clearly just episodes that didn't get the memo as to what they ought to be. But the charm of these two guys makes up for that in spades.
Choosing to analyze the show in chronological order also reveals some interesting insight into how the program was viewed at the time. The producers were clearly able to manipulate their audience in certain ways that we typically never notice, given our pre-loaded context of the program.
I also confess a certain personal delight when Shearman and Hadoke discuss flying to the Gallifrey One convention, and Hadoke's performance of his one-man show. I was there. It was a great performance.
These two guys are entertaining, which is nice, but more importantly, they are good analysts. Both are experienced writers steeped in Doctor Who knowledge, which is an excellent combination for critiquing story structure and character arcs. They know what they're talking about not just in terms of the program, but in terms of how drama is constructed as well.
The book is not quiet perfect. It's full of egregious typos, and part of their agreement setting forth on the project was to "be positive". I don't mind that, but it sometimes seems a bit forced, especially when Shearman, in his eloquent exuberance, keeps trying to read meta-textual commentary and sly deconstruction into what are clearly just episodes that didn't get the memo as to what they ought to be. But the charm of these two guys makes up for that in spades.
Choosing to analyze the show in chronological order also reveals some interesting insight into how the program was viewed at the time. The producers were clearly able to manipulate their audience in certain ways that we typically never notice, given our pre-loaded context of the program.
I also confess a certain personal delight when Shearman and Hadoke discuss flying to the Gallifrey One convention, and Hadoke's performance of his one-man show. I was there. It was a great performance.
July 14, 2012
Rob Shearman and Toby Hadoke spent a year watching every episode of Doctor Who in order and writing down their thoughts about it. If your reaction to that idea is, "Wow, that sounds fun!" then this is the book for you; If your reaction is, "Wow, that is...exceptionally geeky," (or worse), then you should probably pass.
Shearman and Hadoke are possibly the perfect people to take on this project. Both are Doctor Who fans, and have been from an early age. Both are a bit obsessive. In addition to sheer fannish enthusiasm, though, Shearman brings a seasoned dramatist's eye for pacing and story structure, while Hadoke brings to bear both his own experience as an actor as well as his incredible knowledge of British character actors. I don't think I've ever read another book on Doctor Who that bridges the technical and professional perspective and the sheer fannish sense of delight so effortlessly. (Well, maybe The Writer's Tale. But that's a very different beast.)
It's not exactly a quick read, partly because it is so dense with opinion and information, and partly because it will make you want to stop and rewatch the episodes they're discussing. If you are a fan of 1960s Who, you should have this book.
Shearman and Hadoke are possibly the perfect people to take on this project. Both are Doctor Who fans, and have been from an early age. Both are a bit obsessive. In addition to sheer fannish enthusiasm, though, Shearman brings a seasoned dramatist's eye for pacing and story structure, while Hadoke brings to bear both his own experience as an actor as well as his incredible knowledge of British character actors. I don't think I've ever read another book on Doctor Who that bridges the technical and professional perspective and the sheer fannish sense of delight so effortlessly. (Well, maybe The Writer's Tale. But that's a very different beast.)
It's not exactly a quick read, partly because it is so dense with opinion and information, and partly because it will make you want to stop and rewatch the episodes they're discussing. If you are a fan of 1960s Who, you should have this book.
July 25, 2014
I've been reading Running Through Corridors - Rob Shearman and Toby Hadoke's 2-episodes a day Doctor Who marathon (volume 1: The 60s) - on and off for a while now. But I knew I didn't want it to influence my own marathon's results, so I always kept the reading ahead of the watching by as much as I could. Sprinted for the finish line this week and well, they really got me. Both Rob and Toby, in each of their final pieces (about The War Games Part 10, Troughton's last episode), made me tear up. The book is great fun, and the two writers complement each other well. Rob is the one who gets all literary criticism on the material, and Toby is the trivia machine, who lets what he knows about the making of the show inform his critiques. They also make it a personal work, telling us (and each other, it's a kind of correspondence) what connections they have with some of the material. When you're steeped in Whovian lore all your life, your biases are bound to show. Great book which I can only aspire to in my own writings. Bring on volume 2, guys!
January 15, 2012
Definitely not a book for the causal Who dabbler, but for someone with three shelves groaning with Who DVDs and a double stacked bookcase nearly full of Who novels, it is a worthwhile read.
Rob and Toby take a joyful tour of the first decade of Doctor Who while actively seeking the best from each episode. I've come away from it with a new perspective (aiding a fair bit by the chronological viewing) on a number of stories that I'll keep with me for when I get around to rewatching them.
Rob mentions his Dalek episode a few too many times, and Toby brings up his one man show a little too often, but the rest of the book makes this forgivable (especially in light of the joyful peek into wedding planning).
Their extensive knowledge throws a lot of behind the scenes facts into the mix, my favourite of which is the reason that Zoe got to watch the daleks on the TARDIS monitor at the end of The Wheel In Space.
Rob and Toby take a joyful tour of the first decade of Doctor Who while actively seeking the best from each episode. I've come away from it with a new perspective (aiding a fair bit by the chronological viewing) on a number of stories that I'll keep with me for when I get around to rewatching them.
Rob mentions his Dalek episode a few too many times, and Toby brings up his one man show a little too often, but the rest of the book makes this forgivable (especially in light of the joyful peek into wedding planning).
Their extensive knowledge throws a lot of behind the scenes facts into the mix, my favourite of which is the reason that Zoe got to watch the daleks on the TARDIS monitor at the end of The Wheel In Space.
December 11, 2011
Now THIS is the type of review book I wish Mark A. Altman's "Star Trek" review could have been. Two professionals & fans...two solid & talented writers...and a set of reviews filled with humour, wit, nostalgia, and love of "Doctor Who"...at its most sublime AND at its most ridiculous. If all future volumes are as fantastic as this premiere outing...we WHO fans are in for quite a treat.
October 4, 2014
Wow, it took me a long time to read this. I enjoyed it all the same, and I was never reading it as a straight read. I just read a bit here and there when I had the chance.
Hopefully Volume 2 will come out eventually.
Hopefully Volume 2 will come out eventually.
August 25, 2016
Only at the beginning so far but already enjoying its conversational style.
Now 94 pages in am finding the best way to enjoy this book is to watch the story in question just before you read it's entry otherwise it can be hard to relate to the writers views.
Now 94 pages in am finding the best way to enjoy this book is to watch the story in question just before you read it's entry otherwise it can be hard to relate to the writers views.
September 6, 2013
Funny, clever and insightful, with two distinctive, witty voices. Unlike other recent Who guidebooks this is refreshingly devoid of pomposity, inaccuracy and the desire to show off. Highly recommended.
January 31, 2013
A thoroughly enjoyable book! Shearman and Hadoke make the whole thing feel as if you're chatting with a couple of ol' buds about your favorite TV show.
Can't wait for the next volume!
Can't wait for the next volume!
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