Product Description

From 1963 to 1989, for the most part at teatime on Saturdays on BBC1, Doctor Who was a British TV institution. The series had its roots in British science fiction but grew to take in many other influences: historical drama, Hammer horror, satire, conspiracy thriller, even pantomime. Over the years it developed a uniquely eccentric style, at once cosily familiar and cosmically terrifying, and many of its characters, creatures and objects have become indelibly iconic - the Doctors and his assistants, the TARDIS, the Time Lords, and a nightmarish universe of monsters and villians: Cybermen, Ice Warriors, the Master and, of course, the Daleks. The idea that the Doctor should have the power of regeneration was forced on the show's makers when William Hartnell, the original star, could not carry on. But the changing face of the Doctor became key to the evolution of the series and, for many, whole phases of life are summed up in the casting changes: Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and, in a one-off incarnation, Paul McGann. Even now, in the shape of Christopher Eccleston, the Doctor is set to return. In this comprehensive study, Kim Newman follows the Doctor's travels through time, examining outstanding stories, as well as prominent themes, recurrent character and monster types and the show's generic positioning between Quatermass and Star Trek, to assess the show as television masterpiece and cultural phenomenon.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #182498 in Books
• Published on: 2005-12-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

About the Author
Kim Newman is a contributing editor to Sight and Sound and Empire magazines. His fiction includes the novels Anno Dracula and Life's Lottery and the Doctor Who tie-in novella 'Time and Relative'.

Customer Reviews

A meander through the show's history
A book this short on a show whose history and thematic content is so complex can't help but seem rather lightweight. Newman provides some interesting insights, but in the main his writing is inconclusive, as he wanders through this brief critical history of the show, delving into selected aspects seemingly at random without really taking them to that many definite conclusions. He does a good job of opening up the often closed world of Doctor Who criticism by placing the show in the context of popular culture in general. Perhaps it would have been better if he'd concentrated solely on this aspect, as this is obviously Newman's strength as a critic of popular culture.

Insightful but flawed
This is a slim volume, rather overpriced, but still worth purchasing. For long-time Doctor Who enthusiasts, there will be few new facts here; however, there should still be a couple of 'I hadn't thought of that!' moments due to Newman's insightful analysis. Rather oddly, he dates Doctor Who's decline from the advent of K9 and gives the series from thereon in rather short shrift (and little space). There is a definite bias towards the sixties stories which (I presume) reflects the age of the author. It's a flawed book - by no means perfect - but still a worthwhile read.