PREPARING FOR THE TIME MONSTER!

Firmly ensconced at one of Cambridge's top academias with his disguise as the seemingly benevolent Professor Thascales, the Master prepares the time crystal that will bring the fearsome time devourer Kronos to his destruction-wanting beckon call. A great posed publicity image from the overlong but fun close to Season Nine, The Time Monster.

Original Radio Times clipping for Part Five.

TOMORROW'S TIMES!

Incredibly 'renewed' by the TARDIS after his previous body-exhausting affair with the Cybermen on Earth, the Second 'Doctor Who' examines his past adventures courtesy of a recently found 500 Year Diary, in this great publicity shoot taken on Saturday 22nd October, 1966, during the Riverside Studios filming of the first episode of Patrick Troughton's classic opening story, The Power of the Daleks. 

The Doctor with the diary within the human colony of planet Vulcan, as seen in The Power of the Daleks.

The diary, used often in Power, would make further reference appearances during Troughton's first classic season, including The Underwater Menace (as seen in a telesnap, looking for details on Troglodytes), a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment during episode two of The Moonbase, (the Gerry Davis Target adaptation also has the diary used early on, too), and The Tomb of the Cybermen, the latter story of which, though launching Season Five, was actually recorded during the end of Four's filming block. By the proper start of Season Five, the diary, unlike Troughton's other prop in his trusty recorder, would disappear from our screens (does anyone know whatever happened to the actual prop?). Later in the series colour era, a diary of some sort would be used by Tom Baker's Doctor in The Sontaran Experiment, whilst Peter Davison's incarnation would verbally refer to his diary during the start of his finale story, The Caves of Androzani.

Enjoy this selection of posed images from the late photographer Don Smith's shoot with a zany Troughton that would be used many times by BBC Enterprises and the Radio Times over the next fifty-nine years...

Radio Times staff photographer Don Smith dies, aged 89 - a tribute | Radio Times

Image: BBC via Radio Times website.

THE FINAL BATTLE!

It's a battle of wits and sword skills, as the soon-legendary explorer Marco Polo locks blades with the ambitious, revenge-fuelled Tegana for an exciting action moment towards the end of the beloved historical adventure we'll never stop wishing could be eventually found overseas: Marco Polo. 

COURT INTRIGUE WITH 'THE ANDROIDS OF TARA'!

In the opulent and colourful confines of the Royal Inauguration Chamber belonging to the Taran civilisation, all should be well with the coronation of the people's dim but beloved Prince Reynhart. But this is Tara we're talking about - a troubled kingdom where power, ambition and treachery are common place, and no one is susceptible to assassination, as the Doctor soon discovers when he's forcibly brought in to aide the Prince via a unique android double (aka 'George') in this great moment from the series beloved 'The Prisoner of Zenda' spoof from The Key to Time Season: The Androids of Tara.

The late David Fisher's splendid novelisation of his 1978 story, out now from BBC BOOKS as part of the continuing legendary Target Who label, is a genuine hoot from start to finish. Full of rich story and character detail (notably the well-thought out history of Tara's robot civilisation and its diverse participant human nobles), some subtly naughty bawdiness, and often laugh-out loud humour via certain historical incidents/revelations, it's also effectively fused with a lively page-turning sense of adventure that builds well on the original televised tale. With such a fond mix as this, Androids is another sure-fire, must-have purchase for Classic Series Whovians.

Get it here: Doctor Who: The Androids of Tara (Target Collection): Amazon.co.uk: Fisher, David: 9781785947926: Books

The colourful book art for the new novelisation, by Anthony Dry.

Also newly available in the all-new BBC BOOKS/Target collection by David Fisher: The Stones of Blood.

Get it here:

Doctor Who: The Stones of Blood (Target Collection): Amazon.co.uk: Fisher, David: 9781785947940: Books

IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE OGRI!

Having bravely defended his master from a savage attack by the stone-like alien vampires known as the Ogri, the ever-loyal robot pooch K-9's battle damage is inspected by a concerned the Doctor and Romana, in a classic moment from The Key to Time Season 16's memorable four-parter, The Stones of Blood,

Part of the latest all-new batch of Who BBC Books out this month celebrating and continuing the legendary Target Books series, the late David Fisher's special novelisation of his 1978 tale is available this month and it's a must-have winner, full of expanded story depth (most notably linked to the villainous Vivian Fay and her enforced time living through Earth UK history), character backgrounds (fun material for fans of the lovably dotty Professor Emilia Rumford), quirky humour and scary atmosphere that's all highly enjoyable. 

Get it here: 

Doctor Who: The Stones of Blood (Target Collection): Amazon.co.uk: Fisher, David: 9781785947940: Books

The gorgeous cover for the new The Stones of Blood novelisation from BBC BOOKS. Art by Anthony Dry/Two Dots.

Also available in the new Target Books/BBC Who novelization releases for July 2022, David Fisher's other beloved Tom Baker adventure, The Androids of Tara.

DOCTOR WHO - ADVENTURES IN THE FIFTH DIMENSION!: COURT INTRIGUE WITH 'THE ANDROIDS OF TARA'!

Get it here:

Doctor Who: The Androids of Tara (Target Collection): Amazon.co.uk: Fisher, David: 9781785947926: Books

SWEET NIGHTMARES!

He'll make your death the sweetest it could ever possibly be via the use of his specially created, deadly confectionary unleashed from the heart of his Kandy Kitchen. Yes, it can only be the brilliantly executed and under-rated Kandy Man creature, as seen at work within the subtly macabre black comedy that is The Happiness Patrol!