CAUGHT IN THE DALEK BATTLEFIELD!

The Daleks are back, and this time they're on the hunt for the mysterious Seventh Doctor and his destructive Stellar Converter weapon which has been secretly hidden within London, Earth in 1963. But the Doctor's deliberate lure to his old foes soon goes haywire, with the arrival of renegade Daleks who have their own plans and ambitions...

Terrific VHS release cover art from 1993 for the visually spectacular and action-packed start to the 25th Anniversary season: Remembrance of the Daleks, by Alister Pearson.  

THE GAMES BEGIN AGAIN!

Image composition by 'The Mind Robber', with Chris Chapman.

Trapped in the new lair of the mysterious Celestial Toymaker located at Blackpool's Golden Mile amusement arcade, the Doctor must play his evil games once again in order to survive. The Nightmare Fair is truly open in the sadly never made start to the ultimately scrapped Season 23 planned for early 1986. This scene, to have been part of the pacy finale to the late Graham Williams season opener, was created for the recent The Collection - Season 23 Blu-ray box set special features.

Colin Baker art for the new audio release by Alister Pearson.

The audio telling of the intriguing lost tale from the brief but notable Colin Baker era has been receiving very positive reviews, read with vigour by Toby Longworth, and now available from BBC AUDIO BOOKS.

Get it here:

Doctor Who: The Nightmare Fair: 6th Doctor Novelisation (Audio Download): Graham Williams, Toby Longworth, BBC Audio: Amazon.co.uk: Books

REFLECTIONS IN TERROR!

He's saved the human survey team dome from a fiery disaster, now the Fifth Doctor and his capable new friend Dr. Todd (Nerys Hughes) must stop the machinations of the evil Mara creature within a unique and special trap that will lure it out from its human captive, Aris, in the memorable finale to the high concept sci-fi parable, Kinda.

INVADING TIME!

Gallifrey is being invaded!

The most infamous, powerful and secure planet of galactic legend under the control of the thick-headed Sontaran war fleet? It's an unbelievable scenario but a genuine one, as the Fourth Doctor's success in eradicating the equally power-mad Vardan's plans for conquest of the Time Lords' home planet instead creates an unexpected 'back door' entrance for the squat clone warriors' ultimate arrival and take-over...

The fun end to a mostly successful though production-challenged first season produced by Graham Williams, The Invasion of Time has its faults within six written-in-desperation parts, and had to be emergency cobbled together in a hurry by that enigmatic fella by the name of 'David Agnew', but overall the story is great fun - it's interesting to see Tom Baker playing the Doctor as an untrustworthy and seemingly corrupt leader (at first) - living up to Terrance Dicks idea that, of all the Doctors, it would be Baker's incarnation that could turn to the dark side. There's also the return of the excellent Roger Murray-Leach created sets from the previous year's The Deadly Assassin, and it was a genuine surprise when the Sontarans arrived at the cliffhanger end of the story's fourth episode- the kind of return from an old enemy not handled in such a great way until Peter Davison's Earthshock in 1982. I remember watching he story back in the day and leaping in the air with the first view of the returned Sontarans, and couldn't wait to see what happened next!

Great image composition by Lee Johnson for the Doctor Who - The Complete History partwork series, now bring reissued online. 

Original Radio Times cutting for the opening episode.

'THE DESTINY OF 'DOCTOR WHO', AND 'THE POWER OF THE DALEKS'!

Art by Alister Pearson.

A newly regenerated (nay, at this point 'renewed') Doctor Who, at the start of his second 'Cosmic Hobo' incarnation, pits his wits and resources once more against the dreaded Dalek war machines, the evil creatures working from the inside out to take control of the embittered and in-conflict with themselves human mining colony located on the remote planet of Vulcan, a colony that's ripe for take over, as The Power of the Daleks (originally titled as The Destiny of Doctor Who) launches the Patrick Troughton era in dramatic, exciting and memorable style, with the Skaroan nemeses never bettered in this story. from acclaimed series regular David Whitaker, that truly shows them at their most calculated, devious and unnervingly ruthless...

Running at a massive nine and a half hours in length, if you don't already have the truly epic late 2022 released BBC Audio transfer adaptation of John Peel's stellar Target Books adaptation of The Power of the Daleks (which fuses the original uncut six-part Whitaker scripts with the never-credited contributions by Dennis Spooner, then hired in 1966 to beef up the Doctor's new character), then you owe it yourself to add it to your collection. Nicholas Briggs, the distinguished and popular Dalek voice custodian of the modern series, does a splendid job telling the story, providing some notable impression recreations of the Doctor and key supporting characters, like the villainous colony leader Bragen, plus the deceived, later deranged, scientist Professor Lesterson. The accompanying sound design (especially in the story's action-packed final quarter) and very subtly incidental music also prove effective.

Get it here:

Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks: 2nd Doctor Novelisation (Audio Download): John Peel, Nicholas Briggs, BBC Audio: Amazon.co.uk: Books

ASSESSING THE SITUATION!

Returned to the memorable world of Peladon after fifty years, the Third Doctor with new companion Sarah Jane Smith study the rampant movements of the planet's unhappy miners working for Trisilicate, aided by the ever-worrying Alpha Centauri (voice by Ysanne Churchman and operated by Stuart Fell), and the clever Federation technician/supervisor Eckersley (Donald Gee) during the early start to the overlong but enjoyable The Monster of Peladon.

WAR OF THE XENOPHOBES!

The war between the determined Daleks and the growing in numbers 'Human Factor' possessed Daleks within the depths of their singular city on Skaro escalates into an inferno of explosions, energy blasts and full-on pandemonium. So much so that the Second Doctor, watching from a mountainous distance, believes that what he's seeing could indeed be 'the final end' for his old enemies...

David Whitaker's superb story, and all-time classic for the Troughton era - The Evil of the Daleks - gets a brand new adaptation spin, as witnessed through the eyes of heroic monochrome era companion Jamie McCrimmon, in what looks set to be a bold and innovative new lost story realisation by the ever-amiable and talented Frazer Hines himself. Published by BBC BOOKS, it's available this month on the 26th.

Book review: THE COMPANION FACTOR! 'DOCTOR WHO - THE EVIL OF THE DALEKS' COMES TO UK PUBLISHING... | KOOL TV

Image composition by Lee Binding.

Get it here:

Doctor Who: Evil of the Daleks: Amazon.co.uk: Hines, Frazer: 9781785948435: Books

Doctor Who: The Evil of the Daleks: 2nd Doctor Novelisation (Audio Download): Frazer Hines, BBC Audio: Amazon.co.uk: Books

FROZEN IN TIME...

After the action-packed events linked to Richard the Lionheart, from which they only just escaped his capture party, our TARDIS travelling heroes, still in their period garb, suddenly find themselves frozen in time, as the interesting and extremely good first episode to the following story, The Space Museum, soon begins...

LEGENDS OF 'WHO': WILLIAM HARTNELL

The mysterious exile, the fascinated traveller, the curious scientist and the resolute hero of the cosmos: the First Doctor, as played by William Hartnell.

"My name is William Hartnell, and as Doctor Who, I make my debut on Saturday 23rd November at 5.15."

Radio Trailer for 'An Unearthly Child'

Making the most of his genuine role of a lifetime, one of the B/W British cinema era's finest actors,  William Hartnell, brought magic, whimsy and his steel to his often electric, now iconic performance as the first, original incarnation of Doctor Who, during three inspiring and fantastical years exploring time and space from 1963 to 1966. Right from the start, meeting enthusiastic and admiring raw-talent-in-the-making Verity Lambert within a smoke-filled restaurant several months before the show was made and aired to captivated audiences every week for six months at a time, Hartnell, then 55 years old, at first played down his potential commitment to the show, yet clearly smelt a hit from the get-go, and a challenging acting role which would prove a welcome opportunity in breaking him free from the prior last few years of his career, where he'd been bored and frustrated playing stern army sergeants/military men, and old timer grouchers...

William Hartnell, photographed in the mid 1960's.

The grumpy irascibility that Hartnell brought to life so well would still be inherent in the role of the spiky, aloof, and genuinely mysterious. enigmatic figure of the Doctor (especially in its opening dozen or so episodes), but there was also a chance for the actor to go beyond all that as the show developed, to also portray a man, an alien, blessed with great intelligence, wisdom, heroism and courage - possessing a child-like wonder about him - a young man trapped in an old man's body type of performance, that was the kind of idea/concept  that was later explored in reverse by Peter Davison's fifth incarnation of Who many years later. (Davison, early on his role, would tell press that he was indeed basing his take on the role by referencing the first two Doctors' performances, whom he'd admired and watched avidly on TV in childhood!

A classic image of William Hartnell as the Doctor facing off against the dreaded Daleks for the first time, in a rehearsal moment from the second adventure's second episode, Survivors. 

In a short space of time, and after meeting and battling the alien Daleks to whom he'd become intrinsically linked and synonymous with for the rest of the show, Hartnell became the ultimate onscreen grandfather, both feared and admired, by millions of adoring children, not just in the UK but soon worldwide in strong BBC overseas sales. So rotten and unfair then, that, at the peak of his popularity, his body would be attacked by arteriosclerosis, making him often unable to remember his lines and affecting his mental health and physical well being during the complex filming of this pioneering series, so much so that, by his third and final year in the title role, many episodes had to be re-written or re-shaped behind the scenes in order to accommodate Hartnell's increasing poor health, and to not overburden him unnecessarily. In the end, such production problems became too much for the BBC with its soon fourth season of the series, with the sad and painful decision taken by senior management that would soon see our original wanderer and hero of the universe having to be replaced whether he liked it or not - the stunning and revolutionary introduction of the bodily regeneration concept (then known as 'renewal') seeing-in successor Patrick Troughton (a choice approved by an admiring Hartnell) and re-invigorating the show, keeping it going with its format addition for the next fifty years and beyond...

Joining his successors, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee, for The Three Doctors, an epic story that memorably launched the show's Tenth Anniversary season into 1973. Remastered colourised image by Clayton Hickman.

Hartnell's often crippling ill-health would continue for years to come, but his passion for Doctor Who, the character and the series, remained undiminished and unabated - so much so that would be able to contribute a small but rewarding guest appearance in the series then Tenth Anniversary adventure, opposite his respectful successors in Troughton and Jon Pertwee, for 1973's joyous The Three Doctors, reminding us just how vital Hartnell had been to the series long-term success. On April 25th, 1975, at thew all too young age of 67, the actor sadly passed away, but, nearly fifty years on, that strong and  enthused spirit of Hartnell's lives on in the Classic TV timestream, as fans young an old continue to enjoy his sterling adventure in time and space that launched a TV phenomenon and a sci-fi juggernaut...

Crafting such an unforgettable legacy that has led to so much over sixty years, William Hartnell was well and truly "the original, you might say..."

RISING FROM THE UNDERCURRENTS!

Image by Mike Tucker.

The chains of Fenric have now shattered with the deciphering of the ancient code of evil by Doctor Judson, as the alien/human Haemovores arise from the sea in this terrific and atmospheric scene from the all-time great Seventh Doctor era story, The Curse of Fenric.