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Doctor Who (Pocket Essentials)
 
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Doctor Who (Pocket Essentials) (Hardcover)

by Mark Campbell (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
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    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Pocket Essentials; New edition edition (24 May 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1904048749
  • ISBN-13: 978-1904048749
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.4 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 13,315 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #1 in  Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Film > Film Genres > Animation
    #4 in  Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Television > TV Genres > Animation
    #7 in  Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Television > Guides & Reviews

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Product Description

Book Description

The story of Dr. Who and thus the story of BritishTV in the final third of this century - from thecounter-culture 60s to the shallow waters of the90s. Along the way there are shock revelations andliberal doses of humour. As well as anintroductory essay, each Doctor's era is put underthe microscope with facts and informed opinion.There is an in-depth reference section detailingfurther reading, websites and a short history ofspin-off stories and merchandising.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


From the Publisher

Almost Everything You Need to Know in One Essential Guide
Who is Who? A Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey with two hearts and thirteen lives? A folk hero who entertained and enthralled us in the warm glow of our TV sets on dark winter evenings? A rebellious iconoclast who toppled corrupt dictatorships and freed the oppressed? Or a bumbling British eccentric who for 26 years fought rubber monsters in a cheap and cheerful BBC kids' show? Well, he's all of these things - and a whole lot more besides.

The story of Doctor Who is the story of British television in the final third of this century. It is also the story of the hopes and fears of generations of children - and grown-ups too - from the counter-culture 60s to the shallow waters of the 90s. Along the way there are shock revelations, melodramatic cliff-hangers and liberal doses of humour (intentional or otherwise); but be warned - there is also heart-ache, disappointment and death. Every taste is catered for in the world of Doctor Who.

As well as an introductory essay, each Doctor's era is put under the microscope with facts and informed opinion on all their stories. There's an in-depth reference section detailing further reading, fascinating and bizarre Doctor Who websites, and a short history of spin-off stories. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


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Customer Reviews

18 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Probably a Non-Essential Selection, 20 Jul 2000
By A Customer
Brothers and sisters, probably 90% of us could have written this book, being as it is another story-by-story, capsule-description-and-review style trawl through the televised series. Think a very heavily condensed version of "The Discontinuity Guide" and that's the format. The author (Mark Campbell) sat down and watched (or listened to) every episode and committed his opinion to paper. That's the book. Full stop. As I say, most of us could do the same.

This is a slim volume (less than 100 pages) and is thankfully correspondingly cheap, but it does mean it doesn't cover everything. The films, recent TV parodies, stage shows, and radio series get a review, the Big Finish stories get a mention, and, er, that's about it. Oh, and a few books and websites get plugged.

So why even bother buying it? Well, Campbell's is a new voice and he's not afraid to be controversial or blunt. No sacred cow is safe, and he even goes so far as to suggest that the show is dead and gone forever. Many of his opinions come straight out of left field, and they'll provoke infuriation and sighs of 'Thank God I'm not the only one who thinks that!' in equal measure. Just a handful of his observations:

"Destiny of the Daleks" is better than "Genesis of the Daleks

"Pyramids of Mars" is 'grossly overrated', and in parts 'rubbish' and 'nonsensical'.

"Paradise Towers" is 'wonderful' and by far the best story of its season.

"Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD" is much, much better than the TV version.

The best story of Troughton's first year is "The Macra Terror".

And so on, and so on, and so on - though Campbell agrees with fan orthodoxy a lot of the time too. (I personally agree with at least one of the above opinions, by the way, and think at least one other is utter nonsense - but naturally I'm not saying which is which.)

I get the impression this book wasn't edited terribly rigorously. There's the obligatory 'spot-the-source-material' slot for each story, and things get especially weird here - we learn that 'The Great Escape' influenced "Planet of the Daleks", 'The Wicker Man' inspired "The Stones of Blood", and that apparently the key influence on "Four to Doomsday" was bearded Aussie vet-botherer Rolf Harris. You also have to question his ability to review things like "Curse of the Daleks" with such authority given that he can only have read the script.

So is it worth buying? Well, maybe. If you use the Guide you must have an interest in hearing other people's opinions of "Doctor Who", and that's basically all this is. At the very least it'll make you think, if only for the length of time it takes you to retrieve it after you hurl it away in outraged fury. And you will.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Flippant But Interesting, 10 Aug 2000
By A Customer
My first thought on reading the introduction was that it was perhaps too flippant, and wondered whether it was to be a serious study or a lampoon. However, the book did immediately come across as a serious guide to the programmes which I can well believe would be of considerable interest to the "fans".

By my reckoning you were 6 when you saw your first episode, of a programme which was made for and watched by children. I doubt your comments reflect the programmes as you first saw them, but rather as you saw them 20 or more years later - as an adult. Would a child have seen "The Face of Evil" as 'A predictable story boringly told'? or "The Creature from the Pit" as 'naff'? or "Time-Flight" as 'utter garbage'? - without watching them I cannot venture an opinion. The book is obviously aimed at adult fans or devotees and perhaps the introduction should have made that clear, though I believe that assumption would be made by anyone buying it...

The only inaccuracy which is apparent to me is in Story 95 under cast, where you show Mandrel (William Simons) and Veet (Adrienne Burgess) - the only occasions where you put the character before the actor's name.

To conclude - I did not find the book hard to read though any catalogue usually palls eventually. On this occasion that was prevented by the observations and verdicts which were very interesting, but perhaps a bit hard on individuals.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars For Casual Fans Only, 31 Jul 2000
By A Customer
"Pocket Essentials: Doctor Who" is basically a watered down version of the Howe/Stammers/Walker collection of handbooks, complete with reviews, quotes and observations. This would certainly serve the casual fan, although die-hard fans would find it difficult to get anything new from it. At least it is up to date with reviews of the two Dalek films, the Big Finish Audios, the stage plays and various other television spin-offs. What is noticeable is that author, Mark Campbell, doesn't hold back in his reviews, being very blunt about what he does and doesn't like.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential for the bathroom/toilet windowsill
Other reviewers have commented on content and style, suffice it for me to say that this is a great little stocking-filler for Doctor Who fans young and old; not desperately new or... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Barney McGrew

2.0 out of 5 stars Good episode guide but that is all
I was given this book for Christmas and it is a curate's egg of a book.

The bulk of the book is factual, discussing the episodes with a synopsis, cast list etc. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Adam Wainwright

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Overview
This is a condensed episode list and is very useful, maybe the die hard fan has this info to hand from other sources but for me this is a neat, quick reference. Read more
Published 12 months ago by A. I. Mackenzie

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but hardly essential
This is a small guide, but it does cover every adventure, and Mark isn't afraid to nail his colours to the mast, giving every story marks out of five. Read more
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5.0 out of 5 stars A cheaper, and less bulky, alternative to "The TV Companion"
This is an interesting concept, this book. In the past, most programme guides documenting the TV episodes of "Dr Who" have all been fairly bulky releases, and contain... Read more
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4.0 out of 5 stars Less Stuffy Than Other Guides
Just a brief note to say how much I enjoyed your Pocket Essentials guide to "Doctor Who". I had my doubts as to whether another episode guide would work, but they were... Read more
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4.0 out of 5 stars Practical Guide
This book is a practical guide which itemises detail, time, place etc, with precise storylines and opinion set out in an easy to read format for anyone wanting information... Read more
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4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth buying.....
A very handy unofficial guide to the series. Small, concise and straight to the point - making this a great addition to any fans collection. Read more
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4.0 out of 5 stars Genuinely Essential Doctor Who Guide
'I could say to you, "Doctor Who will return soon - all it needs is a bit of imagination," but I would be talking out of my back passage. Read more
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Joy to Read
I would just like to say how much I am enjoying reading your latest book "Pocket Essentials TV: Doctor Who". Read more
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