DWM in the 90s - #207 added 24/6 - 30th Anniversary Special Issue!

[Simon R]

The next issue is where I jump on board the Big Red DWM bus.

Ooooh it's exciting.

[Jonno]

It'll be good to have you on board, Simon! And I'll try and speed the bus up a bit - it's been a bit slow since I went back to work!

[Si Hunt]

BBC Video have revealed that they had been planning a drama special themselves, with a script having been written. This now seems unlikely to appear, and certainly not in time for this November's celebrations. Negotiations are underway to launch Doctor Who - The Musical on stage during 1994, with six songs already written. It is rumoured that the next two Titan script books will be The Web of Fear and The Pirate Planet.

What was this, the Issue of False Prophecies?

I took this issue on holiday and it got a bit grubby. I never liked Craig Hinton's Shelf Life, I always found his style of writing hard to get on with.

Si.

[SiHart]

It was very exciting to suddenly have Doctor Who back in production- even if it was only for a week or so. It would probably have turned out to be not very good, but we'd have loved it all the same, wouldn't we?

I remember enjoying the David Maloney interview at the time, and even the Matty Waterhouse one was pretty good. He came across quite well for a change.

Like Si, I too never really apprecaited Craig Hinton as a reviewer. He wasn't as controversial as Gary, or as thoughtful and considered as Dave Owen would later be.

The postcards were nice. Mine are still attatched. Mr McCow's are not. Who was right?

Si xx

[Jonno]

The Basics - Issue 203, 1 September 1993. The front cover is artwork by Alister Pearson of Invasion of the Dinosaurs, the subject of this issue's Archive. Further free postcards of the same artist's book covers are included inside.

News And Views - The planned Thirtieth Anniversary special, The Dark Dimension, has been cancelled by the BBC due to "budget constrictions and time availability". Many involved regard this as the last throw of the dice for Doctor Who. Alister Pearson is currently working on the cover to Virgin's forthcoming Resurrection of the Daleks novelisation, provisionally scheduled for release in April 1994.

Notables - The "Into 1993" Readers' Survey Results are published, with selected results as follows :-

Favourite BBC Video of 1992 - Tomb of the Cybermen, Caves of Androzani, Earthshock
Favourite Special Video Release - Shada, The Tom Baker Years
Favourite DWM Regular Feature - Gallifrey Guardian, Archives, Off The Shelf
Favourite DWM Issue - Time Lord Special, Sarah Special, #194
Favourite Comic Strip - Pureblood, Cat Litter, Ravens
Favourite New Adventures Novel - Nightshade, Witchmark, Love And War
Favourite Factual Book - The Sixties, The 4th Doctor Handbook, The Monsters
Favourite Merchandise - BBC Videos, DWM, Virgin Books
Favourite Fanzine - DWB, The Frame, Skaro
Favourite Doctor - Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Patrick Troughton
Favourite Monsters - The Daleks, The Cybermen, The Sontarans

New Fiction - The Seventh Doctor, Ace and Benny encounter the Silurians in a new four part comic strip, Final Genesis. The Prelude features Birthright.

Reviews - Shelf Life reviews The Curse of Peladon ("superb; acting of the highest calibre"), The Evil of the Daleks novelisation ("faithful and very well written; a winner") and Birthright ("probably the best NA novel published so far").

[Andrew Curnow]

Virgin's forthcoming Resurrection of the Daleks novelisation, provisionally scheduled for release in April 1994

Just a tad overdue now then...

Just dug this out of the cover - FWIW my postcards are still attached, but the cover has come off! I notice they report Bernard Bresslaw's death on page 6 - I had no idea he'd died at such a comparatively young age (59).

No surprises with Tomb winning the video vote, nor with Shada for that matter. I presume that the Daniel O'Mahony on page 9 is the same one who wrote Falls The Shadow (tut tut) and The Man In The Velvet Mask (hurrah). Similarly, is letter writer Matthew Jones (page 21) the same Matt Jones who later went on to do the superb Fluid Links columns (not to mention last year's impossible 2-parter)? And on the subject of books, how bizarre that Witchmark was the top NA of the year - I would say it was the weakest by far, and certainly no match at all for "Love and War" which comes in 2nd. Cornell was robbed I tells ya!!

It was interesting to read the synopsis of PJ Hammond's proposed TOATL story, but it does seem to show what trouble they had getting good stories for the series - even somebody as good as PJ Hammond seems to not really capture the style of Who, although HST it could have been interesting (shades of "The Faceless Ones" perhaps?). Mind you when we first see the Doctor reclining on a heart-shaped bed, it does make you wonder...

I notice that the Archive refers to part 1 of the Dinosaur tale being wiped by mistake, having been confused with the Troughton Cyberman tale - I thought that had long ago been dismissed as a myth? HST, I don't know if I've ever read why such a recent episode would have been wiped when all the rest of the series were kept?

And, what a coincidence - her name having recently popped up in Si's Incidental poll, there's a pic of Liz Parker on page 45, along with a very toothy Mary Tamm.

Finally, it's only re-examining these now that I realise the 'Next Issue' boxes of this era are aping the style of the old Radio Times listings. That completely went over my head at the time.

[Pip Madeley]

Only 40+ issues and I can finally join in.

[Dirk Gently]

I just thought I'd pop in and say a few things. This era of the magazine for me was really annoying because no one near where I lived stocked it & I had to go to Leicester to a special Sci Fi shop to get it every other month as well as some back issues I'd missed. BTW, I still have the postcards attached.

The G.G was a revelation to me this month, the first thing I used to read was Doctor Who? by Quinn & Howett, this one was quite good. The merchandise pic is also very interesting.
Readers Survey Results:
Fav Complete Story of 1992 = Tomb 1st (of course) Caves 2nd & Earthshock 3rd. (Twin Dilemma last!)
Fav Special = Shada.
Story most wanted on Video = Two Doctors! Really?
I must make a note on Andrew's comments on the NA's. If you have another look at the poll you'll see Witchmark was actually second to Nightshade which got 22.76% of the vote.
Nice to see Transit came in for some stick, I personally think it's the worse book in the NA range.
Tom tops the Doctor Poll which looks like this:
Tom Baker
Peter Davison
Patrick Troughton
Jon Pertwee
Sylvester McCoy
Colin Baker
William Hartnell.
Daleks top the fav monster poll just ahead of the Cybermen. The more things change the more they stay the same.

I'd forgotten about Carmen Silvera being in The Celestial Toymaker, she looks so different in make-up. I remember her in Invasion of the Dino's of course which turns up a few pages later in the Archive Feature.

Nostalgia is great isn't it?

[Simon R]

Issue 203 was the first regular issue I bought and apart from one issue not long after this I haven't missed one since. Previously to 203 I'd got the Dalek Summer Special a month or so before and the Time Lord special the winter before as well as various early issues from my cousin. I'm not sure why it took me so long to buy the thing regularly as I remember seeing the Adric one in Smiths but there you go.

I actually got this issue whilst on holiday in Yorkshire (glamour!) as they were rather strangely selling it in the holiday camp shop. It was well timed that a new and rather good comic strip was starting in this issue and I liked that the Brigadier's house from "Battlefield" appeared in the start. I don't remember much else about the issue though.

[Andrew Curnow]

I must make a note on Andrew's comments on the NA's. If you have another look at the poll you'll see Witchmark was actually second to Nightshade which got 22.76% of the vote.

Oh yes. Hence the huge picture of the Nightshade cover on the same page... I'm still surprised Witchmark was voted above "Love and War" though!

[Jonno]

Thanks for your various feedback, folks - it's made for good reading! I did spot Matthew Jones in Timelines and presumed it was the future Fluid Links and S2 writer.

I also enjoyed picking some choice bits out of what little news there was - namely the novel that never was and the very pessimistic feeling that the loss of The Dark Dimension seemed to sound the death knell for the show - of course, hindisght is a wonderful thing, but it also makes it fun to look back on fandom as it was then.

I love the artwork cover to this issue BTW - being a dinsosaur fan, natch, but also because of the design similarity to Jurassic Park, which I went to see at the cinema that summer and still enjoy to this day.

[Pip Madeley]

Similarly, is letter writer Matthew Jones (page 21) the same Matt Jones who later went on to do the superb Fluid Links columns (not to mention last year's impossible 2-parter)?

One and the same, yep.

[SiHart]

The artwork cover for issue 203 is superb! It tied nicely with Jurassic Park, but also with UK Gold's first showing of Invasion of the Dinosaurs too, which both premiered in the same week.

Si xx

[Jonno]

The Basics - Issue 204, 29 September 1993. The front cover is a publicity shot from The Paradise of Death, which is reviewed inside, together with a behind the scenes feature. Further free postcards of Alister Pearson's book cover artwork are included inside.

Indicia - "Looks like I was wrong", grinned the Black Guardian triumphantly. "I didn't need that Powell man to thwart the Doctor once again..."

News And Views - Virgin Books are seriously contemplating producing Doctor Who - The Missing Adventures - novels set during the lives of the first six Doctors, and published alongside the ongoing New Adventures.

Reviews - After Image reviews The Paradise of Death ("a cracking, magical yarn"). Shelf Life reviews The Chase ("an entertaining six episode romp"), Remembrance of the Daleks ("an exciting story; a near-classic"), Iceberg ("a grave disappointment"), The Power of the Daleks audio cassette ("a winner") and the Ghost Light script book ("over-blown drivel").

New Fiction - This issue's Prelude features Iceberg and focuses on Isobel Watkins and Tobias Vaughn.

Boxpops - Cracker debuts on ITV on 27 September. Top of the pop charts in September 93 were the continuing Culture Beat and Boom! Shake the Room by Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince.

[P-Bal]

Those interior postcards used to happily aid in the savage and unwanted removal of the cover. I remember the joys of The Paradise Of Death pix. In retrospect Lis looks like a chav before chavs were invented.

[Simon R]

As luck would have it this issue came out the very week I was on holiday and about half way through the week this issue appeared on the shelf in the holiday camp shop. I actually didn't realise it was Sladen, Pertwee and Courtney on the cover for several minutes. I took ma and pa's portable radio/cassette recorder with us that week so that I could that week's episode of Part Two of "The Paradise of Death". This must have been about the week before I started Secondary School.

As for the issue. I can't say I remember much about it but I really like "The Paradise of Death" so I'm glad it got a good review and the photo shoot is one of the all time greats. Sladen's outfit is like a market version of Colin Baker's jacket.

[Andrew Curnow]

I can't get my copy out of the cupboard as I have a bike and two settees in front of it. However, I'm intrigued that anybody could describe "The Paradise of Death" as a magical yarn. I listened to it, but it really did drag on a bit, and wasn't anything like Doctor Who in the Pertwee years!!

[Jonno]

In case you're wondering, it was one Nicholas Briggs who reviewed it!

I did listen to it at the time, but never since, and I have never purchased it (perhaps obviously).

This issue is notable for reprinting the Sun news article on Ian Levine's disgust at the 1985 hiatus and accompany photo of him with his smashed telly - "Irate Ian, a 32-year-old record producer, ripped down his aerial and sent his licence to Mr Grade in protest."

Oh, and I love the idea of Ms Sladen as the original chav!

[Andrew Curnow]

I've managed to liberate my copy from the cupboard and am just having a flick through. Although I'm pleased that Craig H is complimentary to "The Power of the Daleks" on audio, I'm astounded that he describes Saward's links as "magnificent" - they're dreadful, and actually fight against the material in the first episode. Bizarre.

I never realised (looking at the last page of the Archive of "The Reign of Terror" starring Ronald Pickup) that they found a second copy of episode 6 when episodes 1-3 turned up. Not sure why, but it seems quite odd to me that a 'lost' episode should be found, and then found again!

And an interview with Diddley-Dum Diddley-Dum Diddley-Dum, Dudley S, Woo-hoo! Quite an interesting read, although I wish they'd asked him why he never got to work for Douglas Camfield after "Planet of Giants"!!

[Jonno]

"The Reign of Terror" starring Ronald Pickup

Come on Andrew, everyone on PS knows that's an urban myth...

[SiHart]

Dudley did the music for The Crusades for Douglas Camfield, and then never worked for him again. Apparently it was because Dudley had a bigger and more expensive house than Douglas, and Douglas thought he was earning too much!

Si xx

[Dirk Gently]

I never realised (looking at the last page of the Archive of "The Reign of Terror" starring Ronald Pickup) that they found a second copy of episode 6 when episodes 1-3 turned up. Not sure why, but it seems quite odd to me that a 'lost' episode should be found, and then found again!

I'm not sure if it is but I have a copy of Reign of Terror episode 6 on 16mm film. It's really good quality so I don't think its a dupe.

[Jonno]

The Basics - Issue 205, 27 October 1993. The front cover has a photo of a Silurian from The Silurians, with an inset picture of the unusued original painting for the cover of the New Adventure novel Blood Heat. The last in the current set of Alister Pearson book artwork postcards are included free inside.

Indicia - "And who do these belong to?" demanded Mrs Who on her long-delayed return to the TARDIS. The Doctor blushed. "Look, I can explain..."

News And Views - Doctor Who will return to TV screens in November, as two playlets as part of the annual Children In Need campaign. They are being shot in a revolutionary new 3-D process, and produced by John Nathan-Turner who describes them as "fast moving mini adventures, and definitely not a spoof in any way". Virgin Books have confirmed that The Missing Adventures will commence in the middle of 1994, with the first release probably being a Fourth Doctor book. War of the Daleks, by John Peel, is due in the New Adventures range in October 1994.

New Fiction - The Brief Encounter "Missing In Action" features Mike Yates and is set soon after Day of the Daleks. This issue's Prelude is for Blood Heat.

Reviews - Shelf Life reviews The Trial of a Time Lord ("inconsistent and incoherent; wholly unsatisfying") and Blood Heat ("enjoyable and thought provoking").

Boxpops - Top of the pop charts in October 93 were the continuing Boom! Shake The Room, Relight My Fire by Take That and I'd Do Anything For Love by Meat Loaf.

[Andrew Curnow]

I remember this one, and it was nice to see the original 'Ace on a horse' cover for "Bloodheat". Talking of books, they were a tad premature with the announcement of "War of the Daleks"...

Just flicking through I see there's a half page photo of the clearly male Paddy "So Why've I Thought He Was A Woman All This Time?" Kingsland, and a shocking picture of Mark Strickson blowing at an Australian convention. Still, Katy Manning looks to be enjoying it...

And isn't Pertwee's hair amazing on that Airzone Solution photo spread. Nick Briggs half-hearted beard isn't quite as impressive, though. Nick Briggs, eh - I wonder whatever happened to him...

[Pip Madeley]

John Nathan-Turner describes them as "fast moving mini adventures, and definitely not a spoof in any way".

No, course not.

War of the Daleks, by John Peel, is due in the New Adventures range in October 1994.

One of my fellow librarians asked me whether it was the late, great radio DJ and celebrity John Peel who wrote the Target novelisation of "The Mutation of Time" (DMP part two), which arrived in the library the other day. Made me smile.