Grant: Welcome to another packed issue of Cosmic Masque and what a great read it truly is. I feel I can say that without sounding show offy as this issue belongs to Ian. For those that aren't aware I had to take a break this time around due to per- sonal reasons and it's to Ian's credit and dedication that he picked up the baton and sprinted to the finish line with compiling this edition. I am Cosmic Masque Issue 1—1977 eternally grateful for his commit- A limited run reprint is currently ment and it further outlines to me available from the DWAS eBay what a wonderful person and friend Store at £7-99—visit us at he is. So, this time I shall sit back https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/ with you all and enjoy reading CM. I dwas_auction could get used to this... kidding Ian!!

Ian: Thanks to Grant for his kind words. I must confess, however, to having a lot of help this time round. So thanks to Steve Hatcher for editing our fiction, Rik Moran for taking the lead on our reviews and Paul Win- ter for making a load of Word docu- ments look like a proper publication. Special thanks also to Nick Fisher for sharing his memories of his fa- ther, David, who sadly passed away earlier this year. We're sorry this issue has been a long time coming and we thank you for your patience. We hope to be with you again soon.

1 2 television script writer. Nick kind- Did you ever get to visit the ly took time to tell us about some Doctor Who set? of his memories of his father… No. But I did visit the Emergency Ward 10 set, which was located Were you a fan of Doctor Who in a studio warehouse some- yourself when you were a where off the North Circular, child? near the Brent Cross shopping My era of Doctor Who-watching centre. And was about as glam- was the time of Patrick Trough- orous as having lunch in a mo- ton and Jon Pertwee. And, of torway service station! Douglas Adams course, I loved the series at that age. Apart from anything else, Did David have any anecdotes books were really a way of exer- we were all so starved of decent about working with Tom cising his love of very detailed David Fisher TV to watch back then, that we Baker? research. In many ways he was all watched everything. There Dad was a writer’s writer. He a frustrated academic. A very David Fisher, one of the most were only two channels really. hung out with script editors, oth- intelligent, hugely well-read man notable writers of the Tom Baker er writers and producers. As a who never actually went to uni- era, sadly passed away in Janu- Sadly, by the time my Dad start- result, he didn’t really have a versity and always deeply regret- ary of this year. He had been re- ed writing for Doctor Who I was good word to say about any ac- ted it. He’d have loved Academ- sponsible for four stories during in my mid to late teens and had tor. The phrase ‘a necessary ia. Hanging out with professors the Graham Williams and John already left home. I guess I evil’ springs to mind. and students in club-like hal- Nathan-Turner years – The thought I was a bit too cool for lowed halls with long boozy Stones of Blood, The Androids Doctor Who by then. He did often like to talk about his lunches and longer dinners with of Tara, The Creature from the collaboration with Douglas Ad- erudite speakers and lashings of Pit and The Leisure Hive. The Did your friends think it was ams though, who was a script port. It would have suited him Stones of Blood was perhaps cool that your Dad was a Doc- editor while Dad wrote on the right down to the ground! the story which most captured tor Who writer? series. 'Lovely bloke', he’d say. the imaginations of Doctor Who It’s weird, I don’t ever really re- ‘Very imaginative. But couldn't Which non-Doctor Who pro- fans with David J Howe and Ste- member using it as a thing to im- script-edit to save his life!' ject was David most proud phen James Walker praising its press other people with. of? direction and ‘wide variety of dif- Of the stories which David He was very eclectic and talent- ferent plot elements.’ David’s My Dad being a writer sounds wrote, which was his favour- ed - his books like The Lucy storyline The Gamble with Time like it should be cool, but most ite? Ring were important to him, be- formed the basis of the classic people truly have no concept The Stones of Blood or The cause they were quasi academ- City of Death in 1979. He wrote (still) of what a TV writer actually Creature from The Pit - I think. I ic. But his Hammer House of novelisations of two of his Doctor does. If he’d been an actor - remember him doing research Horrors were such a sign of their Who adventures, later also sure, that would have been easi- for Stones and getting very into times, he couldn't fail to be adapting the other two for Audio- er to understand and score ley lines and all that stuff, long proud of them too. Although the Go. He also contributed to the points from. Writer was too hard before it became trendy to even writing process involved was a Hammer House of Horror and to explain. To be honest, I’m not know any of that existed. pain. Hammer House of Mystery and sure I even fully understood Suspense series. David’s son, what it was a TV writer did ei- He loved research. More than And he loved writing musicals Nick Fisher, is himself a prolific ther. writing. His later non-fiction too. Both for adults and children 3 4 - he got a huge amount of pleas- mean, come on. Our lives would ure out of crafting lyrics. Loved a be tied to the Earth, Goodbye show tune. Was quite talented TARDIS I doubt he would have on the piano too. let us raise Melody on the TAR- DIS. I wouldn't want a baby on What did David think of the that thing” 21st century episodes of Doc- The cat stayed low in the tall tor Who? grass of the garden behind the He was very sceptical when they house, watching the humans. were first announced. Think he She would have said that they thought it was something that seemed to be on the brink of a has passed away and should don’t think I’d be very good at fight, but the postures that they have been left in the ground. But writing it. were holding told another story. then it had such a great unex- pected effect on him, because I love comedy and drama and people who had never heard of human stories, which I know do him suddenly became interested have a place within the Doctor in him and his writing, decades Who story strands, I just don’t after he’d last penned a script for have an affinity for fantasy. Sor- There was a strange noise that Doctor Who. ry. That must make me sound sent the cat into hiding causing like an alien to Doctor Who fans. her to hiss as loudly as she So, kind of begrudgingly he did But I can admire the series with- could. Then an object appeared become very pleased it had out feeling I actually want to be as if from nowhere and the cat been reinvented, and it spawned part of it. And in truth, I know hissed even more loudly, or so some novelisation work for him there are many much better and “Amy, I know it would be nice to he thought. There was now a which he enjoyed. more deserving and fantasy- adopt, but I just think that it blue box where there had not tuned writers out there who would be even better if we be- been one before. Once the You are a BAFTA-winning would give their eye-teeth to came foster parents, taking kids strange object settled the cat be- writer who has contributed to work on the show. in and helping them." It was the came curious. It looked like the Holby City and many other dark short haired male who box might be the perfect place high-profile projects - would Click here to visit Nick at his spoke. for her to hide. The opening re- you like to write for Doctor website: www.nick-fisher.co.uk vealed itself and another male Who yourself? “I know, but as foster parents we with blondish floppy hair stepped I’ve been very lucky to have Nick Fisher would have to be available any out. He stopped suddenly worked in varying capacities with time, day or night, at a moment's "What's going on here? Oh, glar- Russell T Davies and Stephen notice. How often are we actual- ing eyes, raised blood pressure, Moffat and Chris Chibnall over ly around enough to accept that Perhaps I should…” the years - not on Doctor Who. responsibility?” The female with And I am a massive, massive long red hair countered. "Stay right there, Doctor." The fan of their work and their origi- two humans spoke at the same nality. But if I’m honest I don’t “Do you really think the Doctor time, without taking their eyes really ‘get' science fiction or fan- would let a baby on board? I from each other. It was the male, tasy. It’s just not my cup of tea. I finally, who broke the stalemate

5 6 and turned to acknowledge the her landing. and spotting a railing, leaped on- newcomer. "OK Amy, let’s ask to it, then settled down on the him then. Let’s see what he "Well, seeing dragons would be highest surface she could find. thinks. I mean, his opinion about different..." this does rather matter." "I could have sworn I left it in the "Stay downwind," joked Amy. TARDIS bedroom." Complained "What I think about what?" The The humans and the Doctor left Amy. man called ‘the Doctor’ looked the room. This Doctor was mildly totally confused as the young interesting. He looked like a hu- "How did you lose your Zolfanian couple led him inside the house. male called ‘Amy’ and the young man, but what human owns a credit stick?" Said the other hu- The opening in the box closed male seemed to be asking lots of box that can appear from thin man, unhappily. behind him leaving the cat disap- questions. Unseen, the cat fol- air? More importantly, there was pointed. She turned her bright lowed them into a vast room. If something different about his "They don't give those out to an- green eyes on the strange ob- she had been a human, she smell. The cat was sure he was- yone,” added the Doctor, clearly ject, approached it hissing, then would no doubt have made n’t human at all. trying to be helpful. “You were poked it with her front left paw. some remark about it being big- lucky even to get one; it's usable The box didn’t move. A sniff, ger on the inside; but she was a The cat carefully made her way in more systems than galactic then she rubbed her face on the cat, so she did what cats do, ac- up the steps and onto a pedes- credits." corner, before scampering off to cepted the reality of her situa- tal. She jumped up and sniffed avoid the returning humans and tion, sniffed the air and saun- the surface. Seeing something "I know! Stop badgering me hunching down, back in the long tered off hoping to find some- move, she sneaked up on it. She about it." Amy turned angrily and grass. thing to eat, her ears twitching, watched the moving parts of the stormed out. The two men fol- alert to every groan and whir of machine and reached out to lowed behind her, left the box "So where are we going?" The the machinery that filled the touch something that was spin- and closed the door to the out- floppy-haired man sounded ex- room. As she creeped around a ning. Quickly getting bored, she side behind them. cited. "There is a migration of set of stairs, she was startled as continued to circle the pedestal. primitive dragons on a planet the humans came just a little The other side proved more en- The cat looked around again, called Rhoptah, it's a gas giant. closer than she was comfortable tertaining. Carefully, she carried walked easily along a beam and One of the moons Rhoptah 5 is with. She jumped down onto a on around, until reaching a slip- jumped down onto a walkway, a particularly beautiful world; and lower level to maintain her dis- pery surface, she slid off, landing enjoying the chance to explore on that world are what you would tance, but the humans were on her feet and shaking her without being disturbed, rubbing call dragons. They migrate every making too much noise to hear head, before scurrying up anoth- her chin on various surfaces as thousand years or so. They er set of stairs. she went. In one room she found won't be seen again for the next a large, soft surface, with lots of thousand years. The event is Still deep in conversation, the folds to curl up in. She purred usually time locked, given that Doctor, Amy and the other hu- contentedly, but resisted the dragons are an endangered spe- man returned. The cat hopped temptation to sleep and jumped cies...” onto a pedestal filled with toys; back down and sauntered out of paused to take in the sheer verti- the room. Another room was They continued to chatter as the cal surface ahead of her, before very humid, with a big pool. The floppy haired male opened the doing a little shimmy and leaping cat carefully walked up to the door of the blue box again. As all to its top. She looked up again edge and sniffed the water. three of them entered, the fe-

7 8 Nothing to drink in here. The perfect for business and the cat next room had lots of shelves, took care of herself and buried items to rub and the flat things the remains. The cat then re- the humans like to look at once turned to the room where she in a while. There were glass had made her nest and slept for things sitting in rows and a lad- a while until she was roused der to climb even higher on. once more by the voice of the Soon the cat was lost as she Doctor, echoing through the roamed deeper into the box. large space that the cat now claimed as her territory. She The cat continued her meander- sticks, with a rough texture, cov- opened one eye, and from her ings. Pausing only to hack up a ered in a strange, creamy, thick bed, she watched the Doctor "Someone's here. I know it." The furball, she walked and walked liquid. It didn’t look like fish, but come into the room, look around worried tone in his voice was un- until she came to a room that the aroma was unmistaka- and sniff the air. His nose was mistakable. "What could have she found interesting. It was ble. The cat wolfed two of them clearly more sensitive than the made it through those doors? clean, but some of those strange down, before anyone could humans, the cat noted apprecia- Whatever it was has to be very rags that the humans draped chance by and take them off her; tively and he could smell some- powerful." around their bodies were on the then washed her meal down with thing rancid. "Oh… what's that floor. They carried the faded a little water from a dripping tap. smell?" "Doctor, how could anyone get in scent of the Doctor. Starting to She jumped down from the here? You said it yourself, ar- feel lonely, she sniffed around, counter and scurried into a dark "What smell?" asked the male mies couldn’t get in here." then meowed loudly. The corner taking the remaining fin- human, also coming into the strange echo startled her. She ger of fish with her. The cat was room. "Someone has. Let's have a look looked around the room and still eating silently as the humans around." The Doctor took out a found a pleasant dark spot un- and the Doctor came back. She "How do you people live, like you small shiny device and waved it derneath a bed. Taking the rags eyed the floppy haired male war- do? One heart, underdeveloped around as he took to the inner- in her teeth, she dragged them ily. brain, dulled senses." The Doc- most parts of the ship. "No ener- under the bed and began shred- tor asked in wonder. gy readings yet, no tampering ding them with her sharp claws. Just as the cat had decided to with the systems." He scratched Yes, that would make a perfectly save the last piece of fish finger The male looked almost insult- his head with the sonic. "If we good nest. She would come for later, there was a horrible jolt ed. can find that smell we will find back here later, but for now she in her stomach. The cat meowed our intruder." With sudden deci- could smell food. The cat left the but was unheard over the noise. "Sorry, but really, you can't smell sion, "Rory you go to the library, room scarcely noticing the doors The humans were making their that?" The Doctor looked around Amy you head to the cloister as they opened to let her pass special happy sound, but soon with his nose scrunched up giv- room. I'll be in the kitchen." The and closed behind her. the echoes faded and the box ing his normally animated face a Doctor instructed. was again silent. “Time to find comical expression. She followed the food smell. somewhere to take care of busi- "Oh no, Doctor. I don't feel like “Fish!”, she meowed. She was ness,” the cat thought, and set "Smell what?" The female, Amy, replacing all the jars of jam you sure, that was fish. It didn’t take off once more. Finally, she came had followed the two males into have stuck your fingers in - her long to find the source of the to a room with a soft dirt centre the room. again. I’ll go to the kitchen." intoxicating smell, three small on a raised dais. The dirt was

9 10 Sounding indignant the Doctor ter room. This was one of her "I found some poo." few moments, the sound replied "Fine, OK. Rory, you take favourite rooms, where she liked stopped. The Doctor adjusted the kitchen, I’ll check the library. to come and relax between ad- Rory looked slightly taken aback, his sonic screwdriver, smiled Happy now?" They nodded and ventures; among the plants and once he got a better look at the and turned to his friends. “Come separated. trees, or beside the pool. But Doctor’s discovery. "Doctor, your on, this way.” something was different this mystery object is a fur ball,” he As Rory went in to the kitchen, time. “Oh, my goodness, what is winced The new mother cat licked and he immediately slipped on some- that awful smell?” She pinched cleaned each of the kittens as thing and landed on his rear. her nose to keep the terrible "A fur ball? " The Doctor was cu- they were born. She birthed five "Ow! What was…? Custard!” He odour at bay. It smelled as if rious in total and all of the kittens followed the creamy trail to un- something had died. "Not as bad made it. She stretched out in the derneath some cabinets. He got as that time I went to the sponge “Something that cats hack up nest and let the kittens find her down on his knees and peaked planet, though... " She caught from their stomachs." Amy milk. She lay back to rest con- underneath, to find a mostly eat- herself. “Listen to me, I am scrunched up her face tentedly as the kittens fed. en fish finger. He reached in and sounding as bad as the Doctor." extricated it. It had clearly been She closed her eyes, remember- “That's disgusting!" The Doctor The Doctor burst through the bitten, but he could see that the ing how she could smell better flung it away from himself and doors to his private room, his in- teeth marks were not human. on that horrible occasion when onto the hallway floor. nermost sanctum. Neither Amy she was forced to keep her eyes nor Rory had ever seen it before. The Doctor entered the library closed because of the Weeping “This from the man that licked It looked like any of the other carefully. The sonic screwdriver Angels. She turned towards the that fish man," noted Rory. rooms aboard the TARDIS, ex- was making that familiar buzzing centre of the room and walked cept there was considerably noise as he waved it around, but up the stairs onto the dais. She “That was a greeting, totally dif- more stuff, treasures, memen- the tone remained steady - noth- found what she was looking for. ferent," the Doctor defended toes. Some of the things looked ing. He lowered his arms and "Oh, yuck!" himself. totally alien. Some things looked rubbed his face with his hands. personalized some were clearly He cast his eyes down in They all met in the middle of the In her nest, with her pains be- just collected for their personal thought and almost stepped in ship and shared their findings. coming stronger and more regu- significance. There was a bed something. He picked it up with lar, the cat lay waiting for what- that looked hardly used. And his fingers. It was hairy and cov- "I found a mostly eaten fish fin- ever was going to happen, to there was some clothing lying ered in goo, but he had no idea ger underneath the counter." happen. Then after what about. what it was. He scanned it with "I found a mystery, gooey object" seemed a lifetime, her first kitten his sonic, but learned nothing. The Doctor held up the hairy was born. Amy opened her mouth as if to "What is going on around here? slime-ball. speak, but The Doctor held up What are you?", he addressed She began to clean off the kitten, his hand to silence her. He had the mystery object. "I found…"Amy was hesitant as but the pain became too much to heard something just on the she approached the group. contain and she started to howl. edge of his hearing. He made a In her nest, the cat felt a pain shushing gesture and pointed to like none she had ever felt be- "Amy, what did you find. It might The cries were loud and caught his bed, no... underneath his fore. The shock shook her whole be important." The Doctor the echoes. The Doctor, Rory bed. The two companions nod- body. It was time. The cat knew. urged. and Amy all heard the howling ded. The Doctor gestured to Amy made her way to the Clois- and ran to find its source. After a Amy to go to one side of the bed

11 12 and to Rory to go to its foot. He scanned the mother and her kit- lem?" Rory asked. then moved silently to the other tens. "Well, look at that. They side. They had the bed sur- are all perfectly healthy. Come "We could get a cat or a dog." rounded. The Doctor pushed a on, let’s leave them alone." The button on the wall, a panel slid Doctor lowered the bed back "A snake, a friend of mine at I wasn’t expecting much from open and the bed started to lift down. And the three friends school had a snake." Rory re- this one. I’ve been impatiently into it. turned for the door. “She must membered fondly. waiting for Hour of The Cyber- have sneaked in, while the door men, and it kind of snuck up on "Aww, look at that." Amy was was open,” said the Doctor. I “Gary Andrews?” Amy smiled in me. thrilled. Rory put an arm around didn't know you had a cat, Amy" recollection. her. "We don't. Our neighbour Mrs. It’s a historical tale that at times Cadence does, though," Amy “Yes, Gary.” is rather dark, genuinely frighten- She looked up to see the Doctor concluded. "She's been missing ing and also humorous. The since yesterday. She must have “No way. No, just no. No character of Flo acts as the com- been looking for a safe place to snakes." Amy protested vehe- ic relief yet is completely charm- give birth." mently. ing. I’d have no objection to her returning in the future. "And she discovered the TAR- “I had a pet once,” offered the DIS." The Doctor smiled as they Doctor. “It was something similar This is Doctor Who done right left the room, seeming to regard to a rabbit, but with a long bushy and is easily one of the best sto- the intrusion as something of an tail. And it ate meat. OK, maybe ries Big Finish has delivered. honour. "I can think of no safer it wasn't anything like a rabbit. Something that particularly place." Forget I said that." works in this story’s favour is the lack of companions, forcing the As the door closed behind them, “You? You had a pet? How long supporting characters to fill the the Doctor knew he wouldn't did that last?" Amy teased. same role As such, for new fans need to sleep for a couple of coming to the audios, this serves days, which would give the cat The Doctor protested the insult as a perfect jumping-on point. time to nurse the kittens to a as the friends walked away point when they could be moved laughing, leaving their newest When all is said and done, to a more suitable place. He was fellow TARDIS crew member to there’s absolutely nothing nega- and the two humans looking not even upset about his shirt, care for her kittens. tive I say about Iron Bright. I down at her. She was ready to trousers and bow tie, which were absolutely loved it. protect her kittens, but quickly ruined. They were the first ones realised that they meant neither that he had worn in this body, her nor her kittens any harm. but somehow that made it appro- priate. "They are new born, Doctor." Rory smiled, delighted at the Amy turned to her husband. sight of the furless sightless "You know, that would solve our squiggles. The Doctor adjusted problem?” the sonic screwdriver again and "What would solve our prob-

13 14 happens, you know a piece of audio drama has succeeded.

I did not find myself warming espe- cially to the character of the young Did you know that the name Brunel. I had a view of him that like ‘Isambard’ means ‘Iron-Bright’? I many I obtained from school—an didn’t. I learned a couple of things image of a great resourceful engi- about that great builder Isambard neer working for the betterment of Kingdom Brunel, the principal sub- mankind. Maybe he was that, but in I admit, when Big Finish an- ject of this story (along with the usu- this play Isambard is a bit of an nounced the adventures of Jen- al alien menace), most notably that ‘also-ran’. ny – The Doctor’s Daughter, I his father was also an engineer. wasn’t overly fussed. I felt it was That is the premise of the story. Colin Baker is as good as ever and about 5 years too late and if I’m Brunel and Son are building a tun- continues to be the definitive audio honest, was still hoping in a nel and ‘things’ start happening, not Doctor in my view. I do not always weird way for a TV return for the Writers Matt Fitton, John Dor- least the appearance of the Doctor like the main range Big Finish sto- ney, Christian Brassington, and from the depths of their only partial- ries but I always get the impression character. So somewhat reluc- ly dug under-river passageway. that Colin is working to get the best tantly I decided to give it a listen, Adrian Poynton do an excellent out of the script that he can. On this if only to do this review. job of building mystery around In some respects the story and the occasion the Doctor is written well, him and I’m thoroughly looking characters are a bit obvious. Set in and the finished product benefits. Storywise, Jenny is a stand-in forward to seeing where he goes the early 19th century when those for the female Doctor many in future releases. great Victorian industrialists were On balance, this is fairly standard doubted we would ever have. building all they could, letting no Big Finish fayre. You will easily be Now that a female Doctor is ac- Georgia Tennant and Sean Big- obstacle stand in their way, there able to work out how the main pro- tually a reality, though, is Jenny gerstaff, play their roles well, but are three distinct strands of British, tagonists are going to react to the relevant in her own right? Yes, are upstaged somewhat by Siân or at least London society. The es- situation and what their response she is. Jenny — The Doctor’s Phillips as COLT-5000, who rev- tablishment being the Government, will be. It is nonetheless well writ- els in the role of evil bounty Officer and monied types, the new Daughter proves that the titular ten by Chris Chapman, well pro- hunter and steals the show. breed of pioneers whose influence duced and worthy of a listen. heroine is a variation on her we still feel today, and the working Dad’s character with only a frac- classes whether they are the la- Click here for the trailer tion of the emotional baggage. I’m not going to mention any of bourers or the soldiers—a consum- Not only that, Jenny is also River the plot. Spoilers. Having said able resource. It is not inaccurate Song, with only a fraction of the that, for those who don’t know but in some respects it leads to this emotional baggage. As awe- and want to be spoiled, RTD fa- story of visitors from other places some as the Doctor and River mously said that Jenny got into becoming a bit mundane. You just are in their own rights, Jenny is a the ship at the end of The Doc- know how the different people are refreshing, and I now realise tor’s Daughter TV episode, going to react. necessary, contrast. crashed straight into a moon and died. It almost happens here too. However it is a solid, interesting, well told adventure and like all good My favourite aspect of this box- You’ll have to give it a listen to audio drama, causes the listener to set, however, is the ongoing find out what happens. effortlessly invent in his or her mind, Click here to buy from Big Finish plotline for Sean Biggerstaff’s an image of the world being por- companion character, Noah. If you weren’t entirely sold on the trayed in the narrative. When this Click here to buy from Amazon 15 16 Jenny boxset at the time of the ally." He rubbed his face to try Alesha was among the ones announcement, like myself, I and relieve his grogginess. who stayed behind. Stationed on would say that Jenny is off to a the rooftop of a ten-story build- good start. "A medical doctor?" she asked. ing, with what felt like a woefully "No... no. My doctorate is in his- inadequate rifle, she watched as The first two episodes are Moore woke with a gasp. He sat tory." the Dalek saucer had landed just standalone stories, with the final bolt upright and stared around, outside the main town. The terri- two being linked. eyes wild. Had he fallen asleep "Ah. Why I haven't seen you fying invaders started to pour on public transport again? An- around the colony before?" out, one-by-one. The midday Prisoner of the Ood, by John other jolt like the one that had sun reflected off their identical Dorney, deserves special men- roused him shook the room, and "I don't go out much. Too busy bronze domes as the Daleks tion as he manages to pull off a he heard frightened gasps all with my books and papers," he lined up ready for the order to complete Agatha Christie-type around him. Forcing himself to replied. "Listen, where are we? I begin the assault. tale within the Doctor Who can- calm down, Moore tried to figure can't remember what hap- non. out where he was. Around him pened." The silence was unexpectedly were huddled terrified people, broken by a strange, creaking, Jenny – The Doctor’s Daughter some of whom looked familiar. Alesha took Moore's hand, sur- rasping sound. At the end of the is fast paced fun, filled with child- They were all seated along two prising him. He was unused to main street, just inside the town, like wonder. parallel metal benches, built into talking to women, but this was a a small, battered blue box ap- the walls of a completely metallic lot easier than he'd imagined. peared out of nowhere. Bizarre- Finally: Jenny’s theme tune. It’s room. He had no idea where he But her next words chilled him to ly, it looked like it was made TREMENDOUS. was. the bone: "We're prisoners of the from wood. It had two doors on Daleks.” one side, which both flew open. That is all. "Hi," said a voice next to Moore, Black-clad troops poured from startling him slightly. He turned * * * the box, immediately taking up Click here for the trailer to his right to see a pretty, dark- Everyone had thought it was the defensive positions around the haired girl was sitting on the end when the Dalek ship had buildings and vehicles of the col- bench next to him. been detected. Tarys was a rela- ony. tively young human colony, just "Hello," he replied, immediately four generations on from the Alesha’s vantage point, in a tall struck by her big, brown eyes. original settlers. Some of the clock tower, gave her an excel- "Er, my name's Nathaniel; Na- founders still lived, and would lent view as the events unfolded. thaniel Moore, but people just regale their descendants with She saw another figure leave the call me Moore." tales of Earth. These very elderly blue box after the soldiers. He people, along with all the chil- had black, spiked hair and wore She smiled a brave smile, in dren, had been sent into the a bandolier over a long leather stark contrast to the atmosphere mountains to find refuge in the jacket. Although she was much of fear and desperation around caves there. The rest of the colo- too far away to see the details of them. "It’s nice to meet you, Mr nists had mustered what weap- the man’s face, his air of authori- Moore. My name's Alesha." ons they could to defend their ty was unmistakable. He barked Click here to buy from Big Finish home. a command, and the troops be- Moore found himself smiling gan firing on the Daleks from be- Click here to buy from Amazon back. "It's... Doctor Moore actu-

17 18 hind their cover. Whatever pow- Alesha crouched. She rolled picked up momentum on the never say this name to his face. erful rifles they possessed were away from the blast, but was too smooth surface. He had what far in advance of anything the afraid to return fire in case it appeared to be a metal tube, * * * colonists had. gave away her position. After a glowing red at one end, clamped As Alesha recounted details few minutes, there had been no in his mouth, while he fiddled about the battle, Moore’s head By now around a dozen Daleks more shots in her direction and with some kind of gun in his began to clear and he started to had disembarked. They began Alesha risked another glance at hands. He was heading for a remember some of the events firing at the new-arrivals, deadly the battle below. She saw that quite a drop when he reached that had unfolded. blasts from their stubby guns fly- concentrated fire from two or the edge of the saucer. At the ing towards the town as they three of the soldiers’ weapons point it seemed he must fly off He had always been in awe of continued to advance. The air burned through the Dalek and fall to the ground, the Time the Time Lords. Since childhood, rang out with shrill, metallic cries shields after ten seconds or so, Lord fired the gun. A grappling his imagination had been cap- of, “EXT-ERM-IN-ATE!” and their armoured casings blossom- hook hit a nearby tall tree, and tured by stories of their god-like “ADVANCE!” ing into pillars of fire as the ener- he swung smoothly down from abilities. While most people he gy beams found their targets. the lip of the circular spaceship knew thought that the Gallifrey- One of the humanoid troops took and landed with a tight forward ans and the Daleks were as bad a Dalek bolt directly to the head Alesha realised the aliens who roll. Even as he rose to his feet as each other in their Time War, as she stood to aim and fire over had come to defend the colony he made an overarm throw and Moore had secretly seen the a wall. The blast lifted her into were Time Lords, sworn ene- launched a grenade at the near- Time Lords as saviours. He'd the air and sent her flying into mies of the Daleks. The two rac- est pair of Daleks. The two crea- even wondered if the battle- the building behind. Her broken es were engaged in a perpetual tures seemed to be pulled into weary general who led the rout body hit a wall and then slumped war throughout time and space. each other, compressed and was the Doctor of legend, a myth to the ground. After a few sec- Searching again for the leather- contorted into impossible tantalisingly mentioned in the onds, the corpse began to glow clad leader of the colony’s unin- shapes. They disappeared into a footnotes of historical data-files with golden light, and then foun- vited defenders, Alesha found singularity with a white hot flash. brought from Earth. But that man tained golden energy which that she couldn’t spot the man The other Time Lords had de- was never described as a sol- poured from the top of the head, anywhere. He had disappeared stroyed the remaining Daleks. dier: rather he was usually de- and from her hands and feet. from view while she was distract- The battle was over. scribed as a scientist or explorer. ed with the strange resurrection. They did speak of a mysterious Alesha watched, astonished, as The blue box looked sealed The man in the bandolier strode blue box though. the body levitated slightly off the shut. towards the town as the Dalek ground, then sank back down saucer exploded behind him. Moore remembered how much again as the lightshow subsided. Alesha’s attention was drawn to Unflinching, and not pausing to he had wanted to meet 'the Doc- Even from where Alesha the Dalek saucer, which began look back and admire his handi- tor' at the celebrations after the crouched she could tell that it vibrating as though its engines work, he continued on, a dark Dalek task-force had been re- was a visibly different woman were straining to launch the figure silhouetted by the flames. pelled by the Time Lords. As a who sat up, took in her surround- craft. A hatch opened on the top, The colonists would later hear student of history, he was des- ings, and quickly crawled, com- and a head popped out. It was that this was the Doctor. At least, perate to know if this was the mando-style, to cover. the Time Lord leader. He this is how the other Time Lord same Doctor woven throughout climbed out and slid down the troops referred to him. But they Earth’s history. Moore watched A stray Dalek blast destroyed smooth slope of the saucer’s warned the colonists of Tarys him from a distance for a while, the masonry next to where roof, increasing in speed as he that if they met him in person, to ignoring the music and carous-

19 20 ing going on around him. He ing just behind them. The rear- weight of the responsibility now could picture was the fierce in- tried to work up the courage to most two Time Lords raised their that he had this privileged infor- tensity of the Time Lord's eyes. approach the Time Lord. While rifles to cover him, flanking the mation. If he fell into Dalek He wondered if he was in shock. Moore had always considered Doctor as he walked back and hands, all would be lost. As He realised that if the Doctor did himself a timid, introverted per- stood very close. Moore remem- Moore ran down a street towards not rescue him, then he would son, the Doctor, he saw, radiat- bered looking into the man's his home, a building exploded have little chance of withstand- ed power and charisma. eyes; they seemed to burn with next to him and knocked him un- ing the Daleks' interrogation fierce intelligence and something conscious. techniques. Moore worried about Moore saw the Doctor and his else, like barely-contained fury. betraying the Doctor's war plans troops quietly leave, and real- “What did you hear?” asked the • * * more than he feared for his own ised this was his last chance. Doctor, calmly. life. Millions would die if the Da- He stepped out into the balmy “…So they brought us aboard leks weren’t stopped. night, and began following the “Nothing, my, er Lord,” replied this shuttle," Alesha was saying. soldiers. He followed at a dis- Moore. His words sounded un- "They made a couple of us carry He squeezed Alesha's hand, creet distance, wondering how convincing even to his own you." taking comfort in how warm and to make himself known. Feeling ears. soft it felt. "Don't worry," he told ridiculously self-conscious, he The ship juddered again, for her, "the Doctor and his friends walked faster to catch up with They were interrupted by the longer this time. Moore guessed will save us." the soldiers. As he got closer, sound of powerful engines over- they were leaving planetary at- he could hear the Doctor talking heard, then a series of explo- mosphere. Alesha snorted. "I wouldn't count to his comrades. Moore remind- sions made the ground shake. on it," she replied bitterly. "The ed himself what the other Time "Where are they taking us?" Time Lords are just as bad as Lords had been saying earlier, “Sir!” called one of the other asked Moore. the Daleks. Everyone knows not to call him ‘Doctor.’ He was Time Lords. they play games with whole about to clear his throat loudly, "They said for interrogation," re- planets, gambling with the lives when he realised what the Doc- The Doctor looked at Moore for plied Alesha flatly. “They know of entire species just to gain the tor was saying. another moment, then abruptly the Time Lords were on Tarys tiniest tactical advantage. There turned and led his men off at a and want to know about them.” was no sign of those cowards The Time Lords, Moore over- sprint towards the action. Moore shivered. He looked when the Daleks came back. It heard, were in this part of space around the faces of his fellow was probably worse for the colo- as part of a massive new offen- More explosions started rocking prisoners, hoping to see the ny in the long run because the sive against their enemies. They the town. The Daleks had re- Doctor among them. Perhaps Time Lords were there!” were planning a major assault turned in greater numbers. the Time Lord was biding his on the planet Varabasson 6, a time; waiting to defeat the Da- “Maybe they went for reinforce- Dalek stronghold some two-and- As Moore ran for cover, he felt leks again and save these pris- ments," he suggested. "They will a-half light years from where massive relief both that the Doc- oners. There was no sign of him come back for us." they were. tor and his troops hadn’t killed aboard the shuttle. But he had him, and that he had heard the his time machine, didn't he? Alesha gave him a pitying look. The conversation suddenly war was going to move away "You were out cold. I saw what stopped, and Moore realised from Tarys. It sounded like Now he thought of it, Moore the Daleks did to the colony. that he had almost caught up. things were going in the Time struggled to remember the de- Most of the buildings were burn- His quarry had heard him walk- Lords' favour. But he also felt the tails of the Doctor's face. All he ing when I was captured."

21 22 “Did… did you lose anyone?” ous intersections. How was the took to withstand whatever tor- his head, with what looked like Moore asked, softly. Doctor ever going to rescue ture the Daleks could inflict. He a tiny satellite dish on the front. them from this? Some of the Da- cast his gaze down to the floor. Although the inside of it was “I don’t know,” she replied. leks seemed to be guards, oth- Alesha, who was still walking smooth, he felt like the device “That’s the worst part. I was cap- ers just seemed to stop to next to him, squeezed his hand was somehow drilling into his tured before I could find my fam- watch, or scan, the prisoners as reassuringly again, and kept mind. ily.” they went by. Moore dimly regis- hold. He smiled at her, trying to tered there was a greater variety project a bravery he didn't feel. On a large, rectangular screen They sat in silence together for a than the bronze ones he often He made a new resolution: to mounted on the wall to his left, while, the only sound the quiet saw on the news reels. There make sure he was interrogated colourful static bursts gradually weeping of some of the other were some smaller ones too, in first. If he couldn't stand up to resolved themselves into imag- prisoners. a variety of colours. the Dalek torture, then at least if es from his memory. He saw they got the information they again the Dalek ship land in his * * * As they passed another one of wanted out if him, the Daleks home town, the miraculous arri- A short time later a series of me- the metal monsters, which was would have no need to question val of the Time Lords, the revel- chanical clangs indicated to standing in an archway, Moore Alesha. ry that followed and then the Moore that the shuttle was dock- thought about rushing it. If he explosions when the enemy re- ing; presumably with a space launched a futile attack, the Da- * * * turned. station, he thought. lek would blast him into oblivion The prisoners had been taken and stop him revealing the Doc- to a holding cell. After a short Moore tried not to think of about There was a door at either end tor's secret plan. He tensed his wait a Dalek ordered that three recent events; tried to remem- of the hold, and at this point one body. Could he make the ulti- prisoners at a time would be ber trivial details of his child- opened, retracting into the ceil- mate sacrifice? The Dalek taken for interrogation. Moore hood, but found that he couldn’t. ing, to reveal a Dalek guard. It stared right at him, impassive. immediately stood up and The pain in his mind doubled as glided smoothly into the room, He looked back into the steady, walked forwards, ignoring the mind probe increased in in- the whirr of its engines the only bright blue light of its eyestalk Alesha’s insistence that he stay tensity. The pictures on the sound as everyone seemed to and swallowed hard. with her. screen seemed to rewind over hold their breath. the celebrations after the first He couldn't do it. All his body He was taken a short distance battle. His brain felt like it was “MOVE!" it grated, gun-stick would do was to conform and into another room. There he slowly being prised apart. On twitching aggressively from tar- shuffle along with his fellow cap- was told to lie on a cold, hard the viewing screen, more and get to target. The airlock at the tives to their fate. table. A large, intractable metal more images appeared of the other end of the hold opened, band stretched across his torso partying, happy colonists. A both internal and external doors Moore passed the Dalek, its at- to hold him in place. The dis- side bar of alien script rapidly folding out to allow all the pris- tention having moved to some- tinctive, repetitive pulse of Da- scrolled up as faces were oners to shuffle into another me- one else. He turned away and lek technology seemed to vi- zoomed in on, enhanced, and tallic corridor beyond. Moore examined his own reflection in brate through his body. His then, just as quickly, dismissed and Alesha found themselves the shiny metal wall of the corri- head was held in place on a by the software. roughly in the middle of the fifty dor. He'd always thought he had hard, semi-circular rest. Three or so strong crowd of humans. a saggy, uninspiring face. His Dalek scientists operated ma- Moore had to screw his eyes They walked through the space scared, witless eyes looked chinery around him. A metallic closed and tried to think about station, passing Daleks at vari- back. He doubted he had what it band had been placed around Alesha, her pretty face and the

23 24 way she made him feel. But the * * * stract, like an out-of-body expe- in a refrigerator until we were pain increased again, tenfold. Moore had no idea how he rience. ready." He screamed. Suddenly one of made it back to the shuttle. the Daleks exclaimed, "TIME Once there he slumped grate- There were two other men in the The other, portly, gentleman was LORD INTER-ACTION!" Its fully onto the seat. At once, room, sitting in plush leather enjoying the story immensely, staccato speech even cut Alesha was by his side. He armchairs. They seemed to be even though he had clearly across the agony Moore was slumped against her, and she the source of the fumes which heard it before. He seemed the suffering. gently lowered him so that he hung in the air; both were smok- much more familiar face of the was lying down on the bench, ing heavily, and clearly had two. Moore felt a strong sense of The Doctor's calm, deep voice using her knees as a pillow. been for some time judging by familiarity. A name floated on his rang out as the memory was the overflowing ashtrays around memory, just out of reach. ripped from Moore’s conscious- "Nathaniel, what happened?" them. Moore realised he was ness. The words Moore had she asked him. "They didn't holding a large glass of wine, "Tell him about Pam," the cigar- heard the Time Lord command- even question the rest of us; and noticed that his sleeve smoker said, breathing out an- er impart to his taskforce: just brought us all back to this seemed to be made of velvet, other thick plume, and nodded in "Varabasson 6 is where we go ship." with strange cuffs protruding be- Moore’s direction. Moore nodded next. A fleet of battle TARDISes neath them. encouragement. will converge around it, launch- Moore managed a weak ing volley after volley of de-mat smiled. At least he had been They couldn't have looked more Both men spoke in a way he'd torpedoes on the Daleks below. able to spare Alesha the agony different: one was a corpulent only heard in very old record- It will strike a decisive blow on that he had endured. He could- fellow, with a round face and ings. It was almost comical to this front of the War," the Doc- n't speak, and was struggling to round spectacles. His double- Moore's ears. tor's voice rang out from a stay awake. The toll on his chins wobbled as he spoke ani- speaker. body had been too much. He matedly and he held a large, fat "We call it 'pocket-litter,'" the thin slipped into sweet unconscious- cigar. The other was tall and story-teller said, relishing the Abruptly the pain ceased, and ness and began to dream. thin: aristocratic-looking. This tale. "We gave him a fiancée Moore's bonds retracted back sophisticated figure exuded an called Pam. Put in a receipt for into the table. He curled into a * * * aloof air, sitting very upright and an engagement ring, couple of ball, sobbing. The sudden relief Moore coughed. The room was holding a cigarette-holder deli- love letters and a photograph of from the agony, and the full of smoke, a noxious cloud cately over his crossed legs. a lovely girl, who is really called knowledge that he had failed, that assaulted his senses. He Jean... really lovely girl." The overwhelmed him. He could felt dizzy and disconnected. Moore and the two men seemed man paused, took a drag from hardly breathe. A powerful blow Taking in his surroundings, he to be deep in conversation. He his cigarette thoughtfully, and from a Dalek plunger struck him was surprised to find himself in found himself nodding along continued. "Anyway, the Nazis square in the back. He was what looked like a museum, or and taking a sip of wine. eventually got the documents off thrust off the table and hit the some kind of historical recrea- the Spaniards, had a look and floor. tion. It was a very old- "...poor chap had eaten rat poi- sent them back to Blighty in a fashioned, oak-panelled study. son; phosphorus you see," the diplomatic bag." “MOVE!" the Dalek guard or- The shelves were lined with... thin man was saying. His ciga- dered. Moore forced himself to actual books! Although he felt rette was unusual: the paper The other man - Churchill, his feet and stumbled out of the the surprise, it didn't register seemed to be adorned with Moore realised: of course! He'd torture chamber. physically. It was somehow ab- three gold rings. "They kept him seen old black and white record-

25 26 ings of this famous historical fig- company. all along? He wondered. Had ways carried. Yet the sound did ure on his computer - piped up, the Doctor used him as a living, seem to be emanating from the "Of course, we'd planted an eye- Feigning modesty, Fleming re- breathing version of Operation watch, and he could feel the de- lash so we'd know if they'd been plied, “I only suggested the idea Mincemeat? Planted disinfor- vice vibrating slightly, almost buggered about with. But we on- to Admiral Godfrey. All the real mation in his gullible head, so impatiently. He pressed the ly knew for sure when Bletchley work was been done by oth- that it would seem factual to the catch on the side, releasing the Park intercepted communica- ers…” Daleks, even making him want cover. Before he knew what tions. Hook, line and sinker! Hit- to try and resist interrogation to was happening, tendrils of gold- ler sent his Panzers all over the A loud, insistent beeping sound add verisimilitude? And what en light reached forth from with- shop. We invaded Sicily in Ju- cut across the conversation. was that beeping sound? in and engulfed him. ly...and even after we started Churchill and Fleming didn't landing there, the other side seem to notice it. It seemed to It seemed more than plausible. * * * were sending planes to reinforce get louder and... Moore felt all hope drain away. Alesha threw herself away from Sardinia!" Churchill chuckled in He turned to Alesha, who was the glowing figure of Moore. As delight. "And that was the begin- * * * still next to him. They were sit- soon as he'd sprung the catch ning of the end for Mussolini. ... Moore woke up. He was still ting about halfway along the on his pocket watch, gold- Thanks in no small part to Flem- on the Dalek shuttle. The dimly- hold. “It was all a trap,” he whis- coloured energy had poured ing here," he said, gesturing with lit hold still cramped with terrified pered over the annoying bleeps, out. His whole body glowed with his cigar towards the other man. prisoners. It felt like they were “You were right: the Time Lords it. It was so intense that she had He then dipped his cigar in a once again in flight: Being taken used us.” to look away, burying her face glass of brandy by his side be- for extermination, or to work the in the crook of her elbow. When fore inhaling another mouthful. Dalekanium mines, or who He had been the unwitting pawn Alesha looked again, the light "And that was Operation Mince- knows what else. The beeping of the Time Lords all along. The was gone and the hold seemed meat." sound continued unabated. beeping continued to increase even darker. A hydraulic whirr in volume and urgency. The heralded the arrival of the Dalek Moore smiled, knowing the Moore thought about the strange other prisoners, all except guard coming through the door. Prime Minister used the brandy dream he'd had. The operation Alesha, were edging away from She quickly cast a look back at because his over-indulgence which Churchill and Fleming had him, as much as they could in Moore, but he was gone. had left his lips too sensitive to discussed troubled him: The Brit- the confined space. It sounds smoke cigars without a paper ish had dropped a dead tramp like an alarm clock, he thought. The Dalek guard entered the cover over the end. He used the into the channel with fake plans "It's coming from your pocket," hold, clearly agitated, its move- brandy to replace the taste lost, for an invasion of Greece and said Alesha. She looked quite ments somehow jerky and pan- but people in the future would do Sardinia. He remembered over- scared now. She kept looking icked. this as though it was the 'correct' hearing the Doctor imparting the from him to the internal door in way to enjoy them. Hmm, that Time Lords' war plans a few case the noise summoned their "TIME LORD BI-O DA-TA DE- was an odd piece of trivia, he hours earlier - an offensive on Dalek guard. ECT-ED!" it screamed. Its gun- thought. No-one smoked in the Varabasson 6. Why had they stick tried to take in each of the future, and he'd never seen a been discussing it so openly in Confused, Moore reached into prisoners as it scanned them. cigar or cigarette before. Yet the the street? With a jolt he won- his pocket and pulled out his old Then the Dalek's eyestalk smell seemed to so familiar, as dered if it had been deliberate. watch. It couldn't be this: it had whipped across and fixed on a did Churchill's office and being in never worked properly. Just an point behind Alesha. She the legendary Prime Minister's Did the Doctor know I was there antique from Earth that he’d al- looked around and noticed that

27 28 the interior door of the shuttle's the impassive figure standing in the controls for a moment, ab- airlock was open. The Dalek the hold. His head snapped up sently rolling the piece of pipe rolled forward, stopping just and the man looked straight at around with his wrist like it was short of the threshold. Its gun her. His eyes burned with fire a sword. aimed into the darkness of the and fury. Alesha gasped. It was large airlock. Moore, she realised with a Apparently having spotted what shock. But he looked taller, at he was looking for, he rammed "SUR-RENDER! VAC-CATE least a foot taller. His jaw set the pipe into a particular point in THE AIR-LOCK OR BE EXT- firm, his posture now straight the controls. The control panel ERM-IN-ATED!" it screeched. and commanding. erupted into a showers of sparks and the alarm abruptly There was no response. Without saying a word, he turned ceased. and prowled towards the door Almost hesitantly, the Dalek con- that led to the shuttle’s flight The immobile Dalek screamed, tinued, into the darkness of the deck. He wrenched a section of “YOU ARE THE DOCT..." and airlock, its gun-stick twitching as thin metal pipe from the wall was abruptly silenced as the it searched for a target. without breaking stride and feedback from the rapidly disin- drove one end into the control tegrating console caused an A moment passed. panel by the door. As the door overload that killed the creature. flew open, he strode straight Its eyestalk dropped as its A shape swung down from the through. Alesha couldn’t help but pained electronic burbling death ceiling of the airlock. Boots follow him through the doorway. throes faded away. clanged onto the metal floor. Alesha couldn’t help but look up She saw that the small, octago- Darting forward, Moore started again. She saw a tall, powerful nal chamber beyond was the jabbing at buttons and began man standing in front of the air- shuttle's cockpit. A Dalek pilot, “INT-RUD-ERS ON THE ripping cables out of the control lock hatch. He was looking with white and gold livery, was BRIDGE!” It screamed. “TIME panel, seemingly at random. down, his face in shadow. Sud- fixed into position at the controls LORD DET-ECT-ED! EM-ERG- denly his fist shot backwards, of the small ship. Rather than a EN-CY!” “Moore?” asked Alesha tenta- hitting the large, round button gun and sucker arm; this one tively. Everything had happened next to the opening. The interior had attachments plugged into The door slammed closed just so fast she was struggling to un- airlock door slammed down with the navigation systems. Translu- behind Alesha, making her derstand. a whoosh, and the interior of the cent cables ran between the jump. An alarm began sound- airlock was illuminated with a red console and some of the pilot's ing. “Hmmnnff?” Moore replied, a glow. The outer door opened sense globes, with delicate lights cable in his mouth as he and Alesha saw the Dalek flitting back and forth along Her heart hammering in her searched for another beneath sucked out into space. Its ar- them. chest, Alesha glanced again at the ruined panels. mour cracked apart like an egg- Moore. His entire demeanour shell as it was hit by the shuttle's The Dalek’s dome whirled round had changed. He was no longer “Who are you?” engine jets. so that its eye stalk could take in the shuffling, awkward man, un- the newcomers. comfortable in his own skin that The man she had known as Alesha turned her gaze back to he had been earlier. He studied Moore was hurriedly twisting

29 30 wiring together into new configu- self. alties. This way a lot more peo- elled together for a while. She rations. The cockpit door re- ple have been saved." seemed the right sort: caring and opened and lighting returned to Alesha looked at him expectant- able to put on a brave face in a normal. A moment later he ly. He seemed to realise that “So the ends justify the means?” tight spot. straightened up, apparently sat- further explanation was re- she asked, accusingly. isfied with his handiwork. “That quired. He sighed and went on, He thrust his hands in his pock- was close,” he said. “Couldn’t “I made myself think that I was a “If there’s any hope this war will ets. They found a plastic card, risk bringing the sonic screw- human colonist who had over- have an end, I must use any which he removed and exam- driver though. We're heading out heard vital Time Lord invasion means necessary. For the sake ined for a moment. It was fake of Dalek space now.” plans. The Daleks think they of all life in the universe,” the ID for his mission. The name on have valuable information, be- warrior replied. it read, 'Doctor N. O. Moore.' He Alesha felt the craft lurch as the cause they had to torture me for rolled his eyes and turned back course changed, and the star- it. By now their battle-computers “You seemed like such a good to the helm. field on the viewing screen shift will be redirecting an armada to man when you were Nathaniel,” to one side as they turned. ambush what they think will be a Alesha spoke sadly. “Who says TARDISes don’t have battle-TARDIS offensive on Va- a sense of humour?” he “You’re a Time Lord,” realised rabasson 6. But my fellow Time “He was. But he wasn’t real. growled. Alesha. She recognised some- Lords are poised to create a There’s no place in this war for thing in the way Moore now time-loop and trap their entire ‘good men.’ His memories were moved. “You’re the one who led fleet.” His right hand vaguely de- a paper-thin construct, designed the defence on Tarys. I was too scribed a horizontal figure of to serve a purpose.” far away during the battle. I eight in the air. couldn’t see your face. Why did- “You just used my whole planet n’t you say anything?” “That Dalek seemed to know to serve your purpose.” Disgust- you… how come they didn’t rec- ed, Alesha turned away and left The figure turned to Alesha, as ognise you until now? It was go- the cockpit. though noticing her for the first ing to call you Doc...” time. His lined, fierce face sof- * * * tened slightly, and the hint of a “Ah well, the Daleks have a very Left alone, the Time Lord stared smile played on his mouth. narrow field of vision.” the Time pensively at the screen showing “Hello Alesha. Yes, I am a Time Lord cut across her. “They rely a the stars go by as they travelled Lord." His was voice gravelly: lot on their instruments. All of back to Tarys. He thought back deeper and richer than Moore's which were telling them that I to that long-ago evening with had been, and infinitely more was only… I mean, that I was a Winston Churchill and Ian Flem- world-weary. "I used an experi- human.” ing. Life had seemed much sim- mental device called a Chame- pler in those days: frilly shirts, leon Arch to disguise myself as Alesha looked distraught. "All martial arts and fast cars. Flem- a human, so that the Daleks' this... those people who died in ing had been particularly inter- mind-probe would accept the the Dalek attack, my home near- ested to hear about the flying car fake memories I gave myself.” ly destroyed." he was constructing at the time. He tapped his temple as he Back then he and Alesha might spoke, looking pleased with him- "I did my best to minimise casu- have become friends and trav-

31 32 less at anything else, as my O- of being able to produce cuta- Level grades would testify. I al- ways from the shows I grew up ways did well at art though, and with as a child over the last thirty went on to art college in Exeter years or so, for a living. The in the late 70s/early 80s. technology obviously has a retro feel to it which suits my hand- Were there any specific artists painted art style down to the you admired when you were ground of course, especially the Graham Bleathman worked as younger, in comics for exam- Dan Dare cutaways that I pro- Animation Background Artist on ple? duced for the Haynes Dan Dare last year’s excellent partly- As a kid, I never had much in the Spacefleet Operations Manual in animated reconstruction of Sha- way of comics; but I did have ed- 2013. I guess there might be a da, the lost classic from the Gra- ucational magazines like Tell Me temptation to try and update the ham Williams era of Doctor Who. Why and occasionally Look and technology on some of the 50s Ian Wheeler caught up with Learn. I admired many of the my collections, even when I was and 60s vehicles that I’ve drawn, him… artists that worked for these pub- away from home at college. In but beyond a couple of isolated lications, but didn’t know who fact, when I was at college, I got instances, I’ve tried to keep How did you become an artist many of them were until I did a call from dad saying that a things like propulsion systems and was there any other pos- start collecting comics in the ear- near-complete run of Lady Pe- etc true to the era the craft were sible career that you had in ly 70s, where their art was nelope had been handed in to originally created. mind when you were young- signed more often and occasion- the school jumble sale where he er? ally credited. The first comic I worked; did I want them? Well, Are you a Doctor Who fan? I became an artist I guess simply had on any regular basis was you know the answer to that, so Do you have a favourite Doc- because my dad was. He was Countdown, and thus I got to by the early 80s I had complete tor or era of the show? what they used to call a ‘Sunday know the likes of John Burns, sets of Countdown/TV Action Actually, I’m not a Doctor Who painter’; someone who painted Brian Lewis, Gerry Haylock etc and TV21, Lady Penelope etc, fan as such, although I have as a hobby, mostly painting land- and the reprinted art of Mike No- which I still have and still read, grown up with the series from scapes and entering oil paintings ble and Frank Bellamy plus the admiring the art to this day. around the end of the Patrick and watercolours into local art Embletons (Ron and Gerry), and Troughton era. I am primarily a exhibitions. This was something many others. At the same time, You’ve illustrated a number of Gerry Anderson fan, which is I used to do to a limited extent I also started picking up second- technical manual-type books why I bought Countdown every as well, but I was also drawing hand copies of TV21 and a few related to Gerry Anderson week in the early 70s. Of other things as a kid, all the usu- Eagles too, mainly from school shows such as Captain Scar- course, Countdown featured al stuff like ships, trains, castles jumble sales, so the list of those let and Thunderbirds and also Doctor Who, which has meant perhaps, plus of course things I admired started to expand too, Dan Dare. What appeals to that Jon Pertwee is pretty much like Thunderbirds. I made a few taking in the Dan Dare artists you about the vehicles and my favourite Doctor; his on- attempts at drawing comic strips plus L Ashwell Wood etc. technology associated with screen episodes were supple- at school, producing hand- those characters? mented by his weekly adven- crafted (as opposed to having I was very lucky in that my par- I’m not sure there is anything tures in the comic. These, illus- them reproduced) comics that I ents never threw out any of my specifically appealing about the trated by Harry Lindfield, Gerry lent to friends etc. I’m not sure comics over the years, so I was technology of the vehicles I’ve Haylock, Frank Langford and there was any other career path able to maintain and build upon illustrated, beyond the privilege others, are my favourite Doctor for me; I was pretty much use-

33 34 Who comic strips; for me at the tact details on to him. He had grounds. I also produced paint- and some of the controls were time they seemed to accurately probably also seen the seeming- ings of the carrier ship and the painted only a couple of centi- reflect the series itself, more ly endless number of Gerry An- Shada complex itself, based on metres across in some cases! If than any others that I have derson-related cutaways I had somewhat blurry on-set photos I had known, I could have pro- read…although to be honest I illustrated over the years too, of the studio models. I tried to duced a larger illustration with haven’t read all that many in and thought that my ‘retro’ hand- be as creative as possible with more detail for those couple of more recent years! painted style was ideal for de- these in particular; the studio shots! Luckily this only occurs signing some of the spaceship model stills of the Shada prison once or twice, though. Overall, I How much knowledge did you interiors that the 1979 Doctor were not the best and the model think the production looks great, have about Shada specifically, Who episodes required. Any- looked as if it was attached to a although I must confess I have- prior to being asked to do art- way, within minutes of the two large lump of green fibreglass. I n’t sat down and watched it work for the DVD? phone calls I received from Rod altered this to look more like a properly yet, and I was unable and Des, Charles was on the rocky outcrop on a cliff face, re- to go to the BFI Launch screen- I knew very little of Shada prior phone asking me to produce flecting to a degree my love for ing, unfortunately. to working on it. Somewhere I some background art and de- Frank Bellamy’s work with have a copy of the VHS release sign, and before long was ar- strong contrasts and interesting What projects have you got which had the Tom Baker linking ranging a meeting to get the rock formations! coming up in the near future? narration, but I hadn’t seen it for team together at BBC World- My work can be quite diverse; at years and had forgotten most of wide. What were the particular chal- the moment I am involved in a it. When I was approached to lenges of Shada? And what project for the SS Great Britain work on the DVD/Blu-ray re- You are credited as do you think of the finished and the Brunel Museum, with lease, I was still finishing off the ‘Animation Background Artist’ project? I’m told more work to follow. Haynes Captain Scarlet Manual for Shada. On a practical lev- The only real challenges in- The success of the Haynes with author Sam Denham, and I el, what did this involve? volved designing elements of Captain Scarlet Manual means must confess I didn’t have time In an age of digital illustration, I the spacecraft interiors for which that there is the slim possibility to sit through the remains of the am one of the few people who little if anything had got beyond of another book at some point, story when I got the call! still does everything by hand. a few original floorplan sketch- and of course I have this infa- This didn’t seem to faze Charles es. I wanted the controls to look mous ‘secret life’ as one of three How were you approached to at all, and thus I commenced a pretty clunky; reflecting a sort of or four artists who produce cov- take part in the project? series of fifteen or so pencilled Dan Dare combined with a ‘left er paintings for The People’s I was contacted by two people visuals, which were approved over sets from UFO’ look that it Friend magazine, who – due to independently within hours of with few if any alterations, before was felt the production required. a tradition dating back to 1946 – each other! Charles Norton beginning the final A3-sized My illustrations were scanned work under the pseudonym of ‘J (Shada DVD director/producer) painted illustrations. These were and rendered into 3D/animated Campbell Kerr’. I also continue had seen my artwork (possibly ‘side-on’ views (with no perspec- backgrounds and on the whole to produce work for Spaceship online) for the Dan Dare maga- tive) of corridors, control rooms these looked really great, still Away magazine when I can, and zine Spaceship Away and the and control panels, some of retaining that hand-painted look. even find time to do private Haynes Dan Dare Manual and which were based on existing There were a couple of close- commissions once in a while! had initially contacted Des Shaw set designs, and some of which I ups of the controls that do look and Rod Barzillay. They were designed myself. These were to a bit crude though; this was be- To finish on a random ques- both associated with these prod- be scanned and rendered (and cause some of the original A3 tion, I understand you assist- ucts, and they passed my con- re-lit) into 3D animated back- artwork was zoomed in upon ed Doctor Who actress So-

35 36 guest, invited along because of an entirely new (though admit- my Gerry Anderson work). So tedly decent) series. Happily, yes, I have known Sophie be- though, Ravenous returns to the fore her stint on Doctor Who, era of Liv, Helen and the Elev- thanks to our Gerry Anderson My true introduction to Big Fin- en, and follows on from the cli- fandom connections! ish came through the desire to mactic ending of its predeces- see (or rather, hear) more of the sor… eventually. You can view Graham’s website criminally underrated Eighth by clicking here Doctor; since then I’ve eagerly We last heard Helen and the awaited each release with about Eleven crashing in a battle TAR- The 2017 version of ‘Shada’ is as much patience as a Black DIS following the destruction of phie Aldred with her universi- available to buy from a number Friday shopper. So you might the Resonance Engine in Stop ty dissertation…? of outlets. say that after finishing The Time the Clock; unfortunately, there I was at art college at Exeter To see the blu ray at Amazon War last October, I was immedi- are two self-standing stories be- College of Art and Design from UK click here and for the DVD ately ravenous for more. Or you fore the aftermath is eventually 1979 to 1982, and my degree click here. might not, because that’s a terri- revealed to the listener. On the TV Cen- dissertation was about ble joke that pretty much every surface, they seem like nothing tury 21 . A very much cut-down The steelbook is still available other fan has made already, but padding; the usual TARDIS- version of this appeared in a two but at a premium price considering the title of the new getting-waylaid trope present in -part feature in the Gerry Ander- four-part boxset. But for want of pretty much every era and medi- son magazine SIG, and if I re- The trailer can be viewed at a TARDIS, I’ll settle for jumping um of Doctor Who, before even- member rightly, Sophie contact- YouTube by clicking here on a bandwagon. tually arriving where it’s sup- ed me via the magazine for help posed to be. Narratively it’s ex- on her forthcoming dissertation plained almost satisfactorily; the about Thunderbirds, which she Doctor and Liv don’t really know was doing as part of her drama what happened to Helen, after degree course at Manchester all, and the TARDIS is simply University. We corresponded following her trace - it’s only nat- about this for a while, and I final- ural to encounter issues with a ly sent her a copy of my thesis, wild space goose chase; but which she briefly quoted from that doesn’t stop it from feeling for her own work. She subse- like an annoying prolongation. quently sent me a copy of her Finest Hour has the TARDIS own thesis which she completed land in London on the eve of the a year or so after mine, which of Battle of Britain; it sees the re- course has my name in it in the turn of Winston Churchill (or Acknowledgements section! I ‘Winnie’, as the Doctor of course still have it, somewhere. We calls him), played again by Ian still keep in touch, sometimes I felt a certain sense of disap- McNeice, having most recently seeing each other on the con- pointment that the previous an- been seen in two previous Big vention circuit of course thology wasn’t a continuation of Finish anthologies. Although (occasionally where I too am a Doom Coalition 4, but instead The Churchill Years involved

37 38 narrative encounters with the link; and by that I don’t mean ry, which is not something that lition have been waiting for. Doctor, it’s the first time since that a robotic Anne Robinson could be said about any of the They may also be what fans of The Wedding of River Song that appears hosting a banal quiz Eighth Doctor’s adventures for a The Happiness Patrol (all six of we’ve actually witnessed him show - thank God. Instead, it’s a long time. them) were waiting for; though interacting with an acted Doctor- somewhat farcical hour of scien- they’ve had a significantly long- and it’s quite a delight. There’s tist Strella Cushing seeing her World of Damnation and Sweet er wait to witness the return of the usual confusion over time- life fall apart in front of her, as a Salvation, on the other hand, the Kandyman. Reimagined, as lines and sly attempts to learn series of events happen around are no disappointment. After two he was to some extent in the about the future and the TAR- her involving her angry employ- superfluous and somewhat hur- novelisation, to look ‘almost hu- DIS, and now he’s face to face er, a creature that speaks like ried stories, we finally learn the man but with a dusting of sugar’, with an ignorant Liv Chenka, Yoda (because faulty translator fate of Helen and the Eleven, no longer is he a laughable de- who has, to his bemusement, no it has), and a loose-lipped Head who have crashed on a prison ranged Bertie Bassett, but he is clue who he is (yet, strangely, of Security. The publishers’ satellite called Rykerzon and still obsessed with controlling she does know about William of summary promotes this story as are now prisoners who, on the people through sweet things; Ockham and his Razor). one full of nefarious plots and face of it, are amicable friends, most recently the prisoners on the agendas of criminals, mur- with somewhat of a carer- Rykerzon. Both Nicholas Rowe Ian McNeice is definitely the derers and aliens conspiring patient relationship. Of course, and the medium of audio help highlight of the first story; he of- against the Doctor. I’m not sure the audience will remain scepti- shirk off the image presented to fers another enthusiastic perfor- whether the person writing that cal, but there’s something inher- us in The Happiness Patrol, with mance of Churchill and bounces actually listened to it; most of ently more sinister about some- a little help from our brain re- off Paul McGann and Nicola the antagonism isn’t, for once, one you think to be evil seeming pressing memories of that serial Walker rather well, with some directed at the Doctor, and both to have changed their ways - for reasons of sanity, and the humorous moments. The trou- the ‘nefarious’ scheme of sup- even if it’s no surprise when Kandyman is no longer a comi- ble is, with a war story, there’s a posed antagonist Cornelius they do revert to type. Helen, cal behemoth dishing out need for tact and careful balanc- Morningstar and the subplot of too, has undergone somewhat sweets; he is the menacing vil- ing of humour within a back- political intrigue are revealed of a change, exhibiting some of lain that his creator originally ground of such a grave incident, and resolved within the space of the powers of the Sonomancer, intended. Together with the and there’s an argument that around seven minutes each. It’s having been imbued with them Eleven, portrayed superbly once perhaps it is slightly too light- a rather slapstick adventure, by Caleera near the conclusion again by Mark Bonar, they make hearted. For me, though, the and the quick pacing means of Doom Coalition. We can no the formidable foe that the prior balance is about right; the co- things are never really explored longer be sure what to expect, two adventures lacked. Com- medic moments often stem from in much detail - the characters as Helen tries to supress these bined with the new dynamic in- Liv’s derisive tendencies rather aren’t particularly fleshed out potentially destructive powers troduced by the Doctor and Liv’s than an overt attempt to be fun- enough to make a significant from everyone, including the belated reunion with a some- ny, and the plot, which focusses impression, which is an issue as Doctor and Liv, as they finally what changed Helen, it makes on two Polish air pilots helping the story is very much character arrive at their destination even for two hours of compulsive lis- to combat alien involvement in -driven; unfortunately, those later than a Southern Rail train. tening - but it’s a crying shame the war, does end with a som- characters become tiresome Though Finest Hour and How to that it isn’t four. Here’s hoping bre conclusion which brings the and clichéd rather quickly, and Make a Killing in Time were two that Ravenous 2 doesn’t pro- whole thing back down to Earth. none of them are particularly alright diversions, the last two duce a similar mixed bag. I’m How to Make a Killing In Time easy to sympathise with. In es- instalments to Ravenous 1 are certainly ravenous for more- Travel is probably the weakest sence it’s a pretty skippable sto- exactly what fans of Doom Coa- providing it’s not more of the

39 40 Kandyman’s confectionery. Oh tion world building was never learning, it’s conceptually thrill- look, I made that joke after all. attempted again. ing.

Click here for the Ravenous Vol The Invention of Death strives to More than this, The Invention of 1 trailer be The Sensorites or The Web Death succeeds as a human Planet, but done to engage the drama. Our four leads are The First Doctor Adventures audience more. It has the same drawn extremely well, and all of Volume 2 seeks to explore two scale and ambition - if not more them grow. We may know their of the signature genres of the - but it isn’t held back by visual destinations, but this story Hartnell era, the hard science design. In Dorney’s words, it’s makes the journey all the richer fiction story exploring a palpably seeking a ‘real sense of alien- and all the deeper. Ian and Bar- weird alien world, and the histor- ness.’ Like those serials, it is bara receive the most attention, ical. This is another 2 x two-hour also slower. It’s seeking to de- as their quiet romance is metic- adventures mimicking the struc- pict a fully realised science fic- ulously developed, if rarely ture and approach of early Doc- tion world, and spares few de- touched upon (and then denied tor Who, featuring the first Doc- tails. It’s vital for the story. It is, by both). Like The Rocketmen, tor, Susan, Barbara, and Ian. in a sense, the story. We are on the story is centered on their re- Click here to buy from Big Finish an equal footing with the Doctor lationship, but unlike The Rock- Despite being recorded in a and his companions. We know etmen, we now see Barbara’s Click here to buy from Amazon block alongside the previous what they know, experience side. The Doctor and Susan de- set, there are some general im- what they experience. We are velop themselves via the new provements. David Bradley and all stranded with only our characters - mirroring them and Claudia Grant have improved as wits. And what a bewildering being mirrored by them. There the Doctor and Susan, and Ja- world we are stranded in, so full is much of the Time Lord in the mie Glover is so much better as of startling concepts and new Ashtallah, and much of the Ash- Ian that it’s hard to believe this ideas that Hugo Gernsback tallah in the Time Lords. was recorded within days of the would place it in Amazing Sto- first set. Jemma Powell’s perfor- ries posthaste. The ‘London’s Burning’ campfire mance as Barbara remains vir- song is masterful. The charac- tually flawless, as ever. And indeed, I do not invoke ters sing a song. It’s a moment Gersback’s name in vain. This is of genuine joy for them. But as The Invention of Death by John a science fiction story, and often with something out of David Dorney a hard science fiction story, in- Lynch, it is a scene of genuine The Sensorites and The Web stead of Doctor Who’s usual goodness, and the goodness is Planet were an experiment. Can spot between soft science fiction not undercut. Doctor Who establish a truly al- and science fantasy. Real sci- ien world, explore it in detail, ence - or fantastic versions of A character is stabbed. Occa- and do both of these things in real science - play major parts sionally - very occasionally - the space and budget of their in this story, and it makes me there is a sharp intake of breath. production. It’s telling that, out- long for more science fiction of There are no wet sounds, no Ian McNeice recording at Big side of written material, this kind this sort in Doctor Who. From bloody sounds, nothing that Finish of intense, hard(er) science fic- gravity well slingshots through would fall outside the standards time to beams of light used in of 1960s television. It’s beauti- 41 42 fully simple, and its power lies in jump from Zatoichi to the Doc- and characterisation. People fiction that gets everything layering these occasional tor, both compassionate men, may say ‘but what does getting right. sounds under the rest of the dia- full of inquisitive wonder, forced the history right matter? It’s just logue. to fight because they believe it a story.’ Even putting aside the This is a story that allows the is right. And Zatoichi and the idea that most people end up main cast to break off into unu- If it hasn’t already become clear, Doctor both hide their capabili- learning about history through sual pairings, and to see what The Invention of Death is a con- ties behind age and infirmities. fiction instead of texts, this happens when, for example, Su- tender for my favourite Big Fin- shows how knowing and using san and Ian spend most of a ish story of 2018. All of these films take place in history well makes a story rich- story working together. The pair- the 1820s or 1830s, and this er, and more engaging, sug- ings regularly shift as well. It The Barbarians and the Samurai story follows suit, dressing itself gesting characters and plots. makes wonderful use of Ian’s by Andrew Smith in the trappings of such stories. chemical training, Barbara’s his- There is a certain glee in setting The abusive leader; the former Caspar Knox may be fictional, torical knowledge, and Susan the Doctor beside his contempo- samurai, now below reproach but he’s cast from the same and the Doctor’s journeys prior raries. Quatermass in Night- and of mean status, who is mould as William Adams, or Ed- to meeting Ian and Barbara. The shade and Remembrance of the more noble than his lords -but ward & Henry Schnell. Lord Ma- travellers confront their own bias Daleks and Gerry Anderson in still bound to them, in ways, by moru may be fictional, but pow- about humanity and this culture, The Indestructible Man and The honour; his love, who is ines- er plays and attempted rebel- instead of trying to change it Dying Days, for example. The capably bound in her duties to lions were very much part of the from the outside. It’s the inverse Barbarians and the Samurai the abusive leader; the leader’s Tokugawa Bakufu (Shogunate). of The Aztecs, and I wish more connects Doctor Who with an- noble assistant, who is not so Okada Shumei and Keiko may time had been devoted to ex- other cultural phenomenon, al- much evil by nature as simply be fictional, but all the matters ploring that. beit one from half a world away. loyal to an evil man. Some of related to samurai, the peasant- It sets the first Doctor amid the the actors clearly have a great ry, and the state of women are The Barbarians and the Samu- samurai movies of the era. deal of fun matching the perfor- accurate. Rangaku (Dutch stud- rai is the gold standard for his- mances of those classic films ies) were recently allowed, to torical stories, and a very good Dismiss the notion that the sam- (for readers more familiar with encourage the use of western episode on its own merits. I urai movies of the 1960s resem- Hollywood, imagine someone information. The Trading Com- hope we have more eastern his- ble the later, wilder films that mimicking the semi-western- pany’s attempt to gain access to torical episodes in the future. would make their way to drive- twang of old Hollywood west- Japan’s resources may be fic- ins and grindhouse theatres erns; it's the same kind of semi- tional, but countries and trading Performed As-Live throughout the 1970s. They had historical accent). companies did do everything in Doctor Who has never particu- much more in common with the their power to gain access to the larly had a budget, and in the ethos and production of Hart- But if the inspiration is in the country - and it’s accurate down early days, extra takes or ad- nell’s era of Doctor Who. Cheap, samurai films of the 1960s, and to the specific rifles named. It vanced camera work were ex- quick productions that nonethe- particularly Zatoichi, that does captures the conflict between ceptional. Because of this, less aimed to both entertain and nothing to prevent the history the old ways and the new. Eve- watching Doctor Who was like teach children, often with a mor- from being absolutely accu- rything is correct, and every- watching a play performance; al precept or conundrum at the rate. I am a history buff. While thing is in order. even if it was edited, camera center of the story. It is a small the characters and situations angles often suggested you had jump from the black and white are invented, the situations, It’s refreshing- it’s wonderful -to an intimate seat in the audience. Zatoichi movies to the black and world, and culture are not only have an example of historical Even if Doctor Who remained white Doctor Who; it is a small accurate - they inform the story 43 44 makes all the difference be- tween enjoyment and feeling like you’re part of the story. ‘Doctor Who’s propensity for This sense extends to the writ- change meant that a female Doctor ing. These two-hour, four-part was not only possible but inevita- stories are not paced like fea- ble.’ ture films, as many of the recent two-hour audios are. They are …”it is not the strongest or the most paced like something you would intelligent who will survive but those expect to see on the stage. who can best manage change”. Charles Darwin.

This extends to the fights in The Since its humble beginnings, Doc- Barbarians and the Samurai. tor Who has always had a great Sophie Iles Hartnell’s era often suffered Click here for the First Doctor format. An eccentric old man trav- from claustrophobic sets, and Adventures vol 2 trailer elled through time and space with like a filmed stage performance production fought to make his companions in a battered police for the duration of its original run worlds of imagination come to box, visiting Earth’s history and fu- (and best critiqued through that life across these spaces that ture worlds, battling evil, fighting lens), the immediate impact of sometimes felt smaller than a monsters. But there was one other the as-live world faded as the prison cell. Keeping the larger element which would be needed to show became more film-like, battles ‘off-stage’ feels natural guarantee Doctor Who’s long-term incorporating more techniques with the source material. Small- success: Change – specifically the concept of regeneration. from Hollywood and fewer from er battles are intimate, and easi- the West End. ly performed in the imagined Change is part of Doctor Who’s small spaces. It adds to the DNA. When Carole Ann Ford who Listening to this set is the first charming low-budget of the era played the Doctor’s original com- time I’ve really felt the Hartnell without feeling like the audio panion Susan (the Doctor’s Grand- era’s sense of ‘as live’ rushing holds us back from the greater daughter) decided to leave the pro- back. narrative. gramme, the production team chose to replace her with Maureen It’s helped by the circumstances The First Doctor Adventures O’Brien playing a new character of recording. The actors weren’t Volume 2 is something special. called Vicki. The change of cast confined to their own booths. The Invention of Death is a Click here to buy from Big Finish member sparked huge public inter- est and resulted in some of the pro- The cast, mainly, performed in a stand-out story and The Barbari- gramme’s highest ratings. But it single room. This method made ans and the Samurai is one of was a risky time for Doctor Who. Batman: The Animated Series the most accurate historicals to For the first year of its run there had sound like a depression-era ra- date, and finds an interesting, been a regular cast providing famili- dio show; here, it feels like we’re new role for our leads in a his- arity for the audience in the form of listening to recordings of two torical story. the Doctor, Susan and the two more Doctor Who stage shows. school teachers, Ian and Barbara. You hear the actors physically I highly recommend this set. Would the viewers accept a new react to one another, and that character in Susan’s place? The 45 46 answer was ‘yes’ and it was to After all, if the Doctor could travel in show’s producer at that time, John Doctor Who came off the air in prove to be the first of many com- time why could he not be different Nathan-Turner, was not minded to 1989. Scheduled opposite Corona- ings and goings for the series. people in different times? The new introduce a female Doctor but, a tion Street, Who’s ratings had fallen Doctor was to be played by Patrick showman at heart, was always to an all-time low although many In 1966, a more radical develop- Troughton. happy for media speculation about felt that the quality of the show itself ment for the programme became the series, as evidenced later when was improving when it came to a necessary. It was time for the Doc- Troughton was at first reluctant to he suggested that the TARDIS po- sudden end. tor himself to undergo a change in take the role, feeling that the series lice box exterior might be changed his appearance. Although there had would only last a few weeks with to something else. Doctor Who returned as a one-off already been a ‘new’ Doctor (Peter him starring in it, but he eventually TV movie in 1996 starring Paul Cushing in the Dr Who and the Da- decided to accept it. He felt that he The idea of a female Doctor would McGann. Whilst the Doctor re- leks movie) it was still considered should not play the role as a carbon continue to be suggested over the mained male, the relationship be- something of a risk to introduce a copy of Hartnell and that he should years by the media and Doctor tween the Time Lord and his com- different Doctor into the series it- develop a new characterisation. Who fans alike. Beryl Reid would panion (Daphne Ashbrook as Dr self. Changing a series lead was Hence, the concept that would en- be suggested as a possible Doctor Grace Holloway) was now arguably rare in those days, although the sure the series’ longevity for over in the Radio Times letters page and more of a relationship of equals, popular character of Quatermass half a century was born. Regenera- Mary Tamm (companion Romana inspired perhaps by the dynamics had been played by three different tion may have been introduced to to Tom Baker’s Doctor) was of the lead characters in American actors on TV. As An Adventure in the programme for pragmatic rather amongst the female actors who series such as The X Files and Lois Space and Time (2013) tells it, Wil- than creative reasons but it was to would express a desire to play the and Clark: The New Adventures of liam Hartnell was becoming in- prove to be a key factor in the se- role. Superman which had debuted creasingly forgetful when it came to ries’ continuing success. whilst Doctor Who had been off air. remembering his lines and was, The most concrete proposal for a For the first time, there was also an perhaps, not as settled or content in Would regeneration prove to be a female Doctor during the series’ element of romance between the the role as he had been under the one-off stunt that was able to guar- original run came in 1986 when Doctor and his companion. show’s first producer, Verity Lam- antee the series just a few more BBC One Controller Michael Grade bert. Lambert’s successor, John years? No. In 1970, a Third Doctor asked the programme’s creator Doctor Who was relaunched as a Wiles, had toyed with the idea of in the form of Jon Pertwee took Sydney Newman for his proposals full series in 2005. Again, the Doc- replacing Hartnell during The Ce- over and was to take the series to on how to re-establish Doctor Who, tor was male, this time played by lestial Toymaker (the Doctor had new levels of success. Once again, which by that stage had arguably Christopher Eccleston and subse- been made invisible in that story the new Doctor was to have a very lost its way and begun to slip a little quently David Tennant. But the fe- and given the fantasy-based nature different personality to his prede- in the British public’s affections. male companions were arguably of the narrative and the powers of cessors and was to be a flamboyant Newman’s recommendations in- stronger than ever with actors such the Toymaker within his own do- dandy to follow Hartnell’s elderly cluded the suggestion that Patrick as Billie Piper as Rose Tyler and main, it would have seemed entirely professor and Troughton’s clown- Troughton should return to play the Catherine Tate as Donna Noble in keeping for the Toymaker to like cosmic hobo. Doctor once more (appropriately, making a huge impact . For the first have changed the Doctor’s face). given that Troughton had been the time, there was a non-white com- By 1966 there was a very strong In 1980, outcoming Doctor Tom man brought in to helm the series panion in the form of Martha Jones feeling on the part of the BBC that Baker (leaving the role after a rec- the first time the format had needed played by Freema Agyeman. Doc- the programme needed a new star ord seven seasons), took the op- refreshing) and that ‘at a later stage tor Who gained two spin-offs, in order to continue and thus Hart- portunity to cause mischief by sug- Doctor Who should be metamor- Torchwood and The Sarah Jane nell was asked to leave gesting to the media that his suc- phosed into a woman.’ Newman Adventures, both of which featured cessor might be a woman. ‘I wish received a one-off payment for his strong female characters in major The production team came up with my successor, whoever he or she efforts but his ideas were not taken roles. the idea that the Doctor could re- might be, the best of luck,’ he said. up and Sylvester McCoy was new his body (‘regeneration’ would His comments were widely reported brought in to play the Seventh Doc- Following the departure of Freema not be used until some years later.) and created a media storm. The tor in 1987. Agyeman, her replacement by Ka- 47 48 ren Gillan as Amy Pond followed by than anyone could have predicted. came round in 1994 I watched the Jenna Louise Coleman as Clara The transition seemed seamless various celebratory stories and got Oswald, both Caucasian, prompted and opened up a whole new series back into the show. I started buying some to feel that the series was of storytelling opportunities. Later, the videos and have been a fan ev- returning to safe casting rather than we actually saw a male to female er since! attempting to be truly diverse. Ste- regeneration as the General, ven Moffat himself would later com- played by Ken Bone transformed What’s your favourite Doctor, ment – ‘We need to do better… We into a new incarnation played by companion and monster? just have to.’ When Coleman, left T’Nia Miller. Well, my favourites are both Jon she was replaced by Pearl Mackie Graham Groom is the man behind Pertwee and Peter Davison from as Bill, a character who was both Peter Capaldi announced his de- the long-running Doctor Who Auto- growing up but I do enjoy watching black and a lesbian. The series had parture from Doctor Who in early graph Collectors’ Club and has or- the old Patrick Troughton stories not shied away from sexuality since 2017. Like his two immediate pre- ganised several Doctor Who con- and thought he made a great Doc- its return (Captain Jack clearly ap- decessors, he had chosen to leave ventions in his home town of Dar- tor. I thought Christopher Eccleston pearing to be bisexual!) but this the series after three full series plus wen, Lancashire. Ian Wheeler made a very good Doctor, too, and was the first time an openly gay specials. His departure would occur caught up with him… it’s a pity he didn’t do at least once character had become a regular in the 2017 Christmas special. As more series. I enjoyed David Ten- companion. had always been the case, specula- How long have you been a fan of nant as well and thought Matt Smith tion immediately began as to who Doctor Who? was very good, though I wasn’t en- We’ve non-white companions – would succeed him with suggested Since the early 70s. I remember amoured with most of his stories could there ever be a black Doctor? names including several women growing up watching Jon Pertwee sadly. I’ve always had a soft spot Prior to the announcements of both such as Olivia Coleman and Hayley and, like most young boys, loving for Nyssa and thought she was Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi as Atwell. Incoming showrunner Chris the giant maggots and things! I greatly underused in the shadow of the new Doctor in 2009 and 2013 Chibnall commented in an interview particularly loved the Sea Devils – the stronger Tegan. I enjoyed Peri respectively, there had been specu- that he felt a female Doctor would and still do. I watched the early too and think Zoe was a great com- lation about whether a black actor be little more than a gimmick. This Tom Baker stories and enjoyed his panion also. As for the male com- might inherit the role. Paterson Jo- was in fact a brilliant bluff. In July humour but gradually became disil- panions I’ve always enjoyed Ian, seph, who had appeared in a Chris- 2017, Jodie Whittaker was an- lusioned with the poor stories and Turlough and the underused Harry topher Eccleston episode (Bad nounced as the new Doctor. The cheap look of it all, plus I was grow- Sullivan. I enjoyed the early Cyber- Wolf), was a popular choice. Ste- programme’s journey towards a fe- ing up and getting other interests. I men from the 60s and the original ven Moffat would later say: ‘I mean, male lead was complete. stopped watching it for a few years Sea Devils. Of the more recent we’ve tried. The part has been of- but then started again once Peter “monsters” I thought the Ood were fered to a black actor. But for vari- Doctor Who is by no means the first Davison took over as I enjoyed him good. ous reasons, it didn’t work out.’ science-fiction franchise to feature as Tristan Farnon in All Creatures a woman in a lead or major role. Great and Small. I really enjoyed You run the Doctor Who Auto- But what of the female Doctor? The Alien and Terminator films, the the Davison era and his TARDIS graph Collectors’ Club – how did From the beginning of his era, Ste- new generation of Star Wars mov- crew. By the time Colin Baker took you go about setting the club up? ven Moffat seemed to be paving the ies and latter day Star Treks have over I was working and only saw it I’ve collected autographs since the way. The character of the Master all done. Doctor Who has arguably now and then. I remember watch- early 80s and the original Davison had always been played in the se- been a little slow in bringing us the ing Sylvester McCoy’s first series crew of Janet Fielding, Sarah Sut- ries by a man, starting with Roger first female Doctor but, as we have with my mum – we recorded it ton, Matthew Waterhouse and Peter Delgado in 1971. Moffatt re- seen, the seeds of change were in whilst watching Coronation Street himself, together with Anthony Ain- invented the character as Missy – fact sown many years ago and it and watched it afterwards but we ley, were amongst the first auto- still the same person but regenerat- was always going to be question of both thought it was a very poor sea- graphs in my collection. Having ed as a female. Played by Michelle when not if the Doctor would be re- son and we never watched it again. gone to numerous Doctor Who con- Gomez, the new version of the born in female form. Then when the thirtieth anniversary ventions in the late 90s and early Master proved to be more popular 49 50 00s and seeing the queues for au- achieved that aim. I organised a heard any of the interview panels will be forever in his debt and say a tographs there, I knew a lot of peo- signing event at the Darwen Library and never got a single autograph very big “thank you” to him. ple enjoyed collecting the signa- Theatre for actress Caroline Munro, for myself! The best moment I tures of their favourite stars. I was who was promoting her Doctor Who guess was the end of the first event Colin Baker has been a particu- a member of two autograph clubs, Big Finish story Omega and whilst as it coincided with my fortieth birth- larly supportive guest, have you sadly no longer around, and en- there myself and a few others dis- day. I must have mentioned it to any particular memories of joyed reading their publications and cussed the idea of holding a Doctor someone and as all the guests went Colin? thought it might be fun to combine Who convention and it grew from on stage to say their goodbyes I got Colin is a true gent. After meeting the two interests and start a Doctor there. There were five very infor- dragged on stage and was present- him at the hotel the day before his Who Autograph Collectors’ Club. mal events in Darwen over the next ed with a birthday cake and all the Darwen event, he gave me a lift Plus the internet had just started to few years and all the guests and guests and audience sang ‘Happy home in his car! The next day, take off and I enjoyed creating little fans loved them due to their relaxed Birthday’ to me. It was very embar- when someone had a complaint websites so thought I would create informal feel. rassing at the time as I hate being about the event, he chatted to them one for that too. The club has nev- the centre of attention but it was and said it was “one of the best er really taken off like I would have Organising events in the North of very touching all the same! Another events I have ever been to”. liked it to have done, despite the England presents transport chal- fond memory is of meeting actress Praise indeed! Colin had agreed to free membership. I think it has lenges as many of Doctor Who’s Rhian James, who appeared in the attend the small Darwen event but peaked at around forty members. I cast and crew are based in the Christopher Eccleston story Fa- then received a better offer from a would have liked more, maybe South. How hard was it to per- ther’s Day. She attended the sec- big weekend event who decided to around a hundred, though I would suade guests to come to your ond event at the Darwen Library put it on at the same time as mine. have struggled to have coped finan- events? Theatre and was the last guest to Anyone else would have pulled out cially with that many as I produce a It wasn’t particularly hard to per- arrive. She sent me a text to say of my small convention to attend free newsletter every month. We suade people, no. The offer of she had arrived and was in a café the more financially lucrative big are fast approaching the two hun- money was usually enough! Plus I opposite the train station so I left event. But not Colin. He still want- dredth issue and I haven’t missed a paid for their travel expenses the event in the very capable hands ed to honour our (unwritten) agree- month! (sometimes through the nose as I’m of David J Howe and went to meet ment but said he would have to sure some, mentioning no names, her. She was really nice and we leave early and so reduced his fee What made you want to organise ripped me off!) and overnight ac- had a little chat but, the poor thing, accordingly, which was good of Doctor Who conventions? commodation if they required it. I she was sooooooo nervous, almost him. However, he enjoyed himself I’d been running the club for a few can only remember one person to the point of being terrified and so much, especially meeting and years and had attended a number turning me down because it was a was shaking like a leaf especially chatting to the fans and others of conventions. I thought it might long way to travel for just a one-day when I told her there were over a guests in the bar, that he ended up be good to organise a small event event, and that’s fair enough. I hundred fans there! Anyway, she stopping for most of the day at no for club members and anyone else even had some guests ringing me calmed down a little and was taken extra charge! Thanks Colin! who wanted to attend. Doctor Who up out of the blue asking if they under the wings of Lisa Bowerman conventions by 2004 were becom- could attend as they’d been chat- and Dee Sadler and really enjoyed Is it difficult to compete with the ing big, expensive and very formal ting to others and had heard the herself in the end. I kept in touch big Memorabilia-sized events? events over several days where you Darwen events were good events! with a number of guests but sadly People seem to prefer the smaller had little or no interaction with the not with Rhian. Maybe her agent more relaxed informal events but guests unless you got a few sec- Do you have any particular mem- never passed on my mail. I also the big events have the money and onds whilst they signed an expen- ories or anecdotes from the have a particular memory from the influence and can attract the bigger sive photo for you. I wanted a events that you have organised? last event which involved one of my names, and many of them. From small, very informal event where To be honest I was always so busy club members, Chris Winwood, who that point of view it is difficult to the fans and guests could mingle running the events and sorting has become a good friend over the compete. They get sponsorship and enjoy themselves and wouldn’t things out for the guests and fans years. I don’t want to say what he and have countless dealers attend- spend a fortune to attend. I think I that I missed most of it all! I hardly did but I want to put on record that I ing who all pay handsomely for

51 52 their tables. I had to fund every- Matthew one issue. thing myself. It cost me a fortune and after five events I could no Things then dropped away as longer afford to continue them. membership numbers fell off, but there was a regrouping just before Have you any plans for future the turn of the century and from events? The Tides of Time is a remarkable 1998 Matthew Peacock led a small No, sadly, although I would like to fanzine phenomenon. The long- band of people who perpetuated do more. Maybe if the club is still running fanzine of the Oxford Doc- Tides, with some very thoughtful going in four years’ time, when it tor Who Society has been running articles and fiction which looked out will be twenty. They are so expen- for over 40 issues. Ian Wheeler on Doctor Who as it had become in sive to put on. Sadly the big events caught up with its editors… the wake of the McGann movie - and Comic Cons have all but made this institution, designed for a mass little family friendly events extinct, Would you be able to give us a audience, but increasingly niche which is a great shame. quick potted history of The Tides and talking to a small audience. of Time? Ironically Tides wasn't being seen Are you looking forward to Jodie Matthew: A quick potted history - at all outside Oxford, as far as I Whitaker’s version of Doctor difficult! I think that it's worth ex- know. Mat Peacock was producing Who? plaining some context. Back in the some stunningly inventive issues I am. Like many people I was un- 1980s lots of student societies at and spending a lot of time on them sure about a female Doctor. How- Oxford University had their own - he was the first editor to spend ever, so long as the stories are magazines. If they were for a politi- also edited for a while - and so did ages standing over an inkjet printer strong enough, the acting good cal or business-focused society I, come to that. The Doctor Who as the colour covers inched out. In enough and the show becomes then they'd probably be profession- Society committee was anxious some ways we were perpetuating more family orientated again so that ally printed and have sponsorship about costs (the society had about an early 1980s fanzine culture into young children as well as older or advertising from banks or ac- 200 members in 1989, I think) and the 1990s and 2000s, very univer- ones and adults can enjoy them countancy or law firms. If they were insisted it had to be self-financing. sity, which isn't surprising as that without being totally confused then for a less serious group they'd be This turned out to be important in was where we were and still are. it really doesn’t matter who plays photocopied and put together on a the magazine's development, be- the Doctor, does it? typewriter or early word processor cause it enabled Tides to grow in a In the early 2000s, we were picking printer such as a dot matrix. Tides way it might otherwise have found up very few new members who re- of Time was one of the latter. Often difficult. Page counts grew, the zine ally wanted to get involved. A good these were paid for out of member- moved from A5 to A4 (but remain- few of the university drama and ship fees and distributed to every ing photocopied) and Tides became journalism people were into Doctor member. I think it's accurate to say an essential part of the society. It's Who, as they always had been, but that Louise Dennis, the first editor named after the first Peter Davison while they were more open about of Tides, was thinking of one of this DWM comic strip, of course. For their fandom than their predeces- type of student magazine when she most of the first five or six years - sors had been generally in 1990 started Tides. She was also a mem- two university generations, really - they didn't seek the companionship ber of the Arthurian Society, whose we published roughly every term. of video-viewings and they didn't activities involved visiting sites as- The mid-90s were extraordinary, have the shared experience of sociated with, listening to talks with editors - particularly Gary growing up watching the pro- about, playing games linked to King Meehan - determined to show that gramme that my generation did. Arthur, and they had a very good in content and layout we could be Mat Peacock had found an active and involving magazine called as competent and inventive as the student member to replace him, but Ceridwen's Cauldron which Louise pro-zines like DWM and TV Zone, that editorship fell through and which was spoofed really well in even though I was by then well 53 54 past student age, I thought we 'children of Philip Hinchcliffe' - and James: My favourite Doctor would could give the society one last shot James (and Dalek) Terrance and Barry, come to that, have to be the Second Doctor. I and so I took on Tides from issue Graham and Douglas, and to some love Troughton’s ability to move 29 in 2004. I won agreement to extent John Nathan-Turner too as I between the serious and the come- fund it from the membership fee for bear some of the scars of 1980s dic, keeping the villains on edge the first time, returned to A5 (which fandom. I hope I'm not cynical, de- before defeating them. This ability was not only cheaper but disguised spite all that - Doctor Who should is something that really comes to that we didn't have as many contri- be about the love of discovery, of the fore in my top serial, The War butions as Mat's issues had en- learning for its own sake, of unex- Games, as its ten episodes really joyed). The idea was to go after the pected connections, and of the de- give room for everything. The story members who weren't turning up by feat of monsters. I'm eager to see itself is excellent, as the historical putting the magazine in their pi- what we produce. nature of the story is gradually geonholes whether they wanted it stripped away to reveal the War there or not. I suspect, with hind- Would you be able to give us a Chief, and the Time Lords as a sight, that most of what I did as a brief introduction to yourselves? whole. thirtysomething in 2004-05 looked James: My name is James Ash- fairly archaic to the student readers worth, and as well as being Co- Picking a favourite monster is quite of the time, but I put the cover into Editor of Tides, I’m also a biology a tricky prospect! The first monster colour at my own expense and with student here at Oxford. In terms of that comes to mind, if you can call the hard work of a printer for what I my history with Doctor Who, my first them that, is the Trickster. I find the thought would be my last number, Doctor was actually Peter Cushing, concept of using free will as a issue 31. before Christopher Eccleston ar- weapon against someone very in- rived in Rose the week after. Since teresting, leading to a series of epi- I still saw my job as to help hand arriving at University and discover- sodes that are gripping from start to over to another set of people from a ing WhoSoc, I’ve tried to enthuse finish. younger generation, and though I as many people as possible about enjoyed the three issues I did, par- Doctor Who in all its forms! Matthew: Tom Baker, for stamina, ticularly the last, I thought I was ne- ly charmed with and enthused by consistency, inventiveness and be- gotiating my belated exit from stu- reaction to the first one I did last Matthew: Matthew Kilburn, 47, ing the Doctor of my childhood; The dent-dom and I handed over the year - the pdf only issue 39 - to the hooked on Doctor Who probably Day of the Doctor, for eloquently editorship to Adam Povey in 2006. extent that I felt I had no choice but from The Time Warrior part one and telling an entertaining and thrilling Adam ran the society for most of to do issue 40 straight away. We at least from the Jon Pertwee/Tom adventure story while musing on the next few years and kept things returned to print with issue 40, leav- Baker regeneration... historical writ- Doctor Who itself and digging the very relaxed, but it did mean that ing the photocopier and latterly the er, researcher and editor, having Doctor out of a tight character spot; Tides took a back seat at first and office laser printer behind and hav- worked on staff and as a freelancer and monster, the Sontarans. there were three years where ing the university print centre run off for several humanities research though the magazine existed in a set much more lavish than we projects such as the Oxford Diction- The average lifespan of a Doctor name we didn't publish - then at the could have dreamed of a quarter of ary of National Biography, the Ox- Who fanzine is reportedly two end of 2009 we suddenly started a century ago. ford English Dictionary, the History issues. Why do you think The writing again and have largely kept of Parliament and the Victoria Tides of Time has lasted so going ever since. I began running I've now been joined in the editor- County History. I've also done long? an unauthorised blog about the ship by James Ashworth who is some occasional Doctor Who work, James: I think the reason that Tides magazine not long after and started over a quarter-century younger than and a couple of DVD production has survived for so long is due to to scan old articles and then upload me so is in touch with the genera- notes. two apparently contradictory rea- entire issues. In 2017, I came back tion who grew up in the Russell T sons - its capacity to change, and to the editorship wanting to make Davies and Moffat years, whereas Please tell us your favourite Doc- its constancy. For the former, the things more collaborative, was real- I'm very aware that I'm one of the tor, story and monster? many backgrounds and interests of 55 56 contributors from different parts of might do for Scottish country danc- als fan fiction. Adams told them to get lost! the university allows us to have a ing or caving. So there are people My first issue picked up a pool of With a new female Doctor debut- range of articles, from poetry to who have contributed to Tides who articles largely shaped by Mat's run, ing soon, what are your hopes mathematical discussions, that might never have written about and I put Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the future of the programme? keeps Tides vibrant and fresh. On Doctor Who otherwise. Likewise, on the cover. However, Russell T James: With the arrival of the an the other hand, the staying power until very recently, Oxford people Davies and co were already hard at almost entirely new team, both in and dedication of its editors, includ- were really Tides's only readership. work on the new series by that front of and behind the camera, I’d ing my esteemed colleague, has It's only the arrival of pdf distribution stage, and there was a definite shift firstly hope that the combination of allowed it to ride out the periods as well as selling a couple of hand- back to Doctor Who over the next Jodie Whitaker’s performance and when members were harder to fuls of the print edition online which couple of issues, so that when Ad- Chris Chibnall’s writing is able to come by. has given us a little more of an ex- am Povey was editor we were really finally put the arguments of their ternal readership - so I'm very producing a narrowly-focused Doc- naysayers to rest. Any changeover Matthew: Institutional support! It's aware of it now as the society tor Who fanzine again, though what is already difficult enough without a part of what the society is for; speaking to the rest of the world that meant in the 2010s was differ- group of ‘fans’ who seem intent on there'd almost be a Tides even if no and not just to itself. ent to what it might have done it failing, and I’d hope that they’d be -one read it, or at least there have twenty years before because Doc- able to win them over so that we been times when this has been How has the content of the maga- tor Who is connected to a different can all enjoy the adventures of our true. This century, when print has zine changed over the years? range of experiences now - more favourite alien across time and been increasingly seen as a legacy Matthew: It's difficult to generalise conventions, computer games… space together. I’d also like to con- format, I suppose it's kept going after so long. When we started the Recently we've had more science, tinue the upward trajectory of story because older people like me have entire magazine was about Doctor and also a return to more in-depth quality that we’ve been seeing still been around and younger peo- Who, and early on there were a literary articles. I think we'll continue across Capaldi’s era, and a ple like James have entertained us number of video reviews as we in all veins! ‘regeneration’ of the show’s image by joining in with it. were seeing the episodes for the to the world outside fandom to first time since childhood, or for the A number of Doctor Who guests hopefully make it more accessible How do you think a university- first time full stop. As the 1990s pro- have spoken at the Oxford Union. to a whole range of new devotees! based publication differs from gressed, I think articles became Have either of you attended any Matthew: Optimism - new connec- other fanzines? more nuanced, more self- of these events? tions with viewers, dynamic and James: In addition to the range consciously personal - Anthony Wil- James: Yes, I’ve been lucky to have inventive new leads... the pro- mentioned above, I think the univer- son's 'The Man that Time Forgot' seen many of the Doctor Who gramme renews, again. sity set up in of itself has a role to series was especially important guests of the Union while I’ve been play, in that new voices are con- here - and broadened in scope, first here, including a meeting with Ste- What are your plans for future stantly being brought in every year with coverage of other archive se- ven Moffat himself! Murray Gold, issues? to augment what we already have. ries such as Blakes 7 and Sapphire Toby Jones and Derek Jacobi have James: The past few months have Student contributors also help dif- and Steel, and then newcomers like been among those giving very inter- seen a wealth of activity here at ferentiate it from other fanzines, Babylon 5. Issue 20 from 1997, the esting talks, as did Mark Gatiss Tides. We produced our 41st issue with their dedication to a particular only one edited by Sandy Starr, (grumbles about not being picked to back in June, featuring a new Editor subject leading to deeper explora- even covered Star Trek and the im- ask a question). (me!), new contributors (Stephen tions of these topics than may oth- pact of Star Wars marketing on Bell and The Big Who Listen), and erwise be expected. Doctor Who which wouldn't have Matthew: Yes - Steven Moffat and a new debate style segment where been considered just a few years Murray Gold in recent years. Way, the relative merits of particular top- Matthew: The concept of the before. Things became even broad- way back I attended a talk at the ics, episodes and other parapher- 'university society' means that there er when Matthew Peacock was edi- Union by Douglas Adams during nalia are debated, with the topic of are people who will find things to do tor, with articles covering everything which one person who thought they Looms as the first. We also had, at one on a weeknight who would from the books of J.G. Ballard and were very clever kept offering him among others, an exploration of never have got involved otherwise - Joseph Conrad to Hercules: the tea bags and invited him for pizza. Ghost Light by Andrew O'Day, who and that goes for fandoms as it Legendary Journeys, to Profession- 57 58 is in the final stages of editing his issue 43 in the New Year. Twelfth Doctor anthology for I.B. After that, who knows? Perhaps Tauris. Will Shaw explored the role new students will come along and of the Twelfth Doctor as a storytell- want to do podcasts and vlogs, er, while John Salway continued his which would be great, they are just original story with the Fifth Doctor not a format for which I instinctively trying to correct some past mis- have a feel. It is perhaps odd to be takes. perpetuating something which I was involved in as a student nearly We also now have entered the So- thirty years ago, but James and cial Media Age! Tides now has a everyone else keep me in touch presence on Facebook with what those of university age (www.facebook.com/outidesoftime) are thinking and it's good to keep and Twitter (@outidesoftime), intervening generations involved where we hope to provide regular too if they so wish. updates on how production is com- ing along, as well as sharing older Looking back at your associa- issues and increasing the exposure tion with the magazine, what of Tides to the web as a whole! have you enjoyed most? James: I’m not sure I’ve been as- Matthew: I'm keen to involve as sociated with the magazine long many Oxford-based or Oxford- enough to have any particularly connected contributors and one or good anecdotes! I’d probably say two guests too. In the next issue, that I enjoyed my trip to Bristol as we're hoping to have a piece on part of an article about the city that Doctor Who and religion by a for- I wrote for the last issue, going on mer society member who graduated a long walk through the harborside a few years ago and has since col- and up Clifton Gorge to scout out lected another degree away from locations appearing in or refer- Oxford. There will be another de- enced by various episodes and bate article, on Kill the Moon, which novels. a student anti-abortion group used last year as evidence for their own Matthew: All of it! A lot of my work cause, which I don't think anyone involves writing, so the design side beyond them thinks was right. of Tides acts as a kind of virtual- The Society’s Heritage Plaque honouring Wil- There will be more reaction to the era craft project. I enjoy the illus- new Target books, James has more tration-sourcing too. I enjoy all of it, liam Hartnell on display at Ealing Studios, convention reports, and I'm hoping really, the editing, the engagement London. to get some short articles on other with subjects I don't know about - subjects too. There will also be an such as James's articles on alien insight into the origins of my Black biology and Louise's on machine The 2019 Celestial Toyroom Annual will be Archive book on The Time Warrior. learning - and the communicating We will be publishing once the new with people more generally. available for download from our website in series has started and I want to December 2018 and will be all about the Hart- bring some early reactions in while https://tidesoftime.wordpress.com/ holding over the main reviews until nell era

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