Customer Reviews

Doctor Who: Regeneration (Dr Who)

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'Regeneration' is the story of the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie, as told by producer Philip Segal with additional material by Gary Russell. Although, given that the two authors' contributions are in different typefaces, one must assume that the credits have been negotiated Hollywood-style since Mr. Russell certainly contributed more words.

This book probably has a limited audience (although some people would say "It's a Doctor Who book! Of course it's only got a limited audience!"), and it is hard for me to imagine exactly who it is for.

I found it interesting enough, but tales of negotiating a particular property, no matter how interested I am in that property, through the maze of TV production really isn't my kind of thing.

Information on discarded versions of the story (and I'm so glad they were discarded!) are probably the most interesting part of the book for me.

I also found the very different ways of expressing themselves employed by Messrs. Segal and Russell interesting to read, but unless you have an interest in the content then that's hardly going to get you in.

If you are interested in Doctor Who as a TV show (as opposed to the story told on the TV show), or interested in the internal politicking of TV production, this may be the book for you.

This is an excellent book which chronicles many of the most awful, proposed adaptations of Doctor Who which never made it to American television. The end result was a somewhat entertaining `96 TV movie which tries to capture the fun and spirit of the much loved show but still falls slightly short.

At every stage, at every turn with every proposal the BBC was looking to charge any production company for every miniscule reference to the original series feeling they could make a fortune if they charged by the letter.

Clearly as you read this book and look at the artwork there was the possibility that in migrating to American televison Doctor Who could've advanced to a more grown up type of SF tv show with the benefit of higher production values and writers willing to take chances.

The Fox network known for the sucess of the X-Files had a potential winner here if they could take advantage of the tremendous continuity they show posesses. Sadly, it seems the BBC will not allow this racehorse out of the starting gate.

Coauthored by Philip Segal (executive producer of the telefilm) and Gary Russell (all-around Who aficionado), Regeneration presents the whole story behind the 1996 Fox t.v. movie, "Doctor Who." In turns, Segal and Russell hand off back and forth to each other from time to time, and the typeface alternates between two styles to clearly indicate who is contributing what.

The book is beautifully designed, and is packed with exceptionally nice photos, from the telefilm as well as from other eras of Doctor Who. These include very detailed photos of the amazing TARDIS interior from this production, giving the reader a chance to really explore the vast control room, with its library area, as well as the music room, green room, and cloister room.

There is also lots of interesting information about the production, including details on the various stages it went through, from the earlier script (and its accompanying "bible") by John Leekley, which would have basically been a complete "reboot" of the series mythology, to the final form that used the script by Matthew Jacobs, with its greater continuity to the original series. Reading about the entire process makes it much easier to understand why it took so long to get new Doctor Who in the 90s, why this production didn't lead to a new series, and why certain oddities showed up in the script, such as the "half human" reference and the apparent necessity of featuring the Master. Since three production entities - Universal, the BBC, and Fox - all required creative control of some degree, there were frequent squabbles between the various production personnel, and just too many cooks.

And Regeneration is not only about the telefilm - it basically chronicles the entire period from the end of the original series in 1989, through the early 1990s, to a few years after the 1996 telefilm. In the course of this, it covers the attempts at bringing Doctor Who to the big screen, which began in the late 80s, and the 1993 production, The Dimensions of Time.

Published in 2000, Regeneration is now out of print. After becoming aware of this book last year, I decided I had to find myself a copy, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. The only thing about it that detracts from its quality is the surprisingly sloppy editing job - many typos and other minor errors made their way into the final publication. But that's a minor fault, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed or has an interest in the 1996 telefilm.

Co-written by Gary Russell, producer of Big Finish's "Doctor Who" audios and editor of "The Art of The Fellowship of the Ring," and Philip Segal, producer of the 1996 "Doctor Who" TV-movie, this book is a fascinating account of a period of "Who" history that is otherwise poorly documented. The book presents the history of how Segal secured the rights to make the TV-movie, the writing of the three very different scripts it went through, and the concepts for the new series which it was hoped that the first of those scripts, that by John Leekley, would launch -- a series that would have constituted an entire "rebooting" of the "Doctor Who" saga, and might have included remakes of classic serials from the original series. Embellished with beautiful and fascinating concept art, this book will be a riveting and enjoyable read for any "Doctor Who" fan.

I found this book to be a wonderful addition to the Howe-Stammers-Walker series The 60's, 70's and 80's. Although not necessarily written the the same style, it does pick up where The 80's left off and continues the story of the production of Doctor Who.

Just as fascinating to me was the account of all the trials and tribulations that incurred as Philip Segal attempted to secure rights to produce the project. Given all the hassles that he had to deal with, especially America Executives ideas of what constitutes as a good story, I think Doctor Who fans were blessed by what finally appeared on television. Could the movie been better? Possibly...but I admire it and appreciate all the more after reading this wonderful account.

In 1996 over nine million Britains tuned in to watch the new Dr. Who science fiction TV show. Doctor Who: Regeneration charts the show's history and its newly revamped appearance, providing insights into television politics and the challenges involved in returning Dr. Who to new audiences. Prior fans of the series will consider this a keepsake packed with fine color photos.