Celebrate the rebirth of the UK's number one family drama series with this lavish hardback, containing everything you need to know about the Eleventh Doctor’s first year. Explore Amy Pond’s home village, Leadworth, read a lost section from Churchill's memoirs that covers his adventures with the Doctor, and learn all about the legend of the Weeping Angels. See how the Doctor's costume evolved, how the monsters are made, and learn the trade secrets of writing a thrilling Doctor Who script. Plus interviews with all of the key players and a few secret celebrity guests... Including contributions from executive producer Steven Moffat, stars Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, and scriptwriters Mark Gatiss and Gareth Roberts, among others, and packed with beautiful original illustrations and never-before-seen pictures, The Brilliant Book of Doctor Who is the ultimate companion to the world's most successful science fiction series.
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About the Author
Clayton Hickman was the longest-serving editor of Panini Comics' Doctor Who Magazine, and a regular interviewee on Doctor Who Confidential. He has written for Big Finish's Doctor Who audio dramas and short story collections, and he designed Russell T Davies' 2008 book Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale. Clayton also designs the covers of the classic Doctor Who DVD range.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If you've enjoyed Panini's Doctor Who "Storybooks", then you'll love the "Brilliant Book". This is essential for fans of the show, and especially of Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor. The "Brilliant Book of Doctor Who 2011" is illustrated throughout with many,many images from the show(some are behind the scenes photographs, some are actually promotional images,etc.), offers original fiction stories(which are also illustrated), gives good summaries of the fifth series episodes,and a bunch of other cool stuff.
I personally liked the page that focused on the so-called "Dream Lord", and which actually gave the readers what appear to be hints about future episodes of the show. Another cool thing fans will appreciate, are the small script extracts scattered throughout the book, showing what scenes of dialogue Steven Moffatt chose to leave out of the finished episodes. :)
Overall, this is a book that could be fun for the younger fans, but if you're an "older" fan of the show I'd recommend picking this up instead of the "Doctor Who Annual 2011"(which is also published by the BBC, and is more kid-centric/friendly than the "Brilliant Book of Doctor Who 2011").
I personally liked the page that focused on the so-called "Dream Lord", and which actually gave the readers what appear to be hints about future episodes of the show. Another cool thing fans will appreciate, are the small script extracts scattered throughout the book, showing what scenes of dialogue Steven Moffatt chose to leave out of the finished episodes. :)
Overall, this is a book that could be fun for the younger fans, but if you're an "older" fan of the show I'd recommend picking this up instead of the "Doctor Who Annual 2011"(which is also published by the BBC, and is more kid-centric/friendly than the "Brilliant Book of Doctor Who 2011").
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
When you're a Doctor Who fan, there is more merchandise available than you can possibly buy, unless you are that happy combination, both rich and obsessed. The question thus becomes, which of the latest books, toys, video, audio, etc. are the must haves? What gives me the most bang for my buck? I rate The Brilliant Book 2011 very high on that scale. There is more fun to be had with this book than, for example, a recent Doctor Who novel.
Essentially a modern, adult-friendly update of the "Annual" concept, this is a 132-page, heavily illustrated book, full of photos from the 2010 series of Doctor Who. But that's not what's so great about it. Each Eleventh Doctor story from Series One/31/Fnarg gets a two-page spread, including a synopsis, a "magic moment" from the story, some "Fantastic Facts," etc. Nice, but not essential, especially if you get every issue of Doctor Who Magazine and watch Doctor Who Confidential. BUT! You also get bits of deleted dialogue, and "behind the scenes" interview material with Steven Moffat and others. Ah, now we're getting somewhere!
Surrounding these episode-based spreads are interviews with Moffat, Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Murray Gold, plus producer Beth Willis taking you through the entire production process and Gareth Roberts' detailed and amusing insights into writing for Doctor Who. But what really makes this book so much fun is the ancillary features of new material to accompany the various episodes. Mark Gatiss brings us excerpts from Churchill's diary, for example, with glimpses of scenes from the great man's many encounters with the Doctor. (In so doing, Gatiss also manages to close the worst of the episode's plot holes.) Rory's stag party is commemorated with pictures and comments from a "Twitbook" page, including a partygoer's boasts about going home with the girl the doctor replaced in the cake. Gareth Roberts tells us about all the ancillary characters who never made it into "The Lodger," and how their lives were affected by the Doctor's brief tenancy. There is even an original Doctor Who short story by Brian Aldiss, although frankly it's the least impressive thing in the book.
My husband was initially annoyed that I'd added this book to my Amazon order, so I could get free shipping on Murray Gold's recent Doctor Who CD Doctor Who: Series 4 - The Specials. After five minutes with the book, he wasn't annoyed anymore. "You're right," he said. "This is a good book!" Trust me: from my husband, that's high praise!
Essentially a modern, adult-friendly update of the "Annual" concept, this is a 132-page, heavily illustrated book, full of photos from the 2010 series of Doctor Who. But that's not what's so great about it. Each Eleventh Doctor story from Series One/31/Fnarg gets a two-page spread, including a synopsis, a "magic moment" from the story, some "Fantastic Facts," etc. Nice, but not essential, especially if you get every issue of Doctor Who Magazine and watch Doctor Who Confidential. BUT! You also get bits of deleted dialogue, and "behind the scenes" interview material with Steven Moffat and others. Ah, now we're getting somewhere!
Surrounding these episode-based spreads are interviews with Moffat, Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Murray Gold, plus producer Beth Willis taking you through the entire production process and Gareth Roberts' detailed and amusing insights into writing for Doctor Who. But what really makes this book so much fun is the ancillary features of new material to accompany the various episodes. Mark Gatiss brings us excerpts from Churchill's diary, for example, with glimpses of scenes from the great man's many encounters with the Doctor. (In so doing, Gatiss also manages to close the worst of the episode's plot holes.) Rory's stag party is commemorated with pictures and comments from a "Twitbook" page, including a partygoer's boasts about going home with the girl the doctor replaced in the cake. Gareth Roberts tells us about all the ancillary characters who never made it into "The Lodger," and how their lives were affected by the Doctor's brief tenancy. There is even an original Doctor Who short story by Brian Aldiss, although frankly it's the least impressive thing in the book.
My husband was initially annoyed that I'd added this book to my Amazon order, so I could get free shipping on Murray Gold's recent Doctor Who CD Doctor Who: Series 4 - The Specials. After five minutes with the book, he wasn't annoyed anymore. "You're right," he said. "This is a good book!" Trust me: from my husband, that's high praise!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
It's a book about Doctor Who and it's brilliant!
Much like the TARDIS it seems bigger on the inside due to the number of things that are covered.
- episode guide for Matt Smith's Doctor with each episode from this season getting two pages about the show itself
- a peek behind the scenes touching on some monster creation and how the show gets made from start to finish
- interviews with the major cast as well as Steven Moffat and Murray Gold
- fiction based on some episodes (such as entries from Churchill's journal about his various meetings with the Doctor) as well as a new six page story.
If you liked the first season with this new Doctor, it's a must have.
It does seem to be possibly aimed at a younger read but let's face it, we fans of the Doctor are timeless and ageless ourselves.
Much like the TARDIS it seems bigger on the inside due to the number of things that are covered.
- episode guide for Matt Smith's Doctor with each episode from this season getting two pages about the show itself
- a peek behind the scenes touching on some monster creation and how the show gets made from start to finish
- interviews with the major cast as well as Steven Moffat and Murray Gold
- fiction based on some episodes (such as entries from Churchill's journal about his various meetings with the Doctor) as well as a new six page story.
If you liked the first season with this new Doctor, it's a must have.
It does seem to be possibly aimed at a younger read but let's face it, we fans of the Doctor are timeless and ageless ourselves.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect for research
like other brilliant books before it, the 2011 BB is a great resource for casual fans as well as die-hard whovians. Read more
Published 1 month ago by JenisaurusRex
4.0 out of 5 stars
The book is very good, I didn't expect any less
I have been a fan of Dr Who since the early 80s. I never understood the BBCs reasons for trifling with it or their jerk around and string along treatment of the audience. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mark Burns
4.0 out of 5 stars
2011
Great addition for the Whovian with episode guide/information. I was able to purchase it at a great price. Very Cool
Published 4 months ago by Julia
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book for fans of the Doctor
This is a wonderful companion book for the first season of the eleventh Doctor, with great art, photos, and stories behind the scenes. I would recomend it to any serious fan.
Published 4 months ago by Sheri Cramer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential to every whovian.
This is with no doubt the ultimate guide to the 5th season of Doctor Who. If you like to know backstage details, production secrets, curious facts about the cast and links between... Read more
Published 4 months ago by MatthewOaken
5.0 out of 5 stars
Doctor Who Fans.
I bought the 2011 and 2012 editions at the same time and they are very informative and should be on every Whovian's bookshelf.
Published 5 months ago by azmesa
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Doctor
I bought this for a friend. She's obsessed with Doctor Who. She loved the book. There are tons of great info and pictures. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Anna Raven
5.0 out of 5 stars
5-stars easy - great book
This is THE guide to the Dr. Who season for 2011. Has an absolute ton of information, and coverage of every episode, inside information, lots of great pictures, etc. Read more
Published 13 months ago by S. Kosloske
5.0 out of 5 stars
Doctor Who Fans!!
I bought this book and 2 other ones for my husband. He just loves them. The photos are awesome and make you feel you are right there in the picture. Read more
Published 13 months ago by ginger1252
5.0 out of 5 stars
Doctor Who rocks
Great book for Doctor Who fans, especially with Matt Smith. This book made an excellent Christmas present, with lots of great pictures of characters in soooo many episodes. Read more
Published 16 months ago by N. Martinez
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