Customer Reviews

Third Dimension: The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Doctor Who 2007 (Doctor Who Telos)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a long time Dr. Who fan, I only recently learned of the Telos series of books covering the current series (seasons) of new Dr. Who series. What a treat for fans of the show! This is an in-depth fact packed guide to the making of series 3 of Dr. Who with Martha Jones as the companion. For those who aren't that familiar with Dr. Who, it is an institution in the UK, while we here in the US can see on the SCI-FI Channel (when they decide to run it) or more frequently on BBC America. Long time fans and even new ones interested in learning about the show will find lots of incredible details. The new Dr. Who team formerly led by the brilliant Russell T. Davies (I say former because he has stepped aside as of the end of this year and one of the show's frequent script contributors, Stephen Moffet, will be the new show runner) takes special care to both preserve the spirit of the classic show, while updating it for modern audiences with outstanding scripts, performances and production values. This show is a prime example of why the Brits are creatng far better and more interesting sci-fi than what US has. (Yes folks, I think it's better than the new Galactica, but that's my opinion). The show's producers have also taken great care to seek fan feedback. If you have ever bought a DVD set of the show, you will note the extensive behind the scenes features and a reference guide for the fans. Now to the book topics.

While this is an "unauthorized" guide, it is written by Stephen James Walker who is a fan of both the classic and current show and it shows. He gives a brief history of the classic show, then leads into how the new series was reborn, leading up to the end of series 2, the departure of Rose Tyler. It is interesting to see the coverage of the media and fan fascination in the UK. As I mentioned before, Dr. Who is an instituion in the UK as big as (maybe bigger) than James Bond. I for one would rather go traveling in the Tardis with the good Doctor anyday! Mr. Walker gives a timeline of how the producers kept the public's interest by revealing tidbits about the search for the new companion and peeks into episodes for series 3. He starts with July 2006 and gives exhaustive coverage of guest appearances by the cast and crew on popular UK shows and events, magazine and newspaper coverage, then leads into production of the show itself. There are bios on the cast, crew and members of the production team and critiques of the individual episodes and this is where the book really shines. Each episode had information on the rest of the credited cast, continuity points, Torchwood and Saxon references (these are running themes throughout the season), production notes, rumors, press reaction, fan comment and analysis of the episodes. There are also some lovely color photos in the center of the book, a lead into series 4 (ending with what was known at the time of publication), credits for the popular Dr. Who Confidential, Totally Dr. Who (created for the younger Who fans), in-depth ratings and rankings, coverage of the Dr. Who novels and comic strips. The Telos guides are a must have for any series fan of Dr. Who and really give you insight to how the show is put together, challenges faced by cast and crew and how the media coverage can affect the delicate balance of giving just enough information for fans without revealing too much.