| Author | IBSN # |
|---|---|
| David J. Howe, Mark Stammers Stephen J. Walker | 1 85227 444 1 |
Synopsis: An in-depth look at second decade of Doctor Who covering the the Pertwee and Tom Baker eras.
A Review by Mark Irvin 19/9/01
After once acquiring a copy of The Sixties when it first came out, I simply just could not wait until the release of The Seventies. After thouroughly enjoying the first instalment of the series I was eager to see what was on offer here. As I had seen the vast majority of the stories from this era and being a big Tom Baker fan, I thought it could only be better.
And I certainly wasn't disappointed. The level of research and detail in this publication is absolutely astonishing. It's a real credit to the three fellows who wrote it. Just about everything is covered - plotlines, special effects, music, production problems, writers, casting and actor information, set design, location work and costume design - just to name a few. Also discussed are the thoughts and disputes the makers of the show had at the time - concerning the show's direction and how it was to be produced.
Living in Australia Doctor Who probably hasn't had the same level of exposure as in the U.K. However, all the information you could ever want from this era is available right here. Of particular interest was various offscreen problems that the show had. Friction between Tom Baker and Louise Jameson, budgeting problems due to inflation, technical problems with K9 and concerns over Baker taking the level of humour too far. All of this was news to me. Rewatching these episodes armed with this information makes the show a slightly different experience. For example, Baker's dislike of Jamison easy to spot onscreen if you pay attention.
Overall, this book is excellent value for money and a must buy. If you consider yourself any sort of a Doctor Who fan, go down and get yourself a copy of The Seventies today.