The
Basics - Issue 118, November 1986. The front cover has a photo of the
Sixth Doctor, with Colin Baker interviewed inside, and the back cover pin
up is a publicity shot from Destiny of the Daleks. There is a free poster
inside of the Sixth Doctor with Daleks and Davros by Alister Pearson,
which can also be seen on the front cover.
News And Views - The record of the new Dominic
Glynn theme music will be in the shops soon, while the next planned video
release, by November at the latest, is Death to the Daleks. GG also
reports that further black and white releases are now unlikely, due to
Seeds of Death being the slowest video to sell to date. Rental dealers are
also reluctant to stock 'unpopular' black and white material. There will
be some DW clips as part of a three hour plus programme celebrating fifty
years of BBC TV. It is possible that The Chase will get a repeat showing
as part of the celebrations too. Ian Marter writes a letter in response to
Gary Russell's review of his Harry Sullivan's War novel.
Previews And Reviews - Off The Shelf reviews Mat
Irvine's The Special Effects and JNT's The Companions, respectively
"marvellous and a must" and "a much weightier book than his last in
both written content and information". The third story of the 23rd
season is previewed - "the Bakers have created a highly charged
situation of horror and suspense and one of the most tense stories in a
long while." "The concluding serial provides viewers with one of
the most fundamental, dramatic and exciting endings to any DW story or
season yet screened."
Other Regulars - A new two part comic strip,
Changes, begins. The first of the regular one page articles on Travelling
Companions focuses on Susan.
Boxpops - For the first week of November, BBC2
broadcasts many vintage programmes throughout the week to celebrate 50
years of BBC TV broadcasting. Top of the pop charts in November 86 were
the continuing Nick Berry and Take My Breath Away by Berlin.
Skaro
Says - Nathan Cooke remembers the letter from Ian Marter, in response
to Gary Russell's claim that his novel Harry Sullivan's War ripped off the
James Bond film A View To A Kill. Nathan has recently re-read the novel
and notes that it bears no resemblance to the film whatsoever. Jonno
remembers the week of vintage repeats very well - it was great to see such
fondly remembered shows as The Goodies and The Generation Game. He liked
the poster - the first of what would be a great series, albeit one that
would take several years to complete. He also liked the new comic strip,
with it being a more traditional, straight forward horror story. Si Hart
agreed that the poster series was great - he had all of them on his wall
by 1991 once the series had finally finished. He also remembers waiting
for all the Doctor Who clips to come on the big retrospective programme,
and loved seeing a glimpse of the Tom Baker titles. Jonno taped the
sequence with Quatermass immediately followed by DW, and watched the clips
umpteen times - at the time, it was his only vintage DW on video. Andrew
Curnow also recalls the TV50 celebration, and his first sight of the
riverside scene of the First Doctor and the Daleks from Dalek Invasion of
Earth. He has never managed to take to Harry Sullivan's War, despite
reading it twice.