The Basics - Issue 178, 2 October 1991. The front cover has artwork of Slipback by Colin Howard, which is Archived inside. Peri Godbold is the new Designer from this issue.

Indicia - Husks appear courtesy of the Metabelis Export Company.

Tombwatch - See News And Views immediately below.

News And Views - DWM have been advised that test material for a new series had already been secretly recorded last September, with a new Doctor played by David Burton, although there are doubts surrounding this claim. A shop in Bournemouth has been raided due to piracy - the shop offering videos of The Ultimate Adventure stage play, a video photo novel of Power of the Daleks and Tomb of the Cybermen for £100 per episode, despite not actually having the latter. Anthony Ainley writes in to thank DWM for the Year Book, while Daniel Blythe thinks that Joanna Lumley playing the Doctor would be absurd.

New Fiction - The winners of the Brief Encounters writing competition (issue 173) are published. Titled "Affirmative" and "An Unfulfilled Dream", they feature the Seventh Doctor meeting K9 and a young Katarina respectively.

Reviews - Off The Shelf reviews Timewyrm : Exodus ("superb - a stunning, thrilling novel") and interviews Terrance Dicks, Nigel Robinson and Paul Cornell.

Skaro Says - Andrew Curnow's main memory of this issue is its cover with its awful Colin Baker likeness and a woman who looks like his Aunt! Si Hunt didn't think the cover was too bad, and certainly loves Slipback. He didn't much like the K9 Brief Encounter, but quite liked the Katarina one. Sidesk thought the two Brief Encounters were variable, but he gives the Katarina one the edge due to its punchline.

Critique - The recent run of artwork covers continues here - sadly it's an unappealing one which reflects a story I didn't care for either. It's certainly a very strange choice of story to cover for the last of the old-style Archive/Fact Files before the impending relaunch. As for the two Brief Encounters, I prefer the Seventh Doctor meeting K9 one, which has a nice piece of accompanying artwork too. I agree with the review of Exodus, which was a vast improvement on Genesys and remained one of my favourite NAs. With plenty of interviews filling out the rest of the issue, it's an unmemorable one overall and leaves the magazine feeling in need of an overhaul...