The Doctors Are In

I very much enjoyed this book. It was informative and I particularly liked the humourous tone. I also liked the occassional disagreement in opinions between the two reviewers. This was one of the books strengths and marked it out from other more syncophantic fan books I have read. You could tell the authors really knew the show and shared that knowledge with you without sugar coating any perceived flaws. I will be recommendeing this book to every Doctor Who fan I know and some other sci-fi lovers as well.

Burk and Smith are longtime Who fans who've become prolific writers on the show. Both used to write for Canadian Doctor Who fanzine Enlightenment, and now they produce books.

There's certainly no shortage of nonfiction books about Doctor Who. What was once a long-cancelled cult British TV series has become a worldwide phenomenon with millions of new fans who don't know all the show's history... and plenty of longtime fans who enjoy arguing obscure points of lore and debating which Doctor was best. So, obviously, there's an audience for books like this.

As to this particular book-- the emphasis is on the Doctors as characters. It's not another episode guide -- they've already done that sort of thing. Instead, each chapter puts a Doctor in context, with a few paragraphs on the production and writing of the show in that era, background on the actor who played the Doctor, information on the Doctor's companions and a pick for top companion (and classic foe), a long look at the Doctor's personality, some great and not so great moments, and then separate opinion pieces on the Doctor and his era from the two writers, and finally separate and definitely opinionated reviews of a handful of key episodes.

While the structure of the book means it'll be helpful to newer fans, it's the battles of opinions between Burk and Smith that'll draw in the more knowledgeable fans. We're suckers for opinionated takes on the show and its stories; there are several whole series of books dedicated to arguing the merits of different Doctors, eras, and episodes. Unlike some I could mention, this one delivers in relatively breezy, casual takes; not a lot of long drawn out critiques of colonialism here.

Overall, a good read for a broad audience of Who fans, suitable as an introduction or a source of arguments. I may have to look at their other DW books now.

(Not the kind of book my library buys.)

The Doctors Are In is definitely a book for Doctor Who fans who like to read what other fans have to say. The co-authors present their particular definition of what made each Doctor special, and the episodes and companions that shaped each tenure. They are not objective, nor do they claim to be, so anyone looking for a cut-and-dry encyclopedic guide will be disappointed. I, however, quite enjoyed their take on each of the iconic incarnations, and appreciate that both authors are upfront about the intent of their book from the start.

Out next month is an entertaining guide to the history of Doctor Who as seen through the different versions of his character over the years. The Doctors Are In, by Graeme Burk and Robert Smith, covers each Doctor, previous and modern (including “The Warrior” played by John Hurt). As part of their effort to answer “What made him the way he is? What motivates him?”, each chapter, one per version, includes the following sections:

A profile of the actor and his approach to the role A short history of the context of his run An important companion and foe
“Who is the Doctor?”, the meat of the character study Three great and two embarrassing moments during his run Each author’s analysis, most entertaining when they sometimes disagree Reviews of the five episodes most essential to each incarnation

Tom Baker’s era is divided into two chapters, due to his long run and the show’s change in direction during that period. The first covers the “gothic horror” episodes, ending with The Talons of Weng-Chiang; the second, what they term “The Tom Baker Comedy Half-Hour”, playing off the star’s eccentricities.

There are also appendices listing episodes, companions, and descriptions of multi-Doctor stories, as well as “Recommended Resources” for further reading. The authors previously wrote Who’s 50: The 50 Doctor Who Stories to Watch Before You Die.

The Doctors Are In gave me new insight on a show I’ve been watching a long time. I devoured the chapters. I found it particularly educational when it came to the older doctors, since relatively few of their stories are available to watch. I fear my wallet will never recover, since I now have many more Doctor Who DVD sets on my wish list.