By Paul Hayes

Ten Acre Films, out now

An in-depth look at the proposed and aborted attempts to bring back Doctor Who in the seven years between the airing of the TV movie and the BBC’s announcement of its return.

Paul Hayes’ in-depth look at the wilderness years of 1996 and 2003 is the very definition of a niche study, and yet it fulfils an important role in plugging a gap in Doctor Who history that has hitherto not been documented in any detail. It’s a curious period, because much of it (Death Comes to Time notwithstanding) is about ventures and plans that ultimately came to nothing.

For those of us reading the Gallifrey Guardian news pages of Doctor Who Magazine each month during this period will have been familiar with each new attempt to bring back the show in some form, and Hayes succeeds here in compiling that mass of news into something sequential and fact-based. He avoids the gossip and presents the contents with relevant sources, and it’s a great read as you recall the proposal by Dan Freedman, as well as the counter proposal by Mark Gatiss, Gareth Roberts and Clayton Hickman.

Verdict: Filling a gap in the behind-the-scenes development of Doctor Who’s return, you’re bound to discover a few new facts in this well-researched history. 8/10

Nick Joy

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