by Paul MC Smith

Wonderfulbooks, available via Amazon now

An essential guide to the TARDIS – and the entire classic era of Doctor Who…

When I saw discussion of this book online, I mistakenly thought that it would be something with a very niche appeal – for those who are fascinated by the many different ways in which the TARDIS has been portrayed over the years, both internally and externally. There are those who passionately care about the placement of the sign on the door (indeed if there even is a sign on the door), and what buttons and levers on the various consoles are turned, depressed, moved etc. during the many scenes set within.

I was wrong. This, to misquote the Seventh Doctor, is far more than just a TARDIS catalogue.

For a start, I’d have never expected a new (and I have to say quite intriguing) theory regarding the “errors” in Mawdryn Undead. Nor did I expect quite so many “urban legends” regarding the show to be comprehensively dismantled – the fate, for instance, of the second (not secondary) control room isn’t at all what we’ve been told repeatedly over the years. I didn’t anticipate a guide that chronicled every landing of the TARDIS and worked out whether there were gaps in the narrative that could be filled – or where gaps had been inserted that shouldn’t really be able to exist.

Yes, there’s the requisite material on the creation of each of the TARDIS console rooms, and every Police Box shell, comparing them with each other, and with the template – the real Metropolitan Police Box. There’s plenty of factual material here that I’ve not seen in one place before, and which makes a very handy guide for anyone involved in editing or creating new tales.

Each landing gets its own entry, detailing what happens prior to the TARDIS’ arrival, and then what occurs before it leaves. (This means that stories with multiple TARDIS journeys get correspondingly more space; those where the ship doesn’t appear at all get no more than a note in passing.) There’s notes on which size model is used for effects shots, and where innovations appear in this. There are descriptions of the usage of the different panels on the console (referring back to very useful line drawings). And then there’s the story notes, with analysis based purely on what’s on screen, rather than coming in with any assumptions. There’s suggested placements for all the Doctor’s namedropping travels, based on when the latest they could have happened…

I can fully understand why this has been divided into two volumes – just taking the TARDIS’ journeys from The Timeless Children (yes, that’s where it starts – deal with it!) to Night of the Doctor requires a book at quite small point size that would make an effective doorstop for the main entrance to St Paul’s Cathedral. It’s quite pricey but worth every penny.

Verdict: The Doctor Who guide you didn’t realise you needed. 10/10

Paul Simpson

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