Koch Media, out now

Six fascinating interviews with stars from the 70s era of the show.

The latest compilation of material from Reeltime’s Myth Makers interviews is one that will bring back a lot of memories for those who were around in the 1970s and 1980s, and provides a glimpse for fans who came later to the show of the warmth of some key members of the cast who are no longer with us. I’m thinking particularly here of Ian Marter, who played Harry Sullivan and contributed some of the best of the early Target novels (I can still remember thinking it must be a mistake to have Wirrrn facing off against the Doctor, Sarah and Harry…). Marter died over 30 years ago, and this interview shows him at his best; and, for those who note such things, this is the longer version from 1994 that includes Nick Courtney’s introduction. The chance to see Marter again makes the disc purchase worthwhile in its own right.

And that’s before you get to the interviews with the others who are sadly no longer with us – Lis Sladen and Mary Tamm – and those who defiantly defy the march of time: the Doctor himself, Tom Baker; Louise Jameson, aka Leela; and John Leeson, the voice of K9. Each provides insight into the way in which television was made at the time; each has their own take on people and incidents.

Nicholas Briggs is best known for his work as a voice artist, but he can be a sensitive interviewer, guiding the subjects into talking about areas that he knows as a fan himself will be of interest. And the interviews are definitely the best bits of these releases – some of the linking material hasn’t dated that well. I would say you need to cut to the chase when watching these, but that’d take you to the end of the John Leeson piece! Briggs and producer Keith Barnfather are admirably open about the problems involved in the opening half hour documentary.

Some of the stories you’ll hear in these interviews are still trotted out regularly; others have… shall we say politely, been modified over the years (not helped by some occasional inaccurate quoting from these in magazines and books). But if you’re a fan of Doctor Who, and particularly that golden era from 1973 to 1978 or so, you’re going to want these on your shelf.

Verdict: Another glorious step back into Doctor Who’s history. 9/10

Paul Simpson