Viewer's review: Tania Rahman reviews Doctor Who: The Write's Tale
The Book Show viewer Tania Rahman examines what goes on behind the scenes at Doctor Who...
Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale, The Untold Story of the BBC Series
Russell T Davies and Benjamin Cook
ISBN-13: 978-1846075711
'The Writer's Tale' by Dr Who Head Writer, Russell T Davies and Benjamin Cook is essential for anyone who has ever wanted to write a Dr Who story ...because it shows you just how much hard work goes into making the series and how much stories actually change from first draft to actual shooting script.
Contents include a 'Who's who' of the writers, actors and crew involved, a series four breakdown, notes, rejected story ideas, Russell's diary, emails, texts, lots of photos, sketches, as well as the scripts and script notes for the episodes: 'Voyage of the Damned', 'Partners in Crime', 'The Stolen Earth' and the opening scene of 'The Next Doctor' the 2008 Christmas Special. There's even part of an original draft of 'Fires of Pompeii'. We also discover 'trivia' facts such as: Miss Foster in 'Partners in Crime' was orignally called Miss Rattigan. Photographs include: the entire 'Fires of Pompeii' team enjoying themselves in Italy, the meeting of the Fifth and Tenth Doctors in 'Time Crash' and a great sequence from 'The Stolen Earth' where the Doctor is shot by a Dalek as he runs to met Rose, alongside the accompanying script.
The epistolic format is more personal than a polished Hollywood, 'making of' book. Dr Who has always been an interactive show, as demonstrated by 'Dr Who Confidential' shown on BBC3, 'Totally Dr Who' on CBBC, the hugely successful Exhbition as well as the countless BBC and 'unauthorised' publications.
But a last bit of trivia, Richard Dawkins, who plays himself in episode 12 is married to Lalla Ward, who played Romana, the Doctor's only ever Time Lord (Lady) Companion, the Fourth, specifically, played by Tom Baker who was Ward's first husband. She also played Ophelia in a BBC production of Hamlet starring Derek Jacobi.
By Tania Rahman, Surrey
Tania has also recently enjoyed reading Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe and Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett
