Television pioneer Sydney Newman joined the BBC in 1962, creating numerous projects, including a children's science fiction serial about an eccentric, time-traveling professor. The show was expected to last all of several weeks, despite the amount of effort put into its concept, but thanks to the efforts of producers, writers, special effects technicians, a talented cast, and a dedicated young producer (one of the first women to hold that title in the U.K.), Doctor Who thrived - and its legend continues nearly four decades later. This is the story of the era of the show during which William Hartnell, the original actor, played the part, as well as the story of the months of development leading up to the show's final concept.

The Howe-Stammers-Walker Handbook series is, hands-down, the best-researched history of Doctor Who ever put on paper - it's just a pity that one has to track down seven books, at least a couple of which are now out of print, to complete the series!

The First Doctor Handbook is a very interesting volume in the series because it doesn't have the usual things to fall back on. Bill Hartnell was the first actor to play the Doctor, and there was no continuity upon which to build. The show was new, and this era of its production had nothing prior to which it could be compared. Instead, the authors focus on the gestation of the ideas involved, dating back to an entire year before the series premiered. The variations of ideas entertained by series creator Sydney Newman and rookie producer Verity Lambert were tremendous, and some would have resulted in huge changes to the storyline as we know it.

Others almost certainly would've granted the show an early death.

Many interesting quotes from Hartnell himself are included, as well as a section - unique to this volume - of co-workers' quotes. The story chosen for this book's scene-by-scene breakdown and discussion with the creators of the show is The Ark, oddly enough, though that one may have been chosen because many of the people involved in making some of the better-loved and better-remembered stories are no longer with us.

Highly recommended for Doctor Who fans who are curious as to how it all started. It doesn't get better than this.

Reviewed by Earl Green
theLogBook.com editor/webmaster

• Year: 1994
• Author: David J. Howe, Mark Stammers, Stephen James Walker
• Genre: Non-fiction - behind-the-scenes
• Length: 350 pages
• Publisher: Virgin