New Expanded Edition

This critical history of Doctor Who covers the series 45 years, from the creation of the show to its triumph as Britain's #1 TV drama.

Opening with an in-depth account of the creation of the series within the BBC of the early 1960s, each decade of the show is tackled through a unique political and pop cultural historical viewpoint, exploring the links between contemporary Britain and the stories Doctor Who told, and how such links kept the show popular with a mass television audience.

Timeless Adventures reveals how Doctor Who is at its strongest when it reflects the political and cultural concerns of a mass British audience (the 1960s, 1970s and 21st Century), and at its weakest when catering to a narrow fan-based audience (as in the 1980s).

Chapters range from discussions on the cultural and political relevance of Doctor Who monsters like the Daleks (based on lingering wartime fears) and the Cybermen (1960s spare part replacement surgery), through to themes like energy and the environment in the 1970s (Doctor Who stories tackled big real-life themes in a fantasy format and so connected with a mass audience).

The book also addresses the cancellation of the show in the late 1980s (following the series becoming increasing self-obsessed) and the ways in which a narrowly-focused dedicated fandom contributed to the show's demise and yet was also instrumental in its regeneration for the 21st Century under Russell T. Davies, and analyses the new series to reveal what has made it so popular, reflecting real world issues like consumerism and dieting.

About the Author
Brian J. Robb is a writer and biographer whose previous books have included a New York Times Best-Selling biography of Leonardo DiCaprio; Screams & Nightmares, the definitive book on horror director Wes Craven; biographies of Johnny Depp and Ewan McGregor; and Counterfeit Worlds, a study of the films of Philip K. Dick. He is currently Managing Editor at Titan Magazines, a publisher of film and TV related titles.

Reviews
Meticulously researched...This behind-the-scenes and critical story of the show is just as eventful as the Doctor's travels -- Chad Ross * Total Sci-Fi Online *
Robb has done a phenomenal amount of research for this undertaking, commenting on not only every episode, movie, novel in the Doctor Who canon but also the political, social and historical context in which each piece of fiction premiered and the reality of England at the time versus the Whoniverse -- David Maddox * sfsite.com *



Book Information
ISBN 9781843441564
Author Brian Robb
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Kamera Books
Publisher Oldcastle Books Ltd