November 21st, 2018
38 comments
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The Complete History Book Collection Issue 90
Available to order in the UK from www.forbiddenplanet.com
Usually available to order in the USA from www.things-from-another-world.com
The definitive history of BBC’s long-running series Doctor Who concludes with this final volume on four unfinished, apocyrphal, or charity stories: “Shada,” the fourth Doctor story left incomplete due to industrial action, recently completed via animation; “Dimensions in Time,” the 30th-anniversary crossover with EastEnders; “The Curse of the Fatal Death,” a comedy sketch by writer Steven Moffat; and “Time Crash,” the meeting of the fifth and tenth Doctors done for Children in Need.
Illustrated throughout with photographs from the archives and in full-color, this hardcover volume features story summaries, character and actor profiles, pre- and post-production notes, broadcast reaction, and much more.
Categorised under: Books, Reference books
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Tardispals
April 22nd, 2020 - 12:30amHi!
Bit of a long shot, can I still subscribe to get these and receive them in the post? 🙂
Tim M
February 8th, 2019 - 8:09pmSo that’s it! I got the last 3 volumes in the post today. ‘The Complete History’ has been a wonderful book collection, and I’m sure I will find it to be often revisited when wanting some info on any particular story. Many thanks to everyone involved in these publications.
John Sissons
January 21st, 2019 - 4:15pmWell its sad K-9 & Company and Night Of The Doctor wasn’t covered. No 13th Doctor issues ??? To be honest, I am glad they have stopped at Capaldi. Got no interest in Chibnall’s disaster but sad for those who like it.
yogi_bear
February 8th, 2019 - 8:44pmId like to have seen a volume devoted to the Cushing films. What I would like to see are more art cards like the Dead Planet one we got right at the beginning. A few poster size prints of select stories would be nice to.
James Morris-Wyatt
May 17th, 2021 - 10:31amChris Chibnall’s era is not a disaster whatsoever! And I feel sad for anyone who thinks it is, actually!
Edorin
December 8th, 2018 - 10:53amSilly question, but I wonder what image will feature on the spine of Issue 90?
Tim M
November 25th, 2018 - 9:11pmMy favourite story in this book is ‘The Curse of Fatal Death’.
Rick Curzon
November 24th, 2018 - 11:33amI’d have thought the mini DVD only shorts would’ve been covered with the respective stories and Night of the Doctor with the 1996 movie. K9 & Company should’ve been covered as part of series 18 or 19.
I also think that they should do further columes annually to cover each successive series. Why stop such a wonderful set with Capaldi? Each year we could have 2-4 extra volumes.
Gareth Pugh
November 24th, 2018 - 1:17pmRick Curzon, I think the main sticking point to ad hoc top-up issues is that Panini provide the content – writing and design – but Hachette Partworks actually do the printing and distribution. And the business model for Partwork companies is very different from the flexibility a periodicals publisher has. Once the ‘back room machinery’ of the writing and editing team has been wound up (as it apparently was in October), the rolling production stops and that’s it. It’s hard to get the band back together (as the old saying goes). Personally, I’d love to see Panini do a deal with Hachette’s separate business arm that does standalone book publishing and like you say, do 3 x Jodie Whittaker volumes a year, maybe at 4 month intervals, maybe retiring the silver bookazine ‘Essential’ line to make space for it if need be. But the co-production nature of the Complete History makes informal continuation difficult.
Colin C
November 27th, 2018 - 3:58pmSo its not the complete history – as advertised
Gareth Pugh
November 27th, 2018 - 7:03pmColin C – they’d have to pledge to keep it going for as long as the TV series remains in production to really deliver that! I think on this occasion it’s a figure of speech where they can be allowed a bit of artistic licence, rather than be guilty of false advertising or we’d have to be very literal indeed.
Anonymous
November 23rd, 2018 - 7:28pmK9 and company is canon. Fatal death isn’t. Stupid choice.
Type 40
November 23rd, 2018 - 1:03amConsidering this range was originally due to end with Capaldi’s 1st series, I’m just pleased they extended the range to encompass his entire era. They drew a line once, then moved it – which they didn’t need to do. As DW is an ongoing concern, this, as with any reference work, was always going to fall foul of time and become out of date at some point – but, for what it is, I’ve found it a really worthwhile publication. As for those tales missed out of this final volume, with such a plethora of extraneous adventures it would have proved impossible to include them all. That said, perhaps some do get a reference inside the pages…
Anonymous
November 22nd, 2018 - 7:29pmNot apart of the tv series, it was a one off drama about the origins and production of doctor who and in particular William Hartnell, who is not a fictional character.
kone112
November 22nd, 2018 - 7:16pmI’ve loved these books I’ve got everyone I wanted , but please let this be the last one , someone tell me it is.
Anonymous
November 22nd, 2018 - 5:39pmErr, if they’re doing Dimensions in Time and the Curse of Fatal Death, then why aren’t they doing Born Again?
Anonymous
November 22nd, 2018 - 4:25pmOh. My. People actually expected these books to cover EVERY Whoniverse story? Come on, guys. Use your common sense. Torchwood, SJA, Class, K9 and Co. All come under seperate licenses despite The Doctor appearing in them in some form. This is a Doctor Who book collection. Complete until the end of 2017.
The Flying Shark
November 22nd, 2018 - 5:20pmThe problem isn’t that they aren’t covering every story, it’s the choice of stories they’re covering. The Night of the Doctor, K-9 and Company as well as the SJA and Class episodes with the Doctor in should have been covered over The Curse of Fatal Death.
Anonymous
November 22nd, 2018 - 2:10pmI haven’t bought any of these books and I have to say I’m a bit pleased I didn’t now I know it’s not going to be a “complete history.” As others have said, not only are all future who stories not included but there are several omissions as well. It seems odd that the Sarah Jane adventures aren’t covered as the doctor was in them! And k9 and company was the first official spinoff so should be there. It must be disappointing for those who loyally bought these very expensive books.
Lamoine
November 22nd, 2018 - 1:43pmNot even An Adventure is Space and Time
Anonymous
November 22nd, 2018 - 1:42pmNot even An Adventure is Space and Time
MJS
November 22nd, 2018 - 11:57amI do think Night Of The Doctor should be included. As should Time and Space (the eleventh Dr comic relief episodes. These were all shown on TV. Shalka shoulve been covered as well, even if briefly
Ja
November 22nd, 2018 - 2:13pmAll the minisodes should be on it. Prequels, DVD minisodes, parodies, BBC Prom sequences, anything filmed for online games, tDotD cinema intros, the Friend from the Future minisode, everything!!!
MJS
November 22nd, 2018 - 5:09pmNo just actual doctor who episodes broadcast. Time Crash is ok, but Time & Space not? Shalka has as much merit as Shara, if it hadn’t been for RTD, Shalka would’ve been the gen Dr Who.
Geoff Lake
November 22nd, 2018 - 7:21amNo Night of the Doctor seems ludicrous
Anonymous
November 21st, 2018 - 11:33pmIs this ending? No 13th Dr?
Anonymous
November 22nd, 2018 - 2:30amPlease beings 13 doctor
Anonymous
November 22nd, 2018 - 10:35amYes, This is the last issue being made in the collection.
Anonymous
November 21st, 2018 - 10:40pmAgreed, it’s a pretty pointless volume & I’m rather disappointed with it. They should certainly have covered Shada & Time Crash, but I also expected at least some coverage of the spin-offs K-9 & Company, Torchwood & The Sarah Jane Adventures. Missing out The Night Of The Doctor considering what it cover’s is criminal.
Tom Baker Plush
November 21st, 2018 - 7:14pmNice to see someone embracing the memes
Anon-35
November 21st, 2018 - 7:12pmI can’t believe they were happy to devote a certain number of pages to ‘Dimensions in Time’ yet nothing to K-9 and Company nor Night of the Doctor!
The Flying Shark
November 22nd, 2018 - 7:37amI’m more offended by the choice of Curse of Fatal Death, that isn’t even remotely canon!
MIKSK89
November 22nd, 2018 - 8:41amI think more than anything people wanted to see something about some stories, though I always thought that any of the 50th anniversary shorts should have been included as extras in the volume that covered ‘The Day of the Doctor’ and ‘Time of the Doctor’ as it led into that story arc… (or in the case of ‘Night of the Doctor’, include it in the TV Movie volume – to flesh out the only 8th doctor volume in the set) and include ‘Scream of the Shalka’ as both that and ‘The Curse of Fatal Death’ were the only types of new Doctor Who we had got until 2005
Kevin225
November 21st, 2018 - 7:00pmPresumably there isn’t any appetite to continue this collection even on an irregular basis (say 3-4 issues a year) to cover the newrer stories?
Anonymous
November 21st, 2018 - 10:33pmI think this was a case of ‘Can’t be bothered’ let’s just rush out a last Issue & forget about it. They could easily carry this on as you say with 3-4 Issues a year but obviously not worth their time!
Eoghan
November 21st, 2018 - 1:17pmRip, whys there no night of the doctor!
Anonymous
November 21st, 2018 - 1:26pmThat’s very annoying! But then it will never be The ‘Complete’ History anyway. Title was always a misnomer. They should have called it “The History Of Doctor Who” which would have been more accurate.
The Flying Shark
November 21st, 2018 - 2:55pmI agree, many of the early volumes are now out of date, for example recent deaths, or in the Merchandise section not covering all the Eaglemoss figurines or the new novelisations, or Target audio books.
Also, am I the only one who thinks this volume is a little light on content? They could have done Night of the Doctor and some other mini episodes, K-9 and Company, and although it would be a mammoth task, at least an episode guide and short potted histories of the three spin-offs, even the books, audios and comics. That’s the only way it could ever be a Complete History.