Podcast appearances and mentions of david j howe

It's an amazing time to be a fan of Doctor Who research into its earliest days. On top of Simon Guerrier's biography of David Whittaker and Paul Hayes's Pull to Open in 2023, this year has seen the release of the Doctor Who Production Diary - The Hartnell Years. Written by David Brunt, we speak to published David J Howe about this book, its sequel, and what else is coming from Telos Publishing in the next 12 months.

The Companions of Doctor Who is not to be confused with JNT's book The Companions, or David J Howe's Companions for Virgin Publishing. This is an all-new study of companions and what it means to travel with the Doctor, in a fantastic new book. Co-editor Ken Deep joins us to reveal all about what went into the making of this publication. (Guest theme: Doctor Who in a Jean-Michel Jarre style, by George C Music)

What an interesting and odd story - let's see what David J Howe, fan historian and publisher extraordinaire, likes about it so much. The shortest episode of Classic Doctor Who has - because of your chatty host Toby Hadoke - provoked one of the longest episodes of this podcast. But that's what happens when you weave the facts of fiction..   Please support these podcasts on Patreon, where you will get advance releases, exclusive content (including a patron-only podcast - Far Too Much Information), regular AMAs and more. Tiers start from as little as £3 per month.  patreon.com/tobyhadoke Or there is Ko-fi for the occasional donation with no commitments: ko-fi.com/tobyhadoke Follow Toby on Twitter @tobyhadoke And these podcasts @HadokePodcasts And his comedy club @xsmalarkey www.tobyhadoke.com for news, blog, mailing list and more. 

Back in the Land of Fiction for the replacement of the replacement Jamie, some stop motion snakery, and another excellent contribution from historian and fandom legend David J Howe. He has to choose a favoutite thing from this instalment of Doctor Who - but will your host Toby Hadoke be able to anticipate what that might be and choose the same?   Please support these podcasts on Patreon, where you will get advance releases, exclusive content (including a patron-only podcast - Far Too Much Information), regular AMAs and more. Tiers start from as little as £3 per month.  patreon.com/tobyhadoke Or there is Ko-fi for the occasional donation with no commitments: ko-fi.com/tobyhadoke Follow Toby on Twitter @tobyhadoke And these podcasts @HadokePodcasts And his comedy club @xsmalarkey www.tobyhadoke.com for news, blog, mailing list and more.   

So, Jamie's off his face, Zoe's out the door, and the Doctor's in a pickle as they find themselves inside a peculiar forest inhabited by strangely recognisable figures. Like much of the best Doctor Who, a lot of this episode's contents were the product of necessity - and who better than Doctor Who historian David J Howe to be our guide through this inventive and imaginative instalment? Your host has chicken pox and has been replaced for just one week by a totally different Toby Hadoke, but you'd never know if you weren't told.    Please support these podcasts on Patreon, where you will get advance releases, exclusive content (including a patron-only podcast - Far Too Much Information), regular AMAs and more. Tiers start from as little as £3 per month.  patreon.com/tobyhadoke Or there is Ko-fi for the occasional donation with no commitments: ko-fi.com/tobyhadoke Follow Toby on Twitter @tobyhadoke And these podcasts @HadokePodcasts And his comedy club @xsmalarkey www.tobyhadoke.com for news, blog, mailing list and more. 

One of the earliest fans to research and write-up the history of the show, publisher and writer (and collector!) David J Howe has chosen this atypical tale from the back end of the Troughton era. There's not much to this episode - the regulars, a white void, and some stock costumes ... and so in true Doctor Who fashion, it turns out to be quite a remarkable instalment. But what to choose as its best bit? Well, escape from reality and find out :)   Please support these podcasts on Patreon, where you will get advance releases, exclusive content (including a patron-only podcast - Far Too Much Information), regular AMAs and more. Tiers start from as little as £3 per month.  patreon.com/tobyhadoke Or there is Ko-fi for the occasional donation with no commitments: ko-fi.com/tobyhadoke Follow Toby on Twitter @tobyhadoke And these podcasts @HadokePodcasts And his comedy club @xsmalarkey www.tobyhadoke.com for news, blog, mailing list and more.   

IF YOU were a Doctor Who fan in the 70s, 80s and 90s, the chances are that you bought at least on Doctor Who fan magazine (or fanzine!). A new book from Telos Publishing celebrates the home publishing phenomenon, which has been written by Alistair McGown. This week, Kenny and Dave discuss their fanzine memories, and are joined by Alistair and Telos's David J Howe, to talk about how the book came about. It's available now from https://telos.co.uk/

First broadcast on FAB RADIO INTERNATIONAL at 19:00 on July 23rd 2023 A couple of years ago, back in our forty-eighth edition of VISION ON SOUND in September 2021, I welcomed ANDREW-MARK THOMPSON onto the show for the first time, and we spent a happy hour discussing his artistic life, creating his witty television-themed illustrations and graphic images, and about how his love of archive television inspired many of them. His creation of spoof adverts featuring characters from shows like SAPPHIRE AND STEEL being used to promote products that never actually existed had given ANDY exactly the kind of internet presence that draws attention to people, and, little did I know at the time, but even as we recorded that show he was on the very brink of being commissioned to produce a collection of his artwork in book form. Two years later, and here, in the summer of 2023, that rather beautiful book is in the process of being released at last into the world, courtesy of DAVID J HOWE and his TELOS PUBLISHING Company. The book is called THIS IS A FAKE – after the words infamously scribbled onto the back of several MONA LISAs in felt-tipped pen by TOM BAKER's DOCTOR WHO in the story CITY OF DEATH penned by DOUGLAS ADAMS in 1979 - and is a lovingly crafted volume of delightful and witty works of art which somehow manages to weave an alternative history of the DOCTOR WHO series that we sort-of know and love, and many of the television shows existing alongside it, as seen through the kind of promotional material that could only exist in some other, far stranger, parallel dimension. So the book takes us on a visual journey right back to DR WHO's post-war radio serial roots, which would inspire so much incredible familiarly unrecognizable merchandise, and even a celebratory Garden Fete held in deepest, darkest Sussex, that led to a specifically 1960s form of traffic chaos. Sadly, as this book is indeed a celebratory pastiche, none of the products pictured within has ever been produced or placed on sale, which is, in several cases, rather unfortunate, as there are many that many Archive TV fans would have snapped up in a heartsbeat. Obviously, with a brand-new glossy and shiny fresh great big book to promote, ANDREW-MARK THOMPSON has been busily doing the rounds promoting his Magisterpiece, so I was rather delighted that he – or at least someone who looks and sounds very much like him - has taken the time out of his now frantically busy schedule to join me once again to spend a rather delightful hour talking about how the book came into being, his processes, ideas, and inspirations, some of which I hope that you might actually not have heard before, and I hope you enjoy spending time in his company as much as I did. PLEASE NOTE - For Copyright reasons, musical content sometimes has to be removed for the podcast edition. All the spoken word content remains (mostly) as it was in the broadcast version. Hopefully this won't spoil your enjoyment of the show.

Have you ever wanted an Amelia Rumford action figure/doll? Or a Rani action figure from Dapol? And the Doctor Who Crossword book on audio? Of course you have! This week, we take a look at the new unofficial Doctor Who book, This Is A Fake, by Andrew-Mark Thompson. He chats with Dave and Kenny about all of the false merchandise he's created for this book (and it's not just Doctor Who), and Kenny has a chat with publisher David J Howe too! This podcast is DEFINITELY real. It's not a fake.

This time the TARDIS lands in the 1960s, right here on the planet Earth. We take a look at the entire run of the First Doctor as portrayed by William Hartnell. Our guide is the fantastic "Doctor Who: The Handbook - The First Doctor" by the incomparable David J. Howe, Mark Stammers & Stephen James Walker. Come along with Erik and Assad on our journey through the William Hartnell era, and stick around for our review of this excellent book. Where is episode 26? You may ask. Our explanation is simply this: wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff. We also talk about all the latest Who news and happenings. You won't want to miss this fantastic episode! Send feedback on this or any of our episodes to policeboxpodcast@gmail.com or join the discussion on the Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/526688614899377/). Hope to hear from you! Trailer Audio by the BBC and arranged by VERITASERUMUK. Theme music by Ron Grainer and arranged as "Doctor Who Retro Theme" by Neon Frontier. All rights to Doctor Who and its related materials belong to the BBC. Police Box in the Junkyard Podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Police Box in the Junkyard Podcast - EP 25 - Lost In Translation By PoliceBoxPodcast is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Have you ever wanted to manage the Doctor Who brand? Yes, the dream of many a British schoolchild can be yours if you have extensive experience in said management of brands and Doctor Who and probably a bunch of other stuff dummies like the Three Who Rule don't understand. And that's the news as new Doctor Who continues to be made, away from prying eyes! But we also have perennial fan favorite (is it though?) the Timelash, and Part One of our Classic Series Commentary about anything but “The Space Museum”! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon The Timelash Doctor Who seeking another Brand Manager Big Finish Ninth Doctor Adventures: Into the Stars due Aug 2022 Fourth and Twelfth Doctor Build-A-Bears LI Who Meglos 2022 welcomes Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton, Sophie Aldred, Frazer Hines, David J Howe and Samantha Howe

Back in the 90's there was no Dr. Who on the air and no Big Finish to satisfy our Dr. Who needs. The New Dr.…

Kenny and John travel back to the 1990s to reminisce about the days of 12 adventures with the current Doctor each year - we're talking about The New Adventures from Virgin Publishing. And no, we're not retreading old ground, with Kenny and Dave having previously discussed some books in 2020! We welcome a special guest to the podcast, with David J Howe, who tells us about how his new book, The Who Adventures, came to be, teasing hints of the contents, with rare illustrations and fascinating new facts.

This time our TARDIS has landed on the mysterious planet of the spin-offs for a discussion of the the book "Time Hunter: Child of Time" by George Mann and David J. Howe. Join Erik and Assad as they break down the book and have a chat about spin-offs and their role in the worlds of Doctor Who. Read along: www.amazon.com/Child-Time-Hunter…1626041465&sr=8-1 Send feedback on this or any of our episodes to videojunkyardpodcast@gmail.com or join the discussion on the Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/526688614899377/). Hope to hear from you! Trailer Audio by the BBC and arranged by VERITASERUMUK. Theme music by Ron Grainer and arranged as "Doctor Who Retro Theme" by Neon Frontier. All rights to Doctor Who and its related materials belong to the BBC.

In a break from our advertised programming (aka a thing we said at the end of the last podcast), Dylan is joined by Rob from the Doctor Who Show to discuss the best and the worst of Doctor Who coffee table books. 

This time our TARDIS has landed on the mysterious planet of the spin-offs for a discussion of the the book "Time Hunter: Child of Time" by George Mann and David J. Howe. Join Erik and Assad as they break down the book and have a chat about spin-offs and their role in the worlds of Doctor Who. Read along: https://www.amazon.com/Child-Time-Hunter-Book-10-ebook/dp/B06XFDHBX8/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Child+of+Time+George+Mann&qid=1626041465&sr=8-1 Send feedback on this or any of our episodes to videojunkyardpodcast@gmail.com or join the discussion on the Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/526688614899377/). Hope to hear from you! Trailer Audio by the BBC and arranged by VERITASERUMUK. Theme music by Ron Grainer and arranged as "Doctor Who Retro Theme" by Neon Frontier. All rights to Doctor Who and its related materials belong to the BBC.

Here is the live recording from Chicago Tardis! Joining me is David J. Howe, Samantha Stone, and Tony Whitt.  Also Collection Protection and the Most Outrageous Offer (or is it?). […]

This week, we're joined on a call with writer, collector, and immense Doctor Who enthusiast, David J. Howe (of Telos Publishing and numerous projects) to discuss the status and preparations for the opening of the Doctor Who Memorabilia Museum, a UK-based presentation of his 40+ years of collectibles and publications about our beloved series.

Class, er, classed up the joint this week, but the big news in Doctor Who was the return of “The Power of the Daleks”, the long lost and newly animated story released in the UK this week. Power will wander around the world later in the month and will also eventually be available in colour(!), if kicking puppies and hating life generally is your thing. All this and more of your questions on…Fluid Links! Links: – Class, Episode 4 “Co-Owner of a Lonely Heart” – Class has strong premiere on Space in Canada – “The Return of Doctor Mysterio” to be previewed on Children in Need on November 18 – “The Return of Doctor Mysterio” in US cinemas December 27 and 29; tickets available November 18 – “The Power of the Daleks” – where and when to watch around the world – 50 years since Patrick Troughton – Stuart Manning designed the UK steelbook Power artwork – “The Power of the Daleks” previewed on Twitter – BBC Newsnight report on missing archive television – New Statesman article about missing episodes – November releases from Big Finish – Indiegogo for David J Howe’s Doctor Who merchandise museum – Andrew Skilleter Doctor Who art calendar

David J Howe joins us to talk about his recent reprint of the Target Book and the history of the Target Doctor Who books. We also talk about the recent Target art display, the Doctor Who magazine 500th issue launch and much more. You can order your copy of the Target Book here www.Telos.co.uk GallifreyStands is sponsored by http://www.DottiesCharms.co.uk. Check out the Doctor Who range today. WhovianRound-Up is by http://indiemacuser.com/ GallifreyStands can be found at on twitter @DoctorSquee, by email GallifreyStandsPodcast@gmail.com, on stitcher, iTunes, The Tangent-Bound Network, Sachel Player & http://gallifreystandspodcast.podbean.com & on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/1481026762176392/ You can buythe GallifreyStands lipbalm @ https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/209093664/gallifrey-stands-geek-stix-inspired-by?ref=shop_home_active_12 Pleasesupport our Pod-Pals too: DisAfterDark Justgive me a few minutes AMAudioMedia TangentBoundNetwork

Episode 54 - David J Howe talks to us about the welcome and imminent re-release of his critically acclaimed ‘The Target Book’, the definitive reference guide to the much loved Doctor Who novelisation range. We also chat about David’s early involvement in Doctor Who fandom and fanzines, the Frame magazine, his work on the Virgin ‘Decades’ and Handbook series as well as the Jon Pertwee Autobiography “I am the Doctor!” Also listen to the very end for a special Easter egg featuring David on ABC Radio talking about the 30th anniversary of Doctor Who! The new edition of The Target Book and Telos's other Doctor Who works can be ordered at http://goo.gl/5dzmSQ

Episode 54 - David J Howe talks to us about the welcome and imminent re-release of his critically acclaimed ‘The Target Book’, the definitive reference guide to the much loved Doctor Who novelisation range. We also chat about David’s early involvement in Doctor Who fandom and fanzines, the Frame magazine, his work on the Virgin ‘Decades’ and Handbook series as well as the Jon Pertwee Autobiography “I am the Doctor!” Also listen to the very end for a special Easter egg featuring David on ABC Radio talking about the 30th anniversary of Doctor Who! The new edition of The Target Book and Telos's other Doctor Who works can be ordered at http://goo.gl/5dzmSQ

Doctor Squee & Dottie Who welcome guest companion David J Howe into the virtual console room. David wrote the book on books about Doctor Who. Doctor Squee first met him at a signing when he wrote Jon Pertwee's biography with him, 'I am the Doctor' in 1996. We talk about that, all his other Doctor Who books, Telos publishing, Fanzines before the digital age and much more. Doctor Squee also gives his review of the Magicians Apprentice and as always we bring you the Whovian Round Up.You can find David @ http://howeswho.blogspot.co.uk/ or @DavidJHowe1 on twitter.Gallifrey Stands is sponsored by http://www.DottiesCharms.co.uk. Check out the Doctor Who range today.The Whovian round up is brought to you by http://indiemacuser.co.uk & features stories from http://www.who-news.com/ Gallifrey Stands can be found at on twitter @DoctorSquee, by email GallifreyStandsPodcast@gmail.com, on The Tangent Bound Network, stitcher, iTunes & http://gallifreystandspodcast.podbean.com & on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/1481026762176392/ You can buy the GallifreyStands lipbalm @ https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/209093664/gallifrey-stands-geek-stix-inspired-by?ref=shop_home_active_12

We had a few adventures this weekend as we ventured forth to the first Annual Ottawa PopExpo!While there we recorded a couple panels and sat down with some really interesting guests....like this week's guest David J Howe.  David is a founder of  the publishing house Telos Publishing and the writer of Doctor Who: The Television Companion. He is also known to be a Media Historian and the man was just fascinating to speak with.So Please enjoy Our Chat with David J Howe!

On this week's show, the boys talk over some of the recent series finales, the pronunciation book reveal, high street fashion (yes, you heard me correctly) and a whole bunch of other stuff. Part two of the show features a bumper line up of authors from Telos publishing. Spindles and Emma caught up with Sam Stone, Raven Dane, Stephen J Walker and David J Howe at Forbidden Planet for a chat about Steampunk, Doctor Who, Conventions and more. So thank you very much to all of you for giving up some of your day to talk to us. :) Various linky bits: Telos Publishing: http://www.telos.co.uk/ Sam Stone: http://www.sam-stone.blogspot.co.uk/ Raven Dane:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/287640.Raven_Dane Stephen J Walker: http://www.telos.co.uk/author.php?id=67 David Howe: http://howeswho.blogspot.co.uk/ Leap Motion vid with Sqeepo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69JJnuiQBE8 As always you can find us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nerdvworld Or follow us on twitter: Brendan: http://www.twitter.com/NerdVsWorld Ady: http://www.twitter.com/kaosady Spindles: http://www.twitter.com/spindlyone Until next time, Take care and be excellent to each other.

On this week's show, the boys talk over some of the recent series finales, the pronunciation book reveal, high street fashion (yes, you heard me correctly) and a whole bunch of other stuff. Part two of the show features a bumper line up of authors from Telos publishing. Spindles and Emma caught up with Sam Stone, Raven Dane, Stephen J Walker and David J Howe at Forbidden Planet for a chat about Steampunk, Doctor Who, Conventions and more. So thank you very much to all of you for giving up some of your day to talk to us. :) Various linky bits: Telos Publishing: http://www.telos.co.uk/ Sam Stone: http://www.sam-stone.blogspot.co.uk/ Raven Dane:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/287640.Raven_Dane Stephen J Walker: http://www.telos.co.uk/author.php?id=67 David Howe: http://howeswho.blogspot.co.uk/ Leap Motion vid with Sqeepo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69JJnuiQBE8 As always you can find us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nerdvworld Or follow us on twitter: Brendan: http://www.twitter.com/NerdVsWorld Ady: http://www.twitter.com/kaosady Spindles: http://www.twitter.com/spindlyone Until next time, Take care and be excellent to each other.

Radio Free Skaro's own Steven had the pleasure of interviewing Telos Publishing superstar David J Howe at Gallifrey 2009, in a discussion ranging from his reference works (most of which Steven owns) to his extensive knowledge of Doctor Who merchandise.

The Five Doctors was a special feature-length of the series , produced in celebration of the programme's twentieth anniversary. It aired in the United Kingdom on , , although it had its world premiere in the , on the station and various other PBS affiliates on , the anniversary date. //<![CDATA[ if (window.showTocToggle) { var tocShowText = "show"; var tocHideText = "hide"; showTocToggle(); } //]]> Synopsis Someone is plucking all the incarnations of out of time, and placing them in the Death Zone on where they will meet old friends and enemies and play out the deadly Game of Rassilon, for the ultimate prize. But to lose is to win, and he who wins shall lose... Plot The , and are taking a break on the Eye of Orion, one of the most tranquil spots in the universe, when the Fifth Doctor suddenly collapses. Tegan and Turlough bring the Fifth Doctor back into the , where they discover to their distress that he is literally fading away. The Fifth Doctor manages to set the TARDIS controls for a destination and the ship dematerializes. In a hidden chamber, a dark figure is manipulating the controls of a time scoop and kidnapping previous out of the time stream along with some of his former companions. The is taken while he is walking in a rose garden, the and from a reunion and the while he is out driving his roadster, Bessie. Also taken out of time are and the Doctor's granddaughter . The and are taken while along the , but whoever is doing this is frustrated as the two are trapped in the time vortex by a time eddy and unable to rematerialize. All of them, save the Fourth Doctor and Romana, are deposited on a desolate, rocky landscape — the Death Zone on . Meanwhile, in the Capitol on Gallifrey, the High Council of , headed by Lord President and consisting of Chancellor Flavia and the , watches in concern. The is being drained by whoever is taking the Doctor out of time, endangering all of Gallifrey. Despite Borusa's misgivings, the High Council has unanimously voted to call in the to assist by going into the Death Zone to help the Doctors. Offered a pardon and a new cycle of regenerations, the Master accepts, and is given a copy of the Seal of the High Council by the Castellan to prove his bona fides, and a matter transmitter (transmat) recall device. He is then teleported via transmat to the Death Zone. In the Zone, the Doctors face various dangers. The First Doctor and Susan are pursued by a through a hall of mirrors, finally escaping when they push the Dalek into a dead end, where the discharge of its energy weapon ricochets back and destroys it. The Second Doctor and the Brigadier escape from a squad of , and the Third Doctor rescues Sarah from her fall down an embankment. Sarah is mildly confused, as she had seen the Third Doctor regenerate into the Fourth (), but is glad to see the Doctor she once knew. The Second and Third Doctors explain to their companions that in Gallifrey's past, known as the Dark Time, the Time Lords misused their powers. A device called the Time Scoop was used to pluck beings out of their times and place them in the Death Zone, where they would fight each other in a sort of gladiatorial game. The Doctors' goal now is to reach the Dark Tower, where the Time Lord founder is entombed, although there is some doubt as to whether Rassilon is actually dead. The Master meets and tries unsuccessfully to convince the Third Doctor that he is there to help. He is then forced to flee when thunderbolts fall from the sky. The Third Doctor only sees this as confirmation that this is all a plot of the Master's. The First Doctor and Susan find the TARDIS and the presence of the First Doctor seems to stabilize the Fifth for the moment. Together, they scan the tower and find three entrances — one at the apex of the tower, the main gate at the base, and one underground, but a force field prevents the TARDIS's entry. The Fifth Doctor takes Tegan and Susan to go to the main gate, but encounters the Master, who has no better luck convincing the Fifth Doctor than he did the Third. At that moment, the two are surrounded by Cybermen, and when they try to run away, the Master is knocked out by a cybergun blast. The Fifth Doctor finds the Master's recall device on his unconscious body, and transmats himself to the Capitol. The Master, confronted by the Cybermen, offers himself as a guide to the Tower. In the Capitol, the Doctor is informed of the situation by the High Council. The Doctor realizes not only that he has done the Master an injustice, but also that they were found too easily by the Cybermen. He opens the recall device and finds a homing beacon inside. The Castellan, who gave the Master the device, is arrested and his quarters ordered to be searched. There is found a box containing the Black Scrolls of Rassilon — forbidden knowledge from the Dark Time. Borusa destroys the scrolls before anyone can examine them and orders the Castellan taken to the mind probe for interrogation. However, as the Castellan is escorted outside, there is a shot. The Doctor rushes out to find the Castellan dead, and the Captain of the guard reporting that he was shot while trying to escape. The Doctor voices his concerns to Chancellor Flavia: the Castellan was stubborn, but not a traitor. There is more to this than meets the eye. The Second Doctor and the Brigadier are exploring a series of caves when they encounter a left over from the games. Taking refuge in an alcove, the Doctor tries to chase the Yeti off with a , succeeding only in maddening it, and causing it to collapse the entrance to the alcove. However, the Doctor detects a breeze from further back and discovers the underground entrance to the Tower. On the surface, the Third Doctor and Sarah come across a , according to the Doctor the most perfect killing machine ever devised. Able to move with blinding speed and fire bolts of metal at its targets, it detects its victims by motion. The Doctor and Sarah are unable to move without attracting the robot's attention, but luck is on their side when a squad of Cybermen come over the ridge and are rapidly eliminated by the robot. Taking advantage of the distraction, the Doctor and Sarah run past the robot's position, taking some rope and spare bolts from the robot's cave. Reaching a cliff face just above the Tower, the Doctor uses the rope and bolts to form a grappling hook, and he and Sarah across to the top of the Tower. Tegan and Susan have told the First Doctor what happened to the Fifth Doctor. The First Doctor decides to head for the main gate himself, with Tegan insisting on accompanying him. Opening the main gate through the means of a keypad hidden under a bell, they find a chessboard floor pattern blocking their way. The First Doctor determines that the chessboard is a trap — electrical bolts will destroy anyone attempting to cross unless they find the safe path. The Master appears at this point, warning them that the Cybermen are close behind. While the Doctor and Tegan hide, the Master lures the Cybermen onto the chessboard where they are killed. The Master tells the Doctor, "It's as easy as pie", then blithely steps across the board and moves into the Tower. The Doctor realizes that the Master means the Greek letter , and that the safe path is calculated by means of the mathematical constant. He and Tegan make their way across the trap. In the Zone, the TARDIS is being surrounded by Cybermen who start to assemble a bomb to blow it up. Inside, Turlough and Susan watch helplessly. The Second and Third Doctors encounter more obstacles while moving separately through the Tower, with the mind of Rassilon exuding an intensifying feeling of fear. They also encounter what appear to be their previous companions: the Third meeting and ; the Second meeting and . The Doctors soon realize that the 'companions' are just phantoms designed to impede their progress through the Tower, and the spectres vanish with a scream. Finally, all three Doctors reach the tomb where Rassilon's casket lies. While the Brigadier, Sarah, and Tegan get re-acquainted, the three Doctors try to translate an inscription written in Ancient Gallifreyan on a pedestal near a control panel. The Fifth Doctor finds that Borusa has vanished from the Council chamber, but the guards insist that the President could not have gotten by them at the only entrance. The transmat is out of power, so the Doctor deduces that there must be a secret door. He finds it hidden behind a painting of Rassilon playing the harp. The key to opening the door is a series of notes played on the actual harp standing before the painting — notes indicated by the sheet music in the painting itself. The Doctor enters the secret chamber, finding the dark figure that had taken his other selves out of time: Borusa. The Lord President is not satisfied with ruling Gallifrey for his lifetimes — he wants to be President Eternal. Borusa has determined that Rassilon discovered the secret of immortality, and he means to claim it, sending the Doctors into the Zone to clear the way for him. Using the Coronet of Rassilon, Borusa overwhelms the Fifth Doctor's will, thus forcing the latter to obey his commands. In the tomb, the Doctors have deciphered the inscription: Rassilon had discovered immortality and will share it with whomever overcomes the obstacles to the tomb and takes the ring from his body. However, one line troubles the First Doctor: "To lose is to win and he who wins shall lose." The Master steps out of the shadows to claim immortality for himself, yet is jumped from behind by the Brigadier and tied up by Sarah and Tegan. The Third Doctor fixes the control panel by , allowing the TARDIS to transport itself to the tomb (just seconds before the Cybermen's bomb detonates). The Second Doctor contacts the Capitol and the Fifth Doctor answers, still under Borusa's control. He tells his other selves to await their arrival. He and Borusa transmat over to the tomb. Borusa paralyzes the Doctors' companions with a command and tries to control the minds of the Doctors as well, but fails as all four Doctors combine their wills against him. However, a booming voice echoes through the chamber — the voice of Rassilon, demanding to know who disturbs him. Borusa steps forward to claim immortality and while the other Doctors protest, the First Doctor holds the others back and says to the projection of Rassilon that Borusa deserves the prize. Borusa takes the ring from the body and puts it on. He finds himself paralyzed, then transformed into one of several stone faces carved into the side of the casket. Rassilon sends the Master back to his own time, then frees the Fourth Doctor from the time vortex and returns to eternal rest. The First Doctor smugly tells the Fifth that he finally understood the proverb. The 'prize' was yet another trap — a means for Rassilon to eliminate whoever sought immortality. The Doctors and the companions say their good-byes to each other and re-enter the TARDIS save for the Fifth Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough. As those three watch, the others are transported back to their proper times. Chancellor Flavia arrives with guards and tells the Doctor that with Borusa's disappearance, the Council has appointed the Doctor as President. The Doctor appears reluctant, but Flavia tells him he cannot refuse an order of the Council or it will attract the severest penalties. The Doctor orders Flavia back to the Capitol, saying that he will travel there in his TARDIS and that she has full powers until his return. Once in the TARDIS, though, he reveals to Tegan and Turlough that he has no intention of returning. Tegan asks if the Doctor really intends to go on the run from his own people in a rickety old TARDIS. The Doctor replies, smiling, "Why not? After all, that's how it all started." Cast — , , , , , — — — — — — — — Chancellor Flavia — The Castellan — — — — — — — — — Voice of — Voice — Dalek Operator — Sergeant — — Commander — Technician — Guard — — Cast notes The role of the First Doctor was played by Richard Hurndall, as William Hartnell, who originally played the role, died in 1975. William Hartnell does make an appearance, however, in a pre-titles sequence taken from the end of .Tom Baker declined to reprise his role as the , as he did not want to reappear in the series so recently after his departure (a decision he would later say that he regretted); so his appearance in the story was pieced together from footage filmed for the unaired serial .The scene with Jamie and Zoe was originally written with Zoe and in mind. The Doctor would have realised the truth when Victoria called Lethbridge-Stewart "Brigadier", since Victoria had only met the Brigadier when he was a Colonel in . However, was unable to make the filming dates. Frazer Hines was able to free himself up for a day's shooting, so Jamie was written in instead.In the original drafts of the script, the Doctor/companion combinations were very different. Before Tom Baker decided not to appear, the Fourth Doctor would have been paired with Sarah, the Third Doctor with the Brigadier and the Second Doctor with Jamie. When Baker declined to appear and Frazer Hines was unable to meet the production dates due to other commitments, the scripts had to be altered. However, Hines was able to step in later for a cameo appearance, as noted above. was asked to appear as but objected to the way in which the character interacted with the Second Doctor and declined to participate. The scene was filmed with an unnamed sergeant in place of Benton. Continuity This is only the second time in the series' history that there was a pre-credits sequence. (1982) was the first such story. Subsequently, (1987) and (1988) also featured pre-credits teasers. The pre-credits sequence became a regular occurrence starting with the 2005 series episode .This serial also featured the debut of the new TARDIS console and room, the first redesign since 1977. This console would remain until the end of series production in 1989.This serial ended fan speculation as to whether or not and Jon Pertwee's Doctors were regenerations or merely "changes of appearance". It also explicitly indicated in dialogue that the Davison incarnation of the Doctor was in fact the fifth, officially contradicting the speculation that had circulated since the serial that there had been additional incarnations of the Doctor prior to Hartnell.When asked by the Third Doctor as to whether he has regenerated again, the Master says, "Not exactly", referencing his stealing of Tremas's body as seen in the Fourth Doctor story (1981).This is the first time it is suggested that a new cycle of regenerations can be bestowed on a person (in this case the Master), implying that it could be possible to circumvent the twelve-regeneration limit established in . However, the Master is occupying a non-Time Lord body, so whether this can be applied to a Time Lord who has already reached his thirteenth incarnation is unclear. Years later, however, the episode "" shows the Master regenerating and in the following episode "" indicates that he had been "resurrected" (the Master's own word, left unexplained) by the Time Lords to fight in the , suggesting a new regeneration cycle was indeed bestowed upon him.Three incarnations of previously appeared in , and .Dinah Sheridan makes a guest appearance as Flavia. The character has subsequently been mentioned in spin-off fiction as becoming President of the High Council and then subsequently removed from office due to a scandal (as detailed in the novel, Happy Endings). In the new series, a musical cue composed by with ethereal sounding vocals is jokingly referred to as "Flavia's Theme" by the production team, who say it is Flavia's voice singing out from the .One of the jewels from the Coronet of Rassilion would later play an important part in the adventure .No explanation is given for 's absence from this story.The First Doctor does not quite recognise the Master ("Do I know you?"), and has to be reminded of their time at the Academy together. The Third Doctor does recognise him, however, though it seems not as easily as usual.The Mind Probe would later be used as a plot device in the Torchwood episode . Retroactive perspectives This story takes place after from the point of view of the First Doctor and Susan, given Susan's mature appearance and the implication that they have been separated for some time.Although it is never made clear exactly where this story takes place within the Second and Third Doctors' chronology, it is made clear that it takes place after the events of . The Second Doctor mentions while reminiscing with the Brigadier, and also makes a comment about his own replacement being "unpromising" when he is in UNIT headquarters and meets Lethbridge-Stewart's successor. The Third Doctor also refers to “that fellow in the check trousers and black frock-coat? when he meets the illusions of Mike Yates and Liz Shaw. The familiar and mock-antagonistic way that the Second and Third Doctors interact also suggests that The Five Doctors takes place after the events of The Three Doctors for them both. Since the First Doctor refers to the Second as "the little fellow", it is reasonable to assume that the story takes place later in his chronology as well.The Second Doctor's method of determining that Jamie and Zoe are phantoms, which references the events of , is, seemingly, a continuity error, (subsequently rendering the Second Doctor's earlier meeting with the Brigadier in this story a continuity error). The memories of Jamie and Zoe's travels with the Doctor, as opposed to their respective initial adventures with him in their own home eras ( and ) were wiped in The War Games when they were returned to their own times at a moment just after they had left in the TARDIS. There are various fan explanations for this and it is noted that it is the Brigadier only that they should not have recognised as neither of them would remember meeting him in and respectively. (see )This story takes place some time between and from the Third Doctor's point of view, as he recognises Sarah Jane, for whom events take place after K-9 and Company.The Third Doctor reacts to Sarah's mimed description of the Fourth Doctor by saying, "Teeth and curls?" and telling her the change has not happened yet for him. Although the Third Doctor may just be interpreting her gestures, his accuracy has led some fans to believe that it implies a previous unseen encounter with the Fourth Doctor. According to on the commentary, the line was supposed to be Sarah's, but Pertwee negotiated with Elisabeth Sladen for him to say it instead, leading to the problem. In the short story The Touch of the Nurazh by Stephen Hatcher from the anthology , an injury makes the Third Doctor begin to regenerate into the Fourth but the process is reversed. This is witnessed by Jo Grant, and the theory is that she subsequently describes the Fourth Doctor's appearance to the Third.This story occurs after from the Brigadier's point of view, given that he recognises Tegan and later the Fifth Doctor.At the start of the episode, Sarah Jane Smith is shown with K-9, a direct reference to the spin-off pilot of two years earlier, . The two characters later returned in the story . Production The working title for this story was The Six Doctors. It would have been written by former and would have featured the and their of the five incarnations of the Doctor; in their attempt to extract DNA to turn themselves into "Cyberlords", the twist being that the First Doctor and Susan would actually be impostors (the former being the "Sixth Doctor" of the title) and the Second Doctor would have saved the day. However, Holmes dropped out at an early stage and another former script editor, Terrance Dicks, was brought in instead. Some elements of this plotline would be reused in Holmes's own .The original script featured an appearance by the , last seen in . After being dropped into the Death Zone, Sarah would have been attacked by a group of them before being rescued by the Third Doctor. However, due to budgetary restrictions, the scene was dropped and replaced in the finished version.Just before she meets the Third Doctor, Sarah falls a few feet down what fans have generally considered a rather unconvincing slope. In the novelisation, Sarah actually steps off a cliff. This was what was originally intended in the script, but for budgetary reasons the sequence was changed.Nathan-Turner's first choice of director for the story was , who had directed the first ever Doctor Who serial, , in 1963. However, Hussein was in America at the time and was unable to accept the offer. Nathan-Turner then asked another veteran director, , to direct but he also declined. It has been suggested[] that Camfield was offended to be second choice or that he was angered that Nathan-Turner had not asked him back to Doctor Who before, but there is no known evidence to support this suggestion. Camfield was also very ill with , and this may have had an impact on his decision not to direct the production. He died of a early in 1984.The programme is officially a co-production with the , although the production team were not aware of this during production and the agreement in effect amounted to little more than a pre-production purchase pact.The story was prepared in two formats: the ninety-minute version and a four-part version, the latter designed for international distribution or repeat broadcasting in the ordinary series run. The episode breaks were, respectively: Sarah falling down the slope, the Cybermen placing their bomb outside the TARDIS while Susan and Turlough watch; and the Master appearing behind the and Tegan while in the Dark Tower.In the various publicity photos of the five Doctors from this story, a waxwork model of from a 1980 Doctor Who Exhibition in was used. According to producer John Nathan-Turner, Baker had agreed to do the photocall for the 20th anniversary but, suspecting that he might not turn up, Nathan-Turner organised for the waxwork to be on location.This is the only programme from the classic series of Doctor Who for which all recorded and filmed material, including alternate and unused takes, fluffed scenes and so forth, still exists in broadcast-quality format. This allowed for the creation of the 1995 version of the story.The end credits featured a specially mixed version of the theme music, which began with 's original 1960s arrangement and then segued into the arrangement being used by the series at the time. This arrangement was only used on this one occasion and was the last time that the Derbyshire version was heard during the show's original run. A unique arrangement of the opening credits music was also used, which ended in a brief coda phrase that was never used in any other serial. Outside references The Brigadier references "" and "".The 's line, "Scarecrow!" (aimed at the ), is an , referencing the fact that Jon Pertwee played .Some of the inscriptions on the tombstone when they reach Rassilon's Tower are mathematical symbols. In print Doctor Who book The Five Doctors Series Release number 81 Writer Publisher Cover artist ISBN 0 426 19510 8 Release date 24 November 1983 Preceded by Followed by A novelisation of this serial, written by , was published by in November 1983; it was the only Target novelisation to be published before its story was transmitted. Broadcast, VHS and DVD releases The Five Doctors was first broadcast in the on the actual date of the programme's 20th anniversary. The broadcast in the United Kingdom was delayed two days so it could coincide with the BBC's charity night. There were a few scenes in the BBC broadcast that had not been shown in the US airing.The story was first released and in September of 1985. This version was also released on in 1994.It was rereleased on VHS in 1990 without 2 minutes of edits present in the earlier tapes and discs. To date, this is the only release of the story as originally broadcast.A Special Edition of the episode, with updated special effects, surround-sound compatibility and an alternate editing of the raw material was released on VHS in 1995 in a box set with the video of and a limited edition postcard album. Since about 2000, this version has been turning up frequently in the syndication package instead of the original.This was the first Doctor Who serial to be released on , on , . Some of the special effects were further enhanced and the voice of Rassilon was noticeably different. The Region 1 version has a commentary track by Peter Davison and writer .On it was announced that The Five Doctors would be the first Doctor Who story to be made available to download to , in a deal between and the technology firm .This story will be rereleased on a 2 disc 25th Anniversary special edition DVD on 3rd March 2008. [] References Briggs, Nick, "Last Orders", , #229, 30th August 1995, , p.36, quote of Nicholas Courtney (who did not specify a companion for Troughton) Lyons, Steve and Chris Howarth, "The Good Soldier" (interview with John Levene) Doctor Who Magazine, #230, 27 September 1995, Marvel Comics UK Ltd., p.44 ; David J. Howe (2006). Talkback: The Unofficial and Unauthorised Doctor Who Interview Book: Volume One: The Sixties. England: , p. 30. .  Rawson-Jones, Ben. "", , -. Retrieved on -.  External links at at at the Reviews reviews at reviews at reviews at 130 - The Five Doctors telemovie The Doctors inside the Tomb of Rassilon () () () () (, archive footage only) (First Doctor, pre-titles clip) () () () () (, archive footage only) Writer ( segment) (uncredited) ( segments) (uncredited) Director (uncredited) (The Dalek Invasion of Earth segment) (uncredited) (Shada segments) (uncredited) Script editor Producer John Nathan-Turner Executive producer(s) None Production code 6K Series Length 90 mins Originally broadcast , (first global) , (first ) Chronology ? Preceded by Followed by →