Who's 50: The 50 Doctor Who Stories to Watch Before You Die - An Unofficial Companion

by Graeme Burk, Robert Smith

An enthusiastic guided tour through 50 years of Doctor Who Doctor Who has been a television phenomenon since it began over five decades ago on November 23, 1963. But of all the hundreds of televised stories, which are the ones you must watch? Featuring 50 stories from all eleven Doctors, Who’s 50 is full of behind-the-scenes details, exhilarating moments, connections to Who lore, goofs, interesting trivia, and much, much more. Enthusiastically curated for newcomers and fans alike by Doctor Who experts Graeme Burk and Robert Smith? and released on the fiftieth anniversary of the series premiere, Who’s 50 tells the story of this global sensation: its successes, its tribulations, and its triumphant return.

Genres: Doctor Who, Nonfiction, Time Travel, Media Tie In, British Literature, Reference

420 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

GRAEME BURK is the co-author (with Robert Smith?) of the guides to Doctor Who, Who Is The Doctor and the upcoming Who's 50 (both published by ECW Press). He was co-editor of two anthologies of fan writing on the Classic and New Series of Doctor Who, Time Unincorporated (Mad Norwegian Press, 2010 and 2011). A finalist for a new screenwriting prize with the Writers Guild of Canada, he currently has a screenplay in development. He has had his work published by magazines, websites and small presses throughout North America and was the author of three stories in the Doctor Who short fiction anthologies, Short Trips. He loves Toronto but lives in Ottawa.

Reviews

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy mother of Rassilon!!! This book is fantastic!


I've found out that being the Doctor... it's not about having special knowledge or abilities. It's about not being cruel. It's about not being afraid.


DOCTOR... WHO?

To explain what exactly is this book...

This is a list of 50 stories from the TV seasons of Doctor Who.

The list was made by the authors: Graeme Burk & Robert Smith? (yes, the "?" is part of his pen name).

The list isn't presented as a Top50, so you don't find an order of importance of the stories, they are ordered based in the chronological order of the production of the episodes.

It covers both "eras" of Doctor Who, the Classic Series (From 1963 to 1996) and the New Series (From 2005 to 2013).

The stories aren't selected by its popularity and/or if they are the best stories.

The stories were selected by its relevance in the context of getting to know about the TV series BUT taking in account only if the story is fully available on DVD to be watched if you can rent it and/or purchase it. (I told this since it's important to know that some stories of the series, specially from the first two doctors, were lost some episodes or the entirety of the arc).

They even give some tips of how to watch each episode from the DVDs like if you have to click on "Play all" or choosing "the Special Edition" format. Indeed it's a very good guide to watch those episodes from the DVD collections.


EPISODES... WHAT?

Each review of the 50 stories, it gets both opinions of the authors, in some cases, both are "in the same channel" about the story, but on some cases, one author explains why he thought that it was relevant to be included while the other author expresses his opposing position about that that story was in the list.

Since it's impossible to please to each reader/fan in the making of a list as this one, I think that this was one of the best possible ways.

Something really important about the book is that if you are totally "new" to the franchise, you will find quite lost reading the book. Since it's not like you'd find a resume of what's about each episode, but the author assume that the reader is familiarized with at least the basic premise of the episodes or already watched them.

So I recommend to get some familiar with Doctor Who watching some episodes, reading on internet, etc... you don't need to become an expert but familiarized a bit will be enough.

I didn't feel "lost", and I'm not expert on the franchise, but I guess that I got familiarized quite enough to understand about what they were talking to me on the commentaries of the episodes.


DETAILS... WHICH?

The book is totally unofficial, so there aren't any photograph, at all. I comment about this since, due it isn't a novel, but a reference book and in this kind of books, it's expected to find some pictures of the TV series and/or behind-the-scenes, but not here. Zero photographs. Just to let you know that detail. It's not like that that makes it less interesting. Just I wanted to alert you about it.

The good thing that the book is totally unofficial, is that you get to read the good, the bad and the ugly of Doctor Who.

The authors aren't afraid of expressing what they found illogical and/or stupid on each story.

Also, they don't hesitate to mention any dirty fact behind-the-scenes about the production of the episodes.

So, I was thrilled of experiencing 50 years in three days (I hardly could put down the book in all that time), indeed it was like making a time travel and a wonderful reading experience.

There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, where the sea's asleep and the rivers dream. People made of smoke and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice and somewhere else is the tea's getting cold. Come on Ace, we've got work to do!

The adventures in Time and Space are still regenerating!

[Jillyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

As any timelord will tell you, it is great to have a companion. Who's 50: The 50 Doctor Who Stories to Watch Before You Die - An Unofficial Companion is a great companion guide to the fifty years running British science fiction show, Doctor Who.

For old Whovians, this acts as a great refresher and a place to obtain additional knowledge. Things like behind the scenes information and fun little trivia facts are sprinkled throughout, offering things to teach you about the series we all adore so much. The book looks at the 50 episodes that every Whovian, new or old, should watch in order to familiarize themselves with the series. All regenerations are represented, from both new Who and the classic Who years.

These are not written in countdown, best-to-worse fashion, and because this book is unofficial, it is (thank goodness!) missing the "this show is perfect" floofy attitude that the network understandably would have spun on it. If something was bad or weird, the authors aren't afraid to let you know.

In addition to being good for the seasoned Who fan, this is also a great jumping off point for those who are looking into beginning the show. A relatively new fan myself (I started watching Ten's episodes while 11 was the current Doctor), I know that it is incredibly intimidating to pull up fifty years' worth of episodes. Do you need to watch them all in order? Where should you start? What is the DEAL? Who's 50 offers great episodes that shed light onto the universe of the timelords, summing up important events and lapsing. Of course most Whovians will tell you to watch them all, and I agree, but this DEFINITELY is a great place to start.

Thank you to Netgalley and ECW Press for my chance to read this. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who's 50 is a wonderful guide for any Whovian. Concentrating on 50 episodes from both classic and new series, this book is a delightful journey not only through the storylines of each episode but through the history of the show and its cast and writers.

The love of the show felt by the authors really shines through and there is plenty of humour as well as interesting facts and anecdotes.

If you are a fan of Doctor Who, I can highly recommend checking out this publication. Or, if you are interested in the series but don't know where to start, this book may offer some ideas on which episodes to try first.

I received this book as a free e-book ARC via NetGalley.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I had never seen a Dr. Who Episode, I thought I'd see what all the hoopla was about. This excellent reference book should please Dr. Who fans, and quite possibly bring in some new fans. It has an interesting compilation of stories from the 50 years of Dr. Who. It would serve as a good guide through the many Doctors and their escapades. It deserves a place in any Dr. Who lover's library.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
Off to start watching.....I've got a lot of catching up to do.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book to satisfy my craving for works of TV & film review and criticism. I devoured this in a day and an evening, and it was an entirely satisfying experience. I could quibble with their choice of including "Love and Monsters"...but I also praise their choice of 5th Doctor stories. Books like this are designed to put a big smile on your face, while making you pull your hair out, shouting "no no no"...which is what all good works of criticism should be able to do. Definitely a keeper, both for the rookie fanboy or fangirl, still working their way through 50 years of "Doctor Who", and for old school fans like myself, dipping into the warm, comforting pool of nostalgia.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm on page 77, I got this book through the giveaway, and I'm so excited that I did. I've been re-watching the series and having a book to help me through and to highlight the must-see super old black and white 60s episodes is fantastic.

Thanks goodreads and "Lexyvs" who listed this book as a giveaway!

[Bryanna]

Give me give me GIIIIVE MEEEE THIS BOOK GOODREADS PLEASE
By now I have entered like 2984382 giveaways because I just really love books and I especially love free books but you don't understand how much I need this book in my life.

[Syahira · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book at Kinokuniya KLCC and apparently it was the only one without being shrink-wrapped from the random Doctor Who shelf. I watch through all of the new series episode and sometimes I love them and sometimes it was meh but I was open to all discussion and I'm not really biased with favourites as long as they hae good story. I only watch the First Doctor series and haven't went through all the rest of classic doctors yet. I have my own favourites and although I haven't venture through all of the classic doctors series yet but seriously, you can do without reading this very overpriced (RM89 wtf??) book.

As a reviewer, atleast I try to come out explaining the book and make readers interested enough in the things I'm reviewing and for an episodic guide, this book fail at making me interest enough in whatever they're trying to sell. There's a lot of factoids being splashed through the pages and most of the time the commentary tend to go out of the specific episode content after a short one sentence summary of the episode and straight into the behind-the-scenes and stuff in one page without any much a separation between them. They don't spend their time dissecting the episodes and do pros and cons but most of the time they name drop. As if that wasn't enough, it's a book on a tv series and you just lay a lot of commentary transcript on some random overexcited fan ramblings in it. Normally I wouldn't mind if its on a blog but when its being published, its another level of pretentiousness. And RM89 for a published series of blog posts from fans?! What a rip off.

I do think this was being published too early to be a good fan representative of the 50th Anniversary and it does seem that it was intentionally published to milk up the hype. Seriously, couldn't you wait for the 50th Anniversary episode before publishing this? Or the Christmas special episode? Mind you, there's a "The Day of the Doctor" minisode and "the Fifth-ish Doctor" as a 50th side which was out after this book was published and those was worth gushing about.

Oh, and the only recommended viewing of the 9th Doctor was "Rose" and "Dalek"? Really? 9th Doctor shouldn't be defined on plastic monsters and sad suicidal Dalek (Spoilers: the Dalek survived the war). "The End of the World" was a great and deep futuristic story with a lot of aliens and deaths in it as a proper DW reintroduction episode after all those years. "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances" was wonderful and the "Are you my mother?" meme survived to this day and "The Parting of Ways" is very moving and notable story on the change 9th did especially on the prevailing Bad Wolf meme. No matter what Christopher Eccleston did to avoid being typecasted as the Doctor now, the least you can do is to appreciate his contribution to the verse. And 10th Doctor's "Blink" was only good because it follow the horror story format. I'm really surprised that there are no mention of "Midnight" which is a very powerful episode that really show off the acting chops of David Tennant and the side characters with near minimal special effects and props and great script and intensity which greatly resemble how the Doctor Who franchise survive today. A story of a man in a ship and the people he interacted and the bad things that they experienced and shared together and the effects he had on them after that. As soon as I see the lack of "Midnight" mentions and the Moffat fanboy gush of "Blink", I know that this book wasn't for me. Moffat was good in singular episode with monsters introduction but he overuse the props and special monsters/effects but he doesn't thrive on giving the characters depth particularly the female characters. I nearly sum up Moffat as the Micheal Bay of BBC. Clara is a bit refreshing over Amy Pond but she's still wasn't as complex as Sarah Jane, Rose, Donna and Martha. Clara was often a mother figure and a friendly good listener companion rather than playing actual active role in the new series (she did in the early episodes but in between them, Clara does seem to step back as the Doctor's cheerleader). You could say that RTD was a male feminist and understand human emotions over Moffat's monster and cinematic technical capabilities. And considering this book doesn't seem to expand itself outside their authors way of explaining DVD Special content things, you might lose yourself amids unnecessary trivia of the Doctor than the actual Doctor Who verse itself.

If you have DVDs of the series and have seen all the DW Confidential and stuff, you might benefit from this book more but if you're thinking about purchasing this as a guide through all the DW franchise, you'll probably do fine watching the series on your own or from reading through online recommendation without this 'companion' in hand. Its an unnecessary purchase, the paper quality reflected the content of this very expensive paperback book and it is really bulky. Feel free to read this book but as a Whovian, I rather spend my money wisely and did not consider this book as a good long term investment (just wait when there's a big sale going on). Heck, I doubt my parents would like it. You see, both of my parents was the same first generation Whovian as Peter Capaldi so really, even if I fill up with all classic DW lore and get involve with the fanvese discussion and arguments, I can't compete with them at all and neither could the fanboy authors of this book.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

** Full Disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book for review as part of the First Reads program here on Goodreads. I'd like to think this didn't influence my review, but caveat emptor **

Doctor Who has been my gold standard of science-fictional televised entertainment since I was a small child. PBS used to broadcast the old Tom Baker episodes (and Peter Davison), and I can still remember my sense of awe and nascent obsession. This show was just so much more thrilling, and mysterious than the original Star Trek--the only other thing that I could compare it to. I was young enough for the classic Daleks to be terrifying, the special effects and sets to be perfectly immersive, and for Tom Baker's underlying kindness and humanity to shine through.

Who's 50 does a fine job of capturing that sense of wonder and generosity towards what new viewers may find to be a groan-worthy antique show. I loved the back story and production tidbits. Whether because of the kindness of the authors (or because of UK/Commonwealth libel law) none of the more acrimonious rumors that I'd heard of the show's backstory were addressed--it would have been interesting for a confirmation or denial of those.

What we do get instead is an excellent synopsis and analysis of 50 fine episodes, all duly placed within the context of the show's fictional continuity and production history. Many of the details were not just new to me, but even to my steeped-in-BBC-SF-lore sister-in-law. This book, within its inevitable space constraints, has left me wanting to dig more into the show's lore and kept me compulsively reading about "just one more storyline".

If there's one thing holding me back from giving this book five stars, it's the dreaded issue of 'spoilers'. I haven't yet seen all of the episodes of Classic Who referenced, and I'd like to learn context without having the plot points spoilt. I don't know what structural or other changes would have allowed me to do this (a section to be read before viewing, a section for after??), but in the end I had to just skip over those few storylines to return to later.

I liked this book well enough that I'm going to have to buy more copies to give to my brother, sister-in-law, and others. Why not just give them mine? Because I'm keeping it! :)

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

With this book, Burk and Smith? fill an important niche in world of published Doctor Who material by offering detailed and well-argued descriptions of 50 episodes that they consider to be important, if not always essential, viewing from the show's fifty year history (circa 2013). Generally speaking, this is a great guide to DW episodes for longtime fans, like myself, as well as for newer fans (of the new series in particular). It is important to note that the book is not necessarily about the 50 'best' or most essential episodes. Indeed, this book articulates why such lists are always contentious among Doctor Who fans as they are ultimately subject to individual tastes, tolerances, and one's personal history in viewing the show. For me, this was the biggest strength of the book in that it didn't pretend to be something that it's not, namely a 'definitive guide.' Indeed, each episode is presented in the form of an accessible and articulate conversation between the co-authors as to why (and some cases why not) it was included as an example of a Doctor Who story 'to see before you die.' These sorts of opinions - and the various reasonings for their often quite marked differences - is central to the experience of being a Doctor Who fan. These are endless debates constantly open to reevaluation and reinterpretation and Burk and Smith? clearly understand this and strive to incorporate it into the book.

Did I agree with all of their episode choices? No, but in almost every instance they presented a compelling arguments that challenged my initial reaction to the inclusions. The only instances where I truly question their choices is in relation to certain Seventh Doctor episode choices. The arguments in these few instances were often weak (and invariably one of the co-authors echoed my displeasure). The personal anecdotes were a great part of the writing and helped to keep the reading amusing and arguments engaging. Indeed, it even helped me remember my first clear memory of watching an episode of Doctor Who when I was a child (Frontios...I was hooked after seeing this episode on PBS many years ago).

Overall, an excellent addition to any Doctor Who fan's bookshelf!

[Warreni · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're like me (and you'd better hope you're not), you make a habit of reading these kinds of books; I have this peculiar fascination with reading other people's opinions of Doctor Who stories. The concept of a Top ?? List is naturally a magnet for controversy, especially within a fandom as passionate as Whovians (yes, I know this is an American word that British people find weird, but I don't care), but, as with a recent book on the Top 100 Beatles songs that I read, I'm intrigued by the authors' justifications for the choices and how they align (or not) with my own opinions. In this case, there are some things that were left off that I disagree with and some inclusions that I disagree with, but the majority of the choices in the book are actually almost no-brainers (An Unearthly Child, The War Games, Spearhead from Space, Remembrance of the Daleks). The most egregious inclusions in the book are some of the sketchy Sixth and Seventh Doctor serials (Vengeance on Varos, The Happiness Patrol) and the dreadful Asylum of the Daleks. (Daleks are remorseless killing machines obsessed with racial purity and elimination of all inferior species and specimens--why would they keep their defective members alive? It makes absolutely no sense on its face.) The book also includes segments referred to as Psychic Papers that provide background information (bear in mind that the nominal target audience for the book is the new-to-Who viewer who only became aware of the show post-2005); unfortunately, most of the information contained therein is recycled from earlier books, which brings me to my opening of this review: if you've read lots of these kinds of books before, little of this information will be new to you. On the whole, it's interesting to read, but it's a bit long for people who have more than a passing familiarity with the "classic" series.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Review written for an originally posted on my blog, Book Bliss. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review**

Review: 5 stars

General: I am such a huge Doctor Who fan I could not wait to read a book like this!

The only thing I found negative against this book was the voice of the narrators, I am unsure who was really writing which things. I completely agree with personal opinions in novels. However, given this is a family show I was alarmed to find the content and language I did in some of the remarks. I would have liked that to be cleaned up so a child can read it if they wished. (By child I mean 11-12 age range as there are big words and concepts).

With that out of the way I would like to shower praise for all of the fantastic (yes 9 is my favorite) research that was done. Not only was there background on the show and the actors but each episode was given historical and show framework. I wanted to read this to learn the things I did not know only have just found Doctor Who seven months ago. This book was a perfect backdrop for everything! I enjoyed grimacing or cheering when I agreed with a favorite episode. I think that was the best part, seeing if my favorites made it in. I have to say I 100% disagreed with almost every episode picked from the new series but it was great learning about why the ones picked were picked!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just in time for the 50th Anniversary, Burk and Smith provide a comprehensive (though not exhaustive) volume on the episodes any Who fan needs to watch to fully appreciate the series in all its awesomeness, camp, and occasional *headdesk*ing failure. The authors give plot synopses, along with behind-the-scenes trivia and commentary on continuity issues and character development which are extremely useful to anyone who doesn't have quite enough time to watch 20-odd seasons' worth of shows to catch up on the backstory.

While mildly entertaining and quite serviceable, the commentary itself isn't nearly as funny/clever as the authors seem to think it is - though to be fair, I had my high-bar for unofficial companions set early by Cornell, Day, and Topping's X-Treme Possibilities, which was both brilliant and prone to making you snort liquids out your nose from laughter. Still, Who's 50 is an excellent source of factoids and background for the show, and very useful as a reference for anyone looking to catch all the in-jokes in the 50th special.

[James Kinsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any list of Who stories to watch will be contentious, so getting two authors, with their own opinions, and choosing stories for their significance as well as their quality, gives you scope for providing a good go-to list, a great starting point for new fans looking to broaden their knowledge. Well-written, engaging in tone, stuffed full of facts and behind-the-scenes snippets, it's made me excited to dig these out and watch them (even ones I've seen recently that are actually ropey, the enthusiasm of the authors has sold me). Brilliant stuff.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. I received this book for free through the Goodreads First Reads program.

2. I have seen most of the episodes listed in this book.

Okay, the authors are fairly clear that there will never be agreement on this subject, and that they don't even fully agree with each other. So, I'm not even going to bother arguing about their episode selection. I found the book informative. However, I quickly stopped reading the authors "reviews" of the episodes. While the other information was interesting, their reviews were painful to read. They often tried to be fun or parody other works and failed in the process. It seemed they were more interested in upping their "nerd-cred" than in giving a good review. The fanboyism and commentary put me off, because I really just didn't care what they thought. Thanks for putting the book together, keep your opinions to yourself.

[Jon Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Burk and Smith?’s follow up to Who Is The Doctor? is a slight variation on a theme. Whereas the first volume was a guide to the BBC Wales produced version of the show, this is a guide to fifty stories which the authors believe will give you a good flavour of the show’s entire history. The choices range from obvious to splendidly idiosyncratic, and the books’s often at it’s best when the disagree and the analysis sections turn into extended conversations. As with all of these types of books the success depends to a large extent on the personalities of the authors, fortunately they’re talented and persuasive raconteurs. An excellent introduction to the show.

[Kevinjwoods · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting idea but in practice not one that you could read in one sitting, and there are some quirky choices and omissions, why Waters of mars over every other Tennent episode, or why so much McCoy given the complete hatred of one of the writers for him, and the less said about the attempts to have it purpotedly written to characters which never works ever.

Of course if you wanted to show what the old series s like to a complete newbie it wuld be good if some if the stories chosen werent so personal to the authors, and every fan would make changes to their own personal list of 50 best stories.

[Mhorg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have to say that this feels more like a book written just to make some dough off the Doc's fiftieth anniversary than anything else. As a long time Who fan, I was mystified at some of their choices, and annoyed at others. But these are the personal choices of the authors and if you took 100 Who fans, you'd likely get 100 different lists. I would have liked it a bit straight forward and could have lived without the snarky comments by the authors at the end of each review. Some interesting stuff, but nothing I haven't read before.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

For die hard Doctor Who fans.
Subjective at best as we all have our own favourite stories.
A very detailed and well written book featuring in depth reviews from fifty great stories.
Written before Capaldi became the Doctor, it features stories from EVERY previous Doctor's incarnations.
We all have our favourite Doctor. Before the rebirth mine was the third Doctor. After the revival it was Matt Smith who could capture the light and darkness within the Gallifreyan.
Can't wait for the new series and will give it an honest review.
Longer live the Doctor!

[Brian Mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just started reading this book, and already find it greatly informative. It is a great companion for the Doctor Who fan of any devotion, for the neophyte to the die hard. Hate to make this review so short, but I need to go. I have some Doctor Who episodes to watch.



In compliance with FTC guidelines, I must disclose that I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[John Parungao · Rating 3 out of 5]

A humorous look at 50 years of Doctor Who on TV. With tips for new viewers and sections about the history of this long running program. Although it doesn't praise all of the television episodes it reviews, it does give the reader a feel for the history and evolution of Doctor Who the television program and the highlights of the characters and actors involved in making such a long running TV show.

[Jerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

To say I'm a Doctor Who fan is a little inadequate. That being said, this book is fun and totally enjoyable with one very small exception. Love and Monsters? Really? The single episode that should be forgotten to history. I loved all the show history and the fantastic reviews of each episode by the authors. I recommend this completely to all Doctor Who fans, old and new.

[Jeff Szpirglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another groovy winner from Robert Smith? and Graeme Burk. You know these guys are serious about their Who when they defend "Delta and the Bannermen," therefore restoring my faith in the universe, and Keff McCullogh music.

[Chris Hinchley · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better retrospectives, which has benefited from some space and time. Thought I knew most stuff around Who-lore, but there was some interesting additional details here. Indeed, there was a lot I had simply forgotten. Good nostalgia trip!

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read, interesting choices. It's getting to the point I know a lot of what is being said by now though. I'm glad I read this one from the library (being able to borrow ebooks is awesome) and didn't spend my money on it.

[Kurt Criscione · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bunch of points I would love to argue with the 2 writers... but a really good book. Gave me about 14 serials to put higher on my list... as I saw all the others so far...

[Aparajitabasu · Rating 4 out of 5]

check the full review here - http://le-grande-codex.blogspot.in/20...

[Yosef Shapiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does what all list books does. It creates a good starting point for discussions. Do we agree or disagree with the author's choices. Read the book and decide for yourself.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent overview of the 50 best (in the authors' view) of the classic Doctor Who. A journey down memory lane for some and a beginner's guide to watch first.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun read. Makes me want to revisit some of these episodes.