Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders (novelisation)

 was a novelisation based on the 1974 television serial Planet of the Spiders.

1975 edition
`It’s happening, Brigadier! It’s happening!’ Sarah cried out. The Brigadier watched, fascinated, as the lifeless body of his old friend and companion, Dr Who, suddenly began to glow with an eerie golden light … The features were blurring, changing … `Well, bless my soul.’ Said the Brigadier. `WHO will he be next?’

Read the last exciting adventure of DR WHO’s 3rd Incarnation!

1991 edition
A planet ruled by Spiders...

When Jo Grant left the Doctor he gave her the crystal that he found on the planet Metebelis III. But that crystal is vital to the giant spiders who rule the planet, and now they send an emissary to Earth to recover it. The Doctor and Sarah are sent to Metebelis 3 to lead an uprising of human slaves against these hideous monsters...

Doctor Who- Planet of the Spiders was the last story to feature Jon Pertwee in the role of the Doctor and was written by Robert Sloman. This adaption is by Terrence Dicks, who was script editor of the series for five years.

Doctor Who - Plancet of the Spiders is available as a BBC Video.

Chapter Titles

 * Prologue: The Mystery of the Crystal
 * 1) The Menace at the Monastery
 * 2) The Deadly Experiment
 * 3) The Coming of the Spider
 * 4) The chase for the Crystal
 * 5) The Council of the Spiders
 * 6) Arrival on Metebelis Three
 * 7) Prisoner of the Spiders
 * 8) The Doctor Hits Back
 * 9) In the Lair of the Great One
 * 10) Return to Earth
 * 11) The Battle with the Spiders
 * 12) The Last Enemy
 * Epilogue: An End and a Beginning

Deviations from televised story

 * Dicks adds a prologue featuring former companion Jo Grant, who is referenced but otherwise does not appear on screen in the TV version. Jo is referred to as Josephine Jones, which is consistent with the name she uses when she returns to television in 2010 in TV: Death of the Doctor.
 * The original broadcast included references to Dr. Sullivan, but in the book this becomes Dr. Sweetman.
 * Lupton's fate is depicted more gruesomely in the novel.

Writing and publishing notes

 * The BBC supplied a photograph of Tom Baker when they were unhappy with the original artwork they were shown that featured the Third Doctor's regeneration into the Fourth Doctor.
 * Title page includes: THE CHANGING FACE OF DOCTOR WHO. The cover illustration of this book portrays the third DOCTOR WHO whose physical appearance was altered by the Time Lords when they banished him to planet Earth in the Twentieth Century.

British publication history
First publication:
 * Hardback
 * W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. UK


 * Paperback
 * Target

Re-issues:
 * 1978 Target Books with a new cover by Alun Hood priced 60p (UK)
 * 1991 Virgin Publishing with a new cover by Alister Pearson priced £2.50 (UK)

Editions published outside Britain
To be added

Audiobook
Released by BBC Audio and read by Elisabeth Sladen