The Legend

The Legend was a Doctor Who reference book published by BBC Books.

Subject matter
This title concentrates on the narrative of Doctor Who, the wider tapestry of information we learn about the Doctor, his companions and enemies and the worlds he has visited.

Publisher's summary
At about tea time on Saturday 23 November 1963, a mysterious time-traveller known only as "the Doctor" appeared on the nation's screens, and a legend was born.

For millions of us, Doctor Who was an integral part of our growing up. In the 60s and early 70s, before the days of videos and multiple-television households, the whole family would sit down to watch the Doctor in action, With a huge cult following, Doctor Who fuelled the imaginations of generations of British children, and went on to become the longest running science fiction television show ever made, broadcasting over a staggering 26 seasons and 159 stories.

Continually battling against the Daleks, the Cybermen, and a host of other space-bound baddies, the Doctor has been through a very impressive eight regenerations. From William Hartnell's cantankerous old professor and the humour of Patrick Troughton's second Doctor, through the Harley Street elegance of Jon Pertwee and the demystification of Tom Baker to Paul McGann's Byronic hero, each Doctor has continued the fight against the inter-galactic forces of evil.

Now as the Doctor turns forty, we look back at his career – on television, and in books, films, audio series and comic strips. Covering each and every one of the Doctor's televised adventures, this book explains all things Who – the worlds visited by the TARDIS, the people and creatures encountered, the monsters fought and the history made.

Meticulously researched and stunningly illustrated with hundreds of images from the BBC Archive and a range of never-before-seen pictures from a host of private collections, this book draws on Doctor Who expertise from across time and space, bringing together information and visuals that even the Time Lords themselves would be proud to possess.

Curl up on — or behind the sofa and let this book transport you back in time forty years to the birth of a legend.

Contents

 * Doctor Who – Anatomy of a Legend
 * The Birth of Doctor Who
 * The First Doctor
 * Design, Costume and Make-up


 * The Second Doctor
 * Visual Effects


 * The Third Doctor
 * Sound Effects and the Radiophonic Workshop


 * The Fourth Doctor
 * Merchandise


 * The Fifth Doctor
 * Incidental Music


 * The Sixth Doctor
 * Electronic Effects


 * The Seventh Doctor
 * Other Media


 * The Eighth Doctor
 * Doctor Who – The Legend Continues
 * The Ninth Doctor - Richard E Grant (Scream of the Shalka)
 * Index
 * Appendix

Notable features

 * "TARDIS Data Bank" blocks give concise summaries of key information, "Journey Information" tells the story through separate headings and "New Information" expands our growing knowledge of what we have already learnt. Background information ("Behind the scenes') is provided at appropriate points throughout the book.

Publication history

 * Single hardback edition.
 * An updated and revised large format paperback was available in 2005 (Doctor Who: The Legend Continues)