DWM 117

The 117th issue of Doctor Who Magazine was released in October 1986.

Articles

 * Traveling Companions - Where would the Doctor be without his companions? Richard Marson examines the changing characteristics and roles of these supporting characters as an introduction to a new series...of character profiles and development.

Comic stories

 * The Famous Doctor Who History Tour: Part 5: "Discoveries" Tim Quinn & Dicky Howett
 * Salad Daze

Fiction

 * Doctor Who Magazine Short Story Competition
 * Runner-Up, Under 15 Category: The Heat-Seekers by Andrew Lowes

Archives

 * Archive Feature: (DW): The Leisure Hive (retelling by episode, no credits but a ‘Fact File’ by Richard Marson)

Interviews / Profiles

 * Mervyn Haisman Interviewed - The Yeti and United Nations Intelligence Taskforce are among the popular and important innovations that emerged during the Patrick Troughton era and were the creations of writers Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln. Richard Marson talked with half of the team, Mervyn Haisman, in the BBC's Sheppard's Bush offices...
 * The Davros Tapes: Michael Wisher, the man who portrayed Davros Mark One. Following interviews in issues 109 and 111, Gary Russell concludes this three part series of interviews with actors breathing life into the Davros character.

A4 Pin-ups

 * Sixth Doctor and Peri (from DW: The Mysterious Planet)

Previews

 * New Season preview - Story 2 Mindwarp

Reviews - Off the Shelf

 * NOVELISATION: Black Orchid by Terence Dudley (Target Books)
 * NOVELISATION: The Ark adapted by Paul Erickson (Target Books)''

Also featuring

 * To the TARDIS (Letters)
 * 'Doctor Who?' by Tim Quinn & Dicky Howett
 * Gallifrey Guardian
 * Matrix Databank

Credits

 * Editor: Sheila Cranna
 * Assistant Editor: Penny Home
 * Art Director/Design: Steve Cook
 * Production: Alison Gill
 * Advertising: Sally Benson
 * Publisher: Stan Lee
 * Advisor: John Nathan-Turner

Additional details

 * The 'Travelling Companions' feature by Richard Marson is an introduction to a new series looking at individual companions.
 * This issue was priced 85p (UK) and the cover photograph was from a promotional shoot for the new series filming of (at the time unnamed story) DW: The Mysterious Planet by Steve Cook.