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Unlike other fictional universes, the Doctor Who universe is created solely by fiction. To us, this is not a valid source. Information from this source can only be used in "behind the scenes" sections, or on pages about real world topics.
Timeframe: The Illustrated History was a Doctor Who reference book published by Virgin Publishing in October 1993 and August 1994.
Publisher's summary[[edit] | [edit source]]
(this synopsis is taken from the 1993 hardback)
30 years ago, a programme called Doctor Who first appeared on British television. It became the world’s longest running science fiction TV series and a British institution.
20 years ago, three Doctor Who novels — originally written in the sixties — were re-issued, beginning an unbroken programme of book publishing that has produced over 150 novelisations, with eight million copies sold, and a growing series of New Adventures following the Doctor’s travels beyond the television series.
This volume celebrates that double anniversary with a remarkable collection of photographs, cuttings, and full page original artwork in the most highly illustrated and comprehensive Doctor Who book ever published.
(the following is found on the inner sleeve of the 1993 hardback)
Doctor Who began on 23 November 1963. Thirty years later, its popularity and longevity are unmatched by any other science-fiction series.
For the first time ever, this book offers a full-colour pictorial history of the programme. Pages of photographs, press cuttings and other ephemera are complemented by full-page, top quality reproductions of original artwork from the twenty years of Doctor Who books.
We follow the Doctor's adventures through the twenty-six seasons of the television series and beyond into the New Adventures. Classic moments of Doctor Who history are relived through photographic stills and extracts from the novels. All seven incarnations of the Doctor are here, as well as his closest companions and most dangerous enemies. Also featured are rare photographs and illustrations; fans of the series will finally be able to see Katy Manning in her infamous pose with a Dalek as well as artwork which was commissioned but never used and classic book covers long out of print.
This lavish book is a fitting tribute to thirty years of a British legend.
(this synopsis is taken from the 1994 paperback)
Three decades of Doctor Who — Two decades of Doctor Who books
‘A glorious picture book... A visual treat’ — Time Out
‘A visual orgy.. A glorious, wallowing, indulgent trip down memory lane’ — Starburst
In 1963 Doctor Who first appeared on British television. It became the world’s longest running science fiction TV series and a British institution.
In 1973 three Doctor Who novels, first published in the sixties, were re-issued, and began an unbroken programme of book publishing that has produced over 150 novelizations, with eight million copies sold worldwide, and a growing series of original New Adventures.
This volume celebrates both achievements with a remarkable collection of photographs, cuttings, and full page reproductions of paintings in the most lavishly illustrated Doctor Who book ever published.
David J. Howe has been researching Doctor Who and collecting Doctor Who memorabilia for more years than he cares to remember. He also writes prolifically: he is the co-author of The Sixties and The Seventies, the definitive works about Doctor Who’s first two decades, and of the Handbook series which studies Doctor Who Doctor by Doctor; he also writes regularly for Doctor Who Magazine and Starburst.
Subject matter[[edit] | [edit source]]
A lavishly illustrated book celebrating thirty years of the Doctor Who television series and 20 years of novelisations.
Contents[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Introduction
- The Sixties
- The Seventies
- The Eighties
- The Nineties
Notable features[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Full page, colour reproductions of artwork used for Doctor Who novelisations and New Adventures.
- Right-hand pages reproduce the artwork used for Doctor Who novelisations/novels while other pages include a wide variety of images including collectables, cuttings, comments and "Magic Moments" screen grabs.
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Cover and interior design was done by Mark Stammers. The dust-jacket featured glossed laminated portraits of the seven Doctors that were more clearly visible on the paperback cover.
- Dedication: "Dedicated to the fans of the Doctor all over the world, and in particular to Jeremy Bentham, whose enthusiasm fired my own; to Jan Vincent-Rudzki, Stephen Payne and Keith Barnfather, who fanned the flames; and to Mark Stammers and Stephen James Walker for keeping it fun."
- The title Timeframe is an extension of the fanzine title "The Frame" which the author David J. Howe had worked on with Stammers and Walker.
- The first hardback edition, priced £15.99 in the UK had a print run of 20,000 copies with a photographic dust-jacket around a black bound cover.
- A second hardback edition was printed in 1994 with Nigel Robinson's Birthright cover by Peter Elson corrected from the reversed painting shown incorrectly in the first edition.
- The revised large format paperback, released in 1994, was priced £9.99 in the UK.