Rating: 
Summary: For Casual Fans Only
Review: "Pocket Essentials: Doctor Who" is basically a watered down version of the Howe/Stammers/Walker collection of handbooks, complete with reviews, quotes and observations. This would certainly serve the casual fan, although die-hard fans would find it difficult to get anything new from it. At least it is up to date with reviews of the two Dalek films, the Big Finish Audios, the stage plays and various other television spin-offs. What is noticeable is that author, Mark Campbell, doesn't hold back in his reviews, being very blunt about what he does and doesn't like.
Rating: 
Summary: Refreshing spin on an old programme
Review: "Pocket Essentials: Doctor Who" would not usually be my first choice of reading material, being more of a "Dr Who" widow than a fan, but I was pleasantly surprised by the book. The introduction was refreshingly honest and laced with uncharacteristic cynicism for a "Dr Who" (sad) fan. Not to mention humour - something that is all too lacking in many "Dr Who" conversations! This is the sort of approach that fandom needs if it is to grow to include more than the saddest of sad fans. The story by story breakdowns are a little anorakish - who but their mothers really cares which actors played the minor characters? - but some of the locations info is interesting, and reading the book actually made me want to watch some stories again. I definitely wouldn't give The Sea Devils 4/5 though!
Rating:
Summary: Refreshing spin on an old programme
Review: "Pocket Essentials: Doctor Who" would not usually be my first choice of reading material, being more of a "Dr Who" widow than a fan, but I was pleasantly surprised by the book. The introduction was refreshingly honest and laced with uncharacteristic cynicism for a "Dr Who" (sad) fan. Not to mention humour - something that is all too lacking in many "Dr Who" conversations! This is the sort of approach that fandom needs if it is to grow to include more than the saddest of sad fans. The story by story breakdowns are a little anorakish - who but their mothers really cares which actors played the minor characters? - but some of the locations info is interesting, and reading the book actually made me want to watch some stories again. I definitely wouldn't give The Sea Devils 4/5 though!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Reference Guide to Popular BBC TV Show
Review: After an introduction tracing the history of Doctor Who through all the character's incarnations this book offers a story by story analysis spanning the full 26 years of the TV series plus the 1996 Paul McGann TV movie. Also covered are the excellent new audio adventures from Big Finish and some less "canonical" items such as the Rowan Atkinson "Red Nose Day" skit. One worthwhile and suggestive feature for each story is a section on "influences". A useful cross-reference to related stories within the series itself is also included. Perhaps the book's greatest interest lies in the overall assessment of the various stories, which are awarded marks out of 5. There is certainly no slavish following of orthodox views here: a number of generally accepted "classic" stories receive something of a hammering while others gain perhaps unexpected boosts in their relative rankings. However much one may dissent from some of the author's verdicts he does state his reasons for them and it is refreshing to see a different perspective on the stories. A future edition could usefully include a list of Doctor Who's "missing episodes" and inevitably there are one or two minor slips which do not however detract from the value of the book. Although aimed primarily at relative newcomers to the programme, this little volume contains much that will be enjoyed (if not always agreed with!) by more seasoned fans and deserves to be read by all, whatever their level of knowledge, with an interest in Doctor Who.
Rating:
Summary: Witty and Irreverent Episode Guide
Review: An eye-catching jacket houses a witty, unsentimental introduction to the Doctor's history, and a comprehensive listing guide to his screen (and stage and radio...) exploits. Happily not afraid to dismiss some of the rubbish in plain language - "tedious", "boring" - and 1 out of 5 ratings, the plot summaries remind the reader of how imaginative the series could be. A fan's book, but far from unblinkingly reverential.
Rating: 
Summary: Probably a Non-Essential Selection
Review: Brothers and sisters, probably 90% of us could have written this book, being as it is another story-by-story, capsule-description-and-review style trawl through the televised series. Think a very heavily condensed version of "The Discontinuity Guide" and that's the format. The author (Mark Campbell) sat down and watched (or listened to) every episode and committed his opinion to paper. That's the book. Full stop. As I say, most of us could do the same. This is a slim volume (less than 100 pages) and is thankfully correspondingly cheap, but it does mean it doesn't cover everything. The films, recent TV parodies, stage shows, and radio series get a review, the Big Finish stories get a mention, and, er, that's about it. Oh, and a few books and websites get plugged. So why even bother buying it? Well, Campbell's is a new voice and he's not afraid to be controversial or blunt. No sacred cow is safe, and he even goes so far as to suggest that the show is dead and gone forever. Many of his opinions come straight out of left field, and they'll provoke infuriation and sighs of 'Thank God I'm not the only one who thinks that!' in equal measure. Just a handful of his observations: "Destiny of the Daleks" is better than "Genesis of the Daleks "Pyramids of Mars" is 'grossly overrated', and in parts 'rubbish' and 'nonsensical' "Paradise Towers" is 'wonderful' and by far the best story of its season "Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD" is much, much better than the TV version The best story of Troughton's first year is "The Macra Terror" And so on, and so on, and so on - though Campbell agrees with fan orthodoxy a lot of the time too. (I personally agree with at least one of the above opinions, by the way, and think at least one other is utter nonsense - but naturally I'm not saying which is which.) I get the impression this book wasn't edited terribly rigorously. There's the obligatory 'spot-the-source-material' slot for each story, and things get especially weird here - we learn that 'The Great Escape' influenced "Planet of the Daleks", 'The Wicker Man' inspired "The Stones of Blood", and that apparently the key influence on "Four to Doomsday" was bearded Aussie vet-botherer Rolf Harris. You also have to question his ability to review things like "Curse of the Daleks" with such authority given that he can only have read the script. So is it worth buying? Well, maybe. If you use the Guide you must have an interest in hearing other people's opinions of "Doctor Who", and that's basically all this is. At the very least it'll make you think, if only for the length of time it takes you to retrieve it after you hurl it away in outraged fury. And you will.
Rating:
Summary: Fulfills Promise
Review: I was greatly dissappointed in the book. While it has some interesting points of view, it is so slanted the book should be a trapizoid and not rectangular. I disagreed on several of the ratings. All in all, I much prefer The Discontinuity Guide by Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping. While at times they disagree on their reviews, they are fair in their outlook.
Rating: 
Summary: Essentials? Hardly that
Review: I was greatly dissappointed in the book. While it has some interesting points of view, it is so slanted the book should be a trapizoid and not rectangular. I disagreed on several of the ratings. All in all, I much prefer The Discontinuity Guide by Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping. While at times they disagree on their reviews, they are fair in their outlook.
Rating:
Summary: A Joy to Read
Review: I would just like to say how much I am enjoying reading "Pocket Essentials TV: Doctor Who". I like the unofficial style, which gives the bad points as well as the good. I'm currently mid-way through the Jon Pertwee section, and am finding it thoroughly enjoyable. I've recommended the book to many people. Overall the book gets a groundbreaking 10 out of 10.
Rating:
Summary: Essential Doctor Who Guide
Review: Mark Campbell (editor of the definitive Doctor Who fanzine "Skonnos") is the perfect companion in this brief but pithy guide to the series. Always intelligent and never suffering from the fannishness that cripples so much Who-related material. We have an introductory essay, breakdowns of the storylines, an exhaustive reference section and an informed guide to further books, magazines and videos, along with spin-offs and websites. The series is called Pocket Essentials: this one really is.
| 
