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Average Customer Rating:

With warts and all... bold, yes, but then there's those warts.

Customer Rating:

First, the good stuff: this is a bold, honest, naked and funny tome about the writing process for one of television's most acclaimed comebacks. The reader follows Russell T. Davies through the agony and the ectasy of the entire writing process and, goaded along by Benjamin Cook, who acts as much as a muse as an enabler, the cigarette-fuelled revelations are so personal that one can get a contact high from being so ensconced in this man's head. The pictures (including many beautiful stills during production as well as Davies' insanely brilliant cartoons) are to be cherished as much as the raw scripts that litter the hysterically titled email exchanges between Davies and Cook. The ugly bits, for me, come from Davies' approach to writing Season 4 of 'Doctor Who.' Davies admits that his writing style is to wait until the last minute to commence drafting - and then waits some more. This sounds very maverick and daring, and for most series it is. Unfortunately, the ambitious arc of the season called for meticulous attention and, like many viewers for Season 4, the reader can gradually feel Season 4 slip away from its creator. While genius is evident in many places (his accounting of the development of 'Midnight' as the anti-'Voyage of the Damned' is stunning), the fact is that the plan to bring back so many characters for the big finale was terribly under-managed. Davies actively struggles with the second coming and going of the Rose Taylor character, but still gives her a sendoff that diminishes Season 2's exit - and taking Donna Noble's potentially heartbreaking departure with it. The reason is, the reader learns, is Davies' wait-til-it's-too-late approach. The other niggle I have is that there is a tendency for icons (the Beatles, Monty Python) to avoid constructing an actual book by simply having extended monologues that can be read like a script. While this may be considered edgy or original in some circles, this book, moreso than the Beatle or Python books constructed the same, needs some sort of centering mechanism, like an impartial summary or prologue to each chapter written by Benjamin Cook. Like all honesty from an artist of this magnitude, there will be things that will make the reader wonder to him/herself what's he's on about, or simply what he's on. Having ranted all that, however, this book is still honest and bold and I'm pleased to have it in my collection.

"Hooray!"

Customer Rating:

A fascinating insight into the mind of a TV writer. I hadn't realised that RTD worked so hard - heavily rewriting almost everyone's scripts (apart from Steven Moffat's) including the much lauded Human Nature/Family of Blood. What I also found interesting about this collection of emails between RTD and Benjamin Cook is that it could almost be said that RTD was using the exchange as therapy - who could have thought that the talking head crying "Marvelous!" and "Hooray!" during Doctor Who Confidential was so wracked with self doubt and self criticism during the creative process? Whatever you may personally think about the episodes he wrote, reading this will give you massive respect for the man. Despite Russell's disclaimers in the text, in my opinion this book would be useful for *all* budding writers, even if they have no interest in Doctor Who...

Probably the ultimate window into the frantic world of Doctor Who

Customer Rating:

There's no shortage of glossy "Doctor Who" books on the shelves but this is by far the most revealing. It digs deep and gives the reader a fascinating insight into the exhaustion, exhileration and relentless hard slog that goes into the flagship show. Read it, even if you don't care for DW, if you want to know the truth about a writer's life. It's very warts-and-all, at times very funny, and always comes over as being honest. You won't get closer than this to finding out why things turned out the way they did. In particular, RTD's thoughts on "Journey's End", the S4 finale, are intriguing and reveal how he copes with the inevitable gulf between his first concept of how a story should end and the version that reaches the screen, subject to the limitations of budget, time, actor availability and overall tone. Like the Doctor himself, RTD clearly feels under pressure as the man everyone looks to for answers, he finds it almost impossible to relinquish control of his beloved show, yet a part of him longs for a break from the constant creative demands on his energies, preferably before the stress kills him. There are certainly a few dark nights of the soul here, but also complete versions of the scripts of "Voyage of the Damned", "Partners in Crime" and the explosive two-parter finale, including the early drafts and absorbing explanations for the way things changed later. An extra bonus is a plethora of photographs, some from deleted scenes, and RTD's unexpectedly witty and professional cartoons of cast and characters.

Well worth reading

Customer Rating:

Predictably witty and honest, this is a book that will be enjoyed by Doctor Who fans and aspiring writers alike. What really comes across is that Davies is passionate about the show he resurrected and is often tortured by his perceived shortcomings as a writer. I can well understand why he's had enough, although I suspect he won't in fact be able to stay away for long. The e-mail format and excerpts from Doctor Who scripts mean this is a book you can 'dip into' quite easily rather than reading from cover to cover and the writer's own cartoon illustrations are an unexpected bonus - is there anything this man can't do? This would make a fantastic Christmas present for those of us who don't know how we'll make it through 2009 without a Dr Who series. Of course everybody knows that Swansea produces the best writers in the world, but it's nice to have a bit more proof.

Fantastic!

Customer Rating:

An astonishingly enjoyable read. If you've ever even toyed with the idea of writing, this gives you huge insights into the sheer grind and self doubt that goes into trying to get a script out, and it's a fascinating read. The email exchange structure gives a frankness that any other style would probably skirt around and you get a feeling of a genuine professional friendship between the authors. Some of the content might be a little too frank if you were thinking of buying a "Doctor Who" book for the kiddies, because it's not really a "Doctor Who" book - it's a book about writing, and the writing happens to be "Doctor Who". You do end up worrying if Russell EVER sleeps and whether this writing lark is good for his health, you do wonder how anyone finds the time to do that job, and you do get to see another side to the cheery upbeat soul who appears on TV, but that just makes it all the more intriguing. And on top of all his other work, Russell's found time to provide a large number of very inventive cartoons to illustrate the text - you'd have to hate the guy if he wasn't so good at it. The book looks fantastic, too, beautifully laid out. All in all, a big fat Hooray!!