Alex Skerratt

The Seventh Doctor arrived during a turbulent period in Doctor Who's history. Indeed, the axe was looming over the programme after the hiatus of 1985 / 86. The script editor (Eric Saward) had left the show before the end of Season 23 - and, unexpectedly, this turned out to be the last series for the Sixth Doctor, played by Colin Baker. The producer found himself without a … [Read more...] about Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide to the Seventh Doctor

There are currently 97 episodes of classic Doctor Who missing from the archives, but one story that's never counted in this tally is the 1979 adventure 'Shada.' This is because, frustratingly, it was never completed. Strike action at the BBC halted its production, and although multiple attempts were made to remount the recording and complete the serial, 'Shada' has – for many … [Read more...] about Lost Doctor Who: What’s the best way to enjoy Shada?

The story of Doctor Who missing episodes is almost as gripping as the series itself. In the late 1960s, the BBC began a systematic extermination of its entire archive, junking "worthless" films and videotapes that no longer had any commercial value. This was in the days before home video was really a thing, and the rights restrictions of the day meant the BBC was unable to … [Read more...] about Doctor Who missing episodes: Can we find ‘The Power of the Daleks’?

'Revenge of the Cybermen' holds a special place in my heart. Actually, I think it does for many Doctor Who fans. It was one of the very first stories I saw, when it was repeated on UK Gold in the late 90s. And it was also the first story to be released on VHS by the BBC - albeit with slightly unusual artwork, and in edited form. … [Read more...] about 5 reasons to re-watch ‘Revenge of the Cybermen’

Evolution of Cybermen - have you read that right? No, it's not the name of an upcoming episode, but these metal cyborgs from Mondas have changed considerably over the years, ever since they first left their twin planet Mondas in 1986 (or, 1966 in British TV terms.) … [Read more...] about Evolution of Cybermen: The classic years