Running Through Corridors: Rob and Toby's Marathon Watch of Doctor Who (Volume 1: The 60s) (Running Through Corridors series) Paperback – December 14, 2010

I'm so glad to have this book! Rob Shearman (whose credits include the Eccleston episode "Dalek") and comic/actor Toby Hadoke sat through every episode of 'Doctor Who', from 1963 to 2009, and their diarised thoughts are here. Quite frankly, this is an amazing work. First off, both are clearly passionate 'Who' fanboys who also happen to have lives, careers and senses of humour. As a result, while they give us honest, slightly rose-coloured opinions, they also share so much more. The discussion expands onto all elements of television production, on to the evolution of this series over its nearly-fifty-year history, and their measured, experienced, mature views on the writing, acting, directing, production and conceptualising of 'Doctor Who' is wonderful.Beyond this, they're both very erudite gentlemen, with Hadoke particularly being hilarious. The book is such an easy read, yet is wonderfully dense. 'Doctor Who' fandom can be a perilous planet at times, filled with bitter grumbling fans spewing bile across the internet (yet probably, in real life, milquetoast accountants from the suburbs) and so many people determined to defend their own era while maligning all else. So it's nice to see two gentlemen who aren't deluded about the vicissitudes of the series, yet adore this programme, and understand and appreciate the series even when it isn't at its finest. (And, it must be said, the new 'Who' series - with months of filming per episode, and endless rewrites - has a luxury not afforded the '60s producers, where they were producing an entire 25-minute tale in one week.)Minor flaws: a) occasionally (very occasionally) the book can become a little insular, where jokes are made that will phase anyone who isn't a devoted fanboy. Although one could argue that few such types will read this books. B) Far more importantly: b) an unusual - and infuriating - stylistic choice that should never have happened. Titles - be they of episodes, serials or programmes as a whole - are not italicised, underlined or encased in quotation marks. This can become confusing enough when a story title is the same as the title of a villain or place in the episode, but it becomes even more confusing when a tangent discusses a film or book you haven't heard of!But those really are minor flaws. It should be pointed out that there are no synopses included, which is fine for most of us - and probably a safer option from a legal standpoint - but means that viewers who aren't overly familiar with the '60s episodes may want to grab an online plot summary (or just watch the damn episodes!) Aside from that, I'm eagerly awaiting volume 2. Very eagerly.

If, like me (and Rob and Toby) you're planning on the incredibly time-consuming task of watching every Doctor Who episode, this book is indispensable. I had been looking around online for a similar set of reviews for each Who episode, but came up empty. Some sites claimed to review every episode, but skipped right over the "missing" episodes.These episodes, wiped from the BBC archives decades ago, survive only in the form of off-air recordings made by fans. They form a substantial part of the early Who--you can't claim to be doing a "complete" watch-through and skip merrily over gems like Marco Polo, the Myth Makers, and Power of the Daleks. And sure enough, Rob and Toby trek through full-length reconstructions for episode after episode. They're doing it right.Many other reviewers also lack an appreciation for the early Who. The Doctor is too grouchy, the sets are fake, the pacing is slow...but Rob and Toby, who have experience writing and acting professionally, have a keen appreciation for what makes these early serials work. They find the good in every episode, and it's often easy to find--this is something fans of the modern Who, with its young, sexy Doctors, elaborate special effects and fast-paced emotionally charged scripts, often don't appreciate.This is a great read for any Who fan who has tackled the early years of the series, and I hope the next two (three?) volumes of the series come out soon!

For fans of Doctor Who (and not just in its current incarnation), this book is a record of a fascinating project: Mr. Shearman and Mr. Hadoke spend a year watching the entirety of Doctor Who in order, from 1963 through 2010. They watch two episodes every day and comment on them back and forth. This volume, volume 1, covers the 1960's, William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton's tenures.It is a daunting task that runs, according to the book, from January 1st ("An Unearthly Child") through May 7th ("The War Games"). It is surprising, in fact, that they seem up to the task. Not a day slips by, no matter what else is going on in their lives, where they don't get the job done. It's impressive; particularly because so much video from this era had been lost and our authors are often forced to rely on audio recordings and telesnaps.As for the text, there's a lot to like here. The thing I enjoy most is that they've made it a point that this is an "appreciation" of the show. They are going to make a concerted effort to stay positive and, despite the occasional lapse into (generally fair) criticism, they achieve their goal. Unlike some writers who seem, despite their claim to fandom, not to like the show much (I looking at you Tat Wood), Shearman and Hadoke keep an upbeat tone. I especially like their appreciation of Troughton--who I also like a lot. It's a pleasure to read this.It should also be said that Shearman and Hadoke are very informative. They are both quite knowledgeable about the show and there are interesting tidbits in almost every entry. In fact, it's a bit overwhelming for someone not as "in the know" as they are. I couldn't read the book straight through. It was too much. I basically made it through at the rate of a story per day. I was able to absorb much more that way.It's not a perfect experience in other ways as well. Occasionally our authors get a bit chatty, with as many asides and personal anecdotes that get in the way as add something to the text. For example, I have little interest in the relationship of the Target novelizations to the episodes. I also found it difficult to follow some of the stories since I know little about the ones that don't exist in video form. However, it's a small price to pay for what is, overall, an excellent read.Within a couple years, all the existing stories will be out on DVD. When that happens, my personal collection will be complete and I intend to watch all the shows in order myself. I thank Mr. Shearman and Mr. Hadoke for leading the way. I'm looking forward to volume 2.

What a great read this book was .I hope you can do other doctors after Tom BakerIt would be great to read these as well . Many thanks

This is much better than I hoped for. Two Whovians watching every episode, finding lots of details and little nuggets that I missed. Both demonstrate that they love and deeply care for classic Who, and it's a great pleasure to compare their findings with my own thoughts after watching all those great old shows.And yes, these Hartnell and Troughton years are much better than many people give them credit for. That is, if you enjoy good stories and accept that 60s TV was essentially theatre, far away from modern production values -- I enjoy these stories tremendously, especially since the art of good storytelling seems to have been lost for modern doctor Who since Chibs took over.

I adore this title and have returned to it time and again.It feels like you are siting next to two people who both know more than is healthy about Doctor Who while sharing a lovely pint. This is a journey that you are invited on and will make you dig out your old DVDS to watch along.Simply wonderful...If I have a complaint at all is that their seems to be no date for volume 2 and 3 which I am desperate to read.from [...] Host of the tin dog podcast

Wether you've seen classic stories before or for the first time, this book is a great companion on this sometimes quite challenging journey. As a DW fan you're often being told that it's impossible to do this, to watch every episode in order. But it's not and having Rob and Toby as companions makes this journey far easier, more interesting (I loved all the behind the scenes information) and gives you a new perspective on many of the adventures. Also, you don't feel quite so alone with your DW craziness as the love and passion those two have for the show comes through on every page.The only criticism I have is that the book is a little (really just a tiny bit) spoilery sometimes for new viewers who aren't as familiar with the classic series, which is why the book is getting 4/5 from me instead of 5/5.And now onto the next volume and the Pertwee era ...

Much more enjoyable reading than either the 'About Time' or 'TARDIS Eruditorum' series. Although I'm not altogether behind every opinion expressed at least the opinions are objective. I'm looking forward to the next volume... if it ever appears.