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Downtime – The Lost Years of Doctor Who was a reference book published by Obverse Books in 2016. Uniquely, the book covered the detailed history of the spin-offs of Doctor Who which appeared near the end of the original run and continued up into the 2010s, starting with Wartime in 1987. The book notably covers the history of many relatively obscure stories in heavy detail. While relying on interviews available at the time, the book also features information produced from new interviews with over 40 people once involved in these specials.

Publisher's summary[]

During the interregnum between the Seventh Doctor’s final adventures in 1989 and the relaunch of the series in 2005, BBC One broadcast only three new Doctor Who stories – a TV movie and two comic versions raising money for charity. Elsewhere, books and comic strips (and eventually licensed audios) kept the flame alive, but it seemed the BBC had little interest in reinvigorating the franchise on television.

Meanwhile, seemingly almost forgotten, some of the Doctor's friends, enemies and legally dubious clones continued their adventures in the direct to video market and their own spin off audio adventures, written by and starring many of the cast/crew who had worked on the original series, and several who would work on the relaunched version.

Downtime – The Lost Worlds of Doctor Who combines archive interviews and articles along with over forty new interviews conducted by the author in order to tell the story of these dramas and their impact and influence, and to celebrate the dedication and ingenuity of fandom.

Downtime is written by Dylan Rees who has previously contributed articles to Celestial Toyroom, You and Who Else and Breakin' Point Magazine. Outside of writing he is a freelance Production Manager and Producer within the film and TV industry.

Subject matter[]

Downtime features in-depth retrospectives on the subject of many semi-liscensed stories created since 1986, including those created by BBV Productions, Reeltime Pictures, and Magic Bullet Productions. The full list of covered stories, taken from the book's appendix, is as follows:

  1. Wartime
  2. The Stranger: Summoned By Shadows
  3. The Stranger: More than a Messiah
  4. The Stranger: In Memory Alone
  5. The AirZone Solution
  6. The Stranger: The Terror Game
  7. The Stranger: Breach of the Peace
  8. Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans
  9. P.R.O.B.E.: The Zero Imperative
  10. The Stranger Chronicles: The Last Mission
  11. The Stranger Chronicles: Eye of The Storm
  12. The Stranger: Eye of The Beholder
  13. P.R.O.B.E.: The Devil of Winterborne
  14. Downtime
  15. P.R.O.B.E.: Unnatural Selection
  16. P.R.O.B.E.: Ghosts of Winterborne
  17. Auton
  18. The Time Travellers
  19. Mindgame
  20. Sentinel
  21. The Wanderer
  22. Adventures in a Pocket Universe: The Choice
  23. Mindgame: Trilogy
  24. Zygons: Homeland
  25. Adventures in a Pocket Universe: The Search
  26. Zygons: Absolution
  27. Krynoids: The Root of All Evil
  28. Sontarans: Silent Warrior
  29. Awakening
  30. Cyberons: Cybergeddon
  31. The Dominie: Punchline
  32. Sontarans: Old Soldiers
  33. Infidel’s Comet
  34. The Pattern
  35. I Scream
  36. Sontarans: Conduct Unbecoming
  37. The Rani: The Rani Reaps the Whirlwind
  38. Cyberon
  39. Wirrn: Race Memory
  40. The Barnacled Baby
  41. Faction Paradox: The Eleven Day Empire
  42. Faction Paradox: The Shadow Play
  43. Do You Have a Licence to Save this Planet?
  44. Kaldor City: Occam's Razor
  45. The Green Man
  46. Kaldor City: Death's Head
  47. The Killing Stone
  48. In 2 Minds
  49. The Quality of Mercy
  50. Kaldor City: Hidden Persuaders
  51. Faction Paradox: Sabbath Dei
  52. Kaldor City: Taren Capel
  53. Faction Paradox: In the Year of the Cat
  54. Kaldor City: Checkmate
  55. Faction Paradox: Movers
  56. Dæmos Rising
  57. Faction: Paradox: A Labyrinth of Histories
  58. Kaldor City: The Prisoner
  59. Kaldor City: Storm Mine
  60. The True History of Faction Paradox Volume I: Coming to Dust
  61. The True History of Faction Paradox — Volume II: The Ship of a Billion Years
  62. When Being You Just Isn't Enough
  63. The True History of Faction Paradox — Volume III: Body Politic
  64. The True History of Faction Paradox — Volume IV: Words from Nine Divinities
  65. The True History of Faction Paradox — Volume V: Ozymandias
  66. The True History of Faction Paradox — Volume VI: The Judgment of Sutekh
  67. The Minister of Chance
  68. P.R.O.B.E. — When to Die

Notable features[]

to be added

Notes[]

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External links[]

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