Fan Scene - 1979 October- December

 

October

That rumour of a Marvel Doctor Who publication becomes fact this issue with the news of the new Doctor Who Weekly which for 12p (cheaper than most fanzines!) will give you a professionally produced Doctor Who fix every seven days. The editor Dez Skinn is adamant it is not a comic but a magazine including a comic strip. Meanwhile, two of the three Convention organisers are now leaving meaning that there is no one to organise next years. In his column JVR talks about the event highlighting a move away from just guests to showing visual material. “The best part for me,” he writes, “was the incredible atmosphere during the showing of the old episodes.” He mentions guests not wanting to repeat themselves by attending every year though he chooses to mention Jon Pertwee who was of course something of serial repeater of anecdotes! At the end of his column outlining the latest Ref Dept releases, J Jeremy Bentham thanks people for their ideas and signs off by adding “part of that future could depend on reaction to Doctor Who Weekly`…” Watch this space...

Fan Scene- CT 1979 July- September

 

July

`Invasion` is the headline of July’s issue which in time lag fashion reports on the 1979 Blackpool gathering which took place in May on Cup Final Day in Blackpool. More than 40 members from around the country converged on the resort and its Exhibition for a social weekend organised by J Jeremy Bentham.  Meanwhile Panopticon 3 is round the corner and tentative guests include Dick Mills, Graham Williams and Douglas Adams. Attendees will get to see Oceans In the Sky, the evocatively titled DWAS drama department film. This ambitious project is reported here to have taken three years to make at a production cost of £3,000 (which is something like £12,000 today).  Sets built include a Tardis console and it has a score written by Mark Ayers in his youth. Twenty actors appear in it and the Doctor is played by Leo Adams and the companion by Diane Woodley.

Fan Scene- CT 1979 Apr- Jun

 

April

`Monsters` declares the lead story in the rather thin April issue declaring “the prolonged absence of monsters from Doctor Who will soon come to an end.” This comes from the mouth of new script editor Douglas Adams who is quoted as saying “I think we’ve shied away from the monsters for long enough so I hope to bring them back.” This story suggests that Adams approached the script editor job with considerable energy at first. Meanwhile its revealed that the first story of the season will be titled `Destiny of the Daleks`. John Leeson’s departure from voicing K9 is also confirmed though the rumour is a new actor will be taking on the tin dog’s distinctive vocals next year. It is also time once again to vote in the Season Poll with Season 16’s stories comprising the Key to Time Season up for you votes. Last year’s winner was `Invasion of Time`.

Fan Scene CT 1979 Jan - Mar

 

The world of Doctor Who as it was reported in the Doctor Who Appreciation Society newsletter Celestial Toyroom aka CT.
January

As 1979 dawned the DWAS newsletter was being co-edited by David Auger and Gordon Blows and had an amateur yet well- constructed quality that gave it, appropriately enough, a news paper look. `Tony Read Quits` was the main headline in January’s edition. Anthony Read, as he was officially known is, according to the article credited with instating a policy that the Tardis is fully controllable. Arguably the more important news is that his replacement will be Douglas Adams who is described simply as “the author of this year’s Pirate Planet` showing that Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy had yet to become very widely known. `Disco Dr A Hit` CT also reports referring to the latest version of the title theme by a group called Mankind. Apparently it’s selling a thousand copies a day taking it from number 67 to number 45 in the singles charts and was featured on Top of the Pops. Bear in mind that there is a six week or so lag between things actually happening and being reported in CT so we learn that while there wasn’t time to organise a Xmas party this year people can meet in the One Tun pub on 21 December. Of course being Doctor Who fans they can just travel back in time a month! There’s an Obituary for Brian Hayles who died recently after completing The Moon Stallion.