smartgirlsread's review against another edition
3.0
Over the past couple of years I have become a huge Doctor Who fan. Well, by my standards I am a huge fan. By the standards of someone like Graeme Burk or Robert Smith? (yes, the question mark is part of his name- according to this article he added it as a teenager to distinguish from the many other Robert Smiths in the world), I am just a newbie. I was thrilled, however, when I was offered the e-galley of The Doctors Are In to review. I will admit that I skipped over the original incarnations of the Doctor and right to the 2005 reboot Doctors. I remember being so upset that the Ninth Doctor changed at the end of the first series (that I watched, anyway), but I came to really love the Tenth Doctor. However, the Eleventh Doctor's storylines are my favorite because they have Amy, Rory and possibly my most favoritest (yes, that's exactly what I meant to say) fictional character of all time, River Song. I haven't yet warmed to the Twelfth Doctor yet, but I've only watched his first series and only once. I've learned to reserve judgement.
This is a fun book that is pure fan love. It explores the actor who plays each Doctor, the best (and sometimes worst) episodes of that Doctor and some of the little knows facts about the show. If you're a fan (or even if you're a newbie like me) this is a book you would really enjoy.
This is a fun book that is pure fan love. It explores the actor who plays each Doctor, the best (and sometimes worst) episodes of that Doctor and some of the little knows facts about the show. If you're a fan (or even if you're a newbie like me) this is a book you would really enjoy.
amisner's review against another edition
3.0
I think that this book did a good job of giving individual profiles and providing info on the Classic series that I honestly didn't know. The two authors are clearly long time fans and it shows most clearly when discussing the older incarnations of the Doctors. Their outright adoration persuaded me to give viewing some Classic Who another chance. I do have to say though that I still can't do it. The old episodes are something I just can't force myself to watch, having tried repeatedly.
So... In the New Series, the two contributors start to waffle more. The profiles are still on point, but this starts to be where I hold issue with the sections where the authors each offer their individual opinions of each Doctor. While it was quirky and fun to see their various styles of adoration for all 8 prior versions, here it seems forced.
In addition, one author just plain doesn't like Tennant. So there's that.
Final point: they also include what they consider as iconic episodes for each Doctor. And I found myself disagreeing with nearly every choice for all four of the New Series leads. Not that the authors didn't argue their choices well, but their personal preference colors it too much. Arguably, mine would as well, but that's why I rated the book the way I did. That and the particular repetitious style of one of the episode profiles really bothered me.
So... In the New Series, the two contributors start to waffle more. The profiles are still on point, but this starts to be where I hold issue with the sections where the authors each offer their individual opinions of each Doctor. While it was quirky and fun to see their various styles of adoration for all 8 prior versions, here it seems forced.
In addition, one author just plain doesn't like Tennant. So there's that.
Final point: they also include what they consider as iconic episodes for each Doctor. And I found myself disagreeing with nearly every choice for all four of the New Series leads. Not that the authors didn't argue their choices well, but their personal preference colors it too much. Arguably, mine would as well, but that's why I rated the book the way I did. That and the particular repetitious style of one of the episode profiles really bothered me.
atroskity's review against another edition
3.0
(I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
This is the second Doctor Who nonfiction to be co-authored by Graeme Burk and Robert Smith? (The question mark is indeed part of his legal name).
The first outing, Who is the Doctor, published in 2012, gave a rundown of every episode in the Modern Series from the first through sixth seasons, with color commentary. The Doctors Are In takes the same approach and applies it to the individual Doctors from both the Classic and Modern Series, dividing each chapter into a basic overview, character analysis, main companion, and defining episodes, along with great and not-so-great moments that mark each Doctor’s tenure.
This is not an objective undertaking. The work is by definition one of personal opinion, as one fan’s stand-up-and-cheer moment is another's embarrassment, and an episode that defines Who for one person is forgettable for others. The authors try to right any imbalance by comparing and contrasting their analysis, which helps promote a wider view of the various hits and misses of a show that is known for a huge variance in quality over its 50 year span. There is a lot of agreement, but there is some very pointed disagreement as well. For example, one is a decided Tennant fan, the other very much not, and both give fanboyish but evenhanded reasons why.
Stylistically it is simple enough, as each chapter is broken down into identical components and the same criteria are applied for each entry. The writing style is also very transparent, but with exceptions for some cutesy wordplay (like acrostics, etc) that reflect the overall feel for the episodes under discussion. While some may find this annoying, most of the time I found it fun and a nice way to break up what could very quickly become monotonous.
Burk and Smith? are obviously very devoted fans. They have a great deal of experience with the Classic Series as well as the Modern, but were not around for the originals, so they are also left in the dark about certain things, as is anyone who was not around to see the original BBC broadcasts of the Hartnell and Troughton years (like me) or who didn’t even discover Doctor Who until late in the Modern Series (like me again).
Again, this is not an encyclopedic guide. The choices the authors have made to include certain episodes and companions and exclude others is very much an extension of their own personal fandom, and mileage will vary according to how much you agree or disagree with their selections.
scarletnerded25's review
4.0
A great read for fans of Doctor Who that want to know about the history of the shows, actors, and some fan favorite episodes.
jantine's review
2.0
Perhaps my expectations were too high. I hoped for some more or new information about the Doctors. Instead I found heaps of fanboy-marvels, with snippets of funfact.
I received a free copy through Netglley in return for an honest review.
I received a free copy through Netglley in return for an honest review.
squidbag's review
4.0
Lots of fun to read, and also interesting for me, because I've apparently seen more of the show than I thought. It's written by two people with two differing opinions about a lot of things, so it's often frustrating and you end up maybe yelling, which is still kind of fun. Not sure who this book is for, since anyone who would be interested in reading it is probably well-versed enough a Whovian not to need it. Kind of pointlessly reflective, in a way - something to read before the next Who novel you've got on your shelf, maybe.
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