The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter

Although I already have the hardback version of The Writer's Tale, this paperback version - which I happened to stumble across whilst at my local library - isn't just a straight reprint. This edition is broken into two halves; the first half is a copy of the hardback version (minus the reprinted scripts which are now online) whereas the second half contains all new material from Russell T Davies' last days on New Who. There's over 300 pages of new stuff included - so, in a way, it's like two books in one, one old and one new.

The new material mostly covers the last year of David Tennant's (and RTD's) tenure on the show during a sort of "quiet" period, when only four specials - The Next Doctor, Planet of the Dead, Waters of Mars, End of Time - were produced. Well, and Torchwood: Children of Earth and various Sarah Jane Adventures episodes, of course! It's done in the same style as the first book, with emails between Russell and Benjamin Cook discussing the shows, although this time there's perhaps slightly more emphasis on Russell himself and less on writing Dr Who in general.

Because this essentially consists of emails, it often feels like reading someone's blog or a forum inhabited only by two posters. Being someone who reads blogs and forums daily, this means it's quite a easy and entralling read. Of course, it's also fascinating to discover the behind-the-scenes process that goes into putting out Doctor Who.

So, as with the hardback version, this is highly recommended if you're a fan of New Who or want to know the creative process behind writing for a successful TV show.

Now, if only Steven Moffat would write a similar book...