The Seventh Dr. Who's Inappropriate Target Book Covers

Publicity photographs from any television series usually fall into three categories. There are those that legitimately depict an actual scene from the show. Soap operas get through loads of these and their stars have become adept at freezing in dramatic positions - usually mid-punch during a fight - so that their photographers can capture that all important moment for the many TV guides and soap mags that feed off them. There are also behind the scenes shots either depicting directors and cameramen on set pointing at things or rehearsal shots showing actors in various states of dress. In Doctor Who's case, who can forget the sight of Jon Pertwee's colourful trousers worn to rehearse Inferno back in 1970 and subsequently in almost every studio photo from said serial.

Then there's the actual bona fide publicity still. The shot, usually taken by a member of the press and not necessarily on set, where the cast are posing for pictures that will hopefully make the papers. You know the short. Three genuine Doctors, a replacement and a wax dummy standing on and around Bessie to promote The Five Doctors back in 1983 is a classic example.

It's these photographs that are celebrated here. Ones that should never have been let loose near a designer let alone actually used on the cover of the story they were originally designed to promote in the press. 

These covers all hail from the Sylvester McCoy years - a vintage time for the press shot. Some of them bend the rules a bit but all of these covers are wholly inappropriate in their own way despite using genuine stills from the usually vast library from their respective productions.