The recent Time Capsule article by Gary Gillette in Doctor Who magazine (508) featured a short but detailed look at the handful of Doctor Who spoofs on Emu's Broadcasting Company in the late 70s.
I used to love these - as well as the show as a whole. There's something about a timid Australian with huge ginger sideburns and a moth-ridden, homicidal emu puppet that appealed to me back then.
Sadly, it must be one of the few Doctor Who-based BBC comedy sketches that didn't turn up as an extra on one the official DVDs - despite the fond memories fans of a certain age have of them.
In honour of my fellow Emuvians, I've knocked these up in celebration of the resurgence of the wirly Time Bird and his never-ending battle with the deadly Dustbins...
I don't usually do requests but those nice people on Twitter goaded me into this one.
In the absence of the popular light entertainment BBC politics show this week (which is also called This Week), it was suggested that the series could continue in the form of Virgin New Adventures novels - telling stories too 'something' and too 'something else' for television.
I said a firm 'no' at first.
But then I got pissed and my guard was down...
Hey-ho!
Yes, it's that time of the month where I post more Target book covers for the current series of Doctor Who.
These are Peter Capaldi's first run as "Dr. Who" (his words!) and bring my little project up to date.
Sadly we are at that period where the bods at WHAllen are no longer able to use the likenesses of the current Doctor on the cover so have to make do with finding elements in the actual stories to sell their products.
I've no idea why there's an issue with using the Doctor's face. Some suggest that the actor was unhappy with his artistic likeness being used whilst others suggest that the licencing fee for his image became too expensive.
There are others that postulate the theory that the legal bods - having seen Peter Capaldi in 'The Thick of It' thought it was a real documentary and are too frightened to approach the actor for permission...
Whatever the reason, a mock up of the twelfth Doctor's debut novel featuring his face was commissioned and proofed but, in the tradition of Target books, will not be revealed until a late date... possibly in some magazine article or lavish book about the history of these novelisations.
UPDATE Target: Capaldi - part one (supplemental) - click here.
Doctor Who will return in "Doctor Who and the Magician's Familiar"
Nearly there.
Here's Matt Smith's final full series of Doctor Who episodes done up as Target books.
Not long now... then I can back to something more productive like earning a crust!
They're still trying to peddle this stuff...
COLUMBO DISCOVERS DINOSAURS
Published by Target Books (US) - 1979 - price unknown
With the success of their 'Doctor Who Discovers' educational books which saw the Doctor - played by Tom Baker - delve into such child-friendly topics as dinosaurs, space travel and early man, Target decided to launch the series in the United States. However, their US arm pointed out that 'Doctor Who' wasn't that well known across the pond and wouldn't be for another thirty or so years. So they suggested re-branding the books with a more well-known American TV character. It didn't really work that well but my wife adored them...
The recent Time Capsule article by Gary Gillette in Doctor Who magazine (508) featured a short but detailed look at the handful of Doctor Who spoofs on Emu's Broadcasting Company in the late 70s. 
I used to love these - as well as the show as a whole. There's something about a timid Australian with huge ginger sideburns and a moth-ridden, homicidal emu puppet that appealed to me back then. 
