Editorial

It has been an eventful few months for Doctor Who. The very long awaited TV movie came and went, leaving us with the increasingly certain prospect of another long wait for more new stories. Most importantly, Paul McGann has met with widespread approval for his performance as the new Doctor, though it remains to be seen how his relatively short on-screen tenure (to date) will effectively sustain a literary-based continuation of the Eighth Doctor's life. I find it difficult to envisage years of 'New Adventures' novels ahead of us, all taking as their inspiration for the lead character little over an hour of actual screen time.

Writing of the New Adventures, it is distressing that such a firmly established series is soon to be replaced by a different publisher's vision of Doctor Who novels. It is a tragic irony indeed that Virgin Publishing, the one company that has done the most to keep the Doctor Who mythos alive and fresh over the past seven years, has been denied the opportunity to continue now that the show made a return to the screen. BBC Books will be taking on the mantle of Doctor Who fiction publisher as of next year, and we can only hope that this publisher will sustain Virgin's high standards. As long as Doctor Who continues to have an uncertain future on the screen it remains important that the series pushes forward in print.

Amidst these changes and upheavals comes the tragic news of the death of one of the most prominent and famous figures associated with the series Jon Pertwee was the Doctor when I began to watch the show twenty-one years ago. Like many other New Zealand fans I feel very fortunate to have met him when he visited Christchurch in 1990. The man may no longer be with us but his legacy - the Third Doctor era, containing many classics - remains with us to be enjoyed time and time again.

Paul

This issue is dedicated to Pat Scoones, who passed away peacefully in June this year. It was Grandma Pat's generosity and encouragement that started my Doctor Who collection and ultimately led to the creation of TSV.

This issue was put together to the music of the Crowded House album Recurring Dream.