Burk and Smith? are at it again!

I’m going to have to start with the same confession I made when I reviewed Who is the Doctor – Robert Smith? and Graeme Burk’s massive exploration of NuWho – last year for Enlightenment.  The fact is, that I can’t hide the fact that I know both Graeme and Robert quite well through our time in DWIN together. It’s always hard on some level to remain objective when reviewing the works of people you know; if one is too critical one risks offending good friends.  On the other hand, overwhelming acclaim can also be read the wrong way; as a writer you don’t want to become too well-known for singing the praises of close compatriots.  And yet, I know I am being as objective as I can possibly be by saying that Smith? and Burk’s latest work, Who’s 50: The 50 Doctor Who Stories to Watch Before You Die is one of the most refreshing examinations of the entire history of Doctor Who I have seen in a long time. 

When I first read Who is the Doctor a year or two back, my first thought was, “I wish they could do this with Classic Who.”  But I knew taking on over twenty-five years of our beloved program would involve a much greater effort than simply examining the (then) six seasons of the New Series.  That’s not to say that it hasn’t been done before, but rarely in as much detail and with such an in-depth understanding of the popular culture of the day.  But with Who’s 50, Smith? and Burk have used the impending 50^th anniversary to cleverly create a “bucket list” of – for the most part – the 50 indispensable Who serials than every fan should watch.

In terms of organisation, Who’s 50 generally follows the same structure as Who is the Doctor.  The roots of each story are explored, as are references to popular culture.  Connections are made to other episodes, and new information about the Doctor, his companions and the TARDIS is examined.  “Stand up and cheer” flashes are celebrated, while “roll your eyes” moments are decried.  The book is also riddled with numerous essays and observations in the form of “The Psychic Papers”, which help to set the scene and scrutinise the background to each era.  One of the things that has been added to Who’s 50 is a “Tips for Newbies” column at the beginning of each chronological section.  This in particular was a stroke of brilliance; someone who has been raised on only the new series may not realize that television was made in a very different way – and, indeed, to serve a very different audience – fifty years ago.  If a modern NuWho fan were to try to race through all ten episodes of The War Games the way one might devour an entire DVD boxed set today, they probably wouldn’t know what hit them.  Early Who was meant to be episodic; only the most diehard fan can take in more than a few episodes at a time when viewing serials from the 1960, and it is very wise to point this out.

I learned a lot about people’s perceptions of Doctor Who by reading this book, and I also discovered quite a few things about its authors.  I have to admit being rather shocked by the fact that Graeme Burk does not hold two of my all-time favourite serials – Genesis of the Daleks and Logopolis – in nearly as high esteem.  Similarly, Robert Smith? does not seem to recognize the comic genius that is The Gunfighters.  But this dichotomy makes Who’s 50 all the more enjoyable; the authors often banter back and forth across their reviews of several stories, and they never get so academic as to make things tedious (although in many cases their “academic” observations are the most enjoyable).

Like Who is the Doctor, Who’s 50 is essential reading for all Who fans – new and old alike.  It is a fascinating journey through the history of the programme and, though it only covers a fraction of the stories that are out there, it offers its readers a rare glimpse of the awesome scope of the program – not just in terms of the number of stories that exist, but also how flexible the format is.  Whether one reads it from beginning to end, or in little chunks from time to time, it’s a real joy to devour.

For those of you in the Toronto area, Graeme and Robert will be officially launching Who’s 50 at Bakka-Phoenix Books, 84 Harbord St., at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, September 28, 2013.