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Rip It Up, Issue 137, 1 December 1988, Page 46

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"What Are We Doing This For?" IRON MAIDEN-A Photographic History by Ross Halfin (Zomba) Being both an ace photographer and a close friend of almost everyone involved with Iron Maiden since before theirfirst album, Ross Halfin has certainly snapped some brilliant shots ofthe band overallthose wasted years. The transformation of mascot Eddie from a ghoul off the streets to some sort of futuristic monsteris something in itself but the most entertaining factor of the book are the hilarious backstage and personal photos. Guests range from Bad News to Jimmy Page and band members can be seen with pie in the face, sporting

half a beard and in various states of drunkenness. Of course, there's also the awesome photos of Iron Maidens' larger than life stage show, spectacular lighting rig and effects. With nearly 100 pages of colour pictures and text provided by Mick Wall, this is a definite must-have for Maiden maniacs. GEOFFDUNN DR.WHO 25 Glorious Years by Peter Haining (Hodder & Stoughton) Dr. Who and the Tardis turned 25 on November 23 this year and the celebrations have been a feast. A week long special of old and new . episodes from the series and now this book, minted especially for the anniversary. Idea for idea, Doctor Who is still one of the best moving-picture science fiction creations. Its low budget only serves to heighten its riches of wit and invention, and its long run on TV (rivalled only by Coronation Street) has added to its mythology. ■ bn.- ’ r The progression of the series is a fascinating one, even to the casual observer; from Sydney Newman's concept of the show and its time-travelling theme as a weekly, edifying history lesson for viewers, to ‘ the present-day designs of weirdness and violence. Patrick Troughton made. the Doctor impish and flustered. Jon Perfwee made him a man of action and gadgetry, and a terrestrial — BBC ? <- budget constraints restricted the show to earth only! Then came Tom Baker as : the Doctor, and the show entered an era when the script concepts went 1 ? /•

beyond any budget; Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy) was script editor and stories like'The Leisure Hive' and 'Meglos' were pure genius. The book chronicles the early days of the Doctor Who and those crucial first steps towards cementing the series' idiosyncracies. There's a lovely quote from writer Anthony Coburn; "They want something unusual for this old man to travel in — what about a police box?" A subsequent chapter on merchandising the Doctortells how in 1983 the BBC paid "a sum" to the Metropolitan Police Force to secure exclusive rights to the police box design. A chapter is also devoted to personal interviews with each ofthe Doctor's assistants. A weird, no-go libido role, the female "companions" were some of the brightest women in science fiction — light years ahead of wimps like Nurse Chappell in Star Trek. Author Haining also tracks down missing episodes in the series and gives an extensive listing of Doctor Who guest stars —Julian Glover, John Cleese, Honor Blackman, Stratford Johns and Beryl Reid, to name a few. 25 Glorious Years tots up endless trivia and information on the series, although there is a lamentable lack of info on things like set, costume and prop design — perhaps because those things remain low priority in the penny-pinching BBC. Indeed, the BBC has sometimes appeared as the Doctor's most evil foe, erasing early videotapes of the show and, at one stage, cancelling the series. With friends like that, who needs Cybermen?

CHAD TAYLOR