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Revisit the creatives involved in making Doctor Who through the lens of newly-commissioned essays examining key themes and critical responses

"Doctor Who is so wide-ranging, you're like a kid in a sweet shop. In great danger of choosing something you don't really want or making yourself sick" - Graham Williams, 1986

The second in the series of lavish books examining the key creatives behind Doctor Who - the DNA of Doctor Who takes a look at the creatives involved in making Doctor Who through the lens of newly-commissioned essays examining key themes, critical responses and reflections on the era in question.

This second volume continues our journey through the fourth doctor's era. The DNA of Doctor Who: the Graham Williams years includes a series of essays on every one of Graham's stories written by a host of well-known contributors bringing fresh perspectives to some of our most well-loved stories.

Edited by Gary Russell and designed by will brooks this next volume in the DNA series is an essential addition to any discerning Doctor Who or television fan’s library!

Stories considered thematically in this edition are: Horror of Fang Rock, the Invisible Enemy, Image of the Fendahl, The Sun Makers, Underworld, the Invasion of Time, The Ribos Operation, The Pirate Planet, The Stones of Blood, The Androids of Tara, The Power of Kroll, The Armageddon Factor, Destiny of the Daleks, City of Death, Creature from the Pit, Nightmare of Eden, The Horns of Nimon, Shada and Graham's unmade sixth Doctor serial the Nightmare Fair.

Spanning 230 pages, contents include:

State of Play: The Graham Williams Years by Russell Cook
Horror of Fang Rock by Damien Timmer - "Was this the last throes of the Letts and Hinchcliffe eras?"
The Invisible Enemy by Sue Cowley - "The portrayal of humanity and Earth in the future."
Image of the Fendahl by Nicholas Pegg - "The use of British folklore in Doctor Who."
The Sun Makers by Jamie Lenman - "The use of satire in Doctor Who."
Underworld by Alistair McGown - "The rise of organised Doctor Who fandom in the UK."
The Invasion of Time by Tim Worthington - "The Star Wars (and cute robot) effect on Doctor Who."
The Ribos Operation by Jen DiGiacomo - "Romana(s) as a Time Lady companion."
The Pirate Planet by Mark Blayney - "The influence of three different script editors across three years."
The Stones of Blood by Si Hunt - "How does Doctor Who deal with anniversaries and milestones?"
The Androids of Tara by Eddie Arnold - "Did Jean Rook Win - Was Doctor Who more child-friendly under Graham Williams?"
The Power of Kroll by Jon Helm - "The impact of Blake's 7 upon Doctor Who."
The Armageddon Factor by Joe Ford - "Do season arcs work in Doctor Who?"
Destiny of the Daleks by Nicholas Briggs - "Was the return of the Daleks still a potent force in the public's perception?"
City of Death by Jess Jurkovik - "A celebration of Dudley Simpson and his music."
The Creature From the Pit by Alina Morgan Roth - "The rise of females as villains during the Graham Williams years."
Nightmare of Eden by Paul Kirkley - "Did a story about drug-running mean Doctor Who was grown up?"
The Horns of Nimon by Abie Ekenzar - "The use of Greek myth and legend during the Graham Williams era."
Shada by Timothy Rideout - "The effect Graham Williams had on Tom Baker's portrayal of the Doctor (or vice versa)."
The Nightmare Fair by Miles Taylor - "A look back at the influence and effect Graham Williams had on Doctor Who."

The Hardback comes complete with one of our famous VAM DVDs featuring:

Video Presentations

Graham Williams in conversation with Gary Russell (video). 60 minutes, 1985. Archive video and audio restored by Scott Burditt and Andromeda Burrows
Graham Williams in conversation with Richard Marson (video) 60 minutes, 1985. Archive video and audio restored by Scott Burditt and Andromeda Burrows
FAN-TASTIC – the Graham Williams Years (video), with fan opinions drawn from Gallifrey 2025 and Whooverville 2025
Interview (video) – Target Books cover artist Jeff Cummins

Audio Commentary

New Commentary (audio) – Horror of Fang Rock with Philip Hinchcliffe (Doctor Who Producer, 1974-1977) watching the first story transmitted of the Graham Williams Era for the *very first time and Gary Russell (Editor, The DNA of Doctor Who). Moderator, Justin Johnson
New Commentary (audio) – The Horns of Nimon with Janet Ellis (Teka), Reece Connolly and Carrot (Gallifrey Cabaret). Moderator, Richard Unwin

Order Graham Williams -The DNA of Doctor Who here