The Radio Times Doctor Who 20th Anniversary Special was a colourful cornucopia of interviews, character profiles, fiction… and poetry. How does it compare with its illustrious predecessor from 1973?

By JASON ARNOPP

Right: The Radio Times Doctor Who 20th Anniversary Special was available in newsagents alongside regular editions of the magazine.

Below left: The back and front cover of the Radio Times 10th anniversary special featured a specially taken photograph of a Dalek, a Cyberman, a Sea Devil and the then-current Doctor (Jon Pertwee).

Below right: A spread from the 10th anniversary special.

The Radio Times Doctor Who 10th Anniversary Special sold out its entire print run of 250,000 copies in 1973.

From that day forward, the future existence of a Radio Times 20th Anniversary Special must have seemed like a safe bet. 1983 rolled around, Doctor By the time November Who itself was making a fuss about its birthday. The Five Doctors was airing on BBC1 and Longleat’s Doctor Who: The Celebration event had already played host to tens of thousands of fans. The special 1983 magazine had a lot to live up to, not just because of the show’s popularity, but because its 1973 predecessor had been quite the treat. The idea of a 10th anniversary special had reportedly been championed by the magazine’s art editor David Driver, who commissioned some exclusive photography. The wraparound cover saw the Third Doctor pursued by some memorable alien foes, and inside were new pictures of monsters alongside such companions as Katy Manning, Peter Purves, Anneke Wills and Michael Craze. There were also striking portraits of behind-the-scenes personnel like Dalek creator Terry Nation and monster maker John Friedlander.