Neil Perryman’s book Adventures with the Wife in Space is published today and our roving reporter Ed Watkinson caught up with the author to ask him a few questions.
How long have you been a Doctor Who fan?
I’ve been watching since the age of three, but I probably became what you would call a proper fan during the Tom Baker years. Probably just after the Weetabix cards came out.
What is your earliest memory of Who, does it have any special place in your life?
Carnival of Monsters – 3rd February 1973 – the cliffhanger to episode 2. It’s the bit where the Drashigs emerge from the swamp. It’s not only my first memory of Doctor Who, it’s my first memory of *anything*.
How did you break it to Sue that you were a fan?
When I moved in with her, my boxes of VHS Doctor Who cassettes finally gave the game away.
How did she react?
She offered to put up some shelves.
What gave you the idea for the Wife in Space blog?
I wanted to watch the series all the way through (I’d never done it before) and I wanted to blog about it. But I also didn’t want to bore readers to tears with yet another Doctor Who fan’s observations about their favourite TV show. What could I possibly say that hadn’t been said before? And that’s when I decided to record the observations of someone who a) didn’t care about old Doctor Who and b) hadn’t really seen it. I thought it would be a bit different. And it was.
Did you find yourself squirming and making excuses for the classic series?
I was constantly making excuses for the programme, especially in the early days of the blog. Towards the end, Sue was making excuses for the classic series in an attempt to pacify me!
Do you have a favourite Doctor/story?
My favourite classic Doctor has to be Tom, and my favourite story is probably The Seeds of Doom. Which Sue gave 10/10 to. Which is nice.
Does Sue?
Whenever Sue answers this question, she never mentions the three stories she gave 10/10 to (Spearhead, Seeds and City of Death). The three stories that appear to have stayed with her the most are The Time Meddler, The War Games and Paradise Towers.
Any plans for a follow up book based on your Blake’s 7 blog?
No.
Read our review of Adventures with the Wife in Space HERE.
Thanks to Neil Perryman