Doctor Who: The Inside Story - Gary Russell

Gary Russell's Doctor Who: The Inside Story is a gorgeous book full of dozens of photos from behind the scenes of filming; of concept art designs for monsters, planets, space stations, etc; and of the actors being made up in their alien outfits. It also contains a detailed look at just how "New Who" (as it's known to Whovians) came to be commissioned and produced ("An Adventure in Space and Time"), how the various producers and directors, writers, actors, and artists (such as the man in charge of the team behind the prosthetics, the heads of the team at The Mill who do the CGI work, and the model makers) all got involved in the show ("Bringing Back the Series" and "Casting"). There's a detailed examination of the steep learning curve involved in making season 1, when everyone was still mastering the difference between using a CGI or a prosthetic suit to create a monster, and also when directors were learning what it's like to work on an effects-laden show. Reading this section made me feel awed at just what they all achieved in season 1 ("Behind the Scenes - Getting Up and Running" and "Crafting the New Series"). There's an episode guide for seasons 1 and 2, and a brief look at "Christmas 2006... And Beyond". The Foreword is by David Tennant, which finishes with the following

As you have bought this book, then presumably you know at least a little bit about this madness of which I speak [the madness that drives the Who team to spend nine months working their socks off and their guts out in producing a 13 episode + one Christmas special series]. There is probably already a corner of your soul that is dimensionally transcendental. I bet there is. Isn't it great? Isn't it? It's fine. You're among friends.

The Afterword is by Russell T Davies. If you've got a Whovian in the family, they'll probably adore this book which has been so lovingly written and put together by Gary Russell. Doctor Who: The Inside Story is also available from Amazon.com.