The 1970s saw Doctor Who grow up, with adults outnumbering children in the continuously climbing viewing figures.  Terror and humour were blended to compliment an actor who had made the era his own.

But a new decade saw Tom Baker leave the show.  A new production team was in place, and the programme was about to undergo its most radical change since the switch from black-and-white to colour.

Doctor Who's third decade saw unprecidented diversity and experimentation - with the lead role and nature of the show itself.  Peter Davison soon won acceptance for his sensitive portrayal of the Doctor and the new maturity of the series' storylines.  Colin Baker's moody and unpredictable interpretation replected uncertanties about the show's future, and ended in recriminations.  And Sylvester McCoy brought the mystery back to a character still struggling in the face of falling ratings.

The Eighties is a meticulous account of Doctor Who's most contentious decade.  It is illustrated throughout with an unrivalled collection of colur photographs, most of which have never been printed before.

David J. Howe, Mark Stammers and Stephen James Walker have spent many years researching and writing about Doctor Who.  Together they have written The Sixties, described by Stage & TV Today as 'one of the best books about television ever', The Seventies, and the Handbook series of paperbacks about the individual Doctors.