An Unearthly Child Novelization

When one reads a novelization, there is always the bonus of extra material or extended scenes to enrich the story or simply the characterization of one of the players. In the opening moments of "An Unearthly Child," we see a police officer walking about outside the I.M. Foreman Junkyard. It's a simple scene as we quickly move away from him to the opening of the junkyard's doors and the reveal of the TARDIS. Still, in the novelization, we get a little more into the police officer's mind as he moves, and discovers the police box, thinks of the rumors of them being phased out, and his desire to get back to his sweet tea and sausage sandwiches.

It adds nothing to the story overall, but it layers it in a way that would be a distraction in the actual TV episode.

And with that, we begin a look at "An Unearthly Child" as novelized by Terrance Dicks. The book was first published in 1981, some 18 years after the story was broadcast. Dicks is "Mister Target" in many respects as he wrote the majority of the novelizations for the company.

The opening three chapters, part one in the serial, are pretty standard fare in terms of tracking, mostly with the script of the show.  There are little character moments like Ian and Barbara's relationship in terms of Ian seeing something more in Barbara than most people who just see her as the stern schoolmistress.  There is also an odd change where Ian refers to the Doctor as Doctor Foreman.  In the TV episode, he replies, "What's he talking about? Doctor who?" Of course, establishing the show's title and how it comes about.  In the novelization, the Doctor dismisses the name and asks to be referred to as The Doctor.