Target Books was a British publishing imprint, established in 1973 by Universal-Tandem Publishing Co Ltd, a paperback publishing company. The imprint was established as a children's imprint to complement the adult Tandem imprint, and became well known for their highly successful range of novelisations and other assorted books based on the popular science-fiction television series Doctor Who. In 1975 Universal-Tandem was sold by its American owners, the Universal-Award group, to the British conglomerate Howard and Wyndham; the company was renamed Tandem Publishing Ltd before being merged with the paperback imprints of Howard and Wyndham's general publishing house WH Allen to become Wyndham Publications Ltd in 1976; however, during 1977 and 1978 the Wyndham identity was phased out and until 1991 Target books were published by 'the paperback division of WH Allen & Co.' Image File history File links Target_books. ... This article is concerned with the production of books, magazines, and other literary material (whether in printed or electronic formats). ... In the publishing industry, an imprint is a brand name under which a work is published. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1973 calendar). ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... Tandem is a group of similar units arranged one behind the other and working together. ... A novelization (or novelisation in British English) is a fictional book that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work. ... A broadcast of the long-running and popular British science-fiction series Doctor Who. ... Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC about a mysterious time-travelling adventurer known only as The Doctor, who explores time and space with his companions, fighting evil. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The most prolific writer in the Doctor Who range was Terrance Dicks, while actor turned writer Ian Marter, Malcolm Hulke, Philip Hinchcliffe and Nigel Robinson (who was for a time the editor of the range) were also contributors. Terrance Dicks Terrance Dicks (born 1935 in East Ham, London, England, UK) is a British writer, best known for his work in television and for writing a large number of popular childrens books during the 1970s and 80s. ... Ian Marter in 1983. ... Malcolm Hulke (died July 6, 1979) was a British television writer, notable for his work on the science fiction series Doctor Who. ... Philip Hinchcliffe Philip Hinchcliffe (born 1944) is a British television producer, who is probably best known for the overseeing of the golden era of British television series Doctor Who in the mid-1970s. ... Nigel Robinson is a British author, known for such works as the First Contact series. ...

All in all, virtually every story from the Doctor Who series was produced in novelisation form; the exceptions being three scripts by Douglas Adams (Shada, The Pirate Planet and City of Death) and two by Eric Saward (Resurrection of the Daleks and Revelation of the Daleks). Saward was reluctant to novelise these scripts himself due to the large percentage of the author's royalties demanded by the agents of Dalek creator Terry Nation for the inclusion of the creatures, and other writers were similarly dissuaded for the same reason. Douglas Noël Adams in an undated publicity photograph by Jill Furmanovsky. ... Shada is an unaired serial of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, written by Douglas Adams. ... The Pirate Planet is the second serial in the Key to Time arc of Doctor Who. ... City of Death is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from September 29 to October 20, 1979. ... Eric Saward was born in December 1944 and became a script writer and script editor for the BBC, resigning from the latter post on the TV programme Doctor Who in 1986. ... Resurrection of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts from February 8 to February 15, 1984. ... Revelation of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts from March 23 to March 30, 1985. ... Terry Nation (born August 8, 1930, Cardiff, Wales, UK; died March 9, 1997, Los Angeles, California, United States) was a British television screenwriter and is probably best known for creating the Daleks for the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who. ...

The company also produced novelisations of various other films and television series, again aimed mostly at the child and teenage markets. They also published a number of original children's and teenage novels. This article is about motion pictures. ...

WH Allen was purchased by the Virgin Group in the late 1980s and changed its name to Virgin Publishing in 1991, although the Target name and logo survived on Virgin's Doctor Who novelisations and reprints for a while into the early 1990s. The Virgin Group is the group of companies using the Virgin brand of British celebrity business tycoon Sir Richard Branson. ... The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... Virgin Books is the book publishing arm of Virgin Enterprises, the company originally set up by Richard Branson as a record company. ... The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive. ...

See also

List of Target Books' Doctor Who novelisations This is list of Target Books Doctor Who novelisations, in order of publication. ...

External links

• On Target - fansite, mainly covering the company's Doctor Who books.