The BBC Short Trips books were a series of short story

Short story

A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...

 anthologies

Anthology

An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...

 published by BBC Books

BBC Books

BBC Books is an imprint majority owned and managed by Random House. The minority shareholder is BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation...

 based on the television series Doctor Who

Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...

, following a pattern established by Virgin Publishing's Decalog

Virgin Decalog

The Virgin Decalog books were collections of short stories published by Virgin Publishing based on the television series Doctor Who: they gained their name from the fact that each volume contained ten stories...

collections. Three volumes were published between March 1998 and March 2000, before the BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

 decided to stop publishing the books. The Short Trips name was later adopted for hardback collections

Big Finish Short Trips

The Big Finish Short Trips are a collection of short story anthologies published by Big Finish Productions based on the BBC Television series Doctor Who, beginning with the collection Short Trips: Zodiac in December 2002 and ending with the loss of their license in 2009...

 published by Big Finish Productions

Big Finish Productions

Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...

 and licensed from the BBC.

Short Trips

The first volume of stories published was Short Trips (BBC Books, 1998), edited by Stephen Cole

Stephen Cole (writer)

Stephen Cole is an author of children's books and science fiction. He was also in charge of BBC Worldwide's merchandising of the BBC Television series Doctor Who between 1997 and 1999: this was a role which found him deciding on which stories should be released on video, commissioning and editing...

. It contained the following stories:

Title	Author	Doctor/Companion
Model Train Set	Jonathan Blum Jonathan Blum Jonathan Blum is an American writer most known for his work for various Doctor Who spin-offs, usually with his wife Kate Orman although he has also been published on his own...	Eighth Doctor Eighth Doctor The Eighth Doctor is the eighth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Paul McGann...
Old Flames	Paul Magrs Paul Magrs Paul Magrs is a writer and lecturer. He was born in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, England, and now lives in Manchester with his partner, author and lecturer Jeremy Hoad.-Early life:...	Fourth Doctor Fourth Doctor The Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who.... , Sarah Sarah Jane Smith Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running British BBC Television science-fiction series Doctor Who and its spin-offs K-9 and Company and The Sarah Jane Adventures....
War Crimes	Simon Bucher-Jones Simon Bucher-Jones Simon Bucher-Jones in Liverpool; he is a British author, poet, artist, and amateur actor, best known for his Doctor Who novels for Virgin and the BBC and as a contributor to the Faction Paradox spin-off series....	Second Doctor Second Doctor The Second Doctor is the second incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by character actor Patrick Troughton.... , Jamie Jamie McCrimmon James Robert "Jamie" McCrimmon is a fictional character played by Frazer Hines in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A piper of the Clan McLaren who lived in 18th century Scotland, he was a companion of the Second Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1966...  & Zoe
The Last Days	Evan Pritchard (Rebecca Levene Rebecca Levene Rebecca Levene is a British author and editor, best known for editing Virgin's New Adventures series of original fiction Doctor Who novels.-Biography:... )	First Doctor First Doctor The First Doctor is the initial incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966. Hartnell reprised the role in the tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors in 1973 - albeit in a... , Susan Susan Foreman Susan Foreman is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The granddaughter and original companion of the First Doctor, she was played by actress Carole Ann Ford from 1963 to 1964, in the show's first season and the first two stories of the second season... , Ian Ian Chesterton Ian Chesterton is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and a companion of the First Doctor. He was played in the series by William Russell, and was one of the members of the programme's very first regular cast, appearing in the bulk of the first two...  & Barbara Barbara Wright (Doctor Who) Barbara Wright is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and a companion of the First Doctor. She was one of the programme's very first regulars and appeared in the bulk of its first two seasons from 1963–65, played by Jacqueline Hill. In the film version...
Stop the Pigeon	Mike Tucker Mike Tucker Mike Tucker is a special effects expert who worked for many years at the BBC Television Visual Effects Department, and now works as an Effects Supervisor for his own company, The Model Unit. He is also the author of a variety of spin-offs relating to the television series Doctor Who and...  and Robert Perry	Seventh Doctor Seventh Doctor The Seventh Doctor is the seventh incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor Sylvester McCoy.... , Ace Ace (Doctor Who) Dorothy Gale McShane, better known by her nickname Ace, is a fictional character played by Sophie Aldred in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
Freedom	Steve Lyons	Third Doctor Third Doctor The Third Doctor is the third incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee.... , Jo Jo Grant Josephine "Jo" Grant is a fictional character played by Katy Manning in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who... , UNIT United Nations Intelligence Taskforce UNIT is a fictional military organisation from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures...
Glass	Tara Samms (Stephen Cole Stephen Cole (writer) Stephen Cole is an author of children's books and science fiction. He was also in charge of BBC Worldwide's merchandising of the BBC Television series Doctor Who between 1997 and 1999: this was a role which found him deciding on which stories should be released on video, commissioning and editing... )	Fourth Doctor, Romana II Romana Romana, short for Romanadvoratrelundar, is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
Mondas Passing	Paul Grice	Ben & Polly Polly (Doctor Who) Polly is a fictional character played by Anneke Wills in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A young woman from the year 1966, she was a companion of the First and Second Doctors and a regular in the programme from 1966 to 1967.-Character history:Polly first...
There are Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden	Sam Lester	First Doctor, Dodo Dodo Chaplet Dorothea "Dodo" Chaplet is a fictional character played by Jackie Lane in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. An Earth teenager from the year 1966, she was a companion of the First Doctor and a regular in the programme in its third season, from February to July,...
Mother's Little Helper	Matthew Jones Matt Jones (writer) Matthew David Jones is a British television writer and producer, who has worked on a variety of popular drama programmes for several television networks in the UK....	Second Doctor
The Parliament of Rats	Daniel O'Mahony Daniel O'Mahony Daniel O'Mahony is a half-British half-Irish author, born in Croydon. He is the oldest of five children, his siblings including Eoin O'Mahony of the band Hamfatter, and Madeleine O'Mahony, who has designed and made hats for Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.-Biography:O'Mahony's first professionally...	Fifth Doctor Fifth Doctor The Fifth Doctor is the fifth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Peter Davison.... , Nyssa
Rights	Paul Grice	Fourth Doctor, Sarah
Wish You Were Here	Guy Clapperton	Sixth Doctor Sixth Doctor The Sixth Doctor is the sixth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Colin Baker...
Ace of Hearts	Mike Tucker and Robert Perry	Seventh Doctor
The People's Temple	Paul Leonard Paul Leonard (writer) Paul J. Leonard Hinder, better known by his pseudonym of Paul Leonard and also originally published as PJL Hinder, is an author best known for his work on various spin-off fiction based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.Leonard has acknowledged a debt to his...	Eighth Doctor, Sam Sam Jones (Doctor Who) Samantha Angeline Jones, or simply Sam, is a fictional character in the Eighth Doctor Adventures novels based upon the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The Eighth Doctor first met her in the novel The Eight Doctors by Terrance Dicks, and she went on to become one of his...

More Short Trips

The next volume was More Short Trips (BBC Books, 1999), again edited by Stephen Cole. It contained the stories:

Title	Author	Doctor/Companion
Totem	Tara Samms (Stephen Cole)	Eighth Doctor
Scientific Adviser	Ian Atkins	Second Doctor
Missing, Part One: Business as Usual	Gary Russell Gary Russell Gary James Russell is a freelance writer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media...	Mel Melanie Bush Mel, also sometimes referred to as Melanie, is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A computer programmer from the 20th Century who is a companion of the Sixth and Seventh Doctors, she was a regular in the programme from 1986 to 1987...
Moon Graffiti	Dave Stone Dave Stone -Biography:Stone has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and Judge Dredd.Stone also contributed a number of comic series to 2000AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine, focusing on the Dreddverse...	Sixth Doctor, Peri Peri Brown Peri Brown, full name Perpugilliam Brown, is a fictional character played by Nicola Bryant in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
One Bad Apple	Simon A. Forward Simon A. Forward Simon A. Forward is an author and dramatist most famous for his work on a variety of Doctor Who spin-offs. He currently lives and works in Penzance with his wife as a full-time writer.-Work:...	Fourth Doctor, Leela Leela (Doctor Who) Leela is a fictional character played by Louise Jameson in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Leela was a companion of the Fourth Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1977 to 1978...
64 Carlysle Street	Gary Russell	First Doctor, Steven Steven Taylor (Doctor Who) Steven Taylor is a fictional character played by Peter Purves in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A space pilot from Earth in the future, he was a companion of the First Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1965 to 1966.-Character history:Steven first... , Dodo
The Eternity Contract	Steve Lyons	Fifth Doctor, Nyssa
The Sow in Rut	Mike Tucker and Robert Perry	Sarah and K-9 K-9 (Doctor Who) K-9, or K9, is the name of several fictional robotic canines in the long-running British science fiction television series, Doctor Who, first appearing in 1977...
Special Weapons	Paul Leonard	Seventh Doctor, Mel
Honest Living	Jason Loborik	Third Doctor, Jo, the Brigadier Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Nicholas Courtney...
Dead Time	Andrew Miller	Eighth Doctor, Sam
Romans Cutaway	David A. McIntee David A. McIntee -Biography:McIntee has written many spin-off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, as well as one each based on Final Destination and Space: 1999. He has also written a non-fiction book on Star Trek: Voyager and one jointly on the Alien and Predator movie franchises...	First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki Vicki Vicki is a fictional character played by Maureen O'Brien in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. An orphan from the 25th century, she was a companion of the First Doctor and a regular in the programme in Seasons 2 and 3 in 1965...
Return of the Spiders	Gareth Roberts Gareth Roberts (writer) Gareth John Pritchard Roberts is a British television screenwriter and novelist, best known for his work related to the science-fiction television series Doctor Who...	Fourth Doctor, Romana II, K-9
Hot Ice	Christopher Bulis Christopher Bulis Christopher Bulis is a writer best known for his work on various Doctor Who spin-offs. He is one of the most prolific authors to write for the various ranges of spin-offs from the BBC Television series Doctor Who, with twelve novels to his name, and between 1993 and 2000 he had at least one Doctor...	Fifth Doctor, Peri
uPVC	Paul Farnsworth Paul Farnsworth (writer) Paul Farnsworth is a British author best known for his comedy writing, which began with contributions to Deadpan in 1994. Between 2000 and 2006, Farnsworth concentrated on producing comedy material for the website The University of the Bleeding Obvious...	Second & Seventh Doctors, Jamie, Zoe, Ace
Good Companions	Peter Anghelides Peter Anghelides Peter Anghelides is an English author and dramatist best known for his work on various spin-offs related to the BBC television series Doctor Who.-Work:...	(a Future Doctor)
Missing, Part Two: Message in a Bottle	Mike Tucker and Robert Perry	Mel
Femme Fatale	Paul Magrs	Eighth Doctor, Sam

Short Trips and Sidesteps

The final Short Trips collection was called Short Trips and Sidesteps (BBC Books, 2000), and was joint edited by Jacqueline Rayner

Jacqueline Rayner

Jacqueline Rayner is a best selling British author, best known for her work with the licensed fiction based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....

 and Stephen Cole. It was intended to show a variety of stories of Doctors and companions that had not necessarily existed in the prime continuity of Doctor Who. Several of the stories were written under pseudonym

Pseudonym

A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...

s, including Tara Samms (Steve Cole), David Agnew and Norman Ashby. Lawrence Miles

Lawrence Miles

Lawrence Miles is a science fiction author known for his work on original Doctor Who novels and the subsequent spin-off Faction Paradox...

 wrote two pieces for the collection, one under his own name and one under a pseudonym. It contained the following stories:

Title	Author	Doctor/Companion
The Longest Story in the World	Paul Magrs	First Doctor, Susan
A Town Called Eternity (2 Parts)	Lance Parkin Lance Parkin Lance Parkin is a British author, best known for writing fiction and reference books for television series, in particular Doctor Who and Emmerdale...  and Mark Clapham Mark Clapham Mark Clapham is a British author, best known for writing fiction and reference books for television series, in particular Doctor Who in his book : Who's Next....	Fifth Doctor, Peri
Special Occasions 1: The Not So Sinister Sponge	Gareth Roberts and Clayton Hickman Clayton Hickman Clayton Hickman is a British writer, magazine editor and designer. Born in Bristol in 1977, he first worked in publishing as Editorial Assistant on Film Review magazine from 1999-2000, and went on to become the longest-serving editor of Panini Comics' Doctor Who Magazine, overseeing the...	Fourth Doctor, Romana II, K-9
Nothing at the End of the Lane (3 Parts)	Daniel O'Mahony	First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Susan
Countdown to TV Action	Gary Russell	Third Doctor
The Queen of Eros	Trevor Baxendale Trevor Baxendale Trevor Baxendale is a novelist who has penned several Doctor Who tie-in novels and audio dramas.*The Janus Conjunction *Out of the Darkness *Coldheart *Eater of Wasps *Fear of the Dark...	Eighth Doctor, Sam
The Android Maker of Calderon IV	Miche Doherty	Fourth Doctor, Sarah
Revenants	Peter Anghelides	Future Doctor
Please Shut the Gate	Stephen Lock	Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe
Turnabout is Fair Play	Graeme Burk	Sixth Doctor, Peri
Special Occasions 2: Do You Love Anyone Enough?	Norman Ashby	Fourth Doctor, Romana II
The House on Oldark Moor	Justin Richards Justin Richards Justin Richards is a British writer. He has written science fiction and fantasy novels, including series set in Victorian or early-20th-century London, and also adventure stories set in the present day...	"Dr. Who Dr. Who (Dalek films) Dr. Who is a character based on the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. Although based upon the character of the Doctor from the television series, the character is fundamentally different, most notably in being human.... " from the Dalek films
Gone Too Soon	Christopher M. Wadley	Sixth Doctor
Reunion	Jason Loborik	Second Doctor
Planet of the Bunnoids	Harriet Green	First Doctor, Steven, Vicki
Monsters	Tara Samms	Seventh Doctor, Ace
Special Occasions 3: Better Take Care	Steve Burford	Fourth Doctor, Romana II
Face Value	Steve Lyons	Sixth Doctor, Crystal, Jason & Zog
Storm in a Tikka	Mike Tucker and Robert Perry	Seventh Doctor, Ace, K-9
Special Occasions 4: Playing with Toys	David Agnew David Agnew "David Agnew" was a particular kind of pen name, employed exclusively on BBC television drama programmes of the 1970s. It was used only as a scriptwriting credit.-Conditions of use:...	Fourth Doctor, Romana II
Vrs	Lawrence Miles	(None)

Following the publication of this book, the BBC announced that they were no longer going to produce volumes of short stories, due to the cost and amount of work involved in producing them.

Audio books

In 1998, the original Short Trips book was also released on a double cassette as an audio book, featuring five stories from the book (Freedom, Model Train Set, Glass, Stop the Pigeon and Old Flames) read by Sophie Aldred

Sophie Aldred

Sophie Aldred is an English actress and television presenter, best known for her portrayal of The Doctor's companion Ace in the television series Doctor Who during the late 1980s.-Early life:...

 and Nicholas Courtney

Nicholas Courtney

William Nicholas Stone Courtney was an English television actor, most famous for playing Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Early life:...

. An additional story (Degrees of Truth by David A. McIntee, featuring the Third Doctor and the Brigadier) was also on the release. Model Train Set was also released on CD as a BBC AudioCard.

Two further audio book short story collections were released later that year: Earth and Beyond

Earth and Beyond (Doctor Who)

Earth and Beyond is a Doctor Who audio production produced by the BBC featuring the Eighth Doctor and Sam Jones. The release contains three adventures that are read by Paul McGann. It was released onto cassette in 1999, as a sequel to the BBC Short Trips cassette of 1998...

, read by Paul McGann

Paul McGann

Paul McGann is an English actor who made his name on the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer, in which he played the lead role...

, featuring Dead Time from More Short Trips, The Peoples' Temple from Short Trips and original story Bounty; and Out of the Darkness, read by Colin Baker

Colin Baker

Colin Baker is a British actor who is known for playing Paul Merroney in The Brothers from 1974 to 1976 and as the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who, from 1984 to 1986.- Background:Colin Baker was born in London, but moved north to...

 and Nicola Bryant

Nicola Bryant

-External links:** at shillpages.com/dw *...

, featuring Moon Graffiti from More Short Trips, Wish You Were Here from Short Trips and original story Vigil. Earth and Beyond was released on double cassette, whilst Out of the Darkness was released on CD.

External links

Fan reviews