Books

This Mr Men/'Doctor Who' Crossover Is ~Fantastic~

Inspired by online fanart, BBC Worldwide and Sanrio Global have teamed up to produce a Mr Men/ Doctor Who crossover series of books that everyone is sure to love. The books will retell the adventures of the Doctor's 12 incarnations in the late Roger Hargreaves' signature style, and are currently slated for release in Spring 2017.

Since it first aired on Nov. 23, 1963 — nearly three years before Star TrekDoctor Who has been a cult classic. Originally envisioned as an educational program for children, the series soon snowballed into the pop culture phenomenon it is today, spawning books, movies, and TV spin-offs. In 2006, the Guinness Book of Records officially named Doctor Who as the longest-running sci-fi show of all time, 43 years and 723 episodes after its premiere.

Roger Hargreaves' Mr Men first appeared in 1971. A companion series, Little Miss, followed in 1981. Much like Doctor Who, the Mr Men and Little Miss books attracted a widespread audience, spawning special holiday releases, several animated TV series, and a theatrical film adaptation. The Hargreaves' books have been enjoyed in 28 countries, "with more than 100 million copies sold," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

After Roger Hargreaves' death in 1988, his son, Adam, took over the franchise, and has produced new books and characters ever since. Adam Hargreaves will write and illustrate the Mr Men/Doctor Who crossover series.

Due to fan interest — and maybe a bit of the old wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey — the Mr Men/ Doctor Who crossover books won't come out in order. Instead, books about the First, Fourth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Doctors will comprise the first batch, which are available for pre-order now, priced at $5.99 each. Dr. First, Dr. Fourth, Dr. Eleventh, and Dr. Twelfth will be available at your favorite retailer on Apr. 25, 2017.

Doctor Who returns with a Christmas special in December 2017.

Image: BBC