Journey to the Centre by Ilver

Puzzle explanation

The puzzle celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first broadcast of Doctor Who. Extra letters in wordplay for the first 34 clues spelt out “count a letter in each of remaining clues”. The number of As, Bs, etc, in the remaining 26 clues gave the letter values. The shading gave an approximation of DOCTOR WHO. The central row contains (T + REL + DIM) in EM, ie, “Time And Relative Dimension In Space”. (Originally, the acronym TARDIS was explained as “Time And Relative Dimensions In Space”, as given in Chambers, but in recent years the singular “Dimension” has been used.) The puzzle’s title referred to a 2013 episode, entitled Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation [extra letter]
First Stage
1 WROATH (THROW + A/[C]) *
2 HURRAH H[O]UDAH with RR for D
3 HOG H[U]GO *
4 GENTLE GENT + LE[N]
5 EDIFIER FIDE < + [T]IER
6 RE-ALTER REAL + TE[A]R
Second Stage
7 RINGSTER (STERN GIR[L]) *
8 ROUGHS ROS[E] around UGH
9 SIDE [T]IDES with letters “cycled”
10 ELEVEN LEVE in EN[T]
11 NINNY (femi)NIN[E] NY(mph)
12 YAKS Y(ahweh) + A[R]K + ’S
13 SCHLEP PL[I]É * after SCH
14 PAT PA[N]T
15 TASKER (R[E]EKS + AT) <
16 RYOT (TO + [A]YR) <
17 TUTS UTS after [C]T
18 SLID SL + [H]ID
19 DEEM DEM[O] around E
20 MEDIUM MUM around ([F]ED + I)
21 MILIEU MI[R] + LIEU
Third Stage
22 URGENT TRU[E] < around GEN
23 TED (D + [M]ET) <
24 DEARIES D[A]E + ARIES
25 STREWTH STR + E + W[I]TH
26 HOA HO[N] + A
27 AFTERSALES (FASTER A[I]SLE) *
28 SPATHED PA[N]T in SHED
29 DEMERGED EMERGED after D[G]
30 DUSKER DU[C]KS * + ER
31 RYAL (elde)R[L]Y AL(bino)
32 LET SLIDE (S[U]EDE TILL) *
33 ELUL EL + U + L[E]
34 LIERS LIES around [S]R
35 SURA SUR + A
36 ALMAH HALMA with H moved
37 HOMEFELT HOME + FELT
38 TARBOOSH TAR + BOOS + H
39 HUB H(ang) U(p) B(at)
Fourth Stage
40 LOB L + O’ + B(owler)
41 BRASH BR + ASH
42 HEAVED HEAV(y) + ED
43 DEE 2 meanings
44 EMOS DEMOS − D
45 SOMMELIERS SOMME + RILES *
46 SCOURGE SCOUR + GE
47 ENDITED (IT ENDED) *
48 DEEDIER DEER around DIE
49 RESEAL RES + ALE *
50 LAW 2 meanings
51 WASP WAS + P
52 PELS P + ELS
53 SAG GAS <
54 GYNY GUY with YN replacing inner part
55 YAKUZA YAK + U + ZA(p)
56 ARCKINGS (A + KINGS) around RC
57 SCOUP SC + OUP
58 PENIE PEN + IE
59 EUGE (th)E(y b)U(y a)G(at)E(au)
60 EMOTED TOME < + ED
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