Produced by Paul Carson of Weymouth, Dorset, the first issue of The Interview Tapes was devoted mostly to a lengthy interview with screenwriter Dave Martin and was issued during the autumn of 1987 - despite being copyrighted 1986. The editor notes that the Dave Martin was recorded some time before this, but bonus interviewee Sophie Aldred refers to having finished filming on Dragonfire (recorded sessions wrapped on August 13th 1987) and that the story was yet to air, suggesting this first tape was issued during the autumn of 1987.  Purchase price was 50p plus a C-90 cassette.

While the Dave Martin interview appears to have been conducted in person, the others - in common with many tapezine interviews - were conducted remotely with the interviewee recording themselves answering questions that they had received in letters.

It would appear that the title The Interview Tapes was arrived at near the end of recording as it does not feature on the printed cover, only on the recording itself. Intriguingly, the cover suggests a possible earlier title for the tapezine - Paul Carson Interviews - while the spine cries out for a smaller typeface as only "Dave Martin Int." would fit!

Paul Carson suggested at the end of the first tape that a second release in his series The Interview Tapes was to follow. Interviews with Colin Baker, David Troughton and Nicola Bryant were promised but it is unclear whether any subsequent issues were actually published.