As we approach the 60th Anniversary of Doctor Who, revisit the story of Doctor Who, the occasional series written for the 50th Anniversary, explaining the origins of the programme.
Episode 8 - An Unearthly Series: The Origins of a TV Legend: First published 26 Mar 2013
In the latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine the programme's directors discuss the new TARDIS
The latest Doctor Who Magazine includes an exclusive interview with all three directors of the forthcoming 60th anniversary specials – Chanya Button, Tom Kingsley and Rachel Talalay. In this revealing feature, they discuss the new TARDIS set…
Chanya Button:
Tom Kingsley
Rachel Talalay
Other highlights of the new issue include:
The DWM 60th Anniversary Poll – the analysis of the results begins, with this issue looking at the rankings of every story from the 1960s.
Liberation of the Daleks Part Six – the adventures of the Fourteenth Doctor continue in the epic comic-strip adventure written by Alan Barnes and illustrated by Lee Sullivan.
Letter from the Showrunner – Russell T Davies on writing the next series, exciting nights out and the hunt for silver glitter body spray.
Production Diary – script editor Scott Handcock files his latest report on the forthcoming episodes, direct from Doctor Who’s HQ.
Gallifrey Guardian – all the latest official news, including new cast announcements and executive producer Phil Collinson on Doctor Who’s involvement with Comic Relief 2023.
How Cleo Carried On – Cleo Sylvestre recalls the early years of her career, when she appeared in the 1965 story The Crusade.
Best Life – Moses Ogundeji reveals what it’s like to work as ‘best boy’ on the new series of Doctor Who.
Tea Time Terror – a look back at The Amazing World of Doctor Who, the 1976 book that’s about to gain a surprising new lease of life.
60 Objects, 60 Years – from The Key to Time in 1978 to a Neo-Cyberman in 1982, the latest installment of this series tells the story of one object from every year of Doctor Who’s history.
The Fact of Fiction uncovers the secrets of the acclaimed Twelfth Doctor adventure Flatline.
Other Worlds – the essential guide to forthcoming stories in Doctor Who’s expanded universe.
Previews, reviews, prize-winning competitions, Time and Space Visualiser and more.
Doctor Who Magazine Issue 589 is on sale Thursday 30 March from panini.co.uk and WH Smith priced £6.99 (UK). Also available as a digital edition from pocketmags.com priced £5.99.
Doom's Day, a new special multiplatform story celebrating Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, has been launched by BBC Studios
The new story introduces a brand-new character who is on a 24-hour pursuit of the Doctor
Launching later in 2023, this standalone transmedia series will allow Doctor Who fans to follow Doom, the Universe’s greatest assassin, as she travels through all of time and space in pursuit of the Doctor to save her from the ever-approaching Death. She only has 24 hours and a vortex manipulator to save herself before her fate is sealed forever.
Stand-up comedian, comedy sketch artist, and actor Sooz Kempner will be the face and voice of Doom. Kempner is a graduate and Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, She is a multi-award-winning stand-up comedian, comedy sketch artist, and actor. Known for her viral impersonation videos, Kempner recently wrapped on a forthcoming Big Talk/CBS Studios series for Freevee and throughout 2023 will be on tour with her solo comedy show, Playstation, before returning to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer.
A number of fan-favourite characters will feature along her journey.
Doctor Who Showrunner Russell T Davies says:
Sooz Kempner says:
Doom’s Day will kick off on Doctor Who digital channels later this year followed by products from Doctor Who Magazine, Titan Comics, Penguin Random House, East Side Games, Big Finish and BBC Audio, each telling a section of Doom’s story.
Each partner will create their own adventures for Doom’s Day, each focusing on one of the 24 hours Doom has left on the clock. The standalone stories will also have an overarching narrative that will play out before the finale which will release on Doctor Who digital channels.
The latest special from Doctor Who Magazine, looks at the men and women who have steered Doctor Who through its sixty-year history.
Doctor Who’s journey was launched by producer Verity Lambert; the series, in turn, served as the springboard for her own remarkable career.
Since then many have accepted the unique challenge of steering one of the most demanding programmes on television.
The Special Edition of the magazine examines what each of these people brought to the role and gains exclusive new insights from their colleagues.
Highlights include exclusive interviews with Sheena Bucktowonsing, Shirley Cooklin, Janet Fielding, Julie Gardner, Frazer Hines, Waris Hussein, Matthew Jacobs, Louise Jameson, John Leeson, Katy Manning and Marcus Wilson.
DWM Special Edition 63: Showrunners is on sale from Thursday 16 March at WH Smith, selected supermarkets and online from panini.co.uk priced £8.99.
A digital edition is also available, priced £7.99 from pocketmags.com
Issue 588 of Doctor Who Magazine takes us back to Bannerman Road and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
The latest Magazine features a 28-page retrospective of every story in the much-loved spin-off from Doctor Who that ran from 2007-11 and starred Elisabeth Sladen.
Included are new interviews with stars Daniel Anthony, Tommy Knight and Anjli Mohindra, plus lead writer Phil Ford.
Other highlights of the new issue include:
· Previews, reviews, prize-winning competitions, Time and Space Visualiser and more.
Doctor Who Magazine Issue 588 is on sale Thursday 2 March from panini.co.uk and WH Smith priced £6.99 (UK).
Also available as a digital edition from pocketmags.com priced £5.99.
Candy Jar has announced the second of its UNIT Files short story collections, Operation Fall-Out.
Range Editor, Tim Gambrell explainsd how the book's format differs from the previious collection::
The book features eight new short stories, all set during August 1973. Each of the stories are connected, to a greater or lesser extent, and feed into an ongoing narrative that readers will hopefully find both enjoyable and rewarding. The stories feature the UNIT team of the Brigadier, Benton, Captain Turner, Sergeant Walters and Corporal Tracy from The Invasion, as well as introducing a wider cast of regular UNIT characters.
Tim continued:
Opening the collection is Gary J Mack, with his story Designer Death. Gary recently published a collection of speculative stories, Impossible Fruit, and a novel, The Secret Magpie. He said:
It was nice to be asked to write the opening story, if a little daunting. I had a detailed brief from Tim, which was very different. I’m used to writing my own stories, under my own steam, so it was a pleasant change to work with another writer/editor’s clear vision. I think I stuck (mostly) to the original brief. It was a joyous experience. Well, it’s a UNIT story, and I got to write it. Big tick off my bucket list. Thanks for the wonderful opportunity.
Tim added:
Gary’s story was pivotal to the collection because there were aspects that he’d either created or fleshed out from my brief which would determine details in some of the later stories.
The second story, Beyond What We See, is by James Hornby, who has previously written for Arcbeatle Press and BBV. James said:
Tim:
Although I wanted the book to have a through-narrative, I was conscious that each author needed to have their own voice and style. James’ story was so different to Gary’s; it gave me real confidence that we could deliver the book we’d set out to create.
Next up is Jamie Hailstone’s story Fever. Jamie is an author and journalist. He has contributed to Big Finish’s Short Trips range, as well as writing for Obverse Books, but he is probably best known for his Professor Howe novels for Long Scarf Publications:
Tim:
When I began looking for writers for this collection, I cast my mind back over those I’d known or worked with previously, particularly outside the universe of Doctor Who, for fresh perspectives. One such was my old friend Katy Darby, who runs Liars League London. Katy wasn’t keen to be involved herself, but she recommended Tessa North to me. Tessa then recommended Doris V Sutherland as well and suddenly I had my next two new authors lined up!
Story four is The Four Callers, by Doris V Sutherland – an author who’s dabbled in horror, science fiction, bizarro, comics and non-fiction:
Tim:
The Four Callers is a wonderful character study while also being an engaging story. I knew the sort of piece I wanted from Doris, but when this landed I realised I’d got so much more. And it’s a brilliant kick-start to the second half of the book.
The Four Callers leads directly into the fifth story, The Fourth Floor, by Tessa North. Tessa has previously written for the Eleventh Doctor Chronicles range for Big Finish. She said:
Tim:
Sixth in the collection is what’s become the titular story, Fall-Out, by writer, poet and academic Matthew Griffiths. Tim said:
Fall-Out takes the events from the previous two stories and ramps the pressure up even more. Matthew explained:
The seventh story is Station Keeping, by another Matthew, Matthew Kresal. a writer, critic and podcaster from Alabama. He has written for Obverse Books’ Silver Archive range and his novel, Our Man On the Hill, was published in 2021 by Sea Lion Press
The previous three stories feel like they are building up to something big but Station Keeping is another step-change to afford the reader some breathing space before the finale. Sergeant Walters takes centre stage, and the story owes something to the first Benton Files book – although it’s not necessary to have read that.
The final story in the collection is written by Tim himself:
As range editor, I needed to keep a close eye on where the other stories were going and how they were progressing, as well as introducing any ongoing narrative strands where necessary. It made sense, therefore, for me to write the final story that pulls all those strands together. I can’t say any more than that, because I don’t want to give anything away. But what I can say is that this whole process has been an enormous learning curve for me. I’ve loved working with all the writers, developing the stories and seeing our cast of UNIT characters come to life. I hope that between us all we’ve succeeded in creating an engaging and varied collection of stories that rewards readers – and not just the first time.
Operation Fall-Out and other stories is available to pre-order from the Candy Jar website.
Candy Jar’s range of UNIT novels will be kicking off in earnest this summer. The first series will comprise four books to be released during the second half of 2023. First up will be The Return, by Tim Gambrell, which will be picking up UNIT’s story in the immediate aftermath of The Invasion. Books two and three will be from Candy Jar and Doctor Who stalwarts Iain McLaughlin and Nick Walters and currently have the working titles The Catacombs of Seville and The Secret of Foxfell Forest. Both of these stories will take place simultaneously. The first UNIT series will end with a sequel to The Return, again written by Tim Gambrell. More informaton on these titles will be released closer to their publication.
The range of figurines originslly produced by Eaglemoss in the UK are about to see a new lease of life courtesy of Sci-Fi Collector. The science fiction merchandise specialist has obtained the range of figures that were never released by the former company, with a formal launch this coming Saturday.
The launch takes place at The Television and Movie store in the Maltings Shopping Centre in St Albans on the 18th February, and will feature the Doctor's ally/'nemesis' introduced in the 2021 series opener Flux, Karvanista (release #216), as well as other releses such as the Cleaner Robot from Paradise Towers and the 9th/10th Doctors' console which have been previously avaiable on eBay. The event will also showcase some of the forthcoming releases.
As well as in-store in St Albans and their other stores in Norwich, Cardiff, Bristol, Cwmbran, Taunton, and Hatfield, the new figurines will also be available to purchase online from a relaunched www.scificollector.co.uk website in March.
Please note that Sci-Fi Collector has no connection to Eaglemoss, and the new figures for sale come from stock that had never been distributed to the former company. Any readers who may have had unfulfilled orders with Eaglemoss are advised to contact their liquidators for further assistance.
Issue 587 of Doctor Who Magazine contains an exclusive interview with new executive producer Joel Collins
In the magazine, Collins reveals how his association with the series began in the1970s, through knowing acclaimed director Douglas Camfield and seeing the series being made
Other highlights of the new issue include:
Doctor Who Magazine Issue 587 is on sale Thursday 2 February from panini.co.uk and WH Smith priced £6.99 (UK).
Also available as a digital edition from pocketmags.com priced £5.99.
The British actress Sylvia Syms has died at the age of 89.
Sylvia Syms was a star of British cinema. She appeared in a number of iconic movies including Ice Cold in Alex, No Trees in the Street, Victim, and The Tamarind Seed.
She appeared in Doctor Who in 1989 playing Mrs. Pritchard in the Seventh Doctor story Ghost Light.
Sylvia Syms was born in South East London in 1934. At the age of five World War II broke out and she became one of the thousands of children who were evacuated from London, moving first to Kent and then, in 1940, to Monmouthshire in Wales. She later recalled the trauma of being separated from her mother, who was to die of a brain tumour when Syms was just 12.
At 16, she suffered a nervous breakdown and contemplated suicide but, at the insistence of her stepmother, had psychotherapy which helped her through the crisis.She trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
After graduating she quickly moved into filmmaking earning plaudits with her second role, playing the delinquent daughter of Anna Neagle in My Teenage Daughter. The following year she had a key supporting role in the kitchen-sink drama Woman in a Dressing Gown, for which she was nominated for the Bafta for best British actress
A couple of years later she was appearing alongside John Mills in the war movie Ice Cold with Alex. She later played the wannabe singer Maisie in Expresso Bongo. By 1960 had worked with Flora Robson, Orson Welles, Stanley Holloway, Lilli Palmer and William Holden.
In 1961 she played the wife of Dirk Bogarde in the film Victim. The movie dealt with homosexual activity, then unlawful in the United Kingdom, and the movie is thought to have helped change the law. In 1963 she played Tony Hancock's wife in The Punch and Judy Man. Another comedy followed with The Big Job alongside Sid James, Dick Emery, and Joan Sims.
She was again nominated for a British Film Academy award for the 1974 film The Tamarind Seed where she starred with Julie Andrews and Omar Sharif. In 2006 she played The Queen Mother in the Stephen Frears film The Queen
From the mid-seventies onwards her main work was on Television appearing in many supporting roles. In 1991 she portrayed Margaret Thatcher in Thatcher: The Final Days for Granada. She played Marion Riley in the ITV comedy-drama series At Home with the Braithwaites and in 2007 joined EastEnders for a short run playing dressmaker Olive Woodhouse.
Her last role was in the 2019 series Gentleman Jack, where she played Mrs Rawlinson
Sylvia Syms died peacefully on Friday at Denville Hall, a care home in London for those in the entertainment industry.
She is survived by her two children, Beatie and Ben Edney who said
The BBC has announced that Season 9, the third season starring Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor is the next release to come to Blu-ray.
The set will be released in the UK and the USA on 20th March 2023.
All episodes have been newly remastered from the best available sources.
The Collection: Season 9 Blu-ray box set also includes extensive special features including:
Doctor Who: The Collection – Season 9 includes the following stories from 1972:
This eight-disc box set also includes hours of special features previously released on DVD including Documentaries, Featurettes, Audio Commentaries, Day Of The Daleks Special Edition and more.
A specially shot announcement trailer has debuted on the Doctor Who YouTube channel, written by new series contributor Pete McTighe (KERBLAM! and PRAXEUS) and featuring Katy Manning back as Jo.
Defenders of Earth! | The Collection: Season 9 Announcement Trailer
Jo Jones - defender of ALL life on Earth! 🌍 #DoctorWho: The Collection returns with the Third Doctor's third season as the next instalment
Blake's 7 - The Classic Audio Adventures: Vol 5.3: Restoration - Part 3
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