Celebrating Chris Achilléos - Your Memories

Sunday, 9 February 2020 - Reported by Chuck Foster
An update from Candy Jar Books on their forthcoming book about Doctor Who artist Chris Achilléos:

Kklak: The Doctor Who Art of Chris Achilléos (Credit: Candy Jar Books)Candy Jar Books would like Doctor Who readers to share their thoughts and memories of Chris Achilléos’ Doctor Who artwork (as well as the Target books that featured his art).

Whether they set you on a path that ultimately led to a career, or simply gave you a few lazy Sundays’ entertainment, we’d love to hear your stories. Do you have images of you with Chris, or photos of yourself reading these iconic Target books as a child? We’d love to see them. We want to pay tribute to why these books really matter – how they have touched lives all over the world.

Head of Publishing, Shaun Russell, says:
Last year, we put out a free release celebrating the career of Terrance Dicks, after his passing. A lot of our contributors said that Terrance, and the Target range which he and Chris defined, got them into reading, got them into science fiction, got them into writing as a discipline and ultimately a career. These books changed lives! They changed my life! We want Klaak! to celebrate this.
These contributions will be compiled into a chapter in the upcoming book, Kklak!: The Doctor Who Artwork of Chris Achilléos.

Send your memories, photos or artwork to Shaun Russell with the subject heading KKLAK!.

Each contributor will receive a personally signed paperback copy of the book.
The final date for submissions is the end of February.



Book details:
For the first time ever, an upcoming book, Kklak: the Doctor Who Art of Chris Achilléos, will compile into one volume the entirety of Chris’ artwork for Target. The artwork will be presented chronologically, with accompanying commentary from the artist himself. The book will begin with an exclusive foreword from Achilléos’ long-time friend and collaborator – and the most prolific and popular of all Target’s writers – the late Terrance Dicks.

In many ways, Kklak… is a love letter to the Target range, which was itself a love letter to the Doctor Who fandom. It was Target’s genuine, tangible affection for the universe of Doctor Who that first inspired Candy Jar’s head of publishing, Shaun Russell, to get into the book world. As Shaun explains:
The Target novels were a huge part of our childhoods. And when it came to our own range of Doctor Who books, the Lethbridge-Stewart series, they were an inspiration. You could always tell that they were produced by fellow fans. There was an attention to detail, and a level of quality, which spoke of the affection their creators held for the show. From the first moment you picked up a Target title, with one of Chris Achilléos’ brilliant designs on the cover, you knew that you were in for something special.
Featuring every one of Achilléos’ Doctor Who designs, as well as never before seen material giving insight into his creative process, Kklak: the Doctor Who Art of Chris Achilléos is released in late spring 2020 by Candy Jar Books.




FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Non-Fiction

Doctor Who The Faceless Ones Animation

Friday, 7 February 2020 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who The Faceless Ones Animation (Credit: BBC Studios)The BBC has released more details about the March release of the Doctor Who missing serial The Faceless Ones.

The story will be released on DVD, Blu-Ray and SteelBook on 16th March 2020 and is now available to pre-order now from Amazon.

The Faceless Ones is the mostly missing eighth serial of the fourth season of Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from April to May 1967. Starring Patrick Troughton as the Doctor, the story concerns a sinister race of identity-stealing aliens known as the Chameleons.

Only two of the six episodes are held in the BBC film archives with snippets of footage and still images existing from the other four. Fortunately, off-air recordings of the soundtrack also still exist, making the animation of a complete serial possible once again.

The six new animated episodes are being made in full colour and high definition and will include the following exclusive special features:
  • Photographic reconstruction of the story, including surviving footage of episodes 1 & 3
  • Audio commentary on episodes 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6
  • ‘Making of the animated series’
  • Camera script PDF’s
  • Surviving film fragments from the story
  • x5 ‘Easter Egg’ surprises
  • Coming Soon Fury from the Deep trailer




FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Season 4 - Second Doctor

Season 12 Re-Release

Thursday, 6 February 2020 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Season 12 (Credit: BBC Studios)The Blu-ray collecion of stories from Season 12 of Doctor Who is being re-released by the BBC.

The collection was first released in 2018 and quickly sold out, despite technical problems with one of the discs, leading to copies being exchanged for highly inflated ammounts on resale sites. The re-release by BBC Studios will bring the total number of copies into line with other seasons in the classic collection.

The second edition of Doctor Who – The Collection: Season 12 will be released on 2nd March 2020, and is now available to pre-order on Amazon

All content, extras and artwork will remain the same as the 1st edition.

Season 12 features five stories over 20 episodes, including The Ark in Space and Genesis of the Daleks. The Doctor is accompanied by Sarah Jane Smith (Elizabeth Sladen) and Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter) and was first broadcast on the BBC between December 1974 and May 1975.

Bonus material includes:
  • TOM BAKER IN CONVERSATION A candid new one-hour interview with the Fourth Doctor.
  • BEHIND THE SOFA Classic clips from Season 12, viewed by Tom Baker, Philip Hinchcliffe, Louise Jameson, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and Sadie Miller
  • NEW MAKING-OF DOCUMENTARIES For The Sontaran Experiment and Revenge of the Cybermen
  • IMMERSIVE 5.1 SURROUND SOUND MIXES For The Ark in Space and Genesis of the Daleks
  • OPTIONAL BRAND NEW UPDATED SPECIAL EFFECTS For Revenge of the Cybermen
  • GENESIS OF THE DALEKS - OMNIBUS MOVIE VERSION Unseen since broadcast in 1975
  • THE TOM BAKER YEARS The 1991 VHS release, on disc for the first time
  • PRODUCTION ARCHIVE MATERIAL
  • PDF files from the BBC Archives




FILTER: - Season 12

Doctor Who Magazine Issue 548

Thursday, 6 February 2020 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Magazine Issue 548 (Credit: Panini)Doctor Who Magazine Issue 548 (Credit: Panini)

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine has an exclusive, in-depth interview with Sacha Dhawan. Other highlights include:
  • A choice of collectable covers, one featuring Sacha Dhawan and one featuring Jodie Whittaker.
  • Exclusive previews of the final four episodes of Series 12.
  • The latest Production Notes from showrunner Chris Chibnall.
  • A report from the filming of Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror at the Nu Boyana Film Studios in Bulgaria.
  • An exclusive interview with Robert Glenister, who played Thomas Edison in Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror.
  • A tribute to the 1960s writer and story editor Donald Tosh.
  • Peter Purves shares his memories of Donald Tosh.
  • The director of Doctor Who and the Silurians, Timothy Combe, looks back on its production.
  • Remembering the late Doctor Who comic-strip artist Bill Mevin.
  • Updates on Doctor Who luminaries, past and present, with new feature Time and Space Visualiser.
  • Public Image looks at how Doctor Who is doing in the TV ratings.
  • The Fact of Fiction continues its epic exploration of The Daleks’ Master Plan.
  • The final part of Mistress of Chaos, a new comic-strip adventure featuring the Thirteenth Doctor and her friends.
  • Reviews of the Series 5 Blu-ray Steelbook and Sophie Aldred’s novel At Childhood’s End.
  • Big Finish previews and reviews, news, prize-winning competitions, The Blogs of Doom and much more
On sale from Thursday 6 February 2020 £5.99 (UK)




FILTER: - DWM

Fugitive of the Judoon - Official Ratings

Monday, 3 February 2020 - Reported by Marcus
Fugitive of the Judoon: The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Ruth Clayton (Jo Martin) (Credit: BBC Studios (Ben Blackall ))Doctor Who,Fugitive of the Judoon, had an official rating of 5.57 million viewers, according to figures released by the Broadcasting Research Audience Board, BARB.

The ratings make the episode the 8th most watched on BBC Television for the week and the 23rd across all television. It had a 24.5% share of the total TV audience.

Doctor Who did beat the opposition on ITV, Dancing On Ice, which had 5.0 0million viewers.

In detail 5.42 million watched the episode on a conventional TV set. However the BARB 4-Screen Dashboard shows that an additional 73,000 watched on their PC, 43,000 watched on a Tablet device and 38,000 watched on a smartphone.

Top for the week was Call the Midwife on BBC One with 8.31 million watching.

Doctor Who had an Appreciation Index score of 83




FILTER: - Ratings - Series 12/38 - UK

Hero Collector Launches Doctor Who Baking Sets

Monday, 3 February 2020 - Reported by Marcus
Baking Set (Credit: Hero Collector / BBC)Hero Collector, designers, manufacturers, and publishers of high-quality collectibles from across the world of pop culture – is joining the baking community with its latest Doctor Who collection; baking sets to help fans create treats that are said to be out-of-this-world.

These baking sets form part of Hero Collector’s new handicrafts range, with each decorated tin packed with equipment and instructions (plus online videos) to bring Gallifreyan goodies within reach of Doctor Who fans.

The collection is scheduled to launch in Spring/Summer 2020, and starts with three cosmic cookie tins:
  • TARDIS and Dalek Cookie Set: Make a tasty TARDIS or bite into a delicious Dalek! This tin contains two reusable cookie cutters, an adult-size Who-themed apron and a recipe/icing booklet.
  • Tea Time Lords Cookie Set: Time for tea? Time for Time Lords! This biscuit tin contains four reusable cookie cutters for the Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Doctor – plus a Doctor Who tea towel and a recipe/icing booklet.
  • Monsters Cookie Set: Fill your teatime with terror! This cookie tin contains four reusable cookie cutters featuring the Cybermen, Sontarans, Weeping Angels, and The Silence – plus a Doctor Who tea towel and a recipe/icing booklet.


These Doctor Who designs will be on show at the Birmingham Spring Fair (NEC Birmingham, February 2-6), or New York Toy Fair (Jacob K. Javits Center, February 22-25).

Fans and collectors can stay tuned for further details about Hero Collector Handicrafts, including the reveal of more upcoming Doctor Who Baking Sets!

Baking Set (Credit: Hero Collector / BBC)Baking Set (Credit: Hero Collector / BBC)Baking Set (Credit: Hero Collector / BBC)




FILTER: - Merchandise

Praxeus - Overnight Viewing Figures

Monday, 3 February 2020 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Praxeus, was watched by 3.97 million viewers in the UK yesterday according to unofficial overnight figures.

The rating, representing 20.2% of the total viewing audience made Doctor Who the fourth most popular show on British Television yesterday. Doctor Who was beaten by its ITV opposition, Dancing on Ice, which had 4.49 million viewers.

Top for the day was Call the Midwife, with 6.15 million viewers. This week the lead into Doctor Who was Countryfile which had 5.07million watching. Meanwhile The BAFTA Film Awards had 3.03 million watching. The highest rated programme on ITV was Vera with 5.43 million viewers.

Doctor Who was the 45th highest rated programme for the week on overnight figures.

The overnight figure counts those who watched the show yesterday. Final figures, released next Monday, will include those who recorded the programme and watched it later and are likely to be substantially higher.




FILTER: - Ratings - series 12 - UK