Silva Screen: Christmas Specials on CD

Wednesday, 18 September 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Following on from the release of music from the seventh series of Doctor Who, Silva Screen have announced the soundtrack listing for the 2011 and 2012 Christmas Specials:

The Snowmen (including The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe) (Credit: Silva Screen)
Reverse cover: The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe (including The Snowmen) (Credit: Silva Screen)
The Snowmen /
The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe

Music by Murray Gold

At one time Christmas Day on the BBC meant The Morecambe & Wise Show, a time for families to gather around the TV together. But in the modern era that mantle has now been taken by the Doctor Who Christmas Special. This release brings together the music of the last two which were broadcast on Christmas Day 2011 and 2012 and were watched by a joint audience of close to 20m. This ninth release in the series brings the full canon of Murray Gold’s prolific output up to date, eight years of elaborate and dazzling scores for one of the BBC’s most popular shows worldwide. The booklet for this release is reversible to allow the display of a separate cover for The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe.

Tracklisting:

The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe
Geronimo
Dressed In a Hurry
Bumps
Ditched at Sea
Madge’s Theme
Armchair Waltz
I Know
Quite a Tree
Into the Present
Baubles
The King
The Queen
Interrogation
Lifeboat
You’re Fired
Flying Home for Christmas
Safe Landing
Never Alone at Christmas
Friendship
The Snowmen
A Voice in the Snow
What’s Wrong With Silly
Psychotic Potato Dwarf
Remember the Worm
Clara Who?
Clara in the Tardis
Governess Clara
Hello Mates
One Word
Sherlock Who?
Antifreeze
Clara Lives
Whose Enigma
The album is due for release on 21st October 2013.

Competition

We have three copies of the CD set as prizes courtesy of Silva Screen. To be in with a chance to win a copy please answer the following question:
When the Doctor introduces the TARDIS to Clara, how does she describe it?
Please send your answer to comp-xmasmusic@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Let it snow!", along with your name, address, and where you read about this competition. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date will be 20th October 2013. Only one entry per household will be accepted.




FILTER: - Murray Gold - Merchandise - Audio - Competitions

Win tickets to see Every Episode of Doctor Who Ever!

Tuesday, 3 September 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Every Episode of Doctor Who Ever - Live on Stage (Credit: Pat Magee)This month sees the stage production Every Episode of Doctor Who Ever performed at the Sydney Fringe, and Doctor Who News is able to offer two double passes to any of the performances courtesy of the Factory Theatre and Pat Magee. In order to win one of the pairs please answer the following question:
In which story is the exact phrase "bigger on the inside" first used?
Send your answer to comp-theatre@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Are you doing Dimensions in Time?", along with the names for the two tickets and the performances that you are able to make, plus where you saw the competition (e.g. the news website or on Facebook). The competition is open to anybody who is able to confirm that they can make the performances requested.

Closing date is Wednesday 11th September.

Performances of Every Episode of Doctor Who Ever take place at The Factory Theatre, Sydney, Australia on the evenings of the 18th, 19th, 25th and 26th September.

(with thanks to Pat Magee)




FILTER: - Theatre - Competitions - Australia

Doctor Who Adventures launch Superfan Competition

Friday, 30 August 2013 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Adventures magazine is on the hunt for the nation’s biggest young Doctor Who fan, with the prize of a Cyberman visiting their school and a VIP family ticket to the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Celebration at the ExCel Centre in London.

The competition is open to children aged between 5-13 and runs until 2 October 2013. Fans need to send up to 250 words explaining why they should win the competition and a photo demonstrating why they’re the ultimate Who fan.

To enter, children must fill in the entry form in the magazine, out now until 10 September. The magazine is encouraging fans to send in their most creative ideas and brilliant collections for a chance to win. The winner will be able to upgrade their school with a visit from one the show’s top monsters, and they and their family will enjoy VIP access to all areas, travel and accommodation at the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Celebration. Four runners-up will receive a goodie bag filled with official Doctor Who products.

Editor of Doctor Who Adventures magazine, Natalie Barnes said
We have such imaginative and dedicated readers, so this competition is a fantastic way of giving them the opportunity to show the world what Doctor Who means to them. I can’t wait to see how they celebrate their favourite show through photos of them dressed as the Doctor or monster, pictures of their incredible bedrooms, fantastic collections and more! We’re really excited to offer such a fantastic prize.




FILTER: - Competitions - DWA

Big Finish: August Releases

Wednesday, 28 August 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
This month's Doctor releases from Big Finish feature the continuation of the Seventh Doctor's travels with Klein and Will, an adventure for the First Doctor and Susan, plus an interview with the two actors that brought the popular Victorian investigators - aka Jago and Litefoot - to life.

Starlight Robbery (Credit: Big Finish)Starlight Robbery (available to order)
Starring Sylvester McCoy as The Doctor, with Tracey Childs as Dr Elizabeth Klein

Sick of the same-old slaughter-appliances? In need of a killer new killing-machine? Then look no further than Garundel Galactic's secret arms auction. Blasters, tanks, missiles and bombs – no bang too big or micro-laser too small. If you’ve got the credits, Garundel's got the kill-sticks. (Cash buyers get preferential rates.)

In search of the key to a sinister alien technology, the Doctor, Klein and Will set their sights on an illicit intergalactic arms fair run by an old acquaintance – the slippery Urodelian crook, Garundel. But what are their chances of pulling off a particularly audacious heist from under the noses of Garundel and his alien clients, the ever-belligerent Sontarans...?
The Companion Chronicles: The Alchemists (Credit: Big Finish)The Alchemists (available to order)
Starring Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman

The TARDIS lands in Berlin in the 1930s, where Hitler and his National Socialist party are in the ascendant.

Some of the greatest scientific minds are gathering here: Einstein, Heisenberg, Planck, Schrödinger, Wigner. The people who will build the future of planet Earth.

But the Doctor and Susan have brought something with them. Something apparently harmless, something quite common. Yet something that could threaten the course of history...
Benjamin and Baxter (Credit: Big Finish)Benjamin and Baxter (available to order)

The stars of Jago & Litefoot, Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter, prove immensely endearing raconteurs as they chat with Nicholas Briggs about their long and varied careers, covering their first appearance as Jago & Litefoot in Doctor Who: The Talons of Weng-Chiang and a rich tapestry of other tales from their lives...

NOTE: Benjamin & Baxter contains some adult material and is not suitable for younger listeners.

Win a copy of The Alchemists

This month's competition thanks to Big Finish is to win one of five copies of The Alchemists. To be in with a chance to win, please answer the following question:
Name one of the televised stories in which the Doctor meets Einstein.
Send your answer to comp-alchemists@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "I'm a Genius!", along with your name, address, and where you saw the competition (the news website, twitter, facebook, etc.). Only one entry per postal address will be accepted. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is 5th September 2013.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Seventh Doctor - Competitions - Big Finish

AudioGo: September releases

Tuesday, 27 August 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
AudioGo's ongoing celebration of 50 Years of Doctor Who reaches the Ninth Doctor in September, with he, Rose and Jack entering the Night of the Whisper in the Destiny of the Doctor series. Meanwhile, the Sixth Doctor finds himself on trial for his lives in The Trial of a Time Lord in the latest Target novelisation adaptations, whilst the soundtrack of six adventures with the First Doctor are released in a collected edition.

Destiny of the Doctor: Night of the Whisper (Credit: AudioGo)Destiny of the Doctor: Night of the Whisper
Starring Nicholas Briggs, with John Schwab (pre-order)

New Vegas, 23rd Century – a sprawling city huddling beneath an artificial atmospheric bubble on a distant moon. Pleasure seekers flock there from every corner of the galaxy, to take in the shows and play the tables in the huge casinos. But beneath the glitz and the glitter, organised crime rules the streets.

Whilst Rose Tyler works as a waitress in the Full Moon nightclub, Jack Harkness poses as a reporter for the Daily Galaxy. Meanwhile, the Doctor is helping the police department with their investigation into The Whisper, a strange vigilante that has been terrorising the city’s underworld. But the Doctor is also on a mission of his own – to save Police Chief McNeil’s life at all costs.

Nicholas Briggs - the voice behind the Daleks - and John Schwab perform this original story by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright.


To be in with a chance to win one of three copies of Night of the Whisper courtesy of AudioGo, answer the following question:
Name John Schwab's credited appearance in the television series of Doctor Who.
Send your answer to comp-whisper@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Fantastic!", along with your name, address, and where you saw the competition (the news website, twitter, facebook, etc.). Only one entry per postal address will be accepted. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is 4th September 2013.
Doctor Who - The Trial of a Time Lord Volume 1 (Credit: AudioGo)Doctor Who - The Trial of a Time Lord Volume 1
Written by Terrance Dicks and Philip Martin
Read by Lynda Bellingham and Colin Baker (pre-order)

Lynda Bellingham and Colin Baker read these thrilling novelisations of the first two adventures in 'The Trial of a Time Lord', featuring the Sixth Doctor. Doctor Who and the Mysterious Planet: The TARDIS has been taken out of time and the Doctor has been brought before a court of his fellow Time Lords. There the sinister Valeyard accuses the Doctor of breaking Gallifrey's most important law and interfering in the affairs of other planets. If the Valeyard can prove him guilty, the Doctor must sacrifice his remaining regenerations... Doctor Who: Mindwarp: The sinister prosecutor, the Valeyard, presents the High Council of Time Lords with the second piece of evidence against the Doctor...


To be in with a chance to win one of three copies of the first volume of The Trial of a Time Lord courtesy of AudioGo, answer the following question:
Name one of the Books of Knowledge that can be found at Marb Station.
Send your answer to comp-trial@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Of course, Segacity", along with your name, address, and where you saw the competition. Only one entry per postal address will be accepted. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is 4th September 2013.
The TV Episodes Collection 6 (Credit: AudioGo)The TV Episodes Collection 6
Starring William Hartnell as Doctor Who
Linking narration by William Russell, Peter Purves and Anneke Wills (pre-order)

Six Doctor Who adventures starring William Hartnell as the First Doctor - plus extra bonus material. These classic soundtrack adventures, with additional linking narration, have all been remastered and include bonus interviews with William Russell, Maureen O'Brien, Peter Purves and Anneke Wills.
  • The Sensorites: the Doctor and friends meet the alien Sensorites...
  • The Romans: in first-century Rome, Ian and Barbara are sold into slavery and the Doctor encounters Nero...
  • The Space Museum: the Doctor and his companions see a terrible potential future...
  • The Ark: the Doctor, Steven and Dodo come face-to-face with the last humans and their servants, the Monoids...
  • The Gunfighters: 1881, Tombstone. The TARDIS crew are in trouble, as they try to avoid getting caught in the crossfire at the OK Corral...
  • The War Machines: The TARDIS lands in London in 1966 - only to find that the brand new Post Office Tower is home to a monstrous supercomputer.


To be in with a chance to win one of three copies of The TV Episodes Collection 6 courtesy of AudioGo, answer the following question:
Name the story episode this competition subject is quoted from.
Send your answer to comp-tv6@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "The gentle art of Fisticuffs", along with your name, address, and where you saw the competition. Only one entry per postal address will be accepted. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is 4th September 2013.




FILTER: - Ninth Doctor - Merchandise - Sixth Doctor - Audio - Competitions - First Doctor

Silva Screen update

Thursday, 15 August 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
As previously reported, the Doctor Who Series 7 double-CD will be released on 9th September 2013.

Series 7 (soundtrack) - limited edition card set (Credit: Silva Screen)Doctor Who Series 7 - Original TV Soundtrack(pre-order)

Silva Screen’s eighth Doctor Who soundtrack release since 2006.

Long awaited by the fans, Series 7 has been uniquely made up of 13 self-contained stories and this 2 CD set offers a feast of new Murray Gold signature themes with music from each and every story.

Murray Gold’s phenomenal output as a composer began close to twenty years ago and he has stacked up five BAFTA nominations (two for Doctor Who) plus three Royal Television Society nominations and a win for Queer As Folk. In 2013 Murray Gold celebrated one of his greatest musical accomplishments with a third Doctor Who Prom at the Royal Albert Hall.

(see our previous news item for track listing)

In addition to the gatefold wallet and jewel box formats, there will also be a limited number of CDs for sale containing cards with five alternative covers for Series 7. This will be available exclusively from drwho.tmstor.es.

There is no information at present as to if and when the soundtracks for the two Christmas Specials The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe and The Snowmen might be released.


Silva Screen have also reported that their limited edition vinyl release of the Doctor Who Series 1&2 soundtracks has been delayed due to a problem at the factory. Originally scheduled for next Monday, it is now expected for Monday 2nd September.

Win a copy of the Series 7 soundtrack!

Thanks to Silva Screen we have three copies of the CD for our readers to win. To be in with a chance, simply answer this question:
Emilia Jones portrayed the Queen of Years in The Rings of Akhaten, but who performed that role at this year's Doctor Who Prom?
Please send your answer to comp-s7cd@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Run, you clever boy", along with your name, address, and where you read about this competition. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date will be on 6th September 2013. Only one entry per household will be accepted.


There's still a chance to win a copy of Ghost Light, which closes on 24th August 2013. Answer the question below and send the usual details as outlined above to comp-ghostlight@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "We all have a universe of our own terrors to face":
In Ghost Light, when Ace discovers that the Doctor has taken her back to the house she hated from her youth, she asks if he too has things he hates - name one of his responses.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Competitions - Series 7/33

AudioGo: August releases

Friday, 19 July 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
AudioGo's ongoing celebration of 50 Years of Doctor Who reaches the Eighth Doctor in August, with he and Charlie facing Enemy Aliens in the Destiny of the Doctor series. Meanwhile, the Seventh Doctor performs at The Greatest Show in the Galaxy in the latest Target novelisation adaptation, and the Eleventh Doctor's former compantion Amelia Pond writes about when Summer Falls in an audio adaptation of the e-book released earlier this year.

Destiny of the Doctor: Enemy Aliens (Credit: AudioGo)Destiny of the Doctor: Enemy Aliens
Starring India Fisher, with Michael Maloney (pre-order)

1935: a message from a Time Lord in trouble sends the Eighth Doctor and Charlotte ‘Charley’ Pollard to the streets of London’s West End, in search of a mysterious alien adversary – unaware that something monstrous is already on their trail.

They soon discover that an insidious conspiracy is indeed at work, its tentacles extending the length of the British Isles. Proving its existence won’t be easy, however, after a confrontation in a music hall ends up with the Doctor under arrest and Charley on the run, suspected of murder. All their hopes rest in a musical clue and a man named Hilary – neither of which are much consolation, with the two time travellers the object of a nationwide manhunt.

And all the while, the enemy aliens are drawing closer and closer still...

India Fisher - Charley in the Big Finish Doctor Who audio series - and Michael Maloney perform this original story by Alan Barnes, with music and sound design.


To be in with a chance to win one of three copies of Enemy Aliens courtesy of AudioGo, answer the following question:
Charlie travelled with the Eighth Doctor for a number of years, they are eventually separated during an encounter with the Cybermen - but what happened to her next?
Send your answer to comp-aliens@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Shh. Spoilers!", along with your name, address, and where you saw the competition (the news website, twitter, facebook, etc.). Only one entry per postal address will be accepted. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is 31st July 2013.
Doctor Who - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (Credit: AudioGo)The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
Written by Stephen Wyatt
Read by Sophie Aldred (pre-order)

CREEPY. That's what Ace thinks of clowns. But the Doctor insists on entering the talent contest at the Psychic Circus, the self-proclaimed Greatest Show in the Galaxy, on the planet Segonax. What has reduced Segonax to an arid wasteland? Why have the happy-go-lucky circus folk stayed here so long? And why are they no longer happy? Above all, what is the dreadful truth about the 'talent contests' run by the sinister Ringmaster and his robot clowns?

The Doctor and Ace need all their death-defying skills in the big top to uncover a brooding, ancient evil that has broken the spirit of the Circus and demanded the sacrifice of so many lives.

Sophie Aldred, who played Ace in Doctor Who, reads Stephen Wyatt's complete and unabridged novelisation, first published by Target Books in 1989.


To be in with a chance to win one of three copies of The Greatest Show in the Galaxy courtesy of AudioGo, answer the following question:
Due to a re-arrangement of the running order of Season 25, The Greatest Show in the Galaxy ended up being broadcast last in the season - name an on-screen continuity error this introduced for the preceding Silver Nemesis (which would originally have been broadcast afterwards)?
Send your answer to comp-greatestshow@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Roll up, roll up!", along with your name, address, and where you saw the competition. Only one entry per postal address will be accepted. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is 31st July 2013.
Summer Falls (Credit: AudioGo)Summer Falls
Read by Clare Corbett (pre-order)

Clare Corbett reads this enchanting tale of a peculiar painting, a talking cat and a very odd Curator, inspired by the Doctor Who episode 'The Bells of Saint John'...

In the seaside village of Watchcombe, young Kate is determined to make the most of her last week of summer holiday. But when she discovers a mysterious painting entitled 'The Lord of Winter' in a charity shop, it leads her on an adventure she never could have planned. Kate soon realises the old seascape, painted long ago by an eccentric local artist, is actually a puzzle. And with the help of some bizarre new acquaintances - including a museum curator's magical cat, a miserable neighbour, and a lonely boy - she plans on solving it. And then, one morning, Kate wakes up to a world changed forever. For the Lord of Winter is coming - and Kate has a very important decision to make.


To be in with a chance to win one of three copies of Summer Falls courtesy of AudioGo, answer the following question:
Which chapter of the book, according to Clara, is the best?
Send your answer to comp-summer@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "You'll cry your eyes out", along with your name, address, and where you saw the competition. Only one entry per postal address will be accepted. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is 31st July 2013.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Eighth Doctor - Seventh Doctor - Competitions - WHO50

Big Finish: July releases

Friday, 19 July 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Big Finish have released details about the latest adventures for the Doctor and his companions in July.

Doctor Who: Persuasion returns former Nazi scientist Klein to the Seventh Doctor's life as the pair become embroiled in a quest for a very dangerous object. And this time there's room for another person in the TARDIS: Klein's assistant Will Arrowsmith. It stars Sylvester McCoy and sees Tracey Childs reprise her role as Klein, with Christian Edwards playing Will. It has been written by Jonathan Barnes, author of Sherlock Holmes story The Adventure of the Perfidious Mariner, and the upcoming The Ordeals of Sherlock Holmes box set.

Persuasion (Credit: Big Finish)Persuasion (available to order)
Starring Sylvester McCoy as The Doctor, with Tracey Childs as Dr Elizabeth Klein

The Umbrella Man is back. But when the Doctor recruits UNIT's Scientific Adviser Elizabeth Klein for an off-the-books mission to the apocalyptic final days of Hitler's Germany, he isn't expecting Klein's hapless young assistant, Will Arrowsmith, to be joining them too.

The Doctor isn't the only alien creature seeking to loot a very particular secret from a Nazi base in Dusseldorf, however. Strange and sinister beings are converging on the same time/space location in search of the scientist Schalk, whose experiments are the key to a devastating power...

The power of Persuasion.
Producer David Richardson says:
We love working with Tracey Childs at Big Finish, and in Klein – originally created by Steve Lyons – we have found the most wonderfully complex and nuanced character to play with. If you think you knew it all about Elizabeth, then you’re in for a few shocks in this new trilogy, which continues with Starlight Robbery in August (with features the Sontarans) and Daleks Among Us in September (with the return of Davros).


Doctor Who - The Companion Chronicles: Mastermind takes us back to the UNIT Vault and the lives of Ruth Matheson (Daphne Ashbrook) and Charlie Sato (Yee Jee Tso), guardians of its secrets. Alongside all the artefacts, though, is a highly deadly prisoner: the Master (Geoffrey Beevers). And he has a story to tell which is certainly not guaranteed to have a happy ending. Writer Jonathan Morris locks himself back into the Vault for an in-depth look at quite possibly the Doctor's most dangerous foe...

The Companion Chronicles: Mastermind (Credit: Big Finish)Mastermind (available to order)
Starring Daphne Ashbrook as Ruth Matheson, Yee Jee Tso as Charlie Sato, with Geoffrey Beevers as The Master

The Vault – an archive of alien artefacts securely stored deep beneath the Angel of the North.

There's also a prisoner in the Vault. An extraterrestrial known as the Master. He has been on Earth for some time, but now he's under lock and key.

This is his story.

Or, as Captain Ruth Matheson and Warrant Officer Charlie Sato discover… perhaps it is theirs.
David Richardson says:
After the success of Tales from the Vault, which introduced Ruth and Charlie, we were determined to revisit the Vault – and Jonny Morris has found the most fascinating way to do so. I’m thrilled that already it has been so well received, as people are responding to a labyrinthine script that reveals a lot of new information about the Doctor’s arch enemy. And Geoffrey Beevers is, of course, magnificent.


The Fourth Doctor’s second season ends with The Final Phase, in which the mysterious Cuthbert's plan for the Proxima System is reaching its climax. The Doctor and Romana have been separated. The Doctor is aiding the Proximan fight-back. Romana and K9 are prisoners of the Daleks. And as the countdown to the opening of the Quantum Gateway begins, the Daleks reveal their true intentions.

Starring Tom Baker as the Doctor, John Leeson as K9 and, sadly, for the final time Mary Tamm as the first Romana, Doctor Who: The Final Phase brings the second series of The Fourth Doctor Adventures to a shattering conclusion. It also stars David Warner and Toby Hadoke as Cuthbert and his ever-faithful sidekick Mr Dorrick, and the incomparable Nicholas Briggs as the ever-malevolent Daleks.

Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Final Phase (Credit: Big Finish)The Final Phase (available to order)
Starring Tom Baker as the Doctor and Mary Tamm as Romana, with David Warner as Cuthbert

'The raw power of the very fabric of reality itself. And you dare to think you can conquer it?'

Cuthbert's plan for the Proxima System is reaching its final phase.

The Doctor and Romana have been separated. The Doctor is aiding the Proximan fight-back. Romana and K9 are prisoners of the Daleks.

And as the countdown to the opening of the Quantum Gateway begins, the Daleks reveal their true intentions.
David Richardson says:
Mary loved this script. And when we recorded it, she specifically asked to record the final scene again – just because she felt it was a pivotal moment for Romana, and she wanted to get it exactly right. It’s heartbreaking to think that would be the last time we saw her. But we’re all so grateful to Mary for driving this second season of The Fourth Doctor Adventures through, despite her illness. A remarkable lady.


Finally, the second season of Counter-Measures stars Simon Williams, Pamela Salem and Karen Gledhill reprising their Doctor Who Remembrance of the Daleks roles of Gilmore, Rachel and Allison, Counter-Measures - Series Two brings four more tales of Sixties-set 'black and white' espionage, conspiracy and derring-do. It also stars Hugh Ross as the team's mysterious boss, Sir Toby Kinsella.

UNIT: Counter Measures 2 (Credit: Big Finish)UNIT: Counter Measures 2 (available to order)
Starring Pamela Salem as Rachel Jensen, Simon Williams as Group Captain Gilmore, and Karen Gledhill as Allison Williams

The British government has created the Counter-Measures group, a specialist team that investigates strange phenomena and dangerous technology. This box set contains four of their adventures plus a behind-the-scenes documentary.

Manhunt by Matt Fitton
Group Captain Gilmore is on the run for murder; Sir Toby is dealing with his unctuous new assistant, Templeton; and Allison and Rachel are investigating a bizarre series of deaths across the country. A maniac is on the loose, but for Counter-Measures it's business as usual.

The Fifth Citadel by James Goss
People are falling ill near Holborn and displaying a sickness with all the hallmarks of radiation poisoning. While Gilmore and Allison look into a graveyard, Sir Toby and Rachel venture underground to meet an old friend with a desperate scheme.

Peshka by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright
A visit to an international chess tournament isn't quite the relaxing experience the Counter-Measures team might have hoped for. With a defection to arrange and violence erupting on the streets it's time for a dangerous gambit. What pieces will be left on the table when the Endgame approaches?

Sins of the Fathers by John Dorney
When a massacre results from the ruins of an old case, it poses more questions than it answers. But with Sir Toby stonewalling, Gilmore and Rachel are forced to investigate alone. The past is catching up with Counter-Measures. With decades old secrets about to be revealed, can anyone survive the fallout?
David Richardson says:
I’m hugely proud of this series, which I think has really hit its stride now. The first series went down a storm, so we're delighted to be able to release the five-disc box set early.

These four tales take the Counter-Measures group into some dangerous new situations – in which the biggest threat is humanity itself... You can experience Gilmore's brush with the wrong side of the law, an illness that looks like radiation sickness, a chess match that leads to defection and the revelation of a long-kept secret - can the team stay together in the face of adversity?


Win a copy of Mastermind!

This month's competition thanks to Big Finish is to win one of five copies of Mastermind. To be in with a chance to win, please answer the following question:
Mastermind features both the Master and UNIT personnel - and on television Geoffrey Beevers has played both! Name the role he played within UNIT.
Send your answer to comp-mastermind@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "You Will Obey!", along with your name, address, and where you saw the competition (the news website, twitter, facebook, etc.). Only one entry per postal address will be accepted. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is 31st July 2013.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Seventh Doctor - Competitions - Fourth Doctor - Big Finish

Silva Screen: forthcoming releases

Friday, 19 July 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Silva Screen has announced the next of its 50th Anniversary soundtrack collection on CD, with the release of the score of the final story to be recorded in the original run of Doctor Who, the Sylvester McCoy adventure Ghost Light.

Ghost Light (soundtrack) (Credit: Silva Screen)Doctor Who - Ghost Light

Mark Ayres' dark and mysterious synth score to Marc Platt’s 3-part TV series with Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor.

Originally released on Silva Screen Records in 1993, in this new version Ghost Light is freshly re-mastered from the original analogue stereo master tapes with consecutive cues combined into longer tracks. Also included are additional tracks previously omitted and the complete initial "demo" version of the music for Part One. The album presents the score
in story order.

Though the score features small themes and motifs, the musical narrative relies on "sounds" rather than "themes". The composer juxtaposes the tender sound of strings, harp, clarinet with native drums and unearthly sounds of pipes, distorted gong, organ and choir.

Ghost Light was the final production of the series' original 26-year run.

A television composer best known for scoring the original series of Doctor Who, Mark Ayres' work encompasses the era of Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor and includes scores for The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, Ghost Light, and The Curse of Fenric. Ayres was also part of BBC’s unofficial Doctor Who Restoration Team and has done much of audio restoration from the later VHS Doctor Who releases.

  1. Doctor Who (Opening Theme)
  2. The Madhouse
  3. Redvers, I Presume?
  4. Uncharted Territory
  5. Heart of the Interior
  6. Gwendoline
  7. The Fang of a Cave Bear
  8. Enter Josiah
  9. Indoor Lightning
  10. Nimrod Observed
  11. Time to Emerge
  12. Burnt Toast
  13. Ace's Adventures Underground
  14. Where is Mamma?
  15. Loss of Control
  16. The Way to the Zoo
  17. The Hungry Inspector
  18. The Memory Teller
  19. Lighting the Touchpaper
  20. Homo Victorianus Ineptus
  21. Out of the Shadows
  22. Light Enlightened
  23. Tropic of Perivale
  24. Tricks of the Light
  25. Judgement in Stone
  26. Requiem
  27. Passing Thoughts
  28. Doctor Who (Closing Theme)
  29. The Madhouse (alternative)
  30. Redvers, I Presume? (alternative)
  31. Uncharted Territory (alternative)
  32. Heart of the Interior (alternative)
  33. Gwendoline (alternative)
  34. The Fang of a Cave Bear (alternative)
  35. Enter Josiah (alternative)
  36. Indoor Lightning (alternative)
  37. Nimrod Observed (alternative)
  38. Time to Emerge (alternative)
  39. Burnt Toast (alternative)
  40. Ace's Adventures Underground (alternative)

The CD is due to be released on 26th August 2013.


Also coming out on 19th August is a 12" vinyl release of the Series 1+2 album, originally released on CD in 2006. The two records include all of the tracks from the original. Meanwhile, music from the most recent television series is due to be released as a two-disc collection on CD later in the Autumn.

Series 1 & 2 (soundtrack) (Credit: Silva Screen) Series 7 (soundtrack) (Credit: Silva Screen)

UPDATE - 15th AUGUST: Silva Screen has announced that because of a problem at the factory the release date of the vinyl albums has been delayed, with Monday 2nd September now the likely date.

Win a copy of Ghost Light!

Thanks to Silva Screen we have three copies of the CD for our readers to win. To be in with a chance, simply answer this question:
In Ghost Light, when Ace discovers that the Doctor has taken her back to the house she hated from her youth, she asks if he too has things he hates - name one of his responses.
Please send your answer to comp-ghostlight@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "We all have a universe of our own terrors to face", along with your name, address, and where you read about this competition. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date will be on 24th August 2013. Only one entry per household will be accepted.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Seventh Doctor - Competitions - WHO50

Create a Soundtrack: Winners Announced

Friday, 28 June 2013 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Prom 2013 - Promotional Image (Credit: BBC/Chris Christodoulou)The BBC has announced the winners in the Doctor Who: Create a Soundtrack competition, launched in April.

The challenge was for secondary school students to create their own musical soundtrack for a scene from Doctor Who, to be performed at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

The winners – two in each of the categories, junior (11-14) and senior (14-16), attended a workshop with Ben Foster, the orchestrator and conductor of Murray Gold’s music for Doctor Who, and Samuel Thompson the orchestration coordinator for the television series. The workshop was held earlier this month at the BBC's Maida Vale Studios, former home of the BBC Radiophone Workshop, and the place where much of the soundtrack to the classic series was created, including the iconic theme music.

Winners of the Junior Category (11-14) were William and Jordan of the Biddulph High School in Stoke-on-Trent, who commented
Being big fans of Doctor Who, it is great to have our music recognised on the BBC Proms stage. We are now really looking forward to the Doctor Who Proms that are kicking off the season.
Winners of the Junior Category (14-16) were Gabe and Matthew of Cirencester Deer Park School in Gloucestershire, who said
This is an amazing experience and a fantastic opportunity, particularly working with Ben and Sam to gain a real insight into this side of the music world. This experience has inspired us to work in this wonderful field of music-making and we are so looking forward to hearing our piece at the Proms.
The jury which included Executive Editor Music Television BBC Cymru Wales Paul Bullock, composer Anna Meredith and conductor Ben Foster were extremely impressed by the quality of music submitted. Paul Bullock commented:
I was really impressed with the quality, creativity and individuality of the work submitted. The vivid imagination displayed across the wide range of entries truly captures the spirit of the Doctor Who series and I can’t wait to see the winners’ works come to life at the Proms!
The 2013 Proms season starts on Friday 12 July with Prom 2 and Prom 3 featuring some of the music from Doctor Who.




FILTER: - Music - Competitions