Lethbridge-Stewart at Halloween: Eve of the Fomorians

Thursday, 20 October 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have announced their latest e-book in the Lethbridge-Stewart range for Halloween, free to anybody pre-ordering the next main book in the range, Times Squared:

Lethbridge-Stewart: Eve of the Fomorians (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Eve of the Fomorians
Written by Robert Mammone
Cover by Paul Cooke

All Hallows’ Eve, 1969. En route back to Edinburgh, Anne Travers, William Bishop and Samson Ware come across a deserted village in the Scottish countryside. A village that is rotten to the core.

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen, says:

I was already familiar with Rob’s work, so when he emailed us out of the blue asking if we would consider him for our Short Story Incentive scheme, I was very willing to give him a shot. And he just happened to enquire as we were about to seek out a story for Halloween.

Robert Mammone says:

Once I knew it was going to be set around Halloween, I knew I wanted to do a Quatermass inspired story, with definite horrific elements, sourced back to a scientific explanation/basis.

Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar, says:

There is something very John Wyndham about the story, which I know Andy especially appreciates, as do a lot of our readers.

This story is set shortly after Times Squared: Andy says:

Although you can easily read it without having read Times Squared, as it features Anne, Bishop and Samson who are not in that novel. Although it references Times Squared, it does so in a way that will not spoil that novel one bit. It also has a nice callback to the first novel of this year, Moon Blink. All that said, it is very deliberately written to be read on its own, with your feet up, candles lit and the rain lashing against the window.

Times Squared can be pre-ordered from the Candy Jar website.

The limited edition print-collection The HAVOC Files is now available to read on Kindle.

FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart

Doctor Who Wins BAFTA Cymru Award

Monday, 3 October 2016 - Reported by Marcus

The Doctor Who production team have won the BAFTA Cymru award for Special and Visual Effects, Titles and Graphics for their work on the Series Nine opener The Magician's Apprentice

The Special Effects on the episode were supplied by Real SFX, led by Danny Hargreaves, while the Visual Effects were supplied by Milk VFX. Both teams have previously won a BAFTA Cymru award for their work on the 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor.

The BAFTA Cymru awards honour excellence in broadcasting and production within film and television in Wales. The winners were announced on Sunday, at a ceremony hosted by BBC Radio 1 presenter, Huw Stephens, at St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

#realsfx @MilkVFX won @BAFTACymru for @bbcdoctorwho !! One very happy @realsfx team!! 2 October 2016

We won!! #VFX #baftacymru #DoctorWho 2 October 2016

FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Series 9/35

Lethbridge-Stewart: Times Squared

Wednesday, 21 September 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have announced details of the first novel to be released in the third series of Lethbridge-Stewart adventures:

Lethbridge-Stewart: Times Squared (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Times Squared
Written By Rick Cross
Cover by Martin Bainess
Published by Candy Jar Books end October 2016

When Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, his fiancée Sally Wright, and nephew Owain Vine, embark on a much-needed holiday to New York City, the last thing they expect to find is a puzzling mystery involving coma patients, a stranger from a distant land and a dark menace lurking in the bowels of the city's labyrinthine subway system.

Before long, they're battling an ancient evil pursuing a deadly campaign of terror that could bring Manhattan under its control... and the world to its knees.

The book sees the return of the Great Intelligence, last seen on television during Series 7 and influential to the Lethbridge-Stewart range from the very start. Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen said:

For (the first novel) The Forgotten Son I was interested in wrapping up the story of the Great Intelligence as seen in Moffat’s trilogy, and exploring something of its origins. So now it’s time to go back to the Intelligence as depicted in the original Haisman/Lincoln stories. Ever wondered what happened to it in those long years between The Web of Fear and The Snowmen, and how the 1995 straight-to-video film, Downtime, fits in? Well, now it’s time to start finding out.

Times Squared, written by first-time novelist Rick Cross, takes place some eight months after The Web of Fear, transferring the Yeti from the London Underground to the underground network of New York. Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar, said:

I had the idea of the Yeti roaming through Times Square, plaguing the immense underground of New York. And by throwing in a bit of time travelling shenanigans, the title was an obvious one.

Andy continued:

After Shaun came to me with the basic idea, it was quickly decided we wanted, ideally, an American author to write it. I turned to Rick Cross, an aspiring US author I knew via social media. We talked and he jumped at the chance. We spent a short while discussing story ideas, telling him the elements I wanted, and he came to me with a few ideas of his own. And it has turned out rather brilliantly; the first bona-fide sequel to The Web of Fear, dealing with the Intelligence from that story, as well as a story that brings back Owain, Lethbridge-Stewart’s nephew, last seen in Beast of Fang Rock. A character with a very special relationship to the Intelligence.

Rick said:

It’s been an exciting opportunity. Hard work, trying to remember the British rules of grammar, but I’ve enjoyed telling my story and delving into the relationship between Lethbridge-Stewart, his fiancée, Sally, and his nephew, Owain. Owain in particular has been fun, exploring his freedom of spirit, and his destiny – which is, one day, to be reincarnated into the person who will ascend to be the Intelligence.

On bringing back the Yeti, he continued:

I had this brilliant idea about the rats in the sewers of New York, and their connection to various plagues throughout the years. What if one such plague was the result of the Intelligence? Coupled with that was my desire to explore the origins of the Yeti. Who made them? How did so many of them get to be in the London Underground in The Web of Fear? Remember, in that story it is revealed that Travers only brought one of them back from Tibet with him. Hopefully Times Squared will provide fans with an interesting take on that, as well as expanding the mythology surrounding the Intelligence and Yeti.

The novel also links in to the BBC’s range of Eighth Doctor Adventures from the 1990s by the inclusion of character Adrienne Kramer, the future brigadier-general of the US arm of UNIT who made her official Doctor Who debut in the 1997 novel Vampire Science by Jonathan Blum and Kate Orman. Andy said:

Ever since first reading about this character in 1997 I’ve wanted to use her; indeed, she featured in an unpublished Doctor Who novel I wrote in 1998. Her connection to UNIT, and consequently the Brigadier, has been something I’ve wanted to explore since day one of this series. In particular to show the origins of how she came to know Lethbridge-Stewart and what piqued her interest in all things alien.

Rick added:

It was a wonderful opportunity. Andy set it all up, put me in touch with Jon, who compiled a detailed background document for the character. I had never heard of Kramer, but did my research, and it has been brilliant writing for her, exploring the young woman she was in 1969, long before she became the tough soldier in Vampire Science. I’ve been very blessed to play with all these wonderful much-loved Doctor Who characters in my book, and add one of my own creations to the mythos of Doctor Who.

Cover art is provided by Martin Baines, whose portfolio includes the Wallace & Gromit comic, Commando, The Beano, and more recently Thunderbirds Are Go magazine. Martin said:

As soon I was briefed on the key scene in the book, Yeti robots covered in rats coming out of the New York underground, I was onto a winner with the cover. This horrific, stark image along with the brilliant writing by Rick Cross makes this a worthy continuation to the classic Web of Fear.

The book includes a forward by Terry Molloy, narrator of the first series of Lethbridge-Stewart audiobooks (and best known in Doctor Who for his 1980s/Big Finish portrayal of Davros).

Times Squared can be pre-ordered individually or as part of the Series 3 Bundle (both UK and overseas), which will include the forthcoming novels Blood of Atlantis by Simon A Forward and Mind of Stone by Iain McLaughlin. There is also a subscription deal for those wishing to get six books for the price of five (UK only, covering the series three titles, plus the series four titles released early 2017)! Pre-orders are available directly from Candy Jar Books.

A free digital-only short story, The Wishing Bazaar by Sharon Bidwell, will be given out to all pre-order/subscription customers in October.

FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart - Merchandise

Lethbridge-Stewart: free download The Last Duty / The Havoc Files 2 update

Friday, 9 September 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have announced a special free digital release in the Lethbridge-Stewart range, The Last Duty, a tribute to real-life WAF Eileen Younghusband who features in the book.

Eileen Younghusband (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Born in London, Eileen joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force during WW2 and worked in the Filter Room, the top secret hub of Britain’s air defence. It was during this time that Eileen tracked the first V2 rocket into the country!

A life size figure of Eileen as a twenty-one-year-old WAAF officer stands in a replica of a filter room at the Battle of Britain museum at Bentley Priory. Her advice on the WAAF was sought by historians, documentary makers and even a Hollywood scriptwriter.

Her television appearances included the BBC series, Britain's Greatest Generation, Channel 4’s WW2: The Last Heroes, and the ITV Wales programme, Welsh Heroes of World War Two, as well as BBC’s Breakfast, The One Show and Eggheads. Her book – One Woman’s War – won a People’s Book Prize. Her latest book – Eileen’s War – was written for children and was completed and published only weeks before her death on 2nd September, at the age of 95.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Last Duty (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen says

We’ve had plans for a while to bring Eileen into the series, and the news of her death made us decide to make it happen sooner, to pay tribute to this great legend of World War II. It’s not often one meets a bona fide hero in one’s life, and the difference Eileen made to the security of the UK cannot be stressed enough; it was a natural thing to bring her into contact with the Doctor Who legend that is Lethbridge-Stewart.

The Last Duty is set shortly after The Grandfather Infestation and is written by newcomer to the range, Christopher Bryant (editor/contributor to several Doctor Who related charity books like You and Who, Seasons of War and You on Target). He says:

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart has always been one of my favourite characters from Doctor Who, so it's a privilege to be part of bringing him back to have new adventures.

The PDF story features a cameo by Eileen, immortalised as the cousin of Derek Younghusband, a character created with Eileen’s blessing for The Band of Evil, who appears in The HAVOC Files 2. Christopher continues:

I loved writing this story because it's a great mix of monster-filled action scenes with a more thoughtful examination of how we lead our lives. It's a particular honour to be able to pay tribute to Eileen Younghusband, who lived such an amazing life.

The free PDF, available from the Candy Jar website, also features excerpts from Eileen’s War and One Woman’s War. Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar, says:

We have included these excerpts to illustrate how important Eileen was in the defence of Britain. Apart from arguably saving Winston Churchill’s life, spending time with Dylan Thomas and acting as a guide at a Nazi concentration camp, I would encourage all fans to read these excerpts as a fascinating document of our times.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Havoc Files 2 (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Meanwhile, the cover for the The Havoc Files 2 has now been revealed, plus news that an additional tale will be included in the anthology. Shaun Russell, says:

With the previous volume we collected the many short stories published in 2015, but it was a little different this time since we have released fewer short stories this year. However, as we like to spoil our readers, we decided it would be nice to produce new exclusive material for the collection, as well as give a couple of extras. And, just to make this collection even more worthwhile, and collector’s item, we’ve decided to add yet another story to the mix.

The Lost Skin is a novella that is set concurrently with the forthcoming Lethbridge-Stewart novel, Times Squared, focussing on several of the regular cast of characters, including the return of journalists, Harold Chorley, Larry Greene and Charlie Redfern. More importantly, it also features the first full appearance of Professor Edward Travers, last seen in 2015’s The Schizoid Earth, who heads to John o Groats to investigate a bit of Scottish lore.

Writer Andy Frankham-Allen says:

The plan was originally to release the novella alongside Times Squared, but time kind of ran away from me, so I suggested instead we release it as part of The HAVOC Files as a three-part story over three volumes. I mean, who doesn’t like a cliffhanger or two?

The cover is by Adrian Salmon, who faced the challenge of how to touch upon the various stories and yet still have a striking image to attract readers’ attentions. He says:

A unifying cover idea for a mix of stories was never going to be easy but the central idea of an incredible shrinking Lethbridge-Stewart made small work of it!

The whole collection is dedicated to the memory of Rhys Rubery, friend of the range editor and Doctor Who fan, a sixteen-year-old who lost his life in a tragic accident in July 2016. You can find out more about Rhys, and how to support the RR81 Legacy by going to this website.

The HAVOC Files 2 is released at the end of September, and is available for pre-order directly from the Candy Jar website.

The next series of Lethbridge-Stewart begins in October with the release of Times Squared by Rick Cross, followed by Blood of Atlantis by Simon A Forward and Mind of Stone by Iain McLaughlin.

FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart - Merchandise - Online

Heaven Sent Misses Out on Hugo Award

Sunday, 21 August 2016 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who: Heaven Sent, has lost out in the 2016 Hugo Awards where the award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) went to the final episode of Marvel Television's Jessica Jones.

Heaven Sent, shown last year, was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Rachel Talalay , starred Peter Capaldi in an highly acclaimed, almost single handed, performance.

Six Doctor Who episodes have previously won a Hugo Award, The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances, The Girl in the Fireplace, Blink, The Waters of Mars, The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang and The Doctor's Wife. Last year the episode Listen was also nominated and lost out in the final voting.

On Twitter Heaven Sent Director Rachel Talalay thanked the fans for their support for the episode.

Thanks for all the lovely thoughts on #HeavenSent #DoctorWho As PCap confirms, the episode itself is the award and reward. Watch it again.
— Rachel Talalay (@rtalalay) August 21, 2016

FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Series 9/35

Lethbridge-Stewart: The HAVOC Files 2

Wednesday, 17 August 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have announced the release of the second volume of The HAVOC Files, collecting the short stories released during the first half in 2016 originally released as digital downloads.

The collection included the following titles: In His Kiss by Sue Hampton, The Lock-In by Sarah Groenewegen BEM, The Black Eggs of Khufu by Tom Dexter, The Band of Evil by Roger J Simmonds & Shaun Russell, and The Playing Dead by Adrian Sherlock. As with the previous volume, The HAVOC Files 2 also includes new stories exclusive to the book, Ashes of the Inferno by Andy Frankham-Allen, and House of Giants by Rick Cross.

As the new titles might suggest, the stories are related to two of the Doctor's television adventures. Writer Andy Frankham-Allen says of his book:

As the title suggests this story is connected to the 1970 serial Inferno; indeed it begins the same day the Doctor returns from the alternative Earth. A lot of readers have asked how the expanding mythology of the Lethbridge-Stewart series fits into the UNIT era of Doctor Who, and this story goes a little way to explaining that. But it’s much more than just a response to readers’ questions, it’s a story about loss and coming to terms with losing everything that matters to you. A theme that I often come back to, and one that is even more poignant right now as only recently I lost a friend in very tragic accident. This story serves as something of a tribute to that young man, who was not only a friend but a huge Doctor Who fan, and the family he left behind, who are trying to cope with such a monumental loss.

The second brand new story picks up on a thread referenced in the most recent Lethbridge-Stewart novel, The Grandfather Infestation by John Peel, dealing with aftermath of the Doctor Who serial, Planet of Giants: Writer Rick Cross says:

Planet of Giants is a personal favourite of mine, an inventive and unexpected First Doctor experiment that has resonated in my mind since I first saw it, so it’s been fun writing a sort of coda to it. I'm thrilled and honoured to bring the Brigadier and Anne Travers onto the scene of this classic Doctor Who story, and can't wait for fellow fans to see what awaits them there.

Candy Jar’s Head of Publishing, Shaun Russell, comments on the newcomer to the range:

Rick was brought in by Andy, a result of successful networking on Facebook. We’ve been so impressed with Rick’s abilities as a writer that we thought it’d be nice to have him write us a short story while Andy works on his forthcoming novel.

That novel will be Times Squared, written before House of Giants. Cross says:

I'm actually quite pleased that House of Giants will arrive ahead of Times Squared. I hope it will serve as an appetizer of sorts to the entree to come, one that will introduce Lethbridge-Stewart readers to my particular Yankee style, borne of a lifelong obsession with Doctor Who, sci-fi films and Stephen King novels. Hopefully, they'll come away eager to explore the labyrinthine streets of late-‘60s New York City... and what lies beneath.

Two additional extras in the book include the original prologue from John Peel’s The Grandfather Infestation - which reveals why the Ymir brought their Grandfathers to Earth in the first place - and the unpublished interludes from The Showstoppers by Jonathan Cooper. Range editor Andy Frankham-Allen says:

I decided to remove the interludes from the novel because, in my opinion, they slowed the pace of the story down too much. However, the background on Schädengeist and Commander Shepstone was too good to simply consign to the rubbish bin, so it’s a great pleasure to make the interludes available as one short story.

As with the first volume, The HAVOC Files 2 will only be available as a strictly limited edition print run, and is can be pre-ordered directly from the Candy Jar Bookstore.

The next series of Lethbridge-Stewart begins in October with the release of Times Squared by Rick Cross, followed by Blood of Atlantis by Simon A Forward and Mind of Stone by Iain McLaughlin.

The whole collection is dedicated to the memory of Rhys Rubery, friend of the range editor and Doctor Who fan, a sixteen-year-old who lost his life in a tragic accident in July 2016. You can find out more about Rhys, and how to support the RR81 Legacy by going to this website.

FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Playing Dead

Thursday, 21 July 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

This month sees the release of the Lethbridge-Stewart novel The Grandfather Infestation by John Peel, and Candy Jar Books have announced that this will be accompanied by the latest in their range of free digital-only stories, The Playing Dead, written by newcomer to the range, Adrian Sherlock:

Lieutenant Bishop has survived a dangerous mission in Australia and is looking forward to going home. But he wakes up to find the streets of Darwin are empty; he seems to be the last man on Earth. Until from the shadows come strange creatures. The dead are walking, and they want Bishop. But Bishop has more to worry about than just himself – where is Anne Travers?

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen said:

Adrian came to my attention via John - he’s one of the many new voices were encouraging through a short story initiative, although we kind of did it backwards with Adrian. A novel pitch (set in his native Australia) led to this short story.

Keeping with the experimental nature of the free short stories, The Playing Dead is the first story to focus on Bill Bishop, ever-popular adjutant to Lethbridge-Stewart. Adrian Sherlock said:

It's been a long held dream of mine to write a story about the classic era of Doctor Who, and the Lethbridge-Stewart series is a hugely exciting way to do that. It was also personally very exciting to write a story which harkens back to classics like The Twilight Zone and The Omega Man, but with a very Who-ish twist. I'm eternally grateful to Andy for the chance to push the brave but unsuspecting Bishop into a world of shadows and dangers.

I had a lot of fun getting into the mind of Bishop, a character created especially for this series. It’s telling that he is just as rounded and as interesting as Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers. He is a worthy addition to the role-call of heroes we know and love from the classic era of Doctor Who. A joy to write for.

Although set within the current narrative of the book series, The Playing Dead moves the story forward a year. Shaun Russell, Head of Publishing, said:

It’s nice to dip in and out of Lethbridge-Stewart’s life with the short stories, and as we know where the characters will be in a year, namely Australia, we thought it would be fun to give a few hints to our readers.

Cover art is by Richard Young:

How could I say no to creating something a little different from my usual style? It’s always nice to show people your range. Different strokes for different folks. And, of course, a chance to turn the Brig into a zombie... What’s not to love?

The Grandfather Infestation is due out at the end of July, and all subscribers will receive the short story automatically, as will those who purchase any of the bundles for the 2016 series. More details can be found at the Candy Jar website, where readers can also receive a free download of the short story The Band of Evil.

FILTER: - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart - Online

The Two Doctors: David Tennant and Steven Moffat honoured

Tuesday, 5 July 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

David Tennant awarded an honorary doctorate by Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Former television Doctor David Tennant today became a Doctor for real, as the actor received an honorary doctorate for drama from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow.

The actor, who studied at the Conservatoire between 1988 and 1991 when it was called the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, said:

I'm honoured and rather humbled to be here - it's all quite overwhelming but lovely to be back. It evokes some very vivid memories. It was a very important time for me. I don't think I would have survived without my time here - for me it was essential. Three years of getting to practice in a safe environment. I was quite young, quite green, and I did a lot of growing up here and learned an enormous amount. They were very formative years that I look back on very fondly.

David Tennnant talks about receiving his honorary doctorate (via Daily Record)

As reported at the weekend, Doctor Who's lead writer Steven Moffat also received a doctorate today from the University of the West of Scotland.

News Sources: Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Daily Record, Radio Times

FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - David Tennant - Steven Moffat

Steven Moffat to receive honorary doctorate

Sunday, 3 July 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Doctor Who's lead writer Steven Moffat is to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of the West of Scotland.

Professor Craig Mahoney, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of UWS, said:

Steven is quite simply one of the country’s greatest screenwriters and through his work on both the small and big screen he has brought joy to millions of viewers worldwide.

He is a further example of success from our wonderful town of Paisley in a long line of truly successful people brought up in the town.

Steven is great role model for anyone, not just our students, and demonstrates that your path in life will be determined by your own passion for the things you believe in and that anyone can have success if they work hard.

Steven is a hugely deserving recipient of this Honorary Doctorate and we are delighted to honour him in his home town.

The graduation ceremony takes place at Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist Church in Moffat's home town of Paisley on Tuesday 5th July. The writer said:

It's always a joy to go home - but to go back to Paisley to receive a doctorate feels like I finally made it. I feel very honoured, and more importantly very happy.

News source: The Paisley Gazette

FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Steven Moffat

Peter Capaldi nominated in TV Choice Awards

Saturday, 2 July 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

TV Choice Awards 2016 (Credit: TV Choice)

The nominations for this year's TV Choice Awards have been announced, and sees Doctor Who's Peter Capaldi nominated for Best Actor. He faces Tom Hiddleston (The Night Manager), Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders) and Jim Carter (Downton Abbey) for the award, which will be announced at the ceremony taking place at the Dorchester on Park Lane, London, on Monday 5th September.

Doctor Who itself is nominated for Best Family Drama, alongside Call The Midwife, Casualty and The Durrells, an award it won four years running between 2010 and 2013. The show also received an Outstanding Achievement Award in 2013 for its 50th Anniversary.

Voting for the awards can be made via the TV Choice website until 8th July.

FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Doctor Who - Peter Capaldi

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