Graham Strong, the man responsible for the survival of many high-quality audio recordings of missing Doctor Who episodes, has died at the age of 69.

Graham Strong was a 14-year-old schoolboy when Doctor Who began in 1963. A keen electronics student, his hobby included building valve and transistor radios, as well as repairing televisions for neighbours. He was the proud owner of a second-hand Reel to reel tape machine and decided to use this to preserve the audio of this exciting new serial.

Following The Daleks' Master Plan, episode 7, Strong, used his electronics knowledge to wire the audio output from the television into the Tape recorder. A highly dangerous procedure that breaks every rule of electrical safety but one that resulted in recordings that were crystal clear.

Strong was one of a small number of early fans who recorded audio from the now missing stories. However, he is believed to be the only one to record directly from the Television, resulting in the superior quality of his recordings.

In 1994 an accidental meeting with a Doctor Who fan who had contacts in the BBC brought his collection to the attention of the corporation. By this time the master tapes of most early episodes had been junked and the episodes were either missing or only existed as film prints. After reassurance that his tapes would be carefully cared for, Strong handed over recordings containing over 100 Doctor Who episodes.

Strong's recordings have been used for the animated releases of missing episodes such as Power of the Daleks. His recordings are so clear that they often exceed the quality available on the surviving film prints of the episodes, and as a result, a number of DVD's of early episodes contain audio taken from Strong's recordings rather than the film print.

NERVA is a special event organised by the Ark in Space Facebook group celebrating the visual effects and other designers who brought Doctor Who to our screens.

Current guests include visual effects designer Colin Mapson (e.g. The Green Death), sculptor and prop maker Stephen Mansfield (e.g. Battlefield), K9 assistant operator Steve Cambden (e.g. Full Circle), documentary director Kevin Jon Davies (e.g. Thirty Years in the TARDIS), and researchers Richard Bignell (Nothing At The End Of The Lane), Jon Green and Gavin Rymell (Dalek 6388).

Alongside the event, a special poster has been commissioned from artist Ian Wells, inspired by the work of Frank Bellamy. There are three versions of the poster available that can be purchased separately to the event itself: the image with event information as displayed, one with the addition of Ian's autograph, and a third version with the text replaced with a personalised message from the artist. Full details can be found via the organisers' website.

All proceeds from the event and posters will be donated to the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.

The event itself is limited to members of the Facebook group, who can register their interest via the relevant thread, and to followers of the @ClassicDrWho Twitter account, who can tweet or send a direct message instead. You can find out mote about the event via the group or the organisers' event page.

BBC Worldwide has confirmedthat the Blu-Ray release of Doctor Who: The Collection – Season 12, has been delayed by one week.

The collection of stories featuring Tom Baker in his first season as the Doctor, will now be released on Monday 18th June 2018

Full release details

Canadian fans will be able to join the US in seeing the "director's cut" of Genesis of the Daleks in Cineplex cinemas on the 14th June.


For full details on where the story can be seen see the Cineplex website.

This weekend Big Finish are offering 50% off many titles featuring the Eighth Doctor played by Paul McGann, from the beginning of his travels with Charlotte Pollard back in 2001 to the epic four-part saga, Doom Coalition.

Until 23:59 UK Time on the 17th of May 2018, you can save 50% on the Eighth Doctor Adventures releases, Eighth Doctor stories in the Doctor Who Main Range and the award-winning Dark Eyes and Doom Coalition box sets.

The Eighth Doctor Adventures, which were first broadcast on BBC Radio 7 on New Year’s Eve 2006, are a great jumping on point for new listeners as Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor starts another phase of his adventures with a brand new companion played by Sheridan Smith, Lucie Miller.

Starting after the Eighth Doctor Main Range tales, it's a brand new set of adventures with several returning villains and all-star casts. These adventures start with an Eighth Doctor encounter with the Daleks in Blood of the Daleks, which stars Hayley Atwell and Anita Dobson in a truly terrifying introduction into the world of the Eighth Doctor.

Doctor Who: Dark Eyes (Winner, Best Online Drama, BBC Drama Awards 2014) was written and directed by Nicholas Briggs. And after the apocalyptic events of Doctor Who: Dark Eyes, the Eighth Doctor and Liv Chenka (played by Nicola Walker) continue their adventures in space and time in Doctor Who: Doom Coalition. Also in this offer are bundles on the Eighth Doctor’s adventures in the Doctor Who Main Range, with companions Charlotte Pollard, C'Rizz played by Conrad Westmaas and Mary Shelley, the gothic author, played by Julie Cox.

To redeem the offer, enter code EIGHT50 at the checkout on the Big Finish website.

This offer expires at 23:59 UK Time on the 17th of May 2018.

New works by Naomi Alderman and Juno Dawson are among some of the 2018 offerings for the Doctor Who list, publishing to celebrate the arrival of Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor.

Penguin Random House Children’s imprint BBC Children’s Books have today announced its acquisition of a brand-new Doctor Who short story from Alderman, author of The Power and winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2017. Alderman’s tale features Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor battling to save the universe alongside her close and trusted friends.

The story will add to the existing 12 Doctors, 12 Stories anthology, which recounts tales for each of the previous twelve Doctors as they adventure through time and space. The new collection will publish on 1 November 2018 as Thirteen Doctors, 13 Stories, and will also include existing stories by Eoin Colfer, Michael Scott, Marcus Sedgwick, Philip Reeve, Patrick Ness, Richelle Mead, Malorie Blackman, Alex Scarrow, Charlie Higson, Derek Landy, Neil Gaiman and Holly Black.

Thirteen Doctors, 13 Stories marks Alderman’s return to the Doctor Who universe, after her 2011 novel, Borrowed Time, published by BBC Books. On 19 July, to celebrate the opening of this year’s San Diego ComicCon, BBC Books will reissue a new paperback edition of this novel, along with a new edition of collected Doctor Who stories by Jenny T. Colgan, The Triple Knife. Both will have new cover designs by artist David Wardle.

Multi-award winning author and activist Juno Dawson’s novel will mark her debut on the Doctor Who list. Entitled The Good Doctor, it will be one of the first novels on the BBC Books list to feature the Thirteenth Doctor, as played by Jodie Whittaker, and her friends Yasmin, Ryan and Graham. The book will publish in October along with two other Thirteenth Doctor adventures, The Molten Heart, by New York Times bestselling author Una McCormack and Combat Magicks, by bestselling Young Bond author Steve Cole.

Naomi Alderman says Juno Dawson says Ruth Knowles, Publisher at Penguin Random House Children’s, says Albert DePetrillo, BBC Books Publishing Director, says

The Doctor Who Appreciation Society is holding an online auction for charity with a signed script from the last series of Doctor Who up for sale.

The original copy of Mike Bartlett’s script for ‘Knock Knock’ signed by Peter Capaldi, David Suchet, Pearl Mackie and Mike himself is one of 17 objects being sold to raise money for Denville Hall, the actors’s charity supported by Lalla Ward and the Muswell Hill Syrian Refugees Relief Project supported by Peter and Elaine Capaldi.

Other items include Big Finish scripts signed by cast members including Alex Kingston and David Bradley.

The online auction followes a succesful event at the DWAS Convention, The Capitol, which raised £3,887.00 for charities. Over the past 3 years the society has raised £9,182.00 for noble causes.

Full details of the auction can be dound at the auction webside.

William Hartnell's annotated copy of the script of the very first episode, An Unearthly Child, was sold yesterday for £6,200.

The script was an item in the Aston's Auctioneers and Valuers Film & Music Memorabilia & Comics Auction.

Including fees, the grand total for owning this unique item of Doctor Who history came to to £7,500.

In an exclusive deal with Sainsbury's supermarket, Doctor Who: Energy of the Daleks, produced by Big Finish Productions, will be available for the first time on vinyl record.

From the 25th May, Sainsbury’s will be stocking a strictly limited pressing of ‘Energy Of the Daleks’ on blue 180GM Heavyweight Vinyl. This will be available in participating stores only, limited to 1,500 units.

A spokesperson from Sainsbury's said The Daleks take on Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor in this Doctor Who full-cast audio drama from 2012, which takes place between The Talons of Weng-Chiang and Horror of Fang Rock, both broadcast on BBC One in 1977.

The Fourth Doctor Tom Baker and his companion Leela, played by Louise Jameson, find themselves in the middle of London at the time of a new energy crisis. The GlobeSphere Corporation seems to have all the answers – but several thousand protesters beg to differ.

The Doctor has detected a mysterious energy reading. Could it be that the most evil creatures in the universe have returned to claim ultimate victory once and for all?

For Baker, Energy of the Daleks was the first time since 1979's Destiny of the Daleks that he'd gone hat-brim to eyestalk with the Daleks - but for Jameson, it's a first. This is Leela's opening encounter with the Daleks, and she's not going to find it a pleasant experience. And speaking of unpleasant experiences, she's not quite ready for the 21st century either. But then, is the 21st century ready for Leela?

Executive Producer and Director of Energy of the Daleks, Nicholas Briggs said Guest stars include: Mark Benton (TV Doctor Who story Rose, Waterloo Road, Land Girls, The Street, Northern Lights, Strictly Come Dancing), Alex Lowe (The Late Edition, The Thick of It, Lead Balloon and Peep Show), TV Sontaran Dan Starkey, giving life to both Kevin Winston and a Roboman and Nicholas Briggs as The Daleks.

Series one to seven, which star Tom Baker are available to buy now from the Big Finish website.

Doctor Who Magazine - Issue 525 looks into those scenes from Doctor Who that are Missing in Action

Not everything that’s filmed and recorded for Doctor Who makes it to the screen. The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine reveals details of numerous scenes that have been cut, including major sequences that have been lost forever.

Also in this issue...

• MICHELLE RYAN
An exclusive interview with Michelle about the return of glamorous cat burglar Lady Christina.
• WILL OSWALD
Editor Will Oswald started working on Doctor Who in 2007 and has been responsible for many missing scenes, as well as initiating new material.
• THE TIME TEAM
The Time Team has regenerated – just in time to revisit landmark episodes from the series’ history.
• OUT OF THE TARDIS
Janet Fielding, who played air hostess Tegan, answers questions from the TARDIS tin.
• THE DOCTOR’S SCARF
Musician and illustrator Jamie Lenman goes on a cosplay mission to recreate the most iconic item from the Doctor’s wardrobe.
• NEW FACES
Behind the scenes at the launches of the Second, Third and Fourth Doctors.
• THE FACT OF FICTION
Exploring the hidden depths of the 2009 Easter Special Planet of the Dead.
• THE CLOCKWISE WAR
Part three of a new comic strip adventure written by Scott Gray and illustrated by John Ross.
• PLUS...
The Blogs of Doom, news, previews, book and audio reviews, prize-winning competitions and much more

Doctor Who Magazine issue 525 is on sale from Thursday 3 May, price £5.99.