The Light at the End: limited collector's Vinyl edition

Thursday, 22 August 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The 50th Anniversary audio adventure Light at the End from Big Finish is to be released in a limited edition Vinyl edition.

The Light at the End (cover) (Credit: Big Finish)The Light at the End
Starring Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann
With Louise Jameson, Sarah Sutton, Nicola Bryant, Sophie Aldred and India Fisher
Featuring Geoffrey Beevers as The Master

November 23rd 1963 proves to be a significant day in the lives of all eight Doctors…

It's the day that Bob Dovie's life is ripped apart…

It's also a day that sets in motion a catastrophic chain of events which forces the first eight incarnations of the Doctor to fight for their very existence. As a mysterious, insidious chaos unfolds within the TARDIS, the barriers of time break apart…

From suburban England through war-torn alien landscapes and into a deadly, artificial dimension, all these Doctors and their companions must struggle against the power of an unfathomable, alien technology.

From the very beginning, it is clear that the Master is somehow involved. By the end, for the Doctors, there may only be darkness.


This Special Edition will feature deluxe premium packaging, and includes:
  • Discs 1, 2 and 3 – The Light at the End
  • Disc 4 – The Making of The Light at the End (approx 40-minute documentary exclusive to this release)
  • All discs on heavy 180g vinyl
  • Limited and numbered to 500
  • Four-way gatefold sleeve
  • Rigid slipcase
  • an array of professional photos of the cast.
  • includes an exclusive 30cm x 30cm lenticular image.
The Light at the End (lenticular image) (Credit: Big Finish)

Big Finish trailer, via You-Tube

The Light at the End will also be available as a limited edition five-disc CD, which features:
  • Discs 1 and 2 – The Light at the End
  • Disc 3 – The Making of The Light at the End (70 minute documentary)
  • Disc 4 – This is Doctor Who at Big Finish (70 minute documentary)
  • Disc 5 – Doctor Who – The Companion Chronicles: The Revenants performed by William Russell as Ian

The Light at the End is scheduled to be released on 23rd November 2013; the standard version is currently available to pre-order via our shop.





FILTER: - Sixth Doctor - Audio - Eighth Doctor - Seventh Doctor - WHO50 - Fourth Doctor - Fifth 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

Series 7 Soundtrack Release Date and Track List

Tuesday, 6 August 2013 - Reported by Harry Ward
Silva Screen has announced the release date and track list for the Doctor Who Series 7 soundtrack. As well as the standard double jewel case, a special limited edition gatefold wallet will be available to the first 5000 copies sold. The soundtrack will available to buy in the UK from 9th September, 2013 and the preorder will be available soon.


DISC ONE
    Asylum of the Daleks
  1. They Are Everywhere
  2. Save Us
  3. Dalek Parliament
  4. Towards The Asylum
  5. A Probe In The Snow
  6. Amy And Rory Together
  7. The Terrible Truth

  8. Dinosaurs On A Spaceship
  9. Dinosaurs On A Spaceship / Pterodactyls
  10. Brian
  11. Take A Ride On Tricey

  12. A Town Called Mercy
  13. Make Peace
  14. Welcome To Mercy
  15. Out West
  16. Gunslingers
  17. The Salvation Of Kahler Jex
  18. Our Little Town’s Prosecutor

  19. The Power of Three
  20. Cubes
  21. While We Waited
  22. Brian’s Log

  23. The Angels Take Manhattan
  24. New York New York
  25. I Am You
  26. Melody Malone
  27. Little Angels
  28. My Husband’s Home
  29. Hide The Damage
  30. Together Or Not At All - The Song Of Amy And Rory
  31. Goodbye Pond

  32. The Bells of Saint John
  33. Cumbria 1207
  34. Monking About
  35. Spoonheads
  36. Clara?
  37. A Turbulent Flight
  38. Bah Bah Biker
  39. Up The Shard
  40. I Might Change My Mind

DISC TWO
    The Rings of Akhaten
  1. The Leaf
  2. Something Awesome
  3. Market Day
  4. Merry Gejelh
  5. God of Akhaten
  6. The Speeder
  7. Never Wake
  8. The Long Song
  9. Infinite Potential
  10. Always You, Never A Replacement

  11. Cold War
  12. Cold War
  13. Skaldak

  14. Hide
  15. I Am A Ghost

  16. Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS
  17. A Machine That Makes Machines

  18. The Crimson Horror
  19. Crimson Horror
  20. Sweetville
  21. Thomas Thomas

  22. Nightmare in Silver
  23. Hedgewick's World
  24. Tiberian Spiral Galaxy
  25. Upgrade In Progress
  26. The Dream Of Cyberia
  27. What A Brain
  28. Can’t Win
  29. Your Orders Come From Me
  30. Other Good News
  31. The Impossible Girl
  32. Cyber Amy
  33. The Emperor’s Wife
  34. Some Wednesday

  35. The Name of the Doctor
  36. To Save The Doctor
  37. A Letter To Clara
  38. What Is His Name?
  39. A Secret He Will Take To His Grave
  40. Trenzalore
  41. I Am Information
  42. Pain Everlasting
  43. Remember Me
  44. Glasgow [Bonus track for iTunes]
  45. Whisper Men [Bonus track for iTunes]

Series 7 (soundtrack) - cover (Credit: Silva Screen)

Series 7 (soundtrack) - limited edition gatefold wallet (Credit: Silva Screen)




FILTER: - Audio - 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

Hinchcliffe Era Revived

Friday, 28 June 2013 - Reported by Marcus
Big Finish are to produce a couple of Doctor Who stories in association with former producer Philip Hinchcliffe, the man who led Doctor Who through one of its most successful and best remembered eras.

Starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor and Louise Jameson as Leela, the two audio plays will evoke the spirit and feel of the period when Hinchcliffe was in charge of production. Philip Hinchcliffe produced Doctor Who from 1975’s The Ark in Space through to the 1977 story The Talons of Weng-Chiang. He was responsible for a series of stories which regularly top fan polls of favourite titles and which include some of the episodes with the highest ratings in Doctor Who’s history.

The idea for revisiting the era came after Hinchcliffe visited the Big Finish studios to watch the recording of series three of The Fourth Doctor Adventures. Big Finish Producer David Richardson said
I know that Tom Baker and Louise Jameson were thrilled to have him there, and they both enthused to him about what a great time they were having working for Big Finish. After the recording ended, Philip took me and executive producer Nicholas Briggs aside, and pitched the idea of doing a set of stories of the kind he would have hoped to have done, had he stayed on to produce the series for longer. We just said ‘yes’ instantly!

The first story in the set will be an epic six-parter set in Victorian London, adapted by Marc Platt, who wrote the TV story Ghost Light, which will be paired with a four-parter.

Hinchcliffe said he wanted to create stories that felt as if they could belong to his second or third season
They are not designed to follow on from my era, more to re-evoke it for fans who enjoyed the originals: and so the Doctor and Leela in these new stories are the same as they were then, in the glorious seventies! That's the beauty of radio - they look and sound the same.

Doctor Who: Philip Hinchcliffe Presents will be released in August 2014, and is available for pre-order.




FILTER: - Audio - Tom Baker - Big Finish

AudioGo: July Releases

Thursday, 27 June 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
AudioGo's ongoing celebration of 50 Years of Doctor Who reaches the Seventh Doctor in July, with he and Ace facing a Shockwave in the Destiny of the Doctor series. Meanwhile, the Fourth Doctor visits The Leisure Hive alongside Romana in the latest Target novelisation adaptation, and the Eleventh Doctor goes back to 1963 in the audio adaptation of BBC Books novel Shroud of Sorrow.

Destiny of the Doctor: Shockwave (Credit: AudioGo)Destiny of the Doctor: Shockwave
Starring Sophie Aldred, with Ian Brooker (pre-order)

In the far future, the inhabitants of Tarsus Six face a desperate struggle to evacuate their world before their sun, Tarsus Ultra, collapses into a cataclysmic spatial anomaly.

When the Doctor navigates the TARDIS to a space station orbiting Tarsus Six, Ace assumes that he intends offer their assistance. But it soon becomes clear that the Doctor has an agenda of his own.

With the TARDIS immobilised, Ace realises that their own lives are as much in danger as those of the fleeing inhabitants. The race is on to escape the destruction of Tarsus Six and the devastating shockwave that will follow, reaching out and destroying everything in its wake.

Celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who, a brand new adventure for the Seventh Doctor. Sophie Aldred - Ace in the BBC TV Doctor Who series - and Ian Brooker perform this original story by James Swallow.
Doctor Who and the Leisure Hive (Credit: AudioGo)Doctor Who and the Leisure Hive
Written by David Fisher
Read by Lalla Ward (pre-order)

An exciting novelisation of a classic 1973 Doctor Who serial The Leisure Hive, featuring the Fourth Doctor - Tom Baker.

The Doctor and Romana visit the Leisure Hive on the planet Argolis, the surface of which is uninhabitable following a twenty minute nuclear war between the Argolins and their enemies, the Foamsi. The Argolins themselves are now sterile. Pangol, the youngest, was created by the Tachyon Recreation Generator, a machine that runs games in the Hive. He now secretly plans to use the Generator, modified by an Earth scientist named Hardin, to recreate himself many times over, forming an army of duplicates to destroy the Foamsi. Pangol's mother Mena, the controller of the Hive, is meanwhile coming under pressure from a supposedly human finanacier, Brock, to sell it to the Foamasi …

Read by Lalla Ward, who played Romana in the original TV series.
Shroud of Sorrow (Credit: AudioGo)Shroud of Sorrow
Written by Tommy Donbavand
Read by Frances Barber (pre-order)

23 November, 1963. It is the day after John F. Kennedy's assassination - and the faces of the dead are everywhere. PC Reg Cranfield sees his late father in the mists along Totter's Lane. Reporter Mae Callon sees her grandmother in a coffee stain on her desk. FBI Special Agent Warren Skeet finds his long-dead partner staring back at him from raindrops on a window pane. Then the faces begin to talk, and scream...and push through into our world. As the alien Shroud begins to feast on the grief of a world in mourning, can the Doctor dig deep enough into his own sorrow to save mankind?

A thrilling new adventure from the spectacular BBC series, starring Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman.
 




FILTER: - Audio - Seventh Doctor - Eleventh Doctor - WHO50 - Fourth Doctor

Big Finish: June Releases

Saturday, 15 June 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Big Finish have released details on the latest adventures for the Doctor and his companions in June ...

Prisoners of Fate (Credit: Big Finish)Prisoners of Fate (available to order)
Starring Peter Davison as The Doctor, Janet Fielding as Tegan, Mark Strickson as Turlough, and Sarah Sutton as Nyssa.

Twenty-five years ago, with Richter's Syndrome running rampant throughout the galaxy, the brilliant biochemist Nyssa, formerly of Traken, bade a painful farewell to her young family... and set off into the space, in search of a cure for this deadly disease.

She never returned.

Now, her grown-up son continues her work on the penal colony of Valderon, still desperate to make the breakthrough that eluded his presumed-dead mother.

So when the TARDIS lands on Valderon, bringing the Doctor, Tegan, Turlough and Nyssa to its fortress prison, the scene is set for a painful reunion... but not only for Nyssa. The Doctor's past is about to catch up with him too...


Prisoners of Fate ends the current trilogy of Fifth Doctor adventures with a twisty tale from the pen of Jonathan Morris as the Doctor, Tegan, Turlough and Nyssa are forced to confront head-on the consequences of Nyssa's travels in the TARDIS since Helheim, begun in Doctor Who: Cobwebs. The story guest stars Sarah Douglas (Superman, V) as Sibor and Alistair Mackenzie (Monarch of the Glen, Borgen) as Galen.

Producer David Richardson commented:
This story presents a huge dilemma for Nyssa, and there are no easy answers for the Doctor. Plus we get to meet something significant from the Doctorls past we never knew about before...
The Companion Chronicles: Council of War (Credit: Big Finish)Council of War (available to order)
Starring John Levene as Benton, with Sinead Keenan as Margery Phipps

At the Doctor's request, Sergeant Benton is investigating ghosts and missing people in Kettering, while undercover as a local councillor

And that's how he comes to meet Margery Phipps.

An alien incursion in the town hall leads them on a journey to a terrible future – where Margery discovers how she changed a world, and the life of a whole civilisation hangs in the balance...


Council of War, by Scarifyers creators Simon Barnard and Paul Morris, Sergeant Benton finds an undercover job taking on a life of its own when he gets involved in the life of Margery Phipps and the affairs of Kettering.

David:
Yes, John Levene has joined The Companion Chronicles. It's great to have him aboard – ably supported here by the brilliant Sinead Keenan (Nina from Being Human).
Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Dalek Contract (Credit: Big Finish)The Dalek Contract (available to order)
Starring Tom Baker as the Doctor, Mary Tamm as Romana, and John Leeson as K9

'These creatures have ravaged half the cosmos. They're experts at this kind of thing. Nothing can stand in their way.'

The Doctor and Romana find themselves in the Proxima System, where enigmatic Conglomerate CEO Cuthbert has been conducting his infamous 'experiment'. An experiment which might accidentally rip the universe apart.

Meanwhile, living conditions on Proxima Major have become harsh and hostile. Climate change has turned the landscape into a freezing wasteland and an alien power has condemned much of the population to life inside internment camps. For those still clinging to their freedom, the struggle for survival is now beyond desperate and outsiders such as the Doctor and Romana are only seen as a threat.

What is Cuthbert really up to in the Proxima System, and just how does he expect the dreaded Daleks to fit into his plan?


David:
A few firsts in this one. It's the first Romana's only meeting with the Daleks. It's K9's first fight against the Daleks (at least in a full cast medium). And it's also the return of David Warner as Cuthbert and Toby Hadoke as Mr Dorrick, as we head for a big season finale with high stakes...

Competition

This month's competition thanks to Big Finish is to win one of five copies of Council of War. To be in with a chance, please answer the following question:
John Levene has been long associated with the role of Benton, but name his only credited monstrous role and relevant story from the television series.
Send your answer to comp-council@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "beneath the mask", 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 30th June 2013.




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

AudioGo: June Releases

Saturday, 25 May 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
AudioGo's next stage in the Destiny of the Doctor reaches the Sixth Doctor in June with he and companion Peri meeting Trouble in Paradise. Meanwhile, the latest audio adaptation of the Target novelisations sees the Third Doctor ahd Jo arriving on The Planet of the Daleks. Plus, two audio adaptations of recent BBC Books releases include the Eleventh Doctor once again encountering his greatest alien foe in The Dalek Generation, and the Third Doctor facing off against fellow Time Lord The Master in Harvest of Time.

Destiny of the Doctor: Trouble in Paradise (Credit: AudioGo)Destiny of the Doctor: Trouble in Paradise
Starring Nicola Bryant, with Cameron Stewart (pre-order)


Responding to a desperate summons from the Doctor's future self, he and Peri find themselves on a sailing ship in 1492, where the crewmen are gripped by superstitious fear. They say the Devil walks among them, stalking and striking them down. Even though they have landed in paradise, they fear that 'El Diablo' himself will drag them over the edge of the world and into the depths of hell. When the Doctor and Peri meet the captain of the ship, they both discover that heroes can sometimes behave un-heroically. Peri's reaction leads her into deep water, and soon the Doctor fears not only for her life but also for the existence of the ship, the paradise island, and the Universe itself...

Celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who, a brand new adventure for the Sixth Doctor. Nicola Bryant - Peri in the BBC TV Doctor Who series - and Cameron Stewart perform this original story by Nev Fountain, with music and sound design.
Doctor Who and The Planet of The Daleks (Credit: AudioGo)Doctor Who and The Planet of The Daleks
Written by Terrance Dicks
Read by Mark Gatiss, with Nicholas Briggs as the voice of the Daleks (pre-order)

An exciting novelisation of a classic 1973 Doctor Who serial, featuring the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and his companion Jo Grant.

After pursuing the Daleks through Space, the Doctor and Jo land on the planet Spiridon, in the midst of a tropical jungle…and finds more than Daleks. Vicious plants spitting deadly poison, invisible Spiridons attacking from all sides and, in hiding, a vast army of Daleks waits for the moment to mobilise and conquer.
 
The Dalek Generation (Credit: AudioGo)The Dalek Generation
Written and read by Nicholas Briggs (pre-order)

"The Sunlight Worlds Offer You A Life of Comfort and Plenty. Apply now at the Dalek Foundation."

Sunlight 349 is one of countless Dalek Foundation worlds, planets created to house billions suffering from economic hardship. The Doctor arrives at Sunlight 349, suspicious of any world where the Daleks are apparently a force for good - and determined to find out the truth. The Doctor knows they have a far more sinister plan - but how can he convince those who have lived under the benevolence of the Daleks for a generation? But convince them he must, and soon. For on another Foundation planet, archaeologists have unearthed the most dangerous technology in the universe...

A thrilling, all-new adventure featuring the Doctor as played by Matt Smith in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.
Harvest Of Time (Credit: AudioGo)Harvest of Time
Written by Alistair Reynolds
Read by Geoffrey Beevers (pre-order)

An unabridged reading of a brand new novel from BBC Books.

After billions of years of imprisonment, the vicious Sild have broken out of confinement. From a ruined world at the end of time, they make preparations to conquer the past, with the ultimate goal of rewriting history. But to achieve their aims they will need to enslave an intellect greater than their own...

On Earth, UNIT is called in to investigate a mysterious incident on a North Sea drilling platform. The Doctor believes something is afoot, and no sooner has the investigation begun when something even stranger takes hold: The Brigadier is starting to forget about UNIT's highest-profile prisoner. And he is not alone in his amnesia.

As the Sild invasion begins, the Doctor faces a terrible dilemma. To save the universe, he must save his arch-nemesis... The Master.

A brand new adventure featuring the 3rd Doctor, as played by Jon Pertwee in the original BBC TV series, and his adversary the Master, as played by Roger Delgado.




FILTER: - Sixth Doctor - Audio - Third Doctor - Eleventh Doctor - WHO50