Doctor Who: The Runaway - trailer releasedBookmark and Share

Monday, 15 April 2019 - Reported by Chuck Foster
BBC Digital have released a trailer for their forthcoming virtual reality film, Doctor Who: The Runaway:


You’ve been in a collision. You wake inside the TARDIS. The Doctor introduces you to the person, or thing, you collided with. He’s a strange and magnificent ball of living energy called Volta. Part surly teenager, part bomb, Volta is very unstable. In fact, he’s primed to explode. Big time. Unless he can be returned to his home planet, sharpish. The problem is, a squad of galactic busybodies has other plans for Volta. Bad ones. Drawn into a frantic chase, you become the Doctor’s unlikely assistant as she races against time to get Volta home to his parents. Armed with a sonic screwdriver, it is down to you to help the Doctor as she faces the forces of evil, and teenage angst, in this animated 13-minute VR adventure from the team behind Doctor Who Series 11.

Doctor Who: The Runaway (Credit: BBC Digital) Doctor Who: The Runaway (Credit: BBC Digital) Doctor Who: The Runaway (Credit: BBC Digital) Doctor Who: The Runaway (Credit: BBC Digital)

The film will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival next week, and will be coming to UK audiences in the near future.





FILTER: - Animation - BBC - Online - Thirteenth Doctor

Lethbridge-Stewart: Pirates of the Prime MeridianBookmark and Share

Saturday, 13 April 2019 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Candy Jar Books have announced its latest free-for-download short story in its Lethbridge-Stewart series:

Lethbridge-Stewart: Pirates of the Prime Meridian (Credit: Candy Jar Books)Pirates of the Prime Meridian
Written by Roy Martin

When Spencer is on holiday with his dad in Peacehaven, he is surprised to see that the town is bursting with pirates. Most are typical tourist-friendly types, but several seem slightly more sinister. He tries to tell his dad, but is not believed. It is only when he meets Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart that he discovers that Peacehaven and the pirates have been connected throughout time.

Based on characters created by Mervyn Haisman & Henry Lincoln.

Roy Martin, author of the novel NV-66, wrote this story especially for Candy Jar. He said:

As I was part of the Doctor Who audience growing up in the ’70s, it was great to have the opportunity to write a short story featuring a fantastic character such as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. For me it was exciting to adapt my writing style to integrate with a pre-existing universe.

I chose to include pirates in the adventure, because for me, they represent enigmatic and shadowy characters from the murky past of history, epitomising working class entrepreneurs; forging fortunes in life, by their own sweat and guile, not afraid to operate outside of the establishment. Plus, when writing I like to get into character, and who doesn’t like dressing as a pirate for the day?

A word of warning for the unwary, ill prepared traveller of adventures. Never upset a pirate. A scallywag will find themselves dancing the hempen jig soon enough.

Pirates of the Prime Meridian can be downloaded from the Candy Jar website.




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

Candy Jar release Companions for ChristmasBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 25 December 2018 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Companions: Fifty Years of Doctor Who Assistants (Credit: Candy Jar Books)As part of their festive advent calendar, today Candy Jar have released their book Companions: Fifty Years of Doctor Who Assistants as a free download. Author and Lethbridge-Stewart range editor Andy Frankham-Allen said:
“When Shaun told me that Candy Jar would be giving away something every day for twenty-five days I thought he was mad. I said, “You’ll regret it by day seventeen”, and indeed he did. However, I do feel that he has pulled it off, just! To be honest, I have actually enjoyed many of the freebies, particularly the Eileen Younghusband documentary. So, I am really pleased that he has chosen Companions as the Christmas Day giveaway. It deserves to be out there again. For six months I watched every episode of Doctor Who, and the book, in my opinion, encapsulates what is great to be the Doctor’s best friend. And Christmas is certainly a good time to celebrate this.
The book culminates their free downloads over the last few weeks, which have included sample book and audio chapters as well as brand new works. Keren Williams, publishing coordinator at Candy Jar, explained the thinking behind the advent calendar:
It’s a Christmas tradition that we give away some short stories to our loyal readers, and this year I thought why don’t we go the whole hog and really spoil everybody? I feel that, despite Andy’s reservations, the giveaways have been successful. I have certainly received many emails from readers who have been looking forward to each day. Perhaps this is something we might repeat in the future. Time can only tell.
You can find all the festive giveaway on the Candy Jar website.




FILTER: - Candy Jar Books - Online

Lethbridge-Stewart: free Kindle novels this weekendBookmark and Share

Saturday, 9 June 2018 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Candy Jar Books have made a number of their Lethbridge-Stewart novels available to freely download via Kindle this weekend:

With the success of the Doctor Who marathon on Twitch, many news fans are being introduced to 1960s Doctor Who for the first time, and with it, the Brigadier, Anne Travers and the Great Intelligence. To celebrate, Candy Jar Books is offering a special treat for these news fans, a chance to see what happens next.

Free on Kindle until Monday 12th June:
  • Top Secret Files: An introductory pack featuring new short stories and interviews about the Brigadier.
  • The Dogs of War: The Brigadier and Group Captain Gilmore team-up to deal with an unusual threat in the London Underground. Have the Yeti returned?
  • Times Squared: The Yeti have invaded New York and are lurking in the subway. The Brigadier stands ready to face them.
  • Night of the Intelligence: A kidnap. A conspiracy. And the return of a primal force from the dawn of the universe. The Brigadier fights to protect not only the UK, but the world itself!
  • Avatars of the Intelligence: Threatened by an old enemy, Lucy must step into her grandfather's shoes. But in her new hometown, who can she trust?
Lethbridge-Stewart: Times Squared (Credit: Candy Jar Books) Lethbridge-Stewart: Night of the Intelligence (Credit: Candy Jar Books) The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: Avatars of the Intelligence (Credit: Candy Jar Books)




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

Lethbridge-Stewart website launchedBookmark and Share

Saturday, 4 November 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Lethbridge-Stewart website (Credit: Candy Jar Books)Candy Jar Books have announced the launch of a website dedicated to the character of Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart.

Head of publishing, Shaun Russell, said:
With the fiftieth anniversary approaching we wanted to do something special for the fans. This website collects together everything you need to know about the Brigadier and we plan to add much more content as the months roll by.
The site has been designed by Richard Young of North East Design Consultants:
Creating a website for Candy Jar is one of the most enjoyable projects I have ever been involved with. There are so many different elements to the site. It’s something you can easily get lost in and thoroughly enjoy exploring.
Candy Jar’s Publishing Coordinator, Lauren Thomas, added:
With the fifth Lethbridge-Stewart season due soon, Richard has managed to create a website which celebrates our beloved Brigadier. The site contains interviews, forums, and never-before-seen material, and the chance to sign up to a newsletter and download a variety of free stories.
Editorial Co-ordinator, Will Rees, said:
Since we launched the books we’ve had lots of questions and comments from fans about the Brigadier’s time in Doctor Who, as well as our novels. We wanted this site to keep readers completely up-to-date with every aspect of the series, explore the mythology of the Brig, and act as a news portal for new releases.

The site will continue to be developed, with updated on upcoming books in the series added in due course. Alongside this, information about The Lucy Wilson Mysteries, a separate series about the Brigadier’s granddaughter, is also available.


The Lethbridge-Stewart website can be found here.





The Brigadier (Credit: Candy Jar Books)To celebrate the launch of the website, Candy Jar Books is offering readers a chance to win a one-of-a-kind Lethbridge-Stewart original painting created by Richard Young. To enter the competition, just visit the new website and enter Candy’s Jar poll to vote for your favourite book, short story and cover design, and then you will automatically be entered into the prize draw.





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

Doctor Who: Time Vortex 360Bookmark and Share

Wednesday, 17 May 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The BBC have announced a new game that can be played on mobile devices:

Doctor Who: Time Vortex 360 (Credit: BBC)New BBC 360° mobile game lets Doctor Who fans pilot the TARDIS through the vortex

Doctor Who fans can pilot the TARDIS on its most exhilarating journey yet as it careers through the depths of the space time vortex in the BBC’s first ever 360 arcade game, Doctor Who Time Vortex 360.

Fans simply need to visit bbc.in/dw360 using their smartphone or tablet and by physically moving their mobile device through 360 degrees, they will be able to fly the TARDIS within an increasingly turbulent time vortex.

As they speed through time, players will tackle hazards and obstacles emerging from the future ahead of them, but in a unique and literal twist will sometimes need to physically turn themselves to look backwards in time in order to evade threats emerging from the past.

Jo Pearce, creative director, BBC Digital Drama, said:
The beauty of this game is that you can use your mobile phone to fly the TARDIS wherever you are. Digital innovation is at the very heart of Doctor Who – this 360 degree game allows people to navigate the TARDIS through time and space like never before.

We’ve seen a lot of innovation recently in the 360 and virtual reality space, but the majority has focused on ‘experiential’ video-based experiences. This game, however, brings together the worlds of casual, arcade-style gaming and 360/VR to create a fun Doctor Who experience that people can easily pick up and play, wherever they are.

The game is an endless runner, which gets more and more difficult the longer people play, taking them on a visually intense journey through the iconic vortex from the show's opening credits. Using the device's accelerometer, the game is controlled by physically moving around, even giving the player the ability to turn around and travel backwards in time.

Designed as a mobile-first experience for the BBC by Goodboy Digital, the game combines cutting edge HTML5 and WebGL using PixiJS v5.0 to create a breath-taking journey that works on a wide range of hardware.

The game is available to play on BBC Taster, where fans can rate the game and provide feedback.





FILTER: - BBC - Games - Online

Penguin Podcast: Jon Culshaw in conversationBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 19 April 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Jon Culshaw in conversation with Meera Syal (Credit: Penguin)This week's Penguin Podcast is a special Doctor Who edition, featuring Jon Culshaw.

Chatting to Meera Syal, he covers topics as diverse as astronomy, comedy and ZX Spectrums, as well as his favourite Doctors and just why he - and millions like him - first fell in love with the series. He also reveals which two classic Doctor Who novelisations he’ll be reading next.

The podcast can be heard via the Penguin website.




FILTER: - Books - Online

Britbox brings 'classic' Doctor Who online back to the United StatesBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 11 April 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Britbox - Classic Who (Credit: Britbox)Recenty launched online streaming service Britbox has added the majority of existing 20th Century Doctor Who to its collection. The service, co-operated by BBC Worldwide and ITV, provides subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) to the United States of America, and features a range of programmes - both old and new - from British Television to stream on a variety of devices.

Soumya Sriraman, President of BritBox said:
Doctor Who continues to be a global phenomenon that spans generations. Whovians in the U.S. now have a one-stop-shop for the most comprehensive catalog of Classic Doctor Who to either relive the exciting adventures with their favorite Classic Doctors, or experience for the first time how it all began. Now is the perfect time to catch-up on the Classic series, as BBC AMERICA heads towards the season premiere of new Doctor Who on Saturday, April 15 @ 9:00pm ET/PT.

Subscribers will be able to watch most of the existing stories between 1963-1989 (including The Web Of Fear with its reconstruction of episode three):
BritBox will provide users with the ability to relive the expansive story arcs and incredible journeys of the Classic Doctors through space and time. In addition to housing these classic episodes, BritBox also offers several entry points into the world of Classic Doctor Who to provide every type of fan – regardless of their knowledge of the Whoniverse – with an opportunity to enjoy the expansive archive. The catalogue is chronologically organized by Doctor, allowing fans to find their favorite moments starting from the very beginning, or discover new ones. BritBox will also feature specially curated Classic Doctor Who playlists like “Monsters” and “Companions,” so viewers can take a trip back in time to witness the Doctor’s most epic battles through the years against classic foes like Daleks, Cybermen, and Autons.
Notable omissions to the collection include several Dalek stories, and The Five Doctors; however, a number of DVD extras are available to watch, not to mention items such as K9 & Company and 50th Anniversary productions An Adventure In Space And Time and The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot. It should be noted that programmes are based on the remastered Region 1 versions which are occasionally different to the original broadcast episodes.

The service is expected to expand to include missing episodes too in the future, and will include the (narrated) audio soundtracks of those episodes that don't currently exist in the BBC Archive.


"Modern" Doctor Who is available to stream in the United States via Amazon Prime Video.




FILTER: - Classic Series - Online - USA

Series UpdateBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 5 April 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The BBC have released some new promotional images to accompany the 30 second trailer that is now airing on television in the UK, featuring some of the scenes to come in the new series of Doctor Who which kicks off in ten days time.

Series 10 Trailer 2 ImagesSeries 10 Trailer 2 ImagesSeries 10 Trailer 2 ImagesSeries 10 Trailer 2 ImagesSeries 10 Trailer 2 ImagesSeries 10 Trailer 2 ImagesSeries 10 Trailer 2 ImagesSeries 10 Trailer 2 ImagesSeries 10 Trailer 2 ImagesSeries 10 Trailer 2 ImagesSeries 10 Trailer 2 ImagesSeries 10 Trailer 2 ImagesSeries 10 Trailer 2 ImagesSeries 10 Trailer 2 ImagesSeries 10 Trailer 2 Images

PRIME in New Zealand have now confirmed that, unlike for recent series and specials, it will instead premiere The Pilot on Monday 17th April rather than within a day of the United Kingdom - this means that cinema-goers in the country will have a chance to watch it on the big screen the day before broadcast. However, this is only the case for Easter, future episodes will be broadcast on the more traditional Sunday evening prime time slot.


The Pilot: Known Broadcast Details
United KingdomBBC OneSat 15 Apr 20177:20pm BST
Middle EastBBC FirstSat 15 Apr 201710:00pm AST(Sat 8:00pm BST)
United States of AmericaBBC AmericaSat 15 Apr 20179:00pm EDT(Sun 2:00am BST)
CanadaSPACESat 15 Apr 20179:00pm EDT(Sun 2:00am BST)
AustraliaABCSun 16 Apr 20177:40pm AEST(Sun 10:40am BST, also on ABC ME)
BrazilSyFySun 16 Apr 20178:00pm BRT(Sun 11:00pm BST)
Latin AmericaSyFySun 16 Apr 201711:00pm CDT(Mon 4:00am BST)
New ZealandPRIMEMon 17 Apr 20177:30pm NZST(Mon 8:30am BST)

As well as on television, the episode can also be seen in cinemas in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. A full list of broadcasts can be found via This Week in Doctor Who.

Current indications are that Doctor Who won't be taking a week's break for the annual Eurovision Song Contest, which takes place this year on 13th May (the date for the fifth episode, Oxygen).

The latest Doctor Who Magazine (in shops tomorrow in the UK) has confirmed the titles of all episodes bar the two-part finale, with previews of the first three in this issue. The current list of known titles are as follows:
  1. The Pilot*, by Steven Moffat, directed by Lawrence Gough
  2. Smile, by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, directed by Lawrence Gough
  3. Thin Ice, by Sarah Dollard, directed by Bill Anderson
  4. Knock Knock, by Mike Bartlett, directed by Bill Anderson
  5. Oxygen, by Jamie Matheson, directed by Charles Palmer
  6. Extremis, by Steven Moffat, directed by Daniel Nettheim
  7. The Pyramid at the End of the World, by Peter Harness, directed by Daniel Nettheim
  8. The Lie Of The Land, by Toby Whithouse, directed by Wayne Che Yip
  9. The Empress Of Mars, by Mark Gatiss, directed by Wayne Che Yip
  10. The Eaters of Light, by Rona Munro, directed by Charles Palmer
  11. tbc, by Steven Moffat, directed by Rachel Talalay
  12. tbc, by Steven Moffat, directed by Rachel Talalay
* the episode was originally known as A Star In Her Eye, which is still being used in documentation by some international channels.








FILTER: - Classic Series - Online - USA

Doctor Who and the micro:bitBookmark and Share

Thursday, 23 March 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Doctor Who has been used as a subject for educational purposes a number of times over the years, and next week will see its latest contribution as part of the BBC Learning's micro:bit initiative with a Live Lession taking place from 11:00am on the 28th March:

BBC Live Sessions: Doctor Who and the micro:bit (Credit: BBC)The Time Lord, the TARDIS and the micro:bit

The BBC micro:bit will be put to the test at the controls of the TARDIS in this special Live Lesson in collaboration with the team behind Doctor Who.

This lesson is aimed at 11-13 year olds, and is devised around computational thinking skills. We'll be exploring search algorithms, different types of errors and the components that go into an algorithm, with guest experts from the fields of web search and computer gaming.

Using their BBC micro:bit, students will be challenged to solve a fictional disaster scenario while coming face to face with one of the Doctor’s deadliest foes.

The BBC micro:bit is a tiny computer processor designed to be used to teach coding concepts to children, with the BBC Live Lessons providing interactive participation in the classroom. Sessions are created for both primary and secondary schools, incorporating scientific, cultural and entertainment themes all with the aim to make learning to code fun.


Full details of the Doctor Who lesson can be found via the BBC's lesson website, and the live session will be available to review via the BBC iPlayer afterwards.





FILTER: - BBC - Online