Steven Moffat awarded OBE

Friday, 12 June 2015 - Reported by Harry Ward

Steven Moffat, lead writer for Doctor Who and co-creator of Sherlock, has been award an OBE for his services to drama in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Speaking to the BBC's Lizo Mzimba:

I never thought I would get something like this, I'm astonished and more thrilled than I ever thought someone like me would be. I'm not the least bit cynical, or the least bit trying to be cool about it. I'm just really, really happy.

The full interview is available here.

Rhodri Talfan Davies, Director of BBC Cymru Wales commented on Moffat's honour:

We're thrilled to see Steven's creative brilliance being recognised today.

Not only has he enthralled countless millions of viewers across the world, he has helped rocket-boost the Welsh creative sector, inspiring a new generation of talent here in Wales to make their mark on the global stage.

I'm so delighted to see his remarkable achievements being honoured.

Moffat's predecessor, Russell T Davies, was awarded an OBE in 2008.

Also awarded OBEs for service to drama are Lesley Manville, who played Heather Hartnell in the 50th Anniversary drama An Adventure in Space and Time, and Martin Clunes, whose first television role was as Lon in the fifth Doctor adventure Snakedance.

Lenny Henry, who once played the Doctor in a 1985 spoof of Doctor Who for his comedy show, is being knighted for his services to drama and charity.

FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - People - Steven Moffat

BBC Books competitions/update

Tuesday, 19 May 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

We're delighted to announce that we are able to give UK readers a chance to win the latest Doctor Who publications for May and June, courtesy of BBC Books - competition details are with each book summary below.

City of Death
Written by James Goss, based on the story by Douglas Adams
Published in hardback 21st May 2015 [order]

The Doctor takes Romana for a holiday in Paris - a city which, like a fine wine, had a bouquet all of its own. Especially if you visit during one of the vintage years. But the TARDIS takes them to 1979, a table-wine year, a year whose vintage is soured by cracks - not in their wine glasses but in the very fabric of time itself.

Soon the Time Lords are embroiled in an audacious alien scheme which encompasses home-made time machines, the theft of the Mona Lisa, the resurrection of the much-feared Jagaroth race, and the beginning (and quite possibly the end) of all life on Earth.

Aided by British private detective Duggan, whose speciality is thumping people, the Doctor and Romana must thwart the machinations of the suave, mysterious Count Scarlioni - all twelve of him - if the human race has any chance of survival.

But then, the Doctor's holidays tend to turn out a bit like this.

City of Death is one of the best-loved serials in the show's 50-year history and was watched by over 16 million viewers when first broadcast.

Competition

To be in with a chance to win a copy of the book, answer the following question:

What was David Fisher's original working title for his script that eventually became City of Death?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-citybook@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Bye Bye, Duggan". The competition is open to readers in the United Kingdom only, closing date: 31st May 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who
Written by Simon Guerrier and Dr Marek Kukula
Published in hardback 4th June 2015 [order]

Doctor Who stories are many things: thrilling adventures, historical dramas, and science fiction tales. But how much of the science is real? And how much is fiction?

Weaving together authoratitive scientific discussion with a series of new adventures by acclaimed Doctor Who writers including Jenny T Colgan, George Mann and Jacqueline Rayner, Simon Guerrier and Dr Marek Kukula explore the possibilities of time travel, life on other planets, artificial intelligence, parallel universes and more. From the dawn of astronomy and the discovery of gravity to the moon landings and string theory, the authors show how science has inspired Doctor Who, and how, on occasion, life has mirrored art, such as the 1989 discovery of 'ice-canoes' on Triton which were featured in the 1973 episode The Planet of the Daleks.

The first official guide to the science of Doctor Who by acclaimed Doctor Who novelist Simon Guerrier and Dr Marek Kukula, the Public Astonomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

Competition

To be in with a chance to win a copy of the book, answer the following question:

Which professor presented a programme delving in the science of Doctor Who on television during the 50th Anniversary celebrations?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-sciencebook@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Strange Matters". The competition is open to readers in the United Kingdom only, closing date: 5th June 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

Engines of War
Written by George Mann
Published in paperback 18th June 2015 [order]

"I've had many faces. Many lives. I don't admit to all of them. There's one life I've tried very hard to forget - the Doctor who fought in the Time War."

The Great Time War has raged for centuries, ravaging the universe. Scores of human colony planets are now overrun by Dalek occupation forces. A weary, angry Doctor leads a flotilla of Battle TARDISes against the Dalek stronghold but in the midst of the carnage, the Doctor's TARDIS crashes to a planet below: Moldox.

As the Doctor is trapped in an apocalyptic landscape, Dalek patrols roam amongst the wrackage, rounding up the remaining civilians. But why haven't the Daleks simply killed the humans?

Searching for answers the Doctor meets 'Cinder', a young Dalek hunter. Their struggles to discover the Dalek plan take them from the ruins of Moldox to the halls of Gallifrey, and set in motion a chain of events that will change everything. And everyone.

An epic novel of the Great Time War featuring the War Doctor as played by John Hurt.

Competition

To be in with a chance to win a copy of the book, answer the following question:

On which planet did the Doctor regenerate into the incarnation that fought in and orginally ended the Time War?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-enginesbook@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Before the Moment". The competition is open to readers in the United Kingdom only, closing date: 19th June 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

Looking ahead to later in the year, 16th July sees the publication of The Drosten's Curse by A.L. Kennedy, whilst three new adventures for the twelfth Doctor are published on the 10th September, The Royal Blood by Una McCormack, Big Bang Generation by Gary Russell, and Deep Time by Trevor Baxendale.

FILTER: - Books - Competitions - Fourth Doctor - War Doctor

Radio Times Nominated for Cover of the Year

Tuesday, 28 April 2015 - Reported by Marcus

Radio Times (23-29 Aug 2014) (Credit: Radio Times)

The Radio Times cover, from the issue which announced the arrival of Peter Capaldi as The Doctor, has been nominated as the Cover of the Year by the PPA.

The Professional Publishers Association have listed the cover as one of ten nominated for the award. Radio Times was nominated last year for the cover celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, but lost out to Metal Hammer when the results were announced.

This year Radio Times faces competition from The Big Issue, Crumbs, GQ, ShortList, Country Life, Elle, n, Red and Time Out.

Voting can be done via the PPA website.

The winner will be announced at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane in London's Mayfair on the evening of Thursday, July 9.

FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Radio Times

Doctor Who wins BAFTA

Sunday, 26 April 2015 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who has won the British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Special, Visual & Graphic Effects in 2015

The award goes to Milk VFX, Real SFX and BBC Wales VFX for their work on the 2014 series.

It is the second year running Doctor Who has won this award, this year beating the nominees for Atlantis, David Attenborough’s Conquest of the Skies 3D, and Ripper Street.

Danny Hargreaves of RealSFX tweeted

We did it !!!!!@BAFTA What a great team we make #DoctorWho @realsfx @MilkVFX @Millennium_FX and the BBC VFX team

The winners were announced Sunday evening at the Brewery in East London.

2015 TV Craft Awards: Special Visual Graphic FX Winner (YouTube)

FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Doctor Who - Series 8/34

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Schizoid Earth

Monday, 20 April 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have released the cover and details for their next book in the Lethbridge-Stewart saga:

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Schizoid Earth (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Schizoid Earth
Written by David A McIntee
Released in June

Lethbridge-Stewart was supposed to be in the mountains of the east. Things didn't quite go according to plan.

On the eve of war, something appeared in the sky; a presence that blotted out the moon. Now it has returned, and no battle plan can survive first contact with this enemy.

Plagued by nightmares of being trapped in a past that never happened, Lethbridge-Stewart must unravel the mystery of a man ten years out of his time; a man who cannot possibly still exist.

Why do the ghosts of fallen soldiers still fight long-forgotten battles against living men? What is the secret of the rural English town of Deepdene? Lethbridge-Stewart has good reason to doubt his own sanity, but is he suffering illness or injury, or is something more sinister going on?

Author David A McIntee (who also wrote the Brigadier-centric BBC Book The Face Of The Enemy) said:

To be honest it (the series) is something I'm amazed hasn't been done before – it’s just such a natural and obvious thing. The form it's taking is also cool because it has the flexibility to move between styles and genres – thriller, SF, horror, etc – while maintaining a definite identity. As for the Brig himself, he's one of those characters where the casting was so perfect that it just made the character so memorable, and who (usually) feels so right.

Cover art is by Cosgrove Hall's background artist, Nathan Hudson, and the book also features an exclusive foreword written by Amanda Haisman, daughter of Lethbridge-Stewart creator Mervyn Haisman, in which she publically talks about her father and the legend he created for Doctor Who.

The book is available to pre-order from Candy Jar Books.

Coming up later in the year are Beast of Fang Rock by Andy Frankham-Allen and Terrance Dicks, and Mutually Assured Domination by Nick Walters.

Frankham-Allen, who wrote the series opener The Forgotten Son, said:

There’s been such a warm reception to the first book I must thank everybody for all their kind words. My next book is a dream come true. It’s an idea I’ve had rattling around in my head since 1998, so it’s great privilege to be able to make it a reality, and even more so due to Terrance Dicks’ involvement with it.

Walters said:

After the Doctor himself the Brigadier is the best-loved character in Doctor Who. I met Nick Courtney a number of times and he really is a splendid fellow. He brought a real humanity and vulnerability to the role without compromising the essential toughness of the character. Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart is the chap you'd want on your side in a fight – any fight – and it is a real privilege to be exploring what made him into the character we came to know and love.

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

Lethbridge-Stewart: 2015/2016 schedule update

Monday, 6 April 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have announced a change in schedules for their novels based upon the character of Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart.

Owing to Lance Parkin being unavailable for the project at present, his novel Horror of Det-Sen will no longer be published in June, with David A McIntee's The Schizoid Earth now moving into that slot. Shaun Russell, head of publishing, said:

Lance is such a huge talent in the world of Doctor Who and we have left the door open for him to return. Hopefully, one day, Lethbridge-Stewart will make it to Det-Sen.

McIntee's novel will be followed by a new replacement a few months later entitled Beast of Fang Rock which, as the name implies, is a prequel/sequel to the Season 15 opener Horror of Fang Rock; it will be co-written by Andy Frankham-Allen and the original script's writer Terrance Dicks. This will then be followed by the previously announced Mutually Assured Domination by Nick Walters.

Looking to 2016, novels have been commissioned from John Peel (author of a number of Virgin/BBC Books and story novelisations), Jonathan Cooper (former Doctor Who correspondent with the Mirror), Lizbeth M Myles (author of several short stories), and Adrian Rigelsford (The Hinchcliffe Years and The Harper Classics).

Lethbridge-Stewart: Top Secret Files (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

To celebrate the success of the first book in the range, The Forgotten Son, Candy Jar Books have made a 65 page e-book freely available for download from their website. Hayley Cox, senior publishing co-ordinator, said:

The response to The Forgotten Son has been fantastic – over twenty really positive reviews in just over a month! It was so nice, in fact, that we decided we wanted to give something back to the fans, and so we put together this ebook which acts as both a thank you to those who’ve already bought the first book, and an introductory pack for those who have yet to commit to the series.

Lethbridge-Stewart: Top Secret Files contains previously unpublished material, as well as an extended short story first published in Doctor Who Magazine #483 in February. It also includes a special, previously unreleased interview in which Doctor Who director Graeme Harper talks about the actor who played Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Nicholas Courtney.

The Ambush! – A short story originally published in Doctor Who Magazine #438, now extended with new scenes. It is set during the Doctor Who serial The Web of Fear, and serves as an introduction to the Lethbridge-Stewart book series.
We Won’t Let Him Down – An extended version of the final chapter of Candy Jar Books’ Companions: Fifty Years of Doctor Who Assistants, focussing solely on the television adventures of the Brigadier.
What Lies Beyond – A brief look at some of the Doctor Who novels that have featured the Brigadier over the years that pertain to the future of the Lethbridge-Stewart series of novels.
Graeme Harper – An extended interview with Doctor Who director Graeme Harper (the only director to have worked on the classic series and the revived series) from the book Calling the Shots, in which he talks about Nicholas Courtney, the man who brought the Brigadier to life.
Original Prelude – Never-before-seen original prelude that was written to open The Forgotten Son, set during the final moments of the Brigadier’s life.
The New World – The opening chapter of The Forgotten Son, the first novel in the Lethbridge-Stewart series.

The e-book is also available for the Kindle via Amazon.

FILTER: - Books - Lethbridge-Stewart - Merchandise

Listen Gets Hugo Nomination

Sunday, 5 April 2015 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who: Listen has been nominated for a 2015 Hugo Award.

The episode, written by Steven Moffat and directed by Douglas Mackinnon, was the fourth episode of Series Eight, shown worldwide last Autumn, and is nominated in the Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form category.

Other shows nominated include Game of Thrones, which has triumphed at the awards in the previous two years.

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

Doctor Who: “Listen”, written by Steven Moffat, directed by Douglas Mackinnon (BBC Television)
The Flash: “Pilot”, teleplay by Andrew Kreisberg & Geoff Johns, story by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg & Geoff Johns, directed by David Nutter (The CW) (Berlanti Productions, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television)
Game of Thrones: “The Mountain and the Viper”, written by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss, directed by Alex Graves ((HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; Television 360; Startling Television and Generator Productions)
Grimm: “Once We Were Gods”, written by Alan DiFiore, directed by Steven DePaul (NBC) (GK Productions, Hazy Mills Productions, Universal TV)
Orphan Black: “By Means Which Have Never Yet Been Tried”, ” written by Graham Manson, directed by John Fawcett (Temple Street Productions, Space/BBC America)

The 2015 Hugo Award and John W. Campbell Award winners will be announced Saturday, August 22, 2015, during the Hugo Awards Ceremony at the 2015 Worldcon.

FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Series 8/34 - Steven Moffat

Horror Channel wins award for Doctor Who campaign

Wednesday, 25 March 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Horror Channel has won the Design – General Image Programme Design Package award for their Doctor Who image campaign at the PromaxBDA Europe Awards 2015, which took place in Germany Thursday evening.

The iconic images and animations have been used to promote the show on Horror since it started broadcasting the series in April last year.

Doctor Who is shown daily on Horror Channel, and is available to watch on television in the United Kingdom via both Freeview (channel 70) and Freesat (channel 138), and on other subscription services. Episode details can be found via This Week in Doctor Who.

FILTER: - Awards/Nominations

Doctor Who Nominated for BAFTA Craft Award

Wednesday, 25 March 2015 - Reported by Marcus

Milk VFX, Real SFX and BBC Wales VFX have been nominated for a 2015 BAFTA Craft Award for their work on Doctor Who.

The teams are nominated in the category Television Craft | Special, Visual & Graphic Effects in 2015. Other nominees are the teams from Atlantis, David Attenborough’s Conquest of the Skies 3D and Ripper Street.

Danny Hargreaves of RealSFX tweeted "Very proud of my team today"

Doctor Who won the award last year for the work on the fiftieth anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor.

The winners will be announced on Sunday 26 April at the Brewery in East London.

FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Doctor Who

Doctor Who Wins Cardiff Life Awards

Friday, 20 March 2015 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who has won two awards at the Cardiff Life awards.

The Cardiff Life Awards celebrate the very best businesses in the Welsh capital, as chosen by a panel of independent Judges. Any company in Cardiff can nominate its business for free, and the entrants are judged by an independent panel of Cardiff experts.

The Doctor Who Experience has been awarded Best in Leisure & Tourism at the event, beating the other nominees St David’s Hotel & Spa, Celtic Manor Resort, Radisson Blu Hotel and The Cardiff Story. The Doctor Who Experience opened in the city in 2012 and was updated last Autumn in include the Twelfth Doctor.

Meanwhile Real SFX has been awarded the prize as best Creative in the city. Real SFX is the company set up Danny Hargreaves, who has been providing Special Effects for Doctor Who since 2006. The company beat Ongl Design+Make, Hello Starling, Antti Karppinen, Design Management Partnership, Little Cake Cupboard, S3 Advertising and InspireMe, to take the award.

Twelfth Doctor in Five TARDIS Console Rooms. - The Doctor Who Experience - Doctor Who - BBC:
TARDIS ALERT! Check out the Twelfth Doctor in five TARDIS console rooms in the brand new adventure at the Doctor Who Experience, this Easter.

FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Exhibitions - Production

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