Class- Final Ratings

Tuesday, 14 February 2017 - Reported by Marcus
Consolidated ratings are now available for episodes 7 and 8 of Class, shown on BBC One two weeks ago, which include details of those who recorded the programme and watched it within a week.

Episode 7, The Metaphysical Engine, or What Quill Did, which was broadcast at 10.47pm, had a confirmed audience of 0.68 million viewers, a 6.4% share of the total TV audience. The channel average for the timeslot is of 1.85 million. The figure is slightly lower than the initial overnight figure. The programme was beaten in the timeslot by BBC Two's Newsnight getting 0.81 million, however it outrated Through the Keyhole on ITV which had 0.53 million. An additional 0.20 million have accessed the episode on iPlayer since its release on BBC Three last October. The episode scored an AI of 82.

Episode 8, The Lost, followed immediately afterward, starting at 11.33pm, and had a consolidated audience of 0.32 million watching, a share 5.5% of the audience. The channel average for the timeslot is 0.82 million. The programme was outrated by Hospital on BBC Two, with 0.38 million. Around 195,000 have accessed the episode on iPlayer. The episode scored an AI of 82.

Full ratings for the BBC One screening are shown below. No information has been released by the BBC concerning the future of Class and the possibility of a second series. An online petition asking for a second series has so far received 1700 signatures.





FILTER: - Class - Ratings

New Tenth Doctor Comic

Monday, 13 February 2017 - Reported by Marcus
This week sees the latest release in the Titan series featuring the Tenth Doctor.

DOCTOR WHO TENTH DOCTOR #3.2

Writer: Nick Abadzis
Artist: Giorgia Sposito, Arianna Florean
COVER A: Claudia Ianniciello - COVER B: PHOTO By Will Brooks - COVER C: Rachael Smith - COVER D: Iolanda Zanfardino

It's a brand-new season for the Tenth Doctor and his loyal travelling companions, Gabby Gonzalez and Cindy Wu! Jump on board with a two-part opening story - 'Breakfast at Tyrannies' that introduces a whole new terror to test the Doctor and his friends! Plus: a new companion joins the TARDIS - the like of which you've never seen!
THE_TENTH_DOCTOR_3_2_Cover_A (Credit: Titan / Claudia Ianniciello) THE_TENTH_DOCTOR_3_2_Cover_B (Credit: Titan / Will Brooks) THE_TENTH_DOCTOR_3_2_Cover_C (Credit: Titan / Rachael Smith) THE_TENTH_DOCTOR_3_2_Cover_D (Credit: Titan / Iolanda Zanfardino) THE_TENTH_DOCTOR_3_2_Preview 1 (Credit: Titan) THE_TENTH_DOCTOR_3_2_Preview 2 (Credit: Titan) THE_TENTH_DOCTOR_3_2_Preview 3 (Credit: Titan) THE_TENTH_DOCTOR_3_2_Preview 4 (Credit: Titan)





FILTER: - Comics - Tenth Doctor

Vworp Vworp! Volume 3

Sunday, 12 February 2017 - Reported by Marcus
Vworp Vworp! Volume 3Volume 3 of Vworp Vworp! has just been released and contains an exclusive in-depth interview with comics writer Alan Moore, a free Dalek CD, new comic strips, and much more.

The special bumper 208-page edition explores Alan Moore’s Doctor Who backup strips, published in Doctor Who Weekly and Monthly in 1980 and 1981. Featuring the Cybermen, the Autons and the Time Lords, these strips were not only Alan’s very first professional work, but would go on to influence both comics and Doctor Who in ways he could never have foreseen.

Moore recalls his 1980 tale, Black Legacy:
I decided that if I couldn’t use Daleks then the next biggest Doctor Who enemy would probably be the Cybermen... As I understood it, the main part of the Cybermen ethos was efficiency, and a kind of a hygiene. Physical and mental disease would be completely unknown to the Cybermen. So I thought, what if there was something that could reintroduce these forgotten terrors to this race that has evolved beyond the fear of mental and physical illness?
Moore also shares his idea for the ultimate Doctor Who TV story, and the magazine talks to the artists who worked on Moore’s Doctor Who strips, John Stokes and V for Vendetta’s David Lloyd.

Vworp Vworp! Volume 3Vworp Vworp! Volume 3Vworp Vworp! Volume 3Vworp Vworp! Volume 3


The magazine also features a brand new full-cast audio play written by Kaldor City’s Alan Stevens, with sound design by Alistair Lock. This one-off homage is available only with Vworp Vworp! and is inspired by The Mechanical Planet, a comic strip published in 1965. The play stars David Graham, beloved as Parker from Thunderbirds, and who, alongside Peter Hawkins, provided the original voice of the Daleks from their first appearance in 1963 through to the epic story The Daleks’ Master Plan. As the Golden Emperor of the Daleks, David voices a Dalek for the first time since 1966. The cast is completed by Sasha Mitchell, best remembered as Arlen, the Federation officer who brought down Blake’s 7 in the final shocking episode transmitted just over 25 years ago. The Mechanical Planet is only available with the magazine on CD and, for a lucky few with the TV Century 21 issue cover, a proper vinyl 7-inch record, created in homage to the brilliant 1965 Century 21 record that featured highlights from the final episode of The Chase with narration by David Graham.

Vworp Vworp! Volume 3Vworp Vworp! Volume 3 Vworp Vworp! Volume 3


Also in this edition
  • THE DALEK CHRONICLES RETURN:
  • Deadline to Doomsday, an exciting seven-part Dalek strip, was begun by the late artist Ron Turner in 1997 and completed seamlessly for Vworp Vworp! by Dalek artist supremo Lee Sullivan and Charlie Kirchoff.
  • BRAND NEW COMIC STRIPS:
  • A bittersweet coda to TV Century 21’s Robot Agent 2K, showcasing the work of writer Tim Quinn and artist Tim Keable. Also the stunning multi-Doctor epic The Woman Who Killed the Doctor, written by Daniel O’Mahony and drawn by Steve Andrew, and The Lawman, an authentic Doctor Who Weekly-style back-up strip penned by John Peel and drawn by Baz Renshaw.
  • TV CENTURY 21:
  • Prolific science fiction author Stephen Baxter (The Massacre of Mankind; Doctor Who: The Wheel of Ice), together with Alan Stevens and Fiona Moore (authors of The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guides to Blake’s 7/The Prisoner/Battlestar Galactica) lead us through an in-depth analysis of these extraordinary Dalek strips and their close cousins in the much-loved 1960s and 1970s Dalek annuals. There is a profile the artists, Richard Jennings, Eric Eden and Ron Turner; while Tat Wood put the strips in context with a detailed examination of Dalekmania in general; horror author Stephen Laws and Doctor Who historian Jeremy Bentham remember growing up during those exciting years; plus Matthew Sweet on TV Comic and David Quantick reflects on canon.
  • TARGET BOOKS:
  • Remember the thrill, the smell, the feel of a brand new Doctor Who novelisation? Nicholas Pegg does, and salutes the people behind them.
  • THE AGE OF CHAOS:
  • Journey back to 1994 to explore the creation of this memorable Marvel one-shot penned by the Sixth Doctor himself, Colin Baker, with an exclusive interviews with Colin, editor Gary Russell, and artists John M Burns and Barrie Mitchell.
  • DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE EDITORS INTERVIEWED: Featuring John Freeman, Gary Russell, Marcus Hearn, Alan Barnes, Clayton Hickman, Peter Ware and Tom Spilsbury in conversation.
  • BRIEF ENCOUNTERS:
  • Discussion on Abslom Daak with Richard Starkings, Lee Sullivan, Paul Cornell and Ben Aaronovitch; Halo Jones with Andrew Cartmel; investing in Doctor Who Weekly with Matthew Waterhouse; and illustrating the very first Dalek novelisation with legendary Hollywood graphic designer Arnold Schwartzman and Armada artist Peter Archer.

Issue number: 3 is out now price: £9.99 and can be ordered from the Magazine website.




FILTER: - Magazines

Delia Derbyshire Day

Friday, 10 February 2017 - Reported by Marcus
A project to mark the 80th Anniversary year of Doctor Who legend and Electronic Music pioneer Delia Derbyshire, has won support from The Heritage Lottery Fund.

Delia Derbyshire Day has been awarded £42,600 ($53,000) to help organise a programme of activities and events to celebrate 80 years since the birth of the woman who realised the original Doctor Who Theme music, composed by Ron Grainer.

Highlights planned for the year include
  • 5 May 2017
  • Derbyshire's 80th Birthday – launch of a new website, short film about the Delia Derbyshire Archive and “Deliaphonic Soundbank” (an interactive web platform) public engagement activity
  • 10 June 2017
  • A Delia Derbyshire Day 2017 MCR at Band on the Wall – electronic music-making workshops for families and evening music/arts event, archive sharing, expert panel discussion/Q&A with special guests, live music/visual art performances.
  • 5 Aug 2017
  • DD Day touring event at Full Of Noises (FON) Festival in Barrow-in-Furness – participatory workshops for families and evening cultural heritage event with archive sharing, panel discussion/Q&A, live music/visual art performances.
  • Sept-Nov 2017
  • 8 week education project in 2 primary schools in Manchester including production of a short film about the Delia Derbyshire Archive by the young participants.
  • 5 Dec 2017
  • Delia Derbyshire Day and Digital Women’s Archive North (DWAN) symposium event at Anthony Burgess Foundation 6-9pm (time TBC) – with guest speakers, archive sharing and open forum discussion.
Project partners include the Delia Derbyshire Estate, John Rylands Library, University of Manchester, One Education Music, Full of Noises Festival, Digital Women’s Archive North and Band on the Wall.

Nathan Lee, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund North West said
We’re delighted to support this project to shine a light, not only the pioneering impact of Delia Derbyshire’s work, but also on this significant and fascinating part of John Rylands Library. Thanks to National Lottery players, Delia Derbyshire Day can share the musical roots of electronic music to a new generation.
You can follow Delia Derbyshire Day on their website or on twitter.




FILTER: - Music - People

Lethbridge-Stewart: Novellas for 2017

Thursday, 9 February 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Candy Jar Books have announced a new collection of three limited edition hardback novellas to join the Lethbridge-Stewart range for 2017.

Head of Publishing, Shaun Russell, said:
We’re very excited to announce these novellas, a way to tell stories that may not necessarily work as full-length works, giving us a chance to explore different corners of the Lethbridge-Stewart universe. We’re launching this new range with three very special releases, all with very specific goals.


The first of the novellas, The Life of Evans, is written by John Peel and is released in March. As the title suggests, the novella sees the return of a character featured in both television and the Lethbridge-Stewart books. Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen explained:
Lethbridge-Stewart: The Life Of Evans (Credit: Candy Jar Books)
I always had a plan to develop Evans beyond the obvious cliches of his television appearance, but it turned out to be one-too-many character arcs for the series. As such Evans disappeared after 2016’s The Grandfather Infestation. Fortunately, the idea of the novellas came along, and due to the popularity of Evans, I decided it made sense to explore Evans’ character arc in the first novella. John Peel was the obvious choice; he writes quickly, and works very well to spec, and since we’ve had a lot of readers ask for more Peel, it seemed the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. And, naturally, John nailed it.
Author John Peel added:
Part of the fun of writing this kind of story is inventing new menaces. This time I got to create two – only one of which was alien. Another part of the fun is doing terrible things to our favourite characters, and I certainly put poor old Evans through the wringer. I think he'll survive it.

The book also includes a bonus short story by Robert Mammone, called Time and Again. The story serves as a sequel to the 1985 Doctor Who television serial Timelash, and is a prequel to the forthcoming spin-off series, Travers & Wells, revealing more of the mystery that was first seen at the end of the novel, Times Squared. Travers & Wells will be a new novella series, echoing the novellas of HG Wells, such as The War of the Worlds.

Andy said:
I contacted Glen McCoy in 2016 about using the characters from his Doctor Who adventure, and after a lovely phone call with me explaining my ideas for the series, he was more than happy with what he called ‘a wicked imagination’. Once that was settled, it was just a case of finding the right person to launch the series, so I turned to Robert as I was very impressed with his speed and level of excellence when he wrote us a Halloween story last year.
Robert continued:
When Andy and I were chatting on Skype about the upcoming novellas it suddenly dawned on him we could set up the range with a prequel short story. I immediately said yes and then knuckled down to getting the ideas, themes and plot straight. I didn’t want the story to be a direct sequel to Timelash, but I did want to take elements from that story as a way of looking at how those who assume authority after toppling a dictatorship can end up aping some of the actions of those overthrown. And despite the melancholy tone, it was an exciting project to work on – be faithful to the source material, but broaden and deepen the themes to bring them up-to-date with 21st Century sensibilities. I hope everyone enjoys it and stays for the ride that is about to begin!


The Life Of Evans is followed in May by Day of the Intelligence by Andy Frankham-Allen; the release celebrates fifty years of the Great Intelligence, telling the official origin story, fully authorised by Haisman & Lincoln. Finally, The Flaming Soldier by Christopher Bryant is released in July, commemorating the World War II hero, Eileen Youghusband.


Each novella will be strictly limited to 400 copies, and can be pre-ordered separately or and a bundle at a dicounted price. Full details can be found via the Candy Jar website.




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

Doctor Who Magazine - Issue 509

Thursday, 9 February 2017 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Magazine - Issue 509 (Credit: Panini)The latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine talks to self-confessed Doctor Who fan Rufus Hound – Sam Swift the Quick in 2015’s The Woman Who Lived, and most recently the latest incarnation of the Meddling Monk for Big Finish – about how he enjoyed being part of something he personally loves so much…
All my anxiety dissipated within the first two hours of arriving. I have never worked with a crew that was more like a family. I have never worked alongside actors who took the work seriously, but themselves not terribly seriously, as was true of Maisie [Williams] and Peter [Capaldi], who I spent most of my time with. The director [Ed Bazalgette] was tremendous, the producer [Derek Ritchie] was brilliant. Everybody in make-up and costume were having a right old laugh. All the camera crew and whatever were offering up shots and angles, being creative and given license to be creative, license to turn in their best work.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE…
  • ASK STEVEN!
  • Doctor Who's showrunner Steven Moffat answers readers’ burning questions.
  • INDEFINABLE MAGIC
  • The weird world of the supernatural in the Doctor Who universe...
  • DOOM COALITION 4
  • The Eighth Doctor, River Song, the Meddling Monk and the Weeping Angels all feature in the brand new audio box set Doom Coalition 4!
  • RODNEY BENNETT TRIBUTE
  • DWM pays tribute to Rodney Bennett, the director who oversaw three very different productions during the early years of Tom Baker’s tenure as the Doctor.
  • DOORWAY TO HELL
  • The original Master is back! Find out what he's up to in Part Two of our brand-new comic strip, written by Mark Wright and illustrated by Staz Johnson.
  • THE MUTANTS
  • In this issue’s Fact of Fiction, the Third Doctor and Jo Grant are sent on a mission that will affect the evolution of an entire planet, as we take a look at this 1972 adventure.
  • THE IMPOSSIBLE ASTRONAUT
  • Space 1969 awaits for the Doctor, Amy, Rory and River Song as the Time Team reach the 2011 season-opener in their mission to watch every episode of Doctor Who.
  • REVIEWS
  • DWM reviews the latest book, audio and DVD releases in the world of Doctor Who.
  • COMING SOON
  • Previews of all the latest Doctor Who CD and book releases.
PLUS! All the latest official news, competitions, the DWM crossword, and our annual survey poll.

Doctor Who Magazine 509 is on sale from Thursday 9 February, price £5.99.




FILTER: - DWM

Look Who's Back

Monday, 6 February 2017 - Reported by Marcus
The BBC has announced the return of an old aquantance of the Doctor in the upcoming series of Doctor Who



Series 10 starts on 15th April.




FILTER: - Series 10/36

Class - Consolidated Ratings

Monday, 6 February 2017 - Reported by Marcus
Class - Ep6 - Detained - April (SOPHIE HOPKINS), Matteusz (JORDAN RENZO), Ram (FADY ELSAYED), Tanya (VIVIAN OPARAH), Charlie (GREG AUSTIN) (Credit: BBC/Simon Ridgeway)Consolidated ratings are now available for episodes 5 and 6 of Class, shown on BBC One two weeks ago, which include details of those who recorded the programme and watched it within a week.

Episode 5, Brave-ish Heart, which was broadcast at 10.46pm, had a confirmed audience of 0.69 million viewers, a 6.4% share of the total TV audience. The channel average for the timeslot is of 1.85 million. The figure is slightly higher than the initial overnight figure. The programme was beaten in the timeslot by BBC Two's Newsnight getting 0.74 million, however it outrated Through the Keyhole on ITV which had 0.56 million. An additional 0.21 million have accessed the episode on iPlayer since its release on BBC Three last October. The episode scored an AI of 78.

Episode 6, Detained, followed immediately afterward, starting at 11.33pm, and had a consolidated audience of 0.29 million watching, a share 4.4% of the audience. The channel average for the timeslot is 0.82 million. Episode 4 increased its audience by 40% over the initial figure. Around 195,000 have accessed the episode on iPlayer. The episode scored an AI of 79.




FILTER: - Class - Ratings - UK

Timeline to Series Eleven

Wednesday, 1 February 2017 - Reported by Marcus
Chris ChibnallBBC Sources have indicated that next year's series of Doctor Who, the first with the thirteenth Doctor, will be broadcast in the Autumn of 2018.

New showrunner Chris Chibnall is currently still working on season three of his ITV crime drama Broadchurch , which is currently being edited and will premiere in the UK on 27 February.

Chibnall told RadioTimes.com that he has not yet been able to fully dedicate himself to Doctor Who. After finishing work on Broadchurch he intends to take a holiday before launching into Doctor Who.

Chibnall will lead the team searching for the new Doctor, although the choice will need to be agreed by the BBC director of content Charlotte Moore and head of drama and former Doctor Who Executive Producer Piers Wenger. It is expected that a new Doctor will not be announced before the Autumn, with the new Doctor making their debut at the end of the 2017 Christmas Special.

Sources told RadioTimes that the first Chibnall series will begin filming at the start of 2018 for transmission in the Autumn.

Series 10 of Doctor Who, the last full series starring Peter Capaldi. is currently in production and will begin transmission on 15th April.




FILTER: - Chris Chibnall - series 11/37

Return of an old Foe

Wednesday, 1 February 2017 - Reported by Marcus
The BBC has announced the return of an old enemy of the Doctor in the upcoming series of Doctor Who



Series 10 starts on 15th April.




FILTER: - Series 10/36