Comics Coming Next Month

Saturday, 28 January 2017 - Reported by Marcus

Titan Comics have released details of the comics coming in the first half of February.

The first week sees the latest in the Twelfth Doctor series. The following week sees the latest in the Eleventh Doctor Series as well as the explosive second arc of Torchwood. The series, written by John Barrowman with co-writer Carole Barrowman, unites the team with comics legend Neil Edwards.

ON SALE FEBRUARY 1

TWELFTH DOCTOR #2.14

Writer: Robbie Morrison
Artist: Rachael Stott
COVER A: Claudia Caranfa COVER B: PHOTO COVER C: Matt Baxter

Thanks to the rather exciting Julie d'Aubigny, the Doctor defeated an infestation of cosmic darkness in Paris, France, in 1695. Though Julie was interested in joining the Doctor on his travels - as long as she got to drive! - the Doctor has left her to get on with her own adventures for the time being. Perhaps she'll be back for seconds in the future...? In the meantime, there are always new adventures to be had, and new people to meet!

The Twelfth Doctor 2 14 Cover A (Credit: Titan / Claudia Caranfa)

The Twelfth Doctor 2 14 Cover C (Credit: Titan)

The Twelfth Doctor 2 14 Cover C (Credit: Titan / Matt Baxter)

The Twelfth Doctor 2 14 Preview 1 (Credit: Titan)

The Twelfth Doctor 2 14 Preview 2 (Credit: Titan)

The Twelfth Doctor 2 14 Preview 3 (Credit: Titan)

ON SALE FEBRUARY 8

TORCHWOOD #2.1

Writer: Carole Barrowman, John Barrowman
Artist: Neil Edwards
Cover A: Blair Shedd Cover B: Will Brooks - Photo Cover C: Nick Percival Cover D: Staz Johnson Cover E: Simon Myers

Gwen Cooper has been pulled away from her domestic bliss by the reappearance of Captain Jack Harkness, and his companions, the crew of the alien tech-filled ship the Ice Maiden. No sooner has Gwen rejoined the team, than they has to contend with jetski-riding ninjas, a mystery involoving an alien race known as the Navigators, the return of the roguish Captain John Hart, and the revelation that the current Lady of Torchwood House, Karina is far from what she seems. As we rejoin events in the midst of a stand-off, things are more than a little tense

Torchwood 2 1 Cover A (Credit: Titan / BLAIR SHEDD)

Torchwood 2 1 Cover B (Credit: Titan / WILL BROOKS – PHOTO)

Torchwood 2 1 Cover C (Credit: Titan / NICK PERCIVAL)

Torchwood 2 1 Cover D (Credit: Titan / STAZ JOHNSON)

Torchwood 2 1 Cover E (Credit: Titan / SIMON MYERS)

ELEVENTH DOCTOR #3.2

Writer: Rob Williams
Artist: Leandro Casci, Wellington Diaz
Colourist: Triona Farrell
COVER A: Claudia Caranfa COVER B: Will Brooks Photo COVER C: Matt Baxter COVER D: Simone di Meo

The brand new day for the Eleventh Doctor and Alice continues as they head out into the galaxy in search of the amazing and the unknown! Who will join them aboard the TARDIS... and what will become of them? Plus - with all they've seen and done together, can the Doctor still surprise Alice? Oh, you bet!

The Eleventh Doctor 3 2 Cover A (Credit: Titan / Claudia Caranfa)

The Eleventh Doctor 3 2 Cover B (Credit: Titan / Will Brooks)

The Eleventh Doctor 3 2 Cover C (Credit: Titan / Matt Baxter )

The Eleventh Doctor 3 2 Cover D (Credit: Titan /Simone di Meo )

The Eleventh Doctor 3 2 Preview A (Credit: Titan)

The Eleventh Doctor 3 2 Preview B (Credit: Titan)

The Eleventh Doctor 3 2 Preview C (Credit: Titan)

FILTER: - Comics - Eleventh Doctor - Twelfth Doctor

Class Ratings Update

Tuesday, 24 January 2017 - Reported by Marcus

Class Episode Five, Brave-ish Heart had an audience of 0.66 million viewers for its debut on BBC One, according the unofficial overnight figures, a share of 7% of the total TV audience.

The rating is down on the overnight figures for last week's episode and the programme was outrated by both Newsnight on BBC Two, which had 0.73 million watching, and by Through the Keyhole on ITV, which had 0.70 million.

Episode Six, Detained, which followed at 11.35pm had an audience of 0.21 million, a share of 3.5%. This episode was beaten by Hospital on BBC Two, 0.33 million, by The Chase on ITV with 0.26 million.

Consolidated ratings are now available for the first two episodes of Class, shown on BBC One two weeks ago, which include those who recorded the programme and watched it within a week.

Episode 1, For Tonight We May Die, which was broadcast at 10.46pm, had a confirmed audience of 1.06 million viewers, a 10.7% share of the total TV audience. The channel average for the timeslot is of 1.85 million. The figure is about 12% higher than the initial overnight figures. An additional 0.66 million have accessed the episode on iPlayer since its release on BBC Three last October.

Episode 2, The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo, followed immediately afterward, starting at 11.40pm, and had a consolidated audience of 0.55 million watching, a share 9.5% of the audience. The channel average for the timeslot is 0.64 million. Episode 2 increased its audience by 40% over the initial figure, implying many decided to goto to bed and watch the episode later. Around 300,000 have accessed the episode on iPlayer.

FILTER: - Class - Ratings - UK

Submissions for Time Shadows 2

Monday, 23 January 2017 - Reported by Marcus

Pseudoscope Publishing is seeking submissions for the upcoming Time Shadows 2 short-story anthology to raise money for for charity.

Time Shadows 2 follows 2016’s successful Time Shadows which has already raised nearly $900 for the Enable Community Foundation. The book is edited by Stephen Hatcher (Time Shadows, Myth Makers, Short Trips), with Associate Editors Matt Grady (Time Shadows, Myth Makers, Short Trips) and John Davies (Time Shadows, Celestial Toyroom, Blake’s Heaven)

Time Shadows 2 Doctor Who short-story anthology

Over 2,000 years, the Doctor has worn many faces and led many lives. He has confronted some of the most dangerous creatures in the universe, and fought the demons that lurk within his own soul. Some fights he was won. Others have left his hearts broken.

The Doctor has held the Key to Time in his hands, and wielded a weapon that ended billions of lives in a single Moment. But he has also stopped to comfort a crying child, argued the virtue of a well-prepared meal, fallen in love, and experienced cities made of song.

An impossible man living an impossible life, running away from responsibility and into danger.

The stories of Time Shadows 2 will explore the past actions and future consequences of the Doctor, his friends and his enemies, and reflect on how they lived to fight another day.

The deadline for outlines for Time Shadows 2 is February 28, 2017. Submission guidelines available at the Pseudoscope Publishing website

Commissioned writers will receive a printed contributor’s copy of the anthology.

FILTER: - Books

Character Options 2017 Doctor Who products

Sunday, 22 January 2017 - Reported by Marcus

Character Options is to unveil a range of new Doctor Who figures and accessories for 2017. The new collection will be available from mid spring and is to be seen for the first time at London Toy Fair on Tuesday 24th January 2017.

Heading up the range is a number of articulated figures. Set in the classic 5.5 inch scaling each perfectly replicates some of the favourite characters, past and present, from the show.

The Tenth Doctor in Tuxedo, is packed in collectors packaging and comes with a figure and a Sonic Screwdriver. It is one of the most requested alternate outfits from fans; perfect to recreate scenes from “Rise of Cybermen” and “Voyage of the Damned!”

Added to this is the Tenth Doctor’s Sonic with lights and sounds. Fans of the Tenth Doctor will also be keen to get their hands on The Ninth and Tenth Doctor’s TARDIS Playset. With its motorised time rotor and pulsating lights. This this has an illuminated console with six control buttons, removable floor panels and flip up console panel.

Another Figure in the series is the Twelfth Doctor, as played by Peter Capaldi, in his Ninth Season hoodie and checked trousers outfit. This item also includes a new head sculpt and his brand new Sonic Screwdriver just in time for Season Ten. There is also the Twelfth Doctor in his Ninth Season Hoodie and Black Jumper outfit.

Finally, if you are looking for a Cyberman with a difference then enjoy the new Cyberman 7-inch Stretch toy. See the Doctors arch enemy stretched many times his size only to return back to his original shape and size once he is let loose.

Tenth Doctor Sonic Screwdriver (Credit: Character Options)

Journal_of_Impossible_Things_and_Master_Ring (Credit: Character Options)

Build your Own Sonic Screwdriver Set (Credit: Character Options)

Twelth Doctor Hoodie With Check Trousers (Credit: Character Options)

Twelth Doctor Grey Hoodie (Credit: Character Options)

Doctor Who_Tenth Doctor in Tuxedo (Credit: Character Options)

Tenth Doctor Electronic Tardis Playset (Credit: Character Options)

FILTER: - Character Options - Merchandise

Philip Bond 1934-2017

Saturday, 21 January 2017 - Reported by Marcus

The actor Philip Bond has died at the age of 82.

Philip Bond appeared in five episodes of the second Doctor Who story, The Daleks, first shown in 1963/4. He played the role of Ganatus, a member of the Thal expedition who traveled with Ian and Barbara on their expedition to enter the city via the mountains. During the journey, Ganatus witnessed the death of his brother, an experience which brought him closer to Barbara.

Bond was second choice for the role, cast when the original choice Dinsdale Landen became unavailable. He accepted immediately, being friends with both producer Verity Lambert and fellow actor William Russell.

Philip Bond had a prolific career in British Television, appearing in over 70 series over a 50 year period.

His best-known role was probably playing Albert Frazer in the 1970s BBC drama The Onedin Line, where he appeared in 24 episodes. Other roles included parts in Walk a Crooked Mile, 199 Park Lane, No Hiding Place, Sherlock Holmes, The Avengers, Justice, Z Cars, The Main Chance, The Children of the New Forest, An Englishman's Castle, Shoestring, Only Fools and Horses...., The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Casualty and Midsomer Murders.

Bond's was the father of the actress Samantha Bond who played Mrs Wormwood in The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Philip Bond died suddenly last Tuesday while on holiday on the island of Madeira. He is survived by his long-standing partner Elizabeth, his children Matthew, Samantha and Abigail and his Grandchildren.

Full Obituary. Toby Hadoke

FILTER: - Classic Series - Obituary

German DVD release of An Unearthly Child

Friday, 20 January 2017 - Reported by Pascal Salzmann

German release An Unearthly Child (Credit: WVG / Polyband)

German company Polyband is going to release An Unearthly Child on DVD. It will be Volume 1 of a new range called The Classic Episodes and be released on 28th April 2017.

The DVD will be identical to the UK version that was part of The Beginning boxed set, adding German subtitles to the features. Since the early serials have never been broadcast in Germany there is no German dubbing available for this story.

Polyband promotes the release with the following statement:

German: Ein nebeliger Abend, ein Polizist geht Streife in seinem Revier ... ein verlassener Schrottplatz ... und eine Polizei-Box, die geheimnisvoll surrt und brummt. Diese Bilder sind heute Kult. Sie sind die Anfänge einer Serie, die nun schon seit mehr als 50 Jahren produziert wird und Generationen von Zuschauern prägen sollte: DOCTOR WHO - AN UNEARTHLY CHILD ist der erste, aus 4 Teilen bestehende Handlungsbogen der Serie DOCTOR WHO und eröffnet die 1. Staffel. Die vier Folgen wurden erstmals zwischen dem 23. November und 14. Dezember 1963 ausgestrahlt. Mit brillantem Erzähltempo und erstaunlicher Überzeugungskraft lädt AN UNEARTHLY CHILD behutsam in die Welt von DOCTOR WHO ein. Bereits wenige Minuten nachdem man die sichere Umgebung der Coal Hill Schule verlassen hat, befindet man sich mit dem ersten Doktor (William Hartnell) sowie seiner Enkelin Susan (Carole Ann Ford) inmitten der ersten Reise durch Zeit und Raum mithilfe einer blauen Polizei-Box, der legendären TARDIS.

English: A foggy evening, a poilce officer walks around in his area... a junkyard... and a Police Box that makes strange mysterious noises. These pictures are cult today. They are the beginning of a TV show which is in production for over 50 years now and has impressed many generations of viewers: DOCTOR WHO - AN UNEARTHLY CHILD is the first four part serial of DOCTOR WHO and is the opening to the very first season. These four episodes were first broadcast between 23rd November and 14th December 1963. Featuring a brilliant pace and impressive imagination AN UNEARTHLY CHILD introduces you well to the world of DOCTOR WHO. After only minutes of leaving the safe environment of Coal Hill School you find yourself with the first Doctor (William Hartnell) and his grandchild Susan (Carole Ann Ford) travelling through space and time with the blue Police Box, the famous TARDIS.

FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Classic Series - First Doctor - Germany

Rodney Bennett 1935-2017

Wednesday, 18 January 2017 - Reported by Marcus

The director Rodney Bennett has died at the age of 81

Rodney Bennett directed 10 episodes of Doctor Who.

His first outing was on the two part 1975 story The Sontaran Experiment, the first Doctor Who story to be filmed entirely as a Television Outside Broadcast. The production, filmed on Dartmoor, was disrupted when the leading actor, Tom Baker, broke his collarbone during filming, necessitating the actor wearing a neck brace under his scarf.

He returned to the studio for his next production The Ark In Space, which was shown before The Sontaran Experiment despite being filmed after it. The story is widely regarded as a classic, with both Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat citing the story as one of their favorites from the original run of the series. The story enjoyed some of the highest ratings in the programmes history, with 13.6 million tuning in for episode two.

Rodney Bennett's final story for Doctor Who was the 1976 story The Masque of Mandragora. Filmed largely at the welsh resort of Portmeirion, the story also marks the first appearance of the TARDIS' secondary console room.

Rodney Bennett had a long career with the BBC first working in Radio. He moved into Television in the late 1960's, working first in the Schools department. He happened to be in the right place when the regular Z-Cars director fell ill, giving him a chance to move into mainstream drama. He went on to work on such series as The Legend of King Arthur, Sense and Sensibility, Dombey & Son and Doctor Finlay.

In 1980 he directed the BBC Television Shakespeare version of Hamlet in which he cast Derek Jacobi as the eponymous Dane, alongside Patrick Stewart and Lalla Ward. In 1993 he directed the ITV production of The Darling Buds of May in which he cast a relative unknown called Catherine Zeta Jones.

He received two BAFTA nominations for Monsignor Quixote and The Legend of King Arthur.

Rodney Bennett was born March 1935, died January 2017.

You can read a full obituary by Toby Hadoke, who interviewed Rodney Bennett for the Big Finish Who's Round series, at tobyhadoke.com.

Toby has also compiled a tribute to those from the world of Doctor Who who died in 2016 which can be viewed on YouTube.

FILTER: - Classic Series - Obituary

Class Episode 3/4 Ratings

Tuesday, 17 January 2017 - Reported by Marcus

Class - Ep4 - Co-Owner Of A Lonely Heart - Ram (FADY ELSAYED), April (SOPHIE HOPKINS) (Credit: BBC/Simon Ridgeway)

Class Episode Three, Nightvisiting, had an audience of 0.84 million viewers for its debut on BBC One, according the unofficial overnight figures, a share of 9% of the total TV audience.

Although the ratings are slightly down on last week, the series did managed to rate higher than the other four main channels, with Newsnight on BBC Two getting 0.67 million and Through the Keyhole on ITV getting 0.61 million.

Episode Four, Co-Owner Of A Lonely Heart, which followed at 11.30pm had an audience of 0.28 million, a share of 5.1%. This episode was beaten by Tattoo Fixers on Channel 4 with 0.45 million and by Celebrity Big Brother on Five, with 0.42 million.

Class has been available on the BBC Three online channel since October. Last weeks transmission of Episodes 1 and 2 had Audience Appreciations figure of 70 and 71 respectivally.

Official consolidated figures will be available in two weeks time.

FILTER: - Class - Ratings - UK

New Ninth Doctor Comic

Tuesday, 17 January 2017 - Reported by Marcus

This week sees a new comic released, featuring the Ninth Doctor.

NINTH DOCTOR #9

Writer: Cavan Scott
Artist: Adriana Melo
Cover A: Chris Bolson Cover B: Will Brooks Photo Cover C: Matt Baxter

The Ninth Doctor, Rose, and Jack head to Brazil on the next stop of their transtemporal mystery tour. The Iara have long been thought a Brazilian myth, but when these unearthly mercreatures prove to be aquatic aliens making an unscheduled stop on planet Earth, the TARDIS team must establish their intentions and broker peace across the water barrier...!

NINTH DOCTOR #9 Preview_1 (Credit: Titan)

NINTH DOCTOR #9 Preview_2 (Credit: Titan)

NINTH DOCTOR #9 Preview_3 (Credit: Titan)

The comic is released Wednesday 18 January

FILTER: - Comics - Ninth Doctor

Lethbridge-Stewart: The HAVOC Files 3

Saturday, 14 January 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have announced the third in its short story anthologies The HAVOC Files, bringing together tales from 2016 and brand new exclusive material:

The Bledoe Cadets and the Bald Man of Pengriffen by Tim Gambrell
The Last Duty by Christopher Bryant
Eve of the Fomorians by Robert Mammone
The Wishing Bazaar by Sharon Bidwell
The Feast of Evans by Simon A Forward
Home for Christmas by The Author Collective
Slouching Towards Det-Sen by Shaun Collins
Lucy Wilson by Sue Hampton
The Lost Skin: Episode Two by Andy Frankham-Allen

Head of Publishing, Shaun Russell said:

We always enjoy putting these collections together, but we’re nearing a point where we have less previously-released short stories. Fortunately, this gives us the opportunity to release brand new material, making this latest collection an even more sought after product.

Tim Gambrell previously won a competition to get a character named after him. Range Editor, Andy Frankham-Allen said:

It was inevitable that Tim would write for us, as he’s already sent us a short story previously and even a novel pitch. So, now that’s finally being published by us, I find myself in the odd position of a fictional character based on one of our authors. As such, part of The Lost Skin’s objectives is to write the character out of the series. Fortunately, he’s not appeared in the narrative of the novels since last year’s Moon Blink, which makes writing him out relatively easy.

Tim said:

When the Lethbridge-Stewart range was first announced I was really excited. There had been a decline in the volume of Doctor Who novels since 2005 and I welcomed anything else within that universe to help fill the void. I started to follow Andy and Candy Jar on social media to see if there might be opportunities to become involved somewhere along the line. As I recall Andy put out a Twitter request for any of his followers who would like to put their name to a character in a forthcoming book – Beast of Fang Rock as it turned out. I thought to myself ‘yeah, why not?’ and shoved my moniker in the mix. Some months later Tim Gambrell was in print as a scientist at the Vault. As time went on I realised that I’d been a bit hasty – Candy Jar were encouraging new writers to contribute to the range through their short story initiative; here was I, looking for opportunities and my name was already connected through a fictional character. Tim Gambrell couldn’t be both sides of the pen, could he? Andy was brilliant though. He allowed me to submit a story which, thankfully, he liked enough to ask me to develop further story ideas – one of which became The Bledoe Cadets and the Bald Man of Pengriffen. Aware of the conflict of names, I originally offered to use a pseudonym (which I’ve done in the theatre before) but he came up with another solution.

The germ of The Bald Man of Pengriffen was Andy looking for a Famous Five-type story featuring a young Alistair and the Bledoe Cadets (as mentioned in The Forgotten Son). Conveniently enough I’d recently revisited Enid Blyton’s Adventurous Four books from childhood so I knew the kinds of japes and scrapes to aim for – although I was keen for the story to be less cosy than those of Blyton’s world. We discussed a few story ideas but the Bald Man seemed to tick the most boxes – particularly because Andy likes fougous! And by writing a story about the Brigadier as a small boy, I totally avoid any times and situations that could potentially include my namesake.

Talking about her new short story, Lucy Wilson, Sue Hampton said:

I'm old enough now to appreciate the importance of family history, of roots and echoes, and genes at work in lives. For every great black-and-white hero that passed away there's a living successor, connected by love and spirit but completely herself. In this story we see an old man who wasn't much good at family, but who recognises a direct line to a curly-haired, fearless little girl hungry for stories of aliens. And we meet Lucy Wilson, who has been denied his name along with the truth about who her beloved grandad used to be. Now, before he dies, Sir Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart needs to make sure Lucy understands both her heritage and her extraordinary future.

Shaun Collins, one of the trimvurate that form the podcasters Traveling the Vortex, joins the collection with a story focused on Professor Travers. He said:

After prodding Andy for information about Candy Jar's method for soliciting writers and clumsily inserting myself into said method with a few pitches that he quite rightly shot down, he suggested writing something with Professor Travers returning to Det-Sen. With the professor rapidly became my one of my favorite supporting characters from the series, how could I say no? It was fun inserting him into the thick of James Bond-style danger, watching as he – just as clumsily as my initial pitch – is ensnared by nefarious villains. When Andy told me my short would form the opening prologue for his next novel, I was beyond ecstatic… And immediately began to worry about the safety of the professor. After all, he's getting up there in years now, and just what did I set him up for?

Slouching Towards Det-Sen also serves as a teaser for the next Lethbridge-Stewart novel, Night of the Intelligence, out in the spring of 2017.

The collection also includes the second part of the three-part novella, The Lost Skin (the first part appeared in the second volume of The Havoc Files. This is again written by Andy Frankham-Allen, who said:

Originally it was planned to be a straight-up novella, not a part-work. I’m not sure I’m keen on this way of writing, as I like to edit and polish as I go along. Since episode one was published months ago, I no longer have the luxury of editing the first third of the story. It presents a unique challenge for me, one I’m taking by the horns. As a result some of my original plans for the story have changed, but luckily the characters are happy to help me along and take the story in surprising paths.

The HAVOC Files 3 is only available to pre-order direct from the Candy Jar Store, with a strictly limited-print run.

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

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