DVD Update: Terror of the Zygons

Tuesday, 31 July 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The British Board of Film Classification has now passed special features that will appear on the forthcoming DVD release of the last complete Tom Baker adventure Terror of the Zygons:

00:26:25:04  THE UNIT FAMILY - PART THREE
00:19:38:05  MERRY-GO-ROUND - THE FUEL FISHERS
00:01:47:19  (EASTER EGG)
00:05:06:24  TERROR OF THE ZYGONS - PHOTO GALLERY
00:31:22:14  SCOTCH MIST IN SUSSEX
             (REMEMBERING 'TERROR OF THE ZYGONS')
00:30:01:15  REMEMBERING DOUGLAS CAMFIELD
00:22:54:13  DOCTOR WHO STORIES - TOM BAKER
00:19:43:22  DOCTOR WHO STORIES - ELISABETH SLADEN

In addition, the Board have also passed a "director's cut" version of episode one, which has a run-time of 23m21s (the broadcast version is 21m41s).

No release date for the story has been announced at present.

The current confirmed schedule consists of Planet of Giants for 20th August, Vengeance on Varos (special edition) for 10th September, and The Ambassadors of Death for 1st October. Online retailers have also listed The Claws of Axos (special edition) for 22nd October.

Other known releases still be to scheduled include The Legacy Boxset (known to feature Shada and More Than Thirty Years In The TARDIS), The Reign of Terror (with animated episodes 4+5), Inferno (special edition), and The Mind Of Evil (with colourised episode 1 and colour-restored 2-6), plus the two recently returned episodes Galaxy Four: Air Lock and The Underwater Menace: Episode 2. How the remaining episodes of The Tenth Planet and The Ice Warriors are to be released has yet to be announced.

The Ambassadors of Death - Cover:

A clean version of the cover art by Lee Binding for October's The Ambassadors of Death has been published via the Tea-Lady Design Facebook page.

FILTER: - Tom Baker - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Big Finish's Licence Is Extended

Monday, 30 July 2012 - Reported by John Bowman

Big Finish has had its licence to make Doctor Who audio adventures extended to December 2015.

Executive producer Jason Haigh-Ellery said:

I'm so excited that we can continue our voyages with the Doctor for at least another three years, and so pleased that AudioGO and the BBC continue to trust us with the telling of these stories.

Fellow executive producer Nicholas Briggs commented:

It's been a privilege and a pleasure for me to have worked on the Doctor Who audio range since 1999. I'm looking forward to continuing the excellent relationship we have with AudioGO and the BBC – and, of course, to the many exciting adventures for the Doctor I'll be working on over the next three years or more.

Line producer David Richardson added:

We're already making plans for 2015, which will be the sixteenth year of Doctor Who audio productions from Big Finish and will include our landmark 200th main range play!

In addition to the Doctor Who main range and Companion Chronicles, we are working through ideas for an exciting new range which we hope to announce during 2013.

FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Big Finish

50th Anniversary Stamps

Friday, 27 July 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The Royal Mail is to release a set of stamps to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who next year, with the first day cover reportedly due on 8th January 2013.

No other details are available at present, with the Royal Mail informing us:

Unfortunately it is too soon to have or to send out any information regarding an issue in January 2013. Probably around end of November or start of December we should have a FIRST publication that we can send.

It won't be the first time that Doctor Who has been officially recognised in such a prestigious way. A Dalek was chosen by Royal Mail to represent television in The Entertainers' Tale issue that was released on 1st June 1999. The set also comprised Bobby Moore (sport), Charlie Chaplin (cinema), and Freddie Mercury (popular music).

(with thanks to: Richard Thomas)

FILTER: - Merchandise - WHO50

Doctor Who Magazine 450

Thursday, 26 July 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine - out today - has a "Patrick Troughton" flavour to it, with a number of features on the actor and his Doctor's adventures. To mark this, an exclusive brand new interview imagines what would happen if the current Doctor Matt Smith were to talk to him ...

MATT: Patrick has a very Doctory face. Everything about Patrick is Doctory! He is peculiar without ever asking you to find him peculiar. All the elements were right. I loved his costume.

PATRICK: Well, you go along to the costumiers and they produce various things, and you say, "Ahh, that would be good..."

Also in this issue:

Do You Want To Know A Secret? Head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat drops his guard and reveals what's happening with the next 14 episodes of Doctor Who, exclusively in Production Notes!
Dinosaurs on a Spaceship! DWM talks to writer Chris Chibnall and grills him about his forthcoming scripts in the new season of Doctor Who – Dinosaurs on a Spaceship and the "very different" Episode 4...
Remembering Carry: DWM pays tribute to the late Caroline John, the much-loved actress who played the Third Doctor’s assistant Liz Shaw and died in June – and looks back over her life and times.
Recollections of the Daleks: seasoned Dalek operators Nicholas Pegg and Barnaby Edwards give DWM readers on a unique, Dalek-eye view of the making of 2005’s Bad Wolf/The Parting Of The Ways – accompanied by photos from their private collections!
When Pat met Colin: stern Sontarans, ambitious Androgums and fantastic food! Yes, it’s time to uncover the fascinating details of what really happened when the Second and Sixth incarnations met, as The Fact of Fiction looks back at the 1985 adventure The Two Doctors
Doctor Who's Replacement? DWM investigates Starwatch, a sci-fi series that, had it been made in the 1990s, would have starred Jon Pertwee. With never-before-published images from the project, DWM talks to the people who tried to make it happen...
When Pat Met Jon... and Peter and Richard and Tom: Countdown to 50 takes a nostalgic look back at the story which celebrated Doctor Who’s 20th anniversary with some old friends – and some ever older enemies! – as it remembers The Five Doctors.
Treasures Beyond Imagining... The Doctor, Amy and Rory face up to a ruthless collection of alien criminals within a mysterious ziggurat stuffed with priceless treasures in The Cornucopia Caper, the latest DWM comic strip, written by Scott Gray with art by Dan McDaid!
Find the Doctor! The Time Team convenes to watch one of the most innovative and controversial Doctor Who stories of all time – 2006’s Love & Monsters. But what will Emma, Chris, Will and Michael make of it...?
The Bare Essentials: DWM strands Toby Hadoke and Johnny Candon on a desert island, with only eight Doctor Who stories each to keep them company. But which episodes will they choose? And whose selection do you agree with? Find out, in A Battle of Wits!
Wotcha: the mysterious Watcher marvels at the TARDIS’ food machine, challenges readers with his Six Faces of Delusion, and champions another Supporting Artist of the Month in Wotcha!

PLUS! All the usual features, latest official news, TV and merchandise reviews, previews, competitions, a prize-winning crossword - and a giant-sized, double-sided poster featuring the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, and "every Dalek ever"!

FILTER: - Merchandise - Magazines - DWM

Entertainment Weekly Cover

Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who has been granted the accolade of being the cover story of the US media magazine Entertainment Weekly.

The title, which has been running since 1990, is one of America's most popular entertainment magazines, with a circulation of 1.8 million and an estimated readership of 8.2 million. To make the cover is regarded as a major achievement, an honour unprecedented for a UK-made series, and something BBC America has been celebrating on its Facebook site.

Inside, it asks whether the time has finally come for the Time Lord to break big in America, and describes the upcoming season as maybe the most eagerly anticipated ever, as the Doctor prepares to say goodbye to his two trusty companions Amy Pond and Rory Williams.

The publication notes the number of on-screen shout-outs the show gets from programmes such as Community, Criminal Minds, Craig Ferguson's The Late Late Show, Supernatural, and Grey’s Anatomy. Executive producer Steven Moffat tells the magazine:

It's not an obscure show anymore. It's not even a 'British import'. It's just Doctor Who.

The cover story tracks the ups and downs of the show's long history and previews the new episodes with help from Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill as well as Moffat.

Entertainment Weekly also checks out the 25 Best Cult TV Shows From the Past 25 years.

FILTER: - Doctor Who - USA - Magazines

BBC America Doctor Who Documentary Specials

Monday, 23 July 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BBC America are to broadcast four new special documentaries in the lead-up to their premiere of the next series of Doctor Who. Forming part of their Supernatural Saturday themed evenings, the first documentary will be broadcast on Saturday 4th August:

9:00PM - THE SCIENCE OF DOCTOR WHO
Explore the real-life science behind the biggest concepts and most iconic ideas in the incredible Doctor Who universe.

The documentary will be preceded by repeats of last year's documentaries, Best of the Companions, Best of the Monsters and Best of the Doctor from 6:00pm.

The following weeks will see documentaries on The Women of Doctor Who (11th August), The Timey-Wimey of Doctor Who (18th August), and The Destinations of Doctor Who (25th August).

FILTER: - USA - Documentary - BBC America - Series 7/33

Big Finish: July Releases

Monday, 23 July 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Big Finish have now released the latest adventures for the Doctor and his companions for July; producer David Richardson said:

We’re really proud of this month’s releases. A brand new trilogy starts for the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Hex with Protect and Survive, and so begins a journey that will be packed with scorching surprises...

The latest Lost Story is The First Sontarans by Andrew Smith, and it's probably my favourite from the entire range. You’ll discover the secret of the Sontarans – and it's a secret so significant that I hope listeners will help us keep it under wraps until everyone gets a chance to hear it...

Finally Ian Chesterton is back in The Time Museum, caught up in a vast exhibit dedicated to... Himself. It's a glorious script from James Goss, that takes a nostalgic foray into the early days of Doctor Who.

In addition, the first episode of The First Sontarans is currently available to listen to for free, via the Big Finish podcast feed.

Protect and Survive (available to order)
by Jonathan Morris
starring Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred and Peter Oliver

If an attack with nuclear weapons is expected, you will hear the air attack warning. If you are not at home, but can get there within two minutes, do so. If you are in the open, take cover in the nearest building. If you cannot reach a building, lie flat on the ground and cover your head and your hands.

Arriving in the North of England in the late 1980s, Ace and Hex seek refuge at the home of Albert and Peggy Marsden... in the last few hours before the outbreak of World War Three.

Meanwhile, the Doctor is missing. Will there be anyone left for him to rescue, when the bombs begin to fall?

The First Sontarans (available to order)
by Andrew Smith
starring Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant

1872. After finding a strange signalling device on the moon, the Doctor and Peri travel to the depths of the English countryside to track down the source of its transmissions. But they're not the first aliens to arrive on the scene.

Old enemies of the Doctor are drawing their battle lines in the forest and the local humans will be lucky to escape the conflagration unscathed.

For hidden within this village is a deadly secret - a secret that could destroy the entire Sontaran race... and reveal the terrible mystery of their creation.

The Time Museum (available to order)
by James Goss
starring William Russell

"This is The Chesterton Exhibition. A series of breathtakingly faithful tableaux, painstakingly detailed to the nth degree. Dedicated to the life of that most extraordinary time traveller, Ian Chesterton!"

Ian finds himself in a shrine to his own past, and on the run with a man named Pendolin.

From Coal Hill School to Jobis Station, from Totter’s Yard to the Crusades, Ian’s history is unfolding.

And a confrontation with a deadly enemy with a voracious appetite awaits…

FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Big Finish

People Roundup

Monday, 23 July 2012 - Compiled by Chuck Foster and John Bowman

Compiled by Chuck Foster and John Bowman

Talking about sport and acting, Matt Smith said: "One of the things about playing a sportsman and learning about the psychology and mentality of sport is that there are so many parallels between that world and the world that I inhabit. There's practice for one thing and that sense of discipline and preparation. But it's also about sacrifice. If you want to give it a good go, you've got to make some sacrifices and be as dedicated as you can be. Particularly with Doctor Who; it's two or three hours of line-learning a night." He also ruefully commented: "I'd love to play football now. Everyone at work plays on Tuesdays, but they won't let me. I guess it's the insurance companies and, realistically, if I turn my ankle over and we can't shoot, then we're screwed, aren't we? You just can't. It's a small price to pay." [Radio Times, 21-27 Jul 2012]

Karen Gillan may have just finished working with Steven Moffat but her connection with the name continues as she heads to the Scottish town of Moffat to film the rom-com Not Another Happy Ending. Film crews will also be shooting in Glasgow. [Dumfries & Galloway Standard, 20 Jul 2012]

John and Carole Barrowman's novel The Hollow Earth is to be made into a television series. The rights have been taken up by Zodiak Kids UK and the show is being developed by its production company The Foundation. The writing duo said: "We are so thrilled to have our TV rights in such good hands, we can’t wait to see all of Matt and Em's wild adventures and all their art come to life for viewers." [WorldScreen, Licensing, 19 Jul 2012]

Billie Piper has pulled out of the forthcoming production of BBC Three comedy series Tom and Jenny in order to concentrate on her family. [Express, 16 Jul 2012]

Author Mark Morris visited a school in Selby to chat about writing, with the classes encouraged to design and create their own Doctor Who monsters! School receptionist Ellen Briggs said: "For every Doctor Who enthusiast among the children and staff it was a dream visit.", whilst pupil Caitlin added: "It was really interesting to find out about the Doctor Who books. [Selby Times, 14 Jul 2012]

Artist and illustrator Alister Pearson is urging people to contact him if anyone tries to sell paintings that are attributed to him. Pearson, who has done numerous covers for Doctor Who books, magazines, and videos, is seeking to verify their authenticity before they are bought. Anyone who sees any of his artwork for sale or is offered the chance to buy it should contact him first on alister@alisterpearson.co.uk.

FILTER: - People - Karen Gillan - Matt Smith - Billie Piper - John Barrowman

The Wibbly-Wobbly, Timey-Wimey Reader

Monday, 23 July 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Bigger Inside Press have announced that a new book is to be compiled for release during the show's 50th Anniversary year, and the authors are soliciting material from contributors:

Seeking Original DOCTOR WHO Essays For 50th Anniversary Book!

2013 will mark the 50th anniversary of the debut of Doctor Who, the longest running sci-fi show on television. To commemorate this historic milestone, Bigger Inside Press is compiling The Wibbly-Wobbly, Timey-Wimey Reader, a collection of insightful and entertaining essays about the greatest show in the galaxy! Spearheaded by Don J. Krouskop, author of the acclaimed best seller The Wibbly-Wobbly, Timey-Wimey Trivia Quiz (2011 BearManor Media), this volume will contain the best critical, expository, and anecdotal writing on this amazing program ever penned by its loyal fans.

If you'd like to contribute to this historic tome (and get paid for writing about Doctor Who!), you can submit your original essay via email. It can be a review of your favorite story or season, a general overview of the series, a retrospective of cast & crew, an exploration of the show's deeper themes, a personal memory of the show and its impact on your life, or just about anything else Doctor Who-related that catches your fancy (NO FAN FICTION!). Submissions should be between 2500 - 8000 words in length. Authors whose entries are selected will receive a royalty of 5% of net sales of the book.

Don't miss out on this chance to contribute to a once in a lifetime publication!

(with thanks to: Don J. Krouskop)

FILTER: - Merchandise - Books

Movie update

Sunday, 22 July 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Matt Smith has ruled himself out of appearing in a big-screen version of the show. Speaking to Collider at last week's Comic-Con the actor explained:

For my money, whoever is playing the Doctor should be in the movie. I don't think there should be two Doctors. I think it would take four or five years to get something like that off the ground, and I don't anticipate that I'll be playing the Doctor then. My skin and the aging process couldn’t take it. But, I don't see any reason why it couldn't work. I think they should get Steven to write it because he’s the best.

Meanwhile, Steven Moffat re-iterated that any film version of Doctor Who will not be a separate entity to the current television series. Speaking to Airlock Alpha at the same event, the show's lead writer commented:

There will not come a time when there's a separate kind of Doctor Who. What was talked about there was that there would be a separate Doctor and a different continuity. Of course it won't. That would be silly. Everyone knows that's silly. The BBC knows that's silly, and is not going to do that.

The likelihood of an alternative film version of the show was promoted by director David Yates back in November when he told Variety that BBC Worldwide Productions were undertaking the project and writers were being considered for a version that "would start from scratch".

FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Matt Smith - Movies

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