Deluxe illustrated edition of Rose to be Released

Tuesday, 8 August 2023 - Reported by Marcus
Rose Illustrated Edition (Credit: BBC)

BBC Books have announced the novelisation of the first story of Doctor Who's 2005 revival, Rose, is to be released in a special illustrated version.

The release will celebrate the return of showrunner Russell T Davies to Doctor Who, and mark the 60th Anniversary of Doctor Who.

Novelised by Davies from his original script, Rose is the story that relaunched Doctor Who for the 21st century.

Originally published in 2018, this deluxe edition of ROSE features illustrations from acclaimed artist Robert Hack.

 

In a lair somewhere beneath central London, a malevolent alien intelligence is plotting the end of humanity. Shop window dummies that can move - and kill - are taking up key positions, ready to strike.

Rose Tyler, an ordinary Londoner, is working her shift in a department store, unaware that this is the most important day of her life. She's about to meet the only man who understands the true nature of the threat facing Earth, a stranger who will open her eyes to all the wonder and terror of the universe - a traveller in time and space known as the Doctor.

The book will be published on 23rd November 2023 and is available to preorder on Amazon





FILTER: - Series 1/27 - Books - Ninth Doctor

Jill Curzon 2023 A.D. My eventful life

Sunday, 6 August 2023 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Jill Curzon 2023 A.D. (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of Doctot Who, Candy Jar Books will be releasing the first of a number of books marking the event. Taking us back to one of the most colourful highlights the series experienced in the 1960s when the Daleks took to the big screen, they will share the memories of someone who was not only there, but was also directly involved with the autobiography of Jill Curzon, who played the character of Doctor Who's niece Louise in the film Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150AD:

 

Jill Curzon: 2023 A.D.
"My eventful life."

 

Jill Curzon writes her memoirs with absolute candour, detailing the highs and lows of her professional and private life.

Within these pages are reflections on her life along with reminiscences on those who have mattered the most. These include fellow actors, directors, friends and family.

The book highlights Jill’s absolute zest for life and a great love of humour both professionally and personally.

Jill’s life hasn’t all been glitz, glamour and Daleks! Her stories of living through tough times and health worries will resonate with many, but what shines through is faith and positivity.

 

Jill Curzon 2023 A.D.: My Eventful life offers an insight into a complex yet inspiring life, showing determination, optimism and above all else, how not to get exterminated!

 

 

Jill Curzon's career lef her to work with many beloved names in the entertainment industry such as Roger Moore, Morecambe and Wise, Patrick McGoohan, etc, and starred in legendary cult TV series, such as The Champions, The Saint, Adam Adamant Lives and Not Only... But, Also with comedy icons Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. Jill commented::

Our generation of actors were the first to bring live theatre to the living rooms of tens of millions of people. What we did set the benchmark for all future television and movie productions.

The book is her story: from BBC Television Centre at its height, to Shepperton and Pinewood film studios, and taking in London and the Soho nightclubs and comedy bars of the early 1960s, this memoir captures the rich atmosphere and the vivid colour of the night-life that shaped the entertainment world both in front and behind the lens. Follow her life as it took unexpected twists and turns, through the fame of the 1960s and into the 1970s, where despite giving up acting, she continues to live life to the fullest.

Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar Books, said:

The Dalek movies were part of all of our childhoods, whether you were there seeing them at the cinema in the 1960s, on Saturday mornings on BBC1 during summer holidays of the 1970s, or on VHS and Blu-Ray up to today. Jill was there front and centre. I am so pleased that Jill has decided to share her memories of the Daleks, and indeed her other appearances with comedy icons such as Terry Scott and Dick Emery, but I believe readers will be as fascinated as I was as they discover Jill's story; her journey through emotional highs and lows, and how she resolved to set it all down in text once and for all. This is her definitive account of an amazing life.

 

Drawing extensively from diaries kept throughout her life, Jill paints a sharply accurate portrait of a life where the world seems to present everything at her feet, from success to love, and then takes it all away as betrayal brings her to a point where nearly everything is lost.

Jill added:

Fate being fickle leaves you to decide much of how your life progresses. At least it does so in a teasing way, for it gives you the impression that it is you who makes the decisions that guide your path through life.

 

 

 

 





FILTER: - People - Autobiography

Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition 64

Wednesday, 2 August 2023 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition 64 (Credit: Panini)

Action Figures 2005-2023

 

The latest Special Edition from Doctor Who Magazine celebrates the action figures and other articulated toys inspired by the 21st-century incarnation of the series. 

Packed with exclusive photography and behind-the-scenes details, this volume surveys collectables based on episodes featuring the Ninth through to the Fourteenth Doctors.

Some of the most popular Doctor Who toys ever produced are pictured alongside lesser-known items and rarities in this lavishly illustrated guide.

DWM Special Edition 64: Action Figures 2005-2023 is on sale from Thursday 3 August at WH Smith, selected supermarkets, and online from panini.co.uk priced £8.99. A digital edition is also available, priced £7.99 from pocketmags.com

 




FILTER: - DWM

The Tom Baker Record Collection

Friday, 21 July 2023 - Reported by Marcus
The Tom Baker Record Collection (Credit: Demon Records)

Demon Records have announced a special vinyl collection will be released celebrating the Fourth Doctor as played by Tom Baker

Limited to just 600 and each including a signed print from Tom Baker, the collection celebrates Tom Baker’s unique portrayal of the famous Time Lord, almost 50 years after he made his debut in the role.

This limited edition 4 LP vinyl box set mixes thrilling audio drama with interviews and readings by the man himself.

Genesis of the Daleks is the original 1979 album version of the TV serial, whilst Doctor Who and the Pescatonsis the made-for-vinyl audio drama first released in 1976.

Exploration Earth: The Time Machine is an adventure specially produced by BBC Schools Radio in 1976, and The State of Decay is a unique audiobook reading from 1982.

The collection is completed by a selection of BBC radio interviews with Tom Baker made in the 1970s and 1980s.

  • LP1 Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks
  • LP2 Doctor Who and the Pescatons
  • LP3 Exploration Earth: The Time Machine + Selection of BBC radio interviews with Tom Baker made in the 1970s and 1980s
  • LP4 Doctor Who: State of Decay

 

 

Presented inside an eye-catching Fourth Doctor O-ring sleeve, this Dalek-fronted quadpack design houses 4x 140g LPs in Orange, Green, Blue & Red vinyl, each with full cast & credits and its own brand-new graphic design.

Every copy of this release also includes an exclusive, frameable photograph of the Fourth Doctor, hand signed by Tom Baker himself.

The set co-stars Elisabeth Sladen, Ian Marter, Bill Mitchell and John Westbrook,

The set will be released on 15th September 2023 and is available to preorder on Amazon

The Tom Baker Record Collection (Credit: Demon Records)




FILTER: - Fourth Doctor - Vinyl

Cosmic Masque issue XVIII

Thursday, 20 July 2023 - Reported by Marcus
Cosmic Masque issue XVIII (Credit: DWAS)

The Doctor Who Appreciation Society has published Cosmic Masque issue XVIII as a free download.

The magazine, edited by Nick Smith and Steve Hatcher is about 'being a fan' and contains items on gaming, events, and merchandise as well as five new pieces of fiction.

CM XVIII runs to over 110 pages and is available in two formats - single page for tablets and two-page spreads for computer monitors.

The cover image is by Cole Thompson

You can download the magazine (and previous editions too) by visiting the DWAS website at dwasonline.co.uk and clicking the Cosmic Masque image.

 

 





FILTER: - dwas

First Look at Fourteenth Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver

Wednesday, 19 July 2023 - Reported by Marcus

BBC Studios today revealed a first look at the Fourteenth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver.

Doctor Who returns in November 2023 with three special episodes with David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor to coincide with the 60th anniversary.

Ncuti Gatwa’s first episode as the Fifteenth Doctor will then air over the festive period.

Doctor Who will premiere exclusively on the BBC for the UK and Ireland. Disney+ will be the exclusive home for new seasons of Doctor Who outside of the UK and Ireland.

 

The Fourteenth Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver
A new sonic has arrived 🔊🪛





FILTER: - Fourteenth Doctor

Doctor Who Magazine: Issue 593

Wednesday, 19 July 2023 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Magazine: Issue 593 (Credit: Panini)

Issue 593 of Doctor Who Magazine looks forward to the return of the series later this year and the arrival of David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor alongside the return of Catherine Tate as Donna Noble. 

Highlights of the new issue include:

  • David Tennant and Catherine Tate talk exclusively to Emily Cook on the set of the forthcoming 60th Anniversary Specials.

  • Snakes Alive! – Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and writer/director Pete McTighe on The Passenger, the new mini-episode of Doctor Who, which sees the return of Tegan and Nyssa.

  • Letter from the Showrunner – Russell T Davies reveals what happened when he made a suggestion for a special piece of set dressing…

  • The DWM 60th Anniversary Poll – the analysis of the results continues, with this issue looking at the rankings of the Tenth and Eleventh Doctor’s adventures.

  • Memory Worm – 1980s script editor Andrew Cartmel puts his knowledge of his Doctor Who career to the test.

  • Production Diary – script editor Scott Handcock files his latest report, direct from Doctor Who’s HQ.

  • Texting at Work – Sophie Cowdrey and Aled Griffiths reveal what it’s like to work as graphics assistants on the new series of Doctor Who.

  • The Omega Man – a never-before-published interview with the late Richard Gregory, the props builder who redesigned the Cybermen for Earthshock.

  • Liberation of the Daleks Part Ten – the adventures of the Fourteenth Doctor continue in the epic comic-strip adventure written by Alan Barnes and illustrated by Lee Sullivan.

  • 60 Objects, 60 Years – the latest installment of the series that tells the story of one object from every year of Doctor Who’s history.

  • The Fact of Fiction unlocks the secrets of the Eleventh Doctor story The Girl Who Waited.

  • Gallifrey Guardian – all the latest official news.

  • Other Worlds – the essential guide to new stories in Doctor Who’s expanded universe.

  • Previews, reviews, prize-winning competitions, Time and Space Visualiser and more.

Doctor Who Magazine Issue 593 is on sale Thursday 20 July from panini.co.uk and WH Smith priced £7.99 (UK). Also available as a digital edition from pocketmags.com priced £6.99.

 




FILTER: -

Patrick Troughton Blue Plaque Unveiling

Monday, 17 July 2023 - Reported by Marcus
Joanna and Michael Troughton (Credit: DWAS)
A blue heritage plaque dedicated to the second Doctor Who, Patrick Troughton, has been unveiled at a ceremony at Mill Hill School in North London.
 
The plaque was organised by the Doctor Who Appreciation Society and placed in the theatre named after the actor, who was a pupil at the school from 1931.
 
Credit: DWASThe plaque was unveiled last Sunday by two of Troughton's children, Michael and Joanna, at a star-studded ceremony attended by many of Troughton's friends, colleagues and admirers including Sylvester McCoy, Frazer Hines, Carole Ann Ford, Sophie Aldred, Michael Jayston, Hugh Fraser, Madeline Smith, and Renny Rye.

A limited number of reproduction Patrick Troughton mini plaques will be available for purchase soon from the Doctor Who Appreciation Society.





FILTER: - Patrick Troughton - DWAS

Target Novelisations For 2023 Specials

Sunday, 16 July 2023 - Reported by Marcus
Target

BBC Books has announced that Target novelisations of the 2023 Doctor Who Specials will published early next year. 

The three specials will be broadcast in the upcoming Autumn season, marking 60 years of Doctor Who. They all feature David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate returning to the series as Donna Noble.

The scripts have been written by returning showrunner Russell T Davies and each book will be written by a different author. 

Each book will have specially commissioned cover artwork by Anthony Dry.

 

Launched in 1973, Target Books published novelisations of almost every Doctor Who serial aired between 1963 and 1989.

In 2012 BBC Books began reissuing these classic paperbacks and in 2018 expanded the Target range to include all-new novelisations of modern-era Doctor Who episodes. This year, Target Books celebrates its 50th year publishing Doctor Who.

All three books will be published on the 11th of January 2024 and are available to preorder. 

 





FILTER: - Target - Fourteenth Doctor

John Nettleton 1929-2023

Friday, 14 July 2023 - Reported by Marcus
John Nettleton (Credit: Chuck Foster)

The actor John Nettleton has died at the age of 94.

In 1989 John Nettleton played the Reverend Ernest Matthews in the Seventh Doctor story Ghost Light.

He was best known for his portrayal of the Whitehall Mandarin Sir Arnold Robinson in the comedy series Yes Minister and its successor Yes, Prime Minister

Born in South London in 1929, John Nettleton graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1951, the same year as Joan Collins and Jacqueline Hill

As a successful character actor, he had a 40-year career in British Television appearing in some of the best-known series of the time such as Softly Softly, Armchair Theatre, The Avengers, Please Sir!, Elizabeth R, Black Beauty, Upstairs Downstairs, The Pallisers, All Creatures Large and Small, The Professionals, Tales of the Unexpected, Brideshead Revisited, Crown Court, Minder, Rumpole of the Bailey, Midsomer Murders, and The Bill

Nettleton’s film work included A Man for All Seasons in the 1960s  and a 2005 adaptation of Oliver Twist

His voice is very familiar to a generation who grew up in the 1970s thanks to his frequent use as a narrator for illustrated stories told on the BBC Children's programme Blue Peter

His work at the National Theatre included Alan Bennett’s adaptation of The Wind in the Willows in 1990 and The Voysey Inheritance in 2006. He was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and London's Old Vic

A statement from the theatrical agency Scott Marshall Partners said:

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our beloved client and much-loved stage and screen actor John Nettleton at the age of 94. 

He is survived by his wife the actress Deirdre Doone, who he married in 1954, their three children and five grandchildren. 





FILTER: - Obituary - Classic Series