Candy Jar Books have launched a competition to tie in with the release of their latest Lethbridge-Stewart novels, Moon Blink. People who order the book between today and 09:00 GMT on Tuesday 31st May will also entered into a competition to win a complete set of the Sarah Jane Smith audio series released by Big Finish, which as well as starring Elisabeth Sladen in the title role also features her daughter as Natilie Redfern - a certain Sadie Miller who is, of course, the author of Moon Blink! As a bonus, the author will also sign the set of CDs.

In addition, Candy Jar has created a Spotify playlist of music inspired by the books of Lethbridge-Stewart playlist.

The cover has been released for the 500th issue of Doctor Who Magazine.

The first issue of Doctor Who magazine was published on 11th October 1979, when The Doctor was still being played by Tom Baker and fans were enjoying the Series 17 story City of Death

It began life as a weekly publication with a cover price of just 12p. Featuring exclusive interviews with Doctors, Companions and even some monsters, the magazine included comic strips, features, news and interviews. Among the buyers of Issue 1 were an eight-year-old David Tennant, 16-year-old Russell T Davies and 17-year-old Steven Moffat. All of them have been fans of the magazine ever since.

Doctor Who Magazine celebrates its 500th issue with an exclusive interview with Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi, as well as a specially commissioned front cover where Capaldi recreates the first ever cover of the magazine.

Commenting on the magazine’s success, Peter Capaldi says The Magazine also talks to Tom Baker in what he calls is his last ever interview with the magazine The 500th issue comes packaged in a card envelope and is a bumper 116 pages long, priced £9.99. Other highlights include an interview with Doctor Who showrunner, Steven Moffat and a special treat for fans also in the form of an exclusive letter to Doctor Who Magazine readers from Pearl Mackie, who will play new companion Bill.

Also featured in the magazine is an interview with the first Doctor William Hartnell, dating from 1965 and written by an eleven year old fan.

Doctor Who Magazine - Issue 500 is on sale 25th May 2016

The Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff have announced themes and events that will take place over the course of the Bank Holiday week (Saturday 28th May through to Saturday 4th June):

• The costume worn by new sidekick Bill, as played by Pearl Mackie in the special introduction broadcast in April will be on display for a limited time.
• The TARDIS memorial for Clara created by Rigsy, seen in the closing moments of Face The Raven, will also be on display.
• The original Davros prop from his premiere story Genesis of the Daleks has been restored, and is presented with details from visual and model effects designer Mike Tucker who undertook the restoration (including the unearthing of the earliest head casts).
• Millennium FX will be on-hand to part-transform visitors into Zygons! (31st May/1st June)
• Visitors are encouraged to cosplay as their favourite companion in order to celebrate the exhibition's Companion Week (and share through social media via @DW_Experience and #BeTheCompanion

For full details visit the Doctor Who Experience website.

The actor Burt Kwouk has died, aged 85.

Born in Manchester, raised in Hong Kong, and eventually graduating from Bowdoin College in the United States, the internationally travelled Burt Kwouk returned to the United Kingdom in 1954 and was soon an actor in great demand owing to his oriental appearance.

On television he worked on a range of ITC productions including The Avengers, The Saint, The Champions and Danger Man; he was a co-star in The Sentimental Agent, playing Chin Sung in 12 of its 13 episodes. He also provided English narration for both The Water Margin and Monkey. On film his first big break was in Inn Of The Sixth Happiness. He later appeared in two of the Sean Connery run of James Bond, Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice, plus the independent film starring David Niven and Peter Sellers, Casino Royale. However, it was alongside Sellers that Kwouk was to achieve 'immortality', playing the kung-fu servant Cato whose ambushes against Inspector Clouseau became key scenes to look forward to!

In 1982 he took on the role of the Mandarin leader Lin Futo in Four to Doomsday, acting alongside a fresh-faced Time Lord Peter Davison in his first filmed story. He was to later return to Doctor Who as Doctor Hayashi, again alongside Davison, in the Big Finish adventure Loups-Garoux

Other television roles included Major Yamauchi in the prisoner-of-war drama series Tenko, Mr Lee in Howard's Way, Philip Chen in Noble House, and Peter Lo-Ching in The House of Elliot; in film he played Mr Chen in Empire of the Sun, General Lu Soong in Air America and Fu King in I Bought A Vampire Motorcycle. He became a regular on the Harry Hill show between 1997 and 2000, provided voiceovers for Japanese spoof betting show Banzai between 2001 and 2004, and then settled into the role of Entwistle in the BBC's long-running Last of the Summer Wine between 2002 and 2010.

In 2011 he received an OBE for services to drama.


A statement issued by his agent said: "Beloved actor Burt Kwouk has sadly passed peacefully away. The family will be having a private funeral but there will be a memorial at a later date."


Herbert Kwouk, OBE. 18th July 1930 - 24th May 2016

A roundup of competitions from Doctor Who News that readers may enter:

Thirty years ago today we lost one of the great writers of Doctor Who, when Robert Holmes died at the tragically early age of 60.

It is difficult to exaggerate the impact of Robert Holmes on the series. He wrote 72 episodes, spread across 18 stories as well as being Script Editor throughout the first half of the Tom Baker era.

He introduced Jo Grant and Sarah Jane Smith, The Master and The Valeyard, The Autons and The Sontarans. He was the mastermind who named Gallifrey and then reinvented the Time Lords giving them Borousa and Rassilon. He devised The Key to Time and The Matrix, The White and Black Guardians. He imposed the 12-regeneration limit for Time Lords.

His characters were exquisitely written. Whether petty bureaucrats or megalomaniacs, they lived and breathed thanks to Holmes. Characters such as Sabalom Glitz, Henry Gordon Jago, George Litefoot, Sharaz Jek, Irongron and Pletrac.

Robert Holmes wrote the story voted Best Story of all time in the 2009 DWM readers survey, The Caves of Androzani.

Writing in 2008, Russell T Davies paid tribute to Holmes' legacy,

Doctor Who Adventures #15 is out later this week.

Doctor Who Magazine may be 500 issues old this month but DWM’s little sister is determined not to be left out.

In this month's issue

• PETALS
Rik Hoskin, Russ Leach and John Burns bring you a chilling tale from the planet Eed’n, where a particularly virulent form of plant life is planning to spread its seeds across the universe!
• PLANT LIFE
How are your botanical skills? We brush up on some of the other plant-based creatures the Doctor has crossed stems with over the years!
• MAKE A MIRE ROOM GUARD
Tired of people rummaging through your stuff? Ashildr shows you how to make your own formidable Mire Room Guard! Get ready to unleash unlimited power on any unwanted snoopers!
• UNIT ALIEN ARCHIVES
And carrying on from this issue’s make we give you the lowdown on the Mire, one of the most feared warrior races in the universe!
• STRAX AND THE TIME SHARK!
More craziness from Grant Perkins as Strax goes undercover on a shopping trip!
• THE PATERNOSTER GANG INVESTIGATES
The Paternoster Gang investigate the Terror of the Thames in a stunning tale from Tommy Donbavand!

Issue 15 comes with a set of free monsters magnets. On sale 26th May, 2016, price £3.99

This week sees Titan release three new comics featuring The Ninth, Tenth and Twelfth Doctors.







On Sale Wednesday 25th May 2016

BBC Wales is looking for floor runners to work on the next series of Doctor Who based in Cardiff.

The jobs are offered as a 10 month, full-time contract. Applicants must have previous drama experience. They need to be able to cover for the 3rd Assistant Director as required, and demonstrate they have the stamina required for the job.

Floor runners work on the set, supporting the 3rd Assistant Director. They co-ordinate with the production office for the distribution of packages, scripts, re-writes etc to the cast and crew on the floor. They provide hospitality for crew and artists (tea/coffee making) along with undertaking the transport of crew and artists as required. They assist the Assistant Director team in cueing artists and locking off filming areas and act as a first point of contact for a range of both internal and external callers and visitors.

Applications close on 25th May and can be made via the BBC Careers Website

BBC Wales are also looking for a Principal Double Bass (No.2), to work with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

The BBC have announced the death former Senior Camera Operator, Alec Wheal, at the age of 81

Alec Wheal worked on at least 159 episodes of Doctor Who, mainly as Senior Camerman, or as it was later known, Camera Supervisor.

The Camera Supervisor led the team of five or six camera operators, during the studio recordings of classic era Doctor Who. The role was important as Studio Camera Operators had only the studio day to absorb the director's camera script and instructions, before recording each Doctor Who episode in the evening.

They would work closely with the Director to make sure the required shots and effects could be recorded during each studio recording session. Each recording had a strict 10pm cut off and any mistakes would lead to shots being missed or expensive overruns.

Alec Wheal led the Camera teams on most Doctor Who stories from Destiny of the Daleks in 1979 right through to The Greatest Show in the Galaxy in 1988.

Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison paid tribute. As well as Doctor Who, Wheal worked on programmes such as EastEnders, Last of the Summer Wine, Just Good Friends, The Tripods, Black Adder, Grange Hill and Fanny by Gaslight.