Big Finish licence renewed until 2025

Friday, 6 May 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Big Finish licence extended to 2025Big Finish have announced that their licence to produce Doctor Who and Torchwood audio dramas has been extended to 2025.

Head of Audio Publishing at BBC Worldwide, Jan Paterson said:
We very much look forward to continuing to work with Big Finish over the coming years; the high standards of their productions — quality scripts, impeccable sound design and music, and impressive casting that utilises some of the country’s biggest stars — are a reflection of the care and thought that goes into every audio.
Big Finish's Executive Producer, Jason Haigh-Ellery, said:
It is very rare that a production company is given the luxury of being able to plan so far ahead. Thanks to the faith placed in Big Finish by the BBC we can look forward to many years of story progression and real character development for the Doctors and their companions. We are excited about what the future holds and look forward to the next decade of adventures travelling in time and space.
Nicholas Briggs, who as well as Executive Producer also voices the Daleks, said:
It’s been with me all my life in one form or another. So it’s truly delightful for me that the good old BBC has given us permission to carry on space-time travelling.
Producer David Richardson added:
It’s such an honour for us to tell new stories in the worlds of Doctor Who and Torchwood. The possibilities truly are endless, the potential for ideas is infinite. It’s a wonderful feeling when we have been doing this for seventeen years, yet feel like we’ve only just begun and that the best is yet to come.'


Forthcoming highlights from Big Finish include the return of David Tennant and Catherine Tate as the tenth Doctor and Donna Noble in The Tenth Doctor Adventures, and John Hurt returns as the War Doctor in another box sets, whilst the "classic" Doctors - as played Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann - continue their regular adventures. Current spin-offs include Alex Kingston as archaeologist River Song, Jemma Redgrave and Ingrid Oliver as Kate Stewart and Osgood, and Christopher Benjamin, Trevor Baxter and Dan Starkey as Jago, Litefoot and Strax.




FILTER: - Big Finish - Press

Vote for Your Favourite DWM Cover

Thursday, 5 May 2016 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who Magazine celebrates its five hundredth edition later this month, and the publishers are conducting a poll to find the fans favourite cover.

The poll is being conducted in batches of 50 covers each day (each section will remain live for the duration of the poll) and you can vote for up to five covers from each section.

The 50 finalists will then be put into a final polling group so the overall winner can be determined before Issue 500 is published.

The first batch of 50 can be found here.




FILTER: - DWM

Competition Roundup

Tuesday, 3 May 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
A roundup of competitions from Doctor Who News that readers may enter:

The Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Paradox Planet/Legacy of Death

The fourth Doctor continues his adventures alongside Romana and K-9:
Whilst travelling in the vortex, the TARDIS is struck by an advanced war machine - a Time Tank! Losing Romana, the Doctor and K9 pursue the Tank to Aoris, a world quite literally at war with itself. Soldiers from the future are attacking the past of their own planet - gathering resources and stealing endangered species. But the past is not without weapons of its own - leaving deadly devices ready to trigger many years ahead after their enemies have been born. Trapped at opposite ends of a temporal war, the Time Lords have two time zones to save. But who is in the right, and who in the wrong? And when history itself is against you, can anybody actually win?
The Paradox Planet (Credit: Big Finish)Legacy Of Death (Credit: Big Finish)
To be in with a chance to win a digital download of the audio adventure courtesy of Big Finish, simply answer the following question:
Name another war that that the fourth Doctor, Romana and K9 found themselves involved in.
Please send your answer along with your name and the email address you have registered with Big Finish, plus where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-bf4d@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Fight the Future". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 15th May 2016. Note: entrants must have an active registration with Big Finish in order to be eligible to receive the prize - new registrations can be easily created on the website for free and with no financial obligation.

BBC Books: In The Blood

The latest literary adventure for the Doctor from BBC Books is In The Blood by Jenny T Colgan:
All over the world, people are venting their fury at one another on social media. Dropping their friends, giving vent to their hatred, and everyone behaving with incredible cruelty. Even Donna has found that her friend Hettie, with her seemingly perfect life and fancy house, has unfriended her. And now, all over the world, internet trolls are dying... As more and more people give in to this wave of bitterness and aggression, it's clear this is no simple case of modern living. This is unkindness as a plague. From the streets of London to the web cafes of South Korea and the deepest darkest forests of Rio, can the Doctor and Donna find the cause of this unhappiness before it's too late?
In The Blood (Credit: BBC Books)To be in with a chance to win the book courtesy of BBC Books, simply answer the following question:
What did Donna refer to as an "Outer Space Facebook"?
Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-intheblood@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Like". The competition is open to UK readers only, closing date 15th May 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

Silva Screen: Radiophonic Workshop 21

Silva Screen have re-released the BBC Radiophonic Workshop's 21st anniversary album on CD:
In 1958 the BBC Radiophonic Workshop opened with the aim to enhance in the main, drama output on the Third Programme (now Radio 3) following the development of new electronic music techniques emanating from Europe. Their work expanded across the BBC to take in TV drama (especially sci-fi), schools programmes and themes. The latter being their most celebrated and well known work, Delia Derbyshire's treatment of Ron Grainer's theme for Doctor Who. This collection, originally released by BBC Records in 1979 to celebrate 21 years of the workshop appears for the first time in its full original form on CD. From The Goons (Bloodnocks Stomach) to the Interval Signal to Doctor Who and Great Zoos Of The World this is a fascinating chronicle of some of the most innovative music ever made. These ground-breaking compositions providing a major influence on music from The Beatles and Pink Floyd and onwards into the contemporary world of Aphex Twin, Orbital and The Chemical Brothers. "The Radiophonic Workshop, I loved all that, it fascinated me, and still does”. - Paul McCartney.
BBC Radiophonic Workshop - 21To be in with a chance to win the CD courtesy of Silva Screen, simply answer the following question:
Who wrote the incidental music for the Doctor Who story which featured Paul McCartney?
Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-silvascreen@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "In tune". The competition is open to UK readers only, closing date 15th May 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio

It is still possible to enter our competitions for the BBC Audios Death to the Daleks, The Invasion, Shadow in the Glass, Amorality Tale and The Memory of Winter, which are open to readers worldwide until 8th May 2016 - see our article for full details.




FILTER: - Audio - BBC Books - Big Finish - Books - Competitions - Music

Doctor Who, RiffTrax-style

Tuesday, 3 May 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The latest BBC Insiders survey has been canvassing participants over the viability of running a live RiffTrax screening event in cinemas around the United States based around a story from 20th Century Doctor Who.

Following a brief video example utilising Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150AD, the survey then asks how interested the participant would be in attending an event based around such a presentation, with suggested stories including The Twin Dilemma, Warriors of the Deep, The Gunfighters, Robot, The Tomb of the Cybermen, The Five Doctors, Invasion of the Dinosaurs, Four to Doomsday, Timelash, Time-Flight, and The Horns of Nimon. There's also an option to say which stories shouldn't be "riffed"!

Please note that the survey request does not mean that such an event will take place, only that such an event is being considered.

RiffTrax Logo (Credit: RiffTrax)
RiffTrax are are series of comedy audio commentaries to accompany film releases, provided by the stars of the original Mystery Science Theatre 3000 programme, comedians Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett.

(with thanks to Chris Kocher)




FILTER: - Cinema - Special Events - USA

Tenth Doctor 2.9

Monday, 2 May 2016 - Reported by Marcus
This week sees Titan release a new comic featuring The Tenth Doctor

DOCTOR WHO: Tenth Doctor #2.9

Writer: Nick Abadzis
Artist: Elena Casagrande
Colorist: Arianna Florean

The Doctor, Gabby and Cindy investigate 'the Wishing Well Witch' in the town of Dewbury... only to find what lurks in the well is something far worse, and more strange, than the legend! It's an unearthly terror, cast through a schism in the universe... and it's tearing the town apart!

Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #2.9Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #2.9Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #2.9Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #2.9Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #2.9


On Sale Wednesday 4th May 2016




FILTER: - Comics - Tenth Doctor

'Shakespeare Live' in US Movie Theatres

Monday, 2 May 2016 - Reported by Marcus
Shakespeare Live, the celebration of the bard's work, hosted by David Tennant and Catherine Tate, is to be screened in US movie theatres later this month.

The show marks the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death. It was commissioned by the BBC in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and was originally screened live on BBC Two last month.

Fathom and BBC Worldwide have joined forces to present the broadcast in select U.S. cinemas nationwide for one night on Monday, May 23 at 7:00 p.m. local time.

The event celebrates Shakespeare's plays and their enduring influence on music, dance, opera, musical theatre and comedy. Appearances include Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Helen Mirren, John Lithgow, David Suchet, Joseph Fiennes, Rufus Wainwright, Tim Minchin, Al Murray, Meera Syal, Alison Moyet, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Paapa Essiedu, Pippa Nixon, Alexandra Gilbreath and the Royal Ballet.

Full details here




FILTER: - David Tennant

BBC Audio: Current Competitions

Saturday, 30 April 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
We have the following audiobooks available for readers to win, courtesy of BBC Audio; in order to be in with a chance to win simply email us with the answer to the question along with your name, country and where you heard about the competition. All competitions are open worldwide, with a closing date of 8th May 2016. Only one entry per household can be accepted.

The Memory of Winter (Credit: BBC Audio)
[order from Amazon UK]
The Memory of Winter, written by George Mann and read by Jemma Redgrave
Summoned by the Winter family's Calling Card, the TARDIS arrives in 15th Century France. In the shadows of a forest the Doctor and Clara encounter a band of soldiers who are protecting a mysterious young woman. Also travelling with the party is self-confessed amateur historian Julius Winter. Young Joan of Arc is troubled by voices telling her things she should not know about - things concerning the Doctor's own people, the Time Lords. When he realises that an element of the Time War is involved, the Doctor is compelled to discover where Joan is getting her information from. But in doing so, he and Clara are drawn into terrible danger...


Question: George Mann wrote another recent novel involving the Time War, but for which Doctor?
Send your answer to comp-winter@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "A Winter's Tale".
The Invasion (Credit: BBC Audio)
[order from Amazon UK]
Cybermen: The Invasion, written by Ian Marter and read by David Troughton
Materialising in Outer Space, the TARDIS is attached by a missile fired from the dark side of the moon. Back on Earth, the newly-formed United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT), led by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, is disturbed by a series of UFO sightings over Southern England. Meanwhile, a large consignment of mysterious crates is delivered to the headquarters of International Electromatics, the largest computer and electronics firm in the world. These three seemingly unconnected events are in fact the preparations for a massive Cyberman invasion of Earth, with one aim: the total annihilation of the human race.


Question: what is author Ian Marter better known for within the Doctor Who universe?
Send your answer to comp-invasion@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Kilroy was 'ere".
Death to the Daleks (Credit: BBC Audio)
[order from Amazon UK]
Death to the Daleks, written by Terrance Dicks and read by Jon Culshaw
A mysterious power loss strands the Tardis on Exxilon, a sinister fog-shrouded alien planet. The Doctor meets the survivors of a beleaguered expedition from Earth, while Sarah finds a mysterious super-city and becomes a captive of the savage Exxilons. Worst of all, the Doctor's greatest enemies, the Daleks, arrive on a secret mission of their own. The Doctor and Sarah must risk their lives time and again in a desperate attempt to foil the Daleks and save millions of humans from a horrific plague.


Question: where was the Doctor attempting to take Sarah on holiday to before being forced down on Exxilon?
Send your answer to comp-daleks@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Oh I do like to be beside the seaside".
Amorality Tale
[order from Amazon UK]
Amorality Tale, written by David Bishop and read by Dan Starkey
When gangster Tommy Ramsey is released from prison, he is determined to retake control of his 1950s East End territory. But new arrivals threaten his grip on illegal activity in the area. An evangelical minister is persuading people to seek redemption from their sins. A new gang is claiming the streets. And a watchmaker called Smith is leading a revolt against the Ramsey Mob's protection racket. When Tommy strikes back at his enemies, a far more terrifying threat is revealed. Within hours the city's air turns into nerve gas and thousands succumb to the choking fumes. London is dying...


Question: Name the character that Dan Starkey portrayed in a televised story alongside Sarah Jane Smith
Send your answer to comp-amorality@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Smoggy moments".
Shadow in the Glass (Credit: BBC Audio)
[order from Amazon UK]
Shadow in the Glass, written by Stephen Cole & Justin Richards and read by India Fisher
When an RAF squadron shoots down an unidentified aircraft over Turelhampton, the village is immediately evacuated. But why is the village still guarded by troops in 2001? When a television documentary crew break through the cordon looking for a story, they find they've recorded more than they'd bargained for. Caught up in both a deadly conspiracy and a historical mystery, retired Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart calls upon his old friend the Doctor. Half-glimpsed demons watch from the shadows as the Doctor and the Brigadier travel back in time to discover the last, and deadliest, secret of the Second World War.


Question: Name another story which saw the Doctor travel into Germany's past
Send your answer to comp-shadow@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Heil!".




FILTER: - Audio - BBC Audio - Competitions

Barry Howard 1937-2016

Friday, 29 April 2016 - Reported by Marcus
The actor Barry Howard has died at the age of 78.

Barry Howard played Oliver Barnes, a member of the Sliver Cloak gang, in the 2010 story The End of Time.

The actor was best known for playing the professional dancer Barry Stuart-Hargreaves in the BBC Comedy Hi-Di-Hi, a role he played in seven series from 1980-1986.

Other roles included parts in Terry and June, You Rang, M'Lord?, Dad and he played Danny Jackson in the ITV comedy The House of Windsor.

Howard, who lived in Poole in the south of England, was also a veteran of pantomime shows, and regularly appeared alongside Are You Being Served? star John Inman as the ugly sisters.




FILTER: - Obituary

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers

Friday, 29 April 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Candy Jar Books have released the cover art for the next book in their Lethbridge-Stewart series, The Showstoppers.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers (Credit: Candy-Jar Books)The Showstoppers
Written by Jonathan Cooper
Cover by Richard Young

‘Nuzzink in ze vorld can schtop me now!’

There’s a new TV show about to hit the airwaves, but Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart won’t be tuning in. With the future of the Fifth Operational Corps in doubt he’s got enough to worry about, but a plea from an old friend soon finds Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers embroiled in a plot far more fantastical than anything on the small screen.

Can charismatic star Aubrey Mondegreene really be in two places at the same time? What lengths will ailing entertainment mogul Billy Lovac go to in order to reach his audience? And is luckless journalist Harold Chorley really so desperate that he’ll buy into a story about Nazi conspiracies from a tramp wearing a tin foil hat?

There’s something very rotten at the heart of weekend television, and it isn’t all due to shoddy scripts and bad special effects.

Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar Books, said:
Richard is well-known for his photo realistic work. Watching him painstakingly create his artwork with thousands of dots is incredibly impressive. His design for The Showstoppers really evokes the early Target covers.
Richard Young said:
Doctor Who has been a big part of my life since I was a kid. The classic series is extremely close to my heart and I always wanted to draw a cover for the Target books... but they didn't like my style when I was ten. So to have the chance to contribute a cover for a book featuring one of the most iconic characters of Doctor Who is not only a huge honour but the realisation of a thirty-four-year old dream.

I had fun flexing my Photoshop muscles for the (free book) The Black Eggs of Khufu cover, but I jumped at the chance to return to my roots and work on a hand drawn cover, echoing the wonderfully surreal Kubrick movie.
The movie in question is Dr Strangelove Or: How to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, with the book echoing the same world; writer Jonathan Cooper commented:
I’ve always been a fan of Dr Strangelove and Doctor Who, so when Candy Jar Books asked me to meld the two together into a Lethbridge-Stewart novel, I could not resist. Who would?
The book also features an introduction by David George, son of Peter George, focusing on the conspiracy theories that tie Dr Strangelove to the Kennedy assassination.



The Showstoppers is the second release for 2016, following on from Moon Blink by Sadie Miller.

To help pave the way for the new series of books, Beast of Fang Rock will be available for free on Kindle for three days from Saturday 30th April. Andy Frankham-Allen, range editor of the Lethbridge-Stewart novels, said:
Both Moon Blink and The Showstoppers are strong Anne Travers stories, and since Beast of Fang Rock really introduced her to the range, we thought it would be nice to offer up this book as a free chance for the uninitiated to catch up on her back story.
The usual discounted pre-order bundles will be on offer from Candy Jar, with a new subscription deal for those wishing to get six books for the price of five.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers by Jonathan Cooper is due to be released soon. It can now be pre-ordered (individually, or as part of a bundle/subscription) from Candy Jar Books.




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

Exhibition of Target Artwork Opens

Friday, 29 April 2016 - Reported by Marcus
An exhibition showcasing original cover artwork from the Target range of Doctor Who novels has opened in London.

The display, at the Cartoon Museum in Bloomsbury features 30 pieces of art, which were commissioned for the cover illustrations of Doctor Who novelisations, published during the 1970's and 1980's under the Target imprint

it includes ten covers by Chris Achilleos from The Daleks through to Revenge of the Cybermen, five covers by Andrew Skilleter from Destiny of the Daleksthrough to The Mark of the Rani and other classic and well-loved original cover artwork such by Roy Knipe, Jeff Cummins, and David McAlister.

The launch was attended by several of the artists featured as well as Doctor Who show runner Steven Moffat and the current doctor, Peter Capaldi, no mean artist himself.

The exhibition was the brainchild of Doctor Who brand manager Edward Russell, who told Doctor Who News he was delighted by the response to the display of the artwork.

The exhibition runs until Sunday 15th May.





FILTER: - Special Events