DWM and DWA drop in latest circulation figures

Monday, 24 August 2015 - Reported by Harry Ward

The latest circulation figures for publications have been released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations for the January to June 2015 period, which indicates that Doctor Who Magazine has taken a significant knock on its circulation. The report revealed the magazine has dropped 23.2% of readers since the July to December 2014 period. Doctor Who Adventures changed publisher during the Jan-Jun 2015 period. The last issue under Immediate Media (#363, 25 March 2015) the total circulation was 24,441, while Issue 1 (23rd April 2015) under Panini was 19,873. Between July and December 2014 the magazine dropped 2.09% of its circulation.

The full breakdowns can be found by clicking on the relevant linked publication certificate below.

Jul-Dec 2009

Jan-Jun 2010

Jul-Dec 2010

Jan-Jun 2011

Jul-Dec 2011

Jan-Jun 2012

Jul-Dec 2012

Jan-Jun 2013

Jul-Dec 2013

Jan-Jun 2014

Jul-Dec 2014

Jan-Jun 2015

Doctor Who Magazine

29,000

35,374 (+22%)

33,554 (-5.1%)

30,682 (-8.6%)

30,614 (-0.2%)

27,089 (-11.5%)

28,743 (+6.1%)

31,692 (+10.3%)

36,151 (+14.1%)

33,538 (-7.2%)

33,419 (-0.4%)

25,663 (-23.2%)

Doctor Who Adventures

44,664

53,559 (+20%)

56,648 (+5.8%)

50,013 (-11.7%)

48,470 (-3.1%)

31,903 (-34.2%)

31,935 (+0.1%)

24,497 (-23.3%)

28,443 (+16.1%)

19,966 (-29.8%)

20,944 (+4.9%)

20,506 (-2.09%)

All figures are from the Audit Bureau of Circulations apart from the Jul-Dec 2009 figure for DWM, which is an estimate provided by DWM and included for comparison purposes.
ABC figures for DWM only started being calculated in 2010. Percentages shown are the change on the previous six months.

DWM's editor, Tom Spilsbury, told Doctor Who News:

Doctor Who Magazine has endured a bit of a decline since the last round of ABC figures, although we're not too disheartened. The first half of 2015 has been a relatively quiet time on the Doctor Who front, and so it's good to see that there are 25,000 loyal DWM readers who like to regularly pick up the magazine even when the show isn't on air, and we're looking backwards to older Doctors and earlier eras. After all, we're still the Number One best-selling sci-fi-themed magazine in the UK, which is a pretty incredible fact when you think about it!

FILTER: - Circulation - DWA - DWM - Magazines

Doctor Who Magazine 490

Tuesday, 18 August 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Issue 490 of Doctor Who Magazine is on sale from Thursday, in which lead writer Steven Moffat previews the new series of Doctor Who:

"Why not start with a blockbuster?" says Steven of the two-part opening story, The Magician’s Apprentice and The Witch’s Familiar. "Why leave it till the last two weeks? So yes, it’s like starting with a finale, and having a big, grand, movie-sized story, as opposed to a 45-minute story."

What does Steven like about the longer format? "It allows you to play with certain things," he replies. "There's a kind of scale that you can attain in a two-parter, that you can't have in 45 minutes. It's a scale that we're not used to at the moment, as we haven't done two-parters for quite a while. And in a way, it's sort of advertising the fact that we've got two-parters back this year. We do things in that first episode that I would say are very 'two-parter-y'."

Also inside this issue:

THE SECRET DIARY OF THE MASTER! He’s mad, bad and dangerous to know… and now, DWM has discovered the secret diary of the Master, which reveals the insane thinking behind his... er, her every scheme!
LOST IN TRANSLATION Why does nearly everyone in Doctor Who speak English? Steve Lyons investigates the mystery of universal translation throughout the history of the series – and comes to some intriguing conclusions...
THE NAME OF THE DOCTOR? Showrunner Steven Moffat answers more readers’ questions – and presents a brand new scene which explores what the Doctor called himself during the Time War...
THE VAMPIRE MUTATIONS The Fourth Doctor and Romana encounter creatures with a thirst for blood – and an ancient enemy of the Time Lords – as the The Fact of Fiction explores the 1980 story State of Decay.
THE RETURN OF DANNY PINK Clara has a shocking reunion with her boyfriend in the brand-new comic strip adventure, Spirits of the Jungle, by Jonathan Morris, illustrated by John Ross.
TRAILS AND TRIBULATIONS Novelist, fan girl, and mum Jacqueline Rayner celebrates the joy of a new Doctor Who trailer in her regular column, Relative Dimensions.
IT’S THE END... The Time Team embark on a marathon viewing session as they sit down to watch David Tennant’s swansong as the Doctor: The End of Time.
THE COMPLETE HISTORY DWM takes a look at a landmark new series of books, which begins in September: Doctor Who The Complete History.
ON THEIR WAY... DWM talks to the people involved in the latest Doctor Who CD and book releases, including Dan Starkey, James Goss and Gary Russell.
THE UNEXPLAINED The Watcher examines some of the many unanswered questions in Doctor Who and celebrates a feisty equine talent in Wotcha!.

PLUS! All the latest official news, reviews, competitions and The DWM Crossword.

FILTER: - DWM - Magazines

The Music Of Doctor Who

Tuesday, 18 August 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The latest special edition from the team behind Doctor Who Magazine delves into the music of Doctor Who:

THE NEW DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE SPECIAL IS MUSIC TO OUR EARS!

For the first time in the 36-year history of Doctor Who Magazine – an entire issue devoted to the music and sound design of Doctor Who!

From Delia Derbyshire’s groundbreaking experiments in the Radiophonic Workshop, to the acclaimed performances of Murray Gold’s orchestral scores at the Royal Albert Hall, The Music of Doctor Who explores one of the most celebrated and mysterious sonic landscapes in television history.

"We think this Special Edition is unprecedented in its scope and detail," says editor Marcus Hearn. "Writers such as Mark Ayres and Andrew Pixley have contributed a fresh insight to an aspect of the show’s production that’s been overlooked for too long."

Highlights of the issue include:

Interviews with Tristram Cary, Dudley Simpson and Orbital’s Paul Hartnoll.
Contributions from David Arnold, Neil Brand and Steven Moffat.
Sections devoted to every composer to have worked on the programme.
The strange world of library music.
The history of the Radiophonic Workshop.
The complete guide to pop music in Doctor Who.

Doctor Who Magzazine Special Edition: The Music of Doctor Who is out now.

FILTER: - DWM - Magazines

Doctor Who Magazine 489

Wednesday, 22 July 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The next issue of Doctor Who Magazine is published tomorrow (23rd July), and features an interview with sixth Doctor Colin Baker, the Doctor who never had a proper regeneration story - until now! Talking about recording The Last Adventure for Big Finish, he said:

Big Finish came to me, and said, 'If we write you a really good story, and if we released your seven cats which we've kidnapped, which are suspended above this flame getting lower and lower, will you perhaps do this story?' ... and I reluctantly agreed, and my cats are safe!

Commenting on why he needed a little persuasion to record the story, and why he changed his mind:

Oh, the idea of a release. A release from the tension of saying 'no' repeatedly. And... it's Big Finish! That's what changed my mind.

Also in this issue:

UNDER SURVEILLANCE! DWM tells the remarkable story of writer Malcolm Hulke, the creator of the Time Lords, Silurians and Sea Devils – and why he came under under scrutiny by MI5...
TROUBLED TEEN: Ellis George, the actress who plays cheeky schoolgirl Courtney Woods talks to DWM about travelling in the TARDIS, and what its like to be a teenager starring in Doctor Who.
TOP OF THE POPS! The much-anticipated results of the 2014 DWM Season Survey are in! Discover which story from Peter Capaldi's début season topped the poll, and who won the accolade for best writer, what was the favourite monster, and more...
THE MONSTER OF PELADON! The Fact of Fiction takes a close look at the 1974 serial The Monster of Peladon, and digs deep to unearth fascinating new facts about this Third Doctor adventure.
JUNGLE TERROR! There's ghostly goings-on for the Doctor and Clara in a brand-new comic strip adventure, Spirits of the Jungle by Jonathan Morris, illustrated by John Ross.
HELLO, YOUNG MAN! Doctor Who's showrunner Steven Moffat answers readers' questions – and comes face-to-face with his 10-year-old self!
TIS THE SEASON? Jacqueline Rayner considers what time of year it's traditional – and best – to watch Doctor Who – and comes to a surprising conclusion...
THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES: The Time Team fight for space behind the sofa as they watch David Tennant's penultimate, chilling story: The Waters of Mars.
ON THEIR WAY... DWM talks to the people involved in the latest Doctor Who CD releases, including Bonnie Langford, Nicholas Briggs, Lisa Bowerman and Mike Tucker.

PLUS! All the latest official news, reviews, competitions and The DWM Crossword.

FILTER: - DWM - Magazines - Merchandise

Doctor Who Magazine 488

Thursday, 25 June 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine has been published, and this month's cover story focusses on the unexpected return of Ingrid Oliver to Doctor Who.

The popular UNIT science whizz was apparently killed off at the hands of Missy in Death in Heaven – but the rumours of her death may have been exaggerated! Actress Ingrid Oliver tells DWM about her joy at Osgood’s unexpected return.

“When I died, I was like ‘Oh. That’s a shame. That is a shame.” I really didn’t think I would return,” Ingrid tells DWM, revealing that she was shocked at the response to the UNIT operative's demise. “I can’t watch myself on TV, so I deliberately made the decision to go out. And then I got a text from my agent saying, ‘Oh my God, you’re trending on Twitter!’ It was absolute insanity to me.”

Also inside this issue:

DANNY HARGREAVES' BIG BANG! Doctor Who’s resident special effects supervisor Danny Hargreaves reveals the science behind blowing stuff up – but don’t try this at home!
DAVID WARNER WAS THE DOCTOR? Cold War’s Professor Grisenko – movie and TV star David Warner – chats about his brief era as the Doctor, and shares some fascinating stories from a career spanning six decades.
A NEW FORMAT – AT LAST! DWM’s history of Doctor Who on home video reaches its final part, with the dawn of a new shiny new format. DVD took the series into remastered territory, and made it look better than it ever had before.
REVENGE OF THE CYBERMEN! The Fact of Fiction heads to Voga – the planet of gold – to reveal fascinating facts about the 1975 Fourth Doctor adventure Revenge of the Cybermen.
BLOOD AND ICE! Will the Doctor and Clara defeat the macabre plans of Dr Audley, and has Winnie really betrayed them? The comic strip adventure Blood and Ice – written by Jacqueline Rayner and illustrated by Martin Geraghty – reaches its thrilling conclusion.
STEVEN MOFFAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS! Showrunner Steven Moffat answers readers’ questions and pays tribute to 1980s Doctor Who producer John Nathan-Turner.
COMING SOON... DWM talks to Sylvester McCoy, Bonnie Langford, novelist AL Kennedy and actor Jon Culshaw to preview upcoming books and audios from the worlds of Doctor Who.

PLUS! All the latest official news, reviews, Relative Dimensions, The Time Team, competitions and The DWM Crossword.

FILTER: - DWM

The Essential Doctor Who: Monsters

Thursday, 18 June 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The latest of the "Essential" special edition magazines from the makers of Doctor Who Magazine has been published, focussing on the monsters of the series.

The Essential Doctor Who: Monsters (Credit: Doctor Who Magazine)

Issue 5 of Panini’s The Essential Doctor Who comprises 116 pages of all-new material exploring the dark side of the series...

Horror has been Doctor Who’s most consistent genre since the Daleks first threatened viewers in 1963. The metal-cased mutants are still notorious, but the programme’s shadows are occupied by many equally grotesque and disturbing creatures.

This is a comprehensive guide to the monsters that have been haunting our nightmares for more than 50 years. Everything from the Abzorbaloff to Zygons is covered in a richly illustrated, encyclopaedic format.

Says editor Marcus Hearn:

When I was a kid I wished for a book that included all the Doctor Who monsters. Now I’m a grown-up my ambitions haven’t really changed. It’s been a labour of love for all of us to channel the spirit of Terrance Dicks’ Doctor Who Monster Book, and a treat to add so many aliens from the show’s now greatly expanded universe.

The Essential Doctor Who: Monsters is on sale now at WH Smith and all good newsagents.

FILTER: - DWM

Doctor Who Magazine 487

Thursday, 28 May 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine is on general release today, and looks at the entire history of Earth, from its birth to its destruction:

Planet Earth! It's been attacked, invaded – even moved across the galaxy! Bu thanks to the Doctor, our world endures. Doctor Who Magazine tells the remarkable story of our planet and the many challenges it has faced...

Also inside this issue:

An Interview with John Nathan-Turner. A revealing and previously unpublished interview with 1980s producer John-Nathan Turner, conducted during 1989 – the last year of Doctor Who's original run.
Who on Video. DWM reveals the history of how Doctor Who was brought to DVD, and talks to the people responsible for the landmark 1993 documentary 30 Years in the TARDIS. Plus, an exclusive look at some of the VHS covers that never were...
The Dalek Invasion of Earth. Discover fascinating new facts about the classic 1964 First Doctor adventure The Dalek Invasion of Earth.
Verity Lambert's Scrapbooks. DWM chats to Carole Ann Ford, who played the Doctor's very first companion, Susan, as she continues her look through the scrapbooks of Doctor Who's original producer, Verity Lambert.
Blood and Ice! Clara and the Doctor uncover a sinister secret below Antarctica as Blood and Ice – the brand new comic strip written by Jacqueline Rayner and illustrated by Martin Geraghty – continues...

Steven Moffat answers your Questions!

Steven Moffat

PLUS! Reviews and previews; Relative Dimensions; Wotcha!; The DWM Crossword, prize-winning competitions, official news and much more!

Doctor Who Magazine 487 – with a special wraparound cover! – is on sale now.

Doctor Who Magazine 487 (wraparound cover) (Credit: DWM)

FILTER: - DWM

Doctor Who Magazine 486

Thursday, 30 April 2015 - Reported by Marcus

Former showrunner Russell T Davies talks Sex Drugs and Rock & Roll in the latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine.

The man who brought Doctor Who back to TV in 2005 returns with an audio adaptation of his very first Doctor Who adventure, the 1996 novel Damaged Good. Davies tells DWM how the story influenced his reinvention of the TV series

It kind of shows the promise that I didn't know was there with Doctor Who. Because Doctor Who – the 'classic' Doctor Who that I grew up loving – didn't, famously, blow up the world. Invasions and monsters would tend to limit themselves to the gardens of UNIT, or a country house. It's interesting, that sequence in Damaged Goods with the train blowing up, which then led to me destroying the entire city – that kind of liberated me, and then I carried that into Doctor Who. So I was thinking 'Right, you can have a spaceship crash into Big Ben, you can do anything you like..

Also inside this issue

Damaged Goods – The Audio Version

Sylvester McCoy, Yasmin Bannerman, Michelle Collins, Denise Black, Peter Barrett, Daniel Brocklebank, Richard Hope

Jonathan Morris

Carole Ann Ford Is Taken Back In Time

Carole Ann Ford

Video Tasty
Barry Newbery Remembered

Barry Newbery

The Highlanders

The Highlanders

Doctor Who Adventures
Blood and Ice
Steven Moffat Answers Your Questions

Steven Moffat

Masie Williams

PLUS! Reviews and previews; Relative Dimensions; Wotcha!; The DWM Crossword, prize-winning competitions, official news and more.

Doctor Who Magazine 486 is on sale from Thursday 30 April 2015, price £4.99.

FILTER: - DWM

DWM Special: The Art of Doctor Who

Thursday, 16 April 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Doctor Who Magazine Special: The Art of Doctor Who

The characters and scenarios from Doctor Who have been inspiring artists since 1963. The latest special edition of Doctor Who Magazine celebrates the best of their contributions to both the programme and the vast range of licensed products that rely on their skill.

“This is how the story of Doctor Who unfolded in the eyes of the artists who interpreted, shaped and represented the show,” says editor Marcus Hearn. “In fact, the story begins before the first episode was even transmitted – we have articles examining the creation of the Doctor Who logo and the filming of the original title sequence.”

This 100-page Special is packed full of stunning reproductions of original artwork from the Dalek annuals, the Doctor Who annuals, Doctor Who Weekly, the DVD range, the Radio Times, Target Books, TV Century 21, the VHS releases and more.

Other highlights include:

Articles covering the history of graphic design and illustration in Doctor Who, from the early 1960s to the present day.
Award-winning graphic designer Bernard Lodge explains how he created the series’ first four title sequences.
Concept artists Peter McKinstry and Matt Savage share their portfolios from 21st-century Doctor Who.
Interviews with Target Books artists Chris Achilleos, Jeff Cummins, Bill Donohoe, Roy Knipe, Tony Manero, Andrew Skilleter and Nick Spender.
Interviews with comics artists including Mike Collins, Martin Geraghty, Dave Gibbons, Richard Piers Rayner, John Ridgway, Nick Roche, John Ross, Adrian Salmon, Lee Sullivan and Alice Zhang.
Interviews with VHS and DVD cover artists Lee Binding, Colin Howard and Alister Pearson.

Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition: The Art of Doctor Who is available now.

FILTER: - DWM

Doctor Who Adventures moves to Panini

Monday, 30 March 2015 - Reported by Anthony Weight

Doctor Who Adventures, the UK-published magazine aimed at younger Doctor Who fans, is to move publishers to Panini UK from next month, where it will become a stablemate of Panini's existing Doctor Who Magazine.

DWM editor Tom Spilsbury confirmed the news on the Gallifrey Base Doctor Who fan forum this evening, stating that the first Panini issue will appear on the 23rd of April, with an advert to appear in the new issue of DWM due out later this week.

DWA began life in 2006, during the first wave of popular success for the revived Doctor Who, and was initially published by BBC Worldwide, the Corporation's own commercial subsidiary. Like most of Worldwide's magazine output, it was sold off to Immediate Media in 2011, who have published the title until this point. Initially a fortnightly title, its success saw it increased to weekly publication from issue 47.

However, DWA has seen a marked decrease in circulation figures over the past five years, selling an average of just under 20,000 copies per issue in the first half of 2014, as opposed to over 50,000 for the same period in 2010 (see our previous story). It has also decreased in publication frequency from a weekly back to a fortnightly and then a monthly title.

The website DownTheTubes.org has further information on the news, including a preview of the first new-style DWA comic strip. This strip will be drawn by Russ Leach - there is no news yet on whether DWA's long-standing artist John Ross will return to the publication at all.

The DownTheTubes article also confirms that Jason Quinn will take over as editor, with the April 23rd issue being a new issue 1, as opposed to continuing the existing numbering. The current issue of DWA on sale, issue 363, will be the final one to be published by Immediate Media, and will remain on sale until next month.

FILTER: - DWA - DWM

Previous 10 Stories

DWM and DWA drop in latest circulation figures

Doctor Who Magazine 490

The Music Of Doctor Who

Doctor Who Magazine 489

Doctor Who Magazine 488

The Essential Doctor Who: Monsters

Doctor Who Magazine 487

Doctor Who Magazine 486

DWM Special: The Art of Doctor Who

Doctor Who Adventures moves to Panini

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