The BBC has announced that the stars of Doctor Who will be attending this year's Comic Con in New York.

Both Peter Capaldi and new companion Pearl Mackie, will be at the event as well as show-runner Steven Moffat and executive producer Brian Minchin. They will be joined by the cast of Class, the new Doctor Who spin-off due to be released this Autumn. The Class panel includes stars Greg Austin, Fady Elsayed, Sophie Hopkins and Vivian Oparah, as well as writer, creator and executive producer Patrick Ness.

Current Doctor Peter Capaldi will be making his New York Comic Con debut alongside the first ever appearance at a convention by new co-star Pearl Mackie, who plays Bill, the Doctor’s companion.

Previous Doctor Matt Smith and companion Karen Gillan will also be attanding the event, which takes palce at the Javits Center in New York, between October 6 - 9.

Doctor Who comics will be arriving in force at San Diego Comic-Con, taking place later this month.

Titan are releasing a Doctor Who convention special comic, which features an all-new never before released Doctor Who story, “The Long Con”, starring the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors. With art by Leandro Casco (Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor), Simon Fraser (The Eleventh Doctor), and Walter Geovani (Red Sonja), this convention special comic comes with two covers to collect by Alice X. Zhang (Doctor Who, The Blacklist) and Simon Fraser.

This special also features all nine ‘Supremacy of the Cybermen’ back-up strips by George Mann (The Eighth Doctor, Supremacy of the Cybermen), Cavan Scott (The Ninth Doctor, Supremacy of the Cybermen) and a cavalcade of creators, including Blair Shedd (The Ninth Doctor), Lee Sullivan (Rivers of London), Mike Collins (Uncanny X-Men), Dan Boultwood (The Eleventh Doctor, It Came), Andrew Pepoy (The Fourth Doctor), Simon Myers (Dark Souls), and many more.

Doctor Who fans attending this year’s San Diego Comic-Con can purchase this special comic at the Titan booth #5537, alongside Titan’s range of Doctor Who comics and collections.

Titan also has a panel packed with exclusive reveals, never-before-seen artwork previews, and Doctor Who guests: writers Paul Cornell (Four Doctors, The Third Doctor), George Mann, Cavan Scott, Rob Williams (The Eleventh Doctor), and Doctor Who editor Andrew James will reveal upcoming plans for Titan’s Doctor Who comics and take you behind the scenes of Titan’s convention special Doctor Who comic – created especially for the show. This panel will take place on Saturday at 3:30PM in room 5AB.

Titan’s top talent will be signing Doctor Who comics over the weekend at Titan’s booth #5537 with the opportunity for fans to meet their favorite Doctor Who creators including; Rob Williams, Cavan Scott, Si Spurrier (The Eleventh Doctor), Simon Fraser, Paul Cornell, Alice X. Zhang, and George Mann.

To keep up to date with Titan Comics at San Diego Comic-Con, follow Titan Comics on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

The second Bedford Who Charity Con takes place in April, and the organisers are offering a discount to anyone who reads about the convention on Doctor Who News.

The event raises money for Bedford Foodbank, a local charity providing emergency food for people in crisis. Each month, some 500 children and adults are fed who would otherwise go hungry.

This year's event takes place on Saturday 23rd April 2016, with confirmed guests including Katy Manning, Deborah Watling, Sophie Aldred and John Leeson.

Tickets are £40 for adults; £20 for 14 - 18 year olds and full-time students; and £15 for under-14s. Concessions and family tickets are also available. However if you mention that you read about the event on Doctor Who News, you’ll receive a 10% discount on the price. Further details on the convention’s website and Facebook Page.

There have been new developments for Doctor Who fans in Germany recently.

• German free-to-air digital channel Einsfestival, part of the ARD group of channels, will start broadcasting Doctor Who on 29th February. The channel will begin with Series 5, airing two episodes each day from Monday to Wednesday, with one additional episode on Thursday. The broadcast time will be 8.15 pm, which is the standart prime time for German channels. Series 6 and 7 will air Wednesdays in March.
  
  The last time Doctor Who aired on a free-to-air channel was in 2008 when commercial channel Pro 7 aired Series 1 and 2 on Sunday afternoons but then cancelled the show because of poor ratings. The show later found its home on the payed-for-channel FOX Germany, which currently airs Series 9. For detailed listings of Germany's and other international broadcasts, visit our This Week in Doctor Who section.
  
  
• After the success of the first German unofficial Doctor Who convention TimeLash last October, the organisers announced that there will be a second event on 15th - 16th October 2016, once again in Kassel, Germany. Tickets went on sale early January on the TimeLash Homepage.
  
  Guests announced so far are Sophie Aldred, Frazer Hines, comedian Toby Hadoke, New Series producer Phil Collinson, writers Robert Shearman, Gareth Roberts and Peter Harness. More guests from the classic and new series are to be announced in the coming weeks.
  
  Today the TimeLash YouTube channel put up a trailer for TimeLash II, featuring clips from the first event.
  
  
  TimeLash trailer on YouTube

Series producer Paul Tams has reported to us that there will shortly be an annoucement over the future of K-9, who appeared in his own series back in 2009.

The announcement will be made by him and K-9 co-creator Bob Baker at the DWAS convention Back to the Eighties, which takes place on the 24th October.

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Meanwhile, the duo will also be signing copies of their book, The Essentia Book of K-9, at The Comic Guru store in Cardiff on Saturday 10th October, which celebrates twelve years of comic and sci-fi/Doctor Who specialities.


The book can be ordered directly from the K-9 Official website.

BBC Worldwide have announced a new event taking place at the Excel Centre in London over the weekend 13th-15th November 2015:
Events and features during each day include:

• Meet the Cast: Your chance to attend a panel-led session which will get you closer than ever before to cast members from the era of the Twelfth Doctor.
• Meet the Writers: Hear from the experts who create the storylines of your favourite programme, led by Steven Moffat.
• Drama School: Have you ever wanted to know the techniques and secrets that actors learn for the filming of Doctor Who? Then this is for you!
• Latest Film Set Photos: Your chance to have a photo on the real series 9 film set.
• Costumes and Props: The Doctor Who Festival will be home to a selection of costumes and props from the latest series, all for you to enjoy!
• Production Village: Your chance to explore a day in the life of the production team and crew.
• The Fan Challenge: Test your Doctor Who knowledge in the Festival’s specially-themed fan challenges – choose from a traditional team-based competition for adults or an active multiple-choice challenge for younger visitors. Answer incorrectly and you will be eliminated!
• Official Merchandise: A shopping village consisting of only official Doctor Who products including brand new ranges, plus BBC Shop.
• Cosplay Showcase: Cosplayers can showcase their handmade Doctor Who themed outfits during the course of the Festival. Start designing your outfit!
• Photo Opportunities: Is a photo of you and the Doctor missing from your collection? This is your opportunity to purchase an individual photograph of you with the current cast members.

As with the 2013 Doctor Who Celebration, there will be alternative times for certain events, for example "Cybermen" have a theatre session at 10:00am and "Daleks" at 11:15am. In addition, the "Cybermen" sessions will include British Signed Language for those that might require it.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, 5th June 2015, from 10:00am. Also as with the Celebration there will be a special TARDIS version with additional facilities, including preferential seating, access to the TARDIS lounge, an official t-shirt and souvenir programme.

Full details and ticket purchases can be made via the Doctor Who Festival website.

BBC Worldwide have announced that Peter Capaldi will be making his debut appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con. The actor will feature on a Doctor Who panel on the 9th July, alongside co-star Jenna Coleman, Missy/Master actress Michelle Gomez, lead writer Steven Moffat and fellow executive producer Brian Minchin.

Capaldi says of his appearance:

The Doctor Who Appreciation Society have announced a change of date for their forthcoming event, Back to the Eighties:


The one day convention takes place at the Pendulum Hotel in Manchester - further details can be found via the Society's website.

This Sunday (19 April) will see The Big Care Sign-Up host an event to raise money for The Carers Centre, a charity based in LeicesterShire. As part of events there will be an auction of celebrity and entertainment memorabilia, including autographs from all 13 actors to have played the Doctor. Guests from Doctor Who will be John Levene (Sergeant Benton) and Matthew Dale (Big John, Robot Of Sherwood).

The full list of items up for auction and how to submit a bid can be found on The Big Care Sign-Up website.

A Bedford charity is raising money for the homeless, by organising a Doctor Who Convention, with a special discount for readers of Doctor Who News.

Bedford Who Charity Con is being held on Saturday 11th April, to raise funds for Bedford Foodbank, who provide emergency food for local people in crisis. The organisers do not make money from the event; once costs are covered, all the money raised goes to the Foodbank.

Confirmed guests – subject to work commitments – are Nicola Bryant, Sophie Aldred, Anneke Wills, John Leeson, Terry Molloy, Mike Tucker, Paul Cornell, and Doctor Who’s choreographer Ailsa Berk, who will be leading an Alien Movement Workshop. As choreographer, Berk is responsible for teaching movement to the actors playing the aliens. If you want to learn how to stomp like Cybermen, lollop like scarecrows, lurch like Other Dave when he’s possessed by the Vashta Nerada, or frighten the neighbours by adopting the pose of a Weeping Angel, then this is for you. There’ll also be on stage interviews with the guests, who’ll also be signing autographs and BAFTA award-winning Mike Tucker will be doing a presentation on the special effects in Doctor Who. Plus there’ll be the chance to mingle with the Daleks and other aliens.

Prices are £40 for adults, £20 for those aged 14-18 and £12 for under 14s. Family tickets are available. If you tell the organisers you read about the convention on Doctor Who News you'll receive a 10% discount on these prices.

You can order tickets from the convention website