Paul McGann to star in Brother's ProjectBookmark and Share

Monday, 12 December 2016 - Reported by Marcus
Perplexed MusicEighth Doctor Paul McGann has teamed up with his brother, writer Mark McGann, to embark on a short film project based on Elizabeth Barrett-Browning’s poem ‘Perplexed Music’.

McGann is to be directed by his brother in the film about the cycle of devoted love, loss and rebirth. It is hoped that the project, which is being funded by a Kickstarter campaign, will be filmed in the Spring of 2017 at various locations in Wiltshire, Cornwall and Somerset.

Mark McGann started writing the screenplay for Perplexed Music after being inspired by Elizabeth Barrett-Browning’s poem of the same name. It will explore the temporary madness, isolation, catharsis and new beginning experienced by a middle-aged man, played by Paul, as he battles for reason, stability and the strength to continue on his journey without his life companion.

Mark McGann said
Reading the poem reminded me of the key role music plays in the elucidation of the higher universal truths that bind us all. It resonated with me strongly, as I sought to focus the idea for the film into a cinematographic concept.

As the aim of the film is to elevate the viewer by finding the route through to their heart via a shared humanity and identification, I can think of no one better than Paul to play the central role. He’s wonderful at drawing an audience in out of curiosity, then allowing them the space to make an interpretation personal to them. I’m really excited he’s agreed to do it!
Speaking of the project Paul McGann said
I can’t wait. I love experiencing roles that throw you out of your comfort zone, that’s part of the buzz of performing.
More details about the film can be found on Facebook or on the project's Kickstarter page. An interview with Mark McGann talking about the project can be found here




FILTER: - Paul McGann

Whotopia - 30Bookmark and Share

Sunday, 11 December 2016 - Reported by Marcus
WHOTOPIA ISSUE 30The latest issue of the fan magazine Whotopia has been released and is now available to download from the Whotopia website

In this issue
  • IN CONVERSATION WITH PETER DAVISON
  • Roger Crow chats with Fifth Doctor Peter Davison on the set of his new movie
  • THE DOCTOR IS NOT MILLIONS OF YEARS OLD
  • Jessica Chaleff explains quite to the contrary that the Doctor isn’t as old as you think
  • THE STORIES THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN: THE MCCOY ERA
  • Bob Furnell examines the unmade stories from Sylvester McCoy’s era
  • OMEGA: THE LOST TIME LORD
  • Steve Traves considers one of the series’ more enigmatic villains
  • UNDERAPPRECIATED MONSTERS & VILLIANS IN DOCTOR WHO
  • Jessica Chaleff points the spotlight at a sample of less-looked-for antagonists
  • AN EVENING WITH MATTHEW WATERHOUSE
  • Paula Hammond reports on this special event with Matthew Waterhouse
  • COLUMN: TARGET TRAWL
  • Nick Mellish continues his journey reading every single Target novel
  • COLUMN: THE DOCTOR WHO SCHOLAR
  • This issue Jeremy examines Doctor Who as transmedia
  • WHO YOU BUILD
  • Steve Traves explores more full-scale Doctor Who model making
  • THE BLACK ARCHIVES: THE MASSACRE REVIEWED
  • Andrew Screen reviews one of the Black Archive books
  • WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT…?
  • Whotopia interviews authors Will Hadcroft and Ian Wheeler
  • COLUMN: THE AUDIO ARCHIVES
  • Andrew Screen continues his look at the works of Big Finish
  • MASTER WHO PART 3: ANTHONY AINLEY
  • Dan Tessier details Anthony Ainley’s version of ‘The Master’
  • POLARITY DAY: REMEMBERING JON PERTWEE
  • Paula Hammond attends this special DWAS event celebrating third Doctor Jon Pertwee
  • CLASS REVIEWED
  • Jon Arnold turns his critical eye on the first few episodes of the latest Who spinoff
  • THE BLACK ARCHIVES VOLUME 1-3
  • Andrew Screen takes a look at the series of books from Obverse Books
  • COLUMN: THE CURATE’S EGG
  • With the end of an era looming, Richard Michaels fires off a defence of Steven Moffat
The magazine can be downloaded for free from whotopia.ca.




FILTER: - Fan Productions - Peter Davison

Mini heritage plaque for Jon Pertwee up for auctionBookmark and Share

Saturday, 10 December 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Jon Pertwee mini-Heritage Plaque signed auction item (Credit: DWAS)Back in October, the Doctor Who Appreciation Society unveiled a blue heritage plaque at New Wimbleon Theatre in London in honour of the third Doctor, Jon Pertwee. The Society has now produced 25 miniture versions which are available to purchase from their website, but have also put a special one up for auction which includes signatures from many of the guests who attended the event:

June Whitfield, Fenella Fielding, Barry Cryer, Jon Culshaw, Ingeborg Pertwee, Dariel Pertwee, Lorraine Chase, Timothy Combe, Michael Ferguson, Bob Baker, Katy Manning, Jeremy Bulloch, Richard Franklin, Peter Miles, David Banks, Prentis Hancock, Graeme Harper, Cy Town

All proceeds from this auction will be paid into the Society's 'Plaque Fund', which raises money to pay for the plaque at New Wimbledon Theatre, The Dedication event, and for The Grand Order of Water Rats which Jon was an enthusiastic supporter of during his life.

The plaque is approx 30cm diameter and comes with rear fixing tape for wall display.

You can view and bid on the item via their auction page on Ebay.





FILTER: - Auctions - DWAS - Jon Pertwee

Competition Roundup for DecemberBookmark and Share

Friday, 9 December 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The followong competitons are available to enter via Doctor Who News in December:

BBC Audio: The Space Pirates

When space beacon Alpha One disintegrates into lumps of metal, General Hermack of the Space Corps realises that space pirates have discovered a new source of precious aragonite. After witnessing further destruction, the General leaves a squad of guards on beacon Alpha Four - just as the TARDIS materialises. Suspected by the Space Corps of being pirates, then pursued as spies by the pirates themselves, the Doctor, Zoe and Jamie attempt to unmask the mastermind behind the thefts of aragonite. In doing so they risk execution, explosion, and asphyxiation in the vacuum of space.
Doctor Who: The Space Pirates (Credit: BBC Audio)To be in with a chance to win the audiobook courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:
When we first meet Milo Clancey, he throws away the charred remains from out of his toaster - but which televised story saw the Doctor reveal his feelings over such burnt offerings?
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-spacepirates@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Howdy!". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 8th January 2017. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: The Scales of Injustice

When a boy goes missing and a policewoman starts drawing cave paintings, the Doctor suspects the Silurians are back. With the Brigadier distracted by questions about UNIT funding and problems at home, the Doctor swears his assistant Liz Shaw to secrecy and investigates alone. But Liz has enquiries of her own, teaming up with a journalist to track down people who don’t exist. What is the mysterious Glasshouse, and why is it so secret? As the Silurians wake from their ancient slumber, the Doctor, Liz and the Brigadier are caught up in a conspiracy to exploit UNIT’s achievements – a conspiracy that reaches deep into the heart of the British Government.
Scales of Injustice (Credit: BBC Audio)To be in with a chance to win the audiobook courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:
Which is the only televised story (so far) to explicitly mention the C19 organisation?
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-scalesofinjustice@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "This is still our planet". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 8th January 2017. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Books: The Pirate Planet

The hugely powerful Key to Time has been split into six segments, all of which have been disguised and hidden throughout time and space. Now the even more powerful White Guardian wants the Doctor to find the pieces. With the first segment successfully retrieved, the Doctor, Romana and K-9 trace the second segment of the Key to the planet Calufrax. But when they arrive at exactly the right point in space, they find themselves on exactly the wrong planet – Zanak. Ruled by the mysterious ‘Captain’, Zanak is a happy and prosperous planet. Mostly. If the mines run out of valuable minerals and gems then the Captain merely announces a New Golden Age and they fill up again. It’s an economic miracle – so obviously something’s very wrong...
The Pirate Planet (novel) (Credit: BBC Books)To be in with a chance to win the book courtesy of BBC Books, simply answer the following question:
Name one of the remaining stories from the original television series that has yet to be published in book form.
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-pirateplanet@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "I declare a new golden age!". The competition is open to UK readers only, closing date 8th January 2017. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

Big Finish: Cold Fusion

A newly regenerated Fifth Doctor arrives on an occupied ice planet – where the Seventh Doctor is investigating dangerous energy experiments conducted by the Earth Empire. But events spin out of control when a refugee from the distant past arrives - Patience, the Doctor's Wife!
Cold Fusion (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:
What is the seventh Doctor's favourite biscuit, as revealed in this story?
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-coldfusion@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Crashed Time". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 8th January 2017. 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.

It's still possible to enter competitions to win Lethbridge-Stewart books and Warlord Games miniatures, closing date this Sunday.


Watch out for our annual Christmas Ratings competition, launching next week!



Lethbridge-Stewart Artwork Competition

Candy Jar Books are also running a competition for purchasers to win a piece Lethbridge-Stewart artwork by Richard Young. See their offers for more details.
Candy Jar Christmas 2016 Competition (Credit: Candy Jar Books)




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

The Return of Doctor Mysterio - TrailerBookmark and Share

Friday, 9 December 2016 - Reported by Marcus
The BBC has released a new trailer for the Christmas Special The Return of Doctor Mysterio





FILTER: - Publicity - Series Specials

Peter Capaldi Shooting Script for AuctionBookmark and Share

Friday, 9 December 2016 - Reported by Marcus
House of Illustration (Credit: Sotheby's London)
Peter Capaldi has donated a 72-page Doctor Who shooting script of his first Dalek story, Into the Dalek to a fund-raising auction taking place at Sotheby's next Tuesday 13th December.

The script, complete with a lavishly illustrated title page, is a complete one-off. The lot also includes two postcards inscribed ‘Best wishes from Peter Capaldi Doctor ?’.

It is part of over 40 original illustrations up for auction, by leading artists, designers, and musicians, including Quentin Blake, Brian Eno, Eric Clapton, Oliver Jeffers, Emma Chichester Clark, David Shrigley, Peter Brooks, Peter Blake, Paul Smith, and Margaret Howell.

The auction is to raise money for House of Illustration, the UK’s only public gallery devoted to illustration, based in King’s Cross in London. The registered charity receives no public funding, raising all the money from admissions, retail and fundraising. The gallery puts on exhibitions and events, promotes new illustration talent, commissions new art work and organises an illustrator led learning programme for schools, families, students and enthusiasts of all ages.

The auction starts at 2.30pm and you can bid in person, by phone or online. The works will be displayed to the public at Sotheby’s on Friday 9th – Monday 12th December.

The artworks can also be viewed online by going to Sotheby's Website and looking for lot number 287.




FILTER: - Auctions - Peter Capaldi

Space Helmet for a Cow II - Exclusive ExtractBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 7 December 2016 - Reported by Marcus
Space Helmet for a Cow II (Credit: Mad Norwegian Press)Mad Norwegian Press have published the second volume of Space Helmet for a Cow - The Mad, True Story of Doctor Who, and Doctor Who News is pleased to offer readers an exclusive extract from the book.

In Space Helmet for a Cow 2, award-winning writer Paul Kirkley (Doctor Who Magazine, Radio Times, SFX) continues his witty and irreverent history of Doctor Who, from the wilderness years of the 1990s – when the 30th anniversary special was so bad, it didn’t even go straight to video – to its triumphant 50th birthday celebrations, when every single person in the world sat down to watch Doctor Who together. (Except Christopher Eccleston, who was busy.)

From Hugo Award-winning publisher Mad Norwegian Press, it’s the book that answers such burning questions as: Did Benny and Bjorn from Abba really plan a Torchwood musical called Weevil Rock You? Which Doctors shared a bed? Did Blue Peter and Sad Tony eventually find love? How did David Tennant become his own son-in-law? And was there really a sequel to Carnival of Monsters at Wembley Arena, or did we dream it?



Thanks to Mad Norwegian Press Doctor Who News is able to offer a free download of a complete section of the book, dealing with the years 1990-2003. At 25,000+ words, this is a comprehensive guide to Doctor Who’s “wilderness years” - with jokes - that also works as a standalone read in itself.



The full version of Space Helmet for a Cow 2: The Mad, True Story of Doctor Who (1990-2013) can be purchased from Amazon. UK US CA DE




FILTER: - Books - Special Offers

Big Finish main range during 2017Bookmark and Share

Wednesday, 7 December 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Big Finish have announced details for their main range of Doctor Who adventures over the course of next year.

January sees a new trilogy featuring the fifth Doctor and companions, which as well as Tegan and Nyssa will also see them joined with Adric, as played by Matthew Waterhouse. Having first returned to the Doctor Who fold in 2014's Fifth Doctor Box Set, the character now arrives in the main range, with Matthew commenting:
I took a long time to get around to the idea of doing the audios – and now I just absolutely love it, I think the character's beautifully written. Everything we're doing at Big Finish is stuff that's already in the character, in the stories, they're just being extended a bit. Having said I don't want to do them, now I think “when's next week's one going to arrive?”. This is proper Doctor Who, they're really carefully written, they're witty and funny, they're highly inventive.
Range editor Alan Barnes said:
It's been great to at last bring Adric into the monthly range – well, before his tragic death, at least! Andrew Smith wrote the character's introductory story on TV, so I was determined to get Andrew to write his re-introduction. Andrew's The Star Men, full of far-out cosmic science, is the first story of the trilogy, in which an astronomical base at the fringes of Earth's galaxy finds itself on the frontline of a war with an unimaginably alien force...
Matthew added:
Adric's quite heroic in this, and a young woman finds him rather hot because she's a bit brainy like he is: there's some genuine, character work going on with a great concept and there's some really nice moments between him and a young woman called Autumn (played by Sophie Wu).
The characters continue their journeys over the next two months, with Alan adding:
Phil Mulryne's The Contingency Club comes next, in which the TARDIS lands inside the most exclusive gentlemen's club in all of Victorian London – a club where all the waiters are identical clones! The final instalment of the trilogy is Zaltys by Matthew J Elliott, which brings the TARDIS to a world just hours from catastrophe, while Tegan is stranded in space... where she comes face to face with a very particular sort of horror, one she thought existed only in nightmares...
Additional cast members include Sue Holderness (Only Fools And Horses) in The Star Men, Philip Jackson (Inspector Japp in ITV's Poirot) and Clive Merrison (The Tomb of the Cybermen, Paradise Towers) in The Contingency Club, and Rebecca Root (Boy Meets Girl), Niamh Cusack (Heartbeat), Philip Franks (The Darling Buds of May, Heartbeat) and Carol Sloman – daughter of Doctor Who writer Robert Sloman - in Zaltys. The trilogy has covers from designer Tom Webster.

The Star Men (Credit: Big Finish) The Contingency Club (Credit: Big Finish) Zaltys (Credit: Big Finish)

April sees a change in style for the regular range, as Big Finish embarks on the first of three special two-disc collections of two stories. The first stars Peter Davison as the fifth Doctor in Alien Heart by Steve Cole, and Dalek Soul by Guy Adams. This is followed in May by Colin Baker's sixth Doctor starring in Vortex Ice by Jonathan Morris, and Cortex Fire by Ian Potter, and then in June Sylvester McCoy brings the trilogy to a close with Shadow Planet by AK Benedict and World Apart by Scott Handcock.

Alan commmented:
The double-bills in April to June came about because, er... well, we all quite liked the idea of double-bills, really! Each consists of two two-part adventures, each by a different author, one on each of the two discs; each, hopefully, has a very different style and tone to its companion piece – there should be a nice contrast between the two. Alien Heart is about a species of weird spider-like monsters linked to the systematic destruction of planets, and Dalek Soul is a particularly bleak piece set on the Dalek-occupied world of Mojoxalli.

May features Lisa Greenwood as Flip – hurrah! – reunited with the sixth Doctor, in two adventures set before her (apparent) exit in Scavenger. Vortex Ice is a brain-scrambling conundrum of a story set in a diamond mine; then Cortex Fire, like its title sort-of suggests, is about an epidemic of spontaneous human combustion on a distant planet. Finally, in June, there's the return of the seventh Doctor and Ace in Shadow Planet/World Apart. The first has them at a far-out therapy centre, getting some very alternative medicine; then the second the TARDIS travellers are found marooned somewhere very inhospitable indeed...

Looking a little further into 2017, July sees the award-winning John Dorney back writing for the main range with The High Price of Parking starring the seventh Doctor, Mel and Ace. August's title has yet to be confirmed, but September will see two releases, with Matthew J Elliott's The Silurian Candidate for the seventh Doctor and Eddie Robson's Time in Office featuring the fifth Doctor, Tegan and another Doctor's one-time companion. The end of the year sees a full trilogy of adventures featuring the sixth Doctor, Constance and Flip, following on from this month's release, Quicksilver.


The main range can be bought individually, or subscribed to in both six- and 12-episode runs, at money-saving prices as well as special exclusives such as PDF scripts, extended extras and up to four Doctor Who - Subscriber Short Trips a year. Full details can be found via the Big Finish website.





FILTER: - Audio - Big Finish - Fifth Doctor - Merchandise - Seventh Doctor - Sixth Doctor

Peter Capaldi Ponders FutureBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 7 December 2016 - Reported by Marcus
The Return of Doctor Mysterio  - Doctor Who (PETER CAPALDI) (Credit: BBC)
Peter Capaldi has been talking about his future in Doctor Who and has revealed he hasn't decided yet whether to stay on for a fourth series.

Talking to Wales Online the actor was asked about his plans for the future.
I've been asked to stay on and I haven't made my mind up about that yet, mainly because I don't want to have to make that decision. I'm trying to avoid it!
Capaldi returns this Christmas in The Return of Doctor Mysterio, followed by a twelve part series, to be shown next Spring. Next year's Christmas special will be the last story under the aegis of current show-runner Steven Moffat.

New showrunner Chris Chibnall will take over for the 2018 series, but Capaldi has not yet decided whether to stay for the transition.
Doctor Who does take a lot of time, but it's a wonderful use of it. It's special. I'm lucky enough to be in touch with other Doctors, and we all agree how extraordinary it is to be in this position. To decide to leave is a tough decision for everybody. [It was] very tough for Steven, so I'm just putting it off for as long as possible.
Capaldi has already been seen in 28 episodes of Doctor Who, with another 13 in production.

In comparison, Matt Smith has, so far, appeared in 46 episodes and David Tennant in 49. All have a long way to go to catch the record of the longest-serving Doctor, Tom Baker, who has ranked up 174 episodes.

Actor Statistics
Source: Wales Online




FILTER: - Peter Capaldi

Christmas Issue of Radio TimesBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 7 December 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Radio Times Christmas issue (17-30 Dec 2016) (Credit: Radio Times)Today sees the nationwide publication of the 'lengendary' double edition of Radio Times, which features a second interview with Peter Capaldi in as many weeks!

Speaking about where he would go if he could travel in time, the Doctor Who star reflected on his pop-idols:
I never saw enough of David Bowie. And the last time he played in London, I had to give up my ticket as I had a job in Eastern Europe. My wife called me from the concert, held her phone up and let me hear the entirety of Heroes. It cost around 40 quid to hear that one song.

(The Beatles) were the soundtrack to our lives, growing up in the 1960s. I remember hearing She Loves You everywhere. That song is like a time machine. ... It came out in 1963 when I was five. Also in 1963, Doctor Who started on the BBC, and the Beatles appeared on it in 1965...

The full item can be read in Radio Times, which also includes an interview with UK Prime Minister, Theresa May on all things Christmas: speaking about what her TV schedule for Christmas would include, she said:
I always like to see Doctor Who on Christmas night, if possible, and a nice Agatha Christie to curl up with. David Suchet was a great Poirot – he got him to a T.

As well as the interviews, the magazine includes an exclusive photo-shoot featuring "Doctor Who in New York" with Peter Capaldi, Matt Lucas (Nardole) and Justin Chatwin (The Ghost), plus the last part of their competition to win a piece of exclusive artwork.

And, of course, full details on this year's Christmas Special, The Return of Doctor Mysterio!

Radio Times New York photoshoot (from 17-30 Dec 2016 double issue) (Credit: Radio Times)

The double-issue of Radio Times is on general sale nationwide today.





FILTER: - Merchandise - Peter Capaldi - Radio Times - Series Specials