Doctor Who Magazine 485

Thursday, 26 March 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Ten years after the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) grabbed the arm of Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) and told her to "Run!", Doctor Who is still going strong, as one of the greatest TV success stories of the past decade. Doctor Who Magazine celebrates this milestone with a special commemorative issue that comes with four different covers, each one featuring one of the twenty-first century Doctors – Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi!

Doctor Who Magazine Issue 285 (Ninth Doctor cover) (Credit: Doctor Who Magazine) Doctor Who Magazine Issue 285 (Tenth Doctor cover) (Credit: Doctor Who Magazine) Doctor Who Magazine Issue 285 (Eleventh Doctor cover) (Credit: Doctor Who Magazine) Doctor Who Magazine Issue 285 (Twelfh Doctor cover) (Credit: Doctor Who Magazine)

Inside the issue, we look back on the show's success, with contributions from writers Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Robert Shearman, Paul Cornell, Toby Whithouse, Gareth Roberts, Chris Chibnall, Peter Harness and Jamie Mathieson, as well as from BBC Head of Drama Commissioning Ben Stephenson, who gives his view on the future of Doctor Who...

Also inside the new issue:
  • Russell T Davies, the writer of the landmark first episode, Rose, and many other episodes since, looks back on his first Doctor Who script, and shares brand new information about bringing the Doctor back to our screens.
  • DWM tracks down a guest star from each and every one of the ten Ninth Doctor adventures, including Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler), Yasmin Bannerman (Jabe the Tree), Alan David (Gabriel Sneed), Alan Ruscoe (the Slitheen and other creatures), Barnaby Edwards (the Dalek), Bruno Langley (Adam Mitchell), Shaun Dingwall (Pete Tyler), Florence Hoath (Nancy), Annette Badland (Blon Fel-Fotch Passameer Day Slitheen) and Jo Joyner (Lynda 'with a Y' Moss).
  • Doctor Who's first director of the modern era, Keith Boak, is interviewed, looking back on the making of Rose, Aliens of London and World War Three.
  • Doctor Who's first ever director, Waris Hussein, concludes his look back over the epic lost adventure from 1964, Marco Polo.
  • DWM pays tribute to 1980s director Fiona Cumming, who passed away earlier in the year.
  • The Doctor and Clara visit Antarctica in Part One of Blood and Ice, a brand-new comic strip written by Jacqueline Rayner and illustrated by Martin Geraghty.
  • Steven Moffat answers readers’ questions – and speculates about Osgood's family connections!
  • Jacqueline Rayner reflects on what life would have been like if Doctor Who had never returned in Relative Dimensions.
  • The DWM Review assesses the very latest Doctor Who audio and book releases.
  • The Watcher reveals the connection between Doctor Who and Dr Carl Sagan, in the latest Wotcha!
  • The DWM Crossword, prize-winning competitions, official news and much more!

Doctor Who Magazine 485 will be on general release from Thursday 2 April.




FILTER: - DWM

The Essential Doctor Who - The Master

Thursday, 19 March 2015 - Reported by Marcus
The Essential Doctor Who - The Master (Credit: Panini)
The latest issue of Panini’s The Essential Doctor Who is devoted to the Doctor’s most dangerous opponent: the Master.

Over 116 pages of all-new material, the latest issue of The Essential Doctor Who examines every Master story – from Terror of the Autons to Death in Heaven – and profiles the actors who have brought the villainous Time Lord to life.

Writer and co-creator Terrance Dicks, Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Richard Franklin (Captain Yates) and Matthew Waterhouse (Adric) discuss their special links to the character, and there is an exclusive new interview with Michelle Gomez, who reveals what it was like to take on one of the most famous roles in Doctor Who.

Elsewhere in this issue, Andrew Pixley applies his scrutiny to The Pandora Machine and Time Inc, early drafts of better known stories that cast the Master in a new light.

“The Master has been an essential part of Doctor Who for 45 years and is central to the current episodes,” says editor Marcus Hearn. “This issue compiles his/her complete story for the first time.”

The Essential Doctor Who: The Master is on sale now, price £9.99.




FILTER: - DWM

Doctor Who Magazine 484

Thursday, 5 March 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Doctor Who Magazine Issue 484 (Credit: DWM)The new edition of Doctor Who Magazine is out today, in which series lead writer Steven Moffat reflects on last year's series and tells DWM how the Doctor might change in the next season...

We're not bringing him back exactly as we left him, at all, I think that was already evident at Christmas. He's left some of the burden of being a superhero of the universe behind. So I'm pushing him – I'm writing quite funny this year – I'm pushing him the other way...

Also inside this issue:
  • Paul McGann, the eighth Doctor, gives his opinion on Peter Capaldi's incarnation, and how it's changed how he thinks about the Doctor. Plus, an exclusive preview of the new Doctor Who audio series, Dark Eyes 4, including contributions from Alex Macqueen (the Master).
  • Bonnie Langford, who played Mel – companion to the sixth and seventh Doctors – in the 1980s, recalls her turbulent time on the show.
  • Doctor Who's very first director, Waris Hussein, continues his guide to the making of the classic 1964 adventure Marco Polo, with the help of unique documents unseen for more than 50 years.
  • Discover fascinating new facts about the 1972 third Doctor adventure The Time Monster in The Fact of Fiction.
  • In a special feature, the Watcher solves the mystery of when the Doctor was first revealed not to be human.
  • There's trouble in storage for Doctor and Clara in Space Invaders!, a brand-new comic strip written by Mark Wright and illustrated by Mike Collins.
  • Steven Moffat answer readers’ questions – and speculates about the return of the CyberBrig!
  • The Time Team take a side-step to watch Peter Capaldi star in the dark Doctor Who spin-off, Torchwood: Children of Earth.
  • Jacqueline Rayner reflects on fear and terror in Doctor Who in Relative Dimensions.
  • The DWM Review assesses the very latest Doctor Who audio and book releases.
  • The Watcher celebrates the man who played the Doctor, William Hartnell, in the latest Wotcha!
  • The DWM Crossword, prize-winning competitions, official news and much more!




FILTER: - DWM - Steven Moffat

Latest circulation figures for DWM/DWA

Wednesday, 4 March 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The latest circulation figures for publications have been released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations for the July to December 2014 period, revealing that Doctor Who Magazine has remained stable in its circulation (with only a slight dip of 0.4%), whilst Doctor Who Adventures has seen an improvement in its circulation of some 4.9%.

During the Jan-Jun period last year both publications had suffered in their circulations, with DWM decreasing by some 7% and DWA losing nearly a third of its readers - this period occured as the celebrations of the 50th Anniversary cooled off and no new Doctor Who on the horizon on television until the late Summer. However, breakdown by issues show that both publications saw a huge boost as the series returned (with August's figures for DWM and DWA showing 35,559 and 26,830 respectively). Figures dropped as the series progressed, but improved again by December for the Christmas Special. The full breakdowns can be found by clicking on the relevant linked publication certificate below.

 Jul-Dec 2009Jan-Jun 2010Jul-Dec 2010Jan-Jun 2011Jul-Dec 2011Jan-Jun 2012Jul-Dec 2012Jan-Jun 2013Jul-Dec 2013Jan-Jun 2014Jul-Dec 2014
Doctor Who Magazine29,00035,374 (+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%)
Doctor Who Adventures44,66453,559 (+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%)
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.

Overall, the 2014 average for DWM shows that their readership has remained stable, with a less than 1% change; however, DWA has shorn some 22.6% of its readership compared to the previous year (the magazine has now switched from fortnightly to monthly so the next biannual report will reflect the less frequent publication).

DWM's editor, Tom Spilsbury, said:
Everyone at Panini is delighted that Doctor Who Magazine's sales have managed to hold so steady, despite overall sales for the magazine industry dropping once more. It's remarkable that our figures for 2014 were pretty much level with those for 2013, which of course coincided with the 50th anniversary. A huge thanks to all of DWM's loyal readers – we hope you'll stay with us over the coming months, as we've got lots of fascinating stuff to come, before the new series starts in the autumn.

Figures for January-June this year are expected to be released in August.





FILTER: - Circulation - DWA - DWM - Magazines

Doctor Who Magazine 483

Wednesday, 4 February 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Doctor Who Magazine 483 (Credit: DWM)The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine is officially out tomorrow, and features the first major interview with Paul Wilmshurst, director of the recent Doctor Who episodes Kill the Moon, Mummy on the Orient Express and Last Christmas.

We were all very proud of the fact that the Mummy was so scary they wouldn't put it in the series trailer. It's always about how far can you go? I think the old joke is true: how complicated can you make it to hold a child's attention, and how simple can you make it for adults? Can you make it scary enough for the children to be satisfied, but not too scary for the adults to be worried?


Also inside this issue:
  • Doctor Who's very first director, Waris Hussein, reveals how the classic 1964 adventure Marco Polo was made – with the help of unique documents unseen for 50 years!
  • Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat answer readers’ questions – including one from former showrunner Russell T Davies! – in his exclusive column.
  • Peter Purves, who played companion Steven Taylor in the 1960s, looks back at some of his most memorable adventures in the second part of an exclusive interview.
  • DWM presents an exclusive prelude to the new series of books featuring Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart, in the form of a complete short story by Andy Frankham-Allan: The Ambush.
  • Bernard Kay, the much-loved actor who appeared in four Doctor Who stories, is remembered by his friend Toby Hadoke.
  • The Doctor and Clara tackle both Sontarans and Rutans in the concluding part of The Instruments of War, a brand-new comic strip written and illustrated by Mike Collins.
  • En garde! Discover fascinating new facts about the swashbuckling Fourth Doctor adventure The Androids of Tara in The Fact of Fiction.
  • The Time Team watch the Tenth Doctor take a bus to alien world, as they visit the Planet of the Dead.
  • Jacqueline Rayner demonstrates the fun to be had in spotting Doctor Who actors in other roles in Relative Dimensions.
  • The DWM Review assesses the very latest Doctor Who audio and book releases.
  • The Watcher examines the changing nature of history in Doctor Who, in the latest Wotcha!
  • The DWM Crossword, prize-winning competitions, official news and much more!




FILTER: - DWM - Merchandise

Doctor Who Magazine 482

Wednesday, 7 January 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Doctor Who Magazine Issue 482 (Credit: Doctor Who Magazine)The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine is published this week, and features an interview with Jenna Coleman, during which she discusses the loves and lives of Clara Oswald:
DWM asks Jenna if the Doctor and Clara can finally move on in their relationship – and after the sacrifice of Danny Pink, can things ever be the same again? "I think so," Jenna says. "But they are a bit addicted to each other, and to the dynamic that they share. It's getting so that one can't go without the other, and I think that's definitely what Clara's realised. In a way that's quite dangerous now, because she realises that there is no going back for her..."

Also inside this issue:

  • Rachel Talalay, director of the 2014 series finale two-part finale, reveals the secrets of how Death in Heaven was brought to the screen.
  • Peter Purves, who starred as companion Steven Taylor in the 1960s, talks in-depth about his time on Doctor Who.
  • Discover fascinating new facts about the acclaimed seventh Doctor story The Greatest Show in Galaxy in The Fact of Fiction.
  • Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat answers readers’ questions – including the knotty problem of the Doctor's many wives! – in his exclusive column.
  • Writer David Fisher, who wrote three memorable stories for the fourth Doctor in the 1970s, revisits his work.
  • The Doctor and Clara face Sontarans and Nazis as The Instruments of War continues, a brand-new comic strip written and illustrated by Mike Collins.
  • Sarah Jane and the Brigadier are reunited, as the Time Team watch The Sarah Jane Adventures: Enemy of the Bane.
  • Jaqueline Rayner wonders how the Doctor's companions would get on in the Cubs in Relative Dimensions.
  • Last Christmas is put under the spotlight in The DWM Review.
  • The Watcher considers the many surprising ways that Doctor Who stories can change from script to screen in Wotcha!.
  • The Watcher gives the answers to his Fiendishly Festive Christmas Quiz! How well did you do?
  • Have your say on Peter Capaldi’s first series as the Doctor in the DWM Season Survey.
Plus the DWM Crossword, prize-winning competitions, and much more!




FILTER: - DWM

Doctor Who Magazine - The 2015 Yearbook

Wednesday, 17 December 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The 2015 Yearbook (Credit: Doctor Who Magazine)The latest Special Edition of Doctor Who Magazine reviews an incredible year for the programme, its spin-offs and licensed merchandise. Highlights include the magazine's first major interview with the show’s executive producer, Brian Minchin, in which he reflects on Peter Capaldi’s first year as the Doctor and looks forward to further adventures with the twelfth Doctor.

Editor Marcus Hearn said:
This is the Doctor Who Magazine almanac. We’ve taken a fresh look at every episode from Peter Capaldi’s first series, but we’ve also explored many other corners of the Doctor Who universe. For many fans, the television series is just part of a world that includes DVDs, Blu-rays, books, soundtrack albums, audio dramas and action figures. We’ve tried to reflect the last 12 months in all those different areas.

Also inside the 100 page issue:
  • Features on every episode in Peter Capaldi’s first series.
  • We speak to the team that accompanied Capaldi and Jenna Coleman on the Doctor Who World Tour.
  • Fourth Doctor Tom Baker discusses his return to television and audio Doctor Who.
  • Eighth Doctor Paul McGann reveals what he thinks about Capaldi’s Doctor.
  • Orchestrator and conductor Ben Foster previews the 2015 Symphonic Spectacular.
  • Inside the new ‘making of’ show, Doctor Who Extra.
  • Behind the scenes at the new Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff.
  • Interviews with some of the key players behind recent books, soundtracks, audio dramas, DVDs, Blu-rays and action figures.
  • Highlights from the year’s newspaper and magazine reviews of Doctor Who.
  • A round up of Doctor Who’s awards and honours from the last 12 months.
  • Detailed tributes to the Doctor Who luminaries who passed away in 2014.
  • ...and much more!

Doctor Who Magazine: The 2015 Yearbook is due out on Thursday 18 December.




FILTER: - DWM

Doctor Who Magazine 481

Wednesday, 10 December 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Doctor Who Magazine Issue 481 (Credit: Doctor Who Magazine)
Doctor Who Magazine Issue 481 in bag (Credit: Doctor Who Magazine)
The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine previews the festive special, Last Christmas, with head writer Steven Moffat giving the magazine the lowdown on the Doctor's face-off with Santa ...

I think I’m being pretty open that it’s Santa meets Alien meets The Thing from Another World meets Miracle on 34th Street. It’s a weird mash up! There’s a base under siege, there are scary monsters. It’s one of the scariest Christmas Specials we’ve made, actually...

Also inside this issue:
  • DWM talks exclusively to Santa himself, Nick Frost, along with his elf helpers, The Wolf and Ian, played by Nathan McMullen and Dan Starkey. Meanwhile, Michael Troughton, who plays Professor Albert, talks about making his television Doctor Who début, and his close family connection to the series.
  • Rachel Talalay, director of this year's phenomenal two-part finale, Dark Water and Death in Heaven, talks to DWM about the challenges of bringing this masterful Cyber-story to our screens.
  • DWM comic strip artist Mike Collins goes back to the drawing board and reveals all about his new role as a storyboard artist for the latest television series of Doctor Who.
  • Former showrunner Russell T Davies reveals new facts about 2007's Voyage of the Damned in The Fact of Fiction!
  • This year gave us a new series and a fantastic new Doctor, and DWM looks over the past 12 months with the Review of 2014!
  • The first part of a brand-new comic strip for the Twelfth Doctor and Clara as they embark on a wartime desert adventure in The Instruments of War, written and illustrated by Mike Collins.
  • The intrepid Time Team passes comment on 2008’s festive Cyber-Special The Next Doctor.
  • It may be Christmas, but Steven Moffat still has time to answer readers’ questions in his exclusive column.
  • Jaqueline Rayner compiles her Christmas wish-list for Relative Dimensions.
  • The Watcher presents his annual Fiendishly Festive Christmas Quiz!
  • Have your say on Peter Capaldi’s first series as the Doctor in the DWM Season Survey.
  • Dark Water and Death in Heaven are put under the spotlight in The DWM Review.
  • The Watcher goes back to the early days of Doctor Who merchandise in Wotcha!.
  • The DWM Crossword, competitions, and much more!

The bumper-sized 100 page DWM Issue 481, which includes a giant double-sided poster, is out tomorrow.




FILTER: - DWM - Magazines

Doctor Who Magazine 480

Wednesday, 12 November 2014 - Reported by Harry Ward
Doctor Who Magazine 480 (Credit: BBC/Panini UK/Doctor Who Magazine) The next issue of Doctor Who Magazine is out in shops across the UK tomorrow and features a revelation from Michelle Gomez about Missy...

She told DWM:
Everything about making the Master the Mistress kind of ups the ante, it makes everything that little bit more dangerous. It blows open this Pandora's box.
Asked whether Missy will be returning next year, Gomez replied:
Yes. 'Yes' is my answer. I'll be back. Can I say that? Am I allowed? If not... well, I guess we'll have to see how she's received...

Also in this issue:
  • DWM interviews Douglas Mackinnon, the director of Listen, Time Heist and Flatline.
  • Steven Moffat answers readers’ questions in his exclusive column.
  • DWM investigates the question: 'Is the Doctor a good man?'
  • Toby Hadoke pays tribute to the late Lynda Bellingham, the actress who played the Inquistitor in 1986's The Trial of a Time Lord.
  • Siobhan Redmond, the new Rani, talks exclusively to DWM about her first audio story.
  • The Doctor and Clara’s comic strip adventures continue in The Eye of Torment written by Scott Gray, with art by Martin Geraghty.
  • The Fact of Fiction investigates the classic 2005 Ninth Doctor adventure The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.
  • The Time Team comments on the blockbuster 2008 Tenth Doctor episode Journey's End.
  • Jacqueline Rayner has to stay up late for her Doctor's appointment in Relative Dimensions.
  • The DWM Review examines Flatline and In the Forest of the Night.
  • The Watcher looks at subtitle howlers in Wotcha!
  • The DWM crossword, prize-winning competitions and much more!
Doctor Who Magazine 480 is on sale from Thursday 13 November 2014, priced £4.99.





FILTER: - DWM

The Essential Doctor Who - Alien Worlds

Tuesday, 4 November 2014 - Reported by Harry Ward
The latest in Doctor Who Magazine's special bookazine releases, The Essential Doctor Who, is on sale now at WH Smiths and all good newsagents, priced at £9.99.
The Essential Doctor Who - Alien Worlds (Credit: Panini UK) Issue 3 of The Essential Doctor Who comprises 116 pages of all-new material devoted to the numerous planets we have seen the Doctor visit. This comprehensive guide begins at Alfava Metraxis and ends at Zolfa-Thura. In between are entries on such significant locations as Karn and obscurities such as Tigus.

As well as this exhaustive encyclopedia, Alien Worlds includes an introductory overview by Toby Hadoke, an article by the Public Astronomer Dr Marek Kukula, a feature by Mark Wright on the history of Doctor Who production design and an interview with the lead writer and editors of Doctor Who Magazine’s comic strip. Other highlights include maps of Marinus, Dulkis and Spiridon by illustrator Paul Smith.

“Alien Worlds is a departure from the style of earlier issues,” says editor Marcus Hearn. “The encyclopaedic format has enabled us to cover everything from 1963 to 2014, and to harmonise the sometimes complicated histories of worlds such as Skaro, Trenzalore and the Moon. We’ve packed in a huge amount of information, but designer Peri Godbold has ensured that each page looks beautiful.”




FILTER: - DWM - Magazines