The Magician's Apprentice: Synopsis:

Where is the Doctor? When the skies of Earth are frozen by a mysterious alien force, Clara needs her friend. But where is the Doctor, and what is he hiding from?

As past deeds come back to haunt him, old enemies will come face-to-face, and for the Doctor and Clara survival seems impossible.

Writer: Steven Moffat
Director: Hettie Macdonald
Producer: Peter Bennett
Cast: Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman

Guest cast: Michelle Gomez, Jemma Redgrave, Kelly Hunter, Clare Higgins, Jaye Griffiths, Harki Bhambra, Daniel Hoffmann-Gill, Joey Price, Aaron Neil, India Ria Amarteifio, Dasharn Anderson, Demi Papaminas, Jami Reid-Quarrell, Benjamin Cawley, Stefan Adegbola, Shin-Fei Chen, Lucy Newman-Williams, Barnaby Edwards, Nicholas Pegg, Jonathon Ojinnaka.

I’d no idea who would take over from Matt Smith, and when I was told it was Peter, it was one of those ‘aha, that makes sense – genius’ kind of moments. But the first thing he said to me was, ‘There will be no romance in the Tardis.’

It’s a difficult show to act. It goes from B-movie sci-fi to Freudian drama and tragedy. There’s romance, pantomime, humour and sadness, so you’re kept on your toes. I try not to be too romantic or sentimental. Sometimes Jenna will run down a corridor shouting, ‘Doctor, there’s a monster,’ and stuff. Part of the tradition is that sets wobble and you have to fight a giant spider made of rubber. I enjoy that. It’s not so well budgeted as viewers might think but it looks great because of the talent of the people working on it. 

Everyone involved's just had so much fun that we didn't want to stop, and Big Finish said, "It's okay, you don't have to". We've already got the first script in and it's a delight.

It’s wonderful to be able to commit so soon to a second series of Torchwood, this is completely down to the immense support we have received from the fans of the series. We are delighted to be continuing the adventures of Captain Jack and his team!

I couldn’t really imagine that the response to our Torchwood series wouldn’t be positive, so I’m very pleased not to have been proved wrong. The series has so many dedicated followers and the audios have been written, directed and produced with such love for the source material. James Goss, as producer, has brought so much enthusiasm and joy to the project. I find myself hoping every day that I’ll receive another excited email from him.

And we’re so grateful that the brilliant stars of Torchwood have come in to record and have been so bloomin’ good! Russell T Davies has been so supportive and full of encouragement too. Frankly, we had no choice but to get on with a second series as soon as possible.

Doctor Who: The Time Lord Letters
Published 24th September 2015 [pre-order]

The Time Lord Letters is a unique collection of over one hundred letters, notes, and jottings both by and to the Doctor – correspondence by turns entertaining and inspiring, funny and flippant, brilliant and incredible.

From the Doctor’s plea to the Time Lords to help end the War Games to an extract from the written defence he submitted at his subsequent trial; from his application for the post of Caretaker at Coal Hill School to his apology to the Queen for missing dinner; from telepathic messages to the High Council on Gallifrey to his famous letter to Santa Claus – like the Doctor himself, the mood can change in an instant.

The Time Lord Letters captures the best and most dramatic moments of an impossible life. You’ll never see the Doctor in quite the same way again.


About the authors:

The Doctor was born on Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous, and graduated from Prydon Academy when he was an older man than he is now. After spending some time as a wanderer in the fourth dimension together with his granddaughter Susan, the Doctor came to regard himself as a citizen of the universe. He has travelled extensively through time and space, as well as spending a period as Scientific Advisor to the secretive UNIT organisation. Now in his twelfth incarnation (or possibly his thirteenth – accounts vary), the Doctor has been saving the Universe for as long as he can remember. Possibly longer. His real name – if he has one – is unknown.

Justin Richards has written for stage and screen as well as writing novels and graphic novels including The Suicide Exhibition and The Blood Red City. Justin currently acts as Creative Consultant to BBC Books’ range of Doctor Who titles, as well as writing quite a few himself.

Doctor Who: Impossible Worlds
Published 29th October [pre-order]

For the first time, the Doctor Who Art Department are opening their doors to reveal a unique, behind-the-scenes look at one of the most loved series on British Television.

Whether it’s iconic sets like the TARDIS console room, recurring villains like the Daleks or the Cybermen, or the smallest hand prop featured in the briefest of scenes, this book showcases the work of the Doctor Who art department in glorious detail.

Discover how the designers work with the costume, make-up and special effects teams to produce the alien worlds, and how the work has evolved from the programme’s ‘classic’ era to the panoramic alien worlds and technologies that delight audiences today.

Featuring hundreds of never-before-seen sketches and concept artworks, Doctor Who: Impossible Worlds opens the doors to 50 years of astonishing creative work from one of the most inventive shows on television.


About the authors:

Stephen Nicholas was the supervising art director for Doctor Who, and helped oversee the regeneration of the art department for the new series in 2004. The longest serving member of the Doctor Who art department, he also art directed Torchwood and the Sarah Jane Adventures. He lives in Cardiff. This is his first book.

Mike Tucker is the author of numerous books for film and television, including several original ‘Doctor Who’ novels. A former member of the BBC’s Visual Effects Department, he now runs The Model Unit, which recently won a BAFTA Craft Award for its miniature effects work on the 50th anniversary Doctor Who episode ‘The Day of the Doctor’. He lives in London.