The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: update

Sunday, 6 November 2022 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have announced four brand new stories in The Lucy Wilson Mysteries, the children-focussed series based around the exploits of the Brigadier's granddaughter.

The Ballad of the Borad

Written by Jonathan Macho

Cover and artwork by Steve Beckett

School trips are never simple when it comes to Lucy and Hobo. There’s always an adventure just around the corner.

Spending the day at Bristol Zoo, Lucy hopes to have a normal day out, but it’s not long before she realises the zoo has gone wild!

The animals have escaped and, Lucy’s no expert, but these animals aren’t quite what Lucy was expecting: a fish-bird, a cat-snake, a tortoise-spider and a huge, lumbering elephant-frog!

As Bristol Zoo welcomes visitors for the very last time in 2022, Lucy Wilson joins many other visitors in looking back at what makes the zoo special to her as she says a final goodbye.

Kick-starting the new quartet of adventures is fairly-new-to-the-scene author Jonathan Macho, with his short story The Ballad of the Borad, which is an action-packed tribute and farewell to the recently closed Bristol Zoo. Jonathan is an exciting new talent from Cardiff who’s first novel The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: The Serpent’s Tongue was very well received by fans of the series.

Jonathan said::

When Shaun asked me to pen a new story with Lucy and Hobo encountering the Borad and some animal hybrids at Bristol Zoo, it turned out to be a two-fold blessing. Not only did I get to spend more time with two characters I really love to write, but it gave me an excellent excuse to go to Bristol Zoo for ‘research’, just a few days before it closed down! The more I saw and learned about the Zoo and its history, the more clear it became that it was the perfect setting for a Lucy Wilson adventure. I hope I did such a special place justice.

The Invisible Women

Written by by John Peel

Cover and artwork by Steve Beckett

2020 has only just begun, and it already feels like it’s going to be full of back-to-back adventures as Lucy’s time ring sends her and Hobo on their second adventure of the year.

On arrival, our Ogmore-by-Sea teenage heroes have no idea where (or when) they are. They are just grateful that it isn’t lunchtime, as they crash land right in the middle of a dinner table surrounded by strange faces!

With invisible women lurking around every corner, how can they defeat someone when they can’t even see them? Add ghosts, ferocious fairies, Harry Houdini, HG Wells, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle into the mix, and this is one strange time travelling escapade. But who is the monster behind this kaleidoscope of calamities, and why does it want Lucy’s time ring?

Lucy and Hobo are about to find out…

Popular author John Peel, writer of the third book in the Lucy Wilson series The Midnight People, returns with his second full-length novel The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: The Invisible Women, but there’s a twist - the new novel crosses over with the ongoing Lethbridge-Stewart spin-off series, Travers & Wells.

Range editor Andy Frankham-Allen says:

First it was The Brigadier and the Bledoe Cadets paired with Lucy Wilson and the Bledoe Cadets and now… When it came time to discuss what our next crossover would be, Shaun suggested Lucy meeting up with Edward Travers and HG Wells. Then came the old ‘who to write it’, which almost always results in Shaun suggesting John Peel. I was on board with that, and knew John would be up for the challenge…

In The Invisible Women, Lucy is transported back in time for an Edwardian adventure that includes ghosts, ferocious fairies, Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as some irksome invisible women. On their adventure, Lucy and Hobo pair up with popular character in the Lethbridge-Stewart series Edward Travers and his companion HG Wells, in an attempt to stop the monster behind a kaleidoscope of calamities!

John said:

Writing the story was… interesting. The two books had to have separate plots that interlinked, and yet still made sense if read alone – which obviously took a bit of planning! And the last couple of chapters (the wrap-up) had to be the same, obviously, but told from two different perspectives. The only way I could imagine doing this was to write both books together as a single manuscript, so that I could be sure that the pacing worked out and the overlaps occurred at the same time in each tale, and then leave the two respective editors to disassemble the manuscript into two books. Hey, I wasn't going to do all of the work! I was expecting the process to be challenging, but because the editors and I had worked it out beforehand, it actually proved to be a lot smoother and easier than I had feared. And also a great deal more fun.

The Mystery of Lucy Wilson: Memories of the Future

Written by George Ivanoff

Cover and artwork by Steve Beckett

Melbourne, 1985. Matty is just an ordinary boy having an ordinary evening, browsing for books in his favourite sci-fi shop. Until he meets a girl. A girl who appears out of thin air, into a locked room, and can’t remember who she is or where she came from.

And then Matty’s day gets slightly less ordinary when he encounters time-travelling killer plant people from outer space.

For Matty to put things right, he must work out who his new friend Lucy Wilson is, and why he is suddenly not so ordinary.

Following on directly from The Invisible Women is The Mystery of Lucy Wilson: Memories of the Future by George Ivanoff, which is the first book in a three-part time travel adventure set in Australia.

George said:

The main theme of the book is memories. Lucy has travelled to Melbourne, Australia, in 1985 but has lost most of her memories. She can’t remember where or when she came from, or even who she is. Particularly important are the lost memories of her grandfather, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. In 1985, she befriends a boy named Matty who also has repressed memories. Weaving all those memories into the story as they begin to be reclaimed was the concept that inspired the novel.

Much of the book’s setting is based around my own teenage years. I grew up in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. The library and lifesaving club mentioned in the book were places that I used to ride my bike to. And, just like the characters in this book, in 1985 I attended Aussiecon 2, the 43rd World Science Fiction Convention, as Melbourne was the host city. It was heaps of fun, taking these elements from my formative years, and weaving them into Memories of the Future.

Fans of The Lucy Wilson Mysteries may notice the change in the series title to The Mystery of Lucy Wilson for this three-part instalment, because Lucy Wilson truly is a mystery to both herself and her new friends, but Lucy is not the only mystery in this story!

George continued:

I was really excited when I was told that I’d be able to use UNIT. in Memories of the Future. I ended up giving UNIT. an Australian branch. In my mind, they are off having other adventures around Australia now that Lucy has returned to her own place and time.”

The Mystery of Lucy Wilson: Rampage of the Drop Bears

Written by Baz Greenland

Cover and artwork by Steve Beckett

Melbourne, 1985. Fred’s best friend Matty has vanished. And now he’s found a new friend, Lucy Wilson.

Lucy doesn’t remember much about herself, but what she does know is that she’s from the future. But time travel isn’t possible, is it?

Aliens, drop bears on a rampage, a Pleistocene safari, a trip to Sydney Olympic Stadium in 2000, and a vicious baby running riot through time. Will Lucy and Fred ever be able to restore the timeline, or has their life as they knew it changed forever?

And last in the newly released quartet is The Mystery of Lucy Wilson: Rampage of the Drop Bears by Baz Greenland, which is the second book in the three-part time travel adventure set in Australia.

Baz said:

What better inspiration for a kid’s story than evil Koala Bears? I had so much fun stepping into the world of Lucy Wilson, and throwing her into a time travel adventure with one of Australia's greatest mythical monsters, the legendary drop bears!

Lucy finds herself back in Melbourne in 1985 and she still doesn’t know who she is or where and when she’s come from! All she does know is that her time ring seems to be defunct and she’s being taken on an even bigger adventure than she’s ever been on before.

Baz continued:

It's Gremlins meets a tour through Australia's rich history – from a trip to the Pleistocene era through to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. It was an honour to follow up a wonderful story by George Ivanoff and I hope Rampage of the Drop Bears delights fans, young and old!

The Invisible Women, The Battle of the Borad, Memories of the Future and Rampage of the Drop Bears are all available to pre-order via the Candy Jar shop and will be posted out at the end of October.

The third book in the Mystery of Lucy Wilson trilogy will conclude next year.

FILTER: - Candy Jar Books - Lucy Wilson - Books

The Doctor Who Project

Saturday, 5 November 2022 - Reported by Marcus

The Doctor Who Project (TDWP) is looking for original Doctor Who short stories for one of their two-story ranges – The Eleventh Doctor Adventures & Brief Encounters.

The Eleventh Doctor Adventures centres on the continuing adventures of the Eleventh Doctor and his current travelling companion Maggie Weitz, while Brief Encounters feature Doctors 1-7.

TDWP is a group of fan writers, artists, and editors who work together to bring an original collection of Doctor Who fiction for the reading enjoyment of fellow fans.

Stories are based on the original 1963-89 television series.

Stories are published in free downloadable PDF documents in a novel-like layout along with specially designed covers. The fiction is published and written by fans for fans.

If you’d like to submit a story idea or get a copy of the submission guidelines. Email TDWP at: thedoctorwhoproject@shaw.ca.

FILTER: - Fanzine

The Power of The Doctor: consolidated viewing figures

Monday, 31 October 2022 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The weekly consolidated ratings for the week 17-23 October have been released by BARB, indicating that Jodie Whittaker's swansong The Power of the Doctor achieved 5.295 million viewers, making it the second most watched programme on the Sunday and the fifth most watched programme overall for the week.

Top of the week went to Saturday's Strictly Come Dancing (which saw contestant Tyler West and dance partner Dianne Buswell performing the Tango to the Doctor Who theme) with some 9.894m, followed by Sunday's Results show with 8.634m; third place went to Channel 4's The Great British Bake Off with 7.794m, and ITV's Doc Martin was fourth with 5.610m.

The episode achieved 5.1m via TV viewing which placed it sixth (with Wednesday's Coronation Street some 46000 viewers more),; however, once other ways to watch were factored in (4-Screen) it enabled the episode to overtake the soap into fifth place by some 45000 extra viewers! Sunday's BBC News at 10 (which featured an interview with David Tennant on his return to the role) which originally was ahead of Doctor Who on overnights eventually settled into 23rd place with 3.919m viewers (very few people tend to watch the news on catchup unlike soaps and drama!)

Breaking down the ratings, the episode was watched by 2.37m viewers live, gaining another 1.25m/1.34m overnight via TV/4-Screen respectively (VOSDAL). The last seven days saw an additional 1.48m/1.59m catch up on the show.

The position marks the highest place the show has achieved since Whittker's first few episodes back in 2018 (where her debut hit the top spot and the next three episodes all made 4th place). It is also the highest veiwing figure for the show since The Halloween Apocalypse a year ago today.

The signed repeat of the episode broadcast early Saturday morning on BBC2 was watched by 35000 viewers.

Figures for other regions include ABC in Australia with 103000 viewers, and BBC America in the United States with 317000 viewers (64th place in the cable charts with a Neilsen 18-49 rating of 0.06).

FILTER: - Doctor Who - Ratings - Jodie Whittaker

Travers & Wells: The Invisible Women

Sunday, 30 October 2022 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have released details of their next (almost annual) crossover novel, this time bringing together the 'worlds' of Travers & Wells and The Lucy Wilson Mysteries, written by John Peel:

Travers & Wells: The Invisible Women

Written by John Peel

Cover by Richard Young

Wells had come to a post with a sign on it. He gestured to a poster that had been hastily slapped over the Rules and Regulations. It was at a bit of an angle, but very clear: PARK CLOSED, BEWARE OF THE FAIRIES.

Armed with new knowledge about their journey across parallel Earths, Edward Travers and HG Wells find themselves in 1919, London, on an Earth not too dissimilar from their own.

They are soon embroiled in a mystery surrounding fairies in St James’ Park. They are joined in their investigation by Leonora Goodwin, a woman with a secret… but at least they can see her! For on their heels are a group of invisible women, all intent on stealing Travers’ time ring for their own nefarious purposes. Someone is pulling the strings, orchestrating events, drawing Travers and Wells ever closer to an enemy from the past!

Luckily, they have a two secret allies. A bald-headed boy, and his friend… A brown girl with big hair and the most peculiar hat! Travers and Wells are not the only time travellers this time!

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen said:

First it was The Laughing Gnome, and then Bloodlines… and now… When it came time to discuss what our next crossover would be, Shaun suggested Lucy meeting up with Edward Travers and HG Wells. It was a great idea, and made a nice change from her bumping into her grandad. First we had Lucy without Hobo, then we tried to shake things up with the last crossover by not actually having Lucy in it at all (sort of), so this time we knew we definitely wanted Lucy and Hobo. Then came the old ‘who to write it’, which almost always results in Shaun suggesting John Peel. I was on board with that, and knew John would be up for the challenge…

John Peel said:

When I was just starting my writing career, Terry Nation offered me a lot of advice. One piece was this: ‘If an editor ever asks, “Can you write me this?” always say yes. Then panic. And then go away and work out how you'll do it.’ (He never took very much seriously.) But it was good advice, and made me accept some writing assignments I would otherwise have passed up. It was very applicable in this case, where I was asked to write two interlinked novels simultaneously and for different age groups – certainly nothing I would have attempted without being asked!

Andy continued:

John has written plenty for us so far, but he hadn’t done a Travers & Wells, and as I knew it was time to start thinking ahead, and working just how many books I actually wanted the series to be, it seemed John was the perfect choice to just go away and get on with the writing while I worried about the future.

John continued:

The characters were interesting – Professor Travers, explorer and scientist, matched with a young and somewhat naive Herbert George Wells – possessing great imagination, but very little actual experience. They're still learning to act as a team, and being thrown into bizarre and dangerous situations. And the challenge of writing something that would have the vague flavour of Wells' stories without actually copying him was intriguing. Writing the story was… interesting also. The two books had to have separate plots that interlinked, and yet still made sense if read alone – which obviously took a bit of planning! And the last couple of chapters (the wrap-up) had to be the same, obviously, but told from two different perspectives. The only way I could imagine doing this was to write both books together as a single manuscript, so that I could be sure that the pacing worked out and the overlaps occurred at the same time in each tale, and then leave the two respective editors to disassemble the manuscript into two books. Hey, I wasn't going to do all of the work! I was expecting the process to be challenging, but because the editors and I had worked it out beforehand, it actually proved to be a lot smoother and easier than I had feared. And also a great deal more fun.

Shaun Russell, Range Editor of The Lucy Wilson Mysteries said:

Being presented with two books, one not a Lucy Wilson, was interesting. It took a bit of wrangling to work out how to edit them. Andy edited both first, with his main focus on the Travers & Wells story, and then I primarily focused on the Lucy Wilson story, making sure everything still linked. We tweaked things in places, playing around with the respective perspectives. I think we’ve all pulled it off, and as this crossover sets up a big shift in the Lucy Wilson books, I’m looking forward to seeing what people make of it.

The Invisible Women can be ordered from the Candy Jar website.

The series continues next year with A Modern Shangri-La by Sarah Groenewegen, and The First Moon by Andy Frankham-Allen.

FILTER: - Candy Jar Books

Fourteenth Doctor’s Costume at MCM Comic Con

Thursday, 27 October 2022 - Reported by Marcus

Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant) (Credit: BBC Studios)

With the news that David Tennant has returned to the TARDIS as the Fourteenth Doctor, fans will have a chance to get a first look in person at the new Doctor’s costume at London MCM Comic Con.

Viewers to Sunday night's special saw Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor regenerate on screen into David Tennant, who returns for Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary. Tennant last appeared on screen as the Tenth Doctor in 2010.

The Fourteenth Doctor’s costume will be on show at London’s Excel between 28-30th October, where thousands of fans will come together to celebrate all things pop culture. As well as the Doctor’s outfit, fans will get a glimpse of Catherine Tate’s returning companion Donna Noble’s costume too.

Vanessa Hamilton, Director of Brand for Doctor Who, at BBC Studios, said:

The beginning of a new era is always an exciting time and what better way to celebrate than by giving fans an opportunity to see the new Doctor’s costume in person. We know thousands of Doctor Who fans attend London Comic Con and, following its first appearance on Sunday’s episode, we hope fans will be as delighted to see the Fourteenth Doctor’s costume as we are to display it.

Fans will be able to see the Fourteenth Doctor’s costume in person at the Doctor Who stand.

Exclusive items from Forbidden Planet and Titan Merchandise’s Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Collection will also be available for fans to buy.

FILTER: - Fourteenth Doctor - David Tennant

Series Four tops Online Poll

Thursday, 27 October 2022 - Reported by Marcus

In a RadioTimes.com online poll that attracted over 10,000 votes, Doctor Who season 4, David Tennant's last, was voted the best series since the show returned in 2005.

The poll, which ran from 10-20 October, asked fans: What's the best series of Doctor Who? (2005 Revival era) and listed all 13 seasons giving fans a chance to look back on some classic moments and episodes as the show gears up for its 60th-anniversary celebrations.

Season 4 was the clear winner with 24% of votes.

Morgan Jeffery, Executive Editor of RadioTimes.com said:

Despite some stiff competition, Doctor Who's fourth series from 2008 has been voted the best of the modern era in this blockbuster poll, which pulled in votes from thousands of fans.

Starring David Tennant as the ever-popular Tenth Doctor and Catherine Tate as the fiery and fantastic Donna Noble, this series was a perfect showcase of everything the show can do, from the larks of Partners in Crime to the chills of Midnight and the blockbuster thrills of two-part finale The Stolen Earth / Journey's End.

It's also a result that bodes well for the programme's imminent 60th anniversary celebrations, which will see award-winning writer/producer Russell T Davies resume his showrunner mantle and Tennant and Tate both returning for new adventures in time and space.

Full details here

FILTER: - Series 4/30 - Radio Times

Ncuti Gatwa's guide to Doctor Who

Tuesday, 25 October 2022 - Reported by Chuck Foster

60th Anniversary Specials: The Doctor (NCUTI GATWA) (Credit: BBC)

As part of the promotion for the new series and the deal with Disney, the BBC have released a video featuring the next Doctor Ncuti Gatwa discussing the role and what he'd like to see and do in his episodes.

Ncuti Gatwa's guide to Doctor Who

FILTER: - Doctor Who - Ncuti Gatwa

Disney+ to become Doctor Who's international streaming platform for future series

Tuesday, 25 October 2022 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The BBC have announced a deal with Disney Branded Television to provide Doctor Who on its streaming platform Disney+ internationally, including a new (but familiar looking!) logo for the series.

Under a shared creative vision, the two organisations will deliver the series using Disney+ as the exclusive home for new seasons outside the UK and Ireland. The announcement was made by the next Doctor Ncuti Gatwa during an appearance on American breakfast show Live with Kelly and Ryan this morning.

The new episodes will premiere on the BBC and Disney+ beginning in late 2023 for fans all over the world.

The show is produced in Wales by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios Production. Showrunner Russell T Davies said

I love this show, and this is the best of both worlds – with the vision and joy of the BBC and Disney+ together we can launch the TARDIS all around the planet, reaching a new generation of fans while keeping our traditional home firmly on the BBC in the UK.

Charlotte Moore, BBC's Chief Content Officer said:

We are thrilled to announce this exciting global partnership with Disney who are the perfect partners to bring this very British show to the rest of the world. Russell T Davies' vision for Doctor Who has always been out of this world and we are committed to ensuring that audiences across the globe get the opportunity to enjoy the Doctor's epic adventures with the scale and ambition that they deserve. Joining forces with Disney will elevate the show to even greater heights and reach new audiences so it's an extremely exciting time for fans in the UK and across the world.

Alisa Bowen, President of Disney+ said:

We're excited by the opportunity to bring new seasons of this beloved franchise exclusively to Disney+ and introduce the show to the next generation of audiences in more than 150 markets around the world. The series is a perfect addition to our ever-growing catalog of global content that continues to make Disney+ the home for exceptional storytelling.

Ayo Davis, President of Disney Branded Television said:

Doctor Who has captivated the imaginations of families around the world for the past six decades. We are so excited about this collaboration with the BBC, and the opportunity to bring this iconic franchise – and Russell T Davies' brilliant vision – to life for a huge new global audience. Grab your sonic screwdrivers and prepare to travel through time and space!"

Rebecca Glashow, CEO, Global Distribution, BBC Studios says:

We're delighted to join forces with a partner who shares our vision and ambition for one of the most iconic shows in British TV history. This is great news for everyone who loves Doctor Who, and for all the new fans we will reach through this powerful partnership.

Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner, Executive Producers and Co-founders, Bad Wolf, said:

For Doctor Who to have the backing of two of the most innovative and respected media organizations in the world is a testament to the unique drive and vision at the heart of this show. Bad Wolf are beyond delighted to be once again working with the genius that is Russell T Davies and, with the exciting new partnership between the BBC and Disney, we can together reach to even greater heights, producing from Wolf Studios Wales ambitious stories through time and space for audiences across the globe.

FILTER: - Doctor Who - Broadcasting - International

The Power of The Doctor - Appreciation Index

Tuesday, 25 October 2022 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The Power of The Doctor: Cybermen (Credit: BBC)

The Power of the Doctor achieved an Audience Appreciation Index score of 82.

The appreciation index or AI is a measure of how much the audience enjoyed the programme. The score, out of a hundred, is compiled by a specially selected panel of around 5,000 people who go online and rate and comment on programmes.

The score of 82 is the highest figure Doctor Who has achieved since the same score was recorded against the 2020 series finale The Timeless Children, with the intervening eight episodes of 2021/22 only averaging 76.6.

Jodie Whittaker's tenure saw the audience appreciation index range from its lowest score of 75 for Once, Upon Time to its highest of 83 with her debut story The Woman Who Fell To Earth alongside Rosa, Arachnids In The UK, and the following season's Fugitive of the Judoon.

The overall average for the whole of the 13th Doctor's era of 31 episodes is 79.6.

You can review the complete list of AIs scored over Doctor Who's history via our guide.

FILTER: - Doctor Who - Specials - Ratings

The next Doctor(s)

Tuesday, 25 October 2022 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The Power of The Doctor: The new Doctor (DAVID TENNANT) (Credit: BBC)

The finale of The Power of the Doctor saw Jodie Whittaker's Doctor regenerate into a surprisingly familiar face in the form of the 10th Doctor David Tennant! The actor was announced as returning back in May 2022 alongside Catherine Tate, reprising her former role as sidekick Donna. At the time showrunner Russell T Davies teased:

Maybe this is a missing story. Or a parallel world. Or a dream, or a trick, or a flashback. The only thing I can confirm is that it’s going to be spectacular, as two of our greatest stars reunite for the battle of a lifetime.

However, with Tennant now revealed to be the 14th Doctor, quite why this has occured and how it will lead into the next Doctor played by Ncuti Gatwa remains a mystery, with Davies commenting:

If you thought the appearance of David Tennant was a shock, we’ve got plenty more surprises on the way! The path to Ncuti’s Fifteenth Doctor is laden with mystery, horror, robots, puppets, danger and fun! And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? How, what, why? We’re giving you a year to speculate, and then all hell lets loose!

Three specials have been filmed for the 60th anniversary and are due to be shown in November 2023, with Ncuti Gatwa's first official episode to be broadcast over the following festive period.