This issue of Doctor Who Adventures celebrates the arrival of the Christmas Special with an exclusive preview of The Next Doctor featuring photos of the characters and a two-page photo-story of the first couple of minutes of the story. The bumper issue also contains a mega competition to win loads of Who goodies, a Cyberman mask, a massive Christmas quiz, and a special festive comic. The magazine also comes with a Christmas bumper gift pack containing a monster popper folder, a set of colouring pencils, an eraser and a sketch pad.

The Christmas bumper special of Doctor Who Adventures is on sale 18th Dec 2008 – 1st Jan 2009.

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, out this week, features an interview with the Next Doctor himself, actor David Morrissey, who talks about his role in the forthcoming Christmas Special.

Was David surprised at the reaction to his casting? "I wasn't expecting that level of interest, really, but it's come thick and fast. I don't think you can be aware of the world of Doctor Who until you're in it, really, and I hadn't been aware of what a huge show it is, not in the sense of people's interest, how deep that goes. And I was quite surprised by the amounts of texts and emails I got from people asking me if I was the next Doctor."

The issue takes an exclusive look at Christmas Special, with cast and crew interviews, and Russell T Davies looks forward to next year's specials. And DWM look back fondly on what happened during 2008.

The latest issue of the BBC's Radio Times listings magazine goes on sale across the UK today, publishing on a Saturday rather than a Tuesday as the magazine's release schedule increases in the run-up to Christmas. The edition, covering December 6th to 12th, is currently previewed on the Radio Times website.

It features an extensive preview of the forthcoming Christmas special, "The Next Doctor", including a front cover picture of David Tennant and guest starDavid Morrissey, with a fold-out section including the adversaries they will face in the episode. Including multiple covers, this is the 23rd time the series has been granted the honour of the front page of the magazine since its return in 2005; the 8th in 2008 alone, and the 45th in the show's 45-year history.

As well as previewing "The Next Doctor", Radio Times also has a behind-the-scenes feature marking the return of the Brigadier to our TV screens in The Sarah Jane Adventures.

In addition, the issue looks back at 2008, with celebrities including Catherine Tate.

Press Release

The Brig is back! Actor Nicholas Courtney, who first appeared in Doctor Who in 1968, is returning as Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart in The Sarah Jane Adventures. DWM caught up with Nick and asked him about his latest call to action.

So, how does Lethbridge-Stewart pop up in Sarah Jane's world again?
"Well, Sarah Jane needs some help, yes. She comes to see me, and when she tells me where she wants to go, my face falls. But we manage!" Nick laughs heartily. "We have a lovely moment. According to the producer, it works very well when Sarah comes into the room, and we're meeting again. Lis has a line, 'I'm going to see an old friend about this,' and the next shot is her coming into my house"

Also in DWM 402

• Major Revelations!
  Phil Collinson, the man who oversaw the return of Doctor Who as its producer from 2004-2008, talks frankly to DWM in his first major interview since leaving the series.
• Commander Kaagh!
  Kaagh the Sontaran, aka actor Anthony O'Donnell and Mrs Wormwood, aka Samantha Bond, talk exclusively to DWM about the finale of The Sarah Jane Adventures Series Two!
• Chief Caretaker!
  Killer robots, girl gangs, murderous caretakers and cannibalistic old ladies – it’s all in a day’s work for the Time Team! Join them as they “build high for happiness” while watching the 1987 adventure, Paradise Towers.
• Corporal Punishment!
  It’s a jailhouse shock as all hell breaks loose in the space gulag! DWM’s latest comic strip, Thinktwice, reaches its surprising conclusion.
• Private Thoughts!
  Doctor Who’s Commander-in-Chief, Russell T Davies, confides in DWM readers about Red Bull, Primeval fans and competing against Julie Walters in Production Notes.
• General Musings!
  Neil Harris suggests the real reason behind the popularity of Lethbridge-Stewart in You are Not Alone.
• Brigadier Bambera!
  The Fact of Fiction examines 1989’s Battlefield and finds out just what happened when Lethbridge-Stewart met his successor, Brigadier Winifred Bambera.

Plus! All the very latest news, reviews, previews and competitions… and a FREE 16-page bonus magazine!

DWM 402, out now,across the UK


Doctor Who Magazine Special: In Their Own Words – Volume 5

For almost 30 years, Doctor Who Magazine has documented the making of this unique television series, interviewing every major player, be they actors, directors, producers, designers, writers... even monsters! This Special Edition gathers together the best of these interviews, as the cast and crew themselves recall their part in the history of Doctor Who, making for a frank, forthright, and insightful memoir – in turns funny, poignant, and surprising. To illustrate their story, DWM has selected hundreds of amazing pictures – iconic images from the BBC archives, alongside less familiar shots from private collections.

In Their Own Words – Volume 5 covers one of the most creative and innovative periods in the history of the series, beginning with the first appearance of the Seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy. It follows the events of the late 1980s, when the Doctor was redefined as being ‘more than just a Time Lord’ and a Machiavellian figure who was prepared to use his companion, Ace, as a pawn in his fight against evil. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, find out why powers at the BBC decided to end the run of the UK’s longest running science-fiction show – and how a new series of novels, a Children in Need Special, radio adventures and made-for-video productions filled the gap left behind by the TV series. And discover how the series made its comeback with Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor in the 1996 TV Movie – as Doctor Who simply refused to die.

Paul Cornell, author of the highly acclaimed Doctor Who stories Father’s Day (2005) and Human Nature/Family of Blood (2007), writes exclusively for the special on how the Sylvester McCoy era inspired him:

"I have a romantic attachment to the experimental nature of this era, to how much Andrew Cartmel [script editor] and his team were trying new ideas. To how young everyone was. I was captivated at the time by the 'dark Doctor' stuff, as in love with it as I was with the work of Alan Moore and Frank Miller, the zeitgeist beside which this direction made such sense. I waited urgently to see how the legend developed. I hung on the asides and hints, and filled in the gaps with my imagination. It was only the second time a production team had looked at Doctor Who since it began, and said 'let’s try it in an entirely different way'."

This special also features contributions from Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, John Nathan-Turner, Bonnie Langford, Sophie Aldred, Philip Segal, Daphne Ashbrook, Andrew Cartmel and many more – plus an Afterword by Human Nature writer Paul Cornell!

Doctor Who Special Edition 21 – In Their Own Words Volume 5 is on sale now.

The latest issues of Enlightenment, the fanzine of the Doctor Who Information Network, features reviews of every story in Series Four. Also included are an assessment of Steven Moffat's arrival as executive producer and the backlash yet-to-come, a tribute to Russell T Davies' tenure, an assessment of Donna Noble, a fan's report from the underbelly of the CBC and more. Available now from DWIN.

Edition 401 of Doctor Who Magazine is out now across the United Kingdom
Press Release

Davros, creator of the Daleks is reborn

DWM talks exclusively to the people responsible for Davros' recent return, including Head Writer Russell T Davies and prosthetics expert Neill Gorton.

Was Russell tempted to use Davros’ revival as a means to finally reinvent and clear up some of his complex backstory, once and for all?
"I never really worried about tying his history together," Russell admits, "except I was convinced he had to have a metal hand, because it was so clearly blown off in Revelation of the Daleks. So no, I didn’t do any research as such. I didn’t rewatch Genesis, because I wanted to act off my memories. Somehow, that seems a more creative state to be in. I did worry that we never had a proper explanation of his injuries, but then realised that Genesis never did that either, so it was good company to be in! Although I did write a sort of creation story"
"There was one scene where you were going to see an explosion, and Davros was injured," recalls Neill. "We weren’t actually going to show his face burnt and disfigured in its full gory glory, because it would have been just a little extreme, so I think you were only going to see glimpses of his head, with smoke rising, and his hair burnt off"


ALSO THIS ISSUE:

• The Fourth Doctor!
  Tom Baker's Doctor was the first to meet Davros. And Davros and the Doctor would meet again, many, many times. Philip MacDonald traces the life and times of everybody's favourite megalomaniac and asks just what is it that drives Davros' insane ambitions?
• The Fifth Doctor!
  The Fact of Fiction is whisked down a time corridor to 1984 and takes a close look at Davros' encounter with Peter Davison's Doctor in Resurrection of the Daleks.
• The First Doctor!
  His era introduced the Daleks, the best-known monsters of them all. Neil Harris pays tribute to the man who really created the Doctor’s iconic enemies, writer Terry Nation, in You Are Not Alone.
• The Sixth Doctor!
  The children of Davros have returned – and this time it's personal! DWM exclusively talks to the people behind a brand new audio adventure for Colin Baker’s Doctor, Brotherhood of the Daleks.
• The Tenth Doctor!
  Can he save Magenta Pryce from the horrors of the Space Gulag? And just who are the monsters lurking in the depths of the jail? Find out in Part Two of the latest, full colour, comic strip adventure – ThinkTwice.
• The Eighth Doctor!
  He’s back – and he's about to encounter Zygons, Autons, Morbius and more! DWM goes behind the scenes of the latest series of Doctor Who radio adventures, and speaks exclusively to the cast, including Paul McGann, Sheridan Smith, Graeme Garden, Art Malik, Clare Buckfield and James Fleet.
• The Seventh Doctor!
  It's Time Team and The Rani, as the gang go back to 1987 and get to grips with giant brains and glittery drains in Sylvester McCoy’s frankly unbelievable début adventure.
• The Third Doctor!
  We first met Sarah Jane Smith during Jon Pertwee's years as the Doctor... and her story continues to this day, in the The Sarah Jane Adventures! Join DWM as we watch the filming of the intrepid journalists' latest series, and talk to the cast and crew.
• Er... the Ninth Doctor!
  Okay, we’re getting a bit tenuous now. He's the one that Russell T Davies introduced us to in 2005. Russell takes us backstage at the TV Quick & TV Choice Awards in Production Notes and reveals what happened when the teams who make Doctor Who, Life on Mars and, um, Loose Women met up!
• The Second Doctor!
  He gets a mention on page 6!
• The Next Doctor!
  DWM reports the latest news on the forthcoming Christmas Special – and has news on the Specials of 2009!

Plus! Competitions, reviews, and an exclusive chat with the kids from The Sarah Jane Adventures

The latest issue of Doctor Who Adventures, the BBC's weekly comic for younger fans, has been released in the UK. The latest issue contains information on the return of the Eighth Doctor to the airwaves on BBC7, and the second part of the magazine's K9 competition. Also included this week are:

The front cover of the BBC's Radio Times listings magazine from the week of April 30th-May 6th 2005 has been voted the greatest British magazine cover of all time, in a poll organised by the Periodical Publishers Association.The cover featured a new series Dalek crossing Westminster Bridge in front of the Houses of Parliament, accompanied by the strapline "Vote Dalek!" This combined coverage of the transmission of the first new Dalek television story in over 16 years with the British General Election, which took place in the same week.According to The Guardian, the cover received over a quarter of the 10,000 votes cast in the public vote, beating off competition from issues of Vogue, The Face and OK!

Radio Times editor Gill Hudson is quoted by The Daily Telegraph as saying: "It was a very complex cover to put together; simply getting Daleks onto Westminster Bridge at night was very challenging."

Editors were asked to submit UK-only covers but not their own. Submissions were accepted from any era or decade, including titles that were no longer being published.

Adam Pasco, editor of Gardener's World, who nominated the Dalek cover, stated in his original citation: "This Radio Times cover captures the essence of the mood of the nation in a brilliant and original way, and delivers on every level.

"The cover is totally unexpected and brings a contemporary twist to the iconic image of a Dalek to grab readers of all ages at the newsstand."

More than 40 front cover nominations, spanning more than 100 years, were initially put forward by magazine editors. These were whittled down to a shortlist of 16 by a panel of judges. Members of the public were then invited to vote on their favourite.

Nicola Rowe, the circulation director of the Periodical Publishers Association, said: "We had many outstanding entries but Vote Dalek! captured the popular vote. It is sharply observed, funny, and to the point. It is, in its own way, a truly inspired reflection of the British sense of humour."

UPDATE - SEPTEMBER 30: A Radio Times photo gallery showing how the cover was created is now online here.

(Additional reporting by John Bowman.)

PRESS RELEASE

Sarah Jane returns

The Doctor's former companion returns to CBBC on Monday for the next action packed series of The Sarah Jane Adventures. To celebrate, this week's Doctor Who Adventures has a sneak preview of the first episode - The Last Sontaran. There's also a fact file on schoolgirl turned alien investigator Maria Jackson and a Sontaran mask for readers to wear.

We also look ahead to Christmas when an old enemy will stomp back on to our screens. What do the Cybermen want this time? And how will the Doctor cope on his own without Donna by his side?

This week's issue has got two brand-new features. In Blast from the Past we journey back in time to the former Doctors' adventures. This week it's City of Death and the moment the Count turns into the yucky Scaroth. Also, Action Replay puts some of the scariest moments from Doctor Who under the microscope.

The issue comes with a free sonic pen and TARDIS sticky notes.

PLUS:

• Three posters! The Weeping Angels, Luke and Commander Kaagh, and Jenny and the Doctor.
• Fact file: The Hooverville heroes.
• Ultimate Companions: Part three of K-9’s guide to team TARDIS.
• Activity: Cut out and wear the Sontaran helmet.
• Comic strip: The Alice in Wonderland Circuit.
• Rel Race: Complete all the puzzles in 300 Dalek Rels to avoid extermination!
• Woven wordsearch: Solve the puzzle and you could win a copy of Doctor Who – Shining Darkness.
• Win: Doctor Who DVDs and a Wii up for grabs!
• Subscription offer: Subscribe and you’ll get FREE Doctor Who files on the Doctor and the TARDIS.

Posted By John Bowman

Doctor Who Magazine reaches its 400th issue today in style, with eight extra pages and an exclusive photoshoot withDavid Tennant.

"I bought the first issue, in 1979," he tells DWM. "I just thought, at last! Why's this not happened before now? I was delighted."

Asked if he thinks the magazine could run for another 400 editions, Tennant replies: "You know, I'm tempted to say, 'If the television series continues,' but Doctor Who Magazine thrived when the series was nowhere to be seen, to be fair, so I can see no reason why it won't run and run. But hopefully the series will be there with the magazine, side by side, all the way. That's how it should be. Yeah, with me on the cover! Forever . . . "

Also in issue 400:

Executive producer Russell T Davies looks back over the past five years, in his most candid DWM interview ever

An exclusive competition where the prize is the chance to become a DWM reporter and go on the set of the TV series

Discover what dangers lie ahead for the Bannerman Road gang as DWM talks to writer Phil Ford and previews the new series of The Sarah Jane Adventures

Former editor Gary Gillatt takes an affectionate look at just what makes Doctor Who the best TV show ever

The Watcher casts a nostalgic eye over the past 400 issues as he charts the surprising, amusing and often bizarre history of Doctor Who Magazine

The Sixth Doctor, Colin Baker, joins The Time Team to watch the end of the epic 1986 adventure The Trial of a Time Lord

It's the start of a new era for the comic strip as the Doctor discovers a familiar face aboard a prison in space - Part One of Thinktwice is by Dan McDaid, with art by Martin Geraghty

A free, double-sided poster featuring an exclusive image of David Tennant on one side and every single cover of DWM on the other.