Series Four Soundtrack Listing Announced

Thursday, 16 October 2008 - Reported by DWNP Archive
Posted By John Bowman

Silva Screen Records has announced the full listing of the forthcoming soundtrack CD for Series Four of Doctor Who. The information was sent out by e-mail today to people who subscribed to its newsletter.

The 27-track disc will be released on November 17 but can be downloaded earlier from the company's website. The tracks are as follows:
1. Doctor Who Season Four Opening Credits (0:46)
2. A Noble Girl About Town (2:14)
3. Life Among the Distant Stars (2:30)
4. Corridors and Fire Escapes (1:12)
5. The Sybilline Sisterhood (1:53)
6. Songs of Captivity and Freedom (4:03)
7. UNIT Rocks (1:11)
8. The Doctor's Daughter (1:38)
9. The Source (3:21)
10. The Unicorn and the Wasp (3:11)
11. The Doctor's Theme Season Four (2:47)
12. Voyage of the Damned Suite (10:21)
13. The Girl With No Name (2:45)
14. The Song of Song (2:14)
15. All in the Mind (1:18)
16. Silence In The Library (2:57)
17. The Greatest Story Never Told (6:17)
18. Midnight (3:07)
19. Turn Left (2:20)
20. A Dazzling End (2:22)
21. The Rueful Fate of Donna Noble (2:44)
22. Davros (2:07)
23. The Dark and Endless Dalek Night (3:44)
24. A Pressing Need to Save the World (4:55)
25. Hanging On The Tablaphone (1:07)
26. Song of Freedom (2:51)
27. Doctor Who Season Four Closing Credits (1:07)




FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio

Series Four Soundtrack On Its Way

Friday, 19 September 2008 - Reported by DWNP Archive
Posted By John Bowman

Silva Screen Records is to release music from Series Four of Doctor Who in mid-November.

A news item on its website says the tracks, composed by Murray Gold, will include Song Of Freedom - the choral piece that marked the Daleks' defeat in Journey's EndThe Doctor's Theme is another of the tracks, but no other titles are known yet.

The exact date of the CD's release has still to be announced.




FILTER: - Murray Gold - Audio - Series 4/30

Torchwood Radio Episode To Be Released

Wednesday, 17 September 2008 - Reported by DWNP Archive
Posted By John Bowman

The specially commissioned episode of Torchwood that was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 last Wednesday as part of Big Bang Day will be released by BBC Audio tomorrow.

Lost Souls will be available in CD and download formats.

The CD, which is 75 minutes long, will feature a bonus programme, Torchwood: All Access - a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the TV show - which was first broadcast on BBC Radio Wales and has interviews with Russell T Daviesand members of the TV series cast and crew.

The download will not have any extra material.




FILTER: - Torchwood - Audio

Big Finish: Stage Play Reprisals, New Unbound

Friday, 25 July 2008 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Big Finish Productions has announced some casting news for its upcoming audio adaptation releases of the three Doctor Who stage plays from years past.

Trevor Martin, who played the Doctor in the 1974 stage play "The Seven Keys to Doomsday," will reprise the role for the audio adaptation, whileCharlie Hayes will play companion Jenny; Hayes is the daughter of actress Wendy Padbury, who played Jenny during the play's initial run and also played Zoe Heriot in the late 1960s TV episodes with Patrick Troughton. Colin Baker reprises the role of the Doctor in "The Ultimate Adventure" and is joined by David Banks as Karl, reprising his role from that play; Banks is also familiar to Doctor Who fans as the Cyberleader from 1980s Doctor Who, and also understudied the role of the Doctor in several performances during the play's original run. Finally,"Curse of the Daleks" features actor Michael Praedas the lead character, Ladiver; he is joined by actor John Line, who played Ladiver in the original play's run back in 1965 and here plays Professor Vanderlyn.

The audio adaptations of the stage plays will be released by Big Finish in late September (The Ultimate Adventure), October (The Seven Keys to Doomsday) and November (Curse of the Daleks).

Meanwhile, the company has also announced the scheduling of The Masters of War, the long awaited eighth installment of their "Doctor Who Unbound" audio series by Eddie Robson, for December release. The play features the return of David Warner as the alternate third Doctor, which he created in "Sympathy for the Devil", alongsideNicholas Courtney playing the version of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart that goes traveling with the Doctor at the end of the previous tale. Terry Molloy returns to the role of Davros for the installment.




FILTER: - Audio - Big Finish

Big Finish Release Schedule

Sunday, 6 July 2008 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Big Finish Productions have announced their offerings for the remainder of 2008, with seven installments of their main Doctor Who series forthcoming in the next six months, as well as the two concluding episodes of the Eighth Doctor second series. Also in the pipeline are the first half of a year of offerings in their Companion Chronicles short story readings, with the series now becoming monthly and a full year's worth of details (until next summer) revealed.

Additionally, two new miniseries will begin in the next half-year: Big Finish is adapting the threeDoctor Who stage plays into audio recordings ("Curse of the Daleks," "The Ultimate Adventure" and "Seven Keys to Doomsday"); and next January features the beginning of their three-story Key 2 Time series with Peter Davison, which will be included as episodes 117-119 of the regular monthly series.
The release schedules are below, while full details (as much as has been released) about the stories can be found in thespoiler note section (click on 'spoiler' to reveal).
Monthly Releases
  • The Boy that Time Forgot (#110; Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton) - July
  • The Doomwood Curse (#111; Colin Baker) - August
  • Kingdom of Silver and Keepsake (#112; Sylvester McCoy) - September
  • Time Reef (#113; Peter Davison) - September
  • Brotherhood of the Daleks (#114; Colin Baker) - October
  • Forty Five (#115; Sylvester McCoy) - November
  • The Raincloud Man (#116; Colin Baker) plus special Return of the Krotons - December
  • Key 2 Time Parts 1-3 (#117-119; Peter Davison) - January to March 2009
Eighth Doctor Series
  • Sisters of the Flame (#2.7) - July
  • Vengeance of Morbius (#2.8) - August
Companion Chronicles
  • Here There Be Monsters (#3.1; Carole Ann Ford) - July
  • The Great Space Elevator (#3.2; Deborah Watling) - August
  • The Doll of Death (#3.3; Katy Manning) - September
  • Empathy Games (#3.4; Louise Jameson) - October
  • Home Truths (#3.5; Jean Marsh) - November
  • The Darkening Eye (#3.6; Sarah Sutton) - December
  • The Prisoner's Dilemma (#3.7; Sophie Aldred) - January 2009
  • Resistance (#3.9; Anneke Wills) - March 2009
  • The Magician's Oath (#3.10; Richard Franklin) - April 2009
  • Ferril's Folly (#3.11) - May 2009
  • Releases to be announced (#3.8 and 3.12) - February and June 2009
Other Releases
  • The Ultimate Adventure (Colin Baker) - September
  • The Seven Keys to Doomsday - October
  • Curse of the Daleks - November
MONTHLY SERIES

The Boy That Time Forgot by Paul Magrs: In a weird jungle valley, the Victorian explorer Rupert Von Thal saves Bloomsbury novelist Beatrice Mapp from a ghastly death in the grip of a monstrous mantis. But this is no Lost World of the dinosaurs. According to their travelling companions, the Doctor and Nyssa, all four have been transported back to a primitive Earth that should never have existed! Further down the valley is the vast city where the scorpions live. Walking, talking, intelligent scorpions, ruled over by their cruel and sinister master. The Doctor and Nyssa are being drawn ever tighter into the clutches of... the boy that time forgot. With Peter Davison (The Doctor), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Andrew Sachs (The Scorpion King), Harriet Walter (Mrs Beatrice Mapp), Adrian Scarborough (Rupert Von Thal), Oliver Senton (Kranlee), Claire Wyatt (Madam Teegarna)

The Doomwood Curse by Jacqueline Rayner: England, 1738. On the trail of a lost book, the Doctor and Charley arrive at the beautiful country estate of Sir Ralph and Lady Sybil. But all is far from idyllic. There’s a murderer on the loose, and the nearby woods are the haunt of the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin. And that’s not all. Something else has journeyed here. Something that could destroy the very fabric of reality. The Doctor and Charley have just forty-eight hours to solve the mystery before the whole world succumbs to The Doomwood Curse. With Colin Baker (The Doctor), India Fisher (Charlotte Pollard), Nicky Henson (Dick Turpin), Jonathan Firth (John), Hayley Atwell (Eleanor), Trevor Cooper (Sir Ralph), Geraldine Newman (Lady Sybil), Daisy Douglas (Susan), Suzie Chard (Molly)

Kingdom of Silver by James Swallow: The Doctor arrives on Tasak in search of refreshment, armed with nothing more than a kettle. But this is a time of crisis for a civilisation about to enter an industrial age. Mindful that a devastating war is only recently over, the wise and revered Magus Riga will do almost anything to save his people from the follies of the past. But the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And the planet Tasak is host to ancient powers buried deep and long forgotten. Can visitors from another world avert disaster or will their intervention drag this innocent world into the Orion War? With Sylvester McCoy (The Doctor), Neil Roberts (Temeter), Kate Terence (Sara), Terry Molloy (Magus Riga), James George (Merel), Bunny Reed (Ardith), Holly King (Etin), Nicholas Briggs (Cybermen)

Keepsake by James Swallow: Sifting through the technological junk of Reclaim Platform Juliet-November-Kilo, the Doctor discovers evidence of a personal tragedy involving some friends of his. Where will the story of their fate lead? With Sylvester McCoy (The Doctor), Neil Roberts (Temeter), Kate Terence (Sara), Terry Molloy (Examiner 2), James George (Corvus), Nicholas Briggs (Examiner 1)

Other monthly installments: Time Reef by Marc Platt, with Peter Davison (the Doctor) and Sarah Sutton (Nyssa);Brotherhood of the Daleks by Alan Barnes, with Colin Baker (the Doctor) and India Fisher (Charley); Forty Five with Sylvester McCoy (the Doctor); The Raincloud Man with Colin Baker (the Doctor) and India Fisher (Charley), which also includes the special disc Return of the Krotons.

EIGHTH DOCTOR SERIES

Sisters of the Flame and Vengeance of Morbius by Nicholas Briggs: The richest man in the galaxy has just bought a backwards planet with no obvious mineral wealth in the outer reaches of the universe. An obscure mystical sect has been revived after centuries of neglect. A new race of aliens are hunting for prey. Why? As the Doctor and Lucie attempt to discover the answer, it becomes clear that someone is attempting to resurrect the past - and they need a Time Lord to help them achieve it. With Paul McGann (the Doctor), Sheridan Smith (Lucie Miller), Kenneth Colley (Zarodnix), Samuel West (Revenant), Alexander Siddig (Rosto), Nickolas Grace (Straxus), Barry McCarthy (Bulek and Eurelz Captain), Nicola Weeks (Haspira and Trell), Katarina Olsson (Orthena and Trell), Barnaby Edwards (Galactinet)

COMPANION CHRONICLES

Here There Be Monsters by Andy Lane: The distant future. The TARDIS, with the Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara aboard, is drawn out of the Vortex and lands aboard the Earth Benchmarking Vessel Nevermore, where Captain Rostrum is navigating by punching holes in the very fabric of space. The Doctor is appalled by this act of vandalism, and fearful that it could unleash monsters from the dark dimensions. As the benchmarking holes begin to fray, the fate of the universe is at stake. And while the Doctor contemplates a terrible sacrifice, Susan befriends the Nevermore’s First Mate - someone she will remember for the rest of her life… With Carole Ann Ford (Susan), Stephen Hancock (The First Mate)

The Great Space Elevator by Jonathan Morris: The Great Space Elevator is a marvel of human engineering; a transit tube stretching from the equator up to a space station held in geosynchronous orbit. When the TARDIS lands in Sumatra in the future, the Second Doctor, Jamie and Victoria are captured by guards just as the station loses power. Together with Security Officer Tara Kerley, the three travellers take a one-way trip on the elevator to fix the problem, and find themselves confronted by a powerful alien force that threatens to wreak chaos on Earth… With Deborah Deborah Watling (Victoria Waterfield), Helen Goldwyn (Tara Kerley)

The Doll of Death by Marc Platt: While investigating a temporal anomaly in Central London, the Doctor and Jo Grant meet Professor Harold Saunders, a man who possesses an unstable alien artefact, and who is seemingly haunted by the ghosts of dolls. Who is the mysterious Mrs Killebrew? Why is a pack of hounds hunting them in reverse? And can Jo pick up any bargains while backwards shopping on Oxford Street? With Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Jane Goddard (Mrs. Killebrew)

Empathy Games by Nigel Fairs: After a disaster aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor and Leela arrive at the capital city of Synchronis, a world renowned for peace and civility. But an attack by a vicious creature leaves the Doctor in a coma, and Leela is persuaded to fight in the forthcoming Empathy Games, where she discovers that nothing on this world is as it seems. With Louise Jameson (Leela)

Other Companions Chronicles installments: Home Truths by Simon Guerrier, with Jean Marsh (Sara Kingdom);The Darkening Eye by Stewart Sheargold, with Sarah Sutton (Nyssa) and Derek Carlyle (The Dar Traders); The Prisoner's Dilemma by Simon Guerrier, with Sophie Aldred (Ace) and Laura Doddington (Zara); Resistance by Steve Lyons, with Anneke Wills (Polly) and John Sackville (the Pilot); The Magician's Oath by Scott Handcock, with Richard Franklin (Mike Yates) and Michael Chance (Diamond Jack); Ferril's Folly by Peter Anghelides.

OTHER RELEASES

The Ultimate Adventure by Terrance Dicks, with Colin Baker (the Doctor); The Seven Keys to Doomsdayby Terrance Dicks; Curse of the Daleks by David Whitaker and Terry Nation; all three with Nicholas Briggs (voice of the Daleks).




FILTER: - Audio

More Companion Chronicles

Saturday, 5 July 2008 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper
Big Finish Productions has recently announced that their Companion Chronicles line will go from being a mini-series to an ongoing monthly range starting in July. The series will continue to be released in "seasons" with each season comprising of twelve releases. Each release is a new Doctor Who story as told by one of the Doctor's companions played by the actor who portrayed the role in the Classic Doctor Who TV series.

July's release is a First Doctor adventure narrated by Carole Ann Ford as the Doctor’s granddaughter, Susan. The story, entitled Here There be Monsters, has been written by Andy Lane. In the adventure, the Doctor, Barbara, Susan and Ian face creatures from another dimension.

August sees The Great Space Elevator, written by Jonathan Morris, featuring Deborah Watling as Victoria Waterfield in an adventure with the Second Doctor where a one-way trip leads to a confrontation with an alien force that threatens the Earth.

September's release is The Doll of Death by Marc Platt, an adventure for the Third Doctor told by Katy Manning as Jo Grant. This is the first time that Katy has reprised her role since she starred in the TV series in the 1970s.

The fourth adventure, Empathy Games by Nigel Fairs features the Fourth Doctor’s companion, Leela played by Louise Jameson.

November's release for the First Doctor features Sara Kingdom who originally joined the TARDIS crew for the epic length TV story, The Daleks' Master Plan. As in the original TV series, Sara Kingdom will once again be played by Jean Marsh. The story, entitled Home Truths, has been written by Simon Guerrier.

With the expansion of the releases, the series will now include tales from Companions to Doctors 5 through 8, as well as tales from characters who are not strictly companions. Already confirmed to be appearing later on in the range are Mary Tamm (Romana I), Richard Franklin (Mike Yates), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), and Sophie Aldred (Ace).




FILTER: - Audio - Big Finish

Radiophonic Workshop - 50 years

Thursday, 24 April 2008 - Reported by Anthony Weight
The BBC Radiophonic Workshop would have been 50 years old this month. Disbanded a decade ago, the Workshop - based at the BBC's Maida Vale studios in London - was the in-house audio special effects team responsible for the majority of the special sounds, sound effects and electronic music heard in the classic series of Doctor Who.

To commemorate the anniversary of the Workshop, the BBC News website has today published a feature looking back at its work, including embedded video content. Interviewed are Dick Mills and Mark Ayres, both of whom worked extensively on Doctor Who, with Ayres still being involved in the sound restoration for classic series DVD releases.

Speaking about the creation of the iconic voices of the Daleks, Mills says: "We tried to give the impression that whenever a Dalek spoke, it wasn't speaking like we do, it was accessing words from a memory bank, so they all sound the same - dispassionate, mechanical and retrievable."

Both Mills and Ayres are scheduled to appear on Breakfast on BBC One tomorrow. According to a posting by Ayres on the Restoration Team forum today, they will be on about 9.45am. He adds: "In other words, any time between 9.30-10.00am, as long as a more important story does not break."

(Additional reporting by John Bowman, with thanks to Tony Clark.)




FILTER: - Audio - Production

BBC7 Tie-In Show - Sundays 6:30PM and 12:30AM

Saturday, 29 March 2008 - Reported by Benjamin Elliott
BBC7 is producing a weekly show called "Doctor Who - The Commentaries". "The Commentaries" premieres Sunday 6 April at 6:30PM and 12:30AM British Summer Time. It will air the Sunday after new episodes as part of a block with Paul McGann Big Finish Doctor Who stories that BBC7 has aired before.

"Doctor Who - The Commentaries" will be a recap show, probably similar to the Heroes radio show BBC7 did last year. David Tennant and Catherine Tate are listed as the hosts for the 6 April edition.




FILTER: - Audio - Series 4/30

Tennant for Audiobook

Sunday, 16 March 2008 - Reported by Marcus
BBC Audiobooks have revealed that David Tennant will be the reader of their latest audio-exclusive release Doctor Who: Pest Control. The adventure will be available only on CD and for download and will not be published as a book. It is due for release on the 8th May 2008.

Pest Control was commissioned from author Peter Anghelides. he said "I love David Tennant's work on the book adaptations, so I'm simply thrilled that he's reading this special audio. He phoned to discuss the characterisations, and my younger son picked up. How great is that? A phone call from the Doctor!"

The story is the first to feature Donna as the Doctor's companion and below we can offer a sneak preview of the script.

Thanks to Brian Jacob
There was another squealing sound from high above. Donna wondered what it was. The Doctor already seemed to know, and dragged her protesting over the sodden ground and towards the truck. 'Take cover!' he yelled. 'The bombardment has started!' 'Incoming!’ bellowed Harrison from the middle distance. A dull crump sounded from beyond the truck, and a fountain of black earth spurted up into the air and scattered over them. There was a fizzing sound of energy. The remaining soldiers leapt out of the transport vehicle, fresh weapons in their hands. Harrison had appeared by Donna's side. He was looking to her for orders, she realised. She wasn't in uniform, she wasn't able to command him, and all because of a simple misunderstanding. Harrison's eyes glazed over. He toppled face forward and sprawled in the mud. Only then did Donna know what the fizzing sound was. Weapons were firing. Harrison had been shot dead in front of her. The dun-coloured shapes of more soldiers scurried past, taking positions. It took Donna a moment to work out what they were doing: they were aiming their rifles upward. She followed the direction of their weapons. She stared in disbelief. Donna could make out thin legs on fat, swollen bodies dropping from the invisible sky. The air was alive with gunfire as the creatures fell through the fog and clattered to the ground. 'Oh my God,' she breathed. 'Doctor, they're dropping ponies on us!' Not exactly,' he said, pulling her behind the truck. Donna slithered in the mud, and landed on her bum. She could feel the water soak right through. The Doctor was still talking: 'Look again. Horses don't have parachutes.'




FILTER: - Audio - David Tennant

Big Finish Introduces Downloadable Doctor Who

Friday, 18 January 2008 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper
Big Finish Productions has announced the launch of a new download service launching on February 1st. With this service, listeners will be able to purchase and instantly download the audio of their choice as an mp3 file to their computer.
This includes the Doctor WhoBernice SummerfieldSapphire and Steel, and the forthcomingStargate series.

"Listening habits have changed dramatically over the last ten years," says Company Director, Jason Haigh-Ellery. "More and more people are choosing to buy their music and audio online and listen to it either on their computer or on mp3 players like the iPod. We are delighted to be able to make Big Finish's productions available in this new way."

Jason also addressed the impact that this change will have on foreign fans. "We have always done our best to keep the prices as low as possible for foreign customers," continues Haigh-Ellery. "Unfortunately though, the poor exchange rate with America, Australia and other countries has made this difficult. Now though, by offering downloadable versions of our plays, we can dramatically reduce the price as there is no extra expenditure on postage, packing and materials. We're sure that this will be good news for our foreign customers."

With the launch of the new website at BigFinish.com on February 1st, fans will be able to sample individual episodes for a small cost. The remainder of the play will be available for simply paying the remainder of the balance. Although not available at launch, a subscription service will be introduced where customers can purchase several plays in advance of their release at a discounted rate. In addition to the plays themselves, music suites, behind-the-scenes features and copies of the scripts will also be made available for download.

Fans who prefer to continue buying their Big Finish plays on CD need not worry that online downloads will herald the end of the CD versions. All new Big Finish plays will continue to be released on CD simultaneously with the download version. The download versions will be cheaper than the CDs in all territories but CD purchasers will also be entitled to acquire the download version at no extra charge.

"The new download service is a major step forward for Big Finish," says Jason Haigh-Ellery.




FILTER: - Audio - Online