.As previously reported, Splendid Chaps is a year-long performance/podcast project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who hosted by comedian Ben McKenzie (Dungeon Crawl, Melbourne Museum Comedy Tour) and writer John Richards (ABC1 sitcom Outland, Boxcutters podcast).

Described by its creators as part intellectual panel discussion, part nerdy Tonight Show, Splendid Chaps is a combination of analysis, enthusiasm and irreverence. The first episode went to number 1 on the iTunes TV & Film Podcast chart in Australia, and to number 4 in the UK. The podcasts to previous episodes are now available at www.splendidchaps.com or at iTunes.

Thanks to the generous support of their listeners in Sydney and beyond, the Splendid Chaps are hitting the road and materialising in Glebe to stop talking about our heroes and instead think about those not-so-splendid chaps (and, er…things?), the monsters and villains of Doctor Who!

Daleks, Sontarans, Cybermen, the Silence, Silurians, Quarks… The Doctor’s monsters sometimes seem to be physical manifestations of humanity’s fears. Is it the creatures we find so terrifying, or what they represent – and what do they represent? The Chaps will celebrate the baddest of the bad, as well as those whose galactic domination has been less than completely successful.

Then there are the less literal, more human monsters: the Master, Davros, Lady Cassandra… Are they all thoroughly evil, or do they have more subtle motivations? What makes a good Doctor Who villain tick? Are they better than inhuman monsters, or is it best when they work hand in hand? They’re often some of the best fun to be had in a story, so let's embrace the dark side!

Ben, John and Petra Elliott will be joined by writer and comedian Alice Fraser (FBi Radio, NewsLab), and actor and presenter Steven “Bajo” O’Donnell (ABC2′s Good Game, ABC3′s Good Game: Spawn Point) to talk about the people and things we love to hate. Plus prizes, surprises, loveliness and a live musical performance of a lost Doctor Who classic tune from Keira “LadyNerd” Daley and Catriona Wimberley!

Space: upstairs, The Roxbury Hotel, 182 St Johns Road, Glebe, Sydney
Time: Saturday, November 30 2013, 5:00 PM
Accessibility: Splendid Chaps regret that this venue is not wheelchair accessible.
Tickets: $25
Bookings: via trybooking.com or at the door (if seats available)
Podcast: TBA.

The National Media Museum in Bradford has finalised details of its free exhibition showcasing Doctor Who fans' devotion to the series over its 50 years.

Following an appeal in the summer for items and stories, hundreds of personal objects were offered by members of the public for Doctor Who and Me: 50 Years of Doctor Who Fans, which explores what it means to be a devotee of the show in its 50th-anniversary year, bringing together items that people around the world have collected, created, drawn, assembled, and bought over the past half-century.

It resulted in hundreds of offers, and exhibition curator Toni Booth said: In addition to a vast array of objects loaned from the public, the exhibition includes fans' stories and experiences relating just how much they love Doctor Who and why, how they have organised themselves, produced fanzines, attended conventions around the world, and now make use of the internet and social media to discuss the programme.

Among the objects on display are the following:

• A model TARDIS made in 1978/9 by then schoolboy Mike Tucker for his own amateur movie - he went on to become a visual effects assistant on the show during the classic era and model unit supervisor when the programme returned

• Rare, original artefacts provided by David J Howe and Colin Young, including the Servo Robot prop from the 1968 adventure The Wheel in Space, artwork from Doctor Who annuals and Target novels (including art by David McAllister and Andrew Skilleter), and authentic 1970s Palitoy and Louis Marx toys
• Some of fan modelling pioneer Julian Vince's originals, including his first Dalek
• Several full-size replicas from the show, including K-9, Daleks, the TARDIS, Cybermen, and various monster masks
• A very rare 1960s Dalek Oracle board game
• A newly-uncovered poster of Tom Baker and scarf demonstrating semaphore
• A postcard from the BBC sent to a young fan in 1975 outlining the instructions to knit a Tom Baker scarf - the resulting scarf, knitted by the fan's mum, is also on display
• Memorabilia from the Longleat 20th-anniversary event, including tickets and a programme
• 1970s/80s collector cards from Typhoo Tea and Weetabix
• An original script from Dragonfire

In a change to the original plan, the display will now run from Saturday 23rd November to Sunday 9th February, and the museum - which also has free entry - has organised a launch party for Friday 22nd November to mark both the exhibition and the show's 50th anniversary. Starting at 7.30pm and open to all, this free event will give people the chance to have a preview of the exhibition and will also have entertainment in the form of performance poetry from Rod Tame, music, and a flash open-mic event for attendees. There is no need to book for the party - just turn up.

Anyone wanting to take part in the open-mic event, in which they can read some of their fan fiction or perform a song or a poem - basically, anything family-friendly that has been inspired by Doctor Who - must let the museum know by e-mailing Sophie Loftus at sophie.loftus@nationalmediamuseum.org.uk by no later than Sunday 17th November. Names will be selected at random and people notified in advance if they have a slot. The open-mic pieces should last no more than three minutes.

Puffin Books have announced the author of the final of their e-books celebrating fifty years of Doctor Who as the author Neil Gaiman.


A long-term fan, Gaiman is of course best known in Doctor Who circles for his two scripts broadcast on television, the award-winning The Doctor's Wife and Nightmare in Silver. However, his extensive writing career has encompassed novels for adults and children including Neverwhere, Stardust, American Gods, Anansi Boys, Coraline and The Graveyard Book, and the highly successful Sandman series of graphic novels. Literary honours include the Locus and Hugo Awards and the Newbery and Carnegie Medals.

On his latest contribution to Doctor Who, Gaiman said:

The e-book is due to be released on 21st November 2013, with BBC Worldwide to upload a brief interview with the writer the the Doctor Who YouTube channel later this month.

Competition

We have a copy of both the above anthology and The Essential Guide to 50 Years of Doctor Who available as a prize for readers to win, courtesy of Puffin Books. To be in with a chance to win please answer the following question:
Send your answer to comp-anthology@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "That Essential Moment", including your name, address, and where you read about the competition.

This competition is only open to UK residents, and the closing date is Sunday 24th November 2013.

Members of the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop will be performing live at the weekend to mark Doctor Who's 50th anniversary.

Fresh from their recent appearance at Portmeirion's Festival No 6, Dick Mills, Paddy Kingsland, Peter Howell, Roger Limb, and Mark Ayres will be performing a 75-minute set at the London Electronic Arts Festival in Shoreditch on Saturday 9th November at 2pm.

The Radiophonic Workshop's most famous piece of work was undoubtedly the Doctor Who theme, realised by Delia Derbyshire from a composition by Ron Grainer, and the Workshop also created countless special sounds for the series during its classic era.

The concert, at the Shoreditch Electric Light Station in Coronet Street, will not only include music ranging from Doctor Who to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, it will also feature archive video from Doctor Who and many other programmes for which the Workshop provided sound design and music. It will be a 5.1 surround sound show and will feature The Doctor Who Suite - part of which will bring Derbyshire's original 1963 theme together with Howell's 1980 reimagining of it in one 15-minute presentation.

It coincides with the start of a comprehensive reissue programme of the entire Radiophonic Workshop back catalogue. These will initially be on 180g audiophile vinyl in restored original artwork and audio remastered from original tapes by Ayres, and will be issued on the Music On Vinyl label, to be followed by digital and CD releases and a new compilation of Radiophonic material from the vaults.

BBC Radiophonic Music and BBC Radiophonic Workshop will be rereleased on Monday 25th November, with the former available to pre-order here and the latter here. BBC Radiophonic Music - originally put out in 1968 as a specialist demonstration library disc for BBC drama producers - was released commercially in 1971. BBC Radiophonic Workshop was originally released in 1975 and was a compilation of the Workshop's output to date. Both showcase the dawning of processed sound, treated sounds, and sound design.

They will be followed in the new year by the albums 4th Dimension and Through A Glass Darkly.

In addition, Kingsland, Limb, Mills, Howell, and Ayres are working with White Noise's David Vorhaus on a new album of Radiophonic material set for release next year on a major label. This will feature collaborations with a number of key figures in contemporary electronica, all of whom have been influenced by the Workshop down the years.

The Workshop will also be putting out very limited issues of rare and unreleased tracks from the archives, including some rare Doctor Who moments and a remixed and reimagined version of the original Doctor Who theme realised by Derbyshire. This has been produced from her original tapes and will be the first stereo version of the track to appear.

A 2,500-word Workshop retrospective by Joe Muggs is due to be published in The Observer on Sunday 24th November.

The Radiophonic Workshop was formed in 1958 and was based in BBC studios at Maida Vale in London. It closed in 1998 but during its lifetime had an inestimable influence on musicians and sound engineers, and was described by electronic dance music publication Mixmag in 1997 as "the unsung heroes of electronica". On 17th May 2009, Radiophonic Workshop musicians played live for the first time when they gave a concert at the Camden Roundhouse as part of the Short Circuit festival.

BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand have announced that a Doctor Who pop-up shop is coming to Richmond in Melbourne, with doors opening next Saturday 9th November.

Following the overwhelming popularity of the Sydney and Brisbane Doctor Who pop-up shops, where fans queued for more than two hours to get into the store, this special one-off Melbourne pop-up will feature some exclusive merchandise not currently available in Australian stores. On offer is the Who Home range boasting a selection of homewares, such as teapots and mugs, plus notebooks, tea towels and more.

A limited number of the special edition Tenth Doctor in tuxedo Titan figurines will also be on sale, along with the coveted silver collectible coin from the New Zealand Mint. The highly- anticipated Tenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver remote control will also be available in store, as will the popular range of toys, gifts, DVDs and books that Australian fans love. And as a special treat, fans can get up close to a TARDIS and a K-9.

The event takes place at Shop 2, 177 Bridge Road, Richmond, with doors opening at 9am. Fans are invited to dress up as their favourite Doctor Who character with a small gift given to the first 20 fans to arrive in costume. There will also be special celebrations in store on the weekend of the 50th anniversary - details on the official Doctor Who website.

Rachael Hammond, BBC Worldwide ANZ's Retail Manager, said: Also following sold-out shows in 2012, the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular will return to Melbourne on 31st January and 1st February 2014 at the Plenary Hall, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will perform Murray Gold's music from the series, accompanied by a big screen featuring specially-edited sequences of Matt Smith's performance as the Eleventh Doctor. A host of monsters, including the Silence, the Daleks and the Cybermen, will add to the electric atmosphere.

Tickets are now available.

A host of guests for the BBC's Doctor Who Celebration was announced today - but fans going to the event on the anniversary itself face missing the special episode.

Fifth Doctor Peter Davison will be at the convention at ExCeL in London for all its three days - 22nd to 24th November inclusive - and joining him there on the actual anniversary day, Saturday 23rd November, will be William Russell and Carole Ann Ford who, as Ian Chesterton and Susan Foreman, were companions to the First Doctor and were in the first episode of Doctor Who when it was originally broadcast exactly 50 years earlier. In addition, Waris Hussein, who directed the first story, will also be there on the Saturday.

Arrangements have been made for a free 2D showing of the simulcast of The Day of the Doctor that day, but not everybody going to the event on 23rd November will be able to get into it.

BBC Worldwide said: Saturday attendees who miss out on tickets to the screening and who want to see the episode as it is broadcast will therefore have to make alternative plans to watch it as it goes out - if they can.

Also appearing on all three days will be special sounds wizard Dick Mills and visual effects supremos Mike Tucker and Mat Irvine. The rest of the additional guest line-up and their appearance days is as follows:
As previously reported, current Doctor Matt Smith, Sixth Doctor Colin Baker, and Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy will also be there on all three days, while Fourth Doctor Tom Baker will be there on just the Saturday.

A video of the main guest panel for the BFI's Eighth Doctor celebratory event was uploaded for viewing this morning.

Held on Saturday 5th October as part of the organisation's Doctor Who At 50 season, it saw Paul McGann, Daphne Ashbrook, and Geoffrey Sax in discussion with season co-curator Justin Johnson, following a big-screen showing of McGann's sole TV outing as the Doctor (up to now).


Earlier, Andrew Cartmel, Nicholas Briggs, Gary Russell, and Jason Haigh-Ellery formed a panel to talk about the years between the McGann movie of 1996 and the show's return in 2005.

BBC America will be finishing its celebratory series Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited on Sunday 24th November - the day after the show's 50th anniversary - when it marks the Eleventh Doctor's era.

A special documentary entitled Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited - The Eleventh Doctor will air at 8pm ET/PT, in which Matt Smith, Jenna Coleman, and Steven Moffat will be among the participants examining the human side of this Doctor and taking a look at how all the years he has lived have affected him.

As previously reported, the documentary will be followed by the Series 6 opening two-parter The Impossible Astronaut and Day of the Moon. Written by Moffat, directed by Toby Haynes, and originally broadcast in April 2011, these episodes were - appropriately enough - the first ones to see Doctor Who's lead actors filming in the USA for a story.

The video of the guest panel at the BFI's celebratory screenings for the Tenth Doctor's era is now available to watch online.

Held on Sunday 29th September as part of its Doctor Who At 50 season, the event saw The Stolen Earth and Journey's End shown on the big screen, with David Tennant, Catherine Tate, Phil Collinson, and Graeme Harper taking to the stage afterwards for a discussion and question-and-answer session with season co-curator Justin Johnson.

A three-minute excerpt was uploaded to the BFI's YouTube channel today,
with the full Q&A - just shy of 30 minutes in length - available to watch in the BFI's video section.

With exactly a month to go now to Doctor Who's 50th anniversary, the BFI today announced the final screenings in its year-long celebration of the programme.

It will be showing the anniversary episode The Day of the Doctor in 3D on Saturday 23rd November as part of the global simulcast and cinema screenings worldwide. The time is yet to be confirmed by the BBC. Tickets will go on sale to BFI members from Friday 25th October (9am online and 11.30am by phone and in person) and to non-members from Saturday 26th October from 11.30am. They can be bought via this link. (It should be noted that the start time of 7pm given by the BFI is for guidance only. According to the BFI, the exact start time will be given 10 days before the screening.)

Justin Johnson, the programmer of the BFI's Doctor Who At 50 strand, said: Then, just over a fortnight later, on Sunday 8th December at 3.45pm, it will mark the Eleventh Doctor's era by showing The Eleventh Hour and The Name of the Doctor. The guest panel for that event is yet to be announced.

Johnson, who curated the season with Dick Fiddy, commented on its culmination by telling Doctor Who News: Tickets to the Eleventh Doctor screenings on 8th December will be allocated by ballot via the members' section, which BFI Champions can enter from Monday 4th November, and Cinema Members from Tuesday 5th November. The ballot will close on Friday 8th November and will be run over the weekend of 9th and 10th November, with all entrants being notified on Monday 11th November as to whether or not they have been successful. All tickets reserved for Champions and Cinema Members via the ballot will be held for claiming by them until 8.30pm on Friday 15th November, and any that are unclaimed by then will be released for public sale on Saturday 16th November.

As has been the case with all previous events in the season, it will undoubtedly sell out to Champions and Cinema Members, but returns and stand-bys will be a strong possibility, so keep checking with the BFI.

UPDATE - 26th OCTOBER: The BFI was forced to suspend ticket sales for The Day of the Doctor yesterday because of "an issue with card payments". Sales reopened for members today at 9am (online) and 11.30am (phone), and will reopen tomorrow to non-members.