Doctor Who returns Saturday 23 August

Friday, 27 June 2014 - Reported by Marcus
The BBC has confirmed Doctor Who will return on Saturday 23rd August 2014


The series will premiere with a feature-length episode Deep Breath.

No time has yet been confirmed for the BBC One Transmission, however BBC America have confirmed they will show the episode at 8pm ET. SPACE in Canada have also confirmed it will show the episode that evening as has FOX in Germany.

ABC Australia have confirmed the series will début downunder on Sunday 24th August.

Doctor Who Series Eight (Credit: BBC/Ray Burmiston)





FILTER: - Series 8/34 - Broadcasting

Inferno Fiction 17

Friday, 27 June 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Inferno Fiction 17Issue Seventeen of the Fanzine Inferno Fiction is now available online.

In this issue
  • The Fear Of All Sums
    by Samuel Marks
    Part 3: The Doctor is reunited with The Cavalier. A Zeronaught is exposed and the Kuricam catch up with their prey...
  • Old Iron
    by Michael Baxter
    Dr Who and his granddaughter Susan arrive at 76 Totters Lane, Shoreditch where the premises and its contents of the late Isaac Foreman are being checked out by two unsavoury rag and bone men...
  • The Rallax Operation
    by Al Dickerson
    Part 2: Spoilers are Avoided. A Number of Corridors are traversed. Oneness with the Universe is Achieved. An Unbearable Occurrence occurs. Unstoffe remembers Moe. A Trilling Sound bothers the Bobs. There is a Hook, a Line and a Stinker. A retirement is deferred.
  • Veil Of The Rani
    by Ryan Denyer
    Part 1: Arriving on Xtrina2, the Doctor encounters the mysterious Lucinda Black and an old, dying enemy, the Rani.
  • Oh My Giddy Aunt!
    by Sean Bassett
    Act I: Madame Kovarian presides over a musical extravaganza for members of the Church of the Silence, featuring the life story of the Doctor from his first incarnation to his fifth in Act I
  • In Her Absence
    by Julie Kay
    Part 1: This is the epic, beautiful and exciting tale of the early days of the Silurian warrior Madame Vastra. Ranging from her early travels with the Doctor to her adventures in the alleys of Victorian London, this is Vastra's story.
  • Threat Of The Cybermen
    by Nathan Mullins
    Part 1: The Doctor and Clara must stop the threat of the Cyberme...an army of Cyber kings...




FILTER: - Fan Productions

Doctor Who Magazine 475

Thursday, 26 June 2014 - Reported by Marcus
DWM 475Vastra, Jenny and Strax all take centre stage in the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine.

Inside this month's issue is an exclusive interview with the actors who have brought the Paternoster Gang to life: Neve McIntosh, Catrin Stewart and Dan Starkey.
"It's crazy, how everyone knows where we're going to be filming," says Neve. "When we were doing Peter Capaldi's first one we went out nice and early in the morning and there was one person there. And then you turned around and suddenly there was a whole load of people."

"Peter himself wasn't there, of course," adds Dan, "cos his first actual filming was in the studio that afternoon, which was really exciting."

"Oh, God, it was amazing watching him," says Neve. "And seeing it grow - seeing it happen - and occasionally having these flashes of going, 'Ah! That reminds me of Tom Baker! Actually, no! That's the Doctor . . . '"
Also in this issue:
  • The magazine pays tribute to the life and times of Kate O'Mara, the actress who played the Rani during the 1980s.
  • Former script editor Andrew Cartmel talks to the writers he employed on Doctor Who's silver anniversary season back in 1988: Ben Aaronovitch, Graeme Curry and Stephen Wyatt.
  • Terrance Dicks – script editor, writer and novelist supreme – talks about his work on Doctor Who in the '60s and '70s.
  • Showrunner Steven Moffat answers readers' questions in his regular column.
  • The Fact of Fiction takes a detailed look at the 1977 Fourth Doctor adventure The Talons of Weng-Chiang.
  • The Crystal Throne ­– a brand new comic strip adventure starring Vastra, Jenny and Strax.
  • The Time Team watch the Tenth Doctor and Donna meet Agatha Christie in 2008's The Unicorn and the Wasp.
  • Jacqueline Rayner and her family take a trip to see a new police box in relative dimensions.
  • The Watcher poses more questions and reveals dubious secrets from the archives in Wotcha!
  • Reviews and previews of the latest CDs and books.
  • The DWM crossword and prize-winning competitions




FILTER: - Steven Moffat - DWM

People Roundup

Wednesday, 25 June 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Billie Piper is to star at the National Theatre in London in a new play about press intrusion and phone hacking.

The play Great Britain, written by Richard Bean and directed by Nicholas Hytner, opens on 30th June, with Piper playing the ambitious young news editor of a tabloid newspaper. The opening was delayed on legal advice due to an ongoing court case which has now been concluded. It will run on London's South Bank until 23rd August.

The play also features Robert Glenister.

A new trailer for the upcoming ABC sitcom Selfie, starring Karen Gillan, has been released.

Selfie sees Gillan play a vain, social media-obsessed airhead, Eliza Dooley, forced to learn humility from a marketing consultant. The show is described as a modern update to My Fair Lady.


Selfie will debut in the US on ABC later this year on Tuesdays at 8pm.

ITV have released a trailer for the new series Chasing Shadows, which stars Alex Kingston and Noel Clarke.

Kingston playes Ruth Hattersley in the drama, who is described as "maternal, but not mumsy", while Clarke plays DI Prior. The show also stars Reece Shearsmith, who played Patrick Troughton in An Adventure In Space And Time.




Sophie Okonedo, who played Liz 10 in The Beast Below, has won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Ruth in the play A Raisin in the Sun.

Dolore Whiteman, who played Aunt Vanessa in the Doctor Who story Logopolis, has died at her home in Australia. Whiteman was the mother of Tracey Wilson and Jodie Wilson who both appeared as the vocalist backing singers in Delta and the Bannermen.
(with thanks to Stephen Griffiths)




FILTER: - People - Karen Gillan - Billie Piper

Doctor Who tops poll of greatest sci-fi, horror and fantasy moments

Wednesday, 25 June 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
The Doctor's farewell to Rose in Doomsday has been voted the greatest moment in sci-fi, horror and fantasy by readers of the magazine SFX, it was revealed today.

To mark the publication of issue 250 of the monthly magazine, readers were asked to vote for a definitive list of the 250 greatest moments of sci-fi, horror and fantasy in genres covering cinema, television, books, comics and video games. A total of 96,300 votes was cast and Doctor Who came top with that emotional scene set in Bad Wolf Bay. Originally broadcast on 8th July 2006, the concluding part of the two-episode story that ended Series Two was written by Russell T Davies - who was the showrunner at the time - and directed by Graeme Harper.

In a statement, SFX said:
Revisionists would have you believe that Who was always a show with emotional impact, but barring a couple of companion departures, that didn't really become true until the advent of Russell T Davies.

His most heart-destroyingly tragic contribution was this scene, in which a holographic projection of the Doctor talks to a tearful Rose on a Norwegian beach, with the signal cutting out just before the slowcoach can declare, "I love you". It's a moment everyone can identify with because, as Davies put it, "There's an echo of every loss you've ever had."

We've all had to bid farewell to someone we care about - even if it wasn't forced upon us by the threat of universal destruction - and this eye-moistening moment perfectly encapsulates the agony of break-up.

David Tennant told SFX:
I remember worrying on the day we shot this scene that as I was actually a projection from inside the Tardis my hair shouldn't be blowing in the wind.

That seemed terribly important at the time, and although we didn't find a solution to it, it bothered me for weeks. Then I saw the finished scene and of course all that matters is the end of the Doctor and Rose's story. Russell had weaved some glorious magic for two seasons and it all came together so perfectly in this scene that people still talk to me about it with misty eyes all these years later (and I suspect they always will.)

Murray Gold created some heart-stopping music that accentuates the misery and Billie [Piper] is just breathtakingly good. I feel very lucky to be standing on that beach, with my hair flying around, in amongst all these brilliant elements. Whatever else I do and wherever else I end up, this will be a moment I will be forever proud to look back on. Thanks for having us at number one.
SFX recruited some of the biggest names in the world of sci-fi to share their favourite moments, with Buffy The Vampire Slayer star Anthony Head among those agreeing that John Hurt's chest-burst scene in the 1979 film Alien was their greatest.

He said:
The first thing that comes to mind is Alien, the great exploding John Hurt moment! You didn't hear until afterwards how they filmed it, and it was one of those moments of reality really hitting a group of actors. You believed it. So full on. It was a perfectly-formed science fiction film, and it's always stuck with me. I was very scared.
The Top 10 greatest moments in sci-fi, horror and fantasy as voted for by SFX readers are as follows:

  • 1: Doctor Who - The Doctor and Rose say farewell at Bad Wolf Bay in Doomsday
  • 2: Avengers Assemble - The Hulk destroys Loki
  • 3: Alien - The chest-burst scene
  • 4: Firefly - Mal Reynolds kicks a bad guy into Serenity's engine intake (The Train Job)
  • 5: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - Luke discovers that Darth Vader is his father
  • 6: Blade Runner - Roy Batty's "Tears in rain" monologue
  • 7: Game of Thrones - "The Lannisters send their regards" (The Red Wedding)
  • 8: The Matrix - Neo dodges bullets in the bullet-time scene
  • 9: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (novel) - Dumbledore's death
  • 10: Back To The Future - "Where we're going, we don't need roads."

The full list is printed in issue 250 of SFX, which is on sale as of today and also features contributions from Davies and current showrunner Steven Moffat.

UPDATE - 8.20PM: Since the result was announced, the BBC has uploaded the scene to its official Doctor Who YouTube channel. Watch it below:





FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Doctor Who - Russell T Davies - Magazines - David Tennant - Series 2/28

Titan Comics reveal the Twelfth Doctor Cover

Tuesday, 24 June 2014 - Reported by Marcus
BBC Worldwide North America and Titan Comics have revealed the first cover art and creator details for the new ongoing comic series starring the Twelfth Doctor, which hits comic stores on October 1, 2014.

Eagle award-winning writer Robbie Morrison (Drowntown, The Authority, 2000AD, Nikolai Dante) and New York Times-bestselling artist Dave Taylor (Batman: Death by Design, 2000AD) will be helping spin the new Doctor off to his most challenging destination yet.

As with the Tenth and Eleventh Doctor ranges, Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #1 comes with a regular cover painted by Alice X. Zhang, plus five other variants - including a "100% rebel Time Lord" photo cover and Mariano Laclaustra penned picture of Clara.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor is available to pre-order from comic stores and will hit retailers on October 1.

NB: Due to licensing restrictions, fans in the UK and Ireland can only purchase this comic digitally.

COVER A: REGULAR COVERCOVER B: PHOTO COVER SUBSCRIPTION INCENTIVE VARIANTCOVER C: BLANK SKETCH VARIANTCOVER D: MARIANO LACLAUSTRA COVER FREE 10 COPY COVER E: CLARA PHOTO COVER FREE 25 COPY VARIANTCOVER F: ALICE X. ZHANG �STARK� COVER FREE 100 COPY
As previously reported the new Tenth and Eleventh Doctor ranges will hit comic book stores on July 23, and print or digital editions are available to pre-order now.




FILTER: - Twelfth Doctor - Comics

DWA examines the biggest scares in the series

Sunday, 22 June 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
The new edition of Doctor Who Adventures takes a look at the biggest and scariest scares in Doctor Who.

For issue 348, the team have uncovered the grossest and yuckiest things from the series - and they want to see if readers agree with their Top 10 choices.

The magazine also comes with a free stationery set featuring the Alien Babies, plus:
  • A guide to the Eleventh Doctor's episodes
  • A fact file about the Alien Babies
  • Cut-out-and-keep Dalek information
  • Make a vortex manipulator
  • Strax's guide to the Ood
  • Win a bike, Pokémon goodies and an iPad
  • Danger and surprises for the Doctor and Clara in the comic strip - and watch the story come alive with the free Blippar app
  • Puzzles, posters and monster fun
Issue 348 of DWA is available until Tuesday 1st July.




FILTER: - Magazines - DWA

The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot - The Sequel

Thursday, 19 June 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann in the Five(ish) Doctors Reboot. Photo: BBCPaul McGann has reported that a sequel to last year's online/red-button anniversary special, The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot has entered production. The actor, who appeared briefly in the original, was speaking at an event for Cambridge Union Society, which also saw "Reboot" co-star Sylvester McCoy speak back in May.

Photos and more details on the talk, including McGann's thoughts on a female Doctor, can be found through Cambridge News.


The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot is still available to watch online in the UK.

(with thanks to Paul Kirkley/Cambridge News)




FILTER: - Specials - Paul McGann

Australian writers reflect on Doctor Who

Monday, 16 June 2014 - Reported by Adam Kirk
In Whose Doctor? Reflections on a Time Lord, a new independently released ebook, nine Australia writers examine their relationship to Doctor Who from all angles. From letters begging to be allowed to write for the show and poems about step-families bonding over mutual love of the Doctor, to examinations of how New Who subverts the male gaze and introductory lectures to aspiring companions, this collection presents a range of unique and personal takes on Britain's favourite and longest-running science fiction TV show.

Authors in this collection include:
• Screenwriter/podcaster/playwright John Richards (Outland, Splendid Chaps, Songs for Europe)
• Feminist commentator/founder of Cherchez La Femme live talk show Karen Pickering (the Guardian, the Age, Crikey, New Matilda)
• Comedian/podcaster Ben McKenzie (Dungeon Crawl, Ben McKenzie is Uncool, Splendid Chaps)
• Author/playwright/poet Emilie Collyer (The Good Girl
• YA Author George Ivanoff (You Choose, the Gamers trilogy).

According to the publisher:
These writers are poets, comedians, scriptwriters, academics and authors, but above all they are each, in their own way, fans. As someone once said, "There's no wrong way to be a fan of Doctor Who." This collection proves that point beyond a doubt.
The pieces in this collection were originally performed live on stage in Melbourne at the Lithuanian Club on 13 November 2013 as part of the City of Melbourne Library's "Not Quite the Big Finish: An Evening of Doctor Who Spoken Word", a 50th Anniversary celebration of Doctor Who.

Whose Doctor? Reflections of a Time Lord is available now for $US5 as an ebook from SmashWords and Tomely. For more information check out #WhoseDoctor on Twitter.




FILTER: - Fan Productions - Books - Australia

John Barrowman and Julie Gardner made MBEs

Saturday, 14 June 2014 - Reported by Marcus
John Barrowman, who played Captain Jack and Julie Gardner, Doctor Who's former Executive Producer, have both been made a MBE in the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours list.

Julie Gardner was a key member of the team responsible for bringing back Doctor Who in 2005 and relaunching the series for a whole new generation. She was brought into the project in 2003 to work with Russell T Davies on developing the show. Together they were responsible for turning Doctor Who into one of the biggest BBC's most succesful shows, responsible for 60 episodes. She was involved in casting two Doctors, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant, and creating two spin-offs, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. She now works in California as Senior vice president Scripted Projects for BBC Worldwide America.

Gardner, who was born in Neath, near Swansea, has been awarded the honour for "services to the Economic Development of the Television Industry in Wales." She said: she was honored to accept the award.
I have filmed all over the world. But the talent, stamina and sheer fun of the writers, cast and crews I’ve worked with in Wales is beyond compare. I am lucky; I get to keep this award. But I am accepting it for all those brilliant people who have made my job such an absolute joy, and for my dad who will be the talk of Glynneath. My proudest achievement has been to successfully bring Doctor Who to Wales. From there, through Torchwood, Casualty and Da Vinci's Demon's, Wales' position in the global television industry goes from strength to strength. I am hugely proud to have been a part of that journey and will work hard so that this is just the beginning.


John Barrowman joined Doctor Who in 2005, playing Captain Jack Harkness in eleven episodes of the series. His success was such that he was given his own spin off series Torchwood, which ran from 2006-2011. The honour was given for his services to entertainment as well as his contribution to charity.

Barrowman, who is currently in Australia , promoting his drama series Arrow, said receiving the award was the proudest day in his life. The actor posted a video expressing his reaction to the news.



The honour makes both a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. The award is given by Queen Elizabeth on the advice of the British Government.




FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Julie Gardner - John Barrowman