Doctor Who Magazine 434

Tuesday, 3 May 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
In the latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine, acclaimed writer Neil Gaiman exclusively reveals secrets about his script for one of the most eagerly-anticipated Doctor Who adventures ever – The Doctor's Wife! But who on earth is she...?

If this episode works like it’s meant to work, you will go from curiosity, thinking ‘who is this person?’ – to amusement – ‘She’s very funny, she’s mad, oh my God, she’s biting him, she’s a bit weird! – to irritation – ‘Why is she so high and mighty?’ – to heartbreak, genuine, absolute real heartbreak. And to joy.

Also in this issue:
  • Pirates and Ood and Living Flesh! Take a sneak-peak at Episodes 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the new series as DWM previews The Curse of the Black Spot, The Doctor's Wife, The Rebel Flesh and The Almost People – featuring never-before-seen photos and exclusive interviews with writers Steve Thompson, Neil Gaiman, and Matthew Graham.
  • Ahoy there, Captain! Ha-harr, me hearties! DWM interviews Hugh Bonneville, star of The Curse of the Black Spot, about his role as beardy pirate captain Henry Avery...
  • Mr Grumpy Face! Doctor Who’s head writer and showrunner Steven Moffat relates tales of special screenings, slurred speeches and stopping spoilers in his latest Production Notes...
  • Astral America! DWM flies off to the USA and goes on the road with the cast and crew of The Impossible Astronaut in a behind-the-scenes report, featuring exclusive chats with stars Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, and Alex Kingston, and director Toby Haynes...
  • Cybermen, Yeti and Ice Warriors! It’s back to the 60s as Countdown to 50 takes a nostalgic look back at Series Five, the Second Doctor season that saw the show get darker and scarier than ever before...
  • Welcome to the Pleasure Dome! Amy’s trapped in a psychedelic nightmare, while the Doctor lies helpless, a victim of the sinister Dark! The latest comic strip adventure, Forever Dreaming by Jonathan Morris with art by Adrian Salmon, reaches it startling conclusion...
  • War! What is it good for? The Time Team go back to Number 10 Downing Street to watch the Ninth Doctor and Rose battle the Slitheen. Just what will they make of World War Three?
  • Je T'Aime! There’s Kissing, Courtiers and Clockwork People as the Tenth Doctor has a dangerous liaison with Madame de Pompadour – The Fact of Fiction reveals everything you’ll ever need to know about 2006’s The Girl in the Fireplace...
  • Time Meddlers? Should Doctor Who feature purely historical stories? Or should the adventures always feature sci-fi elements? There’s only one way to find out… by reading the opinions of Toby Hadoke and Johnny Candon as they engage in the latest Battle of Wits...
PLUS! A FREE giant-size, double-sided poster, all the latest official news, previews, reviews, competitions, more madness from the Watcher, another prize-winning crossword, and much, much more!


Doctor Who Magazine is available from all good newsagents and supermarkets from Thursday 5th May.




FILTER: - DWM

The Sarah Jane Companion: Volume Two

Thursday, 21 April 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Today sees the release of the latest Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition, which looks in depth at series three and four of The Sarah Jane Adventures.

The Sarah Jane Companion
Volume Two

The ultimate guide to the adventures of the Doctor’s best-loved companion, as played by Elisabeth Sladen.

Written and researched by Andrew Pixley.

Sarah Jane Smith – journalist, mother and friend of the Doctor. Over the last few years, Sarah Jane has been responsible for saving the Earth on countless occasions. With the help of her robot dog K9, her computer Mr Smith, her son Luke, and her young friends Clyde Langer and Rani Chandra, she’s faced a multitude of menaces including Judoon, Shansheeth, Slitheen, the Trickster... even the Mona Lisa! And twice recently, she was visited by the last of the Time Lords, in remarkable adventures that would test her courage to the limit.

Doctor Who Magazine takes you behind the scenes of Series Three and Four of The Sarah Jane Adventures with an in-depth episode guide – including original storylines, deleted scenes, media appearances, ratings information and thousands of facts about the day-to-day life of the making of the award-winning programme – all illustrated with gorgeous, never-before-seen photographs. This collectors’ edition examines Prisoner of the Judoon, The Mad Woman in the Attic, The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith, The Eternity Trap, Mona Lisa’s Revenge, The Gift, The Nightmare Man, The Vault of Secrets, Death of the Doctor, The Empty Planet, Lost in Time and Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith, as well as the Alien Files, the specially-made trailers and more.


 
Doctor Who Magazine editor Tom Spilsbury reflects on the sad timing of this particular publication:
Just as it was for everybody else, it was a massive, massive shock on Tuesday evening, when I heard the news of Elisabeth Sladen’s passing. It scarcely seemed possible. It was sadly ironic that we’d just received copies of the latest DWM Special in the office that morning; this one focusing on The Sarah Jane Adventures. I was greatly looking forward to seeing Lis’ reaction to the magazine. She was always so kind in complimenting the work we put into the mag – but in truth we could never do any of it without the huge support of the people who make the programmes. Elisabeth was more generous than anyone in offering up her time for interviews.

This DWM Special Edition is officially published today, and although it certainly wasn’t intended to be a commemoration of Elisabeth’s life and career, I hope people enjoy it, and find comfort in the huge amount of pleasure she gave to millions of viewers – children of all generations. In due course, DWM will be publishing a proper tribute issue, which will look at Elisabeth’s life, with contributions from friends and colleagues.




FILTER: - DWM - Sarah Jane - Elisabeth Sladen

Doctor Who Magazine 433

Monday, 4 April 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine will preview the forthcoming series of Series Six, expected to premier 23rd April 2011, which includes an interview with head writer Steven Moffat revealing a spoiler to the start of the series!

You see those four different covers for this month’s Doctor Who Magazine? We’re not lying, we’re not cheating. One of those four people is going to die. The Doctor’s darkest hour is coming.

Shows like Doctor Who should have big, colourful, memorable moments that make you go, ‘What the hell -?’ Well this is one of them. If you’re not going ‘What the hell -?’ it’s business as usual, but it’s hard to create a shock in Doctor Who when we’ve already blown up the universe a couple of times! What do you do next? When I came up with this incredible, heart-wrenching twist, I thought, ‘We kill off one of the leads in the season opener! Who’s going to stop watching at that point?’ It lures you in.

A montage of the four covers released earlier today is now available:



Also in this issue:
  • The Whole of the Moon! DWM previews the incredible opening story of the new season,
    The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon, and talks to stars Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill, as well as writer Steven Moffat and director Toby Haynes!
  • Author, Author! Steven Moffat reveals more about the writers he’s chosen to script the first seven episodes of the new season – and drops several tantalising hints along the way! – in Production Notes.
  • Shh, You Know Who... Go behind the scenes of Doctor Who Confidential, as series producer, Gillane Seaborne and producer Zoe Rushton give DWM readers a sneak peak of the new season of BBC Three’s making-of show!
  • Lost and Found Ever wonder what Doctor Who would have been like had it continued into the 1990s? DWM has the answer, as it talks to writer Andrew Cartmel, and actors Sophie Aldred and Beth Chalmers – stars of a brand new season of audio dramas of The Lost Stories, featuring the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Raine!
  • When The Wind Blows The Time Team’s quest takes them to Number 10 Downing Street, as they watch the Ninth Doctor and Rose encounter flatulent aliens and a space pig in Aliens of London!
  • American Dream! It was the only TV outing for the Eighth Doctor – but what an outing it was! Grab onto your motorbike and make sure you’re drezzed for the occasion as The Fact Of Fiction takes a detailed look at the 1996 TV Movie!
  • A Battle of Wits The TV Movie revealed that the Doctor is half-human – on his mother’s side! But is this revelation quite as shocking as seems? Toby Hadoke and Johnny Candon weigh up the pros and cons in A Battle Of Wits!
  • All Change! It was the most ambitious and important series of Doctor Who to date – 1966/7’s Season Four, the series which introduced the Cybermen, killed off the Daleks and featured the first ever regeneration! DWM remembers this pivotal set of stories as Countdown to 50 continues!
  • Nightmare Holiday! The Doctor and Amy take a trip to the seaside in the swinging 60s... Or do they? There’s a bad trip just around the corner in Forever Dreaming, a psychedelic new comic strip by Jonathan Morris, illustrated by Adrian Salmon!
  • EEEEVIL – Inifinite Eveil! DWM catches up with the Master himself, Geoffrey Beevers, and find out not only about his own performance in 1981’s The Keeper of Traken, but also what he thinks about the other Masters...

PLUS! All the latest official news, previews, reviews, competitions, more madness from the Watcher, another prize-winning crossword, and much, much more!


Doctor Who Magazine is available from all good newsagents and supermarkets from Thursday 7 April.





FILTER: - DWM

Doctor Who Magazine 433 - Four Collectible Covers

Monday, 4 April 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The new edition of Doctor Who Magazine is out this Thursday, and will feature four collectible covers. As the covers announce what can be considered a spoiler, click on Reveal to see them:



Steven Moffat tells DWM:
We're not lying, we're not cheating: one of those four people is going to die! When I came up with this heart-wrenching twist, I thought "We'll kill off one of the leads in the season opener." It lures you in.

This issue also confirms the widely expected date for the premier as being the 23rd April on BBC One.




FILTER: - DWM

Doctor Who Magazine 432

Wednesday, 9 March 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine delves into this year's Comic Relief, with news of a special Red Nose-themed mini-adventure for the current TARDIS crew, plus in a new interview with David Tennant in which he reveals how he's getting funny for money.

Also in this issue:
  • Waiting for God: Toby Whithouse, writer of the forthcoming TV episode The God Complex, talks exclusively to DWM about his previous work on Doctor Who and Torchwood and tells us what’s in store for the TARDIS team in his latest script…
    Steven Moffat said ‘The Doctor and Amy are trapped in a hotel and the geography keeps shifting.’ I said, ‘Oh yeah?’ He said, ‘No, that’s literally as far as we’ve got.’” Toby explains. “So that was the starting point. That one line. A lot of the ideas just fell into place...
  • Whatever happened to the Likely Lad? Andrew Smith was just a teenager when he wrote for the TV story Full Circle for Doctor Who in 1980 – but what became of him after that? DWM finally tracks Andrew down for an exclusive interview and finds out about his latest Doctor Who scripts…
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm: Doctor Who’s head writer and executive producer, Steven Moffat, reveals what his predecessor, Russell T Davies, has recently been emailing him about in PRODUCTION NOTES!
  • Men Behaving Badly: The Watcher proudly presents the ultimate guide to the Doctor’s arch-nemesis! Discover the secrets of every secret identity, every cunning disguise and every sinister incarnation of the Doctor’s most persistent foe in THE WATCHER’S GUIDE TO THE MASTER!
  • Gimme Gimme Gimme: Will one man’s greed cause the destruction of the human race? Find out, as THE FACT OF FICTION puts the colourful 1971 Third Doctor adventure The Claws of Axos under the microscope!
  • One Foot in the Grave: Amy dons a nurse’s outfit as she and the Doctor investigate a series of mysterious disappearances at an old folks’ home. But what lurks in the laundry closet? And who are the faceless children who come visiting after dark? Find out in a new comic strip, DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT, by Jonathan Morris with art by David A Roach!
  • Till Death Us Do Part: THE TIME TEAM unearth a curious tale of zombies and Charles Dickens, as their continuing mission leads them to Victorian Cardiff for the Ninth Doctor adventure The Unquiet Dead!
  • Absolutely Fabulous: DWM takes a nostalgic look back Series Three – a time when William Hartnell starred as the First Doctor in some of the most amazing adventures the show has ever seen – as the COUNTDOWN TO 50 continues…
  • Just Good Friends: Should Doctor Who celebrate its continuity? Or is it better to break with the past and have all-new adventures? DWM sparring partners, Toby Hadoke and Johnny Candon confront the controversy in A BATTLE OF WITS!
  • As Time Goes By: The much-anticipated fourth series of the Doctor Who audio spin-off, GALLIFREY, is out this month! DWM talks to the people responsible for the continuing adventures of Romana, Leela and K9, including Louise Jameson, Gary Russell and Scott Handcock.
  • Extras: A History of Doctor Who in a 100 Objects, The Six Faces of Delusion, Supporting Artist of the Month and much more – revel in the madness in the latest WOTCHA!
Plus, all the latest official news, previews, reviews, competitions, another prize-winning crossword, and much, much more!

Doctor Who Magazine 432 is on the shelves from Thursday 10th March.




FILTER: - DWM

Official Magazine Statistics

Thursday, 17 February 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The Audit Bureau of Circulations have now released statistics relating to the distribution figures of magazines for the second half of 2010, which includes details relating to both official publications, Doctor Who Magazine (Panini) and Doctor Who Adventures (BBC).

When compared to previous periods, the data reveals how the average circulation trends have fared:

 Jul - Dec 2009Jan - Jun 2010Jul - Dec 2010
Doctor Who Magazine29,00035,374 (+22%)33,554 (-5.1%)
Doctor Who Adventures44,66453,559 (+20%)56,648 (+5.8%)
Figures: Audit Bureau of Circulations

The figures show that both DWM and DWA saw a surge in circulation during the first half of last year - tying in with Matt Smith's debut as the Eleventh Doctor! The latter half saw DWM's readership tail off a bit, whilst DWA continued to increase (the latter offering a free gift every week to its readers!).

Jaynie Bye, joint Managing director for BBC Children’s Magazine told the BBC Press Office:
"In this digital age it is really heartening to see that our top brands continue to have huge appeal with the pre-teen audience. In particular, I am delighted with the performance of Doctor Who Adventures magazine – up by an impressive 26.8% year on year – demonstrating the continuing strength of the title and the increased interested generated by Matt Smith in his role as the Doctor.

Publication certificates provide further breakdowns on circulation; for instance 14% of DWM's and 17% of DWA's sales are through subscription, whereas figures for general sci-fi magazine SFX over last year show a much higher subscription rate of 31% (total average circulation 31,360).

The figures for the next six months are expected on 18th August 2011.






FILTER: - Magazines - DWM - Circulation - DWA

Doctor Who Magazine 431

Tuesday, 8 February 2011 - Reported by Harry Ward
The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine features an exclusive interview with writer Mark Gatiss, who lets slip a few details about his new script for Matt Smith’s Series Two.

Doctor Who has been the biggest thing in my life really, and it’s entirely because I was scared stiff of it – but I loved it,". "It didn’t traumatise me, and a healthy scare is as important as a good laugh. It’s exactly the same emotion, I think. Steven Moffat said to me, ‘Make a Barret home terrifying like you did in Crooked House,’ but Crooked House was on at ten o’clock at night, this is on at six. You have to find that balance...

Also in this issue:
  • This Charming Man! The gloves are off! Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat comes out fighting against the critics in this month’s Production Notes, and explains why the show is for everyone, and not ‘just’ for kids...
  • Bigmouth Strikes Again! Tegan is back! No-nonsense Australian Janet Fielding, recently reunited with her former crewmates for brand new audio adventures, reveals how she was persuaded to return – and what she thinks about Doctor Who today! (Just don’t mention the cricket.)
  • What She Said! The Eighth Doctor’s audio adventures are about to reach an incredible climax! DWM speaks to stars Carole Ann Ford, Graeme Garden, Sheridan Smith, Niky Wardley and Nicholas Briggs about battling the Daleks – and who might die in the process…
  • Barbarism Begins At Home Cannibalistic old ladies, teenage girl gangs, and something very unpleasant in the basement. It can only be the Seventh Doctor’s adventure in Paradise Towers, analysed in The Fact of Fiction. Ice hot!
  • This Night Has Opened My Eyes! Want to take a trip in the TARDIS? Of course you do! Well, now you can, at the brand new Doctor Who Experience, opening at Kensington Olympia this month. DWM presents an exclusive preview of what to expect…
  • The Boy With The Thorn In His Side! Giant heads, blue faces and a whole lot of wood. No longer just a Saturday night in Hoxton – it’s a new adventure for the Time Team, as they travel to witness The End of the World!
  • These Things Take Time! Continuing our Countdown to the 50 years of Doctor Who, writer Simon Guerrier looks at First Doctor William Hartnell’s second series – a season that saw the series reach incredible heights of popularity...,
  • There Is A Light That Never Goes Out Doctor Who was one of the most-watched shows last year – but just how well did it go against the rest of television? DWM provides the ultimate guide to how the series fared against the competition in 2010 in Public Image.
  • Is It Really So Strange? Golden and tank-like or big-bootied and colourful? Toby Hadoke and Jonny Candon go head-to-head as they debate the pros and cons of Dalek design in A Battle of Wits! Will either of them manage to convince you…?
  • Handsome Devil! A page full of random journeys, supporting artists, fascinating facts and the Bidmead-ometer… it’s another dollop of Who madness in Wotcha!
Plus all the official news, straight from the Doctor Who studios at Upper Boat; forthcoming CDs and DVDs previewed; the latest CDs and DVDs reviewed; your letters; competitions to win an array of exciting Doctor Who merchandise; our fiendish crossword; and much more!

The 84-page Doctor Who Magazine Issue 431 is available from Thursday 10 February.





FILTER: - DWM

Doctor Who Unlimited

Saturday, 15 January 2011 - Reported by Anthony Weight
The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine contains the news that the popular publication is to gain a North American spin-off title from April. Produced in the UK by Panini, as the original magazine is, Doctor Who Unlimited will apparently not be a versioned edition of DWM, but will be a separate publication in its own right, containing "100% new material".

Unlimited will be edited by John Ainsworth, who has contributed various features to DWM in the past, and has recently been credited as the magazine's "Editorial Assistant". He explained to DWM that "Doctor Who Unlimited will have slightly more of a focus on the fictional side of Doctor Who and will also be giving regular coverage to the fans themselves."

The first issue of the 44-page magazine will be available on newsstands in the US and Canada from the 7th of April. There is currently no information as to whether readers outside of North America will be able to order copies.





FILTER: - Canada - USA - Magazines - DWM

Doctor Who Magazine 430

Tuesday, 11 January 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster


The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (out in the shops on Thursday 13th January) features a new look, with 84 pages dedicated to the world of Doctor Who! The new issue looks ahead to the second series to feature Matt Smith as the Doctor, with both him and co-star Karen Gillan discussing what they think of each other and what's in store for their characters this coming year.

Matt comments on forthcoming monsters in the series:
There are some great monsters coming up in Series Two; Steven Moffat has created the greatest monsters since the Weeping Angels. It might even eclipse the Angels for me...
Karen adds:
I think it’s the scariest one yet, physically and just what it does. They’ve got one thing about them that feels almost undefeatable

Also in this issue:
  • Electric Dreams! DWM talks to the people behind the DVD range – and reveals ALL the Doctor Who DVDs releases coming up in 2011! Will your favourites be among them?
  • Train of Thought! Doctor Who’s Head Writer, Steven Moffat, takes the train with the Doctor, Amy and Rory, and tells DWM of a fantastic journey accompanied by saucy pictures of Karen Gillan – and a very special copy of the script for Episode 7...
  • Ghost of Christmas Past! Toby Haynes, the director of A Christmas Carol, gives DWM an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what was the most Christmassy Doctor Who Christmas Special ever, and reveals the thought processes which went into realising the episode.
  • Initial Success! With just two years to go before Doctor Who celebrates its 50th anniversary, DWM looks back at the actors, writers and stories that helped make it the longest-running and best-loved sci-fi show on television! This issue, DWM reflects on the very first series, which began on Saturday 23 November, 1963...
  • ... By Any Other Name! It’s back! The all-new Time Team of Chris, Emma, Michael and Will get comfy on the sofa and experience an episode of Autons, burping bins and p-p-p-pizza, as they pop on a VHS of the Ninth Doctor’s début story, ROSE! What will they make of it?
  • There's only one way to find out ...! They’re two of the most fondly remembered Doctors – Patrick Troughton’s Second Doctor and Tom Baker’s Fourth. But who was the most influential actor to play Doctor Who? Toby Hadoke and Johnny Candon argue the toss as they engage in A Battle Of Wits!
  • Born in the USA! DWM brings together the writer and the star of a brand new audio adventure for 80s companion Peri Brown, as actress Nicola Bryant and writer Nev Fountain interview each other about Peri and the Piscon Paradox.
  • Time after Time! The Third Doctor, Jo and UNIT battle the Daleks and Ogrons in one of the most memorable stories of the 1970s! Take a trip back through time to 1972 as The Fact of Fiction discovers the secrets behind the Day of the Daleks!
  • Tweet, tweet! DWM examines Twitter, the social networking phenomenon that’s taken over the internet, and recommends 40 people every Doctor Who fan should follow...
Plus new comic strip The Screams of Death sees the Doctor and Amy visit nineteenth century Paris and encounter murder in the night, the Watcher returns in a new regular column, Watcha!, and the usual news, reviews and competitions.

This issue comes with three more collectible art cards featuring exclusive DWM cover images.




Doctor Who Magazine have recently uploaded the magazine covers for all of their issues to their newly launched Facebook page, grouped by 1-200, 201-351, and 352 to the present day. As mentioned last time, you can also now find DWM on Twitter (@DWMTweets).




FILTER: - DWM

DWM Companion: The Eleventh Doctor (Vol 2)

Thursday, 16 December 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Details for the second Doctor Who Companion volume covering the adventures of the Eleventh Doctor have been released by Doctor Who Magazine. This edition features the second half of the 2010 series, Amy's Choice to The Big Bang, plus the specially recorded scenes that appear on the Series Five Boxed Set.

The magazine will be published on 30th December 2010.

The Doctor Who Companion
The Eleventh Doctor
Volume Two

Your complete guide to the award-winning BBC One series!
Written and researched by Andrew Pixley.

2010 was a landmark year for Doctor Who. Matt Smith and Karen Gillan appeared on television as the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond for the first time, in a series of incredible adventures. From the Doctor’s crash landing in sleepy Leadworth, through to his arrival at Amy’s wedding in a rebooted universe, the last of the Time Lords faced many monsters during the course of his travels, including Weeping Angels, Silurians, Autons, Cybermen, Smilers, Venetian Vampires, Prisoner Zero… and, of course, the Daleks!

Now, Doctor Who Magazine takes you behind the scenes of the concluding episodes of the Eleventh Doctor’s first season with an in-depth episode guide – including original storylines, deleted scenes, media appearances, ratings information and thousands of facts about the day-to-day life of the making of Doctor Who – all illustrated with gorgeous, never-before-seen photographs. This collectors’ edition examines Amy’s Choice, The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood, Vincent and the Doctor, The Lodger and The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang, as well as the specially-made Meanwhile in the TARDIS scenes from the DVD box set.

This is your essential guide to the worlds of Doctor Who.
Get ready to discover a wealth of information – but watch out for the cracks...

The first volume may still be found on retailers' shelves until the 29th December.




FILTER: - DWM