DVD: The Monster Collection

Tuesday, 17 September 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
BBC Worldwide have released details on their collection of DVDs featuring the monstrous foes of the Doctor.

Doctor Who: The Monster Collection

These six real "hide behind the sofa" collections bring together episodes of the scariest and most iconic monsters from Doctor Who's classic and recent series.

Each title concentrates on a deadly enemy - The Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans, The Master, Davros and The Silurians - and features two separate stories from popular incarnations of the Doctor, including Matt Smith, David Tennant, Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee. These collections are perfect for younger viewers just discovering the scary delights of fifty years of Doctor Who.

Monster Collection: The Daleks (Credit: BBC Worldwide)The Monster Collection: The Daleks (pre-order)

THE DALEKS are the most feared race in the entire universe. The hideous mutant creatures contained inside almost indestructible casings conquer and exterminate wherever they go...

The Daleks (1963): On the planet Skaro, the mutated Daleks plan a final assault on the Thals. Starring William Hartnell as the First Doctor.

Asylum of the Daleks (2012): Kidnapped by his oldest foe, the Doctor is forced on an impossible mission - to a place even the Daleks are too terrified to enter ... the Asylum. Starring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor.
Monster Collection: The Cybermen (Credit: BBC Worldwide)The Monster Collection: The Cybermen (pre-order)

THE CYBERMEN were once human but chose to replace all living tissue with plastic and steel. Seeing emotions as a weakness, they removed those too and now massive Cyber armies try to upgrade the universe...

The Tomb of the Cybermen (1967): The TARDIS arrives on the planet Telos where an Earth archaeological expedition, led by Professor Parry, is attempting to uncover the lost tombs of the Cybermen. Starring Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor.

Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel (2006): Lurking in the shadows are creatures made to destroy - one of The Doctor's greatest fears have come true ... the Cybermen are reborn. Starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.
Monster Collection: The Sontarans (Credit: BBC Worldwide)The Monster Collection: The Sontarans (pre-order)

THE SONTARANS are a short, battle-loving race from the planet Sontar. Bred for war, these cloned creatures have produced one of the most powerful armies in the universe.

The Time Warrior (1973): Missing scientists have been kidnapped by a Sontaran, Linx, and taken back to medieval England, where they are working under hypnosis to repair his crashed spaceship. Starring Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor.

The Sontaran Stratagem and The Poison Sky (2008): With planet Earth choking under the poison sky, the Doctor must stop the Sontarans' threat to the planet. Starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.
Monster Collection: The Master (Credit: BBC Worldwide)The Monster Collection: The Master (pre-order)

THE MASTER is a dangerous, power-mad Time Lord and one of the Doctor’s deadliest foes. He brings death, danger and chaos to every story in which he appears.

Terror of the Autons (1971): The Master arrives on Earth at a circus run by a man named Rossini and steals a dormant Nestene energy unit from a museum. He reactivates it using a radio telescope and uses his hypnotic abilities to take control of a small plastics firm. Starring Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor.

The End of Time parts one and two (2009-10): With almost everyone on Earth now recast in his image. The Master controls the world. He's shocked however when he realizes that one person hasn't changed... Starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.
Monster Collection: DavrosThe Monster Collection: Davros (pre-order)

DAVROS is a genius scientist responsible for creating the most dangerous races in the universe – the Daleks. Ruthless and dangerous, he is determined that his creations will always win.

Genesis of the Daleks (1975): The Time Lords intercept the transmat beam taking the Doctor, Sarah and Harry back to Nerva and deposit them instead on the planet Skaro at an early point in its history. Starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor.

The Stolen Earth and Journey's End (2008): The return of an old enemy leaves Earth along with 26 other planets stolen from their places. As the Doctor and Donna look for the whereabouts of Earth, former companions of the Doctor assemble a resistance against the new Dalek Empire. Starring David Tennnant as the Tenth Doctor.
Monster Collection: The Silurians (Credit: BBC Worldwide)The Monster Collection: The Silurians (pre-order)

THE SILURIANS lived on Earth millions of years before humans. This reptile race was forced to hibernate and lay undiscovered for years until they eventually started to wake up...

The Silurians (1970): Investigating a nearby cave system, the Doctor discovers it is the base of a group of intelligent reptiles, termed Silurians, who went into hibernation millions of years ago but have now been revived by power from the research centre. Starring Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor.

The Hungry Earth and Cold Blood (2010): The Doctor tries to get everyone to Rio, but nothing quite goes as planned. They arrive in a small Welsh village where the Doctor immediately senses that the ground isn't quite right. Starring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor.

The collections are due out in the United Kingdom on 30th September 2013.




FILTER: - UK - Third Doctor - Second Doctor - First Doctor - Eleventh Doctor - Fourth Doctor

Full Guest Line-Up Announced For BFI's Tenth Doctor Event

Thursday, 12 September 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
Catherine Tate will be among the guests joining David Tennant later this month for the question-and-answer panel at the BFI's special event celebrating the Tenth Doctor's era.

The Stolen Earth and Journey's End, which formed the Series 4 finale, are being shown on Sunday 29th September at 2pm when, as reported last month, Tennant will be the headline guest. It has now been confirmed that he will be joined by Tate, with the other guests named as the episodes' director, Graeme Harper, plus producer Phil Collinson and casting director Andy Pryor.

The sell-out screenings are part of the BFI's Doctor Who At 50 season, curated by Dick Fiddy and Justin Johnson.

Check here for returns or try the BFI on the day for stand-bys.




FILTER: - Special Events - UK - Catherine Tate - David Tennant - BFI - WHO50 - Tenth Doctor

BFI: Seventh And Ninth Doctor Panels Plus Eighth Doctor Guests

Monday, 9 September 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
Videos of the guest panels from the two most recent celebratory screenings by the BFI were released today.

The BFI is running a Doctor Who At 50 season throughout this year, curated by Justin Johnson and Dick Fiddy, and a six-minute excerpt from the question-and-answer session at the Seventh Doctor event, held on Saturday 27th July and which saw a big-screen showing of Remembrance of the Daleks, features Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, and Ben Aaronovitch in conversation with Johnson.


Meanwhile, the Ninth Doctor event - held on Saturday 24th August with Bad Wolf and The Parting of The Ways being screened - spawned a longer video, with Joe Ahearne, Phil Collinson, and Bruno Langley on the panel.


The next event, which will mark the Tenth Doctor's era, is to take place at the BFI on Sunday 29th September when the episodes The Stolen Earth and Journey's End will be shown and - as previously reported - David Tennant will be among the special guests. As with all the other events in the BFI season it has sold out, but returns are possible - keep checking here - as are stand-bys on the day.

Less than a week after that - and again as previously reported - Paul McGann will be the headline guest on Saturday 5th October at the sold-out event in honour of his time as the Eighth Doctor, with a screening of the TV Movie taking place. The full guest line-up, announced today, will be Daphne Ashbrook, Geoffrey Sax, Andrew Cartmel, Gary Russell, Nicholas Briggs, and Jason Haigh-Ellery. Cartmel, Briggs, Russell, and Haigh-Ellery will be forming a panel to talk about the years between the McGann movie and the show's return, while McGann, Ashbrook, and Sax will be the panel guests following the screening.

Yesterday, Ashbrook revealed on her website that she would be taking part, commenting:
I can't wait to see Paul McGann, Gary Russell, Jason Haigh Ellory [sic] and Andrew Cartmel. And Geoffrey Sax, whom I haven't seen since we shot the movie in 1996!
The event will be followed by a signing at the BFI Shop of advance copies of the BBC's 50th-anniversary book Doctor Who - The Vault, due out on Thursday 24th October, with author Marcus Hearn. Check here for returns for the Eighth Doctor event or try for stand-bys on the day.





FILTER: - Ninth Doctor - Special Events - Online - Eighth Doctor - Seventh Doctor - BFI - WHO50

Complete Series 1-7: Blu-ray details

Friday, 6 September 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
BBC Worldwide has announced the release of Doctor Who: The Complete Series 1-7 Box Set on Blu-ray for release in the United Kingdom on 4th November and in North America on 5th November:

Doctor Who: The Complete Series 1-7 Boxed Set (Blu-ray) (Credit: BBC)The Complete Series 1-7 Boxed Set (Blu-ray) (available for preorder UK/US)
Starring Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith

“Do you wanna come with me? 'Cause if you do, then I should warn you, you're gonna see all sorts of things. Ghosts from the past. Aliens from the future. The day the Earth died in a ball of flame. It won't be quiet, it won't be safe and it won't be calm. But I'll tell you what it will be: the trip of a lifetime.”
- The Ninth Doctor

Fantastic! Allons-y! Geronimo! For the first time ever, the epic adventures of the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors are brought together in high definition in a special Blu-ray release

The set includes the complete adventures of the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston, Thor: The Dark World) and Tenth Doctor (David Tennant, Broadchurch, Fright Night), available in newly remastered Blu-ray versions at full 1080p resolution for the first time ever, sitting alongside those of the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) in this high definition collection
  • Doctor Who: The Complete First Series, starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper
  • Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series, starring David Tennant and Billie Piper
  • Doctor Who: The Complete Third Series, starring David Tennant and Freema Agyeman
  • Doctor Who: The Complete Fourth Series, starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate
Also included in1080p Resolution:
  • Doctor Who: The Complete Specials, starring David Tennant
  • Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series, starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan
  • Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series, starring Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill
  • Doctor Who: The Complete Seventh Series, starring Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, and Jenna-Louise Coleman
Bonus Blu-ray disc includes:
  • “The Doctor Who Ultimate List of Lists” from BBC AMERICA’s The Brit List - BBC AMERICA’s pop culture correspondent, Asha Leo, is joined by special guest John Barrowman (“Torchwood,” “Doctor Who”) to announce the rankings of the “Top Five Companions,” “Top Five Scariest Moments,” “Top Five Best Monsters,” “Top Five Guest Stars” and “Top Five Things You’ll Only See on Doctor Who.”
  • Doctor Who at the Proms 2010 - Doctor Who’s own Karen Gillen and Arthur Darvill host a spectacular evening of music from the series played live by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall. Includes video projections, appearances by the monsters and a special guest appearance from 11th Doctor Matt Smith. For the first time, the collection will include the full 90-minute concert and has been remastered in 5.1 Surround Sound.
  • Doctor Who: The Best of the Christmas Specials - This previously unreleased special from December 2011 takes an inside look at the very best moments from the incredible Doctor Who Christmas specials that have captivated audiences around the world. A collection of fans from the celebrity, comedy, sci-fi and digital worlds discuss their favorite moments from both David Tennant and Matt Smith era Christmas episodes.

Doctor Who: The Complete Series 1-7 Boxed Set (Blu-ray) - USA Packaging (Credit: BBC Worldwide) Doctor Who: The Complete Series 1-7 Boxed Set (Blu-ray) - USA Contents (Credit: BBC Worldwide)
In addition, the North American release will include a bonus gift in the form of the original Doctor Who Universal Remote Control Sonic Screwdriver, three artwork cards featuring the three Doctors, plus an exclusive comic book.

The 29 disc collection contains each series in its own individual Blu-ray case, and it is expected that the four remastered Eccleston/Tennant series will be available individually at a later date.

Acknowledgements: BBC Worldwide, additional North American details thanks to TV Shows on DVD




FILTER: - Merchandise - Series 6/32 - Eleventh Doctor - Tenth Doctor - Series 5/31 - Ninth Doctor

Big Finish: August Releases

Wednesday, 28 August 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
This month's Doctor releases from Big Finish feature the continuation of the Seventh Doctor's travels with Klein and Will, an adventure for the First Doctor and Susan, plus an interview with the two actors that brought the popular Victorian investigators - aka Jago and Litefoot - to life.

Starlight Robbery (Credit: Big Finish)Starlight Robbery (available to order)
Starring Sylvester McCoy as The Doctor, with Tracey Childs as Dr Elizabeth Klein

Sick of the same-old slaughter-appliances? In need of a killer new killing-machine? Then look no further than Garundel Galactic's secret arms auction. Blasters, tanks, missiles and bombs – no bang too big or micro-laser too small. If you’ve got the credits, Garundel's got the kill-sticks. (Cash buyers get preferential rates.)

In search of the key to a sinister alien technology, the Doctor, Klein and Will set their sights on an illicit intergalactic arms fair run by an old acquaintance – the slippery Urodelian crook, Garundel. But what are their chances of pulling off a particularly audacious heist from under the noses of Garundel and his alien clients, the ever-belligerent Sontarans...?
The Companion Chronicles: The Alchemists (Credit: Big Finish)The Alchemists (available to order)
Starring Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman

The TARDIS lands in Berlin in the 1930s, where Hitler and his National Socialist party are in the ascendant.

Some of the greatest scientific minds are gathering here: Einstein, Heisenberg, Planck, Schrödinger, Wigner. The people who will build the future of planet Earth.

But the Doctor and Susan have brought something with them. Something apparently harmless, something quite common. Yet something that could threaten the course of history...
Benjamin and Baxter (Credit: Big Finish)Benjamin and Baxter (available to order)

The stars of Jago & Litefoot, Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter, prove immensely endearing raconteurs as they chat with Nicholas Briggs about their long and varied careers, covering their first appearance as Jago & Litefoot in Doctor Who: The Talons of Weng-Chiang and a rich tapestry of other tales from their lives...

NOTE: Benjamin & Baxter contains some adult material and is not suitable for younger listeners.

Win a copy of The Alchemists

This month's competition thanks to Big Finish is to win one of five copies of The Alchemists. To be in with a chance to win, please answer the following question:
Name one of the televised stories in which the Doctor meets Einstein.
Send your answer to comp-alchemists@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "I'm a Genius!", along with your name, address, and where you saw the competition (the news website, twitter, facebook, etc.). Only one entry per postal address will be accepted. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is 5th September 2013.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Seventh Doctor - Competitions - Big Finish

Doctor Who Prom - Rating

Tuesday, 27 August 2013 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Live: The Next DoctorThe 2013 Doctor Who Prom was watched by 1.2 million viewers, according to unofficial overnight viewing figures.

The show, broadcast on BBC One yesterday afternoon, had a share of 13.3% of the total television audience. The audience built throughout the 75 minute programme, peaking at 1.6 million for the final quarter hour. It won the timeslot beating The Incredible Hulk on ITV, which had 0.9 million watching.




FILTER: - Music - Special Events - Ratings - UK

Eccleston Message to BFI

Sunday, 25 August 2013 - Reported by Marcus
Christopher Eccleston has paid tribute to Doctor Who in a special message read out to the audience at the British Film Institute's retrospective of the Ninth Doctor's era.

The event is the latest in the BFI's year long celebration of Doctor Who, looking back at each era of the programme. The Ninth Doctor event, held yesterday in London featured a screening of the final Eccleston story Bad Wolf/The Parting of The Ways

The event panel included director Joe Ahearne, producer Phil Collinson and actor Bruno Langley. Although Eccleston did not attend, he sent a written message which was read by BFI host Justin Johnson.
I love the BFI. I love the Doctor and hope you enjoy this presentation. Joe Ahearne directed five of the 13 episodes of the first series. He understood the tone the show needed completely – strong, bold, pacy visuals coupled with wit, warmth and a twinkle in the performances, missus.

If Joe agrees to direct the 100th anniversary special, I will bring my sonic and a stair-lift and – providing the Daleks don’t bring theirs – I, the ninth Doctor, vow to save the universe and all you apes in it.
The BFI has also confirmed that both David Tennant and Paul McGann will appear live on stage for the look back at their retrospective eras as The Doctor.

The Tenth Doctor event on Sunday 29th September will include a screening of the Series 4 two-part finale The Stolen Earth/Journey's End, while the Eighth Doctor screening of the TV Movie will be held on Saturday 5th October.





FILTER: - Special Events - David Tennant - BFI - Christopher Eccleston - Paul McGann

Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular Comes to New Zealand

Saturday, 24 August 2013 - Reported by Paul Scoones
Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular 2014The Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular is coming to New Zealand for the first time. The special event will open the 2014 New Zealand Festival in Wellington.

Touring with a new show based on the recent Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Proms, the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular will play three performances at Wellington’s TSB Bank Arena on 21 and 22 February 2014.

This will be the first time the show has been put on for New Zealand audiences. When the 2014 Australian performances were previously announced it was speculated that the show might also come to New Zealand.

The music will be performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. During the show there will be live appearances in the aisles by monsters from the series, and specially edited sequences featuring the Eleventh Doctor played by Matt Smith will play on the big screen.

New Zealand Festival Artistic Director Shelagh Magadza said:
We’re expecting an invasion from around the country. This show really is spectacular, it dances between fantasy and reality and will appeal to people of all ages, whether they’re theatre regulars, music lovers or Doctor Who fans old and new.
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Head of Artistic Programming Melissa King said:
This is a fantastic opportunity to bring the world of Doctor Who to New Zealand and celebrate the Doctor Who 50th anniversary.
Helen Pendlebury, Head of Commercial, Entertainment and Children’s Brands, BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand commented:
It’s a very exciting time as Doctor Who celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and we are delighted to give Kiwi fans a chance to experience the series in a whole new way. The 2014 tour will also include performances in Melbourne and Brisbane.

Tickets go on sale to the General Public on 30 August 2013 with pre-sales available from 26 August 2013 from ticketek.co.nz.





FILTER: - Music - Special Events - New Zealand

The Light at the End: limited collector's Vinyl edition

Thursday, 22 August 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The 50th Anniversary audio adventure Light at the End from Big Finish is to be released in a limited edition Vinyl edition.

The Light at the End (cover) (Credit: Big Finish)The Light at the End
Starring Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann
With Louise Jameson, Sarah Sutton, Nicola Bryant, Sophie Aldred and India Fisher
Featuring Geoffrey Beevers as The Master

November 23rd 1963 proves to be a significant day in the lives of all eight Doctors…

It's the day that Bob Dovie's life is ripped apart…

It's also a day that sets in motion a catastrophic chain of events which forces the first eight incarnations of the Doctor to fight for their very existence. As a mysterious, insidious chaos unfolds within the TARDIS, the barriers of time break apart…

From suburban England through war-torn alien landscapes and into a deadly, artificial dimension, all these Doctors and their companions must struggle against the power of an unfathomable, alien technology.

From the very beginning, it is clear that the Master is somehow involved. By the end, for the Doctors, there may only be darkness.


This Special Edition will feature deluxe premium packaging, and includes:
  • Discs 1, 2 and 3 – The Light at the End
  • Disc 4 – The Making of The Light at the End (approx 40-minute documentary exclusive to this release)
  • All discs on heavy 180g vinyl
  • Limited and numbered to 500
  • Four-way gatefold sleeve
  • Rigid slipcase
  • an array of professional photos of the cast.
  • includes an exclusive 30cm x 30cm lenticular image.
The Light at the End (lenticular image) (Credit: Big Finish)

Big Finish trailer, via You-Tube

The Light at the End will also be available as a limited edition five-disc CD, which features:
  • Discs 1 and 2 – The Light at the End
  • Disc 3 – The Making of The Light at the End (70 minute documentary)
  • Disc 4 – This is Doctor Who at Big Finish (70 minute documentary)
  • Disc 5 – Doctor Who – The Companion Chronicles: The Revenants performed by William Russell as Ian

The Light at the End is scheduled to be released on 23rd November 2013; the standard version is currently available to pre-order via our shop.





FILTER: - Sixth Doctor - Audio - Eighth Doctor - Seventh Doctor - WHO50 - Fourth Doctor - Fifth Doctor

Doctor Who Anniversary Party To Be Held In London

Monday, 19 August 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
A party celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is to be held in London in November.

Organised by Jeremy and Paula Bentham together with Tony Clark, The Doc Lands @ 50 Party will be free to attend and will take place at a venue in Docklands on Saturday 23rd November, starting around 7pm after the BBC's Doctor Who 50th Celebration at ExCeL has ended that day. The party is open to all people aged 18 and over, whether or not they are going to the ExCeL event.

Jeremy told Doctor Who News:
The ultimate form of celebration is getting together to share an enthusiasm. Doctor Who fans have been sharing their passion for the programme since the '70s, but doing it on 23rd November 2013 is definitely the light on top of the police box, and will be a great occasion to don your party hats – fez, stetson, astrakhan, fedora, Paris Beau, or panama . . .
If the broadcast of the anniversary episode and any other Doctor Who programming by the BBC coincides with when the party is taking place, it will be shown on the venue's large-screen TV.

Food and drink will be available to buy at the party – although fish fingers and custard will not necessarily be on the menu!

Entry to The Doc Lands @ 50 Party will be by allocated ticket only, and capacity is strictly limited to 1,500 places. To apply for tickets, e-mail Jeremy at jjbentham@aol.com by Monday 9th September, using the subject line Doc Lands ticket applications and stating your name as well as how many people will be in your group. Before applying, though, people are urged to consider their transport options for getting home afterwards, as the party will finish late.

Successful applicants will be contacted in early November, when they will be told the exact location of the party and will be sent their group or individual tickets too.

Since the show's return to TV in 2005, the organisers have held a series of highly popular event parties in London.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Special Events - WHO50