Series 9 Sonic Screwdriver to be released this summer

Thursday, 12 May 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Character have announced that they plan to release a toy version sonic screwdriver that made its debut during last year's series finale, Hell Bent:

Character: Series 9 Hell Bent Sonic Screwdriver: pack (Credit: Character)After months of speculation it is now official, the Twelfth Doctor’s Second Sonic Screwdriver is to be part of the Character Options’ toy collection. The first images have been released with confirmation that the eagerly awaited Sonic will be on sale within weeks!

This new toy version is a faithful recreation of the current Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver which debuted in the Series 9 Episode ‘Hell Bent’. This is the first Sonic to have 4 light modes and four sound FX. The model has been designed as a replica from the Series 9 Prop.

Series 9 Hell Bent Sonic Screwdriver: Green glow (Credit: Character)
 
As all fans would know, the Doctor has carried many Sonic Screwdrivers of various designs throughout his lifetimes, ranging from a simple silver coloured tube to more complex illuminated and articulated versions.

This second Sonic for the Twelfth Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi, was ‘gifted' to him by the TARDIS itself after his previous version was lost. Although we are yet to discover all of the new Sonic’s abilities, like the Doctor himself, it has become ever more complex and mysterious. This multipurpose tool features numerous settings and can open most locks, detect all manner of deadly rays, read bio-signs and generate Sonic waves of great power.

Alasdair Dewar, Head of Product Development at Character Options commented: “Since this Twelfth Doctor’s Second Sonic Screwdriver appeared at the end of series 9, we have been inundated by fan requests to produce a toy replica as part of our toy range. We are therefore very proud to finally be able to reveal it. The Sonic Screwdriver has historically been one of the most sought after toys for fans and collectors alike and we hope they will be as delighted with it as we are.”

The Character Options’ Twelfth Doctor’s Second Sonic Screwdriver is available from for pre-sale orders from Doctor Who merchandise retailers from today.





FILTER: - Character Options - Merchandise - Twelfth Doctor

The Twelfth Doctor - 2.5

Monday, 9 May 2016 - Reported by Marcus
This week sees Titan release a new comic featuring The Twelfth Doctor

DOCTOR WHO: Twelfth Doctor #2.5

Writer: Robbie Morrison
Artist: Rachael Stott
Colorist: Ivan Nunes
Letterer: Comicraft
Covers: Simon Myers, Will Brooks, Simon Myers, Rachael Stott

It's the long-awaited return of a deadly foe, as the Doctor and Clara face a monster that will have you checking your stack of comics for suspicious movement! Dare you continue reading, when every page turn could bring you into MORTAL DANGER?! You have to – you're the Doctor's only hope!

DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR 2.5DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR 2.5DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR 2.5 DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR 2.5DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR 2.5DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR 2.5DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR 2.5


On Sale Wednesday 11th May 2016




FILTER: - Comics - Twelfth Doctor

Win Missy!

Monday, 9 May 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Missy Purple Missy Black
The annual BAFTA Television Awards took place last night, which saw actress Michelle Gomez nominated for Supporting Actress for her role as Missy in Doctor Who; unfortunately she lost out to Chanel Crosswell, who had been nominated for This is England '90.

However, even though Missy didn't win, you could still win Missy!

We have two of the limited edition Missy 5.5" characters produced by Character available, and to be in with a chance to win one of the figures simply answer the following question:

Missy was introduced to the world as a new incarnation of the Master in Dark Water, but which character name was used during filming to try to ensure the revelation remained a secret until broadcast?

Please send your answers along with your name, country and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-missy@doctorwhonews.net with the subject reflecting the version you'd like to win, "Missy in Purple!" or "Missy in Black!" - first out of the hat will receive the one they requested, with the runner up receiving the other figure.

The competition is open worldwide, closing date 31st May 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.





FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Competitions

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Lock-In

Saturday, 7 May 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Candy Jar Books has announced a new digital-only short story, The Lock-In, which is free to all those ordering the regular books in the 2016 range of Lethbridge-Stewart novels.

Candy Jar Books launched the fully licensed Lethbridge-Stewart series in February 2015, with Andy Frankham-Allen’s The Forgotten Son kicking off the venture in style. It was trailered by a free short story in the pages of Doctor Who Magazine, and every subsequent novel released throughout 2015 was accompanied by a free short story available direct from Candy Jar Books.

Head of Publishing, Shaun Russell says:
Our free short story incentive has proven to be very popular with our readers, and have met with many rave reviews, and so we’re very happy to announce that we’re continuing that incentive throughout 2016 with stories too intimate for the larger books.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Lock-In (Credit: Candy-Jar Books)The latest is The Lock-In by newcomer to the range, Sarah Groenewegen. Sarah was born in Sydney, Australia, but now lives in London. She has had essays published in various anthologies including the Hugo-nominated Queers Dig Time Lords. Most recently she contributed over twenty entries in 1,001 TV Shows You Must Watch Before You Die. Her short fiction has won awards (Scarlet Stiletto, 2002) and been published in Big Finish’s Doctor Who line, including the award winning Short Trips: Zodiac.

Sarah says:
I grew up with the Brig. I am of that Aussie generation who enjoyed multiple repeats of Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker stories, many of which included UNIT. Writing for Candy Jar has been fabulous, letting me dive into the character and bring to light some different facets of who he is. I loved exploring the relationship between him and Pearl, a slightly older woman who has a lasting effect on him and his life.

The Lock-In takes the form of a series of letters between Pearl and Sir Alistair, a man at the end of his life, as they reminisce over an adventure they shared just after he graduated from Sandhurst in 1956. It is a story of the impact one man can make, a story of perception of history and the importance of those who pass through our lives.

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen says:
As well as the usual romps, I thought it would be fun this year to use the short stories to explore the more intimate moments of our characters’ lives, the kinds of stories that would never work in a full length novel. Sue Hampton’s In His Kiss was the first of this new type of story, and Sarah’s is the second. I love what Sarah has done with her story, the personal tone to it all. So impressed was I, in fact, that one the back of this story Sarah is now writing a Lethbridge-Stewart novel for us.

The short stories now form part of a new initiative by Candy Jar Books to bring new talent into the worlds of Doctor Who. Frankham-Allen continues:
Short stories are a perfect testing ground for new, untried, authors. A way to introduce them to readers, who may not normally be willing to part with hard-earn money on authors they have not heard of. And, if the reception is positive, we then talk to these new authors about possible ideas for novels.
Shaun Russell agrees:
Candy Jar has always been about encouraging new authors, and we regularly publish novels by first-time authors, including the children’s favourite, Anthony Ormond, and World War II hero Eileen Younghusband. So it seems a natural thing to extend this to our Lethbridge-Stewart range. Continuing the work pioneered by such people as Andrew Cartmel and Peter Darvil-Evans in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

The Lock-In will be given free to every person who pre-orders the first of the new series of novels, Moon Blink by Sadie Miller, which is due to begin shipping 13th May. All subscribers will receive the short story automatically, as will those who purchase any of the bundles for 2016 series.




FILTER: - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart

Big Finish licence renewed until 2025

Friday, 6 May 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Big Finish licence extended to 2025Big Finish have announced that their licence to produce Doctor Who and Torchwood audio dramas has been extended to 2025.

Head of Audio Publishing at BBC Worldwide, Jan Paterson said:
We very much look forward to continuing to work with Big Finish over the coming years; the high standards of their productions — quality scripts, impeccable sound design and music, and impressive casting that utilises some of the country’s biggest stars — are a reflection of the care and thought that goes into every audio.
Big Finish's Executive Producer, Jason Haigh-Ellery, said:
It is very rare that a production company is given the luxury of being able to plan so far ahead. Thanks to the faith placed in Big Finish by the BBC we can look forward to many years of story progression and real character development for the Doctors and their companions. We are excited about what the future holds and look forward to the next decade of adventures travelling in time and space.
Nicholas Briggs, who as well as Executive Producer also voices the Daleks, said:
It’s been with me all my life in one form or another. So it’s truly delightful for me that the good old BBC has given us permission to carry on space-time travelling.
Producer David Richardson added:
It’s such an honour for us to tell new stories in the worlds of Doctor Who and Torchwood. The possibilities truly are endless, the potential for ideas is infinite. It’s a wonderful feeling when we have been doing this for seventeen years, yet feel like we’ve only just begun and that the best is yet to come.'


Forthcoming highlights from Big Finish include the return of David Tennant and Catherine Tate as the tenth Doctor and Donna Noble in The Tenth Doctor Adventures, and John Hurt returns as the War Doctor in another box sets, whilst the "classic" Doctors - as played Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann - continue their regular adventures. Current spin-offs include Alex Kingston as archaeologist River Song, Jemma Redgrave and Ingrid Oliver as Kate Stewart and Osgood, and Christopher Benjamin, Trevor Baxter and Dan Starkey as Jago, Litefoot and Strax.




FILTER: - Big Finish - Press

Vote for Your Favourite DWM Cover

Thursday, 5 May 2016 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who Magazine celebrates its five hundredth edition later this month, and the publishers are conducting a poll to find the fans favourite cover.

The poll is being conducted in batches of 50 covers each day (each section will remain live for the duration of the poll) and you can vote for up to five covers from each section.

The 50 finalists will then be put into a final polling group so the overall winner can be determined before Issue 500 is published.

The first batch of 50 can be found here.




FILTER: - DWM

Competition Roundup

Tuesday, 3 May 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
A roundup of competitions from Doctor Who News that readers may enter:

The Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Paradox Planet/Legacy of Death

The fourth Doctor continues his adventures alongside Romana and K-9:
Whilst travelling in the vortex, the TARDIS is struck by an advanced war machine - a Time Tank! Losing Romana, the Doctor and K9 pursue the Tank to Aoris, a world quite literally at war with itself. Soldiers from the future are attacking the past of their own planet - gathering resources and stealing endangered species. But the past is not without weapons of its own - leaving deadly devices ready to trigger many years ahead after their enemies have been born. Trapped at opposite ends of a temporal war, the Time Lords have two time zones to save. But who is in the right, and who in the wrong? And when history itself is against you, can anybody actually win?
The Paradox Planet (Credit: Big Finish)Legacy Of Death (Credit: Big Finish)
To be in with a chance to win a digital download of the audio adventure courtesy of Big Finish, simply answer the following question:
Name another war that that the fourth Doctor, Romana and K9 found themselves involved in.
Please send your answer along with your name and the email address you have registered with Big Finish, plus where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-bf4d@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Fight the Future". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 15th May 2016. Note: entrants must have an active registration with Big Finish in order to be eligible to receive the prize - new registrations can be easily created on the website for free and with no financial obligation.

BBC Books: In The Blood

The latest literary adventure for the Doctor from BBC Books is In The Blood by Jenny T Colgan:
All over the world, people are venting their fury at one another on social media. Dropping their friends, giving vent to their hatred, and everyone behaving with incredible cruelty. Even Donna has found that her friend Hettie, with her seemingly perfect life and fancy house, has unfriended her. And now, all over the world, internet trolls are dying... As more and more people give in to this wave of bitterness and aggression, it's clear this is no simple case of modern living. This is unkindness as a plague. From the streets of London to the web cafes of South Korea and the deepest darkest forests of Rio, can the Doctor and Donna find the cause of this unhappiness before it's too late?
In The Blood (Credit: BBC Books)To be in with a chance to win the book courtesy of BBC Books, simply answer the following question:
What did Donna refer to as an "Outer Space Facebook"?
Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-intheblood@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Like". The competition is open to UK readers only, closing date 15th May 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

Silva Screen: Radiophonic Workshop 21

Silva Screen have re-released the BBC Radiophonic Workshop's 21st anniversary album on CD:
In 1958 the BBC Radiophonic Workshop opened with the aim to enhance in the main, drama output on the Third Programme (now Radio 3) following the development of new electronic music techniques emanating from Europe. Their work expanded across the BBC to take in TV drama (especially sci-fi), schools programmes and themes. The latter being their most celebrated and well known work, Delia Derbyshire's treatment of Ron Grainer's theme for Doctor Who. This collection, originally released by BBC Records in 1979 to celebrate 21 years of the workshop appears for the first time in its full original form on CD. From The Goons (Bloodnocks Stomach) to the Interval Signal to Doctor Who and Great Zoos Of The World this is a fascinating chronicle of some of the most innovative music ever made. These ground-breaking compositions providing a major influence on music from The Beatles and Pink Floyd and onwards into the contemporary world of Aphex Twin, Orbital and The Chemical Brothers. "The Radiophonic Workshop, I loved all that, it fascinated me, and still does”. - Paul McCartney.
BBC Radiophonic Workshop - 21To be in with a chance to win the CD courtesy of Silva Screen, simply answer the following question:
Who wrote the incidental music for the Doctor Who story which featured Paul McCartney?
Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-silvascreen@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "In tune". The competition is open to UK readers only, closing date 15th May 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio

It is still possible to enter our competitions for the BBC Audios Death to the Daleks, The Invasion, Shadow in the Glass, Amorality Tale and The Memory of Winter, which are open to readers worldwide until 8th May 2016 - see our article for full details.




FILTER: - Audio - BBC Books - Big Finish - Books - Competitions - Music

Doctor Who, RiffTrax-style

Tuesday, 3 May 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The latest BBC Insiders survey has been canvassing participants over the viability of running a live RiffTrax screening event in cinemas around the United States based around a story from 20th Century Doctor Who.

Following a brief video example utilising Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150AD, the survey then asks how interested the participant would be in attending an event based around such a presentation, with suggested stories including The Twin Dilemma, Warriors of the Deep, The Gunfighters, Robot, The Tomb of the Cybermen, The Five Doctors, Invasion of the Dinosaurs, Four to Doomsday, Timelash, Time-Flight, and The Horns of Nimon. There's also an option to say which stories shouldn't be "riffed"!

Please note that the survey request does not mean that such an event will take place, only that such an event is being considered.

RiffTrax Logo (Credit: RiffTrax)
RiffTrax are are series of comedy audio commentaries to accompany film releases, provided by the stars of the original Mystery Science Theatre 3000 programme, comedians Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett.

(with thanks to Chris Kocher)




FILTER: - Cinema - Special Events - USA

Tenth Doctor 2.9

Monday, 2 May 2016 - Reported by Marcus
This week sees Titan release a new comic featuring The Tenth Doctor

DOCTOR WHO: Tenth Doctor #2.9

Writer: Nick Abadzis
Artist: Elena Casagrande
Colorist: Arianna Florean

The Doctor, Gabby and Cindy investigate 'the Wishing Well Witch' in the town of Dewbury... only to find what lurks in the well is something far worse, and more strange, than the legend! It's an unearthly terror, cast through a schism in the universe... and it's tearing the town apart!

Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #2.9Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #2.9Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #2.9Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #2.9Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #2.9


On Sale Wednesday 4th May 2016




FILTER: - Comics - Tenth Doctor

'Shakespeare Live' in US Movie Theatres

Monday, 2 May 2016 - Reported by Marcus
Shakespeare Live, the celebration of the bard's work, hosted by David Tennant and Catherine Tate, is to be screened in US movie theatres later this month.

The show marks the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death. It was commissioned by the BBC in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and was originally screened live on BBC Two last month.

Fathom and BBC Worldwide have joined forces to present the broadcast in select U.S. cinemas nationwide for one night on Monday, May 23 at 7:00 p.m. local time.

The event celebrates Shakespeare's plays and their enduring influence on music, dance, opera, musical theatre and comedy. Appearances include Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Helen Mirren, John Lithgow, David Suchet, Joseph Fiennes, Rufus Wainwright, Tim Minchin, Al Murray, Meera Syal, Alison Moyet, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Paapa Essiedu, Pippa Nixon, Alexandra Gilbreath and the Royal Ballet.

Full details here




FILTER: - David Tennant