Cinema outing for The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear

Thursday, 13 February 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear at the Prince Charles (Credit: BBC Worldwide)BBC Worldwide have announced a cinematic outing for the two recently recovered stories The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear.

The stories will be shown together at the Prince Charles Cinema in London on Saturday 22nd February from 11:15am, and will also include a 45-minute Q&A session, chaired by Toby Hadoke, with cast members from the stories and a member of the Troughton family.

Fiona Eastwood, Director of Consumer Products at BBC Worldwide, said:
The recovery of these missing stories was undoubtedly a high point for BBC Worldwide and Doctor Who fans around the world last year, and we hope there will be more to come. We’re delighted that we’ve been able to make both of these stories available and the marathon screening at the Prince Charles Cinema is a great moment for Doctor Who fans to come together and celebrate their recovery.

Paul Vickery, Head Programmer at the Prince Charles Cinema said:
I couldn't be more proud to be part of this one-off experience - as a cinema, it's a dream come true for us to finally have the Doctor fill our screen and delight audiences and fans of the show. As a HUGE fan of the series I'll be there too, front row-centre. I’m very excited about having the opportunity to revisit these incredible episodes in a truly unique way… on the big-screen. It's sure to be one of those events for the PCC history books and I for one can't wait.

Dick Fiddy, Missing Believed Wiped Co-ordinator at the BFI, added:
These finds are truly significant, offering a further opportunity to re-visit the Patrick Troughton era. The recovery of these episodes indicates the possibility that more episodes are out there somewhere awaiting re-discovery – a mouth-watering prospect for all Doctor Who fans and those interested generally in the recovery of missing UK television programmes.

Tickets go on sale from 9:00am on Friday 14th February via this link, priced at £14 (£11.50 members).

UPDATE - 8pm, 14th FEBRUARY: The event has now sold out.




FILTER: - Special Events - Second Doctor - Blu-ray/DVD

DWA and DWM celebrate circulation success

Thursday, 13 February 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
Doctor Who Magazine and Doctor Who Adventures have both seen huge rises in circulation over the past six months, with DWM recording its best-ever figure and DWA reversing a slump in readership.

The latest figures - for July to December 2013 - were published at midday today by the Audit Bureau of Circulations and showed that DWM, which is published by Panini, had a total average net circulation of 36,151 per issue - up by 4,459 and a 14.1 per cent rise on the previous six months. This includes an extraordinary individual sale of 50,000-plus for the 50th-anniversary edition - issue 467.

Meanwhile, DWA, which is brought out by Immediate Media Co, posted a total average net circulation of 28,443 per issue for the same period - an increase of 3,946 and representing a rise of 16.1 per cent on the Jan-Jun 2013 period.

The new figures equal a 25.8 per cent year-on-year increase for the four-weekly DWM, but a 10.9 per cent drop year-on-year for DWA, although it should be noted that in the previous figures, released last August, DWA posted a 23.2 per cent fall year-on-year, so the latest result is actually a massive turnaround over the same period for the fortnightly publication. The consumer magazine market as a whole has recorded a year-on-year drop of 6.3 per cent.

DWM editor Tom Spilsbury said:
Doctor Who Magazine has been running non-stop for more than 34 years. With the general downturn in sales across the magazine industry it's extraordinary to see that DWM has just recorded its highest circulation figures since 1980. The 50th anniversary edition - DWM 467 - ended up selling more than 50,000 copies and had to be reprinted to try to meet demand.

The six-month average figure for the magazine is an incredible 36,151 copies, which is also the best average figure for more than 33 years. Thank you to all of our loyal readers who have stuck with us over the years, as well as to all the new readers who have joined us more recently.

The next challenge will be to try to maintain these excellent numbers now that Doctor Who's 50th anniversary celebrations are over! But with a new Doctor waiting in the wings, in the shape of the brilliant Peter Capaldi, I'm sure the future is going to be very bright for both the show itself and its official magazine.
Katie Wilkinson, the circulation manager at Panini, added:
It has been a fantastic year for Doctor Who. At a time when many magazines are struggling to maintain their circulation figures it is really exciting to be able to post great growth in sales both on the newsstand and in subscriptions.
Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat commented:
Huge congratulations to Panini and Doctor Who Magazine. This is a stunning achievement. It's hard to remember now the dark days when Doctor Who was off the air, but DWM kept the fires burning through those long wilderness years. That makes it especially pleasing to see their loyalty, dedication and endless creativity rewarded. Hooray and onwards. Year 51, that's the big one!
DWA spokeswoman Jaynie Bye said:
We're absolutely thrilled with our 16 per cent period-on-period increase. The hard work of the team, fronted by editor Moray Laing, is really paying off. The title has recently undergone a complete editorial overhaul and is looking stronger than ever. This, coupled with the excitement that surrounded the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who and the imminent arrival of Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor, puts Doctor Who Adventures magazine on a sound footing for the future.
For detailed breakdowns of the new figures, click on the relevant links in the table below.

 Jul-Dec 2009Jan-Jun 2010Jul-Dec 2010Jan-Jun 2011Jul-Dec 2011Jan-Jun 2012Jul-Dec 2012Jan-Jun 2013Jul-Dec 2013
Doctor Who Magazine29,00035,374 (+22%)33,554 (-5.1%)30,682 (-8.6%)30,614 (-0.2%)27,089 (-11.5%)28,743 (+6.1%)31,692 (+10.3%)36,151 (+14.1%)
Doctor Who Adventures44,66453,559 (+20%)56,648 (+5.8%)50,013 (-11.7%)48,470 (-3.1%)31,903 (-34.2%)31,935 (+0.1%)24,497 (-23.3%)28,443 (+16.1%)

(All figures are from the Audit Bureau of Circulations apart from the Jul-Dec 2009 figure for DWM, which is an estimate provided by DWM and included for comparison purposes. ABC figures for DWM only started being calculated in 2010. Percentages shown are the change on the previous six months.)

The circulation figures for the first six months of this year are currently due to be published on Thursday 14th August.




FILTER: - Magazines - DWM - Circulation - DWA

Daleks top Doctor Who Adventures monster poll

Wednesday, 12 February 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
The new edition of Doctor Who Adventures - out today - carries the results of a poll to find the ultimate monster from the Christmas special The Time of the Doctor - with the Daleks claiming a major victory.

Almost 3,000 readers voted and the Daleks won with a massive 55 per cent of the results. The full results were as follows:
  • 1: The Daleks - 55 per cent
  • 2: The Cybermen - 17 per cent
  • 3: The Weeping Angels - 14 per cent
  • 4: The Sontarans - 10 per cent
  • 5: The Silence - 4 per cent
DWA editor Moray Laing said:
It's official. Daleks rule! Well done to all the Daleks throughout time and space for coming first in our poll. They must be delighted with the result! It's great to know that these unstoppable creatures continue to scare and enthral children in 2014 as much as they did when they first appeared all those years ago. Thanks to our readers for voting!
Also in the magazine, there's an interview with a Dalek who tells the magazine what it thinks of the win. Plus:
  • A look at the first picture of new Doctor Peter Capaldi in costume
  • Bonus token and entry form for the chance to win a life-size Dalek
  • Fact file about the shape-changing Zygons
  • Win Doctor Who DVDs, an Xbox and games
  • Make a Dalek puppet eyestalk
  • Secrets from the set of The Time of the Doctor
  • A free exclusive monster stationery set
On sale until Tuesday 25th February, issue 339 of DWA also contains news plus posters, puzzles and a comic strip featuring an unseen adventure with the Eleventh Doctor and Clara.

DWA's latest circulation figure - covering July to December 2013 - will be published tomorrow (as will the figure for Doctor Who Magazine).




FILTER: - Magazines - DWA

Philip Hinchcliffe Presents ...

Tuesday, 11 February 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Big Finish have announced a new set of adventures featuring Tom Baker as the fourth Doctor with Louise Jameson as Leela, written by the pair's original producer Philip Hinchcliffe alongside Ghost Light writer Marc Platt.

Philip Hinchcliffe Presents (Credit: Big Finish)Philip Hinchcliffe Presents
Starring Tom Baker and Louise Jameson
Written by Philip Hinchcliffe and Marc Platt
Released September 2014

Former Doctor Who producer Philip Hinchcliffe has been reunited with his stars, Tom Baker and Louise Jameson, for ten brand new episodes of Doctor Who made for audio at Big Finish.

Doctor Who: Philip Hinchcliffe Presents will consist of two epic full-cast stories, filled with all the drama and chills that marked Hinchcliffe’s era of the TV show.


The Ghosts of Gralstead is a six-part adventure, and it finds the Doctor and Leela returning to Victorian London, in the year 1860:
At St Clarence’s Hospital, respected surgeon Sir Edward Scrivener requires the bodies of the dead… At Doctor McDivett’s Exhibition of Living Wonders and Curiosities, miracles are afoot… And in Gralstead House, the ghost will walk again. Mordrega has come to Earth...
Carolyn Seymour – who is known for Quantum Leap, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager and, notably, for playing Abby Grant in the original Survivors – plays Mordrega. Sir Edward is played by Gethin Anthony (Game of Thrones).


The second, four-part adventure is called The Devil’s Armada:
The TARDIS materialise in Sissenden Village in the sixteenth century. Catholic priests are hunted, so-called witches are drowned in the ducking stool, and in the shadows the Vituperon are watching… and waiting...

Doctor Who: Philip Hinchcliffe Presents also includes a special hour-long documentary featuring interviews with Tom, Louise, Philip and the cast, and is released in September.

The CD boxed set will be launched at Big Finish Day 5 in Slough on Saturday 13th September, which Tom, Philip and Carolyn are attending.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Tom Baker - Fourth Doctor - Big Finish

Christopher Barry 1925 - 2014

Monday, 10 February 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Christopher BarryVeteran director Christopher Barry has died at the age of 88.

Christopher Barry was responsible for some of the most admired stories from the classic series of Doctor Who, where he was the longest serving director, responsible for 43 episodes spanning the years 1963-1979. He directed all of the first four Doctors - one of only three directors to do so.

He joined the Doctor Who team in the late summer of 1963, when he was assigned to direct the second story, The Daleks, replacing Rex Tucker who had left after artistic differences with producer Verity Lambert. The script he would bring to life would see the introduction of the Daleks and ensure the success of the fledgling series. Barry would end up directing episodes 1,2,4 and 5 of the story, creating the 'sink-plunger' cliff hanger at the end of episode 1 which would see the nation on the edge of their seats until the full revelation of the Dalek machine in episode 2. He was in the studio directing episode 2 when the news of President Kennedy's assassination broke.

Barry returned to the series a year later, directing The Rescue, the story which saw the introduction of the first new companion since the series start, Vicki, played by Maureen O'Brien. He stayed on to direct the next story The Romans, a historical romp which saw much more humour introduced to the series. Having introduced a companion, his next Doctor Who assignment was to see the departure of another, as his final story with William Hartnell, The Savages, was to be the last story to feature Steven Taylor, as played by Peter Purves.

In 1966, Barry masterminded the introduction of a new Doctor, when he directed Patrick Troughton's first story, The Power of the Daleks. The story, long missing from the archives, had the difficult job of introducing a new lead actor to the series and cementing the long term success of the series.

His next outing was with the third Doctor, Jon Pertwee, when he directed the 1971 story The Dæmons. Long regarded as a classic, the story is often cited as a favourite by members of the cast and production team. Barry returned the following year to direct the six part story The Mutants.

Having overseen the debut of one Doctor in 1966, Barry was able to do so once again when, at the end of 1974, he directed Robot, introducing the world to the man who would become the longest-serving (continuous) on-screen Doctor - and arguably the most famous in the public eye from the 'classic' era - Tom Baker. The story was one of the first with all location work recorded direct onto video tape using a BBC OB unit. The following year he directed another classic, The Brain of Morbius, which saw the fourth Doctor encounter the eccentric surgeon Solon and his Time Lord secret. It was in this story Barry featured on screen alongside other production team members as one of the faces projected onto the screen during the Doctor's mind battle with Morbius.

Barry's final story for classic Doctor Who came in 1979 when he directed the four part story The Creature from the Pit, with the DVD release of that story containing a retrospective of his work. While the series was off air he also directed the 1995 story Downtime, a direct-to-video story produced by the independent production company Reeltime Pictures.

He began his film and TV career in the movies, working as an assistant director on star vehicles including Meet Mr. Lucifer (1953), The Love Lottery (1954) and The Ship That Died of Shame (1955). By 1958 he was directing, working on the BBC’s Starr and Company, the crime drama Private Investigator and the long-running soap opera Compact. He directed episodes of Paul Temple, Moonbase 3, Poldark, Angels, Nicholas Nickleby, The Onedin Line, Z Cars, All Creatures Great and Small, Nanny and Juliet Bravo. He also directed eleven episodes of the TV adaptation of John Christopher's The Tripods.

UPDATE - 16th FEBRUARY: It has emerged that Barry died on Friday 7th February after falling down an escalator at a shopping centre in Banbury, near his home in Oxfordshire, earlier that day. He was taken to hospital but while there he suddenly stopped breathing and doctors could not revive him. An inquest into his death will be held on Thursday 5th June.
Obituaries: The Guardian (17 Feb 2014); The Independent (19 Feb 2014); BBC News Magazine (4 Mar 2014)




FILTER: - Obituary - Classic Series

Not On Your Telly

Monday, 10 February 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Not on Your TellyNot On Your Telly is a new book by broadcast historian Tim Worthington, looking into the dustier corners of the TV Archives.

There's plenty of Doctor Who-related content, including in-depth features on The Android Invasion and The Space Pirates, as well as the story behind the first ever Dalek radio show from 1966, an account of what it was like to see the recovered episode 2 of Evil Of The Daleks for the first time, and a look at the 'Sunday Classics' serials produced by Terrance Dicks and Barry Letts.

There's also lots on other shows including Fist Of Fun, Play School, and little-known TV appearances by The Beatles and Bob Dylan.

Not On Your Telly in paperback for £4.99, and as a eBook for £1.99.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Books

New Zealand Dalek Coin Released

Sunday, 9 February 2014 - Reported by Marcus
The New Zealand mint has released a new coin featuring a Dalek, the first in a five coin series featuring classic Doctor Who Monsters.

The Doctor Who Monsters series is a limited mintage of 5000 coins only per release, and is crafted from ½ Ounce of fine silver (0.999). Each coin is sold with an individual presentation case, along with an individually numbered certificate of authenticity. Like recent New Zealand releases, the coins will be issued under the licensing authority of Niue.

The coin, with a face value of $1, depicts a relief engraved Dalek, set against a colour background. This is surrounded by a finely engraved border design. The obverse features the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The remaining coins will be issued over the course of the next four months and will feature the Weeping Angels, the Cybermen, the Silurians and the Sontarans.

Customers who purchase from the New Zealand Mint website will recieve low certificate numbers in the series, numbers 50-999. In addition, everyone who purchases the Dalek coin will have the opportunity to receive identically numbered certificates for each further release in the series.




FILTER: - Merchandise - New Zealand

Silva Screen Award Nomination

Saturday, 8 February 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Silva Screen have been nominated for an International Film Music Critics Association Award for the 2013 release of Doctor Who: The 50th Anniversary Collection

The four CD set, released in December, featured 129 tracks of music music from five decades of Doctor Who. It included many pieces that had never before been released, with tracks from composers including Tristram Cary, Brian Hodgson, Dudley Simpson, Geoffrey Burgon, Paddy Kingsland, Roger Limb, Malcolm Clarke, Keff McCulloch, Dominic Glynn, John Debney, Mark Ayres and Murray Gold. The album was produced by Mark Ayres, Reynold DaSilva and David Stoner with liner notes by Mark Ayres and album art direction by Stuart Ford.

The nomination is for BEST ARCHIVAL RELEASE OF AN EXISTING SCORE – COMPILATION

Other nominees are Lethal Weapon Soundtrack Collection, music by Michael Kamen, Eric Clapton and David Sanborn; Michel Legrand Anthology, music by Michel Legrand; Varèse Sarabande: A 35th Anniversary Celebration, music by Various Composers; The X-Files: Volume Two, music by Mark Snow.

The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) is an association of online, print and radio journalists who specialize in writing about original film and television music. The annual IFMCA Awards, which were first presented in 2004, are the only awards given to composers by film music journalists.

The winners will be announced at the 10th IFMCA Awards on February 20, 2014.

The CD Collection is available from Amazon.




FILTER: - Music - Murray Gold - Doctor Who - Awards/Nominations

New Doctor Who Character Figures Released

Friday, 7 February 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Character Options have announced a new series of Doctor Who figures including the newly regenerated Twelfth Doctor.

Other figures in the set are The Eleventh Doctor, Clara Oswald, Weeping Angel, Assault Dalek, Imperial Guard Dalek and a Zygon.

These 3.75-inch action figures are a great gift for fans of any age, these highly detailed, realistic and poseable action figures include some iconic characters from Doctor Who. Re-enact scenes from The Time of the Doctor using the Twelfth Doctor Regenerated figure or create your own adventures across space and time. Battle against some famous foes like the supreme beings that are the Daleks, the terrifying Weeping Angels or the Zygon which are all included in this exciting collection of Doctor Who 3.75-inch scale action figures.

Each character has its own Doctor Who display base (Dalek action figures do not include display base). 7 to collect. One supplied. For ages 5 years and over.

Character OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter Options Character OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter Options Character OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter Options Character OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter Options Character OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter Options Character OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter OptionsCharacter Options
The new figures will be available at all the usual outlets from early March although some retailers will allow pre-orders from next week.




FILTER: - Character - Twelfth Doctor - Eleventh Doctor

Doctor Who Magazine 470

Wednesday, 5 February 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Magazine 470The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine looks back on Matt Smith's four years as the Doctor.
A big part of me wanted to stay because it’s a wonderful job and he’s a wonderful character. My life will never be the same. I’ll never play another part quite like this.
Also in this issue:
  • Model-maker extraordinaire Mike Tucker and members of the Model Unit talk to DWM about creating the visual effects for Doctor Who in the 1980s.
  • Doctor Who's new executive producer Brian Minchin writes exclusively for DWM in Production Notes.
  • A detailed look at the Fact of Fiction of 1980's Meglos.
  • The Blood of Azrael – the first part of a new comic strip adventure for the Doctor and Clara.
  • The Time Team welcome Donna aboard the TARDIS as they watch Partners in Crime.
  • A preview of the recently rediscovered The Web of Fear on DVD.
  • A review of the newly released Moonbase DVD from Matthew Sweet.
  • Jacqueline Rayner debates the ethics of telling the truth to her children in Relative Dimensions.
  • The Watcher talks about his favourite Doctor Who planets and outs another helpless supporting artiste in Wotcha!
  • Reviews of the latest DVDs, CDs, and books.
  • Competitions, puzzles, and much more.
DWM 470 is on sale from Thursday 6 February 2014.




FILTER: - Matt Smith - Magazines - DWM