Who Talk Release Two New Classic Commentaries

Saturday, 16 September 2017 - Reported by Marcus

Fantom have released two new commentaries in their Who Talk series, providing new insights into classic episodes of Doctor Who.

The first release is called Adventures in Time, and is a collection of Hartnell themed historical stories including episodes from The Aztecs, The Romans and The Crusade. It features Maureen O'Brien, who played Vicki alongside the First Doctor, who is joined by William Russell, Julian Glover, Petra Markham, George Little, Kay Patrick, Ian Cullen, Clive Doig, Brian Hodgson, all once again under the watchful eye of Toby Hadoke.

The second release is another classic from the Pertwee era, The Claws of Axos. Producer Paul W T Ballard explained why the story was chosen.

The Claws of Axos might not have been the most obvious of choices to go for, but there were quite a few voices missing from the original commentary, recorded over a decade ago!

It was great to get the serial's director Michael Ferguson, script editor Terrance Dicks, co-writer Bob Baker and Axos himself Bernard Holley to commentate on the serial for the first time. We were also thrilled to welcome back Katy Manning and Richard Franklin.

A special edition bundle featuring both The Claws of Axos and Adventures in Time is available. Each set will come with the cover signed by an actor from each release, and Adventures in Time contains a disc featuring exclusive additional commentaries on The Crusade and The Time Meddler.

These CDs are limited and exclusively available via whotalk.co.uk

Both sets are now available, you can purchase them directly from Who Talk at a discounted price of £10.99 each (RRP £12.99) or via download priced £9.99. The special edition bundle will be available exclusively via this website priced £39.99.

Please note: These commentaries contain no BBC copyrighted elements and do not feature any audio from the episodes themselves.

FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Classic Series - First Doctor - Third Doctor

David Bradley to Play First Doctor for Big Finish

Friday, 15 September 2017 - Reported by Marcus

The First Doctor Adventures (Credit: Big Finish)

Big Finish have announced that David Bradley will be reprising the role of the First Doctor in a new series of Audio plays.

Bradley will star as the First Doctor in this year’s BBC One Doctor Who Christmas Special alongside Peter Capaldi. Now Big Finish Productions, in arrangement with BBC Worldwide, are giving this reimagined First Doctor another chance to explore the cosmos.

Joining David Bradley are his co-stars from the Mark Gatiss Docu-drama on the origins of Doctor Who, An Adventure in Space and Time. Jamie Glover (Elizabeth, Waterloo Road, Holby City) plays Ian Chesterton, Jemma Powell (Alice in Wonderland, Angel, Foyle’s War) plays Barbara Wright, and Claudia Grant (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) plays Susan – the Doctor’s granddaughter and the original ‘Unearthly Child’.

Script editor and writer Matt Fitton said

The adventures of the First Doctor are all about discovery, finding out what this infinite universe contains, and also who our fellow travelers are. As we journey with Ian, Barbara, Susan and the mysterious Doctor, we come to see what they are capable of when confronted with the strange, the unjust and the dangerous.

Executive producer Nicholas Briggs added

Having worked with David twice now on TV, it’s great to be working with him again. Matt and his team of writers have come up with such a beautifully authentic set of scripts. We forget how different Doctor Who was, back in those early days – and here it all is, painstakingly recreated. I find that rather thrilling.

What's fascinating about the cast and their performances is that they're not impersonating William Hartnell and his TARDIS crew. They're playing those parts as written in the scripts. No one can replace the brilliance of those original performances. What we're presenting here is a kind of reinvention of that era, completely in the spirit of the original. They are new but entirely faithful interpretations of these characters.

Executive producer Jason Haigh-Ellery said

I’ve always been a great admirer of David Bradley’s work and thought that he was an excellent choice to play William Hartnell in An Adventure in Space and Time. After his brilliant performance, we immediately thought about bringing David in to play the First Doctor for Big Finish – it took us a while – but we got there in the end! I’m so looking forward to seeing David in the Christmas Special and then listening to his further adventures with us.

This series of adventures pays homage to the beginning years of Doctor Who, and each of the four episodes in each story will be given an individual title. Two of the four stories are historical, focusing on tales from Earth’s history pre-1963. Back in its first few years, Doctor Who was intended to be an educational programme using time travel as a means to explore scientific ideas and famous moments in history, while still captivating the minds and imaginations of generations to come.

Not only will the Doctor be exploring our history, but he will also encounter strange new life forms – the Dalmari and the Ashtallans.

And in a Big Finish exclusive, the First Doctor will encounter his greatest foe, the first incarnation of fellow Time Lord, the Master, played by James Dreyfus.

Available in December, the stories in The First Doctor Adventures - Volume 1 consist of:

1.1 The Destination Wars by Matt Fitton
1.2 The Great White Hurricane by Guy Adams

And to follow in July 2018, Doctor Who: The First Doctor Adventures – Volume 2:

2.1 The Invention of Death by John Dorney
2.2 The Barbarians and the Samurai by Andrew Smith

Doctor Who: The First Doctor Adventures – Volume 1 is available for pre-order now at £23 on CD or £20 on download from Big Finish and will remain at this price until general release when it will be available for £35 on CD or £30 on download.

FILTER: - Big Finish - First Doctor

The Lost Dimension #3 - Tenth Doctor Special

Friday, 15 September 2017 - Reported by Marcus

This week sees Titan release the latest in The Lost Dimension series, with the Tenth Doctor special - featuring a meeting between Ten and Three, and also a previous Doctor who makes his Titan Comics debut.

The Lost Dimension #3 - Tenth Doctor Special

Writer: Nick Abadzis
Artist: Mariano Laclaustra, Carlos Cabrera
Cover A: Tazio Bettin Cover B: Photo

The Tenth Doctor, Gabby, and Cindy investigate a mysterious black hole - out of which white light is spilling - and which has drawn the attention of an ancient foe of The Doctor!

The Lost Dimension #3 - Tenth Doctor Special Cover A (Credit: Titan)

The Lost Dimension #3 - Tenth Doctor Special Cover B (Credit: Titan)

The Lost Dimension #3 - Tenth Doctor Special (Credit: Titan)

FILTER: - Comics - Fifth Doctor - Tenth Doctor - Third Doctor

Seventh Doctor's Hat to be Auctioned

Thursday, 14 September 2017 - Reported by Marcus

Two treasures from classic Doctor Who are amongst 600 lots of movie memorabilia being sold in a London auction on Tuesday 26th September 2017

Sylvester McCoy’s signature hat from his spell as the seventh Doctor is up for sale alongside a Necros Dalek Model Miniature from Revelation of the Daleks, which starred Colin Baker. Both are estimated to sell for between £8,000 – £10,000.

These iconic pieces of television history will be sold alongside props and costumes from over 200 films and television shows, worth £2-£3 million, at Prop Store’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction.

A preview exhibition presenting over 300 auction lots will take place until 26th September at the BFI IMAX in Waterloo, London, where movie fans and collectors alike can see these incredible pieces of movie history up-close.

Stephen Lane, Prop Store CEO, commented on the upcoming auction

We’re very pleased to be able to offer two iconic lots from classic Doctor Who as part of our live auction. These great items and hundreds more will go under the hammer at Prop Store’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction on 26th September 2017 at London’s BFI IMAX proudly presented by ODEON.

The auction will be live-streamed online for fans to track the bidding on auction day. Registration and bidding is now open. Bids can be placed online, over the phone or in person.

The free exhibition is open to the public at the BFI IMAX, Waterloo, London, England SE1 8XR from 10:00am to 9:30pm, until 26th September 2017.

Prop Store’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction, in partnership with the BFI IMAX proudly presented by ODEON, will also take place at the BFI IMAX Waterloo on Tuesday 26th September 2017 from 12:00pm.

FILTER: - Auctions - Merchandise - Seventh Doctor

Black Archive #13: Human Nature / Family of Blood

Sunday, 3 September 2017 - Reported by Marcus

The latest issue from the Dark Archive, looking at the production of the Tenth Doctor story Human Nature / Family of Blood has just been released.

The book details the production of the Series Three story. It is available in paperback or in digital form from Obverse Books.

Even in one of 21st-century Doctor Who’s more complex seasons, Human Nature / The Family of Blood (2007) is a standout story: a narrative with mythic ambitions, which illuminates the true nature and character of the Doctor through the courage and failings of his unknowing human alter ego, John Smith.

Uniquely, the story is also an adaptation of an original Doctor Who novel, scriptwriter Paul Cornell’s Human Nature (1996). Though no specific incidents, and few characters, remain the same, the adaptation is remarkably faithful given the given the differing demands of context, era, and medium. Both versions deal with war and trauma, humanity and the alien, school, and family, though sometimes with differing emphases. In particular, the treatment of pacifism and the claims of World War I to be a ‘just war’ changes significantly.

As the story of a ‘god’ who becomes human and must sacrifice his life to save the world, the two-parter also opens up questions of theology unusual in Doctor Who, which adds an extra dimension to the overall season arc, and to the development of the character of David Tennant’s Doctor.

FILTER: - Books - Tenth Doctor

Doctor Who: The Lost Dimension - Alpha

Monday, 28 August 2017 - Reported by Marcus

This Wednesday, August 30 sees the release of the new Doctor Who event from Titan Comics- The Lost Dimension

The stunning Alpha issue is written by Cavan Scott and George Mann with art by Rachael Stott and Cris Bolson. It kicks off Titan's latest multi-Doctor adventure which pits our heroes (and a few phenomenal guest stars from across the Whoniverse!) against the all-consuming, universe destroying Void! Now, every Doctor must play their part to save...everything.

Doctor Who: The Lost Dimension - Alpha

Writer: George Mann, Cavan Scott
Artist: Rachael Stott, Cris Bolson, Rod Fernandes
Cover A: Fifth Ink Metallic Tardis Cover Cover B: Photo Cover Cover C: Rachael Stott And Luis Guerrero

The Void has always existed: No Place. The Silent Realm. The Lost Dimension.

But the Void is no longer empty. The Void is hungry.

It's devouring our universe - through time and space!

Now, every Doctor must play his part to save...everything!

Doctor Who: The Lost Dimension - Alpha - Cover A (Credit: Titan)

Doctor Who: The Lost Dimension - Alpha - Cover B (Credit: Titan)

Doctor Who: The Lost Dimension - Alpha - Cover C (Credit: Titan)

Doctor Who: The Lost Dimension - Alpha (Credit: Titan)

FILTER: - Comics - Eleventh Doctor - Ninth Doctor - Tenth Doctor - Twelfth Doctor

New Twelfth Doctor Comic

Tuesday, 22 August 2017 - Reported by Marcus

This Wednesday, August 23, sees the publication of the next issue in the Twelfth Doctor's continuing adventures with the latest companion, Bill.

Doctor Who: Twelfth Doctor Year Three #6

Writer: Richard Dinnick
Artist: Brian Williamson
Cover A: Blair Shedd Cover B: Photo Cover Cover C: Arianna Florean

New adventures featuring the Twelfth Doctor, as played by Peter Capaldi, and featuring all-new TV companion Bill, played by Pearl Mackie!

Doctor Who: Twelfth Doctor Year Three #6 Cover A (Credit: Titan / Blair Shedd)

Doctor Who: Twelfth Doctor Year Three #6 Cover B (Credit: Titan)

Doctor Who: Twelfth Doctor Year Three #6 Cover C (Credit: Titan / Arianna Florean )

Doctor Who: Twelfth Doctor Year Three #6 (Credit: Titan)

FILTER: - Comics - Twelfth Doctor

Black Archive - Update

Monday, 21 August 2017 - Reported by Marcus

Obverse Books have announced a change in the schedule for the Black Archive series of books.

The Black Archive explores the making of specific Doctor Who stories, analysing in detail the stories selected.

The previously-announced 2018 release of The Twin Dilemma has been put on hold indefinitely. Instead Jon Arnold, author of the acclaimed the Black Archive #1: Rose will be stepping into the breach with a study of Steven Moffat’s debut story as showrunner, and Matt Smith’s as the 11th Doctor, The Eleventh Hour.

The Black Archive schedule now runs as follows:

January – The Black Archive #15: Carnival of Monsters
February – The Black Archive #16: Full Circle
March – The Black Archive #17: The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit
April – The Black Archive #18: Marco Polo
May – The Black Archive #19: The Eleventh Hour
June – The Black Archive #20: Face the Raven
July – The Black Archive #21: Heaven Sent
August – The Black Archive #22: Hell Bent
September – The Black Archive #23: The Curse of Fenric
October – The Black Archive #24: The Time Warrior
November – The Black Archive #25: Doctor Who (1996)
December – The Black Archive #26: The Dæmons

Titles for 2019 will be announced in due course.

FILTER: - Books - Doctor Who

RiffTrax present The Five Doctors

Thursday, 17 August 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster

RiffTrax Live: Doctor Who (Credit: Fathom Events)

A special presentation of The Five Doctors will be taking place in the United States over the next couple of weeks:

The Doctor is in the house! The RiffTrax house, that is! The stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000®, Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett, are back on the big screen for a legendary riffing of the 1983 Doctor Who film "The Five Doctors." Someone is taking the Doctor's past selves out of time and space, placing them in a vast wilderness - a battle arena with a sinister tower at its center. As the various incarnations of the Doctor join forces, they learn they are in the Death Zone on their home world of Gallifrey, fighting Daleks, Cybermen, Yeti and a devious Time Lord Traitor who is using the Doctor and his companions to discover the ancient secrets of Rassilon, the first and most powerful ruler of Gallifrey.

Join Mike, Kevin and Bill as they join the Five Doctors for one of the most thrilling Doctor Who adventures ever!

The special showing will be presented in cinemas around the USA on the 17th and 24th August - see the Fathom Events page for more details.

FILTER: - Cinema - Fifth Doctor - Special Events - USA

New Comics Out This Week

Monday, 14 August 2017 - Reported by Marcus

This week sees some new releases from Titan expanding the timey-wimey world of Doctor Who - including the return of Sarah Jane in the latest Tenth Doctor as well as the next installment of the Eleventh Doctor as played by Matt Smith.

Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor Year Three #8

Writer: Nick Abadzis
Artist: Giorgia Sposito
Cover A: Claudia SG Iannicello Cover B: Will Brooks Photo Cover C: Arianna Florean

More shocking revelations for the Tenth Doctor, as played by David Tennant, as the true extent of Gabby's powers starts to become clear...and Cindy's response changes everything!

Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor Year Three #8 Cover A (Credit: Titan / Claudia SG Iannicello)

Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor Year Three #8 Cover B (Credit: Titan / Will Brooks)

Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor Year Three #8 Cover C (Credit: Titan / Arianna Florean)

Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor Year Three #8 (Credit: Titan)

Doctor Who: Eleventh Doctor Year Three #8

Writer: George Mann
Artist: Ivan Rodriguez, Wellington Diaz, Klebs Junior, Leandro Casco
Cover A: Blair Shedd Cover B: Photo Cover C: Simon Myers Cover D: Andy Walker

Brand-new standalone one-shot featuring The Eleventh Doctor as played by Matt Smith!