A party is to be held at Buckingham Palace next month to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, it has been revealed.

In what is arguably the biggest honour that could be bestowed on the show in its very special year, the Countess of Wessex - who is believed to be something of an admirer of the programme - will host the reception on Monday 18th November as the countdown to Doctor Who's golden milestone reaches its final few days. The guest list has been kept under wraps, but people involved with the show both in front of and behind the cameras over the years are expected to be on it.

The show enjoys a strong royal connection, with the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall visiting its studios in Roath Lock in the summer. Original producer Verity Lambert was awarded an OBE in the 2002 New Year Honours List for services to film and TV production, while Russell T Davies - the producer credited with Doctor Who's successful revival in the 21st century - was awarded an OBE in the 2008 Birthday Honours List for services to drama.

Buckingham Palace has featured and been referenced in the programme, with the Doctor averting its demolition by the starship Titanic in Voyage of the Damned, while in the later story Planet of the Dead the Doctor stated that he had parked the TARDIS in its grounds with the full approval of the Queen. (In alternate timelines, the starship Titanic did destroy the Palace [Turn Left], and it was the home of the Holy Roman Emperor Winston Churchill in The Wedding of River Song.) It is to be presumed that the current royals are either unaware of or were highly amused by the implication in Tooth And Claw that they are werewolves!

UPDATE - 20th OCTOBER: The event has now been published on the Royal Diary web page.

The latest edition of SFX magazine has been published and features an 18 page special on Doctor Who to celebrate the show's 50th Anniversary.

SFX 241 is available in shops now.

The BBC have released some new images to promote the forthcoming 50th Anniversary adventure, The Day of the Doctor, featuring the three "Doctors" Matt Smith, David Tennant and John Hurt, with Jenna Coleman as Clara and Jemma Redgrave as Kate.

The new edition of Doctor Who Magazine is out in the shops this Thursday, and is available to buy with a choice of two different covers to celebrate the return of episodes of the Patrick Troughton stories The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear.

Inside, the magazine talks exclusively to the man behind the recovery of the nine previously missing episodes, Philip Morris:
Plus, missing episodes experts Paul Vanezis and Peter Crocker explain their role in restoring these decades-old films to their former glory!

Also this issue:

• Back to the Beginning.... An exclusive preview of the new BBC Two drama, An Adventure in Space and Time, which tells the story of the origins of Doctor Who and featuring an interview with David Bradley, who plays William Hartnell, the actor who created the role of the Doctor.
• First Direction: Waris Hussein, who directed the very first Doctor Who serial in 1963 talks exclusively to DWM, and reveals how he and the cast were able to overcome the limitations of the show’s tiny budget and create something that has lasted for 50 years.
• The Godfather:: With excerpts from a previously unpublished archive interview, DWM presents a profile of Sydney Newman, the man responsible for the birth of Doctor Who and for revolutionising TV drama production in the UK in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
• Goodbye and Welcome... Doctor Who showrunner and head writer Steven Moffat writes exclusively for DWM and tells of the momentous day when outgoing Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith handed over the key to the TARDIS to incoming Twelfth Doctor – Peter Capaldi.
• Do I Have The Right...? The Fourth Doctor is taken on a detour to the planet Skaro by the Time Lords and given the task of preventing the creation of his deadliest enemies, the Daleks. The Fact of Fiction takes a look at one of Doctor Who’s undisputed classics, Genesis of the Daleks, and unearths some new and fascinating facts about the 1975 six-part serial and its origins.
• Top of the Pops: The votes are in for the 2013 DWM readers’ Season Survey and the winners are revealed, including your favourite story, best guest stars, best writer, and favourite musical score!
• Never Ending Story... DWM’s journey through Doctor Who’s long history reaches its end with this year’s thirty-third series, in Countdown to 50. We join the Doctor on his quest to solve the mystery of the impossible girl – his new companion, Clara, who he has already seen die twice. When the Doctor’s very existence is threatened by the Great Intelligence, Clara travels into the Doctor’s past to save his future...
• A Happy Ending? The Doctor and Clara uncover the dark truth behind the cartoon capers in the second and final part of the comic-strip adventure, Welcome to Tickle Town, written by Scott Gray with art by Adrian Salmon.
• Vote Saxon! Chris, Emma, Michael and Will are gobsmacked to find that the Master is the new Prime Minister of Great Britain and has a rather unusual approach to foreign affairs! The Time Team take their seats for 2007’s The Sound of Drums. Will it get their vote?
• Jump Start: Mother of twins and devoted fan Jacqueline Rayner ponders on the importance of the first episode of a Doctor Who story, cherishing that slow build to the inevitable appearance of the monster in the closing seconds. Her son, however, prefers to skip straight to Episode Two!
• Doctor Blue? The Watcher takes sound effects as his cue in this issue’s A History of Doctor Who in 100 Objects and champions the essential role they have played over the series’ 50 years. Plus another hapless extra gets his moment in the spotlight as Supporting Artist of the Month; we get a rundown of the Top Ten Boybands, all with a suitable Doctor Who twist; and The Six Faces of Delusion invites you to spot the sound effect themed fact that hits the wrong note. All in this issue’s fun-packed Wotcha!

PLUS! All the latest official news, TV and merchandise reviews, previews, ratings analysis, competitions, a prize-winning crossword and much, much more!

A Norfolk man who made more than £35,000 by selling fake autographs of celebrities including Doctor Who stars has been jailed.

Andrew Sullivan, of Heath Road, Lyng, exploited fans by selling pictures on eBay that he claimed had been signed by TV and film celebrities, including cast members of Doctor Who such as David Tennant, Billie Piper and Karen Gillan. He would supply a fake certificate of authenticity with each purchase.

The 51-year-old admitted forging 3,500 autographs between 2009 and 2011. He also pleaded guilty to selling pictures of stars without their permission. Sullivan was exposed after a tip-off to Norfolk County Council's Trading Standards team. Investigators found a container of ripped-up and discarded signed photographs, which were later pieced together to reveal what looked to be mistakes. His office computer was found to be storing many copyrighted images.

The investigation was supported by BBC Worldwide, which holds copyright on the images used. They gave evidence that the images used were owned by the BBC and they had not given permission to reproduce or generate an income from them.

Sullivan was sentenced to 21 months in prison.

BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand have announced that the 50th Anniversary feature-length Doctor Who story, The Day of the Doctor, is to be screened in 3D in some 87 cinemas in Australia and 19 in New Zealand.

Sharon Wilson, Head of Marketing, Brands for BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand said:

The cinema screenings will be held on Sunday 24th November, the same day as the anniversary is broadcast in those countries, and will also include specially-shot introductions that will be seen by cinema audiences around the world.

.As previously reported, Splendid Chaps is a year-long performance/podcast project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who hosted by comedian Ben McKenzie (Dungeon Crawl, Melbourne Museum Comedy Tour) and writer John Richards (ABC1 sitcom Outland, Boxcutters podcast).

Described by its creators as part intellectual panel discussion, part nerdy Tonight Show, Splendid Chaps is a combination of analysis, enthusiasm and irreverence. The first episode went to number 1 on the iTunes TV & Film Podcast chart in Australia, and to number 4 in the UK. The podcasts to previous episodes are now available at www.splendidchaps.com or at iTunes.

Tickets are now available for their three live November shows: "What I Learned From Doctor Who", "The Other Splendid Chaps: The Companions" and "Eleven/Future". 

In the first of these three shows, the Splendid Chaps are doing a special bonus episode talking about what they’ve learned from Doctor Who!

Born in part as an educational program, with Sydney Newman wanting no “bug-eyed monsters”, Doctor Who has often sought to educate us about our world – and the Universe beyond it. But over the years, as the traditional educational content about history and science faded away, it still brought us concepts and ideas – Buddhism, mythology, ethics, politics, friendship…there’s so much to learn from the Doctor!

Ben, John and Petra Elliott will be joined by comedian, actor and teacher Rob Lloyd (Who, Me.), and writer and editor Liz Barr (Chicks Unravel Time and its impending sequel) for a discussion of what Doctor Who has taught them. Plus prizes, surprises, all the usual Splendid Stuff, and a live poetry performance from the one and only Emile Zoey Baker!

Space: Toorak/South Yarra Library, 340 Toorak Road, South Yarra
Time: Saturday, November 16 2013, 4:00 PM
Accessibility: This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Tickets: All tickets $10 (plus booking fee where applicable)
Bookings: via trybooking.com, or buy tickets at the door (subject to availability)
Podcast: TBA.

In their second show for November, the Splendid Chaps are back with another bonus episode, this time at the Melbourne City Library as part of its Doctor Who Festival, talking about those other splendid chaps – the companions!

Companion, assistant, sidekick…none of these names really do the role of TARDIS occupant and time-space adventurer justice. In fifty years the Doctor has had almost as many fellow travellers aboard the TARDIS – most human, but also a few robots, aliens and fellow Time Lords. Exactly who counts varies depends on who you ask, but they’ve always been understood to be our point-of-view character; a proxy for the audience who will ask the Doctor to explain what on (or off) Earth is going on. Who are these people? What do they teach us about ourselves, the Doctor, and our changing society? Are they really there to get in trouble, pass the Zeus plugs and make the Doctor a better person, or is there more to them than meets the eye? And how different is the new series’ attitude to its supporting characters?

Ben, John and Petra will be joined by writer, director and podcaster Lucas Testro (Neighbours, Winners and Losers, NonCanonical), and broadcaster, documentary maker and podcaster Marian Blythe (3RRR, Boxcutters 2.0) to talk about the rest of the TARDIS crew. Plus prizes, surprises, loveliness and a live musical performance of a lost Doctor Who classic tune from Emma Heeney!

Space: Melbourne City Library, 253 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Time: Tuesday, November 19 2013, 6:30 PM
Accessibility: This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Tickets: Free! (bookings essential; limited seats available)
Bookings: via webwiredsolutions.com.au or at the door (if seats available)
Podcast: TBA.

Finally, their eleventh and final(ish) major episode brings then to the (still) current Doctor, Matt Smith. Splitting fan opinion on his announcement, in part because of his youth and obscurity, he soon won over audiences with a performance influenced by Patrick Troughton. This was also the biggest time of change in the revived show’s history, with not only a new Doctor, but a new production team, headed by fan favourite writer Steven Moffat, bringing a definite new feel to the show.

As Splendid Chaps draws to a close, the Chaps want to look forward as well as back, and so take as their theme the future. The Doctor in the old series and the new has often looked forward in time, whether a few decades, a few centuries, or even millions or billions of years. How has the show depicted the future? Has it tried to be predictive, or to express our hopes and fears? And what of the future of the show itself? With Matt Smith leaving, what does the future have in store for Doctor Who?

Hosts Ben, John and Petra are joined by comedians Justin Hamilton and Stella Young, plus a new song from Keating! composer Casey Bennetto, backed by their house band The Time Lads. Plus there will of course be prizes, surprises, jokes and more; it’s the end, but the moment has been prepared for! (They have a little something extra up their sleeves…)

Space: ACMI, Federation Square, Melbourne
Time: Thursday, November 21 2013; recording starts 7 PM
Accessibility: This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Tickets: $15 full, $12 concession, $11 ACMI members (plus booking fee where applicable)
Bookings: via ACMI online, or at the ACMI box office (subject to availability)
Podcast: not yet available; released 23 November 2013.

The BBC's official Doctor Who website has announced that acclaimed British film director Ben Wheatley is to helm the opening two episodes of series eight in 2014. This means that Wheatley will be in the chair for the first episodes to star Peter Capaldi, ushering in the era of the Twelfth Doctor.

Wheatley began his career creating short films and animations and internet "virals." He then moved into television, working on comedy programmes such as BBC Three's Ideal (written by Big Finish actor and author Graham Duff). His debut feature film, Down Terrace, was made in just eight days in 2009, and he has followed this with the features Kill List (2010), Sightseers (2012), A Field in England (2013) and the forthcoming Freakshift, a $15 million American film. He is also working on a science-fiction drama series called Silk Road for the American cable network HBO.

Wheatley, who will be one of the most high-profile directors ever to have worked on Doctor Who, told the BBC:
News of the hiring of  Wheatley has generated some excitement online, with the website Den of Geek describing him as "...one of British cinema's best working directors. Throw in the Peter Capaldi factor, and this is, in our humble view, quite brilliant news."

Meanwhile, it has also emerged that the novelist and screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce is working on a script for a potential future episode of Doctor Who, having been put in touch with the production team by former showrunner Russell T Davies. Boyce, who worked with Davies on the Granada Television drama series Springhill in the mid-1990s, broke the news of his involvement with Doctor Who in response to a question at a BBC Writersroom event at the Manchester Literature Festival last week.

Boyce was a writer for the Granada soap opera Coronation Street early in his career, and later wrote the screenplays for several films by the award-winning director Michael Winterbottom, including 24 Hour Party People (featuring Christopher Eccleston). He is also an acclaimed author of children's fiction, having won the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Prize, and the writer of official sequels to Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In 2012, Boyce worked closely in collaboration with director Danny Boyle to write the script for the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games, which received worldwide praise.

It is unknown yet whether Boyce's script is to be part of series eight in 2014, or a later run, or whether it will eventually appear at all.

The twenty-fourth in our series of features telling the story of the creation of Doctor Who, and the people who made it happen.

Production on the new series was progressing. The pilot had been recorded, and a revised episode one was being worked on. Meanwhile, the production team were anxiously awaiting news on whether they would be allowed to continue beyond the first story.

On Monday 14th October 1963 - exactly 50 years ago today - the TARDIS team reconvened to start a week of rehearsals leading up to the re-recording of the first episode. They had been given a second chance and this time they had to get it right.

The rehearsal venue was another drill hall, this time in Uxbridge Road, just a few hundred yards west of the Lime Grove Studios. Like the drill hall in Walmer Road, the building no longer exists and this site is now occupied by the London College of Professional Training. The cast had just four days to refine their characters and take on board all the changes requested by Head of Drama Sydney Newman before appearing in front of the cameras once more.

If they were successful, this would be the start of a long journey for the four main cast members. If the series were to continue beyond the initial four episodes, the actors' lives would be governed by a strict schedule. Rehearsals would be Monday to Thursday, followed by a long exhausting Friday in the studio, rehearsing with the cameras all day and then recording on the Friday evening. The weekend would be spent learning the scripts for the next week before the process began all over again on the Monday. The only respite would be when the actor was granted a week's holiday, in which case the character would be written out of that particular episode, or the role would be rewritten to a brief cameo, pre-recorded on film.

One person missing from the reassembled cast was Fred Rawlings, who had played the policeman in the opening shot in the pilot. He was unavailable for the remount and the role was taken by Reg Cranfield, who would therefore become the first actor to be seen in Doctor Who.

While the actors were rehearsing, they were largely unaware of the BBC politics surrounding the programme, and the memo sent by Head of Serials Donald Wilson, asking for some commitment for the series from the powers-that-be.

In response to Wilson's memo, on Wednesday 16th October Controller of Programmes Donald Baverstock decided, having now watched the pilot episode, that he would commit to funding 13 episodes of the new series. It was not an unconditional offer though, and Baverstock was worried about the spiralling costs of a series that required so much attention.

In a memo he asked John Mair, who was the Planning Manager, to state what "extra programme allowance will be required to finance the special effects requirements and the operating effort needed to work them in the studio." Baverstock intended to review the programme's budget by Friday 18th October, as he was due to take three weeks' leave and he wanted to decide on whether he could agree to an increase in budget before his break.

One departure that had already occurred was that of designer Peter Brachacki. Although he had come up with some innovative work on the first episode of the series, the designer and his producer, Verity Lambert, had never really seen eye to eye. Brachacki did not want to work on the series and had no great enthusiasm for the show. In addition, some of his more ambitious designs had failed to pay off. Originally, Brachacki wanted the walls to be translucent and to pulse with light when the ship was in flight. The cost, however, was prohibitive, as was his plan that the ship's controls would be isomorphic, moulded to the Doctor's hands.

So when Brachacki fell ill and it was apparent that he would be out of action for a while, the production team asked for him to be replaced on a permanent basis. His work was split between two designers, Barry Newbery and Raymond P Cusick, who would alternate between stories. Newbery took over Brachacki's designs for the first episode. One of the first problems he had to solve, though, was that the junkyard set and classroom set, used in the pilot episode, had been broken up, despite Lambert asking that they should be kept, so both sets would need to be rebuilt. The TARDIS interior, however, did remain.

Amidst some confusion over the DVD releases of the recovered The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear, BBC Worldwide have confirmed that these will be single disc releases as described by online shopping sites and not two discs as the covers released earlier today indicated.

The BBFC have now classified The Enemy of the World, confirming the running time for the episodes:

Episodes One-Three:
00:23:45:01 DOCTOR WHO - THE ENEMY OF THE WORLD - EPISODE 1
00:23:50:17 DOCTOR WHO - THE ENEMY OF THE WORLD - EPISODE 2
00:23:07:09 DOCTOR WHO - THE ENEMY OF THE WORLD - EPISODE 3

Episodes Four-Six:
00:23:46:11 DOCTOR WHO - THE ENEMY OF THE WORLD - EPISODE 4
00:24:22:05 DOCTOR WHO - THE ENEMY OF THE WORLD - EPISODE 5
00:21:38:11 DOCTOR WHO - THE ENEMY OF THE WORLD - EPISODE 6

No other features have been announced for either this or The Web of Fear at present.


Amazon UK have both The Enemy of the World (25 Nov 2013) and The Web of Fear (24 Feb 2014) available for pre-order; BBC Worldwide have advised that the latter's general release date is currently provisional and may well change.

The BBC Shop is offering the DVDs with exclusive slipcases, and will also be selling a special celebratory t-shirt (artwork to be confirmed).