Hot on the heels of the report that Matt Smith starts filming on Sunday, the BBC reported that the read-through for this year's Christmas Special took place today, with a report on Twitter stating: "Christmas starts early for the #DoctorWho team! Here’s Matt Smith at today’s Christmas Special read through."


The BBC's Doctor Who website added:

Tweets on the read-through were also made by DWM editor Tom Spilsbury: "The Doctor Who Christmas readthrough was lovely - and rather moving. Matt Smith has been a terrific Doctor, but he's also a true gentleman." Make-up designer Claire Pritchard said: "Quite an emotional day at the doctors today he was reading a story." Having been working on Steven Moffat's other series, Sherlock, she added: "Is it rude and disloyal to leave a consulting detective for a Doctor I feel dirty!xx"

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With principal photography due to kick off on Sunday, the first indication of a filming location came from Labour councillor Dilwar Ali, who said: "Dr Who will be filming at Llandaff North next week."

Matt Smith has confirmed that he begins shooting for this year's Christmas Special from this coming Sunday.

Speaking to Daybreak's entertainment correspondent Richard Arnold at last night's GQ Men of the Year Awards, the actor responded to a question about his current hair style and on how this would impact filming:

This month sees the stage production Every Episode of Doctor Who Ever performed at the Sydney Fringe, and Doctor Who News is able to offer two double passes to any of the performances courtesy of the Factory Theatre and Pat Magee. In order to win one of the pairs please answer the following question:
Send your answer to comp-theatre@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Are you doing Dimensions in Time?", along with the names for the two tickets and the performances that you are able to make, plus where you saw the competition (e.g. the news website or on Facebook). The competition is open to anybody who is able to confirm that they can make the performances requested.

Closing date is Wednesday 11th September.

Performances of Every Episode of Doctor Who Ever take place at The Factory Theatre, Sydney, Australia on the evenings of the 18th, 19th, 25th and 26th September.

A new Fanzine called Cygnus Alpha is now available.

Cygnus Alpha is a continuation of an old 1980s Fanzine which originally featured Paul Cornell and Gary Russell. It's been brought up to date by Simon Brett ( phonic Screwdriver radio host, Phonicon organiser, Star Burst podcaster and Star Burst illustrator), Lee Rawlings ( Phonic Screwdiver radio host, Phonicon organiser and Star Burst podcaster), and Paul Griffin ( 80s & 90s fanzine illustrator, DWM illustrator and BBC Doctor Who book cover artist for The Devil Goblins From Neptune).

It features the likes of JR Southall ( You & Who books ), the original writers George Sik, Rolo Paloma, Paul West (the original editor), John Davies ( Big Finish Short Trips) , Simon Breeze ( fantasy artist), Lee Rawlings, Simon Brett and Paul Griffin.

It's A5 and features colour artwork. This issues has articles on Peter Cushing, Gerry Anderson & Captain Scarlet, a colour comic strip, short story by JR Southall and an exclusive interview with the director of Doctor Who's Kings Demons Tony Virgo.

It is now available priced at £2.50 plus p&p.

Details from the Fanzine's Facebook page.

Puffin Books have announced that the author of the ninth in their series of Doctor Who e-books will be writer, actor, and comedian Charlie Higson.


Though primarily associated with writing comedy series in the United Kingdom for both radio (Down The Line) and television (The Fast Show), Higson's writing credentials encompass a variety of other genres, including a series of Young Bond novels and the creation of his own cult thriller series, The Enemy. Now taking up the Doctor's cause, he said:


The e-book is due to be released on 23rd September 2013, with BBC Worldwide to upload a brief interview with the writer the the Doctor Who YouTube channel later this month.

The original script for William Hartnell's last story, The Tenth Planet, has been found, with one key difference from the transmitted version. The Doctor does not regenerate at the end of the story.

Michael Seely, author of the forthcoming biography of Dr Kit Pedler ‘The Quest for Pedler’ unearthed the original draft script, along with draft scripts for The Moonbase, known then as The Return of the Cybermen, among a very large collection of Pedler's papers which one of his children had kept in their attic.

The relevance of this early draft, and the date it was prepared goes some way to illustrating the hasty nature of Hartnell’s departure:
Michael Seely is no stranger to the work of Dr Kit Pedler, he has previously written two books (‘Prophets of Doom’ and ‘Deadly Dangerous Tomorrow’ – both available from Miwk Publishing) on the subject of Doomwatch.
Seely’s biography of Pedler will be released in early 2014 by Miwk Publishing. Authorised by his family and produced with their assistance, the book will tell the full story of Dr C.M.H. Pedler, MB. BS., Ph.D, M.C. Path. A research scientist well known to Doctor Who fans as the co-creator of the Cybermen, but in also a leading activist and campaigner for more sociably responsible and sustainable scientific research and understanding.

Pedler’s role in Doctor Who is also clarified:
The Quest for Pedler: The Life & Ideas of Dr Kit Pedler By Michael Seely is now available for preorder.

The personal notebook of Tristan Peatfield is being auctioned for charity.

Tristan Peatfield was the production designer on Doctor Who for two episodes in 2010, Amy's Choice and The Lodger, covering the gap between the departure of Ed Thomas and the arrival of Michael Pickwoad.

The item is a 14cm x 21cm black covered "Guildhall" notebook, which contains notes on a number of productions on which Peatfield worked, including at least 13 pages dedicated to Doctor Who. It includes text, designs and drawings in pencil by Peatfield and his colleague Peter McKinstry, including the original design for the "Lodger TARDIS" console and "Amy Pond, TARDIS Pilot".

The notebook is offered on behalf of Peatfield to raise money for The Isabella Peatfield Memorial Fund, a charity raising money for children's projects in Sri Lanka. Tristan and Kim Peatfield's daughter Isabella died in the country on Boxing Day 2004, the youngest British victim of the Indian Ocean Tsunami.

The ebay listing is now live and the auction runs for the next nine days.

September sees the broadcast of ten episodes featuring Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor on Australian and New Zealand television. These screenings are part of the 50th Anniversary season of Doctor Who on the UKTV Australia and UKTV New Zealand channels.

Each Sunday afternoon during September will see a block of two episodes screened from the 2005 series.

The schedule for the month in both countries is as follows:

1 September
Rose - AU: 4:30pm; NZ: 4:50pm (NZ repeat 2 Sep, 4:30am)
The End of the World - AU: 5:30pm; NZ: 5:40pm

8 September
Aliens of London - AU: 4:30pm; NZ: 3:00pm
World War Three - AU: 5:30pm; NZ: 4:00pm (NZ repeat 9 Sep, 4:35am)

15 September
Dalek - AU: 4:30pm; NZ: 4:45pm
The Long Game - AU: 5:30pm; NZ: 5:40pm (NZ repeat 16 Sep, 4:30am)

22 September
The Empty Child - AU: 4:30pm; NZ: 4:50pm
The Doctor Dances - AU: 5:30pm; NZ: 5:40pm (NZ repeat 23 Sep, 4:35am)

29 September
Bad Wolf - AU: 4:30pm; NZ: 3:50pm
The Parting of the Ways - AU: 5:30pm; NZ: 4:45pm (NZ repeat 30 Sep, 4:45am)

The line-up includes all but three of the entire run of Ninth Doctor episodes. The omissions are The Unquiet Dead, Father’s Day and Boom Town.

Doctor Who Adventures magazine is on the hunt for the nation’s biggest young Doctor Who fan, with the prize of a Cyberman visiting their school and a VIP family ticket to the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Celebration at the ExCel Centre in London.

The competition is open to children aged between 5-13 and runs until 2 October 2013. Fans need to send up to 250 words explaining why they should win the competition and a photo demonstrating why they’re the ultimate Who fan.

To enter, children must fill in the entry form in the magazine, out now until 10 September. The magazine is encouraging fans to send in their most creative ideas and brilliant collections for a chance to win. The winner will be able to upgrade their school with a visit from one the show’s top monsters, and they and their family will enjoy VIP access to all areas, travel and accommodation at the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Celebration. Four runners-up will receive a goodie bag filled with official Doctor Who products.

Editor of Doctor Who Adventures magazine, Natalie Barnes said

After the success of its Fourth Doctor scarf, online scarf retailer Lovarzi is releasing five more Doctor Who products in partnership with BBC Worldwide to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary.


The range includes the Seventh Doctor's jumper and a detailed silk scarf, ideal for cosplayers, complete with a 100% cotton hanky. The Seventh Doctor's costume was designed by Ken Trew in April 1987, ready for Sylvester McCoy's debut in Time and the Rani.

Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor swapped his brightly-coloured scarf in his final set of stories. Lovarzi's Season 18 Fourth Doctor Scarf in burgundy is made from acrylic chenille. It was first seen in The Leisure Hive (1980) and was designed by June Hudson under instructions from producer John Nathan-Turner. The scarf was used extensively until the Fourth Doctor's swansong serial, Logopolis, and was used in publicity shots for the 20th anniversary special, The Five Doctors, before retiring to Blackpool's Doctor Who exhibition, which operated from 1974 to 1985, and 2004 to 2009.

Lovarzi's Fourth Doctor scarf is 13ft/ 3.96m in length, including tassels, and 10" (28cm) wide.

The reversible Dalek scarf is an entirely unique design, initially available in two inter-woven colour combinations: blue and light grey; grey and charcoal. The scarf is made in Italy from finest quality wool and modal, resulting in a very fine finish.

Maninder Singh Sahota, Director of Lovarzi, says: Alex Carter-Jones, Business Development Manager from Forbidden Planet, says:
Last year's Fourth Doctor Scarf remains available online and in Forbidden Planet stores nationwide, as well as at the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff and various independent retailers across UK.

The Seventh Doctor jumper, silk scarf and hanky, Season 18 Fourth Doctor scarf in burgundy and exclusive Dalek scarf will all be available for pre-order from Lovarzi.co.uk, Forbidden Planet, BBCShop.com and the Doctor Who Experience from September 2013.