All the above Doctor Who titles and more are available to own from the Big Finish website at www.bigfinish.com  

The artist Chris Achilléos has died at the age of 74

Chris Achilleos designed the covers for many Target novelisations of Doctor Who stories throughout the 1970s. His inspirational illustrations were for many fans of the era, their primary visual connection with Doctor Who.

His artwork had a seminal influence on the science fiction and fantasy genres, and throughout a career spanning five decades, he consistently remained one of the most respected and in-demand artists in his field.

The signature Achilléos style combined vivid colours, minute detailing, and an innovative blend of historical, psychedelic, and comic book influences. Although much of his work was produced on commission, to be miniaturised and serve as book covers, album covers, and film posters, Achilléos produced all his canvasses at largescale, which allowed him to showcase his rare technical skill, refined during his studies of Scientific and Technical Drawing.

Such was the ambition of his artwork that it earned the attention of George Lucas, who hired him as a conceptual artist for the visual-effects showpiece Willow; it was a position Achilléoshad previously held on the production of the cult classic Heavy Metal, starring John Candy and Harold Ramis.

It was, however, for his book covers that Achilléos was perhaps best known. His work has adorned hundreds of books, for authors such as Robert E Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs and Michael Moorcock.

His prolific work for the Target range of Doctor Who novelisations, meanwhile, left an indelible mark upon the show and its universe. In the worlds of Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi, a guest at the opening of a 2016 exhibition of Achilléos’ Doctor Who artwork:

Lavishly detailed, with psychedelic overtones and an unapologetically pulpy sensibility, Achilléos’ work both reproduced and reinterpreted the eccentric energy of the show’s classic era, defining a generation’s image of the Doctor and his adventures in the days before repeats or VHS recordings.

From the depths of outer space to the realms of fantasy, Achilléos’ subject matter was a far cry from his childhood in rural Cyprus, during the last days of British rule. He moved to England in his early teens, along with three siblings and a widowed mother. He spoke no English and described himself as an introvert who sought solace from prejudice in his art.

Lacking the money for art supplies, he produced his earliest sketches on the back of wallpaper and on paper donated by a local butcher. Having always fiercely maintained his rights over his work, retaining wherever possible the original canvasses, his professional pieces have become highly sought after, and adorn the walls of collectors the world over. Their abiding influence is evident in the work of the admirers he inspired.

He leaves behind a wife, two daughters and two grandsons.

Thanks to Candy Jar Books

Issue 572 of Doctor Who Magazine features an exclusive preview of this year's New Year Special., Eve of the Daleks. 

Highlights of the new issue include:

• An exclusive preview of Eve of the Daleks, with contributions from Chris Chibnall, John Bishop, Mandip Gill and director Annetta Laufer.

• Interviews with Series 13’s directors, Jamie Magnus Stone and Azhur Saleem.

• An interview with Annabel Scholey, who played Claire in Flux. 

• In the first installment of a two-part feature, costume designer Ray Holman discusses his creations for Series 13.

• A behind-the-scenes look at what happened when a Doctor Who fan wrote to CBBC’s The Dengineers, to ask for his own TARDIS.

• Collectivity meets fans whose passion for Doctor Who books and toys began with childhood Christmas presents.

• The Fact of Fiction revisits the 2015 Christmas Special The Husbands of River Song.

• It’s Behind You!, a brand-new comic strip adventure for the Doctor, Yaz and Dan.

• Public Image analyses the ratings for Flux.

• The Doctor Who Magazine Christmas Quiz.

• Previews, reviews, news, prize-winning competitions, Time and Space Visualiser and more.

PLUS: a giant double-sided poster!

Doctor Who Magazine Issue 572 is on sale from panini.co.uk and WH Smith from Thursday 9 December

priced £6.99 (UK). Also available as a digital edition from pocketmags.com priced £5.99.

The Vanquishers: Flux: Chapter Six  achieved an Audience Appreciation Index score of 76.

The Appreciation Index or AI is a measure of how much the audience enjoyed the programme. The score, out of a hundred, is compiled by a specially selected panel of around 5,000 people who go online and rate and comment on programmes.

With the last episode of the series now broadcast, this brings the series average to 76.7.

Doctor Who The Vanquishers was watched by 3.58 million viewers according to unofficial overnight figures. This is a slight drop from episode 5's 3.82 million

It was the day's fifth most-watched programme of the day.

The seven-day consolidated figure, which includes all those who watch the episode within one week. for Episode Five: Survivors of the Flux was 4.72 million. 

Doctor Who was the 9th most-watched programme on BBC Television for the week and the 25th most-watched on all British television for the week. 

The BBC have released details on the New Year's Day adventure for Doctor Who.

Eve of the Daleks: Trailer

Doctor Who reaches its season finale this weekend with the sixth chapter in the Flux series, The Vanquishers

The episode is once more written by showrunner Chris Chibnall and directed by Azhur Saleem. 

It stars Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor alongside Mandip Gill as Yasmin and John Bishop as Dan. 

The episode can be seen in the UK on BBC One at 6.20 pm on Sunday. Full global broadcasts are listed at This Week in Doctor Who

It can be streamed on the BBC iPlayer, on Netflix, on Amazon Prime and Britbox depending on location. 

Two Shakespeare plays starring two Doctor's have been released onto the streaming service Stageplayer+

On the service, you can view David Tennant's performance in the title role of Richard II, the vain King who lost a Kingdom, as well as Christopher Eccleston playing Macbeth, the usurper of the Scottish crown. 

Each play costs £2.99 to access. 

StagePlayer+ is the world’s first pay-per-view Performing Arts-focused platform. StagePlayer+ enables users to search content from around the world, putting the Performing Arts in the spotlight and enabling fans to support theatres, producers, content owners, and rights holders from the comfort of their own homes and on an ongoing basis.

The system can be viewed across a growing number of large-screen connected devices and platforms, including Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast,and at stageplayerplus.com.

Survivors of the Flux: Flux: Chapter Five  achieved an Audience Appreciation Index score of 77.

The Appreciation Index or AI is a measure of how much the audience enjoyed the programme. The score, out of a hundred, is compiled by a specially selected panel of around 5,000 people who go online and rate and comment on programmes.

With one more episode to come, 77 also reflects the average for the series so far.