Doctor Who Adventures is returning to a fortnightly publication schedule this week, with the option to subscribe being dropped as well.

It comes just two months after a relaunch for the magazine and follows a slight rise in circulation.

In a statement to Doctor Who News today, publisher Immediate Media Co said: Any subscribers owed money will receive refunds, added a spokeswoman for Immediate Media.

DWA began life as a fortnightly magazine in 2006, becoming a weekly in 2008.

Issue 322 - the first of the new fortnightly editions - has a time-traveller's notebook and pen as its free gift, with the features including Jenna-Louise Coleman spilling on-set secrets, plus there's the chance to win a VIP trip to the Doctor Who Experience.

As expected, bookmakers have begun the process of offering odds on who will take on the role of the Doctor after Matt Smith hangs up his bow-tie at Christmas.

Early Sunday morning forecasts from William Hill placed the former Midshipman Frame Russell Tovey and Harry Potter star Rupert Grint as initial favourites at 10-1, with Hobbit and Sherlock star Martin Freeman next at 12-1. As one might expect the usual suspects were also present, with stars such as David Morrissey at 16-1, Paterson Joseph at 20-1, plus Alan Davies and James Nesbitt at 25-1. The favourite female contender was Billie Piper at 16-1, followed by Tilda Swinton at 20-1, and both 2013 BAFTA multi-award winner Olivia Colman and Jonathan Creek co-star (and audio 8th Doctor companion) Sheridan Smith at 25-1. More eccentric choices included footballer David Beckham, reality talent producer Simon Cowell and actor Tom Cruise at 250-1, plus footballer John Terry at 500-1.

Meanwhile Sky-Bet offered up a similar selection. Their top names included Damien Molony at 8-1, David Harewood, James Frain and Russell Tovey at 10-1, and others such as Rupert Grint, Olivia Coleman and Merlin star Colin Morgan at 20-1, Miranda Hart at 40-1, Patterson Joseph at 50-1, plus the return of David Tennant at 33-1! Also to be found on their list was Sherlock aka Benedict Cumberbatch at 40-1.

By Sunday evening, however, there was a clear leader in the form of Law & Order UK star Ben Daniels, appearing as favourite for Sky-Bet, Paddy Power, and Coral at 6-1, and with Betfair at 37-19. Other popular names included Chiwetel Ejiofor (Sky-Bet/Coral/Paddy-Power at 8-1), Russell Tovey (Coral at 8-1, Paddy-Power at 9-1, Sky-Bet/Betfair/William Hill's favourite at 10-1), and Skyfall's Rory Kinnear (Betfair at 41/9, Sky-Bet at 9-1, Paddy-Power at 11-1, Coral/William Hill at 12-1).

For a female acquisition of the TARDIS, William Hill offered 8-1 on this likelihood, with individual favourites being Billie Piper (William Hill, 16-1), Olivia Colman (Coral, 14-1, Paddy-Power, 20-1), Helen Mirren (Betfair, 27-1), and Miranda Hart (Sky-Bet, 50-1).

Whether additional contenders will challenge the current favourites remains to be seen as the week progresses.

The BBC have announced that Matt Smith is to relinquish the role of the Doctor at the end of the year, once filming has completed on the Christmas Special.

In a press release, the actor reflected:

Head writer Steven Moffat said:

Some tributes to Matt's tenure as the Doctor on Twitter include: Nicola Bryant (Peri) - "I'm sad that Matt Smith is leaving. I've loved his Doctor. I wish him and thank him for his time. :)"; Yee Jee Tso (Chang Lee) - "YeeJeeTso for the next Doctor!” Ha! It'd be fun... but I'd never be able to fill those shoes!"; Caitlin Blackwood (Amelia) - "Oh my Gosh. I'm a little upset that Matt smith is leaving doctor who..."; Mark Gatiss (writer) - "Desperately sorry to see Matt Smith go. A truly wonderful Doctor Who, a gifted actor & a lovely man. It's the end. But ( altogether now!)..."; Neil Gaiman (writer) - "thank you, Matt Smith. It was an honour and a delight to write scripts for you: you never did what I expected."; James Moran (writer) - "Anyway. End of an era. Start of a new one. It's why we love the show- laughs, tears, surprises. Also: explosions!"; Gareth Roberts (writer) - "Very sad Matt Smith will depart from Doctor Who. A brilliant actor and a good man."; Nicholas Pegg (actor) - "Matt Smith is a terrific actor, and a lovely, kind, funny, generous, considerate man. Always a pleasure to threaten him with extermination."; Barnaby Edwards (actor) - "Farewell, Matt. You were a joy to work with and a wonder to watch. Thanks for all the good times."; Tom Spilsbury (DWM editor) - "I am very sad to see Matt Smith leave. He has been a brilliant Doctor Who, as well as being a kind and generous man. Thanks from all at DWM."; Edward Russell (brand manager) - "It feels impossible to think that anyone could be as good as Matt. Still, I thought that when David left."


The news will of course generate a lot of media interest, with many of the Sunday newspapers commencing their speculation as to who the next person to play the Doctor will be (with front pages coverage by the Times, Mail and Star). It is also expected that bookmakers will begin offering odds for Smith's replacement imminently!

Lizo Mzimba presented an item on Matt's tenure during BBC One's news bulletin at 10:30pm (available in the UK via the BBC News site), whilst BBC Breakfast is expected to have an item on the news in the morning, with Doctor Who Magazine's editor Tom Spilsbury reporting on Twitter that he will appear on the programme.

Based on these final figures, The Name of the Doctor was the second highest rating ABC program of the day and the ninth highest rating program of the day overall (it was also the ninth highest rating program based on its overnight figures of 812,000 viewers). These ratings do not include regional viewers.

Full ratings data for the week ending 19th May 2013 is now available and give Doctor Who: The Name of the Doctor an official rating of 7.45 million viewers, a share of 31.7% of the total television audience.

Once ITV HD and +1 figures are factored in, Doctor Who was the 10th most watched programme on British Television for the week.

On BBC One, Doctor Who was the third most watched programme of the week, behind the The Eurovision Song Contest and one episode of Eastenders. ITV won the week with Britain's Got Talent with Coronation Street and one episode of Emmerdale in the top Ten..

Figures do not include iPlayer viewings where around 1.6 million have accessed the episode. Final figures will be available later.

Vengeance on Varos will represent the Sixth Doctor's era next month in BBC America's Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited celebratory season.

A documentary entitled Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited - The Sixth Doctor will air on Saturday 29th June at 7.30pm ET/PT, followed by an omnibus edition of the adventure, which was written by Philip Martin, directed by Ron Jones, and originally broadcast in two episodes in January 1985 as the second story in Season 22.

The documentary will see Sixth Doctor actor Colin Baker, both his companion actors Nicola Bryant and Bonnie Langford, and current lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, among others, examining the Sixth Doctor's adventures and discussing his famous foes, including the universe's most slippery businessman, Sil, who made his first appearance - of two so far - in the story.


BBC America is paying tribute to the programme's 50th anniversary by showing a story per Doctor per month.

Sunday 2nd June sees the broadcast of the 1985 Colin Baker story, Attack of the Cybermen on Australian and New Zealand television. The story is presented as part of the 50th Anniversary season of Doctor Who on the UKTV channel.

In New Zealand the story screens at 4:25pm and in Australia at 4:30pm. New Zealand has an additional screening on Monday 3rd June at 4:40am.

The UKTV billing describes Attack of the Cybermen as follows:

While trying to fix the TARDIS's chameleon circuit, the Sixth Doctor returns to Foreman's Yard on Totter's Lane in 1985, where he meets his old enemies the Cybermen.

Attack of the Cybermen was first broadcast in Australia in 1985. New Zealand did not get to see it until 1989. The story was originally screened in Britain as two 45-minute episodes, but was first broadcast in Australia and New Zealand in a four-part format. The UKTV transmission will feature the two-episode version of the story.

UKTV is showing stories throughout the year in the lead-up to the anniversary in November. The stories due to be screened during June all feature Colin Baker's sixth Doctor. The schedule includes: Vengeance on Varos (9 June), The Mark of the Rani (16 June), The Two Doctors (23 June), Revelation of the Daleks (30 June).

Up-and-coming broadcasts from both 20th and 21st Century series of Doctor Who can be found via UKTV's Doctor Who sections for Australia and New Zealand.

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine is in the shops Thursday, and marks the centenary of legendary actor Peter Cushing’s birth, as well as the release on DVD and Blu-ray of Dr Who and the Daleks and Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 AD in which he starred. DWM takes a look at the life of the man who was the big screen Dr Who...

Also in this issue:

• The Cyber-Planner: "I thought the coolest thing in the world would be writing Batman, and it absolutely was... until the point that I wrote Doctor Who." Neil Gaiman tells us about writing the recent episode Nightmare in Silver!
• And The Winnder Is... The votes are in for the 2012 Season Survey and the winners are revealed, including: Favourite Story, Best Director, Best Writer, and what was top of your wish list for the forthcoming 50th anniversary – as well as a chance to vote in our 2013 poll.
• Countdown to Destruction! The TARDIS takes the First Doctor, Vicki and Steven to a doomed alien world where a conflict rages between the survivors of two crashed spaceships, the Drahvins and the Rills in Galaxy 4. This overlooked serial from 1965 is the subject of this issue’s Fact of Fiction, which reveals new and fascinating facts about the production.
• Good Things: Doctor Who’s top man Steven Moffat answers questions from DWM readers, including how he times the length of episodes, and how would he feel about an American version of Doctor Who?
• Noble Companion: DWM’s journey through the history of Doctor Who reaches 2008 and the show's thirtieth series in Countdown to 50. Donna Noble becomes the Doctor’s travelling companion and together they encounter Sontarans, crazed Ood, Davros and Agatha Christie, and visit ancient Rome, parallel worlds, and the Shadow Proclamation.
• Youth Today! Chris, Emma, Michael and Will roll back the years when they sit down to watch The Lazarus Experiment from 2007. What will our trusty Time Team make of Professor Lazarus’ quest for eternal youth?
• Final Reckoning... The Promethians have won, mankind has been reduced to a state of barbarism and the Doctor and his friends Ian and Barbara are at the mercy of the Tribe of Gum. All hope is lost. Or is it? The Doctor has a plan, but is it already too late? Events reach a staggering climax in the sixth and final instalment of the epic comic strip adventure Hunters of the Burning Stone, written by Scott Gray, with pencils by Martin Geraghty.
• It's The End... Columnist Jac Rayner recalls how she helped her children face the reality of death – both fictional and in reality in this issue’s Relative Dimensions.
• The Reason We're Writin': The Watcher tackles the thorny subject of Doctor Who mispronunciations in A History of Doctor Who in 100 Objects; presents a Grecian themed challenge to readers with The Six Faces of Delusion; outs another hapless Supporting Artist of the Month; and goes Wild with a list of Top Ten Westerns. All this and more in this issue’s hilarious Wotcha!
  

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

Fantom Publishing have announced the forthcoming publication of Bob Baker's autobiography.


The book is due to be published on the 10th June 2013, and will also be available for Kindle.

Here is an update on the current competitions running from Doctor Who News.