Final Australian ratings for The Name of the Doctor

Saturday, 1 June 2013 - Reported by Adam Kirk

The Name of the Doctor has picked up an additional 140,000 time-shifted Australian viewers, giving it a final, or consolidated, ratings average of 953,000 viewers in the five major capital cities. This was the fifth largest number of time-shifted viewers for a program broadcast on Sunday 19 May. The final or consolidated ratings includes all 'time-shifted' viewers who record the program and watch it within a week.

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.

Media Links: TV Tonight

FILTER: - Ratings - Broadcasting - Series 7/33 - Australia

Name of the Doctor: Official Ratings

Friday, 31 May 2013 - Reported by Marcus

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.

FILTER: - Doctor Who - Ratings - UK - Series 7/33

The Sixth Doctor Revisited On BBC America

Thursday, 30 May 2013 - Reported by John Bowman

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.

The Doctor visits the planet Varos to obtain the rare ore Zeiton-7, vital to the functioning of his TARDIS. But Varos is a dangerous place, where rebels are tortured on live television and executions are used to win votes from the public. Trapped in the dreaded Punishment Dome, the Doctor and his companion Peri must fight for their lives - and save the starving population from the machinations of the villainous reptilian Sil.

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

The Doctors Revisited: The Sixth Doctor (via YouTube)

FILTER: - Steven Moffat - USA - Sixth Doctor - BBC America - Colin Baker

Attack of the Cybermen on UKTV

Thursday, 30 May 2013 - Reported by Paul Scoones

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.

FILTER: - Classic Series - WHO50 - New Zealand - Australia

Doctor Who Magazine 461

Wednesday, 29 May 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster

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...

I only saw one episode of Doctor Who on TV, but I felt the character was unnecessarily harsh. I see him as a jolly old fellow – not sour at all!

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!

FILTER: - DWM

K9 Stole My Trousers

Wednesday, 29 May 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster

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

K9 Stole My Trousers (Credit: Fantom Publishing)

K9 Stole My Trousers
An Autobiography

Bob Baker, co-writer of three Oscar and BAFTA winning Wallace & Gromit films, creator of K9, and writer of numerous Doctor Who episodes, releases his autobiography this June.

A stalwart of HTV, Bob has worked with Sir Laurence Olivier, Leonard Rossiter, Ron Moody, Toyah Willcox and Trevor Eve. Among his many TV credits, Bob wrote a number of episodes of Doctor Who with co-writer Dave Martin, several episodes of Bergerac starring John Nettles and the smash hit children's show, Into the Labyrinth; Bob also script edited the popular crime series Shoestring.

Bob is perhaps best known for his work with Nick Park on Aardman Animations' Oscar and BAFTA-winning shorts, The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave and A Matter of Loaf and Death, and the feature film The Curse of the Wererabbit.

Among his recent work, Bob has just finished the first 26-part series of the regenerated K9, currently showing on the Disney Channel and Channel 5 and is gearing up for a second series in the coming year.

Bob’s life has been rich and varied; his adventures outside of his illustrious career range from a wine-tasting tour of France and mad sea voyages with the legendary Keith Floyd to playing jazz with John Fortune of Bremner, Bird and Fortune. K9 Stole My Trousers is a tribute to some of the finest talents in TV in the last fifty years, both people Bob worked with and people he considered himself lucky to know in his personal life.

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

FILTER: - Merchandise - Auto/Biography - Books

Competitions Update

Saturday, 25 May 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster

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

Studio Canal: The Dalek Movies
Closing Date: 27th May 2013

In Dr Who and The Daleks, what is Ian Chesterton's lucky number?

Please send the answer to the question to comp-movies@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Thal play!", along with your name, postal address, and where you saw the competition mentioned (the news website, facebook, twitter, etc.). Only one entry will be accepted per postal address. This competition is only open to UK residents.

Big Finish: The Apocalypse Mirror
Closing Date: 31st May

As well as Doctor Who, Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury also appeared together in Emmerdale Farm - what were their character names?

Please send the answer to the question to comp-apocalypse@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Beckindale re-union", along with your name, postal address, and where you saw the competition mentioned (the news website, facebook, twitter, etc.). Only one entry will be accepted per postal address. This competition is open worldwide.

AudioGo: Trouble in Paradise
Closing Date: 4th June

The Doctor's arrival on sailing ships often leads to trouble: what was the name of the first such vessel in the series to suffer from such an encounter?

Please send the answer to the question to comp-paradise@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Below Decks", along with your name, postal address, and where you saw the competition mentioned (the news website, facebook, twitter, etc.). Only one entry will be accepted per postal address. This competition is open worldwide.

AudioGo: Doctor Who and The Planet of The Daleks
Closing Date: 4th June

Planet of the Daleks is often loosely described as the second part of a longer story: name the novelisation of the preceding adventure.

Please send the answer to the question to comp-potd@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "I've Got The Power!", along with your name, postal address, and where you saw the competition mentioned (the news website, facebook, twitter, etc.). Only one entry will be accepted per postal address. This competition is open worldwide.

AudioGo: The Dalek Generation
Closing Date: 4th June

In recent years Nicholas Briggs has become the de-facto voice of several monsters in Doctor Who: name his original vocal 're-creation' for the series.

Please send the answer to the question to comp-generation@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Benevolate!", along with your name, postal address, and where you saw the competition mentioned (the news website, facebook, twitter, etc.). Only one entry will be accepted per postal address. This competition is open worldwide.

AudioGo: Harvest of Time
Closing Date: 4th June

The Harvest of Time features the Master as originally portrayed by Roger Delgado; this CD is narrated by a future Master, Geoffrey Beevers - in which story did he feature as the Doctor's old adversary?

Please send the answer to the question to comp-harvest@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Don't touch any seaweed...", along with your name, postal address, and where you saw the competition mentioned (the news website, facebook, twitter, etc.). Only one entry will be accepted per postal address. This competition is open worldwide.

FILTER: - Competitions

AudioGo: June Releases

Saturday, 25 May 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster

AudioGo's next stage in the Destiny of the Doctor reaches the Sixth Doctor in June with he and companion Peri meeting Trouble in Paradise. Meanwhile, the latest audio adaptation of the Target novelisations sees the Third Doctor ahd Jo arriving on The Planet of the Daleks. Plus, two audio adaptations of recent BBC Books releases include the Eleventh Doctor once again encountering his greatest alien foe in The Dalek Generation, and the Third Doctor facing off against fellow Time Lord The Master in Harvest of Time.

Destiny of the Doctor: Trouble in Paradise (Credit: AudioGo)

Destiny of the Doctor: Trouble in Paradise
Starring Nicola Bryant, with Cameron Stewart (pre-order)

Responding to a desperate summons from the Doctor's future self, he and Peri find themselves on a sailing ship in 1492, where the crewmen are gripped by superstitious fear. They say the Devil walks among them, stalking and striking them down. Even though they have landed in paradise, they fear that 'El Diablo' himself will drag them over the edge of the world and into the depths of hell. When the Doctor and Peri meet the captain of the ship, they both discover that heroes can sometimes behave un-heroically. Peri's reaction leads her into deep water, and soon the Doctor fears not only for her life but also for the existence of the ship, the paradise island, and the Universe itself...

Celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who, a brand new adventure for the Sixth Doctor. Nicola Bryant - Peri in the BBC TV Doctor Who series - and Cameron Stewart perform this original story by Nev Fountain, with music and sound design.

Doctor Who and The Planet of The Daleks (Credit: AudioGo)

Doctor Who and The Planet of The Daleks
Written by Terrance Dicks
Read by Mark Gatiss, with Nicholas Briggs as the voice of the Daleks (pre-order)

An exciting novelisation of a classic 1973 Doctor Who serial, featuring the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and his companion Jo Grant.

After pursuing the Daleks through Space, the Doctor and Jo land on the planet Spiridon, in the midst of a tropical jungle…and finds more than Daleks. Vicious plants spitting deadly poison, invisible Spiridons attacking from all sides and, in hiding, a vast army of Daleks waits for the moment to mobilise and conquer.

The Dalek Generation
Written and read by Nicholas Briggs (pre-order)

"The Sunlight Worlds Offer You A Life of Comfort and Plenty. Apply now at the Dalek Foundation."

Sunlight 349 is one of countless Dalek Foundation worlds, planets created to house billions suffering from economic hardship. The Doctor arrives at Sunlight 349, suspicious of any world where the Daleks are apparently a force for good - and determined to find out the truth. The Doctor knows they have a far more sinister plan - but how can he convince those who have lived under the benevolence of the Daleks for a generation? But convince them he must, and soon. For on another Foundation planet, archaeologists have unearthed the most dangerous technology in the universe...

A thrilling, all-new adventure featuring the Doctor as played by Matt Smith in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.

Harvest of Time
Written by Alistair Reynolds
Read by Geoffrey Beevers (pre-order)

An unabridged reading of a brand new novel from BBC Books.

After billions of years of imprisonment, the vicious Sild have broken out of confinement. From a ruined world at the end of time, they make preparations to conquer the past, with the ultimate goal of rewriting history. But to achieve their aims they will need to enslave an intellect greater than their own...

On Earth, UNIT is called in to investigate a mysterious incident on a North Sea drilling platform. The Doctor believes something is afoot, and no sooner has the investigation begun when something even stranger takes hold: The Brigadier is starting to forget about UNIT's highest-profile prisoner. And he is not alone in his amnesia.

As the Sild invasion begins, the Doctor faces a terrible dilemma. To save the universe, he must save his arch-nemesis... The Master.

A brand new adventure featuring the 3rd Doctor, as played by Jon Pertwee in the original BBC TV series, and his adversary the Master, as played by Roger Delgado.

FILTER: - Sixth Doctor - Audio - Third Doctor - Eleventh Doctor - WHO50

Publications Roundup

Saturday, 25 May 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster

A roundup of some of the independent publications that have recently been published or announced.

Fifty Years in Time and Space: A Short History of Doctor Who (Credit: St Mark's Press)

Fifty Years in Time and Space: A Short History of Doctor Who
by Frank Danes
282 pages, published by St Mark's Press, out now

St Mark’s Press has just released a new, unauthorised, single volume critical history of the programme: "Fifty Years in Time and Space: A Short History of Doctor Who". The author is Frank Danes and the cover is by Roger Langridge, whose work regularly appeared in Doctor Who Magazine.

Frank is Head of English at King’s Ely school in England. He’s written Victorian Literature for Cambridge University Press and those of us with long memories may remember that he co-edited the fanzine Fendahl way back in the late 70s and early 80s. Fifty Years in Time and Space is a well-written, amusing and carefully researched guide.

Frank comments:

I was born in 1965 – on a Saturday, in fact, and just in time to watch ‘Galaxy Four’ episode two. Some of my earliest memories are of watching the programme: I remember my twin brother and I putting our hands over the screen when the Yeti appeared, prompting yells of ‘Get those twins away from the television!’ from my elder brothers. I’ve always been a Doctor Who fan even as I have become (in Terrance Dicks’ words) older, fatter, greyer, but not noticeably wiser.

The book is available direct from St Mark's Press, or from Amazon, Galaxy 4, Who One, The Who Shop and other bookshops.

Celebrate Regenerate (Credit: Celebrate Regenerate/Lewis Christian)

Celebrate Regenerate
edited by Lewis Christian
due for publication 13th July 2013

In order to aid the celebrations of Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary this year, quite an epic-sized group of fans have come together from all over the world to build Celebrate Regenerate, a fan-made (non-profit and unofficial) book, filled with reviews and articles covering every televised story.

At over 300 A4 pages, this doorstop of a book is packed with pieces from over 250+ fan writers, and we’ve even included some fanart too. To top it all, we’ve also bagged a few exclusive interviews with Series 1 director, Joe Ahearne; writer Tom MacRae, and writer Joseph Lidster which will be published alongside some other special features in the book.

The project, now a year in the making, is set to be released on 13th July this year, well in time for the anniversary. We aim to simply add to the growing list of contributions from other fans and writers, and our goal is now to reach out to as many fans as possible to share our finished project.

(Up until 8th July, we’re offering everybody the chance to have their name listed in the book as a 'Companion' too, to make up for them not knowing about this and being able to submit)

This is an non-profit, unauthorised and unofficial fan publication, and will be available for free for download in PDF format; it will also be possible to purchase a physical copy via lulu.com.

For more details, visit the Celebrate Regenerate website and Facebook page.

Liberating Earth, A Faction Paradox Collection
edited by Kate Orman
due for publication by Obverse Books in May 2014

Coming in May 2014 from Obverse Books: Liberating Earth, an anthology of science fiction and fantasy written entirely by women, edited by award-winning Australian author Kate Orman.

In Liberating Earth, rival cousins from the mysterious time-travelling Faction Paradox cult decide our planet should be freed from the human race and placed in better hands. As the cousins ruthlessly compete to create the perfect alternative Earth, history and reality change wildly again and again. Humanity is helpless. Or is it?

SF and fantasy readers and viewers, especially women, are increasingly calling for more work by female writers. Stuart Douglas of Obverse Books has commissioned Liberating Earth in response to that demand.

Editor Kate Orman was the first woman published in the Doctor Who: the New Adventures range of novels, eventually writing and co-writing a total of thirteen Who-related books, as well as publishing original fantasy and science fiction.

Liberating Earth will be printed in hardback and ebook formats in May 2014.

Other recently reported publications include Time and Relative Dimensions in Faith, Time & Space Visualiser: The Story and History of Doctor Who as Data Visualisations, and Companions: 50 Years of Doctor Who Assistants

FILTER: - Fan Productions - Books

BBC Books: Autumn Releases

Saturday, 25 May 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BBC Books have released details on two hardback publications to tie in with the 50th Anniversary celebrations this coming Autumn.

The Doctor: His Lives and Times (Credit: BBC Books)

The Doctor: His Lives and Times
by James Goss and Steve Tribe
Published by BBC Books on 26 September 2013, hardback

"I'm the Doctor. I’m a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. And I'm the man who’s going to save your life."

He's made a mark on almost every era of history, and he’s touched millions of lives across space and time. In these pages you'll find just some of the stories behind those brief encounters, each of them addressing the question that must never, ever be answered: "Doctor Who?"

This is the story of an impossible life – of a man who borrowed a spaceship, travelled through time and continually saved the universe - as told by the Doctor's friends, by his enemies, and by the man himself. Letters, journals, trial records, secret government files and the occasional bit of tabloid journalism reveal the never-before-told story of Gallifrey's last Time Lord.

Contributors to His Lives and Times include: Colin Baker, John and Carole E. Barrowman, Tim Berners-Lee, Nicholas Briggs, Jenna Coleman, Paul Cornell, Rusell T Davies, Peter Davison, Terrance Dicks, Neil Gaiman, Mark Gatiss, Waris Hussein, Bonnie Langford, Paul McGann, Steven Moffat, Matt Smith, Laila Ward and Marcus Wilson.

The Vault
by Marcus Hearn
Published by BBC Books on 24 October 2013

Drawing on unseen and iconic material from the BBC archive and private collectors, The Vault is an unforgettable journey through 50 years of Doctor Who, via carefully selected photographs, props, costumes designs, production memos, letters, scripts and more.

This is the full and official story of Doctor Who, from the first pre-production memos in 1963 to the most recent props created for the 2013 series, including interviews with key players and scores of prop photos, design sketches and behind the scenes stills from every decade of the show’s production. Taking you year by year through the world’s
longest running science fiction series, Marcus Hearn explores the show’s groundbreaking innovations as well as its impact on popular culture through books and comics, magazines and toys, merchandise and ephemera.

The Vault is a collector’s dream, and the ultimate celebration of Doctor Who.

Also re-released in paperback:

The Wheel of Ice
by Stephen Baxter
Published by BBC Books on 1 August 2013, paperback

The Wheel. A ring of ice and steel around a moon of Saturn, and home to a mining colony supplying Earth. It’s a bad place to grow up.

The colony has been plagued by problems and there are stories of mysterious creatures glimpsed aboard the Wheel. Many of the younger workers refuse to go down the warrenlike mines anymore. And then young Phee Laws, surfing Saturn’s rings, saves an enigmatic blue box from destruction.

Aboard the Wheel, the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe find themselves caught in a mystery that goes right back to the creation of the solar system. A mystery that could kill them all.

FILTER: - Merchandise - Books

Previous 10 Stories

Final Australian ratings for The Name of the Doctor

Name of the Doctor: Official Ratings

The Sixth Doctor Revisited On BBC America

Attack of the Cybermen on UKTV

Doctor Who Magazine 461

K9 Stole My Trousers

Competitions Update

AudioGo: June Releases

Publications Roundup

BBC Books: Autumn Releases

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