United Kingdom:

The recent snowfall across the United Kingdom brought forth an array of snow sculptures, including Daleks! Areas reported include Leicester and Faversham, plus a number of photos published by the official Doctor Who Facebook page.

Speaking of Daleks, another was to be found at a chip shop in Helston! It was built by proprietor Marc Stonham, who said: "I've been thinking about it on and off for the last 40 years. It wasn’t until last (year) that I actually did it. People do mention it and come and have a look." [Falmouth Packet, 17 Jan 2013]

The islanders of Cumbrae in Scotland hope that John and Carole Barrowman's Hollow Earth books will boost tourism. Paul Watling, of Visit Cumbrae, reported: "We've had visits from a number of Hollow Earth fans and last week, a group of about 14 came over. They were from all across France and Germany and were very keen to see the island. I showed them some of the locations used in the book and they loved their visit. We hope the books will do for Cumbrae what (tv series) Balamory did for Mull." [Daily Record, 13 Jan 2013]

The Rainbow pub in Digbeth has been re-opened with a retro theme, including a photo booth masquerading as a police box! Other features include a "Del Boy" cocktail bar and a Scalectrix set to play with! [Birmingham Mail, 1 Feb 2013]

United Kingdom / Australia:

A Doctor Who postcard has sailed the seven seas from Sunderland (England) to Perth (Australia)! Schoolboy Cade Scott released the card in a bottle in August 2011, and was found by Matthew Elam this last Christmas Day, who responded back in January. Cade said: "I had got some Doctor Who postcards in a magazine and decided to use one of them to put in the bottle. I was just amazed it had gone so far. I thought it had sunk in the North Sea." [Sunderland Echo, 18 Jan 2013]

United States:

Two special screenings of Doctor Who are to take place at the Rockland Public Library in Maine, as part of a series of literary, film and music evenings. The Sun Makers is to be shown on the 7th February, with Blink the following 14th. Admission is free. [Penobscot Bay Pilot, 28 Jan 2013]

Crochet versions of each of the Doctors have been made by Allison Hoffman from Austin, Texas; she explained: "I made the dolls for a woman that wanted to give her husband a Christmas present that would blow him away. He is a huge Doctor Who fan and she knew he’d love these toys. He’s actually building a custom cabinet to display them now! Before taking on this project I had only seen the newer Who and not very many episodes, but now I feel like I know all of these people personally!". No prizes for guessing her favourite: "Tom Baker - I loved making that scarf!" [Metro, 29 Jan 2013]

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson recently discussed "What is Time?" on his StarTalk Radio, comparing views of how Time travel is portrayed as linear, branching and, in Doctor Who's case, wibbly wobbly! [StarTalk Radio via YouTube, Jan 2013]

Current costume designer Howard Burden will be giving a talk about his work later this month.

He will be at the BFI in London on Wednesday 20th February for an afternoon seminar entitled Designing For Science-Fiction, which will examine "how various screen craft disciplines work to realise fantastical science-fiction visions."

The event - the first in a new series looking at what it takes to succeed as a designer in the film and TV industries - is being presented in association with Wimbledon College of Art.

Burden has been the costume designer on Doctor Who since Asylum of the Daleks. His sci-fi pedigree also includes working on Red Dwarf from series three onwards as well as on the 1998 six-part series Invasion: Earth, which was a BBC Scotland/Sci-Fi Channel co-production.

Principal Photography for the Mark Gatiss drama exploring the creation of Doctor Who, An Adventure in Space and Time, kicked off on Sunday 3rd February, with the writer proclaiming: It begins!, executive producer Caroline Skinner exclaiming: "I am on set - in 1963!!! An Adventure in Space and Time begins..........", and producer Matt Strevens commenting: "Standing on the set, day 1. Very exciting.".

As previously reported, the show's first Doctor is being played by David Bradley (with producer Matt Strevens describing him as "what a lovely man he is. Being very gentle. He's going to blow people's socks off in this.") Another of the original cast, Carole Ann Ford as Susan, has now been confirmed to be played by newcomer Claudia Grant - as reported by the agency run by William Hartnell's real-life granddaughter Jessica Carney! The actors to play the roles of William Russell and Jacqueline Hill have yet to be announced.

The set in question mentioned by Strevens was the lobby of BBC Television Centre itself, which had been made up to resemble the BBC Club as seen in the iconic photograph of producer Verity Lambert alongside the original season cast.

Day One's filming was successfully completed, with the producer concluding: "That's day 1 of An Adventure' in the bag. A very good day, lovely vibe on set. Outdoors all day tomorrow. Winter draws on." Outdoors Monday turned out to be on Wimbledon Common, where a police box prop was spotted during the day.


Filming for Tuesday was reported as taking place on a residential street, Wilton Road in Merton, with further filming to take place inside a house made up to resemble a residence suitable for the 1960s.


Talking about the casting of David Bradley, Mark Gatiss told the Radio Times:
Though details of the scope of the drama have yet to be formally announced, actor Peter Purves suggested at last weekend's William Hartnell Years convention that the drama would focus on Verity Lambert's time as producer (which would also encompass the start of his time on the show). Talking about the drama itself, Mark Gatiss also told the Radio Times:

The second in Puffin's range of Doctor Who books to celebrate the 50th Anniversary has now been announced:

Michael Scott is the author of the Nicholas Flamel range of children's books, whose debut book in the series, The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, made the New York best sellers list in 2007. The author said of his Doctor Who assignment:

A promotional video about Scott will be released by BBC Worldwide via their YouTube channel on Monday 11th February, and an extract from the book can be read via the Guardian. The e-book itself will be released on Saturday 23rd February on Amazon (UK/USA) and iTunes.

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 podcast is available  at www.splendidchaps.com or at  iTunes.

Tickets are now on sale for the second live recording, which features actor Toby Truslove (ABC's Laid, Outland, The Strange Calls) and cultural theorist Dr Djoymi Baker discussing the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, and the notion of “evil” in Doctor Who. Is it absolute? Are there cosmic forces of right and wrong? And is the Doctor always on the right side? Plus performance guest, cabaret comedian Dean Acuri – performing a song written especially for the show.


Splendid Chaps: A Year Of Doctor Who: "Two/Evil"
Space: 303, 303 High Street, Northcote
Time: Sunday, February 17; bar open from 4 PM, show starts 5 PM (note that as event is recorded, latecomers will not be admitted until intermission)
Tickets: $15 full price, $12 concession (plus booking fee)
Bookings: via TryBooking; tickets also sold at the door (subject to availability)

"One/Authority" event shows (from left to right) Ben McKenzie, John Richards, Lee Zachariah, Nerida Haycock, Alexandra Tynan (nee Sandra Reid), Petra Elliot. Photographer Robert Young.

The 50th Anniversary season of classic Doctor Who stories on UKTV in Australia and New Zealand continues.

February is dedicated to a celebration of Patrick Troughton's Doctor, commencing with his earliest complete story, The Tomb of the Cybermen.

The four-part story is broadcast on Sunday 3rd February at 4:15pm (New Zealand) and 4:30pm (Australia). New Zealand has a second screening for The Tomb of the Cybermen on Monday 4th February at 4:00am.

The 1967 story was first broadcast in Australia in 1968. New Zealand viewers saw it in 1970.

UKTV is showing stories every Sunday throughout the year in the lead-up to the anniversary in November.

The Tomb of the Cybermen is the first of four stories to be aired as part of the channel's celebration of the second Doctor this month, and is followed by The Dominators (10th February), The Mind Robber (17th), and The Seeds of Death (24th).

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 Doctor Who Experience has announced a number of fancy dress competitions to take place over the course of February's school half term period:
There will also be a number of behind-the-scenes talks and other events taking place, dates still to be announced.

Matt Smith and David Tennant are among the famous names appearing in a BBC trailer for this year's Red Nose Day fund-raiser.

The Comic Relief charity event, which marks its 25th anniversary this year, takes place on Friday 15th March, with a BBC One telethon highlighting the good work being done. Money raised helps people in the UK and Africa.

In the trailer, narrated by famous fan and renowned impersonator Jon Culshaw, Smith says he will decide what he will do for Red Nose Day when he gets his fund-raising kit, and Tennant is shown briefly while on a charity visit to Africa.

Also seen in it are David Walliams, who jokingly states with a straight face: "I'm not doing anything. I've already done enough!" (he has swum both the Channel and 140 miles along the River Thames for Sport Relief), and Rowan Atkinson who, in 1999, appeared in the spoof adventure The Curse of Fatal Death, written for Comic Relief by Steven Moffat.


Red Nose Day has been a biennial event since 1989, and the show has had some kind of connection with it since returning to our TV screens as a regular series. In 2007, Tennant appeared with Catherine Tate in a Comic Relief sketch that heavily referenced Doctor Who - it can be seen above by clicking on the relevant link - while for 2009's telethon a special mini-episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures was shown and Tennant chose Doctor Who as his specialist subject on a celebrity edition of Mastermind, competing against Davina McCall. 2011's Red Nose Day included a two-part mini-episode featuring the Doctor, Amy, and Rory.

Comic Relief was co-founded by Richard Curtis.

The new edition of Doctor Who Adventures - out today - takes a look at the latest series trailer and examines just what is in store in the forthcoming new episodes.

Also in issue 305:

• A free mystery gift plus free Doctor Who Monster Invasion trading cards
• Comic-strip adventures with the Doctor and Decky Flamboon
• Behind-the-scenes Dalek fun
• How to spot an alien
• Puzzles
• Posters

As well as being available in print form, the publication can also be downloaded as an app for the iPhone and iPad from the App Stores in the UK and USA.

Dark Bunny Tees have announced a new range of officially licensed t-shirts to tie in with Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary.

Owner Alex Chenery said:

Details on Dark Bunny Tees can be found via their website, Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger.