The Ice Warriors and At The BBC 3

Tuesday, 15 March 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The Play.com website confirms the release of The Ice Warriors narrated by Frazer Hines from the BBC Radio Collection. "Frazer Hines narrates the remastered original soundtrack of this classic six-episode television adventure, starring Patrick Troughton as the Doctor. ... This CD also features an exclusive interview with Frazer Hines, who talks about his memories of making the 1967 BBC1 serial." Also announced at Play.com is the September 5 release of Doctor Who at the BBC: Volume 3: "This third edition of archive extracts follows the highly successful first two volumes. Once again all manner of programmes from the BBC radio and television archives yield Doctor Who-themed features, from drama and comedy to interviews and behind-the-scenes items. This time round radio interviews and features on the new series will be included." (Thanks to Gary Reed)




FILTER: - Audio - Classic Series

Travels in Time and Space

Monday, 14 March 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Play.com is listing Travels in Time and Space as the 2005 BBC Radio Collection tin, due on November 7, 2005. Included in the package, according to the site, is the already-announced "Doctor Who In An Exciting Adventure With the Daleks" novelization reading by William Russell, along with two others, "Doctor Who and the Zarbi" (aka The Web Planet) and "Doctor Who and the Crusaders" (aka The Crusade). No word as yet if this is a confirmed release. (Thanks to Justin Thomas)




FILTER: - Audio

Nicola Directs Big Finish

Tuesday, 8 March 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Big Finish announced today that Nicola Bryant, best known to fans as Peri Brown, companion to the sixth Doctor, is stepping into the recording box to direct the fourth and final UNIT series audio, "The Wasting". The episode concludes the four-part series which sees the return of Nicholas Courtney (who reprised his role of the Brigadier in the first episode, "Time Heals").




FILTER: - Audio

Benny Summerfield Series Continues

Tuesday, 8 March 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Big Finish has announced the continued exploits of Bernice Summerfield, the character originally created by Paul Cornell for Virgin Publishing's "Doctor Who: The New Adventures" series, spun off into its own line of audios and publications by Big Finish. Among the new items for 2005 are five new audio CD's following the delayed Masquerade of Death this spring; they include The Heart's Desire by David Bailey and Neil Corry, The Kingdom of the Blind by Jacqueline Rayner, The Lost Museum by Simon Guerrier, The Crystal of Cantus by Joseph Lidster and The Goddess Quandary by Andy Russell... which finds Benny Summerfield "confronting some familiar foes from the Doctor Who universe. This time it's... errr... the Monoids in 'The Kingdom of the Blind' and the Cybermen in 'The Crystal of Cantus.'" Monoids! Also, the Benny audio range will be supplemented by three hardcover books, following the same pattern of releases as 2004. The first will be The Tree of Life, a full-length novel by Mark Michalowski. That will be followed by an as yet untitled trilogy of novellas, written by Rebecca Levene, Paul Sutton and Dave Stone with linking material by Gary Russell. Then the last book of 2005 will be a short-story collection entitled Something Changed, edited by Simon Guerrier. Amongst the contributors to this will be Benny's creator Paul Cornell, alongside Joseph Lidster, Dave Stone, Jonathan Clements and making his Big Finish debut, Ben Aaronovitch. Additional authors will be announced later. Looking ahead to 2006, two of the five audios have been confirmed: The Tartarus Gate by Stewart Sheargold and The Dyson Ring by Jim Mortimore. Big Finish has also confirmed that artist Adrian Salmon will continue to provide the cover illustrations for both the books and the audio dramas.




FILTER: - Audio

The Crusade

Friday, 4 March 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
DWM confirms the release of "The Crusade" on Monday 2 May from the BBC Radio Collection. It's narrated by William Russell, who is also interviewed as a 20-minute bonus feature on the second disc.




FILTER: - Audio - DWM - Classic Series

Big Finish 2005 Plans

Thursday, 24 February 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Big Finish made several announcements about forthcoming plans at the recent Gallifrey 2005 convention, including the following tidbits (with thanks to John Hutton):
• Thicker Than Water is the title of the August 2005 release, written by Paul Sutton; it's a sequel to "Arrangements for War," and stars Colin Baker as the Doctor, Maggie Stables as Evelyn... and Bonnie Langford as Melanie!
• A second Sarah Jane Smith series will be released in 2006; the four-CD series, all by the same (as yet unknown) writer, will be produced by John Ainsworth and will take the character in a different direction.
• David Warner and Nicholas Courtney will return for an eighth installment of the Doctor Who: Unbound series, in a sequel to the Unbound audio "Sympathy for the Devil"; no official word on the writer, but it's probably "Sympathy" author Jonathan Clements.
• Three's a Crowd by Colin Brake (a "traditional corridor romp" on a space station) and The Council of Nicea by Caroline Symcox (an historical adventure) both star Peter Davison as the Doctor, Nicola Bryant as Peri and Caroline Morris as Erimem.
• Terror Firma by Joseph Lidster follows directly on from the cliffhanger at the end of the last Paul McGann story, "The Next Life"; the story "puts the Doctor through the wringer" and will hint about some of the things the Doctor was up to prior to the first Eighth Doctor audio, "Storm Warning".
• The second Gallifrey audio series will end with a double CD for the normal price; the series is also said to be serialized, moreso than the first.
• John Ostrander's Dead Man's Hand may be released in September this year, depending on the writer's schedule; if not, there are other scripts that can take its place as it is bumped again to next year.
• There will soon be more stories with Sarah Sutton (Nyssa). Mark Strickson (Turlough) also wants to do additional stories but his schedule is hectic. And Matthew Waterhouse may do an audio in the future, but defniitely not as Adric. Janet Fielding has made it clear she will not appear in any audios.




FILTER: - Audio

Audible Offers Audio Books

Tuesday, 15 February 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The Audible.com website today opened up a new downloadable audio section featuring more than 500 hours of audio books licensed from the BBC, including 24 Doctor Who selections from the BBC Radio Collection such as the soundtrack albums for missing episodes, "Tales From the TARDIS," "Death Comes to Time," "The Paradise of Death" and many others. The selections are available in several audio formats, available for both PC and Mac, and carry a price comparable to, or less than, the retail cost of the CD's. Check out the website link to browse the catalog of BBC and Doctor Who items. (Thanks to Stuart Ian Burns)




FILTER: - Audio

New Worlds for Old Favorites

Saturday, 5 February 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Big Finish has announced three standalone hardback books and two new audios for 2005, all Doctor Who spinoffs, as part of their "New Worlds" range. Iris Wildthyme, the character originally created for the BBC Books collection and who has been played by Katy Manning on several Big Finish audios, is featured in the short story anthology Wildthyme on Top, edited by Paul Magrs (who created the character), with stories by Jonathan Blum, Stephen Cole, Jake Elliot, Craig Hinton, Kate Orman, Lance Parkin, Philip Purser-Hallard, Jacqueline Rayner, Justin Richards and Stewart Sheargold. Manning will return to the role later in 2005 in two single-CD audios, the details of which have yet to be announced. Project: Valhalla by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright is a novel about the Forge, the clandestine organisation created for their audios "Project: Twilight" and "Project: Lazarus". And The Coming of the Queen by Iain McLaughlin and Claire Bartlett is a novel about the life of Erimem, the Fifth Doctor companion from Big Finish's audio range played by Caroline Morris, taking place immediately before her debut story, "The Eye of the Scorpion."




FILTER: - Audio - Books

Gallifrey Series Two

Monday, 31 January 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Big Finish has released details for series two of their Gallifrey audio series, which runs from April to August 2005. The cover blurbs and cover illustrations are below, although a few items of note: originally "Masques," the first episode is now called "Lies"; and the numbering actually notes these as chapters five through nine.
GALLIFREY: CHAPTERS 5-9

Series cast: Lalla Ward (President Romana), Louise Jameson (Leela), John Leeson (K9), Lynda Bellingham (Inquisitor Darkel), Miles Richardson (Cardinal Braxiatel), Sean Carlsen (Coordinator Narvin), Ian Hallard (Castellan Wynter), Andy Coleman (Andred), Nicholas Briggs (Gold Usher), Trevor Littledale (The Archivist), Brenda Longman (Pandora), Michael Cuckson (Commander Hallan), Robin Sebastian (Commentator Antimon), Steven Wickham (Chancellor Valyes), Daniel Hogarth (Nekkistani Ambassador), Heather Tracy (Melyin), Stuart Piper (Student Neeloc), Gary Bakewell (Student Taylor), Jenny Livsey (Student Galadina), Lucy Beresford (Student Gillestes), and Mary Tamm (Romana). Directed by Gary Russell.


LIES (Chapter 5), by Gary Russell

Some time has passed since the events of the Timonic Fusion Device threatened Romana's presidency with impeachment, and life has calmed down on Gallifrey. Well, apart from Romana's latest scheme, the opening up of Gallifrey's famed Academy to the students of alien races with the ability, or the potential, to harness temporal powers.

Unfortunately, deep below the Capitol, Leela, confused and morose over the truth about her husband Andred, disturbs a malevolent power. Something from the Dark Days of Ancient Gallifrey.

Something that wants to be reborn and will use any and every means that is at hand. Including the past of Gallifrey's incumbant Presidentà

SPIRIT (Chapter 6), by Stephen Cole

Leela is tired. Tired of the backbiting politics and intrigues in the sterile society of Time Lords. With the fate of her husband now known, she feels lonely and out of place on Gallifrey.

Romana is tired. Tired of justifying herself and her policies to a hostile council. With the line between allies and enemies beginning to blur, she persuades Leela to go with her to the presidential retreat of Davidia, a protected paradise.

Then an anomalous time ship arrives, carrying a single passenger. His hands are crushed, his tongue torn out, his mind destroyed. Is this broken man a victim of some terrible crime or part of a trap now primed and ready to spring? After this strange encounter, Romana and Leela may never be the same again.

PANDORA (Chapter 7), by Justin Richards

A rogue TARDIS that should not exist... A mutilated, comatose Time Lord who cannot be identified... A new Castellan desperate to make his mark... Evils of the past, events of the present, and echoes of the future conspire to destroy the very heart of Gallifrey's civilisation.

Only Romana can understand it - but she is haunted by her own ghosts. Only Leela can sense it - but she has unfinished business. Only Braxiatel can stop it - but he cannot begin to guess the personal cost.

With both Narvin and Darkel waiting for Romana to make a mistake, the President must take decisions that will change Gallifrey forever. And an ancient evil is ready and waiting for just that moment?

INSURGENCY (Chapter 8), by Steve Lyons

They are the brightest minds of their generation; the architects of tomorrow. And now, they have the chance to attend the finest, most exclusive school known to the temporal powers. After millennia of secrecy, the Gallifreyan Academy has opened its doors to off-worldersà

But the experiment is failing. As interracial violence erupts in the corridors of learning, somebody is using the students as pawns in a political power game - and, while Tutor Leela struggles to unravel the motives of her ex-husband, Andred, President Romana may be falling under an ancient spell.

It's a dangerous time to be a stranger on Gallifrey.

It seems that not all Time Lords want to share their secretsà

IMPERIATRIX (Chapter 9), by Stewart Sheargold

The Free Time influence in the Capital is spreading, while Darkel has played her hand and opposition to Romana's policies from without and within is growing. When the bombs start going off, the President of Gallifrey decides enough is enough.

While Leela and K9 race to track down the terrorist to avoid more bloodshed, Romana enters into a risky bargain for control with a dangerous, influential figure from her past. But she soon discovers that the answer to her problems lies in the future. A future she has already witnessed. And one she has been trying to avoid.

But someone desperately wants this future and will stop at nothing to make it occur.

Even if it means leading Romana and Gallifrey to war.




FILTER: - Audio

Underwater Menace CD Cover

Wednesday, 15 December 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
We've received the cover illustration for February 2005's CD release of the audio soundtrack of The Underwater Menace, the adventure starring Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines, Anneke Wills and Michael Craze. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version. (Thanks to Stephen Roddam, Mark Backhurst)




FILTER: - Audio - Classic Series