Big Finish have announced their traditional Christmas special release for their regular Doctor Who subscribers. Night of the Stormcrow will feature Tom Baker and Louise Jameson as the Doctor and Leela, with guest cast including Ann Bell (who starred with Jameson in BBC's Tenko) as Professor Gesima Cazalet and Chase Masterson (from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) as Peggy Brooks.

Producer David Richardson said:

Night of the Stormcrow will be free to all subscribers to the main Doctor Who range whose subscription includes the December release 1001 Nights. It may also be requested by 12-release CD or download by main range subscribers as a free bonus story. It will be available to buy from December 2013.


Subscriptions to the range can be found via Big Finish website.

A poster from the second Dalek film fetched £425 when it was auctioned in London.

The quad poster promoting the 1966 movie Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. had been given an estimate of £300 to £400 in the run-up to the Entertainment Memorabilia sale held at Bonhams in Knightsbridge last Tuesday.

The auction also saw costumes from two David Tennant-era Doctor Who stories sell for sums above their estimates, while another Tennant-era one went for less.

Two Roboform costumes from The Runaway Bride, pictured below left, went for £1,000 (estimate: £400 to £500). One of the outfits is believed to have been worn by Tennant's Doctor as a disguise costume during the episode. A maid's costume from Tooth And Claw, pictured below centre, sold for £225 (estimate: £100 to £150), while a Slab guard costume from Smith and Jones, pictured below right, fetched £237 (estimate: £300 to £400).

The Wand Company is working with BBC Worldwide to develop an Eleventh Doctor-styled Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote Control. The gesture-based remote will be able to be used on entertainment systems such as: televisions, DVD/Blue-ray players, and IPod docks. With gesture recognition technology, the device will be able to store up to thirty-nine remote control codes.

Company co-founder Chris Bernardo says of the product:

For more information on this product please visit Licensing.biz

John Barrowman has been named Rear of the Year in the annual Wizard Jeans poll, alongside Coronation Street's Shobna Gulati; Sally Allen of the company said: "John's rear is clearly admired on an international basis, judging by the number of fans who voted for him. No doubt his dancing prowess helps to keep him in tremendous shape." Barrowman expressed his own opinion on the announcement in a video via Twitter. [Metro, 27 Jun 2012]

The actor will also be appearing with co-host Myleene Klass at the Cooper Barrington Antiques and Collector's Sale on Friday 6th July; the pair have been working on the new series of BBC2's Antiques Road Trip, and were also recently spotted in Chepstow filming for the show. [Cooper Barrington; Mirror, 1 Jul 2012]

Arthur Darvill will be joining David Tennant and Olivia Colman in the new drama Broadchurch; the current Doctor Who co-star will feature as a priest in the series. Writer Chris Chibnall said: "Broadchurch focuses on a small British community which finds itself at the eye of a storm. In the wake of one boy's death, the residents of Broadchurch come under scrutiny and suspicion. It's a story of scale and intimacy, as the lives of the characters are laid bare." [Press Association, 2 Jul 2012]

Christopher Eccleston is currently appearing in BBC1 drama Blackout; the actor reflected on acting on the small screen to films: "There's a snobbishness about TV; some film actors, thank God, won't do television. Which is great! I've done feature films, but the best scripts I've ever had have been in television. When you're writing for film, you've got a wider canvas and you can concentrate on the visuals. With television, you really can't get away with that much." [Guardian, 27 Jun 2012]

Paul McGann admits that he hasn't watched the new series: "I don't have a television. No. So, I don't watch anything. But I know Matt Smith and I saw him the other day. It's in safe hands, the kid's obviously brilliant, a really, really good choice to take it on." The actor is due to appear in a couple of dramas on television, alongside Martin Clunes in A Mother's Son for ITV, and in Ripper Street for the BBC. Independent, 30 Jun 2012]

Andrew Garfield, star of the latest incarnation of Spiderman, reflects on his own association with Doctor Who: "The history of Doctor Who and the heritage and legacy of Doctor Who is huge; it was an honour to be a part of that show, absolutely. And I'm so happy that everyone is now seeing Matt Smith for the incredible actor and Doctor that he is. He's a friend of mine and I am so proud and happy of him - he is a tremendous actor and he's been put to fantastic use and giving so many people so much joy, god bless him. So, yeah, I'm honoured to be a part of that legacy." [Kermode and Mayo's Film Review, 22 Jun 2012]

Former executive producers Beth Willis and Piers Wenger are to be re-united as the former assumes the role of Deputy Head of Drama in September at Channel 4. Wenger, who is now Head of Drama for the broadcasting company since leaving the BBC last year, said: "Beth is a hugely talented creative individual with a track record in shaping some of Britain’s most iconic drama series. I’m delighted that she’s joining the Channel4 drama to start work on a new generation of shows." [Channel 4 PR, 27 Jun 2012]

The BBC have announced on Twitter that Dame Diana Rigg is to appear in Doctor Who alongside daughter Rachael Stirling; lead writer Steven Moffat said:
The script commences filming this week, with the pair "playing a mother and daughter with a dark secret". The story is set in Yorkshire, with filming kicking off today at Roath Lock Studios and Bute Town in Rhymney, which stands in for a village in the county.

Diana Rigg is of course best remembered as Emma Peel in the 1960s series The Avengers, and also became James Bond's short-lived wife in On Her Majesty's Secret Service; however the actress has had a long career covering stage, screen and television including The Assassination Bureau, Diana, Bleak House and The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries. She also hosted the PBS series Mystery! for some 15 years.

On her appearance in another sci-fi/fantasy institution, she said:

Meanwhile, her daughter's career has encompassed starring as Nan in the controversial BBC adaptation of Tipping the Velvet, with other television appearances including The Young Victoria, Boy Meets Girl and last year's Women in Love; she has also appeared in films such as Centurion, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and Snow White and the Huntsman. The actress is also no stranger to the world of Doctor Who, featuring alongside Tom Baker and Louise Jameson, playing Demesne Furze in the recently released Big Finish Fourth Doctor adventure Trail of the White Worm.

On her latest role, Rachael said:

BBC Worldwide has confirmed that the 1970 Doctor Who story, The Ambassadors of Death, will be released on DVD in full colour.

The seven part story was made originally made in colour as part of the first Jon Pertwee season, but the only master tape to remain in the BBC Archive is that of Episode One. The rest of the story was only kept as 16mm black and white film.

A second generation colour copy does exist as an off air recording from WNED Channel 17 in Buffalo, New York and this was used to restore episodes five and six to colour for the 2002 Video release. At the time it was not possible to restore the remainder of the story.

With the advances in technology over the last decade, it is now possible to restore colour to the complete story. It was hoped to release the story last year, paired with the 1977 story The Sun Makers, however problems with restoration process caused the release to be postponed in order to allow the restoration team more time to achieve the best results on the story.

It is expected that the DVD will be released later this year.

A classic-era Doctor Who story and a new novel are getting the spoken-word treatment from AudioGo, which is also releasing its fifth and final compendium of lost TV episodes.

The Aztecs, read by William Russell, and The Wheel of Ice, read by David Troughton, join The Lost TV Episodes Collection 5 (1967-1969) in AudioGo's August release schedule.

The audiobook also boasts original sound design.

The Wheel of Ice is also being published in hardback on the same day and can be pre-ordered here.

A company specialising in merchandise for female fans have been granted a licence by BBC Worldwide to produce a range of official t-shirts themed around Doctor Who. Her Universe aims to feature images, characters and phrases from the Doctor Who universe all with fashion-forward designs for girls to look "Geek Chic", and launches the range on 11th July with three designs themed around River Song's high heels, Amy's experience with the TARDIS, and Van Gogh's painting of the 'cracked' TARDIS.

Ashley Eckstein, founder of Her Universe, said:

Items from the Doctor Who Fangirl Fashion Collection can be ordered from the Her Universe website, and will also be available from US national retail outlets.

Actor David Warner is to guest star in an upcoming episode of Doctor Who.

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine reports that the veteran actor will take a role in a story penned by Who stalwart, Mark Gatiss, which is part of the recording block currently being completed in Cardiff.

Warner has had a long and illustrious acting career appearing in films such as The Omen, Time Bandits, Tron, The Lost World, Titanic and Planet of the Apes. He has appeared in the Star Trek films The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country as well as playing Gul Madred in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Although Warner has not appeared on television in Doctor Who before, he has lent his vocal talents to the series when he provided the voice of Lord Azlok in the animated adventure Dreamland, first shown in 2009. He has also appeared in many audio plays for Big Finish Productions, where he has played an alternative version of The Doctor.

The story, due for transmission in early 2013, will be the fifth script for the series by Mark Gatiss, whose last script, Night Terrors, was shown last year. Gatiss told Doctor Who Magazine he was thrilled to be writing for the Eleventh Doctor once more, this time alongside his new companion played by Jenna Louise Coleman. It will be directed by Douglas MacKinnon who directed The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky in 2008.

The story will also star Irish actor Liam Cunningham, who has appeared in a number of film and television productions including A Little Princess, First Knight, Jude, Dog Soldiers, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Clash of the Titans, The Guard and the BBC One science-fiction drama series Outcasts, and more recently has become known to international audiences as Ser Davos Seaworth on HBO's Game of Thrones.

Two guest stars have also been confirmed for the previous episode recorded, the first to be filmed with Jenna-Louise Coleman. Written by Luther creator Neil Cross and directed by Jamie Payne, both of whom are making their début on Doctor Who, the episode will star Dougray Scott and Jessica Raine.

Scott is a Scottish actor who has appeared in films such as Enigma, Desperate Housewives and, recently, in My Week With Marilyn , while Raine is best known for playing the lead role of nurse Jenny Lee in the BBC1 drama series Call The Midwife.

An updated cast list for each story can be found in the Doctor Who Guide.

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine - published tomorrow - looks at the growing pains of a TV legend in a major feature on the development of the programme at seven-year intervals, as it approaches 49 Up.

It examines the moments that defined the show, including the adolescence that brought major format changes, the teenage years with Doctor Who in rude health, its incredibly successful return to television in 2005 – and asks what the next seven years may hold in store . . .

Also in this issue:

• Chibnall's Choice: Scriptwriter Chris Chibnall drops hints about his two new scripts for the next series of Doctor Who – and how writing for the show is unlike writing anything else – in Production Notes.
  
• You're Hired! Long-serving Doctor Who casting director Andy Pryor talks exclusively to DWM about his hand in casting three different Doctors, the joy of working on every single episode of Doctor Who since 2005 – and whom he has cast for the next series . . .
  
• Echoes of the Past: Doctor Who celebrated a landmark birthday but the monsters were conspicuous by their absence. Was that necessarily a bad thing? Find out as Countdown To 50 revisits 1983 and Series 20.
  
• Honour Amongst Thieves: Amy's been hijacked by the best thief in town, while the Doctor and Rory have fallen in with the wrong crowd. But what is the secret of the Ziggurat hanging above Cornucopia? Find out in the second part of The Cornucopia Caper, the latest comic strip adventure written by Scott Gray with art by Dan McDaid.
  
• Genesis of Dalek: The Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler encounter a lone Dalek deep within a Utah bunker – but Skaro's finest very nearly didn't make the party. Dalek, 2005's triumphant return for the Doctor's deadliest enemy, is given The Fact of Fiction treatment, with detailed commentary on all 11 drafts of writer Robert Shearman's script and exclusive new revelations from the writer himself!
  
• Details, Details: If you don't read the Production Subtitles on the Doctor Who DVDs then now is the time to start! Subtitles writer and TV Dalek Nicholas Pegg reveals the arcane secrets of compiling a treasure trove of Doctor Who facts and figures in Infomania.
  
• Monster vs Monster: Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans, Silurians, and Macra – they've all returned to battle the Doctor since Doctor Who's comeback in 2005. But what classic creatures are we desperate to see next? Toby Hadoke wants a return for those green giants the Ice Warriors, while Johnny Candon goes Underground to shout out for the Great Intelligence's Yeti. Who will triumph in this monster Battle of Wits ?
  
• Sympathy For The Devil? The Time Team – Chris, Emma, Michael, and Will – have a devil of a time while watching The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit. But what will the Team make of this terrifying adventure for the Tenth Doctor and Rose?
  
• And The Winners Are: The votes are in! See which books, audios, and DVDs are hits with the readers of DWM in the results of the latest Merchandise Poll, and discover how your favourites fared.
  
• Suited And Booted! The Watcher takes another flick through the pages of the Stockbridge English Dictionary, stares down The Six Faces of Delusion, highlights another masterclass in the dramatic art from a Supporting Artist of the Month, and reaches number 20 in A History of Doctor Who in 100 Objects – the Doctor's Impact Suit. It might not be as implausible as it seems . . . as Wotcha explains!
  

Plus all the latest official news, TV and merchandise reviews, previews, competitions, and a prize-winning crossword.