Big Finish: Fourth Doctor Adventures finale

Wednesday, 24 February 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Big Finish have announced details on the finale to current series of the Fourth Doctor Adventures, which stars Tom Baker, Lalla Ward and John Leeson.

Returning to the series is the character of Cuthbert, as played by David Warner, and his faithful assistant Mr Dorrick (Toby Hadoke), who were last seen in the Series Two finale The Final Phase. Also from that series are the race of aliens known as the Laan (Jane Slavin), who also hailed from the Series 2 episodes The Sands of Life and War Against The Laan.

Also appearing from the television series itself is somebody the Doctor and Romana have been trying to avoid for some time - the Black Guardian, with the embodiment of darkness taken on here by David Troughton.

The Pursuit Of History (Credit: Big Finish) Casualties Of Time (Credit: Big Finish)
The Pursuit Of History / Casualties Of Time

Written and directed by Nicholas Briggs
Released July/August 2016

Starring Tom Baker as The Doctor, with Lalla Ward as Romana and John Leeson as K9, and featuring David Warner as Cuthbert, Toby Hadoke as Mr Horrick, and David Troughton as the Black Guardian


On a brisk winter’s morning in 1850s Yorkshire, Cuthbert, head of the intergalactic business known as 'The Conglomerate' prepares to hijack a very special train.

In the far future, his assistant, Mr Dorrick is awoken by howling alarms. There is a problem with the Quantum Gateway.

In the TARDIS, the Doctor, Romana and K9 detect strange distortions in the Vortex, an energy stream coming from a strange creature called a Laan.

The threads of a plan centuries in the making are coming together. But who is behind this plan? And can anyone possibly escape when history is against them?




FILTER: - Audio - Big Finish - Fourth Doctor

Big Finish: regular range during 2016

Tuesday, 23 February 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Big Finish have released details on what to expect in their regular monthly range of adventures for the Doctor.

The first quarter of the year features the fifth Doctor and companions, with Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton reprising their roles as they encounter Rembrandt, a mysterious apparently abandoned spaceship, and a bad time in Manchester's history:

Waters of Amsterdam (Credit: Big Finish)Starring Peter Davison as the Doctor, with Janet Fielding as Tegan and Sarah Sutton as Nyssa
Written by Jonathan Morris, directed by Jamie Anderson
Released January 2016 [order]

Reunited with the Doctor and Nyssa, Tegan joins them on a trip to Amsterdam's Rijkmuseum to see a new exhibition of the work of Rembrandt van Rijn, featuring his drawings of “Vessels of the Stars”. The Doctor is astonished to discover that they are designs for spaceships that would actually work, and decides to pop back to the Dutch Golden Age for a quiet word with Rembrandt – but the world-weary artist is no mood to help.

Meanwhile, strange forces are swirling in the canals, creatures from ancient myth, the watery, goblin-like Nix. What is their connection to the mysterious Countess Mach-Teldak – and to the events of Tegan’s life during her year away from the Doctor?
Aquitaine (Credit: Big Finish)Starring Peter Davison as the Doctor, with Janet Fielding as Tegan and Sarah Sutton as Nyssa
Written by Simon Barnard & Paul Morris, directed by Ken Bentley
Released February 2016 [order]

Today should be much like every other day for Hargreaves, the computer consciousness that co-ordinates daily life aboard the spaceship Aquitaine, stationed on the outer fringes of a black hole. Water the plants, run the diagnostics, cook the Captain’s breakfast; then tidy the plates away, rotate the ship, clean the windows of the observation deck. When at last the day’s work is done, Hargreaves will dim the lights in the sleeping quarters. But no-one will sleep aboard the Aquitaine tonight. Because the Aquitaine’s crew is missing.

But today will be different. Today, a space/time ship called the TARDIS will materialise in the botanical section, bringing the Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan aboard the Aquitaine. Together, they’ll seek to discover the truth of what happened to Hargreaves’ crew...

... if only the ghosts will let them.

The Peterloo Massacre (Credit: Big Finish)Starring Peter Davison as the Doctor, with Janet Fielding as Tegan and Sarah Sutton as Nyssa
Written by Paul Magrs, directed by Jamie Anderson
Released March 2016 [pre-order]

"They say there’ll be thousands pouring into Manchester tomorrow. From all over the county, north and south. It’ll be a piece of history. People will remember this!"

Lost in the smog of the Industrial Revolution, the TARDIS crashes four miles south of Manchester, in the grounds of Hurley Hall – a grand mansion belonging to a local factory owner, a proudly self-made man. But while Hurley dreams of growing richer still on the wealth of secret knowledge locked up in the Doctor’s time and space machine, his servants hope only for a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. His young maid Cathy, for instance, whom Nyssa learns is looking forward to joining the working people’s march to St Peter’s Field, in the heart of the city. There’ll be speeches and banners and music. It’ll be like one big jamboree…

Or so she thinks. For the city’s establishment have called in their own private militia, to control the crowd. One of the darkest days in Manchester’s history is about to unfold – and the Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan are right in the thick of it.

The second quarter provides a new encounter with the Masters ... with the fifth Doctor encountering an earlier incarnation (Geoffrey Beevers) in April, followed by the sixth Doctor embroiled with the recent (Alex Macqueen) in May, before the seventh Doctor finds himself recruited by both in June!

And You Will Obey Me (Credit: Big Finish)Starring Peter Davison as the Doctor, with Geoffrey Beevers as the Master
Written by Alan Barnes, directed by Jamie Anderson
Released April 2016 [pre-order]

The Master: wanted for crimes without number, across five galaxies.

The Master: escaped his pursuers. Last known location: rural Hexford, England, Earth.

The Master: dead and buried in an unmourned grave, in a lonely churchyard.

Apparently.
Vampire Of The Mind (Credit: Big Finish)Starring Colin Baker as the Doctor, with Alex Macqueen as the Master
Written by Justin Richards, directed by Jamie Anderson
Released May 2016 [pre-order]

Somewhere off the South Coast of England, there’s a lonely island. On that island stands a solitary castle, long since abandoned – haunted, they say. But the truth is, that castle houses something far worse than mere ghosts.

The castle is what lies at the end of a trail followed by the Doctor in search of several missing scientists – all of them connected to the top secret Dominus Institute and its elusive CEO, Sir Andrew Gobernar…

But the Doctor will soon discover that he’s the one being haunted, by a ghost from his past… or perhaps, his future.
The Two Masters (Credit: Big Finish)Starring Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor, with Geoffrey Beevers and Alex Macqueen as the Master
Written by John Dorney, directed by Jamie Anderson
Released June 2016 [pre-order]

The future is dying. All over the universe, gaps are beginning to appear. From the space lanes terrorised by the rag-tag remnants of the once-mighty Rocket Men, to the empire of the Gorlans, stricken by a terrible civil war. Gaps in space/time, portents of the end of everything.

Only three beings might prevent it. The Doctor, a renegade Time Lord from Gallifrey. The Master, another renegade Time Lord from Gallifrey. And another Master, yet another renegade Time Lord from Gallifrey.

One Doctor. Two Masters. What could possibly go wrong?

The summer sees Sylvester McCoy reunited with Bonnie Langford and Sophie Aldred as the seventh Doctor, Mel and Ace embark on a new trilogy of adventures, A Life of Crime, Fiesta of the Damned and Maker of Demons. Then as autumn and winter descends, the fifth Doctor returns in an anthology The Memory Bank and Other Stories, whilst Colin Baker and Miranda Raison return as the Doctor and Constance for a trilogy to round off the year, Order, Absolute Power and Quicksilver.




FILTER: - Audio - Big Finish - Fifth Doctor - Seventh Doctor - Sixth Doctor

Target re-issues in 2016

Saturday, 13 February 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
BBC NovelisationsBBC NovelisationsBBC NovelisationsBBC NovelisationsBBC NovelisationsBBC NovelisationsBBC NovelisationsBBC Books have announced that seven of the original Doctor Who Target novelisations are to be re-issued on 28th April, reflecting each of the seven Doctors from the range:
  • Doctor Who and the Zarbi by Bill Strutton
  • Doctor Who and the Web of Fear by Terrance Dicks
  • Doctor Who and the Dinosaur Invasion by Malcolm Hulke
  • Doctor Who and the Genesis of the Daleks by Terrance Dicks
  • Doctor Who: The Visitation by Eric Saward
  • Doctor Who: Vengeance on Varos by Philip Martin
  • Doctor Who: Battlefield by Marc Platt
All of the books feature cover illustrations by Chris Achilleos, who was commissioned to create new covers for the latter books in the range. He said:
I am delighted to be back on board after so many years. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, illustrating the jackets in the original old style – it felt just the same, and I am looking forward to signing them for the fans. I'm so pleased that people still want to revisit these books.

Albert DePetrillo, senior editorial director at BBC Books, said
The Target novelisations hold a special place in the hearts of Doctor Who fans. When we published our first set of reissues in 2012, the response was overwhelming, and we’re delighted to continue bringing these classic books to a new generation of readers.


The three original novels that launched the range back in 1972, Doctor Who and The Daleks and Doctor Who and The Crusaders by David Whitaker, and Doctor Who and the Zarbi by Bill Strutton, are also set to be re-released as hardback facsimile editions on 3rd November.





FILTER: - BBC - Books - Fifth Doctor - First Doctor - Fourth Doctor - Second Doctor - Seventh Doctor

New Tenth and Twelfth Doctor Comics

Monday, 8 February 2016 - Reported by Marcus
This week sees Titan release brand new comics from The Tenth Doctor and the Twelfth Doctor.

DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.6

Writer: Nick Abadzis
Artist: Elena Casagrande
Colourist: Arianna Florean
Letterer: Comicraft
Cover A: Alice X Zhang / Cover B: Photo cover by Will Brooks

The Doctor and Gabby are still caught between two factions as modern humanity is born. Neanderthals and Cro Magnons clash, and their actions will shape the direction taken by humankind in the millennia to come! Plus: Cindy discovers an alarming secret back in NYC... and in deep space, Anubis grows impatient!
DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.6 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.6 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.6 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.6 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.6 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.6 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.6 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.6 (Credit: Titan)


DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR #2.2

Writer: Robbie Morrison
Artist: Rachael Stott
Colourist: Ivan Nunes
Letterer: Comicraft
Cover A: Alex Ronald / Cover B: Photo cover by Will Brooks / Cover C: Rachel Stott

CLARA OSWALD AND THE SCHOOL OF DEATH.

The gothic, sprawling Ravenscaur is the top private school in the UK, educator of the children of royalty, politicians and celebrities, and epicentre of generations of power and influence. When an old friend of Clara’s dies at the school under mysterious circumstances, she and the Doctor go undercover to investigate...
DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR #2.2 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR #2.2 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR #2.2 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR #2.2 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR #2.2 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR #2.2 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR #2.2 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR #2.2 (Credit: Titan)


Both comics are on sale Wednesday 10th February 2016.




FILTER: - Comics - Tenth Doctor - Twelfth Doctor

New Tenth and Eleventh Doctor Comics

Sunday, 24 January 2016 - Reported by Marcus
This week sees two brand new comics from The Tenth Doctor and his continuing adventures with Neanderthals and the Eleventh Doctor who needs to break out of prison...quickly.

DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.5

Writer: Nick Abadzis
Artist: Elena Casagrande
Colorist: Arianna Florean
Letterer: Comicraft
Cover A: Elena Casagrande & Arianna Florean / Cover B: Photo cover by Will Brooks / Cover C: Josh Cassaro & Luis Guerrero

The Doctor and Gabby are still caught between two factions as modern humanity is born. Neanderthals and Cro Magnons clash, and their actions will shape the direction taken by humankind in the millennia to come! Plus: Cindy discovers an alarming secret back in NYC... and in deep space, Anubis grows impatient!
DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.5 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.5 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.5 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.5 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.5 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.5 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.5 (Credit: Titan)


DOCTOR WHO: THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR #2.5

Writers: Si Spurrier & Rob Williams
Artist: Warren Pleece
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Comicraft
Cover A: Joshua Cassara / Cover B: Photo cover by Will Brooks

Time to take the fight back to those who have accused the Doctor of horrible war crimes! The TARDIS team needs to break into a remote prison to get the tech that will allow them to pull off an incredible heist... Sounds like they'll need some expert help!
DOCTOR WHO: THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR #2.5 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR #2.5 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR #2.5 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR #2.5 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR #2.5 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR #2.5 (Credit: Titan)


Both comics are on sale Wednesday 27th January 2016.




FILTER: - Comics - Eleventh Doctor - Tenth Doctor

Sneak Peek - Eighth Doctor Comic #3

Monday, 11 January 2016 - Reported by Marcus
This week sees Titan release issue three of the Eighth Doctor comic.

DOCTOR WHO: THE EIGHTH DOCTOR #3

Writer: George Mann
Artist: Emma Vieceli
Colorist: Hi-FI
Letterer: Comicraft
Cover A: Rachael Stott & Hi-FI / Cover B: Photo Cover by Will Brooks

Edinburgh, 1850. The Doctor and Josie Day visit a mysterious magic show, one which is replacing audience members with 'Silvered' duplicates, mirror dimension reflections who jealously watch their real-world counterparts! With the deadly doppelgangers causing chaos, can the Doctor and Josie escape the magician's grasp and avoid being Silvered themselves?

DOCTOR WHO: THE EIGHTH DOCTOR #3 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE EIGHTH DOCTOR #3 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE EIGHTH DOCTOR #3 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE EIGHTH DOCTOR #3 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE EIGHTH DOCTOR #3 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE EIGHTH DOCTOR #3 (Credit: Titan)




FILTER: - Comics - Eighth Doctor

Sylvester Checks into The Real Marigold Hotel

Thursday, 7 January 2016 - Reported by Marcus
The Real Marigold Hotel (Credit: BBC/Vinod Singh/Twofour)Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy is to star in a new BBC Two travel documentary series, The Real Marigold Hotel, which takes the cast on the journey of a lifetime.

The series, inspired by but otherwise unrelated to the blockbuster film, documents the authentic experience of eight famous senior citizens as they head to India on an experimental adventure.

Joining the 72 year old McCoy will be actor Miriam Margolyes, dancer Wayne Sleep, comedian Roy Walker, chef Rosemary Shrager, darts champion Bobby George, singer Patti Boulaye and former news reader Jan Leeming for three weeks to see if they would consider spending their golden years retiring to the other side of the world.

Four thousand miles from home, the group will land in colourful Jaipur, capital of the state of Rajasthan in Northern India, to test whether they can set up a better, more rewarding retirement here than in the UK.

In the scorching heat, the group will take over a haveli - an Indian private mansion - and from the moment they arrive they will have to work out how to set up home together: from who’ll cook and clean and whether they will hire staff, to how they will get around and spend their time.

Their unforgettable Indian adventure will see the group fully embrace Indian culture, from the surprises of the capital’s largest slum to meeting Jaipur’s Royal family at the opulent Rambagh Palace. As they settle into local life, members of the group will take to yoga and learn some Hindi, experience shopping in the hectic streets, hunt for potential properties and take advantage of the medical care. We’ll see them visit the Ganesh Chaturti festival, ride elephants, make a trip to one of the holiest Hindu cities in India, Varanasi, and also test out long-distance travel by embarking on a 150-mile trip to the jewel in India’s crown, the Taj Mahal.

From the environment to the food, the transport to the customs, moving away from the UK is guaranteed to be a culture shock for our cast - as they leave routines and loved ones behind to adapt to living together and to a completely new way of life.

The series is set to air late-January 2016

Interview with Sylvester McCoy

Young at heart, Scottish actor Sylvester is most famous as Doctor Who and recently appeared in The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies. A real people person, he wants to find out how the elderly are treated in India, and is set on visiting slums and understanding how the poor can seem so happy when living in what, by western standards, is such squalor.

What was the highlight of your stay?
Watching a young gypsy man, Danesh, enthusiastically teaching his joyful class of slum children how to read and write English, in his spare bedroom.

Tell us about some of the people you met
I dined with kings, drank cocktails with Maharajas, but best of all was dancing with puppeteers in the slums of Jaipur.

What was your role in the group?
To raise a smile, and play the spoons!

The Real Marigold Hotel (Credit: BBC/Vinod Singh/Twofour)The Real Marigold Hotel (Credit: BBC/Vinod Singh/Twofour)The Real Marigold Hotel (Credit: BBC/Vinod Singh/Twofour)




FILTER: - People - Seventh Doctor

New Tenth and Twelfth Doctor Comics

Monday, 4 January 2016 - Reported by Marcus
This Wednesday sees the publication of brand new tales from The Tenth and Twelfth Doctor.

Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor: Year Two #4

Writer: Nick Abadzis
Artist: Elena Casagrande
Colorist: Arianna Florean
Letterer: Comicraft
Cover A: Leonardo Romero / Cover B: Photo (Will Brooks)

It's back to the deep, deep past and the dawn of humanity for the Doctor and Gabby, as their travels take them to the Pleistocene – and the epic struggle between Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon forces for the future of humankind! Plus: Anubis's galactic quest comes back to haunt them!

DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.4DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.4DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.4DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.4DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.4DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH DOCTOR #2.4
Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor – Year Two #1

Writer: Robbie Morrison
Artist: Rachael Stott
Colorist: Ivan Nunes
Letterer: Comicraft
Cover A: Alice X. Zhang / Cover B: Photo cover by Will Brooks / Cover C: Rachael Stott & Ivan Nunes / Cover D: JaKE

The Golden Years of the Doctor and Clara begin, as the Twelfth Doctor comics leap into Series 9! Writer Robbie Morrison is back with a year-long extravaganza that kicks off with an excellent jumping-on point for new readers - while Rachael Stott (Star Trek) joins us as new regular series artist!

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Year Two #1 (Credit: Titan)Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Year Two #1 (Credit: Titan)Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Year Two #1 (Credit: Titan)Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Year Two #1 (Credit: Titan)Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Year Two #1 (Credit: Titan)Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Year Two #1 (Credit: Titan)Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Year Two #1 (Credit: Titan)Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Year Two #1 (Credit: Titan)




FILTER: - Comics - Tenth Doctor - Twelfth Doctor

New Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor Comics

Wednesday, 23 December 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Wednesday sees the publication of brand new tales from The Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor.

DOCTOR WHO: THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR #2.4

Writers: Si Spurrier & Rob Williams
Artist: Simon Fraser
Cover A: Josh Cassara & Luis Guerrero
Cover B: Photo cover by Will Brooks


Bounty hunters are tracking the TARDIS anywhere in time and space... which should be impossible. Alice is getting visions of the Time War... which should be impossible. The Squire's very existence... should be impossible. The Doctor does ten impossible things before breakfast... but other people doing the same? That's just cheating!

 THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR #2.4 (Credit: Titan) THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR #2.4 (Credit: Titan) THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR #2.4 (Credit: Titan) THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR #2.4 (Credit: Titan) THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR #2.4 (Credit: Titan) THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR #2.4 (Credit: Titan)
DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR #15

Writer: Robbie Morrison
Artist: Daniel Indro
Cover A: Alex Ronald
Cover B: Photo - Will Brooks
Cover C: Neil Slorance
Cover D: Simon Myers


The unforgettable finale to the Twelfth Doctor's first year is here! With Earth's Sun ringed by vast and deadly Hyperion technology, set to drain our star of all energy in the ultimate solar extinction event, the Doctor and Clara must face their most challenging adventure yet – to save humanity's future!

DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR #15 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR #15 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR #15 (Credit: Titan)DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR #15 (Credit: Titan)




FILTER: - Comics - Eleventh Doctor - Twelfth Doctor

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Fright Before Christmas

Wednesday, 23 December 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Lethbridge-Stewart: The Fright Before Christmas (Credit: Candy Jar Books)Candy Jar Books has released a brand new Lethbridge-Stewart short story online for Christmas: The Fright Before Christmas (written by Tom Dexter with cover artwork by Shaun Russell, Adrian Salmon and Nathan Hudson) features alien spheres, Santa Claus and Buckingham Palace, and is available to download for free via their website here.

Hayley Cox, Senior Publishing Coordinator at Candy Jar Books, said:
Lethbridge-Stewart has had a great 2015. We were pleasantly surprised by all the positive feedback we received, and felt that we should give something back to the fans for the holidays. This story is just for them.

Various bundles are available for the book series, both for the four published this year and those due to be published in 2016 (kicking off with Moon Blink by Sadie Miller): see the Candy Jar website for full details.





FILTER: - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart - Online