Big Finish's plans for the forthcoming UNIT audio miniseries are being reported in the latest issue of DWM. Set in the modern day, the UNIT series stars Nicholas Courtney as retired Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, who is joined by Siri O'Neal ("Full Fathom Five") as Colonel Emily Chaudhry; Nicholas Deal as Colonel Robert Dalton, UNIT's new commanding officer; and Robert Curbishley as Lieutenant Will Hoffmann. The first two stories have already been recorded; part one is written by Iain McLauglin and Claire Bartlett and directed by Jason Haigh-Ellery, while part two is by Jonathan Clements and directed by John Ainsworth. More details soon.

According to the new issue of DWM, progress on filming the new Doctor Who series will continue throughout the fall and into early 2005, as the deadline for finishing actual production is February. DWM also breaks down the five "blocks" of production, each with a different director: episodes 1, 4 and 5, directed by Keith Boak, are already shot; episodes 2 and 3 directed by Euros Lyn were underway at the magazine's press time. Block 3, which Outpost Gallifrey noted several days ago would be directed by Joe Ahearne, will consist of episodes 6, 7 and 8, while blocks 4 (episodes 9 & 10) and 5 (episodes 11-13) will see work with later directors. Some brief notes on casting include those of John Barrowman and Mark Benton, which we previously reported, as well as a comment from Phil Collinson about a guest appearance from David Jason: "We read the reports of David Jason's casting with some surprise! ... if the right part came along, we would be delighted to approach him. But for the moment, I have to confirm that he's not on board."

Issue #348 of Doctor Who Magazine will be out on September 16. The following is the press release for the new issue; click on the thumbnail image for a larger version of the cover.

According to the magazine & comic industry trade journal "Previews," the upcoming 350th issue of Doctor Who Magazine will also include a free reprint of the magazine's first issue, formerly known as "Doctor Who Weekly". More details soon... (Thanks to "ryanzavier")

Big Finish has announced some new projects coming up later this year and early 2005, both on their website and in the new issue of DWM. The tenth Short Trips volume, called Short Trips: 2040 edited by John Binns features short fiction including "Nuclear Option" by Richard Salter, "Separation" by Tara Samms, "Thinking Warrior" by Huw Wilkins, "Cateogorical Imperative" by Simon Guerrier, "Observer Effect" by Lance Parkin, "The Baron Wastes" by Alexander Leithes, "Daisy Chain" by Xanna Eve Chown, "Sustainable Energy" by Matthew Griffits, "Culture War" by Kate Orman, "Artificial Intelligence" by Andy Campbell, "/Carpenter/Butterfly/Baronet" by Gareth Wigmore, "Outsourcing" by Marc Platt, "Anteus" by Rebecca Levene, "The Last Emperor" by Jacqueline Rayner and "The Ethereal" by John Binns. The cover and cover blurb are below. Due out at the end of the year, in December, is Her Final Flight by Julian Shortman, a Seventh Doctor story that will be sent exclusively to Big Finish subscribers (much in the same way "The Maltese Penguin" was done two years ago). We also have cover illustrations and back cover blurbs for Caerdroia, the third Paul McGann serial of the new batch; and The Scripts Volume 4 featuring scripts from "Omega," "Davros," "Master" and "Zagreus".

The eleventh Short Trips volume, Short Trips: A Christmas Treasury edited by Paul Cornell, features short stories by Peter Adamson, Peter Anghelides, Paul Beardsley, Vanessa Bishop, Andy Campbell, Stephen Cole, Paul Condon, Martin Day, Terrance Dicks, Val Douglas, Karen Dunn, Stephen Fewell, Matthew Griffiths, Simon Guerrier, Shaun Lyon, Juliet McKenna, Jackie Marshall, Mark Michalowski, Lawrence Miles, Jonathan Morris, Neil Perryman, Marc Platt, Ian Potter, Cavan Scott, Darren Sellars, Dave Stone, Nick Wallace and Mark Wright. Editor Cornell told Outpost Gallifrey, "It's going to be quite a hefty collection, perhaps not quite as big as some of BF's recent 100,000 word anthologies, but large nevertheless, and packed full of Christmassy goodness! There's stuff that's bouncy and merry, stuff that's bittersweet, a bit of stuff that's actually pretty bleak, and some stuff that explores that M.R.James 'Ghost Story at Christmas' kind of feel. I won't pick more than one favourite here, but Steve Cole's story is like something out of Brecht, and it just blew me away. I'm trying for that comfortable, warm feeling that Who fans of a certain age associate with autumn, and it's not all fiction: it really is a treasury. There's a 'suitable for all ages' tag on it, too, because I think something with 'Christmas' on the cover should only run the risk of boring children (through prose that's too adult) rather than exposing them to stuff that's too mature for them. And there's a pattern to it that should reveal itself gradually if you dip in, or as a shape if you read it right through."

Meanwhile, a new batch of audios has been announced for 2005. April sees the release of Three's A Crowd by Colin Brake ("Escape Velocity"), a Fifth Doctor story; May features Catch-1782, a Sixth Doctor story; and John Ostrander's delayed Seventh Doctor tale Dead Man's Hand with Ace and Hex is due in June. July features two Eighth Doctor serials, entitled Terror Firma and Clockwerks; and August sees the release of Caroline Symcox's The Council of Nicea, a Fifth Doctor story. According to the new DWM, a story called The Time Sprite by Alison Lawson is on the schedule in May; it's likely that "Catch-1782" is the same story with a new title. The Gallifrey serials, previously mentioned here, also now have a release date: April through August 2005. Mary Tamm is, as rumored, reprising the role of Romana I alongside Lalla Ward (Romana II), John Leeson (K9) and Louise Jameson (Leela); you can visit the Big Finish website for more details. (Thanks to Big Finish, DWM, Steve Tribe)

As we previously reported, the forthcoming DVD release Lost in Time will feature 90 seconds of film from the long-lost Doctor Who serial The Space Pirates starring Patrick Troughton, film that was located, we have learned, in some old canisters of film from the series "Dad's Army". The film footage featuers model spacecraft shots and some live action "space walk" footage from the first episode. Through a coincidence, one of the people looking through the canisters was Ralph Montagu of the Doctor Who Restoration Team... who promptly returned the material to the archives so that it could be used on the DVD release. The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine has a bit more detail on this and a couple of photographs; meanwhile, Outpost Gallifrey has been sent two photographs unused by DWM which features the Beta Dart undocking from the Alpha 1 beacon, and Alpha 1's compartments drifting apart. Click on each below for a larger version. (Thanks to Steve Roberts and the Restoration Team)

Issue #347 of Doctor Who Magazine will be out on August 19. The following is the press release for the new issue; click on the thumbnail image for a larger version of the cover. (Thanks to Clayton Hickman/DWM)

The newest issue of Doctor Who Magazine has now begun circulating and there are several pieces of information (spoiler tagged, below) in the issue. Of course, you can read all the details in the latest issue, #346, on sale Thursday July 22.

Issue #346 of Doctor Who Magazine will be released on July 22. "Hot from the offices of BBC Wales," says the press release, "DWM meets the folks in charge of Visual Effects, Special Make-Up and Prosthetics, and Models and Miniatures for the new series! Plus there's an exclusive chat with new Doctor Who director Keith Boak, while the show's executive producer Russell T Davies spoils fans rotten with a double-length Production Notes column. He may even tackle the thorny issue of what every episode of the new series is called. Which would be nice. Then people would stop emailing us. There's also an interview with Doctor Who's elusive former script editor, Eric (continuity) Saward, and a purring chat with Oxo-mum and Gallifrey's guardian, Lynda Bellingham. You can also see the rediscovered telesnaps of part six of Marco Polo, discover how Winston Churchill is involved in the length of Doctor Who seasons, and gasp with double Dalek delight as Nicholas Briggs reveals all about the Dalek Empire and The Time Team watch Genesis of the Daleks. Space Applause! Meanwhile, in the comic strip, The Doctor and Destrii arrive in Camden in the first part of epic new serial The Flood. Editor Clayton Hickman promises it's 'sooooooooo brilliant!'" The cover is at right.

Big Finish has released the second chapter of Dalek Empire III and posted a cover illustration (below, left) as well as the cover for the third chapter (below, center), and the Bernice Summerfield audio The Grel Escape (below, right); click on each thumbnail for a larger version. Also included in a recent update of the site are cover blurbs for the two upcoming Short Trips audios Repercussions and Monsters (the writer lists have been noted here in the past) as the blurb forThe Grel Escape; all of those are reproduced below. BF's forthcoming UNIT Miniseries now has a writer contingent, according to the new DWM: parts 1 and 4 are by Iain McLauglin and Claire Bartlett; part 2 is by Jonathan Clements; and part 3 is by Joseph Lidster. Farrington tells DWM that "it's a modern-day setting, and we're keen on having original characters, but there may well be room for some old favourites." Finally, the fifth edition of Big Finish Magazine, the recurring audio CD release, comes with the second chapter of "Dalek Empire III"; presented by Caroline Morris, this includes an interview with Philip 'Hex' Olivier, as well as some chat about Sapphire & Steel and the Gallifrey mini-series, an interview with Garrick Hagon and a documentary on Dalek Empire III.