BBC Audio releases for May

Saturday, 16 May 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster
This month sees two audio books released by BBC Audio on the 21st May, the adaptation of one of the final 20th Century Doctor Who stories to come out in print, 1979's Season 17 adventure City of Death (published on the same day in the UK), and an adaptation of the BBC Book Last of the Gaderene by Mark Gatiss, originally published in 2000 and again in 2013 as part of the 50th Anniversary collection.


City of Death (audio book) (Credit: BBC Audio)City of Death
Written by Douglas Adams, adapted by James Goss, read by Lalla Ward
Released 21st May 2015 [pre-order in the United Kingdom or North America]

The Doctor takes Romana for a holiday in Paris - a city which, like a fine wine, has a bouquet all its own. But the TARDIS arrives in 1979, a table-wine year, whose vintage is soured by cracks in the very fabric of time itself. Soon the Time Lords are embroiled in an audacious alien scheme which encompasses home-made time machines, the theft of the Mona Lisa, the resurrection of the much-feared Jagaroth race, and the beginning (and quite possibly the end) of all life on Earth.

Aided by British private detective Duggan, the Doctor and Romana must thwart the machinations of the suave, mysterious Count Scarlioni - all twelve of him - if the human race has any chance of survival.

Lalla Ward, who played Romana in the TV series, reads this novel by James Goss, based on the original 1979 serial, written by Douglas Adams under the pen name David Agnew.

Novelisation adaptions for the rest of the year are currently scheduled as: The Massacre (11th June), Doctor Who and The Ark in Space (16th July), The Two Doctors (3rd September), The Curse of Fenric (5th November), and K9 and Company (3rd December).

Competition

To be in with a chance to win a copy of the audio book City of Death courtesy of BBC Audio, answer the following question:
How do the critics at the art gallery describe the dematerialisation of the TARDIS 'exhibit'?
Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-cityofdeath@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "The Scarlioni Angle". The competition is open world-wide, closing date: 31st May 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.


Last of the Gaderene (audio book) (Credit: BBC Audio)Last of the Gaderene
Written by Mark Gatiss, read by Richard Franklin
Released 21st May 2015 [preorder in the United Kingdom]

Richard Franklin reads an original novel by Mark Gatiss, featuring the Third Doctor as played on TV by Jon Pertwee.

The aerodrome in Culverton has new owners, and they promise an era of prosperity for the idyllic village. But former Spitfire pilot Alex Whistler is suspicious, and when black-shirted troops appear on the streets, he contacts his old friend Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart at UNIT.

The Doctor investigates – and soon uncovers a sinister plot to colonise the Earth. The Gaderene are on their way…

Richard Franklin, who played UNIT’S Captain Mike Yates in the Doctor Who TV series, reads this exciting original adventure by Mark Gatiss.

The next 'old' novel adaptation to be published will be Paul Cornell's Human Nature on 20th August.

Competition

To be in with a chance to win a copy of the audio book Last of the Gaderene courtesy of BBC Audio, answer the following question:
Name the company that takes over Culverton's aerodrome.
Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-cityofdeath@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Culverton Mystery". The competition is open world-wide, closing date: 31st May 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.





FILTER: - Audio - BBC Audio - Books - Competitions - Fourth Doctor - Merchandise

German DVD release of The Five Doctors delayed

Friday, 15 May 2015 - Reported by Pascal Salzmann
Pandastorm Pictures (Credit: Pandastorm Pictures) In a statement to fans on their Facebook page as well as in a newsletter, German DVD distributer Pandastorm Pictures announced that their release of The Five Doctors, originally planned for 26th June 2015, will now be released two months later, on 28th August 2015.

The reasons for the delay are, according to the Facebook message, "problems with the material". The newsletter adds that Pandastorm believed the german dub to exist but realised too late that it had been deleted. Thankfully a fan helped out with his recording of the german dub.

Here is the original newsletter announcement, translated from German:


Dear Doctor Who-fans,
we received a lot of positive feedback from you for the last few months. There were photos with you and the boxed sets, a self-made action figure of the Candyman and even Sophie Aldred (Ace) who can be seen on a picture, posing with our second 7th Doctor boxed set. WOW! We would like to send you all a big THANK YOU. Without you the making of these boxed sets would not have been possible.

Some of you might already know that we will also release "The Five Doctors" in Germany. We planned to release it on 26th June 2015 but we sadly have to delay the release to 28th August 2015. After some misunderstandings we now know for sure that the German TV-version had been destroyed. The good news is that our appeal to fans last summer payed off after all and a Doctor Who-fan made his recording available to us. All this took us a lot of time, so that the DVD's won't be ready in time, if we want to deliver a high quality product.

Pandastorm then continued listing all the versions of the 20th Anniversary Special that will be on the 2-Disc-Set:

  • TV version in English
  •  TV version in German (including German subtitles for the scenes edited out in Germany)
  •  Three-part TV version in German (heavily edited, some scenes arranged in a different order)
  •  Special Edition in English
  •  Special Edition in German (including German subtitles for the scenes that were not shown in Germany)
So far Pandastorm Pictures released all three seasons of the seventh Doctor in season boxed sets in Germany. After The Five Doctors they are going to release two boxed sets for the complete sixth Doctor run and a 2-disc DVD release of The TV Movie.





FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Fifth Doctor - Germany - Pandastorm - Second Doctor - Third Doctor

O prisioneiro dos Daleks

Friday, 15 May 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster
A special event is taking place at the Livraria Cultura in São Paulo, Brazil on 16th May from 4:00pm to tie in with the publication of tenth Doctor novel O prisioneiro dos Daleks - aka Prisoner of the Daleks - originally written by Trevor Baxendale and published in the UK in 2009. The book has been translated by Camila Fernandes and published by Suma das Letras.

The event features reader chats, a special quiz O Elo Mais Forte (The Strongest Link) with four fans battling to prove who's most knowledgeable about Doctor Who, raffles and also the chance to pose with the TARDIS! The event will also celebrate the arrival of Doctor Who on Brazilian television channel TV Cultura, with episodes of the show to be shown during the afternoon.

O prisioneiro dos DaleksO prisioneiro dos Daleks
Written by Trevor Baxendale, translated by Camila Fernandes
Published by Suma das Letras

Uma aventura inédita do Décimo Doutor, interpretado na tevê por David Tennant

O Império Dalek não para de se expandir, e batalhas eclodem em vários sistemas solares. Quando o futuro da galáxia está em jogo, o Doutor se vê a bordo de uma nave próxima à linha de frente, junto a um implacável grupo de caçadores de recompensas.

O Comando da Terra paga a eles por cada Dalek morto, por cada olho entregue como prova. Mas, com a ajuda do Doutor, os caçadores conseguem algo de valor inestimável: um Dalek inteiro, vivo, com os sistemas desarmados e pronto para ser interrogado. No entanto, com os Daleks nada é o que parece e ninguém está a salvo. Quando o jogo virar, como o Doutor sobreviverá ao se tornar prisioneiro de seu maior inimigo?

More details can be found via the Livraria Cultura website. The event is being hosted by Doctor Who Brasil.




FILTER: - Books - Brazil - Tenth Doctor

War Doctor Joins Titan for Summer Event

Wednesday, 13 May 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who News can exclusively reveal the photo covers for the Titan Comics summer event, announced yesterday.

The 5 part series will feature the Tenth , Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors, alongside the War Doctor as portrayed by John Hurt, who graces the cover of issue 1 of the series. Week 2's cover stars David Tennant, week 3's Matt Smith, with Peter Capaldi on the front of issue 4.

The story is written by Paul Cornell and illustrated by Neil Edwards, will be published weekly starting Wednesday August 12

Summer event (Credit: Titan)Summer event (Credit: Titan)Summer event (Credit: Titan)Summer event (Credit: Titan)Summer event (Credit: Titan)

(with thanks to Titan Comics)




FILTER: - Comics - Eleventh Doctor - Tenth Doctor - Twelfth Doctor

Titan Comics Summer Event

Tuesday, 12 May 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Titan Comics have announced a special summer event which will bring the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors and their comics companions together is a special 5 part series.

Published weekly, the story written by Paul Cornell and illustrated by Neil Edwards, will be published weekly, running through August and September 2015, in place of the ongoing series. It features all three Doctors from Titan's regular ongoings.

The first issue is released Wednesday August 12, supported by the global Doctor Who Comics Day on Saturday August 15.

Writer Paul Cornell has penned classic episodes from the Doctor Who TV series ('Father's Day', 'Human Nature/Family of Blood', both Hugo-nominated), classic Doctor Who novels, as well as successful comic book runs on titles such as Wolverine, Action Comics, Demon Knights, and Captain Britain and MI:13.

The ​e​vent follows straight on from the issue #15 conclusions of Year One, with the second years of the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors beginning after the event's finale.

Three Doctors, three companions, one action-packed mystery!



NB: The series is also available with five connecting photo covers.

The covers will be revealed, exclusively on Doctor Who News, tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon at 2pm UK Time.




FILTER: - Comics - Eleventh Doctor - Tenth Doctor - Twelfth Doctor

Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor #10 - Preview

Tuesday, 12 May 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Wednesday May 13​ ​sees the release of Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor #10 - written by Robbie Morrison (Drowntown, Nikolai Dante) and art by Eleonora Carlini.

ECHOES OF TORTURE!

Gabby and the Doctor are back in New York after a terrifying excursion into the past, catching up with family and friends... until THE ECHO strikes, amplifying everyday noise into ear-shattering, mind-splinteringly debilitating waves of sound. What is the Echo – and can the Doctor and Gabby solve the mystery before the cacophany drives the city mad?

Plus: "Doctor... you are coming back?"
 Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #10 (Credit: Titan) Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #10 (Credit: Titan) Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #10 (Credit: Titan) Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #10 (Credit: Titan) Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #10 (Credit: Titan)




FILTER: - Comics - Tenth Doctor

Win Doctor Who Goody bag with Free Comic Book Day

Friday, 1 May 2015 - Reported by Marcus
 Free Comic Book Day
Saturday is Free Comic Book Day, a global event which celebrates the amazing world of comic books.

The event takes place annually on the first Saturday in May, when participating comic book speciality shops around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops.

This year Titan, publishers of the Doctor Who Comic Books, are offering a special edition of Doctor Who comic for Free.

This special edition includes three all-new short stories featuring the Tenth Doctor, the Eleventh Doctor and the Twelfth Doctor, written and drawn by the ongoing Doctor Who comics creative teams. There is also a sneak peek of the Top Secret Summer 2015 event. Be the first to get a hint of the epic that will shake the Doctor to his very core.

Doctor Who fans can pick up this free Comic Book Day edition of Doctor Who Comic from your local comic book store. To find your local store visit the Comic Shop Locator.

In addition Titan are offering a chance to win the ultimate Doctor Who Goody Bag.

All you need to do to be in with the chance of winning a bag full of​ ​Doctor Who comics, including rare collectible covers, signed items and​ ​merchandise, including SDCC and NYCC items, is send a picture of​ ​yourself holding up a copy of the FCBD Doctor Who edition outside your​ ​local comic store.

Entries can be submitted via Twitter and must include​ ​the Titan Comics Twitter handle @ComicsTitan.

One winner and their local store will be picked after the submission​ ​deadline: Midnight EDT, Saturday May 2 and both will receive a bundle.

You will need to follow @Comicstitan on Twitter to enable Titan to contact you should you win..




FILTER: - Comics - Eleventh Doctor - Tenth Doctor - Twelfth Doctor

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Schizoid Earth

Monday, 20 April 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Candy Jar Books have released the cover and details for their next book in the Lethbridge-Stewart saga:

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Schizoid Earth (Credit: Candy Jar Books)Lethbridge-Stewart: The Schizoid Earth
Written by David A McIntee
Released in June


Lethbridge-Stewart was supposed to be in the mountains of the east. Things didn't quite go according to plan.

On the eve of war, something appeared in the sky; a presence that blotted out the moon. Now it has returned, and no battle plan can survive first contact with this enemy.

Plagued by nightmares of being trapped in a past that never happened, Lethbridge-Stewart must unravel the mystery of a man ten years out of his time; a man who cannot possibly still exist.

Why do the ghosts of fallen soldiers still fight long-forgotten battles against living men? What is the secret of the rural English town of Deepdene? Lethbridge-Stewart has good reason to doubt his own sanity, but is he suffering illness or injury, or is something more sinister going on?

Author David A McIntee (who also wrote the Brigadier-centric BBC Book The Face Of The Enemy) said:
To be honest it (the series) is something I'm amazed hasn't been done before – it’s just such a natural and obvious thing. The form it's taking is also cool because it has the flexibility to move between styles and genres – thriller, SF, horror, etc – while maintaining a definite identity. As for the Brig himself, he's one of those characters where the casting was so perfect that it just made the character so memorable, and who (usually) feels so right.

Cover art is by Cosgrove Hall's background artist, Nathan Hudson, and the book also features an exclusive foreword written by Amanda Haisman, daughter of Lethbridge-Stewart creator Mervyn Haisman, in which she publically talks about her father and the legend he created for Doctor Who.

The book is available to pre-order from Candy Jar Books.



Coming up later in the year are Beast of Fang Rock by Andy Frankham-Allen and Terrance Dicks, and Mutually Assured Domination by Nick Walters.

Frankham-Allen, who wrote the series opener The Forgotten Son, said:
There’s been such a warm reception to the first book I must thank everybody for all their kind words. My next book is a dream come true. It’s an idea I’ve had rattling around in my head since 1998, so it’s great privilege to be able to make it a reality, and even more so due to Terrance Dicks’ involvement with it.
Walters said:
After the Doctor himself the Brigadier is the best-loved character in Doctor Who. I met Nick Courtney a number of times and he really is a splendid fellow. He brought a real humanity and vulnerability to the role without compromising the essential toughness of the character. Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart is the chap you'd want on your side in a fight – any fight – and it is a real privilege to be exploring what made him into the character we came to know and love.





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

Sneak Peek - Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #7​

Saturday, 11 April 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Wednesday ​April​ 15​ ​sees the release of ​Doctor Who: Twelfth Doctor #7​, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Brian Williamson.

The Fractures' Part 2

On our Earth, UNIT scientist John Foster was killed in an accident... but in a parallel universe, his wife and daughter were killed, while that world’s John Foster survived. One thought kept that John going through his grief – somewhere out there, in some other reality, his wife and daughter still lived.

Working obsessively, Foster has devised a way to breach the membrane of the multiverse and cross the Void into our world, unaware of the horrors that will follow in his wake…

What dark creatures live in the veins of the multiverse, reaching out to ensnare those foolish enough to breach into their domain?

The Doctor and Clara are about to face... The Fractures!


The Twelfth Doctor #7 (Credit: Titan)The Twelfth Doctor #7 (Credit: Titan)The Twelfth Doctor #7 (Credit: Titan)The Twelfth Doctor #7 (Credit: Titan)The Twelfth Doctor #7 (Credit: Titan)




FILTER: - Comics - Twelfth Doctor

Sneak Peek - Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor #11

Monday, 6 April 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Wednesday ​April​ 15​ ​sees the release of ​Doctor Who: Eleventh Doctor #11, written by Al Ewing and illustrated by Boo Cook.

The Doctor, Alice and Jones were getting used to having ARC around. A shapeshifter whose origins are shrouded in mystery, ARC still saved their lives time after time.

So why has ARC suddenly commandeered the TARDIS, crossing back over its own timeline in one of the most dangerous stunts a time traveler can pull?! Has ARC been a sleeper agent all along, or are there deeper motives at work?

It's up to the Doctor and his companions to find out – if ARC doesn't wipe them all out first!

PLUS: the secrets of SERVEYOUinc's assault on the timeline revealed!


Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor #11 (Credit: Titan)Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor #11 (Credit: Titan)Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor #11 (Credit: Titan)Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor #11 (Credit: Titan)Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor #11 (Credit: Titan)


A trailer has also been launched for the first volume of Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor, a collection of the first five issues of the comic.





FILTER: - Comics - Eleventh Doctor