This competition has now closed. Doctor Who News is offering readers a chance to win the Eleven Doctors Action Figure Collector Set, in our Christmas Competition.

The set includes 5-inch action figures of each of the Eleven Doctors.

Five Gift sets are up for grabs.

To be in with a chance of winning, simply tell us your prediction for the total BBC One audience, to the nearest 10,000 viewers, for the Christmas Day showing of The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe.

Just to clarify, we are looking for the final confirmed audience as published by BARB in January. This figure includes those who record the programme and watch it within one week and it includes those watching on BBC One HD. It does not include those watching on iPlayer.

To help you estimate the figure, ratings for the previous episodes of Doctor Who transmitted on Christmas Day were:

1965 - 5.50pm - The Feast of Steven - 7.90 million
2005 - 7.00pm - The Christmas Invasion - 9.84 million
2006 - 7.00pm - The Runaway Bride - 9.30 million
2007 - 6.50pm - Voyage of the Damned - 13.31 million
2008 - 6.00pm - The Next Doctor - 13.10 million
2009 - 6.00pm - The End of Time Part One - 12.04 million
2010 - 6.00pm - A Christmas Carol - 12.11 million


This year's story is broadcast at 7:00pm and faces opposition on ITV1 from All Star Family Fortunes Christmas Special.

Entries should be sent to us at xmas-competition@doctorwhonews.net - please include your answer, name, address and daytime contact number.

Only one entry is allowed per person.

Entries must be received by 7:00pm, 25th December 2011 UK Time.

The official Doctor Who Facebook page has launched a new application to highlight some of the many Doctor Who gifts that are available to buy in this festive period:

Doctor Who has topped the list as the most purchased TV Series from iTunes, according to figures released by Apple in the US.

Doctor Who outranked US hits including the Emmy-winning sitcom Modern Family and Glee to become the most downloaded series of the year.

In the UK the current series is more usually watched on the BBC iPlayer, where The Impossible Astronaut is currently the 2nd most requested episode of the year.

In the UK iTunes store David Tennant's swan song as The Doctor, The End of Time Part 2, was the 6th most purchased TV episode of the year.

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Twitter have also been reviewing the year and revealed that Elisabeth Sladen, who died in April, was the one of Twitter’s most talked-about people in 2011.

As the news of the unexpected death of the much loved actress spread around the world, fans took to the blogging site to discuss the news and to pay their tributes to the star, making the Sladen the 6th most discussed actress on Twitter in 2011.

BBC Worldwide have announced the first in a new range of console games:

The game will be released early next year, initially for Sony's Playstation 3 and Vita platforms and a PC version, and is being developed by Supermassive Games for BBC Worldwide Digital Entertainment and Games, and is written in collaboration with BBC Wales.

Both Matt Smith and Alex Kingston have reprised their roles of the Doctor and River Song respectively for the brand new storyline, which is to be presented in high definition, using photo-real graphics, television quality scenes and motion capture to create in-game characters.

Robert Nashak, EVP of Digital Entertainment at BBC Worldwide said:

There is also a dedicated Twitter feed, @DoctorWhoTEC, where more information will be announced as the release date approaches.

Doctor Who returns to Germany this December when Series Five begins broadcasting on the pay TV FOX Channel.

The first episode Fünf vor zwölf, which translates as Five to Twelve will screen on the channel on 21st December at 8.15pm CET with episode two following later the same evening. The network has launched a website to tie in with the series

Series 5 will also be made available on iTunes Germany in both German and English beginning December 22nd.

German fans have yet to see broadcast the third and fourth series starring David Tennant.

serienjunkies.com has a report detailing the somewhat chequered history of Doctor Who broadcasts in Germany.

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Meanwhile Televisió de Catalunya, has begun transmitting series 6 in Catalan on Canal 3XL. The series continues this Friday with La maledicció de la taca negra.

Arthur Darvill has lent his musical talent to a new play being developed at the Peterborough Key Theatre; reviewing I Heart Peterborough, Mark Pearson said: "The script is backed by music from guitarist Arthur Darvill who loops comforting sounds while strumming a backing line. It has Vampire Weekend’s African feel to it at times." [Peterborough Today, 2 Dec 2011]

6'7" actor Spencer Wilding makes his second appearance in Doctor Who this coming Christmas, having previously played the Minotaur in The God Complex. "It's great working with the likes of Matt Smith - he's such a cool Doctor Who. And it's such a great production." [Rhyl Journal, 7 Dec 2011]

TV critic, writer and fan Charlie Brooker discusses if he would write for Doctor Who: "Well if Doctor Who approached you, that's something you'd have to consider, isn't it? That's like getting an invitation to a particular party. That's an interesting one, in that part of the appeal of Doctor Who is that it's so different each week - even though you know you're going to get the Doctor and, broadly speaking, you know he's going to face a foe. But there's a lot of ideas that go on in it and the scenario changes, so there's a lot of room for creating things within it." [Digital Spy, 2 Dec 2011]

In one of those fact-meets-fiction moments, the BBC have announced that news correspondent Huw Edwards will front the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony, a role he undertook in the Tenth Doctor Olympic story Fear Her back in 2006! No news on David Tennant lighting the Flame at the Games so far ... [BBC Media Centre, 2 Dec 2011]

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Russell T Davies has suspended work on his current television projects in order to look after his partner, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy. "It was a simple decision: he's more important. Showtime was lovely. They were like: your boyfriend needs to get well. The BBC was the same. I don’t know when I’ll start work again. I’ve got see how Andrew’s health goes." [Pink News, 5 Dec 2011]

For some, Christmas time starts with the appearance of the Coca-Cola "Holidays Are Coming" advert on television, for others it's the first time Slade or Wizzard are heard blaring across the supermarket, but for many it's also the publication of the 'legendary' Christmas double issue of the Radio Times!

This year's issue covers 17th-30th December, with some 294 pages dedicated to Christmas television. The highlight for us, of course, is at 7:00pm on Christmas Day when the Doctor once again provides us with our traditional festive treat in The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe!


The episode is repeated on BBC1/BBC1HD on Tuesday 27th December at 2:50pm, and on BBC3 on Wednesday 28th December at 7:00pm.

Matt Smith will also feature as a guest on The Graham Norton Show, to be broadcast on BBC1 from 10:35pm on Friday 23rd December (repeated late night on Christmas Day).

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The issue also contains a three page article, with interviews with Steven Moffat, Matt Smith and Maurice Cole (Cyril). Steven considers the traditions of Christmas:
Meanwhile, Matt reflects on his own Christmas as a boy:
And Maurice says what he likes best about Christmas:
You can read the full interviews - including how the Doctor was saved by Sherlock Holmes, and what Matt considers as his favourite comedy series - in the double-issue, out nationwide from today.

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The Radio Times website has published a preview for The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe, in which Patrick Mulkern calls the episode "one of the most satisfying specials yet"; in the article he also reflects upon Doctor Who Christmas Treats of the past (though perhaps not K9 and Company!).

15th December sees the publication of the Doctor Who Adventures bumper Christmas edition, on sale for two weeks instead of the usual one.

Celebrating a "Monster Christmas", as well as including a preview of The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe the magazine features eight free gifts: a Doctor mask, a Weeping Angel for the top of a tree, a 2012 calendar, stickers, three monster gift tags, and a Christmas card from the Doctor!

Also, in an exclusive interview with Doctor Who Adventures Magazine, Matt Smith talks about having a kid’s perspective, how a child actor saw straight through him and slipping into being Doctor Who in real life. Not to mention foxes made of jelly ...

United Kingdom

A charity fayre taking place at the Holbeck Underground Ballroom (HUB) in Leeds on the 10th December will include an auction with a range of items to bid upon, including three Doctor Who scripts from cast reading sessions. [@SlungLow on Twitter, 6 Dec 2011]

Two full-sized Daleks will appear at the Toy and Hobby Fair at the Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft, Steyning, on the 10th December. Visitors will be able to come face to face with the props at the fete, which is open between 10:30am-2:00pm. [Shoreham Herald, 5 Dec 2011]

Writer Daniel Blythe visited Wetherby High School alongside some Daleks to chat to pupils about writing. Senior assistant headteacher Mark McKelvie said: "It was absolutely fantastic. In the morning we had all 210 Year 4 pupils from seven primary schools. Daniel presented a talk about the Doctor Who TV series and discussed his own writing." [Wetherby News, 2 Dec 2011]

Lincolnshire Aviation Centre's general manager Andrew Panton talked about their involvement with The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe: "It is a thrill to think we’ll be on TV on Christmas day and be part of everyone’s Christmas. There was a lot of secrecy surrounding their visit. All we knew was that the BBC would be doing some filming at the centre, but we didn’t know what." Further details and photos from the shoot remain firmly under wraps until after broadcast, however: "There’s no plans to do anything special off the back of the filming at the moment - it depends how much publicity it gives us and how the public reacts to knowing it is us appearing in it. Hopefully it’ll lead to a lot more TV filming here in the future." [Skegness Standard, 30 Nov 2011]

Terry Molloy has been named-checked as one of the curious facts of Norfolk! The Bawburgh resident appears in the Little Book of Norfolk for his role as Davros in Doctor Who (and Big Finish adventures). The book is compiled by historian Neil Storey to illustrate how "this county is so diverse, full of curiosities and nuances - it’s trivia,but don’t we all love it?" [Eastern Daily Press, 6 Dec 2011]

A bridegroom has admitted to causing a fire at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire (as featured in The Time Warrior) last June; nobody was hurt at the incident, which occured after disagreements with staff at his wedding reception. [BBC News, 2 Dec 2011]

Three full-sized Daleks made an appearance at the Christmas Lights ceremony in Nuneaton, in aid of the DiGeorge Syndrome Max Appeal. Christine Adams said: "This is the first time these models have been out in public and seem to have created quite a stir. They were made out of fibre glass by my brother, Paul Holt, for my son Craig, who suffers from the immune deficiency condition and is a big sci-fi fan. We’ve been giving youngsters rides in the Daleks in return for a small donation." [Coventy Telegraph, 5 Dec 2011]

Meanwhile, the "Doctor" was on hand to turn on the lights for Thetford: "'Dr Who' may have arrived in time-travelling style to switch on Thetford’s Christmas lights – but it was community spirit which lit up the town. Scores of people squeezed into space in front of King’s House on King Street as the button was pressed, and watched the town centre spring to life in preparation for Christmas." [Eastern Daily Press, 2 Dec 2011]

Australia

TV Blog TV Tonight suggested Doctor Who could be on it's way for next series: "(we're) hearing whispers from the UK that the long-running science-fiction series is considering a move to film multiple episodes in Australia in mid-2012. ... There’s still much that needs to be sorted before an Aussie sojourn becomes a reality, but it’s certainly a tempting idea." [TV Tonight, 30 Nov 2011]

Lindy Orthia, a lecturer in science communication at the Australian National University, is making final preparations for her latest Doctor Who project, Doctor Who and Race. The anthology aims to discuss areas such as: ethnic or racial backgrounds, identities and racially-signifying physical traits of characters, communities, and actors; depictions of racism, racial stereotyping and race-related exploitation; colonialism, imperialism, nationalism, and other race-related phenomena significant in human history; and allegorical literary tools used in the program to reference race, such as the alien as 'other'. Lindy is keen to receive submissions for the anthology, full details of which are available via her blog.

The BBC have released the latest in their series of 'prequels', to set the scene for the upcoming Christmas Day adventure The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe; the video is written by Steven Moffat and features Matt Smith as the Doctor, who as usual has got himself into a spot of bother and is on the phone in a desperate bid to be rescued before ...




BBC1's Christmas Drama trailer has also been unveiled, featuring clips from Doctor Who, The Borrowers, The Gruffalo's Child and other festive treats.