Big Finish main range during 2017

Wednesday, 7 December 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Big Finish have announced details for their main range of Doctor Who adventures over the course of next year.

January sees a new trilogy featuring the fifth Doctor and companions, which as well as Tegan and Nyssa will also see them joined with Adric, as played by Matthew Waterhouse. Having first returned to the Doctor Who fold in 2014's Fifth Doctor Box Set, the character now arrives in the main range, with Matthew commenting:

I took a long time to get around to the idea of doing the audios – and now I just absolutely love it, I think the character's beautifully written. Everything we're doing at Big Finish is stuff that's already in the character, in the stories, they're just being extended a bit. Having said I don't want to do them, now I think “when's next week's one going to arrive?”. This is proper Doctor Who, they're really carefully written, they're witty and funny, they're highly inventive.

Range editor Alan Barnes said:

It's been great to at last bring Adric into the monthly range – well, before his tragic death, at least! Andrew Smith wrote the character's introductory story on TV, so I was determined to get Andrew to write his re-introduction. Andrew's The Star Men, full of far-out cosmic science, is the first story of the trilogy, in which an astronomical base at the fringes of Earth's galaxy finds itself on the frontline of a war with an unimaginably alien force...

Matthew added:

Adric's quite heroic in this, and a young woman finds him rather hot because she's a bit brainy like he is: there's some genuine, character work going on with a great concept and there's some really nice moments between him and a young woman called Autumn (played by Sophie Wu).

The characters continue their journeys over the next two months, with Alan adding:

Phil Mulryne's The Contingency Club comes next, in which the TARDIS lands inside the most exclusive gentlemen's club in all of Victorian London – a club where all the waiters are identical clones! The final instalment of the trilogy is Zaltys by Matthew J Elliott, which brings the TARDIS to a world just hours from catastrophe, while Tegan is stranded in space... where she comes face to face with a very particular sort of horror, one she thought existed only in nightmares...

Additional cast members include Sue Holderness (Only Fools And Horses) in The Star Men, Philip Jackson (Inspector Japp in ITV's Poirot) and Clive Merrison (The Tomb of the Cybermen, Paradise Towers) in The Contingency Club, and Rebecca Root (Boy Meets Girl), Niamh Cusack (Heartbeat), Philip Franks (The Darling Buds of May, Heartbeat) and Carol Sloman – daughter of Doctor Who writer Robert Sloman - in Zaltys. The trilogy has covers from designer Tom Webster.

The Contingency Club (Credit: Big Finish)

April sees a change in style for the regular range, as Big Finish embarks on the first of three special two-disc collections of two stories. The first stars Peter Davison as the fifth Doctor in Alien Heart by Steve Cole, and Dalek Soul by Guy Adams. This is followed in May by Colin Baker's sixth Doctor starring in Vortex Ice by Jonathan Morris, and Cortex Fire by Ian Potter, and then in June Sylvester McCoy brings the trilogy to a close with Shadow Planet by AK Benedict and World Apart by Scott Handcock.

Alan commmented:

The double-bills in April to June came about because, er... well, we all quite liked the idea of double-bills, really! Each consists of two two-part adventures, each by a different author, one on each of the two discs; each, hopefully, has a very different style and tone to its companion piece – there should be a nice contrast between the two. Alien Heart is about a species of weird spider-like monsters linked to the systematic destruction of planets, and Dalek Soul is a particularly bleak piece set on the Dalek-occupied world of Mojoxalli.

May features Lisa Greenwood as Flip – hurrah! – reunited with the sixth Doctor, in two adventures set before her (apparent) exit in Scavenger. Vortex Ice is a brain-scrambling conundrum of a story set in a diamond mine; then Cortex Fire, like its title sort-of suggests, is about an epidemic of spontaneous human combustion on a distant planet. Finally, in June, there's the return of the seventh Doctor and Ace in Shadow Planet/World Apart. The first has them at a far-out therapy centre, getting some very alternative medicine; then the second the TARDIS travellers are found marooned somewhere very inhospitable indeed...

Looking a little further into 2017, July sees the award-winning John Dorney back writing for the main range with The High Price of Parking starring the seventh Doctor, Mel and Ace. August's title has yet to be confirmed, but September will see two releases, with Matthew J Elliott's The Silurian Candidate for the seventh Doctor and Eddie Robson's Time in Office featuring the fifth Doctor, Tegan and another Doctor's one-time companion. The end of the year sees a full trilogy of adventures featuring the sixth Doctor, Constance and Flip, following on from this month's release, Quicksilver.

The main range can be bought individually, or subscribed to in both six- and 12-episode runs, at money-saving prices as well as special exclusives such as PDF scripts, extended extras and up to four Doctor Who - Subscriber Short Trips a year. Full details can be found via the Big Finish website.

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

Christmas Issue of Radio Times

Wednesday, 7 December 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Radio Times Christmas issue (17-30 Dec 2016) (Credit: Radio Times)

Today sees the nationwide publication of the 'lengendary' double edition of Radio Times, which features a second interview with Peter Capaldi in as many weeks!

Speaking about where he would go if he could travel in time, the Doctor Who star reflected on his pop-idols:

I never saw enough of David Bowie. And the last time he played in London, I had to give up my ticket as I had a job in Eastern Europe. My wife called me from the concert, held her phone up and let me hear the entirety of Heroes. It cost around 40 quid to hear that one song.

(The Beatles) were the soundtrack to our lives, growing up in the 1960s. I remember hearing She Loves You everywhere. That song is like a time machine. ... It came out in 1963 when I was five. Also in 1963, Doctor Who started on the BBC, and the Beatles appeared on it in 1965...

The full item can be read in Radio Times, which also includes an interview with UK Prime Minister, Theresa May on all things Christmas: speaking about what her TV schedule for Christmas would include, she said:

I always like to see Doctor Who on Christmas night, if possible, and a nice Agatha Christie to curl up with. David Suchet was a great Poirot – he got him to a T.

As well as the interviews, the magazine includes an exclusive photo-shoot featuring "Doctor Who in New York" with Peter Capaldi, Matt Lucas (Nardole) and Justin Chatwin (The Ghost), plus the last part of their competition to win a piece of exclusive artwork.

And, of course, full details on this year's Christmas Special, The Return of Doctor Mysterio!

Radio Times New York photoshoot (from 17-30 Dec 2016 double issue) (Credit: Radio Times)

The double-issue of Radio Times is on general sale nationwide today.

FILTER: - Merchandise - Peter Capaldi - Radio Times - Series Specials

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Wishing Bazaar

Friday, 25 November 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have announced their latest Lethbridge-Stewart e-book, free to subscribers and those pre-ordering the next novel in the range, Blood of Atlantis.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Wishing Bazaar (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Wishing Bazaar
Written by Sharon Bidwell
Cover illustration by Richard Young

Back from New York, Lethbridge-Stewart is investigating one of the strangest cases that has come across his desk yet. Wishes are coming true, and if there’s one thing Lethbridge-Stewart still doesn’t believe in it’s magic. But what if he’s wrong?

This story is set between Times Squared and Blood of Atlantis.

The e-book is by author Sharon Bidwell, who as well as writing several novel under pen names Sharon Maria Bidwell and Sharon Kernow, also wrote three books in the Space: 1899 & Beyond series, one of which was co-authored with Lethbridge-Stewart range editor Andy Frankham-Allen, who said:

I first met Sharon via the wonderful world of social media back in, I think, 2009. I was very impressed with her work, and soon enlisted her for my Space: 1889 & Beyond series. Her work ethic was proven to me when a novella fell through at the last minute and she agreed to co-author a replacement with me – which we did, in only two weeks! Sharon’s first drafts are often better than a lot of published works out there, and from the off I told her that I would get her writing for the Lethbridge-Stewart series. She resisted for all of five minutes.

Sharon said:

I've written for and with Andy before with great success, so I was not entirely surprised when he got in contact about his latest project. For one thing, he'd been 'hinting' for some time that he wanted to rope me in and Andy isn't someone who understands no as an answer.Whenever I hear from Andy, I never know whether to cheer or groan. All those who write novels for well-known television shows now have my utmost respect. Some find it easy; for others the experience feels difficult and involves a lot of angst. I'm one of those worriers. Despite the responsibility, Andy has dragged me into incredible worlds and stories that are part of history and there's no way not to be grateful for that.Invariably the experience of writing for Lethbridge-Stewart was, for me, daunting, exciting, fun, and adventurous…a bit like the character himself.

Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar, said:

Sharon was an unknown quantity for me, but I knew that Andy had worked with her before, so I was more than happy to see what she’d come up with. Having read her short story, and looked up her other work, I now believe she’s going to be a wonderful addition to our stable of authors on this series.

The cover of The Wishing Bazaar is by regular cover artist, Richard Young, who said:

I adore working with Candy Jar, and their cover briefs are always so specific, but this one was rather ambiguous as there were several elements that I could have used on the cover. I decided to concentrate on the alien of the piece.One passage of the story mentioned its burning eyes. Using a combination of traditional drawing and then colourisation in Photoshop (to really get the blazing eyes right), this is what I came up with.And I'm pleased to say everyone loved it.

The Wishing Bazaar will be sent out to every person who pre-orders Blood of Atlantis (Simon A Forward), which can be purchased individually or as part of the Series 3 Bundle (both UK and overseas), which includes the previous novel, Times Squared (Rick Cross), and the forthcoming novel, Mind of Stone (Iain McLaughlin), or the subscription deal for those wishing to get six books for the price of five.

Candy Jar is also pleased to announce that the subscription offer is now being extended to international customers. Please see their subscription page for more details.

Candy Jar is also offering a special promotion for its online customers: buy Blood of Atlantis for £8.99 and get Times Squared for £5. This promotion also applies to six other Candy Jar titles. Full details can be found via their website.

Competition

Candy Jar Books have kindly offered the chance for a readers to win a set of the series three books (Times Squared, Blood of Atlantis, Mind of Stone), the two books Connecting Who and Philip Martin's Gangsters, and also for one lucky person to win all five publications. To be in with a chance to win one of the prizes simply answer the following question:

Name the recurring character created by Philip Martin for Doctor Who on television.

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-candyjar@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Five Books Rapid!". The competition is open to UK readers only, closing date 11th December 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

FILTER: - Books - Competitions - Lethbridge-Stewart - Merchandise

Warlord Games: Doctor Who minatures and game

Thursday, 24 November 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Warlord Games have released details on their new range of Doctor Who minatures and the game Into The Time Vortex:

Last year we announced that Warlord Games had secured the licence to produce a miniatures game based on the BBC’s enormously popular TV series, Doctor Who. Since then we’ve been tirelessly researching episodes both old and new, sculpting miniatures and working back and forth with the BBC to ensure the results are completely authentic.

Our licence covers not just the latest series of Doctor Who but encompasses all of the Doctors, their companions and their foes, spanning more than fifty years - so look out for long scarves and jelly babies as well as Sonic Sunglasses!

The first releases are now available, with lots more on the way. The models are high quality pewter castings, officially approved by the BBC. Our forthcoming range will also include plastic Daleks, Cybermen and UNIT troopers, as well as many more pewter figures.

ON RELEASE:

10th Doctor and Companions five figure pewter set
Consisting of: The 10th Doctor, Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Donna Noble and Wilfred Mott
12th Doctor and Companions five figure pewter set
Consisting of: The 12th Doctor, Clara Oswald, Strax, Jenny and Madame Vastra
Judoon three figure pewter set
The Silence three figure pewter set
Zygon two figure pewter set

INTO THE TIME VORTEX - BOX GAME

Our first game, Into The time Vortex, will be released in early 2017 and will feature Daleks V Cybermen. The Doctor and his various companions all have a role in setting the scenario, objectives and the special rules for the game. Additional releases introduce many of the Doctor’s foes and allies, each with their own unique characteristics.

The gameplay allows for three different levels of play, ranging from the harsh environment of the Battle, through the world of the Adventure and finally allowing you to take part in an Episode. Each level of play has its own challenges, as dictated by eight scenarios that come with the game. The Doctor and his companions all have key roles in the scenarios and have their own rules that add to the experience. The rules booklets are simple to use. The basic game uses Battle cards that can be played to enhance your own plans or thwart those of your enemies. There are also clearly laid out Faction Recruitment cards that detail the forces being used, their individual weapons and abilities, plus generic and character specific Adventure cards that may be used to create more advanced versions of the game. In addition, a set of Event cards can be found in the box, providing the means to weld all the aspects of the game together and take part in the type of adventures that make the TV programme what it is.

Warlord Games: Cybermen figures (Credit: Warlord Games)

The initial release consists of everything you need to play, including specially created plastic miniatures of two of The Doctor’s iconic foes, the Daleks and the Cybermen. There are 12 ‘snap fit’ miniatures for each of these factions, plus the Cybermen sprue includes six Cybernates that can aid their larger brethren. Of course, no Doctor Who based game is complete without The Doctor himself, so you will also find a miniature of the 12th Doctor, ready to take part in the action.

One boxed set, three ways to play! But that’s not all, as there are a number of further releases planned which will add more miniatures, cards and opportunities to gain victory over your opponent. New factions, Companions and additional Doctors will become available over time, so the game can keep growing, as will your collection of finely crafted pewter and plastic heroes and villains.

More details can be found via the dedicated Doctor Who Into The Time Vortex website.

COMING SOON:

Cyberman ten figure pewter set. This release, to mark the 50th Anniversary of The Cybermen, will feature 10 key designs from over the years.
The Ninth Doctor and Companions pewter set
The Eleventh Doctor and Companions pewter set
Voyage of the Damned Pewter set
The Dominators pewter set
The Vervoids pewter set
The Ogrons pewter set
Cybermen plastic boxed set
Daleks plastic boxed set

Competition

To be in with a chance to win a set of the first five releases courtesy of Warlord Games, simply answer the following question:

Name the televised Doctor Who episode which featured an all-out battle between the Daleks and the Cybermen.

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-warlordgames@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Pest Control". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 11th December 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

FILTER: - Competitions - Games - Merchandise

The Pirate Planet novel to be published in January

Thursday, 10 November 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The Douglas Adams 1978 story The Pirate Planet is to be published as a new novel on 5th January 2017. Based on the original script, it is written by James Goss, who previously adapted last year's City of Death. The novel will also be released as an audiobook on the same day, narrated by Jon Culshaw.

The Pirate Planet
Written by James Goss, based on the script by Douglas Adams, and narrated by Jon Culshaw
Published by BBC Books and BBC Audio 5th January 2017 [pre-order the novel and audiobook from Amazon UK]

The hugely powerful Key to Time has been split into six segments, all of which have been disguised and hidden throughout time and space. Now the even more powerful White Guardian wants the Doctor to find the pieces.

With the first segment successfully retrieved, the Doctor, Romana and K-9 trace the second segment of the Key to the planet Calufrax. But when they arrive at exactly the right point in space, they find themselves on exactly the wrong planet – Zanak. Ruled by the mysterious ‘Captain’, Zanak is a happy and prosperous planet. Mostly. If the mines run out of valuable minerals and gems then the Captain merely announces a New Golden Age and they fill up again.

It’s an economic miracle – so obviously something’s very wrong...

The Pirate Planet (novel) (Credit: BBC Books)

The Pirate Planet (audiobook) (Credit: BBC Audio)

Featuring Tom Baker's Doctor, THE PIRATE PLANET is a novel based on a long-forgotten draft of the script found in the Douglas Adams archive in Cambridge. Unseen for 40 years and vastly different from the classic TV show, this is a work by The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy author that no-one has ever read...

FILTER: - Audio - BBC Audio - BBC Books - Books - Merchandise

BBC Audio: audiobook / competition updates

Tuesday, 8 November 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BBC Audio have released details of the audio adaptions taking them up to the end of the year, with two further Target novelisations and a collection of previously released readings:

Doctor Who and The Day of The Daleks (Credit: BBC Audio)

Doctor Who and The Day of The Daleks
Written by Terrance Dicks, read by Richard Franklin
Published by BBC Audio, 10th November 2016 [order from Amazon UK]

An unabridged reading of this classic novelisation of a 1972 TV story featuring the Third Doctor, as played on TV by Jon Pertwee.

Mysterious humans from 22nd Century Earth 'time-jump' back into the 20th Century, so as to assassinate a high-ranking diplomat on whom the peace of the world depends. The Doctor, Jo Grant and the Brigadier are soon called in to investigate. Jo is accidentally transported to the future; the Doctor follows, eventually to be captured by his oldest and deadliest enemies: the Daleks.

Having submitted the Doctor to the fearful Mind Analysis Machine, the Daleks plan a 'time-jump' attack on Earth in the 20th Century.

Duration: 4 hours and 30 minutes approx

Doctor Who: The Space Pirates (no narrator announced) (Credit: BBC Audio)

Doctor Who: The Space Pirates
Written by Terrance Dicks, read by Terry Molloy
Published by BBC Audio, 1st December 2016 [order from Amazon UK]

An unabridged reading of this novelisation of a classic 1960s TV serial, featuring the Second Doctor.

When space beacon Alpha One disintegrates into lumps of metal, General Hermack of the Space Corps realises that space pirates have discovered a new source of precious aragonite. After witnessing further destruction, the General leaves a squad of guards on beacon Alpha Four - just as the TARDIS materialises.

Suspected by the Space Corps of being pirates, then pursued as spies by the pirates themselves, the Doctor, Zoe and Jamie attempt to unmask the mastermind behind the thefts of aragonite.

In doing so they risk execution, explosion, and asphyxiation in the vacuum of space.

Duration: 4 hours approx

Tales from the TARDIS - Volume One (Credit: BBC Audio)

Tales from the TARDIS - Volume One
Published by BBC Audio, 10th November 2016 [order from Amazon UK]

Twelve stories of excitement and adventure in distant times and places including:

The Curse of Peladon by Brian Hayles, read by Jon Pertwee. The Doctor and Jo encounter a delegation of aliens, including the Ice Warriors, on a primitive planet.
Kinda by Terrance Dicks, read by Peter Davison. A serpent at the heart of paradise poses danger for the TARDIS crew and a human survey team.
Attack of the Cybermen by Eric Saward, read by Colin Baker. The Cybermen are intent on a plan to change history by crashing Halley’s Comet into Earth.
Out of the Darkness, read by Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant. The Sixth Doctor and Peri fall into danger in three gripping original short stories by Dave Stone, Guy Clapperton and Michael Collier.
Short Trips, read by Nicholas Courtney and Sophie Aldred. Familiar Doctor Who characters are caught up in intriguing and original situations in six short stories by Steve Lyons, Jonathan Blum, Tara Samms, David A McIntee, Robert Perry & Mike Tucker and Paul Magrs.

Duration: 9 hours 30 minutes approx

December also sees the release of an adaptation of Gary Russell's Scales of Injustice, originally published by Virgin Books as part of their Missing Adventures series in 1996:

Scales of Injustice
Written by Gary Russell, read by Dan Starkey
Published by BBC Audio, 1st December 2016 [order from Amazon UK]

An unabridged reading of this original novel featuring the Third Doctor, as played on TV by Jon Pertwee.

When a boy goes missing and a policewoman starts drawing cave paintings, the Doctor suspects the Silurians are back. With the Brigadier distracted by questions about UNIT funding and problems at home, the Doctor swears his assistant Liz Shaw to secrecy and investigates alone.

But Liz has enquiries of her own, teaming up with a journalist to track down people who don’t exist. What is the mysterious Glasshouse, and why is it so secret?

As the Silurians wake from their ancient slumber, the Doctor, Liz and the Brigadier are caught up in a conspiracy to exploit UNIT’s achievements – a conspiracy that reaches deep into the heart of the British Government.

Duration: 8 hours approx

Win Doctor Who and The Day of The Daleks

To be in with a chance to win the audiobook courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:

Which time travel priciple was first mentioned by the Doctor during this story?

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-day@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "No complications". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 4th December 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

Win Tales from the TARDIS

To be in with a chance to win the audiobook collection courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:

Name another audiobook based on a Target novelisation read by Jon Pertwee

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-tardis@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Time will tell". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 4th December 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

It is still possible to enter competitions to win September and October's audiobooks here, closing date 13th November.

FILTER: - BBC Audio - Competitions - Fifth Doctor - Merchandise - Second Doctor - Sixth Doctor - Third Doctor

Lethbridge-Stewart: Blood of Atlantis

Sunday, 6 November 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have released details of latest in their Lethbridge-Stewart range of novels:

Lethbridge-Stewart: Blood of Atlantis (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Lethbridge-Stewart: Blood of Atlantis
Written by Simon A Forward
Published by Candy Jar Books, November 2016

Could Atlantis really have arisen in the Aegean Sea?

Lethbridge-Stewart’s nephew, Owain Vine, and a group of eco-protestor friends, are attempting to oppose an operation undertaken by Rolph Vorster, a ruthless South African mining magnate with his own private army, who is out to harvest as much Atlantean riches as he can.

Lethbridge-Stewart, along with Anne Travers, is called in to investigate a missing Russian submarine that appears to be connected to Atlantis, recruiting the colourful eccentric archaeologist, Sonia Montilla, along the way. All the while, Captain Bugayev and an undercover Spetsnaz team are investigating the fate of their government’s missing submarine. A complication that could light a major fuse on the Cold War.

Out there somewhere, Atlantis is growing, and its reach is utterly inimical to human life.

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen said:

I was fielding around for new authors to bring to the range; authors familiar with Doctor Who but who haven’t written in that universe for a while. A couple of people, including Gary Russell, suggested Simon A Forward as someone who would ‘get’ the series and is very reliable. So, never one to ignore advice of those I (sometimes) admire, I contacted Simon.

Simon said:

As Al Pacino says in The Godfather Part III, ‘Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.’ When I was asked to write for the Lethbridge-Stewart range, I was a little hesitant. I wasn’t sure I wanted to return to writing anything Doctor Who-related. I’d moved on in my writing and – much as this may horrify some – I’d grown a little tired of Doctor Who. It was originally quite a different proposition to the finished book that has since emerged, but that process of development and working with Andy was part of the appeal that drew me in and cemented my commitment to the project. Add to that the fact that my (still ongoing) rewatch of Doctor Who took me through The Web Of Fear and The Invasion while I was right in the heart of writing this early Brigadier adventure, and the whole thing seemed like providence. And here I was, with the opportunity to write Anne Travers too. Bonus!

As well as series regulars, including Lieutenant Bishop and RSM Ware, Simon created some unique characters, including a previous creation of his:

Captain Bugayev is already part of the Doctor Who book universe and it was a fascinating process to explore and contrast the two different approaches and attitudes of the leading military officers, especially two I knew so well. One (Lethbridge-Stewart) courtesy of having grown up with him as such a presence in my Saturday teatime viewing, one through having created him for my Doctor Who novel, Emotional Chemistry.

The book revolves around Atlantis, a location the Doctor visited twice in the television series (The Underwater Menace and The Time Monster), and also got name-checked in The Daemons. Andy commented:

When Simon first suggested Atlantis I wasn't entirely convinced, knowing that its fate had been mentioned three times in Doctor Who (which fans often view as contradictory, but aren’t really), and in the latter Lethbridge-Stewart was present – if not at the event, then he certainly heard about it. But Simon set my fears at ease and presented a unique idea about how his Atlantis would fit perfectly, without contradiction or any need to have seen the television stories.

Simon added:

The story was initially going to be something else and developed over time and discussions with the editor. One of the things I wanted to do was to take the Fifth Operational Corps somewhere international, as a precursor to UNIT (even though UNIT operated in the UK on our TV screens, they ranged much further in my young imagination) and place them on a wider stage. The Atlantean connection suggested itself from a combination of that aim and from an old story idea of mine that fit the bill well. There was also a sense of, if I was going to write something Who-related, then Atlantis has been as recurring a feature of the show as some returning guest actors. Readers will be sure to spot a liberal sprinkling of homage within the novel and that’s born of the same desire.

The cover for Blood of Atlantis is by Richard Young, who said:

Blood Of Atlantis – the difficult second album! I’d had a lot of positive feedback on my first cover, The Showstoppers, but the more I looked at it the less I liked it, and the more I looked at the covers produced by my stable mates, I knew I had to up my game. I was chatting with Simon via Facebook one evening about his ideas for the cover, and he kept coming back to The Sea Devils novelisation cover by Chris Achilleos. I was getting quite excited by the prospect of doing something along those lines.

The novel can be pre-ordered from the Candy Jar Books website individually, or as part of the Series 3 Bundle (both UK and overseas), which includes the novels Times Squared by Rick Cross (available now) and Mind of Stone by Iain McLaughlin (coming December); it is also part of the subscription deal for those wishing to get six books for the price of five (UK only, covering the series three titles, plus the series four titles released early 2017).

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

Lovarzi Launches New Christmas Products

Friday, 4 November 2016 - Reported by Marcus

Lovarzi, the UK’s leading online scarves shop, is launching two new Doctor Who licensed products in time for Christmas, with a special offer of a 15% discount for members of their VIP Fan Club.

To celebrate the return of Doctor Who on Christmas Day, Lovarzi is releasing a TARDIS and Daleks Christmas Scarf, and a knitted Hat with the same exclusive pattern. Both scarf and hat are made from 100% premium quality Acrylic.

Lovarzi launched their officially-licensed Doctor Who range in 2012 with the bestselling Fourth Doctor Scarf. Further releases include the Fifth Doctor Sweater, The Pandorica Opens Scarf, and TARDIS Folding Umbrella.

Maninder Singh Sahota, Director of Lovarzi, says

We love seeing cosplayers and collectors at events like the Doctor Who Festival and the London Film and Comic Con, so are pleased to finally reveal these exclusive new Christmas products – which we've been working on since last Christmas!

We're also offering 15% off the Christmas Scarf and Hat at the time of launch for our Doctor Who Fan Club – but there's limited stock put by for members, so register now to avoid disappointment.

The 15% discount is only valid for this weekend. You can sign up to the Fan Club for free on the Lovarzi website, and as soon as you signup you will get code to get 15% discount. All existing members will get an email with a discount code. Fans will also be the first to be notified of upcoming products and from 2017 Lovarzi is planning to give free Doctor Who goodies to members of the Doctor Who Fan Club.

The TARDIS and Daleks Christmas Scarf (30 x 190cm), priced £19.99, and Christmas Hat (RRP £14.99) are available to order now via the company website.

FILTER: - Merchandise

Power of the Daleks to get Twitter Premiere

Friday, 4 November 2016 - Reported by Marcus

BBC Worldwide has announced that first three minutes of the animated Power of the Daleks will be premiered live on twitter via Periscope this Saturday.

The original transmission of the episode took place on BBC 1 at 5.50pm on Saturday 5th November 1966. The animated reconstruction will be live streamed exactly 50 years after that first broadcast at 5.50pm on Saturday 5th November 2016. The twitter feed will be available globally.

Fans in the UK will then be able to access the entire first episode on BBC Store from 5.50pm on Saturday, with the remaining five episodes being released 1 per day over the following five days. The DVD will be released in the UK on Monday 21st November.

Jonathan Green, Director of BBC Store says

BBC Store is proud to be working with Twitter to bring fans this UK first. This episode broke the mold with the recasting of the Doctor, and it's still thrilling audiences in new ways today.

Rhidian Bragg Head of Sales, Consumer Products, BBC Worldwide added

We're really excited to be able to bring fans a Doctor Who adventure that they thought they'd never see. The animation looks amazing and is a fantastic addition to our catalogue of classic Doctor Who titles.

Georgina Parnell, Head of Entertainment Partnerships, Twitter said

Doctor Who is a global phenomenon and by broadcasting The Power of the Daleks live on Periscope, fans from across the world will - for the first time - be able to join together and watch it at the same moment, exactly 50 years to the minute since the very first episode aired in 1966. Even the Doctor couldn't have predicted that ... could he?!

The Power of the Daleks has been lost since its one broadcast on BBC One. The animated reconstruction has been masterminded by Charles Norton, working with Martin Geraghly and Adrian Salmon who did the character designs. The team was responsible for the successful animation of a lost Dad's Army episode A Stripe for Frazer, which was released on BBC Store earlier this year.

The work has been intense for Norton, with work on the final two episodes completed earlier this week. The project was helped by the existence of a complete set of Studio camera scripts, which detail the exact framing for each shot used in the original recording. He described the project as challenging, with instructions such as The Doctor does a little jig, being very difficult to recreate in animation, particularly with a character wearing checked trousers. For sequences pre-filmed at Ealing studios there was no camera script available and the animation team had to improvise far more.

The sound has been restored by Mark Ayres, who had access to the original music sessions and sound effect recordings which still exist on quarter inch tape, and was able to create both a stereo and a 5.1 mix for the animated version.

One of the stars of the story, Anneke Wills who played Polly, saw the first two episodes for the first time at a press screening on Thursday. Although Wills has recorded a commentary for the story, it was done viewing an incomplete print. On viewing the completed episodes she declared herself thrilled with the result. She particularly relished Patrick Troughton's vocal performance which she said shines through from the very start.

The BBC have also announced that a colour version of the story will be available on BBC Store in the UK from 31st December 2016 and also on a Special Edition Bluray available from 6th February 2017.

Although the BBC Store is not available in the US, the story will be screened weekly on BBC America starting on November 19. This is in addition to a number of movie theatre screenings on November 14. BBC America will make the colour version available exclusively on their digital platforms towards the end of November. and from January 24, 2017 the story will be available on DVD exclusively at Barnes & Noble, this includes the colour version.

The story will also be screened at selected theatres in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

BBC Worldwide said today that there are no current plans to animate any other missing Doctor Who stories, but, if Power of the Daleks sells well, it is an option they would certanly consider.

FILTER: - Merchandise

The Doctor Who Merchandise Museum

Wednesday, 2 November 2016 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who historian David J Howe has launched a project to raise money for the establishment of a Doctor Who Merchandise Museum.

Since the seventies, David J Howe has been collecting merchandise, magazines, original costumes, artwork and props and now arguably holds the biggest collection of 'Doctor Who' merchandise and memorabilia in the world. His dream is to launch a museum in which to display and share his collection.

Howe already has premises just outside Sleaford in Lincolnshire, but now needs to raise money via an Indiegogo fundraiser to equip and display the items in the museum.

Since I was young, I've always wanted to be able to display and share my collection with others. And a couple of years ago, we got the opportunity to buy the premises, which was always the sticking point ... where to house the items! Now we have that, we need to pay for the floor, walls, ceiling and electrics to be sorted out, as well as some groundworks outside, security, and fixtures and fittings. There's a lot to do, but hopefully, with everyone's help we'll be able to get it done!

Howe aims to be able to launch the Museum in the summer of 2018.

It's a private museum, so people can't just turn up unannounced. But we intend to hold open days, and special events where folks can book to come and see the collection. We may also be able to accommodate pre-booked showings as well. If this all goes well, then who knows what opportunities might be afforded going forward. I'd love to see merchandise launches taking place at the Museum, and talks by the people who produce the toys and games ... there's all sorts of things we could do.

As part of the fundraising there are a number of perks which people can buy, which include: exclusive invitations to the Launch Day, private dinners with Howe and his wife, the novelist Sam Stone; dinner with Doctor Who actor Frazer Hines; and lunch with Star Trek's Chase Masterson in LA. Other perks include special signed proof pages from one of Howe's books and bundles of goodies donated by Doctor Who Author Richard Dinnick.

At the end of the day, Doctor Who and its merchandise are intrinsicly linked together. They have run hand in hand for fifty three years now, and there have been many tens of thousands of items produced and released tying in with the show. I have a great many of these items and I enjoy sharing my love and passion for the merchandise with others, so being able to have a permanent exhibition is a dream come true!

The Indiegogo runs until the end of the year, and full details can be found online

FILTER: - Merchandise

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