Big Finish: January releases

Tuesday, 15 January 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Big Finish have released details on the latest adventures for the Doctor and his companions in January.

The Wrong Doctors (available to order)

The Wrong Doctors stars Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor and Bonnie Langford as Melanie Bush. Disentangling a particularly knotty piece of series continuity, it tells the tale of how the Sixth Doctor attempts to put his timeline in order, having been introduced to Mel before they'd technically met. Unfortunately, his efforts go somewhat awry, and suddenly there are two Doctors roaming Mel's hometown of Pease Pottage. And that's not the worst of what's going on...

A brain-bending adventure from the mind of Matt Fitton, The Wrong Doctors begins a brand new trilogy of tales for the Sixth Doctor and Mel, with Bonnie Langford returning to the main range after a 71-release absence! The series continues in February with Spaceport Fear and March with The Seeds of War.

With Evelyn gone, the Doctor sets course for his destiny... in the form of his first meeting with Miss Melanie Bush, a computer programmer from the village of Pease Pottage, currently busy rehearsing with the local Amateur Dramatic Society – and blissfully unaware that her future is on its way, in his TARDIS.

Make that two TARDISes. Because at that very moment, a slightly younger Doctor is flying into Pease Pottage, too – returning his future companion Melanie Bush to her rightful place and time, after they were flung together during the course of his Time Lord trial.

Time travel is a complicated business – the iguanadon terrorising Pease Pottage being a case in point. But how much more complicated could things possibly become, if the wrong Doctor were to bump into the wrong Mel?

The Auntie Matter (available to order)

The Auntie Matter launches a brand new run of adventures starring Tom Baker and Mary Tamm, which will also see the return of John Leeson as K9.

England in the 1920s. The Doctor and Romana are enjoying a leisurely lifestyle as the Lord and Lady of a London townhouse. But trouble never stays away from them for long, and before they know it a chance discovery of alien technology leads them deep into the heart of the English countryside where a malign presence lurks. As the Doctor dodges deadly butlers and ferocious gamekeepers, Romana is faced with a malevolent Aunt and an even deadlier peril - marriage.

"It’s Saturday teatime in 1978 all over again," says producer David Richardson, "as Tom and Mary recapture their glorious partnership from Season 16 in 1978. It’s desperately sad that Mary is no longer with us to enjoy this release, but she adored playing Romana again, and was thrilled by her role in this run of seven stories."

Featuring in this intriguing tale from the pen of Jonathan Morris are Julia McKenzie (the titular detective in Marple) and Lucy Griffiths (the latest season of True Blood, Robin Hood's Marian). The Auntie Matter takes its inspiration from the works of PG Wodehouse, so it'll provide an excellent accompaniment to the Blandings series which began on BBC1 on Sunday!

England in the 1920s.

Whilst K9 is off in the TARDIS leading the Black Guardian on a wild goose chase, the Doctor and Romana are enjoying a leisurely lifestyle as the Lord and Lady of a London townhouse. But trouble never stays away from them for long, and before they know it a chance discovery of alien technology leads them deep into the heart of the English countryside where a malign presence lurks.

As the Doctor dodges deadly butlers and ferocious gamekeepers, Romana is faced with a malevolent Aunt and an even deadlier peril - marriage.

The Flames of Cadiz (available to order)

The Flames of Cadiz is a two-disc release starring original 1963 companion Ian and the Doctor's granddaughter Susan, once more played by William Russell and Carole Ann Ford respectively. Written by Marc Platt, it finds the TARDIS travellers in Spain in the late sixteenth century. The country is at war with England – and the travellers find themselves on the wrong side of the battle lines...

"This is a four-part pure historical for the original TARDIS team," says David Richardson. "Marc has written the most beautiful script, as The Flames of Cadiz echoes the glories of adventures like The Aztecs and The Reign of Terror. It’s a reminder that Earth history can be just as terrifying as outer space."

The Flames of Cadiz also features Nabil Elouahabi as Esteban.

The TARDIS materializes in Spain in the late sixteenth century. The country is at war with England – and the travellers find themselves on the wrong side of the battle lines.

When Ian and his new friend Esteban are captured by the Inquisition, the Doctor, Susan and Barbara plan to rescue them.

But these are dark days in human history. And heretics face certain death...

FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Tom Baker - Colin Baker - Big Finish

Big Finish: The Light At The End

Wednesday, 9 January 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Big Finish have announced a special 100-minute story starring all five surviving classic series Doctors to be released for the 50th Anniversary. The Light At The End will see their paths suddenly intersect when they face imminent destruction . . .

The story is written and directed by Nicholas Briggs, who said:

We wanted to do a proper, fully-fledged multi-Doctor story for this very special occasion, and it's wonderful that all the surviving Doctors threw themselves behind the project so enthusiastically. That's not to say the first three Doctors don't appear – we wanted to pay homage to the whole history of the classic series.

As well as the Doctors, popular companions will also be involved from each era: for Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor it's Leela as played by Louise Jameson; then for Peter Davison there's Nyssa (Sarah Sutton); for Colin Baker's era there's Peri (Nicola Bryant); Sylvester McCoy's sees Ace (Sophie Aldred); and from the Paul McGann Big Finish adventures there's Charley, as played by India Fisher.

And if that wasn't enough, producer David Richardson added:

Geoffrey Beevers is back to create mayhem as the Master, and there will be a number of appearances from some much-cherished old friends from the TV series . . .

Released in November 2013, two versions of the story will be available: a standard two-disc release comprising just the episodes, and a limited edition five-disc release that will have two additional documentaries, plus Companion Chronicles tale The Revenants (performed by William Russell, previously available as a Doctor Who Magazine download).

FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Tom Baker - Peter Davison - Sylvester McCoy - Paul McGann - Colin Baker

People Roundup

Wednesday, 9 January 2013 - (compiled by Chuck Foster and John Bowman)

David Tennant and wife Georgia Moffett are expecting their second child together, it was revealed on The Jonathan Ross Show last Saturday (5th).

During the show, the actor also talked about how he is still recognised as the Doctor in spite of four years away from the role: "It does carry on, yeah, because people are enthusiastic about it, it's one of those shows that people love. It becomes part of what you do, it's not a difficult thing to deal with.".

Talking about filming Spies of Warsaw - which is on tonight at 9:00pm on BBC4 - he commented on how wide-reaching his recognition is: "I didn't realise Doctor Who plays in Poland – but it obviously does. I've had a few fans coming up, wanting to say hello, or get a photograph or a signature. It doesn't happen quite on the scale that it happens at home – but then I don't think I've been to a country yet where I haven’t met someone who's a Doctor Who fan ... except maybe Uganda!" [Mail, 6 Jan 2013]

Burn Gorman - who appears with Tennant in Spies of Warsaw - has joined the cast of Revenge. He will play a recurring character named Trask, a member of the American Initiative. [Hollywood Reporter, 7 Jan 2013]

Tamsin Greig and Catrin Stewart will be on stage in Longing at the Hampstead Theatre in London. Adapted by William Boyd from two Anton Chekhov short stories, the play will run from Thursday 28th February to Saturday 6th April. The venue is currently staging Old Money, with Maureen Lipman and Tracy-Ann Oberman, ending on 12th January, which will be followed by Di And Viv And Rose, with Anna Maxwell-Martin and Tamzin Outhwaite (17th January to 23rd February).

An adaptation of Tom Baker's novel The Boy Who Kicked Pigs will be performed at Jacksons Lane in north London by theatre company Kill The Beast between 5th and 16th March. The actor said: "I wondered how a small theatre company could stage my story - which has a cast of hundreds, and includes a motorway pile-up with coachloads of people. I also wondered how they would manage to make my tale of evil horror funny, as I intended it to be." [EntertainmentWise, 8 Jan 2013]

Fenella Woolgar and David Troughton are up for honours in this year's BBC Audio Drama Awards. Woolgar is nominated for Best Actress for her portrayal of Rosemary Kennedy in BBC Radio 4's An American Rose, while Troughton is in the running for Best Supporting Actor as the Earl of Leicester in BBC Radio 3's Singles and Doublets. In addition, The Minister of Chance, by Dan Freeman, which stars Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Paul Darrow, and Tamsin Greig, is nominated for the title of Best Online-Only Audio Drama, while Kafka The Musical, which aired on BBC Radio 3 and is by Murray Gold, has been shortlisted for the Tinniswood Radio Drama Award 2012 for Best Radio Drama Script. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on Sunday 27th January at BBC Broadcasting House in central London. [BBC Media Centre, 8 Jan 2012]

In Memoriam:

The latest edition of BBC publication Prospero (page 15) has revealed that former Doctor Who crew member Marion McDougall died last March. Her first involvement with the series was as an assistant floor manager on The War Games, and she went on to be a production assistant on a number of stories between 1971 and 1977. Other BBC productions that she worked on included The Mayor of Casterbridge, Prince Regent, Mackenzie, Smiley's People, Mansfield Park, Blott On The Landscape, and Fortunes of War.

(With thanks to Garret Jackson)

(compiled by Chuck Foster and John Bowman)

FILTER: - People - Theatre - Tom Baker - David Tennant - Radio - Sylvester McCoy - BBC - Paul McGann

DVD Update: Legacy Box BBFC Classifications

Thursday, 8 November 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Though no formal details have been given for the UK DVD release of the Legacy Box (Region One details were released last month), the British Board of Film Classification have now passed the additional material that features in the set, plus their running times.

SHADA:

00:04:46:06 SHADA - PHOTO GALLERY
00:25:35:09 TAKEN OUT OF TIME - 
            THE MAKING AND BREAKING OF SHADA
00:12:41:20 SHADA - NOW AND THEN
00:27:46:01 STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE!
00:30:08:15 BEING A GIRL

MORE THAN 30 YEARS IN THE TARDIS:

00:25:57:14 REMEMBERING NICHOLAS COURTNEY 
00:13:29:06 DOCTOR WHO STORIES - PETER PURVES 
00:10:33:21 THE LAMBERT TAPES - SUCCESS STORY 
00:01:47:21 RICHARD MARTIN'S MEMORIES OF VERITY 
00:22:35:23 THOSE DEADLY DIVAS 
00:06:04:02 MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS IN THE TARDIS - PHOTO GALLERY

In addition, the six episodes comprising the 2003 animated version of the story, featuring Paul McGann as the Doctor, has also been passed (the final item most likely refers to the introductory 'episode' to the story that places it in context):

00:18:26:04 DOCTOR WHO - SHADA - EPISODE ONE
00:22:43:03 DOCTOR WHO - SHADA - EPISODE TWO
00:20:49:13 DOCTOR WHO - SHADA - EPISODE THREE
00:27:22:00 DOCTOR WHO - SHADA - EPISODE FOUR
00:24:18:21 DOCTOR WHO - SHADA - EPISODE FIVE
00:23:41:16 DOCTOR WHO - SHADA - EPISODE SIX
00:07:31:09 DOCTOR WHO - SHADA  (EPISODE LISTING)

Steve Roberts recently explained how the animated version is to be presented:

Just to clarify the reason that the McGann Shada is represented as a Flash animation rather than as DVD Video. Two reasons: Firstly, the animation was judged by all (including those who made it) to be not of sufficient quality for video. Secondly, it would have required a separate disc as there wasn't room on either of the others to include it - and that was an option that was outside of budget.

I thought it should be included however, as it's part of the official BBC canon by virtue of being broadcast (which is ironic, as the BBC Video version itself isn't!), so I worked closely with James Goss to package it into a form that could be viewed easily on an PC or Mac via a simple web interface.

The Legacy Box is due to be released on the 7th January in the UK(R2), and on the 8th January for North America(R1).

FILTER: - Tom Baker - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD - Paul McGann

Fourth Doctor Scarf

Wednesday, 31 October 2012 - Reported by Marcus

Scarves specialists Lovarzi have released a new scarf based on one worn by Fourth Doctor Tom Baker during his time on the series.

The scarf measures 13ft or 3.96m, including tassels, and is 10" or 28cm wide.

Supposedly knitted for the Doctor by "witty little knitter" Madame Nostradamus, the scarf actually began life when Begonia Pope received the commission from costume designer James Acheson. Acheson had been inspired by Henri de Toulouse Lautrec's painting of his black coat and long scarf-wearing friend Aristide Bruant, and bought a mass of multi-coloured wool. Pope proceeded to use it all and the cast and crew fell in love with the idea of the Doctor having an absurdly long scarf.

Maninder Singh Sahota, Director of Lovarzi, says:

We feel proud to be working with the BBC to create such a wonderful product. We've worked hard to deliver the best-ever Doctor Who scarf; we're sure Doctor Who fans will absolutely love to own one.

The scarf, priced £49.99, is available from retailers including Amazon UK.

FILTER: - Merchandise - Tom Baker

Legacy for January

Thursday, 18 October 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The Legacy Box has now been confirmed to be the first DVD release for 2013, coming out in the UK(R2) on 7th January and in North America(R1) on the 8th. As previously reported, the two-disc boxed set will feature the 'lost' story Shada from Season 17 and the 30th Anniversary celebratory documentary More Than Thirty Years in the TARDIS.

After months of speculation, the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine has confirmed that the main version of Shada presented will be the 102 minute, 1992 VHS release, which included added effects, music, and linking narration by Tom Baker. Though no other R2 information has been released at present, the R1 details indicate that the set will also contain the re-interpreted version of Shada featuring Paul McGann that was produced by Big Finish and released as a Flash animation during the 40th Anniversary for (and still available from) the BBC's official Doctor Who website.

Other features (R1 details) include a documentary on the troubled history of Shada's production, Taken Out of Time, a look at the story's locations in Now and Then, the first part of a feature on Doctor Who's first producer Verity Lambert in The Lambert Tapes - Part 1, memories of the Doctor's honorary companion in Remembering Nicholas Courtney, another companion profile with Doctor Who Stories - Peter Purves, plus Strike! Strike! Strike!, Being a Girl - Women in Doctor Who, and Those Deadly Divas.

Region 1 details thanks to TVShowsOnDVD

FILTER: - Tom Baker - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Big Finish: The Sands Of Life

Wednesday, 5 September 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Big Finish have revealed the cover for The Sands Of Life, the second story in the Tom Baker/Mary Tamm season of The Fourth Doctor Adventures, which also see the duo re-united with K9 (as played by John Leeson) for the first time this series.

Producer David Richardson said:

I loved Nick's script for this story, and it sets up an interesting arc for the series which will see David Warner and Toby Hadoke recurring through four of the releases. I think we made Toby’s year when we cast him in an ongoing role opposite one of his favourite Doctors!

Written and directed by Nicholas Briggs, it is due to be released in February 2013.

The Sands of Life
by Nicholas Briggs
starring Tom Baker, Mary Tamm and John Leeson

Plot synopsis to be confirmed.

Cast: Hayley Atwell (President Moorkurk), David Warner (Cuthbert), Toby Hadoke (Mr Dorrick)

FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Tom Baker - Big Finish

Big Finish: The Auntie Matter

Monday, 3 September 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Big Finish have revealed the cover for The Auntie Matter, the first story in the second season of The Fourth Doctor Adventures; it stars Tom Baker with the late Mary Tamm, and is due to be released in January 2013.

Producer David Richardson says:

It's astonishing to think that it's only four months until the launch of Season Two, And it’s desperately sad to think Mary is no longer with us to enjoy the public unveiling of Romana’s return to the Fourth Doctor’s side.

However, I have no doubt at all that Mary would want us to forge ahead with releasing these stories as planned, and she'd want them to be a huge success. She certainly worked very hard to finish them, despite her illness.

The story concerns how, whilst the two time travellers are hiding out at the Doctor's house on Baker Street in the early 20th Century, Romana attracts the attentions of Reggie, who is very eager to introduce her to his Aunt...

The cast includes Robert Portal as Reggie, Lucy Griffiths as Mabel, Alan Cox as Grenville, with Julia McKenzie as the sinister Aunt Florence.

The Auntie Matter
by Jonathan Morris
starring Tom Baker and Mary Tamm

"Well, old Reggie's finally gone and done it now, hasn't he?

It had all started so well. Finally found a filly worthy of taking to Basset Hall for the blasted Aunt's approval, bright young charmer called Romana, then everything goes to pot. Now some Doctor cove's running round the place waving a wand at everything and people are firing weapons at us. It's all terribly uncivilised.

Looks like your hero's goose might be a trifle on the cooked side. It's all so dashed frightening. I wonder if it'll be done for tea?"

FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Tom Baker - Big Finish

DVD Update: Terror of the Zygons

Tuesday, 31 July 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The British Board of Film Classification has now passed special features that will appear on the forthcoming DVD release of the last complete Tom Baker adventure Terror of the Zygons:

00:26:25:04  THE UNIT FAMILY - PART THREE
00:19:38:05  MERRY-GO-ROUND - THE FUEL FISHERS
00:01:47:19  (EASTER EGG)
00:05:06:24  TERROR OF THE ZYGONS - PHOTO GALLERY
00:31:22:14  SCOTCH MIST IN SUSSEX
             (REMEMBERING 'TERROR OF THE ZYGONS')
00:30:01:15  REMEMBERING DOUGLAS CAMFIELD
00:22:54:13  DOCTOR WHO STORIES - TOM BAKER
00:19:43:22  DOCTOR WHO STORIES - ELISABETH SLADEN

In addition, the Board have also passed a "director's cut" version of episode one, which has a run-time of 23m21s (the broadcast version is 21m41s).

No release date for the story has been announced at present.

The current confirmed schedule consists of Planet of Giants for 20th August, Vengeance on Varos (special edition) for 10th September, and The Ambassadors of Death for 1st October. Online retailers have also listed The Claws of Axos (special edition) for 22nd October.

Other known releases still be to scheduled include The Legacy Boxset (known to feature Shada and More Than Thirty Years In The TARDIS), The Reign of Terror (with animated episodes 4+5), Inferno (special edition), and The Mind Of Evil (with colourised episode 1 and colour-restored 2-6), plus the two recently returned episodes Galaxy Four: Air Lock and The Underwater Menace: Episode 2. How the remaining episodes of The Tenth Planet and The Ice Warriors are to be released has yet to be announced.

The Ambassadors of Death - Cover:

A clean version of the cover art by Lee Binding for October's The Ambassadors of Death has been published via the Tea-Lady Design Facebook page.

FILTER: - Tom Baker - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

The Five Doctors

Monday, 4 June 2012 - Reported by Marcus

This weekend saw the biggest collection of living Doctors for many a year as the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth all gathered at Collectormania 18 in Milton Keynes.

The event, organised by Showmasters, took place at the Don's stadium and saw Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann all meeting fans and signing autographs. The Independent has published a transcript of the Q&A session.