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

BBC Audio: Current Competitions

Tuesday, 25 October 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

We have the following audiobooks available for readers to win, courtesy of BBC Audio; in order to be in with a chance to win simply email us with the answer to the question along with your name, country and where you heard about the competition. All competitions are open worldwide, with a closing date of 13th November 2016. Only one entry per household can be accepted.

Doctor Who and The Invasion Of Time (Credit: BBC Audio)

[order from Amazon UK]

The Invasion of Time, written by Terrance Dicks and read by John Leeson
A traitor to the Time Lords! Can the Doctor really be in league with the evil Vardans, spearheading a treacherous invasion of his home planet Gallifrey? Or is he playing a deadly double game, saving the Time Lords by appearing to betray them? Not even his closest friends can tell. Whilst the Doctor's companion Leela is cast into the wilderness of Outer Gallifrey, the Vardans themselves are mere pawns in a deadly tactical game. Soon the Doctor will face an old enemy as he battles to foil the invasion of Time.

Question: These days, which actor is more usually associated with embodying the Sontaran menace?
Send your answer to comp-invasionoftime@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Send in the clones".

Doctor Who: The Time Meddler (Credit: BBC Audio)

[order from Amazon UK]

The Time Meddler, written by Nigel Robinson and read by Peter Purves
When the TARDIS materialises on an apparently deserted Nothumbrian beach, Steven disputes the Doctor’s claim that they have travelled back to the eleventh century. The disovery of a modern wristwatch in a nearby forest merely reinforces his opinion. But it is 1066, the most important date in English history, and the Doctor’s arrival has not gone unnoticed. Observing the appearance of the TARDIS is a mysterious monk, who recognises the time-machine for what it is. He also knows that the Doctor poses a serious threat to his master plan – a plan which, if successful, could alter the future of the entire world...

Question: What was the difference between the Doctor's and the Monk's TARDIS?
Send your answer to comp-timemeddler@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "The Vikings are Coming!".

[order from Amazon UK]

Torchwood Tales
Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd, Kai Owen and others read ten stories based on the hit BBC TV series. Written specially for audio, with additional sound design, the stories feature the original Torchwood line-up including Captain Jack, Gwen, Ianto, Owen and Toshiko, plus Rhys and PC Andy.

Question: One of the readers is 'alien' to the Torchwood universe - but which one?
Send your answer to comp-twtales@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Talking Hub-Bub".

Eleventh Doctor Tales (Credit: BBC Audio)

[order from Amazon UK]

Eleventh Doctor Tales
Matt Smith, Arthur Darvill and Meera Syal are among the readers of this exclusive collection of original audio adventures. Join the Eleventh Doctor on journeys in Time and Space.

Question: What is Meera Syal's connection to Doctor Who?
Send your answer to comp-11tales@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Still not ginger!".

FILTER: - Audio - BBC Audio - Competitions

Silva Screen to re-release The Soundhouse

Tuesday, 20 September 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Silva Screen have announced that the 1983 album The Soundhouse, featuring music by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, will be re-released on CD on 7th October with a vinyl pressing to follow on 4th November:

SILVA SCREEN RECORDS PRESENTS THE SOUNDHOUSE

This historic 1983 BBC Radiophonic compilation reflects the advances made in computer technology and electronic music.

In 1979 the Fairlight CMI (Computer Musical Instrument) was launched, the year that the BBC Radiophonic Workshop celebrated its 21st birthday. At the price of a house (approx £30,000) this state of the art piece of equipment was embedded with an 8 bit digital sampling synthesizer capable of emulating acoustic instruments and orchestras alongside the manipulation of sound effects. For the BBC Radiophonic Workshop this was a major change, as previously composers would spend weeks editing small pieces of tape together to create sounds. Ingenuity and creativity in music and sound was still at the forefront for Workshop members but suddenly made a whole lot easier. This 1983 collection (a first time re-release here of the complete album) celebrated these new found freedoms most notably on the opening track where five Radiophonic composers combined to add their own musical identity to a rhythmic percussive sequence from the Fairlight. Highlights include music from the radio production of The Hitchikers Guide To The Galaxy and Fancy Fish based on Saint-Saen's Carnival Of The Animals which was the first BRW project to utilise the Fairlight.

Tracklisting:

Radiophonic Rock - Peter Howell / Roger Limb / Jonathan Gibbs / Malcolm Clarke / Elizabeth Parker / Dick Mills
Lascaux - Peter Howell
Computers In The Real World - Jonathan Gibbs
Seascape - Dick Mills
The Whale - Paddy Kingsland
Rallyman - Roger Limb
Catch The Wind - Dick Mills
Believe It Or Not - Malcolm Clarke
Planet Earth - Elizabeth Parker
Dawn - Jonathan Gibbs
Mainstream - Attr. Henry VIII, arr. Peter Howell
The Unseeing Eye - Malcolm Clarke
Fancy Fish - Camille Saint-Saëns, arr. Peter Howell / Dick Mills
Brighton Pier - Paddy Kingsland
Armagiddean War Games - Dick Mills
Yellow Moon - Roger Limb
Radio Blackburn - Elizabeth Parker
Macrocosm - Dick Mills
Land And People - Peter Howell
Houdin’s Musical Box - A. Le Charpentier, arr. Jonathan Gibbs
Ghost In The Water - Roger Limb
The Milonga - Malcolm Clarke

Competition

To be in with a chance to win a copy of the CD courtesy of Silva Screen, simply answer the following question:

Which of the tracks features prominently during the fifth Doctor adventure Enlightenment?

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-silvascreen@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Not so secret Seven!". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 9th October 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

FILTER: - Audio - Competitions - Merchandise - Music

The Lives of Captain Jack

Saturday, 10 September 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Big Finish have announced further adventures for Captain Jack Harkness with a new series coming in June 2017.

The Lives of Captain Jack (Credit: Big Finish)

John Barrowman (Doctor Who, Torchwood, Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow) returns to the Doctor Who universe as Captain Jack Harkness in The Lives of Captain Jack, a set of four full cast audio adventures from Big Finish, made under licence from BBC Worldwide.

Captain Jack - an immortal adventurer with a wicked sense of everything - has led an extraordinary set of lives. We all know he travelled with the Doctor, we all know he ran Torchwood - but what else did he get up to? The four adventures in this full cast series from Big Finish provide some of the answers.

Starring John Barrowman, and guest starring Russell Tovey (Doctor Who, Being Human and Looking), Camille Coduri (Doctor Who, Him & Her), Alexander Vlahos (Merlin, Versailles, The Confessions of Dorian Gray), Sarah Douglas (Superman I, Superman II, Space 1999, V, Strippers vs Werewolves), Scott Haran (Wizards vs Aliens), Aaron Neil (Class) and Katy Manning (Doctor Who) the four adventures see Captain Jack in different times and on different planets, doing battle with a variety of strange and horrible enemies, from Mother Nothing to the Council Of Three.

John Barrowman laughs:

I find it really easy to slip into Captain Jack. There’s a bit of Jack in John and vice versa. What’s great about these stories is that they’re the kind of episode we didn’t have time for on TV – exploring aspects of Jack that you’ve never seen before in a timey-wimey way. And getting to work with Camille was amazing. If you’re a fan of Captain Jack, or Torchwood or Doctor Who, then I say get them.

Producer James Goss says:

We love John. He understands Captain Jack like no-one else, and easily provided the various versions of him – having just spent three days playing Torchwood Jack, he suddenly delivered preppy Time Agent Jack, Satellite 5 Jack, End of Time Jack, and effortlessly locked horns with Jackie Tyler. Watching him together in the studio with Camille was genuinely one of the happiest days of my life. We were so lucky to get John, and can’t wait to get him back.

Released in June 2017, The Lives of Captain Jack is written by Guy Adams and James Goss. The stories include:

THE YEAR AFTER I DIED: Set in the year 200,101, on an Earth ravaged by the Daleks, we see Jack struggling to save humanity from its oldest enemy.
WEDNESDAYS FOR BEGINNERS: Jack and Jackie Tyler (Camille Coduri) must unite to rescue the Powell Estate from a force whose name Jackie can never say.
ONE ENCHANTED EVENING: Captain Jack and Alonso Frame (Russell Tovey) have only just met. But why did the Doctor want them to be together?
MONTH 25: He’s the young star of the Time Agency, and his whole life is about to fall apart. But that’s not going to stop him winning.

The Lives of Captain Jack is available to pre-order from the Big Finish website.

FILTER: - Audio - Big Finish - John Barrowman - Torchwood

Competition Roundup

Tuesday, 6 September 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

A roundup of competitions from Doctor Who News that readers may enter:

The Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Pursuit of History/Casualties of Time

The fourth Doctor concludes his latest set of adventures alongside Romana and K-9:

On a brisk winter’s morning in 1850s Yorkshire, Cuthbert, head of the intergalactic business known as 'The Conglomerate' prepares to hijack a very special train. In the far future, his assistant, Mr Dorrick is awoken by howling alarms. There is a problem with the Quantum Gateway. In the TARDIS, the Doctor, Romana and K9 detect strange distortions in the Vortex, an energy stream coming from a strange creature called a Laan. The threads of a plan centuries in the making are coming together. But who is behind this plan? And can anyone possibly escape when history is against them?

The Pursuit Of History (Credit: Big Finish)

To be in with a chance to win a digital download of the audio adventure courtesy of Big Finish, simply answer the following question:

David Warner has his own history with time shenanigans - name the the film in which he played a character coveting a map depicting holes in the space-time continuum.

Please send your answer along with your name and the email address you have registered with Big Finish, plus where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-bf4d@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Time Traps". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 18th September 2016. Note: entrants must have an active registration with Big Finish in order to be eligible to receive the prize - new registrations can be easily created on the website for free and with no financial obligation.

BBC Books: Doctor Who - The Official Cookbook

BBC Books offer you the chance to make a culinary impression on your Doctor Who friends!

Whether you’re planning a party to watch the latest episode, need a showstopping cake that’s bigger on the inside, or want a taste of the TARDIS at teatime, this is the ultimate collection of dishes from across space and time. Keep the munchies at bay with a fleet of Atraxi Snax, and serve an Ood Head Bread with your dinner. Create your very own Picnic at Asgard, or invite the Zygon Pie into your house. And say ‘Hello, Sweetie’ to a deadly-delicious Dalektable Army, a Peek-a-Boo Pandorica cake, or some simple jelly babies. Each easy-to-follow recipe has step-by-step instructions to show how you can make meals, snacks, cakes and sweets that are truly out of this world.

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

What meal did a newly-regenerated Doctor cook up in Amelia's kitchen?

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-cookbook@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Yum!". The competition is open to UK readers only, closing date 18th September 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: Doctor Who and The Sontaran Experiment

The classic novelisation adaptation from BBC Audio sees the fourth Doctor finding out Earth is not as uninhabited as he expected ...

Landing on Earth - now a barren, desolate planet - Sarah, Harry and the Doctor are unaware of a large, watching robot. The robot is the work of Styr, a Sontaran warrior, who uses all humans landing here for his experimental programmes. What has happened to the other space explorers who have come here? Why is Styr so interested in Earth, and in brutally torturing humans, including Sarah Jane? Will the Doctor be able to prevent an invasion, and save both Earth and his companions?

Doctor Who and The Sontaran Experiment (Credit: BBC Audio)

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

Having survived solar flares, the Earth then had to endure being moved two light years in space and enveloped by a solar fireball ... but who orchestrated this second devastation?

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-experiment@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Trafalgar Square should be that way". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 18th September 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: Doctor Who: The Macra Terror

The classic novelisation adaptation from BBC Audio sees the second Doctor discovering something sinister in the shadows ...

In the far future a group of humans is living an idyllic existence on a distant planet. Their colony is run like a gigantic holiday camp, and nothing seems to trouble their carefree existence. When one of them claims that the colony is being invaded by hideous monsters, no-one takes him seriously. But the Doctor's suspicions are immediately aroused. What is the terrible menace that lurks at the heart of this apparent paradise? Why are the colonists unaware of the danger that lies before their very eyes? And what is the Macra Terror?

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

Name the televised story that featured an unexpected return of the Macra some forty years later...

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-macra@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "There is no such thing as Macra!". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 18th September 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: Illegal Alien

This BBC Books adaptation from BBC Audio sees the seventh Doctor caught up in World War II antics...

The Blitz is at its height. As the Luftwaffe bomb London, Cody McBridge, ex-pat American private eye, sees a sinister silver sphere crash-land. He glimpses something emerging from within. The military dismiss his account of events - the sphere must be a new German secret weapon that has malfunctioned in some way. What else could it be? Arriving amid the chaos, the Doctor and Ace embark on a trail that brings them face to face with hidden Nazi agents, and encounter some very old enemies ...

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

Name another Doctor Who story set in London during the Blitz.

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-illegalalien@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Put that light out!". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 18th September 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: Tenth Doctor Tales

A collection of audio adventures featuring the tenth Doctor.

Join the Tenth Doctor on these seven adventures in Time and Space, written specially for audio: Pest Control, The Forever Trap, The Nemonite Invasion, The Rising Night, The Day of the Troll, The Last Voyage and Dead Air. David Tennant, Catherine Tate and Michelle Ryan read this exclusive collection of original audio adventures.

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

The Rising Night reader Michelle Ryan is better known as which of the tenth Doctor's associates?

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-10d-tales@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Oral Encounters". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 18th September 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

FILTER: - Audio - BBC Audio - BBC Books - Big Finish - Books - Competitions

BBC reveal midnight announcement

Tuesday, 6 September 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The BBC have posted a teaser for a forthcoming announcement at midnight tonight via their Facebook page:

Visit Doctor Who News after midnight UK time for more details.

FILTER: - Audio - BBC Audio - BBC Books - Big Finish - Books - Competitions

June Competition Roundup

Tuesday, 21 June 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

A roundup of competitions from Doctor Who News that readers may enter:

The Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Trouble with Drax

The fourth Doctor continues his adventures alongside Romana and K-9:

Altrazar. The temporal Atlantis, a place lost to time. Believed by many to be a myth, it has long been the perfect location for the rich and powerful to hide away their most dangerous secrets. Until now. Because the somewhat crooked, not exactly honest, wheeler-dealer cockney Time Lord known as Drax has found a map that leads to its location. And, at the behest of a manipulative businessman, he's going to use it. When the TARDIS is dragged out of the space-time vortex, its crew aren't best pleased to see the Doctor's old school friend, even less when he pressgangs them into joining a raid on the most secure safe-house in history. However with Romana and K9 held hostage, the Doctor has little choice but to agree. With Drax in tow, he heads for the planet. Which is where the trouble starts.

The Trouble With Drax (Credit: Big Finish)

To be in with a chance to win a digital download of the audio adventure courtesy of Big Finish, simply answer the following question:

What is Drax's nickname for the Doctor?

Please send your answer along with your name and the email address you have registered with Big Finish, plus where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-bf4d@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "No, Drax, no!". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 3rd July 2016. Note: entrants must have an active registration with Big Finish in order to be eligible to receive the prize - new registrations can be easily created on the website for free and with no financial obligation.

BBC Audio: Doctor Who and The Claws of Axos

The latest classic novelisation adaptation from BBC Audio sees the third Doctor encounter vampires from space ...

When an Unidentified Flying Object arrives in England, the Doctor, Jo and UNIT are quickly on the scene. Inside the strange craft they meet the Axons, beautiful golden creatures who offer a fantastic gift to humanity. Governments around the world are soon clamouring to get their hands on it. Only the Doctor remains suspicious. What is the real reason for the Axons' sudden arrival on Earth

Doctor Who and The Claws Of Axos (Credit: BBC Audio)

To be in with a chance to win the audiobook courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:? And is the evil Master a passenger on their spaceship? He very soon finds out ...

What was the name of the first victim to encounter Axos upon its arrival on Earth?

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-axos@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Axos calling Earth". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 3rd July 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: Scream Of The Shalka

BBC Audio's latest novel adaptation introduces us to the first official Ninth Doctor ...

When the Doctor lands his TARDIS in the Lancaster town of Lannet in the present day, he finds that something is terrifyingly wrong. The people are scared. They don't like going onto the streets at night; they don't like too much noise; and they certainly don't like strangers asking too many questions. What alien force has invaded the town? Why is it watching barmaid Alison Cheney? And what plans does it have for the future of the planet Earth?

Scream of the Shalka (Credit: BBC Audio)

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

Shalka features several actors who later went on to appear in the revived series, but which one went on to play the Doctor himself?

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-shalka@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Johnny alien is going to get a good seeing to". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 3rd July 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Books: The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who (paperback)

BBC Books are re-issuing their book exploring science in Doctor Who on 7th July:

Doctor Who tells many amazing science fiction stories - but how much of the science is actually real, and how much is really fiction? The Scientific Secrets Of Doctor Who shows how its storytelling has always been intricately linked to science, and how close it has come in predicting future discoveries. With fifteen all-new Doctor Who stories as starting points, Simon Guerrier and Dr Marek Kulula investigate the latest and most boggling scientific ideas through the prism of the series. Everything from TARDIS physics to the possibility of life on other planets is explained, delving into the lore of the show, and the scientific laws it both adheres to and gleefully ignores.

The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who (paperback) (Credit: BBC Books)

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

Who was the unofficial scientific advisor to the series during the 1960s around the time of the first Doctor's regeneration?

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-secrets@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Science, not sorcery, Miss Hawthorne!". The competition is open to UK readers only, closing date 3rd July 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

FILTER: - Audio - BBC Audio - BBC Books - Big Finish - Competitions

BBC Audio: Target Adaptations Update

Thursday, 9 June 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BBC Audio have released details of the audio adaptions of Target novelisations due to be published for the rest of the year, including the confirmation of Richard Franklin reading this month's Doctor Who and The Claws Of Axos, and Jon Culshaw reading next month's Doctor Who and The Sontaran Experiment.

Doctor Who and The Claws Of Axos
Written by Terrance Dicks, read by Richard Franklin
Published by BBC Audio 2nd June 2016 [order from Amazon UK]

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

'Axos calling Earth, Axos calling Earth...’

The creatures stood before them, offering friendship and their priceless Axonite, in return for - what? Only the Doctor remains suspicious. What is the real reason for the Axon’s sudden arrival on Earth? And why is the evil Master a passenger on their spaceship? He very soon finds out...

Duration: 3 hours 40 mins

Doctor Who and The Sontaran Experiment
Written by Ian Marter, read by Jon Culshaw
Published by BBC Audio 7th July 2016 [pre-order from Amazon UK]

An unabridged reading of this classic novelisation of a Fourth Doctor TV adventure from 1975.

Landing on Earth - now a barren, desolate planet - Sarah, Harry and the Doctor are unaware of a large, watching robot. The robot is the work of Styre, a Sontaran warrior, who uses all humans landing here for his experimental programmes. What has happened to the other space explorers who have come here? Why is Styre so interested in Earth, and in brutally torturing humans, including Sarah Jane? Will the Doctor be able to prevent an invasion, and save both Earth and his companions?

Duration: 4 hours approx

Doctor Who: The Macra Terror
Written by Ian Stuart Black, read by Anneke Wills
Published by BBC Audio 4th August 2016 [pre-order from Amazon UK]

An unabridged reading of this novelisation of a classic 1967 TV adventure featuring the Second Doctor, as played by Patrick Troughton.

In the far future a group of humans is living an idyllic existence on a distant planet. Their colony is run like a gigantic holiday camp, and nothing seems to trouble their carefree existence. When one of them claims that the colony is being invaded by hideous monsters, no-one takes him seriously. But the Doctor's suspicions are immediately
aroused. What is the terrible menace that lurks at the heart of this apparent paradise? Why are the colonists unaw are of the danger that lies before their very eyes? And what is the Macra Terror?

Duration: 3 hours 5 mins

Doctor Who and The Invasion Of Time (no reader announced) (Credit: BBC Audio)

Doctor Who and The Invasion Of Time
Written by Terrance Dicks, read by John Leeson
Published by BBC Books 1st September 2016 [pre-order from Amazon UK]

John Leeson reads this exciting novelisation of a classic Fourth Doctor adventure, set on Gallifrey and featuring the Sontarans.

Can the Doctor really be in league with the evil Vardans, spearheading a treacherous invasion of his home planet, Gallifrey? Or is he playing a deadly double game, saving the Time Lords by appearing to betray them? But the Vardans themselves are not the only pawns in the game, and the Doctor faces and old and deadly enemy as he battles to foil the invasion of Time.

Duration: 4 hours approx

Doctor Who: The Time Meddler (no reader announced) (Credit: BBC Audio)

Doctor Who: The Time Meddler, reader tba
Written by Nigel Robinson
Published by BBC Books 6th October 2016 [pre-order from Amazon UK]

An unabridged reading of this classic novelisation featuring the First Doctor, and featuring the Meddling Monk.

When the TARDIS materialises on an apparently deserted Nothumbrian beach, Steven disputes the Doctor’s claim that they have travelled back to the eleventh century. The discovery of a modern wristwatch in a nearby forest merely reinforces his opinion.

But it is 1066, the most important date in English history, and the Doctor’s arrival has not gone unnoticed. Observing the appearance of the TARDIS is a mysterious monk, who recognises the time-machine for what it is. He also knows that the Doctor poses a serious threat to his master plan – a plan which, if successful, could alter the future of the entire world...

Duration: 4 hours approx

November sees the release of the third Doctor novelisation Doctor Who And The Day Of The Daleks, written by Terrance Dicks. Also in November comes Tales From The TARDIS Volume 1, a CD boxed set of the adaptations The Curse of Peladon (read by Jon Pertwee), Kinda (read by Peter Davison), Attack of the Cybermen (read by Colin Baker), the anthology Out Of The Darkness (read by Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant), and other short stories (read by Nicholas Courtney and Sophie Aldred), originally released on MP3-CD back in 2004.

FILTER: - BBC Audio

BBC Audio: a collection of Tales

Wednesday, 8 June 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BBC Audio have released details of three collections coming later this year, collating previously released audio tales featuring the Tenth Doctor, Eleventh Doctor and Torchwood:

Tenth Doctor Tales
Published by BBC Books 4th August 2016 [pre-order from Amazon UK]

David Tennant, Catherine Tate and Michelle Ryan read this exclusive collection of original audio adventures. Join the Tenth Doctor on these seven adventures in Time and Space, written specially for audio:

Pest Control by Peter Anghelides, read by David Tennant
The Forever Trap by Dan Abnett, read by Catherine Tate
The Nemonite Invasion by David Roden, read by Catherine Tate
The Rising Night by Scott Handcock, read by Michelle Ryan.
The Day of the Troll by Simon Messingham, read by David Tennant
The Last Voyage by Dan Abnett, read by David Tennant
Dead Air by James Goss, read by David Tennant

With thrilling music and sound design, these seven adventures are based on the hit BBC TV series.

Duration: 13 hours approx

Torchwood Tales
Published by BBC Books 1st September 2016 [pre-order from Amazon UK]

Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd, Kai Owen and others read ten stories based on the hit BBC TV series. Written specially for audio, with additional sound design, the stories feature the original Torchwood line-up including Captain Jack, Gwen, Ianto, Owen and Toshiko, plus Rhys and PC Andy. The titles are:

Hidden by Steven Savile, read by Naoko Mori
Everyone Says Hello by Dan Abnett, read by Burn Gorman
In the Shadows by Joseph Lidster, read by Eve Myles
The Sin Eaters by Brian Minchin, read by Gareth David-Lloyd
Department X and Ghost Train by James Goss, read by Kai Owen
Army of One by Ian Edginton, read by Kai Owen
Fallout by David Llewellyn, read by Tom Price
Red Skies by Joseph Lidster, read by John Telfer
Mr Invincible by Mark Morris, read by Tom Price

Duration: 16 hours approx

Eleventh Doctor Tales
Published by BBC Books 6th October 2016 [pre-order from Amazon UK]

Matt Smith, Arthur Darvill and Meera Syal are among the readers of this exclusive collection of original audio adventures. Join the Eleventh Doctor on journeys in Time and Space in the stories:

The Runaway Train by Oli Smith, read by Matt Smith
The Ring of Steel by Stephen Cole, read by Arthur Darvill
The Jade Pyramid by Martin Day, read by Matt Smith
The Hounds of Artemis by James Goss, read by Matt Smith & Clare Corbett
The Gemini Contagion by Jason Arnopp, read by Meera Syal
Eye of the Jungle by Darren Jones, read by David Troughton
Blackout by Oli Smith, read by Stuart Milligan
The Art of Death by James Goss, read by Raquel Cassidy
Darkstar Academy by Mark Morris, read by Alexander Armstrong
Day of the Cockroach by Steve Lyons, read by Arthur Darvill
The Nu-Humans by Cavan Scott & Mark Wright, read by Raquel Cassidy
The Empty House by Simon Guerrier, read by Raquel Cassidy
The Sleepers in the Dust by Darren Jones, read by Arthur Darvill
Snake Bite by Scott Handcock, read by Frances Barber

Duration: 15 hours approx.

FILTER: - BBC Audio - Eleventh Doctor - Tenth Doctor - Torchwood

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BBC Audio: audiobook / competition updates

Win Doctor Who and The Day of The Daleks

Win Tales from the TARDIS

BBC Audio: Current Competitions

Silva Screen to re-release The Soundhouse

Competition

The Lives of Captain Jack

Competition Roundup

The Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Pursuit of History/Casualties of Time

BBC Books: Doctor Who - The Official Cookbook

BBC Audio: Doctor Who and The Sontaran Experiment

BBC Audio: Doctor Who: The Macra Terror

BBC Audio: Illegal Alien

BBC Audio: Tenth Doctor Tales

BBC reveal midnight announcement

June Competition Roundup

The Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Trouble with Drax

BBC Audio: Doctor Who and The Claws of Axos

BBC Audio: Scream Of The Shalka

BBC Books: The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who (paperback)

BBC Audio: Target Adaptations Update

BBC Audio: a collection of Tales

This Week in Doctor Who

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