Interview with IDW Publisher Chris Ryall

Thursday, 17 January 2008 - Reported by R Alan Siler

Chris Ryall, publisher with the comics company IDW (the company behind the new original and reprint Doctor Whotitles), is featured in an in-depth interview on the Comic Book Resources website.

While the Doctor Who titles are not the focus of the interview, Ryall does mention them along with all the other titles the company is publishing. Its a great way to get to know the home of Doctor Who in American comics.

FILTER: - Magazines

The Qualities of Leadership

Thursday, 17 January 2008 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

Big Finish Productions has released information on their upcoming Short Trips Anthology, The Qualities of Leadership, which is due out in May.Keith R.A. DeCandido, editor of the volume, made the choice to have each of the stories be a little longer than past stories.

The Stories will include:

Introduction by Keith R.A. DeCandido
"From Little Acorns..." by John S. Drew
"One Fateful Knight" by Peter David
"The Slave War" by Una McCormack
"Goths and Robbers" by Diane Duane
"Good Queen, Bad Queen, I Queen, You Queen" by Terri Osborne
"The Price of Conviction" by Richard C. White
"God Send Me Well to Keep" by Linnea Dodson
"Peaceable Kingdom" by Steve Savile
"Rock Star" by Robert T. Jeschonek
"On a Pedestal" by Kathleen O. David
"Cleanup on Aisle Two" by James Swallow
"The Spindle of Necessity" by Allyn Gibson
"Epilogue" by John S. Drew

King Loran of Zalezna is dead, the victim of an attempted coup. However, with the help of the Eighth Doctor, Loran’s son and heir, Mihal, is able to stop the rebels and claim the throne. Now Mihal faces the prospect of ruling before he’s ready. By way of helping Mihal prepare for his new role, the Doctor tells him of the many leaders he’s met over the course of his lives...

Join the Doctor as he regales Prince Mihal with stories from throughout time and space. There are tales of the Roman Empire, from Emperor Theodoric to rebels Spartacus and Calpurnia to Rome’s enemy Queen Boudica. There’s King Arthur and Plato as they’ve never been seen before, Martin Luther and King Henry VIII in the midst of rewriting Europe’s religious landscape and an unexpected side of William Wallace. The Doctor also travels to such exotic worlds as Rishik and Mitidiki, and arrives at a deceptively mundane department store.

Leadership comes in many forms. Some are unexpected, some are less pleasant than you’d think and some aren’t quite what history would later paint them to be.

FILTER: - Audio

Torchwood Magazine Debuts

Wednesday, 16 January 2008 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

As previously reported, Titan Magazines has launched the official Torchwood Magazine, the first issue of which is due out on January 24. Below is the official press release; the final cover is also available (click on the thumbnail for a larger version.)

Launch of Torchwood: The Official Magazine

Following the success of Torchwood, the BBC’s award-winning sci-fi drama, Titan Magazines presents Torchwood: The Official Magazine – the essential guide to the adrenalin-fuelled exploits of Captain Jack Harkness and his team.

Torchwood: The Official Magazine includes the latest news from the Torchwood set in Cardiff, exclusive cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes features on the show’s special effects, regular columns from Torchwood’s lead writer Chris Chibnall, and producer Richard Stokes, plus, 10 pages of original Torchwood comic strip fiction!

The launch issue includes interviews with Torchwood lead John Barrowman, and guest star James Marsters (Spike, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), plus, exclusive photography and concept artwork of the Hub.

Explore Torchwood from a different angle, only with Torchwood: The Official Magazine!

Torchwood: The Official Magazine is published every four weeks. Issue #1 on sale at good retailers from January 24

FILTER: - Torchwood - Magazines

Doctor Who Adventures 47

Wednesday, 16 January 2008 - Reported by Marcus

The latest Doctor Who Adventures, is out across the United Kingdom on Thursday 17 January; below is the press release for the issue.

Press Release

Doctor Who Adventures – now weekly!

Stand by for more adventures in time and space! From the next issue of Doctor Who Adventures, readers can get a new monster-packed issue of the successful children’s magazine every Thursday!

In the first weekly issue, it’s battle stations as we take a look at the legendary Dalek and Cybermen fight from the end of the second series.

There are also ten ways for you to act just like the Doctor and a fact file about the brave Titanic waitress Astrid Peth.

PLUS:
News! Find out why there’s a police box in a future episode of EastEnders.
This week’s activity Move like a Cyberman and make a Cyber chest plate.
Quiz Which Doctor are you like?
Comic strip Part two of The Monster Upstairs – an alien has kidnapped Violet Hopley.
Secrets Meet the man behind the bangs in Doctor Who – Danny Hargreaves.
Doctor’s Data Are you brave enough to read about the Empty Child?
Time Agent Upload Is your letter or picture in this issue? Find out inside! Plus pictures of readers dressed as the Doctor and his friends.
Exclusive posters! A stunning Cyberman and Dalek poster, K-9, and the Doctor and Mr Copper.
Game Trouble on the Titanic – can you escape the Host and reach Deck 31?
Win – Cool prizes up for grabs
Puzzles! Look out for Host on toast and Max has got his tracks in a twist. And more from Bloodtide and Doomfinger with their Woven Wordsearch!

Doctor Who Adventures issue 47 comes with a Family of Blood notepad, pen, pencil, eraser and stickers. Miss it and miss out!

FILTER: - Magazines - DWA

Earls Court Expo Opening Date

Tuesday, 15 January 2008 - Reported by DWNP Archive

The Doctor Who Up-Close display at Earls Court will open on March 20, according to the revamped Doctor Who Exhibitions and Museumwebsite.

As reported last month by Outpost Gallifrey, the display will be in the Museum Hall, beneath Earls Court Exhibition Centre. It will include items fromVoyage of the Damned as well as from Series Four after their appearance on the show, says the exhibitions site.

Tickets for the Earls Court exhibition - billed as being the largest Doctor Who display in the UK - go on sale fromFebruary 18.

Meanwhile, the Land's End exhibition will be closed from January 22 to 25 inclusive for essential maintenance. TheBlackpool Doctor Who Museumis shut for the winter and will reopen on February 16.

The Up-Close exhibition in Cardiff remains open seven days a week.

FILTER: - Exhibitions

Davies interviewed

Monday, 14 January 2008 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

Two interviews with Russell T. Davies will air this week on BBC radio and television. First, on Tuesday January 15, Davies will speak to Nemone on the digital radio station BBC 6 Music. This interview can be heard from 1:00 p.m. GMT via the internet and the BBC's iPlayer Radio service (formerly Listen Again).

Then, on Wednesday January 16th, BBC Four will broadcast Mark Lawson Talks to Russell T. Davies. The Radio Times describes this interview as follows:

This ought to be a cracking edition of the late night Q&A. Never less than generous and animated in interview, RTD has plenty to talk about, from his ratings behemoth Doctor Who to its sexy, violent spin-off, Torchwood, whose second series starts tonigh

FILTER: - Russell T Davies - Production - Radio Times

Torchwood Series 2 HDNet Air Date

Sunday, 13 January 2008 - Reported by DWNP Archive

Series Two of Torchwood is poised to start showing on the United States' high-definition cable channel HDNet fromMonday, February 11.

According to the channel's website, it will air at 7pm Eastern Time, although the site also carries the disclaimer that schedules are subject to change.

HDNet is available on several cable systems as well as satellite and began showing the first series last September.

(Thanks to Tony Mason and Nick Fitzpatrick.)

FILTER: - Torchwood - Broadcasting

Next Guide Title Announced

Saturday, 12 January 2008 - Reported by DWNP Archive

Starships and Spacestations will be the next Doctor Who guide in the BBC Books series.

Written by Justin Richards, it is due to be published on May 1.

A press statement said: "The Doctor has his TARDIS to get him from place to place and time to time but the rest of the universe relies on more conventional transport.

"From the British Space Programme of the late 20th century to Earth's empire in the far future, from the terrifying Dalek fleet to deadly Cyber ships, this latest Doctor Who guide documents the many starships and spacestations that the Doctor and his companions have encountered on their travels.

"He has solved mysteries on spacestations and stopped invasions spearheaded by starships. He has been held prisoner in space, escaped from the moon, witnessed the arrival of the Sycorax and the crash-landing of a space pig.

"More than anyone else, the Doctor has seen the development of space travel between countless worlds.

"In this stunningly illustrated book, Doctor Who historian Justin Richards documents the amazing story of Earth's ventures into space, examines the many alien fleets who have paid Earth a visit, and explores the other starships and spacestations that the Doctor has encountered on his many travels."

There is no cover image as yet.

FILTER: - Books

Voyage - 2nd most watched programme in 2007

Friday, 11 January 2008 - Reported by Marcus

The Christmas special Voyage of the Damned is now officially the holder of the highest chart placing in Doctor Who's 44-year history.

The Broadcasters' Audience Research Board has published final viewing figures for the week ending 30th December 2007 giving the Christmas Special, Voyage of the Damned, a final rating of 13.31 million viewers. Final figures are more accurate than the initial overnights and includes those who record the programme and watch it within a week.

This confirms the programme not only as the second most watched on British television for the week, but the second most watched programme on British television for the whole of 2007. It out-rated such high-ranking shows as The Vicar of Dibley, Strictly Come Dancing, The X Factor and its old adversary Coronation Street. The only programme to score higher ratings than Doctor Who last year was the second Christmas Day edition of EastEnders.

Doctor Who has also entered the charts as the 11th most watched programme and 4th most watched BBC programme of the decade, so far. The chart lists the highest rated episode of each series or sporting event.

In terms of raw ratings Voyage of the Damned is the 8th most watched episode in the programme's history, being beaten by one William Hartnell episode and six Tom Baker ones. This is an amazing feat, considering that most of the top rated Tom Baker episodes were transmitted when ITV was on strike and the only other channel broadcasting at the time was BBC2.

FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 4/30

Rob Shearman Book Tour

Friday, 11 January 2008 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

Dalek and Big Finish writer Robert Shearman has a press launch for his new bookTiny Deaths, which he describes as "a collection of odd little sci-fi and horror tales". The launch will be held at 7 pm on Wednesday 16th January, at Calder Books, 51 The Cut, Southwark, London. Shearman will be reading one of his short stories, and autographing afterwards. Admission is free.

He will also be appearing on The Book Cafe, the live arts programme on BBC Radio Scotland, on 21st January at 13.15, to talk about the new book and his work on Doctor Who.

Also of note, on 24th January one of his stories, Love Among the Lobelias, will be read on Radio 4 at 15.30 by fellow Who writer and new series starMark Gatiss.

FILTER: - People

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