Competition Roundup

Tuesday, 24 May 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

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

The Fourth Doctor Adventures: Gallery of Ghouls

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

When the TARDIS lands in Brighton the Doctor and Romana have the chance to spend some time at the seaside. But with it being too early for the opening of the Pavilion, they have to look elsewhere for their entertainment - perhaps Madame Tissot's travelling waxworks, recently arrived in town? But they're not the only ones interested in her Exposition. When an unusual thief commits an unusual theft, the time travellers are on the case. What exactly is the sinister secret of Goole's Gallery? Is Tissot's heading for a meltdown? And what does it all have to do with the head of Marie Antoinette?

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

The Doctor, Romana and K9 have spent time on Brighton Beach before - or, rather, as is typical with time travel, they will do so later! - name that story.

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 "Deja Vu". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 12th June. 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: The King's Demons

The latest classic novelisation adaptation from BBC Audio sees the fifth Doctor arrive in medieval Britain:

It is 4 March 1215, and the TARDIS materialises in England during a jousting match held in the presence of King John. But it soon becomes apparent to the Doctor that something is very seriously wrong. Why does John express no fear or surprise at the time-travellers' sudden appearance, and indeed welcome them as the King's Demons! And what is the true identity of Sir Gilles, the King's Champion? Very soon the Doctor finds himself involved in a fiendish plan to alter the course of world history by one of his oldest and deadliest enemies.

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

This isn't the first time the Doctor has encountered the Plantagenet family - which incarnation met John's rather more fondly remembered brother Richard?

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-demons@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "We sing in praise of total war". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 12th June 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: Shakedown

BBC Audio's latest novel adaptation is Shakedown, originally released as part of the Virgin New Adventures range in 1995:

For thousands of years the Sontarans and the Rutans have fought a brutal war across the galaxy. Now the Sontarans have a secret plan to destroy the Rutan race - a secret plan the Doctor is racing against time to uncover. Only one Rutan spy knows the Sontarans' plans. As he is chased through the galaxy in a desperate bid for his life, he reaches the planet Sentarion - where Professor Bernice Summerfield's research into the history of the Sontaran/Rutan war is turning into an explosive reality...

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

The novel Shakedown is based upon the script Terrance Dicks originally wrote for the direct-to-video release Shakedown - Return of the Sontarans in 1994; name one of the main cast from that release who also has a strong connection to 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-shakedown@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Moth to the flame". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 12th June 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

Character: Missy figures

It is still possible to enter our competition to win a Character figure of Missy, which runs until 31st May. See the main competition article for full details.

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

New commentaries for Hartnell orphan episodes and The Daemons

Friday, 20 May 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Fantom Publishing have announced two new releases of Who Talk, a series of new independent commentaries for Doctor Who episodes.

Who Talk: Day Of Armageddon (Credit: Fantom Publishing)

Day of Armageddon
Moderated by Toby Hadoke

Joining Peter Purves for this release is David Graham, Donald Tosh, Clive Doig and Brian Hodgson as they discuss all three remaining episodes of The Dalek's Master Plan, Galaxy Four - Air Lock and The Celestial Toymaker - The Final Test.

Also featured on the release is a bonus interview with Jeremy Young who started in the prequel to The Daleks' Master Plan, Mission To The Unknown.

Producer Paul W T Ballard says:

Thanks to the success of the last two commentaries for The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear, we have been able to get back into studio to start plugging the gaps on other Doctor Who stories which do not have any form of commentary on them. It made perfect sense to get Peter Purves into studio to cover his ‘orphan’ episodes, and we were delighted to get some brilliant support from a number of other key personnel from the time too, all of whom have a lot to say about these stories. We can only hope one day to be able to expand and finish the stories in their entirety...!

Who Talk: The Daemons (Credit: Fantom Publishing)

The Dæmons
Moderated by Toby Hadoke

The new commentary track for The Dæmons features actors Katy Manning, John Levene, Alec Linstead, David Simeon and John Owens together with script editor Terrance Dicks and director's assistant Sue Upton.

Paul explains:

We have also, rather excitingly, taken the move to ‘remake’ a commentary for the first time. Some of the original DVD releases, for one reason or another, didn’t explore all of the available names for the commentary track, and this was especially noticeable for The Dæmons. So we’ve assembled quite a variety of names from both sides of the camera to give their thoughts and memories, and have even given the option of an alternative version for episode two!”

The commentaries are available to pre-order individually and as a special combined offer, on CD or via download. Full details can be found at the Who Talk website.

Who Talk: Day Of Armageddon recording (Peter Purves, David Graham, Toby Hadoke) (Credit: Fantom Publishing)

Who Talk: The Daemons recording (Sue Upton, Katy Manning, Toby Hadoke, Terrance Dicks) (Credit: Fantom Publishing)

Please note: these commentaries contain no BBC copyrighted elements and do not feature audio from the episodes themselves - these are designed to be played alongside the official DVD releases.

FILTER: - Audio - Blu-ray/DVD - Fantom - First Doctor - Third Doctor

The Tenth Doctor's Adventures: Volume One - now available from Big Finish

Monday, 16 May 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Today sees Big Finish release the first trilogy of their all-new adventures featuring the tenth Doctor and Donna, as played by David Tennant and Catherine Tate. The three stories will be available exclusively from the Big Finish website for the next few months, before going on general release at the end of August.

Technophobia
Written by Matt Fitton [order from Big Finish]

When the Doctor and Donna visit London’s Technology Museum for a glimpse into the future, things don’t go to plan.

The most brilliant IT brain in the country can’t use her computer. More worrying, the exhibits are attacking the visitors, while outside, people seem to be losing control of the technology that runs their lives.

Is it all down to simple human stupidity, or is something more sinister going on?

Beneath the streets, the Koggnossenti are waiting. For all of London to fall prey to technophobia...

Time Reaver (Credit: Big Finish / Tom Webster)

Time Reaver
Written by Jenny T Colgan [order from Big Finish]

Calibris. The spaceport planet where anything goes. Where anyone who doesn't want to be found can be lost, and where everything has its price. Where betentacled gangster Gully holds sway at the smugglers’ tavern, Vagabond’s Reach.

The alien Vacintians are trying to impose some order on the chaos. Soon the Doctor and Donna discover why. An illegal weapon is loose on the streets. A weapon that destroys lives… Slowly and agonisingly.

The Time Reaver.

Death and the Queen (Credit: Big Finish / Tom Webster)

Death and the Queen [order from Big Finish]
Written by James Goss

Donna Noble has never been lucky in love.

So when, one day, her Prince does come, she is thrilled to have the wedding of all weddings to look forward to. Though the Doctor isn’t holding his breath for an invitation. And her future mother-in-law is certainly not amused.

But on the big day itself, Donna finds her castle under siege from the darkest of forces, marching at the head of a skeleton army.

When it looks like even the Doctor can’t save the day, what will Queen Donna do to save her people from Death itself?

Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble (Credit: Big Finish)

The three adventures are also available as an exclusive boxed set, The Tenth Doctor Adventures: Volume One from Big Finish, which will be released as a limited 4-disc edition of 5000.

As well as the stories themselves, the box includes exclusive artwork, photography, articles, a one-hour documentary featuring interviews with the stars and production team, plus a bonus documentary examining the worlds of Doctor Who at Big Finish.

You can read our review of the release here.

FILTER: - Audio - Big Finish - David Tennant - Merchandise - Tenth Doctor

Big Finish: Eighth Doctor 20th Anniversary Special Offer

Saturday, 14 May 2016 - Reported by Mark Pattison

Storm Warning (Credit: Big Finish / Clayton Hickman)

As Paul McGann's Eighth incarnation marks 20 years since waking up on a mortuary slab in San Franciso, Big Finish is running a series of special offers this weekend in celebration.

In the Doctor Who Main Range, starting with Doctor Who: Storm Warning, the first eleven titles are permanently reduced at £2.99 each to download, including the 40th Anniversary spectacular Doctor Who: Zagreus. You can even get the behind-the-scenes CD release on how these early stories were made with Big Finish Talks Back: The Eighth Doctor Authors, for only £5 this weekend.

The Eighth Doctor's further Main Range adventures continue with the Doctor and Charlotte teaming up with alien C'rizz (Conrad Westmaas) in the Divergent Universe. These are just £5 each on both CD and download this weekend, with selected bundles of stories also reduced.

The Eighth Doctor Adventures are hour-long audio dramas that see the Doctor travel with the feisty Lucie 'bleedin' Miller (Sheridan Smith) across four series. All 34 adventures are £5 each on CD and to download, with discounted series bundles also available.

The critically acclaimed Doctor Who: Dark Eyes series, sees the Doctor meet volunteer nurse Molly O'Sullivan (Ruth Bradley) in the trenches of the First World War. All four boxsets in the Dark Eyes saga can be enjoyed for just £20 each this weekend, or together in a bundle with free UK postage.

The Eighth Doctor's latest release is Doctor Who: Doom Coalition. The first two box-sets have been reduced back to their pre-order price of £20 each. All four box-sets can be purchased in one Doomwood Coalition bundle, which as with the majority of Big Finish releases, contains complimentary digital copies with all CD orders.

Paul McGann returns to the Main Range in Doctor Who: The Company of Friends, a special anthology teaming him with New Adventures companion Bernice Summerfield (Lisa Bowerman), BBC Books' Fitz Kreiner (Matt di Angelo), Doctor Who Magazine's Izzy Sinclair (Jemima Rooper) and Frankenstein author Mary Shelley (Julie Cox), who then joins the Doctor for a Main Range trilogy. These are all £5 on CD and download.

The Doctor unites with old friends Romana (Lalla Ward) and K9 (John Leeson) in Doctor Who: Shada, discovers new family members in Doctor Who: An Earthly Child, almost meets his future love in The Diary of River Song: Series 1 and unites with his former incarnations in Doctor Who: The Light at the End (available in both standard and Limited Edition).

The Eighth Doctor's Companion Chronicle adventure Doctor Who: Solitaire and his Destiny of the Doctors instalment Doctor Who: Enemy Aliens are at special offer prices. Two new Doctor Who Short Trip adventures Doctor Who: Foreshadowing and Doctor Who: The Curse of the Fugue, are also permanently at £2.99 each.

The single episode adventure Doctor Who: Klein's Story can be downloaded for free, starring Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor, Tracey Childs as Elizabeth Klein and Paul McGann as the mysterious Johann Schmidt. The footbal-themed Doctor Who: Living Legend is also available for free.

The Eighth Doctor's journeys will continue in Doctor Who: Doom Coalition 3 and Doom Coalition 4, Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New Monsters Volume 1 and Doctor Who: The Eighth Doctor – The Time War. Pre-orders on each box-set are £20 each on both CD and to download.

For the true collectors out there, you can pre-order the acclaimed Doctor Who: The Chimes of Midnight Limited Vinyl Edition, strictly limited to 500 copies and available for £79.99.

And for this weekend only, the ultimate Eighth Doctor 20th Anniversary Bundle, contains over 90 Eighth Doctor adventures, including those available to pre-order! The CD Bundle is £640 with free UK postage and includes downloads for those stories not available on CD. The Download bundle is £555.

Please note that both bundles contain the Limited Edition version of Doctor Who: The Light at the End instead of the standard version. Doctor Who: Shada, Big Finish Talks Back: The Eighth Doctor Authors and Doctor Who: The Chimes of Midnight Limited Vinyl Edition are not included in the download bundle.

These special offers end noon on Monday May 16th. You can explore the entire range on the Eighth Doctor Collected page.

FILTER: - Audio - Big Finish - Merchandise

Big Finish: The War Doctor 3: Agents of Chaos

Saturday, 14 May 2016 - Reported by Mark Pattison

Agents of Chaos Big Finish has announced further details for the third release in its War Doctor series, starring John Hurt and Jacqueline Pearce.

This Autumn, the Time War rages on with the War Doctor set to face Sontarans, an invasion of Earth and the Dalek Time Strategist.

The War Doctor: Agents of Chaos (Credit: Big Finish)

John Hurt returns as the War Doctor in September 2016, in three full cast audio plays from Big Finish productions. Doctor Who - The War Doctor 3: Agents of Chaos is the third volume in the ongoing saga, in which the War Doctor and Cardinal Ollistra (Jacqueline Pearce) are thrown deeper into the Time War.

The set opens with The Shadow Vortex by David Llewellyn, in which the Time Lords have detected that their quantum shield protecting Earth has been breached by the Daleks, and the War Doctor is sent to Berlin 1961, at the height of the Cold War, to investigate. There he finds that the Daleks have their own agent on the scene… That agent is played by Neve McIntosh, best known to Doctor Who fans as Madame Vastra of the Paternoster Gang, while the cast also includes Honeysuckle Weeks as Heleyna.

‘I was given a very open brief: Send the War Doctor to Earth,’ says David. ‘So then I started thinking, "Where on Earth (literally) can I picture the War Doctor?" and the first image that came to mind was Berlin's Brandenburg Gate in the early '60s - checkpoints in place, the boundary between East and West. Time War meets Cold War. Then I pictured a Dalek saucer landing right in front of it. Then I pictured the skies above Berlin swarming with Daleks. Then I got really, really excited and I started to write.’

In The Eternity Cage by Andrew Smith, the Sontarans continue their campaign to join the Time War - while the Time Lords and the Daleks refuse to allow them to join in. This may change, however, when the Sontarans score a victory over both sides…

The story will be Andrew's second set in Time War after the upcoming release of The Sontaran Ordeal in Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New Monsters Volume 1.

Dan Starkey (also known for playing the Paternoster Gang’s butler Strax) is the Sontarans, while Josh Bolt (Last Tango in Halifax, Benidorm) plays Kalan.

‘I was asked to write a story taking for its inspiration Alistair MacLean’s Where Eagles Dare,’ says Andrew. ‘So we have an apparently impenetrable fortress on a mountaintop, and the Doctor leading an elite group on a rescue mission. But instead of the German army trying to stop them, it’s Sontarans! With the Daleks not far away either.’

The fate of Gallifrey hangs in the balance in Eye of Harmony by Ken Bentley, in which the Daleks gain the upper hand, while the Doctor and his allies fight to stay alive against all odds.

‘I grew up watching war films,’ says Ken. ‘They were a staple of weekend viewing when I was a boy, so it was great to have the opportunity to explore the genre in Doctor Who, where we generally avoid anything too dark. But even more exciting is that fact that I've written a play for John Hurt. JOHN HURT!! If you'd told me that might happen when I first started working for Big Finish I wouldn't have believed you.’

The box-set also introduces a new player into the Time War - the Dalek Time Strategist, who is voiced, as with the Daleks, by Nicholas Briggs

‘At the end of Dark Eyes, and the defeat of the Dalek Time Controller, it was hinted that a new 'Time Strategist' would be created in its wake…’ explains script editor Matt Fitton.

‘Daleks never go to war without a plan, and a Time War needs a special kind of planner, capable of viewing the field of conflict through four dimensions and beyond. This is the Dalek Time Strategist: a time-sensitive war-leader, utterly dedicated to achieving Dalek victory over the Time Lords by any means it can.’

You can pre-order Doctor Who - The War Doctor 3: Agents of Chaos from the Big Finish website.

FILTER: - Audio - Big Finish - Merchandise

Competition Roundup

Tuesday, 3 May 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

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

The Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Paradox Planet/Legacy of Death

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

Whilst travelling in the vortex, the TARDIS is struck by an advanced war machine - a Time Tank! Losing Romana, the Doctor and K9 pursue the Tank to Aoris, a world quite literally at war with itself. Soldiers from the future are attacking the past of their own planet - gathering resources and stealing endangered species. But the past is not without weapons of its own - leaving deadly devices ready to trigger many years ahead after their enemies have been born. Trapped at opposite ends of a temporal war, the Time Lords have two time zones to save. But who is in the right, and who in the wrong? And when history itself is against you, can anybody actually win?

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

Name another war that that the fourth Doctor, Romana and K9 found themselves involved in.

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 "Fight the Future". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 15th May 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: In The Blood

The latest literary adventure for the Doctor from BBC Books is In The Blood by Jenny T Colgan:

All over the world, people are venting their fury at one another on social media. Dropping their friends, giving vent to their hatred, and everyone behaving with incredible cruelty. Even Donna has found that her friend Hettie, with her seemingly perfect life and fancy house, has unfriended her. And now, all over the world, internet trolls are dying... As more and more people give in to this wave of bitterness and aggression, it's clear this is no simple case of modern living. This is unkindness as a plague. From the streets of London to the web cafes of South Korea and the deepest darkest forests of Rio, can the Doctor and Donna find the cause of this unhappiness before it's too late?

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

What did Donna refer to as an "Outer Space Facebook"?

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-intheblood@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Like". The competition is open to UK readers only, closing date 15th May 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

Silva Screen: Radiophonic Workshop 21

Silva Screen have re-released the BBC Radiophonic Workshop's 21st anniversary album on CD:

In 1958 the BBC Radiophonic Workshop opened with the aim to enhance in the main, drama output on the Third Programme (now Radio 3) following the development of new electronic music techniques emanating from Europe. Their work expanded across the BBC to take in TV drama (especially sci-fi), schools programmes and themes. The latter being their most celebrated and well known work, Delia Derbyshire's treatment of Ron Grainer's theme for Doctor Who. This collection, originally released by BBC Records in 1979 to celebrate 21 years of the workshop appears for the first time in its full original form on CD. From The Goons (Bloodnocks Stomach) to the Interval Signal to Doctor Who and Great Zoos Of The World this is a fascinating chronicle of some of the most innovative music ever made. These ground-breaking compositions providing a major influence on music from The Beatles and Pink Floyd and onwards into the contemporary world of Aphex Twin, Orbital and The Chemical Brothers. "The Radiophonic Workshop, I loved all that, it fascinated me, and still does”. - Paul McCartney.

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

Who wrote the incidental music for the Doctor Who story which featured Paul McCartney?

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 "In tune". The competition is open to UK readers only, closing date 15th May 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio

It is still possible to enter our competitions for the BBC Audios Death to the Daleks, The Invasion, Shadow in the Glass, Amorality Tale and The Memory of Winter, which are open to readers worldwide until 8th May 2016 - see our article for full details.

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

BBC Audio: Current Competitions

Saturday, 30 April 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 8th May 2016. Only one entry per household can be accepted.

The Memory of Winter (Credit: BBC Audio)

[order from Amazon UK]

The Memory of Winter, written by George Mann and read by Jemma Redgrave
Summoned by the Winter family's Calling Card, the TARDIS arrives in 15th Century France. In the shadows of a forest the Doctor and Clara encounter a band of soldiers who are protecting a mysterious young woman. Also travelling with the party is self-confessed amateur historian Julius Winter. Young Joan of Arc is troubled by voices telling her things she should not know about - things concerning the Doctor's own people, the Time Lords. When he realises that an element of the Time War is involved, the Doctor is compelled to discover where Joan is getting her information from. But in doing so, he and Clara are drawn into terrible danger...

Question: George Mann wrote another recent novel involving the Time War, but for which Doctor?
Send your answer to comp-winter@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "A Winter's Tale".

[order from Amazon UK]

Cybermen: The Invasion, written by Ian Marter and read by David Troughton
Materialising in Outer Space, the TARDIS is attached by a missile fired from the dark side of the moon. Back on Earth, the newly-formed United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT), led by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, is disturbed by a series of UFO sightings over Southern England. Meanwhile, a large consignment of mysterious crates is delivered to the headquarters of International Electromatics, the largest computer and electronics firm in the world. These three seemingly unconnected events are in fact the preparations for a massive Cyberman invasion of Earth, with one aim: the total annihilation of the human race.

Question: what is author Ian Marter better known for within the Doctor Who universe?
Send your answer to comp-invasion@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Kilroy was 'ere".

[order from Amazon UK]

Death to the Daleks, written by Terrance Dicks and read by Jon Culshaw
A mysterious power loss strands the Tardis on Exxilon, a sinister fog-shrouded alien planet. The Doctor meets the survivors of a beleaguered expedition from Earth, while Sarah finds a mysterious super-city and becomes a captive of the savage Exxilons. Worst of all, the Doctor's greatest enemies, the Daleks, arrive on a secret mission of their own. The Doctor and Sarah must risk their lives time and again in a desperate attempt to foil the Daleks and save millions of humans from a horrific plague.

Question: where was the Doctor attempting to take Sarah on holiday to before being forced down on Exxilon?
Send your answer to comp-daleks@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Oh I do like to be beside the seaside".

[order from Amazon UK]

Amorality Tale, written by David Bishop and read by Dan Starkey
When gangster Tommy Ramsey is released from prison, he is determined to retake control of his 1950s East End territory. But new arrivals threaten his grip on illegal activity in the area. An evangelical minister is persuading people to seek redemption from their sins. A new gang is claiming the streets. And a watchmaker called Smith is leading a revolt against the Ramsey Mob's protection racket. When Tommy strikes back at his enemies, a far more terrifying threat is revealed. Within hours the city's air turns into nerve gas and thousands succumb to the choking fumes. London is dying...

Question: Name the character that Dan Starkey portrayed in a televised story alongside Sarah Jane Smith
Send your answer to comp-amorality@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Smoggy moments".

[order from Amazon UK]

Shadow in the Glass, written by Stephen Cole & Justin Richards and read by India Fisher
When an RAF squadron shoots down an unidentified aircraft over Turelhampton, the village is immediately evacuated. But why is the village still guarded by troops in 2001? When a television documentary crew break through the cordon looking for a story, they find they've recorded more than they'd bargained for. Caught up in both a deadly conspiracy and a historical mystery, retired Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart calls upon his old friend the Doctor. Half-glimpsed demons watch from the shadows as the Doctor and the Brigadier travel back in time to discover the last, and deadliest, secret of the Second World War.

Question: Name another story which saw the Doctor travel into Germany's past
Send your answer to comp-shadow@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Heil!".

FILTER: - Audio - BBC Audio - Competitions

Genesis of the Daleks back on vinyl

Wednesday, 9 March 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Demon Records to re-release a special version of the 1970s vinyl soundtrack of Genesis of the Daleks - featuring linking narration by Tom Baker - as part of the this year's Record Store Day, taking place on 16th April 2016.

Genesis of the Daleks (vinyl record) (Credit: Demon Records/BBC)

Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks

A special reissue of an audio Doctor Who adventure, which was originally released in 1978 on BBC Records. This collector’s edition is released on 180g heavy weight ‘TARDIS blue’ coloured vinyl and is a must-have for all Whovians. The recording was one of the first Doctor Who audio adventures, a condensed soundtrack version of a TV episode with Tom Baker providing bridging narration. The story unfolds as Doctor Who travels to the desolate planet Skaro to avert the creation of the Daleks.

This highly collectable reissue of one the most dramatic episodes in the show’s history has been recreated with the original BBC Records artwork and accompanying sleeve notes.

FILTER: - Audio - Merchandise - Tom Baker - Vinyl

Bernice Summerfield Unbound

Thursday, 3 March 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Lisa Bowerman, David Warner and Mark Gatiss (Credit: Big Finish)

Big Finish have announced a new series for the character that first launched their audio range, Professor Bernice Summerfield, this time teamed up with a rather different third incarnation of the Doctor, first introduced in the Unbound stories Sympathy for the Devil and Masters of War, as played by David Warner.

Doctor Who – The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield Volume 3: The Unbound Universe will see the universe's greatest archaeologist recruited by the Doctor for a mission to his parallel dimension – where together they set off to explore the aftermath of a disaster that has laid waste to reality. Benny and the Doctor will face the Kareem, the Blanks, Unicorns and the Sisters of Saint Beedlix – as a terrible truth awaits them at the end of reality.

Producer James Goss said:

We were trying to work out where we could take Benny next, and the idea just sort of happened. We immediately got very excited about it. David Warner is a legend, and his Doctor is the perfect foil to Lisa Bowerman. Whereas Benny is a famously gung-ho adventuress, he's a cautious man with a twinkle in his eye. She falls into his universe and gives him a new lease of life.

We were very lucky with the guest cast – we've a wealth of national treasures. Not only do we have David Warner, we've got Radio 4 newsreader Zeb Soanes; we've Dr Gillian Magwidle herself – Julie Graham.

Another returnee for this series is the Master, as played by Sam Kisgart aka Mark Gatiss; Goss explained:

Kisgart's Master originally featured in David Warner's first adventure, Sympathy For The Devil, and we couldn't leave him out of this boxset. We contacted Mark, who said that Sam would be available. Well, once panto season was over.

The series has been directed by long term Benny-associate Scott Handcock, who said:

Lisa and David have a brilliant chemistry – it's a very different Doctor/Companion relationship. Benny really is the adventurer, dragging the Doctor along behind her. When we first meet him, he's given up all hope – but Benny is determined to, quite literally, save the universe. The guest cast are marvellous – it's a hoot. Kisgart has never been more sinister.

The other three episodes in the set have been written by Guy Adams, Una McCormack and Emma Reeves. Guest stars in the box-set include Rowena Cooper, Zeb Soanes, Tom Webster, Alex Jordan, Sophie Wu, Julie Graham, Kerry Gooderson, Deirdre Mullins, George Blagden, Richard Earl, Aaron Neil, Laura Doddington, Lizzie Hopley, Shvorne Marks and Gus Brown.

Doctor Who – The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield Volume 3: The Unbound Universe is due to be released in August 2016, and can be pre-ordered from the Big Finish website. CD orders direct from the company will also include a digital copy for download.

FILTER: - Audio - Big Finish - Merchandise

Big Finish: more River Song, Churchill and Monsters for 2017

Monday, 29 February 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Big Finish have announced second volumes for a number of their new Doctor Who-related audio series:

Time travelling archaeologist and adventurer River Song will return on audio in 2017 – and this time she will be stepping into the past life of the Doctor, encountering two of his incarnations at once! Alex Kingston returns in The Diary of River Song: Volume 2 from Big Finish Productions, a Doctor Who spin-off that is licensed by BBC Worldwide.

From the space exploration vessel Saturnius – which is heading to a destination that never gets any closer – to a doomed planet Earth and beyond, River’s journey will bring her closer to a new foe... and an encounter with both the Sixth and Seventh Doctors.

Producer David Richardson said:

We’re thrilled to have both Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy appearing alongside Alex in this box set. I can promise that River and the Doctor might not necessarily be working to the same agenda. In fact, the two Doctors might not be working to the same agenda either...

The four hour-long adventures are The Unknown by Guy Adams, Five Twenty Nine by John Dorney, World Enough and Time by James Goss and Eye of the Storm by Matt Fitton. The impressive guest cast includes Anna Maxwell Martin (Midwinter of the Spirit, And Then There Were None, The Bletchley Circle), Jessie Buckley (War and Peace), Ann Bell (Tenko, Wallander), Robert Pugh (Game of Thrones, Mr Selfridge, Doctor Foster), Dan Starkey (Doctor Who, Wizards vs Aliens) and Barnaby Edwards (Doctor Who).

2017 will also see the release of a second volume of Doctor Who – The Churchill Years, in which Ian McNeice returns in the role of Winston Churchill – once again relating more terrifying adventures that featured his old friend the Doctor.

Also returning for a second volume is Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New Monsters, in which legacy Doctors battle foes from the post-2005 series. Expect a return for some of the Doctor’s darkest and most terrifying enemies...

The series are produced by David Richardson, script edited by Matt Fitton, directed by Ken Bentley and Barnaby Edwards and the executive producers are Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs.

The Diary of River Song: Volume 2, The Churchill Years: Volume 2 and Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New Monsters: Volume 2 can all be pre-ordered individually or as part of a bundle at the Big Finish website. Alex Kingston also returns as River Song in Doctor Who: Doom Coalition 2 alongside Paul McGann, Nicola Walker and Hattie Morahan, which is released in March 2016.

The first volumes of The Diary of River Song and The Churchill Years are currently available. Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New Monsters: Volume 1 is released in July.

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