BBC Audio releases for June

Friday, 26 June 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

This month's audio books from BBC Audio feature the adaptation of Target novel The Massacre by John Lucarotti, and a boxed set release of the three original audio series to feature Tom Baker's return as the Doctor.

The Massacre
Written by John Lucarotti, read by Peter Purves
Released 21st May 2015 [order in the United Kingdom or North America]

Peter Purves reads John Lucarotti's novelisation of his classic First Doctor TV adventure

The TARDIS lands in Paris on 19 August 1572. Driven by scientific curiosity, the Doctor goes to meet and exchange views with the apothecary, Charles Preslin. Before he disappears, he warns Steven to stay 'out of mischief, religion and politics'.

But in 16th Century Paris it is impossible to remain a mere observer, and Steven soon finds himself involved with a group of Huguenots. The Protestant minority of France is being threatened by the Catholic hierarchy, and danger stalks the Paris streets.

As Steven tries to find his way back to the TARDIS he discovers that one of the main persecutors of the Huguenots appears to be...the Doctor!

Peter Purves, who played Steven in the original BBC TV series, reads this novelisation of a fondly remembered classic story, the original episodes of which are lost from the BBC archives.

Novelisation adaptions for the rest of the year are currently scheduled as: Doctor Who and The Ark in Space (16th July), The Two Doctors (3rd September), The Curse of Fenric (5th November), and K9 and Company (3rd December).

Competition

To be in with a chance to win a copy of the audio book The Massacre courtesy of BBC Audio, answer the following question:

The Massacre is one of the few Doctor Who stories that feature the lead actor portraying another individual within the plot; name another televised story, actor and his character where this also occured.

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-massacre@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Amboisea". The competition is open world-wide, closing date: 4th July 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

The Nest Cottage Chronicles (Credit: BBC Audio)

The Nest Cottage Chronicles
Starring Tom Baker, Richard Franklin and Susan Jameson
Written by Paul Magrs
Released 11th June 2015 [order in the United Kingdom or North America]

Tom Baker stars as the Fourth Doctor in fifteen full-cast audio dramas written by Paul Magrs, plus bonus features exclusive to this edition.

Hornet's Nest: When former UNIT captain Mike Yates is reunited with a ghost from the past, the and the Doctor are soon united in battle once more, against alien insects intent on global domination.

Demon Quest: A key component from the TARDIS disappears, exchanged for a bag containing four curious objects. The Doctor and Mrs Wibbsey embark on a chase through Time...

Serpent Quest: The Doctor acquires a wondrous and deadly Skishteri egg. When the village of Hexford comes under attack, Mrs Wibbsey and Mike discover that two Doctors aren't necessarily better than one ...

With Susan Jameson as Mrs Wibbsey and Richard Franklin as Mike Yates, these thrilling adventures also feature Michael Maloney, Rula Lenska, Samuel West, Jan Francis, David Troughton, Michael Jayston, Simon Shepherd, Sophie Ward, Andrew Sachs, Nerys Hughes and many others.

Also included in this edition are a previously unheard interview with Tom Baker, outtakes from the original studio sessions, promotional trailers and a PDF booklet featuring sleeve notes by writer Paul Magrs.

Competition

To be in with a chance to win a copy of the boxed set The Nest Cottage Chronicles courtesy of BBC Audio, answer the following question:

Tom Baker appeared in a film together with one of the guest stars in Serpent Quest opener Tsar Wars - name the guest star and the film they appeared in.

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-cottage@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "The Crest is the Quest". The competition is open world-wide, closing date: 4th July 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

FILTER: - Audio - BBC Audio - Books - Competitions - First Doctor - Fourth Doctor

Anthony Ainley: The Man behind The Master

Monday, 25 May 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The biography of the Master to the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh Doctor, Anthony Ainley, is due to be on general release later in the year; however, it is now available to order directly from Fantom Publishing, signed by the author, Karen Louise Hollis.

The Man Behind The Master (Credit: Fantom Publishing)

Anthony Ainley: The Man behind The Master
Researched by Karen Louise Hollis

Although known to an audience of millions the world over for his portrayal of The Doctor's arch nemesis The Master in Doctor Who during the 1980's, Anthony Ainley had a prolific career which encompassed starring roles in Spyders Web and It's Dark Outside, as well as appearances in renowned dramas such as The Pallisers, Elizabeth R, Nicholas Nickleby, Upstairs, Downstairs, and cult films including Blood On Satan's Claw and The Land That Time Forgot.

But the dramas in Anthony's real life were far more fascinating than any of the many parts he played on screen. Born the illegitimate son of actor Henry Ainley, and taken into care at the Actors' Orphanage at the age of four, Fantom presents the hidden story behind one of Doctor Who's most enigmatic characters.

Karen said:

This is the first time all aspects of his life have been drawn together. I have had the pleasure of interviewing a number of friends and colleagues from every aspect of Anthony's life, and examined the archives to bring together the most complete and fascinating story.

Competition

Readers in the United Kingdom have the chance to win a copy of the book courtesy of Fantom Publishing; to enter simply answer the following question:

In The Keeper of Traken Geoffrey Beevers and Anthony Ainley both play the Master; name another television series in which both actors are credited together.

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-fantom@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "These Thunderbolts Are Everywhere". The competition is open to UK residents only, closing date: 7th June 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

FILTER: - Auto/Biography - Books - Competitions - Fantom

BBC Books competitions/update

Tuesday, 19 May 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

We're delighted to announce that we are able to give UK readers a chance to win the latest Doctor Who publications for May and June, courtesy of BBC Books - competition details are with each book summary below.

City of Death
Written by James Goss, based on the story by Douglas Adams
Published in hardback 21st May 2015 [order]

The Doctor takes Romana for a holiday in Paris - a city which, like a fine wine, had a bouquet all of its own. Especially if you visit during one of the vintage years. But the TARDIS takes them to 1979, a table-wine year, a year whose vintage is soured by cracks - not in their wine glasses but in the very fabric of time itself.

Soon the Time Lords are embroiled in an audacious alien scheme which encompasses home-made time machines, the theft of the Mona Lisa, the resurrection of the much-feared Jagaroth race, and the beginning (and quite possibly the end) of all life on Earth.

Aided by British private detective Duggan, whose speciality is thumping people, the Doctor and Romana must thwart the machinations of the suave, mysterious Count Scarlioni - all twelve of him - if the human race has any chance of survival.

But then, the Doctor's holidays tend to turn out a bit like this.

City of Death is one of the best-loved serials in the show's 50-year history and was watched by over 16 million viewers when first broadcast.

Competition

To be in with a chance to win a copy of the book, answer the following question:

What was David Fisher's original working title for his script that eventually became City of Death?

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-citybook@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Bye Bye, Duggan". The competition is open to readers in the United Kingdom only, closing date: 31st May 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who
Written by Simon Guerrier and Dr Marek Kukula
Published in hardback 4th June 2015 [order]

Doctor Who stories are many things: thrilling adventures, historical dramas, and science fiction tales. But how much of the science is real? And how much is fiction?

Weaving together authoratitive scientific discussion with a series of new adventures by acclaimed Doctor Who writers including Jenny T Colgan, George Mann and Jacqueline Rayner, Simon Guerrier and Dr Marek Kukula explore the possibilities of time travel, life on other planets, artificial intelligence, parallel universes and more. From the dawn of astronomy and the discovery of gravity to the moon landings and string theory, the authors show how science has inspired Doctor Who, and how, on occasion, life has mirrored art, such as the 1989 discovery of 'ice-canoes' on Triton which were featured in the 1973 episode The Planet of the Daleks.

The first official guide to the science of Doctor Who by acclaimed Doctor Who novelist Simon Guerrier and Dr Marek Kukula, the Public Astonomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

Competition

To be in with a chance to win a copy of the book, answer the following question:

Which professor presented a programme delving in the science of Doctor Who on television during the 50th Anniversary celebrations?

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-sciencebook@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Strange Matters". The competition is open to readers in the United Kingdom only, closing date: 5th June 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

Engines of War
Written by George Mann
Published in paperback 18th June 2015 [order]

"I've had many faces. Many lives. I don't admit to all of them. There's one life I've tried very hard to forget - the Doctor who fought in the Time War."

The Great Time War has raged for centuries, ravaging the universe. Scores of human colony planets are now overrun by Dalek occupation forces. A weary, angry Doctor leads a flotilla of Battle TARDISes against the Dalek stronghold but in the midst of the carnage, the Doctor's TARDIS crashes to a planet below: Moldox.

As the Doctor is trapped in an apocalyptic landscape, Dalek patrols roam amongst the wrackage, rounding up the remaining civilians. But why haven't the Daleks simply killed the humans?

Searching for answers the Doctor meets 'Cinder', a young Dalek hunter. Their struggles to discover the Dalek plan take them from the ruins of Moldox to the halls of Gallifrey, and set in motion a chain of events that will change everything. And everyone.

An epic novel of the Great Time War featuring the War Doctor as played by John Hurt.

Competition

To be in with a chance to win a copy of the book, answer the following question:

On which planet did the Doctor regenerate into the incarnation that fought in and orginally ended the Time War?

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-enginesbook@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Before the Moment". The competition is open to readers in the United Kingdom only, closing date: 19th June 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

Looking ahead to later in the year, 16th July sees the publication of The Drosten's Curse by A.L. Kennedy, whilst three new adventures for the twelfth Doctor are published on the 10th September, The Royal Blood by Una McCormack, Big Bang Generation by Gary Russell, and Deep Time by Trevor Baxendale.

FILTER: - Books - Competitions - Fourth Doctor - War Doctor

BBC Audio releases for May

Saturday, 16 May 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

This month sees two audio books released by BBC Audio on the 21st May, the adaptation of one of the final 20th Century Doctor Who stories to come out in print, 1979's Season 17 adventure City of Death (published on the same day in the UK), and an adaptation of the BBC Book Last of the Gaderene by Mark Gatiss, originally published in 2000 and again in 2013 as part of the 50th Anniversary collection.

City of Death (audio book) (Credit: BBC Audio)

City of Death
Written by Douglas Adams, adapted by James Goss, read by Lalla Ward
Released 21st May 2015 [pre-order in the United Kingdom or North America]

The Doctor takes Romana for a holiday in Paris - a city which, like a fine wine, has a bouquet all its own. But the TARDIS arrives in 1979, a table-wine year, whose vintage is soured by cracks in the very fabric of time itself. Soon the Time Lords are embroiled in an audacious alien scheme which encompasses home-made time machines, the theft of the Mona Lisa, the resurrection of the much-feared Jagaroth race, and the beginning (and quite possibly the end) of all life on Earth.

Aided by British private detective Duggan, the Doctor and Romana must thwart the machinations of the suave, mysterious Count Scarlioni - all twelve of him - if the human race has any chance of survival.

Lalla Ward, who played Romana in the TV series, reads this novel by James Goss, based on the original 1979 serial, written by Douglas Adams under the pen name David Agnew.

Novelisation adaptions for the rest of the year are currently scheduled as: The Massacre (11th June), Doctor Who and The Ark in Space (16th July), The Two Doctors (3rd September), The Curse of Fenric (5th November), and K9 and Company (3rd December).

Competition

To be in with a chance to win a copy of the audio book City of Death courtesy of BBC Audio, answer the following question:

How do the critics at the art gallery describe the dematerialisation of the TARDIS 'exhibit'?

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-cityofdeath@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "The Scarlioni Angle". The competition is open world-wide, closing date: 31st May 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

Last of the Gaderene (audio book) (Credit: BBC Audio)

Last of the Gaderene
Written by Mark Gatiss, read by Richard Franklin
Released 21st May 2015 [preorder in the United Kingdom]

Richard Franklin reads an original novel by Mark Gatiss, featuring the Third Doctor as played on TV by Jon Pertwee.

The aerodrome in Culverton has new owners, and they promise an era of prosperity for the idyllic village. But former Spitfire pilot Alex Whistler is suspicious, and when black-shirted troops appear on the streets, he contacts his old friend Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart at UNIT.

The Doctor investigates – and soon uncovers a sinister plot to colonise the Earth. The Gaderene are on their way…

Richard Franklin, who played UNIT’S Captain Mike Yates in the Doctor Who TV series, reads this exciting original adventure by Mark Gatiss.

The next 'old' novel adaptation to be published will be Paul Cornell's Human Nature on 20th August.

Competition

To be in with a chance to win a copy of the audio book Last of the Gaderene courtesy of BBC Audio, answer the following question:

Name the company that takes over Culverton's aerodrome.

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-cityofdeath@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Culverton Mystery". The competition is open world-wide, closing date: 31st May 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

FILTER: - Audio - BBC Audio - Books - Competitions - Fourth Doctor - Merchandise

10 Years of New Who artwork competition

Thursday, 30 April 2015 - Reported by Harry Ward

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Doctor Who returning to our screens, Doctor Who News commissioned artist Deborah Taylor to draw a celebratory image involving all the Doctors from 2005 onwards. They are joined by their companions, including one who simply left a message for her "sweetie"...

10 Years of New Who (Credit: Deborah Taylor for Doctor Who News)

Competition

We have an 18" by 24" print of the art work available to give away. In order to be in with a chance of winning, answer the following question:

Who was Rose Tyler looking for in the basement of Henrik's in the episode, Rose?

Please send your answer along with your name and address to comp-artwork@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Fantastic!". The competition is open world-wide, closing date: 14th May 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

FILTER: - Competitions - Editorial

Series 8 Soundtrack: track listings / competition

Friday, 24 April 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Silva Screen have now updated us with the complete track listings and lengths for the forthcoming soundtrack release of the music from Series Eight:

DISC ONE

Doctor Who Theme (Series 8) (1:15)

Deep Breath
A Good Man? (Twelve’s Theme) (7:34)
Something It Ate (2:38)
Concussed (3:27)
It’s Still Him (2:00)
Pudding Brains (5:30)
Breath (4:45)
Hello Hello (3:17)
A Drink First (2:00)
Missy’s Theme (1:38)

Into The Dalek
Aristotle, We Have Been Hit (0:55)
We’re Still Going To Kill You (3:55)
Tell Me, Am I A Good Man? (4:00)
What Difference A Good Dalek? (3:30)
The Truth About The Daleks (2:06)

Robot Of Sherwood
Old Fashioned Hero (2:15)
This Is My Spoon (2:05)
Robert, Earl of Loxley (2:00)
The Legend of Robin Hood (2:18)
Robin of Sherwood (3:10)
The Golden Arrow (1:45)

Listen
Listen (2:25)
Rupert Pink (3:56)
Fear (2:52)

DISC TWO

Time Heist

The Architect (1:25)
Rob The Bank (0:50)
Account Closed (2:05)
Open Up

The Caretaker
The Caretaker (5:18)

Kill The Moon
Are You Going To Shoot Me? (1:57(
When I Say Run (1:44)
That Is The Moon (2:00)

Mummy On The Orient Express
Start The Clock (1:32)
There’s That Smile (2:25)
The Sarcophagus Opens (3:57)
The Artefact (2:05)
Study Our Own Demise (2:15)

Flatline
Not Knowing (3:02(
Siege Mode (1:23)

In The Forest Of The Night
In The Woods (2:21)
We Weren’t Asleep That Long (1:00)
Forgetting (1:45)
The Song of Danny and Clara (2:43)

Dark Water

Throw Away The Key (4:13)
Browsing (2:24)
They Walk Among Us (2:20)

Death In Heaven
There is No Clara Oswald (0:57)
Missy And Her Boys (1:17)
A Good Man, An Incredible Liar (1:39)
Freefall (1:44)
I Need To Know (5:01)
Missy's Theme - Extended (2:08)
Missy's Gift (2:04)
(The Majestic Tale of) An Idiot With a Box (2:19)

DISC THREE

Last Christmas

3 Perfectly Ordinary Roof People (4:19)
Do You Really Believe In Santa? (1:00)
Unsealing the Infirmary (2:50)
Ghosts (1:50)
What Seems to be the Problem? (1:06)
We Don’t Know What’s Real (2:36)
Thinking About It (1:16)
Clara’s Dream Christmas (3:57)
The Doctor’s Dream Christmas (5:42)
Dreams Within Dreams (4:55)
Believe in Santa (1:30)
Sleigh Ride (2:48)
A Reunion (3:15)
Every Christmas is Last Christmas (3:50)

The CD set is now available to pre-order from our Amazon Shops in the United Kingdom (released 18th May), and in North America (released 26th May).

Series 8: Packshot (Credit: Silva Screen)

Doctor Who: Series 8 (Credit: Silva Screen)

Competition

Thanks to Silva Screen we have five copies of the CD collection up for grabs. In order to be in with a chance of winning, answer the following question:

Unfortunately the "live" song featured in Mummy on the Orient Express was unable to be included in this release - but who was the singer and which song was performed in the episode?

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 "Fierce!". The competition is open world-wide, closing date: 18th May 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

FILTER: - Competitions - Murray Gold - Music - Series 8/34

Predict the Ratings: Big Finish update

Sunday, 21 December 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster

We are pleased to announce that Big Finish have provided us with a new prize for our annual Predict The Ratings competition for Last Christmas - the winner, who comes closest to guessing the final consolidated viewing figure for the episode, will now receive a year's free subscription to their main range of Doctor Who audio adventures, which next year chalks up its 200th adventure!

The signed scripts will still feature as an additional prize for the runner up with the next closest guess.

You can find the full competition entry details in this article.

Big Finish main range adventures in 2015

The first three adventures for 2015 see the Doctor return to E-Space, travelling this time with Tegan, Turlough and Nyssa. In January's Mistfall (by Andrew Smith) the quartet end up on Alzarius and face vying factions of another starliner. Then in February's Equilibrium (Matt Fitton) they arrive on the icy world of Isenfel and learn the price of survival. Finally, March's The Entropy Plague (Jonathan Morris) sees a race on to find the exit from E-Space before all power is lost to ever increasing entropy.

Then the second quarter of 2015 sees a special set of adventures to celebrate the regular range reaching number 200; script editor Alan Barnes explains:

For some time, I'd been thinking it was a shame we couldn't make more use of the first three Doctors' companions in the Main Range. Continuity permitting (or even not!), we can always have the Fifth, Sixth or Seventh Doctors meeting up with friends they said 'goodbye' to years before... but there have been a fair few School Reunion-type stories now, and they're great, but I couldn't help wondering: can't we do something different?

Then I thought: what if the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors turned up bang in the middle of earlier, unseen adventures – standing in for their 'proper' selves, who've gone AWOL for some reason or other...? Locum Doctors, if you will! And that's what we've done!

In The Defectors (by Nicholas Briggs), the seventh Doctor finds himself alongside his third incarnation's UNIT cohorts Jo Grant Captain Mike Yates. Then, the sixth Doctor explores a strange citidel alongside Jamie and Victoria in Last of the Cybermen (Alan Barnes). And finally, the range reaches its 200th adventure as the fifth Doctor arrives in sixth century Constantinople alongside Steven and Vicki, and discovers why he's being dragged back into the lives of his former incarnations in The Secret History (Eddie Robson).

Heading into the latter half of the year, July sees the seventh Doctor and Mel arriving in the 1980s in We Are The Daleks, and then in August the duo find something disturbing in a deep space packaging facility. The rest of 2015 has yet to be announced.

FILTER: - Big Finish - Competitions

BBC announce fan event for DVD Release

Friday, 24 October 2014 - Reported by Marcus

The BBC has announced a special fan event, held in London and hosted by Frank Skinner, will take place on Monday 17th November, to mark the release of the Series 8 DVD and Blu-ray set.

This will be the first chance the cast have had to reflect on the conclusion of Peter Capaldi’s debut series as the Doctor, in front of 140 lucky fans at a central London location.

BBC Worldwide is offering 70 pairs of tickets for this exclusive event. Fans will be treated to a special screening followed by a Q&A with members of the cast. All they need to do is visit doctorwho.tv and correctly answer the multiple choice question, when they will subsequently be entered into a prize draw. The competition is now open and will close at 23.59 on Wednesday 29th October. Winners will be selected at random and will be notified within seven days of the closing date. Unsuccessful applicants will not be contacted. Fans should only enter if they can travel to London for the afternoon of the 17th November. The event venue will be disclosed to winners on their invitation closer to the time.

Frank Skinner commented

When they asked me to host this event I was over the moon. Luckily the space-dragon incubation period is such that I was in no real danger. I have so many questions I want to ask and, when we're all talked out, I'm planning to finish off by crowd-surfing for 10 to 15 minutes, dressed as Chief Engineer Perkins.

This event continues BBC Worldwide’s celebration of a new Doctor in the world’s longest running sci-fi series. Earlier this year, Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman traveled the globe visiting Doctor Who fans in Seoul, Sydney, New York City, Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro and today the interactive and immersive attraction in Cardiff Bay – The Doctor Who Experience – will reopen with an updated adventure featuring the Twelfth Doctor.

The DVD and Blu-ray release of The Complete Eighth Series sees the Doctor and Clara encounter previously unimaginable wonders and horrors... The time travellers meet a fleet of Daleks as they attempt to rescue a stranded ship of human survivors, face ranks of Cybermen stalking Earth, go back in time and join Robin Hood in a fight with killer robots in Sherwood Forest, become outlaws when they break into the deadliest bank in the cosmos, face a Mummy on the Orient Express, discover a deadly horror dwelling on the Moon and meet the last man standing at the end of the universe.

The box set contains every explosive episode from Peter Capaldi’s debut series in the role and is also packed full of extras including:

DVD Exclusive: Doctor Who - Deep Breath Cinema panel session (1x 30’ feature)
DVD Exclusive: Audio Commentaries x 4 (episodes and participants TBC)
Doctor Who: The Ultimate Time Lord (1x45’ feature with Fifth Doctor Peter Davison)
Doctor Who: The Ultimate Companion (1x45’ feature with Fifth Doctor Peter Davison)
Doctor Who: Earth Conquest (1x45’ World Tour Documentary)
Doctor Who Exclusive (4x2’ cast interviews)
Doctor Who Extra (12x10’ behind the scenes)
FOXES – Don’t Stop Me Now (Music video from Mummy on the Orient Express).

Doctor Who: The Complete Eighth Series is available to pre-order now on Amazon.uk and amazon.com. There is also a BBC Shop exclusive edition featuring special artwork and art cards.

FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Competitions - Merchandise - Series 8/34 - Special Events

Predict the Ratings

Thursday, 14 August 2014 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who News is offering the chance to win a set of three Doctor Who books featuring the twelfth Doctor as played by Peter Capaldi.

All you need to do is to guess the final consolidated viewing figure of the series premiere Deep Breath, as reported by BARB to the nearest 10,000 viewers (i.e. two decimal places). This figure includes all those watching the episode within a week of broadcast.

Deep Breath is being broadcast in the UK on BBC One on Saturday 23rd August at 7.50pm. It will follow Tumble, a live entertainment show where celebrities compete in a gymnastics challenge, which had an overnight rating of 3.2 million for its first episode last week. It is followed by vintage hospital drama Casualty, which had an rating of 4.82 million in the most recent BARB report.

In opposition to the Doctor, ITV is offering a game show, Tipping Point: Lucky Stars, with comedienne Jo Brand, former England rugby union player Ben Cohen and Dragons' Den investor Kelly Hoppen. The last reported consolidated rating for the show was 2.94 million. Other alternatives include Dad's Army on BBC Two and Grand Designs on Channel 4.

Prize

The prize is a set of three books published on 11 September.

Doctor Who: The Crawling Terror: Mike Tucker

Gabby Nichols is putting her son to bed when she hears her daughter cry out. 'Mummy there's a daddy longlegs in my room!' Then the screaming starts. Kevin Alperton is on his way to school when he is attacked by a mosquito. A big one. Then things get dangerous.

But it isn't the dead man cocooned inside a huge mass of web that worries the Doctor. It isn't the swarming, mutated insects that make him nervous.

With the village cut off from the outside world, and the insects becoming more and more dangerous, the Doctor knows that unless he can decode the strange symbols engraved on an ancient stone circle, and unravel a mystery dating back to the Second World War, no one is safe.

Doctor Who: The Blood Cell: James Goss

An asteroid in the furthest reaches of space - the most secure prison for the most dangerous of criminals. The Governor is responsible for the cruellest murderers so he's not impressed by the arrival of the man they're calling the most dangerous criminal in the quadrant. Or, as he prefers to be known, the Doctor.

But when the new prisoner immediately sets about trying to escape, and keeps trying, the Governor sets out to find out why.

Who is the Doctor and what's he really doing here? And who is the young woman who comes every day to visit him, only to be turned away by the guards?

When the killing finally starts, the Governor begins to get his answers.

Doctor Who: Silhouette: Justin Richards

Marlowe Hapworth is found dead in his locked study, killed by an unknown assailant. This is a case for the Great Detective, Madame Vastra.

Rick Bellamy, bare-knuckle boxer, has the life drawn out of him by a figure dressed as an undertaker. This angers Strax the Sontaran.

The Carnival of Curiosities, a collection of bizarre and fascinating sideshows and performers. This is where Jenny Flint looks for answers.

How are these things connected? And what does Orestes Milton, rich industrialist, have to do with it all? As the Doctor and Clara joint the hunt for the truth they find themselves thrust into a world where nothing and no one are what they seem.

Entering The Competition

To enter the competition, please send the following details to comp-ratings@doctorwhonews.net:

Your name and email address
Your country (full address will only be requested if you are a winner)
Your guess for the final consolidated viewing figure

Previous Ratings:

For comparison, the rating for the previous Doctor Who season opener, Asylum of the Daleks, shown 1 September 2012, was 8.33 million. The Eleventh Hour, which introduced Matt Smith on 3 April 2010 had 10.08 million watching. Full Doctor Who ratings are available here.

Terms And Conditions:

The competition closes at 7.50pm BST, 23rd August 2014.
Only one entry will be accepted per person.
The competition is open worldwide.
BARB figures are expected around 10 days after transmission; we will contact the winner once they have been published.

FILTER: - Competitions - Ratings - Series 8/34 - UK

Cineworld Competition

Sunday, 3 August 2014 - Reported by Marcus

Cineworld West India Quay are offering readers of Doctor Who News two tickets to the screening of Peter Capaldi's debut in Doctor Who, Deep Breath.

The screening takes place on the evening of 23rd August at the cinema in Canary Wharf in London. Winners would need to make their own way to the location. To enter just tell us the name of the previous character played by Peter Capaldi in Doctor Who. Send entries to comp-cineworld@doctorwhonews.net. Competition closes on 15 August 2014.

FILTER: - Competitions - Doctor Who

Previous 10 Stories

BBC Audio releases for June

Competition

Competition

Anthony Ainley: The Man behind The Master

Competition

BBC Books competitions/update

Competition

Competition

Competition

BBC Audio releases for May

Competition

Competition

10 Years of New Who artwork competition

Competition

Series 8 Soundtrack: track listings / competition

DISC ONE

DISC TWO

DISC THREE

Competition

Predict the Ratings: Big Finish update

Big Finish main range adventures in 2015

BBC announce fan event for DVD Release

Predict the Ratings

Prize

Entering The Competition

Previous Ratings:

Terms And Conditions:

Cineworld Competition

This Week in Doctor Who

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