Lethbridge-Stewart: On His Majesty's National Service

Wednesday, 8 May 2019 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Laughing Gnome: OHMNS (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Candy Jar Books have announced the final novel in their anniversary series of Lethbridge-Stewart books, The Laughing Gnome:

On His Majesty’s National Service picks up where book five left off, seeing the heroes go back in time to the 1950s and the Korean War:

As a young man Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart never wanted to follow in his illustrious family military history, he just wanted to be a math’s teacher. But then the Korean War broke out and he was called up for National Service. He soon met Spencer Pemberton – and his life was changed forever!

The book is written by David A McIntee and Lynette Nusbacher, with the cover by Steve Beckett, who has provided the covers for The Lucy Wilson Mysteries range. Beckett said:

I was thrilled to be invited to illustrate the cover for the Lethbridge-Stewart novel On His Majesty’s National Service. This allowed me to depart from my usual cartoony art style seen on the Lucy Wilson books and work in a style influenced by some of my childhood favourite comics, Battle picture weekly and Commando. I really enjoyed working on the piece which involved a little research into the Korean War and particularly the Hungarian army. I hope regular readers enjoy the explosive cover art and my rendition of a young moustache less Lethbridge-Stewart.

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen explained:

We knew we wanted a Commando-style cover, and it took us a while to remember we had an artist who has done some work featuring military characters over the years. Although Steve is primarily known for his Beano work (as evidenced by the style of the Lucy Wilson covers), he can turn his hand to many different styles. As usual, I consulted the author, asked him what he wanted, and we then sent these suggestions to Steve.

Author David A McIntee added:

I wanted both Lethbridge-Stewart and Hooper on the cover, as well as two Korean characters, with Lethbridge-Stewart and Hooper in Hungarian uniforms, just to further tease the audience and make them wonder why... And, I’m glad to say, the final result is pretty much exactly what I’d imagined. I’ve been lucky to have some great covers over the years, and this is easily right up there with them.

The Laughing Gnome: On His Majesty’s National Service is available for pre-order now from the Candy Jar website. It is also covered by the normal subscription and The Laughing Gnome six book bundle.

FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart

The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: The Bandril Invasion

Monday, 6 May 2019 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books has announced the latest in their The Lucy Wilson Mysteries novel range:

The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: The Bandril Invasion (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: The Bandril Invasion
Written by Wink Taylor
Artwork by Steve Beckett

Billy Bandril is the TV sensation sweeping the nation! The hilarious antics of this anarchic puppet have kids and their parents waiting all week for another episode of mayhem.

Fresh from her latest adventure, Lucy Wilson could use some time relaxing in front of the box. But Hobo isn’t too sure... There’s something sinister about Billy and his influence over the viewing public.

When Lucy finds herself live on air with Billy, it’s up to Hobo to interrupt the broadcast, before the curtains close... forever.

The latest in the series is written by Wink Taylor, one of the writers behind children's TV characters Sooty and Basil Brush, and the Theo the Mouse Show tour. The Bandril Invasion draws upon this background with its own maverick children's character, Billy, whose motivations are not all in good fun. Taylor explained:

I spent a lot of happy years writing for children's television and theatre, the bond that kids form with the characters is one of the most rewarding aspects. I was always determined to honour that bond, and make certain that the magic was never broken. It was a privilege to write for such household names and it always fascinated me that the puppeteers at all times remained firmly hidden. This got me thinking: what if the motivations behind this were not benign and were in fact ... thoroughly evil!!

The cover is by regular artist to the ranger, The Beano's Steve Beckett:

This bold, bright cover was a blast to do. Developing a Doctor Who monster, a Bandril, into children’s TV’s hottest new star was great fun. It still has a slight air of menace about it though – poor Hobo!

The Bandrils made their first appearance in the sixth Doctor adventure Timelash; range editor Shaun Russell, said:

Timelash is probably one of the most Marmite Doctor Who stories ever made, either you love or hate it! In my opinion it does have some of best and worst monsters ever featured in the series. The Borad, for example, is wonderful. Others are not so good. The Bandrils, however, are quite puppet-like, and this was my inspiration for this Lucy Wilson story. And that’s when we thought of Wink Taylor. His television and theatre background really helped in creating this slightly oddball Bandril story, which draws upon Doctor Who’s past in many exciting ways.

At the crossroads of old Who and new, with the heart of Jacqueline Wilson, the comedy of David Walliams and drawing on the creativity behind some of children's entertainment's most enduring hits, there's something for readers of all ages in the book.

The Bandril Invasion is available to pre-order exclusively from the Candy Jar and Lethbridge-Stewart websites.

FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart

The Creeping Death on Vinyl

Friday, 3 May 2019 - Reported by Marcus

Following the sell-out success of Big Finish Productions Doctor Who stories on vinyl in 2018, the audio company has announced another exclusive collaboration with ASDA supermarket.

ASDA will launch Doctor Who: The Creeping Death starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate on Friday 24th May 2019. It will be released as a Limited Edition run of 1,000 copies on neon green vinyl – only available in the UK.

London, 1952, and a deadly smog envelops the capital. But something even more dangerous – and alien – is hiding within the mists. When the Doctor and Donna get lost in the fog, they find a motley group of Londoners trying to make their way home. Soon the stakes are raised as death creeps along fume-choked streets, and not everyone will make it out alive...

David Tennant portrayed the Doctor on screen from 2005 until January 2010, returning to star alongside Matt Smith and John Hurt in the 50th Anniversary Special, The Day of the Doctor, in 2013.

Catherine Tate made her debut as Donna Noble in December 2006, and after a series and two Christmas specials, she made her last appearance alongside David on the 1st January 2010. Their on-screen partnership is generally regarded as one of the great high-points of the enduring Doctor Who phenomenon.

The Creeping Death, written by Roy Gill, is one of three stories in the latest volume of the Tenth Doctor’s audio adventures. Doctor Who – The Tenth Doctor Adventures Volume Three (Limited Edition) which is also being released in May.

Roy Gill said

Being asked to write for David Tennant and Catherine Tate was already a huge thrill, but how awesome to hear The Creeping Death will be getting a vinyl release too! I think this nineteen-fifties tale of a band of London misfits against whatever-it-is that lurks in the smog will work beautifully on a neon green LP!

I’m a big vinyl fan already – I share my flat with three record decks, goodness knows how many records, and one long-suffering partner – so I’m super-eager to get my hands on a copy!

Doctor Who – The Tenth Doctor Adventures Volume Three (Limited Edition) is available for pre-order now as a five-disc CD collector’s edition – limited to 5,000 copies – in deluxe bookset packaging for only £35, with the download version for £25 (available on release).

FILTER: - Big Finish - Vinyl

Doctor Who Magazine: Issue 538

Thursday, 2 May 2019 - Reported by Marcus

This month's Doctor Who Magazine contains an exclusive interview with Doctor Who Composer Segun Akinola.

This issue also includes:

A candid interview with Eric Saward, Doctor Who’s longest-serving script editor.
Former showrunner Steven Moffat discusses Eric’s legacy.
Robert Allsopp describes his unusual contributions to Doctor Who’s prop and costume departments – from the Sylvester McCoy episodes to the present day.
Alex Mercer describes what it’s like to be one of the current producers of Doctor Who.
Storyboard artist James Iles talks us through some of his stunning illustrations.
Jacqueline King – aka Sylvia Noble – answers questions from the TARDIS tin.
A tribute to Shane Rimmer, who guest starred in The Gunfighters in 1966.
Part Four of Herald of Madness, a new comic strip adventure featuring the Thirteenth Doctor and her friends.
How one cosplayer became the War Doctor’s companion.
The Fact of Fiction explores the 1979 story Nightmare of Eden.
The Blogs of Doom, audio reviews, previews, news, prize-winning competitions and much, much more!

DWM 538 is on sale from 2 May, priced £5.99.

FILTER: -

The Lives of Captain Jack

Wednesday, 1 May 2019 - Reported by Marcus

Coming out in June 2019, Captain Jack Harkness and the Sixth Doctor swap coats in The Lives of Captain Jack Volume Two.

John Barrowman reprises his role as the dashing omnisexual Time Agent, Captain Jack, in the second volume of audio adventures from Big Finish Productions in association with BBC Studios.

In The Lives of Captain Jack Volume Two, Captain Jack takes on fake news, trench warfare and the Sixth Doctor’s dress sense in three new stories:

Piece of Mind by James Goss
What Have I Done? by Guy Adams
Driving Miss Wells by James Goss

John Barrowman’s Captain Jack made his memorable first appearance in television’s Doctor Who revival in 2005, inspiring head writer and executive producer, Russell T Davies, to create the spin-off series Torchwood for him.

Producer of The Lives of Captain Jack and Torchwood audio series at Big Finish, James Goss, tells us more about this second box set

As we had such a great time doing the first volume it seemed a lovely idea to do another. Amazingly, John managed to find time for us AND capture a nation’s heart in the jungle. Hearing him face off against Colin Baker’s Doctor is the joy we’ve all been waiting for.

The Lives of Captain Jack Volume Two, out for release in June 2019, is available for pre-order now from Big Finish at £24.99 on CD or £19.99 on download, rising to its general release price of £34.99 on CD or £29.99 on download.

FILTER: - Audio - Big Finish

Whotopia: Issue 34

Monday, 29 April 2019 - Reported by Marcus

The latest issue of the long-running fan magazine, Whotopia, has just been released.

This issue, number 34 features

SERIES 11 IN THE SPOTLIGHT
THE WHITTAKER DEBATE & THE ENSUING DISSATISFACTION OF FANDOM
COLUMN: THE BLACK ARCHIVES
RESCUING HARTNELL'S FORGOTTEN GEM
COLUMN: MASTER WHO #7
A HERO IN TIME AND SPACE
FROBISHER: THE GREATEST COMPANION YOU'VE NEVER WATCHED
THE FOUR DOCTORS: A COMIC EVENT RETROSPECT
COLUMN: THE CURATE'S EGG
TEN THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT EVERY HARTNELL STORY
AUDIO WHO: THE TOMB OF THE CYBERMEN

All this and more in the latest issue

ISSUE 34 is available to download for free in PDF format from the Whotopia website

FILTER: - Fan Productions

William Russell to star in Brazilian movie with his son Alfred Enoch

Saturday, 27 April 2019 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Hugo Gloss: Watch on Instagram
Hugo Gloss on Instagram

Desde que Alfred Enoch, que interpretou o Wes na série "How To Get Away with Murder", foi confirmado em @medidaprovisoriaofilme, primeiro filme de ficção dirigido por @olazaroramos, nós ficamos na maior ansiedade para saber mais detalhes do projeto. Durante as filmagens no Rio de Janeiro, o astro realizou o sonho de gravar com seu pai, William Russel, ator inglês que já fez "Doctor Who", e o hugogloss.com teve acesso com exclusividade a um vídeo dos bastidores que mostra esse encontro mais que especial. Com a presença de sua mãe, a brasileira Etheline Enoch, ele gravou pela primeira vez com o pai, no filme que também marca a sua primeira vez atuando em português. Olha que maravilhoso!

Thais Aux Pavão from Doctor Who Brasil reports:

Actor William Russell, who lived the 1st Doctor companion Ian Chesterton, is in Brazil to participate on the film Medida Provisória (Provisional Measure) with his son Alfred Enoch (Harry Potter, How To Get Away With Murder) as part of the cast.

The movie is directed by Lazaro Ramos, a renowned actor from Bahia, Brazil who found fame in soap operas and movies. This is his first work as a Director.

In the cast is also Seu Jorge, Brazilian singer/actor who worked with Wes Anderson in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and recorded its soundtrack, The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions, covering David Bowie songs.

We also have Renata Sorrah, one of the top Brazilian actresses of her time (who also happens to be the face of the "Confused Math Lady" meme).

Shooting of the film is taking place in Rio de Janeiro and Alfred also brought his mother Etheline Enoch, who is Brazilian born, to location.

Lazaro said he couldn't pass on the possibility of inviting Russell over to the movie since this is the first time father and son will work together.

Alfred Enoch said this "has always been my dream. My father is my great reference since always. He was my first teacher. When I told Lazaro we never worked together, that I always wanted it but it never happened, and now that he's 94, I thought I wouldn't have this opportunity. And suddenly he was in and it was beautiful".

William said: "My experience working on this big film which is being made here, people are so nice and kind and very very generous. It makes me feel very happy to be there and to be us, to do anything with them and for them. I hope some of it comes out". He also said his first movie was in the 1950s.

Etheline Enoch also spoke about the film: "As parents, we are very happy that he had this opportunity. And as for me, I'm even happier, since it is in my country. He himself said that he met the cast in January when he was here and he was very excited. That's why he accepted this project and rejected other in America and in Europe".

You can follow the production for this film on the official Instagram account.

A report from filming featuring William, Alfred and Etheline can be viewed (in Portuguese) via the Hugo Gloss Instagram account.

With thanks to: Doctor Who Brasil

FILTER: - Brazil - People - Press

Lethbridge-Stewart: Travers and Wells

Saturday, 27 April 2019 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have announced the paperback release of the novella Travers and Wells as it launches a new spin-off series of books featuring the characters Professor Edward Travers and HG Wells on their travels across parallel worlds en route to the alien world of Karfel - where the Dominator fleet is about to attack!

Lethbridge-Stewart: Travers and Wells: Other Wars, Other Worlds (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Travers and Wells: Other Wars, Other Worlds
Written by Robert Mammone

"For a time I believed that mankind had been swept out of existence, and that I stood there with my friend, Edward Travers, the last men left alive."

Edward Travers, pulled out of time by a mysterious force, finds himself on a hill with a young man called Herbert George Wells. Together the men travel across England, intent on discovering where they are; a world distinctly different from the one they know. And yet, for Edward Travers, it is one that seems vaguely familiar...

For strange, meteor-like objects have landed in the heart of England, and the inhabitants of Earth have found themselves victims of a terrible attack. A ruthless race of Martians, armed with heat rays and poisonous smoke, is intent on destroying everything that stands in its way.

Only things have not turned out the way Travers' expected, for this is not the war of the worlds HG Wells wrote about, but something much worse.

Originally released in 2017, the backdoor pilot to this series has been retitled Other Wars, Other Worlds. Talking about the reception of his book, author Robert Mammone said:

I am gobsmacked by the overwhelmingly positive reception. You hope that when the results of all that hard work venture into the world readers are at least kind to it, but the lovely reviews on the internet, and the personal comments I've received left me feeling giddy. When I heard the hardback had sold out so quickly I looked forward to the day when more people could pick up the paperback, and that day is almost here! Here's to more readers enjoying the adventures of Travers and Wells!

Range Editor, Andy Frankham-Allen explained how the new series developed:

The potential of the series was always to be determined by sales and critical response, which, we are glad to say, have both proven to be sufficiently positive. The series itself, and the adventures contained therein, are based on the works of Wells, following the example set by the Doctor Who serial Timelash by Glen McCoy, which saw a younger Wells encounter several people and situations that inspired some of his best known works. Every book in this range will be a play on a story written by Wells, and not always the most obvious ones. Although, naturally, the first two novels pull from two of Wells’ biggest hits, The War of the Worlds and The Island of Dr Moreau.

As indicated above, the second book in the series will be called The City of Dr Moreau, written by Andrew Allen:

"Wells blinked a couple of times, balling a fist into his eyes to rub away the sweat trickling there. But it was no good; the room was too dark and he still couldn’t see anything. Nonetheless, he was painfully aware that someone – something – was in the room with him. He heard a snuffling, a guttural breathing, and the thing moved closer."

Edward Travers and HG Wells are flung once again into an alternative reality: a London both achingly familiar and quite unlike the city either of them know. In the dying days of the Edwardian empire, public protests over the increasing use of vivisection in animal research collide with rising fears about looming war.

Connecting both is the mysterious Dr Moreau. Wells is fascinated by the accomplished scientist, but Travers is horrified by the dark truth of the man that he previously had believed to be mere fiction.

As the two men begin to discover the purpose behind their adventures out of time and come face to face with who is controlling their journey, they pursue Moreau to the inevitable conclusion: his very own island of creation, a perverse garden of Eden that’s very close to home...

The paperback edition of Other Wars, Other Worlds is available to pre-order from the Candy Jar website, as is a limited edition hardback edition of The City of Dr Moreau; the latter can also be pre-ordered in paperback for a limited time ony as part of an exclusive bundle with the first book.

FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart

Black Archive

Tuesday, 23 April 2019 - Reported by Marcus

The latest editions from Obverse Books Black Archive looks at two very different stories from the First and Fourth Doctor

Black Archive: Warrior's Gate (Credit: Obverse Books)

Black Archive #30: The Dalek Invasion of Earth

Released 2 April 2019

Survivors of London, the Daleks are the masters of Earth. Surrender now and you will live.

The story of the Daleks’ return to Doctor Who in The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964) has been told in multiple media, but for this Black Archive, Jonathan Morris has had unparalleled access to the many variants of the scripts.

After 55 years, learn the identity of ‘The Waking Ally’, discover Milton Subotsky’s working draft of the second feature film, and find out why the iconic shot of the Daleks crossing Westminster Bridge doesn’t appear in the televised story… Author Jonathan Morris is one of the most prolific and long-standing contributors to Doctor Who Magazine, as well as writing five novels for BBC Books and over fifty stories for Big Finish.

RRP: £7.99 (£5.99 direct from Obverse)

Black Archive: The Dalek Invasion of Earth (Credit: Obverse Books)

Black Archive #31: Warriors Gate

Released 2 May 2019

The shadow of my past and of your future.

Representative of Doctor Who at its most experimental, narratively and visually, Warriors’ Gate (1981) was the rich by-product of a producer seeking to modernise the series for the 1980s, a radio writer and novelist who had never written for television, and a film director with one television drama to his credit.

Examining television authorship in the 1980s, and using archive research and new interviews, this Black Archive traces the development of writer Stephen Gallagher’s scripts and their onscreen realisation by producer John Nathan-Turner, script editor Christopher Bidmead, and director Paul Joyce.

Similarly, it explores the story’s complex blend of absurd tragicomedy, quantum theory, randomness and entropy, within the context of British New Wave SF, the philosophy of science, modernist theatre, film and television, German Romantic painting, pop video, and the development of electronic video effects. Many ‘authors’ contributed to the transmitted version of Warriors’ Gate and the book also considers whether it can be claimed as the work of a single author given the collaborative nature of its troubled production.

RRP: £7.99 (£5.99 direct from Obverse)

FILTER: - Books - First Doctor - Fourth Doctor

DWM Special Edition 52: Costume Design

Friday, 19 April 2019 - Reported by Marcus

Few television programmes make the same production demands as Doctor Who. With such diverse settings as distant points in Earth’s history and alien civilisations in the far future, the series has always stretched the ingenuity – and resources – of its talented costume designers.

The latest Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition features numerous rare and previously unpublished illustrations showing how the look of an episode evolves from sketch to screen, plus exclusive interviews with the following designers:

Lee Bender (owner of the Bus Stop boutique, which supplied outfits for Sarah Jane Smith)
Howard Burden (designer of the Twelfth Doctor’s costume)
Ray Holman (designer of the Eleventh and Thirteenth Doctor’s costumes, and Doctor Who’s current costume designer)
June Hudson (designer of the Fourth Doctor’s final outfit and numerous costumes for Romana)
Barbara Lane (The Claws of Axos, The Dæmons, The Curse of Peladon etc)
Amy Roberts (Image of the Fendahl, Full Circle, The Keeper of Traken etc)
Alexandra Tynan (The Tenth Planet, The Highlanders, The Evil of the Daleks etc)
Lucinda Wright (designer of Christopher Eccleston’s series as the Ninth Doctor)

Plus, the stars who wore the designers’ creations look back at their characters’ clothes:

Sophie Aldred (Ace)
Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler)
Katy Manning (Jo Grant)
Catrin Stewart (Jenny Flint)
Anneke Wills (Polly)

Editor Marcus Hearn says:

I don’t think there’s ever been such a detailed and comprehensive look at the series’ costume design. Much of the new research for this issue was led by Piers Britton, who has an unrivalled knowledge of the subject and the kind of insight that makes you look at familiar episodes in a whole new light. Dr Britton looms large in this issue, but the whole team has done a fantastic job – other highlights include a rarely seen interview with the late Colin Lavers, who designed the Fifth Doctor’s costume, and a new interview with Barbara Lane. This is the first time Barbara has spoken about her work on the series since the mid-1970s, so we were delighted when we tracked her down. We’ve uncovered so much new information and so many fantastic images – we can’t wait to share it all with everyone!

On sale from Thursday 18 April 2019 £5.99 (UK)

FILTER: - Books - DWM

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