Fan Productions

Monday, 24 June 2013 - Reported by Marcus
Inferno Fiction 14Inferno Fiction; Volume Fourteen

Issue Fourteen of Inferno Fiction is now available online.
  • THE CAFEby Ashley Myles The Doctor and Dodo's peace is shattered when the TARDIS comes under attack from an intruder, intent on stealing it to help save his friends from an eternal prison set within a cafe...
  • I, ZYGONby Al Dickerson "Being a manuscript of the final transmission to the Zygon refugee fleet from the survivors of the exploration vessel Hiskarasa; the final testament of Grotton, bound squire to Commander Broton. Found on Earth in 2357 and verified authentic by the cultural council of New Zygor, 51 Pegasi."
  • RULER OF THE FOURTH DIMENSIONby Sean Bassett "There was once a man. The most amazing man. A man who’s saved many civilizations and improved so many lives. I imagine he’s still out there somewhere, gallivanting around the universe with his screwdriver. I met him once, a long time ago, in the summer of 1963."
  • THE GIFTby Michael Falino The Doctor answers a distress signal from the planet Clyreon where the inhabitants have a predicament involving a child...
  • THE SHADOW MAKERSby Joe Ford PART TWO: Steven recounts his time during the time distortion...and a meeting from the Doctor's future...
  • SILENCING THE BEASTby Meg MacDonald "I’m here Doctor. Still. You thought you’d left me behind, didn’t you? Thought you’d buried me at Arcadia? Cast me into the heart of the Nightmare Child? Left me behind like one of your Companions? You didn’t. I’m still here, Time Lord. And I’ve been waiting for you. Wake up!"
  • WHAT PLANET?by Michael Baxter
  • THE COMING OF THE DALEKSby Nathan Mullins The Daleks are after the key to the TARDIS and along with some old and new friends the Doctor sets out to stop them at any cost...
Kasterborous MagazineKasterborous Magazine #1

Issue one of Kasterborous Magazine, from the team behind the website, is now available complete with an interview with current Doctor Matt Smith and former companion Karen Gillan who told the magazine
I just feel like I’ve learned actually how to act. When I look back at what I was like as an actress when I first started, I just think I didn’t know anything about acting! Through the show I feel like I’ve learned so much, and I’ve learned so much from Matt Smith as well, just because he is the most inventive actor I’ve ever, ever seen work.

  • Elton Townend-Jones’ Enlightenment – how should Doctor Who’s 50th be celebrated?
  • Never a Doctored Word with the Valeyard – the Doctor’s alter ego sets the world to rights.
  • Interview: Illustrator Paul Hanley – popular artist reveals his inspirations and plans.
  • The Shape of… The TARDIS – the real star of Doctor Who, the iconic time machine.
  • Crash of Elysium – Tom Macrae discusses his audacious live Doctor Who play.
  • My Mate John IS the Doctor! – John Guilor, the voice of the First Doctor, interviewed.
  • All Monsters Great and Small – Phil Bates meets Matt Smith at the Doctor Who Experience.
  • In the Shed: With a Dalek Builder! – want to build your own Dalek? Gareth Mugridge is the man to ask!
  • The History of Doctor Who Fandom – kicking off an in-depth look at organized fandom.
  • Doctor Who Takes Manhattan – we speak to Matt Smith & Karen Gillan in New York!
  • The Masque Revisited – 38 years later, a trip to Portmeirion revisits The Masque of Mandragora.
Three stage shows based on the world of Doctor Who fandom are also in preparation for this year's Fringe Festival in Edinburgh.

I Need a Doctor: The Unauthorised Whosical Adventure - Work in Progress
takes place at the Pleasance Theatre London from 27-29 June before moving Edinburgh in August

Doctor-loving nerd Jamie and his companion Jess wrote a musical about their time-travelling hero. Now, they must avoid BBC copyright as they battle with evil exterminators and dancing cyber-gents. Will they manage to escape unscathed? And will they manage to rewrite a whole musical in one hour? Original songs include ‘I Need A Doctor’ and ‘Phonebox of Love’
Who Are You Supposed To Be?
the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from 14-26 August

Classic tale of a boy in a TARDIS t-shirt standing in front of a girl dressed as the Fifth Doctor, asking her to love him... and a girl demanding to know why she can’t be the Doctor or Han Solo or Captain Reynolds. They’d be star-crossed lovers (Wars and Trek, obviously) but they have so much in common - surely they can find the time and space to fall in love? This is a story about wanting to feel safe, to be appreciated and how far we’ll go to find people like us.
Rob Lloyd: Who, Me
the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from 1-25 August

Doctor Who is about to face his greatest challenge: his number one fan. Rob Lloyd (Fan Number One) is putting The Doctor on trial. Is Doctor Who (the television show) guilty of inciting in Rob a debilitating obsession, or shaped him into a well-rounded, mentally-sound member of society? After sell-out seasons at the Melbourne and Adelaide Fringe Festivals plus the Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland and Perth Comedy Festivals, Rob now brings his show to Edinburgh for the first time. Suitable for anyone who has ever been tickled -or tortured - by obsession. Court is now in session.




FILTER: - Fan Productions

Publications Roundup

Saturday, 25 May 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
A roundup of some of the independent publications that have recently been published or announced.

Fifty Years in Time and Space: A Short History of Doctor Who (Credit: St Mark's Press)Fifty Years in Time and Space: A Short History of Doctor Who
by Frank Danes
282 pages, published by St Mark's Press, out now

St Mark’s Press has just released a new, unauthorised, single volume critical history of the programme: "Fifty Years in Time and Space: A Short History of Doctor Who". The author is Frank Danes and the cover is by Roger Langridge, whose work regularly appeared in Doctor Who Magazine.

Frank is Head of English at King’s Ely school in England. He’s written Victorian Literature for Cambridge University Press and those of us with long memories may remember that he co-edited the fanzine Fendahl way back in the late 70s and early 80s. Fifty Years in Time and Space is a well-written, amusing and carefully researched guide.

Frank comments:
I was born in 1965 – on a Saturday, in fact, and just in time to watch ‘Galaxy Four’ episode two. Some of my earliest memories are of watching the programme: I remember my twin brother and I putting our hands over the screen when the Yeti appeared, prompting yells of ‘Get those twins away from the television!’ from my elder brothers. I’ve always been a Doctor Who fan even as I have become (in Terrance Dicks’ words) older, fatter, greyer, but not noticeably wiser.

The book is available direct from St Mark's Press, or from Amazon, Galaxy 4, Who One, The Who Shop and other bookshops.
Celebrate Regenerate (Credit: Celebrate Regenerate/Lewis Christian)Celebrate Regenerate
edited by Lewis Christian
due for publication 13th July 2013

In order to aid the celebrations of Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary this year, quite an epic-sized group of fans have come together from all over the world to build Celebrate Regenerate, a fan-made (non-profit and unofficial) book, filled with reviews and articles covering every televised story.

At over 300 A4 pages, this doorstop of a book is packed with pieces from over 250+ fan writers, and we’ve even included some fanart too. To top it all, we’ve also bagged a few exclusive interviews with Series 1 director, Joe Ahearne; writer Tom MacRae, and writer Joseph Lidster which will be published alongside some other special features in the book.


The project, now a year in the making, is set to be released on 13th July this year, well in time for the anniversary. We aim to simply add to the growing list of contributions from other fans and writers, and our goal is now to reach out to as many fans as possible to share our finished project.

(Up until 8th July, we’re offering everybody the chance to have their name listed in the book as a 'Companion' too, to make up for them not knowing about this and being able to submit)

This is an non-profit, unauthorised and unofficial fan publication, and will be available for free for download in PDF format; it will also be possible to purchase a physical copy via lulu.com.


For more details, visit the Celebrate Regenerate website and Facebook page.
Liberating Earth, A Faction Paradox Collection
edited by Kate Orman
due for publication by Obverse Books in May 2014

Coming in May 2014 from Obverse Books: Liberating Earth, an anthology of science fiction and fantasy written entirely by women, edited by award-winning Australian author Kate Orman.

In Liberating Earth, rival cousins from the mysterious time-travelling Faction Paradox cult decide our planet should be freed from the human race and placed in better hands. As the cousins ruthlessly compete to create the perfect alternative Earth, history and reality change wildly again and again. Humanity is helpless. Or is it?

SF and fantasy readers and viewers, especially women, are increasingly calling for more work by female writers. Stuart Douglas of Obverse Books has commissioned Liberating Earth in response to that demand.

Editor Kate Orman was the first woman published in the Doctor Who: the New Adventures range of novels, eventually writing and co-writing a total of thirteen Who-related books, as well as publishing original fantasy and science fiction.

Liberating Earth will be printed in hardback and ebook formats in May 2014.

Other recently reported publications include Time and Relative Dimensions in Faith, Time & Space Visualiser: The Story and History of Doctor Who as Data Visualisations, and Companions: 50 Years of Doctor Who Assistants




FILTER: - Fan Productions - Books

Details announced of Splendid Chaps: "Six/Clothes"

Saturday, 25 May 2013 - Reported by Adam Kirk
.As previously reportedSplendid Chaps is a year-long performance/podcast project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who hosted by comedian Ben McKenzie (Dungeon CrawlMelbourne Museum Comedy Tour) and writer John Richards (ABC1 sitcom OutlandBoxcutters podcast)

Described by its creators as part intellectual panel discussion, part nerdy Tonight Show, Splendid Chaps is a combination of analysis, enthusiasm and irreverence. The first episode went to number 1 on the iTunes TV & Film Podcast chart in Australia, and to number 4 in the UK.  The podcasts to the first few episodes are now available at www.splendidchaps.com or at  iTunes.

Tickets are now on sale for their 6th Doctor show! Their sixth outing discusses the sometimes controversial Sixth Doctor, played by actor Colin Baker. Better known for playing villains and bullies – including Time Lord Commander Maxil in the Peter Davison story Arc of Infinity - Baker dug into the character’s past, bringing back some of William Hartnell’s arrogance and pomposity in order to offer a different take to his good-natured predecessor. It was a turbulent time to become the Doctor, though, as the show was suspended for 18 months, put on trial by the powers that be, and finally forced to make drastic changes – including firing the lead actor.

Most people, of course, remember Six for that outfit, and so this episode the Splendid Chaps discuss Clothes. Few programs have as broad-ranging a costume design remit, with new worlds, eras and civilisations needing to be created every week. Not to mention that an eccentric Time Lord and his companions need to find clothes that are practical in any situation, from soulless steel corridors to rocky alien landscapes, polar caps and the inside of volcanoes. Oh, and they need to be fashionable in any era… It’s a big ask, and as The Discontinuity Guide reminded us, there were fashion victims as well as triumphs.

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott are joined by writer and podcaster Tansy Rayner Roberts (Galactic Suburbia, Verity), and another guest to be announced soon. There will also be a special musical performance, prizes, surprises – and a fashion show! Yes, and Splendid Chaps want to see your best cosplay and Doctor Who related sartorial creations – and there will be prizes on offer.

Space: Agent 284, 284 Smith Street, Collingwood, Melbourne
Time: Saturday 15 June; recording starts 4 PM
Accessibility: Regretfully this venue is not wheelchair accessible.
Tickets: $15 (plus booking fee where applicable)
Bookings: via trybooking.com or at the door (subject to availability)
Podcast: not yet available; released 23 June 2013.


With thanks to John Richards





FILTER: - Special Events - Sixth Doctor - Fan Productions - Colin Baker - Australia

Details announced of Splendid Chaps: "Five/Fear"

Wednesday, 24 April 2013 - Reported by Adam Kirk
.As previously reportedSplendid Chaps is a year-long performance/podcast project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who hosted by comedian Ben McKenzie (Dungeon CrawlMelbourne Museum Comedy Tour) and writer John Richards (ABC1 sitcom OutlandBoxcutters podcast)

Described by its creators as part intellectual panel discussion, part nerdy Tonight Show, Splendid Chaps is a combination of analysis, enthusiasm and irreverence. The first episode went to number 1 on the iTunes TV & Film Podcast chart in Australia, and to number 4 in the UK.  The podcasts to the first few episodes are now available at www.splendidchaps.com or at  iTunes.

Tickets are now on sale for their 5th Doctor show!
On Sunday May 19 they’ll be celebrating the era of the 5th Doctor, the cricket-and-celery-loving Peter Davison, and exploring the notion of Fear in Doctor Who. When is Doctor Who scary, and why? Guests will include comedian Tegan Higginbotham (from comedy duo Watson and The Comedy Channel’s Whatever Happened To That Guy?) and horror author Narrelle M Harris. That’s at The Public Bar, 238 Victoria Street, North Melbourne, at 5pm.

Splendid Chaps: A Year Of Doctor Who: "Five: Fear"

Space: The Public Bar, 238 Victoria Street, North Melbourne
Time: Saturday 19 May 2013, 5 PM
Accessibility: This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Tickets: All tickets $15 (plus booking fee where applicable)
Bookings: via trybooking.com, or buy tickets at the door (subject to availability)
Podcast: not yet available, released 23 May 2013.

With thanks to John Richards





FILTER: - Special Events - Fan Productions - Fifth Doctor - Peter Davison - Australia

Details announced of extra Splendid Chaps "Who and Books"

Monday, 8 April 2013 - Reported by Adam Kirk

As previously reportedSplendid Chaps is a year-long performance/podcast project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who hosted by comedian Ben McKenzie (Dungeon CrawlMelbourne Museum Comedy Tour) and writer John Richards (ABC1 sitcom OutlandBoxcutters podcast).

Described by its creators as part intellectual panel discussion, part nerdy Tonight Show, Splendid Chaps is a combination of analysis, enthusiasm and irreverence. The first episode went to number 1 on the iTunes TV & Film Podcast chart in Australia, and to number 4 in the UK.  The podcasts to the first few episodes are now available at www.splendidchaps.com or at  iTunes.

Tickets are now on sale for a special bonus show all about Doctor Who books!

Books have always been an important part of Doctor Who, from the Target novelisations of the pre-video recorder age to the New Adventures and Eighth Doctor novels that continued the story after the original series went off air. Ben, John and Petra will be joined by editor and JOY 94.9 host Katie Purvis, and filmmaker, writer and podcaster Dave Hoskin for a discussion and reading of some of these works, plus a look at the stranger end of the publishing spectrum (the Doctor Who Cookbook, anyone?). And there’ll be a special reading from comedian Lawrence Leung!

Splendid Chaps: A Year Of Doctor Who: "Who and Books"

Space: Northcote Library, 32-38 Separation Street, Northcote, Melbourne
Time: Saturday May 4 2013, 4:30 PM
Accessibility: This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Tickets: All tickets $10 (plus booking fee where applicable)
Bookings: via trybooking.com, or buy tickets at the door (subject to availability)
Podcast: TBA.

(with thanks to John Richards)





FILTER: - Special Events - Fan Productions - Books - Australia

Doctor Who at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Saturday, 23 March 2013 - Reported by Adam Kirk

As previously reportedSplendid Chaps is a year-long performance/podcast project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who hosted by comedian Ben McKenzie (Dungeon CrawlMelbourne Museum Comedy Tour) and writer John Richards (ABC1 sitcom OutlandBoxcutters podcast).

Described by its creators as part intellectual panel discussion, part nerdy Tonight Show, Splendid Chaps is a combination of analysis, enthusiasm and irreverence. The first episode went to number 1 on the iTunes TV & Film Podcast chart in Australia, and to number 4 in the UK.  The podcasts to the first three episodes are now available at www.splendidchaps.com or at  iTunes.

Tickets are now on sale for their two April shows, to be held at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

In part one they'll be joined by ABC3′s Steam Punks host Paul Verhoeven, and late night triple j host and Rove star Dave Callan to discuss Tom Baker's period as the Doctor. In part two's late show, Adam Richard, co-creator and star of Outland, and a fantastic UK comedian they're not allowed to name will discuss the role of Comedy in Doctor Who.

There's also be door prizes, a song, too many scarves and maybe even a Dalek.

Splendid Chaps: A Year Of Doctor Who: "Four/Comedy"
Space: The New Ballroom, corner of Lygon and Victoria Streets, Melbourne.
Time: Part One: April 6, 5:45 PM;  Part Two: April 13, 10:45 PM.
Tickets: $22 full price, $18 concession (plus booking fee where applicable).
Bookings: via comedyfestival.com.au, TicketMaster outlets, the Comedy Festival box office, or at the venue (subject to availability)  Please note if you book in person at a TicketMaster outlet, you may need to ask for “Ben McKenzie & John Richards”, as “Splendid Chaps” does not appear in the search terms of their system.
Podcast: not yet available; released 23 April 2013.
Accessibility: This venue is wheelchair accessible.
(with thanks to John Richards)




FILTER: - Special Events - Fan Productions - Tom Baker - Fourth Doctor - Australia

The Dr Who 8th Anniversary Special

Friday, 1 March 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The Dr Who 8th Anniversary Special is a follow-up to 2011's The Wonderful Book of Dr Who 1965, this time paying homage to the iconic Radio Times 10th Anniversary Special. Produced by Paul Smith, this volume takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the current series over its eight years, with contributions from a variety of fan writers.

DR WHO ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

Dr Who, the thrilling television series that follows the adventures of the multi-faced time traveller Dr Who, reaches a very special anniversary this year, one that is a milestone for any drama programme let alone such a completely bonkers one as this. Yes, Dr Who is eight years old!

When Dr Who arrived on our screens in 2005 no one could have predicted what a phenomenon it would become. So to celebrate its continuing popularity eight years on, Wonderful Books has published the DR WHO ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL, a must-have magazine for every fan of Dr Who -- you could call it a 'fan-zine' if such a term existed.

Relive all of Dr Who's astonishing exploits from the very beginning, hardly ever repeated on television since their original broadcast but retold here in all their gripping detail (as well as we can remember them). There are also examinations of each major companion by some of the best writers from among Dr Who's loyal followers, with impressive new artwork. And you can learn exactly how to build your very own Dalek (although we can't take responsibility for the results).

All this for just 530 credits from your nearest Jagrafessian news outlet.



The Special is a 36 page, full colour fanzine which includes a wraparound cover from the toy photographer "Tomfan". Contributors include Andrew Blair, Johnny Candon, Frank Collins, Martin Day, Philip Sandifer, JR Southall, Keith Topping and Alex Wilcock, with artists Jason Fletcher & Westley Smith, Jon Pinto, M Jason Reed, James Taylor, Will Thompson and more.

For more details visit the Wonderful Book Anniversary Special website.





FILTER: - Merchandise - Fan Productions - Books

Details announced of Splendid Chaps "Three/Family"

Tuesday, 26 February 2013 - Reported by Adam Kirk
As previously reportedSplendid Chaps is a year-long performance/podcast project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who hosted by comedian Ben McKenzie (Dungeon CrawlMelbourne Museum Comedy Tour) and writer John Richards (ABC1 sitcom OutlandBoxcutters podcast).

Described by its creators as part intellectual panel discussion, part nerdy Tonight Show, Splendid Chaps is a combination of analysis, enthusiasm and irreverence. The first episode went to number 1 on the iTunes TV & Film Podcast chart in Australia, and to number 4 in the UK.  The podcasts to the first two episodes are now available at www.splendidchaps.com or at  iTunes.

Tickets are now on sale for their March show, in which the Splendid Chaps TARDIS will be visiting Adelaide. They'll be discussing the frill-fronted velveteen Time Lord Jon Pertwee, and looking at the notion of Family in Doctor Who - why are there so few families in the early years of the show? What’s with all the distant aunts? How did it change the show when companions’ families started to appear after Rose?

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott are joined by New York Times best-selling author Sean Williams plus other guests poached from the Adelaide Fringe Festival as Splendid Chaps makes the exciting move into colour and corduroy.

Splendid Chaps: A Year Of Doctor Who: "Three/Family"
Space: The Tuxedo Cat – The Yellow Room, 199-200 North Terrace, Adelaide.
Time: Sunday, March 10; show starts 2 PM (note that as we will be recording, latecomers will not be admitted until interval).
Tickets: All tickets $15 (plus booking fee where applicable).
Bookings: trybooking.com, tickets also sold at the door (subject to availability).
Podcast: not yet available; released 23 March 2013.
Accessibility: This venue is wheelchair accessible.
(with thanks to John Richards)





FILTER: - Special Events - Fan Productions - Jon Pertwee - Third Doctor - Australia

Inferno Fiction 13

Saturday, 9 February 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
Issue 13 of the free online Doctor Who fiction magazine Inferno Fiction has been published. Edited by Colin-John Rodgers, it features the following:
InfernoFiction13
  • A Brush With Death (aka The Flush of Fear), by Francis Cave: Part Two - Jo is under attack from the Yeti while visiting the little girls' room. Will the Doctor be able to come to her aid in time? And what polarity will he be able to reverse . . . ?
  • Farm Song, by Meg MacDonald: "Your song is ending sir. It is returning. It is returning through the dark. And then, Doctor . . . Oh, but then . . . he will knock four times."
  • An Unearthly Man, by Thomas Ahearn: Captain Jack calls upon the Doctor to help with mysterious space-time anomalies and ends up with double trouble when two incarnations turn up at the same time . . .
  • Anagram of the Kaleds, by Nic Ford: Kaled Daev is a one-eyed mutant whose life is very mundane living in a jar, unable to walk, talk, or communicate in anyway. But his life is enlivened by his friend Normon who visits him every day, and with the help of a senior scientist he is given a new life . . .
  • The Shadow Makers, by Andy Weston: Part One - A time distortion separates the Doctor and Vicki from Steven on the planet Manalex Alpha, a planet known to Vicki and whose people are at war with time . . .
  • La Chanson de la Tristesse, by Julie Kay: Leaving 1869 behind them, the Doctor takes Rose to a concert in Royan, France, and a spectacular concert première taking place in 1977 . . .
  • Thwop, by Nick Wheeler: The TARDIS has broken down and the Doctor is desperately trying to fix it, while Rory's been swimming with mysterious fish . . .
  • A New Outlook, by Ashley Myles: Rassilon awakes at a crucial point in time as the universe is in turmoil from dominating factions. To restore balance, he intercepts a TARDIS passing the solar system of Lakertya . . .
The stories can be read here.




FILTER: - Fan Productions

Details announced of Splendid Chaps "Two/Evil"

Sunday, 3 February 2013 - Reported by Adam Kirk

As previously reportedSplendid Chaps is a year-long performance/podcast project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who hosted by comedian Ben McKenzie (Dungeon CrawlMelbourne Museum Comedy Tour) and writer John Richards (ABC1 sitcom OutlandBoxcutters podcast).

Described by its creators as part intellectual panel discussion, part nerdy Tonight Show, Splendid Chaps is a combination of analysis, enthusiasm and irreverence. The first episode went to number 1 on the iTunes TV & Film Podcast chart in Australia, and to number 4 in the UK.  The podcast is available  at www.splendidchaps.com or at  iTunes.

Tickets are now on sale for the second live recording, which features actor Toby Truslove (ABC's Laid, Outland, The Strange Calls) and cultural theorist Dr Djoymi Baker discussing the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, and the notion of “evil” in Doctor Who. Is it absolute? Are there cosmic forces of right and wrong? And is the Doctor always on the right side? Plus performance guest, cabaret comedian Dean Acuri – performing a song written especially for the show.


Splendid Chaps: A Year Of Doctor Who: "Two/Evil"
Space: 303, 303 High Street, Northcote
Time: Sunday, February 17; bar open from 4 PM, show starts 5 PM (note that as event is recorded, latecomers will not be admitted until intermission)
Tickets: $15 full price, $12 concession (plus booking fee)
Bookings: via TryBooking; tickets also sold at the door (subject to availability)



"One/Authority" event shows (from left to right) Ben McKenzie, John Richards, Lee Zachariah, Nerida Haycock, Alexandra Tynan (nee Sandra Reid), Petra Elliot. Photographer Robert Young.
(with thanks to John Richards)





FILTER: - Special Events - Fan Productions - Second Doctor - Patrick Troughton - Australia