UNIT: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories update

Tuesday, 1 March 2022 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Candy Jar is adding a further four stories to the line-up in the previously announced UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories, with new stories from established writers John Peel and Chris Lynch, plus two new writers to the series.

Range Editor Tim Gambrell explained the thinking behind the changes:

I love situations like this, because they focus everyone’s creative energies. It started with a quick conversation with Shaun Russell just before Christmas. Shaun felt we needed to add a bit more value for our readers, and I was keen to make sure we weren’t just replicating the (successful) formula of the Lethbridge-Stewart HAVOC Files books. So, the collection has expanded from 9 stories to 13. But we didn’t want to delay the publication, as it had already been announced for pre-orders, so I had to work quickly.

John Peel, who most recently penned the first Benton Files book with Tim, said:.

What are a writer’s second-favourite words to hear? Would you like to write me a story about…? (The writer hopes that they are attached to his absolute favourite words: Here’s an inordinately large amount of money, but they so rarely are!) So, when I was asked, "Would you like to write a UNIT story, with dinosaurs in it?", how could I refuse? (As you can see, I couldn’t)

Then came the inevitable dance of what the editor liked and what I felt happiest writing. “Would you include this?” “Can I use that instead?” That continued until we were both comfortable. Then it was time to buckle down and do the actual writing – which, for the writer, is where the fun really begins. Getting into the mood, resurrecting beloved characters and doing horrible things to them…

Tim continued:

I had an idea for a story to act as a coda to Invasion of the Dinosaurs. John, being the great writer he is, turned that on its head and came up with Here We Go Again, set just before Invasion of the Dinosaurs! However, Ian Ball – who is the second of three new writers in the collection – ran with some of the ideas I’d pitched to John, while developing some threads set up in Here We Go Again. Ian has written The Ptower Bridge Pterror, so we’ve ended up book-ending Invasion of the Dinosaurs.

Chris Lynch – who recently wrote the free Lucy Wilson Christmas download story, The Gray Lady of Martyr’s House - provided the next story, Honourable Discharge:

It's simple. When UNIT calls, you answer! Honestly, what writer could resist the chance to craft their own corner of this world and leave a footprint in the sand next to the Brig? For my story I wanted to explore what happens in the aftermath of a UNIT adventure, the price paid by ordinary soldiers who defend Earth alongside the extraordinary heroes we know about, and what happens when one of them doesn't quite measure up to the high standards we expect. It’s a little dark, a little weird, but hopefully a part of the world of UNIT you’ll enjoy discovering.

Tim continued:

Chris immediately came back with a cracking idea that put the Brigadier centre stage. It felt like I’d lit the blue touch paper – he produced the goods really quickly! As with John’s and Ian’s stories, I was also able to ensure some minor continuity between Chris’ Honourable Discharge and Martin Parker’s Old Fowlkes’ Home.

Martin had pitched a story for the Lethbridge-Stewart range, which was unused. It became clear the story could be adapted relatively simply to work as a UNIT story instead. It’s not always easy to adapt stories in this way. You’ve got two choices, basically: you adapt / re-write as you go along, leaving alone what already works – which can be fiddly and frustrating, or you put aside everything you’ve already written and start the piece again from scratch. Neither option is necessarily any quicker to deliver. But there was a lot I liked about the story as it was, and I was keen not to lose that. So, I encouraged Martin to concentrate on the aspects we agreed needed wholesale re-writes.

Martin added:

It’ll be great to get my story out there with readers. It’s a bit longer than the others in the collection, I think, but we’ve worked to keep it tight and focused. I had to learn not to be precious about the story as it already was. Best of all, I can imagine it being on TV. I think when you’re writing material like this, with established characters, that’s the most important thing – to be able to picture it easily in your head. I hope the readers will, too.

The story line up for The UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories::

Benton's First Day, part one, by Tim Gambrell

Norwegian Would, by Simon A Brett

Shadow, by Iain McLaughlin

Operation Wildcat, by Sarah Groenewegen

The Gift, by Sharon Bidwell

Parasite, by James Middleditch

How to Negotiate with a Sentient Tree in Shoreditch, by Baz Greenland

The Aftermath of Aberbuwch, by Jonathan Macho

Here We Go Again, by John Peel

The Ptower Bridge Pterror, by Ian Ball

Honourable Discharge, by Chris Lynch

Old Fowlkes' Home, by Martin Parker

Benton's First Day, part two, by Tim Gambrell

The UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories, is available to pre-order from Candy Jar, and comes with an art card and a free copy of The Benton Files 2, with new stories by George Ivanoff and Kenton Hall. The Benton Files 2 can also be ordered separately.

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

The Pirate Planet to be released on vinyl

Thursday, 17 February 2022 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Demon Records - The Pirate Planet (vinyl)

Demon Records are to release the latest in their Vinyl Who collection of Doctor Who TV soundtracks on 18th March 2022, Season 16 adventure The Pirate Planet:

"The life force is dead! We’re all murderers!"

Demon Records presents the debut Doctor Who adventure by Douglas Adams - creator of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - starring Tom Baker as the Doctor.

On the hunt for the Key to Time, the Doctor, Romana and K9 materialise on the planet Calufrax –or do they? Entangled in local events, they are caught between the bombastic Captain – half-man,half-machine – and the sinister Mentiads. Someone is ransacking whole planets for their wealth,and just as the Doctor discovers who’s behind it another one comes under threat: Earth!

Presented across 2 x 140g Sky Demon Splatter vinyl discs, this 1978 TV soundtrack is narrated by John Leeson, the original Voice of K9. The supporting cast includes Mary Tamm as Romana with Bruce Purchase, Andrew Robertson, David Warwick and Rosalind Lloyd. Incidental music is composed by Dudley Simpson, and the familiar strains of the Doctor Who theme are courtesy ofthe BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

The coloured vinyl LPs are presented in a fully illustrated gatefold sleeve showing cast and credits, and inner bags featuring complete episode billings.

FILTER: - Merchandise - Soundtracks - Fourth Doctor - Vinyl

Lethbridge-Stewart: Blue Blood

Tuesday, 15 February 2022 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books ihas announced the final book in its penultimate series of Lethbridge-Stewart novels:

Blue Blood

Written by Chris Thomas

Cover art by Paul Cooke

People go missing every day. It’s an unfortunate part of life, and tragic for the families involved. But when bodies of the missing start turning up, as if ripped apart by wild animals, the Fifth Operational Corps is called in to investigate.

Sergeant Major Samson Ware and Captain Bill Bishop head to Newcastle, after a spike in the missing persons’ reports, and form an alliance with young photographer Gary Merrin in an effort to uncover the truth.

Meanwhile, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers try to find the recently returned Professor Ted Travers, who himself seems to have disappeared. Their investigations lead them to a World War II veteran, who is a shadow of his former self.

How are the disappearances linked to an experiment from the past? And just what is the connection with the missing Professor Travers?

Blue Blood is the first Lethbridge-Stewart novel by Chris Thomas, who previously wrote Vampires of the Night for The HAVOC Files 2: Special Edition. Born in Perth, Western Australia, Chris is a writer, actor, journalist and broadcaster. His writing includes the novel Journo's Diary for defunct publisher Metropolis Ink, the Doctor Who short story One Step Forward, Two Steps Back (published in Short Trips: Defining Patterns), the plays Which One?, Reality Matters, and Appetite for Destruction.

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen said:

I enjoyed Chris’ short story at the time, and was amused to find he originally ended it in the ‘present’, setting up a sequel. A common thing among new authors – trying to set up some future work for themselves. I remember removing that end scene and telling Chris that if we’re gonna do a sequel, let’s do one properly instead of simply setting it up. Also, by removing the set-up in the short story, we leave things open for new ideas to develop in the meantime.

Chris said:

After Candy Jar Books released my short story in late 2019, Andy got in touch when he was mapping out the latest Lethbridge-Stewart series and asked if I would like to submit a pitch for one of the stories. Vampires of the Night featured Professor Travers and was set during World War II, and I originally had a short scene thirty-odd years later with Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne, discovering something that hadn’t been quite resolved at the end of the story. The scene got cut but, about six hours after I got the initial email from Andy about the novel pitch, I think we had both reached the same conclusion – he followed up, asking if I wanted to do the sequel I had previously hinted at.

As the final book in the penultimate series, this book serves a bit as a preamble to the final days of the Fifth Operational Corps. Chris continued:

Given the United Nations is a global organisation, I wanted to create a problem that had its focus in the UK but was also happening around the world. Being an Aussie, I did throw in a couple of things from Down Under, but the core of the story is set in England’s north, so the focus remains on the Lethbridge-Stewart characters with sojourns to other countries to show similar things happening elsewhere.

Andy added:

It’s all about laying the foundations for the end of the series, as the band finally starts to break up (in a very dramatic sense), which the final series will build upon as things on the international stage start to become even more precarious. But Blue Blood does much more than that; it tells an exciting story, a bit of a mystery, introducing some fun new characters to the LSverse and, eagle-eyed observers will notice, a nice link back to a popular Doctor Who story from 1989.”

The cover is by postman and popular part-time artist Paul Cooke, back for his fourth Lethbridge-Stewart novel cover:

When I got the brief, I decided to produce an atmospheric piece, but one that was still vibrant and colourful. I went for bright sidelights and a sunset rather than night sky, and pushing the colour on the radio telescope in a non-realist but striking way (I hope!).

It was really important to me to get Samson right on this cover. I really like his character and I wanted to create a good portrait. One of the things Candy Jar have been really successful with is introducing strong (I hate this term) minority characters but treating them in a realistic period-way without denigrating them or making them in any way ‘token’. I hope I’ve done Samson justice.

It was fun creating the other characters, too. The female character had to be fairly scary without being too gory and not falling into the titillation trap with the tears in the dress. Merrin had to look alarmed without becoming a caricature, so I hope I struck the right balance. An enjoyable commission and I’m really looking forward to the book.

The book is available to pre-order from Candy Jar Books, and is part of the Season 8 six book bundle for subcribers.

The final series of Lethbridge-Stewart will be split in two parts over 2022, beginning with three novels; Spheres of Influence by Violet Addison & David N Smith, The Most Haunted Man by Sarah Groenewegen, and Legacy of the Dominator by Nick Walters.

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

Doctor Who Magazine: Issue 574

Wednesday, 2 February 2022 - Reported by Marcus

In this month's Doctor Who Magazine, Colin Baker, Bonnie Langford and Russell T Davies reveal the next chapter for the sixth Doctor

Highlights of the new issue include:

An exclusive preview of Mind of the Hodiac (Russell T Davies’ first Doctor Who script) ahead of its Big Finish release, with contributions from Colin Baker, Bonnie Langford, Russell, Scott Handcock and Emily Cook.
The first installment of a two-part interview with Doctor Who’s outgoing executive producer Matt Strevens.
Visual effects designer Ben Pickles describes his contributions to the Thirteenth Doctor’s era.
Zodiak VFX’s Tamsie Thomas and Myfanwy Harris talk about their award-winning work on Doctor Who.
A tribute to Doctor Who director Michael Ferguson, who passed away in October.
The inside story of how the BBC paved the way for Doctor Who’s long-awaited return in 2005.
Pianist Jess Jurkovic discusses his YouTube project ‘Dudley Simpson IS Doctor Who’.
Collectivity investigates the increasingly sophisticated world of trading cards.
Apocrypha revisits Invasion of the Daleks, a seminal comic strip from 1964’s The Dalek Book.
The Fact of Fiction looks at the 1965 story The Romans.
Public Image analyses the ratings for Eve of the Daleks.
The first part of Hydra’s Gate, a new comic-strip story for the Doctor, Yaz and Dan.
Previews, reviews, news, prize-winning competitions, Time and Space Visualiser, Sufficient Data and more.

Doctor Who Magazine Issue 574 is on sale from panini.co.uk and WH Smith from Thursday 3 February priced £6.99 (UK). Also available as a digital edition from pocketmags.com priced £4.99.

FILTER: - DWM - Sixth Doctor

Season 22 Boxset Announced

Thursday, 20 January 2022 - Reported by Marcus

The BBC has announced that Season 22 of Doctor Who will be available on Blu-ray as the next box-set release.

Season 22 was the first full series starring the Sixth Doctor Colin Baker and companion Peri played by Nicola Bryant

The season saw them face off against a host of classic monsters and villains, including Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans, Davros (Terry Molloy) and The Master (Anthony Ainley) – as well as introducing a new female nemesis The Rani (Kate O’Mara) and the villainous slug-like Sil (Nabil Shaban).

The season also featured the return of Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor, and his companion Jamie played by Frazer Hines.

With all episodes newly remastered from the best available sources, this Blu-ray box set also contains extensive and exclusive Special Features including:

Brand New Documentaries: Including a Making-Of documentary for The Two Doctors, and a nostalgic trip back for Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant to Season 22’s filming locations.
In Conversation: Not one but THREE insightful feature-length interviews, with Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant and a surprise guest.
Behind The Sofa: New episodes with actors Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Terry Molloy, Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton, Sylvester McCoy and Wendy Padbury.
Extended Episodes: Including Vengeance On Varos, The Two Doctors (Part One) and Revelation Of The Daleks (Part One).
A Fix With Sontarans: The Doctor and Tegan battle the Sontarans in this special mini-episode.
Updated Special Effects: View Timelash with optional new effects
Exclusive New Audio Commentaries: With Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Alexei Sayle & Terry Molloy on Revelation Of The Daleks and Colin Baker, Janet Fielding & Gareth Jenkins on A Fix With Sontarans.
Immersive 5.1 Surround Sound: On Attack Of The Cybermen, Vengeance On Varos and Revelation Of The Daleks.
The Eternal Mystery: A brand new mini-episode of classic Doctor Who.
Studio Footage: Rare behind-the-scenes material from Vengeance On Varos, The Two Doctors, Timelash and Revelation Of The Daleks.
Convention Footage: Featuring actors Colin Baker and Jacqueline Pearce alongside producer John Nathan-Turner.
Rare Gems From The Archives: BBC archive material including The Colin Baker Years, plus content covering the promotion of the season and the controversial hiatus.
Radio Serial: Slipback, a six-part radio adventure.
HD Photo Galleries: Including many previously unseen images.
Info Text: Behind-the-scenes information and trivia on every episode.
Scripts, Costume Designs, Rare BBC Production Files and other rarities from the PDF Archive

The eight-disc box set also includes hours of special features previously released on DVD.

A specially shot announcement trailer has debuted on the Doctor Who YouTube channel, written by new series contributor Pete McTighe (Kerblam! and Praxeus) and featuring Nicola Bryant back as Peri.

The Eternal Mystery | The Collection: Season 22 Announcement Trailer

The box-set can be pre-ordered on Amazon

FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Season 22 - Sixth Doctor

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Overseers / Short Story Collection 3

Sunday, 17 October 2021 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books has announced the second book in it’s ninth series of Lethbridge-Stewart novels:

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Overseers
Written by James Middleditch
Cover by Adrian Salmon

The Fifth Operational Corps is preparing for the future, but are horrified to see the shape of things to come.

A new form of surveillance is spreading across the South Coast of England. The British people are being shown a new kind of peace, but at what cost? Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and his team fear it may already be too late when this revolutionary method of control extends its reach through the ordinary city streets.

There are other secrets at work too, stretching from the past through the hidden world beneath the surface.

With nowhere to hide, Lethbridge-Stewart, Anne Travers, Bill Bishop and Samson Ware must find new allies. With their own histories part of the pattern and the fate of the country at stake, can they resist a force that’s closing in from every direction?

The Overseers is the first novel from author James Middleditch after two previous short stories for the series. Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen said:

From the first time I read James’ first short story, Piece of Mind, I knew I had found a very good author. And it was after his second short, Latent Image for The Laughing Gnome anthology, that I knew it was time to test him on a novel. By that point plans were underway for the final eight Lethbridge-Stewart novels, which meant if I was going to use James, there would be no better time. James’ inventiveness is matched easily by his enthusiasm, and that shows in his writing. It took a few attempts to break his story, slotting in a few new elements and characters, but when the idea was locked down, James’ true skills came on full display.

James said:

I’ve loved spending time reading about these characters over the past few years and was thrilled to be able to write a couple of short stories featuring some of them. I was then asked to pitch a story for a full novel, and was quite overwhelmed to be selected. This will be my first published novel. Nothing quite prepares you for the task, so I’m grateful for the guidance Andy has provided throughout.

Andy continued:

It had been some time between finalising the outline and the first pass edit of the completed novel, time during which I had worked on a lot of other projects, so in many ways it was a nice surprise to read James’ book. I recalled only bits of the outline. What I discovered was some very sharp writing, in a book that exemplifies the what Lethbridge-Stewart (and indeed Doctor Who) does best, telling a good adventure story by playing on common fears and issues with modern culture. An even more clever task, considering the book is set in 1971.

James added:

Chapter planning was a great intermediate stage, although I’ve learned that these have to evolve as things progress and new ideas emerge. Spending an even more immersive time with these characters has been a pleasure. They have always felt so real, especially in the face of extraordinary things, and I feel privileged to have contributed one of their full adventures, especially as the series heads to its conclusion.

As well as keying into some of the more disturbing sides of popular culture, The Overseers highlights some of the more interesting aspects of the South Coast of England. James explained:

I’ve taken the chance with The Overseers to show off (and embellish!) some of our own local history here on the South Coast of England, while also exploring some very contemporary debates about surveillance and control. A few news stories have even broken during the time I’ve been writing that seem frighteningly close to the fiction. That blurry boundary between reality and speculation is an ideal one for our team of familiar characters to navigate. Likewise, the point between the past and the future, where each exerts a pull, is a great one to have taken them, and I hope readers enjoy going there too.

The cover sees the return of popular artist Adrian Salmon, hot off his work on the latest Doctor Who animation, The Evil of the Daleks:

I loved the ICUs the moment I read the brief – it's such a brilliantly simple idea, yet incredibly creepy: big brother on legs. I felt there should be a big bold drawing of an ICU with gun arm raised to catch the readers eye, whilst the rest of the montage hinted at scenes from the story. The speeding Volkswagen T2 Camper gave the cover a sense of movement, and all that was needed was Anne and Lethbridge-Stewart to complete the design.

The Overseers is due out at the end of October 2021, and can be pre-ordered now either on its own or as part of the series 9 bundle from the Candy Jar website.

The next book in the series will be Blue Blood by Chris Thomas.

Lethbridge-Stewart: Short Story Collection 3 (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

In 2017, 2019 and 2021 Candy Jar offered aspiring writers and fans of the Lethbridge-Stewart series the/ opportunity to pen their own story. Notable entrants included Jonathan Macho (who has since written several short stories and The Lucy Wilson Mysteries book, The Serpent’s Tongue), Richard Brewer (the author of the recent Lethbridge-Stewart anthology, The Ever-Running) and the 2019 winner Megan Fizzell (who co-wrote Domination Game with Aly Leeds).

Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce that the winner of the third Lethbridge-Stewart Short Story Competition is Peter Frankum.

Head of publishing, Shaun Russell, said:

It’s always a privilege going through entries and, as you can imagine, it was extremely difficult choosing a winner, but we felt that Peter’s stories were outstanding.

Peter’s two winning stories are called Prologue and Epilogue, and sit at the beginning and end of the book.

Will Rees, editorial co-ordinator at Candy Jar Books, said:

We have always offered entrants the opportunity to send in two stories, but not until now have we felt obliged to use both of them. Peter’s stories were both equally brilliant that we didn't really have a choice. Peter instinctively understands the characters of Professor Travers and Anne, and offers a new perspective on their lives. We look forward to working with him in the future.

The runner-up story is by Susan Brand. Shaun said:

In the Lucy Wilson books we usually include a flashback prologue; basically Lucy sitting on the Brig's knee as he recounts a fantastical story from his action-packed past. Susan has taken this concept and lovingly expanded it. As a co-creator of the series, I felt that this story was a joy to read!

The idea for the Lethbridge-Stewart Short Story Competition came from the company’s commitment to shedding light on fresh writing talent. Since 2015 the Lethbridge-Stewart novels have championed previously unknown authors such as James Middleditch and Gareth Madgwick, alongside famous writing names in the Doctor Who universe including John Peel, Nick Walters, Simon A Forward and David A McIntee.

The Lethbridge-Stewart Short Story Collection features eight exclusive short stories featuring Lethbridge-Stewart at various stages in his life (as well as one story from the wider LSverse). This is a chance for fans to see the Brigadier like they’ve never seen him before!

The eight stories are:

Prologue by Peter Frankum
The Grotesque by Tim Beeley
The Dulcians by Dallas Jones & Roger Reynolds
And... Cut by Robert Kilmister
Feeding Animals in the Zoo by Peer Lenné
A Master of Perception by Alan Darlington
Perfect Day by Susan Brand
Epilogue by Peter Frankum

Fully licensed by the Haisman estate, and featuring concepts and characters created by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln, the Lethbridge-Stewart Short Story Collection is a must for fans new and old. Readers are advised that this book will be a limited edition release, only available to purchase directly from Candy Jar Books.

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

Doctor Who – The Collection: Season 17

Thursday, 7 October 2021 - Reported by Marcus

Season 17, the penultimate season starring Tom Baker as the Doctor, will be the next to be released as part of the Doctor Who Collection series.

Doctor Who – The Collection: Season 17 was originally shown between September 1979 and January 1980 consists of the following stories

DESTINY OF THE DALEKS
CITY OF DEATH
THE CREATURE FROM THE PIT
NIGHTMARE OF EDEN
THE HORNS OF NIMON
SHADA

In 1979, Tom Baker’s Doctor was in full flight. With Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy) as script editor, the series leaned into Baker’s penchant for humour and paired his Doctor with a regenerated Romana (Lalla Ward) as his travelling companion. Together, they would form one of the most popular Doctor/companion duos of all time.

Although Season 17 was halted behind-the-scenes by strike action (resulting in the season finale being abandoned part-way through production), it remains a beloved slice of Doctor Who history, featuring the return of Davros and the Daleks, and one of the all-time classic stories, Douglas Adams’ own City Of Death.

With all episodes newly remastered from the best available sources, this Blu-ray box set also includes extensive and exclusive Special Features including:

BRAND NEW DOCUMENTARIES
Including a Making-Of documentary for Destiny Of The Daleks, and new featurette for The Creature From The Pit.
TOM TALKS
A candid interview with Tom Baker as he gives us his unique take on life, the universe and everything.
DOUGLAS ADAMS TRIBUTE
Friends and colleagues remember the Doctor Who writer/script editor and creator of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.
IN CONVERSATION
Matthew Sweet chats to Bob Baker, writer of Nightmare Of Eden, co-creator of K9 and one of the creative forces behind Wallace & Gromit.
BEHIND THE SOFA
New episodes with actors Colin Baker, Katy Manning, Matthew Waterhouse, Nicola Bryant, June Hudson, Graeme Harper & Mat Irvine
LALLA WARD INTERVIEW
An extensive interview discussing her first year on the programme.
UPDATED SPECIAL EFFECTS
View Nightmare Of Eden with optional new effects
SHADA
An updated version of the ‘lost’ story, completed with enhanced animation and presented in six episodes for the very first time, alongside the original 1992 VHS and 2017 versions
EXCLUSIVE NEW AUDIO COMMENTARIES
With Tom Baker on episodes of Destiny Of The Daleks and City Of Death, and Lalla Ward & Catherine Schell on City Of Death
EXTENDED EPISODE
An early cut of The Creature From The Pit Part Three
BLU-RAY TRAILER
A familiar face returns in a brand new mini-episode of classic Doctor Who
IMMERSIVE 5.1 SURROUND SOUND
On Destiny Of The Daleks and Shada
RARE GEMS FROM THE ARCHIVES
BBC archive material covering the promotion of this season
CONVENTION FOOTAGE
A triumphant 1997 appearance from Tom Baker
HD PHOTO GALLERIES
Including many previously unseen images
PRODUCTION SUBTITLES
Behind-the-scenes information and trivia on every episode
SCRIPTS, COSTUME DESIGNS, RARE BBC PRODUCTION FILES AND OTHER RARITIES FROM OUR PDF ARCHIVE

Davros Rises! | The Collection: Season 17 Announcement Trailer

The Collection will be released on 13th December 2021 and is available to pre-order on Amazon

FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Fourth Doctor - Season 17

Doctor Who: Chronicles – 1983

Monday, 4 October 2021 - Reported by Marcus

A new 116-page bookazine from the makers of Doctor Who Magazine.

Doctor Who’s 20th anniversary was a milestone in an era when few series had achieved such longevity. Huge transatlantic conventions, a variety of books and a National Film Theatre retrospective celebrated the programme’s status as a cultural institution.

But in many other respects, 1983 was about looking forward – British television now boasted four networks, microcomputers were becoming commonplace and a home video revolution was looming. Could the show maintain its prominence in this new landscape? All-new features, illustrated with rare and previously unseen images, reveal the story behind a momentous year.

Doctor Who: Chronicles – 1983 is on sale now, RRP just £9.99 from panini.co.uk and selected branches of WH Smith while stocks last. It’s also available digitally from pocketmags.com priced £8.99.

FILTER: - DWM - Fifth Doctor

Christopher Eccleston returns to Big Finish

Wednesday, 15 September 2021 - Reported by Marcus

Christopher Eccleston (Credit: Tony Whitmore / Big Finish)

Big Finish Productions have confirmed the second series of Doctor Who –The Ninth Doctor Adventures starring Christopher Eccleston, due to be released throughout 2022 and into 2023.

Last year, Big Finish announced the Ninth Doctor’s return to Doctor Who, with his inaugural series of full-cast audio dramas currently delighting audiences and critics alike. Now, Christopher Eccleston returns to the TARDIS for twelve more adventures in time and space, across four brand new box sets.

Each volume is now available for pre-order exclusively at the Big Finish website(www.bigfinish.com), with prices starting at just £19.99.

Christopher Eccleston said:

Just before Christmas in 2020, I walked into a small recording studio in an industrial estate in North London. Me and the sound engineer looked at each other and we smiled and said, ‘Let's go!’ Then I started playing the Ninth Doctor again, and I loved it.

It's been one of the great joys for me of the past year. It's a lovely way to do it, so I'm coming back to record more.

Big Finish Chairman Jason Haigh-Ellery said:

I am so glad that Christopher has enjoyed his time with us so much that he has agreed to continue his travels in the TARDIS. Bringing the Ninth Doctor back to the Doctor Who universe has been one of the few enjoyable parts of the past year and I am so glad that the adventures will continue!

Producer David Richardson added:

I’ve spent most of my summer weekends sitting in the garden, iPad on my lap, reading the scripts for The Ninth Doctor Adventures–Series Two. Happy days indeed. No spoilers but expect emotional, character-based stories, and lots of adventure –going deep into Earth’s past and into the far future.

From an old railway station to the seas of Titan, to a very unusual furniture store in the present day, it’s another trip of a lifetime –and I can’t wait to be back in the studio again in October, where we will bring these words to brilliant life. Recording the first season with Chris was one of my happiest times at Big Finish, and I feel privileged to be going back for more.

Doctor Who fans worldwide can now pre-order the second series of the Ninth Doctor Adventures, which are available in three formats –collector’s edition CD, digital download or limited edition gatefold triple LP vinyl –exclusively from the Big Finish website at bigfinish.com.

FILTER: - Ninth Doctor - Christopher Eccleston

Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall to leave Doctor Who

Thursday, 29 July 2021 - Reported by Marcus

Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall will be leaving Doctor Who following a trio of specials ending in an epic blockbuster to air in autumn 2022 as part of the BBC’s Centenary celebrations.

The current showrunner and Thirteenth Doctor have been in charge of the TARDIS since filming for the Thirteenth Doctor began in 2017 but both have confirmed they will be leaving the series at the end of 2022

A six-part Event Serial has been announced for this autumn, and two Specials were already planned for 2022. To help mark the 100th Anniversary of the BBC, BBC One has now asked for an additional final feature-length adventure for the Thirteenth Doctor before the Doctor regenerates once more.

After taking the helm of the show, Chris Chibnall made the groundbreaking decision to cast Jodie Whittaker as the first female Doctor. He also brought in Tosin Cole (Ryan), Mandip Gill (Yaz) and Bradley Walsh (Graham), and cast the acclaimed Sacha Dhawan as the latest incarnation of The Master, plus Jo Martin as the mysterious Fugitive Doctor, adding new characters, layers and twists to the mythology of the show.

Chris Chibnall said

Jodie and I made a “three series and out” pact with each other at the start of this once-in-a-lifetime blast. So now our shift is done, and we’re handing back the TARDIS keys.

Jodie’s magnificent, iconic Doctor has exceeded all our high expectations. She’s been the gold standard leading actor, shouldering the responsibility of being the first female Doctor with style, strength, warmth, generosity and humour. She captured the public imagination and continues to inspire adoration around the world, as well as from everyone on the production. I can’t imagine working with a more inspiring Doctor – so I’m not going to!

For me, leading this exceptional team has been unrivalled creative fun, and one of the great joys of my career. I’m so proud of the people we’ve worked with and the stories we’ve told. To finish our time on the show with an additional Special, after the pandemic changed and challenged our production plans, is a lovely bonus. It’s great that the climax of the Thirteenth Doctor’s story will be at the heart(s) of the BBC’s centenary celebrations.

I wish our successors - whoever the BBC and BBC Studios choose - as much fun as we’ve had. They’re in for a treat!

Jodie Whittaker added

In 2017 I opened my glorious gift box of size 13 shoes. I could not have guessed the brilliant adventures, worlds and wonders I was to see in them. My heart is so full of love for this show, for the team who make it, for the fans who watch it and for what it has brought to my life. And I cannot thank Chris enough for entrusting me with his incredible stories. We knew that we wanted to ride this wave side by side, and pass on the baton together. So here we are, weeks away from wrapping on the best job I have ever had. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to express what this role has given me. I will carry the Doctor and the lessons I’ve learnt forever.

“I know change can be scary and none of us know what’s out there. That’s why we keep looking. Travel Hopefully. The Universe will surprise you. Constantly.”

Current Director of BBC Drama Piers Wenger added

Over the last four years Chris and Jodie have made Doctor Who history and their time on the show is indelibly marked on our memories. From Rosa Parks to Ascension of the Cybermen, Chris and Jodie have given Doctor Who some of its most life-affirming and tear-jerking moments to date and we are beyond excited to see what they have in store for us in the new series this Autumn. Jodie's final adventure to mark the BBC's Centenary in 2022 is set to be a Doctor Who Special to remember. I’d like to thank them both for their incredible work on the show

With over a year of adventures to come, the Thirteenth Doctor still has plenty in store for fans.

FILTER: - Thirteenth Doctor - Production

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