Sunday, 24 August 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
BBC Director General Greg Dyke announced today that the BBC will be opening up its archives of radio and television programs to be downloaded from the Internet. The new service, called the BBC Creative Archive, will be free and available to anyone not seeking to use the material for commercial purposes. "The BBC probably has the best television library in the world," said Dyke. "Up until now this huge resource has remained locked up, inaccessible to the public because there hasn't been an effective mechanism for distribution. But the digital revolution and broadband are changing all that. For the first time there is an easy and affordable way of making this treasure trove of BBC content available to all." There is no word about exactly what will be included in this Creative Archive, nor whether or not Doctor Who (which is a viable commercial property for the BBC) would be made available in any form on it, but it is certainly a change in philosophy for the originators of the show we celebrate here. (Thanks to Michael Zecca and Jonathan Baldwin for letting us know!)
Thursday, 21 August 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
The BBC Rights Group has commented to BBCi about the current state of affairs regarding the rights to produce a new series of Doctor Who. Speculation has existed over the past two years that the show's rights were signed away (at least partially) during the making of the 1996 movie; now Worldwide insists they hold full rights to the trademark internationally, though of course individual writers from the show retain rights to various characters they created. "Nothing is standing in the way of the BBC making a new TV series, but, as far as we know, there is currently no movement to do so," says the statement... which leads Outpost Gallifrey to once again challenge the BBC on its indecision to do so during the programme's 40th anniversary year! "The BBC is developing a film," it goes on, "but it should be stressed the project is still in its very early stages" (which of course, it has been doing since 1989). (Thanks to BBCi)
Wednesday, 20 August 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
August 21, 2003 • Posted By Shaun Lyon
A second, more complete edition of the
Pocket Essentials Guide: Doctor Who by Mark Campbell is soon to be released; the new edition of the Guide, which follows up the earlier edition released in 2001, will add quick reviews of the various Doctor Who spinoffs, radio plays and audio adventures from Big Finish. The new edition will be out on October 3. (Thanks to DWM)
August 20, 2003 •
Posted By Shaun Lyon Diamond Distribution continues to release both current and prior releases of BBC Books in North America in an attempt to catch up following a year of no distributor. Their November listings include Kate Orman's Blue Box, Lloyd Rose'sCamera Obscura, Mick Lewis' Combat Rock and the anniversary book Deadly Reunion by Terrance Dicks and Barry Letts. (Thanks to Greg McElhatton)
August 20, 2003 •
Posted By Shaun LyonThe new issue of Doctor Who Magazine notes that UK retailer W.H. Smith will probably be releasing an exclusive DVD boxed set this winter... but featuring Resurrection of the Daleks, Remembrance of the Daleks and The Dalek Invasion of Earth, the three Dalek stories previously released on DVD. No word as to any pricing or packaging differences. (Thanks to DWM)
August 20, 2003 •
Posted By Shaun Lyon BBC America/Warner Home Video has sold its last remaining stock of three Doctor Who VHS titles -- The Monster of Peladon, The Mark of the Rani and Timelash -- and will not be reissuing them in the future. As we have previously reported, while some Doctor Who videos currently still stocked will be lowered in price this October, much of the VHS backlog is being cleared out as VHS becomes relegated to memory; additionally, Planet of Fire and Battlefield aren't quite out of stock yet, but are getting close and won't be rereleased either. If you're looking to complete that Doctor Who VHS collection, it's recommended that you do it soon... or else it won't be possible until they start making their way onto DVD. (Thanks to Steve Manfred and BBC America)
August 20, 2003 •
Posted By Shaun Lyon Issue #334 of Doctor Who Magazine reports that the BBC will be producing a special anniversary documentary on Doctor Who to mark the forty-year milestone. It is expected to air on BBC-1 around the anniversary itself (though hopefully will not be pushed to early 2004, a slight possibility.) (Thanks to DWM)
August 20, 2003 • Posted By Shaun LyonThe Doctor Who 1996 TV movie starring Paul McGann airs this Friday, August 22, on the Sci-Fi Channel in North America; check your local listings for exact time (which varies dependent upon the Western or Eastern feed).
August 20, 2003 • Posted By Shaun LyonBBV Productions has announced two new audio stories based on the Faction Paradox mythos, the time-travelling voodoo cult originally introduced in the BBC Books' Doctor Who novels.
Movers (Volume 5) and
A Labyrinth of Histories (Volume 6) are written by Faction creator Lawrence Miles; both were recently recorded by BBV and again feature Suzanne Procter as Cousin Justine. Says the information sent to Outpost Gallifrey, "These two plays take the Faction story in an interestingly different direction; as well as discovering what it means to be a prisoner on the remote prison world of the Houses, we take a trip back into the late nineteenth century, where a bizarre hunt is taking place..." The audios also star Ellis Pike (Godfather Morlock), Emma Kilbey (Cousin Eliza), Keith Drinkel (Godfather Sabbath), Kate Dyson (Demetra Kine), Matt Kelly (First Ordinary Selvynkesh), Lena Rae (Emma), Scott Craig (Mr. Smith), Chris Manville (Second Ordinary Keeble), Linda Bartram (Shuncucker) and Nigel Fairs (the Reverend). They will be released this fall, date unspecified. (Thanks to David Elms and BBV)
August 20, 2003 • Posted By Shaun LyonOutpost Gallifrey has received the final cover illustration for the forthcoming UK DVD release of
The Two Doctors; click on the thumbnail at right for a larger version, including the full wraparound. Details about the contents of this DVD can be found elsewhere on this News Page. (Thanks to
Tenth Planet)
The third issue of the occasional audio CD
Big Finish Magazine is due out soon, to be sent out with subscriptions in tandem with the next story, the Fifth Doctor tale "Omega". Among the items included on this third audio CD include interviews with Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy (detailing their work together on "Project: Lazarus"), as well as interviews with the first three "Doctor Who Unbound" actors, Geoffrey Bayldon, David Warner and David Collings; plus stories about the anthology "Short Trips" volumes and Big Finish's other ranges ("The Tomorrow People" and "Bernice Summerfield" among them). Click on the cover at right for a larger version. Also, in anticipation for "Omega,"
BBCihas an interview with author Nev Fountain now online. (Thanks to
Tenth Planet for the cover)
Galaxy 4 is reporting two audio releases from the BBC Radio Collection in early 2004.
Fury from the Deep is said to have a February tentative release date; this is the audio soundtrack release of the Patrick Troughton story also starring Frazer Hines and, in her final story, Deborah Watling. Also noted on the site is
Tales from the TARDIS, Volumes 1 & 2, which are noted as MP3 CD's (i.e. in computer MP3 format, not playable on regular CD players); while details of this haven't been confirmed, it's said to probably be stories previously released on cassette by the BBC including the Paul McGann readings of "Earth and Beyond," the first "Short Trips" audio read by Nicholas Courtney and Sophie Aldred, and "Out of the Darkness" read by Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant. Details of these will be forthcoming when we have them. (Thanks to Galaxy 4)
August 19, 2003 • Posted By Shaun LyonAt right is the final cover illustration for the forthcoming UK video release of
Invasion of the Dinosaurs by BBC Worldwide. This replaces an earlier draft cover which showed only Jon Pertwee with a green background. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version. (Thanks to
Galaxy 4)
As we announced in July, the forthcoming Reeltime Pictures video release Daemos Rising by David Howe will be out in October; it's a direct-to-video sequel to both the Doctor Who story "The Daemons" and the original video drama "Downtime" (which starred Nick Courtney, Elisabeth Sladen and Deborah Watling). At right is a draft version of the cover illustration for the forthcoming release; click on it for a larger version. (Thanks to David Howe)
August 19, 2003 • Posted By Shaun LyonAt right is a thumbnail image (click on it for a larger version) of the box cover for
The Web of Fear/The Faceless Ones, the second tape included in the UK release of
The Reign of Terror Boxed Set that includes the extant episodes of these two Patrick Troughton serials, courtesy of
Blackstar. The cover for "Reign" itself has not yet been released (the version circulated around the Internet is the US/Canada version, part of the "End of the Universe" collection). (Thanks to Liam Copsey)
BBCi has released the August issue of their monthly Telepress column, focusing on the world of Doctor Who in print. Among the items in this month's installment: a look at Justin Richards' forthcoming hardcover
Doctor Who: The Legend (including a final version of the cover; click at right for a larger version), an interview with author Jacqueline Rayner ("Wolfsbane") and excerpts from both November's BBC Books release
Deadly Reunion by Terrance Dicks and Barry Letts and Telos Publishing's forthcoming novella
Fallen Gods by Kate Orman and Jonathan Blum. (Thanks to BBCi)
August 19, 2003 • Posted By Shaun LyonRadio Times, the long running guide to UK television, is planning a special edition in November 2003 to mark the 40th anniversary of Doctor Who, and has kicked off the festivities with a special poll. Click
here to take part in the poll; the deadline is September 5, and entrants have the chance to receive DVDs, videos or books. (The poll is
only open to UK residents, however.) (Thanks to Faiz Rehman)
August 19, 2003 • Posted By Shaun LyonWhile it's not the cover illustration, the forthcoming Derek Jacobi appearance in
Deadline from Big Finish is memorialized in the now-familiar "title sequence" still included on the inside front cover. Here it is at right; a larger version can be found on the
Big Finish site. "Deadline" by Rob Shearman, starring Jacobi as Martin, is out in October. (Thanks to Big Finish, and Duncan Rose for letting us know!)
The Stamp Centre has two new pieces of Doctor Who memorabilia available, as seen below. At left is a crystal Tom Baker visage, limited to 1500 pieces, supplied in a gift box and created through laser etching. At right, another First Day Cover stamp, featuring the sixth Doctor, Colin Baker; this is part of their continuing "Time After Time" series which shows the stars of Doctor Who and other TV series. (Thanks to Gallifrey 5 and the Stamp Centre)
August 19, 2003 • Posted By Shaun LyonBBC Worldwide has released Earthshock on DVD in the UK... or rather, re-released. As we previously noted in this column, the DVDs were originally due out August 4; several stores received their stocks and started sending them out early before Worldwide recalled them due to a lack of the interior booklet. We have been told that the BBC will not send out booklets for those missing them, as the copies distributed prior to August 4 were intended for this recall. You can find "Earthshock" at most major stockists in the UK.
August 19, 2003 • Posted By Shaun LyonAmong the murmurs of special events for the upcoming 40th anniversary was an article in the "Sunday Stirrer" section of the UK's Daily Star late last week, which mentioned the following: "STIRRER has stumbled across evidence that the Conservative Party is willing to boldly go where no party has gone before in its desperate bid for voters. Shadow Transport Secretary and Star Trek nut Tim Collins has agreed to appear in a DVD tribute to Dr Who. Perhaps the next party manifesto will promise a police box on each street to further woo the geek vote." While some speculated early on that this was a special DVD coming out for the anniversary, it appears as though this is incorrect; in fact, it looks like this is one of the documentaries featured on the new DVD release of Earthshock. (Thanks to James Hadwen)
August 15, 2003 • Posted By Shaun LyonA new article has surfaced on the UK's website for the Guardian periodical, focusing on the audios and Richard E. Grant's forthcoming appearance as the Ninth Doctor. "Dr Who and others are appearing on the net, which is becoming a new medium for original productions," says the article, written by Guy Clapperton. To read the full article, click
here. (Thanks to Stuart Ian Burns)
The next (sixth) installment of the Doctor Who Magazine Specials, which up to now have focused on the individual eras of each Doctor, is a special on the show's 40th anniversary. Says the advert, "Celebrating 40 years of Doctor in true style with this glossy, fact-packed special edition that looks at the history of the world's longest-running science fiction series from some astonishing new perspectives. Packed with rare photographs and features from some of the finest writers in fandom..." The 84-page issue will be out in November; the cover illustration at right is from Previews magazine and isn't the final cover. (Thanks to Galaxy 4)
Tuesday, 12 August 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Big Finish announced today that after several delays, the third Unbound installment
Full Fathom Five with David Collings is now in release. Also on their site: trailers for forthcoming Doctor Who audios
Omega, Master and
Zagreus and several Benny Summerfield audios. They also mention that the first edition of
Short Trips: Zodiac (the fiction anthology) has sold out buy a second edition will be available at the end of August. Big Finish has also issued the cover illustration for the forthcoming anthology book
Life During Wartime edited by Paul Cornell. The cover for the anthology, based on the further exploits of the former Doctor Who novel companion, is at right; click for a larger version. A revised list of stories: "The Fall" by Paul Cornell, "Careless Talk" by Justin Richards, "The Birthday Party" by Simon Guerrier, "Five Dimensional Thinking" by Nick Wallace, "Meanwhile" by Robert Shearman, "The Price of Everything" by Gregg Smith, "Hit" by John Binns, "The Garden of Whispers" by Martin Day, "The Crystal Flower" by Cavan Scott & Mark Wright, "Midrash" by Ian Mond, "Fear of Corners" by Mark Stevens, "The Traitors" by Jonathan Morris, "Paths Not Taken" by Rupert Booth & Barr Williams , "Every Picture Tells a Story" by Jim Sangster, "Fluid Prejudice" by Paul Ebbs, "Suffer the Children" by Dave Stone, "Drinking with the Enemy" by Jonathan Blum, "Passing Storms" by Peter Anghelides, "Speaking Out" by Simon Guerrier, "The Peter Principle" by Kate Orman, and "A Bell Ringing in an Empty Sky" by Jim Mortimore. Also noted: a slight delay in the next Benny audio,
The Poison Seas by David Bailey; it will now be out in September.
Tuesday, 12 August 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
BBCi has revealed details for the next issue of
Doctor Who Magazine. Included in issue #334, due out August 21, is "Who Peter," a look at Blue Peter's coverage of Doctor Who over the past four decades, including many photos; interviews given by Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy when they appeared on Blue Peter; interviews with Blue Peter presenters Janet Ellis and Sarah Greene to quiz them over their dealings with the Nimon and the Cybermen; plus the first chapter of the new comic strip "The Curious Tale of Spring-Heeled Jack," previews of Omega, Wolfsbane and The Two Doctors DVD, and lots more. At right is a thumbnail of the cover. (Thanks to BBCi)
Wednesday, 6 August 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
August 6, 2003 • Posted By Shaun Lyon
Tom Baker will be taking over the job of Unbound Doctor Geoffrey Bayldon in a new series of action adventure gameshow "Fort Boyard", to be broadcast on UK satellite/cable channel "Challenge TV" from October. "Fort Boyard" is a programme in which a team of five athletic lycra-clad contestants are forced to endure a series of horrible challenges in order to win keys that will unlock a treasure vault. One of the regular challenges each week is to climb a tower to meet "The Professor", a weird eccentric who poses a series of riddles and quizzes. During its first few series, the Professor was played by Geoffrey Bayldon, but for the new series he will be played by none other than Tom Baker - almost typecasting, you might say! The role of the fort's evil master Boyard has also been recast, with Resurrection of the Daleks actor Leslie Grantham having gone back to his legendary role of Dirty Den in EastEnders, Boyard will now be played by ex-The Bill actor Christopher Ellison. (Thanks to Paul Condon)
August 6, 2003 •
Posted By Shaun Lyon Sylvester McCoy is currently starring as Selsdon Mowbray in Michael Frayne's farce "Noises Off" at the Piccadilly Theatre, which began running on August 4. Meanwhile, McCoy will be a guest on this coming weekend's Radio 4 chat show "Loose Ends", which broadcasts on August 9; click
here for details. (The show will be available soon after to listen to over the internet.)Finally, McCoy actually returns to the role of the Doctor -- sort of -- in a BBC Three series called "Risky Business" which features "looks at why celebrities have done something silly". The show, which attempts to analyze the celebrities by featuring animation of 'emotions' inside the head, features Sylvester McCoy providing the voice of the Doctor, piloting a CGI TARDIS to the day of that episode (we don't know when this recent episode will re-air, if at all.) (Thanks to David Innes, Stuart Ian Burns, Ian Robinson)
Wednesday, 6 August 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
The British Board of Film Certification (BBFC) website recently announced the extras package for the forthcoming DVD release of
The Curse of Fenric starring Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred. They are as follows:
00:04:30:02 | TAKE TWO ITEM
00:02:12:01 | CLEAN TITLES
00:24:50:06 | SHATTERING THE CHAINS
00:20:45:04 | NEBULA 90
00:17:04:08 | COSTUME DESIGN - KEN TREW
00:05:10:16 | MODELLING THE DEAD
00:17:38:15 | CLAWS & EFFECT
00:05:43:01 | PHOTO GALLERY
00:01:48:07 | EASTER EGG
The DVD will also feature the usual production notes and other surprises; there is no further detail at this time on what many of these extras actually pertain to, though the "Nebula 90" segment is thought to be footage from a convention featuring "Fenric" actors (regulars and guests), and "Modelling the Dead" is likely a featurette on the making of the Haemovore costumes and masks.
August 6, 2003 • Posted By Shaun Lyon
The DVD release in Australia of The Dalek Invasion of Earth, previously announced for August 4, will instead now be on Wednesday, August 13 according to ezydvd.com.au. Meanwhile, we've received a report that the old cassette versions of "The Evil of the Daleks" and "The Power of the Daleks" have been re-released in Australia as well, though we've been unable to confirm this. (Thanks to Matthew Yarnold, David Dungey)
Wednesday, 6 August 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
BBC Worldwide has issued a press release for the forthcoming release of
The Two Doctors, starring Colin Baker, Patrick Troughton, Nicola Bryant, Frazer Hines and Jacqueline Pearce. The press release is as follows:
Doctor Who: The Two Doctors DVDColin Baker's incarnation of the Doctor faces old enemies the Sontarans in this September 8th release. An alien scientist allied with the warlike Sontarans kidnaps the second Doctor (played by Patrick Troughton) in order to obtain the secret of time travel, which is found in a Time Lord's genes. This two disc set was originally transmitted in February 1985.
Special Features include:
Disc 1: 3 x 45 minute episodesCommentary by stars Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Frazer Hines, Jacqueline Pearce and director Peter MoffattIsolated music soundtrackProduction Notes
"A Fix with Sontarans" - a short mini-episode from 'Jim'll Fix It'. (approx 10 mins)
Easter Egg
Disc 2 includes:Behind the Sofa - Robert Holmes & Doctor Who - a featurette about the work of the acclaimed Doctor Who writer and script editor. (approx 45 mins)Beneath the Lights - in studio during recording of part of episode one. (approx 25 mins)Beneath the Sun - VHS-sourced raw takes from the location filming in Spain. (Approx 35 mins.)Adventures in Time and Spain - Production Manager Gary Downie talks about the trials and tribulations of working in a foreign location. (Approx 30 mins)Wavelength - a radio production from 1984 following the cast and crew as they record the story. (Approx 29 mins).Photo Gallery (approx 8 mins)
Catalogue number: BBCDVD1213. RRP : ú12.99. Running time : 150 mins approx. Cert: PG
Wednesday, 6 August 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Big Finish has issued some new details on upcoming releases. First, the cover illustration and cast list for the forthcoming story
Master by Joseph Lidster has been announced; in addition to Sylvester McCoy as the seventh Doctor, the news report confirms the participation of
Geoffrey Beevers as the Master (reprising his role from the televised story "The Keeper of Traken" as the decaying Master). Also making a guest appearance in the story (as Victor Schaeffer) is
Philip Madoc, among whose many Doctor Who roles over the years was as the War Chief in "The War Games" and as Dr. Mehendri Solon in "The Brain of Morbius". The story also features Anne Ridler (as Jacqueline Schaeffer), Charlie Hayes (as Jade) and Daniel Barzotti (as the Man). Click on the cover illustration at right for a larger version of this cover. Meanwhile, full details about the long-awaited
The Inside Story, the hardcover book on the making of the Doctor Who audio adventures, have been announced; the 224-page book, by Benjamin Cook, will be released in November. The press release is below. Also below is the press release for
Doctor Who: The Scripts Volume 3 due out later in 2003, featuring the scripts for Marc Platt's "Spare Parts," Nicholas Pegg's "The Spectre of Lanyon Moor," Joseph Lidster's "The Rapture" and Rob Shearman's "The Chimes of Midnight". Finally, now available are both the audio story
Flip-Flop by Jonathan Morris (starring Sylvester McCoy, Bonnie Langford and Trevor Martin) and the hardcover
Doctor Who: The Scripts Volume 2 featuring the full scripts for "The Eye of the Scorpion" by Iain McLaughlin, "The One Doctor" by Clayton Hickman and Gareth Roberts, "Dust Breeding" by Mike Tucker, and "Seasons of Fear" by Paul Cornell & Caroline Symcox. (Thanks to Big Finish)
THE INSIDE STORY by Benjamin Cook
A no-holds-barred account of the making of every Big Finish Doctor Who story from 1999's The Sirens of Time to 2003's anniversary special Zagreus, taking in special releases, the Doctor Who Unbound series, Dalek Empire and Sarah Jane Smith along the way.
With interviews with over 100 actors, writers, directors, producers and contributors, plus scores of previously unseen photographs, The New Audio Adventures The Inside Story takes you behind the scenes on the production of every Big Finish Doctor Who audio adventure.
New facts, figures and trivia tell the story of the range, alongside never-before-published missing scenes, candid reminiscences from all the major players and exclusive excerpts from original archive documents.
Featuring a foreword from Queer as Folk creator Russell T. Davies.
DOCTOR WHO: THE AUDIO SCRIPTS - VOLUME 3
Since 1999, Big Finish Productions have produced regular, fully-licensed ongoing audio adventures for the Doctor and his companions on CD. Each four-part story stars members of the original Doctor Who cast in brand-new adventures through time and space.
Presented in this book are the original scripts for four of Big Finish's most popular stories.
Representing the Fifth Doctor adventures, starring Peter Davison, comes Spare Parts, written by Marc Platt and focussing on the eary days of the Doctor's old foes, the Cybermen.
Colin Baker featured in Nicholas Pegg's The Spectre of Lanyon Moor, featuring the long-awaited first meeting between the Sixth Doctor and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart as played by Nicholas Courtney.
From the Seventh Doctor run, with Sylvester McCoy, is The Rapture by Joseph Lidster, set around the hedonistic clublands of Ibizia.
Rounding this collection off is The Chimes of Midnight, an eeries thriller featuring the Eighth Doctor and Charley penned by Robert Shearman.
This collection also features a number of deleted scenes, observations by the writers and directors, script annotations, alternative episode scripts, original outlines and other features!
Wednesday, 6 August 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Word from the
Doctor Who Club of Australia: Doctor Who returns to the airwaves this September! ABC-TV (Channel 2) will be screening the series in Australia four nights a week (Monday through Thursday) starting September 15, 2003 at 6:00pm. Says the press release: "The most famous time traveller of all time Dr Who returns to ABC TV in September. ABC TV will screen the entire Dr Who series from episode one every Monday to Thursday at 6pm from September 15th. The first episode æAn Unearthly ChildÆ stars the original Gallifreyan Time Lord William Hartnell. Head of ABC TV Programming, Ms Marena Manzoufas, said re-screening the original Dr Who episodes coincided with the programÆs 40th Anniversary. 'Dr Who made its debut in November 1963 and ABC TV last screened it in March 1994,' she said. 'Since then we have received an endless number of requests from Dr Who fans. Dr Who was the longest running science fiction series ever made and everyone has a favourite episode, Doctor or evil foe such as the Daleks and Cybermen. There are many fans addicted to the program who want to re-live the whole Dr Who experience from the start.' And ABC TV also decided to re-screen the entire series from episode one for those who missed them or where too young to see how the adventure began." (Thanks to Jason Fraser and the DWCA)
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