The Terrance Dicks Award For WritersBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 15 March 2022 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Terrance Dicks (Credit: Chuck Foster)

The Doctor Who Appreciation Society has announced a new award for writers, in memory of the much loved, and highly influential, writer Terrance Dicks, who passed away in 2019.

Terrance captured the imagination of a generation of children and young adults, many of whom are at the forefront of modern television.  Mark Gatiss said:

Very hard to express what Terrance Dicks meant to a whole generation. A brilliant TV professional, a funny and generous soul. Most of all, though, an inspirational writer who took so many of us on unforgettable journeys into space and time.

The award will recognise those whose writing across screen, audio, book and magazine have contributed to, and enhanced, the worlds of Doctor Who.

 
The inaugural award, which is in the bequest of the Society Executive, will be presented by Elsa Dicks, Terrance's wife, at the sold out Capitol convention being staged at the Crowne Plaza, London-Gatwick across the weekend of 2nd/3rd April. Tony Jordan, organiser of the event, said:
Terrance was adored by fans across the world as well as being a great friend of the Society. In 2010 he received the Society's 'Outstanding Contribution to Doctor Who' Award, and it's lovely to now have an Award in his venerable name. Never was anyone more deserving.

Elsa added:

The hallmark of Terrance's writing was his simple dramatic story-telling. No sentences full of long words, adjectives and flourishes. He was his own critic, re-reading what he had written and paring it back if needed. He would say if you want to be a writer, be a reader first, The books you enjoy will colour your writing.
 

The Terrance Dicks Award For Writers takes the form of a statue of The Master, as portrayed by Roger Delgado, crafted by Gary Glover of Mooncrest Models. The character is Terrance's most famous creation, and continues to feature in Doctor Who half a century after his first appearance in the Jon Pertwee story Terror of the Autons.





FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Conventions - DWAS

Doctor Who @ Comic ConBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 16 September 2020 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who’s Time Lord Victorious and Maze Theory (Credit: BBC Studios)

Doctor Who will have a strong presence at this year’s New York Comic Con X MCM Comic Con Metaverse

BBC Studios have announced that two panels will join the already announced Doctor Who Spotlight panel from BBC America featuring Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill and Bradley Walsh.

 

New York Comic Con and MCM Comic Con’s Metaverse is a multi-faceted digital event with a focus on the fan experience. From October 8-11, Metaverse will exclusively live stream free panels on the New York Comic Con YouTube channel from leading entertainment brands.

 

‘The Making of Time Lord Victorious’ will see producer and writer James Goss talk about how this ambitious multi-platform project came together, and he will be joined by Joe Sugg, Nicholas Briggs and Ayesha Antoine for a sneak peek of the animated series Daleks! due to launch in November. Hear more from the cast about what fans can expect, who they play, and how they filmed their voiceovers during the global pandemic.

 

Also joining the Comic-Con line-up is Maze Theory’s ‘Exclusive: New Doctor Who games launching soon’ which will see Ingrid Oliver (Doctor Who), Maze Theory’s Studio Director Russ Harding, writer Gavin Collinson and CEO of Kaigan Games, Azmi Shah, reveal exclusive new Doctor Who adventures that form a trilogy of experiences across multiple gaming platforms.

 

The Time Lord Victorious panel will premiere on the New York Comic Con YouTube channel on Saturday 10th October, and the Maze Theory panel will premiere on Sunday 11th October. Check the Doctor Who Facebook page and www.findthemetaverse.com for updates to the premiere time.





FILTER: - Conventions

Double up on Doctor Who event viewing this SaturdayBookmark and Share

Saturday, 25 April 2020 - Reported by Chuck Foster
There's not one but two Doctor Who related online events taking place today. Starting at 10:00am BST, the Doctor Who Appreciation Society present The Capitol: CONtact has been made, and from 2:00pm BST Fantom Events present their fourth online event, Time Space Visualiser. Both will be broadcast on the organisations' respective YouTube channels and can be viewed afterwards for those in different time zones to the UK, as well as a host of other archive material from previous events also available to enjoy.

The Capitol - CONtact has been made (Credit: DWAS)The Capitol: CONtact has been made
Presented by the Doctor Who Appreciation Society (via YouTube)

We're delighted to announce The Capitol CONtact has been made, a virtual event that will launch at 10.00am BST on Saturday 25th April. We have specifically chosen this time and date as it’s when The Capitol FIVE was originally scheduled to get underway.

CONtact has been made will be available at our You Tube Channel DWASonline, and features panels from the first four Capitols in their entirety. We are very grateful to our wonderful guests for giving us permission to make them available in these troublesome times as we continue to battle against the invisible enemy.

Panels will include Steven Berkoff talking about Shakespeare, Sylvester Stallone & Hitler, and Jon Culshaw trading blows with Terrance Dicks in a unique double header.

Time Space Visualiser 4 (Credit: Fantom Events)Time and Space Visualiser
Presented by Fantom Events (via YouTube)

We are back this Saturday with our fourth online convention, bringing you a hectic mixture of brand new interviews, special features, competitions, and archive material, broadcasting live and direct on YouTube… all completely for FREE.

This week we are honoured to have our first Doctor joining us; the seventh Doctor SYLVESTER McCOY is taking part in a specially recorded interview for the event.

Of course any Doctor needs his loyal companions, and we have three of his fabulous friends. KATY MANNING (Jo Grant/Jones), JOHN LEESON (K9) and DAN STARKEY (Strax) will also be joining in the fun.

And if that wasn’t enough, we have brand new interviews with a trio of wonderful guest stars. GRAHAM COLE is best known to Doctor Who fans as The Melkur, but is probably more familiar as PC Tony Stamp in The Bill. JESSICA MARTIN was Mags (and also the voice of the Queen) and also read one of our new stories recently. And finally, JASON WATKINS, one of the most recognisable faces on television right now, who was also a guest star in NIGHTMARE IN SILVER.




FILTER: - Conventions - DWAS - Fantom - Online - Online Events - Sylvester McCoy

Time Space Visualiser: Cyber SaturdayBookmark and Share

Thursday, 9 April 2020 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Time Space Visualiser: Cyber Saturday, by Fantom Events (2020) (Credit: Fantom Events)Fantom Events will be presenting their third online convention this coming weekend (11 Apr), this time focussing on the Doctor's silver nemeses, the Cybermen!

Time Space Visualiser: Cyber Saturday runs from 2pm to 5pm, and once again will feature a mix of new and archive interviews, and other specially recorded features, as well as live interaction with fans through YouTube and Twitter:
The event will be broadcast on the Fantom Events YouTube channel, where you can also find both of their previous events and additional interviews that weren't included on those afternoons.

Cybermen (Credit: BBC)As with last week, Time Space Visualiser will be followed in the evening by another shared viewing of a story, this time the 25th anniversary adventure Silver Nemesis. As is usual with these viewings, fans worldwide can join in to discuss the story on Twitter, and this time will be joined by 'ace' companion Sophie Aldred!

To join in, simply pop in your DVD of Silver Nemesis, or access a streaming service such as iTunes or Britbox, and then hit play at 6:00pm BST / 1:00pm EDT / 3:00am AEST / 5:00am NZST and share your viewing experience!







FILTER: - Conventions - Fantom - Special Events

Time Space Visualiser: Missing EpisodesBookmark and Share

Saturday, 4 April 2020 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Time Space Visualiser: Missing Episodes, by Fantom Events (2020) (Credit: Fantom Events)After the success of their first online convention last weekened, Fantom Events will be presenting another this afternoon (Saturday 3rd April), this time focusing on the missing episodes of Doctor Who.

Running from 2pm to 5pm, Time Space Visualiser will include a mixture of new interviews archive material and some specially recorded features for the afternoon, with each hour following a theme:
  • The first hour looks back at the making of The Savages, with a 2013 stage interview with Andrew Lodge (First Assistant) and Peter Thomas (Captain Edal) together with an interview recorded this week with Kay Patrick (Flower).
  • The second hour looks at family connections with a specially recorded interview with David Troughton, and an archive interview with Carole Ann Ford and Jessica Carney looking at the parallels of being and playing the Doctor’s Granddaughter.
  • The final hour sees Andy Futter talking to Peter Purves in a brand new interview shot for this event, followed by an archive stage panel with William Russell and Anneke Wills from 2013.
You can watch the event live from the Fantoms Events YouTube channel, where you can also find the complete event from last weekend, plus individual interviews including its own "missing" recording with Nicola Bryant!

Credit: BBC WorldwideTime Space Visualiser will be followed in the evening by what's becoming a regular pasttime for Doctor Who fans, a planned worldwide simulcast viewing of a story to tweet along to; tonight's will be the most recently recovered complete story, The Enemy of the World, which will also includes tweets from Philip Morris, the discoverer of the long-lost Patrick Troughton adventure in Nigeria.

To join in, simply pop in your DVD of The Enemy of the World, or access a streaming service such as iTunes or Britbox, and then hit play at 6:00pm BST / 1:00pm EDT / 3:00am AEST / 5:00am NZST and share your viewing experience!



To tie in with the 'watchathon', Fantom have also made the first episode of their alternative commentary for the story available for free to listen to this weekend via YouTube.





FILTER: - Broadcasting - Conventions - Fantom - International Broadcasting - Patrick Troughton - Special Events - William Hartnell

Time Space Visualiser: a free worldwide online eventBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 24 March 2020 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Time Space Visualiser, by Fantom Events (2020) (Credit: Fantom Events)Fantom Events are planning a special event to take place online this coming Saturday, 28th March from 2:00pm. Time Space Visualiser will be streamed over the Internet for free, enabling any fan around the world to join in. Company Director Dexter O'Neill explains:
The show must go on... Unfortunately, due to the social distancing measures advised by the government we have had to postpone a couple of events, however the moment has been prepared for!

It is important to stay together and socialise as a community – and this platform will allow us to come together and experience rarely seen and new material, interacting with each other through live hosted segments.

Activities will include a mixture of pre-recorded and live interviews, plus some specially commissioned and performed short stories, a dip into the Fantom archive for some convention panels, and a couple of surprises too! Guests participating include Sophie Aldred, Bonnie Langford, Nicola Bryant, Mark Strickson, Katy Manning, Annette Badland, Ian Hallard and Mark Gatiss - with a few still to be revealed.

You can follow the event via the Fantom Events website on Saturday, and further news about the event can be found on social media using #timespacevisualiser and #tsv, or by joining their mailing list.




FILTER: - Conventions - Fantom - Special Events

Bedford Who Charity Con 5Bookmark and Share

Sunday, 24 March 2019 - Reported by Marcus
Bedford Who Charity Con 5, due Saturday 13th April is offering 10% off tickets for readers of Doctor Who News.

Now in their fifth year, Bedford Who Charity Cons have established a reputation for being friendly, informal, relaxed and welcoming. and huge fun Colin Baker said last year’s was “The best one day event I’ve ever done”.

Bedford Who Charity Con 5 is taking place on Saturday 13th April at the University Theatre, Bedford MK41 9EA. The event starts at 10am and finishes at 5.30pm. Bedford itself is about 50 miles north of London and transport links by road and rail are very good.

This year’s guests are Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, Janet Fielding, Carole Ann Ford, Louise Jameson, Michael Jayston, and Mike Tucker.

Bedford Who Charity Con 5 is a traditional style convention, with panel interviews, signings, photo sessions and the opportunity to meet the guests and have your photo taken with them. (No charges for group photos with the actors, though the organisers ask for a donation to the charity bucket.) The actors are also going to take part in some Doctor Who related sketches. Everything made by the event, once costs are paid, goes to Bedford Foodbank; each month, they provide emergency food to some 600 adults and children in the local area.

Full details of ticket prices are on the convention’s website and Facebook page

To take up the offer of 10% off your tickets, please email the organiser Simon Danes on info@bedfordwhocharitycon.co.uk and say that you read about the convention on Doctor Who News.




FILTER: - Conventions

Doctor Who At Comic-Con International: San Diego 2018Bookmark and Share

Thursday, 14 June 2018 - Reported by Marcus
Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor (Credit: BBC/Steve Schofield)The new Doctor Who cast will make their first-ever panel appearance at this year's Comic-Con International held at San Diego 2018 this July.

The Doctor Who panel will feature new Doctor Jodie Whittaker alongside two of her Doctor Who co-stars Tosin Cole, and Mandip Gill. They will be joined by Showrunner Chris Chibnall and Executive Producer Matt Strevens.

The panel will be moderated by legendary Doctor Who fan, comedian Chris Hardwick (The Talking Dead, Talking with Chris Hardwick).

The panel will be the cast’s first-ever panel appearance ahead of Doctor Who returning this Autumn on BBC One and BBC America. .




FILTER: - Conventions - Thirteenth Doctor

NERVA event: Frank Bellamy inspired posters for saleBookmark and Share

Thursday, 17 May 2018 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Nerva: 30 Jun 2018 (Credit: The Hub)NERVA is a special event organised by the Ark in Space Facebook group celebrating the visual effects and other designers who brought Doctor Who to our screens.

Current guests include visual effects designer Colin Mapson (e.g. The Green Death), sculptor and prop maker Stephen Mansfield (e.g. Battlefield), K9 assistant operator Steve Cambden (e.g. Full Circle), documentary director Kevin Jon Davies (e.g. Thirty Years in the TARDIS), and researchers Richard Bignell (Nothing At The End Of The Lane), Jon Green and Gavin Rymell (Dalek 6388).

Alongside the event, a special poster has been commissioned from artist Ian Wells, inspired by the work of Frank Bellamy. There are three versions of the poster available that can be purchased separately to the event itself: the image with event information as displayed, one with the addition of Ian's autograph, and a third version with the text replaced with a personalised message from the artist. Full details can be found via the organisers' website.

All proceeds from the event and posters will be donated to the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.

The event itself is limited to members of the Facebook group, who can register their interest via the relevant thread, and to followers of the @ClassicDrWho Twitter account, who can tweet or send a direct message instead. You can find out mote about the event via the group or the organisers' event page.

With thanks to Simon Meade




FILTER: - Conventions - Merchandise - UK

Bedford Charity Con 4Bookmark and Share

Saturday, 3 March 2018 - Reported by Marcus
Bedford Charity Con 4Bedford Who Charity Con 4 is offering readers of Doctor Who News a 10% Discount off tickets to the charity event.

The Convention takes place on Saturday 7th April with a mixture of panel interviews, signings, photo sessions.

Once costs are paid, everything made at the convention goes to Bedford Foodbank, who provide emergency food for 600 local children and adults every month.

Bedford Who Charity Cons are a fairly recent addition to the convention scene, but they've established themselves a niche for being friendly, informal and relaxed events. With around 200 people in the audience, their relatively small scale gives them an intimate atmosphere.

Guests this year are Colin Baker, Sophie Aldred, John Leeson, Angela Douglas (Doris Lethbridge-Stewart), Elen Thomas (who played a large number of the aliens in Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant stories) and Mike Tucker, the BAFTA award-winning special effects designer.

The normal ticket prices are £42.50 for adults, £22.50 for 14-18-year-olds, and £15 for under 14s. Readers of Doctor Who News can, though, receive 10% off their tickets.

To take advantage of this offer, please email Simon Danes on info@bedfordwhocharitycon.co.uk , saying that you read about the event on Doctor Who News

For more details about the day, please go to the official Website or the Facebook page.




FILTER: - Charities - Conventions