10 Years of New Who artwork competitionBookmark and Share

Thursday, 30 April 2015 - Reported by Harry Ward
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Doctor Who returning to our screens, Doctor Who News commissioned artist Deborah Taylor to draw a celebratory image involving all the Doctors from 2005 onwards. They are joined by their companions, including one who simply left a message for her "sweetie"...

10 Years of New Who (Credit: Deborah Taylor for Doctor Who News)

Competition

We have an 18" by 24" print of the art work available to give away. In order to be in with a chance of winning, answer the following question:
Who was Rose Tyler looking for in the basement of Henrik's in the episode, Rose?
Please send your answer along with your name and address to comp-artwork@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Fantastic!". The competition is open world-wide, closing date: 14th May 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.




FILTER: - Competitions - Editorial

Doctor Who Magazine 486Bookmark and Share

Thursday, 30 April 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Magazine 486 (Credit: Panini )Former showrunner Russell T Davies talks Sex Drugs and Rock & Roll in the latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine.

The man who brought Doctor Who back to TV in 2005 returns with an audio adaptation of his very first Doctor Who adventure, the 1996 novel Damaged Good. Davies tells DWM how the story influenced his reinvention of the TV series
It kind of shows the promise that I didn't know was there with Doctor Who. Because Doctor Who – the 'classic' Doctor Who that I grew up loving – didn't, famously, blow up the world. Invasions and monsters would tend to limit themselves to the gardens of UNIT, or a country house. It's interesting, that sequence in Damaged Goods with the train blowing up, which then led to me destroying the entire city – that kind of liberated me, and then I carried that into Doctor Who. So I was thinking 'Right, you can have a spaceship crash into Big Ben, you can do anything you like..
Also inside this issue
  • Damaged Goods – The Audio Version
  • DWM talks to the cast of the new audio of Damaged Goods, including Sylvester McCoy, Yasmin Bannerman, Michelle Collins, Denise Black, Peter Barrett, Daniel Brocklebank, Richard Hope and the script-writer of the adaptation, Jonathan Morris.
  • Carole Ann Ford Is Taken Back In Time
  • Carole Ann Ford reminisces about being the Doctor's very first companion, as she looks through fascinating scrapbooks containing rare and unique clippings that were compiled by the original producer of the series, Verity Lambert.
  • Video Tasty
  • DWM reveals the history of how Doctor Who was brought to home video, and talks to the people responsible for the early releases. Plus, never-before-printed information on what the censors thought of the episodes...
  • Barry Newbery Remembered
  • A tribute to the late Barry Newbery, the man who designed many classic Doctor Who stories during the 1960s and 70s.
  • The Highlanders
  • Discover fascinating new facts about the 1966-67 Second Doctor adventure The Highlanders in The Fact of Fiction.
  • Doctor Who Adventures
  • Go behind the scenes of the children's magazine Doctor Who Adventures, as DWM chats to editor Jason Quinn about his plans for the relaunched title.
  • Blood and Ice
  • Clara sees double while the Doctor makes a chilling discovery! Blood and Ice – the brand new comic strip written by Jacqueline Rayner and illustrated by Martin Geraghty – continues...
  • Steven Moffat Answers Your Questions
  • Steven Moffat answers readers’ questions, and talks about the casting of Game of Thrones star Masie Williams in Doctor Who.
PLUS! Reviews and previews; Relative Dimensions; Wotcha!; The DWM Crossword, prize-winning competitions, official news and more.

Doctor Who Magazine 486 is on sale from Thursday 30 April 2015, price £4.99.




FILTER: - DWM

Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular comes to New YorkBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 29 April 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular 2014BBC Worldwide North America has announced the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular is coming to New York later this year.

The a live show, which sold out when it premiered in Australia, and is touring the UK this spring, will be staged for the first time in the U.S. at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Wednesday October 7, 2015. The event, produced and presented by Vision Nine, will be one of the headline events of New York Super Week, which takes over the city October 5-11 in the lead-up to the main event New York Comic Con, taking place October 8-11 at the Javits Center.

The show will be hosted by actor Michelle Gomez who portrays Missy, the latest incarnation of the Doctor’s arch-nemesis the Master. She first appeared on-screen in 2014 and returns to Doctor Who in the new season scheduled to air on worldwide this autumn.

Michelle Gomez comments
I was a big fan of Doctor Who before I joined the cast, and I love Murray Gold’s powerful and emotional soundtracks for the series. This live show has been a big hit with fans of the series in other countries, and I know that Doctor Who fans in North America have been waiting for their turn to see it. I’m so excited to be presenting the first-ever American performances, and to be doing this in the city that has become my home. I can’t wait ’til this fall to see how the amazing U.S. audience reacts to the show being staged in the Big Apple. I’m honored to be a part of it.
The Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular, which celebrates the world’s longest running science fiction TV series, features the captivating and award-winning music of Murray Gold who has composed for the series since 2005. The show will feature over 100 musicians and singers under the conducting baton of Ben Foster (conductor, The Theory of Everything). Fans can expect to see some of the Doctor’s most fearsome adversaries live on stage including Daleks, Cybermen, Judoon, Whispermen, and more. The live performance will be accompanied by a big screen presentation of key moments and specially edited sequences from the past decade of Doctor Who.

Tickets will go on general sale via the venue box office and website at 10am on Friday, May 8, 2015, with prices starting at $50.50 per ticket.




FILTER: - Music - Special Events

Series Nine - Casting UpdateBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 29 April 2015 - Reported by Marcus

David Schofield has been signed up to appear in the next series of Doctor Who.

Schofield is best known for playing King Alined in the BBC fantasy drama series Merlin. Other TV appearances include roles in Footballers' Wives, Holby City, Jekyll & Hyde and, most recently, as Police Sergeant Foley in Hugo Blick's The Shadow Line for BBC Two. Big Screen appearances include roles in An American Werewolf In London, The Last of the Mohicans, Anna Karenina and Gladiator as well as playing as Mr. Mercer in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

Doctor Who Magazine reveals that Schofield will appear in episodes five and six of the new series, currently being filmed in Cardiff.

As reported last month, the episodes also feature Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams as well as comic Rufus Hound. The BBC have released a video of Hound at the script read through.

Showrunner Steven Moffat hinted to DWM that the role played by Williams is particularly significant saying she would "challenge the Doctor in very unexpected ways".




FILTER: - Production - Series 9/35

Doctor Who comes to FX IndiaBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 29 April 2015 - Reported by Marcus
BBC Worldwide have signed a deal to bring Doctor Who to the Indian channel FX.

All eight post 2005 series of the show will be screened starting 15th May 2015. The deal marks largest volume sale of the BBC series in the country. FX is owned by Star India Private Limited and is available in a million homes in the country.

Myleeta Aga, SVP and GM of BBC Worldwide in India said
This partnership marks a milestone for us. It will be the first time Whovians in India will be able to participate in the global Doctor Who phenomenon. And it is also the first time we’ve concluded a major deal with Star India.

We’ve seen an increasing interest in British drama from our partners in the last 12 months or so. Viewers now recognise the originality of British drama, and this has caused a surge in interest in our drama series like Doctor Who. We are very glad to be working with Star India to bring this very iconic series (including series 9 which is currently being filmed) to viewers in India.
A Star India spokesperson commented:
We are very excited to be bringing Doctor Who to our viewers in India. Doctor Who is distributed to over 200 territories across the world. We are very happy India will now be part of this global sensation and we’re sure that the series will resonate with our viewers.
Brian Minchin, Executive Producer, Doctor Who says:
We are delighted that Doctor Who is going to hit the screens of FX. We’re hugely proud of the show and the Doctor’s adventures in time and space. Hold on tight - there are thrills and wonders ahead! 51 years ago, the very first episode of Doctor Who was directed by Waris Hussein, born in Lucknow. I like to think we’ve finally come full circle with the new modern series launching in India on FX.




FILTER: - Broadcasting - Doctor Who - India

Interview With Ninth Doctor Comics Writer Cavan ScottBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 28 April 2015 - Reviewed by Martin Hudecek
Cavan ScottDoctor Who News has conducted another interview with a writer for one of the Titan Comics series; this time meeting Cavan Scott - who is behind the brand new Ninth Doctor mini-series.

Scott first experienced Doctor Who during the Tom Baker era, but it was the early version of Doctor Who Magazine (when Davison's version was contemporary) that saw him become a real fan. The regular comic strip in  'Doctor Who Monthly' was pivotal in his career path of being a major contributor to the comic strip medium. He has always regarded the iconic Daleks as the best adversary to the Doctor but also rates the Zygons (who have appeared both in the classic series, as well as the anniversary special 'The Day Of The Doctor').

Scott was already producing Adventure Time strips for Titan, when the new Doctor Who licence was granted to the company. He then approached editor Andrew James, who had read the reference book 'Who-ology' (co-written by Mark Wright and Cavan). 

I asked what he regarded the Ninth Doctor's greatest strengths and weaknesses:
Enthusiasm, Renewed hope. Straight-talking.

His temper. Intolerance, at times. [Flirting with ] women.
Other discussion centred on just how pleasing the hit success of Doctor Who in 2005 was.
One of the best moments of 2005 was doing a signing and seeing so many children at the event. Finally, Doctor Who was back and where it belonged - in the heart of families! 
We also talked about the Ninth Doctor/ Rose/ Captain Jack dynamic that is a major focus point in the mini series, and how plot and character motivations were connected with the Time War and the universe now bereft of any Time Lords (barring of course the Doctor and the 'hidden' Master).

Scott also stated how he sees both fiction and non-fiction as story-telling processes that should somehow 'hook' the reader or viewer, and how the diversity in his projects keeps his creative energies going.

When asked about other programs he rates highly, he mentioned 'Star Trek', 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Angel'. Ultimately though Doctor Who was the standout for its  'infinitely flexible' premise and scope.

Cavan Scott's Ninth Doctor mini-series has already seen release with Issue 1 available online or at all good comic book stores and newsagents.

Full Interview




FILTER: - Comics

Radio Times Nominated for Cover of the YearBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 28 April 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Radio Times (23-29 Aug 2014) (Credit: Radio Times)
The Radio Times cover, from the issue which announced the arrival of Peter Capaldi as The Doctor, has been nominated as the Cover of the Year by the PPA.

The Professional Publishers Association have listed the cover as one of ten nominated for the award. Radio Times was nominated last year for the cover celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, but lost out to Metal Hammer when the results were announced.

This year Radio Times faces competition from The Big Issue, Crumbs, GQ, ShortList, Country Life, Elle, n, Red and Time Out.

Voting can be done via the PPA website.

The winner will be announced at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane in London's Mayfair on the evening of Thursday, July 9.




FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Radio Times

Rare Lalla Ward interview RecoveredBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 28 April 2015 - Reported by Marcus
A rare interview with a very young Lalla Ward has been released on YouTube.

Ward was just fourteen when she was featured on the BBC Arts programme A Whole Scene Going. First shown on the 9th March 1966, the film looks at the work of the young poet and artist. The item was directed by John Crome who uploaded the feature, which is missing from the BBC archives, to his YouTube Channel

Ward would go on to play the fourth Doctor's companion Romana from 1979 to 1981





FILTER: - People

Doctor Who wins BAFTABookmark and Share

Sunday, 26 April 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who has won the British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Special, Visual & Graphic Effects in 2015

The award goes to Milk VFX, Real SFX and BBC Wales VFX for their work on the 2014 series.

It is the second year running Doctor Who has won this award, this year beating the nominees for Atlantis, David Attenborough’s Conquest of the Skies 3D, and Ripper Street.

Danny Hargreaves of RealSFX tweeted
We did it !!!!!@BAFTA What a great team we make #DoctorWho @realsfx @MilkVFX @Millennium_FX and the BBC VFX team
The winners were announced Sunday evening at the Brewery in East London.





FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Doctor Who - Series 8/34

Doctor Who: Legacy UpdateBookmark and Share

Sunday, 26 April 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Tiny Rebel Games and Seed Studio have launched the next section of Chapter 4 of their story.

Chapter 4 adds a number of beloved characters to Doctor Who: Legacy including Donna Noble, Professor River Song, Jackson Lake, Polly Wright, Reinette (Madame de Pompadour) and more to be announced soon including several classic companion favourites.

This is the beginning of what will be a weekly roll-out of new story, much like the episodic nature of the television series.

The Legacy team have been joined by a new designer at Seed Studio, Kuenda Lee.
I am the new designer of Doctor Who: Legacy. The past 3 months have been crazy -- you would know what I mean if you're making a Doctor Who game. In the next few months, we'll be releasing new episodes on a more frequent basis. I wish I could tell you how exciting the new episodes are, but that would be SPOILERS!
Doctor Who: Legacy (Credit: Tiny Rebel Games)Doctor Who: Legacy (Credit: Tiny Rebel Games)Doctor Who: Legacy (Credit: Tiny Rebel Games)Doctor Who: Legacy (Credit: Tiny Rebel Games)




FILTER: - Games