BBC Audio: Current CompetitionsBookmark and Share

Saturday, 30 April 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
We have the following audiobooks available for readers to win, courtesy of BBC Audio; in order to be in with a chance to win simply email us with the answer to the question along with your name, country and where you heard about the competition. All competitions are open worldwide, with a closing date of 8th May 2016. Only one entry per household can be accepted.

The Memory of Winter (Credit: BBC Audio)
[order from Amazon UK]
The Memory of Winter, written by George Mann and read by Jemma Redgrave
Summoned by the Winter family's Calling Card, the TARDIS arrives in 15th Century France. In the shadows of a forest the Doctor and Clara encounter a band of soldiers who are protecting a mysterious young woman. Also travelling with the party is self-confessed amateur historian Julius Winter. Young Joan of Arc is troubled by voices telling her things she should not know about - things concerning the Doctor's own people, the Time Lords. When he realises that an element of the Time War is involved, the Doctor is compelled to discover where Joan is getting her information from. But in doing so, he and Clara are drawn into terrible danger...


Question: George Mann wrote another recent novel involving the Time War, but for which Doctor?
Send your answer to comp-winter@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "A Winter's Tale".
The Invasion (Credit: BBC Audio)
[order from Amazon UK]
Cybermen: The Invasion, written by Ian Marter and read by David Troughton
Materialising in Outer Space, the TARDIS is attached by a missile fired from the dark side of the moon. Back on Earth, the newly-formed United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT), led by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, is disturbed by a series of UFO sightings over Southern England. Meanwhile, a large consignment of mysterious crates is delivered to the headquarters of International Electromatics, the largest computer and electronics firm in the world. These three seemingly unconnected events are in fact the preparations for a massive Cyberman invasion of Earth, with one aim: the total annihilation of the human race.


Question: what is author Ian Marter better known for within the Doctor Who universe?
Send your answer to comp-invasion@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Kilroy was 'ere".
Death to the Daleks (Credit: BBC Audio)
[order from Amazon UK]
Death to the Daleks, written by Terrance Dicks and read by Jon Culshaw
A mysterious power loss strands the Tardis on Exxilon, a sinister fog-shrouded alien planet. The Doctor meets the survivors of a beleaguered expedition from Earth, while Sarah finds a mysterious super-city and becomes a captive of the savage Exxilons. Worst of all, the Doctor's greatest enemies, the Daleks, arrive on a secret mission of their own. The Doctor and Sarah must risk their lives time and again in a desperate attempt to foil the Daleks and save millions of humans from a horrific plague.


Question: where was the Doctor attempting to take Sarah on holiday to before being forced down on Exxilon?
Send your answer to comp-daleks@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Oh I do like to be beside the seaside".
Amorality Tale
[order from Amazon UK]
Amorality Tale, written by David Bishop and read by Dan Starkey
When gangster Tommy Ramsey is released from prison, he is determined to retake control of his 1950s East End territory. But new arrivals threaten his grip on illegal activity in the area. An evangelical minister is persuading people to seek redemption from their sins. A new gang is claiming the streets. And a watchmaker called Smith is leading a revolt against the Ramsey Mob's protection racket. When Tommy strikes back at his enemies, a far more terrifying threat is revealed. Within hours the city's air turns into nerve gas and thousands succumb to the choking fumes. London is dying...


Question: Name the character that Dan Starkey portrayed in a televised story alongside Sarah Jane Smith
Send your answer to comp-amorality@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Smoggy moments".
Shadow in the Glass (Credit: BBC Audio)
[order from Amazon UK]
Shadow in the Glass, written by Stephen Cole & Justin Richards and read by India Fisher
When an RAF squadron shoots down an unidentified aircraft over Turelhampton, the village is immediately evacuated. But why is the village still guarded by troops in 2001? When a television documentary crew break through the cordon looking for a story, they find they've recorded more than they'd bargained for. Caught up in both a deadly conspiracy and a historical mystery, retired Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart calls upon his old friend the Doctor. Half-glimpsed demons watch from the shadows as the Doctor and the Brigadier travel back in time to discover the last, and deadliest, secret of the Second World War.


Question: Name another story which saw the Doctor travel into Germany's past
Send your answer to comp-shadow@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Heil!".




FILTER: - Audio - BBC Audio - Competitions

Barry Howard 1937-2016Bookmark and Share

Friday, 29 April 2016 - Reported by Marcus
The actor Barry Howard has died at the age of 78.

Barry Howard played Oliver Barnes, a member of the Sliver Cloak gang, in the 2010 story The End of Time.

The actor was best known for playing the professional dancer Barry Stuart-Hargreaves in the BBC Comedy Hi-Di-Hi, a role he played in seven series from 1980-1986.

Other roles included parts in Terry and June, You Rang, M'Lord?, Dad and he played Danny Jackson in the ITV comedy The House of Windsor.

Howard, who lived in Poole in the south of England, was also a veteran of pantomime shows, and regularly appeared alongside Are You Being Served? star John Inman as the ugly sisters.




FILTER: - Obituary

Lethbridge-Stewart: The ShowstoppersBookmark and Share

Friday, 29 April 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Candy Jar Books have released the cover art for the next book in their Lethbridge-Stewart series, The Showstoppers.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers (Credit: Candy-Jar Books)The Showstoppers
Written by Jonathan Cooper
Cover by Richard Young

‘Nuzzink in ze vorld can schtop me now!’

There’s a new TV show about to hit the airwaves, but Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart won’t be tuning in. With the future of the Fifth Operational Corps in doubt he’s got enough to worry about, but a plea from an old friend soon finds Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers embroiled in a plot far more fantastical than anything on the small screen.

Can charismatic star Aubrey Mondegreene really be in two places at the same time? What lengths will ailing entertainment mogul Billy Lovac go to in order to reach his audience? And is luckless journalist Harold Chorley really so desperate that he’ll buy into a story about Nazi conspiracies from a tramp wearing a tin foil hat?

There’s something very rotten at the heart of weekend television, and it isn’t all due to shoddy scripts and bad special effects.

Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar Books, said:
Richard is well-known for his photo realistic work. Watching him painstakingly create his artwork with thousands of dots is incredibly impressive. His design for The Showstoppers really evokes the early Target covers.
Richard Young said:
Doctor Who has been a big part of my life since I was a kid. The classic series is extremely close to my heart and I always wanted to draw a cover for the Target books... but they didn't like my style when I was ten. So to have the chance to contribute a cover for a book featuring one of the most iconic characters of Doctor Who is not only a huge honour but the realisation of a thirty-four-year old dream.

I had fun flexing my Photoshop muscles for the (free book) The Black Eggs of Khufu cover, but I jumped at the chance to return to my roots and work on a hand drawn cover, echoing the wonderfully surreal Kubrick movie.
The movie in question is Dr Strangelove Or: How to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, with the book echoing the same world; writer Jonathan Cooper commented:
I’ve always been a fan of Dr Strangelove and Doctor Who, so when Candy Jar Books asked me to meld the two together into a Lethbridge-Stewart novel, I could not resist. Who would?
The book also features an introduction by David George, son of Peter George, focusing on the conspiracy theories that tie Dr Strangelove to the Kennedy assassination.



The Showstoppers is the second release for 2016, following on from Moon Blink by Sadie Miller.

To help pave the way for the new series of books, Beast of Fang Rock will be available for free on Kindle for three days from Saturday 30th April. Andy Frankham-Allen, range editor of the Lethbridge-Stewart novels, said:
Both Moon Blink and The Showstoppers are strong Anne Travers stories, and since Beast of Fang Rock really introduced her to the range, we thought it would be nice to offer up this book as a free chance for the uninitiated to catch up on her back story.
The usual discounted pre-order bundles will be on offer from Candy Jar, with a new subscription deal for those wishing to get six books for the price of five.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers by Jonathan Cooper is due to be released soon. It can now be pre-ordered (individually, or as part of a bundle/subscription) from Candy Jar Books.




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

Exhibition of Target Artwork OpensBookmark and Share

Friday, 29 April 2016 - Reported by Marcus
An exhibition showcasing original cover artwork from the Target range of Doctor Who novels has opened in London.

The display, at the Cartoon Museum in Bloomsbury features 30 pieces of art, which were commissioned for the cover illustrations of Doctor Who novelisations, published during the 1970's and 1980's under the Target imprint

it includes ten covers by Chris Achilleos from The Daleks through to Revenge of the Cybermen, five covers by Andrew Skilleter from Destiny of the Daleksthrough to The Mark of the Rani and other classic and well-loved original cover artwork such by Roy Knipe, Jeff Cummins, and David McAlister.

The launch was attended by several of the artists featured as well as Doctor Who show runner Steven Moffat and the current doctor, Peter Capaldi, no mean artist himself.

The exhibition was the brainchild of Doctor Who brand manager Edward Russell, who told Doctor Who News he was delighted by the response to the display of the artwork.

The exhibition runs until Sunday 15th May.





FILTER: - Special Events

Doctor Who Magazine 499Bookmark and Share

Thursday, 28 April 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Doctor Who Magazine Issue 499 (Credit: DWM)The latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine has been published today, and as a new exhibition on Target books opens at the Cartoon Museum in London takes look back at the history of Doctor Who book cover art. The first regular artist on the range, Chris Achilleos, tells the magazine on how he established a new visual style for Doctor Who:
I didn’t need direction – I knew how to do a cover. I was always very aware that a book cover needs to be attractive – almost interactive, in a way – so that you’re drawn to pick it up in a shop. I still think they work as good punchy covers.
Target book fan and modern-day Doctor Who writer Mark Gatiss has much affection for the artwork:
The Three Doctors was my first and perhaps still my favourite. The incredibly evocative orange and green luridness of Omega’s deadly fingers, the Doctors themselves in grave monochrome. I still get a Proustian rush from seeing these images.

Also inside the issue:

  • PRODUCTION NOTES: Doctor Who’s executive producer Brian Minchin tells DWM about the operation to reveal the identity of the Doctor's new companion...
  • WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER? DWM investigates what it is to be immortal in the Doctor Who universe.
  • NIGHT TO REMEMBER: Ahead of a very special Fact of Fiction next issue on The Day of the Doctor, DWM looks back at the most unexpected Doctor Who story of all time
  • GATEWAY TO THE UNIVERSE: The Fourth Doctor, Romana, Adric and K9 try to find a way out of E-Space in this month’s Fact of Fiction on 1981's Warriors' Gate...
  • BACK IN THE SISTERHOOD: We ask Clare Higgins, High Priestess of the Sisterhood of Karn, if Ohila could be the Doctor’s mother?
  • THE WITCH IS FAMILIAR... in the third part of our brand-new comic strip adventure, Witch Hunt, written by Jacqueline Rayner and illustrated by Martin Geraghty.
  • DRESS FOR THE OCCASION: Jacqueline Rayner talks about the challenges of dressing her boys up as the Doctor, in her column, Relative Dimensions.
  • DOCTOR, I MARRIED HIM! An increasing number of couple are incorporating Doctor Who into the most important day of their lives. But why? DWM investigates...
  • FISHY BUSINESS: There’s something fishy going on under Venice, as the Time Team watch The Vampires of Venice...
  • COMING SOON: DWM previews all the latest Doctor Who CD and book releases.
  • DREAM WORLD: Russell T Davies returns to BBC Wales with his production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream...
PLUS! All the latest official news, reviews, competitions and The DWM Crossword





FILTER: - DWM - Magazines - Merchandise

Heaven Sent Nominated for HugoBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 26 April 2016 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: Heaven Sent, has been nominated for a 2016 Hugo Award.

The episode, shown last year, written by Steven Moffat and directed by Rachel Talalay , starred Peter Capaldi in an highly aclaimed, almost single handed, performance.

Doctor Who is competing against Universal's Grimm, Marvel Television's Jessica Jones, DHX Media's My Little Pony and Kripke Enterprises's Supernatural to win the prestigious award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form).

Six Doctor Who episodes have previously won a Hugo Award, including The Doctor's Wife, The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang and The Waters of Mars. Last year the episode Listen was nominated, but lost out in the final voting.

The winners of the 2016 Hugo will be announced on Saturday, August 20, at the MidAmeriCon II Hugo Awards Ceremony held in Kansas City, Missouri.
Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form): Nominations
  • Doctor Who: “Heaven Sent” written by Steven Moffat, directed by Rachel Talalay (BBC Television)
  • Grimm: “Headache” written by Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt, directed by Jim Kouf(Universal Television; GK Productions; Hazy Mills Productions; Open 4 Business Productions; NBCUniversal Television Distribution)
  • Jessica Jones: “AKA Smile” written by Scott Reynolds, Melissa Rosenberg, and Jamie King, directed by Michael Rymer (Marvel Television; ABC Studios; Tall Girls Productions;Netflix)
  • My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: “The Cutie Map” Parts 1 and 2 written by Scott Sonneborn, M.A. Larson, and Meghan McCarthy, directed by Jayson Thiessen and Jim Miller (DHX Media/Vancouver; Hasbro Studios)
  • Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” written by Jenny Klein, directed by Richard Speight Jr. (Kripke Enterprises; Wonderland Sound and Vision; Warner Bros. Television)




FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Series 9/35

Doctor Who Adventures issue 14Bookmark and Share

Tuesday, 26 April 2016 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Adventures issue 14Doctor Who Adventures issue 14 is released this week

In the magazine
  • SKY MANOR
  • The Doctor ends up playing detective in a country house high up in the clouds. The trouble is, he’s being chased by an angry group of gorillas and the country house is about to come crashing out of the sky and down to earth! You’ll go ape with this latest offering from Kieron Moore, Russ Leach and John Burns!
  • MISSY NEEDS YOU!
  • Missy is looking for a sidekick/slave/dogsbody! Have you got what it takes to serve the craziest Time Lord in history?
  • OSGOOD’S RESEARCH LAB
  • Unleash your inner fan with some cool Doctor badges!
  • UNIT ALIEN ARCHIVES
  • This month you get to access UNIT’s archive on the one and only River Song!
  • STRAX’S HOLIDAY SNAPS!
  • Strax has just taken a vacation on Gallifrey and he’s eager to show you his latest holiday snaps!
  • THE PATERNOSTER GANG INVESTIGATES
  • The Paternoster Gang investigate the Dangerous Dilemma of the Dream Doorway, in a chilling story brought to you by Rik Hoskin!
Doctor Who Adventures #14 4 comes with a free make a monster kit and is on sale 28th April 2016, price £3.99

Doctor Who Adventures issue 14Doctor Who Adventures issue 14




FILTER: - DWA

Welcome to the FamilyBookmark and Share

Monday, 25 April 2016 - Reported by Marcus
Pearl Mackie and Peter Capaldi (Credit: BBC / Ray Burmiston)
Doctor Who alumni have taken to twitter to welcome the new companion to the World of Doctor Who.

It was announced on Saturday that actress Pearl Mackie will join Peter Capaldi in the next series of Doctor Who, due to be screened in 2017.

Congratulations came from many past companions, in whose footsteps Mackie will follow.

The actress made her debut wearing a Prince T-Shirt, which many fans took to be a tribute to the artist who died last week. However Doctor Who brand manager, Edward Russell, confirmed that the sequence was filmed over a week ago and the costumn was just a weird coincidence.

Mackie is currenltly starring in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in London's West End




Congratulations also followed from Doctor Who actors Ingrid Oliver and Joivan Wade as well as casting director Andy Prior. Meanwhile comic book artist Blair Shedd was quick to capture the character of Bill.

The actress herself tweeted about her excitement at winning the role.




FILTER: - Pearl Mackie

Titan Paperbacks ReleasedBookmark and Share

Monday, 25 April 2016 - Reported by Marcus
Titan Comics this week release the fourth volumes of both the Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor by Nick Abadzis and Eleonora Carlini, Elena Casagrande and Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor by writers Si Spurrier & Rob Williams, with art by Simon Fraser and Warren Pleece.

Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor Vol. 4: The Endless Song

Writer: Nick Abadzis
Artists: Eleonora Carlini, Elena Casagrande
Colorists: Claudia SG Iannicello, Arianna Florean
Cover: Alex Ronald

A bold new season begins for the Tenth Doctor and companion Gabby Gonzalez! Whether facing down an evil corruption of sentient music on a gas giant, catching up on unseen trips with Gabby's best friend Cindy Wu, or journeying back to the dawn of humankind to witness the clash between Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons, there are no limits to the adventure - or the danger!

Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor Vol. 4: The Endless SongDoctor Who: Tenth Doctor Vol. 4: The Endless SongDoctor Who: Tenth Doctor Vol. 4: The Endless SongDoctor Who: Tenth Doctor Vol. 4: The Endless SongDoctor Who: Tenth Doctor Vol. 4: The Endless Song


Order from Amazon.co.uk
Order from Amazon.com


Doctor Who: Eleventh Doctor Vol. 4: The Then And The Now

Writers: Si Spurrier & Rob Williams
Artists: Simon Fraser, Warren Pleece
Colorists: Gary Caldwell, Hi-Fi

Accused of terrible war crimes that he can't remember committing, the Eleventh Doctor goes on the run with his companion Alice Obiefune, along with a mysterious amnesiac who calls herself The Squire! As they dig deep into the history of the Time War in hope of clearing the Doctor's name, the bounty hunter called The Then and The Now, a hideous perversion of spacetime, tracks them at every turn!

Doctor Who: Eleventh Doctor Vol. 4: The Then And The NowDoctor Who: Eleventh Doctor Vol. 4: The Then And The NowDoctor Who: Eleventh Doctor Vol. 4: The Then And The NowDoctor Who: Eleventh Doctor Vol. 4: The Then And The NowDoctor Who: Eleventh Doctor Vol. 4: The Then And The Now


Order from Amazon.co.uk
Order from Amazon.com

Both volumes are available from Wednesday 27th April




FILTER: - Comics - Eleventh Doctor - Tenth Doctor

Meet The New CompanionBookmark and Share

Sunday, 24 April 2016 - Reported by Marcus
The BBC has released the first interview with the new Doctor Who companion, Pearl Mackie.



The casting was announced on BBC One, during half time of the FA Cup Semi-Final, with 5.3 million viewers watching at the time.




FILTER: - Pearl Mackie