BBC Childrens Books update/competitions

Friday, 30 September 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BBC Childrens Books have released details of their Doctor Who books being published to the end of the year, including a collection of festive tales for Christmas, and the traditional Doctor Who Annual.

It is also possible to win copies of the publications, courtesy of BBC Childrens Books; in order to be in with a chance to win simply email us with the answer to the question along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news page, news app, Facebook, etc.). All competitions are open to UK readers only, with a closing date of 16th October 2016. Only one entry per household can be accepted.

Doctor Who Doodle Book (Credit: BBC Childrens Books)

Doctor Who Doodle Book
Published by Penguin Books, 1st September 2016 [purchase from Amazon UK]

Think you can draw Doctor Who? Time to get creative with scribbles of all shapes and sizes in this interactive Doctor Who doodle book!

Cover pages with monster footprints, sketch the scariest villains imaginable and design dastardly foes from your own imagination. Design a new scarf for the Fourth Doctor, some sand shoes for the Tenth Doctor, and dream up a new look for the Master. Doodle new gadgets, outfits, hiding places and battlegrounds.

The Whoniverse is yours to design in this awesome Doctor Who book!

Competition Question: Name the Doctor Who story which featured a monster derived from a drawing.
Send your answer to comp-doodle@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Idle Moments".

Choose the Future: Terror Moon (Credit: BBC Childrens Books)

Choose the Future: Terror Moon
Published by Penguin Books, 1st September 2016 [purchase from Amazon UK]

When one choice can lead to triumph or failure, life or death, glory or destruction - what will you choose?

In this brand new adventure, Terror Moon, the Twelfth Doctor travels to a far-off moon base, only to discover a monstrous, flesh-eating horror lying in wait...

With Choose the Future, YOU decide how, when, where and with whom the Doctor will fight to save the world! The fate of the universe is in your hands...

Choose the Future: Night of the Kraken (Credit: BBC Childrens Books)

Competition Question: name the previous range of "choose your own adventure" books that featured the tenth and eleventh Doctors.
Send your answer to comp-choosethefuture@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Turn To Page 42".

This competition includes both the latest Choose The Future book and the earlier publication Night of the Kraken.

A History of Humankind (The Doctor's Official Guide) (Credit: BBC Childrens Books)

A History of Humankind: The Doctor’s Official Guide
Published by Penguin Books, 6th October 2016 [pre-order from Amazon UK]

A history book 'improved' by the Twelfth Doctor, with annotations, scribblings, and his trademark snarky humour!

Over billions of years of time travel, the Doctor has run into his fair share of important people - and he's formed opinions on most of them too. Now the Twelfth Doctor has got hold of a history textbook from Coal Hill School, and he's
decided to improve it with notes of his own.

From Nefertiti to Robin Hood, this essential Doctor's guide gives us his unique take on Earth's most famous historical figures. Through annotations, scribblings and his trademark snarky humour, the Doctor has plenty to say about the pudding-brained humans he's met on his travels. It's history... but perhaps not quite as you know it!

Competition Question: name the first real-life person from history that the Doctor met in the television series.
Send your answer to comp-humankind@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Humans are quite my favourite species".

Time Lord Fairy Tales (Slipcase edition) (Credit: BBC Childrens Books)

Time Lord Fairy Tales (slipcase edition)
Published by Penguin Books, 6th October 2016 [pre-order from Amazon UK]

With 16 hardback books each containing a fairy tale set in the world of Doctor Who, this slipcase edition of Time Lord Fairy Tales includes a brand new story for 2016: The Emperor Dalek's New Clothes.

Time Lord Fairy Tales contains legendary stories of monsters, mysteries, villains and heroes from across the Whoniverse. A beautifully illustrate collection of dark and dangerous Whovian fairy tales, this slipcase is the perfect gift for any true Doctor Who fan.

Competition Question: name a Time Lord fairy-tale/legend that the Doctor actually encounters in the television series.
Send your answer to comp-fairytales@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Once upon a Time...".

Doctor Who Annual 2017 (Credit: BBC Childrens Books)

Official Doctor Who Annual 2017
Published by BBC Childrens Books, 6th October 2016 [pre-order from Amazon UK]

Join the Doctor for brand-new adventures on board the TARDIS in this year's Doctor Who Annual. With secrets from the latest series, fact files on the latest terrifying monsters, exciting comic strips, stories, puzzles and activities, it's the perfect read for any fan of the brilliant BBC show Doctor Who.

Competition Question: which is the only "numbered" Doctor to not feature on a Doctor Who annual/yearbook cover?
Send your answer to comp-annual@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "One Year in the Life of the Doctor".

Twelve Doctors of Christmas (Credit: BBC Childrens Books)

Twelve Doctors Of Christmas
Published by BBC Childrens Books, 6th October 2016 [pre-order from Amazon UK]

A beautifully illustrated collection of new Doctor Who stories, each featuring one of the twelve Doctors on a festive adventure in the TARDIS.

Written by six authors and with a full-page colour illustration for each story, these tales are full of magic, mystery, wonder, excitement - and everything else that fans love about a Doctor Who Christmas special.

Competition Question: name the only non-21st Century Doctor Who Christmas episode.
Send your answer to comp-12xmas@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Ho Ho Ho!".

In addition to the new releases, BBC Childrens Books have kindly provided these publications from earlier in the year as additional competition prizes:

Doctor Who: The Essential Guide (Twelfth Doctor edition) (Credit: BBC Childrens Books)

Doctor Who: The Essential Guide (Twelfth Doctor edition)
Published by Penguin Books, 7th April 2016 [purchase from Amazon UK]

A new edition of the ultimate and most essential guide to Doctor Who, now updated to include all twelve incarnations of the Doctor and covering all his newest adventures from Series 8 and 9.

Competition Question: the Doctor has often kept a diary of his experiences - how many years does his most recent cover?
Send your answer to comp-essential@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Dipping into the Matrix".

Travels in Time (colouring book) (Credit: BBC Childrens Books)

Doctor Who: Travels in Time
Published by Penguin Books, 7th April 2016 [purchase from Amazon UK]

Experience the timey-wimey travels of the Doctor moment by moment with this historical Doctor Who colouring book.

Inside you'll find the Doctor's greatest friends and foes from throughout all of history, with original illustrations featuring Churchill, Shakespeare, Van Gogh, Dickens, Madame de Pompadour and many more. Colour in kings and queens, Romans and Egyptians, Viking villages and erupting volcanoes... not forgetting the occasional dinosaur on a spaceship.

With 45 brand new images to colour, Travels in Time is a truly fantastic addition to any colouring collection.

Competition Question: name a story featuring a portrait the Doctor has painted.
Send your answer to comp-colours@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Strike Me Pink!".

Doctor Who Dot-To-Doc (Credit: BBC Childrens Books)

Doctor Who: Dot-To-Doc
Published by Penguin Books, 7th July 2016 [purchase from Amazon UK]

Join a galaxy of dots to draw the Doctor with this incredible dot-to-dot book!

With 45 intricate portraits to complete and over 500 dots in every drawing, Dot-to-Doc contains hours of creative and timey-wimey fun.

Inside you'll find every incarnation of the Doctor, plus favourite friends and foes - Rose, Donna, Captain Jack, Clara, the Ponds, a Dalek, a Cyberman, a Weeping Angel and many more...

Competition Question: in which story did the Doctor say a straight line might be the shortest distance between two points but it isn't the most interesting?
Send your answer to comp-dottodoc@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Going dotty".

FILTER: - BBC Books - Competitions

New Comics this week

Wednesday, 28 September 2016 - Reported by Marcus

This week sees Titan Comics release a trio of Doctor Who comics featuring the Fourth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors.

Doctor Who: Fourth Doctor #5

Writers: Gordon Rennie & Emma Beeby
Artist: Brian Williamson
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Comicraft
Cover A: Brian Williamson & Hi-Fi, Cover B: Photo – Will Brooks, Cover C: Blair Shedd, Cover D: Todd Nauck & Hi-Fi

The shocking conclusion of 'GAZE OF THE MEDUSA'! Can the Doctor and Sarah Jane defeat the Medusa and use the Lamp of Chronos to restore those it has turned to stone - or are the victims of Lady Emily Carstairs pertrified forever? Who lives, who dies, who tells their story?!

Doctor Who: Eleventh Doctor #2.13

Writer: Rob Williams
Artist: I. N. J. Culbard, Simon Fraser
Cover A: Simon Fraser, Cover B: Will Brooks Photo, Cover C: Mike Collins (Linked Cover)

The endgame begins, as the architect of the Doctor's pain stands revealed, and the truth behind the Squire is out in the open at last! With Alice still trapped in the Time War, and Abslom itching to take a chainsword to the enemy, can the Doctor broker peace and balm his guilty soul?!

Doctor Who: Eleventh Doctor #2.13 (Titan)

Doctor Who: Twelfth Doctor #2.9

Writer: George Mann
Artist: Rachael Stott
Colorist: Ivan Nunes
Letterer: Comicraft
Cover A: Mariano Laclaustra, Cover B: Photo – Will Brooks, Cover C: Warren Pleece, Cover D: Stephen Byrne

Rachael Stott is back on interior art as the Doctor receives a strange summons from an impossible source, and finds himself trapped inside a house of infinite dimensions! What is the Doctor's connection to the family that brought him there, and what is the stunning secret of the house itself?

FILTER: - Comics - Eleventh Doctor - Fourth Doctor - Twelfth Doctor

DWAS: Polarity Day

Tuesday, 27 September 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The Doctor Who Appreciation Society have announced details of their forthcoming special event dedicated to the third Doctor, Jon Pertwee.

Taking place on the 23rd October 2016 between 1:00pm and 5:30pm, Polarity Day will celebrate his time as the Doctor, with guests including Katy Manning, Richard Franklin, Bob Baker and Terrance Dicks. The day will also feature a special showing of The Claws Of Axos. Tickets to the main event is free, and may be applied for via post - see the website for further details. There will also be opportunities for photos and autographs at an additional charge.

Members of the Society will also be able to apply for separate tickets to attend the unveiling of the new Heritage Plaque in honour of Pertwee by his widow Ingeborg and daughter Dariel, with an invited audience of his friends and colleagues.

It is still possible to purchase a set of TARDIS Roundel badges from the Society, the proceeds of which go towards raising funds for the plaque, and for Pertwee's favourite charity, the Water Rats. For full details see the DWAS website.

FILTER: - Conventions - Jon Pertwee - Special Events

Class in Australia

Monday, 26 September 2016 - Reported by Marcus

ABC Australia has confirmed the new Doctor Who spin-off, Class, will broadcast in Australia, shortly after its UK debut.

The first two episodes of the series will be released on iView as soon as they becomes available in the UK. Class is due to be released on BBC Three sometime on Saturday 22nd October.

In addition the episodes will be screened on ABC2 on Monday, 24 October

Class is a young adult series set in Coal Hill Academy. The first episode will feature current Doctor Peter Capaldi.

Class has also been confirmed for transmission in Canada on 22 October. BBC America will also screen the series, but have not yet confirmed an airdate.

FILTER: - Australia - Broadcasting - Class

A Dozen Summers - Competition

Sunday, 25 September 2016 - Reported by Marcus

This summer saw the release of a new film starring Colin Baker as The Narrator.

A Dozen Summers is a comedy, from writer/director Kenton Hall. A story about what it’s really like to be 12 in the 21st century.

The film was released in the summer and Doctor Who News, in association with Kenton Hall, has two copies to give away.

All you need to do is answer the following question

What is the title of the children's book, written by Colin Baker's daughter Lucy, published this month?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, another website, etc.) to comp-summers@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "A Dozen Summers".

The competition is open worldwide, the DVD is a Region Free, PAL copy.

Closing date 9th October 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

FILTER: - Colin Baker - Competitions

Doctor Who Auction

Saturday, 24 September 2016 - Reported by Marcus

A number of props and costumes from Doctor Who are being sold as part of the Prop Store Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction taking place on September 27th.

Items for sale include a Resurrection of the Daleks Shooting Running Order signed by cast members Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Mark Strickson, Rodney Bewes, Rula Lenska, Terry Molloy and Royce Mills and a Vengeance On Varos Guard Costume.

Other lots include an Autographed Collectors Card Set, a Battlefield Special Effects Pistol and Holster and a Pyrotechnic Sterling Submachine Gun first used in Fury from the Deep.

The auction is being held at the Odeon Imax at Waterloo in London next Tuesday.

Full details on the Auction Website

FILTER: - Auctions - Doctor Who

Class confirmed for Canada

Saturday, 24 September 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Canadian broadcaster SPACE have confirmed via Twitter that they will be broadcasting the new spin-off series Class from 22nd October, the same day the series launches in the United Kingdom.

The Doctor is in. Watch him in the #ClassDW series premiere OCTOBER 22nd on Space. pic.twitter.com/jQAFpntN5f
— Space (@SpaceChannel) 23 September 2016

FILTER: - Canada - Class - International Broadcasting

Class - Coming on 22nd October

Friday, 23 September 2016 - Reported by Marcus

The BBC has confirmed that the new Doctor Who spin off, Class, written by Patrick Ness, will launch its first two episodes on BBC Three on Saturday 22 October.

Class - Launches October (Credit: BBC/Todd Antony)

The first episode of the young adult series will feature the current Doctor Peter Capaldi

An exclusive World premiere of the first episode will take place at Rich Mix, in London's East End, on Thursday 20 October, the home of Coal Hill Academy, Shoreditch, with doors opening at 6pm. Limited tickets will be available via the BBC Shows and Tours website.

The first two episodes from the series, For Tonight We Might Die and The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo, will be available on the BBC Three channel from Saturday 22nd, which also marks the 10th anniversary of the first episode of Torchwood.

Commenting on his involvement with the new Doctor Who spin-off series, Peter Capaldi, said

The Doctor Who family is growing, and it’s fantastic to be able to welcome the young new cast of Class in to the Whoniverse.

The new series is set in Coal Hill Acadamy, first seen in the very first episode of Doctor Who, screened in November 1963.

It’s a new term at Coal Hill Academy, and students are preparing for their Autumn Prom. But when the school comes under attack, four alienated students must form an unlikely alliance to defeat them. And this incursion is only the beginning.

Charlie (Greg Austin), April (Sophie Hopkins), Ram (Fady Elsayed) and Tanya (Vivian Oparah), assisted by their physics teacher Miss Quill (Katherine Kelly), are charged with a great responsibility by the mysterious alien known as the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) to guard against the creatures of nightmare that want nothing more than to find a way through to Earth and take it for their own.

The series is created by Patrick Ness and includes intriguing and complex characters that have to navigate their way through more than just teenage hormones, exams and detention. Joining as series regulars are Jordan Renzo (Chosen, Troubled), Pooky Quesnel (The A Word, Accused), Nigel Betts (Boy Meets Girl, Doctor Who). The first two episodes also feature Ben Peel (The Fall, Vampire Academy), Anna Shaffer (Harry Potter, Hollyoaks), Paul Marc Davies (Doctor Who, Torchwood), and Shannon Murray (The Totally Senseless Gameshow).

Class creator Patrick Ness, said

At last, we can tell you a little more about Class! Though there are still many, many secrets to come. Many. Like, a lot. But of COURSE, the Doctor is in episode one! That’s how these things are done. Truly, though, I can't wait for everyone to see the show; we've worked so hard and I'm so proud of it. Soon, soon...

Damian Kavanagh, Controller, BBC Three, added

We know lots of BBC Three fans are Doctor Who fans so Class on BBC Three is a perfect fit. It’s nice to be back as part of the Doctor Who family.

FILTER: - Broadcasting - Class

Ask Class

Friday, 23 September 2016 - Reported by Marcus

The cast of Class will be appearing in a global Live Stream later today, Friday 23 September.

Stars Greg Austin, Fady Elsayed, Sophie Hopkins and Vivian Oparah, will join Class producer Derek Ritchie in a special event hosted by Radio 1Xtra DJ A.Dot.

The stream can be viewed on the official Class Facebook Page, starting at 4.30pm UK time (1530 GMT). The Live Stream will also be available on the BBC Three YouTube channel.

Questions for the Class cast can be posted on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat by responding to the official Class social media channels or using the hashtag #AskClass.

Class is a young adult spin off from Doctor Who that will premiere on BBC Three this October - please note it is not suitable viewing for younger audiences.

FILTER: - Broadcasting - Class

Doctor Who Magazine 504

Thursday, 22 September 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine is on general release today, and this month celebrates the first appearance of the Cybermen some 50 years ago.

Doctor Who Magazine issue 504 (60s Cybermen) (Credit: DWM)

Doctor Who Magazine issue 504 (60s/70s Cybermen) (Credit: DWM)

Doctor Who Magazine issue 504 (80s Cybermen) (Credit: DWM)

Doctor Who Magazine issue 504 (21st Century Cybermen) (Credit: DWM)

Costume designer Alexandra Tynan gave the original Cybermen their distinctive look for their first appearance in The Tenth Planet in 1966:

People often come up to me and say, ‘I think your Cybermen were the most frightening,’ I looked at them yesterday, when I re-watched The Tenth Planet, and I thought, ‘I suppose they are a bit scary.’ At the time, they got a lot of press, some of it very negative. Angry parents said that we were scaring the bejesus out of their kids. Am I personally responsible, with my Cybermen, for a whole generation of disturbed people? The number of adults who have come up to me and said, ‘Your Cybermen terrified me when I was a child,’ and I have apologised a thousand times...

Despite this, 50 years on in 2016, the Cybermen are still going strong...

At the time, I had no idea that my Cybermen would prove so iconic – none of us did – but I am overwhelmed by the fact that they became such an icon, and I’m really glad that I didn’t know at the time. I look back now and think how privileged I am to have had the opportunity to do something that has lasted for so long, and I enjoy every minute of talking to people about it. It makes me laugh. I think on my tombstone it will say, ‘She designed the Cybermen,’ and I’m okay with that. Cyber-Mum! Yes, I like it. I do love the Cybermen,” she concludes, “and I thank them for what they did for me.

Also inside this issue:

CYBER-PLANS - Discover the inside story of the Cybermen’s many campaigns...
EVOLUTION OF THE CYBERMEN - We examine the changes in Cyber-evolution, including some variants that were barely glimpsed on screen.
JAMI REID-QUARRELL - We chat to Colony Sarff actor Jami Reid-Quarrell about playing a physically demanding role.
MOVING IN - The Doctor goes domestic in our brand-new comic strip adventure, Moving In, written by Mark Wright and illustrated by John Ross.
STEVEN MOFFAT - Readers ask the Doctor Who showrunner their burning questions.
TIME TEAM - There’s a mystery to solve in nineteenth-century France as the Doctor and Amy have a brush with history when they meet Vincent van Gogh in this month’s episode, Vincent and the Doctor.
SILVER NEMESIS - The Cybermen return for Doctor Who’s silver anniversary in this issue’s Fact of Fiction.
COMING SOON - Previews of all the latest Doctor Who CD and book releases.

PLUS! All the latest official news, reviews, competitions, The DWM Crossword… and FOUR variant Cybermen covers to collect!