Doctor Who Magazine presents The Daleks

Wednesday, 11 November 2020 - Reported by Marcus
The Daleks (Credit: Panini)

First published in TV Century 21 from 1965 to 1967, The Daleks was devised by Terry Nation and largely written by Doctor Who’s first story editor David Whitaker.

 

For this collectors’ edition, all 104 instalments have been digitally restored – the vast majority from the original artwork.

 

The bookazine also includes new features about the writers, illustrators and publishers who created The Daleks, including a detailed interview with artist Ron Turner.

 

Editor Marcus Hearn says:

This is the fulfilment of a long-held ambition. I loved this strip as a child and now – having seen the stunning restoration by DWM art editor Peri Godbold and her team – I admire it even more. You can’t really say The Daleks has been restored to its former glory, because I think it now looks better than it’s ever looked before.

 

The Daleks is on sale at WH Smith, selected supermarkets from Wednesday 11 November priced £9.99 (UK).

 

It’s also available as a digital edition, priced £8.99, from pocketmags.com.





FILTER: - DWM - Books

Win a Doctor Who VIP Tour

Sunday, 8 November 2020 - Reported by Marcus
Children In Need Logo 2014

The BBC is offering one person their very own VIP tour of the Doctor Who set in Cardiff

The lucky winner will be drawn from a list of entries to a prize draw in aid of BBC Children in Need and is available to those in the UK only.

The visit will take place as soon as it’s safe to do so. In the meantime, the winner will also get a Personal Video Call from the current Doctor, Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill and receive a host of exclusive Doctor Who merchandise – some of which is signed by the cast.

All those who enter the draw have the opportunity to donate £10 to Children in Need 

 

To enter you have to text the word DOCTOR to 81155.

A one-off voluntary donation of £10 will be made to BBC CHILDREN IN NEED. However, if you wish you can opt-out of the donation by replying ‘CANCEL’ to your entry confirmation text within 60 minutes.

Entry texts will be charged at your standard network message rate.

You must be 18 or over and have the bill payers permission to enter

The prize draw will close for entries at 2 PM on Monday 23rd November 2020. Please do not enter after this time as your entry will not count but you will still be charged.

The winner will be randomly selected and notified by phone on Tuesday 24th November 2020.

View full terms and conditions on the BBC Website





FILTER: - Competitions

Geoffrey Palmer 1927-2020

Friday, 6 November 2020 - Reported by Marcus

The actor Geoffrey Palmer has died at the age of 93

 

Geoffrey Palmer was best known for his appearances in sitcoms including Butterflies, As Time Goes By and The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin,

Palmer appeared in 5 episodes of Doctor Who. His first appearance was opposite the third Doctor in the 1970 story Doctor Who And The Silurians. He played Edward Masters, the  Permanent Under-Secretary to the Minister of Science who became infected with the Silurian virus and brought it to London. 

Two years later he appeared in the story The Mutants playing The Administrator who was assassinated on the instructions of The Marshal

His last appearance came over 30 years later in Voyage of the Damned, becoming one of a few select actors to have appeared in both the original and the revived series. He played Captain Hardaker, the captain of the space cruise liner Titanic. 

 

Geoffrey Palmer was born in London. After his National Service, he briefly studied Shipping Management at Streatham Technical College. He worked as an accountant before his girlfriend persuaded him to join the local amateur dramatics society. Eventually, he became assistant stage manager at Croydon's Grand Theatrespending several years touring.

In the 1950's he started appearing on television where he would be a fixture for the next forty years. Early appearances included a recurring role in The Army Game alongside first Doctor William Hartnell.  He played a property agent in the acclaimed Kitchen sick drama Cathy Come Home.

A major break came when he appeared in John Osborne's West of Suez at the Royal Court with Ralph Richardson. He acted in several major productions at the Royal Court and for the National Theatre Company and was directed by Laurence Olivier in J. B. Priestley's Eden End. He found the play and the experience tedious preferring the more immediate medium of television. 

 Roles in the sixties included Family Solicitor, Garry Halliday, Bootsie and Snudge, The Avengers, Emergency-Ward 10, Z Cars, George and the Dragon, Softly Softly: Task Force, The Expert and Out of the Unknown

In the 1970's he became famous for his many roles in sitcoms. His two most famous being the hapless brother-in-law of Reggie Perrin in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, and the long-suffering Ben Parkinson in Carla Lane's Butterflies. He had a memorable appearance in the Fawlty Towers episode The Kipper and the Corpse, playing the Doctor determined to have his breakfast despite a body being found in the hotel. 

Roles in the 1980s included parts in Hot Metal, Executive Stress, The Kenny Everett Television Show and Look at the State We're In!

For over a decade he played Lionel Hardcastle opposite Judi Dench in the sitcom As Time Goes By

He continued acting well into his eighties, playing the Head Geographer in the 2014 film Paddington. He is due to appear in the forthcoming Roald Dahl film An Unquiet Life, as Dahl’s Repton headmaster Geoffrey Fisher.

He was made an OBE in 2004 for services to drama.

He is survived by his wife Sally Green, with whom he had a daughter Harriet, and a son, Charles, who has directed six episodes of Doctor Who.





FILTER: - Obituary