big finish update

Tuesday, 18 March 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Big Finish has announced some new information about summer and fall Doctor Who audio releases. Taped this past weekend was Flip-Flop starring Sylvester McCoy and Bonnie Langford, who were joined by actor Trevor Martin (who played the Doctor in the original stage play "Doctor Who and the Seven Keys to Doomsday"). Also, teaser synopses (as noted below) for three subsequent anniversary stories are available below:Omega by Nev Fountain, Davros by Lance Parkin and Master by Joseph Lidster. Finally, while Dalek Empire 2: Dalek War - Part Two is finally out after a month's delay, producer Nick Briggs announced the third installment would also be late, by as much as a few weeks, while the final chapter (part four) would be out in late April. (Thanks to Big Finish)

OMEGA by Nev Fountain

A strange telepathic message prompts the Doctor to travel to the 'Sector of Forgotten Souls', a place where, thousands of years ago, Omega's ship vanished whilst detonating a star.

He's not the only one journeying towards it. 'Jolly Chronolidays' prides itself on giving its tourists an experience of galactic history that is far better than mere time travel. Its motto is 'We don't go into history, we prefer to bring history to you'.

When Omega's ship suddenly materialises in front of their shuttle, and one of their employees goes insane and tries to destroy his hands… suddenly it's not just a motto anymore.

And Omega - and his madness - is closer than they think.

This story takes place between "Arc of Infinity" and "Snakedance".

Starring Peter Davison (the Doctor) and Ian Collier (Omega), with Caroline Munro (Sentia), Patrick Duggan (Professor Ertikus), Hugo Myatt (Daland), Conrad Westmaas (Tarpov), Jim Sangster (Zagreus), Faith Kent (Maven) and Anita Elias (Glinda). Directed by Gary Russell

DAVROS by Lance Parkin

AI stock has shot up by over fifteen percent on news that galaxy-famous scientist Davros, controversial creator of the Daleks, has been hired to work on unspecified technological projects.'

Davros has been given the chance to redeem himself.

Humanity stands on the verge of a new era, but it needs the help of the galaxy's greatest ever scientist. But Davros is dead... isn't he?

From the bunkers and shelters of ancient Skaro to the gleaming Domes of the Future Earth Empire, Davros has always been a man of destiny. Now he's working for mankind's benefit. But how much do we really know about Davros?

Has Davros really turned over a new leaf? The Doctor certainly doesn't think so. But is the Doctor always right?

This story takes place between "The Two Doctors" and "Timelash".

Starring Colin Baker (the Doctor), Wendy Padbury (Lorraine Bayes) and Terry Molloy (Davros), with Bernard Horsfall (Arnold Baynes), Eddie de Oliveira (Willis), Ruth Sillers (Kimberly Todd) and Katarin Olsson (Shan). Directed by Gary Russell.

MASTER by Joseph Lidster

Many years ago, on a dark and stormy night, the disfigured and enigmatic Doctor John Smith invited his closest friends, Inspector Victor Shaefer and his wife, to a dinner to celebrate his birthday. A mere few hours later all the occupants in that house had vanished - except for one. And that lone survivor had been scared witless. A mute witness to the events of that night.

What happened to the distinguished dinner guests on that evening? Perhaps, we'll never know. But two clues have led to much speculation - found outside the study window, a charred umbrella with a curved red handle and found inside the house, a message. A message scrawled on the wall in blood:

'One thousand years of darkness. Ten years of light. One night of Hell.'

This story takes place after "Survival". 

Starring Sylvester McCoy (the Doctor) and Geoffrey Beevers (the Master), further cast TBA. Directed by Gary Russell.





FILTER: - Big Finish

the league denial!

Tuesday, 18 March 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
The gang behind the League of Gentlemen, including actor and Doctor Who author Mark Gatiss, has debunked the article run over the weekend in the Sunday edition of the Mirror newspaper, which stated that they were about to be in charge of a new series of Doctor Who. "The...article about the Gents being the next Dr Who was taken from The Sunday Mirror and the Chortle web site," says the League of Gentlemen website. "Unfortunately I have had it confirmed from the League's management that this is not so. The official comment is...'Sadly no foundation in this rumour at all' - so there you go, don't always believe everything you read in the newspapers!" (Thanks to Stuart Douglas)




FILTER: - Production

time space visualizer

Monday, 17 March 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Issue #67 of Time Space Visualizer, the New Zealand Doctor Who Fan Club's journal, has been published, "and is another 100 page A5 issue packed from cover to cover with pure Doctor Who content. Graham Howard (the discoverer of the New Zealand censor clips) looks at which other episodes got the chop from the NZ censor; Robert Shearman begins his episode-by-episode appraisal from Logopolis onwards; Adam McGechan interviews Sue Cowley and Michael Stevens about their script work on the BBC Audio Collection; Andrew Pixley looks at missing sequences from The Ice Warriors and Peter Adamson looks at New Zealand fanzines produced over the past twenty years. All this and reviews, artwork, cartoons, letters, news and more." TSV is a terrific publication, very muchrecommended by Outpost Gallifrey. For more details, visit the NZDWFC website at www.doctorwho.org.nz. (Thanks to Paul Scoones)




FILTER: - Fan Productions

newest series rumor

Monday, 17 March 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
The respected media site Dark Horizons today made mention of a Doctor Who development it received from an anonymous poster (which we repeat due to the multiple emails we received this morning. Says the report: "Yet more flame for the Gallifreyan fire from 'Joe': 'Was given a lecture recently by an Exec from the BBC at my Uni in London. While in full flow on greenlit sci-fi scripts, she said that the next series of 'Dr Who Is Happening' and has been given the greenlight. She confimed this after the lecture, when I spoke to her about the development of my own project.'" We reiterate that we believe this is based on the same, usual rumors (see yesterday's comments in the Daily Mirror, below), and that there has been no true progress on a new Doctor Who series. If there is, we must emphasize, we will likely hear it immediately from the BBC rather than through anonymous posters. (Thanks to everyone who wrote in to let us know!)




FILTER: - Production

another day, another series rumor...

Sunday, 16 March 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
It's been a while, so it's about time someone ran another "Doctor Who is returning" article. The March 16 edition of the Sunday Mirror ran an article entitled "Time For Dr. Who To Return" by Ben Dowell, mentioning that the folks behind "The League of Gentlemen" (specifically, actor/author Mark Gatiss, who has written Doctor Who novels and audios for Big Finish) are in talks with the BBC. This is all based on old news and speculation, and shouldn't be taken as further progress on a new series at this time. The full article can be read by clicking here. (Thanks to Nigel Potter, Adam Bradley, Rob Davis, Christian Morris)




FILTER: - Press

saturday night: made for who

Sunday, 16 March 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
An article on the dearth of watchable Saturday evening television in the UK that ran in the Observer on March 16 includes comments from Jane Tranter, the Head of Drama for the BBC, who has a horror of "relentlessly pretentious middle-class wank, drama all about people having writer's block, that absolutely nobody watched." Tranter goes on to note that her fantasy Saturday television line-up is as follows: "I'd like to do a modern version of Doctor Who starring someone like Judi Dench, go into an entertainment show like Pop Idol, then Casualty at 8pm, and at 9pm, I'd like to run a made-for-television Saturday-night movie of the week. Maybe like Edge of Darkness, but run over two nights." You can read the article online by clicking here. (Thanks to Steve Tribe, Neil Feist, Paul Kirkley)





FILTER: - Production - Press

wolfsbane & deadly reunion

Friday, 14 March 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
BBC Books has released the cover blurb for the forthcoming Wolfsbane by Jacqueline Rayner, a Fourth Doctor and Eighth Doctor crossover novel with Sarah Jane and Harry Sullivan, as previously announced. They've also confirmed the title of the November book written by Terrance Dicks and Barry Letts which we announced some months ago -- it'sDeadly Reunion and features the Third Doctor, Jo and UNIT. The blurb for "Wolfsbane" is as follows:

WOLFSBANE by Jacqueline Rayner

Harry is dead. Having left him abandoned and alone in pre-war Britain, the Doctor and Sarah try to solve the mystery of his death. But the only witness is in a lunatic asylum, driven mad by what he has seen. He tells of murder and mutilation, of living trees and long-dead legends, of wolfmen and war... And of a mysterious stranger known only as the Doctor.

Can it be true that Harry discovered the last resting-place of the Holy Grail? Why are the flowers and trees in a Somerset village in full bloom at Christmas? And is it just a coincidence that Harry died under a full moon?




FILTER: - Books

bbc calls the doctor

Sunday, 9 March 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
British toy trade magazine "Toy News" reports in its newest (March 19) issue, in a news item headlined "BBC calls the Doctor," that "Doctor Who is a focus for BBC Worldwide this year..." Says the article, "Doctor Who celebrates his 40th anniversary in 2003 and the BBC is searching for new licensees to commemorate the milestone. The brand's first new style guide has been put together, with a core target of ages 18 - 34 with an interest in retro style. 'We have streamlined the existing licensee base to ensure a unity of design and the highest standards of quality and accessibility, and we're now looking for new licensees to get involved,' explained Siobhan Williamson, head of global adult licensing at BBC Worldwide." (Thanks to Mark Murphy, David Harold)






FILTER: - Merchandise

updates from invasion 3 convention

Monday, 3 March 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Two items of note that came out of the Invasion 3 convention yesterday held by the Tenth Planet store in the UK. First, actor William Russell (Ian Chesterton), in his appearance, noted to the group that he had recently recorded a commentary for The Dalek Invasion of Earth DVD release, which he did not specify as to a release date (though several retailers and TV Zone Magazine, as we previously noted, report this as a rumored June 2003 release, but nothing official has yet come out of the BBC.) Also, Gary Russell of Big Finish confirmed that, following the release this November of "Zagreus," their 40th anniversary special, actor Paul McGann has agreed to participate in four new Eighth Doctor audios which he stated would be released from December 2003 through March 2004. (Thanks to Kris Stevens, Phillip Madeley, Doug Holguin, James Hadwen, James van-der Heiden)




FILTER: - Conventions