German DVD release of The Five Doctors delayed

Friday, 15 May 2015 - Reported by Pascal Salzmann
Pandastorm Pictures (Credit: Pandastorm Pictures) In a statement to fans on their Facebook page as well as in a newsletter, German DVD distributer Pandastorm Pictures announced that their release of The Five Doctors, originally planned for 26th June 2015, will now be released two months later, on 28th August 2015.

The reasons for the delay are, according to the Facebook message, "problems with the material". The newsletter adds that Pandastorm believed the german dub to exist but realised too late that it had been deleted. Thankfully a fan helped out with his recording of the german dub.

Here is the original newsletter announcement, translated from German:


Dear Doctor Who-fans,
we received a lot of positive feedback from you for the last few months. There were photos with you and the boxed sets, a self-made action figure of the Candyman and even Sophie Aldred (Ace) who can be seen on a picture, posing with our second 7th Doctor boxed set. WOW! We would like to send you all a big THANK YOU. Without you the making of these boxed sets would not have been possible.

Some of you might already know that we will also release "The Five Doctors" in Germany. We planned to release it on 26th June 2015 but we sadly have to delay the release to 28th August 2015. After some misunderstandings we now know for sure that the German TV-version had been destroyed. The good news is that our appeal to fans last summer payed off after all and a Doctor Who-fan made his recording available to us. All this took us a lot of time, so that the DVD's won't be ready in time, if we want to deliver a high quality product.

Pandastorm then continued listing all the versions of the 20th Anniversary Special that will be on the 2-Disc-Set:

  • TV version in English
  •  TV version in German (including German subtitles for the scenes edited out in Germany)
  •  Three-part TV version in German (heavily edited, some scenes arranged in a different order)
  •  Special Edition in English
  •  Special Edition in German (including German subtitles for the scenes that were not shown in Germany)
So far Pandastorm Pictures released all three seasons of the seventh Doctor in season boxed sets in Germany. After The Five Doctors they are going to release two boxed sets for the complete sixth Doctor run and a 2-disc DVD release of The TV Movie.





FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Fifth Doctor - Germany - Pandastorm - Second Doctor - Third Doctor

Retro TV to air The Mind of Evil in colour

Tuesday, 30 September 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Colouring The Mind Of Evil (Credit: Stuart Humphryes)American broadcaster Retro TV will air third Doctor adventure The Mind of Evil in colour next month, the first television channel in the world to do so since the late 1970s!

With the original transmission tapes long-sinced erased, by the beginning of the 1980s only black and white prints of the episodes were still held by the BBC, meaning that the story has only been available to broadcasters around the world since then in that format. However, 2013 saw the story prepared for release on DVD with a newly colourised episode one by Stuart Humphryes (aka Babelcolour) and Peter Crocker, and colour-recovered episodes two to six by Richard Russell. Premiered at the British Film Institute in March last year, the story has since been shown a number of select locations, and made available on DVD and streaming services such as Hulu; Retro's broadcast will mark the first time the story can be enjoyed in colour on broadcast television once more.

Stuart Humphryes told us:
The work required to bring this classic serial back to colour was quite mind-boggling, but the fact it has been embraced so warmly by fans and now about to receive a wider audience through TV broadcast is extremely exciting and very satisfying and makes the thousands of hours worthwhile. I hope the viewers enjoy it!
More details about the colourisation process for episode one can be read via the Babelcolour website.

Episode One airs on Retro from 8:30pm on the 15th October.




FILTER: - Broadcasting - Classic Series - International Broadcasting - Third Doctor - USA

Horror Channel 'Who on Horror' Full Spring Schedule

Tuesday, 15 April 2014 - Reported by Melad Moshiri
Horror Channel - Classic Doctors Logo (Credit: Horror Channel)
Horror Channel's Who on Horror schedule in the UK has been released with classic Doctor Who episodes airing from Good Friday. The run will commence with the very first episode of Who in its original four parts on the Friday at 7pm before the Who on Horror themed weekend featuring stories from each of the first seven Doctors begins.

11am - An Unearthly Child (Four Parts, Repeat)
From the misty November nights of London 1963 to the arid caves of Earth 100,000 BC, this is our very first encounter with the mysterious time traveller (William Hartnell), who kidnaps teachers Ian (William Russell) and Barbara (Jacqueline Hill), and, along with his granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford), travels back in the distant past to confront caveman as they discover the power of fire.

1:20pm - The Mind Robber (Four Parts)
Trapped in a world outside of space and time, the second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) along with his companions, Jamie (Frazer Hines) and Zoe (Wendy Padbury), find themselves facing a world of fiction inhabited by unicorns, Medusa, and Gulliver. They seem to be writing their own story but will the mysterious storytelling Master of the realm allow them a happy ending?

3:45pm - Terror of the Autons (Four Parts)
If the 70s was an age of plastic then what would happen if it turned against us? The Doctor (Jon Pertwee), now exiled to Earth in his third incarnation, confronts killer dolls, deadly daffodils, telephone cables that strangle and inflatable chairs that suffocate. A second appearance for the returning enemy the Autons, this also introduces new assistant Jo Grant (Katy Manning) and rogue Time Lord, The Master (Roger Delgado). It also finds a new nemesis in Mary Whitehouse.

6pm - The Brain of Morbius (Parts One and Two)
Our jellybaby-loving Time Lord ventures into Frankenstein territory as The fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) and Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) arrive on the stormy planet of Karn where they find themselves caught between the immortal Sisterhood, who are guardians of the precious elixir of life and the fanatical surgeon, Solon, who’s trying to create new life from dead aliens to house the brain of criminal Time Lord, Morbius.
11am - The Brain of Morbius (Parts Three and Four)
Continuation from Saturday night, the last two episodes of this ‘Frankenstein’ story as The Doctor (Tom Baker) and Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) find themselves caught between the immortal Sisterhood and the fanatical surgeon, Solon, who’s trying to create new life from dead aliens to house the brain of criminal Time Lord, Morbius.

12:10pm - The Caves of Androzani (Four Parts)
Frequently voted by fans as the best story of the whole classic series, this also marks the end of Peter Davison’s time as he regenerates into Colin Baker. A real actioner which finds the Fifth Doctor and Peri (Nicola Bryant) caught up in a war between a corrupt corporation, smugglers and masked outlaw Sharaz Jek , all fighting for control of spectrox, an invaluable but toxic substance mined on Androzani Minor that when refined, can slow ageing.

2:30pm - Attack of the Cybermen (Four Parts)
Travelling from their own future, the Cybermen stalk London in 1985 to perfect a plan for Halley’s Comet to crash into the Earth, saving their own planet Mondas from destruction. The Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker) and Peri colourfully attempt to thwart their plans, save the cold-thriving Cryons, natives of Cyber-controlled Telos and maybe finally fix the TARDIS’s chameleon circuits.

4:50pm - Remembrance of the Daleks (Four Parts)
It’s back to November 1963 as the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) returns with Ace (Sophie Aldred) to Coal Hill School, He’s determined to complete unfinished business but if he hadn’t forgotten the Hand of Omega, then it’s inevitable the Daleks would remember too and they’re determined to outwit their greatest enemy and proved that they can climb stairs.

After the special weekend, episodes settle into a weekday showing from Monday after, with a story each from the First, Second and Third Doctor for the rest of April.

Monday 21st April

10am - The Daleks (Parts One and Two)
Repeated at 3:10pm and 7:50pm
Having survived their first adventure together, the TARDIS team land on Skaro, a planet devastated by nuclear war. Is anyone left alive? Contaminated by radioactive poisoning, they encounter the pacifist race of Thals and a number of hidden perils, but the greatest threat waits in the impressive citadel. They’re set to come face to eye-stalk for the first time with those exterminating pepperpots, the Daleks. A legend is born and our Saturday nights will never be the same again.
Tuesday 22nd April

10am - The Daleks (Parts Three and Four)
Repeated at 3:10pm and 7:50pm
Continuation of adventure in which the TARDIS team come face-to-face with the Daleks for the first time.
Wednesday 23rd April

10am - The Daleks - (Parts Five and Six)
Repeated at 3:10pm and 7:50pm
Continuation of adventure in which the TARDIS team come face-to-face with the Daleks for the first time.
Thursday 24th April

10am - The Daleks (Part Seven)
Repeated at 3:10pm and 7:50pm
Finale to adventure in which the TARDIS team come face-to-face with the Daleks for the first time.

10:35am - The Seeds of Death (Part One)
Repeated at 3:45pm and 7:50pm
Earth in the 21st Century and instantaneous travel is now possible thanks to the T-Mat based on the Moon. However, when the Doctor arrives with Jamie and Zoe, the machine has broken down and strange alien seeds have been discovered which explode with a lethal fungus threatening to wipe out life. It’s all part of the plan to take over the planet by the Martian reptilian race, the Ice Warriors.
Friday 25th April

10am - The Seeds of Death - (Parts Two and Three)
Repeated at 3:10pm and 7:50pm
Continuation of adventure where the Ice Warriors are threatening to wipe out life with a lethal fungus.
Monday 28th April

10am - The Seeds of Death - (Parts Four and Five)
Repeated at 3:10pm and 7:50pm
Continuation of adventure where the Ice Warriors are threatening to wipe out life with a lethal fungus.
Tuesday 29th April

10am - The Seeds of Death (Part Six)
Repeated at 3:10pm and 7:50pm
Finale to adventure where the Ice Warriors are threatening to wipe out life with a lethal fungus.
10:35am - The Daemons (Part One)
Repeated at 3:45pm and 8:45pm
Excavations at an ancient burial mound unleash an ancient evil. There’s darker magic at work in the quiet village of Devil’s End, and the new vicar seems to have a Master plan under his cassock as rogue Time Lord joins forces with Azal, last of the star-spanning Daemons. With the help of UNIT and Jo Grant, The Doctor fights to stop May Day from becoming the last day for mankind.
Wednesday 30th April

10am - The Daemons - (Parts Two and Three)
Repeated at 3:10pm and 7:50pm
Continuation of adventure where The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) fights to stop May Day becoming the last day for mankind.
Thursday 1st May

10am - The Daemons - (Parts Four and Five)
Repeated at 3:10pm and 7:50pm
Continuation of adventure where The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) fights to stop May Day becoming the last day for mankind.
Friday 2nd May

10am - The Sea Devils - (Parts One and Two)
Repeated at 3:10pm and 7:50pm
The Doctor pays the Master a visit in an island prison around which a number of ships have mysteriously sunk. While the Doctor and Jo are trapped on the fort by a Sea Devil, the Master steals some electronic components.
Monday 5th May

10am - The Sea Devils - (Parts Three and Four)
Repeated at 3:10pm and 7:50pm
Trenchard holds the Doctor captive while the Master attempts to make contact with the Sea Devils. After the Sea Devils attack the island prison and rescue the Master, the Doctor must venture underwater in pursuit.
Tuesday 6th May

10am - The Sea Devils - (Parts Five and Six)
Repeated at 3:10pm and 7:50pm
While the Doctor tries to make peace with the Sea Devils in the their underwater colony, the navy launch an attack on the base! When the Sea Devils take over the naval base, the Doctor is forced to work with the Master to revive the creatures' colony.
Wednesday 7th May

10am - The Three Doctors - (Parts One and Two)
Repeated at 3:10pm and 7:50pm
Three incarnations of the Doctor join forces to face the evil Omega in a universe of antimatter. The Third Doctor and Jo find themselves on an artificial world inside a black hole.
Thursday 7th May

10am - The Three Doctors - (Parts Three and Four)
Repeated at 3:10pm and 7:50pm
The Time Lord Omega reveals himself to the third Doctor along with his plan for vengeance. The Doctors discover a secret about Omega that gives them an advantage in ending his deadly plot.

The full and future schedule can be found via This Week in Doctor Who.

Idents and commercials have been created depicting the cell animation advertised while billboards and posters promoting the campaign have been seen in London.


The arrival of Doctor Who on the Horror Channel reflects the science-fiction, action and fantasy genres seen on the channel's available line-up, including Xena: Warrior Princess, Wonder Woman and The Twilight Zone.

Director of Programming Alina Florea commented on the latest signing in a press release:
Doctor Who is an iconic series and we are proud and excited to welcome this giant of British television to our channel. The line-up will include some of the most revered from seven classic Doctors – stories that terrified, thrilled and captured the imagination of children and adults through the decades. Doctor Who joins a long line of well-loved classic series we have endeavoured to showcase on Horror Channel over the last few years.
A special press launch took place yesterday at The Ivy in Leicester Square in the presence of the Fourth Doctor himself, Tom Baker. Doctor Who News was invited to the launch and a report of the day will be available soon.

UPDATE - 18th APRIL: Our report of the press launch, including pictures, can now be read here.




FILTER: - Sixth Doctor - UK - Third Doctor - Seventh Doctor - Second Doctor - First Doctor - Class

Moments in Time: a colourful adventure in space and time

Friday, 3 January 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Moments in TimeThe latest in our ongoing features on special moments within Doctor Who sees the show undergo a major transformation . . .

As five million viewers watched the second Doctor spiral away towards his exile, little did they realise that it would be over six months before they would be able to enjoy the Doctor's travels once more. Changes in BBC broadcasting were afoot; the show had already been using the new 625 line standards since The Enemy of The World, and now the BBC was to commence a full colour service from November 1969. As Doctor Who would be made in this way, the series itself would be effectively delayed to both enable the transition and also provide something familiar to herald in the new year - though this led to its biggest break off air since the show's beginning in 1963.

Behind the scenes, co-producers Derrick Sherwin and Peter Bryant had implemented several changes to the format of the show, with their UNIT organisation introduced in The Invasion coming to the fore and how the Doctor would become the Brigadier's leading expert on "the odd, the unexplained, anything on Earth, or even beyond." However, diminishing ratings, the general audience reaction to the sixth season, and the departure of lead actor Patrick Troughton had put the show at risk, though without a suitable replacement programme the seventh season was commissioned with a new Doctor in the form of Jon Pertwee.

Fears for the show's continuation proved unfounded, however, as when the new series started 44 years ago today, some 8.4 million viewers tuned in to watch the new Doctor arrive on Earth and assist UNIT in thwarting the Spearhead From Space, and the overall audience appreciation of his adventures with Autons, earth reptiles, alien paranoia and an alternative Britain over the next 25 weeks were strong enough to ensure the Doctor's adventures would be safe for another 15 years . . .

And so our Moment in Time today is the arrival of the new, colourful series of Doctor Who!






FILTER: - Third Doctor - Moments in Time

DVD: The Monster Collection

Tuesday, 17 September 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
BBC Worldwide have released details on their collection of DVDs featuring the monstrous foes of the Doctor.

Doctor Who: The Monster Collection

These six real "hide behind the sofa" collections bring together episodes of the scariest and most iconic monsters from Doctor Who's classic and recent series.

Each title concentrates on a deadly enemy - The Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans, The Master, Davros and The Silurians - and features two separate stories from popular incarnations of the Doctor, including Matt Smith, David Tennant, Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee. These collections are perfect for younger viewers just discovering the scary delights of fifty years of Doctor Who.

Monster Collection: The Daleks (Credit: BBC Worldwide)The Monster Collection: The Daleks (pre-order)

THE DALEKS are the most feared race in the entire universe. The hideous mutant creatures contained inside almost indestructible casings conquer and exterminate wherever they go...

The Daleks (1963): On the planet Skaro, the mutated Daleks plan a final assault on the Thals. Starring William Hartnell as the First Doctor.

Asylum of the Daleks (2012): Kidnapped by his oldest foe, the Doctor is forced on an impossible mission - to a place even the Daleks are too terrified to enter ... the Asylum. Starring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor.
Monster Collection: The Cybermen (Credit: BBC Worldwide)The Monster Collection: The Cybermen (pre-order)

THE CYBERMEN were once human but chose to replace all living tissue with plastic and steel. Seeing emotions as a weakness, they removed those too and now massive Cyber armies try to upgrade the universe...

The Tomb of the Cybermen (1967): The TARDIS arrives on the planet Telos where an Earth archaeological expedition, led by Professor Parry, is attempting to uncover the lost tombs of the Cybermen. Starring Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor.

Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel (2006): Lurking in the shadows are creatures made to destroy - one of The Doctor's greatest fears have come true ... the Cybermen are reborn. Starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.
Monster Collection: The Sontarans (Credit: BBC Worldwide)The Monster Collection: The Sontarans (pre-order)

THE SONTARANS are a short, battle-loving race from the planet Sontar. Bred for war, these cloned creatures have produced one of the most powerful armies in the universe.

The Time Warrior (1973): Missing scientists have been kidnapped by a Sontaran, Linx, and taken back to medieval England, where they are working under hypnosis to repair his crashed spaceship. Starring Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor.

The Sontaran Stratagem and The Poison Sky (2008): With planet Earth choking under the poison sky, the Doctor must stop the Sontarans' threat to the planet. Starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.
Monster Collection: The Master (Credit: BBC Worldwide)The Monster Collection: The Master (pre-order)

THE MASTER is a dangerous, power-mad Time Lord and one of the Doctor’s deadliest foes. He brings death, danger and chaos to every story in which he appears.

Terror of the Autons (1971): The Master arrives on Earth at a circus run by a man named Rossini and steals a dormant Nestene energy unit from a museum. He reactivates it using a radio telescope and uses his hypnotic abilities to take control of a small plastics firm. Starring Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor.

The End of Time parts one and two (2009-10): With almost everyone on Earth now recast in his image. The Master controls the world. He's shocked however when he realizes that one person hasn't changed... Starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.
Monster Collection: DavrosThe Monster Collection: Davros (pre-order)

DAVROS is a genius scientist responsible for creating the most dangerous races in the universe – the Daleks. Ruthless and dangerous, he is determined that his creations will always win.

Genesis of the Daleks (1975): The Time Lords intercept the transmat beam taking the Doctor, Sarah and Harry back to Nerva and deposit them instead on the planet Skaro at an early point in its history. Starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor.

The Stolen Earth and Journey's End (2008): The return of an old enemy leaves Earth along with 26 other planets stolen from their places. As the Doctor and Donna look for the whereabouts of Earth, former companions of the Doctor assemble a resistance against the new Dalek Empire. Starring David Tennnant as the Tenth Doctor.
Monster Collection: The Silurians (Credit: BBC Worldwide)The Monster Collection: The Silurians (pre-order)

THE SILURIANS lived on Earth millions of years before humans. This reptile race was forced to hibernate and lay undiscovered for years until they eventually started to wake up...

The Silurians (1970): Investigating a nearby cave system, the Doctor discovers it is the base of a group of intelligent reptiles, termed Silurians, who went into hibernation millions of years ago but have now been revived by power from the research centre. Starring Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor.

The Hungry Earth and Cold Blood (2010): The Doctor tries to get everyone to Rio, but nothing quite goes as planned. They arrive in a small Welsh village where the Doctor immediately senses that the ground isn't quite right. Starring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor.

The collections are due out in the United Kingdom on 30th September 2013.




FILTER: - UK - Third Doctor - Second Doctor - First Doctor - Eleventh Doctor - Fourth Doctor

The Doctors Revisited reaches the United Kingdom

Friday, 13 September 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The Doctors Revisited - The First Doctor (Credit: BBC America)The BBC America series celebrating each of the actors to have played the Doctor will be shown on Watch, the channel's schedule has revealed.

The Doctors Revisited will be broadcast at weekends, with the premiere of The First Doctor to be shown on Saturday 12th October at 2:00pm, followed by the accompanying story The Aztecs; Sunday will then see The Second Doctor at the same time, accompanied by The Tomb of The Cybermen. The following weekend then sees The Third Doctor on the Saturday alongside Spearhead From Space, and The Fourth Doctor alongside Pyramids of Mars on Sunday.

The documentaries were orginally broadcast monthly by BBC America, and were shown in Australia and New Zealand during August by BBC Worldwide's UKTV.

Other programming to accompany the launch of Doctor Who Revisited on the 12th October includes the documentaries The Companions at 4:30pm and Doctor Who Explained at 5:30pm, both of which are repeated before The Second Doctor on the Sunday.


Watch's schedules don't currently extend beyond the 20th October, but based on the pattern above the Fifth and Sixth Doctors are expected for 26th/27th October, Seventh and Eighth on 2nd/3rd November, Ninth and Tenth on 9th/10th November, and the Eleventh on the 16th - completing the series one week before the 50th Anniversary itself!

(with thanks to SciFiBulletin)




FILTER: - Documentary - BBC America - UK - Third Doctor - Second Doctor - First Doctor - WHO50 -

Auton Carnival Mask Sells For Thousands In Online Auction

Sunday, 8 September 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
A rare Auton carnival mask from the Third Doctor story Terror of the Autons fetched more than £5,000 when it was auctioned on eBay.

The painted fibreglass head, with felt eyes, was sold on the online auction site by London-based miss-p73, who said in the item description that it had been given to her family in the late-1970s when her father worked for a studio transport company. She added that the accompanying foam rubber hat had long since perished, and said that the mask had been "much loved and played with" in her youth, which had led to it being "a bit chipped and scraped".

After 51 bids the prop - which was only available to buyers in the UK - finally went for £5,154 when the auction ended on Thursday 5th September just after 10.25pm.

The carnival masks were worn by the Autons to disguise their true nature as they handed out deadly plastic daffodils to unsuspecting members of the public.

The four-part adventure started Jon Pertwee's second series as the Doctor. Written by Robert Holmes and directed by Barry Letts, it aired between 2nd and 23rd January 1971. Not only did the story feature the second appearance of the Autons in the show, it also marked the debuts of Katy Manning, Roger Delgado, and Richard Franklin as, respectively, Jo Grant, the Master, and Captain Mike Yates.
With Thanks To Tony Clark




FILTER: - Online - Third Doctor - Auctions

AudioGo: June Releases

Saturday, 25 May 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
AudioGo's next stage in the Destiny of the Doctor reaches the Sixth Doctor in June with he and companion Peri meeting Trouble in Paradise. Meanwhile, the latest audio adaptation of the Target novelisations sees the Third Doctor ahd Jo arriving on The Planet of the Daleks. Plus, two audio adaptations of recent BBC Books releases include the Eleventh Doctor once again encountering his greatest alien foe in The Dalek Generation, and the Third Doctor facing off against fellow Time Lord The Master in Harvest of Time.

Destiny of the Doctor: Trouble in Paradise (Credit: AudioGo)Destiny of the Doctor: Trouble in Paradise
Starring Nicola Bryant, with Cameron Stewart (pre-order)


Responding to a desperate summons from the Doctor's future self, he and Peri find themselves on a sailing ship in 1492, where the crewmen are gripped by superstitious fear. They say the Devil walks among them, stalking and striking them down. Even though they have landed in paradise, they fear that 'El Diablo' himself will drag them over the edge of the world and into the depths of hell. When the Doctor and Peri meet the captain of the ship, they both discover that heroes can sometimes behave un-heroically. Peri's reaction leads her into deep water, and soon the Doctor fears not only for her life but also for the existence of the ship, the paradise island, and the Universe itself...

Celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who, a brand new adventure for the Sixth Doctor. Nicola Bryant - Peri in the BBC TV Doctor Who series - and Cameron Stewart perform this original story by Nev Fountain, with music and sound design.
Doctor Who and The Planet of The Daleks (Credit: AudioGo)Doctor Who and The Planet of The Daleks
Written by Terrance Dicks
Read by Mark Gatiss, with Nicholas Briggs as the voice of the Daleks (pre-order)

An exciting novelisation of a classic 1973 Doctor Who serial, featuring the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and his companion Jo Grant.

After pursuing the Daleks through Space, the Doctor and Jo land on the planet Spiridon, in the midst of a tropical jungle…and finds more than Daleks. Vicious plants spitting deadly poison, invisible Spiridons attacking from all sides and, in hiding, a vast army of Daleks waits for the moment to mobilise and conquer.
 
The Dalek Generation (Credit: AudioGo)The Dalek Generation
Written and read by Nicholas Briggs (pre-order)

"The Sunlight Worlds Offer You A Life of Comfort and Plenty. Apply now at the Dalek Foundation."

Sunlight 349 is one of countless Dalek Foundation worlds, planets created to house billions suffering from economic hardship. The Doctor arrives at Sunlight 349, suspicious of any world where the Daleks are apparently a force for good - and determined to find out the truth. The Doctor knows they have a far more sinister plan - but how can he convince those who have lived under the benevolence of the Daleks for a generation? But convince them he must, and soon. For on another Foundation planet, archaeologists have unearthed the most dangerous technology in the universe...

A thrilling, all-new adventure featuring the Doctor as played by Matt Smith in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.
Harvest Of Time (Credit: AudioGo)Harvest of Time
Written by Alistair Reynolds
Read by Geoffrey Beevers (pre-order)

An unabridged reading of a brand new novel from BBC Books.

After billions of years of imprisonment, the vicious Sild have broken out of confinement. From a ruined world at the end of time, they make preparations to conquer the past, with the ultimate goal of rewriting history. But to achieve their aims they will need to enslave an intellect greater than their own...

On Earth, UNIT is called in to investigate a mysterious incident on a North Sea drilling platform. The Doctor believes something is afoot, and no sooner has the investigation begun when something even stranger takes hold: The Brigadier is starting to forget about UNIT's highest-profile prisoner. And he is not alone in his amnesia.

As the Sild invasion begins, the Doctor faces a terrible dilemma. To save the universe, he must save his arch-nemesis... The Master.

A brand new adventure featuring the 3rd Doctor, as played by Jon Pertwee in the original BBC TV series, and his adversary the Master, as played by Roger Delgado.




FILTER: - Sixth Doctor - Audio - Third Doctor - Eleventh Doctor - WHO50

Harvest Of Time Book Details Released

Saturday, 27 April 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
BBC Books has released details of the forthcoming adventure Harvest of Time featuring the Third Doctor and the Master as well as UNIT.

Announced in July 2011, it has been written by Alastair Reynolds, who won a British Science Fiction Association award in 2001 for his novel Chasm City.

After billion of years of imprisonment, the vicious Sild have broken out of confinement. From a ruined world at the end of time, they make preparations to conquer the past, with the ultimate goal of rewriting history. But to achieve their aims they will need to enslave an intellect greater than their own . . .

On Earth, UNIT is called in to investigate a mysterious incident on a North Sea drilling platform. The Doctor believes something is afoot, and no sooner has the investigation begun when something even stranger takes hold: the Brigadier is starting to forget about UNIT's highest-profile prisoner. And he is not alone in his amnesia.

As the Sild invasion begins, the Doctor faces a terrible dilemma. To save the universe, he must face his arch-nemesis – the Master.

The 386-page book, which has an RRP of £16.99, will be published on Thursday 6th June and is available to pre-order.

Reynolds gained a PhD in astronomy and worked as an astrophysicist for the European Space Agency before becoming a full-time writer. His book Revelation Space was short-listed for both the Arthur C Clarke and BSFA Awards, while House of Suns was short-listed for the Arthur C Clarke Award.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Third Doctor - Books - BBC

AudioGo: May releases

Saturday, 27 April 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
May will see the release by AudioGo of the next encounter for the Doctor in their ongoing 50th Anniversary series Destiny of the Doctor, this month reaching his fifth incarnation. Meanwhile, the latest audio adaption of the Target novelisations takes listeners on a trip to Peladon with the Third Doctor. Plus, readers also enter our competitions to be in with a chance to win copies.

Destiny of the Doctor: Smoke and Mirrors (Credit: AudioGo)Destiny of the Doctor: Smoke and Mirrors
Starring Janet Fielding, with Tim Beckmann

The Doctor answers a psionic distress call sent from England in the 1920s. There, in the environs of a fairground, he is reunited with an old friend: Harry Houdini. To Adric and Nyssa the name means very little, but to the Doctor's companion Tegan he is a legend. Escape artist extraordinaire, Houdini's reputation will last for decades. But how does Houdini know so much about Tegan herself? Is it really just guesswork, as he says? Is Houdini right to be concerned about the fairground's fortune teller, who claims to have supernatural skills? Both he and the Doctor suspect an alien influence may be at work.

What neither the Doctor nor his friends realise is that, somewhere in the shadows, a sinister and all too familiar presence is lying in wait for them...

Doctor Who: Smoke and Mirrors (Destiny of the Doctor 5) is an original adventure by Steve Lyons, a prolific writer of Doctor Who fiction, and is available as a CD or download from 2nd May. It’s performed by Janet Fielding, who played Tegan in the original TV series, and Tim Beckmann. The series is produced for AudioGO by Big Finish Productions.

To be in with a chance to win one of three copies of Smoke and Mirrors courtesy of AudioGo, answer the following question:
As mentioned above, Harry Houdini is an old friend of the Doctor's, and he recently featured in a festive online tale alongside the Eleventh Doctor - what was the name of that story?
Please send your answer to smoke-competition@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Now get out of that!", along with your name, address, and where you saw this competition. Only one entry is allowed per household. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is the 5th May 2013.

Doctor Who and The Curse of Peladon, read by David Troughton (Credit: AudioGo)Doctor Who and The Curse of Peladon
Written by Brian Hayles
Read by David Troughton

When the TARDIS materializes on the primitive planet Peladon, the Doctor and Jo become embroiled in political machinations. What is the secret behind the killings on the planet, and how are his old enemies the Ice Warriors involved?

Again, the terrifying cry rang out. The Doctor quickened his pace along the gloomy tunnels of the castle. Suddenly, from the darkness lumbered the mighty Aggedor, Royal Beast and Protector of the Kingdom of Peladon! The Doctor fumbled in his pocket. Would the device work? As he trained the spinning mirror on the eyes of Aggedor, the terrible claws came closer and closer...

What is the secret behind the killings on the planet of Peladon? Is Aggedor seeking revenge because the King of Peladon wants his kingdom to become a member of the Galactic Federation? Will the Doctor escape the claws of Aggedor and discover the truth?

Doctor Who and the Curse of Peladon is Brian Hayles’ complete and unabridged novelisation, first published in 1974 by Target Books. It is read by David Troughton, who played King Peladon in the original BBC TV episodes. It is based on the original 1972 TV serial of the same name, featuring the 3rd Doctor (as played by Jon Pertwee). Doctor Who and the Curse of Peladon is available as an audiobook from AudioGO, on CDs or as an audio download, from 2nd May.


To be in with a chance to win one of three copies of The Curse of Peladon courtesy of AudioGo, answer the following question:
David Troughton played Peladon in the tale, but this wasn't his first appearance in Doctor Who - name his first role.
Please send your answer to peladon-competition@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "By the spirit of Aggedor!", along with your name, address, and where you saw this competition. Only one entry is allowed per household. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is the 5th May 2013.

In addition, AudioGo have also released an audio adaptation of the latest adventure for the Eleventh Doctor, Plague of the Cybermen:

Plague of the Cybermen (Credit: AudioGo)Plague of the Cybermen
Written by Justin Richards
Read by David Warner, with Nicholas Briggs as the Cybermen

When the Doctor arrives in the 19th-century village of Klimtenburg, he discovers the residents suffering from some kind of plague - a 'wasting disease'. The victims face a horrible death - but what's worse, the dead seem to be leaving their graves. The Plague Warriors have returned ...

The Doctor is confident he knows what's really happening; he understands where the dead go, and he's sure the Plague Warriors are just a myth. But as some of the Doctor's oldest and most terrible enemies start to awaken he realises that maybe - just maybe - he's misjudged the situation.
 

To be in with a chance to win one of three copies of Plague of the Cybermen courtesy of AudioGo, answer the following question:
Plagues, viruses and Cybermen go hand-in-hand, but in which story did they spread 'infection' through the use of sugar?
Please send your answer to plague-competition@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "You know our ways!", along with your name, address, and where you saw this competition. Only one entry is allowed per household. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is the 5th May 2013.




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