IDW launch 11th Doctor Comics in January

Wednesday, 13 October 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster

IDW Publishing have announced their range of Doctor Who Comics will follow the Eleventh Doctor's travels from January 2011. These all-new, full colour adventures will also feature his companions Amy and Rory.

Issue One finds the trio battling holographic spam and 'friending' requests on a planet that is hours from destruction by an alien race. It is penned by writer Tony Lee, no newcomer to the Doctor's world having written many of the Tenth Doctor adventures for IDW. Story art is provided by Andrew Currie, and cover art by another long-term contributor Tommy Lee Edwards. There will also be two incentive covers, one by Eisner Award winner Mark Buckingham, and the other by Kelley Yates - the latter featuring a gatefold cover opening out to reveal the TARDIS.

Future issues will see plots involving Jack the Ripper, penalty shoot-outs against Vikings and Cybernetic Space Pirate Dinosaurs, plus the return of a classic villain - says Tony Lee:

I could tell you who they are, but I'd have to kill you. Let's just say we've been given special dispensation to use them, and we have a killer story - in all senses of the word!

FILTER: - Merchandise

Doctor Who Adventures 188

Wednesday, 13 October 2010 - Reported by Marcus

This week’s issue of Doctor Who Adventures comes with a 2-page pull-out mag all about the new series of The Sarah Jane Adventures, in which some of the secrets of the next episode are revealed. There is an exclusive interview with actress Elisabeth Sladen.

What makes a great companion? Have you got what it takes to travel with the Doctor? You can find out in this week’s fact file.

Plus: a free 3-D notebook, posters and a puzzles and jokes section.

Issue 188 of Doctor Who Adventures magazine is out on Thursday 14 October.

FILTER: - Magazines - DWA

Death of the Doctor prompts speculation

Wednesday, 13 October 2010 - Reported by Marcus

Do not click on the following links, if you want to avoid spoilers for the upcoming series of The Sarah Jane Adventures.

According to slightly inaccurate stories in today's Guardian, Digital Journal and elsewhere, a bit of Doctor Who history is about to be rewritten.

The cause of all the speculation is a throwaway line in Episode Six of the current series of The Sarah Jane Adventures. The episodes were screened at a special preview held at the BFI on London's South Bank Tuesday evening. After the screening Elisabeth Sladen and Katy Manning were part of a panel talking about the series.

Press Release
Matt Smith, Laila Rouass and Katy Manning guest star in Death Of The Doctor, written by Russell T Davies.

Part One
When The Doctor is declared dead, old companions Sarah Jane and Jo Grant meet for the very first time and join forces to discover the truth. As an interstellar conspiracy gathers around Unit HQ, Clyde finds that he holds the fate of the Time Lord in his hand – quite literally!

Old friends fight together to make one last stand against the sinister Shansheeth. But with Clyde and Rani trapped and in terrible danger, Sarah Jane and Jo Grant realise their worst fears – their friendship with the Doctor might be the very thing that dooms them.

FILTER: - Doctor Who - Sarah Jane - Press

Series Five Music - Track List

Tuesday, 12 October 2010 - Reported by Marcus

Silva Screen have announced the track listing for the forthcoming CD of music from Doctor Who - Series Five.

The two disc set is due for release in the UK on the 8th November.

1. Doctor Who XI

THE ELEVENTH HOUR
2. Down To Earth
3. Little Amy
4. Fish Custard
5. Can I Come With You?
6. Little Amy: The Apple
7. The Sun's Gone Wibbly
8. Zero
9. I Am The Doctor
10. The Mad Man With A Box
11. Amy In The TARDIS

THE BEAST BELOW
12. The Beast Below
13. Amy's Theme
14. A Lonely Decision

VICTORY OF THE DALEKS
15. A Tyrannical Menace
16. Victory Of The Daleks
17. Battle In The Sky

THE TIME OF ANGELS / FLESH AND STONE
18. River's Path
19. The Time Of Angels

THE VAMPIRES OF VENICE
20. I Offer You My Daughter
21. Chicken Casanova
22. Signora Rosanna Calvierri
23. Cab For Amy Pond
24. The Vampires Of Venice

AMY'S CHOICE
25. Wedded Bliss
26. The Dream

THE HUNGRY EARTH / COLD BLOOD
27. Rio de Cwmtaff
28. The Silurians

VINCENT AND THE DOCTOR
1. Paint
2. Vincent
3. Hidden Treasures
4. A Troubled Man
5. With Love, Vincent

THE LODGER
6. Adrift In The TARDIS
7. Friends And Neighbours
8. Doctor Gastronomy
9. You Must Like It Here
10. A Useful Striker
11. A Painful Exchange
12. Kiss The Girl
13. Thank You Craig

THE PANDORICA OPENS / THE BIG BANG
14. River Runs Through It
15. Away On Horseback
16. Beneath Stonehenge
17. Who Else Is Coming
18. Amy And Rory
19. The Pandorica
20. Words Win Wars
21. The Life And Death Of Amy Pond
22. Amy's Starless Life
23. Into The Museum
24. This Is Where It Gets Complicated
25. Roman Paradox
26. The Patient Centurion
27. The Same Sonic
28. Honey I'm Home
29. The Perfect Prison
30. A River Of Tears
31. The Sad Man With A Box
32. You And Me, Amy
33. The Big Day
34. I remember You
35. Onwards!

FILTER: - Music - Series 5/31

Panic Moon

Monday, 11 October 2010 - Reported by Marcus

The October 2010 issue of the fanzine Panic Moon is now available.

This issue covers Doctor Who from the 1960s through to the 2010 series and beyond. Subjects include: the 2011 series split; The Happiness Patrol, the Doctor Who Prom; a look at what was new and what familiar in series five; The Adventure Games, the design of TARDIS props; growing up with Doctor Who in Germany; Time and the Rani; Genesis of the Daleks; the origins and inspirations behind The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone; the influence of Terry Nation’s earliest sci-fi on his Doctor Who work; Fear Her; reviews of the latest fanzines; Revenge of the Cybermen; Silver Nemesis; DVDs and the pursuit of the fan; The Dominators; The Massacre; Big Finish reviews; behind the scenes on Remembrance of the Daleks; plus an old-fashioned fanzine letters page.

The issue is A6 format, 36 pages, black and white, and fully illustrated.

Prices, including P&P:

UK: £1.20

Elsewhere in Europe (airmail): £2.00

Outside Europe (airmail): £2.50

Details on the Panic Moon Website

FILTER: - Fan Productions

Doctor Who Experience

Monday, 11 October 2010 - Reported by Marcus

A website promoting a Doctor Who Experience in London in 2011 has been launched. The Experience has also been promoted on flyers distributed at Doctor Who Live. No further details are available. The current Doctor Who Exhibitions are due to close over the next few months with a new exhibition planned for Cardiff. This is the first indication that something new is planned for London.

It also appears that a new Doctor Who Mobile game is being planned for the iPhone, iPad and Android according to advertising in the official Doctor Who Live Programme.

FILTER: - Games - Exhibitions

US Filming Confirmed

Sunday, 10 October 2010 - Reported by Marcus

BBC America has reported that Doctor Who is to film part of the 2011 series in the United States.

The special two-part series opener will feature key scenes filmed in Utah, for a story set in the late ’60s in which the Doctor, Amy and Rory find themselves on a secret summons that takes them on an adventure from the desert in Utah – right to the Oval Office itself.

The news confirms reports taken from the online CV of Producer David Mason posted earlier this week.

The series has filmed in the country before, with parts of Daleks in Manhattan being filmed in New York City. However no scenes involving the Doctor have been shot in the country before.

The full Press Release can be seen at BBC America's website and media coverage at Doctor Who in the Media.

The BBC announced today that season six of Doctor Who, which delivered record ratings for BBC AMERICA earlier this year, will open with a spectacular two-parter set in the U.S. and penned by ‘Who supremo’ Steven Moffat.

Production on episodes one and two of the new season starts in Cardiff this month and Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill will then travel to America in mid November to shoot pivotal scenes. They will also be joined by Alex Kingston who reprises her role as River Song.

Showrunner and lead writer, Steven Moffat, said: “The Doctor has visited every weird and wonderful planet you can imagine, so he was bound get round to America eventually! And of course every Doctor Who fan will be jumping up and down and saying he’s been in America before. But not for real, not on location – and not with a story like this one! Oh, you wait!”

Piers Wenger, Head of Drama BBC Wales and Executive Producer, added: “Steven’s scripts generally inspire us to go that extra mile – this time we’re going that extra four thousand. Thanks to our friends at BBC America and to the continuing ambition of our lead writer and production team, the first two episodes of Matt Smith’s second season as the Doctor are going global and look set to become Doctor Who’s most action-packed and ambitious season opener yet.”

2010 has been a breakthrough year for the Doctor Who franchise across all platforms since BBC America became the official home of the series. The series reached the number one spot on the “Top TV Seasons” chart on iTunes and now Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Season hits stores on Blu-ray and DVD on November 9.

FILTER: - Series 6/32 - Production

Day of the Daleks on DVD in 2011

Saturday, 9 October 2010 - Reported by Marcus

2|entertain have announced that the 1972 Third Doctor story, Day of the Daleks, will be released on DVD in 2011.

The announcement was made at Time and Space, the DWAS convention in London, where commissioning editor Dan Hall confirmed the story would be released with new SFX and Dalek voices.

The story was the first story of Season Nine and was first broadcast between January 1 and January 22, 1972. Alongside Jon Pertwee as The Doctor, Katy Manning starts as Jo Grant with Nicholas Courtney playing Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Richard Franklin as Captain Mike Yates and John Levene as Sergeant Benton. Guest stars include Aubrey Woods as The Controller, Anna Barry as Anat, Scott Fredericks as Boaz and Jean McFarlane as Miss Paget.

The story was one of four written for the series by Louis Marks, who died last month. It was directed by Paul Bernard and designed by David Myerscough-Jones.

The story was first released on VHS and Betamax in an omnibus format in 1986 and re-released in episodic format in 1994.

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Doctor Who Live Opens

Friday, 8 October 2010 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who Live began its tour of the UK at London's Wembley Arena on Friday night.

The event, which marks the start of a four week tour across the UK, was attended by the current Doctor, Matt Smith, who was there with girlfriend Daisy Lowe. Smith appears in the show via a giant screen showing special pre-recorded inserts during the performance.

The show is set around a travelling showman, Vorgenson, played by Nigel Planer, who heads around the galaxy spreading stories of the Doctor's exploits, using his minimiser gadget to conjure up the Doctor's enemies. The script, by Gareth Roberts, is based on the 1973 Jon Pertwee story, Carnival of Monsters, originally by Robert Holmes.

Among the creatures conjured up for the show are Judoon, Weeping Angel, Scarecrows and Venetian Vampires. The live action is set to the music of Doctor Who composer Murray Gold, conducted by Ben Foster.

Reaction to the show on twitter have been positive with comments such as "The Doctor Who Live event is just barmy and amazing and clever and fun"

Guests attending the first night included Catherine Tate, Richard Curtis, Fiona Phillips and Jo Whiley.

Producer Craig Stanley said

This grew from the success of the Doctor Who Proms show we did in 2008. There was a real demand from the people to experience the music and monsters up close, which developed into this show. We wanted to add something to the TV experience and surprise people. We're delighted with the way it has turned out.

After two more shows in London, the tour moves north to Sheffield.

FILTER: - Special Events - Matt Smith

Doctor Who Adventures - 187

Thursday, 7 October 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster

This week's issue of Doctor Who Adventures comes with a pair of 3D Glasses in order to experience the 3D Special - a twelve page pull-out section portraying favourite monsters in three dimensions!

Also this week, test drive the TARDIS. Explore behind the controls of the Doctor’s amazing time and space ship.

And find out what’s in store for Sarah Jane and the gang in the sneak preview of the first episode in series four of The Sarah Jane Adventures!

Plus: fantastic monster magnets, great jokes and huge puzzle section!

Issue 187 of Doctor Who Adventures magazine is out in the UK today.