Paradise Towers coming to DVD

Monday, 22 November 2010 - Reported by Marcus

The Seventh Doctor story, Paradise Towers is due for DVD release in 2011 according to a blog by the story's writer Stephen Wyatt.

First shown between 5th October and 26th October 1987 the four part story stars Sylvester McCoy as The Doctor with Bonnie Langford as Melanie along with guest stars Richard Briers as the Chief Caretaker, Elizabeth Spriggs as Tabby, Judy Cornwell as Maddy and Howard Cooke as Pex.

The story was the second story of Season Twenty Four and was directed by Nicholas Mallett.

In his blog Wyatt confirmed he has recorded an interview for inclusion on the disc as well as being part of the commentary team.

A novelisation of the story, written by Wyatt, was published by Target Books in December 1988 and it was released on VHS in October 1995.

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Whotopia: Issue 19

Sunday, 21 November 2010 - Reported by Harry Ward

Details of the latest issue of WHOTOPIA, the free online Canadian fan magazine have been published. To find out when this issue is released you can follow their blog at WhotopiaMagazine.wordpress.com

COMING SOON

WHOTOPIA steps outside the TARDIS to take a look at some of the characters and concepts that have spun-off from the good Doctor's adventures

Including...

THE MICHAEL E. BRIANT INTERVIEW
Jez Strickley sits down and interviews the man who directed six classic adventures including The Sea Devils and Robots of Death.

FAN FILMS: WHOTOPIA INTERVIEWS THE PRODUCERS OF DOCTOR WHO: VICTIMSIGHT
Bob Furnell talks with Eldon Letkeman and Robert Westendorp, the producers of the Canadian Doctor Who fan film "Victimsight"

THE NEW-ISH ADVENTURES
A look back at the era of the Virgin New Adventures by A J Gulyas.

DREAMLAND AND BEYOND: DOCTOR WHO GETS ANIMATED
Nancy Gross takes a look at the specially made animated episodes of Doctor Who

DALEK'S ADVOCATE: K9 AND COMPANY
Grant Bull takes a serious in-depth look at this 1981 pilot starring Elisabeth Sladen and John Leeson

QUIT SLAMMING THE 1996 TV MOVIE
Bob Furnell asks fans to quit being so harsh in their assessments of the TV movie

THE DEATH OF FICTIONAL CHARACTERS IN DOCTOR WHO: JACK AND IANTO
Emily Jones delves into the complex relationship between two of Torchwood's most popular characters.

REASONS TO LOVE THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES
What makes the Sarah Jane Adventures so great? Grant Bull examines why.

TORCHWOOD OVERVIEW
Joe Ford takes and in-depth look at all three series of Torchwood

TORCHWOOD: IMPRESSIONS OF AN OUTSIDER
Bob Furnell discusses why Torchwood has failed to make an impression on him

K9'S NEW ADVENTURES
K9's back in his own series and Bob Furnell examines the very first episode

FICTION: THE MEMORY OF DARKNESS PART III
Original fiction by Julio Angel Ortiz

THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES: SERIES THREE EPISODE REVIEWS
Our panel of experts reviews each episode of series three

TORCHWOOD: CHILDREN OF EARTH REVIEWS
What did our reviewers think of the most recent season of Torchwood

THE WATERS OF MARS REVIEWS

PLUS OUR REGULAR COLUMNS - Screwdrivers, Scaries & Scarves/Target Trawl/Parallel Lines, FEATURES AND MORE

Whotopia was published as a hard copy publication from October 2003 to mid-2009 and after much debate amongst its editorial board. The decision was taken to make Whotopia a free downloadable publication with its seventeenth issue in July 2009. The fanzine is currently edited by Jez Strickley with help from assistant editors Nancy Gross and Samantha Warner. The magazine is published on an average of 3 to 4 times per year.

FILTER: - Fan Productions

It also Travels in Time

Sunday, 21 November 2010 - Reported by Harry Ward

RIPT Apparel are offering a Doctor Who t-shirt which will be on sale for today only.

The design features a quote from The Ninth Doctor when he comes back for Rose to tell her that his space ship also travels in time. The t-shirt is $10 (about £6) and is available in men's, women's and children's sizes. Alternatively you can purchase the hoodie version for $38 (about £23).

Previous Doctor Who t-shirts from RIPT include the popular "Whosicle" design.

Available for:

FILTER: - Merchandise - Series 1/27 - Christopher Eccleston

The Quotable Doctor Who

Sunday, 21 November 2010 - Reported by Harry Ward

A book featuring 2000 biographical and thematic quotations about Doctor Who is to be published next month.

The Quotable Doctor Who - Volume One will cover quotes from all eleven actors to play The Doctor, all actors to play companions, from Carole Ann Ford to Karen Gillan and from executive producers Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat. Other subjects covered include the TARDIS, the Sonic Screwdriver, Regeneration and the spin-off series.

The book by Catherine A. Davies and Colin M. Jarman is to be published on 7th December 2010 but is available to pre-order now at a discounted price of £11.24 (25% off RRP) from Amazon or direct from Blue Eyed Books. Volumes two, three and four will be published in 2011.

FILTER: - Books

People Roundup

Saturday, 20 November 2010 - Reported by Marcus

Karen Gillan has been cast as as a time-travelling Juliet in a new film to be directed by David Baddiel. Romeo And Brittney is about a high school teenager from New Jersey who finds herself travelling back in time to 13th-century Verona. Also cast is Gillian Anderson who will play the dual roles of Karen's mother and the Nurse, and Robert Sheehan plays Romeo in the comedy. Shooting begins in May.

John Barrowman is to appear in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special. The show is expected to go out on Christmas Day. Barrowman has also signed up for a cameo in Goodnight Burbank, a news satire webcomedy that stars Laura Silverman and Dominic Monaghan. Meanwhile Russell T Davies has let slip that Steven Moffat would like to see Captain Jack back in Doctor Who, opening up the way for Barrowman's possible return to the series.

FILTER: - People - Karen Gillan

BBC America to show Doctor Who Prom

Saturday, 20 November 2010 - Reported by Marcus

BBC America have confirmed they will be showing the 2010 Doctor Who Prom on Christmas Day, the same day they show the 2010 Christmas Special A Christmas Carol.

The BBC Proms are an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events which have been held annually since 1895. Taking place mainly in the Royal Albert Hall in London, the BBC took over responsibility for the Proms in 1927. The first Doctor Who Prom took place in 2008.

The Doctor Who Prom features the music of Murray Gold performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, who record the soundtrack for the television series. The Prom took place Saturday 24 July and was hosted by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill.

The Prom was shown in the UK last September.

FILTER: - Music - USA - BBC America - Broadcasting

Big Finish Drama Showcase

Saturday, 20 November 2010 - Reported by Marcus

Big Finish have announced Drama Showcase, a new line of plays made for audio and starring many Doctor Who actors.

The line-up comprises four productions:

Not a Well Woman, written by and starring Katy Manning.
Pulling Faces , written by Helen Goldwyn and starring Louise Jameson, with Helen Goldwyn, David Warwick and Colin Baker. This is an adaptation of Louise's acclaimed one-woman show.
In Conversation with An Acid Bath Murderer, written by Nigel Fairs and starring Nigel Fairs, Louise Jameson and Richard Franklin. This is an adaptation of Nigel's critically admired theatre play.
Unintelligent Design written by and starring Geoffrey Beevers.

Producer David Richardson says

I'm so excited by these plays, They are an opportunity for us to develop new projects with the talent we have already worked with at Big Finish, and they explore some important themes. They're funny and tragic, clever and profound, dark and intelligent.

The season is also available on subscription, with pre-ordered subscription CD copies signed by the main star.

NB: Drama Showcase productions contain adult material and are not suitable for younger listeners.

FILTER: - People - Big Finish

Series Two for just 99p?

Saturday, 20 November 2010 - Reported by Harry Ward

Online video catch up and rental service SeeSaw is offering the chance for fans to vote for the entire second series of Doctor Who to be made available to rent for only 99p.

David Tennant's first season as The Doctor is in competition with Lost, Life on Mars and Only Fools & Horses. The show with the most Facebook 'Likes' by Monday 22nd November at 9am will be available to rent on the Tuesday after for 99p. You will then have up to 90 days to watch the series.

To cast your vote head over to SeeSaw's Tight Tuesday page.

FILTER: - Online - Series 2/28

A Christmas Carol: the first trailer

Friday, 19 November 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The BBC's Children in Need programme on BBC1/HD broadcast the first trailer for the forthcoming Doctor Who Christmas special, A Christmas Carol, a little after 8:00pm this evening.

The trailer is now available to watch online, via the BBC's official YouTube channel:

(this should be accessible worldwide, but may also be found via BBC America/YouTube)

The programme is due to be broadcast in both the United Kingdom and United States on Christmas Day.

FILTER: - Specials

SFX Magazine - Doctor Who Special

Thursday, 18 November 2010 - Reported by Harry Ward

SFX have published details of their forthcoming special edition magazine which is devoted to Doctor Who. Doctor Who: A Celebration is a 132 pages of "all things Doctor Who". The last time the magazine produced a special for the show was in October 2008.

This issue contains:

100 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT WHO

A bumper-sized feature which runs down just a few of the gazillion reasons why we adore this series with a passion bordering on insanity. And if you’re thinking this’ll be some dreary roll call of the bleedin’ obvious, think again…

COSTUME DESIGNS
Series five costume designer Ray Holman talks us through some of his work, with drawings for the likes of the Eleventh Doctor and a Silurian warrior, and a smattering of behind-the-scenes photos.

AUTHORS ON WHO
A trio of opinion pieces penned by a triumvirate of SF & fantasy titans. Discworld overlord Sir Terry Pratchett, Elric creator Michael Moorcock and hard SF boffin Stephen Baxter share their memories of Who, and try to put their finger on the series’ ineffable magic.

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Visual effects experts Mat Irvine and Mike Tucker are in a unique position to discuss Who’s effects, having worked on both the classic series and the new show. Their candid discussion of the challenges they faced is accompanied by lashings of behind-the-scenes images (including some fascinating sketches for the original Davros).

THE MISSING EPISODES
Sadly, 108 instalments of the classic series are missing, presumed lost forever, thanks to BBC’s junking policy of the ’60s and ’70s. Richard Molesworth, author of new book Wiped! Doctor Who’s Missing Episodes, tells the full story of how so many episodes came to be destroyed – and how many were later recovered.

And much more.

Free gifts include a fabric Bow Tie and two slogan badges.

SFX Collection: Doctor Who – A Celebration is on sale from 30 November.

FILTER: - Magazines

Previous 10 Stories

Paradise Towers coming to DVD

Whotopia: Issue 19

It also Travels in Time

The Quotable Doctor Who

People Roundup

BBC America to show Doctor Who Prom

Big Finish Drama Showcase

Series Two for just 99p?

A Christmas Carol: the first trailer

SFX Magazine - Doctor Who Special

This Week in Doctor Who

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