Christmas Episode Confirmed?

Thursday, 5 July 2018 - Reported by Marcus

The first indication that Doctor Who will have a Christmas episode this year has come thanks to an entry on the CV of the programme's editor.

Doctor Who will return this autumn with a special 65-minute episode, followed by nine 50 minute episodes. Until now there has been no indication as to whether the production team would be making an extra episode to be shown at Christmas.

However, an entry in the online CV of Edel McDonnell, an editor on the programme, indicated he will be working on a Christmas special to be directed by Wayne Yip, who previously directed the twelfth Doctor episodes The Lie Of The Land and Empress Of Mars.

Production Guide




FILTER: - Production - Thirteenth Doctor

BBC Goes to Court to Identify Leaker

Monday, 2 July 2018 - Reported by Marcus
Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor (Credit: BBC/Steve Schofield)The BBC has gone to court to try to obtain details to identify the individual responsible for leaking clips from Jodie Whittaker's first full episode as The Doctor.

Last week a 53 second clip, thought to be from the debut episode of the new series, was released unofficially online. The clip has since been removed by BBC Worldwide.

The BBC has confirmed it has requested a clerk at the California federal court issue a subpoena to Tapatalk, a mobile community platform in the United States, in order to get information allowing them to identify the source of the leak.

A spokesman for BBC Studios said
We take theft and illegal distribution of our content extremely seriously. We will strive to protect our programme-makers, audiences and licence fee payers from any breaches of security - ensuring Doctor Who fans enjoy the final and fully completed version of the episode when it premieres
The unfinished clip had temporary music and had not gone through the grading process which determines the final visual look of the scene.

Doctor Who has been plagued by leaks ever since it returned in 2005 when footage from Rose was released via a Canadian third party company. In that case the individual responsible for the leak had their employment terminated.

A leak 2013 was more embarrassing for the Corporation, when BBC Worldwide released the US Blu-Ray disc of the season climax before it had aired on television.

Doctor Who is due to return to screens this Autumn.




FILTER: - BBC - Production - series 11/37

Temporal Logbook II: Further Journeys

Wednesday, 13 June 2018 - Reported by Marcus
Temporal Logbook II: Further Journeys (Credit: Pencil Tip Publishing)
Temporal Logbook II: Further Journeys from Pencil Tip Publishing, has been officially released.
“I promised you something spectacular,” the Doctor said, “and here we are.”

From Canterbury Cathedral to a space station orbiting a Dyson sphere, the Doctor has seen countless worlds throughout his many lives.

Temporal Logbook II: Further Journeys tells some of those stories — fifteen gripping tales showing the universe through the eyes of thirteen incarnations including the War Doctor.
Contributors include Hamish Crawford, Nic Ford, Russell McGee, Richard Peevers, Tony Jones, Rob Nisbet, R.P. Fox, Kate Coleman, Kevin Mason, Frank Danes, David Smith and Violet Addison, J.E. Remy, Fionna MacDonald and Nick Mellish.

All proceeds from this publication will be donated in support of the Mood Disorders Association of British Columbia (MDABC) which is a non-profit organization that provides treatment, support, education, and hope of recovery for people living with a mood disorder.

To order a copy click here




FILTER: - Books - Fan Productions

BBC to Close Maida Vale Studios

Tuesday, 5 June 2018 - Reported by Marcus
Delia Derbyshire,, Desmond Briscoe, BBC Radiophonic Workshop (Credit: BBC)The BBC is to close its Madia Vale studios, the former home of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and the place where many of the iconic sounds used in Doctor Who were created.

The studios, based in west London, have been used by the BBC since 1933 when the corporation took over the former Maida Vale Roller Skating Palace and Club and converted it to music studios. Since then it has hosted tens of thousands of recordings, from grand orchestral performances by the BBC Symphony Orchestra to rock recordings by the likes of Led Zeppelin, Radiohead, Jay-Z, The Beatles and David Bowie, to popular artists such as Bing Crosby, who, in 1977, made his last recording in the studios, three days before he died.

From 1958 until 1998 it was the home of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, the body charged with producing most of the music and special sounds when a new science fiction series was launched in 1963.

It was in this building that the sheet music for the new Doctor Who Theme music, written by Ron Grainer, arrived, leaving workshop staff Delia Derbyshire and Dick Mills to render the tune electronically. This they achieved by generating each note separately and physically splicing them together on quarter-inch magnetic tape. The resulting music has become one of television's most recognisable and iconic theme tunes.

It was in this building that Brian Hodgson, charged with finding a sound for the new spaceship, ran his keys across a set of piano strings and gave birth to the wheezing groaning sound of the TARDIS dematerialising. It was here the sounds of the Dalek Ship, the Sonic Screwdriver and so many more were created, some of which are still used in the series today.

The closure of the studios, after over 80 years, was announced by BBC Director general Tony Hall. He said the complex would be replaced by a new, state-of-the-art facility at the former Olympic Park in east London.




FILTER: - BBC - Production

Doctor Who Club of Australia - Yearbook

Sunday, 3 June 2018 - Reported by Marcus
Zerinza (Credit: DWCA)
The Doctor Who Club of Australia (DWCA) has announced the return of its Zerinza yearbook.

The magazine contains interviews, fiction, comics and articles. From the archives, you can read Nicholas Courtney discussing his career as the Brigadier and Dudley Simpson reflecting on everything from composing scores to street racing with Jon Pertwee.

Go behind the scenes on Whovians with show researcher Pat Magee, then from in front of the camera with Adam Richard. Camille Coduri discusses the departure of Christopher Eccleston and the arrival of David Tennant, writers Jon Blum and Kate Orman talk about writing for Big Finish, and Titan artist Simon Myers discusses his covers for the Doctor Who comics range.

Plus the true story of how Rosemary Howe succeeded in writing the first ever novelisation of The Daleks’ Master Plan, without access to the script or ever having seen it! And just what did happen to Katy Manning on the drive to the recent DWCA day event?

Zerinza Volume Two is available now as a free PDF to all current DWCA members.

It can also be purchased in hardcover, softcover (ISBN 978-0-244-99088-6) or epub (ISBN 978-0-244-99086-2) formats via the DWCA Publishing store:




FILTER: - Australia - Fan Productions

Work Experience on Doctor Who

Saturday, 2 June 2018 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who 2018: Landscape (Credit: BBC/BBC Worldwide)
BBC Studios are offering a seven week training & development opportunity working on Doctor Who in Cardiff.

The offer is aimed at those aiming to work in Television drama, but who lack the knowledge to know how to achieve this.

Full details are available by contacting Hannah.Williams05@bbc.co.uk.

Closing date for applications is Wednesday 6 June.
The BBC is also looking for an Assistant Producer, a Content Producer and a Senior Content Producer, to work on the digital output supporting Doctor Who.

Duties include designing and creating assets to support the Doctor Who franchise. The jobs are being offered as 3 month contracts. Closing date for applications is Wednesday 6 June.




FILTER: - BBC - Doctor Who - Production

Whotopia Issue 32

Friday, 25 May 2018 - Reported by Marcus
Whotopia Issue 32Issue 32 of the fan production Whotopia is now available from Jigsaw Publications

This issue looks at the world of Doctor Who in print
  • DOUGLAS ADAMS AND DOCTOR WHO
  • Adams’ stories come to life as novelisations, Jessica Chaleff shares her thoughts.
  • INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR NICK MELLISH
  • Bob Furnell speaks with Whotopia’s longest-running columnist, and his plans for the ‘Target Trawl’ book.
  • WHO YOU BUILD Dave Etches explores more full-scale Doctor Who model making
  • COLUMN: MASTER WHO PART 5: PRINTS OF DARKNESS
  • Dan Tessier explores the Master as depicted in print.
  • REVIEW: THE DOCTOR FALLS
  • Jon Arnold reviews the Series Ten finale.
  • REVIEW x 2: TWICE UPON A TIME
  • Matthew Kresal and James P Quick take turns to steer us through Peter Capaldi’s festive farewell.
  • COLUMN: WHOLIFE: COOKING IN THE TARDIS
  • Grant Bull raises a glass to one of the more unusul Doctor Who books.s
  • REVIEWED: TWELFTH DOCTOR NOVELS
  • Dan Tessier tests the waters with three new Twelfth Doctor adventures.
  • REVIEW: THIS TOWN WILL NEVER LET GO
  • Matthew Kresal gives us the lowdown on Lawrence Miles’ Faction Paradox novel.
  • INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR ROBERT MAMMONE
  • Bob Furnell sits done with writer, editor and all-round creative engine Rob Mammone to discover the secrets of writing.
  • REVIEW: SCRIPT DOCTOR
  • Jez Strickley takes a second look at the Sylvester McCoy era through the eyes of its script editor, Andrew Cartmel.
  • TARGET NOVELIZATIONS AND ME
  • Jessica Chaleff ponders the world of collecting Doctor Who books.
  • COLUMN: THE AUDIO ARCHIVES: ISH
  • Andrew Screen reviews the Sixth Doctor story Ish.’
  • MEMORIES OF AMNESIA: THE EIGHTH DOCTOR ADVENTURES
  • A reflection on the Eighth Doctor book range by Dan Tessier.
  • INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR RICK CROSS
  • How does a writer get plugged into the professional circuit? Whotopia regular Matthew Kresal speaks to Candy Jar Books author Rick Cross.
  • LOOKING AT COVERS
  • Hamish Crawford takes a tour of the series’ bookcover artworks.
  • COLUMN: THE BLACK ARCHIVES INVESTIGATED
  • Andrew Screen continues his look at the Black Archives collection.
  • REVIEW: CLASS NOVELS
  • Nick Mellish critically examines the latest run of series-extending novels, this time derived from the Doctor Who spin-off Class.
  • COLUMN: THE CURATE'S EGG: PETER HAINING
  • Richard Michaels shines a glowing light of approval on one of the series’s most prolific historians.
  • BOOKMARKS IN TIME
  • Two nostalgic book slices by David P. May.
  • RETROPLAY: THE GUNFIGHTERS
  • A recently uncovered review of The Gunfighters (1966) written by the late Gary Phillips.
Issue 32 is available to download for free in PDF format from the Whotopia site and/or to purchase in print via this link.




FILTER: - Fan Productions

Original Unearthly Child Script Up for Auction: Update

Friday, 4 May 2018 - Reported by Chuck Foster
An Unearthly Child - ScriptWilliam Hartnell's annotated copy of the script of the very first episode, An Unearthly Child, was sold yesterday for £6,200.

The script was an item in the Aston's Auctioneers and Valuers Film & Music Memorabilia & Comics Auction.

Including fees, the grand total for owning this unique item of Doctor Who history came to to £7,500.





FILTER: - Production - William Hartnell

Doctor Who - In the Studio

Wednesday, 25 April 2018 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who - In the Studio - Cover (Credit: Panini) The new Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition, on sale now, tells the story of the series’ sometimes difficult evolution from relatively primitive beginnings to the cutting edge of modern television production.

In the Studio is packed full of all-new features and previously unseen images, this is the ultimate guide to the studio recording and filming of Doctor Who.

In 1963 Sydney Newman and Donald Wilson devised an ambitious concept that would stretch the BBC’s technical resources to the limit. In its earliest days Doctor Who was jeopardised by a fierce dispute over facilities. The programme survived, but never stopped demanding the very best from its studios and dedicated crews.

Highlights include:
  • Sections on all of Doctor Who’s major studios: Lime Grove, Ealing, Riverside, Television Centre, Unit Q2, Upper Boat and Roath Lock
  • How the original TARDIS control room was recreated for Twice Upon a Time
  • A tribute to senior camera supervisor Alec Wheal
  • Exclusive interviews with second-unit director James DeHaviland and vintage camera expert Dicky Howett
  • A guide to Doctor Who’s rehearsal rooms
  • The story behind the black-and-white remake of 2006 episode Tooth and Claw
  • Rare images from the Visual Effects Department’s model stages
Editor Marcus Hearn says:
This DWM Special Edition tells the entire studio history of Doctor Who, from Lime Grove in 1963 through to Roath Lock in 2018. Andrew Pixley’s detailed research is the backbone of this issue, but there are fantastic articles and interviews by lots of other writers too, along with contributions from former producer Philip Hinchcliffe and showrunner Chris Chibnall. Longtime DWM collaborator Derek Handley helped to source some incredible images, while Peri Godbold and Mike Jones designed it all beautifully. Hopefully we’ve been able to contribute something really meaningful to our understanding of how Doctor Who is made.
Doctor Who: In the Studio is on sale now price £5.99.
Doctor Who - In the Studio (Credit: Panini)Doctor Who - In the Studio (Credit: Panini)Doctor Who - In the Studio (Credit: Panini)Doctor Who - In the Studio (Credit: Panini)Doctor Who - In the Studio (Credit: Panini)




FILTER: - DWM - Production

Original Unearthly Child Script Up for Auction

Tuesday, 10 April 2018 - Reported by Marcus
An Unearthly Child - ScriptThe script for the very first episode of Doctor Who, as used by the first Doctor himself, William Hartnell, is being auctioned next month.

The script for An Unearthly Child is 43 pages long and contains blue pencil annotations made by William Hartnell as he was developing the character of The Doctor.

It was discovered by the vendor's grandfather whilst refurbishing the home lived in by Hartnell, and his wife Heather, during the time he was working on the series. The script featured in an episode of the Antiques Roadshow shown last Christmas.

The script is being sold by Aston's Auctioneers and Valuers at their Film & Music Memorabilia & Comics Auction on Thursday 3rd May. It is expected to raise between £5,000 and £7,000.




FILTER: - Production - William Hartnell