The BBC have released clips looking behind the scenes of this week's episode of Doctor Who, The Zygon Invasion.




A full review of the episode can be found on Doctor Who Reviews

Toys “R” Us has linked up with Character Options to bring a new collector’s series of figures that will be available only in Toys “R” Us Stores in the UK. The new collection of 11 Figures includes a never before seen Eighth Doctor Figure.

The new 5 inch figure series has been created in response to the demand from Doctor Who fans who are eager to see the return of the larger format. It will include:

• Clara Oswald (played By Jenna Coleman) – the most recent time travelling companion of The Doctor
• Rose Tyler (played By Billie Piper) with K9
• Amy Pond (played by Karen Gillan) in her famed police outfit
• Three separate Eleventh Doctor figures (played by Matt Smith): One in purple Jacket , another donning a cowboy hat as in Doctor Who - A Christmas Carol, and finally a classically posed Eleventh Doctor with a his ubiquitous Sonic device
• Four versions of the current and Twelfth Doctor (played by Peter Capaldi) are also part of the line-up. Known for being a rather dapper Time Lord, there is a choice of figure in White, Black, Purple or Polka Dot shirt.
• And last but definitely not least a brand new Eighth Doctor figure (played by Paul McGann) and as seen in the episode Night of The Doctor. The Eighth Doctor has never before been released individually in the 5 inch figure format.

Four 3.75 inch Wave 4 figures will also be available.

Al Dewar, Product Development Director, Character Options commented:
Mike Coogan, Marketing & eCommerce Director, Toy “R” Us further commented:

A roundup of publicity for the next episode in the current series of Doctor Who, The Zygon Invasion.

The Zygon Invasion: Known Broadcast Details
United Kingdom	BBC One	Sat 31 Oct 2015	8:15pm
United States of America	BBC America	Sat 31 Oct 2015	9:00pm EDT	(1:00am GMT)
Canada	SPACE	Sat 31 Oct 2015	9:00pm EDT	(1:00am GMT)
Asia Pacific	BBC Entertainment	Sun 1 Nov 2015	10:00am SGT	(2:00am GMT)
New Zealand	PRIME	Sun 1 Nov 2015	7:30pm NZDT	(6:30am GMT)
Australia	ABC	Sun 1 Nov 2015	7:40pm AEDT	(8:40am GMT)
Europe (Benelux)	BBC First	Tue 3 Nov 2015	9:00pm CEST
United Kingdom	BBC Two	Fri 6 Nov 2015	1:45am	(British Signed Language)

The Underwater Menace, the (currently) last "classic" Doctor Who story which was officially released on DVD yesterday in the United Kingdom, has also been made available digitally via iTunes.

In addition to the story itself (which comprises of the two existing episodes two and three and reconstruction of the first and last), the package also includes the behind-the-scenes documentary A Fishy Tale, and also both parts of Television Centre of the Universe (the first part of which originally featured on The Vistitation: Special Edition). The package is rounded off with the Photo Gallery.


The DVD itself also features commentaries and interviews presented on an alternative audio-track, and also includes the existing scenes from the two missing episodes that were recovered from Australian censor clips in 1998. The episodes themselves are presented after being restored via the VidFire process (which is not present in the digital versions).

You can read our review of the DVD here, and also purchase it via our Amazon Shop.

Doctor Who: The Girl Who Died had an official consolidated rating of 6.56 million viewers.

The rating issued by the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board, or BARB, includes all those who watched the programme within one week of transmission. It does not include those watching online via iPlayer

Doctor Who was the 11th most watched programme on BBC Television, and second overall on Saturday. Overall the episode finished at 18th in the chart.

Top of the week was Strictly Come Dancing with 10.85 million watching.

Doctor Who: The Woman Who Lived had an Audience Appreciation or AI score of 81.

The Appreciation Index or AI is a measure of how much the audience enjoyed the programme. The score, out of a hundred, is compiled by a specially selected panel of around 5,000 people who go online and rate and comment on programmes.

With Sunday's overnight viewing figures now available, Doctor Who finished as the 37th most watched programme of the week. Consolidated figures will be published next week.

The Tenth Doctor and Donna are returning, in a new set of audio adventures for Big Finish.

Next year David Tennant will be returning to his role as the Tenth doctor, alongside Catherine Tate as his companion Donna Noble in three, hour long Doctor Who audio dramas.

David Tennant portrayed the Doctor on screen from 2005 until 1 January 2010, returning to play alongside Matt Smith and John Hurt in the 50th Anniversary special The Day of the Doctor in 2013. Catherine Tate made her début as Donna in December 2006, and after a series and two festive specials she made her last appearance alongside Tennant on 1 January 2010.

Their on-screen partnership is regarded by many as one of the high-points of the series. Big Finish Executive Producer Jason Haigh-Ellery said Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Adventures will be released in May 2016 and comprises three full cast audio adventures. The set opens with Technophobia by Matt Fitton, which is set in London slightly in the future, where mankind is gradually losing its ability to use everyday technology. Could there be an evil force at work?

In Time Reaver by Jenny T Colgan the Doctor and Donna arrive on Calibris - "An entirely mechanical planet. Catch, hitch, fuel, fix, buy, pretty much any kind of transportation in existence. It’s also a world full of scoundrels, where a deadly black market has opened up in a device known only as the Time Reaver". Finally, in Death and the Queen by James Goss, Donna is swept along in a fairytale romance and meets the man of her dreams in the beautiful land of Goritania. What can possibly go wrong? And why has the Doctor never heard of Goritania?

Executive Producer Nicholas Briggs said Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Adventures is produced by David Richardson, script edited by Matt Fitton and James Goss and directed by Nicholas Briggs.

Producer David Richardson said

The Woman Who Lived has debuted in Australia, averaging 493,000 viewers in the five major capital cities. It was the highest rating ABC drama of the day and the thirteenth highest rating program of the day overall. These ratings do not include iview, regional or time-shifted viewers.

Meanwhile, including time-shifted viewers, Before the Flood averaged 660,000 consolidated viewers in the five major capital cities. With 152,000 extra viewers, it was the highest time-shifted program of the day (the second highest time-shifted program had an extra 134,000 viewers) and the fifteenth highest rating program of the day overall. These ratings do not include iview or regional viewers.

This item Contains Plot Spoilers

Press reaction to The Woman Who Lived is in with many reviewers picking up on the episodes theme of the curse of imortality. The Telegraph thought it was a stand out episode. "In the world of Doctor Who, immortality is an everyday topic. But this episode showed how, in reality, it would be a nightmare. To watch your lovers, your friends, your family and your children die, to witness every human disaster – the loss would be almost too tough to bear, at least while retaining one’s sense of humanity."

The Metro also picked up on the immortality theme. "Ashildr has become Me, an immortal, linear traveller through time, experiencing horrors on both a broad and a personal scale, such as losing her children to the Black Death. She is what the Doctor might have become had he not had human companions to ground him and remind him, as he tells her, ‘how beautiful and precious life is because it’s fleeting".

The Guardian enjoyed the lighter moments of the story. "Capaldi once again proves that he’s a lot better as “Funny Doctor” than he was as “Dark Doctor” last year; overcoming his aversion to punning in order to buy valuable time. And as his verbal sparring partner Sam Swift the Quick, Rufus Hound brings the same infectious glow of an actor clearly having the time of his life that Frank Skinner did last year. And since he may or not now be Me’s immortal companion, there’s plenty of scope for a return."

Radio Times while finding the episode a "dark and beautiful study of immortality and short lives", is not so sure about the character. "Sam Swift the Quick, who flounders around, delaying his hanging with mucky innuendo. He’s likeable as a one-off but now could be another immortal. Who knows what’s being set up there – I wouldn’t mourn if we never see him again."

The Independent found the episode very character driven, mainly at the expense of the plot. "The extraterrestrial lion king didn’t really make much of an impression, either from a design standpoint or as a particularly interesting villain. His plot was so by-the-numbers it barely warranted a couple of lines of dialogue and the inevitable ‘I’m invading you after all’ turnaround was so predictable it veered on the schlocky."

Digital Spy also felt the episode didn't quite hold together. "Where the episode fumbles is in its attempts to meld all of this with a broad, comic adventure, replete with bumbling guards, bungled robberies and a fire-breathing humanoid lion.The mix of moody introspection and historical romp doesn't quite gel, though Tregenna's script settles down in time to deliver a mostly satisfying final act, hinging on the fate of rival highwayman Sam Swift (a terrific, if underused, Rufus Hound)."

Author Catherine Tregenna wins plaudits from Den of Geek. "Catherine Tregenna is an ideal author of this week's script. She's already written for the near-immortal (in, surely, every sense) Captain Jack Harkness in Torchwood several times. Here, she's given the time and space to put at the heart of her episode a dissection of what that immortality means".

IGN felt the episode balanced the lightweight and humorous with some more heavy moments. "The Doctor reads Me’s journals, only to find ripped out pages -- and tear stains -- which reflects the horror that he has inflicted upon her in his attempt to do a good thing. Me’s recollection of her past lives is heartbreaking.". Mashable also picks up on the journals "Catherine Tregenna, takes us into the ineffable sadness of Me's journals, dotted with tears and ripped pages. And she takes us into the even worse sadness, that Me can't remember everything that happened to her, or the names she used."

TV.Com remarked on the absence of the Doctor's companion for much of the episode. "Over the years, Doctor Who has featured Doctor- and companion-lite episodes as a means of completing production on time and budget. It was often successful, especially in terms of say, "Midnight" or "The Lodger." Whether this episode was mostly Clara-less for production reasons, I have no idea, but it was a necessary episode story-wise."

Meanwhile TV Fanatic relished the mention of a former stalwart of the series. "I loved hearing Capaldi mention Captain Jack Harkness. If there's one character I'd love to see back, it's Captain Jack. "

You can read the Doctor Who News review in our reviews section.

4.34 million viewers watched Doctor Who: The Woman Who Lived, according to unofficial overnight viewing figures.

Doctor Who has an average share of 20% of the total TV audience as was third for the day. Top for the day was Strictly Come Dancing which had an average of 9.32 million watching. ITV had 6.55 million watching The X Factor, which was scheduled directly opposite Doctor Who.

Casualty was pushed below 4 million with 3.95 million watching.

Final ratings will be issued next week, which will be based on the exact transmission time for the episode and will include those who record it and watch it later.