Myth Makers - April Releases

Tuesday, 31 March 2015 - Reported by Marcus
A new interview with Doctor Who composer Dominic Glynn is released on April 1 by Reeltime Pictures as part of the Myth Makers series.

Dominic Glynn is one of Britain's most prolific composers of production music. His work can be heard in hundreds of films and TV productions worldwide. His music features in productions as diverse as "The Simpsons", "Red Dwarf" and "Dead Like Me" and in movies such as Eddie Murphy/Jeff Goldblum comedy "Holy Man" and the award-winning "You've Been Trumped". More recently his work can be heard in the official trailer for the latest Brendan Gleeson/Chris O'Dowd film "Calvary". A familiar name to "Doctor Who" fans, Glynn is one of the few people to have arranged the theme tune to the classic TV series. His career began with his 1986 reworking of the famous theme that accompanied Colin Baker's Doctor, and he composed incidental music for the series throughout the late 1980s.
The DVD is available from Galaxy 4 or can be ordered or downloaded from Time Travel TV

Also out this month are re-issues of some classic interviews from Myth Makers All are available from Time Travel TV




FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - People

Doctor Who Adventures moves to Panini

Monday, 30 March 2015 - Reported by Anthony Weight
Doctor Who Adventures, issue 354, 2014Doctor Who Adventures, the UK-published magazine aimed at younger Doctor Who fans, is to move publishers to Panini UK from next month, where it will become a stablemate of Panini's existing Doctor Who Magazine.

DWM editor Tom Spilsbury confirmed the news on the Gallifrey Base Doctor Who fan forum this evening, stating that the first Panini issue will appear on the 23rd of April, with an advert to appear in the new issue of DWM due out later this week.

DWA began life in 2006, during the first wave of popular success for the revived Doctor Who, and was initially published by BBC Worldwide, the Corporation's own commercial subsidiary. Like most of Worldwide's magazine output, it was sold off to Immediate Media in 2011, who have published the title until this point. Initially a fortnightly title, its success saw it increased to weekly publication from issue 47.

However, DWA has seen a marked decrease in circulation figures over the past five years, selling an average of just under 20,000 copies per issue in the first half of 2014, as opposed to over 50,000 for the same period in 2010 (see our previous story). It has also decreased in publication frequency from a weekly back to a fortnightly and then a monthly title.

The website DownTheTubes.org has further information on the news, including a preview of the first new-style DWA comic strip. This strip will be drawn by Russ Leach - there is no news yet on whether DWA's long-standing artist John Ross will return to the publication at all.

The DownTheTubes article also confirms that Jason Quinn will take over as editor, with the April 23rd issue being a new issue 1, as opposed to continuing the existing numbering. The current issue of DWA on sale, issue 363, will be the final one to be published by Immediate Media, and will remain on sale until next month.




FILTER: - DWA - DWM

Maisie Williams to Guest Star in Doctor Who

Monday, 30 March 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Maisie Williams (Credit: BBC/ Simon Ridgway)The BBC has announced that Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams is to star in a guest role in the next series of Doctor Who.

Williams is renowned for her role as Arya Stark in the international fantasy drama series. She also starred in the one-off docu-drama Cyberbully and was cast as one of the leads of Carol Morley’s drama The Falling. As well as being a three-time Screen Actors Guild Awards nominee, in February of this year she was awarded with a Shooting Star Award at the Berlin Film Festival.

On her first day on set, Maisie Williams said:
I'm so excited to be working on Doctor Who as it’s such a big and important part of British Culture. I can’t wait to meet the cast and crew and start filming, especially as we’ll be shooting not too far from my home town.
Steven Moffat, lead writer and Executive Producer, added:
We’re thrilled to have Maisie Williams joining us on Doctor Who. It’s not possible to say too much about who or what she’s playing, but she is going to challenge the Doctor in very unexpected ways. This time he might just be out of his depth, and we know Maisie is going to give him exactly the right sort of hell.
Two more story details have been released by the BBC. The first is The Girl Who Died which is written by Jamie Mathieson and Steven Moffat. Mathieson wrote the aclaimed Series Eight stories Mummy On The Orient and Flatline. Also announced is The Woman Who Lived by Catherine Tregenna. Tregenna wrote four episodes of Torchwood: Out of Time, Meat, Adam and Captain Jack Harkness, which was nominated for the 2008 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.

The two stories will be directed by Ed Bazalgette, currently earning rave reviews for working on the BBC One 18th-century drama Poldark.

Comedian and actor Rufus Hound, who recently appeared in the series Cucumber, also joins the guest cast alongside BBC Three’s Siblings and CBBC’s Horrible Histories star Tom Stourton, Ariyon Bakare, Simon Lipkin, Ian Conningham, Murray McArthur, Barnaby Kay, John Voce, and Struan Rodger.

The series returns this Autumn.




FILTER: - Production - Series 9/35

Surprised Fans at the Doctor Who Experience

Monday, 30 March 2015 - Reported by Marcus
The BBC have released a video clip of Peter Capalid as the Twelfth Doctor, surprising some of his younger fans and answering some of their questions. The event took place at the Doctor Who Experience on Cardiff Bay, to celebrate ten years since the relaunch of Doctor Who.





FILTER: - Exhibitions - Peter Capaldi

Ninth Doctor Additional Covers

Monday, 30 March 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Titan have released a preview of a number of additional variant covers for the new Comic set based on the adventures of the Ninth Doctor, as played by Christopher Eccleston.

The five part series, released on Wednesday, is written by the co-author of the bestselling 'Who-ology', Cavan Scott, and illustrated by artist Blair Shedd.

The Ninth Doctor is BACK with a brand-new miniseries: WEAPONS OF PAST DESTRUCTION!

Leaving World War II behind, The Ninth Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack discover that Time Lord technology, lost in the wake of the Time War, is being sold on the intergalactic black market!

Now the threat of a NEW temporal war brews on the horizon. Can the Doctor stop history repeating itself?




FILTER: - Comics - Ninth Doctor

Interview with Tenth Doctor Comics Writer Nick Abadzis

Monday, 30 March 2015 - Reviewed by Martin Hudecek
Nick AbadzisDoctor Who News recently had the privilege of interviewing talented comic book writer Nick Abadzis, who works on the ongoing Tenth Doctor series from Titan Comics. Having enjoyed the new stories  (which I have reviewed for some time here on this site) I was fascinated to find out a bit more about the process behind them.

Doctor Who Comics influenced Abadzis going back to his childhood, so even today he finds it very special to be part of this great tradition. He has produced the acclaimed graphic novel 'LAIKA', which won an Eisner award, and got similar praise and awards from foreign countries. His upcoming project is entitled Pigs Might Fly and will literally involve flying pigs.

The Tenth Doctor stories take place immediately after Donna Noble's unceremonious exit from the TARDIS crew in Journey's End.approaches the stories as if they formed a proper fourth season for this incarnation; (of course producer Russell T Davies came up with the idea of a 'gap year' of Specials instead). The Tenth Doctor is not in the happiest of places mentally, and is cautious of taking on another companion. He needs newcomer Gabby to win his trust.  

One deliberate creative approach involves using the traditional Doctor Who cliffhanger to  gain reader loyalty and have them obtain further installments from the range.  ButAbadzis tries to not be too formulaic in his storytelling, and this means that the dominant character in the story varies.
Sometimes, it’s from the Doctor’s point of view, sometimes the companion’s, sometimes another character’s, even the villain’s. In comics, you do have that luxury, and it isn’t always as jarring a switch as it might be in another medium.
Abadzis's sheer passion for the comic format is evident:    
Comics is a language..far, far more sophisticated .. than some people give it credit for.....comics grammar is used on a daily basis, where it’s colonized smartphones and desktop computing
Abadzis acknowledges that David Tennant's own charisma gives the story with the Doctor a certain energy and drive, yet he as the writer must look for ways for the heroic Time Lord to develop as a character. Furthermore the RTD produced era was multilayered and in comic form, Nick wants to try and explore that intriguing material with the options comic books allow. Nick also is gracious in crediting the work done by artist  by Elena Casagrande, who is an even bigger fan of the character portrayed by Tennant.

On a final note, he expressed his desire to see major live tours for David Bowie and Iggy Pop when I asked what he would visit if time travel were possible.

The full interview with Nick Abadzis is on Doctor Who Reviews.

Doctor Who: Tenth Vol. 1  is out now in comic book stores, and reaches books stores on March 31st.

Amazon UK Link
Anazon US Link




FILTER: - Comics - Tenth Doctor

Big Finish: Doom Coalition

Saturday, 28 March 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Doom Coalition 1  (Credit: Big Finish)Big Finish have announced a new Eighth Doctor Series, Doom Coalition will be released in the Autumn.

Starring Paul McGann as the Doctor and Nicola Walker as his companion Liv Chenka, the series will see the TARDIS recalled to Gallifrey by the Time Lords, where they will be battling a new foe known only as The Eleven.

Doom Coalition is an epic saga that will span four box sets (a total of sixteen episodes) forming one breathtaking inter-connecting saga that will push the Doctor’s bravery and resourcefulness to its limits.

Producer David Richardson explained
The overall story of Doom Coalition was devised by myself and Ken Bentley over the course of many walks to the studio. Our framework has been fleshed out by a fantastic team of writers, and realised by a brilliant cast – and I can’t wait for the roller-coaster to begin in November
The series will be directed by Ken Bentley
Doom Coalition is unlike anything we’ve attempted before. It’s on a scale that we hope will satisfy loyal listeners. It’s also a new, completely stand-alone adventure, making it a great place to start if you’re listening to Doctor Who on audio for the very first time.
The first box set will see a new addition to the TARDIS team when gifted philologist Helen Sinclair steps aboard in the second episode. Helen is played by Hattie Morahan, whose many leading credits include Bodies, Eternal Law, The Bletchley Circle and the upcoming film Mr Holmes.

Richardson explained the premise behind the character
Helen is from 1963. She was, in part, inspired by Doctor Who’s first producer Verity Lambert – she’s a driven, career-minded woman in a male-dominated profession. And she’s a head-strong and capable companion in the mould of Barbara Wright, Sarah Jane Smith and Tegan Jovanka.

Hattie had been on our radar for some time and we’d been waiting for the right role to come along. When we were recording Dark Eyes 4 Hattie’s name came up during conversation and Paul got very enthusiastic, telling us how much he’d like to work with her. The pieces just fell into place. It was the most effortless casting ever.
Doom Coalition’s first episode also introduces a brand new villain – albeit one that the Doctor has been batting throughout his lives. The Eleven is a Time Lord who retains each one of his personalities every time he regenerates; now in his Eleventh incarnation, he is an insane sociopath. Captured by the Seventh Doctor and placed in confinement on Gallifrey, the Eleven has been contained for many years. But now he has escaped.

The Eleven is played by Mark Bonnar, who was recently seen in Channel 4’s Catastrophe, and won critical acclaim in The Line of Duty. His other leading credits include Shetland, Psychoville and Paradox.

The first volume’s cast also includes Robert Bathurst (Downton Abbey, Toast of London, Blandings), Caroline Langrishe (Dominick Hide, Lovejoy, Judge John Deed), Ramon Tikaram (Stella, Jupiter Ascending, Game of Thrones), David Yelland (Chariots of Fire, Poirot), John Woodvine (Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor), Harry Myers (Bernice Summerfield), Esther Hall (Queer as Folk, Spooks, Rome) and Matthew Cottle (Game On, Citizen Khan).

Doom Coalition 1 is released in October 2015. The remaining three volumes will follow at six month intervals through 2016 and into 2017




FILTER: - Big Finish - Eighth Doctor

New Bus named after John Nathan Turner

Saturday, 28 March 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who's longest serving producer, John Nathan Turner, is to be honoured by the City of Brighton and Hove, with a new bus named after the former resident.

As we reported earlier this week, the final decision to honour the producer was taken by public vote, with Nathan Turner's name being one of 9 selected from a shortlist of 31. An additional 15 names were selected from over one hundred submissions.

John Nathan Turner lived in the city, which is on the south coast of England, for many years, including the period in which he was overseeing Doctor Who. His name will now go on one of the 24 new Coaster buses to be deployed on route 12, that travels east along the Sussex heritage coast towards Eastbourne. The new buses come with a host of new features including low emission ‘Euro 6’ engines, free Wi-Fi, an upper deck table with USB charge points, softer seating, ‘talking buses’ with next stop information and real time tracking of bus locations.

Others being honoured include author Rudyard Kipling, actress Dame Anna Neagle and former voice of the speaking clock Brian Cobby

Full list is here




FILTER: - People

Big Finish Licence Extended to 2020

Friday, 27 March 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Big Finish Productions has announced that its licence from BBC Worldwide to make original Doctor Who dramas on audio has been extended until 31st March 2020.

Executive producer Jason-Haigh Ellery said
Last year saw Big Finish celebrate 15 years of producing new Doctor Who audio drama. A fantastic milestone for our company. I am delighted to be able to announce that our license has now been extended to 31st March 2020. We are very much looking forward to producing at least another five years of adventures with the Doctor and his companions, as we help them fight Daleks, Cybermen and Voord across the Universe.
Executive producer Nicholas Briggs added:
Working with the Big Finish team on the BBC’s and our beloved Doctor Who is a true privilege. We’re so glad to be continuing the adventure well past the 15 year landmark.
Line producer David Richardson gave some idea of future plans
We’re already underway, planning Doctor Who stories into 2017 and 2018. There will be more adventures from the Fifth, Six and Seventh Doctors in the monthly range, more stories for the Fourth Doctor and his companions in The Fourth Doctor Adventures, and a new era for the Eighth Doctor, Liv Chenka and their new friend Helen Sinclair in Doctor Who: Doom Coalition. Plus we will continue to explore the contrasting worlds of our different and very popular spin-off series.
Big Finish Productions have been producing audio dramas based on the original Doctor Who series since 1999.




FILTER: - Big Finish

The New Who Programme Guide

Friday, 27 March 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster
A new programme guide is to be published in April, picking up from where the originals left off in 1989 ...

The New Who Programme Guide (Credit: Paul Smith/Wonderful Books)The New Who Programme Guide
Written by Paul Smith, with a foreword by Jean-Marc Lofficier

In 1981, the publication of Jean-Marc Lofficier's original Doctor Who Programme Guide was a seminal moment in the history of Doctor Who reference books (and in many young fans' enthralment by the series). This and the updated edition in 1989 -- which covered up to what turned out to be the end of the Classic era -- became the series bible for fans throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Now the legacy of that original guide continues. Picking up where the 1989 edition left off, The New Who Programme Guide covers the revived series from the debut of the Eighth Doctor to the passing of the Eleventh. Every television adventure, plus the many mini-episodes and prequels produced for broadcast and DVD, is detailed in the same clear and concise format.

Each has a full cast list featuring both credited and notable non-speaking roles; the names of the writer, director and producers; and a brand new synopsis of the storyline. There is also a rundown of in-character appearances by the regular cast outside the main programme, and indexes of every actor, writer, director and producer to have worked on the show.

Presented in the same compact and easy-to-use form as the original Doctor Who Programme Guide, the book is the perfect companion to Lofficier's original and a handy quick-reference guide to the New Series.


Paul Smith is the author of last year's Classic Doctor Who DVD Compendium, designer of Time & Space Visualiser: The Story and History of Doctor Who as Data Visualisations, and he produced the tongue-in-cheek Wonderful Book of Dr Who 1965.

The New Who Programme Guide (comparison) (Credit: Paul Smith/Wonderful Books)

The New Who Programme Guide will be available on Amazon from 3rd April 2015.




FILTER: - Books