Ronnie Corbett 1930-2016

Thursday, 31 March 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Ronnie Corbett as Archie in The Two Ronnies Christmas Special 1983 - The Adventures of Archie (Credit: BBC)
Ronnie Corbett with Elisabeth Sladen for the Comic Relief Special. Credit: BBC
The actor/comedian Ronnie Corbett has died, aged 85.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, he started his acting career after National Service, initially playing a number of schoolchild roles owing to his height, before migrating into comedy on television with the likes of Dickie Henderson and Jimmy Tarbuck However, it was in during The Frost Report in 1966 where he was to first meet and work alongside Ronnie Barker, leading to their successful partnership in The Two Ronnies, running between 1971 and 1987 plus specials, and the show that made him a household name.

His other major television role was as Timothy Lumsden in Sorry!, which ran from 1981-1988. In later years he appeared in films including Fierce Creatures and Burke and Hare, and on television in shows like The Ronnie Corbett Show, game show Small Talk and Ronnie's Animal Crackers, and also made appearance as 'himself' in both Extras and Little Britain.

Though not directly related to Doctor Who, he "inherits" the TARDIS from a 'Doctor' of sorts played by Ronnie Barker in their 1983 Christmas Special sketch, The Adventures of Archie. He was later to appear in The Sarah Jane Adventures universe, playing an ambassador that later turned out to be a Slitheen in the 2009 Comic Relief segment From Raxacoricofallapatorius with Love.

Outside of his career, Corbett was a keen golfer, and was also president of the Lord's Taverners cricketing charity in 1982 and 1987. He received an OBE in 1978 and then a CBE in 2012 for services to entertainment and charity.

He was married to actress and dancer Anne Hart, with two daughters who also act, Emma and Sophie.


Ronald Balfour Corbett, 4th Dec 1930 - 31 Mar 2016








FILTER: - Obituary - People - Sarah Jane

Michelle Gomez nominated for BAFTA Award

Wednesday, 30 March 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Michelle Gomez as Missy (Credit: BBC/Simon Ridgway)The nominations for the 2016 BAFTA Television Awards have now been announced, and actress Michelle Gomez has been nominated in the Supporting Actress category for her role in Doctor Who.

The actresses up for this category are:
  • Eleanor Worthington-Cox, for The Enfield Haunting
  • Chanel Cresswell, for This Is England '90
  • Michelle Gomez, for Doctor Who
  • Lesley Manville, for River

The BAFTA Awards take place on Sunday 8th May at the Royal Festival Hall, London, and will be broadcast live on BBC One.



Doctor Who's return to television garnered it both the Drama Series Award and Pioneer Audience Award in 2006, with its lead writer Russell T Davies also receiving the Dennis Potter Award; one of the key forces behind the show's successful return, Jane Tranter, received the Alan Clarke Award in 2009 (presented by then Doctor David Tennant). In more recent times, current lead writer Steven Moffat received the Special Award in 2012, and the 50th Anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor won the Radio Times Audience Award in 2014. Current Doctor Peter Capaldi has also been a recipient, winning the award for Male Performance in a Comedy Programme for his role as Malcolm Tucker in The Thick Of It.



Doctor Who has also been nominated in the BAFTA Craft Awards, with effects companies Milk VFX, Millennium FX, Real SFX, Molinare up for Special, Visual and Graphics Effects, a category the show has been nominated for every year since 2007 and receiving in 2009, 2014, and last year.





FILTER: - Awards/Nominations

Lethbridge-Stewart: free download for Easter short story The Black Eggs of Khufu

Saturday, 26 March 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Lethbridge-Stewart: The Black Eggs of Khufu (Credit: Candy Jar Books)Candy Jar Books has released a brand new Lethbridge-Stewart short story for Easter, which is being made available free to readers. The Black Eggs of Khufu is written by Tom Dexter and features an ancient alien mystery, camels, explosions and a ‘great egg race’ across the desert.

Lauren Thomas, who recently joined Candy Jar Books as digital and social media assistant, said:
We really thought that Tom Dexter had reached his peak with The Fright Before Christmas. That was until we read his story about the pyramids.

Forthcoming publications from Candy Jar Books include a limited edition anthology of short stories originally released online, The HAVOC Files (almost sold out!), and the next in their full Lethbridge Stewart novels, Moon Blink by Sadie Miller.


Full details on how to purchase the books and for downloading The Black Eggs of Jhufu can be found via their website.




FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart - Merchandise

Adrienne Corri 1930-2016

Saturday, 26 March 2016 - Reported by Marcus
The actress Adrienne Corri has died at the age of 85

Adrienne Corri played Mena in 1980 story The Leisure Hive, the first story of Tom Baker's last Doctor Who season.

Cori appeared in a number of film roles, and is probably best known for playing Mrs. Alexander in the 1971 Stanley Kubrick film A Clockwork Orange. She played Lara's mother in David Lean's 1965 film Dr. Zhivago and appeared in the Otto Preminger thriller Bunny Lake is missing .

Other films include Devil Girl from Mars, The Tell-Tale Heart, A Study in Terror and Vampire Circus. She played Therese Duval in Revenge of the Pink Panther.

Her television credits include playing Angelica in Sword of Freedom, Grace Gould in A Family at War, and Lady Rebecca in Lovejoy.




FILTER: - Obituary

Adrienne Corri 1930-2916

Saturday, 26 March 2016 - Reported by Marcus
The actress Adrienne Corri has died at the age of 85

Adrienne Corri played Mena in 1980 story The Leisure Hive, the first story of Tom Baker's last Doctor Who season.

Cori appeared in a number so film roles, and is probably best known for playing Mrs. Alexander in the 1971 Stanley Kubrick film A Clockwork Orange. She played Lara's mother in David Lean's 1965 film Dr. Zhivago and appeared in the Otto Preminger thriller Bunny Lake is missing .

Other films include Devil Girl from Mars, The Tell-Tale Heart, A Study in Terror and Vampire Circus. She played Therese Duval in Revenge of the Pink Panther.

Her television credits include playing Angelica in Sword of Freedom, Grace Gould in A Family at War, and Lady Rebecca in Lovejoy.




FILTER: - Obituary

Legacy Easter Update

Friday, 25 March 2016 - Reported by Marcus
Legacy Legacy Doctor Who Legacy has launched a new event for Easter. Using the new Easter Egg gem skins players can hunt down Easter eggs hidden around the levels of Legacy and collect a set of Adipose allies.

All levels in the game feature 150% experience, levels in the fan area are set to 200%

The Easter Sale is also now live giving 30% more crystals as well as a New Season 9 Pack with Season 9 characters and costumes, and a Sale on other packs including Season 8 and the complete Doctor set.

The Trickster Event, which will run for approximately 6 weeks, is also now live. The Trickster and his Brigade will use the chaos created by The Master to grow their influence over the world of Doctor Who: Legacy.

Each week during the Trickster Event, a new member of the Trickster Event team, will be rewarded for free, as a guaranteed drop. The team is comprised of: The Tenth Doctor (in his 3D glasses), Sarah Jane, Peri, Saibra, a Zygon, and the TARDIS.




FILTER: - Legacy

Amazon Prime confirmed to exclusively stream Doctor Who in United States

Monday, 21 March 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Amazon Prime instant video (Credit: Amazon)Amazon and BBC Worldwide North America have announced that Doctor Who will be available to stream exclusively from Prime Video in the United States, kicking off with the first eight of the modern series from 27th March, with last year's Series 9 and The Husbands of River Song to follow in the autumn.

The show will be available to Prime members for no additional charge.


Back in February, BBC Worldwide announced an exclusive streaming deal with CraveTV in Canada.




FILTER: - Online - USA

Peter Capaldi accepts Guinness World Records title

Monday, 21 March 2016 - Reported by Marcus
Peter Capaldi Accepts Guinness World Records titlePeter Capaldi has accepted the Guinness World Records title for the Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Doctor Who Characters, at the La Mole Comic Con in Mexico City last Saturday.

The actor has been on a promotional tour to Mexico City, where the series is known as Doctor Misterio. After being mobbed at the airport the actor attended La Mole Comic Con where the record was attempted.

All in all 492 Doctor Who doppelgängers, Daleks and Oods joined the actual Doctor as part of the Guinness World Records attempt. Peter Capaldi and Executive Producer Brian Minchin were in The city to celebrate the premier of Doctor Who, Season 9 on NBC’s channel Syfy.

Doctor Who already holds the Guinness World Record as the Longest running sci-fi series while Doctor Who Magazine is the Longest Running Magazine Based on a Television Series. The 50th Anniversaty story The Day of the Doctor was named the world's largest-ever simulcast of a TV drama.

Peter Capaldi Accepts Guinness World Records titlePeter Capaldi Accepts Guinness World Records titlePeter Capaldi Accepts Guinness World Records titlePeter Capaldi Accepts Guinness World Records titlePeter Capaldi Accepts Guinness World Records title




FILTER: - Awards/Nominations

The Doctor Who Project

Sunday, 20 March 2016 - Reported by Marcus
The Doctor Who Project [TDWP] is seeking story proposals to form part of a forthcoming season of short stories.

TDWP centers on the continuing adventures of an alternate Tenth Doctor and his current travelling companion Hannah Redfoot. Stories are published as part of an overall season that concentrates on delivering a collection of short stories that sees the Doctor facing new and original situations in time and space.

The stories have typically been anywhere from 12,000-40,000 words and have featured elements from the original 1963-89 television series as well as original creations developed by the writers. The stories are published as free downloadable PDF documents featuring a novel-like layout and specially created covers.

The project is looking for imaginative, original and entertaining stories that see the Doctor and his companion travel and experience the wonders of the universe.

For details on how to contribute a story proposal to TDWP see the Submission Guidelines.




FILTER: - Fan Productions

The Essential Doctor Who #7

Saturday, 19 March 2016 - Reported by Marcus
THE ESSENTIAL DOCTOR WHO #7: TIME LORDS (Credit: Panini)The makers of Doctor Who Magazine have released the latest in their series of bookazines, with a 116-page issue devoted to the Doctor’s own race.

The Time Lords includes exclusive interviews with Terrance Dicks (co-writer of The War Games), Stephen Thorne (who played Omega in The Three Doctors), Michael Jayston (the Valeyard in The Trial of a Time Lord), Douglas Mackinnon (the director of Listen) and T’Nia Miller (who played the female incarnation of Gallifrey’s General in Hell Bent). In another of the issue’s highlights Andrew Smith – the writer of the 1980 story Full Circle – interviews Lalla Ward, who played the second incarnation of Time Lady Romana.

Elsewhere there are detailed guides to Time Lord books and comic strips, and a look at the complex events of the Time War. Each Gallifrey story receives its own, two-page episode guide. The issue is richly illustrated with rare pictures and previously unseen production designs.

Editor Marcus Hearn says
The events of the last series restored the Time Lords, and their home planet Gallifrey, to the forefront of Doctor Who. We’ve brought together that mythology and production information in a guide that covers everything you need to know – from The Time Meddler in 1965 to Hell Bent in 2015.
The Essential Doctor Who: The Time Lords is on sale now price £9.99.




FILTER: - DWM