We are sad to report the death of editor and publisher Richard Henwood, the 'grandfather' of the Target Doctor Who novelization range, who died on the morning of the 28th May, following a massive stroke on the 25th May. As David Howe tells Outpost Gallifrey: "Henwood enjoyed a prestigious career as an editor and published, specialising in children's books and it was in 1972 that he was head-hunted from Scholastic by Ralph Stokes and Brian Miles, who were setting up a children's imprint at their own publishing house, the Universal-Tandem publishing company. Henwood was pleased with the challenge and started looking for books for this new imprint, named Target. Among the books he found were the original 1960's hardbacks of three Doctor Who titles: Doctor Who in an exciting Adventure with the Daleks, The Crusaders and The Zarbi.

"æI was ushered into the boardroom of Frederick Muller in Tottenham Court Road by the rights manager,' Henwood recalled when talking about the origins of the range for a series of articles for Doctor Who Magazine, 'and arranged on the table were some twenty books. One swift glance told me that I was almost certainly wasting my time, but my eyes strayed back to a trio of tired looking hardbacks in the centre. ôDoctor Whoàö I mused aloud to myself. ôOh I donÆt know àö the fact is (IÆm ashamed to say) that back then I didnÆt. As a matter of deliberate choice we had no television at home, and I had only seen a few minutes of the odd episode of Doctor Who in someone elseÆsÆ house. However, I said, ôIÆll take an option on that trio, if I may.ö æ ôThey didnÆt sell very well into the libraries when we published them in 1964,ö said the rights manager, ôà but Armada paperbacked one as an experiment. ItÆs out of print now.ö æBack at Gloucester Road I showed my morningÆs ôcatchö to Brian Miles. Without hesitation, he exclaimed ôDoctor Who à theyÆll sell!ö'

"Miles was correct, and Henwood's decision to republish the Doctor Who novelisations resulted in an astonishing range of books which is still with us today, and which, to Richard's great delight, was entered in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest series of books based around a lead character. When I spoke to him for the history of Target series, I found him enthusiastic and keen to talk about his involvement in the range. He was still writing, despite having retired some years earlier, and was still having a great time doing what he loved. His death is a sad loss as he was what every writer wants: an editor who loved books and publishing with a passion."

The attached photo at right (click for a larger version) shows writer Terrance Dicks, Richard Henwood, Doctor Who Producer and writer Barry Letts and editor Elizabeth Godfray at a reunion meal in 2000. (Special thanks to David Howe for sharing his memories with us; the photo is copyright to David Howe and may not be reproduced without permission.)

The next "season" of Big Finish stories starring Paul McGann has been revealed in issue 331 of "Doctor Who Magazine". The new group of stories stars in December (following McGann and the other Doctors in the anniversary story "Zagreus") with Scherzo by Rob Shearman ("Jubilee"). In January, Philip Martin -- best known as the author of the television stories "Vengeance on Varos" and "Mindwarp" -- returns to Doctor Who writing The Creed of Kromon. In February, author Jim Mortimore ("Campaign") pens The Natural History of Fear while new-to-BF author Will Shindler (script editor for the drama "Born and Bred" and formerly of Radio 5) pens the March 2004 serial The Twilight Kingdom. The DWM article mentions, meanwhile, that "anyone expecting the cliffhanger from 'Neverland' to be wrapped up by the end of 'Zagreus' will be disappointed" and that the story arc running through this forthcoming "season" will be a slender one.

In other news, a new alien companion is introduced; named C'Rizz, played by stage actor Conrad Westmaas (who is also currently assistant editor of "Doctor Who Magazine") who also plays Tarpov in the upcoming serial "Omega"... where the new companion is said to make a "small but significant" contribution (perhaps the two are the same character). C'Rizz has a 'vestigial exoskeleton' and can "change skin colour at will" and can hide by blending against a background (effectively invisible). There is no word yet as to whether or not India Fisher ("Charley") returns for these stories as well. Big Finish will also be reopening their submissions policy to new authors for a short time. Further details on these stories are forthcoming. (Thanks to DWM)

Reporter Paul McIntyre from Australia's ABC Online recently took to the streets of Hobart, Tasmania to find out what television series Australians miss the most... and at the top of their list, "Doctor Who". "Many people told Paul they probably wouldnÆt watch their favourite missed show should it ever be returned to TV," says the article, "for fear of ruining their special memories. It was felt however that programmes such as æDoctor WhoÆ, æThe GoodiesÆ and æAstro BoyÆ should be made available to entertain future generations." The full article can be read by clicking here. (Thanks to "Indigo Blue")

Issue 331 of Doctor Who Magazine is on sale May 29. Featured in the article is the last-ever DWM Archive, taking a look back at "The Daleks" in 1963; the third and final part of Gary Gillatt's article "The Fan Gene"; the full, uncut transcripts of the Tom Baker and Philip Hinchcliffe interviews recorded for the 1977 "Whose Doctor Who" documentary in "Lively Conversations"; part two of the comic strip "Doctor Who and the Nightmare Game"; plus the Time Team, "the Watcher plays six degrees of Salyavin," and all the usual news, previews and reviews! The cover illustration is at right. (Thanks to Clayton Hickman/DWM)

The Doctor Who Restoration Team has posted feature articles on the forthcoming DVD releases of Earthshock and The Curse of Fenric, as we reported from the BBC's press release late last week. Earthshock features commentary by the four regulars in the series -- Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and Matthew Waterhouse (pictured at right), as well as the extras noted in our May 23 article (the 30-minute documentary, by Ed Stradling, is entitled "Putting the Shock into Earthshock"). The article on "Earthshock" also features before-and-after video captures for some of the film clean-up work, as well as details about the work done on the film sequences, the music restoration and the new effects work on the freighter and gunfire effects. The feature onCurse of Fenric discusses the two versions being released -- the original four-part transmission and a special "brand-new, movie-format extended edit with a full Dolby Digital 5.1 sound remix... [that] had always been director Nick Mallett's vision for an extended version of the story." Twelve additional minutes have been added (five more than the 'extended' VHS release), and the movie version features a slightly new score by Mark Ayres, the original composer. "It's the same basic score," says Ayres, "with new bits added for the new scenes. It also means that I can properly assimilate the bits I wrote for the old video version so that it's not such a patchwork quilt. I'm updating the arrangement and orchestration as I go - tastes change in 24 years!" Extras have not been announced but there are slight modifications being done on effects work on several segments. Very little information about The Two Doctors, this year's other release, has been released, though work on remastering it is underway. You can visit the RT's website to read the full articles; click on the "DVD releases" menu item at left, then the individual title. (Thanks to the Restoration Team)

The forthcoming BBC UK release of Earthshock, due out August 4, is featured in an article on the Restoration Team'swebsite, which includes information on the extras being planned for the disc. Like the release of "The Ark in Space," several special effects shots were updated with modern versions, including "the pink and magenta striped rays of the trooper guns and the demise of the freighter at the end of the story." They can be played as an alternative to the original version. Also featured on the disc are commentaries by the cast -- Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and Matthew Waterhouse -- as well as Did You See?, a 10-minute feature on Doctor Who monsters from 1981; a new 30-minute documentary featuring interviews with castmembers and fans and "examining the impact of the return of the Cybermen and the death of a companion..."; complete film sequences; an isolated music soundtrack; easter eggs; plus photo gallery and production subtitles. (Thanks to the Restoration Team)

BBC Worldwide's press release for the 40th anniversary details various Doctor Who audio releases. As Outpost Gallifrey previously mentioned, the audio box set Yeti Attack (a box set of repackaged CDs of "Abominable Snowmen" and "Web of Fear") is due out July 7. Adventures in History (featuring "The Myth Makers," "The Massacre" and "The Highlanders") will be out August 4, the Dalek Tin with the new audio releases of The Power of the Daleks and The Evil of the Daleks is due out November 3, as is a three-disc version of Marco Polo, and the BBC also confirmed the September 1 release of the audio Doctor Who at the BBC, though it now appears that the linking narration is being done by Elisabeth Sladen (instead of Nick Courtney, who was noted on the information we were given previously).

One additional new item: The Doctor Who Remix Album will feature "major artists' interpretations of the Radiophonic Workshop" (specifically remixes of Ron Grainer's theme music). This is due out in the "Autumn" with no date specified.

Below are cover illustrations for the "Yeti Attack" box, the "Adventures in History" box, "Power of the Daleks" and "Marco Polo", as well as a mock-up cover in the booklet for "Dr. Who at the BBC" (which we gather is NOT the final cover illustration!)

The BBC Worldwide press release for the 40th anniversary details additional developments in forthcoming books. The press info confirms the release of Doctor Who: The Legend on November 13, including a much larger version of the cover (at right; click the thumbnail for a larger version). Meanwhile, here are the press blurbs for forthcoming 2003 novels as issued by BBC Worldwide (skipping ahead to books where the cover blurbs haven't been made available yet):

BBC Worldwide's press release for the 40th anniversary has some information about this year's video & DVD releases. First is the story we previously reported of the release of The Horns of Nimon on June 2, as well as the November 24 date of the VHS release of The Reign of Terror Collectors Set, which features both the surviving episodes of the 1964 story The Reign of Terror (with, Outpost Gallifrey has learned, a linking segment for the missing episodes currently being put together by Ed Stradling) as well as the final unreleased individual episodes of the Patrick Troughton stories The Web of Fear (episode 1) and The Faceless Ones (episodes 1 and 3).

While it is not actually mentioned in the text, though, a cover illustration for the release of the only other Doctor Who story not yet put out on video, Invasion of the Dinosaurs, is listed as "Release date: to be confirmed," though it will hopefully be released either this year before the "Reign" tape or as the very last VHS release in early 2004.

BBC Worldwide has also confirmed the DVD's we've mentioned over the past several weeks and given them release dates, including The Dalek Invasion of Earth on June 16, Earthshock on August 4, The Two Doctors on September 8, The Curse of Fenric on October 6, and The Three Doctors on November 24. According to the press info, "The Three Doctors" will be packaged with a special Corgi model of the Doctor's car, Bessie (part of Corgi's anniversary release packages; see below).

The following are larger and much clearer versions of the draft cover illustrations of the forthcoming DVDs "Earthshock," "The Two Doctors" and "The Curse of Fenric" from the BBC press package, along with the video package for the eventual release of "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" -- an updated cover illustration with much more clarity than our original posting -- and the June release of "Horns of Nimon". (Special thanks to Julian Knott and the folks at Zeta Minor for initial press reports!)

BBC Worldwide today, at long last, issued a massive 27-page press kit called "Doctor Who Celebrates 40th Anniversary in Style" with articles, cover illustrations and press information for its 2003 slate of videos, DVDs, audios and books. Also included in the press package were several feature articles including "It was 40 years ago today...", "Doctor Who Still Makes the Headlines," "Awards," "40 Fabulous Facts" and an article called "Doctor Who: Britain's Best-Loved Eccentric" by Andrew Beech. (And OG was mentioned as one of the primary Doctor Who informational sites.) Following are the three major sections of release information for the forthcoming year. (With special thanks to David Howe, Julian Knott and Steve Roberts)