The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine features Sixties hero William Russell on its cover, while inside, the actor, who played science teacher Ian Chesterton in 78 episodes of Doctor Who, talks about his time on the series and his relationship with the actor who played the First Doctor. Also in this issue:

• Doctor Who Magazine, in association with Big Finish Productions, presents an exclusive brand-new audio adventure starring William Russell. The Revenants, written by Ian Potter, features the First Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan and is available free to all readers this issue.
• The votes have been counted and the winners of DWM's annual poll are announced. Which stories, actors, authors and directors came out on top in 2011?
• Author Neil Gaiman, writer of the acclaimed 2011 episode The Doctor's Wife, talks about writing the story and reveals the secrets of the scenes you didn't see.
• Doctor Who's commander-in-chief, Steven Moffat, writes for DWM in Production Notes and tells of the sad day on which Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill recorded their very last scene as departing companions Amy and Rory.
• Glen McCoy, author of 1985's time-twisting Timelash, talks to DWM about writing the Sixth Doctor's infamous adventure and his early career in television.
• It's 1982 and the Fifth Doctor takes the helm of a crowded TARDIS and navigates the series into a new era as our voyage through five decades of Doctor Who continues with 1982's Season 19 in Countdown to 50.
• DWM goes behind the scenes of the making of a brand-new Doctor Who spin-off audio drama series from Big Finish Productions. Counter Measures features characters from 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, and DWM talks to actors Pamela Salem, Simon Williams and Karen Gledhill, who reprise their roles after more than 20 years.
• The Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory get involved in some very organised crime on an alien world as they embark on a brand-new adventure, The Cornucopia Caper, written by Scott Gary and drawn by Dan McDaid.
• As the hunt for the Key to Time comes to a dramatic climax, the Fourth Doctor, Romana and K9 face the ultimate forces of darkness in The Armageddon Factor. The Fact of Fiction examines this six-part adventure from 1979 and uncovers some fascinating new facts . . .
• As well as all broadcast episodes of Doctor Who, there are a multitude of scripts and story ideas that never made it to the screen. Some of these are now being produced as audio dramas, but would it have been better to let the stories rest in peace and make brand-new adventures for the Doctor instead? Toby Hadoke and Johnny Candon debate the pros and cons.
• The Time Team slick their hair back and join the Doctor and Rose in post-war London where the alien Wire is riding the airwaves of the nation's TV broadcasts. Join Chris, Emma, Will and Michael as they bathe in the warm glow of 2006's The Idiot's Lantern.
• The cunning Watcher challenges readers with The Six Faces of Delusion, outs another Supporting Artist of the Month and examines Doctor Who's use of the definite article in A History of Doctor Who in 100 Objects.
Plus all the latest official news, TV and merchandise reviews, previews, competitions and a prize-winning crossword.

Big Finish have announced that Tom Baker and Louise Jameson will reprise their roles for a new eight episode season of Doctor Who adventures as the Doctor and Leela, to be released from January 2014.

Executive Producer Nicholas Briggs said:
Producer David Richardson added:
The series will also feature the titular Blake's Seven actor Gareth Thomas (pictured) in one episode, playing the last surviving member of the Colophon race; the story also features The Greatest Show in the Galaxy star Jessica Martin.

The Fourth Doctor Adventures: Series Three is now available for pre-order by subscription from Big Finish.

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This June sees the finale of the first series released:

Three of Big Finish's audio releases have been nominated for the Best Audio award in this year's Scribe Awards, a ceremony organised by the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers to honour excellence in writing. For Doctor Who, The Many Deaths of Jo Grant by Mark Wright and Cavan Scott is featured, against other series entries Dark Shadows: The Lost Girl by D Lynn Smith and Highlander: All The King's Horsemen by Scott Andrews. The results will be announced at the July Comic-Con.

In celebration, this weekend (1st June 6pm - 4th June 8am) sees the releases available on special offer (the latter as part of the Highlander Series Two boxed set) - see the Big Finish website for full details.


Big Finish will be running a number of promotional sales during the course of June, with the one above followed by another to tie-in to the transit of Venus ... with Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles - The Transit of Venus, narrated by William Russell! This will be available on offer for the 5th-6th June.

Filming Update:

As reported last week, Jenna-Louise Coleman has now joined the Doctor Who "family"; speaking on the Richard Bacon Show, BAFTA winner Steven Moffat commented on the impact her arrival has had on the series:
The complete interview on Doctor Who, Sherlock, and the Kennedy assassination is available to listen to worldwide from the BBC iPlayer until next Monday afternoon.

The episode currently being filmed is not Jenna's first episode - that will be this year's Christmas Special (which Moffat reports is still being written and well overdue!) - but will be one of the 2013 episodes; it has been written by Neil Cross (Spooks/Luther), and is being directed by Jamie Payne (Ashes to Ashes, Primeval and the recent Call the Midwife). Locations filmed thus far have included the Manor House at Plas Llanmihangel, Margam Country Park and Gethin Woodland Park - the latter eliciting a comment from alternative rock group Let It Fall, who tweeted: "Soooo.. We was going to write some music in the woods, but we bumped into the Dr. Who film crew, cool ay?". Other unconfirmed reports indicated another trip 'across the bridge' to England late last week, possibly to Bristol's historic harbourside.

Writers:

During a school talk, writer Steve Thompson mentioned that he would be writing an episode for the forthcoming series, and commented that he needed to read the scripts of the first five episodes. With the Christmas Special known to be the sixth episode, this would place his story firmly within the second half of the series.

Mark Gatiss confirmed that he was writing a story for 2013 to Digital Spy at BAFTA, saying that "it's for the new companion, Jenna-Louise Coleman, that's all I can tell you or I will actually be shot!"

As well as Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss and Neil Cross, other writers believed to be contributing towards the eight episodes featuring new co-star Jenna-Louise Coleman are John Fay and Tom MacRae.

Cast:

Some of the recent names to be confirmed in the next series include: for episode two, Riann Steele (Death in Paradise) as Queen Nefertiti; for episode four, Mark Williams continues his role as Rory's father Brian, Steven Berkoff (The Borgias) as Mr Shanks, Stephen Blything as Henry, Ruthie Henshall (The Case), Jemma Redgrave (Cold Blood, Bramwell) as Kate Stewart; and for episode five, Rob David (Rome) as Sam Garner and Michael McShane (Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Clerks, Spawn) - the latter said on Twitter: "Getting ready to leave for Cardiff to be a villain in Dr.Who!! YEEESSSS!!!«. In my episode the Doctor finds he's got a;:/;;zapppppp GACK. sizzle,hissssss......« Most fantastic time doing Doctor Who; best cast and crew I've been with in a while! Long live Gallifrey...« Can't say what I did In Doctor Who, or Steven Moffat will ride in on a horse and crush my head with a mace, like Mel in "Braveheart"..sorry.«"

Caitlin Blackwood, aka the young Amelia Pond, was a guest at last weekend's Timegate convention, and when asked about possibly appearing in the next series she avoided the answer, instead miming having her lips zipped shut and saying "spoilers"...

On the other hand, John Simm commented: "in reply to many, regardless of what it says on imdb, No i'm not returning to Dr Who. Got absolutely no plans to do so.«"

Scheduling:

Addressing recent concerns over scheduling and a potentially shorter series in the future, Moffat assured listeners on the Richard Bacon show:

Roath Lock Studios:

The BBC have released a video to introduce the new Roath Lock Studios at Cardiff Bay, presented by the 'current' cast of Arthur Darvill, Karen Gillan and Matt Smith; the video (originally shown to visitors at the studio's opening tour) includes facts and figures and a look behind the scenes within the new studios.

A copyright wrangle that had prevented a BBC Four adaptation of Room At The Top starring Jenna-Louise Coleman from being shown has been resolved.

The drama, based on the classic novel by John Braine that was first published in 1957, should have been shown in April 2011 but it had to be shelved following a dispute between the late Braine's estate, represented by literary agency David Higham Associates, and Remus Films. The TV rights had been sold by David Higham Associates to Great Meadow Productions but that was challenged by Remus Films.

It is now hoped that the two-parter will be shown "in the near future". In it, Coleman plays the character of Susan Brown opposite Matthew McNulty as protagonist Joe Lampton, as pictured above. The adaptation by Amanda Coe also stars Kevin McNally. It was shot at a variety of locations around Yorkshire and the north-east coast in November and December 2010.

This morning saw the Olympic Torch Relay commence on Day Eight of its travels around the United Kingdom, kicking off from outside the Norwegian Church at Cardiff Bay - with a familiar face to take on the mantle of bearer! Matt Smith was up bright and early to play his part in the celebratory journey, and spoke on BBC Breakfast about how he felt on his latest role and the crowd that gathered to cheer him on:



When asked about his predecessor's carrying the torch before (the Tenth Doctor in Fear Her), Matt commented "I'm pleased I got my turn!"

Matt Smith will be carrying the Olympic Torch this weekend when it reaches Cardiff in the latest leg of its 70 day trip around the United Kingdom.

Smith will bear the torch early on Saturday morning, at the start of its journey from Cardiff, the capital of Wales and home of Doctor Who, to Swansea a few miles along the coast. The day will see the torch visit the communities of Barry, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda and Bridgend.

Smith told the official BBC twitter feed The journey can be followed live via the BBC News website, starting from around 6.20am (0520 GMT). Smith will carry the torch from the Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Harbour Drive to the Senedd, National Assembly Building, Cardiff, a distance of about quarter of a mile.

The Olympic Torch featured in the 2006 Doctor Who story Fear Her, where the Tenth Doctor carried the torch on the last part of its journey towards the Olympic Stadium, as well as in the mini episode Good as Gold, shown on Blue Peter yesterday.

BBC Books have released details on the next book in their hardback range of Doctor Who novels; The Wheel Of Ice is written by science fiction author Stephen Baxter and features the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe. It is due to be published on 16th August.


BBC Books Senior Editorial Director Albert DePetrillo commented:

The winning entry in this year's Script To Screen competition has been revealed as coming from Ashdene Primary School in Wilmslow.

The theme of the contest was the Olympics, and the team's mini-episode, which stars Matt Smith and Karen Gillan and sees the return of the Weeping Angels, is to be shown on today's episode of Blue Peter, airing on CBBC at 5.45pm.

Irene Spawton, Year 6 teacher at the Cheshire school, said the pupils involved, named only as Emily, Libby, and Rebecca, pictured above, left to right, with Smith and Gillan - click on the thumbnail to expand, were thrilled and surprised to have won the competition:
In a short piece last week in the school's newsletter, head teacher Keith Wadcock congratulated the trio on their victory.

The three-minute adventure, called Good As Gold, was filmed at Roath Lock studios the week before last, and Keith Gaskin, the father of Emily, tweeted about it on 8th May: "I've just wished my daughter luck as she's off to Cardiff to have her script made into a Dr Who episode after winning BBC comp. Good luck Em!", 9th May in reply to a comment about the win probably blowing her mind: "It certainly did thanks. The worst part was she knew a while back but couldn't tell anyone! Blue Peter are filming as well" and 10th May: "I've just picked up my daughter after their script was made into a Dr Who episode. Brilliant time apparently & Matt Smith fantastic with them."

The girls' script was chosen by Doctor Who supremo Steven Moffat, BBC Learning executive producer Katy Jones, and Doctor Who executive producer Caroline Skinner, who praised the quality of all the entries, saying:
Jones said:

A behind-the-scenes item on how Good As Gold was made will also feature in today's Blue Peter, which is repeated tomorrow on BBC One at 4.30pm and will be available via the BBC iPlayer here within the UK following today's broadcast.

Big Finish are to hold a special sale this weekend of the trilogy of adventures starring Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor with Tracy Childs as Klein, the stories of which can currently be heard on BBC Radio 4 Extra.

A Thousand Tiny Wings The TARDIS arrives in 1950s Kenya during the Mau Mau uprising, and the Doctor again encounters Nazi scientist Elizabeth Klein.

Klein’s Story/Survival of the Fittest The secrets of Klein’s past are revealed, and a visit to an alien world sees an attempt to save an insect race from exctinction.

The Architects of History A new future is threatened by an attack by the alien Selachians...

The three adventures will be available individually or as a bundle.

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The two characters are to be reunited in October: