AudioGo: August Releases

Thursday, 28 June 2012 - Reported by John Bowman

A classic-era Doctor Who story and a new novel are getting the spoken-word treatment from AudioGo, which is also releasing its fifth and final compendium of lost TV episodes.

The Aztecs, read by William Russell, and The Wheel of Ice, read by David Troughton, join The Lost TV Episodes Collection 5 (1967-1969) in AudioGo's August release schedule.

The Aztecs
Written by John Lucarotti
Read by William Russell
Release date: 1st August 2012 (Digi); 2nd August 2012 (CD)
(Pre-order)

In John Lucarotti's 1984 novelisation featuring the First Doctor, the TARDIS materialises in Mexico during the Aztec civilisation and Barbara is hailed as a reincarnation of Yetaxa, High Priest of the Aztecs.

But while each of the travellers becomes embroiled in the arcane ways of the Aztecs, Barbara's determination to change history seems doomed from the start.

The audiobook also boasts original sound design.

The Wheel of Ice
Written by Stephen Baxter
Read by David Troughton
Release date: 16th August 2012 (CD or download)
(Pre-order)

This unabridged reading of a brand-new BBC Books novel features a ring of ice and steel turning around a moon of Saturn, home to a colony mining minerals for a resource-hungry future Earth.

Aboard the Wheel, which has been plagued by problems, the Second Doctor, Jamie, and Zoe find a critical situation - and three strangers who have just turned up out of nowhere look like prime candidates to be accused of sabotage . . .

The Doctor finds himself caught up in a mystery that goes right back to the creation of the solar system.

The Wheel of Ice is also being published in hardback on the same day and can be pre-ordered here.

The Lost TV Episodes Collection 5 (1967-1969)
Release date: 1st August 2012 (Digi); 2nd August 2012 (CD)
(Pre-order)

The fifth and final instalment in the series features soundtrack adventures from the Patrick Troughton era.

This box set comprises six stories that are either wholly or partially lost from the TV archives, but which can be enjoyed in their entirety on audio. Presented in chronological order of transmission, they are The Enemy of the World, The Web of Fear, Fury from the Deep, The Wheel in Space, The Invasion, and The Space Pirates.

Linking narration is provided by a member of the original TV cast, and the box also features bonus interviews and PDFs of the original TV camera scripts.

FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Classic Series

Her Universe: Doctor Who T-Shirts

Thursday, 28 June 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

A company specialising in merchandise for female fans have been granted a licence by BBC Worldwide to produce a range of official t-shirts themed around Doctor Who. Her Universe aims to feature images, characters and phrases from the Doctor Who universe all with fashion-forward designs for girls to look "Geek Chic", and launches the range on 11th July with three designs themed around River Song's high heels, Amy's experience with the TARDIS, and Van Gogh's painting of the 'cracked' TARDIS.

Ashley Eckstein, founder of Her Universe, said:

Her Universe is a line for the fans. Many of our design choices and decisions are influenced by our fans and Doctor Who was the #1 requested license by fangirls for us to pursue next. It was truly a dream come true when BBC Worldwide asked us to do their female merchandise and I am beyond excited to share this extraordinary announcement with our girls today! In the words of the Doctor, I feel like screaming Geronimo!

Items from the Doctor Who Fangirl Fashion Collection can be ordered from the Her Universe website, and will also be available from US national retail outlets.

FILTER: - Merchandise

David Warner to star in Doctor Who

Wednesday, 27 June 2012 - Reported by Marcus

Actor David Warner is to guest star in an upcoming episode of Doctor Who.

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine reports that the veteran actor will take a role in a story penned by Who stalwart, Mark Gatiss, which is part of the recording block currently being completed in Cardiff.

Warner has had a long and illustrious acting career appearing in films such as The Omen, Time Bandits, Tron, The Lost World, Titanic and Planet of the Apes. He has appeared in the Star Trek films The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country as well as playing Gul Madred in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Although Warner has not appeared on television in Doctor Who before, he has lent his vocal talents to the series when he provided the voice of Lord Azlok in the animated adventure Dreamland, first shown in 2009. He has also appeared in many audio plays for Big Finish Productions, where he has played an alternative version of The Doctor.

The story, due for transmission in early 2013, will be the fifth script for the series by Mark Gatiss, whose last script, Night Terrors, was shown last year. Gatiss told Doctor Who Magazine he was thrilled to be writing for the Eleventh Doctor once more, this time alongside his new companion played by Jenna Louise Coleman. It will be directed by Douglas MacKinnon who directed The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky in 2008.

The story will also star Irish actor Liam Cunningham, who has appeared in a number of film and television productions including A Little Princess, First Knight, Jude, Dog Soldiers, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Clash of the Titans, The Guard and the BBC One science-fiction drama series Outcasts, and more recently has become known to international audiences as Ser Davos Seaworth on HBO's Game of Thrones.

Two guest stars have also been confirmed for the previous episode recorded, the first to be filmed with Jenna-Louise Coleman. Written by Luther creator Neil Cross and directed by Jamie Payne, both of whom are making their début on Doctor Who, the episode will star Dougray Scott and Jessica Raine.

Scott is a Scottish actor who has appeared in films such as Enigma, Desperate Housewives and, recently, in My Week With Marilyn , while Raine is best known for playing the lead role of nurse Jenny Lee in the BBC1 drama series Call The Midwife.

An updated cast list for each story can be found in the Doctor Who Guide.

FILTER: - Guest Stars - Production - Series 7/33

Doctor Who Magazine 449

Wednesday, 27 June 2012 - Reported by John Bowman

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine - published tomorrow - looks at the growing pains of a TV legend in a major feature on the development of the programme at seven-year intervals, as it approaches 49 Up.

It examines the moments that defined the show, including the adolescence that brought major format changes, the teenage years with Doctor Who in rude health, its incredibly successful return to television in 2005 – and asks what the next seven years may hold in store . . .

Also in this issue:

Chibnall's Choice: Scriptwriter Chris Chibnall drops hints about his two new scripts for the next series of Doctor Who – and how writing for the show is unlike writing anything else – in Production Notes.
You're Hired! Long-serving Doctor Who casting director Andy Pryor talks exclusively to DWM about his hand in casting three different Doctors, the joy of working on every single episode of Doctor Who since 2005 – and whom he has cast for the next series . . .
Echoes of the Past: Doctor Who celebrated a landmark birthday but the monsters were conspicuous by their absence. Was that necessarily a bad thing? Find out as Countdown To 50 revisits 1983 and Series 20.
Honour Amongst Thieves: Amy's been hijacked by the best thief in town, while the Doctor and Rory have fallen in with the wrong crowd. But what is the secret of the Ziggurat hanging above Cornucopia? Find out in the second part of The Cornucopia Caper, the latest comic strip adventure written by Scott Gray with art by Dan McDaid.
Genesis of Dalek: The Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler encounter a lone Dalek deep within a Utah bunker – but Skaro's finest very nearly didn't make the party. Dalek, 2005's triumphant return for the Doctor's deadliest enemy, is given The Fact of Fiction treatment, with detailed commentary on all 11 drafts of writer Robert Shearman's script and exclusive new revelations from the writer himself!
Details, Details: If you don't read the Production Subtitles on the Doctor Who DVDs then now is the time to start! Subtitles writer and TV Dalek Nicholas Pegg reveals the arcane secrets of compiling a treasure trove of Doctor Who facts and figures in Infomania.
Monster vs Monster: Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans, Silurians, and Macra – they've all returned to battle the Doctor since Doctor Who's comeback in 2005. But what classic creatures are we desperate to see next? Toby Hadoke wants a return for those green giants the Ice Warriors, while Johnny Candon goes Underground to shout out for the Great Intelligence's Yeti. Who will triumph in this monster Battle of Wits ?
Sympathy For The Devil? The Time Team – Chris, Emma, Michael, and Will – have a devil of a time while watching The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit. But what will the Team make of this terrifying adventure for the Tenth Doctor and Rose?
And The Winners Are: The votes are in! See which books, audios, and DVDs are hits with the readers of DWM in the results of the latest Merchandise Poll, and discover how your favourites fared.
Suited And Booted! The Watcher takes another flick through the pages of the Stockbridge English Dictionary, stares down The Six Faces of Delusion, highlights another masterclass in the dramatic art from a Supporting Artist of the Month, and reaches number 20 in A History of Doctor Who in 100 Objects – the Doctor's Impact Suit. It might not be as implausible as it seems . . . as Wotcha explains!

Plus all the latest official news, TV and merchandise reviews, previews, competitions, and a prize-winning crossword.

FILTER: - Merchandise - Magazines - DWM

BBC Books: Autumn Releases

Wednesday, 27 June 2012 - Reported by John Bowman

A Dalek graphic novel plus a non-fiction title looking at the Doctor Who universe are to be brought out by BBC Books later this year.

The Dalek Project by Justin Richards and Mike Collins will be published on Thursday 6th September, and Albert DePetrillo, senior editorial director for BBC Books, said:

The Dalek Project has been many years in the making, and I know that fans will find it worth the wait. Justin's brilliant script – one of my favourite Doctor Who stories in many years – is brought thrillingly to life with Mike Collins's art. It's a big, bold, beautiful book, and I can't wait for people to read it.

Three weeks later, on Thursday 27th September, A History of the Universe in 100 Objects by James Goss and Steve Tribe hits the bookstores, and DePetrillo commented:

How do you convey the size and originality of the Doctor Who universe? It seems impossible, but James and Steve's book is perhaps the best place to start. They've selected 100 items from the history of the show and used them to tell a huge - and hugely enjoyable - story.

Anyone wanting to explore the deeply creative world of Doctor Who will love it – and Peter McKinstry's stunning artwork helps make this the ultimate gift for Doctor Who fans.

The Dalek Project
By Justin Richards and Mike Collins

A stunning new graphic novel, featuring the Doctor as played by Matt Smith.

1917. It's the height of the Great War and Hellcombe Hall is a house full of mystery: locked doors, forbidden rooms, dustsheets covering guilty secrets, and ghostly noises frightening the servants.

Most mysterious of all, the drawing-room seems to open directly onto a muddy, corpse-filled trench on the Western Front . . .

Arriving at this stately home, the Doctor meets Lord Hellcombe, an armaments manufacturer who has a new secret weapon he believes will win the war: he calls it ‘the Dalek’.

Soon, the Doctor and his new friends are in a race against time to prevent the entire Western Front from becoming part of the Dalek Project!

A History of the Universe in 100 Objects
By James Goss and Steve Tribe

The history of the Doctor though 100 famous - and infamous - objects!

Every object tells a story. From ancient urns and medieval flasks to sonic screwdrivers and glass Daleks, these 100 objects tell the story of the entire universe, and the most important man in it: the Doctor.

Each item has a unique tale of its own, whether it's a fob watch at the onset of the Great War or a carrot growing on the first human colony on Mars. Taken together, they tell of empires rising and falling, wars won and lost, and planets destroyed and reborn.

Within these pages lie hidden histories of Time Lords and Daleks, the legend of the Loch Ness Monster, the plot to steal the Mona Lisa and the story of Shakespeare's lost play. You'll find illustrated guides to invisible creatures, the secret origins of the internet, and how to speak Mechonoid.

A History of the Universe in 100 Objects is an indispensible guide to the most important items that have ever existed - or that are yet to exist.

FILTER: - Merchandise - Books

NYC Paley Center Screenings

Wednesday, 27 June 2012 - Reported by Neil McNally

New York City's The Paley Center for Media, in conjunction with BBC Home Entertainment, has announced that it will begin monthly Saturday afternoon screenings of four select serials from the classic series.

Just What the Doctor Ordered will give fans a rare opportunity to see special digitally remastered episodes on the big screen and with superior sound. In addition, trivia competitions will be held with the chance to win DVDs and more.

Screenings begin at 1pm, and are as follows:

Saturday, June 30th - Resurrection of the Daleks
Saturday, July 28th - Death to the Daleks
Saturday, August 25th - Spearhead from Space
Saturday, September 29th - To be announced

More information regarding these events can be found here.

FILTER: - Special Events - USA - BBC America

Comics Guide To Be Published

Tuesday, 26 June 2012 - Reported by John Bowman

A guide to the first 15 years of Doctor Who in comic-strip form is to be published later this year.

Written by Paul Scoones and published by Telos, The Comic Strip Companion: The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Doctor Who in Comics: 1964 - 1979 will chronicle the format from its origin in TV Comic to just before the ongoing strip was launched as a regular feature in Doctor Who Weekly. During this time, more than 200 stories were published in TV Comic, Countdown, TV Action, TV Century 21, the Doctor Who annuals, and the Dalek books.

First launched in the pages of TV Comic in November 1964, the comic-strip version of Doctor Who is just one year younger than the television series on which it is based. This is its story.

Every strip is covered in depth, including plot details, continuity, points of interest, and analysis. For the first time, details about the creation and development of the adventures are documented, alongside comments from some of the original writers and artists.

Follow the exploits of the Doctor in his first four incarnations alongside John, Gillian, Jamie, Sarah, and Leela as he battles Daleks, Cybermen, Quarks, Kleptons, Trods, Sarracoids, and the Ugrakks!

The A5 book will be approximately 500 pages long, including an eight-page colour section.

Scheduled for publication on Sunday 30th September 2012, it is available to pre-order.

At the moment, it is only being offered in paperback. However, David J Howe, of Telos Publishing, has said that a hardback run may be produced if there is enough demand for it - equating to roughly 100 people interested in buying one - in which case purchasers will be given the opportunity to upgrade pre-orders.

Scoones said that this book was the first of what would most likely be a number of volumes covering the comic-strip history of Doctor Who.

FILTER: - Merchandise - UK - Books

Asylum Of The Daleks to premiere at BFI

Monday, 25 June 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The British Film Institute is to premiere the first episode of the 2012 series of Doctor Who, Asylum of the Daleks, on Tuesday 14th August 2012 at 6:00pm.

The episode, which has been described as including "every Dalek ever", was named in the Institute's advance programme. The screening will include a Q&A session with writer and show runner Steven Moffat plus other members of the cast and crew yet to be confirmed.

Tickets go on sale to the public from 10th July (BFI members from 3rd).

As previously reported, the episode will also be shown at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, which runs from 23rd to 25th August.

The television premiere of the episode has yet to be announced; however, last year's Let's Kill Hitler received both a BFI and MGEITF premiere in August prior to its broadcast on the Bank Holiday weekend, which for this year would be Saturday 25th August.

Speaking on the BBC's Doctor Who website, executive producer Caroline Skinner said:

This is an epic Dalek adventure that kicks off the new series in explosive style! If you think you know all there is to know about the Daleks, think again...

FILTER: - Doctor Who - Special Events - BFI - Series 7/33

Fan Publications Update

Monday, 25 June 2012 - Reported by Marcus

Fish Fingers and Custard - Issue 10

Issue 10 of the Doctor Who Fanzine, Fish Fingers and Custard, is out now and can be purchased from the website. In the latest Issue

The casting of Jenna-Louise Coleman
In Conversation With A Blue Man - An Interview with Simon Fisher-Becker aka Dorium Maldovar
Six Appeal - what one Doctor means to a young boy
Season 18 - A Breath of Life, or A Strangulation?
Which Fan Group Are You?
Monster In The Bathroom - A brand new comic

The 44 page issue costs £2 in the UK and £4 for the rest of the world.

VWORP!1

VWORP!1 is a new, unofficial guide to Doctor Who, written from the perspective of an American fan.

Every story from 1963-2011 is summarized, reviewed, and there's an "icon" system throughout the book to help readers spot such things as Dalek stories at a glance. There are also numerous essay pieces and asides which don't cover specific episodes or seasons.

Also covered are the two Peter Cushing movies from the 1960s and the two charity specials from the 1990s (Dimensions In Time, The Curse Of Fatal Death)

The author has two aims for the book: one is to find the good side to every adventure, and the other is to creatively interpret the stories so everything fits in a single timeline with as little use of the "alternate universe"/"unbound" escape hatch as possible.

A sequel, VWORP!2, is planned for 2013 and will cover the 2012-2013 seasons of Doctor Who, the various spinoffs (Torchwood, SJA, K-9), and Big Finish audios.

The official page for the book can be found here

FILTER: - Fan Productions

Caroline John (1940-2012)

Thursday, 21 June 2012 - Reported by John Bowman

The actress Caroline John - who played companion Liz Shaw - has died aged 71, it was announced today. The news came via a tweet from the BBC on the Doctor Who Twitter feed.

She passed away on 5th June but the news was not made public by her family until after the funeral, which took place yesterday in south-west London. The cause of death is unknown as yet.

Born in York in September 1940, John trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama then worked in theatre, touring with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.

In 1969, she won the part of scientist and companion Dr Elizabeth Shaw opposite Jon Pertwee as the Doctor when the show was revamped for its seventh season, seeing the title character exiled to Earth. Liz Shaw appeared as a regular character for one season in 1970, with John playing two roles in the final story of that year, Inferno, the other character being Shaw's parallel-universe counterpart, Section Leader Elizabeth Shaw.

After leaving the series she had many theatre and television roles, including, in 1982, appearing in the BBC TV adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles, which starred Tom Baker as Sherlock Holmes. John returned to Doctor Who in 1983 for the 20th-anniversary special The Five Doctors, in which she played a fake Shaw. She reprised the role of Shaw for the 1993 BBC Children In Need special Dimensions In Time.

Married to Geoffrey Beevers, John appeared as Madame Salvadori with him in the Big Finish audio drama Dust Breeding, which was released in 2001. She also portrayed Liz Shaw for Big Finish for four stories in the Companion Chronicles range, starting with The Blue Tooth in 2007 and most recently in Binary, which was released just three months ago in March. In addition, she appeared as Shaw in the straight-to-video P.R.O.B.E. stories of the 1990s, which were written by Mark Gatiss and co-starred Pertwee, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy.

Paying tribute, Companion Chronicles producer David Richardson said:

Carry was the first assistant I ever saw in Doctor Who, and through meeting and working with her many times she remained a favourite over the years. She was an accomplished actor, and the most lovely, warm person you could ever hope to spend time with. Carry loved working on the Companion Chronicles and came in to record what would be her final contribution, The Last Post, on January 26.

Colin Baker tweeted:

Devastated to hear that the lovely, talented, wise and gentle Caroline John is no longer with us. So sad. Thoughts with Geoffrey and family.

while Mark Gatiss also paid tribute via Twitter:

Very sad to hear that the lovely Caroline John has passed away. RIP.

and on the official site Steven Moffat wrote:

Caroline was a brilliant actress and in her role as Liz Shaw, a tremendous co-star for Jon Pertwee in his first year as the Doctor. She was not just a sidekick but a scientist in her own right and a match for the universe's number one know-all. The Doctor's companions should never be his assistants - they're the people who keep him on his toes, and that's what Caroline did. From everyone at the show, our thoughts go out to Caroline's family.

Big Finish executive producer Nicholas Briggs said:

I met Carry many years ago while filming. She was the Detective Inspector and I was her assistant. We had such a laugh working together, and when we came to record a Myth Makers interview a few weeks later, we just couldn't stop giggling. She was a lovely lady who was always so much fun to be with, and even though she could enjoy a saucy joke or two, there was also something of a delightful prudishness about her. When I think of her smile and her warmth now, it brightens my heart.

John and Beevers also starred together in the Agatha Christie's Poirot episode Problem At Sea on ITV in 1989. In addition, the couple had roles in the Channel 4 adaptation of the political thriller A Very British Coup in 1988. They had three children: a daughter, Daisy, and sons Ben and Tom.

Her most recent screen appearances included the 2003 rom-com film Love Actually (written and directed by Richard Curtis and featuring Bill Nighy as well as Steven Moffat's Curse of Fatal Death Doctors Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Grant) and the ITV drama series Vital Signs (with Gugu Mbatha-Raw) in 2006 and the BBC daytime drama Doctors (with Malcolm Tierney and Matthew Chambers) in 2008.

She also narrated the audiobook of Elisabeth Sladen's autobiography, which was released last November, and narrated the audiobooks of Doctor Who And The Auton Invasion (2008) and Doctor Who And The Cave Monsters (2007), which were adaptations of her first and second Doctor Who stories respectively.

UPDATE (22nd June): A spokeswoman at Caroline John's agency, Shepherd Management Ltd, confirmed to Doctor Who News that John had died of cancer.

Newslinks: BBC News; Radio Times; Metro; Telegraph; RTE; Guardian; Scotsman; Independent

FILTER: - People - Obituary - Classic Series

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