Fifty years ago today, on Thursday 31st August 1967, sixpence would buy you the new issue of Radio Times, and for the fifth time Doctor Who featured on the front cover.

Previous covers had marked the start of Marco Polo, The Web Planet, The Chase and Power of the Daleks, but this was the first cover to herald the start of a new season for the programme, returning in the coming weekend for its fifth year.

The focus of the cover was firmly on the adversaries the Doctor would face in the new series. The Cybermen were returning for the third time in less than a year. Inside an article promised new adventures along with a new threat, the Cybermats.

Doctor Who had undergone a complete transformation over the past year. When Season four began in September 1966 William Hartnell was still clinging onto the controls of the TARDIS, along with companions Ben and Polly, played by Anneke Wills and Michael Craze. Now twelve months later there was a completely new team in the ship led by Patrick Troughton, aided by the young Scottish piper Jamie McCrimmon played by Frazer Hines, and the recently orphaned girl from the 19th Century, Victoria played by Deborah Watling.

The risk of recasting the series had paid off and the series had built a loyal following who would await each adventure to unfold on Saturday Evenings. Ratings had stabilized with around 7 million tuning in each week, up from the 5 million the series was getting at the end of the Hartnell era. Audience appreciation was also up by around 10 points to average in the high fifties.

Behind the scenes, change was also afoot. Producer Innes Lloyd was keen to move on having been in charge of the series since April 1966. He was lining up actor and writer Peter Bryant as his replacement.

One loss the production team was having to deal with was the decision of Terry Nation to withdraw the use of the Daleks from Doctor Who and new monsters were needed. Over the next year, viewers would be introduced to The Ice Warriors and the Yeti. As season five launched, the first story of the series was safely on tape, having been recorded at the end of the Season Four production block. After a short holiday, the Team would soon be spending a week in Snowdonia, filming scenes for the upcoming story The Abominable Snowman. Before long they would be back in the comfort of Lime Grove Studio D ready to slip back into the old familiar pattern of 4 days rehearsal before recording each episode on a Saturday evening.

In 1967 Saturday night television looked very different to today. After live sport in Grandstand, Juke Box Jury assessed the hits of the day. Doctor Who then led the BBC 1 Saturday evening schedule, which was still very much dominated by American imports. Match of the Day carried the football highlights and after a talk on the history of the Trade Union Movement, the station closed down and the nation went to bed at 11.15pm.

This Wednesday, August 30 sees the release of the new Doctor Who event from Titan Comics- The Lost Dimension

The stunning Alpha issue is written by Cavan Scott and George Mann with art by Rachael Stott and Cris Bolson. It kicks off Titan's latest multi-Doctor adventure which pits our heroes (and a few phenomenal guest stars from across the Whoniverse!) against the all-consuming, universe destroying Void! Now, every Doctor must play their part to save...everything.

Doctor Who: The Lost Dimension - Alpha

Writer: George Mann, Cavan Scott
Artist: Rachael Stott, Cris Bolson, Rod Fernandes
Cover A: Fifth Ink Metallic Tardis Cover Cover B: Photo Cover Cover C: Rachael Stott And Luis Guerrero

Candy Jar Books is to publish a new series of novels, The Lucy Wilson Mysteries, a spin-off from their Lethbridge-Stewart range:


Up until now the Lethbridge-Stewart series has continued on from the BBC’s The Web of Fear, taking place in the 1970s period known as Doctor Who’s "classic era". But three years into the series, Shaun Russell, head of publishing, thought the time was right to broaden the Brig’s horizons:


Lucy's character is described as "a modern girl with strong values and opinions, she’s dauntless, loyal and whip smart – qualities long embodied by the Doctor". The announcement of Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor has spotlighted the positive example the character provides young viewers, a tradition Candy Jar wanted to continue with its own contributions to the Who universe.

Sue Hampton, author of two previous Lethbridge-Stewart stories, says

The book has been endorsed by Eggheads presenter and Radio 2 DJ Jeremy Vine. He says:

The cover art is by Steve Beckett, a freelance writer and illustrator who has contributed artwork for the UK's longest running children's weekly comic The Beano, including The Bash Street Kids, General Jumbo and Bully Beef and Chips. He says:


Avatars of the Intelligence by Sue Hampton is available for pre-order exclusively for fans via the Candy Jar website until the end of September, with dispatch shortly thereafter. The commercial release of the book will be early next year.

The Doctor Who Appreciation Society have launched an auction on behalf of Syrian Refugees in North London, a charity run from Muswell Hill Methodist Church and supported by the current Doctor, Peter Capaldi and his wife Elaine. A number of items are up for auction, including the original readthrough script for the episode Listen, signed and illustrated by the actor.




The auction ends just after 5pm on the 4th September - visit the DWAS website for full details.

Former Doctor Who Showrunner Russell T Davies has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement award at the Edinburgh International Television Festival.

The writer, whose hits include Queer As Folk, Casanova and Cucumber as well as being the man who brought Doctor Who back to BBC One, used his speech to defend the BBC which he said was being treated with contempt by the current UK Government. Davies went on to say how important it was to tell the young people watching that working in Television was great fun and that it was a brilliant industry. At the TV festival, BBC One was named channel of the year.

The next issue of Doctor Who Magazine is out this Thursday, and features an exclusive interview with the new Doctor, Jodie Whittaker.

Sharing her feelings about becoming the thirteenth Doctor, Jodie says:

Also in this issue:

• CASTING JODIE: DWM asks what the arrival of Jodie Whittaker means for the future of Doctor Who.
• MONSTERS INC: We go inside the workshop of Millennium FX, with previously unseen designs and photographs from the making of the 2017 series.
• NOW WE ARE SIX HUNDRED: Former showrunner Russell T Davies talks about his illustrations for BBC Books’ collection of Doctor Who poetry.
• NICHOLAS BRIGGS AND THE CYBERMEN: Nicholas Briggs reveals the secrets of giving voice to the Mondasian Cybermen.
• HANK MARVIN: Legendary Shadows guitarist Hank Marvin discusses his surprising links to the Doctor Who theme.
• THE AZTECS: Take a fresh look at the 1964 classic The Aztecs in The Fact of Fiction.
• TREVOR BAXTER: We pay tribute to the late Trevor Baxter, who played Professor Litefoot in 1977’s The Talons of Weng-Chiang, with contributions from Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Christopher Benjamin, Lisa Bowerman and more...
• THE PARLIAMENT OF FEAR: A brand-new comic strip adventure continues for the Doctor and Bill.
• TRAIL OF A TIME LORD: An exclusive extract from Red, White and Who, the forthcoming book about the history of the series in the United States.
• PLUS! Previews, book and audio reviews, news, the Watcher’s column, prize-winning competitions and much, much more.

Doctor Who Magazine 516 is on sale from Thursday 24 August.

This Wednesday, August 23, sees the publication of the next issue in the Twelfth Doctor's continuing adventures with the latest companion, Bill.

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Doctor Who: Twelfth Doctor Year Three #6

Writer: Richard Dinnick
Artist: Brian Williamson
Cover A: Blair Shedd Cover B: Photo Cover Cover C: Arianna Florean

Obverse Books have announced a change in the schedule for the Black Archive series of books.

The Black Archive explores the making of specific Doctor Who stories, analysing in detail the stories selected.

The previously-announced 2018 release of The Twin Dilemma has been put on hold indefinitely. Instead Jon Arnold, author of the acclaimed the Black Archive #1: Rose will be stepping into the breach with a study of Steven Moffat’s debut story as showrunner, and Matt Smith’s as the 11th Doctor, The Eleventh Hour.

The Black Archive schedule now runs as follows:

• January – The Black Archive #15: Carnival of Monsters
by Ian Potter
• February – The Black Archive #16: Full Circle
by John Toon
• March – The Black Archive #17: The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit
by Simon BucherJones
• April – The Black Archive #18: Marco Polo
by Dene October
• May – The Black Archive #19: The Eleventh Hour
by Jon Arnold
• June – The Black Archive #20: Face the Raven
by Sarah Groenewegen
• July – The Black Archive #21: Heaven Sent
by Kara Dennison
• August – The Black Archive #22: Hell Bent
by Alyssa Franke
• September – The Black Archive #23: The Curse of Fenric
by Una McCormack
• October – The Black Archive #24: The Time Warrior
by Matthew Kilburn
• November – The Black Archive #25: Doctor Who (1996)
by Paul Driscoll
• December – The Black Archive #26: The Dæmons
by Matt Barber

Titles for 2019 will be announced in due course.

The latest Special Edition of Doctor Who Magazine, Referencing The Doctor, explores some of the landmark reference works devoted to the series.

More has been written about Doctor Who than any other television series in history. What prompts this exhaustive analysis? And how was research into the show’s complex production conducted in the years before home video, conventions and the internet?

From the very first episode guides compiled by Doctor Who story editors for their colleagues in the 1960s, to the fanzines of the 1970s, the first authorised books based on the show and the wide variety of publications available today – this is the story of how successive generations of fans and historians have referenced the Doctor.

Editor Marcus Hearn says: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition: Referencing the Doctor is on sale now price £5.99.

The Doctor Who Club of Australia (DWCA) have announced the first 100 issues of the club fanzine, Data Extract, will be released as a collected volume:


The Doctor Who Fanzine Collection: Data Extract Issues 1 to 100 is available to purchase through Lulu.