BBC Audio: diamond anniversary releases

Monday, 2 January 2023 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BBC Audio have announced their plans for the Doctor's adventures on audio for digital and physical release for the diamond anniversary of the show.

Michael Stevens, Doctor Who Range Editor for BBC Audio, said:

We’re celebrating 60 years of Doctor Who by journeying with each Doctor in turn, from the series’ beginning to the present day. We’ll also be charting the history of the programme itself with Doctor Who at the BBC: The Collection and The Making of Doctor Who, and delving into the psychedelic realm of mid-1970s annuals with The Amazing World of Doctor Who. With a huge variety of readers, writers and characters, there’s something to delight the ears of everyone throughout 2023.

Highlights include

new audio titles for Doctors1-13, starting with the First Doctor in January and culminating with the Twelfth and Thirteenth in December
encounters with Daleks, Cybermen, Ice Warriors, Silurians, Sea Devils, the Master, the Toymaker and a host of new adversaries
adventures with Ian, Barbara, Vicki, Jamie, Zoe, Jo, Sarah, Harry, Tegan,Turlough, Peri, Ace, Clara and many other much-loved travelling companions – plus a few new ones
readers including Maureen O'Brien, Jon Culshaw, David Troughton, Tim Treloar, Dan Starkey, Louise Jameson, Jamie Glover, David Banks, Katy Manning and many more
two very special nostalgic releases based on legendary books from the 1970s: The Amazing World of Doctor Who and The Making of Doctor Who.

January:The Romans
Written by Donald Cotton
Read by Tim Treloar, Jamie Glover, Dan Starkey, Clare Corbett, Jon Culshaw, Maureen O'Brien and Louise Jameson
Available to pre-order from Amazon

A multi-voice retelling of historical events featuring the First Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki.

The TARDIS crewmembers have taken a break from their adventures and are enjoying a well-deserved rest in a luxury villa.

But, in the gory grandeur that is Imperial Rome, things don't stay quiet for long. If the time travellers can save themselves from being sold as slaves, assassinated by classical hit-men, poisoned by the evil Locusta, thrown to the lions, maimed in the arena and drowned in a shipwreck, they still have to face the diabolical might of the mad Emperor Nero.

As if that wasn't enough, they also discover that, although Rome wasn't built in a day, it burnt down in considerably less time...

February: The Seeds of Death
Written by Terrance Dicks
Read by David Troughton
Available to pre-order from Amazon

Returning to Earth in the 21st Century, the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe immediately find themselves caught in the midst of a crisis. T-Mat, a form of instantaneous transportation essential to the smooth running of life on Earth, is going disastrously wrong.

The Doctor discovers that the T-Mat base on the Moon has been taken over by a group of Ice Warriors, led by the villainous Slaar. With their home a desolate and dying planet, the Martian invaders see Earth as a world ripe for conquest. But before they can colonise Earth they must dramatically alter its atmosphere.

And so they unleash the Seeds of Death...

David Troughton reads Terrance Dicks's novelisation of the 1969 TV serial by Brian Hayles.

March: The Time Monster
Written by Terrance Dicks
Read by Jon Culshaw
Available to pre-order from Amazon

Outside the bounds of this world lives Kronos, the Chronivore - a mysterious creatures that feeds on time itself.

Posing as a Cambridge professor, the Master intends to use Kronos in his evil quest for power. To stop him, the Doctor and Jo must journey back in time to Ancient Atlantis and to a terrifying confrontation within the Time Vortex itself.

But can even the Doctor save himself from the awesome might of the Time Monster?

Jon Culshaw reads Terrance Dicks's novelisation of the 1972 TV serial by Robert Sloman, first published by Target Books in 1986.

April: Planet of Evil
Written by Terrance Dicks
Read by Tim Treloar
Available to pre-order from Amazon

The expedition to Zeta Minor began with eight men. Seven were murdered. One survived - but he was not the murderer.

The Doctor and Sarah land on the planet at the same time as the expedition's rescue team, and are immediately taken prisoner as the suspected murderers. But even stranger things soon begin to happen...

What terrible creature inhabits this wild, desolate planet, killing mercilessly and lurking in the murky depths of the Black Pool? Will anyone ever be allowed to leave alive?

Tim Treloar reads Terrance Dicks's novelisation of the 1975 TV serial by Louis Marks, first published by Target Books in 1977.

May: Warriors of the Deep
Written by Terrance Dicks
Reader to be announced
Available to pre-order from Amzon

When the TARDIS materialises on Earth in the year 2084, the Doctor once again encounters the Sea Devils.

Formerly the masters of this planet, but now forced to live in the murky depths of the sea, their intention is to reclaim their position of domination. Aiding them in a dastardly plan to attack humanity's defences are the Silurians, also known to the Doctor of old.

With deceit and subterfuge rife among the Sea Base personnel, can there be any hope for the Doctor's attempts to broker peace between humans and reptiles?

June: The Nightmare Fair
Written by Graham Williams
Resader to be announced
Available to pre-order from Amazon

Drawn into 'the nexus of the primeval cauldron of Space-Time', the Doctor and Peri are somewhat surprised to find themselves at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Is it really just chance that has brought them to the funfair? Or is their arrival somehow connected with the sinister presence of a rather familiar Chinese Mandarin?

Once again the Doctor encounters his deadly adversary the Celestial Toymaker in this adventure by Graham Williams, planned but never made for the TV series in 1986.

Other releases for the first half of the year include:

January: Doctor Who at the BBC: a collection of the nine volumes released so far in the series
February: The Renegades Collection: "a collection of four classic TV novelisations featuring Time Lords who fled life on Gallifrey" - includes The Time Meddler, The Deadly Assassin, Shada and The Mark Of The Rani
April: The Amazing Worlds of Doctor Who: "Geoffrey Beevers, Louise Jameson and Dan Starkey perform these stories and features from the celebrated book of the same name"
May: The Alt Reality Collection: "the Doctor ventures into alternative dimensions in these four exciting novelisations of TV stories" - includes The Mind Robber, The Invisible Enemy, and Warriors Gate

FILTER: - Publications; BBC Audio; Novelisations

Competition Roundup

Thursday, 23 November 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster

A roundup of competitions now open for entry - all competitions are open worldwide with a closing date of Sunday 3rd December 2017.

BBC Worldwide: Shada [order from Amazon UK]

"Delicate matter, slightly. It's about a book..." Chris Parsons is happily engrossed in studying post-graduate physics at Cambridge, when one day he finds an old book, sitting on a dusty shelf in an ageing professor's library. Written in a language nobody can read and made of a paper that can't be torn, this is no ordinary book. And when it enters his life, everything changes for young Chris Parsons. Soon finding himself aboard an invisible space-ship, chased by monsters made of molten rock; aboard an alien prison on a distant planet and attacked by a horde of mind-control zombies. Chris also meets a strange man with a very long scarf who claims he can travel through time and space... in a police box. It's going to be a busy day for Chris Parsons. An abandoned Doctor Who classic is brought to life. Starring Tom Baker and written by Douglas Adams, this is “Shada” for a modern audience, with footage upscaled to high definition, and incomplete footage now completed using high-quality animation.

To be in with a chance to win the story on Blu Ray, simply answer the following question:

This release isn't the first time Shada has been animated, but what was the main difference between the original and the 2003 online version of the story?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-shada@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "It's just a Gallifreyan Nursery Book". Open to readers within the United Kingdom. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: The Five Doctors [order from Amazon UK]

Jon Culshaw reads this classic novelisation of Doctor Who's special 20th Anniversary TV adventure, featuring the Doctor in each of his first five incarnations. Each one has been removed from his time-stream and - with one unfortunate exception - brought to the Death Zone on Gallifrey. There they, along with an array of their loyal former companions, encounter numerous deadly obstacles including Daleks, Cybermen, Yeti, the Master and a fiendish set of puzzles. Who is the ultimate enemy they must all unite to defeat? Based on Terrance Dicks's epic TV adventure, first broadcast in 1983, The Five Doctors offered readers a chance to turn the clock back and meet some old friends – and some old enemies.

Doctor Who: The Five Doctors (Credit: BBC Audio)

To be in with a chance to win the audiobook courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:

What was unusual about the publication date of the original Target novelisation of The Five Doctors?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-fivedoctors@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Above, Between, Below". Open to readers worldwide. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: The Classic TV Adventures Collection Two [order from Amazon UK]

Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker and Peter Davison star as the Doctor in these narrated full-cast TV soundtracks of classic Doctor Who TV serials. Each one is enhanced with linking narration by a member of the original cast, including Frazer Hines, Caroline John, Richard Franklin, Louise Jameson, Lalla Ward and Janet Fielding. The six stories included in this volume are The Krotons, The Ambassadors of Death, The Mind of Evil, Horror of Fang Rock, City of Death and Warriors of the Deep, and they feature encounters with crystalline monsters, lost aliens, an alien mind parasite, a Rutan scout, Scaroth of the Jagaroth, and the combined might of the Silurians and the Sea Devils.

Doctor Who: Classic TV Adventures - Collection Two (Credit: BBC Audio)

To be in with a chance to win the audiobook courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:

Which of these stories has yet to be scheduled for release as an audiobook (book adaptation)?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-classictv@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Sound Invasions". Only one entry per household will be accepted.

Galaxy 4: Return to Devil's End Signed Print [order from Galaxy 4]

Personally signed by RICHARD FRANKLIN and JOHN LEVENE with facsimile printed signatures of JON PERTWEE and NICHOLAS COURTNEY. This image taken during the RETURN TO DEVIL'S END video shoot in Aldbourne has never before been released. A4.

Return To Devil's End print (Credit: Galaxy 4)

To be in with a chance to win one of the prints courtesy of Galaxy 4, simply answer the following question:

Which real-life village represented Devil's End during filming for The Daemons?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-galaxy4@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Fancy a dance, Brigadier?". Open to readers worldwide. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

FILTER: - BBC Audio - BBC Worldwide - Blu-ray/DVD - Competitions

Competition Roundup

Thursday, 4 May 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster

A roundup of competitions now open for entry - all competitions are open worldwide with a closing date of Sunday 14th May.

Event: win tickets to Missing Who [visit event website]

From the epic journeys of Marco Polo, through the sandswept landscape of Troy, the Dalek infested colony of Vulcan, to the weed controlled oil rigs of the North Sea; many of Doctor Who's greatest adventures no longer exist for us to watch. There are currently 97 missing episodes of Doctor Who; this day will look at these lost tales, and the stories of those returned to the archives, with the stars who appeared in the them, the crew who made them, the team who restored them, and the valiant work of those who have returned them. We shall also be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the television debut of Deborah Watling as scream queen Victoria Waterfield, who first appeared in episode two of The Evil of the Daleks, broadcast on this day in 1967!

We are delighted to be able to offer readers a chance to win two tickets to the Missing Who convention, which takes place at Watersmeet, High Street, Rickmansworth, WD3 1EH, United Kingdom on Saturday 27th May 2017. The competition is open worldwide, but is only applicable to the tickets themselves - entrants must be able to make their own way to the venue.

To enter, simply send an email with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-fantom@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "I want them returned!". Only one entry per household will be accepted.

Audio Download: Philip Hinchcliffe Presents: The Helm Of Awe [pre-order from Amazon UK]

Philip Hinchcliffe, acclaimed producer of Doctor Who (1975-77) returns to tell new stories for the Fourth Doctor and Leela. The TARDIS arrives on the remote Shetland isle of Bothness and the Doctor and Leela find themselves threatened by Vikings! Only all is not as it seems. The locals are celebrating the old Norse fire festival of Up Helly Aa, so there’s nothing to be worried about. Or is there? For, unknown to the islanders, the TARDIS crew are on the trail of an ancient artefact invested with mysterious powers that has recently been stolen and brought to this remote location. Somewhere on this island lurks something ancient, and evil, and alien. The Doctor and Leela will have to stop it. Only on this occasion time might not be on their side.

Philip Hinchcliffe Presents: The Helm Of Awe (Credit: Big Finish)

To be in with a chance to win a digital download of the audio adventure courtesy of Big Finish, simply answer the following question:

Name a televised story that was based in Scotland.

Please send your answer along with your name and the email address you have registered with Big Finish, plus where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-php@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Hello!". Note: entrants must have an active registration with Big Finish in order to be eligible to receive the prize - new registrations can be easily created on the website for free and with no financial obligation. There is also a free Big Finish app for Apple and Android.

DVD: MythMakers: Matthew Waterhouse [order from Galaxy 4]

"Going from CASTROVALVA to FOUR TO DOOMSDAY to KINDA...those stories are all very distinctive, all very different to each other...and all really effective in different ways" MATTHEW WATERHOUSE is best known for playing the alien teenage mathematician ADRIC in two seasons of the original run of DOCTOR WHO, the youngest companion in the history of the series. In the years since, he has continued to work extensively as an actor in the theatre and in DOCTOR WHO and DARK SHADOWS for BIG FINISH. He is also the author of five books, including a bestseller about DOCTOR WHO and a collection of stories SUGAR. In this MYTH MAKERS, ROBERT DICK takes MATTHEW back to the locations used for the DOCTOR WHO story BLACK ORCHID and delves deep into this rich history, bringing out an evocative and candid interview about working on classic DOCTOR WHO

MythMakers: Matthew Waterhouse (Credit: Reeltime Productions)

We are delighted to be able to offer readers a chance to win a signed copy of the DVD courtesy of Galaxy 4; simply answer the following question:

What was the name of Matthew Waterhouse's autobiography?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-mw@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Was I right?". Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: Four To Doomsday [order from Amazon UK]

Matthew Waterhouse narrates this novelisation of a classic 1982 TV serial featuring the Fifth Doctor, as played on TV by Peter Davison. When the TARDIS materialises on an alien spacecraft, the commander of the ship - the reptilian Monarch - invites the Doctor, Adric, Nyssa and Tegan to continue their journey to Earth in his company. Monarch's hospitality even extends to a generous offer to liberate the time travellers from the shortcomings of their bodies and replicate them as androids - so much more practical. Although Adric finds this proposal extremely attractive, the Doctor has good reason to be suspicious of Monarch's motives....

Doctor Who - Four To Doomsday (Credit: BBC Audio)

To be in with a chance to win the audiobook courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:

What was the name of the surveillance devices used by Monarch on his ship?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-fourtodoomsday@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Flesh Time". Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: The Mind of Evil [order from Amazon UK]

Richard Franklin narrates the exciting novelisation of a classic TV adventure featuring the Third Doctor, as played byJon Pertwee. Eminent scientist Emil Keller has developed a revolutionary new process for the treatment of hardened criminals. His invention, the Keller Machine, is being heralded as a major scientific breakthrough. But Professor Keller is in truth the Master, and the Keller Machine is much more than a mere machine. Soon the Doctor, Jo, the Brigadier and UNIT are involved in a bitter struggle with the Master, an alien mind parasite, and a diabolical scheme to plunge the world into a Third World War....

Doctor Who - The Mind Of Evil (Credit: BBC Audio)

To be in with a chance to win the audiobook courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:

Name the (credited) member of UNIT who only appears in this story and the following The Claws of Axos.

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-mindofevil@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Keller's fancy". Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: The Classic TV Adventures Collection One [order from Amazon UK]

Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker star as the Doctor in these seven narrated full-cast TV soundtracks of classic Doctor Who TV serials. The stories are 'The Tomb of the Cybermen' (narrated by Frazer Hines); 'Doctor Who and the Silurians' (narrated by Caroline John); 'The Sea Devils' (narrated by Katy Manning); 'The Curse of Peladon' (narrated by Katy Manning); 'The Monster of Peladon' (narrated by Elisabeth Sladen); 'The Pirate Planet' (narrated by John Leeson); and 'Destiny of the Daleks' (narrated by Lalla Ward). Also includes bonus interviews with the narrators in which they each recall their time as the Doctor's companion in the BBC TV series.

Doctor Who: Classic TV Adventures - Collection One (Credit: BBC Audio)

To be in with a chance to win the audiobook courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:

Tomb of the Cybermen was originally narrated by somebody other than Frazer Hines - who was that person?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-classictv@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Easy Listening". Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: The Lost Planet [order from Amazon UK]

Nicola Bryant reads an exciting original story featuring the 12th Doctor, as played on TV by Peter Capaldi, and his companions Brandon and Alex.The TARDIS is under attack. Alien plants have taken root in its corridors, strange flowering tendrils that threaten to rip the Doctor’s ship apart. New companions Brandon and Alex venture into the heart of the TARDIS to discover the source of the infestation. Instead they find a secret door, and a forgotten world. The Doctor has unfinished business with the Arborites, living trees with long memories. Centuries ago he fought to prevent a galactic catastrophe - but now his past has come back to haunt him in ways he never thought possible. Can the Time Lord rescue his young friends before they are destroyed by his past mistakes, or will Hirolth rise to leave utter devastation in its wake?

To be in with a chance to win the audiobook courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:

Name another story which featured sentient trees.

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-lostplanet@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Haunted Memories". Only one entry per household will be accepted.

FILTER: - BBC Audio - Big Finish - Competitions

The Odd(s) Doctor

Tuesday, 31 January 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster

It was inevitable that within moments of Peter Capaldi's announcement of his departure from Doctor Who fans and media would speculate on who would take over as lead actor on the show across social media - and commercial betting would begin!

This morning, William Hill currently place Ben Whishaw as favourite, at 6/1: the actor is probably best known worldwide as the character of Q in the Daniel Craig era of James Bond films, or for the younger audience as the voice of Paddington Bear in the 2014 film (and this year's sequel), and on recent television in London Spy . Next up is Richard Ayaode at 8/1, the quirky comic actor/director is best known in the UK for The IT Crowd, his travels around the world in Travel Man, and will be the host of the revived series of The Crystal Maze this year. Also at 8/1 is another name long-associated with Who-odds, Rory Kinnear (another modern James Bond stalwart as Bill Tanner), and Rupert Grint (or as most people know him, Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films!). The first actress on their list is Broadchurch's Olivia Colman at 20/1 - though ITV's Good Morning Britain reported that Miranda Hart was in fourth place at 8/1. The current list can be found via William Hill's special bet "To Replace Peter Capaldi as the next Doctor Who?".

Both Betfair and Paddy Power offer up Sherlock's Moriarty, Andrew Scott, as their joint favourite, alongside Ben Daniels (Law and Order UK, House of Cards, Star Wars: Rogue One), and Lara Pulver (Spooks, Sherlock).

During an item on the departure of Capaldi on BBC's Breakfast this morning, viewers' suggestions were read out, including names such as Hayley Attwell or Eddie Redmayne, Colin Salmon, David Harewood, Helena Bonham Carter, Gillian Anderson, and Danny Dyer.

Anticipation will of course continue until the eventual new Doctor is announced by the BBC - how and when this might be is unknown at present (Capaldi's announcement in 2013 took place on a special live television programme!), but may be held off until the last series starring Capaldi has been broadcast - it will be on air between 15th April and 1st July (barring pre-emptions such as for the Eurovision Song Contest), with filming for the next series under the helm of new lead writer Chris Chibnall expected to commence not long afterwards.

Update 1st Feb: the Radio Times has reported that filming for Series 11 would not commence until Spring 2018, so an announcement of a new Doctor might not occur until next year!

FILTER: - Audio - BBC Audio - Big Finish - Blu-ray/DVD - Competitions

Class Ratings Update

Tuesday, 31 January 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Class - Ep7 - The Metaphysical Engine, or What Quill Did - Ballon (CHIKE OKONKWO), Miss Quill (KATHERINE KELLY) (Credit: BBC/Simon Ridgeway)

Class Episode Seven, The Metaphysical Engine, or What Quill Did had an audience of 0.76 million viewers for its debut on BBC One, according the unofficial overnight figures, a share of 8% of the total TV audience.

The rating was fractionally up on the overnight figures for last week's episode. The programme was outrated by by Newsnight on BBC Two, which had 0.79 million, but it beat Through the Keyhole on ITV which had 0.65 million.

The series concluded with Episode Eight, The Lost, which followed at 11.35pm and had an audience of 0.26 million, a share of 4.7%. This episode was beaten in its timeslot Hospital on BBC 2 with 0.33 million, and marginally by The Chase on ITV which also had 0.26 million.

Consolidated ratings are now available for episodes 3 and 4 of Class, shown on BBC One two weeks ago, which include details of those who recorded the programme and watched it within a week.

Episode 3, Nightvisiting, which was broadcast at 10.47pm, had a confirmed audience of 0.79 million viewers, a 7.5% share of the total TV audience. The channel average for the timeslot is of 1.85 million. The figure is actually lower than the initial overnight figure. This can happen as the overnight figures are just an estimate based on the scheduled timeslot. The final figures are the accepted official figure for the episode. The programme won the timeslot with BBC Two's Newsnight getting 0.69 million watching. An additional 0.29 million have accessed the episode on iPlayer since its release on BBC Three last October.

Episode 4, Co-Owner Of A Lonely Heart, followed immediately afterward, starting at 11.31pm, and had a consolidated audience of 0.34 million watching, a share 5.2% of the audience. The channel average for the timeslot is 0.82 million. Episode 4 increased its audience by 21% over the initial figure. Around 250,000 have accessed the episode on iPlayer.

FILTER: - Audio - BBC Audio - Big Finish - Blu-ray/DVD - Competitions

Competition Roundup for December

Friday, 9 December 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The followong competitons are available to enter via Doctor Who News in December:

BBC Audio: The Space Pirates

When space beacon Alpha One disintegrates into lumps of metal, General Hermack of the Space Corps realises that space pirates have discovered a new source of precious aragonite. After witnessing further destruction, the General leaves a squad of guards on beacon Alpha Four - just as the TARDIS materialises. Suspected by the Space Corps of being pirates, then pursued as spies by the pirates themselves, the Doctor, Zoe and Jamie attempt to unmask the mastermind behind the thefts of aragonite. In doing so they risk execution, explosion, and asphyxiation in the vacuum of space.

Doctor Who: The Space Pirates (Credit: BBC Audio)

To be in with a chance to win the audiobook courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:

When we first meet Milo Clancey, he throws away the charred remains from out of his toaster - but which televised story saw the Doctor reveal his feelings over such burnt offerings?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-spacepirates@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Howdy!". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 8th January 2017. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: The Scales of Injustice

When a boy goes missing and a policewoman starts drawing cave paintings, the Doctor suspects the Silurians are back. With the Brigadier distracted by questions about UNIT funding and problems at home, the Doctor swears his assistant Liz Shaw to secrecy and investigates alone. But Liz has enquiries of her own, teaming up with a journalist to track down people who don’t exist. What is the mysterious Glasshouse, and why is it so secret? As the Silurians wake from their ancient slumber, the Doctor, Liz and the Brigadier are caught up in a conspiracy to exploit UNIT’s achievements – a conspiracy that reaches deep into the heart of the British Government.

To be in with a chance to win the audiobook courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:

Which is the only televised story (so far) to explicitly mention the C19 organisation?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-scalesofinjustice@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "This is still our planet". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 8th January 2017. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Books: The Pirate Planet

The hugely powerful Key to Time has been split into six segments, all of which have been disguised and hidden throughout time and space. Now the even more powerful White Guardian wants the Doctor to find the pieces. With the first segment successfully retrieved, the Doctor, Romana and K-9 trace the second segment of the Key to the planet Calufrax. But when they arrive at exactly the right point in space, they find themselves on exactly the wrong planet – Zanak. Ruled by the mysterious ‘Captain’, Zanak is a happy and prosperous planet. Mostly. If the mines run out of valuable minerals and gems then the Captain merely announces a New Golden Age and they fill up again. It’s an economic miracle – so obviously something’s very wrong...

The Pirate Planet (novel) (Credit: BBC Books)

To be in with a chance to win the book courtesy of BBC Books, simply answer the following question:

Name one of the remaining stories from the original television series that has yet to be published in book form.

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-pirateplanet@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "I declare a new golden age!". The competition is open to UK readers only, closing date 8th January 2017. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

Big Finish: Cold Fusion

A newly regenerated Fifth Doctor arrives on an occupied ice planet – where the Seventh Doctor is investigating dangerous energy experiments conducted by the Earth Empire. But events spin out of control when a refugee from the distant past arrives - Patience, the Doctor's Wife!

To be in with a chance to win a digital download of the audio adventure courtesy of Big Finish, simply answer the following question:

What is the seventh Doctor's favourite biscuit, as revealed in this story?

Please send your answer along with your name and the email address you have registered with Big Finish, plus where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-coldfusion@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Crashed Time". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 8th January 2017. Note: entrants must have an active registration with Big Finish in order to be eligible to receive the prize - new registrations can be easily created on the website for free and with no financial obligation.

It's still possible to enter competitions to win Lethbridge-Stewart books and Warlord Games miniatures, closing date this Sunday.

Watch out for our annual Christmas Ratings competition, launching next week!

Lethbridge-Stewart Artwork Competition

Candy Jar Books are also running a competition for purchasers to win a piece Lethbridge-Stewart artwork by Richard Young. See their offers for more details.

Candy Jar Christmas 2016 Competition (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

FILTER: - BBC Audio - BBC Books - Big Finish - Competitions

The Pirate Planet novel to be published in January

Thursday, 10 November 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The Douglas Adams 1978 story The Pirate Planet is to be published as a new novel on 5th January 2017. Based on the original script, it is written by James Goss, who previously adapted last year's City of Death. The novel will also be released as an audiobook on the same day, narrated by Jon Culshaw.

The Pirate Planet
Written by James Goss, based on the script by Douglas Adams, and narrated by Jon Culshaw
Published by BBC Books and BBC Audio 5th January 2017 [pre-order the novel and audiobook from Amazon UK]

The hugely powerful Key to Time has been split into six segments, all of which have been disguised and hidden throughout time and space. Now the even more powerful White Guardian wants the Doctor to find the pieces.

With the first segment successfully retrieved, the Doctor, Romana and K-9 trace the second segment of the Key to the planet Calufrax. But when they arrive at exactly the right point in space, they find themselves on exactly the wrong planet – Zanak. Ruled by the mysterious ‘Captain’, Zanak is a happy and prosperous planet. Mostly. If the mines run out of valuable minerals and gems then the Captain merely announces a New Golden Age and they fill up again.

It’s an economic miracle – so obviously something’s very wrong...

The Pirate Planet (audiobook) (Credit: BBC Audio)

Featuring Tom Baker's Doctor, THE PIRATE PLANET is a novel based on a long-forgotten draft of the script found in the Douglas Adams archive in Cambridge. Unseen for 40 years and vastly different from the classic TV show, this is a work by The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy author that no-one has ever read...

FILTER: - Audio - BBC Audio - BBC Books - Books - Merchandise

BBC Audio: audiobook / competition updates

Tuesday, 8 November 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BBC Audio have released details of the audio adaptions taking them up to the end of the year, with two further Target novelisations and a collection of previously released readings:

Doctor Who and The Day of The Daleks (Credit: BBC Audio)

Doctor Who and The Day of The Daleks
Written by Terrance Dicks, read by Richard Franklin
Published by BBC Audio, 10th November 2016 [order from Amazon UK]

An unabridged reading of this classic novelisation of a 1972 TV story featuring the Third Doctor, as played on TV by Jon Pertwee.

Mysterious humans from 22nd Century Earth 'time-jump' back into the 20th Century, so as to assassinate a high-ranking diplomat on whom the peace of the world depends. The Doctor, Jo Grant and the Brigadier are soon called in to investigate. Jo is accidentally transported to the future; the Doctor follows, eventually to be captured by his oldest and deadliest enemies: the Daleks.

Having submitted the Doctor to the fearful Mind Analysis Machine, the Daleks plan a 'time-jump' attack on Earth in the 20th Century.

Duration: 4 hours and 30 minutes approx

Doctor Who: The Space Pirates (no narrator announced) (Credit: BBC Audio)

Doctor Who: The Space Pirates
Written by Terrance Dicks, read by Terry Molloy
Published by BBC Audio, 1st December 2016 [order from Amazon UK]

An unabridged reading of this novelisation of a classic 1960s TV serial, featuring the Second Doctor.

When space beacon Alpha One disintegrates into lumps of metal, General Hermack of the Space Corps realises that space pirates have discovered a new source of precious aragonite. After witnessing further destruction, the General leaves a squad of guards on beacon Alpha Four - just as the TARDIS materialises.

Suspected by the Space Corps of being pirates, then pursued as spies by the pirates themselves, the Doctor, Zoe and Jamie attempt to unmask the mastermind behind the thefts of aragonite.

In doing so they risk execution, explosion, and asphyxiation in the vacuum of space.

Duration: 4 hours approx

Tales from the TARDIS - Volume One (Credit: BBC Audio)

Tales from the TARDIS - Volume One
Published by BBC Audio, 10th November 2016 [order from Amazon UK]

Twelve stories of excitement and adventure in distant times and places including:

The Curse of Peladon by Brian Hayles, read by Jon Pertwee. The Doctor and Jo encounter a delegation of aliens, including the Ice Warriors, on a primitive planet.
Kinda by Terrance Dicks, read by Peter Davison. A serpent at the heart of paradise poses danger for the TARDIS crew and a human survey team.
Attack of the Cybermen by Eric Saward, read by Colin Baker. The Cybermen are intent on a plan to change history by crashing Halley’s Comet into Earth.
Out of the Darkness, read by Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant. The Sixth Doctor and Peri fall into danger in three gripping original short stories by Dave Stone, Guy Clapperton and Michael Collier.
Short Trips, read by Nicholas Courtney and Sophie Aldred. Familiar Doctor Who characters are caught up in intriguing and original situations in six short stories by Steve Lyons, Jonathan Blum, Tara Samms, David A McIntee, Robert Perry & Mike Tucker and Paul Magrs.

Duration: 9 hours 30 minutes approx

December also sees the release of an adaptation of Gary Russell's Scales of Injustice, originally published by Virgin Books as part of their Missing Adventures series in 1996:

Scales of Injustice
Written by Gary Russell, read by Dan Starkey
Published by BBC Audio, 1st December 2016 [order from Amazon UK]

An unabridged reading of this original novel featuring the Third Doctor, as played on TV by Jon Pertwee.

When a boy goes missing and a policewoman starts drawing cave paintings, the Doctor suspects the Silurians are back. With the Brigadier distracted by questions about UNIT funding and problems at home, the Doctor swears his assistant Liz Shaw to secrecy and investigates alone.

But Liz has enquiries of her own, teaming up with a journalist to track down people who don’t exist. What is the mysterious Glasshouse, and why is it so secret?

As the Silurians wake from their ancient slumber, the Doctor, Liz and the Brigadier are caught up in a conspiracy to exploit UNIT’s achievements – a conspiracy that reaches deep into the heart of the British Government.

Duration: 8 hours approx

Win Doctor Who and The Day of The Daleks

To be in with a chance to win the audiobook courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:

Which time travel priciple was first mentioned by the Doctor during this story?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-day@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "No complications". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 4th December 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

Win Tales from the TARDIS

To be in with a chance to win the audiobook collection courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:

Name another audiobook based on a Target novelisation read by Jon Pertwee

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-tardis@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Time will tell". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 4th December 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

It is still possible to enter competitions to win September and October's audiobooks here, closing date 13th November.

FILTER: - BBC Audio - Competitions - Fifth Doctor - Merchandise - Second Doctor - Sixth Doctor - Third Doctor

BBC Audio: Current Competitions

Tuesday, 25 October 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

We have the following audiobooks available for readers to win, courtesy of BBC Audio; in order to be in with a chance to win simply email us with the answer to the question along with your name, country and where you heard about the competition. All competitions are open worldwide, with a closing date of 13th November 2016. Only one entry per household can be accepted.

Doctor Who and The Invasion Of Time (Credit: BBC Audio)

[order from Amazon UK]

The Invasion of Time, written by Terrance Dicks and read by John Leeson
A traitor to the Time Lords! Can the Doctor really be in league with the evil Vardans, spearheading a treacherous invasion of his home planet Gallifrey? Or is he playing a deadly double game, saving the Time Lords by appearing to betray them? Not even his closest friends can tell. Whilst the Doctor's companion Leela is cast into the wilderness of Outer Gallifrey, the Vardans themselves are mere pawns in a deadly tactical game. Soon the Doctor will face an old enemy as he battles to foil the invasion of Time.

Question: These days, which actor is more usually associated with embodying the Sontaran menace?
Send your answer to comp-invasionoftime@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Send in the clones".

Doctor Who: The Time Meddler (Credit: BBC Audio)

[order from Amazon UK]

The Time Meddler, written by Nigel Robinson and read by Peter Purves
When the TARDIS materialises on an apparently deserted Nothumbrian beach, Steven disputes the Doctor’s claim that they have travelled back to the eleventh century. The disovery of a modern wristwatch in a nearby forest merely reinforces his opinion. But it is 1066, the most important date in English history, and the Doctor’s arrival has not gone unnoticed. Observing the appearance of the TARDIS is a mysterious monk, who recognises the time-machine for what it is. He also knows that the Doctor poses a serious threat to his master plan – a plan which, if successful, could alter the future of the entire world...

Question: What was the difference between the Doctor's and the Monk's TARDIS?
Send your answer to comp-timemeddler@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "The Vikings are Coming!".

[order from Amazon UK]

Torchwood Tales
Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd, Kai Owen and others read ten stories based on the hit BBC TV series. Written specially for audio, with additional sound design, the stories feature the original Torchwood line-up including Captain Jack, Gwen, Ianto, Owen and Toshiko, plus Rhys and PC Andy.

Question: One of the readers is 'alien' to the Torchwood universe - but which one?
Send your answer to comp-twtales@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Talking Hub-Bub".

Eleventh Doctor Tales (Credit: BBC Audio)

[order from Amazon UK]

Eleventh Doctor Tales
Matt Smith, Arthur Darvill and Meera Syal are among the readers of this exclusive collection of original audio adventures. Join the Eleventh Doctor on journeys in Time and Space.

Question: What is Meera Syal's connection to Doctor Who?
Send your answer to comp-11tales@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Still not ginger!".

FILTER: - Audio - BBC Audio - Competitions

Competition Roundup

Tuesday, 6 September 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

A roundup of competitions from Doctor Who News that readers may enter:

The Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Pursuit of History/Casualties of Time

The fourth Doctor concludes his latest set of adventures alongside Romana and K-9:

On a brisk winter’s morning in 1850s Yorkshire, Cuthbert, head of the intergalactic business known as 'The Conglomerate' prepares to hijack a very special train. In the far future, his assistant, Mr Dorrick is awoken by howling alarms. There is a problem with the Quantum Gateway. In the TARDIS, the Doctor, Romana and K9 detect strange distortions in the Vortex, an energy stream coming from a strange creature called a Laan. The threads of a plan centuries in the making are coming together. But who is behind this plan? And can anyone possibly escape when history is against them?

The Pursuit Of History (Credit: Big Finish)

To be in with a chance to win a digital download of the audio adventure courtesy of Big Finish, simply answer the following question:

David Warner has his own history with time shenanigans - name the the film in which he played a character coveting a map depicting holes in the space-time continuum.

Please send your answer along with your name and the email address you have registered with Big Finish, plus where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-bf4d@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Time Traps". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 18th September 2016. Note: entrants must have an active registration with Big Finish in order to be eligible to receive the prize - new registrations can be easily created on the website for free and with no financial obligation.

BBC Books: Doctor Who - The Official Cookbook

BBC Books offer you the chance to make a culinary impression on your Doctor Who friends!

Whether you’re planning a party to watch the latest episode, need a showstopping cake that’s bigger on the inside, or want a taste of the TARDIS at teatime, this is the ultimate collection of dishes from across space and time. Keep the munchies at bay with a fleet of Atraxi Snax, and serve an Ood Head Bread with your dinner. Create your very own Picnic at Asgard, or invite the Zygon Pie into your house. And say ‘Hello, Sweetie’ to a deadly-delicious Dalektable Army, a Peek-a-Boo Pandorica cake, or some simple jelly babies. Each easy-to-follow recipe has step-by-step instructions to show how you can make meals, snacks, cakes and sweets that are truly out of this world.

To be in with a chance to win the book courtesy of BBC Books, simply answer the following question:

What meal did a newly-regenerated Doctor cook up in Amelia's kitchen?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-cookbook@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Yum!". The competition is open to UK readers only, closing date 18th September 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: Doctor Who and The Sontaran Experiment

The classic novelisation adaptation from BBC Audio sees the fourth Doctor finding out Earth is not as uninhabited as he expected ...

Landing on Earth - now a barren, desolate planet - Sarah, Harry and the Doctor are unaware of a large, watching robot. The robot is the work of Styr, a Sontaran warrior, who uses all humans landing here for his experimental programmes. What has happened to the other space explorers who have come here? Why is Styr so interested in Earth, and in brutally torturing humans, including Sarah Jane? Will the Doctor be able to prevent an invasion, and save both Earth and his companions?

Doctor Who and The Sontaran Experiment (Credit: BBC Audio)

To be in with a chance to win the audiobook courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:

Having survived solar flares, the Earth then had to endure being moved two light years in space and enveloped by a solar fireball ... but who orchestrated this second devastation?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-experiment@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Trafalgar Square should be that way". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 18th September 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: Doctor Who: The Macra Terror

The classic novelisation adaptation from BBC Audio sees the second Doctor discovering something sinister in the shadows ...

In the far future a group of humans is living an idyllic existence on a distant planet. Their colony is run like a gigantic holiday camp, and nothing seems to trouble their carefree existence. When one of them claims that the colony is being invaded by hideous monsters, no-one takes him seriously. But the Doctor's suspicions are immediately aroused. What is the terrible menace that lurks at the heart of this apparent paradise? Why are the colonists unaware of the danger that lies before their very eyes? And what is the Macra Terror?

To be in with a chance to win the audiobook courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:

Name the televised story that featured an unexpected return of the Macra some forty years later...

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-macra@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "There is no such thing as Macra!". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 18th September 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: Illegal Alien

This BBC Books adaptation from BBC Audio sees the seventh Doctor caught up in World War II antics...

The Blitz is at its height. As the Luftwaffe bomb London, Cody McBridge, ex-pat American private eye, sees a sinister silver sphere crash-land. He glimpses something emerging from within. The military dismiss his account of events - the sphere must be a new German secret weapon that has malfunctioned in some way. What else could it be? Arriving amid the chaos, the Doctor and Ace embark on a trail that brings them face to face with hidden Nazi agents, and encounter some very old enemies ...

To be in with a chance to win the audiobook courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:

Name another Doctor Who story set in London during the Blitz.

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-illegalalien@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Put that light out!". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 18th September 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

BBC Audio: Tenth Doctor Tales

A collection of audio adventures featuring the tenth Doctor.

Join the Tenth Doctor on these seven adventures in Time and Space, written specially for audio: Pest Control, The Forever Trap, The Nemonite Invasion, The Rising Night, The Day of the Troll, The Last Voyage and Dead Air. David Tennant, Catherine Tate and Michelle Ryan read this exclusive collection of original audio adventures.

To be in with a chance to win the audio collection courtesy of BBC Audio, simply answer the following question:

The Rising Night reader Michelle Ryan is better known as which of the tenth Doctor's associates?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-10d-tales@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Oral Encounters". The competition is open worldwide, closing date 18th September 2016. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

FILTER: - Audio - BBC Audio - BBC Books - Big Finish - Books - Competitions

Previous 10 Stories

BBC Audio: diamond anniversary releases

Competition Roundup

BBC Worldwide: Shada [order from Amazon UK]

BBC Audio: The Five Doctors [order from Amazon UK]

BBC Audio: The Classic TV Adventures Collection Two [order from Amazon UK]

Galaxy 4: Return to Devil's End Signed Print [order from Galaxy 4]

Competition Roundup

Event: win tickets to Missing Who [visit event website]

Audio Download: Philip Hinchcliffe Presents: The Helm Of Awe [pre-order from Amazon UK]

DVD: MythMakers: Matthew Waterhouse [order from Galaxy 4]

BBC Audio: Four To Doomsday [order from Amazon UK]

BBC Audio: The Mind of Evil [order from Amazon UK]

BBC Audio: The Classic TV Adventures Collection One [order from Amazon UK]

BBC Audio: The Lost Planet [order from Amazon UK]

The Odd(s) Doctor

Class Ratings Update

Competition Roundup for December

BBC Audio: The Space Pirates

BBC Audio: The Scales of Injustice

BBC Books: The Pirate Planet

Big Finish: Cold Fusion

Lethbridge-Stewart Artwork Competition

The Pirate Planet novel to be published in January

BBC Audio: audiobook / competition updates

Win Doctor Who and The Day of The Daleks

Win Tales from the TARDIS

BBC Audio: Current Competitions

Competition Roundup

The Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Pursuit of History/Casualties of Time

BBC Books: Doctor Who - The Official Cookbook

BBC Audio: Doctor Who and The Sontaran Experiment

BBC Audio: Doctor Who: The Macra Terror

BBC Audio: Illegal Alien

BBC Audio: Tenth Doctor Tales

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