Hello! Welcome to this new column! ‘What’s it about?’ I hear you cry. Good question. I’m not entirely sure of the answer yet - let’s just see what happens. 

My initial thought was that this would be a sort of ‘Doctor Who Diary’ - a monthly round-up of things that have been happening in the Whoniverse, peppered with gossip and chit-chat and gags. A bit like the ‘3AM Girls’, but with more Terileptils. With this in mind, on Friday the 13th of April I dutifully headed off to the Target Books signing at the London Forbidden Planet Megastore on Shaftesbury Avenue. Due to attend were all five authors of the new adaptations, including Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat - perhaps I could get some juicy quotes from them! Maybe Russell could be persuaded to finally spill the beans on Christopher Eccleston, or Steven could explain the actual literal silence at the end of Vampires of Venice…? That sort of inside scoop could really get this fledgling feature off to a flying start! 

Quick bit of background: I have been to a few organised fan events in the past, but not many. I attended Panopticon 93 - the big 30th anniversary convention - as a precocious fourteen year old. And then, twenty years later, I trotted along to the enormous, slick, BBC organised 50th Anniversary celebration at London’s ExCel Exhibition Centre. (Where fans were herded about in giant hangers like Ood being prepared for shipping - a lot of the experience was quite miserable.) And, most recently, for the past couple of years I’ve enjoyed the annual Utopia weekends held at Eynsham Hall in Oxfordshire, relaxed affairs which are much more up my alley. Mostly a lot of drunk gay men in a big old country house fawning over Wendy Padbury and other ‘actresses of a certain age’. (I say that with the greatest of affection, and count myself among the fawners.) Throw in the odd book signing here and there, (as well as pub meets for LGBT Doctor Who fans with The Sisterhood of Karn in Soho - more on them another time…) and that’s about the sum total of my fan event experience. So I had a reasonable idea of what to expect from the Target event, but by no means consider myself an expert on such matters. 

I arrived at Forbidden Planet a good hour before the scheduled start time, and was surprised to be confronted by a snaking queue already winding its way right around the block - there were *hundreds* of people there, far more than I had anticipated. Perhaps you were one of them and saw me - looking slightly panicked as I walked along the line to join the back of the queue, trying desperately to appear terribly cool and above it all.

I’ve always had a slightly complicated relationship with my own fandom. I consider myself to be a hardcore aficionado - I own Wartime on DVD - but there’s still sometimes a slight sense of shame that can nip at my heels from time to time. Here I was, suddenly exposed and out on the street, clutching my carrier bag full of books ready to be signed. Within the first few minutes several bemused onlookers asked what was going on - the look on their faces when I explained that the queue was to meet some Doctor Who writers only helped to fuel my shame demons… Which I *know* is ridiculous - I *know* that being a fan is wonderful and magical and enriching - I think it’s just the baggage of preconceived ideas of others that sometimes weighs heavy on me. Plus there was the fact that at that precise moment I was surrounded by the worst thing in the universe - other fans. 

Fans in front of me, fans behind me - nothing but fans. I didn’t want to interact, I didn’t want them to talk to me - I steeled myself for however many hours it was going to take of standing in complete silence. I absolutely didn’t want to engage with the sort of people who would subject themselves to standing in the cold, for hours, all for the sake of a sci-fi show. So instead I popped in my headphones and played the latest Fifth Doctor adventure from Big Finish. 

Eventually, the people in front of me, two men and a girl, did strike up a conversation, and, reluctantly, I got drawn in. And then, of course, we talked for *hours*. Talking and talking and more wonderful talking. It is an extraordinary and liberating thing to converse with people who share the same specialised knowledge as oneself. (‘Yes, the spine numbering on the Titan graphic novels IS quite irritating…’ ) We learnt about each other’s lives and loves and favourite Virgin Missing Adventures. And it was glorious. There was I, intent on being all stand-offish and judgemental, and here were these wonderful, funny, generous people - kind and wise enough to ignore my pretentions and include me in a happy little makeshift group that smiled and laughed and queued in the cold.

When we reached the head of the line - two and a half hours later - we insisted to the Forbidden Planet gatekeepers that we should go in to the signing as a foursome, and refused to be separated. It is clear to me, and probably to you, that I had been projecting my own fears and insecurities about my own fandom onto others, and that, dear reader, is a very silly thing to do. What I had so foolishly feared wasn’t other fans at all - it was simply my own reflection. Fortunately, on this occasion the Mara was defeated, and everyone skipped off into the sunset for space buns and tea. 

I can’t say that the shame demons will never haunt me again, but this happy and enlightening experience has equipped me to better fight them off if they do. (Oh - also there was a bit where some people signed some books for us, but that was over very quickly, and I was too busy giggling with my new friends to ask them for any quotes or gossip. Sorry.)

Richard Unwin

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[Source: DWO]

&E

Hold onto your butts... a massive tear in the fabric of time must have occurred as the release date, cover & track listing have finally been confirmed for the Doctor Who: Series 9 Soundtrack!

Our friends over at Silva Screen Records have been in touch with the full details, below:

Limited Edition only - includes additional booklet with Stuart Manning poster images and slipcase.

This edition will be generally available on other sites but is limited in number. The Standard Edition is the same as the Limited Edition but does not include the slipcase or additional booklet.

Premiering in September 2015, the ninth series of Doctor Who featured Peter Capaldi in the title role in his sophomore season as television’s favourite time traveller. This all encompassing four part collection features general cues on discs one and two, the complete score from the episode Heaven Sent on disc three and on disc four the Christmas Special, The Husbands Of River Song. Five time BAFTA nominee Murray Gold recently confirmed that he is stepping down from composer duties on the show after 12 years of providing some of the finest music to be heard on contemporary television. This is also the 12th Silva Screen release of his music from the 2005 revival onwards and underlines the breadth of Gold’s composing skill across over two and a half hours of music.

"It’s one of the last great morality tales out there but it also celebrates life. For that reason I think it’s a great show for kids. I couldn’t write this much music for it if I didn’t feel that way.” – Murray Gold

DISC 1

1. The One in a Thousand
2. Davros Remembers
3. Message from Missy
4. Meeting in the Square
5. Finding The Doctor
6. What Have You Done
7. Davros Approaches
8. Some Kind of Submarine
9. The Ghosts
10. The Bootstrap Paradox
11. Finding The Fisher King
12. Another Ghost Has Appeared
13. We Need to Get Back to The TARDIS
14. Directions from The Ghosts
15. Something in the Spacesuit
16. Two Days on a Longboat
17. I Am Ashildr
18. In a Way, She's a Hybrid
19. I Call Myself Me
20. They Need Us
21. The Last Thing We Need

DISC 2

1. Deep Cover
2. Just Come Inside
3. This is Not a War
4. Defending The Earth
5. The Morpheus Song
6. Saving Rigsy
7. Madam Mayor
8. Running from the Raven
9. Death is Locked In
10. Face the Raven
11. Back Home
12. The General's Regeneration
13. A Duty of Care
14. Clara's Diner

DISC 3

1. A Second Shadow
2. The Veil
3. A Fly on a Painting
4. A Change of Clothes
5. A Mechanical Maze
6. Digging a Grave
7. Tell No Lies
8. Two Events in Life
9. Waiting for the Veil
10. The Final Room
11. One Confession Away
12. Break Free
13. Same Old Day
14.The Shepherd's Boy

DISC 4

1. Carol Singers will be Criticised
2. A Dying Husband
3. The Finest Surgeon in The Galaxy
4. The Halassi Androvar
5. The Husbands of River Song
6. The TARDIS Can't Take Off
7. Time to Do it Properly
8. Harmony and Redemption
9. Hydroflax in The TARDIS
10. Whole Again at Last
11. All the Firewalls in The Galaxy
12. A Restaurant with a View
13. The Woman He Loves
14. The Singing Towers

+  The Doctor Who: Series 9 Soundtrack is released on 27th April, priced £14.99.
+  PREORDER this title from Silva Screen Records.
+  Discuss all the Doctor Who Audio releases in the DWO Forums.

[Source: Silva Screen Records]

Some of you may have noticed over the past couple of years that our site updates haven't been as regular as they used to be, and I feel that now is a good time to fill you in on why that has been.

I've run DWO for the best part of 22 years, and, all being well, I hope to do so for a good time to come, but for the past couple of years the regular updates have been somewhat of a struggle due to some ongoing issues with my health.

It all started when I was exhibiting at the 2015 London Film And Comic Con (which was a fantastic event, by the way). We had the DWO space set up, and got to meet so many of our lovely visitors and twitter followers - I had my wife on hand to help out, and things were going very well indeed. On the morning of the Sunday show, we arrived and I wasn't feeling great; for some reason I was feeling a bit panicked. I literally could't think of anything that was panicking me, nor could I comprehend why I was feeling this way. I started to become very aware of everything, and it felt like the space around me was closing in a bit. The lights started to feel a bit more intense and I began to feel my heart racing - like, super fast! I was naturally feeling quite anxious, and decided to make my way to the medial booth on the upper floor. As I got to the staircase, every step felt laboured, and I was starting to feel a little light-headed. I finally got to the office and the very helpful woman asked me to sit in a chair as she took my blood pressure and other stats.

My heart rate was around 170bpm (beats per minute), and I was just sat in the chair. She talked to me to calm me down, and it eventually slowed to around 120bpm. By this point, my hands were physically shaking, due to the adrenaline that was rushing through me. The woman asked me some questions; "Have you ever had a heart issue?", "Have you ever been diagnosed with a heart attack?, "Do you suffer from anxiety?". I replied "No" to all three questions, and sipped on some cold water, which helped to relax me further.  She then suggested that I go to the hospital to get some precautionary blood tests to rule out anything sinister.

My wife and I stayed for an hour whilst I contemplated whether to go right away or not, before deciding that we would in fact leave. I got to our local hospital, and they ran some tests, and everything checked out normal. On paper I was fit and healthy, and nothing seemed to be wrong. In my head, however, I was confused and unsatisfied with the fact that there was no diagnosis for what had happened to me earlier that day. This was something that has never happened to me before.

A few weeks passed by, and I was at home with my wife and kids, and we were having our dinner, when, again, out of nowhere, my heart was racing once more - this time around 180bpm. I made my way to the hospital, where they did some tests again, and could see the high heart rate. Again, I was asked if I suffered from anxiety, to which I responded "No", but I felt like this was a word that kept being thrown at me - like it was something I was meant to accept. They let me go and asked me to get an appointment with my GP to set up a referral to a cardiologist.

A day or so later, I met with my GP and we set up the appointment, which was for a few weeks from that date. During that time, I had several more incidents of my heart racing - a couple of the times I was at home on my own, and for the first time ever, I called an Ambulance. I was finding my breathing was somewhat laboured, and was trying to breathe through the fast heart rate (which, can make you feel quite breathless, alone), and, again, they checked me over and couldn't find a cause.

I eventually got my appointment with the Cardiologist, who did a number of tests; ECGs, a running test and more in-depth blood tests, but all of them seemed to draw a blank. He suggested I go on some beta blockers to manage the issue, and I went onto a medication called 'Propanolol'. At first it seemed to work, as the events were happening less frequently, but days later, I started to notice a small red patch on my left arm. It didn't occur to me that it could be related to the medication as it was happening at such a slow rate, but over the next 9 months, the red patches covered the whole of my body. I went to the Doctors, who, after numerous tests, put it down to a condition called Psoriasis. 

For 9 months I was dealing with the red patches, and I was incredibly self conscious to go out in public and be seen; my face was the only place I wasn't really getting them, but you could see them on my neck, which forced me to wear long-sleeve shirts and jumpers during a particularly hot summer. It was at this point, that I started to realise the affect this was having on my mental state. I was given a special lotion which was paraffin based (the same stuff you use to light a fire, although on a much, much lower scale). It helped a little to reduce the visibility, but was not recommended over long periods of time. 

Having been feeling rather low and unhappy about the situation for some time, I asked my GP about setting me up with a Dermatologist, and a few weeks later, she confirmed that this was indeed Psoriasis and that, unfortunately, it would be something I would have to deal with throughout my life, although there were treatments to help lessen the red marks. I was given bath liquids, whole body lotions and the most foul-smelling cold tar lotion, which I had to put on twice daily. 

A few days later I had another of my heart issues and was given an alternative beta blocker to try. I came off the Propanolol and went onto something called Verapamil. The first 24 hours seemed fine, and then in the evening I had another fast heart rate, with what I now know to be a panic attack. It was single-handedly the most terrifying experience I've had to date... I went to the hospital who actually kept me overnight this time, and was given another new beta blocker to try called 'Bisoprolol'. This one seemed to work perfectly!

Days and weeks passed without any large events, and I was starting to feel a bit better. The red marks on my skin also appeared to be fading, and I finally felt that things were moving in a positive direction. Something was niggling away at the back of my mind though, and it was the fact that the heart situation was still undiagnosed. By this point, I started to feel like I was being pigeon-holed in the 'anxiety' box. There was no doubt that I was anxious, but I felt that it was a result of the process to this point (now going on 16 months), and the fact I still didn't know what was causing it.

By now it was March of 2017, and the red marks were almost gone. I had a follow-up appointment in a few days with the Dermatologist, and was hoping for her to tell me that this was now managed. My wife was looking online and found that a side effect of the original beta blocker I was on was "red marks on the skin". We started doing our maths and worked out that it was almost to the week that I went onto the Propanolol (my original beta blocker), that I started to get the red marks. My Dermatology appointment came around and I brought it up to the specialist. She looked at my skin, and how vastly improved it was, and confirmed that this was now likely an interaction due to my body being intolerant to the Propanolol. I came out from the appointment relieved and angry; relieved that this wasn't something I'd have to constantly battle throughout my life, but angry that this wasn't picked up - or even suggested, by my GP.

Days, weeks and months went by, and by now we were coming to the Summer 2017. My skin had completely cleared up, I was getting confidence to go out more, and my heart rate was managed by the bisoprolol, to the point that I started to reduce my dosage to the point I didn't need to take it anymore. I did still get the faster heart rate, but I managed it by breathing through it or trying to focusing on something else. I had another appointment with my Cardiologist where I expressed my happiness at the fact the incidents had reduced, but my frustration at still not knowing why or how it started in the first place. The cardiologist suggested I have a small procedure to fit an implant (the size of a USB stick) just under my skin on the left side of my chest, which would constantly monitor my heartbeat, and pick up any irregularities. I was nervous at the thought of being in an operating theatre - even through it was a small procedure - but I had it fitted, and tried to forget about it.

From now on, whenever I had an incident, I just pressed a button on a key fob and held it over the left side of my chest, and it would monitor 5 minutes before and after the event. Before long, the hospital had enough data to finally give me a diagnosis.

January 2018 came around, and I met up with the cardiologist, who confirmed it was something called 'Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia'. It's not life-threatening, but just gets in the way of things now and then. He also added that over time, it could completely sort itself out. There were a few more back-and-forth's with my GP, but all this time later, I finally feel much better and confidant in myself that I can deal with future episodes.

That being said, the toll it has taken on me, mentally, has been exhausting to say the least. I still have a distrust at my body in the way it just came out of nowhere, and my confidence has taken a bit of a beating through all of this, too. I was previously a confidant person, and this is something I need to work on again. Ironically, and despite the incorrect analysis of what was wrong with me at the start, anxiety now seems to be a part of me as a result of all this, and I'm working through it. It has made me become so much more aware of others who have to deal with it, and want to give more time to those who have their own struggles. We take so many things for granted, and to have your health - arguably the most basic thing that we take for granted - is something we must all be thankful for. 

So back to DWO... Whilst there have been loads of DWO updates over the past couple of years, there were nowhere near as many as I would have liked, due to the constant fragmentation of my daily life due to my health issues. This is a site that used to have almost daily news updates, but thankfully, I feel like I am back to the point where normal service can be resumed. This is going to be a truly exciting year for Doctor Who, and I want to be where I've always been, right here on DWO, along with my fantastic team, providing you all with the very latest news, reviews and updates.

Thanks for reading this and allowing me to explain fully the reason for the lack of updates. There's probably more information than you needed, but I wanted to give you all the full picture and be clear about where I was at. Here on in, all is looking good and we have lots of exciting things planned for the site and forums in 2018!

Thank you, as always, for your support and dedication to the site. It's you the visitors and forum members who make DWO what it is, and genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, it means so much to me.

Sebastian J. Brook - Site Editor
Doctor Who Online
March 2018

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[Source: DWO]

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: David Llewellyn

RRP: £14.99 (CD) / £12.99 (Download)

Release Date: March 2018

Reviewed by: Nick Mellish for Doctor Who Online

"You are cordially invited to Argentia, the galaxy’s most exclusive tax haven, to attend the funeral of mining magnate Carlo Mazzini. The memorial service will be followed by music, light refreshments, and murder!

Carlo’s heirs have come to say their final goodbyes (and find out how much they’ve inherited) but when a masked killer begins picking them off one by one, Argentia goes into lock-down, closed off behind its own temporal displacement field.

Can the Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Adric apprehend the murderer before Argentia – and everyone on board - is forever cut off from the rest of the Universe?"

Back in the dim and distant country that was September 2014, I reviewed the play Mask of Tragedy for DWO and sung the praises of Samuel West’s turn as Aristophanes in it. He nailed the comedy perfectly, and the extras showed him to be genuinely passionate about Doctor Who and infectiously enthusiastic.

Flash forward to March 2018 (present day at the time of writing) and Big Finish have just released Serpent In The Silver Mask. Who is that actor putting in a genuinely excellent comic turn with multiple characters, all of whom have a degree of humour and gravity where required injected into them? Take another bow, Samuel West! In the extras for this play, director Barnaby Edwards rightly sings West’s praises and I think it’s worth just stressing again how good he is here. Truly, you’ll not find a better guest performance in a Big Finish play across the board; this equals the very best of them, perhaps even besting his turn in I Went To A Marvellous Party.

(I’ll get a grumble out of the way now: the extras. Long-time readers of these reviews will know it’s a bugbear of mine that the extended extras for subscribers do not surface for weeks after the plays’ releases, and that’s especially irksome here when the extras we get on the CD/original download feel heavily edited. You can tell they’re curtailed, with some edits coming in almost mid-sentence, and that’s a real shame.)

What of Serpent In The Silver Mask elsewhere though?

The play starts with our heroes landing on Argentia where the Doctor is on the hunt for the materials to build a new sonic screwdriver. Before too long, they’ve had their tongues swabbed and they’ve gatecrashed a funeral, but it appears that there’s a murderer on the loose... cue a Sherlock / Christie-style romp with robots and prisons and dolls, oh my!

David Llewellyn is in the writing seat this time around and he’s clearly had the same memo as the other writers in this latest trilogy of Fifth Doctor / Adric / Nyssa / Tegan plays: listen to the DVD commentary for Earthshock and write them like that and not how the characters were on screen. It does mean you’re not going to come away from this play, or indeed any of the others in this trilogy, feeling you’ve experienced an ‘authentic’ era-accurate story. This sort of thing really bugs some fans and kills the mood for them, but for me personally it does not factor in at all when the scripts themselves are as strong as the past three have been. Are these the companions we used to watch on screen or the Fifth Doctor who saved the world in the early 1980s? Not even close at times but, crucially, does it matter at all? Mileage will vary.

For my money though, I’d say Llewellyn has crafted an exemplary script with a central mystery that genuinely surprised me. I was so sure I had worked out “whodunnit” but, pleasingly, I was wrong. I had the means but not the right antagonist: and what better treat for a fan of the genre to be close but outfoxed? I think I had as much fun trying to work it all out as the Doctor does. Indeed, the Doctor is having a lot of fun here, whether conversing with a robot or playing detective, and it’s a joy.

I’ve already celebrated West and the script, so it’s time again to heap praise on Edwards’s direction and the regulars’ performances. I want to highlight Janet Fielding here as this play gives Tegan a lot to do, but frankly Matthew Waterhouse is brilliant, Peter Davison hilarious, and Sarah Sutton making every scene count. This is an exciting time to be a fan of the Davison era. We had Jenny Colgan give us an incredibly good outing for Turlough in Gardens Of The Dead. Time In Office was my favourite main range release in 2017 by some distance, and this original trio of companions just goes from strength to strength in the main range.

Does all this praise feel repetitive to you? It would be understandable if so as I’ve done that time and again this trilogy, because this trilogy is by a leap - a bound - and a mile, the very best succession of releases in the main range we, as fans, have had the pleasure to receive for years, now.

Guy Adams’s stint as script editor for these plays has injected verve and spark in what was increasingly becoming a range of average releases, and his role in teasing out the best we’ve had for ages cannot be understated.

Three high hitters worthy of full marks? Yes, I really think these plays deserve that accolade, and that gives me more pleasure to write and share online than I can readily articulate. As the Doctor herself put it: “Oh, brilliant!"

+ ORDER this title on Amazon.co.uk!

Our friends over at New Zealand Mint have begun a limited edition annual Doctor Who coin to celebrate the British science fiction television programme.

The first stunning 1oz pure silver coin to be released depicts the Twelfth Doctor along with key characters from the 2017 series: his foes Missy, the Master, the Cybermen and, of course, his companions Bill and Nardole.

The coin is delivered in a complementary modern, stylish coin case which incorporates black and white images of the TARDIS. Inside the coin case is the matching Certificate of Authenticity which contains information about the coin and its unique serial number.

With Peter Capaldi having stepped down from the role, this is your last chance to own a coin featuring him as the Twelfth Doctor. But with just 10,000 fine silver coins available worldwide, you will need to be quick to secure your special memento here.

[Source: New Zealand Mint]

A new dawn for Doctor Who events in the UK has arrived, as Manchester based ‘Vworp’ launches their first event with a bang at the Printworks on 9th September 2018, with a line up of signings, panels and activities that will please fans of all ages.

Photo opportunities with full size police boxes, Daleks, Cybermen and a host of other monsters, lurking throughout the venue, and with a number of dealers for you to track down that elusive action figure or sonic spatula (it’s a thing - trust us) you’ll have to hope that your bag is bigger on the inside.

In addition to all the Doctor Who fun, a lot of the venues within the Printworks will be offering deals across the weekend on food and drink so you won’t even have to leave the event space.

There will be a full slate of panels and talks across three stages and signings with Doctors, Companions and Monsters.

Tickets are available now from: http://www.vworpcon.com/tickets.html.

Even though Tom Baker cannot make the event, the Vworp team have managed to secure a private signing with Tom on 27th March.

You can either send in your own items (actions figures, posters, books, records etc.) and Tom will personally sign these for you during the time that the Vworp team spend with him. Every attempt will be made to have photo proof of your items being signed subject to approval from Tom and his team.

Each signature ordered during the pre-order period will cost only £20.00. The pre-order period will last from 1st March 2018 – 21st March 2018. Orders placed after this period will not be accepted. Full details can be found at: http://www.vworpcon.com/tom-baker.html.

[Source: Vworp]

Today, BBC Worldwide has announced that Doctor Who: The Collection - Season 12 will be released on Blu-Ray on 11th June 2018. 

For fans of Doctor Who and collectors of Classic Who seasons, the Blu-Ray has limited edition packaging with artwork by Lee Binding and has been restored and up-scaled to HD by Peter Crocker and Mark Ayres. The new release also has a wealth of new bonus content.

Russell Minton, Executive Producer at BBC Worldwide says:

"We are doing our very best at BBC Worldwide to restore and bring as many Classic Who titles out on Collector's Edition Blu-ray, and this starts with being able to confirm one of my favourites, Tom Baker's first season.  We will also endeavour to include additional archive material and exciting newly-shot features where possible."

Season 12, Tom Baker's first as the Doctor, features five stories over 20 episodes, including The Ark in Space and Genesis of the Daleks. The Doctor is accompanied in this season by Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter) and was first broadcast between December 1974 and May 1975.

The new Blu-Ray release includes existing bonus material from the original DVDs as well as the brand new features below:

TOM BAKER IN CONVERSATION
A candid new one-hour interview with the Fourth Doctor.

BEHIND THE SOFA
Classic clips from Season 12, viewed by Tom Baker, Philip Hinchcliffe, Louise Jameson, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and Sadie Miller.

NEW MAKING-OF DOCUMENTARIES
For The Sontaran Experiment and Revenge Of The Cybermen.

IMMERSIVE 5.1 SURROUND SOUND MIXES
For The Ark In Space and Genesis Of The Daleks.

OPTIONAL BRAND NEW UPDATED SPECIAL EFFECTS
For Revenge Of The Cybermen.

GENESIS OF THE DALEKS - OMNIBUS MOVIE VERSION
Unseen since broadcast in 1975.

THE TOM BAKER YEARS
The 1991 VHS release, on disc for the first time.

PRODUCTION ARCHIVE MATERIAL
PDF files from the BBC Archives.

+  Doctor Who: The Collection - Season 12 is released on 11th June (Blu-ray), priced £49.99.
+  PREORDER this title from Amazon.co.uk.
+  Discuss all the Doctor Who DVD releases in the DWO Forums.

[Sources: BBC Worldwide; Amazon.co.uk]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actor, Peter Miles.

Peter appeared in 3, classic series, Doctor Who adventures; Doctor Who And The Silurians (as Dr Charles Lawrence), Invasion Of The Dinosaurs (as Professor Whitaker), and, his most fondly remembered role in Genesis of Daleks as Davros' chief henchman, Nyder.

Peter's other career highlights include roles in; Blakes 7, Bergerac, Z-Cars and Disraeli (to name just a few). Peter also appeared in a number of audio plays for Big Finish.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Peter's family and friends.

On a personal note, I (Seb), got to meet Peter on two occasions, but most memorably in 2006, where I got to have a photo with him [pictured right]. Unlike his famed character, Nyder, Peter was a gentle, kind man, who genuinely loved meeting fans of the show. He will be greatly missed.

[Source: DWO]

Publisher: BBC Books

Written By: Douglas Adams & James Goss

RRP: £16.99 (Hardback)

Release Date: 18th January 2018

Reviewed by: Richard Binnington

Rediscover the lost Doctor Who adventure by Douglas Adams. 

Intergalactic war? That’s just not cricket … or is it? 

The Doctor promised Romana the end of the universe, so she’s less than impressed when what she gets is a cricket match. But then the award ceremony is interrupted by eleven figures in white uniforms and peaked skull helmets, wielding bat-shaped weapons that fire lethal bolts of light into the screaming crowd. The Krikkitmen are back. 

Millions of years ago, the people of Krikkit learned they were not alone in the universe, and promptly launched a xenophobic crusade to wipe out all other life-forms. After a long and bloody conflict, the Time Lords imprisoned Krikkit within an envelope of Slow Time, a prison that could only be opened with the Wicket Gate key, a device that resembles – to human eyes, at least – an oversized set of cricket stumps…

From Earth to Gallifrey, from Bethselamin to Devalin, from Krikkit to Mareeve II to the far edge of infinity, the Doctor and Romana are tugged into a pan-galactic conga with fate as they rush to stop the Krikkitmen gaining all five pieces of the key. If they fail, the entire cosmos faces a fiery retribution that will leave nothing but ashes…

Romana thought she was having a bad day when The Doctor decided to take her to the cricket. But that was nothing when the most deadly robots in the universe turned up. The Doctor and Romana romp around the universe racing to collect all the pieces of the Wicket Gate key in order to stop the Krikkitmen freeing their home planet, Krikkit, enveloped in a slow time field by the Time Lords, after a devastating conflict. The entire universe is at stake, with the Krikkitmen aiming to destroy everything and everyone as they step up to the bat. Oh and did I mention the most incredibly dangerous weapon in the universe is rolling around looking very much like a Cricket ball from planet earth? With Time Lords, Tea and ‘regrettable acts between the swimming pool and the car park’, this adventure in time and space is magnificently crafted, which will no doubt fill you to the brim on a nostalgia hype.

The most tantalising part of the book is how evident the voice of the writer's is. I found it seamlessly Douglas Adams but with James Goss’ exceptional skill to tell the story through a combined humour and wit which permeates throughout. Whether it is detailing the quiet hobbies of Time Lords back on Gallifrey (including their favourite, ever-loving quest for a lovely cup of tea) or The Doctor checking if he's talking to the right K9 and not the one he left with Leela, who is running about on the planet somewhere.

Doctor Who And The Krikkitmen is a fantastic celebration of one of the best writers Doctor Who has ever had, and has brought his spirit back to life. It’s rooted full of mythology from the history of the series, which makes it even more enjoyable - particularly, The Doctor spending a large amount of time back in The Matrix.

Unusually, this book had its own set of ‘Special Features’ just like what we’re used to from the brilliant DVD range. Goss details how ‘The Krikkitmen’ came to be, alongside the original 32 page treatment written by Adams, which contains a version of the story with a different companion, Sarah Jane! Originally cited as ‘Jane’ within the treatment, Goss tried out a version with her and discovered that it would make more sense for Romana, as played by Lalla Ward, to feature, due to its connections with Shada. It includes these first few chapters, which is immensely interesting to see how much changed by swapping out the companion.

Overall, it's a fantastic romp in the style of, what some consider, the best era of Doctor Who. A thoroughly enjoyable read, full of attention to detail, and, quite simply, a lost classic on screen. On finishing, it left me wanting more and I immediately popped City of Death in my DVD player for a seamless experience. This addition to the range of Fourth Doctor novelisations (Shada By Gareth Roberts, City Of Death by James Goss, & The Pirate Planet by James Goss) continues to delve into the details of how magical a writer Douglas Adams was. Even the chapter titles have humorous elements to them, my favourite: Chapter 42: The Meaning of Life. If you’re in need of a new Fourth Doctor fix, get out there and read this now!

+  Doctor Who And The Krikkitmen is Out Now, priced £16.99.
+  BUY this title on Amazon.co.uk!
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Publisher: BBC Books

Written By: Cavan Scott, Jacqueline Rayner, Paul Magrs, James Goss, Peter Anghelides & Richard Dinnick

RRP: £9.99 (Hardback)

Release Date: 22nd February 2018

Reviewed by: Richard Binnington

Know your frenemy.

‘I’ve had adventures too. My whole life doesn’t revolve around you, you know.’

When she's not busy amassing armies of Cybermen, or manipulating the Doctor and his companions, Missy has plenty of time to kill (literally). In this all new collection of stories about the renegade Time Lord we all love to hate, you'll discover just some of the mad and malevolent activities Missy gets up to while she isn't distracted by the Doctor.

So please try to keep up.

Since her first appearance in the series, Missy has become one of the most anticipated and well loved characters from the Capaldi era. Piggybacking from friend to foe for The Doctor, you never know what to expect with her, and with these short stories, it continues to build that wonder. The Missy Chronicles combines a plethora of writing talent to give us more on her backstory and how she came to be the master, reborn.

This book consists of 6 short, but thrilling stories which open up the doors to various off-screen adventures. Set in the past, present and future, you don't know what to expect next from the loveable rogue. There's even the return of the Tissue Compression Eliminator in a couple of the stories, which I loved immensely.
 

Dismemberment By James Goss is a look into the psyche of Missy and how you should not cross her, or maybe you won't make it home in time for tea.
 

Lords and Masters By Cavan Scott is a wonderful parallel to say, The Key To Time, in which The Timelords have sent Missy out on a mission, much like The Doctor, but will she stick to the task, or does she have a more ruthless plan up her sleeve.
 

Teddy Sparkles Must Die! By Paul Magrs has Missy in place as a nanny to a set of children in the early 20’s. Seemingly looking out for the children, something more mysterious is in play and it involves a magical bear called Teddy Sparkles. Absolutely mad but superb.
 

The Liar, The Glitch And The Warzone By Peter Anghelides is a wonderfully written adventure featuring Missy trapped between two timezones and shows what lengths she is willing to go to in order to survive. This short really left me wanting more.
 

Girl Power! By Jacqueline Raynor is a perfect example of why we need more by Raynor in the Doctor Who Universe. Written from the perspective of Missy using the internet, this is the most experimental short story of the collection and is full of charm. If you have ever wondered what Missy, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie and Boudica in a online chat room would be like, wonder no more.
 

Alit In Underland By Richard Dinnick, was my favourite of all the stories. It returns to the events of World Enough And Time and follows Missy and The Master out on a reconnaissance task. I love the dialogue between these two and would happily read a mini-series based on the pair, alone.
 

This whole book is a triumph to the character and shows a clear example how characters from within the Doctor Who universe can stand on their own two feet. I would really enjoy getting some more off screen adventures of Missy / The Master in book form - hours of entertainment! Missy’s voice and mannerisms have been captured perfectly by all 6 writers who have grasped this complex character so easily.
 

A highly recommended read for anyone who loves the new series stories and could do with a little burst of evil in their life, every now and then. The Missy Chronicles is released just in time for International Women’s Day, so grab your copy as soon as you can. Make sure you “ say something nice…”

+  The Missy Chronicles is Out Now, priced £9.99.
+  PURCHASE this title on Amazon.co.uk!
+  Follow Doctor Who Online (@DrWhoOnline) on Twitter.

 

BBC Books / Penguin have confirmed the synopsis' and covers for the new series Doctor Who Target novelisations, due out in April.

In addition to the four, new series adventures, a fifth title, (The 4th Doctor adventure) 'City Of Death', will be released at the same time. City Of Death was one of only five stories from the original series (1963-1989), not to have been novelised for the Target book range.

Synopsis for each title are below, and the covers are in the right-hand column, with the exception of 'Twice Upon A Time' and 'City Of Death' which we will be adding very shortly. The covers for the range have been designed by Anthony Dry, in the style of Chris Achilleos, who provided the covers for the original Target range.

Audiobook releases of the titles will be released in June.

Rose
By Russell T. Davies

“Nice to meet you, Rose. Run for your life!”

In a lair somewhere beneath central London, a malevolent alien intelligence is plotting the end of humanity. Shop window dummies that can move – and kill – are taking up key positions, ready to strike.

Rose Tyler, an ordinary Londoner, is working her shift in a department store, unaware that this is the most important day of her life. She’s about to meet the only man who understands the true nature of the threat facing Earth, a stranger who will open her eyes to all the wonder and terror of the universe – a traveller in time and space known as the Doctor.

+  Rose is released on 5th April 2018, priced £6.99.
+  PURCHASE this title on Amazon.co.uk!

The Christmas Invasion
By Jenny T. Colgan

Earth is under attack by power-hungry aliens. This is no time for the Doctor to be out of action.

When a British space probe is intercepted by a sinister alien vessel on the eve of Christmas, it marks the beginning of an audacious invasion of the Earth by the Sycorax – horrifying marauders from beyond the stars. Within hours, a third of humanity stands on the brink of death with not a single shot fired.

Our planet needs a champion – but the Doctor is not fit for service. He’s just regenerated, delirious in a new body and a dressing gown. Forced into his battered shoes is his friend, Rose Tyler, a girl from a London council estate. Will she save the world from this nightmare before Christmas – or see it destroyed?

+  The Christmas Invasion is released on 5th April 2018, priced £6.99.
+  PURCHASE this title on Amazon.co.uk!

The Day Of The Doctor
By Steven Moffat

When the entire universe is at stake, three different Doctors will unite to save it.

The Tenth Doctor is hunting shape-shifting Zygons in Elizabethan England. The Eleventh is investigating a rift in space-time in the present day. And one other – the man they used to be but never speak of – is fighting the Daleks in the darkest days of the Time War. Driven by demons and despair, this battle-scarred Doctor is set to take a devastating decision that will threaten the survival of the entire universe… a decision that not even a Time Lord can take alone.

On this day, the Doctor’s different incarnations will come together to save the Earth… to save the universe… and to save his soul.

+  The Day Of The Doctor is released on 5th April 2018, priced £6.99.
+  PURCHASE this title on Amazon.co.uk!

Twice Upon A Time
By Paul Cornell

Still reeling from his encounter with the Cybermen, the First Doctor stumbles through the bitter Antarctic wind, resisting the approaching regeneration with all his strength. But as he fights his way through the snowdrifts, he comes across the familiar shape of a blue police box, and a mysterious figure who introduces himself as the Doctor…

Thrown together at their most vulnerable moments, the two Doctors must discover why the snowflakes are suspended in the sky, why a First World War Captain has been lifted from his time stream moments before his death, and who is the mysterious Glass Woman who knows their true name. The Doctor is reunited with Bill, but is she all she seems? And can he hold out against the coming regeneration?

+  Twice Upon A Time is released on 5th April 2018, priced £6.99.
+  PURCHASE this title on Amazon.co.uk!

City Of Death
By James Goss

The key to Earth's destruction lies buried in its past.

Visiting Paris in 1979, the Doctor and Romana’s hopes for a holiday are soon shattered by armed thugs, a suave and dangerous Count, a plot to steal the Mona Lisa and a world-threatening experiment with time.

Teaming up with a British detective, the Time Lords discover that a ruthless alien plot hatched in Earth’s pre-history has reached its final stage. If Scaroth, last of the Jagaroth, cannot be stopped then the human race is history, along with all life on Earth…

+  City Of Death is released on 5th April 2018, priced £6.99.
+  PURCHASE this title on Amazon.co.uk!

[Sources: BBC Books; Amazon.co.uk]

Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker today teased the new series of Doctor Who by unveiling a new logo and insignia for the brand to over 700 of the world’s top TV buyers and international press at BBC Worldwide’s annual showcase event in Liverpool. In an evening devoted to the new incarnation of Doctor Who, Whittaker built excitement in anticipation of the new era of The Doctor, leaving global broadcasters in no doubt as to the sense of wonder, joy and mystery the forthcoming series promises audiences.

The Doctor Who logo is an iconic and powerful trademark for the franchise that is recognised all around the world. The updated logo and insignia mark a new era of WHO. BBC Worldwide commissioned creative agency Little Hawk to create the brand new designs, working closely with Showrunner Chris Chibnall and Executive Producer Matt Strevens.

BBC Worldwide Executive Creative Director, Rafaela Perera says:

“The Doctor Who logo and insignia are the quintessential signifier for the brand. Our aim was to create modern and elegant designs that were anchored in the things that we love most about Doctor Who.”

The sound for the animated logo is created by Matthew Herbert. It will launch with a 10 second animation which features the TARDIS blazing a trail through the logo. All official Doctor Who merchandise featuring the new logo will be available at selected retailers from 20th February 2018.

Doctor Who is a BBC Studios production for BBC One and a BBC America co-production. BBC Worldwide are the international distributors for Doctor Who.

Below is the 10-second logo animation trailer:
[youtube:gMGiqAYL1Mw]
DWO Opinion:

What do you think of the new Doctor Who logo? Let us know in the comments, below! 

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

According to research conducted prior to this week's BBC Showcase in Liverpool, The Doctor has been named the second favourite British BBC character.

Sherlock snagged the top spot with 29.7%, with Doctor Who in second place with 17.6%. The full list of top 10 characters are as follows:

1. Sherlock (29.7%)
2. Doctor Who (17.6%)
3. Luther (12.4%)
4. Basil Fawlty (11.8%)
5. The Stig (8.2%)
6. Patsy Stone (8.1%)
7. Edmund Blackadder (7.4%)
8. Hyacinth Bucket (6.1%)
9. Vicar of Dibley (5.8%)
10. The Daleks (5.6%)

In addition to the favourite character, Doctor Who also made its way into the top 3 slo for 'Most Memorable Scene':

1. Sherlock falling to his ‘death’ (26.0% of respondents)
2. ‘The Dead Parrot’ sketch by Monty Python (14.1% of respondents)
3. The Doctor’s regeneration in Doctor Who (13.1% of respondents)

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: James Goss

RRP: £14.99 (CD) / £12.99 (Download)

Release Date: February 2018

Reviewed by: Nick Mellish for Doctor Who Online

"This is a city of ghosts and no-one knows them better than Leanne. Twice a night she leads tourists to visit the most haunted sites - the Hanging Yard, the Witch Pool, the Screaming House, and, of course, the Catacombs.

Leanne’s realised the ghosts of the city are real. Something’s lurking in the Catacombs - an ancient force that has been growing in the darkness for centuries. Sabaoth is returning and they must be stopped before they devour the world. Leanne knows this, because a ghost told her."

I don't know who it was that made everyone decide the Fifth Doctor should be funny and find himself in comedies, but I suspect it was Steven Moffat. When Time Crash aired, that mix of old and new Who felt utterly new and alien. In many ways, so did the Fifth Doctor. He cracks gags here and seems a bit peeved off. He has far more in common with the Sixth Doctor than the Fifth Doctor we originally saw on our screens, but that's okay. It's not as if the Sixth Doctor we've had from Big Finish is much like the one on screen at times.

It cemented the Fifth Doctor's fate though, and his comedy efforts in audio have been on the up ever since. It feels especially ironic given John Nathan-Turrner's firm stamping out of humour during his era, but it's a welcome shift as Peter Davison has taken to it like a duck to water.

Ghost Walk is written by James Goss. Goss and Doctor Who are two things which compliment each other perfectly. His list of successes with Who and its assorted spin-offs is quite frankly alarming: City of Death and The Pirate Planet; The Art of Death and Dead Air; The Scorchies and Asking for a Friend; World Enough and Time and Mask of Tragedy. All this, and no mention of The Blood Cell or What She Does Next Will Astound You or The Sky Man. And there’s far more on top of all this. That's one hell of a hit rate!

Ghost Walk is the latest triumph for Goss: because I'm not going to play it coy and keep you in suspense until the end. This is another brilliant story by a brilliant writer.

As alluded to earlier, it's a funny play. It's also far more than just funny though; it's a play about ghosts and ordinary people being put in extraordinary circumstances, and it's one that tries to scare you.

Horror and the Fifth Doctor? Other unfamiliar bedfellows. Just as the Fifth Doctor of new is unlike the Fifth Doctor of old, so this story feels pretty alien to the original series, something remarked upon in the extras. This is completely true. Ghost Walk, with its talk of fixed points and e-mails, its time travel-heavy twists and turns, its humour, and its pre-credits teaser is straight out of the series post-2005, but you know what? That's no bad thing. This is the play that proves that so.

Last month, Kingdom of Lies kickstarted this new trilogy of Fifth Doctor plays and I mentioned there that Adric and Matthew Waterhouse were especially well suited to comedy, and that's the case here again. His comments on quantum states and Australia had me snorting, and the Fifth Doctor patiently waiting for the end of the world is beautifully observed, too. Tegan and her, at times, fractious relationship with everyone else is written for with deft skill, too, but when the drama really needs it, Janet Fielding gives us one hell of a performance. The same is true for Sarah Sutton as Nyssa. Nyssa has a far straighter role in this play than the other TARDIS companions, but it works well. It has echoes of The Curse of Peladon and Jo and the King about it, something cemented by Sacha Dhawan sounding eerily like David Troughton at times. It works though, despite the brevity of time in which to develop any relationship.

I've got this far and not mentioned Fenella Woolgar as Leanne yet, which is remarkable as she is front and centre of much of the play and carries a lot of the plot with seeming effortlessness. The support from John Banks as rival ghost walk host Louie is great as well, Goss once again showing a great ear for comedy and naturalistic relationships and patter with his dialogue.

Another thing to note is the sound design, which feels pleasingly ambitious with wide stereo swoops as people move from left to right, and some nice effects as time goes all awry later on. Barnaby Edwards' direction is perfect throughout, too. I noted last month that he really gets comedy and that assertion is only strengthened here.

I honestly don't think a foot is put wrong in Ghost Walk. I have often observed that Big Finish continually use the same writers over and over and over and over again with predictably diminishing returns, even when they're great writers. Goss seems to be immune to this though. I suspect it's because he is so busy elsewhere, too.  That palate cleansing works wonders.

Whatever the case may be, Ghost Walk is as good as they're saying and these two plays mark the most astonishing highs which the main range has reached in years, and that's not an exaggeration. For a range which felt deflated and tired, this is no small achievement. Long may it continue.

When I scored Kingdom of Lies, I was unsure whether to award it full points or not. The more you score things at the very top, the more it lessens that score, and the same with the lows. There is no hesitance here at all though. This is one of the easiest 10 out of 10s I've ever given. Sublime!

+  ORDER this CD via Amazon.co.uk!

Publisher: BBC Books

Written By: Cavan Scott & Mark Wright

RRP: £14.99 (Paperback)

Release Date: 11th January 2018

Reviewed by: Richard Binnington

Test your knowledge of the last Time Lord and the worlds he’s visited in Who-ology, an unforgettable journey through over 50 years of Doctor Who.

Packed with facts, figures and stories from the show’s galactic run, this unique tour of space and time takes you from Totters Lane to Heaven itself, taking in guides to UNIT call signs, details of the inner workings of sonic screwdrivers, and a reliability chart covering every element of the TARDIS. 

Now fully updated to cover everything through to the 12th Doctor's final episode, and with tables, charts and illustrations dotted throughout, as well as fascinating lists and exhaustive detail, you won’t believe the wonders that await.

As Doctor Who fans, it's a fact that we spend 77% of our lives rewatching episodes of our favourite Time Lord. Well, actually, you’ve got me there - that’s a false fact. But this brand new, updated edition of WHO-OLOGY- The Official Miscellany is bursting with well-researched, fun and interesting facts, you may never have even thought of; I mean, it would be rude not to have it in your collection.

The book itself is broken up into eight main sections:

The 55 Year Diary: A Doctor Who Timeline. These 24 pages delve into key dates of the shows history, summarising it in short, interesting passages. It’s amazing to see how much really has happened in the past 55 years, a favourite of mine: 21 March 1970, The theme tune ‘sting’ to emphasise the cliffhanger ending to each episode is used for the first time at the suggestion of Michael Ferguson.

Everyone’s Favourite Timelord: The Many Lives and Changing Faces of The Doctor. Filled with Biographies of the actors to play The Doctor, our heroes height and even a collection of all the alternative names used throughout time - (There's 75, I counted!).

The Doctor’s Best Friends: Companions & Other Allies. With the actors birthdays, reasons for leaving The Doctor and a multitude of sections devoted to UNIT. For me, the section of this chapter that stands out the most is The Lives and Times of Nicholas Courtney. Similar to the 55 year diary, this details all the Doctor Who related events to our beloved Brigadier, who is still very much missed.

A Carnival Of Monsters. Have you ever wanted an A-Z of The Daleks? A Sontaran Roll Call? Or Even a list of familiar voices that helped to make the plethora of monsters send a chill down your spine? Well this part of the book is fantastic and dives into the history of, what I think, makes the show so special.

Lots of planets have a north: A rough guide to Earth and other worlds. How many countries has The Doctor actually visited on Earth? A wonderful infographic provides us with the answer of 32, but you will have to get the book to find out where. The detailed list of Planets attacked by The Daleks is brilliantly researched, there's 4 pages of them, who would have thought?!

A Kettle and a piece of string: Technology in Doctor Who. Whether you’re looking for 14 facts about the Whomobile or how many different things the Sonic Screwdriver has been used for, this section of the book has it. Scrambling Scribble Monsters, an essential reason of why we need the Sonic Screwdriver in the real world!

Relative Dimensions: Doctor Who & Pop Culture. Outside of the fandom, our beloved show has attracted a lot of attention and become a cult icon. This section delves into music, TV and connections to famous books such as The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. A key section for random knowledge you can dispel at dinner parties.

And last but not least, The Matrix: Behind The Scenes. Ever wondered what stories name check themselves in the episode? Or how about a list of the most prolific directors in the show? A fun informative section that is a great addition to have all in one handy place.

Cavan Scott & Mark Wright have provided us with this wonderful series bible, full of fun facts and key moments in Doctor Who history. This book is the ultimate gift for any Doctor Who fan. Full to the brim of 55 years of information on our favourite Time Lord, organised perfectly into 355 pages. The ultimate guide to study before attending a Doctor Who Pub Quiz, ooh would you look at that, that timed nicely, I’m off to one tonight.

A real treat and a joy to see the 13th Doctor joining the historical line up. The beauty of this official miscellany is that it caters to all fans, whether you're an Eccleston-er, a Baker Boy or even a member of the Colin Club - each Doctor gets their fair share at the bat.



+  Who-ology - The Official Miscellany: Regenerated Edition is Out Now.
+  Buy this book from Amazon.co.uk for just £10.53!
+  Follow Cavan Scott (@CavanScott) on Twitter.
+  Follow Mark Wright (@MWrightWriter) on Twitter. 
+  Follow Doctor Who Online (@DrWhoOnline) on Twitter.

 

Doctor Who Magazine have sent DWO the cover and details for Issue #522 of DWM.

PETER CAPALDI, SUSAN CALMAN AND COSPLAY IN THE NEW ISSUE OF DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE!

Issue 522 also sheds new light on the Dalek craze of the 1960s, as agent Beryl Vertue and writer Brad Ashton remember the roles they played. “The Daleks were really the beginning of the BBC handling merchandise,” says Beryl. “None of us really knew what we were doing, so one might say we invented it.”

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS ISSUE...

BERYL VERTUE

In the 1960s Beryl Vertue was Terry Nation’s agent – now she’s Steven Moffat’s mother-in-law! Beryl discusses an association with Doctor Whothat began before the first episode was even transmitted. 

BRAD ASHTON

The comedy writer recalls his friendship with Dalek creator Terry Nation and the role he played in The Dalek Outer Space Book.

TERRY NATION'S DALEK EMPIRE

How did the Daleks become so popular in 1964? And why did they suddenly disappear three years later?

WALKING DALEKS

The BBC’s archive gives up its Dalek secrets – including details of the prototype toys that were never manufactured.

PETER CAPALDI

Previously unpublished quotes from the last four years reveal a new side to the man who played the Twelfth Doctor.

SUSAN CALMAN

Comedian, Strictly Come Dancingfavourite and now Doctor Whowriter – Susan Calman discusses her love for the Time Lord in this exclusive interview. 

EMMA FREUD

The organiser of Comic Relief’s ‘Breakfast with the Doctors’ event explains how she managed to unite seven Time Lords, two companions and a showrunner.

COSPLAY

In the first part of a new regular feature, Christel Dee presents a guide to recreating Ace’s jacket.

PUBLIC IMAGE 

A detailed survey of Doctor Who’s television ratings during the Peter Capaldi years.

NEW EARTH

This issue’s Fact of Fiction explores the 2006 story featuring the Tenth Doctor and Rose.

THE PHANTOM PIPER

Part Four of The Phantom Piper, a new comic strip adventure featuring the Twelfth Doctor and Bill.

PLUS...

The Blogs of Doom, previews, reviews, news, prize-winning competitions and your letters.

+  Doctor Who Magazine Issue #522 is out this Thursday, priced £5.99.
+  SUBSCRIBE to Doctor Who Magazine, digitally from just £2.69 a month!
+  Check Out The DWO Guide to Doctor Who Magazine!

[Source: Marcus Hearn at Doctor Who Magazine]

Amazon.co.uk have let slip one of the upcoming 2018 Doctor Who, Classic Series DVD releases.

The Enemy Of The World: Special Edition will be released on 19th March 2018, and whilst more information on the special features is yet to be forthcoming, we believe there with be a whole host of new features and commentaries. The next issue of Doctor Who Magazine (#522 - released this Thursday), should have more information on the releasee

As it happens, DWO got in touch with BBC Worldwide today to ask about the future of the range, and we still have the same (3-year-old) statement:

“We're hoping to release more classic Doctor Who and we'll let you know when we have news.”

Owing to the fact that this is to be released next month, it is odd that there has been very little fanfare for the DVD, and whilst we expect there to be other Classic Series DVD (and possibly Blu-ray) releases later this year, it is hard to read what BBC Worldwide's plan is for the marketing of the range.

UPDATE: 7th February

BBC Worldwide have now confirmed the release and have sent DWO the synopsis and full list of Special Features:

Synopsis:

Recovered and restored – a classic Patrick Troughton adventure!

The TARDIS lands on an Australian beach in the 21st century. But this is no seaside holiday - within minutes, the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria are under attack.

They soon discover that the Doctor bears a startling resemblance to Leader Salamander, a would-be dictator intent on world domination. Before long, the Doctor and his companions are plunged into a dangerous game of intrigue and deceit as they face off against the enemy of the world...

Special Features:

· Remastered episodes.  Even though all episodes were restored in 2013 for the previous DVD release, Peter Crocker from the Restoration Team is using advances in technology since then to go over each one with a fine tooth comb to ensure they are now presented in the best possible quality for this special edition. 

· “Treasures Lost and Found” - produced by Ed Stradling.
With so much information now available about every Doctor Who serial, it's not easy to learn anything new, so Toby Hadoke embarks on an exciting treasure hunt to find out all he can about the production. Along the way he'll interview some of the cast and crew including Frazer Hines, Mary Peach and David Troughton - who made his first TV appearance in this serial as an extra. 

· “Recovering the Past – The Search for The Enemy of the World” - produced by Paul Vanezis.
A brand new interview with the episode hunter Philip Morris, we hear how he tracked down the last surviving film copy of the serial to a dusty room in the African desert.  

· “Remembering Deborah Watling” - produced by Cameron McEwan.
Family, friends and colleagues pay tribute to Debbie Watling who played Victoria Waterfield, companion to Patrick Troughton’s doctor. 

· Audio commentaries on all six episodes produced by John Kelly.  Contributors include Frazer Hines, Mary Peach, Gordon Faith, Milton Johns and Sylvia James.  Moderator is Simon Harries. 

· Production subtitles on all six episodes written by Martin Wiggins.

· Photo gallery produced by Derek Handley.

· Scripts of all six episodes as PDFs.

+  The Enemy Of The World: SE is released on 19th March (DVD), priced £20.42.
+  PREORDER The Enemy Of The World: SE DVD from Amazon.co.uk for £19.99.
+  Discuss all the Doctor Who DVD releases in the DWO Forums.

[Source: Amazon.co.uk]

A limited number of tickets are available for a special screening of David Tennant's new movie; You Me & Him, for just £36 each.

The premiere, will be held at Cineworld; Broad Street; Birmingham, on 31st March 2018 at 6.30pm.

There's an even greater incentive behind the special opportunity, however, as it helps support Baby Lifeline - a unique mother and baby charity supporting the care of pregnant women and their newborn and unborn babies. David Tennant has become an Ambassador for this charity’s £5 million Monitoring for Mums Appeal, to provide monitoring equipment for maternity and neonatal units across the UK.

This premiere promises to be a dazzling event with David and others in attendance and walking the red carpet!

About the movie:

You Me & Him is a lesbian romantic comedy about a couple at different points in their lives: high-powered lawyer Olivia (Lucy Punch) is nearly 40 and wants to start a family but her free-wheeling younger partner Alex (Faye Marsay) doesn't share her urgency. What happens next involves recently-divorced neighbour John (David Tennant) and creates a tangled web of consequences, and pregnancies.

David Tennant, Georgia Tennant (who is also Producer), Daisy Aitkens and more stars of You, Me & Him will attend the premiere and address the audience before the screening.

Celebrities from the world of sport, television and radio will join the cast on the red carpet, and to watch the film.

For tickets please contact Hayley McCaffery: communications@babylifeline.org.uk or call 01676 534 671.

[Source: Baby Lifeline]

Publisher: Independently Published

Written By: Marc W. Johnson

RRP: £9.95 (Paperback) / £9.99 (Kindle) / $12.99 (Paperback) / $7.99 (Kindle)

Release Date: 14th October 2017

Reviewed by: Richard Binnington

Review Posted: 5th February 2018

Legacy follows the story of Rebecca ‘Rose’ Healy, whose life seems to all be falling perfectly into place. But little does she know it's about to take an incredibly dark, life-changing turn. When a secret is unearthed from deep within her family, she must take up the reigns left behind by her late father, who was killed in a vicious attack by a werewolf in front of her very eyes. Rose does not know who she can trust; rumours of a spy within the group of hunters kick her into action to track the traitor that has slowly destroyed her perfect little life. The book finished with an intense confrontation, that the less said of it, the better the ending.

This story really doesn't hold back in any department and is most definitely not for children. With tonnes of extreme violence, this gruesome tale deals its audience a very descriptive experience that puts a fantastic, adult twist onto a classic cult fairytale. Within the first chapter, its straight in with the blood, guts and gore - lovely!

The underlying tale comes across as a thoroughly enjoyable modern day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. It’s an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish, pushing Rose to her limit, and for the audience, a real struggle to put down. This is the sort of book you would read by candlelight on a cold winter's night accompanied by a pot of tea - the ideal setting of course, but it also translates to being very readable on the morning tube, taking its reader into the world of the supernatural.

This is the second publication from Johnson, the first being a collection of dark short stories and poetry. But this first fiction feature is a triumph in incredibly visual storytelling. Each description detailed to give the audience a truly vivid image of the vicious scenes in question. One of the most engaging parts of this story is how it constantly throws twists and turns, leaving you to ponder for more. I found it an intense read and it left me squirming and, quiet literally, has the hairs on the back of my neck spiking up on several occasions; what a brilliant experience!

Legacy is a chilling and thrilling read which is sure to make you cringe in horror as the story unfolds. I highly recommend it for a multitude of audiences. Whether you enjoy a good old horror story or if you’re a fan of the more fantastical, this book will cater to your thrill-seeking needs.

I look forward to seeing more work emerge from Marc W. Johnson and I can only hope it is as exciting as this read. This review has been tough to write as I really don’t want to spoil the story for anyone. Just pick it up, get reading and get enthralled by it!

+  Legacy is Out Now.
+  Buy this book from Amazon.co.uk & Amazon.com!
+  Follow Marc W. Johnson on Twitter.

Publisher: MyIdentifiers.com

Written By: Gary C. Mele Jr

RRP: £7.64 (Paperback) / $9.99 (Paperback) / $1.38 (Kindle)

Release Date: 10th October 2017

Reviewed by: Richard Binnington

Review Posted: 2nd February 2018

Leadership, Heaven and hell; a Cybersentient hero is the story of how the human race must go to the most extreme methods in order to survive. The Earth, our home, has ceased to revolve causing half the planet to plunge into a devoid new ice age, with the other to burn in the scorching heat of the sun. Refugees of our planet stream out into the safety of the great unknown, space.

After 20 years, resources are depleting and a method is required to survive without the requirements of a human body, an upgrade. This is the story of Samuel, and his cousin Eve, as he approaches his segue into a Cybersentient, the next step for the human race. The process is not simple or safe and not everyone makes it through. The threat of being hijacked by ‘demons’ in the middle of the process is very high and a risk which they have lost many inhabitants too. With leader Byallanon seemingly up to something, anarchy begins to develop within the ranks and something must be done to stop the destruction of the Cybersentient race.

One of the most persistent themes within the book is that of the importance of family and the bond it holds. This story is driven by the relationship between Samuel and Eve and their closeness really ties the story together. The picturesque descriptions of the Cybersentients and their individual designs are incredibly vivid and provide a strong image for yourself whilst reading. Samuel’s journey shows him progress from an angst-filled young man to a confident individual, ready to take a stand. Eve’s charm and wit is a strong presence within creating a duo of characters in which you want to follow their adventure.

The first published book from Gary C.Mele Jr give us an insight to the human condition and what we are prepared to do for future generations to survive. With aspects feeling like a mirror being turned on ourselves, Mele has crafted a story that really engages the audience to think about what we are doing to our planet and what could inevitably come next. Mele has drawn on many current events and has called this “My Sci-Fi answer to Trump.” The tone of the story reminded me of so many various franchises rolled into one creating an exciting read. So if you’re interested in a story with the essence of Doctor Who / Pacific Rim / Star Trek / Transformers, this is the book for you.

This book flowed wonderfully and the pages flew past. Without realising, I was 330 pages in and it was sadly over. With a sequel in the works, this is a must read for any sci-fi fan especially at the bargain price of 99p on Amazon Kindle.

+  Leadership, Heaven And Hell is Out Now.
+  Buy this book from Amazon.co.uk & Amazon.com!
+  Follow Gary C. Mele Jr on Twitter.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky

RRP: £14.99 (CD) / £12.99 (Download)

Release Date: January 2018

Reviewed by: Nick Mellish for Doctor Who Online

"On the planet Cicero Prime, the kingdom of Cardenas is divided, with the whole population forced to swear allegiance to either the effete Duke or the fiery, hard-edged Duchess. This is a situation both parties have grown tired of. What use is half a kingdom when, thanks to a carefully engineered murder, you could have it all?

Surely, neither of them would be rash enough to summon the deadly off-world assassin The Scorpion to help with their problem? And surely, this terrifying figure wouldn’t arrive wearing a long cream coat and striped trousers…?"

The 2018 main range of Doctor Who plays kicks off the year with Kingdom of Lies; an outing for the Fifth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa and Tegan. 2017 started the year running with this team with The Star Men, but will lightning strike twice? Frankly, yes.

Set in the pseudo-medieval kingdom of Cardenas, the Doctor and his friends land after a timely intervention in the TARDIS from Tegan (when it doubt, whack it and see what happens) and soon find themselves embroiled in a tangled web of assassination, marital troubles, and assumed identities.

It doesn't take long for this story to set out its credentials as a comedy and Nyssa in particular benefits well here. One minute she's simply Nyssa of Traken, the next she's the apparent assistant to the Scorpion, feared assassin and mercenary for hire. Sarah Sutton has a lot of fun with the material, and Barnaby Edwards milks it for every drop of comic potential, giving us a masterclass in how to handle this sort of material.

Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky's first Big Finish outing, The Ravelli Conspiracy, was a bit hit-and-miss, with the actors seemingly uncertain at times in their faith in the material, as evidenced in the extras where Peter Purves and Maureen O'Brien confessed they were not too sure about the script before recording it. You get the impression that wasn't the case this time around as everyone commits to the comedy with full gusto. Matthew Waterhouse is an especial revelation in this case, and I wish we'd had a bit more of Adric in here. Janet Fielding, meanwhile, observes that Tegan takes a bit of a backseat here this time. It's a pity for certain, as the relatively recent Time in Office (my favourite main range release in 2017 by far) shows just how compatible Fielding and Tegan are with comedy.

The test of any comedy really is twofold: will it stand up to repeated plays (untested, but I suspect there's enough going on here to let that be the case) and does it remain entertaining for the duration? Thankfully, Khan and Salinsky realize that having four episodes of comedy on the trot may well test listeners' patience and wear the story's premise thin, so the final episode shifts gears to become a chase of sorts where death is a very real possibility and things feel a lot more dangerous than the lighter tone before then would have you necessarily expect. It's a smart move.

I've mentioned the regular cast, but praise must also go to the guest cast here. Patsy Kensit is clearly enjoying herself, for example. I'd quite forgotten she was in it, but the second she started speaking I found myself unable to shift the song I'm Not Scared from my head: I swear her voice hasn't aged a day since she sang that. Elsewhere, Charlotte Lucas is superb as Miranda. Selfish, rude and egotistical, she is that rare hated character where you boo her not because she is inherently evil, but because she is thoroughly dislikable. She's the sort of person you'd go out of your way to avoid in the workplace, knowing she would find fault in everyone else's attitudes bar her own.

Humour is subjective of course and your mileage will vary, but for my money this is a very bold and genuinely amusing start to the year's Big Finish offerings and all praise must go to the writers, the cast (both regular and guest) and Edwards' direction. I'm fairly hesitant to give anything full marks, especially when the impact of something like this is very much weighted on the first listen. Comedies are rarely as fun the second time around; horror films lack the initial impact; thrillers are devoid of some of their thrill once the twists are there. I'm going to make an exception here though. This one's very fun indeed.

+  ORDER this CD via Amazon.co.uk!

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Writer: Jonathan Morris

RRP: £14.99 (CD) / £12.99 (Download)

Release Date: December 2017

Reviewed by: Nick Mellish for Doctor Who Online

"Deep in the heart of nowhere, near a place called Abbey Marston, there’s a caravan site. The perfect place to get away from it all. Close by, there’s a stone circle they used for human sacrifice in olden times. A little further afield, there’s an old RAF research station, where they did hushhush things in the War.

There’s only one rule: the use of radios, cassette recorders and portable televisions is strictly forbidden.

People come here to get away from it all, you see. No-one wants to hear the noise. No-one wants to hear the voices in the static…

No-one wants to hear the ghosts."

You can tell that Big Finish have a lot of good will behind this one. For months now, all we’ve heard about with regards to the ‘Main Range’ is that Static is on its way, and it’s scary, thrilling, chilling and not to be missed. Some are even saying it’s better than The Chimes of Midnight.

You wouldn’t think as whole trilogy of Sixth Doctor, Flip and Constance plays had been released, only this one. Is it any good though? Yes!

The Doctor and his friends land on a creepy campsite, to the disappointment of his companions who both want to go home (is it just me or does that come from seemingly out of nowhere? Even the actors sound a little confused in the extras on this point). The site is creepy, wet and a place where portable televisions, radios and cassette recorders are not allowed. Oh, and ghosts abound. It’s a good set-up milked for all it’s worth by Jonathan Morris, with some good, meaty drama for the guest cast to get into.

As with last month’s The Middle, the opening episode is very strong and arguably the best of the four. The sound design by Joe Kraemer and Josh Arakelian are the real stars of the show here, sweeping hiss and crackle and rain around us after a rather bizarre spoken introduction by Nicholas Briggs letting us know it’s a Big Finish play we’re listening to (or at least, that happened on my download. I can’t speak for the physical releases). The music is less good though, at times being pretty intrusive: you notice it because it doesn’t quite fit.

Now, most soundtracks for Big Finish do not really evoke the eras the stories are set in, sounding like... well, Big Finish soundtracks instead, but that’s fine. The actors don’t sound as they once did either, so you let it pass. Here though, it fails to either evoke the Colin Baker era or be its own Big Finish thing, standing somewhere between the two and falling short at both ends.

That’s okay though because the atmosphere in performance and dialogue is more than enough to make up for it.

I could niggle and point out the fact it’s steeped in cliché, but that’s rather the point at the start and by the time it’s become its own thing, it has carefully let you know its genre and made you comfortable in the surroundings. The final episode arguably is a bit too signposted with its beats and could benefit from a bit more focus on reactions from the supporting cast and regular crew (the Doctor feels especially cold at times and gets away with it, which feels a wasted opportunity), but again, everything else is working hard to make up for it.

This is Jamie Anderson’s finest hour as director, and his casting here is brilliant with every supporting character being perfectly chosen. David Graham is as good as you would expect, but Scott Chambers, Pippa Nixon and Jo Woodcock are all equally impressive and names to watch out for.

It’s a pity that, as is always the case seemingly nowadays, the extended extras for subscribers are (inexplicably) not available from the off as the interviews we do get seem to jump around and Colin Baker especially, is very enthusiastic about the play. It would have been nice to hear his and the other cast’s full thoughts instead of the rather obviously edited highlights.

It’s been a long-term grumble of mine that Big Finish run their writers dry, leading to far lesser productions than the writers would give us otherwise, and I stand by that still. Keep using the same shirt and it’ll run ragged in the end. A play like Static only ups this feeling in my mind. Morris is a brilliant writer and this is a brilliant script, and with a bit less elsewhere, you feel that other writers of his ilk could hit these high spots time and again instead of increasingly fleetingly.

Is it the Chimes of Midnight beater, others are claiming it to be? No, frankly, but then again they’re two very different plays so it’s an utterly silly and redundant comparison.

Static is its own thing, and it’s bloody good. No wonder Big Finish have been celebrating it loudly. It’s worth every shout.

+  ORDER this CD via Amazon.co.uk!

As we write our spoiler-free preview for Peter Capaldi's final outing as The Doctor, we are reminded of a particular verse from 'Beauty And The Beast';

Tale as old as time,
Tune as old as song,
Bitter-sweet and strange,
Finding you can change,
Learning you were wrong.

This is a show that has been around for over 50 years, and whilst many of us think we know it inside out, now and again a writer comes along and adds a new slant on things, that allows us to understand and appreciate it in a whole new light. This episode is bitter-sweet, its strange, and if you would allow us to follow this comparison through to conclusion, it's about finding you can change and indeed learning you were wrong.

Everything begins with a poignant "previously" recap, with some on-screen text stating "709 episodes ago". We see The 1st Doctor in scenes from The Tenth Planet, and William Hartnell's Doctor morph into that of David Bradley's, and at no point after this moment do we ever question that Bradley's Doctor IS The 1st Doctor. It's loyally executed and cleverly explains why Bradley doesn't look exactly like Hartnell, and even hammers a nail into a question that arose from 'The Brain Of Morbius', regarding the Doctor's past regenerations.

Mark Gatiss, provides a third male lead in the story as 'The Captain', who is, by far, our favourite of all of Mark's characters in the show to date - yes - even more than Gantok! His character is layered and without stereotype, and will have you reaching for the hankies by the end. We cannot give away much regarding his role, but the setting is incredibly important and leads to a memorable close.

We mentioned about this being a strange story, but this is no bad thing. It is strange in the fact we don't really have a villain; it's more a beautiful character piece, that affords us an interesting, well-paced send-off for Capaldi's Doctor. It brings The 1st Doctor back to life in all the ways we knew, but gives us something new, and Bradley's performance is just fantastic! Capaldi and Bradley spark off each other incredibly well, and there are some truly laugh-out-loud moments during the episode - some of which include Pearl Mackie's Bill and The 1st Doctor. Bill is a very modern woman, and The 1st Doctor...isn't.

There are little 'timey-wimey' moments that Steven Moffat has peppered throughout the story, that hardcore fans will recognise and love, without alienating or distracting from the story. Steven has to be commended for this beautiful tale; for it IS beautiful, in so many ways. It rounds off his tenure as head writer and showrunner, perfectly, and sets him up to be remembered as one of the most important guiding forces in the shows entire, long history.

If recent rumours are to be believed that the show's composer, Murray Gold, will indeed be stepping down after this Christmas special, then there are most definitely hints of this in the score. Look out for new versions of some of his most memorable compositions, including a slightly melancholic rendition of the 'Doomsday' theme from the end of Series 2. It feels like Murray is saying goodbye to us throughout the episode, and it's heart-breaking. It's no secret that we're huge fans of his work; you only have to look back through our many reviews and previews to see how much we mention him, but then, his music has become an important part of the show - a constant that helps you feel that little bit more emotion in pivotal scenes. For this we salute you Murray, and thank you for all you have done.

Whilst we are saying our goodbyes, we have to pay tribute to Peter Capaldi for his tremendous portrayal of The Doctor. Series 10 was hands-down the best to feature his Doctor, and he takes all of the gravitas and hard work gained throughout the momentum of Series 10, and literally goes out in a blaze of glory in 'Twice Upon A Time'. We always wondered just how amazing a fourth series with Capaldi could be, but, alas, it wasn't meant to be. That being said, there is someone new, exciting and totally right for the job, and she's about to take the show in a new, exciting direction! Welcome aboard, Jodie!

5 Things To Look Out For:

1)  3 perspectives.
2)  "Smacked Bottom".
3)  An old friend in a tower.
4)  "So that's what it means to be a Doctor of war!"
5)  A gift that, if you're a regular viewer, will give you a lump in your throat.

+  11.X: Twice Upon A Time airs Christmas Day at 5:30pm on BBC One.

[Source: DWO]

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Writers: John Dorney, Guy Adams & Matt Fitton

RRP: £35.00 (CD) / £25.00 (Download)

Release Date: November 2017

Reviewed by: Beth Axford for Doctor Who Online

2.1 Infamy of the Zaross by John Dorney

"When Jackie Tyler takes an away day to visit her old friend Marge in Norwich, she finds her holiday immediately interrupted in the worst way possible - an alien invasion! The infamous Zaross have come to take over the Earth. Or have they? After Jackie calls in the Doctor and Rose to deal with the menace, it soon becomes clear that this is a very unusual invasion indeed. The Doctor is about to uncover one of the most heinous crimes in the history of the galaxy. And if he can't stop it an awful lot of people are going to die."

2.2 The Sword of the Chevalier by Guy Adams

"1791 and the Doctor and Rose get to meet one of the most enigmatic, thrilling and important people in history: The Chevalier d’Eon. She used to be known as a spy, but then she used to be known as a lot of things. If there’s one thing the Doctor knows it’s that identity is what you make it. Choose a life for yourself and be proud. Mind you, if the Consortium of the Obsidian Asp get their way, all lives may soon be over..."

2.3 Cold Vengeance by Matt Fitton

"The TARDIS arrives on Coldstar, a vast freezer satellite, packed with supplies to feed a colony world. But there are cracks in the ice, and something scuttles under the floors. Soon, Rose and the Doctor encounter robots, space pirates and... refuse collectors. As Coldstar's tunnels begin to melt, an even greater threat stirs within. An old enemy of the Doctor puts a plan into action - a plan for retribution. Nobody's vengeance is colder than an Ice Warrior's."

Infamy Of The Zaross

John Dorney pulls Doctor Who straight out of 2006 and brings us an absolute nostalgia fest of fun in Infamy Of The Zaross. The long-awaited return of one of the most popular duos in Doctor Who history was always going to be hard to recreate, but he hits the nail on the head perfectly. Light hearted, human and adventure galore, it's exactly the kind of story that made us fall in love with the Tenth Doctor and Rose in the first place!

As well as our beloved pair returning, Doctor Who’s best-loved mother is back to save the day with her daughter. A genius move for this story, Camille Coduri falls right back into her character with ease, bouncing off the rest of the cast brilliantly. She even gets a shining moment in space, making us fall in love with her even more.

And for what is one of the most anticipated returns in Doctor Who history, Billie Piper most certainly delivers. After some worry that she may not be able to pull off her characters iconic voice 12 years later, our minds are put to rest within just a few minutes of the episode. Her and David could have recorded this all those years ago for all we know - it fits that well. And his Doctor doesn’t disappoint either, bringing the enemy down with ease and saving the earth once more.

The story itself features one of the more…stranger alien invasions. Norwich is taken over by the villainous Zaross, and the reason why is even more disturbing. Once the plan is eventually revealed, you can’t help but wonder how such an original, exciting plot hasn’t been written into the show before. The adventure ends with a brilliant moment between Rose Tyler and some family friends, and a speech that resonates with people of all ages. The messages behind the dialogue and plot are key to this episode and is exactly how Doctor Who should be; leaving a warm, fuzzy feeling in our hearts.

Overall this story is an exact replication of the 2006 Doctor Who series we all know and love, bringing our favourite characters back to life and creating a memorable adventure for them. There’s even a reference to a certain organisation that crops up a lot in series two… you know the one we mean!

Sword Of The Chevalier

The second part of The Tenth Doctor Adventures: Volume Two kicks off in another iconic British location: Slough. In 1791. The Doctor and Rose meet The Chevalier D’Eon who according to The Doctor, was an ex-spy born male now living their life as a woman, or something. Probably. What’s important is that right now, she’s a woman. ‘She’s amazing!’ Utters Rose, and we agree. Challenging The Doctor to a sword fight, we get a brilliant sense of this historic character and what they stand for, and over the course of the story, they prove that the legends are correct.

David and Billie really come into their own with the witty humour of the script and bring our favourite characters to life with as much vigour as 2006. Their guest star Nikolas Grace absolutely nails the character of The Chevalier and fits in with our TARDIS team, perfectly. It’s fun to hear from a figure in history that many might not know about, and get a bit of a history lesson along the way! Guy Adams has got their characterization spot on as well as creating an exciting, fresh, historical adventure. The psychic paper also gets a fun feature and works against The Doctor's advantage ending in a hilarious mishap that it's hard to believe hasn’t happened before!

The threat of the episode is another fantastic idea; an alien with three heads looking to sell humans off into slavery. It’s a classic invasion plot that is enhanced by the brilliant dialogue and cast, keeping up the strong start we had with Infamy Of The Zaross. It can be hard to engage with an audio drama without visuals to keep you hooked but this story shows that with astounding actors, voicing and sound work, it can be just as exciting as a television adventure.

Overall, The Sword Of The Chevalier holds up the high standards of this terrific boxset so far. It just seems a shame that we only get three adventures! Now, I wonder what awaits next…

Cold Vengeance

Our heroes are thrown in at the cold end in the last adventure of this series, Cold vengeance. Matt Fitton rounds off the stories spectacularly with this fun space adventure, with brilliant characterisation and a tantalising plot. So, how does the Tenth Doctor fare against the Ice warriors?...

The Doctor and Rose find themselves in a giant icy space freezer carrying food for a colony world. Promising Rose a perfect ski slope, it soon becomes apparent that they’ve not quite landed where they’re supposed too. Classic Tenth Doctor. The two get some outstanding scenes in this adventure, and some moments that truly feel iconic for Rose Tyler. The pair are split up for much of the story, bringing out the best in each character as they work to save the ship. This is a massive advantage and gives some brilliant guest characters a chance to shine - most notably Lorna, who could easily be a Doctor Who companion in her own right.

As well as the perfect characterisation, the Ice Warriors get another exciting outing in an unfamiliar setting, making it all the more fun. I don’t know about you, but the whole thing makes me feel a little bit chilly inside! The hiss of their voices is enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine. They carry out their vengeance unapologetically, and for a moment it leaves you wondering just how The Doctor and Rose are going to get themselves out of this one. In fact, the resolution to the Ice Warriors brutal ways is even more simple than one could imagine, but fits perfectly with the essence of 2006 Doctor Who.

As the theme tune fades out, a warm feeling stirs. Experiencing three new episodes of 2006 era Doctor Who seemed like an impossible dream, but here we are with some of the best of the Tenth Doctor and Rose, yet. It is the minimalism of only 3 stories that makes it so special, and the hard work and effort gone into every episode shines spectacularly. Present day earth, historical England and a space ship full of ice warriors - there’s something for every fan in this boxset!

+  ORDER this CD via Amazon.co.uk!

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Writer: Chris Chapman

RRP: £14.99 (CD) / £12.99 (Download)

Release Date: November 2017

Reviewed by: Nick Mellish for Doctor Who Online

"It’s L/Wren Mrs Constance Clarke’s birthday - and Flip is determined to make it an anniversary to remember.

The futuristic colony of Formicia, where the pampered populace pass their days in endless leisure, seems the perfect place for a ‘Wren Party’. But all is not as it seems. Looking down from the Middle, the skyscraping tower that ascends as far as the colony ceiling, Formicia’s overseers can see that the Doctor doesn’t fit in - and it’s not just his coat that makes him conspicuous...

“The End is the Beginning,” say the propaganda-like posters all over Formicia. Because to be part of this perfect society comes at a price. And the Doctor's already in arrears."

Last time around, I joked that the Gods of co-incidence must have been smiling when Big Finish put out The Behemoth with its head-on tackling of slavery so close to Series 10. This month, we have suits that people wear and a faceless corporation exploiting humanity... ring any bells? I wonder if next month’s much-touted scare-fest spectacular will include a whole bunch of knock knock jokes?

Yes, it seems that someone at the branding department has been hitting snooze on their clock as of late, but pushing that aside, what can be made of The Middle? Thankfully a fair bit of good.

The first thing of note is how well the TARDIS crew of the Doctor, Flip and Constance is working. The two companions have never been as strong as they are here together, and the Sixth Doctor proves to be a nice foil to the excesses of them both. Chris Chapman, the play’s writer, ably uses the comedy potential of Flip and Lisa Greenwood as an actor to good effect, and also makes good use of Constance’s background as a Wren in the plot and its settings.

The script has some good, solid ideas behind it, but does perhaps suffer again from a case of the Co-incidences: the TARDIS crew just so happen to be talking about birthdays when they land on a planet where birthdays play a huge role and Constance just so happens to be approaching a plot-integral age. They then befriend a man who just so happens to be the father of another important regular character and knows a lot about the technology being used because of... reasons. It’s a bit too neat and co-incidental to be glossed over really.

Likewise, just as the story has echoes of Series 10, so too does the play have echoes of other plays surrounding it from Big Finish; the Sixth Doctor in an office block? See World Enough And Time (say, that would make a good TV story title one day...). Memories playing an integral, crucial role in proceedings? See Chapman’s own play, The Memory Box.

Indeed, The Middle feels like its roots are firmly embedded in Chapman’s first Big Finish outing, which is no bad thing as it was a very strong single-episode affair, but also means at times things feel a bit too familiar.

That’s not to take away from the good though, which include a strong guest cast (Mark Heap is especially fun) and a very sturdy opening episode: you can see why Big Finish were giving it away for free as a sampler.

Despite the air of having seen some of it before, the script still feels fresh for the most part, though I wish Colin Baker didn’t have to cry “Nooooo!” as often as he does here as it brings back nasty memories of Slipback.

These are mostly slight niggles though, as The Middle proves to be an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours, just not an overly original one. What it does do though it show Chapman as a writer worth paying attention to, and is a good case for this being one of the Sixth Doctor’s strongest TARDIS teams.

Overall, this one is far from a middling affair.

+  ORDER this CD via Amazon.co.uk!

For the 30th anniversary all the adventures of the Seventh Doctor appear in a high-quality hardcover book in a coffee table format. The Special Collector's Edition slipcase is limited to 1,000 pieces and numbered. On 52 pages, the chief dramaturge of the seventh Doctor, Andrew Cartmel, written exclusively for this release background information on all adventures. The texts are in the original English and in German translation.

In addition to all adventures in German and English, the 17 DVDs also contain over 24 hours of bonus material of the Season publications, subtitled in German and English. The 17 disc is exclusively available in this release and includes BBC America Special "Doctor Who - Seventh Doctor - Revisited," an exclusive new interview with Andrew Cartmel and worldwide exclusively the restoration of the lost "Extended Version" of "Silver Nemesis ". Estimated delivery date is the second week of December.

Important Note: If you order the product before 19th November 2017, you will get your name in the credits on the bonus disc.

+  The 7th Doctor Special Collector's Ed. set is released Decemeber 2017, priced €150.00.
+  PREORDER this DVD set from Pandastorm Pictures!
+  Discuss all the Doctor Who DVD & Blu-ray releases in the DWO Forums.

[Source: Pandastorm Pictures]

Manufacturer: Who Dares Publishing

RRP: £14.99

Release Date: 1st October 2017

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 31st October 2017

Purchasing your annual Doctor Who calendar is a must for any Doctor Who fan, but the choices out there are extremely limited, and the focus is mainly on the new series / current Doctor.

Those of us of a particular age will remember the Target Doctor Who books range, with their beautiful cover art, with great fondness. Following on from last year's relaunch of Who Dares Publishing, the company have just released the brand new Andrew Skilleter Target Art Calendar for 2018, which features 12 of some of Andrew's finest covers for the range.

Each page is filled with about 90% artwork / 10% calendar, meaning you have large scale versions of the art, along with info text for each piece from Andrew himself.

It's a real eye-opener to learn just how little reference material Andrew had to go on, but the finished results were always impressive. The Dominators is a prime example of this; no visual reference, but a stunning gouache with blue and pink hues that capture the essence of the story perfectly!

Definitely worth purchasing; not just because of the nostalgic gratification you get from seeing memories from long ago, but for the sheer delight you will get from the brilliance of Andrew Skilleter's artwork.

+  Click Here to buy now from Who Dares Publishing for £14.99!

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Writer: Marc Platt

RRP: £14.99 (CD) / £12.99 (Download)

Release Date: October 2017

Reviewed by: Nick Mellish for Doctor Who Online

"Bath, 1756 – and a very dashing gentleman known only as the Doctor is newly arrived in town, accompanied by his lady friends Mrs Clarke and Mrs Ramon. He’s created a stir among the gentlefolk of Georgian high society – and a stir in the heart of merry widow Mrs Theodosia Middlemint, rumour has it.

They are not the only strangers from abroad causing tongues to wag, however. The mysterious Lady Clara, come from Amsterdam in the company of the noble Captain Van Der Meer, has the whole of Bath agog. Who is she, really? What is she, really?

But there’s something terrible beneath the veneer of Georgian gentility. As awful a horror as the Doctor has ever exposed, hidden inside Balsam’s Brassworks. Something that needs to be brought to light, for the sake of all humanity."

It’s typical, isn’t it? You wait years for Doctor Who to tackle, and two takes turn up at once.

The latest to do this is this month’s Sixth Doctor play, The Behemoth. Written by Marc Platt after Colin Baker himself requested a pure historical adventure, it’s undoubtedly unfortunate timing coming so soon after Thin Ice, even though the way the subject is tackled in both plays is very different, as are setting and script, and in fairness to this play, it is suggested in the play’s extras that Platt himself suggested writing a play about this subject, and it’s not another case of Big Finish riding on the coattails of themes or plots used in the new series, which has happened a lot in the past. (The extended extras for subscribers may reveal otherwise but as is more often than not the case, these were not available at launch and if last month in any indication, it may take up to a month for them to be so.)

The Behemoth starts off simply enough. The Doctor lands in Bath in 1756 with his companions in tow: Mrs. Constance Clarke and Mrs. Flip Ramon (still credited as Flip Jackson, despite the play making clear that’s not the case throughout). There is a ball to attend if they can get the tickets, the mysterious Lady Clara to investigate, and a dark secret that runs through the society, which is where the subject of slavery comes up.

Some accept it, some rage against it, some are knee-deep in the trade, and some turn a blind eye towards it. It’s not the only thread running through this story though. We’ve also the oppression of women in society, animal cruelty and class as themes to greater and lesser extents.

It should feel cluttered perhaps, but it’s to Platt’s credit that it works well and gives us a decent snapshot of a time gone by through a modern-day prism. I’m not sure all of the attempts are as successful as others though, it must be said. The tone can sometimes wobble, some beats or lines feel a bit stereotypical, and the blurb of the play makes it sound like an alien menace or mystery is the real evil here which is a bit tactless.

Some of it rings as perhaps a bit heavy-handed with its approach and not all of it hits, but honestly I don’t mind. I think with subjects like this you can afford to be a bit less nuanced and more on the nose, even if perhaps not all of it chimed as strong or true as other parts.

As a white man myself, the owner and undoubted user (even if unintentionally) of great privilege with race and sex even now, the history of our country is depressing and grim and dark at times, and any attempt to highlight that is surely a good thing? Better to learn from it than ignore it, especially right now with the resurgence of far-right politic and emergence of sex scandals against women.

If this all feels a bit preachy and heavy then I make no apologies. I don’t think it would be right to make light of any of it.

Let’s look at some other parts of the play though. Georgina Moon is very good as Mrs. Middlemint (and I am sure I’m not the only one who saw a future Evelyn in her character), the music in the ball scene is especially lovely, and Jamie Anderson does a nice job of directing the play, though his declaration in the extras that the Sixth Doctor and Mel had a prickly relationship is slightly... off. That said, it’s been so long since Peri was in a play that perhaps it’s easy to get mixed up.

If I’ve made it sound all dark and weighty, then that’s wrong of me as parts of it are fun and light and quite funny, not least just who Lady Clara turns out to be and the Doctor’s attempt as an entertainer (the second time that’s happened this year, with The Carrionite Curse also showing him in this situation).

All in all, The Behemoth is an important play even if it’s not always my favourite, and whilst the relatively close proximity to Thin Ice is a shame, it is perhaps indicative of the time we live in and that these stories still cry out to be told.

+  ORDER this CD via Amazon.co.uk!

When Jodie Whittaker takes over as the Thirteenth Doctor on the global hit show next year, she will be joined by an all new regular cast. The BBC has today announced that Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill will line-up as the new regular cast on Doctor Who.

Bradley will star as Graham, Tosin will play Ryan and Mandip will play Yasmin. Also joining the series in a returning role is Sharon D Clarke.

New head writer and executive producer Chris Chibnall, who made the decision to cast the first ever woman in the iconic role, is also shaking up who will travel with the Doctor in the TARDIS, with a team of new characters.

In more exclusive news, it is confirmed that the new series will be a ten week run of fifty minute episodes in Autumn 2018, kicking off with a feature length hour for the opening launch.

Chris Chibnall says:

“The new Doctor is going to need new friends. We’re thrilled to welcome Mandip, Tosin and Bradley to the Doctor Who family. They’re three of Britain’s brightest talents and we can’t wait to see them dive into brand new adventures with Jodie’s Doctor. Alongside them, we’re delighted that Sharon D Clarke is also joining the show."

Jodie Whittaker says:

"I am so excited to share this huge adventure with Mandip, Tosin and Bradley. It's a dream team!"

Bradley Walsh says:

“I remember watching William Hartnell as the first Doctor. Black and white made it very scary for a youngster like myself. I was petrified but even though I’d watch most of it from behind the sofa through my fingers, I became a fan. I then queued up for ages to get into the Carlton picture house in Watford to watch the great Peter Cushing appear as the Doctor in a full length feature film made in glorious colour. Am I thrilled to be part of this whole ground breaking new dawn for the DoctorjQuery15205138140516301002_1508762687331 Oh yes!”

Mandip Gill says:

“I am over the moon to be joining the Doctor Who family. This is an iconic show with an amazing fanbase and I look forward to everything that brings. Certain roles seem unattainable and this is one of those, so much so I didn't believe it to be true for the first few weeks. To be working alongside the likes of Jodie, Bradley and my old friend Tosin is thrilling. This show is worlds away from the work I've done previously and that's the part that excites me the most.”

Tosin Cole says:

"I'm grateful and excited to be a part of this journey with the team. I'm looking forward to jumping in this Doctor Who universe."

Matt Strevens, Executive Producer, BBC Studios says:

“I am thrilled to welcome Bradley, Mandip and Tosin to the new Who family. Working with three such talented actors is going to be a lot of fun. The Doctor is in fine company.”

Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama says:

"The casting of Mandip, Tosin and Bradley is a mark of the new creative ambition Chris is bringing to Doctor Who. He's already made history with the casting of Jodie. These three new characters complete a new and utterly unmissable team aboard the Tardis."

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

In the years following the show's hiatus in 1989, Reeltime Pictures produced some fantastic Doctor Who tie-in media, to keep us entertained whilst the show was off the air. Classics such as 'Downtime', 'Mindgame' and 'Daemos Rising', featured characters and monsters from the Doctor Who universe, written and produced by key players from the show itself.

Now, in 2017, Reeltime Pictures are releasing a brand new production; 'White Which Of Devil's End', as part of 'The Daemons Of Devil's End' DVD release.

DAMARIS HAYMAN, reprises her role as Olive Hawthorne from the Doctor Who story 'The Daemons'. With a blend of dramatic monologue enhanced with visualisations and sound design to develop and tell the stories, the drama is an anthology of tales following the magical life of Olive Hawthorne, from childhood to her final days as the protector of Devil's End. Drawing on a rich heritage and appreciation of witchcraft and fokelore, the stories bring Olive's history to life, pitting her against vampire, succubus, fae, daemonic influence and more - as Guardian of Devil's End, she must do what she must to protect the village... but what happens when she reaches the end of her life? Who will protect the townsfolk then?

Also included, is the long-awaited DVD release of the classic documentary 'Return To Devil's End'. Filmed around the village of Aldbourne in 1992, this marvellous production stars JON PERTWEE (The Third Doctor), NICHOLAS COURTNEY (The Brigadier), RICHARD FRANKLIN (Capt. Yates), JOHN LEVENE (Sgt. Benton) and 'The Daemons' director, CHRISTOPHER BARRY. NICHOLAS BRIGGS (currently the voice of the Daleks in Doctor Who), takes the cast and director on a trip around the locations, deftly gleaning stories and anecdotes about filming the classic Doctor Who series in 1971. Including interviews with villagers and rare archive film and photos... this documentary is rightly considered one of the best behind-the-scenes look at the making of Doctor Who ever produced.

Both discs are packed with bonus features, making this a totally unique production!

PLUS! A third bonus disc containing video of conventions held in Aldbourne to celebrate one of Doctor Who's most fondly remembered stories.

Look out for the DWO review of this title, coming soon! 

+  The Daemons Of Devil's End is released on 13th November 2017, priced £12.99.
+  PREORDER this DVD from TimeTravelTV.com.
+  Discuss all the Doctor Who DVD & Blu-ray releases in the DWO Forums.

[Source: Reeltime Pictures]