We’ve just had a creepy communiqué from our fearsome friends over at GrimmFest, Manchester’s International Festival of Horror and Cult Films. They’d like to remind you all that this year’s festival is almost here, and invite you to join them for a cornucopia of cinematic chills, chaos and carnage. The Festival commences on Wednesday October 3rd at the Plaza Super Cinema in Stockport with a special Preview Night Double bill of the critically-acclaimed chiller SINISTER and the much anticipated AMERICAN MARY, then runs from Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th at the decadently art deco Dancehouse Theatre in Manchester. Even if blood and gore are not your thing, Lord and Lady Grimm inform us, there are a few film screenings in this year’s programme that should have a particular appeal to the Doctor Who Online community. 

The festival’s Opening Night Gala, on Thursday October 4th will be a double bill of London-based horror. First up, there’s the world premiere of COMEDOWN, the gritty new urban slasher movie from Mehnaj Huda, director of KIDULTHOOD, which marked the feature film screenwriting debut of Mickey Smith himself, Noel Clarke. Mehnaj will be there for a Q&A following the screening.

Second on the bill will be the riotous geezer gorefest COCKNEYS VS ZOMBIES, starring such genre-familiar faces as Richard Briers, Honor Blackman, Dudley Sutton, Alan Ford, Harry Treadaway, and sometime Eastender and Bionic Woman, Michelle Ryan, who also got to show off her Lara Croft chops as aristocratic cat burglar Lady Christina De Souza in the “Planet of The Dead” episode of DOCTOR WHO. COCKNEYS VS ZOMBIES, is written by James Moran, a rising star of British horror cinema, responsible for both TOWER BLOCK and SEVERANCE, as well as the forthcoming SILENT NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, which teams up gore sfx guru and horror legend Tom Savini, The League of Gentlemen’s Reece Sheersmith, and one of the leading figures in the new wave of US independent horror cinema, character actor AJ Bowen (House of the Devil, A Horrible Way To Die, etc). But James is equally well known for his TV writing. He wrote the classic “Fires of Pompeii” episode of DOCTOR WHO, which marked the first appearance of Karen Gillan in the show as a Roman Soothsayer - presumably a distant ancestor of Amy Pond’s - and the “Sleeper” episode of TORCHWOOD, featuring Nikki Amuka-Bird as a tormented “sleeper” agent from an alien invasion force. He was also co-writer of the 5-part TORCHWOOD: CHILDREN OF EARTH mini-series.  James will be attending the screening, so this will be a fine opportunity to pick his brains about his writing career and the various projects he’s worked on. 

There’s more WHO-connected horror on Sunday October 7th, in the festival’s closing film, STITCHES, a bloody black comedy in which a killer clown comes back from the dead to avenge himself. The film stars lugubrious Geordie comic Ross Noble, whose deadpan delivery has dominated many an episode of HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU, and Tommy Knight, who follows his droll and oddly touching performance as Sarah-Jane Smith’s otherworldly adopted son Luke with something rather darker. Ross and Tommy will be there, along with the film’s director and co-writer Conor McMahon for what promises to be an entertaining and informative Q&A.

Both screenings will be followed by aftershow parties, too, so there will be a chance to mingle. In short, it’s a hell of an opportunity to see some fearsome features, meet some creepy celebrities, and discover some of the darker places in the universe. The Grimm Team are waiting for you. Don’t you dare disappoint them, now...

[Source: GrimmFest]

Publisher: I.B. Tauris

Written By: Graham Sleight

RRP: £12.99

Release Date: 30th August 2012

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 28th September 2012

Although not an official release from the BBC, Graham Sleight's 'The Doctor's Monsters' deserves all the accolade and respect that the aforementioned corporation gets with their own titles.

The book serves as a dedicated guide to some of the monsters featured in Doctor Who, together with a glossary containing (as far as we could see) every monster ever to have appeared in the show.

It is clear from both the incredibly detailed and well-researched biographies, through to Sleight's narrative, that this is a book for fans by fans - and it is all the better for it.

Together with an introduction from Doctor Who Writer / Author; Paul Cornell, that sums up what to expect in the book perfectly, you can't help but feel just how tidy and concise 'The Doctor's Monsters' is.

Let's hope this is the beginning of what will hopefully grow to be a library of guides from Sleight and I.B. Tauris. Essential reading!

+  The Doctor's Monsters is available now via the I.B. Tauris, Who Watching website.

+  Follow Who Watching on Twitter.

There have been a handful of last minute guest announcements for the Entertainment Media Show, including the wonderful Matt Smith from Doctor Who!

Our friends at Showmasters have also announced James Cosmo from Game of Thrones, Highlander and Sons of Anarchy, Vaughn Armstrong of Star Trek fame, the great British actor Joss Ackland, and Anime voice artist Vic Mignogna amongst others.

Photo shoot tickets are now available on the online shop, and for Matt Smith they have also added autograph tickets which can be bought now online with tickets exchanged for an in-person autograph on the day.

The online shop closes for UK orders this Saturday, however tickets will still be available to buy at the event. The online shop can be found here.

And for those of you who can't make the event but still want autographs, Showmasters have a pre-order service. You can find more details on the pre-order website here.

Convention Details:

The Entertainment Media Show
6th-7th October 2012
Olympia Grand Hall; London; UK

Early entry from 9am - £12 (all ages).

Standard entry from 11am - £6 adults, £3 children (aged 12 and under).

Under 4s go free when accompanied by a paying adult.

Doors open: 9am to 6pm both days. Last admission 5.30pm.

[Source: Showmasters]

Forbidden Planet have teamed up with Character Options for another Exclusive Doctor Who Toy.

The Three Doctor's Collector's Set features Jo Grant, The Brigadier and a Gel Guard, as featured in the 3rd Doctor adventure; The Three Doctors.

A gel-like plasma creature arrives on Earth and hunts down the third Doctor, who calls on the Time Lords for help. The Time Lords themselves are in crisis as their energy is being drawn off into a black hole. They send the Doctor’s earlier selves to join him.

The first Doctor, caught in a time eddy and able only to advise, deduces that the creature is a time bridge. The third Doctor and Jo then give themselves up to it and are transported to a world of antimatter beyond the black hole.

On Earth, the second Doctor is forced to take refuge in the TARDIS along with the Brigadier and Sergeant Benton. On the advice of the first Doctor he switches off the ship’s force field, and the whole UNIT building is transported through the black hole.

Behind these events is Omega, a figure from Time Lord history whose solar engineering provided the power for time travel. He has been trapped in the black hole ever since and now wants the Doctor to swap places with him, but it transpires that the corrosive properties of his domain have already destroyed his physical form, leaving only his will.

Contents:

-  The Brigadier In Peaked Cap with Pistol.
-  Jo Grant (with alternate arms and removable gilt).
-  Gel Guard.

+  The Three Doctors Collector's Set is released on 3rd January 2013, priced £26.99.

+  Preorder this product from Forbidden Planet!

[Source: Forbidden Planet]

The final BARB viewing figures are in for 7.3: A Town Called Mercy.

The episode achieved a final rating of 8.42m viewers - a shift of +1.8m , with an total audience share of 33.4%.

The figures include recordings of the episodes within 7 days of transmission, but not BBC iPlayer viewings and downloads.

Overnight Rating:
6.6m / 29.1% audience share.

AI Score:
85

Time Shift:
+1.8m 

+  What did you think of the episode? Rate / Discuss in the DWO Forums!

[Source: Andy Parish]

The overnight viewing figures are in for 7.4: The Power of Three.

The episode achieved a figure of 5.5m viewers, with an audience share of 25.6%, and Doctor Who was the second most-watched programme for Saturday, winning its time-slot for the evening.

Top Overnights - Saturday 15th September:

1 - 8.2m - (35.7%) - The X Factor - 20:15 - ITV1
2 - 5.5m - (25.6%) - Doctor Who - 19:30 - BBC One
3 - 4.0m - (17.7%) - Casualty - 21:15 - BBC One 

Final BARB ratings will be available within the next 10 days.

+  What did you think of the episode? Rate / Discuss in the DWO Forums!

[Source: Andy Parish]

The overnight viewing figures are in for 7.3: A Town Called Mercy.

The episode achieved a figure of 6.6m viewers, with an audience share of 29.1%, and Doctor Who was the third most-watched programme for Saturday, winning its time-slot for the evening.

Top Overnights - Saturday 15th September:

1 - 8.6m - (38.3%) - The X Factor - 20:15 - ITV1
2 - 8.0m - (40.2%) - Strictly Come Dancing - 18:30 - BBC One
3 - 6.6m - (29.1%) - Doctor Who - 19:30 - BBC One

Final BARB ratings will be available within the next 10 days.

+  What did you think of the episode? Rate / Discuss in the DWO Forums!

[Source: Andy Parish]

Forbidden Planet have teamed up with Character Options for another Exclusive Doctor Who Toy.

The Pyramids of Mars Collector's Set features Sutekh with 2 Robot Mummy Action Figures.

In this fourth Doctor adventure, the TARDIS materialises on Earth in the year 1911 inside an old priory owned by Egyptologist Marcus Scarman. Scarman has been possessed by Sutekh, last survivor of the god-like Osirans, who is held prisoner under a pyramid in Egypt by a signal transmitted from one on Mars. Sutekh desires his freedom and instructs Scarman to construct servicer robots - which look like Egyptian mummies - to build a missile with which to destroy the Martian pyramid. The Doctor foils this plan by blowing up the missile.

He then falls under Sutekh’s control himself and is made to transport Scarman to Mars in the TARDIS. Scarman cuts off the signal but the Doctor, now freed of Sutekh’s influence, realises that there will be a short delay before it stops, rushes back and uses the time control from the TARDIS to move the end of Sutekh’s space-time tunnel into the far future. Sutekh, travelling down the tunnel, is unable to reach the end in his lifetime, and dies.

Contents:

1 x Sutekh with jackal head action figure.
2 x Mars Guardian Robot Mummy action figures.

+  The Pyramids of Mars Collector's Set is released on 18th September 2012, priced £19.99.

+  Preorder this product from Forbidden Planet!

[Source: Forbidden Planet]

The overnight viewing figures are in for 7.2: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship.

The episode achieved a figure of 5.5m viewers, with an audience share of 26.2%, and Doctor Who was the second most-watched programme for Saturday, winning its time-slot for the evening.

Top Overnights - Saturday 1st September:

1 - 7.7m - (TBA%) - The X Factor - 20:10 - ITV1
2 - 5.5m - (29.3%) - Doctor Who - 19:35 - BBC One
3 - 3.3m - (TBA%) - Red or Black? - 19:25 - ITV1

Final BARB ratings will be available within the next 10 days.

+  What did you think of the episode? Rate / Discuss in the DWO Forums!

[Source: Andy Parish]

It’s been an exciting couple of years for our friend Oliver McNeil over at www.legend-photography.com, not only has he managed to get both sci-fi icons, Tom Baker and Blake’s 7's Paul Darrow to agree to appear in the special one off stage show 'Tales of Mystery & Terror' (12th October 2012, The Stable Theatre, Hastings, East Sussex) but he has, along with both of these iconic actors, worked along side them to produce some very special exclusive portraits. 

Tom Baker first came across Oliver’s unique fantasy portrait service, two years ago when he was shown some of this work by a close friend. Not knowing the he was also a huge Doctor Who fan, even having built his own TARDIS for outside his studio, the two of them started to work on some new portraits in preparation for the 50th anniversary.  Since then they have become quite chummy, which led to the collaboration in this stage show. 

“It’s going to be an unique evening themed around a Victorian spiritualist show. We have Tom reading an never heard self penned story and Paul Darrow performing a Edgar Alan Poe tale. We also have magic by Richard Bellars and music. I’m not sure the last time Tom acted on stage, but he’s really looking forward to it. It’s fantastic to also get Paul Darrow, He’s a wonderful story teller we are looking to do a special lunch with him for those who book early. It also comes at time when we might be seeing a new version of B7 coming back to our screens.

The second half of the show will be a Q&A with Tom, with myself and fellow organiser Steve Corke asking “interesting” questions. It’s not going to be like any other Q&A you have seen before”  warned Oliver.

Legend Photography’s story is an interesting one in itself. Formed 10 years, Oliver who comes from a theatre & film background, started shooting fantasy themed portraits for the general public. Using mostly props, costumes and practical lighting effects he quickly became a leader in his field, with many celebrity clients and many people traveling and diverting holidays just to have one of his portraits. Winner of a Brian Froud and bizarrely a RHS design award, Oliver now offers vampires and mermaids amongst his sessions of magical Fairy, wizard & knight images. 

Whats next for Legend Photography, Tom Baker and Paul Darrow, well with so much planned for next year it would be silly not to keep an eye out.

To get news on the 'Tales of Mystery & Horror' and any other collaboration, you can follow Oliver https://twitter.com/Legend_Studios or http://www.facebook.com/TomBakerPortraits.

[Source: DWO]

The BBC have released a number of promotional pictures for this week's episode of Doctor Who; 7.2: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship.

+  7.2: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship will air on Saturday 8th September at 7:35pm on BBC One.

+  Read DWO's Spoiler-Free Preview for this story, here.

[Source: BBC Pictures]

Doctor Who has scooped up a 2012 Hugo award for 6.4: The Doctor's Wife.

The episode was nominated and won the 'Best Dramatic Presentation: Short Form' category for the Series 6 episode, written by Neil Gaiman and directed by Richard Clark.

According to reports, during his acceptance speech for the Hugo Award, Neil Gaiman confirmed he is writing another Doctor Who script stating:

"Only a fool or a mad man would try to do it again...so I'm on the third draft."

It is still unclear whether this will form part of the second half of Series 7 or a later set of episodes.

Also picking up an award in the 'Best Fancast' category was Doctor Who Writer and Author, Paul Cornell for the SF Squeecast.

The 2012 Hugo Awards were presented at Chicon 7; the 70th World Science Fiction Convention, and was held at Chicago's Hyatt Regency.

[Source: Worldcon]

The overnight viewing figures are in for 7.1: Asylum of the Daleks.

The episode achieved a figure of 6.4m viewers, with an audience share of 29.3%, and Doctor Who was the second most-watched programme for Saturday, winning its time-slot for the evening.

Top Overnights - Saturday 1st September:

1 - 8.6m - (36.8%) - The X Factor - 20:10 - ITV1
2 - 6.4m - (29.3%) - Doctor Who - 19:20 - BBC One
3 - 4.2m - (TBA%) - Casualty - 21:00 - BBC One

Final BARB ratings will be available within the next 10 days.

+  What did you think of the episode? Rate / Discuss in the DWO Forums!

[Source: Andy Parish]

DWO have seen 7.2: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship and have put our spoiler-free preview together:

When Steven Moffat referred to this new series as "filmic" and "like standalone movies", it's difficult to think how such a thing would be possible with the restriction of a 45-minute time-slot - not to mention BBC budgets, but the Doctor Who team being who they are, only went and did it - in spades!

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship sees us travel from Egypt 1334 B.C. to Earth 2367 A.D. and then back in time to the African Plains of 1902 A.D., before we're brought crashing back down to the mundanity of real life in the Pond household. And that's all before the title sequence!

Sure, there's a lot crammed into this 45-minute episode, but rather cleverly (and miraculously) it doesn't feel cluttered or rushed. The Doctor has a total of 5 companions with him on this particular outing (not all of them are willing), and it leads to a surprisingly refreshing gear change that, on paper, shouldn't work, but to watch on screen is thoroughly entertaining.

The idea that The Doctor can pick up a companion of his choosing, anywhere in time and space is really quite fun and explored rather mischievously here - especially when they turn out to be Queen Nefertiti (Riaan Steele) and big-game hunter, John Riddell (Rupert Graves). An odd pairing, but one that works all the same - and with dinosaurs abound, The Doctor is going to need all the help he can get!

We mustn't forget Amy and Rory, though! There's plenty of Pond action for you to be getting on with. Amy in particular comes forward and shows off some of the skills she has learnt from her time travelling with The Doctor. Rory feels a little underused, however, which is a shame considering the momentum of his character development in recent episodes.

Together with a particularly unlikable villain (played by the wonderful David Bradley of Harry Potter fame) as well as two equally unlikeable (though slightly irritating) robot servants (voiced by comedians David Mitchell and Robert Webb), Dinosaurs on a Spaceship is incredibly well-rounded.

But lets get to the bit everyone wants to hear about, The Dinosaurs!!! Firstly, they are fantastically well done. The CGI shots are of the highest calibre (kudos to The Mill) and the model shots are so realistic, they give Spielberg's Jurassic Park a run for its money. Speaking of which, there are a couple of obligatory nods to the aforementioned movie, with Murray Gold's awesome score feeling quite John Williams-esque in places.

Writer, Chris Chibnall, has to be commended for this script. It would have been so easy to get carried away with the concept of throwing Dinosaurs into a Doctor Who story, but they're not overused. Everything and, more importantly, everyone, fits together nicely. Action-packed would be a bit of an understatement for this episode, and when you throw the words 'Doctor', 'Triceratops' and 'Golf Ball' together…well…just wait and see!

Five things to look out for...

1) Were introduced to another member of the Pond family (or should that be Williams).

2) It's been 10 Months since the events of Asylum of the Daleks.

3) The Doctor has a gang now!

4) The Doctor still has a Christmas List!

5) "Doctor, after all this time…"

[Source: Doctor Who Online]