BBC Shop has added the 2nd Doctor adventure 'The Underwater Menace', back onto its DVD listings, finally giving confirmation to the fact that the much-anticipated title, will actually be released.

It is likely that the cover (pictured right), which appeared in a recent issue of Doctor Who Magazine*, will still be used.

The DVD will be released on 26th October 2015 and we hope to have full details shortly. 

+  PREORDER 'The Underwater Menace' DVD from BBC Shop for just £13.99!
+  Discuss all the Doctor Who DVD releases in the DWO Forums.

[Sources: BBC Shop]

* Image from Issue 488 of Doctor Who Magazine 

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Writer: Nicholas Briggs

RRP: £10.99 (CD) / £8.99 (Download)

Release Date: August 2015

Reviewed by: Nick Mellish for Doctor Who Online

“The Doctor reveals to Leela that they’re heading for the planet Telos. And K9 has new masters...

On Telos, in the past, the Second Doctor and Jamie are exploring the ‘tomb of the Cybermen’.

Meanwhile, the Cyber-Controller and Cyber-Planner consolidate their plans. Spare parts from Krelos are being used to construct a mighty Cyber army. The Doctor must be captured.

Out of control, the TARDIS tumbles down a chasm and the Doctor and Leela find themselves caught up in full-scale planetary invasion.”

There is a school of thought that says that big is better, and you can see that in work here: an adventure with the Cybermen! Ah, but let’s go one further: bring in an old companion! But we can do more: make it a sequel to a past adventure! Brilliant. But: no, let’s go further: we can set it during the past adventure! And let’s not just do any old story, no! Let’s set it during a much-loved classic: The Tomb of the Cybermen!

On paper, it probably sells: the Fourth Doctor and Leela meeting Jamie on Telos is a scenario which is going to get a certain type of fan tingling with anticipation, and it’s no great leap to put both Nicholas Briggs and David Richardson in that category seeing as they’ve gone ahead and made this tale.

It’s not the first time that this approach has been taken. We had The Five Companions by Eddie Robson taking place within another story, and it worked really well: it was a neat fit that took advantage of a period within the existing story when it could logically have taken place without too great a pinch of salt.  So, we have previous, and a successful example at that.  You can see why they felt confident enough to go down that road again.  Indeed, we’ve had mixed-up Doctor/Companion tales very recently, too, and sequels to popular stories in the past time and again.  How does it fare here, though?

First things first: the ‘fit’ between new tale and old tale is pretty sloppy, and I’m being generous here.  We get Frazer Hines doing his Troughton impression to try and help gel things, but… well, it sounds good in small doses, but often it just sounds like Frazer Hines pretending to be Patrick Troughton, so the effect is not as seamless as everyone seems to think it is if the Extras to this play are anything to go by.  The fit in with the plot of Tomb itself can conceivably work I suppose, but only at a push and certainly not as smoothly as Robson managed before.  This feels far more like someone desperately trying to squeeze something in than something that clicks; like someone pushing the incorrect part of the jigsaw into the wrong hole. You can make it fit, but it’s a clumsy mess.

Second up: Jamie in a Fourth Doctor story. Now, Jamie seems to continually bump into the ‘wrong’ Doctor whilst facing the Cybermen, so this feels less novel and more old and worn than it should do.  Sadly, again it’s a clumsy fit.  Quite simply, there is no need whatsoever for this tale to take place during Tomb beyond it being set on Telos, which it could be at any time.  It’s been done purely to try and shift CDs and with no regard to the story itself.  We’re looking at quantity over quality with regards to elements here.

Thirdly, the story. Again, it’s pretty poor. Cybermen are nasty to K-9, things happen, technobabble, reset, the end.  It’s dull at best, predictable at worst, and sadly as jaded and boring as the inclusion of Jamie and the notion of setting it within another story.  I understand that Big Finish tend to keep things as they are and the risks are normally minimal and then repeated– the four-by-four format was successful once and so we have it once a year now; a Northern companion worked well, so they’ve been aping Lucie Miller ever since; the false-departure for Charley worked well, so let’s do it again (and again and again…) with Hex! Heck, even the covers tend to stick to a type nowadays and take few risks– but this is about as boring an execution of old tricks that we’ve seen.

We need more, especially after a story in which nothing much happens whatsoever, but what we get here, though it has more incident than Krelos, shows less flair or innovation.  Not a good sign.

More than anything else, this feels like a huge disappointment after how strong this series of The Fourth Doctor Adventures has been.  We’ve had sparks and new things, and then… this.  A story so keen on continuity, it forgets to do anything interesting whatsoever. I really wish Big Finish would stop doing this; it’s utterly without point, and I can’t see who it appeals to.  Certainly not this listener.  I’m only giving it two out of ten because the Cybermen voices are at least pretty good. That’s overly kind of me, though.

 “You will be like us,” say the Cybermen. If that entails being anything like this play, then that is a threat indeed.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Writer: Nicholas Briggs

RRP: £10.99 (CD) / £8.99 (Download)

Release Date: July 2015

Reviewed by: Nick Mellish for Doctor Who Online

“There are dark skies on Krelos… and something gigantic is descending.

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Leela set off for some fishing in the mountain pools of Krelos. K9 has interfaced with the TARDIS and has reactivated the architectural configuration from the days of the Doctor’s second incarnation. In passing, the Doctor notes it could do with a good clean. And there’s a familiar piece of material snagged on the console.

Far up the mountain, an aged explorer is in trouble. Will the Doctor and Leela be able to save him and his planet? And what is it that K9 has discovered in the TARDIS?”

The Doctor gets up to an awful lot of things when we’re not looking.  We know this from various sources: the Doctor himself, glimpses of downtime in stories such as Midnight, The Romans, Army of Ghosts and Turn Left (it all goes to pot there, but to start with at least, Donna and the Doctor are just having fun exploring an alien market), companions reciting stories not seen on screen (Rose in Boom Town, for example), and the nagging sense that it can’t all be continual peril for the Doctor and his friends, or you wouldn’t go travelling, would you? There are definitely times when the Doctor and his entourage take a break and simply have a good time.

Why, then, have we not seen this in full before? The argument will no doubt be that if nothing much happens, then it’s not going to be the most exciting of tales, but as if that were a gauntlet thrown on the table, Big Finish have decided to try and prove us wrong and The Fate of Krelos is the result.

What happens in this story, then? Well, Leela and the Doctor wander around the TARDIS for a bit and decide to go fishing whilst K-9 is on the blink. They meet the locals and have a jolly.  And that’s it.

It’s a strange tale in that the format actively fights against the story being told.  We need a cliffhanger midway through the tale, one at the end, and a healthy dose of leading-into-the-final-play-this-series-style plot for Return to Telos to work properly. Because Nicholas Briggs, the story’s author, wants to tell a tale where the Doctor and Leela just relax instead of rush around, there is an inherent wrestle between these necessities and Briggs’s desires. So, K-9 is not how he should be but everyone ignores it uncharacteristically because that would kickstart a story.  Likewise, we get a truly horrendous and cringeworthy bit of info-dumping early on where Leela learns about Jamie purely so that she will know who he is come the final play this series. It’s a scene that exists purely to push things forward and stands out all the more than it usually would, such is the lax pace and absence of event surrounding it all.

Things suddenly whirl into action right at the end, again because it is needed by the demands of both Doctor Who as a series and The Fate of Krelos’s position in the running order of this season of adventures. Maybe placed somewhere else other than the penultimate adventure, a tale like this one could have worked, but as it is, we have what would struggle to fit a standard twenty-three-minute-long episode stretched beyond breaking point.

In spite of all this though,I cannot help but admire Briggs for giving this a shot in the first place. Does it work? Not really, but as a one-off experiment, it is at least worthy of merit. The use of Michael Cochrane in the guest cast is a nice touch, too, giving The Fourth Doctor Adventures a sense of continuity with its past (he was brilliant as Colonel Spindleton in the first series) in much the same way that repeated appearances of Bernard Horsfall and his ilk used to do on screen.

Telos beckons now, so hopefully this is but a blip in what has been the best series of adventures for the Fourth Doctor from Big Finish so far. At least Leela knows who Jamie is now… 

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Writer: Nicholas Briggs, Alan Barnes, Matt Fitton, Simon Barnard and Paul Morris

RRP: £40.00 (CD) / £20.00 (Download)

Release Date: August 2014

Reviewed by: Nick Mellish for Doctor Who Online

“A very special story which at last provides a heroic exit for Colin Baker's much-loved Time Lord. Four hour-long episodes, connected by the presence of the Valeyard, the entity that exists between the Doctor's twelth and final incarnations.”

If you’re looking for a success story with regards to Big Finish, then the Sixth Doctor is it. On TV, he was trapped at a time when there was chaos behind the scenes and whilst very few have anything bad to say about Colin Baker, who gave it his all regardless of what he was given (whatever people say about The Twin Dilemma, Baker himself is magnificent in it through and through), it’s arguable that poor Sixie, as he’s affectionately known, deserved better. The books which followed gave it a good shot, as did the comics, but it was the creation of Big Finish and getting Baker himself back into the driving seat that really worked wonders. Hearing him get his teeth into some fantastic scripts, and then being paired with Evelyn and Frobisher as well as Peri and Mel, thrust him back into the limelight and created a massive reappraisal for that most criticized of incarnations.  It was long overdue and much deserved, so it seems fitting that it’s Big Finish who are telling the story of Sixie’s demise.

Well, telling one version of it, anyway.  The novelisation of Time and the Rani threw some tumultuous buffeting our way (… no, me neither), Gary Russell had a go in Spiral Scratch and then we have Time’s Champion as well, bobbing around in the background.  The good thing, then, is that if people aren’t too keen on this version of The End of Colin, we have others to dip into, even those with tumultuous buffeting. (Whatever happened to the seatbelts seen in Timelash? There’s a story for another day…)

Big Finish’s approach to Sixie’s end (stop laughing at the back) is to give us four, hour-long stories (give or take. The final play clocks in at under sixty minutes whilst the first is closer to seventy-minutes-long). They’re set in various places in The Doctor’s life and have one link beyond the Sixth Doctor himself: the Valeyard. Considering what he was set up to be, it’s amazing really that nothing more was ever done with him on screen, so it makes sense to explore that here instead and it’s fitting that it’s the Sixth Doctor once more doing battle with him.

Sadly though, whilst all this looks good on paper, it doesn’t entirely translate well when listened to. The main issue really is one of connectivity.  This release is called ‘The Last Adventure’, so it’s not unfair to have an expectation that everything is going to slot together neatly, but no. Only the final play can in any terms be labeled a ‘last’ adventure, and it only really fits in with one other play in the release, leaving one wondering why they bothered listening to the other two.  As one-offs, they’d be fine, but as a build-up to the final hour, they fall massively short as they don’t actually build much.

Let’s look at the plays themselves in their own rights though.  We begin with The End of the Line by Simon Barnard and Paul Morris, a ghostly tale of mysterious trains and even more mysterious deaths. The mixture of trains, abandoned stations and Colin Baker cannot help but bring to mind In Memory Alone, the third story in the Stranger series, Bill Baggs’s straight-to-video series which found its lead writer and plot visionary in… Nicholas Briggs! You do wonder if the inclusion of this tale here is a nod to the roots of Briggs’s working relationship with Baker, but I am probably reading too much into things.

The story itself is fine, but nothing new.  We’ve had ghost stories in this manner in the past and the twists are, again, nothing Big Finish haven’t done before.  It’s not to say that the play is bad per se, just a bit… underwhelming.  We’ve been here before and will do again.  Likewise, one of the big selling points for this tale is something the Sixth Doctor specifically, and arguably uniquely (sorry, Clara), has experience of: the introduction of a new companion some way into their friendship.  wap Mel for Constance, and hey presto.

Again, I imagine that the parallels here between Constance and Mel both getting introduced in ‘final’ stories for the Sixth Doctor are intended, but whereas Mel came with a fully kitted-out character, Constance here is the ultimate definition of generic.  Miranda Raison is a fine actor, but she is given nothing to go with here. Her character is blander than any of the support and you wonder just why they bothered.  I imagine someone at Big Finish said “Hey! Now here’s a good idea!” and then went ahead and commissioned this without actually working out what her character is. I hope so at least, or her forthcoming trilogy is going to be painful.

Second up, we have Alan Barnes in the writing seat and The Red House. Reuniting the Doctor with Charley, it’s a tale of werewolves, scientists and afflicted villagers. It feels similar to The Doomwood Curse in that respect, with a clash of science fiction and folktale trappings, but whilst The End of the Line felt overly recognizable, Barnes’s script here feels fresh and fits in with Charley perfectly, maybe because of the familiarities. (If you’re the sort of fan who is kept awake at night by the thorny issue of continuity and placements, then fret not: we get a very clumsy introduction where Charley reels off a list of previous adventures and where this one falls. It’s painful, but is going to satisfy a certain type of fan, so it’s probably best to have it in here than not!)

This play actually ties in to what’s to come, and as such has more merit in this box set than others. It also uses Charley and her relationship with this particular incarnation of the Doctor intelligently, and at over an hour doesn’t outstay its welcome, telling a decent story in its own rights whilst also moving pieces forward in anticipation of the finale.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for Stage Fright by Matt Fitton, which reunites the Sixth Doctor with Jago and Litefoot whilst Flip is in tow.  It’s not a bad story in itself, but what Red House gets right, this gets wrong.  It barely touches upon the final installment at all, and lovely though it is to have Jago and Litefoot present and correct, there is no reason for it whatsoever other than it being a selling point for the box set. Flip, meanwhile, seems to be here purely to give us contrasts between the time period and our own (“Oh! It’s just like The X Factor! Star Wars! Other-Franchise-That-Is-Popular!”) and little else. She’s also responsible for a dénouement which makes the oft-criticized schmaltz of Fear Her look subtle.  Surely Peri, being an American in a time of colonialism and the Empire, would have been a better/more interesting fit, especially now we know that she carries on travelling with Sixie after the events of Trial? It feels like a wasted opportunity.  Indeed, the exclusion of Peri from proceedings, given how integral she was to the Sixth Doctor’s era on screen and indeed Trial of a Time Lord, feels like a massive oversight, and makes this whole set seem more a celebration of Big Finish and its various creations than representative of the Sixth Doctor’s tenure, really.

This is very apparent in the final story of this set, Nicholas Briggs’s entry, The Brink of Death, in which Mel is mostly ignored in favour of this set’s Not-Lucie-Miller-Companion, Genesta the plucky Time Lord. Ever since Lucie was a hit, Big Finish have been trying to ape her success (again, see Flip), and this is but the latest effort. No spoilers here, but it doesn’t work and she has ‘Disposable’ written all over her from the word ‘go’, and I wish they’d stop doing it.  It’s getting tedious now.

There is an attempt to use her fate to compare attitudes to death and life between the Doctor and Valeyard, but nothing really comes of it. For all the talk of the two Time Lords being Yin and Yang/one and the same, you never get the impression that they are actually the same person. You’d think there would be an attempt to show the Sixth Doctor being tempted down that path but it never materializes.

So, with Mel put to one side and a substitute companion in place, this play harkens back to The Red House and works its way towards the end.  We know from the very off that the end is approaching, so much of this is painted as a race against time: or would be, if time wasn’t continually extended and frozen all over the place, ruining any sense of pace.  No matter though, what about the plot itself?

Well, it’s reliant on two things: the Doctor having no real sense of curiosity (“Oh! So that explains that thing that happened ages ago that I probably should have looked into but didn’t because Reasons”) and the Valeyard being nigh-on omnipotent.  A big point is made time and again of the Valeyard thwarting all of the Doctor’s plans because he knows exactly what he did before and what he’s thinking, which only makes the ending– the Doctor does something that all logic and story suggests the Valeyard should see coming but, erm, doesn’t because it’s the end of the story– all the sillier and frustrating.  It’s lazy and, more importantly, at odds with everything we’ve been told so far, so what, I wonder, was the point of it all.  It certainly makes little more sense than tumultuous buffeting: arguably, that makes a smidgeon more sense than what we get here.

The end is here though, and Time And The Rani approaches. The plot of this dovetails neatly into that story (sort of. It’s never explicitly stated that it’s the Rani firing beams at the TARDIS here, but it surely has to be, or else she’d die on Lykertya or at the very least not look like Kate O’Mara).  Colin, of course, gets some final words.  Well, several.  He has a brilliant last line when talking with the Valeyard, but sadly then waffles on for a whole other scene and gets a line that is in no way as memorable or satisfying. It’s a shame that they sacrifice less for more, but that is perhaps indicative of this set overall. We could have got a series of episodes that builds up to the final end, but instead we get an advertisement for Big Finish Productions.

Final thoughts then? Tricky.  It’s an ending for sure, and the final episode isn’t awful, just illogical.  What’s most trying with this release is that you can easily see where things perhaps should have gone: a set leading to a finale, rather than a finale with almost no build-up. A set absent of Peri and largely ignoring Mel in favour of Big Finish’s own creations.  An introduction to a new assistant, but one without any characteristics whatsoever. A set that doesn’t know when to stop or, really, start.

The Sixth Doctor is surely still Big Finish’s success story, and Colin Baker still a star, but for such a flagship release, we should have got something far better than this. This is in no way the best this incarnation has to offer or even close to the best Big Finish and Baker have given us. Call this a last adventure if you will, but I’m hoping for far better to come. 

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Writer: Eddie Robson

RRP: £14.99 (CD) / £12.99 (Download)

Release Date: June 2015

Reviewed by: Nick Mellish for Doctor Who Online

“The TARDIS brings the Doctor, Steven and Vicki to the Italian city of Ravenna in the year 540 – besieged by the army of the celebrated Byzantine general Belisarius. Caught up in the fighting, Steven ends up on a boat bound for Constantinople, the heart of the Roman Empire.

Rescuing Steven, however, is the least of the Doctor's problems – because he shouldn't be mixed up in this particular adventure at all. Someone has sabotaged his own personal timeline, putting him in the place of his First incarnation... but who, and why? The truth is about to be revealed – but at what cost to all of the Doctors, and to the whole future history of the planet Earth?”

It’s been a bumpy old ride, but finally here we are: The Secret History, the final story in Big Finish’s latest trilogy. We’ve had the more-Fourth-than-Third-Doctor story The Defectors and then, sadly for us all, Last of the Cybermen, which is about as awful a play as we’ve ever been given by Big Finish, even if it did try to explain away the photograph-roundel-walls in the TARDIS. (I begrudgingly give it a nod for that.)  This has been a pretty lackluster trilogy so far then, but thankfully they’ve gone and saved the best ‘til last.

For a start, this feels just like a First Doctor story. Put William Hartnell in the title role instead of Peter Davison and it would feel just right in the way the other two plays would not have done.  Eddie Robson has easily written the most successful play for this different-Doctors remit, no question about it.

It perhaps also helps that Steven and Vicki, the two companions in this tale, fit in perfectly with the story being told, too, and gel with the Fifth Doctor in a way that makes you long for this troop to have further adventures. Peter Davison, Peter Purves and Maureen O’Brien are all class acts and they milk Robson’s brilliant script for all it’s worth.

The story itself takes place in the year 540 CE: Ravenna is under the control of the general Belisarius, Steven has been whisked off to fight, and someone is in the shadows, manipulating the Doctor’s personal history and timeline… but who? And why?

The question of who is a thorny one, really. It should be a big secret, and indeed if you simply downloaded the story and seen the cast list as put on the Big Finish website, it would be. However, if you get the CD, then there is a whacking great spoiler on the cover, clearly showing you the name of the actor playing the antagonist, a character that actor is associated with. Added to that is the CD artwork which decides to place an image representing the antagonist in the centre of it all: why that and not, say, a generic roman soldier or even Belisarius? It seems odd that Big Finish have gone to great lengths to hide the identity of the Doctor’s foe and then place them smack-bang in the middle of the cover.  It’s a pity as it would have been a nice surprise otherwise.  Instead, having seen the cover and then received the CD, I met the revelation of the baddie with a shrug instead of the shock I should have felt.

Just in case you haven’t put two and two together though or been spoilt, I’ll refrain from naming them here. Suffice to say that they fit perfectly though, with both the story and the notion of incorrect Doctors across this trilogy. The actor in question works brilliantly with Davison, and again, you would gladly see more of them in the future if possible. It’s also a welcome return to their character; a nice continuation of their story which adds some genuine sadness to proceedings. Yes, they’re doing the wrong thing, but you can see why and it is heartbreaking in many ways, as is the implication that they’ve tried to carry out this plan time and time again, forever caught in a loop of revenge and upset and rage.

The use of this character proves a smart one for this, the 200^th ‘main range’ release from Big Finish, as it ties in with one of their other most successful runs: a celebration, and rightly so, of some of the company’s most popular outputs.  It’s nice to see Big Finish approach this milestone with some subtly and restraint as it’s not something they’ve been doing as of late, and as such it makes for one of the most satisfying releases from the company for a long while.

Two hundred releases though: an impressive milestone.  Not every release is a gem, and there is a strong argument to be made that quality has suffered as of late due to the vast quantity of output, but the importance, and indeed at times genuine brilliance, of Big Finish is not something to be sniffed at. The world(s) of Doctor Who, and indeed my own world, would be far poorer without them.

Just think of three things they’ve given us off the top of your head: the Eighth Doctor’s adventures through time and space, the Sixth Doctor and Frobisher, the Companion Chronicles.  Impressive, and one can easily pluck out three more: Dalek Empire, Charlotte Pollard, the magnificent Jago and Litefoot series. And more still: Melanie Bush and the Sixth Doctor and Adric all being given stories arguably far better, and certainly far better received, than they had on screen. And then there is the array of brilliant writers: Eddie Robson and Joseph Lidster and Rob Shearman and Uma McCormack and Jacqueline Rayner and Andrew Smith and John Dorney and… and…

And one could go on.  This has not been an especially good run of stories, but The Secret History itself is a fantastic play that richly deserves the full marks it’s been afforded below.

The not-so-secret history of Doctor Who will sing highly of Big Finish in years to come, and rightly so.  Here’s to more adventures… 

A second trailer for Series 9 of Doctor Who is now online.

The trailer, which can be viewed in the player below, gives us more glimpses into the ninth series of the show:
[youtube:g_x2B0lsAMU]
+  Series 9 of Doctor Who will air on 19th September.

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

Our friend Martin Johnson over at EverybodyElse Productions has been in touch with details on his new Kickstarter campaign for an exciting new SciFi audio drama.

H. G. Wells’ famous novel The War of the Worlds has been adapted many times in various forms. However, none of these adaptations have been truly faithful to the original story.

Everybodyelse Productions has launched an exciting new Kickstarter campaign, running from 1^st August 2015 - 5^th September 2015, with the hope of bringing the original novel to life as a cinematic audio drama that promises to be faithful to the source material. Keeping the Victorian setting of southern England, this adaptation will retain the dark, scary and often horrific elements of the story that sets it apart from all previous adaptations.

The 2-hour full-cast audio drama production of H. G. Wells’ The Coming of the Martians, to be directed by Big Finish stalwart Lisa Bowerman and adapted on audio by Nick Scovell, will be produced in 5.1 surround sound with Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound encoded stereo for the CD and digital releases.

Martin Johnson, Producer of The Coming of the Martians comments:

“It has been a life-long dream of both myself and Nick to bring the original alien invasion story to life in a way it has never been done before. There is a huge audience out there just waiting to hear the spine-chilling Fighting Machines stride over them in a realistic, atmospheric soundscape and experience Victorian artillerymen battle these giant metal tripods on the river like never before. We aim to create this unique surround sound production utilising best the audio format has to offer. No silly voices, no cartoon style zaps and certainly no singing.”

Script Writer Nick Scovell adds:

“No updating, no switching continents, no re-imagining - this will be the real deal! H. G. Wells’ terrifying vision of the collapse of civilization is coming to life as he envisaged it.”

Director Lisa Bowerman says:

“When it comes to the story of The War of the Worlds there’s quite a legacy of previous adaptations, most famously the Orson Wells radio adaptation back in the 1930’s. What makes this particular adaptation different is that we’re going back to the original source material, bringing in the terrifying darker elements that the novel is famous for.”            

If successfully funded, the production will be released to backers in January 2017, when EU copyright on the novel expires, and to the general public shortly after.

+  Help Fund this project at Kickstarter!

[Source: EverybodyElse Productions]

BBC Worldwide have unveiled a new promo picture [pictured-right] featuring an iconic image from Episode One of Series 9 of Doctor Who; 'The Magician's Apprentice'.

The image features The Doctor and Clara running away from an explosion on an alien planet.

+  Series 9 of Doctor Who airs Saturday 19th September 2015. 

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

DWO interviews Ex-Doctor Who DVD Commissioning Editor, Dan Hall, regarding his time on the range, his current projects, and what the future could hold for the Classic Series range.

What have been some of your fondest memories in your time working on the Doctor Who DVD range?

Having the opportunity to work with some great people. Two of my bosses - Sue Kerr and Stuart Snaith - are people who I respect highly in the Home Entertainment publishing world. I learnt a huge amount from them over the years, and they were always highly supportive of the content.

Do you have any regrets, any tears any anxieties from your time on the range?

Ah! I would have liked to have taken more risks. It is impossible to please everybody, and I should have spent less time trying to do this.

What have you been up to since the last release and do you have any non-Doctor Who future projects we can look out for?

It’s been a real mixture of things since Doctor Who. Probably the biggest was working with PWL and Cherry Red records on the recent four Kylie Minogue Special Editions. Pup worked with the record company restoring the content, designing and authoring the DVDs. It was a great project and my teenage self would have been very proud!

We gave over control of the next question to the @DrWhoOnline Twitter followers and Francis (@lifetrainee) asks: “I'm a producer with an unlimited budget ready to go*. What would be your dream extra for any of the classic stories? *[I'm not]”

An unlimited budget is never a good thing! Limitations feed creativity, and certainly some of the best content we made for the range was by no means the most expensive. Where money can help is by providing consistency of content; a regular schedule of commissions and releases.

But if I had had a wee bit more money on some of the releases, I would have liked an Ed Stradling season overview for every single season. The few we had were always insightful and fascinating.

What do you feel the future is for the Classic Series Doctor Who range? Physical / Digital? Season Box-sets? Or has it had its day?

Classic DW has a terrible habit of not going away! It was broadcast and people wanted more. It was broadcast again and they wanted more. Then it came on VHS and they wanted more. Then DVD… So I would be a pretty bad gambler if I said it had had its day.

I am working in other parts of the industry these days and don’t have much to do with Classic DW. But I have genuine confidence that the BBC and BBC Worldwide will take the brand somewhere exciting. Why wouldn’t they?! As for what that is, that is a much wider Home Entertainment question. And if you find the answer, there are a lot of studios in Hollywood that I’m sure would like to speak with you!

+ Follow Dan Hall on Twitter!
+ Follow DoctorWhoOnline on Twitter! 
+ Check Out the Classic Series Doctor Who titles on Amazon.co.uk.
+ Check Out more interviews in the DWO Interviews section.  

[Source: DWO]

BBC Worldwide has today released its 2014/15 Annual Review which highlighted some of the achievements that Doctor Who has made.

The main BBC Media Centre website also quoted Doctor Who Series 8 as being the "top selling programme of the year" for 2014, and the fact that the show is now licensed in 189 countries.

Below are some more of the stand out achievements for the show, as mentioned in the report:

Doctor Who: The World Tour

"Stand-out achievements for our core brands included Doctor Who: The World Tour. Building on the success of the 50th anniversary we embarked on a 12-day global promotional tour for series eight.We visited South Korea,Australia, USA, Mexico and Brazil introducing the Twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi, and companion Clara, Jenna Coleman, to international fans. This was a first for a British TV series and featured a creative social media programme with activity on Facebook generating 130m post impressions and more than 2m video views across Facebook and YouTube."

Doctor Who on BBC America

"On BBC AMERICA, Doctor Who continued to grow with the debut of the Twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi, and launch of series eight delivering the show’s highest ratings to date – up 19.7% versus prior series, with an average of 2.2m viewers each week – while licensing sales on the title returned year-on-year growth of 29.1%."

 The report also discussed matters under review, which included plans for Series 10 of Doctor Who.

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

BBC Worldwide are excited to announce that Michelle Gomez and Ingrid Oliver will be joining Peter Capaldi and Steven Moffat at the official Doctor Who Festival, which will take place at ExCeL, London, on the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th November 2015. The Festival will offer fans an exclusive and interactive glimpse into how the inimitable world of Doctor Who is created.

We are also pleased to confirm that photo opportunities* will be available with Peter Capaldi, Ingrid Oliver and Michelle Gomez, plus the opportunity to have an iconic photo taken on the set from Series 9.  

In a weekend event like no other, television fans of all ages will be invited to see how one of the UK’s most-loved television programmes is created. Ticket holders will be able to discover the inspiration behind the Doctor’s recent adversaries, the imagination required to create whole new worlds and the ingenuity that goes into designing and making the beautiful backdrops that give Doctor Who its unique look. This Festival is a must-attend event for die-hard Doctor Who fans and for those who want to learn more about television production, with many, many more exciting announcements to come!

Day Ticket Prices:

-  Standard ticket: £65
-  Standard child ticket: £30
-  Standard family ticket: £165
-  TARDIS ticket: £110 - SOLD OUT
-  TARDIS child ticket: £50 - SOLD OUT
-  TARDIS family ticket: £285 - SOLD OUT

-  THEATRE SHOWS – exclusive access to the writers and cast from the series as they talk about how to make an idea become reality on a series as big and bold as Doctor Who.
-  ON SET PHOTO – photo opportunities on one of the current filming sets.
-  WARDROBE DEPARTMENT – an exhibition of costumes and props from the series.
-  COSPLAYERS SHOWCASE - where fans can showcase their impressive Doctor Who-themed outfits.
-  THE FAN CHALLENGE! –Fans young and old can battle it out in the ultimate test of Doctor Who knowledge in order to be crowned the ultimate fan.
-  DRAMA SCHOOL - the techniques and secrets that the cast learn when filming Doctor Who.
-  OFFICIAL MERCHANDISE - the ultimate fan shopping experience.
-  PRODUCTION VILLAGE – a chance for fans to explore a day in the life of the production team and crew.
-  PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES - an opportunity for fans to purchase an individual photograph with the current cast members appearing.

The ticket price includes day entry to the Festival, access to three theatre shows, lanyard, floor planner and all of the above. TARDIS tickets to include the above plus brochure, lounge access, front block theatre show seats and a Doctor Who goody bag! Tickets, further information and monthly newsletters are available from www.doctorwhofestival.com.

Watch the promotional trailer in the player, below:
[youtube:jxRrjLmLfcs]
[Source: BBC Worldwide]

Further to Thursday's press release and trailer, LEGO Dimensions and Warner Bros. have sent DWO an exclusive Doctor Who image.

The image, which you can view int he right-hand column, features The Doctor, Clara and The Cybermen.

Watch the official trailer for Doctor Who LEGO Dimensions in the player, below:

[youtube:ywYHgLWRLoA]
[Sources: LEGO Dimensions; Warner Bros.]

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Hot on the heels of their 'Gemini' clock, our friends over at Bad Dog Designs have created a Doctor Who inspired Steampunk Nixie Clock.

Below are the product details from the Bad Dog Designs website, and you can view the clock in the image panel to the right:

The Gallifrey Time Lord Clock, made to look like it came out of The Doctor's TARDIS. A lot of time and effort went into the production of this specially made clock

The Brass top plate has Gallifray script engraved on the top which spells out the Dr's Name when viewed from above. The central blue light fades out once every 5 seconds, just like the one on top of the Tardis.

There will be a limited run of 10 of these clocks, they will all be slightly different but feature the same top plate and all signed as limited edition. 2 already sold, leaving 8 remaining. Various options can be added sonic screwdriver stands, sound chips, glowing coils. Pricing starts from £395 for the base model.

Each made to order, drop Paul a line - paul@bad-dog-designs.co.uk if you want to reserve one!

Check out the clock in action in the video player, below:

[youtube:sCrxppeUw5U] 
+  Check out Bad Dog Designs range of clocks at: http://www.bad-dog-designs.co.uk

[Source: Bad Dog Designs]

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Our friends over at The Gift Shop have just taken delivery for the next wave of the exciting new range of Doctor Who statues by Robert Harrop.

The figures are each made as a limited edition, high quality, hand-painted figure. Each figure is individually numbered and presented in branded packaging, and the best part of all with these BBC licensed products, is that they are all designed in the UK.

All statues are available to order now at The Gift Shop website, with preorders up for the forthcoming wave.

All items get FREE UK delivery with worldwide delivery options also available!

+  Check out The Gift Shop website at: www.thetraditionalgiftshop.com

[Source: The Gift Shop]

The first teaser trailer for Series 9 of Doctor Who has been released by BBC Worldwide.

The trailer, which will also air at today's San Diego Comic Con Doctor Who panel, gives us the first proper glimpse at what to expect for the upcoming Ninth series of Doctor Who.

You can watch the trailer in the player, below:
[youtube:QVMUPZm04MA]
The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) is joined by Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) for time travel on a cinematic scale. Having the time of their lives, the pair meet new and old monsters, and go on a journey that takes them to deadly alien planets, creepy underwater bases, Vikings villages, a global Zygon uprising, and leads them through hidden alien dens, to the very end of time itself.

Meeting monsters old and new the Doctor will come face to face with Missy (played by Michelle Gomez), a city of Daleks, deadly mercenaries called the Mire, terrifying ghosts and far more.

Having filmed in Cardiff since January, Peter Capaldi said: 

“Soaring through all of time and space, series nine sees the Doctor throw himself into life with a new hunger for adventure. The Cosmos is there for the taking, thrilling, epic and enticing, and his to play in. But he’s almost reckless in his abandon. It’s almost like he’s running from something, something that if it ever catches him will turn his life upside down.”

Previously announced and taking up a guest role in the new series will be young new talent Maisie Williams, having already achieved global success for her role as Arya Stark in the fantasy drama series Game of Thrones. Michelle Gomez (Missy) returns to plague the Doctor and Clara in the series opener, and UNIT are back with Jemma Redgrave and Ingrid Oliver (Osgood) returning to series nine following their popular entrance in series eight. Also confirmed as guest cast in the series are Rebecca Front, Rufus Hound, Paul Kaye, Joivan Wade and Sophie Stone.

The show’s ninth series has been written by lead writer Steven Moffat, Toby Whithouse, Jamie Mathieson, Peter Harness, Mark Gatiss, and new writers to Doctor Who - Sarah Dollard and Catherine Tregenna; directed by Hettie Macdonald, Daniel O’Hara, Ed Bazalgette, Daniel Nettheim, Justin Molotnikov, Rachel Talalay; and produced by Tracie Simpson, Derek Ritchie, Nikki Wilson and Peter Bennett.

The star-studded cast continue to shoot in Roath Lock studios, Cardiff Bay, having previously filmed in Tenerife, and South Wales locations, Caerwent, Caerphilly Castle, Cardiff Castle, St Athans and Margam Park.

+  Series 9 of Doctor Who will air on 19th September.

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

Imagine an incredible world where The Doctor teams up with Batman, Gandalf and Wyldstyle to defeat his evil foes; where The Doctor can dance down a yellow brick road or travel in The Mystery Machine with Scooby Doo. LEGO Dimensions is the new Toys-To-Life game from Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment and features the biggest brand mash ups the gaming world has ever seen – now including Doctor Who.

[youtube:ywYHgLWRLoA]
This all-new entertainment experience which merges physical LEGO brick building with digital gameplay and launches in the UK on 29th September.  

Peter Capaldi comments:

“It’s fitting that Doctor Who now sits alongside some of the most iconic film and TV shows ever made. So go forth and help The Doctor make new friends on his quest to vanquish Lord Vortech!” 

Batman, Gandalf and Wyldstyle will team up with Doctor Who, The Simpsons, Ghostbusters, Jurassic World, Back to the Future and many more fan favourites in a mission to thwart Lord Vortech’s evil plan to collide all dimensions into one. 

Using an interactive LEGO Toy Pad which will plug into games consoles, gamers can place up to seven physical toys into the game through the toy pad. This allows gamers to embark on an adventure which merges the worlds of their favourite TV and film franchises.

The LEGO Dimensions Starter Pack includes three Doctor Who levels, where you can battle the Daleks and Cybermen, complete with a cameo from the Twelfth Doctor. From November you will be able to purchase an additional Doctor Who pack enabling gamers to play as the Doctor. The pack will also introduce new buildable characters, including the TARDIS and K-9, unlocking compelling game content with mission-based levels and unique in-game abilities. The Doctor Who level pack will provide players the opportunity to use everything interchangeably, anywhere throughout the game.

LEGO Dimensions will be available for Xbox One, the all-in one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation4 and PlayStation3 computer entertainment systems and the Wii U system from Nintendo.

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

The schedules for the San Diego Comic Con 2015 panels have now been revealed, with Doctor Who featuring this Thursday.

Thursday 9th July:

Doctor Who panel with Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Michelle Gomez, and Steven Moffat. 2:15PM (Hall H)

In addition to the Doctor Who panel, LEGO Dimensions will be revealing their Doctor Who additions to the range.

[Source: San Diego Comic Con; LEGO Dimensions]

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Brought into our lives to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the eccentric yet compassionate time lord and most loved television series, the collection of vibrant and extra-terrestrial Doctor Who homeware and gifts at HintonsHome.com is the perfect gift for any die-hard Doctor Who fan.  

Happily, the guys at HintonsHome.com, stock a range of Doctor Who gift ideas and are proud to be an official stockist of the very first Doctor Who range from the BBC that was created with a design partner. Unlike the other internet retailers, Hintons isn’t one of the big multiples but an independent family business selling to their loyal customers in Dorset and now across the world with their rather jazzy website.  What’s special about Hintons, is that they totally understand service and value are vitally important when it comes to the more exciting and stylish ranges, like the Doctor Who collection.

They really love the products and care about their customers too. The stylish graphic Doctor Who print designs are used on a range of homeware and kitchen items from Dalek teapots, Cyberman mugs, exterminate oven gloves, police box notepads and even some rather awesome duvet sets and cushions. So you can literally tuck yourself into the Tardis at night, who knows where you could time travel to in your dreams! 

This colourful selection of Doctor Who merchandise, all officially licensed by the BBC, makes ideal birthday or Christmas gifts for all ages but in particularly Doctor Who fanatics. 

So, allons-y and discover the pick of stylish Doctor Who gifts at Hintons.

+  Order online at HintonsHome.com for delivery to any address in the galaxy!

[Source: Hintons Home]

BBC Worldwide has this morning confirmed that Director, Rachel Talalay (8.11: Dark Water & 8.12: Death In Heaven) will be returning to direct the final two episodes of Series 9 (Episodes 11 & 12) of Doctor Who which airs this Autumn.

Doctor Who Online's Series 9 Episode Guide:

9.1: The Magician’s Apprentice (Part One) - [w.Steven Moffat / d. Hettie MacDonald]
9.2: The Witch’s Familiar (Part Two) - [w.Steven Moffat / d. Hettie MacDonald]
9.3: TBC - [w.Toby Whithouse / d. Daniel O' Hara]
9.4: TBC - [w.Toby Whithouse / d. Daniel O' Hara]
9.5: The Girl Who Died (Part One) - [w.Jamie Mathieson & Steven Moffat / d. Ed Bazalgette]
9.6: The Woman Who Lived (Part Two) - [w.Catherine Tregenna / d. Ed Bazalgette]
9.7: TBC (Part One) - [w.Peter Harness / d. Daniel Nettheim]
9.8: TBC (Part Two) - [w.Peter Harness / d. Daniel Nettheim]
9.9: TBC - [w.Mark Gatiss / d. TBA]
9.10: TBC - [w.Sarah Dolalrd / d. Justin Molotnikov]
9.11: TBC (Part One) - [w.Steven Moffat / d. Rachel Talalay]
9.12: TBC (Part Two) - [w.Steven Moffat / d. Rachel Talalay]
10.X: 2015 Christmas Special (Title TBC) - [w.TBA / d. TBA]

Key: w = Written By, d = Directed by 

+  Series 9 of Doctor Who will air this Autumn (likely September).

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

Our friends over at Inkitt got in touch to let us know about a new Science Fiction writing contest which they recently launched and runs up until 27th July.

Beyond Time:

Submit your most imaginative and fantastic Science Fiction stories! Take your readers on a journey; ride a spaceship, explore an extraterrestrial universe, travel through time - the possibilities are endless and the universe is yours. Be spellbinding, be world altering, and let your imagination run free.

Contest guidelines:

-  Authors will retain all rights to any and all works submitted in the contest.
-  Original stories of any length are accepted.
-  Entries must be posted on the Inkitt contest page to be considered eligible.
-  The contest opens on June 22th and closes on July 27th.
-  The contest is completely free to enter.
-  The top 10% based on reader votes get the chance to be picked by the Inkitt staff for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize.

All entrants will have the chance to show their work to a rapidly growing community of authors and readers hungry for high-quality fiction. 

+  Submit your stories here: http://inkitt.com/beyondtime.

[Source: Inkitt]

The Twelfth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver Remote Control is finally here to give Doctor Who fans what they have been asking for: a brand new, hero prop replica which is a superb recreation of the Sonic Screwdriver used by Peter Capaldi in Series 8. A limited run of 168 laser-etched numbered Sonics will be available exclusively to purchase on the BBC AMERICA booth (#4129) for the first time at San Diego Comic-Con (8th-12th July 2015) prior to general sale from 7^th September from www.BBCShop.com.

The new Twelfth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver is a fully functioning gesture-based universal remote control which can control your TV and other home entertainment equipment. Learning the gestures and programming the Sonic Screwdriver is easy, and the intuitive gestures allow the user to become the Doctor. Flick it open and the clasps extend with a satisfying clunk; press the grip mounted button for instant light and sound action or use the Any-TV-Off function just for fun!

The Twelfth Sonic has been made in direct response to the huge number of requests that The Wand Company received from fans all over the world asking for an extending version of their famous Eleventh Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver.

Chris Barnardo, co-founder of The Wand Company said:

“Since our Eleventh Doctor’s Sonic went on sale, we have had a constant stream of requests from fans of all ages asking us to make an extending version. It wasn’t easy to engineer a solidly reliable device that can withstand being repeatedly flicked to extend it, but we’ve been able to do it, and I’m certain that any fan of Doctor Who is going to love it,”

Jason Easy, Senior Licensing Manager at BBC Worldwide, said:

“The Wand Company continually exceed expectations with their range of Sonic Screwdrivers, and the Twelfth Doctor’s Sonic is no exception. The Sonics are not just technologically sophisticated, but also beautifully made and have exciting features that delight fans.”

Product details:

The Wand Company’s new extending Twelfth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver universal remote control prop replica contains the following features:

-  1:1 scale replica of the Series 8 Sonic Screwdriver hero prop

-  Highly authentic flick-to-extend action

-  Grip-mounted action button

-  Press and hold button to make Sonic buzz and tip light in FX Mode

-  Any-TV-off function that turns off any television at the press of a button, without having to program the Sonic first

-  Stores up to 39 remote control commands

-  Customisable personal lock code

-  Ivory-coloured handle with subtle fleck

-  Redesigned copper-plated handle end

-  Gallifreyan stand for vertical presentation

-  12 new secret Morse-coded Twelfth Doctor phrases

-  12 different sonic screwdriver sound effects

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

Publisher: Race Point Publishing

Written By: Cameron K. McEwan

RRP: £12.99 / $21.99 US / $23.99 CAD

Release Date: 7th May 2015

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 29th June 2015

Fans familiar with the Blogtor Who fan site will know that its editor, Cameron K McEwan has a penchant for lists. Lists are great, we love a good list! So when we found out that Cameron was putting together The Big Book Of Lists, we were rather excited to say the least!

First off, the title definitely lives up to its name - with over 255 pages jam-packed with facts, miscellany and trivia to test your own knowledge, you’re always going to find something new and informative about Doctor Who.

For example, we were rather surprised to find out that the first time The Doctor strangled a companion was in The Twin Dilemma! :) Ever wondered exactly how tall each of the Doctor’s were? Or how many hours of screen time each Doctor had? Or perhaps how many times the word ‘Time’ has actually appeared in a title? Needless to say, this book has answers to all those questions and many, many more.

The range of subjects, quotes and cross-referencing with other popular cult movies and TV shows is staggering, and is a testament to the sheer amount of effort and hard work, and love that has clearly gone into the book.

Look out for a special list from Doctor Who composer, Murray Gold, where he shares his memories and thoughts from seven of Blogtor Who’s favourite ‘MuGo’ scores.

As with Cameron's previous book (The Who’s Who Of Doctor Who) the content is supported by the beautiful artwork of Andrew Skilleter, and coupled with the striking pallete of colours and overall design of this title, it’s as visually appealing as it is factually.

One of our favourite illustrations is the double-page montage (p38-p39) featuring all of the Doctors in a nod to the curator scene from the 50th anniversary special; The Day Of The Doctor. There’s also a rather snazzy ‘Percentage Of the Daleks’ infographic (p81) which shows the popularity of The Daleks by Doctor.

They say good things come in three’s, so were very much looking forward to Cameron’s next offering, and if The Big Book Of Lists is anything to go by, it’s going to be a corker!

+  The Big Book Of Lists is Out Now, priced £12.99 / $21.99 US / $23.99 CAD.
+  Buy this book on Amazon.co.uk for just £10.39. 

+  Follow BlogtorWho on Twitter.
+  Follow DrWhoOnline on Twitter. 

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Big Finish have today announced a new range of boxsets, featuring heroes and monsters from the New Series of Doctor Who.

Leading this new wave of adventures is Alex Kingston as River Song, the beloved Time Lord archaeologist who first appeared in 2008's Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead.

River will be stepping into the era of the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) for Doctor Who: Doom Coalition 2, alongside Liv Chenka (Nicola Walker) and Helen Sinclair (Hattie Morahan). But how can River help her husband if, in this incarnation, she must never actually meet him?

“The idea of River meeting previous Doctors was actually proposed by Steven Moffat,” says producer David Richardson, “and it's just irresistible, isn't it? Alex embraced the idea of returning to the role, and so she will be starring in no less than two box sets next year. And yes, we are still pinching ourselves!”

River will then return later in 2016 in Doctor Who: The Diary of River Song, an epic four-hour adventure that takes River across space and time, seeking out the secret rulers of the universe. Paul McGann will reprise the role of the Eighth Doctor in the final instalment.

The New Series adventures will continue in Doctor Who: The Churchill Years, in which Ian McNeice returns as the indomitable Winston Churchill. In the four-hour saga, Winston relates a number of encounters with the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors in his memoirs, battling alien incursions, metamorphosing creatures... and a Dalek! The stories are told by Ian McNeice, supported by a full cast of guest actors, including Danny Horn as Kazran Sardick, in a story taking place within the 2010 special A Christmas Carol.

“Ian has played Churchill in just four episode on TV, and yet it feels like it was many more,” says executive producer Nicholas Briggs. “It was such a brilliant, definitive performance, and how wonderful that we will be continuing Churchill's adventures with the Doctor on audio.”

Finally, the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctors will face a new generation of monsters in Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New Monsters, a brand new, four-story run featuring creatures from the New Series. Peter Davison takes on the Weeping Angels, Colin Bakerencounters the Judoon, Sylvester McCoy will meet the Sycorax... and Paul McGann will face a new clone batch of Sontarans on the edge of the Time War....

“It's the ultimate mash-up,” says executive producer Jason Haigh-Ellery, “and we have some great scripts lined up for these landmark stories. There is no doubt that 2016 is going to be a brilliant year for Big Finish!”

All four boxsets will be released across 2016, and are available to pre-order today from the Big Finish website. Doctor Who: Doom Coalition 2 will be released in February, and is available as part of a special bundle of all four Doom Coalition boxsets.

Doctor Who: The Diary of River Song, Doctor Who: The Churchill Years and Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New Monsters can be pre-ordered for just £20 each on CD or Download, and are also available as part of our Doctor Who New Series bundle.

[Source: Big Finish]

BBC Worldwide today confirmed via the @BBCWPress Twitter account that there are plans to release more Classic Doctor Who stories.

Whilst the exact medium isn't specified, it is widely believed to be further Classic Series Doctor Who media in the form of DVDs or Digital content. Rumours have persisted for a while now of a new service to be unveiled by the BBC.

Below is a copy of the exact tweet: 

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

— BBC Worldwide (@BBCWPress) June 26, 2015

+  Discuss all the Doctor Who DVD releases in the DWO Forums.

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

The official Doctor Who Festival is coming to Australia for the first time, and will provide fans of all ages with exclusive access into the magic and the secrets behind your favourite program.

The Festival will be held on the 21st & 22nd November 2015 at the Royal Hall of Industries and Hordern Pavilion, the Doctor Who Festival promises fans a unique insight into the imagination and skills put into bringing an episode of Doctor Who to you. This includes exclusive access to the people that make it happen, giving you the chance to get inside the adventure.

The general day ticket price includes:

*Meet The Cast:

Your chance to attend a Q&A session which will get you closer than ever before to Twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi, with more cast yet to be announced.

*Meet The Writers:

Hear from the experts who create the storylines of your favourite programme, including lead writer and executive producer, Steven Moffat and find out how the Doctor’s many adventures are developed from script to screen.

*Meet The Monsters:

Experience the work that goes into creating iconic Doctor Who monsters right in front of your eyes, with live monster make-up demonstrations and interactive monster workshops.

More To Be Announced…

As we get closer to November, more cast and activities will be revealed. Register here to sign up to the newsletter for more information, and like the official Doctor Who Facebook page to keep up to date with the latest announcements.

For New Zealand fans, Peter Capaldi will also be heading to Auckland, New Zealand on the 24th November for an intimate evening with fans. Venue and ticket details for this will be announced in due course.

*Information provided on this website relating to the Doctor Who Festival, including cast and activities, is correct as of 25th June and is subject to change.

[Source: DoctorWho.TV]

On 24th February 2015, DWO posted an update on the status of The Underwater Menace DVD (originally due for release in 2014, and rescheduled for 2015). The update confirmed that the title had been removed from the 2015 schedules "for the time being". 

There was hope that the title might be released, especially as special features, commentaries and sleeve art (pictured-right)* had already been produced for the title. Fans even clubbed together and started an online petition, which attracted over 2,700 supporters and was submitted to the BBC. Sadly, according to the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (#488), it appears the title has now been officially cancelled.

Part of the reason is believed to be due to the insolvency at animation company Qurios, who would have animated the two remaining missing episodes [1 & 4]. Episode 2 was found in December 2011, and heralded the decision to release the adventure on DVD.

[UPDATE: It is now understood that the company involved in the animation was Planet55] 

+  Discuss all the Doctor Who DVD releases in the DWO Forums.

[Sources: BBC Consumer Products; Doctor Who Magazine]

* Image from Issue 488 of Doctor Who Magazine 

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (#488) has officially confirmed that Series 9 of Doctor Who will comprise of 12 episodes, following the same number as Series 8.

Unlike last year, it is widely believed that Series 9 will comprise of mostly two-part adventures, with Episodes 9 and 10 the only ones not to be written and directed by the same pairing.

As with previous years, there will be a Christmas Special which will air on Christmas Day.

Doctor Who Online's Series 9 Episode Guide:

9.1: The Magician’s Apprentice (Part One) - [w.Steven Moffat / d. Paul Wilmshurst]
9.2: The Witch’s Familiar (Part Two) - [w.Steven Moffat / d. Paul Wilmshurst]
9.3: TBC - [w.Toby Whithouse / d. Daniel O' Hara]
9.4: TBC - [w.Toby Whithouse / d. Daniel O' Hara]
9.5: The Girl Who Died (Part One) - [w.Jamie Mathieson & Steven Moffat / d. Ed Bazalgette]
9.6: The Woman Who Lived (Part Two) - [w.Catherine Tregenna / d. Ed Bazalgette]
9.7: TBC (Part One) - [w.Peter Harness / d. Daniel Nettheim]
9.8: TBC (Part Two) - [w.Peter Harness / d. Daniel Nettheim]
9.9: TBC - [w.Mark Gatiss / d. TBA]
9.10: TBC - [w.Sarah Dolalrd / d. Justin Molotnikov]
9.11: TBC (Part One) - [w.Steven Moffat / d. TBA]
9.12: TBC (Part Two) - [w.Steven Moffat / d. TBA]
10.X: 2015 Christmas Special (Title TBC) - [w.TBA / d. TBA]

Key: w = Written By, d = Directed by 

+  Series 9 of Doctor Who will air this Autumn (likely September).

[Source: Doctor Who Magazine]

Doctor Who has made its way into the Top 10 for Empire Magazine's recent 'Top 10 Greatest TV Characters' Poll.

The poll was voted for by over 10,000+ people at empireonline.com, and Doctor Who made its way into 4th position for the character of 'The Doctor', beating stiff competition from Sherlock and Buffy!

Below is the Top 10 list:

1) Walter White (Breaking Bad)
2) Tyrion Lannister (Game Of Thrones)
3) Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)
4) The Doctor (Doctor Who)
5) Tony Soprano (The Sopranos)
6) Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock)
7) Buffy (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)
8) Jack Bauer (24)
9) Omar Little (The Wire)
10) Frank Underwood (House Of Cards) 

The full top 100 list appears in the August issue of Empire magazine, on sale Wednesday 24th June. 

[Source: Wales Online]

A teaser trailer for Series 9 of Doctor Who recently aired on BBC America.

The trailer, which aired on Saturday after Orphan Black, only lasts 10 seconds and shows no footage from Series 9, and instead focuses on the exterior of the TARDIS.

You can watch the trailer in the player, below:
[youtube:dbQHgmmnQeM]
+  Series 9 of Doctor Who will air this Autumn (likely September).

[Source: BBC America]

Father’s Day is fast approaching and with it comes the indecision of what to get dad. Luckily if your dad likes Doctor Who stuff than you are in luck as we have laid out the Top Ten Doctor Who Gifts from SuperHeroStuff.com. The first four gifts are all shirts cause what dad doesn’t like a good shirt?! Show him how much you appreciate him with one of these great Doctor Who threads.

1. Doctor Who Knock Knock T-shirt: Who doesn't like a good Knock Knock joke? Some will get the joke, others won't but either way this soft comfortable 50/50 blend shirt should please your dad.

2. Doctor Who Van Gogh T-shirt: This great mix up between Doctor Who and Van Gogh is an instant classic and will turn heads. It is perfect for the father that wants a little more artistic design in what he wears.

3. Gallifrey Road T-shirt:  A Dalek, Silence, Cyberman, and a Weeping Angel go into a bar…wait wrong joke, but what is not to like about this shirt that both Beatles and Doctor Who fans will enjoy!

4. Sonic Screwdriver T-shirt:  Unfortunately, the 100% cotton shirt is not as versatile as the actual instrument from the BBC franchise. You won't be able to open any sort of lock or use its awesome technology for other uses but hey, this is just a shirt, and one that will allow your dad to show off.

5. 11^th Doctor Sonic Screwdriver Flashlight Keychain:  While we are talking about Sonic Screwdrivers, another great gift would be this keychain. It looks like a little version of the 11th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver and the tip even lights green! Your dad will have to make his own sound effects though, but it a great way to keep track of his keys.

Socks and mugs always seem to be something that a dad will get at least once for Father’s day so why not make them the coolest socks or mug that he has ever seen! The next two items on the top ten list are just that!

6. Union Jack Crew Socks Pack:  Invoke the spirit of regenerating Time-Lords and the famous police call-box with this 2-Pack of socks. They are certainly a lot more interesting than the boring white socks with holes in them that your dad currently wears.

7. Tardis 2D Relief Mug: Whether it’s his morning cup of coffee or some afternoon tea, this Tardis Mug is sure to put a smile on his face for more reasons than just delivering his favorite beverage! But beware it may hold more on the inside than guessed.

The final three items on this list are very cool and a little more unique while still following the Doctor Who theme.

8. Doctor Who Tardis Trucker Cap:  With a mesh backing, a flat bill, and idolizing the famous police call box, the Doctor Who Tardis Trucker Cap is awesome for your father who craves a good flatbill!

9. Tardis Tyvek Wallet: Much like the TARDIS, this wallet holds a lot more on the inside than it appears on the outside. Like all Tyvek Wallets, this is eco-friendly and immensely durable which means no matter how hard your dad is on it, it should hold up and last through time.  

10. Doctor Who 50^th Anniversary Monopoly Game: Everyone seems to have played Monopoly at some point in their life and while this is the same game, it is so much more! You and your father can buy and trade through time while getting to be represented as a scarf, bow-tie, sonic screwdriver or others as your game piece! This is definitely going to be remembered for many Father’s days to come.

All of these and more great Doctor Who stuff can be found at SuperHeroStuff.com. Plus you can get 12% off your entire order with code “POWERS12” through Father’s day weekend

[Source: Superhero Stuff]