Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Jason Arnopp

RRP: £14.99

Release Date: 31st December 2011

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 24th December 2011

On the world of Draxine, the continent of Zelonia is in crisis. The city of Garruk is in ruins, completely obliterated by an explosion of monumental proportions. What makes this tragedy more horrific is the fact that it was caused by the hand of the city’s own leader President Harmon, the same man who was found to be the figure head of a sinister death cult.

As if things couldn’t be worse, Garruk’s twin city Stronghaven is in political turmoil. President Karnex has recently been assassinated, and his replacement, Vallan faces a troubled and distrustful populace, particularly since the assassin has just escaped from prison.

The Doctor and Mary Shelley arrive on Zelonia, as a much more frightening chain of events begins to unfold. Something is coming from out of the dark of the ruined city, and it is growing in number and getting closer. Garruk’s dead is rising, and the bones of those who perished are on the march, heading in one direction; the very centre of Stronghaven. 

The Doctor and Mary are caught in the middle as the skeletons Garruk’s dead converge on the outnumbered citizens of Stronghaven. The Doctor realizes there is much more to this affair than the supernatural, but just what terrible truths will he uncover and will everyone survive?

Army of Death is the final play in this trilogy of Eighth Doctor stories is and it is a real gem. The quality of the previous entries has been built upon and this story can proudly hold itself up as one of Big Finish’s best releases of the year. Everything here is crafted expertly. 

The story is very strong, and the plot is so beautifully constructed by Jason Arnopp that not a dull moment goes by throughout its running time. Arnopp has managed to bring a great mixture of thrills, tension and character and this can be seen in the superb performances from the cast.

Paul McGann turns in a stellar performance as the more youthful incarnation of the Eighth Doctor, and you can see the fun he is having as an actor particularly in a very good interrogation scene opposite President Vallan. His Doctor is well served by the writing, as he is courageous, moral, alien and funny. There is a simple joy to see McGann, let go and have some fun with the character.

Then we come to the sublime Julie Cox who once again impresses as Mary Shelley and qucikly becoming another excellent companion for the Eighth Doctor. Even when the characters are separated by events, she is still a delight to listen to as she portrays Mary’s intelligence, compassion and warmth effortlessly. What is wonderful to see is the mutual trust she and the Doctor have with one another. Although she may not always agree with him, she knows that whatever the Doctor decides to do will be the right thing. 

Their relationship goes through some rather surprising developments in this play and it is a credit to Arnopp’s expert handling of them that they do not jar with the overall story, and work to its advantage.

Army of Death is blessed with a very fine supporting cast and no one, no matter how small the role is not left standing on the sidelines. As President Vallan, David Harewood is magnificent, infusing the character with a real humanity as he tries to confront his own growing terror and the reality of his incompetence in the face of the approaching army. He is a man that just wants to do what is right, and his eventual fate is given a much more horrible edge by the brilliance of Harewood’s performance.

Excellent turns come also from, Carolyn Pickles as Lady Meera, Eva Pope as the damaged Nia Brusk, but special mention must go to guest star Mitch Benn.

Playing two roles, Commander Rayner and the aforementioned Karnex, comedian, Benn shows just what a great actor he is. Rayner is a wonderfully to the point solider and his prescence is always welcome but it is with Karnex that Benn has the most fun. Without giving the game away, it must be said that when Karnex is present, it is both creepy and fun. You can hear self-confessed Whovian Benn having the time of his life in the role, and it is one of the many highlights of this release. 

There is very little to criticize here, apart from one or two minor niggles, but if anything predominately negative has to be raised, it is just that the post credit scene is not as strong as the cliff-hanger that comes before. But that is a minor issue compared to the wealth of strong material on show here.

There has been a theme running throughout this trilogy, helping to nurture the ever growing seed of Frankenstein in Mary’s future. The Silver Turk, The Witch from the Well and Army of Death have all dealt with the very nature of death and the control of life. All three warn of the danger and fear of powers mere mortals were not meant to use. This unifying theme has helped to give the trilogy scope and identity, making them all strong stories which complement one another wonderfully.

After the traumatic conclusion to the Eighth Doctor and Lucie adventures, this exploration of the past has proven to be a winning formula for Big Finish. It has given faithful listeners, not just a breather, but an invigorating and excellent run of stories and one the strongest trilogies that Big Finish has ever released.

Highly recommended.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Christopher Bailey and Marc Platt

RRP: £14.99

Release Date: 31st December 2011

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 24th December 2011

Christopher Bailey is a writer well-regarded by Doctor Who fans and Kinda is one of most popular stories in the show’s history. This is extraordinary considering only two of Bailey’s stories reached broadcast, the last being Kinda’s sequel, Snakedance. Bailey did have two other scripts that went under consideration by the BBC that were eventually rejected. The first was May Time and the other, The Children of Seth. The rejection of both stories drove Bailey away from a career in television and back into a life of academia. 

Bailey’s thoughtful and complex stories have stood out to fans and have grown in reputation over the years, even gaining a DVD boxset to those stories alone earlier this year. So it is with high expectations that Big Finish, with Marc Platt’s adaptation, bring to completion Bailey’s missing work to close this season of Fifth Doctor lost stories. 

The story begins when an experiment of Nyssa’s brings up a message on the TARDIS’ temporal scanner. It is simply one word “Idra”. The Doctor is intrigued enough to set a course for the origin of the signal, the Archipelago of Sirius.

Whilst there, Nyssa, Tegan and the Doctor discover a society on the brink of war, as the mighty Autarch is due to announce a new campaign against the enemy of his people: Seth, the Prince of the Dark. It soon becomes clear, that all is not as it seems, for deep in the court lies treachery and something unexpected and sinister building in power. Will the TARDIS crew discover the mystery at the heart of Sirius and just what is on the dreaded Level 14?

The Children of Seth is not an easy listen. This is to the play’s credit, however. The story is complex, and provides many questions and multiple plot strands. This is not a story that you can idly dip in and out of as it requires nothing less than your full attention. The story is not hard to follow at all, but its complexity only serves to enrich the listening experience. Since this play derives from a Christopher Bailey story it is hardly a surprise. Marc Platt is to be commended for bringing Bailey’s ideas to life, and adding his own distinctive touches to the final work.

There are some great performances here, particularly Adrian Lukis as the villain of the piece, Lord Byzan. This is a wonderfully power hungry character, driven to destroy any threat no matter how small from achieving his goals. It is one of the highlights of the play, which includes even more great performances from Honor Blackman as Anahita and Vernon Dobtcheff as Shemur.

However not all the cast is well served by the story. David Warner, who plays the role of Siris, the Autarch, is in very little of the play, and only comes to the foreground toward the end. In the handful of scenes he is in, the character merely becomes a senile leader, completely overwhelmed by the events that are occurring around him. It is a little bit of a waste for an actor of his talent, but for the time he is there, Warner’s presence is a welcome one.

Poor Sarah Sutton is once again, as has been common in this trilogy, relegated to the sidelines, allowing Janet Fielding to come out in front. Tegan is well served by this story, and Fielding’s great performance makes up for the lack of Nyssa. It would be nice to see more of these two companions together in future stories, as the moments when they are together are great fun to listen to. 

It is difficult to review The Children of Seth without giving too much away and I have to say that not everything about the play works, but it is a slow and rewarding play and I believe those rewards will increase on repeated listens.

This trilogy of lost stories has revealed a definite linking theme. These are stories about hierarchies and societies perilously close to collapse from the corruption of morals and ideals from within. Each story presents a leader of people, unaware of the chaos that will soon erupt and when it does it is disastrous for all concerned.  It would have been interesting to see if this story had made it to television, as it is certainly one of the most interesting, surreal and thoughtful Doctor Who lost stories I’ve experienced.

The Children of Seth is certainly not for a casual listener if such a thing exists. It requires much more of you, and although not perfect, it is certainly a recommended conclusion to a thought provoking trilogy.

Over the past week, DWO visited central London and the Bluewater shopping centre to film some scenes for our 2011 DWO Christmas video.

The video, which features a poem written and performed by DWO site editor, Sebastian J. Brook, takes a look at a couple of the main Doctor Who related stories from 2011, coupled with festive scenes and a warming Christmassy backing track.

Expect to see a few more treats right here on DWO in the coming days, but for now we present you with 'A Blue Box For Christmas':

[youtube:NSUlLAI4jNU]

+  Like / Leave Comments for this video!

+  Subscribe to the DWO YouTube Channel.

[Source: Doctor Who Online]

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Terrance Dicks

RRP: £8.99

Release Date: 31st December 2011

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 17th December 2011

There are some sequels that are inevitable, and there are those which are completely unexpected, and this new release in The Companion Chronicles is certainly one of the latter.

Jason and Crystal have survived yet another adventure in the TARDIS, and the Doctor has managed to hoodwink both of them into recording a report of it to the Time Lords, something he himself would rather avoid. Together, they both relate what happened. The adventure begins when their former enemy Karl, contacts the Doctor to attend the funeral of Madam Delilah, hostess of the Bar Galactica. But Karl has ulterior motives. He has heard of the legend of Ultima Thule, a legend made more compelling by the words of a dying fellow mercenary. For at Ultima Thule, there is hidden treasure and a very serious threat to the whole of the Universe. The TARDIS crew with Karl in tow seek out the truth behind the legend, and a dark new enemy waits for their arrival, including a few old ones...

When Big Finish decided to make an audio version of The Ultimate Adventure Stage play, it was met with excitement and nervousness. After all, this was a pantomime of Doctor Who, and if that weren’t horrifying enough to some it also had songs. Songs!

The final result however was, I felt, a rather fun and charming piece of Who lore put together and performed really well. It was certainly surprising to hear that a sequel was to be made, so long after the original play was written.

Let’s get the good or bad news out of the way first. There are no songs this time round. What is interesting though, is that, unusually for a Companion Chronicle, the Doctor himself is involved in the action as played by the ever reliable Colin Baker.

The play also has the added appeal of Terrance Dicks returning to the same characters, in his Big Finish debut. It is always fun to see Dicks return to writing Doctor Who, as he always manages to pull something interesting from up his sleeve.

Noel Sullivan and Claire Huckle both reprise their roles as Jason and Crystal and they provide the main focus of the play as it unfolds. It is puzzling that this sequel was done the way it has been, as, with the exception of David Banks, the entire main cast has returned. It might’ve made more sense to have done this play as a full cast audio as opposed to a talking book.

Since Banks is not here reprising Karl, his presence is filled in by both Huckle and Sullivan throughout. One of the guilty pleasures is hearing Sullivan deliver Karl’s cockney lines in Jason’s French accent, particularly since that accent is at times perilously close to ‘Allo ‘Allo quality.

That is not to say that the performances are bad. Far from it, for Huckle and Sullivan are engaging narrators and perform the piece in the spirit it was intended.

As the year draws to a close, it seems that after a run of rather thoughtful Companion Chronicles, Big Finish have decided to have a little bit of fun. The play as a whole is very true to the spirit in which its predecessor was written and even has the fun feel of a Choose your own adventure book, where you’re not quite sure what is going to happen next. Despite this, not everything works.

The sudden appearances of various old monsters from Who lore (ones, it should be mentioned, that are famously associated with Dicks) can be quite jarring, and seem to be of little point other than to be yet another obstacle for the Doctor and his friends to get past. When we do meet the villain of the piece, he is a rather simple creation, and dispatched of in an infuriatingly easy manner.

But this is not a play for fans of deep dark storytelling. This is after all a sequel to The Ultimate Adventure. Cynicism must be kept low or completely switched off. This a universe in Doctor Who, where old enemies pop up out of the blue without a second thought and are dispatched just as quickly; A world where an 80s night club singer and a French aristocrat can travel the far corners of space and time together. It is also a world where one can repeat the phrase “murderous mercenaries” at various times and not feel a little silly.

All in all Beyond the Ultimate Adventure is trying to be nothing more than the fun romp it is and it succeeds at that well enough. It sadly it lacks some of the charm that made The Ultimate Adventure such a fun listen, but if you’re looking for different and just plain camp Doctor Who then this release is recommended.

2|Entertain have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of the Revisitations Box 3.

The Tomb Of The Cybermen: Special Edition

Featuring: Patrick Troughton as The 2nd Doctor

For centuries, the disappearance of the Cybermen from the universe has been a mystery. The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria arrive on Telos - once the Cyber home world - just as an Earth expedition uncovers the entrance to a long-lost control centre filled with baffling technology.

Special Features:

•  Morris Barry Introduction - The director's introduction from the 1993 VHS release.

•  Title Sequence - Tests and build-up elements for the Patrick Troughton title sequence.

•  Late Night Line-Up - behind the scenes at the BBC Visual Effects department to interview Jack Kine.

•  The Final End - The Evil of the Daleks is mostly missing from the BBC archives. A small taste of the climactic battle...

•  Abominable Snowmen Audio Trailer

•  Coming Soon Trailer

•  Production Subtitles

•  The Lost Giants - Cast and crew look back on the making of the story.

•  The Curse of the Cybermen's Tomb - Sir Christopher Frayling and Dr Debbie Challis examine the ancient Egyptian origins to the story.

•  Cybermen - Extended Edition - A history of the Cybermen.

•  The Magic of VidFIRE - A look at the technology behind the VidFIRE process.

•  Sky Ray Advert - 1960's Doctor Who themed promo for Walls Sky Ray ice lolly.

•  Photo Gallery

•  Radio Times Listings

The Three Doctors: Special Edition

Featuring: Jon Pertwee as The 3rd Doctor

The Time Lords are in crisis. A powerful force is draining their energy into a mysterious Black Hole - and they must recruit the Doctor to save them. But one Doctor isn't enough for this mission...

Special Features:

•  Commentary

•  Happy Birthday To Who - A brand-new look at the making of this anniversary story.

•  Was Doctor Who Rubbish? - Raising a defence against criticism of the classic series.

•  Girls, Girls, Girls - The 1970s Katy Manning, Caroline John (Liz Shaw) and Louise Jameson (Leela) on being a 1970s Doctor Who girl.

•  Pebble Mill At One - Archival interview with the second Doctor Patrick Troughton and visual effects wizard Bernard Wilkie.

•  Blue Peter Jon Pertwee introduces the Whomobile.

•  BSB Highlights Cast and crew discuss The Three Doctors

•  The Five Faces Of Doctor Who - The full trailer for the 1981 repeat season which included The Three Doctors.

•  BBC1 Trailer

•  40th Anniversary Trailer

•  Radio Times listings

•  Production Subtitles

•  Photo Gallery

•  Coming Soon Trailer

•  Digitally remastered picture and sound

The Robots Of Death: Special Edition

Featuring: Tom Baker as The 4th Doctor

The TARDIS, carrying the Doctor and his new companion Leela, arrives aboard a huge sandminer on a deserted world. The small human crew rely almost entirely on robots to carry out their every task and whim while they mine the planet's rich minerals.

Special Features:

•  Commentary 1 - Original release commentary.

•  Commentary 2 - New commentary with actors Tom Baker (the Doctor), Louise Jameson (Leela) and Pamela Salem (Toos), and director Michael E Briant.

•  The Sandmine Murders - Cast and crew look back at the making of the story.

•  Robophobia - Toby Hadoke takes a humorous look at the history of robots.

•  Studio Sound - Example of a studio scene before the robot voice effects were added.

•  Model Shots Black and white time-coded recording of the original model insert film.

•  Studio Floor Plan - Interactive view of the studio layout via the original floor plan drawings.

•  Continuity - Off-air continuity for the first episode's original transmission plus mute continuity slide.

•  Radio Times listings

•  Programme subtitles

•  Production information subtitles

•  Photo gallery

•  Coming soon trailer

•  Digitally remastered picture and sound quality

+  Revisitations Box 3 is released on 13th February 2012, priced £35.75.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com.

+  Rent the Revisitations box set at LOVEFiLM today, LOVEFiLM have a fantastic range of Doctor Who DVDs in stock now!

[Source: 2|Entertain]

2|Entertain have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of The Daemons.

The Daemons

Featuring: Jon Pertwee as The 3rd Doctor

In the peaceful village of Devil's End something very strange is happening. A professor is preparing to open a nearby burial mound and a local white has foresees death and disaster. Meanwhile, the new vicar looks suspiciously like the Master and he is using black magic to conjure up an ancient Dæmon.

Can the Doctor, Jo and UNIT stop their old enemy before he succeeds?

Special Features:

•  Commentary

•  The Devil Rides Out Cast and crew talk about the making of the story.

•  Remembering Barry Letts A look at the life and work of Barry Letts.

•  Location Film A mute amateur 8mm film shot in the village of Aldbourne during the location filming.

•  Colourisation Test The original colourisation test version of episode one from 1992.

•  Tomorrow's World An article on the technology used in the restoration.

•  Radio Times listings

•  Programme subtitles

•  Production information subtitles

•  Photo gallery

•  Coming soon trailer

•  Digitally remastered picture and sound quality

+  The Daemons is released on 26th March 2012, priced £20.42.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com.

[Source: 2|Entertain]

2|Entertain have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of The Face Of Evil.

The Face Of Evil

Featuring: Tom Baker as The 4th Doctor

When the Tardis arrives on a jungle planet, the Doctor encounters two warring tribes, the Sevateem and the Tesh. The Sevateem worship a god called Xoanon and the Tesh are supposedly keeping Xoanon prisoner...

But why do the Sevateem call the Doctor the Evil One? And what are the invisible creatures in the jungle? The Time Lord, with the help of a girl called Leela, is about to find out.

Special Features:

•  Commentary

•  Into the Wild Cast and crew talk about the making of The Face of Evil.

•  From the Cutting Room Floor Film trims provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the film shoot.

•  Tomorrow's Times - The Fourth Doctor A look at press coverage of Doctor Who during the Tom Baker era.

•  Doctor Who Stories: Louise Jameson talks about her role on the programme in this interview shot for 2003's The Story of Doctor Who.

•  Swap Shop An extract from Louise Jameson's appearance on The Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, interviewed by Noel Edmonds.

•  Denys Fisher Toys Advert

•  1976 Typhoo Tea Doctor Who Promotion

•  Radio Times listingsProgramme subtitles

•  Production information subtitles

•  Photo gallery

•  Coming soon trailer

•  Digitally remastered picture and sound quality

+  The Face Of Evil is released on 5th March 2012, priced £20.42.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com.

[Source: 2|Entertain]

2|Entertain have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of U.N.I.T Files.

The Third Doctor faces ravenous prehistoric monsters in deserted London, while the Fourth Doctor battles robot duplicates in a strange village – but are the forces of UNIT friends or foes? Find out in these classic adventures!

Invasion of the Dinosaurs

Featuring: Jon Pertwee as The 3rd Doctor

Returning to London the Doctor and Sarah find a city almost completely devoid of life. The civilian population has been evacuated in the wake of an unimaginable event: somehow Dinosaurs have returned to terrorise the Earth. 

Special Features:

•  Commentary 

•  People, Power and Puppetry - Cast and crew look back on the making of this story 

•  Billy Smart’s Circus - featuring Jon Pertwee 

•  Deleted Scenes 

•  Now and Then Returning to the filmed locations

•  Photo Gallery 

•  Easter Egg - Seek, locate and discover what happens when the Doctor meets the dreaded Floor Manager…

•  Production Information 

•  Subtitles

•  Coming Soon Trailer

•  Radio Times Listings Programme Subtitles

•  Digitally remastered picture and sound quality with Episode 1 in monochrome, and Episodes 2-6 in colour

The Android Invasion

Featuring: Tom Baker as The 4th Doctor

When the TARDIS lands in the sleepy English village of Devesham, Sarah thinks the Doctor has finally got her back home. But all is not as it seems…

Special Features:

•  Commentary 

•  The Village That Came to Life - Cast, crew and local residents look back at the making of the story, in this documentary presented on location by Nicholas Briggs. 

•  Life After Who – Celina Hinchcliffe takes her father Philip on a trip down memory lane to recall his distinguished career in British television and film. 

•  Photo Gallery 

•  Weetabix Advert - TV advert for a Doctor Who themed promotion for this breakfast cereal. 

•  Easter Egg - A ¼” location sound rushes recording of some of the story’s scenes being performed. 

•  Coming Soon Trailer

•  Radio Times Listings 

•  Programme subtitles & subtitle production notes

+  U.N.I.T Files is released on 9th January 2012, priced £30.63.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com.

[Source: 2|Entertain]

2|Entertain have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of The Sensorites.

The Sensorites

Featuring: William Hartnell as The 1st Doctor

The Doctor and his companions land on a spaceship orbiting a distant and mysterious world, where a human crew lie frozen somewhere between life and death. 

The planet is the Sense-Sphere, home of the Sensorites, beings of immense intelligence and power. Unable to leave, the Doctor and his companions must deduce the Sensorites’ intentions: are they friendly, hostile, or frightened? And what is the deadly secret at the heart of the Sense-Sphere? 

Special Features:

•  Commentary 

•  Looking for Peter – Toby Hadoke goes in search of the enigmatic Peter R Newman. 

•  Vision On – What exactly does a Vision Mixer do? 

•  Secret Voices of the Sense-Sphere – Clive Doig reveals the origins of the eerie Sensorite voices. 

•  Photo Gallery 

•  Coming Soon Trailer

•  Radio Times Listings

•  Production Subtitles

•  Programme Subtitles

•  Digitally Remastered Picture and Sound Quality

+  The Sensorites is released on 23rd January 2012, priced £20.42.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com.

[Source: 2|Entertain]

Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill - who play Doctor Who companions Amy Pond and Rory - are to leave the show during the next series.

Doctor Who boss Steven Moffat made the announcement at a screening of the Christmas episode at BBC TV Centre in London.

"The final days of the Ponds are coming," Moffat said. "I'm not telling you when or how, but that story is going to come to a heartbreaking end."

He said the Doctor, played by Matt Smith, was going to meet "a new friend". It is believed that role has not yet been cast.

On the departure of Gillan and Darvill, Matt Smith said:

"We had the most incredible journey. We took over the show and we've really had to hold hands and help each other through it. So it's very disappointing, but one has to remember that this show is about change and regeneration, and that's what galvanizes it and pushes it forwards."

[Source: BBC News]

Speaking in Issue 442 of Doctor Who Magazine, Doctor Who showrunner, Steven Moffat, gives an insight into how Series 7 is shaping up.

"I'm back at work and I've started on Epiosde 1. Other writers are out there writing. It really is a chance for us to get several scripts - quite a few scripts, I'd say - in place before we get anywhere near actually filming. We're making more episodes than ever before, we've got other things planned for the big year [2013, the show's 50th anniversary]."

Steven explains why there may be no two-parters:

"The big thing is, nothing in the next run is starting out as a two-parter. At this stage, everything is a single episode, and the only reason anything will become a two-parter is if we think it needs to be; not so much that the story is too long for 45 minutes, but if it feels as though there are two distinct stages to the story. I was looking at the facts and stats, and it's not true that the two-parters save us money. We've assumed it for years. They don't save us money at all. Not a penny. So what's the point in them? I want to be able to say, every week, we've got a big standalone blockbuster, and then a trailer that makes it look like nothing compared to what's going to happen next week! That's the form next year."

On titles and plots, Steven adds:

"I want slutty titles and movie-poster plots. I want big pictures and strap lines. The first episode I'm writing is called [Spoiler] of the [Spoilers]! And it feels a bit like Die Hard, that first episode. Everyone is expecting us to do another year like 2011. You're not going to get that at all. You're going to get the biggest, maddest set of episodes ever."

+  Subscribe to Doctor Who Magazine via Unique Magazines.

[Source: Doctor Who Magazine]

Speaking in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (442), Doctor Who Showrunner, Steven Moffat had the following to say regarding the recent Doctor Who movie rumours:

"The very brilliant David Yates was talking off the cuff and a little prematurely: there simply are no developed plans for a Doctor Who movie at the moment. But it's an incredibly exciting idea to get that magic blue box flying across our cinema screens, so stand by for further developments.

However, if and when the movie happens, it will need to star television's Doctor Who - and there's only every one of those at a time. And it would need to come out of the same production operation that makes the series. Doctor Who is a vitally important BBC brand with a huge international audience and not even Hollywood can start this one from scratch.

So sorry if there's been any confusion, but on the plus side it has reminded us all what an exciting prospect this could be. Whatever happens, the BBC and BBC Worldwide will work together to ensure that we don't just get a movie, we get the movie everyone wants. But keep asking me about it - maybe I'll surprise you with an answer!"

+  Subscribe to Doctor Who Magazine via Unique Magazines.

[Source: Doctor Who Magazine]

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

The Image of the Fendahl Set features Leela and a Fendahleen (as seen in the Classic Series adventure Image of the Fendahl).

An anachronistic twelve-million-year-old human skull has been discovered by archaeologists and is now being used by Professor Fendelman in his time scanner experiments at Fetch Priory in contemporary England. The skull is actually an artifact of the Fendahl, an ancient creature that feeds on the life force of others.

Drawn by the operation of the scanner, the Fourth Doctor and Leela arrive as the experiments reach a peak. The skull is exerting an influence over the mind of Thea Ransome, one of the scientists in Fendelman's team, and glowing with power each time the scanner is activated. Thea is eventually transformed into the Fendahl core, and a group of acolytes assembled by Maximillian Stael - another of Fendelman's team, who is trying to harness the creature's power for his own ends - are converted into snake-like Fendahleen.

The Doctor shows the remaining scientist, Adam Colby, and two locals, Martha Tyler and her son Jack, how to defend themselves against the Fendahleen using rock salt. By activating the scanner once more, he triggers an implosion that destroys both the Priory and the Fendahl core.

Contents:

1x Leela figure

1 x Fendahleen adult

1 x Fendahleen infant

1 x Skull

1 x Stand

+  The Image of the Fendahl Set is released on 23rd December 2011, priced £34.99.

+  Preorder this product from Forbidden Planet!

[Source: Forbidden Planet]

DWO have received reports that missing Doctor Who material from the 1960's is being aired at todays 'Missing Believed Wiped' event at the BFI in London.

Christmas has come early for Doctor Who fans as two previously missing episodes of the show have been found, as announced at todays 'Missing Believed Wiped' event at the BFI in London.

Episode Three of Galaxy 4 (1965) which was previously missing all 4 episodes, has been confirmed as found.

Episode Two of The Underwater Menace (1967) which was previously missing episodes 1, 2 & 4 has also been confirmed as found.

DWO caught up with Doctor Who Restoration Team member, Paul Vanezis regarding the find:

It's been 7 years since the last missing episode was found, and fans had started to give up al hope, how did the latest find come about?

"This discovery was made by two people, Ralph Montagu and a film collector meeting and realising there was a bit of a connection. Ralph was working on the Dr. Who restorations in the past and Terry Burnett had some film, but didn't know what."

What kind of condition were the stories in when they were returned to you and how much work will there need to be applied to their full restoration?

"There's a lot of work to be done on both episodes. Air Lock is missing the last 27 seconds of action and the closing credits. There are many scratches and scuffs plus the usual issues we have with black and white film recordings such as off-locks, videotape dropout etc... Some of the damage will take a lot longer to repair than usual. Underwater Menace poses a different set of problems as well as the more usual. Firstly, it's the ABC's censored print, so the censor clips need to be re-instated. We've already had the clips re-scanned by the National Archives of Australia who have been very helpful. There are numerous film breaks, missing frames, deep scratches etc... and a two second section missing in the middle. That will be the most challenging repair."

Is there anything you feel the public can do to help in the search for missing serials, what are your hopes for future missing material, and do you believe there is a chance more may be found?

"There are 106 episodes missing from the BBC, but I don't think there are 106 episodes missing in the world. Now, I don't want to get peoples hopes up. I've been mis-quoted before, but I am certain there are episodes out there with private collectors. I know fans are excited by these finds and rightly so, but we're also looking for other lost programmes as well. Yesterday, the BFI screened the Dennis Potter 'Emergency Ward 9', found by a friend of mine Ian Beard. That is an incredible and far more important discovery in my view that the Doctor Whos, yet we're all talking about Hartnell and Troughton eps. I of course understand why, but I think more recoveries like this are more likely if people don't go round asking about lost DW, but black and white TV material in general. So, yes. More material will surface, but I don't know when."

+  Read DWO's full interview with Paul Vanezis in the Features section.

Clips from both episodes have been added below:

Galaxy 4: Episode 3 - Clip

The Underwater Menace: Episode 2 - Clip

Doctor Who DVD content Producer / Director, Ed Stradling has put together the following short item regarding the finding:

[youtube:U6dZci_hddo]

Radio Times have provided further information on how the episodes came to light:

So how did they come to light?

“Through me,” says Ralph Montagu, Radio Times’s head of heritage and a lifelong Doctor Who fan. “I occasionally meet up with a group of film collectors and retired TV engineers at a café in Hampshire. 

“A few months ago I spoke to Terry Burnett, who used to be an engineer at TVS [the former ITV franchise based in Southampton]. Somehow Doctor Who was mentioned in passing, and Terry said, ‘Oh, actually I think I’ve got an old episode.’

“I thought it was bound to be something we’ve got already,” says Ralph. “I tried not to get too excited, but he came back the next day and brought this spool with him. It had no label, so I had a look at the film leader and it said ‘Air Lock’. I thought, ‘What’s that?’ I checked online and saw that Air Lock was an episode of Galaxy 4 - a missing Hartnell serial. So then I got very excited.” 

Ralph met Terry again a couple of weeks later, “And he said, ‘Guess what I’ve got.’ It was another episode of Doctor Who! Again not labelled on the can, but it turned out to be The Underwater Menace part two.” 

What other episodes of Doctor Who are missing?:

The First Doctor

Marco Polo - All 7 episodes

The Reign of Terror - Episodes 4–5 (of 6 total)

The Crusade - Episodes 2, 4 (of 4 total)

Galaxy 4 - Episodes 1, 2 & 4 (of 4 total)

Mission to the Unknown - Entire episode

The Myth Makers - All 4 episodes

The Daleks' Master Plan - Episodes 1, 3–4, 6–9, 11–12 (of 12 total)

The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve - All 4 episodes

The Celestial Toymaker - Episodes 1–3 (of 4 total)

The Savages - All 4 episodes

The Smugglers - All 4 episodes

The Tenth Planet - Episode 4 (of 4 total)

The Second Doctor

The Power of the Daleks - All 6 episodes

The Highlanders - All 4 episodes

The Underwater Menace - Episodes 1 & 4 (of 4 total)

The Moonbase - Episodes 1, 3 (of 4 total)

The Macra Terror - All 4 episodes

The Faceless Ones - Episodes 2, 4–6 (of 6 total)

The Evil of the Daleks - Episodes 1, 3–7 (of 7 total)

The Abominable Snowmen - Episodes 1, 3–6 (of 6 total)

The Ice Warriors - Episodes 2–3 (of 6 total)

The Enemy of the World - Episodes 1–2, 4–6 (of 6 total)

The Web of Fear - Episodes 2–6 (of 6 total)

Fury from the Deep - All 6 episodes

The Wheel in Space - Episodes 1–2, 4–5 (of 6 total)

The Invasion - Episodes 1, 4 (of 8 total)

The Space Pirates - Episodes 1, 3–6 (of 6 total)

+  If you have any information regarding any of the lost episodes, E-mail Us!

[Source: Doctor Who Online]

BBC Worldwide today released the first details of a major new gaming development for the Doctor Who brand. Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock will be the first of a series of Doctor Who console games developed by BBC Worldwide Digital Entertainment and Games marking a significant movement into gaming for this business. Two further Doctor Who console game titles are planned to follow this release with details to be announced next year. Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock is being created in full high definition for digital download platforms and is set for release in early 2012, initially on Playstation 3; Playstation Vita ® and PC platforms.

Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock will immerse gamers in the universe of Doctor Who, allowing them to take on the role of the Doctor and River Song as they travel across time and space to save the Earth. Gamers must learn to master the complexities of time travel with exceptional time based game play, changes made in one time will impact another creating multiple possibilities and challenging players to solve puzzles across the centuries 

A wholly new storyline has been developed especially for this new Doctor Who console game franchise, written in collaboration with the BBC Wales team. Photo-real graphics, television quality scenes and highly realistic characters will bring the world of Doctor Who to life immersing fans completely in the twists and turns of an action filled plot. The stars of the series Matt Smith (the Doctor) and Alex Kingston (River Song) have recorded full voiceovers for their characters in Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock and motion capture has been used to create in-game characters that are incredibly realistic providing the ultimate Doctor Who gaming experience.

The game is being developed by Supermassive Games (www.supermassivegames.com), experienced Playstation and PC developers based in the UK who were a Develop Excellence Awards New Studio Finalist in 2011.

Robert Nashak, EVP of Digital Entertainment at BBC Worldwide said: “We’re creating these new games for Playstation 3 and Vita with adaptations that will bring the wonder, adventure and madness of Doctor Who to each platform. Working with a top-tier UK development partner like Supermassive Games demonstrates BBC Worldwide’s commitment to create world-class Doctor Who games for fans of the show and gamers alike.” 

Watch the teaser trailer for Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock below:

[youtube:t4_eIuq7e9I]

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

The BBC have unveiled a prequel video for The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe.

View the trailer below:

** Please Note this video is only viewable to fnas based in the UK.

+  The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe will air on BBC One on Christmas Day, at 7:00pm.

[Source: BBC]

The BBC have released even more promotional images from this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe.

Seventeen shots in total are available, but we have included the two main promos [pictured right] featuring The Doctor, Madge, Lily and Cyril.

It’s Christmas Eve, 1938, when Madge Arwell comes to the aid of an injured Spaceman Angel as she cycles home, in this year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special, starring Matt Smith as the Doctor.

He promises to repay her kindness – all she has to do is make a wish.

Three years later, a devastated Madge escapes war-torn London with her two children for a dilapidated house in Dorset. She is crippled with grief at the news her husband has been lost over the channel, but determined to give Lily and Cyril the best Christmas ever.

The Arwells are surprised to be greeted by a madcap caretaker whose mysterious Christmas gift leads them into a magical wintry world. Here, Madge will learn how to be braver than she ever thought possible. And that wishes can come true...

+  More promotional images can be seen in the DWO Forums, 6.14 Promo Image thread, here.

+  The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe airs on Christmas Day, 7:00pm on BBC One.

[Source: BBC]

BBC Books have sent DWO the cover and details for the 2012 book release of Shada by Douglas Adams and Gareth Roberts.

Shada

Written by: Douglas Adams and Gareth Roberts

The Doctor's old friend and fellow Time Lord Professor Chronotis has retired to Cambridge University - where nobody will notice if he lives for centuries. But now he needs help from the Doctor, Romana and K-9. When he left Gallifrey he took with him a few little souvenirs - most of them are harmless. But one of them is extremely dangerous.

The Worshipful and Ancient Law of Gallifrey isn't a book for Time Tots. It is one of the Artefacts, dating from the dark days of Rassilon. It must not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. And the sinister Skagra most definitely has the wrong hands. He wants the book. He wants to discover the truth behind Shada. And he wants the Doctor's mind...

Based on the scripts for the original television series by the legendary Douglas Adams, Shada retells an adventure that never made it to the screen.

+  Shada is released on 15th March 2012, priced £16.99 (HB) / £12.99 (PB).

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com!

[Source: BBC Books]

In September 2011, BBC Three controller Zai Bennett cancelled the Doctor Who Confidential programme as a cost-cutting measure. Confidential was a programme that went behind the scenes of the making of the BBC's flagship drama, Doctor Who. It also covered various events in the series for broadcast on BBC One, and provided a full disc of extras for the DVD and Blu-Ray box set releases.

A highlight of the last series was the 'Script To Screen' segment in which schools were encouraged to enter a competition to write a script that would be filmed and broadcast on Confidential - the mini-episode would even star Matt Smith.

After the cancellation, a huge campaign to save the show was initiated by fans of the show leading to a petition with fifty-five-thousand signatures and support from various members of the industry, including the writer Neil Gaiman.

A group of Doctor Who Podcasters decided to write and record a song about the cancellation. The collective eventually became known as 'No Touch Pod'.

Tony Gallichan from the Flashing Blade and DWO WhoCast podcasts wrote the tune and some of the lyrics, aided by Karen Dunn from the Staggering Stories podcast. Then a good number of podcasters from around the world recorded their own take on the song. These were then assembled and the music track recorded by producer Chris Adams.

It must be stressed that the song is not intended as a serious protest record. It is a bit of fun, a gentle parody of the 'Doctor In Distress' record from nineteen eighty five. Several 'Who Celebs' have contributed to the song, including the writers Nev Fountain and Stephen Gallagher, and the 'Voice Of Axos', Bernard Holley.

However, whilst light hearted, it does make the point that Confidential is a source of inspiration to both children and adults. It shows them how their imaginations, which have been fired by Doctor Who, can be harnessed to create, to write, to produce music, film and literature. Indeed, the people both behind and onb the song have all felt that inspiration from the shows.

[youtube:iIHZSGOkbzY]

The petition to save Confidential has been presented to the BBC Trust and can be found here: http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/savedwc

The song, avaliable in several versions, as well as the video, can be found here: http://www.netconjurer.co.uk/confidential/

[Source: DWPA]

Radio Times have launched another issue of their popular magazine, sporting a Doctor Who cover, this time to promote the 2011 Doctor Who Christmas Special.

The new issue of Radio Times, on sale this weekend and covering listings for 3-9 December, features a snowy Doctor Who cover [pictured right], and a sneak preview of the new Christmas special. Inside, Matt Smith, Alexander Armstrong, Bill Bailey and Arabella Weir talk about making the Christmas episode. 

Matt Smith reveals that the Christmas special monster is “going to be ones of our best. The design is classic.”

Bill Bailey describes his Who debut as “the equivalent of a knighthood.”

Radio Times have also given DWO a clean version of the cover with just the artwork for our visitors to enjoy [pictured right].

+  Radio Times is out Today, priced £1.20.

+  Buy this issue of Radio Times as well as past issues from CompareTheDalek.com!

[Source: Radio Times]

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

The Keeper of Traken Set features The Doctor, The Master and The Melkur (as seen in the Classic Series adventure The Keeper of Traken).

The Fourth Doctor and Adric learn from the wizened Keeper of Traken that a great evil has come to his planet in the form of a Melkur - a calcified statue. The Keeper is nearing the end of his reign and seeks the Doctor’s help in preventing the evil from taking control of the bioelectronic Source that is the keystone of the Traken Union’s civilisation.

The Melkur, via various deceptions, becomes the next Keeper. It is then, however, revealed to be the Master’s TARDIS. Its owner, still blackened and emaciated, hopes to use the Source’s power to regenerate himself. The Doctor manages to expel him and install a new Keeper in his place, but in a last minute ploy the Master traps one of the Traken Consuls, Tremas, and merges with his body before fleeing the planet.

Contents:

1 x The Fourth Doctor in Waistcoat action figure.

1 x The Master Decayed action figure.

1 x The Melkur Statue action figure.

1 x Master’s TARDIS as a Grandfather Clock 

1 x Source Manipulator Sphere accessory.

+  The Keeper of Traken Set is released on 15th December 2011, priced £39.99.

+  Preorder this product from Forbidden Planet!

[Source: Forbidden Planet]

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Paul Finch, from a story by Peter Ling and Hazel Adair

RRP: £14.99

Release Date: 30th November 2011

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 25th November 2011

The Fifth Doctor returns in the second of this trilogy of Lost Stories and it is a rather strange but interesting play.

People all over the world are going missing andthe only person who seems to care is journalist Mike Bretherton. After gathering evidence, Mike is ready to break the story of his carreer, but one night he too vanishes, and his story with him. Unlike the others who vanished, Mike has an advantage.

His disappearance does not go unnoticed, especially since he was the old boyfriend of one Tegan Jovanka. Fearful for his safety, she implores the Doctor to go looking for him, and the mystery of it all is more than enough to get him curious. Following the trail the TARDIS lands, on the uninhabited planet of Luparis. At least it was when the Doctor last visited; now it seems to be an exact recreation of Tudor London. The mystery deepens as the Doctor is brought before the powerful Queen Zafira, a determined monarch living in a time of civil unrest amongst her people. The Queen is proud and not shy about doing almost anything  for her and her subjects to survive.

Something is certainly not right with Luparis. There are creatures hiding in the shadows, and treachery and usurpers are afoot amongst the Queen’s court. Will the mystery of Luparis be uncovered and will Doctor escape a fate worse than death: Marriage to the Queen herself?

Hexagora is chockfull of quite frankly bonkers ideas and set pieces. Yet it has the most wonderful underlying story. However it has to be said that while there is a great deal to enjoy here, not everything about the play works.

It can be said that no fault lies in the performances. Everyone works incredibly well here, especially Peter Davison and guest star Jacqueline Pearce. Pearce finds the likability in this self important monarch whose every whim is granted above all things. She is the highlight of the production and there is never a dull moment when she is present.

Toby Hadoke is a great addition to the cast, playing not only a convincing Australian, but probably the only man in the Universe who might just able to put up with Tegan for a lifetime. Hadoke also voices many minor parts throughout, all of which he attacks with great enthusiasm, and I hope he becomes a Big Finish regular, especially after hearing his performance in Robophobia earlier this year.

The rest of the cast do sterling work. Janet Fielding is always a joy to listen to when Tegan gets angry at something or someone and Sarah Sutton, despite not being in the play that much, is very good indeed.

The other guest stars, Richard Mark, Dan Starkey and Sean Brosnan make up a very good cast and everyone excels in their own roles splendidly.

At its heart, Hexagora presents many fascinating ideas, but sadly not all of them are explored as fully as you would hope. As the secret of Luparis slowly reveals itself, you get to see what a brilliant concept the story is. It is highly original and some of the more absurd elements do eventually come together to make sense. But there are many threads left unexplored or just resolved too quickly. 

One of the most obvious is the relationship between Mike and Tegan. It is implied and heavily stated that Tegan’s feelings towards Mike are very strong, and he says just as much about her himself. But we rarely get to see any of it when the two confront one another. It feels like not so much an old love rekindled, but more of an old acquaintance awkwardly revisited.  Particular revelation of Tegan’s past deserved more attention than what is granted here.

Thematically, Hexagora shares many things in common with last month’s story The Elite. I would argue that Hexagora acts as a suitable companion piece to that play. Without giving away spoilers, many of the ideas in The Elite are explored here but inverted, whether intentionally or not.  When listened to together, it is impossible not to draw some comparisons, as the themes of a civilisation surviving by any means necessary run strongly in throughout both productions, but they not fully explored as they are in The Elite.

The final resolution to the whole play feels somewhat rushed, and may leave a listener feeling a little unsatisfied. This is a shame as Hexagora has so much to offer and it is certainly a recommended listen. It is intriguing, exciting and rather fun in some places and very entertaining despite the somewhat flat ending.

Manufacturer: BBC Shop / Kurt S. Adler

RRP: £27.00

Release Date: 3rd November 2011

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 24th November 2011

With Christmas just around the corner, it's time to get serious with the gift getting. With just a few weeks left until the big day, BBC Shop have unveiled some little jewels in their festive crown in the form of two exclusive Doctor Who tree ornaments.

The TARDIS and the Red Dalek decorations are both hand crafted glass ornaments and are given a hand-painted finish that look and feel like their on-screen versions.

There has been no scrimping with the design of the products, and there are some great finishing touches that score extra points for that Christmassy feel. The TARDIS in particular features a thin blue glitter within the insets of the TARDIS door panels that lift the decoration from being just a scaled down replica to something a little bit magical.

Complete with silver-effect crowned toppers and string, you will be counting down the days until Christmas each year when you can use them again!

+  Click Here to buy them now from BBC Shop!

Silva Screen Records have sent DWO the final cover and full tracklisting for the Doctor Who Series 6 Soundtrack.

The long awaited soundtrack to Doctor Who Series 6 is finally in sight, continuing Murray Gold’s outstanding contribution to the highly successful BBC sci-fi series. The final details of the release are still to be confirmed, but it is believed the CD will be a double one as was the previous Series 5 soundtrack.

DISC ONE

The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon

1.  I Am The Doctor In Utah

2.  1969

3.  The Impossible Astronaut

4.  Trust Me

5.  Help Is On Its Way

6.  Another Perfect Prison

7.  Greystark Hall

8.  Apollo 11

9. Day Of The Moon

10. I See You Silence

The Curse of the Black Spot

11. You’re A Dead Man

12. Deadly Siren

13. Perfect Reflection

14. All For One

15. The Curse Of The Black Spot

The Doctor’s Wife

16. I’ve Got Mail

17. My TARDIS

18. Run, Sexy

19. Locked On

The Rebel Flesh / The Almost People

20. The Chemical Castle

21. Which One Is The Flesh?

22. Scanning Me

23. Ransacked

24. Always With The Rory

25. Double Doctor

26. Tell Me The Truth

27. Loving Isn’t Knowing (The Almost People Suite)

A Good Man Goes to War

28. River’s Waltz

29. Pop

30. Tell Me Who You Are

31. Melody Pond

DISC TWO

Let’s Kill Hitler

1. Growing Up Fast

2. The Blush Of Love

3. Terror Of The Reich

4. The British Are Coming

5. A Very Unusual Melody

6. When A River Forms

7. Pay Attention Grown Ups

8. The Enigma Of River Song

Night Terrors

9.  Bedtime For George

10. Tick Tock Round The Clock

11. A Malevolent Estate

12. Night Terrors

The Girl Who Waited

13. Apalapucia

14. 36 Years

15. Lost In The Wrong Stream

The God Complex

16. The Hotel Prison

17. Room Of Your Dreams

18. Fear Enough

19. What’s Left To Be Scared Of?

20. Rita Praises

Closing Time

21. Stormageddon, Dark Lord Of All

22. Definitely Going

23. Over Your Shoulder

24. Ladieswear

25. Fragrance

26. My Time Is Running Out

The Wedding of River Song

27. Tick Tock (Vocal Track)

28. 5:02 PM

29. The Head Of An Enemy

30. My Silence

31. Brigadier Lethbridge–Stewart

32. Forgiven

33. Time Is Moving

34. The Wedding Of River Song

Day of the Moon

35. The Majestic Tale (Of A Madman In A Box)

+  The Doctor Who Series 6 Soundtrack is released on 19th December, priced £11.99.

+  Compare Prices tfor this product on CompareTheDalek.com!

[Source: Silva Screen Records]

The BBC have released some more promo images from the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas Special; The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe.

The images, which can be seen below, have just been released today, and give us a little taster of what's to come:

[Source: BBC Pictures]

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Rick Briggs

RRP: £14.99

Release Date: 30th November 2011

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 24th November 2011

Hidden within the grounds of the estate of Tranchard’s Folly, there is an old, overgrown sealed well. When the curious owner of the house, Aleister Portillion, and his excavation team break it open, they unleash a horror that has been trapped for centuries. 

Two teenage twins, Lucern and Finicia barely escape with their lives, rescued by a woman calling herself Mary Shelley and a man known only as The Doctor.

The mystery of the ancient evil only stirs the Doctor’s curiosity, and he embarks on a journey to the past to uncover its origin. It isn’t long before things go terribly wrong, and the Doctor and Mary find themselves separated in Tranchard’s Folly’s past and future.

In the Twenty-First Century, Mary and the twins go in search of an artefact that may hold the key to the horror within the well and in the Seventeenth, amidst a wave of fear and persecution; the Doctor feels the wrath of Master Kincaid, the Witch-Pricker.

As the paths of all converge, it seems that even across centuries and universes, thou shall not suffer a Witch to live.

The Witch From the Well, the second in the new trilogy of Eighth Doctor adventures, is a rather fun story, filled with great concepts and characters. As you may have guessed from the title, there is no shortage of witch related moments, most significantly in the sequences set in the Seventeenth Century.

The Doctor’s quiet and disappointed disgust with the primitive superstitions of the villagers is written well and Paul McGann excels in his delivery.

Many of the plays most interesting scenes are the confrontations between The Doctor and Kincaid, played brilliantly by Simon Rouse. There's usually a danger of treating men of extreme faith with contempt and it is a credit to the writing and Rouse’s performance that Kincaid does not become a raving stereotype. The Doctor and Kincaid are simply men on opposite sides, both striving for a similar goal, the only difference being their beliefs and methods.

There are a great many characters throughout this play all served by terrific performances, particularly Serena Evans as Agnes Bates, the poor innocent herbalist, condemned as all women of her kind were.

Having Mary and the Doctor separated in the past and future, allows for her to stand alone for nearly the whole story. Julie Cox once again, impresses as Mary Shelley and it is nice to see the character be her own person, rather than fall into the trap of simply following the Doctor around and getting forgotten in all the mayhem. The interesting subplot in which Mary comes close to discovering her future is interesting and it is intriguing to see the character wrestle with the temptation of it. It would have been nice to see more of Mary with the Doctor as such a great rapport was set up in The Silver Turk.

This the first full length adventure by Rick Briggs for Big Finish, having previously been the lucky winner of BF’s writer’s opportunity. The result of that contest was The Entropy Composition, an excellent story which was included on The Demons of Red Lodge and Other Stories released last year. 

With The Witch From the Well, Briggs has certainly established himself as a writer to watch, as there is no end of original ideas here. Witches are foremost in the mind of the story, but they are not employed to simply put a Doctor Who spin on a popular myth. What Briggs chooses to focus on is how the persecution of others can destroy not only the persecutors but also those being condemned.

To say how this theme develops further in the play would be to spoil a surprisingly dark motivation for the story’s antagonists. It is a very neat twist, and raises very interesting questions that stay with you long after listening.

Overall, The Witch From the Well is an entertaining and thought provoking adventure that is well worth a listen.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Simon Guerrier

RRP: £8.99

Release Date: 30th November 2011

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 23rd November 2011

The Doctor is dead. Steven Taylor and Oliver Harper are on the run. Trapped on the planetoid Grace Alone, they arrived to face the fate which had been haunting them since Oliver joined the TARDIS crew in 1960s London. Greeting them were the massacred bodies of the planetoid’s crew, and the perpetrators of the deed; an alien race known as the Vardans. Steven has felt recently, that when travelling with the Doctor he is living on “borrowed time”. Time is very quickly running out, and not everyone will escape it alive.

The First Wave is the conclusion to, and the strongest entry in the Oliver Harper trilogy.

The story itself works nicely for the format. It is not over complicated but it has a wonderfully tense and reflective feel. The theme of the story is most certainly about borrowed time, and how this has become a part of Steven Taylor’s character throughout the trilogy. His reflections on those he has lost when travelling with the Doctor, and cool resignation that he is next in the firing line are played superbly by Peter Purves who carries this play almost single handed with another fantastic interpretation of the First Doctor.

That is not to discredit the performance of Tom Allen as Oliver, who has grown on me throughout the course of the trilogy. There is something unapologetically heroic about Oliver towards the play’s conclusion, and Allen, particularly in the closing scene plays him beautifully.

The inclusion of returning villian, the Vardans, has thankfully not been shoe horned in for nostalgia’s sake. Their presence makes perfect sense and works to the story’s advantage, particularly in the final sequence.

Simon Guerrier’s writing is on top form. The play is written more as a two handed drama, with flashbacks and flash forwards narrated by Purves and Allen. This approach works very well, and the sense of foreboding about the inevitable fate of Oliver is clear and present but not so much that the conclusion lacks an emotional impact.

The closing scene is too good to spoil, suffice to say it is unexpected, original and done very well indeed. 

The only real criticism I could give is that the character of Oliver has gone before he had more time to really flesh out. I could see more stories with Oliver Harper, as the character had begun to grow, and his back story was strong enough to merit more exploration of his character but sadly it seems it was not to be.

With sterling direction by Lisa Bowerman, The First Wave is an excellent conclusion to what has been an intriguing trilogy for the Companion Chronicles.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: Mark Wright and Cavan Scott

RRP: £8.99

Release Date: 31st October 2011

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 23rd November 2011

“The day of my death started normally enough...”

As opening lines go it's rather hard to come up with a more intriguing one, particularly when this Companion Chronicle delivers what its title promises.

UNIT is anticipating the return of the Doctor, and the Brigadier is not happy that he is late. Jo Grant on the other hand, hopes the Doctor has not forgotten her now that he has regained control of the TARDIS, but sure enough the Doctor returns and he is not alone. He has rescued a persecuted Alien refugee, one whose race, the Zoanthrax will not give up the search for her easily.

The Zoanthrax attack UNIT HQ, and as the Doctor lays down ready to die, Jo will demonstrate her loyalty to the man she is prepared to die for. A noble sacrifice; A sacrifice that will occur again, and again and again.

This is a story about the nature of Jo Grant and her feelings toward the Doctor. Jo is someone who completely believes in the Doctor. His presence in the Universe, to her, is far more important than her own life. A strong opening sequence sets this theme in motion brilliantly, but after that the drama starts to become sadly somewhat repetitive. This is ironic considering that the play wears its intent on its sleeve. 

What follows are a series of similar scenarios, all linked by a single character called Rowe who appears in many guises throughout and is integral to the final revelation at the play’s conclusion. Jo sacrifices herself many times, in a variety of even more bizarre life threatening situations. Throughout the listener is dropped dramatically into the each story that the peril becomes sadly redundant. But that seems harsh to judge the play by that since this is more of a character study of Jo than an adventure.

You might think that a character, so ready to die for the Doctor might get a bit tiresome but in the hands of the glorious Katy Manning, Jo Grant remains one of the finest companions in Doctor Who history. Manning’s performance here is the strongest part of the release and well worth checking out for that alone. Nicholas Ashbury is excellent playing the various guises of Rowe throughout, and is particularly brilliant in the story’s conclusion.

But overall, the story doesn’t quite hang together fully with its many threads and scenarios, but nonetheless, The Many Deaths of Jo Grant is a good listen and makes this reviewer want to hear more of Katy Manning in the Chronicles.

Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions

Written By: John Dorney, from a story by Barbara Clegg

RRP: £14.99

Release Date: 31st October 2011

Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 23nd November 2011

After what was to my mind, was a mixed season of releases, the Lost Stories return, with the Fifth Doctor making an excellent debut in the range.

After the events of Arc of Infinity, Tegan is back in the TARDIS and the Doctor has mixed feelings about it. He decides to take both Tegan and Nyssa to the paradise world of Florana but they wind up under the dome of a battle scarred planet, run by the Elite. The Doctor is intrigued by this place, one in which the people are all young and the old are absent. While the military fights for the glory of the Elite, everyone lives in reverence or fear of the High Priest who lives hidden in the cathedral of power. The situation is about to dangerous for the High Priest knows the Doctor of old, and an old enemy will stir.

The Elite is very good indeed. A gripping and intriguing narrative, coupled with exciting all out action, particularly near the story’s conclusion.  Everything about this release feels like authentic Peter Davison era Who from the characterization, to the suitably Peter Howell-esque musical score.

Peter Davison himself delivers an excellent performance throughout, as do the rest of the main cast with Janet Fielding in particular on good form.

What gives The Elite its hook is the central mystery of the High Priest. I will not spoil it for you, but when his true nature is revealed, it is very satisfying.  Dorney does an excellent job of keeping us guessing right until the revelation, and it is a credit to the rest of the story that it does not get swamped by its magnitude.

In fact The Elite has so much more on offer than a mere plot twist. 

What impresses is the exploration of the abhorrent ideology of eugenics and the examination of the church versus the state. The ugly nature of the Elite is slowly revealed and what disturbs is how much it’s young citizens have such absolute conviction that the elimination of the weaker elements of society should be erased.  It is played with complete conviction by the cast and credit must be given to the actors involved, as it ensures their characters do not become mere soundboards for the Hitler Youth politics the Elite believes in.

The depiction of religion in the play is fascinating.  The acolytes of the High Priest, such as the character of Thane, played like a true zealot by Ryan Sampson, are completely devoted to the ideal of the High Priest as their one true God, even when his divinity comes into question.  Although the Thane character comes close to being worryingly two dimensional towards the end, he best represents the shadowy nature of the religious organization and its suspicion of the military powers. The mutual distrust between the military and the church, and their rightly held belief that one is trying to overthrow the other is explored well and offers some excellent dramatic tension throughout.

The Elite, is a thoughtful, exciting and rich play. The only downside is that some of the characters aren’t as well served by the script as others. Poor Sarah Sutton is relegated to the sidelines and spends most of the time under the spell of the military education, a plot line that is underdeveloped which is sad considering how much strong material is on display. However The Elite is a very strong debut for the Fifth Doctor in the Lost Story range. Highly recommended.

Our friends over at SciFi Now Magazine have been in touch with a pre-Christmas treat, exclusive to DWO!

The most feverishly anticipated event in the calendar, the star-studded winter-warmer that is the Doctor Who Christmas Special, and like greedy children SciFi Now Magazine opened the final door first and gobbled up the TARDIS-shaped chocolate within.

On a very un-Christmassy day in October, SciFiNow rolled up to a patch of Cardiff drenched in snow, tinsel and cheer. In a little corner of the world frozen in time and date-locked to 24 December, 1941, they caught up with Matt Smith – the titular Time Lord himself! – and the comedic Oceans’ 11 of garrulous guest stars – Bill Bailey, Alexander Armstrong, Arabella Weir and Paul Bazely – to discover how deep their links to Doctor Who go, as well as what’s coming in Season Seven, and which classic monsters are set to return.

With no spoilers, but plenty of teasers, check out the first two pages of their on-set spectacular, exclusively on Doctor Who Online [available right], and read the rest in SciFiNow Issue #61, available in all good newsagents, online from the ImageShop, or for iPads and iPhones from Apple Newsstand.

[Source: SciFi Now]