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]

The BBC have released the third official promotional image from this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe.

The image [pictured right] shows The Doctor (Matt Smith) with his trusty Sonic Screwdriver against a snowy backdrop.

Synopsis:

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...

+  The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe airs on Christmas Day, Time TBC on BBC One.

[Source: BBC]

The BBC have released the second official promotional image from this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe.

The image [pictured right] shows The Doctor (Matt Smith) and Lily (Holly Earl) in a snow-laiden forest.

Synopsis:

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.

+  The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe airs on Christmas Day, Time TBC on BBC One.

[Source: BBC]

The Doctor Who team are planning on streaming a live Q&A session from the Series 6 Box-set signing taking place today at Westfield Stratford City with Matt Smith, Karen Gillian and Arthur Darvill in conversation with Jo Whiley between 4:00pm and 4:30pm.

The team will be taking over the BBC Worldwide YouTube Channel with a Doctor Who Skin at www.youtube.com/bbcworldwide from 4pm GMT, giving fans the chance to take part in the chat on the right hand side of the page.

[youtube:USsOcO3wvoI]

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

Last night saw the Doctor Who Christmas Special Preview Trailer, and a slightly nude Matt Smith as part of Children In Need's evening of fundraising programming...It also saw the end of DWO's very own Children In Need Doctor Who eBay auction, with 100% of the proceeds going to CIN.

We had hoped that we would reach our target of £500+, but in the last 20 minutes, were blown away by some last minute bids which saw our final total rocket to a staggering £1070 - more than double what we had initally hoped for!

So a big congratulations to eBay member 'Bow-Peep', a.k.a Katy Payne, who generously gave to the Children In Need cause, and eventually won our Doctor Who eBay auction, which included a poster signed by David Tennant, a First Day Cover from 1999, a 2012 Doctor Who Calendar, The Brilliant Book of Doctor Who 2012, 2 x 2in1 Doctor Who books, The Silent Stars Go By book, Companions And Allies book, Series 6: Part 1 DVD, 1st ever issue of SFX Magazine, Doctor Who 'Inferno' audiobook, and last (but by no means least) a DWO Flyer!

We hope to update this news item shortly with a short interview with Katy, our auction winner - watch this space!

DWO Editor, Sebastian J. Brook had the following to say on last night's auction:

"Last night was truly one of the proudest moments in the entire 16 years of DWO's history. We had a busy 3 days tirelessly promoting our charity auction on DWO, Twitter and Facebook, and it has been amazing to see so many areas of fandom pulling together to help such a worthy cause."

"I'm not ashamed to say I was wiping the tears away when I saw us not only beat our target - but double it, and then some! Even if you didn't win or even bid on our auction, every single person who helped promote it is responsible for that fantastic final figure. Thank You!"

As promised, DWO also wish to thank the following people who helped us in promoting the auction. We have tried to include as many of you as possible (and as traceable), so please forgive us if you are not mentioned below:

Websites, Podcasts & Magazines:

The Doctor Who Appreciation Society, The Doctor Who News Page, Kasterborous, BlogtorWho, Den Of Geek, Forbidden Planet International, SciFiNow, Doctor Who and the TARDIS by Craig Hurle, The Doctor Who Site, Companions of The Doctor, TalkingWho, Capricorn One & ThoseVideoGuys.

Celebrity Retweeters:

Russell Tovey (Midshipman Frame in Doctor Who), Andrew Hayden-Smith (Jake Simmonds in Doctor Who), Rufus Hound (Comedian), James Moran (Doctor Who & Torchwood Writer), Paul Cornell (Doctor Who Author), Steve Hughes (New Series Director), Tony Lee (Doctor Who Comic Author), Paul Bradford (Tech Manager for Ghost Hunters International),

Other DWO Twitter Followers:

@aastrid, @adriwadri, @AlexiHampson, @ats2040, @AustinMe, @CartoonBeardy, @CliffChapman, 
@CrowHawk, @dailyanglofile, @DavidKeep1964, @Doctor_No1, @dragonfall05, @DWF2006, @elad_eiram, @Galadriel1010, @HarryHayfield, @IanOTimelord, @ItsMiaBro, @JasonOnion, @jldomini, @Kirstie_Nash, @KneelDowne, @LadyBugLass, @linerlovers, @MellorCarolyn, @MerseyMal, @Mouse_Mallow, @nwgayboyuk, @OneGirlGeek, @Rdkil, @robynschneider, @SimonGA, @SirRoundSound, @SteamPiffler, @Stoogie, @THEDeanBatch, @ullemon, @Waltmouse, @Wolfie_Rankin, @xenelle, @XenRaiha, @zort70.

+  You can still donate to Children In Need here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/donate/.

[Source: DWO]

The BBC have unveiled the title and trailer for the 2011 Doctor Who Christmas Special.

The title, which was announced during Tonight's Children In Need campaign on BBC, was finally revealed as: The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe.

View the trailer below:

+  The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe will air on BBC One on Christmas Day, Time TBC.

[Source: BBC]

The BBC have released the first official image from this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special.

The image [pictured right] shows The Doctor running down a fiery circular corridor, pointing his Sonic Screwdriver.

The as-yet untitled special will air on Christmas Day, with the exact time to be confirmed. Various rumours suggest the title may link in with The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. 'The Lion, The Witch and The TARDIS' is a possible contender, but as always, nothing is official until confirmed by the BBC.

[Source: BBC]

This BBC have released more details for tomorrow's Doctor Who additions to BBC One's Children In Need television appeal.

Fans of the Doctor should tune into Children in Need on Friday night on BBC One.

There'll be a sneak peak of the Christmas Special plus a brief treat for anyone who can't wait until December to catch up with our favourite Time Lord! Written by Steven Moffat and starring Matt Smith as the Doctor, the Children in Need exclusive represents a first in the history of Doctor Who... But we'll tell you more about that nearer the end of the week!

The entire Doctor Who team has been an enthusiastic supporter of Children in Need for decades and over the years the big night has involved everything from clips to cast appearances. You can find out more about Children in Need here and don't forget to tune in on Friday evening to catch all the fun!

A quick look at the Official Doctor Who Twitter account gives us a few more tidbits of information for the specially recorded segment:

"Hurray! Things ARE going according to plan! Steven Moffat’s mini-script has just hit the in-boxes of a lucky few… Must look over shoulders…"

"We’ve seen the short script and it is NOT what you’d expect. Oh, it’s funny and fast and Doctorish and brilliant… but not what you’d expect..."

"Not what you’d expect, UNLESS you’re from the future. In which case, wasn’t it good? Talking of the future, we’ll have more news tomorrow..."

"Great to see people reading the CiN mini-script for the first time. They read a bit. Pause. Smile. Look up and usually start laughing."

"‘Really? Wow!’ is another common response... Quick reminder! #DoctorWho on Children in Need, Friday night, BBC ONE"

"Great news! Richard Senior, who directed the brilliant Let’s Kill Hitler is onboard and will be directing Children in Need’s #DoctorWho bit."

"CiN update. Matt has wrapped! The first time The Doctor has been filmed at BBC TVC since 'Ghost Light' in 1989!"

Three new promotional pictures featuring Matt Smith and Pudsey have also been released [pictured right].

+  Click Here to place your bids on the DWO Children In Need Auction!

+  Donate to Children In Need directly on the following link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/donate/.

[Source: BBC]