Earlier this year, Topps released their new Doctor Who Alien Attax Trading Cards, and DWO recently got a chance to check them out.

The 240-card set is full of high quality trading cards featuring both the new and classic series of Doctor Who, with a broad range of Doctors, Companions, Monsters, Villains and other notable characters from the series.

You can kick-start your collection with the Doctor Who Alien Attax Starter Pack, which retails at £4.99 and includes a collector binder, game guide, game mat and a packet of cards, plus a limited edition Animotion card, to help you get straight into the action. The binder itself looks fantastic once you populate it with your cards (back to back), and serves as a great momento in this 50th anniversary to be able to look back over the many characters the show has produced over the years.

You can also get the Doctor Who Alien Attax Multipack for £5, which comes with 5 card packs and a limited edition Weeping Angel card. There's one more limited edition card available in the Doctor Who Alien Attax Tin, which includes 26 x Regular Cards, 3 x Mirror Foil Cards, 1 x Rainbow Foil Card and 1 x Animotion Limited Edition Card changing between David Tennant and Christopher Eccleson.

It's then up to you to get more packs (just £1 each for 9 cards), swap with friends and keep your eyes peeled for special promotional cards in places like Doctor Who Adventures Magazine.

DWO caught up with Topps' Entertainment Marketing Manager, Anup Dave to talk about the series:

How have you found the reaction to your new Doctor Who Alien Attax Trading Card series?

In a word: Fantastic! The response has been phenomenal, so much so that we sold out of the Doctor Who Alien Attax Collector Tins online and have since had to rush around to see if we can get our hands on as much stock as possible. It’s the fastest selling tin product we have had and at retail, sales have been strong. In fact, upon its launch, Doctor Who Alien Attax was the number one selling entertainment title in several retail chains. 

We have hugely positive feedback on the quality of the collection, from consumers as far away as Australia. The trading card collection is colourful, vibrant and not many product lines can showcase the fact that they feature 50 years of Doctor Who in one complete set.

Topps have had a long and respected reign as producers of trading cards, how did the Doctor Who license come about and did the company ever wish to produce Doctor Who cards before now?

Topps has previously produced the Doctor Who Sticker Collection, from which we launched four fantastic collections, so it was a natural progression for us to seize the opportunity to work with such a renowned, and of course iconic, British show and be able to bring to market an all-new, exciting and compelling trading card game. You could say it was on the cards!

Are there any plans for future additions to the series?

Yes! It’s the 50th Anniversary of the Doctor Who TV show this year, so definitely stay tuned. We would love to reveal more, as we are very excited about the 50th Anniversary, but we are currently at the planning stage to make things happen for a very compelling and exciting product….watch this space!

Fancy winning one of 10 Doctor Who Alien Attax Starter Packs? Head on over to the DWO Competitions section!

+  For further information about the Doctor Who Alien Attax cards, visit www.toppsdirect.com.

[Sources: DWO; Topps]

Doctor Who Showrunner Steven Moffat reveals secrets about the explosive series finale, The Name Of The Doctor, exclusively in Doctor Who Magazine 460.

“We’ve only just finished shooting the actual completed ending – it’s ridiculously secret – but it’s quite a thing, hopefully,” says Steven, about The Name of the Doctor. “There’s often an element of throwing in some lovely names, and then figuring it out later, but I’ve always had a sort of plan for the Doctor and Trenzalore. Things will be resolved. Things I’ve left hanging in plain sight – and sometimes not in plain sight – will be tied up…”

Also this issue:

NEW EPISODE PREVIEWS!

DWM previews the final three episodes of the latest series – The Crimson Horror, Nightmare in Silver and The Name of the Doctor – and talks exclusively to writers MARK GATISS and NEIL GAIMAN, and returning guest stars NEVE MCINTOSH (Vastra), CATRIN STEWART (Jenny) and DAN STARKEY (Strax).

OLD FRIENDS AND ENEMIES

The Doctor reflects on the many battles he has had throughout his lives, and must travel to the past to save the future of the Earth… Don’t miss the penultimate chapter of our comic strip epic, HUNTERS OF THE BURNING STONE, written by SCOTT GRAY, with art from MARTIN GERAGHTY, DAVID A ROACH and JAMES OFFREDI.

FAREWELL TO THE CREATOR

DWM takes a look at the life and career of the late RAYMOND P CUSICK, and pays tribute to the man who designed the Daleks back in 1963.

100, NOT OUT!

Gaffer MARK HUTCHINGS is the only person to have worked on every single episode of Doctor Who since its return to production in 2004. With more than 100 episodes under his belt, Mark shares his memories of working with three Doctors over nine years…

CHILDISH QUESTIONS

Doctor Who's commander-in-chief STEVEN MOFFAT responds to readers’ queries – and reveals not only how the Statue of Liberty made it to Winter Quay without being seen, but also how what changes he would have made if he’d script-edited the very first episode, An Unearthly Child…

MARTHA NOT ARTHUR

It's 2007 – the Tenth Doctor is joined in the TARDIS by Martha Jones and together they confront the Macra, the Daleks and the Master! DWM’s journey through five decades of Doctor Who continues with Series 29 in COUNTDOWN TO 50!

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE!

The Fourth Doctor and Leela find themselves on a remote island defending a lighthouse from attack by an alien Rutan in HORROR OF FANG ROCK. THE FACT OF FICTION takes a long, hard look at the four-part adventure from 1977, and reveals a wealth of fascinating new facts about the story. 

DALEKS USA!

THE TIME TEAM travel across the Pond to 1930s America where Chris, Emma, Michael and Will discover that the Daleks are responsible for the construction of the Empire State Building in the two-part adventure, Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks.

EVERYONE’S FAVOURITE

Writer, passionate fan and mother of twins JACQUELINE RAYNER reveals that when it comes to choosing favourite moments and episodes, everyone in her family has their own personal choices in her latest candid column, RELATIVE DIMENSIONS.

TRUE BLUE

The Watcher reveals how Margaret Thatcher had a lasting influence on Doctor Who in A History of Doctor Who in 100 Objects; challenges readers with The Six Faces of Delusion, champions another Supporting Artist of the Month and provides deliciously culinary theme to Ristorante Italiano Top Ten. All this and more in this issue’s WOTCHA!

PLUS! All the latest official news, TV and merchandise reviews, previews, competitions, a prize-winning crossword and much, much more!

+  Doctor Who Magazine Issue #460 is out Thursday 2nd May 2013, priced £4.75.

+  Subscribe Worldwide to DWM from just £29.99 via CompareTheDalek!

+  Check Out The DWO Guide to Doctor Who Magazine!

[Source: Doctor Who Magazine]

Character Options have sent DWO details of their upcoming 'Cold War; 1983' Time Zone Playset.

Collect and build the universe of Doctor Who with these 3D card diorama playsets that feature different time zones visited by the Doctor in the hit TV series. You can travel between different time zones or clip the sets together to build bigger ‘zones’. The playsets are in scale with the Doctor Who 3.75-inch action figures so you can create your own adventures or simply display your collection. There are two Time Zone playsets to collect… 

Cold War; 1983 - In the cold waters of the Southern Arctic Ocean a Russian nuclear submarine is returning from patrol.  As the ‘Cold War’ between the Americans and Russians drags on, tensions run high as the crew constantly run missile launch simulation drills. Also on board is a high ranking Russian scientist with a rapidly thawing block of ice - a block of ice which contains a mysterious creature. When the creature revives, breaks loose and rampages through the ship, the Submarine loses all power and starts to sink, plunging deeper with every passing second. The TARDIS materialises on board and, with mere seconds to spare, the Doctor saves the submarine but leaves it stranded and crippled 700 metres down. But that is the least of his worries when the Doctor realises they are up against one of his oldest and coldest enemies. Cold War Time Zone Playset includes 1 exclusive Ice Warrior ‘Creature’ figurine. One supplied. For ages 5 years and over.

Key Features:

•  3D card diorama playset
•  Clip the sets together to build bigger ‘zones’
•  In scale with the Doctor Who 3.75-inch action figures
•  Each playset includes 1 x exclusive accessory or figurine

+  The 'Cold War; 1983' Time Zone Playset is released in May 2013, priced £9.99.

+  Preorder this product from Forbidden Planet!

[Source: Character Options]

Character Options have sent DWO details of their upcoming 'Dalek Invasion; 2075' Time Zone Playset.

Collect and build the universe of Doctor Who with these 3D card diorama playsets that feature different time zones visited by the Doctor in the hit TV series. You can travel between different time zones or clip the sets together to build bigger ‘zones’. The playsets are in scale with the Doctor Who 3.75-inch action figures so you can create your own adventures or simply display your collection. There are two Time Zone playsets to collect… 

Dalek Invasion; 2075AD and the Daleks have invaded Earth once more. Using their mighty Saucer ships they bombard London driving the surviving population underground. Once they land, the Daleks patrol the ground looking for survivors in the rubble to either exterminate or transform into their puppets using Dalek nanocloud technology. In the skies the Daleks use long range ‘Hoverbout’ Anti-gravity disks to pursue the resistance. The TARDIS materialises near to a Trans-Sys matter transmission station in Hyde Park and the Doctor realises that he will need all his resources to once again defeat his oldest enemies and save the Earth from destruction. The future of the human race hangs in the balance. Dalek Invasion Time Zone Playset includes 1 exclusive hoverbout accessory. One supplied. For ages 5 years and over.

Key Features:

•  3D card diorama playset
•  Clip the sets together to build bigger ‘zones’
•  In scale with the Doctor Who 3.75-inch action figures
•  Each playset includes 1 x exclusive accessory or figurine

+  The 'Dalek Invasion; 2075AD' Time Zone Playset is released in May 2013, priced £9.99.

+  Preorder this product from Forbidden Planet!

[Source: Character Options]

Fifty Years in Time and Space: A Short History of Doctor Who is a new critical study by Frank Danes, available from St Mark’s Press.

Those of you with long memories may remember that Frank used to edit the fanzine Fendahl way back in the late 70s and early 80s.

These days, Frank says of himself:

"I’ve always been a Doctor Who fan even as I have become (in Terrance Dicks’ words) older, fatter, greyer, but not noticeably wiser."

Professionally, Frank is Head of English at King’s Ely in Cambridgeshire; he’s also written Victorian Literature for CUP.

Frank comments:

"Fifty Years in Time and Space is inevitably a personal reading of the series and is coloured by my own critical preferences:  any book about the programme which doesn’t demonstrate the author’s own views would, I think, be very dull.  I haven’t religiously covered every single story and I haven’t provided a plot précis or production details of every one.  Interested readers can find these in many of the programme guides that are available online or in book form.  I hope readers will forgive me for jumping around and pursuing the bits I’m most interested in.  Since these bits include all of Doctor Who, I hope most issues are touched on, in more or less detail."

The book offers a new approach to the history of the series; by turns analytical, by turns funny – and with a stunning cover by Roger Langridge.

+  Fifty Years In Time And Space is Out Now, priced £11.95 from www.stmarkspress.com.

[Source: St Mark's Press]

Ebury Publishing have sent DWO the cover and details for the upcoming BBC Doctor Who book title; Harvest Of Time.

Synopsis:

After billions of years of imprisonment, the vicious Sild have broken out of confinement. From a ruined world at the end of time, they make preparations to conquer the past, with the ultimate goal of rewriting history. But to achieve their aims they will need to enslave an intellect greater than their own…

On Earth, UNIT is called in to investigate a mysterious incident on a North Sea drilling platform. The Doctor believes something is afoot, and no sooner has the investigation begun when something even stranger takes hold: The Brigadier is starting to forget about UNIT's highest-profile prisoner. And he is not alone in his amnesia.

As the Sild invasion begins, The Doctor faces a terrible dilemma. To save the universe, he must save his arch-nemesis… The Master.

From award-winning science fiction writer Alastair Reynolds, a spellbinding new adventure featuring The Third Doctor.

+  Harvest Of Time is released in Hardback on 6th June 2013, Priced £16.99.

+  Compare Prices for this product from as little as £14.44 on CompareTheDalek.com.

[Source: BBC Books]

BBC Consumer Products have sent DWO the box-art and details for the Doctor Who 'Regeneration' DVD Box-set.

Regeneration - Box-set
Featuring: The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th 9th & 10th Doctors

Regeneration: a limited edition collectors’ book, including over 1000 minutes of Doctor Who adventures on DVD will be released in June.

The Doctor Who Regeneration set is an individually numbered, beautifully packaged, coffee table album including six DVDs of Doctor Who adventures – including fan favourites like The Caves of Androzani and The End of Time, plus an advance release of the First Doctor’s final adventure The Tenth Planet.

The set is adorned with superb photography from across the era and features detailed and informative accounts of each regeneration. The collection features each Doctor’s iconic regeneration episode; from the First Doctor played by William Hartnell, exhausted after battling the Cybermen to Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor suffering from radiation that had been unleashed by the Great One; and from the spectacular transformation of the Ninth Doctor to David Tennant’s emotional farewell as the Tenth.

And if that wasn’t enough, new to DVD is The Tenth Planet featuring the Doctor’s first regeneration – beautifully restored with the missing fourth episode now brought to life with stunning animation. Utilising the original soundtrack, off-screen photographs and a short surviving sequence of the Doctor’s regeneration the episode has been now reconstructed in animated form, incorporating the restored version of the surviving sequence.

A full list of stories included on the DVD are:

•  The Tenth Planet
•  The War Games
•  Planet of the Spiders
•  Logopolis
•  The Caves of Androzani
•  Time and the Rani
•  Doctor Who: The Movie
•  Bad Wolf and The Parting of the Ways
•  The End of Time

Watch a trailer for the box-set below:
[youtube:bjICZ4qzLmM]

+  The Regeneration Box-set is released on 24th June 2013, priced £43.25.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com.

[Source: BBC Consumer Products]

Our friends over at The Doctor Who Appreciation Society have been in touch with details of a charity eBay auction of items belonging to late Doctor Who fan, Philip Jessett, who sadly passed away of Leukaemia.

By agreement with Phllip's mother Paula, the items in the collection are now available to bid on via the DWAS eBay site. 100% of each item's sale price will be donated (via eBay's charity partner Missionfish) to 'Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research'.

We hope that everyone who reads this will take a look at the items available and consider placing a bid for something.

Some items have been restricted to UK bidders as delivery costs to overseas locations are likely to be prohibitive.

+  More information about the charity can be found at: http://leukaemialymphomaresearch.org.uk

[Source: DWAS]

BBC Consumer Products have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of The Mind Of Evil.

The Mind Of Evil
Featuring: The 3rd Doctor

Professor Keller has created a machine that can pacify even the most dangerous of criminals.

But when the Doctor and Jo arrive at Stangmoor Prison for a demonstration, things start to go horribly wrong – especially when they discover that the Doctor’s old enemy the Master is responsible for the machine.

What could he possibly want from the criminals? And what connects him with an impending World Peace Conference?

Special Features:

Disc One: 

•  6 x 25 mins approx colour episodes with mono audio.
•  Commentary – stereo. With actors Katy Manning, Pik-Sen Lim and Fernanda Marlowe, director Timothy Combe, producer Barry Letts, script editor Terrance Dicks and stunt arranger Derek Ware. Moderated by Toby Hadoke.
•  Programme subtitles.
•  Subtitle Production Notes.

Disc Two:

•  The Military Mind (dur. 22’ 43”) – shot back in 2009 on location at Dover Castle, this look at the making of the story is made unexpectedly poignant by the appearance of Nicholas Courtney and Barry Letts, who both passed away in the intervening years. Featuring actors Nicholas Courtney, Pik-Sen Lim and Fernanda Marlow, director Timothy Combe, producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks. Narrated by Cameron McEwan.
•  Now & Then (dur. 7’ 06”) – the latest in our long-running series visits the filming locations used in the story to see how they have changed over the years.
•  Behind the Scenes: Television Centre (dur. 24’ 00”) – back in 1971, at around the time The Mind of Evil was in production, presenter Norman Tozer visited Television Centre to find out what went on over 24 hours in the life of what was then an incredibly busy ‘television factory’.
•  Photo Gallery – production, design and publicity photos from the story.
•  Coming Soon – a trailer for a forthcoming DVD release.

+  The Mind Of Evil is released on 3rd June 2013, priced £20.42.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com.

[Source: BBC Consumer Products]

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

'The Daemons' Collector's Set features The Brigadier, The Master and Bok, as featured in the 3rd Doctor adventure; The Dæmons.

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 Daemon.

Contents:

1 x Brigadier action figure in jersey with U.N.I.T. beret and pistol.
1 x The Master action figure.
1 x Bok the dæmon action figure.

+  'The Dæmons' Collector's Set is released in August 2013, priced £29.99.

+  Preorder this product from Forbidden Planet for £29.99!

[Source: Forbidden Planet]

Our friends over at Candy Jar Books have sent DWO the cover and details for their fantastic new Doctor Who book title; Companions: 50 Years Of Doctor Who Assistants.

A brand new Doctor Who book is now available for pre-order. Companions: Fifty Years Of Doctor Who Assistants is an unofficial and frank guide of the Time Lord’s adventures in space and time. Drawing on plots from the TV series as well as other media, this book is fascinating reading for fans of both the classic and current series of Doctor Who.

To coincide with the launch of the book the publisher, Candy Jar, is asking fans to vote for their favourite Doctor Who companion. The results will be released when the book is published in June. To vote go to: http://www.candy-jar.co.uk/companions/index.html

Companions: Fifty Years Of Doctor Who Assistants provides readers with an in-depth account of each Doctor's fellow travellers and shows the impact they had on both the Doctor and the viewers.

Andy Frankham-Allen has been a Doctor Who fan since his childhood and has relished the opportunity to write this book in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the series. Andy, who penned several Short Trip stories for Big Finish, feels the time is right for a more detailed look at the journey of the Doctor Who companion. He said:

“It's been a long time since there's been an honest and frank look at the Doctor's journey and the lives he changes. This book will challenge the notion that he always takes the best.”

Gary Russell, former Doctor Who Magazine editor, Big Finish producer, BBC script editor and Doctor Who novelist, has provided the book’s foreword. Gary said:

“Of course there have been books about companions before – but few of them go into this amount of detail, display this amount of in-depth knowledge and above all, this amount of love. As a celebration of everything that makes the Doctor’s (and therefore our) best friends unique and special, this book is essential.”

Doctor Who first appeared on our screens in 1963. The show continued until 1989 but the series was then re-launched in 2005 attracting old fans and new. Doctor Who is now one of the most prestigious shows on British television, loved and watched by millions.

Signed copies of the book are now available to pre-order from the Candy Jar Books website (www.candy-jar.co.uk/books/companions.html) for no additional charge. 

+  Companions: Fifty Years of Doctor Who Assistants is released on 27th June 2013.

+  PREORDER - Companions: 50 Years Of Doctor Who Assistants, for just £8.99.

[Source: Candy Jar Books]

To celebrate Doctor Who's 50th anniversary, fan of the show Lewis Christian has been putting together an epic fan-collaborated/written celebratory book, Celebrate Regenerate.

Over the past 9 months, fans from all over the world (and of all ages, races and species) have been invited to submit positive reviews and articles for all of the televised episodes, right from An Unearthly Child to the current run of episodes, to be published in the book.

The project, a mammoth undertaking, is still in progress, though most of the book has now been edited. Lewis is currently accepting submissions for Series 7B, and you can get involved! For more information about 7B submissions, check the book's website here: http://celebrateregenerate.weebly.com/series-7b-info.html

On the site, you can also find out how to get your name listed in the book, and you can view lots more details about the project so far. You can also follow the links below for more information, sneak peeks and anything else to do with Celebrate Regenerate!

The book, once finished, will be published via Lulu.com and there will also be a free PDF version, allowing everyone to get hold of a copy. At over 300 pages (one story per page is the rule), it'll make for great summer reading. 

At present, there is no precise launch date, though the book is expected to be released in August 2013.

+  Website: http://celebrateregenerate.weebly.com
+  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CelebrateRegenerate
+  Twitter: http://twitter.com/lewis_christian

[Source: Lewis Christian]

There's sssssomething very sssssspecial in the new isssssue of DWM!

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine hits shops Today (Thursday 4th April), and features full previews of next few episodes to hit your screens over the next few weeks – and writer MARK GATISS tells DWM how excited he was to bring back one of Doctor’s Who’s iconic monsters in Cold War:

 “The Ice Warriors are back where they belong and I’m absolutely thrilled! Whilst absolutely respecting the source, the source has huge gaps in which you can invent. I was talking to a couple of members of the crew, and they had no idea the Ice Warriors were an old monster. It’s very powerful. You don’t need to know they first appeared in the 60s.

I thought, 'Why don't we put the Ice Warriors on a sub?'" Mark continues. "And suddenly it all clicked! The submarine set is amazing. Fantastic! The moment it's all lit and full of steam, it's incredibly believable."

Also in this issue:

HIDE AND SEEK - JESSICA RAINE, soon to be seen as Doctor Who’s original producer Verity Lambert in An Adventure in Space and Time and star of Call the Midwife, reveals all about guest-starring in the forthcoming episode Hide – and how she believes in ghosts!

WHERE THERE’S A WILLS - ANNEKE WILLS looks back on her time as glam-girl Polly, companion to the First and Second Doctors – and how thrilling it was to be present at the first-ever regeneration.

THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES - As The Ice Warriors return to menace The Eleventh Doctor, DWM winds back the clock to 1967 and the Doctor’s first encounter with the Lords of the red planet. Discover a wealth of fascinating facts about what happened to The Second Doctor, Jamie and Victoria when they fought Varga on Britannicus Base as THE ICE WARRIORS is thawed out in The Fact of Fiction.

MAN AT THE TOP - Doctor Who lead writer and executive producer STEVEN MOFFAT answers more of your questions – including what Blink and his his other stories were originally called...

ROAD RAGE - The Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones get stuck in traffic when they travel into the future for a visit to New Earth. THE TIME TEAM get caught in the Gridlock, but what will Will, Emma, Chris and Michael make of it all?

TRIBAL DANCE - The Doctor faces his past in more ways than one as the Hunters are revealed to be the unearthly Tribe of Gum! The Doctor, Ian and Barbara attempt to unravel the mystery in Part Four of our epic comic strip, HUNTERS OF THE BURNING STONE, written by SCOTT GREY and illustrated by MARTIN GERAGHTY.

SECOND HELPINGS - it’s 2006 and Doctor Who has become the most talked about show on TV! DAVID TENNANT is the new Doctor, BILLIE PIPER plays Rose – and the sky's the limit on the trip of the a lifetime. DWM's trip through five decades of adventure reaches Series 28 in COUNTDOWN TO 50!

PRACTICAL PARENTING - What do you do when your children swap Time Lords for another interest? JACQUELINE RAYNER soothes the fevered brow of Doctor Who-loving parents everywhere in RELATIVE DIMENSIONS.

CAUGHT IN A VACCUUM - The Watcher ponders the triangular nature of one of Doctor Who’s greatest design innovations in A History of Doctor Who in 100 Objects, jumps to the left for a Rocky Horror-themed Six Faces of Delusion and dazzles with more entries from the Stockbridge English Dictionary. Its WOTCHA!

PLUS! - All the latest official news, reviews and previews from the worlds of Doctor Who, prize-winning competitions and crossword, and, much, much more.

+  Doctor Who Magazine Issue #459 is out Out Now, priced £4.75.

+  Subscribe Worldwide to DWM from just £17.99 via Unique Magazines!

+  Check Out The DWO Guide to Doctor Who Magazine!

[Source: Doctor Who Magazine]

The fourth instalment in a sensational series of stories celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is written by Philip Reeve, award-winning author of Mortal Engines, Here Lies Arthur and GOBLINS.

Speaking to DWO, Philip had the following to say on his upcoming title:

"It's been a great treat writing for The 4th Doctor and Leela. I've tried to include plenty of scarf and jelly baby action, a roll-on part for K9, and the sort of running around in corridors plot that made late 70s Saturday teatimes something to look forward to all week."

Synopsis:

When the Fourth Doctor takes Leela to visit an immense tree space station known as the Heligan Structure, little do they know that the tree has been asleep for centuries, dreaming of vengeance against a man in a blue box...

As the tree awakes, the Time Lord and his companion soon discover why they are such unwelcome guests.

Eleven Doctors, eleven months, eleven stories: a year-long celebration of Doctor Who! The most exciting names in children's fiction each create their own unique adventure about the time-travelling Time Lord.

The Roots of Evil features The Fourth Doctor and Leela, with Reeve deliberately trying to "imagine a Saturday teatime, circa 1979".

About the author:

Born in Brighton, Philip Reeve worked as a full-time illustrator before turning to writing. His first novel, Mortal Engines, won the Nestlé Smarties Gold Award (2002), the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award, and was shortlisted for both the Branford Boase Award and the Whitbread Children's Book Award. He has since won many more awards and accolades.

+  The Roots Of Evil is released on 23rd April 2013, Priced £1.99.

+  Preorder this eBook on Amazon for £1.99.
+  Preorder this eBook from iTunes for £1.99.

+  Check Out Philip Reeve's Blog.

[Source: Puffin Books]

Special Edition Fish Fingers with Captain Birdseye stepping aside for The Doctor have been created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the hit TV show and mark the launch of National Fish Fingers and Custard Day (Wednesday 3rd April) - the favourite food of the eleventh incarnation of The Doctor.

The bespoke pack featuring The Doctor has been sent to Matt Smith, the eleventh incarnation of the famous character, along with a year¹s supply of Birds Eye Fish Fingers.

[Source: Mischief PR]

BBC Books have sent DWO the cover and details for the upcoming Doctor Who book title; Summer Falls.

Synopsis:

“When summer falls, the Lord of Winter will arise...”

In the seaside village of Watchcombe, young Kate is determined to make the most of her last week of summer holiday. But when she discovers a mysterious painting entitled ‘The Lord of Winter’ in a charity shop, it leads her on an adventure she never could have planned. Kate soon realises the old seacape, painted long ago by an eccentric local artist, is actually a puzzle. And with the help of some bizarre new acquaintances – including a museum curator's magical cat, a miserable neighbour, and a lonely boy – she plans on solving it. 

And then, one morning Kate wakes up to a world changed forever. For the Lord of Winter is coming – and Kate has a very important decision to make. 

‘Summer Falls’, a book written by Amelia Williams, is featured at the beginning of episode (The Bells of Saint John) of the new series of Doctor Who. It is being read by Artie, one of the children taken care of by Clara (as played by Jenna-Louise Coleman).

+  Summer Falls is released on 4th April 2013, Priced £1.99.

+  Preorder details will be available here soon.

[Source: BBC Books]

As we begin a new season of Doctor Who, the BBC has teamed up with Intel to create a new mini game – giving away signed Doctor Who goodies and a Sony Ultrabook, along with 100 copies of the new Doctor Who game.

The mini-game celebrates the launch of the Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock game on Intel’s AppUp app centre (known as Knowhow in the UK). All players of the game will also receive 60% off the game.

The Knowhow and AppUp app centres, built for PCs, offer easily-downloadable programs and games – some paid-for and some free – much as the iOS and Google Play stores do for mobile. 

The mini-game and offer are only live until the end of the month, so get clicking!

+  Play Clock Quest at: http://www.doctorwho.tv/clockquest

[Source: Catalysis PR]

Our friends over at Limiteed have some great treats lined up to celebrate the return of our favourite Time Lord today (30th March 2013).

Their Doctor Who week will feature 5 awesome T-Shirt designs from a number of talented artists and with each one being stylistically different, there's something for everyone.

Not only that, but there will be a chance for Limiteed's Facebook fans to win a free digitally signed poster of the featured day’s design, all they have to do is show the artists some love and like their Facebook pages.

This will be the first of many themed weeks that Limiteed will be running to create a buzz within fandoms alongside movie and game releases and returning series. 

We hope everyone is as excited as us for the return of the series, and will join us in supporting these awesome artists for their excellent designs. Allons-y!

To celebrate 50 years of Doctor Who, Limiteed have given DWO 50 coupon codes to get an awesome 10% discount on their tees, but hurry as once they're gone, they're gone! To take advantage of the offer, simply enter 'DWO10' at the checkout.

+  Check Out the Limiteed website.

[Source: Limiteed]

Silva Screen Records have sent DWO the cover and details for the forthcoming Doctor Who Original Soundtrack CD release of The Krotons.

Product Synopsis: 

Originally transmitted in 4 episodes on BBC1 between 28th December 1968 and 18th January 1969, The Krotons starred PATRICK TROUGHTON as the second Doctor. The soundtrack (or “special sounds”) were created by Brian Hodgson and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop: 

“For this story I mainly used the “Crystal Palace”, so called because its case was made of clear Perspex which exposed its workings. This machine, created by our engineer Dave Young, could mechanically sample 16 inputs and combine them into a single output in 4 prearranged patterns. The progression of the patterns was deliberately slow to create textures of sound. I was very much interested in exploring changing aural textures in tracks such as “The Learning Hall” and “Kroton Theme”.” Brian Hodgson, 2012. 

This soundtrack will be released on CD and Digital Download on the 13th of May. A Limited Run of 10″ Vinyl will also be made available, to be released at the end of May.

+  The Krotons Original Television Soundtrack is released on 13th May 2013, priced £10.75 (CD).

+  Preorder this product on Amazon.co.uk for £8.51.

[Source: Silva Screen Records]

Radio Times have launched another issue of their popular magazine, sporting a Doctor Who cover, this time to promote Series 7 Part 2.

In this week’s Radio Times – on sale today – Matt Smith responds to recent criticisms that there isn’t enough on-air content planned for the show’s 50th Anniversary and that the show has become too complex for children:

"I think there’s only so much you can shoot. There’s a Christmas special and eight episodes, there’s the 50th anniversary, and on top of that you’ve got Mark Gatiss writing a script [An Adventure in Space and Time about Who’s origins]. There’s only so many you can make each year without compromising the quality.

I think we have to give children more credit. Children are always going to engage with the story in a slightly different way to adults, but I tell you this, I bet you they pay more attention. What are we meant to do? Just dumb everything down?"

Jenna-Louise Coleman speaks about her role as The Doctor's new assistant:

“I’d been doing period dramas for two years [Titanic, Dancing on the Edge] where you’re very still, so working with CGI, working with cameras when you’re constantly running, that’s a new experience. Mine and Matt’s dynamic is challenging. Matt describes it as a dance, but to me it’s such a ping-pongy kind of dynamic.”

She’s confirmed she’ll be in next year’s Doctor Who, but of the latest episodes, The Rings of Akhaten (next week) is her favourite:

“It’s Clara’s first experience of an alien world, realising what life will be like to travel with the Doctor. It’s big and heartfelt, but really funny. An epic episode wonderfully written by Neil Cross [Luther]."

As for scary monsters, wait for the finale:

“It’s a huge surprise, a monster with style.”

Also in this week's issue:

-  FREE Monster Wall-Chart
-  Steven Moffat's Episode Guide

+  Radio Times is out Today, priced £1.60.

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

[Source: Radio Times]

Sony DADC’s interactive development group, LOOT Entertainment, and BBC Worldwide’s Digital Partnerships team have joined forces to bring Doctor Who to life like never before by creating a social gaming and commerce environment inside PlayStation® Home.

Available to more than 31 million PlayStation® Home users across the globe on March 27th, the Doctor Who on PlayStation® Home experience will immerse gamers in the world of Doctor Who by allowing fans to interact with iconic elements, explore and customize environments, and watch content from the popular television series in a social atmosphere.

Doctor Who fans can enjoy dynamic features based on the show’s most popular characters and scenery, such as The Eleventh Doctor and River Song costumes, and a TARDIS- themed private space and clubhouse. Users can also visit the Doctor Who-themed LOOT Space Station Theater for additional video content from BBC Worldwide and shop for Doctor Who items - both virtual and real - via LOOT’s Entertainment on Demand system. 

Simon Houston, Senior Vice President for Digital Development at BBC Worldwide, had the following to say:

“We’re really excited to be bringing this much-loved series to social and virtual worlds. Discovering new ways to engage with our fans is incredibly important to us, especially as we approach Doctor Who’s 50th year.”

David Sterling, Vice President of Business Development at LOOT Entertainment, had the following to say:

“We are committed to preserving the spirit and aesthetic of Doctor Who while introducing this historic franchise to PlayStation® Home. It’s the same Doctor Who millions have loved for almost 50 years—with a virtual, interactive, and social twist.”

In celebration of the series’ 50th Anniversary, additional Doctor Who themed virtual goods, environments and social experiences will be added to Doctor Who on PlayStation® Home throughout 2013.

DWO have acquired the pricing for Doctor Who: Wave One, which is detailed below:

Watch two trailers for Doctor Who: Wave One, below:

[youtube:kUOK1dY3y0A]

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Watch a promo for The Silent costume for Doctor Who: Wave One, below:

[youtube:ym9Ke7WPaZg]

+  Doctor Who: Wave One is released Worldwide on 27th March 2013, priced £11.50.

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

Our friends over at London's Stamp Centre have been in touch with details of their new 50th Anniversary, Doctor Who First Day Covers.

The team have put together a stunning array of First Day Covers, each featuring The Doctor himself alongside his enemies for each incarnation.

All the covers are individually numbered on the reverse and are part of a strictly Limited Edition available both signed and unsigned.

All of the covers will also be postmaked with the Seal of Rassilon, First Day Official handstamp and available signed by luminaries from the shows cast. The Stamp Centre guarantee the authenticity of every signature which is personally signed and not reproduced.

+  For more information and to Order, visit the SciFi Collector website.

[Source: SciFi Collector]

Our friends over at PixelWho have been in touch with details of their exciting new Kickstarter project for a new visual catalogue of Doctor Who characters.

The PixelWho project came about through a desire of the graphic designer and artist, Nathan Skreslet, to combine his passion for the British science fiction program Doctor Who with the 8-bit artistic style of 80’s video games, which also carries a great deal of nostalgia for him. It is an attempt to be the most complete visual catalogue of Doctor Who characters in order to celebrate the creativity and dedication of all the artists who have worked on the program over the last 50 years.

The overall goal is to document every character, both significant and insignificant, from every Doctor's respective movie/series runs. Nathan freeze frames DVDs and scours episode screen captures in order to recreate each character accurately and roughly to scale. Every pixel is individually laid by hand; no computer conversion program is used. His art is a true labor of love which requires dedication and time. For example the 10th Doctor poster took 4 months of work to create. The lost episodes of William Hartnell’s (the 1st Doctor’s) era were recreated by referencing production photos, telesnaps, and promotional materials. The smaller PixelWho items and posters are printed locally in Virginia. The large Doctor posters (1st and 10th) are printed in Florida by a specialized eco-friendly printer. 

The Doctor Who art prints are high-quality limited edition lithograph prints. They are individually numbered; only 500 of each Doctor's poster have and ever will be made. Nathan has now completed the art for the 4th Doctor, Tom Baker's, epic 7 seasons run. All the main and incidental characters are represented over two posters, over 700 in all. 

To help fund the printing of these new posters, PixelWho has started a Kickstarter campaign and the project has been noticed by some distinguished people. They've been honored with being selected as a Kickstarter Staff Pick. They''ve also been featured on the news site Kasterborous.com. And they did a very fun interview for the podcast over at Mind of the Geek. Interest in the project is really heating up.

PixelWho is run by a husband and wife team. While Nathan is the artist, Ly is the business brain. Both Nathan and Ly have enjoyed finding their niche in the world of science fiction conventions where they have been met with great enthusiasm for the artwork and had many interesting conversations with other Whovians. Ly currently manages PixelWho's web presence while Nathan busily creates new artwork for PixelWho and a variety of other design projects. Nathan is thrilled that his beloved cult science fiction show is now once again a worldwide sensation that it deserves to be, and he has more people to have Whovian discussions with. 

+  Support PixelWho's Kickstarter campaign by clicking on the following Link.

[Source: PixelWho]

Writer, Steven Moffat talks exclusively about the New Series in Doctor Who Maagazine #458.

The Doctor finally meets Clara and returns for a season of eight brand new adventures, later this month! DWM gets a sneak peek of some of the upcoming stories, while showrunner STEVEN MOFFAT reveals the horrors that await the Doctor and Clara in the first episode, THE BELLS OF ST JOHN…

“It’s the traditional Doctor Who thing of taking something omnipresent in your life and making it sinister," Steven tells DWM. "If something did get in the Wi-Fi, we’d be kind of screwed. Nobody had really done it before, so I thought, ‘It’s time to get kids frightened of Wi-Fi!’”

ALSO THIS ISSUE…

HE WAS THE DOCTOR!
In the second part of DWM’s previously unpublished interview with JON PERTWEE, conducted a year before his death in 1996, the actor who played the Third Doctor reveals his thoughts on his departure from Doctor Who, the untimely death of Master actor Roger Delgado, and his relationship with the show and its fans in later years.

CRAIG A TUR!
FRAZER HINES recalls his adventures in time and space in the 60s series as kilt-wearing companion to the Second Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon – and why he wants to come back…

COMPLETELY POINTLESS!
DWM goes behind the scenes on the forthcoming Doctor Who edition of the BBC quiz show, Pointless Celebrities and talks to contestants SYLVESTER McCOY, LOUISE JAMESON, NICOLA BRYANT, BERNARD CRIBBINS, FRAZER HINES, SOPHIE ALDRED, JOHN LEESON and ANDREW HAYDEN-SMITH!

SETTING SAIL IN SPACE…
There’s trouble aboard ship as the Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough take part in a race through space, and encounter a race of Eternals! Discover a wealth of fascinating facts about the last story in 1983's 'Black Guardian trilogy' as Enlightenment is put under the spotlight in THE FACT OF FICTION. 

THE MAN WHO KNOWS…
The big boss answers some of your most pressing Doctor Who questions in this issue’s ASK STEVEN MOFFAT – including one from one of his predecessors… 

THE GOOD, THE BARD, AND THE UGLY…
Hey nonny nonny! The Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones go back to Elizabethan England  and meet the most famous writer in history, as THE TIME TEAM watch The Shakespeare Code.

MASTERS OF THE HUNT!
The Doctor is reunited with his old friends, Ian and Barbara, while flaming-skulled warriors cause havoc on the world of Cornucopia? The action heats up in Part Three of our epic comic-strip adventure HUNTERS OF THE BURNING STONE, written by Scott Gray and illustrated by Martin Geraghty.

THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME!
DWM turns back the clock to 2005 when Doctor Who made its momentous return to our TV screens, with Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor and Billie Piper as his companion, Rose Tyler. The voyage through five decades of Doctor Who with the twenty-seventh series of the show in COUNTDOWN TO 50! 

DVD DILEMMAS!
JACQUELINE RAYNER shares the ups and downs of a family in love with Doctor Who and tackles the controversial topic of how to order your DVDs on your shelf, in this issue’s RELATIVE DIMENSIONS.

A BURNING QUESTION
WOTCHA! ponders just which planets in the Doctor Who universe have seas of acid in The History of Doctor Who in 100 Objects, challenges you to spot the false fact in a Shakesperian-themed Six Faces of Delusion, and consults The Stockbridge English Dictionary for some more unusual definitions. 

PLUS! All the latest official news, TV and merchandise reviews, previews, a prize-winning competitions and crossword and much, much more!

+  Doctor Who Magazine Issue #458 is out Out Now, priced £4.75.

+  Subscribe Worldwide to DWM from just £17.99 via Unique Magazines!

+  Check Out The DWO Guide to Doctor Who Magazine!

[Source: Doctor Who Magazine]

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

'The Claws OF Axos' Collector's Set features Jo Grant, The Brigadier and an Axon Man, as featured in the 3rd Doctor adventure; The Claws Of Axos.

A In this Third Doctor adventure an approaching alien spaceship lands in England and the UNIT team meet its occupants: Beautiful golden-skinned humanoids called Axons. The Axons claim that their ship, Axos, is damaged and that they need time in which to repair it. In return, they offer Axonite, a substance that can cause animals to grow to enormous sizes and thus end Earth’s food shortages. The Doctor is suspicious, and rightly so: Axos, Axonite and the Axons - whose true form is that of hideous tentacle monsters - are all part of a single parasitic entity brought to Earth by the Master to feed on the planet's energy.

The Doctor links his and the Master’s TARDIS's together to make one giant time machine in order to help Axos - but on condition that they assist him in taking revenge on the Time Lords for exiling him to Earth. But, this is merely a trick, and Axos is locked in a time loop from which it can never escape.

Contents:

1 x Brigadier action figure in jersey with U.N.I.T. beret and pistol.
1 x Jo Grant action figure.
1 x Axon in Humanoid form action figure.

+  'The Claws Of Axos' Collector's Set is released in July 2013, priced £29.99.

+  Preorder this product from Forbidden Planet for just £27.99!

[Source: Forbidden Planet]

The third instalment in a sensational series of stories celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is written by Marcus Sedgwick, multi award-winning author of Floodland, My Sword Hand is Singing and Midwinterblood.

Speaking to DWO Marcus, had the following to say on his upcoming title:

"Doctor Who is such an iconic part of British popular culture that any writer would jump at the chance to add something to the universe. Being the age I am there are really two Doctors that I love the most: Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee, and I was thrilled to write this new story about the Third Doctor. I hope fans recognise Jon in the pages of my story."

Synopsis:

The Third Doctor and Jo Grant are trying to track down the magical spear of Odin when they find themselves caught up in a vicious battle between two Viking tribes.

But one of the Vikings is even more dangerous than he appears to be.

Can the Doctor stop the spear getting into the wrong hands before it’s too late?

Eleven Doctors, eleven months, eleven stories: a year-long celebration of Doctor Who! The most exciting names in children's fiction each create their own unique adventure about the time-travelling Time Lord.

+  The Spear Of Detiny is released on 23rd March 2013, Priced £1.99.

+  Preorder this eBook on Amazon for £1.99.
+  Preorder this eBook from iTunes for £1.99.

[Source: Puffin Books]

Lost episodes of Second Doctor adventure The Ice Warriors are being animated for DVD release, doctorwho.tv has confirmed.

Animation studio Qurios have been commissioned to recreate the missing episodes two and three, which see Ice Warrior leader Varga revive, kidnap Victoria and defrost his glacier-bound army.

“We’ve been discussing the various ways Qurios could reconstruct these episodes for over three years” said Dan Hall, Managing Director of Pup Ltd Media Consultancy, producer of the DVD. “So it’s really, really satisfying to finally see them animated. Qurios have a great track record in excellent and innovative animations”.

When asked about using a different animation studio to previous releases, Hall replied:

“Doctor Who has had many different visual styles thanks to changing directors, designers and production methods. We wanted to mirror this in our choice of animation partners”.

Qurios Entertainment’s previous work includes visual effects for sci-fi sitcom Hyperdrive, puppet comedy Mongrels and titles for Doctor Who DVD extra series Who Peter. Veteran producer of the classic Who range, Chris Chapman has overseen the animation, Niel Bushnell is the producer for Qurios and the animation director is Chris Chatterton.

See an exclusive “work in progress” clip, below, where the Doctor tries to convince Leader Clent that temperamental humans - even the recently fired scientist Penley - are still far better than machines:

+  The Ice Warriors will be released on DVD on 26th August 2013, priced £20.42.

[Source: doctorwho.tv]

BBC Consumer Products have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of Inferno: Special Edition.

Inferno: Special Edition
Featuring: The 3rd Doctor

An experiment gone awry sends the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) to a parallel universe where his friends and companions are members of a fascist regime in this thrilling and popular episode from the long-running science fiction series Doctor Who.

Inferno is the name of a project designed to drill into the Earth's core and release a powerful energy source called Stahlman's Gas; what's yielded instead is an insidious substance that transforms men into monsters.

The resulting chaos interrupts the Doctor's travel in the TARDIS and knocks him into an alternate Earth run by a military dictatorship, and where Project Inferno's progress threatens to bring about an apocalypse.

Special Features:

To be updated later today...

+  Inferno: Special Edition is released on 27th May 2013, priced £20.42.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com.

+  Check Out the DWO Release Guide entry for this product.

[Source: BBC Consumer Products]

BBC Consumer Products have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of The Visitation: Special Edition.

The Visitation: Special Edition
Featuring: The 5th Doctor

It’s 1666, and medieval England is in the grip of the Great Plague. But when the Doctor and his companions arrive, they discover an even greater threat: the entire planet is in danger.

As the Grim Reaper stalks the countryside, the Doctor uncovers an alien menace intent on wiping out humanity and claiming our planet for themselves.

The Terileptils have arrived – and only the Doctor can stop them…

Special Features:

Disc One: 

•  Commentary with Peter Davison (the Fifth Doctor), Janet Fielding (Tegan), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Matthew Waterhouse (Adric) and director Peter Moffatt.
•  Grim Tales - Brand-new 45-minute documentary. Former companion Mark Strickson takes Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton back to the original filming locations while other cast and crew discuss their memories of the story.
•  The Television Centre of the Universe: Part One - Peter Davison, Mark Strickson and Janet Fielding return to BBC Television Centre and meet up with old friends and colleagues to reminisce on their time in the iconic building.
•  Doctor Forever: The Apocalypse Element - Examining the world of Doctor Who on audio. Including interviews with Colin Baker, Russell T Davies, Mark Gatiss and many others.
•  Film Trims Shots and sequences cut from the finished programme.
•  Directing Who: Peter Moffatt.
•  Writing A Final Visitation.
•  Scoring The Visitation - Interview with composer Paddy Kingsland.
•  Subtitle Production Notes.
•  Radio Times listings and BBC Sales Sheet.
•  Photo Gallery.
•  Coming soon trailer.
•  Isolated Music Score.
•  Easter Egg.
•  Digitally remastered picture and sound quality

+  The Visitstion: Special Edition is released on 6th May 2013, priced £20.42.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com.

+  Check Out the DWO Release Guide entry for this product.

[Source: BBC Consumer Products]

The First Doctor’s final adventure The Tenth Planet is to have its lost fourth episode animated for DVD release, the BBC's official doctorwho.tv site has confirmed.

Teased yesterday at the Gallifrey One convention by Dan Hall, commissioning editor of the classic Doctor Who DVD range, The Tenth Planet sees both the introduction of the menacing, dead-eyed Cybermen, and the departure of The First Doctor, William Hartnell. The final episode has been missing from the BBC Archives since the mid-1970s, and will be reconstructed using the same Thetamation process used to recreate The Reign of Terror episodes 4 and 5.

Dan Hall said:

"It’s a real thrill to be bringing such an iconic Doctor Who episode back to life. Without the events established in The Tenth Planet episode 4, there would be no Doctor Who as we know it!"

The release date is currently scheduled for Late 2013.

View a clip of Episode One, below:

[Source: doctorwho.tv]