June 2015

MORE NEW SERIES DOCTOR WHO FROM BIG FINISH

28 June 2015 admin Comments 0 Comment

Big Finish is proud to announce a new range of boxsets, featuring heroes and monsters from the New Series of Doctor Who.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

News Source: Big Finish

DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE 488

28 June 2015 admin Comments 0 Comment

FAN FAVOURITE OSGOOD – aka INGRID OLIVER –
IS BACK ON ACTIVE DUTY IN DWM 488!

The popular UNIT science whizz was apparently killed off at the hands of Missy in Death in Heaven – but the rumours of her death may have been exaggerated! Actress Ingrid Oliver tells DWM about her joy at Osgood’s unexpected return.

“When I died, I was like ‘Oh. That’s a shame. That is a shame.” I really didn’t think I would return,” Ingrid tells DWM, revealing that she was shocked at the response to the UNIT operative’s demise. “I can’t watch myself on TV, so I deliberately made the decision to go out. And then I got a text from my agent saying, ‘Oh my God, you’re trending on Twitter!’ It was absolute insanity to me.”

ALSO INSIDE ISSUE 488…

DANNY HARGREAVES’ BIG BANG!
Doctor Who’s resident special effects supervisor Danny Hargreaves reveals the science behind blowing stuff up – but don’t try this at home!
DAVID WARNER WAS THE DOCTOR?
Cold War’s Professor Grisenko – movie and TV star David Warner – chats about his brief era as the Doctor, and shares some fascinating stories from a career spanning six decades.
A NEW FORMAT – AT LAST!
DWM’s history of Doctor Who on home video reaches its final part, with the dawn of a new shiny new format. DVD took the series into remastered territory, and made it look better than it ever had before.
REVENGE OF THE CYBERMEN!
The Fact of Fiction heads to Voga – the planet of gold – to reveal fascinating facts about the 1975 Fourth Doctor adventure Revenge of the Cybermen.
BLOOD AND ICE!
Will the Doctor and Clara defeat the macabre plans of Dr Audley, and has Winnie really betrayed them? The comic strip adventure Blood and Ice – written by Jacqueline Rayner and illustrated by Martin Geraghty – reaches its thrilling conclusion.
STEVEN MOFFAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS!
Showrunner Steven Moffat answers readers’ questions and pays tribute to 1980s Doctor Who producer John Nathan-Turner.
COMING SOON…
DWM talks to Sylvester McCoy, Bonnie Langford, novelist AL Kennedy and actor Jon Culshaw to preview upcoming books and audios from the worlds of Doctor Who.
PLUS! All the latest official news, reviews, Relative Dimensions, The Time Team, competitions and The DWM Crossword.
Doctor Who Magazine 488 is on sale from Thursday 25 June 2015, price £4.99.

News Source: Pinini

FROM POLDARK TO DOCTOR WHO, 17 FASCINATING THINGS YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT YOUR FAVOURITE SHOWS AT THE RADIO TIMES FESTIVAL

28 June 2015 admin Comments 0 Comment

How did Gogglebox become a reality TV smash hit? What is life like after Strictly Come Dancing? Just how do you get a job in TV? There are many exciting things to learn at the Radio Times Festival…

Come to the Radio Times Festival this September (25th–27th) and you’ll get the inside story on how your favourite TV shows are made – including hits like Doctor Who, Poldark, Gogglebox, Call the Midwife and many more.
So many more, in fact, that we have compiled a helpful guide to all the things you’ll be able to learn over three exciting days of coming face-to-face with broadcasting’s most talented people.

Tickets can be purchased here

Friday, 25th September 2015
1. How Doctor Who is made (Doctor Who, 2.30–3:30pm)
Doctor Who holds a unique place in British popular culture. Here, the Doctor himself, Peter Capaldi, is joined by creative chief Steven Moffat and executive producer Brian Minchin to talk Time Lords, Daleks and Cybermen. Together, they will reveal the inner workings of the Whoniverse.
2. The creative process of Russell T Davies (Russell T Davies, 4:00–5:00pm)
From busting social taboos with dramas such as Queer as Folk and Channel 4’s Cucumber to inspiring the reboot of Doctor Who, Russell T Davies is one of Britain’s most innovative screenwriters. Here he explains how he made the journey from Swansea schoolboy to leading creative voice.
3. What it’s like to have your novel adapted for screen (From page to screen: Shetland, 1:00–2:00pm)
Bestselling author of the Shetland novels Ann Cleeves describes how her work was adapted for television, while Douglas Henshall (detective Jimmy Perez) talks us through the actor’s experience. They, executive producer Elaine Collins and producer Eric Coulter take us behind the scenes of the BBC1 hit.
4. How to bake bread like a Great British Bake Off master (Paul Hollywood Unbaked, 4:00–5:00pm)
Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood talks all things baking, from bread to baps, and from choux to shortcrust and stollen! Giving advice and sharing tips and tricks, he also lets us in on the projects he’s got coming up next.
5. The science of Doctor Who (Simon Guerrier & Dr Marek Kukula: The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who, 4:00–5:00pm)
Join Simon Guerrier and Dr Marek Kukula, authors of The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who, as they explore the possibilities of time travel, life on other planets, artificial intelligence, parallel universes and more. Using clips from the acclaimed series, they will show how science has inspired Doctor Who, and how, on occasion, it has come remarkably close to predicting future discoveries.
6. How the team behind Wolf Hall created a hit (Wolf Hall: Peter Kosminsky, 5:30–6:30pm)
Hilary Mantel’s magisterial inspiration, a multimillion- pound budget and the cream of Britain’s acting talent on board, the team behind the BBC’s Tudor epic Wolf Hall created a masterpiece. Series director Peter Kosminsky talks us through a journey that culminated in the show being labelled by the press the greatest period drama ever made. He will be joined on stage by cast members, to be confirmed later.
7. The enduring legacy of Silent Witness (Silent Witness, 7:00–8:00pm)
As Silent Witness approaches its 20th anniversary, key figures from the show that brought forensic science to
a mass audience take us inside the pathologist’s laboratory. Emilia Fox, who plays Dr Nikki Alexander, will be joined on stage by the show’s forensic pathology adviser, Dr Stuart Hamilton, and scriptwriter Ed Whitmore, as they show you how to catch a killer.
8. How Gogglebox became the king of reality TV (Gogglebox, 8:30–9:30pm)
People thought Channel 4 were mad to schedule a primetime show made up of ordinary members of the public watching TV. But Gogglebox has become one of the channel’s biggest hits and won a Bafta in 2014. Co-creators and producers Tania Alexander and Stephen Lambert will tell us how such a simple format became a ratings smash, and they’ll be joined by the show’s Mary and Giles. Chaired by Andrew Collins, RT film editor.
Saturday, 26th September.
9. How to become a TV critic (Spoiler alert! How to watch TV for a living, 11:00am–12 noon)
TV editor Alison Graham, deputy David Butcher and RT’s Choices writers share a few secrets of the previewer’s art. Is getting paid to watch television all day as cushy as it sounds?
10. How to get a job in TV (Bafta: How to get into TV, 2:30–4:00pm)
A panel of the hottest emerging TV writers, producers and directors will discuss their professional journeys so far and how they got their big break, and share the secrets of their success. Panellists include Regina Moriarty, writer of the Bafta-winning Murdered by My Boyfriend (and Bafta Television Craft Breakthrough Talent Nominee 2015), and Marcel Mettelsiefen, director and cinematographer of the double Bafta-winning Children on the Frontline (and Bafta Television Craft Breakthrough Talent Nominee (2015).
11. The success of Call the Midwife (Call The Midwife, 6:30–7:30pm)
Blockbuster Sunday night series Call the Midwife is one of only a handful of shows to pull in more than ten million viewers on a weekly basis. As the heart-warming midwifery tale moves further into the 1960s, Jenny Agutter, who plays Sister Julienne, will lift the lid on the forthcoming fifth series. Alongside her will be the show’s executive producer, Pippa Harris, and writer Heidi Thomas.
Sunday, 26th September 2015
12. How to dance like Strictly Come Dancing’s Robin Windsor (Ballroom Dance Masterclass with Robin Windsor, 11:00am–12:30pm)
Ballroom dancer and four-time Strictly Come Dancing professional Robin Windsor leads an exclusive ballroom dance class for beginners. If you want to learn from the man who taught Lisa Riley to foxtrot and Deborah Meaden to quickstep, this is your chance. Please note, places are limited.
13. What makes presenting legend Sir Bruce Forsyth tick (Sir Bruce Forsyth, 12 noon–1:00pm)
A Knight of the Realm, Bafta Fellow and holder of the Guinness World Record for the longest career of any male TV entertainer, Sir Bruce Forsyth needs no introduction. Appearing as he publishes Strictly Bruce, a collection of rare pictures and stories, the original Strictly host will share anecdotes and take questions about his eight decades on stage and screen.
14. How the team behind Marvellous made one of 2014’s best dramas (Neil Baldwin: Simply Marvellous, 1:00–2.00pm)
Bafta-winning Marvellous was the feel-good film/drama of 2014, telling the charming tale of Neil “Nello” Baldwin, whose incredible life has seen him join the circus, sip sherry with royalty, and serve as kit man for his beloved Stoke City. Neil will be on hand to give his life story in his own words, and will be joined by Marvellous writer Peter Bowker and executive producer Patrick Spence.
15. What life is like after Strictly Come Dancing… (Life After Strictly, 2:00–3:00pm)
Join our star-studded celebration of the BBC ratings juggernaut. One Show presenter and former Strictly contestant Alex Jones joins a gaggle of the show’s most memorable alumni (including astrologer Russell Grant, TV Dragon Deborah Meaden and Strictly pro Robin Windsor) to reflect on their time on the dance floor, from backstage gossip to their favourite on-screen moments. You’ll also hear their verdicts on the stars of the forthcoming series…
16. The behind a book being adapted for television (From page to screen: Grantchester, 2:30–3:30pm)
The acclaimed author of The Grantchester Mysteries, James Runcie, will be joined on stage by the team behind the camera of ITV’s hit drama adaptation, Grantchester. In a thrilling insight into the TV adaptation process, James and the team will guide us through the intricacies and challenges of realising a novel and its characters on the small screen. Peppered with insights and anecdotes, this session will tell us about the latest book in the series and what we can expect from series two of Grantchester on ITV.
17. How BBC smash-hit Poldark was made (The Making of Poldark, 3:30–4:30pm)
Whether it’s down to Aidan Turner’s rippling torso or Cornwall’s rugged coastlines, Poldark is the undisputed television smash hit of the year. Get the inside story of
the BBC series from executive producers Karen Thrussell, Damien Timmer and Debbie Horsfield, the writer responsible for turning Winston Graham’s novels into sparkling scripts. Leading members of the cast will also attend (to be announced). Joining them will be Andrew Graham, whowill talk about his father’s writing, including the book Poldark’s Cornwall, which is about the other star of the show — the beautiful county of Cornwall itself.

News Source: Radio Times

RIVER SONG TO TEAM UP WITH THE EIGHTH DOCTOR FOR A NEW ADVENTURE

28 June 2015 admin Comments 0 Comment

Paul McGann and Alex Kingston will reprise their roles for a Big Finish radio drama

Looks like River Song is coming back to Doctor Who in 2016 – but this time, she’s teaming up with a different Doctor.
A new radio drama from Big Finish will see Alex Kingston’s time-travelling archaeologist team up with Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor (as well as his companions, played by Hattie Morahan and Nicola Walker) in Doctor Who: Doom Coalition 2 – but there’s a complication.
You see, the Time Lord’s a few years away from meeting River for the first time in his Tenth incarnation (as seen in TV episode Silence in the Library back in 2008), so she must try to help her oblivious husband without him realising it – or even seeing her. We can’t help but imagine there’s going to be some problems…
“The idea of River meeting previous Doctors was actually proposed by Steven Moffat,” says producer David Richardson, “and it’s just irresistible, isn’t it? Alex embraced the idea of returning to the role, and so she will be starring in no less than two box sets next year. And yes, we are still pinching ourselves!”
River will later return for a second Big Finish drama in 2016 called The Diary of River Song, which will once again see her join with McGann’s Doctor (so much for keeping her distance, eh?) as she crosses space and time to seek the secretive rulers of the universe. Bet she’ll be sending lovely postcards to the Eleventh Doctor – and maybe we’ll get more insight into this earlier version of her character before her final death in 2013’s The Name of the Doctor.

And Kingston’s not the only NuWho actor returning for future radio adventures, with Ian MacNeice (who played Winston Churchill in several episodes of the new series) also making a comeback for Doctor Who: The Churchill years.

“Ian has played Churchill in just four episode on TV, and yet it feels like it was many more,” says executive producer Nicholas Briggs, who also voices the Daleks and Cybermen in the TV series. “It was such a brilliant, definitive performance, and how wonderful that we will be continuing Churchill’s adventures with the Doctor on audio.”
These adventures will take the form of Churchill’s memoirs, as the former Prime Minister recounts various (offscreen) adventures with the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh incarnations of the Doctor including “battling alien incursions, metamorphosing creatures… and a Dalek!”

The drama will also apparently cross over with 2010 special A Christmas Carol, with the younger version of Michael Gambon’s Kazran Sardick (again played by Danny Horn) making an appearance.

And if that wasn’t enough (to be honest, we’re feeling a bit woozy with it all), another drama will face four classic Doctors against NuWho’s best monsters. So it’ll be Peter Davison against the Weeping Angels, Colin Baker taking on the Judoon, Sylvester McCoy trying his luck with the Sycorax and Paul McGann (again) facing the newer version of the Sontarans on the edge of the Time War. We can’t wait to see how they fit all this into the Doctor’s personal timeline…

“It’s the ultimate mash-up,” summed up executive producer Jason Haigh-Ellery, “and we have some great scripts lined up for these landmark stories. There is no doubt that 2016 is going to be a brilliant year for Big Finish!”
All four boxsets will be released across 2016, and are available to pre-order today from the Big Finish website

News Source: Radio Times

BACK TO THE EIGHTIES EVENT (WITH DWAS) GUESTS ANNOUNCED

28 June 2015 admin Comments 0 Comment

Back to The Eighties (Credit: DWAS)

The Gallifreyan Newsroom has recieved advanced information on the guests who will be appearing at this event on the 24th of October Writers Andrew Smith (Full Circle) and Phillip Martin (Vengence On Varos and The Trial Of A Timelord) will be joining the DWAS at this one day celebration of 80’s Doctor Who. For more information please visit their site.

Andrew Smith

Phillip Martin

DOCTOR WHO AND SHERLOCK IN TOP 10 TV FAVOURITES IN EMPIRE MAGAZINE POLL

24 June 2015 admin Comments 0 Comment

The sci-fi classic and detective series are both made by BBC Wales and are filmed extensively in Wales.

Doctor Who and Sherlock have made it into the top 10 greatest television characters of all time, in a poll for film magazine Empire.

Doctor Who’s Time Lord came fourth, behind Walter White of Breaking Bad, Game Of Thrones hero Tyrion Lannister, played by Peter Dinklage, and cartoon character Homer Simpson and Benedict Cumberbatch’s incarnation of Sherlock Holmes was voted into sixth place.

Both Doctor Who and Sherlock are made by BBC Wales and are filmed extensively in Wales with local crew.
The ninth series of Doctor Who with Peter Capaldi as the Time Lord, is currently being filmed in South Wales and guest stars Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones and Rebecca Front.

The poll, voted for by more than 10,000 people on empireonline.com also named the top 10 greatest film characters with Indiana Jones defeating James Bond to be named the greatest movie character of all time.

Harrison Ford, 72, also took third place for his role as Han Solo in the Star Wars films in the poll voted for by readers.

James Bond was placed second in the poll.
The actor has played Indiana Jones in four films, starting with Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981 and most recently in 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Director George Lucas created both action hero archaeologist Indy and intergalactic rebel Han Solo, whom Ford will reprise in new movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens, due for release later this year.

News Source: Wales Online

DOCTOR WHO: THE TAKING OF CHELSEA 426

24 June 2015 admin Comments 0 Comment

Synopsis

The Chelsea Flower Show – hardly the most exciting or dangerous event in the calendar, or so the Doctor thinks. But this is Chelsea 426, a city-sized future colony floating on the clouds of Saturn, and the flowers are much more than they seem.

As the Doctor investigates, he becomes more and more worried. Why is shopkeeper Mr Pemberton acting so strangely? And what is Professor Wilberforce’s terrible secret?

They are close to finding the answers when a familiar foe arrives, and the stakes suddenly get much higher. The Sontarans have plans of their own, and they’re not here to arrange flowers…

Featuring the Tenth Doctor as played by David Tennant in the hit Doctor Who BBC Television series.

PRE ORDER FROM 13th AUGUST 2015 as hardback or paperbackNews Source: BBC Books

DOCTOR WHO PRODUCER TWEETS RETURN DATE FOR HIT SHOW – THEN SWIFTLY DELETES IT

22 June 2015 admin Comments 0 Comment

Producer deletes tweet after letting slip transmission date.
Doctor Who’s producer has let slip that the next series will start in September in a tweet – and deleted it just seconds after posting it.
Nikki Wilson went on Twitter to say how much she was enjoying the ninth series of the show, starring Peter Capaldi as the Time Lord , and Jenna Coleman as companion Clara.

She tweeted: “Another successful day on the TARDIS! #DoctorWho is even bigger and better this year.”
Doctor Who producer Nikki Wilson’s tweet:

Fan @TinaThudBump responded: “Yay! Speaking of the return with my pal only yesterday – do you know roughly when it will be back?”
Wilson tweeted in reply: “We’ll be back in September.”

But almost as soon as her answer appeared, it was deleted.
However, the BBC say that “there is no confirmed date for transmission to begin”.

A spokesman said: “We can’t confirm when the series will start until August as things change so much with television schedules.”
The season will begin with a two part story, The Magician’s Apprentice and The Witch Finder, which sees the return of Davros and the Daleks .

Other stories will see the Doctor and Clara encounter a giant underwater creature , the shape-changing Zygons , and vikings .

Last year’s series began transmission on August 23.

News Source: The Mirror

UNIT: THE NESTENES HAVE LANDED

20 June 2015 admin Comments 0 Comment

Big Finish is pleased to announce additional cast members for the upcoming UNIT: Extinction..

UNIT: Extinction is a brand new box set of adventures that take place in the world of the New Series of Doctor Who, with Jemma Redgrave reprising the role of Kate Stewart and Ingrid Oliver back as trusty scientist Osgood. The story sees the Unified Intelligence Taskforce defending the Earth from the might of the Nestene Consciousness and its army of plastic Autons.

Representing the aliens is Simon Devlin, the pioneer behind technology giant Futuretech, which holds the key to the Nestene’s latest incursion. Devlin is played by Steve John Shepherd (This Life, EastEnders).

‘Steve was suggested to us by his agent just at the same moment as I was sending off an email to ask for him!’ says producer David Richardson. ‘He has such a magnificent, rich voice, and he makes Devlin a true power to be reckoned with.’

Devlin’s schemes are handled by his ruthless security chief Jenna Gold, played by Karina Fernandez (Happy-Go-Lucky, Pride, Mr Turner).

‘Karina was originally recommended to us by her friend Anthony Howell when we were casting The Avengers,’ says David. ‘We’ve since asked for her many times since – she’s an astonishing talent.’

Waving a tentacle across the whole affair will be the Nestene Consciousness itself, once again played Big Finish Executive Producer Nicholas Briggs. The Consciousness has recreated itself after its last invasion attempt in 2005’s Rose, and its new form will prove more than a match for UNIT.

Outside of the circle of villains, Tracy Wiles (Doctor Who: Masters of Earth) plays intrepid journalist Jacquie McGee, whose relentless pursuit of truth brings her straight to the front lines of the conflict; with her put-upon assistant Tim Stevens (Derek Carlyle) dragged along for the ride!

‘Since her first appearance for us in Masters of Earth, Tracy has become a real friend of Big Finish,’ says David. ‘We’d have her in everything if we could – but she was so perfect for the role of the determined Jacqui.’

With the remaining cast including Warren Brown, Ramon Tikaram and James Joyce, the stage is set for the blockbuster release of UNIT: Extinction. You can pre-order this November release today, as well as three follow up series – with special savings available as part of our UNIT Bundle.

News Source: Big Finish

THIS IS COLIN BAKER

19 June 2015 admin Comments 0 Comment

Big Finish is proud to announce the recording of a candid two-hour interview with Colin Baker.

Released in September to celebrate the eagerly awaited Doctor Who: The Sixth Doctor – The Last Adventure, This Is Colin Baker explores the man behind the Sixth Doctor in Doctor Who, Paul Merroney in The Brothers, Bayban the Butcher in Blake’s 7 and countless unforgettable screen roles.

Interviewed by Nicholas Briggs (friend, fan and author of the final Sixth Doctor tale), Colin discusses his life, career and achievements from throughout his time on the planet. This is Colin’s own story – in a way only the man himself can tell it.

You can pre-order this new September release now on CD and Download from the Big Finish website. All copies of the CD version ordered before the 3rd of September 2015 will be signed by Colin.

Also available is the eagerly awaited Doctor Who: The Sixth Doctor – The Last Adventure Limited Edition Deluxe Set, which comprises four brand new stories from throughout the Sixth Doctor’s life; chronicling his battles against the Valeyard (Michael Jayston).

Colin will also be appearing at Big Finish Day 7 to launch both releases. Tickets are available now from the 10th Planet Website.

You can also check out our two previous Doctor Who interview audiobooks: Benjamin & Baxter, an in-depth chat with the actors behind the irreplacable Jago & Litefoot; and Tom Baker At 80, a two-disc interview with the beloved actor behind the Fourth Doctor.

News Source: Big Finish