The endgame begins, as the architect of the Doctor’s pain stands revealed, and the truth behind the Squire is out in the open at last! With Alice still trapped in the Time War, and Abslom itching to take a chainsword to the enemy, can the Doctor broker peace and balm his guilty soul?!
Big Finish are delighted to confirm the first monsters for Doctor Who – Classic Doctors, New Monsters Volume 2!
Ever since the July release of Doctor Who – Classic Doctors, New Monsters Volume 1, Big Finish have had social media and enquiries buzzing about what would be in the second collection of stories pitching Classic Doctor Who series Doctors against New Doctor Who series monsters.
First to be announced for 2017’s Doctor Who – Classic Doctors, New Monsters Volume 2 are devious giant spider race the Racnoss, from 2006’s Doctor Who – The Runaway Bride. In Doctor Who – Empire of the Racnoss by Scott Handcock, the Doctor (Peter Davison) encounters the creatures in an earlier, chaotic time…
Director Barnaby Edwards commented, “We started work on the second Classic Doctors New Monsters box set today and I couldn’t be happier. The Racnoss are back – and with the most fabulous cast a director could hope for. Brilliant Doctor Who stalwart Adjoa Andoh plays the Racnoss Empress, a megalomaniac engaged in a civil war with her crippled husband, the Emperor, played by the wonderful Nigel Planer. The production also sees a welcome return to the Big Finish fold of Andrew French and Lisa Kay. We had such a fun day in the studio, culminating with a truly majestic Baby Spider Workshop. And, no, I’m not going to explain what that consisted of!”
Doctor Who – Classic Doctors, New Monsters Volume 2 is out next year, and can be pre-ordered now for £20 on Download and £23 on CD (which unlocks a digital version on release). This release, and Doctor Who – The Churchill Years Volume 2, and The Diary of River Song Series 2, can be pre-ordered in a special bundle at £60 on CD or Download.
The wait is over – Doctor Who: Doom Coalition Series 3 is out now!
Big Finish are delighted to reveal that Doctor Who – Doom Doalition Series 3, starring Paul McGann, Nicola Walker, Hattie Morahan and Alex Kingston was released this morning. Anyone who has pre-ordered on CD or Download will find a download link in their Big Finish accounts right now – so what are you waiting for?!!
Doctor Who – Doom Coalition Series 3 is being held at the Big Finish pre-release price of £20 on CD or Download until the end of October when the title goes on general release. Be listening within minutes of purchase by using the free Big Finish App, on either Apple or Android devices.
The epic Doctor Who – Doom Coalition in its entirety is available in specially-priced bundles. Fans of this TARDIS crew should also check out January’s upcoming Doctor Who – Short Trips The World Beyond the Trees, read by Liv Chenka herself, Nicola Walker.
Visit the entire selection of Eighth Doctor releases here.
ISSUE 504 OF DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF THE CYBERMEN!
50 years ago, the Cybermen first marched onto our screens. We ask the costume designer who gave them life about their enduring appeal…
“People often come up to me and say, ‘I think your Cybermen were the most frightening,’ says costume designer Alexandra Tynan, who gave the original Cybermen their distinctive look for 1966’s The Tenth Planet. “I looked at them yesterday, when I re-watched The Tenth Planet, and I thought, ‘I suppose they are a bit scary.’ At the time, they got a lot of press, some of it very negative. Angry parents said that we were scaring the bejesus out of their kids. Am I personally responsible, with my Cybermen, for a whole generation of disturbed people? The number of adults who have come up to me and said, ‘Your Cybermen terrified me when I was a child,’ and I have apologised a thousand times…”
Despite this, 50 years on in 2016, the Cybermen are still going strong…
“At the time, I had no idea that my Cybermen would prove so iconic – none of us did – but I am overwhelmed by the fact that they became such an icon, and I’m really glad that I didn’t know at the time. I look back now and think how privileged I am to have had the opportunity to do something that has lasted for so long, and I enjoy every minute of talking to people about it. It makes me laugh. I think on my tombstone it will say, ‘She designed the Cybermen,’ and I’m okay with that. Cyber-Mum! Yes, I like it. I do love the Cybermen,” she concludes, “and I thank them for what they did for me.”
ALSO INSIDE THIS ISSUE…
Doctor Who Magazine 504 is on sale from Thursday 22 September 2016, price £4.99.
The BBC’s “The One Show” tonight (22.09.16) ran a feature looking at “original” ways to tie the knot. Included in this jolly piece were Mr and Mrs Paul Seymour, who renewed their wedding vows 30 years on with a Doctor Who themed ceremony, complete with a Dalek as the ring bearer. In time honored fashion the Dalek did have a few problems negotiating the aisle due to a carpet and needed a bit of a push to make it to the altar on time!
You may watch this item by clicking on the BBCi Player link, the Dr Who item is 22 minutes in and will be live for UK viewers for the next 30 days. Everyone at GNR would like to congratulate Mr and Mrs Seymour and wish them many more years of happiness.
A TARDIS coffin is among a series of unusual requests received by Central England Co-operative’s Funeralcare.
The Co-operative Society has experienced a surge in demand for out of the ordinary send offs as more people look to have a greater say on planning and personalising their own funerals.
This shift towards personalisation has coincided with a rise in people opting to sign up to pre-paid funeral plans or to fill out a funeral wishes form to ensure they get the tailored send-off that they want – and ensure that the costs do not fall on their family following their death.
Some of the most original requests made in the last 12 months are:
• A Doctor Who Tardis coffin
• A parrot themed coffin
• Order of service stationery designed in the shape of a tractor for a farmer
Tributes have been paid to an “unassuming and well-respected” council official who has died.
Stella Royal worked as a Plymouth City Council clerical officer since 1998, spending the last seven years with the safeguarding children board at Midland House.
She is understood to have suffered a heart attack.
In a message to staff, PCC head of service, quality and assurance Siobhan Wallace said: “Stella was a valued colleague and whilst a quiet person, she provided a huge amount of support to the safeguarding board, her colleagues and our partners.
Stella’s colleagues, Ann Rogers, Caroline Jones and Michelle Newman, added in a statement: “Stella was a well-respected member of the team and will be greatly missed by staff who knew her not only at the council but also across all of our partner agencies.
“Stella had an incredibly dry sense of humour and was a great fan of sci-fi but especially loved Dr Who.
“She was a talented musician who liked to play the bass guitar she was also a keen photographer, had written a couple of novels and was a computer whizz-kid.”
Tony Staunton, trade union campaigner and Stella’s former colleague, wrote on social media: “So very sad to lose my long-standing workmate Stella Royal, whose alter-ego as a Time Lord ensures she is now in a different dimension.
“An accomplished musician, skilled database programmer, unassuming observer of life and fantastic photographer, she also had the most extensive museum of Daleks ever collected in a private homestead.
“After every challenge she has met in life, and all the service she offered as a council worker, she deserved a lovely retirement.”
Black Milk offer up some fashion tips from their Doctor Who clothing range. Check out lots more from Black Milk Clothing here: http://bit.ly/2ckEGzp
The actor Terence Bayler has died at the age of 86
Terence Bayler appeared in two Doctor Who stories. In 1966 he played Yendom, one of the Monoids’ slaves, in the First Doctor story The Ark. In 1969 he returned to the series playing Major Barrington, an officer in the British Army, in the final Second Doctor story, The War Games.
Bayler was born in New Zealand, where he first trained as an actor, appearing the 1952 film Broken Barrier, playing a young journalist who falls in love with a Maori woman.
After moving to the UK he made regular appearances on British Television appearing in Hamlet, Moonstrike, Compact, Maigret, Ivanhoe, The Brothers, Upstairs, Downstairs, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Squad, London’s Burning, The Bill and Dangerfield.
In 1971 he needed stitches above an eye after he was injured in a sword fight while the shooting Roman Polanski’s 1971 film of Shakespeare’s Macbeth where he played Macduff.
Terence Bayler had a long association with the Monty Python team, appearing in Eric Idle’s BBC TV seriesRutland Weekend Television as well as in The Rutles, All You Need Is Cash and in the play Pass The Butler. He appeared in two Terry Gilliam films, Time Bandits and Brazil. He had a small but memroble role in the film The Life of Brian declaring I’m Brian and so’s my wife.
In later years he played the Bloody Baron in the Harry Potter films.
Terence Bayler died early last month.
The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (#504) confirms the director and one of the guest cast in the 2016 Christmas special.
The 60-minute festive story, written again by Steven Moffat, is being helmed by Edward Bazalgette. He previously directed the 2015 Maisie Williams’ double “The Girl Who Died” and “The Woman Who Lived”.
The mag also confirms that Matt Lucas’ character Nardole will be back at Christmas in addition to the already announced opening episode of Series 10. The character first appeared in the last year’s Christmas special The Husbands of River Song, so perhaps a sequel story of sorts?.
There is no word at the time of writing on whether Nardole will be the Doctor’s companion in the story.
Matt Gatiss recently said that he thinks the Christmas special is “one of Steve’s best ever scripts, absolutely beautiful,” and added that it made him cry.
The Christmas special is being filmed until October, and after that the rest of Series 10 will resume shooting.