Fancy a trip in the box? Have an early sneak peek into the TARDIS set before Series 12 starts on New Year’s Day.
There is less than three weeks to go until Series 12 returns to our screens, and this series sees old foes, new friends and much more coming! Before we fly off with the Doctor and fam, you can check out the interior of the TARDIS set for Series 12 – can you spot any differences?
Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce the third instalment in the six-book Bloodlines sequence of novels is now up for pre-order.
Originally intended as a solo project by Andy Frankham-Allen, An Ordinary Man is now a co-authored project, with Tim Gambrell coming on board to share the author duties.
Andy explains the change in author line-up:
“The same life stuff that got in the way of Loose Ends got in the way of this book. When it became clear I would not have the time to write the novel, I turned to a trusted author, one who understood the main setting of the book, the village of Bledoe.”
Tim Gambrell says:
“An Ordinary Man has certainly been no ordinary book. I have enormous respect for Andy; it takes guts to admit all is not well and that you need help with something. When he asked me to write this with him, I did what I’d do for any mate in trouble: I shifted things about in my own life and agreed immediately. Andy had laid the book’s groundwork for me. This is still his book at the end of the day. The cornerstones of the plot and the structure had been laid, and the cast assembled. My initial challenge was planning a lot of the bits that went in between – plotting the character journeys from A to B to C. First and foremost, this is a character-led story, not an action-packed adventure. There are characters here I’d not written for before, such as Owain. But I know Bledoe, I’ve long known its occupants and, because I’ve always been a reader of the series as well as writing for it, I felt comfortable with Owain.”
Andy says:
“Unlike a normal Lethbridge-Stewart commission, this one had much more than a shopping list of elements. The story was already laid out, the opening chapters written. Tim had a very specific brief. Once he’s finished his work on it, I shall then take a pass over it myself, tweaking scenes here and there so that it more accurately matches my vision of the story.”
Tim continues:
“What I’ve enjoyed most about writing An Ordinary Man has been immersing myself in these characters, because they’re not quite what we expect them to be. I’ve loved seeing how far I can push a situation before the characters say ‘enough is enough’, or ‘okay, you win’. And what really prompts us, as human beings, to take action outside of our comfort zone, or make changes to our lives for anything other than selfish reasons. I’ve got a wife and a young family, I’ve got adult responsibilities. And I’ve done a lot of soul-searching in writing this book. And it’s got a cover by Colin Howard. I’ve not had one of those before, so that’s exciting!”
Colin Howard returns for cover-art duties, and he was particularly excited by the challenges presented to him. Colin says:
“I had quite a lot of fun with this cover, despite the original brief. That posed a few challenges. For Lethbridge-Stewart on this occasion it required him to be of the same age as Web of Fear’s colonel, however in this novel he is simply a Cornish School teacher in Bledoe, minus the famous moustache! So, time for screen grabbing Web again, to find a suitable reference of Nick Courtney at that age. Then I had to view elements of Inferno, to find a forehead reference as well as top lip! In order to flesh out my digital painting, I also added a blazer and tie of the type worn by the younger school-teacher Brig in Mawdryn Undead. I then opted for my usual ‘Way too much detail’ background of a Cornish Fishing Village. I sketch these digitally first, then paint over the sketch at around three hundred times magnification on multiple layers to allow for necessary repositioning if required at the cover layout stage. Anne Travers was again a challenge, as Tina Packer spends most of Web playing a supportive sympathetic cast member in two-hander scenes with Patrick Troughton, so therefore is subsequently ‘facially in-shadow’ with most of her scenes in the Unit base. I then had to add more of a 1970s hairstyle and dress, as her character does a little inter-dimensional time-hopping!”
On top of those challenges, Colin was excited to be able to do the one thing he’d wanted to do since first joining the Candy Jar artist roster in 2015. Colin says:
“I have been desperate to get to do a Yeti-related cover, but things didn’t ever quite work out. So this time I ‘politely insisted’. In this novel I was told that the Great Intelligence’s London invasion is more successful without the Doctor or Lethbridge Stewart to thwart them. I decided to go to town a little with Big Ben swathed in flowing web, and two of our furry friends looming in the foreground of that section. The other element I was originally asked for was the ‘Sphere-crackling with energy’, so that completed my design idea.”
Blurb:
The destruction of the causal nexus continues, as the timelines of the Lethbridge-Stewarts and Traverses are wiped out of existence.
A new reality has been created, so very close to the essential timeline. And it is into this reality that Anne Travers is sent to retrieve a man who bears a shocking resemblance to Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart.
February 1969, and school-teacher Archie Lethbridge-Stewart lives an ordinary life. A contented life with his little family in the Cornish village of Bledoe. But that is all about to change. First his old pupil, Owain Vine, is having strange visions. Visions of a London covered in web! And on the news it seems London itself is being evacuated – a major gas leak and bears breaking free of London Zoo. Can these events be connected?
Linking all this is a strange old man. A man who insists he knows Archie. Only, the man insists on calling him Alistair. Who is this strange old man? What is this talk of the future? And why should Archie and Owain risk everything to go with the old man to London?
Anne Travers has the answers. But, unfortunately, she appears to be little more than a ghost!
If your have subscription with Candy Jar Books, Bloodlines: An Ordinary Man is covered by this.
Please don’t forget to visit The Candy Jar Christmas Sale, which is on NOW!
“Okay if I record?” The new series of #DoctorWho arrives on New Year’s Day!
Pupils from Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn, a special school based in Swansea for pupils aged 3-19 years with a wide range of special needs have made this fan film which features Narration from @4SylvesterMcCoy Check it out below!
John Simm will return as Doctor Who villain The Master, four years after making his ‘final’ appearance as the character on TV.
Simm will make his debut in Big Finish’s range of Doctor Who audio plays in January 2021, appearing in the story Masterful alongside a number of other actors who have played the Master.
Produced to mark the 50th anniversary of the character’s first appearance, Masterful will also feature Simm’s predecessor in the role, Derek Jacobi, and his successor, Michelle Gomez (who played the first female incarnation of the Master, known as ‘Missy’).
The limited edition release will also include appearances from Eric Roberts (the Master in the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie) and Geoffrey Beevers (who played the character in 1980s Doctor Who), plus three actors – Mark Gatiss, Alex MacQueen and Milo Parker – who have exclusively played the wicked Time Lord on audio for Big Finish.
“It’s a real honour to play this character: the nemesis of the Doctor,” said Simm. “He’s everything the Doctor is but he’s evil. And it’s been great recording with Big Finish. You don’t get bored, it’s fantastic. It’s fun. It went really quickly. And I got to work with Derek Jacobi.”
“I had one of the best days of my life in studio with Sir Derek Jacobi and John Simm, towering actors and simply two of the warmest, loveliest human beings you could ever hope to spend time with,” added producer David Richardson. “This may be a line-up of pure, unadulterated evil – but behind every sinister smile there’s a lovely actor we’re blessed to work with!”
Doctor Who: Masterful is now available to pre-order as a limited edition eight-CD box set (priced at £44.99), or on download (at £39.99) at the Big Finish website.
With less than one month to go until the TARDIS lands back on BBC One, television stars Anjli Mohindra and Laura Fraser are set to guest star in upcoming episodes of Doctor Who.
Previously starring as Rani Chandra in the CBBC Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures, Anjli is no stranger to the Whoniverse but as she takes on a new character, it’s safe to say she’ll be worlds away from her usual appearance…
Starring in a separate episode, Laura has previously starred in various dramas including the hit BBC show, The Missing and more recently Better Call Saul.
On appearing in Doctor Who, Anjli Mohindra says:
“As a huge fan of the last series, it’s a bit of a dream come true getting to work opposite Jodie, Mandip, Tosin and of course after all these years, to work with Bradley again! There’s something undeniably special about Jodie’s Doctor, and to be bringing some terror to the joint was rather fun indeed.”
Laura Fraser adds:
“I love this episode and couldn’t resist playing such an intense character. I watched Doctor Who every week as a child, so it was a massive thrill to be asked to take part in such an iconic show.”
Matt Strevens, Executive Producer, says:
“It was a real joy to welcome Anjli and Laura to the show. We’ve wanted to work with them since we started and have found the perfect characters for them to show off their talent and range – both formidable in very different ways.”
Doctor Who will return to BBC One on New Year’s Day at 6.55pm.
The new series will begin with a two-parter entitled Spyfall, with part two airing on Sunday 5 January.
Jodie Whittaker will reprise her role as the Thirteenth Doctor alongside Tosin Cole (Ryan) Mandip Gill (Yaz) and Bradley Walsh (Graham) who are all returning for their second series.
Chris Chibnall returns as Showrunner with Matt Strevens as Executive Producer.
With just over two weeks to go until Christmas Day, there’s just enough time to order the perfect gift for the Doctor Who fan in your life (or to treat yourself!)
With the twelve days of Christmas fast approaching, we have twelve perfect gifts for a lover of all things Doctor Who, whether they want to fly around the cosmos or whether they prefer to read the adventures in their own private TARDIS.
For the would-be companion in your life! Wrap up warm when travelling the universe.
The Doctor is one heck of a style icon, and the Thirteenth Doctor definitely took from her predecessors great taste in clothes. If you’re looking to keep warm and chic this Christmas, Lovarzi have plenty of amazing apparel for wanderers of time and space.
Order your Thirteenth Doctor scarf from Lovarzi now.
Pre-order tickets for Time Fracture – The Immersive Adventure.
Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime? Beneath the streets of London, a gateway is opening, time as we know it is collapsing, and the fate of our world hangs in the balance! Will you step up to the challenge? This immersive adventure allows YOU to step inside a Doctor Who story live, and no one trip will ever be the same!
You can get Gallifreyan priority tokens for Doctor Who: Time Fracture – An Immersive Adventure, these allow you to pick a day next year for admission, plus you unlock exclusive extras.
Get your tokens from Immersive Doctor Who
Play Doctor Who: The Edge of Time on VR
If you can’t wait to get in on the action, then load up your headsets and fly the TARDIS for yourself! The Edge of Time is the first virtual reality game experience, allowing you to use a sonic screwdriver, avoid the Weeping Angels, take on the Daleks, fly the TARDIS and help the Doctor save the universe, all in the comfort of your own home.
Doctor Who: The Edge Of Time is available now for PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, HTC Vive and HTC Vive Cosmos. Head here to find a version for your VR console.
Control the universe with the Doctor’s Sonic!.
Get ready for the return of Doctor Who in Series 12 with Doctor’s weapon of choice – something to fix rather than fight. The Thirteenth Doctor’s sonic was made from spoons and Sheffield steel, but you can get your own version!
Or if you’re looking for a sonic of old, from the Third to the Eleventh, there’s a sonic collection, a perfect choice for fledgling Time Lords to Gallifreyan collectors.
The Thirteenth Doctor Sonic Screwdriver is available now, as well as this Sonic Screwdriver set.
For the explorer of the bookshelves rather than time and space.
Can the Doctor save Christmas? Find out in this exciting new Thirteenth Doctor comic!
Titan Comics has released a two-part Holiday Special for the Thirteenth Doctor, with part one out now and part two landing right before schools break up for Christmas! Doctor Who The Thirteenth Doctor: Holiday Special sees the Thirteenth Doctor and her fam saving the universe from the most unlikely of villains…
You can buy or order Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor Holiday Special at your local comic shop, or order digital copies now. Visit Titan Comics for more information.
Meet historical celebrities with everyone’s favourite time-traveller.
When you travel through time like the Doctor, eventually you’re likely to run into a historical celebrity or two. The Thirteenth Doctor has mentioned many famous historical figures in Series 11, now we can find out what happened! Featuring Amelia Earhart, Elvis, Harry Houdini, Audrey Hepburn… and the Doctor of course!
You can read about the meeting of more historical figures in Star Tales, out now. You can order it here.
Perfect for audio fans who love a classic tale of terror!
Urgent message to all Anti-Dalek Force agents: the battle continues! This new volume of audio stories from BBC Audio features Daleks and the brave humans who fight against them. Featured are five tales of adventure – The Fugitive, Assassination Squad, Blockade, The Planet That Cried ‘Wolf!’ and Nightmare, all from Terry Nation’s Dalek Annuals of the 1970s.
Dalek Attack: Blockade & Other Stories is available on Amazon and Audible now
The Sixth Doctor gets a Christmas special.
Just in time for Christmas, enjoy a full-cast Christmas Special audio drama from Big Finish, with four festive fables featuring the colourful Sixth Doctor and Peri! Tinsel, carols, Dickens, reindeers, and even Santa himself all make an appearance, but there’s something sinister stalking the TARDIS team.
Order Blood on Santa’s Claw from Big Finish.
For someone looking to re-decorate their own personal TARDIS.
Personalised stationary!
From all manner of clocks to lunchboxes, there’s designs from London 1965 all the way to the Thirteenth Doctor and fam at our shop. And you can order an array of personalised items for your favourite Time Lord!
Check out the full range at https://shop.doctorwho.tv/
Get Funko-y with some Series 11 Funko Pops.
Surely a familiar sight to any cult fan’s shelf, there are Funko Pop figurines for every show in the galaxy. And right before Santa is on his way, there are four new Funko designs from Series 11, including the toothy Tim Shaw, everyone’s favourite deliveryman from Kerblam!, the latest version of the Daleks, and the Thirteenth Doctor herself.
Order the latest Doctor Who designs from Funko here
Iconic Doctor Who stories now as classic t-shirts.
Hero Collector have re-imagined some classic Doctor Who stories into some truly out of this world apparel – two fan favourites, Tomb of the Cybermen and Genesis of the Daleks are available now! Or there’s Hero Collector impressive figurine collection – launching some familiar faces for Doctor Who fans next year.
Check out Hero Collector’s range of T Shirts, apparel and other figurines here
Fill the shelves with the ultimate Doctor Who collection!
If you’re looking to settle in front of the television this Christmas and watch some Doctor Who from the archives, why not try it specially remastered for the occasion! As well as every story from Season 26, the final season in Doctor Who’s original run, The Collection also contains extensive and exclusive special features, including restored extended cuts, 5.1 surround sound & isolated scores, and exclusive documentaries. It’s a must!
Pre-order Doctor Who – Season 26 from Amazon and Zoom.
“A happy Christmas to all of you at home!”
Every issue of the festive Doctor Who Magazine includes:
Other highlights include:
On sale from Thursday 12 December 2019 £6.99 (UK)
The Doctor Who Target range will be expanding with five new titles coming out in Summer 2020. Doctor Who fans will finally be able to expand their Target collections with beautiful paperback editions of five new novels, plus two novels previously only available in hardback.
BBC Books will publish all seven Target novels on 23rd July 2020.
Following the release of two new Target novelisations this year, Resurrection of the Daleks and Revelation of the Daleks, both by Eric Saward, five new Target editions are coming next summer.
Seven Doctor Who titles are being released:
For Doctor Who fans, the range of novelisations published by Target Books in the 1970s and 1980s holds a special place in their hearts. There was a novel published for almost every Doctor Who serial between 1963 and 1989, and BBC Books has been successfully reissuing a number of these classic paperbacks since 2012.
In 2017, BBC Books expanded the range by publishing the first all-new batch of Target novels alongside new-era novelisations from Russell T Davies, Steven Moffat, Paul Cornell, James Goss and Jenny T Colgan – all five of them instant classics.
On becoming the first Thirteenth Doctor adventure author to be published on the Target list, Joy Wilkinson said:
“I’m thrilled to become part of the illustrious tradition of Target novels. It was so much fun dipping my toe back into prose with the Target Storybook so I’m now relishing the chance to return to the world of The Witchfinders and get fully immersed. It’s a great chance to spend more time with the Doctor and fam, hang with King James, and find out more about the mysteries of Bilehurst Cragg and the mighty, muddy Morax.”
Robert Shearman added:
“I’m still pinching myself that I was asked to write the first Dalek story of the new series – and that was fifteen years ago! I didn’t dare dream that the show would become such a big hit, and that it would still be on air now, as big and as exciting as ever – there have been so many adventures since, and so many new Doctors, and, of course, so many more Daleks. It feels like a real honour now to go back in time and relive my script… and maybe reveal a few surprises that never made it to the screen…”
Mark Gatiss said:
“Novelisations of the ‘new’ series are the final piece of this whole wonderful puzzle for me and to become a Target author after all these years is a complete delight! It’s been lovely to revisit one of my favourite scripts and flesh out the lurid residents of Sweetville in all their crimson finery.”
These books will be available in paperback, each with newly commissioned cover artwork by Anthony Dry. Also coming later in the year will be audiobook versions, available for pre-order as well.
BBC Books will publish all seven Targets on 23rd July 2020. You can pre-order them here:
Coming late 2020, an Immersive Doctor Who show will run in London. Experience a Doctor Who story of your very own!
Doctor Who: Time Fracture – An Immersive Adventure allows you to be the hero, as the fate of the Earth hangs by a thread.
BBC Studios and Immersive Everywhere have announced Doctor Who: Time Fracture – An Immersive Adventure. From the team behind The Great Gatsby, the UK’s longest running immersive show, this new immersive adventure featuring creations and characters from the world of Doctor Who will premiere in late 2020 at a London location to be announced.
This ground-breaking immersive adventure puts you at the heart of the story, plunged into a journey across space and time. Featuring amazingly realised worlds – the universe as we know it is at stake. Audiences will discover a great challenge lies ahead and that it’s time to be a hero, step up, and save the planet!
This 90-minute immersive event means visitors can play an active part in the story, engage with actors, or simply watch as the story unfolds.
Audiences can purchase Galifreyan Coin tokens prior to general on-sale. Each token purchased equates to one ticket and will provide priority access to book for the date and time of your preferred performance when announced in February 2020. You will receive a code for each token purchased which can then be redeemed for your ticket(s), as well as an exclusive pin badge given to you at the venue on the date of your chosen performance.
You can also find out more and keep in the loop by following Doctor Who: Time Fracture on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or keep an eye out on the hashtag #immersivedoctorwho.
Don’t miss out on your chance to save the universe! Gallifreyan Coin Tokens are available now at: immersivedoctorwho.com.