How does an episode of Doctor Who evolve from an initial idea? Since 1963 many producers and editors have applied their own philosophies and working methods to the pre-production of this complex series. This Special Edition explains how a Doctor Who narrative is constructed and examines the careers of the show’s leading writers. Illustrated with previously unseen script pages from the BBC archive, alongside many other rare documents and photos, Writing Doctor Who reveals the stories behind the storytellers.
Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition 57: Writing Doctor Who is on sale from panini.co.uk and WH Smith from Thursday 29 April priced £6.99 (UK). Also available as a digital edition from pocketmags.com priced £5.99.
What the Eighth Doctor Did Next– a guide to the adventures that took place after the TV movie.
A revealing interview with the actor who was very nearly cast as the Eighth Doctor.
The second part of an exclusive interview with Christopher Eccleston.
Director Joe Ahearne recalls working with Christopher Eccleston on the 2005 series.
The life and career of Christopher Baker, who briefly appeared as the Doctor in The Brain of Morbius.
A rundown of surprising references to Doctor Who in American TV series and films.
Collectivity looks at the merchandise released to tie in with the 1996 TV movie.
Apocrypha remembers the 2005 novel The Monsters Inside.
The Fact of Fiction begins its analysis of 1970’s The Ambassadors of Death.
Millie McKenzie discusses her Doctor Who-inspired clay creations.
Sufficient Datacrunches Doctor Who’s numbers.
Previews, reviews, news, prize-winning competitions, the DWM poll, Time and Space Visualiserand more.
Doctor Who Magazine Issue 564 is on sale from panini.co.uk and WH Smith from Thursday 29 April priced £5.99 (UK). Also available as a digital edition from pocketmags.com priced £4.99.
David Bradley and John Barrowman will cameo in Time Fracture
David Bradley and John Barrowman are reprising their roles as the First Doctor (first played by William Hartnell) and Captain Jack Harkness, in pre-recorded cameo appearances for the immersive show Time Fracture!
The theatrical event is due to open its doors on the 26th May. Get ready to join the First Doctor and Captain Jack for an adventure like no other…
Both John Barrowman and David Bradley have expressed their delight at having been approached to be involved.
David Bradley said:
“This is going to be something really special. Anyone who sees the show who is not a Doctor Who fan when they go in, surely will be when they come out! It’s going to be an amazing experience.”
John Barrowman said:
“I wanted to get involved not only because I love storytelling and I love Captain Jack the character, but also because this introduces Jack to the next generation of Doctor Who fans. If you’re coming to this – why not dress up as your favourite character? it’s going to be like Comic Con but with a storyline! Create your character, get in there and enjoy the journey.”
The production, featuring a cast of over 40 live performers, began rehearsals on site last week, and the set is undergoing finishing touches ahead of ‘UNIT HQ’ opening its doors to audiences on 26 May.
Much of the show is being kept under wraps so as not to spoil surprises that await audiences, but there is a glimpse into the world of Time Fracture with one of the 17 environments that have been created for the show below:
Rebecca Brower, Designer said:
“It is incredible to see my designs come to life in such an impressive and detailed way. We’ve been working whenever possible over the past 12 months off site to get everything right, and the build on site has been completely invigorating to be involved in first hand.”
Also live from this week is the lottery for a special performance for key workers. In recognition of their work throughout the pandemic, the Producers of Doctor Who Time Fracture are making free tickets available to frontline healthcare, services and NHS staff for a performance on 23 May 2021. Lottery winners will be drawn on 17 May.
Pre-order tickets for Time Fracture, the immersive Doctor Who theatrical event, here before the first preview performance from the 26th May.
Big Finish Productions is proud to announce that its long-running series Doctor Who – The Monthly Adventures has received a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for Longest running science fiction audio play series.
Doctor Who – The Monthly Adventures released a brand-new adventure for 275 consecutive months from July 1999 to March 2021, featuring the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctors across the range.
“When we began the monthly audio adventures of Doctor Who in July 1999 we hoped we would make it to three years. If we’d achieved that we would have been more than happy.
“22 years later we have produced 275 productions and we are all so proud of the many amazing stories that we have had the opportunity to tell. As the series regenerates into a new range of box sets for each individual Doctor, we look forward to telling new stories in a new format and taking further adventures in the TARDIS.”
“There’s something magical about the words GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS, so I’m delighted that the achievement of so many brilliant Big Finish creatives is being deservedly marked and celebrated in this way.”
“Congratulations Big Finish on such a crowning achievement. Who could have known, when we recorded Sirens of Time back in 1999, where these adventures would take us? Who could have known I’d still be so young and dashing all these years later? The companions, the adversaries, and the stories have all been wonderful and, as always, I’m looking forward to my next adventure.”
“It’s hard to believe that the Big Finish Monthly Adventures started at the end of the last century. I was in from the Big Beginning, through the Big Middle and was delighted to appear in the Big Finish monthlies’ Big Finish recently. This is a fitting and richly deserved commemoration of that exciting journey and the brilliant writing and wonderful work of all involved. The adventures continue in another form and I am looking forward to them. I hope they never Finish, but if they do – it will be BIG.”
“40 years ago in a show called An Evening with Sylvester McCoy – The Human Bomb, we pretended I was in the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ book. That was a lie! Now, by association with Big Finish, I am in it. That’s the truth! Brilliant! I’m so proud to be, and so proud to be in the company of all who share this honour.”
“It was an honour to start my journey at Big Finish with the Monthly Adventures, and to have had the chance to continue playing the Eighth Doctor for so many years since. The creativity of the writers, directors, producers and all the guest actors never ceases to amaze me. Here’s to many more future adventures.”
Please note that Big Finish is currently operating a digital-first release schedule. The mailout of collector’s edition CDs (where available) will be delayed, but all purchases unlock a digital copy that can be immediately downloaded or played on the Big Finish app from the release date.
According to a report in The Radio Times, while Doctor Who series 13 filming is already underway, we still don’t know a lot about the continuing adventures of Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor.
Sure, we know John Bishop is joining the gang as Dan and we’ve heard a few rumours about returning monsters and Jodie Whittaker’s potential exit, but overall the new episodes have been kept pretty much under wraps, leading eagle-eyed fans to look all the harder for any hints or details online.
And now they might have found something. Deep in the recesses of the internet, a few Doctor Who fans have unearthed a synopsis for a planned graphic novel tie-in, written by regular Who comic scribe Jody Houser and illustrated by Roberta Ingranata.
The reason for its significance? The story stars John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness – and apparently it ties in directly with series 13’s second episode.
“A thrilling new Doctor Who Graphic Novel which stars fan-favourite Captain Jack Harkness as he goes up against the insidious Torchwood institute!” the synopsis reads.
“In the midst of kicking alien butt – and looking good doing it – Captain Jack Harkness is suddenly transported through a time-window to 19th Century Cardiff… again! Realising there’s more than one thing afoot, he sets out to uncover what the Victorian-era Torchwood Institute team are up to behind closed doors, hoping to solve the mystery of why time-windows are cropping up everywhere.
“But what he finds is very unexpected, and will certainly leave him needing a hand from some old friends…
“Bursting straight out of the long-running hit television series, this bold new tale ties in directly with episode two of the hotly-anticipated series 13. Buy it, read it, then travel back in time to read it for the first time all over again…!”
The synopsis was originally found on the official Penguin Random House website, and while it has since been removed it is still publicly available to view on other sites. When contacted the BBC declined to comment on “speculation.”
But of course, this synopsis does open up some intriguing possibilities – perhaps most notably the potential return of John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness for series 13. In some ways this wouldn’t be too big a surprise given that Barrowman reprised his fan-favourite role in series 12 and (more extensively) the 2021 New Year’s special Revolution of the Daleks, but it’s the first real hint that Jack could be back again since the Doctor waved him off in January.
Alternatively, it could be that the “tie-in” to episode two is working slightly differently, with Jack thrown onto the fringes of a story that he’s not necessarily a huge part of in the main series. Perhaps the Victorian setting of the graphic novel crops up in the series, or maybe this story is a prequel to episode two, shortly before another surprise return for the galaxy’s most charming Time Agent.
Then again, it could be that the “time windows” sending Jack back in time are the real issue to watch here, rather than Jack himself. Who knows? Perhaps some incident causing the “time windows” is a crucial storyline in series 13, with gaps in space and time opening all over the place and kicking off adventures in other stories and spin-off media (i.e. this Jack story could be just one of many similar spin-offs). With that in mind, Jack might not be back in the main series at all.
Still, whether it’s a plot-related or character-based spin-off from the next series, one thing is for sure – series 13’s second instalment looks to be like an episode worth watching. If only we had our own time windows to jump ahead and watch it…
As part of their plans to re-open, The British Film institute have today announced they will be screening Doctor Who: Dragonfire (BBC, 1987), on 12th June 2021 to herald the forthcoming Blu-ray release of Doctor Who: The Collection – Season 24. This exciting closing story from Season 24 saw fans wave farewell to Bonnie Langford as Mel and introduced them to Sophie Aldred as Ace, the new companion to Sylvester McCoy’s Doctor.
Priority booking from Mon 3 May. Public booking opens Thu 6 May.
The Art and History of Virgin Publishing’s Range of Doctor Who New and Missing Adventures.
1989 Doctor Who on television came to an end. There were to be no more travels in space and time. But the moment had been foretold, and Virgin Publishing, then the licence-holders for BBC-authorised fiction, stepped into the breach.
This is the story of Virgin Publishing’s New Adventures range of Doctor Who novels. Picking up where the television series stopped, and presenting the new and further adventures of the Seventh Doctor and his companion Ace, the books crossed space and time, introducing new companions like archaeologist Bernice Summerfield, and reuniting the Doctor with many old adversaries like the Ice Warriors and the Cybermen.
Noted researcher and historian David J Howe chronicles the origins of the books, speaking to all the major players in their development, and charts the books’ critical reception as well as presenting a plethora of artwork, sketches and other imagery associated with the range. Also included are Virgin’s range of Missing Adventures, original novels featuring the first six Doctors, plus other Doctor Who fiction published by Virgin in the same time period. It’s the ultimate guide to the Virgin New Adventures and Missing Adventures ranges of books, which saw several authors, including Russell T Davies, Ben Aaronovitch and Mark Gatiss publishing early works of original fiction!
Profusely illustrated with all the covers, plus rare and unseen sketches and unused concepts and ideas, The Who Adventures is the definitive guide to a range of books which enjoyed phenomenal success in the first half of the nineties, and which kick-started the careers of several authors and artists who have since gone on to immense success.
A follow-up to the critically-acclaimed and best-selling The Target Book!
All copies ordered from Telos Publishing direct will be SIGNED by the author, David J Howe.
250pp approx. Large format 22cm x 28cm hardback. Fully illustrated in full colour throughout.
ISBN: 978-1-84583-185-1
Expected Publication Date: December 2021
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David J Howe has been involved with Doctor Who research and writing for over 40 years. He has been consultant to a large number of publishers and manufacturers for their Doctor Who lines, and is author or co-author of over 30 factual titles associated with the show. He also has one of the largest collections of Doctor Who merchandise in the world. David was contributing editor to Starburst magazine for 17 years from 1984-2001. From 1994 he was book reviews editor for Shivers magazine until it ceased publication in 2008. In addition he has written articles, interviews and reviews for a wide number of publications, including Fear, Dreamwatch, Infinity, Stage and Television Today, The Dark Side, Doctor Who Magazine, the Guardian, Film Review, SFX, Sci-Fi Entertainment, Collectors’ Gazette, Deathray and the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
He edited the bi-monthly newsletter of the British Fantasy Society from 1992 to 1995, and also edited and published several books for them, including the British and World Fantasy Award shortlisted Manitou Man, a limited edition hardback and paperback collection of short fiction by horror author Graham Masterton. He also edited the BFS’s fortieth anniversary anthology, Full Fathom Forty, published in September 2011.
He wrote the book Reflections: The Fantasy Art of Stephen Bradbury for Dragon’s World Publishers and has contributed short fiction to Peeping Tom, Dark Asylum, Decalog, Dark Horizons, Kimota, Perfect Timing, Perfect Timing II, Missing Pieces, Shrouded by Darkness and Murky Depths, and factual articles to James Herbert: By Horror Haunted and The Radio Times Guide to Science Fiction. He wrote the screenplay for Daemos Rising, a film released on DVD by Reeltime Pictures in 2004, and contributed to the screenplay for The White Witch of Devil’s End, released in 2018.
He wrote about Doctor Who merchandise for Doctor Who Insider magazine, and contributes liner notes for AudioGO/BBC Audio’s range of Doctor Who novelisation CDs.
He is currently Editorial Director of Telos Publishing Ltd, a UK based independent press specialising in horror/science fiction novellas, crime novels, and guides to a variety of film and TV shows. In 2006 the company won the World Fantasy Award for their publishing work, and in 2010 received the British Fantasy Award for Best Small Press. The company celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2020.
Demon Records presents the narrated TV soundtrack of a partially ‘lost’ six-part adventure The Ice Warriors set in a future Ice Age, starring Patrick Troughton as the Doctor.
The Doctor and his friends land on Earth in the future, and find it in the grip of a new Ice Age. They join a team of scientists struggling to hold back the huge glaciers that threaten all human life. A giant creature is discovered inside the ice and quickly comes to monstrous life – it’s an Ice Warriors from Mars! It intends to find its crashed spaceship, where a whole crew of Warriors is waiting to be revived…
Presented across a trio of 140g Molten Ice vinyl discs, this 1967 TV soundtrack – only four episodes of which survive as film recordings – is narrated by Frazer Hines, who co-stars as the Doctor’s companion Jamie, with Deborah Watling as Victoria.
The guest cast includes Bernard Bresslaw as the Ice Warrior Varga, Peter Barkworth as Leader Clent, and Peter Sallis as Penley. Incidental music is by Dudley Simpson, and the familiar strains of the Doctor Who theme are courtesy of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
The coloured LPs are presented in fully illustrated sleeves which, when assembled together, form the cover image. Original episode billings and full cast and credits are included.
Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce the final novel of its eighth series of Lethbridge-Stewart novels.
The Haunting of Gabriel Chase is the debut novel of Andrew Allen, who has previously written a few short stories for the Lethbridge-Stewart series.
As the title suggests, The Haunting of Gabriel Chase is a sequel to the popular 1989 Doctor Who serial Ghost Light by Marc Platt.
Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen says:
“We are always looking for connections to the larger Doctor Who universe, and wondering what good sequels or prequels there are to tell, that will fit into the LSVerse. And while I was working on Child of the New World, a sequel to Marc Platt’s Downtime, it occurred to me that Marc also wrote one of my favourite Doctor Who serials. Keith Barnfarther put me in touch with Marc, and after I explained what I had in mind for the sequel, he was delighted to give me the green light. But I didn’t want it to just be my vision, I wanted to know what Marc would have done had he continued the story of Josiah, Control, etc. Marc was happy to share his ideas, and sent me a few notes. As one would expect, they were very interesting, and a great launching pad. Then it just became a case of finding the right author.”
Enter Andrew Allen. He has previously contributed short stories for such things as The HAVOC Files collections and the Lineage anthology, as well writing a Doctor Who short trip for Big Finish.
Frankham-Allen continues:
“I’ve always enjoyed Andrew’s work. I was aware of his upcoming Travers & Wells book, and knowing he had a feeling for the more esoteric kind of story, I approached him. Needless to say, he was daunted by the prospect, but 100% up for it. I told him my basic idea, which amounted to the prologue and general direction of the story, and sent him Marc’s notes.”
Andrew Allen says:
“A couple of years ago, I was excited to see have chance to submit a short story for a Candy Jar anthology – and even more pleased to get a chance to write for one of my favourite classic Doctor Who characters, Anne Travers. Since then, I’ve been able to write a couple more short stories for the range, and even a novella featuring Anne’s father Edward, and HG Wells, as they face up to the monstrous Dr Moreau. When I was offered the chance to write The Haunting of Gabriel Chase, it was an opportunity both terrifying and irresistible.”
He continues:
“Ghost Light, of course, ends up being a sequel to itself – Ace has burned down the house before we see it for the first time, and so, in The Haunting of Gabriel Chase, we see it being burned down before going inside, and back to a time before any of that happens – and also after Light has been banished. It’s as much of an ‘inter-quel’ as it is a sequel. It has been a hugely humbling experience to get the chance to play with the iconic characters not only created by Mervyn Haisman & Henry Lincoln, but also Marc Platt. As well as a traditional ‘haunted house’ story, I wanted to talk a little about the nuances of memory when we look back at the things that we remember fondly, and also examine the things that truly haunt us, and stop us from going forward in our futures.”
Richard Young is back for cover art duties, his second for 2021.
Richard says:
“I love Ghost Light! The chance to do the cover for the sequel was something I couldn’t say no to. Doing an older, ‘80s era Brig was something I couldn’t resist either. However, this presented an unforeseen challenge, as the original portrait I did, which was from his time at Brendon School, just didn’t look right. And it soon became apparent that the Brig just isn’t the Brig without his moustache. Gabriel Chase was a bit of an issue as there aren’t that many good reference images of the (real) building in the daylight. And then there’s fire! The last few covers I’ve done have included fire or some such – it’s almost like I’m the Candy Jar fire starter (can I have a nice, eerie, night-time misty story to illustrate next time please, with no fire?).”
Blurb:
1983, and Gabriel Chase burns. Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, teacher at Brendon School for Boys, had almost forgotten about the house. But the memories soon return to him, memories of thirteen years earlier…
1970, and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Anne Travers, Captain William Bishop and RSM Samson Ware are brought to an old house in Perivale by an old friend of Samson’s. An officer has been lost, and it is believed he may be in the house.
They decide the only way to find out is to investigate within the house. But Gabriel Chase is waiting. It is always waiting. And once you’re inside, you’ll be very lucky to leave.
Ghosts haunt Gabriel Chase. But who is in control? What is the angel? And who will escape? Darkness falls. And heaven help anybody still inside after dark…
The official sequel to the 1989 Doctor Who serial Ghost Light. Inspired by ideas developed by Marc Platt
The long-awaited second book in the Travers & Wells series is also written by Andrew Allen, and features a cover by Richard Young (sans fire!), and is called The City of Dr Moreau.
The City of Dr Moreau (Hardback)The City of Dr Moreau (Paperback)
Frankham-Allen says:
“This one was finished ages ago – we never intended there to be such a long gap between book one and two, but unfortunately with the outbreak of the COVID last year, many things needed to be rearranged. But finally, I’m glad to say it’s all done and on the way.”
Andrew Allen says:
“In my book, Travers and Wells have managed to escape the world of The War of The Worlds as brilliantly introduced by Robert Mammone in his novella Other Wars, Other Worlds. Now, they’re in yet another alternative version of Earth. This one looks much more like the one that both men see as familiar, except they quickly meet a distinguished scientist known as Dr Moreau. Not only was it a delight to get a chance to borrow the characters of HG Wells and Professor Travers, but I also found myself fascinated by how those characters would respond when confronted with a character they previously believed to be fictional, as well as examining how they – and even the readers of the book – would react if it wasn’t necessarily guaranteed that they’d survive the story, even if it was the second book of four. I had a lot of fun pulling together many different elements, from the locations our heroes pass through (including a real-life island where legend says people tried to talk to God), to small tributes to some of my favourite films.”
Blurb:
“Wells blinked a couple of times, balling a fist into his eyes to rub away the sweat trickling there. But it was no good; the room was too dark and he still couldn’t see anything. Nonetheless, he was painfully aware that someone – something – was in the room with him. He heard a snuffling, a guttural breathing, and the thing moved closer.”
Edward Travers and HG Wells are flung once again into an alternative reality: a London both achingly familiar and quite unlike the city either of them know. In the dying days of the Edwardian empire, public protests over the increasing use of vivisection in animal research collide with rising fears about looming war.
Connecting both is the mysterious Dr Moreau. Wells is fascinated by the accomplished scientist, but Travers is horrified by the dark truth of the man that he previously had believed to be mere fiction.
As the two men begin to discover the purpose behind their adventures out of time and come face to face with who is controlling their journey, they pursue Moreau to the inevitable conclusion: his very own island of creation, a perverse garden of Eden that’s very close to home…
The Haunting of Gabriel Chase will be available late April 2021, and followed shortly by The City of Dr Moreau (both a limited hardback and a mass-market paperback) in May 2021.
The Lethbridge-Stewart range continues in July with the three-book series nine, starting with Warriors of Mondu by Gareth Madgwick. And the Travers & Wells series continues later in 2021 as part of Candy Jar’s annual crossover event, with The Invisible Women by John Peel.
If you have subscription with Candy Jar Books, The Haunting of Gabriel Chase is covered by this.
This year for Record Store Day 2021, vinyl fans will be able to get Dalek Terror, an exclusive vinyl compilation of stories from Terry Nation’s Dalek Annuals.
Four stories of galactic terror and global invasion will be pressed on stunning 2 x 140g ‘Extermination Splatter’ vinyl & presented in a gatefold sleeve with retro-style illustrations.
These four stories are read by Nicholas Briggs (the voice of the Daleks), Louise Jameson (Leela) and Matthew Waterhouse (Adric) plus, the ‘man of many voices’ Jon Culshaw.
Side ATerror Task Force
Side BExterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!
Side CBlockade
Side DNightmare
The vinyl includes bonus briefings on Dalek Genius, Mark 7 Humanoid Robot, Anatomy of a Dalek and Earth-Skaro Timescale.
Record Store Day is the one day of the year when over 200 independent record shops all across the UK come together to celebrate their unique culture. Special vinyl releases are made exclusively for the day and many shops and cities host artist performances and events to mark the occasion.
Get ready to grab your copy of Dalek Terror on Record Store Day, 12th June & 17th July 2021. Visit the Record Store Day website for more information
