Doctor Who – Revenge Of The Cybermen was the season 12 finale first broadcast on April 19th 1975.
As with so much television music of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, the original master tapes of Carey Blyton’s score for Revenge of the Cybermen were not retained. The only surviving copy is a set of four 7″, 7.5ips “composer’s copy” domestic 1/4-inch tape. It is from those digital transfers that this release is taken. Sadly, and to Carey’s obvious and understandable disappointment, the completed music did not meet with the complete approval of the production team, and much of it was not used. Peter Howell of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop added some electronic embellishments and arranged some additional cues for parts two and three but some of that was also left on the proverbial cutting room floor.
For this presentation, Carey’s original score is presented (and heard here for the first time) as written. This is followed by the additional, alternative, and “enhanced” cues, all of which were also on Carey Blyton’s tapes
“This is undoubtedly one of the most distinctive, mysterious, misunderstood, and even controversial scores in Doctor Who history, and it delights me to finally bring it, complete, to your ears!”
Mark Ayres – compiler and producer
Tracklist
THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL CAREY BLYTON SCORE
PART ONE
01 Doctor Who – Opening Title Theme 0.45
02 Return to Nerva Beacon 2.02
03 Can Anyone Hear Me? 0.36
04 Cybermat / Unspool / Plague 1.53
05 Cybership I 0.23
06 Searching Kellman’s Room 1.05
07 Sarah vs Cybermat Part 1 0.31
PART TWO
08 Sarah vs Cybermat Part 2 0.18
09 Sabotage 0.42
10 It’s Happening All Over Again 0.11
11 The Skystriker 0.26
12 On Voga 0.40
13 Sarah and Harry Captured Part 1 0.47
14 Sarah and Harry Captured Part 2 0.10
15 Cybership II 0.19
16 Enter Vorus 0.08
17 Remote Control Threat 0.33
18 Tyrum and Vorus 0.37
19 One More Pull 0.17
20 Caves Chase 0.50
21 Caves Chase Continued 0.29
22 Surrounded 0.35
23 Boarding Party 0.59
PART THREE
24 The Beacon is Ours 0.41
25 Tyrum Fanfare 0.15
26 Prisoners 0.13
27 Fresh Orders 0.19
28 It Cannot Be Stopped 0.21
29 Loose Thinking / The Bomb 1.27
30 The Countdown Has Commenced 1.01
31 Cybermarch 1.27
32 Radarscope 0.23
33 Adventures on Voga 1.19
34 Rockfall 1.15
PART FOUR
35 Surface Party and Detonation 1.47
36 Nine Minutes 0.26
37 Cybermat vs Cybermen 0.44
38 The Biggest Bang in History? 0.45
39 Waltz – All’s Well That Ends Well 0.17
40 Doctor Who – Closing Title Theme (53” Version) 0.54
ALTERNATIVE AND SYNTHESISER CUES
PARTS ONE AND TWO
41 Sarah vs Cybermat (end of part 1 alternative) 0.20
42 Sarah vs Cybermat (start of part 2) 0.56
43 It’s Happening All Over Again (random organ) 0.06
44 Sarah and Harry Captured (alternative) 0.46
45 Put That Gun Down (synth cue) 0.20
46 Cybership II (alternative) 0.24
47 Remote Control Threat (alternative) 0.35
48 One More Pull (alternative) and Vogan Gunfight 0.58
49 Cybership III (synth cue) 0.17
50 Caves Chase (alternative) 1.20
51 Cybership IV (synth cue) 0.23
52 Caves Chase Continued (alternative) 0.36
53 Surrounded (alternative) 0.38
54 Boarding Party (end of Part 2 alternative) 0.25
PART THREE
55 Jelly Babies (synth cue) 0.10
56 Tyrum Fanfare (edited cue as used) 0.10
57 It Cannot Be Stopped (alternative) 0.37
58 Loose Thinking (alternative) 0.31
59 The Bomb (alternative) 0.19
60 The Countdown Has Commenced (alternative) 0.06
61 Looped Cybermarch 0.29
62 Looped Cybermarch with Synth 0.47
63 Adventures on Voga (synth cues) 1.07
64 The Red Zone (Random Organ) 0.06
65 Heartbeat Countdown I (synth cue) 1.25
66 Heartbeat Countdown II (synth cue) 1.09
67 Rockfall (alternative) 1.17
‘Doctor Who – Time And The Rani’ was the opening serial of season 24, first broadcast on September 7th, 1987. It marked the debut of Sylvester McCoy and featured CGI, very much in a basic form as the technology was still in development. It also debuted a new computer animated opening title sequence with a new synthesiser version of the theme created by Keff McCulloch.
The composer was invited to create incidental music for the series and became a regular member of the team also writing music for Delta And The Bannerman, Paradise Towers, Remembrance Of The Daleks, Silver Nemesis, Battlefield, Dimensions In Time and Shada.
Keff, Dominic Glynn and Mark Ayres were the composers for the last three years of Doctor Who on its original run that ended in 1989, the latter compiling and producing this release.
Tracklist
PART ONE
01 The Rani Takes the TARDIS (Sound Effects) 0.22
02 Leave the Girl, It’s the Man I Want 0.23
03 Doctor Who (Opening Theme) 0.54
04 Einstein 0.21
05 A Nice Nap 0.34
06 Urak and Ikona 1.12
07 The Death of Sarn 1.05
08 Bull in a Barbershop 0.24
09 Not Your Enemy 1.52
10 The Tetrap Eyrie (1) 0.46
11 Landscape 0.25
12 New Wardrobe 1.27
13 Mel and the Bubble Trap 1.04
PART TWO
14 Mel and the Bubble Trap (continued) 1.33
15 The Tetrap Eyrie (2) 0.44
16 Wait Here 0.56
17 Memory Like An Elephant 1.18
18 Faroon, Ikona and the Mourning 1.34
19 Urak Nets The Rani 1.39
20 Pulses 0.26
21 The Rani’s TARDIS 1.03
22 You’re a Time Lord 0.39
23 She’s Coming 0.29
24 Cliffhanger in the Eyrie 1.30
PART THREE
25 Doctor on the Loose (Part 1) 0.55
26 Doctor on the Loose (Parts 2-4) 1.28
27 Doctor on the Loose (Part 5 – The Bubble Trap) 0.33
28 Faroon Forlorn / Doctor on the Loose (Part 6) 0.46
29 Future Pleasure 4.58
30 Beez 0.47
31 Hologram Mel 1.29
32 Just the Expert 0.24
33 As Sentimental as He Is 0.17
34 Fixed Trajectory 0.48
35 Second Bluff 0.47
36 All as Planned 0.20
37 The Brain 2.08
PART FOUR
38 The Brain (reprise) 1.19
39 Dissidents to Heel 0.40
40 March of the Tetraps / Anklet Death 1.48
41 The Rani Explains 1.48
42 Urak Overhears 0.27
43 Loyhargil (1) 0.48
44 As You Snore So Shall You Sleep 0.38
45 Loyhargil (2) 0.14
46 Where there’s a Will 0.27
47 Loyhargil (3) 0.24
48 The Rani Leaves 0.20
49 Undoing The Rani 2.08
50 Fingers Crossed 0.21
51 Not Forgotten 0.54
52 Time and Tide Melts the Snowman 0.15
53 Doctor Who (Closing Theme) 1.13
BONUS TRACKS
54 Doctor Who 1987 2.40
55 The Death of Sarn (part, alternative version without rattle) 0.22
56 Two “stings” (1m10 and 1m12) 0.18
57 New Wardrobe (original mono mix without overdubs) 0.57
58 New Wardrobe (overdubs) 0.57
59 New Wardrobe (original mono TV mix as used) 0.58
60 She’s Coming (unused version 1) 0.43
61 Cliffhanger in the Eyrie (unused version 1) 1.30
62 Cliffhanger in the Eyrie (Part Two Reprise edit) 1.18
63 Future Pleasure (original master) 4.32
64 The Brain (25th Anniversary Album edit) 3.03
65 Doctor Who Theme 1987 (original demo) 2.54
66 Doctor Who Opening Title 1987 (original demo) 0.43
67 Doctor Who Closing Title 1987 (original demo) 1.16
Total Duration – 76m 05s
This title will be released on CD and available digitally to stream/download from November 24, 2023. Coming soon on vinyl.
Over the years, I meet so many people who were inspired to find careers in TV, because of the behind-the-scenes material the BBC would show. And now it’s back, in the grand old tradition of Doctor Who Confidential, but in a brand new form, Unleashed! So a whole new generation – and faithful fans of old – can see what the stars and the crew get up to behind the cameras.
New Doctor Who trailer for 60th Anniversary Specials released
Just as viewers were about to enter the ballroom for the first live show of Strictly Come Dancing 2023, they were transported to the TARDIS with an exclusive new trailer revealing more of what’s to come when Doctor Who returns this November.
“If destiny exists, then it is heading for Donna Noble…”
Partners in crime once more! – Destiny isn’t done with the Doctor and Donna just yet…
The brand new trailer features Neil Patrick Harris waltzing onto the scene, as it is now revealed that he will play the Toymaker, all-powerful enemy last seen in 1966 – but what is it that brings the Doctor face-to-face with this enemy from his past?
“He is remembering me…” The Toymaker, an all-powerful enemy last seen in 1966
Also shown, UNIT is back with a bang! Jemma Redgrave reprises her iconic role as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart alongside David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor.
“What can we do, Doctor?” UNIT is back with a bang!
Jemma Redgrave as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart
Russell T Davies, Showrunner says:
“This is just the start, as the fever starts to burn. We’re heading for a November full of Doctor Who surprises, for fans and new viewers alike. Stay alert!”
Doctor Who returns in November 2023 with three special episodes with David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor to coincide with the 60th anniversary. Ncuti Gatwa’s first episode as the Fifteenth Doctor will air over the festive period.
CANDY JAR ANNOUNCE SIMULTANEOUS RELEASE OF TWO NEW LUCY WILSON NOVELS
Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce a simultaneous release of the next two instalments of the Lucy Wilson series, available for pre-order, exclusively from the Candy Jar website.
Chronology can get a little slippy in the timey-wimey world of Lucy Wilson, but the first release in this double-header is entitled Apocalypse Tomorrow, and it serves as the epic conclusion of TheMystery of Lucy Wilson arc, which has seen Lucy separated from her best friend Hobo by the small matter of several decades and one apocalypse.
Co-written by debutant Steven Walton and range editor Shaun Russell, Apocalypse Tomorrow finds our heroes transported to their most alien setting yet: 1990s Cool Britannia.
Serving as a coda to this storyline, The Web of Terror, co-authored by Paul W Robinson and Shaun Russell, starts off on more familiar ground: Lucy’s home in sleepy Ogmore-by-Sea. But humanity’s last line of defence doesn’t get many off days: soon she’s confronted by a foe from her past. Or more precisely, several of her pasts…
With the arc juggling multiple timelines and locations, tying a bow on this storyline soon spilled over the bounds of a single book, which prompted the decision to release these novels simultaneously.
As Shaun explains:
“On one level, Apocalypse Tomorrow and The Web of Terror are two very different stories. What unites them, however, is that they see the characters of Lucy and Hobo rediscovering themselves – both as individuals and as a team. At this point, they’ve been separated for several books, and their reunion is not straightforward. We didn’t want to provide the readers with the setup while withholding the payoff; by the conclusion of these stories, we’re ready to kick of a distinct new phase in Lucy and Hobo’s adventures. But as we needed both novels to get there, we decided, why not release them together?”
It’s an ambitious conclusion, which sees (at least) three different timelines collide. But as co-author Steven Walton says, that’s just one of the exciting aspects of writing for these characters:
“Time travel, intergalactic spaceships, multidimensional beings… It’s all just a day in the life for Lucy Wilson! It’s the nature of storytelling to take a character from one familiar situation, and into a strange new one – and there’s no characters where you have more scope to do so! We went as big as possible with these stories, particularly with the conclusion of Apocalypse. But I think most of all I enjoyed playing with the idea of Lucy being dropped into the 1990s, a place somehow all the stranger for its seeming familiarity.”
Co-author Paul W Robinson follows Apocalypse Tomorrow with The Web of Terror. Tying up a few loose ends, this book also sends Lucy on her very first adventure to an alien planet. Paul says:
“I felt it was about time that Lucy and Hobo travelled beyond the earth’s atmosphere. It was fascinating creating a brand new world, while thrusting Lucy into her very own Hunger Games–style mystery.”
Blurb for The Mystery of Lucy Wilson: Apocalypse Tomorrow:
Lucy Wilson’s adventures in time have taken her to some strange places. Dangerous places, faraway places… But none so strange and alien as where she finds herself now… The 1990s.
Pokémon battle in the schoolyards. Tamagotchi roam the streets. And a giant spider from a ruined future looks to spark an apocalypse that, technically, has already happened.
Timelines converge and realities shattered as Lucy’s exile in time reaches its epic climax. And in the end, it all comes down to one question: who’s better, 2Unlimited or Adamski?
Blurb for The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: The Web of Terror
Lucy Wilson thought that her run-in with killer spiders was over after her time in Australia! But soon strange happenings on Ogmore-by-Sea beach set her skin crawling once again…
Still, whether trapped in a spaceship, abducted by a familiar face, or hunted by space pandas, Lucy’s just glad to have her best friend Hobo back by her side.
But the past has a way of catching up with you. Can Lucy escape the enemy that she thought she’d left behind long ago?
The Lucy Wilson Mysteries is a Lethbridge-Stewart spin-off adventure inspired by characters created for Doctor Who by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln.
Candy Jar has put together a Spotify list for Apocalypse Tomorrow featuring all your favourites ’90s hits and much more. Click here for link.
Highway to Mel – in her first major interview with DWM since her return to Doctor Who was announced, Bonnie Langford talks exclusively about reprising the role as Melanie Bush opposite Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor.
Letter from the Showrunner – Russell T Davies shares his reactions as he watches the finished version of The Star Beast, the first of this year’s Doctor Who Specials.
We Need to Talk About Mel Bush – a compelling argument as to why Mel is the most underrated companion of all time.
Dread Right Hand – what makes a great sinister assistant in Doctor Who, and how do they get their dirty work done? DWM investigates…
Web Slingers, Surfers and Time Lords – acclaimed comic-book writer Dan Slott on his debut Doctor Who graphic novel, Once Upon a Time Lord.
The Butterfly Effect – DWM talks to Emily Cook and finds out how a virtual event during lockdown snowballed into something that would change the course of Doctor Who history.
Game designer Gavin Verhey and art director Matt Cavotta reveal how they combined fantasy trading card game Magic: The Gathering with Doctor Who.
Production Diary – script editor Scott Handcock files his latest report, direct from Doctor Who’s HQ.
Welcome to Aladdin’s Cave – brand asset manager Jonathan Davies on how it feels to have 60 years’ worth of Doctor Who props, costumes and assets at his fingertips.
Liberation of the Daleks Part Twelve – the adventures of the Fourteenth Doctor continue in the epic comic-strip adventure written by Alan Barnes and illustrated by Lee Sullivan.
60 Objects, 60 Years – the latest instalment of the series that tells the story of one object from every year of Doctor Who’s history.
The Fact of Fiction unlocks the secrets of the Sixth Doctor’s final episodes, The Trial of a Time Lord Parts Thirteen and Fourteen.
Gallifrey Guardian – all the latest official news.
Other Worlds – the essential guide to new stories in Doctor Who’s expanded universe.
On sale 14 September 2023
Doctor Who: Redacted podcast returns for second series
The Doctor Who podcast will return next week with six brand new episodes to celebrate the show’s 60th anniversary.
The second series of Doctor Who: Redacted, made by BBC Studios for BBC Sounds, will be available from 18th September.
Juno Dawson returns as the lead writer, alongside stars Charlie Craggs, Lois Chimimba and Holly Quin-Ankrah. While series two welcomes a host of guest stars from the world of Doctor Who and beyond including: Freddy Carter, Anjli Mohindra, Dervla Kirwan and Alexander Armstrong.
Lead writer Juno Dawson says:
“I’m so excited that Doctor Who: Redacted is back for a second series, it feels particularly special to be a part of such a big year for the show. We’ve got a stellar returning cast and welcoming guest stars, both old and new, into Cleo, Abby and Shawna’s corner of the Doctor Who universe has been brilliant. I can’t wait for fans to hear the series and see what is next in store for the trio.”
Following on from last year’s debut series, Cleo (Charlie Craggs), Abby (Lois Chimimba) and Shawna (Holly Quin-Ankrah) are still hosting their podcast called ‘The Blue Box Files’, about their attempts to track sightings of a mysterious blue box that crops up throughout history, usually coinciding with some huge, apocalyptic events.
Last year the podcast led them to save the world from a killer-psychic-virus, with the help of a mysterious alien called the Doctor. But now, only Cleo has any memory of those events. She knows there’s something out there, which is why she’s going spare – yes, she’s repaired her relationship with her mum, but her life hasn’t caught fire. Meanwhile her best friends, Abby and Shawna, have coupled up and Cleo can’t help but feel like the third wheel. She’s focusing on the important questions in life such as, ‘are giant rats invading East London?’
Then an enigmatic spaceman lands into Cleo’s life, and it’s not The Doctor this time. Apex Costa has it all; style, good looks, teleportation device. But is he all he seems?
Cast
Cleo Proctor – Charlie Craggs
Abby McPhail – Lois Chimimba
Shawna Thompson – Holly Quin-Ankrah
Apex Costa – Freddy Carter
Rani Chandra – Anjli Mohindra
Morag – Maggie Service
Esther – Teri Ann Bobby-Baxter
Ed – Sam Stafford
Drone – Wilf Scolding
Honour Bray – Dervla Kirwan
Mr Singh – Irvine Iqbal
Receptionist – Denica Fairman
Mr Smith – Alexander Armstrong
Doctor Who: Redacted will be available weekly on BBC Sounds from 18th September.
Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce the third title in its final series of Lethbridge-Stewart novels.
United Nations is written by Jonathan Blum, his first Lethbridge-Stewart novel, but by no means his first foray into Doctor Who fiction. During the 1990s he penned several Doctor Who novels with his partner, Kate Orman, for BBC Books, including Vampire Science and Seeing I. Outside of books, he also wrote the seminal Big Finish audio, The Fearmonger.
Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen says:
“I’ve long wanted to work with Jon Blum, having been an admirer of his work since I first read Vampire Science in 1997. It took a while to work out, since Jon is a busy chap and we needed a window that would work for him. A such, his first Lethbridge-Stewart novel comes at the end of the range, and has taken something of a lengthy gestation period. For these last few novels, starting with Spheres of Influence and It Came from the Isle of Man, I made sure the authors worked closely together to build up an ongoing situation, worthy of such a big event as the creation of UNIT.”
Jonathan Blum says:
“Much of this book was springboarding off of where John Peel left his book. He set up an adventure with international scope, then resolved the crisis itself… Because John was doing the big alien adventure, I wanted to explore the other half of what would become UNIT’s remit; ‘anything unknown [on Earth], or even beyond.’ I wanted human-scale adversaries, people living with the unearthly or trying to exploit it. And I wanted to show how humans can produce the sort of global threats the UN is supposed to be uniting us to deal with. The business with the Odds was inspired by some middle-aged reflection on just how outrageously unlikely my life has been over the years. Lethbridge-Stewart keeps trying to have a normal life in the midst of barking madness, and I wanted to draw some parallels with these other people coping with improbable events. Dramatize that sense of a little bubble of normality, but on a global scale. And then blow it up.”
Setting up UNIT is a large part of these final books. Frankham-Allen continues:
“That was also the endgame of this series, to fill the gap between The Web of Fear and The Invasion, to show what happened in those four years between to not only Lethbridge-Stewart, but Earth at large. What series of events would warrant the set-up of such an international force…? We had it all planned, and things were going smoothly, and then we were hit with a bizarre reference to The War Machines (a story that happened long before The Web of Fear) in 2022 with Doctor Who: Flux…”
Jonathan Blum explains:
“We were most of the way through the story, when suddenly Flux established that UNIT was being set up years before Lethbridge-Stewart even came on board [despite countless previous references to his importance in the founding of UNIT]. But then if you look at what actually happens in Flux, it turns out there’s a very good reason why the original UNIT was strangled at birth, and needed our heroes to breathe life into it. And suddenly we see some things the Brigadier’s superiors did earlier in the book series in a rather different light…”
This book also sees the full return of Captain Kramer, who previously appeared in Times Squared…
Blum continues:
“Thirty years ago now, I made my student film Time Rift, and Marsha Twitty played Adrienne Kramer, commander of UNIT USA. And her part kept getting bigger, because her performance really jumped off the screen. Marsha became a lifelong friend, and Kate and I wrote General Kramer into our Eighth Doctor novels. Then the Lethbridge-Stewart team asked if they could feature a younger Kramer in their series. But when Marsha passed away in 2019, I decided I wanted to write for her once more as a tribute. Somehow that snowballed into being the big founding-of-UNIT story! I talked with Marsha’s friends, her mother and her boyfriend, and really tried to dig into the truth of what it would be like for a young Black woman officer working at the UN in those days. She was a joy to write for – a take-charge woman who’s also really good at keeping things to herself, and having more up her sleeve than you think. And we see very different sides to her in these books. Even after all these years, she was still able to surprise me!”
Blurb:
It was impossible that the public could ever have missed seeing the giant alien spaceship. But somehow, everyone did.
The US and USSR both want to know how the UK covered the incident up. Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart would quite like to know who actually did cover it up. Old allies from both sides of the Iron Curtain are chasing the answer – but each with their own agenda. Everyone wants the power to make inconvenient secrets disappear.
The search leads Lethbridge-Stewart to the single most normal man on the Isle of Man, and what happens to the world around him when he dies. Lethbridge-Stewart faces death by coincidence, as probability gets turned upside-down.
And as the attacks get closer and closer to home, so does the political fallout. His career, his dream of uniting the worlds’ nations against alien threats, even his family could pay the ultimate price.
The final two books in this Lethbridge-Stewart series will be Intelligence Taskforce by Jonathan Blum, and the series epilogue, The Lost Son by Andy Frankham-Allen.
If you have subscription with Candy Jar Books, United Nations is covered by this.
Join the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the BBC Singers, directed by Alastair King, as they celebrate the glorious musical sounds of Doctor Who in this special 60th anniversary concert for Radio 2.
Featuring I Am The Doctor, Abigail’s Song, This Is Gallifrey, The Impossible Girl, I Am A Good Man, The Shepherd’s Boy and the timeless Doctor Who Theme as brilliantly imagined by composers Murray Gold and Segun Akinola.
There’s also a trip back in time to the classic years of Doctor Who from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s featuring the vintage synthesisers of BBC Radiophonic Workshop veterans Mark Ayres and Peter Howell. Plus a look ahead to the keenly awaited 60th anniversary specials on BBC One later in the year.
Special guests include Russell T Davies, Steven Moffat and Chris Chibnall.
GNR has just received confirmation that this concert will air on BBC Radio 2 as part of their “Sunday Night is Music Night” strand on 15th October 2023 at 20:00 (BST), the concert duration is 1 hour, 57 minutes.
Get a preview of the new book ‘Doctor Who: The Daily Doctor’ with some memorable mantras from 60 years of Doctor Who.
To celebrate the release of THE DAILY DOCTOR: 365 1/4 WHONIVERSAL MEDITATIONS ON LIFE AND HOW TO LIVE IT, you can read some exclusive excerpts from the book here on the Doctor Who website.
Featuring quotes from every leading Doctor – from William Hartnell’s First Doctor to Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor – this page-a-day collection of pearls of wisdom from the show’s 60 years will help you stay inspired, remain ever the optimist, and travel hopefully.
The First Doctor (William Hartnell)
9 FEBRUARY – SENSE IN RETROSPECT
History sometimes gives us a terrible shock and that is because we don’t quite fully understand. Why should we? After all, we’re all too small to realise its final pattern. THE MASSACRE OF ST BARTHOLOMEW’S EVE by John Lucarotti (1966)
The TARDIS lands in Paris in 1592, where the Doctor and his young friend Steven are soon caught up between warring religious factions. Steven befriends a serving girl, Anne Chaplet, but when events in the city turn especially violent, the Doctor tells Anne to go home. Steven and the Doctor leave in the TARDIS where the Doctor reveals that some ten thousand people will die in the massacre he and Steven just fled.
Steven is furious that the Doctor left Anne in such potential danger but the Doctor insists (not for the first time) that history cannot be changed… The Doctor believes he’s made the right albeit difficult choice – but will come to rethink this kind of decision.
It’s hard to understand events as they’re happening. Dramas and crises can be overwhelming. But later, looking back, we can gain perspective to make sense of what happened – and learn from the experience.
The Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton)
26 FEBRUARY – GENIUS OR STUPID
Dastari, I have no doubt you could augment an earwig to the point where it understood nuclear physics – but it’d still be a very stupid thing to do! THE TWO DOCTORS by Robert Holmes (1985)
Professor Joinson Dastari is Head of Projects at Space Station Camera in the Third Zone, a pioneer in genetic engineering and, according to the Doctor, has enough letters after his name for two alphabets. He’s exceedingly clever, as demonstrated by his fascinating work on rho mesons as the unstable factor in short-lived pin galaxies (which only exist for one quintillionth of a second).
But even someone as bright as Dastari can be spectacularly dim. In technologically augmenting the Androgum known as Chessene o’ the Franzine Grig, he unwittingly creates a formidable villain. Then there’s the fact that he sides with the Sontarans because they will support his experiments, not considering what evil they might do with it. Dimmer still, he attempts to pit his wits against two incarnations of the Doctor at the same time!
Even very intelligent, talented and experienced people can make mistakes or do daft things. Judge people by their actions not their accolades.
The Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee)
24 MAY – FEAR DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A WEAKNESS
Courage isn’t just a matter of not being frightened, you know. It’s being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway. PLANET OF THE DALEKS by Terry Nation (1973)
Codal is part of a task force confronting the Daleks. He is captured in the Spiridon jungle while drawing pursuers away from his fellow Thals. The Doctor finds Codal in a Dalek cell and commends his bravery.
Codal dismisses it, saying he didn’t think about his actions. He’s been terrified ever since landing on the planet. Unlike the others, he’s a scientist and not a soldier. He didn’t have the courage to be the only one in hundreds not to volunteer for service – even though the Thals have only recently developed space flight for a voyage of this length. The Doctor’s little tutorial on bravery reassures Codal that what he’s described, and what he did in the jungle, are certainly examples of courage.
Being afraid of danger and uncertainty is natural, not a failing. Fear isn’t a weakness; failing to act because of it is. In any situation, true bravery appears when you’re understandably frightened but still choose to do the right thing.
The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker)
12 APRIL – EVIDENCE-BASED DECISIONS
Never guess. Unless you have to. There’s enough uncertainty in the universe as it is. LOGOPOLIS by Christopher H Bidmead (1981)
A pale figure on a bridge gestures towards the TARDIS on the river- bank far below. The Doctor goes to talk with the stranger, and Adric observes their conversation from a distance.
Adric knows that they arrived by the River Thames to flush out the Doctor’s old enemy, the Master. The Doctor won’t tell him the identity of the mystery figure on the bridge, so mathematical genius Adric puts two and two together and makes five: it must be the Master. The Doctor admonishes Adric without correcting him about the stranger’s true identify. He’s spotting connections in a chain of circumstances that fragments the law that holds the universe together – and so guessing most certainly won’t help.
Expectation inspires us with possibilities in a way that dry facts do not. But random conjecture is no substitute for informed deduction, whatever the situation. Equip yourself with facts before decisions are made.
The Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison)
25 APRIL – MIRROR, MIRROR
THE DOCTOR: What is the one thing evil cannot face – not ever? TEGAN JOVANKA: What? THE DOCTOR: Itself. KINDA by Christopher Bailey (1982)
The verdant planet Deva Loka, also known as S14, is home to the peaceful, enigmatic Kinda who turn out to be far more sophisticated than they first appear. A group of would-be colonisers from another world dismiss the Kinda as ‘primitive’ because they recoil from the sight of a mirror, fearful that it might somehow capture their soul.
But there’s another lifeform on Deva Loka: the evil Mara. It usually inhabits ‘the dark places of the inside’ but succeeds in making a telepathic connection with Tegan using her dreams as a conduit. The Doctor realises that the Kinda’s fear of mirrors is a clue to their power. To defeat the huge, snake-like manifestation of the Mara and free the people it has possessed, he traps the creature within a circle of polished solar generator panels. The Mara is faced with infinite reflections of itself and can only escape by withdrawing to the dark place from which it came.
Most of us like to think that we’re basically good people. However, we might occasionally behave badly and not necessarily be aware how we’re affecting others. Every now and again it’s a good idea to hold up a mirror to our own actions and see ourselves as others do.
The Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker)
10 JANUARY – COMPASSION WHEN TESTED
THE DOCTOR: You know, I’ll never understand the people of Earth. I have spent the day using, abusing, even trying to kill you. If you’d have behaved as I have, I should have been pleased at your demise. PERI BROWN: It’s called compassion, Doctor. THE TWIN DILEMMA by Anthony Steven (1984)
The newly regenerated Sixth Doctor is liable to sudden, dramatic changes of mood. At one point, he even attacks his poor companion, Peri. Horrified by his own actions, he heads to the desolate asteroid Titan 3, to live a repentant life as a hermit. Poor Peri has no choice but to go with him.
Soon they are caught up in a sinister alien plot, and find themselves trapped in a base which has been set to self-destruct. With typical quick thinking, the Doctor finds a way to transmat Peri to safety, but the base apparently explodes before he can join her back in the TARDIS.
The Doctor is amazed by Peri’s relief when he then turns up alive; it’s not at all what he deserves. But her compassion transcends such small concerns. Don’t take pleasure in the suffering of others, no matter what they might have done.
The Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy)
12 SEPTEMBER – TIME FLOWS BY
Funny old business, time. It delights in frustrating your plans. All Kane’s bitterness and hatred thwarted by a quirk of time. DRAGONFIRE by Ian Briggs (1987)
The vicious criminal Kane was captured by his people on Proamon and exiled to the frozen, dark side of the planet Svartos.
For 3,000 years Kane plotted revenge against his own people – without knowing that he was wasting his time. A thousand years after he was exiled from his home world, its local, cold red star turned supernova and all the planets were engulfed in the explosion. Kane finally realizes that for two-thirds of his imprisonment, there has been no one to avenge himself on. All his efforts and diabolical schemes have been for nothing.
The Doctor is also long-lived and has suffered all kinds of loss and injustice. Yet his behaviour on Svartos is completely different to Kane’s. The Doctor explores, makes new friends and even goes on a treasure hunt.
Humans don’t live as long as the Doctor or Kane. We don’t know how long our lives – or those of others – will be. Don’t waste time in bitterness. Move on and make the most of what you have.
The Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann)
16 JULY – USE THE TIME YOU’VE GOT
Four minutes? That’s ages! What if I get bored. I need a television, couple of books. Anyone for chess? Bring me knitting! THE NIGHT OF THE DOCTOR by Steven Moffat (2013)
The Doctor comes to the rescue of a young woman called Cass on a gunship racing out of control through space. Unfortunately, Cass wants nothing to do with any Time Lord – she thinks they’re no different from Daleks now, in the midst of the raging Time War. After the Doctor is unable to persuade her that he only wants to help, the ship smashes down on to the surface of the planet Karn. Cass is fatally injured in the crash. So is the Doctor.
Yet the infamous Sisterhood of Karn use their Elixir of Life to restore him for a brief time. Anyone else would surely be horrified to learn they have just four minutes to live. The Doctor, however, immediately thinks of all the fun things he can cram into that time.
In fact, this is a central idea in the philosophy of Stoicism, which flourished among the ancient Greeks and Romans. One Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, put it like this in his famous book, Meditations: “Don’t act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good.”
The Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston)
17 APRIL – SAVOUR OTHER CULTURES
Time travel’s like visiting Paris. You can’t just read the guide book, you’ve got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers. Or is that just me? Stop asking questions, go and do it! THE LONG GAME by Russell T Davies (2005)
Adam Mitchell is overwhelmed by his first trip in the TARDIS. In the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire, planet Earth is at its height. It’s covered with mega-cities, has five moons, a population of 96 billion, and is the hub of a galactic domain stretching across a million planets and a million species.
On closer examination, the space station they’re on doesn’t exhibit the culture, art, politics, fine food and good manners Adam’s been promised. But the Doctor gives him a credit card for pocket money, tells him to stop asking nagging questions, and sends him off to explore for himself.
When you visit a foreign country, don’t just head for familiar burger and chips in the nearest themed pub. Make it your opportunity to understand a culture, language, architecture and cuisine different to your own. Who knows how your own tastes will be changed by the experience.
The Tenth Doctor (David Tennant)
25 SEPTEMBER – GIVE IT A TRY
Thing about me, I’m stupid. I talk too much. Always babbling on. This gob doesn’t stop for anything. Want to know the only reason I’m still alive? Always stay near the door. FOREST OF THE DEAD by Steven Moffat (2008)
The Doctor and his party flee through the linked skyscrapers of the biggest library in the universe. He sends the others ahead of him while he tries to talk to the creature hot on their heels.
River Song isn’t convinced the Doctor can reason with a carnivorous swarm in a suit. Nevertheless, the Vashta Nerada tell him new information about their origins – but not before they consume another victim and close in. The Doctor distracts them by chatting as he prepares to open a trapdoor beneath him and escape.
Don’t be afraid to try something novel, go to a place you’ve not visited before or meet different people at a party or an event. You’ll learn new things, make fresh connections and maybe change your perspective. And if things don’t go too well, you can always prepare an excuse that allows you to pop out at a moment’s notice.
The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)
5 JUNE – HOLD ON TO SUNSHINE FOR THE RAINY DAYS
What’s the point in them being happy now if they’re going to be sad later? The answer is, of course, because they are going to be sad later. THE DOCTOR, THE WIDOW AND THE WARDROBE by Steven Moffat (2011)
The Doctor says this to Madge Arwell, who is desperate for her children Lily and Cyril to have the best Christmas ever – before they learn the terrible news that their father has died. All Madge wants is for her children to be happy but she finds herself shouting at them instead. The Doctor gently explains the turbulent brew of emotions we call grief.
In time, we all lose people dear to us. Sometimes we simply drift apart or move away; sometimes people die. Grief can smother everything for a while, leaving us upset and angry and numb all at once. It’s awful and exhausting. If you don’t understand that already, sadly you will someday…
But that’s all the more reason to cherish what we have. Recognise the good times as you’re having them. Tell the people you love that you love them. None of us know how long we’ve got together, so make the most of it while you can.
The Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi)
28 JUNE – POSITIVE OUTLOOK
THE DOCTOR: I have a time machine. I can be back before we left. BILL POTTS: But what if you get lost, or stuck, or something? THE DOCTOR: I’ve thought about that. BILL POTTS: And? THE DOCTOR: Well, it would be a worry, so best not to dwell on it. Look at this building. Look at it. You know what I like about humanity? Its optimism. Do you know what this building is made of? Pure, soaring optimism. SMILE by Frank Cottrell-Boyce (2017)
The Doctor tells Bill Potts that a journey back to his office in the TARDIS for a cup of tea can encompass everything that ever happened or will happen – all before the kettle boils. Where would she like to go?
He dismisses Bill’s worry that something could prevent them returning, instead pointing out the beauty and wonder of the futuristic colony city in which they have just arrived.
You’ll enjoy life more by assuming a positive outlook. Take sensible precautions, but don’t let fear of a worst-case scenario spoil your enjoyment of the moment.
The Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker)
28 APRIL – LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE
Something seems impossible. We try – it doesn’t work, we try again. We learn, we improve. We fail again, but better. We make friends, we learn to trust, we help each other. We get it wrong again. We improve together, then ultimately succeed. Because this is what being alive is. And it’s better than the alternative. So come on, you brilliant humans. We go again. And we win. EVE OF THE DALEKS by Chris Chibnall (2022)
It’s déjà vu all over again. The Daleks track the TARDIS to execute the Doctor as punishment for destroying their war fleet. They succeed immediately, exterminating the Doctor and her friends in a storage facility. The End.
Well, not quite. The TARDIS traps them inside a time loop. The relentless Daleks learn the Doctor’s tactics each time the loop repeats. But it shortens on each reset, so they only have so many chances. The Doctor uses the penultimate loop to plan tactics that make the most of time available to each of them. Six previous failures are acceptable if it makes a final seventh attempt successful.
If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Don’t just repeat your actions. Learn from your mistakes, work out whose help you need, picture a successful outcome and go for it.
Every Doctor (Almost)
6 APRIL – WHEN I SAY RUN…
THE DOCTOR: Run! THE FACELESS ONES by David Ellis and Malcolm Hulke (1967) THE THREE DOCTORS by Bob Baker and Dave Martin (1972–73) IMAGE OF THE FENDAHL by Chris Boucher (1977) FOUR TO DOOMSDAY by Terence Dudley (1982) VENGEANCE ON VAROS by Philip Martin (1985) PARADISE TOWERS by Stephen Wyatt (1987) DOCTOR WHO by Matthew Jacobs (1996) ROSE by Russell T Davies (2005) NEW EARTH by Russell T Davies (2006) THE ELEVENTH HOUR by Steven Moffat (2010) ROBOT OF SHERWOOD by Mark Gatiss (2014) ROSA by Malorie Blackman and Chris Chibnall (2018)
Here’s a useful fact for you. The First Doctor never tells anyone to run in any of his TV adventures – he’s more likely to tell them to wait so he can catch up. But every other Doctor has yelled this instruction, and so saved someone’s life.
There’s an awful lot of running in Doctor Who. After all, there’s a whole universe of deadly creatures and robots to escape from. But look again and that’s not always what’s happening. Sometimes the Doctor runs headlong into danger, eager to help those who need it. We could all be a bit more courageous and active in helping. So imagine the Doctor taking hold of your hand – and run.
