BBC Books have announced the first story of Doctor Who’s 2005 revival is set for a special illustrated release.
To celebrate the return of showrunner Russell T Davies to Doctor Who, a special deluxe edition of ROSE will be published this autumn. Novelised by Russell from his original script, ROSE is the story that relaunched Doctor Who for the 21st century.
Originally published in 2018, this deluxe edition of ROSE features illustrations from acclaimed artist Robert Hack. It is set to publish on 23rd November 2023, to coincide with Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary.
In a lair somewhere beneath central London, a malevolent alien intelligence is plotting the end of humanity. Shop window dummies that can move – and kill – are taking up key positions, ready to strike.
Rose Tyler, an ordinary Londoner, is working her shift in a department store, unaware that this is the most important day of her life. She’s about to meet the only man who understands the true nature of the threat facing Earth, a stranger who will open her eyes to all the wonder and terror of the universe – a traveller in time and space known as the Doctor.
ROSE is the story that brought Doctor Who back for the 21st century – and Russell T Davies’s novelisation, based on his script, set the standard for new-era Target novelisations. Now with illustrations by acclaimed artist Robert Hack, this is Rose as you’ve never seen it before…
August sees the release of a range of brand-new audio adventures from Big Finish. Here’s a roundup of what’s available to buy on CD and download this month…
A timey-wimey story arc reaches its end!
The Doctor, Mel and Hebe are reunited – but Purity’s temporal meddling has altered history as they know it. To make matters worse, whatever is left of the being once known as Patricia McBride is still intent on fulfilling her grand design for humanity…
On Earth, the Sixth Doctor searches for the origins of the degeneration weapon and meets Jackie Tyler and Lady Christina de Souza in pursuit of a powerful item of jewellery. Meanwhile, a Time Lord renegade has duped Harry Sullivan into helping him stop the Doctor’s travels before they begin – and all are set on a collision course.
Available only as part of a download bundle, this special edition of ONCE AND FUTURE: TWO’S COMPANY sports a celebratory 60th anniversary cover, featuring the diamond Doctor Who logo, Colin Baker as the Doctor and Ian Marter as Harry Sullivan.
The Doctor crosses paths with many travellers – some at the start of their journey, some well on their way. From the remote nodes of a transmat network, to solving crimes at a spaceship service station, or helping a friend climb the political ladder – sometimes the journey is more interesting, and more dangerous, than the destination…
An old enemy hides beyond the universe, a desolate Cornish inn confronts the truth, a grieving mother holds onto a deadly memento of war, and has the Earth failed to notice it’s been invaded? Professor River Song must solve all this while dealing with a loss of her own.
Doctor Who Magazine celebrates the action figures and other articulated toys inspired by the 21st-century incarnation of the series.
Packed with exclusive photography and behind-the-scenes details, this volume surveys collectables based on episodes featuring the Ninth through to the Fourteenth Doctors. Some of the most popular Doctor Who toys ever produced are pictured alongside lesser-known items and rarities in this lavishly illustrated guide.
DWM Special Edition 64: Action figures is on sale from Thursday 3 August at WH Smith, selected supermarkets and online from panini.co.uk priced £8.99. A digital edition is also available, priced £7.99 from pocketmags.com
The Fourteenth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver is revealed!
GENESIS OF THE DALEKS is the original 1979 album version of the legendary TV serial, whilst DOCTOR WHO AND THE PESCATONS is the made-for-vinyl audio drama first released in 1976. EXPLORATION EARTH: THE TIME MACHINE is an adventure specially produced by BBC Schools Radio in 1976, and STATE OF DECAYis a unique audiobook reading from 1982. The collection is completed by a selection of BBC radio interviews with Tom Baker made in the 1970s and 1980s.
Presented inside an eye-catching Fourth Doctor O-ring sleeve, this Dalek-fronted quadpack design houses 4x 140g LPs in Orange, Green, Blue & Red vinyl, each with full cast & credits and its own brand new graphic design. Every copy of this release also includes an exclusive, frameable photograph of the Fourth Doctor, hand signed by Tom Baker himself.
Co-starring Elisabeth Sladen, Ian Marter, Bill Mitchell and John Westbrook, and accompanied by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop’s familiar Doctor Who theme, these dramas, readings and interviews are a fitting way to celebrate one of the most celebrated Doctors of all.
LP1: DOCTOR WHO: GENESIS OF THE DALEKS
LP2: DOCTOR WHO AND THE PESCATONS
LP3: EXPLORATION EARTH: THE TIME MACHINE + Selection of BBC radio interviews with Tom Baker made in the 1970s and 1980s
David Tennant and Catherine Tate – the Fourteenth Doctor and Donna – talk exclusively to Emily Cook on the set of the forthcoming 60th Anniversary Specials.
Snakes Alive! – Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and writer/director Pete McTighe on The Passenger, the new mini-episode of Doctor Who, which sees the return of Tegan and Nyssa.
Letter from the Showrunner – Russell T Davies reveals what happened when he made a suggestion for a special piece of set dressing…
The DWM 60th Anniversary Poll – the analysis of the results continues, with this issue looking at the rankings of the Tenth and Eleventh Doctor’s adventures.
Memory Worm– 1980s script editor Andrew Cartmel puts his knowledge of his Doctor Who career to the test.
Production Diary– script editor Scott Handcock files his latest report, direct from Doctor Who’s HQ.
Texting at Work– Sophie Cowdrey and Aled Griffiths reveal what it’s like to work as graphics assistants on the new series of Doctor Who.
The Omega Man – a never-before-published interview with the late Richard Gregory, the props builder who redesigned the Cybermen for Earthshock.
Liberation of the Daleks Part Ten – 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 Eleventh Doctor story The Girl Who Waited.
Gallifrey Guardian – all the latest official news.
Other Worlds – the essential guide to new stories in Doctor Who’s expanded universe.
Previews, reviews, prize-winning competitions, Time and Space Visualiser and more.
Doctor Who Magazine Issue 593 is on sale Thursday 20 July from panini.co.uk and WH Smith priced £7.99 (UK).
Also available as a digital edition from pocketmags.com priced £6.99.
Doctor Who stars pay tribute to Patrick Troughton at plaque unveiling
Legends of classic Doctor Who gathered to pay tribute to Patrick Troughton as a plaque was unveiled in his honour at his former school.
The Doctor Who Appreciation Society, the show’s longest-running fan club, collaborated with Mill Hill School in London to place the plaque at the school’s Patrick Troughton Theatre.
Sylvester McCoy, who played the Seventh Doctor, Sophie Aldred, who played Ace, and Frazer Hines, who played Jamie McCrimmon, were among those pictured in attendance to celebrate the actor, best known as the Second Doctor.
Carole Ann Ford (Susan), actors Hugh Frasers and Michael Jayston, and director Graeme Harper were also among those attending, alongside Troughton’s children Joanna and Michael.
McCoy shared a picture of himself with the plaque, tweeting: “Respect.”
Aldred shared a snap of herself and McCoy, referencing the show’s legacy and writing on Instagram: “Very lovely event celebrating Patrick Troughton, who I sadly never met, but to whom I owe this long career in Dr Who: Without his genius as Doctor no. 2, we wouldn’t still be going!”
Thanks so much to DWAS and Mill School for arranging the Patrick Troughton blue plaque unveiling event. So many lovely friends and colleagues of Dad’s took the time to celebrate with us. pic.twitter.com/i0tcaIQPSo
What a lovely event. I never met Patrick Troughton, but I owe him my Dr Who career; without his brilliance as Dr no2, it would have fizzled out. pic.twitter.com/S0UcR5DkQG
July sees the release of a range of brand-new audio adventures from Big Finish. Here’s a roundup of what’s available to buy on CD and download this month…
The Second Doctor and Jamie reunite
James Robert McCrimmon faced horrors while travelling with the Doctor, but when the Time Lords returned the Highlander to his rightful place in history, almost all those memories were lost to him. Now the Doctor is back and needs his friend by his side for more adventures set by the sinister Raven.
Davros joins the diamond anniversary audio series!
In the midst of the Time War, the Time Lords have received a communication from Falkus, the prison moon of Skaro. Its sole inmate, Davros, wishes to make them an offer. He will help them win the Time War… but only if the Doctor comes to his rescue.
Sylvester McCoy stars in an anniversary adventure!
Available only as part of a download bundle, this special edition of ONCE AND FUTURE: THE ARTIST AT THE END OF TIME sports a celebratory 60th anniversary cover, featuring the diamond Doctor Who logo, Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor and Terry Molloy as Davros.
As if the alien Vulpreen weren’t enough, what remains of UNIT faces another formidable adversary. The mercurial Missy is on the side of the Vulpreen, helping them in their ambition to become the rulers not just of Earth, but of all Space and Time!
The Doctor, Adric, Nyssa and Tegan have landed in London, 1982! There’s Buckingham Palace! It’s only a tube journey to Heathrow! And yet… The Palace is home not to a Queen but to an Emperor! There’s not one Tower Bridge, but four! There are 1950s police boxes on every street corner…
All stories are initially available exclusively from the Big Finish website in July. Check back here next month for a roundup of next month’s releases!
As Doctor Who starts its celebrations for the sixtieth anniversary, Candy Jar Books is proud to announce the first book it will be publishing to mark the upcoming festivities. So, get ready to be taken back to one of the most colourful highlights the series experienced in the 1960s when the Daleks took to the big screen, and now we share the memories of someone who was not only there, but also directly involved – Actress Jill Curzon, who played Doctor Who’s niece, Louise in Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. But, that’s not all.
Jill has lead a spectacular life, working with beloved names in the entertainment industry such as Roger Moore, Morecambe and Wise, Patrick McGoohan, etc, and starred in legendary cult TV series, such as The Champions, The Saint, Adam Adamant Lives and Not Only… But, Also with comedy icons Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.
Jill says: “Our generation of actors were the first to bring live theatre to the living rooms of tens of millions of people. What we did set the benchmark for all future television and movie productions.”
This is her story. From BBC Television Centre at its height, to Shepperton and Pinewood film studios, and taking in London and the Soho nightclubs and comedy bars of the early 1960s, this memoir captures the rich atmosphere and the vivid colour of the night-life that shaped the entertainment world both in front and behind the lens.
Follow Jill’s life as it takes unexpected twists and turns, through the fame of the 1960s and into the 1970s, where despite giving up acting, she continues to live life to the fullest.
Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar Books, says:
“The Dalek movies were part of all of our childhoods, whether you were there seeing them at the cinema in the 1960s, on Saturday mornings on BBC1 during summer holidays of the 1970s, or on VHS and Blu-Ray up to today. Jill was there front and centre. I am so pleased that Jill has decided to share her memories of the Daleks, and indeed her other appearances with comedy icons such as Terry Scott and Dick Emery, but I believe readers will be as fascinated as I was as they discover Jill’s story; her journey through emotional highs and lows, and how she resolved to set it all down in text once and for all. This is her definitive account of an amazing life.”
Drawing extensively from diaries kept throughout her life, Jill paints a sharply accurate portrait of a life where the world seems to present everything at her feet, from success to love, and then takes it all away as betrayal brings her to a point where nearly everything is lost.
As Jill says:
“Fate being fickle leaves you to decide much of how your life progresses. At least it does so in a teasing way, for it gives you the impression that it is you who makes the decisions that guide your path through life.’
Jill Curzon 2023 A.D.: My Eventful life offers an insight into a complex yet inspiring life, showing determination, optimism and above all else, how not to get exterminated!
Blurb:
Jill Curzon writes her memoirs with absolute candour, detailing the highs and lows of her professional and private life.
Within these pages are reflections on her life along with reminiscences on those who have mattered the most. These include fellow actors, directors, friends and family.
The book highlights Jill’s absolute zest for life and a great love of humour both professionally and personally.
Jill’s life hasn’t all been glitz, glamour and Daleks! Her stories of living through tough times and health worries will resonate with many, but what shines through is faith and positivity.
Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials to be novelised for the Target range
The three latest Doctor Who adventures featuring the Fourteenth Doctor and Donna Noble will become novels.
BBC Books is delighted to announce that it will be expanding the Doctor Who Target range with three new titles in January 2024. The collection are novelisations of the 2023 Doctor Who Specials, which will feature David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate as Donna Noble. Each book will have specially commissioned cover artwork by Anthony Dry.
Launched in 1973, Target Books published novelisations of almost every Doctor Who serial aired between 1963 and 1989. To the delight of fans, BBC Books began reissuing these classic paperbacks in 2012, and in 2018 expanded the Target range to include all-new novelisations of modern-era Doctor Who episodes. This year, Target Books celebrates its 50th year publishing Doctor Who books.
