Nicholas Briggs has chosen nine Doctor Who audios, along with one Sherlock Holmes audio, to go on sale for the weekend.
The Doctor Who audios on sale are: The Condemned (Sixth Doctor) The Girl Who Never Was (Eighth Doctor) The Bride of Peladon (Fifth Doctor) Max Warp (Eighth Doctor) Grand Theft Cosmos (Eighth Doctor) Lucie Miller (Eighth Doctor) To the Death (Eighth Doctor) Son of the Dragon (Fifth Doctor) The Rocket Men (First Doctor Companion Chronicle with Ian Chesterton) The Adventure of the Perfidous Mariner (non-Doctor Who; Sherlock Holmes)
They are priced at £5 each (CD and download) or £45 for the lot. You can buy them here. Sale ends Monday.
The Radio Times have confirmed the UK air dates for the mini-series The Doctor's Revisited, and have further confirmed that a featured story will be aired for each Doctor right after the short documentaries.
Schedule:
12th October: The Doctors Revisited: William Hartnell + The Aztecs 13th October: The Doctors Revisited: Patrick Troughton + The Tomb of the Cybermen 19th October: The Doctors Revisited: Jon Pertwee + Spearhead from Space 20th October: The Doctors Revisited: Tom Baker + The Pyramids of Mars 26th October: The Doctors Revisited: Peter Davison + Earthshock 27th October: The Doctors Revisited: Colin Baker + Vengeance on Varos 2nd November: The Doctors Revisited: Sylvester McCoy + Battlefield 3rd November: The Doctors Revisited: Paul McGann + Doctor Who: The Movie 9th November: The Doctors Revisited: Christopher Eccleston + Bad Wolf / Parting of the Ways 10th November: The Doctors Revisited: David Tennant + The Stolen Earth / Journey's End 16th November: The Doctors Revisited: Matt Smith + The Impossible Astronaught / Day of the Moon
The documentaries all start on Watch at 2PM and the episodes start at 2:30PM on the various dates.
Big Finish have uploaded this video to advertise their 50th anniversary special audio drama The Light at the End, starring Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann and various companions. The more expensive collector's edition release features Companion Chronicle The Revenants starring William Russell.
You can pre-order The Light at the End from BigFinish.com here or from Amazon UK here.
Big Finish have revealed the cover for the standard release of their 50th anniversary audio drama The Light at the End. The story will be written and directed by Nicholas Briggs and will star Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann.
Synopsis:
"November 23rd 1963 proves to be a significant day in the lives of all eight Doctors…
It's the day that Bob Dovie's life is ripped apart…
It's also a day that sets in motion a catastrophic chain of events
which forces the first eight incarnations of the Doctor to fight for
their very existence. As a mysterious, insidious chaos unfolds within
the TARDIS, the barriers of time break apart…
From suburban England through war-torn alien landscapes and into a
deadly, artificial dimension, all these Doctors and their companions
must struggle against the power of an unfathomable, alien technology.
From the very beginning, it is clear that the Master is somehow
involved. By the end, for the Doctors, there may only be darkness."
The Light at the End will be released in November and you can pre-order any of the three versions here.
It has been revealed that BBC America mini-series The Doctors Revisited will be airing on the UKTV subscription channel Watch as part of the celebrations for Doctor Who's 50th anniversary.
The mini-series will begin airing in the second week of October.
The cover for the 465th issue of Doctor Who Magazine has been revealed and here it is!
This issue features interviews with classic Doctors Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann about upcoming 50th anniversary audio The Light at the End written by Nicholas Briggs.
It will be available from 19th September 2013 at the RRP of £4.75.
In an interview with ITV's Daybreak, Peter Davison revealed that he has his own copy of the script for Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor:
"I have got a copy of the script which has got my name embossed across it. So it's top secret, but there's other stuff, lots of other things that are going on that people should keep their eye open for around the 50th anniversary special!"
Last month, the Radio Times started a rumour that one of the classic Doctors is set to appear in the 50th anniversary special so all this makes me think he will be involved, especially after the little protest outside the BBC's Television Centre.
Of course, nothing is definite just yet - for all we know, his script could just be a gift from Steven Moffat, or maybe it's just because of his relation to David Tennant so don't get your hopes up too much!
Released in September 2013, 1963: Fanfare for the Common Men was the 178th Doctor Who audio drama to be released in Big Finish's main range. It stars Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor and Sarah Sutton as companion Nyssa. It is written by Eddie Robson and directed by Barnaby Edwards. It is the first part of the 1963 trilogy.
Big Finish's synopsis:
"If you remember the Sixties, they say, then you can’t have been there.
The Doctor remembers the Sixties. That’s why he’s taking Nyssa on a
trip back to November 1963. Back to where it all began. Back to the
birth of the biggest band in the history of British music. Back to see
those cheeky lads from Liverpool...
Mark, James and Korky. The Common Men. The boys who made the Sixties swing with songs like Oh, Won’t You Please Love Me?, Just Count To Three and Who Is That Man.
The Doctor remembers the Sixties. And there’s something very wrong with the Sixties, if the Beatles no longer exist…"
After listening to the amazing 1-part story Urgent Calls (also by Eddie Robson and available free of charge on Big Finish's Soundcloud), I was expecting a lot from this. Does it disappoint? No. It's absolutely brilliant. Best main range release this year. Crazily creative and a great idea overall.
If I were to tell someone about this story, I'd say something along the lines of "A thrilling adventure where The Doctor and Nyssa go to England in 1963 to see the Beatles, but when they arrive they find out that the Beatles don't exist and they're going to be seeing the Common Men instead. Somehow, Nyssa ends up in Germany and The Doctor soon realises that someone is messing with time. I'll let you find out the rest for yourself."
I can't say a bad word about the cast - full of amazing actors, especially Peter Davison. I'm starting to like the Fifth Doctor more and more which surprises me as, in the past, he's always been my least favourite Doctor! And of course, most of us will recognize Lenny's voice actor, Ryan Sampson, as young genius Luke Rattigan from Series 4's The Sontaran Stratagem / The Poison Sky.
The various settings are all very similar and they're all brilliant. I wasn't around back in the 60's, but this gives me a feel of what I imagine they'd be like. Great to see The Doctor go back to 1963 and the few seconds we heard of 1940 were good too.
My favourite character featured in this story other than the main two is probably the mysterious-for-a-couple-of-minutes Paravatar. I found him to be very interesting.
There are quite a few good lines - some funny, some powerful and some just sound good:
"Kids like pop music, job done, there you go."
"An alien? Hahahaha, I think I'd know if I were an alien, Nyssa!"
"Kids don't want to go to church anymore to feel bigger, they go to our gigs."
"I don't want to be helped, I want to burn everything that refuses to be mine... And I'm gonna start with you!"
Some more things I like about 1963: Fanfare for the Common Men are: It's nice to see The Doctor up against a time travelling villain and the reference to Susan and her music.
One thing I don't like about the story is that Lenny's voice sounds extremely generic for a villain but maybe that's just my brain. Other than that, I can't really fault it.
Overall, an incredibly creative idea of mixing Doctor Who with 60's music and it works very nicely. Not something I'd want to hear every month, but it makes a very good one-off and it's certainly an enjoyable two hours. I think it would make quite a good first audio for most people and I hope it isn't forgotten when it's as old asstories like Phantasmagoria and Winter for the Adept. As I said before, it's the best Doctor Who audio of 2013... So far.
Definitely worth the money and hopefully The Space Race, The Assassination Games and The Light at the End are just as good!
Overall Rating: 9/10
You can buy 1963: Fanfare for the Common Men for £12.99 download or £14.99 CD here.
Seventh Doctor audio Daleks Among Us written by Alan Barnes and Fifth Doctor audio 1963: Fanfare for the Common Men written by Eddie Robson are both available now!
Daleks Among Us Synopsis:
"AZIMUTH DEPARTMENT OF RE-EDUCATION
REMINDER: TO ALL CITIZENS
There are no Daleks on Azimuth. There have never been Daleks on Azimuth.
Twenty years ago, the Daleks did not invade Azimuth. There was no war.
There were no death camps. A man named ‘the Doctor’ did not help
liberate Azimuth.
There are no such things as Daleks. They do not exist. There are no Daleks among us.
UPDATE: TO ALL CITIZENS
A strange blue box has not appeared in Monument Plaza. Off-worlders
named ‘the Doctor’, ‘Elizabeth Klein’ and ‘Will Arrowsmith’ are not at
large in the city. For your own safety, should you not see any of the
above, report at once to the Department of Re-education, Azimuth
Central.
NEVER REMEMBER"
Fanfare for the Common Men Synopsis:
"If you remember the Sixties, they say, then you can’t have been there.
The Doctor remembers the Sixties. That’s why he’s taking Nyssa on a
trip back to November 1963. Back to where it all began. Back to the
birth of the biggest band in the history of British music. Back to see
those cheeky lads from Liverpool...
Mark, James and Korky. The Common Men. The boys who made the Sixties swing with songs like Oh, Won’t You Please Love Me?, Just Count To Three and Who Is That Man.
The Doctor remembers the Sixties. And there’s something very wrong with the Sixties, if the Beatles no longer exist…"
You can buy Daleks Among Us for £12.99 download or £14.99 CD here.
You can buy 1963: Fanfare for the Common Men for £12.99 download or £14.99 CD here.
Companion Chronicle Upstairs starring Maureen O'Brien and Peter Purves will be released later this month.
Released in May 2003, Creatures of Beauty was the 44th Doctor Who audio drama to be released by Big Finish. It stars Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor and Sarah Sutton as companion Nyssa. It is written and directed by Nicholas Briggs.
Big Finish's synopsis:
"A planetary ecological disaster! An incurable, disfiguring, genetic disease... Aliens, in breach of galactic law!
Nyssa, under arrest! The TARDIS, inoperable! The Doctor, facing interrogation!
Another situation of dire peril is unfolding for the Doctor and his
companion. However, what if it is not clear who is right and who is
wrong? Who is ugly and who is beautiful?
Where does the story begin, and where does it end? Sometimes, it is all a matter of perspective."
This is just brilliant. Fantastically brilliant. Words cannot describe just how brilliant this story is. It's a very confusing story - maybe not as much as Flip-Flop, but I kept wondering if I was listening to it in the right order. I don't think I'd describe it as wibbly wobbly timey wimey, but definitely confusing. Mind blowingly confusing. I mean, it should all make sense, but it doesn't... Atleast, not until you've listened to the whole thing... And then still not all of it makes sense. I like stories like this.
The story starts with The Doctor and Nyssa quickly stopping on a planet called Veln in order to warn the inhabitants about the dyestrial pollution, but he doesn't exactly get the welcome he was hoping for. That's all I'm going to say here.
Let's talk about the acting for a minute - Peter Davison is very good - I'm normally not a huge fan of his Doctor but he was excellent here. Sarah Sutton is very good as usual, David Daker gave a good performance, as did David Mallinson. Of course, Nicholas Briggs gave good performances in all seven of his roles. There aren't any actors involved that I would consider bad, so that's definitely a good thing... All the acting in this audio was actually top notch.
The villains are great because, well, they're not aliens. This sometimes means you're going to get a ridiculously boring story but nope - this was a very interesting and unique story! The concept behind it is brilliant and Nicholas Briggs manages to get everything right!
As for the setting of Veln, it's done extremely well. Definitely one of Big Finish's best. As usual, the production team was able to make them feel realistic and make you feel as if you were there. Great planet too.
My favourite character featured in this story other than the main two is... Well... I just can't decide. Maybe Gilbrook, but that's probably because of David Daker's appearance in one of my favourite TV stories. They're all so well acted and likeable that I can't choose a favourite.
My favourite line is, without a doubt, "Like paint spilling across the table. He said it was almost beautiful." - An almost beautiful line!
Everything in Creatures of Beauty is a good idea. It seems very dark, with brutal murders, Nyssa being arrested on suspicion of murder, extremely horrible ear-destroying screaming in pain, not much music, excessive use of minor swear words such as b****rd... It's a story that you're never going to see on TV, but luckily, can enjoy in the form of audio.
Brilliant story, has you hooked from beginning to end but your mind strays away from the story while you're trying to work out what's going on and if you're listening to it in the right order or not!
I think this would make a perfect first audio, especially if you're a Fifth Doctor fan. Brilliant in every way possible.
Overall Rating: 10/10
Buy Creatures of Beauty for £2.99 download or £5.00 CD here.
Released in December 2000, The Mutant Phase was the 15th Doctor Who audio drama to be released by Big Finish. It stars Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor and Sarah Sutton as companion Nyssa. It is written and directed by Nicholas Briggs.
Big Finish's synopsis:
"In the 22nd century, the Daleks have occupied planet Earth. By the 43rd century, only a handful of humans survive. Still further into the distant future, a Thal scientist must choose whether to betray his heritage, or see the universe destroyed.
When the Doctor and Nyssa find themselves trapped in this deadly chain of events, they must decide who their real enemies are. What is certain, however, is that no matter where the Doctor turns, his arch enemies, the Daleks, will be waiting for him.
What could possibly be worse than that? The Mutant Phase..."
This is a really enjoyable story in my opinion. It really does remind me of The Dalek Invasion of Earth - one of my favourite First Doctor stories. Almost everything was done by Nicholas Briggs - the writing, the directing and the Dalek voices... And he does a really good job with it all! The idea of the Mutant Phase was just great!
The story starts with The Doctor and Nyssa landing on a planet that, at first glance, looks completely un-populated. Then they hear weapons and The Doctor realises that they're on Earth... In the 2150s... During the Dalek occupation of Earth. Once The Doctor realises this, the two decide to go back to the TARDIS but thanks to the Daleks, are unable to escape.
So, the acting... Peter Davison was fantastic, much better than his average TV story! Sarah Sutton was also great and Nyssa remains one of my favourite companions. Nicholas Briggs gave us some great Dalek voices as always. Jared Morgan was great as Commander Ganatus. Mark Gatiss gave quite a good performance as Karl Hendryk. None of the other actors really stood out to me, but none of them were bad. All the characters were good but I think Davison gave the best performance.
The settings (Kansas 2158 AD, London 4253 AD, Skaro) were all great. That's all I have to say about them.
My favourite character featured in this story other than the Fifth Doctor or Nyssa is the Dalek Emperor. Seriously, it's his first proper appearance since 1967's TheEvil of the Daleks and he's just an awesome character. Especially with the way he implants his mind into Ganatus' to be completely sure The Doctor and Ptolem travel back in time to prevent the Mutant Phase.
My favourite line is from the Dalek Emperor - "I am Emperor of the Daleks! Destined to be ruler of the universe!"
I can't fault much but what really I don't like is the ending - it just feels so sudden, but oh well. The story is free on Big Finish's Soundcloud and for that reason (as well as the fact it's a great story), I would recommend it as your first Big Finish audio.
Overall Rating: 9/10
You can buy The Mutant Phase for £2.99 download or £5.00 CD here.
Big Finish and the Doctor Who Facebook page have revealed a cover for a limited edition vinyl release of the 50th anniversary audio The Light at the End starring Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann.
Big Finish's sypnosis:
"November 23rd 1963 proves to be a significant day in the lives of all eight Doctors…
It's the day that Bob Dovie's life is ripped apart…
It's also a day that sets in motion a catastrophic chain of events
which forces the first eight incarnations of the Doctor to fight for
their very existence. As a mysterious, insidious chaos unfolds within
the TARDIS, the barriers of time break apart…
From suburban England through war-torn alien landscapes and into a
deadly, artificial dimension, all these Doctors and their companions
must struggle against the power of an unfathomable, alien technology.
From the very beginning, it is clear that the Master is somehow
involved. By the end, for the Doctors, there may only be darkness."
The vinyl release is a 4-disc set in deluxe premium packaging which includes a stunning array of professional photos of the cast.
Features:
Discs 1, 2 and 3 – The Light at the End
Disc 4 – The Making of The Light at the End (approx 40-minute documentary exclusive to this release)
All discs on heavy 180g vinyl
Limited and numbered to 500
Includes an exclusive 30cm x 30cm lenticular image.
Four-way gatefold sleeve
Rigid slipcase
This audio will be released in November.
Pre-order the limited edition vinyl release here for £99.99.
Pre-order the limited collector's edition release here for £25 download or £40 CD.
Pre-order the standard edition release here for £12.99 download or £14.99 CD.
I was going to write an introduction as to who I am and why I love Doctor Who so much. As I thought about exactly what it is that I love about the show, my mind dove deeper into who is the Doctor? So, instead of telling who I am and what I am going to be writing about, I am going to take a philosophical look into the show.
Let's look into the history of the show. When you think of the Doctor what comes to mind? To me it is knowledge. He has always been portrayed as an incredibly intelligent being. That has always been the constant of his character. I have seen him, angry, witty, full of fear, full of courage, and even sad sometimes. It changes with each regeneration. However, what does not change is his knowledge of the universe.
What else stays the same in the show? He always finds someone to be around. Typically he has a companion with him. He has been called for help all around the universe. Humans, and aliens both need his assistance. We are all drawn to him. Why?
Before I answer that, what about the villains? They all end up fearing him in the end. They all try to defeat him, but in the end the Doctor ends up being the victor. Why is this?
Well, what do bad guys want the most? Power? To be feared by all? Most of the time things become powerful by becoming feared by all. How do they do this? Most of the time it is by deceiving others. Twisting the truth so that they have the higher knowledge of things. People are scared of what is unknown. So,in a way, the truth is the bad guys biggest enemy.
When you find knowledge you try to seek the truth of something. You want to know what is right about that certain thing. Truth is knowledge. This is key.
I said before that the Doctor has always been portrayed as being smart. He uses his wits to defeat the bad guys. The bad guys fear him in the end and everyone seeks his help.
Who is the Doctor? He is knowledge. Think about it. People travel with knowledge through time and space into the unknown.
Rebecca White likes to sit at home and watch Doctor Who with her husband Ethan and her dog Moomar. She has a cat, but she does not like watching Doctor Who with him. (He gets ideas from the Daleks.) Follow her on twitter @grumpywhovian and check out her blog grumpywhovian.wordpress.com.
Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor just aired and it revealed that the Twelfth Doctor is to be played by Peter Capaldi, like many of us expected! Capaldi has already appeared in the Series 4 episode The Fires of Pompeii and he was excellent there and I'm sure he will be excellent again! :)
Last night, the Radio Times reported that Tom Baker and Peter Davison would be giving advice to the Twelfth Doctor. Well, I've got some disappointing news for Fourth Doctor fans and some exciting news for Sixth Doctor fans...
I'm not 100% sure why the Radio Times originally reported that Tom would make an appearance on Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor but they've changed it to Colin now and I assume someone working there just got confused!
It may be a little disappointing if you were looking forward to seeing Tom but I'm certainly looking forward to Colin's appearance... And let's just hope they don't change it again!
P.S: Just remember that Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor airs tonight on BBC1 at 7PM GMT! :)
According to the Radio Times, the Fourth and Fifth Doctors (Tom Baker and Peter Davison) will make an appearance on tomorrow's Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor. Tom Baker will be sending his advice via video message and Peter Davison will be in the studio when it's live. Other people in the studio include Matt Smith and Bernard Cribbins. There will also be some kind of input from Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Anneke Wills (Polly Wright), Janet Fielding (Tegan Jovanka) and Bonnie Langford (Mel Bush.)
Wow, I'm really excited!
UPDATE #1: The BBC have confirmed that Colin Baker has also recorded a special video.
Since the Twelfth Doctor is to be announced tomorrow, I thought I'd look back at all of The Doctor's regenerations and share my thoughts on them... So, let's get started!
William Hartnell to Patrick Troughton (1966)
So, admittedly the first regeneration from the lost episode four of The Tenth Planet wasn't the most amazing regeneration (although considering it's from almost 50 years ago, I think it's really good!) but it was the first and for that reason, it's probably the most important.
It looks pretty damn good and I can't wait to watch the animated version on the upcoming DVD release of Hartnell's final story which from what I've seen, looks excellent!
Patrick Troughton to Jon Pertwee (1969)
In my personal opinion, Troughton's regeneration in the ten-part The War Games was the most interesting (well, except for McGann's maybe...)
Rather than regenerating because he's dying, the Time Lords force him to regenerate and exile him to Earth simply for being himself! It's a fantastic regeneration and Patrick Troughton's Doctor is pretty funny even during his last moments!
I originally saw the scene in a video that showed all of the classic regenerations and was very confused so I just had to find the story on DVD... My only issue with this one is that we didn't get to see Jon Pertwee at the end.
Jon Pertwee to Tom Baker (1974)
I think that Pertwee's final scene in Planet of the Spiders is the most emotional regeneration (aswell as my favourite) with the fantastic "Tear, Sarah Jane? Now don't cry... While there's life, there's..." line.
It really does bring a tear to my eye and while the effect used for this one wasn't the best ever, the rest of it was basically perfect! The Brigadier's "Not again..." line is great and the five actors in this four minute scene are all absolutely amazing!
Tom Baker to Peter Davison (1981)
I don't think Tom Baker's regeneration was anything too special... It's not bad but it's not very good either although it has some good parts such as the "It's the end... But the moment has been prepared for!" line which has unfortunately been cut from this video.
I also think the Fourth Doctor should have had a better fate than a big fall and a better final story than Logopolis but oh well, what's done is done. It's okay overall but it could have and should have been better but atleast we've got the Fourth Doctor Time Capsule now which kind of makes up for it.
Peter Davison to Colin Baker (1984)
Peter Davison's final moments were fantastic with The Doctor imagining loads of his companions telling him he musn't die and The Master telling him he must die... Then we get this weird but cool regeneration effect and get Colin Baker's brilliant "Change, my dear... And it seems not a moment to soon!" line.
It also helps that The Caves of Androzani, being rated the #1 story in Doctor Who Magazine's Mighty 200 back in 2009. Absolutely fantastic end for the Fifth Doctor era!
Colin Baker to Sylvester McCoy (1987)
Hang on, that's not Colin Baker! It's Sylvester McCoy in a blonde wig!
I think most fans can agree that this is the worst regeneration ever! Colin refused to film the regeneration scene after hearing he'd been fired so we got this mess and I don't know if I should laugh or cry at it. It just doesn't look good and while McCoy turned out to be a fantastic Doctor with some fantastic stories in Seasons 25 and 26, I really wish they hadn't fired Colin Baker like that.
A terrible first appearance for a great Doctor.
Sylvester McCoy to Paul McGann (1996)
I don't think McCoy's regeneration was bad but maybe that's just because of the awful regeneration in Time and the Rani? This is actually pretty creepy and the way McGann scares the guy watching Frankenstein just after regenerating is brilliant.
I just wish McCoy could have had a better death than being shot by a human (or killed by the medical doctors, whichever you think caused it.)
Overall, it's pretty good but not amazingly good.
Paul McGann to Christopher Eccleston
Well, we never got to see this happen but here's an excellent fan-made regeneration sequence!
Christopher Eccleston to David Tennant (2005)
While Christopher Eccleston left the show after just one series, his regeneration was the best in a while. It marked the first time the fire effect was used and it was brilliant at the time although I think it's getting a bit old now.
This was my first regeneration and it really confused me at first but I've rewatched it about 100 times now and it really is a special scene. It was fantastic. Absolutely fantastic!
David Tennant to Matt Smith (2010)
Another brilliant one! I think it's tied for most emotional, along with Pertwee's. While I do like the fire effect, I was hoping this would be the last use of it because variety is good but after Series 6 I think they're going to keep it for a while yet. David Tennant is my favourite Doctor and at first I wasn't really sure if Matt Smith would be any good but it turns out that he is fantastic and I can't wait to see how good his regeneration is.
Even if not all of the regenerations are great, I think all eleven of the Doctors we've had so far have been amazing and let's hope that the Twelfth Doctor is just as good!
Because of Doctor Who's 50th anniversary, Big Finish are permanently reducing the price of the main range audios to just £5 per CD or £2.99 per digital download. These 50 Big Finish audios were released from July 1999 - November 2003 and star Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann along with their various companions.
I will definitely be buying some of these and I hope you will too! :)
After years of having nothing to do with Doctor Who, Big Finish have announced that Matthew Waterhouse will be returning to the role of Adric in a 2014 Big Finish audio with the Fifth Doctor!
