Doctor Who Magazine - Issue 491

Panini have issued the cover and details of the next edition of Doctor Who magazine:

THE FIRST FOUR EPISODES OF THE NEW SERIES OF DOCTOR WHO, PREVIEWED  IN DWM 491!
Doctor Who magazine exclusively previews the first four episodes of the new series: The Magician’s Apprentice & The Witch’s Familiar and Under the Lake & Before the Flood…

Under the Lake and Before the Flood form Toby Whithouse’s first two-part Doctor Who story - and it hinges on time travel - and fairly mind-bending time travel at that. While plotting and writing, did Toby ever come to regret taking the wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey route?

"Oh never, I loved it! I’ve always wanted to do a timey-wimey episode," he says. "In fact, it was going to be a lot more timey-wimey, but we lost some of that before we started filming. It’s enormous fun to deposit something in a script, then have the reason for it happen later."

This is also the first story that Toby’s written to star Peter Capaldi as the Doctor.

"I think he’s the most ‘alien’ Doctor we’ve had since the show came back," says Toby. "Even though the essentials of the character remain the same - his heroism, his brilliance, his enthusiasm - he feels to me like much more of an outsider than Chris Eccleston or David Tennant or Matt Smith were. He’s more strange and otherwordly. That’s really interesting to play with."

ALSO INSIDE THE BUMPER 100-PAGE ISSUE 491…

TARDIS TAKE-OFF!
The Doctor’s days off and the TARDIS’ take off - showrunner Steven Moffat answers readers’ questions.

CLARA OSWALD’S 100 IMPOSSIBLE FACTS
She has been something of ‘a mystery wrapped in an enigma’ but we’ve got to know Clara better than you might think. Jonathan Morris summarises everything we know about the Impossible Girl.

MONSTERS OF THE MILLENNIUM
How do you go about making monsters for Doctor Who? Millennium FX prosthetic effects supervisor Kate Walshe reveals all!

LEGO DIMENSIONS!
Official Lego products and a brand new video game…. Doctor Who is about to enter a new dimension. DWM talks to the team behind the project.

BEST DRESSED TIME LORD
DWM interviews costume designer Ray Holman, the man behind the Twelfth Doctor’s new look.

“GOOD GRIEF!”
As the Third Doctor returns for a brand new series of audio adventures, DWM talks to the man who is recreating the role made famous by Jon Pertwee: Tim Treolar.

THE WAR GAMES
The Fact of Fiction explores the Second Doctor’s final story, a 10-part epic which threw the Doctor and his companions back into the events of the First World War.

JUNGLE FEVER!
The adventure continues in the brand-new comic strip adventure, Spirits of the Jungle, by Jonathan Morris, illustrated by John Ross.

WHO HOMEWORK
Jacqueline Rayner makes her kids’ summer homework fun with an exciting Doctor Who project in her regular column, Relative Dimensions.

MISSING IN ACTION
Graham Kibble-White reviews The Macra Terror, a Second Doctor story missing from the BBC archives.

COMING SOON
DWM talks to the people involved in the latest Doctor Who CD and book releases, including Justin Richards and Miranda Raison.

THE UNEXPLAINED
The Watcher reflects on past Doctors and anticipates the new series of Doctor Who in Wotcha!.

PLUS! 
All the latest official news, reviews, competitions and the DWM crossword.

AND! 
A giant-sized, double-sided poster!

Issue 491 of Doctor Who magazine is on sale from 17th September until 14th October priced £5.99 per copy. In other news: It's been rumoured that Jenna Coleman will leave Doctor Who following the end of the ninth series, this is however yet to be officially confirmed. 

Series 9 - All Episode Titles Revealed

The BBC have confirmed all twelve episodes titles for Series 9 of Doctor Who and their respective writers, they are as follows:

9.01: The Magician's Apprentice - by Steven Moffat
9.02: The Witch's Familiar - by Steven Moffat
9.03: Under the Lake - by Toby Whithouse
9.04: Before the Flood - by Toby Whithouse
9.05: The Girl Who Died - by Jamie Mathieson & Steven Moffat
9.06: The Woman Who Lived - by Catherine Tregenna
9.07: The Zygon Invasion - by Peter Harness
9.08: The Zygon Inversion - by Peter Harness & Steven Moffat
9.09: Sleep No More - by Mark Gatiss
9.10: Face the Raven - by Sarah Dollard
9.11: Heaven Sent - by Steven Moffat
9.12: Hell Bent - by Steven Moffat

Series 9 of Doctor Who commences this Saturday at 7:40pm on BBC One and BBC One HD.

Big Finish - Torchwood: Series 2 Confirmed

Big Finished have announced that their Torchwood audio series will return for a second run in 2016, read on for further details:

Hot on the heels of the release of Torchwood: The Conspiracy, Big Finish is pleased to confirm that another six Torchwood releases are currently in pre-production for 2016. Series 2 will begin in March 2016; just one month after Series 1’s concluding instalment.

"Everyone involved’s just had so much fun that we didn’t want to stop," says producer James Goss, "And Big Finish said, “It’s okay, you don’t have to”. We’ve already got the first script in and it’s a delight."

The new series will continue the adventures of Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and his team, with stories taking place at different points in Torchwood’s history.

"It’s wonderful to be able to commit so soon to a second series of Torchwood" says Big Finish executive producer Jason Haigh-Ellery, "This is completely down to the immense support we have received from the fans of the series. We are delighted to be continuing the adventures of Captain Jack and his team!"

"I couldn’t really imagine that the response to our Torchwood series wouldn’t be positive," added co-executive producer Nicholas Briggs, "So I’m very pleased not to have been proved wrong. The series has so many dedicated followers and the audios have been written, directed and produced with such love for the source material. James Goss, as producer, has brought so much enthusiasm and joy to the project. I find myself hoping every day that I’ll receive another excited email from him."

"And we’re so grateful that the brilliant stars of Torchwood have come in to record and have been so bloomin’ good! Russell T Davies has been so supportive and full of encouragement too. Frankly, we had no choice but to get on with a second series as soon as possible."

The first Big Finish Torchwood audio The Conspiracy is availavble to purchase now, the next two - Fall to Earth and Forgotten Lives - will be available in October and November, respectively. Three further releases of Series 1 are to follow.

Doctor Who - Latest News

The latest series and merchandise news from Doctor Who:

THE MAGICIAN'S APPRENTICE - PROLOGUE

The BBC have released a new mini episode Doctor Who that serves as a  prologue to the first episode The Magician's Apprentice, you can watch it above. The episode will broadcast on Saturday 19th September at 7:40pm on BBC One and BBC One HD.

GAME MAKER - DETAILS
As part of the BBC's Make It Digital campaign, they have issued the details for a new way for fans of Doctor Who to create content, read on for further details:

If you love online games or have ever wanted to create and share your own Doctor Who game, stand by for some great news!

The Doctor Who Game Maker launches on 15th September and is designed to help you create brilliant games using a huge range of heroes, monsters and worlds visited by the Doctor. The variety of games you’ll be able to make and play is enormous. From the simple to the staggering, the only limits are your imagination and ambition.

Or if you’d prefer to simply enjoy other people’s games - no problem! You can battle foes like the Daleks, Cybermen and Sontarans and attempt to guide the Doctor through encounters with Missy and new enemies that make their entrances in the imminent series.

If you’re up for making your own games you’ll find it’s much easier than you think and incredibly rewarding! Video tutorials featuring the Doctor’s Sontaran ally, Strax, will help make the build process easy-to-understand and fun and once your games are online you can challenge your friends to try them… And give theirs a whirl!

The Doctor Who Game Maker will premiere on the official Doctor Who site on 15th September.

12th DOCTOR IN POLKA DOT SHIRT 5" FIGURE - FPI EXCLUSIVE
Character Options and Underground Toys have issued the details for new Twelfth Doctor 5" action figure variant - exclusive to Forbidden Planet International, read on for further details:

This new incarnation, the Twelfth Doctor, is a spiky, brusque, pragmatic, yet funny, passionate and fearless character who travels with his companion, Clara Oswald. His adventures with (and without) Clara in the 2014 season lead him to make tough and ruthless decisions that make him question his character and the value of his travels.

This all new 5" tall figure showcases the new look the Doctor takes on after the regeneration, featuring his now signature dark blue Crombie-style coat with red lining, dark blue trousers, a long collared polka shirt buttoned to the top with no tie, and brogue boots. He also comes with his trusty Sonic Screwdriver.

The figure is on sale from 30th September exclusively from Forbidden Planet International priced £14.99.

NEW TIME SQUAD FIGURES
Character Options have issued details of their new set of Doctor Who Time Squad figures:

Character Options, official creator of the Doctor Who toy figures and playsets, is proud to unveil the brand new Doctor Who Time Squad collection: ten 2.5" characters available in store soon.

Fans of legendary Timelord will be delighted with this new Vinyl style decet of figurines featuring many favourite characters from past and present series’. The Twelfth Doctor and Clara are of course represented as well as the Eleventh Doctor, the new Cyberman and the Doctor’s ever-present foe, the Dalek.

Figures Include:
Eleventh Doctor
Twelfth Doctor
Clara Oswald
Purple Clockwork Man
Ood Nephew
Dalek
Weeping Angel
Vashta Nerada Suit Creature
Pryovile
Cyberman

At just £2.99 this pocket money line is ideal for younger collectors or for die-hard fans and can be showcased in an alternative Time Squad display of favourite characters , alongside their traditional Doctor Who figure collections.

The Time Squad figures are on sale later this year priced £2.99 each.

Series 9 - BBC America Trailer

BBC America are currently airing a new trailer for the upcoming ninth series of Doctor Who featuring new previously unseen clips, you can watch it above. Series 9 of Doctor Who commences Saturday 19th September at 7:40pm on BBC One and BBC One HD.

Torchwood: Forgotten Lives - Cover & Details

Big Finish have issued the cover and details of their third Torchwood audio play, featuring the return of Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper and Kai Owen as Rhys Williams:

Big Finish are thrilled to announce the return of Eve Myles and Kai Owen as husband-and-wife team Gwen Cooper and Rhys Williams in the third release in a new series of Torchwood audio dramas.

"Captain Jack’s the poster boy, Ianto’s the style, but Eve and Kai are the heart of Torchwood," says producer James Goss. "Listening to the two of them back together is an utter joy. We pick up their story after Miracle Day. How has life been treating them? It’s a delight to find out."

Eve appeared in all 41 episodes of the popular BBC series, created by Russell T Davies. A dedicated police officer turned Torchwood second in-command, Gwen fought tooth and nail to defend Cardiff and her family from the very worst the Rift had to offer.

Husband Rhys supported her from home, keeping their infant daughter Anwen safe during the worldwide phenomenon known as the Miracle. Eve and Kai return in Forgotten Lives. The couple are plagued by the same alien plot uncovered by Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) in opening story The Conspiracy. Many years later, and Torchwood is just a fond memory for Gwen and Rhys. Then, one day, the phone rings….

Forgotten Lives is written by Emma Reeves who is the co-creator and lead writer of robot drama Eve for CBBC. Other TV credits include The Dumping Ground, Tracy Beaker Returns, Dead Gorgeous, Young Dracula, Spirit Warriors, The Murder of Princess Diana, Doctors and Belonging. She also writes for radio, and for stage, where her work includes the Olivier-nominated
adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather.

"I still can’t believe that I’ve been asked to write a story for the brilliant characters of Gwen and Rhys" says Emma. "I’ve been lucky enough to write for Eve before, on Belonging, and I know that she has a unique gift of imbuing every syllable with the deepest meaning. Getting Eve Myles and Kai Owen, too, is basically like winning the writer lottery."

FORGOTTEN LIVES - written by Emma Reeves, directed by Scott Hancock
It has been four years since the Miracle, and Gwen and Rhys's lives have gone back to normal, very normal. They're raising their daughter (they've got pictures they'd be only too happy to show you), they're living in a nice house, and they're almost on top of the laundry.

Captain Jack Harkness has been missing from the world and their lives for a long time. But late one night the phone rings, and they're summoned to an isolated part of North Wales. The Bryn Offa Nursing Home contains a dark secret, an alien threat, and someone who really shouldn't be there.

Gwen and Rhys are about to discover that Torchwood stays with you for the rest of your life.

Torchwood: Forgotten Lives will be released in November priced £9,99 physically and £7.99 digitally. In other news: the time of broadcast for Doctor Who: The Magician's Apprentice has been finalised as 7:40pm on Saturday 19th September.

The Witch's Familiar - Synopsis

The BBC Media Centre have issued the synopsis for the second episode of the upcoming ninth series of Doctor Who:

THE WITCH'S FAMILAR - by Steven Moffat
Trapped and alone in a terrifying Dalek city, the Doctor is at the heart of an evil empire; no Sonic, no TARDIS, nobody to help. With his greatest temptation before him, can the Doctor resist? And will there be mercy?

The Witch's Familiar will broadcast on Saturday 19th September at 7:45pm on BBC One and BBC One HD.