The Gods of Winter / The House of Winter - Covers & Details

BBC Audio have issued the covers and details for two new original Doctor Who audiobooks:

THE GODS OF WINTER - written by James Goss, read by Clare Higgins
On a remote human colony planet, under the cover of a protective dome, young Diana Winter summons the TARDIS. Brought to her side by the power of a mysterious calling card, the Doctor and Clara are given one of their unlikeliest assignments yet. Yet it is one that will have far-reaching consequences…

Many years later, on the homeworld of the alien Golhearn, the time travellers once again meet Diana - but this time the stakes are much higher. The Golhearn’s savage madness is threatening to destroy their own civilisation, and Diana has a personal reason to call for the Doctor once again. Is he willing to assist, or must Clara go it alone? Can anyone discover the cause of the monstrous insanity that threatens them all?

THE HOUSE OF WINTER - written by George Mann, read by David Schofield
The Doctor and Clara are called to a mysterious, isolated house on a moonlet in the Asurmian Reach. There they meet the inscrutable Justin Winter and his two assistants, Joey and Carenza. Winter has called for the Doctor’s help: he and his friends are trapped in the house, all exits having long ago been sealed.

When even the TARDIS proves unable to dematerialise, the Doctor and Clara quickly realises they are as much prisoners as their new acquaintances. Strange blood moths fly around their heads, and there’s a strange whispering and rustling from the shadows of the house’s interior. As tensions rise, the Doctor struggles to engineer a way out - and a staggering series of revelations are about to be made.

The Gods of Winter is out now, while The House of Winter will be released on 15th October, both are priced £9.25.

Mission Dalek - Details

BBC Digital have unveiled a new Doctor Who story competition featuring the Daleks, read on for further details:

Mission Dalek - tell the Time Lord’s Greatest Tale!

The Doctor is about to face his oldest and greatest enemies… the Daleks.

Lost in space and time without his TARDIS, the Doctor is trying to make contact. The only clues as to where he is are in his 2000 Year Diary, located in the TARDIS Core. Use these clues to create your very own #MissionDalek adventure to tell us how the Doctor comes face-to face with the Daleks once again.

Unleash your digital creativity! Be it video, animation or image editing... Use the range of clips and images we’re supplying or create your own story from scratch. Throw in animation! Voice overs! Cosplay! Go bananas! Just tell your story digitally.

Mission Dalek is your chance to create brand new adventures for the Doctor! It’s an opportunity to bring battles with the Daleks to life and share all those brilliant, bonkers ideas you’ve had about Doctor Who! And on top of that, it might just propel you into the Time Lord’s real world where you’ll encounter Daleks and meet the Doctor himself - Peter Capaldi!

So, what do you need to know?

Mission Dalek is part of the BBC’s Make it Digital season and we’re inviting you to use your imagination and digital skills to create an adventure for the Doctor. We know many Doctor Who fans make amazing videos or are fantastic at cosplay and love to get involved in a million marvellous ways. For those guys, this is a chance to hone and harness your passion and showcase your digital skills to the universe!

But what if you’ve never dabbled in digital, never shot a video or made up a story?

DON’T WORRY! We’re here to help with loads of down-to-earth videos offering top tips from the Doctor Who team as well as a range of digital tools to get you started. We would LOVE you to take your first steps with us and the Doctor... to unleash your creativity and to have as much fun as humanly possible as you make it digital!

What next?

Easy as pie! Just visit our gleaming Mission Dalek site where you’ll find all the info you’ll need about what sort of adventure we’re after, how you can make it, and what prizes you can win! It’s all there. Right now. Wow. It’s a roller coaster, isn’t it?

For more details of Mission Dalek, click here, the compeition closes on midnight on 9th September.

Doctor Who Magazine - Issue 490

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

In DWM issue 490, Steven Moffat previews the new series of Doctor Who:

"Why not start with a blockbuster?" says Steven of the two-part opening story, The Magician’s Apprentice and The Witch’s Familiar. "Why leave it till the last two weeks? So yes, it’s like starting with a finale, and having a big, grand, movie-sized story, as opposed to a 45-minute story."

What does Steven like about the longer format? "It allows you to play with certain things," he replies. "There's a kind of scale that you can attain in a two-parter, that you can't have in 45 minutes. It's a scale that we're not used to at the moment, as we haven't done two-parters for quite a while. And in a way, it's sort of advertising the fact that we've got two-parters back this year. We do things in that first episode that I would say are very 'two-parter-y'."

Also inside this issue:

THE SECRET DIARY OF THE MASTER! 
He's mad, bad and dangerous to know… and now, DWM has discovered the secret diary of the Master, which reveals the insane thinking behind his... er, her every scheme!

LOST IN TRANSLATION 
Why does nearly everyone in Doctor Who speak English? Steve Lyons investigates the mystery of universal translation throughout the history of the series - and comes to some intriguing conclusions...

THE NAME OF THE DOCTOR? 
Showrunner Steven Moffat answers more readers' questions - and presents a brand new scene which explores what the Doctor called himself during the Time War...

THE VAMPIRE MUTATIONS 
The Fourth Doctor and Romana encounter creatures with a thirst for blood - and an ancient enemy of the Time Lords - as the The Fact of Fiction explores the 1980 story State of Decay.

THE RETURN OF DANNY PINK 
Clara has a shocking reunion with her boyfriend in the brand-new comic strip adventure, Spirits of the Jungle, by Jonathan Morris, illustrated by John Ross.

TRAILS AND TRIBULATIONS 
Novelist, fan girl, and mum Jacqueline Rayner celebrates the joy of a new Doctor Who trailer in her regular column, Relative Dimensions.

IT’S THE END... 
The Time Team embark on a marathon viewing session as they sit down to watch David Tennant's swansong as the Doctor: The End of Time.

THE COMPLETE HISTORY 
DWM takes a look at a landmark new series of books, which begins in September: Doctor Who The Complete History.

ON THEIR WAY... 
DWM talks to the people involved in the latest Doctor Who CD and book releases, including Dan Starkey, James Goss and Gary Russell.

THE UNEXPLAINED 
The Watcher examines some of the many unanswered questions in Doctor Who and celebrates a feisty equine talent in Wotcha!.

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

Issue 490 of Doctor Who magazine is on sale from tomorrow until 15th September priced £4.99.

Series 9 - SFX Magazine Preview

The latest edition of SFX magazine features an episodic guide to the ninth series of Doctor Who with Steven Moffat, you can read it below:

Episodes 1 & 2
"This is the opening two-parter. It features lots of Daleks and this time we mean it! Clara receives a mysterious summons and has to team up with Missy to search for the Doctor in a very, very old place."

Episodes 3 & 4
"This two-parter is written by Toby Whithouse and features an underwater base plagued by creeping ghosts and an island that is about to be submerged in water. But who or what is doing this and how can the Doctor stop it? It’s very scary, atmospheric and claustrophobic, much like some classic episodes."

Episodes 5 & 6
"Those two are exceptional! Doctor Who meets Game of Thrones! Well, only because Maisie Williams is in them. The first part features Vikings fighting mercenary robots (and a dragon!) and the second one sees a group of Highwaymen dealing with a Norse god."

Episodes 7 & 8
"This one is written by Peter Harness and The Day of the Doctor acted as a prologue to it. In it, the Zygons made peace with the Humans, but not every Zygon decided it was okay so they’ve been raising an army, silently and now they’re rising against UNIT! We’ve been planning this forever and Osgood is in it! But how is that possible you’d ask? Missy killed her! Who knows? Well, we know."

Episode 9
"This is a very unique Doctor Who story from Mark Gatiss. It wasn’t possible to do such an episode ten years ago, when the show came back and Mark has been rewriting it over and over again to make it perfect. It’s a beautiful story, very eerie and special, I think it’s going to be an instant classic."

Episode 10
"An episode which leapt out as 'why haven’t we done this already? This is so Doctor Who we should be doing this immediately'. And when Sarah Dollard walked in with the finalised script, it was even better! Really, this is going to be a fan-favorite, everyone will want to rewatch it."

Episode 11 & 12
"A challenge. I won’t say anything else because it would be too spoilery, but when you’ll watch it, you’re going to ask how exactly the Doctor and Clara are going to pull it off."

Series 9 of Doctor Who commences Saturday 19th September on BBC One and BBC One HD, a time is to be confirmed.

Series 1-4 Blu-ray Boxsets - Covers & Details

BBC DVD have issued the covers and details for the release of the first four series of Doctor Who onto Blu-ray for the first time:

THE COMPLETE FIRST SERIES
All 13 episodes from the first series of the relaunched sci-fi adventure drama, written by Russell T. Davies and starring Christopher Eccleston as the legendary Time Lord.

In this series, the Doctor meets new companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) while saving her from the living-plastic Nestene Consciousness, before taking her on adventures through time and space, where she meets Charles Dickens (Simon Callow), tries to save her father from dying when she was a child, and helps the Doctor and Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) battle the evil Daleks and save the world.

Episodes
Rose / The End of the World / The Unquiet Dead / Aliens of London / World War Three / Dalek / The Long Game / Father's Day / The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances / Boom Town / Bad Wolf / The Parting of the Ways

THE COMPLETE SECOND SERIES
The 2005 Christmas special and all 13 episodes from the second series of the relaunched sci-fi adventure drama, starring David Tennant as the latest incarnation of the legendary Time Lord.

In this series, the tenth Doctor takes companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) to New Earth and struggles to overcome the effects of regeneration. In the opening Christmas episode London is deluged by Santa Claus impersonators and Christmas trees intent on malice. Mankind is threatened by a planetary invasion and there’s only the Prime Minister to battle it out.

Episodes
The Christmas Invasion / New Earth / Tooth and Claw / School Reunion / The Girl in the Fireplace / Rise of the Cybermen / The Age of Steel / The Idiot's Lantern / The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit / Love & Monsters / Fear Her / Army of Ghosts / Doomsday

THE COMPLETE THIRD SERIES
The 2006 Christmas special and all 13 episodes from the third series of the relaunched sci-fi adventure drama, starring David Tennant as the latest incarnation of the legendary Time Lord.

In this series, the Doctor is joined by new companion Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) as he encounters old enemies including the Daleks and the Master (John Simm), takes Martha to Elizabethan England to meet William Shakespeare (Dean Lennox Kelly), and battle the deadly Weeping Angels in one of the show's most acclaimed episodes.

Episodes
The Runaway Bride / Smith and Jones / The Shakespeare Code / Gridlock / Daleks in Manhattan / Evolution of the Daleks / The Lazarus Experiment / 42 / Human Nature / The Family of Blood / Blink / Utopia / The Sound of Drums / Last of the Time Lords

THE COMPLETE FOURTH SERIES
The 2007 Christmas special and all 13 episodes from the fourth series of the relaunched sci-fi adventure drama, starring David Tennant as the latest incarnation of the legendary Time Lord. 

In this series, the Doctor is joined by new companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) as the pair venture through time and space, visiting ancient Pompeii and the planet of the Ood while also meeting the mysterious River Song (Alex Kingston) in The Library, now overrun by the carnivorous Vashta Nerada.

Episodes
Voyage of the Damned / Partners in Crime / The Fires of Pompeii / Planet of the Ood / The Sontaran Stratagem / The Poison Sky / The Doctor's Daughter / The Unicorn and the Wasp / Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead / Midnight / Turn Left / The Stolen Earth / Journey's End

All four Blu-ray boxsets feature the same extras as their DVD releases and are on sale from 31st August priced £29.11 each.

Series 9 - Second Trailer

The BBC have issued a second trailer for the forthcoming ninth series of Doctor Who, you can watch it above. Doctor Who returns on Saturday 19th September on BBC One and BBC One HD, a time is to be confirmed.

Doctor Who Magazine - The Music of Doctor Who

Panini have issued the cover and details of a new one-off edition of Doctor Who magazine: 

THE NEW DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE SPECIAL IS MUSIC TO OUR EARS!
For the first time in the 36-year history of Doctor Who magazine - an entire issue devoted to the music and sound design of Doctor Who!

From Delia Derbyshire’s groundbreaking experiments in the Radiophonic Workshop, to the acclaimed performances of Murray Gold’s orchestral scores at the Royal Albert Hall, The Music of Doctor Who explores one of the most celebrated and mysterious sonic landscapes in television history.

"We think this Special Edition is unprecedented in its scope and detail," says editor Marcus Hearn. "Writers such as Mark Ayres and Andrew Pixley have contributed a fresh insight to an aspect of the show’s production that’s been overlooked for too long."

Highlights of the issue include:

• Interviews with Tristram Cary, Dudley Simpson and Orbital’s Paul Hartnoll.
• Contributions from David Arnold, Neil Brand and Steven Moffat.
• Sections devoted to every composer to have worked on the programme.
• The strange world of library music.
• The history of the Radiophonic Workshop.
• The complete guide to pop music in Doctor Who.

The Music of Doctor Who is on sale from 13th August priced £9.99.

Jago & Litefoot & Strax: The Haunting - Cover & Details

Big Finish has issued the cover and details of the release of a new Jago & Litefoot audio story, this time featuring the Sontaran Strax from Doctor Who:

JAGO & LITEFOOT & STRAX: THE HAUNTING - written by Justin Richards, directed by Lisa Bowerman
Strax, the Sontaran butler to Victorian investigator Vastra and her wife Jenny, suffers a disorienting attack and mistakes the two Victorian investigators Jago & Litefoot for Jenny and Vastra and moves into Litefoot’s home. Together, they are on the trail of a creature that is stealing brains, which may or may not be linked to a haunted house in London…

Jago & Litefoot & Strax: The Haunting is on sale from November priced £14.99.

Series 9 - Reece Shearsmith to Guest Star

The BBC have confirmed that Reece Shearsmith is to guest star in an episode from the upcoming ninth series of Doctor Who, read on for further details:

Actor, comedian and award winning writer Reece Shearsmith joins Peter Capaldi (The Doctor) and Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald) as he takes-up a guest role in a special episode of Doctor Who, returning to BBC One this September.

Reece has previously played Patrick Troughton in a docu-drama about the conception and making of Doctor Who, in An Adventure in Space and Time, and returns to Cardiff for a part in an adventure written by Mark Gatiss, directed by Justin Molotnikov and produced by Nikki Wilson.

Most famously known for his work as part of The League of Gentlemen along with fellow performers Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss and co-writer Jeremy Dyson, Reece comments on his casting for the hit show:

"I am absolutely thrilled to be filming Doctor Who as Mark Gatiss has written a fantastic role for me in a very scary episode. It has been so exciting to be part of a very singular episode - which, I can say with authority will be unlike any previous episode of Doctor Who. It’s a joy to play a part in the show - certainly a badge of honour."

Mark Gatiss, writer of the episode, added:

"I’m delighted to be writing again for Peter and Jenna’s brilliant TARDIS team and very excited about this particular story. It’s been brewing in the dark recesses of my mind for a while now! I’m also chuffed to bits to finally welcome my old friend Reece Shearsmith onto the show. He’s been badgering me for ten years!"

Reece will be joined by Elaine Tan (Eastenders, Entourage), Neet Mohan (All in Good Time, Desert Dancer), Bethany Black (Cucumber, Banana) and Paul Courtenay Hyu (Dalziel and Pascoe, Coronation Street).

Other guest cast for the new series, include Michelle Gomez, Maisie Williams, Rufus Hound, Ingrid Oliver and Rebecca Front.

Series 9 of Doctor Who will commence on Saturday 19th September on BBC One and BBC One HD, a time is to be confirmed.

New Books - Cover & Details

BBC Books and Penguin have issued the covers and details of three new Doctor Who books:

HEROES AND MONSTERS COLLECTION - 6th August, £6.29
A new story collection featuring 26 adventures across time and space!

The Heroes and Monsters Collection brings together our favourite short stories from the last ten years of Doctor Who. In these tales the Doctor and his companions face the Daleks, the Cybermen and many more terrifying foes. Also includes three brand-new stories for 2015, featuring the War Doctor, Clara and the Twelfth Doctor.

With all the humour and thrilling action of the iconic television programme, the Heroes and Monsters Collection is a wonderful read for any Doctor Who fan.

THE OFFICIAL ANNUAL 2016 - 1st October, £7.99.
Join the Doctor for brand-new adventures on board the TARDIS in this year’s Doctor Who annual. With secrets from the brand new series, fact files on the latest terrifying monsters, exciting comic strips, stories, puzzles and activities, it is bound to keep all Doctor Who fans happy!

TIME LORD FAIRY TALES - 1st October, £12.08
A stunning illustrated collection of dark and ancient fairy tales from the world of Doctor Who.

These captivating stories include mysterious myths and legends about heroes and monsters of all kinds, from every corner of the universe. Originally told to young Time Lords at bedtime, these twisted tales are an enchanting read for Doctor Who fans of all ages.

Series 9 - Official Promo Image

The BBC have issued the first official promo image advertising the forthcoming ninth series of Doctor Who, you can view it above. The new series will commence on Saturday 19th September on BBC One and BBC One HD, a time is to be confirmed.

Doctor Who Adventures - Issue 5

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

Summer’s here and the time is right for reading the latest issue of Doctor Who Adventures. Issue 5 is set to land at a newsstand near you on 13th August!

TRUST
The Doctor takes Clara back to the liberation of Paris in World War II for the biggest party the party capital of the world has ever seen, but things soon go awry when the deadly Darapok Empire try to take over the war weary city. Take a summer trip to Paris in 1944 in Trust written by Jason Quinn, illustrated by Russ Leach and coloured by John Burns, it’s going to be a party you will never forget!

THE FEAR FACTOR
Do the Weeping Angels make you weep with terror, or do Scarecrows have you screaming for mercy? Or will you run howling from the Autons and the Racnoss? Find out which of the Doctor’s enemies would be most effective against you in battle in this issue’s Fear Factor quiz.

VORTEX MANIPULATOR
Clara takes you into the TARDIS Craft Studio and shows you how to create your own mini-vortex in the safety of your home…

UNIT ALIEN ARCHIVES
The best way to survive an alien attack is to know all about your enemies and we’re giving you access to the UNIT Archive on the Weeping Angels, so you’ll know what to do if they come hunting for you.

STRAX’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
This month, Strax shows you the delights you can expect to find on Karn, Krop Tor, and Midnight before whisking you away to the end of the universe to meet Futurekind on Malcassairo.

TIME LORDS AT WAR
They’ve faced off against each other many times before but who really has the edge? Who do you think would win the final showdown - the Doctor or Missy?

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE
Get ready for an awesome adventure in this cool board game, where you get to be either the Doctor or Missy as you try to escape from the Weeping Angels and make your way to the safety of the TARDIS.

THE PATERNOSTER GANG INVESTIGATES
It’s back to Victorian London where Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint and Strax are employed by the Prime Minister to protect the inventor of… a time machine? As they find themselves targeted by enemy agents, Vastra asks herself, are humans ready for time travel?

Doctor Who Adventures issue 5 - summer won’t be summer without it! Issue 5 comes with a Free Dalek notepad and pencils and special make your own Doctor Who scene stickers!

Issue 5 of Doctor Who Adventures magazine is on sale from 13th August until 9th September priced £3.99.

The Essential Doctor Who - Davros & Other Villains

Panini have issued the cover and details of a new one-off edition of Doctor Who magazine:

The Essential Doctor Who - Davros and Other Villains
The makers of Doctor Who magazine turn their attention to the series’ greatest villains. Davros, creator of the Daleks, leads a collection of deadly adversaries that includes the Celestial Toymaker, Tobias Vaughn, Sharaz Jek, and Madame Kovarian.

This lavish new publication devotes 116-pages of all-new material to exclusive interviews, profiles of the show’s greatest actors and guides to classic episodes. Davros and Other Villains is an essential addition to any fan’s library, packed with rare photographs and behind the scenes information.

The Essential Doctor Who - Davros and Other Villains is on sale from 25th October priced £9.99.

Lego Dimenions - Doctor Who Packs

The Lego Group have issued the details of two new Lego Dimenions packs based on Doctor Who for the upcoming game, read on for further details:

When a mysterious and powerful vortex suddenly appears in various Lego worlds, different characters from DC Comics, The Lord of the Rings and The Lego Movie are swept away.

To save their friends, Batman, Gandalf and Wyldstyle bravely jump into the vortex and quickly find themselves fighting to save all of Lego humanity.

Let creativity be the guide to a building and gaming adventure - journey through unexpected worlds and team-up with unlikely allies on the quest to defeat the evil Lord Vortech. Play with different minifigures from different worlds together in one Lego videogame, and use each other’s vehicles and gadgets in a way never before possible.

Lego Bad Cop driving the DeLorean Time Machine…why not?! The Lego Ninjago Masters of Spinjitsu fighting alongside Wonder Woman…yes, please! Get ready to break the rules, because the only rule with Lego Dimensions is that there are no rules.

FUN PACK - on sale 6th November, priced £15.79
Want the best variety? Extra fun comes in each pack containing one minifigure and a vehicle or gadget.

LEVEL PACK - on sale 22nd January 2016, priced £28.56
Want more to explore? Expand the gaming experience with a level pack which contains a whole new mission-based game level, along with a minifigure, a vehicle and a gadget to build and use in-game.

Lego Dimensions will be available to play on all mainstream gaming consoles from 27th September.