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Doctor Who’s Martha Jones, Freema Agyeman takes centre stage at the Royal Shakespeare Company for Much Ado About Nothing this summer

 

The Royal Shakespeare Company have announced Freema Agyeman as the star of their 2025 production of Much Ado About Nothing. The actor, who played the Doctor’s companion Martha Jones, takes the iconic lead role of Beatrice. Here Shakespeare’s classic heroine is reimagined as a cynical sports reporter in a version transported to the modern world of football and celebrity culture. She and football star Benedick (Nick Blood) despise each other and scorn the whole concept of love. However, in this prototype for centuries of romcoms, sparks of witty putdowns inevitably evolve into sparks of something else entirely.

The pair’s conviction that love is for fools is further put to the test when malicious gossip threatens to break up their friends Claudio and Hero on their wedding day. Can the two cynics expose the truth and save the day for love?

The announcement comes as Freema Agyeman wins Best Supporting Performer at the What’s On Stage Awards, for her role as Nurse in Romeo and Juliet.

Tickets for Much Ado About Nothing go on general sale the 12th of February, perfect timing for a Valentine’s present. The production runs from the 12th of April to the 24th of May at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. Performances on the 7th and 8th of May will be filmed to be screened at a later date. You can book your tickets at the RSC site here.

 

Much Ado About Nothing at the RSC in 2025 (c) Royal Shakespeare Company Much Ado About Nothing

‘Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps’

It’s all kicking off in Messina.

The winners are back from the action and a celebrity wedding is on the cards. But not everyone wants the big day to go off without a hitch. Meanwhile, will an assist from the team mates mean old rivals Beatrice and Benedick finally manage to score themselves?

Michael Longhurst, fresh from his tenure as Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse (Next To Normal, The Band’s Visit, Constellations) directs Freema Agyeman (RSC Twelfth Night, Doctor Who) and Nick Blood (Day of the Jackal, Slow Horses, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D) as Beatrice and Benedick in Shakespeare’s original rom-com set in the world of top-flight football and celebrity culture, where scandal-filled rivalries are the hottest new thing and lads and WAGs collide.

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The final viewing figures for Joy to the World secure its place in the Christmas Top 10

The +28 viewing figures for Christmas week are now available, including those for Ncuti Gatwa’s second Christmas Special as the Doctor. Joy to the World has now been seen by 6.38m viewers, rising to 7m viewers when the BBC Three repeat is included. That 6.38m is up 0.42m (7.1%) from the special’s +7, for a total time-shift of 2.28m (or up 55.6% since the overnight.) It’s also up up 2.46m (62.8%) from previous Doctor Who episode Empire of Death. Year on year, however, it’s down 1.62m (20.3%) from Church on Ruby Road. Though it’s also the highest rating episode since then.

This result means Doctor Who’s final chart position doesn’t change from the preliminary weekly chart published last month. Joy to the World was #6 for the week, up nine places from Empire of Death’s finish at #15. Unsurprisingly, the chart is still led by the gargantuan success of Gavin & Stacey at 20.56m and Wallace & Gromit at 17.6m. These are unique numbers that would have been cause for celebration three decades ago, and certainly higher than even peak Doctor Who. Their achievement’s underlined by the gap of nearly 9m between them and third place entry Call the Midwife on 8.48m.

Doctor Who continues to enjoy a good demographic spread of viewers, too. Indications are that Joy to the World was equally popular with men and women. Furthermore, about a million viewers were under the age of 25. In the changing media landscape, it emphasises why shows like Doctor Who, and films like Wallace & Gromit, are a vital part of the BBC strategy to get younger viewers in the television watching habit.

 

The War Chief (Edward Brayshaw) drips menace as the prototype evil renegade Time Lord (c) BBC Studios The War Games in Colour was one of BBC Four’s most popular shows of Christmas

Meanwhile, The War Games in Colour finishes with an audience of 0.43m. Though obviously modest compared to Christmas Day’s shiny new episode, it’s an impressive number for an omnibus of 55 year old archive television. To put that in context, it makes it BBC Four’s 5th biggest audience of the week, and a viewing figure the BBC channel dedicated to arts, culture and documentaries will certainly be pleased with.

 

The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and his new companion Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) (c) BBC Studios Doctor Who returns with a new season in 2025 to BBC One in the UK and Ireland, and Disney+ everywhere else

 

 

 

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Doctor Who returned to the BFI Southbank this past weekend for another screening in anticipation of the latest Blu Ray collection release.

The next season to receive a Blu Ray collection release is Season 7. Given the other stories in the season are seven parters it made sense that four parter ‘Spearhead from Space’ would be the centrepiece of this particular screening. In June 2023 the same venue screened 16mm black and white prints as part of their film on film season. This time however we were back in NFT1 to see the freshly restored full colour version of Jon Pertwee’s debut story.

Doctor Who: Spearhead from Space @ BFI Southbank – Justin Johnson and Dick Fiddy (c) Bedwyr Gullidge

Broadcast across January in 1970 it is now 55 years since ‘Spearhead from Space’ hit screens. Sadly that means there are few people who were involved in the production still around to regale us with their stories. However, the team at the BFI including hosts Justin Johnson and Dick Fiddy still delivered another excellent screening event.

Doctor Who: Spearhead from Space @ BFI Southbank – Justin Johnson, Dick Fiddy and Mark Ayres (c) Bedwyr Gullidge Spearhead from Space

Prior to the screening of the first two episodes audio expert Mark Ayres joined the hosts on stage to discuss the sound restoration required. Although all four episodes exist in the BBC archive as 16mm prints, the separate magnetic soundtracks which survive to accompany them are in particularly poor condition. Ayres commented that although copies of the soundtrack had been made onto CD they were copies of poor quality material. Therefore a lot of audio polishing was required. Of particular note were the scenes which took place in Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart’s office. As the door had been left open the sound echoed down the corridor. Thanks to Ayres that echo has been greatly improved although the nature of these things required removing the echo and then adding some more natural echo back in!

Doctor Who: Spearhead from Space @ BFI Southbank – Justin Johnson, Dick Fiddy and Robin Squire (c) Bedwyr Gullidge

Following the first two episodes Johnson and Fiddy were joined by Robin Squire. Now there was some confusion about his role in the production. How a supposed assistant script editor ended up playing the main Auton was unclear. Similarly, a query from Caroline John regarding polymer chains was directed to Squire rather than another member of the crew. He was however an interesting guest and certainly the best dressed!

Doctor Who: Spearhead from Space @ BFI Southbank – Justin Johnson, Dick Fiddy and Peter Crocker (c) Bedwyr Gullidge Further Guests

The highlight of the day for me was the discussion with Peter Crocker. Each of the collection boxsets has their episodes polished up as much as possible to prepare them for high definition. Season 7 has no doubt presented the most difficult challenge so far. Several of the episodes exist in a black and white format with additional colour off air recordings which have aided the colourisation process which was used for VHS and DVD releases. However, with these episodes needing to be delivered in high definition even more work was needed.

It was genuinely fascinating to see a few sequences from ‘The Ambassadors of Death‘ in a four square split screen. In the top left was the black and white film print from the archive. Top right was a colour off air recording from North America. Bottom left demonstrated the varying effectiveness of colour recovery software. Sometimes Bessie was yellow. Sometime Bessie was purple! Then finally in the bottom right corner was the final result which used a combination of techniques including manual colourisation similar to that seen for The Daleks and The War Games. It is no exaggeration that ‘Doctor Who and the Silurians‘ and ‘The Ambassadors of Death‘ will have never looked better when the box set is finally released which made it all the more disappointing not to get to see a full episode or two from these stories on the big screen.

Doctor Who: Spearhead from Space @ BFI Southbank – Justin Johnson, Dick Fiddy and Matthew Sweet (c) Bedwyr Gullidge Surprise Guest

One unadvertised guest who also joined Johnson and Fiddy on stage was Matthew Sweet. Following a few preview clips of some of the special features on the upcoming Season 7 Collection box set it was apparent that Sweet would feature not once but twice. Sweet’s ’In Conversation’ interviews have been a highlight of these releases, delving into more personal stories and delivering interviews which don’t just revisit the typical questions asked over and over again. For Season 7 the interviewee is John Levene and if the preview clip was anything to go from, it’ll be emotional.

Additionally Sweet presents another feature ‘Terror of the Suburbs’ focusing on how Season 7 brought Doctor Who down to Earth and made the mundane terrifying. Both features were appropriately teased by Matthew Sweet and I look forward to watching both when the box set is finally released.

Doctor Who: Spearhead from Space @ BFI Southbank – Justin Johnson, Dick Fiddy and Daisy Ashford (c) Bedwyr Gullidge And finally

To bring the event to a close Daisy Ashford, daughter of the late Caroline John joined Johnson and Fiddy. In addition to the expected comments about her Mum looking so young there was another lovely story. As Liz Shaw only featured in the series for four stories, John always felt that she hadn’t done a good job in the role. Parking Doctor Who firmly in the past, it was only when John attended her first convention and was overwhelmed by the standing ovation she received that she finally realised the popularity of Liz.

Now with Season 7 due for release shortly it is a wonderful opportunity to revisit this special series of Doctor Who. As the recently released trailer highlights, 1970 was the year where everything changed. Liz Shaw is especially deserving of reappraisal. An impressive female character who inspired many viewers. The four stories in the season are classics and when this set is released they’ll never look better. I cannot wait to see them!

Doctor Who: The Collection: Season 7 is available to preorder now from Amazon, HMV, Zavvi and Rarewaves. BlogtorWho wishes to thank the team at the BFI Southbank for their continued hospitality and for another wonderful event.

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Master Replicas unveil their sixth scale figure of the Fifteenth Doctor

Master Replicas are adding to their range of Doctor Who statues with a new figure of Ncuti Gatwa’s current incarnation of the Time Lord.

This sixth scale statue depicts the show’s latest lead as in his full debut in The Church on Ruby Road. This Doctor has an irrepressible passion for life, and takes great pleasure in the way he dresses. The new statue recreates his look in intricate detail, from his red, green, and white Grenson 51 trainers, to his Picante Capitol Mod Stripe zip polo and Lydia Niziblian rings and necklace. Not to mention, of course, that charming Gatwa smile.

The statue is in scale with Eaglemoss’s mega statues, and is perfect to be displayed alongside the other Doctors including the Fourth and the Tenth. It was sculpted digitally before being cast in a high quality resin and painted by hand.

The statue stands 32cm (12.6″) tall including the base. It’s priced £109.

Pre-order the Master Replicas Fifteenth Doctor figure here. The figures will ship to customers in July.

 

The Fifteenth Doctor sixth scale statue from Master Replicas Other statues in the sixth scale range are still available, including the Fourth and Tenth Doctors

The new Fifteenth Doctor statue joins the existing Doctor Who sixth scale figures. These include K9 Mark I, the original version of a Time Lord’s best friend who first appeared in 1977’s The Invisible Enemy. Also available is David Tennant in his blue suit and red tie combination, as seen in stories such as Smith and Jones. You can collect the Fourth Doctor too, presented in one of Tom Baker’s most iconic looks, with his 18′ scarf and high collared oatmeal coloured tweed coat from City of Death. Finally, the bravest of fans can choose to have an image of a Weeping Angel in their homes. This particular sixth scale statue comes with swappable heads so you pick between their angelic and fanged appearances.

Prices ranges from £54.99 for K9 to £109 for the Fourth Doctor.

 

 

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More covers for this year’s Doctor Who books are now available, with one or two brand new titles too

The covers for two of this year’s Doctor Who novels have been revealed, with each one pitting the Doctor against a classic monster. But rather than regular members of the Time Lord’s rogues gallery, these are figures of even older origins. The titles of both books have changed slightly too. On the 24th of April, almost 20 years to the day since their television debut, The Ninth Doctor and Rose encounter Frankenstein and the Patchwork Man. Then on the 28th of August the First Doctor, Barbara, and Ian must face Dracula! (complete with exclamation mark).

Other recent cover reveals include The Official Puzzle Book and The Official Colouring Book. The non-fiction tie-ins are out on the 24th of April and 12th of June respectively. Meanwhile, while there’s no cover yet, another new book has been added to the already packed 2025 schedule. The hardback 100 Scariest Monsters arrives on the 9th of October, just in time for Hallowe’en. It’s preceded by the crafting guide AmiguWHOmi: Crochet Adventures in Time and Space.

Finally, while there’s still no official descriptions or covers, it’s been confirmed at least that May’s two novels, Spectral Scream by Hannah Fergesen and Fear Death by Water by Emily Cook, as Blogtor previously speculated, adventures for the Fifteenth Doctor.

You can check out the new covers and blurbs below.

 

Frankenstein and the Patchwork Man (c) Penguin Doctor Who: Frankenstein and the Patchwork Man by Jack Heath

What a piece of work is a man . . .

When an unsettling folk tale leads the Ninth Doctor and Rose to a remote village in Wales, they get more than they bargained for.

A scientist has taken it upon himself to create new life – imitating Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a book that has sent shock waves around the country.

But, much like his fictional counterpart, this doctor is playing god, and with forces beyond his understanding. As the Doctor and Rose attempt to put the brakes on the experiment before it gets out of control, a sinister supernatural presence reveals itself . .

Pre-order Frankenstein and the Patchwork Man

 

Dracula! (c) Pengun Doctor Who: Dracula! by Paul Magrs

A vampire is on the loose!

On what they hope is going to be a holiday, the Doctor and his companions arrive in a quiet, unassuming seaside town called Whitby.

The terrible significance of the place evades them, until they happen upon a theatre production that captivates their attention . . .

Dracula!

Suddenly, murders are occurring left, right and centre, each victim with trademark puncture wounds on their neck. Ian is soon missing, and a town shrouded in myth and legend is beginning to live up to its name.

Clearly there is a Dracula at large. But the TARDIS team quickly realise: you can never trust a vampire . . .

Pre-order Dracula!

 

The Official Puzzle Book The Official Doctor Who Puzzle Book

Grab your pencil and your sonic screwdriver – the official Doctor Who puzzle book is here!

From Block Transfer Computations and encrypted UNIT data to TARDIS codebreakers and Wibbly-Wobbly-Timey-Wimey word games, each of the puzzles in this book presents a challenge unlike any other. Every brainteaser is designed to test not only your wits, but your Doctor Who knowledge, and is packed with fun references and sneaky sticklers – it’s not to be missed by any Doctor Who fan.

 

The Official Doctor Who Colouring Book Doctor Who: The Official Colouring Book Whether you’re a seasoned Time Lord or a new companion, The Official Doctor Who Colouring Book will transport you to new worlds and dimensions as you bring your favourite characters to life. Featuring stunning illustrations of the Doctor from every era, including the Fifteenth Doctor as played by Ncuti Gatwa, alongside iconic foes, epic scenes from the show, monsters and aliens, get ready to embark on a colourful journey through time and space – but be warned, it’s bigger on the inside! Amiguwhomi: Crochet Adventures in Time and Space (c) BBC Books AmiguWHOmi: Crochet Adventures in Time and Space

Whether you’re a seasoned Whovian, an enthusiastic crocheter or both, this book invites you to bring the magic of the TARDIS, the Doctor and their adventures to life – one stitch at a time. Unleash your inner creative as you dive into this extraordinary collection, brimming with patterns to craft your very own Doctor Who friends and foes as well as cosy items to wear and style around your home.

With patterns for all skill levels, AmiguWHOmi offers a galaxy of options for fans of all ages to enjoy. Whether you’re snuggling up with a time vortex blanket, bringing your favourite characters to life with crochet dolls, or adding a touch of Whovian flair to your wardrobe with the Fourth Doctor’s iconic scarf, this book is a must-have for any Doctor Who enthusiast with a passion for crafting. So grab your crochet hooks, stock up on yarn and prepare to embark on a crafting adventure through time and space. Allons-y!

 

 

Doctor Who: 100 Scariest Monsters

It’s a big universe and there are some truly terrifying monsters out there! Here are the 100 scariest monsters the Doctor has ever encountered so far, from the devious Daleks and cunning Cybermen, to the terrifying Weeping Angels. With facts and stats on all the most fearsome scary monsters, this book will have you cowering behind the sofa!

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It’s time for a new reign for Torchwood as the 20th century dawns, bringing a new threat with it

Big Finish’s Torchwood range continues in March with Rictus. The new play by James Goss plunges the secret world of the Doctor Who spin-off into the birth of a whole new century. A Zygon century in fact. We’ve seen the shadowy organization as a corporate behemoth in the 2000s and a ragtag group of survivors in the 2020s. It’s dealt with the slow moving bureaucracy of the 1950s, and been the personal weapon of Queen Victoria herself. Now for the first time Big Finish examines a crucial missing piece of the puzzle in the 1901 set Rictus.

Queen Victoria is dead. After two decades of defending the realm by royal decree, Torchwood has a new mistress. But why has Princess Beatrice, Victoria’s youngest daughter, been given the keys instead of the new King?

Fenella Woolgar (Call the Midwife, Doctor Who: The Unicorn and the Wasp) makes her Torchwood debut as Princess Beatrice. It’s not an easy start to the job for her, as she comes face-to-sucker with a Zygon – a story that ties in to Big Finish’s new standalone series, Zygon Century.

Following Rictus in March, the Torchwood range is going bi-monthly, with the next, currently unnamed, play due out in May.

 

Torchwood: Rictus. Cover by Sean Longmore (c) Big Finish Torchwood: Rictus 1901. Six months after the death of Queen Victoria, her gung-ho daughter Princess Beatrice goes to visit the organisation she’s inherited. What is Torchwood?Meanwhile, something has broken out of a vault deep beneath London. The Smiling Man is coming. 

Rictus is available to pre-order as collector’s edition single-disc CDs (+ download for just £10.99) or digital downloads (for just £8.99), exclusively here. Note that there will be only 1,000 copies of the collector’s edition CDs.

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Exciting news, Whovians! The BBC has just revealed the brilliant minds who’ll be penning the next series of Doctor Who, and it’s quite the stellar lineup! From bestselling authors to award-winning playwrights, the TARDIS is set to welcome some fascinating new voices.

Leading the pack is Juno Dawson, whom many fans will already know as the creative force behind ‘Doctor Who: Redacted’. The bestselling author shared her touching journey with the show: “I started watching Doctor Who with my grandma when I was ten-years-old in the 1990s. From writing fan-fiction for an audience of one, to scripting the best TV show of all time is truly a dream come true.” She’s particularly excited about what’s coming up, adding “I can’t wait for fans and newcomers to see the new season.”

The incredibly talented Inua Ellams brings his unique perspective to the series, with a Doctor Who journey that began across continents. “For as long as I can remember television, I’ve been a Doctor Who fan. I started watching when I was 10 in Nigeria,” he reveals. “The show invited me to dream, to live beyond my reality. Getting to write for the show felt like touching God; it was blasphemously humbling and exciting, and I can’t wait to share my story with the world.”

A familiar face returns as Pete McTighe steps back into the TARDIS. Fresh from executive producing the upcoming spin-off ‘The War Between The Land And The Sea’, Pete’s enthusiasm bubbles over: “The TARDIS is my home away from home, so it’s been a joy to step back inside, with Russell at the console and the incredible team at Bad Wolf hanging on for dear life. I love this show with all my heart, and am really proud of what we’ve been able to achieve with my next episode.”

Manchester’s own Sharma Angel-Walfall rounds out the new additions, bringing impressive credentials from shows like ‘Supacell’ and ‘The Ballad of Renegade Nell’. Her excitement is contagious: “I am buzzing to be a part of such an iconic show! I am a massive Russell T Davies fan, so it is a dream come true to be able to work alongside him, especially on a show that I love. It’s a real privilege to be a part of the Doctor Who family. I have loved every minute!”

Showrunner Russell T Davies seems properly chuffed with his writing team, declaring: “Doctor Who takes its talent from a glittering galaxy of names, and these extraordinary writers span the skies. We’ve got old hands, new stars, voices from theatre, radio and literature, the whole works! It’s the most wild and exciting season of Doctor Who yet, and I can’t wait to unleash their brilliant work.”

The new series will air on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK, and Disney+ for international viewers. With such a diverse and talented writing team on board, each bringing their own unique connection to the show, we can’t wait to see what new adventures await the Doctor!

 

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