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Doctor Who is back again this year at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Blogtor has just posted the extensive list of the official events, and there is much more at the SDCC24. Whovian Talkback, The Future of Doctor Who Fan Forum The popular Doctor Who fan forum event Whovian Talkback is back again. Host Sandro Monetti, a TV personality who has appeared on BBC World News and CNN International, once again hosts the SDCC 2024 fan panel. He is joined by River Alexandra Song, Sarah Lynn Dawson, Kristi Schoeman, Cody Shoberg, and Karen Glover. Get your questions together and debate whether or not Disney+ will renew the 2-year contract? Who is Mrs Flood? And what’s all that bigeneration about? The event will be held at the Marriot Marquis San Diego Marina from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Friday, July 26th. An hour before the panel, there will be a fan meet-up / photo-op at the hotel. “This is the most Doctor Who activity ever seen at Comic-Con International and a sign of how our favourite show continues to soar here in the States,” said panel host Sandro Monetti. It is sure to be a great event. Doctor Who Trivia Night: After the Whovian Talkback panel closes, you can make your way over to the Shakespeare Pub in San Diego for a Doctor Who Trivia night. The event will start at 8:00 pm. Just to Recap: Here are the dates, times and locations for these events. Whovian Talkback, The Future of Doctor Who Fan Forum Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, Room Grand 10 & 11 Friday 26th July 2024           Fan Meet-up & Photo op – 3:00 pm outside Grand 10           Panel Event – 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm Doctor Who Trivia Night Shakespeare Pub, San Diego Friday 26th July 2024 – 8:00 pm

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The Doctor Who fandom is in for a treat as the beloved sci-fi series heads to San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2024 to celebrate its first season with Ncuti Gatwa as the new Doctor!

Star-Studded Hall H Panel

Ncuti Gatwa (the Fifteenth Doctor), Millie Gibson, and showrunner Russell T Davies will headline a highly anticipated Hall H panel. Fans can look forward to an in-depth discussion about the latest season, including the thrilling finale that aired on Disney+ and BBC iPlayer. The panel, moderated by Josh Horowitz, will feature behind-the-scenes stories, fan surprises, and an exclusive sneak peek of what’s next for the Doctor.

Live Podcast Episode

On Saturday, July 27, 2024, head to the Neil Morgan Auditorium at the San Diego Central Library for a live episode of the Doctor Who Podcast. The panel, featuring Gatwa, Gibson, and Davies, will provide a weekend debrief and discuss all the details of the new season. Fans at SDCC and worldwide will have the opportunity to ask their burning questions.

Intergalactic Collaboration with Star Trek

Doctor Who will join forces with Star Trek for a unique celebration of friendship and storytelling. Two must-attend events include:

1. Intergalactic Friendship Day Panel: On Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Room 6A, Russell T Davies and Alex Kurtzman (Showrunner and Executive Producer of Star Trek) will discuss the power of friendship and hope, spotlighting shared values between the two iconic franchises.
2. “Friendship is Universal” Gallery Experience: From Thursday, July 25 to Sunday, July 28, at 226 and 230 5th Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter, this gallery will showcase original costumes and props, celebrating the themes of friendship and shared values. Fans can enjoy photo opportunities and special friendship bracelet giveaways. The gallery is open from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM (Thursday to Saturday) and 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Sunday). Admission is free, and no SDCC badge is required.

Exclusive TARDIS Booth

Visit the immersive Doctor Who booth (#4129) in the exhibition hall from Wednesday, July 24. Fans can experience a TARDIS ride through time and space and grab exclusive merchandise.

Here’s a complete list of Official Doctor Who events at San Diego Comic-Con 2024:

• Into the Whoinverse Panel
  Location: Hall H
  Date & Time: Friday, July 26, 2024, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM PDT

• TARDIS Chats: The Doctor Who Podcast Live at Comic-Con
  Location: Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library
  Date & Time**: Saturday, July 27, 2024, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PDT
• Intergalactic Friendship Day Panel: Star Trek x Doctor Who
  Location: Room 6A
  Date & Time: Saturday, July 27, 2024, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM PDT
• “Friendship is Universal” Gallery Experience
  Location: 226 and 230 5th Avenue in Gaslamp Quarter
  Dates & Hours:
  Thursday, July 25 – Saturday, July 27: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
  Sunday, July 28: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Prepare for an out-of-this-world experience as Doctor Who takes over San Diego Comic-Con 2024!

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The Last Day may not succeed in providing the Seventh Doctor’s definitive finale, but is filled with wonderful moments between various beloved characters

 

Here we come to the end, at last. The Last Day 2 is the grand climax of 37 years of the Seventh Doctor on television and audio. While Sylvester McCoy will, of course, be starring in more audio dramas in the future, this is Big Finish’s attempt to place a capstone on his era of Doctor Who. King Arthur has that final command to throw Excalibur back in the lake from whence it once came. Robin Hood has one last arrow loosed to mark his own final resting place. And now McCoy’s Doctor has… that time he decided to become a genocidal dictator.

The Last Day always faced an almost impossible task. Most Doctors got to play out their fitting end on television. But for the same reason McCoy had little more than a cameo in his own regeneration story, most of his era’s timeline is a squiggly mess of novels, audios, and comics. Each strand of that web features its own beloved companions, and its own cherished story arcs. Perhaps most significantly, each has its own ideas about the evolution of both the Doctor and Ace. Perhaps this project’s biggest problem is trying to be all things to all versions of the Seventh Doctor. The result is a twelve episode epic hitting all his biggest fans’ buttons, but which at times risks being incomprehensible to anyone who hasn’t absorbed every bit of decades worth of content.

 

As all roads in the second half lead to Gallifrey, the arc gains a much needed sense of direction lacking in the first set

Fortunately, once it settles down, this second half becomes much accessible than the first. It begins by dropping us straight back into the multiple cliffhangers of the The Last Day 1. Not only does it show a remarkable confidence that people will re-listen to those first six episodes from lat year before plunging on in here, but it also repeats one of that set’s curious script tics. Once again, it cuts from subplot to subplot at a fast place. We bounce around between planets, even universes, and groups of characters from one scene to the next. And once again, people hardly ever mention each other by name until deep into a scene, making it difficult to orientate yourself as a listener. It’s a surprising lapse from a team as experienced in the format as Big Finish.

But as the various groups begin to come together, and the overarching plot finally finds its sense of direction, things improve massively. The various continue to converge. Mel and Benny’s quest to recover an ancient powerful artifact, links in with Chris and Roz. They become couriers to deliver it to Hex and Sally. And they use it as they try to prevent their daughter Cass falling under planetary dictator President McShane’s spell. It’s a strand that, plot-wise doesn’t do much but give Hex and Sally a reason to jump back into the violent chaos of their old lives; the type of thing that could have been covered in a single scene. But it does allow for a nice nod to some of the darker paths Ace took in the expanded media. The two Aces come face to face and reflect on what since Survival made them turn out so differently.

 

Mel and an alternative Doctor brave the terrors of the Matrix in The Last Day 2 Geoffrey Beevers’ Master effortless steals his every scene, archly critiquing others’ plans for universal domination

While Sylvester McCoy himself hardly featured in The Last Day 1, this time there’s much more of him to go round. Literally, in fact. He voices the Doctor that’s now Lord President of Gallifrey and ruthless ruler of the universe. He’s also a damaged and defeated Doctor rescued from the Dark Universe by Ace, in the hopes he can get enough of his mojo back to defeat this universe’s counterpart. He even voices the interface for Ace’s new paradox eating toy. It’s a nice contrast, drily prodding its users into action since it’s incapable of acting under its own initiative. It’s a neat solution to the problem of how to involve him in all these various side quests when he’s essentially the antagonist for this series.

Even better is the decision to pair him with Geoffrey Beevers’ deliciously oily Master for several scenes. On the one hand, it’s a lovely shorthand for how far the Doctor has fallen, that the Master in one person in the universe he feels can understand him and his reasons for what he’s done. But primarily, it’s a brilliant way to have the two characters have an extended conversation for once. Their musings about morality, power, sentimentality, and even identity, are the highlight of the whole of The Last Day. Similarly, the Master’s interactions with one of the Dark Citizens that are both using, and being used by, the Doctor are fantastic. Their shop talk about evil universal domination provide a tidy summing up of the Master as a character. Moreover, they provide about our only insight into why the Dark Citizens do what they do.

 

The resolution leaves the Doctor in a place difficult to square with what we know follows next, but it’s fitting for this era’s chaotic continuity

The final couple of episodes parallel that familiar Return of the Jedi format. Split into two groups, one set of our heroes launch an all out frontal assault on Gallifrey, while the other sneak in the back door for a bit of sabotage to turn the tide of battle. It’s this second piece of the plan that finally gives us what everyone has been waiting for. Ace confronts her old mentor, with both the universe and his soul on the line.

The resolution to all this reality shaking personal drama also echoes Jedi. In doing so, it tests the plausibility of just how forgivable genocide at an intergalactic scale actually is, and how much redemption can be packed into one act of, ultimately self serving, mercy.

More modern eras of Doctor Who on television have seen the Ninth Doctor scarred by the War Doctor’s choices at the end of the Time War, and the Fourteenth flagellating himself over the planets caught as collateral damage in Tectuen’s attempt to kill the Thirteenth. So it’s certainly odd to imagine that only hours after the end of The Last Day, the Eight Doctor will be joyously sprinting through San Francisco, enthused about shoes.

In the end, it makes The Last Day hard to mentally file as the definitive final adventure before the TV Movie. Instead, it feels like yet another ink blot full stop in that messy squiggle of a timeline. Most notably, Big Finish’s account doesn’t fit at all with Ace’s recent television return for Power of the Doctor. It’s perfectly appropriate, in a way. Ever since the New Adventures started, there’s never been one definitive Seventh Doctor that could be pinned down. So how this contradictory, paradoxical, era ever have a definitive end?

 

Doctor Who: The Last Day 2. Cover by Oliver Chenery (c) Big Finish Productions Doctor Who: The Last Day 2

There is always injustice to fight. There is always a new danger for the universe. But what if the Doctor found a way to put things right, once and for all? Would it really be so terrible to take a stand? Would the end justify the means? And would his friends agree? The Seventh Doctor’s last day is coming…

Doctor Who – The Seventh Doctor Adventures: The Last Day Part Two is now available to own for just £22.99 (collector’s edition CD box set + download) or £18.99 (download only), exclusively on the Big Finish website. Please note: the collector’s edition CD box set is strictly limited to 1,500 copies and will not be repressed.

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The 1980s model Cybermen are the latest Doctor Who monsters to feature in Forbidden Planet’s range of merchandise

The latest additions to Forbidden Planet’s evergreen Doctor Who range focus on the Cybermen. Not just any Cybermen, either, but the models introduced in 1982’s Earthshock and then seen throughout the 1980s. All the products feature a design illustrating the head and shoulders of these iconic monsters in all their cyber glory.

 

The new Cybermen products from Forbidden Planet The full list of new products are:

• 1980s Cyberman Sweatshirt
• 1980s Cyberman Coaster
• 1980s Cyberman t-shirt (unisex, women’s, and children’s fits)
• 1980s Cyberman Army mug
• 1980s Cyberman pin badge

 

Doctor Who 10th Anniversary art print The Cybermen also feature in an art print reproducing the iconic 10th Anniversary cover, while you can now order a Fifteen Doctors mug too

But that’s not all. Other items Forbidden Planet have recently added to the range also include a Fifteen Doctors mug, featuring the key art which has appeared on calendars and other products this year. There’s also an art print recreating the iconic cover of the Radio Times Doctor Who 10th Anniversary Special. The image depicts Jon Pertwee as the Doctor, facing over against an assembled rogues’ gallery of Dalek, Cyberman, and Sea Devil.

You can find the full range of Cybermen products here, while the Fifteen Doctors mug is here, and the 10th Anniversary art print can be ordered here.

These are all just the latest in the extensive range of Who merchandise. Every Tuesday, Forbidden Planet will be adding new items dedicated to stories, characters and creatures from across the whole of the show’s history. So far these ‘Time Lord Tuesdays’ have also covered 1988’s The Happiness Patrol and more will be added in the coming months. All that’s on top of the episode specific items for each story in this year’s season from Space Babies to Empire of Death.

 

 

 

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Doctor Who Magazine pays tribute to original companion William Russell in issue 606

This month’s issue features Doctor Who Magazine’s full tribute to William Russell. As Ian Chesterton, Russell was not only one of the show’s original stars, but a key part of the formula that made a hit which continues six decades on. DWM 606 also talks to cast and crew from Dot and Bubble, Rogue, and The Legend of Ruby Sunday/Empire of Death. Meanwhile, there are also looks at the world of Doctor Who in the 1960s, 70s, 80s and beyond.

 

Bonnie Langford is just one of those discussing the filming Empire of Death in this month’s DWM ,BBC Studios,Sophie Mutevelian DWM’s coverage of this year’s season of Doctor Who continues

• The Empire of Death – Behind the scenes on this year’s season finale with Ncuti Gatwa, Bonnie Langford, Jemma Redgrave, Yasmin Finney, Russell T Davies and many more!
• Gabriel Woolf – Join the actor as he records the voice of Sutekh for The Legend of Ruby Sunday and Empire of Death and remembers his role in 1975’s Pyramids of Mars. Plus! We talk to James Burge – the hand of Sutekh…
• Script to Screen – Creating the bird-like alien Chuldur for Regency episode Rogue.
• Callie Cooke and Tom Rhys Harries – Dot and Bubble’s Lindy and Ricky discuss the more unsettling aspects of Finetime.
• Russell T Davies  – The showrunner runs into Louis Theroux at the BBC and the conversation quickly turns to Doctor Who.
• The Hans of Fear Part Three – The latest instalment of our comic strip featuring the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby.

Carole Ann Ford is one of his 60s co-stars paying tribute to William Russell in DWM 606 (c) Big Finish A tribute to William Russell leads DWM 606’s features on the show’s classic years

• A tribute to William Russell –  A reflection on the important role his character, Ian Chesterton, played in the series; a look at his wider career; and the memories of those who worked with him including Carole Ann Ford, Maureen O’Brien and Peter Purves.
• Loose Ends – Graham O’Brien’s companion support group, bid a touching farewell to their most senior member…
• The Fact of Fiction – a detailed analysis of 1965’s The Space Museum.
• What If…? – We journey down the roads never taken during the Fourth Doctor’s era…
• Time and Space Visualiser – come back to 1982 to look at a formative Doctor Who publication…

 

Plus, all the usual regulars are in the new issue too!

• Gallifrey Guardian – all the latest news, including details of the Eighth Doctor live on stage!
• Reviews –  audio dramas, books, games and models!
• Other Worlds – the essential guide to new stories in Doctor Who’s expanded universe.
• Competitions – Win Blu-rays, books and audio releases!

 

Doctor Who Magazine 606 (c) Panini Doctor Who Magazine 606

DWM Issue 606 is on sale Thursday the 18th of July from the online Panini store, WH Smith and other retailers priced £7.99 (UK). Also available as a digital edition from Pocketmags. You can also save with a subscription, as well as receiving exclusive, text-free covers.

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Doctor Who star David Tennant conquers the corrupt and scandalous world of 1980s television executives in Rivals

 

David Tennant stars in an eight episode adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s famous, or infamous, novel Rivals. The new Disney+ series preserves the novel’s 1980s setting, as it peeks behind the scandalous curtains of the 80’s ultra-rich. Former Doctor Who star Tennant stars as Lord Tony Baddingham, the deeply corrupt CEO of Corinium Television. With the channel’s licence up for renewal, Baddingham moves to stop his hated rival Robert Campbell-Black (The Boys’ Alex Hassell) from stealing its slot. He signs controversial news presenter Declan O’Hara (Aidan Turner), but the volatile journalist may be more than Baddingham can control.

Meanwhile, O’Hara and new producer Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams) immediately forge a dysfunctional team based on mutual loathing. More than that, he discovers he’s the latest pawn in the war between Baddingham and Campbell-Black. One both men seek to seduce to their side or, failing that, utterly destroy.

You can see the trailer for Rivals, which will air on Hulu in the United States, below.

 

 

Rivals also features other faces familiar to Doctor Who fans. Tennant’s The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit co-star Claire Rushbrook plays Baddingham’s wife Lady Monica. Annabel Scholey, who was the powerful psychic Claire in Flux, is the ruthless tabloid journalist Beattie Johnson. Going back further, Genesis of the Daleks’ Guy Siner is Bishop Brenton.

Other notable stars include Victoria Smurfit (Once Upon a Time) as Declan’s wife Maud, Katherine Parkinson (Sherlock) as novelist Lizzie Vereker, whose writer’s block may be about to be unlocked by the scandals she witnesses, and Danny Dyer as Freddie Jones.

Rivals will be on Hulu in the United States, and on Disney+ elsewhere. Disney haven’t announced the release date yet, but it’s expected to arrive later this year.

The series is just one of a number of upcoming projects for the always busy David Tennant. Fans can soon see him return as the demon Crowley in the third and final season of Good Omens. The Doctor Who actor will also be in the adaptation of best selling novel The Thursday Murder Club, and lending his voice to Disney+ animated comedy Standing By about a group of bored and disgruntled guardian angels.

 

 

 

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Ruby Red kicks off the new novel range by plunging the new Doctor and Ruby into a traditional Doctor Who adventure

The first of the original Fifteenth Doctor novels is here. Ruby Red is also the first novel by Georgia Cook following several audio drama scripts for Big Finish. It’s a strong debut too, especially considering the difficulty of writing characters before they’ve firmly established themselves on TV. A classic pseudo-historical, it pitches the Doctor and Ruby into a medieval battle where, naturally, something much more deadly than any human army is about to play its hand. Or, rather, its tentacle. There’s a mystery to solve, an alien menace to defeat, and new friends to inspire. Add a dash of body horror, and a strong message of valuing non-conformity, and Ruby Red hits all the essentials you could want from a Doctor Who novel.

This particular jaunt into history sets the TARDIS down on the frozen surface of Lake Peipus in the 13th century. The Battle on the Ice as it’s known brought an end to the Northern Crusades, and Catholic attempts to expand their influence into territory dominated by the Eastern Orthodox Church. But Ruby Red steps lightly around such sectarian conflicts and historical detail. The Doctor may have an unusually precise knowledge of every skirmish in the lead up to the battle. (Though strangely, not if there’s ‘supposed’ to be an earthquake.) But instead the novel focuses on the sheer drama of warfare straight out of Game of Thrones. Fur caped warriors clash swords in a landscape of snow and ice, and huge wolves stalk the woods.

The real drama, though, comes from the conflicts between the various interlopers who aren’t supposed to be here at all. Including, in another GoT nod, the growing threat from an army of the kind of zombie substitutes Who specialises in.

 

The Battle on the Ice provides the backdrop for some traditional themes: intelligence over violence, and individuality over conformity

Various factions make up the visitors to this time and space. Best friends the Doctor and Ruby are answering a distress call that should exist on 13th century Earth. Teenage engineering genius Ran is the one who sent the signal. All she wants is to get away before the battle begins and escape the destiny her mother has laid out for her. Ran’s sisters Cellisamere and Helgadane are determined to force her to go through with the rite of passage and become a full blown Rentara warrior. But all their plans pale in comparison to the Genetrix’s ambitions. It too has followed Ran’s distress signal to Earth and plots to use the planet as a base from which to conquer the universe, and Ran as a tool to crush its hated Rentara foes.

The interpersonal conflict between the three sisters is where Ruby Red’s heart really lies. Ran is an inventor and tinkerer in a society that only values skill in battle. Her sisters love her, but don’t know her, thinking they can bully her into being ‘normal,’ rather than the person she was born to be. They mistake her reluctance to kill for cowardice. But by the end they may depend on her unique skills to save them all. Whether you interpret their dynamic as a metaphor for anything in particular, or general family drama, their journey towards mutual acceptance is lovingly done and totally believable.

 

Doctor Who S1,The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson),BBC Studios/Bad Wolf, Photo by James Pardon This Doctor lacks Ncuti Gatwa’s unique energy, but is still portrays the mix of kindness and intelligence we expect from the Time Lord

For their part, Fifteen and Ruby understandably make for a slightly generic Doctor and companion pairing. There are a few nods to the recent season, with the Doctor throwing out the occasional ‘babes,’ the TARDIS groaning, and mentions of mavity and the mystery of Ruby’s birth. The Doctor does have the familiar mix of bravery, determination, kindness, and intelligence you’d expect. However, the text doesn’t quite capture the swagger and emotionality that’s uniquely Ncuti Gatwa’s. That’s largely unavoidable though, in a novel written while the actor himself was still in front of the cameras, finding his way into the role.

Every Doctor Who story needs its monster, and Ruby Red provides the truly malicious and horrific Genetrix. From a hidden lair somewhere between the encampments of the two armies it sends out its parasites to infect people and animals alike. Packs of possessed wolves and soldiers spread both chaos and the Genetrix’s influence. Nobody is safe. With shades of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, they specialize in taking people over in their sleep. Similarly, paranoia among the uninfected soon becomes almost as dangerous as the Genetrix itself. But it’s when characters we care about feel the distinctive paralyzing chill on the back of their necks that the terror really begins.

Even then, Ruby Red’s central themes are strongly felt. The Genetrix undermines and bullies, promises and flatters. But above all it offers the lure of acceptance. Just conform absolutely to the horde and know peace forever. Meanwhile, those ranged against it play out the age old argument, to overpower it with even greater violence or to out-think it.

 

Millie Gibson’s audio reading provides distinct personalities for the various characters

The audiobook of Ruby Red is read by Ruby Sunday herself, Millie Gibson. It takes Gibson a couple of chapters to warm up to this new type of performance. But while those initial scenes lack energy, she’s soon giving a spirited reading. She wisely avoids trying to channel Gatwa’s unique Scottish/Rwandan accent. She excels, however, with the plethora of female characters. The three sisters, thoughtful and gently earnest Ran, haughty Cellisamere, and butch Helgadane have distinct voices and personalities. Meanwhile, the Genetrix, mother to her brood, is full of lazily drawled spite. As importantly, as a reader Gibson channels the emotion of each scene, whether the excitement of a death defying chase, or the creeping dread of the body horror.

Ruby Red is available as an audiobook or eBook, or as a handsome hard cover. Whichever you choose, you’ll enjoy a thrilling , well told, Doctor Who adventure. Even if it doesn’t quite capture the Fifteenth Doctor’s voice, it dovetails neatly with the themes of his era. More importantly, it marks Georgia Cook as an author from whom we should expect many more great books to come.

 

Doctor Who: Ruby Red (c) BBC Books Doctor Who: Ruby Red

April, 1242: the Doctor and Ruby answer a distress call sent from medieval Russia. The signal’s sender? Ranavere, an alien girl forced to take part in a barbaric conflict between the armies of Estonia and Novgorod on the frozen surface of Lake Peipus.

Ranavere wants to escape, but her distress call has summoned her warmongering sisters, intent on preserving family tradition whatever the cost. And as human battle begins, the Doctor and Ruby must face a more devastating threat – a monstrous entity with plans of conquest, growing stronger beneath the icy lake…

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Thasmin reunited! Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill return for twelve new Doctor Who episodes from Big Finish

 

Jodie Whittaker is coming back! And she’s bringing Mandip Gill with her! Big Finish Productions, in partnership with BBC Studios, have announced the duo’s return as the Doctor and her companion Yaz. They’ll be starring in Big Finish’s first full cast Thirteenth Doctor series – The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures.

Jodie Whittaker made TV history in 2017 as the first female incarnation of the beloved Time Lord in Doctor Who. Now she’s back in a brand-new series of twelve, hour-long, full-cast audio adventures in time and space. By her side in the TARDIS, as ever, will be her best friend Yaz, once again played by Mandip Gill. The first of the twelve episodes will be available from July 2025. Moreover, it appears that each episode will be its own individual release, rather than arranged into box sets. The team have yet to confirm the setting for these new stories. However, it seems almost certain they’ll take place between Graham and Ryan’s departure in Revolution of the Daleks and Dan’s arrival in Flux.

 

Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill reunite as the Doctor and Yaz for Big Finish (c) Oliver Bowring “One thing’s for sure, it’s going to be brilliant.”

Jodie Whittaker discussed being back in the TARDIS, saying, “I’m over the moon to be joining Big Finish for more adventures in the TARDIS. Recording the Thirteenth Doctor and Yaz is a really lovely thing to revisit. One of the things Mandip and I used to love on Doctor Who was getting in, doing a new episode and meeting a brand-new cast. I just can’t wait to step back into the boots, pull on the coat and get cracking. One thing’s for sure, it’s going to be brilliant.”

Mandip Gill, meanwhile, is enthusiastic for the chance to explore Yaz further. “Doctor Who has been a huge part of my career and personal life,” she points out, “and I am looking forward to seeing how I can further enrich my character through this exhilarating series. To be able to work with Jodie again is a dream come true, we have such a special friendship, I’m sure the recordings will be filled with laughter.”

 

New series featuring Jo Martin’s Doctor and Sacha Dhawan’s Master are also coming soon

Big Finish’s Chairman, Jason Haigh-Ellery, explained how 2025 is shaping up to a very special year for Thirteenth Doctor fans. “This year Big Finish is celebrating its 25th anniversary of producing full-cast Doctor Who audio drama,” he explains, “so, when we were granted the licence to create new stories set during the Thirteenth Doctor’s era, we immediately set to work.

“I am delighted that the inimitable Jodie and Mandip have decided to return to their roles with us and I’m excited to welcome them to Big Finish. Alongside our two other forthcoming series for the Fugitive Doctor (played by Jo Martin) and the Master (played by Sacha Dhawan), 2025 has never looked brighter for the Thirteenth Doctor and her fam.”

Meanwhile, Big Finish’s Creative Director, Nicholas Briggs remembers his first meeting with Whittaker and Gill.  “Jodie and Mandip were so welcoming to me when I worked on set with them in the TV show,” says Briggs, who also voiced the Daleks and other monsters for the show, “so I’m looking forward to repaying the compliment. They’re lovely people and they’re full of enthusiasm for this project.”

 

Yaz (Mandip Gill) and The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) continue travelling hopefully BBC STUDIOS 2022,James Pardon The Thirteenth Doctor’s new adventures being in July!

Big Finish listeners can now pre-order The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures, starting at just £11.99 (per story on collector’s edition CD). Each purchase includes a digital download, but you can buy as download only for £9.99. Both pre-order options are available exclusively from www.bigfinish.com.

A complete series multibuy bundle of all twelve releases is also available to pre-order at the specially discounted price of £126 (on collector’s edition CD + download) or £102 (download only), again exclusively from the Big Finish website.

All the above prices include the special pre-order discount and are subject to change after general release.

 

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The Celestial Toymaker is the most radical animation yet, upgrading one of the weaker stories of the Hartnell era

The Toymaker has returned! Again! For the first time! Sort of. The latest of BBC Studios’ animated releases resurrects the original story featuring the Toymaker. Neil Patrick Harris played the godlike villain in 60th Anniversary episode The Giggle. Not least due to Harris not being born yet in 1966, The Celestial Toymaker pitches Michael Gough, later Alfred in the Batman movies of the 1980s and 90s, against William Hartnell’s Doctor. They’re the original, you might say. Trapped in the interdimensional Toyroom, the Doctor and his companions Steven and Dodo must play the Toymaker’s deadly games. Otherwise they have no hope of ever getting the TARDIS back.

All four episodes of The Celestial Toymaker were lost by the BBC Archive. Fortunately dedicated young fans recorded the audio from their televisions with their home setups. Later on, a copy of the fourth episode, The Final Test, was found and returned to the Archive. Incredible work by audio genius Mark Ayers in remastering those tapes, combined with brand new animation of all four episodes, has made its release of DVD and Blu-ray possible.

Like Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy, Doctor Who fans are sometimes quick to judgement, and slow to change their mind. So it’s a mark of the quality of this release that it’s won initially reluctant fans over so completely. Shapeshifter have provided the 3D computer generated animation. It follows their previous work on The Web of Fear Episode 3. Responses to that were decidedly mixed and the news that they were returning was initially met with skepticism. However, no sooner had the BFI hosted a preview screening than a new consensus formed that it was actually pretty marvellous stuff.

 

The cramped studio of the original Toyroom becomes a vast, ever-changing space in the new animation (c) BBC The new animation is a huge improvement on Shapeshifter’s attempt at The Web of Fear

With the Blu-ray in hand, Blogtor can safely say that it represents a massive improvement on the earlier effort. That’s partly because the subject matter creates so many opportunities. In the 1960s, the darkly surreal wonderland imagined by the script somehow became sparsely furnished yet claustrophobic: a few bits and pieces of set standing in a cramped studio surrounded by black curtains. The imagination instead depicts the Toyroom as terrifyingly vast. An almost infinite dimension it emphasizes how lost and vulnerable our heroes are in it.

It also helps establish just how dangerous the games are. Triangle shaped podiums on a shiny floor become stepping stones suspended high in the air above a huge drop. An obstacle course laid out on the same floor becomes a reality bending nightmare where up becomes down, or even right or left, as the blindfolded characters navigate it. The Toymaker himself switches from human sized to a giant, looming over everyone from on high.

 

The expressive Toymaker is a highlight of the animation (c) BBC Studios The recreation of Michael Gough’s expressive Toymaker is a highlight of the project

However, none of that would matter if it wasn’t for the quality of the animation itself. Web attempted to create realistic likeness and missed the mark, but Toymaker leans into more cartoonish character designs which it can realize much more impressively. Ironically, it also makes the characters capable of much greater subtlety. Not only is the Toymaker recognizably Michael Gough in cartoon form, but it gives a full performance. An eyebrow raises slightly in skepticism, the mouth narrows in annoyance, the eyes narrow in warning. Best of all though is the body language as he prowls, dignified yet menacing, around the Doctor. That’s undoubtedly thanks to the excellent decision to bring professional motion capture performers. For Joey the Clown, they even bring in a talented mime artist to provide his movements.

 

The Doctor plays the Trilogic Game in the new animation (c) BBC Studios The Toymaker’s servants become true toys, dolls, puppets and playing cards

The other humanoid designs are more mixed, but still effective. Dodo is a perfect study for animation, Jackie Lane’s wide, expressive eyes translating into a mod Snow White. The Doctor and Steven are nicely interpreted face on. But they’re rougher in profile, Steven in particular looking a little more like a Roman from Asterix than actor Peter Purves. But you quickly get used to their new look to get readily pulled into the action.

The Toymaker’s servants, hinted to be previous victims who lost their games, were played in live action by Peter Stephens, Campbell Singer and ‘Allo ‘Allo’s Carmen Silvera with various costume changes. Here, the trio voice a variety of uniquely designed characters which underline their toylike nature. From rag doll Clara and puppet like Joey, to Mrs. Wigg the woollen doll and Sgt Rigg the tin soldier, their designs are full of imagination. Most charming of all, though, are the playing card family. Not only do they appear to be constructed from folded paper, but they move at a different frame rate than the rest of the action, as if they’re stop motion models. It’s genuinely lovely stuff.

 

 

The Toymaker taunts Steven and Dodo (c) BBC Studios The animation is so full of imagination it largely disguises the thinness of the story’s plot

The new environments and more dynamic action and characters also help disguise just how thin the story of The Celestial Toymaker is. It is, after all, little more than a succession of party games. The Toymaker himself doesn’t actually do much beyond interjecting smug banter as if auditioning to be The Chase’s newest chaser. All the same, this new edition can only do so much, and by the end of third episode The Dancing Floor a keen awareness sinks in of how little plot there is. It’s possibly not helped by Steven grumpily complaining about them not actually getting anywhere.

All in all, though, this is probably the most watchable and entertaining The Celestial Toymaker has ever been.

As if all that wasn’t enough, the set also gives you about four different ways to watch the story. The main animation is a widescreen presentation in colour. But for those who prefer a more authentic 1960s vibe, or even just to make a smoother transition if switching to the surviving episode, all four parts are also in 4:3 black and white. The result is astonishingly potent. Much more than just turning the colour control down, it regrades the shadows and greys to create an eerie mood more The Twilight Zone than Doctor Who.

 

 

Surviving episode The Final Test has been remastered alongside a photo reconstruction of the missing episodes (c) BBC Studios) The surviving original episode is included, along with a clever photo reconstruction of the missing parts

For real purists you can also enjoy the story as a photo reconstruction. There’s very little surviving material from The Celestial Toymaker. Not even the screen capture ‘Telesnaps’ that form the basis of many reconstruction exist. So this is a real labour of love, and the pinnacle of literally decades of fans finding alternate images of the cast to stitch together to tell the story. They’ve been redone and remastered for HD to look better than any of the previous versions. Once upon a time, after all, such reconstructions whizzed around the Royal Mail on third or fourth generation home VHS tapes. Action like the Trilogic Game is even helped along by a little CGI. It’s a superb resurrection, bordering on sorcery.

However, the inherent limitations of the format, combined with the nature of the games, can make the action hard to follow. During the ‘hunt the key’ sequence in Mrs. Wiggs’ kitchen the soundtrack devolves into people shouting and screaming at each other over the sound of crockery and furniture being smashed up. The progression of still images can’t really hope to keep up. If you’re struggling, the fourth version of The Celestial Toymaker on the set might help you. This is the same reconstruction, but this time with narration from Peter Purves helping to fill in the gaps. It’s essentially audio description for a video that doesn’t exist and invaluable for a story like this.

 

The animated Doctor and Steven in the TARDIS (c) BBC Studios Toby Hadoke moderates commentaries featuring an impressed cast and crew getting their first look at the animation

The set includes an impressive set of extras for a mostly missing story from 1966. Toby Hadoke is on hand to moderate a fun and informative commentary featuring, at various points star Peter Purves, dancing doll performer Delia London, make up artist Sylvia James, camera operator Dudley Darby, and animation director/producer David Devjak. It’s lovely to hear how enthusiastic they are about the animation project, and this time in their lives generally (even in the cases where they remember little about this specific story.) Hadoke is a gentle guide, keeping everyone on track and dispensing the occasional tortured pun. Only when London flirts lightly with the politely bemused Purves does Hadoke’s carefully laid mind map of potential topics come slightly unstuck. But it’s an amusing detour while it lasts and he’s soon steered thing back on course.

Carmen Silvera is represented by an archive interview recorded in 1986 where she engages with the novelty of being asked about something other than ‘Allo ‘Allo for once. The Info Text subtitles for the story is as informative as ever for trivia hounds. For the sake of total completeness, there’s even Sylvester McCoy’s introduction to The Final Test from the original VHS release, where he recaps the first three episodes. Naturally, the team have cleaned up and polish all of this archive material as much as possible for this new HD release.

 

The stop motion style playing card family are another highlight (c) BBC Studio A making of documentary reveals a dedicated and talented team of animators

Chief among the newly minted extras are a Behind the Scenes look at the animation of the episodes, and a new Escape Room feature. The former reinforces just what a hardworking and dedicated team there is at Shapeshifter. Filmed at them to the crunch at the end of the production schedule, it features blurry eyed animators explaining how they came in extra early that morning to check the latest render had gone well overnight. “It didn’t,” they deadpan before setting to work cleaning up the results.

Contributors describe the whole process, though, from the initial decisions about how to approach the material, to those late nights making sure every pixel is in its rightful place. It all feels deeply appropriate. The original tried to turn the cramped Riverside studio into a cosmic wonderland, the reinvented version dreams of Pixar on a budget. The results work wonders thanks to a small, but talented and hard-working team. It’s all very Doctor Who.

 

The obstacle course becomes a reality bending death trap in the animation (c) BBC Studios The other main new extra is the first of a new Doctor Who Escape Room series

The Escape Room is the first of a new range, offered as a preview of upcoming editions on Doctor Who: The Collection sets. Each episode takes a different team through a fiendish, Doctor Who themed escape room. The teams all represent the era of a classic Doctor, and naturally, it’s the First Doctor team in action here. The Celestial Toymaker’s Steven, Peter Purves, is joined by Maureen O’Brien, who played Vicki, and Big Finish’s Lisa Bowerman.

The result is pretty much what you’d expect from an hour watching someone else navigating an escape room. All the familiar drama is present and correct, as people fail to listen to each other, misunderstand instructions, and almost throw their hands up in surrender.  Only with the added frustration that nobody can hear your own contributions no matter how loud you yell at the screen.

But in the end, it’s all quite jolly fun. The room itself is brilliantly designed and full of fun ideas. K9 is on hand, voiced by the familiar John Leeson, to give a steady stream of hints to the team. In a couple of particularly desperate moments, he even outright gives them the answer. Meanwhile, though everyone has their moment of just trying to bulldoze a problem without listening to the others, when the teamwork does kick in, they make for an effective trio. Ultimately everyone emerges like brother and sisters in arms following a war, bonded by the experience but glad it’s all over.

 

Dodo in the animated The Celestial Toymaker (c) BBC Studios Whatever your preferred way to experience The Celestial Toymaker, this is the definitive release

The Steelbook comes in its fancy tin box and textless cover, obviously, and both it and the standard Blu-ray have superior image quality to the DVD. But apart from that the content of all three editions are identical. So, whichever you pick, you’ll be able to enjoy The Celestial Toymaker in a whole new way. The animation can’t completely overcome the script’s limitations, but it does open it up into a wild ride through the Toymaker’s imagination.

 

Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker Steelbook (c) BBC Studios Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker

While the Doctor plays the Trilogic Game, Steven and Dodo are forced to play their own seemingly childish, but ultimately dangerous games, with the aim of being reunited and getting back to the TARDIS. Who will be the first to make a false move in this battle of wits, and will the TARDIS ever escape the Toymaker’s snare

Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker is available now on Steelbook, Blu-ray, and DVD from all good stockists

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As Doctor Who fans and Star Trek enthusiasts, we’ve journeyed through time and space with the Doctor and explored the final frontier with the crews of Starfleet. This summer, prepare for an extraordinary union of these iconic franchises as Doctor Who and Star Trek come together to celebrate the inaugural Intergalactic Friendship Day on July 30. This celebration aligns with International Friendship Day, aiming to highlight the shared values of friendship, hope, and the universal spirit of fandom that these series embody.

Kickoff Event at San Diego Comic-Con

The festivities will commence at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con with a unique event featuring none other than Russell T. Davies and Alex Kurtzman, the masterminds behind Doctor Who and Star Trek, respectively. These showrunners and executive producers will engage in an exclusive conversation on July 27, delving into the art of storytelling within their expansive universes and celebrating the enduring theme of friendship. Moderated by TVLine’s Keisha Hatchett, the SDCC Intergalactic Friendship Panel: Star Trek x Doctor Who will take place from 5:30-6:30 PM in Room 6A. Attendees will also receive a special commemorative poster designed by artist Dusty Abell.

“Friendship is Universal” Gallery Experience

Running concurrently with SDCC, the “Friendship is Universal” gallery experience will open its doors in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego at 226 and 230 5th Avenue. This exhibition will showcase iconic costumes and props from both series, providing fans with unique photo opportunities and the chance to receive special friendship bracelet giveaways. The gallery will be open from Thursday, July 25, to Saturday, July 27, from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and Sunday, July 28, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Admission is free, and no SDCC badge is required.

A Legacy of Friendship and Fandom

Doctor Who has captivated audiences since its launch by the BBC in 1963. With Ncuti Gatwa currently portraying the 15th Doctor, the series continues to break records, including being the UK’s most-viewed scripted show on Christmas Day 2023 for under-35s. Meanwhile, Star Trek, with its 60-year legacy since being introduced by Gene Roddenberry, remains a beacon of cultural diversity, scientific exploration, and boundless imagination. Today, it spans 11 TV series, 13 films, and over 900 episodes, available in more than 200 markets worldwide.

Join the Celebration

Both franchises are more than just television series; they are cultural phenomena with legacies that inspire peace and community building. The collaboration between Doctor Who and Star Trek for Intergalactic Friendship Day underscores the values that both series have championed throughout their histories. Whether you’re attending the exclusive panel, exploring the gallery, or celebrating online, this is a unique opportunity to engage with two of the most beloved sci-fi universes in a celebration of friendship.

Mark your calendars and join in the festivities as Doctor Who and Star Trek invite you to celebrate Intergalactic Friendship Day. Stay tuned to @StarTrek and @BBCDoctorWho for updates, and use the hashtags #IntergalacticFriendshipDay and #FriendshipIsUniversal to share your experiences.

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