Ravensburg: New Doctor Who Puzzle

Ravensburg have released a new Doctor Who puzzle this month in the lead up to the new series. 

The 100 piece 'Collector's Edition' shows monsters from both the past and the present and measures 70x50cm.

Based on the iconic BBC television series Doctor Who, the new puzzle depicts some of show’s most infamous characters including the Doctor’s most fearsome enemies such as the Daleks, Weeping Angels and one of the most frightening ever The Silence. The designs show over 20 characters within a space setting, ensuring plenty of puzzling fun as fans assemble the scene!

Some readers will recognise the puzzle image as an extension of the 50th anniversary artwork which was released earlier this week by Tea-Lady Design.

Character: New Dalek Figures

Character are to release 6 new Dalek figures in the autumn, based on versions throughout the history of the show. Each will come with speech and sound effects from their individual eras.

The eye catching Bronze Dalek is a timely release for 2012 but actually first made an appearance in a much loved 2005 episode. The equally current silver Daleks are more at home in the swinging Sixties, first being seen in the episode ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’ and again at the height of another sporting celebration, during the 1966 episode ‘Power of the Daleks’.
The Daleks of the Seventies and Eighties have not been forgotten either. Two silver and grey characters emerge from the 1970s episodes ‘Planet of the Daleks’ (1973) and ‘Death to the Daleks’ (1974) while a gold and white fiend is recreated from the ‘Revelation of the Daleks’ episode in 1985.

The figures will be available from the usual retailers in the autumn.

DVD Update: The Ambassadors of Death

BBC Worldwide have confirmed full details on the upcoming DVD release of The Ambassadors of Death, due for release on 1st October 2012.

The Ambassadors of Death 

Released: 1st October 2012 (available to pre-order)

Doctor: Third

Starring: Jon Pertwee (The Doctor), Caroline John (Liz Shaw) and Nicholas Courtney (The Brigadier)

By: David Whitaker

Director: Michael Ferguson

Broadcast: 21 Mar 1970 - 2 May 1970

The Doctor joins UNIT's investigation into the mystery surrounding Mars Probe 7. Space Control has had no contact with the astronauts on board since it started back from Mars seven months ago, and when the Recovery 7 rescue mission runs into similar difficulties, our intrepid team investigates.

When Recovery 7 gets back to Earth, the astronauts are kidnapped after landing and Liz Shaw notices something odd very about the ship, leading to a surprising discovery about the ship's occupants – that they are a group of alien ambassadors who have swapped places with the astronauts. When the Doctor takes Recovery 7 to the Mars Probe to find the astronauts, he soon discovers that all is not as it seems and he has to act quickly in order to avoid all out war.

Special Features

• Commentary with cast members Caroline John (Liz), Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier), Peter Halliday (Alien Voice) and Geoffrey Beevers (Private Johnson), production team Michael Ferguson (director), Terrance Dicks (script editor), Derek Ware (stunt co-ordinator), and Roy Scammell/Derek Martin (stunt performers), plus moderation by Toby Hadoke
• Mars Probe 7: Making the Ambassadors of Death (dur. 26’ 21”) – cast and crew look back at the making of the story. With Michael Ferguson, Terrance Dicks, Derek Ware, Roy Scammell and assistant floor manager Margot Hayhoe. Narrated by Carl Kennedy
• Trailer (dur. 1’ 27”) – the original BBC trailer for the story.
• Tomorrow’s Times – The Third Doctor (dur. 13’ 05”) – our ongoing series looking at the press coverage of Doctor Who reaches the Jon Pertwee era. Presented by Peter Purves Photo Gallery (dur. 4’26”) – production, design and publicity photos from the story
• Radio Times Listings in Adobe PDF format
• Programme Subtitles
• Production Information Subtitles
• Photo Gallery
• Coming Soon Trailer

Big Finish: October Releases

Big Finish Productions have released details on the two stories they are due to release in October.

The Last Post

By: James Goss

Companion: Liz Shaw 

People are dying. Just a few, over a period of months... but the strange thing is that each person received a letter predicting the date and time of their death.

Throughout her time as the Doctor’s assistant, Liz Shaw has been documenting these passings.

Her investigation ultimately uncovers a threat that could lead to the end of the world, but this time Liz has someone to help her.

Her mother...

 

Love and War

By: Paul Cornell (adapted by Jacqueline Raynor) 

Doctor: Seventh

On a planet called Heaven, all hell is breaking loose.

Heaven is a cemetery for both humans and Draconians - a final place of rest for those lost during wartime. The Doctor arrives on a trivial mission - to find a book, or so he says - and Ace, wandering around Joycetown, becomes involved with a charismatic Traveller called Jan.

But the Doctor is strenuously opposed to the romance. What is he trying to prevent? Is he planning some more deadly game connected with the coffins revered by the mysterious Church of Vacuum and the unusual Arch that marks the location of a secret building below ground?

Archaeologist Bernice Summerfield thinks so. Her destiny is inextricably linked with that of the Doctor, but even she may not be able to save Ace from the Time Lord's plans.

This time, has the Doctor gone too far?

 

Rory Action Figure Confirmed

Just before he is about to leave Doctor Who, Rory has finally been made into an action figure.

The action figure will be available to buy from 5th October 2012. The standard one, pictured above left, is £8.99 while the BBC exclusive one, above right, is £9.99.

August Releases: Big Finish Productions

August will see the release of 3 Big Finish Productions. Below are details on them.

Black and White 

By: Matt Fitton

Doctor: Seventh

The TARDIS arrives in the land of the Danes, where a young warrior seeks to rid the kingdom of Hrothgar from a cruel and terrifying demon. The brave young warrior is Beowulf; the monster is Grendel... or so his name will one day be written. But what's written down in black and white is sometimes very far from the truth – as the Doctor knows, and his companions are about to discover.

The Masters of Luxor 

By: Anthony Coburn (adapted by Nigel Robinson)

Doctor: First

The TARDIS is drawn to a mysterious signal emanating from a seemingly dead world. Trapped within a crystalline structure, the Doctor and his friends inadvertently wake a vast army of robots that have lain dormant for many, many years. Waiting… for the Masters of Luxor.

The Perfect One wants to become more than just a mockery of a man, and will stop at nothing to achieve it. But will the cost prove too great?

The travellers are about to uncover a horrifying tragedy. A tragedy that threatens to engulf them all.

The Uncertainty Principle 

By: Simon Guerrier

Doctor: Second

In the future, Zoe Heriot is a prisoner of the mysterious Company, which has evidence that she travelled through space and time with the Doctor. Zoe’s memories have been blocked by the Time Lords, but the Company is determined to break through this conditioning...

And so Zoe recalls a journey to Earth in the past, to the funeral of a young woman called Meg, who was involved in scientific experiments that are bringing forth sinister alien creatures. Only the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe can stop them...

All 3 Big Finishes are available to order now.

BBC Books: The Exodus Code

BBC Books has revealed there latest book to be released in there hardback book series. It is the first to feature spin-off series Torchwood and is called The Exodus Code. The book is written by John Barrowman (who plays Captain Jack in the Torchwood series and in Doctor Who) and his sister Carole E. Barrowman. 

The expected release date is 13th September and an audiobook is also expected to be released in September.

The Claws of Axos - Special Edition Cover Art

A clean version of the cover artwork for the forthcoming special edition release of The Claws of Axos has been released by Tea-Lady Design via their Facebook page. 

No special features have been announced yet but as well as features from the original release, the two disc set will include a documentary entitled Axon Stations! along with a feature, Living with Levene. Full details are expected to be released shortly.

The expected release date in the U.K. is 22nd October but North America won't see it hit their shelves until 11th November.

Doctor Who Merchandise - Coming Soon: August 2012

Every month, I will write an article on the toys, books, DVD's and other merchandise that will be coming available in the coming month. So here is the releases for August 2012.

Books 

• Wheel of Ice

Doctor: 2nd Doctor

RRP: £16.99

Released: 16th August 2012

Resilience. Remembrance. Resolution. Whatever the cost.

She had no name. She had only her mission - she would return Home. And bathe in the light of a long-dead sun... Even if it meant the sacrifice of this pointless little moon to do it.

The Wheel of Ice: a ring of ice and steel turning around a moon of Saturn, home to a colony mining minerals for a resource-hungry future Earth. A bad place to grow up.

The Wheel has been plagued by problems. Maybe it's just gremlins, just bad luck. But what's the truth of the children's stories of 'Blue Dolls' glimpsed aboard the gigantic facility? And why won't the children go down the warren-like mines? And then sixteen-year-old Phee Laws, surfing Saturn's rings, saves an enigmatic blue box from destruction.

Aboard the Wheel, The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe find a critical situation - and three strangers who have just turned up out of nowhere look like prime candidates to be accused of sabotage ... The Doctor finds himself caught up in a mystery that goes right back to the creation of the solar system. But it's a mystery that could have dire repercussions for the people on the Wheel. It's a mystery that could kill them all.

A thrilling, all-new adventure featuring the Second Doctor, as played by Patrick Troughton in the legendary, classic series from BBC Television.

DVD's 

• Planet of Giants

Doctor: 1st Doctor

RRP: £20.42

Released: 20th August 2012

The TARDIS doors open while the ship is still in flight by accident. Although they have arrived back on Earth in the 1960s, a time they have been trying to return to since they all met, the travellers soon realise that something is very wrong.

The Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan discover that they have all be reduced in size and the world they are now exploring has dangers at every turn...

Special Features:

•  Commentary with vision mixer Clive Doig, special sounds creator Brian Hodgson, make-up supervisor Sonia Markham and floor assistant David Tilley. Moderated by Mark Ayres.
•  Episode 3 and 4 Reconstruction Originally shot as a four-part story, the final two episodes of Planet of Giants were edited into a single episode for transmission. Using the original scripts, newly recorded dialogue and animation, this feature gives viewers and idea of how the original four-part version might have appeared.
•  Rediscovering The Urge to Live The team behind the reconstruction explain how it was put together.
•  Doctor Who Stories – Suddenly Susan Carole Ann Ford talks about her role as the Doctor’s granddaughter and the first companion in the TARDIS in this interview originally recorded for 2003’s The Story of Doctor Who.
•  Verity Lambert Tapes – Part Two Doctor Who’s original producer looks back on her time on the series in the second part of this interview recorded for The Story of Doctor Who
•  Prop Design Plans (DVD-ROM only – to be viewed on PC/Mac).
•  Radio Times Listings (DVD-ROM).
•  Programme Subtitles.
•  Production Information Subtitles.
•  Photo Gallery.
•  Coming Soon Trailer.
•  Digitally remastered picture and sound quality. 

Audio

• Black and White (Big Finish Productions)

Doctor: 7th Doctor

RRP: £14.99

Released: 31st August 2012

The TARDIS arrives in the land of the Danes, where a young warrior seeks to rid the kingdom of Hrothgar from a cruel and terrifying demon. The brave young warrior is Beowulf; the monster is Grendel... or so his name will one day be written.

But what's written down in black and white is sometimes very far from the truth – as the Doctor knows, and his companions are about to discover.

• The Lost Stories: The Masters of Luxor

Doctor:  1st Doctor

RRP: £16.99

Released: 31st August 2012

The TARDIS is drawn to a mysterious signal emanating from a seemingly dead world. Trapped within a crystalline structure, the Doctor and his friends inadvertently wake a vast army of robots that have lain dormant for many, many years. Waiting… for the Masters of Luxor.

The Perfect One wants to become more than just a mockery of a man, and will stop at nothing to achieve it. But will the cost prove too great?

The travellers are about to uncover a horrifying tragedy. A tragedy that threatens to engulf them all.

• The Companion Chronicles: The Uncertainty Principle

Companion: Zoe Heriot

RRP: £8.99

Released: 31st August 2012

Further details to be released soon.

So that's all that is coming up this month, no toys this month I'm afraid. If you have any other merchandise releases that you know for certain are coming up this month, please leave a comment and I will update the article.