Who Novelisation Quest 11: "The Day of the Doctor" by Steven Moffat

Perhaps the most anticipated of the new Target releases, The Day of the Doctor is the first novel by Steven Moffat, surprisingly for a writer who has become so prolific. Although initially asked to novelise Twice Upon a Time, Moffat instead decided that this was the one he absolutely had to write, especially considering the dreadful time he had writing the actual episode. I get the impression that this revisitation was a much more enjoyable experience for him.

If you don't care for Moffat's approach to storytelling, then you won't much like The Day of the Doctor. This is timey-wimey throughout, one of the more complex tellings in the Doctor Who line, certainly the most complex of the novelisations, jumping back and forth in time and between different characters' viewpoints. Well, that's at first glance, but the vast majority of the book is told from the Doctor's perspective, in one of his many incarnations, each chapter being delivered as a separate document by an omniscient narrator with a unique perspective on the overall story. Three guesses as to who that is. There's a chapter that's told from a human perspective, until you realise actually, it's a Zygon, but otherwise this is the Doctor's story through and through. And rightly so, because no other story in the TV series' history has ever been as much about the Doctor's own experiences and his views on his very long, eventful life.

The episode leapt about quite a lot, but the book is even more jumpy, and is presented in an order that never quite makes a logical progression clear. It opens with Chapter Eight, which adapts "The Night of the Doctor," the eighth Doctor's last minutes of life, before continuing with Chapter Eleven, the opening to the actual anniversary episode with Clara and the eleventh Doctor. Focusing on the numbering will lead you astray, though, and it's nothing as simple as chapter = Doctor, although the fact that Chapter Nine is redacted in a pretty funny decision, surely a snub to Christopher Eccleston for declining to appear in the episode. In fact, he's in this even less than the actual broadcast, since one of the very few elements not expanded upon is the War Doctor's regeneration, which is sadly relegated to occurring off-screen.

The broadcast episode was primarily the eleventh Doctor's story, given that Matt Smith was the incumbent star at the time, but Moffat has said that he views this version more as the War Doctor's story. In practice, however, so much more prominence is given to the Elizabeth/Zygon storyline that in effect it becomes the tenth Doctor's story for much of its telling. Things are particularly complicated (but ingeniously told) when all three Doctors are locked away together, with the tenth Doctor sandwiched between his suppressed past and his unwelcome future. Cleverly, Moffat doesn't resort to referring to the Doctors by number, but drops in little descriptors instead, which can be entertaining, albeit a little confusing, when the viewpoint is switching between incarnations. Given that this is original author reworking his own material, the dialogue is surprisingly altered, but what author can resist tinkering with their own work even after it's ostensibly finished?

As with Davies and Rose, Moffat takes the opportunity to expand the story in various ways. Satisfyingly, we find out just why and how the tenth Doctor made his way into Elizabeth's affections, cementing the feeling that the other Doctors barged their way in part way through another adventure. There are a number of extra elements inserted; River Song turns up, perhaps not surprisingly, in a bit of backstory; the twelfth Doctor is made more important to the heavily revised climax; and the thirteenth Doctor makes an appearance. The grand "all thirteen!" finale is very different, but perhaps even more satisfying, with Moffat realising that what works as a surprise and a visual treat onscreen won't work the same way in prose five years later.

The Day of the Doctor is one of the most enjoyable Doctor Who novels I've read, and believe me, I've read a lot. It stands up as one of the very best of the novelisations and makes me hope that someday Moffat will turn his hand to novel writing again.

Some fun observations from the novel:

The Doctor's first two incarnations were apparently colourblind, something the Doctor didn't realise until the Time Lords corrected this with his second regeneration. So, all that time we were watching the episodes as the Doctor would have seen them.

A. M. Thompson's amazing fan cover

Moffat reinstates something he was dying to include in the broadcast episode, but couldn't due to rights issues: the Doctor Who movies starring Peter Cushing exist in-universe as depictions of the "real" Doctor's life. He isn't the first author to suggest this, but he runs with it farther than others, even having the tenth and eleventh Doctors take time out from the proceedings to watch both films and then go back in time to fetch Cushing so he can make another one. It's a pretty hilarious way to explain how he can turn up in a new Star Wars film years after his death...

The potion given to the eighth Doctor by Ohila was just "lemonade and dry ice." So it's true the Doctor was just using this transformation as a way to excuse his behaviour during the War. (I'm still convinced he was cured of his half-human DNA during this regeneration though.) He also mentions Fitz during his companion rundown, fittingly given this is now a prose story.

The War Doctor half recognises Clara from her voice, referencing the later episode "Listen" which had her speak to his childhood self.

Coal Hill headmaster Mr. Armitage is completely in on the Doctor's existence, having been tipped off by governor Ian Chesterton.

Data: 
First published by BBC Books (Target imprint) in 2018
Based on "The Day of the Doctor," first broadcast in 2013
Audiobook read by Nicholas Briggs

Doctor Who: Every Story 1963-2013 - A 50th Anniversary Update by Babelco...

I don't know if I mentioned it, but 2013 was the fiftieth anniversary year of Doctor Who. In celebration, the mightily talented BabelColour has updated his hugely popular 'Every Story' tribute video, featuring the wonderful 'WhoRythmics' mix by JeX. The video runs to thirteen minutes, referencing every story from the series' run, before moving on to cover all known visual representations of the series. Not just spin-offs, but in-character appearances by the Doctor and his supporting characters on TV and the internet over the last fifty years. It also features some specially recorded voice work and all manner of intriguing soundbites. Watch it right now.

WHO REVIEW: 50th Anniversary Special: The Day of the Doctor

Stephen Moffat has managed the impossible: a fiftieth anniversary special that lives up to the hype.


This episode had a huge weight of expectation upon it. This was the main event in a week full of celebrations. The fans, the press, the normal folk – everyone was expecting something amazing. Even people who normally wouldn't watch Doctor Who were tuning in. It had to be fantastic, and it was.

Creating a special that lives up to such hype, and to fifty years of backstory, is no small ask. In fact, it's nigh on impossible. Already, fans were complaining because only the modern series was being represented, with only the tenth Doctor returning for the big event. They were absolutely wrong, though. For a start, it would be impossible to have every Doctor involved directly, running around and getting in on the adventure. Three of them are dead, most of the rest are significantly older than they were when they played the part, and Christopher Eccleston said no. Yet, Moffat manages to create a story that more-or-less holds together, wraps up the last eight years of the series, and celebrates the series right back to its beginnings in 1963. From the opening moments, paying homage to the opening of An Unearthly Child, The Day of the Doctor recognises the debt it owes to that early production team and their remarkable creation.


However, there will be many millions of kids watching across the globe (Across the globe! Simultaneously broadcast in ninety-four countries!) who know the series in its new form. Naturally, then, the special focusses on the last eight years of developments, and there's only one place that can go: the Time War. I never imagined we'd see as much of the Time War as we have now, and while it would be beyond the scope of the BBC to show all of time and space burning, what we do get is a terrifying look at Gallifrey invaded by the Daleks. Appropriately for an episode that is also being shown in cinemas across the world, the flashbacks to the last day of the War are truly cinematic. What's more, we see Gallifreyans – not Time Lords, but ordinary Gallifreyan people. It's not often we think of Time Lords as having children, but that's what we see here, and what the Doctor has spent centuries dwelling on.


It's a shame that Eccleston declined to be involved, though not a surprise. However, had he said yes, we wouldn't have got his newly revealed predecessor. John Hurt is playing the Doctor. There is no bad here. A genuinely legendary actor, a man of astonishing talent, guest starring in our little show. And my word, he is fantastic. As Moffat said in interviews, the ideal event would be to have William Hartnell to come back and meet his young replacements, but since this is impossible, we get something perhaps even better. A brand new incarnation of the Doctor, representing not only the Time War, but the old guard. Hurt stands in for all the old men who once led this series, passing judgment on his sprightly successors. While we expected a dour, dangerous warrior incarnation – and we do get that, especially in that awesome moment when he batters a squad of Daleks with his own TARDIS – Hurt's Doctor is far more than that. Still recognisably the Doctor, he has a charm and a twinkle that makes him incredibly likeable. It takes the edge off his impressive gravitas.


David Tennant is as good as ever. He's still got the cheeky charm and the energy, but being slightly older, he can handle the darker scenes better than ever. He and Matt Smith are brilliantly matched. It's like two brothers, a little jealous of each other, driven by competition, but full of love for one another. They're fantastic together. Tennant's Doctor gets the piss ripped out of him, which is gratifying, the smug sod - “You can talk, Dick van Dyke!” but Smith doesn't go unscathed. The tower scene is perhaps the most effective in the episode; a modern Three Doctors, with the elder statesman playing dad to his squabbling successors. However, this plays up the wonderfully peculiar idea of having younger men playing older versions of the elderly character. Add in a little “timey-wimey” cleverness and some genuinely funny dialogue, and this a scene to cherish.


Only slightly less inevitable than Tennant returning is Billie Piper. We always expecting to see her again (and again, and again), but to his credit, Moffat avoids the obvious and doesn't bring her back as Rose. In fact, she doesn't interact with Tennant on screen once, which is a strange decision, but not once is this missed. Having Piper play the Moment (as Rose, as the Bad Wolf) is a lovely touch. Sadly, she's not terribly good, and lacks chemistry with Hurt. Piper's a surprising weak link in some otherwise excellent scenes. However, there are plenty of astonishingly good performances on offer here, so many that it would be difficult to go into them all. Perhaps best is a very dignified performance by Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart, but also worth praise are Ingrid Oliver as Osgood, Ken Bones as the Gallifreyan General, Peter de Jersey as Lord Androgar, and Joanna Page as Queen Elizabeth I.


However, fezzes off please, everyone, for Matt Smith. What a beautiful performance he gives in this episode, just the right balance of humour and sadness, holding his own against two other Doctors played by well-loved actors. The last run of episodes gave him too few opportunities to show what he is really capable of. It's hard to escape the feeling that this is an actor who has yet to show us his best. He's going to go far, this one.


There are a couple of elements that let the episode down. The Zygons are brilliantly realised, but their plot is left dangling, with the, admittedly very clever, negotiation between them and UNIT left unresolved. Perhaps we'll find out the resolution in a future episode; after all, it's unlikely we've seen the last of those costumes. (As an aside, it's great that David Tennant got to face the Zygons – they are, after all, his favourite monsters.) Jenna Coleman is excellent as Clara, sharing some real chemistry with Smith and putting in a sparkling performance, but the character never really comes into her own, a consequence, perhaps, of having three Doctors and a whole host of supporting characters to deal with. And, while it's not really the fault of this episode, there is no explanation of how she and the Doctor escaped the Doctor's time stream in the previous episode, which irritates. The events are referenced, but a line to satisfy our curiosity would have been appreciated.


Still, these are quibbles. The frenetic plot culminates in the most joyful climax, the final fifteen minutes of the episode given over to the Doctor's triumph. It's a ballsy move, totally rewriting the backstory of the series since its revival. The Doctor rewrites his own history, saving Gallifrey from destruction and hiding it away somewhere in space and time. And with such style! This is where it all comes together, with all the Doctors storming to the rescue. With footage of all eight classic Doctors, and a specially highlighted clip of Eccleston (taken from The Parting of the Ways), all fifty years of the series are celebrated together in this triumphant moment. “All twelve of him!” snarls the General, and then, oh yes, that brief thrilling cameo. “No sir, all thirteen!” Just a glimpse of Peter Capaldi's eyes, full of fire, and we have the complete baker's dozen in one wonderful scene. What a gift.


Finally, once Tennant and Hurt have said their goodbyes, and all (well, most) of the plot has been resolved, we get an extra, unexpected treat. Tom Baker, the elder statesman, the earliest surviving Doctor, returns for a few beautiful minutes. As mad and as magnetic as ever, he shares a touching scene with Matt Smith, bridging the generations. Just wonderful.


And thus onto that final, symbolic scene, Smith's Doctor standing proud with his eleven predecessors, looking out over the universe, the Rendered perfectly, it's a wonderful image to end on. Gallifrey is saved, and so is the Doctor's soul. Now, he has a new mission. In a complete reversal of the original set-up of the series, which had him on the run from his own people, the Doctor is now on a quest to find them. But first, Trenzalore awaits...

Perfect? No, but damned close. The Day of the Doctor is one hell of a celebration. Triumphant.




Doctor Data:


The eleventh Doctor: He's still claiming to be 1200 year old, but also says that he's so old that he can't remember if he's lying about his age. While we're still calling him the eleventh Doctor, we now know that he is, in fact, the twelfth incarnation. He's begun to move on from the events of the War, and is now more concerned about his fate at Trenzalore.


The tenth Doctor: Says he's 904, and is travelling alone, which I think puts this after he loses Donna at the end of series four. He referred to his affair with Elizabeth I in The End of Time, in which he is 906, suggesting it took place after his call to the Ood-Sphere in The Waters of Mars. It's likely, then, that this happens shortly into his side-trip. He still thinks he has amazing hair. He makes a twat of himself by threatening a rabbit.


The War Doctor: As we saw in The Night of the Doctor, John Hurt's Doctor is in fact the ninth incarnation, and regenerates into Eccleston's “ninth Doctor.” He is four hundred years younger than the eleventh Doctor, so is about 800 (and no, none of this fits with the Doctor's age in the original series).


The first Doctor: Surprisingly gets some lines we've never heard before, addressing the War Council of Gallifrey. These are apparently the work of John Guilor, who is credited simply as “voice-over artist.”



The Curator: It's not 100% clear, but Tom Baker's character is heavily implied to be a future incarnation of the Doctor, reusing a favourite face and now retired to become Curator of the gallery, as appointed by Elizabeth I. So the Doctor should be OK for a few more regenerations yet.


Monster, Monster, Monster: The Zygons are back, making their first appearance since their debut thirty-eight years ago. They always seemed like a monster that should have returned, and have done numerous times in the expanded universe material, but this is their first time back on TV. They are a brilliantly recreated here, faithful to their original design but improved with modern techniques. The transformation from the fake Kate Stewart to the true Zygon form is wonderfully revolting.



Links and references: Too many to list them all, and no doubt plenty I haven't spotted, but here goes:
The opening with the policeman and the sign for I.M. Foreman's yard is a homage to the opening of An Unearthly Child.
Clara is now teaching at Coal Hill School, seen in An Unearthly Child and Remembrance of the Daleks. Ian Chesterton is now governor, and the headmaster is a T. Coburn – a reference to Anthony Coburn, writer of AUC.
The Daleks come out with their classic line from The Chase: “Seek Locate Destroy!”
On Gallifrey the High Council are in an emergency session – leading to Rassilon's plot as seen in The End of Time. Androgar states that they've failed – presumably due to the tenth Doctor's actions I that story.
In another reference to his final story, the tenth Doctor says “I don't want to go.” (In the words of my friend Candi – oh, the feels!)
Fake Kate requests info on a file codenamed “Cromer,” detailing the events of The Three Doctors. (“I'm fairly sure that's Cromer.”) Cheekily, it's said to be under either the seventies or eighties depending on the “dating policy.”
Dialogue references to The Three Doctors include "you've redecorated - I don't like it," and "I didn't know when I was well off."
The Black Archive was first featured in The Enemy of the Bane on The Sarah Jane Adventures. It has photos of everyone who has travelled with the Doctor on TV. Interestingly, it appears to show Sara Kingdom standing with Mike Yates.
It also contains Captain Jack's vortex manipulator. The activation code is 1716231163, the exact time and date of the initial transmission of An Unearthly Child.
The time rifts that allow the Doctors to interact look rather like the “ice cream cone” version of the time scoop that was used in the remastered version of The Five Doctors.
Kate refers to Malcolm, presumably the scientific advisor played by Lee Evans in the 2009 episode Planet of the Dead.
Miss Osgood's name might be a reference to Sgt Osgood, a UNIT soldier who appeared in The Daemons.


Hanky Panky in the TARDIS: What Doc Oho refers to as “the shallow bit.”
David Tennant is still terribly handsome, and he's hardly showing the extra three years (which is more than can be said for Billie Piper, who seems to be showing about ten). The tenth Doctor marries Elizabeth I, which he says means he is “going to be king.” But he won't be, he'll be Prince Consort.
Jemma Redgrave is my current older woman crush. Jenna Coleman remains stunning. And anyone who thinks that Ingrid Oliver (Osgood) isn't pretty needs their eyes checked.


Extra features:


Once, you had to buy the DVD to get extras. Not anymore. While I didn't see this in the cinema (this being an almost religious experience for me, I chose to do it at home, with drinks), I am reliably informed by my co-conspirators that it is suitably impressive in 3D, and that there were two extra intro scenes regarding cinema etiquette and the use of 3D glasses, from Strax and the Doctors respectively.
A making of documentary was also screened, along with a live afterparty show, plus numerous extras throughout the day, including a Blue Peter special. The best elements are to be found online though. There are two prequel mini-episodes. The Night of the Doctor, a wonderful gift to the fans, bridging the gap between the old series and the new, bringing back Paul McGann for one day and regenerating him into John Hurt. Then there's The Last Day, not as exciting but still well done, showing us the first moments of the Fall of Arcadia (no revealed to be Gallifrey's second city). It's suitably grim, although considering the Time Lords are using plain sight techniques to spot Dalek incursions, it's no wonder they were losing.
Finally, and most enjoyably, is Peter Davison's half-hour extra-special anniversary production, The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, which simply has to be seen. Good sports everyone who took part; it's a real treat.


Best lines:


Ten: “That's not the Queen of England, that's an alien duplicate!”
Eleven: “And you can take it from him, because he's really checked.”


Elizabeth: “I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but at the time, so did the Zygon.”

Ten: “Never cruel, never cowardly.”
War Doctor: “Never give up, never give in.”

What Doctor Who Means to Me

Happy Who Day everyone!

Yes, it's finally here, the fiftieth anniversary of our favourite series. As part of the celebrations, my friend and fellow Who-ligan Joe Ford - aka Doc Oho - has brought together a number of fans to tell us just what it is that makes Doctor Who so special. There's a contribution from me in there, and a number of names that Who fans might recognise.

What Doctor Who Means to Me

REVIEW: An Adventure in Space and Time

My best friend has three children, and our continual talking about Doctor Who has rubbed off on them. They have Dalek and Cyberman bubble bath and flannels, and are aware that it's a special TV show that they're not quite old enough to watch yet – except for the special clips on Children in Need and Comic Relief telethons. We explained to the eldest, Holly, just why we were so excited about Doctor Who this week; that it was the series' birthday, and that it had first started fifty years ago. She was astonished. To a five-year-old, fifty years is an unimaginable span of time.

Being only twenty-nine myself, fifty years is still an impressive span of time. By anyone's standards, it's a long time for a TV series to run. Yet, fifty years really isn't so long. Many of the people who were there at the very beginnings of Doctor Who are still with us, still acting and writing and directing now. It lies in that halfway region of time; so long ago that life was very different, suitable for a historical docudrama, yet so close that memories of it are still fresh in the minds of those who were there.


Years after first pitching the idea, Mark Gatiss finally has the industry clout to get these early years brought to life again on screen. Fittingly the very last material recorded at BBC Television Centre, An Adventure in Space and Time is a captivating, moving and intricate look at the beginnings of the now legendary series. From the opening announcement, in classic BBC received pronunciation, reminding us that “you can't change history, not one line,” we are reassured that this production will be a faithful recreation of the events of Doctor Who's earliest days. Nonetheless, there is the necessary dramatic licence. As Verity says in the drama itself, “So many people were at the birth of this thing we'd be here all day.” The play focusses on William Hartnell, with Verity Lambert, Waris Hussein, Sydney Newman and Hartnell's wife Heather being the major characters. There are appearances from a vast array of people who were there at the beginning. Some have a fair share of screentime – Jeff Rawle's likeable turn as Mervyn Pinfield, for a good example – while others are very briefly acknowledged – blink-and-you'll-miss-them appearances by later companions Steven, Dodo, Polly and Ben.

So yes, this isn't a truly faithful account, but how could it be? It's a dramatisation, and such a production requires a few omissions and alterations. There's no room for Anthony Coburn or Bunny Webber. Events are streamlined for ease of telling and effect. An appearance by a caveman at the filming of the pilot episode raises a smile and adds to the sense of chaos at the production. In reality, the Stone Age episodes were filmed later, but the way it is presented here works. And by all accounts, with the exception of the notoriously belligerent Stef Coburn, all those represented in this production are happy with the results. It's beautifully written, and some of the most memorable lines are direct quotes from the real people, such as Newman's famous description of Verity Lambert as having “piss and vinegar” in her veins. There are some wonderful flourishes by director Terry McDonough, particularly a sequence in which the development of the Daleks is laid over the shooting of President Kennedy – what we imagined to be a Dalek's raygun pulling back to reveal a mundane, deadly firearm.


Of course, the true success of An Adventure lies with its cast. David Bradley is absolutely perfect as Hartnell. He strikes a balance between the actor's softer and abrasive sides. We get the sense that this was a man who, while not always likeable or easy to deal with, had a good heart and cared deeply about his work. Hartnell is portrayed as a deeply proud, yet very insecure man. We see his increasing difficulty with the lines and the punishing production schedule, feeling for both him and his colleagues as work on the series gets more and more difficult for them all. When in full Doctor costume, Bradley is the absolute spit of Hartnell. I got a shiver down my spine when he performed the classic speech from the end of The Dalek Invasion of Earth – the original, much repeated scene being included at the end of the play.

Jessica Raine steals her scenes as the steely yet vulnerable Verity Lambert, embodying a particularly sixties type of class and poise, while Sacha Dhawan is immensely sympathetic as Waris Hussein. The incredible hostility the series' first producer and director must have experienced at the BBC, as a young woman and a gay Indian, must have been immense, and the play gives some flavour of this in the “sea of tweed” BBC bar. The sexism and racism of the BBC in the sixties is not glossed over, nor is it played up. It's present, but not a major part of the story, while Hartnell's own prejudices are lightly touched upon.


The most colourful aspect of the production is the great Brian Cox as Head of Drama Sydney Newman. The flamboyant Canadian masterminded such shows as Armchair Theatre and created The Avengers, before coming along and creating Doctor Who. What a talent, and Cox takes his own impressions of the man – having met him very early in his career – to reproduce his larger than life character. One wonders if a little of Newman's character made it into that of the Doctor. There's an inescapable sensation that those days are encroaching on our own. Aside from the very strange experience Sacha Dhawan must have had playing Waris Hussein with the man himself present, William Russell and Carole Ann Ford have roles in the production, while Jamie Glover and Claudia Grant reenact their earlier careers.

Fanboy at heart, Gatiss peppers the script with cheeky nods to the series. There are brief cameos by Anneke Wills and Jean Marsh. The years are counted down by the TARDIS year-o-meter. There's an undeniable thrill for fans in seeing the original Dalek, Cyberman and Menoptra costumes reproduced on screen, accompanied by the surreal and amusing site of one Cyberman sitting down for a fag break. When we come to the final scenes, the play becomes both poignant and uplifting. The meeting between Newman and a now very ill Hartnell is painful to watch, but nothing compared to Hartnell's outpouring of emotion, at home with his wife. “I don't want to go,” might be an embellishment, even a sly reference, but the scene is absolutely heartbreaking. The overwhelming message is that this was a man who was reinvigorated by the role he was born for, only to have it snatched away due to his declining health. The pain he must have felt upon being replaced is tangible, and it's all in Bradley's subtle yet powerful performance.


Hartnell's final moments in the TARDIS, while marred slightly by a miscast Reece Shearsmith as Patrick Troughton, are all the more affecting for Bradley's dignified composure – you can still sense the turmoil beneath the professional facade. And then, that wonderful, unexpected cameo from Matt Smith – a lovely touch, with past and future making contact once more. It's a beautiful moment in a beautiful play. The only thing that could have improved would have been more time to explore these groundbreaking days and incredibly talented people.

The Night of the Doctor

So, this is the actual review:

While mini-episodes have become a recognised part of the modern Doctor Who series, expanding the main run in all manner of directions, they have been, for the most part, flimsy, throwaway affairs. The Night of the Doctor is the first to change that. Originally intended to go out on the day of the fifteth anniversary, it had to be released early after the details were leaked. No matter; this is a prequel, and as such, belongs before the big day, an entre to whet the appetites of the fans.

And it really is for the fans. While this seven-minute adventure is strong enough and simple enough to enjoy on its own merits, its real purpose is to tie up loose ends and plug a gap, giving the series' devoted followers the thing they've waited eight years for. An actual, definitive ending to Paul McGann's eighth Doctor.

From the moment we see his face - or in my case, due to a sudden iPlayer glitch, heard his voice - The Night of the Doctor is a tremendously exciting burst of Doctor Who mythos. Seriously, I had to have a bit of a run round the flat, followed by a sit down and a cup of tea to get over it. In 2005, Doctor Who came back, with a new Doctor and a deliberate break with the past in the shape of the Time War. This finally gives us, in buildup to the revelations of The Day of the Doctor, a real glimpse of that War. In the process, it links the last pre-BBC Wales era of the show to the new, ongoing mythology of the Doctor's fight in the War and his recovery from it. Of course, it then has its cake, showing McGann regenerating not into Christopher Eccleston, but John Hurt, retroactively inserting another, unknown era between the two.

With the Doctor landing on Karn, making this a loose sequel to 1976's The Brain of Morbius, and with the Doctor eventually ringing off his companions from the Big Finish audio plays (now, inarguably, canonical), The Night of the Doctor is an exercise in fan service. Yet it works as a story in itself, giving the Doctor a plausible character development as he finally decides to become part of the War, bolstered by excellent performances from its small cast. Clare Higgins gives a strong, noble performance as Ohila of the Sisterhood of Karn, while Emma Campbell-Jones makes a powerful impression in her short role as the doomed gunner Cass.

It belongs to Paul McGann though, showing in a few minutes how excellent a Doctor he can be. In spite of their wide radio distribution, the Big Finish audios are never going to have the impact or penetration of live action episodes. This mini-episode gives the wider Doctor Who audience a chance to see what they've been missing from this almost-forgotten Doctor. While Steven Moffat doesn't write this Doctor any differently to the main incarnations of the new series - it's easy to imagine Tennant or Smith deliver these lines - McGann makes them his own. He embodies both the flippancy expected from the first of the modern Doctors with his more recent status as one of the 'classic' incarnations. Older, more weathered, in a cleverly redesigned costume, he is more the Doctor than ever.

The Night of the Doctor is an anniversary gift for the faithful, and it has been gratefully received.

Day of the Doctor Trailer

What with the Latin American version of the trailer having made its way onto the Internet last night, the BBC have elected to release the first 'proper' trailer a day early. From the descriptions we had before, this seems to be the trailer that was shown at ComicCon this summer, or at least, a version of it.

The BBC have promised two trailers this weekend, one tonight, at 8.00 pm GMT, and another sometime tomorrow. It's sounding as though tonight's one will be different, possibly a UK exclusive.

Only a fortnight to go till the day itself! (And only twelve days till An Adventure in Space and Time.)

SPOILERS, obviously.


All I can say is: TIME WAR.

Happy Anniversary

I'm a bit perplexed by some fans' attitudes to the Doctor Who anniversary celebrations. There will always people who moan that things aren't to their taste, and most of it is quite good-natured, but there are a lot of fans who are complaining that we aren't getting enough to celebrate the 50th. I just don't get that. We've got:

- A feature-length special episode on TV, with Matt Smith, David Tennant and John flippin' Hurt playing the Doctor, simulcast globally.
- 3D cinema showings of said episode, with special convention events to go with them in many cases.
- A new teaser trailer came out this Saturday gone, which managed to celebrate the series' past and push the new episode, without giving away anything that might spoil the story.
- A special docudrama charting the series' creation, with a fantastic cast.
- A slew of DVD releases, with an accelerated schedule to get them all out before the anniversary.
- Two long-lost sixties stories recovered, remastered and released for download.
- Special programmes for the night itself.
- For those complaining about the classic Doctors not being in the special, we had a whole episode dedicated to the Doctor's past in 'The Name of the Doctor,' including a new William Hartnell scene, for goodness' sake.
- Plus, Big Finish are releasing a special production featuring the fourth to eighth Doctors, and other special releases to tie in with the anniversary.
- Eleven short stories for kids by well-regarded authors released over the course of the year.
- A special audio series, 'Destiny of the Doctor,' with stories for each Doctor, released over the course of the year.
- An anniversary story in Doctor Who Magazine featuring the original companions from the first episode.
- DWM interviews with Waris Hussein and the remaining cast of the first episode, and features on its creation.
- A new e-books series called 'Time Trips' has just been announced for after the anniversary, featuring some big name authors.
- Special BFI screenings of classic serials and modern episodes for each Doctor.
- More merchandise than I can easily list here.
- And Peter Capaldi announced as the twelfth Doctor.

Honestly, people, what more do you want? Short of summoning the ghosts of Hartnell, Troughton and Pertwee from the beyond, I don't see what more we can ask for.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary teaser trailer

Just in case there's anyone out there who hasn't seen it yet, here's the special teaser for the upcoming anniversary special The Day of the Doctor.


So, what do we all think? I loved it, although some of the Doctors get short shrift. The CGI Hartnell at the beginning is wonderful, as is the hi-res Tom Baker, but the decision to use a lookey-likey for Pertwee is a bit odd (he's already been dubbed the 'Impertwonator'). It certainly looks like it's intended to be shown in 3D, so I expect it to turn up in cinema trails soon. It's very exciting though, and really whets the appetite for the special.

There are also lots of little extras to spot in the video. See how many, and then check out what you might have missed here.

Whos in Brief

So, in the last week, the American government broke, the Gambia withdrew from the Commonwealth because the president is scared of gays or something, and scientists finally cracked nuclear fusion for power, but at least there was some important news.

Because, yes, it's true, the BBC really have secured some lost sixties Doctor Who episodes. After all the rumours and vague reports, they finally went and released an official statement. I was quite happily poo-pooing all suggestion of missing episode recovery, and then it goes ahead and becomes true. We've even been promised that we'll be able to buy and download the things soon. We used to have to wait years for episodes to make it onto scratchy old video. We still don;t know how many episodes have been found, although the Radio Times suggested two before amending this to 'some.' They are believed to be Patrick Troughton episodes, although, as yet, this is still rumour.

UPDATE: The nine episodes discovered are confirmed as the five missing episodes of The Enemy of the World and four of the missing episodes of The Web of Fear (ep 3 remains lost).

Still, that's quite a few runaway rumours that have been proven true this year: Tennant is back for the special, Matt Smith is leaving, Peter Capaldi is his replacement. One person who won't be in the anniversary is Karen Gillan, though. From the Radio Times, again:

"I’m not in it, just to put that out there. I think I’m going to be in America, so I’ll probably round up all the people who like to watch Doctor Who in the area. We’ll probably watch it and drink PG Tips and eat Jammy Dodgers, if I can get them."

One person who is desperate to return is Kate O'Mara, who played the Rani in 1985's The Mark of the Rani, 1987's Time and the Rani and the 1993 crossover classic Dimensions in Time. From Sci-Fi Now:

"I would love to come back. I have white hair now, but a lot of it, and I’m still very glamorous and so I won’t disappoint, I hope! I’ll still be wearing the tight leather trousers and high-heel boots, regardless of what age! That’s what the fans are expecting, so that’s what you’ve got to give them."

Beyond television, other exciting news includes:

Honest-to-goodness classic serial City of Death by the late Douglas Adams and Graham Williams is to be novelised. This 1979 serial is quite simply Doctor Who at its finest. It's to be novelised by Gareth Roberts, who previously did the same for Adams's aborted serial Shada,. It will be released next year, as will a second eleventh Doctor novel by Jenny Colgan, Into the Nowhere.

Radiostatic, creators of the Parsec Award-winning audio series The Minister of Chance, are well into the process of making their new cinematic version of the story. As well as reuniting their principle cast, that includes Julian Wadham, Lauren Crace, Paul McGann and Jenny Agutter, they've only gone and cast Tim McInnerny as the king. This promises to be something very special indeed. Radiostatic productions are funded entirely by fans, and they are currently halfway towards their goal for raising £30,000 to produce the first part of the movie. If you want to help out, click this link here. You can also find out more about the production, and download the original audio series for free.

And did I mention that you can still buy the Doctor Who Information Network's new short fiction anthology? Myth Makers: Golden Years features stories by such talented folks as Blair Bidmead, Kelly Hale, Cody Quijiano-Schell and, um, me. Plus it has some cracking artwork and extra contributions by all manner of wonderful people. You can order it here.

Doctor Who video reblogs

Just thought I'd share some videos with my fellow Who fans. First up is the newly remastered first episode of 'The Ten Doctors,' by the supremely talented Babelcolour. Episode two can be found by clicking this link. Amazing editing work.

Doctor Who - The Ten Doctors (Part One) - by Babelcolour from Babelcolour on Vimeo.

Next is the joyously triumphant '50 Years and Counting' by Troughtonlover94. If you are a true fan, it is impossible not to love this.

And finally, another one of the BBC's many mini-episodes that pepper the periphery of the main series these days. 'Rain Gods' is, essentially, the original opening scene of Neil Gaiman's 2011 episode 'The Doctor's Wife,' tweaked to become an unconnected installment for the Doctor and River. (The credit to Steven Moffat is an error; this is written by Gaiman.)

Mythmakers presents: Golden Years

Just to let you all know that 'Golden Years,' the latest edition of Mythmakers, the fiction magazine of the Doctor Who Information Network, is printing now and will be available for order very, very soon.

I'm very pleased to announce that I have provided a story for this special anniversary publication, which includes all eleven official Doctors and a host of talented authors. My story, 'The Sleeping Ones,' features the seventh Doctor and Ace, and will no doubt appear crushingly amateurish next to the works of such talents as Kelly Hale and Blair Bidmead.

You can order 'Golden Years' right here.