That Was the Day That Was — Doctor Who in Review: 16/3/11

Check back every day for more SFX-nominated goodness.

That was the day that was, March 16th, and we comprehensively reported on the most news in the Whoniverse. We've got all the news you've missed, as well as everything else Doctor Who.

These were today's Top Stories.

• Tom Baker is returning to record Big Finish audios for Doctor Who.
• Character Options—which makes the Doctor Who action figure—will now offer free delivery to UK households.
• The BBC released exclusive promotional images for Matt Smith's Christopher and His Kind.
• Last night Steven Moffat, Sherlock, and The Sarah Jane Adventures all won awards from the Royal Television Society. Guess what wasn't even nominated.
• Scriptwriter Neil Gaiman will be involved in the Sandman live action series.
• The Minister of Chance is the latest and greatest fan-based, professional-quality Doctor Who spin-off.
• Doctor Who Magazine released unused covers, which you can see here and here.
• And most importantly, Life, Doctor Who, and Combom was nominated in SFX's Blog Awards. Please cast your vote!

That brings today's total to 23 Posts.

One Year Ago, however, we offered a link to Downtime, a BBV drama starring Elisabeth Sladen, Deborah Watling, and the late Nicholas Courtney.

''Life, Doctor Who, and Combom'' Nominated in SFX Blog Awards 2011

Vote for Life, Doctor Who, and Combom!

Only a few years ago this blog began as Combom's solitary enterprise, a fun hobby for posting the latest and greatest Doctor Who news. Recognition has never been our aim, but our nomination in SFX's prestigious Blog Awards 2011 has proven that the tired cliché still holds true: hard work gets results.

A lot of the sites in this section may lay claim to being “market leaders” but you don’t need to be to get a nomination. Combom is a magpie site, gathering things from wherever it can, but it does it with a wit, style, clarity and attitude that always makes it worth a visit (and we love the minimalist design).

That quote alone makes this competition all worth it. People have asked us before if we take PayPal donations, and businessmen have asked us to advertise their sites and products. We do not. Each and every time we refuse, and SFX's quote about us perfectly captures our motivations and the spirit of Team Combom. We honestly hate asking for votes; it's just not our style. But if you could delay your Doctor Who news and spare a couple of seconds, we will be more than grateful.

We're obviously well-liked. Not only were "members of the SFX Forum, SFX team members and the SFX bloggers" gracious enough to nominate us, but we were even put on the front page blog montage! (Ironically, the image they use is from a certain post that was specifically not about Doctor Who.)

So what exactly are these first-ever SFX Blog Awards?

[This is] where we celebrate the best that SF and fantasy fan-driven and insider-developed internet activity has to offer. These awards aren’t for big, profit-making sites but for sites that were created for the love of the genre, and are maintained by people out of love rather than money.

To win in the Best Franchise-Specific Site category, we will need the support of all our readers, who have made Life, Doctor Who, and Combom a valuable—as well as enjoyable—experience. It certainly has been for us.

Now, SFX's choices have been demonstrably clever, which means we've got some formidable competition against us. The Supernatural Wiki, ChuckTV, The One Ring, The Leaky Cauldron, and even our friends over at Who Fix have all been nominated; but there can be only one winner. If we have, by any measure, earned your support, readership, or friendship, we call upon you now to vote for us.

I think we've embedded enough links to point you in the right direction, but just in case you're blind to links . . .

Vote for Life, Doctor Who, and Combom!

The Sarah Jane Adventures Website: New "The Safe" Code, Colour in Week, and Downloads

It's been a while since we last posted about the official Sarah Jane Adventures site, and there's no time like the present to do so (except the future). . .

First of all, another code for "The Safe" has been released. You can search the Bamzooki (don't ask) mini-site for it, or just click here, and then here, for the downloads that are unlocked.

Secondly, the site is hosting a "Colour in Week", and is therefore posting various uncoloured drawings of SJA allies and aliens. Throughout this week, more pictures will be unlocked, so keep checking the "Make Your Own" section.

Lastly, there are some Foldees that can be downloaded, along with many other recreational ideas, all to be found on the above linked "Make Your Own" section.

The official Sarah Jane Adventures website can be found here. Well, that was some link-fest, wasn't it?

Amazing Facts About Doctor Who That May Not Be True - Cloak

Jon Pertwees cloak was presented to Gordon Ramsey by Tom Baker, in hope it would help him learn the art of making really pointy chopsticks!

Doctor Who Magazine — Unused Covers #2

My personal favorite cover.

As we promised in the first post, here are the rest of the "Unused Covers" for Doctor Who Magazine, as posted on Facebook.

An unused cover for DWM 405 in February 2009. This was similar to what we ended up with, except the main photo is different, and we'd have added a quote and a photo in the top corner. (And the barcode!)

Source 1

Another variation on the cover for DWM 405. As before, we'd have tweaked a few things and added a few bits and pieces if we'd gone with it for real.

Source 2

This wasn't ever intended as a real cover. It was mocked up when we first saw the 2010 logo, and we were wondering what our redesigned look would be like. Of course, that big 'DW' in the middle of the cover was very problematic, so we were glad when a new version of the logo was released! We decided not to go with the fonts used here in the end. The image, of course, was used for a real cover, DWM 411 in the summer of 2009 - which was about the time we were doing this test.

Source 3

This was a very early idea for the cover for DWM 425 in August 2010. If we'd gone with it for real, we'd have done a lot more work on the photo and the sky behind. We'd have found a way to make the text on the right more readable and obviously we'd have added in proper cover lines at the top too. But you get the basic idea anyway.

Source 4

This was a second idea for the DWM 425 cover. As you'll remember, we eventually decided to go with a black and white version of the image, and a lot of the cover lines changed position in the final version.

Source 5

Unused cover for DWM 432. This was replaced by the Comic Relief image for March 2011. If we'd gone with this cover we'd have made quite a few tweaks, including making the text more readable, and changing some of the inset images of the old Masters. The top photo of David Tennant might have been cut out too. But it was basically done.

Source 6

This was done as a rough mock-up for DWM 342 in early 2004. This was mocked up before we knew Christopher Eccleston would play the Ninth Doctor, but we had our suspicions, so tried a few ideas out. In fact, the photo used would never have been good enough to have been used at full-page size.

Source 7

And if Doctor Who Magazine releases any more unused covers, we'll be sure to post them.

Doctor Who What a HullabaWho The Stage 18-11-1993

(Click For Larger Image)

Thanx to Scott for sharing :)

Doctor Who Adventures Issue 209

Click for larger image.

It isn’t easy being a cop -as we find out from a sneaky peek through the Judoon’s case files.

Meanwhile, The Doctor, Rory and Amy battle Romans and robots in our thrilling comic strip and here’s an amazing competition to design a new monster that will be shown at the Doctor Who Experience!

Also in this issue…

• Geronimo – Craig comes back
• Monster Me
• Crazy gadget
• Swapping bodies!
• Golden slumbers and much more.

This issue comes with a surprise gift.

All of this information comes from The Doctor Who Site.

Doctor Who Magazine — Unused Covers #1

They were swallowed by a Crack in Time.

The Facebook account for Doctor Who Magazine is posting a series of exclusive, never-before-seen covers that remain unused for DWM. They range in as broad a timescale as the latest issue (432) to this edition of Doctor Who Weekly . . .

"Unused cover for Doctor Who Weekly 44 in 1980. You may have seen this one before. The magazine went monthly with issue 44, but the cover had already been prepared for the weekly version of the issue."

Source 1

"This version of the cover for DWM 387 was never intended for publication. It was my (Tom's) first issue as editor, and I wanted to change the logo to the full 'firey' version. We did this as a test to see how it would look. In the end we changed the logo when we redesigned the magazine for DWM 390."

Source 2

"This was another test to see what the 'firey' version of the logo would look like at the top of DWM. The real version of DWM 389 was actually the last issue of DWM to feature the 'flat colour' version of the lozenge logo. We all loved the 'firey' version, and we started using it for real from the next issue."

Source 3

"This one needs a lot of explanation. It was a (very) early mock-up for DWM 392, although the coverlines are a hangover from Issue 391. The intention was that Gwen would be replaced by Martha Jones, and Jack would be replaced by a Series Two Torchwood shot of Jack. This was, of course, because Martha was crossing over into Torchwood. In the end, we were asked not to feature Torchwood imagery on the cover, as it was the month that Torchwood Magazine was launching. So DWM 392 featured a shot of Martha and a Sontaran instead."

Source 4

Of course, these aren't the only unused cover; we'll post the next series of them in about an hour.

Doctor Who's Steven Moffat Reiterates Love for ''Ark in Space''

This conversation stands for itself, I think. No background necessary.

DoctorWhoMHC tweeted this:

"Does anyone particularly know why RTD & @steven_moffat consider #TheArkInSpace their fav classic #DoctorWho story?" #thingswikipediaclaims

Steven Moffat soon replied.

@DoctorWhoMHC "Because we've both said it. It's an immaculate script, I think."

And that's our Steven Moffat Tweet of the Day. (I hope this doesn't become a thing.)

Doctor Who The First Doctor by Stu Art 1982

(Click for Larger Image)

Celebrate Science Fiction Films with io9's March Movie Madness

Click for a larger image.

March may be the time for basketball in the United States, but io9 is celebrating science fiction in film with its latest edition of io9's March Movie Madness.

For the next few weeks we will pit science fiction classics against each other. 64 films enter, only one will leave. And you decide which the greatest is.

Voting for round one is open now.

Doctor Who Alumni Star in Spin-Off Radiophonic Drama ''The Minister of Chance''

Give him a chance to change your world.

"Once upon a time, in the city of Tantillion, on the island of Tanto, there was a barmaid called Kitty. One night a stranger walked in, and through a door, and over the Frost Bridge into another world. And Kitty followed him . . ."

In a recent interview with Shadowlocked, Sylvester McCoy discussed his involvement in a brand new project called The Minister of Chance. It's a Doctor Who spin-off that stars more than just the Seventh Doctor and Paul McGann; this exciting adventure substantially broadens the Whoniverse and the possibilities for fan-made productions.

The Minister of Chance is a new form of entertainment — a radiophonic drama — made using a combination of film and radio techniques and delivered by podcast. It is the first, but we hope not last, of its kind. By painstakingly constructing soundscapes we create worlds that you can drift into wherever you are. Upcoming episodes are here. 

The series will run in seasons of six episodes. The first two episodes and a prologue have been made and the remaining episodes and seasons will be created when we have enough sales to allow us to make them.

The press release explains gives an even more stirring explanation, and a shout-out as well.

More immersive than a movie - More 3D than Avatar and you can take it anywhere... 

A stellar cast and award winning production team create an intricate and exciting series. . . . We don’t have the aid of the BBC, the Government, or any other criminal organization, so if you like it, please tell people and we’ll make more.

As fans of the Big Finish audio series will remember, this radiophonic drama and its eponymous character derive more than just a name from "The Minister of Chance", a Time Lord voiced by Stephen Fry in Death Comes to Time. Actor Julian Wadham takes up the role this time, and he doesn't disappoint.

Sylvester McCoy discusses this project more in the aforementioned and afore-linked Shadowlocked interview.

McCoy (left) and McGann (right).

[Dan Freeman, Producer] offered me a part and this time I said that I wanted to be a villain. They're much more fun. Having played a superhero for such a long time, it's kind of nice to be a nasty villain.

I think [the production's revenue-driven base is] very exciting, don't you? Also it takes away middle-men and lots of other things, and the creative artist can be a lot nearer to the final show. I have my fingers crossed that it will excite other people and they'll download it. I don't know quite how to do that myself, of course [laughs].

Click here to explore the official site of The Minister of Chance. The prologue is available for free download, and you can buy Episode One now.

Make sure you give The Minister of Chance a chance of its own to demonstrate how truly brilliant it is. Personally, I've only listened to the prologue so far, but I'm genuinely intrigued enough about the rest of the series. In fact, by request, I've decided to review it, so keep a look out for that in the next few days.

Doctor Who's Neil Gaiman Will Be Involved in ''Sandman'' Live Action Series

From 1989 to 1996, Neil Gaiman worked tirelessly on what has become a cult classic and an excellent example of storytelling through the medium of comics. Although we're certainly more interested in his Doctor Who episode, Gaiman will soon have one of his most well-known creations up as its own live-action television series.

In fact, recent reports that Sandman would not materialize have since been replaced with a message from Geoff Johns, DC Comics' Chief Creative Officer. He Tweeted that Sandman will indeed move forward.

"Correction to world. The Sandman is AWAKE! :) Psyched to be working with [Neil] on developing one of the greatest series ever!" 

"Sandman in any form - comics to live action - doesn't work without [Neil Gaiman]."

Eric Kripke—the man who first propounded the rumours of Sandman's end—may no longer be involved with the project. Kripke was one of the creators of Supernatural, so his fans may be dismayed at this.

Sandman, which launched DC Comic's Vertigo imprint, ran for 75 issues beginning in 1989. Gaiman's worlds-within-worlds weaved an episodic anthology, focusing on the allegorical character of Dream and his brothers and sisters, known as the Endless (Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, Destruction and Destiny).

Source credit goes to ComingSoon via io9.

Doctor Who's Steven Moffat and ''Sarah Jane'' Win Royal Television Society Awards

Astonishingly, while both The Sarah Jane Adventures and Steven Moffat's Sherlock were tipped for Royal Television Society awards, Doctor Who never even received a nomination this year. But all's fair in the end; Doctor Who alumni and associated shows earned their own honor last night.

Moffat's beloved Sherlock, co-created with Mark Gatiss, won the Drama Series category. Moffat himself earned the prestigious Judge's Award. The Sarah Jane Adventures secured the Children's Drama category. David Tennant in Single Father, however, lost out to Jim Broadbent of Any Human Heart, himself a "doctor". Broadbent, after all, played one of the brief incarnations of the Doctor in The Curse of Fatal Death parody.

Source credit goes out to The Doctor Who News Page, where you can learn more about this news story.

Promotional Pictures for Doctor Who's Matt Smith in ''Christopher and His Kind''

Someone once said he looks good in anything. True?

Blogtor Who got hold of several BBC promotional pictures for Christopher and His Kind, which stars Matt Smith, Lindsay Duncan ("Waters of Mars"), and Toby Jones ("Amy's Choice"). Here are a few of the best images.

"I wear a scarf now. Scarves are cool."

"The Doctor. Doctor. Fun."

All of time and space. Whom do you want to stalk first?

Click here to see the rest of the promotional images.

Doctor Who The Children Of Leviathan by DV8R71

(Click for Larger Image)

source

Crossover featuring Doctor Who and Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, with monsters taken from the film The Monster That Challenged The World. The image can be used as wallpaper.

Non-Doctor Who Science Fact — Space Shuttle Discovery's Final Wake-Up Call

I can't believe I forgot to share this. On the final day of Space Shuttle Discovery's long history on the final frontier, the team received a wake-up call, as always; but this time, NASA added a science fiction twist to this memorable morning. Isn't it enough that they named a shuttle Enterprise?

Doctor Who Jigsaw - Carrionites

Let me know what you think.192 Click on image to start.
And there are a lot more of the same here.

Doctor Who Action Figure Manufacturer Character Now Offers Free UK Delivery

Character, the company that manufactures the 5" Doctor Who action figure range, now has the perk of free delivery to UK households - no matter the total spent.

Their full catalogue of Doctor Who merchandise can be viewed here, along with "special" offers.

Source.

Tom Baker to Record Big Finish Doctor Who Audios

At last, Tom Baker has signed up for Big Finish audio plays! He will provide the voice of the Fourth Doctor in many audios from early 2012, with recording starting this summer.

Excitingly, there will be six single-disc releases starting in January, and seven single-disc releases at a later, unspecified date. Also announced is a five-disc box-set, Doctor Who: The Lost Stories - The Fourth Doctor Box Set.

Nicholas Briggs, executive producer of the Big Finish Fourth Doctor adventures, said:

As many of you will know, we've been talking to Tom for a long time. David Richardson [also executive producer on the series] and I went to visit Tom at his home not long ago to chat about it all. We had a really great time. At that point, I sincerely felt that had we taken a microphone with us, Tom would have started there and then - but, of course, there are always finer details to sort out. Now that our plans are in place, and Tom has enthusiastically told the world that we're going ahead, we thought it best to follow-up with our own announcement. Rest assured that in the coming months we will be releasing news on this as soon as we are able.

Tom previously lent his vocal
talents to the BBC produced Demon Quest

Big Finish also confirmed that Louise Jameson (Leela) and Mary Tamm (Romana I) will be starring alongside Baker, playing their original Classic Who roles.

Source.

Thanks to an anonymous Guest for informing us of this wonderful news.

Doctor Who in May 2011 SFX Magazine Scans

(Click for Larger Images)

You can purchase the magazine from your newsagent now, homepage.

Doctor Who Series 6 Filming This Week Photographs

Mugoim0e has some great photographs of Matt Smith and James Corden etc. filming recently.

You can see them here.

And thanx for sharing :)

Doctor Who Of The Day - Celery

In The Hungry Earth, the Doctor asks for a stick of celery after the decontamination, a reference to the Fifth Doctor, who wore a stick of celery on his lapel and stated it was to detect certain gasses and was also an excellent restorative.

That Was the Day That Was — Doctor Who in Review: 15/3/11

That was the day that was, March 15th, and we comprehensively reported on the most news in the Whoniverse. We've got all the news you've missed, as well as everything else Doctor Who.

• Matt Smith features on the cover of this week's Radio Times as Christopher Isherwood.
• Sixth Doctor Colin Baker has joined Twitter as @SawbonesHex.
• Various Doctor Who alumni and publications have been nominated in the comic-centric Eagle Awards.
• The Official Doctor Who site is revisiting the Comic Relief sketch "Curse of Fatal Death".
• Neve McIntosh has stated that she will be returning as a Silurian in Episode 7 of Series 6.
• The Eleventh Doctor is about to face an extraterrestrial Jack the Ripper in IDW's comic Ripper's Curse.
• And the Mara Tales box set has already reached Number One in the UK TV on DVD spot.

These posts and more bring us to a grand total of 24 Posts for this "day that was". Exactly One Year Ago, however, our top story was the interview "Life in Making Classic Doctor Who".