Shada to be re-animated

The team behind the recent animation of The Power of the Daleks has been commissioned to animate Shada, the legendary “lost” Fourth Doctor story.

Shada has a long and complicated history in Doctor Who circles. Initially planned to end the seventeenth season of the programme, the scripts were completed by then-script editor Douglas Adams, now best known for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Unfortunately, due to a strike at the BBC in November 1979, the final studio recording sessions were cancelled, and the story was never completed.

BBC Worldwide released the story on VHS in 1992, with Tom Baker providing linking material to camera for the missing scenes. A full-length web version, using basic Flash animation and a new cast lead by Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, was produced to celebrate Doctor Who’s 40th anniversary in 2003.

A novelisation was published in 2012, while 2013 saw not only a remastered edition of the VHS release on DVD but also an unofficial fan version, using animation to fill in the missing scenes. Whilst a number of the original cast re-voiced their parts, the role of the Fourth Doctor was recast.

Now, thirty-eight years after it was originally filmed, BBC Worldwide is releasing a new official version of Shada. This will combine the original, remastered footage with new colour animation. The animation will feature newly recorded dialogue by the original cast, including Tom Baker as the Doctor and Lalla Ward as Romana.

Australian release dates are yet to be announced.

To whet your appetite for the new version, check out a teaser trailer below:

RIP Trevor Martin

The DWCA is sad to report on the passing of Trevor Martin.

Martin first appeared in Doctor Who, playing a Time Lord in the Second Doctor story The War Games. However, he is probably best known as playing the Doctor in a stage play: Doctor Who and the Daleks in the Seven Keys to Doomsday.

The play, written by Terrance Dicks, was set after the regeneration of the Third Doctor, with Martin playing an alternative version of the Fourth Doctor. Tom Baker made his TV debut whilst the play was running.

In 2008, Big Finish adapted the play for audio, and Martin returned to the role.

Martin was 87.

Data Extract 236 Released

Issue 236 is hot off the presses and on its way to DWCA Members!

This bumper packed edition of the Doctor Who Club of Australia’s magazine contains an interview with Joshua Campbell, who works at Planet 55 Studios and was involved with the animations of The Reign of Terror, The Tenth Planet and The Moonbase. There’s also a tribute to Rosemary Howe, who was instrumental in getting the club up and running. We also continue our reviews of episodes from Series 10 and much, much more.

We also want to make special mention of Katie Yu’s amazing artwork for the story Origami, written by Darran Jordan. We accidently omitted crediting her for the illustrations provided for this story. We’re sorry Katie!

If you’re not already a member, stop missing out on this publication and other fine things the DWCA does, and sign up today!

http://dwca.org.au/membership

David Bradley to continue playing the First Doctor for Big Finish

Big Finish Productions have confirmed that they are set to release a new volume of audio adventures featuring David Bradley returning to play the First Doctor.

Joining Bradley will be his co-stars from An Adventure in Space and Time, reprising their roles as the iconic first TARDIS team: Jamie Glover (Elizabeth, Waterloo Road, Holby City) plays Ian Chesterton, Jemma Powell (Alice in Wonderland, Angel, Foyle’s War) plays Barbara Wright, and Claudia Grant (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) plays Susan – the Doctor’s granddaughter and the original ‘Unearthly Child’.

Powell currently plays Barbara in Big Finish’s Early Adventures range.

Executive Producer Nicholas Briggs is quoted as saying:

“What’s fascinating about the cast and their performances is that they’re not impersonating William Hartnell and his TARDIS crew. They’re playing those parts as written in the scripts. No one can replace the brilliance of those original performances. What we’re presenting here is a kind of reinvention of that era, completely in the spirit of the original. They are new but entirely faithful interpretations of these characters.”

Volume 1 of these adventures will be available from the DWCA in early 2018 and will feature:

1.1 The Destination Wars by Matt Fitton
1.2 The Great White Hurricane by Guy Adams

Later in the year, Volume 2 will consist of:

2.1 The Invention of Death by John Dorney
2.2 The Barbarians and the Samurai by Andrew Smith

Also in these adventures, the First Doctor will encounter his greatest foe, with the first incarnation of the Master to be played by James Dreyfus.

 

Class officially cancelled by BBC3

Overnight, Class has been officially cancelled by the BBC.

This is confirmation from the BBC, after Patrick Ness posted in June that he would not be writing any more episodes.

The BBC3 controller,  Damian Kavanagh has been quoted as saying:

“No, [we’re not bringing it back]. There was nothing wrong with it – I thought Patrick did a great job, he explored an amazing world.

In honesty, it just didn’t really land for us on BBC Three. Things sometimes don’t, and I’ve got to make decisions about what we’re going to do from a drama point of view.

“There’s always times when you do something and you have to decide that it’s not going to come back. Class is just one of those things.”

Ness, added on Twitter

“I’m not an unopinionated man, but all I’ll say re the Class news is how proud I am of that show & how lucky I am to have had the opportunity

What a great experience to make it. And SUCH a great cast. And thank you for all the love for it, too! Would that things were different…”

RIP Victor Pemberton

It is with regret we report on the passing of Victor Pemberton.

Pemberton is one of a few people who has also written for Doctor Who (Fury from the Deep) and also acted in the show as well. (The Moonbase.)

Pemberton is also credited with creating the Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver, which first appeared in Fury from the Deep. He also contributed to the show by being a script editor on Tomb of the Cybermen. His other work for Doctor Who was the fourth Doctor audio adventure ‘Doctor Who and the Pescatons’. He also wrote the target novelisations for both Fury and The Pescatons.

Pemberton was 85.

RIP Rosemary Howe

The DWCA is sad to report on the passing of Rosemary Howe, the mother of founder Antony Howe.

Rosemary was one of the driving forces behind the starting of the club.

Deepest condolences to the Howe family.

Rosemary was 96.

2017 Christmas Special – Twice upon a time

Over the weekend, at San Diego Comic Con, lots of details were dropped about this years Christmas special.

The special, entitled Twice Upon a time will see Peter Capaladi’s Twelfth Doctor team up with the First Doctor played by David Bradley.

There is also the return of Bill Potts, played again by Pearl Mackie.  Doctor Who writer and actor Mark Gatiss will also return to the show playing a character known as ‘The Captain’ at this point.

To view the trailer that was shown, click below!

 

2017 DWCA office bearer nominations

The DWCA would like to thank those members who have nominated themselves for a position in the club committee, to be officially elected at our upcoming AGM on Sunday 13th of August.

The Returning Officer has received the following nominations for Office Bearer positions:

  • President – Lauren Davis
  • Vice President – Jon Andersen
  • Secretary – Roger Reynolds
  • Treasurer – Brad Harrison

Each position received only one nomination, so the people listed above will be declared elected, unopposed.

For more information on the AGM, please visit our event page here