One of the most intreguing 'what-ifs' of the modern era of Doctor Who, could be solved with the publication of a new book from Obverse Books.

Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary was marked by the television story The Day of The Doctor, which starred David Tennant and Matt Smith and the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, but also featured John Hurt as the War Doctor, the missing incarnation of the Doctor.

What is not so well known is that the original hope of the producers was to reunite the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors with their Ninth incarnation played by Christopher Eccleston

Eccleston declined to feature in the story, but not before scripts were written by showrunner Steven Moffat. Excerpts from these scripts are now to be released as part of a new charity book.

The Second Target for Tommy is a charity book designed to raise money for Tommy Donbavand, a writer who having overcome throat cancer, developed a tumor in his lung. As a result, he continues to be unable to do the school visits which previously generated much of the income needed to support his family.

As well as including the draft script for the Christopher Eccleston scene in Doctor Who’s 50th Anniversary Special, Day of the Doctor, the book will feature stories from over two dozen writers.

Every penny of profit raised will go to support Donbavand while he works on making a full recovery.

The book is a sequel to A Target for Tommy, released in August 2016

More about Donbavand's battle with Cancer can be found on his blogTommy vs Cancer

The new book can be ordered from Obverse Books.

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Colin Baker becomes the 'current' Doctor again on British airwaves today as BBC Radio 4 Extra begin a new run of Big Finish adventures on the radio, Saturdays at 6:00pm (repeated midnight). The Crimes of Thomas Brewster kicks off the run, broadcast in two parts over the next couple of weeks. The story also features Maggie Stables as the sixth Doctor's long-time audio companion Evelyn and guest stars David Troughton as Raymond Gallagher.

This weekend also sees a repeat of the 50th Anniversary programme Who Made Who, which was presented by Tracy Ann Oberman and featured a variety of interviews and special documentaries, plus the mockumentary from 2004, Whatever Happened to Susan Foreman?, which starred Jane Asher as the titular character whose life is examined some years after being left on Earth... The three hour programme follows on after Doctor Who at 7:00pm (and is also on at 9:00am this morning).


Both The Crimes of Thomas Brewster and Who Made Who should be available to listen to over the next 29 days via the BBC iPlayer.

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Monday marks the 50th Anniversary of the first screening of Doctor Who in Australia.

Although New Zealand first saw the series in September 1964, the series didn't reach Australia until 1965. The series had been purchased from the BBC in March 1964 and initially planned for premiere in May. However the Australian Film Censorship Board (AFCB) classified the series' first thirteen episodes 'A', meaning they were only suitable for an adult audience, thus preventing the ABC from showing the series in the 6:30pm Sunday timeslot they'd intended to use.

The series was therefore first screened in Perth, capital of Western Australia, by ABC station, ABW-2 on Tuesday 12 January 1965.

It was the days before satellite links, so the 16mm film print of the story had to be flown around the country for broadcasts to the different states. Sydney was the second city to screen the series, three days later on January 15th along with various New South Wales Country stations and the Australian Capital Territory. This was followed by screenings on 22nd January for Brisbane and Toowoomba in Queensland. The series reached Victoria on 20th February when Melbourne and various Victorian country stations screened the series. On the 4th March it was back in Queensland in Townsville before flying South to Adelaide where it was screened on 15th March. On the 18th March it was transmitted from Rockhampton before crossing the Bass Strait for broadcast on 11th June to viewers in Hobart and Launceston.

Many ABC stations had not been opened by January 1965, 10 opened in 1965 and a further 14 in 1966. The staggered launch dates of the stations that opened after 1965 meant that viewers in the country were introduced to Doctor Who well into the run, and often part way through a story. Some areas did not even have an ABC transmitter, so missed out altogether.

Thanks to Antony Howe - Founder and 1st President, Australasian Doctor Who Fan Club, 1976 and Dallas Jones - 2nd President and currently Vice President of Doctor Who Club of Australia.

Related Articles: Moments in Time: the first international broadcast (17 Sep 2014)

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Peter Davison has released some deleted scenes from The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot on YouTube.

Davison commented on the video:

Scenes deleted from 'The Five(ish) Doctors'. Not much. A couple of Hobbit jokes, and a scene throwing a bit of light on the mystery girl at the lift.

The Five(ish) Doctors) Reboot - Deleted Scenes

He added on Twitter:

For the record: The mystery woman is Jemma Churchill and the scene should have come after 'This will be his agent, I guarantee it'

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The "alternative" 50th Anniversary special for Doctor Who, The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, is to receive an official release on DVD, its co-star Colin Baker revealed at the DWAS convention Myth Makers this afternoon. The actor reported that it would appear on an as-yet unscheduled special set featuring former Doctor Matt Smith.

No other details of what the overall set will comprise are available at present, though it is likely to be released both on DVD and Blu-ray format later this year.


The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot tells the tale of the attempts of 'classic' Doctors Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Peter Davison (who also wrote and directed the piece) to appear in the 50th Anniversary adventure, and their various encounters and mishaps along the way!

(with thanks to Jon Dear)

Related Articles: The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot (24 Nov 2013)

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Radio Times has been short-listed for Cover Of The Year in the 2014 PPA Awards.

The Professional Publishers Association Awards are considered the most coveted in the UK magazine and business publishing industry. Radio Times has been nominated for the edition marking Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary, where the magazine produced 12 different editions, each graced with the face of a different Doctor.

Voting is now open and can be made via the PPA website. Votes will be accepted once a day, every day, until 06 June 2014.

Other magazines nominated include Cosmopolitan, Country Life, Esquire, Harper's Bazaar, Metal Hammer, #studentfarmer, Stylist, The Big Issue and BBC Top Gear. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane in London's Mayfair on 10 July.

Related Articles: Radio Times Covers (19 Nov 2013)

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A video of part of the guest panel session from the BFI's final event of its Doctor Who At 50 season was uploaded to the organisation's YouTube channel today.

Held on Sunday 8th December to mark the Matt Smith era, it featured big-screen showings of The Eleventh Hour and The Name of the Doctor followed by an on-stage interview with Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Saul Metzstein, and Dan Starkey, conducted by season co-curator Justin Johnson.

The 12-minute extract from the discussion can be seen below:

The guest panel for the final Doctor Who At 50 event at the BFI (via the BFI's YouTube channel)

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The BFI has released an excerpt from the panel session that it recorded at last month's preview screening of An Adventure In Space and Time.

Director Terry McDonough, actors Sacha Dhawan and David Bradley, William Hartnell's granddaughter and biographer Jessica Carney, and the BBC Two drama's writer Mark Gatiss were the special guests discussing the production with journalist Matthew Sweet - who donned a Menoptra outfit for the drama - following its world première on Tuesday 12th November.

Although not available on the BFI's YouTube channel as yet, the ten-minute extract can be viewed on the organisation's video page.

UPDATE - TUESDAY 10th DECEMBER: The excerpt has now been uploaded to the BFI's YouTube channel:

The excerpt from the Adventure In Space And Time panel (via the BFI's YouTube channel)

Related Articles: Standing Ovation For Première (13 Nov 2013); Review (13 Nov 2013)

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The special guests for the BFI's final event in its Doctor Who At 50 season were announced today.

Taking place on Sunday 8th December and starting at 3.45pm, it will feature big-screen showings of
The Eleventh Hour and The Name of the Doctor, celebrating the current Doctor's era of the show as it approaches its end.

These will be followed by showrunner Steven Moffat, director Saul Metzstein, and actor Dan Starkey taking to the stage for the question-and-answer session.

Although a sell-out, stand-bys and returns are possible, so keep checking with the BFI.

Curated by Dick Fiddy and Justin Johnson, the year-long season has been phenomenally popular and has scored some impressive successes, including the first public showing of the colour-restored Third Doctor adventure The Mind of Evil, as well as the world première of the drama An Adventure In Space and Time.

UPDATE - MONDAY 9th DECEMBER: Mark Gatiss was a subsequent addition to the guest panel line-up, although this was not made public.

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Last night's simultaneous broadcast of The Day of the Doctor to 94 countries has been officially named the world's largest-ever simulcast of a TV drama.

A Guinness World Records certificate was presented to showrunner and episode writer Steven Moffat today at the Doctor Who Celebration at the ExCeL Centre in London by Craig Glenday, the editor-in-chief of Guinness World Records, who said:

Who else but the time-twisting Doctor could appear in 94 countries at once?! This outstanding achievement is testament to the fact that the longest-running sci-fi TV show in history is not just a well-loved UK institution but a truly global success adored by millions of people.

Accepting the award, Moffat commented:

For years the Doctor has been stopping everyone else from conquering the world. Now, just to show off, he's gone and done it himself!

Tim Davie, BBC Worldwide's chief executive officer, said:

We knew we were attempting something unprecedented in broadcast history, not only because Doctor Who is a drama, unlike a live feed event such as a World Cup football match or a royal wedding, but because we had to deliver the episode in advance to the four corners of the world so that it could be dubbed and subtitled into 15 different languages.

If there was any doubt that Doctor Who is one of the world's biggest TV shows, this award should put that argument to rest - and how fitting for it to receive such an accolade in its 50th year.

The BBC said that more than 1,500 cinemas around the world showed the episode, with fans in Sweden and Norway, where there was no client broadcaster, petitioning their cinemas successfully to show the episode, while in Argentina they persuaded a major cinema chain to "simulscreen" the episode. Over in the USA, there was a sell-out of 10,000 cinema tickets in 28 minutes with no advertising or marketing, while Germany saw one of its biggest cinema chains - Cinemaxx - reporting that the episode was the fastest non-movie pre-sale in its history.

Guinness World Records has also compiled a list of the programme's other achievements.

Related Articles: Anniversary Episode To Have Simultaneous Global Broadcast (26 July 2013); UK Overnight Figures (24 Nov 2013)

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A BBC image of the 11 Doctors that was released last month has been updated, adding the John Hurt version of the Doctor between the Paul McGann and Christopher Eccleston incarnations.

Other tweaks have included replacing the profile picture of McGann's Doctor. The original image can be seen below.

UPDATE - MONDAY 25th NOVEMBER: A new version of the original image comprising 11 Doctors has also been created to include the replacement profile of Paul McGann's Doctor.

Related Articles: Trailer Announcement And Exclusive Image (19 Oct 2013)

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A deleted scene from The Day of the Doctor has been made available to view online by the BBC.

The short sequence shows the three Doctors - as portrayed by Matt Smith, David Tennant, and John Hurt - bickering and with their feet shackled, while being led under guard into the Tower of London.

The deleted scene from The Day of the Doctor (YouTube/Official website)

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A summary of the media coverage relating to the 50th Anniversary for a Celebratory Saturday!

(note: the BBC radio broadcasts are available worldwide, but video broadcasts may be unavailable outside the United Kingdom. BBC iPlayer programmes are generally available for seven days after broadcast)

Television

• Well there's only one thing that you really needed to remember to watch, and that was of course The Day of the Doctor. Broadcast simultaneously around many parts of the world on television (with other channels very close to tranmission, too) and in cinema, Doctor Who truly becomes global! If for some reason you managed to miss it in the United Kingdom then it is available on the BBC iPlayer (though maybe not immediately to enable the rest of the world to catch up)
  
• The lead-up to the anniversary programme kicked off with BBC Breakfast fielding reports live from the Doctor Who Celebration at the Excel Centre in London by entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba and in-studio discussion with TV critic Toby Earle. The programme also included the new edition of Newswatch, which featured a report on viewers' reaction to the coverage of the series over the last couple of weeks. (BBC iPlayer link for Newswatch)
  
• CBBC had a Doctor Who theme throughout the day, including the Blue Peter Doctor Who Party (BBC iPlayer) and a 12 Again special featuring cast and celebrity fan memories of Doctor Who (BBC iPlayer).
  
• Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty was broadcast on BBC Three straight after The Day of the Doctor was broadcast, with Zoe Ball and Rick Edwards presenting the response to the episode from host of celebrities and fans. (BBC iPlayer)
  
• There were two new items on the BBC's Red Button service during the evening; the first was a behind-the-scenes video of The Day of The Doctor (available on YouTube), and a Doctor Who skit by Peter Davison on how three former Doctors try desperately to be in the 50th Anniversary special.
  

Radio

• Graham Norton broadcast his BBC Radio 2 morning show live from the Doctor Who Celebration, including chats with some of the guest stars of the day, including Tom Baker. (BBC iPlayer)
  
• A very early start for Richard Latto on BBC Radio Solent as he engaged upon a look at the association between the South coast and Doctor Who. (BBC iPlayer)
  
• BBC Essex featured William Grantham, winner of Blue Peter's "Design a Monster" competition, who talked to Peter Holmes about his experience. (BBC iPlayer - from 2:41:05, plus other chat at 1:23:00)
  
• BBC Radio Norfolk broadcast their final two soundbites from the county's Doctor Who community, featuring Terry Molloy (BBC iPlayer) and Brian Hodgson (BBC iPlayer).
  
• Other coverage includes BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's Jane Smith (BBC iPlayer), BBC Radio York's Julia Booth (BBC iPlayer), BBC Radio Devon's John Govier (BBC iPlayer), and BBC Radio 1's Matt Edmonson (BBC iPlayer)
  

Misc Media Items

• The Radio Times talks to Joanna Page on location for The Day of The Doctor.
• Brian Hodgson describes the creation of the TARDIS and Dalek sounds to BBC News.
• The Telegraph also had an item with Brian Hodgson.
• The Telegraph also lists 50 things you didn't know about Doctor Who ...
• Another Telegraph item, with Matthew Sweet explaining how to live like a Time Lord.
• Entertainment Weekly also believes there are 15 facts you probably didn't know.
• The Guardian presents Doctor Who in numbers.
• MTV list some of the connections between Doctor Who and pop band One Direction, who were also celebrating "1 Day" ...
• The East Anglian Daily Press talks to Peter Purves about his time on the show with William Hartnell.
• IP&TV News report on how The Day of the Doctor brings an end to the BBC's HD Red Button service.
• The Register looks at how the Doctor has changed "From Edwardian grump to Malcolm Tucker and back again".
• BBC News catches up with Julie Gardner.
• The Bournemouth Echo looks at Dorset's association with Doctor Who.
• Crave share what they feel are the 11 essential episodes to see.
• The Telegraph lists what it considers the show's best and worst moments.
• Forbes comments on why the show has lasted 50 years.

Highlights for Sunday

• BBC Radio Norfolk presents a collection of Doctor Who anecdotes from the county from midday.
• BBC Radio 6 has an item on the BBC Radiophonic Workshop from 8:00pm on Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone.
• UKTV in Australia and New Zealand premiere The Doctors Revisited: The Ninth Doctor, The Tenth Doctor and The Eleventh Doctor and An Adventure in Space and Time amongst others.

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The BBC has released a video looking behind the lens on the 50th Anniversary episode.

Voiced by the Sixth Doctor, Colin Baker, the video features Matt Smith, David Tennant and Jenna Coleman with Billie Piper and John Hurt, as well as lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, discussing their 50th Anniversary experiences.

A look behind the scenes of the making of The Day of the Doctor. (YouTube)

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The BBC's Red Button service will be presenting Doctor Who: Behind The Lens from tonight, available after broadcast of The Day of The Doctor.

Doctor Who: Behind The Lens

Voiced by the Sixth Doctor, Colin Baker, catch up with old friends and meet some new ones. It’s a rollercoaster ride and a time to celebrate. Features Matt Smith, David Tennant and Jenna Coleman with Billie Piper and John Hurt, as well as lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, discussing their 50th Anniversary experiences.

Broadcast on the Red Button from:

• Sat 23 Nov, 9:05pm-10:05pm
• Sun 24 Nov, 3pm-3:55pm
• Sun 24 Nov, 8:30pm-9:25pm
• Wed 27 Nov, 6pm-10pm
• Thu 28 Nov, 6pm-7:55pm
• Fri 29 Nov, 6pm-7pm

Also, as reported yesterday, the Red Button service will also see a special spoof produced by Peter Davison:

The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot

A star studded special written and directed by Peter Davison. With the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who about to film, the 'Classic' Doctors are keen to be involved. But do they manage it?

Broadcast on the Red Button from:

• Sat 23 Nov, 10:05pm-12:40am
• Sun 24 Nov, 9:25pm-10:35pm

Related Articles: The Five Doctors(ish) (22 Nov 2013)

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Showrunner Steven Moffat has recorded a special birthday message to Doctor Who.

The Day of the Doctor is screened worldwide in four hours time.

A message from Steven Moffat as Doctor Who reaches its 50th anniversary. BBC iPlayer

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A summary of the media coverage relating to the 50th Anniversary for a very busy Friday.

(note: the BBC radio broadcasts are available worldwide, but video broadcasts may be unavailable outside the United Kingdom. BBC iPlayer programmes are generally available for seven days after broadcast)

Television

• BBC Breakfast's coverage of the 50th Anniversary continued this morning with an article by BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz about 50 years of the show, plus the Doctor himself, Matt Smith, talked live from London as he prepares for the first day of the Excel Doctor Who Celebration. The item is available to watch via the BBC website.
  
• Richard Arnold briefly reported on the weekend of celebration to come on ITV's Daybreak (ITV Player). This was then followed by a preview of The Day of The Doctor by showbiz journalist Dan Wootton. (ITV Player)
• Sunday Mirror critic Kevin O'Sullivan delivered his weekly Talking Telly on Channel 5's The Wright Stuff, feeling that there may have been a little too much coverage of the show over the last fortnight! (Demand 5)
  
• BBC regional news programme Look East delved into Doctor Who's association with the region, including interviews with Terry Molloy and Brian Hodgson. The programme is available to watch on the BBC iPlayer from 23:05
• BBC London News reported on Doctor Who activity in the capitol, including a visit to The Who Shop and participants for the Doctor Who mass wedding taking place this weekend. (BBC iPlayer)
  
• BBC South East Today celebrated 50 Years of the show from Herne Bay, home to its first credited writer Anthony Coburn - and also arranged a local screening of An Unearthly Child. (BBC iPlayer - from 12:34)
  
• BBC2 premiered Me, You and Doctor Who: a Culture Show Special, with Matthew Sweet taking us through the history of Doctor Who and how it has influenced the social life of Britain. (BBC iPlayer)
  
• Matt Smith and David Tennant were guests on The Graham Norton Show on BBC1 (BBC iPlayer)
  

Radio

• Matt Smith popped in to chat to Nick Grimshaw on BBC Radio 1. (BBC iPlayer - from 1:38:17)
  
• Lots of items from BBC Radio Norfolk! Brian Hodgson explains how he created the Dalek voices (BBC iPlayer link); scenic designer Spencer Chapman (link); writer David Fisher (link); Graham Cole on playing a Cyberman (link); Ken Caswell's father painted the TARDIS prop in 1963 (link); Mike Thomas remembers being at Doctor Who rehearsals as a child (link); and John and Gay Hodgson recall Tom Baker encounters (link).
  
• BBC Radio Scotland's The Culture Studio with Janice Forsyth features four super-fans - authors A L Kennedy and Jenny Colgan, TV critic Paul Whitelaw and comedian Charlie Ross. Also features Sylvester McCoy and David Tennant! (BBC iPlayer, throughout show)
  
• Ray Clark on BBC Essex met an Essex TARDIS owner and hears from former Doctor Who screen writer Donald Tosh. (BBC iPlayer - day overview at 51:52, TARDIS from 2:17:45, Donald from 2:52:01)
  
• Dave Monk on BBC Essex chatted to DWM editor Tom Spilsbury and county-born Deborah Watling. (BBC iPlayer - Tom from 52:04, Deborah from 2:35:56, and also more from Donald Tosh at 1:34:32)
  
• Mark Punter is next up on BBC Essex, exploring the world of memorabilia, and also chatting to author Jacqueline Rayner. (BBC iPlayer - memorabilia from 23:00, Jacqueline from 1:05:20)
  
• The final BBC Essex instalment comes with Drivetime, which features writer Victor Pemberton. (BBC iPlayer - from 49:10, plus Donald Tosh at 1:23:24 and Deborah Watling at 2:36:24)
  
• BBC Leicester's Jim Davis chatted to K9-vocalist John Leeson. (BBC iPlayer)
  
• The BBC World Service's Witness spoke to Carole Ann Ford (BBC iPlayer, also available as a podcast)
  
• Newshour on the World Service reflected on 50 years of the series. (BBC iPlayer - from 43:00 and 47:58)
  
• Sara James from the Oxford University Doctor Who Society featured on BBC Radio Oxford's Phil Gayle show dicussing the group and plans for tomorrow. (BBC iPlayer - from 03:41:30)
  
• BBC Leicester's Jonathan Lampon included special Doctor Who stories during the show. (BBC iPlayer - from 2:07:45)
  
• The theme for BBC Scotland's Get It On With Bryan Burnett for Friday is "songs about the Doctor's assistants, from You've Got a Friend in Me to It Takes Two." (BBC iPlayer)
  

Misc Media Items

• The Telegraph presents a timeline through the regenerations.
• BBC News asks how did Doctor Who reflect the real world?
• The Guardian looks at how important Doctor Who might be for the future of the BBC.
• The Guardian also reviews what the actors who played the Doctor did next.
• The Register talks to Neil Gaiman and Terrance Dicks.
• Den of Geek present their 50 great scary moments in Doctor Who.
• The British Film Institute reveal their own 50 best Doctor Who moments.
• Dance Today looks at Dance in Doctor Who, and talks to performer Paul Kasey.
• Metro asks if Tom Baker is still the ultimate Doctor.
• The East Anglian Daily Press chat to Terry Molloy.
• The BBC report on two MPs putting forward a motion to recognise the programme as bringing "pleasure and enjoyment to many generations of fans".
• Brand Republic looks at five lessons in brand management from the rise, fall and revival of Doctor Who.
• The Guardian provide a new version of the Doctor Who theme from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
• TV.com lists 50 fantastic reasons to celebrate 50 years.
• ABC (Australia) chat to Peter Davison about when he became the Doctor.
• The Australian Jewish News considers the show's Jewish roots.
• The Atlantic (USA) looks at how Doctor Who has survived for 50 years.
• The Huffington Post (USA) chats to Steven Moffat on the anniversary and casting a new Doctor.
• The National (United Arab Emirates) looks at the Doctor's 50 years of house calls.

Highlights for Saturday

• BBC Breakfast report from the 50th Anniversary Doctor Who Celebration at the Excel Centre.
• Graham Norton also presents his show on BBC Radio 2 live from the convention from 10:00am.
• Blue Peter celebrates the anniversary with a special party on CBBC from 9:30am.
• CBBC's 12 Again presents a Doctor Who special from 2:30pm, with cast and celebrities sharing their memories of growing up with the show.
• BBC3 will present Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty from 9:05pm.
• Peter Davison presents the mission of classic Doctors to be involved in the 50th Anniversary Special, from 10:05pm via the BBC Red Button.
• BBC Radio 4 Extra presents a three hour special, Who Made Who? from 9:00am, with audio from the archive, new interviews and extracts from audio versions of Doctor Who.
• For early birds, BBC Radio Solent's Richard Latto looks at Doctor Who's relationship with Southern England.
• BBC Radio Norfolk's David Whiteley presents the final two snippets of the county's relationship with the show, with interviews with Terry Molloy and Brian Hodgson.
  
  
• Oh, and a small matter of a 50th Anniversary celebratory episode, The Day of The Doctor, 7:50pm, BBC1 and simulcast around the world!

For further details on these and a number of other local radio broadcasts on Anniversary Day, don't forget to visit This Week In Doctor Who!

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The 50th-anniversary edition of Doctor Who Magazine has proved so popular it is being reprinted just a week after publication.

Issue 467 is the biggest edition of the magazine ever at 116 pages and includes 12 art cards, a spoof mini magazine that imagines how DWM would have celebrated the show's first birthday, and nine free audio downloads. Despite a larger-than-normal print run, it has been selling out around the UK.

Editor Tom Spilsbury said:

It's astonishing! I've never seen anything like it. Truth be told, I was a little nervous about the 50th-anniversary issue. We worked hard to put together a really good package for readers, but you never quite know how anything is going to go down. You just cross your fingers and hope people like it.

We've been overwhelmed with messages from readers who have enjoyed the new magazine - but what has been even more exciting is seeing after just a few days on sale the issue was selling out across the country!

We've been taken completely by surprise, as we'd already printed a lot more copies than usual, so Panini has taken the unprecedented step of reprinting the issue in order to get more stock out to the shops. I was looking back at past sales figures, and it's sold even more copies than the "Bad Wolf" edition of 2008 (issue 397), which was the previous highest seller of recent years.

To go back to find an issue that has sold even more copies, well, it's the early-1980s at least - and then our records run out. So I can truthfully say it's the highest-selling issue of DWM since records began! And that's not even including digital sales. An amazing thing for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who.

Thank you so much to all our readers for your support over the years. To keep the magazine going for the 16 years when the TV show itself had gone off air is down to your passion and loyalty. And if you haven't got your anniversary issue yet - well, snap it up fast before it dematerialises for good!

Spilsbury told Doctor Who News that around 50,000 copies were initially printed, with another 15,000 now coming off the presses.

Also inside issue 467:

• Matt Smith and David Tennant – Two Doctors interviewed together
• The Day of the Doctor – A preview of the 50th-anniversary special, with exclusive new photographs
• Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald) interviewed
• An Adventure in Space and Time – Huge behind-the-scenes feature
• A feature on Anthony Coburn – Doctor Who's greatest unsung hero
• An Unearthly Child – The draft scripts of Doctor Who's very first episode revealed
• The Watcher's Guide to Anniversaries
• The Wonder of Who – A guide to Doctor Who's supposedly "indefinable magic"
• The Five Doctors – A guide to Doctor Who's 20th-anniversary adventure
• Mary Peach – The guest star of The Enemy of the World reacts to the story's recent recovery
• Production Notes – Showrunner Steven Moffat is joined by someone from his past . . .
• John Smith and the Common Men – A special anniversary comic strip
• The Time Team watch Last of the Time Lords and Time Crash
• The Watcher's 50th-Anniversary Quiz
• Competitions and puzzles

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The 50th Anniversary Doctor Who convention, the Celebration is now under way, with the show taking over London's Excel Centre for some three days of panels, signings, and a host of other activities. The BBC have released a taster of the event this morning.

Welcome to the Doctor Who Celebration

The Graham Norton show on BBC Radio 2 will be broadcast live from the Celebration tomorrow from 10:00am.

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A summary of the media coverage relating to the 50th Anniversary for a rather busy Thursday.

(note: the BBC radio broadcasts are available worldwide, but video broadcasts may be unavailable outside the United Kingdom.)

Television

• The highlight of the day has to be the broadcast of the 50th Anniversary's origin drama, An Adventure in Space and Time, which starred David Bradley as William Hartnell. (BBC iPlayer)
  
• This was followed by a short documentary, William Hartnell: The Original, featuring rare footage and new interviews with many that worked with the actor.
  
• David Bradley appeared on this morning's BBC Breakfast to promote the broadcast, chatting about his experience in portraying the original Doctor, and in meeting many of the original cast. A clip from the interview can be found on the BBC News website.
  
• Though the 21st Century series is regularly repeated, it is rare to see a story from the original run, but in celebration of its 50th Anniversary the whole of the first story was broadcast on BBC4 after An Adventure in Space and Time had finished. However, the BBC reported: "Doctor Who fans: Due to rights restrictions 'An Unearthly Child' won’t be on iPlayer after it’s been aired on BBC Four tonight".
  
• The Daily Politics on BBC2 featured a discussion of politics in Doctor Who with guests Dr Matthew Ashton from Nottingham Trent University and MP Tom Harris, a contributor to Behind The Sofa: Celebrity Memories of Doctor Who. (BBC iPlayer - from 53:10)
  
• BBC3 repeated the 2013 Doctor Who Prom highlights which was originally shown during the summer (BBC iPlayer). The Red Button service followed this up with additional music from that prom that had previously been unbroadcast.
  

Radio

• In The Blagger's Guide to Doctor Who on BBC Radio 2, David Quantick takes a look back over 50 years of science fiction at its British best with a quick fire look at all things Doctor Who. (BBC iPlayer)
  
• Following on, Russell Tovey presents a special documentary, Who is the Doctor?, looking at the lasting appeal of Doctor Who and asks how much of its continued success can be attributed to its basic formula. (BBC iPlayer)
  
• Jenna Coleman was a guest on BBC Radio 1's Nick Grimshaw show, with the actress chatting about working with Matt Smith over the last year, and looking to the future with Peter Capaldi. (BBC iPlayer - intro from 1:24:55, interview from 1:39:15)
  
Steven Moffat was a guest on the Richard Bacon show during the afternoon, chatting about Doctor Who reaching 50 years, casting Peter Capaldi, and fielding questions from listeners. (BBC iPlayer - from 18:35)
• Moffat then popped up on Phil Trow's show on BBC Radio Manchester, chatting about making The Day of The Doctor, how he handles spoilers, and asked by "super-fan" Brian Gorman about how Peter Capaldi will play the role. (BBC iPlayer - Moffat chat from 47:23, Gorman chat from 1:04:15).
  
• A busy man, it's Moffat again on BBC Radio Sheffield, this time on the Howard Pressman show! (BBC iPlayer - from 1:22:39)
  
• BBC Wales had a Doctor Who Day, kicking off with a phone-in on the Oliver Hides show about what makes Doctor Who so enduring, followed by both Jason Mohammed and Eleri Siôn's shows broadcast live from the Doctor Who Experience. Finally in the evening there was a repeat of the full 2013 Doctor Who Prom. (BBC iPlayer for Oliver, Jason and Eleri, plus the Prom)
  
• BBC Radio Norfolk continues its week-long series of articles on the county's association with the show, this morning talking to former child actress Barbara Harper (née Loft) about appearing with Patrick Troughton. (BBC iPlayer)
  
• BBC Radio Solent's Alex Dyke show explored the alternative 30th anniversary 'special', the multi-"Doctor" story The Airzone Solution by Bill Baggs. (BBC iPlayer - from 1:36:38)
  
• Allan Beswick on BBC Radio Manchester ran a quiz, based on questions from 5 year old super-fan Gage. (BBC iPlayer - from 2:17:50)
  
• BBC Scotland's Get It On with Bryan Burnett continued its Doctor Who theme, this time "the Tardis takes him into the future, playing songs such as In the Year 2525 and Busted's Year 3000." (BBC iPlayer)
  

Misc Media Items

• Google has launched a Doctor Who game to play on its search site (still rolling out to all countries at the time of writing); the Guardian features an interview with its designer, Matthew Cruickshank.
• The BBC's in-house magazine Ariel have been running features with BBC employees recounting their favourite Doctors; Thursday's entry is for David Tennant (catch-up on Doctors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9).
• BBC America have posted some more celebrity anniversary messages.
• Wales Online presents 50 Years in 50 Pictures.
• The Register looks at the highs and lows (altitudes) of Doctor Who.
• The Radio Times suggests how to be an instant expert.
• BBC News is told by Peter Davison: I was quicker than most Doctors!
• Canoe pick their five favourites to become a female Doctor.
• The Conversation asks might some of Doctor Who actually be possible?
• The Telegraph has a 50th Anniversary Mastermind Nerd-Off between their resident Doctor Who expert Gavin Fuller and lead writer Tim Stanley.

Highlights for tomorrow

• BBC2's Culture Show Special, You, Me and Doctor Who is on at 9:30pm.
• Both Matt Smith and David Tennant are guests on The Graham Norton Show on BBC1 from 10:35pm.
• Matt Smith drops in to chat with Nick Grimshaw on BBC Radio 1 (from 9:00am).
• A variety of guests feature throughout the day on BBC Radio Essex, including Donald Tosh (Ray Clark, from 6:00am), Deborah Watling (Dave Monk, 9:00am), and Victor Pemberton (Drivetime, 4:00pm).
• BBC Radio Norfolk continues its local stories, including fan Mike Thomas's recollections of Doctor Who rehearsals (Chris Goreham, from 6:00am), Brian Hodgson (Nick Conrad, 9:00am), Graham Cole and Spencer Chapman (Stephen Bumfrey, midday), and David Fisher (Matthew Gudgin, 4:00pm).

For these and other programming during the course of tomorrow and the next few days, don't forget to visit This Week in Doctor Who.

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