This issue of DWM’s cover story features William Russell, who played the part of Doctor Who’s first action hero Ian Chesterton. William discuss his time with the program, how he got along well with the show’s young producer Verity Lambert, how he felt William Hartnell never forgave him for leaving the show and his amazement at discussing Doctor Who nearly 50 years later thinking at the time the show wouldn’t last six weeks as well as what he had been up to since leaving the show and talking a little bit about his contributions to both Big Finish’s Companion Chronicles and full cast audio plays.
Also in this issue The Doctor Who Awards for 2011 are out and you might be surprised… or not… with the results. A candid interview with writer Neil Gaiman and how writing for Doctor Who helped him deal with the death of his father. Doctor Who’s countdown to 50 continues with a look at Series nineteen which introduced a brand new young Doctor, a crowded TARDIS and the death of a companion for the first time since the William Hartnell era. The Fourth Doctor and Romana’s final adventure (as well as Mary Tamm’s final appearance as Romana in the series) in the Key to Time story arc The Armageddon Factor goes under the microscope in Fact or Fiction. Meanwhile, the Eleventh Doctor and the Ponds embark on the first part of a brand new and exciting comic adventure in The Cornucopia Caper.
The cast and crew of Doctor Who’s latest spin-off discuss creating a black and white audio adventure in the series Counter Measure which features the crack military outfit the Seventh Doctor teamed up with to defeat the Daleks in Ben Aaronovitch’s classic episode Remembrance of the Daleks. The BBC’s latest box set featuring episodes starring Sophie Aldred as the Seventh Doctor’s baseball bat wielding and Nitro 9 tossing companion Ace is DWM’s Pick of the Month. Also in reviews are the latest crop of audio adventures produced by Big Finish. The Fourth Doctor and Leela face off against the Daleks in the latest Fourth Doctor Adventure Energy of the Daleks, The Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa and Turlough in the latest release for Doctor Who’s main series The Emerald Tiger and William Russell and Tim Chipping perform The Wanderer which is a story set in the First Doctor’s era for the Companion Chronicles.
Soon to be released on DVD, the Third Doctor’s television adventure Death to the Daleks. Big Finish’s audio adventures The Butcher of Brisbane starring the Fifth Doctor which features the return of Magnus Greel. Who we last saw in the Fourth Doctor television episode The Talons of Weng-Chiang. The latest Sixth Doctor Lost Story Power Play sees the Sixth Doctor reunited with his former companion Victoria Waterfield. But this reunion between the Doctor and Victoria may not prove to be a particularly happy one. And Richard Franklin performs the Third Doctor adventure The Ring of Ikiria for the Companion Chronicles.
So come down to Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester to pick up the latest issue and keep up with all things past, present and future concerning the world of Doctor Who!!