Diamonds Of The Cybermen

The Cybermen debuted sixty years ago tonight.

A diamond anniversary is obviously not as funny as their golden anniversary ten years ago, but never mind

A Christmas special from Big Finish for Nine - and Susan!

The Wash, a new audio drama from Big Finish coming to the official Doctor Who YouTube December 22nd

Christopher Eccleston and Carole Ann Ford star together for the first time in The Ninth Doctor Adventures: The Wash, a special full-cast audio drama streaming free on the official Doctor Who YouTube channel this Christmas Day.

Written by Robert Valentine, The Wash reunites two generations of the Doctor's family – the Ninth Doctor himself and his granddaughter Susan – in a story that begins, improbably, in a launderette on the Powell Estate. Avoiding Jackie Tyler's early Christmas preparations, the Doctor heads to The Wash Inn; there, alongside unexpected dangers, he finds himself in conversation with a voice from the past. 

The Wash will stream live on the official Doctor Who YouTube channel on Tuesday 22nd December, giving fans the chance to listen along together. It will remain free to stream for one month afterwards – part of a selection box of Doctor Who treats from Big Finish arriving over the Christmas period, with further announcements to come.

Eight plots from David Bowie's Young Americans

For David Bowie’s birthday and now monthly, adventures based on his studio albums’ song titles, working backwards.

After album titles, ★, The Next Day, Reality, Heathen, Hours, Earthling, Outside The Buddha Of Suburbia, Black Tie White Noise, Never Let Me Down, Labyrinth. Tonight, Let’s Dance, Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), Lodger, “Heroes”, Low, Station to Station...

Young Americans (1975) (Wikipedia)

A year before the US bicentennial, an album named after a single about a young American, recorded in the US with collaborations from the US like Luther Vandross as well as the UK like John Lennon.

Bit funky, bit synthy, best known for Fame.

Young Americans

The buildup to the American Revolution, and Benjamin Franklin is experimenting with electricity. Which is the kind of thing that has time tourists hanging around. Can the travellers redirect them?

Win

The travellers come to a 44th Century casino station (of course it’s shaped like a roulette wheel) because the Stranger has to take part in a card game with the ownership of a planet at stake.

Fascination

One of the companions falls for someone glimpsed on a distant planet. Someone who looks so familiar...

Right

There’s something just at the edge of your vision. Always on the same side.

Somebody Up There Likes Me

The travellers have to make sure an accident-prone regular guy makes it through a week that seems to be trying to kill him.

Or:

One of the travellers becomes a god for a day. How tempting is the power?

Across The Universe

In a time and place the travellers know well and where they’re well known in turn, someone they owe a favour to organises  a contest where the winner gets one trip in the TARDIS. What could go wrong?

Can You Hear Me?

One of the travellers goes missing. And you can hear their voice in the static on the radio.

Or:

The TARDIS translation system needs an update, and an otherwise straightforward adventure becomes a silent movie.

Fame

The travellers return home and are confronted by TV news crews and press asking for statements. The usual “somebody else’s problem” field has broken down and they’re suddenly as famous as time-travelling world-saving heroes should be. It’s a bit awkward.

Doctor Who TARDIS Crew

A first still for the CBeebies cartoon, due late 2027 to early 2028:

“the series follows the Doctor, a young Time Lord, and his friends Hannah, Beastie and Toast-IE as they embark on extraordinary adventures through time and space. Travelling aboard the iconic TARDIS, they encounter incredible creatures, discover amazing new worlds and come face-to-face with legendary Doctor Who foes, including the Daleks.”

Looks fun!

Looks pseudo-Aardman-y and less emoji-like than the equivalent Star Wars, Star Trek and Spidey shows.

52 11-minute episodes, which definitely bucks the live-action trend of not enough episodes.

I love the Dalek at the back clearly going “Oy!”

RTD: Goodbye Whoniverse

An extract from Russell T Davies’ new memoir The Queerest of Folk in which he talks about the regeneration twist, the next plan that didn’t happen and stepping away.

“The future can be planned by a brand-new team. Clean and bold and bright.”

“God, that was fun! I wouldn’t have missed a single second of it. What a remarkable show.”