The War Doctor returns in the forthcoming issue of Doctor Who Magazine as his real life alter ego, Sir John Hurt, spills the beans on his new Big Finish adventures.

Inside the magazine, the veteran star of the stage and screen – who guest starred in the 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor back in 2013 – exclusively reveals what makes his secret incarnation of the Time Lord tick, and how it was his wife who convinced him to take on one of the most iconic roles on British television. And let’s just thank our lucky stars that she did!

All of that plus the latest news, reviews, competitions, features and much more! Doctor Who Magazine #496 is published on Thursday 4th February, at the usual price of £4.99.

Browse the latest Doctor Who products on sale now in our merchandise section…

January is almost over already but there’s still time to say a big hello to our inaugural Fan of the Month of 2016!

Flying the flag for Whovians around the world this January is Jordan, aged 19, from New Zealand, who was introduced to the Time Lord’s adventures by her drama teacher back in 2011. Suffice to say, she’s been hooked ever since!

Click HERE to check out Jordan’s full profile, and keep ‘em peeled because applications for February will be opening very soon. Congratulations, Jordan!

Fan of the Month has been running since June 2008 and currently features over 80 profiles.

In true Time Lord fashion, Peter Capaldi has been looking to the future this week to affirm that he’s just as excited about Series 10 as the rest of us.

Speaking to Radio Times, the actor revealed that he’s currently “getting into training” ahead of filming on his third string of TARDIS adventures, which will air next spring after this year’s Christmas Special. “We make it for nine months, so the most important thing is that I’m fit and on top of everything,” he explained. “We’ve got some great writers and fabulous stories, so I’m looking forward to starting.”

He also briefly discussed the new companion, who will be stepping aboard for the trip of a lifetime following the departure of Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald at the end of Series 9. He said: “We haven’t chosen someone yet, that I know of. We’ve had brief talks about it, but I’ll meet them before it’s finalised. I can say that we’re looking for someone different.”

New adventures. New companion. Same Doctor! Read the latest Series 10 news…

We’ve only known that there will be just one episode of Doctor Who this year for four days, but already the prospect of having a generally timey-wimeyless year is proving too much for our poor Whovian heart(s) to bear.

Amidst the ensuing chaos of gap years, new showrunners and potentially departing Doctors, it’s easy to forget that we actually will be getting a full Doctor Who series in 2016 after all, in the form of Patrick Ness’ brand new spin off, Class. The drama will take us back to Coal Hill School where dangers are breaking through the walls of time and space.

No casting details (or anything else, really) have been announced yet, but we do know that filming begins in the spring and that it will hit our screens on BBC Three in the autumn. We will, of course, keep you updated with the exciting developments as a new chapter of the Doctor Who universe begins! See, there actually is nothing to worry about after all. Phew.

Matt Smith’s latest role has been revealed by Deadline.

The Eleventh Doctor actor will be starring in a new biopic as Robert Mapplethorpe, the avant-garde photographer known for his black and white nude portraits who died of AIDS in 1989, aged 42.

The film – simply titled “Mapplethorpe” – will be directed by Ondi Timoner when filming begins in the summer. Zosia Mamet co-stars as singer-songwriter Patti Smith, Mapplethorpe’s one-time lover and best friend.

Are you looking forward to seeing Matt take on his new project? Speaking of which, he’ll be coming to a big screen near you next month in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, while the new drama The Crown, in which he stars as the Duke of Edinburgh, will be arriving on Netflix later this year. He will also appear in Patient Zero, coming to cinemas in September.

Peter Capaldi hasn’t even announced his departure yet but already a (very) early favourite has emerged to take on the role of the Thirteenth Doctor in Doctor Who.

Tom Weston-Jones, who is currently appearing in the BBC’s Dickensian drama, is the first actor to have his name put forward as the incumbent Time Lord’s replacement, who will reportedly take over the TARDIS alongside incoming showrunner Chris Chibnall for Series 11 in 2018. Persistent reports suggest that Series 10, to air next spring after this year’s Christmas Special, will be Peter’s last.

This is all mere speculation at the moment, of course, but what do you think of Tom as the first frontrunner? Are there any other actors or actresses you’d like to see take on the role?

A new(ish) rumour has surfaced suggesting that Peter Capaldi will be stepping down as the Twelfth Doctor in Series 10.

The Mirror claims that incoming showrunner Chris Chibnall is being given “a fresh start” by casting the next incarnation of the Time Lord to introduce in his first series in 2018. It’s not the first time that Peter’s third string of adventures has been reported to be his last – the same newspaper has previously proposed that the actor had signed up for “at least one more series”, with the man himself recently acknowledging that he could be about to embark on his “final year”.

Of course, the news comes as inevitable speculation in light of last week’s announcement that Steven Moffat will be handing over his head writing duties to the Broadchurch creator in 2017, and the accompanying overhaul would mirror that of his own, and the subsequent appointment of Matt Smith, which took place ahead of Series 5 in 2010. The BBC refused to comment on the latest developments, insisting that they “do not discuss cast contracts”.

Do you think the arrival of a new showrunner signals Peter’s time to go or would you rather he stick around to ease the show’s transition into its new chapter? Let the discussion begin!

New adventures. New companion. Same Doctor! Read the latest Series 10 news…

Her latest televisual adventure has just been released on DVD today (Monday) but fans of River Song will be pleased to hear that there’s still plenty more where that came from.

That’s because everybody’s favourite “kick ass hero” will be back once again as the star of her very own tie-in novel, set to be released this summer. Aptly titled The Legends of River Song, the book brings together a collection of her most explosive exploits, as documented in her TARDIS journal. Sometimes she’s with the Doctor. Sometimes she’s on her own. But she is never far from danger.

The novel includes original short stories written by an array of familiar Doctor Who authors including Jenny T. Colgan, Jacqueline Rayner, Steve Lyons, Guy Adams and Andrew Lane, and will be published on 2nd June 2016. Will you be adding it to your collection, sweetie?

Melody Pond, Melody Malone, River Song… She has had many names. Whoever she really is, this archaeologist and time traveller has had more adventures (and got into more trouble) than most people in the universe.

And she’s written a lot of it down. Well, when you’re married to a Time Lord (or possibly not), you have to keep track of what you did and when. Especially as it may not actually have happened to both of you yet.

These are just a few of River Song’s exploits, extracted from her journals. Sometimes, she is with the Doctor. Sometimes she’s on her own. But wherever and whenever she may be, she is never far from danger and excitement.

This is just a tiny portion of her impossible life. But it will reveal more than you’ve ever known about the legend that is River Song.

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Last year’s Christmas Special and the latest Doctor Who episode, The Husbands of River Song, is released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK today (Monday).

The festive adventure marked the return of Alex Kingston as everybody’s favourite “kick ass hero”, who accompanied the Doctor (although technically, he accompanied her!) on a fast and frantic chase across the galaxy.

Special features include a Doctor Who Extra and a special “Adventures of River Song” featurette.

Click here to Rate & Discuss the Christmas Special, The Husbands of River Song…

If you’re holding out for the release of the Complete Series 9 boxset, you’ll be able to get your hands on it on 7th March 2016. Read up on its contents and special features, here.

Browse the latest Doctor Who products on sale now in our merchandise section…

Freema Agyeman and Eve Myles will be getting their teeth into a new indie vampire thriller, it has been revealed.

“Eat Local” revolves around unwitting Essex boy Sebastian whose night of passion with a ravishing cougar turns into a fight for survival when she introduces him to a coven of hungry vampires. The Martha Jones and Gwen Cooper actresses are joined by other familiar Doctor Who faces – including Ruth Jones (Nikki in Adrift) and Annette Crosbie (Mrs Angelo in The Eleventh Hour) – in the movie, which is currently being filmed in Hertfordshire.

Produced by Evolution Pictures, the project is the directorial debut of actor Jason Flemyng and has been written by BAFTA nominated writer Danny King. Are you looking forward to seeing Freema and Eve in their latest roles? Let us know in the comments section below…