In the mysterious world of the Nethersphere, plans have been drawn. Missy is about to come face to face with the Doctor, and an impossible choice is looming… ‘Death is not an end’, promises the sinister organisation known only as 3W – but, as the Doctor and Clara discover, they might wish it was.

The new series continued tonight and it was the beginning of the end as the finale began…

Doctor Who finales are always surrounded by anticipation and speculation and this one has been no different. Whovians around the land have been unravelling the mystery of Missy since her first appearance in Deep Breath. After our initial encounter with the enigmatic Gatekeeper of the Nethersphere, the question on everyone’s lips has been… Who is Missy!?

Tonight our answers were at long last revealed as the Doctor finally came to face with her, and it was a meeting of epic proportions as an impossible choice was looming. Old friends and even older enemies returned as plans were drawn up. ‘Death is not an end’, promised the sinister organisation known only as 3W, but the Doctor and Clara soon wished it was…

So, what did you think of Dark Water? Were your theories proven correct? And has it set things up for next week’s monumental series finale? Have you say in the comments below!

NOTE: This discussion will NOT be spoiler monitored so please do not read the comments if you haven’t seen Dark Water. You have been warned!

ITD features some of the best innovation since sliced bread, in this reviewer’s opinion; it’s got style, emotional depth, that good old Jungian circus, and a flair for the profound that’s easy to math up with previous Dalek outings, no matter which side of the bread your butter’s on.

Spoilerphobes, read at own risk.

It begins with a lone rebel vessel in the blackness of space, alone in an asteroid field, pursued by a Dalek ship.

Quick as a flash, the Doctor snaps up the surviving pilot Journey Blue (a possible fourth wall call-out to the Doctor’s connection with the TARDIS and consequence, and choices), and she snaps right back at him, upset at his failure to also save her brother, who was presumably fried to crispety crunchety goodness and disintegrated right after she dematerialized. It is shown in episode how unlikely it was that he could have saved the brother, how he made the callous, yet surgically precise triage-worthy decision to save her, and still the sister doesn’t care. Some might say the Doctor was subconsciously bowling for gratitude on a fixed lane with that one, even though, within the artifice of the scene, we believe that ship has sailed. Talk about a poster child for the Backfire Effect, and I’m not talking about the Doctor.

Then they reach the mother ship the destroyed ship came from, on the run and hiding from the bossy pepper pots stalking the asteroid field. Woah now, this place is not a happy camper’s vacation trailer; it’s stocked with weapons and soldiers and everything the Doctor doesn’t like- complete with a Dalek who is so badly damaged it has apparently turned awesome and started guest narrating for Carl Sagan’s Cosmos. And painting happy little clouds in its spare time. So the Doctor and his backup band go electric and get shrunk in a scene straight out of a sixties movie; they travel through the Dalek’s eyestalk. Inside, they dread to go where no man has gone before: Cthulhu’s private after-party. Cue the creepy basement furnace music from that old pc game, Scratches. Heheh.

The Dalek itself is soon encountered after the usual gauntlet of flying death ball laser-sighted antibodies and People Who Die, AKA red shirts. There, in its crèche, it squirms half-heartedly, obviously wounded, every image of itself thus far a most excellent mirror into the Doctor’s own self-discovering dilemma of a psyche. Add back in the Overcompensating Woman-Girl with a Gun (Journey Blue) plus Neurotic Turkey Baster (Clara) and we’ve got ourselves a recipe for distinction that formally begins with the infamous line: ‘No, no no!’ from the Doctor after he fixes the Dalek and it goes back to being a psycho. Afterward, he tries to mind-meld with the Dalek to help it remember a moment of beauty it witnessed, to show it a better way through showing it his mind. We all know that Daleks can’t bake cookies! They don’t like Soft Kitty, either! Silly Doctor. Fortunately he has Clara and Journey re-awaken those suppressed memories of the birth of a star, which it had only appreciated while injured. Then, in the mind-meld, it sees the Doctor’s hatred, finds that more beautiful and turns against the other Daleks, proving that the Doctor’s hopes are, in his mind at least, false- there can be no good Daleks. Except him. It appears to have chosen for him, answering the question put forth by the episode in an obscene and brilliant way; but that is the ruse- the trial of water, illusion laid bare.

In fact, ‘Rusty’ aka Buridan’s Dalek makes its case most bluntly when it tells the Doctor that he would make a good Dalek. Then it turns away from him to help the other people on the ship, reinforcing the Doctor’s delusion that neither one of them can change. Of course, the mind sees only what it thinks it should or can, and often starves- this is illustrated when the Dalek arcs from being damaged and good to being repaired and bad, then finally comes out post-epiphany with its basic nature intact, if redirected. An excellent metaphor for the Doctor. Though we do not often connect a Dalek with the monomyth of the Hero, Into the Dalek is the journey of the hero at its most basic, for the Doctor and the Dalek, reducing them both to the exquisite symbol of the spinning mirror of self-image and illusion. Joseph Campbell would be proud.

But would he truly applaud the convoluted and at times ambiguous bond between judgment, consequence, resolution and subtle apotheosis so frequently displayed in this episode, which seems to be a theme this season? At times it seems more Ridley Scott than Carl Jung, more Freudian Slip than Objects Lesson. The proof of that pudding is in the way the ingrained terror of certain of the ship’s inhabitants overtakes their willingness to think, to be rational in the face of danger. But destruction, as anyone who reinvents themselves as much as the Doctor does knows, can be a chance to reach phoenixian heights, and that is very Golden Shadow, which I suspect is the absolute theme of this season.

However, nirvana is ephemeral by nature, as the presence of Missy suggests at end of episode. Might the Golden Shadow never be actuated, the True ‘Promised Land’ never reached, if there is too much interference by this strange, familiar woman who somehow manages to remind us of River, Romana I, The Rani, Clara, the Woman, the TARDIS, Idris, the Master and Death all at once? The Doctor, after all, denied Journey Blue her request to enter into the TARDIS, because she reflects his own nature. Hasn’t this theme been done already?

In essence, for me, Into the Dalek wins the gold star for mathematical excellence on every level, both for its willingness to infer and its strong self-as-journey themes.

Watch and learn, fellow Whovians. Burn with me.

When I first got into Doctor Who, Tennant-mania was in full swing. The End of Time had just aired and a fandom was left in collective heartbreak. Having since wedged his way into our hearts with his ginormous chin, it may be hard for some to imagine that there was a point in time in which, to Doctor Who fans, Matt Smith would NEVER be the Doctor; David Tennant was the Doctor. Yes, after almost half a decade David Tennant had achieved legendary status, transcending from lifelong fan to reigning star. For many of us, he was our Doctor, and not even cold reality could take him away from us.

However, as the show moved on, so did the fans(well, mostly). There’s a new Doctor on the pedestal now, but Tennant is still firmly in the realm of one of the greats. However, this transition lead to my observing an odd phenomenon. As I said, when I entered this wonderful fandom, David Tennant was king. It was very odd, then, when I started observing people discussing why they thought he was one of the worst Doctors, if not the worst altogether. Even stranger was that some of their arguments made sense to me: he had a penchant for whining and complaining, his strict moral objection to guns and violence came off as annoyingly hypocritical, and he often gave his companions and others a raw deal. So which is he? Is he the best of the bunch or a bad apple? To figure that out, I think it necessary to look at some of the Tenth Doctor’s key characteristics.

For me, I identify a sole defining character trait to each of the Doctor’s I’ve watched extensively. The Doctor is arguably one of the most complex characters ever written, but it will always be that one trait that makes the individuals stand out as individuals. The Ninth Doctor is struggling with survivor’s guilt, trying so very hard to hold onto who he is and keep fresh demons at bay. The Eleventh Doctor is a tired old man hiding behind a young man’s face, using

it to masquerade around the Universe with the same magic and wonder as when he was a young man. The Eighth Doctor, up until recently, was the broken one; the one who fought in the Time War and lost himself, committing untold atrocities. While this status now goes to the War Doctor, I can’t help but still be fascinated by the Eighth Doctor and his coming to the decision of rejecting the name ‘Doctor’. So where does our beloved Ten fit into the equation? What makes him the Tenth Doctor, and not just a forgotten page in a very long book? Well, given that the topic is reviewing an episode, I think it’s safe to say the answer lies in an episode. But what episode so beautifully exemplifies the core of the Tenth Doctor? If you read the title, you know it’s The Waters of Mars.

In David Tennant’s penultimate episode, the Doctor arrives on Mars and stumbles upon Bowie Base One, humanity’s first attempt at colonizing other planets. His temporal awareness reminds him that the destruction of this base in a mysterious explosion is a fixed point in time, and all these people are destined to die. He makes an effort to leave before things get out of hand, but his baser nature prevents him from just not getting involved. As per usual he marvels at the achievements of humanity and delights in the quirks of the crewmembers, especially those of Captain Adelaide Brooke, the death of whom inspires her granddaughter to take up her legacy and lead humanity into the stars.

Soon an ancient parasitic life form hiding in Martian water begins infecting the crew, and the Doctor is able to put two and two together. It is here the fabled “curse of the Time Lords” comes into effect. Unlike Pompeii, where millions of people perished and the Doctor was able to make some of a difference in saving one family, here everyone must die to adhere to history. These people the Doctor admires so greatly are all going to perish, and he’s powerless to do

anything about it. He tells the captain of their grand, cosmic significance, hoping it will offer some consolation, but letting things happen seems no easier.

Having finally managed to leave, the Doctor is subjected to the screams of Bowie Base One over the radio. He angrily laments his station as Last of the Time Lords, and decides that the meaning of such a title is what he decides. Going against the very fiber of his being, the Doctor returns to save Adelaide and the remaining crew. He dramatically declares his new mandate that the laws of time are his to command and not the other way around, summons the Tardis just before Adelaide’s self-destruct sequence finishes, and gets everyone back to Earth in time for tea. The Doctor is quite pleased with himself, for the first time having saved someone of great significance, and now realizes there is nothing he can’t do.

But he doesn’t get the ‘thank you’ he was expecting. Instead he’s met with fear and confusion. The Doctor assures Adelaide that the details of history may change but the general story will stay the same. Adelaide, however, is horrified, saying that if her family history changes, the Doctor could change the whole of history, and no one should have that much power.

“Tough”, he responds coldly.

Adelaide’s expression changes, suddenly coming to understand who she’s dealing with. The Doctor continues to brag about his newfound power, saying that until now he saw himself as a survivor, but now realizes he’s a winner, and dubs himself “the Time Lord Victorious.” Adelaide continues to defy him, though, her voice brimming with contempt, saying that she doesn’t care who he is; he’s wrong. The Doctor says that’s for him to decide, like the pompous god he’s becoming. He reiterates that there’s no one to stop him now, and Adelaide almost seems to become complacent in this. She returns to her home, and the Doctor prepares to leave, his smug sense of self-satisfaction now far bigger on the inside. His hand touches the Tardis door,

when suddenly a gunshot can be heard from Adelaide’s apartment. The Doctor was right; a few details have changed, but everything is more or less the same. This is enough of a shock to bring the Doctor back to his senses; he’s gone too far. This is what happens to him when he has no companion to round him out; when Rose isn’t there to question what he’s turning into; when Martha isn’t there to remind him who he is; when Donna isn’t there to tell him he can stop now.

Now I know what you’re all probably thinking: ‘Steve, we all saw the episode, get to the point already!’, and to that I say…well, that’s fair. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I’ve heard many an argument for why the Tenth Doctor is one of the worst Doctors, and all of them seem to incorporate the Doctor’s regeneration story, which immediately followed Waters of Mars. When we first meet the Doctor in The End of Time, he is not in a good place emotionally. We see him break down crying in front of Wilfred, something uncharacteristic of any Doctor, and he is clearly still distraught with his actions on Mars. When the time comes for the Doctor to die, and thus trigger a regeneration, he throws what can only be called a temper tantrum, screaming and crying about how unfair it is. Again, very uncharacteristic of most Doctors.

This is the strongest damning factor for the Tenth Doctor to fans, and it took some time to rectify it in my mind, as while I could see the merit in many anti-Ten arguments, he was still an important incarnation to me. After a good deal of thought, I realized the answer lay in the Waters of Mars, and I was eventually inspired to write this article. I decided the Tenth Doctor’s defining character trait is that he is the bridge between the character of the Doctor and humankind. The Doctor, in many ways, is like a god; old and powerful and mysterious, never staying in one place too long, marveling in the wonder that is life, the universe, and everything, and above all, helping people simply because it is the right thing to do, putting his own pain aside in the

process. That is all well and good; as I said before, the Doctor is one of the most complex characters ever written. But how well can we relate to this near-perfect Doctor man? How much of a connection with him can we really make?

The Tenth Doctor is the iteration that gets to be imperfect; that gets to say “why me?” He was born out of hope and love, but had the source of those things ripped away from him. He had to say goodbye to countless friends and loved ones. He’s seen horrors and tragedies happen around him again and again and not be able to do anything about them. Yes, every incarnation of the Doctor had to face this, but stop and consider how much of that one being can take. Some may argue that the Doctor has no limit, but I refuse to accept that. I don’t want to see the Doctor as this ultimate paragon of goodness. I want to aspire to be like the Doctor, but I can’t do that if he isn’t a little bit like me, and I have a limit to how much hardship I can take; how much of other people’s pain I can shoulder before I break myself. When people first pointed out the childishness of Ten’s pre-death speech, I admit I found it utterly cringe-worthy. But after taking on this new outlook, I watch that scene again and find it beautiful. I don’t see a petulant child, I see a man finally forced to let out an exorbitantly long lifetime’s worth of heartache. You’d scream too if you were him, and so would I.

So why did I pick the Waters of Mars to illustrate my point about the Tenth Doctor? I chose this episode because this is where the Doctor reaches his limit. “Time Lord Victorious” is the final straw for the Doctor; one of his biggest mistakes. We see the Doctor’s best traits exemplified in this episode: his intelligence, his wit, his compassion and love for humanity. When these are juxtaposed with the darker hues he displays, we see a person at the end of their rope. We run out of rope too, we make mistakes when we do, and we often find it hard to forgive ourselves afterwards. I see the Waters of Mars as a beautiful swan song to the Tenth Doctor, as it makes us see what happens to someone who gives and gives until they can give no more. We see what good people are capable of when they’ve been whittled down to the nub, and it becomes easier for us to forgive them of their trespasses. The Eighth Doctor may have been the incarnation who identified as half-human, but from my perspective, Ten was the most human of them all, and he was beautiful.

Editorial written by Stephen Bernardi

I will be the first to admit I was devastated when it was announced that Matt Smith would be hanging up his bow tie and fez for good in the Christmas special of 2013. I started dreading Christmas as I knew that my time with my favourite Doctor was slowly coming to its sad, but inevitable, conclusion. Even though I was swept up with the euphoria of the 50th Anniversary, I couldn’t help but remember that The Day of the Doctor was Smith’s second to last episode. The teaser trailer at the end of the episode only cemented in my worst fears; this day was coming, and not even the Doctor could do anything about it.

The episode begins with the enigma of a bell tolling throughout the universe and the quest to find out what it means. Of course, avid viewers will most likely cotton on to the symbolism shown here; what else could the bell tolling mean aside from the end of the Eleventh Doctor’s timeline? Nevertheless, with the mystery established, all we needed was our hero. Enter Smith clutching a Dalek eye-stalk and sporting a very convincing wig. The entrance summed up Smith’s Doctor perfectly; the Eleventh Doctor made mistakes every now and again which only made him more endearing. The inability to recognise a Dalek or Cyberman ship gave Smith the opportunity to show his comedy credentials. Throughout the episode we are treated to charming and funny moments of comedy; from the naked Doctor introducing himself to Clara’s family to the banter he has with Cyber-head Handles, The Time of the Doctor was certainly reflective of the comedy which has blossomed throughout Matt Smith’s era.

Back to the narrative and comedy sidekick Handles has some surprising news for the Doctor; the mysterious planet who is behind the bell tolling is none other than the Doctor’s home planet, Gallifrey. From the events of The Day of the Doctor (2013), Gallifrey was saved, but lost in a stasis cube; this revelation dictates that not only will The Time of the Doctor be important because of the regeneration, but this episode will be game changing for Doctor Who. The Doctor pays a visit to the Church of the Papal Mainframe where he meets old flame Tasha Lem who turned out to be a brilliant additional character exuding control over the Doctor with the odd flirty line along the way. Of course, the main revelation surrounding the Church of the Papal Mainframe involved those easy to forget monsters, the Silence. Featuring heavily in series six, the Silence were left largely unexplained; the only information we had about them was that they were a religious order devout to keeping ‘the question’ a secret (Let’s Kill Hitler, 2011). The Silence didn’t play a part in series seven (or maybe they did, and we all forgot them) so their inclusion in The Time of the Doctor suggested one thing: answers. Although we still don’t know the answer to that question, we now know that the Silence are not wholly bad; it is revealed that the Silence were only trying to keep the Doctor’s name a secret in order to keep Gallifrey hidden and thus not start another Time War.

However gripping and teasing this narrative was, The Time of the Doctor was really a love-letter to the Eleventh Doctor. Smith was quite rightly given the opportunity to show his incredible acting during several highly emotive scenes of the episode. Who can honestly say their heartstrings weren’t tugged when the Doctor said his final goodbye to his metallic companion Handles? This scene was ultimately triumphed with the Doctor’s ‘everything ends’ speech shortly after Handles’ death. It is this moment which really hammers home the sticky situation the Doctor is in; for once, it seems like the Doctor is properly and indefinitely stuck. The Doctor faces one of his most difficult decisions: stay and protect Christmas, or fly away and enjoy the remainder of his life with the TARDIS. His decision to stay put is ultimately heart-breaking; everyone knows the Doctor loves to travel and see the world so his choice to protect Christmas is poignant. Leaving Clara behind before the final battle is the Doctor’s way of saving one more life and earning himself one more victory that he said he so rightly craves.

And just like that, we arrive at the climax of the story; Clara has returned to the Doctor and he has aged considerably. The end was coming, and it would be spectacular, heart-breaking and above all, completely appropriate for the Eleventh Doctor. Right before the Doctor is summoned by the Daleks to face his destiny, Clara reads a poem from a cracker:

Extract from Thoughts on a Clock by Eric Ritchie Junior

And now it’s time for one last bow,

Like all your other selves.

Eleven’s hour is over now

The clock is striking twelve’s.

The inclusion of the poem seemed to make sense; it not only signalled what was to come on the clock tower, but it rounded off the Eleventh Doctor’s time perfectly. Matt Smith’s first episode was entitled The Eleventh Hour and so this poem about clocks and their time simply serves to show the completion of his story, that the clock had just run out of time for the Eleventh Doctor. So as the Doctor takes to the clock tower with the end in sight, there’s just time for one more rousing speech as the Time Lords, with a little encouragement from Clara, help out our hero and kindly donate some extra regenerations his way which give the Doctor a new lease of life (quite literally too). With the Doctor taking the prospect of change in his stride, and defeating the Daleks once more with his regeneration energy, it seemed as if the Doctor had regenerated for good. But when Clara enters the TARDIS, she is greeted with the sight of a young and spirited Matt Smith.

Smith’s closing scene summed up the entire episode for me; above all, it was demonstrative of the Doctor’s best quality: his bravery. The final moments of the Eleventh Doctor’s timeline show off what made Matt Smith’s Doctor so memorable; the fish-fingers and custard, the bow tie and of course, Amy Pond. Smith reassures his devoted fans with the ‘we all change’ speech and before we can say ‘bow ties are cool’, our Raggedy Man has changed into Malcolm Tucker complaining about the colour of his kidneys.

We all laughed at the ‘drunk giraffe’ and we all probably ‘cried at Christmas’ as Clara’s step-mother foretold; The Time of the Doctor was the perfect ending to Matt Smith’s wonderful Eleventh Doctor. As sad as I was to see Matt leave the show, Capaldi’s entrance has filled me with hope and excitement, and I can’t wait to see his debut in August. The Eleventh Doctor said ‘I will always remember when the Doctor was me’, and yes Matt, we will never, ever forget when the Doctor was you.

Editorial written by Helen Daly

For over fifty years, he has been known to us as the Doctor. By definition, a doctor is one who is skilled in the science of medicine: a person who is trained to treat sick and injured people; a learned and authoritative teacher; one who restores, repairs, or fine-tunes things (Merriam-Webster, 2014). The Doctor, our Doctor, has proven throughout all of space and time, through the faraway and distant past to the mysterious and awaiting future, to uphold all of the thoughts, ideas, and concepts that come to mind when we hear the word doctor. When I think of our beloved Doctor, I picture a man with many different faces popping about throughout space and time in his police box time machine always with a different companion/s, or sometimes alone; yet, I always tend to view him as a heroic and iconic figure, the epitome of integrity and balance. I can think of numerous examples of the Doctor serving as what one would call a role model. The Doctor always trying to apparently avoid getting involved in the crises of other worlds and universes, can never quite seem to turn a blind eye in the face of danger, oppression, and adversity. If one wants to know whether or not the character of Doctor Who is one in which children and adults alike can admire and strive to emulate, one needs to only recall how many times throughout the past fifty years (in our time, hundreds, thousands of years in the world of the Doctor) that slightly mad Time Lord has saved the inhabitants of Earth, let alone the entire universe? How many times has the Doctor sacrificed himself and faced the very real possibility of death attempting to liberate others facing severe distress? The answer is too many to count! And not only does the Doctor provide endless help to the suffering, he faces adversity and enemies without any weapons or violence. The Doctor uses his scientific mind to outsmart those in opposition.  In my humble opinion, the Doctor serves to be more of a role model, embodying traits and characteristics that children flock toward and adults want and wish they had; however, I am aware of times throughout the history of Doctor Who when I sat watching and thinking, “What is he doing?? What is he thinking?? That is not how my Doctor behaves!!” Overall, I have to say that my favorite (and only!) mad man with a box is one for us all to admire, and aspire to resemble.

In one of my favorite episodes from the recent series featuring the Eleventh Doctor (as portrayed by the brilliant and delightfully entertaining Matt Smith), “A Good Man Goes to War” (originally airing June 4, 2011), the Doctor amasses an army of fellow friends to save one of his best friends and current companions, Amy Pond, from the dreadful Madame Kovarian. Madame Kovarian has basically kidnapped the pregnant Amy in order to steal her baby and turn the child into an enemy and future destroyer of the Doctor. The Doctor stops at nothing to rescue his beloved friend and travelling companion from this monstrous woman, risking not only his own life but possibly the lives of those coming to his aid. While I feel this to be an example of the Doctor’s never faltering loyalty to those in his care and of whom he cares about, some might say that this potential sacrifice of many to save one. Another example of the Eleventh Doctor risking his own life to save his dear friends can be seen in “The Name of the Doctor” (originally airing May 18, 2013), as the Doctor battles the cunning and evil Great Intelligence. In this episode, the Doctor is forced to travel to Trenzalore, the home of his future grave, in order to save the lives of his friends Strax, Jenny, and Madame Vastra. It is also in this episode where we see his current companion Clara risk her life to save the Doctor’s, which then leads to the Doctor entering his own time stream to hopefully rescue her! The people and creatures that the Doctor encounters and befriends can always rely on his loyalty.

Almost every episode features the Doctor coming to the aid of someone or some group of beings in need of a helping hand. Fortunately for them, one of the Doctor’s best attributes is his willingness to help those in need and he does so indiscriminately. Many episodes have focused on the Doctor, whether accidentally or purposefully, arriving in times and at places where the beings are desperately in need of a hero. For instance, let us Whovians recall “Voyage of the Damned” (originally airing Christmas 2007), in which the Tenth Doctor (played by fan favorite David Tennant) arrives/crashes on a luxury spaceship ironically named Titanic that has been sabotaged to collide with planet Earth, resulting in death and destruction for those aboard. With the aid of a waitress aboard the ship, Astrid Peth (played by Kylie Minogue), the Doctor must prevent the imminent crash of the Titanic, which of course, he does and with one can assume pleasure. Not only does the Doctor seem to always offer his services without expecting anything in return, I feel as though he relishes in being a savior, a hero. Yet another episode featuring the Doctor arriving in time (ha!) to save the day, “42,” (originally airing May 19, 2007), the Tenth Doctor and his then companion Martha Jones, find themselves aboard a spaceship hurtling toward an alien star with some terrifying and unknown force pulling the ship in and possessing the crew. The Doctor and Martha have 42 minutes to save the ship and crew from total and complete destruction.

To me, I will always adore and admire the character of the Doctor. I believe he will continue to be a figure that both children and adults can look to for inspiration and as possessing qualities that truly compose a role model.

Editorial written by Jessica Miklosovic

The Master has long served at the top of the pyramid of what is to be considered the Doctor’s three greatest enemies, the other two being the Daleks and the Cybermen. Where the Master differs from these two is that he is a single enemy, where the other two are largely faceless, alien species; the Master is enough of a threat to be on equal footing with the entirety of both races. How does one achieve such a feat? Where did the Master come from that gave him such a lasting impression, both in the world of Doctor Who and with the viewers who watch it? What are the core aspects of his character and how do they relate to the Doctor? And perhaps most importantly, where could he go now from what we have seen thus far?

What we have regarding the Master’s life prior to his first appearance in the show is very similar to what we have for the Doctor: a few concrete points scattered throughout Classic and New Who, and a mountain of potential canon found in comics, novels, and audio dramas. There are accounts that say the Doctor and the Master were bandmates and drinking buddies, but information like this is sadly superfluous until Doctor Who proper chooses to shed more light on the early days of Gallifrey. What we do know is that the two were very close friends, as stated by both the Third and Tenth Doctor, and they attended the Time Lord academy together. It was here that the Master, or ‘Koschei’, what the Doctor Who fandom seems to have accepted as the Master’s canon name to be, received the never-ending drumbeat in his head which supposedly drove him to his villainous ways. While never mentioned in the Classic series, the drumbeat offers an interesting context to the Master’s overall motivations. The Master saw the drumbeat as a warrior’s call to arms, subconsciously conditioning him to believe he was destined for a greater purpose; that the only suitable occupation for him was to rule over others.

When the Master is first introduced in the show during the Third Doctor’s tenure, we see an immensely confident and competent villain, played by the late Roger Delgado. This Master lords his vast intellect over the people of Earth and even the Doctor himself, reminding him that his grades always surpassed his during their academy days. Through hypnotism, expert manipulation, and the art of disguise, the Master made several ploys to seize control of the Earth. While many criticize the emphasis New Who places on the Doctor and the Master’s past friendship, calling it forced and shoehorned in, the original plan for the Master’s arc was to have him sacrifice himself to save the Doctor’s life, which was only changed due to Delgado’s untimely death. This idea was recycled by Russel T. Davies during the episode The End of Time, where the Master saves the Doctor from death at the hands of Rassilon, gaining revenge for his engineered life of villainy in the process.

We next see the Master years later on Gallifrey, having received grievous wounds between serials, leaving him more of a walking corpse than a man. It is here the Master’s next arc begins, one that comes to define the Master’s character so perfectly. The Master at this point has used up his entire regeneration cycle, no doubt the result of a lifetime of back-stabbing coming back to haunt him, and he is trapped in his decrepit state as a result. His vanity too strong to simply accept death, the Master vows to prolong his life by any means necessary. This goal eventually brings him to Traken, a planet who’s leader has access to a vast wellspring of power known as the Source. Failing to take control of the Source, the Master settles for stealing the body of one of Traken’s elders, played by Anthony Ainley, rejuvenating himself and robbing one of the Doctor’s companions of a father in the process, showcasing his seemingly limitless sociopathic cruelty. Despite this step forward though, his new body is still mortal, making it a temporary solution in the Master’s eyes. His quest for immortality and power consume him all the way up until his supposed death at the hands of the Eighth Doctor, being swallowed by the Eye of Harmony.

This was the Master’s last televised appearance for over a decade, leading most fans to assume his long-overdue meeting with death had finally stuck. However, in 2007’s Utopia, viewers were shocked to discover that a second Time Lord had survived the Last Great Time War. The Master, in his first reappearance played by Derek Jacobi and later regenerating into John Simm, explains to the Doctor that the Time Lords resurrected him in secret, believing his psychopathic nature would make him the perfect soldier for a Time War. After so long a time searching for a new regenerative cycle, after so much effort and so many lives lost, the answer simply presented itself to the Master. How foolish he must have felt realizing he had to die first in order to achieve new life.

Sadly, the Time Lords’ assessment of the Master proved false, and the horrors of the Time War took too heavy a toll on him. Fleeing to the end of the Universe, the Master made himself human in order to hide from the battlefield. While this may seem like a simple, straightforward act, it actually has much greater implication and contributes to the Master’s core character. The Time War, while still an elusive event in the history of Doctor Who, has been described as one of the worst events to occur in the history of the Universe, having untold consequences and resembling utter hell to fight in. With this knowledge, it seems likely that many Time Lord combatants would have attempted to flee its horror. However, the only one known to have accomplished such a feat was the Master. This further shows that the Master’s biggest defining character trait is his need to survive at all costs. As if to emphasize this aspect more to New Who fans, the Master is shown to have a contingency plan to resurrect himself in the event of his death, which occurred at the hands of his wife Lucy Saxon. It was only his choosing to sacrifice himself for the Doctor and take revenge on Rassilon and the Time Lords that it seemed the Master succumbed to the fate he seemingly avoided: dying in the Time War with the rest of his people.

However, as recent developments have shown, Gallifrey and the Time Lords were not destroyed as previously believed by the Doctor and the Universe at large. It would appear obvious then to any observer that the Master has once again done what it seems he was born to do: survive. With this information, the possibility has opened up of the Master, Rassilon, and the mysterious woman who has some deep connection to the Doctor all returning to the screen one day soon. This possibility, coupled with the recent tidbit from Sylvester McCoy that a new Master will in fact be making another appearance sometime soon on the show, has sparked a casting frenzy, with actors being thrown around left and right as suggestions for who can fit the legacy of Delgado, Pratt, Beevers, Ainley, Roberts, Jacobi, and Simm. To end this article I will throw my hat into the ring and offer a few suggestions for who I think would make a good fit for the role.

One name that is being thrown around to the point of gravitating into rumor territory is that of Charles Dance, currently seen on HBO’s Game of Thrones as Tywin Lannister. I feel the need to include him on my list both because of the persisting rumors but also because I believe he would be an ideal choice for our favorite evil Time Lord. The casting and characterization of Simm’s Master was meant to mirror the Doctor he would be facing off against, David Tennant, and I think this is a tradition worth upholding. The Master himself is meant to be a mirror of the Doctor, just as intelligent, if not more so, as cruel as the Doctor is compassionate. This should be reflected in the casting. Dance would be much older than his predecessor, like Capaldi, and he has shown time and again his ability to play Master manipulator’s, pardoning the pun. Seeing him match wits with Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor onscreen would be nothing short of electrifying.

Another actor I believe to be a natural choice but who’s name I’ve been sorry to see not thrown around is that of High Laurie, best known for playing Doctor House on television. Like Dance, Laurie is much older than John Simm, less than three years difference with Capaldi in fact, and I personally believe the two share a similar appearance. This would add another level to the mirror idea, etching into viewers’ minds that these two are definitely archrivals. Furthermore, Doctor House had the quirk of always believing himself to be the smartest person in the room and not being shy of sharing that belief. This was an ever-present quality of some of the early Master’s, and a trait I would not mind seeing come back. Not only would Laurie bring the Master to life in his own unique but familiar way, he may provide the most memorable incarnation of the renegade to date.

For my third and final suggestion, I wish to play the dangerous game of devil’s advocate. The Master could be expertly played by Michelle Fairley, known for playing Catelyn Stark on Game of Thrones. The idea of a female Doctor has come up quite a bit in recent years, and whether you are for or against it, it can at least be said that the idea still has a few bugs to be worked out before being put into action. However, an idea not many people bring up is that of a female Master. Think of it this way: there could be references to the change in gender upon first regenerating, but beyond that, it could be business as usual for the Master. (S)he could still engage in familiar activities of seeking out immortality, universal domination, or simply the Doctor’s destruction. I’ve heard it said that the only true way to right a strong female character is to write them no different than you would write a man. The Master becoming a woman would provide ample opportunity to do this. I chose Fairley for this example because, like the previous two, her age proximity to Capaldi, but also because of how proven an actress she is. Catelyn Stark shows a lot of confliction in her life, such as how she feels about her past, her family, and her social standing. This could be what is needed to make a post-Simm Master work, seeing as when we last saw Koschei it was in a heroic role. Despite this though, there is no doubt that Fairley could portray the most sinister and brutal Master yet. And, should this casting choice be pulled off successfully, maybe it would warm people up to the idea of the Doctor being played by a woman too?

Editorial written by Stephen Bernardi

“The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it’s a world or a relationship, everything has its time, everything ends.”
- Sarah Jane Smith, School Reunion, 2006.

This is one of the many quotations from Doctor Who’s half century tenure that really shows how a TV show can make such a significant impact on our lives. In fact, this show has such a significant impact on such a wide audience that some would call it and its ever growing fandom, a religion. Not just a TV show. And, really, it is easy to see why. Some parts of this incredible fandom show how powerful Doctor Who can really be!

In some cases, Doctor Who and its fandom is comparable to a religion. For example, we have our special festivals, Fish Fingers and Custard Day, and the 23rd of November, Doctor Who’s unforgettable birthday, especially in 2013’s case! Also, whenever a new Doctor is under speculation by the international whovian community, it is like waiting for the next Pope to be elected and revealed.

We have our TARDIS ‘temples’ too! But ‘Whovianism’ is a religion like no other! Comparisons to existing religions don’t even scratch the surface of the underlying messages throughout Doctor Who, giving Whovians guidance and morals that can be used in real life! The Doctor shows these qualities and explicitly shares them with his companions, “There’s always something worth living for, Martha.” – (The Doctor, The Doctor’s Daughter, 2008), as well as the great Whovian community! He gives people hope in life by motivating them, saying that being alive is the “Best thing there is.” – (The Doctor, The Doctor’s Wife, 2011).

The Doctor is our role model, it’s who a lot of Whovians would love to be, the hero. The person who saves the day, or world, or universe in some cases! We only found out recently what the promise was of calling himself ‘the Doctor’. He never gives up, and never gives in. He always tries his best to make the world good, and make sure that evil does not prevail. He lets even his most feared enemies have a second chance at reforming themselves and cooperating. He tries to bring out the good in humanity, and in fact, all races that he encounters. He is like the teacher of this incredible religion, and whovians can use this as guidance and hope.

These morals and ideas, which make Doctor Who so great, are passed down the generations, to more and more people! And this community can become very devoted to our idol and his many adventures! Some of the attributes of the Doctor’s personality can become so attached to some that they just integrate into people, including me! Some of us watch Doctor Who again and again, because we all have different ways of ‘worshipping’ this great programme, like my old Maths teacher, who has never missed an episode of Doctor Who and has been around to see all 800 episodes! Other Whovians use imagination and the passion for exploration in the show to come up with their own ideas of the Doctor’s travels, giving themselves their own Doctor to play with and integrating those ideas and qualities in the form of fan-made comics, books, episodes and audio plays.

The conventions and events are what bring us together as a massive international community (as well as the internet), sharing these qualities and talking about what we love with each other, contributing our theories and ideas of what has happened, what is happening and what will happen.

Before I get too side-tracked with going into detail about how cool the Doctor Who community is, there is still one question to be answered: Overall, is Whovianism a religion?

Yes! We grew up and are growing up watching Doctor Who since we were children. We all watch the stories and see that good always prevails, and that change is good, and death will come to everyone in the end, but being alive is what really counts! We can try and put ourselves in his place, asking “What would the Doctor do?” We create these morals too, since the people who run Doctor Who today were the children that started watching Doctor Who in its infancy. We see these ideas in action in Doctor Who, and we accept them as an international community of Whovians.

As subtle or explicit they may be, these morals shine through in Doctor Who. Doctor Who is more than just a TV show. It is a thrilling experience, a learning experience and a way of life!

Editorial written by Connor Michie

Religion is a complicated word, because by definition it means different things to different folks. On an unemotional, pragmatic level however, religion overall has basic characteristics — and because as a following Whovians can be defined by these characteristics, we can, indeed, upgrade our “cult following” status to “religion.”

My sources can be found by typing “Basic characteristics of religion” into Google. You will find many that are not discussed here. Since my word limit is less than two billion, here are four basic characteristics of religion, including Whovianism.

A Doctrine of Salvation

Heheh. Doctrine. Doctrine, even, is open to interpretation. No, Whovians do not generally believe that watching Who will secure us a comfy chair in the afterlife. We do generally believe however that salvation is always possible and so hope is eternal. In many circumstances, even death itself can be conquered! Rory, Jack Harkness, I’m looking at you guys. We may also believe, per the Doctor’s teachings, that by saving others we may also save ourselves. The Doctor frequently (all right, constantly) finds himself in seemingly hopeless situations, but we have faith, we believe and we know that the situation is never hopeless after all. Because we believe (let’s call it faith, shall we?) that there is always another way, that miracles do happen, and, even better, that we can construct, jerry-rig, or improvise our own, you could say we have a doctrine of salvation. The Doctor is a saviour and we follow his example. We can save ourselves and we can save others, if we can just hold on long enough, run fast enough, think hard enough, and allow our compassion to dictate our actions.

A Code of Conduct

When the Doctor first encounters a life form, no matter how odd, how smelly or single eyed or rubbery, he invariably beams, sticks out his hand, and enthusiastically introduces himself. He may even admire the BEM, or offer an appreciative comment (“You are beautiful!”). Remember “The Creature From the Pit?” The Doctor’s acceptance, that willingness to reach out, to listen, to care – that in itself was the resolution to the conflict and the end of fear. What if everyone greeted fellow humans like old friends? What if differences were not only tolerated, but appreciated? The Doctor sometimes seeks out injustice, but more often he stumbles into it. His reaction to oppression is not a choice for him. He helps. He makes a stand, he gives himself, he cares. He does the exact opposite of what he’s supposed to – he gets involved. “Somewhere there’s danger, somewhere there’s injustice, and somewhere else the tea’s getting cold” (Survival, 1989). Rose could’ve stayed home, ate chips, gone to work, but instead she broke into the TARDIS because the Doctor showed her a better way to live her life and there was no turning back from that for her (“The Parting of the Ways”). What if everyone worried about other people, their freedom, their safety and well being? It would mean Utopia. Not that Utopia; the good kind.

The Use of Sacred Stories

Um… I feel like this one speaks for itself, but the question is, what makes episodes of Who sacred stories? The fact that they’ve existed for a generation already? That they are watched and rewatched, quotations are memorized and reproduced, tattooed on people, used as a daily mantra? That episodes were thought lost to the ages, but discovered and hailed as a holy find? So yeah, we use sacred stories. Don’t even get me started on expansion sacred stories like books, audio plays, and comics. Sacred. Stories. Religious Rituals Rituals can be words, like crying “Allons-y!” when you get on the bus, or keeping one eye on the angel statue on the way home. It can be gathering in front of a TV screen every Saturday night, or adorning yourself in a fez and sacred scarf and attending an annual pilgrimage to a nearby con to worship en masse. Social media has played a huge part in expanding our rituals. We all share rites like It’s Time for a Regeneration, the New Companion Shakedown, and The Remade Classic Monster Debate. As evidenced on social media, rituals require a substantial emotional investment. Discussions (arguments) are common, passions run high! Who is the best Doctor? Which model of the Dalek is most menacing? Which writers are pleasing us most? Checking your favourite social media frequently has become a ritual, a shared ritual! Not only are we communing with each other and WhovianNet, but I’m sure most of you have Tweeted Mark Gatiss, @sawboneshex, @rattyburvil, or another like demigod at some point in your online alter life.

A Belief in a Deity, the Supernatural, or Some Other Ultimate Reality Beyond, Yet Connected to, the Human Experience

A deity has been defined as “a being with powers greater than those of ordinary humans, but who interacts with humans, positively or negatively, in ways that carry humans to new levels of consciousness beyond the grounded preoccupations of ordinary life” (C. Scott Littleton).

Our Doctor has dominion over space and time, regenerative capabilities and an extended lifespan, and possesses technology that appears magical to more primitive peeps. His interaction with humans is pretty much the whole point. He has been mistaken for a god more than once (think Janus thorns). New levels of consciousness could be argued for every companion, especially Amy, Rose, Peri, and the Brig. He has changed them. “The grounded preoccupations of ordinary life?” See: “The Power of Three” to get started. The Doctor’s a deity, at least by this definition.

There is this to consider as well: Once cast as the Doctor, an actor is elevated to godlike status. His image is everywhere! Idols of him are constructed! His costume is replicated, his accent analyzed, his performance critiqued. He bends to comfort a child and we all know about it. He becomes legendary; legendary in the digital present, aka immortal.

Does this make the Doctor a real god? Whatever that is? This is where I must tread delicately; I don’t wish to offend believers in deities other than the Doctor, who is a fictional character. To me, the Doctor is more real than whatever god you worship; but what is real? Do I expect our hero to actually materialize his TARDIS in my backyard? No. Do I sometimes daydream he will? Of course. It’s what the Doctor represents that I believe in — his view of the Universe, his willingness to get involved, his sense of wonder even after more than 1000 years of experience and heartbreak. I believe that there is More Out There and furthermore, that we can only find it by getting off the couch. I choose to believe. Although the Doctor and I unfortunately are not able to “interact” in the conventional sense, his influence is undeniable. I believe I have attained new levels of consciousness beyond the grounded preoccupations of ordinary life. He has changed me, and forgive me if I’m overstepping, but he has probably changed you.

The sheer number of participants in our religion adds credence to it! We number in the thousands, the hundreds of thousands, yes… even in the millions. If millions of people believe the same thing, doesn’t that, to some extent, make it true? The answer is yes, at least to the millions of people who believe it. If the broad definition of religion – An organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world view that relate humanity to an order of existence – is all we’re looking to meet, we’ve met it. We know the Doctor is fond of us. We humans, we are quite his favourite species and that gives me hope. Yes, we make him angry at times, but we also impress him. Aspiring to impress the Doctor, now that is a hell of a guiding principle. I’ll leave you with these… I’d love to read yours; as you know ours is a democratic religion who despises dictatorships!

Thou shalt take joy in exploration until the end of time itself
Thou shalt be terribly nice to each other
Thou shalt not carry any weapon
Thou shalt not wander off

Editorial written by Dennie Kuhn

We’re about to step into the final leg of our 50th anniversary countdown and we will be building up to the momentous day by revealing the best Doctor Who stories of all time!

With some 798 episodes to choose from, hand-picking a tiny selection certainly is a mighty task but we will be wading our way through the Doctor’s tremendous history to give you 25 of his greatest on screen adventures to date.

The countdown will take us up to The Day of the Doctor…

Which serials/episodes should make the cut? Post your suggestions below or tweet them to us throughout the countdown via the #DWTop25 hash tag. We hope our selection will serve as a small representation of all the joy and excitement that Doctor Who can offer.

#25 – The Hand of Fear

The Fourth Doctor, Broadcast 2nd-23rd October 1976, Buy on DVD

The TARDIS materialises in an English quarry where Sarah Jane is involved in a rock fall. When she is rescued, she is clutching a stone hand, which takes control of her and forces her to take it into the core of a nuclear reactor. The Doctor arrives too late to stop the hand from regenerating into an alien lifeform known as Eldrad, who demands to be returned to her home planet of Kastria. The Doctor obliges, but all is not as it seems with Eldrad.

#24 – Vincent and the Doctor

The Eleventh Doctor, Broadcast Saturday 5th June 2010, Buy on DVD

In 2010, the Doctor and Amy visit the Musée d’Orsay museum in Paris, where, in the Vincent Van Gogh gallery, they spot a mysterious face in the window of his painting, The Church at Auvers. Confused and intrigued, they travel back to Auvers-sur-Oise in 1890 to speak to the man himself.

#23 – The Greatest Show in the Galaxy

The Seventh Doctor, Broadcast 14th December 1988-4th January 1989, Buy on DVD

Although Ace hates clowns, the Doctor decides to take his companion to the Psychic Circus on the planet Segonax. There they find a group of scared performers who live in fear of the sinister and creepy Chief Clown. But what is so dangerous about this particular circus, why is there such a small audience and will Ace be able to overcome her fear before it’s too late?

#22 – The Mark of the Rani

The Sixth Doctor, Broadcast 2nd-9th February 1985, Buy DVD

In 19th century England, the Doctor finds himself facing two competing enemies: his old adversary the Master and the Rani, another Time Lord with a sinister plan. The local population are turning violent and unpredictable and, with a major meeting of the brains of the Industrial Revolution due to happen in the village soon, the Doctor must work out what exactly is causing all the problems…

#21 – Earthshock

The Fifth Doctor, Broadcast 8th March-16th March 1982, Buy DVD

A fateful landing on Earth in the 26th Century finds the TARDIS deep within a system of subterranean caves and even deeper within the mystery surrounding the brutal murder of a group of geologists working there. Who is controlling the androids guarding the hatch in the rock face? More importantly, what lies beyond the hatch? The answers provide a serious threat for the Doctor as the time and place is set for an encounter with his old arch enemies. The Cybermen are well and truly back and the Doctor and his companions could well be counting the cost in truly personal terms.

#20 – The Fires of Pompeii

The Tenth Doctor, Broadcast Saturday 12th April 2008, Buy on DVD

When the Doctor and Donna arrive in 79AD, they discover psychic powers and beasts of stone running riot in the streets of old Pompeii. The time-travellers face their greatest challenge yet – can established history be changed, or must the Doctor let everyone die?

#19 – Spearhead from Space

The Third Doctor, Broadcast 3rd January-24th January 1970, Buy on DVD / Blu-ray

The TARDIS arrives on Earth in the middle of a meteorite shower and the Doctor is found by UNIT troops and taken to a nearby hospital. The Brigadier is faced with having to cope not only with the mysterious meteorites but also with Ransome, an ex-employee of a local plastics factory, who claims he has seen a walking mannequin.

#18 – An Unearthly Child

The First Doctor, Broadcast 23rd November-14th December 1963, Buy DVD

The Doctor takes schoolteachers Ian and Barbara back to the dawn of human history after they discover his TARDIS time machine. There, they become embroiled in a dangerous conflict between groups of cavemen who have lost the secret of making fire.

#17 – Father’s Day

The Ninth Doctor, Saturday 14th May 2005, Buy DVD

Rose travels back to 1987, to the day her father died. When she interferes in the course of events, the monstrous Reapers are unleashed upon the world, and a wedding day turns into a massacre.

#16 – The War Games

The Second Doctor, Broadcast 19th April-21st June 1969, Buy on DVD

The TARDIS arrives on a planet where a race known only as the Aliens have gathered soldiers from a number of different wars in Earth’s history, brainwashed them and put them to battle. Their aim is to form an invincible army from the survivors and use this to take over the galaxy. The War Lord is assisted by a Security Chief and a War Chief, the latter of whom the Doctor quickly recognises as a member of his own race, the Time Lords. The War Chief has provided the Aliens with the time vessels, SIDRATs, that are essential to their scheme; but he secretly plans to double-cross them and seize power for himself.

#15 – The Talons of Weng-Chiang

The Fourth Doctor, Broadcast 26th February-2nd April 1977, Buy on DVD

With the help of Professor Litefoot, the Doctor investigates the gruesome murder of a cabbie and the mysterious disappearances of young girls. Whilst being chased by giant rats and forced to pit his wits against an evil doll and a merciless illusionist, he comes face to face with his most deadly enemy to date: Magnus Greel – a fifty-first century war criminal posing as Weng Chiang, an ancient Chinese god. Can the Doctor thwart his dastardly plans before Leela becomes his next victim?

#14 – The Girl in the Fireplace

The Tenth Doctor, Broadcast Saturday 5th May 2006, Buy on DVD

Madame de Pompadour finds the court of Versailles under attack from sinister clockwork killers, and her only hope of salvation lies with the man who has haunted her dreams since childhood – a mysterious stranger known only as the Doctor. But can a broken clock summon the Lord of Time?

#13 – The Visitation

The Fifth Doctor, Broadcast 15th February-23rd February 1982, Buy on DVD

When the Doctor tries to take Tegan back to Heathrow Airport, the TARDIS arrives in the 17th century instead of the 20th century. The time-travellers discover that a space capsule has landed nearby and its alien occupants intend to wipe out life on Earth by releasing rats infected with a great plague.

#12 – Doomsday

The Tenth Doctor, Broadcast Saturday 7th July 2006, Buy on DVD

It’s the end of an epic journey as two mighty armies wage war across the Earth, with the human race caught in the middle. But as an unstoppable terror emerges from beneath Torchwood, the Doctor faces an even greater dilemma – does saving the world mean the death of Rose Tyler?

#11 – The Robots of Death

The Fourth Doctor, Broadcast 29th January-19th February 1977, Buy on DVD

The TARDIS, carrying the Doctor and his new companion Leela, arrives aboard a huge sandminer on a deserted world. The small human crew rely almost entirely on robots to carry out their every task and whim while they mine the planet’s rich minerals.

#10 – Survival

The Seventh Doctor, Broadcast 22nd November-6th December 1989, Buy on DVD

The Doctor and Ace battle against the Cheetah People who are abducting people from all over West London and, with the help of the Doctor’s nemesis the Master, taking them to a distant planet.

#9 – City of Death

The Fourth Doctor, Broadcast 29th September-20th October 1979, Buy on DVD

The Doctor is enjoying a holiday in Paris with Romana when, armed with several Mona Lisas, he uncovers an alien conspiracy that could result in the loss of all life on earth.

#8 – Dalek

The Ninth Doctor, Broadcast Saturday 30th April 2005, Buy on DVD

Beneath the Salt Plains of Utah, billionaire collector Henry Van Statten holds the last relic of an alien race. When the Doctor and Rose investigate, they discover that the Time Lord’s oldest, and most deadly, enemy is about to break free…

#7 – Terror of the Zygons

The Fourth Doctor, Broadcast 30th August-20th September 1975, Buy on DVD

Answering the Brigadier’s space/time telegraph, the Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry arrive in the village of Tulloch, near Loch Ness. A series of attacks have taken place on local oil rigs, and many are blaming the legendary monster. The Doctor discovers the creature to be the Skarasen – cyborg pet of invading aliens the Zygons. Their own planet having been destroyed and their spaceship crippled, these deadly shape-shifters are now intent upon taking control of planet Earth.

#6 – Midnight

The Tenth Doctor, Broadcast Saturday 14th June 2008, Buy on DVD

The Doctor is trapped, alone, powerless and terrified, on the planet Midnight, and soon, the knocking on the wall begins. Only a woman called Sky Silvestry seems to know the truth, but as paranoia turns into a witch-hunt, Sky turns the Doctor’s greatest strengths against him, and a sacrifice must be made…

#5 – The Five Doctors

The Fifth Doctor, Broadcast 25th November 1983, Buy on DVD

All five Doctors and many of their old companions are taken out of time and deposited in the Death Zone on Gallifrey. There they must battle not only the Master, but the Daleks, Cybermen and Yeti in order to reach the Dark Tower and discover the Tomb of Rassilon.

#4 – The Caves of Androzani

The Fifth Doctor, Broadcast 8th March-16th March 1984, Buy on DVD

Deep within the titular caves the disfigured, masked antihero Sharez Jek and his regiment of androids are locked in conflict with an army unit and a group of smugglers. At stake is control of the life-extending Spectrox, with plenty of subplots involving espionage, betrayal and revenge as well as big-business corruption, political assassination and silly looking reptilian monsters. When the Doctor and Peri enter this labyrinth they immediately become victims of deadly Spectrox poisoning.

#3 – Journey’s End

The Tenth Doctor, Broadcast Saturday 5th July 2008, Buy on DVD

The Doctor is helpless, and even the TARDIS faces destruction. The only hope lies with the Doctor’s secret army of companions – but as they join forces to battle Davros himself, the prophecy declares that one of them will die.

#2 – The Dalek Invasion of Earth

The First Doctor, Broadcast 21st November-26th December 1964, Buy on DVD

The TARDIS materialises in London sometime after the year 2164. Dalek invaders are now ruling the Earth with the aid of humans converted into zombie-like Robomen, but they are opposed by a group of resistance fighters led by the wheelchair-using Dortmun. The travellers discover that the Daleks have established a huge mine in Bedfordshire, their aim being to remove the Earth’s core using a huge bomb and replace it with a powerful drive system so that they can pilot the planet around the galaxy. Ian manages to create a barrier in the shaft in order to intercept the bomb. The resulting explosion destroys the Daleks and their mine and creates a huge volcanic eruption. Susan has fallen in love with resistance fighter David Campbell, and the Doctor decides to leave her on Earth to find a new life with him, while he continues on his travels with Ian and Barbara.

#1 – Blink

The Tenth Doctor, Broadcast Saturday 9th June 2007, Buy on DVD

In an old abandoned house, the statues wait. And when Sally Sparrow starts to recieve a series of cryptic messages from a mysterious stranger called the Doctor, she soon realises that she holds the key to defeating the Weeping Angels.

Share your 50th anniversary hopes and dreams in our dedicated discussion…

A new Doctor Who novel, Dark Horizons, is published this month! We recently caught up with its author, Jenny Colgan, to find out more about what her adventure has in store.

In the story, islanders living on a windswept Northern shore believe the worst they have to fear is a Viking attack – then the burning comes, consuming everything in its path. While the Doctor is just looking for a game on the Lewis chess set, he instead encounters people under attack from a power they can’t understand. Why do the burned still speak?

Read our exclusive Q&A with Jenny below. Huge thank you for answering our questions!

Q. When did you first realise that you wanted to become an author?
A. Well, I kind of always would have LIKED to have done it, but I wouldn’t necessarily have considered it any more likely than being a pop star or a ballerina or something. It doesn’t normally happen to comprehensive school girls from Ayrshire. So it was a total thrill when it actually did happen.

Q. What advice/tips would you give to any aspiring writers out there?
A. Okay, well, here it is, but no one ever likes it, okay? I’m warning you. It’s just got to get done. I knew so many people starting out who were so talented and never got published in the end because they simply couldn’t get the words on the page at the right time. If you want to write for a living, you need to know this: research isn’t writing; going to writing courses isn’t writing; playing with Scrivener isn’t writing, ‘planning’ isn’t writing, sticking stuff on index cards isn’t writing, messing about on the internet isn’t writing; even editing isn’t writing (you do that when you’re finished all the writing). If you find yourself doing anything to avoid the actually typing of the words, then maybe it’s not for you. Sorry, I know, it sounds SO awful, doesn’t it? All I can say is, I’ve been making a living at this for a decade and a half; people ask me all the time, and that’s the only wholly honest answer I can give, because I’m not trying to hawk you vanity publishing or writing courses.

Q. You are best known for your romantic comedies. What was it like taking the leap to the sci-fi genre for this Doctor Who novel?
A. Well, this will sound weird, but actually not much. All I ever try to do is write a cool story in a cool way. You’re more likely to face death in this one, but the principles – to keep the story moving, to keep the pages turning by themselves – is exactly the same.

Q. Were you a fan of Doctor Who when you were growing up?
A. Oh, not at all, I just thought why not have a shot… oh, I’m only joking! Of course, I’ve always been passionate. The first ones I really remember properly are the brilliant final Tom Baker years with the second Romana and City of Death and Warriors Gate, so I came on board at a good time. Then a second cousin visited from Canada and she was a mad fan too and we both made each other worse. When I was ten I entered a W.H. Smiths competition to ‘Meet Doctor Who’ and I won! I got to meet Peter Davison on set at Television Centre in London, who was charming and told me not to look inside the TARDIS as I’d only be disappointed. I also had short hair back then and he called me ’son’ – they didn’t really have girl Whovians in those days I don’t think. I read somewhere subsequently that David Tennant entered the same competition and lost. Heh heh heh. Although I think he kind of recovered.

Q. So what can fans expect from Dark Horizons?
A. Vikings, longships, enormous conflagrations, chess, famine, a kidnapped princess and a dead TARDIS at the bottom of the ocean. Will that do for starters?

Q. How did you writing your very own tie-in novel for the series come about?
A. My friend Naomi Alderman had done one which I liked, and it had never occurred to me before. Then I got in touch with BBC Books and proposed some ideas and they thought about it and made me promise not to make the Doctor do any kissing and then we were on. That’s missing out the part about me begging repeatedly by the way.

Q. Dark Horizons features the historic Lewis Chessmen set. What made you choose to include them in your novel?
A. I love the Lewis Chessmen, I think they’re stunning; even though the set is nearly a thousand years old, the faces are so recognisably human and quirky and interesting. And also, there’s loads of theories about who and what they were for, but nobody really knows for sure. Which seemed like a cool mystery the Doctor might enjoy. We already know he likes chess and Scotland.

Q. What would you say are the most exciting and challenging parts of writing a Doctor Who novel?
A. It was all exciting. The first time you even type the words ‘The Doctor left the TARDIS’ or whatever, you’re already so far into your childhood dreams it’s just incredible. I nearly exploded when they sent me the cover. As for challenging, the big one is the passing of time. On TV a lot of the adventures are wrapped up in the space of forty five minutes, but in the book you have a much broader canvas to work on, but it takes place over several days, or, as in Dark Horizons, even weeks.

Q. Dark Horizons is a brand new adventure for Matt Smith’s Doctor. Did you enjoy being able to convey his various characteristics and traits on page?
A. Well, I hope I’ve caught him. I love Matt, he’s so patently alien before he even opens his mouth. Also I was interested in how he moves: Christopher Eccleston had this real solidity about him. If he fixed something it stays fixed; he was quite scary. David Tennant was this amazing fizzy ball of charisma, he never stopped for a second, unless he was totally furious. Matt is actually very graceful I think. I know he used to play sport and it shows. Chris really couldn’t dance, but I bet Matt can (I am basing this on no evidence at all, by the way).

Q. Have you got any other Doctor Who projects lined up for the future?
A. I shall return to begging mode and keep my fingers very tightly crossed!

Dark Horizons is released on 5th July. Pre-order it now! Our review will be up tomorrow.