July 24th, 2018
25 comments
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Doctor Who Magazine Issue 528
DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE ISSUE 528
In the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine, showrunner Chris Chibnall describes the meticulous preparations to reveal Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor in the original trailer. Despite all the secret plotting, the plan nearly came off the tracks when their cover was in danger of being blown by a wedding and a Velothon…
In the exclusive article, Chris recalls his anxiety:
In my mind I’m thinking: are we really doing this? A secret shoot, with only nine people involved? Will this work? Can we reveal the new Doctor this way? Are the BBC really going to put it out during the Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final? Is it crazy? Will people even watch or notice? (Turns out, the answer to all those questions is yes).
Somewhere on a train, Jodie Whittaker is making her way towards us, having told people she’s off to make a low budget Scandinavian film this weekend.
Recce done, we hole up in a hotel. Some of us are checked in under fake names, I can’t work out whether that’s for security, or because we’re all enjoying the cloak and dagger. When I go to check in, I forget my fake name. I’m not very good at this.
The hotel is quiet. Great. As we walk across reception we notice lots of champagne glasses. The staff explain: preparations for the massive wedding reception that’s going to be happening tonight. Right. Uh-oh.
To get to the car tomorrow, Jodie will have to walk through this big reception, where the hungover wedding guests will be checking out in the morning. How do we get the new Doctor from her room to the car park, in the costume she’s wearing for the shoot, without anyone spotting? We’re just going to have to style it out.
Sunday morning. Jo Pearce (Social and Digital genius) has gone out early, done a dry run driving from the hotel to the location checking the route. And she comes back alarmed: there’s a Velothon on the route! Some of the roads are closed! Her brilliantly planned shortest possible route from hotel to location won’t work. What’s more, the car will be passing hundreds of cyclists. What if we have to stop at traffic lights? What if somebody looks in and sees the new Doctor? Hopefully Velothon cyclists will have other things to think about. We manage to smuggle the new Doctor into the back of Jo’s car. Hood up in the back, like she’s cosplaying The Matrix, sandwiched between two others.
The week rolls towards the Wimbledon final. Calls are made. Who needs to know the identity of the new Doctor before the rest of the world? Most importantly, Peter Capaldi. We set a time, I call him…
The full story revealing more details about the secrecy that went on, how the shoot happened and who else received those all-important calls is in the new issue of DWM.
Other highlights of issue 528 include:
- A visit to the archive of Doctor Who writer and script editor Douglas Adams
- Peter Purves answers questions from the TARDIS tin
- The untold story of Sky Ray ice lollies and Doctor Who, with images of rare 1960s memorabilia
- Behind the scenes on IDW’s distinctive range of American Doctor Who comics
- Graphic designer Lee Binding reveals what went into the packaging for the Season 12 Blu-ray box set
- The Time Team tackles three of Doctor Who’s most controversial episodes
- The Fact of Fiction explores the 2017 story Empress of Mars
- Seventh Doctor cosplay with Jamie Lenman
- Part Five of The Clockwise War, a new comic strip adventure featuring the Doctor and Bill
- Previews, audio reviews, news, The Blogs of Doom, prize-winning competitions and much more!
Doctor Who Magazine 528 is on sale Thursday 26 July, price £5.99.
Categorised under: Doctor Who Magazine, Magazine
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Anonymous
July 27th, 2018 - 10:42amJust got it, I think next months will be another polybag magazine issue and so the retail won’t have text, nice☺️
Demdike@CultLabs
July 27th, 2018 - 12:28pmYeah, there’s a free poster with the next issue.
Hopefully it will be of this months cover.
Anonymous
July 27th, 2018 - 1:25pmI think I unsubscribed and this was my last issue, but gonna have to get next issue to finish the comic, gah!
Demdike@CultLabs
July 26th, 2018 - 7:41pmLovely new photo on pages 2 and 3 of the new issue.
ahunter8056
July 26th, 2018 - 7:05pmAs a subscriber, I’m not even given the option as to whether I want text or not? Ridiculous. In my view, a magazine should look like a magazine. It should tell me what’s inside, like a blurb on the back of a book, DVD or Blu-Ray cover. There is absolutely no need to try and look all artistic and abstract.
Demdike@CultLabs
July 26th, 2018 - 7:42pmDrop them an email and ask to be kept with the old covers. They are usually quite helpful when i’ve been in contact with them.
Demdike@CultLabs
July 25th, 2018 - 1:01pmHas anyone who subscribes received their copy yet?
They used to come days before their shop date but not anymore.
Duncan
July 26th, 2018 - 2:01pmMine hasn’t arrived either
J45ON96
July 25th, 2018 - 8:29amI’ve just subscribed, will I receive this issue as well, or will I have to go and pick this up?
booboo
July 25th, 2018 - 8:35amthey said deadline was midnight tomorrow so you should get it, should also be the text free version.
Anonymous
July 25th, 2018 - 8:55amDigital version gets both versions. Textless and exclusive cover.
Tom
July 24th, 2018 - 3:56pm“On location for Series 11 with the new TARDIS crew” – rather like Radio Times and Entertainment Weekly in their recently-published set visits, then? “Chris Chibnall on the Thirteenth Doctor’s debut” – rather like when RT wrote that feature on the subject of Jodie’s reveal trailer filming, then? Seems as if DWM have once again received the short end of the stick what with all the pre-SDCC coverage afforded to the show. Here’s hoping that they’ve at least obtained one or two exclusive quotes from Chibnall, the cast etc. as to what we can expect from S11 beyond everyone repeating the word “new” until their interviewers give up. That’s not to say I’m craving extensive detail on each episode’s plot, antagonist, the wider season arc etc, yet part of me still can’t help but envision Chibnall sitting at his desk on Episode 1’s projected airdate and simply refusing to show it to the world at that point!
Anonymous
July 24th, 2018 - 8:20pmChill man…
VeryFactualDalek
July 25th, 2018 - 10:38amThis is another reason I don’t care for DWM much anymore
Yes the radio times is horrible click bait but if something happens they are normally the first to hear
Bill Silver
July 24th, 2018 - 11:27amWill buy this for the “Sky Ray” article. Fond memories of collecting the cards and sending off for the album. All whilst “Evil of the Daleks ” played out for 7 unforgettable weeks. Happy days.
Demdike@CultLabs
July 24th, 2018 - 11:05amThat cover will look quite pretty without the text. Look forward to seeing it.
VeryFactualDalek
July 24th, 2018 - 8:16am“The Time Team tackles three of Doctor Who’s most controversial episode”
Oh Great …..
Anonymous
July 24th, 2018 - 9:45amWhat’s wrong with that?
Anonymous
July 27th, 2018 - 1:25pmThey’re not even that controversial
The Outcast
July 27th, 2018 - 1:33pmWhat three are they?
TARDISGuy
July 24th, 2018 - 7:18amAnother new shot of Jodie. Love it!
DalekAgent
July 24th, 2018 - 7:13amI dont know how many people know this but DWM tweeted the other day that subscribers will now get subscriber exclusive covers every issue
VeryFactualDalek
July 24th, 2018 - 8:16amThey’ve seen talking about that for a while, hopefully it’s actually happening
MJS
July 24th, 2018 - 12:52pmThey have trialled this before. I remember the Peter Davison interview issue had a subscriber only cover
Platon29
July 24th, 2018 - 7:07pmI’m glad they’re finally doing it, they tested it for the issue with Hell Bent Clara on the front I think and it looked really good. It’s not like we need the version with the stuff on the cover, we don’t need the magazine to be sold to us.