DWO are thrilled to announce the launch of our own Minecraft server, aimed solely at Doctor Who related builds.

Minecraft is a popular online game that enables players to build objects and source materials within an online virtual world.

Speaking of the new venture, DWO Editor; Sebastian J. Brook had the following to say:

"This is a fantastic new area for fans of both Doctor Who and Minecraft to come together and get creative in our online virtual sandbox. There's so much creativity amongst fans, and already within the first 24 hours, we've noticed some truly amazing builds within our world. We are extremely excited to watch the world grow and to interact with our visitors in Minecraft, and have a few building ideas of our own…"

Do you have a particular build you want to create? Perhaps a monster, set or prop from the show? Why not create it for FREE in the DWO Minecraft world!

+  The DWO Minecraft Game Server can be reached at the following address: 31.172.248.138.

+  Download the Minecraft software.

[Source: Doctor Who Online]

Filming has just started on Series 7 of Doctor Who in Cardiff. This series will see the last days of the Ponds with Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill returning for their final, rollercoaster voyage with The Doctor.

Amy and Rory have been at the Doctor's side for more than two series but what will he do after their heartbreaking departure?

On returning for his third series as the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith says: "It's thrilling and exciting to be back and working with two of my closest friends."

Karen Gillan adds: "It's just brilliant to be back on the TARDIS with Matt and Arthur for our craziest adventures yet"

Plus new guest stars so far confirmed to star will include David Bradley, Rupert Graves and Mark Williams.

Series 7 will then see a dramatic turn of events when The Doctor meets a new friend. Prepare yourselves for thrills, adventures and dramatic surprises as the show builds towards its enormous, climactic 50th anniversary year. Fourteen big, blockbuster-movie episodes - each a brand new epic adventure featuring new monsters and some familiar foes as you've never seen them before.

+  The seventh series of Doctor Who is currently slated to air Autumn 2012.

[Source: BBC Pictures]

An episode of the upcoming Series 7 of Doctor Who will be filmed in Spain, according to the Shepperd-Fox Agency.

Rob Cavazos, an Actor represented by the agency, is listed as playing:

'Walter in the new series of 'DOCTOR WHO' (BBC). He shoots in Spain next month'.

Filming on the new series will begin this Monday (20th February) with Saul Metzstein directing the first block.

[Source: Shepperd-Fox]

The very first episode of The Eighth Doctor Adventures, starring Paul McGann as the Doctor and Sheridan Smith as Lucie Miller, will be available to download for free from Friday 17th February-Sunday 19th February only at www.bigfinish.com.

Blood of the Daleks – Part 1 pits The Eighth Doctor against his oldest enemies and also stars Hayley Atwell (Captain America), Anita Dobson (EastEnders) and Kenneth Cranham (Rome, Hot Fuzz).

The giveaway leads into a massive sale of The Eighth Doctor Adventures on CD and download, as follows:

20th February – all eight releases of Season One are available for just £35 (US $60), or £5 each (US $9).

21st February – all eight releases of Season Two are available for just £35 (US $60), or £5 each (US $9).

22nd February – all eight releases of Season Three are available for just £35 (US $60), or £5 each (US $9).

24th February – all ten releases of Season Four are available for just £40 (US $75), or £5 each (US $9).

+  Each season is available on sale for just one day only, and only at www.bigfinish.com.

[Source: Big Finish]

BBC Worldwide confirmed today that Karen Gillan will be joining her co-stars Matt Smith and Arthur Darvill at The Official Doctor Who Convention taking place on the 24th and 25th March at Cardiff’s Millennium Centre. 

Karen Gillan said:  “I'm really looking forward to the Convention and meeting all of the wonderful Doctor Who fans!”

The Convention brings the makers of the Doctor Who together for a full day, in-depth event designed to reveal the inner workings of the series. On the main stage live pyrotechnic demonstrations will thrill attendees, while in detailed prosthetics masterclasses fans will see a monster made flesh in front of their eyes. Throughout these sessions the secrets of their craft will be revealed by masters of the trade including Danny Hargreaves, Doctor Who’s SFX Supervisor and Neill Gorton co-director of Millennium FX, Europe’s leading supplier of cutting edge prosthetics, animatronics and special make-up FX.

Gillan joins a full contingent of Doctor Who professionals ready to give fans an unrivalled glimpse into the behind-the-scenes world of Doctor Who. Everyone from the Production Designer Michael Pickwoad, responsible for Doctor Who’s eye-popping visuals to Casting Director Andy Pryor revealing what it takes to find a Doctor, will be gathering in one place to celebrate the creativity (and elbow grease!) that goes into the series. 

The Official Doctor Who Convention line up includes: Matt Smith; Steven Moffat; Karen Gillan; Arthur Darvill; Mark Sheppard; Nick Briggs; Ian McNeice; Raquel Cassidy; Neill Gorton; Danny Hargreaves; Tom MacRae; Toby Haynes; Barnaby Edwards; Caroline Henry; Stephen Pehrsson; Michael Pickwoad; Andy Pryor; Gary Russell; Simon Fisher-Becker and Marcus Wilson.

All tickets include:

•  Official Doctor Who Convention souvenir ticket.

•  Official Doctor Who Convention souvenir lanyard and pass.

•  Official Doctor Who Convention exclusive postcard pack.

•  Official Doctor Who Convention bag.

+  Tickets are on general sale now, priced at £99 and available at: www.dwconvention.com.

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

DWO have been working on our latest guide, and this time round we're taking a look at Doctor Who on Twitter.

Our guide includes over 140 entries including; Actors, Writers, Authors, Artists, Musicians, Websites, Blogs and Podcasts, and is constantly being updated with new additions. The guide allows you to follow (and see if you've followed) anyone on the guide, as well as in which Doctor Who related show they are connected to; (The Classic Series / The New Series / Torchwood / The Sarah Jane Adventures).

Do you have a Doctor Who Website, Blog or Podcast with a Twitter account? Why not email your submissions to us at: guides@drwho-online.co.uk. Likewise, if you know of any personalities who we are yet to add, please also email us with the name of the person, together with their Twitter usename, and we will ensure that we add them on the next update.

+ Check Out The DWO Guide to Doctor Who on Twitter.

[Sources: DWO; Twitter]

It had to happen eventually...Doctor Who and Star Trek are to be (unofficially) officially crossed over in a special Comic series from IDW.

Assimilation2 will feature the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation and The 11th Doctor, Amy and Rory. Further info reveals it will be an eight-part series featuring the Borg and The Cybermen as some of the main villains.

Scott and David Tipton, in collaboration with Tony Lee, have writtern the comic, the artwork is provided by JK Woodward and the cover is by both Woodward and David Messina.

Our friends over at Bleeding Cool have run the following story regarding the news:

Bleeding Cool has squirrelled out news of an upcoming crossover that might send certain minds reeling. That in May, IDW are to publish a Doctor Who/Star Trek: The Next Generation crossover series. Featuring The Doctor, Rory, Amy, Captain Picard, Worf, Data, Geordie LaForge, Deanna Troy, Will Riker and the rest. And that this art, featuring the Doctor, Rory and Amy on the bridge of the Enterprise is a cover that will be used in the series.

Doctor Who has never engaged in any such officially sanctioned crossover outside of the Doctor Who universe before. The closest was Dimensions In Time, a much derided charity telethon show which featured characters from the BBC soap opera Eastenders. Then there was Death’s Head who kinda popped in and out. Star Trek has also seen comic book crossovers with X-Men and the Legion Of Superheroes. But this is the first time that two such major competing TV sci-fi franchises have been allowed to merge in any way before.

[Source: Bleeding Cool]

Doctor Who DVD Producer, 2|entertain have been in touch to let us know they have now integrated with BBC Worldwide - and changed their name.

The company will now be known as BBC Worldwide Consumer Products (a bit of a mouthful, we know), but we are informed the changes shouldn't affect the Doctor Who DVD range too much. Below are the full details we have received:

We wanted to let you know that we've recently changed the name of our DVD business and we're no longer going to be calling ourselves 2|entertain. This is all part of the full integration with BBC Worldwide and we're now part of a division called Consumer Products which brings together all our DVDs, our download business and also all the licensed product that you see on brands like Doctor Who.

You will start to see different labelling on product and from the Spring, the 2|entertain label will disappear from Doctor Who DVDs. The reverse sleeve will remain as it is now with the old 'BBC' logo so you can match each release with your collection. You will also see our press information come labelled 'BBC Worldwide' instead of '2|entertain'.

Doctor Who remains, as ever, an incredibly important property to us and we'll be continuing to bring you a extensive range of great quality Classic Doctor Who DVDs. The name change will not affect the quality of the restoration or the extras which we're excited to be able to bring to fans on DVD throughout the year. 

[Source: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products]

106 episodes from the black-and-white years of Doctor Who are missing from the BBC's Archives; the original tapes long since wiped. However, film copies were made and sold all over the world in the 1960s and 70s. Where did these episodes go – and, more importantly, could they still exist somewhere today? DWM 444 presents the ultimate guide to which episodes were sold, where and when – and the chances of their survival. The answers might surprise you...

ALSO THIS ISSUE:

OLD FRIENDS, NEW FACES

As work begins on the new series of Doctor Who, showrunner STEVEN MOFFAT takes DWM readers into his confidence, and looks ahead to the final fate of Amy and Rory – and just what might happen next...

SHA-DAAAA!

At last, more than 30 years since the TV production was abandoned, SHADA has been completed – thanks to BBC Books! DWM talks to author GARETH ROBERTS about the challenges of writing a novel based on Douglas Adams' lost 'Fourth Doctor' story.

RUTANS, SONTARANS AND GIANT PRAWNS

DWM goes back to the 1977 and celebrates the season which introduced K9 and attempted some of the most ambitious stories in Doctor Who's history, as COUNTDOWN TO 50! continues.

AN OLYMPIAN TASK!

The Doctor and his new Greek philosopher chum Socrates meet the Gods of Olympus, while Amy and Rory face danger in ancient Athens! Don't miss the latest thrilling instalment of the brand new comic strip, THE CHAINS OF OLYMPUS by SCOTT GRAY, with art by MIKE COLLINS.

FIRE AND ICE

Go on an ANT hunt, explore the Ice Caves and feel the Dragon's fire! With fascinating new facts and photos, THE FACT OF FICTION guides you through the 1987 Seventh Doctor story that introduced Ace – DRAGONFIRE!

IT MUST BE LOVE

If the love of your life is a Doctor Who fan, should you share their enthusiasm or leave them to it? KATHERINE HADOKE (wife of Toby) and GIGI CANDON (wife of Johnny) discuss the pros and cons as the regular DWM debaters defer to their better halves in A BATTLE OF WIVES!

AN ALIEN WEREWOLF IN SCOTLAND

The Tenth Doctor and Rose team up with Queen Victoria to battle a savage werewolf in Scotland, 1879! With their mistletoe at the ready, what will THE TIME TEAM of Emma, Chris, Will and Michael make of TOOTH AND CLAW?

ESSENTIAL READING

The mysterious Watcher remembers a landmark in Doctor Who publishing, champions another Supporting Artist of the Month and challenges readers with his Six Faces of Delusion. Don't miss the latest WOTCHA!

PLUS!

All the latest official news, reviews of TV and merchandise reviews, previews, competitions, a prize-winning crossword – and much, much more!

+  Doctor Who Magazine Issue #444 is out Today, priced £4.50.

+  SUBSCRIBE and get 12 x Issues, 1 x Special and Worldwide Shipping for £85 via CompareTheDalek.com!

[Source: Doctor Who Magazine]

Arcalian Attire have another Doctor Who-inspired Tee for sale via CafePress.

'Chesterton...Release the Nerds!!!' is a Doctor Who / Simpsons crossover that features The First Doctor and Ian Chesterton, in a classic 'Mr Burns and Smithers' pose inspired by The Simpsons.

The T-Shirt, which is available through Arcalian Attire, was designed by Dean T. Frazer, from an idea by DWO WhoCast competition winner, Alexander Edwards.

+  Order this Tee from Arcalian Attire, for just £18.50 / $24.99, here.

[Source: Arcalian Attire]