Thursday 6 February 2020

Series 12 Update & The Faceless Ones DVD (updated!)


The last Doctor Who Magazine before the series ends hit the shops today, and it gives us some scraps of information about the remaining four episodes.
We already know a bit about this week's episode - Can You Hear Me? The synopsis states that it involves something from beyond space invading people's dreams, and some of the action takes place in 14th Century Aleppo. According to DWM this might be a Doctor-lite story, concentrating more on how the nightmare being affects the companions, who each get their own sub-story. No mention of Grace, but Ryan's friend Tibo (seen in Spyfall Part 1) appears, as does Yaz's sister. I can't help but be reminded of the Sarah Jane Adventures story The Nightmare Man.
The main guest actor, Ian Gelder, plays who I assume to be the villain of the piece - a character named Zellin. Despite Gelder voicing the Remnants in Series 11, who first mentioned the Timeless Child, it's claimed that this character has nothing to do with them.
The 8th episode is The Haunting of the Villa Diodati. Anyone who knows anything about the origins of Frankenstein will know that this confirmed the long-rumoured Mary Shelley story. DWM implies that this is a creepy ghost story, with no mention of Cybermen. The rumour had always been that the Mary Shelley story would feature at least one Cyberman - the parallels between the Cybermen and Frankenstein's creation being obvious. It might still be that there is a Cyberman in this story - possibly that "Lone Cyberman" Captain Jack referred to - leading into the two part finale.
Lili Miller is Mary Shelley, Maxim Baldry is Dr John Polidori, and Lewis Rainer is Percy Bysshe Shelley. Jacob Collins Levy is also in the cast - presumably he's Lord Byron.
The last two episodes have separate titles, despite being another two-parter - Ascension of the Cybermen and The Timeless Children.
The first part promises the closing days of a long-running war between humans and Cybermen. Julie Graham, previously seen as villain Ruby White in The Sarah Jane Adventures, guests. The title is odd - being just another way of saying the already used The Rise of the Cybermen - and it's set at the end of a Cyber-War rather than the beginning. Presumably this is all to do with Jack's warning about a dying empire being reborn.
We are promised that the final episode will answer at least some of the questions surrounding the Timeless Child. It promises some space opera and lots of Cybermen.
For fans of the Classic Series, the new DMW also has a couple of items on the late 60's script editor Donald Tosh, and the first half of a Timothy Combe interview.


Update:
Tucked away in the forthcoming releases column is the release date for The Faceless Ones DVD / Blu-ray, which Amazon and Zoom haven't got yet. It said Monday 9th March, but today (7th Feb) it has now been confirmed as the 16th March. Typical BBC - it's been delayed before they've even published the release date. The cover has also been released. The next issue of DWM will have a feature on the animation for its missing episodes.

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