Doctor Who: New companion announced

The next big Doctor Who announmcement is here! The build-up to the era of Matt Smith's eleventh Doctor continues with the long-awaited reveal of the 11th Doctor's companion!

Scottish actress Karen Gillan has been cast in the role alongside Smith, and will be appearing alongside the eleventh Doctor in the 2010 series 5 of Doctor Who. Fans have already seen her in the show, as the Soothsayer in the series 4 episode 'The Fires of Pompeii'

The BBC press release features a quote from new showrunner Steven Moffat: "We saw some amazing actresses for this part, but when Karen came through the door the game was up. Funny, and clever, and gorgeous, and sexy. Or Scottish, which is the quick way of saying it. A generation of little girls will want to be her. And a generation of little boys will want them to be her too."

Looks like Doctor Who series 5 is shaping up to be something special. The main players are in place now, so who do you think will be the big villain this year? Here's hoping for sonething new. Moffat is in charge, so I think the series is going to turn out to be fantastuc, no matter who is in it.

DOCTOR WHO WRITER RECOVERING FROM CAR SMASH

Doctor Who writer, comics scribe and all round fanboy idol Paul Cornell, along with his other half, are currently recuperating after a nasty car accident that took place last Tuesday. Both were injured in the collision, but are on the mend and essentially okay. All of us at Starstore and The Last Picture Show wish Paul and Caroline all the best for a speedy recovery.

Aside from his work on Doctor Who on TV and in books and audio, Paul is an established novelist and comics writer. His recent first issue of Captain Britain and MI:13 sold out of its entire print run within the first week of publication, and Marvel Comics are now going for a second print, so keep an eye out for that hitting the shelves! A respected advocate of comics and British Science Fiction, Mr Cornell’s work is highly regarded in fan circles, and we look forward to his future projects.

Hope you both get well soon!

(Regular updates on all things Doctor Who, including our TARDISWATCH features, can be found at The Famous Starstore Blog)

DOCTOR WHO – FANDOM VINDICATED ON TV AND IN COLLECTIBLES

Here we are, in the midst of the fourth series in the Doctor’s new era of adventures, and it is time for the long-term fans to sit back and take stock for a moment. The shops are full of merchandise, the newsagents are packed with magazines with Doctor Who content, childrens’ walls are covered with Daleks, and their shelves full of DVDS. In addition, there is still a massive legion of old-school fans out there that, for the fourth year running, are able to cry out “I told you it was brilliant!” at all the people that slagged the show off while it was off the air. Make no mistake about it, the Doctor Who adventures are the biggest thing to happen to UK television screens in a very long time. A bona fide phenomenon, it has crossed age barriers, generation gaps, and doesn’t talk down to its viewers both young and old.

Yes, I am a gloating Doctor Who fan, and I readily admit it. We put up with so much before the show came back, that I’m damned well enjoying our moment of vindication while it lasts, if you don’t bloody mind. There was a time I remember only too clearly when the only new Doctor Who that was regularly coming out consisted of the BBC novels and the Big Finish audios. Reading a Doctor Who novel on public transport before the show came back made you something of a social leper. Not only were you into this shoddy old science fiction show, but you were displaying your love for it by actually paying money for a tie-in novel. You know what? Yes I did. The very idea of Doctor Who is a wonderful thing that really has done a great service to the country by coming back- a real hero, simply trying to help those in need with no desire for personal gain.

That, in this current climate of pointless violence and the gimme gimme mine min mentality is a breath of fresh air, and children have been introduced to a classic hero in a very modern guise. Hearing about kids’ reactions to the first series was wonderful for someone in my line of work. Their imaginations had been opened up to all the possibilities that science fiction could bring up, and families finally had something they could enjoy together again. That is massively important on many levels. Here is something that every generation can find something in, and they can find it in a format that doesn’t get bogged down with politics, shady characters or the acquisition of wealth. They are very simple stories told in a direct manner, but they are done in such a way that anyone can enjoy them.

It has come to a beautiful point in the evolution of Doctor Who’s new era, in that we are now literally going along for the ride and wondering where the enigmatic Time Lord will take us next, what we will see there, and how we will face the dangers that these journeys bring. The BBC are still releasing Doctor Who novels (albeit in a different manner) AND Big Finish are still producing their exemplary range of licensed Doctor Who audio plays, but now we also have Character Options bringing us all manner of Doctor who action figures and Doctor Who collectibles, as well as other companies bringing us posters., T shirts, magazines and much more. The new golden age of Doctor Who continues, and after this series is over, there is still the Christmas special to look forward to, and three more specials next year, followed by series five in 2010. After that, who knows where the Doctor will take us next? Hit the randomizer and let us discover the universe alongside our hero.