Merchandise Review - DWM Eleventh Doctor Companion Volume 3

The latest special edition of "Doctor Who Magazine" hit the shops yesterday - and what an absolute corker it is. This is volume 3 of the "Eleventh Doctor Companion" and covers the following:

Doctor Who at the Proms
Doctor Who Live: The Monsters are Coming!
A Christmas Carol
Comic Relief Special - Space/Time
The Impossible Astronaut
Day of the Moon
The Curse of the Black Spot
The Doctor's Wife

If you've never bought one of the special editions before then let me give you a little taster of what you can expect. Basically, you get 84 pages that are crammed full of exclusive pictures, behind the scenes anecdotes, shooting schedules, locations, etc. Quotes from the cast and crew are scattered throughout and the magazine is an absolute feast for detail addicts.

Don't expect standard promotion pictures in the magazine - there are lots of exclusive behind the scene shots - and visually every page looks fantastic. Each episode has Production details so if you want to know where and what the cast and crew were filming on any particular day then this magazine is a godsend. Along with the Production details, you get information regarding the Shooting Script, a "Connections" section which tells you, for instance, how the spaceship in "A Christmas Carol" got it's name together with episode links to Classic Who stories and Chronology and Editing sections. At the end of each episode section you'll get the complete credit list, broadcast dates and ratings.



One of the many fascinating aspects of this magazine is the information regarding rewrites and how scenes were altered as production developed. One of the rewrites that Doctor/River shippers will feel most keenly was a scene that was removed early on from "The Day of the Moon" shooting script - it was to be a short Tardis scene "in which River shaved the hand-cuffed Doctor". Or if that doesn't float your boat then you can find out which particular day Matt Smith had "topless reference shots" taken for the painting at the beginning of "The Impossible Astronaut".

The magazine is only £4.99 and is in the shops now. If you take nothing else from the magazine then it will, at the very least, give you a healthy appreciation for the incredible amount of work done by The Moff and co. to bring these episodes to our television screens.