When looking for a Christmas present for a Doctor Who fan, you might feel limited to the same old stuff. But you need not. There are plenty of products for other franchises that Who fans will love. Here’s just a brief selection – including work featuring Mark Gatiss (Cold War), Steve Pemberton (Silence in the Library/ Forest of the Dead), and Martin Clunes (Snakedance)!
The Swede
The Swede is a professional assassin who prefers to use his hands rather than guns, but in a pinch, guns will suffice.
This initial volume details three of his assignments. The Swede is an example of visual storytelling with panel to panel or sequential art. Chock full of action, suspense, and violence.
By the DWC contributor, Rick Lundeen! But not suitable for youngsters: there’s no sex or bad language, but there’s naturally violence.
Star Trek Discovery: United Federation of Planets Hat
Take the beliefs of the Federation – of tolerance, freedom, and justice – wherever you go!
The United Federation of Planets is an intergalactic authority founded in San Francisco in 2161 by the Human, Vulcan, Andorian, and Tellarite governments. Intended to act as a peace-keeping force, the Federation has nonetheless gained a plethora of enemies, including the Borg, Romulans, and Klingons. The latter war-loving race proved a major threat to first the USS Shenzhou (NCC-1227) at the Battle of the Binary Stars, then the titular vessel, accredited as NCC-1031, in Star Trek: Discovery.
Featuring a repeated Star Trek: Discovery badge design, this warm and comfortable hat is topped off with an embroidered patch displaying the UFP insignia, as issued by the Chamber of the President. Just don’t wear it in the Mirror Universe or fear the vengeance of the Terran Empire!
This exclusive hat makes an ideal present for Trek fans of all eras, alongside Lovarzi’s officially-licensed Starfleet Academy Insignia Scarf.
Inside No 9: Series 4
A fourth anthology from Steve Pemberton and Sleep No More‘s Reece Shearsmith. A unique mixture of comedy, drama, love, intrigue, ancient curses, industry gossip, room service, and murderous intent.
Includes the episodes, Zanzibar, Bernie Clifton’s Dressing Room, Once Removed, To Have and To Hold, And The Winner Is…, and Tempting Fate.
Guest stars include Zoë Wanamaker (The End of the World); Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith); Fenella Woolgar (The Unicorn and the Wasp); Marcia Warren (Sherlock); Bill Paterson (Victory of the Daleks); and Eighth Doctor audio companions, Hattie Morahan and Nicola Walker.
Classic Stills: Cap Stands Alone (Avengers: Endgame)
Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame is the biggest movie ever, and Classic Stills have captured a number of iconic moments from the film. In this beautiful image, Captain America (Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans) stands up, against all odds, against Thanos (Josh Brolin), the Black Order, and a massive army. Because that’s what Cap does. That’s why he’s a hero.
The limited edition print is available in various sizes.
Head over to Classic Stills to see collections including Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Jurassic Park. Or check out the US site.
Doc Martin: Complete Series 9
As we return to Portwenn, all is not well with Doc Martin. With his career still under scrutiny due to his blood phobia, Dr Rebecca Hedden from the General Medical Council arrives to assess his bedside manner and determine if he is still fit to practise.
Louisa, having resigned as head teacher at Portwenn School, is throwing herself into her new career as a child and adolescent counsellor, as well as spending more time with their son James Henry. When Louisa notices James is finding it hard to socialise at nursery, she starts wondering whether a little brother or sister would help. But with Martin having to jump through hoops to save his career and Louisa starting her new role the timing might not be the best.
Meanwhile Al and Bert are making a success of running the Crab and Lobster, leaving Morwenna feeling a little neglected; Mrs Tishell has a new lease of life following Clive’s death and decides to try dating again; and Penhale’s authority is challenged when his predecessor returns.
However, could an accidental proposal have wedding bells ringing in the village of Portwenn?
Dracula
With Mark Gatiss as Bram Stoker’s iconic villain – particularly interesting as Gatiss paired with Steven Moffat on a new Dracula adaptation for TV, screening over the festive period.
When a young solicitor, Jonathan Harker, visits the heart of Transylvania – ostensibly to meet reclusive nobleman Count Dracula – he cannot begin to imagine what horrors might lie in store for him there… or the chain of events he will set in motion at Castle Dracula.
Soon, Dracula’s bloodlust spreads to England’s shores, and Harker’s fiancée, Mina Murray, becomes embroiled in his affairs. Her best friend, Lucy Westenra, falls victim to the vampire’s thirst, and it is only with the help of an unlikely bunch of allies that the Count might be defeated… but can the undead ever truly perish?
This release also includes behind the scenes interviews with Dracula’s writer and cast, plus a selection of tracks from James Dunlop’s music score.
Available from Big Finish.
Worzel Gummidge: The Complete Collection
WORZEL GUMMIDGE SEASONS 1-4
Worzel Gummidge (Jon Pertwee) is a walking, talking scarecrow that lives on Scatterbrook Farm, where he stands in Ten Acre field. He was made by The Crowman and he is able to convince other people that he is human. Worzel has a collection of different heads for his different moods and he lives with his Aunt Sally (Una Stubbs), a giant doll , also able to pass as a real person. Worzel befriended children John and Susan Peters who came to stay during the holidays on the Braithwaites fram. Worzel lands John and Susan in trouble when he is being mischievous, as he goes into a sulk and becomes a normal lifeless scarecrow. This lead others to blame the two children for all the trouble Worzel causes. Worzel Gummidge originally appeared in a series of books by Barbara Euphan Todd. The series ran for 4 seasons on ITV bteween 1979 and 1981 and immediatley became a cult classic
A CUP O TEA AN A SLICE O CAKE
Wily old Worzel looks destined to spend a cold christmas alone in Ten Acres field when The Crowman bans him from scarecrow celebrations because he deserts his post. However, Worzel does not stay put for long and as he searches in the snow for Aunt Sally to invite to the Scarecrow Ball, he meets his old friend Saucy Nancy (Barbara Windsor) travelling on a pirate ship to star in pantomime. He is challenged to a hilarious sulking contest by a belligerent Scottish scarecrow, Bogle McNeep (Billy Connolly) who, with his men, is heading back up north because he hates christmas. Worzel eventually wins his reprieve from The Crowman and joins in the festive frivolity and fun of the Scarecrow Ball. Now fully restored from the original film negative, get to see this classic Christmas Special in its full glory once again!
WORZEL GUMMIDGE DOWN UNDER SEASONS 1-2
Worzel and Aunt Sally continue their comic adventures in New Zealand. Aunt Sally ends up on display in an antiques shop in England. She is bought by a folk museum curator from New Zealand and she is sent down there to appear as an exhibit. Worzel pursues her as an aeroplane stowaway, where he has to avoid the clutches of the evil travelling scarecrowmaker. The show ran for a further 2 seasons totalling another 22 episodes, with the first series being written by the original writers Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall. The show also gave Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings) his first ever film job doing the special effects!
His Dark Materials: Northern Lights
THE BOOK BEHIND THE BBC SERIES HIS DARK MATERIALS – now with a TV tie-in cover
“Without this child, we shall all die.”
Lyra Belacqua and her animal daemon live half-wild and carefree among scholars of Jordan College, Oxford. The destiny that awaits her will take her to the frozen lands of the Arctic, where witch-clans reign and ice-bears fight. Her extraordinary journey will have immeasurable consequences far beyond her own world… The first volume in Philip Pullman’s incredible His Dark Materials trilogy.
Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes
Britain’s favourite sitcom, Dad’s Army ran for 80 episodes over nearly ten years and is rarely far from our screens – but three of those episodes were lost many years ago and haven’t been seen since 1969. Now, using Jimmy Perry and David Croft’s original scripts, those three episodes have been recreated as faithfully as possible to mark the 50th anniversary of their original broadcast.
Featuring a brilliant new cast that includes Kevin McNally as Captain Mainwaring, Robert Bathurst as Sergeant Wilson, Kevin Eldon as Lance Corporal Jones, David Hayman as Private Frazer, Mathew Horne as Private Walker, Timothy West as Private Godfrey and Tom Rosenthal as Private Pike, these three lost episodes can now be enjoyed again in this critically-acclaimed comedy classic!
The Complete Ghost Stores by M.R. James
The art of telling a ghost story is a refined one, and Montague Rhodes James was a master of the genre. He draws the reader into a narrative that at first seems innocuous, but which becomes darker and darker by gentle turns until he transfixes you with his prose, creating the most unforgettable, alarming and frightening images. Complete Ghost Stories by M. R. James contains all his timeless masterpieces from the four collections of his eerie tales: Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904), More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1911), A Thin Ghost and Others (1919), and A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories (1925).
This beautiful Macmillan Collector’s Library edition features an afterword by author and playwright, David Stuart Davies.
Includes Martin’s Close, adapted by Mark Gatiss for Christmas 2019, and starring Peter Capaldi.
But don’t worry if you’re still searching for Doctor Who presents: we’ve got more Christmas gift guides to come over the next few days…
