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One huge Doctor Who fan theory about the Master has been validated by a recent Doctor Who release. This theory constitutes a bit of a retcon to previous Doctor Who episodes, confirming that a popular fan theory about what was really going on is actually true. This newly proven theory makes the Doctor's long-standing relationship with the dastardly Master even more impressive. Going into Doctor Who season 15, this will be interesting, as the Master returns in a 2025 audiobook story that will sit nicely alongside the season's episodes.

The Master has been at loggerheads with the Doctor since he was originally portrayed by Roger Delgado in the 1970s. First appearing in 1971's "Terror of the Autons," the Master clashed with Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor, who was in the role between 1970 and 1974. This villain has caused the Doctor the most regenerations out of all the series' villains, by far. The success...

The Master may not have been part of Doctor Who from the beginning, but portents of their arrival were present as early as the First Doctor's era. Blessed with many great monsters Doctor Who may be, but few of them can hold a candle to the Master. As an evil Time Lord and the Doctor's personal rival, the Master is arguably - Daleks be damned - Doctor Who's defining nemesis. In official terms, the Master, played by Roger Delgado, first appeared in 1971's "Terror of the Autons," facing off against Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor.

It is remarkable in hindsight how fully-formed the Master was during his debut episode. From the smarmy arrogance to his barely-concealed envy of the Doctor, Delgado immediately laid the foundations of a character that has since been portrayed by a number of different actors. From Anthony Ainley to Sacha Dhawan, all actors to play the...

Doctor Who has basically just confirmed one of the franchise's oldest, most popular fan theories. First played by the late Roger Delgado, the Master is one of the Doctor's most terrifying foes. He's the Moriarty to the Doctor's Sherlock Holmes, driven by his ego to prove himself the Doctor's match and to conquer the universe.

The Master first appeared in the 1971 story "Terror of the Autons." Viewers soon learned the Doctor and the Master had studied together at the Time Lord Academy, but there were hints that they'd clashed after they both left Gallifrey, in unseen adventures where they'd gone head-to-head before. All this led to a popular fan theory that the Master was in fact the War Chief, another Renegade Time Lord who made his debut two years earlier. Now, it looks as though that theory has been proven true.

The War Chief Has Always Seemed To Basically Be...

The Master may have been introduced earlier than thought, possibly as the War Chief in "The War Games". The War Chief being a separate entity from the Master is supported by behind-the-scenes details and expanded media. The War Chief serves as a prototype for the Master, setting up a new era for Doctor Who with Unit and Time Lord villains.

It's long been theorized that the Doctor's arch-nemesis, the Master, caused the regeneration of the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton), two years before his official debut in the Jon Pertwee era of Doctor Who. Although the best known of the Doctor's Time Lord foes, the Master was actually the third villainous Gallifreyan introduced to Doctor Who. The Meddling Monk (Peter Butterworth) appeared opposite William Hartnell's First Doctor in both "The Time Meddler" and "The Daleks' Master Plan", while Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor faced off against the War Chief (Edward Brayshaw...

Doctor Who has thousands of unproduced story concepts. Indeed, the first ever story ‘An Unearthly Child’ was based on a completely different idea: C.E. Webber’s ‘The Giants’, in which the Doctor and co. would have been shrunken down and faced comparatively massive Earth insects, was in an original series document produced for Doctor Who, and had Rex Tucker assigned to direct.

‘The Giants’ was vetoed for a combination of technical reasons: the small and outdated studio assigned to Doctor Who wasn’t up to the task of giant insects. Said insects drew the ire of Doctor Who co-creator Sydney Newman, who famously disliked bug-eyed monsters – you can’t get any more bug-eyed than literal bugs. Aspects of it ended up in the Season 2 story ‘Planet of Giants’, and the opening scene – where teenager Sue and her teachers Cliff and Lola meet Dr Who (sic) in the fog – was adapted...

Different actors have portrayed the Master in Doctor Who, with each offering a unique take on the character's complexities and antagonistic force. The Master's return in Doctor Who season 14 may be imminent, adding to the ongoing struggles and backstory between the Master and the Doctor. From Roger Delgado to Sacha Dhawan, each incarnation of the Master has brought something new to the character, creating a rich history in the series.

Doctor Who's ultimate villain, the Master, has had several incarnations throughout the show, but some stand out more than others. Since the show's beginning in 1963, the Master has taunted the Doctor for several reasons, including their past together on their home planet, Gallifrey, as well as each Doctor's ongoing dedication to Planet Earth and humanity. In the recent 60th-anniversary specials, the Toymaker (Neil Patrick Harris) teased that the Master may return. This came from proof that the Master was trapped in the Toymaker's gold tooth,...

It’s Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary month, which calls for two things: celebration, and admin. Fittingly, here’s an administrative celebration of the BBC show, featuring every season/series that’s aired so far. After a six-tab Excel file and a lot of overthinking, it’s a big ol’ list arranging each of Doctor Who’s individual runs in reverse order of excellence.

(A note on methodology: this list does not include runs of Doctor Who specials or the TV movie, and Christmas specials are included under the entries for their relevant series.)

There’s good stuff everywhere in Doctor Who. Sometimes it can take a bit of digging to find it, but much of the time, you hardly even have to look – it’s just there, posing as the Commissioner from Sirius 4, or asking “Do I have the right?”. What follows is an attempt to arrange each season...

After the mixed critical reaction and unspectacular ratings of Chris Chibnall's era, Russell T Davies' return as showrunner signals a brave new era of Doctor Who. While villains from Chris Chibnall's era were divisive, one stands out as a highlight and should be brought back in future seasons. This villain has the potential to be even better under Russell T Davies' guidance, providing scripts and stories worthy of their unique performance.

The return of Russell T Davies as showrunner signals a brave new era of Doctor Who, and while carryovers from Chris Chibnall's tenure are unlikely, one villain deserves to keep their place. Chris Chibnall oversaw arguably the most divisive period of Doctor Who's history, and while the showrunner made plenty of positive changes - increased diversity in the Tardis, for example - other decisions contributed to mixed critical reaction and unspectacular ratings. Looking to bring back its glory days,...

Doctor Who almost brought back a classic villain in a season 12 episode to face Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor. Doctor Who season 12 saw the Thirteenth Doctor and her group of companions face Judoon, Cybermen, the return of The Master (Sacha Dhawan), and mysteries about the Doctor's ties to Gallifrey's hidden past. McTighe has written a number of stories for Doctor Who, including the Thirteenth Doctor's television adventures "Kerblam!" and "Praxeus" that aired in seasons 11 and 12, respectively.

Ahead of the release of his novelization of "Kerblam!", McTighe opened up to RadioTimes.com about his other contribution to the main television series during Whittaker and showrunner Chris Chibnall's Doctor Who era. The writer revealed that the season 12 story "Praxeus," which saw the Doctor race to fight a virus spread through microplastic pollutants in the environment, was originally considered to see the return of the Autons, a foe who first appeared during the 1970s.

Doctor Who almost brought back a classic villain in a season 12 episode to face Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor. Doctor Who season 12 saw the Thirteenth Doctor and her group of companions face Judoon, Cybermen, the return of The Master (Sacha Dhawan), and mysteries about the Doctor's ties to Gallifrey's hidden past. McTighe has written a number of stories for Doctor Who, including the Thirteenth Doctor's television adventures "Kerblam!" and "Praxeus" that aired in seasons 11 and 12, respectively.

Ahead of the release of his novelization of "Kerblam!", McTighe opened up to RadioTimes.com about his other contribution to the main television series during Whittaker and showrunner Chris Chibnall's Doctor Who era. The writer revealed that the season 12 story "Praxeus," which saw the Doctor race to fight a virus spread through microplastic pollutants in the environment, was originally considered to see the return of the Autons, a foe who first appeared during the 1970s.

Doctor Who Masters stars Michelle Gomez and Sacha Dhawan united at a recent convention, leading to former showrunner Steven Moffat throwing his support behind an on-screen team-up between the two Renegade Time Lord incarnations. Gomez's incarnation, known as Missy, made her debut in 2014's "Deep Breath" as a manipulator behind-the-scenes, but embarked on a redemption arc across her subsequent appearances. However, when the Master returned in 2020's "Spyfall Part 1" with Dhawan's incarnation, the villain from Gallifrey was once more an enemy of the Doctor, having been disturbed and angered by secrets hidden by the Time Lords.

While Dhawan's Master made his last appearance in 2022's "The Power of the Doctor", the actor joined prior Master star Gomez to host a panel at Armageddon Expo, with Dhawan sharing a video from the event on his Instagram account.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sacha Dhawan (@sacha_dhawan)

In the video,...

The series has seen 14 iterations of the good doctor, and there's always a reason why every Doctor Who quit. Among some of the longstanding Doctors on the series, there have been a few one-offs, such as John Hurt's War Doctor or Jo Martin's Fugitive Doctor, but longstanding ones like David Tennant or Tom Baker are the most beloved. Each Doctor brought their own distinct personality to the franchise, but the premise of the series always remained the same: a man (or woman) from the planet Gallifrey with a time machine takes human companions on adventures across time and space.

Why every Doctor Who quit (especially after three seasons) comes down to a variety of reasons for each respective actor. Everything from on-set drama to health issues have contributed to different Doctors leaving the series. However, it wasn't always the intention to have different actors take on the role,...

After several appearances since Doctor Who returned in 2005, the Doctor's Time Lord nemesis the Master could be replaced by two other meddlesome time travelers from the show's history. Introduced in 1971's serial Terror of the Autons, the Master was devised by executive producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks as Moriarty to the Third Doctor's Sherlock Holmes. Thanks to Roger Delgado's iconic performance as the Master, and his interplay with Third Doctor actor Jon Pertwee, the character became the best-known of the Doctor's Time Lord foes.

The Master wasn't the first of the Doctor's fellow Time Lords to go rogue, however, and both William Hartnell's First Doctor, and Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor faced off against their own Gallifreyan villains. Patrick Troughton's epic final serial The War Games - which also featured the Second Doctor's forced regeneration - forced the Doctor to seek assistance from his people...

The climax of "The End of Time", David Tennant's final Doctor Who adventure as the Tenth Doctor could have happened 36 years earlier if it weren't for a tragic accident. Airing on New Year's Day 2010, "The End of Time, Part 2" brought back the Time Lords, whose scheme to survive the Time War put all of humanity at risk. When the Doctor was unable to kill Rassilon (Timothy Dalton) and send him, and Gallifrey back into the nightmare of the Time War, the Master (John Simm) obliged instead.

While the Master was mostly acting out of revenge for having been used as a vessel for the signal needed to shift Gallifrey through space, his sacrifice can also be seen as an attempt to save the life of his former friend, the Doctor. Before Doctor Who's Christmas and New Year Master story in 2009/2010, 1970s script editor Terrance Dicks and producer Barry Letts...

Sacha Dhawan's incarnation of the Master is the biggest success of Chris Chibnall's Doctor Who era. Memorably introduced in season 11, episodes 1 and 2, "Spyfall," the Master was a recurring villain for Jodie Whittaker's Doctor, building to their final confrontation in her farewell story, "The Power of the Doctor." Sacha Dhawan perfectly embodied many of the aspects of his predecessors, such as the impeccable sense of style of the original Master, Roger Delgado, and the unhinged, almost Joker-style mania of John Simm's incarnation.

No period of modern Doctor Who has better depicted the division between the Doctor and the Master's characters than Chris Chibnall's era of the show. Dhawan's Master was angry and vindictive, compared to the hope and breezy optimism of Jodie Whittaker's Doctor. While fans believe the Master should have been the Timeless Child, it's actually the Doctor's response to the Timeless Child revelation that emphasizes...

This article contains spoilers for the Doctor Who Centenary Special, The Power of the Doctor.Doctor Who has finally delivered on an unmade storyline from the Steven Moffat era of the show. Jodie Whittaker's final episode is an epic battle against the Daleks, Cybermen and the Master (Sacha Dhawan) which stretches from Russia 1916 to the far future. The scenes in 1916 find the Master disguised as Rasputin, the Russian mystic healer who tended to the hemophiliac son of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra. The idea of a renegade Time Lord masquerading as Rasputin isn't a new Doctor Who idea, and was originally pitched for Peter Capaldi's third year in the role.

The Russian scenes in "The Power of the Doctor" reach a crescendo when the Master enacts his plan against the Doctor to the strains of Boney-m's disco classic "Rasputin." The well-known song was another element of the...

Doctor Who just introduced a new incarnation of the Master in its twelfth season this year, and the latest story from the rumor mill is claiming that season 13 might follow that up with an episode featuring multiple Masters. The sci-fi series has a long history of bringing different Doctors together to save the universe, but this would only be the second time that the Time Lord’s nemesis has crossed paths with their other selves.

This intel comes from YouTube channel The Tardis Zone and the host warns that it’s just a rumor at this stage. According to him, though, showrunner Chris Chibnall and his team might be planning a “multi Master story.” It’s not yet known exactly which versions of the villain will be included, but the channel says that the episode will be “recasting” the Masters played by Roger Delgado and Anthony Ainley in the classic series.

Romance has always been a big part of modern Doctor Who, with each of the first four Doctors of the revival having some kind of romantic storyline (David Tennant and Matt Smith had many). However, the past two seasons have completely avoided tackling the notion of the Thirteenth Doctor’s sexuality, much to the disappointment of fans. But this may be about to change in season 13, according to a new report.

The Tardis Zone YouTube channel has shared many factoids about the next run of the sci-fi series in their latest video. Host Noel warns, though, that these should be counted as rumors at this stage and he’s not guaranteeing they’ll happen. The most headline-grabbing one is that he’s heard that one episode will feature the Doctor alluding to being bisexual and a guest star will apparently be brought on board to explore this.

What’s more,...

Sometimes you’ve just got to look at the general vibe of 2020 (the furnace bit in Toy Story 3 but half the toys are drinking lighter fluid) and decide to write something positive. On my way to nursery, another dad was telling me how he found Sacha Dhawan’s performance as the Master in Doctor Who a high point of the last series, so inspired by that, let’s celebrate what was good about each actor to play the role on television. If nothing else, it’ll probably be good for my mental health and give someone a chance to type ‘Of course Roger Delgado was the original and best’ in context, so hopefully that’ll make them happy too.

Roger Delgado (or to give him his full name ‘Roger Caesar Marius Bernard de Delgado Torres Castillo Roberto’ – which is Spanish for ‘Of course Roger Delgado was the original and best’) originated the role,...

Fans of the new seasons of Doctor Who will be familiar with the Doctor’s use of “timey-wimey,” first thrown out by David Tennant in the episode “Blink” to explain the not-always-consistent rules of time travel. Matt Smith’s Doctor also employed it in “The Day of the Doctor,” while the phrase has become a kind of sci-fi shorthand for situations where clear information isn’t present. However, it seems that the expression has its origins back in classic Who. Well, sort of, anyway.

According to ScreenRant, a 2017 Titan Comic miniseries focused on the Third Doctor places “timey-wimey” in that era of the Time Lord’s adventures. More specifically, writer Paul Cornell has it being coined by companion Jo Grant, who begins to use it to try to get her head around “The Three Doctors” and its use of multiple versions of the Doctor. At this point, Jon Pertwee’s...

Easter eggs. Who doesn’t love them? Those hidden in-jokes waiting in plain sight to be discovered.

A Twitter page dedicated to hunting down movie Easter eggs has unearthed an amusing Marvel-sequel nugget this week. They’ve dug up an old video featuring a question and answer session with David Tennant. The Jessica Jones superbad was asked which Avenger would cry the most watching The Fault in Our Stars, to which he said Ant-Man. And, well, have a look at the below screen-grab from the opening scenes of Ant-Man and the Wasp.

“In a Marvel Interview, David Tennant said he thought Ant-Man would cry at the book The Fault In Our Stars. In Ant Man and The Wasp (2018), Scott is seen crying whilst reading it near the film’s beginning,” they shared in the caption.

Ant-Man And The Wasp Has A Neat Little Easter Egg Nobody Noticed 1 of 2

Click to...

John Simm is one of the most popular versions of the Master ever, thanks to his turns in three two-part storylines across the revived series of Doctor Who. He first appeared as the Doctor’s eternal nemesis at the end of season 3’s “Utopia” (2007), with Derek Jacobi’s incarnation regenerating into him. In the penultimate episode, “The Sound of Drums,” it’s revealed that the Master is, in fact, Harold Saxon, the mysterious and malevolent politician who’s been referenced throughout the season.

In the Russell T. Davies era, each season would have a recurring word or phrase that would be repeated throughout the episodes before it was explained in the finale. Though the reveal that the Master was actually Saxon, elected to the position of Prime Minister in “Sound of Drums,” came as a big shock to fans, maybe it shouldn’t have, as the clue was in the character’s name all along.

Kayti Burt Jan 10, 2020

The Doctor Who cast discusses meeting the Master and incorporating more Classic Who into their era.

Warning: This Doctor Who article contains Major spoilers for the two-part Season 12 premiere. Proceed at your own peril. If you'd rather, you can read our spoiler-free review of the premiere here.

While Jodie Whittaker's first season of Doctor Who kept things fresh with mainly new villains for the Thirteenth Doctor and her companions to face off against, Season 12 has brought back the Doctor's "best enemy": The Master, played brilliantly by Sacha Dhawan (the youngest actor to play the role).

Den of Geek had the chance to chat with Jodie Whittaker (the Doctor), Mandip Gill (Yaz), and Tosin Cole (Ryan) about what it was like playing opposite Dhawan's Master, and what the actor brings to the table...

Who is the Master?

First seen in the 1971 Doctor Who episode "Terror of the Autons,...

As a series, Doctor Who is all about change. Once you get to the core of it, everything - the protagonist, Tardis, screwdriver, companions, and showrunners - can/will change. With regeneration, the concept has permanently been instilled in the series.

Related: Doctor Who: 10 Things We Want To See In Series 12

The villains are no different. Daleks evolve, Cybermen upgrade, and The Master regenerates. Over the fifty-six years of the show's history, The Master has had many faces, from Roger Delgado to Michelle Gomez. Looking ahead, The Master is sure to make an unrealistic comeback. But who might we see square up against The Doctor? Actors who appeared in one-off roles will also be considered, as Doctor Who is not above double-dipping.

Alex Westthorp Jun 17, 2019

Not every Time Lord on Doctor Who is as benevolent as our beloved Doctor, and The Master/Missy is only the start.

This article comes from Den of Geek UK.

Fifty years ago this Summer, the landmark Doctor Who story The War Games was transmitted on BBC One. Notable for being the last adventure to star Patrick Troughton as the Doctor, the serial also introduced us to the Doctor's alien race: The Time Lords. We learn the Doctor is a renegade, albeit a benign one. To celebrate this anniversary, Den Of Geek looks at some of the other renegade Time Lords the Doctor has encountered over the years.

The War Lord

Played by: Philip Madoc

Appearance: The War Games (1969)

The War Lord is a sinister-looking bespectacled man, seemingly in control of the various war zones.

read more: Doctor Who Season 12 to Feature Judoon

This role was Philip...

Sir Carol Reed takes on a movie about insurance fraud in sunny Spain — with a great trio of actors for 1963. Laurence Harvey scams an insurance company and looks forward to continuing to beat the system in a happy life of chicanery; Lee Remick finds her affections turning to Alan Bates, an insurance man who might also be on vacation, or might have come to uncover Harvey’s crime. How does Harvey hide out while waiting for the big payoff in Málaga? He buys a huge white convertible too big to fit through the streets!

The Running Man

Blu-ray

Arrow Academy

1963 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 103 min. / Street Date June 18, 2019 / 39.95

Starring: Laurence Harvey, Lee Remick, Alan Bates, Felix Aylmer, Allan Cuthbertson, Noel Purcell, Ramsay Ames, Fernando Rey, Eddie Byrne, John Meillon, Roger Delgado.

Cinematography: Robert Krasker

Film Editor: Bert Bates

Original Music: William Alwyn

Continuity: Angela Allen

Written by John Mortimer from the...

“Kali bids us to Kill! Kill!” A full review of Indicator’s Hammer Volume 3 Blood and Terror collection will follow, but CineSavant jumps the gun to highlight Terence Fisher’s 1959 mass murder shocker. It adds up to more than exploitative and racist cheap thrills: it’s one of the key films to describe the roots of contemporary terrorism. David Zelag Goodman’s screenplay lets Hammer for once say something relevant about the Colonial past, even if it’s a case of mixed signals — and sex.

The Stranglers of Bombay

Blu-ray

Powerhouse Indicator

1959 / B&W / 2:35 Strangloscope (Megascope) / 81 min. / The Strangler of Bengal / available as part of the Hammer Volume 3 Blood and Terror disc collection with The Camp On Blood Island, Yesterday’s Enemy, and The Terror of the Tongs, at Powerhouse Films UK / Street Date July 30, 2018 / £44.99 (the set)

Starring: Guy Rolfe, Allan Cuthbertson, Marie Devereaux, Andrew Cruickshank, George Pastell, Marne Maitland,...

Mark Harrison Jul 3, 2017

After the Doctor Who series 10 finale, what might be the future of the Master's character? Spoilers...

This feature contains spoilers for Series 10 of Doctor Who, including The Doctor Falls, from the very beginning.

See related Jurassic World review Looking back at Jurassic Park

Peoples of the universe, please attend carefully. In life, nothing is certain but death, taxes and the Master coming back to Doctor Who every once in a while. First appearing in 1971's Terror Of The Autons, Roger Delgado's original incarnation even appeared in every single story of the eighth season, with various nefarious schemes designed to threaten or simply annoy the Doctor.

Over the rest of the classic series, he menaced later Doctors as the decrepit Peter Pratt, the full-on Kentucky fried Geoffrey Beevers, the wry, murderous Anthony Ainley and the 90s action movie baddy Eric Roberts. He was a master of disguise,...

With John Simm having made his return to Doctor Who for the first time since 2010 in last week’s episode “World Enough and Time,” it seems like an opportune moment to remind ourselves of the long history of the Doctor’s nemesis the Master, doesn’t it?

The short video you’ll see above runs through the Master’s many regenerations at a rather quick pace. If you need some reminding, the uber-villain has gone through seven different incarnations over the decades. First, there was Roger Delgado (1971-73), followed by a horribly disfigured version (Peter Pratt, 1976; Geoffrey Beevers, 1981) and then there was Anthony Ainley (1981-89). The one-off Doctor Who: The Movie featured Eric Roberts as the Master in 1997 before the revived series cast Derek Jacobi in 2007. John Simm then took over, followed by Michelle Gomez in 2014.

Doctor Who "The Doctor Falls" Gallery 1 of 11

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Is there anything that pleases Doctor Who fans more than a nod to the show’s illustrious history? If not, then this season has been one of the best fan-pleasing runs of the show. In the last two episodes alone, we have the return of the original design of the Cybermen – last seen in 1966 – and a comeback for John Simm’s Master.

While it’s great to see the actor back in the role, his return has also allowed him to pay tribute to the Masters of the classic series, specifically Roger Delgado (1971-74) and Anthony Ainley (1981-89). Both actors sported a traditional villainous goatee beard, which Simm was keen to bring back here.

He explained the following to Doctor Who Magazine (via DoctorWho.TV):

“Yeah, I just grew it, and turned up at the readthrough, and said, ‘You know, I fancy a bit of this,’ and Steven [Moffat, showrunner] was like,...

Andrew Blair Jun 29, 2017

Feat. graffiti, baking, nuns and talking like an 80s Cyberman, here are the experiences all Doctor Who fans should have at least once...

Obviously it will be tricky to do anything on this list after death (besides I’m saving that time for giving Engines Of War another read), but clickbait headlines own us all now. Think of these ideas listed below as a Doctor Who themed bucket list, and use some of your freedoms to add to it in the comments section.

See related The Crystal Maze 2017 episode 1 review The Crystal Maze 2017: 12 changes from the original The Crystal Maze 2017: the long journey to bringing it back

1. Go to Paris, stand at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, look up at the top and shout 'Bye Bye Duggan'.

2. Find and play the Doctor Who pinball game.

3. Anywhere you see a wall covered in graffiti, find...

Doctor Who fans are currently counting down the days until the weekend, when John Simm’s incarnation of the Master returns to the show for the first time since 2010. The Time Lord villain (who previously battled David Tennant’s Doctor) will face off against Peter Capaldi, as well as bump into his future self – Michelle Gomez’s Missy.

Today, the BBC has released a whole bunch of promo images for the upcoming episode, titled “World Enough And Time,” and, among other things, they give us our first look at the Master’s new duds. You can check them all out down in the gallery below.

Though the Master’s usually a snappy dresser, John Simm’s incarnation was never much of a follower of fashion. In his first appearance, he wore a simple suit and then he swapped that for an old hoodie in his later episodes. For his return,...

It’s the moment that fans have been waiting for ever since it was announced three months ago; John Simm’s Master is about to return to Doctor Who! In this week’s episode, titled “World Enough and Time,” the Doctor and his friends Bill and Nardole have a lot on their plate as they have to deal with two versions of the Master and some old-school Cybermen.

As you can see in the trailer above, the next outing for the show will be set on a space station that’s somehow defying the laws of gravity and flying away from a black hole. Following on from her apparent rehabilitation in the past few episodes, the Doctor will take Missy out on a test drive to see if she can actually do some good. Furthermore, there’s also a glimpse of the original incarnation of the Cybermen, returning to the...

Pete Dillon-Trenchard May 20, 2017

The references and nerdy spots we caught in Doctor Who series 10: Extremis...

This article contains spoilers. Lots of them.

See related Orphan Black Season 4 episode 1 review: The Collapse of Nature Orphan Black comic book series on its way The art of the episode title

Whether you like it or not, we’re now halfway through this series of Doctor Who, and it’s time for the stakes to get higher; we now know who’s in the vault (or at least, who the Doctor thinks is in the vault), there’s a massive alien invasion waiting to strike, and oh yeah, the Doctor’s still blind. While you bite your nails waiting for next week’s instalment, here are our viewing notes with all the vaguely interesting things we noticed about this week’s episode. As ever, if you’ve noticed things we haven’t,...

Pete Dillon-Trenchard May 13, 2017

So many spoilers, as we go looking for references in Doctor Who series 10, Oxygen...

This article contains spoilers for Doctor Who series 10, up to and including Oxygen.

See related Vib-Ribbon to return?

Space zombies, near-death experiences and what we can only hope is a temporary change for the Doctor… In Oxygen, writer Jamie Mathieson has quite literally played a blinder. And for the more observant among us, there were a handful of pop culture references and callbacks to earlier stories. Here’s our weekly round-up of the ones we noticed, along with the odd bit of wild speculation and things we just found interesting.

Oh, and look out for an extra article on Monday which takes a closer look at a few bits of graphic design this series - including the answer to a question which has been plaguing some of us for a couple of weeks now.

Last week’s episode of Doctor Who concluded with Nardole hearing some very distinct knocking sounds coming from the vault — which led us to believe that The Master was trapped inside. But who is The Master? He first entered the world of Doctor Who back in 1971 when the late Roger Delgado played the role. Since then multiple actors have taken up the baton. From years of watching the series, we do know that The Master was a friend of the Doctor’s and that they went to the academy together as young children. Things changed with regards to their friendship when...read more...

Mark Harrison May 10, 2017

Over Doctor Who's long history, what prompted the decision to leave for those in the lead role?

All sorts of things have killed off the Doctor. In the last half century, Doctor Who's unique approach to recasting the lead character has seen him fettled by old age, as punishment, by radiation poisoning, falls big and small, dodgy operations and time itself. There are plenty of in-universe reasons for why the Doctor regenerates, and the outgoing Time Lord Peter Capaldi promises that his upcoming demise will be suitably timey-wimey, but what of the behind-the-scenes reasons that the Doctor has to go?

See related DC Comics movies: upcoming UK release dates calendar Batman V Superman: where does it leave the Justice League? Why cinema needs Batman: the world’s greatest detective Zack Snyder interview: Batman V Superman Deborah Snyder & Charles Roven interview: Man Of Steel

“While you're enjoying it,...

Davros, Missy, Daleks and sewers: here's our spoiler-packed look at The Witch's Familiar, the second episode of Doctor Who series 9.

This review contains spoilers. Our spoiler-free review is here.

9.2 The Witch's Familiar

"I'm dying, Doctor" "You keep saying that, and you keep not dying"

When it comes to the Doctor's key foes that aren't a) people in silver suits or b) killers with egg whisks attached, the best scenes have generally boiled down to two characters having a chat. The genial sequences between Jon Pertwee and Roger Delgado in the old days, for instance. Or the prolonged chinwag between Davros and The Doctor we get in The Witch's Familiar. Heck, it's why I've got a soft spot for 2005's Boom Town. That the episode is willing to put the brakes on for a good conversation. I daresay a few biscuits were in the original draft.

Straight away justifying splitting series 9's opener across two episodes,...

Spoilers: here are our viewing notes for Doctor Who series 9 episode 1, The Magician's Apprentice. There's a lot to spot...

When a show has over 50 years of history, it can sometimes be hard to keep up with all the continuity, callbacks and generally geeky references. Which is why, for series 9 (or series 35), we're trying this extra weekly feature of, effectively, viewing notes.

Which is fortunate because, as you might expect, The Magician’s Apprentice contained more than its fair share of these. Here are the ones we found; if you noticed something we haven’t, feel free to add it in the comments!

This is a very spoiler-heavy article. Thus, we've deployed our spoiler squirrel - Daphne - to stop your eyes accidentally drifting to the text of the article if you want to be spoiler-free. Scroll below Daphne at your peril...

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It may surprise you to learn...

Doctor Who warps back on to our screens in two short days, with the premiere of a new 12-part series of sci-fi, sonic screwdrivers and Capaldi attack eyebrows.

But while the BBC has broadcast more than 800 episodes of generation-defining time travels, there's been as many cracking scripts that never made it to our TVs – from key character deaths to Jk Rowling cameos.

1. Jk Rowling vs. wizards

Russell T Davies' first idea for the 2008 Christmas special was to have the Doctor meet Jk Rowling - playing herself - with the pair battling wizards and witches.

David Tennant wasn't fond of the idea - he felt it sounded like a spoof - so Davies quashed the story to placate his leading man. In its place, we got 'The Next Doctor', which was pretty magical in its own right - so no damage, no foul.

2. Stephen Fry's 1920s adventure

Doctor Who...

Doctor Who is returning next week for it's ninth season. Peter Capaldi is back once again in the title role. He's gotten good reviews for his portrayal of the character. Capaldi is the 13th actor to play the eponymous Time Lord hero. Cinelinx looks back at the previous decades of Doctor Who and rates all the lead actors of the show's long history.

The First Doctor (Played by William Hartnell) was an aging, eccentric curmudgeon. He had little patience and he didn't suffer fools gladly. He could be very intolerant and dismissive of his traveling companions (except for his beloved Granddaughter Susan) although he started to lighten up as the show went on, learning to enjoy a bemused chuckle once in a while. He started out as an anti-hero but slowly grew into the selfless hero we know today.

Actor Score: A- *His ailing physical condition prevents him from getting...

We're in San Diego Comic-Con's huge Hall H and we're feeling pretty excited - because we're about to get a little visit from a Doctor. Yes, it's almost time for the Doctor Who panel and we'll be bringing you all the action.

Peter Capaldi is here for his very first Comic-Con along with Jenna Coleman, Michelle Gomez and Steven Moffat, and we're expecting them to give us teasers about the new series (and there'll probably be a rather entertaining fan Q&A too). So join us from 2.15pm Pt / 5.15pm Et / 10.15pm UK time as we blog it all live...

15:26Right, that's about it for this panel (although Chris Hardwick reveals The Nerdist will have a Doctor Who special on BBC America, The Doctor's Finest, in August)! Thank you all for joining us - and stick around on DS for more Comic-Con coverage.

15:24The end of the trailer...

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

A couple of weeks ago, Doctor Who fan, actor, comedian and presenter Toby Hadoke shared something rather wonderful on his Facebook page, concerning the last few days of Roger Delgado’s life, and the situation regarding his final acting job. For those of you who don’t know, Delgado – the original Master – died in a...

The post Roger Delgado’s Last Appearance: Found! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Prepared to be a little bit freaked out! Dave Clipson, whose name was officially crowned the Perfect Name For YouTube late last year, has morphed together the faces of the Masters – the in-canon ones anyway. He starts with Roger Delgado, adds in some Anthony Ainley, has a bucket full of Eric Roberts, a dash...

The post Is This the “Average” Face of the Master? appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Michelle Gomez will return as Missy (aka The Master) in the season premiere of Doctor Who this fall. She joins Peter Capaldi for his second season as the Doctor and Jenna Coleman as companion Clara Oswald. Gomez, whose character is the first feminine form that the Doctor’s longtime nemesis has taken, is a fellow Time Lord who first appeared on the BBC series in 1971 as portrayed by Roger Delgado and was a frequent foil over various incarnations. Since the show came back…...

We knew she’d be back – Michelle Gomez said she’d be back, we just didn’t know how soon she’d be back. Well, now we know – Missy (Aka The Master) will make her return in the series premiere of Doctor Who later in 2015.

The two-part episode, The Magician’s Apprentice and The Witch’s Familiar, is written by the show’s lead writer Steven Moffat, produced by Peter Bennett and directed by Hettie Macdonald (Blink, the Hugo Award-winning Doctor Who episode).

Michelle Gomez is the latest of a long line of actors to play The Doctor greatest nemesis. Starting with Roger Delgado in the early Pertwee years, The Master has plagued The Doctor almost constantly, through a number of regenerations and forms. The latest twist was the reveal that the latest regeneration left The master a woman, played by Michelle Gomez.

Jemma Redgrave will also return as The...

Last week, I taunted you with visions of ancient superhero movies – serials, as they were called back then. Today we’d call them really low-budget webcasts. Here’s a few more worthy of your consideration, and this time we’re delving into a trio of iconic heroes from the pulps and newspaper strips – and now, of course, comic books.

The Shadow is the best-known of all the classic pulp heroes, and for a very good reason: many of the more than 300 stories published were quite good. Walter B. Gibson created something magical – a series with a lead character who had plenty of secrets but no secret identity, aided and abetted by a slew of agents who had no idea who their master was. The character’s popularity was enhanced massively by a highly successful radio series, one that gave The Shadow an alter-ego and a female companion and took away most of his agents.

At the Rts Doctor Who: Anatomy Of A Hit event, Steven Moffat chatted about Missy, Osgood, his favourite series 8 scene, and more…

Warning: contains spoilers for Doctor Who series 8.

When an opportunity arose to hear Steven Moffat dissect Doctor Who’s recently concluded series 8 over the course of a ninety-minute Q&A, we straightened our imaginary bow-tie and went along. Not only did the Rts Doctor Who: Anatomy Of A Hit event include the showrunner, but also producers Nikki Wilson and Brian Minchin, director Ben Wheatley and Millennium FX artist Rob Mayor.

Chaired by Heat Magazine’s Boyd Hilton, conversation ranged from Missy, to Daleks, lying and the absolute joy that is Peter Capaldi as the Doctor. We learned that Michelle Gomez turned down the first series 8 role she was offered before accepting the part of Missy, that Peter Capaldi used clips of Billy Connolly’s “ranting old...

Last night, the Royal Television Society held a special event celebrating the world's longest-running science-fiction series - Doctor Who: Anatomy of a Hit saw showrunner Steven Moffat form part of a panel to discuss the show's ongoing global success.

Digital Spy was in attendance for the wide-ranging 90-minute session - which covered everything from The Master's return, to leaked episodes to talk of a Sherlock crossover - and presents select highlights below.

Casting Missy

Series eight of Doctor Who climaxed with the return of classic foe The Master, but after deciding to have the character reappear in female form, Moffat admitted that he was at a loss as to how to write 'Missy' - until he hit upon the idea of casting Michelle Gomez.

"I wanted a go at The Master and I thought, 'It'll be a woman!' and I then got lost for several months, thinking... and what does that mean?...

What do we know about Doctor Who series 9 so far, and what threads is it likely to pick up? Here's what we know so far...

This article contains spoilers for Doctor Who series 8.

If the ending of Doctor Who series 8, Death In Heaven suggested one thing - appreciating we've got a Christmas special to come (with Nick Frost as Santa!) - it's that series 9 of the revived show will somewhere along the line feature Gallifrey. It's been teased very heavily again, even if its location is still a mystery. So as we look ahead to Doctor Who series 9, let's kick off with one or two story threads, that remain ripe for exploration. After all, the Doctor had what he thought were the exact coordinates for his home planet, and couldn't wait to see if it was there. It wasn't, but Death In Heaven does offer a good hint that series...