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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 showrunners Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat come together to celebrate the "phenomenal" casting of one Doctor in particular. Looking back at the Fourth Doctor era, Tom Baker assumed the role in 1974, leading the show for 172 episodes across 7 seasons. Baker's final battle against the Master (Anthony Ainley) in 1981's "Logopolis" brought his adventures to an end with the Fourth Doctor's regeneration, but he has since reprised the role in one-off appearances and audio dramas.

When speaking to Doctor Who Magazine (via RadioTimes) in a larger retrospective on Phillip Hinchcliffe's producing tenure, Moffat turned attention to the cast of that era, particularly praising Baker, Elizabeth Sladen, and Ian Marter's Tardis team of the Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, and Harry Sullivan. He went so far as to say Doctor Who hasn't a better cast, explaining:

Steven Moffat: I know this was a legacy of the previous producer, but...

Villain reveals in Doctor Who have been some of the most memorable moments over the show's tenure. Villains like the Daleks or The Weeping Angels have become some of the most iconic characters in the franchise. The Beast and The Weeping Angels are some of the doctor's most formidable foes.

Doctor Who excels at introducing scary villains at the most dramatic moment. Although the long-running sci-fi series began as a children's show and is considered family viewing today, it often uses horror elements, especially when introducing villains. Every Doctor Who companion has faced an evil being who makes them shrink back in fear or scream for help, and the Doctor is often initially at a loss as to how to stop these monsters from enacting their dark plans.

The classic series used a serialized format, which meant that stories were four or more parts each and almost every episode ended on a cliffhanger.

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,...

When it comes to sci-fi universes, Doctor Who can claim to have one of the biggest. Beyond its 60 years and counting of TV adventures, the show has three spin-off series (so far), two animated stories, one failed pilot, and a collection of licensed Doctor-less adventures, countless audios, comics, books, board games, tabletop RPGs, and that’s not including the stuff we missed which people are going to remind us about in the comments.

But there is one area where the Tardis just can’t quite seem to properly land – the world of video games.

If we look at Doctor Who’s compatriots in the Holy Triumvirate of Science Fiction Mega Franchises, Stars both Trek and Wars, this has never been as much of an issue. Star Wars was one of the first licenses to really fully embrace video games as a medium, and even if we only count the pure...

Warning: Contains Spoilers for Doctor Who: "The Star Beast."

Ncuti Gatwa's first season of Doctor Who may feature the return of the Master, teased by a comment made by Donna Noble. The possibility of the Master's return is further supported by a throwaway gag about a man with a goatee in the 60th anniversary special. The identity of the "boss" referenced by Beep the Meep in "The Star Beast" could potentially be the Master, assembling a group of alien enemies to find the Doctor.

An off-hand comment by Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) could tease the return of the Master in Ncuti Gatwa's first season of Doctor Who. The Master (Sacha Dhawan) was last seen in "The Power of the Doctor", so it's unlikely that Russell T Davies would bring them back so soon, especially in the same run of episodes as the Toymaker. However, Ncuti Gatwa is set to...

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,...

Peter Davison regrets not working with the other Doctor actors more in Doctor Who's 20th-anniversary episode due to the creative's concerns about egos and rivalry on set. "The Five Doctors" remains a standout episode in Doctor Who's history, bringing together multiple Doctors, companions, and iconic foes. While the Fifth Doctor didn't have much screen time with his predecessors, "The Five Doctors" still allowed for a showcase of each incarnation and remains a memorable celebration of Doctor Who.

Fifth Doctor actor Peter Davison shares his one regret about filming Doctor Who's 20th-anniversary story, "The Five Doctors." The actor portrayed the fifth incarnation of the Time Lord from 1982 to 1984, facing Daleks, Cybermen, and the seedy underworld of the galaxy across three seasons until he sacrificed his life in 1984's "The Caves of Androzani." Davison soon united with previous Doctor actors Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, and newcomer Richard Hurndall in...

Doctor Who's 60th anniversary specials might feature a rematch between David Tennant's Doctor and John Simm's Master, adding a twist to the storyline. The new sonic screwdriver for the 14th Doctor is inspired by the Master's laser screwdriver, potentially hinting at a connection between the two characters. Speculations are arising about the possibility of the Master or Masters returning for the anniversary, with precedent for characters making multiple appearances in the show's celebration episodes.

A Doctor Who Easter egg in the 60th anniversary specials teases a potential rematch between David Tennant's Doctor and John Simm's Master. Tennant and Simm last faced off in the Tenth Doctor's epic 2-part finale, "The End of Time", which also starred Catherine Tate as Donna Noble. Tennant and Tate return for Doctor Who's 60th anniversary specials, due to air in November, facing off against classic comic book monster Beep the Meep...

Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding) has a surprising long-awaited reunion with fellow Doctor Who companion Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) along with an old foe in a new short webisode to celebrate the re-release of the classic series' season 20. Fielding and Sutton first joined the long-running sci-fi series in 1981 during the era of Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor, remaining on the Tardis into Fifth Doctor Peter Davison's tenure until 1983 and 1984 respectively. While Sutton has yet to return to the main series, Fielding reprised the role of Tegan alongside Jodie Whittaker's Fifteenth Doctor in 2022's "The Power of the Doctor".

Ahead of David Tennant's return as The Doctor, the Doctor Who trailer for season 20's home media re-release featured a new short film that visited Fielding's Tegan in the present day.

Titled "The Passenger", the webisode seemingly picks up with Tegan after the events of "The Power of the Doctor", where...

For me it usually starts with the title, and The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971) has a doozy; provocative and exploitative, it evokes images of rituals, bloodlust, and other sundry delights. And sometimes the stars align, the film more or less living up to the promise of the title, or at least to the promise of the promise.

Released by Cannon Releasing Corp. Stateside in April and by its own Tigon Pictures in the U.K. in July, The Blood on Satan’s Claw didn’t do well; Tigon had a hit with The Witchfinder General (1968) with Vincent Price, and were looking to replicate that success. Regardless of its fate, The Blood on Satan’s Claw is an effective example of folk-horror, killer kids, and some light Satanism, as a treat.

We open on a field in early 18th Century England, as Ralph (Barry Andrews - The Spy Who Loved Me) ploughs 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,...

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,...

Alex Westthorp Oct 1, 2019

Witches, demons and ancient pagan rituals: Alex explores the use of folk horror in the Doctor's adventures...

This article originally ran on Den of Geek UK.

Thought to be a relatively recent term, coined by director Piers Haggard and popularised by Doctor Who's own Mark Gatiss, "folk horror" is essentially horror based on old countryside folklore. It is a sub-genre of occult fiction, which encompasses paganism, witchcraft, superstition, legends and the traditions of the countryside. Often texts will refer to "Green man" rituals, stone circles, Devil worship, disfigurement and the "memories" of the earth.

In the cinema, folk horror is at the fore in films like the 1967 Hammer classic The Devil Rides Out, Terence Fisher's vision of the 1934 novel by Denis Wheatley, Piers Haggard's own 1974 film Blood On Satan's Claw (which incidentally features a terrific cast including a pre-Who Anthony Ainley and a post-Who Wendy Padbury...

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...

Kayti Burt Mar 1, 2019

We've got an exclusive sneak peek at the bonus content Fathom Events will be screening alongside "Doctor Who: Logopolis."

On Wednesday, March 13th, Doctor Who fans across the U.S. will have the chance to see Tom Baker's final episode, "Logopolis," on the big screen. As previously reported, Fathom Events has teamed up with BBC Studio for a special, one-night event that will see the Fourth Doctor's final adventure screened in select theaters.

The Doctor Who episode features the first appearance of Companion Tegan (Janet Fielding), Anthony Ainley in the role of The Master, and the regeneration of the Fourth Doctor, with Peter Davison taking over the role as the Fifth Doctor. The episode sees the Doctor form a tentative truce with the Master to stop the unravelling of the universe before it's too late.

Doctor Who Season 12: What to Expect

The event will not only include the 100-minute adventure,...

Fathom Events and BBC Studios have come together to put one of Doctor Who‘s most classic stories on the big screen for the first time ever.

We are, of course, talking about 1981’s “Logopolis,” which is historic in the annals of Whovian history for being the final story of legendary Time Lord Tom Baker, who portrayed the Fourth Doctor for a whopping seven years before he passed the key to the Tardis onto Fifth Doctor Peter Davison in this adventure.

Tickets are on sale now for the one-night only event that takes place on March 13th. This “one-of-a-kind” screening, as Fathom’s official website puts it, features the original four-part story edited into a 100-minute movie. As well as the story itself, the screening will also feature a special, brand new interview with Baker and companions Janet Fielding (Tegan) and Sarah Sutton (Nyssa).

Tom Baker's Final Doctor Who Story...

Kayti Burt Jan 18, 2019

Don't miss the chance to see Classic Who episode "Logopolis" on the big screen with other Doctor Who fans.

There's nothing like watching a classic episode of Doctor Who on the big screen. It's not just about seeing something you love given the big-screen treatment; it's about sharing the experience with a bunch of other Whovians.

Fathom Events, known for bringing fan favorite TV shows to the big screen for special events, just announced they will be screening Tom Baker's final Doctor Who adventure, "Logopolis," for the first time ever. Baker, who played the Fourth Doctor, is arguably the most iconic of the Classic Doctors, and is the most familiar to American audiences, who mostly first encountered Who on public television.

The 100-minute story will come to U.S. theaters on March 13th at 7 p.m. local time. The Classic Doctor Who episode also features companion...

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,...

Pete Dillon-Trenchard Jun 24, 2017

Spoilers ahoy, as we dig through the many callbacks and references in World Enough And Time...

This article contains lots and lots of Doctor Who spoilers.

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Pain… Pain… Pain… That’s one of the main emotions I experienced while watching this week’s (rather excellent) Doctor Who, as I knew this weekly round-up of references, similarities and generally interesting ‘stuff’ was going to be a whopper. That doesn’t mean I haven’t missed anything, though, so if you spot something I’ve not mentioned, do the honourable thing and leave it in the comments section below...

Poll Winners’ Party

So, Genesis Of The Cybermen, then. In case you missed the episode’s biggest sledgehammer of a reference,...

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 Jun 17, 2017

Doctor Who series 10 episode 10 is The Eaters Of Light. And we've been digging into it right here...

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve waited for 54 years for Doctor Who to explain why crows sound like they do, so now that they’ve finally tackled that important issue it’s time for our weekly round-up of callbacks, similarities and generally interesting things taken from this week’s episode. And as ever, if you’re sitting thinking ‘How can he have missed that?!’ (the answer is usually ‘ineptitude’), leave it down in the comments below…

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Bad cat woman

The Eaters Of Light was written by Rona Munro, an award-winning Scottish writer responsible for films including Aimee & Jaguar and Oranges And Sunshine, as well as a multitude of theatre works.

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.

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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,...

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Ground-breaking, intelligent, prescient 1970s drama Doomwatch, now out on DVD, is a British television classic...

Playing on the public's fear that 'this could actually happen', Doomwatch had a veneer of credibility unusual in the escapist television drama landscape of the late 60s/early 70s. This spring sees the most comprehensive haul of Doomwatch episodes released on DVD for the first time. The nickname for the "Department for the Observation and Measurement of Scientific Work", the series first appeared on BBC1 on Monday 9th February 1970 at 9.40pm. It followed half an hour of comedy from Kenneth Williams, which must have surely heightened its dramatic impact.

The series would run in tandem with the early Jon Pertwee era of Doctor Who; the first episode made its debut two days after part two of Doctor Who And The Silurians. The two shows undoubtedly shared a synergy of ideas - not to mention cast and crew.

“If someone who knew the future pointed out a child to you, and told you that that child would grow up totally evil, to be a ruthless dictator who would destroy millions of lives…could you then kill that child?”

It’s a classic philosophical question, one that the average person would never truly have to face. Of course, The Doctor is not the average person, and as such, has to face it nearly constantly. But never so personally, and so literally as when a young boy calls for help…and The Doctor walks away.

The Magician’S Apprentice / The Witch’S Familiar

Written by Steven Moffat

Directed by Hettie MacDonald

The Doctor lands on a planet torn asunder by war, a war going on so long that it’s using progressively declining technology – space fighters are being shot at with bows and arrows. When a young boy is trapped in a mine field,...

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...

Back to Skaro

It may surprise you to learn...

As the Doctor Who series 9 premiere approaches, we look back on the complex lifelong friendship between the Doctor and the Master...

You can never tell what your childhood friends will become. My best friend from Primary School is now an industrial designer, but that destiny wasn’t clear from our childhood activities of making a giant dartboard out of mud and attempting to complete Sonic 2 in under an hour.

Likewise, when the Master played with the Doctor on his Father’s estates, he probably didn’t know that his schoolfriend would ultimately become one of the most important beings in the universe, and that he would spend most of his life desperately attempting to attract his attention with a series of elaborate schemes.

‘You could almost say we were at school together’, said the Third Doctor, perhaps insulting Jo Grant over her lack of ability with the English language, but...

Tony Jones 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.

Mythmakers #116 is a new title (released February 2015) by Reeltime Pictures available through their Time Travel TV site. It is a 60 minute interview with Anthony Ainley recorded during a 2000 interview at an event in Sheffield by the Galaxy 4 shop. The video has a brief introduction from Nick Briggs, but the feature itself (shot from...

The post Reviewed – Mythmakers #116: Anthony Ainley 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.

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...

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.

All the way in 1984, an independent VHS company, Reeltime Pictures began releasing interviews with some of the people who made Doctor Who. It began with Michael Wisher, who appeared in various serials but is most notable as Davros in Genesis of the Daleks, and the range further expanded to include stars like Michael Craze, Sylvester McCoy,...

The post Myth Makers: Tom Baker & Anthony Ainley on DVD appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Paul Toombes has played a horror movie antagonist for years, but the wicked ways of his onscreen persona are now trickling into his real life world in 1974’s Madhouse. In 1975’s The Land That Time Forgot, World War I-era castaways wash ashore on Caprona, a place where dinosaurs still stomp the scenery. And in similar fashion to Psycho‘s Norman Bates, Ezra Cobb kills people with his mother in mind in 1974’s Deranged. Kino Lorber recently announced that they are bringing these three diverse films out on Blu-ray in the near future, and we have the trio’s release details for those interested in making them new additions to their collections.

Madhouse: Featuring a fresh HD master, Madhouse will hit Blu-ray in July. Bonus features and the cover art have not been revealed yet. Directed by Jim Clark, Madhouse stars Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Robert Quarry, and Adrienne Corri.

Synopsis: “Masters of macabre Vincent Price,...

Jonathan Appleton 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.

Coming soon from Fantom Films, The Man Behind The Master will be the first full-length biography of Anthony Ainley, who played the Doctor’s nemesis from 1981-89. Karen Louise Hollis’s book , due to be released in May, will explore Ainley’s career both as the Master and prior to that in the many roles he played on...

The post Learn About Anthony Ainley with The Man Behind The Master appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

From the Macra to The Mysterious Planet, Andrew finds the gold in oft-unloved Doctor Who episodes from across the decades...

For the show's fiftieth anniversary, Doctor Who Magazine ran a new poll ranking the 241 stories up to and including The Time Of The Doctor. The Twin Dilemma came last again, having done so in 2009 survey, and though it does have many faults, it isn't completely bad. Colin Baker blazes his way haughtily through it, and the story noticeably lacks energy when he's off screen. Perhaps it might have been marginally better just to have had the Sixth Doctor and Peri go to a Little Chef so he could complain about the service.

In the lower half of the poll (compiled by people rating all the stories out of ten) are some pretty good stories, or at least ones that arguably don't deserve to be there. We've therefore compiled a list...

We might not have seen the last of Missy in Doctor Who, according to Mr Steven Moffat…

This article contains spoilers for Doctor Who episodes Dark Water and Death In Heaven.

As you might expect, this article is very spoiler-y. As such, the spoilers won't start coming under after the picture of Daphne, our trusty Spoiler Squirrel. Scroll down, and you're on your own. Daphne can no longer protect you...

Michelle Gomez fans, rejoice – we may not have seen the last of Missy after all.

It may not come as a complete surprise, but it seems the ever-teasing Steven Moffat hasn’t ruled out a return for The Master’s new female form.

The hows and whys? Moffat is taking some inspiration from the classic years on that front, it would seem.

“I always rather enjoyed how they handled this problem when the wonderful Anthony Ainley was playing the part in the 80s,...

Missy -> Mistress -> Master. We should've really seen it coming, and to be fair, some of us did.

He's a notorious insatiable fibber, that Steven Moffat, so as soon as Doctor Who's head writer, executive producer and chief keeper of secrets declares an element from the show's past "over" and "done", it's a fair bet that said element will be rearing its head sometime soon.

Just so, Michelle Gomez was unveiled as the ninth actor to play the maniac Time Lord on Saturday night, and the first ever female to take on the part - a game-changing moment in Doctor Who history.

But if you're a series newcomer with no clue who this 'Master' is - or you're only familiar with depictions of the character post-2005 - then Digital Spy has assembled all of the pertinent information you'll need before this week's 'Death in Heaven'.

1971-73

Doctor Who...

Doctor Who kicked off its two-part series finale tonight (November 1) with 'Dark Water' – and it certainly was action packed.

Danny Pink faced certain doom, The Doctor and Clara Oswald were at odds like never before, and those metal monsters the Cybermen returned.

However, the most shocking moment came right at the end of the episode when Missy's identity was revealed, after she had been spying on The Doctor for a full series.

The Queen of the Nethersphere revealed that she is, in fact, The Doctor's long-time enemy The Master.

Michelle Gomez is following in the footsteps of Roger Delgado, Anthony Ainley, and more recently Sir Derek Jacobi and John Simm in playing the renegade Time Lord.

Were you satisfied with Missy's identity? How can The Doctor find his way out of this grave trap in next week's finale 'Death in Heaven'?

Check out our review of 'Dark Water',...

Warning: This article contains spoilers which some readers may wish to avoid.

Doctor Who revealed the true identity of Missy (Michelle Gomez) in tonight's episode 'Dark Water'.

The enigmatic villain was unmasked as a new incarnation of The Master in the first of a two-part finale.

First appearing in Doctor Who in 1971, The Master – a rival Time Lord – was originally played by Roger Delgado.

Peter Pratt, Geoffrey Beevers, Anthony Ainley, Eric Roberts and Derek Jacobi have all taken on the part, with John Simm last playing the character in 2010.

Gomez – who first appeared as 'Missy' in Doctor Who's series eight premiere 'Deep Breath – is the first female actor to ever play The Master.

Doctor Who continues next Saturday (November 8) with special hour-long episode 'Death in Heaven' bringing its latest series to a close.

Doctor Who series 8 finale: Read synopsis for 'Death in Heaven'

Doctor Who:...

If you grew up in the 1980s, then no doubt you'll remember ITV's very own take on the Robin Hood legend. Robin Of Sherwood would face the formidable presence of the Sheriff of Nottingham on a weekly basis, and would do so while flicking his girly locks from side to side to the ethereal dulcet tones of Clannad.

Robin Of Sherwood went out between 1984 and 1986, which was to be one of Doctor Who's best forgotten periods of history. As the old saying goes, civilisations rise and civilisations fall, and in the mid 1980s, Doctor Who's cosy little world was in danger of crumbling. Some of the fans were turning up their noses at John Nathan Turner's stewardship, while the evil big shots at the BBC were rubbing their hands in glee at the 18-month hiatus. About 30 years later, the presence of Robin Hood again caused dissension in the ranks.

Doctor Who, Season 8, Episode 3, “Robot of Sherwood”

Written by Mark Gatiss

Directed by Paul Murphy

Airs Saturdays at 9pm Et on BBC America

This week, on Doctor Who: Clara meets Robin Hood, the Doctor cheats at archery, and Robin laughs too much

Series eight of Doctor Who has started off with a bang, establishing a new and improved dynamic between the (Twelfth) Doctor and Clara, slowing down the pace, and prizing character work over plot twists. That threatens to falter here, with the series returning to the Doctor Who as fairy tale theme that so heavily infused series five through seven, but fortunately the episode’s sense of humor keeps it on track. “Robot of Sherwood” is a lark, but it’s a self-aware one, with enough pathos peppered in to temper the treacle.

Mark Gatiss is Doctor Who’s go-to writer for historical stories, with “The Crimson Horror...

BBC

Well I think everyone can agree that we certainly needed that. After one episode of him possibly getting a bit murder-y and another of his hatred being enough to turn a Dalek into Space Judas, Robot Of Sherwood finally gives the Twelfth Doctor some levity. And Peter Capaldi the chance to show off his comedy chops without turning the air blue.

Mark Gatiss pulls off a hat trick of strong scripts after last year’s The Crimson Horror and the 50th Anniversary biopic An Adventure In Space And Time with an episode that does what Doctor Who often avoids for fear of failing: an episode deliberately weighted towards comedy. And this time it succeeds on pretty much every level. It also really invokes the feeling of Classic Who with references to old episodes flung about as often as arrows, a visual homage to State Of Decay (1980) at the climax,...

Ever since Former Doctor Who Star Sylvester McCoy revealed that he had some inside information on the upcoming season 8 episodes of the popular BBC series--which will feature Peter Capaldi stepping into the iconic role of the heroic Time Lord—there has been speculation that the Doctor’s greatest rival, the Master, will be back. If he does return, who should play him?

Back in March, Sylvester Mc Coy--who portrayed the enigmatic seventh Doctor in the classic Doctor Who series—gave an interview with Zap2it at the Newcastle Film and Comic Convention, where he reported that he had inside information on the return of the Doctor’s arch rival, the Master. According to McCoy, the newest incarnation of the Master will be “very, very scary”. Furthermore, there is a picture from this season of a shrunken Tardis (see below) and we all know that in the classic series, the Master loved to shrink things.

Ever since Former Doctor Who Star Sylvester McCoy revealed that he had some inside information on the upcoming season 8 episodes of the popular BBC series--which will feature Peter Capaldi stepping into the iconic role of the heroic Time Lord—there has been speculation that the Doctor’s greatest rival, the Master, will be back. If he does return, who should play him?

Back in March, Sylvester Mc Coy--who portrayed the enigmatic seventh Doctor in the classic Doctor Who series—gave an interview with Zap2it at the Newcastle Film and Comic Convention, where he reported that he had inside information on the return of the Doctor’s arch rival, the Master. According to McCoy, the newest incarnation of the Master will be “very, very scary”. Furthermore, there is a picture from this season of a shrunken Tardis (see below) and we all know that in the classic series, the Master loved to shrink things.

Pinches of salt at the ready, The Daily Star has published its latest Doctor Who exclusive...

News

Potential spoilers for Doctor Who series 8 if there's the slightest chance this rumour is true.

First off, there might be something to this one, even if it does come from The Daily Star's wonder emporium.

Noises have been heard for a while now about the planned return of The Master to Doctor Who, and now a tabloid has thrown its er, weight behind them. As reported by Doctor Who TV, The Daily Star has announced that Who "bosses have secretly plotted to bring back the Time Lord's arch enemy for a big cliffhanger", adding "it's rumoured that they're looking for a Hollywood actor to take on the role".

John Simm was of course the most recent actor to take on the role of the Master in Doctor Who, the latest on a list...

Former Spooks star Hermione Norris will guest star in Doctor Who.

The BBC has confirmed that Norris will feature in series eight of Doctor Who in an episode that is set in Lanzarote and written by Wallander's Peter Harness.

We're delighted to confirm that Hermione Norris will guest star in the new series of #DoctorWho! pic.twitter.com/AJbWveZRQj

— Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) May 11, 2014

Norris is perhaps best known for portraying MI5 agent Ros Myers in the spy drama Spooks, and has had other memorable parts in Wire in the Blood and Cold Feet.

Norris said of appearing in Doctor Who: "It's exciting to be part of such an iconic show, and one that my kids can watch!"

Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat added: "It's a testament to the quality of Peter Harness's intense and emotional script, that we've been able to attract an actress of the brilliance of Hermione Norris.