Doctor Who Adventures, first published by BBC Magazines, is a fortnightly (formerly weekly) magazine aimed at younger readers. Like Panini's long-running Doctor Who Magazine, the title features a mix of articles about the series and comic strips. It isn't considered a competitor to DWM, however, as the two magazines promote each other, and unlike DWM, "DWA" isn't, as of 2013[update] available outside the United Kingdom and Ireland (mostly likely due to it being regularly published with "free gift" items, as described below). Doctor Who Adventures currently comes out every second Wednesday.
From issue 248, Doctor Who Adventures was published under licence from BBC Worldwide, by Immediate Media Company London Limited.
History
The magazine launched as a fortnightly publication with its first issue cover-dated 5 April 2006, priced £1.99. With DWA 47 (17 January 2008), this title became a weekly, available every Thursday priced £2.10 (UK). On 21 January 2010, the magazine published its 150th issue. People could subscribe to the magazine, and some who do receive theirs on a Tuesday.
From issue 160, DWA changed its format to match the branding associated with the new Eleventh Doctor era.
In 2012, DWA launched an app version for tablets which made the editorial of the magazine available internationally for the first time; as of mid-2013 only current issues are available via the app.
From issue 322, published on 5 June 2013, the magazine reverted to fortnightly publication again, and subscriptions were discontinued.[1]
Features
Regular features of the magazine include; posters, fact-files (main features), collectable one page alien guides, favourite scenes (told as photo-stories), previews, reviews, behind the scenes features, questions and answers, some interviews, and an assortment of quizzes, puzzles, activities and make-its (usually a cut-out mask), and competitions, as well as readers' letters, pictures and artwork.
The magazine also features a regular comic strip adventure.
Free Gifts
Each issue comes with a free gift, and is often sold wrapped or bagged to secure the contents.
Some gifts include a squirmy bow tie, plastic sonic screwdrivers, a series of collectible monster figures, a psychic paper notepad, a build-your-own-Cyberman kit, character masks, TARDIS wipe board, yo-yos, pens and stickers.
Readership
The Doctor Who-related free gifts (often only available in specific regions of the country), multiple covers, and UK only availability, contribute to making this title very collectable. A 2007 readers' survey revealed that even though this title is aimed at a children's market, it is read by 21% of regular Doctor Who Magazine readers of varying ages.
The Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC's) twice yearly, February 2008 report, gave the Doctor Who Adventures title a circulation figure of 150,763 a rise of some 44% on the previous six months, making it one of the top performing titles published in the UK, and positioned it top in the children's sector, and the 52nd top title overall from all categories.
However the ABC's figures for 2009 showed a nearly 50% drop in circulation, with 44,664 copies circulated between 1 July and 31 December 2009, compared to 82,205 copies moved during the same period in 2008. A statement from the managing director of BBC Children's Magazines attributed the drop to the lack of a regular Doctor Who series in 2009, and indicated that the company is committed to continuing the magazine into 2010.[1]
Age Group
The magazine, unlike Doctor Who Magazine, is aimed at children 4 and up. Most of the magazines have no spoilers and humour aimed at children.
Cover Galleries and Issue Links by Year
Launched with the face of the Tenth Doctor, the Eleventh Doctor took prominance from issue 160
- Doctor Who Adventures 2006 Issues Issue 1 to Issue 19
- Doctor Who Adventures 2007 Issues Issue 20 to Issue 45
- Doctor Who Adventures 2008 Issues Issue 46 to Issue 95
- Doctor Who Adventures 2009 Issues Issue 96 to Issue 147
- Doctor Who Adventures 2010 Issues Issue 148 to Issue 198
- Doctor Who Adventures 2011 Issues Issue 199 to Issue 249
- Doctor Who Adventures 2012 Issues Issue 250 to Issue 300
- Doctor Who Adventures 2013 Issues Issue 301 to Issue 335
- Doctor Who Adventures 2014 Issues Issue 336 onward
Promotions
Radio Times
- The official BBC TV and radio listing magazine featured a number of promotional material.
- Besides full page advertisements and mentions, the 11 October 2008 edition also included an extensive 8-page pull-out advert for Doctor Who Adventures offering a special subscription offer which for forgoing the regular gifts with each issue offered a number of more substantial gifts spaced throughout the year including birthdays and Christmas.
USB Giveaway
- Promoting the return of the Doctor in the Easter Special (Planet of the Dead) a set of three USB devices were available to order online (featuring The Tenth Doctor, Daleks and Cybermen) from Expansive Media costing £2.99 p&p each.
- Each USB featured some preloaded material.
- Promotions ran in The Daily Telegraph newspaper, and BBC Magazines' Radio Times and Doctor Who Adventures titles.
Mirror Newspaper Giveaway
- In Summer 2009, the Daily Mirror newspaper promoted the Doctor Who Adventures in a series of giveaway special edition magazines in consecutive Saturday editions, featuring reprinted material from the magazine.
- The first two were separate 16-page giveaways magazines and included the comic strip stories Hear No Evil and The Ball and Chain Gang respectively and a £1-off voucher.
- The following four were mini-mags and formed an eight-page pullout in the TV listing magazine.
- In addition the Mirror's sister title, the Sunday Mirror included in its 7 June 2009 edition an A4 foldout poster featuring the Tenth Doctor on one side and a Dalek maze on the reverse from issue 99.
- A further mini-mag was offered with the Saturday edition of 19 December 2009, prior to broadcast the Tenth Doctor's swansong.
- Issued in the week before The End of Time broadcast, this special issue from the Doctor Who Adventures team included photos and features that included 'Who is the Doctor?','What we love about Who at Christmas!','The End of Time preview','Double page Tenth Doctor and Alien foes poster', 'Top 10 Tenth Doctor Moments','Who says? (quotes)', 'The 10 Doctors' (plus the Eleventh), and 'The Tenth Doctor's Adventures'.
- Unlike the previous special releases the content was all-new and both written and presented for an older age-group than the weekly Doctor Who Adventures title which may explain why this issue is totally advert free (including the DWA title).
- In October 2012 following the first half of series 7, the Mirror newspaper ran a further offer of three posters available by collecting 2 of 3 printed tokens. Each newsprint ad that appeared, featured a box article promoting Doctor Who Magazine - the biggest mag for monsters.