Houdini and The Doctor share a long hot summer

It's become somewhat of a tradition for a new Doctor (Who) to namecheck Houdini. That was the case again in the Doctor Who 2023 Christmas Special: The Church on Ruby Road, which introduced Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor. 

In the episode, the Doctor and his latest companion, Ruby, are tied up in an alien ship. The Doctor quickly frees himself, and Ruby asks how he did it...

Later in the episode, Ruby figures out the Doctor is a time traveler by recalling his reference to Houdini...

Even the official Doctor Who Facebook page (below) celebrated the reference. Are they setting us up for a proper Houdini meets the Doctor episode? The summer of 1926 was a hot and wet one. Just saying.

Thanks to Whovian Athena Stamos for the tip and pics.

Related:

• Houdini and the Doctor reunite in STAR TALES
• Harry Houdini's War is at peace with the facts
• Houdini and The Doctor meet again!

Houdini and the Doctor reunite in STAR TALES

In the first season of Jodie Whittaker's Doctor Who, the Doctor name-checked Houdini, saying how she once spent a "wet weekend" with the escapist. Now Houdini and the Doctor are reunited in this clever collection of adventures pairing the Doctor with famous personalities.

‘Even though they’re gone from the world, they’re never gone from me.’ 

The Doctor is many things – curious, funny, brave, protective of her friends...and a shameless namedropper. While she and her companions battled aliens and travelled across the universe, the Doctor hinted at a host of previous, untold adventures with the great and the good: we discovered she got her sunglasses from Pythagoras (or was it Audrey Hepburn?); lent a mobile phone to Elvis; had an encounter with Amelia Earhart where she discovered that a pencil-thick spider web can stop a plane; had a 'wet weekend' with Harry Houdini, learning how to escape from chains underwater; and more. 

In this collection of new stories, Star Tales takes you on a rip-roaring ride through history, from 500BC to the swinging 60s, going deeper into the Doctor's notorious name-dropping and revealing the truth behind these anecdotes.

The Houdini story is by Steve Cole and is called "Who-Dini?" It's narrated in part by a thinly disguised Dorothy Young ("Dorothy Smith"). While the story doesn't actually chronicle the aforementioned "wet weekend", it's a fun romp set in Chicago in 1926 and finds Harry and Bess interacting with two different Doctors. And it has a nice surprise ending.

Doctor Who: Star Tales is released today in the UK in hardcover and can be purchased at Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

Related:

• Houdini gets a Doctor Who namecheck
• Harry Houdini's War is at peace with the facts
• Who-dini audiobook available in U.S.

Harry Houdini's War is at peace with the facts

Big Finish has released their Doctor Who audio drama Harry Houdini's War on CD in the UK. This is the conclusion of a trilogy of adventures with the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker) and features Houdini played by John Schwab.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audio play, and while I don't think I'm versed enough in Doctor Who to compare it to other Who adventures, I can review its use of Houdini.

It's clear writer Steve Lyons and all involved have done their homework. Peppered throughout the production are snippets of authentic Houdini history, kicking off with the first lines of dialogue which are a recreation of Houdini's Water Torture Cell patter taken from his only known voice recording. John Schwab nicely imitates Houdini's super syllabic enunciation ("Lay-dees and gen-tell-men"). Thankfully, he doesn't keep this up or we would never get through this! Schwab's Houdini does feel deliberately contemporary (reminiscent of Michael Weston in Houdini & Doyle), but that works for the story and nicely highlights Harry as a man ahead of his time and a good fit with the Doctor.

The story opens with Houdini performing in New York City in September 1917, which is accurate (although he was only doing War benefits at this time). Houdini teaching doughboys how to escape German restraints gets a nod. His history and skills as an aviator comes into play in a major way. We also hear mention of his movie work, his handcuff escapes in Germany "a decade before", and after a Tardis time warping makes him a day older (or is he younger?), Houdini quips, "I'll have to change my birthday...again." Hey, we get that!

Also mentioned is Houdini being turned down as too old to enlist, although John Schwab sounds younger than Houdini's 43 years at this time. The Water Torture Cell gets a lot of attention. We even get to hear "Asleep in the Deep" during the performance. Okay, Houdini used "The Diver" for the Water Torture Cell and "Asleep in the Deep" for the Milk Can, but it's creative license and "Asleep in the Deep" works better. The fact that they used any authentic Houdini music gets a big thumbs up from me.

The CD also includes 10 minutes of interviews in which Houdini is discussed by the producer, director, and stars Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, and John Schwab.

I'm not generally a fan of Houdini fiction, but this is a case where it is all done right. They frame their fiction with facts instead of bending Houdini history to fit their story. It's a class act by Big Finish.

Alt cover with Colin Baker era DOCTOR WHO logo.

You can purchase Doctor Who: Harry Houdini's War audio CD at Amazon.co.uk. In the U.S. you can buy direct from Big Finish.

Thanks to Athena Stamos.

Related:

• Houdini and The Doctor regenerate
• Houdini and The Doctor meet again!
• The Doctor meets Houdini (at last!)

Doctor Who: Harry Houdini's War

Houdini and The Doctor are once again in action in a new audio drama by Big Finish Productions, Harry Houdini's War. This is the conclusion of a trilogy of adventures featuring the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker). Harry Houdini's War is written by Steve Lyons and features John Schwab as Houdini.

The world is at war, and Harry Houdini wants to fight for his adoptive country. He might get the chance, when an old friend crashes his New York show. 

The Doctor is on the trail of a Central Powers spy ring, which has somehow acquired unearthly technology. But he is also keeping a dangerous secret… 

Finding himself on the run behind enemy lines, the world’s greatest escape artist has to work out who he can trust – and fast.

Doctor Who: Harry Houdini's War will be released this month and can be purchased at Big Finish.

UPDATE: This can now be pre-ordered as an Audio CD at Amazon.co.uk. Release date October 31 (of course!).

UPDATE #2: Review: Harry Houdini's War is at peace with the facts.

Related:

• Houdini and The Doctor regenerate
• Houdini and The Doctor meet again!
• The Doctor meets Houdini (at last!)

Houdini gets a Doctor Who namecheck

Houdini got a nice namecheck on the last episode of Doctor Who. The new season features Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor.

While Houdini has been mentioned several times in the series, he's never actually appeared in an episode. However, Houdini and The Doctor have had adventures in spinoff media such as audiobooks and comics (see links below).

Thanks to Doctor Who cosplay cover girl Athena Stamos for the heads up.

Related:

• Houdini and The Doctor regenerate
• Who-dini audiobook available in U.S.
• The Doctor meets Houdini (at last!)

Houdini and The Doctor regenerate

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (#496) contains an original comic strip story, Theatre of Mind, featuring Houdini and the 12th Doctor (played on television by Peter Capaldi). This marks Houdini's third meeting with the Time Lord.

A TRIP TO THE THEATRE

The Doctor meets his old friend Harry Houdini and encounters some trouble at the theatre in a brand-new comic strip adventure, Theatre of Mind, written and illustrated Roger Langridge.

Doctor Who Magazine is a British publication. Issue #496 is on sale now. Click for the official website.

Thanks to Tardis.Wiki.com.

Related:

• Time for The Doctor to meet Houdini?
• The Doctor meets Houdini (at last!)
• Houdini and The Doctor meet again!

Sherlock production designer joins Houdini & Doyle

Today we have further evidence that the Houdini & Doyle TV series is moving forward. According to IMDb, Arwel Jones has joined as Production Designer. Jones is best known for his work on Sherlock and Doctor Who.

In March, FOX purchased the Houdini & Doyle idea from Sony Television and creators David Titcher, David Shore and David Hoselton. It's said that Shore will helm the 10-episode first season. The series will film in Canada and the UK.

The networks announce their lineups for next year during the week of May 11. We should learn then if we can expect to see Houdini & Doyle solving paranormal mysteries on FOX in 2016.

Related:

• Breaking: Houdini and Conan Doyle series picked up by Fox
• Houdini & Doyle - Believe It or Not!
• What's next, Hollywood?

Who-dini audiobook available in U.S.

AudioGo's Doctor Who-Houdini audiobook adventure, Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctor 5: Smoke and Mirrors, is now available in the U.S. via Amazon.com. The title was released in May in the UK. Here's the official plot description:

The Doctor answers a psionic distress call sent from England in the 1920s. There, in the environs of a fairground, he is reunited with an old friend: Harry Houdini. To Adric and Nyssa the name means very little, but to the Doctor's companion Tegan he is a legend. Escape artist extraordinaire, Houdini's reputation will last for decades. But how does Houdini know so much about Tegan herself? Is it really just guesswork, as he says? Is Houdini right to be concerned about the fairground's fortune teller, who claims to have supernatural skills? Both he and the Doctor suspect an alien influence may be at work. What neither the Doctor nor his friends realise is that, somewhere in the shadows, a sinister and all too familiar presence is lying in wait for them...

Purchase Doctor Who: Smoke and Mirrors from Amazon.com.

BBC: The new Doctor is "Houdini"

If you're a Doctor Who fan, you know that Matt Smith will be leaving the series after the Christmas special and a new actor will take his place as The 12th Doctor next season. The BBC will reveal who that actor is this Sunday on live television.

According to the Evening Standard, the BBC has instituted a codename to keep the new Doctor's identity a secret: HOUDINI.

"We can’t wait to unveil the next Doctor with everyone live on BBC1 on Sunday night," says BBC drama controller Ben Stephenson. "Amongst all the speculation and betting, there has been lots of fun and intrigue at work as we’ve been using the codename Houdini as a decoy."

Gotta love it.

Houdini and the Doctor have been engaged in quite a dance lately. Not only has Houdini been name-checked several times in the series, but recently a short story, Houdini and the Space Cuckoos, was offered on the official Doctor Who website. In May a new Doctor-Houdini adventure, Smoke and Mirrors, was released as an audiobook. There's also a new t-shirt, The Great Whodini, being offered on websites like teecraze.com.

So who is Houdini? Find out Sunday.

For a complete list of Doctor Who-Houdini references check out TardisWikia.

UPDATE: Houdini is [click here].

Houdini and The Doctor meet again!

While Houdini has been name-checked several times on the BBC series, Doctor Who (celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year), it has always surprised me that the Time Lord and the Handcuff King have never been directly teamed-up in any TV, book, or audio adventure.

Happily, this changed back in December with an online short story posted on the official Doctor Who website called, Houdini and The Space Cuckoos. But now we have an even more substantial Who-dini mash-up with Destiny of the Doctor 5: Smoke and Mirrors.

This is the fifth part of an exclusive audio series produced by Big Fish and AudioGo. Written by Steve Lyons and performed by Janet Fielding and Tim Beckmann, Smoke and Mirrors features The 5th Doctor, as played by Peter Davison, and his companions Tegan, Nyssa and Adric. Here's the official plot description:

The Doctor answers a psionic distress call sent from England in the 1920s. There, in the environs of a fairground, he is reunited with an old friend: Harry Houdini. To Adric and Nyssa the name means very little, but to the Doctor's companion Tegan he is a legend. Escape artist extraordinaire, Houdini's reputation will last for decades. But how does Houdini know so much about Tegan herself? Is it really just guesswork, as he says? Is Houdini right to be concerned about the fairground's fortune teller, who claims to have supernatural skills? Both he and the Doctor suspect an alien influence may be at work. What neither the Doctor nor his friends realise is that, somewhere in the shadows, a sinister and all too familiar presence is lying in wait for them...

Destiny of the Doctors 5: Smoke and Mirrors is available now in the UK from Amazon.co.uk. It will be released in the U.S. on June 11 and can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com.

So now we have a Who-dini adventure in print and audio. Could a TV appearance be far off?

Only a Time Lord can tell.

For a complete list of Doctor Who-Houdini references check out TardisWikia.

The Doctor meets Houdini (at last!)

While Houdini has been name-checked several times on the popular BBC series, Doctor Who, it's hard to believe that in 50 years of time travel adventures in books, film, radio and television, that we've never seen The Doctor encounter Houdini in person.

But that has finally changed with the release of the first official Doctor Who-Houdini mash-up adventure! "Houdini and The Space Cuckoos" is a short story by Joseph Lidster and is available online at the BBC One website.

Here's how the idea for a Who-dini story came about:

"Earlier this year we asked who you would like to see the Doctor meet in a future adventure. We were delighted by the huge number of responses and the enormous breadth of your suggestions.

The most popular ‘nominees’ ranged from Florence Nightingale to Nikola Tesla with writers, scientists and soldiers all having their champions. We were forced to discount characters who were fictional, so Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson had to be left in Baker Street and similarly, people we’ve already seen the Doctor encounter were eliminated, which meant figures like Shakespeare were barred.

In the end, Doctor Who’s Executive Producer Caro Skinner sifted through the most popular suggestions and picked the person from history whom the Time Lord would meet in our seasonal short story… It’s the master escapologist, Harry Houdini!"

You can download a PDF of "Houdini and The Space Cuckoos" from the Doctor Who Adventure Calendar 2012:

Click to download Part One

Click to download Part Two
Click to download Part Three
Click to download Part Four

A complete list of Doctor Who-Houdini references can be found at TARDIS Index File.

UPDATE: Check it out. This post made it (temporarily) onto the main page of the official Doctor Who website.

Time for The Doctor to meet Houdini?

A review on Doctor Oho's Big Finish Blog of the latest Doctor Who audio drama, The Minds Eye, draws attention to The Doctor's connection to Houdini. Being a fan of Doctor Who, this caught my attention, and I fully endorse the idea of a Whodini adventure.

"The Doctor has name dropped Harry Houdini so many times now over various incarnations I think we are due a first Doctor companion chronicles where they meet and get caught up in an alien invasion that requires some expert escapism. I think the first instance of his name is in Planet of the Spiders but I am willing to be corrected on that. The Doctor starts to figure how this world works and conjures up doors to escape through. In the world of dreams would a formidable foe; his imagination could probably see a way out of any situation."

Houdini was most recently name checked in The Vampires of Venice, an episode of Matt Smith's first season as the eleventh Doctor. A list of Doctor Who-Houdini references can be found at Tardis Index File.

Thanks to Athena Stamos.

Who-dini

Matt Smith, the latest incarnation of The Doctor, name checks Houdini in the Season 5 opener of the popular BBC series, Doctor Who ("The Vampires of Venice").

The scene finds the new Doctor cornered by five female vampires, and in his stream of conciseness way of speaking, he observes:

"You're like Houdini, only five slightly scary girls. And he was shorter. Will be shorter."

Here's hoping Houdini and The Doctor will meet up in the flesh some day.