Candy Jar Round Up

Monday, 10 February 2025 - Reported by Marcus

Companions: More Than 60 Years Of Doctor Who Assistants

Companions: More Than 60 Years of Doctor Who Assistants has expanded to 700 pages, and is now available to buy from Candy Jar Books.

Doctor Who was never really about the Doctor. This is the story of the Time Lord’s companions – friends through all time and space.

Discover the journeys of every one of the Doctor’s assistants, from Susan, Ian Chesterton, and Barbara Wright, to Fifteenth Doctor companion, RubySunday; including their adventures off-screen, in novels, comics, and audio .

Companions: More Than Sixty Years of Doctor Who Assistants is an in-depth account of each companion, examining their arcs, significance in the TV series, and how they traversed different times, places, and mediums. Relive their travels on television. Learn what companions did after they left the TARDIS. And meet the Doctor’s wider network of friends, from Evelyn Smythe to Liv Chenka, Professor Bernice Summerfield to his grandchildren, John and Gillian. See the universe anew through their eyes.

The original Companions book by Andy Frankham-Allen was released in 2013, and came to just over 300 pages. This new edition, updated by Philip Bates covers every companion from Susan, Barbara Wright, and Chesterton, to Ruby Sunday – and brings right up to date with a section on Anita Benn, who stayed with the Fifteenth Doctor for a year in the most recent Christmas special, Joy to the World!

When it became clear how much more we wanted to cover this time around, we knew the page count was going to swell, but I think it’s surprised everyone to learn by how much!

Companions: More Than 60 Years of Doctor Who Assistants now includes:

Updated sections dedicated to every single regular TV companion, including Jamie McCrimmon, Sarah Jane Smith, Peri Brown, RoseTyler, Amy Pond and Rory Williams, Bill Potts, and Yasmin Khan.
Expanded chapters on the multimedia adventures of TV companies, featuring details of what happened to them after they left the TARDIS, and bringing each one up to date to form a definitive guide to their journeys on screen and off.
Companions exclusive to the Expanded Universe, including JeremyFitzoliver (introduced in The Paradise of Death); Mrs Wibbsey (from the Nest Cottage audio series); Doctor Who Magazine original characters like Sharon Davies, Sir Justin, Kroton, and Fey Truscott-Sade; Stacy Townsend and Ssard from the Radio Times; Big Finish companions like Oliver Harper, Anya Kingdom, Hebe Harrison, Elizabeth Klein, Lucie Miller, Nova, and Valarie Lockwood; characters who feature in novels such as Fitzgerald ‘Fitz’ Kreiner, PrincessFreydis of Trondheim and Henrik, Chris Cwej, Cinder, and GrantMarkham; and other comic companions like Alice Obiefune, Josephine ‘Josie’ Day, Heather McCrimmon… and even a roboticTyrannosaurus Rex called Kevin!
New chapters for the companions of the Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Doctors, as well as sections for the War Doctor and Fugitive Doctor.
A brand-new chapter on the Eighth Doctor’s companions like GraceHolloway, Molly O’Sullivan, C’rizz, Liv Chenka and Helen Sinclair, Lady Audacity Montague, Compassion, Izzy Sinclair and Destrii, Cass, Samantha Jones, and more.
Sections throughout about River Song, noting down her meetings with numerous Doctors.
An essay asking what makes a character into a companion.
An examination of Ace’s various timelines and endings, and how they tally with her inclusion in The Power of the Doctor, alongside updated entries for Tegan Jovanka, Donna Noble, Wilfred Mott, and Melanie Bush to account for their adventures with the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Doctors.
An updated look at the roles of Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart and his daughter, Kate Stewart – and of UNIT – in the doctor’s life.
A new cover and afterword by Doctor Who artist, Colin Howard.

One of its authors, Philip Bates (100 Objects of DrWho; UNIT: The Benton Files III) told us more

Shaun [Russell, Candy Jar Head of Publishing] approached me to work on this amazing project years ago. I’ve been the editor of a site called The Doctor Who Companion since 2016, so through that, I got to know Shaun– and of course, Andy [Frankham-Allen], who wrote the originalCompanions: Fifty Years of Doctor Who Assistants more than ten years ago. They wanted to revisit Companions and Andy always has a lot of work on his plate, so it was a real honour to be asked to update it.

A massive amount. Massive! Everyone was shocked at how much more. We’ve gone from around 300 pages [in 2013] to 700 pages. We’ve widened our criteria for who counts as a companion, so we’ve added new people or gone into greater detail in the intervening years as well. Every chapter and companion has been added to, and whereas the page count ten years ago was stricter, now, Shaun gave me free rein, meaning I could fully explore every companion .The Expanded Universe parts really grew because of this. The EighthDoctor chapter is huge now! We’ve got sections on Charley Pollard, C’rizz, Molly O’Sullivan, Liv Chenka, Compassion, Izzy Sinclair, Destrii, and more.

There’s a new essay that opens the book asking that question. I think most people have a gut instinct about who’s a companion and who isn’t, and there’s not a set criteria. Some people would say that only companies travel in the TARDIS, but that would exclude Liz Shaw and instead include much of the cast of Earthshock. That would be insane. We’ve covered who our instincts say and perhaps then some. We’re generous with it, and largely base it on who the Doctor is close to and who spends a lot of time with the Time Lord. So River Song has been added; so too Grace Holloway. Adelaide Brooke, much as Lindsay Duncan and The Waters of Mars are fantastic, doesn’t count. You’re always going to annoy someone for any exclusions, but there has to be a cut-off point.

I think it’d be impossible to include everyone, but then, I don’t think you really appreciate how many companions there have been until you actually do a deep dive. It’d be like Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band to the nth degree. You can’t give all the companions a starring role on the cover, sadly, much as we might like to. I love the cover. It’s a new composition by Colin Howard, who worked on many covers for the VHS range in the 1990s and lots more besides. I remember seeing his artwork when I first got into Doctor Who and adoring it – now, Col’s done a cover for a book that I’ve written! That’smindblowing to this Who fan.

Carefully! When I wrote 100 Objects of Dr Who, I wanted to cover River in a really unusual way, so I did it chronologically, i.e. from her graffitiing the cliff-face on Planet One, the oldest planet in the universe [seen in ThePandorica Opens], then tracking her through time. That fitted their reverence of 100 Objects, but not Companions. I needed something more… well, authoritative and useful for anyone reading, whether they’re a long-term fan or brand new. So River gets TV chapters with the Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Doctors, and each details her adventures in the order of her life. So The Time of Angels/ Flesh and Stone, for example, takes place, for River, after ThePandorica Opens/ The Big Bang. I think that’s most helpful for anyone who can’t always get River’s chronology in their heads. Then her Expanded Universe stories are covered with their respective Doctors, meaning River features throughout.

Yeah, that was a difficult one. Generally, however, the book is in-universe,so we’ve covered those characters because this is the story of Doctor Whoas a narrative, largely speaking. Plus, I think it’s unfair that a character is excluded based on the actions of, say, an actor, whereas that character is also a product of showrunners, writers, directors, producers, etc. You risk devaluing the work of other people based solely on one person. So we’ve asked if a character is a companion, and if we think the answer is yes, then we include them, no matter what’s happened behind the scenes.

I think whenever you approach something like this, you’ve got to find the joy in every character you’re writing about. Of course, I have favourite eras, but hopefully, readers won’t be able to tell –my aim is to cater for fans of every companion.

Yes, actually, and this surprised me. I appreciated the Thirteenth Doctor era a bit more. I didn’t typically think some of her companions were fleshed out enough, or written consistently enough, but then, working on the section for Yasmin Khan particularly made me question whether her police training and faith were handled better than I initially thought.Other eras I’ve always loved have gone further up in my estimation too, especially the Second, Fifth, and Eleventh Doctors’ eras. And I loved writing about Bill Potts and Nardole: during Series 10, I didn’t thinkNardole was really well utilised, but looking back, he added a lot to the Twelfth Doctor’s tenure.

Ah, if I told you, they wouldn’t be surprises! But yes, I think the book has quite a lot that a lot of readers won’t expect necessarily. The War Doctor’scompanions have a nice little section, for instance; the Fugitive Doctortoo.The book comes with a playlist as well. Each companion is represented by two songs – Fox on the Run and Paint It Black for Turlough, for example –forming this long list of tunes to accompany your reading. I reckon a few song choices will surprise me. As soon as I thought of the right songs forKamelion, I was giggling to myself, so it’s a mix of tongue-in-cheek tracks and more heartfelt ones.

UNIT: The Secret Of Foxfell Forest

Candy Jar is pleased to announce the third novel in its UNIT range, The Secret of Foxfell Forest, by popular writer Nick Walters.

Range Editor Tim Gambrell tells how this book came about.

Nick contributed one of the early Lethbridge-Stewart novels, Mutually Assured Domination, so it adds a pleasant symmetry having him write one of the first UNIT novels, too. We talked over some initial ideas before Nick suggested he bring back the Valethske from his 2001 BBC PDASuperior Beings. When he laid out the basic premise of The Secret of Foxfell Forest, I knew we were on to a winner.

The story of The Secret of FoxfellForest goes back a long way. It’s an idea I had right after writing Superior Beings, over twenty years ago. What if the theValethske crash-landed on Earth? How would they survive? Because they see humans only as prey – they do not differentiate between us and, say, pigs. They are inimical to humans. If you encounter them, it’s game over, man, game over! But stranded on Earth and outnumbered, a handful of Valethskewould need to find new ways to adapt and survive.

So when I was asked to do a UNIT story, this idea resurfaced.UNIT versus the Valethske – it was irresistible. But I wanted this to be more than a mere shoot-em-up, as there’s more to UNIT and the Valethske than that. I wanted to show how UNIT deals intelligently and compassionately with alien threats, and how the Valethske are not mere monsters, but people in their own right, without compromising either. UNIT are still a force to be reckoned with –and the Valethske are still something to be feared. And without giving too much away, they retain their savage integrity right to the end.

The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: The Pennyworth Recursion

Candy Jar Books is thrilled to announce an exciting new addition to The Lucy Wilson Mysteries series: The PennyworthRecursion.

Penned by veteran Lucy Wilson author Chris Lynch, this short story continues the adventures of Lucy and Hobo.

Publishing Co-ordinator, Keren Williams, shares her enthusiasm:

Chris has been with us since the inception of this series and has a remarkable grasp of the characters, especially Hobo. Whenever I get a Chris story for proofing, I know that I’m going to have a fantastic couple of days!

The Pennyworth Recursion reintroduces the character of Pennyworth, originally seen in the Lethbridge-Stewart novel, The George Kostinen Mystery. Pennyworth, a robot Yeti created by Hobo, aids him in navigating his bleak, dystopian life. This story features multiple versions of Pennyworth from alternate dimensions!

Lucy and Hobo embark on an old-world coach trip to Bledoe. It's a trap, but with tickets priced at just 1p, how can they resist? Or more accurately, how can Hobo resist? Lucy isn't convinced the price is worth the ride…On a musty old coach packed with OAPs, they find solace in Pennyworth, a virtual, portable assistant created by Hobo. However, their luck takes a turn when Pennyworth calculates their chances of reaching Bledoe are…zero. Robotic Yetis appear from nowhere – one in a cowboy hat, another wearing a football kit, and one half the size of the others! Despite their differences, they all share one name: Pennyworth

Nobody’s House (Credit: Candy Jar)

Nobody’s House

Candy Jar Books has announced the release of Nobody's House: The Curse of Jack Treadful, a novel by Baz Greenland.

Inspired by the British children’s television series from the 1970s, this modern retelling breathes new life into the whimsical tale of Nobody, a mischievous ghost boy who has haunted Cornerstones House for generations.

Created by Doctor Who producer Derrick Sherwin and Martin Haw, Nobody’s House introduced viewers to Nobody, a spirit determined to scare off anyone daring to enter the domain.

In The Curse of Jack Treadful, the story follows the Sinclair family as they move into Cornerstones House, unaware that a ghost named Nobody is determined to protect his home. The youngest of the family, Tom and Gilly Sinclair, soon see through Nobody’s ghostly facade, forging an unexpected friendship. Together, they must face the sinister Jack Treadful, portrayed in the original TV show by Brian Blessed, whose villainy remains a central threat in this new adaptation.