Kaffeeklatsch Update

Online sign-ups for our 2023 Kaffeeklatsches program have now closed.  Sign-ups will reopen on site at our Kaffeeklatsches desk at the convention, beginning on Friday morning, February 16 at 10:00am.

If you signed up during the online event, we have reached out via email already to everyone who has received a kaffeeklatsch assignment.  If you haven’t seen an email, check your junk mail folder, or visit the Kaffeeklatsch Desk on February 16.

A kaffeeklatsch (pronounced “coffee-klatch”) is an informal gathering of one or more guests with up to 12 attendees discussing their work; they take place in a small board room next to the elevator lobby and attendees are provided coffee & tea as part of the event. Kaffeeklatsches are very popular at Gallifrey One and take place with 20-30 of our guests throughout the weekend, and each run one hour.

Brief Guest Update

We’re happy to say that our long-time guest and friend of Gallifrey One David Gerrold will be attending this year’s convention, even though he recently moved out of state.  David will be participating in a kaffeeklatsch on Friday evening and a panel on Saturday, as well as a couple autograph sessions.  We are always happy to see David and glad he was able to join us again.

Evening Guest Receptions Update

We have some updated guest lineups for multiple sessions of the Gallifrey One 2024 Evening Guest Receptions, adding additional participants.  A link to purchase tickets for the receptions is at the bottom.

• Friday 6:30pm (sold out): Derek Jacobi, Billie Piper, Sally Knyvette, Brian Croucher, Camille Coduri, Shaun Dingwall, Ray Holman, Jaye Griffiths, Jonathon Carley, Dominic Glynn
• Friday 8:00pm (sold out): Alex Kingston, Segun Akinola, Jacqueline King, Matthew Waterhouse, Annette Badland, Gigi Edgley, Stephen Cole, John Dorney, Kevin Jon Davies, Susanna Malak
• Saturday 5:00pm: Derek Jacobi, Eric & Eliza Roberts, Jan Chappell, Sally Knyvette, Jaye Griffiths, Jonathon Carley, Gigi Edgley
• Saturday 6:30pm: Billie Piper, Camille Coduri, Shaun Dingwall, Brian Croucher, Ray Holman, Stephen Cole, Lisa McMullin, John Dorney, Susanna Malak
• Saturday 8:00pm: Alex Kingston, Matthew Waterhouse, Jacqueline King, Annette Badland, Kevin Jon Davies, Dominic Glynn, Tony Lee, Gigi Edgley

To purchase Evening Guest Receptions, click the button below
(you must already have a ticket to Gallifrey One 2024)

Purchase Evening Guest Receptions

The post Kaffeeklatsch Update & More first appeared on Gallifrey One 2024.

Convention Schedule Updates

Today we’ve updated the Gallifrey One Schedule of Events to add all the remaining items that weren’t on the first edition, including: all photo ops currently scheduled; the autograph sessions with guests sponsored by Showmasters Events; our remaining optional add-on events (including the TARDIS Tag meet & greets and the two remaining script readings); and the schedule for our children’s programming.  These join the rest of our program schedule, gaming schedule, additional autographs and much more, which have already been available on the online schedule.  (Video room programming is not posted online and can be found in your souvenir program book, given to you at badge pickup.)

We’ve also added several new meet-up events happening at the convention in recent days, including many suggested by our attendees.  Be sure to filter the online schedule by Social Events & Meet-Ups to see the wide range of events happening at this year’s convention… including even more Ribbon Exchange events that begin as early as Wednesday evening (February 14)!  Meet-ups at Gallifrey One usually take place in one of four areas: our Program E room on the convention floor, the hotel’s convention center patio (outside the glass doors on the convention level), in the Marriott’s hotel lobby, or in the hotel pool deck.  The pool area, as well as our Children’s Programming room, can be accessed from the first floor via elevators, or by stairs down from the hotel lobby level (next to the gift shop.)  

Click Here: Gallifrey One 2024 Schedule of Events

We’d also like to share that our Autograph Alley has been moved back into the Dealers Room, and can once again be found (like in previous years) at the back of the room.  Meanwhile, our fan exhibitor tables have been moved back out into the hallway across from the Art Show and the exit to the Photo Studio, and our Cosplay Repair Shop further back in the same hallway opposite the Video Room (this is where both were located prior to the pandemic.)  You can find an updated version of our floor map on the Gallifrey One Attendee Guide.

We know many new attendees have asked about autograph sessions; a complete guide to autographs can be found later in this news post, as well as on the Attendee Guide.  Speaking of which…

Attendee Guide Fully Updated

The Gallifrey One Attendee Guide is a great resource here on our website that should be able to answer most, if not all, of your questions about the convention, especially for first-time attendees.  Items that you can find on the Attendee Guide include what you need to bring with you and what to do when you get here, how to find everything, and so much more.  Everything we post here is usually posted on the Attendee Guide (or links are provided to same).  You can also access the Attendee Guide via the handy link at the top of the page, just below the convention logo.

Ticket Sales Deadline… and On-Site Sales!

Tickets to the 2024 Gallifrey One convention will remain on sale this year until Tuesday, February 13 at 12:00pm Pacific Time (3:00pm Eastern / 8:00pm UK) while supplies last.  While we’ve sold the vast majority of our tickets for this year, we do have some still left for purchase at our regular rates: $125 for adults, $75 for teens (12-16), $35 for children (3-11).  We do not sell single-day tickets.

Click Here: Purchase Gallifrey One 2024 Tickets

At this time, we expect to get close to, but not quite reach, a sellout (although we are currently at 95% of the way to our sales cap).  If tickets are still available — and we will make an announcement if we expect there to be — we will reopen ticket sales at the door for the first time in many years.  Prices at the door, however, will be $15 per ticket higher than in advance ($140 for adults, $90 for teens, $50 for children.)  If you are planning to attend the convention but haven’t yet purchased your ticket, we encourage you to do so sooner rather than later; we can’t promise we’ll have any still available at the door.

If you aren’t sure if you have purchased a ticket, we encourage you to please search through your email for “Member Solutions“.  Member Solutions is our current ticket provider; WE DO NOT USE EVENTBRITE for convention ticket sales!!   We are (well, our program director is) currently getting inundated with emails from attendees wanting to check on their ticket status, and we think most of you are searching for EventBrite mentions.  Thank you for your understanding.

As a reminder, we will also have a limited number of convention T-shirts and tote bags available for sale at the Gallifrey One Merchandise tables in the back of the Dealers Room, while supplies last; this is also where you can pick up your pre-ordered shirts and totes during regular Dealers Room hours.  Additionally, you will still be able to purchase photo ops, autographs for Showmasters-sponsored guests (see autograph section below) and admission to any of the receptions or VIP events if space is still available, all at the Showmasters table in the convention center foyer on Thursday late afternoon (same area as badge pickuip), or just outside the Dealers Room during the convention.

Gallifrey One Health Policy

As we rapidly approach the launch of the convention, many people have been asking us about our health policy, specifically as it pertains to COVID-19 and our requirements during the past two years.  While this information has been available on the Attendee Guide and our Convention Policies page for months, we’d like to make sure everyone sees it here:

• We strongly recommend all attendees receive vaccination from viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and influenza as soon as possible.
• We strongly recommend all attendees over the age of two wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status except when actively eating or drinking, and to follow the California Department of Public Health guidance for face coverings. (https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Guidance-for-Face-Coverings.aspx)
• We strongly recommend considering testing (if available) or self-isolation at home if you are currently feeling symptoms of illness.
• We strongly recommend following the CDC’s guidance on hand washing. (https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html)

COVID-19 vaccination documentation is not required at Convention Registration to receive your badge, only photo identification.  We will not require the use of face masks at this time, though again, we highly encourage everyone to do so.  (All COVID-19 mandates enacted by the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, and the state of California during the COVID-19 pandemic have ended.)  For more details, see the “Current Health Policy” section of the Attendee Guide.

Guest Updates

As we get much closer to the convention, we have some additional people joining us this year.  First, long-time Gallifrey One guest and supporter Gigi Edgley (Chiana on the sci-fi series Farscape) will be signing in our Dealers Room at her own table; she’ll also be part of the Evening Guest Receptions, and will be joining us on Sunday for the “In Conversation With…” panel on the main stage.

Showmasters Events has confirmed Eric & Eliza Roberts to join us on Saturday this year.  Eric is, of course, known to Doctor Who fans as the Master from the 1996 TV Movie; Eliza, his wife, also appeared in that film.  They both will participate in the evening receptions, and will be doing photo ops (including a Derek Jacobi/Eric Roberts photo op together.)

Finally, Showmasters will also have some local guests stopping by for autographs during the day on Friday and Saturday.  On Friday, Rory Ross, Warren Proulx and Christine & Brad Galey, who are background artists who portrayed various roles in Star Wars shows including The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, will be signing autographs, while Sandra Gimpel, a long-time performer with many Star Trek credits to her name, and previous convention guest Susanna Malak (The Mandalorian) will be doing the same on Saturday.  Convention Photo Shoots will have a special pass for photos and meet & greets with these guests (the “Sci-Fi Tag”) on sale this week.

Children’s Programming

We are happy to welcome back Gallifrey One’s Children’s Programming Room this year.  Children’s Programming, for ages 6-12, will be open Friday 12pm to 6pm, Saturday 10am to 6pm, and Sunday 10am to 4pm, and is located on the first floor of the hotel (just above the convention center), accessible via elevator, or the stairs down from the hotel lobby level (next to the gift shop).  The items taking place at this year’s convention, listed below, are now listed on our Schedule of Events.

• Friday: Decorate your own convention bag; create your own covention shirt; design your own sonic screwdrivers; create your own arachnid web; and Lego/coloring time!
• Saturday: Create your own Dalek, Mars Rover, K9 or Weeping Angel; Blink Don’t Blink; and Lego/coloring time!
• Sunday: Create your own Doctor Who scarf or bow tie, Cyber mask or Cyber bug, sonic screwdriver or sonic lipstick, or even an Adipose; plus our Children’s Charity Auction.

Kaffeeklatsch Online Sign Up Event Reminder

This is a friendly reminder that we will be doing online sign-ups for our Kaffeeklatsches program on Saturday February 3 at 12:00pm Pacific Time (3:00pm Eastern / 8:00pm UK).  The kaffeeklatsch events are very popular and fun small-group sessions with one or two guests and up to 12 attendees, for a chance to chat about our guests’ work directly (and you’re encouraged to bring your own beverage).  We also take a group photo at the end of each session.

Kaffeeklatsch signups are managed on February 3 through filling out a Google form (linked on the day) with up to three of your preferred events, in order.  They’re assigned via a preferential lottery system: everyone who signs up for a session in the first ten minutes are run through a lottery to fill available slots; if you’re not given your first choice, we do everything we can to give you your second or third choice.  We traditionally give one session per attendee.  After that, all remaining slots are filled first-come first-served when the Kaffeeklatsches Desk opens at the convention on Friday morning, February 16.  The Kaffeeklatsches desk is located next to Member Services; they are the two kiosks next to the elevators on the convention level.

Charity Auction Updates

We’re thrilled to be supporting The Trevor Project at this year’s Bob May Memorial Charity Auction.  We hope everyone will come out and join us on Sunday at noon in the Program B room to bid on some great merchandise, all donated by our attendees, guests and staff.  

Speaking of donations, WE NEED YOU!  As always, we’re looking for donations of science fiction, fantasy, comics, horror or genre related material, most especially Doctor Who and its spinoffs, but also many other genres that appeal to the people at our convention, as well as anything related to science fiction film and television, SF/fantasy literature, comic books, or collectibles. Anything that has a tangential relationship to the SF/fantasy/horror genre which is in at least very good condition. Autographed photos, commemorative items, one-time prints, illustrations, etc. are also welcome. If you find it to be a valuable collectible, chances are good that others will, too. (Just be sure: this is not a disposal service for items you wish to throw away!)

Gallifrey One’s Charity Auction Donation Room is located at the very back of the panel hallway (where Program B, C, D and E are located), and is open during convention hours on Friday and Saturday.  Bring your donations, or come and browse all the wonderful stuff being made available this year for auction.  We’ve also got a few special things happening: we’ll be doing Magic Carpet Selfies for $1 in the Auction Donation room, and we’re even going to hold a mini Children’s Auction on Sunday as part of our children’s programming.

Also, we’re happy to announce that we will be doing another silent auction at this year’s convention, taking place from Friday opening through Saturday at 5:00pm, on a select number of items made available for bid.  Silent auction bids on items must meet the minimum bidding increment requirement (or risk disqualification), and all items are able to be bid on multiple times by the same attendee; the winners will be posted in our Charity Auction room.  Winners of the silent auction will need to be available and pay by 5:30pm on Saturday, or the item will instead go to the live auction on Sunday.  

Help Wanted!

Gallifrey One is looking for able-bodied individuals who can help with setup on Thursday, and also for people interested in helping us keep the convention safe and secure by monitoring our doors and lines.  If you’d like to volunteer for either Thursday setup or to help us throughout the weekend, please send us email to contactus@gallifreyone.com and let us know; we’d love to have you.  (Weekend staffing is a great way to get involved in the convention!)

A Guide to Gallifrey One Autographs

Gallifrey One provides three different types of autograph opportunities at our events, which we know can be confusing (especially to the newer attendees).  We believe in scheduling autograph sessions appropriately to the guest, not imposing on all of our guests’ times, while still providing as much autograph opportunity and flexibility in case we need to make last minute changes; meanwhile, many of our sponsored guests have autograph commitments in their contracts. 

ALL of our autographing this year takes place in the Gallifrey One Dealers Room; the only differences between each type is how autographs are delivered to you.  Here is a quick and easy to understand guide to getting your most coveted autographs at this year’s convention:

Autograph Alley

Gallifrey One’s Autograph Alley is our general autograph session area, located in the very back of our Dealers Room.  Nearly every guest we invite ourselves directly signs here, with rare exceptions (sponsored guests and guests with their own tables sign elsewhere, see below).   Each guest involved in an Autograph Alley event will begin signing at the start of the session, usually for a one-hour or, in some cases, two-hour block… but we permit the guest’s session to end when there is no expectation of additional autograph collectors wanting signatures.  In other words, we don’t require guests to remain for the entire time; you should show up as close to the start of the session as possible, as it’s their choice to stick around or not.

Participants in this year’s Autograph Alley include: Segun Akinola; Ray Holman; Sally Knyvette; Jan Chappell; Brian Croucher; Kevin Jon Davies; Stephen Cole; Mark Morris; James Goss; Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson; John Dorney; Gary Russell; Lisa McMullin; Tony Lee; Jody Houser; Paul Cornell; Peter Anghelides; Simon Guerrier; Lizbeth Myles; Alfie Shaw; Barbara Hambly, Christopher Jones, Larry Nemecek. 

Additionally, there will be a dedicated signing on Friday in the Autograph Alley for contributing writers of the “History of Studying Doctor Who” book.

Sponsored Guests

Autograph sessions with our “sponsored guests” are set entirely by the sponsors, for a time and duration of their choosing, at their tables in our Dealers Room.  You will pay the sponsor directly at their table for autographs (credit cards OK for Showmasters & Alien Entertainment, otherwise cash-only).  The sponsored guests usually sign for longer periods during the day and often have multiple autograph sessions each day, though some only appear one or two days, so check the schedule.

Sponsored guests signing at Showmasters Events include: Sir Derek Jacobi; Billie Piper; Alex Kingston; Matthew Waterhouse; Camille Coduri; Jacqueline King; Shaun Dingwall; Eric Roberts; Eliza Roberts; Christine & Bradley Galey; Rory Ross; Warren Proulx; Sandra Gimpel.  Showmasters Events manages their own autograph lines, which start at the front door of the Dealers Room and run out onto the patio.

Sponsored guests signing at Alien Entertainment/Big Finish include: Jonathon Carley; Jaye Griffiths. 

Additionally, Rachel Talalay will be signing at the Alien Entertainment booth this year.  Alien Entertainment have also graciously lent us their autographing space to accommodate a special signing of the “Companions of Doctor Who” book on Saturday morning.

Fixed Location Guests

Some of our guests — including sponsored guests appearing on only one day — have their own tables in our Dealers Room.  These guests will be signing throughout the day, on the day(s) they are in attendance; we do not post autograph times for them since they will set their own hours and are usually available any time they are not doing programming or photo ops. 

Guests who have their own tables in the Dealers Room (and therefore do not have set times for autographs) include: Frazer Hines; Kevin McNally; Annette Badland; Brian Herring; Gigi Edgley; Dominic Glynn; Robert Strange; Keith Barnfather (Reeltime Pictures); Gareth Kavanagh & Ian Winterton (Cutaway Comics). Additionally, copies of “The Companions of Doctor Who” will be signed by contributors at the Fayetteville Mafia Press table after their panel on Saturday morning.

Additional Important Autographs Information

All guests are free to set their own costs for autographs (usually in the case of actors) or sign for free, as well as sell their own photos or other merchandise if they choose to; Gallifrey One does not require any concessions on potential autograph costs and takes no cut.

Gallifrey One does not pre-sell autographs at any time; you will need to speak to the guest, or their sponsoring organization, at the time for any rates.

It is highly recommended you bring ample cash with you for autographs; don’t plan on using a local ATM (especially the one in the Marriott, which tends to run out of cash quickly). Autographs from guests who charge for signing can run anywhere from $10-30 or higher.

Please respect our guests’ rights to charge for autographs at the costs they deem appropriate; our guests are here on their own time and frequently part of their recompense is in the sales of autographs.

In order to provide our attendees with a positive experience while waiting for an autograph from guests in our Autograph Alley or Dealers Room, we will not permit saving places for friends in any autograph lines, or allow jumping ahead in line to join a friend/relative (exception: those with jump-the-line passes as part of their ticket packages through Convention Photo Shoots, such as TARDIS Tag or Diamond Pass holders.)

Due to time constraints and our wish to allow everyone possible a chance for an autograph, we are not able to permit attendees to take photos with guests during autographs, except with the full consent of the guest; this is limited to guests who have their own tables in the Dealers Room only.  Our sponsored guests, and our guests participating in the Autograph Alley, may choose to allow the taking of personal photos at other times, and attendees are welcome to have their photo taken during our professionally-run photo sessions in the Photo Studio throughout the weekend.

Gallifrey One reserves the right to alter these policies or alter the category of each guest at any time.

More updates soon!

The post Late January Update: Schedule Updates, Health Policy, Charity Auction, Autographs and More! first appeared on Gallifrey One 2024.

Brief Guest Update

We are extremely sad to have to announce that Lalla Ward has unfortunately had to withdraw from appearing at Gallifrey One this year for personal reasons.  She has sent her best regards to everyone at Gallifrey One and is very sad she won’t be able to join us; we wish her the best and hope we can have her back again very soon.  Convention Photo Shoots will be refunding her VIP script reading and photo op tickets as soon as possible; meanwhile, the meet & greet included in the TARDIS Tag will be with another one of our guests, to be announced.

In other guest news, we have a few familiar faces joining us for some of the receptions, as well as photo ops and autographs throughout the weekend, including Eric Roberts (the Master from the 1996 Doctor Who TV Movie), his wife Eliza Roberts and our long-time guest Gigi Edgley (“Farscape”).  We’ll have more detail on that in the days to come.

Meanwhile… stay tuned for the Gallifrey One 2024 Convention Schedule which is coming this weekend, including all of our programming and panels, kaffeeklatsches and more (with photo ops and autograph sessions to be added soon thereafter.) 

Evening Guest Receptions Now On Sale

Gallifrey One’s Evening Guest Receptions are now on sale!  The receptions are a great way to meet your favorite celebrities in small groups, in our 16th floor reception lounge; enjoy a glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage and visit with each guest attending for a set length of time. At various intervals, the guests will move on to the next group, giving you a chance to visit with each of the guests.  This year’s receptions include the following confirmed guests (with some additions pending).

• Friday 6:30pm with Derek Jacobi, Billie Piper, Camille Coduri, Shaun Dingwall, Brian Croucher, Ray Holman, Sally Knyvette, Dominic Glynn ($110)
• Friday 8:00pm with Alex Kingston, Segun Akinola, Matthew Waterhouse, Jacqueline King, Annette Badland, Kevin Jon Davies, Gigi Edgley, Susannah Malak ($95)
• Saturday 5:00pm with Derek Jacobi, Eric Roberts, Eliza Roberts, Jan Chappell, Sally Knyvette, Jaye Griffiths, Jonathon Carley, Gigi Edgley ($95)
• Saturday 6:30pm with Billie Piper, Camille Coduri, Shaun Dingwall, Ray Holman, Brian Croucher, Susannah Malak ($95)
• Saturday 8:00pm with Alex Kingston, Jacqueline King, Matthew Waterhouse, Dominic Glynn, Annette Badland, Kevin Davies, Gigi Edgley ($95)

More news soon… 

The post Evening Receptions On Sale, Plus Guest Update first appeared on Gallifrey One 2024.

New Guests This Year

Kevin McNally

Kevin McNally is among the small group of guest actors who have been part of both generations of Doctor Who: as Hugo Lang in Colin Baker’s debut story “The Twin Dilemma” during the classic series era, and more recently as Professor Eustacius Jericho in three episodes of the “Flux” season starring Jodie Whittaker.  His many television roles include I, Claudius, Poldark, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Life on Mars, Midsomer Murders, Downton Abbey, Turn: Washington’s Spies, 24, The Crown, Supernatural and Dad, among many others, while also appearing in such films as the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Valkyrie, Cry Freedom, The Phantom of the Opera, Conspiracy, De-Lovely, The Spy Who Loved Me and Robert the Bruce.  We’re delighted to welcome Mr. McNally to Gallifrey One; our special thanks to Howard Hayes for helping us bring him to this year’s convention.

Jaye Griffiths

Jaye Griffiths joined the Doctor Who universe playing Jac, Kate Stewart’s UNIT attache in “The Magician’s Apprentice” and “The Zygon Invasion” opposite Peter Capaldi.  More recently, she’s starred in multiple audio adventures from Big Finish Productions, including the new recurring role of Lady Audacity Montague alongside Paul McGann.  Her many credits include lengthy runs in Bugs, The Bill, Doctors, Silent Witness and Casualty as well as appearances in Wizards vs. Aliens, Sherlock, EastEnders, Midsomer Murders, Death in Paradise, Holby City, Coronation Street, Peak Practice, Hard Cases, Skins, Kingdom and A Touch of Frost.  Ms. Griffiths appears courtesy Big Finish; special thanks to Jason Haigh-Ellery for arranging her appearance.

Robert Strange

Robert Strange is an actor and creature performer/puppeteer who recently appeared on screen in the Doctor Who anniversary special “The Star Beast” as a Wrarth Warrior, and whose work includes special effects, droid puppeteering and creature work in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Rogue One and Solo: A Star Wars Story.  His other work includes appearances in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Winter King, The Flatshare, Vampire Virus, Red Dwarf, The Crown, Penny Dreadful, Boys from County Hell, Keratin and The Nightman of Nevermoor as well as visual work for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run.  Robert will be joining us in our Dealers Room all three days, signing at his dealer table.

Peter Anghelides

Peter Anghelides is a writer, editor, and producer, currently running the Doctor Who Short Trips and Blake’s 7 ranges for Big Finish Productions, as well as contributing to a number of other audio projects. He has written dozens of novels, short stories, audio scripts, audiobooks, and articles for BBC Books, BBC Audio, Virgin Books, Big Finish, and Doctor Who Magazine – contributing to ranges that include Doctor Who, Torchwood, Blake’s 7, The Sarah Jane Adventures, and Bernice Summerfield. An eyewitness to the notorious Gauda Prime ambush, Peter has been in hiding from the Terran Federation for more than four decades, while appearing at many Gallifrey One events over the years, and we’re always happy to help keep him safe from harm.

Additional Program Participants & More

We’re also delighted to welcome several new and returning local guests to this year’s convention.  Our friend Anita Sengupta from Hydroplane Ltd. returns to present a new science panel for us on Friday, The Journey to Hydrogen Powered Flight.  We’re also happy to welcome composers David Raiklen, whose work includes the web series Space Command (previewed several years ago at Gallifrey One) and many independent & short films, and George Shaw, film, TV and gaming composer who’s worked with Dreamworks Animation, Riot Games, and Wil Wheaton’s Tabletop, among others.  David and George will be joining us on Sunday for our composers roundtable event “Music To My Ears” on the main stage, along with Segun Akinola and Dominic Glynn.

Today’s update completes this year’s major guest announcements, specifically Doctor Who-related guests.  We will likely have a few last-minute additions of local signing guests, as always, and will make those announcements as soon as we have them.  We’d like to thank all of our attendees who have been so patient this year with our unexpectedly late guest announcements… though we’re thrilled that we’ve been able to bring you so many first-timers at this upcoming convention!

Upcoming Important Releases, Dates & Deadlines

The last few weeks before Gallifrey One arrives is filled with lots of web updates and social media posts… we don’t want you to miss anything, so here’s a list of things you need to keep an eye on over the next five weeks:

T-Shirt & Tote Bag Preorders Closing: This Monday (January 15)

Gallifrey One’s 2024 convention T-shirt and tote bags are available for pre-orders for the next couple of days!  Pre-orders for these items will close at the end of the day this MONDAY, JANUARY 15.  While we do expect to have a small stock of additional shirts & bags on hand for sale at the convention, pre-ordering guarantees your purchase.  We can confirm that this year’s shirts are maroon, just like the overall cover of our website!  You can pre-order yours by clicking here, and pick them up at the Gallifrey One Sales booth along the back wall of our 2024 Dealers Room (left side) during regular business hours on Friday and Saturday, or before 1pm on Sunday.  You can also purchase our additional stock, including some items from prior convention years. 

Schedule of Events: Starting Next Week

We’ll be posting our convention schedule beginning sometime next week.  Once again, we’ll be using the Sched online schedule system, and we’ll have a special news announcement when it happens.  The initial version of the schedule will have all the programming in our four primary program rooms (Program A-D), along with select social events and meet-ups, and our Kaffeeklatsch program.  Subsequent releases of the schedule (usually over the week or two following its release) will add autograph sessions, photo ops, our evening guest receptions and special add-on events, and more.

Evening Guest Receptions On Sale: Also Next Week

Gallifrey One’s Evening Guest Receptions are one of the most popular events of the convention.  These special add-on events hosted by our partners Convention Photo Shoots have the ambience of a cocktail party (we provide the wine); the guests at these functions rotate through each small group of attendees.  As soon as the receptions go on sale, we’ll announce the schedule and list of guests… stay tuned!

Kaffeeklatsch Online Signups: February 3

Online sign-ups for this year’s Kaffeeklatsches will take place on Saturday February 3 at 12:00pm (noon) Pacific Time.  The kaffeeklatsches are a very popular part of Gallifrey One (free of charge) combining a small group of up to twelve attendees along with one or more special guests, for a chance to get up close and personal about their careers.  Very casual and friendly (and we recommend bringing your own beverage!)  Kaffeeklatsches are assigned by lottery, open to anyone who participates in the online signup event (though we prioritize people who are ready to go at noon and sign up in the first five minutes.)  More details will be posted the week prior to the signup event.

Last Day for Ticket Updates: February 11

Although we no longer allow ticket resales, we do allow changes made to individual tickets, by the person(s) whose names are on them.  If you’ve purchased tickets and want to give them to friends or family members, change the name on a ticket, or add a badge name, you have until the end of the day on Sunday February 11 to do so.  After that date, changes may only be made in person at our Registration desk when it opens on Thursday afternoon February 15, and only by the person whose name is currently on the ticket.  If you need to make ticket changes, please contact us and we’ll get to it as soon as we can.

Daytime Programming Preview

Although we’re not quite ready to release our complete schedule of events for this year’s convention — you can expect that in the next week or so — we’d like to give you a glimpse into some of the amazing panels, programming and events you’ll find at this year’s convention throughout our daytime hours.  (For a glimpse at our evening programming, see our previous update.)

Radio Free Skaro: More Than 60 Years in the TARDIS: A special 90-minute session of our official podcasters’ live show, which opens Gallifrey One every year.  Join the Three Who Rule (Steven, Warren & Chris) as they chat with composer Segun Akinola and director Kevin Jon Davies, and then later are joined by a panel of Doctor Who actors for a feature-length roundtable chat featuring Annette Badland, Shaun Dingwall, Kevin McNally and Jaye Griffiths.

Interviews & Roundtables: You’ll find dedicated one-on-one stage interviews all weekend, in both our Program A main hall as well as the Program B panel hall, with such special guests as Sir Derek Jacobi (Friday & Saturday), Billie Piper (Friday & Saturday), Alex Kingston (Saturday & Sunday), Matthew Waterhouse, Camille Coduri, Jacqueline King, Frazer Hines, Brian Herring, Kevin McNally, and Rachel Talalay.  We’re also planning multiple group interviews and roundtable chats throughout the weekend with many other convention guests… our schedule is jam-packed with fun things all weekend.

The 2024 Bob May Memorial Charity Auction, Benefitting the Trevor Project: Gallifrey One’s pride and joy: our annual charity benefit event taking place Sunday starting at noon, auctioning off attendee-donated Doctor Who and SF/fantasy genre merchandise for a great cause.  This year, we’re honored to support a very unique and wonderful charity, The Trevor Project, which is the premier organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ teens and young adults.  Donations of merchandise to the auction are very welcome; find out more about donating, about the Trevor Project and the auction itself, on our Auction page.

Live Commentaries: This year, we’re hosting two live Doctor Who episode commentaries in our main hall, each hosted by a moderator.  On Friday late afternoon, join us for “The Star Beast” with Jacqueline King, Brian Herring and director Rachel Talalay.  Then on Saturday mid-day, it’s “Village of the Angels” (you knew we’d sneak in the Weeping Angels somewhere!) with Kevin McNally, composer Segun Akinola and costume designer Ray Holman.

Ray Holman Spotlight: We have two great panels focusing on the work of our esteemed costume designer guest this year.  First, Amanda-Rae Prescott hosts an interview with Ray on Friday afternoon to discuss Doctor Who and related costume design, a deep dive into the technical parts of his work and how it all came about.  And then, join us Sunday afternoon with Ray and author Piers Britton (“Design for Doctor Who”) for a visual review of Ray’s work, through hand-selected photos and stories only he can tell.

The Tyler Family Album: Rose Tyler and her parents are at last reunited on the stage at Gallifrey One… join Billie Piper, Camille Coduri and Shaun Dingwall on Saturday for a lively hour of fun hosted by Sage Young and Kim Rogers of Head Over Feels.

Segun Akinola: Desert Island Who: We’ll take a trip through four seasons of amazing Doctor Who scores created by one of the series’ finest musical talents, featuring audio clips of his work selected exclusively by the artist, in an examination of what went into their composition and how it brought out the very best in the show.

Big Finish Productions at Gallifrey One 2024: You’ll be able to enjoy presentations about Big Finish’s 2024 output (and all the wonderful audios in the pipeline), as well as meet some of their actors and producers, and even join us for the annual Big Finish Talkback at the end of the weekend.  But that’s not all…

“Death and the Queen” Dramatic Reading: This year, we’re bringing a special live reading of Big Finish’s Doctor Who audio adventure “Death and the Queen” written by Gallifrey One 2024 guest James Goss, on Saturday afternoon, performed live for the audience by cast members from our own theatre troupe The Idiot’s Lantern.  A popular event at other conventions, this will be Gallifrey One’s first-ever performance of this type.  Our thanks to James, to Jason Haigh-Ellery, and to Karen Tucker-Parks at Big Finish for helping us to bring this to reality.

Music To My Ears: There’s so much more to composing music for films, television, animation and gaming, beyond the creation of those memorable scores. Musician Jess Jurkovic hosts our Doctor Who guests Segun Akinola and Dominic Glynn, along with several other local composers including David Raiklen and George Shaw, as they take a deep dive into the creative process, the challenges of making a melody into a reality (such as electronic scoring versus live orchestra), and the always-challenging entertainment industry.

A Blake’s 7 Reunion: We’re thrilled to have Sally Knyvette, Jan Chappell and Brian Croucher with us this year, and they’ll be together on stage Friday afternoon for a trip down memory lane about one of our other favorite shows, Blake’s 7.  

TARDIS Talks: Our annual program of academic topics on all things Doctor Who, this year in a two-hour block.  Don’t miss it!  Our previous update has the full list of topics being presented this year.  (This will take place on either Friday or Saturday afternoon, to be announced.)

Science Programming: This year, Trina Ray, Kim Steadman, Sarah Milkovich and Krys Blackwood from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) join us for presentations on a variety of current and upcoming missions, including the Europa Clipper and Mars Sample Return, and the latest from the Mars Rovers Perseverance and Curiosity.  We’ll also have Anita Sengupta from Hydroplane Ltd. back with us, talking about The Journey to Hydrogen Powered Flight.

Shakedown: A Look Back: Nearly 30 years ago, the Doctor Who spinoff drama Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans helped fill the gap left by the cancellation of the show and its subsequent wilderness years.  Stars Jan Chappell and Brian Croucher join director Kevin Jon Davies for a look back at this landmark drama and the impact it made on Doctor Who mythology.

Novelizing Doctor Who: BBC Creative Editor Stephen Cole is joined on stage by four of our writer guests to discuss their novelizations of the latest Doctor Who episodes starring David Tennant and Ncuti Gatwa: Gary Russell (“The Star Beast”), Mark Morris (“Wild Blue Yonder”), James Goss (“The Giggle”) and Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson (“The Church on Ruby Road”).

Cutaway Comics: Gareth Kavanagh and Ian Winterton join us to talk about the latest Doctor Who spinoff releases from Cutaway Comics, including Omega, Paradise Towers, Lytton, Orcini, Gods & Monsters and Eldrad Must Live!

The Companions of Doctor Who: The new book from Fayetteville Mafia Press (a follow up to A World of Demons: The Villains of Doctor Who) will be out by this year’s convention, so we invite you to join the editors and some of the writers to talk about their favorite companions… and how much those wonderful characters, and the actors who have played them, have shaped our love of Doctor Who.

Voice Acting Roundtable: We’ll go in-depth with some of our attending guests to talk about their work on audio, including audio work for Big Finish, voice acting for animation, and participating in radio dramas.

Workshops and Seminars: We’re hosting no less than seven workshops & seminars, separate and apart from the kaffeeklatsch events (and allowing a larger group).  Paul Cornell will lead a one-hour workshop focusing on writers just getting started in the business.  Tony Lee brings us a one-hour session focused exclusively on the world of self-publishing.  Our guests from JPL will join us for a seminar we’re calling Adventures in Space (not Time): Stories From Spacecraft Operations.  Two annual favorites return, Paul Breese-Garelick’s Bow Ties Are Still Cool and Shawna Hafen’s Circular Gallifreyan Workshop.  The members of the Idiot’s Lantern troupe will have their annual post-mortem Sunday morning (after their live show on our stage Saturday night.)  And finally, in the spirit of our convention’s namesake film, Julia Ree will host a show-and-tell event about Christmas ornaments, with a particular focus on pop culture, film & TV themed items (including, yes, Doctor Who ornaments!)

Kaffeeklatsches: Up to a dozen attendees, in a room with one or more guests, chatting about over coffee and tea for an hour about their work… what could be better?  The Gallifrey One Kaffeeklatsch program is one of our most unique and memorable experiences of the weekend, but you have to plan ahead.  Advance online sign-ups for the Kaffeeklatsch events — which are first come first served, open to all ticketed attendees, at no cost — will take place on Saturday February 3 at noon Pacific Time. We’ll have more details about that sign-up event closer to that date.

VIP Script Reading Events: This year, our partners at Convention Photo Shoots have arranged six special VIP script reading events, for an additional fee (noted as “VIP Talk” on the catalog); these special optional add-on events help us pay for our guests’ time and are tons of fun.  You can expect script events from Billie Piper (Saturday at 10am), Derek Jacobi (Sunday at 10am) and Alex Kingston (Sunday at noon) on our main convention floor, along with events with Matthew Waterhouse and Camille Coduri in our 16th floor receptions lounge (dates & times to be announced, and no, none of these events will conflict with each other.)  You can purchase tickets to these events here. 

Meet-Ups: We have meet-ups.  Lots of them.  For everyone.  We have dedicated meet-ups for cosplay enthusiasts of all varieties (including a few specialized ones this year such as a Romana/Gallifrey Audios gathering and the Noble Family Reunion!)  We’re doing a Teen Social again, a meet-up for POC fans, one for Blake’s 7 fans, our annual LGBTQ+ meetup (which always fills up to capacity!), a Goth fans meetup, and a crafters’ meet up, and that’s just the beginning.  And where would we be without a plethora of Gallifrey One’s Ribbon Exchange meet-ups throughout the weekend… and the very first official meet-up event of the weekend, our annual In-n-Out Burger Run at 5:15pm Thursday evening?  If you’re interested in hosting something else, in our Program E meet-up lounge, on our outdoor convention patio, in the hotel lobby or even by the pool, let us now!  (Note: space in Program E is limited so make sure you contact us quickly!)

The Year in Review: Just before Closing Ceremonies on Sunday, it’s our annual look back at the previous year of Doctor Who in the media: all the highlights, the press, the interviews, the fun moments you may not have seen here in the US (as well as the latest trailer for the upcoming season of the show.)  Erik Engman takes over the production this year for us (in memory of our previous presenter and friend, Matt Dale.)

And this is just the beginning…  We have tons of discussion panels happening throughout the weekend, some with our attending professional guests, some with your fellow convention attendees, and many with a mix of both.  We’ll have three full days of photo ops with all of our major guests (some available for advance purchase here.)  Autograph sessions will take place all three days in multiple locations, including at our sponsors’ tables in the Dealers Room; some guests’ individual tables in the same room; or at our Autograph Alley, which this year is located out in the convention foyer. Our Children’s Program runs all three days (more details on that very soon as well.)  The Art Show will be open Friday & Saturday, the Video Room and Gaming Hub will be open all three days, and you can visit the Dealers Room… where, as in previous years, we’ll have a display area featuring a full size TARDIS and console for photographs, courtesy our friends at AZTARDIS.  And let’s not forget all of our amazing evening events including the Masquerade, the Idiot’s Lantern Stage Show, Dominic Glynn’s music show, three nights of karaoke, our Saturday dance and much more (detailed in our previous update.)  Look out for our complete schedule of events coming very soon.  More news next time…

The post New Guests, Important Upcoming Dates, and our Daytime Program Preview first appeared on Gallifrey One 2024.

Guest Update

We have a couple new guests to announce for this year, two of them joining us at Gallifrey One for the very first time (and yes, we do expect to keep adding additional guests as the convention draws ever closer, so stay tuned!)

Brian Herring

Brian Herring is a film and TV puppeteer who was one of the performers for The Meep in Doctor Who’s 60th Anniversary special “The Star Beast,” and the animatronics performer for the Goblin King in the show’s Christmas Special “The Church on Ruby Road,” as well as the escaped Ice Warrior in the episode “Cold War.”  Brian is best known as the lead performer of BB-8 in the Star Wars saga, including the sequel trilogy, as well as Rogue One and Solo.  His other work includes Hellboy 2, Prometheus, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Wizards Vs Aliens, Dolittle, 28 Weeks Later, Spitting Image, The Hoobs, Jim Henson’s Construction Site, Mopatop’s Shop, the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, Muppets Most Wanted and Muppets Treasure Island.  This is his first Gallifrey One event and he’ll be in our Dealers Room as well as on our program.

Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson

Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson is the author of The Order of Legends trilogy, and writer of the novelisation for Doctor Who’s 2023 Christmas special, “The Church on Ruby Road.” The inaugural winner of Future Worlds Prize Award in 2020, her debut novel, The Principle of Moments, will be published on January 18th, 2024. As an author of Nigerian, Jamaican, and British-Australian heritage, her work primarily focuses on people who live at the intersection of identities, whether that’s here on Earth, or in far away galaxies of her own creation. She holds a BA in English Literature and Classical Studies from the University of Exeter.  This is her first appearance at Gallifrey One and her first Doctor Who convention as a guest and we’re delighted to welcome her.

Alfie Shaw

Alfie Shaw is a writer, script editor and producer for Big Finish Productions. He’s written for numerous ranges including The Eleventh Doctor Chronicles, The Seventh Doctor Adventures, The War Master, Class, Torchwood, and UNIT: Brave New World as well as currently producing the various Doctor Chronicles ranges. He has also written various articles and quizzes for the official Doctor Who website in addition to scripting videos for the Doctor Who YouTube channel. This will be his second visit to Gallifrey One and we’re delighted to officially welcome him as a guest in 2024.

Eric Saward will unfortunately not be able to join us for this year’s convention.  We wish him and his partner Jane well and look forward to seeing them in the future!

Last Call: T-Shirt & Tote Bag Pre-orders

Gallifrey One’s 2024 convention T-shirt and tote bags are available for pre-orders for only a few more days!  Pre-orders for these items will close at the end of the day on MONDAY, JANUARY 15.  While we do expect to have a small stock of additional shirts & bags on hand for sale at the convention, pre-ordering guarantees your purchase.  (The design on the shirt & tote bag isn’t revealed until the convention itself.)

Pre-order Gallifrey One 2024 T-Shirts/Tote Bags

Pre-ordered shirts and tote bags can be picked up at the Gallifrey One Sales booth along the back wall of our 2024 Dealers Room (left side, facing the rear of the room) during regular business hours on Friday and Saturday, or before 1pm on Sunday.  You can also purchase our additional stock, including some items from prior convention years. 

Add-Ons & Extras Still On Sale

As a reminder, our variety of optional add-on packages and passes to enhance your visit to our convention are currently on sale, including select photo ops (with more to be added soon), the TARDIS Tag, three Diamond Passes, and a number of VIP script readings.  These are all optional items and available while supplies last.  To purchase these items, visit the Convention Photo Shoots website by clicking on the button below:

Remember: you must have a paid convention ticket to purchase and use any add-on item; visit the Convention Registration page to purchase convention tickets.

We’ve received a variety of questions about the various add-ons including when special events are being scheduled, when receptions will go on sale, and much more.  As we did last year, we’ve prepared a special Add-Ons Q&A that you can find below at the very bottom of this news update, so please scroll down for that.

Programming & Panels Update

We’re currently busy putting together our 2024 convention program, which will once again be four full program/panel tracks, along with a variety of side meet-ups and functions.  Some very important things we’d like to share with you at this time:

• Gallifrey One’s 2024 complete Schedule of Events will once again be using the Sched online platform (you can see last year’s schedule in action here.)  We expect this year’s schedule to be online sometime during the week of January 22 with all the general programming; photo ops and other extra items will be added to the list after that.
• We very much appreciate all of you who volunteered to be on our discussion panel track this year!  We will be notifying everyone selected for one or more panels by mid-month; we do our best to create a diverse selection of panelists, and while we cannot select everyone who requested panels, we try to use as many volunteers as possible (while still giving priority to attending guests.)  
• Although it’s still early, there are details in the sections below on our Evening Programming, as well as our TARDIS Talks academic program, this year’s Masquerade of Mandragora, and our Children’s Programming for 2024.
• We’re putting out a last call for meetups & gatherings to be part of the official convention program; see below.

TARDIS Talks

The Gallifrey One TARDIS Talks program offers a different type of fan discussion… not just for academics, but also for fans who want to discuss topics about Doctor Who in greater depth. Rather than a traditional discussion panel, TARDIS Talks offer speakers a longer time to speak (ten to fifteen minutes) about a topic they’re passionate about, with a discussion after all the speakers. In addition, the TARDIS Talks feature an invited Keynote Speaker each year.

We’re happy to announce that Gallifrey One’s 2024 TARDIS Talks program will include the following presentations:

• Keynote address: Piers Britton, University of Redlands, “Design of the Times”
• Reecy Pontiff, “On a string and a prayer: the sound design of the TARDIS”
• Emma O’Neill-Dietel, “Time and Relative Disability in Space: Deconstructing Disability in Doctor Who”
• Dominique Gagnon, “Understanding Anti-Fandom and Media Opposition During the Flux Broadcast”
• Catrina Parker, “Lost Without You: Exploring Ambiguous Loss in Doctor Who”
• Julia Henken, “When Fans Become Showrunners”
• Dave Ringo, “Social Science Fiction in Doctor Who”
• Mike Ferguson, “The UNIT Industrial Complex”

The Gallifrey One 2024 TARDIS Talks event will take place in a two-hour block; the exact day will be announced soon.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Children’s Programming & Science Workshops

We can confirm that Gallifrey One’s Children’s Program will once again be returning for 2024.  For a set amount of time on each of the three days of the convention, Children’s Programming will feature fun activities for young kids, both Doctor Who themed as well as other fun activities.  The full schedule of events will be available in late January.  Children’s Programming will be located on the hotel’s first floor, not the convention level; the first floor is accessible by elevator, or using the stairs down from the hotel lobby concierge area.

Regrettably, our very popular Science Workshops for children & families will not be returning this year, as the person who leads them for us is unable to be at this year’s convention.  We hope they will return in 2025.

Our 2024 Masquerade Event

The Masquerade of Mandragora, our annual costume presentation, returns once again in 2024 in our new format introduced in 2023.  Instead of the old style (with judging and elaborate performances), we focus on the most important part — the costumes — with a fashion-show style presentation.  This year’s Masquerade takes place on Friday night at 7:00pm in our main auditorium (Program A); all attendees are welcome and seating is first-come first-served.

For costumers: You are welcome to enter your cosplay into the Masquerade, including hall costumes!  Simply stop by the Masquerade Registration Table located near Member Services on Friday from 10:00am to 5:00pm and fill out an entry card (all we need is your name, and the name of your costume.)  Yes, you can enter as a solo act or in a small group.  Then, gather at the Masquerade assembly area Friday between 6:00pm and 6:30pm (you’ll find the assembly area at the back of the hallway where our panel rooms Program B, C & D are located) so our attendants can check you in and get the presentation order set.  Photos of every entrant’s cosplay will be taken so we can post photos after the event!

IMPORTANT for this year: We know many of our entrants felt a bit rushed on stage last time, so we’re giving every entry a bit more stage time this year to show off your costumes!

As we begin this year’s Masquerade, each costumer will be announced as they enter the stage; we’ll have a standing microphone on stage so you can say a few words about your costume as you showcase your work (we ask that you please be brief!)  Then, proceed down the short staircase into the audience, where attendees can see your work up close as you exit toward the back of the room.  As the Masquerade ends, our costumers will be able to congregate in the convention center foyer for a reception, where we’ll have Doctor Who backdrops available for photos — come ask your favorites questions about their stunning costume work! 

And for those who wish to remain in the ballroom, we’ll immediately segue to our evening entertainment: Dominic Glynn’s Survival Remixes, and then a screening of the newly colorized Doctor Who story “The Daleks”.  (We estimate the Glynn event to start around 8:15pm, but is time approximate after the end of the costume presentation; “The Daleks” should follow around 9:30pm.)

Costumers, please note: we will have background music playing but we are not taking individual cues; also, please be sure to keep your stage time brief so everyone has a chance to be seen. We cannot provide custom music or sound effects for you, sorry.

Meet-Ups and Gatherings in 2023

We are still booking meet-ups and gatherings for this year’s convention!  The Program E room will have a number of social gatherings and events throughout the weekend, and we’ll be featuring those – and many others – on our electronic schedule coming out later in January.  If you have a social event you’d like to suggest (and are willing to facilitate it), please drop us a line via email to contactus@gallifreyone.com and let us know.  But be quick about it… space is filling up fast!

Evening Events Preview

Gallifrey One doesn’t stop at the end of the afternoon… our evening events on Friday and Saturday, as well as our Thursday night pre-convention events, are some of the best parts of the convention!  We’re happy to announce the following events will be taking place in the evenings at this year’s convention (with a couple big changes from previous events!)

Thursday Evening

Night in the City of (Weeping) Angels: The Gallifrey One 2024 Launch Party: Thursday night at 8pm, before the festivities commence the following morning, you are cordially invited to join hundreds of your fellow attendees, and some early guest arrivals, in our main auditorium for ice cream and fun conversation.  (Convention badges can be picked up beginning in the late afternoon and throughout the party event!)  Just… don’t… blink… 

Three Nights of Karaoke: Yep, we’re doing three nights of karaoke again, Thursday, Friday and Saturday!  All three karaoke sessions will begin at or after 9:30pm; Thursday night’s event will take place in the main auditorium, while Friday & Saturday night’s karaoke sessions will be in one of our side programming rooms.

Friday Evening

The Masquerade of Mandragora: Our convention’s costume presentation once again takes place on Friday evening, this year beginning at 7:00pm. As in 2023, we’ve removed the judging portion of the event in lieu of a fashion show-style presentation, which will allow both exclusive costumes as well as hall costumes… but this year, we’re giving presenters a little more time on stage.  (See the Masquerade section above for full details.)

Dominic Glynn’s Survival Remixes: Doctor Who musician Dominic Glynn joins us immediately after this year’s Masquerade to spin some of his great music, mixed live with accompanying video.  You won’t want to miss it.

The Daleks in Colour: And then, immediately following the Dominic Glynn event, we’ll bring you the all-new colorized version of The Daleks, the second ever Doctor Who serial, on our big screen in the main hall.

Fan Video Happy Hour: The popular Doctor Who fan video cavalcade hosted by Kim Rogers and Sage Young of Head Over Feels will be back on Friday in the early evening.  If you have a fan video you’d like them to consider including, please contact us and we’ll relay it to them!

Shabbat Shalom Gallifrey One: A short non-denominational service to welcome in the sabbath, hosted by Yonatan Shamgar, Friday evening. All are very welcome (you don’t have to be Jewish!)

Evening Panels: We’ll have a small selection of discussion panels throughout Friday evening for your enjoyment.

The Cornell Collective: Paul Cornell’s late night chat show returns again for fun and surprises, later in the evening on Friday.

Friday Evening Guest Receptions: Our very popular cocktail receptions with our headline guests and other participants will once again take place on both Friday and Saturday night. Tickets to these evening receptions (which are not included in the price of admission) will go on sale closer to the convention.

Friday Night Karaoke: Second of three karaoke sessions, all night long!

Saturday Evening

The Idiot’s Lantern: One of Gallifrey One’s most popular showcase events… and again on Saturday night!  The annual Idiot’s Lantern sketch comedy show, a fully scripted live performance on our main stage with a large cast of talent, explores the comical side of Doctor Who and science fiction fandom through a number of different sketches and styles.  

The Game of Rassilon: Back again on Saturday evening, it’s Dungeons & Dragons, but a little more timey-wimey… we’ve once again gathered a team of very funny people to play the game for your amusement! What misadventure will the Doctor and their companions find themselves in this time, and how will they get out? It all depends on the dice!

Talkin’ ‘Bout My Bi-Generation Dance Party: Join us on Saturday night as we dance ’til dawn (or at least for a few hours!)  DJ Dancin’ Dan Murphy will spin classic tunes and convention staples in our main hall, after the end of The Idiot’s Lantern.

Saturday Evening Guest Receptions: Same as on Friday night… tickets will go on sale closer to the event.

Saturday Night Karaoke: The third of three karaoke sessions, all night long!

And More…

Evening Gaming: Don’t forget, Gallifrey One’s Gaming Hub runs until midnight on Friday & Saturday nights, expanding into two rooms for more RPGs, board and card games, including late-night (18+) Cards Against Humanity.

Video Room: Our video program begins Friday morning, and runs until late on Friday & Saturday nights, with lots of fun video programming, so be sure to stop by!

On the Convention Level: We will once again have a cash bar located outside Program A all three nights, for your beverage convenience (including our 2024 signature cocktail, to be announced soon.)  

And… Lobbycon (of course!) Some say the most fun to be had at Gallifrey One is on the main hotel level in the lobby and at the Hangar 18 bar.  Our social scene there is legendary; you can find many attendees, guests and staff there every evening, from Wednesday through Sunday.

Charity Auction Donations Wanted

The annual Gallifrey One Bob May Memorial Charity Auction, our charity benefit event taking place on the Sunday of the convention, relies entirely upon donations of merchandise to auction for a good cause!  Our 2024 charity auction will benefit a great organization, The Trevor Project, and you can find complete details about them at the Charity Auction page.

Bring your donations to our Charity Auction Donation Room, at the back of the panel room hallway, at any time on Friday or Saturday at this year’s Gallifrey One convention; we will gladly take it off your hands.

What are we looking for? In short: donations of science fiction, fantasy, comics, horror or genre related material, most especially Doctor Who and its spinoffs. This includes items from many different genres: a few examples include Torchwood, Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel Cinematic Universe/Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Harry Potter, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Supernatural, Game of Thrones, The Expanse, Stranger Things, Westworld, The Orville, The 100, The Prisoner, Blake’s 7, Outlander Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Stargate, Battlestar Galactica, Red Dwarf and the myriad comics-related TV shows and films; as well as anything related to science fiction film and television, SF/fantasy literature, comic books, or collectibles. Anything that has a tangential relationship to the SF/fantasy/horror genre which is in at least very good condition. Autographed photos, commemorative items, one-time prints, illustrations, etc. are also welcome. If you find it to be a valuable collectible, chances are good that others will, too. Just be sure: this is not a disposal service for items you wish to throw away! 

Our 2024 Dealers Room 

The Dealers Room at Gallifrey One is at the heart of our convention and is completely sold out for 2024.  The Dealers Room contains all the latest Doctor Who and media & merchandise collectibles, such as DVDs & CDs, books and magazines, plus costuming gear, science fiction books, videos and audios, movie posters, jewelry, buttons, collectible cards, media memorabilia, Girl Scout Cookies from a local troop, and so much more.  Our exhibitor tables (fan tables) are also located in the Dealers Room.

Our convention registration grants you full access to the Gallifrey One Dealers Room for the entire weekend (we do not sell a separate “dealers room only” admission.)  The Dealers Room opens on Friday at 10:00am for your shopping convenience (an hour earlier than main stage programming starts!)  Our hours of operation are 10:00am to 6:00pm Friday and Saturday, and 10:00am to 4:00pm on Sunday.  The following dealers are confirmed to be joining us this year:

• Alien Entertainment & Big Finish Productions 
• A Wrinkle in Time
• Cargo Cult Books
• Crafty Geek Girls
• Cutaway Comics
• Dale & Barbara Santos
• Dragon Marsh Apothecary
• Fayetteville Mafia Press
• Girl Scouts of America (with cookies!)
• Holzheimers Distribution
• Indigoskye Bead Fashions
• Jim & Melody Rondeau
• Julie Scott LMT (now located in the center of the room, not the front corner)
• Lyzard13
• Mike’s Comics & Stuff
• Optimystical Studios
• Pendragon Costumes
• Pixel Who
• Reeltime Pictures
• Showmasters Events
• Springtime Creations
• The Doctor’s Closet
• The Who Shop UK
• Tribble Toys/GIANT Microbes

Our 2024 guests and exhibitors with tables in the Dealers Room currently include:

• AZTARDIS (TARDIS & console display/photos)
• B.A.D.A.S.S. (Browncoat, Auxiliary, Depression, and Anxiety Support System)
• Bill Blair
• Gallifrey One Sales (t-shirts & tote bags)
• Dominic Glynn
• Brian Herring
• Los Angeles in 2026 Worldcon Bid
• Loscon 2024
• M&M Famous Faces
• Pop Culture Hero Coalition
• Sci-Fi Sea Cruise
• SD Who Con
• Blair Shedd

Please note that we are moving our Autograph Alley out of the Dealers Room this year; it will be located in the main convention center foyer instead.

“Did I buy a ticket?”

We’re receiving a LOT of emails recently from people wondering if they did in fact purchase tickets, some of which is happening because they can’t find their tickets in their email.  Many people search their email for EventBrite and can’t find them… please remember that we no longer sell tickets via EventBrite, but rather through Member Solutions (the vendor we also use for convention T-shirts and tote bags).  You will be able to find your purchase in your email by searching for “Member Solutions”.

As an additional reminder, our partner vendor Convention Photo Shoots, which takes care of all our photo op sales as well as the add-on packages (such as the Diamond Pass, TARDIS Tag and VIP script reading), does use EventBrite to sell their items.

Q&A: Autographs, Photos, Add-On Packages

Like we did last year, we wanted to answer some questions we’ve been getting regarding some of the add-on packages, including the Diamond Pass, the TARDIS Tag, and the VIP script readings.  If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email.

Do I have to buy an add-on package to get an autograph from, or photo with, any of the sponsored actor guests?
No.  The Diamond Pass and TARDIS Tag are for attendees’ convenience only (and cost savings, in many cases) and are never required for access to our guests.

Will you sell out the photo ops if I don’t purchase in advance?
We do recommend pre-purchasing photo ops (or one of the packages mentioned above) to save yourself time, not to mention our photo studio staff.  However, we expect all photo ops will be available for purchase on site as well.

What about autographs?
We do not pre-sell autograph sessions with any guests, except the autographs guaranteed in the add-on packages.  Autographs with all guests will be fully available for purchase on site.  (Important fact: we have never sold out of photo ops or autographs.)

When will the VIP script reading sessions and TARDIS Tag meet & greet events take place?  Will they sell out?
The exact dates and times are still to be announced, but we can confirm the following: Billie Piper’s script reading will take place on Saturday morning on the main convention level; Derek Jacobi & Alex Kingston’s script readings will take place on Sunday on the main convention level (likely both in the morning); and the script reading events for Lalla Ward, Matthew Waterhouse and Camille Coduri will take place at other times (all in the afternoons) in the receptions lounge on the 16th floor.  Additionally, none of these script reading sessions will conflict with each other.  Also, the Lalla Ward and Matthew Waterhouse meet & greets that are included in the TARDIS Tag will be scheduled in the afternoons as well.

Will you be adding photo ops with additional guests?
Absolutely.  The current photo ops for sale are with guests we have already established contracts with.  We will add additional photo ops for pre-sale with other guests closer to the convention, and you will be able to purchase them on site as well.

Are photo op prices per photo, or per participant?
Per participant.  If you have two attendees wanting to be in the same photo, you must each purchase a photo op. All participants will receive a copy of the photo, as well as a digital print available after the convention.

If I have a package that includes a photo op, can my friend(s) participate in the photo?
Yes… as long as each person has purchased a photo op – either a package or an individual photo – they can participate in the photo.

Whose autographs/photo ops are included with the TARDIS Tag?
Guests specifically sponsored by Showmasters Events, which currently include Derek Jacobi, Billie Piper, Alex Kingston, Lalla Ward, Matthew Waterhouse, Camille Coduri, Shaun Dingwall and Jacqueline King.  It will include others to be confirmed closer to the event.

When will Evening Guest Reception tickets go on sale?
Reception tickets will go on sale later in January, after confirming the remainder of our attending actor guests and other participants.

I saw that digital photos would require an extra charge this year…
This was a mistake that we immediately had fixed after it was reported to us; sorry for the confusion!  Every photo op purchase includes both the physical print on-demand at our Photo Studio, and the digital download a couple weeks after the convention is over.

What if I don’t purchase any add-ons?  Do I get to see the guests?
Yes, absolutely!  All of Gallifrey One’s guests appear on stage throughout the weekend, and all of our convention programming is included in the price of general admission.  You do not ever have to purchase an optional add-on to see our guests; the add-ons enhance your experience.

And Finally… Check Out Our Attendee Guide

We keep our Gallifrey One Attendee Guide as updated as possible at all times… it has a lot more information about what to expect this February, so visit it often!

More news soon…

The post Gallifrey One 2024 Early January Update first appeared on Gallifrey One 2024.

Star of stage and screen, and one of Britain’s national treasures, Sir Derek Jacobi portrayed the Master (and his alter ego, Professor Yana) opposite David Tennant in 2007’s “Utopia,” fulfilling a life-long ambition of the actor to star in Doctor Who. He also voices the character in Big Finish Productions’ War Master audio series; voiced another version of the Master in the 2003 Doctor Who animated adventure “Scream of the Shalka” by Paul Cornell; and starred as Martin Bannister in Rob Shearman’s Doctor Who Unbound audio story “Deadline.”

Widely known for his starring role as Claudius in the 1976 BBC series, I, Claudius, for which he won a BAFTA Award for Best Actor, he has also received two Emmy Awards, for The Tenth Man and a guest shot in Frasier, and is known for his roles in Cadfael, the HBO film The Gathering Storm, the ITV sitcom Vicious alongside Sir Ian McKellen, and more recently in The Borgias, Last Tango in Halifax, The Sandman, The Crown and as the voice of Metatron in Good Omens. His film roles include The Day of the Jackal, Henry V, Dead Again, Hamlet, Gosford Park, The King’s Speech, Murder on the Orient Express, and as Senator Gracchus in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (a role he will be reprising for the upcoming sequel.)  His many roles on the stage, which began with him as one of of the founding members of the National Theatre alongside luminaries such as Laurence Olivier, run the gamut of Shakespeare’s repetoire and include a 1985 Tony Award.

We are honored to be able to welcome Sir Derek to Gallifrey One this year, his first-ever Doctor Who appearance in North America, courtesy our friends at Showmasters Events.  Sir Derek will participate in two main stage interviews during his visit, one on Friday afternoon, and one Saturday, included with general admission.  He will also be autographing and doing photo ops on Saturday and Sunday, will do a VIP script reading on Sunday morning, will participate in our guest receptions on Friday & Saturday evenings, and has a separate Diamond Pass; all of these require purchase (see below.)  Additionally, he is included in the TARDIS Tag package.

We would like to thank Jason Joiner and Paul Jones at Showmasters for this rare opportunity, and also David Bickerstaff for his assistance confirming him.

Photo op presales, the Derek Jacobi Diamond Pass and the TARDIS Tag, and tickets for the Sunday morning script reading are now available at Convention Photo Shoots; tickets for our evening guest receptions will go on sale a bit closer to the convention.

More news soon… 

The post Sir Derek Jacobi Headlines Gallifrey One 2024 first appeared on Gallifrey One 2024.

Initial Add-On Packages

As always, Gallifrey One features a variety of different optional, add-on items beyond all of the entertainment covered in your ticket purchase.  The first installment of these add-ons includes the following now available:

• Photo op pre-sales for the guests sponsored by Showmasters Events (currently Billie Piper, Alex Kingston, Lalla Ward, Camille Coduri, Jacqueline King and Matthew Waterhouse); more photo-ops with other guests will be added closer to the convention.
• The TARDIS Tag package, as well as Diamond Passes for Billie Piper and Alex Kingston, each of which include autographs and photo ops with the guests, as well as exclusive items (the benefits of each of these are described in the purchase details).
• Exclusive script reading events with Billie Piper (Saturday morning) and Alex Kingston (Sunday morning) on the convention level, along with afternoon script reading events with Camille Coduri, Matthew Waterhouse and Lalla Ward in our 16th floor receptions lounge.

To purchase these items, visit the Convention Photo Shoots website by clicking on the button below:

Additional photo op pre-sales, tickets to our Evening Guest Receptions and more will be announced closer to the convention.  Also, please note that to use any of the add-on items, you must have a paid ticket to attend the convention.

New Gallifrey One 2024 Guests

Camille Coduri

Camille Coduri recurred regularly in the first two series of the revived Doctor Who as Jackie Tyler, the sharp-witted and irascible mother of Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler, and reprised her role in the Series 4 episode “Journey’s End” and David Tennant’s final story, “The End of Time.” Since 2017, Coduri has reprised the role on audio for Big Finish Productions, including in the Rose Tyler, Lives of Captain Jack, Doom’s Day and Diary of River Song series, many of which have reunited her with Piper. Coduri also participated in a Doctor Who-themed episode of The Weakest Link, and is known for appearances in Him & Her, Nuns on the Run, King Ralph, Ashes to Ashes, Boon, A Touch of Frost, and Rumpole of the Bailey, and more recently in Edge of Heaven, as narrator of The Curse and featuring as Denise King in the series King Gary. Camille attended Gallifrey One in 2012 and 2018, and she returns for a third visit (her first time alongside Piper) courtesy Showmasters Events.  (With thanks to Fantom Events for the photo)

Rachel Talalay

​Rachel Talalay is a celebrated and successful producer and director who made her film directoral debut in 1991 on the final Nightmare on Elm Street film Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare. In addition to directing films such as Tank Girl and Ghost in the Machine, Rachel has become a prolific television director as well, helming the Doctor Who Series Eight two-part finale “Dark Water” and “Death in Heaven,” Series Nine’s acclaimed “Heaven Sent” and “Hell Bent,” the final two episodes of Series Ten, “World Enough and Time” and “The Doctor Falls,” and the much-heralded Peter Capaldi swansong, “Twice Upon a Time”. She recently returned to the Doctor Who world to direct the first of 2023’s specials, “The Star Beast” with David Tennant and Catherine Tate. Rachel has also directed episodes of Sherlock, The Flash, Supergirl, Reign, Legends of Tomorrow, Kyle XY, Boston Public, Ally MacBeal, Haven, Cold Case and The Dead Zone, and has taught film studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. A three-time guest at previous Gallifrey One events, we are thrilled to welcome her back this year to talk about her newest work.

Shaun Dingwall

Shaun Dingwall is best known to Doctor Who fans as Pete Tyler, Rose Tyler’s father and the presumed dead husband of Jackie Tyler in the episodes “Father’s Day,” “Rise of the Cybermen,” “The Age of Steel” and “Doomsday”.  He later returned to the role for Big Finish Productions’s Rose Tyler: The Dimension Cannon series.  Dingwall appeared opposite David Tennant in the BBC TV film Learners in 2007, the miniseries The Driver with David Morrisseyk, and as David Grant in the BBC reimagining of Survivors; more recently, he’s been seen on television in Top Boy, Grantchester, Noughts + Crosses, Maigret, DCI Banks, Legends, Death in Paradise, Breathless and Silent Witness, as well as the films Goodbye Christopher Robin and Inland.  Last with us at Gallifrey One in 2013, we’re delighted to welcome him back in an appearance courtesy Showmasters Events.

Annette Badland

Annette Badland is best known to Doctor Who fans as Cardiff mayor Margaret Blaine… or more accurately, Blon Fel-Fotch Pasameer-Day Slitheen, during the first season of the show’s revival in 2005. A popular and hugely prolific actress in series on both sides of the Atlantic, she’s been a regular or recurring performer in Bergerac, The Worst Witch, Doctors, Cutting It, Coronation Street, EastEnders, The Sparticle Mystery, as well as appearing as Ursula Crowe in Russell T. Davies & Phil Ford’s Wizards vs Aliens, as Mrs. Fitzgibbons in the first season of the Starz period drama Outlander, and as Hazel Woolley in The Archers. Her first film role was in Terry Gilliam’s Jabberwocky and other film roles include Beautiful People, Mrs. Caldicott’s Cabbage War, Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Baker, and Valiant. More recently, she appeared as Dr. Margaret Megarty in series four of Netflix’s The Crown, and in a recurring role as Mae the landlady in the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso starring Jason Sudeikis. Ms. Badland joins us for her second Gallifrey One appearance (the last time, back in 2014!) courtesy M&M Famous Faces.

Sally Knyvette

Sally Knyvette is best known to fans for her role as Jenna Stannis is the first two seasons of the British science fiction series Blake’s 7, a role that she said that “started off as this really exciting, intergalactic space pirate, but then she became a sort of housewife on the Liberator.” Knyvette also voiced the part of Doctorman Allan in Big Finish’s acclaimed Doctor Who audio adventure “Spare Parts” and returned to a more robust role as Jenna in their series of Blake’s 7 audio plays. She is also known for her role as Kate Sugden in Emmerdale and Nurse Rowland in General Hospital. Her other TV appearances include Holby City, The Safe House, Family Affairs, A Touch of Frost, Unfinished Business, Casualty, EastEnders, Dalziel and Pascoe, Coronation Street, The Politician’s Wife, The Bill, Big Deal, Who Pays the Ferryman? and Z Cars, and she has voiced characters in the video games Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and its sequel and Layton’s Mystery Journey. This is her first visit to Gallifrey One.

Brian Croucher

Brian Croucher has appeared in a number of science fiction series, including being the second actor to portray Space Commander Travis in Blake’s 7, and as Borg in the 1970s Doctor Who story “The Robots of Death.”  Croucher also appeared in the Doctor Who spin-off Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans in 1994 as Kurt.  His other TV roles include the children’s adventure series The Jensen Code, a role opposite Tom Bell in the Thames Television/Euston Films thriller series Out; and as Rooky in The Famous Five, in the double episode “Five Get into Trouble”.  One of his earliest film roles was the musical of Lionel Bart’s Oliver!; his other film roles include Burke & Hare (1972), Made (1972), A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979), Scrubbers (1983), and Underworld (1985).  Apart from acting, Croucher has directed two short films, Rank (2009, co-written with Nick Wilkinson) and Vodka & Coke (2013), also written and produced by Wilkinson.  This is his first visit to Gallifrey One.

Jan Chappell

Jan Chappell is best known for her portrayal of the telepathic alien Cally for the first three seasons of the classic science fiction serial Blake’s 7, a role she has reprised many times in audio adventures published by Big Finish Productions.  She joined the Doctor Who expanded universe in 1994 playing the lead role of Captain Lisa Deranne in the spinoff drama Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans.  Chappell’s television appearances include The Naked Civil Servant, Reilly, Ace of Spies, Mr. Palfrey of Westminster, Inspector Alleyn Mysteries, The House of Eliott, Boon, Lovejoy, Pie in the Sky, Holby City, New Tricks, Spooks and Rosemary & Thyme; her film roles include Ken Russell’s The Devils, The Virgin and the Gipsy, Low Tide, and Basic Instinct 2.  Chappell’s career includes extensive experience for several decades on the British stage including in the West End.  This is her first visit to Gallifrey One.

Kevin Jon Davies

Kevin Jon Davies directed The Making of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Doctor Who: 30 Years in the TARDIS for BBC1 in 1993 (re-cut to feature length as More Than 30 Years… for BBC Video a year later). This led to the spin-off film drama, Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans (1994) and Dalekmania (1995), a documentary about the 60s Peter Cushing films. His career began drawing animated graphics for the TV version of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1981), Blake’s 7 (1981), Gerry Anderson’s Terrahawks (1983) and at Walt Disney (UK) for Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). He spent five years working on international TV commercials blending live action and animation, along with three decades of archive documentary production; many interviews for Europe’s Sci-Fi Channel and many BBC DVD Extras followed including Doctor Who features. In 1993 author Douglas Adams had asked Davies to art direct his book The Illustrated Hitchhiker’s Guide, and most recently he edited 42, The Wildly Improbable Ideas of Douglas Adams, a hardback bestseller for Unbound about the author’s personal archives. He has more books in preparation, delving into various sci-fi-themed archives. This is his first visit to Gallifrey One.

Dominic Glynn

Film and television composer Dominic Glynn is best known to Doctor Who fans for his 1986 arrangement of the show’s theme music, for the “Trial of a Time Lord” season starring Colin Baker, as well as incidental music during the final four years of the classic show’s run; he’s currently at work on a new set of remixes of his Who music. Dominic’s most recent work for the big screen is the BAFTA award-winning Eye of the Storm, one of many collaborations with director Anthony Baxter that include “Flint: Whose Side Are You On” and the “You’ve Been Trumped” trilogy. His music has been heard in thousands of TV shows around world, from Homeland to Jon Stewart’s Daily Show and even Spongebob Squarepants. We’re happy to welcome him back this year. (Photo courtesy Vanessa Haines.)

Stephen Cole

Stephen Cole is a bestselling children’s author with over three million copies in print, but is best known to fans for his contributions to Doctor Who publishing.  In the late 1990s, he was Doctor Who Project Editor across all media at BBC Worldwide, and over two decades wrote or co-wrote many novels (both under his name as well as a pseudonym) in their Eighth Doctor, Past Doctor and New Series Adventures ranges, as well as many short stories, and over a dozen Doctor Who audio adventures for Big Finish Productions.  Since 2018, Steve has been Creative Editor for BBC Books’ Doctor Who list, including nonfiction, original fiction and the New Target novelisations, as well as contributing titles of his own.  A long-time friend of Gallifrey One, last visiting during our 25th anniversary, we are thrilled to welcome Steve back this year.

Tony Lee

New York Times #1 Bestseller Tony Lee has written for Doctor Who in both comics and audio productions, and over the years has written for publishers and broadcasters including Marvel, DC Comics, Heavy Metal Magazine, BBC One, ITV, Amazon / Audible, Big Finish and Titan Comics on licenses such as Spider-Man, Star Trek, Superboy, Robin of Sherwood, Bernice Summerfield , Sherlock Holmes, Dorian Grey, Doctors and Battlestar Galactica among others. Now writing books with rockstars, he’s just started a series of graphic novels with Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson and writes procedural crime and thriller novels under the pen name Jack Gatland. A long-time Gallifrey One guest, we’re always happy to welcome him back.

Jody Houser

Jody Houser knew she wanted to be a writer when she was eight years old and never looked back. After years of dabbling in webcomics and anthologies, she started writing comics full-time in 2016. Jody has been the principal writer for Titan Comics’ recent Doctor Who titles, including the Thirteenth Doctor comics, the main-title Doctor Who series, Time Lord Victorious, Missy, Empire of the Wolf, and Doctor Who: Origins. Jody’s other work includes Stranger Things and Critical Role for Dark Horse; Star Wars and Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows for Marvel; Mother Panic and Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy for DC Comics; Star Trek and Orphan Black for IDW; and Faith for Valiant Comics, among many others. We welcome her back for her a return visit.

Paul Cornell

Writer Paul Cornell’s credits include “Human Nature/The Family of Blood” and “Father’s Day” from the Doctor Who series revival and a lengthy list of Doctor Who novels, comics and audio plays. He’s the creator of the popular character Bernice Summerfield. His comics credits last year included the fantasy rom com graphic novel Three Little Wishes and the mini-series bringing George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards to Marvel. His latest book is the space opera novella Rosebud. He’s won the BSFA Award for his short fiction, an Eagle Award for his comics, a Hugo Award for his podcast and shares in a Writer’s Guild Award for his Doctor Who. He’s the co-host of Hammer House of Podcast (with Lizbeth Myles) and a long-time Gallifrey One guest making his twenty-third appearance this year!

Lizbeth Myles

Lizbeth Myles is a Scottish writer and podcaster, and a long-time Gallifrey One attendee, who’s written many audio dramas for Big Finish across the Doctor Who, Blake’s 7, and Survivor ranges, including such titles as “The Outlaws” featuring the First Doctor and Dodo, “Peake Season” with Tom Baker, “Breaking Bubbles” with Colin Baker & Nicola Bryant, and the War Master story “Boundaries” with Derek Jacobi. Along with five other women from around the globe, she co-hosts the award-winning Verity! podcast, as well as the Hammer House of Podcast with Paul Cornell. She’s a three-time Hugo finalist, and a Time Monster apologist. Her favourite robots are the Quarks, and she returns this year for her second appearance as a guest.

Additional Program Participants

The following local Los Angeles based guests and other participating guests will also be on the 2024 Gallifrey One program, and we are delighted to welcome them all (with more to come in the weeks ahead!)

Marv Wolfman – Legendary comics writer known for “Blade,” “The New Teen Titans” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths”

Barbara Hambly – Acclaimed science fiction & fantasy novelist and tie-in novelist (“Star Trek,” “Star Wars”)

Gareth Kavanagh & Ian Winterton – Cutaway Comics (Lytton, Omega, Paradise Towers)

Julie & Shawna Benson – Writers/producers for Star Trek Prodigy, Wu Assassins and The 100.

Cherry Chevapravatdumrong – Writer and co-executive producer of Family Guy and The Orville

Javi Grillo-Marxuach – Writer and producer, Lost, Charmed, The Middleman, Law & Order: SVU

Keith Barnfather – Reeltime Pictures

Christopher Jones – Illustrator, Young Justice, Doctor Who, The Batman Strikes

Dan Peck – Writer, Family Guy, The Cleveland Show

Trina Ray, Kim Steadman, Sarah Milkovich, Krys Blackwood – NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Scott and David Tipton – IDW Comics “Star Trek: The Next Generation”

Robert Napton – Legendary Comics, Image Comics

Craig Miller – Animation screenwriter and former Star Wars publicist

Bob Miller – Author, The Star Wars Historical Sourcebook: Volume One: 1971-1976

Larry Nemecek – Trekland, The Con of Wrath, Portal 47

Travis Richey – Inspector Spacetime

More news soon!

The post New Guest Announcements for 2024, plus First Add-On Packages Available first appeared on Gallifrey One 2024.

Billie Piper

Billie Piper is best known to Doctor Who fans for portraying Rose Tyler, companion to the Ninth and Tenth Doctors, the series’ first co-star upon its return to the air in 2005… and a major part of the reason its return to TV was such a smashing success.  A popular musician and actress who went immediately from her Doctor Who stint direct to three years as the star of the drama series Secret Diary of a Call Girl, returned for Doctor Who’s fourth series and again (as the Moment) for the show’s 50th anniversary in 2013. She later starred in Showtime’s Penny Dreadful; in the Netflix series Collateral, for which she was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress; and in Sky Atlantic’s I Hate Suzie, for which she received two Best Actress BAFTA nominations.  Piper also won the 2017 Olivier Award and multiple other awards for her stage role in the play Yerma.  More recently, she has reprised the role of Rose Tyler for Big Finish Productions in one series of stories with Tennant, and two series focused exclusively on Rose.  Last with us ten years ago in 2014, we are thrilled to welcome Billie Piper back to Gallifrey One in 2024, courtesy Showmasters Events; she will be with us on Friday and Saturday.

Tickets for Gallifrey One’s Miracle on 34th Street are still available!  Click here for ticket prices and to purchase your ticket convention today.

Meanwhile, stay tuned for more news soon… including many new guest announcements throughout the next couple months!

The post Billie Piper Returns to Gallifrey One in 2024 first appeared on Gallifrey One 2024.

Our Discussion Panel track is one of the most popular parts of the convention: conversations, led by fan attendees and joined in by audience participation, discussing all the various facets of Doctor Who and other related topics.  2024 will be no exception, and we are thrilled to release the following list of potential fan discussion panels below for your enjoyment.  Please be aware of the following:

• Not every panel on this list will happen, due to panelist interest and other factors, but as many of them as we can pack in.
• This is only one track of programming at Gallifrey One 2024… we’ll have plenty of others, including discussion panels with many of our guests, as well as specialized panel programming that is invite-only for panelists.

We are also opening up our open panelist call today for 2024, seeking participants who would like to lead one or more of these panel discussions.  In order to participate as a fan panelist on our discussions, you must provide your name and a valid email address, as well as your selections for panels you’d enjoy participating on as a panelist, and some information about why you’d like to be a panelist. Some important things to consider:

• Participation as a panelist on our discussion panel program is entirely the selection of our program director, whose goal is to create a balanced and fun panelist group;
• Panelists are not granted complementary admission; everyone must have a paid convention ticket at the time you are requesting to be a panelist; and 
• Panelists need to provide either their legal name, or the name they use in everyday life; please, no social media handles!  (If the name on your request does not match the name on your ID, please note that on the form so we can verify you have a ticket.)

It is also very important to remember that all attendees of the convention can enjoy these panels as a spectator!  The panelist call is only for the people on the panel who lead the discussion.  Audience participation and feedback is very welcome and highly encouraged!

Please click on the following link to submit your name as a panelist for one of more panels:

Gallifrey One 2024 Open Panelist Request Form
CLICK HERE to submit your requests

A full list of the panels open for fan participants can be found below.  As noted above, the discussion panel track is only one of our program tracks, and the rest of our convention program will be announced in January.

Discussion Panels List

Doctor Who Panels

1. Ncuti to the Moon: The new era of Doctor Who has begun, and by the time of this year’s convention, we’ll be long past the anniversary specials into the era of the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday. We’ll discuss everything we know about the upcoming season and beyond: trailers, photos, set leaks, potential plot spoilers and more. We’ll also discuss what the new era means for the show, and what we think the future of the series promises.

2. Special Features: Familiar face, familiar teeth – the regeneration of the Thirteenth Doctor shocked everyone by bringing back David Tennant, before the eventual transition to new lead Ncuti Gatwa. We’ll take a deep dive into the four Doctor Who specials from the end of 2023 – Tennant’s three anniversary specials and the 2023 holiday special – to review each story, discuss where they’ve changed the series and led it into new horizons.

3. In The House of the Mouse: It’s a new era, as the BBC joined forces with Disney to bring Doctor Who into the future. We’ll discuss what the Disney partnership brings to the table, including how it’s just changed how Americans watch the show, how it’s marketed and adapted for the audience (Doctor Who theme park attractions, anyone?) and the endless possibilities that exist for new spinoffs… perhaps a brand new Doctor Who cinematic universe all its own. Could crossovers abound?

4. Fourth to Doomsday: Even today, the adventures of Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor and his companions remains as one of the most beloved eras of Doctor Who. This panel will take a nostalgic trip to the 1970s, revisiting the highlights and memorable moments of the Fourth Doctor’s travels, waxing nostalgic about his amazing traveling companions and dastardly villains, and discussing why the era remains so popular among fans of the show.

5. TARDIS Represent! Doctor Who has a long history of LGBTQIA+ characters, both those declared in canon and those we find in subtext, as well as embracing the world of diversity and acceptance on both sides of the camera, especially in recent memory. With Russell T Davies back in the saddle and openly queer actor Ncuti Gatwa as its new lead, we’ll ponder what this means for the next few seasons of the series and its fandom, and how it paves the way for the future.

6. Doctor Who Deathmatch: 60 for Sixty: Our annual Deathmatch panel returns, this time being a blatant excuse to celebrate the recent sixtieth anniversary of Doctor Who. Ten panelists will create a list of their favorite Who stories from the entire run of the series (1963 to present); then, at a high rate of speed, each panelist will present a timed, one-minute review of their top six favorites – without repeating anyone else’s choices, and completely from the top of their head – until we have a list of the sixty best stories from sixty years of Who. (This will be in a 90 minute time slot; prospective panelists will need to come up with a list of 10-15 of their favorite stories, so as not to repeat others’ choices, and bring them to the panel.)

7. Music of the Spheres 101: The Akinola Era: For five years, composer Segun Akinola left his stamp on Doctor Who music that will live forever. We’ll take a look at some of his best work on the show, the haunting melody of his opening theme, the character compositions and memorable moments we’ll remember, and how his compositions shaped the era of the 13th Doctor. We’ll also contrast his music with that created by other composers on the show.

8. Music of the Spheres 201: Everything Gold Is New Again: The anniversary specials not only introduced us to new friends, but brought back some old ones as well, like composer Murray Gold, who returns to the show for the first time since 2017. We’ll break down the new music from the specials including the new title theme, hypothesize what we can expect in the near future (including, perhaps, the return of some of the most familiar beats), and compare it to the current state of television soundtracks.

9. The Diaries of River Song: The Doctor’s wife, archaeologist, adventurer, time traveler… River Song has been everything. And not just on television, either; her past (or make that future?) with the Doctor goes back even further thanks to audio. We’ll take a look at all the magic moments of Miss Melody Pond, her interactions with all the various incarnations of the Doctor, and the joie de vivre brought to the role by Alex Kingston.

10. Doctor Who Crossover: To Boldly Go: Doctor Who Crossover is back… this time crossing the Whoniverse into the realms of the United Federation of Planets and the Star Trek universe. Would Captain Jack seduce Captain Kirk (or the other way around)? Would assimilation or upgrade triumph in a match between the Borg and the Cybermen? And who would Captain Picard kick off the bridge more quickly: Wesley Crusher, or Adric? Our panelists, and our audience, will discuss, suggest and opine on all of these and more.

11. Adventures in Animation 101: Recreating Classic Who: The first of our two-part examination of Doctor Who in animation. Parts of Doctor Who’s earliest history has been recreated through animation accompanied by original sound recordings, some wildly successful, others controversial. But most of us expected the days of reanimating stories to be behind us… until recent developments have suggested otherwise. We’ll look at the new potential for Doctor Who reanimation of classic stories, including what we’d like to see and how feasible it might be.

12. Adventures in Animation 201: Trailblazing New Who: The second of our two-part examination of Doctor Who in animation. We’ve already seen Doctor Who animated in the new era (Scream of the Shalka, The Infinite Quest and Dreamland); we’ll take a look at the potential for new animated adventures based on the modern show, who it should target, what it should learn from other genres, where it might segue into spinoffs, and what would make it successful.

13. The Darker Side of Doctor Who: Long before Steven Moffat gave us the Weeping Angels, Doctor Who faced a rich history of creepy, disturbing and sometimes terrifying storylines, worlds and villains. From Zeta Minor to the Zygons, Fenric to the Yeti, the Macra to Morbius and so much more, we’ll discuss the horror stories of Doctor Who through its long history, and analyze how effective they were both on first airing as well as today.

14. The Doctor Who Moments That Moved Us: From thrilling heights to lowest depths, the heartrending drama that is Doctor Who has been full of moments that made us laugh or cry. Our panel will discuss the stories from Doctor Who, be they on the screen, on audio or in print, that moved them beyond expectations, with additional input from the audience.

15. Ex Anniversarium Celebratorium: We Doctor Who fans love milestones, and we’ve done it many times. We’ll compare and contrast the major Doctor Who anniversary stories “The Three Doctors,” “The Five Doctors,” “Day of the Doctor” and the 2023 specials, looking at the eras they celebrated, the stories they told, the characters they brought back (companions, allies and villains), and how they are all products of their time. We’ll also touch on some of the tie-in anniversary stories including books and audios.

16. The Guiding Light: Although rooted in the realms of science fiction and fantasy, Doctor Who storytelling has many times delved into the impact of faith, religion, spirituality and mythology on peoples and planets everywhere. This panel will take a look at the ways the Doctor has dealt with matters of faith and explained, or even influenced, the pathways of legend, from ancient Time Lord history to facing sinister evils on a grander scale, and how it has celebrated many kinds of faith across its history.

17. Gadgets and Gizmos A Plenty: Doctor Who is nothing without a healthy dose of mechanical gadgetry, gizmos and tools, from the TARDIS itself and its infinitely customizable console, to the various permutations of the Doctor’s trusty sonic screwdriver (which seems to do everything except actually be a screwdriver!), from K-9 to Bessie and the Whomobile, and everything else over the years. We’ll take a look at the most – and least – plausible inventions and gizmos, and work out whether much of this stuff would function in the real world, and how.

18. Canon Cops on the Doctor Who Superhighway: The “canon” argument has been part of many genres of fandom for decades, and it’s always a bitter argument: hold fast to the past, or play with it and open up new possibilities? With a rich, sixty year history of Doctor Who out there, and the way the show can play with alternate timelines and realities, we will discuss the ways the show (and its books and audios) has played with canon, skirted around it or ignored it entirely, and how this has impacted storytelling potential.

19. The Grandfather, The Dandy and the Clown: Although many of the original actors are no longer with us, Big Finish Productions has invested heavily in recreating the First, Second and Third Doctor eras of the show, recasting many of the roles, including the Doctors themselves, with new actors (or in some cases, children of the actors themselves). This panel will take a look at the different ways they’ve brought back the early years of the show for a new generation of fans, and suggest some of the best of the early adventures.

20. Stay On Target! In the days before home video was accessible to all, fans stayed connected to Doctor Who through the novelizations published by Target Books. But now, many years later, the Target imprint continues to publish, including some new versions of classic Doctor Who serials, as well as print versions of many of the episodes from today’s updated show. We’ll have a lively discussion on hand about all things Target Books and Doctor Who.

21. Navigating the Sirens of Time: For nearly 25 years, Big Finish has created Doctor Who audio adventures spanning both eras of the show and featuring many members of the original cast. However, for those who are just getting started with this rich tapestry of stories, the sheer amount of content can be daunting. Our panel will offer advice on the best places for fans of any era to immerse oneself in Doctor Who audio drama.

22. K-9 Down Under: Did you know that K-9 starred in his own television series? We’re not talking about the one-off episode in 1981… he was the subject of an entire season of TV made in Australia in 2009, a mix of live action and animation starring the beloved voice of John Leeson. We’ll discuss why the show was made, whether it’s remotely watchable to anyone other than its target audience (Who-obsessed tweens), and can we consider it a part of the canon of the parent show we love?

23. The Doctor Who Confession Dial After Dark: Yet another installment of one of our most popular panels, but this year we’re putting a purely adult-themed spin on it. Do you have an unpopular opinion about something in the Doctor Who universe? Have you been afraid to admit it and it’s been burning a hole in your soul for ages? If so, this is your chance… our safe-space panel will hear your confessional and open up the discussion from there. Adult-oriented confessionals welcome this year (and you can submit something in writing at the door to the panel room, too)… just keep it about the TV show itself, please! (18+ only)

24. Doctor Who and Magic The Gathering: In 2023, Doctor Who came to the original and oldest trading card game, Magic: the Gathering, as part of Magic’s “Universes Beyond” range. We’ll discuss Magic: the Gathering (and other games) from the perspective of a Doctor Who fan and why such a tie-in is a massive deal for Doctor Who as a franchise. The panel is also intended to be an introduction to MTG for Who fans who don’t know anything about it and discuss exactly what this crossover entails; we’ll also briefly discuss the history of Doctor Who‘s game tie-ins beyond Magic.

25. Doctor Who Beyond the Screen: The Year In Review: Our annual panel discussion of Doctor Who in other genres from the past year, in the comics, in new fiction and non-fiction from the BBC and other publishers, and in audios from Big Finish. We’ll sort through the rich catalog of products from the past year, as well as discuss some of the amazing stuff we see coming on the horizon.

26. Podcasting Who: The cybersphere is alive with the sound of Doctor Who fans. Podcasting has never been more popular, and everything from the show to its spinoffs, books and audios is covered by various podcasts that comb through each with unparalleled depth. We will take a look at the current state of Doctor Who podcasting, talk about some of the best and brightest podcasts you should be listening to, and find out where there might be room for your voice, too.

27. Silence in the Zine Library: Doctor Who has a rich history of fanzines: stories and articles independently published by fans, clubs, and associations. Collecting zines has become a fandom hobby and has also allowed newer fans to dig through previous decades and eras of fandom. We’ll look at the history of Doctor Who zines, the different types that existed (including newsletters, charity zines and special printings), and examine where we can find zine culture to this day and the benefits of physical media.

General Panels

28. Blake’s 7: Mission to Destiny: Forty-five years ago, the series Blake’s 7 hit the airwaves in the UK, and left an indelible mark on science fiction television. Our panel will take a look back at the remarkable show created by Terry Nation (who also created the Daleks), its rich characters and storytelling, and discuss why it’s still popular with audiences, and how it continues to influence science fiction and storytelling today.

29. Fight The Future: 30 Years of The X-Files: We’re celebrating 30 years of The X-Files, Chris Carter’s landmark television drama (and two feature films) that gave us Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, Assistant Director Skinner and the Cigarette Smoking Man, Millennium and The Lone Gunmen, and taught us to question everything and trust nothing. This panel will take a fond look throughout the history of the show and its many contributions to television and sci-fi.

30. The Legacy of Douglas Adams: Gone, but never forgotten… the popularity of one of Britain’s greatest satirists continues to inspire us and endures even today. From his early contributions to Doctor Who to the universality of his timeless classic The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, we’ll take a look at Adams’ contributions to the human zeitgeist and why his humor, and his humanity, will live forever.

31. The Big Crunch: It was to be TV’s new golden age, an era of choice and cord-cutting and content as far as the eye could see. But that golden age has now hit back, and many factors (including rising costs and, yes, even hard-fought strikes) have ushered in a new reality, where shows last only a single year, and some even disappear entirely from their platforms (we’re looking at you, Westworld, Willow and Star Trek: Prodigy!)  The streaming wars have even claimed some of the services themselves in mergers that have resulted in less choice, or vanished entirely (hello, Quibi.) We’ll take a look at the state of streaming TV today, and what the near future may hold.

32. The Truth Is Out There: The wild west of the Internet was already scourged enough with fake TV spoilers and bogus bought-and-paid-for reviews, but the rise of AI and imagery generated from other people’s content has helped to make it almost impossible to tell fact from fiction. Deepfakes, review-bombing, AI-generated blog posts for clicks… we’ll discuss the best options to avoid these pitfalls, and navigate through the TV, film, comics and gaming news worlds without being bombarded with nonsense.

33. Worlds That Might Have Been: TV and film are full of alternate takes on both history and future. We’ll take a look at the genre, in both science fiction & fantasy TV and film as well as pop culture touchstones (the Marvel and DC universes tend to do it more than any other, it seems!), and ask ourselves why reimagining our past and future is so appealing… and if we can live with the unpredictable consequences, good or bad.

34. The Best of British: Besides our love of Doctor Who, one of the things that unites us at this convention is our shared love of all things British. We will discuss the Anglophiles in each of us, our tastes in film, television, music and pop culture from the UK (and where they converge with our own), and the best ways we can feed this passion, be it BritBox or PBS or otherwise.

35. Look Upward and Share The Wonders I’ve Seen: In the time-honored tradition of sharing our guiltiest television and film pleasures with other attendees of the convention (something we’ve done many times in the past), this panel will be a rousing discussion of shows and movies that are nearest and dearest to our hearts, yet may very well have gone totally unseen by most of the people in the audience.  And speaking of which… audience members, be sure to bring your lists, too!

36. SF Television: The Year In Review: Gallifrey One’s annual retrospective of the best and worst in science fiction & genre television. Our panel will take a look at what’s been on offer since we last convened a year ago, from TV series on networks and streaming services; stick around and you may find some new shows to add to your list!

37. Film: The Year in Review: Our regular look back at the best and worst in science fiction, fantasy, genre, horror and comic-themed films that were released over the past year. We’ll look at the major events in film over the past year, the good, the bad and the ugly, and discuss all the latest releases, biggest trends and hot topics (and we’ll even touch on the Barbenheimer phenomenon!)

38. I Have All These Ribbons, Now What? Although the craze around collecting badge ribbons didn’t start at Gallifrey One (it’s actually a much older notion from general SF conventions), we certainly have kept things going, and it’s never been more popular. We’ll talk about the history of convention badge ribbons, how to get your own made in time for the next convention, the proper etiquette to use in ribbon trading, and ideas for organizing, displaying or crafting with them.

39. Does This Cape Make Me Look Evil? It’s time for costuming as your favorite villain! Our panel of costumers will show you how to make even your generic Doctor Who or genre cosplay look more villainous, including with capes, dark fabrics, sharp cuts and flashy accessories. We’ll also show you how your favorite villains achieve their world-conquering good looks.

40. Cosplay for the Marginalized Body: As a follow-up to last year’s ‘breaking the stigma’ panel, we discuss resources, tips, and tricks for cosplayers whose bodies are outside mainstream designers expectations due to size and/or disability. We’ll outline the challenges faced when you can’t cosplay by simply walking into a store/thrift shop or order a premade costume online and ways to combat those challenges for a variety of abilities and budgets.

41. Gallifreyan High Fashion: Doctor Who cosplay wouldn’t be complete without a Time Lord thrown in for good measure. We’ll talk about how to make that perfect Time Lord collar, to accessorize as any era of Gallifreyan nobility, soldier or outcast, and of course, we’ll talk about all the ways the Doctor has strayed from, but possibly even borrowed from, Gallifreyan haute couture.

More news soon!

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