BBC Studios have announced the launch of their high definition channel BBC Prime in Turkey via Türk Telekom’s Tivibu platform from 27th May, with Doctor Who featuring prominently on the new service:

BBC First will be the exclusive home of all-new series of Doctor Who in Turkey, launching with the 11th and 12th seasons starring Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor and premiering future series closer to UK TX than ever before. This will be especially appreciated by Turkish Whovians who are among world’s most loyal fans ranking #6 in the world on the Doctor Who Facebook page and #9 for YouTube views on Doctor Who official channel, with 1.7m video views in the last 12 months.

Natasha Hussain, Senior Vice President for MENA at BBC Studios, said:

As the World’s spotlight shines bright on British drama, I’m thrilled to be expanding our offering in Turkey with the truly unmissable BBC First channel. The BBC has a strong reputation for its original storytelling and high production values in this genre, and I can’t wait for audiences in Turkey to be introduced to the raft of unique stories and unforgettable characters on BBC First.

Türk Telekom TV/OTT Content and Product Director, Ziyad Varol, stated:

We are very much happy with our years of cooperation with BBC, a household name for broadcast and media worldwide. Five years ago, Tivibu was the first platform to launch BBC’s documentary channel BBC Earth in Turkey, introducing one of the most important documentary producers of the world to Turkish audiences. And now, with BBC First, we are again excited to provide Tivibu audience with the newest and most popular series content of BBC. We hope to add new firsts into our list with BBC and to provide further value to Tivibu viewers by presenting them premium contents before everyone else in Turkey.

Doctor Who kicks off on the channel with a complete run of Peter Capaldi's last series during the afternoon/evening, leading up to the premiere of The Woman Who Fell To Earth. The channel then continues to show Series 11 alongside the rest of the Doctor's high definition adventures over the following weeks (which includes the upscaled special The Next Doctor). You can catch up on the BBC First schedule via This Week in Doctor Who.

Doctor Who has been available in Turkey in standard definition for a number of years via BBC Entertainment Europe (currently broadcasting Series 10).

Source: BBC Studios Press Centre

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The next in the Doctor Who Lockdown global 'watchathon' events will be in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Eleventh Doctor to our screens this coming Friday 3rd April!

To join in, simply pop in your DVD or Bluray disc of The Eleventh Hour, or access a streaming service such as BBC iPlayer, Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play or Netflix, and then hit play at 7:00pm BST / 2:00pm EDT / 5:00am AEDT / 7:00am NZDT and share your viewing experience!

Tweet #FishCustard

Once again the episode's writer Steven Moffat will be contributing to the Twitter discussion during this episode; speaking on his Instagram account, he also hinted:

There was a scene I cut I really liked. I’m trying to find it. Cliffhanger.

Update: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill and director Adam Smith will also be participating to the Twitter discussion.

Beforehand, at 5pm BST there will also be a Q&A session, with organiser Emily Cook tweeting:

At 5pm on Friday #DoctorWho costume designer Ray Holman will be revealing the secrets and processes behind the Eleventh Doctor's outfit! Join him on Twitter for a live Q&A and celebration of the Doctor's tweed! (Did you know? 3 April is also National Tweed Day!)

The Eleventh Hour: Global Simulcast Trailer

Related Articles: #TheUltimateGinger (29 Mar 2020), #TripOfALifetime (24 Mar 2020), #SaveTheDay (21 Mar 2020)

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You can also support the creative industry behind our entertainment at this time through JustGiving as detailed below:

'Vincent and the Doctor' demonstrates the power of TV. If you'd like to support the creative industry at a difficult time, please donate to the @FilmTVCharity's COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. #DoctorWhoLockdown has a JustGiving page to fundraise... https://t.co/lKPhu94UnI

— Emily Cook #FishCustard (@Emily_Rosina) March 30, 2020

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The third in the global 'watchathon' events organised by Doctor Who Magazine's Emily Cook - now entitled The Doctor Who Lockdown - will be eleventh Doctor tale Vincent and the Doctor, taking place on the titular Vincent Van Gogh's birthday, 30th March.

As with previous events, the writer for the story, Richard Curtis will be commenting live on Twitter, but this time Emily and her fellow co-organiser for this viewing, the story's script editor Emma Freud, have also announced the Doctor himself, Matt Smith, will be joining Twitter to participate in the discussion, along with his trusty companion's real-life counterpart Karen Gillan, and the actor who brought Vincent to life in this episode, Tony Curran. Not only that, but the uncredited curator of the Musée d'Orsay, Bill Nighy, will also be joining in!

To join in, simply pop in your DVD or Bluray disc, or access a streaming service such as BBC iPlayer, Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play or Netflix, and then hit play at 7:00pm BST/2:00pm EDT/5:00am AEDT/7:00am NZDT and share your viewing experience!

Tweet #TheUltimateGinger

Vincent and the Doctor | Global Simulcast: Trailer #2 | Trailer #1

There is a new YouTube channel for these event, Doctor Who Lockdown, which features videos relating to all the events so far, and more to come!

Related Articles: #TripOfALifetime (24 Mar 2020), #SaveTheDay (21 Mar 2020)

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The BBC will be releasing a number of items related to Doctor Who over the coming weeks, with today seeing a new short story featuring the thirteenth Doctor written by showrunner Chris Chibnall.

The writer said:

Hello! We’re living through some strange times right now.

With people staying home, and families stuck together, I thought maybe a few little presents from Doctor Who might help. Something to read, together or alone. New treats, from the people who make Doctor Who.

We’ll try and post things here once or twice a week. Tomorrow, we’ll have a never-before-published piece written by Russell T Davies.

To start us off, I’ve written a few words about what went through the Thirteenth Doctor’s head, immediately after she regenerated and was thrown out her TARDIS.

Stay safe.
Chris x

You can read the short story via the official BBC Doctor Who website.

Related Articles: #TripOfALifetime: Rose around the world (24 Mar 2020)

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A special message from the Doctor!

Incoming transmission. #MessageFromTheDoctor #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/WRTROxWRQy

— Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) March 25, 2020

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Following on from the popular global viewing of The Day Of The Doctor last Saturday, a followup event featuring the first episode of 21st Century Doctor Who, Rose is planned for this coming Thursday, 26th March at 7:00pm GMT - the exact time of its fifteenth anniversary! As with #SaveTheDay, viewers around the world are invited to watch the episode and comment along.

To join in, simply pop in your DVD or Bluray disc, or access a streaming service such as BBC iPlayer or Netflix, and then hit play at 7:00pm GMT/3:00pm ET/6:00am AEDT/8:00am NZDT and share your viewing experience!

Tweet #TripOfALifetime

With Steven Moffat getting involved last weekend, original writer and showrunner Russell T Davies has announced he too will be rejoining Twitter to join in the fun on Thursday, revealing something special to mark the occasion via his Instagram account:

ROSE livestream and tweet-a-long, THURSDAY 26 MARCH at 7pm GMT. Come and have fun! Before that, Thursday daytime, time TBC, we'll release ROSE: THE PREQUEL on the BBC's Doctor Who website - it's a lost piece of history from the 50th anniversary year, 2013. Never seen before! ROSE is available in the UK on BBC iPlayer and Netflix; worldwide, check your own resourced (don't ask me, I have no clue!). If you can't find a copy, close your eyes at 7om GMT and feel my psychic link. Yeah. I'll be tweeting along, twitter handle to be named on Thursday! Plus more surprises to come. Oh what a lockdown this is! #TripofaLifetime

Related Articles: #SaveTheDay with Doctor Who around the world (21 Mar 2020)

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Yes! Here it is, courtesy of @StevenWMoffat and with the help of @McIntoshNeve, my esteemed colleague Strax entreats you to #SaveTheDay and join us in our viewing of The Day of The Doctor. Today at 7pm GMT, 3pm EST and all around the world! #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/ljqFWM6QRE

— Dan Starkey (@StanDarkley) March 21, 2020

Related Articles: New Doctor Who scene for #SaveTheDay (21 Mar 2020)

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A new, specially written scene is to be released online tonight at 6:30pm GMT to introduce the #SaveTheDay initiative for an international viewing of the 50th Anniversary story The Day Of The Doctor.

The scene has been written by the story's writer and former showrunner Steven Moffat; organiser Emily Cook told Radio Times:

Seeing as we’re all stuck in self-isolation with nothing to do, and given so many fans have got engaged with this now-global Day of the Doctor rewatch party, I thought it might be fun to create a new introduction video, inspired by the one which was shown in cinemas before the Anniversary Special was simulcast in 2013! I approached Steven Moffat with the idea and, amazingly, he jumped on board! He’s written a special scene which is utterly brilliant! Brand-new Doctor Who created remotely while we’re all in self-isolation. I really hope fans enjoy this! It's a real treat!

Details of the scene, and who will present it, are being kept under wraps, but the writer has briefly returned to Twitter to celebrate the event, saying:

Hi. Steven Moffat here. Actual Steven Moffat, if there's still anyone bothering to pretend to be me. Only here for the Day Of The Doctor tweet-a-long, 7pm GMT, 21st March. #savetheday Disappearing after that BEFORE THEY GET ME!!!!

The worldwide "watchathon" takes place at 7:00pm GMT/3:00pm ET/6:00am AEDT/8:00am NZDT.
Tweet #SaveTheDay

Related Articles: #SaveTheDay with Doctor Who around the world (21 Mar 2020)

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Today at 7:00pm GMT, Doctor Who fans (and anybody else who wants to join in!) all around the world are invited to join in a special global viewing of the 50th Anniversary Doctor Who adventure, The Day Of The Doctor!

Organised by Doctor Who Magazine writer, Emily Cook, the idea is to bring some cheer during the current global pandemic by fans watching episodes simultaneously and sharing their views together as the stories unfold. Back in 2013, The Day Of The Doctor achieved a world record for the number of viewers globally, and this story has been chosen to kick off this new shared experience, using the hashtag that promoted the anniversary, #SaveTheDay.

To join in, simply pop in your DVD or Bluray disc, or access a streaming service such as BBC iPlayer or Netflix, and then hit play at 7:00pm GMT/3:00pm ET/6:00am AEDT/8:00am NZDT and share your viewing experience!

Tweet #SaveTheDay

If successful, further shared viewing days could follow, with provisional ideas including the 21st Century Doctor Who premiere Rose on 26th March to celebrate its 15th anniversary, and the eleventh Doctor opener The Eleventh Hour on 3rd April in celebration of its 10th anniversary!

Related Articles: #SaveTheDay (7 Nov 2013), Anniversary episode awarded Guinness World Record (24 Nov 2013)

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BBC Studios have announced the forthcoming release of Doctor Who's fifth series of adventures for the 21st Century in a limited edition Steelbook:

Transport yourself back in time and space with Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series on Steelbook Blu-Ray.

Series Five welcomed the arrival of Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and Karen Gillan as his new friend, Amy Pond.

After his explosive regeneration, the Doctor awakes to discover his TARDIS is about to crash. Pulling himself out of the wreckage, he comes face-to-face with Amy Pond and promises to take her on a journey to the stars. Boarding the TARDIS, Amy and the Doctor embark on a series of adventures that will change her life forever.

Executive Produced by Steven Moffat, the series features Arthur Darvill as Amy’s fiancé Rory Williams and guest stars including Olivia Coleman, James Cordan, Bill Nighy, Ian McNeice, Annette Crosbie, Helen McCrory, Lucian Msamati, Alex Price, Sophie Okonedo, Nia Roberts, Meera Syal and Nina Wadia.

Bonus features include two ‘Meanwhile in the Tardis’ additional scenes, four ‘The Monster Files’, a three-part video diary, thirteen ‘Doctor Who Confidential’ cut-downs, six in-vision commentaries, out-takes and over twenty teasers and trailers.

The Steelbook will feature new and exclusive artwork.

The steelbook is due to be released on 10 February 2019, and is available to pre-order in the UK from Amazon.

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The BBC have now confirmed Doctor Who will return on New Years Day with the first part of the new series, Spyfall.

The Thirteenth Doctor is in her TARDIS on her way back to BBC One for a thrilling ten-part series which will land on New Year’s Day 2020, with subsequent episodes airing on Sundays.

Starting with a blockbuster action packed two-part episode entitled Spyfall, the Thirteenth Doctor is well and truly back with a bang. As Jodie Whittaker takes charge of the TARDIS once again, the Doctor will be joined by her friends Tosin Cole (Ryan), Mandip Gill (Yaz) and Bradley Walsh (Graham). The twelfth series will also welcome a host of famous faces including Stephen Fry, Sir Lenny Henry CBE, Robert Glenister and Goran Višnjić to name just a few.

Add to that some familiar faces including the Judoon and the Cybermen, series twelve is set to be an epic action packed rollercoaster for everyone, just don’t stray too far from behind the sofa...

Spyfall has been written by Chris Chibnall, Showrunner.

Update 3rd Dec: time of broadcast is confirmed as 6:55pm on BBC One. A new, longer trailer for the premiere has now been released:

Watch the trailer on YouTube

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The BBC have released the first official trailer for the next series of Doctor Who, due to air from New Year's Day.

Watch the trailer on YouTube

The trailer was launched across the BBC's social media channels at 3pm, before its television premiere on BBC One as the lead-in to Strictly Come Dancing at 7pm.

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BBC Studios have announced the 2019 Doctor Who Art Competition.

The 2019 Doctor Who Fan Art Competition, gives fans an opportunity to see their own work on a Doctor Who t-shirt, with a limited quantity available for purchase at the BBC AMERICA booth at San Diego Comic-Con.

Entrants can create anything from a candy mosaic of Tom Baker to a bowtie collage of Matt Smith. The competition closes on 15th May 2019 at 1200 GMT

A panel of judges will select one grand prize winner and four runner-up artists. The grand prize winner and a guest will receive an exclusive Doctor Who-themed weekend trip to London, which includes:

• Two nights accommodation and return economy flights from a major airport near the winner's residence to London, UK
• Special afternoon tea for two
• Doctor Who Escape Room activity in Reading, England
• Exclusive private screening of the fan’s favourite Doctor Who episode
• Having their artwork printed on limited-edition Doctor Who merchandise sold at San Diego Comic-Con
• Receiving a goody bag including iconic Doctor Who merchandise

All four runners-up will each:

• Have their artwork printed on official, limited-edition Doctor Who merchandise sold at San Diego Comic-Con
• Receive a goody bag including iconic Doctor Who merchandise

Art specifications: Each entrant must design their own original piece of Doctor Who fan art in accordance with the following criteria:

• Artwork must feature both the TARDIS and one Doctor *
• The Artwork may also, at the entrant’s discretion, include a background texture, splash of colour or other abstract background design, but must not feature any other design element, including (without limit) any other Doctor, character, companion, monster, robot, prop, location, building or branding element (including third party brand names and logos), whether from the Doctor Who universe or otherwise.
• Artwork can be created in any two-dimensional medium and any colour.
• Artwork must not include identifiers such as the entrant’s name, signature, image, likeness or any other identifier, or any reference to Comic-Con.

*Refer to the terms and conditions at doctorwho.tv/competitions/fan-art for more details on the criteria

Full details on BBC Studios Website

The competition is open to legal residents of Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), who at the time of entry are at least 18 years of age, or the legal age of majority in the jurisdiction in which they reside (whichever is higher). The grand prize winner and four finalists will be revealed at the BBC AMERICA booth during San Diego Comic-Con in July.

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BBC Studios have announced the forthcoming release of Doctor Who's Fourth series of adventures in the 21st Century in a Blu-ray Steelbook:

Re-live the action of David Tennant’s final season as the Doctor in Doctor Who: The Complete Fourth Series on Steelbook Blu-ray, with new and exclusive artwork.

Series Four marked the arrival of the award-winning actor Catherine Tate (The Catherine Tate Show) as the Doctor’s new companion, Donna Noble.

The Doctor and Donna travel back to Pompeii on the eve of the infamous eruption where people are slowly turning to stone, investigate a series of grisly murders with the help of Agatha Christie, journey to the home world of the sinister Ood and come face to face with an old enemy of the Doctor.

Series Four sees the return of previous companions – Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) and Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) plus an array of guest cast including Sarah Lancashire (Happy Valley), Felicity Kendal (Inside No.9), Fenella Woolgar (Call the Midwife), Tim McInnerny (Game of Thrones), Peter Capaldi (The Thick of It, Fallen Angel, Skins - and of course as a future Doctor himself!), Phil Davis (Vera Drake) and Tracey Childs (Broadchurch).

Bonus features exclusive to the release include Doctor Who Confidential, video diaries, commentaries, Children In Need ‘Time Crash’, plus teasers, trailers and deleted scenes.

The steelbook is due to be released on 27th May 2019, and is available to pre-order in the UK from Amazon.

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Doctor Who fans will soon be able to step inside a virtual reality version of the TARDIS, in a short VR film Doctor Who: The Runaway, coming soon from the BBC.

Jodie Whittaker reprises her role as the Doctor in animated form in the interactive story, which will run for around 12 minutes and will be available on selected VR headsets in the coming months. The film will feature music from the series composer Segun Akinola.

Viewers will join the Thirteenth Doctor on board the TARDIS in this animated interactive story from the BBC and Passion Animation Studios. Fans will get the chance to be the Doctor's champion and help her on this exciting adventure, as they find themselves at the centre of the action facing a deadly threat.

Jo Pearce, creative director for the BBC's digital drama team, said

Fans will experience the TARDIS like never before in this thrilling new interactive story. As ever, the Doctor is full of warmth, wit and charm – helped by a wonderful performance from Jodie – which puts fans at the heart of the story as they immerse themselves in this beautifully animated world.

Zillah Watson, head of BBC VR Hub, said

Our team at the BBC VR Hub has been creating new experiences with the goal of helping to usher virtual reality into the mainstream, and Doctor Who is exactly the sort of series that can help more people to try this new technology. The show has been pushing boundaries for over 55 years, and VR enables Doctor Who to explore a whole new dimension of storytelling.

Doctor Who: The Runaway has been written by Victoria Asare-Archer and directed by Mathias Chelebourg, whose previous VR films include Alice, the Virtual Reality Play and The Real Thing VR. It has been produced by the BBC’s digital drama team, BBC VR Hub and Passion Animation Studios.

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The BBC have released some new images to promote the forthcoming New Year's Day special, Resolution, which as well as featuring the regular cast also includes Charlotte Ritchie as Lin, Nikesh Patel as Mitch, and Daniel Adeboyega as Aaron.

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The BBC confirmed this evening that Doctor Who will not return for a full series next year, but will instead be back on air in early 2020.

Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content said:

We’re delighted that the Doctor and her friends will be returning to thrill audiences in 2020. I know Chris and the whole team are already working on a whole new set of exciting adventures. In the meantime we’ve got a very special episode on New Year’s Day for everyone to enjoy.

Current Showrunner for the series Chris Chibnall said:

We’re off again! Well we never actually stopped - as Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor and friends have been winning the hearts of families across the nation this autumn, we’ve been busy with a whole new set of action packed adventures for the Thirteenth Doctor. We adore making this show and have been blown away by the response from audiences, so we can’t wait to bring more scares, more monsters and more Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole to BBC One. Brilliant!

The New Year's Day special, Resolution will be shown in 2019, of course, and is due to air on BBC One at 7:00pm.

New Year's Day trailer (YouTube)

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This week's edition of the Radio Times (8-14 Dec) is the latest in this year's issues to showcase Doctor Who, making it the fourth time in six months that Jodie Whittaker has graced the front cover! Unlike in previous years, however, it isn't the Doctor's Christmas adventure being previewed this time around but her New Year's outing instead.

Inside the magazine is a four page interview with Bradley Walsh, who discusses his career to date and also explains why he wouldn't want to play the Doctor himself:

My style can be as manic as the next person's, but the Doctor has a certain style and, despite regeneration, I think they ostensibly remain the same type of person. And if you don't know the back catalogue and all the jargon, you're up against it. Whereas I ducked out in 1969 (during Patrick Troughton's time as the Doctor) and for me this is brand spanking new. Besides, Jodie is absolutely fantastic.

Another page focusses on Bradley's co-stars, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole, both of whom still enjoy their anonymity, and on the forthcoming New Year's Day special. The issue also, of course, covers the final episode in the current run of the series, The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos, on this Sunday at 6:25pm.

The Radio Times is available to purchase now from retail outlets in the UK, and the magazine's "legendary Christmas edition", covering New Years Day, is also out now.

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The name for Doctor Who's New Years Day outing has been revealed in the festive special of Radio Times as being named Resolution. The hour-long special will be broadcast at 7:00pm on BBC One, nestling between the news and Eastenders, and will be on against Emmerdale on ITV.

As the New Year begins, a terrifying evil is stirring, from across the centuries of Earth’s history. As the Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz return home, will they be able to overcome the threat to planet Earth?

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BBC Studios and Escape Hunt have today revealed the official name of the forthcoming Doctor Who – The Live Escape Game, will be called Worlds Collide.

To celebrate the news, visitors to London’s Comic-Con, being held this weekend, will be able to test themselves against the clock with a world first taster experience of the new game on the official BBC Studios stand at ExCeL London. The ‘Worlds Collide Escape Cube’ is designed as a fun prequel to the escape room game launching later this year.

Fans can also enter an Escape Hunt competition to become one of the first in the UK to experience the full game at their nearest venue with up to five friends. To enter, fans must simply like a picture of the ‘Worlds Collide Escape Cube’ taster experience at Comic-Con on Escape Hunt UK’s Facebook page (T&Cs apply).

Richard Harpham, CEO Escape Hunt PLC, says

At Escape Hunt, we’re incredibly excited to be working with BBC Studios to create Doctor Who – The Live Escape Game. Comic Con is one of the biggest events in the Doctor Who calendar and with the series having such a dedicated fan base from all over the UK, being able to give these fans the first taster experience of Worlds Collide is a huge opportunity. We just hope they have as much fun trying to crack it as we’ve had creating it.

Doctor Who – The Live Escape Game will open in Escape Hunt venues around the country from early 2019. To register for news about tickets visit escapehunt.com

To enter the prize draw for the chance to win a free game in the Worlds Collide room, participants must simply like a picture of the ‘Worlds Collide Escape Cube’ at Comic-Con on the Escape Hunt UK Facebook page between the 26th October and 5th November. The winner will be notified on the 6th November. Full T&Cs here.

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