Wednesday Series CoverageBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 6 April 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

While we have no confirmation as yet, this weekend's transmission of the third episode, "The Unquiet Dead," may be pushed back a little, to instead air at 8pm on Saturday instead of 7pm due to the rescheduling of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles wedding due to the death of the Pope; the wedding in turn caused a reschedule of the Grand National Horse Race which may affect the transmission of Doctor Who. If and when we have more concrete information on a possible reschedule (it's not certain at this point!) we'll let you know.

Meanwhile, the FAQ page on the new series of "National Lottery Come and Have A Go" states that the show starts at 7.45 pm on Saturday 23 April, which means that the broadcast of episode five, "World War Three," won't be delayed after all. It appears that the 7.20pm timeslot which we previously reported on was due to some inaccurate writing on the part of the National Lottery, who actually appear to have meant that the 7.20 pm timeslot refers to the time when viewers can access the website to begin playing the game on-line (the blurb does refers to the show "from 7.20 pm") and not the time of broadcast.

According to Play.com, the new Doctor Who DVD series that we previously announced would feature the releases of Volume One (episodes 1-3) on May 16 and Volume Two (episodes 4-7) on June 13, have now been joined by Volume Three (episodes 8-10) on August 1 and Volume Four (episodes 11-13) on September 5. These "vanilla," no frills DVDs will be the episodes only. However, a boxed set will be released on November 21 which will include extras and feature all thirteen episodes. Play.com has posted a thumbnail of the cover illustration and the interior layout for the box, which you can see below. (Note: images removed; better versions are in April 8, 2005 news story, above.)

Radio Wales representatives contacted Outpost Gallifrey to let us know that the radio documentary series Doctor Who - Back In Time now has its ownwebsite; click the link to go to the site. Says Lisa Aguiar at Radio Wales, "The Listen Again section of the website allows you to listen to the previous two episodes of Doctor Who - Back In Time and just a little reminder that the final episode will be transmitted on BBC Radio Wales on Bank Holiday Monday - May 2nd at 13.10."

European viewers, take note: the FAQ pages of BBC Prime, the cable and satellite network widely available throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa, is now noting their intention to broadcast the new series when they get the opportunity. "We will be showing the new series of Dr Who at some point in the future however, we do not currently hold the rights to the series and they are unlikely to be made available until the show has been broadcast in the UK." It asks that viewers keep an eye on the website for details of possible future transmissions. On the other side of the globe,PrimeTV in New Zealand is still confirming that they're carrying the new series, and now notes it on their website... at some point "this winter," meaning likely after the Australian ABC broadcast. (Debut is likely scheduled for June or July.)

The official BBC Doctor Who website has been updated again with a new theme matching the next episode, "The Unquiet Dead," complete with theatrical banner board!

The purchase of the new Doctor Who series in Australia which we reported on yesterday was mentioned on the BBC Press Office website, as well as the official Doctor Who site. It's also been extensively covered today by the press, including News.com.auThe Advertiser (Adelaide), The Courier-Mail (Brisbane), Daily Telegraph Australia,The AustralianMelbourne Herald SunThe AgeC21 MediaBordermailThe Mercury,Worldscreen.

The Radio Times website lists an extra repeat for the fourth edition of Doctor Who Confidential ("I get a side-kick out of you"). In addition to the previously listed screenings at 7.45pm on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 April, it can also be seen at 3.40am on the night of 16/17 April.

On the heels of yesterday's release, yet another press release, Press Pack Four, was issued today, this time an interview with actress Penelope Wilton, who plays Harriet Jones in the two part story starting on August 16, "Aliens of London". "Penelope Wilton is one of Britain's most distinguished actresses, with credits including everything from acclaimed stage and TV productions to successful feature films. But she had no qualms about throwing herself into a double-episode story in the new Doctor Who - which features a surfeit of passed wind and sees her being chased by green monsters! 'What attracted me to the role was the quality of the writing,' she explains. 'I'd worked with Russell T Davies on Bob and Rose, and I really do believe he is one of our very best television writers. The episodes I'm in are extremely exciting and terribly funny.'" She notes that her character "represents some remote constituency and is as straight as a die - I think she's the kind of caring politician that anyone would like to have. Harriet also shows tremendous resilience and courage when these awful creatures, the Slitheens, make themselves and their plans known." She says she would enjoy a return to Doctor Who - if the script is right. "The Doctor looks into the future and sees Harriet as a future Prime Minister, so you never know - she might be back one day..."

Canada's airing on CBC Television took place last night... and we're happy to confirm that CBC broadcast the first episode in widescreen format! Also during the broadcast, a promo spot aired with Christopher Eccleston introducing himself (and the show) to North American audiences. He also popped up between commercial breaks to let viewers know about a "Doctor Who" contest CBC's currently running. He made mention to having "the coolest space ship in the Universe".

A new trailer has been airing on BBC television channels for this Saturday's episode; like the one for "The End of the World," this begins with "D'you wanna come with me?" before a selection of clips from the episode, most of which are from the "Next Time" section at the end of the previous episode.

This Is Gwent has a feature today on the filming done last year in Monmouth for the episode airing this Saturday. "It looks like a scene from Dickensian times," says the article. "Tight security surrounded the set as fake snow was poured onto the streets, and many residents watched in awe as the town was whisked back to the Victorian era. A large team of set builders dressed Beaufort Arms Court to become the entrance of a funeral parlour in Llandaff, Cardiff, and adapted St Mary's Street and White Swan Court to look as they might have done in the century before last." The article quotes Simon Callow, who plays Charles Dickens: "l get sent a lot of scripts which feature him as a kind of all-purpose literary character, and really understand little, if anything, about [Dickens]. But, as well as being brilliantly written, the script was obviously the work of someone who knows exactly what Dickens is all about, and the script very cleverly connects his idealism, which ends up being restored by his experiences, with The Doctor's desire to save the world." It notes that the first scene filmed in Monmouth involved an elderly woman, dressed in black, and wailing... which Outpost Gallifrey notes is actress Jennifer Hill, who plays Mrs. Peace (and whose portrayal of the moment was captured in several photos taken by fans at the filming last year, as seen in our New Series Photo Gallery.)

Actor Ronnie Corbett ("The Two Ronnies") would like to be included in the selection process for the new Doctor, according to today's Times. "Ronnie Corbett might be 74 but he is hoping age will be no barrier to the BBC considering him for the role of Dr Who after Christopher EcclestonÆs abrupt exit. 'I'd love to be considered for the part,' he said. 'Mind you, the episodes are likely to be somewhat shorter.' Boom, boom."

David Tennant, the noted favorite to play the role after Eccleston, is noted in tomorrow morning's review of "The Quatermass Experiment" in theGuardian. "This was a useful dummy run for David Tennant, who is heavily backed to be the next Doctor Who, playing a doctor confronted with a man eating vegetable. Tennant can do wide eyed with, so to speak, his eyes shut but, when the world is about to be destroyed, I think he should take his hands out of his pockets. It's the sort of thing that happens in a live production."

An article that ran last week in the Wishaw Press interviewed Jimmy Vee, who played the Moxx of Balhoon in last Saturday's second Doctor Who episode, "The End of the World." "I got the part through a friend that was working on the prosthetics and things for Doctor Who," said Vee. "He got a list through for the characters heÆd have to make, and a list of what kind of actor theyÆd need to play each part. He then let them know he knew someone who would be suitable for the part. I was told nothing about the part before I got it. All I had to do was travel down to Cardiff, turn up, learn the lines, I was put inside the costume, and then had to shoot. IÆm not allowed to say too much about it all." He noted that it took over three hours to put on his costume, and featured a two-foot head weighing more than half a stone. Once the outfit was on, Jimmy couldn't go to the toilet for 10 hours and its weight meant the pounds were falling off him. "I must have lost a stone in a week, even though I was drinking to rehydrate constantly. As soon as I got out, I had to eat everything I could get my hands on. It took me about three-and-a-half hours to put the costume on, and it was quite heavy."

Billie Piper apparently found herself battling with the British transport system after a night out on the town with a couple of friends at the weekend, says today's Express. "The soon-to-be-ex Mrs Chris Evans was spotted in London's Soho in the wee small hours trying to negotiate a good deal for a taxi home. 'We expected her to have a lift all sorted but nope, she was sticking her head through car doors trying to get a cheap cabbie to take her home - just like I was,' says a fellow partygoer. 'She wangled a good deal before I did anyway,' sighs the informant." Where's the TARDIS when you need it?

Today's Western Mail talks about Cardiff Theatrical Services, "the Welsh set-building company which helped regenerate Doctor Who is looking to enter a new dimension of growth." It notes that CTS is hoping that it will be commissioned to work on the second series of Doctor Who. "It was a really satisfying contract to win," said Simon Cornish, CTS construction manager, "even though we had been sworn to secrecy about the design. The creative vision behind the Tardis was in the same vein as many of the opera designs we have worked on over the years but this time it was faded hi-tech, not faded elegance. The structure itself would have been impossible to build even 10 years ago without the use of the kind of computerised templates for each piece of the steel structure we are able to call upon now."

Richard E. Grant topped the list in a Sky Showbiz Online poll asking who the next Time Lord should be. "A poll by Sky Showbiz Online revealed the Withnail and I star is the clear favourite to replace Christopher Eccleston," says the report. Comedian Eddie Izzard took second place, Bill Nighy third, Robbie Williams fourth and David Tennant fifth. Ananova also reported on it.

This is Bolton notes that Christopher Eccleston is "taking time out from travelling through space to take up a more down-to-earth cause. The actor ... has put his name behind a campaign to raise funds for Christie Hospital." Eccleston has provided the voiceover for the commercials which boast "Towards a Future Without Cancer". "I am very proud to be able to support this new campaign - and I hope everyone else will too," said Eccleston. "What is so important about the Christie is that the team is committed to driving research and treatment forward."

Some regurgitated comments from Billie Piper, already reported on in the media some time ago, nevertheless have been part of today's press in theIslington Gazette and subsidiary papers.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Chuck Foster, Justin Thomas, Marc Price, Dave Greenham, Lisa Aguiar, Robert Booth, Daniel Baum, Greg Miller, Paul Willmott, Ian Warren)




FILTER: - Production - Series 1/27 - Press - Radio Times - Broadcasting