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Monday, 17 October 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
In an article at the NewsQuest Media Group service said late last week, "A year after shooting snowy scenes in the centre of Monmouth, BBC's Dr Who has returned in the Tardis to film another episode in the Wye Valley," noting production for the second episode, "Tooth and Claw". Says the article: "[Tennant] and actress Billie Piper, who returns as Rose Tyler, were among the cast and crew spending a day at Treowen House in Dingestow last week to film for the new series to be screened next year. The episode is set in a Victorian castle in the Scottish Highlands. Film-makers said Treowen House, a 17th century Grade I Listed building owned by brothers John and Dick Wheelock, had been chosen as one of several South Wales locations in South Wales perfect to fulfil the role. Location Manger Gareth Lloyd said: 'We specifically required an ornate staircase to film a chase sequence and our designer Ed Thomas suggested Treowen after a colleague got married there. I went down to take some photographs and the director loved them. After that we looked to see what else we could use. We filmed scenes in the entrance hallway and one of John's reception rooms, which doubled as the corner of a study.' The crew's huge en-tourage arrived on Tuesday October 4 ahead of filming on Wednesday, parking their equipment at The Bridge Caravan Park in the village. Park owner Steve Holmes said: 'The site was rather full. They had at least seven lorries including the changing rooms and Winnebago-type motor caravans, as well as a double-decker bus which they used as a cafe and another catering truck, plus more than 30 cars. 'We met the cast, they were very pleasant, and my wife had her picture taken with the two main characters. 'It was all very nice, this sort of thing doesn't happen down here very much.' A BBC Wales spokesman on the set said: 'We are very proud of this project and are also very pleased to say that we have used a predominately Welsh crew. It's a great project for them to be involved in.'"
Regarding recent production, principal photography on Block 1 was finished on Saturday, October 8 (except for a second unit night-shoot in London happening in November), which included an "extended action sequence from 'New Earth'... [and] a couple of missing shots from 'The Christmas Invasion'." Block 2 production is said to be going well (it started on or around October 1) and it's confined almost entirely to the studio until the end of October, while there will be more location work going on in Block 3 starting in early November.
Some new casting according to the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine: "Tooth and Claw" features Ian Hanmore as Father Angelo, Michelle Duncan as Isobel, Jamie Sives as Reynolds, Ron Donachie as the Steward, Tom Smith as the Host, Ruth Milne as Flora and Derek Riddell as Robert. (Phil Collinson comments that the Steward here "is a very different Steward from the one seen in 'The End of the World' [... ] no doubt we're creating a tradition where every episode will have a Steward!") Also, "The Girl in the Fireplace" features Ben Turner as Louis (likely King Louis XV) and Jessica Atkins as Young Girl. DWM confirms both of those titles. As of DWM's press time, the production team were, according to Collinson, "editing the first episodes, filming Block Two, and prepping Block Three".
A few items from the charity dinner late last week: producer Phil Collinson was said to have said, "If you thought Simon Callow was good, wait till you see Pauline Collins," while Camille Coduri and Noel Clarke both said they were really excited about their respective character's direction this season. While auctioning off the model robot spider from "The End of the World," Russell T Davies commented that the spiders would be back in 'New Earth' and that the name 'Arthur Dent' is actually used in context in "The Christmas Invasion".
The Aint It Cool website purports to have an article with "inside information" about the new series; however, all this is, is a regurgitation of news that's been available for some time on Outpost Gallifrey (and in one case, making an altogether incorrect statement about episodes in a particular block).
Also, the Sun has a spoiler-laden rumor posted about the final episodes of the new season, which we've enclosed in thespoilertags. Naturally, we think that this likely comes from Internet sources (and the tabloids have taken rumors in discussion forums as gospel before); read at your own risk.
According to The Sun:

"TV chiefs are plotting a showdown between Dr Who's most fearsome foes Cybermen and the Daleks. The Timelord's robot enemies will confront each other for the first time in the BBC1 sci-fi hit's 42-year history. The Sun has already revealed the sinister white Cybermen are making a comeback in the next series. They return for a two-part adventure set on an alternative Earth. But we can also disclose that they are making a surprise reappearance during the last two episodes as well. And in those shows -called Army of Ghosts -the Daleks turn up too. An insider said: 'It's going to be an explosive end to the series and the fans will love it. It's war.' The Daleks killed the last Dr Who, played by Christopher Eccleston. He regenerated as Casanova actor David Tennant who stars in the new series next spring with sidekick Rose Tyler (Billie Piper)."




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