Series Television Appearances

A recap of some television appearances over the past few days:

The Tuesday December 13 afternoon edition of Newsround on BBC One (5.25pm) featured twelve-year-old Calum, winner of the CBBC Press Packer competition, and his report on the press screening yesterday. The two-minute piece included brief comments from David Tennant on how he's always been a fan of the series and mentioning one or two of next year's forthcoming monsters. The show can be watched again for up to a week on the 'Newsround Player' via the programme's website. The article says that Calum "won our Press Pack competition to interview the stars of the show and report from the premiere screening of the Christmas episode, The Christmas Invasion. In his report Calum tells us what he thought of the brand new Doctor and gives us a few hints about the Christmas episode (apparently Santa might be a bit scarier than you thought!) 'I've just got back from the premiere screening of the Christmas episode of Doctor Who, The Christmas Invasion. It was screened in London for the cast and press and, as a Newsround Press Packer, I got to see the Christmas special first with all the other journalists. David Tennant is the 10th Doctor Who and I got to meet and interview him! He gets regenerated in this episode and it looks as if he could be the best ever.' Calum also met Noel Clarke who plays Mickey and Camille Coduri who plays Rose's mum 'There are lots of surprises and loads of special effects, which make it a great programme. Evil Santas land on earth and try to take over. I won't say too much more because you will have to watch it on Christmas Day to see whether the Doctor saves everybody! I asked David loads of questions, like which monsters in Doctor Who he thinks are the scariest and what point in time he would go to in his Tardis, which stumped him a bit! Meeting the new Doctor was the best bit as he was really nice to talk to. Noel Clarke (who plays Mickey) and Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler) also gave me interviews and they were great, telling me their favourite monsters in the series. Billie Piper was also there and so was Russell T Davies. He wrote the Christmas episode and loads of the earlier series. Everyone seemed really nice and they were all excited about the new series, and from the clips I saw I can see why! The whole day was brilliant and I can't wait to see the new shows.'"

The Friday 9 December edition of Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, during presenter Ross' interview with Will Young (pop star and would-be actor), Ross revealed that he had been asked to appear as one of the Cybermen in the new series, and would be going up to Wales to film his scenes. He then invited Will Young to join him as a Cyberman. Young had no idea what Cybermen were, revealling he never really watched Doctor Who (Young is 26), and asked would they not be recognised. Ross, in an enthusiastic way pointed out that they'd be firing guns and dressed in silver. He also asked other guest Jools Holland if he knew what Cybermen were, and he said yes, but that he was of "a certain age" as was Jonathan.

A Dalek visited the Blue Peter studio on Friday 9 December, where the show featured a preview of 'The Christmas Invasion' and a DVD competition. The edition was later repeated on the CBBC.

David Tennant was interviewed on Front Row on 8 December on BBC Radio 4. Tennant mainly talked about growing up with Doctor Who, and his participation in the series "Secret Smile," though his comments were repeated by several newspapers. Tennant noted that taking the role of the Doctor was "surprisingly difficult": "It's a show that I always loved... suddenly you are asked to do something like this and the scale of it is quite grand." He said he didn't want to be "the guy who had the opportunity and didn't take it." Tennant said he didn't have a lot of recognition on the street yet, but that there isn't much time to do anything while they're filming. He also noted that he was a fan of Tom Baker and Peter Davison and that he is intending to be there next year, "but who knows what'll happen in the next six months?" Tennant also made comments about the Doctor's sexuality and hints of a love story, much of which has been picked up by the media (see today's press column).

Tennant and Russell T Davies are to appear on the BBC1 Breakfast show next Wednesday (21 Dec). The presenters, who announced it this morning (13 December) said it will be Tennant's first live interview (presumably since getting the part of the Doctor). The announcement was accompanied with a lengthy sneak preview trailer for The Christmas Invasion. It started with Mickey at work in a garage, then urging a fellow mechanic to turn the radio down. Although he doesn't say so, it becomes apparent Mickey can hear something familiar... a familiar wheezing, groaning sound... Jackie is at home and can hear the same thing. They both rush out and meet in the estate precinct, trying to determine where the approaching Tardis is to land. It then materialises in the sky above them and comes crashing to earth, bouncing spectacularly off walls. The Doctor bursts out of the Ship, recognises them and desperately tries to remember something he had to tell them...

David Tennant will also be a guest on the Jonathan Ross show (along with Scarlett Johansson, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon) on Friday 23 December (BBC1 at 10.25-11.25pm), according to DigiGuide.

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Chuck Foster, Paul Engelberg, Peter Weaver, Robert J.E. Simpson)