Doctor Who News

Big Finish: Love and War

2012-01-29T00:09:00.000Z

This weekend sees recording begin on a special adventure for the Seventh Doctor and Ace, as played by Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred; the two are joined by Lisa Bowerman, who reprises her character Professor Bernice Summerfield in her first ever adventure, Love and War!

Originally written as a novel by Paul Cornell in 1992 as part of Virgin's New Adventures range, this adaptation is by Jacqueline Rayner and is being recorded to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the character, whose own association with Big Finish can be traced back to their premier release in 1998 of Oh No It Isn't! (also by Cornell).

Love and War is due to be released on its anniversary in October.

(with thanks to David Richardson)

BSFA 2011 SF Awards Nominations

2012-01-28T23:39:00.000Z

The British Science Fiction Association have announced the shortlist for their 2011 Awards, with voting now open for members.

The Best Non Fiction award nominations include The Unsilent Library: Adventures in new Doctor Who, a collection of essays that "examine the storytelling style and techniques of the first five years of the New Doctor Who, and explore how its writers have updated a series with a history stretching back five decades to stand in the forefront of contemporary science fiction drama."
Regular Doctor Who writer Paul Cornell has also been nominated in the Best Short Fiction category for The Copenhagen Interpretation, published in Asimov's in July.

The winners will be revealed at the Award Ceremony, taking place at the 2012 Eastercon at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Heathrow, between the 6th-9th April.

Regional Roundup

2012-01-28T23:17:00.000Z

United Kingdom

The Nottingham Philharmonic Orchestra is presenting Best Of British: A New Year Family Concert on the 28th January at Nottingham's Royal Concert Hall. One of the pieces to be performed is the Doctor Who theme tune, with Daleks expected to turn up for the event! [Belper News, 23 Jan 2012]

Peterlee resident Paul Bianco appeared on the ITV1 show David Dickenson's Real Deal (broadcast 24th January), bringing along two original pieces of artwork from the 1964 (Lair of the Zarbi Supremo) and 1975 (The House That Jack Built) Doctor Who annuals. Originally bought for £18 some thirty years before, the model maker was persuaded to sell the items to auctioneer Janice Kehoe for £360, having been informed the evaluation had estimated them at £300. However, the items were eventually sold at auction by Janice herself for £500!

United States

A new sci-fi exhibition for the Experience Music Project's 2012 season in Seattle opens in June; Icons of Science Fiction will include items like Captain Kirk's command chair from Star Trek and an Imperial Dalek! EMP spokeswoman Anita Woo said: "I've been learning about this Dalek, everyone is so excited that Dr. Who is now on my Netflix queue." [Seattle Times, 19 Jan 2012]

Reporting from the Arisia sci-fi/gaming convention in Boston, Bob Chipman observed that some confusion existed amongst the 'civilians' at the hotel: "Yeah, Harry? I'll have those figures over in just a sec. Hey, while I've got you here, do you have any idea what a 'Dalek' is? Cause there's one here and I'm not sure how I should react to that." [The Escapist, 20 Jan 2012]

DVDs Update

2012-01-28T16:09:00.001Z

The DVD releases of Nightmare of Eden, Dragonfire and The Happiness Patrol have been cleared by the British Board of Film Classification.

Extras for all three stories were also cleared, with the details as below.

Nightmare of Eden will have the following extras:

THE DOCTOR'S STRANGE LOVE: NIGHTMARE OF EDEN (15:41:12)
THE NIGHTMARE OF TV CENTRE (13:22:03)
ASK ASPEL (11:01:05 )
GOING SOLO - BOB BAKER REMEMBERS NIGHTMARE OF EDEN (07:42:23)
PHOTO GALLERY (05:47:00)

Dragonfire's extras comprise:

FIRE AND ICE - THE MAKING OF DRAGONFIRE (35:04:23)
THE DOCTOR'S STRANGE LOVE - DRAGONFIRE (15:40:14)
THE BIG BANG THEORY (12:31:19)
DELETED AND EXTENDED SCENES (09:55:15)
PHOTO GALLERY (04:46:06)

while those for The Happiness Patrol are:

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE (46:03:04)
HAPPINESS WILL PREVAIL (23:44:08)
DELETED AND EXTENDED SCENES (23:18:03)
PHOTO GALLERY (05:46:01)

Release dates for the DVDs have yet to be confirmed. A trailer for Dragonfire that was cleared on 18th January states that the story will form part of The Ace Box.

(with thanks to Dave Ashby)

Doctor Who Insider ceases publication

2012-01-27T11:02:00.000Z

The North American magazine Doctor Who Insider has ceased publication, with Issue 9 being the last to be produced.

Kirsty Syson from Panini Email Customer Services said:

I am sorry to advise you that Dr Who Insider has ceased publication effective from Issue 9. Please be assured letters are on the way to our subscribers explaining this matter and offering either a refund or transfer to Dr Who magazine. Once again I apologise for any inconvenience and disappointment caused in this matter.

The magazine was launched by Panini last year to complement Doctor Who Magazine, focussing on Doctor Who in the USA and Canada in collaboration with BBC Worldwide and BBC America.

(with thanks to Darren Allen)

Awards for Smith and Gillan - Smith hints at future plans

2012-01-25T21:48:00.000Z

Matt Smith and Karen Gillan both triumphed at the National television Awards held Wednesday night at London's O2 Arena.

Matt Smith beat Torchwood star John Barrowman, Doc Martin and Snakedance star Martin Clunes and David Threlfall of Shameless, to win the award for Outstanding Drama Performance (Male) in the awards voted for by the British public. Both Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant have previously won the award for their performance of the Doctor.

Speaking after receiving his award Matt Smith gave some clue to the future telling Radio Times that he has one more year of Doctor Who left and then he was going to try his luck in Hollywood. Although he later told the BBC Entertainment News Team he has no plans to leave.

Karen Gillan won her award for Outstanding Drama Performance (Female) over Torchwood's Eve Myles, Suranne Jones from Scott & Bailey and who also stared in The Doctor's Wife last year, and Jaye Jacobs from Waterloo Road. She becomes the first Who companion since Billie Piper to win a National Television Award, both Freema Agyeman and Catherine Tate both received nominations.

Doctor Who lost out in the main award for Most Popular Drama which was won by ITV's Downton Abbey

People Roundup

2012-01-25T20:49:00.003Z

Russell T Davies and Phil Ford are bringing new action adventure drama Aliens Vs Wizards to children's TV this autumn. The series will comprise 12 episodes of 30 minutes each and centre on two 16-year-old schoolboys, Tom and Benny, and an alien race entitled the Nekross. Davies said: "Writing for children is the biggest challenge of all and I think CBBC stands right at the heart of broadcasting. So I'm delighted to launch this show, a true nationwide collaboration - a Salford commission from a BBC Wales team. We're joining genres too - the show's a wild, funny, thrilling and sometimes scary collision of magic and science fiction." The show will be produced for CBBC by BBC Cymru Wales with FremantleMedia Enterprises. The executive producers are Davies, Bethan Jones and Gina Cronk for the BBC and Bob Higgins and Sander Schwartz for FME. The producer is Brian Minchin, while Ford will co-produce. [BBC Media Centre, 23 Jan 2012], [BBC News, 23 Jan 2012]

It was back to school for new series writer Tom MacRae when he received a request to help children develop their creativity. He visited his alma mater near Daventry, Northamptonshire, after an invitation by two pupils at Weedon Bec Primary. MacRae revealed how, during an assembly while there as a child, he came up with the idea of a magnifying glass that could see through time - a concept he went on to use in The Girl Who Waited. MacRae, who also took some Doctor Who props with him to show the pupils, said: "I have used quite a few playground games and school daydreams in shows, particularly programmes that have a magic element to them. The Girl Who Waited has probably done more to boost my career than anything else I've done. I owe the huge boost it gave me to the idea I had when I was six years old." [BBC News, 23 Jan 2012]

Sheridan Smith, who played Eighth Doctor companion Lucie Miller for Big Finish, has won the Critics' Circle Best Actress award for her portrayal of Doris Skriczevinsky in the wartime drama Flare Path, by Terence Rattigan, at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London - a role for which she previously received the 2011 Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress. [BBC News, 24 Jan 2012]

Arabella Weir (Billis in The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe, as well as an alternative Doctor in the Big Finish audio adventure Exile) is among the star names taking part in this year's Let's Dance For Sport Relief, which starts on BBC One on Saturday 18th February. [BBC Media Centre, 25 Jan 2012]

Fan video roundup

2012-01-25T19:08:00.002Z

This roundup contains fan-made videos that have recently been released. Four of these are music videos and one is a parody about what would happen if a certain time traveller met another well-known time traveller...

DWFO #3: "Rose's Theme / Doomsday", socksofbalhoon, via YouTube

Doctor Who - A Mad Man With a Box, aphireRain42, via YouTube

Doctor Who and the Universal Vacation, kittridge, via YouTube

river song (original), allysmusic14, via YouTube

Re-T.A.R.D.I.D., TheBustedPixel, via YouTube

Doctor Who Wins 5 At The Virgin Media TV Awards

2012-01-25T14:09:00.002Z

Doctor Who won in 5 categories at this year's Virgin Media TV Awards. The show itself won "TV Show of the Year" with 43.63% of the vote, beating off competition from Merlin. Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) won "TV Character of the Year" and the Doctor getting shot at Lake Silencio in The Impossible Astronaut won the "Most Explosive TV Moment of the Year". Karen Gillan won two awards; one for her acting talents ("Best Actress") and one for her good looks ("Hottest Female").

Doctor Who will be hoping for the same success tonight at The National TV Awards; which will be broadcast live on ITV1 from 7:30pm.

Miracle Day Premieres On Ztélé

2012-01-24T23:50:00.002Z

Torchwood: Miracle Day premiered on the Canadian French-language channel Ztélé on Monday. The series originally premiered in Canada on SPACE in July 2011.

Premiere dates:
Episode 2: Le transfert - 30 January, 9pm
Episode 3: Phicorp - 6 February, 9pm
Episode 4: Mort, c'est mort - 13 February, 9pm
Episode 5: Les modules - 20 February, 9pm
Episode 6: Les témoins - 27 February, 9pm
Episode 7: Péchés immortels - 5 March, 9pm
Episode 8: Le bout du tunnel - 12 March, 9pm
Episode 9: Le rendez-vous - 19 March, 9pm
Episode 10: La fin du miracle - 26 March, 9pm

You can view the full schedule including repeats at This Week in Doctor Who.

Ztélé are also showing Torchwood: Web of Lies - the animated web series companion to Miracle Day - on their website.

Gallifrey One's Network 23

2012-01-24T22:43:00.006Z

Gallifrey One's Network 23, the twenty-third annual North American Doctor Who Celebration convention, will take place February 17-19, 2012 at the Marriott Hotel at Los Angeles Airport.

Featured guests from the Whoniverse at this year's annual installment of the long-running fan convention -- blending both classic and new series guests -- are Paul McGann (the eighth Doctor), Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler), Mark Sheppard (Canton Everett Delaware III), William Russell (Ian Chesterton), Louise Jameson (Leela), Caitlin Blackwood (Young Amelia Pond), Maureen O'Brien (Vicki), Richard Franklin (Captain Mike Yates), Tony Curran (Vincent van Gogh), Eric Roberts (the TV Movie Master), Daphne Ashbrook (Grace Holloway), Yee Jee Tso (Chang Lee), Simon Fisher-Becker (Dorium Maldovar), Philip Segal (TV Movie Producer), John de Lancie (Torchwood's Agent Shapiro), Toby Haynes (director of five Series 5-6 episodes), Richard Senior (director of "Let's Kill Hitler"), Nicholas Briggs (the voice of the Daleks), W. Morgan Sheppard (Old Canton), Daniele Favilli (Torchwood's Angelo Colasanto), Waris Hussein (director of "An Unearthly Child"), Barnaby Edwards (new series Dalek operator), Michael Troughton (author & son of Patrick Troughton), Gary Russell (Sarah Jane Adventures script editor), Phil Ford (Sarah Jane producer), Simon Guerrier (Graceless), Richard Dinnick (The Big Finish Companion), Jason Haigh-Ellery (Big Finish Productions), "Torchwood" writers Jane Espenson, Doris Egan and John Shiban, IDW Doctor Who comics editor Denton Tipton, writer Joshua Hale Fialkov, colorist Charlie Kirchoff and illustrators Matthew Dow Smith & Blair Shedd, comedian Charlie Ross (who brings his famous UK Doctor Who themed comedy show to America for the first time), and many other guests from the science fiction media, comics and literary community.

Gallifrey One is the world's longest-running annual Doctor Who convention, with three days of events including a weekend-long tribute to actors Nicholas Courtney and Elisabeth Sladen; a live Friday night performance of Louise Jameson's one-woman stage show Pulling Faces; a full Saturday masquerade/costume show and performance of Charlie Ross's legendary Doctor Who comedy show; previews from Big Finish Productions, IDW Comics, the Doctor Who Restoration Team and Hirst Publishing; a dealers room, art show, an annual charity benefit auction this year benefitting Students Run L.A., cosplay program and costuming hall, an exhibits area this year featuring the fully restored 1996 TV Movie TARDIS console, science programming, the North American debut of the Guerrier Brothers' short film Cleaning Up starring Jameson and Mark Gatiss, Q&A sessions, interviews, autographs and much more.

Online convention pre-registration closes on January 31 (with at-door registration open as the convention begins). For more information visit www.gallifreyone.com/ or check out the Facebook page at facebook.com/gallifreyone

People Roundup

2012-01-21T23:24:00.000Z

Matt Smith narrowly missed out being named Britain's Coolest Man in a poll by Zoo Magazine; the actor lost out to magician Dynamo, with other runners up including F1 driver Jenson Button, Prince Harry and singer Noel Gallagher. [Huffington Post, 17 Jan 2012]

Karen Gillan is about to start work on her first film, Not Another Happy Ending, directed by John McKay (who also directed We'll Take Manhattan); McKay said of the actress: "Every now and again, we produce somebody who really holds your attention on the screen and she’s got it. She is not just a small screen star, she is a big screen star. She really is one of Scotland’s greatest talents and can go all the way." [Daily Record, 20 Jan 2012]

John Barrowman and his sister Carole are due to appear at Waterstones in Bluewater on 4th February to sign their new book, Hollow Earth. [Dartford Messenger, 20 Jan 2012]

Actor and Never Mind the Buzzcocks captain Noel Fielding has his eye on a particular role: I wouldn't mind being on Doctor Who. I like the guy who does it at the moment and I thought David Tennant was amazing, but next I think we need an androgynous, slightly dippy Doctor who gets everything wrong... [Radio Times, 20-26 Jan 2012]

Speaking at the Radio Times Cover Party, actor Warwick Davis said about networking at the event: "Mr. Steven Moffat is somebody I want to talk to, certainly, cos I love Sherlock and I would love to be in Doctor Who. It's been a dream of mine for many years - I don't want to play the Doctor, but a villain or something like that would be good." [Radio Times (video), 18 Jan 2012]

John Simm has indicated on Twitter that he would consider reprising his Doctor Who persona; when asked, he said: The Master - of course! Mr Moffat is a brilliant writer. [@john_simm, 16 Jan 2012]

Writer Richard Curtis (Vincent and the Doctor) is about to direct a film based upon his own script; About Time is described as "a low-budget time-travel picture", and will be made by Working Title. [Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan 2012]

Crash of the Elysium tickets now on sale

2012-01-20T17:11:00.000Z

Tickets are now on sale for the forthcoming run of Punchdrunk's The Crash of the Elysium at the Ipswich Arts Festival this summer.

The immersive theatre experience is part of the London 2012 Festival, celebrating the Olympic Games taking place in the summer, and from 15th June to 8th July 2012.

New Wolsey Theatre Chief Executive Sarah Holmes said:

We are thrilled that tickets are now on sale and so excited to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience - since the production was announced it has generated so much interest from fans of Doctor Who and many others who recognise that this is a truly unique experience not to be missed. My advice is to book early.

Tickets can be purchased via the New Wolsey Theatre, with three types, School Performances (aged 4-7), Family Performances (aged 7-12 with adult), and After Dark Performances (aged 13 and above).

(newslink: BroadwayWorld, East Anglian Daily Times)

Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred interviewed

2012-01-20T14:34:00.001Z

Shadowlocked have conducted an interview with Sylvester McCoy - who stars in the Death Comes to Time spin-off audio series The Minister of Chance as The Witch Prime - alongside his former seventh Doctor sidekick Sophie Aldred.

In an short interview segment released by the site, Sophie discusses how she might have appeared in The Sarah Jane Adventures, whilst Sylvester reflects on the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who and how fans would like to see the Doctors re-united, or cast in other cameo roles ...

Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred, Shadowlocked, via YouTube

The full, hour-long interview will appear at The Minister of Chance website soon.

(with thanks to Martin Anderson)

You can also read Shadowlocked's "complete reviews" of Doctor Who, kicking off from the very start with An Unearthly Child through to The Wedding of River Song, published this week.

Matt Smith interviewed by Australian TV - updated 20 January 2012

2012-01-20T10:37:00.003Z

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is promoting an exclusive TV interview with Matt Smith on its ABC 24 News interview program One Plus One. In a trailer for the program, Smith talks of the longevity of Doctor Who in Australia. The interview will debut on ABC1 on Friday 20 January 2012 at 11.30am and then on ABC24 the same day at 8.30pm. The interview will also be available on the program's website after broadcast.

Update 20 January 2012: The ABC has now made its Matt Smith interview available on the ABC website (Smith's interview starts around 17 minutes, 48 seconds). During a wide-ranging interview, Matt Smith speaks of the recent discovery of the missing 1960s episodes, his desire to film an episode in Australia (including possible Australian themed Doctor Who monsters, such as a "sand monster in the outback or giant mutated spiders"), the design of his costume, his interpretation of the role, time travel, and his career ambitions after Doctor Who.

BBC Books: Dark Horizons

2012-01-20T10:24:00.001Z

BBC Books have announced the latest in their line of hardback Doctor Who novels - Dark Horizons sees a new adventure for the eleventh Doctor, written by Jenny Colgan.

Doctor Who: Dark Horizons
J T Colgan
Available for pre-order

"Now, you may or may not have noticed, but we appear to be on fire..."

On a windswept Northern shore, at the very tip of what will one day become Scotland, the islanders believe the worst they have to fear is a Viking attack. Then the burning comes. They cannot run from it. Water will not stop it. It consumes everything in its path - yet the burned still speak.

The Doctor is just looking for a game on the famous Lewis chess set. Instead he encounters a people under attack from a power they cannot possibly understand. They have no weapons, no strategy and no protection against a fire sent to engulf them all.

Add in some marauding Vikings with very bad timing, a kidnapped princess with a secret of her own and a TARDIS that seems to have developed an inexplicable fear of water, and they all have a battle on their hands. The islanders must take on a ruthless alien force in a world without technology; without communications; without tea that isn't made out of bark. Still at least they have the Doctor on their side... Don't they?

A thrilling new adventure starring the Doctor, as played by Matt Smith.

A successful author with some thirteen books under her belt, Jenny Colgan is also a lifetime Doctor Who fan, and won a national fan competition aged 11 to meet Peter Davison as the Doctor (who mistook her for a boy!). Speaking about her new book, she said:

Writing Dark Horizons has been, as my friends and family already know, a dream come true for me. I grew up on Terrance Dicks and I'm beyond thrilled to be joining the ranks of Doctor Who novelists.

Albert De Petrillo, Senior Editorial Director at BBC Books, said:

Our Doctor Who list is a place to showcase talented writers and bold ideas – and it was a sheer delight to discover that Jenny Colgan, whose commercial fiction is so well respected and loved, was a massive Doctor Who fan. And even better to discover she wanted to turn her hand to a Doctor Who novel. We were deeply impressed with the originality and enthusiasm she brought to the task of writing an eleventh Doctor adventure. Dark Horizons is simply a terrific Doctor Who story – fast-paced, thrilling and often quite funny, it captures Matt Smith's Doctor perfectly and introduces some very memorable new characters as well. It's a testament to Jenny’s range as a writer of quality commercial fiction, and a book I’m proud to publish on the Doctor Who list.

Dark Horizons is due to be published on 7th July 2012.

The Sensorites - Preview Clips

2012-01-20T09:59:00.000Z

The BBC/2Entertain have released a couple of clips from Looking for Peter, a feature on the forthcoming The Sensorites DVD out next Monday. The item features presenter Toby Hadoke tracing the life of the largely unknown writer of the story, Peter R. Newman.

In the first clip, Toby meets up with Richard Bignell at Alexandra Palace to discuss potential clues:

Looking for Peter (clip 1), 2Entertain, via YouTube

In the second clip, Toby visits archivist Marcus Hearn to discuss Newman's work with Hammer Films:

Looking For Peter (clip 2), 2Entertain, via YouTube

In other news, Mark Ayres has reported that the 'Revisited' re-release of Sixth Doctor story Vengeance on Varos will also feature a new 5.1 Surround Mix to accompany the original mono soundtrack.

Also, last year's release of Day of the Daleks has been named the Best DVD Exclusive for 2011 in Home Cinema Choice magazine's awards.

Contributors sought for book on religion in series

2012-01-20T09:42:00.000Z

Two academics planning a book examining portrayals of religion in Doctor Who and its spin-offs are seeking written contributions.

Andrew Crome and James McGrath are compiling a publication - called Religion and Doctor Who: Time, Space and Faith - consisting of academic essays, and people are being invited to submit 300-word summaries (aka abstracts) for consideration. If accepted, they would need developing for inclusion in the publication. A word limit for the final pieces has not been set yet but even if there is one there will probably be some flexibility.

Dr Crome, who works in the School of English at Trinity College Dublin, told Doctor Who News:

"The book will examine the subject in its widest possible sense, and we encourage articles on any aspect of religion in Doctor Who, including its spin-off TV series, novels and audios, religion in fan cultures, and the use of Doctor Who in religious debates. We're looking for essays that will be both academically rigorous and engaging."

Other aspects of Doctor Who to be looked at are the internet and video games.

Dr McGrath, who works in religion and philosophy at Butler University, Indianapolis, said the book was aimed at popular-academic readership, and possible subjects - among many - include:

Death and the afterlife in Doctor Who and Torchwood
The Doctor as a Christ figure
Portrayals of non-Christian religions in the classic or revived series
Fan response to "religious" episodes
The use of Doctor Who by religious organisations

The deadline for the summaries is Friday 20th April and a short biography of the author should accompany them. More details, including a contact e-mail address, are available here.

Jenny Tomasin 1936-2012

2012-01-19T14:51:00.008Z

The actress Jenny Tomasin has died at the age of 75.

Tomasin played the role of Tasambeker, an employee of Tranquil Repose, in the 1985 Doctor Who story Revelation of the Daleks.

She was best known for her portrayal of the long-suffering Ruby in the London Weekend Television production Upstairs Downstairs, appearing in 41 episodes. Her role, as the put-upon kitchen maid who nurtured dreams of running away with Rudolph Valentino, made her one of the most popular characters in the series.

In 1981 Tomasin had a small part in Emmerdale Farm as Naomi Tolly. She also had parts in Crossroads and Martin Chuzzlewit. During the nineties she performed in many regional pantomimes, and in 2005 she returned to Emmerdale, this time playing Noreen Bell, a cantankerous villager, who was eventually killed off in July 2006.

Jenny Tomasin was born on November 30, 1936 in Leeds, West Yorkshire. It is believed she died earlier this week.

Moths un-mothballed

2012-01-19T14:35:00.001Z

Just when you thought it was safe to finally stow your scarf away in the back of the wardrobe, actor/comedian/Doctor Who DVD moderator Toby Hadoke has announced some new dates for his acclaimed one-man show Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf!

I am supposed to have broken out the Mothballs, but as I run a very community based comedy club myself (XS Malarkey in Manchester) I find it hard to resist when asked to take my beloved show to a similar kind of place, so I've agreed to do four gigs this year, some of them quite out in the sticks. If you want a rare 2012 chance to catch it before the moths finally fly away, these look like your only options, although we think there's life in the old lepidoptera yet and hope to make an exciting Londonesque announcement soon.

2nd March - Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal
30th March - Neston Civic Hall
31st March - Bradwell Village Hall
29th June - Beacon Fringe, Beacon Arts Centre, Tunbridge Wells

You can find out more details of Toby's shows via his website.

Torchwood nominated for GLAAD Award

2012-01-19T14:02:00.000Z

Torchwood: Miracle Day has been nominated in the Outstanding Drama Series category of the 23rd Annual GLAAD Awards. The Starz series is up against Degrassi (TeenNick), Grey's Anatomy (ABC), Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family), Shameless (Showtime).

The GLAAD Media Awards honor outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community that inspire change. The GLAAD Media Awards serve as a benchmark for the media industry and complement GLAAD’s work to bring LGBT images and stories to Americans.

The Awards ceremonies take place at the Marriott Marquis (New York, 24 Mar), the Westin Bonadventure (Los Angeles, 21 Apr), and at the Marriott Marquis (San Francisco, 2 Jun).

Production Roundup

2012-01-19T12:52:00.001Z

As full production gets nearer, here is a roundup of current information known about the forthcoming seventh new series of Doctor Who.

Production

January 3rd saw producer Marcus Wilson announce a start to the new year on Twitter: "Back in Cardiff. Series 7 Production office open for business - here we go again." He also observed: "Just worked out this year we're making the hundredth ep of DW since the series returned. Nice milestone. There should be a cake!"

As far as the Series 7 writers are concerned, Mark Gatiss intimates in the Production Notes of the latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine that he is penning an episode. Previously, we reported that Torchwood scribe John Fay had been commissioned to write for the upcoming series, and his agency, Culverhouse & James Ltd, has updated its website entry on him to state that he has written for the show.

Filming for the series is expected to begin in February.

Series schedule

An interview with Steven Moffat that was published by The Scotsman shortly before the Christmas special aired tackled the thorny issue of Series 7's scheduling and how many episodes will be shown this year and next. Asked to shed light on it, he said: "I can clarify that we start shooting in mid-February, but I can't tell you what the schedule is. What headlines are you planning for that time of year? I’ve only just found out what the transmission schedule is for Sherlock, and I've finished making that. I've barely started writing Doctor Who. Loads of things are in flux, all for good reasons actually."

Where 2013 and the show's 50th anniversary are concerned, Moffat gave a strong hint that fans may get more than one special episode. "Why talk in the singular? Again, genuinely, the plans are at an early stage, but we have some very clear ideas about some of the things we're doing, and I think Doctor Who fans and kids will think it's the best thing ever. We've got a load of very big plans – the mere fact that we're talking about this two years before the event should tell you how seriously we're taking it."

During a video interview at this year's Radio Times covers party, which was uploaded yesterday, Moffat said of the show's 50th anniversary: "I promise you, for so many reasons I can't talk about yet, there will never be a better time to be a Doctor Who fan, I absolutely promise that."

He also said the series would be returning this year on an unspecified date in the autumn "for a long run" but he wouldn't be pinned down on its length. However, he stated that it would comprise at least 14 episodes, as it would include a Christmas special. "We always do 14 because we do the Christmas special as well and obviously we start in the autumn with the Christmas special as part of the run, so it'll be at least 14," he said.

Sidekicks

As we await an official announcement regarding Amy and Rory's replacement aboard the TARDIS following their upcoming departure, speculation continues in the press. After an enigmatic tweet by showrunner Steven Moffat, the Daily Star reckons Sophia Myles could be the one. What doesn't help the Star in the credibility stakes, though, is the photo it is currently using to accompany the article - the caption states that it depicts Myles but it is actually of Karen Gillan as Jean Shrimpton in We'll Take Manhattan, to be shown next Thursday on BBC Four at 9pm.

Meanwhile, in an interview for Radio Times in its new edition, which features her on the cover, Gillan talks about leaving the programme. "It was a completely mutual agreement," she insists. "Steven Moffat and I decided when would be the best time for Amy to go." Gillan might know when she's going but she doesn’t know how - only that Moffat has promised it will be heartbreaking. "I'd like to see her go out in flames of glory," she says.

One name that has resurfaced as potential companion material is that of Miranda Hart. It was widely reported last summer that she had been offered a role in the show by Steven Moffat but had been stopped from accepting it by BBC One controller Danny Cohen, who wanted her to focus on her comedy. Now it seems that her name is being bandied about again. Please note, though, that it is pure conjecture and may not even relate to a companion role. Last month we reported how Ladbrokes was offering odds of 4/1 for Jessica Brown Findlay as the new companion, with Lily Cole at 6/1, Daisy Lowe at 10/1, and Chelsee Healey at 12/1.

The Eternity Clock

2012-01-18T12:51:00.002Z

The official Playstation Blog has detailed twelve of what they consider the biggest and exciting game releases for 2012, one of which is the forthcoming Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock:

As the longest-running science fiction TV show in the world, Doctor Who will materialise this year on PlayStation 3 in a thrilling adventure game. Featuring a mysterious being known as the Doctor, hostile aliens, Earth-shattering plots and time travel, who wouldn't want to play a Doctor Who game?

Take control of the Timelord and his feisty companion River Song on a journey through space and time where your actions in one era can influence events in another...

The BBC have released a screen shot from the game (as seen above) via their Facebook page, and an additional two images appeared via the game's official Twitter feed.

(via Twitter)

(with thanks to Vitas Varnas)

Regional Roundup

2012-01-17T22:10:00.003Z

United Kingdom

Branton (Suffolk) resident Gary Gibbons surprised his wife Sandra by building her a TARDIS shed for the garden, complete with flashing light! The fan said of her new addition: "I needed a new shed for all my gardening tools so I could get them into one place and Gary piped up and said: 'Why don’t I make you a Tardis?' I thought he was joking at first and did not think he would actually go through with it, but there it is in our garden. All the neighbours have been commenting about how quirky it is and asking what time Doctor Who will be arriving. My children absolutely love it - my son Jody, who is a big sci-fi fan, helped Gary to build it." [East Anglian Daily Times, 8 Jan 2012]

Daleks and K9 were on-hand alongside Darth Vader and other Star Wars characters at the Orchards Shopping Centre in Dartford to raise money for charity. Mayor Cllr Eddy Lampkin said: "It was great to see these hugely popular characters drawing in people of all ages to have their pictures taken and donate money to Cherished Memories – a very worthwhile cause." [Dartford and Swanley News, 12 Jan 2012]

Members of the Loudoun Musical Society got to meet John Barrowman when they went to see him in Robinson Crusoe at the SECC. The group are staging The Producers this week, one of the actor's favourite shows - he played the lead tenor stormtrooper in the 2005 film version. [Kilmarnock Standard, 13 Jan 2012]

Staff at Sheffield Children's Hospital are to perform a concert of children's music at the City Hall alongside the city's Endcliffe Orchestra in order to raise money for an expansion to the facility. Music will include Peter and the Wolf, The Simpsons, Wallace and Gromit and Doctor Who; Endcliffe's conductor Martin Lightowler said: "We’re making the programme family-friendly to encourage mums and dads to bring their children and spend an afternoon doing something different. We all love Doctor Who – and it’s great to hear the music of such a fantastic TV show come to life in front of your eyes and ears." [The Star, 13 Jan 2012]

People Roundup

2012-01-17T11:59:00.003Z

Karen Gillan (seen here on the cover of the new Radio Times) commented on how she could have met Jean Shrimpton, who she plays in We'll Take Manhattan next week: "She runs a hotel in Penzance. Part of me was tempted to check in but I thought that might be a little weird. I read her modelling guide and her autobiography, though. The guide was written at the height of her fame, the autobiography later on in life, so she’s far more honest in that about how she feels. She hated the fame side of things." [Express, 12 Jan 2012]

The actress also commented on things that help unclutter her head: "Space! I went to the Royal Observatory the other day, and looked through the biggest telescope in the UK. I saw a star from 47 years in the past. Yep, space excites me. My dream is to go to space. And dreams – I find the meanings of dreams very interesting. And the brain. Did you know the brain has three layers, and when we're drunk, we revert to the bottom layer, which is only interested in eating, sleeping and 'meeting a partner'. And music connects to that layer, that bottom layer! Did you know that?" [Guardian, 14 Jan 2012]

Producer Caroline Skinner commented on her arrival into the world of Doctor Who with the Christmas Special: "That was an absolutely fantastic one to start on. And now, I'm thrilled and slightly daunted at the scale of what we're achieving in the next series. We're not too far away from starting shooting, and I think it's going to be the biggest series ever - 2013 is going to be the biggest year in the history of Doctor Who so far." [io9, 12 Jan 2012]

John Barrowman and Raquel Cassidy will be appearing in Hustle on Friday 3rd February as diet fraudsters Dr Dean Deville and his wife, Dana. The episode airs at 9pm on BBC One. [BBC Media Centre, 17 Jan 2012]

Bob Baker (writer/K9 co-creator) and his wife Marie have been helping students at Fareham College on literary and theatrical projects, sharing their experience in the industry and providing feedback on their work. The writer said: "The main thing is to start working on something and to keep sending it away. They should try to get their work on somewhere – whether on TV or a play – so they can hear it spoken because that’s important." [Western Wards Gazette, 13 Jan 2012]

In Memoriam

The actor Harry Fowler, who played Harry in Remembrance of the Daleks, has died at the age of 85. He had numerous TV and film credits and was possibly best known as Corporal "Flogger" Hoskins in the ITV sitcom The Army Game, in which he appeared with William Hartnell (as Sgt Major Percy Bullimore) during the show's fifth and final series, which ran from September 1960 to June 1961.

(newslinks: Telegraph, Guardian, Independent, Mirror, also with thanks to Chris Winwood)

iPlayer 2011 Figures

2012-01-16T15:24:00.003Z

Doctor Who finished as the 7th most accessed programme on the BBC iPlayer for December 2011 and the 5th most accessed programme in Christmas Week, according to figures released by the BBC.

The Christmas Special, The Doctor The Widow and the Wardrobe, was accessed 0.85 million times in the last seven days of the year following its broadcast on Christmas Day. The top requested programme of December was the Top Gear India Special, which had 1.32 million requests. Frozen Planet and the Christmas episodes of EastEnders also scored highly along with Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow.

The BBC iPlayer hit record levels in 2011, with 1.94 billion requests across all platforms during the year. Doctor Who: The Impossible Astronaut finished as the 3rd most requested programme of the year, with 1.93 million requesting the episode at some point. Top of the list was Episode 1 of the David Attenborough Natural History series Frozen Planet, To the Ends of the Earth, which had 2.42 million requesting it. Second was Episode 2 of the comedy series Come Fly With Me.

Each episode of the 2011 series of Doctor Who finished in the top 50 for the year, with Torchwood: Miracle Day - The New World just scraping in at number 50.

As a brand Doctor Who had over 25 million requests during the year. The top brand was EastEnders with 114 million requests, albeit spread over many more episodes. Top Gear had 29.6 million requests and The Chris Moyles Show had 26.3 million requests.

For Doctor Who, Season 32/Series 6 accounted for 18.9 million requests with the previous year accounting for another 3.8 million requests. Doctor Who Confidential Series 6 accounted for 1.1 million requests.

The first Matt Smith episode, The Eleventh Hour, remains as the most accessed programme ever on iPlayer with over 2.62 million requesting it since its transmission. Frozen Planet: Episode 1 is now the 2nd most requested programme and The Impossible Astronaut is currently the eleventh most accessed programme.

First Tom Baker titles from Big Finish released

2012-01-15T19:37:00.000Z

The first Big Finish titles starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor have been released.

Destination: Nerva is a two-part story by Nicholas Briggs in which the Doctor and Leela (Louise Jameson) travel to the distant future and face a new enemy in a familiar place. Raquel Cassidy guest-stars as Dr Alison Foster and Tim Bentinck plays Giles Moreau.

The first ten minutes of Destination: Nerva can be heard for free via the Big Finish website.

Also available is Doctor Who: The Lost Stories – The Fourth Doctor Box Set, a six-disc collection of two adventures previously devised for the small screen in the 1970s and now finally made on audio.

In The Foe From the Future by Robert Banks Stewart, the Doctor and Leela face ghostly apparitions and an evil enemy in a Devon village, while The Valley of Death by Philip Hinchcliffe sees the travellers join an expedition to the Amazon jungle and uncover the secret of a lost city of gold. Guest stars in the box set include Paul Freeman, Louise Brealey and Anthony Howell.

Both titles are available to purchase from our Amazon shop: Destination: Nerva / The Lost Stories.

Missing Radio Script Discovered

2012-01-15T12:11:00.001Z

A long-lost radio script for an episode of a proposed Doctor Who radio series, to be made in the late sixties, and starring Peter Cushing as the Doctor, has been discovered in the BBC archives.

Journey into Time was written by Malcolm Hulke, who went on to write some of the most regarded scripts of the classic series of Doctor Who. In the radio play, a pilot of which was recorded but never broadcast, the Doctor, accompanied by his granddaughter, ends up in the midst of the American Revolution. The recording has been lost for many years.

The series was proposed as a collaboration between independent company Stanmark Productions and Watermill Productions, who put forward plans for 52 episodes to be made for Australia and other overseas territories. It would star Cushing, who had previously played a character called 'Doctor Who' in the two Dalek movies made earlier in the decade. Its existence was known about through promotional material discovered in 1989, but the script was thought lost until it was discovered by Richard Bignell in a file of merchandising queries held in the BBC archives.

The series was rejected by the BBC with Martin Esslin, head of sound drama, saying: "As a typical commercial production for unsophisticated listeners in Australia or even some parts of the United States, it stands up quite well. As a piece of science fiction, however, it strikes me as extremely feeble."

The story detailing precisely what happened back in 1966/67, along with the original pilot script, is detailed in the third issue of the production research magazine Nothing at the End of the Lane, published on Monday 16th January.

Also in the issue:

Illuminating The Dark Dimension: A 30-page article looks at the planned anniversary special, seeing how far things really got, and for the first time reveals precisely the reasons why it all fell apart. With artwork by Lee Sullivan.
"Oh No, You Shouldn't!": A look back on William Hartnell's one and only pantomime performance in the 1966/67 tour of Puss in Boots, complete with photos of Billy as Buskin, the Fairy Cobbler...
The Original Sarah Jane Smith: So who really was originally cast as Sarah Jane Smith back in 1973? All is revealed and the actress concerned tells what happened.
The Living Planet: A look back at one of the first stories proposed for the new series, written by Alan Wakeman during the summer of 1963, with the full proposed storyline and draft script for the first episode.
Designing The Space Pirates: Costume Designer Nick Bullen shares his costume designs from The Space Pirates, and for the first time since 1969 we get an idea what Dom Issigri looked like!
Hayles Storm: ten unmade storylines submitted by Brian Hayles to the production office between February 1965 and May 1975, are reprinted and reviewed, covering the first four Doctors, featuring more Ice Warriors, the return of the Celestial Toymaker and a meeting with the Toymaker's half-sister, The Queen of Time.
The Evil of the Daleks - The Chris Thompson Off-Screen Photographs: For the first time, the 26 off-screen photographs taken by Production Designer Chris Thompson from the first episode of The Evil of the Daleks are published. The article also features photos from Chris's personal collection showing the filming done at Ealing in the Emperor's chamber.
New Location Photographs: New colour photographs taken during the location filming of The Smugglers and The Invasion and new b/w photos from The Enemy of the World.

Plus:

The winners of the 1965 TV Century 21 Dalek competition tell what it was like to win a Movie Dalek and what happened to them, and there is a look at the Mark 7 Daleks from the 1972 Radio Times competition...
Some of the proposed 1960s toys that never made it to the shops...
Effects Designer John Horton tells just what went wrong with the original Nestene effect in Spearhead from Space...

The 116-page, full-colour magazine is available to order from the Nothing at the End of the Lane website.

DVD Update

2012-01-14T11:24:00.000Z

BBC Worldwide and 2|Entertain have released a synopsis for the forthcoming DVD of First Doctor adventure The Sensorites, which is due to be released on 23rd January.

The Doctor and his companions land on a spaceship orbiting a distant and mysterious world, where a human crew lie frozen somewhere between life and death. The planet is the Sense-Sphere, home of the Sensorites, beings of immense intelligence and power. Unable to leave, the Doctor and his companions must deduce the Sensorites’ intentions: are they friendly, hostile, or frightened? And what is the deadly secret at the heart of the Sense-Sphere?

The DVD's commentary features William Russell (Ian Chesterton), Carole Ann Ford (Susan), Joe Grieg (Second Sensorite), Martyn Huntley (First Human), Giles Phipps (Second Human), Frank Cox (director), Raymond Cusick (designer), and Sonia Markham (makeup).

Other extras on the DVD include Secret Voices of the Sensorites, Vision On, Looking for Peter, plus the usual production notes, photo gallery, and PDF extras.

The DVD is available to pre-order via our Amazon shop.

The latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine has confirmed the commentary participants for the stories currently due out in March.

Fourth Doctor adventure The Face of Evil (5th March) features Louise Jameson (Leela), Leslie Schofield (Calib), David Garfield (Neeva), Michael Elles (Gentek), Harry H. Fielder (tribesman), Philip Hinchcliffe (producer) and John McGlashan (film cameraman).
Eighth season finale The Dæmons (26th March) features Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Richard Franklin (Mike Yates), Damaris Hayman (Olive Hawthorne) and Christopher Barry (director).

A number of feature clips from the U.N.I.T. Files Boxed Set (released last week) have been made available online via the BBC's Classic Doctor Who YouTube channel. From Invasion of the Dinosaurs, presenter Matthew Sweet discusses politics in the story, director Paddy Russell discusses capturing a deserted London on film, and Jon Pertwee talks about the creation of the Whomobile. From The Android Invasion, Philip Hinchcliffe discusses making a cliffhanger more effective, reflects upon the Kraal costumes, and Milton Johns reflects upon his own eyepatch story!

Doctor Who Magazine 443

2012-01-12T16:51:00.001Z

The new Doctor Who Magazine (out 12th January) features an exclusive interview with Robert Banks Stewart, writer of the two highly regarded stories Terror of the Zygons and The Seeds of Doom featuring as this month's choice of covers.

The writer is also the original writer of audio adventure The Foe From The Future which sees Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) travelling alongside companion Leela (Louise Jameson) - the first part of which can be listened to for free via the magazine. Discussing his unused 1970s script:

The first three episodes were very much my kind of thing ... you’ve only got to read the first two or three pages to see that I was writing a sort of a thriller, before taking the story off into what was hopefully an unexpected direction...

Also this issue:

Menace from The Past - Two 1960s episodes of Doctor Who, thought lost forever, have been found! DWM presents the first review of Galaxy 4: Air Lock and The Underwater Menace Episode Two, and examines how they were recovered. We also chat to the people who starred in them, including stars Maureen O'Brien, Frazer Hines and Anneke Wills.
Watch in Wonder! - Writer, actor, novelist and all round gentleman, Mark Gatiss tells of the thrill of watching the recovered episodes – and gives reveals some tantalising hints about his next Doctor Who script – in Production Notes.
More Janis Thorns! - The Fourth Doctor and Leela are reunited in a brand new series of audio adventures! DWM goes behind the scenes and catches up with Tom Baker and Louise Jameson as they prepare to battle the Master, the Daleks, Kraals and more...
Let's Shoot Hitler! - DWM interviews dynamic director Richard Senior about Let's Kill Hitler, recording special scenes for DVD, and his life-long love of Doctor Who.
Assassins and Talons and Hands, Oh My! - It was the season that saw the departure of Sarah Jane, the arrival of Leela, and the Fourth Doctor face some of his most terrifying foes... Countdown to 50! continues with a look back to the 70s and Series 14...
New New York, New New York - The Time Team revisit the year five billion and watch what happened when the Doctor and Rose met Cat Nuns, Cassandra and the Face of Boe. What will Emma, Chris, Michael and Will make of New Earth?
Gods and Monsters - The Gods are angry and ancient Greece will suffer their wrath! The Doctor, Rory and Amy face the mighty Zeus himself in Part Two of the new comic strip adventure, The Chains of Olympus, written by Scott Gray and drawn by Mike Collins.
We Love the Doctor! - Romance! Aliens! And the Electric Light Orchestra! The Fact of Fiction puts the Tenth Doctor and Rose adventure Love & Monsters under the microscope, with exclusive additional comments from writer Russell T Davies!
Money, Money, Money - The Watcher reveals the surprising relationship that the Doctor has with filthy lucre, celebrates another supporting artist, and challenges readers with The Six Faces of Delusion in Wotcha!

PLUS! All the latest official news, merchandise previews and reviews, a prize-winning crossword, competitions and much more!

People Roundup

2012-01-12T15:00:00.002Z

David Tennant is to present the inaugural BBC Audio Drama Awards ceremony that also sees him nominated in one of the categories.

The awards, which cover audio dramas first broadcast in English in the UK between 1st October 2010 and 30th September 2011 or first uploaded/published for free listening online in the UK during the same period, aim to celebrate and recognise the cultural importance of audio drama on air and online, and to recognise the actors, writers, producers, sound designers, and others who work in the genre.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony to be presented by Tennant and held in the Radio Theatre at BBC Broadcasting House, central London, on Sunday 29th January. Among the categories, he is up for Best Actor in an Audio Drama for his role as the author Franz Kafka in the Radio 3 production Kafka: The Musical which aired last April and, coincidentally, was written and scored by Murray Gold.

Nominated in another category is June Whitfield, who played Minnie Hooper in The End of Time (Best Actress in an Audio Drama for her portrayal of the actress Margaret Rutherford in the Radio 4 Afternoon Play A Monstrous Vitality which aired last June).

In a separate award during the ceremony, Stephen Wyatt, who wrote Paradise Towers and The Greatest Show In The Galaxy, has been nominated for The Tinniswood Award for his Radio 4 Afternoon Play Gerontius, which aired in July 2010 and starred Derek Jacobi (Professor Yana/The Master in Utopia) and Michael Jayston (The Valeyard throughout season 23).

Karen Gillan has been nominated for Scot of the Year 2011 by ScotsCare, a charity set up for Scots in London who are in need, hardship or distress. Other nominations for the title include tennis player Andy Murray and Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond. [Inverness Courier, 12 Jan 2012]

Meanwhile, We'll Take Manhattan, the BBC Four drama in which the actress plays Sixties supermodel Jean Shrimpton, will air in the UK on Thursday 26th January at 9:00pm. [BBC Media Centre, 12 Jan 2012]

David Tennant is to star in a new film Emotional Rescue alongside actress Heather Graham, who plays an award-winning journalist who finds love with his character after the breakdown of a previous romance. [Scotsman, 6 Jan 2012]

Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper, Torchwood) is to appear in Zach Braff's new play All New People in the role of Emma, alongside Susannah Fielding as Kim. Premiered in July last year, the play will be performed at the Manchester Opera House from 8-11th February, Glasgow's King’s Theatre from 14-18th February, and then settling in the West End's Duke of York Theatre from 22nd February for a ten-week run. [Broadway, 9 Jan 2012]

Mekhi Phifer (Rex Matheson, Torchwood: Miracle Day) is on Broadway, appearing in drama Stick Fly at the Cort Theatre as a plastic surgeon. The actor said: "I do love being onstage. Even as a kid, I was a performer. Local talent shows, local this and that. When break dancing was out, I break danced. When rapping was the thing, I freestyled rap on the street and battled and all that kind of stuff. I'm a student of the game. I'm never not learning. I've got to be quite honest: I caught the theater bug and I'm all about Broadway right now - It can be scary but you have to have a certain strength and fortitude about yourself." [Associated Press, 9 Jan 2012]

(additional reporting by John Bowman)

Script To Screen Returns

2012-01-12T13:46:00.004Z

The BBC have launched the 2012 Script to Screen Competition which will give one lucky team of primary school children the chance to write their own Doctor Who mini-adventure starring the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith.

In 2011 Script to Screen was part of Doctor Who Confidential. The competition was won by the children of Oakley Junior School in Basingstoke, who saw their script, Death Is the Only Answer produced by the BBC Wales team and shown on BBC Three following the 2011 series finale.

The 2012 competition is now open to UK pupils aged 9-11 who are encouraged to collaborate on a script that takes the Time Lord on a new quest travelling through space and time. Bespoke lesson plans and printable Doctor Who resources are also available to inspire children's creativity.

Amy and/or Rory can be included in the script, but no other Doctor Who characters such as River Song.

The competition closes at midnight on 16th March 2012. Resources and an entry form are available on the BBC Schools Website.

The videos below show the Doctor launching the competition, and a school in London using resources.

Video Challange 1, via BBC Learning

A London School uses the resources, via BBC Learning

Matt Smith will be appearing on Blue Peter this week to launch the competition - the show will be broadcast today (Thursday) on the CBBC channel at 5:45pm, and then on BBC1 on Friday at 4:30pm. The episode will be available on the BBC iPlayer for a week after broadcast.

The first Sarah Jane

2012-01-10T00:26:00.010Z

The answer to one of Doctor Who's oldest mysteries has been provided on the DVD release of Invasion of the Dinosaurs.

It has long been known that Elisabeth Sladen was not the first choice of actress to play the role of Sarah Jane Smith. For years the identity of the original actress has remained a close secret, known only to members of the production team.

However, the production notes on the new DVD release, compiled by David Brunt, have revealed that the actress first selected to play the role was April Walker. Brunt discovered the name on a stray memo from the BBC files, informing the BBC Finance department to pay the actress when each of the eleventh season stories went into studio.

Walker had a similar pedigree to Sladen at the time Sarah Jane was cast, with small roles in a number of television series including Crossroads, Dad's Army and The Onedin Line.

Walker was cast in 1973 as the Doctor's assistant by then-producer Barry Letts, who was looking for a replacement for Katy Manning, who had left the series at the end of the previous season. Contracts were signed but when Walker met the current Doctor, Jon Pertwee, it became apparent there was a lack of chemistry between the two. Although the pair had worked together on stage about five years previously and got on quite well, she was not the sort of actress Pertwee wanted to play the companion. He felt she was too tall, busty and too much of a dominant performer. Not the sort of tiny girl he could "protect" as the Doctor.

For actors to be replaced after they have been cast is not common, but not unknown. Sometimes the face just doesn't fit and however good the actor is, the production team realise that a replacement is necessary. Letts took the decision to recast the part and eventually selected Sladen, this time with approval from Pertwee. To take the decision to recast the role was a very difficult one for Letts and one he never discussed in public. Walker was paid in full for the Eleventh season.

Following her brief encounter with the Doctor, Walker has gone on to have a long career with over 40 appearances listed on the Internet Movie Database. She is perhaps most well known for playing Jean in the 1975 Fawlty Towers episode The Wedding Party. She also had roles in Anna Karenina, The Two Ronnies, Wyatt's Watchdogs and Minder.

The forthcoming third issue of the Doctor Who production research fanzine Nothing at the End of the Lane will contain Walker's first ever published interview concerning her casting and replacement in Doctor Who. The fanzine is released later this month.

Fan Productions

2012-01-07T22:26:00.002Z

The Terrible Zodin - Issue 13

The thirteeth issue of the fanzine The Terrible Zodin is now available to download:

A Happy New Year treat from The Terrible Zodin - A brand new issue!

TTZ13 takes an in-depth look at Season 6 (the Matt Smith one!) with a series of essays and reviews of all episodes up to and including The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe. Old school fans need not worry that we're not catering for them though as we also take a look at Season 6 (the Patrick Troughton one!)

Also this issue we take a look at Polly and the Dolly Bird archetype, the special edition of Day of the Daleks and bring you an exclusive interview with Robert Smith? The truth about that question mark is now revealed!

Meanwhile The Caves of Androzani gets the No! Not the Mind Probe! treatment and the Back2theWhoture gang watch The Crusades and The Kings Demons.

Featuring full colour original artwork throughout and bringing you a varied mix of opinions from the wide spectrum of Doctor Who fandom, The Terrible Zodin has more David Banks for your buck or your money back.

(with thanks to Jamie Beckwith/Leslie McMurtry)

Inferno Fiction - Issue 10

The tenth issue of online Doctor Who fiction magazine Inferno Fiction is now available to read on the website.

Inferno Fiction - Issue 10

JUDAS PRIEST, by Colin John
Part two: The Doctor and Ace are caught in the middle of a battle between good and evil of enormous proportions, a battle which takes them back to the beginnings of Stonehenge and a meeting with the King, Arthur himself...

UTOPIA, by Darren Field
The sixth incarnation of the Doctor and his companion Peri are enjoying the tranquillity of the planet Utopia, but while visiting one of its cities, the people of Utopia turn hostile...

WHO'S TIME IS IT ANYWAY?, by Huw Llewellyn-Davies
The Doctor and his companions Samantha and Charles arrive on a jungle covered world and are soon under attack from a deadly foe...but not everything is as it seems...

SUFFOCATION, by Nathan Mullins
Part two: The Vogan, Octavian begins to fulfill his destination and become Octavian The Slayer...a destination he must fulfill with the help of the Doctor...

THE FATE OF GOD'S CHILDREN, by Martin Day
The Doctor and Tegan are invited to take part in a controversial debate about the future of the peoples of a planet...a planet who's future is already know to the Doctor...

(with thanks to Colin-John Rodgers)

Panic Moon

The January 2012 issue of Panic Moon is now available. Details on the website.

Panic Moon - January 2012

The January 2012 issue of the pocked-sized Doctor Who fanzine Panic Moon is out now.

It includes new perspectives on The Keys of Marinus, The Macra Terror, The War Games, Colony in Space, Invasion of the Dinosaurs, Dragonfire and the McGann film; reviews of The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, the recently recovered ‘missing’ episodes, the last series of The Sarah Jane Adventures and the latest from Big Finish; plus behind the scenes on Death to the Daleks, thoughts on console design, a look at the reprinted Target novelisations and more.

The zine is 32 monochrome pages in pocket-sized A6 format.

BBC/LoveFilm deal for video-on-demand service

2012-01-07T00:19:00.001Z

Hot on the heels of the Netflix deal reported last month, Amazon-owned LoveFilm have now signed deals with the BBC and ITV in order to be able to stream video-on-demand content to subscribers, dipping into both the archive and new programming including Doctor Who, Spooks, Marchlands, Cold Feet, Prime Suspect and Above Suspicion.

The company has also signed up BBC Worldwide, enabling access to their portfolio of shows, including Whitechapel, Life on Mars and Planet Earth. BBC Worldwide's UK/Ireland Sales and Distribution Head Lisa Rousseau said:

We've had a content partnership with LoveFilm for several years now and it's great to see this evolve digitally.

The deal will enable recent shows from both broadcasters to be accessed via the LoveFilm Instant online service, available on PC, Apple iPad, Xbox 360, Sony PS3 and internet-connected TV platforms.

The two companies will be in competition to encourage subscribers to their services; LoveFilm's announcement indicates an advantage over Netflix currently, who have yet to link up with ITV.

Regional Roundup

2012-01-05T13:51:00.001Z

United Kingdom

Doctor Who's long association with Ealing and its studios is recounted, not to mention other monstrous encounters: "One of the quirkier connections between the Doctor and Ealing has been discovered with some archives pictures showing Cybermen, one of the show’s most iconic baddies, taking to the streets of Ealing. But as alien invasions go this one appears to be fairly low-key, with the robotic monstrosities captured in what appears to be a friendly encounter with 10-year-old Doctor Who fan Anthony King. In another image, they are seen waiting for a bus. One can only assume their spaceship was undergoing repairs at the time." [Ealing Gazette, 2 Jan 2012]

Aberkenfig resident Gareth Griffiths has had a newspaper article tatooed on his arm as a tribute to his father who died when he was very young. David Griffiths was a BBC employee in the 1960s and dressed as a Dalek in local Llandaff publicity by the Echo for a forthcoming Doctor Who film. [South Wales Echo, 4 Jan 2012]

Portland's Southwell Primary School has a permanent Dalek in residence, a result of a year-long project by parent Roy Porter. The Mk-1 version 'lives' outside Headteacher Stuart McLeod's office - the dedicated Doctor Who fan said: "In nearly all of the schools I have worked in I have converted a cupboard into a TARDIS. So many children and adults love Doctor Who it is great to see them smile when they see my office. A school should be fun and a TARDIS is a great place to learn." [View Online, 30 Dec 2011]

Australia

Geoff Campbell from Toowoomba has built his own police box which has become something of a neighbourhood favourite; wife Kate said: "We had a couple of Mormons who came to knock on our door and all they wanted to talk about was how much they loved Dr Who. I must admit there are times when I do feel a little bit embarrassed by my husband's geekiness, but I am very proud of him as well." [Toowoomba Chronicle, 5 Jan 2012]

People Roundup

2012-01-05T13:15:00.002Z

Several prominent guests attended the wedding party of David Tennant and Georgia Moffett which took place on New Year's Eve at the New Globe Theatre in London, including former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife, actors Patrick Stewart and David Morrissey, DJ Christian O'Connell, and QI host Stephen Fry. [Daily Mail, 2 Jan 2012]

Noel Clarke has been cast in Star Trek 2, the sequel to the 2009 Paramount film. Variety report that the actor, who played Micky Smith in Doctor Who, will play a family man with a wife and young daughter in the film which is due for release in May 2013. He will join a small group of actors who have worked on both the Doctor Who and Star Trek franchise.

John and Carole Barrowman's children's book Hollow Earth is due to be released in February. The fantasy adventure takes place in their native Scotland and is inspired by memories of their formulative years; says John: "The island where most of the novel takes place is a real place off the coast of Largs - but we changed the geography and name." [Herald Scotland, 3 Jan 2012]

The actor was also pleased to discover that his show Tonight's The Night has helped facilitate research into Parkinsons Disease; sufferer Bryn Williams was introduced to one of the world's leading experts in the field, Professor Steven Gill - Barrowman's father-in-law - through the show, and together they have now raised over £400,000 in the search for a cure. Barrowman said: "The fact this has grown from a TV show to this major medical fund-raising drive is just incredible. If a cure came from a small chance meeting on a TV show that really would be an incredible legacy for us all." [Scottish Sun, 3 Jan 2012]

Colin Baker, who won this Christmas's Celebrity Come Dine With Me, said of his role in the specials: "It was the scariest, most exhausting but rewarding and challenging thing I have ever done on television. It was a lot of fun and the other diners were great!" [Derbyshire Times, 24 Dec 2011]

The career of Charles Dickens is compared to that of Russell T Davies: Had he been around today, it seems unlikely that Dickens would have been wasting his time on the moribund medium that is the novel; instead, he would have gone where the money is. Perhaps he would have ended up in Hollywood. Perhaps he would have been a Russell T Davies figure, almost singlehandedly reviving the British television drama industry with his endlessly inventive storylines. [Telegraph, 29 Dec 2011]

New Years Honours

In the 2012 New Year Honours, the cinematographer Remi Adefarasin, who was the film cameraman on Terminus and The King's Demons, became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to television and film. In addition, the actor David Harewood (Joshua Naismith in The End of Time and the voice of President Vallan in Big Finish's Eighth Doctor audio drama Army of Death) was made an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to drama, radio presenter David Rodigan, who played Broken Tooth in The Mysterious Planet (the first four episodes of the Trial of a Time Lord season), was made an MBE for services to broadcasting, while entertainer Ronnie Corbett, who portrayed Ambassador "Rani" Ranius in the 2009 Sarah Jane Adventures special for Comic Relief, became a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for services to entertainment and to charity.

(compiled by John Bowman)

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

The latest latest online update to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography contains articles on several Doctor Who alumni.

The online dictionary is updated three times a year and the January release always concentrates on the lives of people distinguished or notorious in many aspects British life or with British connections who died four years before publication - in this case, 2008.

Tristram Cary, who composed incidental music for 'The Daleks' and several other stories up until 'The Mutants' is included. His entry is written by another electronic music composer who contributed to Doctor Who, Roger Limb. Other new subjects include Bill Cotton, who was managing director of BBC Television at the time of the eighteen-month suspension of Doctor Who in 1985, with an article written by Michael Grade. Bryan Cowgill, controller of BBC1 in the 1970s is also included. Also included are Elizabeth Spriggs, who was the first performer cast as Chessene in 'The Two Doctors' before finally appearing in Doctor Who in 'Paradise Towers'.

Full access to the new lives is only available to subscribers, including most public libraries in the UK, several in the Republic of Ireland, and academic institutions; but most public libraries with subscriptions now allow library members to use their library cards to access their online resources remotely, including the Oxford DNB; and a selection of the new articles will be available for free on the Oxford DNB website later today.

(Thanks to Matthew Kilburn)

The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe: New Zealand Premiere

2012-01-05T00:41:00.000Z

New Zealand broadcaster PRIME have announced the premiere of the Christmas Special The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe for Thursday 19th January, 8:30-9:50pm.

The channel also has a microsite available for the Special.

Evacuated to a house in Dorset from war-torn London, Madge Arwell and her two children, Lily and Cyril, are greeted by a madcap caretaker whose mysterious Christmas gift leads them into a magical wintry world.

(with thanks to Paul Scoones)

Sarah Jane DVD Release

2012-01-03T12:25:00.000Z

The fifth and final series of The Sarah Jane Adventures will be released in the UK on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday 6th February 2012.

The set will contain a special tribute to the late Elisabeth Sladen featuring contributions from those who worked closely with her, including the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith. Goodbye Bannerman Road was filmed on location and also features Sladen's co-stars Daniel Anthony & Anjli Mohindra.

Also released on the same day is a 12 disc Box Set containing the entire five series of The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Doctor Who News Shop. Series 5 / Box Set

Christmas Day: Final Ratings - Updated

2012-01-02T20:53:00.001Z

Doctor Who, The Doctor, The Witch and The Wardrobe had a final official rating of 10.77 million viewers.

The official rating takes into account those who record the programme and watch it within 7 days. It is much more accurate than the initial overnight figure. It does not include those watching on iPlayer, where over 700,000 accessed the episode within five days of transmission.

The final ratings saw ITV1's Downton Abbey leap to the top of the list to claim the prize as the most watched programme of Christmas Day with 11.60 million watching. EastEnders was second with 11.33 million and Doctor Who came in third. It overtook ITV1's Coronation Street which was the 4th most watched programme of the day.

Christmas Day dominated the ratings for the week, making Doctor Who the 3rd most watched programme for the week. In the history of the programme only eight episodes of Doctor Who have made the top Three for the week.

Congratulations to Daniel Elkington of Brunswick, Victoria, Australia who guessed 10.79 million in our Christmas Competition.
Other winners are Bridget Walker of Rockhamption, Queensland, Australia (10.71), Matthew Boorman of Warwick (10.82), Morag Bennett of Telford (11.11) and Lee Higgins, Shrewsbury (11.3)

National Television Award Nominations

2012-01-01T19:51:00.003Z

Having fielded off Downton Abbey in the Christmas ratings, Doctor Who will face the popular ITV1 drama again in this year's National Television Awards, taking place at the O2 Arena in London on 25th January. The nominees for the Best Drama Award also include BBC1's Merlin and last year's winner Waterloo Road.

Meanwhile, the Doctor Who team are up against sister show Torchwood in both the Drama Performance: Male and Female nominations, with Matt Smith facing John Barrowman and Karen Gillan facing Eve Myles respectively. The categories also include Martin Clunes (for Doc Martin, ITV1), David Threlfall (Shameless, C4), Jaye Jacobs (Waterloo Road, BBC1), and Suranne Jones (Scott & Bailey, ITV1).

Voting for the shortlist of nominees is now open, with the results to be announced at the award ceremony hosted by Dermot O'Leary, broadcast live on ITV1.

The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe: DVD details

2012-01-01T16:37:00.004Z

The 2011 Christmas Special, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe is to be released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on the 16th January:

Set during World War II, Madge Arwell receives tragic news that her husband Reg has died in combat. Unable to break the news to her two children, Cyril and Lily, she takes them away to a country home for Christmas. But there’s something familiar about the caretaker – a man with a bow tie who seems to bring Christmas spirit and other strange things with him.

Most exciting of all there’s a big blue box sitting under the Christmas tree, but is it really a present or a gateway to a magical, mysterious adventure...

The release also includes the special BBC "prequel" that precedes the story's start, and also three 45 minute specials commissioned by BBC America to showcase the favourite moments from the Eleventh Doctor's era: Best of the Doctor, Best of the Monsters and Best of the Companions.

Both the DVD and Blu-ray releases are available for pre-order.

Meanwhile, the USA/Canada DVD and Blu-ray releases are planned for 14th February, whilst Australia will see the release of the episode on 1st March.

Tennant Gets Married

2012-01-01T01:03:00.000Z

Tenth Doctor David Tennant has married his long term partner Georgia Moffett at a ceremony in London.

The couple, who became engaged at the start of 2011, tied the knot on Friday evening at an undisclosed location, attended by close family and friends.

Georgia Moffett is the daughter of Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison. She played Jenny in the 2008 story The Doctor's Daughter.

The couple's first child, Olive, was born at the end of March.

The Wooden King and Queen arrive at the Doctor Who Experience

2011-12-30T15:53:00.001Z

The Doctor Who Experience have announced the arrival of the Wooden King and Wooden Queen to the exhibition, as seen in this year's Christmas Special, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe.

The two costumes will be in a special display at the exhibition, alongside the existing array of monsters including the Daleks, Cybermen, Silurians and the Silence.

The Doctor Who Experience is open in London until 22nd February 2012, and will then re-open at its new home by the BBC Studios at Cardiff Bay later in the year.

Regional Roundup

2011-12-28T20:35:00.000Z

United Kingdom

Last week we reported on the party thrown for terminally ill children in Downing Street; mother Jane Berman from Chigwell was there with her son Ross and said: "“Ross was absolutely thrilled to meet Doctor Who. He's a real fan. Matt Smith came running down Downing Street and ran up to Ross and said 'I've come all the way from Gallifrey to see you'" [Epping Forest News, 20 Dec 2011]

Matt Smith, who is an ambassador for organisers Starlight, said: "Thousands of children will spend this Christmas in hospital and, along with a White Christmas, this year I am wishing for some much-needed festive cheer for these kids." [Watford Observer, 20 Dec 2011]

Fan Erica Quinn from Glasgow has turned her front door into the TARDIS doors: ""I call it my double take door. People walk by and just stop and stare. People have started calling me the Doctor Who House Lady. Once I was getting a taxi on the other side of Glasgow - and I went up to the taxi rank and asked to go to the West End. One of the drivers said: 'I'll take you, because I want to go past the Doctor Who House. I was like, 'That's my house'." Erica also has life-sized figures of the 10th, 11th Doctors, Daleks and Captain Jack amongst others: "They switch around and sometimes they come out of the windows They are an excellent deterrent against having your house broken into because it looks like someone is watching." [Belfast Telegraph, 26 Dec 2011]

Daleks and K9 were on hand to entertain visitors to Robots Live at Snibston Discovery Park, Coalville. Organiser Alan Young said: "It was a great day and a lot of fun. I think it's safe to say the Daleks stole the show. We normally stage big arena events but this was a chance for people to get up close and personal with the robots and the people who built them." [Leicester Mercury, 28 Dec 2011]

BBC Radio Leicester presenter Karl Cooper is an avid Dalek collector: "They adorn windowsils and the fireplace at home. When friends are short on gift ideas, the collection seems to grow!! A life long fan of The Doctor (Jon Pertwee era is his fave), he'd love a full sized Dalek but complains he has neither the cash or space to get one. He's also not sure how the two cats would react to such an invasion!!" [BBC Radio Leicester, 28 Dec 2011]

Australia

New series Outland writer and comedian Adam Richard reveals his Doctor Who inspiration: "My scariest TV moment was when ... Noah took his hand out of his pocket and it had mutated into green bubble-wrap. (The Ark in Space). I decided a television career was for me when ... I started noticing my favourite episodes of Doctor Who seemed to be written by the same man (Robert Holmes - genius)" [Sydney Morning Herald, 22 Dec 2011]

Ratings Update

2011-12-28T13:35:00.000Z

The Tuesday repeat of the Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe had an audience of 1.1 million viewers according to unofficial overnight figures.

The show had a 9.5% share of the audience available, winning its timeslot. All Star Family Fortunes, which was scheduled against Doctor Who again, also had an average of 1.1 million watching, however Doctor Who had the higher ratings while the shows were pitted against each other.

Meanwhile more details have emerged about the Christmas Day showing. Among children aged 4-15, as well as adults aged 45-54, Doctor Who was the most watched programme on Christmas day. The only group for which Doctor Who lost out to All Star Family Fortunes was viewers aged 65+.

Doctor Who was the only programme on Christmas Day post-3pm which had an exact 50/50 male/female split.

Christmas Appreciation Index Score

2011-12-27T10:49:00.001Z

Doctor Who: The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe achieved an Appreciation Index, or AI, score of 84.

The Appreciation Index or AI is a measure of how much the audience enjoyed the programme. The score, out of a hundred, is compiled by a specially selected panel of around 5,000 people who go online and rate and comment on programmes. This year's score is slightly up on last year's Christmas Special.

The score was the highest on BBC One for the evening, with most programmes scoring around the 82 mark. The prize for the most appreciated programme of Christmas evening was taken by ITV1 with Downton Abbey, scoring a massive 92.

Australian ratings for The Doctor, the Widow and The Wardrobe

2011-12-27T09:34:00.001Z

The Doctor, the Widow and The Wardrobe has debuted in Australia to solid ratings. TV Tonight reports that Doctor Who averaged 749,000 viewers in the five major capital cities. It came second in its time-slot, was the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's top-rating drama of the day and the thirteenth highest rating programme of the day overall.

Meanwhile ABC2 will repeat the entire run of the new series, Mondays-Fridays at 7.30pm, starting with Rose on Monday 2 January 2012.

The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe: Media Reviews

2011-12-26T13:08:00.000Z

After the positive previews of the story, Boxing Day introduces us to the media aftermath of The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe - below are some of the thoughts of reviewers of the festive adventure (click on the their names for the full reviews).

You can read our own review of the episode here.

Please note that reviews contain plot points that may be considered spoilers for those who have yet to see the episode.

Guardian

Welcome back, merry Christmas, and straight into the reason you're probably welling up right now. Putting aside the now-mandatory doomed spaceship that now must surely always feature, this was the smallest – yet perhaps the most enchanting – Christmas special we've had to date. A story where the threat is not to the universe but to the happiness of one family, and the only real enemy are some misguided and underdeveloped polluters. Any other time of year I would gnaw holes all over this, but it's Christmas, and today it felt perfect.

(Dan Martin)

Oh good, our own planet is involved, and the past. I feel more comfortable there and then. There's also a door into a different world, a snowy winter wonderland where magic sparkling baubles hang from the pine trees. Yes, there's more than a nod to Narnia, but without all the God-bothering, as far as I can see. The message, if there is one, is an eco one.

It's warmhearted and twinkly, and Matt Smith is ever so slightly annoying. But the kids like him, that's what counts.

(Sam Wollaston)

Independent

Every year the Christmas special comes back with something vastly different to the previous year and usually it proves to be on par if not stronger than the one before. The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe had the perfect recipe for a Christmas special. It had a simple story that could be easily understood without too much concentration and as specials go, it avoided being sickly sweet. By the end audiences were likely to be left with a warm glow created by the mixture of comedy, tragedy and general festive cheer that never became overly sentimental.

(Neela Debnath)

Telegraph

This was packed full of festive magic, with ingenious use of Christmas trees, angels, stars, baubles, even woolly winter cardigans. The only problem? It was too busy being cute and clever to create a sufficiently memorable monster. The wooden Pagan king and queen weren’t quite hide-behind-the-sofa scary, more the sort of thing you’d see down the garden centre.

Still, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe succeeded in being the kind of broad fairytale fun that unites the generations. "A brilliant idea for a Christmas trip," as the Doctor himself said.

(Michael Hogan)

Mirror

THIS year’s was not a classic Doctor Who, but a good one and a perfect piece of Christmas English whimsy.

"Crying when you’re happy!" the Doctor puzzled. "That’s so human!" - this is Doctor Who at its best, tapping into/manipulating our emotions.

(Jim Shelley)

Metro

Whether we were born before the war, or decades after it, we all feel like we know what it's like to have survived on rations and be evacuated to the countryside - romantic dramatisation of the war is part of our national common experience, even if actual wartime isn't.

Moffat captured this perfectly as he took us back to war-torn Britain, where we met eponymous widow Madge and her children Lily and Cyril, whose escape from Blitzkrieged London to rural Dorset paved the way for a suitably Christmassy tale.

By virtue of there being so many of them, Doctor Who Christmas specials have some stiff competition when it comes to deciding which is the most gripping festive Timelord adventure of them all. However, fans of the series will probably agree that The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe is up there with the best of them.

(Rachel Tarley)

Radio Times

When I heard Marge Arwell (Claire Skinner) saying, "This Christmas is going to be the best Christmas ever," I got a sinking sensation. Not just because by nature I’m a bit of a Scrooge, but because I’ve had enough of being promised "the most Christmassy Doctor Who ever". As if that were a good thing and something I’d want once in every 14 episodes. Bah!

Well, I should have had more faith in Steven Moffat, Matt Smith and co, who have pulled a cracker, and almost - almost, I say - given this Ebenezer a Christmassy glow. How can anyone resist The Doctor, the Witch and the Wardrobe?

(Patrick Mulkern)

Scottish Daily Record

Unashamedly emotional, but always just cynical enough to keep it away from stale stilton, The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe is the riskiest story Moffat has created – he referenced Star Wars, the Battle of Britain and Narnia in the first five minutes! But the Doctor once again delivered. This episode didn’t just have a great ending, it had two weepy finales – even the Doctor was teary. And Matt Smith continues to make it seem like he has played the part for 49 years. Doctor one, Downton nil.

(Brian McIver, Paul English)

SFX

Newcomer director Farren Blackburn brings style to spare, conjuring a 1940s rich in period atmosphere and dripping with People's Friend nostalgia, all home-knits, rainy lanes and hazy streetlamps. He also has a fine eye for the evocative visual: whether it be a Lancaster Bomber soaring into the time vortex or Halo-style armoured warriors walking the snows of a Narniaesque forest, this is, ultimately, an episode that trades in the kind of brilliant, reality-mashing juxtapositions that feel uniquely and unmistakably Doctor Who.

(Nick Setchfield)

Den of Geek

The Doctor Who Christmas special, as both Moffat and Russell T Davies have noted over the years, is a slightly different beast. Accepting that a large bulk of people watch it after a bloated day, and not short of either sugar-laden or alcoholic beverages, its tone tends to be just a little lighter. Moffat works that very much in his favour, but doesn’t shy away from the darkness in the background. Madge’s choice is never far away.

It was a treat to have a gentle, well told, standalone story, that proved you don’t have to veer away from an emotive and adventurous story, just because it’s Christmas time. A lovely piece of television, and a smashing way to spend a Christmas night in front of the telly. Pass the turkey sandwiches...

(Simon Brew)

Assignment X (United States)

There’s a solid pro-nature element that fits very well with the best of socially and ecologically conscious Doctor Who (Green Death, anyone?), but ultimately this story’s strongest theme is the celebration of the power in a mother’s love. While some have already found problems with the notion, I think it’s important to remember that every individual character in every story does not have to represent every other member of their gender. In this one instance, it’s a lovely, inspirational message for this very family-oriented time of year, and it doesn’t detract at all from any other strengths that female characters might and should exhibit.

(Arnold T Blumberg)

io9 (United States)

You know the story's a bit underwhelming when the characters have to keep commenting noisily about how cool it really is. Every few minutes, Matt Smith puts all his formidable gusto into announcing that Madge Arwell is flying a forest through the time vortex with her mind, and that this is really really cool. Really. Even though to all appearances, we've just spent the last half hour listening to characters stand around discussing plot devices inside a harvester set and a tree-castle set.

Luckily, because this is a Moffat episode, even the slow middle part is crammed with quotable, memorable dialogue that would be in your .sig file if anybody still had .sig files.

Of course, the task of a Doctor Who Christmas special is generally to be entertaining fluff, without much in the way of darkness or complicated plots to overtax the brandy-soaked gray matter. And "Wardrobe" moves fast enough, and is inventive enough, that you can sort of slide past some of the muddled bits and enjoy Matt Smith doing what he does best. And it's nice that, coming so soon after the tribute to Craig's fatherhood, we get an extended tribute to motherhood.

(Charlie Jane Anders)

Digital Journal

This year there was plenty of action, some good scenes and witty dialogue. There is less 'toing and froing' back and forth in time as the story is played out in a more linear fashion than recent episodes of the last TV series. Possibly a bit too much Spielbergian sentimentality, but hey it's Christmas. The comic elements were provided by Bill Bailey and Arabella Weir.

Personally, although I've enjoyed the Christmas Doctor Who episodes I've also been slightly disappointed with them compared with the regular series (many Doctor Who fans are often a little disappointed with the festive fare). I think it is because the something is sacrificed in aiming for the general viewer, who will tune in whilst munching a minced pie, whereas the series can develop a more intricate story and cater for the ardent fan.

(Tim Sandle)

Christmas Overnight Viewing Figures

2011-12-26T09:06:00.001Z

8.9 million watched the Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe according to unofficial overnight figures.

Doctor Who was the third most watched programme of the day, with the two soaps taking the top two spots with EastEnders winning the day with 9.9 million and Coronation Street just beating Doctor Who with 9.0 million watching.

Downton Abbey took the fourth spot with 8.1 million watching.

Against Doctor Who, All Star Family Fortunes managed 6.1 million viewers.

Doctor Who had one of the the highest audience shares for the day with 34.2% of the available audience.

BBC One took six of the top ten places with ITV1 taking four, a contrast to the previous few years which have seen BBC One dominate the top ten chart for Christmas Day. All viewing figures are considerably down on recent years.

Doctor Who is the fourth most watched programme of the week on overnight figures.

It is important to note that the overnight figures are an initial estimate. Final figures, including those who record the programme and watch it within a week, will be published by BARB in around 8 days time.

The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe: Media Previews

2011-12-25T16:39:00.003Z

With just a few hours to go before the real reason Christmas television exists, here's a brief roundup of what the papers say ...

Guardian

Moffat becomes quite unashamedly romantic at this time of year. It gives little away to say that this second world war-set, Narnia-inspired tale is one of the smallest stories we've seen on Doctor Who in recent years. But it also delivers the most effective emotional suckerpunches.

After the events of The Wedding of River Song, The Doctor is, in the eyes of the universe, dead; to kill time before the next storyline arc, he's larking around on doomed spacecraft and doing favours for random evacuated families. When wartime yummy mummy Madge Arwell helps him out of one of such scrapes, he goes to exceptional lengths to return the favour, and inevitably the whole thing ends up going calamitously wrong. Supported by a pair of unusually tolerable child actors, Claire Skinner carries the episode with a soulful performance, while Bill Bailey and Arabella Weir clock on to balance things out with the laughs.

Admittedly it lacks, for instance, a gigantic Cyberman stomping across Victorian London, and the story feels ludicrous even by festive Who standards. But only the stoniest-hearted viewer will finish watching this without finding something in their eye.

(Dan Martin)

From the depths of a silent forest beckons a wintry tale of wartime pluck. Steven Moffat's latest festive panto is a typically lavish affair, with the Doctor and a resilient 1940s widow (Claire Skinner) embroiled in an ingenious take on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The Spielbergian sentimentality (dead pilots, preternaturally sensible youngsters) gets a bit Sensodyne Extra at times, but there are proper chills (time portals, talking trees, pulsing bauble things) and larks (Bill Bailey) and, as with all the best Christms specials, the sense that all is well with the world.

(Sarah Dempster)

Telegraph

"Whopremo" Steven Moffat's suitably seasonal take on The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe. It’s a witty, wintry wartime adventure with added spaceships and Lancaster bombers. As cockle-warming as mulled wine, merrily magical and a real family treat.

(Michael Hogan)

Belfast Telegraph

Last year, EastEnders knocked Dr Who into second place, with viewing figures peaking at 11.7m, but Sky Bet spokeswoman Helen Jacob said the science fiction family favourite might well be the dark horse to sneak through with most viewers on Christmas Day this year.

The show fronted by livewire and 11th Time Lord, Matt Smith, appeals to all age groups. Quirky comedian Bill Bailey is just one of the stars drafted in to ensure Dr Who fans enjoy this Sunday’s one-hour episode and its exploration of a magical wintry world.

(Amanda Poole)

Los Angeles Times

In Great Britain, this event amounts to a national tradition; but for followers here, it is no less of a calendar moment, a candle in winter coming months after the end of the last season and months before the beginning of the next, when the days are actually at their darkest.

Like Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," Moffat's "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" — something of a giveaway, again — is set during World War II and concerns children evacuated to a country house, where a "dimensional portal thingy" leads to a wooded world all covered in snow. (And Lewis' description of heaven as a place that grows larger the further in you go has always reminded me of the Tardis, the Doctor's bigger-on-the-inside time machine.)

In the spirit of the season, its signal images are of trees and lights, and by Moffat's usual time-twisting standards, it's a relatively straightforward narrative, a sci-fi fairy tale catalyzed by a wish and watered with the old magic of human tears. Moffat is all about the old magic.

(Robert Lloyd)

Scotsman

Matt Smith excels as usual, but he’s ably supported by Claire Skinner from Outnumbered as a mother who’ll stop at nothing to protect her kids – the episode is fundamentally a touching paean to parenthood – and Bill Bailey and Arabella Weir as comically ineffectual “antagonists”. It also pits the sonic screwdriver against its ultimate foe, finds the Doctor gaining a nifty new soubriquet, and tosses in the obligatory throwaway reference for old-school fans to go “Ooh!” at. It’s not just the spirit of the season making me giddy – this is truly beautiful television.

(Paul Whitelaw)

Watch out tomorrow for a roundup of what the papers have to say about the festive adventure post-broadcast, and you can also read our own review of the episode later tonight.

Matt Smith chats on The Graham Norton Show

2011-12-24T01:32:00.001Z

Matt Smith appeared on The Graham Norton Show tonight, during which he chatted about his Christmas plans, his brushes with fandom, and of course about a certain show he's become associated with that airs on Christmas Day!

When asked about the recent announcment regarding Karen Gillan's departure from the show, he said:

I've known a while, actually, because we've known for a couple of months. It's by mutual consent - I think really those stories just come to a point where it reaches its conclusion, and the very essence of the show is that it constantly re-invents itself.

(on whether he'd go at the same time) I'm very happy to stay, I love it, I love making the show, but I'll miss Karen because she's a good mate, one of my best mates. She's a cracker - mad as a box of cats - but she's a firecracker, she really is.

Talking about fandom, both he and fellow guest Gillian Anderson discussed attending Comic-Cons, with Matt mentioning how he met up with all the other 'Doctors', and when he and co-star Karen Gillan met 'themselves':

Matt Smith and Gillian Anderson discuss Comic-Con, BBC, via the YouTube (may not play outside United Kingdom)

The full show can be watched in the UK via the BBC iPlayer until the 30th December.

Karen Gillan will be a guest on The Graham Norton Show on the 6th January 2012.

Doctor Who Screening: Q&A Highlights

2011-12-23T23:34:00.002Z

The BBC have released three videos covering highlights from the Q&A that followed the press screening of The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe last week. The session was hosted by Radio 5 Live presenter Richard Bacon, and included a discussion of the episode that had been shown, the announcement over Amy and Rory's future, and answering questions posed by the audience.

Discussing the Christmas Special, BBC, via the BBC Doctor Who site (may not play outside United Kingdom)

Discussing Amy and Rory's Future, BBC, via the BBC Doctor Who site (may not play outside United Kingdom)

Fielding Questions from the audience, BBC, via the BBC Doctor Who site (may not play outside United Kingdom)

Elysium to crash in Ipswich

2011-12-23T18:52:00.000Z

The Doctor Who immersive theatre experience, The Crash of the Elysium is to be recreated at the Ipswich Arts Festival from 15th June to 8th July 2012, as part of the London 2012 Festival celebrating the Olympic Games taking place in the summer.

The event was originally created by Punchdrunk for the Manchester International Festival that took place last June/July, and is described as:

A live Doctor Who adventure in which the audience is the star of the show. The production is unlike anything audiences will have ever experienced. This is their story, their mission, the audience are the hero. No two shows are ever the same, no individual adventure is ever repeated. There is no stage, there is no comfy seating, there is no division between the world of the audience and the world of the show.

The performances will take place at the Crown Car Park, and is sponsored locally by the New Wolsey Theatre; there will be three variations of the show, catering for schools, families with children aged 7-12, and for those aged 13 and older.

Ruth Mackenzie, Director, Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival, said

I'm delighted that we can confirm that Ipswich will be the host for this brilliant show. The production will be a highlight of the London 2012 Festival and is sure to be a hot ticket. Our thanks go to Arts Council England for their funding support.’

Ipswich Borough Council Leader David Ellesmere said:

This is fantastic news and something the Council is really pleased to be a partner in. The Crash of the Elysium will be a huge event for Ipswich and the region in 2012. It will also be a welcome boost for the local economy as it will bring thousands of people into the town. I would like to thank all our partners who will be helping us to put this together next June.

Sarah Holmes, New Wolsey Theatre Chief Executive said:

We are very proud and excited to welcome the world-renowned Punchdrunk to the east for the first time but doing so as part of the London 2012 Festival and working with London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and with Manchester International Festival makes it even more exciting. The Crash of the Elysium will undoubtedly be one of the cultural highlights of the 2012 celebrations and it’s happening in Suffolk. This is an incredible opportunity and one not to miss.

Councillor Kathy Gosling, Suffolk County Council's portfolio holder for sport, culture, diversity, health and wellbeing, said:

Suffolk County Council has been working hard to make sure the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games leaves a positive legacy for Suffolk. This news is a welcome boost to our ongoing campaign to capture some of the magic of the Games for local people to experience and enjoy. We are delighted to be working with London 2012, the New Wolsey Theatre, the Arts Council and Ipswich Borough Council to bring The Crash of the Elysium to Suffolk to our county town.’

Andrea Stark, Executive Director, Arts Council England, said:

We are thrilled to support Ipswich Borough Council and the New Wolsey Theatre in their presentation of Punchdrunk’s live Doctor Who adventure The Crash of the Elysium. It's great to see a high-quality show with such universal appeal coming to the East of England. As a principal funder of the Cultural Olympiad, the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic movements, we are especially pleased that The Crash of the Elysium will form part of this. Its inclusion in the London 2012 Festival will bring unprecedented and well deserved national profile to Ipswich and the region.

There is a website for the event, though at the time of writing it is not currently active.

People Roundup

2011-12-23T10:45:00.000Z

David Tennant has recorded the audio version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again, the sequel to the original book/film by Ian Fleming. The actor was chosen by the Fleming family, with his niece saying: "We are thrilled that David agreed to read the audio book. He is such a talented actor and his voice brings Frank Cottrell Boyce's story to life. Chitty could not have been in safer hands with him behind the wheel." Tennant also commented on the accompanying audio interview: "The idea of a flying car is hard to better. I think we would all love to have a car that would take off, escape the traffic and fly you to any country in the world." [BBC News, Press Association, 21 Dec 2011]

Steven Moffat talks about his immediate future with Doctor Who: "I genuinely haven’t got a plan, except I'll probably have to stop at some point or I'll die. And dying would be bad. But my main concern is not so much how long I do it, but that I absolutely, definitely am going to be handing it on to somebody else. I want it to be in great shape, and some day I want somebody else to come in and knock my socks off with what they do with it. You don't want to be the last person in the relay race, do you?" [The Scotsman, 20 Dec 2011]

Bill Bailey reflects on watching Doctor Who as a child: "My grandparents lived with us, and I remember watching Doctor Who with my granddad on his new telly. These were the days before remote controls but my granddad, being quite a resourceful sort of chap, had fashioned his own remote control – which was a length of bamboo pole with a bit of cork that he’d glued on the end." [Telegraph, 22 Dec 2011]

Alexander Armstrong cites Matt Smith as his (now) favourite Doctor: "He has such tremendous charisma, he has such an extraordinary face and voice and his manner ... everything about him, I think. He's perfect, spot on!" [Telegraph, 23 Dec 2011]

On being asked if she'd like to be in Doctor Who, actress Helen Mirren commented: "I would like to play the new female Doctor Who. I don’t want to just be his sidekick." [Daily Star, 20 Dec 2011]

The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe

The guest stars give their views on being in the festive adventure:

Arabella Weir: "I was genuinely surprised and completely thrilled. I must confess, though, that this is not because I’ve been a Doctor Who fan since childhood. I don’t subscribe to the Doctor Who magazine and we’ve only got the normal amount of Doctor Who fridge magnets. That said, I do love the show - my kids and I have watched it religiously since its return. And I did watch it as a child, completely terrified out of my wits, accompanied by my braver, older brothers who marvelled at the horrifying monsters while I cowered in the corner of the sofa, occasionally peeping over the top of a cushion. The real reason I was thrilled was because it’s such a fantastic show, brilliantly written and produced, and here they were, wanting me to be part of it! I instantly said yes, without even reading the script. When I did finally read it, I got even more excited since it turned out I was to play an alien from the future alongside Bill Bailey and would get to wear a proper, full-on, metal-with-flashing-lights alien outfit and hold a shiny gun!" [Telegraph, 22 Dec 2011]

Alexander Armstrong: "I'm acting with Claire Skinner in a little World War II setting - it's a very sweet Christmas story, very nice, very touching, very stirring - very exciting indeed! I'm really pleased to have got in, particularly while Steven (Moffat)'s in his pomp. It's a sort of 'purple patch' of Doctor Who and it's lovely to be right in there!" [Digital Spy, 22 Dec 2011]

Bill Bailey: "When I arrived at the set, it was quite breathtaking ... this beautiful forest, decked out in snow – it looked amazing. And then us as forest space farmers clanging around, it was such fun. It was a juxtaposition of all that is the essence of Doctor Who for me." [Telegraph, 22 Dec 2011]

Official Doctor Who Convention: update

2011-12-21T21:07:00.000Z

BBC Worldwide have announced that Arthur Darvill will be joining Matt Smith and Steven Moffat at the Official Doctor Who Convention, taking place at Cardiff in March.

Other guests at the weekend include actors Stuart Milligan (President Nixon, The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon) and Simon Fisher-Becker (Dorium, The Pandorica Opens/Let's Kill Hitler/The Wedding of River Song.

Also joining the previously announced behind-the-scenes crew Danny Hargreaves (special effects supervisor), Michael Pickwoad (production designer), and Marcus Wilson (producer) are Andy Pryor (casting director), Tom MacRae (author and writer of last year's The Girl Who Waited), Stephan Pehrsson (director of photography), and Caroline Henry (script editor).

The Convention is a full day event that will give Doctor Who enthusiasts an amazing chance to delve into the inner workings of the hit TV show and learn how it is created – a journey from script to screen. With unique access to the cast and production crew, this event offers fans a rare chance to see behind-the-scenes of the world’s longest running sci-fi show.

Tickets include three panel discussions with key cast and crew and Doctor Who production teams showing live pyrotechnics and prosthetic demonstrations, PLUS a chance to talk to the creators of some of the iconic costumes in the props and costume exhibit.

See the Official Convention website for full details of the event.

(newslink: BBC Press Release)

Worlds In Time: trailer/behind-the-scenes

2011-12-21T00:25:00.001Z

Doctor Who: Worlds in Time have now released a trailer and a behind-the-scenes video for the new multiplayer game that went into public preview yesterday afternoon:

Worlds in Time Trailer, via YouTube

Behind the scenes of Worlds in Time, via YouTube

Worlds in Time enters public preview

2011-12-20T16:29:00.002Z

After a period of invited testing as mentioned at the weekend, the "massively multiplayer online" (MMO) game Worlds in Time has now entered public beta with everybody invited to try out the game.

Doctor Who: Worlds in Time is designed for devotees of the show looking for a quick pick-up-and-play game, and life-long gamers and sci-fi enthusiasts seeking increased social engagement. Players choose among four races and endless possible character combinations to create their avatars. They can join together in missions identified by the mysterious Time Lord to defend civilization by undertaking interventions against infamous villains bent on creating chaos and destruction in the universe. Throughout the game, players will explore deep immersive worlds (e.g., Skaro, Messaline, The Library and New New York) featuring iconic monsters (e.g., Daleks, Cybermen and Weeping Angels), delivering the authentic experience of being part of the Doctor Who realm.

The game is free to play, though players will be able to progress faster in the game by purchasing 'chronons' to assist with missions, equipment etc.

Robert Nashak, executive vice president, BBC Worldwide Digital Entertainment and Games, said:

Our goal with Doctor Who: Worlds in Time is to expand engagement with the immensely popular Doctor Who brand and allow fans to deeply immerse themselves in that universe. The game’s multiple worlds, its varied, wonderful characters and monsters, and changing story arcs will appeal to both Doctor Who fans and casual gamers alike.

Daniel James, CEO of Three Rings Design, Inc., said:

As a huge Doctor Who fan, the chance to develop this game with BBC Worldwide was a dream opportunity. We’ve worked to provide Doctor Who fans an experience that matches the quality and imagination of the TV show, and a forum to introduce casual gamers to this remarkable world with an experience accessible to players of all levels.

To register for the game, visit the Worlds in Time website and select "Play".

(newslink: BBC Press Release)

BBC/Netflix deal for UK

2011-12-20T15:10:00.001Z

BBC Worldwide have announced a deal to provide programming content to Internet streaming service Netflix in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company already streams BBC programmes including Doctor Who and Torchwood in the US, Canada and Latin America.

Netflix's Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said:

BBC shows are a big favourite of our over 20 million streaming members in the US, Canada and Latin America. Members love watching back-to-back episodes of BBC series where and when they want, at the click of a button. We are incredibly proud to make these high quality programmes available to Netflix members in the UK and Ireland.

Steve Macallister, President and Managing Director for Sales and Distribution at BBC Worldwide, said:

With our content already available on Netflix in North and Latin America, we're delighted to be a launch partner for Netflix in the UK and Eire, offering viewers the chance to watch some of our best loved shows on the platform from day one. UK audiences have really grasped the experience that online viewing can bring, and our programming has proven to be particularly popular with this digital audience.

Shows like Doctor Who are already available online in the UK through Internet Service providers like BT Vision and Virgin Media (and of course recent programming domestically through the BBC's own iPlayer service); Netflix's service also opens out programming to a number of internet-enabled platforms including the Xbox360, Nintendo Wii, and Sony PS3, plus a variety of blu-ray players, televisions, and mobile devices.

(newslink: BBC Press Release, Radio Times)

The BBC have also announced an enhanced content service with Virgin Media, bringing what they term as next generation BBC TV services to the cable provider's Tivo platform. Jane Weedon, Controller of Business Development, BBC Future Media said:

With its pioneering BBC iPlayer service now available on more than 300 different internet-connected TV devices, the BBC has successfully taken catch-up TV beyond the PC and into the living room. Having partnered with Virgin Media to bring BBC iPlayer to TV back in 2008, we have since brought a vastly-improved, fully-integrated experience of BBC iPlayer to Virgin Media’s TiVo Service. With the addition of the BBC News app and enhanced BBC Sport services – all accessible via the Red Button – we plan to build on this partnership and continue to innovate in connected TV through 2012.

(newslink: BBC Press Release)

Breakfast with Steven Moffat

2011-12-20T12:39:00.003Z

Steven Moffat appeared on BBC's Breakfast this morning to chat about his two festive 'blockbusters', Doctor Who and Sherlock. Speaking of the Doctor at Christmas, he said:

It's the right and proper thing, he's the ideal hero for Christmas Day, he's as close as a hero can come to actually being Santa Claus!

Talking about the storyline for the Christmas Day special, he said:

There's a slight flavour of Narnia in this one, yes - it's not the same story at all by any means. Last year we pretty much did A Christmas Carol beat-for-beat, but this time it's just a sort of flavouring of that really.

The Doctor ends up in debt to someone, his life is saved by someone, and a few years later he returns to save their Christmas because these children have just lost their father - of course being the Doctor he just endangers them terribly, but that's sort of what he's like.

Inevitably the movie came up, to which he re-iterated:

It's an imaginary film. David Yates - a very brilliant director - was talking off the cuff and slightly off-message. We're not going to do a film of the nature that he described, which would be rebooting the story and having a different Doctor and being in a different continuity - that would never happen, that would be insane and that would be insulting to the audience. I hope one day we will do a film, maybe even soon, but it will be very much an offshoot of the television series with the same Doctor and all that. (and you doing it?) Yes.

The interview is available to watch via the BBC Breakfast site until the 27th December.

Meanwhile, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe guest stars Bill Bailey and Arabella Weir talk about their experience filming the episode in the latest BBC behind-the-scenes clip:

Bill Bailey and Arabella Weir, BBC, via YouTube (also via BBC Doctor Who Adventure Calendar)

Fan Productions

2011-12-19T15:48:00.002Z

Planet Skaro - Season Four

Planet Skaro Audios began life in 2006 as a one off fan project by the members of the Planet Skaro forum which proved to be so enjoyed by all involved a series of four more plays appeared in 2007 which make up the first season. A second season of seven stories followed in 2008 and a third season in 2009.

The fourth season began last year and after a few delays the range continues with the latest release:

Asylum
A three part story by Martin Penny and Si Hunt.

The Doctor finds himself trapped with no memory and no idea which of his past and present companions can be trusted. Meanwhile an evil scheme is unfolding that threatens to bring about the end of the universe, with far reaching consequences for the Doctor and his companion Rob McCow.

The story can be heard by freely downloaded from the following links:

Part One - Why has the Doctor lost his memory and who isresponsible?
Part Two - Can the Doctor really trust either of his companions?
Part Three - Is it curtains for long-time companion Rob McCow?

A late addition to the season is also due to be released this month!

Merry Christmas Rob McCow!
By Richard Brinck-Johnsen

Set before the events of "Asylum", this story finds the Doctor taking his young companion Rob home for a family Christmas he'll never forget! More details soon from Planet Skaro.

Details of earlier releases can be found on the Planet Skaro audios website.

(with thanks to Richard Brinck-Johnsen and Si Hunt)

Enlightenment Issue #164

The latest issue of Enlightenment, the official fanzine of the Doctor Who Information Network, can now be ordered from their website.

In this issue:

CHRONIC FATIGUE - Editor Cameron Dixon suggests that this is the most fan-friendly season of the revived series to date.
WHOLINE - The latest news from the worlds of Doctor Who, Torchwood, and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
FLUID LINKS - Robert Smith? examines the opening episodes of the series in a surprising manner.
SPRING 2011 REVIEW - Greg McElhatton isn't terribly besotted with The Curse of the Black Spot.
BLOCK TRANSFERS - Julie Chaston praises our discovery of who The Doctor's Wife is, in every sense.
LOVE AND MONSTERS - Friends, Romans, countrymen; Deborah Stanish comes to praise Rory Williams, not to bury him.
CRATER OF NEEDLES - Gian-Luca di Rocco sees no need to vent his spleen about The Rebel Flesh.
THE TEMPERED SCHISM - Peter McAlpine follows a good man to war, and finds that it's not as problematical as it appears.
LIONHEARTED - David J. Lamb bemoans the loss of one of the classic series' characteristics: the Doctor's asexuality.

Also, Graeme Burk reviews The Complete Fifth Series on DVD -- as well as The Ark, Planet of the Spiders and Terror of the Autons, The Awakening and Frontios, The Sunmakers and Paradise Towers, and Day of the Daleks. Plus, reviews of the April 2011 Eleventh Doctor novels, the Lost Stories Animal and Earth Aid, the BBC graphic novel The Only Good Dalek, and Time, Unincorporated: Volume 3.

(with thanks to Cameron Dixon)

The Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey Quiz Book

The Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey Quiz Book is a trivia quiz book compiled by Don Krouskop and covers all Doctors and televised story from An Unearthly Child through to A Christmas Carol. It is available to order from Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats.

It's a trivia quiz! It's an episode guide! It's bigger on the inside than the outside! Test your knowledge of the most popular, enduring science-fiction series in the world with this comprehensive Doctor Who trivia quiz. With more than 1000 questions, covering every period in the program's five-decade history, it's the ultimate challenge for fans of television's #1 cult classic.

In these pages, you'll find questions like:

Who knitted the Fourth Doctor's trademark scarf?
"The Doctor's Daughter" guest star Georgia Moffett is the real-life daughter of what former Doctor Who star?
What alien race built the Genesis Ark?
The first episode of Doctor Who was broadcast just one day after what real-life tragedy?
How many holes are there inside the lock on the TARDIS door?
Dalek creator Terry Nation co-produced what iconic 1980s U.S action series?

Are you ready to put your Time Lord expertise on trial? Can you be the Master of Doctor Who minutiae? Only time will tell....

(with thanks to Don Krouskop)

The Dalek Project

This is a new project being undertaken by Tara Gill, kicking off in the New Year.

I will spend an entire year making Daleks. This all started because of a distant cousin in law's child. My husband's distant cousins, wife contacted me on Facebook some time ago. We became friends and she has these two awesome little girls. One is super girly girl but the other ... oooooh the other. She's a geek in training for sure. She adores Daleks.

I run an Etsy business and for years was primarily a knitter. But knitting can be expensive and it takes me quite a while to make enough items to stock a store. Wanting my business to be more successful I turned to polymer clay. It gave me the freedom to create more pieces and to rest my wrists when I really need it.

I made a Dalek for my cousins little girl. And then ... I made another. While I worked on them I saw limitless potential for what you can form a Dalek to look like.

Making something every day for a year is a daunting task but it can definitely be done. I want something more than JUST pictures taken with my phone or just kind of randomly snapped by one of my cameras. So I started to form a team. I've got a couple of photographers, makeup artists, and hair stylists to help make the pictures look far better than they would have otherwise.

The project will be available to see through Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr - details to follow soon.

(with thanks to Tara Gill)

Doctor Who Timeline

A complete timeline of Doctor Who from 1963 to present, including episodes, seasons, companions, villains, and more has been made available here.

Via: CableTV.com

Tom Baker in vintage festivities

2011-12-19T15:10:00.000Z

Back in November, the BBC Northern Ireland programme Those Were The Days broadcast a vintage clip of Tom Baker visiting a school, which had been part of a number of news items following the actor as he visited Belfast during the 1970s. The clips were discovered by archivist Evan Marshall when researching for the archive television series, which as well as the school also included the actor visiting a hospital, 'mobbed' in a shopping centre, and doing an interview for BBC Radio Ulster.

Additionally, Tom Baker was filmed as he turned on the Christmas lights, and the BBC's Adventure Calendar has now made both this festive themed clip and the original raw school footage shown in Those Were The Days alongside the shopping centre appearance available to watch online.

Tom Baker turns on the Christmas Lights, BBC Northern Ireland, via the BBC Doctor Who site (may not play outside United Kingdom)

Tom Baker visits a school and shopping centre, BBC Northern Ireland, via the BBC Doctor Who site (may not play outside United Kingdom)

Doctor Who face masks

2011-12-18T20:42:00.010Z

Star Cutouts have launched a new range of licensed cut-out face masks based on characters from Doctor Who; the first releases include the Eleventh Doctor and Amy, alongside a Cyberman, Weeping Angel, a Silent, plus the Empty Child!

The 11th Doctor order	Amy Pond order	Weeping Angel order
Cyberman order	Silent order	The Empty Child

The cut-out face masks join the existing range of full life-sized cut-outs from the company.

In the run-up to the 50th Anniversary the company plan to release a wider range of life-sized cut-outs encompassing both the 21st and 20th Century series; this kicks off with one of Rory which is hoped to be released in January, followed by a 'classic' Doctor cut-out for February.

Eagle-eyed readers will note the similarity between these masks and those provided as part of the recent Come Round party pack to celebrate the release of the Complete 6th Series boxed set last month - Star Cutouts produced those on on behalf of the BBC and have since modified some of the images for the commercial range.

People Roundup

2011-12-18T19:53:00.001Z

Matt Smith talks about an incident with the police: "I was running for a train, on my way to film in Bristol, when I was stopped by anti-terrorist police for a routine check. I ended up missing my train and being late for my call. I must have been looking particularly dodgy." And on his best present at Christmas? "A snooker table - although my SEGA Mega Drive comes close. I also used to love getting pyjamas and wearing them all day." [Standard, 16 Dec 2011]

Praise was also heaped upon the actor by Daventry's MP, Chris Heaton-Harris, who having seen the Christmas Special at the press preview, said: "I’m very much a Doctor Who geek, so I loved it. It was a perfect show for Christmas Day and I’ll look forward to watching it again then. It was also nice to hear Matt speaking about the show, he came across as a really nice, pleasant guy with a lovely sense of humour. I think he’s a great representative of Northamptonshire." [Northamptonshire Chronicle, 18 Dec 2011]

Jane Espenson (writer) talks about the differences in the creative process in writing for Torchwood and Once Upon A Time: "Torchwood was a very different process from everything else, since it functioned as a sort of hybrid version of the UK system – less room time, more one-on-one with the showrunner. Once is more similar to Buffy – we work in a writers' room figuring out the story, and then we take turns writing complete drafts that are then polished by Eddy and Adam. And, also like Buffy, we're being allowed to make the show that the guys envisioned. It's a very smooth and very productive process." [Blogcritics, 16 Dec 2011]

Sarah Smart (Jennifer, The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People) talks about being broody after meeting Billie Piper (Fast Freddie, The Widow and Me co-star Laurence Fox's wife), and also on her time in Doctor Who: "We will of course be watching the Doctor Who Christmas special, but I will see it in a completely different light now I’ve been in it. Matt Smith is absolutely brilliant, but my favourite Doctor will always be Peter Davison, because he was my dad in At Home With The Braithwaites." [Sunday Mercury, 18 Dec 2011]

Robin Squire ("main Auton", Spearhead from Space) has written a new 'reality novel' entitled The Making of Britflick and is described as all about the vicissitudes of being a writer on a feature film that manages to get made despite all the odds. It is currently available as an e-book from Amazon, with a hardcopy available next spring. [with thanks to Richard Bignell, 17 Dec 2011]

Meanwhile, the announcement by Steven Moffat that Amy and Rory would be departing has set the bookies off on their predictions of who might assume the vacancy in the TARDIS, though predictably lacking the imagination to consider a male as the Doctor's next sidekick.

Downton Abbey's Jessica Brown Findlay is considered the favourite by Ladbrokes at 4/1, with The Curse of the Black Spot's Lily Cole at 6/1, Matt Smith's close friend Daisy Lowe at 10/1, and Strictly Come Dancing runner up Chelsee Healey at 12/1.

Worlds in Time update

2011-12-17T21:39:00.000Z

The Doctor Who "massively multiplayer online" (MMO) game Worlds in Time moves a stage closer with the platform having now been made open to invited users in order to test and give feedback upon the initial gameplay.

Having been "invited" to join the Doctor in the TARDIS, initial registration for the game enables players to select their character name and race, choosing from four different races, Human, Silurian, Cat-person and Tree-person. Character avatars can then be adjusted to suit player preference before the final registration page.

Please note that in order to proceed into the game itself, those participating in the trial must agree to the terms and conditions; in particular:

You acknowledge that you have "early access" to the game in an incomplete form. By proceeding, you agree to hold strictly confidential any information about the game until it becomes public.

(with thanks to Vitas Varnas)

Regional Roundup

2011-12-17T12:32:00.000Z

United Kingdom

A Dalek lent its aid towards 'exterminating' prejudice and inequalities at Sunderland College. Joe Leggett, director of learning support, said: "We were trying to think of a creative way of explaining diversity and engaging with the students. In Dr Who, the Daleks have a very hierarchical society, with prejudices within their ranks based on their colour." [Sunderland Echo, 13 Dec 2011]

Meanwhile, another Dalek has been immortalised in Lego by the Addis family in Huntingdon. The seven foot Christmas-themed creation was constructed from over 100,000 bricks as part of a eighteen year personalised Christmas card tradition. Catherine Addis said: "'We thought we'd have a bit of fun this year and build something a bit out of the ordinary - but obviously, we want to keep it quite festive. You get a great feeling of satisfaction once the model it complete - all our friends are so complimentary of it, it really makes all the hard work worthwhile." [Daily Mail, BBC News, 15/16 Dec 2011]

A Cyberman went on patrol at the Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells, as part of a promotion for the forthcoming Big Blue Box convention being held there on 14th January. The event is raising money for the local charity which helps disabled people, Compaid, and will see a number of Doctor Who names appearing including Louise Jameson (Leela), Paul Magrs and Jonathan Morris (writers). Compaid's chief executive Stephen Elsden said: "Big Blue Box marks the first ever fan convention for Doctor Who in Tunbridge Wells, which has a long history of associations with the show. From a screening of a classic Peter Cushing Dalek movie to more recent fan films, we will be taking full advantage of Trinity’s superb theatre." [Stephen Elsden/Compaid, Kent News, 14 Dec 2011]

Basil Brush is appearing at the Royal & Derngate, Northampton in Aladdin, and imparted a joke from his co-star: "I like Bobby Davro. I collect jokes and he told me a good one. What is Dr Who’s favourite food? Dalek bread. He is my friend for life now." [Northampton Chronicle, 16 Dec 2011]

United States

Rory Williams aka Arthur Darvill has made it through the first round of Chicago Redeye's Best TV Character Tournament. The Doctor Who character was up against True Blood's Eric Northman and won the face-off with 50%/49%. Round two has started with Rory facing Breaking Bad's Walter White and continues until the end of the week. [Chicago Redeye, 14 Dec 2011]

Update: Rory made it through round two, easily beating Walter White with 63% to 36%. The quarter final sees him against Sons of Anarchy's Clay Morrow, which at the time of writing sees the Doctor's travelling companion way ahead with 71% to 28%. Voting ends on Tuesday.

Skokie resident Allegra Rosenburg is a local Doctor Who fan celebrity thanks to her love of "Trock Rock" aka "Time Lord Rock", a sub-genre of pop that celebrates the show. The teenager is popular at conventions, and has even been praised by writer Neil Gaiman who said: "Took me 3 years of scribbling and rewrites to make 45 minutes of Dr. Who, summed up in 2:29 by a smart girl with a ukulele." [Chicago Tribune, 14 Dec 2011]

Australia

Cultureshock Events have announced two special evenings with sci-fi actor Mark Sheppard (Canton, The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon), taking place in February. The actor will be the guest for Q&As in Sydney (7th) and Brisbane (8th), following on from hosting the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular in Melbourne on the 4th February. [Dallas Jones/Cultureshock Events, 17 Dec 2011]

Christmas Special: Latest Images

2011-12-17T10:14:00.000Z

The BBC have released new promotional images for the forthcoming Christmas Special, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe.

The ten new images are made up of screen captures depicting a number of scenes and effects from the story.

Bonhams Auction Results

2011-12-16T23:49:00.002Z

Yesterday saw Bonham's Entertainment Memorabilia auction take place, in which a range of costumes from 21st Century Doctor Who were available to bid upon, originating from Angels The Costumiers, plus the preliminary artwork for the 1964 The Dalek Book and a spaceship prop from Battlefield.

The Battlefield spaceship (#154a) reached its estimate of £5000, but the surprise sale of the auction turned out to be the Clockwork Droid costume (#162), estimated at £400 but also going for £5000!

Unsurprisingly the Doctor's costumes all performed well at the auction, well in excess of their estimates: John Smith's teacher costume (#173/£1500/£2125); John Smith's suit (#174/£600/£938); John Smith's pyjamas (#175/£600/£1125); John Smith's coat/hat/scarf (#176/£400/£1250); and the Doctor's wedding outfit from The Big Bang (#191/£1800/£2625).

Other items that far exceeded their original estimates include: The Dalek Book artwork (#154/£700/£1500), William Shakespeare's costume (#166/£500/£1625), Martha's maid costume (#167/£400/£1000), Rosita's costume (#184/£350/£1375), Van Gogh's costume (#188/£450/£1250), and Dorium's costume (#185/£350/£1375).

The final prices of the items are listed below, which is inclusive of the Buyer's premium.

Lot	Description	Estimate (£)	Final Price
154	Preliminary artwork for The Dalek Book (1964)	500-700	1500
154a	Spaceship model from Battlefield	4500-5000	5000
155	Doctor Constantine costume from The Empty Child	400-500	813
156	Adherent of the Repeated Meme costume from The End of the World	250-300	750
157	Partial Sycorax costume from The Christmas Invasion	350-400	563
158	Sisters of Plenitude tunic from New Earth	200-300	875
159	Maid's costume from Tooth and Claw	100-150	400
160	The Host cloak from Tooth and Claw	150-200	475
161	Guardian monk's robes from Tooth and Claw	200-300	438
162	Clockwork Droid costume from The Girl in the Fireplace	300-400	5000
163	Two Roboform costumes (one pos worn by Tennant) from The Runaway Bride	400-500	438
164	A Slab guard costume from Smith and Jones	300-400	225
165	Lilith's nightdress and slippers from The Shakespeare Code	150-250	325
166	William Shakespeare's costume from The Shakespeare Code	400-500	1625
167	Frank's costume from Daleks in Manhattan	500-600	400
168	Tallulah's costume from Daleks in Manhattan	150-200	688
169	Laszlo's human and pig slave costumes from Daleks in Manhattan	300-400	475
170	Two Pig Slave costumes from Daleks in Manhattan	250-300	500
171	Mr. Diagoras's costume from Daleks in Manhattan	200-300	438
172	Solomon's costume from Daleks in Manhattan	250-300	250
173	John Smith's Teacher costume from Human Nature	1000-1500	2125
174	John Smith's suit from Human Nature	500-600	938
175	John Smith's pyjamas from Human Nature	400-600	1125
176	John Smith's overcoat/hat/scarf from Human Nature	300-400	1250
177	Martha's maid costume from Human Nature	300-400	1000
178	Baines's costume from Human Nature	200-300	625
179	Lucy/Jenny/Rocastle costumes from Human Nature	300-400	1063
180	Futurekind Chieftain costume from Utopia	400-500	600
181	Lucius Petrus Dextrus's costume from The Fire of Pompeii	300-400	375
182	Quintus and Lucius costumes from The Fires of Pompeii	400-500	688
183	UNIT Trooper part costume from The Sontaran Strategum	200-300	563
184	Rosita's costume from The Next Doctor	250-350	1375
185	Four Smilers costumes from The Beast Below	400-500	1500
186	Four Winders part costumes from The Beast Below	250-350	813
187	Guido's costume from The Vampires of Venice	600-700	unsold
188	Vincent Van Gogh's costume from Vincent and the Doctor	350-450	1250
189	Dorium Maldovar's costume from The Pandorica Opens	250-350	1375
190	Rory's Wedding outfit from The Big Bang	400-600	688
191	The Doctor's Wedding Guest outfit from The Big Bang	1200-1800	2625

Doctor Who - favourite show for Christmas?

2011-12-16T15:47:00.000Z

This week has seen Doctor Who become the favourite with bookies for being the Top Show on Christmas Day, as speculation continues over the impact of Downton Abbey and Eastenders going head-to-head later in the evening...

                                           William Hill   Betfair   Oddsbet    SkyBet    Bet365
comb  3:00 The Queens Speech                 100/1                   100/1       80/1     100/1
ITV1  6:00 Emmerdale                          80/1                   100/1       66/1     100/1
BBC1  6:30 The Gruffalo's Child               14/1          16/1      16/1       12/1      16/1
BBC1  7:00 Doctor Who                          5/4           5/4       7/4        6/4       5/4
ITV1  7:00 All Stars Family Fortunes         100/1                   150/1      100/1     150/1
BBC1  8:00 Strictly Come Dancing              20/1                    16/1       25/1      16/1
ITV1  8:00 Coronation Street                  16/1          55/1      20/1       16/1      20/1
BBC1  9:00 Eastenders                          5/4          13/5       5/4        7/4       5/4
ITV1  9:00 Downton Abbey                       5/1          27/5       5/1        4/1       5/1
BBC1 10:00 Absolutely Fabulous                25/1                    25/1       33/1      25/1

The winning programme will be the one that achieves the highest BARB overnight rating.

DVD Release Dates (R2 2012)

2011-12-16T14:59:00.002Z

The BBC have now confirmed the dates for the first five DVD releases of 2012, along with the Region 2 cover art.

The U.N.I.T. Files
9th January 2012
pre-order

The Sensorites
23rd January 2012
pre-order

Revisitations 3
13th February 2012
pre-order

The Face of Evil
5th March 2012
pre-order

The Dæmons
26th March 2012
pre-order

Since our last update, the extras for Tomb of the Cybermen have now been classified by the BBFC: The Lost Giants - Making of Tomb of the Cybermen (26m51s), The Curse of the Cybermen's Tomb (14m24s), The Magic of Vidfire (5m56s), Cybermen - Extended Edition (32m25s), Sky Ray Advert (30s), Photo Gallery (3m23s), plus an easter egg (1m8s).

In addition, three intriguing items have also been classified as additional material for a future release: Best of the Doctor (43m29s), Best of the Companions (43m21s), and Best of the Monsters (43m31s). A recent press statement from Warner Home Video indicated that these three titles would appear as extras on the Region One release of The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe (due 14th February), and were previously broadcast by BBC America in the run-up to Let's Kill Hitler, so it is possible the BBFC classification is for the UK release as well.

Departure for the Ponds

2011-12-16T00:26:00.001Z

Doctor Who Showrunner Steven Moffat has announced that the next series of Doctor Who will see the departure of Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill when the story of Amy and Rory comes to an end.

Speaking at the press screening of the Christmas Episode, The Doctor The Widow and The Wardrobe, Moffat confirmed that the duo will rejoin the Doctor in the TARDIS for the next series of the show, but that sometime during the series the couple's story will come to a heartbreaking end.

Moffat teased that he wouldn't say when, and certainly not how, the couple would leave, but that it would happen during the series and then their story would be over.

Matt Smith was asked if he would be sad to see Gillan leave.

Yes, absolutely…and Arthur. We’ve had the most incredible journey and we took over the show and we really had to sort of hold hands and help each other through it in many ways. So, yeah, it’s very disappointing. But, you know, one has to sort of remember that this show is about change and regeneration and that’s what galvanises it and pushes it forward and it’s about looking forward always

A new companion, who has yet to be cast, will be joining the Doctor.

The press launch was held in Studio One at Television Centre in London, where many episodes of the classic series of Doctor Who were recorded. It was attended by a specially invited audience, including several MPs including Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls and, reportedly, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne.

For a full report, including an audio clip of the announcement, see Life of Wylie.

Moffat discusses Movie developments

2011-12-15T21:57:00.002Z

Steven Moffat was a guest (alongside Matt Smith!) this afternoon on BBC Radio 5 Live's Richard Bacon Show, during which the question of the potential "reboot" film being made came up; he responded:

David (Yates) was talking a little out of turn, there; a very, very brilliant director but no the film as described by him, of course we're not going to do that - a film that contradicts the television series, it would be a heathen thing to do ... I would be 'beheaded' to do such a thing!

It would be wonderful to do a Doctor Who film, but when and if we did - and hopefully we will be doing it - it will be very much an offshoot of the television series and we'll be part of it, and it will star the television Doctor, of course - anything else would be heresy!

The complete interview with Matt and Steven - which covers the first hour of the programme - can be heard on the BBC iPlayer for the next seven days.

You can also watch a video of the interview in which Matt discusses how Doctor Who got him into science.

Matt Smith discusses science, Richard Bacon show, via the BBC Radio 5 Live site (may not play outside United Kingdom)

Meanwhile, the Express suggests that David Tennant is set to return to the role of the Doctor for the movie:

Tennant, who has proved fans' most popular Doctor during the programme’s modern era, is set to make a "cameo appearance" in the new movie with recent Harry Potter director David Yates at the helm.

"It's felt it would be very fitting to have David involved after everything he’s done for the show," said an insider.

Series Seven developments

2011-12-15T20:52:00.004Z

The BBC have reported some news about developments in the next series of Doctor Who, as revealed at tonight's press screening of The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe.

The following may be considered a spoiler for the next series, and appeared on the official BBC Doctor Who Twitter feed:

Steven Moffat has announced that next series will see the "final days" of the Doctor's current TARDIS co-travellers Amy and Rory, teasing that he will have a new friend soon ...

More details are expected to be announced tomorrow (Friday).

People Roundup

2011-12-15T17:50:00.000Z

Karen Gillan considers what she'd like to do in the future: "I want to do more theatre. I want to do more stage. I have a real passion for it. I want to do it as much as screen stuff, in all honesty, so that would be really amazing. Maybe something on Broadway. I'd love to do that. Not a musical, maybe like a play on Broadway. I genuinely just want to do good work. I'm interested in character, whether that’s in a play or a film or an indie film." [Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec 2011]

In the immediate future, however, the actress can be heard early next year narrating Scottish Passport 2012, a new STV series which will see a host of celebrities travel to a range of holiday locations across the world, including South Africa, Taiwan, Morocco and Ibiza. [4 Traders, 15 Dec 2011]

Meanwhile, the BBC have released a publicity photo for We'll Take Manhattan, the drama starring Karen Gillan as Jean Shrimpton and Aneurin Barnard as photographer David Bailey.

Matt Smith was a guest at 11 Downing Street for a special Christmas party arranged by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osbourne for forty terminally ill children, which included face-painting, balloon animals and games. [Daily Mail, 15 Dec 2011]

Holly Earl (Lily, The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe) talks about working with her co-stars: "How lucky am I getting to work with Claire Skinner? She is just so lovely. She's so funny as well; we had a good laugh on set. I’d seen a few episodes of Outnumbered, I think it's hilarious, luckily I wasn’t too star struck when I first met her. Oh, Matt Smith is so much fun, I'm so lucky! He's just got so much energy; he always brings out the best in you every take. His energy makes him such a good Doctor. Even in between takes he was so much fun, he was a dream to work with. He was really welcoming. Little Maurice (Cole) is like my brother now, he’s such a character. He's so talented and so mature for his age. He's got wisdom far beyond his years! Even when we first met we felt like a family and all had a connection." [Cultbox, 15 Dec 2011]

Alexander Armstrong has launched a £1m appeal to safeguard the future of the Lit & Phil in Newcastle, the largest independent library outside of London of which he is president. "I'm quite fanatical about this place because this is one of the reasons why the North East has taken off as a huge centre, philosophically and scientifically. There are so many fabulous things about this place, it was a very important centre for scientific research. That's the philosophical side of it because they didn't really call it science in those days, it was natural philosophy." [Journal Live, 15 Dec 2011]

The Dæmons DVD Release

2011-12-15T03:44:00.003Z

The 1971 story The Dæmons has been confirmed for DVD release at the end of March.

The five part story stars the third Doctor, Jon Pertwee in one of the stories most loved by fans and production staff alike, with Jon Pertwee often naming it as his favorite Doctor Who story.

The Doctor is joined by Katy Manning playing Jo Grant as well as UNIT regulars Nicholas Courtney, Richard Franklin and John Levene with Roger Delgado appearing as the main villan of the piece.

Christopher Barry directed the story which was written by Barry Letts and Robert Sloman

The story was originally screened between 22nd May and 19th June in 1971, where it brought to an end the eighth season of the show. Its popularity saw it repeated the following Christmas in an omnibus form. It received a further repeat in 1992 when restored versions of each episode were repeated on BBC2 on consecutive Fridays.

Extras on the disc include:

The Devil Rides Out - A documentary on the making of the story. (29 mins)
Episode One Colourisation Test. (25 mins)
Tomorrow's World Extract (5 mins)
The BBC's Dr Who - On Location - At Aldbourne (7 Min)
Photo Gallery (6 Min)
Remembering Barry Letts. Feature on the much loved Doctor Who Producer. (33 mins)

The DVD is released in the UK on 26th March and around the world shortly afterwards.

Full Release Guide

Merchandise roundup

2011-12-14T20:58:00.002Z

This merchandise roundup includes character sets from The Caves Of Androzani, The Keeper Of Traken and Image Of The Fendahl. There are also some more costume t-shirts. The First, Second, Third, Eighth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors get t-shirts while the Ninth Doctor waits for his to complete the set.

The Caves Of Androzani
Released: 23rd December 2011
Pre-order from Forbidden Planet

Contents:
1 x Peri in Blouse
1 x Sharaz Jek with Alternate head (not shown)
1 x Android Head Accessory.

The Keeper Of Traken
Released: 23rd December 2011
Pre-order from Forbidden Planet

Contents:
1 x The Fourth Doctor in Waistcoat action figure.
1 x The Master Decayed action figure.
1 x The Melkur Statue action figure.
1 x Master’s TARDIS as a Grandfather Clock
1 x Source Manipulator Sphere accessory.

Image Of The Fendahl
Released: 23rd December 2011
Pre-order from Forbidden Planet

Contents:
1x Leela figure
1 x Fendhaleen adult
1 x Fendhaleen infant
1 x Skull
1 x Stand

Costume T-shirts (Forbidden Planet Exclusives)
Get started in the fashion stakes with this fantastic Forbidden Planet Exclusive T-Shirt designed to commemorate the Timelord's iconic outfit!

The First Doctor: Now you can share the First Doctor's unique style from a time long before big scarves, cat badges and question mark lapels with this great printed tee!
The Second Doctor: Long before his 11th incarnation announced they were cool, the Second Doctor was already rocking a bowtie! (Release date: 20 December 2011)
The Third Doctor: Step out in style, just like the suave and dapper Third Doctor, with this great tee featuring his much loved bow tie, frilled shirt and smoking jacket!
The Eighth Doctor: His look was certainly unique, unlike his predecessors slightly 'wacky' style, the Eighth Doctor chose to wear a stolen Wild Bill Hickok costume which made him look like a Victorian gentleman. (Release date: 20 December 2011)
The tenth Doctor: Step out in style, just like the extrovert and cheeky 10th Doctor, with this great tee featuring his very stylish overcoat, suit, shirt 'n tie! (Release date: 20 December 2011)
The Eleventh Doctor: After stealing clothes from the Royal Leadworth Hospital lockers, the newly regenerated Eleventh Doctor faced down the Atraxi in his new outfit featuring his now iconic bow-tie and tweed jacket.

Masterpiece Collection Maxi Busts
8" Polystone maxi-busts

These beautifully-sculpted 8" maxi-busts capture Peter Davisons's fifth Doctor in his edwardian cricketeer's outfit (Release date: 25 April 2012) and Louise Jameson's barbarian companion Leela. (Release date: 01 March 2012).

Retro Action Figures
Reminiscent of the best-selling action figures of the 1970s and 1980s, Bif Bang Pow!'s amazing Doctor Who figures stand 8" tall and feature episode-specific fabric clothing, in addition to multiple points of articulation.

The Fourth Doctor: Released: 20th December 2011 | Pre-order from Forbidden Planet]
The Master: [Released: 20th December 2011 | Pre-order from Forbidden Planet]
Leela: [Released: 1st March 2012 | Pre-order from Forbidden Planet]
Styre: [Released: 20th December 2011 | Pre-order from Forbidden Planet]
Scaroth: [Released: 25th March 2012 | Pre-order from Forbidden Planet]
Sutekh: [Released: 1st March 2012 | Pre-order from Forbidden Planet]
Morbius: [Released: 25th March 2012 | Pre-order from Forbidden Planet]
Cyber Leader: [Released: 20th December 2011 | Pre-order from Forbidden Planet]

The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe: three preview clips

2011-12-14T20:53:00.000Z

The BBC have released three preview clips for the Christmas Special, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe, which will no doubt be seen several times throughout the lead-up to Christmas Day on various television promotions!

Preview One, BBC, via the BBC Doctor Who site (may not play outside United Kingdom)

Preview Two, BBC, via the BBC Doctor Who site (may not play outside United Kingdom)

Preview Three, BBC, via the BBC Doctor Who site (may not play outside United Kingdom)

In addition, as well as an earlier video of Matt Smith discussing the Christmas Special, the BBC's Doctor Who Adventure Calendar has also included one of producer Marcus Wilson discussing the Special, and a special Merry Christmas message from the cast and crew.

Matt Smith, BBC, via the BBC Doctor Who site (may not play outside United Kingdom)

Marcus Wilson, BBC, via the BBC Doctor Who site (may not play outside United Kingdom)

Merry Christmas from the Cast and Crew, BBC, via the BBC Doctor Who site (may not play outside United Kingdom)

Big Finish: Jago and Litefoot reunited with the Doctor!

2011-12-14T19:22:00.001Z

Big Finish have announced that the Doctor is to meet up with his old acquaintances Henry Gordon Jago and Professor George Litefoot!

The company has confirmed that Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter will once again reprise the Victorian investigative duo alongside Tom Baker as The Doctor and Mary Tamm as Romana in The Justice of Jalxar.

The adventure is written by John Dorney and will form part of the second season of The Fourth Doctor Adventures, to be released in 2013.

Meanwhile, Season One of The Fourth Doctor Adventures begins next month with Destination: Nerva, featuring Louise Jameson as Leela - it is available for pre-order from Big Finish.

(with thanks to David Richardson/Big Finish)

DWM Companion: The Eleventh Doctor (Vol 4)

2011-12-14T13:04:00.000Z

Details for the fourth Doctor Who Companion volume covering the adventures of the Eleventh Doctor have been released by Doctor Who Magazine. This edition picks up from the last volume, covering the episodes from The Rebel Flesh through to The Girl Who Waited, plus the special introduction to the National Television Awards.

The magazine will be published on 15th December 2011.

The Doctor Who Companion
The Eleventh Doctor
Volume Four

Your complete guide to the award-winning BBC One series!
Written and researched by Andrew Pixley.

The 2011 season of Doctor Who began in the most dramatic way possible – by killing off the Doctor in the first episode! Unaware of his ultimate fate, the Doctor (Matt Smith) was reunited with his friends, newlyweds Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory Pond (Arthur Darvill) and together they embarked on an incredible series of adventures in time and space. Their journey took them from the acid mines in the future to the empty world of Apalapucia, and saw encounters with Headless Monks, Handbots, living dolls... and even Adolf Hitler!

Now, Doctor Who Magazine takes you behind the scenes of these astonishing episodes with an in-depth episode guide – including original storylines, deleted scenes, media appearances, ratings information and hundreds of facts about the day-to-day life of the making of Doctor Who – all illustrated with gorgeous, never-before-seen photographs. This collectors’ edition examines The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People, A Good Man Goes to War, Let’s Kill Hitler, Night Terrors and The Girl Who Waited, as well as the specially-made Doctor Who sequence that introduced the National Television Awards.

This is your essential guide to the worlds of Doctor Who.
Get ready to discover a wealth of information – and remember, silence will fall..

Doctor Who Magazine 442

2011-12-14T12:53:00.002Z

The new Doctor Who Magazine (out 15th December) previews The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe, and goes behind-the-scenes to see the episode brought to life by the cast and crew, including Matt Smith who said:

This is one of my favourite Doctor Who episodes ever, for a number of reasons: the scale of it, the tone of it, the Doctor at Christmas… It’s him at his best. He’s on his finest form.

Also this issue:

Docteur Qui - He was scared of the Sea Devils and performs a Belgian jazz version of the Doctor Who theme tune as part of his act. Life-long fan Bill Bailey tells DWM that it’s a dream come true to be playing Commander Droxil in The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe.
Time Lord Land Lord - Tenth Doctor, David Tennant was once her lodger, now she’s an armour-clad soldier in the Christmas Special. DWM talks to Arabella Weir about playing Billis.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - Nine-year-old Maurice Cole, who plays young Cyril Arwell in The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, tells DWM all about living out a Christmas fantasy with the Doctor – but he still has to find time to do his homework.
Christmas Holly - Teenage Lily Arwell gets a Christmas that she will never forget when she meets the Doctor in The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe. Actress Holly Earl talks to DWM about confronting monsters and keeping secrets.
Chocks Away! He was the voice of Mr Smith in The Sarah Jane Adventures but now he’s in front of the cameras as RAF pilot Reg Arwell in the Doctor Who Christmas Special. Alexander Armstrong takes flight with DWM.
You're asking the Questions ... Doctor Who showrunner, Steven Moffat turns over his regular Production Notes this issue to answer some of the burning questions put to him – via Twitter – by you, the readers!
Yuletide Who - How many Doctor Who Christmas Specials have there been? More than you might think, as the Watcher points out in his festive Watcher's Guide to Christmas!
Looking Back - It’s the final issue of 2011 and DWM takes a moment to look back at the events – both happy and sad – that have come our way in The DWM Review Of 2011.
Yonder the Yeti... Alan Barnes wraps up warm for a Tibetan escapade as he scrutinises the 1967 story, The Abominable Snowmen in Fact of Fiction.
I'm Asking the Questions... The Watcher is back to tax your brains once more with his annual, fiendishly festive Christmas Quiz!
13 – Lucky For Some! DWM’s COUNTDOWN TO 50 reaches Series Thirteen and sees the last remnants of the past being cast off to make way for a new, darker and more frightening version of Doctor Who.
In With The New! The Time Team relive Christmas past! Emma, Michael, Chris and Will say ‘Hello’ to the Tenth Doctor as he makes his début in The Christmas Invasion and defends the world against the alien Sycorax.
New For Old? Is it right to recast old Doctors with new actors? Or can no-one ever replace the originals? Toby Hadoke and Johnny Candon once again find themselves at loggerheads as they each fight their corner in A Battle of Wits.
Beware of Greeks... The Doctor, Amy and Rory come over all classical when they take a trip ancient Greece. But it’s not long before they feel the wrath of the gods, in the first part of a brand new comic-strip adventure, The Chains of Olympus by Scott Gray, with art by Mike Collins.
Top Of The Pops! It's that time again! DWM invites you to cast your vote for your favourite episodes, CDs, books, DVDs and DWM features in the annual DWM Season Survey.

PLUS! Three free collectable art cards, all the latest official news, TV and merchandise reviews, previews, competitions, a prize-winning crossword and much, much more!

The magazine's cover reflects one of the earliest covers to feature on the television listings magazine The Radio Times. DWM's editor Tom Spilsbury said:

We felt that such a pastiche suited the retro setting of this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special – particularly as we were able to recast the mother and her two children with the characters in The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe. It’s our tribute to the Radio Times Christmas covers of old!"

The two covers can be seen side-by-side on the Radio Times website.

People Roundup

2011-12-14T11:37:00.000Z

David Tennant is to narrate an hour long show dedicated to everybody's favourite ogre; Shrek: Once Upon A Time will see the actor reveal how "an ogre with a Scottish accent single-handedly changed the face of animation". The show will be broadcast on BBC3 on 23rd December and repeated on the 29th. [Teen Now, 13 Dec 2011]

John Barrowman is urging people to carry a donor card - the actor is one of a number of celebrities backing the For Cole campaign: "Get signed up and save a life. Everyone should be on it. I've carried a donor card for years. It's so easy to do now online or even by text." [Scottish Sun, 14 Dec 2011]

The actor also revealed that his favourite Christmas movie is 2003's Elf. [Digital Spy via YouTube, 13 Dec 2011]

Simon Callow (Charles Dickens, The Unquiet Dead/The Wedding of River Song) will be performing excerpts from his new book Charles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World in Portsmouth on Tuesday 7th February 2012 - exactly 200 years after the birth of the author in the self-same city. The performance takes place at the New Theatre Royal, which has previously staged semi-professional productions of Fury From The Deep, The Evil of the Daleks, and The Dalek Masterplan (based on The Daleks' Master Plan). [reported by John Bowman, 12 Dec 2011]

Neil Gaiman (writer, The Doctor's Wife is to appear on BBC America's Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!: Royal Pain in the News, which will be broadcast on 23rd December. The writer also reveals his favourite moments from the last series of Doctor Who during a behind-the-scenes video. [BBC America, 13 Dec 2011]

Naomi Alderman (writer, Borrowed Time) talks about the Doctor and the influence of religion: "In fact, there has been some portrayal of actual religion, including a positive portrayal of Buddhism in Planet of the Spiders. But I suspect that the answer is that the UK is a fundamentally not-very-religious country, and that Doctor Who accurately represents our suspicions and our non-confrontational but deep-rooted agnosticism. To go back in history and have the Doctor ‘prove’ that Moses, Jesus and Mohammed didn’t exist would clearly be offensive and far too confrontational for British people. But to have him meet the ‘prophet’ or ‘god’ of an imaginary civilization and find that they are either misguided or plain manipulative I think is a way of saying what - dare I say it? - most British people quietly think about religion: that it’s fine as long as it’s comforting, but shouldn’t be taken too seriously or followed blindly. The Doctor is an atheist hero." [Jewish Journal, 13 Dec 2011]

Consider Yourself ... with Doctor Who!

2011-12-13T16:14:00.005Z

Steven Moffat has reported that the trailer for the Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe is to be broadcast on BBC1 at 8:00pm tonight! This will be first appearance of a full trailer for the episode in this year's "Consider Yourself" Christmas theme, and will be shown between Eastenders and Holby City.

The trailer is also now available to watch online, and is a different version to the one seen during last month's Children in Need:

The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe, BBC, via YouTube

Regional Roundup

2011-12-13T14:43:00.001Z

United Kingdom

Aldbourne resident Mr. Beattie came up with a novel idea to tackle a litter problem on the village green by creating a TARDIS bin to make throwing litter away responsibly more interesting! "We threw some ideas about (with young litterers) and they came up with the idea of a Tardis. We involved some of the youngsters in the early stages and they helped with the drawings and with the painting. One person I know has suggested the next one could be a Dalek and has agreed to pay for the parts" [This is Wiltshire, 9 Dec 2011]

Pupils at Coalbrookdale and Ironbridge CE Primary School in Shropshire got a surprise when a Dalek 'gatecrashed' their Christmas Fair! Headteacher Susan Blackburn said: "“The Dalek came into school and was fully functioning. It was very life-like. The children were asked to disarm it but it then escaped. The children have been so enthusiastic and the parents have been very supportive. A letter also went home in case children were anxious or distressed about the Dalek and all the children were told that it could not hurt them. But the week has been amazing and very dramatic." [Shropshire Star, 9 Dec 2011]

An army of festive Daleks are on display in Waterlooville, Portsmouth! Charlesworth Drive resident Ian Beazley dressed his own collection up for the season, and is very happy for people to have their photos taken with a small donation to Cancer Research. "Although I wasn’t a big Dr Who fan I found the Daleks fascinating. I used to hide behind the sofa terrified of them but although they scared me I wouldn’t turn the telly off. One year the Radio Times printed instructions on how to build one. I put them away and I remember thinking to myself, "I’m going to make one of those myself when I’m older". A few years ago I was medically retired and I had a go. It was so much fun I thought I’d have another go." [Portsmouth News, 10 Dec 2011]

The Devon hotel that former Doctor Who producer Graham Williams ran after leaving TV and up until his tragic death in a shooting accident in 1990 has been at the centre of a furore involving a stag's head. The head of the animal - believed to be the "Exmoor Emperor", the UK's largest wild land animal, which was shot in October 2010 during the rutting season - has been taken down from the hotel wall after phone and email threats were made. The hotel had been lent it about a month ago. [BBC News, 12 Dec 2011]

(additional reporting thanks to John Bowman)

United States

Javier Grillo-Marxuach, creator of The Middleman comic book series, has recently written a new story where his character meets the Doctor! The author talked about his love of the Doctor: "I became a fan in the late '70s. I grew up in Puerto Rico, where they ran the Tom Baker adventures as a strip at 7 on weekdays. They called the show "El Doctor Misterio." At the time, I probably missed a lot of the subtleties of the stories, but I fell in love with the iconography of the show: the scarf, the TARDIS, K-9, the companions, all those things. After my family moved to the States in the '80s, I continued to watch the show on PBS, and then devoured the movie with number eight. (I even worked with director Geoffrey Sax on my first pilot the year after the Fox TV film!) Suffice it to say, I was thrilled when the show came back in '05 and have been a die-hard ever since. I even cosplayed the Master at last year's Gallifrey One Doctor Who convention... do with that information what you must." [CNN Geek Out/KSAT, 7 Dec 2011]

Big Finish: Counter Measures update / December Sale

2011-12-13T14:18:00.000Z

More details have now been released on the forthcoming Big Finish audio series Counter Measures.

The series stars Simon Williams as Group Captain Gilmore, Pamela Salem as Rachel Jenson and Karen Gledhill as Allison Williams, all of which reprise their roles first introduced back in 1988's Doctor Who adventure Remembrance of the Daleks. The team are re-assembled into the new specialist organisation Counter Measures in order to investigate strange phenomena and dangerous new science.

The first season is to be released in July 2012 as a boxed set comprising four stories:

Threshold
By Paul Finch

A missing scientist and ghostly phenomena bring Gilmore and Allison to a factory in Bermondsey, and the discovery of a science that should not exist. As Rachel Jensen returns to help them, a new future for Counter-Measures is set in motion...

Artificial Intelligence
By Matt Fitton

Investigating a suicide at the Sen-Gen Facility, the group discovers a new weapon in the Cold War – and Gilmore meets an old flame. Meanwhile Rachel discovers that she can’t trust anyone, not even the sound of her own voice...

The Pelage Project
By Ian Potter

A case of industrial pollution leads the group to the new industrial town Pelage, and a dangerous meeting with its leader Ken Temple. And deep within the plant it appears that an alien invasion is already underway...

State of Emergency
By Justin Richards

There are creatures from another dimension on the streets, and traitors in the halls of Westminster. When the government is in jeopardy, Rachel, Allison and Gilmore take on a faction staging a very un-British coup...

Big Finish have a sale on throughout December, with a number of discounts available on boxed sets and collections:

the three Doctor Who stageplays The Ultimate Adventure, Seven Keys to Doomsday and The Curse of the Daleks
all four series of Dalek Empire together
series one and two of Cyberman
a complete set of Doctor Who: Unbound
both seasons of Sarah Jane Smith

Visit the Big Finish website for the latest details on how to purchase the collections.

Theatre Roundup

2011-12-13T14:05:00.002Z

The much acclaimed London production of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate is now available to stream or download from Digital Theatre.

The production, which ran to full houses at Wyndham's Theatre in the West End, breaking all previous Box Office records for the theatre, was directed by Josie Rourke and saw David Tennant play Benedict with Catherine Tate as Beatrice.

48 hour rental costs £5.99, or you can download the play for £8.99 (£10.99 HD)

Simon Callow, who played Charles Dickens in The Unquiet Dead and The Wedding of River Song, will be performing excerpts from his new book Charles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World in Portsmouth on Tuesday 7th February 2012 - exactly 200 years after the birth of the author in the self-same city.

The performance takes place at the New Theatre Royal, which has previously staged semi-professional productions of Fury From The Deep, The Evil of the Daleks, and The Dalek Masterplan (based on The Daleks' Master Plan).

Hornet's Nest on BBC Radio 4 Extra

2011-12-13T12:05:00.001Z

BBC Radio 4 Extra has begun broadcasting The Hornet's Nest, the BBC Audio Play which saw Tom Baker return to the role of the Doctor after nearly 30 years.

The series will be broadcast in 10 parts over the next two weeks and thanks to the BBC iPlayer it will be available globally for 7 days after each transmission. Each episode is first broadcast at 1800GMT and 0000GMT.

The series from BBC Audiobooks is written by Paul Magrs and also stars Richard Franklin as Mike Yates, Susan Jameson as Mrs Wibbsey, Rula Lenska as the Hornet Queen and Stephen Thorne.

Doctor Who: Hornet's Nest – The Stuff of Nightmares

Responding to an advert apparently worded for him alone, Captain Mike Yates (retired) is reunited with a ghost from the past. But why has the Doctor, that mysterious traveller in Time and Space, sent for his former UNIT acquaintance?

Trapped by a horde of vicious creatures in an apparently innocuous English country cottage, the two old friends are on the brink of an enormous adventure.

As the Doctor relates his recent escapades, it becomes clear to Mike that they – and the Earth at large – are facing an enemy of unimaginable power and horrific intent. The nightmare is only just beginning.

Hornet's News will be followed by the BBC Audiobook version of Pyramids of Mars, read by Tom Baker.

Two Doctor Who episodes recovered!

2011-12-11T17:36:00.018Z

The BBC revealed today that two complete episodes of Doctor Who have been returned to the BBC Archives.

Firstly, the complete third episode of the William Hartnell story Galaxy 4, Air Lock has been recovered - prior to this only a short segment from the first episode remained in the archive with no telesnaps taken to show how the third episode and its characters would have looked.

Clip from Air Lock, via the BBC Doctor Who site (may not play outside United Kingdom)

Secondly, the complete second episode of Patrick Troughton's third story The Underwater Menace has also been recovered - making this the earliest complete episode for the Second Doctor to now exist in the Archives (alongside the existing episode three).

Clip from The Underwater Menace episode 2, via the BBC Doctor Who site (may not play outside United Kingdom)

Both episodes were found via former TVS engineer Terry Burnett, who bought them at a school fête in Marchwood, Southampton back in the 1980s! Restoration Team member Ralph Montagu told the Radio Times how they came to his attention:

I occasionally meet up with a group of film collectors and retired TV engineers at a café in Hampshire. A few months ago I spoke to Terry Burnett, who used to be an engineer at TVS [the former ITV franchise based in Southampton]. Somehow Doctor Who was mentioned in passing, and Terry said, ‘Oh, actually I think I’ve got an old episode. I thought it was bound to be something we’ve got already,” says Ralph. “I tried not to get too excited, but he came back the next day and brought this spool with him. It had no label, so I had a look at the film leader and it said ‘Air Lock’. I thought, ‘What’s that?’ I checked online and saw that Air Lock was an episode of Galaxy 4 - a missing Hartnell serial. So then I got very excited.

(meeting with Terry a couple of weeks later) And he said, ‘Guess what I’ve got.’ It was another episode of Doctor Who! Again not labelled on the can, but it turned out to be The Underwater Menace part two.”

Read the full article at the Radio Times website.

Both episodes were shown this afternoon at the British Film Institute's Missing Believed Wiped event - the first time they've been seen in the United Kingdom since their original transmission! (Air Lock was originally seen on 25th September 1965, with The Underwater Menace episode two on 21st January 1967) Screen shots from the episodes may be seen in the BBC's Doctor Who Adventure Calendar Day 11.

News report from the BFI by Ed Stradling, via YouTube

The episodes will require restoration work before they can be commercially released, with film damage to be repaired and missing censored clips to be re-instated. An announcement will be made by 2|Entertain next year as to when they are likely to appear on DVD. Meanwhile, the previous existing material for both stories can be found on the Lost in Time DVD boxed set.

These are the first full episodes to have been recovered since the 1965 Daleks' Master Plan episode Day of Armageddon turned up back in 2004, and brings the total missing episodes tally to 106.

Time to search those attics for more episodes!

(newslink: BBC Doctor Who, BBC News, Radio Times)

People Roundup

2011-12-10T19:27:00.003Z

Matt Smith reflects on the cancellation of Doctor Who Confidential: "It's a pity as I think it's a show which can reinvent itself year on year and it's one of the biggest shows on BBC3. But I guess people come in and have new ideas and want to have their own fresh take on it but, hey, some you win, some you lose..." [What's on TV, 8 Dec 2011]

Arthur Darvill was on hand to open a new PlayPod in the playground at Whitehall Infant School, Walsall. Installed by charity Children's Scrapstore, the play area was made with the practical application of scrap material. The actor said: "“It’s simple-looking from the outside, but a world of magic and wonder within. Watching the children playing with all this stuff I wonder how we haven't thought of it before. It's fantastic to see the kids having so much fun with things that would otherwise be thrown away." [Birmingham Mail, 10 Dec 2011]

Elisabeth Sladen has featured in the Top Ten Actresses to trend during 2011 on the social communication network Twitter. The actress, who died in April, was the fifth most discussed of the year, with Elizabeth Taylor topping the trend category. [Twitter Year in Review: Hot Topics, Dec 2011]

John Barrowman has appeared in a video promoting pet travel with Virgin Atlantic, during which he talks about his three dogs and how he feels about the service provided by the airline. [Virgin Atlantic via YouTube, 8 Dec 2011]

Paul McGann will be the subject of In Conversation With ..., to take place at Liverpool's St George’s Hall Concert Room in February. The interview includes clips and photographs of the actor's life and work, and will also see his five favourite songs performed live on stage. The event is rounded off with a Q&A from the audience. McGann said: "I was thrilled to be asked, then bashful terror set in until my mate David Morrissey calmed me down and assured me, having done it himself, that you can’t actually die from talking about your life and work in a beautiful room surrounded by friends and family and your favourite music. Guess I will just have to trust him!" [Click Liverpool, 8 Dec 2011]

Fan Production Roundup

2011-12-10T01:13:00.001Z

TARDIS Base - Issue 2

The second issue of the free online fanzine TARDIS Base is now available to either view online, or offline via a PDF version.

In this issue:

DECK THE TARDIS - With Christmas just around the corner, we take a look at the up-comming special, along with a countdown of our favourite Christmas specials from the past 6 years. There is also going to be a special festive edition of Off The Shelf with all the perfect gifts for us Whovians.
RIVERS AND PONDS - With Series 6 over, we look at the second half of the series, as well as all the revelations regarding River Song.
JUSTIN RICHARDS - We interview the amazingly talented author, Justin Richards.
I THINK WE NEED A MIRACLE! - With the fourth series of Torchwood over, we take a look back at the 10 episodes and give you our official verdict. Hit or miss? Find out. (We also take a look at the web-based app spin-off, Web of Lies)
THE END OF SJA - After the recent series of The Sarah Jane Adventures ended, we thought it was only right to say goodbye to Doctor Who's much loved spin-off.
WHO'S IN THE APP STORE? - We give you the low-down on what apps are out there for Whovians in the appstore!
THE BEAST'S DICTIONARY - In this exclusive feature, Guy Lancaster gives you a humorous look at the alphabet, according to the world of Doctor Who.
FANDAMONIUM - In this BRAND NEW FEATURE, it's your chance to have your fandom seen by the Whoniverse. We're kicking off the feature with a special look at never-before-seen pictures of conventions from the 80s (featuring Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Patrick Troughton and many more), as well as your costumes, drawings and creations.

PLUS!
All the latest news, The Notes, Planet of the Spiders in the The Vault, the Cybermen in the Monster Mash, and much more!

(with thanks to Ashley Mcloughlin)

Bandril and TOMTIT Issue 1

Two new fanzines are released together this weekend, and are available to pre-order from the Bandril blogsite.

BANDRIL Issue 1 (28 A4 Colour pages) features a brand new exclusive comic strip "Top of the Ponds" written and illustrated by David Carey, a review of Torchwood: Miracle Day, a review of Series 6 of Doctor Who, a "true-life" story called Looking for a chicken dinner, The Keys of Marinus comic strip by Paul Hanley, A look at the story of Regeneration, Love at first sight and Do you remember the first time? and all your latest communication in our Letterbox and much much less...

TOMTIT Issue 1 (24 A4 Colour pages) has an exclusive Ben Chatham story written by the legendary Sparacus called The Ghosts of Peversham Station, "All your planet are belong to us" is a story presented in the classic Doctor Who Annual format by Paul Hanley, an interview of UFO investigator Nick Pope by Richard Thomas, Are the right episodes lost? looking at the still missing 108 episodes of classic Doctor Who, A Love Letter to Character Options, TARDIS TV and much much less...

Both Issues will ship with a mystery FREE gift.

(with thanks to Scott Burditt)

FANWNAK Issue 2 - now free to read

FANWNAK has now been made available to read for free online - visit this link for more details.

(with thanks to Scott Burditt)

Panic Moon December Sale

During December the July and October editions of Panic Moon are available to buy at a reduced price, plus a discount on the next issue for January too - see the website for full details.

TARDIS Eruditorum

The acclaimed blog TARDIS Eruditorum, written by Philip Sandifer, has released a book version of its first set of essays, covering the William Hartnell era of Doctor Who story by story. TARDIS Eruditorum provides a comprehensive critical overview of Doctor Who that moves beyond received fan wisdom to tell the evolving story of one of the most important and remarkable pieces of popular culture ever created.

TARDIS Eruditorum has been hailed as “absolutely fascinating and hugely persuasive” by Robert Shearman, described as having “really serious and fascinating points to make about how television was made and viewed back in the 1960s” by Adventures with the Wife in Space, and characterized as “demented rubbish” by a random guy on the Internet.

The author, Philip Sandifer, holds a PhD in English focusing on film and media studies, and uses the blog to provide a complete reconceptualization of Doctor Who that acknowledges and takes seriously strands of thought and themes that have been marginalized by the fan orthodoxy represented in existing publications, revealing a show with startling and intriguing implications. Under his critical knife, Doctor Who becomes more than just a classic sci-fi show but a show that tells the story of an entire strain of mystical, avant-garde, and radical culture in Great Britain - a show that is quite literally about all of time and space, everything that ever happened, and everything that ever will.

This first volume covers every television story from An Unearthly Child to The Tenth Planet, and also includes fifteen essays on later books and audios set in the Hartnell era, other cultural events and television shows from the period, and on a variety of major topics raised by the Hartnell era. Among the topics raised in this volume are:

Whether The Celestial Toymaker - long one of the most beloved of Hartnell-era stories - is in fact an irredeemably racist mess.
How the epic The Daleks’ Masterplan is not, as often assumed, one twelve-part story but a sequence of four distinct stories that includes the preceding The Myth-Makers.
The way in which the Cybermen, as originally conceived, are not the clanking robots of later years but a terrifying challenge to the nature of humanity and society inspired as much by mysticism as by science.
The way in which the Daleks are not only brilliant monsters, but an outright attack on the very structure of the show.

The book is available to buy through Amazon.

(with thanks to Philip Sandifer)

Odds on a Who Christmas (2011)

2011-12-10T00:08:00.001Z

Christmas has always been a traditional time for betting companies, with the odds of snow on Christmas Day a perennial favourite, the Christmas Number One (the X-Factor winner again? never!), and of course which programme will be most popular on television for the turkey-fuelled captive audience!

Doctor Who has been a feature of the Christmas line-up for the last six years and has always performed well: The Christmas Invasion (2005, 9.84m, 2nd); The Runaway Bride (2006, 9.35m, 5th); Voyage of the Damned (2007, 13.31m, 2nd); The Next Doctor (2008, 13.1m, 2nd); The End of Time (pt 1) (2009, 11.57m, 3rd) [arguably, it actually won the ratings battle with a combined BBC1/BBCHD audience of 12.04m, but this doesn't count for the bookies!]; and A Christmas Carol (2010, 12.11m, 3rd).

But what are the odds for this year ...

The Top Television Show for Christmas Day

With all the recent debate over what constitutes real ratings with current television viewing patterns, the bookies are stating that their payouts are based on the BARB overnight viewing figures and not the consolidated ones that come out in the new year.

As can be seen below, at this stage the top five shows are pretty much the same throughout, with just the likelihood of which will win out of Doctor Who, Eastenders, Downton Abbey, Coronation Street and The Gruffalo's Child.

                                           William Hill   Betfair   Oddsbet
comb  3:00 The Queens Speech                 100/1                   100/1
ITV1  6:00 Emmerdale                          66/1                   100/1
BBC1  6:30 The Gruffalo's Child               16/1          12/1      20/1
BBC1  7:00 Doctor Who                         11/8           2/1       7/4
ITV1  7:00 All Stars Family Fortunes          80/1                   150/1
BBC1  8:00 Strictly Come Dancing              25/1                    28/1
ITV1  8:00 Coronation Street                  25/1          12/1      20/1
BBC1  9:00 Eastenders                         evens         11/5      11/10
ITV1  9:00 Downton Abbey                       9/2          11/2      11/4
BBC1 10:00 Absolutely Fabulous                25/1                    25/1

OLBG have also provided a Top Christmas Day TV page which indicates the best odds given for a particular programme, and also what their tipsters think is most likely.

The Top DVD at Christmas

Paddy Power have provided odds on which DVD is likely to be the best seller for Christmas week, which sees Doctor Who: The Complete Series Six at joint second favourite alongside Cars 2 at 7/2. The current favourite for Christmas is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part two).

Competition Time!

Doctor Who News is pleased to once again invite our readers to guess the final consolidated rating for Doctor Who this Christmas - visit our Competitions Page for full details!

The Doctor Who Gift Guide

2011-12-09T21:05:00.000Z

The official Doctor Who Facebook page has launched a new application to highlight some of the many Doctor Who gifts that are available to buy in this festive period:

The Doctor Who Gift Guide app is here to help you find the perfect Doctor Who gift for friends, family or even yourself! Simply search by category where you can click through to buy, or ‘Like’ a product for it to appear on your Facebook page and leave subtle hints to your friends!

Doctor Who Tops iTunes Chart

2011-12-09T16:04:00.001Z

TOP-SELLING SEASONS:

Doctor Who
Modern Family
Dexter
Breaking Bad
True Blood
Top Gear
Glee
Entourage
Archer
The Walking Dead

Doctor Who has topped the list as the most purchased TV Series from iTunes, according to figures released by Apple in the US.

Doctor Who outranked US hits including the Emmy-winning sitcom Modern Family and Glee to become the most downloaded series of the year.

In the UK the current series is more usually watched on the BBC iPlayer, where The Impossible Astronaut is currently the 2nd most requested episode of the year.

In the UK iTunes store David Tennant's swan song as The Doctor, The End of Time Part 2, was the 6th most purchased TV episode of the year.

Twitter have also been reviewing the year and revealed that Elisabeth Sladen, who died in April, was the one of Twitter’s most talked-about people in 2011.

As the news of the unexpected death of the much loved actress spread around the world, fans took to the blogging site to discuss the news and to pay their tributes to the star, making the Sladen the 6th most discussed actress on Twitter in 2011.