Series Two Update

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine, #364 (now on newsstands) has a number of new details on Series Two:

Attack of the Graske: The interactive "red button" episode of Doctor Who, to be available immediately after the transmission of "The Christmas Invasion," is proudced by Sophie Fante, who tells DWM that the viewer will be able to fly the TARDIS, 'fight the Graske on the planet Griffoth' and 'hunt the Graske in Victorian London' - the latter is 'an authentic Dickensian Christmas scene, complete with snow'. Besides David Tennant, the cast includes Jimmy Vee, who played the Moxx of Balhoon and the 'space pig' in last year's "The End of the World," as the Graske; Lisa Palfrey as Mum; Nicholas Beveney as Dad; Mollie Kabia as Daughter; James Harris as Son; Robin Meredith as Granddad; Gwenyth Petty as Grandma; Ben Oliver as Urchin; Roger Nott as Older Man; and Catherine Olding as Young Woman. Billie Piper is apparently not in the story. As previously reported, the 'episode' is written by Gareth Roberts and directed by Ashley Way.

Casting: Added to the cast of episodes 5 and 6 (still untitled) are Colin Spaull (who played Lilt in the classic series story "Revelation of the Daleks") as Mr Crane and Helen Griffin as Mrs Moore. DWM confirms the previously reported casting of Shaun Dingwall (Pete Tyler), Roger Lloyd-Pack (John Lumic), Andrew Hayden-Smith (Jake Simmonds) and Don Warrington (the President). Of note is that Tracy-Ann Oberman (playing Yvonne Hartman) is now listed as being part of "block three" instead of these two episodes, as are Adam Shaw (Morris) and Freema Agyeman (Adeola); this fits in with the possibility that the final two episodes are being filmed concurrent with the Cybermen two-parter by director Graeme Harper.

Production: Block Three (directed by Graeme Harper) began filming at the start of November, and will continue until Christmas, before being completed in the New Year. Filming was apparently rained out on 8 November. Block Four began pre-production at the start of December, while Episode 1 was ‘locked' and Episodes 2 to 4 have reached their first edits. The director of photography for episodes 2 and 4 and "Attack of the Graske" is Rory Taylor. The production notes column by Russell T Davies notes that twelve out of thirteen episodes for Series Two have now been written, with only Davies' Episode Ten still to go (this is possibly prior to the delay of Stephen Fry's episode to the third season), then it's 'straight on to Series Three'. Davies also notes that the DVD set of The Complete First Series had no deleted scenes because ‘We lost them. Genuinely, lost, forgotten, dumped.' And that they've now been found again, so might yet appear.

Series Three: Writer Steven Moffat, who penned Series One's "The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances" and this year's "The Girl in the Fireplace," confirms in DWM that he will be writing an episode for the third series as well.

For a lot more additional information, articles, reviews and interviews, pick up Doctor Who Magazine 364, now in wide release, at your favorite newsstand.