Aaru Movies Get 4K Restoration

Wednesday, 13 April 2022 - Reported by Marcus
Dr. Who and the Daleks

STUDIOCANAL has announced a brand new 4K restorations of the two classic Dr. Who feature-length films starring award-winning actor Peter Cushing – DR. WHO AND THE DALEKS and DALEKS’ INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D

Released initially in 1965 and 1966 respectively and directed by Gordon Flemyng, these two films, shot in glorious Technicolor, have been regenerated in 4K and are the perfect collector’s item for Doctor Who and sci-fi fans.

The films, which are to date the only big-screen outings for the Doctor, also boast a supporting cast including Bernard Cribbins, Roberta Tovey, Roy Castle and Jennie Linden. 

STUDIOCANAL will release DR. WHO AND THE DALEKS and DALEKS’ INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D. theatrically in the UK from 10th July 2022 following a special double-bill preview at the BFI in London on June 19th

Both films will be released on 4K UHD Collector’s Editions, steelbooks and digital platforms on 20th June (DR. WHO AND THE DALEKS) and 18th July (DALEKS’ INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D.)

 

DR. WHO & THE DALEKS (1965) was the first big-screen film adaptation of British TV’s most iconic sci-fi hero, and the first time Doctor Who was ever seen in colour. Having invented the TARDIS, the strange machine capable of travelling into other dimensions, the Doctor and his three young accomplices set forth on a quest through time and space.

Their journey takes them into the dark, undiscovered depths of the universe and to the planet of Skaro, a primitive world devastated by nuclear war and populated by two warring species, a peaceful tribe known as Thals and a life form heavily mutated by radiation, encased in protective machines, a merciless force of destruction known as The Daleks!

The second film, DALEKS’ INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D sees Cushing return to the big screen – the future of Planet Earth now belongs to The Daleks, but deep within the London Underground a group of resistance freedom fighters is planning an attack.  Can The Doctor help them succeed in destroying their extra-terrestrial enemies and take back control of Earth?

 
The stunning 4K UHD Collector’s Edition for each film will include:

  • UHD
  • BD
  • 42-page booklet with brand new essays
  • Exclusive 32-page Titan mini-book
  • Collectable coin
  • 5 artcards
  • 2 Posters – new and original artwork
  •  

Plus, an impressive array of extra features:Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D (Credit: STUDIOCANAL)

 

DR. WHO & THE DALEKS

  • New featurette The Dalek Legacy: Destination Skaro
  • New Restoring Dr. Who in 4K
  • Audio Commentary with critic Kim Newman, screenwriter/writer Robert Shearman, and actor/writer Mark Gatiss
  • Audio Commentary - actors Jennie Linden (Barbara) and Roberta Tovey (Susan)
  • Dalekmania documentary
  • Interview with Gareth Owen
  • Original Trailer (remastered for 2013 release)
  • Stills Gallery

 

DALEKS’ INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D.

 

  • New featurette The Dalek Legacy: Invasion Earth
  • New Restoring Dr. Who in 4K
  • Audio Commentary with critic Kim Newman, screenwriter/writer Robert Shearman, and actor/writer Mark Gatiss
  • Dalekmania documentary
  • Interview with Gareth Owen
  • Interview with Bernard Cribbins
  • Original Trailer (remastered for 2013 release)
  • Stills Gallery
The preview at BFI Southbank on the 19th June will see both films screened back-to-back with a special guest Q&A including cast members Roberta Tovey and Jill Curzon as well as Anthony Waye (the assistant director of both films) and Jason Flemyng, son of the films’ director, Gordon Flemyng. 

The Q&A will take place after 'Dr. Who and the Daleks' has screened and will cover both films. Tickets will be available to BFI Members from 3 May and to the general public from 5 May at www.bfi.org.uk/whatson   

 

 

DR. WHO AND THE DALEKS + DALEKS' INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D.





FILTER: - Movies - Peter Cushing - Blu-ray/DVD

Eve of the Daleks publicity

Thursday, 23 December 2021 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Eve of the Daleks poster (portrait clean) (Credit: BBC/James Pardon)

This year's festive special, Eve of the Daleks, will premiere on BBC One at 7:00pm on New Year's Day.

 

The BBC's guide to the Christmas line-up reports:

The Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and friends will kick-start 2022 with an action-packed spectacular episode set to air on BBC One on New Year’s Day. The festive special will feature guest stars Aisling Bea (This Way Up, Living With Yourself, Quiz), Adjani Salmon (Dreaming Whilst Black, Enterprice) and Pauline McLynn (Father Ted, Shameless).

Sarah (Aisling Bea) owns and runs ELF storage, and Nick (Adjani Salmon) is a customer who visits his unit every year on New Year’s Eve. This year, however, their night turns out to be a little different than planned…

The festive episode is the first of three Doctor Who Specials airing in 2022. The second Special airs in Spring and Jodie’s final feature-length Special (in where the Thirteenth Doctor will regenerate), will transmit in autumn 2022 as part of the BBC’s Centenary celebrations.

Doctor Who is a BBC Studios production for BBC One and a BBC America co-production. BBC Studios are the international distributors for Doctor Who.

Speaking about festive treats in general, the BBC's Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore said:

Christmas 2021 is a time to reunite with friends and family once more, and this year’s line-up of must-see shows will bring everyone together to share the festive season on the BBC. There’s a stocking full of special programmes to enthral and enchant featuring your favourite stars and characters, whatever your mood. The BBC is the place to be entertained this Christmas and New Year.

 

Focussing on the show itself, the BBC have released a number of interviews with the cast and crew:

Interview with Jodie Whittaker (The Doctor)

What can audiences expect from Eve Of The Daleks?

I think the festive special is a wonderful high octane contained story, so if you haven’t seen the series, including the Flux, you can start this episode and be taken on a rollercoaster through a scenario where the Doctor, Yaz and Dan are stuck in a time loop. Not only are they stuck in a time loop, they’re being pursued by the Doctor’s biggest enemy, which is the Daleks. For the Doctor it is her worst scenario.

This is all set on New Year’s Eve and we’ve two fantastic guest stars, Aisling Bea and Adjani Salmon who are not only hilarious but also wonderful actors that provide so much energy and brilliant chemistry. Audiences can expect lots of comedy, lots of fun, high stakes, huge amounts of jeopardy and an energised rollercoaster ride.

Can you introduce us to Sarah and Nick? How was it working with Aisling Bea and Adjani Salmon?

In the New Year’s Day special we were really lucky to work with Adjani Salmon and Aisling Bea. I had met Aisling before - and had never met Adjani - so I knew how lovely Aisling was going to be and how hilarious she is! My first introduction to Adjani was when we did the read through on Zoom and he was absolutely hilarious and I couldn’t wait for his energy and Aisling’s energy, they’re so different and they complement each other so well. Because they’re both from a world of comedy which I’m not from or Mandip’s not from (but obviously John is!) it was like comedy gold dust just being on set with them, they were making us laugh the whole time. What they brought to the characters and what they brought to the episode was really fun, a lot of high energy, a lot of farce, high stakes in this very groundhog, Russian Doll environment.

What was it like filming this time loop story from an actor’s perspective?

From the actor’s perspective, filming a repetitive moment or the replaying of the same moment in time – the Groundhog Day sequences where we exit the TARDIS and you realise that time is playing a loop - it’s actually really fun to shoot because you end up shooting really quick. So because you set it up, you’re covering so many moments that it’s only slightly different. It’s a little bit tricky sometimes because it all does turn into one in your head and then you’ll turn a corner and realise you’re shooting a different moment and it’s unexpected.

I have to say being on set the episode feels like it’s going at a million miles an hour even though you’re hitting the same moment every time, so I found that fascinating. It was brilliant because it’s contained, it’s in one location, there’s a real brilliant use of comedy with the Daleks as well which was really interesting to do. But also there was just five of us the entire time and that was so much fun.

What was it like filming the scenes where you’re exterminated?

When I read this episode for the first time and in one of the opening moments get exterminated I genuinely thought, “Somebody has decided to write me out a bit sooner than I thought!” It’s brilliant to play because the first time, for the Doctor, it’s as if you’re grasping at those seconds and that realisation that it could be your last moment. And for you to be killed by a Dalek would be so horrendous! But then once you realise you’re in this time loop the anticipation of the pain and the fun that can be had with that... it’s the first time in my career I’ve died so many times in an episode, there’s always a first!

What makes the Daleks so frightening?

What makes a Dalek so frightening is no matter how many times you think you’ve defeated them they always come back. And it’s that never-ending game of tennis, terrifying tennis.

How has the Doctor and Yaz’s relationship developed since they first met each other?

I think what’s been great is the amount of time that’s played out, I think obviously (our) first season was in real time... but with season twelve and season thirteen what happens is we have these elongated gaps between seasons and the time spent away, like the months that the Doctor’s in prison. In this season, there’s the time where Yaz has absolutely no idea if she’s going to see the Doctor again.

So the Doctor has given Yaz a hologram of information and Yaz continually plays it as her one connection to the Doctor when they’re parted in time. I think what’s brilliant is that these two, have had out of everyone - for my Doctor - the most amount of time together. And so it grows from Yaz’s perspective from somebody who is finding her feet to leading and confidence. What the Doctor loves is seeing Yaz’s independence and confidence grow, but she never falters in always being there for the Doctor and vice versa as well.

Interview with Mandip Gill (Yasmin Khan)

What can audiences expect from the New Year’s Day special?

The New Year’s special is a standalone episode so it’s a really easy access point for anyone that perhaps didn’t watch the series or has never watched Doctor Who. It’s full of adventure, there’s a lot at stake, particularly for the Doctor but it’s also the funniest episode we’ve done. There’s lots of humour, there’s lots of warmth, romance, and then there’s this really cool storyline in which the gang are stuck in a time loop against the Daleks and unless they break the time loop it’s not going to look good for them.

It’s a really nice, essentially easy watch but not because there is a lot at stake but at the same time, having come off the back of Flux which has been quite an intense series, it’s a little bit different for people.

We’ve got Aisling Bea and Adjani Salmon joining the cast for this one. What it was like working with them and can you tell us anything about their characters?

For this episode we worked with Aisling Bea and Adjani Salmon. We had a really good time. Essentially it was just me, Jodie, John, Aisling and Adjani together for a couple of weeks in the same set as it’s we’re stuck in a time loop. We just had such fun. There was a time where Jodie, Aisling and I really convinced ourselves that it would be a good idea to do a music video because there was a big silver gate and it reminded us of Girls Aloud’s ‘Sound of the Underground’.

We practiced it, then we had to go to set, then we practiced it again and in my head I really thought Adjani was actually our tour manager. John kept going in and out and I think we said he could be the director but really we knew we didn’t need direction! In my head we were really going to do this music video and then it didn’t happen. Aisling was a bit like the director, she gave us our lines. I was like, “Can I be Kimberley because she’s really northern?” and she let me do that bit which was really nice of her!

How are the central trio managing off the back of Flux?

The trio have been through a lot, and they’ve been separated for quite a long time. Weirdly we sort of forget about the emotional turmoil that we’ve all been through, to some degree. What happens in this world is you get thrown into another challenge and adventure, you meet new people, and you dust yourself off and you’re back in it again.

There’s no time to sort of reflect on everything that has gone on. However, we do, I’ve been on a really long journey with Dan in which he’s seen things and emotions, a side to me he probably wouldn’t have seen if we hadn’t been separated from the Doctor. He starts to question my actions, he makes me think about my actions and my feelings so we do remember to a degree what we’ve been through and what happened when we were separated so we do touch upon that, we don’t just forget about the distance and the years that we spent apart. At the same time, they are just thrown into a new adventure and they don’t have time to think about the gravitas of the Flux at that point.

How was it working with the Daleks this time around and what makes them so fun as a villain?

The Daleks have been around quite a few times since I’ve been in Doctor Who but every time you become more familiar with them. In the beginning I didn’t really speak to the actors and questioned whether there was anyone in there, but we’ve become so familiar with the actors playing the Daleks that we have chats in between scenes. John was like, “Can I get in?” and I was like, “He’s so brave, I’ve been here for years, and I’ve not asked to get in, but I wish I was more that person!”

They’re just brilliant aren’t they? They don’t look like the scariest of creatures but they are so dangerous, so I can only assume that’s why people like them. Every time they come in they create chaos and turmoil, sometimes we beat them and sometimes we haven’t. I’m not saying audience want us to be exterminated, perhaps they do, but I just think that’s what you tune in for, the trepidation and you know when these things come something is about to go down.

Were there any other stand out moments from filming this special in particular?

It was really fun to be working with Aisling and Adjani. They’re very funny people. It was just us five in this wet tunnel and we get on so well with the crew but you’re in a storage unit, there’s only so much space and they’ve got shelves up. Aisling created these characters from my life and played them for me, just for me, it was like having a one woman show every time we cut camera.

We’d be acting, then we’d cut and I’d turn around to Aisling every time we cut and ask “what else have you got for me then?” and she’d turn it on, start doing this performance, I’d be laughing my head off thinking “how has she thought of this, where has this come from, how does she have so much energy?” And then at action we’d go again and then at cut I’d basically look for her to entertain me the whole time!

This episode is all about time loops. If you could go back in time and relive any one event in your life, what would it be?

That’s a very deep question. I’m thinking “could I go back and do something better?” The answer is probably no. We went to Canada as a family when I was 7 or 8 and you have those performances where someone gets up and starts performing and I for some reason said I’d be Elvis Presley, and I absolutely loved it. I was in my element and my family thought it was the best thing that ever happened. They were cheering me on. There was no other audience, just my family, and I remember thinking “I am absolutely brilliant!” For me if I could go back and relive that moment, those are the moments where I probably realised I loved performing. I had a guitar and everything. Very random because I definitely wasn’t listening to his music.

What would Yaz’s New Year’s resolution be at this point in the story?

I think Yaz’s New Year’s resolution at this point should be to talk about her emotions a little bit more with people in the TARDIS and people back in Sheffield. She’s a very emotionally intelligent character and she always bangs on to the Doctor to talk about what she went through and open up but all the while she’s been hiding this turmoil she went through when she was younger. She’s got mixed emotions and is toying with things at the time of this episode and yet really when someone confronts her, she doesn’t answer so I think I’d say to Yaz to take her own advice.

What will your own resolution be, do you believe in them?

I think resolutions are brilliant. It doesn’t matter if you don’t stick to them. Also, I tend to make resolutions throughout the year. I think it’s really nice to give yourself a goal because prior to me giving myself goals, I used to say I have no willpower and I have to eat all the cakes and cookies I see! I’m going to make a resolution I think, I don’t know what it is but it’s definitely going to be along the lines of exercise or something. Make time to move, even if it’s just to walk. I’m always too busy but this year I’m actually going to do it as a New Year’s resolution and see how long it goes.

Interview with John Bishop (Dan Lewis)

What can audiences expect from the New Year's Day special, what kind of adventure do the trio go on?

It’s like a time loop, in the time loop it finds us in Manchester on New Year’s Eve where the Daleks are about to take out the Doctor forever. The problem that we face is that every time there’s a potential to interrupt them we get caught by them and get exterminated and have to start again. And that’s the maddest of all experiences because obviously (after) extermination by a Dalek, there’s no going back.

So to have actually been one of the few characters ever to have survived the Dalek extermination in fact I think, ever, is a bit of an honour. It’s also a bit of an odd thing because how do you die? There are different ways of dying but when a Dalek exterminates you, you sort of freeze. I kept on trying to make it better every time!

We’ve heard this is a very fun special, with a comedy element in there too?

The relationship between Aisling (Bea) and Adjani (Salmon) is great - there are some ad libs they dropped in which Chris kept in as they are great comic actors and both very funny. It’s fast-paced, because it’s a loop the narrative keeps changing so it’s a fast pace, it’s got to start and restart itself a lot throughout the episode.

It’s contained because of where’s it’s taking place in a warehouse in Manchester and it’s fun! Anything to do with something as iconic as the Daleks is bound to be fun but this is a massive step up, from my point of view as anyone who gets a part in Doctor Who hopes there may be a scene with the Daleks. You don’t always expect to get this interaction with them, it’s brilliant!

How was it working with Aisling Bea and Adjani Salmon?

Aisling I know from stand-up, I’ve known her for a long time and we’ve gigged together but we’ve never acted together and Adjani none of us knew (beforehand) I don’t think. It was just easy, and it felt very comfortable straight away. There was a sense of claustrophobia a little bit because we’re in this warehouse, but it was all filmed in a bunker, people were saying was a nuclear bunker – it felt like one even if it wasn’t one! There was no room not to get on with each other because we were literally underground for a few weeks filming it.

Did you have any standout memories from being on set?

Aisling (Bea) can flip her voices and characters and all that so there was loads of messing about and having a laugh. Obviously the Daleks themselves, they stay on set and when the actors (playing them) aren’t in the Dalek you just find yourself sat having a cup of tea leaning against a Dalek, talking with Adjani about football! It was just bizarre.

This episode is all about time loops, if you were stuck in a time loop yourself and had to repeat a big moment what would you do again?

I’ve had loads of fantastic moments throughout my life and career. It sounds naff but the last proper holiday we went on before lockdown was in the Maldives and there’s been many a time over the last couple of years I thought “I’d do that again!” So if I could get stuck in a time loop I wouldn’t mind being in a nice hotel in the Maldives!

Where do we find Dan in this special?

He’s comfortable with the Doctor and Mandip and he’s a comfortable time traveller. It’s still clear that he has a hankering to go home at some stage in his life. He’s definitely enjoying it and has got confidence to contribute to what is going on. He takes the responsibility at certain times in the episode to be the person who makes a difference whereas prior to this he wasn’t ready to do that, he wasn’t able to.

If he had a New Year’s resolution at this point, what do you think it would be?

I think to be more proactive and take charge - I think there’s a point in this episode where he decides to take on the Dalek and delay them.

Are you a fan of New Year’s Day? Do you have any New Year’s Day traditions?

We started going away for New Year and we go to a hotel with friends and our New Year’s Day tradition is to get up and walk to the pub through some fields and then walk back, regardless of the weather and the sore heads from the night before!

Interview with Adjani Salmon (Nick)

What can audiences expect from Eve Of The Daleks?

It’s about a shy and lovestruck character who is trying to build up the courage to profess his feelings for Sarah (Aisling Bea), and that gets interrupted by Daleks! They end up in a time loop where he has to do so before time runs out!

How was it working with Jodie, John and Mandip? Did you and Aisling immediately slot into the dynamic?

It felt like we were welcomed into a family. It felt like I was invited to someone’s family barbecue - everyone is welcoming and offering food and wants to show you what’s happening! Immediately before I even met Jodie and the rest of the cast, Jodie reached out and asked for my number to say she was glad I was coming on the show so before I even met her I was already welcomed by her. It was good fun and we had loads of great chats!

We heard there was a music video being created on set?

Yes - Aisling, Mandip and Jodie decided they were the new Girls Aloud and I was the cameraman!

This episode is all about time loops, if you had to repeat any day from your own life on a loop what would it be?

There was a time I went to a friend’s birthday at Dunn’s River Falls – which is a waterfall that falls into the sea. It was waterfalls, beach, rum, music and friends – that would be the day.

What would Nick’s New Year’s resolution be?

After all that he’s been through I think his New Year’s resolution would be to be brave to pursue whatever he wants.

How was it working with the Daleks?

The actors (in the Daleks) are so great – I didn’t even know actors were in there! There are so many things that you don’t know about Doctor Who until you’re doing it. Nick (Briggs) who actually speaks, speaks live and you hear him live as well. The first take we did I think was when the Daleks come and I react to them and when he spoke I couldn’t believe it – that was a real reaction!

Do you have any New Year’s Day traditions?

New Year’s Eve is normally partying with friends and family. The day is very much about reflecting on the past year and setting goals that you want to achieve throughout the year.

What was your biggest surprise filming Doctor Who, apart from actors being inside the Daleks?

One thing I took away is how much easier it is when you have a solid team. The entire Doctor Who clique is like a family and a unit. It feels like a family working together and when we were in high pressure environment it was still this synergy of everyone working and moving and getting it done. As a filmmaker I’m watching it thinking “I want this energy when I’m on set!”

Interview with Chris Chibnall (Showrunner)

Can you give us an overview of the New Year’s Day special?

In the New Year’s Day special we are in a storage facility in Manchester and ten minutes to midnight on New Year’s Eve and it’s a time travel loop romantic comedy with Daleks, Aisling Bea and Adjani Salmon. The Doctor lands the TARDIS in a place she’s not expecting to land in order to reset it from the damage done to it in the Flux in the previous series. She has to face continuously escaping Daleks in a time loop and save the lives of the two people who are there on New Year’s Eve.

How complicated was it to write a time loop story?

It was incredibly complicated - I have the grid on my whiteboard at home! But that was the challenge of it, that was the delight of it and we hadn’t really done an episode like this. The idea of doing a romantic comedy with Daleks as the obstacle felt nice, the idea of doing a time loop romantic comedy felt really nice. It takes a lot of work but also the delight of the decreasing amount of time across each time loop, so each time loop was separately plotted…it took a lot of work and it was really rewarding.

How did Aisling Bea and Adjani Salmon come to be involved?

It was written for Aisling to be honest. I talked to her very early on, we’d wanted her in the show, we thought about this story and I spoke to her and said “this is what we’re thinking of doing and would you be up for it?” She was great, she was really super positive and amazing as she is, and she agreed to do it! And with Adjani, Rebecca Roughan, one of our script editors had seen his work on Dreaming Whilst Black - his show that he’d done on both YouTube and a now as a BBC Three pilot – and went “he’s a star!” He is a star as Aisling is a star, so we roped him in as well and they are a brilliant double act and we are really lucky to have them in what is ostensibly a two hander.

What’s the relationship between Jodie, John, Mandip and the guest stars?

They seem to get on brilliantly. I think the great thing is Jodie, Mandip and John just create this incredible welcoming atmosphere. John was on the receiving end of it in episode one, where he was welcomed into the family and studios in Roath Lock and on location. He becomes part of the family very quickly and then he’s welcoming in new people as guest artists come in across the series and the specials. I think the delight of working on this show is people who come in for an episode or a couple of episodes, they just become a very tight knit team. Obviously with the episode where you’re in a time loop and you’re doing scenes in the same spaces with the same characters again and again I think they had a proper great time with it.

What’s different about the Daleks in the special?

These are execution Daleks they’ve got slightly different weapons and have very much come with a very clear purpose for this. They are not trying to destroy the world they are trying to destroy the Doctor in payment for what has been done to the Daleks at the end of the previous series.

Interview with Annetta Laufer (Director)

Can you tell us a bit about how you came on board for this project, and what attracted you to the job?

I got contacted by the producer of our episode Sheena Bucktowonsing who had seen some of my work online - in particular a Sci Fi short film I directed called Afro Punk Girl. She emailed me and asked if I was interested in meeting her and later Chris (Chibnall), and it went from there. The reason I decided to join Doctor Who was because I knew such a genre bending, epic story telling format was going to be a huge and fun challenge for me to embark on. Plus I was going to work with the first female Doctor in the history of Doctor Who! That’s pretty awesome!

What were the biggest challenges filming Eve Of The Daleks?

From a practical point of view - it was time, time, time. We had a lot to shoot in a short space of time while also making sure it looked cinematic and exciting. The locations were also a challenge - especially the narrow corridors. Moving around with cast and crew and equipment, and Daleks and abide by all the strict COVID-19 rules in place, made it very challenging.

But we luckily had a fantastic crew who were fast and extremely efficient so we always managed to get it done. From a story point of view - the challenge was keeping track of which time loop we were in, as we were shooting out of sequence and so some time loops could appear very similar. We also had to keep track of what the ‘story time’ was on the clock as each loop lost one minute.

What was the atmosphere like on set? You had a few comics in this cast – there must have been lots of laughs?

The atmosphere was amazing. We laughed A LOT! But also everyone worked really hard and were incredibly focused. So we actually got so much work done. Everyone was such a joy to work with.

Have you always been a Doctor Who fan, and if so what are some of your own favourite episodes or specials from previous series?

I was never really a big Doctor Who fan when I was a kid. I remember it being on TV but I wasn’t much into Sci Fi at the time. It is only when the reboot started that I took more notice. Some of my favourite specials from previous years include The Runaway Bride, Voyage of the Damned and The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe. I also really enjoyed Resolution and Spyfall Part 1 with our 13th Doctor.

Were you involved in any of the casting?

Chris had suggested Aisling Bea which I thought was a great idea. I knew Adjani from his web series Dreaming Whilst Black so when his name was put name forward I was excited, as was Chris.

Will you be watching it yourself on New Year’s Day? What do you hope audiences take away from this episode?

I will be watching it with my family on New Year’s Day which will be a lot of fun. What I want the audience to take away with them is a feeling of happiness and a warm glow inside. After all the heavy months we have been through, I think everyone deserves a bit of magic and cheer. So what could be better than watching a Rom Com with Daleks!

 

 

Other territories that have confirmed broadcast at the time of writing include the USA (BBC America, with a simulcast broadcast at 2pm EST), Australia (ABC, with the episode available on iView shortly after UK broadcast), Canada (CTV SciFi), New Zealand (TV2) and Turkey (BBC Prime); full broadcast details can be found via This Week in Doctor Who.





FILTER: - Doctor Who - Specials

Doctor's Do Shakespeare

Friday, 3 December 2021 - Reported by Marcus
Richard II (Credit: RSC)MacBeth (Credit: RSC)

Two Shakespeare plays starring two Doctor's have been released onto the streaming service Stageplayer+

On the service, you can view David Tennant's performance in the title role of Richard II, the vain King who lost a Kingdom, as well as Christopher Eccleston playing Macbeth, the usurper of the Scottish crown. 

Each play costs £2.99 to access. 

StagePlayer+ is the world’s first pay-per-view Performing Arts-focused platform. StagePlayer+ enables users to search content from around the world, putting the Performing Arts in the spotlight and enabling fans to support theatres, producers, content owners, and rights holders from the comfort of their own homes and on an ongoing basis.

The system can be viewed across a growing number of large-screen connected devices and platforms, including Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast,and at stageplayerplus.com.





FILTER: - People

The Doctors: Behind The Scenes

Sunday, 13 June 2021 - Reported by Chuck Foster

After the success of the compilation of Myth Makers interviews featuring the Doctors and their companions, Time Travel TV are releasing a new, thirteen DVD collection this time focussing on the behind the scene heroes and heroines that brought Doctor Who to life. Each release will feature over five hours  nostalgia, aiming to provide a whole new insight into the making of the series.

 
The first in a planned series of 13 new titles, The Doctors: The Jon Pertwee Years Behind The Scenes Vol. 1, contains interviews with the men and women who brought the Jon Pertwee era of the show to life including Doctor Who legends Barry Letts (Producer), Terrance Dicks (Script Editor/Writer), Don Houghton (Writer), Christopher Barry (Director), Paul Bernhard (Director), plus bonus interviews with actors Anna Barry, Damaris Hayman, Terance Lodge and Valentine Palmer! And presented by “voice of the Daleks” Nicholas Briggs.
 
The Doctors: Behind The Scenes: The Jon Pertwee Years (part one) cover (Credit: Reeltime Pictures) The Doctors: Behind The Scenes (The Ambassadors of Death) (Credit: Reeltime Pictures) The Doctors: Behind The Scenes (Terror of the Autons) (Credit: Reeltime Pictures) The Doctors: Behind The Scenes (The Time Monster) (Credit: Reeltime Pictures)

The Doctors: The Jon Pertwee Years Behind the Scenes Volume 1 will be available on 2-disc DVD from 12 July 2021.
The second compilation will be The Doctors: The William Hartnell Years Behind The Scenes will contain interviews with the team who created history by bringing the Doctor’s ground-breaking first incarnation to television screens. Hear from Verity Lambert (Producer), Waris Hussain (Director), Donald Tosh (Script Editor), Tristram Cary (Composer), John Wiles (Producer), Dennis Spooner (Writer) and Paul Erickson (Writer), plus bonus interviews with actors Lyn Ashley, Suzanne Carroll, John Cater, Edward De Souza, and Fiona Walker.
 
The Doctors: Behind The Scenes: The William Hartnell Years cover (Credit: Reeltime Pictures) The Doctors: Behind The Scenes (The Web Planet) (Credit: Reeltime Pictures) The Doctors: Behind The Scenes (The Crusade) (Credit: Reeltime Pictures) The Doctors: Behind The Scenes (The Tenth Planet) (Credit: Reeltime Pictures) The Doctors: Behind The Scenes (The Tenth Planet) (Credit: Reeltime Pictures)

The Doctors: The William Hartnell Years Behind the Scenes Volume 2 will be available on 2-disc DVD from 30 August 2021.
 
Each set will be limited to just 1000 double DVDs, and can be pre-ordered direct from the Time Travel TV website.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Blu-Ray/DVD - Jon Pertwee - William Hartnell

Revolution of the Daleks Soundtrack

Monday, 4 January 2021 - Reported by Marcus
Revolution of the Daleks Soundtrack

The soundtrack for the Doctor Who New Year’s Day special, Revolution of the Daleks, is now available to download on Spotify, Amazon, Apple, Deezer and Tidal.

Composer, Segun Akinola, who has composed the score for Series 11 and Series 12 of Doctor Who,  said:

Revolution of the Daleks is an emotional rollercoaster full of action, tension, old friends, old enemies and some heartfelt goodbyes, all of which are accompanied by music that utilises many of the musical themes from Series 11 and Series 12, and very often moves from a solo cello to orchestra, and much more in-between. 

It’s a ‘special’ in every sense of the word which I hope those who’ve enjoyed listening to the Series 11 and 12 albums will love. So, if that’s you, thank you - this album is dedicated to you!

Segun is an alumnus of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and part of 2017’s BAFTA Breakthrough Brit programme, with other works including Sundance 2019 favourite The Last Tree, Shola Amoo’s A Moving Image, (nominated for a Discovery Award, World Soundtrack Awards), David Olusoga’s Black and British: A Forgotten History. His work has screened at Sundance, the London Film Festival, LA Film Festival, BlackStar Film Festival and many others.

Tracklisting:

  1. 367 Minutes
  2. A Cuppa
  3. Something Revolutionary
  4. Breakout Ball
  5. The Clone
  6. The Production Line
  7. Stability and Security
  8. Thank You for Being My Friend
  9. Activate
  10. The Death Squad
  11. Bad Boys
  12. Bye Fam
Doctor Who Revolution of the Daleks Soundtrack is available now from £8.99.
 




FILTER: - Music - Specials

New Year Special to be offered in 4K HDR

Friday, 1 January 2021 - Reported by Marcus
Revolution of the Daleks (Credit: BBC Studios/Ben Blackall)

With this year's New Year special making its debut later today, viewers in the UK will be able to watch the programme in 4K resolution and high dynamic range (HDR) colour via iPlayer.

When Revolution of the Daleks is broadcast, viewers will be prompted to switch to the higher quality streamed version by pressing the red button.

To take advantage of the facility, households will need a compatible TV and a relatively fast internet connection. The BBC recommends a minimum of 24 megabits per second (Mbps) connection.

By contrast, regular 1080p high definition (HD) programmes require a 6.3Mbps connection and standard definition (SD) content 1.1Mbps.

Ultra-High Definition (UHD) - the other name given to 4K on TVs - delivers four times as many pixels as HD video. The benefits are that images can appear sharper and more detailed, although this is not always apparent if the screen is not large enough or viewers are sitting too far away.

HDR produces pictures that typically appear to be more vivid and colourful. It takes advantage of the fact screens can go brighter and/or darker than they used to be able to, providing a greater dynamic range.

As a result, the shadows of an image can be made less murky while the highlights - including sparks from special effects - can have more impact.

The BBC first publicly tested 4K HDR on iPlayer in 2016 when it offered four minutes from its Planet Earth II series. It has subsequently offered a limited range of full-length programmes including Dynasties; His Dark Materials; and Dracula, as well as sport including Wimbledon and Fifa World Cup 2018 matches.

Doctor Who has been broadcast in many different formats during its 57-year history.  The first episode being broadcast in the 405-line monochrome analogue format. The definition improved in 1967 when the 625 line format was used to record The Enemy of the World. Colour arrived in 1970 with Spearhead from Space.

By the time the series returned in 2005 the series was recorded digitally rather than on analogue tape.  The programme was first made available on iPlayer in 2007 with the Christmas special Voyage of the Damned. The first episode available in HD was Planet of the Dead, the 2009 Easter special.

Previous episodes have been made available in 4K on Blu--ray but Revolution of the Daleks is the first to be made available in this format on the iPlayer on the day of transmission,





FILTER: - Broadcasting - Specials

Predict the Ratings competition

Tuesday, 29 December 2020 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Revolution of the Daleks (Credit: BBC)As Doctor Who makes a welcome return to television on New Year's Day, so too does our festive Predict the Ratings competition! This year readers have the chance to win a copy of Revolution of the Daleks on Blu-ray/DVD upon its release date (currently scheduled for the last week in January 2021).

As always, the aim is to predict the final consolidated (four screen) viewing figure in the United Kingdom for Revolution of the Daleks as reported by BARB, to the nearest 10,000 viewers (i.e. two decimal places). In addition, we'd like you to predict Doctor Who's position in the weekly chart (which will be used in the case of a tie-break).

The four screen viewing figure includes television, PC/laptop, tablet and smartphone devices - these may be updated as the week progresses, we will be using the initial total released by BARB.

 

Friday's episode is broadcast in the UK at 6:45pm on BBC One; ITV will broadcast Doctor Who's 'traditional' competition in the form of Emmerdale from 7:00pm (preceded by the News), with BBC Two showing the film Mr Holmes. Channel 4 The Greatest Showman, and Channel 5 continuing The Battle of Britain. Other highlights of the evening are BBC One's new drama The Serpent, ITV's Dancing on Ice with Torvill and Dean, and a festive Taskmaster on Channel 4.

For comparision, 2019's Resolution was watched by 7.13 million viewers, and 2020's Spyfall part one achieved 6.87m viewers - top of the charts for the first week of 2020 went to the Fireworks with 10.84m.


To enter our competition, please send the following details to comp-ratings@doctorwhonews.net with the subject, "Counting down the days":

  • Your name and preferred email address
  • Your country of entry (full details will be requested only if you are the winner)
  • Your guess at the final viewing figure to the nearest 10,000 (eg.9.99m)
  • Your guess at the final position in the chart (eg. 1st) - this will only be used in the event of a tie-break
     

Terms and Conditions:

  • The competition closes at 08:00 GMT, 2nd January 2021
  • Only one entry will be accepted per person.
  • The competition is open worldwide
  • BARB final figures are expected in early 2021, we will contact the winner once they have been published
  • The prize is a copy of Revolution of the Daleks on either DVD or Bluray; we will confirm the format with the winner at time of notification.


Good luck and don't forget to watch the episode yourself! See our guide for current schedules for the episode locally, and visit This Week in Doctor Who for the continuing adventures of all of the Doctors around the world!




FILTER: - Competitions

Lethbridge-Stewart updates/competition

Sunday, 6 December 2020 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books has released details on the next series of Lethbridge-Stewart novels for 2021, plus the chance to colour in the Brigadier!

 


 

Picking up from the events from series five's ; the new three-book series returns to the 1970s with Domination Game by Aly Leeds & Megan Fizell, Fear Frequency by George Ivanoff and The Haunting of Gabriel Chase by Andrew Allen.

Range editor Andy Frankham-Allen said:

It was always our intention to return to the 1970s and finish our mission of leading the Brig to his destiny with UNIT. And so, after a couple of years of telling very different stories looking at different later times of his life, we’ve decided it’s now time to return to our original mission. Thus, the next three books are kicking off the final two and a half years of novels that will, indeed, end with the events that lead to the formation of the illustrious organisation. But before all that, there’s a few loose threads to pick up with Domination Game


 

Lethbridge-Stewart: Domination Game (Credit: Candy Jar)Domination Game
Written by Aly Leeds and Megan Fizell
Cover by Paul Cooke


It’s time to move on.

Sally Wright has had enough of the Fifth Operational Corps to last a lifetime. She has been chased, kidnapped, and dogged by unknown horrors – and to top it all, the end of her engagement to Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart has cast a shadow over her career. In an effort to leave it all behind, she requests a transfer back to the Regular Army... But, after everything she’s seen, is it possible to return to normal life? And will the Brigadier let her go?

Harold Chorley cannot move on. While searching for answers to the missing gaps in his memory, he makes an alarming discovery; the Dominator war lord, Dominic Vaar, is no longer in prison. Hot on Vaar’s trail, Chorley discovers an experimental military project that seems sinister in its appetite for volunteers. Volunteers who are never heard from again.

William Bishop is not looking forward to life at the Madhouse without Anne Travers, but in heading up a mission to Gloucestershire with Sally and Chorley, he soon finds other things to worry about.

One thing is for sure, not everybody will survive this encounter with the Dominators!

 

 

Aly Leeds is a regular contributor to the range, having penned a few short stories and 2018's Fear of the Web; this time, however:

2020 has been a difficult year for everyone, presenting us each with a unique set of challenges. During lockdown it became clear that I was going to need some help with the manuscript, so I asked Megan Fizell, winner of the 2019 Short Story competition, if she’d step in prior to her debut novel in the LSverse. We’d chatted a lot and found we had similar ideas about what we like in a story, so we worked on blocking the book together. Like me, Megan was eager to see Sally get a fitting finale. I think we’ve done her justice.


Long-time readers of the range will be familiar with Lance Corporal Sally Wright, one-time fiancée of Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart. They became engaged in the very first Lethbridge-Stewart novel, but since their engagement fell apart in 2017’s The Daughters of Earth Sally’s life hasn’t gone so well. Hints of her ultimate fate have been dropped in several stories published since then, especially in Rise of the Dominator and Tall Tales, so most readers won’t be surprised by at least one resolution of Domination Game. But, of course, it’s how everything reaches that point, and the full magnitude of the events, that makes for a compelling story. Aly continued:

Following the positive reception of Fear of the Web in 2018, Andy asked if I’d be willing to write a second book for the series. My answer was ‘Yes!’, but commitments at the time meant I couldn’t take on any of the upcoming Bloodlines titles. Knowing that several loose ends were being tied up prior to the series moving on, I asked Andy what was going to happen to Sally Wright. We last left her in Glastonbury in Piece of Mind, having recently ended her engagement to Lethbridge-Stewart, and I wanted to know where her story went from there. I was told, while a book had been planned on the subject, nothing had come of it and so, unfortunately, she would be exiting the series without fanfare. The news upset me, and I was a little angry on Sally’s behalf. Here was one of the series’ two female characters, who had developed so much from ‘the love interest’ since her debut, a character many people had become fond of, about to be dealt a Liz Shaw? Absolutely not! So, I asked Andy to give me the book and I’d write Sally a decent send off – and, happily for me, he agreed.
Andy added:
Yes, before Aly Domination Game was assigned to two other authors but, for various reasons, nothing clicked into place. It was, in part, that which saw the end of the ongoing Lethbridge-Stewart narrative for a while. A sure sign that we all needed to do something a little different for a while. But when it came time to think about returning to that narrative, and Aly expressed an interest in wrapping up Sally’s story, I knew it was time to return. And so Aly had a look over the original outlines, expressed some very strong objections and told me what they’d like to do with it. Including turning a very important aspect on its head. An aspect they wasn’t sure I’d agree to. But I did! It’s so nasty, that I couldn’t say no.
Aly concluded:
This story was a chance to show Sally at her best, operating away from Lethbridge-Stewart and all the unwanted baggage their relationship brought her, choosing to go her own way. It also sees her go up against an old enemy in the form of Dominator Vaar, now a prisoner of the Crown and himself, in a pretty precarious position. Hot on Vaar’s heels is Harold Chorley, who is close to finding the answers to what happened to him at the Dominex plant in 2015’s Mutually Assured Domination. There’s a fair amount of change, too. We have Bill and Anne contemplating a future away from HAVOC, and Lethbridge-Stewart is moving on in his own way from the events of The Man from Yesterday... with someone very special. There’s a lot going on, and we’ll see where it leaves our heroes afterwards.

The book cover is by artist Paul Cooke, whose previous covers were for The Man from Yesterday and The Danger Men wo fasdf With both of those being by Nick Walters, it seemed apt for Paul to contribute to the next story to feature Dominic Vaar, created by Nick. Paul said:

I was asked to do an illustration that echoed the feel of my last one, The Danger Men; action packed, and like a movie poster, this time including Sally, as well as Bill Bishop once again. But also Vaar. I was excited to receive a commission that included the Dominator. Firstly, I like what Candy Jar have done with the character, but am also a big fan of Adrian Salmon (the only artist to draw Vaar thus far) and how he draws the Dominators: chunky, large hands. A real solid look to them. So, I took that as my inspiration and went for it. I'm so pleased Andy went for it, too. I couldn’t find any reference for prison uniforms, even asking an ex-prison officer friend, so I used the uniform from Porridge! It's set in the ‘70s, so I pushed the colours; I remember as a kid the ‘70s being very bright, and let that influence the palette.

 

Further details of the new series and how to pre-order can be found on the Candy Jar website.

 


 

Lethbridge-Stewart Colouring Book (Credit: Candy Jar)Meanwhile, the Lethbridge-Stewart Colouring Book will be released just in time for Christmas!

The collection of artwork features twenty brand new pieces of art by Thunderbirds, Danger Mouse and Doctor Who artist Martin Baines. concentrating on the Lethbridge-Stewart series of novels and features the Dominators, Quarks, Yeti, Anne Travers, Bandrils and much more. Added to this, the book also explores the UNIT era of Doctor Who.

Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar Books, said:

2020 has been a difficult year for all of us. Lockdown has taken it’s toll, and it is quite likely that we still haven’t seen the end of COVID-19. Normally we do something special for Christmas. For instance, in 2016 we released The Xmas Files – a collection of Lethbridge-Stewart-inspired Christmas stories, in 2018 our online advent calendar (still available on the Candy jar Books website), and last year The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: Christmas Crackers collection of stories. Sadly, due to other commitments, this has not been possible this year. So, when Martin approached me to do the colouring book, I thought why not. This is not strictly a Christmas project, but it certainly is a great stocking filler.

In 2020 Martin created some of Candy Jar’s most popular covers, including the Downtime sequel Child of the New World (released this summer), as well as Kiss of the Ice Maiden and 100 Objects of Doctor Who, both of which are due out in a couple of months. Martin said:

Shaun and I chat regularly about future projects. The conversations are always great fun, particularly when it’s about Lethbridge Stewart and Doctor Who. We are currently developing an epic comic strip starring the Brig (which will hopefully be released 2021). So, having worked on this artwork, I thought a Lethbridge-Stewart colouring book would be something special to end the year. I was so glad when Shaun agreed. The Lethbridge-Stewart Colouring Book is the celebration of the Brigadier and classic Who in general. If you like the Brigadier, UNIT, Quarks, Yetis and even the Bandrils this is the book for you!

Shaun continued:

I suspect some people will prefer not to colour Martin’s images, but instead keep them as a lockdown memento. I’m certainly considering framing one or two of his striking pieces personally.

Martin concluded:

Early Doctor Who has for me been a real discovery and I hope this book adds to the legend. I have put in a lot of research and fleshed out certain elements. The Bandrils were particularly interesting to draw, and fleshing out the Lucy Wilson characters was quite fun. I also loved drawing Professor Travers and Sergeant Benton.

 

Further details on the book and how to pre-order can be found on the Candy Jar website.

 


 

Competition!

 

Candy Jar have kindly offered a chance to win a copy of the Lethbridge--Stewart Colouring Book and their recent novel Downtime: Children of the New World; in order to do so, simply answer the following:

The original Downtime introduced us to the Brigadier's daughter - what was her name?

Send your answers to comp-candyjar@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Chap with crayons: five rounds rapid!" along with your name and address. The competition is for UK readers only, and the closing date is 16 December 2020 (allowing the prize to be sent out before Christmas!)





FILTER: - Candy Jar Books - Books - Lethbridge-Stewart - Competitions

Doctor Who Back on New Year's Day

Sunday, 29 November 2020 - Reported by Marcus
Revolution of the Daleks (Credit: BBC Studios)

The Festive Special of Doctor Who, ‘Revolution of the Daleks’, will air in the UK on New Year’s Day.

In Australia it will air on ABC & ABC iview on January 2.

The Festive Special episode will see a host of exciting guest artists including previously announced John Barrowman MBE who will be reprising his role as Captain Jack Harkness alongside Chris Noth who will be back as the disgraced Jack Robertson. Chris Noth previously appeared in the series 11 episode ‘Arachnids in the UK’ and it’s safe to say the Doctor and all those involved were less than impressed by his questionable actions. However, viewers will have to wait and see just what brings him back this time…

Star of the stage and screen Dame Harriet Walter will also be making her Doctor Who debut for the Festive Special alongside television star Nathan Stewart-Jarrett who has recently appeared in The Trial of Christine Keeler.

Viewers last saw the Thirteenth Doctor at the end of series 12 where her fate was left hanging in the balance as she was locked away in a high-security alien prison with no hope of escape. In the upcoming Festive Special, Yaz, Ryan and Graham are far away on Earth and having to carry on with their lives without her. However, they soon discover a disturbing plan forming. A plan which involves a Dalek. How can you fight a Dalek without the Doctor? Even with Captain Jack’s help, the gang are set to face one of their biggest and most frightening challenges yet… 

Chris Chibnall, the Executive Producer, said:

We’ve crammed this year's Doctor Who Festive Special with an explosion of extraordinary acting talent.  Where else would you get British acting royalty, a globally renowned US screen star, an (inter)national treasure of stage and screen and one of Britain's hottest young actors — just in the guest cast! Put those together with Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole (and Daleks! Did I mention Daleks!) — and you get a cast to be exterminated for. And things will explode. Promise.

‘Revolution of the Daleks’ will air on New Year’s Day on BBC One.

 

Doctor Who is a BBC Studios Production.

 

Revolution of the Daleks (Credit: BBC Studios) Revolution of the Daleks (Credit: BBC Studios) Revolution of the Daleks (Credit: BBC Studios)




FILTER: - Production - Thirteenth Doctor - Specials

Captain Jack Returns for Christmas

Monday, 23 November 2020 - Reported by Marcus
Revolution of the Daleks (Credit: BBC Studios)

The BBC has revealed that Captain Jack, played by John Barrowman, will return in the Festive special of Doctor Who Revolution of the Daleks

 

Described as one of the most loved characters in the Doctor Who Universe Captain Jack was last seen in the series 12 episode, ‘Fugitive of the Judoon’, when he made a brief surprise appearance with a stark warning for Yaz, Ryan and Graham to pass on to the Doctor before disappearing.

 

In the upcoming special Captain Jack will be on hand to help the Doctor and his companions as they discover a disturbing plan forming involving one of the Doctor’s most feared and dangerous enemies, the Daleks. With the Thirteenth Doctor locked away in a space prison, will Captain Jack be able to help save planet Earth?

 

On returning for the Festive Special, John Barrowman MBE revealed:

Putting on Jack’s coat and setting foot back on the set of Doctor Who was just like going back home.  It’s always thrilling  to play Captain Jack. He’s a character very close to my heart who changed my life, and to know the fans love him as much as I do makes his return even sweeter. I hope everyone enjoys Jack’s Heroic adventure with Thirteen.

Chris Chibnall, Executive Producer, said:

A Doctor Who Festive Special means treats galore, and there’s no bigger treat than the return of John Barrowman to Doctor Who, for an epic and emotional feature-length episode. If anyone can blast away the sheer rubbishness of 2020, it’s Captain Jack. Daleks beware!

Matt Strevens, Executive Producer BBC Studios, added:

After a tantalisingly brief appearance in Fugitive of the Judoon it’s a total joy and thrill to welcome back John as Captain Jack. One of the most iconic characters in Doctor Who lore, his presence ignites this Festive Special from the start.

‘Revolution of the Daleks’ will air over the festive period on BBC One and BBC America with more details to be revealed soon. 

 





FILTER: - Doctor Who - Production - Specials