Dalek discovered at school!Bookmark and Share

Monday, 27 September 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Staff and students had a surprise last week when they discovered a Dalek in their school, West Exe Learning Centre in St. Thomas, Devon. The prop appeared to have been abandoned, with no clue as to where it had come from.

Sue Willey, deputy manager of West Exe Learning Centre, said:
We're not sure where he has come from or who he belongs to. It is a full-size replica and stands at about 5ft tall. You can even sit inside him. It's not every day you get a Dalek arrive at your school and he did cause a bit of a stir to start with. The kids liked him but I think they're starting to lose interest now. I don't think they're into Doctor Who really. We'd like to return him to his owner if possible because he's taking up quite a lot of room and is living in a cupboard at the moment."

Police were also involved in the incident but were unable to trace the owner. Detective Constable Caroline Prince, of Exeter's burglary team, said:
We believe this Dalek has come from somewhere in Exeter, but we have had no one reporting a stolen or missing Dalek so we don't know who it belongs to. If anyone can help us identify the owner of the Dalek, we would be very grateful so we can return it to its rightful owner."

With no owners having come forward to claim it, the Dalek now resides at a film and television memorabilia store in Exeter. Shop owner and Doctor Who enthusiast John Hadlow said:
I felt so sorry for him being stuck in a school cupboard so I've brought him to the shop and he is stood next to the other Dalek. He is also going to have a bit of a refurb and be tidied up. No one has come forward to claim him since the appeal in the Echo so we can only assume he was dumped.

If you have any information as where this Dalek may have come from, you can contact Detective Constable Prince at Exeter burglary team on 08452 777444.





FILTER: - UK - Miscellaneous

Yellow Dalek exclusive for Hastings EntertainmentBookmark and Share

Monday, 27 September 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Yellow Daleks!Yellow Daleks!
Underground Toys have announced that entertainment store Hastings will be selling an exclusive Yellow Dalek action figure as part of a promotion that will run in association with BBC Worldwide.

Stores in the North American chain will feature a special 6x4ft display unit to highlight key merchandise from Doctor Who.

For more details, see the Undergound Toys and Hastings Entertainment websites.





FILTER: - Merchandise - USA

Sarah Jane Transmission DateBookmark and Share

Friday, 24 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Sarah Jane AdventuresDoctor Who Magazine reports that The Sarah Jane Adventures will return to BBC Television on Monday 11th October 2010.

The series will be shown twice each week, with episodes first being shown on CBBC on Mondays and Tuesdays before being repeated on BBC One on Thursdays and Fridays.

Dates are subject to change and will be finalised the week before transmission.


The Sarah Jane Adventures - Series Four.
  • 1: The Nightmare Man
  • by Joseph Lidster
  • 2: The Vault of Secrets
  • by Phil Ford
  • 3: Death of the Doctor
  • by Russell T Davies
  • 4: The Empty Planet
  • by Gareth Roberts
  • 5: Lost in Time
  • by Rupert Laight
  • 6: Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith
  • by Gareth Roberts and Clayton Hickman




FILTER: - Sarah Jane - Broadcasting

Casting NewsBookmark and Share

Thursday, 23 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: Surrane JonesThe official Doctor Who site has confirmed that former Coronation Street star Suranne Jones has been cast in the role of Idris in the third episode of the 2011 series of Doctor Who.

Jones is best known for playing the role of Karen McDonald in ITV1's soap over a period of four years. She has also appeared in the detective drama series Vincent, and on the West End stage in A Few Good Men opposite Rob Lowe. Other roles include the London based black comedy, Dead Clever. In autumn 2007, she toured the UK in the play Terms of Endearment and she has recently appeared in a number of plays for BBC Radio 4. In January 2009, she appeared in Unforgiven, a three-part drama on ITV1, where she plays Ruth Slater, a woman released from prison after serving a 15-year prison sentence for the murder of two policemen.

Last year Jones appeared in The Sarah Jane Adventures episode, Lisa's Revenge playing the Mona Lisa.

The third episode, which started filming this week is written by Neil Gaiman who said
Suranne is marvellous. She's beautiful, funny and strange. It's the kind of role that people will remember forever, so we needed someone who was able to pull that off, and to keep up with Matt Smith. And bite him. Suranne does all three.

Jones talked about how excited she was to be given the role.
As an actor, it's hugely exciting to be cast in Doctor Who. I'm a massive fan of the show and I was blown away when I read Neil's script and uncovered what's in store for my character. I'm sworn to secrecy so viewers will just have to wait until next year to find out any other juicy details!




FILTER: - Series 6/32 - Production

Doctor Who Magazine 426Bookmark and Share

Thursday, 23 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Magazine 426This months Doctor Who Magazine talks to the man who provides the voices for the Doctor’s greatest enemies, the Daleks and the Cybermen. Nicholas Briggs tells all about his time as a Dalek, his life-long love of Doctor Who and just what he can do with his ring voice modulator
It’s great for people to be able to hear the voice on set. The way I say my lines does change depending on how David, Chris, or Matt say their lines to me. The Daleks actually being there makes such a difference. Much of the time, the cast is acting against silver balls on sticks, in front of a green screen, but Daleks move around, flash their lights, speak like they want to kill you, like a voice from hell

Also in the magazine
  • He’s one of the best-loved and most respected authors in the world – and now he’s written a Doctor Who book. Michael Moorcock talks to DWM about his new novel The Coming of the Terraphiles – plus there's also an exclusive extract.
  • Toby Haynes, director of the 2010 series finale, concludes his exclusive Director’s Diary and tells DWM how Doctor Who changed his life.
  • Tokyo’s children are turning into Axons – and the Doctor, Amy and UNIT are involved in a breathtaking fight for their lives! All in the second part of the DWM comic strip The Golden Ones, by Jonathan Morris with art by Martin Geraghty.
  • What do the Eleventh Doctor, Jo Grant and K9 have in common? They’re all in the fourth series of The Sarah Jane Adventures, which is back on TV in October. DWM previews all twelve new episodes and talks to all the writers – Russell T Davies, Phil Ford, Joseph Lidster, Rupert Laight, Gareth Roberts and Clayton Hickman.
  • The Doctor and his companions appreciate the gravity of the situation as they leap around on the Moon and encounter the sinister Cybermen! The Fact of Fiction scrutinizes the 1967 adventure The Moonbase and extracts a wealth of information from this classic Second Doctor tale.
  • DWM presents the ultimate guide to the men of steel – the Cybermen. Discover how they’ve evolved over the decades, as the Watcher reveals everything you need to know – and some surprising secrets, about one of the Doctor’s most persistent foes.
  • He’s back. Former UNIT Captain Mike Yates has returned to action alongside the Fourth Doctor in the new audio series Demon Quest. DWM catches up with the man who plays him, actor Richard Franklin, and finds out what he thinks about Yates’ comeback – and his opinion of Doctor Who today.
  • Doctor Who’s showrunner Steven Moffat provides some clues as to what adventures lie in store for the Doctor, Amy and Rory, and has the last word on what the next season should be called – in Production Notes.




FILTER: - Steven Moffat - DWM

Series One for 99p?Bookmark and Share

Thursday, 23 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: See SawVideo on Demand service See Saw is giving fans the chance to vote to see the entire Series One of Doctor Who for just 99p.

Christopher Eccleston's performance as the Ninth Doctor is up against Grey's Anatomy, Robin Hood and The Hills in a promotion to find the most popular series. Whichever gets the most Facebook 'like' votes by next Monday morning will be made available to watch for the next ninety days for just 99p.

Votes need to be made on the See Saw website.




FILTER: - Online - Series 1/27 - Christopher Eccleston

The Ark - Coming to DVDBookmark and Share

Thursday, 23 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: MeglosThe BBFC has classified an trailer for the first Doctor story The Ark, indicating it is due for DVD release in the next few months.

The Ark was the sixth story of Season 3, and was first broadcast between 5th March and 26th March 1966. Alongside William Hartnell as the Doctor it stars Jackie Lane as Dodo and Peter Purves as the Steven Taylor.

The story is set in the 57th segment of time, some 10 million years in the future, when the Earth has been destroyed by the sun going nova. A giant spaceship carrying all the Earth's surviving plant, animal and human life is on a 700 year journey to a new home on the planet Refusis II.

The story was written by Paul Erickson and Lesley Scott and directed by Michael Imison.

The Ark was first released on VHS in 1998 and is also available on CD with linking narration by Peter Purves.




FILTER: - William Hartnell - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Colin Baker SigningBookmark and Share

Thursday, 23 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Colin BakerColin Baker will be signing copies of his new audiobook release Kangazang! at Forbidden Planet International, Cardiff on Saturday 25th September at 10am.

The sixth Doctor uses a multitude of voices to tell the story of troubled Earthman, Jeff Spooner and his barber, Ray Scump.

Lucy Beese, manager at Forbidden Planet International, Cardiff, said:
It’s always great to have stars of Doctor Who dropping by to meet the fans. Colin Baker’s performance in Kangazang! is out of this world. We are very enthusiastic about Kangazang! both the book and the CD. It reinforces British comedy stereotypes just like Red Dwarf and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads did in the past.

Baker is currently performing on stage as Inspector Morse in the stage play 'House of Ghosts'. As well as signing copies of Kangazang!, he will also be signing his own portrait photos.

For those people unable to attend the event, Candy Jar is offering the first 25 minutes of Kangazang as a free download.




FILTER: - Colin Baker

The Seeds of Doom cover / Meglos detailsBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 22 September 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Doctor Who: The Seeds of DoomHere is the cover for The Seeds of Doom, released on DVD in the United Kingdom on 25th October. Its special features include:
  • Pod Shock (The making of) 37'14"
  • Playing in the Green Cathedral (Featurette) 10'02"
  • So what do you do exactly? (Featurette) 15'35"
  • Stripped for Action - The Fourth Doctor in comic form 20'17"
  • Easter Egg 1'13"
  • Easter Egg 0'08"
  • Photo Gallery 4'45"
  • TV Continuity 1'23"
A more detailed description may be found in our earlier article.


Doctor Who Magazine has revealed details on the features for January's release of Meglos:
  • Commentary by Lalla Ward (Romana), Christopher Owen (the "Earthling"), John Flanagan (one of the writers), and both music composers Paddy Kingsland and Peter Howell.
  • Isolated Score from the story.
  • Meglos Men, a feature on the writers John Flanagan and Andrew McCulloch, with script editor Christopher H. Bidmead.
  • The Scene Sync Story looks at the pioneering camera technology used in the story.
  • Jacqueline Hill - A Life in Pictures celebrates the life and career of the actress.
  • Entropy Explained, a short documentary by Dr Phillip Trowga.
  • The usual production notes, photo gallery, and PDF materials
Full details in the latest DWM (#426). 

BBC Worldwide have also confirmed that the second Doctor Story The Dominators will also be released in North America in January as part of the plan to synchronise the release schedule. The Dominators was released in the UK last July.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Geoffrey Burgon 1941–2010Bookmark and Share

Wednesday, 22 September 2010 - Reported by Kenny Davidson
Geoffrey BurgonFilm and television composer Geoffrey Burgon has died, aged 69.

Burgon composed the music for the Doctor Who stories Terror of the Zygons and The Seeds of Doom.

He went on to win Ivor Novello awards for his scores to the BBC's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy in 1979 and for Granada's Brideshead Revisited in 1981.

More recently Burgon had won BAFTAs for Best Television Music to Granada's The Forsyte Saga and Channel 4's Longitude.

Amongst many other works, Burgon scored the BBC's Chronicles of Narnia adaptations and the cult Monty Python film The Life of Brian.

Alongside his commercial success, Burgon continued to produce many acclaimed serious works, two of which were an opera based on Dickens's Hard Times in 1991, and a concerto for the percussionist Evelyn Glennie in 1994.

James Rushton, of his publishers Chester Music, said: "Geoffrey Burgon was one of very few composers in recent times whose music has truly touched the hearts of the international public.

"The music and unforgettable melodies that Geoff wrote for the great classic BBC and ITV TV series over the past 40 years have established themselves as standards, both within their genre and as pure music."

Burgon was interviewed for the DVD release of The Seeds of Doom, which is due to be released in the UK on October 25th.




FILTER: - Music - Obituary - Classic Series