BBC America Doctor Who Documentary SpecialsBookmark and Share

Monday, 23 July 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster
BBC America are to broadcast four new special documentaries in the lead-up to their premiere of the next series of Doctor Who. Forming part of their Supernatural Saturday themed evenings, the first documentary will be broadcast on Saturday 4th August:

9:00PM - THE SCIENCE OF DOCTOR WHO
Explore the real-life science behind the biggest concepts and most iconic ideas in the incredible Doctor Who universe.

The documentary will be preceded by repeats of last year's documentaries, Best of the Companions, Best of the Monsters and Best of the Doctor from 6:00pm.


The following weeks will see documentaries on The Women of Doctor Who (11th August), The Timey-Wimey of Doctor Who (18th August), and The Destinations of Doctor Who (25th August).









FILTER: - USA - Documentary - BBC America - Series 7/33

Big Finish: July ReleasesBookmark and Share

Monday, 23 July 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Big Finish have now released the latest adventures for the Doctor and his companions for July; producer David Richardson said:
We’re really proud of this month’s releases. A brand new trilogy starts for the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Hex with Protect and Survive, and so begins a journey that will be packed with scorching surprises...

The latest Lost Story is The First Sontarans by Andrew Smith, and it's probably my favourite from the entire range. You’ll discover the secret of the Sontarans – and it's a secret so significant that I hope listeners will help us keep it under wraps until everyone gets a chance to hear it...

Finally Ian Chesterton is back in The Time Museum, caught up in a vast exhibit dedicated to... Himself. It's a glorious script from James Goss, that takes a nostalgic foray into the early days of Doctor Who.

In addition, the first episode of The First Sontarans is currently available to listen to for free, via the Big Finish podcast feed.


Protect and Survive (available to order)
by Jonathan Morris
starring Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred and Peter Oliver

If an attack with nuclear weapons is expected, you will hear the air attack warning. If you are not at home, but can get there within two minutes, do so. If you are in the open, take cover in the nearest building. If you cannot reach a building, lie flat on the ground and cover your head and your hands.

Arriving in the North of England in the late 1980s, Ace and Hex seek refuge at the home of Albert and Peggy Marsden... in the last few hours before the outbreak of World War Three.

Meanwhile, the Doctor is missing. Will there be anyone left for him to rescue, when the bombs begin to fall?
The First Sontarans (available to order)
by Andrew Smith
starring Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant

1872. After finding a strange signalling device on the moon, the Doctor and Peri travel to the depths of the English countryside to track down the source of its transmissions. But they're not the first aliens to arrive on the scene.

Old enemies of the Doctor are drawing their battle lines in the forest and the local humans will be lucky to escape the conflagration unscathed.

For hidden within this village is a deadly secret - a secret that could destroy the entire Sontaran race... and reveal the terrible mystery of their creation.
The Time Museum (available to order)
by James Goss
starring William Russell

"This is The Chesterton Exhibition. A series of breathtakingly faithful tableaux, painstakingly detailed to the nth degree. Dedicated to the life of that most extraordinary time traveller, Ian Chesterton!"

Ian finds himself in a shrine to his own past, and on the run with a man named Pendolin.

From Coal Hill School to Jobis Station, from Totter’s Yard to the Crusades, Ian’s history is unfolding.

And a confrontation with a deadly enemy with a voracious appetite awaits…




FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Big Finish

People RoundupBookmark and Share

Monday, 23 July 2012 - Compiled by Chuck Foster and John Bowman
Compiled by Chuck Foster and John Bowman
Talking about sport and acting, Matt Smith said: "One of the things about playing a sportsman and learning about the psychology and mentality of sport is that there are so many parallels between that world and the world that I inhabit. There's practice for one thing and that sense of discipline and preparation. But it's also about sacrifice. If you want to give it a good go, you've got to make some sacrifices and be as dedicated as you can be. Particularly with Doctor Who; it's two or three hours of line-learning a night." He also ruefully commented: "I'd love to play football now. Everyone at work plays on Tuesdays, but they won't let me. I guess it's the insurance companies and, realistically, if I turn my ankle over and we can't shoot, then we're screwed, aren't we? You just can't. It's a small price to pay." [Radio Times, 21-27 Jul 2012]

Karen Gillan may have just finished working with Steven Moffat but her connection with the name continues as she heads to the Scottish town of Moffat to film the rom-com Not Another Happy Ending. Film crews will also be shooting in Glasgow. [Dumfries & Galloway Standard, 20 Jul 2012]

John and Carole Barrowman's novel The Hollow Earth is to be made into a television series. The rights have been taken up by Zodiak Kids UK and the show is being developed by its production company The Foundation. The writing duo said: "We are so thrilled to have our TV rights in such good hands, we can’t wait to see all of Matt and Em's wild adventures and all their art come to life for viewers." [WorldScreen, Licensing, 19 Jul 2012]

Billie Piper has pulled out of the forthcoming production of BBC Three comedy series Tom and Jenny in order to concentrate on her family. [Express, 16 Jul 2012]

Author Mark Morris visited a school in Selby to chat about writing, with the classes encouraged to design and create their own Doctor Who monsters! School receptionist Ellen Briggs said: "For every Doctor Who enthusiast among the children and staff it was a dream visit.", whilst pupil Caitlin added: "It was really interesting to find out about the Doctor Who books. [Selby Times, 14 Jul 2012]

Artist and illustrator Alister Pearson is urging people to contact him if anyone tries to sell paintings that are attributed to him. Pearson, who has done numerous covers for Doctor Who books, magazines, and videos, is seeking to verify their authenticity before they are bought. Anyone who sees any of his artwork for sale or is offered the chance to buy it should contact him first on alister@alisterpearson.co.uk.




FILTER: - People - Karen Gillan - Matt Smith - Billie Piper - John Barrowman

The Wibbly-Wobbly, Timey-Wimey ReaderBookmark and Share

Monday, 23 July 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Bigger Inside Press have announced that a new book is to be compiled for release during the show's 50th Anniversary year, and the authors are soliciting material from contributors:

Seeking Original DOCTOR WHO Essays For 50th Anniversary Book!

2013 will mark the 50th anniversary of the debut of Doctor Who, the longest running sci-fi show on television. To commemorate this historic milestone, Bigger Inside Press is compiling The Wibbly-Wobbly, Timey-Wimey Reader, a collection of insightful and entertaining essays about the greatest show in the galaxy! Spearheaded by Don J. Krouskop, author of the acclaimed best seller The Wibbly-Wobbly, Timey-Wimey Trivia Quiz (2011 BearManor Media), this volume will contain the best critical, expository, and anecdotal writing on this amazing program ever penned by its loyal fans.

If you'd like to contribute to this historic tome (and get paid for writing about Doctor Who!), you can submit your original essay via email. It can be a review of your favorite story or season, a general overview of the series, a retrospective of cast & crew, an exploration of the show's deeper themes, a personal memory of the show and its impact on your life, or just about anything else Doctor Who-related that catches your fancy (NO FAN FICTION!). Submissions should be between 2500 - 8000 words in length. Authors whose entries are selected will receive a royalty of 5% of net sales of the book.

Don't miss out on this chance to contribute to a once in a lifetime publication!

(with thanks to: Don J. Krouskop)




FILTER: - Merchandise - Books

Movie updateBookmark and Share

Sunday, 22 July 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Matt Smith has ruled himself out of appearing in a big-screen version of the show. Speaking to Collider at last week's Comic-Con the actor explained:
For my money, whoever is playing the Doctor should be in the movie. I don't think there should be two Doctors. I think it would take four or five years to get something like that off the ground, and I don't anticipate that I'll be playing the Doctor then. My skin and the aging process couldn’t take it. But, I don't see any reason why it couldn't work. I think they should get Steven to write it because he’s the best.

Meanwhile, Steven Moffat re-iterated that any film version of Doctor Who will not be a separate entity to the current television series. Speaking to Airlock Alpha at the same event, the show's lead writer commented:
There will not come a time when there's a separate kind of Doctor Who. What was talked about there was that there would be a separate Doctor and a different continuity. Of course it won't. That would be silly. Everyone knows that's silly. The BBC knows that's silly, and is not going to do that.

The likelihood of an alternative film version of the show was promoted by director David Yates back in November when he told Variety that BBC Worldwide Productions were undertaking the project and writers were being considered for a version that "would start from scratch".





FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Matt Smith - Movies

Colin LaversBookmark and Share

Sunday, 22 July 2012 - Reported by Marcus
The man behind the Fifth Doctor's costume, Colin Lavers, has died.

Colin Lavers was a costume designer for the BBC. In 1982 he was scheduled to work on the Doctor Who story Four To Doomsday, which just happened to be the first story recorded by Peter Davison, and therefore the realisation of the Fifth Doctor's costume became his responsibility.

The cricket motif came out of discussions with Davison and producer John Nathan-Turner, who insisted the question-mark lapels sported by Tom Baker's Doctor should remain.

Lavers was also the costume designer on the 20th-anniversary story, The Five Doctors, which gave him the responsibility of creating costumes for a large number of Doctor Who alumni, some of whom had not been seen on television in colour before. He also worked on the 1978 story The Power of Kroll and the 1983 story The King's Demons.

Other productions in his long career included EastEnders, Last of the Summer Wine and Judge John Deed.
(with thanks to Ryan Wigley)




FILTER: - Obituary - Classic Series

Future of Television Centre DecidedBookmark and Share

Friday, 20 July 2012 - Reported by Marcus
BBC Television Centre in London will remain a key broadcasting centre under a deal signed by the Corporation today.

The future of the iconic building had been in jeopardy ever since the BBC announced it was selling the Centre as part of its plans to reduce its property holdings by 30%. Television Centre was built towards the end of the Fifties as the BBC's first purpose-built television complex and was where some of the most recognised and respected British television programmes were made. It was the home of Doctor Who throughout the '70s and '80s when every single studio-based story, bar one, was shot at the Centre.

The BBC today completed the sale of the Centre for £200m to Stanhope Plc, a development company based in London and the south-east. The company has over 30 years' experience as developer, development partner and development manager. During this time it has been wholly or jointly responsible for the delivery of commercial projects in excess of £10bn of commercial value. Recent projects include Central Saint Giles, 23 Savile Row and AirW1, as well as headquarter offices for NM Rothschild and Unilever.

Following redevelopment the BBC's commercial arms BBC Studios and Post Production and BBC Worldwide will lease refurbished office and entertainment space in the completed scheme. The listed elements of Television Centre will be retained and enhanced, including the instantly recognisable exterior view, and some studios, including Studio 1, will be available for hire as television production facilities.

The rest of the site will be developed to include a mix of uses including leisure, office and residential. BBC Chief Operating Officer Caroline Thomson, who oversaw the sale, said: 
This is an exciting deal both for the BBC and for London. Working with Stanhope we will build a new creative hub in west London. It marks a critical step in the transformation of the BBC's property portfolio and the delivery of great value to licence fee payers.
David Camp, chief executive of Stanhope Plc, said: 
We are looking forward to working with the BBC to deliver a vibrant, mixed-use scheme for the Television Centre site. We will preserve and enhance the much-loved iconic buildings surrounding the forecourt for workspace, hotel and residential uses.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - BBC

Doctor Who Experience Opens at Porth Teigr, Cardiff BayBookmark and Share

Friday, 20 July 2012 - Reported by Matt Hills
Today saw the official opening of the Doctor Who Experience to the public take place at its new home in Cardiff Bay.

A special ceremony marked the event, with a young visitor dressed as the Eleventh Doctor (complete with fez) given the honour of cutting the ribbon to open the Experience, and a Dalek, Cybermen, Silent and Silurian were on hand to greet visitors and pose for photos.

You can read our full review of the opening and the Experience here.




FILTER: - Exhibitions - BBC

Docudrama on the way?Bookmark and Share

Friday, 20 July 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster
As the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who approaches, the first indication of special programmes to celebrate the milestone has surfaced with a recent advertisement by BBC Careers for a new producer, stating that a "passion for drama and a knowledge of Doctor Who is essential," and that the applicant should preferably have knowledge of period drama.

The role is for a single drama on BBC Two, with the producer based at the new Roath Lock Studios in Cardiff Bay for a five-month term. Full details of the position included the following:
You will be producing high-quality, cost-effective drama and will be accountable for the delivery of the drama on time and within the agreed editorial brief and production budget. One of your main responsibilities will be to help develop the script to the highest standards as well as encouraging, fostering and developing creative talent and ability on behalf of the Drama Department.

You will need drama-producing experience. A passion for drama and a knowledge of Doctor Who is essential.

Ideally the successful candidate will have a wide-ranging knowledge of the television drama production processes, preferably including period drama and use of CGI, and an understanding of the jobs of programme and resource personnel who are engaged to complete the production.
No other details of the post are known at present, but "docudramas" following iconic careers and film/TV developments have become common in recent years. The possibility of Doctor Who becoming such a subject was broached on The Graham Norton Show back on 11th February, when actor/writer Mark Gatiss was asked if he was involved in such a project - to which he avoided a direct answer to the question and said "I'm writing on the back of my hand, now, what a good idea that would be!" Gatiss previously contributed to 1999's Doctor Who Night on BBC2, including a spoof documentary on commissioning the series, The Pitch of Fear.

Applications for the role closed on Wednesday.

(with thanks to Ruther)




FILTER: - Production - BBC

San Diego Comic-Con PanelsBookmark and Share

Friday, 20 July 2012 - Reported by Neil McNally
This past weekend at the San Diego Comic-Con two Doctor Who panel discussions proved to be immensely popular.
The first occurred Saturday night at the Nerd HQ event hosted by actor Zachary Levi. Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and Arthur Darvill casually talked about their experiences on the show, the upcoming 50th anniversary, and sang an impromptu rendition of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.

Matt Smith also spoke of his love for Patrick Troughton, and his dream episode would be to have their respective Doctors meet.

The next day, 6500 fans packed the Inside Doctor Who panel held in Hall H for the opportunity to see Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Steven Moffat, and Caroline Skinner. The moderator for the event was Chris Hardwick of The Nerdist.

Among the subjects discussed was the upcoming season, where clips from 
Dinosaurs on a Spaceship and A Town Called Mercy were screened.

Of Asylum of the Daleks, Karen Gillan had this to say:

I've never been massively scared of them before...I like them because they're iconic, but they've never scared me before. They did in this episode.
However, the real focus was given to the upcoming departure of Amy and Rory in episode five. But, Matt Smith summed up the series as a whole:
This show isn't about us. The show is the star. Each week it can be anything...The heartbeat of the show is in the quality of the writing.
The Q & A portion yielded interesting information. As for a multi-Doctor episode, Moffat said he flat out wasn't going to tell the crowd. But, when asked the answer to the the Doctor's name he replied:
It's been there from the start. He never gives his name...It's a tremendously important question. But I know why, and you will find out the truth.
For further info on the panels please visit BBC America, Radio Times, Examiner.com, and Screen Crave.




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