The Doctor tops Lollipop Poll

Monday, 22 November 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
This week sees the launch of Road Safety Week, organised by charity Brake in order to promote awareness of being safe on the roads. The theme for this year is 'Kids say slow down', and involves thousands of participants from schools, companies, emergency services and community groups.
As part of this week, a poll was undertaken by Kwik-Fit Insurance to see which celebrity children would most like to see as their local lollipop man/woman. Some 3000 children were surveyed between the age of seven and fourteen, of which 27% were in favour of The Doctor supervising their crossing of the road!

The runners-up were singer Cheryl Cole (21%), official Children in Need record singers JLS (12%), and footballer David Beckham (also 12%).
Managing Director of Kwik-Fit Insurance, Brendan Devine, said:
The competition is all about celebrating lollipop people and the work they do in keeping our young people safe as they cross the road, and it was interesting to see which famous face was the most popular choice for this important job.


This isn't the first time the Doctor has been associated with road safety, of course; back in 1976 Jon Pertwee featured in the Splink! road safety campaign for the Green Cross Code (you can watch the advert and read all about it on the BBC News site).




FILTER: - Matt Smith - Miscellaneous

Matt Smith on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Wednesday, 17 November 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Matt Smith appeared on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson last night, during which he discussed his trip to America, being the Doctor, and filming in Monument Valley.
 

The entire show was dedicated to Doctor Who, in Ferguson's anarchic style. More clips are available on the show's website.




FILTER: - USA - Matt Smith - Broadcasting

Children in Need Details

Wednesday, 17 November 2010 - Reported by Marcus
The BBC have provided more details of the Doctor Who element to this year's Children in Need telethon.

The annual event takes place this Friday, and the Doctor Who segment is due to start just after 8pm. Matt Smith and Karen Gillan will welcome viewers into the TARDIS for some fun and games and visits from some special guests. The highlight will be a preview of this year's Christmas Special, A Christmas Carol.

Children in Need can be seen on in the UK on Friday on BBC One and BBC One HD and later on the BBC iPlayer.

In a clip programme on BBC Three, Children in Need: The 50 Greatest Moments, Time Crash, the moment the Fifth Doctor met the Tenth Doctor, originally transmitted as part of the 2007 Children in Need programme, was voted ninth.




FILTER: - Matt Smith - Charities

Doctor Roundup

Monday, 15 November 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Matt Smith has been confirmed as a guest on the Tuesday edition of the CBS chat show, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. On Twitter Ferguson said the show will be a Doctor Who Special complete with Daleks. The show is being recorded Tuesday afternoon in Los Angeles for transmission at 12.35am (ET).

Smith will also be a guest on the Nerdist Podcast, hosted by the comedian Chris Hardwick. The podcast is free to download on iTunes.

Meanwhile Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccleston has been promoting his appearance in the BBC One drama series Accused. In an interview with the Scottish Daily Record, he criticised the desire for fame encouraged by programmes such as The X Factor.
These people are chasing fame for its own sake. That's vacuous. I've been famous and I can tell you there's nothing there. The only thing that's there is the work you do.
Eccleston was asked about his time on Doctor Who and why he left so soon.
The most important thing about Doctor Who isn't that I left but that I did it. Those 13 episodes were a real success and I'm proud of the work. I've never seen it since I left. I'm always out and about on a Saturday night. But I'm very proud of what we did with it. I wanted to do a children's character because all my work had been for adults.

However Eccleston was less willing to discuss Doctor Who when talking to The Daily Telegraph.
I’ve said everything I’m ever going to say about Doctor Who, I have no opinions on anything about it. There are too many opinions about that particular show – it’s just my past. I spoke about it a great deal at the time.




FILTER: - Matt Smith - Christopher Eccleston

US News

Tuesday, 26 October 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who is one of the programmes up for nomination in the annual People's Choice Awards.

The programme is one of twelve listed in the Favourite SciFi/Fantasy Show category. Voting can be done on the website. The programmes will be short-listed on November 9th with the top rated show going forward to the final.

Meanwhile Matt Smith will be a guest on CBS's The Late Show with Craig Ferguson on 16th November. Fans in Los Angeles can apply for tickets to the 3.30pm recording from the show's website. Smith will be joined on the show by Jeff Goldblum.




FILTER: - Matt Smith - Awards/Nominations

Doctor Who Live Opens

Friday, 8 October 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who LiveDoctor Who Live began its tour of the UK at London's Wembley Arena on Friday night.

The event, which marks the start of a four week tour across the UK, was attended by the current Doctor, Matt Smith, who was there with girlfriend Daisy Lowe. Smith appears in the show via a giant screen showing special pre-recorded inserts during the performance.

The show is set around a travelling showman, Vorgenson, played by Nigel Planer, who heads around the galaxy spreading stories of the Doctor's exploits, using his minimiser gadget to conjure up the Doctor's enemies. The script, by Gareth Roberts, is based on the 1973 Jon Pertwee story, Carnival of Monsters, originally by Robert Holmes.

Among the creatures conjured up for the show are Judoon, Weeping Angel, Scarecrows and Venetian Vampires. The live action is set to the music of Doctor Who composer Murray Gold, conducted by Ben Foster.

Reaction to the show on twitter have been positive with comments such as "The Doctor Who Live event is just barmy and amazing and clever and fun"

Guests attending the first night included Catherine Tate, Richard Curtis, Fiona Phillips and Jo Whiley.

Producer Craig Stanley said
This grew from the success of the Doctor Who Proms show we did in 2008. There was a real demand from the people to experience the music and monsters up close, which developed into this show. We wanted to add something to the TV experience and surprise people. We're delighted with the way it has turned out.

After two more shows in London, the tour moves north to Sheffield.





FILTER: - Special Events - Matt Smith

New Christmas Clips

Wednesday, 29 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
The BBC has released a Drama Showreel showcasing the new drama output coming up on the BBC over the next six months, featuring clips from the 2010 Christmas Special of Doctor Who.



The showreel was previewed at an event marking two years in post for BBC Controller of Drama, Ben Stephenson.

Other dramas featured include performances from the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors:

  • Christopher Eccleston stars in an episode of Accused, a new drama series from Jimmy McGovern for BBC One.
  • David Tennant plays Dave in Single Father coming to BBC One on Sunday 10 October.
  • Matt Smith plays Christopher Isherwood in Christopher and his Kind coming to BBC Two next month.







  • FILTER: - Specials - Matt Smith - David Tennant - Christopher Eccleston - Press

    Guinness World Records

    Thursday, 16 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
    guinness world recordsThe 2011 edition of Guinness World Records contains a whole spread dedicated to Doctor Who with a number of facts and figures on the what is officially the world's Most Successful sci-fi Series.

    The show was awarded the title last year based on the show's perfomance in ratings, DVD and book sales, and downloading popularity. It also holds the record for Longest running sci-fi series and Doctor Who Magazine has been named Longest Running Magazine Based on a Television Series.

    The book lists other statistics including naming Tom Baker as the longest serving incumbent Doctor, Fraser Hines as the longest serving companion and Matt Smith as the youngest actor to take on the role of The Doctor, something picked up by many papers.

    Guinness World Records 2011, published Thursday, is the latest edition of the world's best-selling copyright book. Guinness World Records is the globally-recognised authority on record-breaking achievements.




    FILTER: - Doctor Who - Matt Smith - Awards/Nominations

    Matt Smith in GT

    Wednesday, 8 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
    Doctor Who: PromThe new issue of GT Magazine features Matt Smith on the cover for the second time, this time in a pair of trunks.

    Inside, as well as talking to Smith, the magazine goes behind the scenes on his new BBC movie based on the memoirs of Christopher Isherwood, Christopher and His Kind as well as talking to Lindsay Duncan, who played Adelaide Brooke in The Waters of Mars and who co-stars with Smith in the biopic, due to be shown on BBC Two this Autumn.

    The issue also features an interview and shoot with Tom Ellis, who played played Thomas Milligan in 2007 story Last of the Time Lords, as well as a review of Matthew Waterhouse's autobiography.

    The magazine is available in stores and to download on iPad and iPhone from Friday.




    FILTER: - Matt Smith

    Matt Smith wins GQ Award

    Tuesday, 7 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
    Matt SmithMatt Smith has won the award for Best Actor at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards.

    Smith appeared from within the TARDIS to accept the award presented by artist Tracey Emin, at the ceremony which took place Tuesday evening at London's Royal Opera House. Smith who was filming the 2011 series of Doctor Who in Cardiff earlier in the day, attended the event with model Daisy Lowe.

    The annual GQ Men of the Year awards gives GQ magazine readers the chance to vote for the most influential figures in a variety of fields over the past year. Winners are chosen from nominees in the fields of film, television, sports, music, fashion, theatre, literature and food through online voting by GQ readers. Winners are typically featured in an issue of GQ, as well as being honored at the annual Men of the Year awards show.

    Matt Smith appears briefly in a video on the GQ site.




    FILTER: - Matt Smith - Awards/Nominations