People Roundup

Wednesday, 9 January 2013 - (compiled by Chuck Foster and John Bowman)
David Tennant and wife Georgia Moffett are expecting their second child together, it was revealed on The Jonathan Ross Show last Saturday (5th).

During the show, the actor also talked about how he is still recognised as the Doctor in spite of four years away from the role: "It does carry on, yeah, because people are enthusiastic about it, it's one of those shows that people love. It becomes part of what you do, it's not a difficult thing to deal with.".

Talking about filming Spies of Warsaw - which is on tonight at 9:00pm on BBC4 - he commented on how wide-reaching his recognition is: "I didn't realise Doctor Who plays in Poland – but it obviously does. I've had a few fans coming up, wanting to say hello, or get a photograph or a signature. It doesn't happen quite on the scale that it happens at home – but then I don't think I've been to a country yet where I haven’t met someone who's a Doctor Who fan ... except maybe Uganda!" [Mail, 6 Jan 2013]

Burn Gorman - who appears with Tennant in Spies of Warsaw - has joined the cast of Revenge. He will play a recurring character named Trask, a member of the American Initiative. [Hollywood Reporter, 7 Jan 2013]

Tamsin Greig and Catrin Stewart will be on stage in Longing at the Hampstead Theatre in London. Adapted by William Boyd from two Anton Chekhov short stories, the play will run from Thursday 28th February to Saturday 6th April. The venue is currently staging Old Money, with Maureen Lipman and Tracy-Ann Oberman, ending on 12th January, which will be followed by Di And Viv And Rose, with Anna Maxwell-Martin and Tamzin Outhwaite (17th January to 23rd February).

An adaptation of Tom Baker's novel The Boy Who Kicked Pigs will be performed at Jacksons Lane in north London by theatre company Kill The Beast between 5th and 16th March. The actor said: "I wondered how a small theatre company could stage my story - which has a cast of hundreds, and includes a motorway pile-up with coachloads of people. I also wondered how they would manage to make my tale of evil horror funny, as I intended it to be." [EntertainmentWise, 8 Jan 2013]

Fenella Woolgar and David Troughton are up for honours in this year's BBC Audio Drama Awards. Woolgar is nominated for Best Actress for her portrayal of Rosemary Kennedy in BBC Radio 4's An American Rose, while Troughton is in the running for Best Supporting Actor as the Earl of Leicester in BBC Radio 3's Singles and Doublets. In addition, The Minister of Chance, by Dan Freeman, which stars Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Paul Darrow, and Tamsin Greig, is nominated for the title of Best Online-Only Audio Drama, while Kafka The Musical, which aired on BBC Radio 3 and is by Murray Gold, has been shortlisted for the Tinniswood Radio Drama Award 2012 for Best Radio Drama Script. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on Sunday 27th January at BBC Broadcasting House in central London. [BBC Media Centre, 8 Jan 2012]

In Memoriam

The latest edition of BBC publication Prospero (page 15) has revealed that former Doctor Who crew member Marion McDougall died last March. Her first involvement with the series was as an assistant floor manager on The War Games, and she went on to be a production assistant on a number of stories between 1971 and 1977. Other BBC productions that she worked on included The Mayor of Casterbridge, Prince Regent, Mackenzie, Smiley's People, Mansfield Park, Blott On The Landscape, and Fortunes of War.
(With thanks to Garret Jackson)
(compiled by Chuck Foster and John Bowman)




FILTER: - People - Theatre - Tom Baker - David Tennant - Radio - Sylvester McCoy - BBC - Paul McGann

People Roundup

Saturday, 5 January 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have been nominated for the Long Form Television category for Sherlock in the 2013 Producers Guild Awards, which take place on the 26th January. The show is up against American Horror Story, The Dust Bowl, Game Change, and Hatfields and McCoys.

Matt Smith has recorded a couple of pieces for Disney Junior's new series entitled A Poem is .... Set amongst animated clips from various Disney animations, he presents a traditional folk song De Colores on the 5th January and Jack Prelutsky's Once They All Believed In Dragons on the 19th January - a video of the latter can be found via BBC America. [BBC America, 3 Jan 2013]

Bernard Cribbins talks about working on a new story-based series Old Jack's Boat: "It was lovely to be asked, it is a bit like Jackanory - it's me, sitting telling stories, with my dog Salty beside me. And it has the bonus of a few extra characters and some animation, and we got the chance to wander about Staithes, a lovely fishing village in North Yorkshire." The series also sees two episdoes written by Russell T Davies: "I asked them if they had all the stories in place and when they said no, I approached Russell to ask if he would do it. It was a change for him, to write for such a young audience but his stories are lovely." [Evening Times, 2 Jan 2013]

Bill Pullman reveals his love of fruit in a new documentary The Fruit Hunters. The actor, who owns over two acres of Orchard in Hollywood, said: "Growing things and being able to live off the land has always appealed to me. I think in California it really blossomed. This climate is sensational for growing a lot of different variety of rare fruit plants from other climates all year-round. That idea was intoxicating to me. I would say the biggest surprise to me, the tree that I just find so cool (is) Persian mulberries; they're so fragile, the farmer's market will sometimes sell a single layer of them to gourmet chefs, but they're pretty pricey. But, if you stand under a tree and eat away, you just feel so lucky to have a sensation that very few people get to have." [USA Today, 4 Jan 2013]

The actor also continues his 'presidential' credentials in a new series from NBC, 1600 Penn; Pullman plays President Dale Gilchrist in the show, which debuts on the 10th January.

John Barrowman suffered an accident during the matinee of his pantomine Jack and the Beanstalk in Glasgow on Friday; the performer fell from a horse and was taken to Glasgow's Western Infirmary as a precaution. However, his injury was reported to be minor and that he expected to be back for the matinee on Saturday.

"The Next Doctor" David Morrissey speaks very favourably about current Doctor Matt Smith: "I love Matt; I think he's a fantastic actor. I've known him for a long time and he's a great guy. He's a really brave choice for them. There was lots of names around – and those were tough shoes to fill, David Tennant's. You know what I mean? David Tennant really made it his own, and for Matt to come in and do that is something else ... he's the first [Doctor] to really break through in America." [Paranormal Pop Culture, 6 Dec 2012]

Brian Cox is to star in the BBC Four comedy series Bob Servant Independent, in which he plays the wannabe MP for Broughton Ferry. The six-parter (originally planned to be in three parts and airing late last year) stems from the hit BBC Radio Scotland comedy The Bob Servant Emails and best-selling Bob Servant books. It begins on Wednesday 23rd January at 10pm.

Frank Skinner appeared alongside Billie Piper on The Graham Norton Show, where he confessed he'd accidentally called her Rose backstage! Talking about the show itself, he said: "I said to my manager 'Do you think you could get me a part in Doctor Who? I don't mean like a big part, I'll be a monster, I'll be a lunar rock, but I really would love to be able to say to my grandchildren I was in Doctor Who', and he said 'oh sure, it won't be a problem'. He got in touch and he got an email back from one of the senior people saying 'I'm really happy to hear that that's a thing that Frank would like to do ...' Somehow the end of the email seems to have been be cut off!" [The Graham Norton Show, 4 Jan 2013]

In Memoriam

Daphne Oxenford died on Friday 21st December aged 93. She played two roles in Doctor Who, first as the Archivist in Seventh Doctor story Dragonfire from 1987, and then as an older Agatha Christie in the Tenth Doctor story The Unicorn and the Wasp in 2008 (her scenes in the latter were not broadcast, but can be seen on the Complete Series Four Boxed Set). She will perhaps be best remembered, however, as the voice of Listen With Mother and the immortal saying "Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin.".




FILTER: - Steven Moffat - People - Obituary - Matt Smith

Sir Richard Rodney Bennett (1936-2012)

Wednesday, 26 December 2012 - Reported by John Bowman
Sir Richard Rodney BennettThe composer Sir Richard Rodney Bennett has died aged 76.

As well as many and varied classical pieces, he also wrote film and TV scores, with the incidental music for the 1964 story The Aztecs being among them. The four-part adventure is to be released as a special edition DVD in March.

Born in Broadstairs, Bennett - who was also an accomplished jazz pianist - studied and later taught at the Royal Academy of Music.

His film work included the score for Nicholas and Alexandra, which starred Tom Baker as Rasputin and Michael Jayston as Nicholas and featured Julian Glover, Maurice Denham, Gordon Gostelow, Brian Cox, and Steven Berkoff.

He also provided the score for Four Weddings And A Funeral, written by Richard Curtis and starring Hugh Grant, who was one of the Doctors in the 1999 Comic Relief spoof The Curse of Fatal Death, written by Steven Moffat. Other films to feature Bennett's music included Murder On The Orient Express, with George Coulouris among the cast.

Bennett was Oscar-nominated for his music for Far From The Madding Crowd, Nicholas and Alexandra, and Murder On The Orient Express, with the latter garnering him a BAFTA award.

Appointed a CBE in 1977, he received his knighthood in 1998. Bennett moved to New York in 1979 and in his later years also became an artist noted for his collage work.






FILTER: - People - Obituary

People Roundup

Wednesday, 12 December 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Bernard Cribbins is a firm supporter of the Surviving Winter campaign, which aims to help reduce isolation and vulnerability for older people. The actor said: "I am 100 per cent behind the campaign and delighted to be supporting it. I am going to donate my winter fuel allowance to support others in Surrey that need additional help during the winter. I encourage others who don't need their allowance to do the same." [Camberley People, 4 Dec 2012]

Having hung up his Merlin breeches, Colin Morgan has no plans to return to Doctor Who: "Well, that box has already been ticked, but I feel very lucky to have been part of that. It was my first filming job really, so it was a great thing to be a part of, but in terms of the future? Probably not." And as the Doctor? "No, I don’t think so!" [Radio Times, 3 Dec 2012]

Matt Smith played host to a fund-raising dinner for the National Youth Theatre on Monday 3rd December; the event, A Shepherd's Delight, was held at The Shepherd's Restaurant in Belgravia. Smith became a patron of the NYT in July. [Daily Mail, 4 Dec 2012]

Karen Gillan, back home in Inverness for Christmas, was invited to present a UNICEF Baby Friendly Award to NHS Highland maternity staff at the city's Raigmore Hospital; the award was in recognition of the education and support they have given to breastfeeding mothers. The actress said: "I knew very little about the benefits of breastfeeding until now. But I am definitely a convert. I have no plans to start a family – I have to find a boyfriend first. It is too early for me to settle down but when I do get broody, I will be following the breast is best advice. I have learned so much here, it has been great research if I have to audition for a nursing or midwife role in the future." [Daily Record, 12 Dec 2012]

David Tennant is to perform festive duties on the Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show this Christmas, and also portray the Virgin Mary in the celebrity nativity play due to be broadcast on 21st December. The presenter said: "David Tennant fans are going to really enjoy seeing his masculine Scottish jaw-line peeking out from under a head-scarf with me on his arm. He’ll need to draw on all his luvvie training to avoid being out-acted by me and Wrighty on the day." The actor has had a long association with O'Connell: he performed in another panto alongside Brian Blessed back in 2006, and has co-hosted the show in the past, too (2009, 2011); O'Connell was also a guest at the actor's wedding last year. [Radio Today, 12 Dec 2012]

Big Finish producer Nicholas Briggs talks about working with the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker: "Tom's an interesting one, really. All the stories you've heard about him being aggressive about scripts - he's mellowed a lot in his old age, but you do occasionally get a little flash of the old Tom Baker. He can be quite savage to a Director! ...He was suggesting something, you know, to the nth time, and it was quite a crazy suggestion. I said, 'OK Tom, I'm gonna go with that,' and he just said, 'Oh, Nick! I can't tell how happy it makes me when you accept one of my suggestions!" He sounded very moved... he said, 'I was rewriting my will this weekend, and I put something in it for you!' [Chicago Now, 3rd Dec 2012]

Sylvester McCoy talks about almost being Bilbo The Lord of the Rings, and how he came to play Radagast in The Hobbit: "It got down to two actors eventually from quite a few, and I was one of them. Of course the other was the great and glorious Ian Holm. I was a bit disappointed, but I was also quite pleased to be in such great company. So they knew me from that, and so as luck would have it, I was touring with Ian McKellen in King Lear, playing the fool to his king, and we went to New Zealand. And they knew me before, but they were reminded of me again, and they saw Ian and I working on the stage together. I think they must have quite liked that." [LA Times, 3 Dec 2012]

It has been announced that Russell T Davies married his long-term partner Andrew Smith during the course of last week. The couple moved back to the United Kingdom last year so that they could be closer to friends and family after Andrew was diagnosed with cancer. [Anglotopia, 7 Dec 2012]

Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli talks about his love of Doctor Who: "I am absolutely addicted - in fact I dedicated a chapter of my autobiography (to it). When I first came to the UK I didn't understand English at all, so the first show I watched on TV was Doctor Who because you could follow the story and understand it without understanding the language. And I've been addicted since, it gets better and better and better. Unmissable! I am desperate to be in it - I'd pay for it!" [The One Show, 11 Dec 2012]

Former MP Louise Mensch is one of the contributors to the new book, Behind The Sofa: "I always had a sneaking suspicion that everyone in the world loves Doctor Who - well, now I have concrete proof. If I could get all the famous names who contributed to this book into one room, I think it would be the maddest convention ever. Until then, their favourite memories of the programme are preserved for all to see. Plus, everyone who buys a copy will be helping to give hope to the 820,000 people in the UK living with dementia today." [Telegraph, 3 Dec 2012]




FILTER: - People - Bernard Cribbins - Russell T Davies - Karen Gillan - Matt Smith

Sir Patrick Moore 1923-2012

Sunday, 9 December 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Sir Patrick MooreThe presenter, writer, and astronomer Sir Patrick Moore has died, aged 89.

Born in Middlesex but brought up in Sussex, Moore became fascinated by astronomy at an early age. He joined the British Astronomical Association aged 11, and by the age of 14 he was running a small observatory in East Grinstead. During the Second World War he served as a navigator in the RAF, achieving the rank of flight lieutenant, and during his training in Canada he met both Albert Einstein and Orville Wright.

Returning to his love of astronomy after the war, Moore published his first book Guide to the Moon in 1953, followed by Guide to the Planets and a fictional book, The Master of the Moon. Eventually, over sixty books were to follow in both genres.

On 26th April 1957, the UK was introduced to the very first edition of The Sky at Night, a show Moore would continue to present up until his death - having only missed one show in July 2004 due to illness, he appears in the Guinness World Records as the world's longest-serving television presenter. Highlights of the show include many of the manned missions into space and reaching the Moon. Also, on 1st April 2007 a spoof 50th anniversary version was broadcast, featuring Moore presenting as a Time Lord with impersonator Jon Culshaw and guitarist/astrophysicist Brian May.

As well as The Sky at Night, Moore was a regular on news and other magazine programmes throughout the decades, seldom to be seen without the trademark monocle he'd worn since he was 16. As a presenter, he could be seen during the 1990s on the computer/video games programme GamesMaster. He was also not afraid to poke fun at himself, with light-hearted appearances in shows such as The Morecambe and Wise Show, The Goodies, and Have I Got News For You.

Sir Patrick MooreOn 3rd April 2010, he appeared in Matt Smith's first full episode, The Eleventh Hour, playing himself as one of the experts contacted by the Doctor to help design a computer virus to alert the Atraxi to the whereabouts of Prisoner Zero.

As well as being one of the world's most famous astronomers, Moore was also a keen musician, regularly to be seen playing the xylophone, including appearances at the Royal Command Performance and The Royal Variety Performance. However, he had to give up performances in his later years as he suffered from arthritis, which had plagued him throughout his life. He was also a keen sportsman, playing cricket, golf, and chess.

Moore never married. His nurse fiancee was killed by a bomb that hit her ambulance in the Second World War, and he subsequently stated that "there was no-one else for me."

He received many honours thoughout his life, including - in 2001 - his knighthood for services to the popularisation of science and to broadcasting. The following year, Buzz Aldrin presented him with a BAFTA for services to television.

 
A statement from his family today said:
After a short spell in hospital last week, it was determined that no further treatment would benefit him, and it was his wish to spend his last days in his own home, Farthings, where he today passed on, in the company of close friends and carers and his cat Ptolemy. Over the past few years, Patrick, an inspiration to generations of astronomers, fought his way back from many serious spells of illness and continued to work and write at a great rate, but this time his body was too weak to overcome the infection which set in a few weeks ago. He was able to perform on his world record-holding TV Programme The Sky at Night right up until the most recent episode. His executors and close friends plan to fulfil his wishes for a quiet ceremony of interment, but a farewell event is planned for what would have been Patrick's 90th birthday in March 2013.

Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore (4 Mar 1923 - 9 Dec 2012)

News Links: BBC News; Guardian




FILTER: - People - Obituary

The Snowmen - Press Pack

Saturday, 8 December 2012 - Reported by Harry Ward
The BBC has released a press pack containing interviews with the main cast of the 2012 Christmas Special, The Snowmen.

Interview with Steven Moffat

Lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat gives us an insight into the monsters and adventures that we can expect from the Christmas special.

What can we expect from the Christmas special?

The Christmas episode is Doctor Who, only more so, and this year we're going for more epic. The Doctor, when we meet him, isn't in a good place. A bit like when we first encountered William Hartnell as the Doctor in 1963 - or indeed Christopher Eccleston in 2005 - this a cold and withdrawn Time Lord, wanting no part of the world around him. It's going to take a lot of Christmas spirit to get him back out those TARDIS doors.

Are there any new monsters?

Well there are Snowmen. You've probably guessed that from the title. But that's not all. Dear me, no! But monsters should always be a bit surprising, so that's all I'm saying.

How do you find writing the Christmas special as opposed to a regular episode? Does it differ at all?

You're very aware of the time of year, and the noisy, sugared-up, slightly tipsy household. Sometimes we play along with something a bit frothier. Though this year, we might just give them a fright!

Last time we saw the Doctor he said goodbye to the Ponds. Will we see a different side to the Doctor in this episode?

The Doctor is almost defined by his friendships. When they end, and the TARDIS is silent again, he's a very different man. He's lost a lot of people in the time we've known him, and this Christmas he's decided he's finally had enough...

This episode welcomes Jenna-Louise Coleman. What can you tell us about her character?

It's going to quite a journey of discovery with Jenna and her character - and it doesn't start here, it starts on Christmas day. For now, enough to say, that the Doctor in his darkest hour, long ago in a Victorian winter meets the exactly the right person. Or does he?

Interview with Matt Smith

Returning to screens on Christmas Day, it’s all change for Matt Smith’s Doctor with a new costume, a new hat and minus Amy Pond. Here he talks about what fans can expect from this festive treat and family tradition.

"Lots of snow and a rather good villain." Matt is chatting enthusiastically about this year’s Christmas special, The Snowmen. Set in a Victorian snow-covered England, the episode opens with the Doctor feeling more ‘bah humbug’ than festive, as he struggles to get over the loss of his companions the Ponds.

"He is slightly removed and not at his best," explains Matt. But after the Doctor meets a feisty young governess, Clara, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman, do we see a change in the Doctor? "You get to see a different side to him," Matt explains. "She is a very different to Amy Pond. That is the great thing about this show," he continues, "reinvention - it keeps me as an actor on my toes!"

As well as seeing Matt Smith’s Doctor for the first time without his old companions, Matt will be sporting a new costume, complete with top hat. "It is a bit like the Doctor meets the Artful Dodger," says Matt.

So can we expect to see a period of grieving following the loss of the Ponds? "Grieving has its place," says Matt, "but it is important to show that and then propel back into adventure!"

And that is exactly what this Christmas special does. Matt reveals that this Christmas the Doctor will embark on a dangerous adventure – a quest that leads him to Darkover House, where something sinister is lurking.

As well as guest starring Tom Ward (Silent Witness), Richard E Grant features as this year’s villain, Doctor Simeon. "He was a delight and brilliant at being villainous. Some actors are just made for the show and he was one of them. And he looked wonderful in Victorian garb," says Matt.

Now a family tradition, Matt is chuffed to be part of the Christmas special. "I love being part of them. Family TV on Christmas day is a great tradition and Doctor Who is at the heart of that."

So will Matt be making an appointment to watch on Christmas day? "Absolutely, I can’t wait."

Interview with Jenna-Louise Coleman

Having made a surprise appearance in the series opener Asylum of the Daleks in September, fans have already met the new companion... or have they? Here, Jenna-Louise gives a little bit of insight in to the character she plays in the festive episode and what we can expect from Clara.

"She is from the Victorian era and a mysterious one," explains Jenna. "Very down to earth, but feisty and curious too with numerous jobs," she continues, revealing more about new girl Clara.

Set in Victorian England, we first catch a glimpse of Clara as a barmaid in the ‘Rose and Crown’ pub, but after meeting the intriguing Doctor, she soon sets about following him, because as Jenna explains, "He has the answers to her questions." With his self-imposed solitude, the Doctor appears uninterested, but eventually gets drawn in as an army of evil snowmen cover London and it becomes apparent that Christmas and the world are at risk.

With Matt Smith revealing that she is a very different to Amy Pond, how does Jenna explain the dynamic of the relationship between the Doctor and Clara, following the loss of the Ponds in the epic mid-series finale The Angels Take Manhattan? "She isn’t intimidated by the Doctor," says Jenna. "Instead, she finds him amazing and ridiculous. But she is on her own mission and lives by her own means. She is very resourceful."

As well as a barmaid, Clara adopts the role of governess to two children in Darkover House, where something sinister is lurking in their garden and whose last governess hasn’t yet left the premises...

After being selected for the coveted role of companion, Jenna started filming in BBC Cymru Wales’ Roath Lock studios earlier this year and made her first appearance in series seven opener Asylum Of The Daleks. So how has she found the job so far? "Everyday is really surprising," she explains. "For the last two years, I have mainly been doing period dramas, so to be thrown into this world with loads of CGI is very different. Whole new sets are built in the space of a couple of weeks. For this episode, we had snow machines and it does make you feel like a big kid!"

Stepping into Karen Gillan’s shoes, who played Amy Pond, did Jenna receive any advice? "Karen has been great," explains Jenna. "She has texted me advice on Cardiff, like where to eat. And Matt always has an ear out for me."

Unlike the Doctor in this festive episode, Jenna isn’t a Christmas grump: "I love Christmas and will probably be sitting down with the family to watch this adventure on Christmas day! It is one of the shows that can do Christmas properly and this is a proper Christmas treat."

Interview with Richard E Grant

Having previously played the Doctor in the 2003 online animated series Scream Of The Shalka and during a Comic Relief spoof some years ago, Richard E Grant returns to Doctor Who, but this time as the villainous Doctor Simeon.

"I have been told that on pain of death I am not allowed to reveal anything about my role in the Christmas Special," explains Richard, "other than that this character has never been in Doctor Who before..."

Returning to Doctor Who for the third time, Richard explains, "I have had two 'brushes' with the Who phenomenon before, playing the Doctor in the cartoon digital version and the Comic Relief spoof some years ago, before the franchise was re-booted with Christopher Eccleston."

Richard is tasked with playing this year’s villain, the mysterious Doctor Simeon, who, with a vendetta to settle from childhood, recruits an army of evil and hungry snowmen to bring together his plan.

So how did Richard enjoy playing the villain? "When you're born with a 10-foot-long face, you don't get hero roles, but I'm not complaining, as I have hugely enjoyed the wide variety of parts I've got to play."

Growing up in Swaziland, Richard has had to devote time to catching up on the British institution, he explains: "Having grown up in a country without TV, I missed seeing Doctor Who through my childhood, but I have made up for lost time since with box sets."

As the Doctor battles to defeat Doctor Simeon and his army, Richard shared many scenes with Matt Smith - so what did he make of working Matt? "I have really admired Matt from when I first saw him in a play called That Face at the Royal Court Theatre some years ago," says Richard, "and have keenly followed his career progress. He is the perfect fit for Doctor Who. His interpretation is very kinetic and fast-talking."

So will Richard be watching this Christmas? "I love Christmas and everything about it. I will be at home and watching TV after lunch, hoping I can stay awake after the feast!"

Interview with Tom Ward

Tom has been star of Silent Witness for over 10 years, so that Doctor Who presents a departure for him - from the modern day to the world of sci-fi. Here he explains what we can expect from his character and whether he will be watching on Christmas Day.

"He hasn’t been used to dealing with his children," explains Tom, as he reveals a small insight into his character, Captain Latimer. "He wants to love them, but he is an old naval captain that has struggled to build a relationship."

Tom plays an archetypal Victorian gent, complete with a rather good beard. "Yes it is," laughs Tom, as he confirms the beard is real. "You often get the obligatory moustache in a Victorian drama, but I wanted to go further and the beard seemed appropriate."

Having spent 10 years in a drama not necessarily accessible to his children, Tom reveals he is excited to have done something they can watch. "My children are very excited that I am in Doctor Who and I am glad they have something that they can finally watch! My oldest child is 10, so this will give him bragging rights at school and hopefully me a little bit of school gate currency."

So what drew Tom to the role? "It was one of the best scripts I had read in a long time, and the thought of doing a period sci-fi was really fun."

With Tom admitting that his Doctor is Tom Baker, he expresses admiration for current Doctor, Matt Smith. "He is brilliant. He kept the set feeling happy and is full of energy," says Tom. "He has a great relationship with the crew." As well as co-starring Tom, the Christmas episode will also feature Richard E Grant. "I had one scene with him," explains Tom, "and he was a legend. An absolute delight."

In this episode we also meet Clara, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman for the first time. "She is a brilliant actress," says Tom, "full of life and energy, so funny and has a great rapport with Matt."

With Tom confirming that his children are fans, will he be watching on Christmas day? "We have just moved into the country, so it will be the family round and the fire blazing. I don’t normally like to watch myself on TV, but this time I think I will make an exception..."




FILTER: - Steven Moffat - People - Matt Smith - Series Specials - Jenna-Louise Coleman - Series 7/33

People Roundup

Wednesday, 5 December 2012 - Reported by John Bowman
Neil Gaiman will be in Tasmania next month as part of the music-and-arts-centred Mona Foma Festival. An Evening With Neil Gaiman is to be held at the Theatre Royal in Hobart on Sunday 20th January. (NB: Although the event is described as being suitable for all ages, explicit language is used in the theatre's web page about the show.)

In addition, Gaiman's urban fantasy TV series Neverwhere, which aired on BBC Two in 1996 and had an accompanying novelisation, is currently being made for BBC Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra. Adapted by Dirk Maggs, who is also co-directing it, and with a cast that includes Christopher Lee, Bernard Cribbins, Anthony Head, Yasmin Paige, David Harewood, Sophie Okonedo, Don Gilet, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Andrew Sachs, the six-parter is scheduled to be broadcast during the early part of 2013. [neilgaiman.com, 28 Nov 2012]

Sheila Hancock and Lee Evans are to star in a new comedy at Wyndham's Theatre in London next year. Barking In Essex tells the tale of a gangster fresh out of jail and returning to his dysfunctional family to retrieve more than £3.5m. It has been written by Clive Exton and will be directed by Harry Burton, with Evans playing the "dim-witted idiot of the criminal underbelly" Darnley and Hancock playing Emmie, described as Darnley's "Rottweiler mother". The production previews from Friday 6th September, opening on Monday 16th September. [BBC News, 30 Nov 2012]

A new play by David Haig that was due to open at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh next May before transferring to Chichester Festival Theatre has run into casting problems. Pressure, which is about the meteorologist Captain James Stagg, who had the task of predicting the weather ahead of the D-Day landings in the Second World War, has been postponed until spring 2014 while the search to find "the right person" to play Stagg continues. [The Stage, 30 Nov 2012]

Jessica Hynes and Olivia Colman have both been nominated as Best TV Comedy Actress in this year's British Comedy Awards. Colman has, in fact, been nominated twice - firstly for Rev and secondly for Twenty Twelve, with Hynes's nomination also being for Twenty Twelve. The spoof "mockumentary" about this year's London Olympics, which had a voiceover commentary by David Tennant, is itself up for Best Sitcom against, among others, The Thick Of It, which starred Peter Capaldi, and both Capaldi and Hugh Bonneville are vying for the title of Best TV Comedy Actor for their roles in those two respective shows. Meanwhile, David Mitchell is in the running for Best Male Television Comic and he is also among the nominees for the publicly-voted King and Queen of Comedy. The ceremony will be shown live on Channel 4 on Wednesday 12th December. [BBC News, 2 Dec 2012]

Tamsin Greig and Anne Reid will be among the guest stars appearing in a new darkly comic anthology that has just started filming for BBC Two. Written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, the six-part series, which has the working title of Inside No 9, will take a look at what goes on behind closed doors at six very different residences sharing the number 9. [BBC Media Centre, 3 Dec 2012]

Sheridan Smith - companion Lucie Miller to the Eighth Doctor in the Big Finish audio dramas - is to return as mystery-solver Jonathan Creek's sidekick Joey Ross in a new episode of the BBC One crime-comedy-drama. Filming on The Clue of the Savant's Thumb, written by David Renwick, starts later this month, with the 90-minute Jonathan Creek special due to air next Easter. [BBC Media Centre, 5 Dec 2012]




FILTER: - People - Special Events - Theatre - David Tennant - Awards/Nominations - Radio - Broadcasting

People Roundup

Friday, 30 November 2012 - Reported by John Bowman
David Tennant has been talking to STV's Moviejuice about his starring roles in the new seasonal film Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger! in which he plays twins Donald and Roderick Peterson. Not only was the film improvised in its entirety, it was also shot in sequence, and Tennant said of the improvisational nature of the film: "It was terrifying. But that's why you do certain things, isn't it? 'I've never done that before, that'll be utterly terrifying – so I'll have a go.'" The film also stars Jessica Hynes as Angel Matthews, Ian McNeice as Mr Peterson senior, and Jason Watkins as Mr Shakespeare. [STV Entertainment, 26 Nov 2012]

Katy Manning will be on tour in the Agatha Christie murder-mystery A Murder Is Announced early next year. Performances are as follows: Thursday 17th to Saturday 19th January: Capitol Theatre, Horsham; Tuesday 22nd to Saturday 26th January: Buxton Opera House; Tuesday 29th January to Saturday 2nd February: The Derby Theatre; Monday 4th to Saturday 9th February: Lincoln Theatre Royal; Tuesday 12th to Saturday 16th February: The Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage; Wednesday 27th February to Saturday 2nd March: Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke; Tuesday 5th to Saturday 9th March: Lyceum Theatre, Crewe.

Meanwhile, Colin Baker will be in the touring production of the Wilkie Collins thriller The Woman In White, starting at The Lighthouse Theatre, Poole, from Tuesday 22nd to Saturday 26th January. From Monday 28th to Thursday 31st January it will be at The Grand Theatre, Blackpool; Thursday 14th to Saturday 23rd February, Lincoln Theatre Royal; Tuesday 26th February to Saturday 2nd March, Garrick Theatre, Lichfield, finishing its run at the Theatre Royal, Windsor, from Monday 4th to Saturday 9th March.

Baker was voted off I'm A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here! earlier this week. He was the fourth contestant to go. As previously reported, he joined the ITV1 reality show, based in a jungle in Australia, earlier this month.

Bernard Cribbins narrates the CBeebies panto Jack And The Beanstalk, which airs as a simulcast on the CBeebies channel and BBC One on Friday 21st December at 4.30pm. Featuring all the CBeebies presenters, it was performed at The Palace Theatre in Manchester. [BBC Media Centre, 27 Nov 2012]

Sheila Hancock will be among the new celebrity contestants on this year's Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Day special on BBC One, with previous contestant Ann Widdecombe making a guest appearance. [BBC Media Centre, 28 Nov 2012]

David Morrissey has begun filming the second series of BBC Scotland's crime drama Field Of Blood in Glasgow. He plays editor Murray Devlin. Filming will continue until late December, with the thriller to be shown next year. [BBC Media Centre, 29 Nov 2012]

Director Farren Blackburn has his first feature film released in the UK and USA next spring. Hammer Of The Gods, which stars Charlie Bewley and James Cosmo, is set in Britain of 871AD and tells the story of a young Viking warrior sent by his father, the king, on a quest to find his estranged brother, who was banished from the kingdom years earlier. [Bleeding Cool, 27 Nov 2012]

A six-part spy thriller by Toby Whithouse has been commissioned by BBC Cymru Wales for BBC One. Set in the world of 1970s espionage, The Game will tell the story of the invisible war fought by MI5 to protect the nation from the threats of the Cold War. The drama is to be executive-produced by Whithouse, Brian Minchin, and Faith Penhale (head of drama at BBC Cymru Wales). [BBC Media Centre, 30 Nov 2012]

Adam Simmonds, the newly-elected police and crime commissioner for Northamptonshire, wants to see police boxes back on the county's streets. He said: "I would like to bring a focal point back into villages. It's all about putting the police back on to the streets and I would love to be able to put Tardises back in every community." He added that he hoped to work with Northampton-born Matt Smith to launch his Blue Box Initiative. [Northampton Chronicle & Echo, 25 Nov 2012]

In Memoriam:

The actor Roger Hammond has died at the age of 76. A contemporary of Waris Hussein, Derek Jacobi, and Clive Swift at Cambridge University, he trained at RADA and had a varied and accomplished career on the stage and TV as well as in film and on radio. Hammond appeared in three episodes of Doctor Who, firstly as the Elizabethan philosopher, statesman, scientist, author, and jurist Francis Bacon in The Executioners (episode 1 of The Chase) in 1965 and then as Doctor Runciman - the resident physician at Brendon School - in the first and final parts of Mawdryn Undead in 1983. [The Stage obituary by Martin Jarvis, 23 Nov 2012]

With Thanks To Paula Bentham




FILTER: - People - Theatre - David Tennant - Broadcasting - Colin Baker

Dinah Sheridan (1920-2012)

Sunday, 25 November 2012 - Reported by John Bowman
Dinah SheridanThe actress Dinah Sheridan died today - 29 years to the day she was seen by TV viewers in the UK as the Time Lady Chancellor Flavia in the 20th-anniversary story The Five Doctors.

Sheridan, who was 92, made her film debut aged just 15 but put her acting career on hold to become an ambulance driver when the Second World War broke out. She appeared in a few films during the war but her career started to take off after the war ended, and in 1953 she achieved real success with Genevieve, a comedy about a veteran car rally and notable for Doctor Who fans for the presence of genuine police boxes in shot!

Marriage and health problems subsequently saw Sheridan retire from acting for a number of years but she made a triumphant return on the big screen in 1970 with The Railway Children, co-starring Bernard Cribbins. Among her many TV roles, she appeared with Nigel Havers in Don't Wait Up (which also featured Jane How, Simon Williams, Timothy Bateson, Milton Johns, and Wanda Ventham) as well as Keith Barron and Angus Lennie in All Night Long - both BBC TV sitcoms.

Married four times, Sheridan had three children with her first husband, Jimmy Hanley. Their first child, a daughter, tragically died just three days after she was born in 1944. Their other two children were Jeremy Hanley, who for a time was chairman of the Conservative party, and the actress and presenter Jenny Hanley.

Sheridan died peacefully at home in Northwood, Middlesex, surrounded by her family, said her agent.




FILTER: - People - Obituary

People Roundup

Sunday, 11 November 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster
David Tennant made his Star Wars "debut" this weekend in The Clone Wars episode A Test of Strength, providing the voice of droid Huyang. Supervising director Dave Filoni (a Doctor Who fan himself) said: "When I heard the Doctor himself, David Tennant, was a fan of Star Wars I knew I had to find a way to get in contact with him to see if he would perform on The Clone Wars. The result was 'Huyang,' an ancient droid in the service of the Jedi Order, whose sole task in life has been overseeing the construction of lightsabers. I thought David was perfect for the part and he did not disappoint. He delivered a performance which impressed even the Master himself, George Lucas." [IGN, 6 Nov 2012]


Clip featuring David Tennant as the voice of Huyang, IGN

The actor has also contributed artwork to an auction by the Steps’ Youth Achievement Award group, aimed to help youngsters in Weymouth; his sketch of K9 was won by an American bidder for £311. [Dorset Echo, 3 Nov 2012]

Former Doctor Who actress Karen Gillan talks about her new life in the USA: "I'm looking forward to embracing the culture. It's completely alien. There's loads of vegans but I won't turn vegan. I'm too Scottish. I love haggis. I loved Alabama because it reminds me of my home town. There is no one there and there is a lot of fried food. My guilty pleasure is Mars bars put in the deep fat fryer." [Daily Record, 4 Nov 2012]

Torchwood actress Eve Myles has been filming a new series, Frankie, which will be shown by BBC1 spring next year: "This is an incredible leading part for a female. It's tremendous pressure but also tremendously exciting. I can't wait to step into Frankie's shoes and get on set. I'm desperate to start. Lucy Gannon is an incredible writer and writes relationships so beautifully." [WalesOnline, 3 Nov 2012]

David Morrissey recently appeared on The Craig Ferguson Show to promote his appearance in The Walking Dead; spotting the police box on the host's desk he went on to briefly chat about his appearance in 2009's Christmas Special: "After we'd finished filming it, David Tennant announced that he was going to leave, so Russell T Davies said 'do you mind if we spin the story about you maybe being the next Doctor?' I said no and he said 'you CAN'T tell anyone that you're not going to be the next Doctor!' I said sure but I can tell my kids and he went 'NO!' - so for six/seven months my kids were going 'are you going to be Doctor Who?' and I'd say do your homework and I might tell you!" [The Craig Ferguson Show, 30 Oct 2012]

Director Michael E Briant is due to engage in a webchat on Monday 26th November from 8pm to 9pm to discuss his career and his autobiography, Who is Michael E Briant? [Tony Jordan/Planet Mondas, 5 Nov 2012]

Anne Reid, Sarah Lancashire, and Derek Jacobi star in the forthcoming BBC One romantic comedy Last Tango In Halifax. The six-part series starts on Tuesday 20th November at 9pm.




FILTER: - People - Karen Gillan - David Tennant