Doctor Who - The Movie on UKTV

Saturday, 3 August 2013 - Reported by Paul Scoones

UKTV

Sunday 4th August sees the broadcast of Doctor Who - The Movie, starring Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, on Australian and New Zealand television.

This screening represents the culmination of a chronological run through selected stories of the classic series, to mark the 50th Anniversary season of Doctor Who on the UKTV channel.

The story is scheduled to screen in Australia at 4:45pm and in New Zealand at 5:00pm with an additional screening in New Zealand on Monday 5th August at 3:40am.
The TV Movie (Credit: BBC)
The UKTV listing describes the story as follows:
The TARDIS arrives in San Francisco on New Year's Eve 1999. As the clock counts down to the start of the new millennium, can the Doctor stop his oldest enemy destroying all life on Earth?
The movie was first broadcast in Australia in July 1996 and in New Zealand in October of the same year.

The Doctor Who screenings lined up on UKTV for the remainder of August are entirely different for Australia and New Zealand.

Australia has: Doctor Who Proms (11th August), Doctor Who America Specials: The Science of Doctor Who and The Timey Wimey Stuff of Doctor Who (18th August), and Doctor Who America Specials: The Destinations of Doctor Who and The Women of Doctor Who (25th August).

Whereas New Zealand's line-up includes: The Dalek Invasion of Earth (11th August), The Three Doctors (18th August), and Pyramids of Mars (25th August). These are all repeats of stories previously screened on UKTV earlier this year.

Selected stories from the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors' eras are expected to screen on UKTV in September, October and November this year.

Up-and-coming broadcasts from both 20th and 21st Century series of Doctor Who can be found via UKTV's Doctor Who sections for Australia and New Zealand.





FILTER: - Classic Series - WHO50 - New Zealand - Australia

The Curse of Fenric and Survival on UKTV

Saturday, 27 July 2013 - Reported by Paul Scoones

UKTV

Sunday 28th July sees the broadcast of the 1989 Sylvester McCoy stories, The Curse of Fenric and Survival on Australian and New Zealand television. The stories are presented as part of the 50th Anniversary season of Doctor Who on the UKTV channel.


Karra, [Cat person] played by Lisa Bowerman
In Australia The Curse of Fenric screens at 3:00pm and Survival at 5:00pm.

In New Zealand The Curse of Fenric screens at 3:25pm and Survival at 5:05pm with additional screenings on Monday 29th July at 2:55am and 4:35am respectively.

No billing information has been provided for The Curse of Fenric, but the listing for Survival describes the story as follows:
The Seventh Doctor brings Ace back to her home of Perivale. Her friends are being kidnapped by a race of alien hunters who were shown the way to Earth by the Doctor's old enemy the Master.
The two stories were first broadcast in New Zealand July-September 1990 and in Australia in November of the same year.

UKTV is showing stories throughout the year in the lead-up to the anniversary in November. Next week sees the broadcast of Doctor Who (the TV Movie) in both countries on 4th August.

Australia and New Zealand's schedules are entirely different for the remainder of August.

Australia has Doctor Who Proms (11 Aug), Doctor Who America Specials: The Science of Doctor Who and The Timey Wimey Stuff of Doctor Who (18 Aug), and Doctor Who America Specials: The Destinations of Doctor Who and The Women of Doctor Who.

New Zealand's line-up includes: The Dalek Invasion of Earth (11 Aug), The Three Doctors (18 Aug), and Pyramids of Mars (25 Aug).

Up-and-coming broadcasts from both 20th and 21st Century series of Doctor Who can be found via UKTV's Doctor Who sections for Australia and New Zealand.





FILTER: - Classic Series - WHO50 - New Zealand - Australia

Character: 50th Anniversary Doctor Micro-Figures

Friday, 26 July 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Character have announced the release of a new collection of micro-figures for each of the eleven current Doctors.

Character Building: 50th Anniversary Doctor micro-figures (Credit: Character)As the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who moves ever closer, a brand new ultimate range of Doctor Who micro-figures featuring all 11 incarnations of the Doctors will be released for the Character Building collection.

The latest series of Character Building Doctor Who micro-figures features all 11 incarnations of the Doctor. Each highly detailed and fully articulated micro-figure is sealed within a bag to keep the figure hidden, giving a surprise each time. Finding them all will be a challenge as some figures will be harder to find than others.

Within the new range, certain incarnations of the Time Lord will be classed as Rare, Super Rare or Ultra Rare:
  • Rare - Tenth Doctor, with just 500 pieces in circulation
  • Super Rare - Third and Fifth Doctor with only 250 pieces
  • Ultra Rare - Second and Eleventh Doctor with merely 100 pieces each to be found

Each comes with its own display base and collector’s leaflet highlighting all the characters available in this special series. Whether, Rare, Super Rare, Ultra Rare or one of the remaining six, these micro-figures will make treasured mementoes in a landmark year. The question is... Who will be the first to collect them all?




FILTER: - Merchandise - Character - WHO50

Doctor Who at San Diego Comic Con 2013

Monday, 22 July 2013 - Reported by Harry Ward
Matt Smith, Jenna Coleman and Steven Moffat (Credit: BBC America) Doctor Who once again had a presence at this year's San Diego Comic Con. Fans in the packed Hall H were treated to an exclusive screening of a trailer for the 50th Anniversary episode as well as a trailer for An Adventure In Space and Time.

Steven Moffat told fans who saw the trailer to not leak any audio or video footage of it or there would be no more exclusives at the convention in future years.

The panel was hosted by Craig Ferguson and consisted of Matt Smith, Jenna Coleman, Steven Moffat, Marcus Wilson, Mark Gatiss and David Bradley. Before the panel took place, Smith disguised himself as Bart Simpson as he wandered the convention floor while talking to Doctor Who fans in an American accent.

The cast and crew had a busy few days doing lots of interviews. A selection of these are below.

As part of Entertainment Weekly's Star Portrait series, Smith, Coleman, Gatiss and Bradley had their pictures taken for the publication.
Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman (Credit: Entertainment Weekly) Matt Smith (Credit: Entertainment Weekly) Jenna Coleman (Credit: Entertainment Weekly) David Bradley and Mark Gatiss (Credit: Entertainment Weekly)

Karen Gillan takes off her wig (Credit: Getty)
Karen Gillan shocked fans at Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy panel by showing off a new look. The actress will be playing Nebula in the film which required her to shave her hair off. She was wearing a wig before she took it off at the panel. The video footage of that is viewable here. She was also there taking part in interviews for NTSF:SD:SUV. A clip featuring Gillan in one of the episodes can be viewed here.

John Barrowman was also at the convention as part of the Arrow panel. In an interview with That Hashtag Show he discussed Doctor Who and said he would like a female Doctor. During the fan questions of the Doctor Who panel, Moffat was asked why Captain Jack wasn't in the 50th Anniversary episode, to which he replied: "How do you know what is or is not in the 50th? I've lied my arse off for months - you know nothing, so don't make presumptions."




FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Special Events - USA - Karen Gillan - WHO50

BFI Eighth And Tenth Doctor Screenings

Friday, 19 July 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
The BFI today announced details for its celebratory screenings marking the eras of the Eighth and Tenth Doctors - with both happening within a week of each other but in reverse order.

The Tenth Doctor will be honoured on Sunday 29th September at 2pm with the Series 4 two-part finale The Stolen Earth and Journey's End, while the sole TV outing - so far - for the Eighth Doctor will be shown on the big screen on Saturday 5th October at 10am.

The adventures are being shown at BFI Southbank as part of the organisation's Doctor Who At 50 season.

The Series 4 finale episodes - written by Russell T Davies and directed by Graeme Harper - first aired on 28th June and 5th July 2008 respectively, and saw the universe crumbling and a number of planets, including Earth, having been stolen by Davros as part of his plot threatening the whole of reality. Julian Bleach took on the mantle of the Daleks' creator, with all the companions seen in the revamped series uniting with the Doctor to defeat the evil, mad Kaled scientist and the Daleks.

Meanwhile, the big-budget TV Movie - written by Matthew Jacobs and directed by Geoffrey Sax - originally aired in the UK on 27th May 1996 (although it had its global TV premiere in Canada on 12th May 1996, having been filmed entirely in the country) and saw the Seventh Doctor regenerate into the Eighth. It also featured the return of the Master - this time played by Eric Roberts - and a new-look TARDIS interior, in an adventure set in San Francisco on the eve of the year 2000 and with the whole of Earth at stake as the Master attempts to take the Doctor's remaining regenerations.

Tickets to both events will be issued via a ballot system through the members' section. Separate ballots are being held for each event but the same dates will apply for both. BFI Champions can enter the ballots on Monday 5th August and members from Tuesday 6th August. The ballots will close on Friday 9th August and will be run over the weekend of 10th and 11th August, with all entrants being notified on Monday 12th August whether they have been successful or not.

All tickets reserved for Champions and members via the ballots will be held for claiming by them until 8.30pm on Friday 16th August. Any that are unclaimed by then will be released for public sale on Saturday 17th August.

The guests for both events will be announced in due course.




FILTER: - Special Events - UK - Eighth Doctor - BFI - WHO50 - Tenth Doctor

AudioGo: August releases

Friday, 19 July 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
AudioGo's ongoing celebration of 50 Years of Doctor Who reaches the Eighth Doctor in August, with he and Charlie facing Enemy Aliens in the Destiny of the Doctor series. Meanwhile, the Seventh Doctor performs at The Greatest Show in the Galaxy in the latest Target novelisation adaptation, and the Eleventh Doctor's former compantion Amelia Pond writes about when Summer Falls in an audio adaptation of the e-book released earlier this year.

Destiny of the Doctor: Enemy Aliens (Credit: AudioGo)Destiny of the Doctor: Enemy Aliens
Starring India Fisher, with Michael Maloney (pre-order)

1935: a message from a Time Lord in trouble sends the Eighth Doctor and Charlotte ‘Charley’ Pollard to the streets of London’s West End, in search of a mysterious alien adversary – unaware that something monstrous is already on their trail.

They soon discover that an insidious conspiracy is indeed at work, its tentacles extending the length of the British Isles. Proving its existence won’t be easy, however, after a confrontation in a music hall ends up with the Doctor under arrest and Charley on the run, suspected of murder. All their hopes rest in a musical clue and a man named Hilary – neither of which are much consolation, with the two time travellers the object of a nationwide manhunt.

And all the while, the enemy aliens are drawing closer and closer still...

India Fisher - Charley in the Big Finish Doctor Who audio series - and Michael Maloney perform this original story by Alan Barnes, with music and sound design.


To be in with a chance to win one of three copies of Enemy Aliens courtesy of AudioGo, answer the following question:
Charlie travelled with the Eighth Doctor for a number of years, they are eventually separated during an encounter with the Cybermen - but what happened to her next?
Send your answer to comp-aliens@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Shh. Spoilers!", along with your name, address, and where you saw the competition (the news website, twitter, facebook, etc.). Only one entry per postal address will be accepted. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is 31st July 2013.
Doctor Who - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (Credit: AudioGo)The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
Written by Stephen Wyatt
Read by Sophie Aldred (pre-order)

CREEPY. That's what Ace thinks of clowns. But the Doctor insists on entering the talent contest at the Psychic Circus, the self-proclaimed Greatest Show in the Galaxy, on the planet Segonax. What has reduced Segonax to an arid wasteland? Why have the happy-go-lucky circus folk stayed here so long? And why are they no longer happy? Above all, what is the dreadful truth about the 'talent contests' run by the sinister Ringmaster and his robot clowns?

The Doctor and Ace need all their death-defying skills in the big top to uncover a brooding, ancient evil that has broken the spirit of the Circus and demanded the sacrifice of so many lives.

Sophie Aldred, who played Ace in Doctor Who, reads Stephen Wyatt's complete and unabridged novelisation, first published by Target Books in 1989.


To be in with a chance to win one of three copies of The Greatest Show in the Galaxy courtesy of AudioGo, answer the following question:
Due to a re-arrangement of the running order of Season 25, The Greatest Show in the Galaxy ended up being broadcast last in the season - name an on-screen continuity error this introduced for the preceding Silver Nemesis (which would originally have been broadcast afterwards)?
Send your answer to comp-greatestshow@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Roll up, roll up!", along with your name, address, and where you saw the competition. Only one entry per postal address will be accepted. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is 31st July 2013.
Summer Falls (Credit: AudioGo)Summer Falls
Read by Clare Corbett (pre-order)

Clare Corbett reads this enchanting tale of a peculiar painting, a talking cat and a very odd Curator, inspired by the Doctor Who episode 'The Bells of Saint John'...

In the seaside village of Watchcombe, young Kate is determined to make the most of her last week of summer holiday. But when she discovers a mysterious painting entitled 'The Lord of Winter' in a charity shop, it leads her on an adventure she never could have planned. Kate soon realises the old seascape, painted long ago by an eccentric local artist, is actually a puzzle. And with the help of some bizarre new acquaintances - including a museum curator's magical cat, a miserable neighbour, and a lonely boy - she plans on solving it. And then, one morning, Kate wakes up to a world changed forever. For the Lord of Winter is coming - and Kate has a very important decision to make.


To be in with a chance to win one of three copies of Summer Falls courtesy of AudioGo, answer the following question:
Which chapter of the book, according to Clara, is the best?
Send your answer to comp-summer@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "You'll cry your eyes out", along with your name, address, and where you saw the competition. Only one entry per postal address will be accepted. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is 31st July 2013.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Eighth Doctor - Seventh Doctor - Competitions - WHO50

Silva Screen: forthcoming releases

Friday, 19 July 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Silva Screen has announced the next of its 50th Anniversary soundtrack collection on CD, with the release of the score of the final story to be recorded in the original run of Doctor Who, the Sylvester McCoy adventure Ghost Light.

Ghost Light (soundtrack) (Credit: Silva Screen)Doctor Who - Ghost Light

Mark Ayres' dark and mysterious synth score to Marc Platt’s 3-part TV series with Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor.

Originally released on Silva Screen Records in 1993, in this new version Ghost Light is freshly re-mastered from the original analogue stereo master tapes with consecutive cues combined into longer tracks. Also included are additional tracks previously omitted and the complete initial "demo" version of the music for Part One. The album presents the score
in story order.

Though the score features small themes and motifs, the musical narrative relies on "sounds" rather than "themes". The composer juxtaposes the tender sound of strings, harp, clarinet with native drums and unearthly sounds of pipes, distorted gong, organ and choir.

Ghost Light was the final production of the series' original 26-year run.

A television composer best known for scoring the original series of Doctor Who, Mark Ayres' work encompasses the era of Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor and includes scores for The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, Ghost Light, and The Curse of Fenric. Ayres was also part of BBC’s unofficial Doctor Who Restoration Team and has done much of audio restoration from the later VHS Doctor Who releases.

  1. Doctor Who (Opening Theme)
  2. The Madhouse
  3. Redvers, I Presume?
  4. Uncharted Territory
  5. Heart of the Interior
  6. Gwendoline
  7. The Fang of a Cave Bear
  8. Enter Josiah
  9. Indoor Lightning
  10. Nimrod Observed
  11. Time to Emerge
  12. Burnt Toast
  13. Ace's Adventures Underground
  14. Where is Mamma?
  15. Loss of Control
  16. The Way to the Zoo
  17. The Hungry Inspector
  18. The Memory Teller
  19. Lighting the Touchpaper
  20. Homo Victorianus Ineptus
  21. Out of the Shadows
  22. Light Enlightened
  23. Tropic of Perivale
  24. Tricks of the Light
  25. Judgement in Stone
  26. Requiem
  27. Passing Thoughts
  28. Doctor Who (Closing Theme)
  29. The Madhouse (alternative)
  30. Redvers, I Presume? (alternative)
  31. Uncharted Territory (alternative)
  32. Heart of the Interior (alternative)
  33. Gwendoline (alternative)
  34. The Fang of a Cave Bear (alternative)
  35. Enter Josiah (alternative)
  36. Indoor Lightning (alternative)
  37. Nimrod Observed (alternative)
  38. Time to Emerge (alternative)
  39. Burnt Toast (alternative)
  40. Ace's Adventures Underground (alternative)

The CD is due to be released on 26th August 2013.


Also coming out on 19th August is a 12" vinyl release of the Series 1+2 album, originally released on CD in 2006. The two records include all of the tracks from the original. Meanwhile, music from the most recent television series is due to be released as a two-disc collection on CD later in the Autumn.

Series 1 & 2 (soundtrack) (Credit: Silva Screen) Series 7 (soundtrack) (Credit: Silva Screen)

UPDATE - 15th AUGUST: Silva Screen has announced that because of a problem at the factory the release date of the vinyl albums has been delayed, with Monday 2nd September now the likely date.

Win a copy of Ghost Light!

Thanks to Silva Screen we have three copies of the CD for our readers to win. To be in with a chance, simply answer this question:
In Ghost Light, when Ace discovers that the Doctor has taken her back to the house she hated from her youth, she asks if he too has things he hates - name one of his responses.
Please send your answer to comp-ghostlight@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "We all have a universe of our own terrors to face", along with your name, address, and where you read about this competition. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date will be on 24th August 2013. Only one entry per household will be accepted.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Seventh Doctor - Competitions - WHO50

The Greatest Show in the Galaxy on UKTV

Wednesday, 17 July 2013 - Reported by Paul Scoones

UKTV


Sunday 21st July sees the broadcast of the 1988 Sylvester McCoy story, The Greatest Show in the Galaxy on Australian and New Zealand television. The story is presented as part of the 50th Anniversary season of Doctor Who on the UKTV channel.

The story screens at 4:30pm in Australia, and 4:40pm in New Zealand. The latter country has an additional screening on Monday 22nd July at 4:00am.

The UKTV billing describes the story as follows:
The Doctor & Ace head for the Psychic Circus on the planet Segonax, where they meet a disparate group of performers & visitors, including an explorer - Captain Cook.
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy was first broadcast in Australia in November 1989, and in New Zealand in April 1990.

UKTV is showing stories throughout the year in the lead-up to the anniversary in November. In July the focus is on Sylvester McCoy's Seventh Doctor. The remainder of the month's schedule includes: The Curse of Fenric and Survival (both 28 July).

Up-and-coming broadcasts from both 20th and 21st Century series of Doctor Who can be found via UKTV's Doctor Who sections for Australia and New Zealand.





FILTER: - Classic Series - WHO50 - New Zealand - Australia

Hadoke To Perform One-Nighter Double Bill Of Stage Shows

Tuesday, 16 July 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
Toby Hadoke is to perform both his critically-acclaimed solo Doctor Who stage shows as a double bill in the West End for one night.

The actor, writer, comedian, and Sony Gold Award nominee - who also moderates commentaries on Doctor Who DVD releases as well as being a columnist for Doctor Who Magazine - will be bringing Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf and its sequel My Stepson Stole My Sonic Screwdriver together for the first - and possibly only - time to the Garrick Theatre in Charing Cross Road on Sunday 17th November at 7pm.

Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf

Get out from behind that sofa and get aboard Toby Hadoke's TARDIS on a trip through time – charting the rise, fall, and rise again of a television legend. This delightful show is a personal, satirical, and razor-sharp comic odyssey from child to man, through obsession, joy, and disappointment.
My Stepson Stole My Sonic Screwdriver

Join Toby as he takes you on a heart-warming journey that begins with losing a partner, ends with gaining a stepson, and pays homage to the restorative powers of the Time Lord in between. Intimate knowledge of the TARDIS is not required to enjoy this bitter-sweet comedy of parenting through sci-fi evangelism.
Tickets for the double bill, which is taking place to mark the programme's 50th anniversary, went on sale this morning and can be booked via this link or by phoning 0844 482 9673 (please check with your phone service provider for call charges).

Meanwhile, My Stepson Stole My Sonic Screwdriver is being taken on tour again later this year, with the dates listed on Hadoke's website.




FILTER: - Special Events - UK - Theatre - WHO50

Remembrance of the Daleks on UKTV

Friday, 12 July 2013 - Reported by Paul Scoones

UKTV

Sunday 14th July sees the broadcast of the 1988 Sylvester McCoy story, Remembrance of the Daleks on Australian and New Zealand television. The story is presented as part of the 50th Anniversary season of Doctor Who on the UKTV channel.

The story screens at 4:20pm in Australia, and 4:40pm in New Zealand. The latter country has an additional screening on Monday 15th July at 4:05am.
remembrance_05
The UKTV billing describes the story as follows:
Unusual events are unfolding at Coal Hill School & the Doctor discovers that the Daleks are on the trail of Time Lord technology which he left on Earth centuries ago.
Remembrance of the Daleks was first broadcast in Australia in 1988 (the last episode screened on 23rd November, marking the 25th anniversary). New Zealand did not get to see the story until February 1990.

UKTV is showing stories throughout the year in the lead-up to the anniversary in November. In July the focus is on Sylvester McCoy's Seventh Doctor. The rest of the month's schedule includes: The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (21 July); The Curse of Fenric and Survival (both 28 July).

Up-and-coming broadcasts from both 20th and 21st Century series of Doctor Who can be found via UKTV's Doctor Who sections for Australia and New Zealand.





FILTER: - Classic Series - WHO50 - New Zealand - Australia