The Radio Times: BAFTA coversBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 8 April 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Doctor Who makes the front cover of the Radio Times once again as the magazine celebrates this year's BAFTA Nominations. As mentioned yesterday, the Radio Times Audience Award is open to the public vote over which of Doctor Who (The Day of the Doctor), Broadchurch, Educating Yorkshire, Gogglebox, Breaking Bad, and The Great British Bakeoff is the best British drama over the last year.

As well as the latest Matt Smith/Jenna Coleman cover joining a Doctor Who collection way exceeding 50 in recent years, actor David Tennant has adorned over 20 himself, this time alongside Olivia Colman to represent writer Chris Chibnall's crime drama Broadchurch!

Radio Times (12-18 Apr 2014) - Doctor Who cover (Credit: Radio Times) Radio Times (12-18 Apr 2014) - Broadchurch cover (Credit: Radio Times)

Readers can vote for Doctor Who their favourite drama via the Radio Times website.





FILTER: - Matt Smith - Jenna Coleman - David Tennant - Awards/Nominations - Radio Times

Matt Smith to play for England in Soccer Aid 2014Bookmark and Share

Monday, 17 March 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
Matt Smith will be playing football for England when he takes part in this year's Soccer Aid.

And he'll be facing a former nemesis in the shape of Michael Sheen - who provided the voice of the sinister House in The Doctor's Wife - at the charity event at Old Trafford on Sunday 8th June. Doors open at 5pm and kick-off is at 8pm, with the match being broadcast live on ITV.

It is being held in aid of the global children's charity UNICEF, with Smith signed up for Robbie Williams's England team. Meanwhile, Sheen is heading the opposing Rest of the World side. Joining Smith on the England squad will be Bradley Walsh, who appeared in The Sarah Jane Adventures story The Day of the Clown.

Before he became an actor, Smith's dream was to be a professional footballer, and he played for the youth teams at Northampton Town, Nottingham Forest, and Leicester City, but the spinal condition spondylosis wrecked his sporting hopes. However, he retains links to the game through his avid support for Blackburn Rovers, and the 2010 episode The Lodger saw the actor don a number 11 football shirt as the Doctor and lead fictional pub team The King's Arms to victory.

Williams, who is UNICEF's UK ambassador, said:
Soccer Aid returns for the fifth time in June and I admit there are scores to settle.

Leading the England team, I will be making sure we defend that trophy against Rest of the World. There's never been a better time for us to show our support for UNICEF, so please dig deep and buy your tickets now!
And UNICEF UK executive director David Bull said:
Soccer Aid 2014 will raise vital money to help some of the world's most vulnerable children get life-saving food, medicine and clean water.

Every day, children are in serious danger and thousands die needlessly in the struggle against poverty, hunger and disease. It's time for us all to act. Please, buy a ticket to go to Soccer Aid or watch the match on ITV and help us change children's lives.
In the past six years, Soccer Aid has raised more than £12m to help children around the world.

Tickets for the match cost from £20 for adults and from £5 for under-16s and over-65s, with premium seats at £40 (plus booking fees), and can be bought via the Soccer Aid site.

Sheen features briefly in his kit in the promotional video below, while The Lodger guest star James Corden can also be seen cheering:


Other celebrities on the England team are Stephen Moyer, Jamie Theakston, Mark Owen, Jack Whitehall, Damian Lewis, Paddy McGuinness, John Bishop and Olly Murs, while Sheen's celebrity players will include James McAvoy, Nicky Byrne, Adam Richman, Patrick Kielty and Gordon Ramsay. Former professional footballers joining the England side are Teddy Sheringham, Jamie Redknapp, David Seaman, Paul Ince and Jamie Carragher, with Jaap Stam and Edwin van der Sar among those playing for Rest of the World.

UPDATE - 8th JUNE: Sadly, Matt Smith was unable to take part in the game because of an injury. In a statement, he said:

It is with great disappointment that I will have to withdraw from this year's Soccer Aid as a result of injury. I have always wanted to play at Old Trafford, a personal dream, and was hugely excited to have the opportunity to support UNICEF. I do hope I will be invited to join Soccer Aid and UNICEF in the future and play football for such a good cause.

I really am so sorry to disappoint anyone who may have bought tickets to see me play. I can't express my apologies enough. However, I am certain this year's incredible line-up will still entertain and, most importantly, continue to raise money for children all over the world.




FILTER: - Special Events - UK - ITV - Matt Smith - Charities

Whoniverse Australia CancelledBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 26 February 2014 - Reported by Marcus
A Town Called Mercy. Photo: BBCThe Hub productions Whoniverse event has been cancelled following the withdrawal of Matt Smith from the event for family reasons.

The convention was due to hit the four main Australia cities over the next two weeks, bringing together the original Eleventh Doctor team of Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill. Although Gillan pulled out of part of the tour last week, the absence of Matt Smith has proved a fatal blow with the organisers having no choice but to cancel the event.

Matt Smith is unable to leave the UK at present due to a family matter. He gave the convention organisers the following statement.
I am deeply saddened to have to advise that I will not be able to come to Australia for the Hub Productions' Whoniverse event. Although I wish it were otherwise, due to a personal family emergency it's not possible for me to leave England at this time. I truly regret the situation, and the disappointment it must be causing, but I'm hoping to be able to reschedule as soon as possible for the future; I look forward to see you all then.
The organisers have said they are working to try to bring the team to future events, but in the meantime, Ticketek will be in touch regarding refunds.




FILTER: - Matt Smith - Conventions - Australia

Smith and Gillan - The first camera testBookmark and Share

Friday, 21 February 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
Karen Gillan has posted online one of the first pictures of herself and Matt Smith in costume as Amy Pond and the Doctor - taken at their initial camera test.

The actress shared the image via Twitter on Tuesday, saying: "1st pic of Matt and I [sic] in character was released 4 yrs ago today [sic], but, I have the real one..from the 1st camera test".

Having already appeared in the show as a soothsayer in The Fires of Pompeii in April 2008, Gillan made her debut as Amy two years later in The Eleventh Hour on 3rd April 2010.

On 17th February 2010, the BBC released a montage shot featuring the duo to promote the start of Series 5, as reported by Doctor Who News, with the world having been given its first look at Gillan and Smith in costume seven months earlier, when an official image was released as filming began on the series - also reported by Doctor Who News.

It is currently unknown when exactly the test photo - shown below - was taken.





FILTER: - Doctor Who - Karen Gillan - Matt Smith - Miscellaneous - Series 5/31

Matt Smith sends message to young fanBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 19 February 2014 - Reported by Marcus

Matt Smith has sent a personal video message to a four-year-old fan recently diagnosed with a serious illness.

The News, Portsmouth reports that Jack Robinson, who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour last month, received a video message from the actor, who is currently in Austin, Texas.

Since he was diagnosed, Jack's family have been trying to make the boy's dreams come true. When singer-songwriter Gary Barlow heard about their challenge he arranged for the actor to record the video message.

Terry Robinson, Jack's dad, said:
Jack was over the moon. Gary Barlow tweeted he had a message from Matt Smith, but we didn't expect this, thank you Gary. And thank you to Darren Langford, a well-wisher, who said he had also been in contact with Matt. Not sure which person he responded too, but we are grateful that he has.

Jack had gone to sleep, but we woke him up to show him the message. His eyes just lit up and he was so delighted. It has made his day.




FILTER: - Matt Smith

People RoundupBookmark and Share

Sunday, 16 February 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
Today sees a certain actor reaching a certain milestone and we couldn't let it go unrecognised, so here's wishing A VERY HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY to Christopher Eccleston - the man who was so fundamental in ensuring that Doctor Who was a success when it returned in 2005! To mark the special occasion, here are his first and last scenes as the Doctor.


Matt Smith is to appear at the Wizard World Louisville Comic Con on Saturday 29th March, which is being held at the Kentucky International Convention Center, 221 S 4th Street,
Louisville. He will be greeting fans, signing autographs, posing for photos and conducting an interactive question-and-answer session. [Wizard World]

The first photo of David Tennant in Gracepoint - the US remake of ITV drama Broadchurch in which he also starred - has been released and published by Entertainment Weekly. It shows Tennant, who plays Detective Emmett Carver, with Anna Gunn as his sidekick Detective Ellie Miller. The 10-episode series - written by Chris Chibnall who created the original show, and directed by James Strong who helmed five Broadchurch episodes - is being made by Fox and will air next season. [Entertainment Weekly, 14 Feb 2014]

Ben Wheatley - who is directing Peter Capaldi's first two episodes - has been talking about working with the actor. "With someone like Capaldi, he's a massive Who fan. He knows Who inside out. And everything he does is very, carefully planned and thought about. I remember when they first started talking to me about doing it, and I was very nervous for just those reasons. How do you shape this performance? But then when I heard who was going to do it - when they told me it was Capaldi, [I thought] that's not really a problem. He's so good. I was relieved, pretty much. It would have been a very different situation if it had been another kind of Matt Smith character. A guy who you don't know. Moulded from the start. But with Capaldi, you look at his career and you look at his performances they are all so brilliant, and all so different as well. It was a lucky break for me, I think that." He added: "It seems to me the episodes that we're doing now seem more like classic Who. We're going back to that style. But you'll have to wait and see." [io9, 3 Feb 2014]

Carey Mulligan will be playing the former lover of a character portrayed by Bill Nighy when she makes her West End debut in Skylight by Sir David Hare. The revival will be on at Wyndham's Theatre from Friday 6th June to Saturday 23rd August and will see Mulligan in the role of schoolteacher Kyra Hollis, while Nighy plays Tom Sergeant, as "the two attempt to rekindle their once-passionate relationship only to find themselves locked in a dangerous battle of opposing ideologies and mutual desires." [BBC News, 14 Feb 2014]

Bonnie Langford is returning to play the Lady of the Lake in the hit West End musical Spamalot, which is at the Playhouse Theatre. She will be appearing in it from Monday 24th February. [The Stage, 10 Feb 2014]

The fifth series of ITV period drama Downton Abbey will see Richard E Grant joining the cast as Simon Bricker - a guest of the Granthams. The eight-part series will also see the return of Hugh Bonneville, Penelope Wilton, Samantha Bond and Raquel Cassidy. [ITV Press Centre, 14 Feb 2014]

Michael Gambon will be among those taking part in the HighTide Festival in Halesworth, Suffolk. Among the theatre festival's events are world premieres of plays, readings and music, and Gambon will be taking part in the Face To Face series, when he will be interviewed by the theatre critic Michael Billington on Saturday 19th April. The festival - which takes place from Thursday 10th to Saturday 19th April - will also see the world premiere of Peddling, a play written and performed by Patrick Troughton's grandson Harry Melling, which will then transfer to New York.

Alex Kingston, Noel Clarke and Reece Shearsmith are to star in the ITV drama Chasing Shadows. The four-part production, which focuses on the work of a missing persons field unit charged with tracking down serial killers who prey on impressionable and vulnerable people, is due to start filming in the south-east of England soon for eight weeks. Shearsmith will play Det Sgt Sean Stone, with Kingston portraying his partner, Ruth Hattersley, while Clarke will take the role of Det Insp Prior. [ITV Press Centre, 11 Feb 2014]

Actress and model Lily Cole has been cast as Helen of Troy in The Last Days of Troy - an adaptation by Simon Armitage of The Iliad - which will receive its world premiere at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester from Thursday 8th May to Saturday 7th June, before transferring to The Globe in London from Tuesday 10th to Saturday 28th June. [The Stage, 12 Feb 2014]

A forthcoming show featuring Louise Jameson that is for children who have learning difficulties needs actors and costumes after some cast members had to leave the production. The Unexpected Heroes is being put on at Sandhurst School in Berkshire on Tuesday 25th, Wednesday 26th and Friday 28th February, and producer Jonathan Turner said: "We are facing great difficulties as some cast members had to drop out due to unforeseen circumstances, so we are appealing for help with costumes and sets." Jameson is voicing a magic mirror in the show. Turner can be contacted on jonathanturner560@gmail.com [Local Berkshire, 14 Feb 2014]

Oft-rumoured to have been considered to play the Doctor, Paterson Joseph has told in an interview of his audition to take over from David Tennant. "I was in South Africa at the time, and I think if I'd been in England I probably would have suffered some sort of trauma. But I'll be very honest with you. I was overjoyed. Not that I thought I had been considered, because I hadn't been - they hadn't approached my agent at that point - but I was overjoyed." He added that after the audition "I came back and I think I pretty much knew that I hadn't got it and weirdly wasn't disappointed." [The Independent, 8 Feb 2014]

With his new TV entertainment show Superstar Dogs due to start on Channel 4 tomorrow at 5.30pm, John Barrowman has been talking about the programme and how his own dogs - Captain Jack, a Jack Russell terrier named after his Doctor Who/Torchwood character, and cocker spaniel Harris - would get on in the challenges. "Captain Jack knows how to dive underwater and swim down to retrieve a bone but I don't think he'd be good at fetching any balls because he'd burst them. And I'd probably have to train him a bit for the Dogstacle course. Harris would refuse to do anything!" [What's On TV]

An inquest into the death of former director Christopher Barry is to be held on Thursday 5th June. The 88-year-old died on Friday 7th February after falling down an escalator at a shopping centre in Banbury, near his home, earlier that day. He was taken to hospital but while there he suddenly stopped breathing and doctors couldn't revive him. [The Telegraph, 15 Feb 2014]

Lalla Ward and her husband Richard Dawkins will be sharing their memories of writer and former Doctor Who script editor Douglas Adams, as well as celebrating his life, at Highgate Cemetery, where Adams is buried. The sold-out event - entitled A Conversation At The End Of The Universe - takes place on Tuesday 11th March, which would have been Adams's 62nd birthday. Ward and Dawkins were introduced to each other by Adams at his 40th birthday party in 1992 and they married later that year. [Highgate Cemetery website]

Among those paying their respects to Roger Lloyd Pack at his funeral at St Paul's Church, Covent Garden, on Thursday were fellow Only Fools And Horses stars John Challis and Tessa Peake-Jones, plus the actor Nigel Havers. Daughter Emily Lloyd gave a reading of Kahlil Gibran's poem On Death and said afterwards that Lloyd Pack's last words to his family were "I'm fine." [The Mirror, 14 Feb 2014]

In Memoriam

The actress Lisa Daniely - who played Madeleine Issigri in The Space Pirates - has died at the age of 84. She made her film debut in 1951 as the eponymous Lilli Marlene, starring in the sequel, The Wedding of Lilli Marlene, two years later as well. Among her other roles, she also appeared in ITV's 1958-59 version of The Invisible Man as Diane Brady Wilson - the title character's widowed sister - with Deborah Watling playing her daughter. Other TV appearances included The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Van der Valk, The Protectors, Strange Report, Danger Man and The Saint. [The Stage, 12 Feb 2014]




FILTER: - People - ITV - Theatre - Conventions - David Tennant - Special Events - USA - UK - Matt Smith

Doctor Who Magazine 470Bookmark and Share

Wednesday, 5 February 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Magazine 470The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine looks back on Matt Smith's four years as the Doctor.
A big part of me wanted to stay because it’s a wonderful job and he’s a wonderful character. My life will never be the same. I’ll never play another part quite like this.
Also in this issue:
  • Model-maker extraordinaire Mike Tucker and members of the Model Unit talk to DWM about creating the visual effects for Doctor Who in the 1980s.
  • Doctor Who's new executive producer Brian Minchin writes exclusively for DWM in Production Notes.
  • A detailed look at the Fact of Fiction of 1980's Meglos.
  • The Blood of Azrael – the first part of a new comic strip adventure for the Doctor and Clara.
  • The Time Team welcome Donna aboard the TARDIS as they watch Partners in Crime.
  • A preview of the recently rediscovered The Web of Fear on DVD.
  • A review of the newly released Moonbase DVD from Matthew Sweet.
  • Jacqueline Rayner debates the ethics of telling the truth to her children in Relative Dimensions.
  • The Watcher talks about his favourite Doctor Who planets and outs another helpless supporting artiste in Wotcha!
  • Reviews of the latest DVDs, CDs, and books.
  • Competitions, puzzles, and much more.
DWM 470 is on sale from Thursday 6 February 2014.




FILTER: - Matt Smith - Magazines - DWM

Doctor Who Triumphs at the 2014 NTABookmark and Share

Wednesday, 22 January 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who has triumphed at the 2014 National Television Awards, with the show winning Best Drama and Matt Smith winning Best Drama Performance.

Smith, who won the award for Best Actor in 2012, triumphed in a category that now includes both male and female actors, beating Martin Clunes, Maggie Smith, and Miranda Hart.

The actor is currently appearing in American Psycho at the Almeida Theatre, London, so the award was collected by Jenna Coleman and Steven Moffat on his behalf. However, Smith did record a video message thanking the NTA for the marvellous award.
Thank you to everyone who voted. You made my time on Who the best and most brilliant and most audacious part of my career to date. I am forever grateful.


Doctor Who won the award for Best Drama for the first time since 2010, regaining a title it held from 2005-2010. It beat Broadchurch, Downton Abbey, and Call The Midwife. The award was collected by Coleman.
Fifty years and still going strong. Well done Who!

I think this award absolutely belongs to the team, the cast and crew who are grafting away in Cardiff as we speak. The genius and mastermind that is Moff, and of course Matt Smith. Thanks to everyone who voted.
The awards were presented at The O2 in London. Other winners included Benedict Cumberbatch, who won Best TV Detective in the Moffat and Mark Gatiss series Sherlock.




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

National Television Awards 2014 shortlist revealedBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 7 January 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
Doctor Who has made two of the categories in the shortlist for this year's National Television Awards. The show itself is one of four nominees in the Drama section, finding itself competing with Broadchurch, Downton Abbey, and Call The Midwife, while Matt Smith as the Doctor is nominated for Drama Performance.

In a change to the system this year, male and female actors were combined for Drama Performance, and although Jenna Coleman was included in the longlist she failed to make the shortlist. Smith will be facing challenges from Martin Clunes (as Dr Martin Ellingham in Doc Martin), Maggie Smith (as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey), and Miranda Hart (as Chummy Noakes in Call The Midwife) for the gong.

Other Doctor Who luminaries in the running for awards are as follows:

TV Detectives - David Tennant (Det Insp Alec Hardy in Broadchurch), Olivia Colman (Det Sgt Ellie Miller in Broadchurch), Suranne Jones (Det Con Rachel Bailey in Scott & Bailey), and Bradley Walsh (Det Sgt Ronnie Brooks in Law and Order: UK) against Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock) and Idris Elba (Det Chief Insp John Luther in Luther).

Daytime - Pointless (presented by Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman) as well as The Chase (hosted by Bradley Walsh) against This Morning and The Jeremy Kyle Show.

Documentary - Penguins - Spy In The Huddle, narrated by David Tennant, and Paul O'Grady's Working Britain against Inside Death Row With Trevor McDonald and Educating Yorkshire.

Votes can be cast by the public until midday on Wednesday 22nd January via this link. There are 13 categories in all and categories can be skipped. The awards ceremony will take place at the 02 in London later the same day, being broadcast live on ITV from 7.30pm.

Doctor Who failed to win any awards last year, in spite of nominations for the programme, Smith, and Karen Gillan.




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

Who's Down UnderBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 31 December 2013 - Repported by Connor Johnston
Matt Smith (The Eleventh Doctor) and Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) are both heading down under for a special tour around the country next March. The Hub Productions' Whoniverse: The Doctor is in event will see them live on stage talking about the phenomenon of Doctor Who and their lives as the Doctor and his companion. There will also be merchandise as well as rare collectibles available to purchase from dealers. Limited autographs and professional photographs will be available with the guests. The tour dates are as follows:

>>> SYDNEY MARCH 1st 2014
>>> PERTH MARCH 2nd 2014
>>> ADELAIDE MARCH 8th 2014
>>> MELBOURNE MARCH 9th 2014


Additional guests as well as venues and ticket info will be announced mid-January from the Hub's website.


Other Australian appearances include Billie Piper (Rose Tyler), who will be touring with Oz Comic-Con in Adelaide and Perth throughout March and April 2014. Tickets can be purchased from the Official Oz Comic-Con site.

Also travelling to Australia and New Zealand is Fifth Doctor Peter Davison to host the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular.




FILTER: - Karen Gillan - Matt Smith - Billie Piper - Peter Davison - Australia