New funding for children's televisionBookmark and Share

Friday, 23 October 2009 - Reported by Marcus
The BBC Trust has approved an additional £25.5million investment in BBC Children's programming over three years, in order to secure high quality productions such as The Sarah Jane Adventures, which may have been at risk as a result of pressures on budgets.

Jana Bennett, Director BBC Vision, has welcomed the BBC Trust's endorsement of the package of initiatives designed to strengthen the role of the BBC as the cornerstone of home-produced children's output in the UK. The package is in response to the Trust's recommendations laid out in February 2009, and aims to reinforce the creative strength of BBC Children's and help the CBBC Channel maintain its position. Bennett said: "I am incredibly proud of the creative strength of CBeebies and CBBC and the unique value to children they bring. They empower, entertain and reflect the lives of children in this country through consistently high-quality, home-grown programmes."

The package includes continued monitoring of the CBBC block of programmes on BBC One together with a development of a daytime show that could play for half an hour at 5.30pm weekdays. If one is found and is successful, over the next two years the BBC will consider reinstating programmes such as The Sarah Jane Adventures, Blue Peter and Newsround to their original times around 5pm. Series One of The Sarah Jane Adventures was shown in this later slot and achieved 50% higher ratings than the shows shown at the current time of 4.35pm.

Bennett added: "We are seeking to balance the interests of viewers in supporting a strong 6 O'Clock News and protecting children's programmes."




FILTER: - Sarah Jane - Press

Sarah Jane Ratings - ThursdayBookmark and Share

Friday, 23 October 2009 - Reported by Marcus

Unofficial overnight figures show that the third episode of the series, part one of The Mad Woman in the Attic, was watched by 0.6 million viewers, with an audience share of 5.7%.

The rating is almost identical to that the series received last week, with the first half getting 0.5 million viewers and the second half 0.7 million.

Final figures will include those who record the programme and watch it within seven days, and will be released by BARB in two weeks time.




FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Sarah Jane

Doctor Who Adventures 138Bookmark and Share

Friday, 23 October 2009 - Reported by Marcus

This week's Doctor Who Adventures magazine is a bumper Halloween edition taking a look at scary scenes to come in the next Doctor Who special, to be shown on BBC One soon, and comes with a Weeping Angel monster mask and claws.

Other features in this week’s issue:
• Top 10 moments that make you jump
• Weeping Angels fact file
• A look at the next Sarah Jane Adventures episode
• Quiz - How well do you know the scariest Doctor Who monsters?




FILTER: - Magazines - DWA

October Filming RoundupBookmark and Share

Thursday, 22 October 2009 - Reported by Chuck Foster
October has seen the Doctor Who production crew busy, with a number of appearances in public places. Open the spoiler sections for more details on what has been occuring!

Filming for episode one got under way publicly at Cathedral Green in Llandaff, which was transformed into a picturesque English village called Leadworth. Scenes involved the Doctor and Amy on the village green, with the Doctor wearing the clothes of his tenth incarnation and seeming very wobbly on his feet! Later scenes recorded indicated an alien presence in the sky, and the apparent destruction of the sonic screwdriver.

5th October: Alun Vega: The scene involved the Doctor and Amy hurrying up a lane, and running across to the icecream van. Then the Doctor ran off, jumped over the flowerbed at the side of the White House, and ran inside. Amy ran after him, but took the more conventional route through the front gate. As they came up the lane, the Doctor shouted something about a "cricket bat" and another fan thought she heard Amy say something about "12 years of therapy". Someone else reckoned they thought the Doctor said he was having food cravings - which I guess might be post-regeneration trauma. This is the sort of scene that they cover from multiple angles, which is why it took them the entire 4 hours I was there to film it!



6th October, Fiona Oram: We got on set about half nine in the rain and were suprised to see filming underway. The following scene was shot at various angles. First off Amy was trying to get the Doctor into a car (not police a black rover) His Tie kept getting trapped in the door! Dialogue we could hear was 20 minutes till the world ends and do you know who I am? My friend had been on set a bit longer and had heard also the Doctor say that You (something) are always trying to lock me away! Hence people I find out later have conme to the conclusion that Amy is a police officer. Later on the scene was reshot (after more rain) and same Dialogue however Matt was looking at something behind him before speaking to Amy and she shouts NOOO! And drags him quite literally by the tie to the car. This scene was shot quite a bit due to constant downpours! After lunch they went through the same scene again and seemed to be happy with that. Then the filming moved to the green and we watched Matt and Karen rehearsing running up the green. While we were being moved to the other side of set Matt was practising his scene with a guy in hospital overalls. We also walked past the red phone box which was being set up for special effects. When the shot was ready Matt and Karen were running up towards a white screen and Matt turns around to hospital overalls person and starts talking. Dialogue heard was "Coma" and something about staring at a dog! Then the heavens opened and they attempted to film again but was starting to prove impossible. The fire engine was filmed leaving with the blues flashing and ladder pushed out.



7th October, Haffertee: First scene we saw shot was Matt Karen and the guy in hospital overalls. They seemed to look up at the sky then a dog barks and Matt goes towards the beer garden and starts talking down to something. Hello prisoner x is said. Then we hear Level 20 planet scanning the earth 6 billion people. Then we are told phone box explodes aerials turn fire engine ladder goes up and down. Helicopter flies out of little boys hand. Then Matt said something about not testing all sonics settings. Setting four thousand and do you think they will notice? Then the sonic blew up.



One take of the destruction of the sonic screwdriver slightly hurt Matt Smith, something that caught media attention! The incident was reported in the South Wales Evening Post, Daily Mail, Sky News, and The Sun.

Filming for this week took place at the Old Vicarage in Rhymney, and saw the old TARDIS prop in use(a new version of the police box had been seen in previous filming). Matt Smith and Karen Gillan were again on-site for filming. On one day the police box was on its side, with the doors seen to be opening in the opposite direction to normally seen on screen.
Fiona Oram:The old TARDIS is there Matt and Karen run from it (Well Karen practically drags him) Smoke comes pouring out of the TARDIS. Karen keeps saying come on ! Matt keeps trying to run back to TARDIS to save "her" But Karen keeps trying to pull him back. Couldnt hear a lot. Karen is in Policewoman outfit again and Matt is still in Tens outfit ! Lots of kithen equipment neing taken in new microwave etc. (Not for drinks etc as base only round the corner)



This week sees filming taking place at the ancient St. Gwynno's Church, and had led to the first view of the updated TARDIS interior, albeit as the backdrop to the police box prop out on location.




The filming has also revealed the 'monster' of this episode in the graveyard.









FILTER: - Karen Gillan - Production - Filming Reports - Series 5/31

TARDIS at the Garden of WalesBookmark and Share

Thursday, 22 October 2009 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The National Botanic Garden of Wales will play host to the TARDIS during the Autumn half-term:

The world-famous police box is making an unscheduled stop this half-term amid the Mediterranean plantings in Lord Foster's stunning glass dome to promote the forthcoming episode of Doctor Who - entitled The Waters of Mars - in which the Great Glasshouse has a starring role.
The Garden's Head of marketing David Hardy said everyone was really looking forward to the TARDIS’ arrival: “David Tennant and the whole Doctor Who crew were filming here back in February. The Great Glasshouse plays the part of a plant-filled biome on Mars. It looks like being a thrilling episode and confirms Lord Foster's glasshouse as not only the biggest one on this planet but also the first one on Mars!”




FILTER: - Specials - Production - Press

Sarah Jane Adventures – Appreciation indexBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 20 October 2009 - Reported by Marcus

Prisoner of the Judoon achieved an Appreciation Index of 81 for Part One and 86 for Part Two. Both scores are much higher than the average score for children's television, which is 72. Friday's score was the second highest on BBC One for the day. AI scores for Series Two ranged from 75 to 86.

The Appreciation Index is a measure of how much the audience enjoyed the programme.

Season Two ratings and AI can be found here.




FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Sarah Jane

Doctor Who Magazine 414Bookmark and Share

Monday, 19 October 2009 - Reported by Marcus
This month's DWM features an exclusive behind-the-scenes report on The Sarah Jane Adventures, and talks to the cast and crew of The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith, which guest stars David Tennant as the Doctor. Elisabeth Sladen says "Some of it's quite sad. I can't read these scripts too often because they absolutely make me cry. If I do that too much, there won't be any emotion left for on set. Gareth Roberts has written something beautiful"

Also in the issue:
  • Previews of the forthcoming animated adventure, Dreamland, and interviews with the cast, including David Tennant, Georgia Moffett and David Warner
  • She's travelled in the TARDIS for nearly ten years with both the Eighth and Sixth Doctors. And she was the first of the Doctor’s companions to fall in love with the Time Lord! Charley Pollard, aka actress India Fisher, talks DWM about her adventures.
  • The Eighth Doctor is famous for snogging Doctor Grace Holloway in the 1996 TV Movie. But what else should we remember him for? Find out as the Watcher presents the latest guide to the Doctor
  • Doctor Who's executive producer Russell T Davies shares reminiscences of being a fan in his youth and discovers that, for some, the memory cheats
  • Neil Harris looks at the stories that made up the bottom 10 places of DWM's Mighty 200 poll and discovers that, despite popular opinion, there's a great deal to enjoy in these adventures
  • DWM talks to Sarah Jane's husband-to-be, played by actor Nigel Havers, just before the wedding, with a few interruptions from David Tennant!
  • The Time Team gather together to watch Survival, the last full adventure for the Seventh Doctor.
  • The Fact of Fiction travels back to the earliest days of Doctor Who and finds the four time travellers trapped aboard the TARDIS and fighting among themselves. Could they be on the edge of destruction as they hurtle beyond the sun? Find out as Inside the Spaceship is put under the microscope
  • The Doctor and Majenta discover that the London Underground holds a terrible secret. A new comic strip begins, Ghosts of the Northern Line, written by Dan McDaid with art by Paul Grist.




FILTER: - Magazines - DWM

Message from the Letts FamilyBookmark and Share

Sunday, 18 October 2009 - Reported by Chuck Foster
"Barry always had a warm respect for the fans of Dr Who. As Barry’s family, we would like to thank everyone for their good wishes on the websites and forums following the news that Barry had died. We have been very touched that the many messages and tributes show such an appreciation and understanding, both of his work and of the very kind and wise man that Barry was."
The Letts Family
October 2009




FILTER: - People - Obituary - Classic Series

Myths, Legends, Mandragora, Rani and SpecialsBookmark and Share

Saturday, 17 October 2009 - Reported by Marcus
According to several on-line retail sites, the early part of 2010 will see a bumper number of Doctor Who DVD releases. The schedule looks very crowded and it is possible one of the listed releases has been delayed until later in the year, but retailers have yet to catch up.

According to the sites January 4th will see the previously announced Peladon box set on sale, to be followed on 1st Feburary by a Myths and Legends box set. No details are available for this set, but it has long rumoured to consist of the Third Doctor story The Time Monster, and the Fourth Doctor stories Underworld and The Horns of Nimon. The Time Monster was first shown in 1972 and features Katy Manning and Roger Delgado. Underworld was shown in 1978 and features Louise Jameson and John Leeson, as well as Alan Lake, while Horns of Nimon was shown over the New Year period of 1979/1980 and features Lalla Ward and David Brierly as K9, with an appearance by Janet Ellis.

One week later, the Fourth Doctor story The Masque of Mandragora is scheduled for release on 8th February. This story was first shown in 1976 and features Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith.

The Seventh Doctor's first story, Time and the Rani, is due for release on 1st March. As well as being Sylvester McCoy's first story, this 1987 adventure features Bonnie Langford as Mel and Kate O'Mara as The Rani.

Finally, fans of the new series will see a release of final episodes of David Tennant's reign as the Doctor when The Specials are released on both DVD and BluRay on 11th January.

All dates are subject to conformation by 2-entertain and are subject to change.




FILTER: - Specials - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Sarah Jane Ratings - FridayBookmark and Share

Saturday, 17 October 2009 - Reported by Marcus

Episode Two of Prisoner of the Judoon was watched by 0.7 million viewers on BBC One yesterday, according to unofficial overnight figures. The audience share was 7.2%, an increase over the share for part one.

Ratings increased during the programme with a slight drop off after it finished. The programme got more than double that achieved in the same slot the previous week when Hotel Trubble gained 0.3 million.

Final figures will include those who record the programme and watch it within seven days, and will be released by BARB in two weeks time.




FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Sarah Jane