Saturn Award Nominations 2015

Wednesday, 4 March 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The 41st Annual Saturn Award nominations have been announced, and sees Doctor Who up for two awards for this year.

The show itself is listed in the Best Youth-Oriented Television Series category. Other nominations include The 100, Pretty Little Liars, Supernatural, Teen Wolf and The Vampire Diaries.

Jenna Coleman has also been nominated in the Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series category. Her competition is in the form of Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Caroline Dhavernas (Hannibal), Lexa Doig (Continuum), Emily Kinney (The Walking Dead) and Melissa McBride (also The Walking Dead).

The Saturn Awards are presented by the The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, and will take place this year on 25th June 2015.


Previously, Doctor Who won Best Television in 1997, and Best International Series in 2008; in 2010 the spin-off series Torchwood: Children of Earth won the Best Presentation on Television category.






FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Doctor Who - Jenna Coleman

Samuel Anderson wins TV Award

Friday, 20 February 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Samuel Anderson  (Credit: Screen Nation Awards)Samuel Anderson has won the award for Best Male Performance in TV at the 2015 Screen Nation Film & Television Awards

The Screen Nation Awards celebrate, reward and promote products and professionals of African heritage working in the UK and global film, TV and digital media industries.

The award was presented to Anderson for his work on Doctor Who and Trollied at a ceremony held at London's Hilton Metropole last Sunday, and will be screened on the African Broadcast Network (Sky235) on Saturday 28 February.




FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - people

David Tennant honoured at National Television Awards

Thursday, 22 January 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster
David Tennant wins a Special Recognition award at the 2015 NTAs (Credit: National Television Awards/ITV)Former Doctor David Tennant was the recipient of an award for Special Recognition at the United Kingdom's National Television Awards ceremomy that took place last night in London. The very emotional actor thanked the many people he had worked with, including his agents, and summed up with:
Anyone who’s ever given me a shot, thank you very much, and anyone who’s ever let me into their living room on the telly, it's a real honour and a privilege to get to do that, so thank you!
He also thanked his family and in particular his father, to whom he then dedicated his award.

This is Tennant's fifth NTA award, having received ones for best Actor in 2006 and 2007, and then for Drama Performance in 2008 and 2010.

Doctor Who, which has won a number of awards over the course of its ten years back on air and regained the best Drama title last year, lost out this time to Downton Abbey. The full list of winners over the years can be found via the NTA website.





FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - David Tennant

Doctor Who makes shortlist in National TV Awards

Tuesday, 6 January 2015 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who has been nominated for Best Drama in the final round of the 2015 National Television Awards.

The show is up against its fellow Cardiff produced rival Sherlock as well as period stalwart Downton Abbey and the Cilla Black bio-pic Cilla.

The star of Cilla, former Big Finish actress Sheridan Smith has been nominated for Best Drama Performance, however no actors from Doctor Who made the shortlist this year.

Votes can be cast by the public until midday on Wednesday 21st January via this link. 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 won the award for Best Drama in 2014, regaining a title it held from 2005-2010.




FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Doctor Who

Lethbridge-Stewart teaser image

Thursday, 1 January 2015 - Reported by Josiah Rowe
Candy Jar Books has released the following image relating to their forthcoming Lethbridge-Stewart novel series:
Lethbridge-Stewart: Fear of Light promo image (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Along with the image, the publisher released the following quotation, attributed to Plato: "We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." (Unfortunately, the attribution, although widespread, appears to be spurious; it is not found in any of Plato's extant works.)

The title Fear of Light is not one of the four previously announced novels in the series. Range editor Andy Frankham-Allen promises that more information will be forthcoming.





FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart

John Hurt awarded Knighthood

Wednesday, 31 December 2014 - Reported by Marcus
John Hurt, who played the War Doctor in the 50th Anniversary special The Day of the Doctor, has been awarded a knighthood in the Queen's New Year Honours list.

The actor was given his award for services to drama. Sir John Hurt has had a career lasting more than five decades, appearing in films such as The Elephant Man, where he played John Merrick, Nineteen Eighty-Four where he played Winston Smith and Scandal where he played Stephen Ward. On Television he is best known for playing Caligula in the renowned I, Claudius and Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant. His distinctive voice has been used in many productions such as Watership Down and the animated The Lord of the Rings.

Also honoured is actor James Corden who played Craig Owens alongside the Eleventh Doctor, who has been made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, or OBE. Corden, who was also honoured for services to drama said he was delighted at with award.
I'm thrilled, overwhelmed and honoured to be recognised in such a way. I feel very lucky to be born in a country where creativity is both encouraged and valued. My family are very proud. My mum is already fretting about what to wear.
Other actors honoured include Sheridan Smith who is made a OBE and Meera Syal who is made a CBE.

The awards are given by Queen Elizabeth on the advice of the British Government.




FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - People

Lethbridge-Stewart novel series announced

Monday, 8 December 2014 - Reported by Josiah Rowe
Candy Jar Books has announced a new series of novels featuring Colonel Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. Created by writers Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln and played by Nicholas Courtney, Lethbridge-Stewart first appeared in the 1968 serial The Web of Fear. He subsequently became a major recurring character in the classic series, appearing on television with six Doctors and returning decades later in The Sarah Jane Adventures. (Including appearances in books, audios and comics, Lethbridge-Stewart has appeared with ten Doctors in authorised Doctor Who stories.) The character was referred to in several 21st-century episodes of Doctor Who before Nicholas Courtney's death in 2011; the Doctor learned of Lethbridge-Stewart's demise in the 2011 episode The Wedding of River Song, and a version of the character appeared in this year's Death in Heaven.

The new novel series will feature the young Lethbridge-Stewart, and will be set shortly after the events of The Web of Fear. The novels, which will be released quarterly, are:
  • The Forgotten Son by Andy Frankham-Allen
  • Horror of Det-Sen by Lance Parkin
  • The Schizoid Earth by David A McIntee
  • Mutually Assured Domination by Nick Walters

The novels are fully licensed by the executor of the Haisman Literary Estate, Mervyn Haisman’s granddaughter Hannah Haisman, and endorsed by Henry Lincoln. The first novel will be released on February 22, 2015, four years after the death of Nicholas Courtney.

Lethbridge-Stewart Coming Soon banner (Credit: Candy Jar Books) Lethbridge-Stewart: The Forgotten Son cover (Credit: Candy Jar Books)
The series can be ordered from Candy Jar Books here. The full press release from the publisher can be found below:
Available from People’s Book Prize winning publisher, Candy Jar Books, Lethbridge-Stewart is a new series of novels revealing the untold story of Colonel Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart set shortly after the 1968 serial, The Web of Fear, fully licensed by the Executor of the Haisman Literary Estate, Mervyn Haisman’s granddaughter Hannah Haisman, and endorsed by Henry Lincoln.

The first series consists of The Forgotten Son by Andy Frankham-Allen, Horror of Det-Sen by Lance Parkin, The Schizoid Earth by David A McIntee and Mutually Assured Domination by Nick Walters.

Brigadier Sir Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart has been an essential element of Doctor Who since 1968. He was created by authors Mervyn Haisman & Henry Lincoln for the six-part Doctor Who serial, The Web of Fear. A one-off character. Until over a year later when he was brought back to Doctor Who, promoted to Brigadier and the head of UNIT. Forty-six years on and the Brigadier has become one of the most iconic characters in Doctor Who, having appeared with ten different Doctors in countless TV episodes, books, audio dramas and comic strips! The character’s death was acknowledged in the 2012 Doctor Who series starring Matt Smith, and was resurrected briefly in the 2014 series finale starring Peter Capaldi. On TV the character’s story is over, but there is so much more to tell.

Andy Frankham-Allen has been a Doctor Who fan since his childhood and serves as line editor for the series, as well as penning the opening novel. Andy is the former line editor of Untreed Reads Publishing’s series Space: 1889 & Beyond, and has penned several Doctor Who Short Trip stories for Big Finish and Candy Jar’s very own celebration of Doctor Who, Companions: Fifty Years of Doctor Who Assistants. He said: “It's an insane privilege and responsibility to put this series together, to reveal the real story behind such a legend of Doctor Who.”

Lance Parkin has written over twenty books and audio dramas for Doctor Who since 1996, including the 35th Anniversary novel, The Infinity Doctors, and the 2008 Tenth Doctor novel, The Eyeless. He also worked on British soap Emmerdale and wrote Magic Words, the definitive biography of Alan Moore. Lance said: “Lethbridge-Stewart was always a steady presence in the Doctor's life. Even in The Web of Fear, he instinctively trusted the Doctor from almost the moment he met him. I wrote for the character in The Dying Days, and that was the version of the Brigadier we all think of now, I think, an old soldier, semi-retired, seen it all. It's been interesting writing for a younger, hungrier Lethbridge-Stewart – not even a Brigadier at this point in his life. It's also been nice writing a story that's set in the aftermath of The Web of Fear, with Lethbridge-Stewart only just starting to realise that the Earth's facing a whole new type of enemy."

David A McIntee has written novels for Star Trek, Final Destination and Space: 1999 and over fifteen books and audio dramas for Doctor Who since 1993, including the Brigadier-centric novel, The Face of the Enemy. David said: “To be honest it (the series) is something I'm amazed hasn't been done before – it’s just such a natural and obvious thing. The form it's taking is also cool because it has the flexibility to move between styles and genres – thriller, SF, horror, etc – while maintaining a definite identity. As for the Brig himself, he's one of those characters where the casting was so perfect that it just made the character so memorable, and who (usually) feels so right.”

Nick Walters has written five novels for Doctor Who since 1998. Nick said: “After the Doctor himself the Brigadier is the best-loved character in Doctor Who. I met Nick Courtney a number of times and he really is a splendid fellow. He brought a real humanity and vulnerability to the role without compromising the essential toughness of the character. Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart is the chap you'd want on your side in a fight – any fight – and it is a real privilege to be exploring what made him into the character we came to know and love.”

Simon Williams, the man behind the cover art, is a former artist for Marvel UK having drawn for The Transformers, The Hulk, Spider-Man and Death’s Head. Simon said: “I’ve always been a big fan of Doctor Who and the Brigadier and having the opportunity to draw this iconic character is a huge privilege.”

Hannah Haisman said: “This project has been a long-time coming. I had to be certain that I was entrusting my grandfather’s legacy to a publisher and authors who would respect what he created. Candy Jar and Andy have assembled a team that are sympathetic to the Brigadier, and these are very exciting times that we can all be proud of.”

Doctor Who first appeared on our screens in 1963, running for twenty-six years until 1989. It was then re-launched in 2005 attracting old fans and new. Doctor Who is now one of the most prestigious shows on British television, loved and watched by millions, and the character of the Brigadier has been an essential part of that institution for forty-six years.

Lethbridge-Stewart will be launched on 22nd February 2015, the fourth anniversary of Nicholas Courtney’s death, the actor behind the Brigadier. The first series of novels will be released one book per quarter throughout 2015.

Also available as part of a bundle:
Bundle 1 (Get all four as they are released)
For the reduced price of £35 you can receive all four Lethbridge-Stewart books before general release.

The Forgotten Son by Andy Frankham-Allen
Horror of Det-Sen by Lance Parkin
The Schizoid Earth by David A. McIntee
Mutually Assured Domination by Nick Walters

Bundle 2 (Get Companions now)
Pre-order Lethbridge-Stewart: The Forgotten Son and get Companions: Fifty Years of Doctor Who Assistants for just £6 straight away.




FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart - Nicholas Courtney

Bernard Cribbins awarded J M Barrie Award

Tuesday, 18 November 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Veteran actor and presenter, and former Doctor Who Companion, Bernard Cribbins has been awarded the annual J M Barrie Award for a lifetime of unforgettable work for children on stage, film, television and record.

The Action for Children’s Arts J.M.Barrie Award is given annually to a children’s arts practitioner or organisation whose work, in the view of ACA, will stand the test of time. The J.M.Barrie Award was formerly the ACA Peter Pan Award, presented as part of the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity Awards.

Bernard Cribbins has featured in many iconic BBC Children’s programmes over the last 40 years, including Jackanory, The Wombles, and most recently Old Jack’s Boat on CBeebies. In 2007 he appeared in the Doctor Who Christmas special, Voyage of the Damned, playing Wilfred Mott. The character returned in Series 4 where it was revealed Wilfred was the grandfather of Donna Noble and he had regular appearances in the series, ultimately being the catalyst for the tenth Doctor's regeneration at the conclusion of The End of Time.

Cribbins first contact with Doctor Who came in the 1966 feature film Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D., where he played Tom Campbell alongside Peter Cushing's portrayal of 'Dr Who'

The award was presented at the BBC's Headquarters at Broadcasting House in central London at a ceremony attended by the BBC’s Director General Tony Hall and a range of Cribbins colleagues from across the decades, including Chris Jarvis, CBeebies presenter and writer on Old Jack’s Boat; actress Jan Francis; former Blue Peter Presenter Peter Duncan; and Kate Robertson, daughter of Elisabeth Beresford, creator of the Wombles. Messages were received from Sir George Martin, Russell T Davies and John Barrowman.

Also in attendance were Jenny Agutter and Gary Warren, who played The Railway Children in the 1970 film, which co-starred Cribbins as station master Albert Perks.

Speaking about the event Joe Godwin Director of BBC Children’s said
I’m so pleased that the BBC and ACA have joined forces to give this wonderful award to a real hero of children’s film and television. Bernard has been a big part of so many of our childhoods, and now as the star of Old Jack’s Boat, he’s a huge star for a new generation.
Russell T Davies who has worked with Bernard Cribbins on Doctor Who and most recently on the CBeebies series Old Jack Boat sent a message:
It is brilliant to see children’s arts being recognised in this way. The art, fiction and images we see as a child stay with us for the rest of our lives’




FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Bernard Cribbins - People

RTS Award Nomination for The Model Unit and Real SFX

Monday, 10 November 2014 - Reported by Harry Ward
The Model Unit have been nominated alongside Real SFX for a Royal Television Society Craft & Design Award in the Special Effects category for their work on The Day of the Doctor.

A number of people who have worked on the production of Doctor Who over the years have also been nominated for their work on other programmes. These are listed below.

Costume Design – Drama
Edward K Gibbon - The Honourable Woman

Costume Design – Entertainment & Non Drama
Annie Hardinge - Rev. – Series 3

Effects – Special
Colin Gorry - The Smoke
Paul Kelly - Da Vinci's Demons

Graphic Design – Programme Content Sequences
Peter Anderson Studio - Sherlock – Series 3

Make Up Design – Drama
Davy Jones - In The Flesh – Series 2

Photography – Drama
Neville Kidd - Sherlock – His Last Vow

Editing – Drama
Iain Erskine - Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This
Jamie Pearson - Happy Valley
Philip Kloss - Stop At Nothing: The Lance Armstrong Story

The full list of nominations in the shortlist for the Craft & Design Awards 2013/2014 can be found at rts.org.uk. The winners will be announced at a ceremony, hosted by Jennifer Saunders, on Monday 1 December 2014 at the London Hilton Park Lane.




FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - WHO50 - People

Doctor Who nominated in People's Choice Awards 2015

Wednesday, 5 November 2014 - Reported by Alex F
Listen (Credit: BBC,  Ray Burmistan) Doctor Who has been nominated in the 2015 People's Choice Awards in the U.S.

The nominees were announced on Nov. 4 at a media event at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills. Doctor Who was named to the Favorite Cable Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show category following an initial round of online voting. Fans are now invited to cast votes for this and many other TV, film and music categories in advance of the awards being presented during a live broadcast on CBS on Jan. 7, 2015.

Competition for Doctor Who in the category consists of American Horror Story, Game of Thrones, Outlander (based upon a series of novels whose creator has credited companion Jamie McCrimmon as an inspiration and which is reportedly to feature Frazer Hines in a guest role), and The Walking Dead. Last year, the category incorporated both network and cable series and was won by Beauty and the Beast. Doctor Who was previously nominated in similar categories for the 2008 and 2013 editions, but did not win (it was beaten by Stargate Atlantis in 2008 and Supernatural in 2013). This year, the award was split into network and cable categories (with Beauty and the Beast nominated in the network category). Appropriately, Doctor Who's nomination was announced by Karen Gillan's Selfie co-star, John Cho. (Selfie, which co-stars David Harewood, is also nominated in the Favorite New TV Comedy category.)

The original round of elimination voting had included Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman shortlisted for acting categories, but they did not make it through to the final round. David Tennant, however, received a nomination for Favorite Actor in a New TV Series for his work on Gracepoint.

Fans can cast their votes online by going to PeoplesChoice.com.




FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Doctor Who