The Doctor's Jacket - re-worn

Tuesday, 24 May 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
After the controversy raised by Scottish media last weekend over the commercial sale of replicas of the Doctor's coat, Canada's premier news agency Postmedia investigated further from the perspective of the country where replica producer AbbyShot Clothiers are based.

BBC Worldwide spokesperson Emma Finlay clarified that AbbyShot approached them with the proposal:
... as rights-holder, we obviously don't dictate to our licensees where they make their products or other aspects of the product's manufacture (but that we) insist that they meet our ethical sourcing criteria, prohibiting products made from unregulated, sweatshop labour.
The agency also confirmed that the adapted jacket worn by Matt Smith for the current series was not a Chinese replica as intimated in the earlier reports, but was actually tailored into a warmer version for the actor by a Saville Row shop - though using a substitute for true Harris Tweed. The replica being produced by AbbyShot is a wool-acrylic blend based on that design.

Last year, AbbyShot received a Canadian SME Innovator of the Year award from Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters. The company specialises in making screen-accurate representations of popular iconic clothing seen on television and in movies.






FILTER: - Series 6/32 - Matt Smith

The One Show / The Almost People Publicity

Tuesday, 24 May 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
One ShowMatt Smith appeared on the The One Show this evening, where he chatted about finding football more nerve-wracking than the BAFTAs, his stunt work in Doctor Who, and of course next week's The Almost People - as much as could be revealed at any rate - during which he also described the Doctor as the "cleverest and vainest man in the world, sadly". The item was accompanied by a previously unseen clip from Saturday's episode.

When asked if he's carrying on in the role, Matt answered he would be for the foreseeable future, and on next season: "I hope so! If not then I'm panicking!". A short Q&A session occured at the end, in which Matt said Day of the Moon was his favourite episode (so far!), the Silence were the scariest monster, and the Silence/Weeping Angels as his favourite (host Matt Baker also commented on how he'd been lambasted by fans for calling the character "Doctor Who" when soliciting for the questions Twitter earlier in the day!).

The programme is available to watch in the UK on the BBC iplayer for the next seven days.


 :
The BBC have now the made the clip available to watch online:

Preview Clip from The One Show, BBC, via BBC Website




 




FILTER: - Series 6/32 - Online

Torchwood: Miracle Day - longer trailer released (USA)

Monday, 23 May 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
After a shorter preview shown by Access Hollywood last week, Starz have now released their first full scene-driven trailer for Torchwood: Miracle Day, which runs to some 1 minute 46 seconds:


Torchwood: Miracle Day - 1:46 trailer, Starz, via BBC Torchwood/Dailymotion


Note: this video link was recommended by the BBC Torchwood Production Office, as the official Starz version is region-locked.




FILTER: - Torchwood - USA - Miracle Day (Series 4)

The Doctor's Wife - Chart Position

Monday, 23 May 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who RatingsBARB have now issued final ratings for the week ending 15th May making Doctor Who: The Doctor's Wife the 14th most watched programme of the week.

The show was once again the highest non-soap drama of the week. It was knocked a couple of places down the chart by the new series of The Apprentice and by the Eurovision Song Contest.

The chart does not include iPlayer figures where over 1 million have already accessed this episode.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Ratings - UK - Series 6/32

The Rebel Flesh - Appreciation Index

Monday, 23 May 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: The Rebel FleshThe Rebel Flesh had an Appreciation Index, or AI score of 85.

The score is once more in the excellent category with the highest rating of Saturday going to Casualty with 88.

Two programmes got more than six million watching on Sunday, pushing Doctor Who into 21st place for the week on the overnight figures. This will certainly rise when final figures are released next week.

The BBC Three Sunday night repeat had 0.5 million viewers, a 2.1% share of the audience.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Ratings - UK - Series 6/32

The Doctor's Jacket

Sunday, 22 May 2011 - Reported by Harry Ward
Today's Sunday Mail has reported that the jacket worn by Matt Smith's Doctor in the current series of Doctor Who is a Chinese remake of the Harris Tweed one from last series.

A BBC spokesperson told the paper that: "the tweed changed because they needed a warmer jacket for outside filming"; back in June 2010, Smith himself told the Sun newspaper:
I went for a costume fitting this very morning for next year. I've always said that I think the look will evolve. I don't want to say too much but, just practically, we film in November and it's freezing. And just a tweed jacket can get a bit cold.
A spokeswoman for BBC Worldwide told the paper that the decision to drop Harris Tweed was taken by programme makers, adding: "we've had no input into the jacket design." Ann MacCallum, Managing Director of the Isle of Lewis mill which makes Harris Tweed said: "the BBC told me Matt wanted something different for the new series."

Lydia Walton, a spokesman for Harris Tweed Scotland said:
Harris Tweed is so special as it is woven by hand on the Western Isles and every 50 metres is stamped by the Harris Tweed authority. It is steeped in romance and history. I find it very odd that they would use a replica costing £360 when our genuine Harris Tweed jackets retail at £250. Why pay more for a replica than have the original?
Western Isles MP Angus MacNeil told the Mail:
I'm appalled and outraged. What the BBC are doing is stealing Scotland's heritage. It is a kick in the teeth to one of our most iconic industries.

The BBC has granted a license to AbbyShot Clothiers, a Canadian company who make screen-accurate TV and movie clothing, who will sell the the official replica jacket through various affiliates. AbbyShot has previously made the official replica of the tenth Doctor's coat and the red leather jacket worn by Martha Jones.

Fashion expert Tessa Hartmann said:
I suspect the BBC has gone down the commercial route with the new blazer because they received so much coverage from the previous series' jacket. However, I think part of the allure was the Harris Tweed authenticity and craftsmanship. Once you lose that, it becomes just any blazer. But £360 is a steep price for a replica jacket. Harris Tweed is part of a uniquely British fashion institution and has an incredible heritage and brand identity. People will pay for luxury garments but a Far East replica is not the same thing.


The replica is currently available to pre-order from the Forbidden Planet website.





FILTER: - Series 6/32 - Matt Smith

The Doctor's Wife - Final Ratings

Sunday, 22 May 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: The Doctor's WifeThe Doctor's Wife had a final official rating of 7.97 million viewers, a 34.7% share of the audience.

The final rating includes those who record the programme and watch it within seven days.

Full ratings, which will reveal the chart position of the episode, should be released tomorrow.





FILTER: - Doctor Who - Ratings - UK - Series 6/32

The Impossible Astronaut - Overnight New Zealand ratings

Sunday, 22 May 2011 - Reported by Harry Ward
Series 6 of Doctor Who premiered on Prime in New Zealand on Thursday. Throng NZ reports that The Impossible Astronaut was watched by 146,520 people between 8:35pm and 9:30pm. Doctor Who was beaten in the 8:30pm slot by Lorraine Kelly's Big Fat Challenge on TV One with 377,900 viewers, No Ordinary Family (TV2, 276,940) and Bones (TV3, 293,010).

Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol had its New Zealand debut on Prime on 30 January and had 85,130 viewers.

Part two of the story, Day of the Moon will broadcast on Thursday 26 May at 8:30pm.






FILTER: - Ratings - Series 6/32 - New Zealand

The Rebel Flesh - Overnight Figures

Sunday, 22 May 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: The Rebel Flesh5.7 million viewers watched episode five of Doctor Who: The Rebel Flesh, according to unofficial overnight figures.

The story, written by Matthew Graham, attracted 29.3% of the overnight audience and was the second most-watched programme of the day. The most-watched programme was Britain's Got Talent with 10 million watching.

Doctor Who had a million more viewers than the third placed programme Casualty. Against the Doctor, Sing If You Can on ITV had 4.1 million watching. 0.84 million watched Doctor Who on BBC One HD.

The BBC One audience once more peaked when Doctor Who was on, rising to 5.9 million during the programme and dropping to 2.8 million as Doctor Who finished.

Doctor Who currently stands as the 19th most watched programme of the week.

On BBC Three Doctor Who Confidential has 0.57million viewers, a 3.1% share of the audience.





FILTER: - Doctor Who - Ratings - UK - Series 6/32

The Doctor's Wife: Australian ratings

Sunday, 22 May 2011 - Reported by Adam Kirk
The Doctor's Wife has debuted in Australia to strong ratings. TV Tonight reports that the episode averaged 785,000 viewers in the five major capital cities. Again, it won its national timeslot, was the top-rating drama of the day and the fifth highest rating programme for the day overall. The corresponding Confidential Cutdown also rated a respectable 605,000 viewers in the five major capitals. These overnight figures do not include regional, rural and time-shifted viewers and hence significantly understate the actual national ratings.

Meanwhile, BBC Worldwide Australia have confirmed that Torchwood: Miracle Day will be fast-tracked to Australia debuting on UKTV Australia on Saturday 9 July 2011 at 8:30pm. Deirdre Brennan, Director of Television, BBC Worldwide Australia said:
Torchwood: Miracle Day is the pinnacle of event television with global locations, brilliant casting, exhilarating action and captivating story-telling. This is the most ambitious instalment of Torchwood to-date and UKTV is thrilled to fast-track this show to Australian audiences, rewarding the fans and offering new audiences the opportunity to experience Captain Jack’s charm first hand.

(with thanks to TV Tonight)






FILTER: - Torchwood - Ratings - Series 6/32 - Miracle Day (Series 4) - Broadcasting - Australia