Big Finish: September Releases

Friday, 21 September 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Big Finish have released details on the latest adventures for the Doctor and his companions in September.

Gods and Monsters sees the long-awaited rematch between the Seventh Doctor and his arch enemy Fenric. "With four companions, a multitude of godlike creatures and an army of Haemovores, this will be a battle to remember," says producer David Richardson. Written by Mike Maddox and Alan Barnes, Gods and Monsters finds the Doctor in grave danger, with his latest manipulations having gone wildly out of his control. And he's got a lot of explaining to do to four companions wanting to know just why they've all been brought together... Gods and Monsters is the epic conclusion to the latest trilogy of Seventh Doctor main range adventures, and pulls together threads which have been building since Ace's first appearance way back in the TV story Dragonfire and which have continued through recent audio range releases!

The Burning Prince - Peter Davison and Caroline Langrishe. Photo: Big Finish

Prepare for a journey into the heart of the Drashani Empire, as three different Doctors take turns paying a visit and discovering that time can change many things... The Burning Prince begins the new linked trilogy, starring Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor. "I have to admit this is one of my favourite scripts of the year," David says. "John Dorney has delivered a rollercoaster ride of a story, which takes the Fifth Doctor into the direst peril. Strap yourselves in and enjoy!"

Project Nirvana is the latest in Cavan Scott and Mark Wright's 'project' series of tales, which traditionally deal with the sinister secret organisation known as The Forge. In this latest tale, former Forge operative Lysandra Aristedes and Private Sally Morgan take a trip into the past on the Doctor's orders and learn some surprising things... Tying in to events in the recent Doctor Who main range releases Black and White and Gods and Monsters, Project Nirvana explores the backgrounds of these two very different soldiers and gives some insight into what the Black TARDIS team was up to before they were 'discovered' by Ace and Hex.

Finally, Season Three of The Lost Stories concludes this month with The Rosemariners, a four-part Second Doctor story that has been completed by Donald Tosh which finds the Second Doctor and his companions examining the mysteries of a closing Earth Station. Frazer Hines once again provides his recreation of Patrick Troughton.

As a special promotion, episode one is available for FREE as the latest Big Finish podcast. The episode can be heard via the Big Finish website.

Gods and Monsters (available to order)
by Mike Maddox and Alan Barnes
starring Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, Philip Olivier, Maggie O'Neill, and Amy Pemberton

The TARDIS travellers arrive in a bizarre landscape seemingly immune to the physical laws governing the rest of the universe. Ace, Hex, Sally and Lysandra battle to rescue the Doctor from the trap he's walked into… soon realising that the odds are stacked against them.

Because the Doctor is playing an old adversary again: Fenric, shatterer of worlds. But the gods and monsters who inhabit this strange realm loaded the dice against them long ago, in the dim and distant past – and defeat's their only option.

The Burning Prince (available to order)
by John Dorney
starring Peter Davison and Caroline Langrishe

The Drashani Empire – a galaxy-spanning civilisation, the glory of Rome set among the stars. But for decades now, the Royal Houses of Gadarel and Sorsha have been at war, each claiming the Imperial throne.

The wedding of Prince Kylo and Princess Aliona was meant to change all that – a blessed union between the Houses, a new hope for the Empire. Until Aliona's wedding galley crash-landed on the planet Sharnax – and all contact was lost.

The TARDIS lands aboard the ship carrying the fiery Kylo in search of his lost princess – but with a sabre-toothed monster roaming its corridors, the Doctor soon discovers he's not the only alien presence aboard.

Project Nirvana (available to order)
by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright
starring Maggie O’Neill, Amy Pemberton, and Sylvester McCoy

The place is Eastern Europe. The year is 2015.

The TARDIS lands in mid-air, and Captain Lysandra Aristedes is dropped into a daring mission in her own past. There are enemies and creatures out there in the night, and the Doctor is waiting at the rendezvous point.

Because this is all part of his bigger picture. And Aristedes is going to learn something about herself...

The Rosemariners (available to order)
by Donald Tosh
starring Frazer Hines, Wendy Padbury, with David Warner and Clive Wood

The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe find themselves on an almost deserted space lab. Earth Station 454 is being closed down, mothballed, its staff relocated. Years of research and co-operation are coming to an end and only distinguished xeno-botantist Professor Arnold Biggs remains on board.

But is there more to the closure than meets the eye? For the operation is being supervised by the Rosemariners of the planet Rosa Damascena. Their terrifying Commander, Rugosa, seems to have something to hide. Who is he? What do the Rosemariners want with the scientists? And what is the secret of Rosedream?

In a world where no one is quite what they seem, and deadly plants lurk around every corner, the Doctor will have to use all his ingenuity just to stay alive... just to stay himself.

FILTER: - Merchandise - Audio - Big Finish

People Roundup (current series)

Thursday, 20 September 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The following round-up includes interview discussion of the current series which may be considered spoilers for upcoming episodes.

Matt Smith on Chatty Man. Photo: Channel 4

Matt Smith on Chatty Man. Photo: Channel 4

Matt Smith is a guest on Alan Carr: Chatty Man this coming Friday on Channel 4, 10:00pm. The show was recorded on Tuesday, during which the actor commented about his lack of interest in the Internet, daytime television and insomnia. A woman taking on the role inevitably cropped up too, with host Carr commenting: "I'd like to see Julie Goodyear as The Doctor. After all, she has been around for 900 years like he has." [Daily Star, The Sun, 20 Sep 2012]

Speaking of Internet technology, Steven Moffat has abandoned Twitter for the time being. His wife Sue Vertue commented: "For all asking he is well and currently having a family lunch but he's got a huge amount on and twitter was proving a distraction." [Twitter, 9 Sep 2012]

Ashley Walters has revealed that he got into trouble with the show's producers on his first day of filming for episode 11: "I wasn't even allowed to tweet pictures or anything, I was really upset about that. I did tweet one picture in my trailer and I got in huge trouble with the producers on my first day so I'm not saying anything any more about it. But it was amazing working with Matt Smith for a few weeks." [What's On TV, 19 Sep 2012]

Lora Munro, creative director at The Theatre Workshop, commented on young actress Daniella Eames and her casting in Doctor Who alongside Matt, Karen and Arthur: "Daniella is a gifted actress who really loves to perform. This is a great opportunity for her and we are all really excited Daniella will be gracing our television screens very soon." [Portsmouth News, 13 Sep 2012]

Business tycoon Alan Sugar is to have a cameo in this weekend's The Power of Three, with a 'reality' segment based around the popular show The Apprentice. An insider said: "Getting someone like Lord Sugar on the show was a real coup for us. He is a big fan and thought it was a giggle to film a clip from The Apprentice for it." [The Star, 13 Sep 2012]

Toby Whithouse talked about the origins of A Town Called Mercy: "It was Steven's idea – he said he wanted to do a Wild West episode because this year, certainly for the first half of the series, it's these big kind of movie marquee ideas. The pitch he gave was just, "There's a town that is being terrorised by some kind of robot." I thought about what it was in the town that the robot wants. What if it’s a person? Then the idea kind of fell out from there." [SFX, 10 Sep 2012]

Meanwhile, Chris Chibnall talks about what makes The Power of Three a little different to the normal narrative: "It’s Doctor Who from Amy and Rory's point of view. We're in the last days of the Ponds as everybody keeps saying, and it was really a chance to see where they've got to in their lives since The Eleventh Hour, and to see what it’s like to be them. And I think what’s interesting is that the companion/Doctor relationship in this series is very different to any we’ve seen before because really, they're part-time travellers. They’re living at home, and the Doctor pops in and goes, "Shall we go somewhere?", and they're off. That's very new, because they're not permanently with him, and I wanted to see what that would mean. I think it's very different to pretty much any other episode of Doctor Who ever, which is both wonderful and terrifying." [SFX, 16 Sep 2012]

Matt Smith seems to be angling for another continental filming experience "I think New Zealand would be an absolutely wonderful place to film Doctor Who... there's clearly a great film industry out there. It’s something I would be very interested in it’s just whether we can persuade the producers to fly us all over." With the country home to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, he also said: "Hey, let's get Peter Jackson to direct one and go and make it in New Zealand. I would love to, I will campaign endlessly to come over and film there." ... to which the director responded: "Do it mate, do it. Come on.. I'm a huge Doctor Who fan, and I think Matt’s fantastic. Just name a time and place, and I'll be there!" [Waikato Times, 19 Sep 2012]

The cause has been taken up by Australian-based writer Neil Cross (whose second script for the 2013 half of the new series is about to go into production): "It would be awesome to see the Tardis materialise here - I suspect Steven and I will have a long conversation about this, one way or another. We will drink gin and talk a lot about bringing Doctor Who to New Zealand. Matt Smith and I just talked about what an amazing place New Zealand is and said it was amazing how this country did not have the biggest film industry in the world. He is such an extra-ordinary human being. I am not actually convinced that he's not actually the Doctor." [Waikato Times, 21 Sep 2012]

Smith has also been hinting at plans for next year: "Steven Moffat was pitching the 50th anniversary at the end of this series and what everything was going to be about and it was a very exciting meal. No doubt he’ll come up with something brilliant because that’s the sort of man he is... I hope that we mark it in the best way possible and we honour the people that have been in the show before us and we make it as grand and brilliant and inventive and as much an occasion as possible. What that is, I may have an idea, but I can’t tell you I'm afraid." [Waikato Times, 19 Sep 2012]

Back to the current series, and he commented on events in the finale of the current run of adventures, The Angels Take Manhattan: "I love the Weeping Angels and I loved filming in New York - the city added scale to the whole episode, which is just brilliant for Doctor Who. It was great to have River back, and to use filmic locations like Central Park and Times Square. It is a fitting ending for the Ponds, especially as the Weeping Angels are a Moffat creation." Steven Moffat himself added: "It is a heart-breaking farewell to Amy and Rory. We see the Doctor and his little Amelia Pond race through the streets of Manhattan to save Rory with help along the way as River Song charges back on to our screens, just in time to say goodbye. All stories have to end, and painful though that is, the most important thing about a story is how it finishes. I had over a year’s warning to get this sorted out, and I’m very proud of what we’ve done. A fitting end to the mighty era of the Ponds!" [BBC Press, 16 Sep 2012]

FILTER: - Steven Moffat - People - Matt Smith - Series 7/33

MediaGuardian 100 2012

Thursday, 20 September 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

This year's MediaGuardian 100 continues to rank Steven Moffat amongst the industry's most powerful and influential people, with Doctor Who's lead writer and executive producer placed at number 87, up five places from his chart entry last year at 92.

To have one hit BBC1 drama may earn you a place on the MediaGuardian 100. To have two on the go seems a bit like showing off.

Steven Moffat is the lead writer and showrunner of Doctor Who and Sherlock, the hit modern take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's supersleuth which will film its third series next year. Doctor Who recently returned to BBC1 with plenty of plaudits (and Daleks and dinosaurs), and next year promises to be even bigger, marking the time-traveller's 50th anniversary.

Moffat is married to successful TV producer Sue Vertue who is the daughter of another, Hartswood Films founder Beryl Vertue.

He has poured cold water on the idea of a Doctor Who film any time soon – but who can resist the prospect of a big-screen Doctor? Don't try to coax him on Twitter, however; he quit the social network earlier this month. Busy times.

BBC executives that have an influence on Doctor Who's future in the list include the new Director General George Entwistle in fourth place (last year 26), and BBC1 Controller Danny Cohen at number 13 (last year 14).

The Media 100 has been compiled every year since 2001 by the Guardian, and is a list of who they consider are currently the most powerful people in the UK media. Candidates for the list are judged on cultural influence, economic clout and political power over the course of the last year.

FILTER: - Steven Moffat - People - Doctor Who

Broadcast Date For Room At The Top Finale

Thursday, 20 September 2012 - Reported by John Bowman

The second and concluding part of the BBC Four adaptation of Room At The Top starring Jenna-Louise Coleman will be shown on Thursday 27th September.

Coleman plays Susan Brown in the drama, which is set in the 1940s, and Kevin McNally portrays her father, Councillor Brown.

The first episode is being shown on Wednesday 26th September, and both parts will air from 9pm to 10pm.

Alice forgives Joe for his outburst and the two start seeing each other again. It becomes harder to keep the affair secret and they are soon the subject of Warley gossip. Susan hears the truth and ends her relationship with Joe.

Joe and Alice decide to disappear to a seaside cottage for four days of illicit and perfect love. Alice is fearful about what the future holds for them both. Promises are made. Alice suppresses her fears – but a sense of tragedy hangs over them.

Upon their return, Joe discovers that his colleague, Charles, has been promoted above him. Charles warns Joe against pursuing a relationship with Alice, advising him that a messy court case and complicated divorce would end his career and social aspirations.

The next morning Joe composes a letter apologising to Susan and asking for her forgiveness. They meet, make love, and Susan says: "You won't need her now, will you Joe?" Joe is in an agony of indecision.

He gets a call from Susan's father: Meet me at the Conservative Club. Councillor Brown tries to pay Joe off as a test – leave my daughter alone and I'll set you up in your own business. Joe's class anger leads him to refuse. Brown reveals that his daughter is pregnant. By Joe. He offers Joe his daughter's hand and a place in his business – but only if Joe ends his relationship with Alice. Joe accepts the bargain.

Joe meets Alice and finishes it. She is devastated.

The next morning in the treasurer's office Joe goes into work and starts to write his resignation letter. However, Charles tells Joe he has terrible news . . .

FILTER: - Jenna-Louise Coleman - Broadcasting - BBC

Angels Preview Screening Tickets Up For Grabs

Thursday, 20 September 2012 - Reported by John Bowman

Tickets are being given away to an exclusive preview of The Angels Take Manhattan in Cardiff.

BAFTA Cymru has 35 pairs of tickets up for grabs for the screening, which will take place on Wednesday 26th September at Cineworld in Mary Ann Street at 6.30pm.

Afterwards, there will be a question-and-answer session with showrunner Steven Moffat, executive producer Caroline Skinner, producer Marcus Wilson, and production designer Michael Pickwoad.

To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets, you'll need to e-mail your name and e-mail address to infocymru@bafta.org by midnight tonight.

A random draw of names will be held tomorrow (Friday) and the successful entrants will get their notification by Monday.

BAFTA Cymru states that the tickets aren't transferable, nor will transport costs be covered. In addition, any under-16s will have to have an adult with them.

The episode will be broadcast in the UK on BBC One on Saturday 29th September at 7.20pm.

FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Special Events - Caroline Skinner - Series 7/33

Janet Fielding Battles Cancer

Wednesday, 19 September 2012 - Reported by John Bowman

Former companion actress Janet Fielding is fighting cancer, it has been revealed.

No more details about her condition are known at the moment but Peter Davison, whose Doctor she appeared opposite as Tegan Jovanka, has won the support of other ex-Doctor actors to launch a charity fund-raising convention - Project MotorMouth - that aims to "not only raise money for a good cause but also keep Janet's spirits up."

Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, and David Tennant are the first guests announced for the event, which will take place on Saturday 19th January 2013 at the Copthorne Hotel Slough-Windsor. All guests will be appearing subject to work commitments.

The profits from the convention will go to Project MotorHouse, which is seeking to convert a derelict building in Thanet into a mixed-use venue promoting sustainable technology and a place where youngsters can get help with starting their own businesses. Fielding is the project co-ordinator for the organisation as well as its community champion.

She first appeared in Doctor Who in 1981 in Tom Baker's final story, Logopolis, and left the TV series in the 1984 story Resurrection of the Daleks, but made a cameo reappearance two stories later in a regeneration dream sequence for Davison's swansong The Caves of Androzani.

She has also worked as a theatrical agent - a job that saw her representing McGann when he won the role of the Eighth Doctor - and has played the role of Tegan in a number of audio productions for Big Finish.

(With Thanks To Kenny Davidson)

FILTER: - Special Events - UK - Conventions - David Tennant - Charities - Peter Davison - Sylvester McCoy

Doctor Who Magazine 452

Tuesday, 18 September 2012 - Reported by John Bowman

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine bids farewell to Amy and Rory as it previews their final TV adventures with exclusive new photos from The Power of Three and The Angels Take Manhattan.

It talks candidly on set to the cast and crew - including Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and Arthur Darvill - about the last days of the Ponds, and despite the impending departure of his colleagues Smith finds plenty about The Angels Take Manhattan to enthuse over:

It's New York! One of my favourite cities in the world. And I love this script, and the Weeping Angels are my favourite monster, so it's all sort of come together for me on this one.

Also in this issue:

"Remember Me" – DWM catches up with new Doctor Who regular Jenna-Louise Coleman and chats to her about playing Oswin Oswald and the adventures she'll be starring in next year.
Surprise Surprise! - Showrunner Steven Moffat reveals all about Jenna-Louise Coleman's surprise appearance in Asylum of the Daleks and just why and how the secret was kept.
The Memory Cheats? - DWM concludes The Trial of John-Nathan Turner, as expert witnesses Steven Moffat, Phil Collinson, Nicola Bryant, Andrew Cartmel, Paul Cornell, brand manager Edward Russell, and Big Finish producer David Richardson give their final verdict on the most controversial producer in Doctor Who's history.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Doctor - The Doctor, Amy, and Rory become embroiled in the shady world of international espionage and encounter an extra-dimensional horror in the second part of comic-strip adventure The Broken Man, written by Scott Gray and illustrated by Martin Geraghty.
Daleks, Cybermen, and Sontarans! - It was the series that had it all: the 1985 run, starring Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor and Nicola Bryant as Peri, which featured the Doctor's greatest adversaries! DWM takes a nostalgic look at Season 22 as Countdown To 50 continues.
Hothouse of Horrors! – The Fact of Fiction scrutinises the 1976 Fourth Doctor and Sarah adventure The Seeds of Doom and discovers that there's far more to the terrifying tale of horrible horticulture than meets the eye.
Team Spirit – The past comes back to haunt The Time Team as they watch the Tenth Doctor and Rose meet Torchwood and confront the deadly Cybermen posing as an Army of Ghosts. And what will Chris, Emma, Will, and Michael make of the episode's dramatic cliffhanger?
Science and Scares – Is Doctor Who at its best when it concentrates on telling horror stories? Or are its science-fiction tales better? It's monsters versus spaceships as Toby Hadoke and Johnny Candon go head to head to argue the pros and cons in A Battle of Wits.
That's An Oeuf! – The enigmatic Watcher champions another supporting artist, challenges readers with his Six Faces of Delusion, and celebrates Oswin's eggs. Prepare to have your brains scrambled by Wotcha!

In addition, the magazine - out on Thursday 20th September - talks to Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, and Robert Llewellyn about the return of cult sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf to UK TV screens in October.

Issue 452, which has two covers to choose from, also has the usual Doctor Who features, latest official news, TV and merchandise reviews, previews, competitions, and prize-winning crossword.

FILTER: - DWM

Nominations Announced For Writers' Guild Awards 2012

Tuesday, 18 September 2012 - Reported by John Bowman

The Sarah Jane Adventures is in the running for an award this year from The Writers' Guild of Great Britain.

The Curse of Clyde Langer, which was written by Phil Ford and was in the final series of the show, is nominated in the Best Children's TV Script category, facing competition from 4 O'Clock Club: Maths and Horrible Histories. The same SJA story is also up for a BAFTA Cymru award later this month.

Doctor Who failed to make the shortlist this year. It was nominated for Best TV Drama Series in 2009, 2010, and 2011 but didn't win in any of those years. However, Being Human, created and co-written by Toby Whithouse and which beat Doctor Who in 2009 and 2010, is once again nominated in that category. It is pitted against Scott & Bailey (starring Lesley Sharp and Suranne Jones) and Prisoners' Wives (whose supporting cast includes Iain Glen).

Meanwhile, Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat, and Stephen Thompson are in the running to walk away with the Best Short-Form TV Drama trophy for Sherlock, which is up against Appropriate Adult and This Is England '88.

This year's awards ceremony takes place on Wednesday 14th November at The Tabernacle in London.

In 1975, Season 11 of Doctor Who won a guild award for best writing in a children's serial, and Series Three was named best TV series in the guild awards of 2007. The guild is a trade union for professional writers and the awards are regarded as special because they are from peers and colleagues.

FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Special Events - Awards/Nominations - Sarah Jane

Symphonic Spectacular for Sydney

Tuesday, 18 September 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

After its success earlier in the year in Melbourne, the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular is to be performed at the Sydney Opera House over the 15th-16th December 2012.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday 24th September at 9:00am, but there is an "Insider" early-bird 20% discount booking that opens tomorrow morning, which can be received by signing up to a free enews list (note: there was a time limit for 6:00pm on the 18th for this in Australia, that has since passed).

Full details and how to book can be found via the Sydney Opera House website.

(with thanks to Dallas Jones)

FILTER: - Music - Special Events - Australia

Room At The Top Start Date Confirmed

Friday, 14 September 2012 - Reported by John Bowman

The first part of the BBC Four adaptation of Room At The Top starring Jenna-Louise Coleman has been given a confirmed broadcast date of Wednesday 26th September.

The two-part drama was made nearly two years ago by Great Meadow Productions and should have been shown in April 2011 but had to be shelved until a copyright dispute between the estate of the late author, John Braine, and Remus Films could be settled. It will air from 9pm to 10pm.

Coleman plays the role of Susan Brown and Kevin McNally that of her father, and a number of pictures of Coleman in the production have been released:

Having qualified as an accountant in a German prisoner-of-war camp, Joe Lampton leaves working-class, industrial Dufton behind him and takes a job as senior audit clerk at the town hall in affluent Warley. Having secured lodgings at "T'top" – the poshest part of the town – he starts to make his mark on Warley society. Good at his job, Joe quickly shows his natural skill at climbing the career ladder up through the petty politics of local government. But he has two things on his mind – money and sex – and his ambitions go well beyond anything offered by civic life.

He embarks on a plan to marry into the prosperous middle classes by joining the local amateur dramatic society so as to meet a better class of woman. Seeing that Joe's working-class, chip-on-the-shoulder attitude is likely to get him into trouble, fellow thespian Alice Aisgill takes him under her wing. She is 10 years older than Joe, and urges him to date Susan Brown, daughter of the richest and most powerful man in Warley.

Alice is unhappily married to a rich local car dealer and is known in the am-dram society as something of a femme fatale. She watches as Joe succeeds in luring Susan away from her rich boyfriend, Jack Wales. But Joe's cold-blooded ambition and Alice's detached role as matchmaker are blown apart by something neither she nor Joe can control – their passion for each other.

The second and concluding part is currently unplaced in the schedules for the week beginning 29th September.

FILTER: - Jenna-Louise Coleman - Broadcasting - BBC

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