Radio Times preview

Tuesday, 22 November 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The new edition of the Radio Times (26 Nov - 2 Dec) features former editor Alison Graham's Festive Treats, a sneak peek of twelve programmes we can look forward to on television at Christmas; unsurprisingly Doctor Who is one of her shows to watch over the festive period!

Meanwhile, the next edition (3-10 Dec) promises to 'cover' what's in store for the Doctor in The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe - full details will be revealed on Saturday when the issue is published!




FILTER: - Specials - Radio Times

WhoNews for Charity

Tuesday, 22 November 2011 - Reported by Marcus
WhoNewsFor the next week WhoNews are donating all profits from their iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch application to charity.

The application provides access to the latest news from several Doctor Who, Torchwood and Sarah Jane Adventures websites in one easy to use application.

From Monday November 21st to the 28th, all profits from the WhoNews with be donated to two charities Cure Leukaemia and Little Hearts Matter.
Cure Leukaemia is a research charity which works with a number of hospitals to fund extra research nursing posts to drive forward research, provide facilities for world-class research, develop new clinical treatments for leukaemia patients, fund the provision of new drugs and treatments and support patients with blood cancers throughout the Midlands.
Little Hearts Matter is the national charity for children born with a single ventricle heart condition, more commonly called half a heart. Twenty years ago most of these children would have died within days or even hours of being born. Thankfully, today there is life-saving surgery available for many of these children, however not all survive the complex operations required. This open heart surgery starts when the child is just a few days old and they continue to need surgery at intervals throughout their childhood.

Just by purchasing WhoNews from the App Store either via iTunes or on an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, users will make a donation of £1.21 in the UK, $2.10 in the US and $1.90 in Australia. WhoNews is available from all iTunes App Stores across the world.




FILTER: - Online

Fanzine Roundup

Tuesday, 22 November 2011 - Reported by Marcus
A roundup of some of the fan productions that have recently been released.

Whotopia 22- Monsters and Villains

  • Editorial: A Kind of Menace - Jez Strickley
  • Pride and Cyberprejudice - Michael S. Collins wades in with an epic analysis of the Cybermen
  • Chris Boucher Interview - Jez Strickley talks with the man behind Leela, Taren Capel and the Fendahl, not mention his influence on a certain rival sci-fi series
  • Quite Masterly - No Doctor Who rogues gallery would be complete without the Master, Gary Phillips investigates
  • The Sylvester McCoy Villains - Ian Wheeler examines the villains who menaced the Seventh Doctor
  • The Villains No One Remembers - With the Eighth Doctor in mind, Jake Johnson considers some of the least talked about villains
  • The Most Wacky Monsters - Bob Furnell asks what the designers were thinking when they conjured up some of the series' more unusual monsters
  • Torchwood Series 4 Overview - Craig Charlesworth gives us his take on the first five episodes of the latest instalment of RTD's brainchild
  • The Weeping Angels - perhaps the series' most frightening monster since 2005, Emily Jones takes a look and tries not to blink
  • Dalek's Advocate: The Case for the Foamasi - Those Mafia-esque bad boys take some defending, Bob Furnell tackles the challenge
  • Wholife: Music and Villains - Grant Bull comments on a certain Beach Boys song as the soundtrack to the Doctor's life
  • Fanzine Corner - In this ongoing series of fanzine reviews, Bob Furnell continues his voyage into fan writing
  • Newish Adventures: Final Frontier Review - AJ Gulyas returns with another look at the New Adventures book series
  • Target Trawl -Nick Mellish uncovers a renegade Time Lord, anti-matter monsters and mutan as he presents three more Target readings
  • Screwdrivers, Scaries and Scarves: The Monster Revealed - Jez Strickley considers one of the series' staple scare-making devices


Now available to download in PDF format from the Whotopia website

Rassilon's Rod #4

  • THE MOORCOCK DEFENCE looking at fan approaches to Talons' alleged racism
  • TIMEWYRM AT 20 The 20th anniversary of the NAs - how does the Timewyrm series stand up?
  • OPINION Fans should shut up!/Fans should complain loudly!
  • MY FIRST DR.WHO The TVM through the eyes of an 8 year old
  • MATRIX DATA W*NK Your dr.who queries answered by the cast from 'The Pirate Planet'
  • WHY I LOVE Captain Wrack
  • CONVENTION CAPERS hobnobbing with dr.who stardom
PLUS!!! Tip Top Top Tips, Turlough the Agony Aunt, stupid toons, The Krotons part 4

Now available to order from davidmacgowan@hotmail.com. UK Paypal gift £1.50 REST OF WORLD Paypal gift £3.




FILTER: - Fan Productions

TARDIS lands at Westfield

Monday, 21 November 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: TARDISThe TARDIS has landed at Westfield Stratford City bringing the Doctor and his companions to the shopping complex to launch the Series 6 Box Set released in the UK today.

Matt Smith, Karen Gillian and Arthur Darvill will all be attending the event held at the brand new mega complex adjoining the 2012 Olympic site in east London.

The three stars will be signing copies of the box-set at HMV before attending a question and answer session in the Gallery Area. Fans around the world can view the experience via the BBC Worldwide YouTube channel from 1600GMT (4PM UK, 11am ET) today. The three stars will be answering questions in a panel hosted by DJ Jo Whiley.

They'll also be updates from the event on the BBC Facebook page and Doctor Who is also taking over the BBC Worldwide Twitter channel. Fans are encouraged to tweet with the hashtag #doctorwho all day.







FILTER: - Arthur Darvill - UK - Series 6/32 - Karen Gillan - Matt Smith - Press - Blu-ray/DVD

iPlayer October Figures

Monday, 21 November 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: iPlayer
Doctor Who was one of only two programmes to be accessed over 1 million times on the BBC iPlayer during October.

The series conclusion The Wedding of River Song, was requested 1.30 million times during the period it was available. It was beaten to first place for the month by the new natural history series, Frozen Planet which had 1.48 million requests.

Episode 1 of Young Apprentice was third with 0.91 million.




FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 6/32

Convention Update

Saturday, 19 November 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who ConventionBBC Worldwide have responded to criticism of some of the charges associated with the official Doctor Who Convention being held next march in Cardiff.

The event costs £99 per day and originally attendees were also asked to book a separate £25 ticket for a picture or autograph with either Matt Smith or Steven Moffat.

After consultation with Moffat the convention has now agreed that the guaranteed autograph signing and photography opportunities with him will now be offered on a complimentary basis. Anyone who has already purchased a ticket for a session with Moffat via the website will be immediately refunded.

Instead the event will be holding a competition in the next few weeks offering Doctor Who Convention attendees the chance to be selected for a photograph or autograph with Steven Moffat.

The charges for a photograph or autograph with Matt Smith will remain. BBC Worldwide justify this by saying the photographs will be taken by a professional photographer and will be studio quality prints. They confirm that conference attendees will have other opportunities to see Matt Smith in person but the ticket will guarantee the opportunity to have a photograph or autograph with him.

BBC Worldwide have also answered criticism that the event is not child friendly. They say:
The event programme is being put together with an adult audience in mind. For several years we have had requests from our adult fans for a full-scale Doctor Who Convention and with this in mind we are aiming to stage a top-quality event that brings the script to screen process to life for attendees. We have a wide-ranging programme in place with live demonstrations; Q&A sessions and talks from the cast and crew of Doctor Who. Whilst none of the material covered will be unsuitable for children we are mindful that the presentation style and informative nature of some of the events may not suit a child’s idea of a ‘Doctor Who day out’. The Doctor Who convention is just one element of a series of live events we have staged from the Doctor Who Live tour in 2010 to the Doctor Who Experience which were more tailored to families and we will have many more Doctor Who events to look forward to in 2012 and 2013 to cater for all age-ranges.




FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Doctor Who - Matt Smith - Conventions

Children in Need: The Doctor's Auction

Saturday, 19 November 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Last night the Doctor put up his clothes for auction to raise money for Children in Need; the costume is available to bid on here, and at the time of writing has currently reached £22,100!

Other related items in the auction include signed Pudsey Bears by Matt Smith (currently £1,600) and John Barrowman (£240.50), plus signed artwork by the Sarah Jane Adventures cast with Tommy, Shansheeth and The Empty Planet by Anjli Mohindra, Anjli and Odd Bob by Tommy Knight, and The Groske by Daniel Anthony.



You can watch the Doctor's appeal (and the trailer for The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe) below:


The Doctor on Children in Need, BBC, via YouTube

Donate here!





FILTER: - Specials - Charities - Auctions

Christmas Special title revealed

Friday, 18 November 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The title of this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special has been revealed tonight on Children in Need to be:

The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe

The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe Trailer, BBC, via BBC Website


Not surprisingly, the broadcast date of the episode has also been confirmed to be Christmas Day.

BBC Synopsis - may be considered a spoiler



Evacuated to a house in Dorset from war-torn London, Madge Arwell and her two children, Lily and Cyril, are greeted by a madcap caretaker whose mysterious Christmas gift leads them into a magical wintry world...




FILTER: - Specials

Big Finish: Jago and Litefoot Series 1 Offer

Friday, 18 November 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Big Finish are to offer the first series of the popular spin-off Jago and Litefoot for a special discount this weekend:

The acclaimed Doctor Who spin-off audio Jago and Litefoot has triumphed in the Doctor Who Magazine poll, with Series Two voted as the Best Big Finish Audio of 2010. Series One is close behind, coming in at joint Fifth.

To celebrate, for one weekend only, Big Finish is providing a special discount offer. On Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th November, the Series One box set will be available for just £20 on CD and download only at www.bigfinish.com

Jago and Litefoot stars Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter, reprising their iconic roles from the 1977 story The Talons of Weng-Chiang. In the first series, which also features Lisa Bowerman, Conrad Asquith and Toby Longworth, the infernal investigators take on the sinister Doctor Tulp.
 




FILTER: - Audio - Big Finish

People Roundup

Friday, 18 November 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill will be signing copies of The Complete Series Six Boxed Set at HMV at the Westfield Shopping Centre, Stratford, London on Monday 21st November; the signing takes place from 1:30pm and entry will be by wristband for the first 250 people applying from when the shop opens at 8:30am. The stars will also take part in a Q&A session with former Radio 1 presenter and fan Jo Whiley in the Gallery Area from 4:00pm. [BBC Worldwide/2Entertain]

David Tennant and Karen Gillan will be among those who will have their portraits displayed at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh when it re-opens to the public on 1st December. The "Hot Scots" collection will also feature other notable Scottish names including Sean Connery, James McAvoy, Gerard Butler and singer Paolo Nutini. [Herald Scotland, 17 Nov 2011]

Karen Gillan will also be presenting the award for Design at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards this coming Sunday. [Standard, 18 Nov 2011]

Eve Myles is interviewed in Saturday's Western Mail magazine, in which she also talks about why she left Hollywood to return to Wales: "I came back from LA specifically to do Baker Boys. I made a commitment when I did the first series and I followed it through. It’s got a cracking cast and superb director in Gareth Bryn. In the first series I was playing someone who had an easy time of it, but series two is about Sarah’s struggle and it’s been a joy to play" [Wales Online, 18 Nov 2011]

Bernard Cribbins has lent his support to a campaign to help residents in Surrey that are suffering from fuel 'poverty': "This is a simple but very effective idea and am delighted to be supporting it. With the help of the Community Foundation, the money raised will quickly find its way to those needing help with their winter bills this year." [Epsom Guardian, 15 Nov 2011]

Simon Pegg (The Editor, The Long Game) responded to comments about him possibly playing the Doctor in the proposed movie: "Why is everyone speculating about who should play the Doctor in the Doctor Who movie? Matt Smith is the Doctor, he should play him!! It's nice to be thought of but I do not want the part and would not accept if it were offered to me. I did my Who time and I died. The end." [Simon Pegg, via Twitter, 16 Nov 2011]

Mark Sheppard talks about the development of his character Canton: "I think I read an article where [Steven Moffat said] he was under some pressure to create a gay character who wasn't mincing around the screen. I mean, no disrespect to Captain Jack or anyone else at all, I'm being extreme in my stereotype, but I'm saying to have a character where being gay wasn't the singular identifier of the character, where the primary focus of the character is not what he's doing about being gay. ... A kid came up to me in a convention and said 'you know, Canton is the second-smartest man in the room', and I said 'really, why is that?' He said 'because he realises that the doctor is the smartest man in the room' - and I always thought was a very good way to put it." [Stuff, 15 Nov 2011]

Writer and long-term Doctor Who fan Naomi Alderman was interviewed about her novel, Borrowed Time, and when asked about the lack of Jewish and women writers for the series responded: "Hah! Actually, one of my favorite stories, The Masque of Mandragora, was written by a Jewish academic, Louis Marks. And Doctor Who was partly created by Verity Lambert, an inspirational feminist TV producer. I think you have to not choke yourself really, especially when creating. After five minutes of going, 'Hmm, not many people like me have done this,' you have to put it out of your mind and just do the best job you can." [Jewish Daily Forward, 16 Nov 2011]





FILTER: - People - Bernard Cribbins - Arthur Darvill - Karen Gillan - Matt Smith - David Tennant