Fans Take Up the Project of Animating Lost Episodes

Wednesday, 25 June 2008 - Reported by R Alan Siler

The June 26th edition of The Guardian features an article describing the efforts of a very talented group of fans who have taken inspiration from the 2006 DVD release of 1968's "The Invasion" and are animating lost episodes of Doctor Who.

Garrett Gilchrist is a director and artist based in the US. For the past eight months he has been working on an ambitious project to restore to life an episode of the lost 1967 Patrick Troughton epic, "Evil of the Daleks."

"'The Invasion' DVD was such a gift to fans, such a wonderful project," he says. "The first thought in everyone's mind was, 'So, when are you animating the rest of them, then?' "

Gilchrist is taking a very loyalist approach to the project. "They (the animations) have to match the original episodes as closely as possible, and feel like the 60s Doctor Who, not updated," says Gilchrist. "Just recreated with new technology. Recreated, not updated."

The article includes a 'sample reel' of scenes from various episodes, ranging from "Marco Polo" to "The Wheel in Space"

FILTER: - Animation - Classic Series

Turn Left - AI and Digital Ratings

Monday, 23 June 2008 - Reported by Marcus

Episode eleven of series four, Turn Left, scored an Appreciation Index of 88, again one of the highest scores of the week and firmly in the excellent category.

Sunday's football just edged ahead of Saturday's Doctor Who making Turn Left the 7th most watched programme of the week. This position may rise when corrected figures, including numbers for those recording the programme, are released by BARB in 9 days' time.

Sunday's BBC3 repeat got an overnight audience of0.60 million viewers. It was a 2.7% share of the multi-channel audience and the third most watched programme on all multi-channel TV for Sunday.

Saturday's edition of Doctor Who Confidential was watched by 0.77 million viewers. The programme, which had a share of 4.3 %, was the most watched on multi-channel television on Saturday. The Sunday repeat had 0.34 millionwatching.

Last Friday's repeat of Midnight got an audience of 0.29 million viewers. It was the 7th highest multi channel programme.

FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 4/30

Casting Rumour: New Girl for Christmas

Monday, 23 June 2008 - Reported by R Alan Siler

The Sunday Mirror is reporting that supermodel Agyness Deyn is being lined up as the new Christmas companion for the episode that will air on Christmas Day. Below is the body of the article; as always consider this to be strictly a rumour until confirmed officially by the BBC.

Extra caution is advised with this particular report, given that the episode in question has already been shot!

Supermodel Agyness Deyn is being lined up to appear in a Doctor Who Christmas special.

TV executives are considering several character options for the catwalk queen who will follow in the footsteps of previous guest stars Kylie Minogue and comedy veteran Bernard Cribbins.

A bbc source revealed: "Doctor Who remains the Beeb's jewel in the crown and bosses love pulling out the stops to land a bigname star to add a bit of extra showbiz sparkle to the Christmas special.

"Agyness is the perfect choice. She's talented and fast becoming a household name."

The part will be the first big acting role for Agyness, who is best known as the face of designer brands like Burberry and Armani.

Agyness, 25 - real name Laura Hollins - was discovered while working in a chip shop in Ramsbottom, Lancs, in 1999. Since then she has won a string of lucrative contracts as well as carving out a career in music - lending her voice to indie band The Five O'Clock Heroes' single Who.

She now divides her time between London and New York after splitting from long-term boyfriend Josh Hubbard, lead singer with The Paddingtons, last month.

Two years ago, Dr Who bosses brought in comedienne Catherine Tate to play bride Donna Noble in festive special The Runaway Bride. She proved a hit with viewers and was brought back as the Doctor's assistant, replacing Freema Agyeman. Pop princess Kylie Minogue was drafted in last year to play waitress Astrid Peth in Titanic-themed episode The Voyage Of The Damned.

Doctor Who - currently starring David Tennant - was an instant ratings winner for BBC1 when it was revived in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor and former pop singer Billie Piper as his assistant.

FILTER: - People - Series 4/30

Turn Left - Overnight Ratings

Sunday, 22 June 2008 - Reported by Marcus

Unofficial figures show that episode eleven of Series Four, Turn Left, was watched by 7.0 million viewers, giving it a 35.1% share of the total television audience.

The programme was the second most watched on Saturday, just being beaten by Euro 2008 on ITV1 which started just as Doctor Who finished. The programme won its time slot, getting double the audience of ITV1's Animals Do The Funniest Things. BBC1 had a drop of nearly 4 million viewers when Doctor Who finished.

Doctor Who is currently the 6th most watched programme of the week. Final figures will be released by BARB in ten days' time.

FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 4/30

New episode 12 trailers

Sunday, 22 June 2008 - Reported by Anthony Weight

The BBC has started running two new trailers for episode 12 of the current series, separate from the "Next Time" trailer seen last night. There is a 10-second teaser trail featuring the Daleks, and a longer 30-second trail containing many elements from the episode, including a malevolent voiceover.

UK internet users can view both of the trailers on the official BBC website, or on the BBC YouTube channel.

FILTER: - Series 4/30 - Press

Doctor Who trailers on the ABC - Confidential Cutdown confirmed

Sunday, 22 June 2008 - Reported by Adam Kirk

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has begun promoting Doctor Who with a trailer showing brief excerpts from Voyage of the Damned and the first five episodes of Series Four. The ABC has also put its trailer for 'Voyage of the Damned' on itswebsite.

A previous report that the ABC will broadcast each of the cut down editions of Doctor Who Confidential immediately after the broadcast of the corresponding episode of Series Four has not yet been officially confirmed by the ABC although its website indicates a 55 minute timeslot for Partners in Crime on Sunday 6 July 2008.

Update 26 June 2008: The ABC has confirmed on its online TV Guide that it is indeed showing Doctor Who Confidential Cutdown on ABC1 after each episode of Series 4 starting with "A Noble Return" on Sunday 6 July 2008.

FILTER: - Series 4/30 - Australia

Press round-up

Thursday, 19 June 2008 - Reported by Anthony Weight

The Radio Times is not the only British listings magazine to devote its cover to the return of Rose Tyler this week - both TV and Satellite Weekand TV Guide also make the news their cover story, with corresponding articles inside.

In the TV Guide feature, Russell T Daviessays of Rose's return: "She's a huge protagonist in the action and we see her meeting Donna for the first time. It explores how the two of them get on and, of course, they both have different agendas." In TV and Satellite Week, Davies comments on his successor,Steven Moffat: "It will be brilliant to watch it as [he] is full of ideas. You have never seen a man more excited than Steven is."

The Sun newspaper has today published a short article with a screen grab from this Saturday's episode - it is a minor spoiler, so be advised. Meanwhile,The Stage has published its review of last weekend's episode, "Midnight", saying it is Russell T Davies's "finest script from four years of Doctor Who".

SFX Magazine has gone a week further ahead and posted a preview of episode 12, "The Stolen Earth", which can be found here. Again, minor spoilers are included, so watch out if you are avoiding all advance details about the episode.

Meanwhile, an actor appeared on the BBC's "Breakfast" news programme earlier this week, and confirmed that he will be appearing in a forthcoming episode of Doctor Who. No plot spoilers were given, but for the benefit of those avoiding casting details, the information is included in the spoiler box below.

It was Noel Clarke who appeared on "Breakfast", stating that the BBC Press Office had given him clearance to say he would be returning as Mickey Smith in a forthcoming episode.

FILTER: - Series 4/30 - Press

Series 4 End Party in London

Thursday, 19 June 2008 - Reported by Chuck Foster

A special end-of-series party is planned to be held in London on July 5. The free event will be taking place at a gastropub in Clerkenwell.

Says organiser Jason Gorman: "We are planning to screen the series finale, Journey's End, when it is broadcast at 7pm (as currently scheduled!) - we believe it will also be screened just down the road in Trafalgar Square (for Pride London), and we expect many guests to come after that, so the party will just be getting started by 8pm.

"There'll be live music - with a Parisian theme - later in the evening, and we're working on some special video screenings later in the evening that we hope will amuse and divert. The party will probably go on well past midnight.

"Doors open from 5pm and tickets are free. As there are only 50 left we are limiting them to two per person, and those coming need to be 18 or over."

To confirm you want tickets, please contact Jason at the email address finale@parlezuml.com, stating your full name, address (to send tickets to), and contact number (in case the organisers need to contact you urgently).

Update 22 June: all the tickets have now been allocated, and should be distributed in the next week.

FILTER: - Production - Series 4/30

Auction Items Fetch Thousands

Thursday, 19 June 2008 - Reported by DWNP Archive

Posted By John Bowman

Two items from the 1980s era of Doctor Who were sold for more than 3,000 pounds yesterday.

An entertainment memorabilia auction at Bonhams in Knightsbridge, London, saw a moulded and painted foam baby Tyrannosaurus rex in a jar from the 1985 Colin Baker story The Mark of the Rani go for 1,080 pounds, while a Dalek guard costume from the 1984 Peter Davison adventureResurrection of the Daleks sold for 2,040 pounds.

As reported by this site last month, the model T rex had an estimate of 600 to 800 pounds, while the Dalek guard costume's estimate was 800 to 1,200 pounds. The guard costume had 'Rula Lenska' plus a measurement inscribed in ballpoint on the neck and came with a moulded weapon plus background paperwork, including a copy of a note by Lenska, who played Styles, and a signed photo (believed to be of Lenska)

FILTER: - Special Events - Classic Series

Forest of the Dead - Final Ratings

Wednesday, 18 June 2008 - Reported by Marcus

Final figures released by BARB give episode Nine of Series Four, Forest of the Dead, an official rating of7.84 million viewers.

The episode saw the series edge back into the weekly top ten, just beaten by the two main soaps and The Apprentice. Doctor Who beat one episode of EastEnders and one episode of Coronation street in the final ratings.

The Sunday repeat on BBC3 which was watched by0.82 million viewers and was the 7th most watched programme on multi-channel for the week.

The Saturday showing of Doctor Who Confidentialgot 0.87 million viewers making it the 5th most watched multi-channel programme.

Full ratings data, including data for iPlayer downloads can be found in the Doctor Who Forum.

Top Programmes w/e 8th June 2008

1 CORONATION STREET (MON 1932) - 9.16 - ITV1
2 CORONATION STREET (MON 2029) - 9.03 - ITV1
3 EASTENDERS (MON 2001) - 8.70 - BBC1
4 CORONATION STREET (FRI 1934) - 8.69 - ITV1
5 CORONATION STREET (WED 1930) - 8.42 - ITV1
6 CORONATION STREET (FRI 2030) - 8.15 - ITV1
7 EASTENDERS (FRI 1959) - 8.07 - BBC1
8 EASTENDERS (THU 1930) - 8.00 - BBC1
9 THE APPRENTICE (WED 2100) - 7.94 - BBC1
10 DOCTOR WHO (SAT 1900) - 7.84 - BBC1
11 CORONATION STREET (SUN 2003) - 7.75 - ITV1
12 EMMERDALE (MON 1901) - 6.71 - ITV1
13 EMMERDALE (TUE 1858) - 6.61 - ITV1
14 EMMERDALE (FRI 1903) - 6.59 - ITV1
15 EMMERDALE (THU 1902) - 6.44 - ITV1
16 EASTENDERS (TUE 1929) - 6.18 - BBC1
17 EMMERDALE (WED 1859) - 6.06 - ITV1
18 CASUALTY (SAT 2037) - 5.89 - BBC1
19 TRAFFIC COPS (TUE 2100) - 5.64 - BBC1
20 BIG BROTHER (THU 2102) - 5.59 - Chann

Top Multi Channel Programmes w/e 8th June 2008

1 EASTENDERS (Tue 2202) 1,270,000 - BBC3
2 HEROES (Thu 2230) 1,080,000 - BBC3
3 FILM: THIS IS ENGLAND (2006) (Mon 2100) 1,005,000 - Film4
4 AMERICA'S GOT TALENT (Fri 2104) 992,000 - ITV2
5 DOCTOR WHO CONFIDENTIAL (Sat 1946) 865,000 - BBC3
6 HOME AND AWAY (Tue 1829) 853,000 - Fiver
7 DOCTOR WHO (Sun 2001) 819,000 - BBC3
8 HOME AND AWAY (Fri 1828) 784,000 - Fiver
9 EASTENDERS (Thu 2200) 757,000 - BBC3
10 EASTENDERS (Mon 2203) 740,000 - BBC3
11 FAMILY GUY (Sun 2224) 738,000 - BBC3
12 HOLLYOAKS (Thu 1900) 730,000 - E4
13 HOME AND AWAY (Mon 1829) 722,000 - Fiver
14 60 SECONDS (Mon 2201) 717,000 - BBC3
15 HOLLYOAKS (Mon 1900) 711,000 - E4
16 HOME AND AWAY (Wed 1829) 708,000 - Fiver
17 60 SECONDS (Tue 2159) 651,000 - BBC3
18 HOME AND AWAY (Thu 1829) 648,000 - Fiver
19 HOLLYOAKS (Fri 1859) 636,000 - E4
20 MIDSOMER MURDERS (Tue 2205) 623,000 - ITV3

Source BARB

FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 4/30

Previous 10 Stories

Fans Take Up the Project of Animating Lost Episodes

Turn Left - AI and Digital Ratings

Casting Rumour: New Girl for Christmas

Turn Left - Overnight Ratings

New episode 12 trailers

Doctor Who trailers on the ABC - Confidential Cutdown confirmed

Press round-up

Series 4 End Party in London

Auction Items Fetch Thousands

Forest of the Dead - Final Ratings

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