Canada: CBC to repeat Eccleston Series

Thursday, 28 December 2006 - Reported by Mike Doran

Starting on Friday January 19th, 2007 (Friday night/Saturday morning) the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation will commence a repeat run of the 2005 Doctor Who series starring Christopher Eccleston. Starting with the premiere episode "Rose" episodes will be broadcast each Friday at 12:00 midnight (12:30am in Newfoundland and Labrador). This will be the fourth full CBC network run of Series One since April 2005.

Episodes of Series Two with David Tennant will continue on the CBC after their Christmas hiatus with "The Satan Pit" on Monday January 15th, 2007 at 8:00pm (8:30pm in Newfoundland and Labrador).

FILTER: - Canada - Christopher Eccleston - Series 5/31 - Broadcasting

BBC confirms Dalek story setting

Wednesday, 27 December 2006 - Reported by DWNP Archive

The BBC confirmed today that the Daleks will feature in the Series Three two-parter set in 1930s New York (episodes four and five, which are currently untitled). A Dalek was featured in the recent trailer for Series Three that concluded the broadcast of "The Runaway Bride".

The story, published on its Entertainment website this morning, follows the mention in the Sun today (see below) and quotes Russell T Davies as saying: "This time, their plan is the most audacious Dalek scheme yet! Even the Doctor finds himself out of his depth."

As previously reported, appearing alongside David Tennant and Freema Agyeman in the adventure will be Miranda Raison, Hugh Quarshie and Ryan Carnes.

FILTER: - Production - Series 3/29

New series preview in the Sun

Wednesday, 27 December 2006 - Reported by DWNP Archive

Today's Sun has a colour picture special preview of Series Three. A main image of the Doctor thrown by an explosion is surrounded by shots of new companion Martha with an unidentified male, Ardal O'Hanlon as feline alien Brannigan, a Judoon, Dean Lennox Kelly as Shakespeare and the black Dalek.

The Sun today also has a report about Casualty extra Johnson Yakoob being axed from the BBC hospital-based series after 500 shows over nearly two decades for taking a picture of David Tennant. Yakoob is quoted as saying his agency has stopped his work because he broke a rule about photographing Tennant while working on Doctor Who, and says: "I can't believe it. He was happy to pose."

FILTER: - Series 3/29 - Press

Series 3 in US: Summer 2007

Saturday, 23 December 2006 - Reported by Benjamin Elliott

The American cable network Sci Fi Channel has announced that they have secured the rights to air Series Three starting in the summer of 2007, according to a note on their Doctor Who page. Sci Fi completed the airing of Series Two with the double-bill of "Army of Ghosts" and "Doomsday" last night.

Series Three will air on the BBC in the UK this coming Spring; if this plan by Sci Fi in the US holds, it will be the earliest turnaround of episode broadcasts since the start of the new series (Series One having taken a full year; Series Two, six months).

FILTER: - USA - Series 3/29 - Broadcasting

The Gunfighters

Tuesday, 19 December 2006 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

As previously reported, BBC Audio is releasing The Gunfighters on CD on February 5, 2007. The full soundtrack is narrated by Peter Purves (Steven). The official cover blurb and illustration are below; click on the thumbnail for a larger version. (Thanks to Paul Taylor/Tenth Planet)

Doctor Who: The Gunfighters

The TARDIS lands in the Wild West in this classic BBC TV soundtrack starring William Hartnell, with linking narration by Peter Purves.

'So come, you coyotes, and howl at the moon'til there's blood upon the sawdust in The Last Chance Saloon…' It's 1881 and, in the Wild West settlement of Tombstone, there are three strangers in town: 'Doctor Caligari', 'Steven Regret', and 'Miss Dodo Dupont'. They've arrived in a 20th Century blue police box, and they're about to wander into a whole heap of trouble...

The Doctor is in need of a dentist, but the sort of anaesthetic Doc Holliday uses comes out of a liquor bottle. He's in the middle of a feud with the Clanton family, whilst Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson try to keep the peace. This isn't the place for a relaxing holiday, as the TARDIS crew soon discover...

Tombstone's not the most happily named of towns, and it seems it may live up to that name any day now. There's a gunfight at the OK Corral brewing and, if the Doctor and his friends aren't careful, they're going to be caught in the crossfire...

In a bonus interview, Peter Purves, who also narrates this remastered soundtrack, recalls the making of The Gunfighters for television. A special 10-minute bonus music segment is also included.

FILTER: - Audio - William Hartnell - Classic Series

Canada: CBC Ratings Round-Up

Wednesday, 13 December 2006 - Reported by Mike Doran

Doctor Who is off of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for the Christmas holidays but ratings are now in for the first eight episodes of Series Two. This year the CBC is broadcasting Doctor Who on Monday nights at 8:00pm (8:30pm in Newfoundland and Labrador). Doctor Who is scheduled against different competition in different time zones. Some of the shows Doctor Who has been up against are: Prison Break (Global/FOX), Corner Gas (CTV), regional hockey (SNET) and in many larger markets Battlestar Galactica(CHUM/CITY). The ratings for each episode are as follows:

October 9th - New Earth - 530 000
October 16th - Tooth and Claw - 371 000
October 23th - School Reunion - 493 000
November 6th - The Girl in the Fireplace - 535 000
November 13th - Rise of the Cybermen - 520 000
November 20th - The Age of Steel - 466 000
November 27th - The Idiot's Lantern - 442 000
December 4th - The Impossible Planet - 536 000

Doctor Who was pre-empted on October 30th for part two of the mini-series Above and Beyond. Doctor Who will return to the CBC on January 15th, 2007 with "The Satan Pit".

For discussion of the Canadian broadcasting of Doctor Who, please visit this thread in our forum.

(With thanks to Rod Mammitzsch and DWIN)

FILTER: - Canada - Series 2/28 - Broadcasting

CBC Canada: Doctor Who on hiatus for Christmas holidays

Monday, 11 December 2006 - Reported by Mike Doran

For the next five Mondays the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has placed Doctor Whoand most of their regular primetime schedule on a holiday hiatus. During the period holiday programming, movies and other specials will be airing in Doctor Who's Monday night timeslot.

Doctor Who will return to the CBC on Monday January 15th, 2007 at 8:00pm (8:30pm in Newfoundland and Labrador) with the episode "The Satan Pit". This episode concludes the adventure started in "The Impossible Planet" which was broadcast on December 4th, 2006.

FILTER: - Canada - Series 2/28 - Broadcasting

Hot Spoilers in the Sun

Friday, 8 December 2006 - Reported by DWNP Archive

Today's edition of The Sun follows up yesterday's revelation elsewhere that the Doctor and Martha end up in bed together in the next series.

The article has minor plot and characterisation details, so click below - or on the link above - if you want to find out more.

According to TV biz, Martha has a big crush on the Doctor. The Sun piece says: "The pair are forced to bunk up together in one scene and Martha moves in for the kill. But her love intentions are ruined - by a monster."

FILTER: - Production - Series 3/29 - Press

Survival released on DVD in April

Thursday, 7 December 2006 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

The official Doctor Who site has announced that the 1989 adventure Survival, starring Sylvester McCoy, will be released on DVD in April 2007. Survival was the last Doctor Who serial of the original series to be broadcast; it was also the final Doctor Who appearance of Anthony Ainley as the Master. Ainley's first appearances in the series will be released on DVD in January, in the "New Beginnings" collection.

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Series Three Updates

Wednesday, 6 December 2006 - Reported by R Alan Siler

In the newest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (#377) some new details about the upcoming series of Doctor Whohave been revealed:

Episode Two Title
The episode, which features Dean Lennox Kelly in the lead guest role of William Shakespeare, will be titled "The Shakespeare Code".

Casting
Four new castings have been revealed: Jessica Stevenson will feature in Episodes Eight and Nine of Series Three.Carey Mulligan (Bleak House, The Amazing Mrs Pritchard), Lucy Gaskell (Cutting It, Vincent), Michael Obiora (The Bill, Hotel Babylon) and Finlay Robertson (NY-LON, Life Begins) will appear in Episode Ten of Series Three.

Director
Episode Ten will be directed by Hettie MacDonald, the first time a Doctor Who story will have been directed by a woman since 1985's "The Mark of the Rani".

FILTER: - Production - Series 3/29

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