Recovered episodes restoration video released

Sunday, 18 May 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
Restoration Team member Paul Vanezis has released a video showing some of the delicate work carried out on the Second Doctor episodes that were recovered last year.

The nine episodes - from The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear - were returned to the BBC's archive in Perivale on Friday 31st May and the next day the film prints were taken to the Digital Media Services department of BBC Studios and Post Production in South Ruislip for transfer.

In 2013, nine lost episodes were returned to the BBC by the archive recovery organisation TIEA. This is what then happened to the films.

The film starts with the remedial work required to get the film on the film cleaner, then the film cleaner at work.

The film cleaner works by immersing the film in a bath of specially engineered inert fluid which acts as a transmission medium for the powerful ultrasonic waves which shock the dirt on the surface of the film and loosen it to allow it to be gently scrubbed off by rotating lambswool rollers submerged in the bath. Hot air knives dry the film as soon as it leaves the bath.

Then we see the first of the film watched for the very first time since it was lost.

With Thanks To Tony Clark





FILTER: - Online - Missing episodes - Second Doctor

Trailers released for Titan Comics' Tenth and Eleventh Doctor series

Sunday, 18 May 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
Trailers have been released for the forthcoming range of Tenth and Eleventh Doctor adventures to be published by Titan Comics.

Both are due to launch on Wednesday 23rd July, with the second issue of the Tenth Doctor range being published on Wednesday 27th August and the second edition of the Eleventh Doctor series out on Wednesday 10th September. A Twelfth Doctor range is in the pipeline to start later this year.

Because of licensing restrictions, the comics can only be bought digitally by people in the UK and Ireland - click here for the Tenth Doctor range and here for the Eleventh Doctor range. They will also be available on Amazon Kindle and the Apple iBooks store.

Outside of the UK and Ireland, physical copies from the ranges can be ordered on subscription via the Titan Comics site - click here for the Tenth Doctor range and here for the Eleventh Doctor range - or bought from comic-book stores.

The Tenth Doctor trailer features new companion Gabriella Gonzalez, with artwork by Elena Casagrande and a painted cover by Verity Glass, and promises new monsters, while the Eleventh Doctor trailer has artwork by Simon Fraser that is previously unseen, and shows the Doctor and new companion Alice Obiefune running down a corridor.

Watch the trailers below:






FILTER: - Merchandise - Comics - Magazines

Frank Skinner confirmed for Doctor Who role

Friday, 16 May 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Frank Skinner (Credit: BBC)The BBC today announced that comedian Frank Skinner will be playing a role in the new series of Doctor Who. The Room 101 presenter, who previously cameoed in Peter Davison's 50th Anniversary's tribute The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, is to feature in the episode written by Jamie Mathieson, whose story is in the current filming block directed by Paul Wilmshurst.

Skinner, a long-term fan, said:
I love this show. I subscribe to Dr Who magazine, I've got a TARDIS ringtone, a five-foot cardboard Dalek in my bedroom and when I got the call saying they wanted me to read for the part, I was in the back of my tour bus watching episode three of The Sensorites. I am beyond excited.
Lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat commented:
It's no secret that Frank's been pitching vigorously to get into Doctor Who for a while. He's been volunteering to be 'third monster on the left' as long as I've been in this job. But now, in Jamie Mathieson's sparkling script, we finally have a part that can showcase all of Frank's famous wit and charm. Hopefully he'll get out of my garden now.
Mathieson commented on the casting on his blog:
I was a stand up for a living for quite a few years. When I was trying to figure out how to do it in 1996, his first two stand up videos were part of my boot camp, so there is a nice synchronicity for me to be writing lines for him to deliver nearly twenty years later.

The episode will also feature the return of two more 'classic' series guest stars: Janet Henfrey appeared as Mrs Hardaker in the seventh Doctor adventure The Curse of Fenric in 1989; and Christopher Villiers hails back to the fifth Doctor era, appearing as Hugh in 1983's The King's Demons. Other guest stars announced include David Bamber (Rome, What Remains) and Daisy Beaumont (The Armstrong and Miller Show, A Touch of Cloth, You, Me, and Them).





FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Guest Stars - Production - Series 8/34

US Cinema outing for Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel

Thursday, 15 May 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
BBC Worldwide and Fathom Events have announced a cinematic presentation of Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel as part of a two-evening celebration of David Tennant in the United States. The special, 'theatrical cut' of the story will be shown in some 620 cinema locations across the USA on Monday 16th June, with tickets also including the Tennant-narrated documentary Wings-3D the following evening.

Soumya Sriraman, EVP of Licensing and Home Entertainment for BBC Worldwide North America, said:
Once again we are bringing Doctor Who to theaters to give fans a new way to experience the Tenth Doctor - David Tennant, and we are making it extra special with a two-night theatrical event for Tennant fans across the country. From the finest in science fiction to the best of natural history, there will be something for everyone to enjoy- all on the same ticket.

Dan Diamond, senior vice president of Fathom Events, said:
Fans of all types come out in full force to experience the Infamous Doctor Who in our cinema events. We're sure that this special two-night event featuring the incomparable David Tennant will offer them a unique opportunity they won't want to miss.

Tickets go on sale this morning in the United States and are available from local cinemas and the Fathom Events website.




FILTER: - Special Events - USA - David Tennant

Humble Bundle deal on IDW Comics

Wednesday, 14 May 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Humble Bundle Inc. - an initiative to sell digital collections on a limited timescale at a price the purchasher wishes to pay - is currently running a bundle of Doctor Who comics from IDW Publishing:

Over 60 brilliant issues. The Humble Doctor Who Comic Bundle features 14 collections of graphic novel storytelling, allowing you to travel with The Doctor as he adventures through all of space and time. Name your price for Fugitive, Tesseract, and Final Sacrifice featuring the 10th Doctor, David Tennant, alongside Doctor Who: Series 2 Vols. 1-4, featuring the 11th Doctor, Matt Smith. As an added bonus, we’re throwing in the Android-based puzzle game Doctor Who: Legacy, which includes 10 pre-unlocked Doctors! Grab your sonic screwdriver and fight alongside quite a few recognizable companions as you battle Cybermen, Daleks, and more on episode-based levels!

Need even more wibbly wobbly, timey wimey...stuff? Beat the average and you will receive four more volumes! From Series 3, this collection includes The Hypothetical Gentleman, The Eye of Ashaya, Sky Jacks!, and Dead Man’s Hand, giving you even more of the fishstick and custard eating 11th Doctor.

This bundle is definitely bigger on the inside. Pay $15 or more and you’ll also receive the 3 volume series The Prisoners of Time. Released in 2013 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, this 12-issue story features all 11 past Doctors, from William Hartnell to Matt Smith, and culminates in a multi-doctor issue! Wrapping up the bundle (much like a bowtie): the 50th anniversary celebration issue and 2014 Hugo Award-nominee, The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who - a meta-story in which the 11th Doctor travels to the present day to discover an actor, Matt Smith, playing him in a TV show!

Fugitive (Series 1 Vol 1) (Credit: IDW) The Ripper (Series 2 Vol 1) (Credit: IDW) Hypothetical Gentleman (Series 3 Vol 1) (Credit: IDW) Prisoners of Time (Vol 1) (Credit: IDW) The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who (Credit: IDW)

Pay what you want. Purchased separately, these comic books would cost more than $70, but we’re letting you set the price.

DRM-free. Compatible with computers and mobile devices. These comics are available in multiple formats including MOBI, PDF, PDF (HD) and EPUB, so they work on your computer, eBook readers, and a wide array of mobile devices! Instructions and a list of recommended reading programs can be found here.

Support charity. You can choose exactly how you want your purchase to be divided: to Doctors Without Borders or The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. You may also thank IDW Publishing or even us with a few coins in the tip jar.

The offer is available until the 28th May; full details are available from their website.




FILTER: - Comics - Online - Special Offers

Germany DVD/Blu-ray update

Tuesday, 13 May 2014 - Written by Pascal Salzmann
Written by Pascal Salzmann
Pandastorm Pictures, a German media distributor, is planning to release "classic" Doctor Who on DVD. The distributor posted an appeal to fans on several German online forums, asking if there are people out there who had recorded the original German-dubbed broadcasts of Seasons 22-26, which aired on RTL Plus (1989/1993) and VOX (1995).

As the German-dubbed language tracks of some of the episodes are missing in the archives, Pandastorm is especially searching for the following episodes:

Since its appeal, Pandastorm sent out an email to anyone who has contacted it so far:
Liebe Doctor Who Fans,
für das überwältigende Feedback möchten wir uns sehr herzlich bedanken, damit haben wir nicht gerechnet. Wir haben als erstes den Luxemburg-Hinweis aus dem Forum aufgenommen und lassen gerade prüfen, ob sich die fehlenden Folgen dort im alten RTLplus-Archiv befinden. Einige von euch haben uns auch den Kontakt zum damaligen Verantwortlichen der Synchronisation geschickt, den wir danach angehen werden. Je nachdem was sich aus dieser Suche ergibt, werden wir uns dann bei einigen von euch melden, was die noch fehlenden Tonspuren angeht.


Dear Doctor Who fans,
Thank you very much for your overwhelming feedback, we did not expect this at all. We will first follow your advice on the forums to have a look at the RTLplus Archives in Luxemburg. Some of you sent us the contact details of the dubbing director back then. Whatever comes out of these options, we will then contact some of you for the still missing language tracks.

Pandastorm also posted on its Facebook page that it is still at the beginning stages and will have further news on the releases in 3 to 4 months. It cannot say yet if it is going to release season boxed sets or single story releases but it is trying to get the rights to every bonus feature available.


Meanwhile, the previously reported German (and right now the only European) Blu-ray release of An Adventure in Space and Time is now up for pre-order on Amazon DE. It contains all the bonus features of the British DVD release and the original English language track. A DVD version is also available.

An Adventure In Space and Time (German cover)Ein Abenteuer in Raum und Zeit (available for pre-order)

„Ein Abenteuer in Raum und Zeit“ reist zurück in das Jahr 1963, zurück zur Geburtsstunde eines Phänomens, zur Entstehung der bis heute laut dem Guinessbuch der Rekorde erfolgreichsten und am längsten laufenden Science-Fiction-Serie der Welt: DOCTOR WHO. Der BBC-Klassiker feierte am 23.11.2013 sein 50. Jubiläum. Großbritannien, 1963: Der neu berufene BBC-Drama-Chef Sydney Newman (Brian Cox) ist auf der Suche nach einem halbstündigen Samstag-Abend-Format, das sich an Kinder richtet, aber auch Erwachsene unterhält. Es wurde die Idee für eine Science-Fiction-Serie rund um einen mysteriösen Außerirdischen namens Doctor Who geboren. Kurzerhand befördert er seine ehemalige Assistentin Verity (Jessica Raine) zur Produzentin und betraut die junge, noch unerfahrene Frau mit dem ebenfalls noch jungen Regisseur Waris Hussein (Sacha Dhawan) mit der Produktion. Innerhalb der BBC glaubt anfangs niemand an die Idee des neuen Drama-Chefs. Die Einschaltquoten sind enttäuschend, aber Verity hat noch ein As im Ärmel ...





FILTER: - WHO50 - Classic Series - Germany - Blu-ray/DVD

Twelfth Doctor Radio Times cover debut

Tuesday, 13 May 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Radio Times (17-23 May 2014) (Credit: Radio Times)The new Doctor, as played by Peter Capaldi, makes his debut as a Radio Times front cover this week - the second Doctor Who related one this year (so far) as the show once again promotes the BAFTA Television Awards, which take place live on BBC One this coming Sunday 18th May at 8:00pm. It is one of the nominees in the Radio Times Audience Award that is open to a public vote - The Day of The Doctor is up against Broadchurch, Breaking Bad, Educating Yorkshire, The Great British Bake-Off and Gogglebox. Voting closes at midday, 15th May.

There is a 16 page guide to this year's BAFTA TV awards, and the magazine also includes a feature on Doctor Who, with lead writer/executive producer Steven Moffat discussing writing The Day of the Doctor, revealing how it was the most "difficult" and "terrifying" thing he has ever written!

Speaking about how Capaldi came to be chosen as the new Doctor, he said:
When you choose a Doctor, you want somebody who is utterly compelling, attractive in a very odd way. None of the Doctors are conventionally attractive, but they’re all arresting. Handsome men don’t quite suit. Matt Smith’s a young, good-looking bloke from one angle but is actually the strangest looking man from another. You need that oddity; you need somebody who is carved out of solid star, really. Doctor Who is a whopping great star vehicle, despite the fact it changes star every so often.

The Radio Times is on sale from today.

(with thanks to the Radio Times)




FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Peter Capaldi - Radio Times

Hermione Norris announced for new series role

Monday, 12 May 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Hermione Norris (Credit: BBC)The BBC today announced that Hermione Norris has been cast in the new series of Doctor Who. The actress will appear in the latest episode to be filmed, written by Peter Harness and directed by Paul Wilmshurst, which will also see filming undertaken at a location previously seen in the fifth Doctor adventure, Planet of Fire.

Lead writer/Executive Producer Steven Moffat said:
It's a testament to the quality of Peter Harness's intense and emotional script, that we've been able to attract an actress of the brilliance of Hermione Norris. And for the first time since 1984, the Doctor Who production team is heading to Lanzarote. The Doctor is returning to the scene of an old adventure - but there have been sinister changes since his last visit.
Norris said:
It's exciting to be part of such an iconic show, and one that my kids can watch!!!

The actress has had a number of memorable roles on television, including Ros Myers in Spooks, Beatrice in Kingdom, and DCI Carol Jordan in Wire in the Blood; her sci-fi credentials include playing Stella Isen in Outcasts. She can currently be seen in the BBC drama The Crimson Field.

Also announced for this episode is Tony Osoba, joining the relatively small 'club' of actors to appear in both the 'classic' and new series of Doctor Who. This will be his third appearance (and Doctor!) in the series: the actor previously appeared as the Movellan Lan in fourth Doctor adventure Destiny of the Daleks and as Kracauer in seventh Doctor tale Dragonfire.





FILTER: - Guest Stars - Production - Series 8/34

People Roundup

Sunday, 11 May 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Matt Smith has been cast in a new Terminator film. The actor will play a new character with a strong connection to the leader of the anti-machine resistance, in the long running franchise.

Speaking at at Wizard World Minneapolis, Smith said he was very excited to be in the movie.
All I can say about Terminator is that I'm very excited to be part of the Terminator franchise because those movies – those first two movies, particularly – are brilliant.
The fifth Terminator movie will be directed by Alan Taylor and sees Arnold Schwarzenegger return to the role that made him famous.

Karen Gillan's ABC pilot Selfie has been commissioned for a full series.

The American sitcom is based on My Fair Lady, with Gillan playing Eliza Dooley, a 20-something who pays more attention to her online persona than professional image. Written by Suburgatory’s Emily Kapnek, the comedy also stars John Cho as marketing expert Henry.

Meanwhile the Warner’s horror film Oculus, which stars Gillan, will be released in the UK on Friday, 13th June. The official UK trailer can be viewed on YouTube.

Arthur Darvill recently appeared on BBC Radio 1 where he performed The Ballad of Arthur Darvill, lamenting, life after Doctor Who.



Bob Baker co-creator of K9, is currently working on Marti, the amazing adventures of the World’s most unlikeliest of Superheroes. Marti is a creator-owned cartoon character series about a Superhero Meerkat and his friends. The concept began life after seeing the Meerkat Manor natural history series.

The new Cartoon Superhero is being funded via Kickstarter, with an exclusive bonus K9 DVD being given free alongside pledges of £15 and upwards. The DVD features the complete story of K9, with exclusive footage never seen before.

Full details here.

A new project called Contradiction - The Interactive Murder Mystery Game is in production, also funded by a Kickstarter campaign.

The game stars Paul Darrow, who played Avon in Blakes 7 as well as appearing in two Doctor Who stories. Also appearing is John Guilor, who provided the voice of the First Doctor in the 50th Anniversary story The Day of the Doctor.

Full details here.




FILTER: - People - Arthur Darvill - Karen Gillan - Matt Smith

Lost in the Dark Dimension

Sunday, 11 May 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Lost in the Dark DimensionA new fan made animation of the unmade thirtieth anniversary story Lost in the Dark Dimension is being released on YouTube.

The story was originally written in the early 1990's, by journalist and long-time Doctor Who fan, Adrian Rigelsford and commissioned by BBC Enterprises as a direct to video release. The production was intended to be released to celebrate Doctor Who's thirtieth Birthday in November 1993.

The project was abandoned after it encountered a number of problems including issues on actor availability and problems with rights to the series which resided with Philip Segal who was attempting to interest American producers in a co-production.

A team of professionals and amateurs are now working together to try to complete an animated version of the story. Part One has now been released on YouTube and features Big Finish veteran Paul Jones as the Fourth Doctor, with theatre performer Jennifer Knighton and video game actor Graydon Schlichter also appearing alongside a complete cast of other semi-professional actors. The animation is being produced and directed by James Walker and Jay Hale.

Part One is now available on YouTube.

Lost in the Dark Dimension Lost in the Dark Dimension Lost in the Dark Dimension




FILTER: - Fan Productions