blackpool opens

Thursday, 15 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The new Doctor Who exhibition at Blackpool has now opened! After an absence of nearly 20 years, the new exhibition has opened and "features a Hall of Monsters, the Doctor's sprightly yellow roadster Bessie, and a dodgy Dalek that has trouble with his battle cry." The exhibition is open daily from 10am to 6pm. There's an article at BBCi and reports on BBC news hereand here; also, courtesy our reader Richard Thomas we've got a couple exclusive pictures here below, click on each for a larger version.

FILTER: - Exhibitions

grade on doctor who

Friday, 2 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Newly appointed BBC Chairman Michael Grade gave an interview today to the PM program on BBC Radio 4. One of the topics discussed was Doctor Who. "The last time I axed Doctor Who," Grade told host Eddie Mair, "there was all sorts of consternation amongst the Board of Governors. It's not a matter for the Governors, it's a matter for the Management." He mentioned that he would tolerate the return of the series: "This time it's none of my business what happens to Doctor Who, as long as I don't have to watch it." Grade, as BBC Chairman, is not responsible for the decisions made on BBC programming, as we reported yesterday. You can listen to the interview at the PM site on BBCi by clicking here. (Thanks to Frank Shailes, Jonathan Boakes)

Additionally, BBCi has an interesting viewer feedback poll up. Called "Do you make the Grade?," it's a BBC news poll about the Grade appointment. "Michael Grade has been appointed BBC chairman and will have a tough job on his hands in the wake of Lord Hutton's criticism of the BBC earlier this year. But do you think you have what it takes to do the corporation's top job? Our quiz below features nine questions every BBC chairman should know." (Thanks to Steve Tribe)

FILTER: - Production

richard leech

Friday, 2 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Richard Leech, the Irish-born character actor who played Gatherer Hade in "The Sun Makers," has died of undisclosed causes. He passed away on March 24 at age 81. Among his many roles were parts in the films "Gandhi," "A Handful of Dust," "The Red Dress," "A Night to Remember" and "The Shooting Party" and guest appearances on TV in "North and South," "David Copperfield," "A Woman of Substance," "Barchester Chronicles," "Smiley's Poeple" and "The Duchess of Duke Street". An obituary can be found at the Telegraph paper's website. (Thanks to Andrew Green, Matthew Kilburn)

FILTER: - Obituary - Classic Series

green death dvd press release

Thursday, 1 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

BBC Worldwide has put out a press release about the May release of The Green Death on DVD in the UK; the release was previously confirmed at BBCi and the Restoration Team site. (Although it's quite interesting that the press release can't spell Jon Pertwee's name correctly...) (Thanks to Steve Tribe)

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

big finish news

Thursday, 1 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine announces that Big Finish will soon publish Doctor Who: The Audio Scripts Volume Four, which will feature the full scripts, production notes and essays on the company's "villains" trilogy and anniversary special: Nev Fountain's "Omega," Lance Parkin's "Davros," Joseph Lidster's "Master" and Alan Barnes & Gary Russell's "Zagreus". The book will be out in September. Meanwhile, the issue also mentions that famed character actor Leslie Phillips will appear in the forthcoming "Medicinal Purposes" (the August CD release) as Dr. Robert Knox. Also, at the recent United Fan Con East convention, Terry Molloy confirmed that he was returning to the role of Davros for a Big Finish audio to be released later this year, an audio that he performs in with Colin Baker and Bonnie Langford. And according to Nicholas Briggs, William Gaunt, best known to Doctor Who fans as Orcini in "Revelation of the Daleks", will be in the forthcoming "Dalek Empire III" series; Briggs also confirmed, at the recent "Dr. Who and the Daleks" convention, that there would be a fourth 'season' of stories with Paul McGann, India Fisher and Conrad Westmaas in early 2005. (Thanks to DWM, Steve Tribe)

FILTER: - Audio - DWM

peter diamond

Thursday, 1 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Peter Diamond, who was both a guest actor as well as fight arranger for several early Doctor Who stories, died on Saturday, March 27, due to a stroke. Diamond was the fight arranger for "The Dalek Invasion of Earth," "The Romans," "The Space Museum," "The Chase," "The Highlanders," "The Evil of the Daleks," "The War Games" and "The Daemons"; he also played Delos in "The Romans," a Morok in "The Space Museum," a sailor in "The Highlanders" and Davis in "The Ice Warriors". Diamond also made a mark in another SF production; he was the Tusken Raider who attacked Luke in the original "Star Wars" film. (Thanks to Ben Jolly)

FILTER: - Obituary - Classic Series

michael grade is the new bbc chairman

Thursday, 1 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

As has been rumored over the past several weeks, Michael Grade, the former controller of BBC1 and later of Channel 4 and the man who put Doctor Who on an eighteen-month hiatus in 1985 after the twenty-second season, has been appointed as the new chairman of the BBC. Grade, who has never withheld his contempt of Doctor Who and who, in fact, in a 1999 interview said he would have killed it off permanently if he'd had the chance, was originally touted as one of the handful of finalists chosen by Culture secretary Tessa Jowell. News from today's Financial Times indicated that Grade was expected to be named today, and apparently BBC Radio 5 announced on their 11:30pm news broadcast this evening -- a report confirmed by BBC Ceefax, by the BBC's political editors -- that the choice had indeed been made for Grade to take the role of BBC Chairman, and that the Friday morning papers would confirm this. Update 2 April, 0030 GMT: BBC News confirms the announcement; the Guardian has also printed the story.

Outpost Gallifrey has been reliably informed by several people that the role of chairman is not involved in the programming or day-to-day operations of the BBC channels, and at this point there is no danger expected toward Russell T. Davies' new Doctor Who series production which has been advancing since last September, so any fans concerned that the new series will be canceled shouldn't worry!

FILTER: - Production - Radio Times

blackpool opens

grade on doctor who

richard leech

green death dvd press release

big finish news

peter diamond

michael grade is the new bbc chairman

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