Doctor Who Adventures - 184

Wednesday, 15 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Adventures 182This week’s issue of Doctor Who Adventures comes with a free growing monster. Just add water to grow your own Weeping Angel.

If you have ever wanted to learn how to draw one of the most powerful creatures in the universe then the magazine shows you how to draw a Dalek, the Doctor’s oldest enemy.

Also this week, backstage secrets from the man who decorates the sets of Doctor Who and the story of River Song, the only person to know the Doctor’s real name.

All this, plus: some jokes, a comic strip and a puzzles section, including a Weeping Angel word search.

Issue 184 of Doctor Who Adventures magazine is out in the UK on Thursday.




FILTER: - Magazines - DWA

BBC News

Wednesday, 15 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
BBCThe controller of BBC One, Jay Hunt, is to leave the corporation to join Channel 4. No departure date has yet been announced but Hunt takes up her new role in January.

As controller of BBC One since 2008, Hunt was ultimately responsible for commissioning and scheduling of Doctor Who. She expressed her support for the series when speaking at the summer BAFTA showing of The Pandorica Opens and recently agreed with Executive Producer Steven Moffat to split the 2011 series in to two halfs. However there has been some criticism for the way Doctor Who was scheduled this year with varying start times and of the decision to show the animated Graham Norton over the end of The Time of Angels.

The BBC's director of vision, Jana Bennett, will take temporary charge of BBC One until a replacement is appointed.

Meanwhile the broadcasting unions have served notice to the BBC of four days of strike action to take place in October. The Unions are in dispute with the BBC over changes to the BBC staff pension plan. It is not known what effect, if any, strike action would have to the current filming schedule of Doctor Who.




FILTER: - Production

Meglos confirmed as first 2011 release

Tuesday, 14 September 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Doctor Who: Meglos2Entertain have now confirmed the Fourth Doctor story Meglos will be the first DVD release of 2011. This follows on from the press item by BBC America last week which mentioned the story for simultaneous releases in both the US and UK.

The company has also confirmed that the story will also be released in Australia/New Zealand (R4) at the same time.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

News Roundup

Tuesday, 14 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
A long lost ITV play starring Second Doctor Patrick Troughton has been found stored at the Library of Congress in Washington. Freedom in September was originally shown as part of the Play of the Week strand in September 1962. Troughton plays Prince, a journalist who helps a Russian dissident. The play is one of a number of missing plays found in part of the archive of the New York-based public service television station WNET.

John Barrowman wowed a crowd of thousands at Salford's Proms in the Park on Saturday. The actor, who plays Captain Jack in Doctor Who and Torchwood, performed numbers from The Pink Panther and Mack and Mabel as well as Don't Rain On My Parade and I Am What I Am. Barrowman said: “I've had a wonderful time. I think it's a really great opportunity for people to come and hear a variety of different types of music - from the classical Proms music to my kind of entertainment. It's what the BBC do so well bringing different types of music all across the country."

Colin Baker's tour as Inspector Morse arrives at the New Theatre Oxford this week and Baker has been talking to the Reading Post. He told the paper that he’s also a big fan of the new series especially Matt Smith. "I’m very pleased with the new one, I think he’s brilliant", he says.

Meanwhile filming continues in Cardiff on the 2011 series of Doctor Who with Director Richard Clark tweeting "I'm scared filming this. The kids are gonna freak", and "Big finale today. Complex. Lots to co-ordinate. But it's looking seriously gorgeous."




FILTER: - People - Series 6/32 - Patrick Troughton - Colin Baker

Finished Product - Issue Five

Tuesday, 14 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: Finished ProductIssue Five of The Finished Product, the unofficial companion to the Big Finish audio series, is available from this week.

This issue kicks off with a look at the genesis of the Companion Chronicles, and first season stories Frostfire, Fear of the Daleks, The Blue Tooth and The Beautiful People, plus the full episode one of 'lost' story Psychomorph.

It then moves on to series three, season two will feature soon, and looks at Here There Be Monsters, The Doll of Death and Home Truths.

Interviewees include Nicholas Briggs, Mark J. Thompson, John Ainsworth, Ian Farrington, Alan Barnes, cover artist Simon Holub, writers Marc Platt, Patrick Chapman, Nigel Fairs, Jonathan Morris, David Richardson, Lisa Bowerman, Andy Lane and Simon Guerrier, sound designers and musicians David Darlington, Richard Fox and Lauren Yason, actors Jane Goddard and Niall Macgregor, and Katy Manning.

There's also Andrew Smith exclusively previewing The Invasion of E-Space, his first Doctor Who work since Full Circle and some rare Doctor Who pictures.

For more details and ordering information, email thefinishedproduct@hotmail.co.uk.




FILTER: - Fan Productions - Big Finish

DVD Global Release Schedule Synchronised

Monday, 13 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who DVDClassic Doctor Who DVDs will in future be released simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic.

In the past fans in North America, Australia and New Zealand have had to wait several months after the UK release to get their own versions of Classic Doctor Who stories. BBC America has confirmed this will change for North America in the New year and it is expected that the change will also apply to Australia and New Zealand.

Starting with the January release of the Fourth Doctor story Meglos, it is expected that most Doctor Who DVDs around the world will be released the day following the UK release. In order to catch up with the backlog extra releases will be scheduled during 2011 to bring the overseas schedule in line with the UK one.




FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

John Fay talks Torchwood

Monday, 13 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
TorchwoodWriter John Fay has been talking to scyfilove about his work on Torchwood.

Fay was responsible for two episodes of Children of Earth, the third series of Torchwood, including the episode which saw the demise of Ianto Jones. It was announced in the Summer that he will be part of the writing team for Series Four, The New World.

Fay recently returned from three weeks in Los Angeles working on the plotlines for the new 10 episode series. He talked about his respect for his fellow writers on the series and for showrunner Russell T Davies, and the global focus the series will have for its fourth outing.
I’m very excited about The New World. Like anything in life you can rest on your laurels, or you can try to push on again and achieve something new. That is what Russell has done. On Children of Earth he had a very clear and defined vision, but what he has outlined for The New World is equally, if not more ambitious than before

Fay also talked about the controversial decision to kill off Ianto Jones, one of the series most popular characters, something that caused dismay within a group of fans who sent petitions protesting the death to the BBC. Fay has no regrets
Russell wanted that to happen, although they are my words. It was absolutely the right thing to do though from the point of view of the story and what it gave to the last episode. The strength of Torchwood is that you don’t know the heroes are going to survive.




FILTER: - Torchwood

Casting News

Saturday, 11 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: CastNews of some guest stars for Series Six comes via the Alphabet Kidz website which reports that one of their young actors, Jamie Oram, has won a role of Harry in episode four, currently being filmed in Cardiff. This will be Oram's first TV drama role although he has appeared in a number of commercials. Alphabet Kidz is a Children's and Young Performer's TV Acting, Modeling and Voice Over Agency.

The website also gives details of the actors playing his parents.

Emma Cunniffe, who plays the mother, has appeared in The Lakes, Great Expectations, All the King's Men, Clash Of The Santas, Appointment With Death, Clocking Off, and alongside Christopher Eccleston in Flesh and Blood. In 2004, she played Mozart's wife Constanze in the acclaimed BBC docu-drama about the life of the famous composer, The Genius of Mozart. On stage she won the Barclays Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in The Master Builder in 1999.

Daniel Mays, who plays the father, appeared in the Mike Leigh films All or Nothing in which he played Jason, a thug who abused his girlfriend, and Vera Drake, in which he played Sid, the protagonist's son. He starred as Adam, a young heroin addict in the improvised BBC drama Rehab which saw him awarded the Best Actor award at the Palmare-Reims Television Festival in 2003. TV work includes Top Buzzer, Funland, Atonement, White Girl and Ashes to Ashes. In addition to his TV and film work, Mays has also starred in six stage plays at the Royal Court Theatre, London.


Information on the Spotlight website indicates the episode is titled What are Little Boys Made of?, although titles can change right up until transmission date.

Harry is described as a troubled young boy who has a nervous disposition. Shooting is for two weeks and is apparently taking place now, indicating it is actually for episode three, the Neil Gaiman episode.




FILTER: - Series 6/32 - Production

Doctor Who Extended Prom - Ratings

Saturday, 11 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: PromThe extended edition of the Doctor Who Prom was broadcast on BBC Three yesterday where it was watched by an average of 0.28 million viewers, according to unofficial overnight figures. The programme had a 1.4% share of the audience. The audience rose steadily throughout the 90 minute programme with the final half hour wining the timeslot on multi-channel television.

Monday's 60 minute version of the programme had an Appreciation Index of 89.

The Prom is now available to viewers in the UK on the BBC iPlayer and a High Definition version of the 60 minute programme will be broadcast on BBC HD today at 5.25pm.

The BBC have also added several clips from the Prom onto their YouTube site. Clips may not be available outside the UK.

Doctor Who Theme Tune
David Tennant regenerates into Matt Smith
Symphony of The Daleks
Monsters and Female Vampires




FILTER: - Music - Special Events - Ratings - UK

Katy's World

Saturday, 11 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: Katy ManningActress Katy Manning has launched a new website called Katy's World.

Manning played Jo Grant, alongside Third Doctor Jon Pertwee, for three seasons in the early seventies. She is due to make a guest appearance in the upcoming fourth series of The Sarah Jane Adventures alongside Matt Smith.

The new website contains a welcome message from Manning, a biography, a Question and Answer section, a picture gallery and news about how she feels about returning to the character of Jo Grant nearly 40 years after she created her.
It was wonderful playing Jo again. The script was by Russell T Davies and it's superb. We find out what happened to Jo since she parted company with the Doctor at the end of The Green Death

Katy Manning wants fans to know that the website is her only online presence and she is not on Twitter, Facebook or any of the social networking sites.




FILTER: - People - Online