Doctor Who

On Monday, The Times published a cartoon by Morten Morland portraying Hillary Clinton as a Dalek, with Bill Clinton pushing her up a flight of stairs as she tells him, "Expiate!" It's odd that cartoonists still assume that Daleks have trouble with stairs, nearly 20 years after they were first shown levitating up them.

Sir Michael Lyons, chairman of the BBC Trust, visited Cardiff on Tuesday to celebrate the success of Doctor Who and Torchwood, and to promise continued investment in BBC Wales programming.BBC News has the story.

Readers of the Guardian's Organ Grinder blog have voted Doctor Who as their favorite TV show of 2007. This is the third year in a row Doctor Who has won the Organ Grinder poll.

Scottish novelist and comedian A. L. Kennedy, whose novel Day won the prestigious Costa Book of the Year award on Tuesday, told The Scotsman that she'd love to write a Doctor Who episode: "She's entirely serious about this, having been a fan of the series ever since she was four. 'I write asking them every six months, and I get increasingly high-ranking reject letters, each time explaining there's nothing they can do, and it's all down to [series writer] Russell T Davies.' "

The Daily Star's story about guest appearances in Series Four has been picked up by several sources, including The Press and Journal of Aberdeen and the Evening Post of Nottingham.

The Paisley Daily Express has a story about David Tennant's work as a celebrity patron for the Scottish-basedAssociation for International Cancer Research.

And Australia's New Idea magazine claims that Kylie Minogue is "putting the final touches on a deal" to return to Doctor Who as a series regular.

Torchwood

The TV Today blog at The Stage previews Wednesday's new episode of Torchwood, "Sleeper", saying that the series as a whole is "massively improved" and that "Sleeper is "sensitively, quietly told" but [feels] "the need to throw blood around with gay abandon."

The Western Mail lists Eve Myles in the "Championship" category of their "Fantasy Fame League" of Welsh celebrity -- the same level as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Charlotte Church. Gareth David-Lloyd is in "League One", the next level down.

TV Guide, The Boston Globe, The Star of Toronto, The Province of Vancouver, iF Magazine, MSN TV andMonsters and Critics all review the Torchwood Season 1 DVD set, which was released in North America on Tuesday.

The Boston Phoenix and the City Weekly of Salt Lake City preview "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" for their readers (Torchwood's second season debuts on BBC America on Saturday, January 26). Many news sources, including the San Francisco Chronicle, the Arizona Republic and the CBC carry anAssociated Press article about the season. And the Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas) recommends Torchwood to viewers hungry for heroic characters during the writers' strike.

(Thanks to "PolyG", "Darnall42", "Xtatoo", "outforawalk", "aaaa" and "admiratio" of the Doctor Who Forum.)

People

Hello! magazine's readers have voted David Tennant the third most attractive man, after Sean Bean and Hugh Laurie.

Catherine Tate spoke to the Toronto Star about her comedy series and her return to Doctor Who as Donna Noble. "What's great about doing Doctor Who is that it has a narrative, so it means that I can approach it more as a straight acting role," says Tate. "It's just nicer to have a story arc that lasts longer than, like, four minutes."

Contactmusic.com quotes Russell T. Davies as saying that being gay helped give him "an edge" over other aspiring writers.

Eighth Doctor Paul McGann was one of the celebrities on hand for the official opening of Liverpool's year as the European Capital of Culture, reports theLiverpool Echo.

And Johnny Depp has denied rumors that he was seeking a role on Doctor Who, reports Teletext. (The story is no longer available on Teletext's website.)

Torchwood

Several news sources have published reviews of Torchwood's second series debut, "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang". These includeThe Times ("good, salacious knockabout fun"), The Times again ("funny, fast and daring"), The Daily Telegraph("leaden gags" and "a fantastically ungripping plot") and The Guardian ("parts of it were very, very funny").

American media are also covering the series ("Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" will debut on BBC America on Saturday, January 26); the Los Angeles Times calls the series "grown-up, dark, energetic and sometimes hard to keep track of." TheOrlando Sentinel (Florida), The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky), the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel(Wisconsin), the Akron Beacon-Journal (Ohio), the Erie News-Times (Pennsylvania) and the Fresno Bee(California) all report on the second series debut and/or Tuesday's DVD release of the first series.

The Huddersfield Examiner has an interview with John Barrowman.

The South Wales Echo has excerpts from an interview Eve Myles gave to Iconz magazine, in which she speaks of her love for Cardiff.

James Marsters' girlfriend enjoyed watching him kiss John Barrowman, according to The Sun andcontactmusic.com.

Miscellany

An article in The Sunday Times about the state of children's television in Britain quotes Russell T. Davies and notes that while television labelled as being for children is suffering, "family" programming like Doctor Who is thriving. Another column points to the success of Doctor Who as a model for adapting classic adventure novels to the screen.

Indeed, Doctor Who is such a success that BBC bosses are looking to apply its lessons beyond the realm of drama. In an interview with The Guardian BBC director general Mark Thompson used Doctor Who as an example of the sort of "creative energy" which the BBC should use in political coverage. Covering Thompson's remark, the Belfast Telegraphsuggested that BBC reporters covering Northern Ireland might already feel like time travelers.

Young Doctor Who fans in the Midlands can participate in a craft competition at the Stourport Library in Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire. There are three age groups for the competition: ages 5 to 7, 8 to 10 and 11 to 13. Entrants can color a Doctor Who picture (available at the library) or make a Doctor Who-themed model. The Kidderminster Shuttlehas details of the competition.

The West Sussex Gazette has a feature article about classic Doctor Who filming in West Sussex.

The Doctor Who Up Close exhibition in Cardiff will be adding costumes from "Voyage of the Damned" to its collection, reports the Western Mail.

A columnist in The Scotsman notes that "apart from reality shows and similar swill, Doctor Who is the only programme that brings the nation together simultaneously: ironic, given that the Doctor is a Time Lord."

Technology website The Register describes a small flying robot being developed by the US military as a "proto-Dalek".

Doctor Who news shows up everywhere these days. Materials Handling World has a short article about the forklift featured in "Voyage of the Damned". No matter what your field is, there's nothing like a Doctor Who story to spice up your trade news, eh?

And the South Wales Echo has a story about a dad who built his kids a five-foot TARDIS replica to keep their toys in. Bless.

The Daily Star is reporting casting and plot information for Series Four which, if true, could be considered a spoiler. Some details are listed below, and more can be seen by following the link above. (Please note that the Daily Star's website has content which may not be suitable for all ages.)

(Thanks to Joey Donovan.)

Posted By John Bowman

People

John Barrowman will be returning to the National Theatre on Monday, February 11 at 6pm for a 45-minute talk about his career. He will then sign his autobiography Anything Goes. Barrowman played Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost and Billy Crocker in Anything Goes at the National.

Barrowman also has autobiography signings scheduled across England and Wales in January and February. OnThursday, January 24 he will be at theBirmingham branch of Waterstone's from 11am; on Tuesday, February 12 he will appear at Costco in Watford from 1pm. He will be signing at theBrighton branch of British Bookshops and Stationers on Wednesday, February 13 between 1pm and 2.30pm. On Thursday, February 14 Barrowman will be signing at the Waterstone's in Bluewater, Kent, from 5.30pm (the Kent News has coverage of this appearance). OnFriday, February 15 he will be signing at the Borders in Oxford from 5.30pm (noted in The Oxford Mail). OnSaturday, February 16 Barrowman will appear at the Borders inCardiff at 1pm. More details can be found onBarrowman's website.

Anneke Wills, who played companion Polly in the classic series, will be at the Who Blackpool TV memorabilia and toy store in Victoria Street onSaturday, January 26 from 11am for autographs and photos. A week later, on February 2, actor Eric Potts, who played Oliver Charles in Aliens of London, will be there for a similar session, again from 11am.

DVDs

tvshowsondvd.com reports an announcement by HBO Video that it will be releasing the Extras Christmas Special, which includes David Tennant in a spoof scene from Doctor Who, as an individual Region 1 disc on February 26.

Streaming

Voyage of the Damned was the most frequently streamed programme via the BBC iPlayer between Christmas Day and January 7, says the BBC Press Office. The Extras Christmas Special, with the previously mentioned brief Doctor Who spoof scene, was second favourite. More than 3.5 million programmes were streamed or downloaded by more than one million visitors to the site. Doctor Who's download success was mentioned by many UK news sources, including BBC News, The Guardian, Reuters, Screen Digest and ZDNet. The story was also reported Down Under bynews.com.au.

Merchandise

The new edition of SFX - number 167 - includes a seven-page feature on Torchwood. The magazine went on set during the filming of episode nine of Series Two. The piece includes interview quotes from Chris Chibnall, Richard Stokes,John Barrowman and Eve Myles, plus some exclusive on-set photography taken on the day.

In the feature, Barrowman says: "The writers have found where we lie. The analogy I use is that last year we were walking, finding our feet. This year we're running. The stories still have the content we had last year, but they're just maybe a little more focused, more particular.

"Last year there were individual stories that had their own beginning and end. This year there's a throughline through it all, 'cos at the end there's a huge reveal and a big cliffhanger."

Meanwhile, celebrity magazine Ikonz carries a lengthy interview with Eve Myles in which the Torchwood star reveals that the word "famous" makes her "want to be sick".

She tells Adam Yosef: "I'm completely not into celebrity and not into doing things for the sake of being famous.

"I mean, the word 'famous' makes me want to be sick to be honest with you. I can't wait to go back to theatre, I can't wait to be back in the West End. I can't wait to go back with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

"Those things really excite me. Also, getting some really good parts, that excites me. But the whole razzle dazzle, if it came about well great but it's not a path I'll be going after."

She adds: "I'm due to go out to LA next year to have some meetings. I will enjoy it, if something comes of it, wonderful but if it doesn't I haven't lost anything."

Finally, the Liverpool Daily Post has a report and video on a company making Tardis sheds.

(Thanks to Jerome Morrow, Alex Frazer-Harrison, and forum members "drwho" and "Minister of Sense".)

People

The Sun reports that David Jason has been approached for a Doctor Who role, but was unable to accept because of his contract with ITV.

The Daily Star writes that David Tennant has been "unsettled" by the attentions of an overeager fan; the story is also reported by MSN and Digital Spy.

The Daily Telegraph cites Billie Piper as the prime example of "thoroughly nice people" in an article on being nice and its drawbacks.

Merchandise

The Doctor Who Annual was the top-selling annual this Christmas, reports The Bookseller. This is the second year in a row that the BBC Books annual has beaten the traditional winner, the Beano Annual.

Also, The Sun has a story about the new line of Doctor Who models from Airfix.

Torchwood

The Daily Telegraph has a behind-the-scenes look at Torchwood's second series. The article quotes Russell T. Davies saying that the first series was too angst-ridden: "I think that was us in the office, being in such a rush to make it that we were projecting our worries onto the screen," Davies says. The article also quotes Freema Agyeman, speaking about how the move to Torchwood fits with the character development of Martha Jones.

SFX continues its "Torchwood week" with interviews with writer/producer Chris Chibnall, producer Richard Stokesand Gwen Cooper herself, Eve Myles.

It looks as if this second series of Torchwood may be the last for Chris Chibnall. Digital Spy reports that Chibnall will produce the forthcoming Law & Order: London for Kudos and ITV.

And finally, from the Western Mail, the sales negotiator for a Welsh house-builder refers to a Cardiff apartment complex as being "right next to the Torchwood tower". Is the Rift blurring the borders between fiction and reality?

Thanks to "PolyG" of the Doctor Who Forum.

Davison's daughter for companion role?
As previously reported on this page, Georgia Moffett, daughter of Fifth Doctor Peter Davison, will be appearing in an episode of Doctor Who this year. However, several media sources (including Digital Spy and the NottinghamEvening Post) are reporting that Moffett is being considered for a regular role as the Doctor's companion in the 2010 series. The same reports say that Felicity Jones, who will appear in the forthcoming Agatha Christie episode, is also in the running for the role of the next companion. The story appears to derive from a comment by Phil Collinson in the most recent issue of Doctor Who Magazine.

Tennant promotes cancer research
David Tennant has become a patron of the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR), and will film a video for the Scotland-based charity. Fife Today, Digital Spy and the AICR website have more information.

John Barrowman talks to everyone

Torchwood star John Barrowman's autobiography, Anything Goes, ghostwritten by his sister Carole, will be published on January 24. The Times has a joint interview with the siblings. The Stage also interviews Barrowman, who makes a passing comment about gay actors who remain in the closet; this comment is picked up by other sources, including The Guardian, Digital Spy and Pink News. Some of these sources slightly misrepresented Barrowman's comment, and The Stage has posted a clarification. Scotland on Sunday has an extensive talk with Barrowman, which includes comments about how the actor would like to have children with his partner Scott Gill. These remarks have been picked up by Digital Spy, Actress Archives, Now Magazine andShowbiz Spy. Some of these sources also note Barrowman's on-screen kiss with James Marsters in the first episode of Torchwood's second series; The Sun has pictures of the kiss. And Off the Telly has yet another Barrowman interview.

Other Torchwood news
Digital Spy interviews Eve Myles, who says that in the upcoming series her character Gwen Cooper will be monogamous with her boyfriend Rhys. The Sun and Digital Spy pick up comments from Rhys actor Kai Owen, originally reported in the South Wales Echo.

SFX has Q&As with the Torchwood cast and crew on their website all this week; interviews with Kai Owen and Gareth David-Lloyd are already up, and talks with writer Chris Chibnall, producer Richard Stokes and Eve Myles will follow later in the week.

Tate complaints continue
The BBC has defended Catherine Tate's Christmas special against complaints about its content, reports theGuardian. The Daily Star, The Press Association, The Sun, the Bedford Times & Citizen, Nottingham'sEvening Post and the Biggleswade Chronicle note that a Conservative Member of Parliament has added her voice to the complaints about the special. Some viewers objected to foul language used by Tate's character Nan in the special; others complained about the portrayal of a Northern Irish family in one sketch. (The latter charge is refuted by a columnist for the Belfast Telegraph.) Tate will return to Doctor Who as Donna Noble in the 2008 series.

Miscellany
The Evening Standard has a story about David Tennant's upcoming role as Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The Guardian profiles Billie Piper, and Wales on Sunday and The Press and Journal (Aberdeen) pick up a months-old quotation in which the actress said she had forgotten how to play Rose Tyler. Meanwhile, the coverage of her wedding to Laurence Fox has reached China Daily, and the Daily Mailand Evening Standard say that Fox's uncle Lawrence Fox chose not to attend the ceremony, because his young children were not invited.

Montreal-based filmmaker Kara Blake has made a documentary on Delia Derbyshire, who realized the original version of the Doctor Who theme music and other avant-garde sound as part of the BBC Radiophonic Workship; the Montreal Mirror discusses Blake's Derbyshire project, titled "The Delian Mode".

Mark Johnson, creative director of digital agency Sequence, will speak at a digital media forum in Swansea about the games and other web content Sequence has created for the BBC's Doctor Who website. The Western Mail and Swansea's Evening Post write that Johnson will speak at amperSANDat the National Waterfront Museum on Wednesday, January 16.

The Manchester Evening News notes the closing of the "Doctor Who Up-Close" exhibit, which brought over 225,000 visitors to Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry.

A replica Dalek has been donated to the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, reports BBC News.

Political commentator Andrew Sullivan is one among many bloggers who are linking to a page which asks whether the Doctor is a revolutionary or a "tool of The Man", and when in the series' long history each descriptor might fit him.

And finally, a columnist for Singapore-based Asia-Pacific Broadcasting discusses watching William Hartnellepisodes on a friend's mobile phone in Kuala Lumpur.

Thanks to Ian Berriman and Sean Palmerston, and "PolyG" and "aaaa" of the Doctor Who Forum.

Sarah Lancashire and Series Four
The Sun has an item on Sarah Lancashire, who will play a character named Miss Foster in "Partners in Crime", the first episode of the 2008 series of Doctor Who. The story says that Miss Foster will be a villain; in the Series Four trailer which followed "Voyage of the Damned", the character is seen wielding a device resembling the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.

The newspaper also states, "Billie Piper and Elisabeth Sladen will recreate their roles as Rose Tyler and Sara [sic] Jane Smith. John Barrowman, who plays Captain Jack Harkness in spin-off series Torchwood, will also be back." The story continues, "The series is the last for star David Tennant, 36, but he will play the Doctor in four special episodes in 2009 and in a movie version." David Tennant said in December that he had not decided whether to continue in the role of the Doctor after the 2008 series, the 2008 Christmas special and three (not four) specials scheduled for 2009. There has been no confirmation of a Doctor Who movie, except a passing comment by BBC Fiction head Jane Tranter that she "would not rule out" a Doctor Who film.

Lancashire's Doctor Who role is also covered by Sky Showbiz, Metro and Hello! magazine.

More on Piper wedding
Sky Showbiz has more photos from Billie Piper's wedding. There's more coverage at The Argus (Brighton, Hove and Sussex), Monsters and Critics,Hello! magazine, Actress Archives, Gossip Girls, MyPark magazine, The Irish Independent, The Arizona Republic of Phoenix, Arizona and The Money Times of India, as well as sites based inCroatia and Estonia plus the Midhurst and Petworth Observer, which is the local weekly newspaper for where she and new husband Laurence Fox live.

Other items
The Evening Express of Aberdeen reviews the recent classic Doctor Who DVD box set "The Davros Collection", calling it "unmissable".

Finally, the South Wales Echo talks to Kai Owen, who plays Gwen's boyfriend Rhys on Torchwood. Owen is playing Prince Charming in a Cardiff panto of Snow White; in the interview, he talks about Torchwood's upcoming second series and mentions some details which might be considered spoilers.

"Voyage of the Damned" has received both positive and negative reviews in the British press. The Daily Mirror (published before the special aired) calls it "a corker", with "plenty of the Doctor's joky humour, some nice Christmas gags and even a touching romance." However, the reviewer at The Herald (Glasgow) complains that Kylie Minogue looked "matronly". Sam Wollaston of The Guardian feels that Kylie "may be Kylie, but she's no Freema or Billie." The Daily Mirror gives a mixed review, praising the "brilliant psychedelic Pink Floyd-esque imagery" as well as "great baddies ... and neat jokes", but lamenting that "the plot was a mess, consisting mostly of one hi-tech chase scene after another, and it descended into noise and bluster." And theLiverpool Echocalls it "a load of old tongue-in-cheek nonsense".

Tim Teeman, writing in The Times, goes further, saying that "Doctor Who sucks" and calling the show and its protagonist "lazy, predictable and indulgent." But James Walton, writing in the Daily Telegraph "can’t imagine how this episode could have done its job any better", calling Voyage of the Damned "a winning mixture of wild imagination and careful writerly calculation." And 10-year-old George Baker, whose TARDIS bedroom has been previously mentioned on this page, tells Newsround that the Christmas special was "BRILLIANT": "I give it 10 out of 10 - and I cannot wait for the new series!"

UPDATE: A few more reviews have come to light. The Sunday Times describes "Voyage of the Damned" as having "big-screen aspiration with small-screen production values and half a radio script." However, The Stage says "Voyage of the Damned was well up to Doctor Who’s impeccably high standards, neatly combining comedy and thrills to stunning effect," and The Observer says "Doctor Who was an oasis of cheeky nonsense and careless invention."

Before "Voyage of the Damned" aired, Billie Piper was quoted in the Aberdeen Press and Journal saying that she was looking forward to watching the Christmas special, and was envious of her once and future costar David Tennant: "I'm just gutted that I missed [Kylie Minogue]. I speak to David and he's like, 'I've got Kylie's number on my phone.' I want to be Kylie's friend!" The Sun puts Minogue and Piper together in their list of 2007's "top TV babes". TheDaily Mirror has a profile of Piper's "great year", and the Western Mail has a Q&A with the actress.

Kylie Minogue's role in the Christmas special got a lot of coverage in her native Australia, including the Courier Mail(Brisbane, twice), the Herald Sun(Melbourne), Macquarie National News (Sydney) and Sky News. The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) calls "Voyage of the Damned" "the greatest Dr Who episode of all time" but also frets that some of Kylie's younger fans may have been unable to tell fact from fiction, as did Sky News.

Digital Spy provides "Ten Things You Never Knew About David Tennant" (although several items may be known to readers of this page).

The Halifax Courier concludes its three-part history of Doctor Who. Part one was linked in the last press round-up, and you can now read parts two andthree.

Catherine Tate's Christmas special has provoked some controversy. Ofcom, the UK's independent media reglatory agency, will investigate complaints that the special contained excessive foul language and stereotypical portrayals of Northern Irish characters. The story is covered by The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Meanwhile, The New York Times has a largely positive review of Tate's comedy series, as its third season airs on BBC America.

The Manchester Evening News has a profile of Frazer Hines, who played the Second Doctor's companion Jamie McCrimmon from 1966 to 1969.

The Sun is claiming that Kylie Minogue's sister Dannii is "tipped" for a role in Torchwood, and has a quote from John Barrowman; this story is also covered by Digital Spy, All Headline News and inthenews.co.uk as well as news sites based in India and Estonia, both of which refer to "Kylie Minogue's successful stint on US TV show 'Dr Who'"!

Thanks to Greg Chapman and "PolyG" of the Doctor Who Forum.

The Sun has released a story which includes spoilers for the "Doctor-lite" episode of Series Four.

Please click on the Spoiler box for more info

Some more Doctor Who items from the news, to help tide you over tillVoyage of the Damned:

Doctor Who is, of course, the highlight of most British television critics' Christmas recommendations. Caitlin Moran in The Times calls "Voyage of the Damned" "amazing" and "a doozy", says that Kylie Minogue is "merry and squeezable" and David Tennant "can give 110 per cent intergalactic sexbrain, even when hanging up-sidedown, wearing a space helmet, or standing on the other side of a wall." The television reviewers of the Western Mail,Scotland on Sundayand the Sunday Sun (Newcastle) also give Doctor Who top billing for Christmas.

Russell T. Davies has denied reports that Jennifer Saunders was being sought to play the Doctor, report the Daily Mirror and the Richmond and Twickenham Times. The Mirror quotes Davies as saying: "That is b*****ks. They sit there and make things up. I can tell you it's pure invention. We have never approached her, never spoken to her, never met her."

Minogue's involvement in the Christmas Special gets Doctor Who more international coverage: RTÉ (Ireland) and The Times of India have stories about the pop star's return to acting (although the Indian paper oddly reports false rumors from months ago about her playing a "sexy Cyberwoman").

The Radio Times' website has some video shot by the Doctor Who Confidential team of Tennant and Minogue posing for the Radio Times cover shoot.

Digital Spy and Yahoo! News have picked up the Times' story, previously reported here, about Christian Voice representative Stephen Green's complaint about the Doctor being portrayed as a messianic figure. No source has yet identified any other member of the "Christian groups", plural, cited in the original Times report. But one site, theFreethinker, has taken Green to task in an irreverent and highly amusing piece written by Andy Armitagecalled"Boo Who! The tears of a clown", with a spoof master of ceremonies introducing the whole confrontation as a pantomime, with Green as the villain of the piece, of course, having first been cunningly disguised as the Dame. There's one potential spoiler paragraph, but you're given adequate warning. But it's a hoot - complete with a mockup of Green dressed in orange wig and big frock. The same story has been picked up by MediaWatchWatch, another British blog, whose brief is to log attempts (usually by religious bodies) to stifle freedom of speech.

The Halifax Courier has published the first part of a survey of Doctor Who history. The first installment focuses on previous Christmas specials and theWilliam Hartnell years, and also has a poll in which you can vote for your favorite Doctor.

In a Scotland on Sunday story about the continuing popularity of Charles Dickens, Simon Callow speaks fondly of his role as Dickens on Doctor Who. And Joan Collins, speaking to the Sunday Mirror, denies earlier rumors that she'd been sought for a role in Doctor Who, but says "I'd love to be on Doctor Who - I think it's a fabulous piece of TV."

The Daily Mail has lots of details about Billie Piper's upcoming wedding to Laurence Fox. The Daily Express, meanwhile, presents readers with a 10-question Doctor Who trivia quiz in its television section.

Thanks to Bill Rudloff, and to "Cheshire Pete" and "PolyG" of the Doctor Who Forum.