An assistant script editor is being sought for Doctor Who as production of the new series gets under way.

BBC Careers has advertised the post online, with the fixed-term contract seeing the successful applicant providing research support to the script team, ensuring script and serial continuity, and providing general support on the programme.

The assistant script editor reports to the script executive, executive producers, and series producer in the first instance, and provides editorial and research support to the team.

Also listed among the key responsibilities is keeping the official website up to date.

A similar vacancy was advertised last year for internal applicants. Although this latest one appears to be open to external as well as internal applicants, previous experience of script reading and writing script reports is essential. The advert also states that applicants should already have practical experience of TV production as well as:

• A good knowledge of Doctor Who

• Experience of dealing with drama script writers

• Experience of script reading and writing script reports with an ability to demonstrate sound editorial judgement and sensitivity, both verbally and on paper

• Experience of establishing and maintaining office and administration systems plus the ability to communicate information effectively to a wide range of production and non-production personnel, internal and external to the BBC

• Experience of handling confidential and/or controversial information with tact and sensitivity

Knowledge of final draft and screenwriter script packages would also be useful.

The closing date for applications for this job is 16th February. For more details, go to the advert here.

Eagle-eyed readers will notice a subtle change in the covers of DVD releases from the spring, as the old 2|Entertain identity is finally retired.

The company was created in 2004 with the merger of the BBC Video and Video Collection International, with a 60% stake held by BBC Worldwide and the remaining 40% by the Woolworths Group. With the collapse of the latter in 2008 BBC Worldwide eventually acquired the whole of 2|Entertain in 2010, and as of this year has fully integrated the company into its Consumer Products division, which is responsible for the company's DVDs, download business and licensed product brands.

With regard to Doctor Who, BBC Worldwide told us:

The BBC have launched the 2012 Script to Screen Competition which will give one lucky team of primary school children the chance to write their own Doctor Who mini-adventure starring the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith.

In 2011 Script to Screen was part of Doctor Who Confidential. The competition was won by the children of Oakley Junior School in Basingstoke, who saw their script, Death Is the Only Answer produced by the BBC Wales team and shown on BBC Three following the 2011 series finale.

The 2012 competition is now open to UK pupils aged 9-11 who are encouraged to collaborate on a script that takes the Time Lord on a new quest travelling through space and time. Bespoke lesson plans and printable Doctor Who resources are also available to inspire children's creativity.

Amy and/or Rory can be included in the script, but no other Doctor Who characters such as River Song.

The competition closes at midnight on 16th March 2012. Resources and an entry form are available on the BBC Schools Website.

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Matt Smith will be appearing on Blue Peter this week to launch the competition - the show will be broadcast today (Thursday) on the CBBC channel at 5:45pm, and then on BBC1 on Friday at 4:30pm. The episode will be available on the BBC iPlayer for a week after broadcast.

The BBC Doctor Who page on Facebook are running a competition for one lucky winner to win the Complete Series 6 Boxed Set on Blu-ray, plus a 32" HDTV and Blu-ray player to watch it on!


The competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom who are eighteen years of age or over; in order to enter simply ensure you "Like" the Doctor Who page, and then provide your name, address and other contact details via the competition entry form by 2nd January 2012.


The winner will be announced the week after closing date.

This competition has now closed.

The winner was James Bolander, from Crescent City, California.

The correct answers were the name of the fictional lake in North America where the Eleventh Doctor lost his life was Lake Silencio, and the name of the lake where the scenes were filmed was Lake Powell AZ.

The BBC America shop is offering one lucky reader of the Doctor Who News Page a bumper giveaway package featuring merchandise from the series.

The store is inviting fans of their shows to consider BBCAmericaShop.com while looking for great gift ideas during this holiday season.

To help promote the merchandise they are offering prizes in a competition where the winner will receive the following: Doctor Who Series Six, Part One and Part Two, a Doctor Who Tardis Mini Set, Doctor Who Suit Shirt, Doctor Who Talking Pen, action figure and playset.

All you need to do is to tell us the name of the fictional lake in North America where the Eleventh Doctor lost his life and the name of the lake where the scenes were filmed.

To enter send you answers to bbcamerica-competition@doctorwhonews.net

Please note we can only accept entries from people living in the United States. Closing date is 26th December 2011.

The official Doctor Who Facebook page has launched a new application to highlight some of the many Doctor Who gifts that are available to buy in this festive period:

Originally piloted for Western Europe, the BBC's iPlayer application has now been extended to iphone users in Canada. Jana Bennett, BBC Worldwide President of Worldwide Networks and Global iPlayer said:
The Canadian subscription fee is $8.99 a monthly or $84.99 annually. The service has also been made available in Australia, costing $9.49/$89.99 respectively. New users can test the application through carefully selected free content before subscribing.

As a special introduction, those who download the app this month can access a "free piece of festive content" every day until Christmas Day without having to sign up to the monthly or annual subscription.


Unlike the UK iPlayer, the global version provides both online streaming and downloading for offline viewing of programmes, with archives of popular shows available such as Only Fools and Horses and Spooks and of course Doctor Who - which is also a subject in the app's range of specially curated collections of programmes:

(newslink: BBC Worldwide Press Release)

BBC America have confirmed that the 2011 Christmas Special, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe will Premier on the channel Christmas Day at 9pm ET.

The episode has already been confirmed for transmission in the UK on Christmas Day at 7pm and for transmission in Australia on Boxing Day.

The BBC have launched their traditional Adventure Calendar for 2011, which will once again feature videos, interviews, games, wallpapers, cards, quizzes and other items for fans to enjoy in the lead up to Christmas Day and The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe.

Day One sees the return of The Game of Rassilon, an interactive quiz featuring clips and questions about the festive episode, as well as testing your memory about the adventures of Christmas past.

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Meanwhile, Doctor Who News is delighted to once again present Willy Phantom's Advent Calendar, featuring a new festive Doctor Who image in the sidebar every day until Christmas!

The BBC Research and Development Department have been studying how future television communications can be utilised to assist in functions within the viewing environment:
The Dalek mentioned above was a prototype developed by Andrew Bonney to demonstrate how such technology could work, in this case having the toy react upon scenes broadcast that involved its television counterpart.

However, several media sites reporting on the demonstration that took place at the R&D Lab in MediaCity last week implied the technology was just around the corner, leading the department to clarify otherwise:

The practical application of such technology can lead to the development of devices such as those that can provide 'single-switch' remote control interfaces for severely disabled people, or speech-operated controls for those whose vision has been impaired.

(newslink: BBC R&D Blog)