.As previously reported, Splendid Chaps is a year-long performance/podcast project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who hosted by comedian Ben McKenzie (Dungeon Crawl, Melbourne Museum Comedy Tour) and writer John Richards (ABC1 sitcom Outland, Boxcutters podcast).

Described by its creators as part intellectual panel discussion, part nerdy Tonight Show, Splendid Chaps is a combination of analysis, enthusiasm and irreverence. The first episode went to number 1 on the iTunes TV & Film Podcast chart in Australia, and to number 4 in the UK. The podcasts to previous episodes are now available at www.splendidchaps.com or at iTunes.

Tickets are now on sale for their Tenth Doctor show! Their tenth major episode brings the Splendid Chaps to many people’s first (and favourite) Doctor, David Tennant. Phenomenally popular, and quickly establishing his own fanbase independent of the show, Tennant stayed in the role over five years, all the way to the end of Russell T Davies time as showrunner, cementing the programme's success and becoming "the" Doctor for a whole generation of viewers.

Seemingly a big part of Tennant’s success was his sex appeal – something foreign to many fans of the classic series. The Doctor of the Old Time (and most of his friends) seemed uninterested in sex, save for the occasional bit of flirting, but in the new series he clearly romances Rose, spurns Martha, fends off Amy and perves on Clara; he’s snogged every female companion, and “danced” with or married a slew of historical figures. Then there’s future pansexual Captain Jack; Amy and Rory, who spend their honeymoon in costume and their wedding night in the TARDIS; and the love affair that lasts lifetimes between the Doctor and Professor River Song. Is this weird? Is it awesome? What does modern Doctor Who say about sex, relationships and sexuality, and did the classic series have anything to say about them?

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott are joined by writer, broadcaster and critic Richard Watts (artsHub, RRR’s SmartArts) and erotica writer and burlesque performer Aimee Nichols. Plus music from Melbourne geek rock band Blue Turtle Shell, giveaways from their lovely sponsors, and all the usual tomfoolery! (But no hanky panky.)

Space: The Gasometer Hotel, 484 Smith Street, Collingwood (corner of Alexandra Parade)
Time: Sunday 13 October; recording starts 5 PM
Accessibility: Splendid Chaps regret that this venue is not wheelchair accessible.
Tickets: $15 (plus booking fee where applicable)
Bookings: via trybooking.com or at the door (subject to availability)
Podcast: not yet available; released 23 October 2013.

The BBC will be showing "stings" for the forthcoming anniversary episode The Day of the Doctor tonight, the official site announced earlier today.

Revealing the ident and hashtag that will be used for the story, they will be shown on BBC One immediately before and after Atlantis - the BBC's new fantasy drama - which starts at 8.25pm.

Viewers can also look forward at some point to an all-new trailer that has been specially written and shot for the episode and is currently in post-production. In the meantime, an image has been released from behind the scenes of making the trailer.


The Day of the Doctor will air on Saturday 23rd November.

UPDATE: And here are those "stings":

The twenty-first in our series of features telling the story of the creation of Doctor Who, and the people who made it happen.

After five days of rehearsing, the cast were ready to go before the electronic cameras for the recording of the first episode of Doctor Who, which took place on Friday 27th September 1963 - exactly 50 years ago today.

Later known as the pilot episode, this recording was intended to be shown as the first episode of the new series.

Doctor Who was to be recorded in Studio D at Lime Grove in west London. Opened in 1914 by the Gaumont Film Company, Lime Grove was a film studio converted for television. Bought by the BBC in 1950, it would be home to some of the nation's most-loved programmes for over 40 years.

Studio D was 5,300 sq ft, about 83ft x 64ft. Long-running series broadcast from here included What's My Line?, Sooty, Dixon of Dock Green, Blue Peter, Steptoe and Son, whose theme was composed by Ron Grainer, and Britain's first soap, The Grove Family, which took its title family from the studios, was created and written by Jon Pertwee's father and elder brother, Roland and Michael, and whose cast included Peter Bryant.

Television production in the 1960s followed a strict pattern. Overnight, the sets for Doctor Who were rigged following the plans drawn up by the designer, Peter Brachacki. Over half the studio was taken up with the interior of the Doctor's time and space ship, the TARDIS. Built by freelance contractors Shawcraft Models (Uxbridge) Ltd, the set featured a large hexagonal unit strung from the ceiling. The main console took up a large space, consisting of six instrument panels and a pulsating central column. Other sets included the school classroom and the junkyard, which featured the TARDIS prop.

Once the sets were rigged they needed to be lit. Television lighting is a skilled art which takes years of training and experience. Sam Barclay was assigned to light the episode, having just finished working on the drama Jane Eyre. As well as creating the atmosphere of the show, the lighting director also needs to make sure the characters are correctly lit by careful positioning of key lights and back lights.

Camera rehearsals took place in the afternoon. The show would be recorded as live, with just one camera break at the point the crew entered the TARDIS. This was the first time the studio crew would have a chance to run through the complete show. The senior representatives of the crew would have attended the final rehearsal the previous day and made notes to pass on to their teams. The director, Waris Hussein, supplied a camera script, with all the shots he would require listed by shot number. However, it was not until the crews started rehearsing with the cast that the pieces started to come together. In a small studio such as Lime Grove, everyone needed to be totally aware of what they should be doing, from camera operators and cable bashers, to sound boom operators, to floor managers and assistants who were responsible for making sure everyone on the studio floor was where they should be.

In the studio gallery the vision mixer, Clive Doig, would need to make sure he knew exactly which camera to cut to the recording line at each point, guided by the production assistant who would call out the camera shots. The sound supervisor, Jack Clayton, would make sure the right microphones were faded up and would mix in the special music and effects played in by the grams operator at the back of the sound booth. The technical manager would need to make sure all equipment was running correctly and in the lighting gallery all cameras were constantly adjusted to ensure they produced pictures of the same quality. Co-ordinating everything was the director. Because the show had to be recorded as live, it was essential that everything was rehearsed as much as possible to reduce the possibility of mistakes.

The cast were made up by the make-up department headed by Elizabeth Blattner, and William Hartnell was fitted with his wig. Costumes were supervised by Maureen Heneghan.

After a supper break the recording of that first episode began, with the first person to step in front of a camera being Fred Rawlings playing a policeman who, while on night beat amid mist and as a clock bell is heard to strike three times, shines his torch over the gates of a scrap merchant called I. M. Foreman, at 76 Totter's Lane . . .

It is difficult to imagine the pressures in the studio as the team brought that first episode to life. For such an innovative drama, though, problems were inevitable. The recording for that pilot episode is available to watch in full on The Beginning DVD box set. One of the biggest problems was with the doors on the interior of the TARDIS set. They refused to close and can be seen flapping open behind the main characters. Because of the problem, Hussein made the decision to retake the final half of the show. The section from the break where the crew entered the TARDIS to the end of the episode was performed again, this time to the satisfaction of the director and producer.
It had been a long process but, to the relief of Hussein and Lambert, the first episode was now in the can. It would be shown to the bosses the following week. The cost of the recording session was later estimated to have been £2,143, 3 shillings, and 4 pence (£2,143.17).

This month's Doctor releases from Big Finish feature the start of the 1963 trilogy, an adventure for the First Doctor, Steven and Vicki, a further "lost" adventure for the First Doctor, and a new set of adventures for the Victorian investigators Jago and Litefoot.

Win a copy of Upstairs

This month's competition thanks to Big Finish is to win one of five copies of Upstairs. To be in with a chance to win, please answer the following question:
Send your answer to comp-upstairs@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Yes, I know!", along with your name, address, and where you saw the competition (the news website, twitter, facebook, etc.). Only one entry per postal address will be accepted. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is 6th October 2013.

Extra tickets to the BBC's 50th Celebration at the ExCeL Centre in London have been made available, with a ballot opening today for applications to buy them.

The convention - which takes place from 22nd to 24th November inclusive - will have a range of activities, including panels with key cast members from 50 years of the programme, special-effects shows, stunt workshops, quizzes, and games.

In a statement, BBC Worldwide said: Applications can be made online or by phone on 0844 693 0780 (charges will vary depending on the provider). Applicants with disability access requirements can discuss these with a team member by calling the dedicated CrowdSurge helpline on 0843 459 4939 (again, charges will vary depending on the provider).

The ballot will be open until 10am BST on Monday 30th September.

One entry is being allowed per person and names will be drawn at random from all of the applications that have been submitted by the closing date and time. Successful and unsuccessful applicants in the first ballot will be notified via e-mail on Tuesday 1st October. If successful applicants do not have a valid e-mail address they will be contacted by telephone. Unsuccessful applicants without an e-mail address will not be contacted.

Those who are successful will receive a unique code to be used by 10am BST on Thursday 3rd October to buy tickets to the convention. The code can only be used once, and up to four tickets can be bought but they must be in the same transaction. The code is only valid for the date and entry group originally chosen in the application.

Should any tickets remain from the first ballot, a second ballot will be opened and all applicants who were unsuccessful in the first ballot will be automatically entered into the second ballot. Ballot rounds will continue to be held until all the tickets have been sold.

The tickets being balloted and sold are the standard ones, with the price remaining at £45 for adults, £20 for children, and £104 for a family ticket (two adults and two children). Please note that these prices exclude any booking fees.

No additional merchandise, photos, autographs, or T-shirts will be available to buy at this stage. The limited-edition TARDIS tickets are sold out and will not be included in the ballot. Full terms and conditions can be found here.

The BFI will be premiering An Adventure In Space And Time - the drama about the genesis of Doctor Who - on Tuesday 12th November.

The 90-minute production for BBC Two has been written by Mark Gatiss, directed by Terry McDonough, and stars David Bradley as William Hartnell. Before it airs on TV screens, though, it is being shown first on the big screen as part of the BFI's Doctor Who At 50 season.

The event will start at 8.20pm and a question-and-answer session with a special guest panel will also be held, with the names of those taking part still to be confirmed.

Tickets will be allocated by two separate ballots via the members' section, with one ballot for BFI Champions, opening on Monday 30th September, and another ballot for members, which will open on Tuesday 1st October. Champions can enter both ballots. The ballots will close at midday on Friday 4th October and will be run over the weekend of 5th and 6th October, with all entrants being notified on Monday 7th October as to whether or not they have been successful. All tickets reserved for Champions and members via the ballots will be held for claiming by them until 8.30pm on Friday 11th October, and any that are unclaimed by then will be released for public sale on Saturday 12th October.

Although it will undoubtedly sell out to Champions and members, as has been the case with all previous events in the season, returns and stand-bys will be a strong possibility, so keep checking with the BFI.

A broadcast date for the drama is yet to be announced.

October sees the broadcast of nine episodes featuring David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor on Australian and New Zealand television. These screenings are part of the 50th Anniversary season of Doctor Who on the UKTV Australia and UKTV New Zealand channels.

The selection includes four episodes each from the 2006 and 2008 series, with the 2007 series represented by just one episode. All four of Steven Moffat's Tenth Doctor episodes are included.

The schedule for the month in both countries is as follows:

6 October
School Reunion - AU: 4:35pm; NZ: 4:45pm (NZ repeat 7 Oct, 4:20am)
The Girl in the Fireplace - AU: 5:30pm; NZ: 5:35pm (NZ repeat 7 Oct, 5:05am)

13 October
The Impossible Planet - AU: 3:35pm; NZ: 3:50pm (NZ repeat 14 Oct, 3:25am)
The Satan Pit - 4:30pm; NZ 4:45pm (NZ repeat 14 Oct, 4:15am)
Blink - AU: 5:30pm: NZ: 5:35pm (NZ repeat 14 Oct, 5:05am)

20 October
Silence In The Library - AU: 2:25pm; NZ: 4:45pm (NZ repeat 21 Oct, 4:10am)
Forest Of The Dead - AU: 3:25pm; NZ: 5:40pm (NZ repeat 21 Oct, 4:55am)

27 October
The Stolen Earth - AU: 2:25pm; NZ: 4:30pm (NZ repeat 28 Oct, 3:50am)
Journey's End - AU: 3:25pm; NZ: 5:20pm (NZ repeat 28 Oct, 4:40am)

Episodes featuring other Doctors also scheduled to screen on UKTV during October include in Australia, a screening of Series One (2005), weekdays at 9:20am beginning Thursday 17 October, and Series Seven (2012-13) Sunday evenings at 5:30pm from 20 October. New Zealand has The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe at 6:30pm on Sunday 6 October, followed by Series Seven, also on Sunday evenings at 6:30pm from 13 October.

Upcoming broadcasts can be found on UKTV's Doctor Who guide for Australia and New Zealand.

This week's Radio Times celebrates 90 years, featuring an article summarising a number of the striking portraits that have graced the cover of the nonagenarian magazine. Doctor Who gets to feature three times in the list, represented in the 1960s with the Daleks' first appearance on the cover for The Dalek Invasion of Earth, the first full week of the 1970s with Jon Pertwee becoming the Doctor in Spearhead from Space, and in the 2000s with the TARDIS proclaiming the return of a much-missed favourite ...


Meanwhile, the results of a recent poll undertaken by the online site to find out the "ultimate evening of British Television" have now been revealed, with Doctor Who taking the crown for drama series. The evening was, perhaps unsurprisingly, dominated by BBC programmes: 5:30pm - Blue Peter; 6:00pm - Only Fools and Horses; 7:15pm - Doctor Who; 8:00pm - Morecambe and Wise; 9:00pm - Around The World In 80 Days; 10:00pm - The News At Ten with Trevor McDonald.

BBC Books have announced the release of their three tie-in e-novellas in a new paperback edition, including a new introduction and interview with 'author' Amelia Williams. The book is due out on 24th October 2013.

A new game based around Doctor Who would appear to be in the works, as least as suggested in the latest official Doctor Who Consumer Panel survey to be undertaken by fans.

Having been asked about interests in Doctors, companions and monsters, and thoughts on gaming platforms, a section of the survey is then dedicated to questions about how participants felt about a new game that could be played on smartphones and other media:


Some provisional "mock up" images were also presented for opinion:


Participants are then invited to suggest a name for the game from the following possibilities, and also to provide their own!

• Legends of the Doctor
• Legacy of Monsters
• Adventures with Monsters
• Puzzle War
• Friends and Monsters
• Puzzle Battle
• Doctor Who: Legacy.

The inclusion of the word "when" in the statement certainly suggests that a game is planned and may have already entered development, but there is no indication as to when it is likely to be released, however. More news as and when it becomes available.