Final Australian ratings for Hide

Thursday, 2 May 2013 - Reported by Adam Kirk

Hide has picked up an additional 148,000 time-shifted Australian viewers, giving it a final, or consolidated, ratings average of 795,000 viewers in the five major capital cities.  This was the fourth largest number of time-shifted viewers for a program broadcast on Sunday 21 April. The final or consolidated ratings includes all 'time-shifted' viewers who record the program and watch it within a week.

Based on these final figures, Hide was the second highest rating ABC program of the day and the ninth highest rating program of the day overall (this compares to it being the tenth highest rating program based on its overnight figures of 648,000 viewers). These ratings do not include regional viewers.
Media Links: TV Tonight




FILTER: - Ratings - Broadcasting - Series 7/33 - Australia

Doctor Who Magazine 460

Wednesday, 1 May 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Doctor Who Magazine 460The latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine is out this Thursday, and delves into what to expect as the current run of episodes draws to a close.

Speaking about The Name of the Doctor, Steven Moffat said:
We've only just finished shooting the actual completed ending – it's ridiculously secret – but it's quite a thing, hopefully. There's often an element of throwing in some lovely names, and then figuring it out later, but I've always had a sort of plan for the Doctor and Trenzalore. Things will be resolved. Things I've left hanging in plain sight – and sometimes not in plain sight – will be tied up...

Also in this issue:
  • New Episode Previews! DWM previews the final three episodes of the latest series – The Crimson Horror, Nightmare in Silver and The Name of the Doctor – and talks exclusively to writers Mark Gatiss and Neil Gaiman, and returning guest stars Neve McIntosh (Vastra), Catrin Stewart (Jenny) and Dan Starkey (Strax).
  • Old Friends and Enemies: The Doctor reflects on the many battles he has had throughout his lives, and must travel to the past to save the future of the Earth... Don’t miss the penultimate chapter of our comic strip epic, Hunters of the Burning Stone, written by Scott Gray, with art from Martin Geraghty, David A Roach and James Offredi.
  • Farewell to the Creator: DWM takes a look at the life and career of the late Raymond P Cusick, and pays tribute to the man who designed the Daleks back in 1963.
  • 100, Not Out! Gaffer Mark Hutchings is the only person to have worked on every single episode of Doctor Who since its return to production in 2004. With more than 100 episodes under his belt, Mark shares his memories of working with three Doctors over nine years...
  • Childish Questions: Doctor Who's commander-in-chief Steven Moffat responds to readers’ queries – and reveals not only how the Statue of Liberty made it to Winter Quay without being seen, but also how what changes he would have made if he’d script-edited the very first episode, An Unearthly Child...
  • Martha not Arthur: It's 2007 – the Tenth Doctor is joined in the TARDIS by Martha Jones and together they confront the Macra, the Daleks and the Master! DWM’s journey through five decades of Doctor Who continues with Series 29 in Countdown to 50!
  • And Then There Were None! The Fourth Doctor and Leela find themselves on a remote island defending a lighthouse from attack by an alien Rutan in Horror of Fang Rock. The Fact of Fiction takes a long, hard look at the four-part adventure from 1977, and reveals a wealth of fascinating new facts about the story.
  • Daleks USA! The Time Team travel across the Pond to 1930s America where Chris, Emma, Michael and Will discover that the Daleks are responsible for the construction of the Empire State Building in the two-part adventure, Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks
  • Everyone's Favourite: Writer, passionate fan and mother of twins Jacqueline Rayner reveals that when it comes to choosing favourite moments and episodes, everyone in her family has their own personal choices in her latest candid column, Relative Dimensions.
  • True Blue: The Watcher reveals how Margaret Thatcher had a lasting influence on Doctor Who in A History of Doctor Who in 100 Objects; challenges readers with The Six Faces of Delusion, champions another Supporting Artist of the Month and provides deliciously culinary theme to Ristorante Italiano Top Ten. All this and more in this issue’s Wotcha!

PLUS! All the latest official news, TV and merchandise reviews, previews, competitions, a prize-winning crossword and much, much more!




FILTER: - Magazines - DWM

Big Finish: special one-day 10% sale

Wednesday, 1 May 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Big Finish have announced a special 10% discount across all of their ranges for one day only:

Doctor Who, Blake's 7, Stargate, Dark Shadows, Sherlock Holmes, Highlander, Vienna, Bernice Summerfield, The Confessions of Dorian Gray, Drama Showcase, Graceless, Sapphire & Steel, 2000AD - everything! And that includes all subscriptions and bundle offers too! Please note that this is the only time all subscriptions will be discounted!

Simply choose your items, head to the checkout, type in discount code mayday and your order will be reduced by 10%. Don't miss this amazing offer - today only (1st May), midnight to midnight UK time.




FILTER: - Special Offers - Big Finish

Brian Minchin Appointed As Co-Executive Producer

Tuesday, 30 April 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
Brian Minchin has been made executive producer on Doctor Who alongside showrunner and lead writer Steven Moffat with immediate effect, it was announced this afternoon.

He replaces Caroline Skinner, who stepped down last month to join BBC Drama Production in London.

Minchin is an executive producer for BBC Wales's drama department, where he has been working on The Game, a new Cold War spy thriller from Toby Whithouse for BBC One, and Wizards vs Aliens, the Russell T Davies and Phil Ford co-creation for CBBC. He has also worked as BBC executive producer on Dirk Gently - based on the novels by Douglas Adams - and Being Human (another Whithouse creation).

He has been a script editor on Doctor Who and was a producer for spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures as well as the UK sections of Torchwood: Miracle Day, and was assistant producer on Torchwood: Children Of Earth.

Having grown up in Aberystwyth, Minchin joined the BBC Wales drama department in Cardiff in 2005 as a script editor working on the BBC One Wales production Belonging, before moving to network dramas Doctor Who and Torchwood in the same role.

He said:
I'm thrilled and excited to be joining Steven Moffat on a show that has meant so much to me over the years. I've watched in awe as Steven has taken Doctor Who to wild and imaginative places and I can't wait to get started on many more adventures with the Doctor.
Faith Penhale, the head of drama at BBC Wales, said:
I've no doubt Doctor Who will enjoy a very exciting time with Brian at the helm working alongside Steven. Since joining BBC Wales in 2005, he's proved he has a fantastic eye for story and a sharp awareness of what makes a drama like Doctor Who unmissable.
And Moffat added:
When I first took over Doctor Who, Brian was there as script editor, and in the most difficult time of a new Doctor and a new era was completely brilliant. We lost him to producing The Sarah Jane Adventures at the end of our first run. Rising talent keeps rising, is how I comforted myself back then - but now I am beyond happy that Brian has risen all the way back to Doctor Who in his new role of executive producer. I look forward to getting hopelessly lost in space and time with him.




FILTER: - People - Doctor Who - Production - Leading News - BBC

Next Time: The Crimson Horror

Tuesday, 30 April 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
This weekend's adventure for the Doctor and Clara will be The Crimson Horror, written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Saul Metzstein. The episode will premiere on BBC One in the United Kingdom on Saturday at 6:30pm.

The Crimson Horror: Publicity Poster (Credit: BBC/Ray Burmiston/Adrian Rogers)There’s something very odd about Mrs Gillyflower’s Sweetville mill, with its perfectly clean streets and beautiful people.

There’s something even stranger about the bodies washing up in the river, all bright red and waxy. When the Doctor and Clara go missing, it’s up to Vastra, Jenny and Strax to rescue them before they too fall victim to the Crimson Horror!

The Doctor - Matt Smith
Clara - Jenna-Louise Coleman
Mrs Gillyflower - Diana Rigg
Ada - Rachael Stirling
Jenny - Catrin Stewart
Madame Vastra - Neve McIntosh
Strax - Dan Starkey
Angie - Eve de Leon Allen
Artie - Kassius Carey Johnson
Edmund / Mr Thursday - Brendan Patricks
Amos - Graham Turner
Effie - Olivia Vinall
Abigail - Michelle Tate
Urchin Boy - Jack Oliver Hudson

Written by Mark Gatiss
Directed by Saul Metzstein
Produced by Marcus Wilson
Executive produced by Steven Moffat and Caroline Skinner

Some minor changes to the schedule this weekend. The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins continues to follow on BBC One, but on ITV, Britain's Got Talent shifts to 7:15pm, no longer overlapping with Doctor Who; it is preceeded by You've Been Framed! Top 100 Weddings. BBC Two presents Dad's Army at 6:30pm followed by World Snooker at 7:00pm, Channel 4 has the news followed by Sarah Beeny's Selling Houses also at 7:00pm, and the Channel 5 movie for this week is Stone Cold.


Internationally, The Crimson Horror will be broadcast in the United States and Canada on BBC America and SPACE respectively at 8:00pm ET the same evening, and then on Sunday it can be watched in Australia via ABC at 7:30pm, Poland via BBC Entertainment at 6:00pm, and South Africa via BBC Entertainment at 7:00pm. Meanwhile, New Zealand viewers will see Hide this Thursday on PRIME at 8:30pm.

See This Week in Doctor Who for more details on scheduling and repeats.

The Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray BurmistonThe Crimson Horror. Photos: BBC/Adrian Rogers/Ray Burmiston




FILTER: - Series 7/33

Campaign To Save Studios Renewed

Tuesday, 30 April 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
Campaigners are renewing their efforts to save film studios that have close links to Doctor Who.

Bray Studios, near Maidenhead in Berkshire, are probably most famous for the Hammer horror films that were made there, including some starring Peter Cushing, but they have also hosted TV work as well as band rehearsals.

Doctor Who used the facilities for six stories between 1972 and 1979 - namely, Frontier In Space, The Invisible Enemy, Underworld, The Invasion of Time, The Power of Kroll, and City of Death - and the studios were also used by Gerry Anderson for his shows.

The now-dilapidated site, owned by showbusiness agent Neville Hendricks, is set to be turned into seven executive homes but the Save Bray Studios campaign, headed by Robert Simpson, aims to halt the bulldozers in their tracks.

Mr Simpson told Doctor Who News:
Over the years the studios have been home to hundreds of films, television productions, including model work for Doctor Who, and music. They are now set for demolition and conversion into housing following a successful planning application, but the campaign is looking into halting this and exploring any options that would allow them to continue functioning as studios.

Director Terry Gilliam and Rocky Horror's Richard O'Brien have now lent their support publicly, and other big names are in the wings.
An online petition has been launched, which can be signed here.




FILTER: - UK - Miscellaneous

Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS AI:85

Monday, 29 April 2013 - Reported by Marcus

Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS had an Appreciation Index, or AI score, of 85.

The Appreciation Index or AI is a measure of how much the audience enjoyed the programme. The score, out of a hundred, is compiled by a specially selected panel of around 5,000 people who go online and rate and comment on programmes.

Doctor Who scored higher than most of Saturday's output. The highest scoring programmes of the day were Casualty with 87, Dad's Army with 88 and Law and Order with 89.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Ratings - UK - Series 7/33

Australian overnight ratings for Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS

Monday, 29 April 2013 - Reported by Adam Kirk



Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS has debuted in Australia, averaging 725,000 viewers in the five major capital cities. It was the ABC's top-rating drama of the day and the ninth highest rating program of the day overall. These ratings do not include regional or time-shifted viewers.
Media Links: TV Tonight




FILTER: - Ratings - Broadcasting - Series 7/33 - Australia

Sounds from the Inferno: limited copies still available

Sunday, 28 April 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Signum Books have a limited number of their special vinyl release of John Smith and the Common Men: Sounds from the Inferno available for order from their website.

The record - which featured Three Guitars Mood 2 from An Unearthly Child and music from The War Machines - was released for this year's Record Store Day, and is limited to 1000 copies.

Copies are on a first-come, first-served basis, and Signum Books will ship to the UK, Europe and the United States.


(with thanks to Marcus Hearn)




FILTER: - Music - Merchandise - Classic Series

Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS: Overnight Audience

Sunday, 28 April 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS: The Doctor (Credit: BBC/Adrian Rogers)Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS achieved an overnight audience of 4.9 million viewers, a share of 26.7% of the total TV audience.

Doctor Who was third for the day, beaten by the usual suspects for the evening. Its final quarter hour overlapped the day's highest-rated show Britain's Got Talent on ITV, which was top for the day with 9.3m (9.8m with +1) watching, capturing a 43.9%(46.4%) share of the audience. The BBC's talent show, The Voice, on later in the evening, was watched by 8.0 million (35.5% share).

Final ratings will be released next week, which normally sees a substantial increase in Doctor Who's audience once those who timeshift the programme are factored in.





FILTER: - Doctor Who - Ratings - UK - Series 7/33