Doctor Who is an average person's favourite show

Monday, 11 July 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
An "alternative census" has been carried out in the UK to determine what constitutes the "average" person's life in the United Kingdom, and reports that Doctor Who is the programme they most like to watch!

The survey was undertaken in over 2000 households by energy management service AlertMe, with chief executive officer of the company Mary Turner explaining:
The government census tells us information that is quite run-of-the-mill. We wanted to find out the bare bones of people’s everyday behaviour.

Looking into daily lives, the report uncovered snippets such as favourites foods of the week (with fish and chips being the obvious Friday winner), families eating together three times a week (at 5:54pm!), and generally getting home from work at 5:15pm. Eight out of ten families consider themselves to be "happy" or "very happy", with 70% of adults considering their household as "completely normal". Half of families surveyed also indicated that television is their main form of entertainment, with a typical family tuning in for some nine hours a day and citing Doctor Who as their favoured show.

The survey also found that the average person gets up at 6:57am and goes to bed at 10:50pm - so there's no reason to miss Torchwood this coming Thursday!




FILTER: - Doctor Who - UK - Miscellaneous

Beth Willis leaves Doctor Who

Thursday, 7 July 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who executive producer Beth Willis, is to leave the series to return to her former employers Kudos Film and Television.

Willis will leave the BBC at the end of this month, a couple of months before fellow executive producer Piers Wenger leaves the BBC to join Film 4.

The news means a new executive team will join showrunner Steven Moffat as the programme gears up for production on the 2012/2013 series of the show leading into the 50th anniversary year.

Willis has been an Executive Producer on the series for the past two years. She joined the series with Wenger at the same time as showrunner Steven Moffat, taking over for the arrival of Eleventh Doctor at the conclusion of The End of Time. Both have been responsible for 27 episodes of the Show.

Wills will leave the series at the end of this month with Wenger departing the BBC at the end of September. The BBC hopes to find a replacement for Willis in time for the filming of the Doctor Who Christmas special. It will then recruit a second executive producer before filming for the 33rd series begins.

Beth commented:
Working with Steven Moffat, Piers Wenger and Matt Smith on the last two series of Doctor Who has been the most fantastic experience and I will miss them hugely... The plans taking shape for the next series of Doctor Who and for the 50th Anniversary are beyond exciting - and with Steven Moffat at the helm, this incredibly special time for the show is in very safe hands.

The BBC's Drama controller Ben Stephenson praised Willis for her work on Doctor Who.
Much of its current success is down to her vision and ambition for the show. She has been an inspiring and instrumental force and I know will be much missed by all of us, and especially Matt Smith and Steven Moffat.
Steven Moffat added:
We couldn’t keep her forever, though God knows I tried. She is off to be brave and brilliant in brand new ways, and the sad news for Doctor Who is that it will be somewhere else.

Willis returns to Kudos where she produced the first two series of Ashes To Ashes. Chief executive of Kudos, Jane Featherstone, said
I’m chuffed to bits to be welcoming her back to Kudos, where her creative instincts and no-nonsense work ethic will make her a force to be reckoned with in the drama world.





FILTER: - Doctor Who - Production - BBC

Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in Hollywood

Wednesday, 6 July 2011 - Reported by Harry Ward
Matt Smith and Karen Gillan will be in Hollywood on 26 July to sign copies of Doctor Who: Series 6, Part 1. They will be appearing at the Los Angeles based Amoeba Music store.
Matt Smith (The Doctor) and Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) will be at Amoeba Music to celebrate the release of Doctor Who: Series Six, Part 1 (on DVD and Blu-Ray). Limited to 200 purchasers of Doctor Who: Series Six, Part 1 (available for purchase starting July 19th at Amoeba). Fans can get ONE item of their choice signed as long as they have purchased Series Six, Part 1 on DVD or Blu-Ray.

Doctor Who DVD Signing
Tuesday July 26th 7pm - Hollywood

6400 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028


Matt Smith and Karen Gillan make their triumphant return as the Doctor and his companion in an all-new series of Doctor Who! In Part 1, the Doctor, Amy and Rory find themselves in Sixties America, battling the invasion the world forgot, then journey on the high seas of 1696 aboard a pirate ship, to solve the mystery of the Siren. In a bubble universe at the very edge of reality, the Doctor meets an old friend with a new face, and in a monastery on a remote island in the near future, an industrial accident takes on a terrible human shape. And waiting for them, at the end of all this, is the battle of Demon's Run, and the Doctor's darkest hour. Can even the truth about River Song save the Time Lord's soul? Only two things are certain. Silence will fall. And a good man is going to die...

Part 1 of the new season delivered record ratings on BBC AMERICA, earned rave reviews including an “A” and a spot “The Must List” from Entertainment Weekly, and was featured on NBC’s Today show and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Beth Willis, Piers Wenger and Toby Whithouse, will be in the US to attend San Diego Comic Con on Sunday 24 July where they'll be showing attendees new footage from the second half of Series 6.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Special Events - USA - Series 6/32

Let's Kill Hitler - Press Details

Wednesday, 6 July 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Press details for the first episode of Doctor Who following the summer break, Let's Kill Hitler, have been released courtesy of the Media Guardian Edinburgh International Festival.

The episode will be screened at the annual gathering of senior figures from within the Television industry on Friday 26th August.



Story synopsis follow - can be considered spoilers



In the desperate search for Melody Pond, the TARDIS crash lands in 1930s Berlin, bringing the Doctor face to face with the greatest war criminal in the Universe. And Hitler. The Doctor must teach his adversaries that time travel has responsibilities - and in so doing, learns a harsh lesson in the cruellest warfare of all.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Series 6/32

Win - Torchwood: First Born

Monday, 4 July 2011 - Reported by Marcus
The Doctor Who News Page is offering readers the chance to win a copy of Torchwood: Frist Born by James Goss.

First Born
Written by James Goss

Gwen and Rhys are on the run. Rhys was hoping this meant a windswept cottage on a cliff top, but he’s had to settle for a miserable caravan in the isolated village of Rawbone. With the locals taking an unhealthy interest in their daughter, Gwen and Rhys start to realise that something is very wrong.

As they uncover the village’s terrible past, Gwen discovers that Torchwood will never leave her behind, and now she and Rhys stand alone in defence of the Earth. And the children of Rawbone can only bring her closer to the secret forces that want her out of the way.

Based on the hit series created by Russell T Davies, First Born is a prequel to Torchwood: Miracle Day, starring John Barrowman and Eve Myles as Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper, with Kai Owen as Rhys Williams.

Released: 21st July 2011

(available to pre-order now from our Amazon Shop)

We have five copies of the book up for grabs courtesy of Ebury Publishing. To be in for a chance of winning a copy, simply answer this question:

In which episode of Torchwood did Gwen first find out that she was pregnant with Rhys' baby?

Send your answer with your name, address and email to us at firstborn-competition@doctorwhonews.net, with the subject line First Born Competition.

Closing Date: 11:59 PM BST, 18 July 2011


Please note that this competition is open to UK residents only.





FILTER: - Competitions - Doctor Who News - BBC

TARDIS travellers materialise at SDCC2011

Thursday, 30 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Earlier in the month we reported that members of the Torchwood: Miracle Day" cast and crew would be appearing as this year's San Diego Comic Con, courtesy of Starz. Today, BBC America have announced that Doctor Who will also be represented, with Matt Smith and Karen Gillan making their first appearance at such an event.

The two time travellers will be on a panel on Sunday 24th July, alongside writer Toby Whithouse and executive producers Beth Willis and Piers Wenger, as detailed below:

12:30 – 1:30 pm, BBC America’s Doctor Who – Stars Matt Smith and Karen Gillan make their first Comic-Con appearance for a panel and Q&A with Doctor Who writer Toby Whithouse (Being Human creator) and executive producers Piers Wenger and Beth Willis. They’re bringing with them exclusive new footage from the new episodes airing later this summer on BBC AMERICA. Doctor Who follows the adventures of the Doctor, the mysterious traveler who journeys throughout all of time and space, picking up companions along the way and almost always sidestepping danger.

Doctor Who, from award winning lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, stars BAFTA nominee Matt Smith as the Doctor and Karen Gillan as his companion Amy Pond, along with Arthur Darvill as Rory and Alex Kingston who plays River Song. Part One of the new season, which premiered in April, delivered record ratings for BBC AMERICA and marked the first time Doctor Who filmed on American soil. Its finale ended with the unveiling of a massive secret and the words "Let’s Kill Hitler" on screen.

Part One of Doctor Who arrives on Blu-ray/DVD on July 19 and Part Two premieres late summer on BBC AMERICA’s Supernatural Saturdays.





FILTER: - Doctor Who - Special Events - USA - Miracle Day (Series 4)

The Crash of the Elysium - adult tickets to be made available

Tuesday, 28 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
After enormous public demand, the organisers of the interactive theatre project The Crash of the Elysium at the Manchester International Festival have announced that a number of tickets will be made available enabling adults to enjoy the experience as well as children. The After Dark performances will run at various times between 8:00-9:00pm from 8th-15th July, and are only open to adults and children over thirteen years old.

The Crash of the Elysium will take place at the BBC's new MediaCity UK building at Salford Quays, and is performed by Punchdrunk in association with BBC Worldwide. The experience is written by Punchdrunk's Felix Barrett and Doctor Who writer Tom MacRae, based on an original idea by Steven Moffat.

Tickets (£25) will go on sale exclusively via Ticketmaster from tomorrow (Wednesday) at 10:00am.
(with thanks to Kate Carter/The Corner Shop PR)

Writer Tom MacRae recently spoke to the Telegraph about the premise behind the show:
In the tradition of the best Doctor Who the premise of what needs to happen is clearly outlined in the first couple of scenes, where it’s established what’s going on and what the kids have to do. They then go on a mission that requires them to head into this labyrinth of wonder we’ve created. It’s not like The Crystal Maze - if they want to interrogate the adults they meet we have, over months of careful planning, created a watertight story about what’s going on. But the instruction to the actors is - here’s the information, if the kids ask you questions you’ve got everything you need. If all they want to do is press the buttons let them do that!

We are told that in 1888 there was a famous steam-ship called the Elysium that mysteriously disappeared at sea. There are conflicting reports as to whether there was bad weather or not. Some legends have grown up around its missing cargo - there was supposed to be this secret Government package on board which has never been recovered. Whether that has anything to do with our show, I don’t know - it’s just a bit of history. The premise is… that you’re going to have the most amazing time of your life...!


First audience reactions, via ManchesterIntFest on YouTube




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Special Events - Theatre

A Good Man Goes to War - Chart Placing

Friday, 17 June 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who RatingsThe final episode of Doctor Who before the summer break, A Good Man Goes to War, just missed out on a top twenty place becoming the 21st most watched programme of the week.

The week was dominated by Britain's Got Talent, which was stripped across the week taking 12 of the top twenty places in the chart and helping to give ITV1 the top nineteen programmes.

Doctor Who was the second most watched programme on BBC Television just being edged out of top place by The Apprentice which had 40,000 more viewers.

The figures do not include those watching on iPlayer, where over 1.2 million people accessed the episode within 7 days of the broadcast, against The Apprentice's 1.0 million.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Ratings - UK - Series 6/32

Portal Awards Nominations 2011

Monday, 13 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Doctor Who: Portal AwardThe annual Portal Awards have been announced by Airlock Alpha, with Doctor Who once more well represented within the various categories.

Best Actor sees Matt Smith nominated for his role as The Doctor; he will face competition from Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead), Sean Bean (Game of Thrones), Joshua Jackson (Fringe), and Eddie McClintock (Warehouse 13). This award was won overwhelmingly by David Tennant last year with some 68% of the vote (with second place going to John Barrowman with 10%!).

Similarly, Best Actress sees co-star Karen Gillan pitted against Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), Anna Torv (Fringe), Paula Malcomson (Caprica), and Summer Glau (The Cape). Gillan lost out last year to Eve Myles for her portrayal as Gwen Cooper in Torchwood: Children of Earth.

Doctor Who itself is nominated for Best Television Series, which it won last year (Torchwood came second). This year sees it up against Fringe, Game of Thrones, Stargate: Universe and The Walking Dead. Also, The Doctor's Wife has been nominated in the Best Television Episode category, facing episodes from Fringe, Stargate: Universe, Game of Thrones and Caprica.

Alex Kingston has been nominated for Best Television Special Guest, an award she won last year for The Time of Angels; this time her role in Day of the Moon is being recognised, and she faces competition from another Doctor Who guest, Michael Gambon for A Christmas Carol. Christopher Lloyd and Leonard Nimoy are also nominated for Fringe, plus Michael Rosenbaum for Smallville.

The late Elisabeth Sladen has been nominated for the Gene Roddenberry Award which honours lifetime achievement; the other nominees are H.G. Wells, J.J. Abrams, Rick Berman and Gene L. Coon.


The full list of categories are available from Airlock Alpha, and fans will be able to vote from the 25th June until 24th July.






FILTER: - Doctor Who - Karen Gillan - Matt Smith - Awards/Nominations

A Good Man Goes to War - Final Ratings

Sunday, 12 June 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: A Good Man Goes To WarDoctor Who: A Good Man Goes To War had a final rating of 7.51 million viewers, 2 million more than the initially reported overnight figures.

The audience share was 31.0%

The final figure is much more accurate than the overnight one, and includes all those who record the programmme and watch it within a week. It does not include iPlayer viewings.

Official ratings should be released tomorrow which will give the chart position of the episode, likely to be around 20th for the week.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Ratings - UK - Series 6/32