Whotopia: Issue 19

Sunday, 21 November 2010 - Reported by Harry Ward

Details of the latest issue of WHOTOPIA, the free online Canadian fan magazine have been published. To find out when this issue is released you can follow their blog at WhotopiaMagazine.wordpress.com

COMING SOON

WHOTOPIA steps outside the TARDIS to take a look at some of the characters and concepts that have spun-off from the good Doctor's adventures

Including...

THE MICHAEL E. BRIANT INTERVIEW
Jez Strickley sits down and interviews the man who directed six classic adventures including The Sea Devils and Robots of Death.

FAN FILMS: WHOTOPIA INTERVIEWS THE PRODUCERS OF DOCTOR WHO: VICTIMSIGHT
Bob Furnell talks with Eldon Letkeman and Robert Westendorp, the producers of the Canadian Doctor Who fan film "Victimsight"

THE NEW-ISH ADVENTURES
A look back at the era of the Virgin New Adventures by A J Gulyas.

DREAMLAND AND BEYOND: DOCTOR WHO GETS ANIMATED
Nancy Gross takes a look at the specially made animated episodes of Doctor Who

DALEK'S ADVOCATE: K9 AND COMPANY
Grant Bull takes a serious in-depth look at this 1981 pilot starring Elisabeth Sladen and John Leeson

QUIT SLAMMING THE 1996 TV MOVIE
Bob Furnell asks fans to quit being so harsh in their assessments of the TV movie

THE DEATH OF FICTIONAL CHARACTERS IN DOCTOR WHO: JACK AND IANTO
Emily Jones delves into the complex relationship between two of Torchwood's most popular characters.

REASONS TO LOVE THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES
What makes the Sarah Jane Adventures so great? Grant Bull examines why.

TORCHWOOD OVERVIEW
Joe Ford takes and in-depth look at all three series of Torchwood

TORCHWOOD: IMPRESSIONS OF AN OUTSIDER
Bob Furnell discusses why Torchwood has failed to make an impression on him

K9'S NEW ADVENTURES
K9's back in his own series and Bob Furnell examines the very first episode

FICTION: THE MEMORY OF DARKNESS PART III
Original fiction by Julio Angel Ortiz

THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES: SERIES THREE EPISODE REVIEWS
Our panel of experts reviews each episode of series three

TORCHWOOD: CHILDREN OF EARTH REVIEWS
What did our reviewers think of the most recent season of Torchwood

THE WATERS OF MARS REVIEWS

PLUS OUR REGULAR COLUMNS - Screwdrivers, Scaries & Scarves/Target Trawl/Parallel Lines, FEATURES AND MORE

Whotopia was published as a hard copy publication from October 2003 to mid-2009 and after much debate amongst its editorial board. The decision was taken to make Whotopia a free downloadable publication with its seventeenth issue in July 2009. The fanzine is currently edited by Jez Strickley with help from assistant editors Nancy Gross and Samantha Warner. The magazine is published on an average of 3 to 4 times per year.

FILTER: - Fan Productions

Filming begins in Utah

Wednesday, 17 November 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Filming for the new series of Doctor Who has now commenced at the Valley of the Gods in South-Eastern Utah. Matt Smith (who had reportedly arrived in Utah after his appearance on The Late Late Show at around midnight), Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Alex Kingston and Mark Sheppard were all spotted during the course of the day's activities.

One scene observed included Amy being chased by MIBs in a Cherokee Jeep.

Filming is expected to continue in Utah until the 19th November.

FILTER: - Series 6/32 - Production - Filming Reports

Matthew Graham to write for Series Six

Wednesday, 17 November 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine reveals that the writer for episodes five and six of Series Six will be Matthew Graham. Steven Moffat describes the story, to be directed by Julian Simpson, as a "thrilling and terrifying two-parter. The Doctor will face a dilemma the like of which he’s never seen before."

Graham has himself confirmed this on Twitter:

Seems cat's out - I have written eps 5&6 of the new WHO. I am thrilled with them. Filming starts on Monday. Needless to say, I can't reveal anything but it was a joy working with Steven, Piers and Beth - not to mention the superb cast.

The episode titles are: The Rebel Flesh and Gangers

The Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes creator previously wrote Fear Her for David Tennant's first series.

FILTER: - Series 6/32 - Production

Piers Wenger Interviewed

Tuesday, 16 November 2010 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who Executive Producer, Piers Wenger has been talking to Collider about the plans for the series as it enters its 48th year.

The series returns this Christmas with a special entitled A Christmas Carol. Wenger describes the story as riffing on the Dickens tale. "There’s no one called Scrooge in it and it’s not set on Earth, but there are familiar archetypes from that story within it that will please fans of Dickens’s original."

Wenger also talked about the first story of the 2011 series, parts of which will be filmed in Utah. He described the story as "Doctor Who’s love letter to the States. It’s all about taking the show out to the States and seeing what Doctor Who will feel like set in America and in some very iconographic parts of the American landscape."

FILTER: - Production

The Finished Product - 6

Saturday, 13 November 2010 - Reported by Marcus

The sixth edition of The Finished Product is now available.

This issue looks at the relationship between Big Finish and Doctor Who Magazine, speaking to many of the people who have been involved over the years, including Gary Russell, Alan Barnes, Conrad Westmaas and Tom Spilsbury.

There is a feature on the DWM exclusives which haven't been covered by The Inside Story book, starting with The Veiled Leopard, including the thoughts of Sophie Aldred, and Cuddlesome, including a plot breakdown of the Audio Visuals original which many readers won't have heard, and then The Mists of Time and Freakshow.

The Companion Chronicles specials continue with The Three Companions, before the issue is rounded off with interviews on how Spare Parts was developed into The Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel, with exclusive interviews with Marc Platt, Gary Russell and Tom Macrae.

Email thefinishedproduct@hotmail.co.uk for more details.

FILTER: - Fan Productions

Utah Filming Dates Confirmed

Thursday, 11 November 2010 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

The Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development has confirmed that principal photography for the previously announced US filming will take place in Utah from November 17 to November 19. The state's Motion Picture Incentive Fund has authorized a filming rebate of up to $30,000 for location filming in the state. The exact location of filming has not been revealed, and fans are not being encouraged to attend filming; a BBC representative told a member of the Utah Film Commission in a private email that he "feels that it would be doing the production a disservice to have fans of the show watching it being filmed as certain story arcs and plot lines could be exposed prematurely and be spread over the internet."

FILTER: - USA - Series 6/32 - Production

Porth Teigr

Wednesday, 10 November 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The site of the new BBC Studios in Cardiff Bay has been named Porth Teigr, reflecting the traditional name of Tiger Bay the area held during its dockland heyday.

The project is being undertaken by developer Igloo; director Mark Hallett said:

We wanted to brand the development with a name which reflects both the history of the Cardiff Bay area and its fantastic waterside location.

We did think about Tiger Bay. However, it was never a geographical ward in the city, but was more about the spirit of the place which people often refer to. We also didn’t want to be accused of misappropriating the name. There are also places around the world in port areas which are also called Tiger Bay.

We are seeing increased numbers of inquiries from companies interested in locating their business close to the BBC drama production studios and are confident that Porth Teigr will, over time, become an internationally recognised mixed-use location, attracting new jobs and investment into Wales.

The BBC is due to begin production on hospital drama Casualty (relocating from Bristol) at the new site in March next year, with filming from September; Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures are expected to move there during 2012.

A digital media centre for small businesses is also being proposed by the developers.

FILTER: - Production - Miscellaneous - BBC

Filming roundup 26th October

Tuesday, 26 October 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster

It was back to Cardiff today, with filming taking place in two locations during the course of the day.

The daytime hours were spent at the Coal Exchange near Cardiff Bay - a frequent interior location for the series, used most recently for the forthcoming 2010 Christmas Special!

The evening saw activity switch to Cardiff city centre, focussing around the streets just south of the New Theatre, Crockherbtown Lane and Park Place - another venue that has cropped up in past adventures. The following photos capture the transformation from Cardiff to the currently filming story's required setting!

The story, being set in 1960s America, seems to require the recreation of a New York street, with the lane decked out with a number of American icons like hydrants and phone booths. A yellow cab was also on location (having also been seen during the day down the Bay), and the Thistle car park and road opposite the lane transformed into 44th Street.

One scene filmed involved a tramp running past the taxi.

Matt, Karen and Alex Kingston had been seen during the day, and a young girl was also present at both locations.

FILTER: - Series 6/32 - Production - Filming Reports

Blue Box 2

Monday, 25 October 2010 - Reported by Marcus

The second issue of the fanzine Blue Box is now available.

In this issue

10 Films Every Doctor Who Fan Should Watch by Ian Wheeler
Escaping Sunbeams (Fan Fiction) by Robin Bell
Horror of Fang Rock Review by Richard Farrell
Season Fnarg Reviews by William JP Turner, David MacGowan and Jez Strickley
Paul Cornell Interview Part 2
Art by Nathan Lindsell
Prom Review by Tim Drury
Rumours of Death by Jez Strickley

The Fanzine, which comes with a cover from Draculasaurus costs £1.50 in the UK and £2.50 for the rest of world. It can be ordered by PayPal from dalek82@hotmail.co.uk. Email for other options.

FILTER: - Fan Productions

Filming roundup 18th October

Tuesday, 19 October 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster

After a quiet start to the episode one/two recording block last week, the cast and crew were finally seen in public once more tonight, with filming taking place at an unfinished building on West Bute Street, at Cardiff Bay. The evening saw scenes taking place with guest stars Alex Kingston and Mark Sheppard.

They'd been setting up all day on the corner of West Bute Street in what looked like the shell of a new block of flats. Greeenscreen in front.

The scene they filmed was reminiscent of the pre-titles to "The Time of Angels"; River Song being cornered by blokes in suits, with guns pointed at her, before managing to escape.

Mark Sheppard: "Stop! Don't move!"
River: "There are loads of them, They're everywhere"
Mark Sheppard: "America is being invaded!"
River: "America was invaded a long time ago, America is occupied"
[River moves back a little more]
Mark Sheppard: "Don't move! There's no way out!"
River: [something that sounded like] "Oh really?"

She then falls off the edge! The stunt woman took over at this point, and surprisingly they only did it once, after which the cast, crew and Alex gave a big applause to the stunt lady.

Tonight's filming was preceeded by two additional filming shoots, once on St. Mary's Street in Cardiff centre at Le Monde, and the other at old filming haunt the Glamorgan Building at Cardiff University.

Filming at Le Monde appeared to feature people in 1960s American fashion, as seen in these photos: