Worlds In Time Extends Its Reach

Friday, 21 December 2012 - Reported by John Bowman
The Doctor Who multi-player online social game Worlds In Time has now been made available on the Kongregate, Newgrounds.com, and Armor Games platforms.

Published by BBC Worldwide Digital Entertainment And Games and developed by Three Rings, it was launched earlier this year, with the game seeing players guided by the Doctor and working alone or uniting in missions against villains and iconic monsters such as the Weeping Angels, Cybermen, Daleks, Autons, Ood, and Zygons.

Robert Nashak, the executive vice-president for BBC Worldwide Digital Entertainment And Games, said:
We are excited to extend the game's reach to a wider audience and bring the beloved Doctor Who brand to more players. Distribution deals with companies like Newgrounds.com, Kongregate, and Armor Games are mutually beneficial for both parties, and provide players with an avenue to expand their gaming options.
More distribution deals are said to be in development.

Kongregate co-founder and chief executive officer Jim Greer said:
We are excited to showcase the first Doctor Who online game to the Kongregate gaming platform. Doctor Who: Worlds in Time combines elements of puzzle and strategy gaming with a deep story and diverse character base under the renowned Doctor Who brand. We are always looking to bring the best new and engaging free-to-play games to Kongregate, and Doctor Who: Worlds in Time definitely fits the bill.
Tom Fulp, the founder of Newgrounds.com, added:
Newgrounds.com serves as a creative outlet for games, movies, and art. It gives individuals a platform to showcase and share their content with the world. We are happy to expand our offerings and are excited to be able to offer Doctor Who: Worlds in Time to our community.

Ron Johnson
, the director of product development at Armor Games, commented:
Many of us at Armor Games are huge fans of the Doctor Who brand, and we're excited to be able to share our love of the Doctor by presenting Doctor Who: Worlds in Time to our players.
The game is updated continually and throughout the adventure players explore and interact with various characters and complete puzzles to move the game forward. There are a variety of puzzle types that players can choose from, and completing the puzzles also serves to charge various devices, such as the sonic screwdriver. Based on a player's puzzle-play preference and skills, they can be a guardian, technician, diplomat, or adventurer in the game.

It should be noted that Worlds In Time is an online game that takes place in a live, open social environment and allows for live chat between players. As such, it is restricted to people aged at least 13. In addition, it uses "micro-transactions" for players to buy "an enhanced experience".





FILTER: - Online - Games - BBC Worldwide

People Roundup

Friday, 21 December 2012 - (roundup compiled by John Bowman and Chuck Foster)
Toby Jones stars as Alfred Hitchock in a BBC Two drama about his relationship with the model and actress Tippi Hedren. The Girl, which airs on Wednesday 26th December at 9pm, also features Imelda Staunton as Hitchcock's wife, Alma, and Penelope Wilton as Peggy Robertson, who was his production assistant.

Peter Capaldi triumphed at the British Comedy Awards, winning the Best TV Comedy Actor gong for the role of Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It. Among the other nominees he beat to the title was Hugh Bonneville. [BBC News, 13 Dec 2012]

Steven Moffat's first TV work, the teen drama Press Gang, will be one of the shows feted when ITV celebrates 30 years of children's television on the commercial channel. A one-hour documentary marking the 30th anniversary of Children's ITV - which was launched on 3rd January 1983 - will be shown on ITV1 on Saturday 29th December at 6.30pm, and between 9.25am and 6pm on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th January CITV (which started on 11th March 2006) will be showing a selection of its iconic shows, including the first and last episodes of Press Gang. Two episodes of Children's Ward - which was produced by Russell T Davies, who also wrote for it - are to be shown as well, as is an episode of Button Moon, whose theme music was co-composed by Peter Davison. [Radio Times, 18 Dec 2012]

Yasmin Paige returns as Beth Mitchell when the second series of BBC Three comedy Pramface begins its run of six episodes on Tuesday 8th January at 10pm.

The two-part BBC Four drama Spies of Warsaw - starring David Tennant - starts on Wednesday 9th January at 9pm. Set in 1937, it features Tennant as Colonel Jean-Francois Mercier, the French military attaché in Warsaw. With Hitler's shadow looming over mainland Europe, Mercier is grossly suspicious of the German military's intentions, but must juggle his formal duties at stifling diplomatic functions with the often death-defying realities of espionage. The drama also stars Burn Gorman as French bureaucrat Jourdain.

The Symphonic Spectacular in Sydney, Australia was hosted by Alex Kingston and Mark Williams, who were interviewed beforehand by local Breakfast show Today; the Sydney Opera House itself has provided a behind-the-scenes video featuring the presenters and composer Murray Gold. Meanwhile, Dudley Simpson was a special guest at the show on Wednesday - the classic series composer met up with his modern series counterpart Gold and conductor Ben Foster, and was also presented with a print of all eleven Doctors, celebrating his contribution to over 250 episodes of the series. [Dallas Jones/Doctor Who Club of Australia, 21 Dec 2012]

A variety of Who names have been nominated in the 2013 WhatsOnStage Awards: Billie Piper is up for The DIGITAL THEATRE Best Actress in a Play for The Effect; her husband Laurence Fox, alongside Arthur Darvill, Cian Barry, Jolyon Coy, Matthew Lewis and Lewis Reeves, are nominated for both the Best Play Revival and The IMAIL Best Ensemble Performance awards for Our Boys; Best Supporting Actress in a Play - Fenella Woolgar (Hedda Gabler) and Helen McCrory (The Last of the Haussmans); Best Supporting Actor in a Play - Adrian Scarborough (Hedda Gabler), Mark Gatiss (The Recruiting Officer) and Tim McInnerny (Scenes from an Execution); The STAR Best Actress in a Musical - Imelda Staunton (Sweeney Todd); The JO HUTCHISON INTERNATIONAL Best Solo Performance - Simon Callow (A Christmas Carol). Voting remains open until Thursday 31st January 2013.

While on the subject of award nominations, the writer Robert Shearman is in the running for the Short Story Collection Of The Year title in the This Is Horror Awards 2012 for his anthology Remember Why You Fear Me. Voting is open until 12.01am GMT on Friday 4th January 2013.

In Memoriam:

The newsreader Kenneth Kendall has died at the age of 88. In 1955, he achieved the distinction of becoming the BBC's first in-vision newsreader, and 11 years later he made a cameo appearance in Doctor Who, playing himself as a newsreader in episode 4 of the story The War Machines. He also had a cameo as a newsreader in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. After leaving the world of news, Kendall moved to the Isle of Wight, where he ran an art gallery. [The Independent, 14 Dec 2012]

(roundup compiled by John Bowman and Chuck Foster)




FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Obituary - Russell T Davies - Billie Piper - David Tennant - Awards/Nominations

Daleks: 49 Years of Terror!

Friday, 21 December 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Today marks the 49th anniversary of the first Dalek serial, with The Dead Planet airing at 5:15pm on Saturday 21st December 1963. Though the full design by Raymond Cusick would not be revealed until after Christmas, this episode ended with an iconic moment of Barbara's scream as she is menaced by an unknown 'something' . . .

Talking about this very first appearance, Steven Moffat - writer of their most recent adventure on screen, Asylum of the Daleks - said:
The whole nation convulsed when you saw a little bit of that sucker come onto the screen - brilliant, brilliant work all those years ago!
Doctor Who's lead writer reflects on the Daleks in a series of videos celebrating their iconic moments, presented on the BBC's Adventure Calendar throughout December: their first appearance in The Daleks, their size and settings in Evil of the Daleks, and their exciting return after a number of years in Day of the Daleks.


Daleks - Invasion Earth: 2012 AD!

Not just content with confronting us with a host of old and new variations during Asylum of the Daleks, the Doctor's most persistent adversary has also been 'terrorising' children and adults alike throughout the year at various local events - here is a selection of their many appearances:

23 May: Hackers in Boulder, Colorado, altered a road sign to warn of Daleks ahead! <a target="_blank" href="http://www.coloradodaily.com/ci_20689381/warning-daleks-ahead-boulder-road-sign">Colorado Daily</a>8 June: Davros is superseded by Lowestoft's Nathan Ward as Dalek creator ...  <a target="_blank" href="http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/bernard_matthews_youth_awards_winner_from_lowestoft_creates_fundraising_dalek_1_1404510">EDP24</a>21 July: Encouraging pupils to read over the summer <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dudleynews.co.uk/news/9821593.Children_s_summer_reading_challenge_launched/">Dudley News</a>23 July: Appearing at Heroes and Legends at Margam Castle <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Daleks-Doctor-Heroes-Legends-park-event/story-16581680-detail/story.html">South Wales Evening Post</a>6 August: Helping to raise money for Great Western Air Ambulance at the Grand Pier, Weston-super-Mare <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/dr_who_s_nemeses_invade_grand_pier_for_fundraiser_1_1473166">Weston Mercury</a>6 August: Julian Vince's wish to immortalise them as a statue <a target="_blank" href="http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/local/wimbledonnews/9855725.Dalek_model_maker_calls_for_permanent_invasion_of_iconic_villains/">Wimbledon Guardian</a>12 August: Helping to raise money for charities in Norwich <a target="_blank" href="http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/dalek_doctor_who_and_predator_take_part_in_charity_mission_in_norwich_1_1479129">Norwich Evening News</a>31 August: A Dalek is found lurking in Cleeve Hill woodland <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Mystery-Dr-Daleks-Cleeve-Hill/story-16797642-detail/story.html">Gloucestershire Echo</a>3 September: Friend reunited? Original Dalek director Christopher Barry at the Power: Re-Imagined event, Fareham <a target="_blank" href="http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/daleks-come-to-fareham-but-it-s-all-for-good-causes-1-4219109">Portsmouth News</a>24 September: Invading Cheltenham to collect money for the NSPCC <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Exterminate-Daleks-invade-Cheltenham/story-16973044-detail/story.html">Gloucestershire Echo</a>25 September: On the loose at Alford's Grampian Transport Museum <a target="_blank" href="http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/2946812">Aberdeen Press and Journal</a>28 September: Collecting for Ovarian Cancer UK and KiDs in Westhoughton, Bolton <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/districtnews/districtatog/9955318.Dalek_drops_in_for_charity_collection/">Bolton News</a>28 September: A Dalek from the second movie came up for auction at Dickins Auctioneers’ Antiques and Collectables, Buckinghamshire <a target="_blank" href="http://www.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/news/local/dalek-invasion-at-auctioneers-1-4303582">Bicester Advertiser and Review</a>24 October: On the front line to keep Aldbourne tidy! <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/10004662.Extermination_to_keep_Aldbourne_village_tidy/">This is Wiltshire</a>29 October: Getting reacquainted with Steven Taylor, aka Peter Purves, at a Bury St Edmunds Exhibition <a target="_blank" href="http://www.eadt.co.uk/entertainment/gallery_doctor_who_s_tardis_lands_in_bury_st_edmunds_1_1673184">EADT</a>12 November: Supporting the Movie Buffs' Collectors' Fair  at Hull University <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Invasion-movie-buffs/story-17299745-detail/story.html">This is Hull and East Striding</a>28 November: 'Celebrating' Rowde village shop’s third anniversary. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/10074698.Daleks_set_to_invide_Rowde_shop_celebrations/">This is Wiltshire</a>18 December: Raising funds for Marie Curie at Sainsbury's in Swindon. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/10114207.Customers____tears_of_laughter_as_Daleks_invade_supermarket_in_Swindon/">Swindon Advertiser</a>




FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Miscellaneous

Vastra Investigates on the BBC Red Button

Thursday, 20 December 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Vastra Investigates. Image: BBCThe BBC have made the Doctor Who pre-Snowmen minisode Vastra Investigates available on television via the Red Button service.

Times currently announced are:

Thursday7:30pm-8:55pm
Thursday10:30pm-Midnight
FridayMidnight-6:00am
Friday9:00pm-Midnight
SaturdayMidnight-6:00am
Saturday6:00pm-6:30pm
Saturday7:55pm-8:50pm
Saturday10:05pm-Midnight
SundayMidnight-1:25am
Monday7:00pm-Midnight
TuesdayMidnight-6:00am
Tuesday3:00pm-5:15pm

The service is available on Freeview, Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media.





FILTER: - Series Specials - Series 7/33 - BBC

Movie Update

Thursday, 20 December 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Steven Moffat has spoken a little more about how he feels about a big-screen version of Doctor Who:
The thing that I would find intolerable is that you get a film instead of the TV series because the TV series is more important. And I don't think any showrunner or future showrunner of Doctor Who would tolerate the idea that David Yates was talking about, of rebooting it and having a second continuity. That's just nonsense. Absolutely insane and a straightforward insult to the audience. We'd never, ever do that. The question would be how could we do it without delaying or harming the TV show?

I think it could be incredibly exciting to see that TARDIS fly on the big screen. It would just be how do we arrange it? And how do we make sure we have … no offense, but you suddenly take American money and they expect to tell you what to do and all that. I wouldn't be happy with that. But it will happen someday, I'm reasonably confident.
The full interview can be read at Vulture.





FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Movies

DVD Update

Wednesday, 19 December 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster
An update on recent DVD announcements and developments.

The Legacy Collection

The Region Two covers for January's DVD release of The Legacy Collection have been released:

The Legacy Collection: Slipcase Cover The Legacy Collection: Shada The Legacy Collection: More Than 30 Years In The TARDIS The Legacy Collection

The Ark in Space (Special Edition)

Additional extras have now been classified by the BBFC for the release of The Ark in Space:
00:27:34:20 DR. FOREVER! - NOT AS SEEN ON BBC TV - LOVE AND WAR
00:07:33:05 (SCENE AROUND SIX)
00:00:34:14 (EASTER EGG)
00:01:08:23 (ROBOT 8MM LOCATION FILM)
Scene Around Six is a presentation of the Northern Ireland film footage of Tom Baker visiting a school which was recently found and broadcast last year as part of Those Were The Days. Doctor Forever is the first of a five-part series by James Goss, taking a look at Doctor Who in different media.

The Region One details also report the inclusion of The Doctor Who Technical Manual as a PDF, plus tie-in promotional materials for Crosse & Blackwell, and Nestlé.

The Green Death (Special Edition)

During a DVD range discussion at last weekend's Midnight convention it was revealed that the fifth Special Edition DVD release for 2013 will be the Third Doctor story The Green Death. Originally released on a single disc, the revisited two-disc edition will enable the story to be presented in higher quality than before, and will include a full-length documentary by Chris Chapman. Revised production notes will be provided by Richard Bignell.

As a bonus, the DVD will also include the reunion of Josephine Jones née Grant with the Doctor in The Sarah Jane Adventures story Death of the Doctor, which includes a commentary with the writer Russell T Davies and Jo herself, Katy Manning.


Terror of the Zygons

The latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine confirms that Terror of the Zygons will have a production-oriented commentary, featuring Robert Banks Stewart (writer), Philip Hinchcliffe (producer), George Gallacio (production unit manager), Sylvia James (make-up), and Dick Mills (special sound), presided over by audio restoration producer Mark Ayres.


The Tenth Planet / The Ice Warriors

Talking to Radio Free Skaro earlier in the year about The Tenth Planet and The Ice Warriors, Steve Roberts said: "I don't think that either of those are actually into animation production at the moment, but certainly we have transferred the existing episodes of both of those stories and will be restoring them fully, with the expectation that there will be animations, presumably, to intertwine."

The classification of the trailer for The Ice Warriors earlier this month certainly indicates that this story looks likely to be released next year. Whether this will feature animated versions of the missing episodes two and three has yet to be announced, but both it and The Tenth Planet are expected to have their original VHS telesnap reconstructions included in the releases.

It is also hoped that the original Michael Craze introductions recorded for The Tenth Planet will also be included (Steve Roberts noted that the introductions by Carole Ann Ford for The Reign of Terror were excluded from that release due to space limitations on the disc).




FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Doctor Who Night At The Institut Francais

Wednesday, 19 December 2012 - Reported by John Bowman
The Institut Francais in London is to hold a Doctor Who Night next month.

Featuring big-screen showings of Blink, Midnight, and The God Complex plus a masterclass from writer Toby Whithouse, the event on Saturday 19th January is part of the cross-cultural organisation's second Totally Serialized season.

The aim of the TV festival, which runs from 16th to 20th January, is to showcase the best of new productions from both sides of the Channel as well as European TV shows. It will have screenwriters, directors, and actors attending, including Hugh Bonneville (albeit for his role as the Earl of Grantham in Downton Abbey).

The Doctor Who Night - which will also have a quiz, music, mystery guests, and a costume contest - starts at 7pm.




FILTER: - Special Events - UK

New TARDIS Interior Revealed

Wednesday, 19 December 2012 - Reported by Harry Ward
The BBC has released a promotional image of the new TARDIS interior which will be seen in The Snowmen on Christmas Day.

The New TARDIS interior





FILTER: - Series Specials - Series 7/33

The Matt Smith Christmas Show

Tuesday, 18 December 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Today's Adventure Calendar release by the BBC features a behind-the-scenes video entitled The Matt Smith Christmas Show, in which the actor chats to new co-star Jenna-Louise Coleman, plus Kat from Costumes!





FILTER: - Doctor Who - Online

Doctor Who arrives in Burma and Indonesia

Tuesday, 18 December 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster
BBC EntertainmentThe BBC have announced that it is to launch its BBC Entertainment channel in Burma from next year. The pay-TV channel will launch from 1st January 2013 alongside BBC World News and CBeebies, which will join the BBC World Service broadcast through the region's Forever Group.

BBC Entertainment showcases the best comedy, drama and light entertainment from the BBC and other UK production houses; this of course includes Doctor Who - so will mark the first time the series has been broadcast in the country!

Mark Whitehead, Senior Vice President and General Manager of BBC Worldwide Channels Asia, said:
I am pleased to be able to announce the launch of the BBC channels in Burma. We are very pleased to be part of Burma’s growing economy, and excited to be delivering our wide range of highly rated and award-winning programming - from programmes specially designed for pre-schoolers, to the best of UK comedy and drama and high quality international news to new viewers.

The BBC have also announced another first for Doctor Who, as BBC Entertainment is also introduced to Indonesia, to be broadcast via max3 from Biznet Networks. Mark Whitehead commented:
Indonesia is a very important part of BBC Worldwide’s growth strategy in Asia, and we are very pleased to be working with Biznet to launch our channels on their new platform. We are confident that the high quality and award winning programmes on BBC Entertainment, together with BBC World News and BBC Lifestyle will be popular with max3’s viewers.

Doctor Who on BBC Entertainment

At the time of writing the channel is currently showing Series 6 in Asia, and tonight will show last year's festive adventure The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - International Broadcasting - BBC Worldwide - BBC Entertainment