Christmas broadcast summary

Saturday, 5 December 2009 - Reported by Anthony Weight

Here is a summary of some of the main Doctor Who-related programming across British television and radio over the forthcoming festive period. For a more comprehensive summary of all Doctor Who repeat broadcasts also taking place over the coming weeks, please see our sister site This Week in Doctor Who.

Updates since 30th December have a red border.

**UK Broadcast Schedule**
Friday 18th December	6.00-7.00pm	The Vengeance of Morbius	Paul McGann Big Finish Audio Repeated 12.00am
Monday 7th December	10.35-11.20pm	The Graham Norton Show	Appearance by Catherine Tate
Tuesday 8th December	1.30-2.30am	Loose Women	Bernard Cribbins (repeat from 12:30pm Monday)
Thursday 10th December	11.00-11.30pm	Chain Reaction	David Tennant interviews Richard Wilson (Repeat)
Friday 11th December	8.50-9.00am	BBC Breakfast	June Whitfield interview
Friday 11th December	5.30-6.00pm	Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf	Part One (Repeat)
Friday 11th December	7.00-8.00pm	The One Show	Ricky Tomlinson's Christmas TV Picks (End of Time clip)
Saturday 12th December	10.30-11.00am	Shelved	Documentary on abandoned programmes, including Shada
Saturday 12th December	5.00-6.00pm	An Hour With Jon Pertwee	(Repeat) Repeated at 11pm and 4am
Saturday 12th December	5.15-6.00pm	Doctor Who - Dreamland	(Repeat)
Monday 14th December	3.00-4.00pm	Alan Titchmarsh Show	Interview with Bernard Cribbins
Tuesday 15th December	4.35-5.00pm	Blue Peter	Joel Defries tracks down David Tennant
Tuesday 15th December	7.00-7.30pm	The One Show	Catherine Tate guests
Tuesday 15th December	9.15-10.00pm	Night Waves	Interview with Steven Moffat
Wednesday 16th December	10.00-10.30pm	Never Mind The Buzzcocks	David Tennant hosts, Bernard Cribbins and Catherine Tate guest
Thursday 17th December	~8.45am	BBC Breakfast	Christmas TV Shows Review
Thursday 17th December	6.00-7.00pm	Sisters of the Flame	Paul McGann Big Finish Audio Repeated 12.00am
Thursday 17th December	~6.25pm	BBC 6'O Clock News	The End of Time preview
Thursday 17th December	7.15-7.45pm	Front Row	Catherine Tate interview
Friday 18th December	5.30-6.00pm	Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf	Part Two (Repeat)
Saturday 19th December	10.00-10.45am	Doctor Who - The Infinite Quest	(Repeat)
Saturday 19th December	10.00-11.30am	Saturday Kitchen	Catherine Tate guests.
Saturday 19th December	Various/Online	E24	Christmas TV Highlights, including Doctor Who
Sunday 20th December	10.00-11.30am	Something for the Weekend	End of Time clips
Monday 21st December	~12:15pm	This Morning	Catherine Tate interview
Monday 21st December	~3:15pm	Colin Murray	Christmas Television discussion
Monday 21st December	6.50-7.00pm	Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading Miki
Monday 21st December	10.35-11.20pm	The Graham Norton Show	Best Of
Tuesday 22nd December	6.50-7.00pm	Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading How High is the Sky?
Tuesday 22nd December	7.00-8.00pm	Doctor Who – The Next Doctor	(Repeat)
Tuesday 22nd December	7.15-7.45pm	Front Row	Article on David Tennant's Hamlet
Tuesday 22nd December	9.00-10.00pm	Ruth Jones's Christmas Cracker	Russell T Davies guests
Tuesday 22nd December	9.30-10.00pm	Never Mind The Buzzcocks	(Repeat)
Wednesday 23rd December	10:30am-12:30pm	This Morning	June Whitfield interview
Wednesday 23rd December	6.50-7.00pm	Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading Small Mouse Big City
Wednesday 23rd December	7.00-7.30pm	The One Show	Bernard Cribbins guests
Wednesday 23rd December	7.00-8.00pm	Doctor Who – Planet of the Dead	(Repeat)
Thursday 24th December	9.30-10.15am	Doctor Who - Dreamland	(Repeat) Red Button Commentary
Thursday 24th December	6.50-7.00pm	Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading The Christmas Bear
Thursday 24th December	7.00-8.00pm	Doctor Who – The Waters of Mars	(Repeat)
Thursday 24th December	10.00-10.30pm	QI	David Tennant panellist
Friday 25th December	~7.35am, ~8.35am	Breakfast	John Simm, David Tennant/Catherine Tate interviews
Friday 25th December	11.15-12.10pm	The Sarah Jane Adventures	The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith (Repeat)
Friday 25th December	6.00-7.00pm	The End of Time - Part One	Also on BBC HD
Friday 25th December	7.00-8.00pm	Doctor Who Confidential	Also on BBC HD at 8:00pm
Saturday 26th December	3.00am-4.00am	The Commentaries	The End of Time: The Doctor Who cast and crew discuss episode 1 of The End of Time.
Saturday 26th December	10.00am-1.00pm	David Tennant and Catherine Tate	sitting in for Jonathan Ross
Saturday 26th December	5.05-8.10pm	Hamlet	David Tennant stars
Saturday 26th December	8.00-9.00pm	Archive on 4 - Doctor Who: The Lost Episodes	Documentary on the missing episodes of Doctor Who
Sunday 27th December	11.15am-12.00pm	Desert Island Discs	David Tennant
Sunday 27th December	1.30-2.00pm	On the Outside it Looked Like an Old-Fashioned Police Box	Target novelisations documentary by Mark Gatiss (repeat)
Sunday 27th December	6.50-7.00pm	Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading
Sunday 27th December	4.45-7.45pm	Hamlet	David Tennant stars
Sunday 27th December	7.00-8.00pm	The End of Time - Part One	(Repeat) Red Button Commentary
Sunday 27th December	9.00pm-10.35pm	The Greatest TV Shows of the Noughties	(not confirmed, but almost certainly will feature Doctor Who!)
Monday 28th December	3.00-3.45pm	Archive on 4 - Doctor Who: The Lost Episodes	(shortened repeat)
Monday 28th December	6.50-7.00pm	Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading
Tuesday 29th December	5.00-6.00pm	Who On Who?	David Tennant interviews Russell T Davies
Tuesday 29th December	6.50-7.00pm	Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading
Tuesday 29th December	10.20-11.20pm	Alan Carr: Chatty Man	David Tennant and Catherine Tate guest
Tuesday 29th December	10.55-11.40pm	QI	David Tennant panellist (Extended Repeat)
Wednesday 30th December	6.50-7.00pm	Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading Emily Brown and the Elephant
Thursday 31st December	~7:40am	GMTV	David Tennant interview (originally scheduled for 24th)
Thursday 31st December	~8:40am	BBC Breakfast	David Tennant guests
Thursday 31st December	~9:00am	Breakfast	David Tennant interview
Thursday 31st December	6.50-7.00pm	Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading
Thursday 31st December	2.00-3.00pm	Doctor Who at the Proms	(Repeat)
Thursday 31st December	10.45pm-12.45am	Alan Carr: Chatty Man	David Tennant and Catherine Tate guest (Repeat)
Friday 1st January	12.55-1.55pm	The End of Time - Part One	(Repeat)
Friday 1st January	2.35-3.35pm	Planet of the Dead	(Repeat)
Friday 1st January	3.35-4.35pm	Doctor Who Confidential: Desert Storm	(Repeat)
Friday 1st January	4.35-5.40pm	The Waters of Mars	(Repeat)
Friday 1st January	5.40-6.40pm	The End of Time - Part One	(Repeat)
Friday 1st January	6.40-7.55pm	The End of Time - Part Two	Also on BBC HD
Friday 1st January	7.55-8.55pm	Doctor Who Confidential – Allonsy	Also on BBC HD
Friday 1st January	8.55-9.30pm	Doctor Who Greatest Moments - The Doctor	(Repeat)
Saturday 2nd January	4.05-5.05am	Doctor Who Confidential – Allonsy	(Repeat)
Sunday 3rd January	2.30am-4.00am	The Commentaries	The End of Time: The Doctor Who cast and crew discuss episode 2 of The End of Time.
Sunday 3rd January	3.40-4:55pm	The End of Time - Part Two	(Repeat)
Sunday 3rd January	7.00-8.15pm	The End of Time - Part Two	(Repeat) Red Button Commentary

Although BBC Television is only available in the UK, BBC Radio can be heard around the world via the BBC Website.

For a full International Doctor Who Schedule see

FILTER: - Specials - UK - Radio - Broadcasting

New Christmas Promo

Friday, 4 December 2009 - Reported by Marcus

The BBC has released a new promo previewing Doctor Who and The Gruffalo, both of which will be shown on BBC One on Christmas Day.

The promo contains several new clips from The End of Time Part One.

The BBC also have a promo for Hamlet starring David Tennant.

The BBC have now released the BBC One ident along with three short stings.

FILTER: - Specials - Broadcasting

Canadian Airdate for The End of Time

Friday, 4 December 2009 - Reported by Marcus

SPACE have confirmed both parts of The End of Time will be broadcast in Canada on Saturday 2nd January 2010.

The final two episodes of David Tennant's tenure as The Doctor will be transmitted back to back with Part One at 8pm and Part Two starting at 9.20pm. Both episodes will be preceded by a repeat of the first three specials, The Next Doctor, Planet of the Dead and The Waters of Mars making a total of seven hours of Doctor Who on the channel.

And if that is not enough Doctor Who, the entire series of Torchwood Children of Earth will be shown earlier in the day.

FILTER: - Canada - Specials - Series 4/30 Specials - Broadcasting

Schedule, Promos and Ident

Thursday, 3 December 2009 - Reported by Marcus

"Special Project Three" has been leaked onto the internet. (Russell T Davies has repeatedly mentioned that David Tennant had worked on three special Doctor Who projects this year, in addition to the four television specials; the first two were the Doctor's appearance in The Sarah Jane Adventures and the animated serial Dreamland.) The third project consists of a special ident for BBC One featuring Tennant as the Doctor. A version of the ident for BBC Scotland has appeared on the website BlogtorWho. The official launch will be later this month, but the BBC have now released a still from the ident.

The BBC has started promoting its Christmas lineup with trails on BBC One. The drama version features several clips from Doctor Who and is available on the BBC YouTube Channel.

The Radio Times for 12 - 18 December confirms the Doctor Who edition of Never Mind the Buzzcocks will be shown on Wednesday 16 December. David Tennant hosts the special show with team captains Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding. Guests include Bernard Cribbins and Catherine Tate, plus platinum-selling jazz artist Jamie Cullum and Radio 1's Jo Whiley.

Broadcast on December 12th is the previously reported edition of Shelved, the BBC Radio Four documentary which looks at TV episodes which were scrapped because of prevailing political and social circumstances. The Doctor Who story Shada is one of the programmes investigated and Tom Baker takes part.

Meanwhile BBC Radio Seven have scheduled a repeat of An Hour with Jon Pertwee. The show on Saturday 12 December at 5pm is a radio version of Pertwee's one man biographical show.

BBC Radio can be heard around the world via the listen now links on the websites.
Follow the Doctor Who News Page on

FILTER: - Specials - Online - David Tennant - Classic Series - Radio Times - Broadcasting

BBC America confirms final special

Thursday, 3 December 2009 - Reported by Marcus

BBC America has confirmed they will show the final part of The End of Time on January 2nd, 2010 at 8pm ET.

The showing, just one day after the UK showing, will complete the three week run of specials with the Waters of Mars showing on December 19th and The End of Time Part One on 26th December.

FILTER: - Specials - USA - Series 4/30 Specials - Broadcasting

Christmas scheduling confirmed

Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - Reported by Anthony Weight

The BBC Press Office has confirmed the scheduling of The End of Time, the two-part final adventure for David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. Part one will be shown from 6pm to 7pm on Christmas Day, Friday the 25th of December. Part two follows from 6.40-7.55pm the following Friday, 1st January 2010 - New Year's Day.

In other news, the latest edition of Radio Times has confirmed the casting of Claire Bloom and Brian Cox in The End of Time.

Claire Bloom's casting has been rumoured in many press reports over the last few months but this is the first official confirmation from the BBC that she is in the episode. She has a long career in film and Television appearing with Charlie Chaplin in the 1952 film Limelight for which she won the BAFTA for Best Newcomer. She later won the Best Actress BAFTA for the 1986 film Shadowlands. She is a renowned Shakespearian actress who received great acclaim for her portrayal of Ophelia in Hamlet when she was just seventeen.

Brian Cox provided the voice over for the Ood elder seen in the End of Time trail at the end of The Waters of Mars and was the mystery guest star refered to by Russell T Davies in his Production Notes in DWM. Cox is best known for his role as Hannibal Lecktor in the 1986 film Manhunter as well many Hollywood films and also for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Nuremberg in 2001.

David Tennant's starring role in Hamlet can be seen on BBC Two on Boxing Day, Saturday 26 December from 5.05-8.10pm. and the Catherine Tate special, Nan's Christmas Carol, can be seen on BBC One on Christmas Day at 10.30pm.

FILTER: - Specials - UK - Production - Series 4/30 Specials - Radio Times - Broadcasting

The End of Time - press release

Monday, 23 November 2009 - Reported by Anthony Weight

The BBC Press Office has published its official preview of Christmas programming on the BBC, including a heavy emphasis on the forthcoming two-part Doctor Who special, "The End of Time", which will see the departure of David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. The release states:

Highlights of this year's offering include David Tennant's final farewell in a two-part special of Doctor Who called The End Of Time. The Doctor's oldest enemy – the Master (John Simm) – returns alongside former companion Donna (Catherine Tate) and old favourite Wilf (Bernard Cribbins), as the entire human race faces its last ever Christmas – unless the Doctor can save the day.

A fuller preview of both episodes appears in the Network TV Programme Information release for weeks 51 and 52. This is available here, and contains some minor spoilers. It is also reproduced in the spoiler box below.

Doctor Who – The End Of Time: Part One

It's the Tenth Doctor's final journey – but his psychotic nemesis the Master has been reborn, on Christmas Eve. With both determined to cheat death, the battle ranges from the wastelands of London to the mysterious Immortality Gate, while the alien Ood warn of an even greater danger approaching, as a terrible shadow falls across the entire Universe.

David Tennant stars as the Tenth Doctor and guest stars include John Simm, Bernard Cribbins, Catherine Tate, Timothy Dalton, David Harewood and June Whitfield.

The End Of Time – Part One is written by Russell T Davies and directed by Euros Lyn. The producer is Tracie Simpson.

Doctor Who – The End Of Time: Part One is simulcast on the BBC HD channel – the BBC's High Definition channel, available through Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media.

Doctor Who – The End Of Time: Part Two

The Doctor faces the end of his life as the Master's plans hurtle out of control. With the sound of drums growing louder, and an ancient trap closing around the Earth, the Doctor and Wilf must fight alone. But sacrifices must be made, and the deadly prophecy warns: "He will knock four times."

David Tennant stars as the Tenth Doctor and guest stars include John Simm, Bernard Cribbins, Catherine Tate, Timothy Dalton, David Harewood and June Whitfield.

The End Of Time – Part Two is written by Russell T Davies and directed by Euros Lyn. The producer is Tracie Simpson.

Doctor Who – The End Of Time: Part Two is simulcast on the BBC HD channel – the BBC's High Definition channel, available through Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media.

FILTER: - Specials - Russell T Davies - Series 4/30 Specials - Broadcasting

Waters of Mars in New Zealand

Friday, 13 November 2009 - Reported by Marcus

New Zealand has become the latest country to schedule The Waters of Mars, with Prime announcing that the special will be shown on Sunday 29th November at 7.30pm.

The broadcast will be less than two weeks after the première in the UK and makes New Zealand the second country to show the special, a week ahead of Australia and three weeks ahead of North America.

FILTER: - Specials - Series 4/30 Specials - New Zealand - Broadcasting

Waters of Mars - Confirmed Canadian Date

Tuesday, 10 November 2009 - Reported by Marcus

The Waters of Mars will come to Canadian Television on Saturday 19th December when it premiers on SPACE at 9pm ET. This is the same date the special will be shown in the US on BBC America.

The final two specials are expected to be shown over the Christmas holiday.

The Waters of Mars is now scheduled in most of the English speaking world with premiers confirmed in Australia, Canada and the United States, all less than 6 weeks after the special has premièred in the United Kingdom.

The Doctor is in, and the countdown is on! David Tennant’s final four adventures as the Tenth Time Lord unfold exclusively on SPACE. The second of four high-octane specials, Doctor Who: The Waters of MarS premieres Saturday, December 19 at 9 p.m. ET.

To kick-start the event, 24 hours prior, SPACE is re-airing DOCTOR WHO: PLANET OF THE DEAD. SPACE fans laid claim to the esteemed DOCTOR WHO franchise when this first installment reached nearly half a million viewers earlier in the year. Cited as the most successful and longest running sci-fi series in the world, the latest DOCTOR WHO specials are also available on-demand at www.spacecast.com.

After 900 years of phone booth travel the Tenth incarnation of the Doctor is tidying up the Tardis for the Eleventh Time Lord’s residency. In one of Tennant’s most thrilling adventures yet, Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars tracks the Doctor and his companion Adelaide (Lindsay Duncan), as they face terror on the Red Planet. Peter O’Brien (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) guest stars as Ed, Adelaide’s second-in-command at the base.

The final two DOCTOR WHO specials starring David Tennant as the iconic Time Lord are scheduled to premiere over the holidays.

DOCTOR WHO: The Waters of Mars is written by Russell T Davies (Torchwood, Queer as Folk) and Phil Ford and directed by Graeme Harper. Davies and Julie Gardner (TORCHWOOD, LIFE ON MARS) serve as executive producers.

SPACE is Canada’s national science fiction, speculation and fantasy channel. Offering the finest in genre programming, viewers need not look further for their fix of the paranormal, edgy, scary, creepy and fun! SPACE is the station for all those who dare to challenge their imagination. SPACE is owned by CTV Limited, a division of CTVglobemedia, Canada's premier multi-media company.

FILTER: - Canada - Specials - Series 4/30 Specials - Broadcasting

Dreamland Broadcast Date

Wednesday, 4 November 2009 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The BBC Press Office have released details for the broadcast of the animated Doctor Who adventure Dreamland. Episode One will premiere on Saturday 21st November on the BBC's Red Button service, and the subsequent five episodes each day thereafter. The episodes will be available all day on Sky and Virgin, with a limited service on Freeview. The episodes will also be available from the BBC's Doctor Who website, which will be enhanced by a brand new comic reader application.

FILTER: - Online - Animation - Press - Broadcasting

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