People Roundup
Thursday, 5 January 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Several prominent guests attended the wedding party of David Tennant and Georgia Moffett which took place on New Year's Eve at the New Globe Theatre in London, including former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife, actors Patrick Stewart and David Morrissey, DJ Christian O'Connell, and QI host Stephen Fry. [Daily Mail, 2 Jan 2012]
Noel Clarke has been cast in Star Trek 2, the sequel to the 2009 Paramount film. Variety report that the actor, who played Micky Smith in Doctor Who, will play a family man with a wife and young daughter in the film which is due for release in May 2013. He will join a small group of actors who have worked on both the Doctor Who and Star Trek franchise.
John and Carole Barrowman's children's book Hollow Earth is due to be released in February. The fantasy adventure takes place in their native Scotland and is inspired by memories of their formulative years; says John: "The island where most of the novel takes place is a real place off the coast of Largs - but we changed the geography and name." [Herald Scotland, 3 Jan 2012]
The actor was also pleased to discover that his show Tonight's The Night has helped facilitate research into Parkinsons Disease; sufferer Bryn Williams was introduced to one of the world's leading experts in the field, Professor Steven Gill - Barrowman's father-in-law - through the show, and together they have now raised over £400,000 in the search for a cure. Barrowman said: "The fact this has grown from a TV show to this major medical fund-raising drive is just incredible. If a cure came from a small chance meeting on a TV show that really would be an incredible legacy for us all." [Scottish Sun, 3 Jan 2012]
Colin Baker, who won this Christmas's Celebrity Come Dine With Me, said of his role in the specials: "It was the scariest, most exhausting but rewarding and challenging thing I have ever done on television. It was a lot of fun and the other diners were great!" [Derbyshire Times, 24 Dec 2011]
The career of Charles Dickens is compared to that of Russell T Davies: Had he been around today, it seems unlikely that Dickens would have been wasting his time on the moribund medium that is the novel; instead, he would have gone where the money is. Perhaps he would have ended up in Hollywood. Perhaps he would have been a Russell T Davies figure, almost singlehandedly reviving the British television drama industry with his endlessly inventive storylines. [Telegraph, 29 Dec 2011]
New Year Honours
In the 2012 New Year Honours, the cinematographer Remi Adefarasin, who was the film cameraman on Terminus and The King's Demons, became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to television and film. In addition, the actor David Harewood (Joshua Naismith in The End of Time and the voice of President Vallan in Big Finish's Eighth Doctor audio drama Army of Death) was made an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to drama, radio presenter David Rodigan, who played Broken Tooth in The Mysterious Planet (the first four episodes of the Trial of a Time Lord season), was made an MBE for services to broadcasting, while entertainer Ronnie Corbett, who portrayed Ambassador "Rani" Ranius in the 2009 Sarah Jane Adventures special for Comic Relief, became a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for services to entertainment and to charity.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The latest latest online update to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography contains articles on several Doctor Who alumni.
The online dictionary is updated three times a year and the January release always concentrates on the lives of people distinguished or notorious in many aspects British life or with British connections who died four years before publication - in this case, 2008.
Tristram Cary, who composed incidental music for 'The Daleks' and several other stories up until 'The Mutants' is included. His entry is written by another electronic music composer who contributed to Doctor Who, Roger Limb. Other new subjects include Bill Cotton, who was managing director of BBC Television at the time of the eighteen-month suspension of Doctor Who in 1985, with an article written by Michael Grade. Bryan Cowgill, controller of BBC1 in the 1970s is also included. Also included are Elizabeth Spriggs, who was the first performer cast as Chessene in 'The Two Doctors' before finally appearing in Doctor Who in 'Paradise Towers'.
Full access to the new lives is only available to subscribers, including most public libraries in the UK, several in the Republic of Ireland, and academic institutions; but most public libraries with subscriptions now allow library members to use their library cards to access their online resources remotely, including the Oxford DNB; and a selection of the new articles will be available for free on the Oxford DNB website later today.
Noel Clarke has been cast in Star Trek 2, the sequel to the 2009 Paramount film. Variety report that the actor, who played Micky Smith in Doctor Who, will play a family man with a wife and young daughter in the film which is due for release in May 2013. He will join a small group of actors who have worked on both the Doctor Who and Star Trek franchise.
John and Carole Barrowman's children's book Hollow Earth is due to be released in February. The fantasy adventure takes place in their native Scotland and is inspired by memories of their formulative years; says John: "The island where most of the novel takes place is a real place off the coast of Largs - but we changed the geography and name." [Herald Scotland, 3 Jan 2012]
The actor was also pleased to discover that his show Tonight's The Night has helped facilitate research into Parkinsons Disease; sufferer Bryn Williams was introduced to one of the world's leading experts in the field, Professor Steven Gill - Barrowman's father-in-law - through the show, and together they have now raised over £400,000 in the search for a cure. Barrowman said: "The fact this has grown from a TV show to this major medical fund-raising drive is just incredible. If a cure came from a small chance meeting on a TV show that really would be an incredible legacy for us all." [Scottish Sun, 3 Jan 2012]
Colin Baker, who won this Christmas's Celebrity Come Dine With Me, said of his role in the specials: "It was the scariest, most exhausting but rewarding and challenging thing I have ever done on television. It was a lot of fun and the other diners were great!" [Derbyshire Times, 24 Dec 2011]
The career of Charles Dickens is compared to that of Russell T Davies: Had he been around today, it seems unlikely that Dickens would have been wasting his time on the moribund medium that is the novel; instead, he would have gone where the money is. Perhaps he would have ended up in Hollywood. Perhaps he would have been a Russell T Davies figure, almost singlehandedly reviving the British television drama industry with his endlessly inventive storylines. [Telegraph, 29 Dec 2011]
New Year Honours
In the 2012 New Year Honours, the cinematographer Remi Adefarasin, who was the film cameraman on Terminus and The King's Demons, became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to television and film. In addition, the actor David Harewood (Joshua Naismith in The End of Time and the voice of President Vallan in Big Finish's Eighth Doctor audio drama Army of Death) was made an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to drama, radio presenter David Rodigan, who played Broken Tooth in The Mysterious Planet (the first four episodes of the Trial of a Time Lord season), was made an MBE for services to broadcasting, while entertainer Ronnie Corbett, who portrayed Ambassador "Rani" Ranius in the 2009 Sarah Jane Adventures special for Comic Relief, became a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for services to entertainment and to charity.(compiled by John Bowman)
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The latest latest online update to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography contains articles on several Doctor Who alumni.The online dictionary is updated three times a year and the January release always concentrates on the lives of people distinguished or notorious in many aspects British life or with British connections who died four years before publication - in this case, 2008.
Tristram Cary, who composed incidental music for 'The Daleks' and several other stories up until 'The Mutants' is included. His entry is written by another electronic music composer who contributed to Doctor Who, Roger Limb. Other new subjects include Bill Cotton, who was managing director of BBC Television at the time of the eighteen-month suspension of Doctor Who in 1985, with an article written by Michael Grade. Bryan Cowgill, controller of BBC1 in the 1970s is also included. Also included are Elizabeth Spriggs, who was the first performer cast as Chessene in 'The Two Doctors' before finally appearing in Doctor Who in 'Paradise Towers'.
Full access to the new lives is only available to subscribers, including most public libraries in the UK, several in the Republic of Ireland, and academic institutions; but most public libraries with subscriptions now allow library members to use their library cards to access their online resources remotely, including the Oxford DNB; and a selection of the new articles will be available for free on the Oxford DNB website later today.
(Thanks to Matthew Kilburn)
New Zealand broadcaster PRIME have announced the premiere of the Christmas Special The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe for Thursday 19th January, 8:30-9:50pm.
Having fielded off Downton Abbey in the Christmas ratings, Doctor Who will face the popular ITV1 drama again in this year's 
Tenth Doctor David Tennant has married his long term partner Georgia Moffett at a ceremony in London. 
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