Mini-episode for Children in Need

Monday, 14 November 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The BBC have intimated via their Doctor Who Twitter feed that a mini-episode has been written to star Matt Smith as the Doctor for this coming Friday's Children in Need:

14:44 There's an extra special treat for Doctor Who fans on Friday’s
      Children in Need... Or at least there will be if things
      go according to plan!
15:25 Hurray! Things ARE going according to plan! Steven Moffat’s
      mini-script has just hit the in-boxes of a lucky few...
      Must look over shoulders…
16:44 Great! We can confirm that Matt Smith will be back in
      the bow-tie soon because the Doctor returns on Friday night
      in Children in Need.
17:59 We’ve seen the short script and it is NOT what you’d expect.
      Oh, it’s funny and fast and Doctorish and brilliant...
      but not what you’d expect...

A preview of this year's Christmas Special is due to be transmitted between 8:00-8:30pm on Friday evening.

FILTER: - Specials - Special Events - Charities

Doctor Who film in the works?

Monday, 14 November 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Variety have reported that preparation has begun to turn Doctor Who into a feature film, to be helmed by director David Yates (Harry Potter) in association with BBC Worldwide Productions under the auspice of Jane Tranter (VP of programming and production).

Yates told Variety:

We're looking at writers now. We're going to spend two to three years to get it right. It needs quite a radical transformation to take it into the bigger arena. The notion of the time-travelling Time Lord is such a strong one, because you can express story and drama in any dimension or time.

Russell T. Davies and then Steven Moffat have done their own transformations, which were fantastic, but we have to put that aside and start from scratch. We want a British sensibility, but having said that, Steve Kloves wrote the Potter films and captured that British sensibility perfectly, so we are looking at American writers too,

Tranter has commented on the potential of a Doctor Who film before; asked about the possibility when outlying her plans for BBC Films back in 2007, she answered: "I would not rule out a film version of Doctor Who, no."

The BBC confirmed development via their Doctor Who Facebook presence:

There's been a lot of talk today about the possibility of a Doctor Who movie - a feature film remains in development with BBC Worldwide Productions in Los Angeles. But, as of yet there is no script, cast or production crew in place.

Perhaps the most famous attempt to produce a film occured in 1992 with the BBC Enterprises project The Dark Dimension, aimed to be released during the show's 30th Anniversary the following year. Others include Doctor Who Meets Scratchman, an attempt by then Doctor Tom Baker and Ian Marter to take Doctor Who to the big screenin the 1970s, and a long-term project by the Daltenreys group (aka Coast to Coast) in the late 80s/early 90s.

FILTER: - Doctor Who - Movies

Big Finish: Cherie Lunghi - The Emerald Tiger

Friday, 11 November 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Big Finish have announced that Cherie Lunghi will join Peter Davison for their forthcoming audio adventure, The Emerald Tiger. The actress joins the Fifth Doctor team of Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and Mark Strickson for the story that opens a new mini-season in April 2012.

Writer and director Barnaby Edwards said:

I wrote the part of the brittle and beautiful Lady Adela with Cherie in mind. Her husky, experienced and emotional voice seemed to fit the part perfectly. Of course, I didn't think I'd get her, but I spoke to her agent on the off‐chance. Cherie read the script and, much to my delight, said yes!

It's always a pleasure to work with this particular TARDIS team. They're just as fun and sparky off‐mic as they are when we're recording. That magical dynamic established in the TV episodes is still as strong today as it was thirty years ago – if anything, more so!

The cast also includes Sam Dastor, Neil Stacy, Vincent Ebrahim, Vineeta Rishi, Trevor Cooper and Gwilym Lee.

The adventure is available to pre-order from Big Finish.

FILTER: - Audio - Peter Davison - Big Finish

BBC Competition: Win an Eleventh Doctor Bust

Friday, 11 November 2011 - Reported by Marcus

The BBC Doctor Who page on Facebook have launched a new competition for one lucky winner to win a limited edition Eleventh Doctor Bust.

The competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom who are eighteen years of age or over; in order to enter simply ensure you "Like" the Doctor Who page, and then provide your name, address and other contact details as requested via the competition entry form by 4th December 2011.

The winner will be announced the week after closing date.

You can find the full terms and conditions for the competition here.

Please note that in order to enter this competition you must be a registered user of Facebook, and allow access to the Softwind Competitions! application.

FILTER: - Competitions - BBC

BBC Worldwide announce official Doctor Who convention

Friday, 11 November 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BBC Worldwide have announced the first official Doctor Who convention to be staged since the series return in 2005. Billed as the "Ultimate Doctor Who Fan Event", it will feature guests Matt Smith and Steven Moffat, plus many others from the cast and crew including Danny Hargreaves (special effects supervisor), Michael Pickwoad (production designer), Marcus Wilson (producer) and the team behind Millennium FX.

The convention will held twice, taking place at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff; 1500 tickets are to be made available for each of the days on the 24th and 25th March 2011:

The unique interactive programme will include theatre sessions and Q&As with cast and crew; behind the scenes sessions show-casing the script to screen process; discussions with episode directors and writers and demonstrations from Special FX and prosthetics experts that will illustrate the challenges and scale of their work on the world’s longest running sci-fi show. Autograph and photo opportunities will also be available with attending cast members and there will be official Doctor Who merchandise and collectables on sale.

Matt Smith commented on the announcement:

It’s brilliant that the first official convention is being held in Cardiff, the home of Doctor Who. I’m really looking forward to seeing the fans there, and remember – bow ties are cool!

Steven Moffat said:

A whole weekend dedicated to all things Doctor Who, brilliant! We’re going to be celebrating the whole team behind the show, people who bring to life the Doctor's craziest adventures and letting fans into some of our trade secrets. If you want to get under the skin of Doctor Who this is an unmissable event!"

Tickets for the convention go on sale from the 14th November, and are priced at £99 for the day; autographs and photo opportunities with Matt Smith and Steven Moffat are also to be made available on a limited basis for an additional charge.

For more information and to book see the official convention website at www.dwconvention.com.

Full event details from BBC Worldwide:

Fans will gain unrivalled access to Eleventh Doctor star Matt Smith, Series Lead Writer and Executive Producer Steven Moffat and many more key members from the award-winning cast, crew and production team including Doctor Who Special FX Supervisor Danny Hargreaves, Production Designer Michael Pickwoad, Doctor Who Producer Marcus Wilson and the award-winning Millennium FX team.

The unique interactive programme will include theatre sessions and Q&As with cast and crew; behind the scenes sessions show-casing the script to screen process; discussions with episode directors and writers and demonstrations from Special FX and prosthetics experts that will illustrate the challenges and scale of their work on the world’s longest running sci-fi show. Autograph and photo opportunities will also be available with attending cast members and there will be official Doctor Who merchandise and collectables on sale.

Convention attendees will be let into the secrets of Doctor Who special effects as Danny Hargreaves and his talented team, reveal the tricks used to create the stunning physical effects that leave audiences on the edge of their seats. Watch them recreate a spectacular battle scene with live pyrotechnics, amazing explosions and laser effects.

Even more tricks of the trade will be unveiled by the award-winning Millennium FX team responsible for creating some of Doctor Who’s most iconic monsters including the Silence; the Silurians; the Weeping Angels and the Ood. The team will be giving a live demonstration of the skilful process involved in prosthetics application that fans can watch up-close and learn from the team how each stage is achieved.

Convention attendees will also be able to get up close and personal with rare costumes and props from the show where designers and experts will be on hand to answer questions about the origins and history of the items on show. The Millennium Centre itself has starred in several episodes – it was the setting for a hospital in New Earth in Series 2 run by the cat-like Sisters of Plentitude, in Tom McRae’s episode The Girl Who Waited in Series 6 the building featured as a principle location on Apalapucia – the kindness facility where people were quarantined, see if you can spot the top floor balcony where Amy fought with a Handbot!

FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Matt Smith - Conventions - BBC

Tom Baker at Elisabeth Sladen Book Launch

Thursday, 10 November 2011 - Reported by Marcus

The Doctor Who Experience is to host a special event celebrating the launch of the recently published autobiography of Elisabeth Sladen.

The event, held at the Experience's current home at Olympia in London, will feature fourth Doctor, Tom Baker talking about his memories of working with Sladen alongside Terrance Dicks, who was Script Editor of Doctor Who when Sladen was cast, and Sadie Miller, Elisabeth Sladen's daughter.

Hosted by TV Choice magazine's Ben Lawrence, the event will be held in the screening room at the Doctor Who Experience at 2.30pm on November 26th. It is free to enter for ticket holders to The Doctor Who Experience, who have an entry ticket for 12.30pm, 1pm or 1.30pm.

Bookings can be made via See Tickets. When selecting the relevant time slot you will be given the option to select Elisabeth Sladen book launch entry.

FILTER: - Tom Baker - Elisabeth Sladen

Vintage Tom Baker archive on BBC1 Northern Ireland

Wednesday, 9 November 2011 - Reported by Marcus

Several minutes of footage of Tom Baker visiting schools in Northern Ireland in 1978 has been discovered in the BBC Northern Ireland archives.

The footage was unearthed by archivist Evan Marshall who has been working on a series Those Were the Days, looking back at how Northern Ireland was reported in the past, and included in the first of the series looking at school life in the 70's, shown last Monday.

Baker visited Belfast at the height of his fame as the Fourth Doctor and the film shows him meeting children and playing in the school playground as well as featuring new interviews of those who recall the visit.

More material exists in the archive showing Baker visiting a girl in hospital, being interviewed for BBC Radio Ulster, and being mobbed by shoppers in Belfast city centre. Although this additional footage is not in the programme it may be available in the future.

The programme is available in the UK on the BBC iPlayer until 19th December

FILTER: - Tom Baker

Children in Need: Doctor Who timeslot

Tuesday, 8 November 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The new issue of the Radio Times (12-18 Nov) confirms the time of the Christmas Special preview as being in the 8:00-8:30pm timeslot during this year's Children in Need on 18th November, promising "an exclusive treat from Doctor Who".

This is the same slot as broadcast last year - with Children in Need being a live show, the time can only be estimated and won't be known until during the programme itself!

The title of the episode itself is expected to be revealed in the next couple of weeks.

FILTER: - Special Events - Charities

The Gunpowder Plot - Concept Art

Monday, 7 November 2011 - Reported by Marcus

The concept art for the new Doctor Who Adventure Game, The Gunpowder Plot is now available on-line.

Several backgrounds are available:

The artwork was produced by Opus Artz, a 2D production design agency based in London, UK which produces digital art for film, games and publishing clients.

FILTER: - Online

People Roundup

Monday, 7 November 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

John Barrowman is to present an edition of the BBC's comedy musical quiz show Never Mind The Buzzcocks, to be recorded on 30th November; though the brodcast date is unknown at present, it seems likely to be the tenth episode of the series due the following week on 5th December. [John Barrowman website]

Karen Gillan has been nominated as a Screen Nominee for the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards; other nominees in this section include documentary filmmaker Mark Cousins, producer Christopher Young, and writer/director Lynne Ramsey. [Glenfiddich]

Alex Kingston attended the Pearson Teaching Awards that took place at Downing Street on 2nd November, where she presented the award for Outstanding New Teacher of the Year; photos from the event can be found on Flickr. [Number 10, 30 Oct 2011]

Bernard Cribbins has presented with his OBE by the Princess Royal at a Windsor Castle investiture ceremony. The 82-year-old actor indicated that retirement wasn't on his mind: I love it, I can't stop, why should I? I'm still able to read and write." [BBC News, 3 Nov 2011]

Speaking at a book signing, Steven Moffat talked about the success of Sherlock: "We didn’t know Sherlock would be such a hit. It felt like a vanity project. I always thought it would be good and get good reviews, I never thought it would be an instant monster. That never happens – having good reviews with a huge audience and all the awards – you couldn’t expect it to happen." [Express, 4 Nov 2011]

David Troughton will be performing a series of Christmas readings with his wife during the O Magnum Mysterium Christmas concert at St Mary's Church, Warwick on 21st December, appearing with the acclaimed Warwickshire choir, the Saint James’s Singers (the singers also have a Doctor Who connection, having contributed their vocals to the Big Finish story Her Final Flight).

Tickets can be booked via the Bridge House Theatre and full details are available from the Saint James's Singers website.

(with thanks to Julian Shortman)

FILTER: - People - Bernard Cribbins - Karen Gillan - John Barrowman

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