Forest of the Dead - AI and Digital Ratings

Monday, 9 June 2008 - Reported by Marcus

Episode nine of series four, Forest of the Dead, scored an Appreciation Index of 89. Equal to last week, the figure is the joint highest score for the programme for all time. It was the most appreciated programme on BBC1 and ITV on Saturday.

Sunday's Coronation Street got just 16,000 more viewers than Saturday's Doctor Who, just enough to push Forest Of the Dead into 11th place for the week. This position is likely to rise when corrected figures, including numbers for those recording the programme, are released by BARB in 9 days time. A top ten place is a reasonable possibility.

Sunday's BBC3 repeat got an overnight audience of 0.6 million, much lower than the repeat of Episode 8. It was a 3.2% share of the multi-channel audience and the 2nd most watched programme on all multi-channel TV for Sunday. The highest rated programme was Family Guy.

Saturday's edition of Doctor Who Confidential was watched by 0.76 million viewers. The programme, which had a share of 4.8 %, was the most watched on multi-channel television on Saturday, with 50% more viewers than the second placed Top Gear. The Sunday repeat got 0.25 million viewers.

Last Friday's repeat of Silence in the Library got an audience of 0.43 million viewers. There were a large number of requests for Silence in the Library on iPlayer on Saturday.

FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 4/30

Bruce Purchase 1938 - 2008

Monday, 9 June 2008 - Reported by Marcus

Actor Bruce Purchase has died at his home in London at the age of 69.

Bruce Purchase, who was born in Thames, New Zealand, was best known to Doctor Who viewers for his role as The Captain in the fourth Doctor story The Pirate Planet.

He was a founder member of Sir Laurence Olivier's National Theatre and a regular performer with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

In 2003 he gave the first performance of Johnson is Leaving, John Wain's adaptation of his 1974 biography of Dr Samuel Johnson, at The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. Wain wrote the drama especially for Purchase after the two men met in Oxford and Purchase subsequently performed the play around the world.

He appeared opposite Richard Chamberlain in a European tour of My Fair Lady and his television work included I, Claudius, Blakes 7 and Rumpole of the Bailey. His film performances included Richard III and All Quiet on the Western Front.

Purchase's autobiography Changing Skies was published shortly before he died and he was also an accomplished artist who exhibited in London and abroad.

He became seriously ill while touring in a production of The Last Confession last year which also starred David Suchet.

He lived in Putney with his partner, Sara Hebblethwaite.

Press Association

Thanks to David French

FILTER: - People - Obituary

Hamlet: London Dates

Monday, 9 June 2008 - Reported by DWNP Archive

Posted By John Bowman

David Tennant can be seen in Hamlet in London from December 3 to January 10, 2009, it has been announced.

The Royal Shakespeare Company production will be transferring from Stratford-upon-Avon to The Novello Theatre in Aldwych.

The news has not been universally well received, though. In an article in today'sTimes, acclaimed director Sir Jonathan Miller hit out at what he called "an obsession with celebrity" by West End producers. In the interview, Miller referred to Tennant as "that man from Doctor Who". However, Michael Billington, theatre critic of The Guardian newspaper for the past 37 years, has written a rebuttal of Miller's views, claiming that Miller was "ignoring the fact that Tennant has a strong classical pedigree including a first-rate RSC Romeo".

Miller's production of Hamlet in Bristol, with Jamie Ballard in the title role, was highly praised but Miller says London producers weren't interested in it without any star names. (Jude Law is also to play Hamlet in London. That particular production will be at the Wyndham's Theatre from May 2009 as part of the Donmar West End season.)

Tickets for the Novello Theatre run of Hamlet go on sale to the general public from September 12. Priority booking for RSC members runs from June 16to September 5.

Love's Labour's Lost, in which Tennant plays Berowne, is apparently not transferring from Stratford.

(With thanks to Rod Henderson.)

FILTER: - David Tennant

Tom Tomorrow's Tennant and TARDIS

Monday, 9 June 2008 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

It's not uncommon for British political cartoonists to cast politicians as Daleks or Cybermen, but it's far more rare for Doctor Who to be referenced in American media.

However, this week liberal American cartoonist Tom Tomorrow included the Tenth Doctor and the TARDIS in his weekly cartoon This Modern World, by way of making a comment about Barack Obama winning the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

The panel can be seen at right, and the full cartoon can be read at Salon.com.

FILTER: - Press

Comic Con Special Releases

Sunday, 8 June 2008 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

Underground Toys is set to release two more special edition figures this year at the San Diego Comic Convention being held July 24th to the 27th at the San Diego Convention Center. As with last years release of the Assault Dalek and Damaged Cyberman, this year's figures are limited to 3,000 pieces each. Each figure is individually numbered and include the unique SDCC 2008 logo.

The figures are:

A Ninth Doctor in the Green Jumper from "Father's Day" with full articulation.

A "Time Crash" Twin Pack featuring an exclusive Fifth Doctor figure with celery exclusive to this pack and Tenth Doctor figure in blue suit with red converse shoes and a new burgundy shirt.

FILTER: - Merchandise

Forest of the Dead - Overnight Ratings

Sunday, 8 June 2008 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who was back at the top of the list with unofficial figures showing that episode nine of Series Four, Forest of the Dead, was watched by 7.1 million viewers, giving it a 40.0% share of the total television audience, the highest overnight share this series.

The programme was by far the most watched of Saturday, beating the second placed Casualty by 1.6 million viewers.

The quarter hour figures show that the only time any of the networks got over 6 million viewers watching was the 45 minutes when Doctor Who was on. The final 15 minutes had an average of 7.7 million.

ITV1's highest rated programme of the day was Euro 2008 with 4.0 million.

The programme is currently the 10th most watched of the week. Final figures will be released by BARB in ten days time.

FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 4/30

Tennant on Marr

Sunday, 8 June 2008 - Reported by Marcus

David Tennant was a special guest on the BBC1 Sunday morning programme The Andrew Marr Show.

Sandwiched between the Mayor of London and the Home Secretary, and appearing primarily to promote the DVD release of the BAFTA winning Taking over the Asylum and his forthcoming appearance as Hamlet, Tennant also talked about his role as the Doctor.

Asked whether he would be appearing in the fifth series, Tennant said he hadn't yet been asked, but would consider the question if it came. He confirmed he will be appearing in four specials to be shown in 2009.

The interview can be viewed here and a transcript can be read here. The whole programme can be watched on theBBC iPlayer.

David Tennant also joined current show-runner Russell T Davies and show-runner elect Steven Moffat in this week's Doctor Who Podcast. As well as providing a commentary to Moffat's Forest of the Dead, the trio discussed Moffat's appointment as the head of the series as well as their favourite Borusa and their thoughts on The Keys of Marinus.

FILTER: - David Tennant - Press

Trial of a Time Lord DVD Box Set Update

Saturday, 7 June 2008 - Reported by DWNP Archive

The Restoration Team has released details of the forthcoming four-disc release of the Trial of a Time Lord DVD box set in the UK.

The 14 episodes, comprising season 23 of the classic era, originally aired between September and December 1986 and featured Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor.

There is a host of extras with the set, including extracts from Blue Peter, Wogan, Points of View, Children In Need, Saturday Picture Show andOpen Air.

It will also have deleted and extended scenes, plus the video for the 1985 charity song Doctor In Distress - the celebrity single that was released under the group name Who Cares? in protest at the show's suspension and feared cancellation.

In addition, there is a 55-minute documentary that takes a look at Colin Baker's time as the Doctor. Among those featured are Baker, Nicola Bryant, John Nathan-Turner, Eric Saward and former BBC heads of series and serialsDavid Reid and Jonathan Powell.

The box set is due to be released on August 18.

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD - Colin Baker

Hartnell On UK Stamp - Image

Friday, 6 June 2008 - Reported by DWNP Archive

Posted By John Bowman

Royal Mail has released an image of a forthcoming first-class stamp that prominently features William Hartnell.

A set of six stamps are being brought out in the UK on Tuesday, June 10 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Carry On series and the first Dracula movie by Hammer. They depict the posters for Carry On Sergeant (which starred Hartnell and was the first of the Carry On films), Carry On Cleo, Carry On Screaming, The Curse of Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Mummy.

Peter Cushing, who played the Doctor in the two Dalek films of the 1960s, was in the Hammer films that are featured, while Jon Pertwee was in Carry On Cleo and Carry On Screaming, although he is not mentioned on the relevant stamps.

Royal Mail is producing stamp cards, a presentation pack and a first-day cover to accompany the Classic Carry On and Hammer film stamp issue.

The presentation pack contains all six stamps and comment from cult-film critic and author Kim Newman, who wrote the Doctor Who novella Time and Relative.

See the Royal Mail website for more details.

FILTER: - People - William Hartnell

December Novels - Updated

Thursday, 5 June 2008 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

Information has been released on the trio of New Series hardback novels slated for release on Boxing Day.

Author Lance Parkin has started a blog about the writing of his novel.

Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell

Donna Noble is back home in London, catching up with her family and generally giving them all the gossip about her journeys. Her grandfather is especially overjoyed - he's discovered a new star and had it named after him. He takes the Doctor, as his special guest, to the naming ceremony.

But the Doctor is suspicious about some of the other changes he can see in Earth's heavens. Particularly that bright star, right there. No, not that one, that one, there, on the left . . .

The world's population is slowly being converted to a new path, a new way of thinking. Something is coming to Earth, an ancient force from the Dark Times. Something powerful, angry, and all-consuming . . .

The Eyeless by Lance Parkin

At the heart of the ruined city of Arcopolis is the Fortress. It's a brutal structure placed here by one of the sides in a devastating intergalactic war that's long ended. Fifteen years ago, the entire population of the planet was killed in an instant by the weapon housed deep in the heart of the Fortress. Now only the ghosts remain.

The Doctor arrives, and determines to fight his way past the Fortress's automatic defences and put the weapon beyond use. But he soon discovers he's not the only person in Arcopolis. What is the true nature of the weapon? Is the planet really haunted? Who are the Eyeless? And what will happen if they get to the weapon before the Doctor?

The Doctor has a fight on his hands. And this time he's all on his own.

The Story Of Martha by Dan Abnett, with David Roden, Steve Lockley and Paul Lewis, Robert Shearman, and Simon Jowett

For a year, while the Master ruled over Earth, Martha Jones travelled the world telling people stories about the Doctor. She told people of how the Doctor has saved them before, and how he will save them again.

This is that story. It tells of Martha's travels from her arrival on Earth as the Toclafane attacked and decimated the population through to her return to Britain to face the Master. It tells how she spread the word and told people about the Doctor. The story of how she survived that terrible year.

But it's more than that. This is also a collection of the stories she tells - the stories of adventures she had with the Doctor that we haven't heard about before. The stories that inspired and saved the world . . .

Featuring the Doctor and Donna.

FILTER: - Books

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