Gary Russell interviewed about IDW comic

Wednesday, 9 January 2008 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

The new Doctor Who comic book from IDW Publishing will be released soon, and Broken Frontier has an interview with its writer, Gary Russell. Russell has a long history with Doctor Who and Doctor Who fandom, and currently works as a script editor on the BBC Wales series. He speaks to Broken Frontier about the IDW comic and his other Doctor Who work.

The Doctor Who comic book will be available in comic shops across North America this month. Readers in the United States and Canada can follow this linkto find a comic shop near their location.

Thanks to Andy Oliver.

FILTER: - Books

Novel signing

Wednesday, 9 January 2008 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

This Saturday, Forbidden Planet will host a signing event for the latest Doctor Who novels from BBC Books. Trevor Baxendale, Simon Guerrier andJames Swallow will sign their respective novels Wishing Well, The Pirate Loopand Peacemaker at Forbidden Planet's London store (179 Shaftesbury Avenue) on Saturday, January 12 from 1 to 2 pm.

FILTER: - Special Events

William Hartnell - One Hundred Years

Tuesday, 8 January 2008 - Reported by Paul Hayes

William Hartnell, the actor who originated the role of the Doctor in the 1960s, playing the first incarnation of the character for BBC Television from 1963 to 1966, was born exactly 100 years ago today. For many of the original Doctor Who fans who were children in the 1960s, he remains the definitive Doctor.

Emerging from a difficult family background about which he was later evasive, Hartnell held down a succession of short-term odd jobs before turning to acting in the 1920s.

He enjoyed success as a touring repertory actor, and in the 1930s began appearing in films, particularly the "quota quickies" companies were obliged to release to fulfil their obligations to promote British film. Here Hartnell developed his talents as a light comedy actor, but it was not until the Second World War that his reputation began to flourish.

After being invalided out of the army, he appeared as the sergeant in the well-received propaganda piece The Way Ahead, and this helped him to develop a reputation for such tough-guy roles that won him many major supporting parts. Of all the actors to have played the Doctor he had the most successful film career, with major roles in landmark films such as Brighton Rock, as the eponymous sergeant inCarry On Sergeant and, cast against type in a sensitive character part, in the film version of This Sporting Life.

It was this role that led producer Verity Lambert to offer him the part of the Doctor. Although Hartnell was initially uncertain about it, Lambert and director Waris Hussein persuaded him to accept the part, and it became the role for which he is best remembered, making him a household name in 1960s Britain.

Hartnell became incredibly attached to the role and particularly enjoyed the attention and affection it brought him from children, groups of whom would follow him around his local village. He would often happily open fetes and other functions in costume and character as the Doctor.

Although ill health forced him to reluctantly relinquish the part in 1966, he remained fond of the series and in 1972, with his health rapidly deteriorating even further, battled his failing memory to film one final performance as the character in the tenth anniversary special The Three Doctors, which aired between December 30, 1972 and January 20, 1973. It was his final professional performance; he died on April 23, 1975, aged 67.

In celebration of his centenary, the Plymouth Who fan group are holding an event to mark his life and work this coming Sunday, January 13 at The Astor Hotel in Plymouth. The event runs from 1pm to 5pm and features a screening of one of the most popular stories of Hartnell’s era, The War Machines, which introduced Anneke Wills in the role of companion Polly. Wills will be a special guest at the event and will take part in a question-and-answer session with fans. There will also be Hartnell-themed quizzes as part of the day’s festivities. For more information about the event, please see the Plymouth Who website.

With thanks to Paul Hayes for the tribute

FILTER: - People - William Hartnell

Moths 2008 Tour Dates Announced

Sunday, 6 January 2008 - Reported by DWNP Archive

Toby Hadoke's acclaimed solo comedy Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf embarks on a major UK tour next month - including two weeks at the Arts Theatre in London's West End.

The show has had two Edinburgh fringe runs, went on tour in the UK last year and was adapted for BBC7. The BBC7 production was released on CD by BBC Audiobooks.

The dates and venues of the 2008 tour are as follows:

Saturday, February 2, 7.30pm - Forest Arts, New Milton
Thursday, February 7, 7pm - Flavel, Dartmouth, Devon
Friday, February 8, 7.30pm - Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis
Saturday, February 9, 7.30pm - Plough Arts Centre, Great Torrington
Friday, February 15, 8pm - Phoenix Arts, Leicester
Tuesday, February 19, 8pm - Darlington Arts Centre, Darlington
Wednesday, February 20, 7.30pm - New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth
Thursday, February 21, 7.30pm - Norden Farm, Maidenhead
Friday, February 22, 8pm - Swindon Arts Centre, Swindon
Thursday, February 28, 7.30pm - Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich
Friday, February 29, 8pm - South Street Arts Centre, Reading
Saturday, March 1, 8pm - The Rondo, Bath
Friday, March 7, 8pm - Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone
Wednesday, March 12, 8pm - Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Thursday, March 13, 7.15pm - Swansea Grand Studio, Swansea
Friday, March 14, 7.30pm - Stafford Gatehouse
Saturday, March 15 (no time announced as yet) - The Tron, Glasgow Comedy Festival
Wednesday, March 19, 7.30pm - Pomegranate Theatre, Chesterfield
Friday, March 28, 7.30pm - Victoria Theatre, Settle
Thursday, April 3, 8pm - Palace Theatre, Southend
Wednesday, April 9 to Saturday, April 12 and Wednesday, April 16 to Saturday, April 19, 7.30pm (Saturdays at 3.30pm only) - Arts Theatre, Great Newport Street, London
Friday, May 23, 8pm - Oxford Playhouse

UPDATE 11 January: Please note that the Oxford Playhouse date has been changed; the correct date (23 May) is above.

More dates are to be announced.

See the textbox below for further details about the show, taken from the press release.

Charting the rise, fall and subsequent rise of a television legend, Hadoke presents a personal, satirical and razor-sharp comic odyssey charting the Doctor's triumphs and disasters, and Hadoke's progress from child to man, through obsession, joy and disappointment.

Part memoir, part tribute, part stand-up, always riotously funny and sometimes surprisingly touching, this award-winning comedian's show is a must for anyone who's ever had a passion for anything. An intimate knowledge of Doctor Who is not required, although a disdain for the British National Party, football hooligans and Hollyoaks would be useful.

Hadoke's devotion to Doctor Who is by no means the norm: he reminds us that the current resurgence in the show's popularity is quite a turnaround. In 1996, burglars broke into Toby's flat – they took a broken guitar, a Bananarama single (on vinyl) and half a jar of coffee yet left his Doctor Who video collection intact. Now everyone wants a piece of it.

FILTER: - Special Events

Voyage - Repeat ratings

Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - Reported by Marcus

Unofficial overnight figures show that 2.4 million viewers watched the New Year's Day repeat of Voyage of the Damned. The programme got a 16.9% share of the total audience and won its time slot, beating The Flintstones on ITV1.

The Appreciation Index for the repeat was 88. It is not unusual for repeats to have a higher AI figure as the smaller audience is more likely to be made up of fans.

The BBC3 repeat at 7pm got 456,000 viewers and a 2.06% share of the audience.

FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 4/30

Doctor Who Adventures - Issue 46

Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - Reported by Marcus

The new edition of the Doctor Who Adventures is out across the United Kingdom on Thursday 3rd January 2008.

Press Release

In the very first Doctor Who Adventures of 2008, we review our favourite bits of the Christmas special Voyage of the Damned.

With its highest ratings since Doctor Who returned in 2005, Voyage of the Damned proved a massive success. At its peak, 13.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the Doctor battle his way around the Titanic and save Earth from destruction with Kylie Minogue as Astrid Peth by his side.

The Doctor Who Adventures inbox has already been flooded with emails from readers saying how much they loved it:

"I thought it was awesome!" Alex Tierney, aged 8.
"I would give it 20/20!" Faiaz Alam Aninda
"It was just brilliant!" Conner Bradshaw
"The Hosts were extremely scary!" Matthew Hill, aged 9.

To celebrate, issue 46 has a fantastic fact file on the terror of the Titanic, Max Capricorn, a huge Voyage of the Damned poster and a brilliant Bannakaffalatta mask for readers to make.

This issue also contains exciting news on Billie Piper’s imminent return as the Doctor’s companion Rose Tyler.

PLUS:
- News! DWA is about to go weekly. Stand by for even more adventures!
- Tales from the TARDIS The Master blows up Martha’s flat and kidnaps her family.
- Cyber puzzle Oh no! Cybermen have invaded our issue. Help!
- Why we love the Daleks! Five reasons they’re the best Doctor Who monster ever!
- Comic strip Part one of The Monster Upstairs.
- Secrets Find out about the killer Christmas trees with Doctor Who Confidential.
- Doctor's Data Top Toclafane facts.
- Time Agent Upload Readers' fantastic drawings and photos.
- Exclusive posters! Donna and the Doctor, the Weeping Angels and the TARDIS, and Voyage of the Damned.
- Win – loads of fabulous Doctor Who goodies!
- Puzzles! Doctor Who time teasers and the Woven Word Search!

Doctor Who Adventures contains a brilliant free Dalek yo-yo and metallic sticker set for every reader.

FILTER: - Magazines - DWA

Gallifrey 2008 Convention Update

Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Gallifrey 2008, North America's nineteenth annual Doctor Who convention, has published the first tentative schedule of events for the convention. Also confirmed are a host of new guests including Moya Brady (Bridget in the new series episode "Love and Monsters"), Derek Riddell (Sir Robert in the episode "Tooth and Claw" and also a star of the new "Blake's 7" audio series), Carrie Dobro ("Crusade" and the "Blake's 7" audio series), Dr. Jerry Pournelle (science fiction novelist and space sciences consultant), Curtis Rivers, Tom Lucy & Jason Hunjan (stunt performers from Doctor Who and Torchwood), Andy Lane (Doctor Who and Torchwood novelist), Arne Starr (illustrator) and several others, with more guests to be announced soon. Also available on the website is the current membership list, forms for the convention art show and much more. Gallifrey 2008 takes place February 15-17 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel with guests of honor Sylvester McCoy (the Seventh Doctor), Sophie Aldred (Ace), Andrew Cartmel(Seventh Doctor era script editor), Daphne Ashbrook (Grace Holloway), Lisa Bowerman (Bernice Summerfield),Jason Haigh-Ellery (Big Finish Productions), new series writers Paul Cornell & Steven Moffat, Doctor Who Restoration Team members Steve Roberts & Mark Ayres and many more. Full details available on the conventionwebsite.

FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Conventions

Torchwood Returns - 16th January

Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - Reported by Marcus

The BBC has begun running trailers confirming that Torchwood will return for its second series on BBC2 on Wednesday 16th January 2008.

The series will first be shown in a post watershed slot and then repeated later in the week in a specially edited version suitable for pre-watershed transmission.

In the United States, Torchwood Season Two will begin airing on BBC America on Saturday 26th January.

Meanwhile on CBC in Canada, Season One returns on Friday 4th January with episode 11. The double episode season finale will be shown in Canada on Sunday 6th January.

Thanks to Robin Shannon and GracieLizzy of the Doctor Who Forum

Press Release: Season Two

The second series of Torchwood, the award-winning drama created by Doctor Who writer Russell T Davies, premières on BBC Two. This time it's bigger and bolder, with more fun, adventure and excitement for the alien-fighting team.

John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, Eve Myles as Gwen, Burn Gorman as Owen, Naoko Mori as Toshiko and Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto return as the investigators delving into the alien underworld of modern-day Cardiff.

In the first episode of the series, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, by co-producer and lead writer Chris Chibnall, Captain Jack is reunited with the Torchwood team as they face a rogue Time Agent. The mysterious Captain John Hart, played by James Marsters (Buffy The Vampire Slayer), is determined to wreak havoc, and needs to find something hidden on Earth. But with Gwen's life in danger, and cluster bombs scattered across the city, whose side is Jack on?

During the 13-part series, Torchwood's investigations into alien activity give the team glimpses of the 51st century and the First World War. In future episodes they encounter alien sleeper cells; save a stranded creature from human exploitation; meet a tragic soldier from the First World War; and encounter a memory thief who exposes long-forgotten secrets among the entire team.

Later in the run, Alan Dale (Ugly Betty, The O.C.) makes a star appearance. Another familiar face among the special guest stars is Doctor Who's companion Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), who appears half way through the series. Richard Briers, Nerys Hughes and Ruth Jones (Gavin And Stacey) also appear in various roles.

There is a specially edited pre-watershed repeat of Torchwood on BBC Two later in the week.

Following on from that, Torchwood Declassified goes exclusively backstage to reveal the secrets behind some of the first episode's sensational stunt sequences and talks to John Barrowman, James Marsters and Russell T Davies.

FILTER: - Torchwood - UK - Broadcasting

News round-up

Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

Sarah Lancashire and Series Four
The Sun has an item on Sarah Lancashire, who will play a character named Miss Foster in "Partners in Crime", the first episode of the 2008 series of Doctor Who. The story says that Miss Foster will be a villain; in the Series Four trailer which followed "Voyage of the Damned", the character is seen wielding a device resembling the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.

The newspaper also states, "Billie Piper and Elisabeth Sladen will recreate their roles as Rose Tyler and Sara [sic] Jane Smith. John Barrowman, who plays Captain Jack Harkness in spin-off series Torchwood, will also be back." The story continues, "The series is the last for star David Tennant, 36, but he will play the Doctor in four special episodes in 2009 and in a movie version." David Tennant said in December that he had not decided whether to continue in the role of the Doctor after the 2008 series, the 2008 Christmas special and three (not four) specials scheduled for 2009. There has been no confirmation of a Doctor Who movie, except a passing comment by BBC Fiction head Jane Tranter that she "would not rule out" a Doctor Who film.

Lancashire's Doctor Who role is also covered by Sky Showbiz, Metro and Hello! magazine.

More on Piper wedding
Sky Showbiz has more photos from Billie Piper's wedding. There's more coverage at The Argus (Brighton, Hove and Sussex), Monsters and Critics,Hello! magazine, Actress Archives, Gossip Girls, MyPark magazine, The Irish Independent, The Arizona Republic of Phoenix, Arizona and The Money Times of India, as well as sites based inCroatia and Estonia plus the Midhurst and Petworth Observer, which is the local weekly newspaper for where she and new husband Laurence Fox live.

Other items
The Evening Express of Aberdeen reviews the recent classic Doctor Who DVD box set "The Davros Collection", calling it "unmissable".

Finally, the South Wales Echo talks to Kai Owen, who plays Gwen's boyfriend Rhys on Torchwood. Owen is playing Prince Charming in a Cardiff panto of Snow White; in the interview, he talks about Torchwood's upcoming second series and mentions some details which might be considered spoilers.

FILTER: - People - Series 4/30 - Press

UKTV Drama repeat run

Tuesday, 1 January 2008 - Reported by Marcus

Fans in the UK can catch up with the adventures of the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, this January. The digital station UKTV Drama is repeating classic episodes daily, starting withRobot, the story that launched Tom Baker's incarnation in 1974. The programmes begin on the 2nd January and are broadcast at 12.20pm and are repeated at 5pm.

UKTV Drama is available on Sky Digital channel 133 and Virgin Media channel 129. It is not available on the Freeview platform.

Thanks to Robert Franks

FILTER: - Classic Series - Broadcasting

Previous 1 Stories

Gary Russell interviewed about IDW comic

Novel signing

William Hartnell - One Hundred Years

Moths 2008 Tour Dates Announced

Voyage - Repeat ratings

Doctor Who Adventures - Issue 46

Gallifrey 2008 Convention Update

Torchwood Returns - 16th January

News round-up

UKTV Drama repeat run

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