Gallifrey One's Network 23, which was held last month in Los Angeles saw not only the cast of the TV Movie reunited with each other, but also reunited with the TARDIS console used in the 1996 Doctor Who story.

The console is owned by Paul Salamoff, a Doctor Who fan and veteran of the film industry who has worked as a Writer, Producer, Film Executive, Comic Book Creator, Author, and originally as a Special F/X Make-Up Artist.

Salamoff obtained the TARDIS console in 2006 after being put in contact with the owner of the Vancouver prop company that had originally built it for the movie. At the time the owner was keen to get rid of the prop, which was taking up to much space in his shop, so sold it to Salamoff for a knock-down price. Although the console was in pretty decent shape with all the lights working, the Time-Rotor was gone and some of the switches were missing including the large hand crank. All the feet on the base were broken at the ankles and had been quickly hot glued back together.

It was the announcement that the 23rd annual Gallifrey One convention, would see a reunion of the entire main cast and producer behind the 1996 Movie, that provided the inspiration for Salamoff and two friends, Brian Uiga and Bob Mitsch, to attempt a full restoration of the console. The three were well suited to take on the task. Salamoff himself has worked on Special FX on over forty films, ten television series, and numerous commercials. Brian Uiga has been building gadgets and props since 1996, when he first saw the TV Movie and fell in love with the show. He has worked with Salamoff to provide parts for a complete TARDIS toolkit. Bob Mitsch is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a degree in English and Screen writing, his hobbies include writing, films and has created many costumes based on the series.

Since obtaining the console, Salamoff had already built a replica of the Time-Rotor. Further restoration work included replacing all broken switches, adding lights to the Time-Rotor, bracing the legs, building and replace the hand crank, restoring functionality to the three clocks, wiring up a custom sound board & speaker which would activate music & Sound Effects by switch, wiring lights to a relay s panels would dim & flash in alternating fashion as seen in the TVM, rigging a motor on the middle main clock so it could spin forwards or backwards as seen in TVM and wiring up all of these functions so they can all be activated by remote control.

Some parts were had built from scratch while some were adapted from existing bits and bobs such as craft beads. Original footage from the movie was used to try to get as accurate a match as possible and the console was re-wired and re-painted.

The Console was given pride of place in a special presentation at Gallifrey One where convention members could have their photo taken with the console. A full six-part report on the complete restoration can be found at Bob Mitsch's blog. 1 2 3 4 5 6

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Full Gallifrey One review here.

BBC Worldwide have announced that Karen Gillan will be a guest at the Official Doctor Who Convention, taking place in Cardiff on 24th and 25th March. Speaking of the confirmation that she would also be there, the actress enthused: "I'm really looking forward to the Convention and meeting all of the wonderful Doctor Who fans!"

The news means that the full current TARDIS crew of Matt Smith, Arthur Darvill and Karen will be headlining alongside lead writer Steven Moffat, plus the many other actors, production crew and activities previously announced for the two, one-day conventions.

Award-winning director Toby Haynes will be appearing at the Official Doctor Who Convention next month, it has been announced.

Haynes, who helmed The Pandorica Opens, The Big Bang - together comprising the Series 5 two-part finale that last year netted him the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) - A Christmas Carol, The Impossible Astronaut and Day of the Moon, said:

The event takes place on 24th and 25th March at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff, where attendees will also get to see Matt Smith, Steven Moffat, Arthur Darvill, Mark Sheppard, Nicholas Briggs, Ian McNeice, Raquel Cassidy, Barnaby Edwards, Simon Fisher-Becker, Stuart Milligan, Tom MacRae, Millennium FX's Neill Gorton, special effects supervisor Danny Hargreaves, director of photography Stephan Pehrsson, production designer Michael Pickwoad, casting director Andy Pryor, script editors Caroline Henry and Gary Russell, and producer Marcus Wilson.

BBC Worldwide have announced a few more of the guests due to appear at the Official Doctor Who Convention in March.

Mark Sheppard, who featured in last year's series as Canton in The Impossible Astronaut and Day of the Moon, will be at the event; he is joined by another familiar face from the last two series in the form of Ian McNeice, who played the Doctor's good friend Winston Churchill in a number of stories (notably Victory of the Daleks and The Wedding of River Song). Also appearing will be Raquel Cassidy, who played Cleaves in the two-part The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People.

Mark Sheppard said of being invited as a guest:
The three actors join the previously announced headliners Matt Smith and Arthur Darvill, alongside Stuart Milligan (President Nixon, The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon) and Simon Fisher-Becker (Dorium, The Pandorica Opens/A Good Man Goes To War/The Wedding of River Song). Also, as well as the guests recognisable from in front of the camera, the line-up will include Nicholas Briggs - otherwise known as the voice of the Daleks, Cybermen and Judoon amongst many others - and Barnaby Edwards ("chief" Dalek operator).

From behind the scenes, Millennium FX's Neill Gorton has been announced, who joins the extensive behind-the-scenes crew that will be involved in many of the convention's activities, including special effects and pyrotechnic demonstrations, prosthetic masterclasses and Q&A sessions.

Previously announced production personnel of course includes the show's lead writer and convention headliner Steven Moffat, with Marcus Wilson (producer), Stephen Pehrsson (director of photography), Michael Pickwoad (production designer), Caroline Henry and Gary Russell (script editors), Andy Pryor (casting director), Danny Hargreaves (special effects supervisor), and Tom MacRae (writer).

Ticket holders for the Official Doctor Who Convention are to be given the opportunity to visit the existing TARDIS set at its (current) home at Upper Boat Studios:
There are six tours, running on Monday 26th March, the day after the convention weekend, and will be limited to sixty places per tour. The studio visit lasts for around an hour.

For more details visit the convention website.

Gallifrey One's Network 23, the twenty-third annual North American Doctor Who Celebration convention, will take place February 17-19, 2012 at the Marriott Hotel at Los Angeles Airport.

Featured guests from the Whoniverse at this year's annual installment of the long-running fan convention -- blending both classic and new series guests -- are Paul McGann (the eighth Doctor), Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler), Mark Sheppard (Canton Everett Delaware III), William Russell (Ian Chesterton), Louise Jameson (Leela), Caitlin Blackwood (Young Amelia Pond), Maureen O'Brien (Vicki), Richard Franklin (Captain Mike Yates), Tony Curran (Vincent van Gogh), Eric Roberts (the TV Movie Master), Daphne Ashbrook (Grace Holloway), Yee Jee Tso (Chang Lee), Simon Fisher-Becker (Dorium Maldovar), Philip Segal (TV Movie Producer), John de Lancie (Torchwood's Agent Shapiro), Toby Haynes (director of five Series 5-6 episodes), Richard Senior (director of "Let's Kill Hitler"), Nicholas Briggs (the voice of the Daleks), W. Morgan Sheppard (Old Canton), Daniele Favilli (Torchwood's Angelo Colasanto), Waris Hussein (director of "An Unearthly Child"), Barnaby Edwards (new series Dalek operator), Michael Troughton (author & son of Patrick Troughton), Gary Russell (Sarah Jane Adventures script editor), Phil Ford (Sarah Jane producer), Simon Guerrier (Graceless), Richard Dinnick (The Big Finish Companion), Jason Haigh-Ellery (Big Finish Productions), "Torchwood" writers Jane Espenson, Doris Egan and John Shiban, IDW Doctor Who comics editor Denton Tipton, writer Joshua Hale Fialkov, colorist Charlie Kirchoff and illustrators Matthew Dow Smith & Blair Shedd, comedian Charlie Ross (who brings his famous UK Doctor Who themed comedy show to America for the first time), and many other guests from the science fiction media, comics and literary community.

Gallifrey One is the world's longest-running annual Doctor Who convention, with three days of events including a weekend-long tribute to actors Nicholas Courtney and Elisabeth Sladen; a live Friday night performance of Louise Jameson's one-woman stage show Pulling Faces; a full Saturday masquerade/costume show and performance of Charlie Ross's legendary Doctor Who comedy show; previews from Big Finish Productions, IDW Comics, the Doctor Who Restoration Team and Hirst Publishing; a dealers room, art show, an annual charity benefit auction this year benefitting Students Run L.A., cosplay program and costuming hall, an exhibits area this year featuring the fully restored 1996 TV Movie TARDIS console, science programming, the North American debut of the Guerrier Brothers' short film Cleaning Up starring Jameson and Mark Gatiss, Q&A sessions, interviews, autographs and much more.

Online convention pre-registration closes on January 31 (with at-door registration open as the convention begins). For more information visit www.gallifreyone.com/ or check out the Facebook page at facebook.com/gallifreyone

BBC Worldwide have announced that Arthur Darvill will be joining Matt Smith and Steven Moffat at the Official Doctor Who Convention, taking place at Cardiff in March.

Other guests at the weekend include actors Stuart Milligan (President Nixon, The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon) and Simon Fisher-Becker (Dorium, The Pandorica Opens/Let's Kill Hitler/The Wedding of River Song.

Also joining the previously announced behind-the-scenes crew Danny Hargreaves (special effects supervisor), Michael Pickwoad (production designer), and Marcus Wilson (producer) are Andy Pryor (casting director), Tom MacRae (author and writer of last year's The Girl Who Waited), Stephan Pehrsson (director of photography), and Caroline Henry (script editor).


See the Official Convention website for full details of the event.

BBC Worldwide have responded to criticism of some of the charges associated with the official Doctor Who Convention being held next march in Cardiff.

The event costs £99 per day and originally attendees were also asked to book a separate £25 ticket for a picture or autograph with either Matt Smith or Steven Moffat.

After consultation with Moffat the convention has now agreed that the guaranteed autograph signing and photography opportunities with him will now be offered on a complimentary basis. Anyone who has already purchased a ticket for a session with Moffat via the website will be immediately refunded.

Instead the event will be holding a competition in the next few weeks offering Doctor Who Convention attendees the chance to be selected for a photograph or autograph with Steven Moffat.

The charges for a photograph or autograph with Matt Smith will remain. BBC Worldwide justify this by saying the photographs will be taken by a professional photographer and will be studio quality prints. They confirm that conference attendees will have other opportunities to see Matt Smith in person but the ticket will guarantee the opportunity to have a photograph or autograph with him.

BBC Worldwide have also answered criticism that the event is not child friendly. They say:

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:

Matt Smith commented on the announcement:
Steven Moffat said:

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.

The organisers of the Doctor Who convention Hurricane Who have contacted the Doctor Who News Page with details of their forthcoming "Category Two" convention in Orlando, Florida, USA. The event takes place at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel at Sea World from the 4th to 6th of November this year.

Among the Doctor Who-related guests attending the convention will be:

• Arthur Darvill (Rory), making his first North American convention appearance
• Naoko Mori (Toshiko Sato, Torchwood)
• Terry Molloy (Davros)
• Paul Marc Davis (The Trickster, The Sarah Jane Adventures)

 Full details are available from the convention website: HurricaneWho.com.