The New World: UK overnight viewing figures

Friday, 15 July 2011 - Reported by Marcus

Torchwood: The New World had an average audience of 4.8 million viewers on BBC One and BBC One HD, according to unofficial overnight figures.

The UK premiere of the new series had an 21% share of the audience and was the 5th most watched programme of the day, behind the four main soaps. It won the 9pm timeslot, with Single Handed on ITV1 getting 3.7 million viewers.

Episode One of the last Torchwood series, Children of Earth, had an overnight ratings of 5.9 million and a final figure of 6.47 million viewers.

The final ratings for The New World will be released next week and will include those who record the programme and watch it within seven days.

FILTER: - Torchwood - Ratings - UK - Miracle Day (Series 4)

Experience the Screamer

Thursday, 14 July 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

A 10" model of a monster created for a Doctor Who Adventures competition has been added to the Doctor Who Experience.

Twelve year old Jessica Rickarby won the design-a-monster competition which featured in the magazine with her design, Screamer, picked from over 1,000 entries. The monster was then incorporated into a comic strip character for the Doctor to encounter in last week's issue, and a model maker has created a physical version which has been put on display to visitors to the Doctor Who Experience for the next three months; Jessica will then receive it to keep.

Natalie Barnes, editor of Doctor Who Adventures said:

The popularity of our Design A Monster competition highlighted the amazing imagination of children in the UK – but as soon as we saw the Screamer we knew that Jessica’s creation was the winner. With the ability to render its victim unconscious by screaming in its face, the Screamer was so original and so scary, we had to ask the model-maker to make sure it wasn't too terrifying for adults!

The prize-winning design featured on today's edition of the news programme for children on BBC1, Newsround - this is currently available to watch in the UK via their website.

FILTER: - UK - Exhibitions - Miscellaneous - DWA

TARDIS materialises at Caernarfon Castle

Thursday, 14 July 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

TARDIS at Caernarfon Castle, photo via visitwales/Yfrog

In what seems to be turning into a regular trip to the historic castles of Wales, this week sees the TARDIS materialise at the gate of Caernarfon Castle in North Wales. The police box prop stands prominently in the Queen's Gate and will be there until 27th July.

Previously, the police box appeared at Raglan Castle back in February, and also turned up on the battlements of Caerphilly Castle during December 2009 as part of promotional activities by the Welsh historic environment service CADW.

Doctor Who's relationship with castles and castle-like structures has flourished in recent years; May's adventure The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People saw several such locations used for filming, including Cardiff Castle, Caerphilly Castle, St Donat's Castle (aka Atlantic College), and the ruins of Neath Abbey.

FILTER: - UK - Miscellaneous

Doctor Who is an average person's favourite show

Monday, 11 July 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

An "alternative census" has been carried out in the UK to determine what constitutes the "average" person's life in the United Kingdom, and reports that Doctor Who is the programme they most like to watch!

The survey was undertaken in over 2000 households by energy management service AlertMe, with chief executive officer of the company Mary Turner explaining:

The government census tells us information that is quite run-of-the-mill. We wanted to find out the bare bones of people’s everyday behaviour.

Looking into daily lives, the report uncovered snippets such as favourites foods of the week (with fish and chips being the obvious Friday winner), families eating together three times a week (at 5:54pm!), and generally getting home from work at 5:15pm. Eight out of ten families consider themselves to be "happy" or "very happy", with 70% of adults considering their household as "completely normal". Half of families surveyed also indicated that television is their main form of entertainment, with a typical family tuning in for some nine hours a day and citing Doctor Who as their favoured show.

The survey also found that the average person gets up at 6:57am and goes to bed at 10:50pm - so there's no reason to miss Torchwood this coming Thursday!

FILTER: - Doctor Who - UK - Miscellaneous

UK Classic DVD update: The Sun Makers

Friday, 8 July 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

2|Entertain have now released details on next month's DVD release, The Sun Makers; this story marks the completion of Season 15 on DVD, the penultimate adventure under producership of Graham Williams, and brings the remaining list of Fourth Doctor adventures still to be released down to four (five if the incomplete Shada is included).

The Sun Makers
Release Date: 1st August 2011 (available for pre-order)

Starring Tom Baker as Doctor Who, with Louise Jameson as Leela
Written by Robert Holmes
Directed by Pennant Roberts

Broadcast: 26th November 1977 - 17th December 1977

Far in the distant future, Earth has become uninhabitable, forcing mankind to colonise first Mars, and then Pluto...

No longer the coldest planet in the Solar System, Pluto is now warmed by a series of artificial suns. But access to the sunlight is limited to a select few... The majority of the citizens of the vast Megropolis cities are being overworked and overtaxed by the ruling elite, led by the Gatherer, and the sinister Collector.

When the Doctor, Leela and K9 arrive they discover that all is not well on Pluto. The human population is being totally exploited, while deep in the Undercity, a small band of rebels seeks to overthrow the mysterious 'Company' that controls all aspects of everyday life.

As the situation gets more desperate, the Doctor is forced to fight the oppression of the evil corporate rulers of Pluto. And their taxes...!

Special Features

Commentary with actors Tom Baker, Louise Jameson and Michael Keating, director Pennant Roberts.
Running from the Tax Man – a retrospective look at the making of the story and the science behind it. With actors Louise Jameson and Michael Keating, director Pennant Roberts, writer and historian Dominic Sandbrook and astronomer Marek Kukula.
Outtakes
Trailer – the original BBC1 trailer for the story.
The Doctor’s Composer – Part Two – the concluding part of the series looking at the career of prolific composer Dudley Simpson, covering his work on the show in the seventies.
Photo Gallery – production, design and publicity photos from the story.
Coming Soon – a trailer for a forthcoming DVD release.
Radio Times Listings in Adobe PDF format.
Programme subtitles
Subtitle Production Notes

Meanwhile, the Classic Doctor Who team have continued to keep readers appraised with the developments on future releases over Twitter (summary over the last month detailed below). Amongst the tidbits are the completion of Revisitations 3 - due to be released next year, and that while Elisabeth Sladen sadly hadn't recorded any further commentaries, Nicholas Courtney will feature on The Ambassadors of Death, and Barry Letts on The Mind of Evil.

05 Jun Mark Ayres: 4 seconds missing from VHS & US tx masters returned to @classicdw
Colony in Space for DVD. Restores 2 lines of dialogue.
06 Jun ClassicDW: Cracking doc on THE DAEMONS from Chris Chapman signed off.
Sue Hedden worth the price of DVD alone. What a great character!
06 Jun Mark Ayres: Colony in Space - restored soundtracks and mixed commentaries for
@classicdw DVD release done and delivered via ftp.
08 Jun ClassicDW: Enjoyable doc from James Goss signed off.
First in a series, and featuring Louise Jameson.
08 Jun Ed Stradling: Happiness Patrol making-of being heavily cut down today. Some of cut
material may be uploaded by @classicdw on youtube if you ask him nicely
08 Jun ClassicDW: Many have asked whether there are any unreleased commentaries featuring
N Courtney, L Sladen or B Letts.
08 Jun ClassicDW: Sadly there are none unreleased Elisabeth comms.
Nick appears on AMBASSADORS OF DEATH, and Barry on MIND OF EVIL.
08 Jun Ed Stradling: @classicdw worth RTing that Barry will also appear in vision discussing all
of his serials except 'Death to the Daleks', and other features
08 Jun ClassicDW: Final PARADISE TOWERS sleeves approved and off to the printers!
09 Jun Mark Ayres: Much of the week so far spent working on @classicdw @Thetamation @bigfinish
Reign of Terror. Now: a day-trip to Svartos.
12 Jun Ed Stradling: I am crap at deciding programme titles. I have "Studio Svartos" for the
Dragonfire making-of. Can any #doctorwho fans think of a better one?
13 Jun Ed Stradling: @Xander, @Babelcolour and @NicholasPegg "Fire and Ice" is now the title
of the Dragonfire doc.
14 Jun Ed Stradling: Shooting with Shaun Ley for a feature on the Happiness Patrol DVD
@classicdw http://t.co/4HWOQ0A
15 Jun ClassicDW: REVISITATIONS 3 completed! Sterling work from the team. Looking at release
first half 2012. VidFIRED TOMB looking great. :)
16 Jun Ed Stradling: Very very busy on graphics and title bumpers for DW Happiness Patrol.
17 Jun James Loosemore: Just finishing off the final mixes of my arrangement of the
Doctor Who Theme for @classicdw
18 Jun Chris Chapman: Seems like my next @classicdw shoot will be in late July - all
outdoors on location, always a bonus!
21 Jun Chris Chapman: Have a feeling that our Reign of Terror @classicdw doco could be
one of the best topics we've tackled - now just need a bit of good luck!
22 Jun Ed Stradling: krotons already commissioned for a making-of. Not sure about ice warrs.
23 Jun Ed Stradling: Dragonfire DVD doc finished and playing out to tape.
24 Jun Mark Ayres: Mastered audio for @classicdw Dragonfire and The Happiness Patrol DVDs
all complete and delivered.
25 Jun ClassicDW: Changes made to the VAM packages for KROTONS and PLANET OF GIANTS
following suggestions from @edstradling. Should be good! :)
26 Jun ClassicDW: Some lovely First Doctor character tests through from @thetamation
for REIGN OF TERROR.
27 Jun ClassicDW: Signed off menus for DAY OF THE DALEKS - Special Edition DVD.
27 Jun ClassicDW: Signed off cracking promo for ACE BOX featuring DRAGONFIRE and HAPPINESS PATROL.
New graphics in there, marvellously "Breakdance"!
28 Jun Chris Chapman: Opening animation for my @classicdw Death to the Daleks doco shaping up
nicely! Nice and moody...
28 Jun Mark Ayres: It's very hot in the studio today.
I put it down to unstable matter interfaces. Nightmare!
29 Jun Ed Stradling: Up bright and early for some GV shots! @classicdw http://t.co/BhbzhzV
01 Jul Chris Chapman: Our @classicdw Death to the Daleks doco is into the home stretch -
running at around 27mins at present. Feels like a good one!
01 Jul Chris Chapman: Quotes from @classicdw Death to the Daleks doco include:
"I think Terry Nation was taking the mickey!"
06 Jul Mark Ayres: Given that I have aleady restored this @classicdw title for audiobook,
DVD mastering should be easy...
07 Jul Chris Chapman: @0tralala I've done what you asked for! The Death to the Daleks Target book
is in the @classicdw DVD doco - ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?? :-)
07 Jul Chris Chapman: I'm taking requests (caveat: which I can totally ignore) for things YOU
want to see in the @classicdw GreatestShow and ReignOfTerror docos!
08 Jul Chris Chapman: Right! I've just sent @classicdw my nearly-final cut of our
Death to the Daleks doco - 'Beneath the City of the Exxilons'. Hope he likes it!

Some artwork has also been released for Italian versions of classic Doctor Who stories, which are distributed by DNC Entertainment; a number of titles have been mentioned including I Dalek Invadono La Terra, Gli Inizi, I Semi Della Morte, L'Invasione and Il Lardo Di Menti.

via Twitter	via Twitter	via Twitter	via Twitter
via Twitter	via Twitter	via Twitter	via Twitter

FILTER: - Italy - UK - Tom Baker - International Broadcasting - Classic Series - Latin America -

BBC responds to complaints over Torchwood scheduling

Friday, 8 July 2011 - Reported by Harry Ward

The BBC has posted a response to complaints from UK fans over the scheduling of Torchwood: Miracle Day. BBC One will broadcast episodes six days after the US broadcast and five days after the Australian and Canadian broadcasts which has angered some fans. The Hollywood Reporter and The Guardian blogged about the delay.

Torchwood, Scheduling, BBC One
Publication date: 8 July 2011

Complaint

We received complaints from viewers unhappy that the new series of Torchwood will be broadcast in America before the UK.

The BBC's Response

We are pleased to announce that Torchwood will return to BBC One at 21.00 on Thursday 14 July.

Starz in the US have the contractual right to the World Premiere, that relates to the deal that was done and ultimately this has created better value for licence fee payers.

Contractually, the broadcasters in other territories can transmit from the next day onwards but being as close to the transmission in the US is not the only factor in the scheduling decision. We have identified what we think is the best slot for BBC One viewers and have also ensured that it's within a week of transmission in the US.

Eve Myles was interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter and gave her thoughts about the fan reaction to the delay of the UK broadcast.

THR: We’re sure you’ve heard the rancor out of the UK about BBC’s delayed premiere of the show. What would you like to say to those fans?

Myles: We never, ever, ever wanted to take this show away from the original fans. What we always wanted to do with the show was give them a gift every year, something wonderful, a big, big present. And if that present isn’t good enough, we aren’t going to give it to you. We’ve made you the best, best series yet. And it works out that it will be a week after the U.S. showing. And obviously we have nothing to do with that -- me nor John [Barrowman] or [showrunners Russel T. Davies and Julie Gardner]. But, just hold on tight. I’d just like to remind them that they’re our fans. We want them to sit back and enjoy it, be proud of it like we are, and to stick with us. If it was up to me and John, we’d have it to them straight away. But, it’s not.

THR: So, do you understand where they’re coming from?

Myles: Oh my God, of course I do. I was the biggest Six Feet Under fan in the world. And if that had happened, it went out there first and it didn’t come out here. That did happen with the first series. It went out there and we had to wait. And the reason why I was so frustrated and kind of pissed off about it is because I couldn’t wait to see it. I was so excited about seeing it. You just want to get to see it, don’t you? I mean fair play. These people have waited just over two years for this next season. You know, they’ve waited long enough. I wish I had the ten episodes here and I can invite them to my house and we could all watch them together. You know, tonight. Unfortunately, my house isn’t big enough and I only have one [episode] myself [she laughs]. Yeah, I’d like to say that if I had something to do with it that this wouldn’t be happening. But, sit tight, because it is a fantastic ride.

FILTER: - Torchwood - UK - Miracle Day (Series 4) - Broadcasting - BBC

Coming Soon: Dead of Night

Thursday, 7 July 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The BBC have now updated their programme information for Week 30 with details of Torchwood: Miracle Day's third episode, Dead of Night, which will premiere in the UK on BBC1/BBC1HD at 9:00pm, 28th July.

The following is the plot synopsis for Dead of Night which might be considered a spoiler

Torchwood goes on the run – and finds a new enemy. But as they launch a raid on PhiCorp headquarters, Jack must confront the mysterious Oswald Danes.

Episode three includes guest stars Wayne Knight (Jurassic Park, Seinfeld), Dillon Casey (The Vampire Diaries) and Richard Gilliland (Desperate Housewives).

FILTER: - Torchwood - UK - Press - Miracle Day (Series 4)

Torchwood: Miracle Day - UK DVD and Blu-ray releases

Wednesday, 6 July 2011 - Reported by Harry Ward

Torchwood: Miracle Day is now available to pre-order from online shops. Amazon UK has given a UK release date for Series 4 as 14 November 2011.

DVD Description
One day, nobody dies. All across the world, nobody dies. And then the next day, and the next, and the next, people keep ageing - they get hurt and sick - but they never die. The result: a population boom, overnight.

With all the extra people, resources are finite. It’s said that in four month's time, the human race will cease to be viable. But this can’t be a natural event – someone’s got to be behind it. It’s a race against time as C.I.A. agent Rex Matheson investigates a global conspiracy. The answers lie within an old, secret British institute. As Rex keeps asking “What is Torchwood?" he’s drawn into a world of adventure, and a threat to change what it means to be human, forever.

Special Features
Magical FX on Miracle Day Special
Behind the Scenes
Motion Comic
Art Dept Tour
Audio Nav & Description

Torchwood: Miracle Day is available to pre-order now in both DVD (Region 2) and Blu-ray formats.

FILTER: - Torchwood - UK - Miracle Day (Series 4) - Blu-ray/DVD

June iPlayer figures

Wednesday, 6 July 2011 - Reported by Marcus

In June Doctor Who once more topped the list of the most requested programmes the BBC iPlayer.

The final story before the mid season break, A Good Man Goes to War, had total of 1.26 million requests in the 8 days it was available, 100,000 ahead of the second placed programme, The Apprentice which had 1.14 million accessing episode 7, in which the contestants designed a pet food. Other high ranking programmes were Top Gear and Waterloo Road.

The current series of Doctor Who came off the iPlayer on 11th June. The series totalled 9.63 million requests across the seven episodes in the two months they were available. The series opener, The Impossible Astronaut is the joint most accessed programme of the year so far, alongside the second in the comedy series Come Fly With Me, both programmes were accessed 1.86 million times.

The top twenty list for the year so far consists of just four programmes; Doctor Who, The Apprentice, Come Fly with Me and Top Gear. Episode Two of Doctor Who, Day of the Moon, is currently 5th for the year, being accessed 1.62 million times. The Doctor's Wife is 12th with 1.30 million, A Good Man Goes to War is 15th with 1.26 million, The Curse of the Black Spot is 16th with 1.26 million and The Rebel Flesh is 19th with 1.13 million. The Almost People just slips outside the top twenty with 1.13 million accessing.

Matt Smith début episode, The Eleventh Hour, is still the most requested programme on the iPlayer ever with over 2.5 million requests.

FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 6/32

The New World - Publicity Clips (UK)

Tuesday, 5 July 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The BBC have released three clips introducing the characters Captain Jack, Esther Drummond and Oswald Danes from the new series of Torchwood; as with Doctor Who earlier this year, the clips are likely to feature in a number of promotional pieces in the lead-up to broadcast of the series premiere The New World in the UK next week.

These clips may not play outside the United Kingdom.

Captain Jack Harkness introduces himself to Esther Drummond in his own imitable style.

BBC, via BBC Website - may not play outside of the United Kingdom

Captain Jack Harkness explains the origins of the Torchwood Institute to Esther Drummond.

BBC, via BBC Website - may not play outside of the United Kingdom

Having survived his own execution, convicted murderer Oswald Danes expects more than condolences from the Governor’s Office

BBC, via BBC Website - may not play outside of the United Kingdom

The BBC will be running videos via the Red Button from next week (see times below). These videos include an introduction to Torchwood's new recruits and what the cast thought about taking the show over to the US and filming in Los Angeles.

Sky / Freesat / Virgin Media:
Mon 11 Jul, 06:00 - 06:00
Tue 12 Jul, 06:00 - 06:00
Wed 13 Jul, 06:00 - 06:00
Thu 14 Jul, 06:00 - 04:00

Freeview:
Mon 11 Jul, 19:00 - 22:50
Tue 12 Jul, 20:00 - 22:50
Wed 13 Jul, 21:55 - 00:00

FILTER: - Torchwood - UK - Online

Previous 10 Stories

The New World: UK overnight viewing figures

Experience the Screamer

TARDIS materialises at Caernarfon Castle

Doctor Who is an average person's favourite show

UK Classic DVD update: The Sun Makers

BBC responds to complaints over Torchwood scheduling

Coming Soon: Dead of Night

Torchwood: Miracle Day - UK DVD and Blu-ray releases

June iPlayer figures

The New World - Publicity Clips (UK)

Amazon Associate paid Link. Doctor Who News is supported by qualifying purchases.

This Week in Doctor Who

ARCHIVE

FILTER