Thinking Allowed

Thursday, 16 December 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The BBC Radio Four social science programme Thinking Allowed will examine Doctor Who as part of the show broadcasting on 5th January 2011.

The show, hosted by Laurie Taylor, will feature the assistant professor of English and Moving Image Arts at Oklahoma City University, Marc Edward DiPaulo, discussing his article, Political Satire and British-American Relations in Five Decades of Doctor Who, which featured in the October 2010 issue of The Journal of Popular Culture.

Also on the show is broadcaster, not to mention Doctor Who fan and author, Matthew Sweet (who wrote The Year of the Pig and The Magic Mousetrap for Big Finish's Doctor Who audio adventures).

The show will be broadcast on Wednesday 5th January 2010 at 4:00pm, and repeated the following Monday morning at 12:15am.

You can read the full article at the Wiley Online Library.

FILTER: - Miscellaneous - Radio

Docteur Who: La Prophétie de Noël

Thursday, 16 December 2010 - Reported by Marcus

While many viewers in the English speaking world will be enjoying Matt Smith's first Christmas special as The Doctor this year, viewers in France will be bidding farewell to the Tenth Doctor when France 4 broadcasts both parts of The End of Time this Christmas Day.

Docteur Who : La Prophétie de Noël will be broadcast at 8.35. The title translates as The Christmas Prophecy.

The story was dubbed into French last March with David Manet making his swan song as the voice of the Tenth Doctor. A full cast list can be found here.

Update 19th December: readers in France may watch previews for parts one and two from the France4 website.

FILTER: - Specials - France - David Tennant - Broadcasting - Europe

DWM Companion: The Eleventh Doctor (Vol 2)

Thursday, 16 December 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Details for the second Doctor Who Companion volume covering the adventures of the Eleventh Doctor have been released by Doctor Who Magazine. This edition features the second half of the 2010 series, Amy's Choice to The Big Bang, plus the specially recorded scenes that appear on the Series Five Boxed Set.

The magazine will be published on 30th December 2010.

The Doctor Who Companion
The Eleventh Doctor
Volume Two

Your complete guide to the award-winning BBC One series!
Written and researched by Andrew Pixley.

2010 was a landmark year for Doctor Who. Matt Smith and Karen Gillan appeared on television as the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond for the first time, in a series of incredible adventures. From the Doctor’s crash landing in sleepy Leadworth, through to his arrival at Amy’s wedding in a rebooted universe, the last of the Time Lords faced many monsters during the course of his travels, including Weeping Angels, Silurians, Autons, Cybermen, Smilers, Venetian Vampires, Prisoner Zero… and, of course, the Daleks!

Now, Doctor Who Magazine takes you behind the scenes of the concluding episodes of the Eleventh Doctor’s first season with an in-depth episode guide – including original storylines, deleted scenes, media appearances, ratings information and thousands of facts about the day-to-day life of the making of Doctor Who – all illustrated with gorgeous, never-before-seen photographs. This collectors’ edition examines Amy’s Choice, The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood, Vincent and the Doctor, The Lodger and The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang, as well as the specially-made Meanwhile in the TARDIS scenes from the DVD box set.

This is your essential guide to the worlds of Doctor Who.
Get ready to discover a wealth of information – but watch out for the cracks...

The first volume may still be found on retailers' shelves until the 29th December.

FILTER: - DWM

New BBC Children's Books for 2011

Thursday, 16 December 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster

A new range of books are to be released by Doctor Who Children's Books next year, featuring the current TARDIS crew of the Doctor, Amy and Rory. Aimed at a younger audience, each paperback book runs to around 400 pages and will feature two stories, described as "fast-paced, fun-filled Doctor Who adventures!"

Book 1: Heart of Stone / Death Riders
To be published: 3rd February 2011
Available for pre-order from our Amazon shop

Heart of Stone:
A monster made from moon rock is attacking an Earth farm. Everything it touches turns to stone – even people. Can the Doctor, Amy and Rory find out what the creature wants before it’s too late?

Death Riders:
The Galactic Fair has arrived on the mining planet of Stanalan and the Death Ride roller coaster is really drawing in the crowds. But there’s something sinister going on behind all the fun of the fair. Join the Doctor, Amy and Rory as they investigate…

Book 2: The Good, the Bad and the Alien / System Wipe
To be published: 3rd February 2011
Available for pre-order from our Amazon shop

The Good, the Bad, and the Alien:
Aliens have crash-landed in the Wild West and they’re ready for a showdown. Can the Doctor, Rory and Amy work out which are the good guys and which are the bad?

System Wipe:
The Doctor finds himself trapped in a virtual world. As he tries to save the characters of the virtual world from being destroyed by a deadly virus, Amy and Rory must fight to keep the Doctor’s body in the real world safe from the mysterious entity known as Legacy...

Book 3: Rain of Terror / Extra Time
To be published: 28th April 2011
Available for pre-order from our Amazon shop

Rain of Terror:
On the planet Tanbrek, terrible tiny creatures swarm down from the sky. Can the Doctor, Amy and Rory help the colonists escape from the alien infestation?

Extra Time:
The Doctor, Rory and Amy take a trip to the 1966 World Cup. Rory ends up playing a crucial part in this historic football match, while the Doctor and Amy discover that the Doctor isn't the only alien visiting Wembley...

Book 4: The Underwater War / Terminal of Despair
To be published: 28th April 2011
Available for pre-order from our Amazon shop

The Underwater War:
The Doctor, Amy and Rory join an undersea exploration ship on the planet Hos. When a virus infects the crew, they discover the ship is hiding a dangerous secret...

Terminal of Despair:
The TARDIS crew find themselves trapped in a quarantined spaceport where the waiting passengers have lost all hope of ever getting home. Can the Doctor save them?

FILTER: - Books

Doctor Who Magazine 429

Thursday, 16 December 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine celebrates Christmas, with detailed coverage of the forthcoming A Christmas Carol and interviews with Steven Moffat (writer), Toby Haynes (director) and Matt Smith (The Doctor).

Says Matt on working with his co-star for the adventure, Sir Michael Gambon:

Michael is a naughty man, a naughty actor! He’s hugely interesting, everyone on set could have listened to his stories all day! And then the cameras start rolling and he’s just captivating...

In this issue:

The Universe According To Tom! To many, he will always be the Doctor! The legendary TOM BAKER doesn’t hold back as he tells DWM what it was really like being the Fourth Doctor – and his true feelings about the others who have starred in the role he made his own.
Feelin' Groovy! The irrepressible Katy Manning, last seen as Jo Jones (née Grant) in The Sarah Jane Adventures story Death of the Doctor, gives her most revealing interview ever! Discover what happened to the kookiest companion of them all, after she left the Doctor in The Green Death – and just what Katy herself did next...
That's Grand! She played the Doctor’s granddaughter, and appeared in the very first episode of Doctor Who in 1963 – and now she’s back! Carole Ann Ford, who plays Susan Foreman, talks exclusively to DWM about her latest adventures on audio.
A Load of Old Bull? Bull-headed monsters, OTT Villains and the Fourth Doctor at his silliest! Yes, it’s time at last for The Fact of Fiction to scrutinise the infamous story that took Doctor Who into the 1980s – The Horns of Nimon!
The Mind Robber! Put down that mince pie and get ready for the ultimate Doctor Who challenge, as the Watcher proudly presents his fiendishly difficult Christmas Quiz – tough enough to tax even the most dedicated fan! How will YOU fare... ?
That Was The Year That Was! DWM takes a look back at one of the most unforgettable years in Doctor Who’s history – this one! Relieve all the highlights of 2010 – the year that saw the début of the Eleventh Doctor’s and Amy – in DWM’s annual review of the year.

Plus, Steven Moffat discusses what kittens, plot arcs and multi-coloured Cybermen (with noses) have in common in his Production Notes, the young Amelia and Rory discover a wondrous bookshop that's bigger on the inside in comic strip The Professor, The Queen and the Bookshop, and the usual news, reviews and competitions.

This issue comes with three collectible art cards featuring exclusive DWM cover images.

You can also now find DWM on Twitter! Follow them at @DWMTweets.

FILTER: - DWM

The Mazes of Time: Apple version now available

Thursday, 16 December 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BBC Worldwide have announced that their new game for mobile platforms, The Mazes of Time, has now been released for Apple products. The game can be purchased from Apple's iTunes App Store for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Doctor Who: The Mazes of Time
For the first time on iPhone and iPod, enter the world of Doctor Who in a brand new action puzzle adventure!

An intrepid traveller through time and space and the last of the powerful Time Lords, the Doctor is armed only with his incredible intelligence and his sonic screwdriver. Join him and his human companion, Amy Pond, as they race to save an innocent family attacked by a rogue Dalek and hurtled into the depths of history. Your journey will take you from ancient Incan temples, to the frozen tombs of Telos and a stunning finale on a Dalek ship. Defeat your favourite enemies, solve devious puzzles, and restore peace throughout time!

Brain twisting puzzles – over 100 in all!
Travel through time and space to seven unique locations
Increasingly complex environmental challenges to challenge your mind and reflexes
Play as both the Doctor and his companion, Amy Pond, utilising their unique skills and abilities to solve challenges
Features Daleks, Cybermen and Silurians – each with unique behaviour that requires different strategies of stealth and subterfuge to complete levels
Authentic music from the show
New locations and enemies coming soon!

BBC Worldwide gameplay video, available on YouTube

Robert Nashak, Executive Vice President, Digital Entertainment, BBC Worldwide, said:

"Coming to the App Store is a landmark moment for the Doctor Who franchise. We look forward to bringing users, and fans of the show, an exciting and interactive experience that they will enjoy."

The game is also available as a high definition version, which has been released for the larger Apple device, the iPad. It has also been confirmed that the Android community won't miss out on the game either, with a version for the Google OS due to be released in 2011.

The Mazes of Time is one of several mobile games developed for BBC Worldwide (which also includes Top Gear and Teletubbies); the Doctor Who version was produced by Tag Games and written by Oli Smith, who also worked on the recent Nintendo games Evacuation Earth and Return to Earth.

FILTER: - Games - BBC

Torchwood Casting: Bill Pullman

Wednesday, 15 December 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Hot on the heels of news about Mekhi Phifer being cast yesterday, today Deadline reports long-time Hollywood actor Bill Pullman will be joining the cast of Torchwood: The New World. He will be playing one of the lead roles in the series, that of the psychotic Oswald Jones.

Like Phifer, Pullman was born in New York (1953). Starting out in the theatre, he made the move to the big screen in the 1986 film Ruthless People (with Bette Midler and Danny De Vito); he quickly rose to lead role status the following year in the Mel Brooks sci-fi spoof Spaceballs, and he has since been involved in a number of successful films, including Sleepless in Seattle, While You Were Sleeping, and Casper. However, his sci-fi credentials are probably best represented in what is possibly his highest profile role, portraying President of the United States Thomas Whitmore in the Will Smith/Jeff Goldblum blockbuster, Independence Day.

On television, he is best known for playing Harvard scientist and astrophysicist Bill Massey in the supernatural thriller series Revelations.

OSWALD JONES

Oswald Jones is dangerously clever, a psychotic, convicted murderer and paedophile. He escapes his lifelong prison sentence on a technicality and quickly becomes a media sensation.

Genuinely repentant yet boiling with lust and rage, Oswald gets caught up in a terrifying worldwide crisis.

FILTER: - Torchwood - Miracle Day (Series 4)

Karen Gillan in Shortlist Magazine

Wednesday, 15 December 2010 - Reported by Harry Ward

Karen Gillan is featured on the front cover of this week's Shortlist Magazine.

You can read the full interview online (pages 40-44). Karen also took part in a photo shoot for the magazine, some of these can be viewed below.

How does it feel being a role model?

That’s a tricky one. You’ve got to get the right balance I think. You can’t live your life thinking about how it’s going to affect everybody else. You’ve got to have your own life and do what you want to do, but it is something I take into consideration and I wouldn’t want to fall around drunk or anything.

What’s it like working with Matt [Smith]?

Matt is so focused he really inspires me. That sounds really cheesy, but it’s true. I’ve never met someone so focused and he never slacks off. He’s really driven. And his approach to acting is really creative. Rather than just reeling off the lines, he changes it every time. It’s an intense day. He takes it very seriously, but that’s not to say it’s not fun. In fact, part of our taking it seriously is messing around between takes, because I feel like it’s us staying in character and being silly.

(Images: Lee Jenkins)

The magazine is handed out every Thursday in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, West Yorkshire, Dundee and Aberdeen. It is available from distributors at around 100 main line and Underground stations and bus terminals. [Wikipedia]

FILTER: - Karen Gillan - Magazines

Doctor Who Laser Show at Florida Planetarium

Wednesday, 15 December 2010 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

UPDATE December 16: This event has been CANCELLED due to licensing issues.

The Riverview Planetarium in Sarasota, Florida will host a Doctor Who Laser New Year event on January 1, 2011. The program will include a new Doctor Who-themed laser show on the planetarium's 40-foot, 360° dome, and a showing of the 2010 Christmas Special on the dome's screen. There will be two showings, one starting at 6:00 and another at 9:00; seating is limited and tickets are required. The tickets are free, but a donation is encouraged (and donors will be given first priority for seating). The event is sponsored by Florida fan group Blue TARDIS.

FILTER: - Special Events - USA

Study Doctor Who in Australia

Wednesday, 15 December 2010 - Reported by Marcus

Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art is once again offering young people in the Commonwealth the chance to experience the world of Doctor Who as part of its Summer Programme 2011.

A number of courses are being run in the Summer Holiday in association with BBC Worldwide, teaching students skills associated with the making of the television series.

January's courses take place around the Country and can be booked Online

SYDNEY

DESIGNING DOCTOR WHO 9-11 YRS
DOCTOR WHO ON LOCATION @ COCKATOO ISLAND 12-16 YRS
DOCTOR WHO: ACTING ON SCREEN 12-16 YRS
DOCTOR WHO: ADVENTURES IN TIME & SPACE @ BLACKTOWN ARTS CENTRE 9-11 YRS
DOCTOR WHO: ADVENTURES IN TIME & SPACE 6-8 YRS
DOCTOR WHO: ACTING ON SCREEN ADVENTURES 12-15 YRS
DOCTOR WHO: ACTING ON SCREEN ADVENTURES 9-11 YRS
DOCTOR WHO: ACTING ON SCREEN ADVENTURES 9-11 YRS: WEEKEND