Radio Times Xmas Listing

Monday, 5 December 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The official Radio Times listing for the Doctor Who Christmas special, The Christmas Invasion, airing at 7.00pm on Sunday 25 December, shows additional cast members and other details, as well as noting that series one will repeat on BBC starting the day after. The listing is as follows:

DOCTOR WHO
David Tennant makes his debut as the Time Lord.
The Christmas Invasion. The Earth is at the mercy of the Sycorax. A second series starts in the spring.
Doctor Who: David Tennant. Rose Tyler: Billie Piper. Jackie Tyler: Camille Coduri. Mickey Smith: Noel Clarke. Harriet Jones: Penelope Wilton. Danny Llewellyn: Daniel Evans. Alex: Adam Garcia. Sycorax leader: Sean Gilder. Major Blake: Chu Ornambala. Sally: Anita Briem. Sandra: Sian McDowall. Jason: Paul Anderson.
Writer: Russell T Davies; Producer: Phil Collinson; Director: James Hawes. Christopher Eccleston's Doctor Whostarts tomorrow, 7pm BBC3.
Be the Doctor's companion in "Attack of the Graske," an adventure available via the red button after the end of tonight's episode.

FILTER: - Specials - Russell T Davies - Radio Times - Broadcasting

Sci-Fi: Who Is Coming

Thursday, 1 December 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

According to a report today on the Sci-Fi Channel website Sci-Fi Wire, "the BBC made the unusual decision to release the DVD in the United States before the show had found a broadcast outlet there. But he added that the show will find its way onto American TV, one way or another. 'It will be going on television,' Cromer said in an interview. 'There're lots of discussions going on, and I can't really talk about that. This is a unique situation, really, because there are so many fans of Doctor Who ... already out there, and we were just finding [that] people were getting ... second-hand copies or copies from the U.K. ... We really wanted fans to get the best, most complete version in the United States as [soon as] we possibly could. So we made the decision, and it is unique, to go ahead of the TV broadcast with the DVD and to release the gift set of the DVD basically within two and a half to three months [after] the U.K. [version].'"

The article goes on to note that "U.S. fans have been clamoring for a way to see the series legally stateside. There's no downside to a U.S. DVD release, even if the show has yet to be seen on American TV, Cromer added. 'The good news for us is that we already have that loyal fan base, but then when the show does broadcast in the U.S., we'll have a whole new fan base, because it's just a new Doctor Who: very exciting, but still the great stories and as great as the old Doctor Who,' he said."

It is important to note, however, that the article does not state that there has been any progress recently about getting the series on television in America, simply that the BBC still wishes to find a broadcaster here and that they have concluded that a DVD sale would not impact this. We'll keep you posted on further developments soon.

FILTER: - USA - Blu-ray/DVD - Broadcasting

Christmas Invasion: UK, Canada Broadcasts

Tuesday, 29 November 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The official Doctor Who website has confirmed that The Christmas Invasion will be broadcast in the UK on BBC1 at 7pm on Sunday, December 25, as Outpost Gallifrey previously noted was the likely timeslot. (Other websites have suggested an earlier timeslot, which is incorrect.)

Additionally, the CBC network in Canada has confirmed they will air "The Christmas Invasion" on Monday, December 26 at 8pm, according to the network's program guide.

FILTER: - Specials - Broadcasting

Belgium, Australia Broadcast Notes

Tuesday, 22 November 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Belgium is the latest country to debut the new Doctor Who series. The series starts on Saturday 26 November at 3.55pm on the Een (One) network, with subtitles rather than dubbed voices. The channel can also normally be watched in Holland.

Also, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in an email reply to a fan as to whether or not they had secured the rights to The Christmas Invasion, the following was received: "Thank you for your email regarding Doctor Who. At this stage, the ABC has not acquired the broadcast rights for these programs, however, please be assured that your comments have been noted and forwarded to our Television Programming Department so that they are aware of your interest." There is no word as to whether or not the broadcaster is in negotiations for the second season. (Thanks to Michael Simshauser, Richard Foxon)

FILTER: - Series 1/27 - Broadcasting

Christmas Press Release

Tuesday, 22 November 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The BBC Press Office has issued a full press release on their Christmas offerings, noting "this year, the BBC offers a mix of new Christmas specials alongside some established favourites." The press release itself notes the rerun of Casanova on BBC3... and gives a full preview of the forthcoming Doctor Who special on December 25. They also note that there will be some Doctor Who content on BBC Three that day, though it's unspecified.

Below, in the spoiler tags, is the BBC press synopsis for "The Christmas Invasion"; it gives the plot setup away so don't click it unless you want to know!

Additional coverage of the press release at BBC News, Manchester Online, RTE,Brand Republic, Daily Record, The Herald, The Mirror, The Scotsman, Digital Spy, Reuters, CBBC News.

Doctor Who – The Christmas Invasion

It's Christmas and Jackie Tyler is at home preparing for the festive season, not knowing if her daughter Rose will be home in time - or at all. Then she hears the familiar, ancient grind of the TARDIS! Mickey, who is hard at work, also hears it and they both race across the estate just in time to witness the TARDIS' glorious, chaotic crash landing. The doors open and, much to their delight, out steps Rose and a complete stranger - except it isn't a stranger - it's the Doctor. Disorientated, yet overwhelmed to see them, he takes a few minutes to regain his balance and consider what it is he wants to tell them. "Oh! I know! Merry Christmas!" he yells, before collapsing. The Doctor falls in and out of consciousness, with Rose and Jackie powerless to help him.

In a bid to boost Rose's spirits, Mickey suggests a spot of Christmas shopping. A good plan - until they find themselves under attack by a sinister brass band of masked Santas. However, they are not the only ones with problems. Prime Minister Harriet Jones has just been informed that a British space probe, on its way to Mars for a Christmas Day landing, has gone missing. It has been kidnapped by a monstrous race known as the Sycorax, who are set on taking over the world. Meanwhile, back at the Tylers', Mickey and Jackie are trying to fend off a killer Christmas tree, while Rose tries to wake the Doctor.

David Tennant plays the Doctor, Billie Piper plays Rose Tyler, Camille Coduri plays Jackie Tyler, Noel Clarke plays Mickey, Penelope Wilton plays Harriet Jones and Sean Gilder plays the Sycorax leader.

FILTER: - Press - Broadcasting

Children in Need Trailers

Friday, 11 November 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The BBC has begun running a trailer for next Friday's Children in Needtelethon. Included are various clips from the evening's attractions, with two very brief excerpts from the "Doctor Who" scene. Says our correspondent, "The first shows the Doctor, evidently right after the regeneration still standing in the same position as we last saw him, assuring Rose that 'I'm the Doctor!'. The second, later in the trailer, has Rose leaning over the console as an alarm bell sounds. She asks what it is, and the Doctor leans in next to her and exclaims in delight: 'We're going to crash land!' before laughing manically. Tennant is, as expected, using an English accent as heard at the end of 'The Parting of the Ways' rather than his native Scottish one." (Thanks to Paul Hayes)

FILTER: - Special Events - Broadcasting

ITV's New Gamble

Thursday, 10 November 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

As announced in today's The Stage, the ITV network has developed a £6 million science fiction series to rival Doctor Who. "The six-part series, with a working title of Primaeval, will follow a team of scientists who travel into prehistoric times and other worlds through black holes." Says a source for The Stage, "The team of five is lead by Professor Cutter. You learn through flashbacks that his wife disappeared when she was investigating these black holes and he is determined to find her. The black holes can open up anywhere. In the first episode the team find their way through to a world at the time of the dinosaurs. In another they discover a hole in the flooded bathroom of a domestic house, which leads them to an underwater world full of prehistoric sea monsters. There is even an episode set in the depths of the tube, where the group face giant arachnids. There is a race against time to find out what they need to before the black hole closes and they are trapped." The series is written by Adrian Hodges and is said to feature the latest CGI graphics; it's being made by Impossible Pictures (the company that made BBC1 history hits "Walking With Dinosaurs" and "Walking With Beasts"). There is currently no word on airdates for the six-episode serial, as the network is apparently still undecided whether it would be broadcast on a Saturday or a Sunday.

FILTER: - Broadcasting

Children In Need Special Details

Thursday, 10 November 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Outpost Gallifrey has learned the specifics of the Children in Need Doctor Who special airing next week. The special mini-episode is actually 3 and 1/2 minutes long, and will begin at exactly 9:06pm during the telethon (though of course there is always room for slight variation in the timing). Additionally, we've learned that K9 will be in the studio joining the presenters for the evening. As always, this information is subject to change up to air time!

BBC Radio Jersey recently interviewed the director of the special, who said it's set immediately after the end of The Parting of the Ways, is set in the TARDIS, and is "a real episode that links the last series to the new one and is part of Series Two." The interviewer on Radio Jersey said they filmed it only in the last two weeks in Cardiff: "So I don't know what’s in it, I don't know how long it is but I do know it's a scene between Billie Piper in the TARDIS and it's the moment David Tennant materialised at the end of the last series."

FILTER: - Special Events - Broadcasting

Children in Need: Air Time

Sunday, 6 November 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

According to the Radio Times website (and some other online TV guides), the Doctor Who segment of Children in Need will be on between 9 and 9.30pm. Says the Radio Times:

Children in Need
9.00pm-9.30pm BBC One
Billie Piper and David Tennant star in a special Doctor Who scene written exclusively for Children in Need. Plus live music from Sugababes in Wrexham and KT Tunstall in Glasgow.

It should be noted that the schedule for Children in Need is very fluid, so that timeslot should not be taken as guaranteed - it could change right up to the night itself.

FILTER: - Special Events - Radio Times - Broadcasting

Christmas Day Airing

Thursday, 3 November 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

This year's holiday special "The Christmas Invasion" will air on Christmas Day, December 25, on BBC1. BBC Newsreported the announcement from the BBC, as did the official Doctor Who website. This morning's The Sun says the episode will be sandwiched in between two hour-long episodes of EastEnders "to complete a three-hour telly fest", while the Mirror says that the show will be broadcast against two Coronation Street specials on ITV. The transmission time is yet to be confirmed. The BBC and ITV traditionally battle each other for ratings on Christmas Day.

FILTER: - Specials - Broadcasting

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