Richard Shaw 1920 - 2010

Sunday, 18 July 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Richard ShawThe actor Richard Shaw has died at the age of 90.

Richard Shaw had three appearances in Doctor Who. In 1965 he played the role of Lobos, the Morok governor of Xeros, in the William Hartnell story The Space Museum. He returned to the series in 1973 working with Jon Pertwee on the story Frontier in Space where he played Cross the leader of a section of the prisoners at the Lunar Penal Colony. His final role in the series was in the 1978 story Underworld, where he played Lakh, a Seer on the planet which coalesced around the P7E.

Away from Doctor Who, Shaw had an extensive career in British television spanning over 40 years. He played Sladden in the 1959 classic Quatermass and the Pit, appeared in many classic plays on BBC and ITV and appeared in such series as Crossroads, Freewheelers, Dixon of Dock Green and the film Carry On Don't Lose Your Head.

Actor Toby Hadoke has posted a tribute to Richard Shaw on his website.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Obituary - Classic Series

People News

Saturday, 17 July 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Sherlock, the new three part crime drama series, co-created by Doctor Who Executive Producer Steven Moffat and Doctor Who writer and actor Mark Gatiss, comes to BBC One next Sunday 25th July. Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the new Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as his loyal friend, Doctor John Watson. Rupert Graves plays Inspector Lestrade. The series is based around Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson's adventures in 21st Century London.



Moffat has recently joined Twitter, gaining an impressive 13,000 followers within a week. His first tweet was "Oh, he's back behind the bow tie - and better than ever."

John BarrowmanJohn Barrowman returns to BBC ONE tonight in a new series of his entertainment show, Tonight's the Night.

In September Barrowman will be hosting the very first West End Bares. The show is an annual event in New York, and combines the naughtiness of burlesque and the razzle-dazzle of Broadway, where it has been running since 1992. The show will feature the hottest male and female dancers in the West End who will be 'strutting their stuff' to benefit TheatreMAD & The Make A Difference Trust. Barrowman who is a patron of The Make A Difference Trust, said: "I'm thrilled to be hosting West End Bares. What a way to make a difference – being a little naughty on stage for a wonderful cause."

Barrowman will also be performing at the BBC's Proms in the Park in Salford on 11 September. The event being held at Buile Hill Park will feature the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and special guests with Barrowman performing a 20 minute set.

David Tennnat has been filming in Scotland and on the Isle of Man for a feature film The Decoy Bride. The film stars Kelly MacDonald, Alice Eve, Michael Urie, who plays Marc in Ugly Betty, and Federico Castelluccio from The Sopranos. The Decoy Bride tells the story of a superstar actress going to marry her British boyfriend.




FILTER: - Steven Moffat - People

Torchwood 4 characters revealed

Thursday, 15 July 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has published details on some of the main characters that will appear in the new series of Torchwood:
I’ve gathered on the new season (airing on my new favorite cable network, Starz), the show is out to cast a new series regular — Rex Matheson, a wickedly funny (operative word: wicked) CIA agent born to make waves. Almost as key to the new season are recurring characters Esther Katusi, a CIA grunt in her early 20s who learns what she’s really made of only when she’s forced to, and Oswald Jones, a convicted murderer and pedophile who will be as shocked as anyone to learn how easily infamy and fame can be exchanged for one another.
A variant of the news also appeared in TV Guide:
And Starz's new season of Torchwood is shaping up with the search for one series regular and two supporting roles. Rex Matheson is a white, twenty-something CIA agent who sounds sort of like FX's animated Archer spy: a fearless, cocky thrill seeker. Recurring characters include Esther Katusi, a newbie Watch Analyst in the CIA who is deeply (and secretly) in love with Rex. And Oswald Jones is the dangerous psychotic villain. He's a forty-something murderer and pedophile who gets sprung from the slammer into the spotlight. Rex — catch this sicko!
John Barrowman - who is currently promoting his new series of Tonight's The Night - has reported that filming for the series will commence in January 2011. The series is expected to broadcast during that summer both in the UK and the US.




FILTER: - Torchwood

Doctor Who Prom - Broadcast Details

Thursday, 15 July 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who PromThe BBC have released details of the BBC Radio Three broadcast of the Doctor Who Prom taking place on Saturday 24 July.

The Prom will be broadcast live on the station from 7.30pm - 9.45pm UK Time, and will be available worldwide on the BBC iPlayer.
The Doctor is back. Two years ago, he appeared at the BBC Proms via video link. This year, he's here in person. Thrills, spills, adventures, monsters and special guests are all guaranteed along the way in this Proms spectacular. Petroc Trelawny has the unenviable task of keeping everything in order for BBC Radio 3 – though, sadly, without the help of a sonic screwdriver.

Doctor Who (Matt Smith) and his assistant, Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), join the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the London Philharmonic Choir for an action-packed evening. Monsters from the current run of the hugely successful BBC series threaten to disrupt proceedings. Only the Doctor – ably assisted by conductors Ben Foster and Grant Llewellyn – can save the day.

There are some classical favourites with a suitably celestial theme, including Mars from Holst's Planets Suite and John Adams's thrilling Short Ride In A Fast Machine.

We understand the following tracks from Doctor Who Composer Murray Gold, will be included in the programme.

The Madman with a Box (Prologue); An Untimely Arrival; I am the Doctor; Battle in the Skies; Amy; Liz, Lizards, Vampires and Vincent; This is Gallifrey / Vale Decem; Pandorica Suite; Song of Freedom; Doctor Who Theme.

The twenty minute interval will be filled on Radio Three with a documentary looking at the weird and wonderful sound world of Doctor Who's incidental music, Dance Of The Daleks.
Matthew Sweet spent the Saturday tea-times of his youth peering at the television, from behind the sofa, to watch Doctor Who. He time-travels through the programme's 47-year history to investigate the weird and wonderful sound world of its incidental music. He talks with some of the composers who have contributed, in very different musical styles, to the enduring success of the programme over the decades.




FILTER: - Music - Special Events - Radio

BBC Audiobooks Sold

Thursday, 15 July 2010 - Reported by Marcus
BBC AudiobooksBBC Worldwide have sold 85% of BBC Audiobooks to AudioGo, a company set up by a former senior executive at Polygram, Michael Kuhn.

BBC Audiobooks currently publish a number of Doctor Who titles including the new Tom Baker series Demon Quest, narrations of Classic and current Doctor stories and the Doctor Who at the BBC series.

The deal is thought to be the first of several disposals of assets considered non-core by BBC Worldwide. BBC Magazines, which publishes titles such as Doctor Who Adventures and Radio Times, is expected to form part of this process.

A spokesman for BBC Worldwide said that the deal, which is thought to be in the region of £10m to £15m, "secures the future of the business and its staff"




FILTER: - Audio

Canada: InnerSPACE Live Season Finale

Wednesday, 14 July 2010 - Reported by Mike Doran
To mark the season finale of Doctor Who in Canada on Saturday, July 24th SPACE Channel and the program InnerSPACE are planning a special edition in front of a live studio audience. The InnerSPACE Live Doctor Who season finale and after-show will take place at 299 Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario. The broadcast will take place from 9pm - 11pm ET. The special broadcast includes a panel discussion, interviews and a live web chat and will be hosted InnerSPACE's Teddy Wilson.

Fans in Toronto interested in attending being a part of the live studio audience call 416-384-LIVE (5483) to reserve tickets. For more information on the broadcast or the after-show please visit the SPACE Channel website. Those able to be a part of the live audience are requested to arrive by 8:15pm. You must have a ticket to attend the live show. Those not able attend can watch both the Doctor Who season finale and InnerSPACE after-show across Canada on SPACE starting at 9:00pm ET on Saturday July 24th, 2010.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Canada - Special Events - Series 5/31 - Broadcasting

Two new Fanzines

Tuesday, 13 July 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Fish CustardPanic MoonTwo new Doctor Who Fanzines have been launched recently.

Panic Moon features reviews of each of the stories in the recent series; explorations of the characters of the eleventh Doctor and Amy; a review of the K9 series; a look at the redesign of the Daleks; a roundup of other recent paper zines in 2010’s fanzine renaissance; a review of Big Finish’s recent output; thoughts on the work of Chris Chibnall, on the use of death in Steven Moffat’s episodes, and on madness, monsters and metaphor in Vincent and the Doctor. Plus some stunning illustrations.

Fish Fingers and Custard takes a light-hearted look at the show and its fandom. The first issue, which is available for PDF download or as a printed copy, features The Eleventh Hour Review; The infamous ‘PBS Hijacking Incident’; Interview with Doctor Who Podshock’s Louis Trapani; ‘Cracks’ an original 11th Doctor story; Invasion Convention review; ‘The Doctor In Wonderland’; It Could Have Been A Spin-off.




FILTER: - Fan Productions

Guest Stars confirmed for Christmas Doctor Who

Monday, 12 July 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: Christmas
NB: Press Release link contains spoilers for those who have not seen The Big Bang.

The BBC has confirmed veteran actor Michael Gambon and opera diva Katherine Jenkins will guest star in the 2010 Doctor Who Christmas special.

Production starts today and will continue until August.

Michael Gambon is one of the UK's most respected actors, best known for his role as Philip Marlow in BBC television serial The Singing Detective and for his role as Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film series.

Katherine Jenkins is a Welsh mezzo-soprano who has sold more than 4 million copies of her studio albums. This will be her first acting role. Arriving on set for her first day of filming, Katherine Jenkins said
I'm over the moon to be involved in the Doctor Who Christmas Special – I can't quite believe it as it's a part of the family tradition at the Jenkins household. I heard the news that I got the role on my 30th birthday and it was the best birthday present ever!

Steven Moffat, Lead writer and Executive Producer on the series commented:
Oh, we're going for broke with this one. It's all your favourite Christmas movies at once, in an hour, with monsters and the Doctor and a honeymoon and – oh, you'll see. I've honestly never been so excited about writing anything. I was laughing madly as I typed along to Christmas songs in April. My neighbours loved it so much they all moved away and set up a website demanding my execution. But I'm fairly sure they did it ironically.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Guest Stars - Series 6/32 - Press

Australian ratings for The Big Bang

Monday, 12 July 2010 - Reported by Adam Kirk
Matt Smith's debut series has concluded in Australia. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's decision to 'fast-track' the latest series of Doctor Who has been vindicated by excellent ratings, the series receiving its highest consistent Australian ratings since its return in 2005 (and probably ever). The series averaged 928,000 viewers in the five major capital cities over thirteen weeks (these figures also do not include regional, time-shifted and iView viewers) and was normally the ABC's top-rating program of the day. TV Tonight reports that The Big Bang averaged 976,000 viewers in the five major capital cities, again despite stiff competition from the commercial networks. Yet again it was the ABC's top-rating program of the day, rating higher than its popular Sunday 7pm news and Little Dorrit, being the ninth highest rating program for the day overall. The corresponding Confidential Cutdown also rated an exceptional 732,000 viewers in the five major capitals.




FILTER: - Ratings - Series 5/31 - Broadcasting - Australia

BBC Books for Autumn

Sunday, 11 July 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
16th September sees the release of The Only Good Dalek, a graphic novel by Justin Richards and illustrated by Mike Collins:
'Have you ever seen a Dalek? Ever fought one? Have you any idea what they are really like? I've been on the front line. I've seen whole planets destroyed. The only good Dalek is a dead Dalek.'

'Station 7 is the most secret establishment in the whole of Earth-Space. Even our own people don’t know it exists. It’s beyond top secret. There’s no way the Daleks can ever find it.'

Station 7 is where the Earth Forces send all the equipment captured in their unceasing war against the Daleks. It’s where Dalek technology is analysed and examined. It’s where the Doctor and Amy have just arrived. But somehow the Daleks have found out about Station 7 – and there’s something there that they want back.

With the Doctor increasingly worried about the direction the Station’s research is taking, the commander of Station 7 knows he has only one possible, desperate, defence. Because the last terrible secret of Station 7 is that they don’t only store captured Dalek technology. It’s also a prison. And the only thing that might stop a Dalek is another Dalek…
You can also read a preview of the graphic novel at Ebury Publishing (Random House).


30th September sees the release of The Brilliant Book of Doctor Who 2011, a 128 page hardback book written by Clayton Hickman:
Celebrate the rebirth of the UK's number one family drama series with this lavish hardback, containing everything you need to know about the Eleventh Doctor’s first year.

Explore Amy Pond’s home village, Leadworth, read a lost section from Churchill's memoirs that covers his adventures with the Doctor, and learn all about the legend of the Weeping Angels. See how the Doctor's costume evolved, how the monsters are made and discover the trade secrets of writing a thrilling Doctor Who script. Plus interviews with all of the key players and a few secret celebrity guests…

Including contributions from executive producer Steven Moffat, stars Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, and scriptwriters Mark Gatiss and Gareth Roberts, among others, and packed with beautiful original illustrations and never-before-seen pictures, The Brilliant Book of Doctor Who is the ultimate companion to the world's most successful science fiction series.


28th October sees the release of Michael Moorcock's novel The Coming of the Terraphiles:
Doctor Who: The Coming of the Terraphiles
by Michael Moorcock

‘There are dark tides runing through the universe...’

Miggea – a star on the very edge of reality. The cusp between this universe and the next. A point where space-time has worn thin, and is in danger of collapsing... And the venue for the grand finals of the competition to win the fabled Arrow of Law.

The Doctor and Amy have joined the Terraphiles – a group obsessed with all aspects of Earth’s history, and dedicated to re-enacting ancient sporting events. They are determined to win the Arrow. But just getting to Miggea proves tricky. Reality is collapsing, ships are disappearing, and Captain Cornelius and his pirates are looking for easy pickings.

Even when they arrive, the Doctor and Amy’s troubles won’t be over. They have to find out who is so desperate to get the Arrow of Law that they will kill for it. And uncover the traitor on their own team. And win the contest fair and square.

And, of course, they need to save the universe from total destruction.

A thrilling, all-new adventure featuring the Doctor and Amy, as played by Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television written by the acclaimed science fiction and fantasy author Michael Moorcock


Also, 8th July saw the three latest three Doctor Who novels published:

Doctor Who: The King's Dragon
by Una McCormack

‘They called it Enamour. It turned minds, sold merchandise, and swayed elections. And it did its job far too well...’

In the city-state of Geath, the King lives in a golden hall, and the people want for nothing. Everyone is happy and everyone is rich. Or so it seems. When the Doctor, Amy and Rory look beneath the surface, they discover a city of secrets. In dark corners, strange creatures are stirring. At the heart of the hall, a great metal dragon oozes gold.

Then the Herald appears, demanding the return of her treasure... And next come the gunships. The battle for possession of the treasure has begun, and only the Doctor and his friends can save the people of the city from being destroyed in the crossfire of an ancient civil war. But will the King surrender his new-found wealth? Or will he fight to keep it...?

A thrilling, all-new adventure featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.

Doctor Who: Nuclear Time
by Oli Smith

‘My watch is running backwards.’

Colorado, 1981. The Doctor, Amy and Rory arrive in Appletown – an idyllic village in the remote American desert where the townsfolk go peacefully about their suburban routines. But when two more strangers arrive, things begin to change. The first is a mad scientist – whose warnings are cut short by an untimely and brutal death. The second is the Doctor…

As death falls from the sky, the Doctor is trapped. The TARDIS is damaged, and the Doctor finds he is living backwards through time. With Amy and Rory being hunted through the suburban streets of the Doctor’s own future and getting farther away with every passing second, he must unravel the secrets of Appletown before time runs out…

A thrilling, all-new adventure featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.

Doctor Who: The Glamour Chase
by Gary Russell

‘Why are you here? I mean – who are you, exactly?’

An archaeological dig in 1936 unearths relics of another time... And – as the Doctor, Amy and Rory realise – another place. Another planet. But if Enola Porter, noted adventuress, has really found evidence of an alien civilisation, how come she isn’t famous? Why has Rory never heard of her? Added to that, since Amy’s been travelling with him for a while now, why does she now think the Doctor is from Mars?

As the ancient spaceship reactivates, the Doctor discovers that nothing and no one can be trusted. The things that seem most real could actually be literal fabrications – and very deadly indeed. Who can the Doctor believe when no one is what they seem? And how can he defeat an enemy who can bend matter itself to their will? For the Doctor, Amy and Rory – and all of humanity – the buried secrets of the past are very much a threat to the present...

A thrilling, all-new adventure featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Books