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

Final Ratings Update

Friday, 9 July 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: TARDISFinal figures are now available for the BBC HD showing of Doctor Who: The Big Bang and give the episode an official rating on the channel of 0.58 million viewers. This, along with the previously reported figure of 6.12 million viewers on BBC One, gives the episode a total rating of 6.7 million viewers. Full details for the week are still not available, but it is likely this will make Doctor Who the 10th most watched programme of the week.

Final figures for the whole series show that, despite recent press speculation, Doctor Who is still achieving remarkable ratings for the BBC and remains one of its most successful products. Once consolidated figures are published then the five series of the show, shown since the return in 2005, have all achieved remarkably similar average ratings of around 8 million viewers. Matt Smith’s first series just out-rates David Tennant’s first two series but comes behind Tennant’s last series. The variable earlier start times given to Series 31 compared to recent series appear to have resulted in more of the audience recording the show for later viewing, meaning lower overnights, but balanced when final consolidated figures are published

In terms of Chart position, once HD figures are included, Doctor Who has finished in the weekly top twenty throughout the series, with seven episodes finishing in the top ten. The high was 3rd place for The Eleventh Hour and the low was 20th for The Lodger, shown against World Cup football. The average chart placing was 12th, which again is higher that achieved by three of the previous four series.

One of the big successes of the recent series has been the take up on iPlayer. This year was the first time the whole series has been available during its run. Over 2 million have now accessed The Eleventh Hour and it has become by far the highest accessed programme in the BBC iPlayer history. The iPlayer simply measures those who have accessed the programme and no data is available to covert this figure to ratings in the conventional sense. However the figure does give an indication of how popular the programme is with the audience.


Full ratings for the series can be found in Gallifrey Base.






FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 5/31

Australian ratings for The Pandorica Opens

Tuesday, 6 July 2010 - Reported by Adam Kirk
The 'fast-tracked' Doctor Who continues its strong ratings in Australia. TV Tonight reports that The Pandorica Opens averaged 890,000 viewers in the five major capital cities, again despite stiff competition from the commercial networks. Yet again it was the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's top-rating program of the day, rating higher than its popular Sunday 7pm news and Little Dorrit (the latter which only averaged 645,000 viewers in the five major capitals) being the eleventh highest rating program for the day overall. The corresponding Confidential Cutdown also rated an excellent 670,000 viewers in the five major capitals.




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

Doctor Who themed courses (Australia)

Tuesday, 6 July 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The National Institute of Dramatic Art (Kensington, New South Wales, Australia) are presenting a number of short courses for children on the production of Doctor Who. Arranged in association with BBC Worldwide, the courses cover a range of activities over the next couple of weeks:

Imagine entering the fascinating world of Doctor Who these Winter Holidays. NIDA, together
with BBC Worldwide, has developed specially themed courses that will bring the world of
Doctor Who to life for you.


Acting on Screen Adventures : Doctor Who
Identify and experience the essentials of screen acting as you work on scripts from the Doctor Who series. Discover how to work with green screen technology, develop skills in characterisation and rehearse and film scenes to camera.
9-11 Years, 8 to 9 July, Thursday to Friday, 10.00am-4.00pm, $195 (earlybird $180)

Acting on Screen : Doctor Who
Identify and experience the essentials of screen acting as you work on scripts from the Doctor
Who series. Discover how to work with green screen technology, develop skills in characterisation and rehearse and film scene work to camera. This course is designed for
committed young people wanting to explore strategies for approaching acting on screen.
12-16 Years, 12 to 16 July, Monday to Friday, 10.00am-5.00pm, $525 (earlybird $475)

Create a Doctor Who Alien
Develop skills in costume design and making as you conceptualise and create your own Doctor Who
alien costume. Create character voices and devise a performance piece to be featured in a lunchtime performance in the NIDA foyer.
9 Years+, 12 to 14 July, Monday to Wednesday, 10.00am-4.00pm, $295 (earlybird $270)

Flight of the TARDIS
Travel through time and space with the Doctor and his companions. Open doors to new realities and meet the characters that live there. Using costumes and props as a trigger, develop skills in characterisation, devising scenes, and acting with green screen technology.
6-8 Years, 15 to 16 July, Thursday to Friday, 10.00am-4.00pm, $195 (earlybird $180)

Fantasy Landscape : Doctor Who
Put yourself in control of the action by creating your own model landscape inspired by Doctor Who. Develop design and craft skills in model making with industry professionals.
8 Years+, 12 to 14 July, Monday to Wednesday, 10.00am-4.00pm, $330 (earlybird $300)

(Unfortunately at the time of reporting a couple of other courses on Designing and Film-Making had already commenenced, so haven't been detailed here.)

For more information on the courses/booking, visit the NIDA website.




FILTER: - Special Events - Australia

Doctor Who: The Big Bang - Final Ratings

Monday, 5 July 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: The Big BangFinal figures for the final episode of the recent series of Doctor Who, The Big Bang, are partially available from BARB, with the BBC One showing getting 6.12 million viewers.

This was enough to make it the ninth most watched programme of the week for BBC One.

Final figures for BBC HD have not yet been released and will hopefully be available later in the week, at which time a final chart position can be calculated.

The final audience for the Sunday repeat of The Big Bang was 0.72 million.

Full ratings for the series so far can be found in Gallifrey Base.




FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 5/31