The Return of Norton

Sunday, 25 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Norton PromoGraham Norton's second appearance in Doctor Who has provoked a storm of complaints, with many viewers upset at the appearance of a cartoon version of the Irish comic over the cliffhanger of the BBC One showing of The Time of Angels.

The appearance seems to be a bid by the BBC to prevent viewers leaving the channel once Doctor Who has aired. Last week nearly two million viewers left BBC One at the end of Victory of The Daleks. The appearance came at the climax of the episode, covering part of Matt Smith's face. Once the credits were rolling another promo for the Dorothy programme was broadcast.

A number of comments on Twitter have complained about the intrusion with critic Charlie Brooker tweeting "Why don’t the BBC just wipe s*** all over the screen during the final scene of Dr. Who next week? I hope Moffat is bellowing down a phone to someone right now." Simon Pegg, who starred in The Long Game, added "Congrats to the BBC for ruining the climax to Doctor Who with a cartoon Graham Norton telling about another xxxxxx talent show."

Graham Norton first made his presence felt during the first showing of Rose, when crossed wires resulted in a audio feed of his BBC Three programme being transmitted across the first episode of the relaunched Doctor Who series.

Anyone with strong feelings on the appearance can make a complaint via the BBC website, or by phone to 0370 010 0222.






FILTER: - UK - Series 5/31 - Broadcasting

New BBC One ident

Friday, 23 April 2010 - Reported by Anthony Weight

The MediaGuardian website has made available a video of a new BBC One ident for its Saturday night line-up, created for the channel by Aardman Animations, the company behind the award-winning Wallace and Gromit series, amongst many other successful projects. The ident - used to identify BBC One and provide a backdrop to continuity announcements introducing each programme - features the Eleventh Doctor assisting Graham Norton in battling a Dalek attack on BBC Television Centre, and highlights Doctor Who along with its Saturday night stablemates Total Wipeout and Over the Rainbow.




FILTER: - UK - Broadcasting

Moffat delighted with series reception

Friday, 23 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Steven MoffatExecutive Producer Steven Moffat has expressed delight on the reception of the new series and the publics reaction to the Eleventh Doctor. Speaking in Los Angeles, where the Doctor Who team have been stranded due to the ash from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Moffat said
I thought it'd take four or five weeks to get to where we got after the first broadcast, but people just seem to have fallen in love with him instantly.

Moffat said how the series gets super-scary with the next three episodes which see the return of the Weeping Angels.
We're now going for proper scares in four and five, so some good spine chilling stuff on its way. If you took a vote amongst the playgrounds of Britain they'd all be saying 'make it scary, you're meant to be behind that sofa!
Moffat has also written a Blog in which he describes the two-part story as a highly coloured, loud, action-movie and talks of Matt Smith's portrayal of the Doctor as halfway between Indiana Jones and Stan Laurel.

He talks about the first day of filming on the series and describes visiting the location and seeing the TARDIS sitting on the beach followed quickly by the arrival of several paparazzi and a number of fans with cameras.
I was stood on set with my phone, looking at pictures of myself which fans had taken already on the web. On one occasion I saw a photograph of myself watching the filming, which had been uploaded so quickly that I hadn't moved from the position I was in by the time it was on the web!

BBC Gloucestershire have published an article looking behind the scenes at another location for the story, Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean. The 14-acre site features deep gullies and dramatic rock formations known as scowles. It has also been used for location filming for the BBC series Merlin since 2008 and the same forest is said to have inspired JRR Tolkien to write The Hobbit.




FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Series 5/31

Vampires of Venice - Press Details

Friday, 23 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Vampires of VeniceThe BBC Press Office has released details for the sixth episode of the new series, The Vampires of Venice.

The Toby Whithouse story, which stars Helen McCrory as Rosanna Calvierri, is scheduled for Saturday 8th May.
Dessicated corpses, terror in the canal and a visit to the sinister House of Calvierri – the Doctor takes Amy and Rory for a romantic mini-break, as the Tardis touches down once again. But 17th-century Venice is not as it should be. The city has been sealed to protect it from the Plague, although Rosanna Calvierri may have other plans...

Meanwhile schedules for 1st May have been confirmed with the second half of the Weeping Angels story, Flesh and Stone, being shown at 6.25pm on BBC One and BBC HD. ITV1 offers You've Been Framed! as an alternative, with BBC Two showing Newsnight. More News can be seen on Channel 4 while Five has the feature film Two Mules for Sister Sara starring Clint Eastwood.




FILTER: - Series 5/31 - Broadcasting

The End of Time - French translation

Thursday, 22 April 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The first week in March saw the recording of the French translation of David Tennant's final adventure, The End of Time. The recording took place at the Dubbing Brothers studios in Brussels, Belgium, with dialogue written by François Dubuc, and the session directed by David Macaluso.

The role of the Doctor was assumed by David Manet, who has played both the Ninth and Tenth Doctors throughout the series' return. However, the Eleventh Doctor finds a new 'voice' in the form of Belgian stage actor and dubbing artist Marc Weiss. Similarly returning is Franck Dacquin as the Master - he has been John Simm's 'alternative' since Life on Mars.

The principle cast in the story have been dubbed by the following artists:
 
CharacterActorVoice Artist
The Tenth DoctorDavid TennantDavid Manet
The Eleventh DoctorMatt SmithMarc Weiss
Wilfred MottBernard CribbinsDaniel Dury
The MasterJohn SimmFranck Dacquin
The Narrator / Lord PresidentTimothy DaltonPatrick Donnay
Joshua NaismithDavid HarewoodClaudio Dos Santos
Abigail NaismithTracy IfeachorRaphaelle Bruneau
AddamsSinead KeenanFanny Roy
RossiterLawry LewinFrédéric Haugness
Lucy SaxonAlexandra MoenCécile Boland
Donna NobleCatherine TateCarole Baillen
Sylvia NobleJacqueline KingIoanna Gkizas
Shaun TempleKarl CollinsAlexandre Crepet
Rose TylerBillie PiperGeraldine Frippiat
Jackie TylerCamille CoduriNathalie Hons
Martha Smith-JonesFreema AgyemanMélanie Dermont
Mickey SmithNoel ClarkePhilippe Allard
Captain Jack HarknessCaptain Jack HarknessSébastien Hébrant
Sarah Jane SmithElisabeth SladenJacqueline Ghaye
Luke SmithThomas KnightGauthier de Fauconval
Verity NewmanJessica HynesFabienne Loriaux
MinnieJune WhitfieldNicole Shirer
 
Other roles include: Nicole Shirer (Woman); Romain Barbieux (Oods+Ood Sigma); Robert Guilmard (Ood elder+Winston); Jean-Paul Landresse (Oliver); Frederic Meaux (Mr Danes); Jean-Marc Delhausse (President)

There is currently no information as to when The End of Time (or its predecessor The Waters of Mars) will be broadcast in France.





FILTER: - Specials - France - Series 4/30 Specials - International Broadcasting - Europe

Doctor Who Adventures - 163

Thursday, 22 April 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Doctor Who AdventuresThis week Doctor Who Adventures goes behind the scenes of Victory of the Daleks and meets the new Daleks for the first time. Also, Matt Smith reveals all about them in the diary.

Plus this week's gifts include Dalek stationery and a Supreme Dalek poster.

DWA163 is out now, 22nd April.




FILTER: - Magazines - DWA

The Dominators Confirmed for DVD

Thursday, 22 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus
The DominatorsThe BBFC have cleared extras for the DVD release of the Second Doctor story The Dominators.

This 1968 five-part story has been expected ever since an official promo for the story was leaked to YouTube at the end of last year. The story stars Patrick Troughton as the Doctor along with Frazer Hines as Jamie and Wendy Padbury as Zoe.

The story is set on the planet Dulkis, under threat from two alien Dominators, Rago and his subordinate Toba, who have landed in a spaceship. It features the robot Quarks.

Guest stars include Ronald Allen, who was well known at the time for his starring role in the soap opera Compact and later for his role in Crossroads and Brian Cant who was a staple of Children's television in the sixties and seventies, well known for his work on Play School and Play Away and for his narration on the popular Trumpton, Chigley and Camberwick Green puppet series.

Extras Cleared:
  • Commentary
  • Recharge and Equalise - Featurette - 22'55"
  • Easter Egg - 2'34"
  • The Dominators - Photo Gallery - 5'46"
  • Tomorrow's Times - How the media reported on the Second Doctor - 13'12"
No release date for the story has been confirmed but it is likely to be released in July or August.




FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD - Patrick Troughton

Doctor Who Returns to the Proms

Thursday, 22 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Two Doctor Who Proms have been announced by the BBC and will take place over the weekend of 24th/25th July 2010.

This will be the second time music from Doctor Who has been featured at the Proms. Founded in 1895, the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts are an eight-week summer season of orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in South Kensington. Since 1927 they have been run by the BBC. In 2008 a Doctor Who Prom showcased the work of Murray Gold, who has composed the incidental music for Doctor Who since its return in 2005 along with other space related pieces of classical music.

The 2010 season will follow the same format comprising a mix of traditional and modern music. The two proms will have the same running order and both will be hosted by Matt Smith and Karen Gillan and feature the London Philharmonic Choir and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

A number of Who related events have been organised over the weekend.

Tickets will go on sale, online, by telephone and in person on Tuesday 4 May at 8.00am.


SATURDAY 24 JULY 2010
2.00pm Proms Plus: Proms Family Orchestra and Chorus
You know how the theme tune to Doctor Who goes, now come and play it! At the Royal College of Music. Sign up for this event.
5.45pm Proms Intro
Join members of the Doctor Who sound design team to discover how they create the stunning sound scapes for the BBC TV series. Presented by Matthew Sweet. At the Royal College of Music.
Prom 10: 7.30pm–9.30pm
Venue Royal Albert Hall
Tickets £7–£35, price band A or Prom for £5
Broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. Recorded for future broadcast on BBC Three. Available worldwide on iPlayer for 7 days.

Programme to include:
  • Murray Gold Music from the Doctor Who series(c40 mins)
  • John Adams Short Ride in a Fast Machine (5 mins)
  • Holst The Planets – Mars (6 mins)
  • Orff Carmina burana – 'O Fortuna' (5 mins)
  • Wagner Die Walküre – The Ride of the Valkyries (5 mins)


SUNDAY 25 JULY 2010

Prom 11: 11.00am–1.00pm
Venue Royal Albert Hall
Tickets £6–£12, price band G or Prom for £5

Programme to include:
  • Murray Gold Music from the Doctor Who series(c40 mins)
  • John Adams Short Ride in a Fast Machine (5 mins)
  • Holst The Planets – Mars (6 mins)
  • Orff Carmina burana – 'O Fortuna' (5 mins)
  • Wagner Die Walküre – The Ride of the Valkyries (5 mins)
1.45pm Proms Plus: Proms Family Orchestra and Chorus
You know how the theme tune to Doctor Who goes, now come and play it! At the Royal College of Music. Sign up for this event.





FILTER: - Music - Murray Gold - Special Events - Karen Gillan - Matt Smith

First game title revealed

Thursday, 22 April 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The TARDIS materializes in 1963 - and London is in ruins. The Daleks have seized control of time and the only chance of saving Earth lies in a desperate quest to Skaro, the Daleks' home planet - before time catches up with Amy, the last survivor of the human race!

The BBC have announced the name of the first part of the Doctor Who Adventures games. As expected from the trailer this weekend and the publicity yesterday in Sheffield, the Daleks play a major part in City of the Daleks, due to be released for download from 5th June.

The first part is written by Phil Ford:
This is quite a series opener. We destroy London even before the credits role - so you can only begin to imagine where we travel to from there. City of the Daleks is as big-budget as you can imagine: from London we head to Kaalann, the capital city of the Daleks, one constructed from pure anger and hate. And these new Daleks don't like to be messed with, so players are about to enjoy a new interactive episode which is as heart-pulsing as anything you've seen before.





FILTER: - Online - Games

Doctor Who Costumes to be auctioned

Thursday, 22 April 2010 - Reported by Anthony Weight

A knight's cape from the 1965 William Hartnell story The Crusade is one of a number of Doctor Who-related items going under the hammer next month.

Cameo Fine Art Auctioneers in Midgham, Berkshire, is holding a sale of costumes originating from TV, film, and theatrical costumier Angels on Sunday 23rd May.

The cape has an estimate of £400-£500. Other items from Doctor Who include a pair of brown leather shoes worn by Tom Baker throughout the series - these have an estimate of £200-£300 - and a waistcoat worn by Peter Davison in the 1984 story Planet of Fire (est £800-£1,200).





FILTER: - Classic Series - Auctions