Eight million watch The Eleventh Hour

Sunday, 4 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus

Unofficial overnight figures show The Eleventh Hour was watched by 7.7 million viewers on BBC One with another 0.3 million watching on BBC HD, giving a total audience of 8.0 million viewers.

The programme has a share of 36.8% of the total viewing audience.

The programme was by far the most watched on British television on Saturday night, beating second placed Casualty by nearly 2.5 million viewers. The BBC comprehensively ruled the night with the top six programmes and eight out of the top ten. Ant & Dec's Push the Button scored highest for ITV 1 with just 3.9 million watching while Harry Potter had an average of 2.9 million viewers.

With one day to go, Doctor Who is the 8th highest programme of the week in a top ten which, apart from Doctor Who, consists entirely of the soaps EastEnders and Coronation Street.

On BBC Three, Doctor Who Confidential was watched by 0.88 million viewers. The programme had a 4.3% share of the audience and was the second most watched multi-channel programme of the day.

Final figures will be released in about 10 days time.

FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 5/31

Eleventh Hour - Initial Reaction

Saturday, 3 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus

The Eleventh Hour made its debut in the United Kingdom earlier this evening and reviews of the episode are appearing online.

Warning: Some of the reviews may contain spoilers for those who haven't seen the episode.

The Telegraph says Matt Smith has taken up the mantle as the alien Time Lord perfectly, giving an A+ to the casting director and an A+ to Smith, while it describes Karen Gillan as a fine foil. The Mirror breaths a sigh of relief with the headline Phew.. a brilliant new Doctor Who saying the Beeb’s best franchise is in safe hands while The Guardian said some of the plot devices were a brilliant conceit that puts a new spin on a 50-year-old dynamic. The Mail says this was a deft first episode, packed with one-liners and an even more fantastical feel than of late, but with that old reassuring combination of intense Britishness, quirkiness and a sense of the macabre. And The Independent thinks Moffat has clearly picked the right leading man saying he is the Doctor. And he might be more the Doctor than anyone who was the Doctor before.

Fan reaction has been overwhelmingly positive with over 80% of contributors to the Gallifrey Base poll rating the episode 8/10 or more. Doctor Who and Matt Smith have both been trending topics on twitter.

To mark the transmission the BBC Doctor Who website has been updated with behind the scenes material, a clean version of the theme music and a tour of the new TARDIS interior.

Overnight ratings will be released Sunday morning and will be available on the News Page.

FILTER: - Press - Series 5/31

Final Countdown

Saturday, 3 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus

The countdown continues to the launch of Series 31 of Doctor Who later today, 46 years, 4 months and 11 days since the series first graced British television screens in November 1963.

To mark the day The Daily Telegraph has compiled an A-Z of Doctor Who facts, from Aliens to Z-Neutrino Energy, full of useful information from the series long history.

Meanwhile Den of Geek has gone behind the scenes to give a list of what it regards as the best ten Doctor Who producers over the years.

The Sun concentrates on a preview of Karen Gillan and the way her life will change after the transmission of The Eleventh Hour. It has a slideshow of Doctor Who companions over the years. MTV quizzes Steven Moffat, while the Times talks films and fans with Matt Smith.

Digital Journal follows up its story on the fifth anniversary of the show’s return with a look forward to the opening episode – while bemoaning the fact that America will need to wait another fortnight – and also takes a look at the UK and Australian première of K9.

The Eleventh Hour can be seen on BBC One and BBC HD at 6.20pm tonight.

FILTER: - Press

The Doctor and Douglas - Now Online

Friday, 2 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus

The BBC Radio 4 documentary The Doctor and Douglas was broadcast Friday morning.

The documentary is available worldwide on the BBC iPlayer for the next seven days.

As a new generation of fans await the debut of the 11th incarnation of the Doctor, long-time fan Jon Culshaw travels back in time to look at the man who changed Doctor Who forever: Douglas Adams.

After years toiling for success as a writer, in 1978 Douglas' world turned upside down. Just weeks after the radio series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was commissioned, so was his first script for Doctor Who. The following year - just as Hitchhikers was taking off - he was offered the job as script editor, one of the most demanding jobs in television.

The scripts he wrote for Doctor Who - The Pirate Planet, City of Death and Shada - still stand as a benchmark for the series today. But his time on the series was beset by problems. Technician strikes would seriously affect production, inflation was squeezing the series budget, and Douglas was exhausted by the simultaneous demands of Hitchhikers and Doctor Who.

Nevertheless, Douglas left an indelible mark on Doctor Who, bringing in a sharp wit that hadn't been seen before in what was ostensibly a children's TV series. Today's crop of writers and producers strive to emulate the intelligence, humour and ideas in Adams' scripts from 1979.

Jon Culshaw looks at Douglas' work on a television institution, talking to the writers, directors and actors who worked with him, and looks at the legacy of his work on Doctor Who with new executive producer Steven Moffat.

Produced by Simon Barnard and Kieron Moyles. This is a Wise Buddah production for BBC Radio 4.

FILTER: - Documentary - Classic Series

New Series Round Up

Friday, 2 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus

Steven Moffat has recorded a special introduction to The Eleventh Hour, which can be viewed on the official website.

In the UK, the publicty push for the new series continues with Karen Gillan appearing on GMTV and on CBBC sometime on Friday morning. BBC America viewers can catch Matt Smith's meeting with Jonathan Ross this Friday at 10pm ET.

Meanwhile the BBC Big Screen events continue at five locations around the UK until Saturday. ReelScotland has a review of the first day of the Edinburgh event.

The event includes a showing of the 3D version of the trail, which is also available on the BBC YouTube Channel. Special glasses are needed to view it in its 3D glory. Instructions on how to make a pair are available on the BBC bang goes the theory site.

FILTER: - Special Events - Series 5/31

Kamelion Extras

Thursday, 1 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus

2 entertain have confirmed to DWM the extras for the upcoming DVD release of the Fifth Doctor storiesThe King's Demons and Planet of Fire, which will be released in the UK as a Kamelion box-set.

The King's Demons

Commentary with Peter Davison and Isla Blair, who played Isabella, as well as former script editor Eric Saward.
Second commentary with the story's Director Tony Virgo. Part One only
Kamelion - Metal Man : Looking at the history of the short lived companion
Magna Carta: Exploring the great charter.

Planet of Fire

Commentary with Peter Davison, Nicola Bryant, Mark Strickson and director Fiona Cumming
The Flames of Sarn: Documentary on the making of the story
Return to the Planet of Fire: Fiona Cumming and Malcolm Thornton revisit Lanzarote
Designs on Sarn: Malcolm Thornton on designing the show
Deleted Scenes
Extended Scenes
Continuity

An alternative version of Planet of Fire will be presented on a second disc, a new version cut by director Fiona Cumming, containing previously unseen material and special effects. It will be in a 16:9 format and the audio will be in 5:1 surround sound.

Extras on the second disc

Calling the Shots: Looking at the story's production
Remembering Anthony Ainley: A look back at the life of the actor

The box set is released in the UK on 14th June.

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Rare Doctor Who Photos Found

Thursday, 1 April 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Over a dozen never before published colour photos from the filming of the 1967 Doctor Who story The Abominable Snowmen have been discovered, and will be featured in the forthcoming limited edition version of Deborah Watling's autobiography Daddy's Girl from Fantom Publishing.

Says co-writer Paul Ballard:

It really was an exciting find! We were trawling through the masses of documents, cuttings and photos in the Watling family archive when we chanced upon a huge box of holiday slides. One of the cases was labelled very faintly as Dr.Who (Wales).

There are a selection of photos featuring the cast – including Debbie’s father Jack Watling, and co-stars Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines – and crew filming with the dreaded Yeti up Snowdonia.

Also contained in the limited edition hard back will be a treatment for a series entitled House of Watling. This comedy was due to be launched by ITV in the early eighties and would have seen the whole family playing themselves in a variety of real life situations. This is the first time the full premise will be made available to the public.

The book will be launched at the Utopia event at Heythrop Park on the weekend on 15-16 May. You can pre-order the book at the Fantom Films website.

FILTER: - Merchandise - Books - Classic Series

Matt Smith on One Show - Tonight

Thursday, 1 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus

Matt Smith joins Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley in the studio for tonight's One Show on BBC One at 7.00pm.

The show is available on the BBC iplayer for the next seven days.

FILTER: - Matt Smith - Broadcasting

Victory of the Daleks - Press Release

Thursday, 1 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus

The BBC Press Office has released details of the third episode of the new series Victory of the Daleks.

The story by Mark Gatiss will air in the UK on 17th April. The time is provisionally set as 6.20pm - 7.25pm, although there has been no indication that the episode is any longer than the usual 45 minutes. The extra time listed probably belongs to Casualty which is currently listed as 30 minutes long. Final schedules will be released next Wednesday.

The Doctor has been summoned by an old friend, but in the Cabinet War Rooms far below the streets of blitz-torn London, it's his oldest enemy he finds waiting for him, as the time-travelling adventures continue. The Daleks are back – but can Winston Churchill be in league with them?

FILTER: - Series 5/31 - Broadcasting

Doctor Who Magazine wins Guinness World Record

Thursday, 1 April 2010 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who Magazine has been named by Guinness World Records as the world's Longest Running Magazine Based on a Television Series.

It joins Doctor Who, which itself is a record holder, having been named the Worlds Most successful sci-fi series in 2009 as well as being the Longest running sci-fi series.

The magazine was first published on 11th October 1979, and since then has published at least one issue every month, issue 420 being released this week. The award comes as the magazine enjoys one of its most successful periods in its history.

Originally part of Marvel Comics the magazine was first published as Doctor Who Weekly featuring the then current Doctor, Tom Baker, and a Dalek on its first cover. The editor was Dez Skinn who presided over the first 22 issues. In September 1980 the magazine became Doctor Who Monthly before changing to Doctor Who Magazine in February 1984. The title was taken over by the current owners Panini in 1995 when the Italian based publisher purchased the Marvel UK catalogue.

The Magazine has had 11 editors over its long run, the longest serving being Clayton Hickman who edited 74 issues of the magazine between 2002 and 2007. Other long running editors include Gary Gillatt, (69 issues), John Freeman (49 issues), Alan McKenzie (48 issues), Gary Russell (37 issues) and Sheila Cranna (31 issues). Russell is now involved with the production of the current series as Script Editor.

The current editor is Tom Spilsbury who took over the magazine in 2007.

FILTER: - Magazines - DWM - Awards/Nominations

Previous 10 Stories

Eight million watch The Eleventh Hour

Eleventh Hour - Initial Reaction

Final Countdown

The Doctor and Douglas - Now Online

New Series Round Up

Kamelion Extras

Rare Doctor Who Photos Found

Matt Smith on One Show - Tonight

Victory of the Daleks - Press Release

Doctor Who Magazine wins Guinness World Record

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