Media Catchup: Monday

Monday, 18 November 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
As the week heads inexorably toward the 50th Anniversary broadcast there is plenty of media coverage relating to Doctor Who; what follows is a summary of where to the related links so far.

(note: the BBC radio broadcasts are available worldwide, but video broadcasts may be unavailable outside the United Kingdom.)

Television

Doctor Who featured on BBC's Breakfast this morning, with an item by entertainment correspondent Liza Mzimba on filming The Day of the Doctor, including interviews with Matt Smith, David Tennant, John Hurt and Jenna Coleman. The article is available to watch via the BBC iPlayer.

The local news programme South Today reported on the filming of The Sea Devils in Portsmouth, including behind-the-scenes footage. The programme is available via the BBC iPlayer (from 20:35) until tomorrow around 6:30pm.

Buckingham Palace played host to cast and crew from the series in order to celebrate the 50th Anniversary; this was covered by BBC News with photos from the event available via the BBC's Doctor Who website. It was briefly mentioned as part of a longer report on Doctor Who on the BBC's Six O'Clock news, which is available to watch via the BBC News website.

Programming today in the UK included the premiere of Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide on BBC3, and the continuing broadcast of The Night of the Doctor on the BBC Red Button; in the USA and Canada the premiere of Tales from the TARDIS was broadcast on BBC America and SPACE respectively. BBC America also showed Professor Brian Cox's The Science of Doctor Who which had been shown in the UK last Thursday, and have uploaded videos on YouTube including: Arthur Darvill, Karen Gillan, Alex Kingston wishing a happy 50th Anniversary, an interview with Matt Smith, David Tennant and Steven Moffat, and Sir Ian McKellen professing his love for Matt Smith.

You can also catch up with the latest field report from Strax, this time on Queen Elizabeth ...

Radio

BBC Radio 4's Today programme featured an interview with (birthday boy) Steven Moffat recorded back during filming of The Day of the Doctor, with him discussing what he wanted to achieve from the story, and looking back over the rich history of the series. It can be heard via the BBC iPlayer (from 2:20:15), and also as a clip from the BBC News site.

BBC Radio Solent are running a regular item on Doctor Who in the Solent area during the Alex Dyke show around 11:30am. This morning's show looked into filming of The Sea Devils in Portsmouth (tying into the television item above), and also Jon Pertwee's connection with the area. (BBC iPlayer - from 1:38:10).

BBC Radio Norfolk are also running a regular item about Doctor Who's association with Norfolk on Chris Goreham at Breakfast; this morning included an interview with Brian Hodgson. (full programme on BBC iPlayer)

BBC Radio 1's Gemma Cairney spoke to Claudia Grant and Jemma Powell about the 50th Anniversary drama An Adventure in Space and Time. (BBC iPlayer - from 01:39:43)

BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's Naked Scientist looked into how technology has helped restore old Doctor Who episodes, with producer Paul Vanezis and restoration expert Peter Crocker discussing working on the recent recoveries including The Web of Fear. (BBC iPlayer - from 24:50)

BBC Scotland's Get It On With Bryan Burnett marked 50 years of Doctor Who with songs and artists referencing doctors, from Dr Hook to Dr Beat". (BBC iPlayer)

In Australia, ABC National Radio broadcasted an item looking at the role of female companions of Doctor Who; the item can be heard via ABC's website.

Misc Media Items

A selection of 50th Anniversary related items in the media.




FILTER: - WHO50 - Radio

An Adventure in Space and Time: preview and trailers

Monday, 18 November 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The BBC have released a preview clip from An Adventure in Space and Time, featuring Brian Cox as Sydney Newman and Jessica Raine as Verity Lambert. Plus, both BBC America and ABC1 in Australia have released their own trailers for the drama.





FILTER: - WHO50

Royal Reception for the Doctor

Monday, 18 November 2013 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who has been honoured with a reception at Buckingham Palace to mark the series' fiftieth anniversary.

The reception was attended by past Doctors Tom Baker and Peter Davison as well as the current incumbent Matt Smith and The War Doctor John Hurt.

Held at the official London residence and principal workplace of the British monarch, the reception was hosted by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, the daughter-in-law of the Queen.

Also attending were current showrunner Steven Moffat, today celebrating his 52nd birthday, and current companion Jenna Coleman. The event was held in the Bow Room of the Palace, which had been decked out with Daleks and a TARDIS in honour of the event.

Former companion Catherine Tate was also invited as well as senior members of BBC management including Director General Lord Hall and Director of Television Danny Cohen.

Also present were children from two Cardiff schools, Gladstone Primary and Mount Stuart Primary, who entered a local competition to design a Tardis for the Queen. One of the winners, Hafza Hassan, 10, had painted a gold-plated time machine with a Union flag door, while Emily Parnce, 11, had included a dog flap for the Queen's corgis and an illuminated crown on the roof.

Sophie, Countess of WessexTom Baker & Peter DavisonJohn HurtMatt SmithSteven MoffatTom BakerPeter DavisonJenna ColemanCatherine TateTARDIS




FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Doctor Who - Special Events - Tom Baker - Matt Smith - Jenna Coleman -

Big Finish release The Time Machine

Monday, 18 November 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The status of the last part of the Destiny of the Doctor series, The Time Machine, had been uncertain since the series publisher AudioGo entered administration last month; however, the series producers Big Finish have now announced that they will be releasing the final adventure on CD and download, completing the collection which kicked off in January with Hunters of Earth.

Destiny of the Doctor: The Time Machine (Credit: AudioGo)Destiny of the Doctor: The Time Machine
Starring Jenna Coleman, Michael Cochrane (Chivers), and Nicholas Briggs (The Creevix) (pre-order)

23 November 2013. In an Oxford laboratory, graduate Alice Watson helps Professor Chivers assemble the final pieces of an impossible machine. A time machine.

The scientist and his assistant believe they are making history, little suspecting that the project’s completion will threaten the existence of the entire universe. But someone has sensed the danger, and when the mysterious Doctor arrives, Alice is taken on a desperate race from libraries and dreaming spires all the way to the nightmare world of Earth’s future. The monstrous Creevix are coming. They seek control of time itself and are certain that the Doctor is already too late to stop them. But can the key to saving the future lie in the Time Lord’s past lives?

For more details, see the Big Finish website.





FILTER: - Audio - Eleventh Doctor - WHO50 - Big Finish

Day of the Doctor DVD extra content revealed

Monday, 18 November 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
The extra content for the DVD and Blu-ray release of The Day of the Doctor was revealed today - including another mini-episode.

BBC Worldwide said the 50th-anniversary episode would be accompanied by the following:
  • The Night of the Doctor mini-episode
  • The Last Day - a second mini-episode
  • Doctor Who Explained
  • Behind The Lens
  • The Day of the Doctor TV trailer
  • 50 Years of Doctor Who trailer
The release will also contain English subtitles for the hard of hearing, audio description, and audio navigation. The main feature will have a 5.1 soundtrack.

It will be released for Region 2 (the UK, rest of Europe, and Ireland) on Monday 2nd December (pre-order DVD, Blu-ray), and for Region 1 (USA and Canada) on Tuesday 3rd December (pre-order DVD, Blu-ray/DVD combo - two discs). Please note that the Blu-ray release will play normally on both 3D and standard Blu-ray players but the 3D will only work on a Blu-ray 3D player. Release dates for other regions are unknown at the moment.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Day of the Doctor - BBC Worldwide - WHO50 - Blu-ray/DVD

Behind the scenes of The Day of the Doctor

Monday, 18 November 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
A behind-the-scenes report on The Day of the Doctor was shown on BBC One's Breakfast today.

Presented by entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba, the four-minute piece included interviews with Matt Smith, David Tennant, John Hurt, and Jenna Coleman.

Watch the report below. (NB: May not play outside the UK.)





FILTER: - Day of the Doctor - Matt Smith - Jenna Coleman - David Tennant - John Hurt - BBC

Sunday Overnight Viewing Figures

Monday, 18 November 2013 - Reported by Marcus
BBC Three finished its countdown of Doctor Who: Greatest Monsters & Villains on Sunday evening with the top three Monsters and Villains as voted for by viewers to the channel.

The format featured a three-minute potted history of the featured villain, followed by the screening of an appropriate episode of Doctor Who. Coming in at number 3 was the Master and a screening of the 2007 story Utopia. The episode had an overnight viewing figure of 0.51 million viewers, a 1.9% share of the total audience.

At number two were the Weeping Angels, the episode the 2007 story which introduced the Angels Blink. It was watched by 0.66 million, a 2.4% share.

Finally for the series, at number 1 were the show's longest-running villains the Daleks. The episode shown was the 2005 story which introduced the menace to a whole new generation of fans, the Christopher Eccleston story Dalek. It was watched by an average 0.69 million viewers, a 2.6% share. BBC Three was the highest-watched digital channel during the transmission of the series.




FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 3/29 - Series 1/27

The Big Issue celebrates Doctor Who's 50th

Monday, 18 November 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
The new edition of street magazine The Big Issue - out today - marks the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who with a cover feature.

Editor Paul McNamee said:
We kick off our run of five bumper editions leading up to Christmas with a Doctor Who special. As the anniversary of that show approaches, with a number of Doctors together on screen and fan-mania growing, we have a collection of fantastic features.
These include:
  • An interview with Matt Smith detailing working on screen with David Tennant
  • A piece from Who-obsessive, screenwriter, and man of letters Mark Gatiss
  • Pieces from Karen Gillan and Eddie Izzard plus a panel of experts explaining what deeply-held psychological fear each Who monster plays to and why we can't escape them
  • A big Doctor Who competition with prizes including a TARDIS teapot
This special edition of the weekly magazine will be available from vendors everywhere across Britain except for a pocket around Manchester and the north-west, which is served by The Big Issue In The North.

The Big Issue is written by professional journalists and helps homeless and vulnerably-housed people by giving them the chance to earn their own money. Vendors buy the magazine at a reduced rate and sell it for the cover price, keeping the difference. Please note that the magazine should only be bought from badged vendors.

If people are unable to get hold of the publication, they can e-mail office manager Robert White via robert.white@bigissue.com.

UPDATE - TUESDAY 19th NOVEMBER: The Big Issue has got £1,800-worth of Doctor Who goodies to give away, including prints, DVDs, and Weeping Angel costumes. Editorial co-ordinator Steven MacKenzie told Doctor Who News:
It doesn't just have to be people who have already bought the magazine who can enter.
The closing date is Wednesday 27th November. Full details are available here.




FILTER: - UK - Magazines - WHO50

Doctor Who motion moved in Australian Parliament

Monday, 18 November 2013 - Reported by Adam Kirk
An Australian parliamentarian, George Christensen MP, proudly wearing a Fourth Doctor scarf, has presented a motion in the Australian Parliament, acknowledging the strong links between Australia and Doctor Who on the 50th anniversary of its debut. Mr Christensen mentioned the important role that a number of Australians have played in the long history of Doctor Who, including C.E. "Bunny" Webber, Anthony Coburn, Ron Grainer, Dudley Simpson, "adopted Aussie" Katy ManningJanet Fielding and Kylie Minogue. Mr Christensen's speech can be seen here on YouTube.

The motion also proposed that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Screen Australia and the various Australian state-based film funding bodies consider offering finance to entice the BBC to film the 2015 series in Australia to mark the 50th anniversary of its first Australian screening in 1965. The motion attracted bipartisan support and three other parliamentarians spoke in its favour.

The motion and its call for Doctor Who to be filmed in Australia has received some local media, including ABC BrisbaneABC North Queensland, the Herald Sun and ninemsn.
Australian MPs Graham Perrett, Dr Andrew Leigh, George Christensen and Alex Hawke with a blow up Dalek spoke in Parliament on the 50th anniversary of Dr Who. Photo: Andrew Meares, Sydney Morning Herald.




FILTER: - WHO50 - Australia

Details announced of Splendid Chaps Christmas show

Monday, 18 November 2013 - Reported by Adam Kirk
.As previously reportedSplendid Chaps is a year-long performance/podcast project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who hosted by comedian Ben McKenzie (Dungeon CrawlMelbourne Museum Comedy Tour), writer John Richards (ABC1 sitcom OutlandBoxcutters podcast) and actress and singer Petra Elliot.

Described by its creators as part intellectual panel discussion, part nerdy Tonight Show, Splendid Chaps is a combination of analysis, enthusiasm and irreverence. The first episode went to number 1 on the iTunes TV & Film Podcast chart in Australia, and to number 4 in the UK. The podcasts to previous episodes are now available at www.splendidchaps.com or at iTunes.

Tickets are now on sale for their Christmas showTo see out this year of Doctor Who, the chaps look at all the Time Lord goodness that didn’t fit into the rest of the year, including not-quite-Doctors Peter Cushing and Richard E Grant, and spin-off K9 & Company. There’ll be special guests, songs from house band The Time Lads and a cardboard Dalek too.

This show will also be raising funds for the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) and Medecins San Frontieres (MSF).

Space: The Bella Union, upstairs, Melbourne Trades Hall, corner of Lygon and Victoria Streets, Melbourne
Time: Sunday, December 15; doors open from 4:30 PM
Accessibility: This venue is wheelchair accessible; please contact the venue for lift access.
Tickets: $20 (including booking fee)
Bookings: via bellaunion.com.au online, or at the door (subject to availability)
Podcast: not yet available; released 23rd of December, 2013.

With thanks to John Richards





FILTER: - Special Events - Fan Productions - Australia