Doctor Who World Premiere Announced

Friday, 4 July 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Series Eight (Credit: BBC/Ray Burmiston)The 2014 series of Doctor Who will have its World Premiere in Cardiff on August 7, BBC Wales has announced today.

The screening will mark the start of the shows world tour, and will be fans’ first chance to see Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor, alongside Jenna Coleman as on-screen companion Clara, in episode one of the new series, Deep Breath.

The stars will be attending the lunchtime St David’s Hall red carpet event, together with lead writer and producer Steven Moffat.

Tickets will be available to the public from St David’s Hall Box Office from Monday 7 July.

BBC Wales Director Rhodri Talfan Davies says:
Doctor Who is getting even bigger and even better - and it's a real thrill that the show's fans here in Wales will be the very first to see the new Doctor at this very special premiere screening. Doctor Who has been made in Wales for almost ten years - and we're so proud of its worldwide success.
The event is held in association with BFI Sci-Fi: Days of Fear and Wonder, the full programme for which will be announced later this month.




FILTER: - Special Events - Series 8/34

Final Series 8 Writer Confirmed

Friday, 4 July 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Frank Cottrell BoyceThe BBC have confirmed the news, originally reported in October, that the award-winning novelist and screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce will be writing an episode of Doctor Who for Series Eight.

The novelist is best known for his children's books for which he has won two awards, the 2004 Carnegie Medal for Millions, and the 2012 Guardian Prize for The Unforgotten Coat. He also worked on the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.

Cottrell Boyce’s episode for the thirty-fourth season of Doctor Who will feature a cast of child actors including Harley Bird, the voice of household favourite Peppa Pig, alongside Abigail Eames (Harry And Paul, The Crimson Field), Ashley Foster (The Woman In Black) and Jaydon Harris-Wallace (CITV Text Santa).

Cottrell Boyce spoke of his joy at writing for the series:
I was flabbergasted to be asked to write an episode - partly because I’ve been so absorbed in the last few series that I’d sort of forgotten that it wasn’t real.

Of all the thrills that pen and paper have brought into my life, there’s nothing that quite compares to the buzz of unlimited possibility that rushes through your fingers and into your brain when you write the words: ‘Interior … TARDIS’
Steven Moffat, lead writer and Executive Producer, says:
Frank's script is pure magic - and everything I could have hoped for from the genius behind the Olympics opening ceremony!! Doctor Who is born anew in the mind of a genius!
The episode will be directed by Sheree Folkson (Casanova, Hit & Miss), and produced by Paul Frift (Escape Artist, Best Possible Taste, Restless).

Cottrell Boyce is the final confirmed writer for the series, working on episode ten. The other writers confirmed for the eighth series are Mark Gatiss, Phil Ford, Gareth Roberts, Peter Harness, Steve Thompson and Jamie Mathieson as well as showrunner Steven Moffat himself.

Doctor Who returns on Saturday 23rd August.





FILTER: - Production - Series 8/34

Win a sonic screwdriver remote control with DWA

Thursday, 3 July 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
Doctor Who Adventures is giving readers the chance to win a sonic screwdriver universal remote control in its latest issue.

It is inviting them to say what they would do if they had their own sonic - and the top three answers will win a universal remote control.

Issue 349 - which is out now - sees the start of a new feature entitled Monsterchef, in which readers can learn how to turn a pizza into a monster meal. It also has a comic-strip adventure for the Doctor and Clara that has been written by former script editor Andrew Cartmel.

The magazine comes with free Sontaran and Weeping Angel mini armies, plus:
  • What would happen if the Weeping Angels teamed up with the Daleks?
  • The latest photos from the new series
  • Dalek secrets
  • How would you battle aliens?
  • Strax's guide to Zygons
  • Puzzles and posters
  • Goodies to be won
Issue 349 of DWA is available until Tuesday 15th July.




FILTER: - Magazines - DWA

Cybermen Monster File ebook released by BBC

Thursday, 3 July 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
An interactive ebook history of the Cybermen has been released globally by the BBC as an experiment - and is available free to UK licence-payers until the end of this month.

The Doctor Who: Cybermen Monster File features every version of the Cybermen, with the baddies being brought to life using clips, photos and in-depth information. The ebook also includes a new and exclusive story entitled Cybermen: Status Update, written by Joseph Lidster and narrated by Nicholas Briggs, who has been the voice of the Cybermen since their return to the show in 2006.

The ebook - which has been created by the BBC and is being distributed internationally by BBC Worldwide - also features galleries and the real-life story behind the metal monsters. There are interactive sections on the world of the Cybermen, where everything from Handles to Cybermats and the CyberKing is investigated, and there are quizzes as well.

After the free offer for UK licence-payers expires - at 11.59pm BST on 31st July 2014 - they will be able to buy it on iTunes, Android stores, the Kindle Fire App and Google Play. It should be noted that if it is downloaded for free then removed from a device, it will not be available for free reinstallation after then.

The interactive multi-media digital book is designed to be viewed on Android tablets, Apple iPads and Kindle Fire tablets. It can also be viewed on Mac computers with OS X Mavericks.

The file will take up 370MB on Apple and 295MB on both Android and Kindle. In addition, the installation process means that 590MB of file space is needed on Android and Kindle Fire tablets.

To view the ebook on an Apple iPad it must have iBooks 3 or later and iOS 5.1 or later, or a Mac with iBooks 1.0 or later and OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) or later. If syncing via the iTunes desktop application version then 11.1.3 or later is required. To view it on an Android tablet you must have Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and up. If you want to view it on a Kindle Fire tablet it has to be running Android 4.0 and up.

The BBC says the purpose of the experiment is to explore a different platform for delivering additional content to audiences. It adds that the ebook has been co-funded with money from the UK licence fee and, as such, is being made free to UK licence-payers until the end of this month.

UK licence-payers can download it for the iPad from here, for the Android from here and for the Kindle Fire from here.

People outside the UK can buy it now via these links: iTunes, Google Play, Amazon.

Watch a trailer for the ebook below:





FILTER: - Merchandise - Books - BBC Worldwide - BBC

Space Helmet for a Cow

Thursday, 3 July 2014 - Reported by Marcus
A new book from Mad Norwegian Press is being published to mark Doctor Who's 51st Birthday.

Space Helmet for a Cow: The Mad, True Story of Doctor Who (1963-1989)

In Space Helmet for a Cow, Paul Kirkley (SFX magazine) provides a sweeping, wry and warm look at the behind-the-scenes story of Doctor Who - not just the greatest TV show ever made, but frequently the most insane TV show ever made. Which other program, for example, would attempt to sink Atlantis, wage inter-planetary war and crash Concorde - all in BBC Television Centre, on a budget that would barely cover a sitcom?

This is the story of how, over 50 years, a bunch of very clever, very dedicated and sometimes plain crazy people made Doctor Who happen, often against seemingly insuperable odds; a story of triumph and tragedy, tears and tantrums, and an awful lot of men called Donald.

Space Helmet for a Cow also answers the burning questions few have dared tackle before. Questions like: How does a talking cabbage get an Equity card? What would have been in William Hartnell's Glastonbury set? And if you meet a Yeti coming out of a loo in Tooting Bec, how long should you give it?

Published 9 December 2014. Available to pre-order on Amazon.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Books

Editorial: This Week in Doctor Who international contributors requested

Wednesday, 2 July 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
This Week in Doctor WhoBack in November, Doctor Who was awarded the Guinness World record for the largest ever simulcast for a television episode, officially reported as 94 countries. Though a number of those fall within the reach of BBC Worldwide's Entertainment and HD channels, there are still a wide variety of television channels around the world that broadcast the show!

Originally launched in 1998 by Benjamin Francis Elliott, This Week in Doctor Who continues to report on where Doctor Who and its related programmes are shown; however, whilst we are aware of many international broadcasts, there are certainly other non-English channels that we have yet to catalogue. Also, even though we do cover a number of worldwide channels through their online listings, these don't always provide much detail on which episodes are actually being shown (or in some cases are misleading).

We would like to hear from any of our international readers (i.e. outside of the United Kingdom) who are able to assist in reporting on what is actually being broadcast in their countries, whether these include advertising, are cut, subtitled, dubbed, etc., and also local coverage of the show in the media which isn't always available online. In addition, we would like to know about general Doctor Who news within those countries, and welcome anyone who might wish to write articles for Doctor Who News itself.

If you are interested in contributing to This Week in Doctor Who and Doctor Who News then please contact us via our applications address, letting us know which country you are from and what's happening Doctor Who-wise locally.

Thanks for any help you can provide.
The Doctor Who News Team

We would also like to increase our pool of reviewers for Doctor Who (and other series) related publications, audio, and other merchandise; if you might be interested in writing reviews then please let us know at the above email address.




FILTER: - International Broadcasting - Editorial - Broadcasting

Peter Capaldi News

Wednesday, 2 July 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Peter Capaldi's Celebrity School Report and Signed Photo is being auctioned for Cecily's Fund, a charity that works to provide orphans and vulnerable children and young people in Zambia with access to education.

The unique school report is handwritten and signed by Peter Capaldi on behalf of Dr Who. It grades the Doctor on subjects including history (exceptionally good) and Dalek fighting (A+). The report also includes a doodle of a Dalek and comes with a signed photo of Capaldi.

Other reports are also available including items from Hugh Bonneville, Bill Nighy and Joanna Lumley.

The auction on ebay closes on 4th July.

Meanwhile Capaldi has joined Hollywood star Brad Pitt as a trustee of The Mackintosh Appeal, raising money to help the The Glasgow School of Art recover from a serious fire which damaged The Mackintosh Building at the heart of the school campus, in May.

Capaldi is a former student of the art school.




FILTER: - Peter Capaldi - Charities