International Roundup

Wednesday, 16 December 2009 - Reported by Marcus
Cable channel Space have issued a Press Release on the Canadian showing of The End of Time on 2nd January, originally reported here. As well as previewing the upcoming special the Channel will be devoting InnerSPACE on December 18th to Doctor Who including an interview with Russell T Davies. The channel also confirms it will be showing Matt Smith's first series in the Spring of 2010.

Meanwhile Australian fans are being offered the chance to download Voyage of the Damned free from iTunes courtsy of Australian paper The Age.
Follow the Doctor Who News Page on Follow Doctor Who News on Twitter




FILTER: - Canada - Specials - Australia

Moffat announces monster return

Tuesday, 15 December 2009 - Reported by Anthony Weight

Interviewed by writer and journalist Matthew Sweet in tonight's edition of Night Waves on BBC Radio 3, new Doctor Who lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat announced the return of a race of monsters to face new Doctor Matt Smith in the next series of the programme in 2010. After discussing various aspects of what it was like being in charge of Doctor Who, at the end of the interview Sweet asked Moffat if he could reveal one piece of information known to nobody outside of the production team, as a "teaser" for the next series. Moffat's answer is given in the spoiler box below.


"The Weeping Angels are coming back!"






FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Production - Radio - Series 5/31

Doctor Who items on sale at Bonhams

Sunday, 13 December 2009 - Reported by Anthony Weight

Auctioneer Bonhams has a number of lots related to Doctor Who in its entertainment memorabilia sale on Wednesday 16th December at Knightsbridge in London.

Going under the hammer are the following (estimate in brackets):

Two vampire guard costumes from State of Decay (£150-£200 and £200-£300)

A Tetrap costume (pictured) from Time and the Rani (£4,000-£4,500)

Thawn's costume from The Power of Kroll labelled with actor Neil McCarthy's name (£650-£750)

Four rehearsal scripts from The Robots of Death (£250-£300) with a short, typewritten letter dated 14th October 1976 indicating that the part of SV7 was originally offered to the actor Hilary Minster.The role was eventually played by Miles Fothergill. Minster appeared in Planet of the Daleks and Genesis of the Daleks.

A Time Lord robe believed to have been used in The Deadly Assassin and Arc of Infinity (£500-£600)

A partial Cyberman costume worn by Ken Barker in Attack of the Cybermen (£2,500-£3,000)

A Shrivenzale foot from The Ribos Operation (£400-£450)

The auction begins at midday.





FILTER: - Special Events - UK - Classic Series

Merry Christmas from The Doctor and BBC One

Sunday, 13 December 2009 - Reported by Marcus
The BBC have released a couple of Christmas messages from David Tennant, as The Doctor, wishing viewers a Merry Christmas, both of which are available on the BBC's YouTube Channel.

The last time The Doctor gave a Christmas message was 44 years ago at the end of the episode The Feast of Steven, broadcast on Christmas Day 1965, when William Hartnell raised a glass and wished a 'happy Christmas to all of you at home.'





The YouTube channel also has a number of clips from the upcoming Doctor Who themed edition of Never Mind The Buzzcocks.





FILTER: - Specials - Broadcasting

Steven Moffat on Radio 3

Friday, 11 December 2009 - Reported by Anthony Weight

Steven Moffat, the new lead writer and executive producer of Doctor Who, will be interviewed on BBC Radio 3's Night Waves programme this coming Tuesday, the 15th of December. The programme is presented by Matthew Sweet, runs from 9.15-10pm, and according to Sweet "He's one of a series of people we're talking to next week who have also recently taken over important cultural appointments."

Sweet is himself a long-term Doctor Who fan, who has written several articles about the programme in the mainstream British press in the past decade, particularly for The Independent newspaper. He has also written professional Doctor Who fiction himself, in the form of audio dramas and short stories for Big Finish Productions.

Night Waves can be heard live worldwide on the internet, and listened to again on the BBC iPlayer. You can keep track of all major Doctor Who-related programmes on British TV and radio this Christmas with our broadcast summary.




FILTER: - Steven Moffat - People - Radio

Sarah Jane Final Ratings

Friday, 11 December 2009 - Reported by Marcus
Final Ratings Data is now available for the entire run of Series Three of The Sarah Jane Adventures.

The final two episodes of the series got a rating of 0.95 million for Part One of The Gift and 0.89 million for Part Two. The audience share for both episodes was 7%.

The ratings were once again much higher than the average for BBC One at this time of day with the programmes reaching three times as many viewers as is usual for the timeslot. The audience profile was consistent with this time of day suggesting that The Sarah Jane Adventures was being seen by a substantial number of its target audience on CBBC.

A comparison with other new CBBC shows transmitted at this time shows just how well the show is doing with The Sarah Jane Adventures getting more than double the average achieved by other programmes.

The highest rated episodes of the series were the two parts of The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith, which saw David Tennant guest starring as the Doctor. This episode also scored the highest AI figure for the series with a score of 89.



Full Audience data is available on Gallifrey Base.




FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Sarah Jane

Doctor Who Adventures - 145

Friday, 11 December 2009 - Reported by Marcus
In this week’s Doctor Who Adventures you’ll find a story guide about Journey’s End. As Davros and the Daleks plan to destroy the universe the Doctor needs some of his best friends to help him stop them.

The Magazine asks why do strange things keep happening to Donna and her family? Find out in this week’s fact file.

Doctor Who Adventures also reveals ten of the most grisly goodbyes in Doctor Who. Look out for cyber shocks and the kiss of death!

All this, plus  the Tenth Doctor in this week’s Countdown to Change, as well as a free Doctor Who gift.




FILTER: - Magazines - DWA

TARDIS lands at Caerphilly

Thursday, 10 December 2009 - Reported by Marcus
Several papers have picked up on the arrival of the TARDIS at Caerphilly Castle in South Wales. The appearance is to promote the castle's Medieval Christmas fayre this weekend. The blue police box is located on top of the Inner East Gatehouse tower and will be lit up during the night. It will stay there until the New Year.

The castle was used to film some scenes for The End of Time.

The story is reported in The Mirror, The Sun, Wales Online and BBC News. Thanks to ahremsee of Gallifrey Base for the pictures.




FILTER: - Press

Shada Sacrificed?

Thursday, 10 December 2009 - Reported by Marcus
BBC News have published an article looking into the circumstances leading to the cancellation of the 1979 Tom Baker story Shada.

The piece is written by Shaun Ley and is in conjunction with his Radio 4 programme Shelved, due for transmission this weekend.

The article provides new insight as to why the programme was abandoned. In the BBC Official History, being written by Professor Jean Seaton, it is suggested that the programme was sacrificed deliberately to make a political point regarding the effects of industrial action by the Broadcasting Unions.

The full programme can be heard on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday.




FILTER: - Radio - Press

The End of Time Parties

Thursday, 10 December 2009 - Reported by Chuck Foster
David Tennant's Doctor Who finale, The End of Time Part Two, will be celebrated by two free pub events, both running from 3pm to 10:30pm on New Year's Day. One takes place in London in Farringdon, with the other taking place in Manchester at The Lass O'Gowrie pub on Charles Street.

Says Doctor Who fan and Lass O'Gowrie publican Gareth Kavanagh: "We'll be using all our big screens and pub system to create a fantastic atmosphere befitting the end of an era. It's free to attend - however, it's first come, first served. Under-16s are fine to stay until 9.30pm but they must be accompanied by an adult." For more details contact Gareth at info@thelass.co.uk.

The London event is organised by Jeremy Bentham, who has arranged parties for the premiere of all four series of 21st Century Doctor Who to date; for more details on where the party will take place, contact him at jjbentham@aol.com.




FILTER: - Specials - Special Events - Series 4/30 Specials