The Time of the Doctor DVD/Blu-ray release details announced

Friday, 20 December 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
Details have been revealed for the DVD and Blu-ray releases of The Time of the Doctor - with Region 2 getting a two-disc set comprising all the Eleventh Doctor's Christmas specials as well as extra content from this year's offering, which sees Matt Smith bow out as the Doctor.

To be released on Monday 20th January as a box set and entitled The Time of the Doctor + Other Eleventh Doctor Christmas Specials, the Region 2 contents will be as follows:
The BBC Shop is also doing an exclusive T-shirt and DVD/Blu-ray offer for the release.

The one-disc Region 1 DVD/Blu-ray of The Time of the Doctor will be released on Tuesday 4th March, comprising this year's Christmas episode and the extras Behind the Scenes of The Time of the Doctor, Farewell to Matt Smith, and Tales from the TARDIS. None of the previous Christmas episodes will be included.




FILTER: - Merchandise - USA - UK - Time and the Doctor - Series Specials - Blu-ray/DVD

Strax Field Report

Friday, 20 December 2013 - Reported by Melad Moshiri
The BBC have released a teaser to promote The Time of the Doctor for its Christmas premiere.

The latest Strax Field Report shows Sontaran Commander Strax chronicling the Doctor's lives from his first incarnation to his eleventh incarnation.


When discussing the Eighth Doctor, the now established regeneration sequence from Paul McGann to John Hurt is shown.

Concerning the ongoing regeneration body question, Strax refers to John Hurt's incarnation as the "warrior" (War Doctor) before proceeding to regard Christopher Eccleston's as the "ninth" Doctor.

The Time of the Doctor premieres in the UK on BBC One on Christmas Day at 7:30pm.




FILTER: - Time and the Doctor

Blue Peter sonic device contest winners announced

Thursday, 19 December 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
The three winners of the Blue Peter competition to design sonic devices to be used in Doctor Who were announced today on the CBBC magazine show's Christmas special.

Last month, viewers aged between six and 15 were invited to come up with gadgets that could be used by the characters Commander Strax, Madame Vastra, or Jenny Flint - and the show received some 3,600 entries over 12 days.

The winners were revealed on today's edition as 13-year-old Connor from Somerset, 11-year-old Arthur from Hampshire, and seven-year-old Amber from Kent. (No surnames were given.) They were chosen by a panel of judges that included Doctor Who's head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, producer Nikki Wilson, production designer Michael Pickwoad, and brand account manager Edward Russell, Blue Peter editor Ewan Vinnicombe and series producer Ellen Evans, plus CBBC presenter Chris Johnson.

Connor designed a sonic gauntlet for use by Jenny. His intricate invention included a tumbler to make locks fall apart, a radioactivity measurer and receiver dish, and a watch that shows the conductivity of metal in a lock. Moffat said that the design was a multi-purpose toolkit that fitted in your arm and could do a whole manner of things:
We love this because it looks really cool. It looks quite steam-punk – it looks Victorian, but looks technological at the same time, and I can just imagine Jenny Flint when she goes out in the morning needing something like that on her arm.
Arthur's design was a sonic lorgnette – a pair of handheld eyeglasses - for Commander Strax. It included an X-ray lens for seeing inside people and objects, a thermal lens for detecting people, and a sonic light. Moffat called it a beautiful design that was perfect for Strax:
You feel you want to pick it up and hold it, but it's also about the other side of his life because - of course - Strax is a nurse and this allows him to examine his patients and see what's wrong with them. I think it will be very funny seeing Strax's big clumsy hands holding that.
Amber's winning device for Madame Vastra was a sonic hat pin that works as a remote control for her carriage but can also turn into a sonic sword that increases in size with the flick of a special switch, and Moffat said:
The sonic hat pin is a glorious idea. It can actually summon her carriage just by plucking it out of her hat, and she can lock it as well. It's funny, it makes absolute sense and it's got a little dinosaur feather in it, which sells it to me.
In an interview recorded for the show, he said:
All the finalists, they've all won because every single one of these ideas is good enough to be in Doctor Who . . They're all brilliant . . . There were so many stories there, that's what impressed me. It wasn't just the idea or the drawing or something simple, it was the whole back story to what this does, what its limitations are, what it costs you, how it gives you something. It's more than just design, it's actual narrative, and a huge exercise of the imagination.
Vinnicombe told BBC staff magazine Ariel:
The Doctor Who production team gave us a great opportunity. They offered us the option of three characters, which was brilliant because it gave every child a chance to design for their favourite one.
The winners joined Blue Peter presenters Barney Harwood, Lindsey Russell and Radzi Chinyanganya in Salford and will also be invited to Cardiff to see their devices being used on the Doctor Who set.

A video message of congratulations from actors Dan Starkey, Neve McIntosh and Catrin Stewart, who portray Strax, Vastra and Jenny respectively, was played during the show, with the trio saying they were looking forward to using the new devices in the series.

The winning designs are shown here:


and are also featured, along with the designs that were runners-up, in an online gallery, while the programme is currently available to watch in the UK via the BBC iPlayer (go to 16:44).





FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Doctor Who - Competitions

Two revealing Christmas episode pictures released

Thursday, 19 December 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
Two more pictures from The Time of the Doctor have been released by the BBC, with both of them appearing to show the Doctor - as played by Matt Smith - naked inside the TARDIS.


They were released to media following last night's press screening of the Christmas episode. The event was held at the BFI in London, as tweeted by Doctor Who brand account manager Edward Russell:



The episode - Smith's last as the Doctor - airs on BBC One on Christmas Day at 7.30pm.




FILTER: - Time and the Doctor - Matt Smith - Publicity - BBC

The Time of The Doctor: extended trailer

Wednesday, 18 December 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
BBC America have released an exclusive new one minute trailer for the forthcoming Christmas Special, The Time of The Doctor, due to premiere in the United States on Christmas Day at 9:00pm ET.





FILTER: - BBC America - Online - Time and the Doctor - Publicity

Steven Moffat in praise of Remembrance of the Daleks

Wednesday, 18 December 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
With the 50th anniversary of the first appearance of the Daleks on TV screens fast approaching, a video tribute by Doctor Who's current showrunner Steven Moffat to their last story during the classic era - Remembrance of the Daleks - was posted today by the BBC on the programme's official site.

In the piece, he says of the 1988 four-parter:
Terrific script, terrific, pacy, very modern, very of-its-time script, very, very well directed and with one of the best spaceship landings we've had in Doctor Who. Back in the day when they had no CGI, when they barely had post-production, a spaceship landing in a school playground . . . they did it superbly. Genius! And a superlative story.
Moffat's comments were recorded last year as part of a mini series in which he talked about the Daleks in general to publicise their return in Asylum of the Daleks and, in subsequent video posts, looked at what he considered to be the best and most significant Dalek adventures.





FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Online - Seventh Doctor - Second Doctor - First Doctor - Classic Series

The Moonbase DVD Details

Wednesday, 18 December 2013 - Reported by Connor Johnston
BBC Worldwide have released the artwork, trailer and details for the forthcoming DVD of the second Doctor story The Moonbase, which is due for release in the United Kingdom early January next year.

The DVD was originally due to be released this October, with animated versions of episodes 1 and 3. However, this was later put on hold to allow further work on the animation to be completed.

Starring Patrick Troughton as the Doctor, Michael Craze as Ben, Anneke Wills as Polly, Frazer Hines as Jamie and guest-starring Patrick Barr, Andre Maranne and Michael Wolf, The Moonbase was originally screened in February and March 1967, and with episodes 1 and 3 animated it will become the earliest complete Troughton story available on DVD.
In 2070 the Doctor and his travelling companions Jamie (Frazer Hines), Polly (Anneke Wills) and Ben (Michael Craze) arrive on the Moon and set out to visit the Moonbase, a manned structure used to control the Earth's weather through a device known as the Gravitron. All is not well on the Moonbase, however, with many of its crew suffering from a mysterious virus.
Special features on the DVD include:
  • Fully remastered Episodes 2 and 4.
  • Newly animated Episodes 1 and 3, with original off-screen soundtrack recordings.
  • Commentary on Episodes 2 and 4: a traditional commentary with actors Anneke Wills, Frazer Hines and Edward Phillips and Special Sounds creator Brian Hodgson.
  • On Episodes 1 and 3, a series of interviews featuring writer Kit Pedler's daughters Lucy Pedler and Carol Topolski, archive interviews with producer Innes Lloyd, assistant floor manager Lovett Bickford, and Cyberman actors Barry Noble, Derek Chaffer and Reg Whitehead. Moderated and linked by Toby Hadoke.
  • Lunar Landing – Cast and crew look back on the making of the story. With actors Anneke Wills, Frazer Hines and Reg Whitehead, plus production assistant Desmond McCarthy.
  • Photo Gallery – Production, design and publicity photos from the story.
  • Coming Soon – A trailer for a forthcoming DVD release.
  • Radio Times listings.
  • Programme subtitles.
  • Subtitle production notes.

The DVD is available to order at amazon.co.uk and amazon.com.




FILTER: - Merchandise - Second Doctor - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD - Patrick Troughton

BBC One Christmas Day Trailer

Tuesday, 17 December 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The BBC have released a trailer for Christmas Day programming on BBC One, which as well as including Doctor Who (7:30pm) also features Strictly Come Dancing (5:00pm), Call The Midwife (6:15pm), Eastenders (8:30pm), Mrs Brown's Boys (9:30pm) and Michael McIntyre's Showtime (10:00pm).





FILTER: - Time and the Doctor - Publicity - BBC

Canada changes start time of Christmas episode to show Matt Smith special

Tuesday, 17 December 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
Canadian TV channel Space will be broadcasting The Time of the Doctor an hour later than originally planned to make way for the documentary Doctor Who: Farewell to Matt Smith, it has announced.

The Christmas episode will now go out at 9pm Eastern Time/6pm Pacific Time, with the retrospective being added to the schedule and taking the episode's original slot of 8pm (ET)/5pm (PT).

Space's revised Doctor Who programming over Christmas is now currently as follows (all times as ET):
    Thursday 26th December
  • 12.10am – An Adventure in Space and Time
  • 2am – Doctor Who: Farewell to Matt Smith
  • 3am – The Time of the Doctor
  • 4.30am – The Day of the Doctor
UPDATE - 18th DECEMBER: Space has subsequently made more changes to its schedule, including moving the drama An Adventure In Space and Time from late night on 25th December to just into 26th December. The above blocks now show all the correct transmission times at present.




FILTER: - Canada - Specials - Time and the Doctor - Broadcasting

Doctor Who and Torchwood items at Bonhams Entertainment Memorabilia Auction

Friday, 13 December 2013 - Compiled by Chuck Foster and John Bowman
A wide variety of items from Doctor Who and Torchwood are to be auctioned in London next week. Bonhams' entertainment memorabilia sale will be held at its Knightsbridge auction venue on Wednesday 18th December, starting at midday, with viewings taking place every day from Sunday 15th December up to the sale.

Out of the 417 lots in the sale, 55 relate to the two series, with items ranging from scripts and artwork to costumes, props, and a signed postcard from Patrick Troughton while he was the Doctor.

Lot 147: Captain Jack Harkness, a collection of part costumes

Television Memorabilia: Torchwood: John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, a collection of part costumes, 2006-2009, comprising a full-length RAF blue Great Coat, double-breasted with domed gilt RAF-style buttons with raised wings and crown motif and Group Captain epaulettes, shortened for running scenes, labelled in the inside jacket pocket Angels, handwritten in blue ink John Barrowman, May '07, with attached BBC stocknumber; together with from unknown episodes, four pairs varying style grey wool trousers, four navy blue Ralph Lauren Polo Sport t-shirts, four cotton shirts, in varying blue and navy weaves (13)
Lot 168: A Taran Wood Beast Costume

Television Memorabilia: Doctor Who: The Androids of Tara - A Taran Wood Beast costume, November - December 1978, comprising: a mask in the formed as scaled face, protruding eyes and teeth, of synthetic fur, papier-mache, foam, latex, plastic and polystyrene, with tieing straps, with body/ jump suit, of synthetic fur effect fabric, and foam, with detachable section to reverse, with padded hands, and attached claws, house on a wicker mannequin, together with a reproduction image featuring the piece, head width approximately 20 inches (51cm)
Lot 173: Original handwritten postcard addressed to Henry Soskin from Patrick Troughton

Television Memorabilia: Doctor Who / Patrick Troughton: An original handwritten postcard addressed to Henry Soskin (Henry Lincoln) from Patrick Troughton regarding his authorship, circa 1968, believed to relate to The Web of Fear, in blue ink 'Dear Henry, Sooper (sic) Script specially (sic) No.6. Very Happy. Thank You. Do Some More Please. Please. Pat. T.

SALEROOM NOTICES: Please note: From information provided by the vendor, this lot relates to the episode Doctor Who and the Abominable Snowman not The Web of Fear as stated in the catalogue.
Lot 179: The Web of Fear - an original Yeti homing device prop

Television Memorabilia: Doctor Who/Patrick Troughton - The Web of Fear - An original Yeti homing device prop,
1968
, the hollow figure of stained mix media resin, on base, together with a reproduction image featuring the piece, height 4¾ inches (11.5cm)

FOOTNOTES: Provenance: From the Estate of Bob Slatford, BBC Visual Effects Department between 1986-1974. Working alongside Jack Kine and Bernard Wilkie.

Full list of related auction items


Torchwood:
LotDescriptionEstimate (£)
127Collection of part costumes worn by John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness in Series 3350-550
128Model flayed corpse250-350
129Pair of prosthetic Weevil masks300-500
130Collection of prosthetic corpse body parts and torsos300-500
131Costume for Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper in Sleeper250-300
132Collection of part costumes worn by John Barrowman in Series 2350-550
133Collection of part costumes worn by Kai Owen as Rhys Williams in Series 2300-500
134Collection of part costumes worn by Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto Jones in Series 2400-500
135Costume worn by Eve Myles in A Day In The Death250-300
136Three-piece part costume worn by Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones in Dead Man Walking250-350
137Two part costumes worn by Demetri Goritsas as Franklin and Ethan Brooke as Gray in Adam300-500
138Costume worn by Eve Myles in Meat300-500
139Assorted props including severed head300-500
140Various costume parts worn by Naoki Mori as Toshiko400-600
141Collection of costume parts for Eve Myles in Out of Time250-350
142Part costume worn by John Barrowman in They Keep Killing Suzie400-600
143Collection of costumes worn by Eve Myles300-500
144Costume worn by Eve Myles in Countrycide300-500
145Two part costumes worn by Eve Myles in Ghost Machine250-350
146Collection of part costumes worn by Burn Gorman as Owen Harper300-500
147Collection of part costumes worn by John Barrowman, including RAF blue great coat700-900
148Costume worn by Eve Myles in End of Days250-300
149Collection of part costumes worn by John Barrowman, including 'Belstaff' beige bomber jacket400-600
150Collection of part costumes worn by John Barrowman, including RAF blue great coat600-800
Doctor Who:
LotDescriptionEstimate (£)
151Helmet-less Cyberman from Silver Nemesis1000-1500
152Destroyed Dalek, believed to be from Remembrance of the Daleks4500-5000
153Studio floor plan from The Trial of a Time Lord, plus assorted photos100-150
154Sharaz Jek head cowl from The Caves of Androzani700-900
155Rehearsal scripts for "Planet of Fear" (aka Planet of Fire)200-300
156Scripts and related material from Snakedance350-450
157Neman and Katura costume designs from The Keeper of Traken800-1200
158Seron and Tremas costume designs from The Keeper of Traken800-1200
159Varsh's dagger from Full Circle300-500
160Scripts and other material from Castrovalva300-400
161Original artwork for Doctor Who Annual 1980 (Reluctant Warriors)600-800
162Original artwork for Doctor Who Annual 1980 (Reluctant Warriors)600-800
163Original artwork for Doctor Who Annual 1979 (The Power)1000-1200
164Original artwork for Dalek Annual 1978 (The Castaway)500-600
165Original artwork for Dalek Annual 1978 (Davros - Genius or Madman?)500-700
166Original artwork for Dalek Annual 1978 (The Castaway)500-600
167Original artwork for Doctor Who Annual 1977 (The Body Snatcher)1000-1200
168The Taran Wood Beast costume from The Androids of Tara1500-2000
169Dove Pan magic trick prop from The Talons of Weng-Chiang700-900
170Set of four camera scripts for The Time Warrior1000-1500
171Camera script/shooting schedule for episode 3 of The Curse of Peladon250-300
172Rehearsal scripts for episode 1, 2 and 5 of Doctor Who and The Dominators1200-1800
173Postcard to Henry Soskin (Lincoln) from Patrick Troughton500-800
174Camera scripts for episodes 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 of The Web of Fear2500-3500
175Carbon copy letter from Henry Lincoln to Mervyn Haisman about The Abominable Snowmen, plus script pages250-350
176Rehearsal scripts for episodes 1-5 of The Web of Fear2500-3000
177Draft scripts for episodes 1-6 of The Abominable Snowmen, hand annotated by Henry Lincoln4000-6000
178Rehearsal scripts for episodes 1-6 of The Abominable Snowmen3000-5000
179Original Yeti homing device prop from The Web of Fear2000-3000
180Original TARDIS prop model (1960s)2000-3000
181Original hollow Yeti homing device prop from The Web of Fear2000-3000

It should be noted that some lots are subject to shipping and handling restrictions.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Torchwood - UK - Auctions - Patrick Troughton