Australian ratings and news

Monday, 4 August 2008 - Reported by Adam Kirk

Doctor Who's excellent ratings in Australia continue despite tough competition from the commercial networks. It has now broken the one million mark for an unprecedented six weeks in a row. The Sontaran Strategem rated 1,039,000 viewers in the five major capital cities, while The Poison Sky rated slightly more with 1,064,000. The Confidential Cutdown versions of 'Send in the Clones' and 'Sontar-Ha!' also rated extremely well gaining 934,000 and 853,000 viewers respectively in the five major capital cities. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is also making the most recently broadcast episodes of 'Doctor Who' and 'Confidential Cutdown' available on the weekly 'CatchUp' section of its new ABCiView internet TV service.

Meanwhile, in the local media Tim Hunter of The Age praises Catherine Tate and Russell T. Davies for bringing back Donna Noble despite the misgivings of many fans. CitySearch also previews 'The Sontaran Strategem' while Tim Artlett of The Daily Telegraph writes 'if your car has a GPS, best to avoid [this] episode . . . [but] although the aliens . . . might look like recycle bins or spare R2D2 parts, the fast pace is addictive and the climax will leave fans aching to know what happens next.' Catherine Deveny of 'The Age' also gives 'The Poison Sky' the pick of the day: 'Drama, comedy, science fiction all rolled together with David Tennant on top' while Melinda Houston of The Sunday Agealso gives this episode three stars.

Meanwhile, the TV Tonight blog reports that Channel Ten still intends to broadcast series two of Torchwood, either on its main channel or its high definition channel. Last year, series one of 'Torchwood' was moved by Channel Ten mid-series from prime time to a midnight timeslot due to disappointing ratings.

Update: 5 August 2008: David Tennant's appearance on Top Gear, in the reasonably priced car segment, has also seen Australian public broadcasterSBS score excellent ratings. The broadcaster, which has the smallest audience share of the five major Australian TV networks, received 1,042,000 viewers in the five major capital cities for the 'Top Gear' series final.

Thanks to contributors to the Australian forums

FILTER: - Ratings - Australia

Two Who Picks on TV GUIDE Favorites

Monday, 4 August 2008 - Reported by DWNP Archive

Posted By Brigadier Bill

The TV Guide listings magazine in the United States has published a list of "hottest Sci-Fi stars".

John Barrowman was number 9 on the list with the judges saying "This man does not get enough attention in the States. He's gorgeous and possibly one of the funniest actors I've ever seen. He's so charismatic, not to mention he can kiss anyone and make it hot!"

David Tennant came in at number 7 because "It's the mussy hair, the expressive eyes, the adorable dimples when he smiles and the accent. Or maybe it's the talent. Whatever it is, he's got it."

FILTER: - Press

April Novel Information

Thursday, 31 July 2008 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

Covers and Blurbs have now been released for the three New Series novels set for release in April. The novels, each featuring a New Series villain, will feature the 10th Doctor travelling alone.

Judgement of the Judoon by Colin Brake

Elvis the King Spaceport has grown into the sprawling city-state of New Memphis - an urban jungle, where organized crime is rife. But the launch of the new Terminal 13 hasn't been as smooth as expected. And things are about to get worse... When the Doctor arrives, he finds the whole terminal locked down. The notorious Invisible Assassin is at work again, and the Judoon troopers sent to catch him will stop at nothing to complete their mission. With the assassin loose on the mean streets of New Memphis, the Doctor is forced into a strange alliance. Together with teenage private eye Nikki and a ruthless Judoon Commander, the Doctor soon discovers that things are even more complicated - and dangerous - than he first thought... Featuring the Doctor as played by David Tennant in the hit BBC Television series.

The Slitheen Excursion by Simon Guerrier

1500BC - King Actaeus and his subjects live in mortal fear of the awesome gods who have come to visit their kingdom in ancient Greece. Except the Doctor, visiting with university student June, knows they're not gods at all. They're aliens. For the aliens, it's the perfect holiday - they get to tour the sights of a primitive planet and even take part in local customs. Like gladiatorial games, or hunting down and killing humans who won't be missed. With June's enthusiastic help, the Doctor soon meets the travel agents behind this deadly package holiday company - his old enemies the Slitheen. But can he bring the Slitheen excursion to an end without endangering more lives? And how are events in ancient Greece linked to a modern-day alien plot to destroy what's left of the Parthenon? Featuring the Doctor as played by David Tennant in the hit BBC Television series.

Prisoner of the Daleks by Trevor Baxendale

The Daleks are advancing, their empire constantly expanding in to Earth's space. The Earth forces are resisting the Daleks in every way they can. But the battles rage on across countless solar systems. And now the future of our galaxy hangs in the balance... The Doctor finds himself stranded on board a starship near the frontline with a group of ruthless bounty hunters. Earth Command will pay them for every Dalek they kill, every eye stalk they bring back as proof. With the Doctor's help, the bounty hunters achieve the ultimate prize: a Dalek prisoner - intact, powerless, and ready for interrogation. But where the Daleks are involved, nothing is what it seems, and no one is safe. Before long the tables will be turned, and how will the Doctor survive when he becomes a prisoner of the Daleks? Featuring the Doctor as played by David Tennant in the hit BBC Television series.

FILTER: - Books

North American DVD Release Update

Thursday, 31 July 2008 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

BBC Worldwide Americas have announced a pair of releases for November. The Complete Fourth Series and The Infinite Quest will both be released in North America on November 18th, 2008.

The Complete Fourth Series box-set will include Voyage of the Damned, as well as Children in Need skit Time Crash, which was not shown in North America.

The Infinite Quest will be a single disc release of the animated adventure featuring the Tenth Doctor and Martha.

TVShowsOnDVD.com has provided some information about the special features for each release. According to the site, The Complete Fourth Serieswill include cut-down versions of Doctor Who Confidential and commentaries for all episodes. The Infinite Quest will include "over 30 minutes of terrific bonus material", which is presumably the same as the features on the Region 2 release (cast interviews, David Tennant's animation test, behind-the-scenes features on the animation and voiceover, animatics of episodes and deleted scenes, character profiles and a photo gallery).

In other DVD news, a box set of the first season of The Sarah Jane Adventures will be released in North America on October 7th, 2008, and in the UK on November 10th. The set will have four discs, and will include the pilot Invasion of the Bane and all ten episodes from the program's first season. The set will include the following special features:

Interviews with Cast and Crew
Synopses for All Stories
Investigating Tools: A Gadget Glossary
Quiz, with Special Outtakes as Prizes
A Sarah Jane Smith Video Timeline
Behind-the-Scenes Footage
Character and Alien Profiles
Photo Galleries
UK BBC TV spots
Trailers

Cover images below are courtesy of TVShowsOnDVD.com

FILTER: - USA - Blu-ray/DVD

Proms coverage

Monday, 28 July 2008 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

The Doctor Who concert at the BBC Proms has received substantial coverage in the British press. BBC News has a story which includes a brief video interview with Russell T Davies about the concert. In The Times, Caitlin Moran writes about "the hottest ticket in town this week". The concert is also covered by The Independent, The Guardian,The Daily Mail, The Evening Standard and The Sun.

The Doctor Who Prom is available on the BBC iPlayer for the next 6 days. Link to Part One and Part Two.

Thanks to "PolyG" of the Doctor Who Forum.

FILTER: - Special Events

Tate and Agyeman nominated for award

Monday, 28 July 2008 - Reported by Anthony Weight

BBC News reports that both Catherine Tate and Freema Agyemanhave been nominated in the "Favourite Female TV Star" category at this year's British version of the Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice awards.

The awards, run by digital children's television channel Nickelodeon, see children vote for their favourite personalities and programmes. Tate and Agyeman are nominated alongside Miley Cyrus and Miranda Cosgrove. In the "Favourite Male TV Star" category, David Tennant is nominated, facing competition from Dylan Sprouse, Josh Peck and Robin Hood star Jonas Armstrong.

Doctor Who itself is nominated as "Favourite Family TV Show", up against three ITV shows - The X-Factor, Britain's Got Talent and Harry Hill's TV Burp. The Daleks are nominated as "Favourite Baddie", alongside Simon Cowell, Plankton and Randy Orton.

The BBC News report claims that these four nominations are a record for one programme. Votes can be cast on the Nickelodeon website. The awards ceremony will be held in London on the 13th of September.

FILTER: - People - Catherine Tate - Awards/Nominations

BBC Proms

Saturday, 26 July 2008 - Reported by Marcus

The Doctor Who Prom takes place this Sunday, 27th July at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

The BBC Proms, also known as The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, take place every summer in London and have been running since 1895, with the BBC taking charge in 1927. Most famous for the Last Night of the Proms, which features patriotic music, the series takes place over an eight week period and features over 70 concerts.

The Doctor Who Prom takes place at 11am UK time and runs for about two hours. It can be heard on BBC Radio Three via FM Radio in the UK or via theBBC Website.

The concert will be hosted by Freema Agyeman and features a specially written scene starring David Tennant.

Full details of the music will be on the proms website about 1 hour before broadcast and the concert will be available on the BBC iPlayer for 7 days after broadcast.

Programme to include:

Murray Gold Concert Prologue* (3 mins)
Copland Fanfare for the Common Man (3 mins)
Murray Gold All The Strange Strange Creatures* (4 mins)
Mark-Anthony Turnage The Torino Scale (UK premiere) (4 mins)
Holst The Planets - Jupiter (8 mins)
Murray Gold The Doctor Forever* (4.30 mins)
Murray Gold Rose* (1.30 mins)
Murray Gold Martha v The Master* (4.30 mins)
Murray Gold Music of the Spheres (including theme original)* (7.30 mins)
Wagner Die Walküre - The Ride of the Valkyries (5 mins)
Murray Gold The Daleks & Davros* (8 mins)
Murray Gold Donna, Girl in Fireplace, Astrid* (4 mins)
Prokofiev 'Montagues and Capulets' from Romeo and Juliet (5 mins)
Murray Gold This is Gallifrey* (3.30 mins)
Murray Gold Doctor's Theme / Song for Freedom * (5.30 mins)
Murray Gold Doomsday* (5 mins)
Murray Gold Song for Ten* (4 mins)
Murray Gold Doctor Who Theme* (1.30 mins)

FILTER: - Murray Gold - Special Events

News from DWM

Friday, 25 July 2008 - Reported by Anthony Weight

Issue 398 of Panini's Doctor Who Magazine was published in the United Kingdom yesterday, and contains several pieces of information of interest concerning the forthcoming special episodes of Doctor Who.

It is confirmed that the title of this year's Christmas episode - which will be 60 minutes long - is not "The Return of the Cybermen", as some have surmised from the teaser trailer at the conclusion of "Journey's End". This was merely a teaser description of the episode. It is also confirmed that actors David Morrissey, Dervla Kirwan and Velile Tshabalalawill be guest- starring in the episode, with Kirwan playing a character named Miss Hartigan. Andy Goddard directs, withSusie Liggat producing.

Of the four further specials which will follow in 2009, it is announced that Russell T Davies will write two of them solo, with the other two to be co-written with Gareth Roberts and Phil Ford respectively. Roberts penned "The Shakespeare Code" and "The Unicorn and the Wasp" for Doctor Who, while Ford wrote "Eye of the Gorgon" and "The Lost Boy" for The Sarah Jane Adventures - the series for which he is now chief writer - and "Something Borrowed" for Torchwood. His work on the special will make him the only writer after Davies to have written for all three shows.

Elsewhere in the magazine, information is given on release dates for the remaining classic series DVD releases of 2008. "The Trial of a Time Lord" comes out on August 18, "Four To Doomsday" on September 15, "The War Machines" on September 29 and finally "Battlefield" on December 29.

FILTER: - Specials - Production - DWM - Series 4/30 Specials

Big Finish: Stage Play Reprisals, New Unbound

Friday, 25 July 2008 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Big Finish Productions has announced some casting news for its upcoming audio adaptation releases of the three Doctor Who stage plays from years past.

Trevor Martin, who played the Doctor in the 1974 stage play "The Seven Keys to Doomsday," will reprise the role for the audio adaptation, whileCharlie Hayes will play companion Jenny; Hayes is the daughter of actress Wendy Padbury, who played Jenny during the play's initial run and also played Zoe Heriot in the late 1960s TV episodes with Patrick Troughton. Colin Baker reprises the role of the Doctor in "The Ultimate Adventure" and is joined by David Banks as Karl, reprising his role from that play; Banks is also familiar to Doctor Who fans as the Cyberleader from 1980s Doctor Who, and also understudied the role of the Doctor in several performances during the play's original run. Finally,"Curse of the Daleks" features actor Michael Praedas the lead character, Ladiver; he is joined by actor John Line, who played Ladiver in the original play's run back in 1965 and here plays Professor Vanderlyn.

The audio adaptations of the stage plays will be released by Big Finish in late September (The Ultimate Adventure), October (The Seven Keys to Doomsday) and November (Curse of the Daleks).

Meanwhile, the company has also announced the scheduling of The Masters of War, the long awaited eighth installment of their "Doctor Who Unbound" audio series by Eddie Robson, for December release. The play features the return of David Warner as the alternate third Doctor, which he created in "Sympathy for the Devil", alongsideNicholas Courtney playing the version of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart that goes traveling with the Doctor at the end of the previous tale. Terry Molloy returns to the role of Davros for the installment.

FILTER: - Audio - Big Finish

RSC Bans Sci-Fi Autographs for Hamlet

Friday, 25 July 2008 - Reported by DWNP Archive

Posted By Brigadier Bill

The Royal Shakespeare Company has set limits on what fans can bring to be signed by David Tennant and Patrick Stewart during the upcoming production of Hamlet. BBC NEWS reports that sci-fi related murchandise will not be allowed for the actors to sign.

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) says only programmes and other Hamlet merchandise can be autographed at the stage door. "Due to the huge amount of interest in the RSC's current production of Hamlet, only Royal Shakespeare Company or production related memorabilia will be signed by members of the company," the RSC said. "It is very flattering that there is so much interest in this production, but the sheer volume of requests means that we need to set some limits which will be as fair as possible for everyone."

Tennant and Stewart are starring in the RSC production at the Courtyard Theatre, in Stratford.

The play opens on 5 August.

FILTER: - David Tennant

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