Series Two Update

Wednesday, 7 December 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine, #364 (now on newsstands) has a number of new details on Series Two:
Attack of the Graske: The interactive "red button" episode of Doctor Who, to be available immediately after the transmission of "The Christmas Invasion," is proudced by Sophie Fante, who tells DWM that the viewer will be able to fly the TARDIS, 'fight the Graske on the planet Griffoth' and 'hunt the Graske in Victorian London' - the latter is 'an authentic Dickensian Christmas scene, complete with snow'. Besides David Tennant, the cast includes Jimmy Vee, who played the Moxx of Balhoon and the 'space pig' in last year's "The End of the World," as the Graske; Lisa Palfrey as Mum; Nicholas Beveney as Dad; Mollie Kabia as Daughter; James Harris as Son; Robin Meredith as Granddad; Gwenyth Petty as Grandma; Ben Oliver as Urchin; Roger Nott as Older Man; and Catherine Olding as Young Woman. Billie Piper is apparently not in the story. As previously reported, the 'episode' is written by Gareth Roberts and directed by Ashley Way.
Casting: Added to the cast of episodes 5 and 6 (still untitled) are Colin Spaull (who played Lilt in the classic series story "Revelation of the Daleks") as Mr Crane and Helen Griffin as Mrs Moore. DWM confirms the previously reported casting of Shaun Dingwall (Pete Tyler), Roger Lloyd-Pack (John Lumic), Andrew Hayden-Smith (Jake Simmonds) and Don Warrington (the President). Of note is that Tracy-Ann Oberman (playing Yvonne Hartman) is now listed as being part of "block three" instead of these two episodes, as are Adam Shaw (Morris) and Freema Agyeman (Adeola); this fits in with the possibility that the final two episodes are being filmed concurrent with the Cybermen two-parter by director Graeme Harper.
Production: Block Three (directed by Graeme Harper) began filming at the start of November, and will continue until Christmas, before being completed in the New Year. Filming was apparently rained out on 8 November. Block Four began pre-production at the start of December, while Episode 1 was ‘locked' and Episodes 2 to 4 have reached their first edits. The director of photography for episodes 2 and 4 and "Attack of the Graske" is Rory Taylor. The production notes column by Russell T Davies notes that twelve out of thirteen episodes for Series Two have now been written, with only Davies' Episode Ten still to go (this is possibly prior to the delay of Stephen Fry's episode to the third season), then it's 'straight on to Series Three'. Davies also notes that the DVD set of The Complete First Series had no deleted scenes because ‘We lost them. Genuinely, lost, forgotten, dumped.' And that they've now been found again, so might yet appear.
Series Three: Writer Steven Moffat, who penned Series One's "The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances" and this year's "The Girl in the Fireplace," confirms in DWM that he will be writing an episode for the third series as well.
For a lot more additional information, articles, reviews and interviews, pick up Doctor Who Magazine 364, now in wide release, at your favorite newsstand.




FILTER: - Russell T Davies - Production - DWM - Series 2/28

Minchin to Torchwood?

Sunday, 4 December 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

According to the Internet Movie Database, Brian Minchin will be the story editor for "Torchwood". Minchin's other work includes script editing the seventh season of "Belonging," the BBC Wales serial that features Eve Myles ("The Unquiet Dead"), and producing a short entitled "The Boy with Blue Eyes" which stars Shaun Dingwall ("Father's Day"). We should note that the iMDb is not usually a legitimate source of information prior to official news being distributed through official channels, but we believe this particular item to be correct. (Thanks to Paul Hayes)




FILTER: - Torchwood - Production

Series Two Episode Titles - Updated

Saturday, 3 December 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The new issue of Radio Times has revealed two new titles for forthcoming episodes of the second series of Doctor Who. Mark Gatiss' episode is entitledThe Idiot's Lantern, according to the magazine, while the 13th and final episode of the season (written by Russell T Davies) bears the ominous title of Doomsday. In addition, the magazine also mentions that the name of the "red button" interactive episode written by Gareth Roberts that will be available starting on Christmas day is Attack of the Graske.




FILTER: - Russell T Davies - Production - Series 2/28 - Radio Times

Stevens to Torchwood?

Tuesday, 22 November 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Is Rachel Stevens headed for "Torchwood"? The rumors have been flying and now there are reports that "the singer has a final audition to win the part of Gwen opposite John Barrowman's Captain Jack in the post-watershed sci-fi show. Rachel, 27, hopes to follow in Billie Piper's footsteps by transforming from pop star to actress. She was beaten to the part of the Doctor's sidekick Rose Tyler by Billie when the hit revival was cast.... Rachel said of her failure to land the role of Rose: 'Things happen for a reason and Billie is really great. If the right thing came around, I'd love to do something.' The former S Club singer said: 'I've been called back for a meeting about a permanent role. I so hope I get it as I'm sick of being attacked for my music.'" That's from The Mirror and there are other reports at Sky NewsAnanova,MyKindaPlaceMonsters and CriticsDrowned in SoundIn The NewsContact Music,Breaking News,Female First.




FILTER: - Torchwood - Production

Warrington in Series Two?

Tuesday, 22 November 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

There are several rumors making the rounds that Don Warrington has been cast in the role of "The President" in the two-part Cybermen story in the new season, though this has not been confirmed. Warrington has previously played the role of Rassilon, founder of Time Lord society, for Big Finish's audio plays and has been seen in numerous films and television series. More details soon...




FILTER: - Production - Series 2/28

Location Shots

Thursday, 17 November 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Below are six location shots to go along with our set report from our correspondent Melanie Hill featured in this news column yesterday. The shots are behind-the-scenes items from the filming of episodes 5 and 6, one of which includes Noel Clarke (Mickey), as well as a burned-out car, a broken street light and other locations. Click on each for a larger version.




FILTER: - Production - Series 2/28

Tuesday Set Report

Wednesday, 16 November 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The following is a set report from an Outpost Gallifrey fan correspondent, Melanie Hill, from filming done yesterday, 15 November, on episodes 5 and 6 which are being filmed now. Click on the spoiler tag to read it. (With thanks to Melanie Hill and the TIMELESS group...)
Went down there today and saw some interesting stuff! The set was under a railway bridge and involved a burnt out car, which they are setting alight when it gets dark, some soldiers in modern (I think, but I am no expert!) cammo, sand bags and a barrier, some old looking street lights and Mickey!

The dialogue was as follows...

Army truck with gun turret moves along the road and is ushered under the barrier, which closes behind it. Camera moves to Mickey who is moving up the road, following the path of the truck.
Mickey: " sorry mate" (or words to that effects, couldn't quite catch it)
Soldier: "no problem mate, curfew doesn't start till ten"
Mickey: "Curfew? There's a curfew?"
Soldier: "yeah, where have you been living? Up with the toffs? 
Mickey: "I wish". 

I overheard that the bridge above and the backdrop will be CGI'd to show the "toffs" part of the city. On the fence next to the burnt out car is a sign saying "Cybus Industries", and underneath it says "commercial properties to let". The sign has a logo for Cybus on it, it is a stylised "C", in grey, with a circle around it. On the bottom left hand corner is another very small circle attached to the larger circle, a bit like a chain link (looked like you could make the logo into a necklace and link it to a chain with this circle, although it would be hanging upside down and askew if you did. This is for descriptive purposes only!)

I recognised the "C" on the logo as being the same "C" as displayed on the chest of the Cybermen, so I am pretty sure they are filming the Cybermen episode! Very exciting!

On the set I was lucky enough to have a good chat with Julian Luxton, who directed 8 episodes of the first season [as assistant director], and is apparently doing ten this season! He had a lot to say for himself. He has confirmed that David Tennant will NOT have a Scottish accent! He will sound as he did when we saw the regeneration. Julian said "it is possible to tell he is from Scotland, but he is not using his speaking voice. Sometimes you can tell where he is from, but it is only occasionally." This is essentially what RTD has been saying, but Julian confirmed absolutely that it is not a Scottish accent, more of a slight lilt.

So that was my afternoon! I spoke to Noel, met some lovely people in the way of set designers etc, and had a great time chatting to Julian, who was incredibly nice and I even got me a bit of the set! I am now the proud owner of a genuine Doctor Who prop, from the set of the new series, in the form of a piece of fake barbed wire! Not exactly spectacular but I will treasure it all the same.




FILTER: - Production - Series 2/28

Brief Press Update

Friday, 11 November 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

A couple of press outlets have reported the names of episodes 5 and 6 as being "Nine Lives" and "School's Out". This is actually a confusion based on the fact that the writer, Tom MacRae, has written these series in the past; they are not episodes of this show, but television series in their own right.

The South Wales Echo reports on filming for episodes 5 and 6, taking place along the banks of the River Usk near the Riverfronts Arts Centre. A BBC spokeswoman said: "We wanted a location that looked like a stretch of the Thames in London."

There's been a ton of press coverage over the past day regarding the revelation of the designs of the Cybermen, most of which has been directly from the BBC press release. News coverage online includes the Daily RecordCBBC NewsThe Register4RFVWaveGuideHerts Essex NewsEntertainmentwiseAnanovaSky Showbiz,This is London,RTEDigital SpyThe MirrorThe Daily Mail. Says the Times about the return: "Viewers, while terrified, could not help noticing in the past that the low tech Cybermen appeared to be 70 per cent Bacofoil with a car lamp stuck on their helmets. They have been redesigned by the same experts who reinvented the Daleks and previously worked on films including Hellraiser II."

The Scottish TV/Scotland Today site has an interview with Stephen Fry, who's writing an episode of the series this year. "I've done a strange thing," he tells the site, "I've never done anything quite like it, I've written an episode of Dr Who. We are bound by all kinds of secrecy, I can tell you that it deals with a well-known British legend which has alien origins rather than just folklore origins. And that one of the most exciting moments of my life was starting the first page and writing 'Exterior - The Tardis. The Tardis materialises on the surface of a strange planet.' You write that and you think 'I can't believe I have just written that.' As one of the absolutely original Dr Who generation - I can remember the very first episode - and being hooked from that moment on."

According to Media Guardian today, 'Little Britain star David Walliams wants to ditch his "laydee" clothes and step into the Tardis once David Tennant has finished his tenure. "I'd like to take over as Doctor Who. I promise not to make it camp," he promises. Daily Express P19'.

Says the week's Metro Green Room, p9: "New Dr Who star David Tennant is hoping to have the same love god status as his predecessor Christopher Eccleston. He said: 'I hear he had a huge gay following. It had better happen to me too.'" Meanwhile on page 13, they report on the Cybermen return...

According to BBC News, Sophie Okonedo (who played Alison in "The Scream of the Shalka") has been named best female performer at the Screen Nation Film and Television Awards. The 36-year-old star received the award at the ceremony in London honouring Black British artists for her Oscar nominated role in Hotel Rwanda.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Chuck Foster, John Bowman, Peter Weaver, John Kilbride)




FILTER: - Production - Series 2/28 - Press

Saturday Mirror Claims Billie Piper Quits Series

Friday, 11 November 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The Saturday morning edition of The Mirror is reporting that Billie Piper has informed producers that she will be leaving Doctor Who and has no intention of returning for a third series. The article, penned by Kiki King and Nicola Methven -- the latter having been the journalist responsible for the Mirror's breaking news report in late March that Christopher Eccleston was leaving the series -- says that Piper "told producers she did not want to become typecast as they begged her to stay for a third run of the hit show. A source said last night: 'Her mind's made up. ... She wants to strike while the iron's hot and make a big name for herself while she's so popular. She feels her profile will go down if the series isn't as big the third time around. The BBC are auditioning other girls to take over. They want to have the next actress all lined up when they announce Billie's departure.'"
The Mirror notes that Piper had nearly left the series during its second year but was persuaded to stay and film the year with the new Doctor, David Tennant, and states that the production team has been "conducting secret auditions with a small number of actresses and keeping it very, very quiet. They are after a relative newcomer so this is the role which puts her in the public eye. It also means she's less likely to get bored after one series."
Without specifically stating it, the article intimates that Piper will stay aboard the series for the season, departing sometime before its conclusion. At press time there is currently no official confirmation from the Doctor Who production team or any other BBC sources, but we're likely to hear a lotabout this in the coming hours and days. Stay tuned...




FILTER: - People - Production - Press

New Cybermen Revealed

Thursday, 10 November 2005 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The BBC today issued a press release announcing the return of theCybermen for the second season of the new Doctor Who series, along with an accompanying photograph, below. At right is a snapshot of the new design; click on the thumbnail for a larger version of the image.
Update: the press deluge begins; stories so far reported at BBC News, the official Doctor Who websiteUTV.
BBC Press Release

Filming of the eagerly awaited Cybermen adventure is underway in Cardiff. The first two-parter of series two written by Tom MacRae (Nine Lives, School’s Out) sees The Doctor and companions’ battle against a new, more deadly breed of Cybermen who are out to convert humanity into their own kind.

Producer, Phil Collinson says: ‘The villainous Cybermen are as much a part of Doctor Who heritage as the Daleks and so it’s a huge personal thrill to see them back. I hope that the evil silver giants will terrify a whole new generation of viewers as they confront the tenth Time Lord.’

The sinister breed of monsters; second only to the Daleks in their infamy made their first appearance in 1966 and haven’t darkened our screens since 1988. Next year will mark their 40th anniversary.

Originally created by Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis, (also the creators of Doomwatch), the modernised version have been superbly redesigned by Edward Thomas’s design team and Neil Gorton at Millennium FX.

The episodes which will be seen next year in the highly anticipated second series, directed by Graeme Harper, also stars Camille Coduri as Rose’s mum Jackie, Noel Clarke as Rose’s hapless boyfriend Mickey, Roger Lloyd-Pack as the monstrous John Lumic Andrew Hayden-Smith as Jake Simmonds and Shaun Dingwall returns as Peter Tyler, Rose’s dad.




FILTER: - Production - Series 2/28