John Barrowman in Canada

Sunday, 15 June 2008 - Reported by Mike Doran

John Barrowman is in Canada this summer to serve as a judge on the Canadian version of the hit BBC series How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?. The series is being broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and premieres today Sunday June 15th at 8:00pm across the country and at 8:30pm in Newfoundland.

Shows in front of a live studio audience will begin in Toronto on Sunday June 22nd. Tickets to be in the live audience are available from the CBC Maria website.

On the morning of Monday June 16th Barrowman will be appearing live on Breakfast Television on CITY TV in Toronto. Barrowman is scheduled to be on the show between 7:00am and 8:00am.

FILTER: - People - Canada

Episode Twelve Title

Friday, 13 June 2008 - Reported by Marcus

The mystery title of Episode Twelve of Season Four, has been released by the BBC Press Office.

Please don't click on the link if you want to avoid spoilers for the episode.

Thanks to Neil Matthews and Jack Martin

The Stolen Earth Ep 12/13

Saturday 28 June

Earth's greatest heroes assemble in a time of dire need, in tonight's penultimate episode in this series of Russell T Davies's Bafta Award-winning time-travelling drama. But can the Doctor's secret army defeat the might of the new Dalek Empire?

With battles on the streets and in the skies, the Doctor and Donna must brave the Shadow Proclamation to find out the truth. However, a fearsome old enemy waits in the shadows.

David Tennant plays the Doctor and Catherine Tate plays his companion, Donna Noble.

FILTER: - Production - Series 4/30

Russell T Davies awarded OBE

Friday, 13 June 2008 - Reported by Anthony Weight

Russell T Davies, the lead writer and executive producer of Doctor Who and the man who has spearheaded the revival of the programme since 2003, has been created an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire - OBE - in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. One of the highest civilian honours available to a British subject, the OBE is awarded by the Queen, on the advice of the Government, and has been given to Davies for his services to drama.

The Times quotes Davies as saying: "I'm delighted to accept, and I hope it does the whole industry a bit of good, for the writing of television drama to be recognised." Davies is the second Doctor Who producer to have been accorded the honour - the late Verity Lambert was given an OBE in 2002.

According to the Press Association, the BBC has released a statement saying: "We are delighted for Russell - he is one of this country's greatest writers and it is fantastic that his talent has been recognised in this way."

The story is covered in many other news sources, including: The Independent, The Guardian, The Scotsman and BBC News. BBC News have also published a profile of Davies.

FILTER: - People - Russell T Davies - Awards/Nominations

Doctor Who Confidential Down Under

Wednesday, 11 June 2008 - Reported by Adam Kirk

In a comment on their message board the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has revealed that it has, for the first time, purchased the Australian rights to Doctor Who Confidential and will broadcast each episode immediately after the broadcast of the corresponding episode of Series Four.

Presumably, these will be the cut down versions which will fill the 8.15-8.30pm timeslot and commence with Partners in Crime on Sunday 6 July.

The ABC has also confirmed that, as previously reported, the latest series will start on ABC1 on Sunday 29th June, 7.30pm with Voyage of the Damned.

FILTER: - Australia

Silence in the Library - Final Ratings

Wednesday, 11 June 2008 - Reported by Marcus

Final figures released by BARB give episode Eight of Series Four, Silence in the Library, an official rating of 6.27 million viewers.

The week was dominated by ITV which had 15 of the top twenty places, thanks to the runaway success ofBritain's Got Talent, the final of which is now the most watched programme of the year to date.

Doctor Who was the 27th most watched for the week on British Television and the 9th most watched on BBC Television. It is the first time the programme has dropped out of the top twenty since The Empty Childin 2005 and the lowerst position since the series returned in 2005. The rating is the lowest sinceThe Satan Pit in 2006, which got 6.1 million watching.

Some of the missing viewers watched the Sunday repeat on BBC3 which was watched by 1.35 million viewers and was the 2nd most watched programme on multi-channel for the week. To date over half a million have also watched it on the BBC iPlayer and the total reach of the programme is over 8.5 million.

The Saturday showing of Doctor Who Confidential got 0.57 million viewers making it the 31st most watched multi-channel programme. The Sunday repeat was higher in the chart with 0.63 million watching and number 24 in the chart.

Full ratings data, including data for iPlayer downloads can be found in the Doctor Who Forum.

Top Programmes w/e 1 June 2008

1 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT FINAL RESULT (SAT 2131) - 13.88 - ITV1
2 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (FRI 2101) - 11.86 - ITV1
3 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (SAT 1849) - 11.52 - ITV1
4 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (MON 2100) - 11.33 - ITV1
5 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (THU 2030) - 10.13 - ITV1
6 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (WED 2031) - 10.03 - ITV1
7 CORONATION STREET (MON 2029) - 9.99 - ITV1
8 CORONATION STREET (MON 1931) - 9.89 - ITV1
9 EASTENDERS (MON 1959) - 9.38 - BBC1
10 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (TUE 2030) - 9.29 - ITV1
11 CORONATION STREET (WED 1929) - 9.23 - ITV1
12 CORONATION STREET (FRI 1933) - 9.09 - ITV1
13 CORONATION STREET (FRI 2029) - 8.96 - ITV1
14 EASTENDERS (FRI 2000) - 7.95 - BBC1
15 EASTENDERS (THU 1929) - 7.46 - BBC1
16 EMMERDALE (MON 1900) - 7.31 - ITV1
17 I'D DO ANYTHING - THE FINAL (SAT 2044) - 7.18 - BBC1
18 MATCH OF THE DAY LIVE (WED 2000) - 7.07 - BBC1
19 EMMERDALE (WED 1859) - 6.99 - ITV1
20 THE APPRENTICE (TUE 2100) - 6.84 - BBC1
21 EMMERDALE (FRI 1901) - 6.68 - ITV1
22 EASTENDERS (TUE 1930) - 6.60 - BBC1
23 EMMERDALE (THU 1858) - 6.37 - ITV1
24 EMMERDALE (TUE 1859) - 6.34 - ITV1
25 BBC NEWS (MON 1830) - 6.32 - BBC1
26 AN AUDIENCE WITH NEIL DIAMOND (SAT 2030) - 6.28 - ITV1
27 DOCTOR WHO (SAT 1902) - 6.27 - BBC1
28 HEARTBEAT (SUN 1959) - 5.70 - ITV1
29 I'D DO ANYTHING - THE FINAL (SAT 1800) - 5.46 - BBC1
30 THE INSPECTOR LYNLEY MYSTERIES (SUN 1959) - 5.30 - BBC1

Top Multi Channel Programmes w/e 1 June 2008

1 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT (Sat 2158) 2,172,000 - ITV2
2 DOCTOR WHO (Sun 2001) 1,345,000 - BBC3
3 LOST (Sun 2101) 1,166,000 - Sky One
4 EASTENDERS (Tue 2201) 1,162,000 - BBC3
5 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT (Wed 2159) 1,150,000 - ITV2
6 HEROES (Thu 2231) 1,141,000 - BBC3
7 EASTENDERS (Thu 2201) 1,122,000 - BBC3
8 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT (Mon 2230) 1,117,000 - ITV2
9 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT (Sat 2027) 931,000 - ITV2
10 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT (Fri 2231) 914,000 - ITV2
11 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT (Thu 2159) 875,000 - ITV2
12 GLADIATORS (Sun 1759) 844,000 - Sky One
13 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT (Tue 2159) 825,000 - ITV2
14 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (Sun 2001) 744,000 - ITV2
15 HOME AND AWAY (Wed 1829) 713,000 - Fiver (was
16 60 SECONDS (Sun 1959) 712,000 - BBC3
17 HOME AND AWAY (Tue 1828) 710,000 - Fiver (was
18 HOME AND AWAY (Thu 1828) 690,000 - Fiver (was
19 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT FINAL RESULT (Sun 2144) 685,000 - ITV2
20 THE SIMPSONS (Sun 2031) 664,000 - Sky One
21 HOME AND AWAY (Fri 1829) 653,000 - Fiver (was
22 HOLLYOAKS (Mon 1859) 647,000 - E4 In
23 HOLLYOAKS (Wed 1859) 636,000 - E4 In
24 DOCTOR WHO CONFIDENTIAL (Sun 2045) 632,000 - BBC3
25 FAMILY GUY (Sun 2202) 630,000 - BBC3
26 HOLLYOAKS (Tue 1859) 630,000 - E4 In
27 HOLLYOAKS (Thu 1859) 611,000 - E4 In
28 DONT FORGET THE LYRICS (Sun 1901) 598,000 - Sky One
29 FAMILY GUY (Sun 2223) 593,000 - BBC3
30 BONES (Thu 2101) 586,000 - Sky One

Source BARB

FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 4/30

Forest of the Dead - AI and Digital Ratings

Monday, 9 June 2008 - Reported by Marcus

Episode nine of series four, Forest of the Dead, scored an Appreciation Index of 89. Equal to last week, the figure is the joint highest score for the programme for all time. It was the most appreciated programme on BBC1 and ITV on Saturday.

Sunday's Coronation Street got just 16,000 more viewers than Saturday's Doctor Who, just enough to push Forest Of the Dead into 11th place for the week. This position is likely to rise when corrected figures, including numbers for those recording the programme, are released by BARB in 9 days time. A top ten place is a reasonable possibility.

Sunday's BBC3 repeat got an overnight audience of 0.6 million, much lower than the repeat of Episode 8. It was a 3.2% share of the multi-channel audience and the 2nd most watched programme on all multi-channel TV for Sunday. The highest rated programme was Family Guy.

Saturday's edition of Doctor Who Confidential was watched by 0.76 million viewers. The programme, which had a share of 4.8 %, was the most watched on multi-channel television on Saturday, with 50% more viewers than the second placed Top Gear. The Sunday repeat got 0.25 million viewers.

Last Friday's repeat of Silence in the Library got an audience of 0.43 million viewers. There were a large number of requests for Silence in the Library on iPlayer on Saturday.

FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 4/30

Bruce Purchase 1938 - 2008

Monday, 9 June 2008 - Reported by Marcus

Actor Bruce Purchase has died at his home in London at the age of 69.

Bruce Purchase, who was born in Thames, New Zealand, was best known to Doctor Who viewers for his role as The Captain in the fourth Doctor story The Pirate Planet.

He was a founder member of Sir Laurence Olivier's National Theatre and a regular performer with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

In 2003 he gave the first performance of Johnson is Leaving, John Wain's adaptation of his 1974 biography of Dr Samuel Johnson, at The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. Wain wrote the drama especially for Purchase after the two men met in Oxford and Purchase subsequently performed the play around the world.

He appeared opposite Richard Chamberlain in a European tour of My Fair Lady and his television work included I, Claudius, Blakes 7 and Rumpole of the Bailey. His film performances included Richard III and All Quiet on the Western Front.

Purchase's autobiography Changing Skies was published shortly before he died and he was also an accomplished artist who exhibited in London and abroad.

He became seriously ill while touring in a production of The Last Confession last year which also starred David Suchet.

He lived in Putney with his partner, Sara Hebblethwaite.

Press Association

Thanks to David French

FILTER: - People - Obituary

Hamlet: London Dates

Monday, 9 June 2008 - Reported by DWNP Archive

Posted By John Bowman

David Tennant can be seen in Hamlet in London from December 3 to January 10, 2009, it has been announced.

The Royal Shakespeare Company production will be transferring from Stratford-upon-Avon to The Novello Theatre in Aldwych.

The news has not been universally well received, though. In an article in today'sTimes, acclaimed director Sir Jonathan Miller hit out at what he called "an obsession with celebrity" by West End producers. In the interview, Miller referred to Tennant as "that man from Doctor Who". However, Michael Billington, theatre critic of The Guardian newspaper for the past 37 years, has written a rebuttal of Miller's views, claiming that Miller was "ignoring the fact that Tennant has a strong classical pedigree including a first-rate RSC Romeo".

Miller's production of Hamlet in Bristol, with Jamie Ballard in the title role, was highly praised but Miller says London producers weren't interested in it without any star names. (Jude Law is also to play Hamlet in London. That particular production will be at the Wyndham's Theatre from May 2009 as part of the Donmar West End season.)

Tickets for the Novello Theatre run of Hamlet go on sale to the general public from September 12. Priority booking for RSC members runs from June 16to September 5.

Love's Labour's Lost, in which Tennant plays Berowne, is apparently not transferring from Stratford.

(With thanks to Rod Henderson.)

FILTER: - David Tennant

Tom Tomorrow's Tennant and TARDIS

Monday, 9 June 2008 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

It's not uncommon for British political cartoonists to cast politicians as Daleks or Cybermen, but it's far more rare for Doctor Who to be referenced in American media.

However, this week liberal American cartoonist Tom Tomorrow included the Tenth Doctor and the TARDIS in his weekly cartoon This Modern World, by way of making a comment about Barack Obama winning the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

The panel can be seen at right, and the full cartoon can be read at Salon.com.

FILTER: - Press

Comic Con Special Releases

Sunday, 8 June 2008 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

Underground Toys is set to release two more special edition figures this year at the San Diego Comic Convention being held July 24th to the 27th at the San Diego Convention Center. As with last years release of the Assault Dalek and Damaged Cyberman, this year's figures are limited to 3,000 pieces each. Each figure is individually numbered and include the unique SDCC 2008 logo.

The figures are:

A Ninth Doctor in the Green Jumper from "Father's Day" with full articulation.

A "Time Crash" Twin Pack featuring an exclusive Fifth Doctor figure with celery exclusive to this pack and Tenth Doctor figure in blue suit with red converse shoes and a new burgundy shirt.

FILTER: - Merchandise

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