Sci Fi confirms April debut for Who and SJA

Monday, 4 February 2008 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

The Sci Fi Channel has confirmed earlier reports that both Doctor Who Series Four and The Sarah Jane Adventures will begin airing on the channel in April. The channel's news service, Sci Fi Wire, has the confirmation, and Sci Fi's full press release is below.

(Thanks to "GracieLizzy" of the Doctor Who Forum.)

DOCTOR WHO SEASON FOUR AND THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES COMING TO SCI FI CHANNEL IN APRIL

NEW YORK - February 4, 2008 - SCI FI Channel has acquired the fourth season of People's Choice Award-nominated Doctor Who and the phenomenally popular series' new spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures from BBC Worldwide America. Both series are slated to premier on SCI FI in April 2008.

The Sarah Jane Adventures is written and produced by the same creative team behind Doctor Who, including multi-award winning writer Russell T. Davies. Having traveled the universe with The Doctor, Sarah Jane is used to alien encounters. Accompanied by her new young friends Maria, Luke and Clyde, she becomes embroiled in an offbeat world of mystery and danger.

In season four of Doctor Who, David Tennant reprises his role as the tenth Timelord. For his latest adventures he is joined by a brand new companion, Donna Noble, played by award-winning actress Catherine Tate (The Catherine Tate Show, BBC AMERICA) who appeared as 'the runaway bride' in the previous season. 'Martha Jones,' played by Freema Agyeman, the Doctor's most recent companion, who had a dramatic role last season's finale, makes a triumphant return in the middle of season four.

"We are excited to have Doctor Who back on SCI FI for its 4th season," said Chris Regina, Vice President of Programming, SCI FI Channel. "It's an exciting franchise that continues to reinvent itself for new generations of viewers. The youthful appeal of The Sarah Jane Adventures will no doubt attract even younger new viewers."

Candace Carlisle, EVP Sales and Co-productions, BBC Worldwide Americas commented, "The imagination of Russell and the rest of the production team in Cardiff who have produced these two incredible shows is outstanding. We are so pleased that the loyal fans of the SCI FI Channel will be able to meet a whole new range of characters and aliens that are intrinsically linked to the Doctor's history. Both 'Sarah Jane Adventures' and the new season of 'Doctor Who' are jam packed with some of the most creative storylines ever produced by the BBC's brilliant team."

The third season of the new Doctor Who averaged 1.3 million weekly viewers on SCI FI.

The deals were brokered by Lisa Hofer, Vice President of Co-Production & Sales, BBC Worldwide Americas. Executive Producers for The Sarah Jane Adventures are Russell T Davies, Head of Drama, BBC Wales, Julie Gardner and Phil Collinson. The series producer is Matthew Bouch. Doctor Who season four is produced by Phil Collinson; Executive Producers are Julie Gardner and Russell T Davies. Doctor Who season four is a BBC production in association with CBC.

SCI FI Channel is a television network where "what if" is what's on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com ) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 93 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.

BBC Worldwide Americas incorporates the U.S., Canadian and Latin American arms of BBC Worldwide, a commercial and wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). With offices in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Miami, BBC Worldwide Americas has five core businesses: Channels, TV Sales, Content & Production, Home Entertainment and Digital Media. Profit from BBC Worldwide is returned to the BBC public service.

FILTER: - Series 4/30 - Sarah Jane - Broadcasting

News bits and bobs

Sunday, 3 February 2008 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

A few Torchwood items and a number of slightly offbeat entries this time.

Torchwood

The Star-Ledger (New Jersey) reviews Torchwood's "Sleeper".

UK SF Book News has a feature on the Torchwood comic in Titan Magazine's Torchwood Magazine.

And the Daily Record briefly reviews John Barrowman's autobiography "Anything Goes".

Odd Who News

Philip Glenister tells the Western Mail that he watches The Sarah Jane Adventures, though he doesn't quite remember the program's name correctly:

Today, his favourite TV includes unexpected fare such as The Sarah Jane Mysteries -- but that’s because of his two young daughters by his actress wife Beth Goddard; the family lives in East Sheen, Surrey, where fame hasn’t gone to his head, and where he enjoys a "normal suburban existence".

"Yes, The Sarah Jane Mysteries, it’s one of those series you think might not work -- it's an off-shoot of Doctor Who -- but my girls adore it," he says. "The girls are just getting into Doctor Who now. We never let them watch it before, because we thought they’d wake up with nightmares."

Recent issues of two American magazines aimed at "fan culture" highlight Doctor Who and Torchwood actresses. Geek Monthly puts the return of Billie Piper to Doctor Who at #7 in its "Son of the BIG List: Our yearly roundup of Stuff That Rules", and has an interview with Eve Myles. And Wizard listsFreema Agyeman at #16 in its list of the "Sexiest Women of TV".

Wales on Sunday quotes Coleen McLoughlin, the girlfriend of English football (soccer) player Wayne Rooney, as saying that she'd love to be the next Doctor Who companion.

And io9 pronounces that Kroll, the giant octopus from the 1978 Doctor Who story The Power of Kroll, is the tallest of all giant monsters, looking down on puny creatures like Godzilla and the monster from Cloverfield.

(Thanks to Larry Carter, and to "PolyG" and "Alia" of the Doctor Who Forum.)

FILTER: - People - Torchwood

Spirituality and Doctor Who

Saturday, 2 February 2008 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

A conference on Spirituality and Doctor Who will be held at Wilson Carlile Campus in Sheffield, Yorkshire onSaturday, April 19. According to the day's organizers, "Christian themes and images in Doctor Who - both classic and new - will be explored. But there will also be a respectful look at other shades and faiths in Doctor Who, including ecological and Buddhist themes in the Jon Pertwee era, mystic parables in the Peter Davison era and the optimistic atheism of current Doctor Who creator Russell T Davies." Barry Letts, producer of Doctor Who from 1970 to 1975, is one of the confirmed guests for the event. There is a press release here, and online sign-up is available here.

FILTER: - Classic Series

Phil Collinson becomes Head of Drama, Manchester

Friday, 1 February 2008 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The BBC have announced that Doctor Who producer Phil Collinson will be moving to BBC Manchester to assume the role of Head of Drama. He is expected to begin his new job after the completion of Doctor Who's fourth series.

Peter Salmon, Chief Creative Officer of BBC Vision Productions, said: "Phil Collinson is a terrific addition to a brilliant top team working on in-house drama throughout the UK. His signing reflects renewed ambition and confidence here at the end of a stunning spell of output. BBC Drama Production is at the top of its game and Phil brings yet more experience and flair to in-house programme making. His arrival also marks the BBC's renewed commitment to Northern drama talent, at a time when its base in the North West of England is to be strengthened considerably throughout. BBC Drama Production will play a major role at the new BBC centre at mediacity:uk through Phil and his team."

Russell T Davies said: "Phil has been the secret hero of Doctor Who for the past four years, and we'll miss him more than I can say – but the most exciting thing about this new job is that so many more producers, writers and actors will get to work with him. I envy them!"

Full details may be found in the BBC's press release, and the news is also covered by the Guardian and The Stage.

FILTER: - People

Sarah Jane coming to America

Friday, 1 February 2008 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

In an interview with Russell T. Davies, the Los Angeles Timesmentions in passing that The Sarah Jane Adventures will be broadcast in the United States on the Sci Fi Channel beginning in April.

The article also states that Doctor Who's next season will begin on Sci Fi in April. The BBC has not announced a broadcast date for Series Four in the UK, but the program will air in Britain before any international broadcasts.

In the Los Angeles Times interview, Davies also talks about the success of Doctor Who, his attitude towards sexuality on Torchwood and past projects such as Bob and Rose.

He also notes that he deliberately keeps organized fandom at arm's length: "I think we're an unusual science-fiction franchise in taking a very big step back from fandom and having nothing to do with them. . . . Every program on the BBC has a message board on the website. I forbid it to happen on 'Doctor Who.' I'm sorry to say this, all the science fiction producers making stuff in America, they are way too engaged with their fandom. They all need to step back."

FILTER: - USA - Sarah Jane - Broadcasting

Torchwood - Appreciation Index

Friday, 1 February 2008 - Reported by Marcus

Episode three of Torchwood, To the Last Man, scored an Appreciation Index figure of 85, once more putting it in the excellent category. It was the BBC's second highest figure for the day.

The edited repeat was watched by 1.1 million viewers, according to overnight figures, a 4.8% share of the total audience. Torchwood Declassifiedalso got 1.1 million viewers. These figures are slightly higher than the actual overnights as they include Scotland and Northern Ireland where Torchwood was not shown.

FILTER: - Torchwood - Ratings - UK

Press round-up

Friday, 1 February 2008 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

Doctor Who

The South Wales Evening Post reports that Doctor Who is filming at a disused library in Swansea. This filming is forSteven Moffat's two-part story, which involves a mysterious abandoned library.

The estate of Terry Nation, the writer who created the Daleks, has vetoed a humorous clip featuring a Dalek from being included on the forthcoming "Five Doctors" DVD. The clip, from a 1983 edition of BBC Breakfast, featured a Dalek being interviewed by astrologer Russell Grant, to the amusement of Peter Davison and Patrick Troughton. However, the Nation estate has forbidden the use of the clip, fearing that it detracts from the Daleks' threatening image.The Sun and Metro both carry the story.

Torchwood

Burn Gorman talks to iF Magazine about his character Owen Harper. "I hope that in series two he's a changed man," says Gorman.

The Daily Mirror published a detailed preview of "To the Last Man" before it aired in the UK on Wednesday, andDigital Spy has a review.

Digital Spy also has an article about the Torchwood interactive adventure hosted on bbc.co.uk/torchwood.

The South Wales Echo has a story on Torchwood's ratings success.

People

The Arran Banner, the newspaper of the Scottish Isle of Arran, has found a 16-year-old David Tennant in its archives. Young Tennant was on Arran 20 years ago filming a short play for the children's series Dramarama. The article is accompanied by a small picture.

Christopher Eccleston was one of three judges for BBC Four's Pioneer World Cinema Award 2008. The award was given to the dark Spanish-language fantasy "Pan's Labyrinth"; Variety and Digital Spy have the story.

Another award panel, this one for the Red Planet Prize (awarded by Tony Jordan's Red Planet Pictures for new writing talent in the UK), was composed of Jordan, Doctor Who executive producer Julie Gardner, Doctor Who actor and writer Mark Gatiss and polymath Stephen Fry (who appeared in the Doctor Who webcast "Death Comes to Time" and was scheduled to write a script for Doctor Who Series Two before scheduling commitments forced him to withdraw). The Stage covers the award.

New Car Net recalls Third Doctor Jon Pertwee's road safety public service film with the unforgettable slogan "Splink". (If you don't know what "Splink" means, there's an old story with video on the BBC News site.)

The UK's Advertising Standards Authority has rejected two complaints about risqué advertisements for Billie Piper's ITV2 series "Secret Diary of a Call Girl". The ASA ruled that the poster, which featured Piper wearing a bra and panties, was "not dissimilar to that which children would be exposed to in other advertising, for example for lingerie and designer fragrances." The ruling can be read here; Brand Republic has a story (but requires free registration to read it).

The Daily Mail finds it newsworthy to have a photographer follow Billie Piper and her husband Laurence Fox while they're grocery shopping and walking the dog.

Digital Spy has a story culled from John Barrowman's recently published autobiography "Anything Goes", in which Barrowman compares working withChristopher Eccleston and David Tennant. In the book, Barrowman writes: "I found the set to be a lighter one with David than it had been with Christopher in the lead role. I think David is a happier person, whereas I found Chris to be a bit angsty." (Digital Spy miscorrects "angsty" to "angry".)

There are reviews of "Anything Goes" at Country Life magazine and the Daily Telegraph.

TV Guide has published the second half of its interview with James Marsters; there's less about his Torchwood role here, but Marsters speaks about other roles he's playing.

Leftist Internet magazine Spiked has cited Ofcom's investigation into complaints about Catherine Tate's Christmas special as an example of "institutionalized prudishness", and notes that the 28 people who complained about the special represent 0.0004375% of the program's audience.

And This Is Hampshire has an interview with comedian Toby Hadoke, creator of "Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf".

(Thanks to Andrew Brookes, Sean Elliott and Ben Rawson-Jones.)

FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Press

Torchwood 2.3 Ratings

Thursday, 31 January 2008 - Reported by Marcus

unofficial overnight figures give Episode Three, To The Last Man, an audience of 3.2 million viewers, which was a 13% share of the total television audience.

The programme was the highest rated on BBC2 for the day, comfortably ahead of Masterchef which got 2.6 million viewers.

The programme is repeated in an edited version on BBC2 Thursday evening and is available to UK viewers for the next seven days via the BBC iPlayer.

(NB: Torchwood is not repeated on BBC Two Scotland or on BBC Two Northern Ireland, nor is Torchwood Declassified, which follows the repeats elsewhere, shown on either of those channels. With thanks to Jeanette Napier for pointing this out.)

FILTER: - Torchwood - Ratings - UK

New Trailer To Hit Big Screen

Thursday, 31 January 2008 - Reported by DWNP Archive

Posted By John Bowman

A new 90-second trailer for Series Four will start showing at cinemas across the UK from February 1, it has been reported.

According to Digital Spy, it will run at Empire, Odeon and Cineworld venues.

Naomi Gibney, the head of marketing at BBC Vision, is quoted as saying: "This is a great opportunity for the BBC to reach new audiences with an exciting preview of the new series of Doctor Who."

Trailers for Voyage Of The Damned were shown at cinemas in December.

UPDATE: The BBC Press Office has now put online more details concerning the trailer. It says the deal is part of a BBC test with Carlton Screen Advertising to showcase BBC content. It covers 837 Odeon screens, 736 Cineworld screens and 142 Empire screens. The trailer will be shown before some of the most anticipated new releases, including Cloverfield,Juno, John Rambo and There Will Be Blood.

FILTER: - Series 4/30 - Press

Torchwood - Final Ratings

Wednesday, 30 January 2008 - Reported by Marcus

Figures released by BARB show that the first episode of Series Two,Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, achieved an official rating of 4.22 millionviewers.

Final ratings are more accurate than the initial overnights and include those who record the programme and watch it within a week.

The programme was the most watched on BBC2 for the week, beating the second placed Wonderland by a million viewers. So far the episode is the second most watched programme on the channel for the year.

BBC 2 Top Twenty (w/e 20th Jan 2008)

1 TORCHWOOD (WED 2102) 4.22
2 WONDERLAND: THE SECRET LIFE OF NORMAN WISDOM (WED 3.22
3 MASTERCHEF (THU 2001) 3.15
4 MASTERCHEF (MON 2027) 3.05
5 MASTERCHEF (WED 2032) 2.83
6 UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE (MON 1957) 2.73
7 THE WEAKEST LINK (WED 1715) 2.63
8 SNOOKER (SUN 2001) 2.62
9 AN ISLAND PARISH (TUE 2001) 2.58
10 MASTERCHEF (TUE 2031) 2.58
11 THE WEAKEST LINK (THU 1716) 2.58
12 THE WEAKEST LINK (FRI 1715) 2.55
13 THE WEAKEST LINK (MON 1713) 2.55
14 THE WEAKEST LINK (TUE 1715) 2.48
15 NEVER MIND THE BUZZCOCKS (THU 2101) 2.40
16 QI (FRI 2202) 2.40
17 BILL ODDIE'S WILD SIDE (WED 2001) 2.25
18 HORIZON (TUE 2101) 2.20
19 EGGHEADS (MON 1758) 2.13
20 FILM: SIGNS (2002) (MON 2057) 2.12
21 WILD WENSLEYDALE (SUN 1740) 2.10
22 EGGHEADS (FRI 1800) 2.01
23 THE NATURAL WORLD (FRI 2001) 2.01
24 EGGHEADS (WED 1800) 2.00
25 HAVE I GOT OLD NEWS FOR YOU (SAT 2101) 1.97
26 SNOOKER (SUN 1359) 1.93
27 EGGHEADS (THU 1801) 1.91
28 EGGHEADS (TUE 1800) 1.90
29 EXTREME PILGRIM (FRI 2102) 1.68
30 THE NATURAL WORLD (SUN 1810) 1.67

source BARB

FILTER: - Torchwood - Ratings - UK

Previous 10 Stories

Sci Fi confirms April debut for Who and SJA

News bits and bobs

Spirituality and Doctor Who

Phil Collinson becomes Head of Drama, Manchester

Sarah Jane coming to America

Torchwood - Appreciation Index

Press round-up

Torchwood 2.3 Ratings

New Trailer To Hit Big Screen

Torchwood - Final Ratings

Amazon Associate paid Link. Doctor Who News is supported by qualifying purchases.

This Week in Doctor Who

ARCHIVE

FILTER