Torchwood Radio Dramas - titles/cast update

Friday, 3 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The titles of the three new Torchwood radio plays recorded in May have now been revealed by Russell T Davies in the latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine; these are Submission (Ryan Scott), House of the Dead (James Goss), and The Devil and Miss Carew (Rupert Laight). The three episodes are separate stories, though all based on the theme of possession, and Davies reported their settings ranging from an old folk's home, a haunted pub, and the depths of the Mariana Trench.

The plays are set before Children of Earth and so enables popular character Ianto Jones to have further adventures with Jack and Gwen - voiced of course by his off-screen persona Gareth David Lloyd. The actor had previously been rumoured to be involved with the plays after his band Blue Gillespie had to pull out of Live and Unsigned in May, citing "Gareth has got to go to America for a couple of weeks and the trip unfortunately falls over the time of the gig."

Davies has also reported that Torchwood would team up with UNIT for their first official joint mission!

No transmission date has been announced at present, though BBC Drama indicated that they would be broadcast later in the summer.


As well as the radio adventures, three new novels will also be published during the summer, with Davies explaining that they would "exploit the narrative gap in a way which would be impossible for radio". For more details see our follow-up article.





FILTER: - Torchwood - Radio

A Good Man Goes To War - Previews/Interviews

Thursday, 2 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The BBC have released a couple of previews for this Saturday's episode, A Good Man Goes To War:


Preview One: A Good Man Goes To War, BBC, via BBC Website



Preview Two: A Good Man Goes To War, BBC, via BBC Website


Digital Spy talked to Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill about what to expect in the mid-series finale:


Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill interview, Digital Spy, via YouTube



Karen Gillan chatted to TV & Satellite Week over the impact of Amy's revelation last week:
It is really, really emotional for Amy what she goes through. I think any woman watching will really feel for her. It is something that I actually found quite difficult to understand so I had to speak to my mum about the labour scene and just tried to make it really horrific. ... (Giving birth) is going to change her in a big way for the long run and I think we are going to get to see Amy in a really different light.

I didn’t know until we started shooting it because everything is really last minute on Doctor Who, so you just get the script. Then there was a dummy ending on the episode seven script so none of us knew what was actually going to happen until the readthrough when Steven Moffat took us outside and showed us on his laptop.

There are lots of monsters in this one and it really feels like a finale. There are lots of old familiar things coming back and lots of storylines that have been going on for many years will be resolved.

Read the full interview via What's on TV.

Guest stars Simon Fisher-Becker and Danny Sapani spoke to Cultbox about their characters and appearances in the episode:
Dorium is at heart a good guy, but he lives in the murky depths. Think of him as Arthur Daley. Oh, you’re probably too young to remember Arthur Daley! He works in the murky world of black marketing, so that’s why River Song went to him to get the vortex manipulator.

Everyone always talks in code - and I’m very bad at picking up code - everything is kept quite secret, so any development of the character I have to find from the page and in-between the lines.

Because my character is in it throughout, I did have a complete script. Our very first scene that we filmed, we were all together, but it was all out of context, it was all in the wrong order, so it was all very confusing. We had no idea what was going on, but it was an absolute hoot!

What I will say is that a lot of questions will be answered, but then a whole bucket load of new questions will come forward. And the cliffhanger is very good, as you would expect!

Read the full interview, including details on episode thirteen, on the Cultbox website.
Manton is a powerful leader, a scary man and a fearsome soldier. He understands and respects the religious, but is more interested in power. He is obsessed with killing the Doctor.

It is a very complex story with many strands involving many characters from the past and present. I felt it really challenged my need for a back-story, to flesh out the character and know how they relate to the story as a whole, but in the end it made for a more spontaneous experience. I trusted the direction. I am sure it will be great.

Read the full interview via the Cultbox website.





FILTER: - Series 6/32 - Online

The Reign Of Terror episodes to be animated

Thursday, 2 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Early character study from REIGN OF TERROR based on available promotional still (2|Entertain, via yfrog)


2|Entertain have announced that the missing episodes four and five of the William Hartnell adventure The Reign of Terror are to be animated as part of the forthcoming DVD, which the company previously reported would provisionally be released late 2012.

The animators for the project have been named as Big Finish - long-term Doctor Who audio producers, and whose Real Time and Shada adventures were animated for the BBC Doctor Who website - and animation company Theta Sigma, whose Thetamation is described as "a totally new style of animation, a hybrid of the classic anime styles of the 80s and high-technology".


The release of this story's surviving episodes on DVD leaves only those of the incomplete The Tenth Planet and The Ice Warriors still to be scheduled. Prior to this, The Invasion received a similar treatment in 2006 when its missing episodes one and four were re-created by award-winning animators Cosgrove Hall.





FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Torchwood: Web of Lies update

Thursday, 2 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Eliza Dushku. Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic.com
Eliza Dushku
BBC Worldwide Productions
(photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic.com)
Entertainment Weekly have published a few more details about Torchwood: Web of Lies, and have confirmed the hints by writer Jane Espenson that actress Eliza Dushku would be starring in the web-based tie-in series.

The series is being produced by BBC Worldwide Productions and will be made up of ten three-minute episodes, written by Espenson and Ryan Scott. The episode format has been described as animated "motion comics" (believed to be similar in style to previous BBC web-based presentations like Death Comes To Time or Scream of the Shalka).

Russell T Davies spoke about the project in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine:
This is a hugely exciting innovation, a fully-scripted animated adventure with interactive elements, with fantastic voice talents - John Barrowman and Eve Myles reprise their roles as Jack and Gwen, alongside special guest star Eliza Dushku, and co-starring Bob Harris.

The adventures will run in weekly installments, parallel with the event of Miracle Day, adding new clues, new insights, and new dangers, as everyone races to find out the truth behind the mysterious Miracle...

No other details are known at present, or whether the series will have a restricted audience or be made available worldwide.





FILTER: - Torchwood - Online - Miracle Day (Series 4)

Doctor Who Magazine 435

Thursday, 2 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
In the latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine (out today), actress Alex Kingston talks about River Song, and about having to keep the secret of her back-to-front identity:

Right up until the reveal, people are enjoying trying to guess. Is she really on the Doctor’s side? Or is there something more to her? Is she actually not such a good person? Even once we know who River is, I don’t think we’ve lost her potential for adventure.

Also in this issue:
  • And Baby Makes Four! DWM takes a peak at what we can expect from Steven Moffat’s game-changing episode, A Good Man Goes to War. Where is Amy? Who is the Eye Patch Lady? What is River’s secret? All will be revealed... or will it...?
  • Have You Met My Wife? Suranne Jones talks exclusively to DWM about what it was like to play Idris – the TARDIS given physical form, in the amazing episode, The Doctor's Wife, written by the award-winning Neil Gaiman.
  • Goodbye Sarah Jane... Following the sad news of the death of Elisabeth Sladen, DWM commemorates the much-loved actress and the character of Sarah Jane Smith that she created. Doctor Who’s commander-in-chief, Steven Moffat reflects on the enduring popularity of the character in his latest Production Notes; and former Doctor Who showrunner and executive producer of The Sarah Jane Adventures, Russell T Davies shares his fond memories of working with Elisabeth. Plus, an obituary and a selection of the many letters received from readers.
  • Seeing Double! DWM braved the biting cold to report on the disturbing two-part adventure, The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People and was able to talk exclusively to the cast and crew, including author Matthew Graham, actor Raquel Cassidy, and director Julian Simpson.
  • Gentlemen Adventurers From 1977’s The Talons of Weng-Chiang to their own series of adventures on audio, actors Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter talk exclusively to DWM about playing Victorian detectives Jago and Litefoot.
  • End Of An Era As the 60s draw to a close, so too does the tenure of the Second Doctor as COUNTDOWN TO 50 reaches Series Six which introduced both UNIT and the Time Lords to Doctor Who mythology.
  • Running Out Of Time! Amy and the Doctor confront nuns with guns when they land inside an abandoned alien vessel where time is the enemy in Apotheosis, the first part of a new comic strip adventure by Jonathan Morris with art by Dan McDaid.
  • Return Of An Old Acquaintance... The Time Team take a trip to the subterranean layer of tycoon and extraterrestrial collector, Henry van Statten to see the Doctor confronting an old enemy. Will Dalek be to their taste?
  • Gone To Pieces... Summoned by the White Guardian, the Doctor is charged with the mission of finding the six segments of the Key to Time and the Time Lady Romana is assigned to help him in his task. Fact of Fiction examines The Ribos Operation from 1978, and tracks down some fascinating facts about the adventure.
  • Of Gods And Men... Should the Doctor be an all-powerful, god-like being or just a clever chap with an inquisitive streak? Toby Hadoke and Johnny Candon take sides and fight their respective corners in A Battle Of Wits...

PLUS! A FREE giant-size, double-sided poster, all the latest official news, previews, reviews, competitions, more madness from the Watcher, another prize-winning crossword, and much, much more!


Doctor Who Magazine is available from all good newsagents and supermarkets from Thursday 2nd June.





FILTER: - DWM

Experience set to move to Cardiff in Spring 2012

Thursday, 2 June 2011 - Reported by Marcus
BBC Worldwide have confirmed plans to move the Doctor Who Experience to Cardiff once it closes in London.

The intention to move the exhibition to the Welsh capital was first announced in September 2010 following the closure of the long running Doctor Who Exhibition in the city. Planning permission has now been sought by Cardiff Council for the construction of a 3000 sq metre building in Porth Teigr, that will become the long-term home of the Doctor Who Experience from 2012.

Porth Teigr is a redevelopment of the old port area of Cardiff and will be the home to the new BBC Drama Village, where the Doctor Who studios will be located once they move from the current location of Upper Boat.

Working closely in partnership with BBC Worldwide, the City Council is progressing the feasibility of a commercial agreement that could bring the international attraction to the city in Spring 2012. In addition to submitting a planning application the council is carrying out ground investigations to establish substructure costs as part of the feasibility.

Philip Murphy, Managing Director for Live Events at BBC Worldwide commented:
The Doctor Who Experience opened to tremendous critical and customer reviews. Having a long-term home in a purpose-built facility in Cardiff will enable us to develop the Experience even further as the premier fan destination for Doctor Who. We’ve worked very closely with Cardiff Council to bring the Experience to Cardiff, and we believe that it will draw fans to the Welsh capital from around the world.

Keith Jones, Director of BBC Cymru Wales, says:
Wales is the home of Doctor Who – our original made-in-Wales drama success story – so locating this fantastic experience in Cardiff Bay is a great development. The show will have moved into its brand new production home at Roath Lock Studios by this time next year. It’s therefore very exciting that around the same time audiences will be able to come and enjoy such a thrilling experience, within a stone’s throw of where the magic is made.

Councillor Rodney Berman, Leader of Cardiff Council, said:
Cardiff is proud of being the home of Doctor Who which has undoubtedly helped raise the profile of the city. The new Doctor Who Experience coming to Cardiff Bay is a very exciting proposition and one that fans of the show are greatly looking forward to. This promises to be a great new attraction for the city with the added bonus of people being able to visit the Doctor Who Experience right next door to where the series is filmed.

The Doctor Who Experience remains open at Olympia Two in London and tickets are currently available to book there through to 20th November 2011. Further information about the closing date of the London run and the launch of the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff will be released after planning permission has been obtained.





FILTER: - Exhibitions - Press

BBC Seeks Fans

Thursday, 2 June 2011 - Reported by Marcus
The BBC are looking for Doctor Who fans willing to demonstrate their knowledge of the programme in front of the nation on prime time Saturday night television.

A new entertainment show is being planned for BBC One, called Epic Win which will see contestants pit their skills against fellow fans for the chance to win up to £3,000.

To compete you need to be aged 18 and above and prepared to go up against a fellow fan in a special Doctor Who challenge.

To find out more visit the show's BBC Website. Closing date 18th June.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Competitions

Mark Gatiss in Series Six

Wednesday, 1 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
It has been reported that Mark Gatiss will be appearing in episode thirteen of Doctor Who, the finale of the second half of the current series due to be broadcast later in the year. The news comes as part of an interview with one of his co-stars, interviewed by Cultbox (note: the link contains a number of possible spoilers for A Good Man Goes To War as well as episode thirteen).

Gatiss was previously announced as one of the writers for this series, with his script - directed by Richard Clark (The Doctor's Wife) - originally slated as episode three before being moved into the second half as episode nine.


Earlier contributions to the series include the scripts for The Unquiet Dead, The Idiot's Lantern and Victory of the Daleks, plus an appearance as Professor Lazarus in The Lazarus Experiment; he also provided the uncredited voice of "Danny Boy" in his Dalek tale. He was the narrator for the second series of the behind-the-scenes programme Doctor Who Confidential.

He is one of the few people to contribute both behind and in front of the camera for Doctor Who.

(with thanks to Will Martin/Cultbox)




FILTER: - Series 6/32

People Roundup

Wednesday, 1 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Alex Kingston (River Song) talks about her new role as the titular Luise Miller:
"I'd wanted to work on stage here again, and to work with Michael (Grandage, director), for a long time. We'd discussed projects - an Ibsen, I think - but the timing has never been convenient.

For me the hardest thing to negotiate is time away from my family. But this series of Doctor Who was shot during my daughter's spring break, so she could come over for that. And Luise Miller coincides pretty much with her summer holiday. So I was able to prepare myself psychologically for her going back to school, thinking: six weeks is really hard but it will be all right because she'll be with me for the summer again.

If Michael had offered me this during term time I don't know if I could have accepted it. That said, this is what I do. I wanted to be an actor to perform plays, to work with other people to create something. If you think of creativity as a muscle that has to be exercised, there isn't that much opportunity to do that in television.
 
[Evening Standard, 1 Jun 2011]

Billie Piper (Rose Tyler) reflects on her time, post-Doctor Who:
... it’s totally the end of Doctor Who for me, too. I can’t imagine anything would bring me back, and they’re done with Rose.

They’ve got this great new set up with Matt Smith and Karen Gillan and it works brilliantly. So there’s no way in the world it will happen again for me – well not for the foreseeable future.

Both Belle and Rose have been brilliant for my career, but I don’t know yet if they might become curses some day. They haven’t been so far, but who knows? The problem with something like Secret Diary is that you could end up getting endless sexy scripts and a long line of sexual predator parts, which you could tire of.

It’s not something I want to keep doing over and over again. And I got a lot of stick about it, too. Playing a prostitute doesn’t go down well with everyone, surprisingly. But the role took me into the American market, which is fantastic.
 
[The Mirror, 21 May 2011]

Katy Manning (Jo Grant/Jones) is to appear in the film The Haunting of Harry Payne which is currently being filmed in East Anglia. The film is described as a gangster/ghost story, where an ex-London gangster starts to experience forces after killing his former gangland boss. The film also features Graham Cole, who appeared in a number of stories in the early 1980s.
 
[Norwich Advertiser, 26 May 2011]

In the run-up to the BAFTAs, writer Mark Gatiss reflected on his workload over the last year, the importantance of BBC commissioning, and the hot-topic of ratings:
I had a bit of a mad year, to be honest, and was sick of the sight of myself by Christmas, so God knows how everyone else felt. In my defence, scheduling is a curious beast and it fell out that two things I'd made the previous year (The First Men in the Moon and Worried About the Boy) ended up being shown slap-bang in the middle of my History of Horror documentary series for BBC4. On that subject I must take this opportunity to record how fantastic it is that there's still a place where a passion project (as that series most certainly was) can be so championed and encouraged. Equally, that documentaries as startling and oddly moving as The Young Ones and as rich and strange as The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan still have such a valued place.

Speaking of scheduling, it's worth saying that when Sherlock was scheduled to air in the traditionally dead summer slot it seemed like very bad news. It's a measure of how differently we now watch shows that this didn't prove to be the case. Whether catching up on iPlayer, recording on our Sky boxes or downloading our favourites, overnight ratings are ceasing to have any meaning. But you mustn't get me started on ratings or I'll start singing "The King is in the Altogether" and we'll be here till Christmas.
 
[The Observer, 22 May 2011]

Writer David Fisher commented on how he was asked to get the physics right in his Doctor Who stories:
David Fisher. Photo: EDPI remember being called in once. The producer said, "We’ve got a major problem. We’ve had letters from 12-year-old boys saying the physics couldn’t work. In the future, can you guarantee the physics will work"?

Mr Fisher decided to get in touch with scientists working at a Cambridge astronomy centre, near where he lived, and asked if he could talk some ideas through with them.

It turned out they were Doctor Who mad.

The experts helped him not only come up with a way for the Creature in the Pit to threaten an entire planet with a neutron star but also a way to stop it.

They said "that’s perfectly simple too. Just wrap it in tin foil".
 
[East Anglian Daily Press, 23 May 2011]

Kenneth Branagh on The Late Late ShowFilm director Kenneth Branagh recently appeared on The Late Late Show in America, where he was ostensibly there to talk about his new film, Thor, but then spent much of the interview chatting about Doctor Who, Matt Smith, and the TARDIS (with host Craig Ferguson strongly suggesting he should meet Karen Gillan!).
 
[The Late Late Show, 10 May 2011]





FILTER: - People

Much Ado Opens in London

Wednesday, 1 June 2011 - Reported by Marcus
David TennantThe London production of Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing - starring the former Doctor/companion teaming of David Tennant as Benedict and Catherine Tate as Beatrice - opens later today, 1st June, at Wyndham's Theatre.

The play, which has been previewing for the past two weeks, sees Tennant return to the London stage for the first time since January 2009 when he played Hamlet.

Much Ado About Nothing was written around 1600 with the earliest recorded performances being two that were given at Court in the winter of 1612–13. In the play marriage seems inconceivable for reluctant lovers Beatrice and Benedick whose endless witty sparring threatens to keep them apart forever. Meanwhile two young lovers Claudio and Hero are to be married imminently but the devious scheming of a resentful Prince looks set to thwart the nuptials.

This version is set in the 1980s and sees Tennant appearing in a white naval uniform while Tate dons the dungarees of a a beer-swilling, cigarette smoking, feminist.

The play is directed by Josie Rourke, Artistic Director of the Bush Theatre,and runs at Wyndham's Theatre in Charing Cross Road until 3rd September.






FILTER: - Catherine Tate - David Tennant