Beneath the Surface DVD Cover

Tuesday, 20 November 2007 - Reported by R Alan Siler

The cover art for the upcoming Beneath the Surface DVD box set has been released, although the cover's designerClayton Hickman has noted on The Doctor Who Forum that this is not the finished version.

The set includes three classic stories: Doctor Who and the Silurians and The Sea Devils starring Jon Pertwee, andWarriors of the Deep starring Peter Davison. The three stories will be available as individual releases in addition to their inclusion in the box set.

Beneath the Surface is set for release in the UK on 14 January 2008.

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD - Peter Davison

Torchwood Season Two on BBC America

Tuesday, 20 November 2007 - Reported by R Alan Siler

In a press release today, BBC America issued the following statement:

"BBC AMERICA's all-time highest rated show, Torchwood, is back with a U.S. premiere second season, beginning January 26, 9:00pm ET/PT. Created by Russell T Davies, lead writer on the current Doctor Who series, Torchwood (13 x 60) is a BBC Production, distributed by BBC Worldwide."

Torchwood is set to debut on BBC2 "early 2008", and the press release describes the show's American airing as "close to its UK premiere".

The 7-disk Season One box set is set for release in America during that same week, on January 22nd.

The entire press release appears below:

JANUARY IS TORCHWOOD MONTH WITH THE RETURN OF BBC AMERICA'S HIT SCI-FI SHOW AND DVD RELEASE

BBC AMERICA's all-time highest rated show, Torchwood, is back with a U.S. premiere second season, beginning January 26, 9:00pm ET/PT. Created by Russell T Davies, lead writer on the current Doctor Who series, Torchwood (13 x 60) is a BBC Production, distributed by BBC Worldwide.

With guest stars including James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville), Alan Dale (Ugly Betty, The OC) and Doctor Who's Freema Agyeman, the show will air close to its UK premiere.

Richard De Croce, VP Programming, BBC AMERICA says: Torchwood has legions of loyal fans in the U.S. and we wanted to bring them the next season as soon as possible.

And fresh from its critically acclaimed airing on BBC AMERICA in September, Torchwood: The Complete First Season goes on sale January 22. The 7-disc DVD set includes over 6 hours of bonus features including outtakes and cast interviews.

Torchwood is an action-packed, adrenalin-fuelled sci-fi series following the adventures of a team of investigators, lead by Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), who use alien technology to solve crime. With fearsome new aliens and compelling storylines the second season takes the close-knit Torchwood team through dare-devil action, temptation, heartache and a life changing event for one of the team.

Hollywood Reporter called it "...a crackling good, brilliantly conceived sci-fi series that targets actual grown-ups" while the Philadelphia Inquirer said it was "...super-slick, raw, bizarre, hilarious, spooky, scary and sublimely sexy."

BBC AMERICA brings audiences a new generation of award-winning television featuring razor-sharp comedies, provocative dramas, life-changing makeovers and news with a uniquely global perspective. BBC AMERICA pushes the boundaries to deliver high quality, highly addictive and eminently watchable programming to viewers who demand more. BBC AMERICA is distributed by Discovery Networks. It is available on digital cable and satellite TV. For more information about BBC AMERICA visit www.bbcamerica.com.

FILTER: - Torchwood - USA - Broadcasting

Writers' Guild Award

Monday, 19 November 2007 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

The BBC's Doctor Who website has announced that the writers of Doctor Who Series 3have won the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for Best Soap or Series (TV). (The other nominated series were New Tricks Series 4 and Life on Mars Series 2.)

All the writers of Series 3 (Chris Chibnall, Paul Cornell, Russell T. Davies, Stephen Greenhorn, Steven Moffat, Helen Raynor and Gareth Roberts) were honored. Cornell, Greenhorn, Moffat and Roberts were in attendance at the ceremony, which was held at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

Further details of the award ceremony are available at the Writers' Guild blog.

FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Russell T Davies - Online - Production - Awards/Nominations

Time Crash - Ratings

Saturday, 17 November 2007 - Reported by Marcus

Unofficial overnight figures show that the Children in Need Special, Time Crash, was the most watched programme on British Television on Friday.

Overall the Children in Need programme scored a rating of 9.4 millionviewers and was the most watched programme of the day.

The telethon peaked between 20:15 and 20:30, when the two Doctors special was shown, with 10.9 million viewers, a 45% share of the total television audience.

The programme won its time slot comprehensively, with the nearest opposition being The Thin Blue Line on ITV1, which scored 2.8 million against the Doctors.

When official figures are available, Time Crash could be the most watched segment of Doctor Who since the series returned in 2005. Rose achieved a rating of 10.8 million, but peaked at 11.3 million. Time Crash is also likely to beat EastEnders highest audience of the year, which currently stands at 11.0 million.

Around 2.5 million viewers watched the repeat of the segment at 00:45.

FILTER: - Special Events - Ratings

Exhibition Returns To Space Centre

Saturday, 17 November 2007 - Reported by DWNP Archive

The Doctor Who Up Close Exhibition has returned to the UK's National Space Centre.

The display in Leicester opened on November 13 and will be there until January 6, 2008.

According to promotional material, it includes Martha's and the Master's costumes, as well as Weeping Angels, Witches (presumably Carrionites), Daleks and Cybermen plus other foes, although the official exhibitions site says there will be just one each of the Angels, Witches and Cybermen, plus a Dalek Encounter.

The centre also hopes to have exhibits from the Christmas special, Voyage of the Damned, in January.

Entry is free for all ticket-holders to the National Space Centre. However, school bookings do not include entry to the exhibition. The centre is open Tuesdays to Sundays. During school holidays, it is also open on Mondays.

The centre, in Exploration Drive, previously hosted an Up Close exhibition from November 22, 2005 to January 8, 2006.

(Thanks to Malika Andress.)

FILTER: - Exhibitions

DVD Award

Thursday, 15 November 2007 - Reported by Marcus

The second season boxset has won the prize for the Best Foreign TV Series at the Fourth Annual TV DVD Awards.

The awards which honour the best DVD's released this past year, are presented by Home Media Magazine in association with tvshowsondvd.com.

FILTER: - Series 2/28 - Blu-ray/DVD

Children in Need

Thursday, 15 November 2007 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

The Doctor Who News Page would like to remind its readers about "Time Crash", the special Doctor Who scene which will air Friday night as part of theChildren in Need telethon. The telethon airs on BBC One starting at 7:00. TheRadio Times indicates that Time Crash will air between 8:00 and 8:30, but the Children in Need schedule is always fluid, so this may or may not be accurate.

"Time Crash" stars David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor. It is written by Steven Moffat and directed byGraeme Harper, who previously directed Peter Davison in his final Doctor Who story, The Caves of Androzani. The scene is expected to be between five and seven minutes long.

The BBC's Doctor Who website has announced that fans in the UK will be able to view "Time Crash" online for seven days after its broadcast, as well as a special Doctor Who Confidential featurette.

In addition to "Time Crash", the Children in Need telethon will include a singing appearance by John Barrowman, which is also scheduled by Radio Times in the 8:00-to-8:30 slot. Christmas special guest star Kylie Minogue will also be singing her new single, "2 Hearts", sometime during the evening's events.

On Thursday, Mark Shift of Clitheroe, Lancashire won a Children in Need auction for a day on the Doctor Who set. Shift entered the bidding for his five-year-old son Joshua (whom he describes as a "Doctor Who fanatic"), and won with a bid of 37,000 UK pounds. Shift is interviewed in The Clitheroe Advertiser, his local newspaper.

The Doctor Who News Page would like to remind its readers that the Doctor Who production team have contributed their time and talent freely, for the benefit of Children in Need. Children in Need funds are given to charity organizations which aid children in the UK. Readers can give to Children in Need online by following this link. Please give generously.

FILTER: - Steven Moffat - Special Events - Peter Davison - Radio Times

Barrowman Talks Shop

Wednesday, 14 November 2007 - Reported by DWNP Archive

In a recent interview with BBC NEWS John Barrowman discussed his new CD,Another Side. He talked about the personal nature of some of the songs, his love of musical theater, and working under the busy schedule ofTorchwood series 2.

FILTER: - People

Sarah Jane Ratings and AI

Tuesday, 13 November 2007 - Reported by Marcus

Unofficial overnight figures for week eight of The Sarah Jane Adventures show that part two of Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? was watched by 1.1 million viewers, an8.5% share of the total TV audience.

The programme out-rated the ITV1 opposition Chris Tarrant's Great Pretender which got 1.0 million during the period the programmes overlapped.

The Appreciation Index for this programme was 85, once more putting the programme into the excellent category. It got a higher AI figure than any other programme on BBC1 on Monday.

On the digital channel CBBC, the first part of the new story The Lost Boy had 0.29 million viewers, an 13.6% share of all children watching.

FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Sarah Jane

Jack's Back For Series Four

Sunday, 11 November 2007 - Reported by DWNP Archive

John Barrowman has revealed that the character of Captain Jack Harkness is returning to Doctor Who in Series Four.

There has been no official announcement by the BBC but in an interview on thisisnottingham.co.uk primarily about Barrowman's new CD, Another Side, the subject of Captain Jack is touched upon, about which he says: "I'm not in the Doctor Who Christmas special, but I come back in Series Four, which starts filming after Christmas."

(Thanks to Sarah Townsend.)

FILTER: - People - Production

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