Children of Tomorrow

Sunday, 26 August 2007 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

The song, Children of Tomorrow, as heard in the Eighth Doctor audio drama Horror of Glam Rock, is now available to download form iTunes. The song, sung by Stephen Gately with Clare Buckfield was written by Barnaby Edwards with music by Tim Sutton




FILTER: - Audio

Benny 2008 Season announced

Sunday, 26 August 2007 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

Simon Guerrier, who has overseen the last two year's of Bernice Summerfield releases for Big Finish, is handing over the reigns as Producer to Eddie Robson. "I've had a brilliant time on Benny, working with some extremely talented, funny and helpful people," says Simon."But I was originally taken on by Gary Russell to get us to the end of Season 8, and now that's pretty much done I think it's time to let someone else have a go. I'll still be overseeing the books and audios up to the end of this year, but as of now I am answering to Eddie Robson. And his piranha fish." Guerrier's latest book, Bernice Summerfield - The Inside Story will be available in October. A preview is available on-line here.

Robson has already been hard at work and can now announce the 2008 releases for the Bernice Summerfield range. The ninth series of audio dramas will consist of four single-CD plays. These are: 9.1Beyond the Sea by Eddie Robson; 9.2 The Adolescence of Time by Lawrence Miles; 9.3 The Adventure of the Diogenes Damsel byJim Smith; and 9.4 The Diet of Worms by Matthew Sweet. There will be one Bernice Summerfield book for 2008 and this will be the novel Terra Incognita by Ben Aaronovitch.

While the output is smaller, John Ainsworth of Big Finish assures that this is not a plan to phase Benny out. "The main reason for the reduction in the amount of Benny CDs and books for 2008 was to give Eddie a more manageable workload. This was the recommendation of outgoing producer Simon Guerrier. Although Simon has done a magnificent job of looking after Benny for the last two years, he did find it to be quite demanding of his time. The books are particularly time consuming to prepare. As the Benny range sells considerably less than the equivalent items in the Doctor Who range, the budget is that much smaller. This means that Simon, and now Eddie, can't give up the day job in order to work on Benny, so returning to four CDs and one book release makes it easeier to keep on top of."




FILTER: - Audio

Billie set to become Call Girl

Sunday, 26 August 2007 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

Billie Piper is currently working on a new drama series for ITV2 called The Secret Diary Of A Call Girl.

The woman known as Belle de Jour published her diaries in 2005 and, despite many attempts to discover her true identity, remains anonymous. Her no-holds-barred account of her experiences as a prostitute is frank, funny and highly compelling.

The Secret Diary Of A Call Girl is the story of a 21st-century Moll Flanders (played by Billie Piper), an illuminating glimpse behind the scenes of the high-class sex trade. It is an insight into the secret life of an extraordinary young woman whose conventional family have no idea that she is leading a double life.

Actress Billie Piper has been socialising with real-life prostitutes to help develop her character. An ITV spokeswoman said: “They do have a dominatrix on set to advise. It's about prostitution and they want to get it right."

The Secret Diary of a Call Girl will air on ITV2 at 10pm on Thursday, September 27.




FILTER: - People - Billie Piper

Peter finds his voice

Sunday, 26 August 2007 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

Big Finish has announced a new cast member for the Bernice Summerfield audio range.Thomas Grant, whose credits include the films Vanity Fair and Dummy and roles in TV dramasMidsomer Murdersand Mayo, will be joining the cast playing Benny's son Peter. He will appear in the forthcoming The End of the World, and then in The Wake in December.

'We're delighted Thomas can join us in a regular role,' says producer Simon Guerrier. 'He comes highly recommended and is very much in demand. Which is just as well, as he's got a crucial role to play in the next few plays - one that'll change Benny's life forever.'

Due to his other commitments, Thomas recorded his scenes at the end of July. 'Which means I've decided to delay the release of The End of the World to early September,' says Guerrier.

With delaying The End of the World in his first appearance, Peter will be a strong character in the range for the upcoming season.




FILTER: - Audio

DVD Release date

Saturday, 25 August 2007 - Reported by Marcus
Website play.com have listed the 1975 story Planet of Evil for release on15 October 2007.

The 1979 Tom Baker story, Destiny of the Daleks has been passed for DVD release by the British Board of Film Classification. Extras passed include a feature called Davros Connections and the Prime Computer adverts recorded by Tom Baker.

According to play.com this story is due for release on 26th November 2007. As well as being available separately, the release will also be part of an eight-disc Davros Box Set.

Thanks to Dave Huddleston, Joe S Stewart and Paul Lee.




FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

The Mind's Eye

Saturday, 25 August 2007 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

Big Finish has released a cover and full details on The Mind's Eye, the November release featuring the Fifth Doctor, Peri, and Erimem.
This is a warning to all space farers. You must keep away from this planet. It’s hostile, repeat, hostile.

On a planet with no name, the Doctor finds himself confronted by a faulty memory and some killer plants.

In a distant galaxy, Erimem leads a troubled empire.

Back on Earth, Peri tells her son about the good old days when she used to travel with a man called The Doctor.




FILTER: - Audio

BBC and Doctor Who Win Major Awards

Saturday, 25 August 2007 - Reported by R Alan Siler

BBC News Online reports that Doctor Who has been awarded the Programme of the Year title at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, with its broadcaster BBC One being acclaimed as Channel of the Year.

According to the report, "the winner of the best programme prize was chosen from the shortlist by almost 200 young people who were invited to attend the festival as a way of showcasing the next generation of TV talent." Producer Phil Collinson said that to receive the award "from young people coming into this industry is a particular honour". He also praised the BBC, saying that without it, "Doctor Who would never be made, would never be so good and would never be so well supported".

The other nominees in the terrestrial channel award were BBC TwoITV1,Channel 4 and Five.

Doctor Who took its award over E4's programme Skins, plus fellow BBC One series Life on Mars and Planet Earth.




FILTER: - Series 3/29 - Awards/Nominations

Tennant for a full Four

Friday, 24 August 2007 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

In an interview with Doctor Who MagazineRussell T Davies has confirmed thatDavid Tennant will be playing the Doctor for the entire run of series four of Doctor Who.

When asked if the constant tabloid rumours that Tennant would be quitting the show halfway through the next series were true, Davies answered, "No, he's doing the whole series. It was never even discussed that he might leave after six episodes. That's completely invented by the papers."

The story has also been reported on david-tennant.com, which has recently been renamed David Tennant - The Site.




FILTER: - Production - David Tennant - Series 4/30

End of the World DELAYED

Friday, 24 August 2007 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

Perhaps it's Time Lord intervention, but Big Finish has announced that the August release for the Bernice Summerfield range, The End of the World, will now be released in September. This release features the character of Jason Kane, who first appeared in the New Adventures series novel Death and Diplomacy in 1996.
"So for a long time – years now, really – I've had this growing suspicion that everything was, well, everything was just wrong…"

Jason Kane – author, adventurer, hero and inveterately polysyllabic hyperbolist. Now join him on his most exciting adventure yet!

He's going to Hell and back on an impossible quest to stop a man with the powers of a god. Along the way there's monsters and explosions and unseemly contretemps in the odd posh restaurant.

The battle will be hard and require every last iota of Jason's famous cunning. What can possibly go wrong?

[Bernice Summerfield is away.]




FILTER: - Audio

Casting Rumor

Friday, 24 August 2007 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

PR-Inside.com has released a story that includes possible spoilers for upcoming seasons of Doctor Who, although they are sourced from off-hand comments made by Russell T Davies in his latest Doctor Who Magazine interview. Please Click on the Spoiler icon below to see the full article.

The story is also being reported by BBC America.
The next actor to play DOCTOR WHO on the hit British sci-fi show has been found - TV star HARRY LLOYD.
The show's boss Russell T Davies was impressed with Lloyd when the actor appeared on a recent episode as a student at a posh school.

And when current Doctor Who David Tennant leaves the series, which is rumoured to be in two year's time (09), Davis [sic] is convinced he has found a ready made replacement.

He says, "After his audition I sent a note to the casting director saying, 'He's not just good for Baines (his character), that's the next Doctor.

Seriously. He's so brilliant." Lloyd currently plays Will Scarlett in the British TV series Robin Hood.




FILTER: - Production - Press