Sound of Drums - Overnight Ratings

Sunday, 24 June 2007 - Reported by Marcus

Unofficial overnight figures show that episode twelve, The Sound of Drums, was watched by 6.9 million viewers, a38.2% share of the total television audience.

The programme was back on top of the charts as the most watched propgramme of the day, both by audience and share, with over a million viewers more thanCasualty. It beat its direct opposition on ITV1, the premier of Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, getting more than double the film's audience.

With just Sunday's ratings to come, Doctor Who is currently the 9th most watched programme of the week, holding out the possibility of a top ten final place.

The children's audience was 1.2 million which was a 49.7%share of the 4-15 year olds watching television.

On BBC3, Doctor Who Confidential was watched by 0.88 million making it the by far the most watched programme on multichannel television. The share was 5.7%.

FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 3/29

Big Finish Update

Saturday, 23 June 2007 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

Big Finish Productions have released more information on their upcoming releases for 2007. They have released teaser blurbs for Son of the Dragon,Absolution, The Mind's Eye, and The Girl Who Never Was.

Also released is the cover for Human Resources Part 2, the final release in the McGann BBC7 series.

Son of the Dragon (September)

I am Prince Vlad III - son of Vlad the Great, and sovereign and ruler of Ungro-Walachia and the duchies of Amlas and Fagaras.

But since my father's murder, I have had another name.

I am Dracula.

(Features the Fifth Doctor, Peri, and Erimem)

Absolution (October)

Confession. Penance. Absolution.

The Tardis breaks down in a forbidden sector of space. Ghostly voices cry out for salvation and only C'rizz, the Doctor's Eutermesan companion, can answer their call - for only he knows the secret of the Absolver. But will he use it to rescue his friends or save the universe?

The Doctor's sins are catching up with him and the infernal beast Borarus is hungry. Time is running out and Judgement Day is at hand.

Welcome to Hell.

(Features the Eighth Doctor, Charley and C'rizz)

The Mind's Eye (November)

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.

(Features the Fifth Doctor, Peri, and Erimem)

The Girl Who Never Was (December)

'Dot dot dot, dash dash dash, dot dot dot. Someone's listening. Somewhere.'

A ghost ship. A girl with no memory, adrift in time. An old enemy. This could be Charlotte Pollard's finest hour - or her last.

Set course for Singapore, 1931. Journey's end.

(Features the Eighth Doctor and Charley)

FILTER: - Audio

Tennant 'In Stitches'

Friday, 22 June 2007 - Reported by DWNP Archive

David Tennant is to feature in Cross Stitcher magazine's Stitch A Star, which shows how to create embroidered portraits of celebrities.

Christopher Eccleston was in the Future publication's hall of fame previously.

Tennant appears in issue 189 of the magazine, which goes on sale on Thursday, June 28.

FILTER: - David Tennant

The Sound of Drums Press

Friday, 22 June 2007 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

Britain's newspapers and blogs are beating the drums for The Sound of Drums.The Stage's blog calls the episode "a bonkers, brilliant beginning of the end for the third series of Doctor Who." Saturday's Times squeezes in three Doctor Who references: first, a preview of the episode in TV Choice says, "The second part of this fiendishly involved story by Russell T. Davies involves John Simmmasquerading as the Prime Minister. His style is presidential and he treats the Cabinet with contempt. His policies may lack substance, but everyone voted for him because, as Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) says: "He always sounded good - like you could trust him." Second, an article in the main section of the paper discusses the Vote Saxon campaign and outlines Mr. Saxon's electoral manifesto. And finally, Caitlin Moran puts things into perspective by pointing out that Britain will be saying farewell to Tony Blair this week and to Doctor Who next week: "Obviously we know which is the more significant - is the Prime Minister on the cover of the Daily Mirror’s We Love Telly supplement? Hashe ever killed a Dalek? Considered in this light - which, I’m sure you’ll agree, is the right light - it seems amazing that Channel 4 Newshas even mentioned Blair’s resignation."

Thanks to "springyrice" and "PolyG" of the Outpost Gallifrey Forum.

FILTER: - Series 3/29 - Press

Doctor Who Magazine 384

Wednesday, 20 June 2007 - Reported by Marcus

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine, out on Thursday 28th June, comes with two alternative covers depicting television's Number One villain - The Master (see a preview of the covers below). Choose between Derek Jacobi andJohn Simm, both of whom speak exclusively to the Magazine about breathing new life into the Doctor's old nemesis...

"I've tried to explain to my son that his dad is going to be, like, the epitome of evil," John Simm laughs, "but if I say, 'I have a fight with Doctor Who,' and ask him who he wants to win, he'll say Doctor Who! It's one of those opportunities, though, to impress your son in a massive way, and that was just too good to turn down. Julie Gardner was trying to find something for me to do in it, and I kept saying, 'Look, I'm not being painted blue!' And then Julie and Russell T Davies said, 'What about the Master?' As soon as they said that, I was like, 'You're kidding? Oh yeah!' I got really excited about it, but I just had to sit on the news. I wanted to tell people, 'I'M GOING TO BE THE MASTER!!!' But it was a secret. Hmft."

Also this issue, there's a preview of the devastating climax to Series Three, Last of the Time Lords, as the Doctor, Martha and Jack struggle to save the Earth from the Master's clutches.

Plus showrunner Russell T Davies tells the story of how he resurrected the Master ("Did you hear me say that I didn't like the Master, and didn't want him back? Well, I was lying!") and DWM visits a haunted house to find out how Blinkwas brought to our screens. Meanwhile, there's a look at the darker side of the Doctor's nature, as we wonder whether his punishment of the Family of Blood is a sign of things to come... Oh, and we go all Smash Hits as we speak to top pop group McFly (honestly!) and look back at Doctor Who's many celebrity cameos. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Martha uncover the secret of the High Goliax in the conclusion of our comic strip adventure, The Woman Who Sold the World.

There is also Production Notes from writer Steven Moffat, a Matrix Data Bank where three defeated villains face the wrath of Sir Alan Sugar, the results of the 2006 Off the Shelf Awards, and a visit to Sea Base Four for those creatures of the inkiest depths, The Time Team. Not to mention the usual audio and DVD previews, reviews of the latest episodes and the newest merchandise, and more exclusive news hotfoot from BBC Wales.

FILTER: - Magazines - DWM

Blink - Official Ratings

Wednesday, 20 June 2007 - Reported by Marcus

Final official figures published by BARB give Episode 10, Blink a rating of6.62 million viewers.

The programme was the 7th most watched on BBC1 and the 16thmost watched programme on British television for the week.

On BBC3 the Sunday repeat had an official rating of 0.75 millionviewers. It was the second most viewed programme on the channel for the week, and the 6th on all multichannel television.

Saturday's Doctor Who Confidential got a rating of 0.69 million and was the 10th most watched programme of the week.

Top Twenty Programmes (W/E 10 June 2007)

1 CORONATION STREET (MON 2030) - 10.09 - ITV1
2 CORONATION STREET (MON 1934) - 9.91 - ITV1
3 CORONATION STREET (WED 1930) - 8.86 - ITV1
4 CORONATION STREET (FRI 1934) - 8.85 - ITV1
5 EASTENDERS (MON 2000) - 8.77 - BBC1
6 CORONATION STREET (SUN 2002) - 8.66 - ITV1
7 EASTENDERS (THU 1931) - 8.55 - BBC1
8 ANY DREAM WILL DO (SAT 2202) - 8.28 - BBC1
9 NEW TRICKS (MON 2101) - 7.13 - BBC1
10 EASTENDERS (FRI 2000) - 6.90 - BBC1
11 EMMERDALE (THU 1902) - 6.89 - ITV1
12 EMMERDALE (MON 1902) - 6.84 - ITV1
13 ANY DREAM WILL DO (SAT 2003) - 6.80 - BBC1
14 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (SUN 2032) - 6.73 - ITV1
15 EMMERDALE (WED 1859) - 6.64 - ITV1
16 DOCTOR WHO (SAT 1909) - 6.62 - BBC1
17 THE APPRENTICE (WED 2101) - 6.60 - BBC1
18 EMMERDALE (FRI 1903) - 6.43 - ITV1
19 EMMERDALE (TUE 1900) - 6.34 - ITV1
20 CASUALTY (SAT 2112) - 6.32 - BBC1

Multichannel Top Twenty

1 INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL LIVE (Wed 1911) 1,583,000 - Sky Sports
2 KATIE AND PETER: THE NEXT CHAPTER (Thu 2100) 1,218,000 - ITV2
3 EASTENDERS (Tue 2201) 1,089,000 - BBC3
4 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT (Sat 2225) 924,000 - ITV2
5 THE SIMPSONS (Sun 1833) 770,000 - Sky 1
6 DOCTOR WHO (Sun 2001) 752,000 - BBC3
7 60 SECONDS (Tue 2159) 718,000 - BBC3
8 UGLY BETTY (Wed 2102) 708,000 - E4
9 BIG BROTHER'S BIG MOUTH (Tue 2305) 696,000 - E4
10 DOCTOR WHO CONFIDENTIAL (Sat 1954) 686,000 - BBC3
11 HOME AND AWAY (Mon 1829) 628,000 - Five Life
12 BIG BROTHER'S LITTLE BROTHER (Thu 1932) 625,000 - E4
13 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT (Sun 2159) 621,000 - ITV2
14 HOME AND AWAY (Thu 1829) 617,000 - Five Life
15 HOLLYOAKS (Thu 1859) 614,000 - E4
16 FILM: SHAUN OF THE DEAD (Mon 2152) 576,000 ITV2
17 HOME AND AWAY (Wed 1829) 569,000 Five Life
18 FILM: RAMBO FIRST BLOOD (Sat 2143) 567,000 BBC3
19 HOLLYOAKS (Mon 1859) 561,000 E4
20 FILM: SHAUN OF THE DEAD (Mon 2105) 560,000 ITV2

Source BARB

FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 3/29

Sarah Jane Novels

Wednesday, 20 June 2007 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

Amazon.co.uk has listed four Sarah Jane Adventures novels to be released on November 1st, 2007. The first is a novelisation of Invasion of the Bane. Further information on the remaining titles is not available at this time.

Thanks to Kieran Seymour for the information.

FILTER: - Books - Sarah Jane

Sci-Fi Channel Schedule

Tuesday, 19 June 2007 - Reported by Marcus

The Sci-Fi channel in the USA has announced its schedule for July 6th, the start of its transmission of Season Three.

The Runaway Bride debuts at 8pm and is immediately followed by Smith and Jones at9.30pm. Both programmes are repeated starting at 11.30pm.

The premieres come after a day of Doctor Who on the channel, with Season Two episodes being shown from 6am until 4pm.

Thanks to Tim Brewer

FILTER: - USA - Series 3/29 - Broadcasting

Magazine Cover

Tuesday, 19 June 2007 - Reported by Marcus

This weeks TV and Satellite Week features John Simm as Mr Saxon on the cover, backed by the TARDIS crew.

Inside Simm talks about his new role in the series. There is a link to the interview here but beware, it contains a major spoiler for those who haven't yet seen Utopia.

FILTER: - Magazines

Doctor Who Adventures - Issue 32

Tuesday, 19 June 2007 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who Adventures this month prepares you for the last two episodes of the current series with a look at the mysterious Mr Saxon.

There's also a fact file about Captain Jack Harkness where you can discover lots of secrets about the ex-Time Agent.

Also in the issue there's a pull-out guide to the Family's servants - the scary scarecrows. Plus the Lazarus monster features in Tales from the TARDIS and you can learn how to make a Dalek Sec Hybrid head!

In the comic strip there is part one of a brand-new adventure for the Doctor and Martha. In Minus Seven Wonders, something very strange is happening to the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The adventure guide takes a trip to the 1930s for a look at Daleks in Manhattan and heads to New York with the Doctor Who Confidential team.

Plus meet Team TARDIS and Team Time Lord from Totally Doctor Who.

The magazine has new posters of the Weeping Angels as well as the Doctor, Martha and the Daleks.

The issue comes with two free gifts, a pair of squirty Doctor's glasses and a free set of Cyberman stickers.

Doctor Who Adventures issue 32, is out across the United Kingdom on Thursday 21 June.

FILTER: - Magazines - DWA

Previous 10 Stories

Sound of Drums - Overnight Ratings

Big Finish Update

Tennant 'In Stitches'

The Sound of Drums Press

Doctor Who Magazine 384

Blink - Official Ratings

Sarah Jane Novels

Sci-Fi Channel Schedule

Magazine Cover

Doctor Who Adventures - Issue 32

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