New Doctor Who Novels

Friday, 18 May 2007 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

A trio of new Doctor Who novels are due out from BBC Books on 6 September: Mark Michalowski's Wetworld, Mark Morris' Forever Autumnand Paul Magrs' Sick Building. The cover illustrations and cover blurbs are below

Doctor Who: Wetworld by Mark Michalowski

When the TARDIS makes a disastrous landing in the swamps of the planet Sunday, the Doctor has no choice but to abandon Martha and try to find help. But the tranquillity of Sunday's swamps is deceptive, and even the TARDIS can't protect Martha forever.

The human pioneers of Sunday have their own dangers to face: homeless and alone, they're only just starting to realise that Sunday's wildlife isn't as harmless as it first seems. Why are the native otters behaving so strangely, and what is the creature in the swamps that is so interested in the humans, and the new arrivals?

The Doctor and Martha must fight to ensure that human intelligence doesn't become the greatest danger of all.

Doctor Who: Forever Autumn by Mark Morris

It is almost Halloween in the sleepy New England town of Blackwood Falls. Autumn leaves litter lawns and sidewalks, paper skeletons hang in windows, and carved pumpkins leer from stoops and front porches.

The Doctor and Martha soon discover that something long-dormant has awoken in the town, and this will be no ordinary Halloween. What is the secret of the ancient tree and the mysterious book discovered tangled in its roots? What rises from the local churchyard in the dead of night, sealing up the lips of the only witness? And why are the harmless trappings of Halloween suddenly taking on a creepy new life of their own?

As nightmarish creatures prowl the streets, the Doctor and Martha must battle to prevent both the townspeople and themselves from suffering a grisly fate…

Doctor Who: Sick Building by Paul Magrs

Tiermann's World: a planet covered in wintry woods and roamed by sabre-toothed tigers and other savage beasts. The Doctor is here to warn Professor Tiermann, his wife and their son that a terrible danger is on its way.

The Tiermanns live in luxury, in a fantastic, futuristic, fully-automated Dreamhome, under an impenetrable force shield. But that won't protect them from the Voracious Craw. A gigantic and extremely hungry alien creature is heading remorselessly towards their home. When it gets there everything will be devoured.

Can they get away in time? With the force shield cracking up, and the Dreamhome itself deciding who should or should not leave, things are looking desperate...

Doctor Who Storybook 2008

May 18, 2007 • Posted By Shaun Lyon

Below is the cover illustration for Panini's Doctor Who Storybook 2008. Says the press release, "Join the Doctor and Martha in a collection of brand-new stories, featuring writers of the multi-award-winning BBC One adventure series. These eight original adventures in Time and Space are beautifully illustrated in full colour by some of the UK's top artists. This sumptuous hardback storybook, with painted dustjacket, is the perfect gift for Doctor Who fans of all ages." The book is published in August.

FILTER: - Books

Series 3 Volume 2 DVD

Thursday, 17 May 2007 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Outpost Gallifrey has received the cover illustration for the Series Three, Volume Two UK DVD release, which includes the episodes "Daleks in Manhattan," "Evolution of the Daleks," "The Lazarus Experiment," and "42". Click on the thumbnail for a larger version of the cover. The disc will be released later this summer.

FILTER: - Series 3/29 - Blu-ray/DVD

Murray Gold Interview

Thursday, 17 May 2007 - Reported by Marcus

The June issue of Sound On Sound magazine features a six-page interview with Murray Gold, the composer of all the music for Doctor Who since its return in 2005.

The magazine is dedicated to the technological side of recording and recording techniques. Topics covered include how Gold got his break, recording the soundtrack album with Neil Hannon, and some pictures from the recording of the score for The Lazarus Experiment at AIR studios in North London.

There's also a large box on how the original Delia Derbyshire theme was created, with input from Murray Gold on how he created the revised version of the theme based on the original.

Sound On Sound is available across the United Kingdom.

FILTER: - Murray Gold - Magazines

New Dalek Stage Play Trailer

Thursday, 17 May 2007 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

Interalia Theatre have released a new and extended version of the trailer for their forthcoming production of The Dalek Masterplan.

The adapted and condensed stage show of the Hartnell epic will be at theNew Theatre Royal in Portsmouth from October 24 to October 27.

Confirmed celebrity guests at the mini-convention being held at the theatre on October 27 are Nick Briggs, the current voice of the Daleks, who will also be providing the Dalek voices for the stage play, Rob Shearman, who wrote Dalek from the 2005 series, Davros actor Terry Molloy and new series Dalek operator Barnaby Edwards.

Click here to play the new trailer, which begins with action from Interalia's production of The Evil of the Daleks at the same venue last year.

FILTER: - Special Events

Lazarus Experiment - Final ratings

Thursday, 17 May 2007 - Reported by Marcus

Final figures have now been published by BARB which show that Episode Six, The Lazarus Experiment, received an official rating of7.19 million viewers, making it the 12th most watched programme of the week.

Although the Episode was beaten by Monday's New Tricks, it outrated all episodes of Emmerdale and one edition ofEastEnders

On Multi Channel TV, the Sunday night repeat got an audience of0.98 million and was the 5th most watched programme after three football matches and the latest instalment of Katie and Peter.

The Saturday edition of Doctor Who Confidential came in at7th with0.80 million viewers and the Sunday repeat was 33rdwith 0.49 million.

Week Ending 6th May 2007

Top twenty Programmes

1 CORONATION STREET (MON 2030) - 9.55 - ITV1
2 CORONATION STREET (MON 1933) - 9.43 - ITV1
3 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (TUE 1930) - 9.29 - ITV1
4 CORONATION STREET (FRI 1934) - 9.07 - ITV1
5 CORONATION STREET (SUN 1928) - 8.99 - ITV1
6 CORONATION STREET (WED 1930) - 8.87 - ITV1
7 EASTENDERS (MON 2000) - 8.31 - BBC1
8 NEW TRICKS (MON 2059) - 7.98 - BBC1
9 HEARTBEAT (SUN 2000) - 7.89 - ITV1
10 EASTENDERS (FRI 1959) - 7.54 - BBC1
11 EASTENDERS (THU 1931) - 7.30 - BBC1
12 DOCTOR WHO (SAT 1900) - 7.19 - BBC1
13 EMMERDALE (MON 1902) - 7.07 - ITV1
14 EMMERDALE (TUE 1900) - 7.04 - ITV1
15 EMMERDALE (FRI 1903) - 6.76 - ITV1
16 EASTENDERS (TUE 1929) - 6.74 - BBC1
17 EMMERDALE (THU 1902) - 6.61 - ITV1
18 CASUALTY (SAT 2045) - 6.59 - BBC1
19 MY FAMILY (FRI 2031) - 6.48 - BBC1
20 EMMERDALE (WED 1859) - 6.46 - ITV1

Multi Channel Top Twenty

1 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LIVE (Wed 1900) 1,912,000 - Sky Sports
2 FORD SUPER SUNDAY (Sun 1530) 1,616,000 - Sky Sports
3 KATIE AND PETER: THE NEXT CHAPTER (Thu 2100) 1,208,000 - ITV2
4 LIVE FORD FOOTBALL SPECIAL-MATCH (Sat 1200) 1,089,000 - Sky Sports
5 DOCTOR WHO (Sun 2002) 984,000 - BBC3
6 LOST (Sun 2200) 842,000 - Sky 1
7 DOCTOR WHO CONFIDENTIAL (Sat 1944) 800,000 - BBC3
8 HOLLYOAKS (Wed 1859) 731,000 - E4 In
9 FORD MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (Mon 1930) 712,000 - Sky Sports
10 EASTENDERS (Thu 2200) 679,000 - BBC3
11 UGLY BETTY (Wed 2102) 672,000 - E4 In
12 HOLLYOAKS (Thu 1859) 665,000 - E4 In
13 FILM: KILL BILL: VOL 1 (2003) (Sat 2132) 656,000 - BBC3
14 AMERICAN IDOL (Fri 2131) 645,000 - ITV2
15 AMERICAN IDOL (Fri 2030) 641,000 - ITV2
16 60 SECONDS (Sun 2000) 610,000 - BBC3
17 HOLLYOAKS (Tue 1900) 606,000 - E4 In
18 THE SIMPSONS (Sun 1901) 591,000 - Sky 1
19 HOME AND AWAY (Fri 1828) 586,000 - Five Life
20 HOME AND AWAY (Mon 1829) 585,000 - Five Life

Source: BARB

FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 3/29

Planet Of Evil Planned For DVD

Thursday, 17 May 2007 - Reported by DWNP Archive

Hot on the heels of the announcement that The Time Warrior and theKey To Time season will be out on DVD in the UK later this year comes the news that 2Entertain is planning to release the 1975 Tom Baker four-parter Planet of Evil.

The British Board of Film Classification yesterday cleared just over 60 minutes of extras for the DVD of Planet of Evil, although a release date is unknown.

The extras, which have a PG rating, include three features entitled Hidden Hinchcliffe, A Darker Side andPlanetary Performance - Acting In Doctor Who.

(Thanks to Tony Clark.)

Time Warrior And Key To Time Season On DVD

May 18, 2007 • Posted By John Bowman

The Time Warrior and the Key To Time season are to be released on DVD in the UK by 2Entertain later this year, says the official programme website.

September 3 will see The Time Warrior available. This story launched Jon Pertwee's final season as the Third Doctor and saw the debuts of companion Sarah Jane Smith, as played by Elisabeth Sladen, and classic monsters the Sontarans.

According to the British Board of Film Classification site, the extras will include a 30-minute documentary entitledBeginning The End - Making The Time Warrior, as well as a trailer, two Easter eggs and a photo gallery.

Sixteen new CGI shots have also been created, spanning all four episodes.

A box set of the six-story Season 16, with Tom Baker as the Doctor andMary Tamm as assistant Romana, will apparently be out on September 23, although that date is a Sunday.

The Key To Time season has already been available on DVD in the USA and Canada for a number of years, although its UK release will include "the full extras it deserves", according to the BBC website.

Further details of those extras will be announced at a later date.

(With thanks to Scott Kinnaird.)

UK DVD Release Schedule

28 May 2007 - Robot - Tom Baker
25 June 2007 - Series 3, Volume 2
9 July 2007 - Timelash - Colin Baker
23 July 2007 - Series 3, Volume 3
6 August 2007 - Time Flight/Arc of Infinity - Peter Davison
3 September 2007 - The Time Warrior - Jon Pertwee
23 September 2007 - Key to Time - Tom Baker

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Doctor Who and Gandalf meet Shakespeare

Wednesday, 16 May 2007 - Reported by R Alan Siler

Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy is set to appear on stage as the Fool in William Shakespeare's King Lear at the Westpac St James Theatre in Wellington on August 11 and 12. The Royal Shakespeare Company production stars Sir Ian McKellan, best known to science-fiction and -fantasy fans as Gandalf in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and as Magneto in the trilogy of X-Men films.

FILTER: - People - Special Events - New Zealand

Guest star Michelle Collins in Radio Times

Tuesday, 15 May 2007 - Reported by Kenny Davidson

As part of the pre-publicity for this Saturday's episode, the new issue ofRadio Times, out today, features exclusive pictures and an interview with Michelle Collins who is guest starring as cargo spaceship captain McDonnell. Our thanks to the Radio Times for the following excerpt:

"We were running around in vests and combats, covered in baby oil and sprayed with water. It was very uncomfortable, because baby oil makes you feel really yucky, and I had to have it on my hair and hands, and my hands had to be filthy."

Not a typical role for the ex-EastEnder then - light years from Walford, in fact, as Collins's ship is heading for a distant sun. So the atmosphere is necessarily hot, hence the spray to give the actors that dripping-with-sweat look. "You got used to it," says Collins. "It was quite liberating not wearing even a bit of mascara, because if I had done it would have been all over my face in two minutes. I was a bit worried about that no-make-up look to start with, then I just thought, 'Oh, go for it!'"

FILTER: - Series 3/29 - Magazines - Radio Times

Rumors Abound

Tuesday, 15 May 2007 - Reported by Josiah Rowe

Fast on the heels of the officially unconfirmed reports of Kylie Minogueappearing in the 2007 Christmas Special come two more rumors. Today, The Sun reports that Woody Allen will be appearing as Albert Einstein in the Christmas Special. It is possible that this report is a mangled version of this story from the Daily Mail about Rebecca Hall, who will be appearing both in Allen's next movie and in Einstein and Eddington alongside David Tennant.

Also, SyFyPortal reports new interest in a Doctor Who movie starringPaul McGann.

Outpost Gallifrey stresses that there has been no confirmation of any of these rumors, and any or all may prove completely groundless.

FILTER: - Press

Series 3 Down Under in June

Sunday, 13 May 2007 - Reported by Adam Kirk

The South Australian Doctor Who Fan Club is reporting that theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation has scheduled both The Runaway Bride and Series 3 of Doctor Who.

According to the SADWFC, The Runaway Bride is scheduled for 8.30pm on Thursday 28 June, with the series beginning in its regular slot of 7.30pm from Saturday 30 June. Series one began in Australia on Saturday 21 May 2005, The Christmas Invasion premiered on Saturday 8 July 2006 and series two followed from the 15th of July that year.

This is subject to official confirmation by the ABC.

Thanks to the SADWFC and Benjamin F. Elliott.

FILTER: - Series 3/29 - Broadcasting - Australia

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