The future of animated episodes

Sunday, 29 April 2007 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Daniel Hall, commissioning editor for DVD publisher 2Entertain, has recently made an announcement concerning the future for animated episodes of Doctor Who. Speaking on the Restoration Team's Technical Forum, he stated: "After due consideration and for the foreseeable future, we are withdrawing from co-commissioning and co-producing any "classic" Doctor Who animations. I feel our energies will be better spent working on existing stories. With the New Series such a success, and the forthcoming animations for Totally Doctor Who, the BBC is in a far superior position to develop this idea. After all, the original commission of The Invasion came from them."

Having recently made a request for animators to get in touch with them, 2Entertain have now said that they will pass any details on to the BBC. Says Hall: "Please continue to express your support for this excellent and innovative idea. The quality of creative response from my earlier post was thrilling, and bodes well for the future possibilities of animated stories."





FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Evolution - Overnight Ratings

Sunday, 29 April 2007 - Reported by Marcus
Unofficial overnight figures show that Evolution of the Dalekswas watched by 6.5 million viewers.

The programme was the second most watched for the day, being beaten byCasualty, which benefited from a later time slot. It was however the top rated show by share.

The programme also has the highest quarter-hour peak audience of the evening, with 7.3 million watching between 1915 and 1930. It comfortably beat its direct opposition on ITV1, Vernon Kay's Gameshow Marathon, which managed just over half of theDoctor Who audience.

Doctor Who dominated the children's chart with 1.4 million under 16s watching, a massive 64% share. This compares with BBC One's average children's share for the day of 18%.

On BBC Three Doctor Who Confidential was watched by 0.58 millionviewers and was the second most watched programme on multichannel television.

Final figures will be published by BARB in around 10 days time.






FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 3/29

Why isn't Doctor Who broadcast in High Definition?

Sunday, 29 April 2007 - Reported by Chuck Foster

In response to a viewer question on why the BBC chose to broadcastTorchwood in high definition but not Doctor Who on the BBC opinion programme Points of View, producer Phil Collinson explained:

"Torchwood is shot in HD, and Doctor Who isn't. Quite simply, Torchwood has about a third the number of special effects shots that Doctor Who has. In that way its a much simpler series and so because they have less special effects its going to take less time to make those special effects.

"So the simple answer is we wouldn't be able to deliver a series of Doctor Who in high definition every year. It would probably take us twice as long to make so therefore viewers wouldn't get a series every year, they'd get a new series every 18 months."


Later in the programme, Mary Fitzpatrick, Editorial Executive for Diversity, responded to another viewer's question on the lack of prominent black people in BBC programmes, citing the Doctor's new assistant as played by Freema Agyeman as an example of how such actors are appearing in popular shows.

Presenter Terry Wogan also commented that Doctor Who is the most discussed series on the Points of View messageboard on the BBC website!




FILTER: - Broadcasting

Confidential Update

Sunday, 29 April 2007 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

Doctor Who Confidential has released more information about the upcoming episodes for series 3.
6. Monsters Inc. - An episode of Doctor Who just wouldn't be the same without a monster to scare the living daylights out of you!

The creation of such a beast is never easy - especially when it's purely computer generated!

Confidential is on set throughout this chilling episode, spends some quality time with guest star Mark Gatiss and takes a look at some of the fantastic prosthetic and computer generated monsters created since the series made its welcomed come-back in 2005.

7. Space Craft - It's back into outer space for Doctor Who and this time it's an adventure set entirely on a spaceship.

Join Confidential as we gain exclusive access to Doctor Who's art department and take you on a tour of the spaceship's sets and locations. Confidential also journeys back in time to show you some of the best off the wall spaceship designs seen in five decades.

Guest star Michelle Collins discusses her role as the ship's captain, and how she felt performing stunts on her very first day on set.

From models on wires to cutting edge CGI, this is a space craft extravaganza.

8.Alter Ego - With aliens in hot pursuit, the Doctor and Martha find themselves in 1913 England.

Confidential is right beside them to delve deeper into the alter ego of the nation's favourite Time Lord.

Amidst all the stiff upper lips, we follow the advancing 'aliens' and their army, with exclusive backstage footage of the mayhem caused as the outer-space enemies close in on their prey.

Filmed almost entirely on location, Confidential was on-set with cast and crew in the winter wind, rain and mud for the nail-biting first episode of this two-part story.

Features interviews with writer Paul Cornell, whose original novel forms the basis of Human Nature, David Tennant and Freema Agyeman.

9. Family Ties - With The Family of Blood breathing down the neck of the Doctor, time is running out.

Confidential follows the action backstage as we glimpse a life more ordinary (for the Doctor) as well as a vision of the dark future ahead.

The complexities of filming this powerful episode are revealed, as well as the logistics behind the explosive ending.

Features interviews with head writer, Russell T Davies and Freema Aygeman on one of her toughest TARDIS assignments yet.

10. Do you remember the first time? - This week, David Tennant directs his very own Doctor Who Confidential. TV's top Time Lord has been given complete control to film his own very personal account of the making of Doctor Who and to take a nostalgic voyage of discovery to find out the secret behind the success of Doctor Who.

In this unique piece of television, David roams around the BBC, talking to cast and crew and fans of the show, uncovering the secret behind the success of Doctor Who.

From BBC bosses through to the Dead Ringers team, David is hunting for what makes Doctor Who so magical. He chats to the Daleks in the Blue Peter Garden, and discusses with Mark Gatiss the joy of playing a Doctor Who monster in the Lazarus Experiment.

Head writer, Russell T Davies and producer, Phil Collinson chat with David about how they've always had such fondness for the show and how it inspired their creative drive. Executive producer Julie Gardner and drama commissioner Jane Tranter reveal how and why the series was brought back and the unprecedented response it's had.

Stephen Moffat joins David on a hunt around Television Centre, looking for the studios where the classic series was filmed. They end up on the set of Newsnight.

Confidential also features exclusive backstage footage of Blink; one of the scariest episodes to date and candid chats with two of the week's most prominent stars, Carey Mulligan and Finlay Robertson who talk to David about their experience working on the show and on becoming part of the Doctor Who legacy.




FILTER: - Series 3/29 - Broadcasting

Week Six Schedule

Saturday, 28 April 2007 - Reported by Marcus
For the transmission of episode six, The Lazarus ExperimentDoctor Who moves back to a 7pm start. It is once more placed between The People's Quiz and Any Dream Will Do.

ITV1 counters with Vernon Kay's Gameshow Marathon, this week recreating Name that Tune.

Over on BBC2 there is more Snooker with the second semi-final of the World Championships while on Channel 4 there is a documentary series,Unreported World, a look at land reform to help Bolivia's indigenous peoples.

Five has the 1993 film Grumpy Old Men, starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau




FILTER: - Series 3/29 - Broadcasting

Friday Overnight Ratings

Saturday, 28 April 2007 - Reported by Marcus
The third showing of Daleks in Manhattan was watched by 388,000viewers on BBC Three, making it the 8th most watched programme on multichannel television for the day.

Doctor Who Confidential had 308,000 viewers.

On BBC1, Totally Doctor Who suffered from an earlier start time and achieved an overnight rating of 0.5 million viewers, a 7.6% share of the audience.






FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 3/29

Doctor Who sweeps Welsh BAFTAs

Saturday, 28 April 2007 - Reported by Anthony Weight

Doctor Who has dominated the BAFTA Cymru Awards for the second year in succession, winning eight of the thirteen categories in which it was nominated. As reported earlier this month on Outpost Gallifrey, both Doctor Who and its spin-off series Torchwood were nominated for a slew of the awards, given by the Welsh branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, which celebrates achievements by Welsh productions for the big and small screens.

The winners were announced at a ceremony held in the Cardiff International Arena this evening. Doctor Who won the categories for Best Actor (David Tennant), Best Screenwriter (Russell T Davies), best lighting director - not camera (Mark Hutchings); best editor (Crispin Green); best original music soundtrack (Murray Gold); best make-up (Sheelagh WellsNeill Gorton); best costume (Louise Page), and best director: drama (Graeme Harper).

However, the series lost out to Torchwood for Best Drama, with the spin-off also picking up the Best Actress award (Eve Myles), best director of photography: drama (Mark Waters), and best design (Edward Thomas).

In the BBC News report, Controller of BBC Wales Menna Richards is quoted as saying: "I'm very proud indeed of the success of all those who've made such wonderful programmes for BBC Wales. It's great to see BAFTA Cymru recognising the talents of all those who make programmes of the highest possible standards."

(Thanks to Graham Brown.)





FILTER: - Murray Gold - Awards/Nominations - Series 2/28

Parkinson to interview Tennant

Friday, 27 April 2007 - Reported by Kenny Davidson

David Tennant will be a guest on the first edition of the next series ofMichael Parkinson's high-profile chat show on ITV1. The vetran interviewer will talk to Tennant on a programme that will also feature comedian David Mitchell, actress Amanda Holden and singer Michael Buble.

The episode is provisionally scheduled for May 5th.




FILTER: - David Tennant

Interactive Comic Book

Friday, 27 April 2007 - Reported by DWNP Archive

Digital Spy carries a report today about an interactive Doctor Who comic book being launched on the official programme website.

It quotes series co-executive producer Russell T Davies as saying: "For the very first time, fans of the show will be able to create their own magical Doctor Who adventure and bring it to life."

People will be able to incorporate a photo of themselves in their stories, with guidance being given on creating adventures.

Davies adds: "The amazing Comic Maker will allow fans to interact with every aspect of the exciting world of Doctor Who."

New Media Age carried a report earlier this month about the BBC producing a Comic Maker for the site.

NB: Due to rights restrictions, the Flash version of the site is only available to users based in the United Kingdom.

(Thanks to Paul Gregory.)





FILTER: - Online - Books

Davies dismisses Kylie rumour

Friday, 27 April 2007 - Reported by Anthony Weight

Doctor Who executive producer and chief writer Russell T Davies has dismissed the rumour spread by several media sources this week that Australian pop singer and actress Kylie Minogue was to appear in the 2007 Christmas special of the show.

The rumour originally appeared in last Sunday's edition of the News of the World newspaper, as reported at the time by Outpost Gallifrey, and was subsequently picked up by several websites and other newspapers. However, speaking to the BBC's weekly in-house magazine Ariel, Davies has rubbished the suggestion.

"Don't be stupid," he told the publication. "I haven't even written the script yet, and a woman like that is booked up two years in advance."




FILTER: - Specials - Russell T Davies - Production