New Beginnings North America Boxed Set Details

Monday, 2 April 2007 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Outpost Gallifrey has received the full-color cover illustrations for the forthcoming North American DVD releases of The Keeper of Traken, Logopolis and Castrovalva, the Tom Baker-Peter Davison serials that will be sold both separately packaged as well as part of the New Beginningsboxed set, due on June 5 from Warner Home Video. The cover illustrations and full details on the extras for each release are below.
New Beginnings Boxed Set (WHV #E4013)
Includes all three discs

The Keeper of Traken (WHV #E4010)
Audio Commentary: Audio Commentary by actors Anthony Ainley, Sarah Sutton and Matthew Waterhouse and writer Johnny Byrne
DVD ROM Features: 1982 Doctor Who Annual, Radio Times and BBC Enterprises literature PDFs
Documentary: Being Nice to Each Other: A new 30-minute "making of" documentary that includes contributions from Sarah Sutton, Sheila Ruskin, Geoffrey Beevers, John Black, Johnny Byrne, Christopher H. Bidmead
Interviews: Swap Shop: Noel Edmond interviews Sarah Sutton (11 mins)
Music Only Track
Other: The Return of the Master: Geoffrey Beevers, Christopher H. Bidmead and John Black talk about the return of the Doctor's arch-enemy (8 mins)
Trailers and Continuity Announcements (6 mins)
Photo gallery
Production Notes

Logopolis (WHV #E4011)
Audio Commentary: Audio Commentary by actors Tom Baker and Janet Fielding and writer Christopher H. Bidmead
DVD ROM Features: 1982 Doctor Who Annual, Radio Times and BBC Enterprises literature PDFs
Documentary: A New Body at Last: A new 50-minute documentary on the transition from Tom Baker to Peter Davison, featuring many of the actors and production team involved, plus exclusive behind the scenes footage of the regeneration
Interviews: Nationwide Interviews with Tom Baker and Peter Davison (8 mins)
Pebble Mill at One: Peter Davison interview (12 mins)
Music Only Track
Other: BBC News Reports on Tom Baker's wedding, the announcement of Tom Baker's departure and Peter Davison's arrival (1 min)
Photo gallery
Production Notes
TV Spot: Trailers and Continuity Announcements (2 mins)

Castrovalva (WHV #E4012)
Audio Commentary: Audio Commentary by actors Peter Davison and Janet Fielding, writer Christopher H. Bidmead and director Fiona Cumming
DVD ROM Features: 1982 Doctor Who Annual, Radio Times and BBC Enterprises literature PDFs
Deleted Scenes
Featurette: The Crowded TARDIS: 11-minute featurette with Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, John Black and Christopher H. Bidmead
Interviews: Being Doctor Who: Peter Davison discusses how he approached this iconic role (13 mins)
Directing Castrovalva: 11-minute interview with Fiona Cumming
Swap Shop, Blue Peter: Peter Davison interviews (29 mins)




FILTER: - Canada - USA - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD - Radio Times

Torchwood On BBC America

Monday, 2 April 2007 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

BBC America has confirmed that Torchwood will be added to its line up as part of theSupernatural Saturday strand. It will join Doctor WhoHexLife on Mars and Jekyll as part of the new programming.
Exciting news from BBC AMERICA's press department hit the wires this morning: the entire channel is undergoing a "radical makeover" later this year. The channel will now "focus exclusively on bringing U.S. audiences the very best in contemporary British programs - including a greater emphasis on our world renowned news coverage," according to our new head honcho, Garth Ancier. Lots of great acquisitions to announce, including MI-5 (Spooks to you UKers), the long-running youth soap Hollyoaks (which I love), Hotel Babylon, the new Jennifer Saunders comedy The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle, Doctor Who spinoff Torchwood, and new seasons of Hex, Life On Mars, and Doctor Who.




FILTER: - Torchwood - USA - Broadcasting

Press reviews

Sunday, 1 April 2007 - Reported by Anthony Weight

Press reviews have started to appear in the Sunday newspapers for last night's third series opener of Doctor Who. TheSunday People's critic Jon Wise expresses disappointment with "Smith and Jones", stating that "The BBC'S biggest, brightest, shiniest and most overly-hyped flagship show - Doctor Who Really Cares Any More? - is back... What was once new and exciting is now boring and repetitive. It feels a struggle to have to engage with a new sidekick for the Doctor... While it was still easily watchable sci-fi fun, after two series this is starting to feel lazy and lame." The Daily Mirror's verdict from Kevin O'Sullivan is mixed: O'Sullivan feels that Freema Agyeman "is set to be just as popular as her smash-hit predecessor Billie Piper," while adding "there's no denying that energetic David Tennant doesn't deliver the goods."

The online version of The Stage entertainment industry newspaper carries a review by assistant editor Scott Matthewman, which also praises Agyeman. "Freema may have proved herself capable to be the new companion, but she has big shoes to fill. And it’s to the series’ credit that it openly acknowledges the Rose-shaped hole and makes it a virtue. By doing that, it helps set up what should be an interesting series. Bring it on!" However, Matthewman feels that the plot of the episode "doesn't stand up to close scrutiny. An MRI scanner, capable of being tweaked to kill everything within 250,000 miles? On an NHS budget? (Seriously though, it could kill everything on Earth — even from the moon — but Anne Reid plans to escape by hiding behind a screen?)".




FILTER: - Series 3/29 - Press

Episode 1 Overnight Ratings

Sunday, 1 April 2007 - Reported by Marcus
Unofficial overnight figures show that the first episode of the new series was watched by 8.2 million viewers, a 39.5% share of the audience.

The programme was the most watched on Saturday, beating the second placed Any Dream Will Do by 1.5 million viewers.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on ITV1 was watched by 4.7 million viewers.

The programme also had the highest audience share of the day.

The five minute breakdown shows the audience grew by over 2 million throughout the programme to peak at 9.1 million between 7.35 and 7.40.

Doctor Who was also top of the Children's Top Ten with 1.6 million viewers between the ages of 4 and 16. This was more than double the number viewing the second placed Harry Potter which had 0.7 million children watching.

On BBC3, Doctor Who Confidential was watched by 790,000 Viewers. It was the second most watched programme on multi channel TV, being beaten by Ford Football Special on Sky Sports 1.




FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Series 3/29

More Press Reviews

Sunday, 1 April 2007 - Reported by Marcus
Monday's newspapers have been busy reviewing the return of Doctor Whoto BBC One on Saturday.

Andrew Billen in The Times gives the programme 4/5 and describes how all his worries about Rose leaving were dispelled with the arrival of Martha, while Sam Wollaston in The Guardian declares "Doctor Who still rules". InThe Telegraph James Walton writes that Russell T Davies isn't running short of imagination yet.

The Express accuses Russell T Davies of ruining every Saturday night on which there's no Doctor Who, and gave thanks the programme was back with a "gloriously bonkers plot".

Most papers report on the show's "ratings smash".




FILTER: - Series 3/29 - Press

Tennant set to meet Einstein

Sunday, 1 April 2007 - Reported by Jarrod Cooper

IGN.com has reported that David Tennant has signed on to play prominent astrophysicist Sir Arthur Eddington in Einstein and Eddington, a HBO Films/BBC co-production. The movie will focus on Einstein's creation of his theory of relativity. Tennant plays Sir Arthur Eddington, who ultimately introduced Einstein's theory to the English speaking world via an article he wrote in 1920. Playing opposite Tennant as Einstein isAndy Serkis, best known as Gollum in the Lord of the Ringstrilogy.




FILTER: - David Tennant

Welcome Back Doctor Who: Series Three Begins

Saturday, 31 March 2007 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
It's the end of March and Doctor Who is back today for its third series with the airing of "Smith and Jones" at 7.00pm on BBC1, starring David Tennant as the Doctor and introducing Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones!

The broadcast will be followed by episode one of the third series of Doctor Who Confidential at 7.45 on BBC3. There's also the first episode of the second series of Totally Doctor Who this coming Monday, 2 April at 5.00pm on BBC1. Meanwhile, BBC3 is repeating The Runaway Bride, last December's Christmas special, at 7.00pm on Sunday 1 April, followed by a repeat of the new episode at 8.00pm.

The following is a quick overview of the week's broadcasts along with some programme information from Radio Times. Welcome back, Doctor Who!
SMITH AND JONES
It's back and this time it looks like there may be two travellers - the Doctor and Martha, alias Smith and Jones. When Martha Jones finds herself on the moon, she meets a mysterious stranger called the Doctor, and her life will never be the same again. Starring David Tennant (The Doctor) and Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones), with Anne Reid (Florence Finnegan), Roy Marsden (Mr Stoker), Adjoa Andoh (Francine Jones), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Tish Jones), Reggie Yates (Leo Jones), Trevor Laird (Clive Jones), Kimmi Richards (Annalise), Ben Righton (Morgenstern), Vineeta Rishi (Julia Swales), Paul Kasey (Judoon Captain). Written by Russell T Davies, directed by Charles Palmer.
Saturday 31 March, 7.00pm, BBC1
Repeats Sunday 1 April, 8.00pm, BBC3; Friday 6 April, 9.00pm, BBC3



DOCTOR WHO CONFIDENTIAL 3.1: MEET MARTHA JONES
Behind-the-scenes look at Doctor Who. The Doctor has a new companion, Martha Jones. By sheer courage and determination, she has wowed the Time Lord and been offered a place on board the TARDIS. Featuring exclusive footage from the new series and interviews with Freema Agyeman, who plays Martha, David Tennant and head writer Russell T Davies, the programme examines the development of Martha's character and the huge interest behind the casting of the new companion.
Saturday 31 March, 7.45pm, BBC3
Repeats Sunday 1 April, 8.45pm, BBC3; Friday 6 April, 9.45pm, BBC3



TOTALLY DOCTOR WHO 2.1
It's back with a twist as the children's companion series to Doctor Who introduces a new adventure to the mix. Barney Harwood and Kirsten O'Brien present a show celebrating the the latest adventures of the last living Time Lord. They look at anything and everything that Doctor Who has inspired children to create and do - from TARDIS-shaped garden sheds to new alien designs, from DIY special effects to new versions of the theme music. There's also the Companion Academy, in which eight young hopefuls who think they've got what it takes to travel with a Time Lord are recruited.
Monday 2 April, 5.00pm, BBC1
Repeats Friday 6 April, 6.00pm, BBC1; Saturday 7 April, 10.30am, BBC2 and 6.30pm, BBC1



THE RUNAWAY BRIDE
A repeat of last December's Doctor Who Christmas special starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate.
Sunday 1 April, 7.00pm, BBC3




FILTER: - Series 3/29 - Radio Times

Monster Man

Saturday, 31 March 2007 - Reported by DWNP Archive
The centre spread of today's edition of The Sun features Paul Kasey.

The 33-year-old, who has played a variety of monsters in the revamped series, tells what it's like to act behind the heavy make-up and prosthetics.

A sidebar by Sun TV editor Sara Nathan focuses on Freema Agyeman.

NB: Both articles contain plot details.




FILTER: - People - Press

The Strongest Link

Saturday, 31 March 2007 - Reported by Marcus
According to unofficial overnight figures, the special Doctor Who edition of The Weakest Linkwas the most watched non-soap programme on Friday.

5.7 million viewers saw stars from the series battle it out with Anne Robinson, a 25% share of the total TV audience.

This made the programme the 4th most watched of the day, behind the big three soap shows. It was the highest rating The Weakest Link has achieved this year, beating the previous high by nearly 2 million viewers.

The programme easily beat "A Touch of Frost" on ITV1

Over on BBC3, 430,000 tuned in at the start of the evening to watch Donna and The Doctor battle it out with the Empress, in a repeat of The Runaway bride. This made it the 8th most watched programme on Multi Channel Television for Friday.




FILTER: - Special Events - Ratings

Russell T Davies on BBC Radio

Saturday, 31 March 2007 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who executive producer Russell T Davies was the first guest on Jonathan Ross's BBC Radio Two programme on Saturday morning.

Davies confirmed there will be a Christmas special in 2007 and said he has already planned the storyline for Season Four, which is pencilled in for transmission in the spring of 2008.

He also spoke about his life long love of the series, his favourite classic series Doctor, and the joys of working in Wales.

The whole programme is available via the BBC listen again facility for the next seven days.

Davies first appears around 38 minutes into the programme.

He was also a guest towards the end of Loose Ends on BBC Radio Four Saturday evening. This programme can also be heard for the next seven days.




FILTER: - People