Davison Down Under

Wednesday, 29 January 2014 - Reported by Marcus

Fifth Doctor Peter Davison will be making a number of special appearances at ABC shops in the next couple of weeks.

The actor is in the country to host the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular. He will be making a special appearance at the shops, where he will be signing Doctor Who merchandise. Please note the number of items that can be signed will be limited due to time restrictions. See here for further details. Each appearance will be for 90 minutes.

Friday 31 January: 10.30am to 12pm - ABC Shop Chadstone
Tuesday 4 February: 10.30am to 12pm - ABC Shop Brisbane
Tuesday 11 February: 11.30am to 1pm - ABC Shop QVB Sydney
Wednesday 12 February: 11.30am to 1pm - ABC Shop Macquarie - North Ryde

FILTER: - Peter Davison - Australia

The Science of Doctor Who comes to Australia

Friday, 24 January 2014 - Reported by Marcus

RiAus, Australia’s national science hub, in collaboration with BBC Worldwide, is to bring a live stage event exploring scientific mysteries raised by Doctor Who, to the five main cities of Australia later this year.

The show will use scenes from the series and look at time travel, regeneration, teleportation and just why the TARDIS is bigger on the inside. Hosted by comedian Rob Lloyd, it features eminent scientists, who also happen to be Doctor Who fans, exploring some of the science-reality behind the fiction.

On the team is Dr Martin White, a particle astrophysicist at the University of Adelaide, Dr Allie Ford, a science communicator at Monash University, Dr Alan Duffy, an astrophysicist at the University of Melbourne and David Jennens, a physicist from the University of Melbourne working at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. Audiences are encouraged to bring along their smartphones and join in the fun and will get an opportunity to decide which Doctor Who alien will take over the universe.

Helen Pendlebury, head of Entertainment for BBC Worldwide ANZ comments

2013 was a huge year for Doctor Who fans with the 50th Anniversary celebrations. We're excited to be working with RiAus in bringing this new interactive and educational live show to audiences around the country. We're hoping fans will come away, not only entertained, but also informed by some of the scientific theories explored in Doctor Who storylines

RiAus is dedicated to promoting public awareness and understanding of science in Australia. The director, Dr Paul Willis, said

This will give everyone something to talk about for a long time to come. As well as showcasing the famous Time Lord through clips of his memorable moments, it will also take a look at the aliens and monsters made famous by the series. the audience will learn some interesting science facts and learn what the fiction behind Doctor Who is all about.

Tickets go on exclusive pre-sale for RiAus members and Doctor Who Club Australia Members on 7 February 2014, with general ticket sales opening at 10am on 11 February 2014

Venues

Perth - 26 April - Octagon Theatre, University of Western Australia
Brisbane - 10 May - Plaza Auditorium, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
Sydney - 23, 24, 25 May - Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre
Adelaide - 31 May - Norwood Concert Hall, Norwood Town Hall
Melbourne - 13, 14, 15 June - Merlyn Theatre, The Coopers Malthouse

FILTER: - Special Events - Australia

Arthur Darvill joins Who Down Under

Saturday, 18 January 2014 - Reported by Connor Johnston

Arthur Darvill who played Rory Williams in Doctor Who, is to join The Doctor is in event taking place in Australia this March.

Darvill joins previously announced guests Matt Smith and Karen Gillan who are both heading down under for the special tour around the country.

The Hub Productions event features guests live on stage, talking about the phenomenon of Doctor Who and their lives as the Doctor and his companion. There will also be merchandise as well as rare collectibles available to purchase from dealers. Limited autographs and professional photographs will be available with the guests. The tour dates are as follows:

Sydney March 1st 2014
Perth March 2nd 2014
Adelaide March 8th 2014
Melbourne March 9th 2014

FILTER: - Arthur Darvill - Conventions - Australia

The Best of the Doctor: R4 DVD details

Thursday, 2 January 2014 - Reported by Connor Johnston

The Best Of The Doctor Specials DVD (R4 Cover)

BBC Worldwide has announced Doctor Who: The Best of The Doctor is to get a 3 Disc Region 4 Release Date Early January. The DVD consists of all the BBC America Documentaries "The Best of ...." and according to some sources will also include an episode to accompany each documentary, though this has not been confirmed. The specials in the series, and are expected to be included on the set, are:

Doctor Who: The Best of the Doctor
Doctor Who: The Best of the Monsters
Doctor Who: The Best of the Companions
Doctor Who: The Best of the Christmas Specials
Doctor Who: The Science of Doctor Who
Doctor Who: The Women of Doctor Who
Doctor Who: The Timey Wimey of Doctor Who
Doctor Who: The Destinations of Doctor Who
Doctor Who: Doctor Who in America

Each of the Specials duration time is around 45 minutes. The official details are below:

Discover whole new worlds behind three of your favourite Doctors: Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith.

Immerse yourself in a total celebration of all that is Doctor Who! These unique documentaries explore Doctor Who through the ideas and moments that make the series such an unforgettable experience. Be awed by the artistry and imagination of the series' most iconic monsters, take an in-depth look at the Time Lord's trusty companions Amy, Rory and River Song, gather a new perspective on the perplexing and confounding paradoxes of time travel; and venture beyond the known universe for extra surprises, facts and theories that could fill the TARDIS.

A must-have for every fan, this collection will expand your knowledge and increase your appreciation for the universe of Doctor Who.

The DVD can be pre-orded online from JB-HI-FI

FILTER: - Merchandise - BBC America - Blu-ray/DVD - New Zealand - Australia

Who's Down Under

Tuesday, 31 December 2013 - Repported by Connor Johnston

Matt Smith (The Eleventh Doctor) and Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) are both heading down under for a special tour around the country next March. The Hub Productions' Whoniverse: The Doctor is in event will see them live on stage talking about the phenomenon of Doctor Who and their lives as the Doctor and his companion. There will also be merchandise as well as rare collectibles available to purchase from dealers. Limited autographs and professional photographs will be available with the guests. The tour dates are as follows:

>>> SYDNEY MARCH 1st 2014
>>> PERTH MARCH 2nd 2014
>>> ADELAIDE MARCH 8th 2014
>>> MELBOURNE MARCH 9th 2014

Additional guests as well as venues and ticket info will be announced mid-January from the Hub's website.

Other Australian appearances include Billie Piper (Rose Tyler), who will be touring with Oz Comic-Con in Adelaide and Perth throughout March and April 2014. Tickets can be purchased from the Official Oz Comic-Con site.

Also travelling to Australia and New Zealand is Fifth Doctor Peter Davison to host the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular.

FILTER: - Karen Gillan - Matt Smith - Billie Piper - Peter Davison - Australia

Overnight Australian ratings for The Time of the Doctor

Friday, 27 December 2013 - Reported by Adam Kirk

The Time of the Doctor averaged 686,000 viewers in the five major Australian capital cities. It won its timeslot (beating the T20 Big Bash Cricket), was the highest rating drama of the day and the eighth highest rating program of the day overall. These ratings do not include regional or time-shifted viewers.

Media Links: TV Tonight

FILTER: - Ratings - Time and the Doctor - Broadcasting - Australia

The Time of the Doctor: press reaction (international)

Friday, 27 December 2013 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Here are a selection of excerpts from reviews published by the international press as The Time of The Doctor made its way around the world yesterday.

The most powerful moments in The Time Of The Doctor didn't involve a stand-off against intergalactic bullies and mad despots - they involved the Doctor reflecting on his time, and slowly giving in to the ravages of age. In this vein, Smith managed to wring genuine emotion out of his final on-screen appearance, but also nailed the quieter moments: the shutdown of a disembodied cyber-head is also the loss of a trusted friend.

(It) is a celebration of the recent past, and a dedication to the Eleventh Doctor, and his time in the Tardis. Time marches on for everybody, even Doctor Who, and everything eventually ends. While there is comfort in the fact that the story goes on, the Eleventh Doctor's time is over. It might have been silly sometimes, and the time-travel shenanigans often got overly complicated, but it was another fine chapter in the lives and times of Doctor Who. The next one is about to begin, but there is plenty of fun and emotion in the Eleventh's chapter that is worth celebrating.

Robert Smith, New Zealand Herald

I shed a tear in the knowledge that possibly the best Doctor the show has seen in its half century is no more. Smith had the ability to persuade his audience that he was, indeed, a millennium old man in a very young man's body. Well, on Boxing Day night on Prime, he discarded that body like a favourite suit too worn and raggedy to patch anymore. RIP 11. We are already missing you.

Smith is at his glorious best in this special, with plenty of reminders of why he might just be the best Doctor yet. Scrub that, he is the best yet and I'm going to miss his portrayal terribly.

Chris Gardner, Stuff

The episode is ripe with writer/producer Steven Moffat's leitmotifs: messages sent across space and time, gatherings of The Doctor's rivals, small towns and sheriff badges. And some of the show's classic tropes: broken technology, the TARDIS telephone and lots of lovely one-liners. The risk, of course, is that the episode is so laden with in-universe references and nods to past episodes, moments, characters and aliens than it becomes almost impossible to navigate for someone without even a cursory knowledge of Doctor Who lore.

This is a pensive finish, but not gut-wrenching in the way that Davies wrote previous Doctor David Tennant's farewell. This is gentler, with only a cameo from his beloved Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) who says goodbye to her "raggedy man". Even Smith's lovely scene with old-school Fourth Doctor Tim Baker in the anniversary special was richer, and more touching. (And tearful, for Baker-era fans anyway.)

But salvation comes in the form of a gift, once promised (but never delivered) by the Time Lords to The Master in the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors: a new life cycle of twelve regenerations. Which means that Peter Capaldi's Doctor becomes not the Twelfth Doctor, as previously thought, but the First Doctor, beginning a new chapter of life for the universe's most beloved Time Lord. And the comfortable assurance that his hope, his strength and, best of all, his eccentric madness, remains a light which will never be extinguished.

Michael Idato, Sydney Morning Herald

Even though the date of Smith's leaving and the identity of his successor, Peter Capaldi, had been known for some time, watching the episode knowing it was Smith's last kept at least one American viewer anxious and sad, with a finger on the pause button for when things got too heavy. Possibly there are still viewers, avid viewers even, who have never quite cottoned to him — Tennant continues to cast a long shadow — but I have loved his work. Elegant and heartfelt, authoritative and playful, swashbuckling and intimate, alien and familiar, Smith's acting has accommodated and, as it were, humanized every oddball, paradoxical, high-concept, low-humor passage Moffat has thrown at him.

Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times

It was always going to be so when facing the long-standing question of regeneration limits. Precedent for more regenerations being granted had been established before, and Steven Moffat led just about enough crumbs to the key moment to deal with the issue, without dwelling too much on it. Job done, whether you like the way it was done or not.

The Time Of The Doctor, then, brought the curtain down on what has to be classed as a successful 50th anniversary year for Doctor Who, that's had its bumps, but also given us some absolute treats. The Time Of The Doctor in itself is unlikely to go down as one of the Who highlights of 2013 in truth. We quite enjoyed it, but it still felt a bit underwhelming. Still, Smith's performance as the Doctor is undoubtedly one of the year's highlights, and it's very clear that the show is going to miss him a lot. What's also clear is that there are further exciting times ahead.

Simon Brew, Den of Geek

Other reviews/comment: Orlando Sentinel, News.com.au, CNN, Hypable, HollywoodLife, The Mary Sue, Examiner, RTT News, The Epoch Times, EntertainmentWise, Twitch, Cinelinx, UInterview, Nerd Reactor, MStarz

Additional UK reviews: SFX, Digital Spy, Metro, International Business Times, MSN, Nottingham Post, Cherwell, Crave

FILTER: - USA - Time and the Doctor - Press - New Zealand - Australia

Peter Davison to host Symphonic Spectacular

Tuesday, 17 December 2013 - Reported by Connor Johnston

BBC Worldwide have today announced the host for the 2014 Australian and New Zealand tour of the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular will be the fifth Doctor himself, Peter Davison.

The show runs in Melbourne from 31st January to 1st February before moving to Brisbane on 8th February and Wellington from 21st February to 22nd February.

Peter Davison, who played the Doctor for three years between 1981 and 1984, said today

I am really looking forward to coming to Australia and New Zealand as part of the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular tour, as well as coming face to face with any Daleks or Cybermen who may turn up along the way. The music of Doctor Who is amazing, and nothing can compare to hearing it performed live by orchestras of the calibre of the Melbourne, Queensland and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras.

Joining Davison will be conductor Ben Foster, who has conducted almost all of Murray Gold's music for the revived series since 2005. He also shared his delight in returning to the tour from his involvement last year:

I am delighted to be back on tour with the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular. Doctor Who has been such a big part of my life for such a long time – it’s great to share this experience with so many fans.

The content that will be performed in the live shows will include music spanning across the whole 50-year history of the show, many recent favourites as well as music from this years Christmas Special The Time of the Doctor.

FILTER: - Music - Special Events - Peter Davison - New Zealand - Australia

The Time of the Doctor - Australian transmission confirmed

Thursday, 5 December 2013 - Reported by Marcus

The Time of The Doctor - Promotional Image (Credit: BBC/Ray Burmiston)

ABC Australia have confirmed the christmas episode of Doctor Who, The Time of the Doctor, will be broadcast on ABC1, on Boxing Day, 26th December at 7.30pm

The episode, which sees Matt Smith leave the role of The Doctor, will be broadcast less than 24 hours after the UK showing.

Times have also been confirmed for the Christmas Day showings in the UK (7.30pm), the USA (9pm ET) and Germany (9.35pm CET)

FILTER: - Broadcasting - Australia

Australia News

Monday, 2 December 2013 - Reported by Marcus

Just in time for Christmas, BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand are pleased to announce that a Doctor Who pop-up shop will open on Saturday 7 December at Westfield Penrith as part of their Super Saturday festivities.

Featuring a range of gifts and apparel, the store offers shoppers great Christmas gift ideas and stocking fillers including a selection of men’s t-shirts, tea towels, notebooks, mugs and teapots from the Doctor Who home range, women’s apparel from US fan girl designers Her Universe as well as the DVD of the 50th Anniversary special episode The Day of the Doctor.

To celebrate the store opening at 9am on Saturday 7 December, fans are invited to dress up as their favourite Doctor Who character with a small gift given to the first 30 fans to arrive in costume. The pop-up shop will be open until the end of December and is located on Level 2/585 High Street, Penrith.

The Penrith pop-up shop is the fourth of its kind and follows on from the overwhelming success of the Doctor Who pop-up shops in Newtown, Brisbane and Melbourne earlier this year.

Rachael Hammond, BBC Worldwide ANZ’s Retail Manager

Following on from all activity surrounding the 50th Anniversary we are delighted to be teaming up with Westfield to offer fans, aspiring Time Lords and Christmas shoppers the chance to fill their stockings with all things Doctor Who

The Doctor Who Production Office in Cardiff took time out from the busy 50th Anniversary schedule to help a small community in southern Tasmania overcome the loss of its school in the bushfires that destroyed the town earlier this year. The story started in January, when Tasmania was hit by record high temperatures and catastrophic fire conditions. The town of Dunalley was one of the areas hardest hit, with families having to take to the water to survive. Along with homes and local businesses, the Dunalley Primary School - a centrepoint of the community - was completely destroyed.

Doctor Who writer and international best-selling author Neil Gaiman is a patron of the Tasmanian-based Bookend Trust, which is an education charity helping students of all ages. He visited Tasmania in the week following the fires, and arranged for his Australian publishers (Hachette and Bloomsbury) to send boxloads of books to help rebuild the school library. Nightmare in Silver was coming during the year, and so he mentioned the plight of the school to the Doctor Who production office.

Tying in with the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary, they sent the school a signed print from Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman, as well as DVDs, CDs and collectables to add to the rebuild. These were delivered by Bookend Director Niall Doran to Principal Matt Kenny today at the Dunalley School Fair, held in the temporary buildings and showcasing the plans for the new school that will start building next year.

FILTER: - Production - Australia

Previous 10 Stories