Daleks Rights Sorted?

Tuesday, 4 May 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
According to a news report in today's Daily Star, the rights issues between the BBC and the estate of Terry Nation, which owns the Daleks, has been sorted. "Doctor Who's most memorable foes are to return to the BBC in a deal worth ú250,000," says the article, which mentions that the BBC jointly owns the rights to the Daleks with Nation, who died in 1997, but it still needed permission to feature them in the new show. Says the article, "Show producers are already having fun giving the Daleks more powers. The formerly floor-bound machines will be able to fly. Also under discussion is a plot in which they try to take over London," which could possibly be referring to one of the story titles previously announced (the two parter at episodes four & five). All of this "signals the BBC's firm intention to make the sci-fi series even more successful than it was the first time around," says the article, which notes that each episode is running to a ú1 million budget - more than the BBC has ever spent on a drama. (Thanks to Paul Engelberg)




FILTER: - Production - Press

Telegraph Takes Umbrage

Tuesday, 4 May 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
The Daily Telegraph printed an editorial by Jim White on May 3 entitled "There's no time like the present, Michael Grade," which lampoons the long-time caustic relationship between Doctor Who fans and the new chairman of the BBC, the man who put Doctor Who on hiatus in 1985. "That grin Michael Grade has been wearing since it was announced he was to return to the BBC as chairman of the governors: now we know the explanation. He's looking forward to jousting with an old foe. Not the Downing Street press office. Not even the Daily Mail." Yes, you guessed it... Doctor Who fans. The article calls into question the "militant" forces of Doctor Who fandom, showcases the author's journey to online websites including Outpost Gallifrey (mentioning our convention and the next meeting of our local fan club) and Nitro Nine ("serving the Dr. Who community since 1994"), and yet fails to accurate portray many facts, including misrepresenting the name the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, noting how Russell T. Davies was merely "commissioned to write episodes" and mocking the 40,000 fans attending the next Gallifrey convention. The article concludes by wondering if Christopher Eccleston would be best suited in another role altogether. You can read the entire article by clicking the link above.




FILTER: - Press

Daleks on GMTV

Tuesday, 4 May 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Wednesday morning's GMTV, the UK breakfast-time show, will feature two spots about the return of Doctor Who and at least one Dalek. A representative from the DWAS will be joining the show's presenter. (Thanks to Ian Wheeler, Paul Hayes)




FILTER: - Press

Davison and Big Finish

Tuesday, 4 May 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Putting to rest rumors that have begun circulating (we believe from speculation over the three-CD release of "Game Time" early next year) that Peter Davison will soon be calling it quits on the Big Finish audio line, producer John Ainsworth (who's behind Big Finish's "Unbound" series) told members of the Outpost Gallifrey forum today, "I asked Gary Russell about this yesterday and he confirmed that he certainly has been given no indication by Peter that he wants to give up the Who audios. Gary was quite baffled as to how the rumour got started." Ainsworth also commented about the CD triple-size: "The only reason that there will be a triple-CD Davison release next year is that the writer proposed a six-part story which Gary liked and thought was worth doing as a special release." So no worries as Davison continues into the foreseeable future. (Thanks to John Ainsworth)




FILTER: - Audio - Peter Davison

Big Finish Update

Saturday, 1 May 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Big Finish updated their website with details they released earlier in the week, including the cover for the anthology Short Trips: Life Science (at right; click for a larger version), the cover blurb for next February's The Juggernauts (not Jugganauts or other spellings as DWM and other websites have incorrectly reported), which features not only the return of Terry Molloy as Davros but also guest stars Paul Grunert (Bonnie Langford's husband) in one role, and the cover and details for the first Dalek Empire III serial, which bears the subtitle "The Exterminators," as well as the subsequent five chapters. The article on the site also corrects the proper name of the December 2003 serial as being The Next Life (not "Rassilon") and notes why the planned end of the Divergent universe storyline in the McGann serials was moved up. Says producer Gary Russell, "The arrival of a new series on TV in 2005 has caused us to move things around our schedule somewhat," explains Big Finish Doctor Who co-producer Gary Russell. 'With hopefully lots of new viewers coming to the show next year, Big Finish, like BBC Books and everyone else, are hoping they'll want to investigate the past of the show as well and thus we thought it might not be the best time to have running through the early part of the year an ongoing series of plays with running themes, alternate universes and no TARDIS. I think it's very important to make potential newcomers welcome to the stories and not feel as if they've missed out on so much they can't ever catch up." Russell also told Outpost Gallifrey that, despite comments in DWM and the BF site, he (not Nick Briggs) is directing "Faith Stealer" and the other McGann audios.

DALEK EMPIRE III, by Nicholas Briggs

Part One: The Exterminators
Twenty years ago, Siy Tarkov set off from planet Velyshaa, making his way back to the Galactic Union, carrying vital information about a deadly race known as the Daleks. But now, he's lost in deep space... Meanwhile, the Graxis Wardens have a new recruit. But their ecological paradise is about to be plunged into chaos.

Part Two: The Healers
The Border Worlds are gripped by a terrible plague... Galanar's mission takes him right to the heart of the tragedy. The Dalek plans for 'Geo-forming' are already in operation.

Part Three: The Survivors
Frey Saxton and Galanar must decide who they can trust. The Daleks have orders to take 'no prisoners'.

Part Four: The Demons
Georgi Selestru's fears about the Dalek threat may not be shared by his superiors. Galanar's very survival is at stake. And the Dalek plan is gaining momentum. But who are the Demons, and whose side are they on?

Part Five: The Warriors
The fight against the Daleks must succeed now. But while the Wardens are outnumbered and without a strategy, the Dalek Supreme is sensing victory.

Part Six: The Future
'Maybe this chapter of history will be a bad one. Another one in which the Daleks win. But maybe it won't be.' It would seem that not even Saloran Hardew knows what the future will hold.

Starring William Gaunt (Selestru), David Tennant (Galanar), Ishia Bennison (Frey Saxton), Stephen Elder (Siy Tarkov), Laura Rees (Kaymee), Claudia Elmhirst (Amur), Octavia Walters (Japrice), Peter Forbes (Culver), Oliver Hume (Carneill), Dot Smith (Mivas), Greg Donaldson (Telligan), Karen Henson (Saloran), Dannie Carr (Morli), Jeremy James (Sergic / Snubby), Sean Jackson (Seth), Ian Brooker (Mietok), Jane Goddard (Roozell), Philip Wolff (Chauley), Colin McIntyre (Jake), Nicholas Briggs (Dalek voices) and Sarah Mowat (Susan "Suz" Mendes). Directed by Nicholas Briggs.

The Juggernauts, by Scott Alan Woodard

Within a small mining colony on the dark and distant planet of Lethe, events are occurring the results of which could dramatically affect things on a universal scale. For within the dingy corridors of the artificial biosphere, the lone survivor of a devastating crash has expertly wormed his way into the lives of the colony?s personnel. A scientist known as Davros.

Separated from one another across space and time, the Doctor and Mel find themselves in very different predicaments: Mel has been employed on Lethe, while the Doctor has been imprisoned aboard an alien spacecraft. Both situations are inexorably linked, however,and at the apex of the two sits Davros and the terrifying possibility of a new threat even more powerful than the Daleks!

Rescuing Mel and stopping Davros should be the Doctor?s primary goals, but could it be that this time, Mel does not wish to be rescued? And might Davros actually be working on something for the benefit of the civilised galaxies...

Starring Colin Baker (the Doctor), Bonnie Langford (Melanie Bush) and Terry Molloy (Davros), with Paul Grunert (Brauer), Bindya Solanki (Sonali), Klaus White (Geoff), Peter Forbe (Kryson), Julia Houghton (Loewen) and Nicholas Briggs (Dalek / Mechanoid voices). Directed by Gary Russell.




FILTER: - Audio - DWM

More ghost light

Friday, 30 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
An article on the Restoration Team site today details some of the specifics around the forthcoming release of Ghost Light, due out on DVD in the UK in early September. The commentary for the story has been recorded with Sophie Aldred (Ace), writer Marc Platt, script editor Andrew Cartmel and incidental musician Mark Ayres. The article discusses the process by which the extant extra footage had been discovered, and notes that several hours of raw footage were made available to the restoration group after being recorded by a BBC engineer and, miraculously, never wiped. In addition to the commentary and 5.1 surround remix, a 20-minute extended and deleted scenes package was included (it was not possible to create a longer version of the story, a la "Curse of Fenric," because of the time code burned into the VHS copy), as well as a 12-minute Q&A session with Platt recorded at 1990's Panopticon, and two featurettes: "Light in Dark Places" (38 min) featuring interviews with Sylvester McCoy (the Doctor), Aldred, Sharon Duce (Control), Ian Hogg (Josiah Smith), Michael Cochrane (Redvers Fenn-Cooper), Katharine Schlesinger (Gwendolyn), Cartmel and Ayres; and "Shooting Ghosts" (20 min), a behind-the-scenes look at the studio process with the only recording of such still in existence. As stated before, it will also include a photo gallery, an easter egg or two, and production subtitle notes. (Thanks to the Restoration Team)




FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

bbc south today

Thursday, 29 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Producer Bill Baggs contacted Outpost Gallifrey to let us know that the planned Doctor Who special he was involved with -- rumored to include actor Alan Cumming, as we reported here back in March -- will not be going ahead. "I work for a department called English Regions," Bill told OG, "and after much consideration, the Head [of programming] has decided that a Dr Who TV drama is not something we should be doing." However, Baggs will be involved in making three films for BBC South Today. "Southern Ways is an arts and entertainment strand and we'll be focussing on locations that were used for Dr Who that are in the South (the programmes patch)." And that's where readers come in. "I need your help. Anyone with specific memories of filming in the South of England (Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset, Oxfordshire and Berkshire) and who are still based here, please contact me, as we're looking for contributors. Transmission is due for mid July and filming starts soon." If you can help, contact Outpost Gallifrey and we'll forward your information on. (Thanks to Bill Baggs)




FILTER: - Press

ghost light dvd extras

Thursday, 29 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
BBCi has listed the extras on the forthcoming UK DVD release of Ghost Light, which was confirmed by the latest issue of DWM. Included on the disc will be a commentary track (no word on who, but we at least expect Sylvester McCoy & Sophie Aldred); a 5.1 audio remix and isolated music score; featurettes including "Light in the Darkness," "Shooting Ghosts" (with "unique behind the scenes studio footage"); an extended/deleted scenes package; and a writer Q&A session recorded at Panopticon X in 1990. More details soon! (Thanks to BBCi, Steve Roberts, and Jonathan Morris for pointing it out to us!)




FILTER: - DWM - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

big finish addenda

Thursday, 29 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
A couple of updates to yesterday's Big Finish news article. Nicholas Briggs is the director of Faith Stealer; the single-disc McCoy story is not mentioned as being a DWM giveaway, but will instead initially be given free to BF subscribers (a la The Maltese Penguin); January 2005's Game Time will, like Rassilon, be a three-CD release, and both the triple-disc releases will retail for less than "Zagreus" but the final price has not been fixed. (Thanks to Steve Tribe and DWM)




FILTER: - Audio - DWM

bbc books status

Thursday, 29 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Justin Richards tells Doctor Who Magazine, "It looks likely at the moment that the PDAs will continue to be published as before while the series is off-air, with New Who adventures - aimed very much at the same audience as the new series - coming out while the series is being transmitted." Whether that means that the current January-March 2005 publication schedule has changed remains to be seen. Richards also noted that "Doctor Who: The Legend," the hardcover anniversary book, is sold out (at least from BBC Books; copies remain in shops and distributors' hands.)




FILTER: - Books