More on Visitation DVD

Tuesday, 2 December 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The BBC Shop has the following details about the release of The Visitation on DVD in the UK on January 19, 2004:

Doctor Who: The Visitation
Directed by: Peter Moffatt

The Doctor attempts to take Tegan back to Heathrow Airport but the TARDIS arrives in the 17th Century instead of the 20th. The time travellers discover that a space capsule has crash-landed nearby and that its alien occupants, three Terileptil prison escapees, intend to wipe out all indigenous life on Earth by releasing rats infected with an enhanced strain of the great plague. The creatures are also using a sophisticated android to strike terror into the local villagers. Aided by itinerant thespian Richard Mace, the Doctor tracks the Terileptils to their base in Pudding Lane, London. The creatures are ultimately destroyed when a fire breaks out and the Terileptil leader's weapon explodes - also setting off the Great Fire of London.

Extras include: 4 x 25 minute colour episodes with mono audio. Commentary - stereo. Music-Only option - mono Film Trims (dur. 5' 32") - including extended / deleted scenes. Directing Who - Peter Moffatt (dur. 26' 13") - a featurette about the work of the director of this and several other Doctor Who stories. Writing a Final Visitation (dur. 12' 50") - an interview with the story's writer, Eric Saward. Scoring The Visitation (dur 16' 19") - Mark Ayres interviews composer Paddy Kingsland about his music for the story. Picture Gallery (dur. 5' 12") Easter Egg Production Notes.

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

BBC Photo Gallery

Tuesday, 2 December 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

BBC News today features a photo gallery tribute to the Doctor's companions over the years.

FILTER: - Online

Bill Strutton

Monday, 1 December 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Author Bill Strutton, the author of the much-discussed Doctor Who serial "The Web Planet," died on November 23 at age 80. Says an article printed today in the Telegraph, "[W]hen Bill Strutton wrote the script of The Web Planet in 1965, he had a hard act to follow. At first the Zarbi, inhabitants of the bleak and desolate planet Vortis, seemed formidable enough; it transpired, however, that for all their malevolent chirping, they had originally been harmless scavengers. Only under the auspices of the Animus, a dark power who addressed Dr Who in sinisterly smooth and mellifluous feminine tones, had they been transformed into militant aggressors. Once the Doctor had outwitted the Animus, the Zarbi resumed their original unthreatening character. Strutton, for his part, extended his profits with a covering novel Doctor Who and the Zarbi (1965)." Strutton was born in 1923 in Australia and spent time as a prisoner of war during World War II; he was a novelist, journalist and television writer whose work includes "The Saint," "Ivanhoe" and, of course, "Doctor Who". He is survived by a son and two daughters. (Thanks to Jim Sangster, Steve Stratford)

FILTER: - Obituary - Classic Series

Sidekicking

Monday, 1 December 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

News is circulating (on the Ananova and Daily Scotsman web news services) that in a TV Times interview due to be printed on December 2, Russell T. Davies alludes to a Buffy-style sidekick in the new series. "His new sidekick will be a modern action heroine," says the TV Times interview, "and... shows like Buffy, featuring a butt-kicking Sarah Michelle Gellar, have raised viewers' expectations of female characters." Says Davies, "A screaming girly companion is unacceptable now. I don't mean in terms of women's rights - dramatically, we've got Buffy the Vampire Slayer now, so a screaming girly companion would be laughed out of the room." Also, while the TARDIS will stay in the picture, Davies says "I love the Daleks, but I wouldn't load the series with lots of old monsters. We want to make brand new ones." (Thanks to Steve Tribe, Andrew Harvey, Stephen Dunn, Phillip Madeley)

FILTER: - Press

The Story of Doctor Who

Thursday, 27 November 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The Story of Doctor Who, a one-hour documentary celebrating the show's 40th anniversary, will air on BBC1 on Tuesday December 30 at 6:30pm. Says the blurb: "Nostalgic retrospective of the longest-running sci-fi series ever, which made its low-key debut 40 years ago and went on to become a national institution that had generations of young viewers hiding behind their sofas from the colourful alien menaces tackled by the time-travelling hero. This documentary features behind-the-scenes revelations, recalls some of the classic stories from the series' past and interviews all the surviving actors who have played the good Doctor on TV, including Tom Baker and Peter Davison." (Thanks to Alexander Sives, Phillip Madeley, Neil Perryman, John Leacey, Andrew Foxley)

FILTER: - Documentary

New Doc from Cardiff...?

Thursday, 27 November 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Gavyn Davies, the BBC Chairman, made a speech in Cardiff last night to the BBC Governors, and made the following comment: "The new Doctor Who will come from Cardiff, though he will not necessarily speak Welsh." The speech is reprinted here in its entirety; it's likely that he was referring to the production, not a future cast member. (Thanks to Steve Tribe)

FILTER: - Production

Davies Interview with BBC News

Wednesday, 26 November 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

In an article for BBC News Online, Russell T. Davies today spoke to correspondent Nick Dermody about some new details on the series. Russell apparently has the first series planned, but he "admits that his way of working means he will 'leave the typing to the last minute - and panic'." He says he has some very specific ideas for the character of the Doctor: "As an alien, he is the most human you could wish to meet. He is so marvellously human, a scientist, an artist, passionate, funny, emotional." The article also mentions that he's been bombarded with ideas from fans and that he won't say whether or not the show will feature familiar adversaries or "a new generation of monsters fit for the 21st Century." If you'd like to read the full article, click here and follow the link under South West Wales at bottom (for some reason you can't get to the page directly!) (Thanks to Steve Tribe)

FILTER: - Russell T Davies

New Zealand Locale?

Tuesday, 25 November 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Interesting rumor, take with a grain of salt: a radio update on New Zealand's Newstalk 1ZB on Tuesday morning stated that the first new Doctor Who episode would be filmed in that country, at Mount Ruapehu. The mountain (seen most recently in the "Lord of the Rings" films) is one of New Zealand's more popular ski resort areas. Of course, Outpost Gallifrey doubts that this is any more than simple wishful thinking, as location scouting for any new series is likely not to have yet begun. Update: Mount Ruapehu also features in the first episode of "The Scream of the Shalka" so it's likely this is where the confusion lies, mistaking "Shalka" for the new series. (Thanks to Campbell Pentney, and Jeff Murray for the addendum)

FILTER: - Production - Series 1/27 - New Zealand

Adult Swim Tribute

Tuesday, 25 November 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Sunday night's Adult Swim block of programming on the Cartoon Network featured a tribute to Doctor Who's anniversary. The brief announcement, at the end of the "Sealab 2021" animated program, featured a voiceover with some artwork (silhouettes of various iconic images from the show.) Obviously there's a Doctor Who fan in the office, there... (Thanks to Graeme Burk, Mike Fuller)

FILTER: - Press

BBC Internal Auction

Tuesday, 25 November 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Last Friday, the BBC apparently held an internal auction for the "Children in Need" charity; among the items auctioned at the two-hour event, broadcast on the BBC's internal channel for staff, was a "day out" no the new Doctor Who set next year, including a lunch with producer Mal Young and the cast. A Dalek was on hand to push bids along at the auction, in which BBC1 controller Lorraine Heggessey participated. If there was any doubt that Doctor Who would be back, this is probably enough to tip the scales in its favor!

FILTER: - Press

Previous 10 Stories

More on Visitation DVD

BBC Photo Gallery

Bill Strutton

Sidekicking

The Story of Doctor Who

New Doc from Cardiff...?

Davies Interview with BBC News

New Zealand Locale?

Adult Swim Tribute

BBC Internal Auction

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