Doctor Who items in Bonhams AuctionBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Three items from the classic series of Doctor Who have been listed for Bonham's Entertainment Memorabilia Sale, taking place in Knightsbridge on Wednesday 15th December from midday.
Lot 101: a black jacket worn by Jon Pertwee, with braid to lapels and cuffs, single button to front, labelled Austin Reed, the right sleeve inscribed inside by Jon Pertwee in silver pen, To Dewey My very own! Worn for ''The Doc'' back in '69!!, also with some other very indistinct writing, believed by Pertwee when signing the jacket at a convention in February 1991.

Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000, EUR 3,500 - 4,700
 
Lot 102: a script from Resurrection Of The Daleks, 1984,contained within a folder labelled 'Warehouse, Space Ship (Dalek) Composite', with detailed notes in an unknown hand, and stage directions, the scenes of the script separated by BBC Internal Mail envelopes.

Estimate: £200 - 300, EUR 240 - 350
 
Lot 103: a Sea Devil Costume from Warriors of the Deep, 1984, made of foam latex, fibreglass and vinyl, including, a tunic with applied scale effect and chest piece and shoulder piece, a pair of matching trousers (as suit), together with head cowl of latex, fibreglass helmet and foam latex feet.

Estimate: £800 - 1,200, EUR 940 - 1,400
 
The showroom is open for sale viewings beforehand, daily from Sunday 12th December.





FILTER: - Auctions

Odds on a Who Christmas (2010)Bookmark and Share

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
LogoBetting company Paddy Power have collated odds on which television programme will top the Christmas Day ratings this year; as of today Doctor Who is currently believed to be the fourth most likely show to claim the coveted spot.

Paddy Power Odds (30 Nov)
2/5 Eastenders
5/1 The Royle Family
Coronation Street
8/1 Doctor Who
12/1 Emmerdale
Upstairs Downstairs
14/1 Queen's Speech
Top Gear
16/1 Strictly Come Dancing
20/1 The One Ronnie
25/1 Come Fly With Me
BBC News
33/1 Rock and Chips
Harry Hill's TV Burp
40/1 Top of the Pops
50/1 The Nativity
Last year saw similar expectations for the shows vying for the top; however the final result was controversial in terms of the ratings, as the launch of BBCHD gave viewers a choice of channel to watch the show on - thus Doctor Who was the most watched programme overall on television that day, but third in individual channel ratings (see our chart for details).

Not so much a problem in previous years, with clear-cut ratings breakdowns showing:
2005: Eastenders, 10.60m(1)
The Christmas Invasion, 9.84m(2)
2006: The Vicar of Dibley, 12.39m(1)
Eastenders, 9.40m/11.56m(3/2)
The Runaway Bride, 9.35m(4)
2007: Eastenders, 14.38m(1)
Voyage of the Damned 13.31m(2)
2008: Wallace and Gromit, 16.15m(1)
The Next Doctor, 13.10m(2)
 
How will Doctor Who fare this year? The HD division should not be an issue this year (BBC1 and BBC1HD are considered to be the same channel, and not separate like the BBCHD channel), but the traditional competition is on hand to give us a good fight for the top spot on the day!




FILTER: - Specials - Ratings - Betting/Odds

6pm for A Christmas CarolBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: A Christmas CarolThe BBC has confirmed this year's Doctor Who Christmas special, A Christmas Carol with be shown on BBC One and BBC One HD, on Christmas Day at 6pm.

Final schedules were signed off this afternoon. Doctor Who has been shown at 6pm on Christmas Day for the last two years.

This year Doctor Who will be preceded by The One Ronnie, a variety show starring Ronnie Corbett and will be followed by Christmas Editions of Strictly Come Dancing, featuring John Barrowman, and EastEnders.

The programme has already been confirmed for transmission on Christmas Day in the United States on BBC America at 9pm ET and on Boxing Day in Canada on SPACE at 9pm ET and in Australia on ABC 1 at 7.30pm.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Specials - UK - Broadcasting

The Mazes of Time: Android platform version expected?Bookmark and Share

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
A version of the mobile game The Mazes of Time is to come out for the popular Android operating system as well as the already reported Apple platforms, if an advert published by the game's author Oli Smith is accurate.

The author's article was posted on the 23rd November, a day before the official announcement, so the decision may have changed - though a link to the advert was posted today by Tag Games on their Twitter feed.

Oli Smith wrote of the game:
Developed by the talented developers at Tag Games, this action puzzle adventure charts the adventures of the Doctor and Amy as they attempt to rescue an innocent family, scattered through time by the fallout from a Dalek attack, and will be out sometime in December!





FILTER: - Games

Radio Times Doctor Who Cover (Christmas 2010)Bookmark and Share

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
As we expected last week, Doctor Who once again adorns the cover of a Radio Times for Christmas, this year on the issue dated 11th-17th December 2010. The cover art features Matt Smith, Sir Michael Gambon, and Katherine Jenkins "taking the trip of their lives", with the magazine featuring a three page article on the forthcoming Christmas Special, A Christmas Carol.

As well as discussing the programme, Matt Smith reflects on his first Christmas outing as the Doctor:
It was a great privilege to do it. It's something I've always wanted to do since I started the show. I love Christmas, plus I've always wanted to film something in July that has got snow in, loads of snow ... it's very Christmassy.
Katherine Jenkins also talks about getting what is her first acting role:
It was far worse than any nerves I've ever had for any performance. I spent a lot of time thinking about it; it's such an iconic show, and it's one that we watch as a family. I just thought, "I'd love to give it a try." But I'm the first to say I don't really consider myself an actress. So, I asked if I could go in and read to them and I thought, "Well, if I'm rubbish they won't give it to me, will they?" So I read to them and they called me on my 30th birthday and offered me the part.
You can read more about the Special, Matt Smith and Katherine Jenkins's thoughts of working alongside Sir Michael Gambon - plus their own singing talents - in the issue, available in the shops from 2nd December. The traditional double-issue of the Radio Times for the Christmas period will follow a couple of days later on the 4th December.


This is the sixth consecutive year that there has been a special cover for Doctor Who at Christmas, one for each Christmas since the series returned (seven covers if you also include the Dalek-variant version of the Christmas 2009 edition). You can see these and all other Doctor Who covers on the Radio Times website.





FILTER: - Specials - Radio Times

Sylvester McCoy would appear in a 50th Anniversary SpecialBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy has indicated that he would like to return to Doctor Who for a 50th Anniversary special of the show in 2013 if one were to be made.

Speaking to BBC News, the actor said:
Would I do it? Yes, I'd be delighted to! I am a part of it, it hasn't ever gone away and I celebrate the 21st Century Doctors.

I know that the producers balk at it. All those egos in the same room would be very difficult to deal with. But the fans are hoping that for the 50th anniversary, which is coming up, they might do something like that.

It would be fascinating with all the technology if they could bring back Jon Pertwee and William Hartnell. That would be amazing - and I bet they could do it if they wanted to."

The actor expressed his feelings during an interview about his new role in the first ever stage production of Evelyn Waugh's play, Decline and Fall, opening today at the Old Red Lion Theatre, Islington.




FILTER: - Sylvester McCoy

Sarah Jane in AustraliaBookmark and Share

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Sarah Jane AdventuresSeries four of The Sarah Jane Adventures comes to Australia this Friday.

The Australian version of Nickelodeon will be showing the series starting with The Nightmare Man Part One at 7.00pm, followed by Part Two at 7.25pm.

Final ratings for the CBBC showing of the final two episodes of the series, give Part One of Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith a rating of 0.82 million with Part Two getting 0.81 million watching. Final figures for the BBC One showing will be out later this week.





FILTER: - Ratings - UK - Sarah Jane - Australia

The Mazes of Time: screenshots releasedBookmark and Share

Monday, 29 November 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Last week games designer Tag Games announced that Doctor Who: The Mazes of Time will be launched in December for the Apple iPhone/iPod/iPad platforms. BBC Worldwide have now released a couple of screenshots to illustrate how the game will look:

 
Tag Games also reported the shots on their blog:
To begin with here are the first screenshots. One is from early on in the game and the other around the mid-point. As you can see the Daleks make an appearance so the Doctor and Amy are going to have their hands full!
You can follow news about The Mazes of Time on the Twitter feeds from BBC Worldwide Games (@BBCWGames) and Tag Games (@taggames)




FILTER: - Games

It's Behind You!Bookmark and Share

Monday, 29 November 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
It's that time of year again when celebrities hoist their skirts to take the stage in the great British Christmas tradition of pantomime! Here is a round-up of those pantos that feature notable names from the world of Doctor Who.

John Barrowman (Captain Jack, Doctor Who/Torchwood)
Aladdin, Glasgow SECC, 11th Dec - 9th Jan


The rip-roaring adventure story of Aladdin will be brought magically to life in a spectacular production starring actor, television presenter and all-round entertainer, John Barrowman, in the title role of Aladdin. The Krankies, synonymous with the great tradition of pantomime in Glasgow, will be appearing alongside John as the Chinese Policemen.

Their talent, combined with John Barrowman’s energy and showmanship together with our amazing visual effects, is set to make Aladdin an unmissable pantomime experience.”

Aladdin has all of the traditional elements of pantomime but with the added surprise of an array of 3D special effects.

Wearing 3D glasses at certain points throughout the show the audience can rub the magic lamp as it appears in front of their nose, summon the magical 3D Genie from his lamp and join Aladdin on a superb magic carpet ride!

Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon, Doctor Who)
Aladdin, Lighthouse Theatre, Kettering, 10th Dec - 26th Dec


When Aladdin arrives at The Lighthouse Theatre in Kettering this pantomime season, expect a fantastic musical Show full of festive family fun in colossal quantities – with bucket loads of boos and hisses, huge doses of heckling ‘he’s behind you’, panto dames, and maybe even a wish or two from the Genie of the Lamp.

Opening on Friday 10th December and continuing until Sunday 26th December, more than 25 festive performances are in store for audience members at The Lighthouse this year. Expect to see a flying magical beast, fantastic dance routines, and superb singing.

Watch out for Aladdin (played by JOSH DUBOVIE, this year’s Eurovision star), defeating the evil Abanazar (played by DAVID VAN DAY – the man we all love to hate!) on his journey from rags-to-riches, winning the heart of the beautiful princess (played by Big Brother star NIKKI GRAHAME). The kids will love Wishee Washee (played by TV favourite FRAZER HINES – Emmerdale & DoctorWho) and the hilarious Chinese policemen including DANIEL FOX (2009 X-Factor finalist).

With a live band and a host of other familiar faces, this year’s pantomime cast promises good old fashioned family entertainment fit for all ages, a trip to The Lighthouse shouldn’t be missed.

Bruno Langley (Adam, Doctor Who)
Aladdin, Buxton Opera House, 11th Dec - 1st Jan


Traditional panto at Buxton Opera House is better than ever this year, with dazzling dance routines, side-splitting comedy and a stellar cast from some of TV’s most popular shows.

There’s a party going on in the backstreets of old Baghdad, where young Aladdin (Bruno Langley from Coronation Street and Dr Who) and his daft brother Wishee Washee (Matthew McVarish from CBeebies’ Me Too!) live with their hard-working mum, who runs the local laundry.

Hitch a ride on a camel and join the fun as Aladdin meets the beautiful Princess Jasmine (Steph Fearon, semi-finalist from Over the Rainbow), discovers a dodgy long-lost uncle and sets out on a perilous quest to seek an ancient lamp, buried deep in a desert cave.

Don’t miss this magical Christmas treat for the whole family!

Nigel Havers (Peter Dalton, The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith)
Aladdin, Birmingham Hippodrome, 18th Dec - 30th Jan


Get ready for the biggest, all-star pantomime to date as international superstar Joan Collins makes her pantomime debut as Queen Rat in the family adventure Dick Whittington.

Follow Dick and his Cat on their journey to London; set sail to foreign lands and help our heroes fight off the evil Queen and King Rat in an attempt to save the day and win the heart of the beautiful Alice Fitzwarren. Joining Joan on stage in this spectacular pantomime is Julian Clary as The Spirit of the Bells, Nigel Havers as the dastardly King Rat, Keith Harris with Orville & Cuddles as the hilariously hopeless Rat Catchers, and TV favourite Jeffrey Holland as Dame Felicity Fitzwarren.

This year’s pantomime is bursting at the seams with magnificent scenery, stunning special effects and glittering costumes plus even more hilarious jokes and crazy antics! Book now!

Nigel Planer (Vorgenson, Doctor Who Live)
Aladdin, Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield, 10th Dec - 9th Jan


Fly with us to Neverland....Get set for our spectacular fun-packed pantomime Peter Pan.

Starring Hayley Tamaddon (Dancing on Ice, Emmerdale), Nigel Planer (The Young Ones) and with the return of everyone's favourite Dame, Damian Williams (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs).

This Christmas, don't miss our spectacular family pantomime produced by the team behind last year's Box Office smash Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Featuring Tinkerbell, the Lost Boys, and of course, the evil Captain Hook, Peter Pan will boast dazzling sets and costumes, fabulous musical numbers, family comedy and plenty of audience participation!

Other names associated with Doctor Who include: Gray O'Brien (Rickston Slade, Voyage of the Damned) in Aladdin at the Royal Centre, Nottingham; Bradley Walsh (Elijah Spellman, Day of the Clown) in Aladdin at the Southend Pavillion; Graham Cole (various inc. Melkur, Doctor Who) in Jack and the Beanstalk at The Stag, Sevenoaks; John Challis (Scorby, The Seeds of Doom) in Peter Pan at the Stockport Plaza; Don Gilet (Lance Bennett, The Runaway Bride) in Aladdin at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley; Barbara Windsor (Peggy, Army of Ghosts) in Dick Whittington at the Bristol Hippodrome; Paul O'Grady/Lily Savage (himself, The Stolen Earth) in Aladdin at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton; and Christopher Biggins (The One Doctor, Big Finish) in Aladdin at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.
       




FILTER: - Special Events

Torchwood: The New World - filming in America from JanuaryBookmark and Share

Monday, 29 November 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
TorchwoodTorchwood: The New World is due to commence filming in the United States from the 11th January 2011.

The date was reported in an interview with Eve Myles (Gwen) in the Wales on Sunday. As well as the filming in America, the star will return to Wales for filming in Gower for a couple of weeks at the end of January.

Eve mentioned her plans for relocation to Los Angeles for the shoot, finding a place in Los Angeles for her, her partner, and daughter:
We are going to be living in the Hollywood Hills, literally underneath the Hollywood sign. It looks like something out of Austin Powers. It’s a step back in time to Hollywood in the 1960s. It’s really, really retro. It’s had one owner and it’s been kept exactly as it was. I’m much more of a traditional Laura Ashley girl but if we are going to be there for seven months, we have to go for old-fashioned Hollywood and enjoy the full experience!


You can follow the progress of the series from the official Twitter account, @TW_TheNewWorld.




FILTER: - Torchwood - Miracle Day (Series 4)