New Torchwood Series 4 detailsBookmark and Share

Friday, 31 December 2010 - Reported by Harry Ward
The official Torchwood Facebook page has added new a synopsis for Torchwood: The New World.

It does contain spoilers but if you do want to know just click 'reveal' to view the the new details.




Jane Epenson (Writer for three episodes of The New World) recently confirmed on her Twitter page that a read-through of the first episode is due to take place sometime next week.




FILTER: - Torchwood - Miracle Day (Series 4)

The Next Doctor RatingsBookmark and Share

Friday, 31 December 2010 - Reported by Marcus
The repeat of the 2008 Christmas special, The Next Doctor, had an audience of 1.3 million viewers according to unofficial overnight figures.

The programme which stars David Tennant as the tenth Doctor and David Morrissey as Jackson Lake, had a 12.0% share of the audience and won its timeslot.

The repeat series continues today on BBC One with Planet of the Dead showing at 1.10pm.




FILTER: - Specials - Ratings - UK - Series 4/30 Specials

People RoundupBookmark and Share

Friday, 31 December 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Matt Smith tells Now Magazine that he isn't worried about being type-cast: "playing the Doctor hasn't prevented Christopher Eccleston or David Tennant from taking on other parts." He also commented on the length of Karen's Gillan skirts in the series: "I know those short skirts caused a furore but I say bring them on. I see nothing wrong with celebrating women and their sexiness. There's absolutely nothing exploitative or demeaning about it."

Karen Gillan made a special appearance on Monday at her old haunt the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness, where she was called onto the stage to help clean it and then get gunked in goo as part of the show's "grotty totty". Says theatre marketing manager Laurie Piper: "all the way through the show the writer, Iain Laughlan, incorporated 23 Dr Who jokes, so some audience members might have had an idea what was going on. When Karen was called on to the stage, the kids loved it and everyone was delighted. She did it in great spirit." The actress recently became Arts Education Ambassador at the theatre. [Aberdeen Press and Journal]

John Barrowman has had to pull out of his pantomime Aladdin (SECC, Glasgow); the theatre reports: "In terms of future performances, as time goes on it is a case of evaluating his health prior to a performance to see if he is match-fit. John is genuinely disappointed at not being able to make the performances he has missed due to the flu virus – he is a professional who will always perform should he be able to. He is doing everything he can to make a full recovery." Meanwhile, his role is being played by his cousin Greg Barrowman. [Glasgow Evening Times, Herald Scotland]

Former Doctor David Tennant came fourth in a poll of the "most sexy celebrity in glasses", carried out by the College of Optometrists. He was beaten by fashion designer Gok Wan, actor Johnny Depp and comedian Alan Carr.

Finally, the New Years Honours list sees a couple of Doctor Who guest stars honoured: Burt Kwouk (Lin Futu, Four to Doomsday) is to be awarded an OBE and actress Sheila Hancock (Helen A, The Happiness Patrol) will receive a CBE for services to drama. [more details and video for Hancock at BBC News]




FILTER: - People - Karen Gillan - Matt Smith - John Barrowman

Big Finish Short Trips: Rise and FallBookmark and Share

Friday, 31 December 2010 - Reported by Harry Ward
Big Finish are offering a free download of Rise and Fall from Doctor Who: Short Trips Volume I. More details from their blog post below.

As a special thank you to all our listeners, and in the spirit of the festive season, we're offering the first Short Trips story (from Doctor Who: Short Trips Volume I - out now) as a free podcast download.

The story, entitled Rise and Fall, is written by George Mann, read by William Russell and features the first incarnation of the Doctor. Doctor Who: Short Trips Volume I features seven other stories, featuring Doctors 2 to 8, read by David Troughton, Katy Manning, Louise Jameson, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sophie Aldred and India Fisher. The second volume, featuring another eight stories, will be available in February 2011.

'Naturally we hope this might whet the appetite of those who haven't yet ordered the first volume of Short Trips,' confesses executive producer Nick Briggs. 'But in any case, I just wanted us to share this rather special story with all our listeners at what is, for many people, a very special time of year. Writer George Mann has really captured the essence of Doctor Who in a truly engaging, moving tale. I'd particularly like to pay tribute to William Russell's brilliant reading and Martin Montague's lovely sound design.'

Download it from here (MP3)




FILTER: - Audio - Big Finish

DVD UpdateBookmark and Share

Thursday, 30 December 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: SnakedanceDoctor Who: KindaThe two stories comprising The Mara Tales will be released in North America as separate stories on April 12, 2011. Kinda and Snakedance feature the Fifth Doctor and are released as a boxset in the UK a month earlier.

Meanwhile it has been confirmed that Australia will see the release of the Third Doctor story, The Mutants, on February 3, 2011, just a few days after its UK release.

2|entertain have announced, via their Twitter feed, that they hope to launch a YouTube channel in January on with they will post trailers and additional material made to complement the release of classic Doctor Who DVDs.

For full details of the global DVD release schedule see our product page.




FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Matt Smith makes Christmas VisitBookmark and Share

Thursday, 30 December 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: Matt SmithA young Doctor Who fan had his dream come true when he got the chance to meet Matt Smith thanks to Smith's local paper the Northampton Chronicle and Echo.

Alfe Game was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma when he was just five and spent last Christmas in Hospital. He went into remission in the summer and has since dedicated hours of his time to helping children in a similar position to himself, collecting toys for presents for children and designing Christmas cards to be sold to fund presents for friends who have relapsed with leukaemia.

As a thank-you for his hard work, the paper set up a surprise Christmas Eve visit from the Eleventh Doctor, who was born and grew up in Northampton.

After the visit Alfe Game said
Meeting Doctor Who was fantastic. When I heard I was going to meet him I was so excited I was crying inside and when I saw him on my doorstep I was so happy. I’ve got what I wanted for Christmas. This has been the best Christmas yet.

Smith told the Chronicle & Echo
We talked a lot about Doctor Who and what he wanted for Christmas, and then he showed me his presents, but we were just hanging out really. It’s nice to see how inspired children are by Doctor Who and how much of a difference it can make sometimes, when you hear about them meeting in hospital, talking about it and bonding over it. This has been a wonderful experience.

More details and a video clip of the meeting can be seen on the paper's website.




FILTER: - Matt Smith

Voyage of the Damned RatingsBookmark and Share

Thursday, 30 December 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: Voyage of the DamnedThe BBC One lunchtime repeat series continued on Wednesday when of the 2007 Christmas special, Voyage of the Damned, had an audience of 1.4 million viewers according to unofficial overnight figures.

The programme which stars David Tennant as the tenth Doctor and Kylie Minogue as Astrid Peth, had a 12.7% share of the audience. The second half of the programme won its timeslot outrating Oliver Twist on ITV1.

The repeat series continues Thursday with The Next Doctor at 2.10pm.




FILTER: - Specials - Ratings - UK

New Doctor Who Maxi BustsBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 29 December 2010 - Reported by Harry Ward
Titan Merchandise have added two new 8" 3/4 length busts to their the Doctor Who Masterpiece Collection.

This beautifully-sculpted 8" maxi-bust of Captain Jack Harkness perfectly-replicates John Barrowman's effortlessly-charismatic performance as the rogue time agent, Torchwood leader, and sometimes-companion of the Doctor! With his swirling RAF greatcoat and his signature vintage revolver at the ready, this Doctor Who fan-favorite is captured amazingly accurately in this astonishingly detailed three-quarter length premium sculpt.



The most evil being the Time Lords have ever produced, The Master has vexed the Doctor for decades. Sculpted by Titan, this beautiful 8" maxi-bust of The Master celebrates John Simm's acclaimed performance as The Doctor's arch-enemy, British Prime Minister Harold Saxon - better known as the Master! An evil grin and his laser screwdriver at the ready, the universe's most evil Time Lord is captured amazingly accurately in this astonishingly detailed three-quarter length premium sculpt.



These are to be released in April 2011 and can be pre ordered in the USA from BigBadToyStore.com




FILTER: - Merchandise

Runaway Bride RatingsBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 29 December 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who: Runaway BrideThe Tuesday BBC One lunchtime repeat of the 2006 Christmas special, The Runaway Bride, had an audience of 1.5 million viewers according to unofficial overnight figures.

The programme which stars David Tennant as the tenth Doctor and Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, had a 12.3% share of the audience and won its time slot.

Meanwhile this year's Christmas special, A Christmas Carol has shot to the top of the US iTunes chart.




FILTER: - Specials - Ratings - UK

BBC America RatingsBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 29 December 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who:A Christmas Carol had an average audience of 727,000 viewers for its first showing on BBC America on Christmas Day.

TV by the Numbers report the figure, which is for the 9-10.20pm showing on the channel. Last year the first part of The End of Time, which was shown the day after Christmas, achieved 671,000 viewers in the same timeslot.

Figures are not yet available for the other showings on the channel.




FILTER: - Specials - USA - Ratings - BBC America