Doctor Who - In Memoriam - 2017

Sunday, 31 December 2017 - Reported by Marcus

Toby Hadoke has produced his annual tribute to all those from the world of Doctor Who whose death we heard about 2017

Toby Hadoke Tribute video to those people from the world of Doctor Who whose death we heard about in 2017

The Unofficial Doctor Who 1972 Annual

Saturday, 30 December 2017 - Reported by Marcus

The 1972 Doctor Who Fannual (Credit: Mark Worgan)

A new fan produced publication, wrtten in tribute to the Doctor Who Annuals of the 1970's, is looking for contributers.

'Somewhere in the multiverse, its always 1972'

The unofficial Doctor Who 1972 annual is a fan-produced homage to those old Dr Who annuals originally produced by 'World Distributors'.

Before there was VHS, before there were DVDs. Fans would eagerly await the yearly arrival of the Doctor's new adventures, in many ways very different to those that played out on screen. However, for the Xmas of 1971, no such adventures arrived.

The unofficial 1972 annual is entirely fan-produced, and will almost definitely be loss-profit making. But don't worry, the only investment we want is your time and talent. Although the annual is well underway, including a contribution from Ian Levene, we still need more contributions.

We need stories that feature the 3rd Doctor, his new assistant Miss Josephine Grant, and U.N.I.T. We are looking for stories that don't necessarily have to be too serious. In fact the more fun the better. We want the 1972 annual to be humorous (but family friendly) and maybe just a little bit daft, but always fun.

If you want to be a part of something special, please email: doctorwhoannual@aol.co.uk

Also check out the facebook page

The unofficial 1972 annual will be released in 2018

Australian overnight ratings for Twice Upon A Time

Wednesday, 27 December 2017 - Reported by Adam Kirk

Twice Upon A Time averaged 378,000 viewers in the five major Australian capital cities. It was ABC TV's highest rating drama of the day and the nineteenth highest rating program of the day overall (The Ashes and Big Bash cricket, the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, news and current affairs programs taking 14 of the top 20 rating programs on Boxing Day). These ratings do not include regional or time-shifted viewers.

Media Links: TV Tonight

Twice Upon A Time - AI:81

Wednesday, 27 December 2017 - Reported by Marcus

Twice Upon a Time: The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) (Credit: BBC/BBC Worldwide (Simon Ridgway))

Doctor Who: Twice Upon A Time had an Audience Appreciation or AI score of 81.

The Appreciation Index or AI is a measure of how much the audience enjoyed the programme. The score, out of a hundred, is compiled by a specially selected panel of around 5,000 people who go online and rate and comment on programmes.

The score is similiar to that received by last year's Christmas Special The Return of Doctor Mysterio which scored 82.

The highest score of the evening was shared by Call the Midwife on BBC One, Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs at Christmas on ITV1 and Victoria on ITV1 all of which scored 88. The highest rated show of the day, Mrs Brown's Boys, had an AI of 83.

Twice Upon A Time - Press Reaction

Tuesday, 26 December 2017 - Reported by Marcus

Twice Upon a Time: Bill (Pearl Mackie), The First Doctor (David Bradley), The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) (Credit: BBC/BBC Worldwide (Simon Ridgway))

Press reaction to the final Twelfth Doctor story Twice Upon A Time is in and generally positive.

The Guardian found much to admire in the story "There’s so much that is good about the episode. Good jokes – mainly about the First Doctor’s embarrassing un-PC old-fashioned attitudes (“Aren’t all ladies made of glass, in a way?”). I like the second world war spoiler too. “Yes, but what do you mean, [world war] one?” asks the Captain, not understanding the unthinkable. I like Twelve’s “over to you Mary Berry” to One, just because he’s old, I think. Anyway, it’s funny."

The Mirror felt the episode delivered. "It's an emotional rollercoaster to watch and the minute's whizz by so fast, too fast. I felt the ticking clock in my living room was ticking a little louder, counting down to the moment we had to say goodbye to Capaldi's Doctor. I'm so glad that the Powers That Be decided to bring Pearl Mackie's Bill back to the show for one more outing. In an episode that can't really escape from a looming theme of death, Bill brings not only a sense of fun but also heart to the episode."

However, The Telegraph wasn't impressed. "Heavy on stagy dialogue and light on action, the narrative got mired in its own mythology, too busy making knowingly nerdy references to construct a coherent adventure. Ultimately, even the hero admitted there wasn’t a villain."

The Daily Mail found the episode wretchedly dull. "We had to endure an age of Capaldi wringing his hands and begging humanity to ‘be kind’. David Bradley reprised the First Doctor, originally portrayed by William Hartnell in the Sixties. His chief role was to make scandalising remarks about the importance of having a woman about the place to do the dusting, and to look horrified when Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) hinted she was a lesbian."

Radio Times felt the story was lacking substance but praised the nostalgia inherent in the story. "I get a little surge of joy that on Christmas Day 2017 the BBC1 audience will glimpse clips from 1966’s The Tenth Planet of William Hartnell and Michael Craze, both long dead, and my very alive pal Anneke Wills. The lamentable recast versions of companions Ben and Polly are kept mercifully brief, but in a coup of televisual magic a monochrome Hartnell transmogrifies into Bradley in HD colour. The first Doctor rematerialises right before our eyes."

The Independent praised the two lead actors. "Peter Capaldi, as ever, turns out an incredible performance as the Twelfth Doctor. In fact, you wouldn’t expect anything less given that his entire run as the Time Lord has been nothing short of magnificent. Unfortunately, given that this is his Doctor’s finale, David Bradley steals the show as the First Doctor. "

Digital Spy felt the episode delivered where it needed to, also praising David Bradley's portrayal of the First Doctor. "His performance really is spot on – a little spiky, pompous, yet warm and humane. Bradley puts his own stamp on the first Doctor, while remaining enough like his predecessor William Hartnell to soothe the Whovian hardcore. You're left hungry for more – for a story where Bradley's first Doctor is more than a distraction from the main event."

Den of Geek felt the acting plaudits belonged to one of the guest stars. "I can’t overstate just what superb work Mark Gatiss does too, as The Captain. Even before the moving revelation as to who his character really is comes out (maybe it’s Christmas, that that gave me a very warm punch), Gatiss’ quiet, diligent, matter-of-fact performance was tinged with a melancholy edge. Appreciating he had to do some of the ‘what are you talking about’ dialogue to the Doctors, I thought he played it superbly. Polite, baffled, and quietly curious."

AV Club felt the episode was a fitting tribute to the Twelfth Doctor. "This is a thoughtful, funny, incredibly moving episode about kindness, bravery, and the way small choices can make a huge impact. It allows Moffat to reflect on Doctor Who as an entire 54-year series while also serving as a more specific tribute to the 12th Doctor. And it gives Peter Capaldi a beautiful final showcase that demonstrates just how much he’s grown into the role since his rather ominous beginnings back in season eight."

Some felt the regeneration was too drawn out inculding IndieWire "The tradition of the Doctor pushing back against his regeneration is a recent one, and it makes for a prolonged and unnecessary goodbye. Regenerations are at their best when we’re tricked into forgetting they’re coming, like Eccleston’s magnificent and premature departure in 2005’s “The Parting of the Ways.” So having David Tennant, then Matt Smith and now Capaldi each deliver a drawn-out Christmas special swan song feels like three wasted episodes."

iNews praised the writing of Steven Moffat's last story. "The sharply-written interplay between both Doctors, in fact – and later Bill – was one of the joys of this episode. “Atmospheric? (It’s like) a restaurant for the French,” sneered Bradley’s First, gazing around the Twelfth’s hugely modified control room. “I thought I’d become… younger,” the earlier incarnation mused, gazing worriedly at his older self."

Finally Inverse found the episode a fitting final appearance for the twelfth Doctor. "“Kind” is the defining word for the 12th Doctor. It’s what moves him at the Christmas Armistice in Ypres, and it’s part of his final advice to his next self. That the incarnation who began his existence so prickly and aloof would end it as the champion of kindness speaks to just how much this Doctor grew and developed over this three seasons."

The Doctor Who News review can be found on our reviews site.

Twice Upon A time - Overnight Viewing Figures

Tuesday, 26 December 2017 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who - Twice Upon A Time had an audience of 5.66 million viewers, according to unofficial overnight viewing figures, a share of 29.1% of the total television audience.

The figure is almost identical to that received by last year's Doctor Who Christmas Special, which had 5.68 million watching.

Top for the day was Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas Special with 6.80 million viewers. The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special had 6.46 million watching compared to 7.2 million last year.

BBC One outrated ITV 1 from midday to midnight with Coronation Street the only programme on the channel to break 5 million viewers with 5.07 million watching. Victoria the drama starring Jenna Coleman had 2.74 million watching.

HM The Queen's Christmas Message had 5.26 million watching on BBC One and 1.87 million on ITV 1.

Official ratings, including those who recorded te show and watched it later, will be published in two weeks time.

Doctor Who tops Twitter trends

Monday, 25 December 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Doctor Who has topped the worldwide trends on Twitter this evening, reaching the number one spot within minutes after Peter Capaldi's finale aired on BBC Television.

At 7:00pm, the hashtag #DoctorWho proved most popular topic, with "Jodie" and "Capaldi" in third and fourth places respectively - only the topic "Happy Christmas" split the subjects in second place. Outgoing show writer "Steven Moffat" also featured in fourteenth place.

Overnight viewing figures for the episode should be available tomorrow morning.