Wednesday 26 December 2012

Royal Mail Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Stamps



It will be 50 years next years next year since a strange old man stepped out of a Police Box in a scrapyard down Totter's Lane, and the most beloved and exciting television series in the universe began. Since then, the Time Lord has had many faces and battled many foes, and his adventures look set to continue for years to come.


The Eleventh Doctor - Matt Smith


Doctor Who Eleventh Doctor First Class Stamp With his trademark tweed jacket and bow tie, Matt Smith was the youngest actor appointed to play the role. Regenerating from David Tennant in the 2010 Christmas special, Smith’s Doctor’s original companions were Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and her boyfriend Rory (Arthur Darvill) until 2012. His present companion is Clara (Jenna-Louise Colman). The series marked the return of the Silurians, new villains like the Silence and regular appearances from Alex Kingston as the Doctor’s wife, River Song.

Royal Mail Doctor Who Stamps will be available to order from Spring 2013

For more information :  http://www.royalmail.com/doctorwhohttp://www.royalmail.com/doctorwho

Tuesday 25 December 2012

Doctor Who New Titles New Era

The much anticipated Doctor Who Christmas special hit UK screens at 5:15pm this evening. In a previous post was mentioned the new look TARDIS and and brand new title sequence and updated theme to coincide with the forthcoming 50th anniversary. Niether disappointed in my opinion. 



What many fans from the classic era of the show hoped to see one day came to be; the face of the Doctor himself in the opening title sequence. What a surprise and joy I and my family had when we saw the face of Matt Smith appear behind the name of Jenna-Louise Coleman. Excited doesn't come close. Taken seven years for the return but worth the wait.

Below is the opening sequence: 

 

As for the epsiode itself, Steven Moffat excelled himself this year I thought. It blew last year's The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe out of the water. It had laughter, sadness, excitement and intrigue. We got to know a bit more about Oswin and Clara. 2013 sees Series 33 untangle the mystery of Clara Oswald.

Sunday 23 December 2012

Wednesday 19 December 2012

The Doctor & New TARDIS Console Room

The BBC have released a publicity shot of Matt Smith in the all re-designed TARDIS by Michael Pickwoad, and here it is.....

 




I am not sure on the new design myself. I guess I iwll have to see it on the screen to get a better idea of it.

It does hark back to the classic series; and with the 50th anniversary next year, perhaps that was the brief behind the revamp (?)

 "I thought we'd been getting progressively whimsical with the interior of the TARDIS," Moffat said at a screening of the episode last night


"I started to think, 'Well, why is that? It's not a magical place. It's actually a machine'. And actually potentially, as you'll see more spectacularly later, quite a scary place sometimes. We make a lot of use of that."



Tuesday 18 December 2012

Devil In The Smoke E-Book




Hot on the heels of  'The Angel's Kiss' - A Melody Malone Mystery, BBC Books release  'Devil In The Smoke' by Justin Richards on 18th December 2012 priced at £1.99 . The story focuses on an adventure for an unlikely trio of detectives - The Lizard Woman, The Troll and The Parlour Maid. Going by the synopsis, the book appears to be set prior to the Christmas episode 'The Snowmen'

Synopsis
Madame Vastra, the fabled Lizard Woman of Paternoter Row, knew death in many shapes and forms. But perhaps one of the most bizarre of these was death by snow…

On a cold day in December, two young boys, tired of sweeping snow from the workhouse yard, decide to build a snowman – and are confronted with a strange and grisly mystery. In horrified fascination, they watch as their snowman begins to bleed…

The search for answers to this impossible event will plunge Harry into the most hazardous – and exhilarating – adventure of his life. He will encounter a hideous troll. He will dine with a mysterious parlour maid. And he will help The Great Detective, Madame Vastra, save the world from the terrifying Devil in the Smoke.



Monday 17 December 2012

Doctor Who - The Snowmen Prequal 2 - Vastra Investigates


Revamped Theme Tune & Title Sequence

Something cold, something new… Not only will we be treated to a ‘new’ TARDIS during The Snowmen (Christmas Day at 5.15pm), but the episode will premiere a revamped theme tune and opening title sequence.
 
We can’t give too much away about the new-look titles except to say they are wonderfully dramatic and striking, with a couple of unexpected touches. In short, they’re a perfect way to welcome back the Doctor!


And fans of the famous Doctor Who theme tune needn’t worry… This new arrangement remains true to the original, written by Ron Grainer back in 1963, but on Christmas Day you’ll hear it as it’s never sounded before. This latest version is more thrilling and powerful but retains that slightly scary quality that remains stirring no matter how many times you catch it.

To enjoy the revamped theme tune and opening title sequence, make sure you’re watching The Snowmen on BBC One, Christmas Day at 5.15pm.

Saturday 8 December 2012

New TARDIS for The Doctor

The BBC's Doctor Who has revealed a sneak peek at a brand new TARDIS that will debut in this year's Christmas special: The Snowmen.  This will be the  second  TARDIS for Matt Smith but it will be the first TARDIS for the show's new companion Jenna-Louise Coleman as Clara, who makes her entrance on Christmas Day at 5:15pm on BBC ONE, albeit her second appearance after appearing in epsiode 1 Assylum Of The Daleks.



The new set was designed by Michael Pickwoad the show’s production designer, and will be home to the Doctor and Clara as they travel through space and time when the adventure continues in spring 2013 with a further eight epic episodes.

Wednesday 5 December 2012

The Snowmen Publicity Photos







Doctor Who Christmas special airs BBC ONE / BBC ONE HD 17:15 on Christmas Day

Thursday 15 November 2012

Children In Need Doctor Who Christmas Prequel First Picture

Children In Need airs tomorrow evening, Friday 16th November 2012

Friday 9 November 2012

New Look For The Cybermen


  
The Cybermen return in 2013 for Neil Gaiman's stand alone episode for the 50th anniversary year story.

It seems the primary inspiration comes in part from those early black-and-white Cybermen episodes, and partly from a decision from Steven Moffat to take these lifesize tin soldiers in a darker direction“Steven wrote to me and said, ‘Will you make the Cybermen scary again?’. And I thought back to when I was 6 or 7 years old – ‘The Moonbase’, ‘Tomb of the Cybermen’… I saw these when they were first broadcast.”



And one of the creepiest things about their early work is that they did a lot less stomping about like soldiers, and were kind of silent, blank and eerie: ”Daleks went around going, ‘Exterminate’, and blowing things up,” he said. “Cybermen were just… You look up and there’s a Cyberman.”







Tuesday 23 October 2012

'Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time' announced by IDW

Doctor Who - Prisoners Of Time is a 12 part mini series to be released by IDW to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the show.
'Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time' cover
Written by David and Scott Tipton (Doctor Who/Star Trek), the title features artwork by Simon Fraser and cover designs by Francesco Francavilla.

Each issue will focus on a past incarnation of the Doctor and his respective companion, with the first chapter featuring William Hartnell's likeness and his assistant Barbara.

It is yet to be confirmed whether issue #12 will introduce a new version of the Doctor or feature one or more of the past incarnations.

Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time #1 is released in January 2013.

Thursday 18 October 2012

Get On Yer Bike!

Doctor Who stars Matt Smith and Jenna_Louise Coleman have been spotted filming an upcoming episode in London. The BBC drama production shifted to London's Embankment to shoot an action sequence. Pictures from the shoot show Smith and Coleman - who plays the Doctor's new companion - climb aboard a motorbike and race alongside a red London bus.

 



Friday 12 October 2012

Doctor Stone

Matt Smith and Steven Moffat created their own piece of Doctor Who history today during their first visit to the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff! To celebrate the visit, their hand prints were immortalised in cement, which will be displayed permanently at the new attraction. Matt Smith is the first Doctor to be immortalised in this way, although we reckon he won’t be the last.

Matt Smith Has Hands Set In Stone at Doctor Who Experience 

Also taking place at the permanent exhibition was the unveiling of several new exhibits from Series 7, including the dress worn by new companion actress Jenna-Louise Coleman (Oswin’s dress and boots from Asylum of the Daleks), Grayle’s Chained Weeping Angel and The Cherub Angels (The Angels Take Manhattan) and the Robots from Dinosaurs on a Spaceship along with the costumes of Solomon and Nefertiti. 

Matt Smith said:

I’m honoured to have made my own little piece of Doctor Who history today. It’s a show with so much tradition over nearly 50 years, so to be the first Doctor to take part in something like this is really special.
 It’s fantastic that the Doctor Who Experience has been given its very own purpose-built home here next to the studios and it feels like a bit of a spiritual home for Doctor Who. It’s been great fun unveiling some of the Doctor’s most fearsome adversaries from Series 7 and with the Christmas special and more episodes next year, there’ll be plenty more props to come down the line.

 Matt Smith visited The Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff Bay

Steven Moffat: 

I’m very excited and honoured to have my hands preserved forever. And quite relieved they came back out of the cement! I now know, for all my future crimes, that my fingerprints are readily and permanently available.
 
 
 
 
 
As you may know, the Doctor Who Experience is the only interactive Doctor Who attraction in the world, and welcomed over 230,000 visitors during a one-year stay at London’s Olympia before moving to Cardiff in July 2012. Since opening over 40,000 fans have passed through the TARDIS doors and taken part in their very own Doctor Who adventure

Doctor Who: P.S. - Series 7 2012 - BBC One


Chris Chibnall is very talented indeed. This is so sweet and so sad too. A pity this was not included in the mid series finalÄ—. Beautiful.

Thursday 11 October 2012

P.S. What Happened to Brian and the Ponds?


The BBC has revealed that a special Pond scene will premiere online tomorrow. The article states “we’ll discover more about Brian and the Ponds, post-Angels”.
More details:
Would Brian – and viewers – ever learn more about Amy and Rory’s life after the Doctor?
A special scene was written by Chris Chibnall that revealed some of the answers but sadly, the sequence was never shot. However, we’re happy to announce that we’ll be bringing you the scene tomorrow. Using animated storyboards and a voice-over specially recorded by Arthur Darvill, we’ll discover more about Brian and the Ponds, post-Angels.
 Arthur Darvill

It begins with Brian alone, doing what he once told the Doctor must be done – watering the plants. But his life is about to change forever…
Doctor Who’s Executive Producer, Caro Skinner, said, ‘We’re delighted we can present this lovely scene written by Chris Chibnall. People took Rory’s dad, Brian, to their hearts very quickly, so it’s fitting we can give the character a degree of closure in this poignant piece.’
P.S. is a short video written by Chris Chibnall and will be essential viewing for anyone who wants to know more about what happened to Brian, Amy and Rory. It will be available to watch on this site tomorrow, Friday, 12th October.

Friday 5 October 2012

Doctor's New Clothes

Here is an action shot of Matt Smith in his new finery for the Christmas special


Monday 1 October 2012

Doctor Who Series 7 Part 1 Blue Ray

Doctor Who - Series 7 Part 1 Weeping Angels Limited Edition [Blu-ray]

Release: 29th October 2012 £26.20 

DVD priced at £17.99

Pre - Order Amazon 

Amelia Pond's Last Farewell

Karen Gillian & Arthur Darvill made their exit from Doctor Who after 2 years as companions to the the Doctor in the Series 33 mid series finalé 'The Angels Take Manhattan'. I have to admit that I shed a tear or two.

Steven Moffat wrote a fantastic story and a heart breaking exit too. Here is their departure:


Sunday 30 September 2012

The Angel's Kiss E-Book

BBC Books are to release 'The Angel's Kiss' By Melody Malone as seen in the Series 33 (7) mid series finalé 'The Angel's Take Manhattan' and will be available as an e-book from 4th October 2012.


From the synopsis:

“On some days, New York is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

“This was one of the other days…

“Melody Malone, owner and sole employee of the Angel Detective Agency, has an unexpected caller. It’s movie star Rock Railton, and he thinks someone is out to kill him. When he mentions the ‘kiss of the Angel’, she takes the case. Angels are Melody’s business…

“At the press party for Railton’s latest movie, studio owner Max Kliener invites Melody to the film set of their next blockbuster. He’s obviously spotted her potential, and Melody is flattered when Kliener asks her to become a star. But the cost of fame, she’ll soon discover, is greater than anyone could possibly imagine.

“Will Melody be able to escape Kliener’s dastardly plan – before the Angels take Manhattan?”

 The last page from the Melody Malone Detective Novel 'The Angel's Kiss written by Amelia Pond. The Doctor never reads the final page because the story never ends....



Friday 28 September 2012

  • The beautifully scuplted 8" maxi-bust of William Hartnell's original portrayal of the enigmatic Doctor captures every detail of his performance as the crotchety and cantankerous first Doctor.

    Though the role has been played by eleven men on television since Doctor Who's debut in 1963, the role originated with Hartnell, and every actor has followed in his wake. The first Doctor is brought to life in this intricately-detailed three-quarter length sculpt standing 8" tall.

    [Doctor Who: Masterpiece Collection Maxi Bust: 1st Doctor (Product Image)] 
  • Available from Forbidden Planet priced at £49.99

Doctor Who: 'The Angels Take Manhattan' teasers - Series 7 2012 Episode 5 - BBC One


Wednesday 26 September 2012

The Three Doctors Collector Set 1972



 A gel-like plasma creature arrives on Earth and hunts down the third Doctor, who calls on the Time Lords for help. The Time Lords themselves are in crisis as their energy is being drawn off into a black hole. They send the Doctor’s earlier selves to join him.

The first Doctor, caught in a time eddy and able only to advise, deduces that the creature is a time bridge. The third Doctor and Jo then give themselves up to it and are transported to a world of antimatter beyond the black hole.

On Earth, the second Doctor is forced to take refuge in the TARDIS along with the Brigadier and Sergeant Benton. On the advice of the first Doctor he switches off the ship’s force field, and the whole UNIT building is transported through the black hole.

Behind these events is Omega, a figure from Time Lord history whose solar engineering provided the power for time travel. He has been trapped in the black hole ever since and now wants the Doctor to swap places with him, but it transpires that the corrosive properties of his domain have already destroyed his physical form, leaving only his will.

 Contents:
The Brigadier In Peaked Cap with Pistol
Jo Grant (with alternate arms and removable gilet).
Gel Guard

Availble from Forbidden Planet

Tuesday 25 September 2012

Matt Smith On Future Of WHO

After a tabloid newspaper claimed that Matt Smith was quitting Doctor Who recently, the star responded that he had no intention to leave any time soon.

"There are absolutely things I'd like to do," he told the Radio Times. "I'd love to go to the States and do a film, but for the moment, I've more than enough to keep me busy, and it's work I love."

Smith, who has played the Eleventh Doctor since 2010, described his role on Who as "an amazing, extraordinary job".

"I don't think there's any point in concerning yourself with what you might be doing if you weren't doing this," he argued. "It would be madness - total madness - to be wishing it away when it's such a gift."


The last Days Of The Ponds Farewell

http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/25/article-1348585946068-15334DED000005DC-367465_466x278.jpgThe BBC has announced that a special farewell video entitled “The Last Days of the Ponds” will premiere on the official site after The Angels Take Manhattan concludes.

Details follow:

The Last Days of the Ponds is a touching, 12 minute video that features Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, head writer and Executive Producer Steven Moffat and Executive Producer Caro Skinner. Poignant and insightful it tells their story, from the very start to the teary goodbyes.

With exclusive backstage material from their early days together right up to behind-the-scenes footage of their final shots, The Last Days of the Ponds gives you unprecedented access to an era of Doctor Who, but more than this, it reveals how the people involved feel about their characters and their friends, their time on the show, what they’ll miss and remember and how Amy and Rory’s swansong moved them all.

Karen, Arthur and Matt recall meeting each other for the first time and share anecdotes about their friendship. What did they think of each other at first and what did Arthur consider to be a nightmare? Which days does Karen call the craziest of all, and how was Matt feeling when it came to shooting the Ponds’ departure?

Series 33 Episodes 1 - 5 Logos



1 Asylum Of The Daleks
2 Dinosaurs On A Spaceship
3 A Town Called Mercy
4 The Power Of Three
5 The Angels Take Manhattan
6 Anniversary Logo (?)

Thursday 20 September 2012

Amelia Pond

 
Amelia Jessica Pond (played by Caitlin Blackwood cousin of Karen Gillan 'Amy Pond')

Whilst praying to Santa, at Easter, for help relating to a crack in her wall, seven year old Amelia looks out of her bedroom window to see a Police Box in her garden where the she once was. She grabs a torch and heads out in to the garden towards the smoking Police Box. The doors fly open, a hook attached to a long piece of rope shoots out of the box and lands mere feet away from her.  Suddenly, a wet head of a strange man pops out over the top and asks for an apple, before falling out and onto the lawn. Inquiring why he is wet, the man tells her that he was in the library and the swimming pool was in the library.

The man stands up and a breath of regenerative energy emerges from his mouth, "Does it scare you?" he asks. "No", replies Amelia, "Just looks a bit weird". "No, the crack in your wall?"  He stands up, introduces himself as the Doctor, tells her to do exactly what he tells her, turns round and walks head bang in to a tree. 

They both go in to the house where Amelia gives the Doctor an apple, which he spits out, "Disgusting. What is that?"  "An apple" she replies, "I don't like apples" "Thought you said you liked apples" "New mouth, new rules. Give me something else. You're Scottish, fry something" . Amelia fries some bacon, which the Doctor spits, she cooks some beans, again to the Doctor's dislike, bread and butter - he trows it out of the front door, "And don't come back", he says. Eventually, the Doctor settles on Fish Fingers and Custard. He asks her her name, "Amelia Pond" she replies. "Amelia Po-nd. Like a name in a fairytale".

When the Doctor asks about her mum and dad, assuming they would've awoken them by now, Amelia reveals that she doesn't have any parents just an aunt but she is out. Then the Cloister bell bellows and the Doctor runs out to the garden followed by Amelia. He tells her to wait and he will be back in five minutes as he attempts to save the TARDIS from dying. Amelia goes and packs a suitcase and waits in the garden for the Doctor's return....which does not come again that night.......

To be continued....


Davison Rally's To Fielding's Charity Convention

Sad news from a new Doctor Who convention set up to raise funds for Project Motor House – Janet Fielding has pulled out of the event after being diagnosed with cancer.

  Ramsgate Motor Museum, West Cliff Promenade, Ramsgate. Pictured is Janet Fielding (Former Dr Who Babe) who wants to save the place from going to auction. Picture: Andy Jones 
Ramsgate Motor Museum, West Cliff Promenade, Ramsgate. 

 Peter Davison has rallied around his fellow Doctors David Tennant, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker and Paul McGann to help raise funds for the cause and to support former companion Janet who played Tegan Jovanka alongside Tom Baker and Peter Davison.

The full statement reads:
Janet Fielding has a new fight on her hands not against the Daleks or Cybermen but against cancer. Peter Davison has swung into action and enlisted the help of his fellow Doctors to launch Project MotorMouth. It will not only raise money for a good cause but also keep Janet’s spirits up.
 
 Kicking off the fiftieth anniversary, the charity fundraiser will raise money Project Motor House – an attempt by the locals of Ramsgate to refurbish West Cliff Hall ‘the old motor museum’ into an exciting mixed use venue for Thanet’s young people to get hands on experience within the business world.

Taking place at the Copthorne Hotel in Slough-Windsor on Saturday 19th January 2013 between 10:00am and 5:00pm tickets are limited to just 300 and cost £100 each – for more information on the event head over to the Tenth Planet Events website.

To give you an idea of the scale and importance of the project, this video has been produced, introduced by Janet:


Monday 17 September 2012

Prequel - A Town Called Mercy

Not shown in the UK but available for download via itunes


Guess WHO is Radagast The Brown in The Hobbit?



Sylvester McCoy as Radagast The Brown in Peter Jackson's 'The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey'.  Expected cinema release 14th December 2012

Saturday 8 September 2012

Doctor Who Scoops BAFTA Nominations

Doctor Who has been recognised with three nominations for this year’s BAFTA Cymru Film, Television and Interactive Media Awards.

The prestigious nominations came in the categories of Television Drama and Sound with the Adventure Game, Doctor Who: The Gunpowder Plot nominated in the Digital Creativity and Games section. And we’re delighted that The Sarah Jane Adventures has been nominated in the Children’s Programme category.

The winners will be announced at the BAFTA Cymru Awards on Sunday, 30 September 2012 at the Wales Millennium Centre. Good luck to all our nominees!

BAFTA Nominations

Friday 31 August 2012

Updated Logo For asylum Of The Daleks

The official Doctor Who site has updated their logo ready for the new series on BBC One & BBC ONE HD which airs at 19:20


  Here’s what to expect for Series 33 (7)

The new intro starts the same with the TARDIS flying through the vortex. However, the vortex is a different colour. It now has more of a green tint to it (like in Pond Life).

The first really noticeable change is the cast credits. The font is completely different and they are now plain white. The way they transition in and out has also changed. They no longer “whoosh” in, it’s more of a ripple effect.

The other big change is the actual “Doctor Who” title. This is specifically themed to each episode. The “DW” TARDIS icon has now been removed. The Doctor Who part now fades into the TARDIS icon and then it spins like usual.

The final change is the “Written by” credit which is now black text."

Thursday 30 August 2012

Classic Monster Set To Return To The World Of WHO....

  
Matt Smith has hinted that a monster from the classic series could soon return.

The actor told TV Choice that an enemy from the show's original 1963-1989 run might make an appearance in a future episode.

 "Perhaps there are some classic monsters coming back," he teased. "There's one I'm very intrigued by, which we haven't seen for quite some time."

Quizzed about the returning threat, Smith clarified: "It's a thing we haven't seen since the series returned to our screens in 2005."