Friday 30 August 2013

50th Anniversary show to air on BBC Three

Tom Craine
BBC Three is planning to air a show celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who. The station is planning to  put together some form of a "greatest moments of Doctor Who"style programme, with comments from fans of the series.


Comedian Tom Craine revealed that he would be taking part in the special on his official website earlier today:  "Delighted that I’ll be appearing as a guest on a forthcoming BBC3 show celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who. Wouldn’t put it past me to have a few stern words to say about the Daleks".

Thursday 29 August 2013

'Doctor Who' writer defends Capaldi casting: 'It's not Made in Chelsea'

In an interview with The Guardian; Timeriders author Alex Scarrow was asked what he thought of Peter Capaldi being cast as the twelfth Doctor:

Alex ScarrowBrilliant! Simply brilliant! I've seen some twitter traffic from (I guess) some younger viewers who were moaning about him not being young and pretty...but sheeesh, this isn't X Factor! This isn't Big Brother or Made in Chelsea!! This is the world's best, longest running scifi drama! It's not about having sexy cheekbones or floppy hair! It's about big ideas that knock you onto your butt and stay with you long after the end credit music has played out. Choosing Capaldi tells me the big wigs behind Doctor Who are taking this show to darker places. Throwing bigger ideas our way. I can't wait.

 Alex Scarrow has written a new Doctor Who story, focusing on the eighth Doctor and set in a small town in the Nevada desert in which an alien pathogen has reduced the entire population to a seething mass of black slime.

What drew you to Paul McGann's one-off incarnation? Was there a particular trait or aspect of his personality that led you to write for him? Since he only appeared once there must be a driving force behind penning a story for the eighth Doctor?

I wanted the most obscure Doctor. Paul McGann's Doctor only ever had one feature length outing, although to be fair, the 8th Doctor has had a lot of books and audio books, but for me, being very film oriented, I wanted more room to manoeuvre on that side. Plus...I'm a big fan of Paul McGann. 

Doctor Who has always had the knack for plunging its protagonist and his companion into danger on a different world and a couple of the e-books in this series have done so but you chose to stay on Earth. Considering the menagerie of planets out there, why did you set Spore in olden Earth?

I wanted a setting that was very familiar with audience so that the horror of the Spore would feel more real. So, what's more familiar than good ol' earth? That said...why didn't I set it in, say, Milton Keynes? Well...to be honest, a lot of the TV series seems to be shot in the UK, (clearly budget, and the cost of shooting on location is an issue there) so I did want somewhere other than London or Wales.

Wednesday 28 August 2013

Official 50th Anniversary Figurine Collection



Publishers Eaglemoss have announced a new fortnightly magazine series celebrating the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary complete with figurines. The series starts today, full details below:
Looking back at this iconic programme by concentrating on many of the characters from the various incarnations of the show, the official Doctor Who figurine collection features classic characters from fifty years of Doctor Who, including the series’ greatest monsters, all the Doctors and the most important DALEKS  and CYBERMEN from every era!
Each figurine of this unique collection is cast in metallic resin for incredible detail before being hand-painted and individually numbered. Each figurine recreates a specific moment from the TV series and is in perfect 1:21 scale.

Every figurine comes with an official collector’s magazine that explains how the character evolved. Plus get the inside story behind classic moments, explore fifty years of the series’ history, and discover the answers to some impossible questions.

This is the definitive Doctor Who figurine collection!

    Issue No.1 (on sale 28 August at the introductory price of £2.99) comes with a figurine of the Eleventh Doctor from the episode The Pandorica Opens.

    Issue No.2 (on sale 12 September at the regular price of £6.99) will feature Davros from Journey’s End.

Visit their website

Thursday 22 August 2013

Doctor Who: the rediscovered William Hartnell interview

A 1967 TV interview with the actor who played the first Doctor, previously thought lost, has resurfaced. What does it reveal about the show's history?

William Hartnell in 1966, shortly before he stood down as Doctor Who.
William Hartnell in 1966, shortly before he stood down as Doctor Who. (Photograph: REX/Jon Lyons)

Lost for over four decades, a newly rediscovered filmed interview with the original star of the BBC's Doctor Who series is set to shed new light on the early years of the show. William Hartnell played the first Doctor from the programme's inception in 1963 through to the start of its fourth season in 1966. In those days, the show regularly had up to 12 million viewers but for years it was believed that not a single TV interview with Hartnell, who died in 1975, had survived.

Now, as the programme's 50th anniversary approaches, candid film of the actor has finally come to light in a local news archive in Bristol.

The interview was filmed for the BBC regional news programme, Points West, and broadcast on 17 January 1967, mere months after an enforced retirement from Doctor Who because of ill health. It was shot in Hartnell's dressing room at the Gaumont Theatre in Taunton, where the actor was appearing in the panto Puss in Boots.

The three-minute-long black-and-white film was actually discovered in 2009 by researcher Richard Bignell, working on behalf of BBC DVD. "While I was over at the [BBC] Written Archives [Centre], doing some stuff for the DVDs, I thought it would be worth going through the programme logs for regional news programmes," explains Bignell. "So, I had a look through for the four weeks [that Hartnell toured with Puss in Boots] and there were two interviews. There was one for Look East, for the first week of the pantomime at Ipswich and one for Points West from the last week when he was at Taunton … I got in contact with the Look East archive and found that their stuff didn't exist anymore… So, that one's definitely gone. But, I dropped the Bristol library an email, and about 20 minutes later, they got back to me with an email: 'Yes, we've still got it. I've got the can of film sitting on my desk here. What would you like me to do with it?'"

The film was transferred to a digital format at the BBC's Television Centre in the summer of 2011. However, it wasn't until this year that a suitable window arose for the material to be released. It will appear on November's BBC DVD release of The Tenth Planet – Hartnell's final Doctor Who story. "It's been quite a difficult thing not to say anything about it," says Bignell.

The interview was conducted by the director, Roger Mills, who, in 1967 was reporting for Points West. Mills recalls: "I wasn't really a reporter. I was more of a behind the cameraman, but down in the regions you do everything."

Read the article here

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Happy birthday Doctor & Ace

The Doctor and Dorothy 'Ace' McShane aka Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred both have birthdays today. McCoy is 70 and Aldred is 51. 

Sylvester was born Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith on 20th August 1943 in Dunoon, Scotland. He had numerous on stage and TV roles before landing the part of the seventh incarnation of the Doctor replacing Colin Baker.

Sophie Aldred was born in Greenwich, England on 20th August 1962. Aldred was cast as Dorothy 'Ace' McShane in 1987 replacing Bonnie Langford as the Doctor's companion. 

Sylvester and Sophie's on-screen appearances as The Doctor and Ace spanned 9 episodes from 1987 - 1989. Ace first appeared in Dragonfire and her final appearance in Survival  as she and The Doctor walked off back to the TARDIS. 

Doctor Who was cancelled by Jonathan Powell who replaced Michael Grade as BBC1 Controller; and had utter contempt for then Doctor Who producer / head writer John Nathan-Turner. 

The pair have continued with their Doctor Who roles with Big Finish Audio.

Final scene of Survival with voice over from Sylvester McCoy which was recorded on 23rd November 1989.


And, if a double Doctor Who birthday was something special; today would have been the 81st birthday of The Master Anthony Ainsley (20th August 1932- 3rd May 2004).


The Master and the Doctor bid their farewells in Survival

Sunday 18 August 2013

Doctor Who: Complete Series 7 – Limited Edition TARDIS Packaging (BBC Shop exclusive) (Blu-ray)

Limited Edition Doctor Who Series 7, in packaging worthy of the brilliant final season with Matt Smith.

Matt Smith returns for his third and final series as the Eleventh Doctor. Fourteen big, blockbuster-episodes - each a brand new epic adventure featuring new monsters and some familiar foes as you’ve never seen them before.

In series 7 we see the Ponds return for their final voyage with The Doctor. They save a spaceship full of dinosaurs, don Stetsons in the Wild Wild West and are even kidnapped by the Doctor's oldest foe. But when they arrive in Manhattan the Weeping Angels are waiting for them. Meanwhile, Christmas brings The Doctor a new companion in the form of the young feisty Clara…

Features every episode from the explosive series 7.

 Our Price £46.99
Release date: 28/10/2013


PRE-ORDER NOW! Be one of the first to own ‘Doctor Who: Complete Series 7 – Limited Edition TARDIS Packaging (BBC Shop exclusive) (Blu-ray)’.

Availble from Amazon (UK) 


Price: £35.00 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery.

This title will be released on October 28, 2013.









Friday 16 August 2013

Big Finish 50th special: first-look artwork and vinyl release


Big Finish Productions' multi-Doctor 50th anniversary audio adventure – The Light at the End – will be released on a limited edition vinyl, doctorwho.tv can exclusively reveal.

Available to pre-order now, and released in November, 500 numbered copies of The Light at the End will be pressed in heavy 180g vinyl. The four-disc set, containing the adventure and a making of documentary, will be presented in a beautiful four-way gatefold sleeve, with rigid slipcase and an exclusive 30cm x 30cm lenticular image, shown below:

alt text

 Synopsis
November 23rd 1963 proves to be a significant day in the lives of all eight Doctors…
It's the day that Bob Dovie's life is ripped apart…
It's also a day that sets in motion a catastrophic chain of events which forces the first eight incarnations of the Doctor to fight for their very existence. As a mysterious, insidious chaos unfolds within the TARDIS, the barriers of time break apart…
From suburban England through war-torn alien landscapes and into a deadly, artificial dimension, all these Doctors and their companions must struggle against the power of an unfathomable, alien technology.
From the very beginning, it is clear that the Master is somehow involved. By the end, for the Doctors, there may only be darkness.

This is a five-disc limited Special Edition in deluxe premium packaging, which includes a stunning array of professional photos of the cast.

Discs 1 and 2 – The Light at the End
Disc 3 – The Making of The Light at the End (70 minute documentary)
Disc 4 – This is Doctor Who at Big Finish (70 minute documentary)
Disc 5 – Doctor Who – The Companion Chronicles: The Revenants performed by William Russell as Ian Chesterton

You can order The Light at the End: Limited Edition Vinyl from bigfinish.com for a special pre-order reduction of £99.99 (RRP £129.99)

The Light at the End unites the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctors to solve a threat to time, space and, almost as importantly, his very existence! Only one person could be this malevolent: the Master. But will he finally succeed in wiping the Doctor – all the Doctors – from the face of the universe?

Cast
Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann (The Doctor), Louise Jameson (Leela), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Nicola Bryant (Peri), Sophie Aldred (Ace), India Fisher (Charley Pollard), Geoffrey Beevers (The Master) with special guest stars as Big Finish celebrates 50 years of Doctor Who and is a fantastic collector's item.

This special adventure is also available as a standard two-CD release, or a special edition CD set containing additional documentary material and brand new story The Revenants, starring original series star William Russell once more as Ian Chesterton.


Listen to a trailer for The Light at the End:






Tuesday 13 August 2013

Original TARDIS console constructed

 The Doctor Who Experience -- home to the biggest official collection of Doctor Who props, costumes and sets in the world - celebrated arrival of the First Doctor's console room. Watch as the DWE crew assemble the iconic TARDIS console, which was recently used in the upcoming BBC docu-drama An Adventure in Space and Time.

Having this console makes me want to go to the exhibition more now tha never before.


Google Maps Easter Egg Lets You Explore The TARDIS

tardis egg 

Tucked away in a single streetview image of what appears to be a mere police box, a newly discovered Google Maps easter egg lets you go inside the TARDIS.

How to do it:
  • Click this link
  • Move your mouse around a bit. The standard Google Maps directional arrows should pop up, with one little addition: a pair of double arrows. Click those. (Note: If you’re enrolled in the new Google Maps UI beta, the arrows might not appear. Instead, hit the up arrow on your keyboard. If it’s still not working for you, see the note at the bottom of this post.)
  • Bam! You should now be in the TARDIS’ bigger-on-the-inside (smaller-on-the-outside) interior.
I figured it’d just be a single, static shot, but no: you can click all around the control room, complete with StreetView’s signature panoramas, navigating all the way down below the main platform for a glimpse at the heart of the TARDIS itself. You don’t seem to be able to click into any of the hallways — that’s probably for the better, really, as we don’t want any of you getting lost.

Can’t find your way in? Look for these arrows:
arrows

(Note: Word is that this easter egg doesn’t always work in the new Google Maps interface, which many of you have likely opted into by now. No problem — just open the link in Chrome’s incognito mode [or whatever your browser's private browsing mode might be called] and you should be back at the old Google Maps interface without requiring you to tweak any settings or log out of Google.)
 

Sunday 11 August 2013

Series 35 (8) To begin filming in January 2014


Jenna-Louise Coleman has confirmed that the eighth season of Doctor Who will start filming in January of next year. Speaking to Zap 2 It, Coleman explained:

 It still feels very much like I’m at the beginning, but what’s quite nice is I’m working on [Death Comes to Pemberley] at the moment. I sort of have a break and then I have another break, after Matt [Smith] goes, later in the year because I know I’m not shooting [Doctor Who] until January [2014]. It means I get to explore other projects and come back, and that keeps me very happy.

 This revelation may not come as a surprise to Doctor Who fans. After all, the leaked BBC memo that confirmed Matt’s departure also suggested an air date of Autumn 2014 for the next series, so a January shoot would certainly make sense.

Wednesday 7 August 2013

'Doctor Who' fans fooled by US remake spoof story

Rumours of a Doctor Who US remake have emerged from a fake news story online.Some fans of the sci-fi drama were duped by a spoof news story on satire site Sharpened Sticks which claimed that BBC America was collaborating with Netflix on a Doctor Who US remake.

The site wrote that BBC America, which airs Doctor Who in the States, were dissatisfied with Peter Capaldi being cast as the twelth incarnation of the Time Lord. The post has since been confirmed as a spoof , although some Doctor Who fans were taken in and took to Twitter to vent  their frustrations:

(Link to Sharpened Sticks won't work so please type into your browser)

Addie Matteson @queenaddie 
This. Is blasphemy. "BBC America Contemplates Going Rogue Over 12th Doctor Who Choice" http://zite.to/191WpW3  via @zite
 2:12 AM - 7 Aug 2013

 Bad idea!! BBC America Contemplates Going Rogue Over 12th Doctor Who Choice
 sharpenedsticks.com/2013/08/05/bbc-america-contemplates-going-rogue-over-12th-doctor-who-choice/ 

Why is APPLE suing Doctor Who?


iTARDIS 
Photo credit: Great Beyond / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Apple returned to its litigious ways today in dramatic fashion as they launched an infringement suit against the BBC’s flagship program, Doctor Who.   The primary essence of the 426 page complaint filed the High Court in London is that the TARDIS infringes on Apple’s UK and Worldwide trademarks for its’ Time Machine backup product line.  Specifically stated, ”The TARDIS is a rectangular box which facilitates access to fixed points in time. Therefore it infringes upon the registered Time Machine trademark as a device of functional equivalence” Apple has adopted a hardline stance of withholding all BBC royalty payments from the popular iTunes media store until the matter is resolved.

Upon being informed of the pending legal action, series re-creator Russell T. Davies is alleged to have begun laughing uncontrollably, steadfastly refusing to believe that the suit was in any way serious.  A member of the BBC legal team was dismissive of the suit; “Doctor Who has been traversing time in a blue police call box since 1963.  Unless Apple have imbued their product with actual time travel capabilities, the courts will most assuredly recognize our claim for prior affirmative use”.

There have been unconfirmed reports that Apple has been, somewhat uncharacteristically, engaging in settlement negotiations with the BBC.  Reportedly, the offer on the table involves Apple paying a relatively modest “development” fee to the BBC in exchange for certain branding and product placement considerations to be implemented within the Doctor Who franchise.  These are included, but not limited to: Exclusive use of Apple branded mobile products by the Doctor and any companions, 7 day exclusivity for all digital media on the iTunes store, and subtle branding on the TARDIS control panels.   There are two points of contention that will invariably evoke the wrath of loyal fans.  The first is Apple logo placement on the Sonic Screwdriver and the second involves changing the name of the Doctors intergalactic mobile home of 50 years to the iTARDIS.

In addition to intense interest form the legal and media communities; those focused on branding are closely monitoring the outcome of this case.  “Apple’s legal battles have historically been waged against antithetical brands such as Samsung, Microsoft, and Google.  If you are a fan of Apple, you’re probably not enamored of the other” notes branding expert Fred McClimans. “Apple is walking a very fine line here.  Forcing people to choose between icons is rarely a recipe for success”.
 

Tuesday 6 August 2013

Doctor Who Series 7 Soundtrack: Release Date



Silva Screen Records have announced tracklisting and the date of release for the upcoming Doctor Who Series 7 soundtrack by Murray Gold.

It comes on 2 CDs and features 74 tracks in total. Two bonus tracks will be available to download from iTunes.

The CDs will be sold in a special gatefold wallet (as shown in picture), but this is limited to only the first 5,000 copies, after which the packaging will be a double jewel case.

The soundtrack is due for release on 9th September 2013.
 Silva Screen Records have announced tracklisting and the date of release for the upcoming Doctor Who Series 7 soundtrack by Murray Gold.

It comes on 2 CDs and features 74 tracks in total. Two bonus tracks will be available to download from iTunes.

The CDs will be sold in a special gatefold wallet (as shown in picture), but this is limited to only the first 5,000 copies, after which the packaging will be a double jewel case.

The soundtrack is due for release on 9th September 2013.

Full tracklisting:

DISC ONE

01 - They Are Everywhere
02 - Save Us
03 - Dalek Parliament
04 - Oswin Oswald
05 - Towards The Asylum
06 - A Probe In The Snow
07 - Amy And Rory Together
08 - The Terrible Truth
09 - Dinosaurs On A Spaceship / Pterodactyls
10 - Brian
11 - Take A Ride On Tricey
12 - Make Peace
13 - Welcome To Mercy
14 - Out West
15 - Gunslingers
16 - The Salvation Of Kahler Jex
17 - Our Little Town’s Prosecutor
18 - Cubes
19 - While We Waited
20 - Brian’s Log
21 - New York New York
22 - I Am You
23 - Melody Malone
24 - Little Angels
25 - My Husband’s Home
26 - Hide The Damage
27 - Almost The End
28 - Together Or Not At All – The Song Of Amy And Rory
29 - Goodbye Pond
30 - Cumbria 1207
31 - Monking About
32 - Spoonheads
33 - Clara?
34 - A Turbulent Flight
35 - Bah Bah Biker
36 - Up The Shard
37 - I Might Change My Mind

DISC TWO

01 - The Leaf
02 - Something Awesome
03 - Market Day
04 - Merry Gejelh
05 - God of Akhaten
06 - The Speeder
07 - Never Wake
08 - The Long Song
09 - Infinite Potential
10 - Always You, Never A Replacement
11 - Cold War
12 - Skaldak
13 - I Am A Ghost
14 - A Machine That Makes Machines
15 - Crimson Horror
16 - Sweetville
17 - Thomas Thomas
18 - Hedgewick’s World
19 - Tiberian Spiral Galaxy
20 - Upgrade In Progress
21 - The Dream Of Cyberia
22 - What A Brain
23 - Can’t Win
24 - Your Orders Come From Me
25 - Other Good News
26 - The Impossible Girl
27 - Cyber Amy
28 - The Emperor’s Wife
29 - Some Wednesday
30 - To Save The Doctor
31 - A Letter To Clara
32 - What Is His Name?
33 - A Secret He Will Take To His Grave
34 - Trenzalore
35 - I Am Information
36 - Pain Everlasting
37 - Remember Me

BONUS iTUNES TRACKS

38 - Glasgow
39 - Whisper Men




Full tracklisting:

DISC ONE                                                                   
01 - They Are Everywhere
02 - Save Us
03 - Dalek Parliament
04 - Oswin Oswald
05 - Towards The Asylum
06 - A Probe In The Snow
07 - Amy And Rory Together
08 - The Terrible Truth
09 - Dinosaurs On A Spaceship / Pterodactyls
10 - Brian
11 - Take A Ride On Tricey
12 - Make Peace
13 - Welcome To Mercy
14 - Out West
15 - Gunslingers
16 - The Salvation Of Kahler Jex
17 - Our Little Town’s Prosecutor
18 - Cubes
19 - While We Waited
20 - Brian’s Log
21 - New York New York
22 - I Am You
23 - Melody Malone
24 - Little Angels
25 - My Husband’s Home
26 - Hide The Damage
27 - Almost The End
28 - Together Or Not At All – The Song Of Amy And Rory
29 - Goodbye Pond
30 - Cumbria 1207
31 - Monking About
32 - Spoonheads
33 - Clara?
34 - A Turbulent Flight
35 - Bah Bah Biker
36 - Up The Shard
37 - I Might Change My Mind


DISC TWO
01 - The Leaf
02 - Something Awesome
03 - Market Day
04 - Merry Gejelh
05 - God of Akhaten
06 - The Speeder
07 - Never Wake
08 - The Long Song
09 - Infinite Potential
10 - Always You, Never A Replacement
11 - Cold War
12 - Skaldak
13 - I Am A Ghost
14 - A Machine That Makes Machines
15 - Crimson Horror
16 - Sweetville
17 - Thomas Thomas
18 - Hedgewick’s World
19 - Tiberian Spiral Galaxy
20 - Upgrade In Progress
21 - The Dream Of Cyberia
22 - What A Brain
23 - Can’t Win
24 - Your Orders Come From Me
25 - Other Good News
26 - The Impossible Girl
27 - Cyber Amy
28 - The Emperor’s Wife
29 - Some Wednesday
30 - To Save The Doctor
31 - A Letter To Clara
32 - What Is His Name?
33 - A Secret He Will Take To His Grave
34 - Trenzalore
35 - I Am Information
36 - Pain Everlasting
37 - Remember Me

BONUS iTUNES TRACKS
38 - Glasgow
39 - Whisper Men

Monday 5 August 2013

Doctor Who set to appear at Dylan Thomas Centre

In the wake of the announcement thatPeter Capaldi is to replace Matt Smith as the Doctor, a Doctor Who day is being organised at the Dylan Thomas  Centre on Saturday 2nd November as part of the Dylan Thomas festival  2013 being organised by Swansea city council. 


Festival organisers are lining up Doctor Who stars and writers for the day, including Louise Jameson who played Leela to Tom Baker's Doctor, and Peter Miles who played Nyder in Genesis Of The Daleks.

There will also be a children's workshop with comics artists Mike Collins, a writer's panel  and an invasion by the Daleks. 

Councellor Nick Bradley, Swansea Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “Dr Who has been an enormously popular programme on British TV for five decades. It has millions of fans, not just in the UK but across the rest of the world too.

 “We also, of course, have strong links with Dr Who in Swansea, with buildings like the Guildhall having been used as filming locations and major stars like Kylie Minogue visiting the city to film scenes".

 “It's events that like this that raise Swansea's profile and strengthen our growing reputation as a leading city of culture.”

Steven Moffat on casting Peter Capaldi: "The Doctor was in the room"

How did Doctor Who showrunner choose the Twelth Doctor?

When did Peter Capaldi first come on the radar for you?
"Quite a while back. I happened to know that he's a very, very big fan and there's something rather seductive about an utterly brilliant, arresting-looking leading man - one of the most talented actors in Britain - who you happen to know is a big fan of the show. You do start to think, 'Maybe we should do something about that!'"

 Did have a shortlist of actors you were considering for the 12th Doctor?
"Yes, the list went, 'Peter Capaldi' - it was a very short list! Honestly, there was only one audition this time... and it wasn't an audition so much as... he came round my house and we put him on video to see what he looked like as the Doctor and, gosh, he was terribly good!"

 http://i1.cdnds.net/13/31/618x405/uktv-doctor-who-live-4.jpg 

Were you disappointed that rumours of Peter's casting leaked online?
"Does [the secrecy] matter? No, not very much. It matters that people love the choice, and what we were looking at when we saw that there were some hints out there that it was going to be Peter... everyone was rapturous about the idea.

"I said to Peter before he went on tonight, because he was a little bit nervous obviously, 'Imagine if you weren't Peter Capaldi and you had to walk out tonight - you'd be mown down! It has to be you!'"

Is it true that you considered Peter to play the 11th Doctor?
"He did flick through my mind when we were replacing David [Tennant] and it didn't feel right at all - if you think about that, that wouldn't have been right, not then.

 "But there's something about Matt's Doctor that paves the way for Peter's Doctor somehow. The important thing to remember about the Doctor is that it is one character, going through his life, played by a succession of different actors. and you have to get to that place each time.

"I can somehow absolutely believe that the strange old/young Matt Smith will turn into the strange young/old Peter Capaldi."

Steven Moffat: "Time not right for a female Doctor"

Steven Moffat has revealed why he chose not to cast a female as 12th Doctor. Peter Capaldi was unveiled as the new Doctor live on BBC One last night (4th August), despite rumours that the latest lead could be female.

"It's absolutely narratively possible [that the Doctor could be a woman] and when it's the right decision, maybe we'll do it," Moffat told the press.

"It didn't feel right to me, right now. I didn't feel enough people wanted it."

He claimed that many female Who fans were opposed to casting a woman in the role.

"Oddly enough most people who said they were dead against it – and I know I'll get into trouble for saying this – were women," he insisted. "[They were] saying, 'No, no, don't make him a woman!'"

Peter Capaldi will debut as the 12th Doctor in the Doctor Who 2013 Christmas special. The series returns to BBC One for the 50th Anniversary special on 23rd November.

WHO Is Peter Capaldi?

Sunday, 4th August 2013, BBC One aired Doctor Who Live : The Next Doctor; a special show to introduce theactor who will portray the Twelth Doctor to the world. That actor is Peter Capaldi. What do we know about him? What are his acting credentials? 

Peter Capaldi is 55. That's 25 years older than Matt Smith, the 11th Time Lord, and the same age as the very first Doctor William Hartnell.

Capaldi described himself as "a lifelong Doctor Who fan" who had begun practising for the role as a nine year old in the school playground.

As the new Doctor Who was announced live on the BBC on Sunday evening, viewers were shown a letter written by Capaldi, then aged 15, to the Radio Times in 1988 in which he praised programme makers for their "excellent" Doctor Who special episode:
He urged the show's producers to make another "Special" in 15 years time to celebrate 25 years of "wandering in time with the Doctor".


Capaldi was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His mother's family was from Killeshandra, County Cavan, Ireland, and his father's family was from Picinisco, Italy. He was educated at St Teresa's Primary School in the city's Possilpark district, St Matthew's Primary School in Bishopbriggs, and at St Ninian's High School, Kirkintilloch, before attending the Glasgow School of Art.

Capaldi displayed an early talent for performance by putting on a puppet show in primary school. While at high school, he was a member of the Antonine Players, who performed at the Fort Theatre in Bishopbriggs. As an art student, he was the lead singer in a punk rock band called Dreamboys, whose drummer was future comedian Craig Ferguson.
Capaldi lives in North London with his wife Elaine and daughter, from whom whom he had to keep it secret that he was to be the next Doctor Who. "She was looking at the internet, and getting upset when there was no mention of me," he revealed. "I had to say, 'Rise above it, darling.'"
 
He got his big break in the 1983 film 'Local Hero', where he played Oldsen, distracted from plans of empire-building by the sight of Jenny Seagrove swimming. He featured as Ozzy in a 1985 episode of Minder, and had roles in The Lair of the White Worm and Dangerous Liaisons in 1988.
 In 1995, Capaldi won the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film for his film Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life, which he directed. In the same year he also wrote Soft Top, Hard Shoulder, which won the Audience Award at the London Film Festival, and wrote and directed Strictly Sinatra.
 
In a 30-year career, Capaldi has appeared on small and big screen, as well as the stage. His face will be familiar from all sorts of things, he played fictional Songs of Praise producer Tristan Campbell in two episodes of the sitcom Vicar of Dibley, and a transvestite in ITV's Prime Suspect3. In the Channel 4 series Psychos, he played a mathematician with bipolar disorder, made an appearance as a university professor in the sitcom Peep Show, and played a prime suspect in the 2007 series of Waking the Dead. In the television adaptation of Neil Gaiman's gothic fantasy Neverwhere, he portrayed the angel Islington. In 2008 episode of 'Doctor Who: The Fires of Pompeii'. He will be co-starring with Benedict Cumberbatch in the forthcoming film about Wikileaks, 'The Fifth Estate'.
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Media/Pix/pictures/2009/11/27/1259337350621/The-Thick-of-It-Rebecca-F-001.jpgIn 2005, Capaldi was cast in what is arguably his best-known role, as spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in the BBC comedy series The Thick of It, which he played from 2005 to 2012. The character was said to be largely, if loosely, based upon Tony Blair's right-hand man Alastair Campbell. Capaldi himself has said that he based his performance more on Hollywood power players, such as the often abrasive Harvey Weinstein. For his performance as Tucker, he won a BAFTA Award for Best Performance in a Comedy Role and two British Comedy Awards. A film spin-off from The Thick of It, entitled In the Loop, was released in 2009. Malcolm Tucker is a man who can turn the Cabinet Room blue with his stream of personal invective. Example: "When I want your opinion, I'll give you the signal, and the signal will be me being sectioned."

Peter Capaldi recently appeared in Brad Pitt's apocalyptic blockbuster 'World War Z'. Spookily, Capaldi played 'W.H.O doctor' - just a suitable World Health Organisation acronym, or did they know something we didn't?!
 

 The new Doctor is a Patron of the Association for International Cancer Research, and of a Scottish children's charity, the Aberlour Child Care Trust.

Presently, Peter is filming a new 10-part BBC One adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' novel The Three Musketeers. He will play the shadowy Cardinal Richelieu in The Musketeers, with Skins actor Luke Pasqualino as D'Artagnan. The drama is due to be broadcast in 2014 and has been written by Bafta winner Adrian Hodges.

Hodges said he was "thrilled" the actors have committed to his "modern and original take on this great story".

Speaking about The Musketeers, he said: "This series is all about passion, romance, heroism and action, and I can't think of a better group of actors to embody those diverse qualities."
The story is set in 17th Century Paris and follows a crack team of soldiers and bodyguards to King Louis XIII.

It recounts the adventures of a young, skilled fighter from rural Gascony called D'Artagnan, who dreams of joining the Musketeers of the Guard and meets the trio on a journey to right the wrong of his father's death
 The Musketeers will be played by Great Expectations actor Tom Burke as Athos, Santiago Cabrera from Merlin as Aramis, and Howard Charles, who has acted with the Royal Shakespeare Company, as Porthos.

Come Christmas evening, we shall see Matt Smith regenerate from a young looking Doctor to an older one in the shape of Peter Capaldi. Time has yet to be confirmed by the BBC but is likely to be around either 6pm or 7pm. I personally can not wait and I am back to feeling like a child all over again.
 For more info on Capaldi's acting roles, go here .




 

Doctor Who Prom will air on August Bank Holiday

Daleks at the Prom (Credit: BBC/Robert Viglasky)As well as revealing a new Doctor live on air, presenter Zoë Ball also announced that this year's Doctor Who Prom will be broadcast on television on Monday 26th August during last night's Doctor Who Live. The programme had previously been reported for a BBC One outing, though the time has yet to be announced for the summer Bank Holiday broadcast.

  The Prom was performed twice over the weekend of 13th/14th July, and was presented by Matt Smith, Jenna Coleman, Neve McIntosh and Dan Starkey (the latter two in character as Vastra and Strax).

Twelth Doctor Reveal - Overnight Viewing Figures

Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor was watched by 6.1 million viewers in the UK, according to unofficial overnight figures. 

The audience peaked at 6.9 million viewers at the moment Peter Capaldi was unveiled as the 12th Doctor. The live broadcast was the highest rated show of Sunday, achieving a share of 29.8% of the total television audience. Second for the day was Countryfile with 5.6 million watching, while the evening News, including news of Capaldi's casting as The Doctor had 4.8 million watching. 

BBC Breakfast: Sophie Aldred & Cavan Scott

Earlier this morning, former Doctor Who companion Sophie Aldred (Ace) and author Cavan Scott were guests on the Breakfast couch to discuss Peter Capaldi who is to replace eleventh Doctor Matt Smith in the Christmas special later this year.

Sophie : "I didn't know but I hoped that somebody of his stature and his charisma and his standing is perfect. A bit older which is a good contrast to Matt Smith.So, all in all, a perfect choice".



Sunday 4 August 2013

Video introducing Peter Capaldi is the New Doctor!


   
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   

Steven Moffat: "The Twelth Doctor is .... Different From Matt"


PETER CAPALDI


Widely regarded as one of the biggest roles in British television, Capaldi will be the Twelfth Doctor and takes over from Matt Smith who leaves the show at Christmas.

Capaldi is a 'lifelong Doctor Who fan'. He says he prepared by downloading old scripts and practicing them in front of the mirror.

Peter Capaldi says : “Being asked to play The Doctor is an amazing privilege. Like the Doctor himself I find myself in a state of utter terror and delight. I can't wait to get started."


 
One Peter congratulates another - Davison to Capaldi

Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer says : “It's an incendiary combination: one of the most talented actors of his generation is about to play the best part on television. Peter Capaldi is in the TARDIS!”

Jenna Coleman says "I'm so excited Peter Capaldi is the man taking on the challenge of becoming the Twelfth Doctor. With Steven's writing and his talent I know we'll be making an amazing show with an incredible incarnation of number 12. I can't wait to start this new adventure!"

Charlotte Moore, Controller BBC One says : “Peter Capaldi has all the genius and versatility needed to take on the mantel of the great Time Lord and make the role his own.  He'll bring his own particular wisdom, charisma and wit to the Twelfth Doctor and take the show into an exciting new era.”

Tweet from Karen Gillan:

Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning says : “We started thinking Peter Capaldi might be the right person to take on this iconic part a few months ago. But it was only when he did a secret audition at Steven's house under the cover of darkness that we knew we had our man. He's an extraordinarily talented actor who can seemingly turn his hand to anything. We can't wait to premiere his unique take on the Doctor on Christmas Day and we are sure he's going to become one of the all-time classic Doctor’s.”

At the age of 55, he is the oldest Doctor of the rebooted version of Doctor Who (so since 2005). In fact, he is the same age as William Hartnell when he became the Doctor back in 1966.  Peter is a veteran of the Whoniverse with an appearance in the 2008 episode The Fires Of Pompeii where he played Caecillius and in Torchwood:Children Of Earth as John Frobisher.

Peter Capaldi says: “Being asked to play The Doctor is an amazing privilege. Like the Doctor himself I find myself in a state of utter terror and delight. I can't wait to get started."

Peter Capaldi is currently filming new BBC One drama TheMusketeers‬ in which he plays Cardinal Richelieu.
Peter's credentials can be seen here.