Thursday 31 January 2013

The Reign Of Terror Annimation

BBC Worldwide have released a short video showing off the wonderful animated styling’s of Planet 55 Studios as the First Doctor operates the TARDIS console, it’s backed up with some rather epic sound bites from William Hartnell from some of his more famous speeches from his time as the Doctor.
 

 

Wednesday 30 January 2013

50th Anniversary Drama: ‘An Adventure in Space and Time' Casting News

David Bradley

As part of the BBC’s blockbuster celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, David Bradley (Harry Potter) is set to play the first ever Doctor, the iconic William Hartnell in the BBC Two drama ‘An Adventure in Space and Time’.

‘An Adventure in Space and Time' will tell the story of the genesis of Doctor Who - first aired on 23 November 1963 - and the many personalities involved.  The BBC’s Head of Drama Sydney Newman, credited with the creation of the show, will be portrayed by Brian Cox (The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Identity) and the producer.


Commenting on his upcoming role, David Bradley, said:
“I’m absolutely thrilled.  I first heard about this role from Mark [Gatiss] while watching the Diamond Jubilee flotilla from the roof of the National Theatre.  When he asked if I would be interested, I almost bit his hand off!  Mark has written such a wonderful script not only about the birth of a cultural phenomenon, but a moment in television’s history.  William Hartnell was one of the finest character actors of our time and as a fan I want to make sure that I do him justice.  I’m so looking forward to getting started.

 Verity Lambert, by ‘Call the Midwife’ star Jessica Raine. The director of the first ever episode, ‘An Unearthly Child’, Waris Hussein, will be played by Sacha Dhawan (History Boys, Last Tango In Halifax).

The one-off 90-minute BBC Cymru Wales produced drama is written by Mark Gatiss who will also act as executive producer alongside Steven Moffat and Caroline Skinner.

Mark Gatiss, executive producer and writer, said:
“What a cast! I'm utterly delighted that everyone's favourite Time Lord will be in such brilliant and stellar company. We have a terrific team who can't wait to tell the fascinating and surprising story of how the Doctor began his journey through Space and Time.”

Filming begins at the beginning of February at Television Centre before moving to Wimbledon Studios. It is produced by Matt Strevens (Misfits, Skins) and directed by Terry McDonough (Breaking Bad, The Street).

Tuesday 29 January 2013

Jenna-Louise Coleman: 'I couldn't get auditions'

Jenna-Louise Coleman
Jenna-Louise Coleman at Margaret Street Gallery, London: 'I was ready to leave Emmerdale when I did.' Photograph: Katherine Rose for the Observer

Fittingly, for an actress who last year debuted as a time- and space-hopping adventurer in Doctor Who, Jenna-Louise Coleman is thinking about multiple universes. She recently saw Constellations in the West End, a play that took on the idea of there being infinite dimensions – other worlds in which everything that can happen does happen. Sitting in a London cafe, she reasons: if parallel worlds exist, there's one in which I live in Hollywood and play an Australian in a sitcom, cracking terrible jokes about dingoes.

It almost happened: "Even though my Aussie accent is appalling," says Coleman, 26, who got to the final auditions for the sitcom job, in Los Angeles in 2011, before being called back to England to appear in the ITV drama Titanic. That job opened up a seam of British work – a part in Stephen Poliakoff's drama Dancing on the Edge, a role in Doctor Who – that hasn't let up since. The Poliakoff is an ensemble piece about 1930s jazz musicians. Meanwhile, she has made two meaty Doctor Who cameos to date, including a show-stealing appearance at Christmas, and will be the Doctor's official companion in the next series. Coleman's character is a woman called Oswin, who exists (uh-oh) across multiple dimensions.

Read complete article here: source

Saturday 26 January 2013

Dr Who - History of the Police Box

Nostalgia - a video showing the history of the Police Public Call Box from it's  materializion the streets of the UK to it's  dematerilaization forever and remains only as the Doctor's TARDIS.

Transmitted in 1993 as part of the 30th anniversary of Dr Who. This was part of a celebration of Dr Who with the BBC showing classic episodes including the Time Meddler and Planet of the Daleks


Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Site Launched

January 24th, the  BBC launched  the new Doctor Who 50th Anniversary website. It features guides to each Doctor, the companions, the monsters, clips from episodes, games, news and much, much more! Click on the above image to access.

Thursday 24 January 2013

Inspector Lynley & Merlin Star Wants An Older Doctor

Nathanial Parker, who starred in the popular BBC children’s series 'Merlin', has complained that the actors who play Doctor Who are too young. 

 

The BBC has a chequered past when it comes to accusations of ageism. Now the debate has spread to one of the corporation’s most loved series.
Nathanial Parker, who played Agravaine in the popular BBC children’s series Merlin, has complained that the actors who play the Doctor are too young. “They just seem to be getting younger and younger,” he tells Mandrake.
Matt Smith made history in 2009 as the youngest actor ever to play the role in the television series, then aged 27. Before him, David Tennant was 34 when he took on the role and Christopher Eccleston was 41 when he made his debut as The Doctor.
Parker has called for the next regeneration of Doctor Who to be played by an older actor.
“An old Doctor Who, that’s what we need,” he says. Happily, the 50-year-old says he would love to play the part if the opportunity arose. “I’d love a part in it, I’d love to play The Doctor himself.”

Warick Davis has described landing a role on Doctor Who as winning "the jackpot".

The Willow actor will appear in the Cybermen episode penned by Neil Gaiman and had previously admitted that apearing in Doctor Who would be a dream.

"It was a great thrill to be in Doctor Who," Davis told SFX. "A career ambition. But to be in an episode written by Neil and to have Cybermen in it, was for me the jackpot.

"I was one of those kids who hid behind the sofa, so I know they are scary. But the Cybermen that I saw were awesome and yeah, I think it'll be scary."

The Life's Too Short star also praised "amazing" Who lead Matt Smith.

"He's so full of energy and spark and imagination," Davis said. "You read the scene on the page and you think, 'That's a good scene', but Matt gets hold of it and it's... incredible."


Source: Digital Spy

Wednesday 23 January 2013

The Doctor Returns This Easter

Matt Smith & Jenna-Louise Coleman on Location 
 We can confirm that Doctor Who returns to BBC One during the Easter weekend on Saturday, 30 March, 2013.
 
The Doctor is back in a fantastic adventure written by the show’s lead writer and executive producer, Steven Moffat. The episode - the first in a run of 8 - is directed by Colm McCarthy whose previous credits include Hustle, Spooks and Endeavour.

Later adventures in the run include episodes written by Mark Gatiss (Victory Of The Daleks, Night Terrors) and Neil Gaiman.

Steven Moffat has promised us that in terms of Doctor Who, 2013 will be a ‘tremendous’ year and we’ll be bringing you more about the forthcoming adventures soon. But if you can’t wait for the TARDIS to return on 30 March, you can take a brief look now at what’s in store for the Doctor, Clara and some familiar friends… and foes!

Tuesday 22 January 2013

50th Anniversary Line Up For 2013

 

Schedule details on the the year ahead have been revealed at the 2013 London Toy Fair.
According to the BBC Worldwide banner, after Series 7 Part 2, there will be just one 60-minute anniversary special alongside the 90-minute docudrama in the Autumn. No Series 8 or further episodes. Curiously, there’s no mention of a Christmas special this year either.

The 2013 line-up:
  • Series 7 Part 2 (8 Episodes / Spring 2013)
  • 50th Anniversary Special (1 x 60 minutes / Autumn 2013)
  • An Adventure in Space and Time (1 x 90 minutes / Autumn 2013)
  • Doctor Who Revisited (11 x 25 minutes / throughout year)
Doctor Who Revisited refers to the BBC America premieres of classic stories. They are showing one story from each Doctor, beginning 27th January with Hartnell story the Aztecs.

Further activity throughout the year:
  • Launch of Doctor Who website in January
  • Doctor per month retail campaign on Amazon and Forbidden Planet
  • Monthly BFI screenings and Q&A sesssions at BFI
  • Royal Mail stamps in March
  • Major presence at Comic Con, San Diego
  • Partnering with the Science museum on co-branded products and activities
There is also a wealth of toys coming out (including Clara figures, Big Ben/London Underground invasion set, Ice Warrior, Weeping Angels, Union Jack Dalek, Dalek hoverpod, 2013 design Cybermen, iconic scenes collectors sets).

Sunday 20 January 2013

David Tennant auctioning a Tardis


Footage from Project Motormouth, Dr Who convention - 19th Jan 2013. David Tennant auctions off a Tardis.

The Light at the End (Limited Collector's Edition)

Synopsis

The Light at the End (Limited Collector's Edition) 

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
Written By: Nicholas Briggs
Directed By: Nicholas Briggs

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!

Available to pre-order: 
Deluxe Edition: £40 Download: £25
Standard Edition: £14.99  Download: £12.99

Happy Birthday Doctor Tom!


Thomas Stewert baker celebrates his 79th birthday today. 

Born 20th January 1934 in Liverpool. He played the fourth incarnation of the Doctor from 1974 to 1981, taking over from the late great Jon Pertwee of course.

Baker will be joining forces with fellow past Doctor's Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann for Big Finish's 50th anniversary audio adventure 'The Light At The End'  released on 23rd November 2013 which is 50 years to the day when Doctor Who first aired on UK television back in 1963.


Thursday 3 January 2013

Doctor Who short stories announced for 50th anniversary



A new series of Doctor Who stories is set to be published monthly to celebrate the 50th anniversary year of the hit television programme.

The 11 tales, known as "eshorts", will each be written by a well-known children's author.
Each story will feature one of the various regenerations of the Doctor, starting with William Hartnell, who played the character from 1963-1966
.
A paperback of the stories will be published by Puffin in November.

The first children's author will be revealed on the BBC Worldwide Doctor Who Facebook page on Monday 7 January, followed by the first story on Wednesday 23 January.

A promotional video of each author will also be available each month on the BBC Worldwide YouTube channel starting on Friday 11 January.

'Much-loved Doctor'
 
Publisher Juliet Matthews said: "We are delighted to have 11 sensational children's authors involved in the series, all bringing an individual style, imagination and interpretation to their eshort tribute to The Doctor.

"This is a who's who of children's fiction coming together to celebrate the much-loved Doctor Who."

Doctor Who through the years

  • William Hartnell (1963-1966)
  • Patrick Troughton (1966-1969)
  • Jon Pertwee (1970-1974)
  • Tom Baker (1974-1981)
  • Peter Davison (1981-1984)
  • Colin Baker (1984-1986)
  • Sylvester McCoy (1987-1989, 1996)
  • Paul McGann (1996)
  • Christopher Eccleston (2005)
  • David Tennant (2005-2010)
  • Matt Smith (2010-present)
The Royal Mail recently announced a set of stamps featuring the different Doctors as part of the show's golden anniversary.

Head writer, Steven Moffat, has promised "tremendous surprises" but says he will be keeping them under wraps.

"They wouldn't be surprises if I accidentally said them now, would they?" he said at a preview screening of the Christmas episode
.
"But I promise you, we're going to take over television."

Matt Smith spoke to Newsbeat in December and said he wanted to make 2013 the best year yet for the BBC drama.

"We're as much in the dark [over the anniversary plans] as the majority of other people," he revealed.

"I imagine I'll get to read something in January, February time. We'll make it the biggest and the best year, hopefully in the show's history."

Source:  bbc.co.uk/newsbeat