Thursday, April 12, 2007
Colin Baker - Theatre tour dates
Colin Baker (The 6th Doctor) leads an all-star cast in the long-awaited revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s ingenious and gloriously funny play about relationships and the hazards of DIY.
First staged to much acclaim at The National Theatre, Ayckbourn's much-loved comedy is set in three different bedrooms throughout the course of one evening, offering a glimpse into the private lives of three very recognisable couples.
Delia and Ernest’s attempt to celebrate their anniversary is a disaster and ends up with pilchards in bed and a midnight visit from their daughter-in-law Susannah. In another bedroom Jan is leaving husband Nick (bedridden with a slipped disc) to go alone to Malcolm and Kate’s housewarming - where upstairs in their bedroom she runs into old flame Trevor - in the middle of a very public fight with his wife, Susannah!
But there isn't just one Doctor Who actor in the show, Lousie Jameson who played popular companion Leela, alongside the 4th Doctor, is starring alongside Colin in the play.
Below are the tour dates and locations:
23rd April - Bromley
30 April - Bromley
7 May - Salford Lowry
14 May - Wycombe Swan
21 May - Belfast
28 May - Bath Theatre Royal
4 June - Llandudno
11 June - Guildford
18 June - Cambridge
25 June - Richmond
2 July - Brighton
16 July - Truro
23 July - Oxford
30 July - Cardiff
6 Aug - Glasgow
First staged to much acclaim at The National Theatre, Ayckbourn's much-loved comedy is set in three different bedrooms throughout the course of one evening, offering a glimpse into the private lives of three very recognisable couples.
Delia and Ernest’s attempt to celebrate their anniversary is a disaster and ends up with pilchards in bed and a midnight visit from their daughter-in-law Susannah. In another bedroom Jan is leaving husband Nick (bedridden with a slipped disc) to go alone to Malcolm and Kate’s housewarming - where upstairs in their bedroom she runs into old flame Trevor - in the middle of a very public fight with his wife, Susannah!
But there isn't just one Doctor Who actor in the show, Lousie Jameson who played popular companion Leela, alongside the 4th Doctor, is starring alongside Colin in the play.
Below are the tour dates and locations:
23rd April - Bromley
30 April - Bromley
7 May - Salford Lowry
14 May - Wycombe Swan
21 May - Belfast
28 May - Bath Theatre Royal
4 June - Llandudno
11 June - Guildford
18 June - Cambridge
25 June - Richmond
2 July - Brighton
16 July - Truro
23 July - Oxford
30 July - Cardiff
6 Aug - Glasgow
Influential author Vonnegut dies at 84
NEW YORK - Kurt Vonnegut mixed the bitter and funny with a touch of the profound in books such as "Slaughterhouse-Five," "Cat's Cradle," and "Hocus Pocus."
Vonnegut, regarded by many critics as a key influence in shaping 20th-century American literature, died Wednesday at 84. He suffered brain injuries after a recent fall at his Manhattan home, said his wife, photographer Jill Krementz.
Vonnegut's more than a dozen books, short stories, essays and plays contained elements of social commentary, science fiction and autobiography.
"He was sort of like nobody else," said fellow author Gore Vidal. "Kurt was never dull."
A self-described religious skeptic and freethinking humanist, Vonnegut used protagonists such as Billy Pilgrim and Eliot Rosewater as transparent vehicles for his points of view.
He lectured regularly, exhorting audiences to think for themselves and delighting in barbed commentary against the institutions he felt were dehumanizing people.
"He was a man who combined a wicked sense of humor and sort of steady moral compass, who was always sort of looking at the big picture of the things that were most important," said Joel Bleifuss, editor of In These Times, a liberal magazine based in Chicago that featured Vonnegut articles.
Some of Vonnegut's books were banned and burned for suspected obscenity. He took on censorship as an active member of the PEN writers' aid group and the
American Civil Liberties Union' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> American Civil Liberties Union.
The American Humanist Association, which promotes individual freedom, rational thought and scientific skepticism, made him its honorary president.
Vonnegut said the villains in his books were never individuals, but culture, society and history, which he said were making a mess of the planet.
"I like to say that the 51st state is the state of denial," he told The Associated Press in 2005. "It's as though a huge comet were heading for us and nobody wants to talk about it. We're just about to run out of petroleum and there's nothing to replace it."
Despite his commercial success, Vonnegut battled depression throughout his life, and in 1984, he attempted suicide with pills and alcohol, joking later about how he botched the job.
"I will say anything to be funny, often in the most horrible situations," Vonnegut, whose watery, heavy-lidded eyes and unruly hair made him seem to be in existential pain, once told a gathering of psychiatrists.
Vonnegut was born on Nov. 11, 1922, in Indianapolis, and studied chemistry at Cornell University before joining the Army. His mother killed herself just before he left for Germany during World War II, where he was quickly taken prisoner during the Battle of the Bulge. He was being held in Dresden when Allied bombs firebombed the city.
"The firebombing of Dresden explains absolutely nothing about why I write what I write and am what I am," Vonnegut wrote in "Fates Worse Than Death," his 1991 autobiography of sorts.
But he spent 23 years struggling to write about the ordeal, which he survived by huddling with other POW's inside an underground meat locker labeled slaughterhouse-five.
The novel that emerged, in which Pvt. Pilgrim is transported from Dresden by time-traveling aliens, was published at the height of the Vietnam War, and solidified his reputation as an iconoclast.
After World War II, he reported for Chicago's City News Bureau, then did public relations for General Electric, a job he loathed. He wrote his first novel, "Player Piano," in 1951, followed by "The Sirens of Titan," "Canary in a Cat House" and "Mother Night," making ends meet by selling Saabs on Cape Cod.
Critics ignored him at first, then denigrated his deliberately bizarre stories and disjointed plots as haphazardly written science fiction. But his novels became cult classics, especially "Cat's Cradle" in 1963, in which scientists create "ice-nine," a crystal that turns water solid and destroys the earth.
He retired from novel writing in his later years, but continued to publish short articles. He had a best-seller in 2005 with "A Man Without a Country," a collection of his nonfiction, including jabs at the Bush administration ("upper-crust C-students who know no history or geography") and the uncertain future of the planet.
He called the book's success "a nice glass of champagne at the end of a life."
Vonnegut, who had homes in Manhattan and the Hamptons in New York, adopted his sister's three young children after she died. He also had three children of his own with his first wife, Jane Marie Cox, and later adopted a daughter, Lily, with his second wife, Krementz.
Vonnegut once said that of all the ways to die, he'd prefer to go out in an airplane crash on the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. He often joked about the difficulties of old age.
"When Hemingway killed himself he put a period at the end of his life; old age is more like a semicolon," Vonnegut told the AP.
"My father, like Hemingway, was a gun nut and was very unhappy late in life. But he was proud of not committing suicide. And I'll do the same, so as not to set a bad example for my children."
Vonnegut, regarded by many critics as a key influence in shaping 20th-century American literature, died Wednesday at 84. He suffered brain injuries after a recent fall at his Manhattan home, said his wife, photographer Jill Krementz.
Vonnegut's more than a dozen books, short stories, essays and plays contained elements of social commentary, science fiction and autobiography.
"He was sort of like nobody else," said fellow author Gore Vidal. "Kurt was never dull."
A self-described religious skeptic and freethinking humanist, Vonnegut used protagonists such as Billy Pilgrim and Eliot Rosewater as transparent vehicles for his points of view.
He lectured regularly, exhorting audiences to think for themselves and delighting in barbed commentary against the institutions he felt were dehumanizing people.
"He was a man who combined a wicked sense of humor and sort of steady moral compass, who was always sort of looking at the big picture of the things that were most important," said Joel Bleifuss, editor of In These Times, a liberal magazine based in Chicago that featured Vonnegut articles.
Some of Vonnegut's books were banned and burned for suspected obscenity. He took on censorship as an active member of the PEN writers' aid group and the
American Civil Liberties Union' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> American Civil Liberties Union.
The American Humanist Association, which promotes individual freedom, rational thought and scientific skepticism, made him its honorary president.
Vonnegut said the villains in his books were never individuals, but culture, society and history, which he said were making a mess of the planet.
"I like to say that the 51st state is the state of denial," he told The Associated Press in 2005. "It's as though a huge comet were heading for us and nobody wants to talk about it. We're just about to run out of petroleum and there's nothing to replace it."
Despite his commercial success, Vonnegut battled depression throughout his life, and in 1984, he attempted suicide with pills and alcohol, joking later about how he botched the job.
"I will say anything to be funny, often in the most horrible situations," Vonnegut, whose watery, heavy-lidded eyes and unruly hair made him seem to be in existential pain, once told a gathering of psychiatrists.
Vonnegut was born on Nov. 11, 1922, in Indianapolis, and studied chemistry at Cornell University before joining the Army. His mother killed herself just before he left for Germany during World War II, where he was quickly taken prisoner during the Battle of the Bulge. He was being held in Dresden when Allied bombs firebombed the city.
"The firebombing of Dresden explains absolutely nothing about why I write what I write and am what I am," Vonnegut wrote in "Fates Worse Than Death," his 1991 autobiography of sorts.
But he spent 23 years struggling to write about the ordeal, which he survived by huddling with other POW's inside an underground meat locker labeled slaughterhouse-five.
The novel that emerged, in which Pvt. Pilgrim is transported from Dresden by time-traveling aliens, was published at the height of the Vietnam War, and solidified his reputation as an iconoclast.
After World War II, he reported for Chicago's City News Bureau, then did public relations for General Electric, a job he loathed. He wrote his first novel, "Player Piano," in 1951, followed by "The Sirens of Titan," "Canary in a Cat House" and "Mother Night," making ends meet by selling Saabs on Cape Cod.
Critics ignored him at first, then denigrated his deliberately bizarre stories and disjointed plots as haphazardly written science fiction. But his novels became cult classics, especially "Cat's Cradle" in 1963, in which scientists create "ice-nine," a crystal that turns water solid and destroys the earth.
He retired from novel writing in his later years, but continued to publish short articles. He had a best-seller in 2005 with "A Man Without a Country," a collection of his nonfiction, including jabs at the Bush administration ("upper-crust C-students who know no history or geography") and the uncertain future of the planet.
He called the book's success "a nice glass of champagne at the end of a life."
Vonnegut, who had homes in Manhattan and the Hamptons in New York, adopted his sister's three young children after she died. He also had three children of his own with his first wife, Jane Marie Cox, and later adopted a daughter, Lily, with his second wife, Krementz.
Vonnegut once said that of all the ways to die, he'd prefer to go out in an airplane crash on the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. He often joked about the difficulties of old age.
"When Hemingway killed himself he put a period at the end of his life; old age is more like a semicolon," Vonnegut told the AP.
"My father, like Hemingway, was a gun nut and was very unhappy late in life. But he was proud of not committing suicide. And I'll do the same, so as not to set a bad example for my children."
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
S3: Episode Four - synopsis
The BBCi Press Office have released the synopsis for Episode Four: Daleks in Manhattan.
It's Thirties New York and, in the midst of the Depression, people are disappearing off the streets, as Russell T Davies's Doctor Who continues. Savage Pig Men hide in the sewers and, at the very top of the Empire State Building, the Doctor's oldest enemies are at work, preparing their most audacious plan yet.
David Tennant stars as the Doctor and Freema Agyeman plays his new companion, Martha Jones. Miranda Raison and Ryan Carnes guest star.
3.4: Daleks in Manhattan airs on BBC One on Saturday 21st April 2007 at 7:40pm.
It's Thirties New York and, in the midst of the Depression, people are disappearing off the streets, as Russell T Davies's Doctor Who continues. Savage Pig Men hide in the sewers and, at the very top of the Empire State Building, the Doctor's oldest enemies are at work, preparing their most audacious plan yet.
David Tennant stars as the Doctor and Freema Agyeman plays his new companion, Martha Jones. Miranda Raison and Ryan Carnes guest star.
3.4: Daleks in Manhattan airs on BBC One on Saturday 21st April 2007 at 7:40pm.
Bernice Summerfield - The Inside Story
Big Finish Productions has released information about their upcoming guide to Bernice Summerfield. Bernice Summerfield - The Inside Story is due out in October. Ranging from her first appearance in Love and War by Paul Cornell through current season ender The Wake, Simon Guerrier pens this chronicle of the first 15 years of Benny's life.
She has brought down empires and decided the fate of the universe. She is feared by the creatures of evil and revered wherever people have had just a little bit too much to drink.And Bernice Surprise Summerfield is only just turning 15.The Inside Story charts the history of everyone's favourite space archaeologist. We follow Bernice from her first appearance in Paul Cornell's novel Love and War, through more than 150 books and audio plays to the Draconian-Mim war and the shocking events of The Wake.The Inside Story talks to all those involved in her development. Find out how she came to be, how she was developed and where she's going next. See the stories that almost-got-told, and listen in on the creative battles, personality clashes and very, very bad jokes.With exclusive access to 15 years' worth of writers, editors, producers and illustrators, it's as wild, exciting and unlikely a journey as Benny has made herself.
She has brought down empires and decided the fate of the universe. She is feared by the creatures of evil and revered wherever people have had just a little bit too much to drink.And Bernice Surprise Summerfield is only just turning 15.The Inside Story charts the history of everyone's favourite space archaeologist. We follow Bernice from her first appearance in Paul Cornell's novel Love and War, through more than 150 books and audio plays to the Draconian-Mim war and the shocking events of The Wake.The Inside Story talks to all those involved in her development. Find out how she came to be, how she was developed and where she's going next. See the stories that almost-got-told, and listen in on the creative battles, personality clashes and very, very bad jokes.With exclusive access to 15 years' worth of writers, editors, producers and illustrators, it's as wild, exciting and unlikely a journey as Benny has made herself.
Briggs Joins Dalek Stage Play
The man who is the voice of the Daleks on TV has been enlisted for a stage adaptation of an epic adventure from the classic era. Nicholas Briggs will join Interalia Theatre for The Dalek Masterplan at the New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth from Wednesday, October 24 to Saturday, October 27.As reported on Outpost Gallifrey last December, after three previous stage hits the non-professional company has been granted a licence for a final adaptation of a "lost" Doctor Who story.The other classic adventures given the theatrical treatment were The Web of Fear in 2000, Fury From The Deep two years later and The Evil of the Daleks last year.Briggs was to have been involved with the production of Evil but had to pull out because of other commitments. Producer Rob Thrush said: "Some familiar faces are returning for the show and Nick is desperate to do this one, having missed out before."We're shooting a number of special links and some CGI action as well. It's going to be a spectacular sign-off to our Who stage shows."A mini-convention is also to be held on the Saturday, including Briggs, Davros actor Terry Molloy and Dalek operator Barnaby Edwards as guests.Money raised from the shows will go to charity and local causes. See the box below for full cast and production crew details. Click on the thumbnails below for larger versions of the poster and some of the CGI work for the play.
THE DOCTOR - Nick ScovellSTEVEN TAYLOR - John Paul McCrohonKATARINA TAYLOR - Helen StoddartMAVIC CHEN - James GeorgeSARA KINGDOM - Laura EgertonBRET VYON - Tim SkedgeGOVERNOR TRANTIS - Phil CottrilGOVERNOR ZEPHON - Dale FletcherMARC CORY - David BickerstaffDALEK VOICES - Nicholas Briggs and Lewis BaileyDALEK COMMANDER - Lorna BaileyDALEK ONE - Liam BaileyDALEK TWO - Adrian Cranwell-ChildsSCIENCE DALEK ONE - Andrew J HaslamSCIENCE DALEK TWO - Jess BrookfieldENSEMBLE - Sally Evans, Jane Hartley, Rosie Grant, Matt Merrit, Jon Andrews, Emma Louise Van Kooperen, Lewis Bailey, Anya HodgsonADAPTOR/DIRECTOR - Nick ScovellPRODUCER - Rob ThrushSCRIPT EDITOR - Mike MaddoxASSISTANT DIRECTOR/COSTUMES - Jonathan ScovellSTAGE MANAGER/SPECIAL EFFECTS - Dave TozerDSM - Bruce HolmanMUSIC - Martin JohnsonDALEK CONSTRUCTION AND SPECIAL PROPS - Ashley Nealfuller and Stuart Currie SOUND/VIDEO - Rob Thrush LIGHTING - Dave Tozer SET CONSTRUCTION/DESIGN - Rob Thrush and Dave Tozer POSTER DESIGN - Steve Redfearn
THE DOCTOR - Nick ScovellSTEVEN TAYLOR - John Paul McCrohonKATARINA TAYLOR - Helen StoddartMAVIC CHEN - James GeorgeSARA KINGDOM - Laura EgertonBRET VYON - Tim SkedgeGOVERNOR TRANTIS - Phil CottrilGOVERNOR ZEPHON - Dale FletcherMARC CORY - David BickerstaffDALEK VOICES - Nicholas Briggs and Lewis BaileyDALEK COMMANDER - Lorna BaileyDALEK ONE - Liam BaileyDALEK TWO - Adrian Cranwell-ChildsSCIENCE DALEK ONE - Andrew J HaslamSCIENCE DALEK TWO - Jess BrookfieldENSEMBLE - Sally Evans, Jane Hartley, Rosie Grant, Matt Merrit, Jon Andrews, Emma Louise Van Kooperen, Lewis Bailey, Anya HodgsonADAPTOR/DIRECTOR - Nick ScovellPRODUCER - Rob ThrushSCRIPT EDITOR - Mike MaddoxASSISTANT DIRECTOR/COSTUMES - Jonathan ScovellSTAGE MANAGER/SPECIAL EFFECTS - Dave TozerDSM - Bruce HolmanMUSIC - Martin JohnsonDALEK CONSTRUCTION AND SPECIAL PROPS - Ashley Nealfuller and Stuart Currie SOUND/VIDEO - Rob Thrush LIGHTING - Dave Tozer SET CONSTRUCTION/DESIGN - Rob Thrush and Dave Tozer POSTER DESIGN - Steve Redfearn
Dave Martin
Badwolf one has learned the sad news of the death of Dave Martin, long-time Doctor Who writer and co-creator of K9.Martin had a long and distinguished writing career, working mainly with his long term writing partner Bob Baker.Together they wrote several stage plays before moving into television in the early sixties working on popular series such as Z Cars. In 1971 they were asked to write their first story for Doctor Who. The Claws of Axos was the first of eight stories over nine seasons creating some of the series most iconic characters and most loved stories.Their best known character was created in 1977 for the Tom Baker story The Invisible Enemy. K9 was originally intended for this story only, but the production team made a late decision to have him join The Doctor in the TARDIS where he stayed for the next four years.K9 later returned in the 1981 story K9 and Company and made a memorable appearance in the 2006 story School Reunion.Dave Martin was diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year. He is survived by his wife and three children. He was 72
Gridlock Exterminated by FA Cup???
CBBC Newsround reports that for the first time in the new series ths weekend's episode Gridlock could be postponed for a week if the FA Cup semi-final runs over. If this happens this would mean:
*Episode Three - Gridlock - would be delayed until April 21st.
*Doctor Who Confidential - - would would be delayed until April 21st.
*The following Friday's episode of Totally Doctor Who would most likely be delayed.
To read the complete article CLICK HERE.
*Episode Three - Gridlock - would be delayed until April 21st.
*Doctor Who Confidential - - would would be delayed until April 21st.
*The following Friday's episode of Totally Doctor Who would most likely be delayed.
To read the complete article CLICK HERE.
Tennant Talks
The Official BBC Doctor Who website has a video clip from the David Tennant Q&A session for the upcoming BBC Radio Wales Doctor Who special. To access it CLICK HERE.
Website Updated for Gridlock
The Official BBC Doctor Who website has been updated for Gridlock: http://www.bbc. co.uk/doctorwho/
Monday, April 09, 2007
A VOTE SAXON site has gone online
Explore the site here:
http://www.votesaxon.org.uk/
Saxon myspace here:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=122606643 damn and it has a catchy damn theme song too grrr
His offical Campaign is listed as:
VOTE SAXON CYMRU's Blurbs
About me:As the main Cardiff office for Mr. Saxon's campaign, we strive to ensure his valiant message is put across to the whole nation. Mr. Saxon clearly outlined his policies in the wake of the Cyber invasion last year. With the destruction of Canary Wharf, the entire nation had no alternative but to acknowledge the existence of aliens. Not only that but, as Mr. Saxon points out, these extraterrestrials have no intention of extending the olive branch to our race. These INVADERS break through our borders with malevolent intent. Whilst the rest of the country are more concerned about ILLEGAL immigrants sneaking into the country, Mr. Saxon has made it clear that the most direct THREAT Britain, and the entire world, faces comes in the form of extraterrestrial activity. Some say that since the dawn of the 21st century, everything changed. This is entirely true. In the past few years, three near CATASTROPHIC events have tested this great nation. First, following a UFO crashing into Big Ben, the whole country was plunged into HYSTERIA amidst rumours of an impending alien invasion. Many dismissed this as mere "conspiracy theory nonsense". These people were proved wrong the following Christmas when the second event took place. EVERYONE saw the alien spaceship hovering above London that day, along with the apparent possession of some of the populace. Lastly, and more recently, the invasion of the Cybermen further highlighted the fact that ALL aliens are dangerous and CANNOT be trusted. Britain must not grow complacent. For far too long we have hidden behind the, quite frankly, incapable UNIT. Even our own "secret" organisations such as TORCHWOOD have been known to make severe and costly mistakes. It is clear that Mr. Saxon is the ONLY man who has the nerve and capability to deal with these HOSTILE, alien threats that endanger our GREAT nation in the 21st century. ON SATURDAY 23RD JUNE 2007 - VOTE SAXON. WATCH THE ELECTION RESULTS FROM 7:00PM ON BBC ONE.
F$3K me that damn song is catchy i am gonna do a grab of it hehehehehe mine mine mine now!!!!!!!!!!
Saxon Interview Here where he mentions a "brother" in such a way that it seems ominous or fortelling hmmm:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=122606643&blogID=249712952&MyToken=9f384d7b-f596-4ef8-b6fe-30d6f63ad17a
http://www.votesaxon.org.uk/
Saxon myspace here:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=122606643 damn and it has a catchy damn theme song too grrr
His offical Campaign is listed as:
VOTE SAXON CYMRU's Blurbs
About me:As the main Cardiff office for Mr. Saxon's campaign, we strive to ensure his valiant message is put across to the whole nation. Mr. Saxon clearly outlined his policies in the wake of the Cyber invasion last year. With the destruction of Canary Wharf, the entire nation had no alternative but to acknowledge the existence of aliens. Not only that but, as Mr. Saxon points out, these extraterrestrials have no intention of extending the olive branch to our race. These INVADERS break through our borders with malevolent intent. Whilst the rest of the country are more concerned about ILLEGAL immigrants sneaking into the country, Mr. Saxon has made it clear that the most direct THREAT Britain, and the entire world, faces comes in the form of extraterrestrial activity. Some say that since the dawn of the 21st century, everything changed. This is entirely true. In the past few years, three near CATASTROPHIC events have tested this great nation. First, following a UFO crashing into Big Ben, the whole country was plunged into HYSTERIA amidst rumours of an impending alien invasion. Many dismissed this as mere "conspiracy theory nonsense". These people were proved wrong the following Christmas when the second event took place. EVERYONE saw the alien spaceship hovering above London that day, along with the apparent possession of some of the populace. Lastly, and more recently, the invasion of the Cybermen further highlighted the fact that ALL aliens are dangerous and CANNOT be trusted. Britain must not grow complacent. For far too long we have hidden behind the, quite frankly, incapable UNIT. Even our own "secret" organisations such as TORCHWOOD have been known to make severe and costly mistakes. It is clear that Mr. Saxon is the ONLY man who has the nerve and capability to deal with these HOSTILE, alien threats that endanger our GREAT nation in the 21st century. ON SATURDAY 23RD JUNE 2007 - VOTE SAXON. WATCH THE ELECTION RESULTS FROM 7:00PM ON BBC ONE.
F$3K me that damn song is catchy i am gonna do a grab of it hehehehehe mine mine mine now!!!!!!!!!!
Saxon Interview Here where he mentions a "brother" in such a way that it seems ominous or fortelling hmmm:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=122606643&blogID=249712952&MyToken=9f384d7b-f596-4ef8-b6fe-30d6f63ad17a
Scheduling change for next week's episode
According to the TV guide with The Independent today next week's DW episode will be on at around 19:40 because of a football match.*sigh* Didn't we have to go through this shenanigans last year as well?!?Anyway, footy often overruns so the ep could be broadcast even later.We'll have to keep a weather eye out, folks!
S3: 3.3 Gridlock - Preview Clip
The BBC have added a 13 second preview clip from 3.3: Gridlock.
The clip (different to the Next Time trailer) is available as part of the new deal between the BBC and YouTube, and can be viewed by clicking on the link below.
Click Here to view the 13 second preview video for 3.3: Gridlock.
****updated****
try here if that clip doesnt work yet...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4NVEPfsZsU
The clip (different to the Next Time trailer) is available as part of the new deal between the BBC and YouTube, and can be viewed by clicking on the link below.
Click Here to view the 13 second preview video for 3.3: Gridlock.
****updated****
try here if that clip doesnt work yet...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4NVEPfsZsU
I can see you, citizen
CCTV cameras that shout at you? All very well, but I have a much scarier idea. Trust me, you'll love it ... Charlie BrookerMonday April 9, 2007The Guardian
In case you missed it, last week police in Middlesbrough unveiled a startling new weapon in the ongoing war against crime: CCTV cameras that shout at you whenever you do something wrong. Currently, they are chiefly used to warn drunken revellers hell-bent on stealing traffic cones, or to dish out virtual bollockings to litterbugs. "Respect tsar" Louise Casey says it "nips problems in the bud", while home secretary John Reid praised the scheme on the grounds that rather than being "secret surveillance", it was "very public", and most importantly, "interactive".
Of course, the word "interactive" is regularly wheeled out to make any old bullshit sound exciting and modern. Hey, it's not a humiliating infringement of civil liberties - it's interactive! You, know - a bit of democratic fun, just like The X Factor or MySpace! Woo hoo! Now put that in the bin or I'll blow your head off.
There are two major problems with justifying the bellowing CCTV cameras on the grounds that they're "interactive". Firstly, just because something's "interactive", that doesn't automatically make it right. Coprophilia is interactive, and that doesn't belong in the street either.
Secondly, they're not interactive at all. They're faceless electronic scrutinisers that scream when you break the rules. What John Reid has done here is confuse the word "interactive" with the word "nightmarish".
And wait, it gets worse. As if the scheme wasn't already unsettling enough, according to news reports, "children's voices are to be used initially to make the encounter less confrontational".
This would be a brilliantly disturbing twist in a dystopian sci-fi movie in which the traditional adult-child relationship has been thrown into reverse, and misbehaving grownups are publicly scolded by eerie, disembodied infant voices, but unfortunately it's not happening in a dystopian sci-fi movie at all, but in Middlesborough. And, later this year, in Southwark, Barking and Dagenham, Reading, Harlow, Norwich, Ipswich, Plymouth, Gloucester, Derby, Northampton, Mansfield, Nottingham, Coventry, Sandwell, Wirral, Blackpool, Salford, South Tyneside and Darlington.
Incidentally, it's not yet clear whether the children's voices will address miscreants using formal language ("Attention, citizen: you are committing a felony; you have 20 seconds to desist") or in "kid speak" ("You're a bad man and I'm telling on you and my dad's going to tear your head off"). Perhaps they could also allow kids to control the cameras and decide what constitutes a crime. And, rather than mounting the cameras on poles, why not make them mobile and more kid-friendly by placing them inside full-size, remote-controlled Daleks, which can patrol the streets dishing out near-fatal electric shocks to those who disobey?
Actually, using the Daleks would be a masterstroke. Everyone loves Doctor Who - who wouldn't be thrilled by the sight of a real-life Dalek squadron rolling down the high street, glinting in the sun? The sheer excitement would genuinely make the accompanying loss of liberty seem worthwhile.
To liven things up even more, our rasping pepperpot overlords could be colour-coded. Blue Daleks would deal with minor infractions, and would spend most of their time issuing warnings and administering minor shocks - but they'd also be chummy and approachable, and willing to pose for photographs with your nephew. Red Daleks, on the other hand, would be emotionless killing machines.
Imagine the atmosphere outside a pub on a hot summer's day: a Red Dalek trundles past, and the convivial hubbub suddenly fades to a whisper. Everyone stiffens. And then he turns the corner and a communal sigh of relief goes up, and the drinking continues and the jukebox plays louder and louder ... community spirit lives again. Admit it: it'd be fantastic.
Of course, to maximise the psychological impact of the Red Daleks, they'd have to be fewer in number than the Blues. Ten per citizen, tops.
If anyone from the Home Office is reading this, incidentally, it's absolutely imperative that you license the actual, 100% official, BBC Daleks, as seen on TV. Don't just try to create some sort of rip-off close-as-dammit lookalike and hope we'll start calling them "Daleks". We're not idiots. And if you draw a blank with Terry Nation's estate, don't bother negotiating for the rights to the Cybermen instead. It won't be the same. Daleks or nothing. Pull that off and I guarantee we'll willingly accept it. Even Shami Chakrabarti, denouncing the plan on Question Time, would have to start her complaint by saying, "Obviously I love the idea of Daleks as much as anyone, but ..."
So come on, Reid. Stop pissing about with twittering cameras on sticks. The technology for an army of wirelessly controlled mobile CCTV spybots already exists - and it's interactive. There's nothing stopping you. Show some balls for once in your poxy life. Give us the Daleks.
In case you missed it, last week police in Middlesbrough unveiled a startling new weapon in the ongoing war against crime: CCTV cameras that shout at you whenever you do something wrong. Currently, they are chiefly used to warn drunken revellers hell-bent on stealing traffic cones, or to dish out virtual bollockings to litterbugs. "Respect tsar" Louise Casey says it "nips problems in the bud", while home secretary John Reid praised the scheme on the grounds that rather than being "secret surveillance", it was "very public", and most importantly, "interactive".
Of course, the word "interactive" is regularly wheeled out to make any old bullshit sound exciting and modern. Hey, it's not a humiliating infringement of civil liberties - it's interactive! You, know - a bit of democratic fun, just like The X Factor or MySpace! Woo hoo! Now put that in the bin or I'll blow your head off.
There are two major problems with justifying the bellowing CCTV cameras on the grounds that they're "interactive". Firstly, just because something's "interactive", that doesn't automatically make it right. Coprophilia is interactive, and that doesn't belong in the street either.
Secondly, they're not interactive at all. They're faceless electronic scrutinisers that scream when you break the rules. What John Reid has done here is confuse the word "interactive" with the word "nightmarish".
And wait, it gets worse. As if the scheme wasn't already unsettling enough, according to news reports, "children's voices are to be used initially to make the encounter less confrontational".
This would be a brilliantly disturbing twist in a dystopian sci-fi movie in which the traditional adult-child relationship has been thrown into reverse, and misbehaving grownups are publicly scolded by eerie, disembodied infant voices, but unfortunately it's not happening in a dystopian sci-fi movie at all, but in Middlesborough. And, later this year, in Southwark, Barking and Dagenham, Reading, Harlow, Norwich, Ipswich, Plymouth, Gloucester, Derby, Northampton, Mansfield, Nottingham, Coventry, Sandwell, Wirral, Blackpool, Salford, South Tyneside and Darlington.
Incidentally, it's not yet clear whether the children's voices will address miscreants using formal language ("Attention, citizen: you are committing a felony; you have 20 seconds to desist") or in "kid speak" ("You're a bad man and I'm telling on you and my dad's going to tear your head off"). Perhaps they could also allow kids to control the cameras and decide what constitutes a crime. And, rather than mounting the cameras on poles, why not make them mobile and more kid-friendly by placing them inside full-size, remote-controlled Daleks, which can patrol the streets dishing out near-fatal electric shocks to those who disobey?
Actually, using the Daleks would be a masterstroke. Everyone loves Doctor Who - who wouldn't be thrilled by the sight of a real-life Dalek squadron rolling down the high street, glinting in the sun? The sheer excitement would genuinely make the accompanying loss of liberty seem worthwhile.
To liven things up even more, our rasping pepperpot overlords could be colour-coded. Blue Daleks would deal with minor infractions, and would spend most of their time issuing warnings and administering minor shocks - but they'd also be chummy and approachable, and willing to pose for photographs with your nephew. Red Daleks, on the other hand, would be emotionless killing machines.
Imagine the atmosphere outside a pub on a hot summer's day: a Red Dalek trundles past, and the convivial hubbub suddenly fades to a whisper. Everyone stiffens. And then he turns the corner and a communal sigh of relief goes up, and the drinking continues and the jukebox plays louder and louder ... community spirit lives again. Admit it: it'd be fantastic.
Of course, to maximise the psychological impact of the Red Daleks, they'd have to be fewer in number than the Blues. Ten per citizen, tops.
If anyone from the Home Office is reading this, incidentally, it's absolutely imperative that you license the actual, 100% official, BBC Daleks, as seen on TV. Don't just try to create some sort of rip-off close-as-dammit lookalike and hope we'll start calling them "Daleks". We're not idiots. And if you draw a blank with Terry Nation's estate, don't bother negotiating for the rights to the Cybermen instead. It won't be the same. Daleks or nothing. Pull that off and I guarantee we'll willingly accept it. Even Shami Chakrabarti, denouncing the plan on Question Time, would have to start her complaint by saying, "Obviously I love the idea of Daleks as much as anyone, but ..."
So come on, Reid. Stop pissing about with twittering cameras on sticks. The technology for an army of wirelessly controlled mobile CCTV spybots already exists - and it's interactive. There's nothing stopping you. Show some balls for once in your poxy life. Give us the Daleks.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
The Science of Doctor Who - longlisted for prize
Paul Parson's fantastic book; The Science of Doctor Who, has been longlisted for the 2007 Royal Society Prize for Science Books.
The book, now in it's second edition, has already been welcomed into many Doctor Who fans' book collections as the ultimate guide to all those science-related questions behind the series.
It is therefore no surprise that the book has gained the recognition it deserves with it's addition to the Royal Society Prize longlist.
The general Prize judges will announce the shortlist on 26th April 2007.
The winner will be announced on the evening of the 15th May 2007.
Paul Parsons is a celebrity guest in the DWO Forums Ask & Answer section - Post Paul a question.
The book, now in it's second edition, has already been welcomed into many Doctor Who fans' book collections as the ultimate guide to all those science-related questions behind the series.
It is therefore no surprise that the book has gained the recognition it deserves with it's addition to the Royal Society Prize longlist.
The general Prize judges will announce the shortlist on 26th April 2007.
The winner will be announced on the evening of the 15th May 2007.
Paul Parsons is a celebrity guest in the DWO Forums Ask & Answer section - Post Paul a question.
Shakespeare Code ratings
Unofficial overnight figures show that episode two, The Shakespeare Code, was watched by 6.8 million viewers.Although the figure was down on last week the programme was still the most-watched programme of the day, both in terms of audience and share. The Easter Holiday and good weather in the UK saw audiences drop across the day.Doctor Who comfortably beat its main rivals on ITV1, with Grease is the Word getting just 4 million viewers and Harry Hill 3.9m.BBC One took all of the top five positions in the day's ratings chart, with Casualty getting 6 million and Any Dream Will Do 5.9m.During transmission, Doctor Who's audience rose to peak at 8.1m during the last five minutes. It also was top of the children's chart with over double the audience of under 16s of its nearest rival.In the Multi Channel charts, Doctor Who Confidential was once again the second most watched programme of the day with 617,000 viewers.
Doctor's notes on village life
Time travelling TV star Colin Baker has penned a children's musical celebrating life in their former pit village.
Colin, the sixth Doctor Who, has teamed up with composer pal George Hastings, to create a production about Boldon Colliery.It will raise the curtain on a £1.2million community theatre, built as part of the new Boldon School, and will be performed by more than 120 children.The school's head of music, Andrew Cresswell, said: "It would be difficult to find a musical production as ambitions as this one. It will be based on events, drawn from the community, both past and present."We have this new theatre, this is a step and we wanted to celebrate it at the heart of Boldon and involve the wider community."Stories have been drawn from history as well as tales from local events including Civil War clashes between rival militias from Sunderland and Newcastle, Venerable Bede's links with St Nicholas Church and the 1960 craze for bingo at the Majestic in North Road.Mr Cresswell said: "This will be very much a professional production and it will be the first major theatrical show at the theatre."George Hastings, a part-time teacher at Boldon, has linked up with his daughter Jennifer, who works for Daisy Chain Productions, to produce the musical, working title Big Up Boldon.Jennifer said: "This is part of an initiative to revive interest in drama and theatre production and has developed on to this particular project which will benefit eight schools from the area."Children from neighbouring primary schools are among the giant cast lined up for the show on July 5 to 7. Members of the Northern Sinfonia will also provide musical backing.Mr Cresswell said: "It obviously raises the ante and gives them the opportunity to work with older children, professional dancers, choreographers and musicians. "It takes me back to being a musical director to see that standard available and for the kids to have that experience is something they will remember
for the rest of their lives."Colin Baker has visited the school and worked with Mr Hastings on a number of projects.The £17.5million Boldon School, designed by Waring and Netts, opened in November and the firm is sponsoring the show and summer musical workshops.Waring and Netts's education director, Rob Charlton, said: "We have become very attached to the community as well as being one of the main supporters of their bid to become a specialist performing arts college, so we thought that supporting this programme was an opportunity too good to miss."Headteacher Colin Whitfield said that the school hoped to bring in theatregoers from across the North East.He added: "The new school has made a tremendous difference to staff and pupils alike. "We can see the children enjoying the extra meeting spaces and they certainly have more respect for their new surroundings."
Colin, the sixth Doctor Who, has teamed up with composer pal George Hastings, to create a production about Boldon Colliery.It will raise the curtain on a £1.2million community theatre, built as part of the new Boldon School, and will be performed by more than 120 children.The school's head of music, Andrew Cresswell, said: "It would be difficult to find a musical production as ambitions as this one. It will be based on events, drawn from the community, both past and present."We have this new theatre, this is a step and we wanted to celebrate it at the heart of Boldon and involve the wider community."Stories have been drawn from history as well as tales from local events including Civil War clashes between rival militias from Sunderland and Newcastle, Venerable Bede's links with St Nicholas Church and the 1960 craze for bingo at the Majestic in North Road.Mr Cresswell said: "This will be very much a professional production and it will be the first major theatrical show at the theatre."George Hastings, a part-time teacher at Boldon, has linked up with his daughter Jennifer, who works for Daisy Chain Productions, to produce the musical, working title Big Up Boldon.Jennifer said: "This is part of an initiative to revive interest in drama and theatre production and has developed on to this particular project which will benefit eight schools from the area."Children from neighbouring primary schools are among the giant cast lined up for the show on July 5 to 7. Members of the Northern Sinfonia will also provide musical backing.Mr Cresswell said: "It obviously raises the ante and gives them the opportunity to work with older children, professional dancers, choreographers and musicians. "It takes me back to being a musical director to see that standard available and for the kids to have that experience is something they will remember
for the rest of their lives."Colin Baker has visited the school and worked with Mr Hastings on a number of projects.The £17.5million Boldon School, designed by Waring and Netts, opened in November and the firm is sponsoring the show and summer musical workshops.Waring and Netts's education director, Rob Charlton, said: "We have become very attached to the community as well as being one of the main supporters of their bid to become a specialist performing arts college, so we thought that supporting this programme was an opportunity too good to miss."Headteacher Colin Whitfield said that the school hoped to bring in theatregoers from across the North East.He added: "The new school has made a tremendous difference to staff and pupils alike. "We can see the children enjoying the extra meeting spaces and they certainly have more respect for their new surroundings."
Doctor's notes on village life
Time travelling TV star Colin Baker has penned a children's musical celebrating life in their former pit village.
Colin, the sixth Doctor Who, has teamed up with composer pal George Hastings, to create a production about Boldon Colliery.It will raise the curtain on a £1.2million community theatre, built as part of the new Boldon School, and will be performed by more than 120 children.The school's head of music, Andrew Cresswell, said: "It would be difficult to find a musical production as ambitions as this one. It will be based on events, drawn from the community, both past and present."We have this new theatre, this is a step and we wanted to celebrate it at the heart of Boldon and involve the wider community."Stories have been drawn from history as well as tales from local events including Civil War clashes between rival militias from Sunderland and Newcastle, Venerable Bede's links with St Nicholas Church and the 1960 craze for bingo at the Majestic in North Road.Mr Cresswell said: "This will be very much a professional production and it will be the first major theatrical show at the theatre."George Hastings, a part-time teacher at Boldon, has linked up with his daughter Jennifer, who works for Daisy Chain Productions, to produce the musical, working title Big Up Boldon.Jennifer said: "This is part of an initiative to revive interest in drama and theatre production and has developed on to this particular project which will benefit eight schools from the area."Children from neighbouring primary schools are among the giant cast lined up for the show on July 5 to 7. Members of the Northern Sinfonia will also provide musical backing.Mr Cresswell said: "It obviously raises the ante and gives them the opportunity to work with older children, professional dancers, choreographers and musicians. "It takes me back to being a musical director to see that standard available and for the kids to have that experience is something they will remember
for the rest of their lives."Colin Baker has visited the school and worked with Mr Hastings on a number of projects.The £17.5million Boldon School, designed by Waring and Netts, opened in November and the firm is sponsoring the show and summer musical workshops.Waring and Netts's education director, Rob Charlton, said: "We have become very attached to the community as well as being one of the main supporters of their bid to become a specialist performing arts college, so we thought that supporting this programme was an opportunity too good to miss."Headteacher Colin Whitfield said that the school hoped to bring in theatregoers from across the North East.He added: "The new school has made a tremendous difference to staff and pupils alike. "We can see the children enjoying the extra meeting spaces and they certainly have more respect for their new surroundings."
Colin, the sixth Doctor Who, has teamed up with composer pal George Hastings, to create a production about Boldon Colliery.It will raise the curtain on a £1.2million community theatre, built as part of the new Boldon School, and will be performed by more than 120 children.The school's head of music, Andrew Cresswell, said: "It would be difficult to find a musical production as ambitions as this one. It will be based on events, drawn from the community, both past and present."We have this new theatre, this is a step and we wanted to celebrate it at the heart of Boldon and involve the wider community."Stories have been drawn from history as well as tales from local events including Civil War clashes between rival militias from Sunderland and Newcastle, Venerable Bede's links with St Nicholas Church and the 1960 craze for bingo at the Majestic in North Road.Mr Cresswell said: "This will be very much a professional production and it will be the first major theatrical show at the theatre."George Hastings, a part-time teacher at Boldon, has linked up with his daughter Jennifer, who works for Daisy Chain Productions, to produce the musical, working title Big Up Boldon.Jennifer said: "This is part of an initiative to revive interest in drama and theatre production and has developed on to this particular project which will benefit eight schools from the area."Children from neighbouring primary schools are among the giant cast lined up for the show on July 5 to 7. Members of the Northern Sinfonia will also provide musical backing.Mr Cresswell said: "It obviously raises the ante and gives them the opportunity to work with older children, professional dancers, choreographers and musicians. "It takes me back to being a musical director to see that standard available and for the kids to have that experience is something they will remember
for the rest of their lives."Colin Baker has visited the school and worked with Mr Hastings on a number of projects.The £17.5million Boldon School, designed by Waring and Netts, opened in November and the firm is sponsoring the show and summer musical workshops.Waring and Netts's education director, Rob Charlton, said: "We have become very attached to the community as well as being one of the main supporters of their bid to become a specialist performing arts college, so we thought that supporting this programme was an opportunity too good to miss."Headteacher Colin Whitfield said that the school hoped to bring in theatregoers from across the North East.He added: "The new school has made a tremendous difference to staff and pupils alike. "We can see the children enjoying the extra meeting spaces and they certainly have more respect for their new surroundings."
The Next Ethan Hunt? How About John Barrowman
By MICHAEL HINMANSource: SyFy PortalApr-05-2007
With Tom Cruise finding some new couches to jump on and J.J. Abrams spending all his free time working on the next Star Trek movie, one has to wonder: What's going to happen with Paramount's Mission: Impossible franchise?
OK, maybe you aren't thinking that. I mean, "Mission: Impossible III" was a pretty decent movie, and a good followup to the first two films. But audiences were pretty cool to the film as there was hardly a crowd lined up waiting to see it when it first came out.
I wasn't there, either. I think I was getting my hair cut that weekend or something. However, I did finally watch the film on pay per view recently, and was impressed enough to hope that Paramount at some point would make another one.
Yes, I know. Why on Earth would I waste my time thinking about that, and further more, what the hell does any of this have to do with science-fiction? A lot, actually. M:I is not sci-fi itself, but humor me for a minute.
If Paramount were to kick M:I back into gear, there would have to be a major recasting, and it would have to be good. The first three movies had strong star power in the form of Cruise, so the studio would have to choose carefully. To use a Batman analogy, they would want to find a Christian Bale, not a George Clooney, to replace Michael Keaton. And in watching "M:I 3" I think I know who would be perfect for the role. You know him as Capt. Jack in "Doctor Who" and "Torchwood," but for me, I can only think of John Barrowman as Ethan Hunt.
Sure, Barrowman is hardly the star here (or even in England) that Cruise is, but he certainly has that Cruise look about him. He also is very charismatic and handles stunt action well. And if Hunt ever had to sing his way out of a jam, Barrowman would be ready to exercise that baritone voice of his to perfection.
I am a tremendous John Barrowman fan, and I would like to see Hollywood take note of his talent. I mean, he's no Oscar nominee (not yet, anyway), but he has many of the qualities that could help him own the role.
Barrowman has perfect timing to balance seriousness and humor. He is mostly an unknown in many places, and he has some similar features to Cruise, so many people may not even look twice. And, for Gallifrey's sake, he's Capt. Jack. I say that both affectionately, and with a hint of worry. Barrowman is running into a potential problem where he could be typecast as the time-traveling part-time companion of The Doctor. He is going to need to find roles that allow him to continue playing Capt. Jack, but also show a diversity that is needed for Hollywood survival. And I think Barrowman taking on Ethan Hunt in a Mission: Impossible film would be just the ticket.
And no, I don't think it's a waste of talent at all. It's not like I'm asking Paramount to cast Matt Damon as Capt. Kirk or anything.
With Tom Cruise finding some new couches to jump on and J.J. Abrams spending all his free time working on the next Star Trek movie, one has to wonder: What's going to happen with Paramount's Mission: Impossible franchise?
OK, maybe you aren't thinking that. I mean, "Mission: Impossible III" was a pretty decent movie, and a good followup to the first two films. But audiences were pretty cool to the film as there was hardly a crowd lined up waiting to see it when it first came out.
I wasn't there, either. I think I was getting my hair cut that weekend or something. However, I did finally watch the film on pay per view recently, and was impressed enough to hope that Paramount at some point would make another one.
Yes, I know. Why on Earth would I waste my time thinking about that, and further more, what the hell does any of this have to do with science-fiction? A lot, actually. M:I is not sci-fi itself, but humor me for a minute.
If Paramount were to kick M:I back into gear, there would have to be a major recasting, and it would have to be good. The first three movies had strong star power in the form of Cruise, so the studio would have to choose carefully. To use a Batman analogy, they would want to find a Christian Bale, not a George Clooney, to replace Michael Keaton. And in watching "M:I 3" I think I know who would be perfect for the role. You know him as Capt. Jack in "Doctor Who" and "Torchwood," but for me, I can only think of John Barrowman as Ethan Hunt.
Sure, Barrowman is hardly the star here (or even in England) that Cruise is, but he certainly has that Cruise look about him. He also is very charismatic and handles stunt action well. And if Hunt ever had to sing his way out of a jam, Barrowman would be ready to exercise that baritone voice of his to perfection.
I am a tremendous John Barrowman fan, and I would like to see Hollywood take note of his talent. I mean, he's no Oscar nominee (not yet, anyway), but he has many of the qualities that could help him own the role.
Barrowman has perfect timing to balance seriousness and humor. He is mostly an unknown in many places, and he has some similar features to Cruise, so many people may not even look twice. And, for Gallifrey's sake, he's Capt. Jack. I say that both affectionately, and with a hint of worry. Barrowman is running into a potential problem where he could be typecast as the time-traveling part-time companion of The Doctor. He is going to need to find roles that allow him to continue playing Capt. Jack, but also show a diversity that is needed for Hollywood survival. And I think Barrowman taking on Ethan Hunt in a Mission: Impossible film would be just the ticket.
And no, I don't think it's a waste of talent at all. It's not like I'm asking Paramount to cast Matt Damon as Capt. Kirk or anything.
Saxon Who? Tracking The Doctor's ultimate foe
First we were howling and prowling around Bad Wolf. Then we were tantalised and teased by Torchwood. But now there's a new buzz word being dropped in the new season of Doctor Who - 'Saxon'. This name is set to gain continued significance as the weeks go by. We even know who will be playing the role of Saxon in later episodes - Life On Mars star John Simm. One brief glimpse of him has already been seen in a trailer for the new series, with Saxon emitting a distinctively smug grin in front of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster.But the Saxon wheels were set in motion long before new companion Martha Jones entered the Tardis. In last year's 'Love and Monsters' episode, Peter Kay's Abzorbaloff monster is seen reading The Daily Telegraph newspaper with the prominent headline 'Saxon leads polls with 64%'.Then, amidst the snowfall and spiders of 'The Runaway Bride' in crept another reference. As the tanks prepared to gun down the Emperess of Racnoss' star-shaped ship, we learn that the orders to 'fire at will' are given from a Mr Saxon. So perhaps he's followed in the footsteps of Harriet Jones and the farts of the Slitheen by taking command of 10 Downing Street? In what capacity exactly, we've yet to find out.
Judging by the 'Vote Saxon' posters lurking in the alleyway as Martha prepared to hop on board the Tardis in her first episode, he's either a Prime Minister standing for re-election or a prominent cabinet minister trying to gain power. This propagandist material was also seen in the penultimate episode of Torchwood's first season, on the walls of a delapidated dancehall.'Smith and Jones' also threw up a non-visual Saxon mention following Martha's return from the moon. As she's sat listening to the radio in her living room, a news report of the incident springs out a familiar name. Young medical student Oliver Morgenstern, an eyewitness to the bizarre lunar events, is interviewed and states: "It all just proves Mr Saxon right - we are not alone in the universe."Doctor Who supremo Russell T Davies' love of Buffy The Vampire Slayer is well documented and the two shows share a stark similarity with their ongoing story arcs in each season. Traditionally, each Buffy season contains a 'Big Bad', an arch nemesis who will be encountered in earlier episodes leading to an explosive two-part finale.Daleks and Cybermen were those enemies in the first and second season of Doctor Who respectively, but it appears that Saxon - confirmed by Simm as a baddie - will not be directly encountered in any early episodes. Hence why those references and visual glimpses are set to play a prominent role until he finally appears in the last two stories of the year - entitled 'The Sound of Drums' and 'Last of the Time Lords'.As for who or what lies behind Saxon, the tabloids and online fan communities have been rampant with speculation and conspiracy theories. Could he really be The Master in disguise? Or maybe The Doctor's long lost brother? Perhaps Dalek creator Davros has transplanted his brain and unlimited rice pudding into the body of a young politician (presumably after Bruno Langley's body tissue was deemed incompatible)? Who knows! It'll certainly be a lot of fun finding out...
Judging by the 'Vote Saxon' posters lurking in the alleyway as Martha prepared to hop on board the Tardis in her first episode, he's either a Prime Minister standing for re-election or a prominent cabinet minister trying to gain power. This propagandist material was also seen in the penultimate episode of Torchwood's first season, on the walls of a delapidated dancehall.'Smith and Jones' also threw up a non-visual Saxon mention following Martha's return from the moon. As she's sat listening to the radio in her living room, a news report of the incident springs out a familiar name. Young medical student Oliver Morgenstern, an eyewitness to the bizarre lunar events, is interviewed and states: "It all just proves Mr Saxon right - we are not alone in the universe."Doctor Who supremo Russell T Davies' love of Buffy The Vampire Slayer is well documented and the two shows share a stark similarity with their ongoing story arcs in each season. Traditionally, each Buffy season contains a 'Big Bad', an arch nemesis who will be encountered in earlier episodes leading to an explosive two-part finale.Daleks and Cybermen were those enemies in the first and second season of Doctor Who respectively, but it appears that Saxon - confirmed by Simm as a baddie - will not be directly encountered in any early episodes. Hence why those references and visual glimpses are set to play a prominent role until he finally appears in the last two stories of the year - entitled 'The Sound of Drums' and 'Last of the Time Lords'.As for who or what lies behind Saxon, the tabloids and online fan communities have been rampant with speculation and conspiracy theories. Could he really be The Master in disguise? Or maybe The Doctor's long lost brother? Perhaps Dalek creator Davros has transplanted his brain and unlimited rice pudding into the body of a young politician (presumably after Bruno Langley's body tissue was deemed incompatible)? Who knows! It'll certainly be a lot of fun finding out...
Who's next to play the Doctor?
THE best news to hit our household in years was when writer/producer Russell T Davies announced the return of Doctor Who. Peace broke out on Saturday evenings once again as the new version of the old favourite entranced parents and kids alike.
Christopher Eccleston did a good job as the first 'new' Doc, but in my far from humble opinion, Scottish actor David Tennant has been the best 'Who' since Tom Baker.
Tennant is currently starring as the Time Lord in the third series of the new Doctor Who and the show will be back for series four - but Tennant has refused to reveal whether he will return in the lead role.
As he showed in the recent one-off drama Recovery, there is little danger of him being typecast, and it's just been revealed that he will star in another BBC film, Learners, to be shown later this year.
But undoubtedly there will soon come a time when fear of stagnation will lead Tennant to shuffle off his mortal coil in Dr Who's umpteenth regeneration. He will be a hard act to follow but somebody will have to do it - and the bookies are already taking bets on his successor.
Irish bookies Paddy Power make another Scot, Robert Carlyle, their 5-2 favourite for the role, with Liverpudlian actor David Morrisey of Viva Blackpool second best at 4-1. Jason Statham of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is also at 4-1, but his ambitions lie in Hollywood.
Richard E Grant is quoted at 6-1 and the Withnail and I star would be an eccentric Doctor in the Tom Baker mould. So, too, would be Stephen Fry, a 10-1 shot.
Hard-man former footballer Vinnie Jones is 20-1 while Ricky Gervais is the outsider at 66s, though his stint in Night at the Museum showed he could handle any role.
But for an inspired piece of time-travel casting, why not try 10-1 shot John Simm (right), soon to finish his stint as Sam Tyler in the brilliant Life on Mars. He's handled going back 30 years just fine, so Simm could well be the man to take the Doctor character back and forth through the centuries. Check out www.paddypower.com for the odds.
Christopher Eccleston did a good job as the first 'new' Doc, but in my far from humble opinion, Scottish actor David Tennant has been the best 'Who' since Tom Baker.
Tennant is currently starring as the Time Lord in the third series of the new Doctor Who and the show will be back for series four - but Tennant has refused to reveal whether he will return in the lead role.
As he showed in the recent one-off drama Recovery, there is little danger of him being typecast, and it's just been revealed that he will star in another BBC film, Learners, to be shown later this year.
But undoubtedly there will soon come a time when fear of stagnation will lead Tennant to shuffle off his mortal coil in Dr Who's umpteenth regeneration. He will be a hard act to follow but somebody will have to do it - and the bookies are already taking bets on his successor.
Irish bookies Paddy Power make another Scot, Robert Carlyle, their 5-2 favourite for the role, with Liverpudlian actor David Morrisey of Viva Blackpool second best at 4-1. Jason Statham of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is also at 4-1, but his ambitions lie in Hollywood.
Richard E Grant is quoted at 6-1 and the Withnail and I star would be an eccentric Doctor in the Tom Baker mould. So, too, would be Stephen Fry, a 10-1 shot.
Hard-man former footballer Vinnie Jones is 20-1 while Ricky Gervais is the outsider at 66s, though his stint in Night at the Museum showed he could handle any role.
But for an inspired piece of time-travel casting, why not try 10-1 shot John Simm (right), soon to finish his stint as Sam Tyler in the brilliant Life on Mars. He's handled going back 30 years just fine, so Simm could well be the man to take the Doctor character back and forth through the centuries. Check out www.paddypower.com for the odds.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Season 3 Spoiler pics !!!!
Doctor Who Confidential Trailer Picspam (Part One)
http://lixa-turner.livejournal.com/113648.html#cutid1
Doctor Who Confidential Trailer Picspam (Part Two)
{Face of BOE IS HERE!!!!!!!}
http://lixa-turner.livejournal.com/113793.html#cutid1
http://lixa-turner.livejournal.com/113648.html#cutid1
Doctor Who Confidential Trailer Picspam (Part Two)
{Face of BOE IS HERE!!!!!!!}
http://lixa-turner.livejournal.com/113793.html#cutid1
Icons Galore!!!
http://04nbod.livejournal.com/1256.html#cutid1
http://aryas-icons.livejournal.com/9793.html
http://letsey-x.livejournal.com/9503.html#cutid1
http://community.livejournal.com/btfl_decadence/5948.html?mode=reply
http://community.livejournal.com/uncoolicons/5923.html?mode=reply
http://soniced-up.livejournal.com/37172.html
http://cheesygirl.livejournal.com/968874.html
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Doctor Who Confidential - Titles
The latest issue of DWM (#381) list some more Doctor Who Confidential titles.
The magazine also have some great synopsis' for each episode, but we want you to go out and buy it, so for now we will just give you the titles:
Episode 1 - Meet Martha Jones
Episode 2 - Stage Fright
Episode 3 - Are we there yet?
Episode 4 - New York Story
Episode 5 - Making Manhattan
Episode 6 - Monsters Inc.
The magazine also have some great synopsis' for each episode, but we want you to go out and buy it, so for now we will just give you the titles:
Episode 1 - Meet Martha Jones
Episode 2 - Stage Fright
Episode 3 - Are we there yet?
Episode 4 - New York Story
Episode 5 - Making Manhattan
Episode 6 - Monsters Inc.
Did Dr Who exterminate Worthing's swimathon?
ORGANISERS have blamed the low turnout at a charity swim marathon on the new series of Doctor Who.
Just 93 swimmers took part in Saturday's sponsored event at the Aquarena, compared with more than 200 swimmers last year.The event raises money for the mayor's charities, which this year are West Tarring Boys' Club, Worthing Victim Support and Worthing Alzheimer's Society.The low turnout dashes hopes of bettering last year's cash total of £6,700.Organiser Rowland Gibson said the launch of the new series of the BBC science-fiction favourite, which began on Saturday at 7pm, was a factor in the low numbers.He said: "You know what kids are like. They don't want to miss their Doctor Who."For more on this story, see Thursday's Worthing Herald.To order pictures click here and quote the reference number for your chosen image.
05 April 2007
Just 93 swimmers took part in Saturday's sponsored event at the Aquarena, compared with more than 200 swimmers last year.The event raises money for the mayor's charities, which this year are West Tarring Boys' Club, Worthing Victim Support and Worthing Alzheimer's Society.The low turnout dashes hopes of bettering last year's cash total of £6,700.Organiser Rowland Gibson said the launch of the new series of the BBC science-fiction favourite, which began on Saturday at 7pm, was a factor in the low numbers.He said: "You know what kids are like. They don't want to miss their Doctor Who."For more on this story, see Thursday's Worthing Herald.To order pictures click here and quote the reference number for your chosen image.
05 April 2007
More Companion Chronicles
In the most recent issue of Doctor Who Magazine, Big Finish Productions has announced next next set of Companions returning in the popular Companion Chronicles line. The line up for the second series will be Nicholas Courtney as the Brigadier, Peter Purves as Steven, and Louise Jameson as Leela.
In Memoriam
Character actor George Sewell, who played Ratcliffe in Remembrance of the Daleks, has died at the age of 82. He was also well-known to cult TV fans as Colonel Alec Freeman in the Gerry Anderson series UFO. The Daily Telegraph has an obituary.In addition, John Gill, who played Oak in Fury From The Deep, has died aged 94, and Elaine Ives-Cameron, who was Martha in The Stones of Blood and Ms Lavish/Estella in the Big Finish audio The Stones of Venice, has also passed away. Her date of birth is unknown.
Doctor Who battles tortoise for book prize
A book about the science of Doctor Who, a biography of a tortoise and a compilation of Sun headlines are among the contenders for the most prestigious awards in popular science writing.
Twelve books feature on the longlist for the Royal Society prizes for science books (formerly known as the Aventis prizes). They cover science in all its diversity, from climate change and genetics to psychology, astronomy and neuroscience. The list also pits established scientists, including Sir Patrick Moore and Nobel prize winner Eric R Kandel, against less obvious candidates such as the Queen guitarist Brian May and Sun journalist John Perry.
Perry's book, written with experienced science writer Jack Challoner is one of the more intriguing on the list. It uses mock-ups of front pages of the tabloid to explain important scientific discoveries, using colour illustrations and photographs to convey the history of scientific invention in an accessible way.
Similarly accessible is Paul Parson's The Science of Doctor Who, in which the editor of the BBC's science magazine, Focus, explains the scientific reality behind the programme. He even tackles the tricky questions of how a sonic screwdriver would work and where the toilets are on the Tardis.
Bang! The Complete History of the Universe also benefits from the TV recognition factor. Brian May, Sir Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott (best known as Moore's co-presenter on The Sky at Night) tell the story of how the world came about from that moment when time and space came into existence, through the formation of the first stars, galaxies and planets to the evolution of human beings. The collaboration is not quite as unlikely as it sounds - Brian May was working towards a PhD in interplanetary dust at Imperial College London, but abandoned his studies when Queen went supernova.
On more traditional science writing territory, this longlist sees the return of Matt Ridley, who has been shortlisted for the Aventis prizes four times previously. He is in the running with his colourful life of Francis Crick, one of the people who revealed the structure of DNA.
Turning from the micro to the macro, there's Homo Britannicus by Chris Stringer, a professor at the Natural History Museum and expert on human origins. He traces the epic history of man's battle for survival in Britain, from first footsteps to the present day.
Neuroscience and psychology get a good showing in this longlist, represented by Cordelia Fine's A Mind of its Own, Eric R Kandel's In Search of Memory and Daniel Gilbert's Stumbling on Happiness.
Animals, however, have to make do with a single candidate: the appropriately entitled Lonesome George by Henry Nicholls. Subtitled "The life and loves of a conservation icon" the book tells the life story of a 5ft long, 90kg Galapagos tortoise who is the sole survivor of his species. Detailing the efforts of conservationists to preserve the Galapagos' unique biodiversity, the tale of George also draws together the islands' geology, evolution and history of human exploitation.
The survival - or not - of the entire planet is the subject of The Rough Guide to Climate Change. It's the first time the travel guide group has been in the running for a major book prize. The book looks at arguably the greatest threat to humankind's existence from all angles, including sceptics' grounds for disagreement with global warming orthodoxy; what computer simulations of climate reveal about our past, present, and future; and lifestyle advice for consumers who want to make a difference to tomorrow's climate.
Also on the longlist are The Goldilocks Enigma by cosmologist Paul Davies, and Adam Wishart's One in Three - a story of cancer that was inspired by the author's search for information after his father was diagnosed with the disease.
The longlist will be whittled down to a shortlist on April 26 and a winner, announced on May 15. The winner receives a prize of £10,000 while all six shortlisted authors will receive £1,000.
The panel of judges is led by Colin Pillinger, professor of planetary sciences at the Open University, and includes Trevor Baylis, the inventor of the wind-up radio and Louisa Bolch, commissioning editor for science at Channel 4.
Twelve books feature on the longlist for the Royal Society prizes for science books (formerly known as the Aventis prizes). They cover science in all its diversity, from climate change and genetics to psychology, astronomy and neuroscience. The list also pits established scientists, including Sir Patrick Moore and Nobel prize winner Eric R Kandel, against less obvious candidates such as the Queen guitarist Brian May and Sun journalist John Perry.
Perry's book, written with experienced science writer Jack Challoner is one of the more intriguing on the list. It uses mock-ups of front pages of the tabloid to explain important scientific discoveries, using colour illustrations and photographs to convey the history of scientific invention in an accessible way.
Similarly accessible is Paul Parson's The Science of Doctor Who, in which the editor of the BBC's science magazine, Focus, explains the scientific reality behind the programme. He even tackles the tricky questions of how a sonic screwdriver would work and where the toilets are on the Tardis.
Bang! The Complete History of the Universe also benefits from the TV recognition factor. Brian May, Sir Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott (best known as Moore's co-presenter on The Sky at Night) tell the story of how the world came about from that moment when time and space came into existence, through the formation of the first stars, galaxies and planets to the evolution of human beings. The collaboration is not quite as unlikely as it sounds - Brian May was working towards a PhD in interplanetary dust at Imperial College London, but abandoned his studies when Queen went supernova.
On more traditional science writing territory, this longlist sees the return of Matt Ridley, who has been shortlisted for the Aventis prizes four times previously. He is in the running with his colourful life of Francis Crick, one of the people who revealed the structure of DNA.
Turning from the micro to the macro, there's Homo Britannicus by Chris Stringer, a professor at the Natural History Museum and expert on human origins. He traces the epic history of man's battle for survival in Britain, from first footsteps to the present day.
Neuroscience and psychology get a good showing in this longlist, represented by Cordelia Fine's A Mind of its Own, Eric R Kandel's In Search of Memory and Daniel Gilbert's Stumbling on Happiness.
Animals, however, have to make do with a single candidate: the appropriately entitled Lonesome George by Henry Nicholls. Subtitled "The life and loves of a conservation icon" the book tells the life story of a 5ft long, 90kg Galapagos tortoise who is the sole survivor of his species. Detailing the efforts of conservationists to preserve the Galapagos' unique biodiversity, the tale of George also draws together the islands' geology, evolution and history of human exploitation.
The survival - or not - of the entire planet is the subject of The Rough Guide to Climate Change. It's the first time the travel guide group has been in the running for a major book prize. The book looks at arguably the greatest threat to humankind's existence from all angles, including sceptics' grounds for disagreement with global warming orthodoxy; what computer simulations of climate reveal about our past, present, and future; and lifestyle advice for consumers who want to make a difference to tomorrow's climate.
Also on the longlist are The Goldilocks Enigma by cosmologist Paul Davies, and Adam Wishart's One in Three - a story of cancer that was inspired by the author's search for information after his father was diagnosed with the disease.
The longlist will be whittled down to a shortlist on April 26 and a winner, announced on May 15. The winner receives a prize of £10,000 while all six shortlisted authors will receive £1,000.
The panel of judges is led by Colin Pillinger, professor of planetary sciences at the Open University, and includes Trevor Baylis, the inventor of the wind-up radio and Louisa Bolch, commissioning editor for science at Channel 4.
David Tennant: MY BOND FANTASY
DOCTOR Who star David Tennant wants to go from saving the world to destroying it - by becoming a James Bond baddie.
The 35-year-old, who has been inundated with offers of TV and film work following his success as the Time Lord, said: "I'd like to be a Bond baddie.
"They always have some disability, don't they? I could have one leg and be stroking a chicken saying 'I've infected the world with bird flu'."
But Tennant ruled out replacing the current 007 Daniel Craig. He said: "I think that job's taken for a while - mind you I said that about Doctor Who."
In this Saturday's BBC1 show the Doctor meets William Shakespeare, played by Shameless star Dean Lennox Kelly. Writer Russell T Davies said: "It's one of our most ambitious projects."
The 35-year-old, who has been inundated with offers of TV and film work following his success as the Time Lord, said: "I'd like to be a Bond baddie.
"They always have some disability, don't they? I could have one leg and be stroking a chicken saying 'I've infected the world with bird flu'."
But Tennant ruled out replacing the current 007 Daniel Craig. He said: "I think that job's taken for a while - mind you I said that about Doctor Who."
In this Saturday's BBC1 show the Doctor meets William Shakespeare, played by Shameless star Dean Lennox Kelly. Writer Russell T Davies said: "It's one of our most ambitious projects."
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Doctor Who triumphs in SFX Reader Awards
Doctor Who has won six categories in the annual Reader Awards carried out by the sci-fi and fantasy title SFX. More than 5000 readers of SFX were eligible to vote in 17 award categories. Doctor Who beat off fierce competition from shows such as Life on Mars, Lost and Heroes to win the Best TV Show award. The Doctor himself, David Tennant, scooped Best TV Actor, whilst former assistant Billie Piper was awarded with Best TV Actress.Doctor Who also picked up Best TV Episode for The Girl in the Fireplace whilst Captain Jack Harkness, John Barrowman, was voted Sexiest Man for his role in the show and spin-off series Torchwood. Rounding off a bevy of awards, Executive Producer and Chief Writer Russell T Davies was inducted into the SFX Hall of Fame for his work in reviving the show, which had previously been axed by the BBC in 1989.The full rundown of the SFX Reader Awards is featured in the May issue, on sale Wednesday 11 April, with a cover price of £3.99.
SFX Reader Awards 2006
Best Film - Children of Men
Best Actor - Johnny Depp
Best Actress - Natalie Portman
Best Film Director -Christopher Nolan
Best TV Show - Doctor Who
Best TV Actor - David Tennant
Best TV Actress - Billie Piper
Best TV Episode - Doctor Who "The Girl in the Fireplace"
Sexiest Man - John Barrowman
Hall of Fame - Russell T Davies
SFX Reader Awards 2006
Best Film - Children of Men
Best Actor - Johnny Depp
Best Actress - Natalie Portman
Best Film Director -Christopher Nolan
Best TV Show - Doctor Who
Best TV Actor - David Tennant
Best TV Actress - Billie Piper
Best TV Episode - Doctor Who "The Girl in the Fireplace"
Sexiest Man - John Barrowman
Hall of Fame - Russell T Davies
News round up
icWales has an article on how the British love affair with Doctor Who may have its roots in the monarchical system of government, CLICK HERE to read the article.
The Stratford Herald has an article on how The Shakespeare Code was filmed at Lord Leycester Hospital and the Shakespeare' s Globe Theatre, CLICK HERE to read the article.
The Mirror has a review of Smith and Jones, which can be read by CLICKING HERE.
The Daily Mail also has a review of Smith and Jones, which can be read by CLICKING HERE (scroll down to bottom of article), and a QUOTE from the episode.
BBC News reports Brian Cant has the best-loved voice from UK children's television, according to a survey in Underground Ernie magazine. Brian Cant acted in The Daleks' Master Plan and The Dominators, CLICK HERE to read the article.
The Stratford Herald has an article on how The Shakespeare Code was filmed at Lord Leycester Hospital and the Shakespeare' s Globe Theatre, CLICK HERE to read the article.
The Mirror has a review of Smith and Jones, which can be read by CLICKING HERE.
The Daily Mail also has a review of Smith and Jones, which can be read by CLICKING HERE (scroll down to bottom of article), and a QUOTE from the episode.
BBC News reports Brian Cant has the best-loved voice from UK children's television, according to a survey in Underground Ernie magazine. Brian Cant acted in The Daleks' Master Plan and The Dominators, CLICK HERE to read the article.
Article archive
BBC Norfolk has opened its archives of their interviews with Doctor Who stars, CLICK HERE to visit the website.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
BBCi Doctor Who site - updated
The BBCi Doctor Who site has been updated.
The site has refreshed its front page to promote Episode Two: The Shakespeare Code, and includes a picture gallery for the episode.
Direct Link to the BBCi Doctor Who website.
The site has refreshed its front page to promote Episode Two: The Shakespeare Code, and includes a picture gallery for the episode.
Direct Link to the BBCi Doctor Who website.
Name Game
Freema explains her system to DWM.
Discover the Freema Agyeman Mnemonic System For Remembering All Ten Doctors in the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine.
"It's 'Hurry To Pub, Because Da Beermats Make Me Excellent Tablecloths'," Freema explains. "The first letter of each word reminds you of each Doctor's surname. I was undecided between Tablecloths and Trophies - but David's a trophy, obviously."
"'Da' is pushing it, surely," frowns David Tennant - possibly embittered by the implication that Freema needs to be reminded of his surname. He turns to Third Assistant Director Sarah Davies. "Can you remember them all, Sarah?" "No," she admits. "Beyond Eccleston, I get stuck." "That's rubbish," he says. "We may have to lose you."
There's more on the making of Smith and Jones in an exclusive fact-pact 11-page feature, featuring brand new photographs, fascinating interviews and intriguing design drawings.
Plus, also this issue, Martha Jones makes her comic strip début in the first part of The Woman Who Sold the World; writer Chris Chibnall reveals a few secrets about his new episode, the enigmatically-titled 42; Russell T Davies finds himself talking celebrities in Production Notes and there's a look at the three new Doctor Who novels from BBC Books. And that's only half of it...
DWM 381 is on sale from Thursday 5 April priced £3.99.
Discover the Freema Agyeman Mnemonic System For Remembering All Ten Doctors in the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine.
"It's 'Hurry To Pub, Because Da Beermats Make Me Excellent Tablecloths'," Freema explains. "The first letter of each word reminds you of each Doctor's surname. I was undecided between Tablecloths and Trophies - but David's a trophy, obviously."
"'Da' is pushing it, surely," frowns David Tennant - possibly embittered by the implication that Freema needs to be reminded of his surname. He turns to Third Assistant Director Sarah Davies. "Can you remember them all, Sarah?" "No," she admits. "Beyond Eccleston, I get stuck." "That's rubbish," he says. "We may have to lose you."
There's more on the making of Smith and Jones in an exclusive fact-pact 11-page feature, featuring brand new photographs, fascinating interviews and intriguing design drawings.
Plus, also this issue, Martha Jones makes her comic strip début in the first part of The Woman Who Sold the World; writer Chris Chibnall reveals a few secrets about his new episode, the enigmatically-titled 42; Russell T Davies finds himself talking celebrities in Production Notes and there's a look at the three new Doctor Who novels from BBC Books. And that's only half of it...
DWM 381 is on sale from Thursday 5 April priced £3.99.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Captain Jack meets his sci-fi namesake on the gallops
Actor Barrowman - alias Captain Jack of hit shows Dr Who and Torchwood – has visited top racehorse trainer John Best to meet a horse named after his sci-fi hero.
“Hucking Harkness” – a two-year-old thoroughbred - is named for his time and space travelling character Captain Jack Harkness.
They watched the horse show its paces over to the gallops, a half-mile uphill training track.. The crew from Doctor Who Confidential was also on hand to cover the meeting for a forthcoming episode of BBC3’s behind-the-scenes documentary on Doctor Who. The Hucking Horses syndicate, involving five horses and twenty partners, is named for the village of Hucking from which John Best trains.
John Best explains, “We were discussing the Hucking Horses and this colt stood out as a tricky one to name.
“Somebody mentioned Doctor Who, and from there we reached Captain Jack – and Hucking Harkness was born.” John Barrowman - set to return to Dr Who in the current se-ries - added: “I really enjoyed meeting Hucking Harkness – he’s a great-looking horse, and I think he liked me.
“I'll definitely be following his races, and I'm hoping to be able to see him run later in the year.”
Barrowman urinated in Prince Charles' garden
Doctor Who actor John Barrowman secretly urinated in royal Prince Charles' garden. The 40-year-old television star - who plays Captain Jack Harkness in the Doctor Who spin off Torchwood - was visiting the royal at his Highgrove House residence in Gloucestershire, when he cheekily relieved himself.
He says, "I do have a confession to make. I peed in Prince Charles' garden. I peed at Highgrove.
"And the funny thing was - I was at the palace and I actually told someone the story that I did it. So it is kind of out there in the royals. They know I peed in Charles' garden."
He says, "I do have a confession to make. I peed in Prince Charles' garden. I peed at Highgrove.
"And the funny thing was - I was at the palace and I actually told someone the story that I did it. So it is kind of out there in the royals. They know I peed in Charles' garden."
Warren Ellis DOCTOR WHO 3.01 review
I think there’s a sense in the production that David Tennant isn’t as “heavyweight” as Christopher Eccleston, and so consequently nothing written for Tennant really has the weight or shadow of the first-season stuff. Tennant’s Doctor is, however, becoming ever more eccentric, if not just outright batshit — Tennant with his shoes off, crooning “barefoot on the moooon” to himself — which, panto excesses aside, just about kept me interested in this humorous opening episode about an elderly female vampire armed with a drinking straw. Pure children’s television. Lili liked it.
It’s already fallen into rote, of course — the new assistant (or, as the production staff would have it in the behind-the-scenes followup programme, “Doctor Who girl”) has her own Wacky Family who will doubtless bore our tits off over the next two years like the last one did, and this year’s Famous Historical Personality episode is up next. But, you know, it’s a kid’s show, and kids like repetition.
http://www.warrenellis.com./
It’s already fallen into rote, of course — the new assistant (or, as the production staff would have it in the behind-the-scenes followup programme, “Doctor Who girl”) has her own Wacky Family who will doubtless bore our tits off over the next two years like the last one did, and this year’s Famous Historical Personality episode is up next. But, you know, it’s a kid’s show, and kids like repetition.
http://www.warrenellis.com./
'Ender fancies Tardis role
EASTENDERS star Adam Woodyatt is desperate to land a part in Doctor Who.
The actor, 38, who has played Ian Beale since the BBC1 soap began 22 years ago is a huge fan of the show as well as other sci-fi dramas such as Star Trek.
He told us: “I just want to get a part in Doctor Who – a heavily made up alien would be perfect. But I don’t want any pain!
“I’ve been badgering the executive producer Russell T Davies about it. I’ve asked him twice and hopefully he’ll get me in some time.
“Everybody wants to be in Doctor Who – I love the show.”
The actor, 38, who has played Ian Beale since the BBC1 soap began 22 years ago is a huge fan of the show as well as other sci-fi dramas such as Star Trek.
He told us: “I just want to get a part in Doctor Who – a heavily made up alien would be perfect. But I don’t want any pain!
“I’ve been badgering the executive producer Russell T Davies about it. I’ve asked him twice and hopefully he’ll get me in some time.
“Everybody wants to be in Doctor Who – I love the show.”
'Doctor Who' star Freema feels the fear
New Doctor Who star Freema Agyeman endured real fear when filming scenes for the hit show. She also had to contend with picking up a few knocks in the line of duty too.Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy, the Martha Jones actress revealed: "I genuinely get scared when I'm being pursued. I don't really like that... the adrenaline's pumping, your heart's running and someone's there behind you!"Giving an example of such a moment, Agyeman said: "There was [a] scene when we were being chased, a late one in the series, and we're trying to shut people out, but the door's broken. It just makes my heart go now, thinking about it. You're putting yourself in that natural situation, and they're trying to bang the door and they're whacking it open!""I bruised all the back of my arm because I was genuinely ramming it, " she continued, "and at the time you don't realise, you don't feel it because you've got adrenaline pumping..."
'Doctor Who' back in a big way
LONDON -- The success of the BBC's revamped "Doctor Who" franchise continued to beat expectations as almost 9 million viewers tuned in Saturday for the family drama's season debut. The 7 p.m. broadcast, which featured the debut of Freema Ageyman the good doctor's new sidekick Martha Jones, earned a 40% audience share -- up 200,000 viewers from Tennant's debut in the role last April. ITV's 6 p.m. repeat of blockbuster "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" failed to make much of a dent against "Doctor Who," pulling in 4.7 million viewers and a 24% share.
Torchwood Coming to BBC America
BBC America has confirmed that Torchwood will be added to its line up as part of the Supernatural Saturday strand. It will join Doctor Who, Hex, Life on Mars and Jekyll as part of the new programming.
Exciting news from BBC AMERICA's press department hit the wires this morning: the entire channel is undergoing a "radical makeover" later this year. The channel will now "focus exclusively on bringing U.S. audiences the very best in contemporary British programs - including a greater emphasis on our world renowned news coverage," according to our new head honcho, Garth Ancier. Lots of great acquisitions to announce, including MI-5 (Spooks to you UKers), the long-running youth soap Hollyoaks (which I love), Hotel Babylon, the new Jennifer Saunders comedy The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle, Doctor Who spinoff Torchwood, and new seasons of Hex, Life On Mars, and Doctor Who.
Exciting news from BBC AMERICA's press department hit the wires this morning: the entire channel is undergoing a "radical makeover" later this year. The channel will now "focus exclusively on bringing U.S. audiences the very best in contemporary British programs - including a greater emphasis on our world renowned news coverage," according to our new head honcho, Garth Ancier. Lots of great acquisitions to announce, including MI-5 (Spooks to you UKers), the long-running youth soap Hollyoaks (which I love), Hotel Babylon, the new Jennifer Saunders comedy The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle, Doctor Who spinoff Torchwood, and new seasons of Hex, Life On Mars, and Doctor Who.
Tennant to help Learners
David Tennant is to star as a driving instructor in a new BBC One comedy drama.Learners will start filming in Hertfordshire this month, to be shown later this year.The film, about a group of learner-drivers, has been written by Jessica Hynes, nee Stevenson, who is to appear in the Paul Cornell two-parter Human Nature/Family of Blood later in the current series of Doctor Who.In Learners, Hynes will play downtrodden wife Bev, who has failed her test eight times and develops a crush on her new instructor Chris, played by Tennant. His character is a devout Christian secretly in love with the driving school owner.According to the BBC Press Office, Hynes based the film on her own experiences.She said: 'It took me 10 years to pass my test - this year I finally did it so I could do the film."I had a great instructor who taught me to take my time and relax. When I passed I cried with joy."Shaun Dingwall, who played Rose's father Pete, will also be appearing in it, as Bev's husband, Ian.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Obituary: Elaine Ives-Cameron
It is with deepest regret that we announce the passing of Elaine Ives-Cameron.
Elaine was best known to Doctor Who fans for his role as Martha in the 4th Doctor adventure; The Stones of Blood.
Elaine was best known to Doctor Who fans for his role as Martha in the 4th Doctor adventure; The Stones of Blood.
S3: 3.1 - Press Reviews
Monday's batch of Press Reviews are in from Saturday's airing of 3.1: Smith and Jones.
The Guardian
"Don't fear a bit of change, Doctor Who still rules."
Read the full review.
The Times
"Freema Agyeman hit the ground running."
Read the full review.
The Telegraph
"Russell T Davies isn’t running short of imagination yet."
Read the full review.
The Sun - website
Article on Doctor Who's ratings success, as well as a list of stars appearing in Serie Three.
Direct Link to the article.
The Guardian - website
Large article on the New Series of Doctor Who.
Direct Link to the article.
The Times - website
Large article on the New Series of Doctor Who.
Direct Link to the article.
The Telegraph - website
Large article on the New Series of Doctor Who.
Direct Link to the article.
The Metro - website
Article on Doctor Who's ratings success.
Direct Link to the article.
The Guardian
"Don't fear a bit of change, Doctor Who still rules."
Read the full review.
The Times
"Freema Agyeman hit the ground running."
Read the full review.
The Telegraph
"Russell T Davies isn’t running short of imagination yet."
Read the full review.
The Sun - website
Article on Doctor Who's ratings success, as well as a list of stars appearing in Serie Three.
Direct Link to the article.
The Guardian - website
Large article on the New Series of Doctor Who.
Direct Link to the article.
The Times - website
Large article on the New Series of Doctor Who.
Direct Link to the article.
The Telegraph - website
Large article on the New Series of Doctor Who.
Direct Link to the article.
The Metro - website
Article on Doctor Who's ratings success.
Direct Link to the article.
New Beginnings North America Boxed Set Details
New Beginnings Boxed Set (WHV #E4013)
Includes all three discs
The Keeper of Traken (WHV #E4010)
Audio Commentary: Audio Commentary by actors Anthony Ainley, Sarah Sutton and Matthew Waterhouse and writer Johnny Byrne
DVD ROM Features: 1982 Doctor Who Annual, Radio Times and BBC Enterprises literature PDFs
Documentary: Being Nice to Each Other: A new 30-minute "making of" documentary that includes contributions from Sarah Sutton, Sheila Ruskin, Geoffrey Beevers, John Black, Johnny Byrne, Christopher H. Bidmead
Interviews: Swap Shop: Noel Edmond interviews Sarah Sutton (11 mins)
Music Only Track
Other: The Return of the Master: Geoffrey Beevers, Christopher H. Bidmead and John Black talk about the return of the Doctor's arch-enemy (8 mins)
Trailers and Continuity Announcements (6 mins)
Photo gallery
Production Notes
Logopolis (WHV #E4011)
Audio Commentary: Audio Commentary by actors Tom Baker and Janet Fielding and writer Christopher H. Bidmead
DVD ROM Features: 1982 Doctor Who Annual, Radio Times and BBC Enterprises literature PDFs
Documentary: A New Body at Last: A new 50-minute documentary on the transition from Tom Baker to Peter Davison, featuring many of the actors and production team involved, plus exclusive behind the scenes footage of the regeneration
Interviews: Nationwide Interviews with Tom Baker and Peter Davison (8 mins)
Pebble Mill at One: Peter Davison interview (12 mins)
Music Only Track
Other: BBC News Reports on Tom Baker's wedding, the announcement of Tom Baker's departure and Peter Davison's arrival (1 min)
Photo gallery
Production Notes
TV Spot: Trailers and Continuity Announcements (2 mins)
Castrovalva (WHV #E4012)
Audio Commentary: Audio Commentary by actors Peter Davison and Janet Fielding, writer Christopher H. Bidmead and director Fiona Cumming
DVD ROM Features: 1982 Doctor Who Annual, Radio Times and BBC Enterprises literature PDFs
Deleted Scenes
Featurette: The Crowded TARDIS: 11-minute featurette with Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, John Black and Christopher H. Bidmead
Interviews: Being Doctor Who: Peter Davison discusses how he approached this iconic role (13 mins)
Directing Castrovalva: 11-minute interview with Fiona Cumming
Swap Shop, Blue Peter: Peter Davison interviews (29 mins)
Includes all three discs
The Keeper of Traken (WHV #E4010)
Audio Commentary: Audio Commentary by actors Anthony Ainley, Sarah Sutton and Matthew Waterhouse and writer Johnny Byrne
DVD ROM Features: 1982 Doctor Who Annual, Radio Times and BBC Enterprises literature PDFs
Documentary: Being Nice to Each Other: A new 30-minute "making of" documentary that includes contributions from Sarah Sutton, Sheila Ruskin, Geoffrey Beevers, John Black, Johnny Byrne, Christopher H. Bidmead
Interviews: Swap Shop: Noel Edmond interviews Sarah Sutton (11 mins)
Music Only Track
Other: The Return of the Master: Geoffrey Beevers, Christopher H. Bidmead and John Black talk about the return of the Doctor's arch-enemy (8 mins)
Trailers and Continuity Announcements (6 mins)
Photo gallery
Production Notes
Logopolis (WHV #E4011)
Audio Commentary: Audio Commentary by actors Tom Baker and Janet Fielding and writer Christopher H. Bidmead
DVD ROM Features: 1982 Doctor Who Annual, Radio Times and BBC Enterprises literature PDFs
Documentary: A New Body at Last: A new 50-minute documentary on the transition from Tom Baker to Peter Davison, featuring many of the actors and production team involved, plus exclusive behind the scenes footage of the regeneration
Interviews: Nationwide Interviews with Tom Baker and Peter Davison (8 mins)
Pebble Mill at One: Peter Davison interview (12 mins)
Music Only Track
Other: BBC News Reports on Tom Baker's wedding, the announcement of Tom Baker's departure and Peter Davison's arrival (1 min)
Photo gallery
Production Notes
TV Spot: Trailers and Continuity Announcements (2 mins)
Castrovalva (WHV #E4012)
Audio Commentary: Audio Commentary by actors Peter Davison and Janet Fielding, writer Christopher H. Bidmead and director Fiona Cumming
DVD ROM Features: 1982 Doctor Who Annual, Radio Times and BBC Enterprises literature PDFs
Deleted Scenes
Featurette: The Crowded TARDIS: 11-minute featurette with Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, John Black and Christopher H. Bidmead
Interviews: Being Doctor Who: Peter Davison discusses how he approached this iconic role (13 mins)
Directing Castrovalva: 11-minute interview with Fiona Cumming
Swap Shop, Blue Peter: Peter Davison interviews (29 mins)
Shopping with Captain Jack
By CAROLE E. BARROWMAN
Even on a good day in Tosa, grocery shopping is not something I enjoy. I'm the person you see staring aimlessly at the soup shelves while my cart blocks your passage. Three aisles down you spot me again huddling near the detergents hoping no one will notice I'm devouring my deli meat and my cart's still empty.
So when I recently found myself in a Tesco supermarket in Cardiff, Wales, as a personal shopper, you can appreciate the irony and my anguish.
Twenty years ago, my baby brother, John, walked into a theater in London's West End during an open audition for a revival of "Anything Goes," and left with one of the lead roles. Since then he has starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber's biggest musicals, sang Sondheim at The Kennedy Center, played Broadway with Carol Burnett and the West End with Rob Lowe, acted in a number of TV shows, released a variety of CDs, performed in "The Producers" and "De-Lovely," and, most recently, become a star in the British celebrity firmament.
After playing a popular recurring role in BBC television's recent reincarnation of "Dr. Who" (currently on the SciFi channel in the States), John was offered a spinoff focused on his "Dr. Who" character, Captain Jack. "Torchwood" finished its first season in December, breaking a number of ratings records, and making my little brother, according to Broadcast magazine, one of the UK's hottest television stars.
But famous people need to shop.
Along with their caviar and champagne, they also need toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, soap, and lots of salt and vinegar potato crisps. So late one night, John and I headed to his local Tesco. He hoped there'd be fewer people shopping at midnight and we'd get in and out more quickly.
On our way down the produce aisle, I spotted a couple of shoppers staring at us. As we ventured deeper into the vegetables, word spread that Captain Jack was in the store. The buzz about his presence started near the carrots and by the time the message reached dairy, there was a palpable current in the air and a crowd at the canned goods.
At first I walked as close to John as possible, basking in the glow of some of the attention, but then it became clear that if we were ever going to escape with our supplies we needed a strategy.
"Take this," John said, handing me the grocery list.
I stared at it as if it was written in my own blood. "You've got to be kidding. What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to wait near the cashiers. There's more space and I can sign autographs while you finish shopping."
"Why can't I wait in line and you shop?"
"Because," he said, without any hint of malice, "no one wants your picture on their cell phone."
Now that may indeed be true, but little brothers, famous or not, do not tell their big sisters what to do. But before I could continue the squabble, I noticed a flustered store manager and a security guard heading our way. Captain Jack and his sister were causing a bottleneck in aisle four.
Birth order is a funny thing. It defines our childhoods in small and big ways, but if we're lucky, we realize its patterns must, in fact, evolve if we are to have friendships with our siblings that sustain and enrich our adult lives.
I snatched the list from my brother's hand and stormed into the jams and jellies.
The next afternoon near Cardiff City Center, I came face to face with John's full "Torchwood" image on the back of a double-decker bus. After the initial shock, I announced to the elderly woman standing near me, "Hey, that's my little brother!"
She backed up a few steps, gripped her purse against her coat, smiled, and nodded.
I'm not sure what I wanted her to say in reply: "That's brilliant, luv" or "You must be proud," or "You must be the best big sister ever!"
Yeah, that's the one.
Even on a good day in Tosa, grocery shopping is not something I enjoy. I'm the person you see staring aimlessly at the soup shelves while my cart blocks your passage. Three aisles down you spot me again huddling near the detergents hoping no one will notice I'm devouring my deli meat and my cart's still empty.
So when I recently found myself in a Tesco supermarket in Cardiff, Wales, as a personal shopper, you can appreciate the irony and my anguish.
Twenty years ago, my baby brother, John, walked into a theater in London's West End during an open audition for a revival of "Anything Goes," and left with one of the lead roles. Since then he has starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber's biggest musicals, sang Sondheim at The Kennedy Center, played Broadway with Carol Burnett and the West End with Rob Lowe, acted in a number of TV shows, released a variety of CDs, performed in "The Producers" and "De-Lovely," and, most recently, become a star in the British celebrity firmament.
After playing a popular recurring role in BBC television's recent reincarnation of "Dr. Who" (currently on the SciFi channel in the States), John was offered a spinoff focused on his "Dr. Who" character, Captain Jack. "Torchwood" finished its first season in December, breaking a number of ratings records, and making my little brother, according to Broadcast magazine, one of the UK's hottest television stars.
But famous people need to shop.
Along with their caviar and champagne, they also need toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, soap, and lots of salt and vinegar potato crisps. So late one night, John and I headed to his local Tesco. He hoped there'd be fewer people shopping at midnight and we'd get in and out more quickly.
On our way down the produce aisle, I spotted a couple of shoppers staring at us. As we ventured deeper into the vegetables, word spread that Captain Jack was in the store. The buzz about his presence started near the carrots and by the time the message reached dairy, there was a palpable current in the air and a crowd at the canned goods.
At first I walked as close to John as possible, basking in the glow of some of the attention, but then it became clear that if we were ever going to escape with our supplies we needed a strategy.
"Take this," John said, handing me the grocery list.
I stared at it as if it was written in my own blood. "You've got to be kidding. What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to wait near the cashiers. There's more space and I can sign autographs while you finish shopping."
"Why can't I wait in line and you shop?"
"Because," he said, without any hint of malice, "no one wants your picture on their cell phone."
Now that may indeed be true, but little brothers, famous or not, do not tell their big sisters what to do. But before I could continue the squabble, I noticed a flustered store manager and a security guard heading our way. Captain Jack and his sister were causing a bottleneck in aisle four.
Birth order is a funny thing. It defines our childhoods in small and big ways, but if we're lucky, we realize its patterns must, in fact, evolve if we are to have friendships with our siblings that sustain and enrich our adult lives.
I snatched the list from my brother's hand and stormed into the jams and jellies.
The next afternoon near Cardiff City Center, I came face to face with John's full "Torchwood" image on the back of a double-decker bus. After the initial shock, I announced to the elderly woman standing near me, "Hey, that's my little brother!"
She backed up a few steps, gripped her purse against her coat, smiled, and nodded.
I'm not sure what I wanted her to say in reply: "That's brilliant, luv" or "You must be proud," or "You must be the best big sister ever!"
Yeah, that's the one.
Taming of the Who
COULD it be the Timelord was the inspiration behind Shakespeare’s Much A-Who About Nothing?
The Doctor gets to flex his sonnet screwdriver in Tudor England when he comes face to face with the bard as they foil a plot to destroy planet Earth.
London’s Globe Theatre in 1599 – where the Doctor is seen standing in the picture above – provides a backdrop for much of the action.
Making a change from filming on location in Cardiff, the Doctor Who special effects team has recreated the look and feel of London’s streets from 400 years ago for the second episode of the BBC Wales series, to be broadcast on BBC1 at 7pm on Saturday.
Alongside David Tennant is new assistant Martha Jones, played by Freema Agyeman, who replaces Billie Piper’s Rose character.
She said: "This is one of the scariest episodes of the whole series with lots of hiding-behind-the-sofa moments.
"It was great to film in the Globe, it really did feel as if we had travelled back in time."
Doctor Who writer and executive producer Russell T Davies, from Swansea, said: "The Shakespeare episode is, without doubt, one of our most ambitious projects to date. It’s incredible to have a working replica of London’s most famous theatre in which to film the new series. Viewers can look forward to Shakespeare giving the performance of his life in order to save the earth from destruction."
It’s a great follow-up to the opening episode of the third series screened last night. Doctor Who fans in Wales had the chance to see it hours before the rest of the UK at special morning screenings in Cardiff, Swansea, Aberystwyth, Wrexham and Pwllheli.
A fourth series is planned for 2008 but Tennant, who shared a kiss with his new co-star last night, has refused to answer speculation about when he will quit.
But he is full of praise for Wales.
"Cardiff is a great city and has been very good to us," he said."It’s lovely to film there because everyone is so enthusiastic.
"You try filming in London and everyone’s so mean about it and complains that there is a huge camera truck parking in their street. Everyone in Cardiff seems to welcome us with open arms."
The Doctor gets to flex his sonnet screwdriver in Tudor England when he comes face to face with the bard as they foil a plot to destroy planet Earth.
London’s Globe Theatre in 1599 – where the Doctor is seen standing in the picture above – provides a backdrop for much of the action.
Making a change from filming on location in Cardiff, the Doctor Who special effects team has recreated the look and feel of London’s streets from 400 years ago for the second episode of the BBC Wales series, to be broadcast on BBC1 at 7pm on Saturday.
Alongside David Tennant is new assistant Martha Jones, played by Freema Agyeman, who replaces Billie Piper’s Rose character.
She said: "This is one of the scariest episodes of the whole series with lots of hiding-behind-the-sofa moments.
"It was great to film in the Globe, it really did feel as if we had travelled back in time."
Doctor Who writer and executive producer Russell T Davies, from Swansea, said: "The Shakespeare episode is, without doubt, one of our most ambitious projects to date. It’s incredible to have a working replica of London’s most famous theatre in which to film the new series. Viewers can look forward to Shakespeare giving the performance of his life in order to save the earth from destruction."
It’s a great follow-up to the opening episode of the third series screened last night. Doctor Who fans in Wales had the chance to see it hours before the rest of the UK at special morning screenings in Cardiff, Swansea, Aberystwyth, Wrexham and Pwllheli.
A fourth series is planned for 2008 but Tennant, who shared a kiss with his new co-star last night, has refused to answer speculation about when he will quit.
But he is full of praise for Wales.
"Cardiff is a great city and has been very good to us," he said."It’s lovely to film there because everyone is so enthusiastic.
"You try filming in London and everyone’s so mean about it and complains that there is a huge camera truck parking in their street. Everyone in Cardiff seems to welcome us with open arms."
Helping to jazz up Doctor Who
ONCE a month television production sound mixer Jeff Matthews leaves behind the sci fi worlds of Dr Who and Torchwood and settles in to play bit of clarinet with a few musical mates in the Severn Sounds Jazzmen at the Monty Club at Newtown.
The band will be back there this Sunday lunchtime, April 1, for the latest of the New Orleans Jazz club dates on the first Sunday of each month.The audience has been growing each time and shows had to move to a larger room after the success of the first one in December.If they carry on increasing then Jeff says they should reach a stage when they can afford to pull in guest artists and even guest bands for special events.This Sunday there is even a chance that local MP Lembit Opik could show up."We have invited Lembit Opik to come and play harmonica with us at the next session. He has expressed interest as I understand there is quite an interest in jazz among a number of MPs in Westminster. He might also bring a 'friend'," adds Jeff cheekily.The regular band includes Len Davies from Llanidloes on drums, Chris Jones, a professional double bass player from Oswestry, Matt Sanders on guitar and banjo is from the Presteigne area, Dave Margaroney from Shrewsbury is the main trombone player, and Stan Williams on trumpet travels all the way from Holywell."It delights me that I am able to pull in such very good players who are happy to come here to play in Newtown."They are all of a standard that they can play wherever they want to but they come here and we play music that can be enjoyed by non-jazz lovers. "It's Dixieland of the sort made popular by the likes of Kenny Ball and Acker Bilk and Louis Armstrong," said Jeff.It's a
more relaxed world to the ones Jeff is usually involved in conjuring up for television viewers with his day job being involved in BBC's two most popular science fiction shows, both being produced in Cardiff.Jeff works as a production sound mixer for dialogue on location and says: "I did half the first series of Torchwood as well as some Dr Who including the "Love and Monsters" story with comedian Peter Kay as guest star and I have been asked to do more Torchwood which I think starts filming on April 30."It's eight weeks filming in Cardiff finishing late on Saturday nights so it will be a dash up to Newtown when there is a jazz afternoon.Jeff lives at Abermule and came to the area to set up a fine art business while also doing sound work which he resumed full time when the business closed."My mother's family was from this area but she didn't realise it until she moved here.
The band will be back there this Sunday lunchtime, April 1, for the latest of the New Orleans Jazz club dates on the first Sunday of each month.The audience has been growing each time and shows had to move to a larger room after the success of the first one in December.If they carry on increasing then Jeff says they should reach a stage when they can afford to pull in guest artists and even guest bands for special events.This Sunday there is even a chance that local MP Lembit Opik could show up."We have invited Lembit Opik to come and play harmonica with us at the next session. He has expressed interest as I understand there is quite an interest in jazz among a number of MPs in Westminster. He might also bring a 'friend'," adds Jeff cheekily.The regular band includes Len Davies from Llanidloes on drums, Chris Jones, a professional double bass player from Oswestry, Matt Sanders on guitar and banjo is from the Presteigne area, Dave Margaroney from Shrewsbury is the main trombone player, and Stan Williams on trumpet travels all the way from Holywell."It delights me that I am able to pull in such very good players who are happy to come here to play in Newtown."They are all of a standard that they can play wherever they want to but they come here and we play music that can be enjoyed by non-jazz lovers. "It's Dixieland of the sort made popular by the likes of Kenny Ball and Acker Bilk and Louis Armstrong," said Jeff.It's a
more relaxed world to the ones Jeff is usually involved in conjuring up for television viewers with his day job being involved in BBC's two most popular science fiction shows, both being produced in Cardiff.Jeff works as a production sound mixer for dialogue on location and says: "I did half the first series of Torchwood as well as some Dr Who including the "Love and Monsters" story with comedian Peter Kay as guest star and I have been asked to do more Torchwood which I think starts filming on April 30."It's eight weeks filming in Cardiff finishing late on Saturday nights so it will be a dash up to Newtown when there is a jazz afternoon.Jeff lives at Abermule and came to the area to set up a fine art business while also doing sound work which he resumed full time when the business closed."My mother's family was from this area but she didn't realise it until she moved here.
DOCTOR WHO BASED ON NAKED CHEF
British actor DAVID TENNANT begged producers to base sci-fi character DOCTOR WHO's look on that of British celebrity chef JAMIE OLIVER. Tennant, who stars in the BBC produced television series, was inspired by Oliver's look when he appeared on television alongside former Doctor Who actress BILLIE PIPER. He says, "I'd always wanted a long coat because you've kind of got to swish. "Then Billie was on Parky (British talk show PARKINSON) the same week as Jamie Oliver, who was looking rather cool in a funky suit with trainers. And I rang (show's creator) RUSSELL T. DAVIES and said, 'Are you watching this? Could we do this for the Doctor?' "They had wanted me to wear a stompy pair of posh boots, but the trainers were the one thing I did go to the wall on."
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Doctor Season 3 episode one review
ok this isn't quite a proper long drawn out review, and for that i apologize. I have just walked in from work and watched the episode and just jotted down what came to mind as i was watching the show. I worked last night and im about to pass out from lack o sleep so please forgive me this once. I promise a proper review of episode two.....well maybe lol
Any way here is what i thought bit by bit in order of me watching
Familar sound of the dr who theme coming up
martha seems intergal to her family and their well being
martha very likable if not pointedly intelligent and seemingly unaffected by the abnormal
people screaming yelling clawing at one another? why? something took you there it must be able to get you back, find it and use it dumbass
judoon pronounced jew dune
ok sucking your blood i can see but with a white striped plastic straw?? wtf? toooo campy please dont ever again, all the effects money went to judoon outfits and moon rocks i bet....
ok very obvious the judoon are looking for the old straw sucking bitty duhhh
someone really needs to let the doctor borrow a comb
The doctor says maybe there is a back up and then scans the monitor? ok do timelords not know what a hard drive is?
ahhhh obligatory RUN sequence, dammit why remind me of rose when i am trying hard to like martha???
hookey pokey and then a barefoot doctor hmmm
What is with the docs hair jesssssus
sonic screwdriver gone.....what? nooo not lil sonic!!!!!
hmmm plasmavore...interesting....ok not so much...
a kissss.... you cheeky man you
hmmm a hopped up MRI that fries brains and she is gonna be protected by a lil lead screen? yeaaaaaa ok
she was begging for the bite of a plasmavore, wait wait wait!!! what bite? you used a straw on everyone else?
ok martha is a doctor right? why is she doing cpr when the doctor has massive blood loss?
Mr saxon.......mentioned again
martha seems intergal to her family and their well being and seems bored with it all now
SONIC SCREWDRIVER RETUUUURNS!!!!!!
Telltale vote saxon poster behind martha i see
martha lies about liking just humans, i saw that look
credits......
hmmmm 3 out of 5 id say but with potential to get much much better
Any way here is what i thought bit by bit in order of me watching
Familar sound of the dr who theme coming up
martha seems intergal to her family and their well being
martha very likable if not pointedly intelligent and seemingly unaffected by the abnormal
people screaming yelling clawing at one another? why? something took you there it must be able to get you back, find it and use it dumbass
judoon pronounced jew dune
ok sucking your blood i can see but with a white striped plastic straw?? wtf? toooo campy please dont ever again, all the effects money went to judoon outfits and moon rocks i bet....
ok very obvious the judoon are looking for the old straw sucking bitty duhhh
someone really needs to let the doctor borrow a comb
The doctor says maybe there is a back up and then scans the monitor? ok do timelords not know what a hard drive is?
ahhhh obligatory RUN sequence, dammit why remind me of rose when i am trying hard to like martha???
hookey pokey and then a barefoot doctor hmmm
What is with the docs hair jesssssus
sonic screwdriver gone.....what? nooo not lil sonic!!!!!
hmmm plasmavore...interesting....ok not so much...
a kissss.... you cheeky man you
hmmm a hopped up MRI that fries brains and she is gonna be protected by a lil lead screen? yeaaaaaa ok
she was begging for the bite of a plasmavore, wait wait wait!!! what bite? you used a straw on everyone else?
ok martha is a doctor right? why is she doing cpr when the doctor has massive blood loss?
Mr saxon.......mentioned again
martha seems intergal to her family and their well being and seems bored with it all now
SONIC SCREWDRIVER RETUUUURNS!!!!!!
Telltale vote saxon poster behind martha i see
martha lies about liking just humans, i saw that look
credits......
hmmmm 3 out of 5 id say but with potential to get much much better
Icons bloooody Icons!!!!!!!
http://community.livejournal.com/lifeonmartha/73178.html
http://community.livejournal.com/new_who/600678.html?mode=reply
http://community.livejournal.com/tennant_love/1015413.html
http://cheesygirl.livejournal.com/966560.html
http://community.livejournal.com/dwicons/734912.html
Her Eyes
The Doctor was spiralling towards madness until a chance meeting with a shopgirl caused him to re-evaluate what he was - and through her innocent awe of him, what he could become.Music: In Her Eyes by Josh Groban.
Meet the Judges
ANY Dream Will Do kicks off tonight as the quest begins to find the perfect guy to star in the West End musical Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
The first two weeks will whittle down the contenders to a dozen candidates, from the thousands who auditioned.
And while Graham Norton will host the BBC1 show, who are the judges who will be making or breaking the dreams of the hopefuls?
Name: Denise Van Outen
Occupation: TV personality
Musical theatre experience: Extensive. Was a huge hit as Chicago’s Roxie Hart in both the West End and Broadway. Was also critically acclaimed in Lloyd-Weber’s one-woman show, Tell Me On A Sunday.
Likely role in the show: Bubbly and flirty, she’s sure to keep the lads’ spirits up when things get tough.
She says: "I'm a single lady now and I'm looking for a fit Joseph! Andrew keeps telling me off because I see a fit one and I'm like yes, yes, yes!"
Name: John Barrowman
Occupation: Actor, most famous for playing Captain Jack in Doctor Who and the subsequent spin-off series Torchwood.
Musical theatre experience: Got his big break when starring opposite Elaine Paige in Cole Porter’s Anything Goes. He has appeared in The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Chicago, Hair and more.
Likely role in the show: Will use his experience as a leading man to guide the hopefuls but will not be afraid to call it like he sees it.
He says: "I am going to be tough but generous."
Name: Zoe Tyler
Occupation: Voice coach and singer
Musical theatre experience: Has appeared in Les Miserables, Jesus Christ Superstar, Fame and others.
Likely role in the show: Will work closely with each and every hopeful to tune up their live performances.
She says: "I will be working week-by-week with the finalists to prepare them for their live performances. And I'll be acting as Andrew's right hand woman to advise who is making the grade and who should get chucked in the pit!"
Name: Bill Kenwright
Occupation: Theatre impresario and chairman of Everton FC.
Musical theatre experience: A giant of modern British theatre, Kenwright was responsible for the long-running hit Blood Brothers and the record breaking tour of . . . Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Should know what he is talking about, then!
Likely role in the show: He will offer guidance and advice with an eye to the commercial possibilities of the hopefuls.
He says: "Whenever I interview anybody to work for me I say, 'Listen, this isn't a job. This is your life'."
Name: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Occupation: Composer
Musical theatre experience: goes without saying! Lloyd Webber is the biggest figure in his field, having given the West End legendary shows including Phantom of the Opera, Starlight Express, Cats and, of course, Joseph.
Likely role in the show: the big cheese. He'll have the final say as to who will be propelled to stardom.
He says: "We need a Joseph with charisma. I'd like to see a Joseph who we can say 'we have found a real superstar who's gone on to do something completely different'."
The first two weeks will whittle down the contenders to a dozen candidates, from the thousands who auditioned.
And while Graham Norton will host the BBC1 show, who are the judges who will be making or breaking the dreams of the hopefuls?
Name: Denise Van Outen
Occupation: TV personality
Musical theatre experience: Extensive. Was a huge hit as Chicago’s Roxie Hart in both the West End and Broadway. Was also critically acclaimed in Lloyd-Weber’s one-woman show, Tell Me On A Sunday.
Likely role in the show: Bubbly and flirty, she’s sure to keep the lads’ spirits up when things get tough.
She says: "I'm a single lady now and I'm looking for a fit Joseph! Andrew keeps telling me off because I see a fit one and I'm like yes, yes, yes!"
Name: John Barrowman
Occupation: Actor, most famous for playing Captain Jack in Doctor Who and the subsequent spin-off series Torchwood.
Musical theatre experience: Got his big break when starring opposite Elaine Paige in Cole Porter’s Anything Goes. He has appeared in The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Chicago, Hair and more.
Likely role in the show: Will use his experience as a leading man to guide the hopefuls but will not be afraid to call it like he sees it.
He says: "I am going to be tough but generous."
Name: Zoe Tyler
Occupation: Voice coach and singer
Musical theatre experience: Has appeared in Les Miserables, Jesus Christ Superstar, Fame and others.
Likely role in the show: Will work closely with each and every hopeful to tune up their live performances.
She says: "I will be working week-by-week with the finalists to prepare them for their live performances. And I'll be acting as Andrew's right hand woman to advise who is making the grade and who should get chucked in the pit!"
Name: Bill Kenwright
Occupation: Theatre impresario and chairman of Everton FC.
Musical theatre experience: A giant of modern British theatre, Kenwright was responsible for the long-running hit Blood Brothers and the record breaking tour of . . . Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Should know what he is talking about, then!
Likely role in the show: He will offer guidance and advice with an eye to the commercial possibilities of the hopefuls.
He says: "Whenever I interview anybody to work for me I say, 'Listen, this isn't a job. This is your life'."
Name: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Occupation: Composer
Musical theatre experience: goes without saying! Lloyd Webber is the biggest figure in his field, having given the West End legendary shows including Phantom of the Opera, Starlight Express, Cats and, of course, Joseph.
Likely role in the show: the big cheese. He'll have the final say as to who will be propelled to stardom.
He says: "We need a Joseph with charisma. I'd like to see a Joseph who we can say 'we have found a real superstar who's gone on to do something completely different'."
Tennat to light up blackpool
MyVillage reports David Tennant is set to light up Blackpool this summer when he switches on the world-famous Blackpool Illuminations, CLICK HERE to read the article.
Victoria House
The Belfast Telegraph has an article on a party at the Victoria House in London, among the guests David Tennant, CLICK HERE to read it.
Time traveller to meet Shakespeare
Doctor Who and his new companion Martha Jones are set to drop in on Tudor England.
The doctor meets William Shakespeare as he foils a plot to destroy the Earth.Set in 1599 in London, the Globe Theatre provides a backdrop for much of the action.The Doctor Who special effects team has recreated the look and feel of London's streets from 400 years ago for the second episode of the series.Freema Agyeman, who plays the Doctor's assistant, said: "This is one of the scariest episodes of the whole series with lots of hiding behind the sofa moments."It was great to film in the Globe, it really did feel as if we had travelled back in time."Doctor Who writer and executive producer Russell T Davies said: "The Shakespeare episode is, without doubt, one of our most ambitious projects to date. "It's incredible to have a working replica of London's most famous theatre in which to film the new series."Viewers can look forward to Shakespeare giving the performance of his life in order to save the earth from destruction."Shameless star Dean Lennox Kelly guest stars as William Shakespeare.
The doctor meets William Shakespeare as he foils a plot to destroy the Earth.Set in 1599 in London, the Globe Theatre provides a backdrop for much of the action.The Doctor Who special effects team has recreated the look and feel of London's streets from 400 years ago for the second episode of the series.Freema Agyeman, who plays the Doctor's assistant, said: "This is one of the scariest episodes of the whole series with lots of hiding behind the sofa moments."It was great to film in the Globe, it really did feel as if we had travelled back in time."Doctor Who writer and executive producer Russell T Davies said: "The Shakespeare episode is, without doubt, one of our most ambitious projects to date. "It's incredible to have a working replica of London's most famous theatre in which to film the new series."Viewers can look forward to Shakespeare giving the performance of his life in order to save the earth from destruction."Shameless star Dean Lennox Kelly guest stars as William Shakespeare.
Tennant promises Freema is "brilliant"
David Tennant has revealed that he is confident about Freema Agyeman becoming a hit with Doctor Who fans.The actor promised that Freema is "brilliant" and added that her character Martha Jones's instant crush on the Doctor will spice up the show."Freema is absolutely brilliant. She's pretty much hit the ground running," Tennant told the Daily Star. "She has been so assured from day one that really there wasn't a second of worry. She's brilliant."I suppose you could say Martha's a bit more honest about what she is feeling than Rose ever was. But it's good because it's a format that's essentially static, so you've got to keep finding ways of looking at it from a different angle. I think the relationship between the Doctor and Martha is just different enough to move the story on."Doctor Who returns to BBC One tonight at 7pm.
Fifth Doctor meets Dracula
Big Finish Productions has released more information about their upcoming September release Son of the Dragon. James Purefoy, known to fans from his roles in Rome and Beau Brummell, will be guest starring as Dracula in this release which sees the legendary vampire take on the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison), Peri (Nicola Bryant), and Erimem ( Caroline Morris). Photos from the recording are currently available from the Big Finish Productions website.
Tennant set to meet Einstein
IGN.com has reported that David Tennant has signed on to play prominent astrophysicist Sir Arthur Eddington in Einstein and Eddington, a HBO Films/BBC co-production. The movie will focus on Einstein's creation of his theory of relativity. Tennant plays Sir Arthur Eddington, who ultimately introduced Einstein's theory to the English speaking world via an article he wrote in 1920. Playing opposite Tennant as Einstein is Andy Serkis, best known as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Episode 1 Official Site Updat
Following the UK transmission of the first episode of the new series, Smith and Jones, the official BBC Doctor Who website has been updated.There are links to a downloadable audio commentary on the episode with producer Phil Collinson and new companion Freema Agyeman, as well as several sounds from the new episode to download. The site also includes a video podcast and an updated gallery as well as photos from the filming; fans can even download Martha's ID badge! There are also new teasers and trailers for the remainder of series three.
Leicester Open Centre
To celebrate the return of Doctor Who to UK television screens, fans in Leicester are invited to meet a Cyberman and Dalek at the BBC's Open Centre.Enrty to the centre is free. As well as the Doctor Who monsters it has an underground vault with cameras and lights, which takes visitors back two thousand years to the city's Roman origins.The Doctor Who event runs from Monday 2nd April until Thursday 5th April 2007 and is open from 9.00am -5.00pm each day.
Press reviews
Press reviews have started to appear in the Sunday newspapers for last night's third series opener of Doctor Who. The Sunday People's critic Jon Wise expresses disappointment with "Smith and Jones", stating that "The BBC'S biggest, brightest, shiniest and most overly-hyped flagship show - Doctor Who Really Cares Any More? - is back... What was once new and exciting is now boring and repetitive. It feels a struggle to have to engage with a new sidekick for the Doctor... While it was still easily watchable sci-fi fun, after two series this is starting to feel lazy and lame." The Daily Mirror's verdict from Kevin O'Sullivan is mixed: O'Sullivan feels that Freema Agyeman "is set to be just as popular as her smash-hit predecessor Billie Piper," while adding "there's no denying that energetic David Tennant doesn't deliver the goods."The online version of The Stage entertainment industry newspaper carries a review by assistant editor Scott Matthewman, which also praises Agyeman. "Freema may have proved herself capable to be the new companion, but she has big shoes to fill. And it’s to the series’ credit that it openly acknowledges the Rose-shaped hole and makes it a virtue. By doing that, it helps set up what should be an interesting series. Bring it on!" However, Matthewman feels that the plot of the episode "doesn't stand up to close scrutiny. An MRI scanner, capable of being tweaked to kill everything within 250,000 miles? On an NHS budget? (Seriously though, it could kill everything on Earth — even from the moon — but Anne Reid plans to escape by hiding behind a screen?)".
Smith and Jones - Overnight Ratings
Unofficial overnight figures show that the first episode of the new series was watched by 8.2 million viewers, a 39.5% share of the audience.The programme was the most watched on Saturday, beating the second placed Any Dream Will Do by 1.5 million viewers.Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on ITV1 was watched by 4.7 million viewers.The programme also had the highest audience share of the day.The five minute breakdown shows the audience grew by over 2 million throughout the programme to peak at 9.1 million between 7.35 and 7.40.Doctor Who was also top of the Children's Top Ten with 1.6 million viewers between the ages of 4 and 16. This was more than double the number viewing the second placed Harry Potter which had 0.7 million children watching.On BBC3, Doctor Who Confidential was watched by 790,000 Viewers. It was the second most watched programme on multi channel TV, being beaten by Ford Football Special on Sky Sports 1.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
David Tennant 'enjoys steamy sex as Doctor Who'
'Doctor Who' star David Tennant has confessed that he dresses up as the Time Lord for steamy sex sessions with his girlfriend.The actor revealed that his actress lover Sophia Myles loves it when he puts on his Doctor costumes in the bedroom.David told BBC DJ Chris Moyles: "I don't want to give away all my bedtime secrets. All I'm saying is Sophia likes it when I'm dressed up as The Doctor!"David and pretty blonde Sophia, 27, met a year ago after filming an episode of the hit sci-fi series together.Since appearing in the iconic show, 35-year-old David has earned himself sex-symbol status and was voted the sexiest Doctor Who ever by readers of gay online newspaper The Pink Paper and has just been voted the coolest TV star by audiences.It was recently reported that the actor has agreed to continue in his 'Doctor Who' role for the entire fourth series.
The Weakest Link - the winner is...
The Doctor Who Weakest Link special aired last night on BBC One - but WHO won?
The contestants were:
David Tennant, John Barrowman, Noel Clarke, Camille Coduri, Claire Rushbrook, Nicholas Briggs, K9, Tracy-Ann Oberman and Andrew Hayden-Smith.
K9 was the first to be voted off, but who was the strongest link who walked away with £16,550 to g
The contestants were:
David Tennant, John Barrowman, Noel Clarke, Camille Coduri, Claire Rushbrook, Nicholas Briggs, K9, Tracy-Ann Oberman and Andrew Hayden-Smith.
K9 was the first to be voted off, but who was the strongest link who walked away with £16,550 to g
Camille Coduri
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