People have probably seen this video before, but of those who didn't. It's from Bill Bailey's TV show 'Is it Bill Bailey' which ran in 1998.
In which he looks at the magic of Doctor Who, Belgian jazz and French lyrics
C'est lui, dans la nuit- Docteur Qui
Il voyage dans le Tardis. Le boite de telephone. Fantastique d'espace!
L'interieur est beaucoup plus grand que l'exterieur
Et ca, c'est le mystere de Docteur Qui
L'enemie, il s'appele Davros, le capitain des Daleks
Il est demi-Dalek et demi-homme- incroyable!
Il veut controller le monde, toujours controller le monde
Il se leve le matin, il veut controller le monde!
Apres le petit-dejeuner, il veut controller le monde!
Mais ilne controllait le monde jamais! Ce n'est pas tres realistique
Avec les Daleks, le Docteur est superieur.
Exterminez-vous! Exterminez-vous encore! Ah, zutalors!
Le docteur gagne, il rit 'Ha, ha, ha- j'ai gagne parce que je suis Docteur Qui
(Translation: It's him, in the night- Doctor Who.
He travels in the Tardis, the telephone box. Fantastic space!
The interior is much larger than the exterior
And that is the mystery of Doctor Who
The enemy, he's called Davros, the captain of the Daleks.
He's half-Dalek, half-man- incredible!
He wants to control the world, always control the world
He wakes up in the morning, he wants to control the world
After breakfast, he wants to control the world!
But he will never control the world- it's not very realistic.
With Daleks, the Doctor a superior.
Exterminate! Exterminate again! Oh, no!
The doctor wins, he laughs 'Ha ha ha- I won because I am Doctor Who)
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
DAVID’S SET FOR BIG DOCTOR WHO EXIT
DAVID Tennant will bow out as the Doctor in explosive style.
Doctor Who fans will be treated to the most exciting finale the BBC1 show has ever seen as Tennant, 38, departs.
Even the inside of the Tardis gets blown to bits during the Christmas and New Year two-parter.
We have been leaked details about the plot and can reveal that Tennant’s Doctor will clash with old enemy The Master.
He also has to battle his fellow Time Lords after discovering they have turned evil.
We can also reveal the warning the Doctor received at the end of the Easter special that “He will knock four times” refers to The Master, played by John Simm, 38.
Companions Donna (Catherine Tate, 40), Martha (Freema Agyeman, 30), Captain Jack (John Barrowman, 41) and Sarah Jane (Lis Sladen, 61) also feature in the plot.
An insider said: “The producers are throwing everything they’ve got into Tennant’s finale. He will go out with a bang.”
Fans will see Tennant regenerate into the new Doctor Matt Smith at the end of the two-part festive special.
Smith, 26, will take on the lead role starting next spring.
Doctor Who fans will be treated to the most exciting finale the BBC1 show has ever seen as Tennant, 38, departs.
Even the inside of the Tardis gets blown to bits during the Christmas and New Year two-parter.
We have been leaked details about the plot and can reveal that Tennant’s Doctor will clash with old enemy The Master.
He also has to battle his fellow Time Lords after discovering they have turned evil.
We can also reveal the warning the Doctor received at the end of the Easter special that “He will knock four times” refers to The Master, played by John Simm, 38.
Companions Donna (Catherine Tate, 40), Martha (Freema Agyeman, 30), Captain Jack (John Barrowman, 41) and Sarah Jane (Lis Sladen, 61) also feature in the plot.
An insider said: “The producers are throwing everything they’ve got into Tennant’s finale. He will go out with a bang.”
Fans will see Tennant regenerate into the new Doctor Matt Smith at the end of the two-part festive special.
Smith, 26, will take on the lead role starting next spring.
Claire Bloom 'to star as mother of Doctor Who'
Bloom, who has starred with and romanced some of Hollywood's greatest actors in a 60-year career, will appear next year alongside David Tennant, in his final outing as the Doctor.
"It is happening. They are filming at the moment. I have been organising her schedule," her manager in America, Marion Rosenberg, is reported to have told the Daily Mail.
Bloom, 78, who lives alone in Fulham, north London, rose to prominence after being chosen by Charlie Chaplin to appear in his film Limelight in 1952. She is said to be excited by her new role.
A friend of the actress told the newspaper: "The script is a very closely guarded secret, as the producers are desperate for Claire's appearance to be a surprise."
Bloom is well known for playing Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire in both London and New York. She desribed the role as her favourite.
She had a relationship with Richard Burton after they appeared together in Hamlet, Look Back In Anger and in the film The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.
She was married three times, first to the actor Rod Steiger, next to the producer Hillard Elkins and finally to the novelist Philip Roth.
A BBC spokesman declined to comment.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Gillian Anderson is The Rani?
Den of geeks reporting this:
The biggest fangasm this side of the millennium is heard as Gillian Anderson is to join the cast of Doctor Who. But who is she playing...?
Sci-fi goddess Gillian Anderson is being lined up to star in the fifth series of the popular television show Doctor Who, according to the Daily Express.
The actress, best known for playing Dana Scully in The X-Files, is reportedly being lined up to star as The Rani in Matt Smith's first series as the Time Lord. The Rani is a renegade Time Lady who first appeared in Who during the Eighties' story Mark of the Rani and returned in Time and the Rani. She was originally played by Kate O' Mara.
An 'insider' told the paper, "The Rani would be a perfect role for her as the character used to be regarded as one of the Doctor’s most deadly opponents” whilst also, paradoxically, adding, "The team behind the show are keen for the next Doctor to have lots of new enemies."
Anderson, now living in the UK, has recently starred in The Last King of Scotland, How To Lose Friends & Alienate People and the BBC production of Bleak House. The forty-year old actress is about to star alongside Christopher Eccleston on stage in A Doll's House.
The biggest fangasm this side of the millennium is heard as Gillian Anderson is to join the cast of Doctor Who. But who is she playing...?
Sci-fi goddess Gillian Anderson is being lined up to star in the fifth series of the popular television show Doctor Who, according to the Daily Express.
The actress, best known for playing Dana Scully in The X-Files, is reportedly being lined up to star as The Rani in Matt Smith's first series as the Time Lord. The Rani is a renegade Time Lady who first appeared in Who during the Eighties' story Mark of the Rani and returned in Time and the Rani. She was originally played by Kate O' Mara.
An 'insider' told the paper, "The Rani would be a perfect role for her as the character used to be regarded as one of the Doctor’s most deadly opponents” whilst also, paradoxically, adding, "The team behind the show are keen for the next Doctor to have lots of new enemies."
Anderson, now living in the UK, has recently starred in The Last King of Scotland, How To Lose Friends & Alienate People and the BBC production of Bleak House. The forty-year old actress is about to star alongside Christopher Eccleston on stage in A Doll's House.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Matt Smith 'eager' to work with Barrowman
Matt Smith has revealed that he is keen to appear alongside John Barrowman on the next series of Doctor Who.
The show's new lead actor recently told Barrowman that he is a huge fan of his alter-ego Captain Jack, who has already teamed up with Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant's Doctors.
In an interview with Radio 2's Steve Wright In The Afternoon, Barrowman confirmed: "I like him. I was doing publicity at the BBC and he was also coming in to do stuff himself.
"We sat down and had a conversation, he seems like a really nice guy and he's really up for it. I think he'll do really, really well.
"He said: 'One thing John, I'd really love it if Captain Jack and my Doctor cross paths'. I said: 'Well, we have to leave that up to the writers'. Who knows?"
Smith will take over from Tennant in the fifth series of the BBC One sci-fi show, which airs in 2010.
The show's new lead actor recently told Barrowman that he is a huge fan of his alter-ego Captain Jack, who has already teamed up with Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant's Doctors.
In an interview with Radio 2's Steve Wright In The Afternoon, Barrowman confirmed: "I like him. I was doing publicity at the BBC and he was also coming in to do stuff himself.
"We sat down and had a conversation, he seems like a really nice guy and he's really up for it. I think he'll do really, really well.
"He said: 'One thing John, I'd really love it if Captain Jack and my Doctor cross paths'. I said: 'Well, we have to leave that up to the writers'. Who knows?"
Smith will take over from Tennant in the fifth series of the BBC One sci-fi show, which airs in 2010.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Big Finish discontinues Short trips
Big Finish regrets to announce that Short Trips, its collected works of Doctor Who short stories, is coming to an end this year, as its licence to publish the books sadly expires. The final release will be Re:Collections, a bumper edition containing the very best stories from the previous 28 publications, which will be out in May priced £19.99.
Big Finish first acquired the rights to Short Trips in 2002, and contributing writers over the last seven years have included Andrew Cartmel, Nicholas Briggs, Paul Cornell, Nev Fountain, Joseph Lidster, Paul Magrs, Jonathan Morris, Marc Platt, Justin Richards, Gareth Roberts, Eddie Robson Gary Russell, Eric Saward and Robert Shearman.
“The Short Trips range has been a popular and exciting way to publish new authors and give our readership the chance to enjoy some truly outstanding work by old favourites,” says Big Finish executive producer Jason Haigh-Ellery. “Big Finish will now be concentrating its efforts on audio productions of Doctor Who and a number of exciting new franchises.”
From May 1 2009 all previous Short Trips (with the exclusion of Re:Collections) will be on sale for the specially reduced price of £7.50 from bigfinish.com. Catch them while stocks last - we have very limited numbers of some titles!
Big Finish first acquired the rights to Short Trips in 2002, and contributing writers over the last seven years have included Andrew Cartmel, Nicholas Briggs, Paul Cornell, Nev Fountain, Joseph Lidster, Paul Magrs, Jonathan Morris, Marc Platt, Justin Richards, Gareth Roberts, Eddie Robson Gary Russell, Eric Saward and Robert Shearman.
“The Short Trips range has been a popular and exciting way to publish new authors and give our readership the chance to enjoy some truly outstanding work by old favourites,” says Big Finish executive producer Jason Haigh-Ellery. “Big Finish will now be concentrating its efforts on audio productions of Doctor Who and a number of exciting new franchises.”
From May 1 2009 all previous Short Trips (with the exclusion of Re:Collections) will be on sale for the specially reduced price of £7.50 from bigfinish.com. Catch them while stocks last - we have very limited numbers of some titles!
John Barrowman talks 'Torchwood', 'Who'
With Torchwood: Children Of Earth finally due to arrive on our screens in the not-too-distant future, the time was right for a catch-up with John Barrowman. So many questions: What can we expect from this new-format series three? Will there be a fourth series? And will he return to Doctor Who to wave off David Tennant? Struggling to contain our excitement and with our spoiler-scoops fully primed, we shared a pizza with the big man to find out more.
What can you tell us about the third series of Torchwood?
"I can tell you that Jack and the team find themselves in a completely different environment to what they're used to. Jack's past comes back to haunt him and the present team. It all sort of backfires on him and he has to clean up the mess that he and the government make."
Is it a literal mess? We've heard rumours of an explosion...
"It becomes a literal mess - that's all I'll say! If you've heard rumours of an explosion... well, it becomes a mess."
What do you make of the new format?
"It's a series of five episodes spread over a week. Personally, if it comes back for series four, I'd like to do more episodes. But we had to do something that created an impact when we moved to BBC One. It's like we're always under a test and I wish at some point they'd go 'you're fine! Stay where you are!' and that's what I'm looking forward to. But again, it depends on the audience."
How do you think fans will react?
"I think the audience will really like it. And if you've never seen Torchwood, now is the time to watch it. It's a one-off and you can just jump right in to it. It helps to know a bit of background, but you'll figure it out. Most people already know who Jack is, but for a non-Torchwood fan, you can definitely jump right in."
Is a fourth series something you'd be interested in?
"Absolutely!"
And has it been discussed?
"We've talked about the future, but we're concentrating on series three right now. We're yet to find out about [series four], but I'd love to."
Can we expect to see you back in Doctor Who to bid farewell to David Tennant?
"Jack will always return to the Tardis if the Doctor's in need – to help save the planet or conquer an alien race trying to invade. That's all I can say! You know how secretive we are about all of that. Personally, as John, I would love to go back. If I'm asked, I'll be there in a second."
Do you approve of Matt Smith?
"It doesn't matter if I approve! But the audience will like him, I'm sure. He's an interesting looking guy and from my point of view, he's handsome! I think he's going to bring his own flavour and his own verve to it."
Have you met him?
"I have - I was doing some radio publicity for the show and he was brought into the press office to meet everybody and he made a beeline for me. We talked a little bit and he's a nice guy - he's really excited about it. After he left, I felt like I'd cheated on David! But in the world of Who, we're used to the Doctor regenerating and that's what happens."
Torchwood: Children Of Earth airs on BBC One later this Spring. John's new entertainment series Tonight's The Night begins this Saturday on BBC One.
What can you tell us about the third series of Torchwood?
"I can tell you that Jack and the team find themselves in a completely different environment to what they're used to. Jack's past comes back to haunt him and the present team. It all sort of backfires on him and he has to clean up the mess that he and the government make."
Is it a literal mess? We've heard rumours of an explosion...
"It becomes a literal mess - that's all I'll say! If you've heard rumours of an explosion... well, it becomes a mess."
What do you make of the new format?
"It's a series of five episodes spread over a week. Personally, if it comes back for series four, I'd like to do more episodes. But we had to do something that created an impact when we moved to BBC One. It's like we're always under a test and I wish at some point they'd go 'you're fine! Stay where you are!' and that's what I'm looking forward to. But again, it depends on the audience."
How do you think fans will react?
"I think the audience will really like it. And if you've never seen Torchwood, now is the time to watch it. It's a one-off and you can just jump right in to it. It helps to know a bit of background, but you'll figure it out. Most people already know who Jack is, but for a non-Torchwood fan, you can definitely jump right in."
Is a fourth series something you'd be interested in?
"Absolutely!"
And has it been discussed?
"We've talked about the future, but we're concentrating on series three right now. We're yet to find out about [series four], but I'd love to."
Can we expect to see you back in Doctor Who to bid farewell to David Tennant?
"Jack will always return to the Tardis if the Doctor's in need – to help save the planet or conquer an alien race trying to invade. That's all I can say! You know how secretive we are about all of that. Personally, as John, I would love to go back. If I'm asked, I'll be there in a second."
Do you approve of Matt Smith?
"It doesn't matter if I approve! But the audience will like him, I'm sure. He's an interesting looking guy and from my point of view, he's handsome! I think he's going to bring his own flavour and his own verve to it."
Have you met him?
"I have - I was doing some radio publicity for the show and he was brought into the press office to meet everybody and he made a beeline for me. We talked a little bit and he's a nice guy - he's really excited about it. After he left, I felt like I'd cheated on David! But in the world of Who, we're used to the Doctor regenerating and that's what happens."
Torchwood: Children Of Earth airs on BBC One later this Spring. John's new entertainment series Tonight's The Night begins this Saturday on BBC One.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
New producers announced
The BBC Press Office has announced the successful applicants to succeed Phil Collinson as the producer of Doctor Who. Collinson left the series at the conclusion of the fourth production block, to take up a new post as Head of Drama for BBC Manchester.
Collinson is to be succeeded by two people: Tracie Simpson and Peter Bennett. Simpson was the producer of the Easter Special, Planet of the Dead, and was a production manager on the programme for several years. Bennett is the producer of the forthcoming five-part third series of the Torchwood spin-off, entitled "Children of Earth".
Also joining the production team as a third executive producer alongside Piers Wenger and Steven Moffat will be Beth Willis. Willis was formerly the producer of successful BBC One drama Ashes to Ashes, and will join the production team as part of a new remit to work alongside Wenger on a range of BBC Wales dramas.
Lead writer and executive producer Moffat is quoted as saying of the appointments:
"Beth and Tracie and Pete aren't the A Team, they're the people the A Team call. Tracie and Pete are the backstage stars of Doctor Who and having them on board as producers isn't just the best possible news for Matt Smith's first series, it's a massive relief. And Beth Willis, fresh from the brilliant Ashes To Ashes, is joining Piers and I as an executive so finally there'll be someone to wear the trousers."
Collinson is to be succeeded by two people: Tracie Simpson and Peter Bennett. Simpson was the producer of the Easter Special, Planet of the Dead, and was a production manager on the programme for several years. Bennett is the producer of the forthcoming five-part third series of the Torchwood spin-off, entitled "Children of Earth".
Also joining the production team as a third executive producer alongside Piers Wenger and Steven Moffat will be Beth Willis. Willis was formerly the producer of successful BBC One drama Ashes to Ashes, and will join the production team as part of a new remit to work alongside Wenger on a range of BBC Wales dramas.
Lead writer and executive producer Moffat is quoted as saying of the appointments:
"Beth and Tracie and Pete aren't the A Team, they're the people the A Team call. Tracie and Pete are the backstage stars of Doctor Who and having them on board as producers isn't just the best possible news for Matt Smith's first series, it's a massive relief. And Beth Willis, fresh from the brilliant Ashes To Ashes, is joining Piers and I as an executive so finally there'll be someone to wear the trousers."
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Lee Evans could land his own Doctor Who spin-off show
Nearly nine million tuned in to Saturday night’s episode Planet Of The Dead, where funnyman Lee, 45, played bespectacled boffin Malcolm Taylor.
His character worked for the alien-busting organisation UNIT — Unified Intelligence Taskforce — under Captain Magambo (Noma Dumezweni).
Show boss Russell T Davies said he was impressed with Lee’s performance and is considering creating a new spin-off around him.
He said: “Lee and Noma are a spin-off series waiting to happen. UNIT soldiers often work best as half of a double-act, so Magambo needed a foil, though we never dreamed we’d get to cast the part so well.” He added the spin-off could even make it to air late this year.
Russell, who quits the show after the next three specials, said: “The team is busy on more projects which might give an extra boost to Doctor Who fans in the autumn.
“It’s too early to reveal these plans.”
His character worked for the alien-busting organisation UNIT — Unified Intelligence Taskforce — under Captain Magambo (Noma Dumezweni).
Show boss Russell T Davies said he was impressed with Lee’s performance and is considering creating a new spin-off around him.
He said: “Lee and Noma are a spin-off series waiting to happen. UNIT soldiers often work best as half of a double-act, so Magambo needed a foil, though we never dreamed we’d get to cast the part so well.” He added the spin-off could even make it to air late this year.
Russell, who quits the show after the next three specials, said: “The team is busy on more projects which might give an extra boost to Doctor Who fans in the autumn.
“It’s too early to reveal these plans.”
Watch planet of the dead online
Many of the fans in the USA are missing out on the new specials. Many fans are kind enough to upload the specials where one outside the USA can view. Click the link below to watch and enjoy Planet of the dead. Dont forget to thank the uploaders at youtube for their efforts also
Watch Doctor Who Planet Of The Dead Here
Watch Doctor Who Planet Of The Dead Here
Monday, April 13, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Next up: The waters of mars
I09 seems to think that since "The Waters Of Mars" just happens to be an anagram of "War Of The Masters," that the Master must be involved somehow. I think they will save him for the finale personally.
Who is Donna marrying this time??????
Elisabeth Sladen and Tommy Knight recorded scenes yesterday for the forthcoming Christmas and New Year's Doctor Who specials - which conclude with the Tenth Doctor regenerating into Matt Smith's Eleventh. David Tennant was present, and had a brief scene with Knight (last time their characters interacted was via computer screen - the actors never met).
John Simm's Master was also thought to be present.
Master filming spy Scooty has a collection of images from filming.
Russell T Davies is interviewed in today's Telegraph, and states that "It's not quite as easy to guess what's happening as you think - there's nightmare sequences, and layers of fantasy, because the Doctor's coming to the end of his time. It's quite interesting to watch things being filmed, and think: 'Oh, I can see what that would look like...'" So, is this scene everything it first appears?
John Simm's Master was also thought to be present.
Master filming spy Scooty has a collection of images from filming.
Russell T Davies is interviewed in today's Telegraph, and states that "It's not quite as easy to guess what's happening as you think - there's nightmare sequences, and layers of fantasy, because the Doctor's coming to the end of his time. It's quite interesting to watch things being filmed, and think: 'Oh, I can see what that would look like...'" So, is this scene everything it first appears?
11th Apr 2009 Monster Metamorphosis
New Game Coming Soon!
Responding to a distress signal, the TARDIS lands in what appears to be a disused bio-data storage facility. However, the Doctor quickly realises that the signal was a trap - leaving him the one in distress! The Sontarans intend to punish him for crimes against their glorious Empire.
The Doctor formulates a plan and creates, via biochemical manipulation, a simple life form he calls 'Bob the Blob' which becomes his only chance of freedom.
Monster Metamorphosis is a new Doctor Who platform game which involves players working their way through several challenging levels and utilising the skills of the Slitheen, Cybermen, metallic Spiders and Ood in order to free the TARDIS and escape the Sontaran's prison.
It incorporates amazing 3D graphics with numerous challenging puzzles and obstacles which need to be overcome while also trying to avoid the Sontaran guards and their defence systems.
The Game will be launched on 21 Apr, 2009
Responding to a distress signal, the TARDIS lands in what appears to be a disused bio-data storage facility. However, the Doctor quickly realises that the signal was a trap - leaving him the one in distress! The Sontarans intend to punish him for crimes against their glorious Empire.
The Doctor formulates a plan and creates, via biochemical manipulation, a simple life form he calls 'Bob the Blob' which becomes his only chance of freedom.
Monster Metamorphosis is a new Doctor Who platform game which involves players working their way through several challenging levels and utilising the skills of the Slitheen, Cybermen, metallic Spiders and Ood in order to free the TARDIS and escape the Sontaran's prison.
It incorporates amazing 3D graphics with numerous challenging puzzles and obstacles which need to be overcome while also trying to avoid the Sontaran guards and their defence systems.
The Game will be launched on 21 Apr, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
June Whitfield to appear in final Tennant episode
CARRY On legend June Whitfield will appear in David Tennant’s last Doctor Who episode.
The Ab Fab mum, 83, is filming in Cardiff as Henrietta Goodheart for the episode Beautiful Chaos.
She was with her long-term pal Bernard Cribbins, who plays the grandad of Donna Noble (Catherine Tate).
Tennant admitted he wept as he read the last script, which reveals how the Time Lord is killed off.
He regenerates in the form of new Doctor Matt Smith.
Michelle Ryan talks timelords
Michelle Ryan was, at least for a moment, womankind's answer to Jason Bourne. She had a fearsome gym-honed body, bafflingly fast hands and feet, a satisfyingly glum backstory and admiring fans in the key US 18-35 demographic. Men wanted her, women wanted to be her. And, no doubt, vice versa - even if she was, technically speaking, part cyborg.
But Ryan was better than Bourne. Her face was chiselled rather than rubbery. Plus she had bionic vision, could leap tall buildings in a single bound, and when she kicked the bad guys in the crown jewels, they didn't reply: "That all you got?" They didn't, in general, reply at all.
Ryan was, until those damned writers went on strike in Hollywood last year and thereby nixed the 24-year-old's manifest destiny, the Bionic Woman. Even though she comes from Enfield and even though she spent five years on EastEnders as Zoe Slater, first as Cat Slater's sister and then - such is the way of things in soap reality - her daughter. She mutated from East End darling into stateside icon, becoming Jaime Sommers, a woman who made Buffy look like a wimp and Dana Scully seem a bit thick.
We're sitting over drinks in a members' club upstairs from the Ivy in London. A surprisingly tanned and slender Stephen Fry is a few tables away. As an interviewee, Ryan is as cheerful and sunny as can be. But she wasn't always like that. Is it true, I ask her, that in 2002 she was found on north London's so-called suicide bridge after a nervous breakdown?
"That story has been blown way out of proportion," Ryan says. "Pretty much all the stories are when it comes to EastEnders actors. I was 18 and, like anybody who's 18, I was going through one of those phases. I was part of huge overwhelming storylines [not only did her character's sister turn out to be her mother, she was also embroiled in a rape/abortion/murder love triangle with her boyfriend Dennis Watts and his dad, "Dirty" Den Watts]. "I was a young woman, barely that. I didn't know who I was or where I was going. Now I do. I've got a strong circle of girlfriends and a lot more life experience."
Ryan, if not a bionic woman, has rebuilt herself. Her latest assignment is a guest appearance this weekend in the Doctor Who Easter special. Its writer, Russell T Davies, hailed her for playing what the press people called "a mysterious jewel thief" called Lady Christina de Souza, who, after a heist, hooks up with the Time Lord on a double-decker bus in the desert where they must battle aliens. Like you do.
She is in awe of David Tennant, as was the last Doctor Who actor I interviewed, Dervla Kirwan (who did the Christmas special turn as a Victorian baddie). But didn't Ryan once audition to replace Billie Piper as the doctor's assistant (a role that went to Freema Agyeman)? "Not true," she says. "There are so many stories about me that aren't true."
The viewing figures, however, do not lie: Ryan had 14 million stateside viewers for the remake of Bionic Woman - the highest for an NBC TV series since the launch of The West Wing. "We really established a fan base and I did think she could be a female Bourne. I love those films and that's the kind of dark, fast, stylish mood we were going for."
When the show premiered, critics drooled. One male reviewer wrote: "Unlike Lindsay Wagner [the 70s original], who had the build and tensility of a matchstick, Ryan has shoulders broad enough to choke a crocodile." You can almost sense the critic yearning to be that crocodile.
Ryan remembers her bionic era fondly. "I have very strong legs from dancing," she explains [she was a professional dancer before EastEnders]. "One day I was on set and I had to kick this stunt guy. I warned everybody that if I kicked him, I would probably put him through the set wall - but the stunt guy was like, 'Yeah, whatever.' So I kicked him and he went through the wall. I loved it!"
She also loved training in Krav Maga, which, as the ex-Mossad agents among you will recall, is the Israeli secret service art of self-defence. "I would have to stand in a darkened room with my arms folded across my shoulders, and a man would come at me with a gun. And then I would disarm him. Then he would come at me with a knife. And I would disarm him. The idea was that these moves would become routine when we started filming. I used to walk around Vancouver [where the series was filmed] late at night thinking I could take on anyone - which, thinking back, probably wasn't that sensible."
With all due respect, why would a relative nobody from this rain-soaked dime of a country get a look-in at such an iconic American role? "I think it's because I have a very American body and looks," Ryan says. "They wanted the girl next door, but a girl next door who looked as though she might be able to look after herself. I'm big-boned and healthy-looking, you see."
There is something in this. Even on EastEnders, in which she starred for five years until 2005, she was an anomaly among the Hogarthian array of other actors on the soap. "Over there they think EastEnders is this great big deal," she laughs, and then corrects herself. "Which of course it is." Ryan was voted, the cuttings tell me, number 70 in FHM Magazine's 100 sexiest women in 2002, and number four in 2005. Even so, surely it can't be true that she beat Jennifer Aniston to her bionic role?
"Well, we certainly never met. I'd been doing a low-budget horror movie in Wales with Faye Dunaway. I did a tape in Cardiff, sent it off, and the next thing I know I'm out there meeting all these execs from NBC - people like David Icke - and they all want me to be Barnet Woman."
Hold on. Eccentric lizard idoliser David Icke, the man who believes that earth is ruled, for the most part, by beings from the fourth dimension, is an NBC exec? It turns out my ears need bionic implants. Ryan means David Eick, the producer responsible for successfully retooling another 70s series, Battlestar Galactica, for a new audience. And only after the interview do I realise that she means Bionic Woman. Barnet Woman would have been a rubbish sci-fi TV series.
Nothing, Ryan admits, in all her years on Albert Square prepared her for the thesp singledom glamour of working across the Atlantic. I ask her if, as was reported, she actually went out with Owen Wilson. "It never happened. There's this thing out there where your people call their people to see if they'd like to go out on a date. That happened a lot." Can't you just call them yourself? "That's not how it's done."
And then, one series in, Ryan's bionic dream crashed and burned. Reports suggested the producers thought the show too expensive for the ratings it was generating to warrant a second series. "It was really upsetting because we had been making a great, popular show. I thought there would be a new series after the writers' strike ended - but NBC thought the momentum we had built up had gone. So they cancelled it."
Worse still, on her return home, the welcoming committee of the British press wrote her up as yet another of those EastEnder try-hards (Martine McCutcheon, Jack Ryder, Tamzin Outhwaite) who tried to break America but got broken by it. What could Ryan do next? Would she swallow her pride and go back to EastEnders, as others have done after their career options dwindled? "There's just no way I would allow that to happen." Instead, she decided, it was time to stop buffing her body and hone her comedy skills instead.
"You know," she says, lowering her voice confidentially, "I once played a Guardian journalist. It was on stage. And I managed to get the story without having to sleep with Rod Liddle [the Sunday Times columnist]. I played an undercover reporter masquerading as an Essex girl at a Spectator party who gets really drunk." None of this is in my journalistic repertoire.
Ryan is talking about her role in Who's the Daddy?, the play based on the David Blunkett paternity case in which she appeared in 2005. "That was a comedy, so I thought I could do more along those lines."
She quickly had the opportunity, starring in Mr Eleven, an ITV comedy drama based on a newspaper story which said that, statistically, women marry their 11th sexual partner. "My character's this ditzy Bridget Jones-like mathematician who's getting married to her 11th partner and then finds out he's not her 11th at all, so the bottom falls out of her world." Is her love life like that? "I've had one serious relationship and now I'm just dating, having fun. So no."
The interview is over - she's late for couch time with Paul O'Grady. Ryan disports herself poutingly for the photographer in her Alexander McQueen shirt, then fields one last question. Would she kick me through a wall like she was bionic? Ryan charmingly rejects the suggestion, and we go our different ways - she to entrance a TV audience and pursue a glittering career, me to get bionic implants for my ears.
• Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead is on BBC1 tomorrow at 6.45pm.
But Ryan was better than Bourne. Her face was chiselled rather than rubbery. Plus she had bionic vision, could leap tall buildings in a single bound, and when she kicked the bad guys in the crown jewels, they didn't reply: "That all you got?" They didn't, in general, reply at all.
Ryan was, until those damned writers went on strike in Hollywood last year and thereby nixed the 24-year-old's manifest destiny, the Bionic Woman. Even though she comes from Enfield and even though she spent five years on EastEnders as Zoe Slater, first as Cat Slater's sister and then - such is the way of things in soap reality - her daughter. She mutated from East End darling into stateside icon, becoming Jaime Sommers, a woman who made Buffy look like a wimp and Dana Scully seem a bit thick.
We're sitting over drinks in a members' club upstairs from the Ivy in London. A surprisingly tanned and slender Stephen Fry is a few tables away. As an interviewee, Ryan is as cheerful and sunny as can be. But she wasn't always like that. Is it true, I ask her, that in 2002 she was found on north London's so-called suicide bridge after a nervous breakdown?
"That story has been blown way out of proportion," Ryan says. "Pretty much all the stories are when it comes to EastEnders actors. I was 18 and, like anybody who's 18, I was going through one of those phases. I was part of huge overwhelming storylines [not only did her character's sister turn out to be her mother, she was also embroiled in a rape/abortion/murder love triangle with her boyfriend Dennis Watts and his dad, "Dirty" Den Watts]. "I was a young woman, barely that. I didn't know who I was or where I was going. Now I do. I've got a strong circle of girlfriends and a lot more life experience."
Ryan, if not a bionic woman, has rebuilt herself. Her latest assignment is a guest appearance this weekend in the Doctor Who Easter special. Its writer, Russell T Davies, hailed her for playing what the press people called "a mysterious jewel thief" called Lady Christina de Souza, who, after a heist, hooks up with the Time Lord on a double-decker bus in the desert where they must battle aliens. Like you do.
She is in awe of David Tennant, as was the last Doctor Who actor I interviewed, Dervla Kirwan (who did the Christmas special turn as a Victorian baddie). But didn't Ryan once audition to replace Billie Piper as the doctor's assistant (a role that went to Freema Agyeman)? "Not true," she says. "There are so many stories about me that aren't true."
The viewing figures, however, do not lie: Ryan had 14 million stateside viewers for the remake of Bionic Woman - the highest for an NBC TV series since the launch of The West Wing. "We really established a fan base and I did think she could be a female Bourne. I love those films and that's the kind of dark, fast, stylish mood we were going for."
When the show premiered, critics drooled. One male reviewer wrote: "Unlike Lindsay Wagner [the 70s original], who had the build and tensility of a matchstick, Ryan has shoulders broad enough to choke a crocodile." You can almost sense the critic yearning to be that crocodile.
Ryan remembers her bionic era fondly. "I have very strong legs from dancing," she explains [she was a professional dancer before EastEnders]. "One day I was on set and I had to kick this stunt guy. I warned everybody that if I kicked him, I would probably put him through the set wall - but the stunt guy was like, 'Yeah, whatever.' So I kicked him and he went through the wall. I loved it!"
She also loved training in Krav Maga, which, as the ex-Mossad agents among you will recall, is the Israeli secret service art of self-defence. "I would have to stand in a darkened room with my arms folded across my shoulders, and a man would come at me with a gun. And then I would disarm him. Then he would come at me with a knife. And I would disarm him. The idea was that these moves would become routine when we started filming. I used to walk around Vancouver [where the series was filmed] late at night thinking I could take on anyone - which, thinking back, probably wasn't that sensible."
With all due respect, why would a relative nobody from this rain-soaked dime of a country get a look-in at such an iconic American role? "I think it's because I have a very American body and looks," Ryan says. "They wanted the girl next door, but a girl next door who looked as though she might be able to look after herself. I'm big-boned and healthy-looking, you see."
There is something in this. Even on EastEnders, in which she starred for five years until 2005, she was an anomaly among the Hogarthian array of other actors on the soap. "Over there they think EastEnders is this great big deal," she laughs, and then corrects herself. "Which of course it is." Ryan was voted, the cuttings tell me, number 70 in FHM Magazine's 100 sexiest women in 2002, and number four in 2005. Even so, surely it can't be true that she beat Jennifer Aniston to her bionic role?
"Well, we certainly never met. I'd been doing a low-budget horror movie in Wales with Faye Dunaway. I did a tape in Cardiff, sent it off, and the next thing I know I'm out there meeting all these execs from NBC - people like David Icke - and they all want me to be Barnet Woman."
Hold on. Eccentric lizard idoliser David Icke, the man who believes that earth is ruled, for the most part, by beings from the fourth dimension, is an NBC exec? It turns out my ears need bionic implants. Ryan means David Eick, the producer responsible for successfully retooling another 70s series, Battlestar Galactica, for a new audience. And only after the interview do I realise that she means Bionic Woman. Barnet Woman would have been a rubbish sci-fi TV series.
Nothing, Ryan admits, in all her years on Albert Square prepared her for the thesp singledom glamour of working across the Atlantic. I ask her if, as was reported, she actually went out with Owen Wilson. "It never happened. There's this thing out there where your people call their people to see if they'd like to go out on a date. That happened a lot." Can't you just call them yourself? "That's not how it's done."
And then, one series in, Ryan's bionic dream crashed and burned. Reports suggested the producers thought the show too expensive for the ratings it was generating to warrant a second series. "It was really upsetting because we had been making a great, popular show. I thought there would be a new series after the writers' strike ended - but NBC thought the momentum we had built up had gone. So they cancelled it."
Worse still, on her return home, the welcoming committee of the British press wrote her up as yet another of those EastEnder try-hards (Martine McCutcheon, Jack Ryder, Tamzin Outhwaite) who tried to break America but got broken by it. What could Ryan do next? Would she swallow her pride and go back to EastEnders, as others have done after their career options dwindled? "There's just no way I would allow that to happen." Instead, she decided, it was time to stop buffing her body and hone her comedy skills instead.
"You know," she says, lowering her voice confidentially, "I once played a Guardian journalist. It was on stage. And I managed to get the story without having to sleep with Rod Liddle [the Sunday Times columnist]. I played an undercover reporter masquerading as an Essex girl at a Spectator party who gets really drunk." None of this is in my journalistic repertoire.
Ryan is talking about her role in Who's the Daddy?, the play based on the David Blunkett paternity case in which she appeared in 2005. "That was a comedy, so I thought I could do more along those lines."
She quickly had the opportunity, starring in Mr Eleven, an ITV comedy drama based on a newspaper story which said that, statistically, women marry their 11th sexual partner. "My character's this ditzy Bridget Jones-like mathematician who's getting married to her 11th partner and then finds out he's not her 11th at all, so the bottom falls out of her world." Is her love life like that? "I've had one serious relationship and now I'm just dating, having fun. So no."
The interview is over - she's late for couch time with Paul O'Grady. Ryan disports herself poutingly for the photographer in her Alexander McQueen shirt, then fields one last question. Would she kick me through a wall like she was bionic? Ryan charmingly rejects the suggestion, and we go our different ways - she to entrance a TV audience and pursue a glittering career, me to get bionic implants for my ears.
• Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead is on BBC1 tomorrow at 6.45pm.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Doctor Who is back in town
THERE was a familiar if unexpected face among the cast and crew filming a new Doctor Who episode in Cardiff yesterday.
Catherine Tate – whose character Donna Noble was written out of the last series – was with David Tennant and Bernard Cribbins in a quiet cul-de-sac in Cyncoed filming what is believed to be the Christmas special.
Tennant, 37, will face a do-or-die drama during the seasonal special and go through the process of regeneration – a change in physical form that sees the Doctor transform into his next incarnation, who will be played by 11th Doctor Matt Smith.
Yesterday’s drizzle failed to dampen the stars’ spirits, with 80-year-old Cribbins, who plays Donna’s grandad, seen sporting a pair of festive antlers after cameras started to roll.
An onlooker told the Echo: “I saw them filming inside a house when it was raining then outside again when it wasn’t. David, Bernard and Catherine were all there and seemed to be in good spirits.
“I caught a glimpse of David and Bernard having a cup of tea and a laugh together as they filmed what looked like the Christmas special. The other day, David went out during the rain to sign autographs and pose for pictures with fans.”
Around a dozen fans gathered in Cyncoed to catch a glimpse of Tennant acting out his final scenes in the show. Half a dozen on-set security guards and police officers lined the road, and series fanatics said they could see the Tardis – the Time Lord’s famous time-travel machine – on standby at the set.
The Christmas episode is the one that fans have been anticipating most as the culmination of a series of four seasonal specials, the first of which will be screened on Saturday.
The Easter Special, Planet of the Dead, was filmed deep in a Dubai desert and fans will be able to see the episode on BBC One at 6.45pm.
Caleb Woodbridge, long-standing Doctor Who fan and author of series blog, A Journal of Impossible Things, said that even though the Christmas episode is more than eight months away, fans are already speculating about its plot.
“It’s a matter of great speculation and excitement. We know that David will be regenerated, but also that the show’s writer, Russell T Davies, likes his grand finales, so we expect it to be a very special episode,” the 23-year-old, of Roath, Cardiff, said.
“There are a lot of rumours floating around and fans think renegade Time Lord the Master could come back.”
It is still unclear how Davies will bid farewell to such a popular member of his cast, though he has promised the specials will involve CGI monsters, prosthetic monsters, army, police and an alien planet.
“It’s our last chance to have a bit of a laugh. Now the Doctor’s facing the end of his life, it’s going to get dark,” he said this week.
An estimated nine million viewers tuned in to watch the 2008 Easter instalment of the series.
Catherine Tate – whose character Donna Noble was written out of the last series – was with David Tennant and Bernard Cribbins in a quiet cul-de-sac in Cyncoed filming what is believed to be the Christmas special.
Tennant, 37, will face a do-or-die drama during the seasonal special and go through the process of regeneration – a change in physical form that sees the Doctor transform into his next incarnation, who will be played by 11th Doctor Matt Smith.
Yesterday’s drizzle failed to dampen the stars’ spirits, with 80-year-old Cribbins, who plays Donna’s grandad, seen sporting a pair of festive antlers after cameras started to roll.
An onlooker told the Echo: “I saw them filming inside a house when it was raining then outside again when it wasn’t. David, Bernard and Catherine were all there and seemed to be in good spirits.
“I caught a glimpse of David and Bernard having a cup of tea and a laugh together as they filmed what looked like the Christmas special. The other day, David went out during the rain to sign autographs and pose for pictures with fans.”
Around a dozen fans gathered in Cyncoed to catch a glimpse of Tennant acting out his final scenes in the show. Half a dozen on-set security guards and police officers lined the road, and series fanatics said they could see the Tardis – the Time Lord’s famous time-travel machine – on standby at the set.
The Christmas episode is the one that fans have been anticipating most as the culmination of a series of four seasonal specials, the first of which will be screened on Saturday.
The Easter Special, Planet of the Dead, was filmed deep in a Dubai desert and fans will be able to see the episode on BBC One at 6.45pm.
Caleb Woodbridge, long-standing Doctor Who fan and author of series blog, A Journal of Impossible Things, said that even though the Christmas episode is more than eight months away, fans are already speculating about its plot.
“It’s a matter of great speculation and excitement. We know that David will be regenerated, but also that the show’s writer, Russell T Davies, likes his grand finales, so we expect it to be a very special episode,” the 23-year-old, of Roath, Cardiff, said.
“There are a lot of rumours floating around and fans think renegade Time Lord the Master could come back.”
It is still unclear how Davies will bid farewell to such a popular member of his cast, though he has promised the specials will involve CGI monsters, prosthetic monsters, army, police and an alien planet.
“It’s our last chance to have a bit of a laugh. Now the Doctor’s facing the end of his life, it’s going to get dark,” he said this week.
An estimated nine million viewers tuned in to watch the 2008 Easter instalment of the series.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Tennant 'never wavered from Who path'
David Tennant has said that he "never once wavered" from the path to playing a Time Lord in Doctor Who.
The actor also told The Times that he understood the distinction between fiction and reality when he first watched the programme.
Tennant said: "I remember, after seeing Jon Pertwee turn into Tom Baker in Doctor Who, having a conversation with my parents at a very young age about actors and what they did.
"I remember getting the distinction between a character and an actor, as they explained it. I understood what fiction was very clearly."
He added: "I always feel uneasy when people talk about children not understanding the difference between fantasy and reality.
"I can only have been three, and was just enthralled. But I was quite clear that I didn't want to be a Time Lord - I wanted to be the person who played a Time Lord."
David Tennant will leave Doctor Who after this year's specials and be replaced by Matt Smith for the fifth series of the show.
The actor also told The Times that he understood the distinction between fiction and reality when he first watched the programme.
Tennant said: "I remember, after seeing Jon Pertwee turn into Tom Baker in Doctor Who, having a conversation with my parents at a very young age about actors and what they did.
"I remember getting the distinction between a character and an actor, as they explained it. I understood what fiction was very clearly."
He added: "I always feel uneasy when people talk about children not understanding the difference between fantasy and reality.
"I can only have been three, and was just enthralled. But I was quite clear that I didn't want to be a Time Lord - I wanted to be the person who played a Time Lord."
David Tennant will leave Doctor Who after this year's specials and be replaced by Matt Smith for the fifth series of the show.
Grandad will be a companion
David Tennant's final Doctor Who companion has been revealed, and it's a familiar face to fans of the Time Lord.
Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies has said that Bernard Cribbins - who played Donna Noble's grandad - will be back at Christmas as a companion.
Davies added that it will be a packed end to the year, with a special in November and a two-parter at Christmas.
So does that mean Donna will be back too? And if so will she still be unable to remember her adventures?
See pics of the Doctor Who Easter Special
And internet rumours suggest other characters could be back too for Christmas, as the actors who play them have been spotted on the film set.
We don't want to give anything away, but it seems like the Tardis could be packed tightly before Tennant hands over the keys to a new actor.
But while those episodes are a long way off yet, there is a brand new one being shown on Saturday.
It's called Planet of the Dead, and stars former EastEnder Michelle Ryan as a jewel thief who bumps into the Doctor and ends up travelling with him.
The Christmas specials are the last of four special episodes that will see Tennant give up the role as the Doctor.
Taking his place in the Tardis will be Matt Smith, who will become the 11th Doctor and star in his own series in 2010.
Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies has said that Bernard Cribbins - who played Donna Noble's grandad - will be back at Christmas as a companion.
Davies added that it will be a packed end to the year, with a special in November and a two-parter at Christmas.
So does that mean Donna will be back too? And if so will she still be unable to remember her adventures?
See pics of the Doctor Who Easter Special
And internet rumours suggest other characters could be back too for Christmas, as the actors who play them have been spotted on the film set.
We don't want to give anything away, but it seems like the Tardis could be packed tightly before Tennant hands over the keys to a new actor.
But while those episodes are a long way off yet, there is a brand new one being shown on Saturday.
It's called Planet of the Dead, and stars former EastEnder Michelle Ryan as a jewel thief who bumps into the Doctor and ends up travelling with him.
The Christmas specials are the last of four special episodes that will see Tennant give up the role as the Doctor.
Taking his place in the Tardis will be Matt Smith, who will become the 11th Doctor and star in his own series in 2010.
James Strong Interview at digital spy
James Strong reveals a little in this interview but not much we didn't already know.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies reveals talk of Star Trek crossover
RUSSELL T DAVIES has revealed that he had planned a crossover between the Doctor Who and Star Trek TV series.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, the Doctor Who showrunner said: "I would have loved to have done a Star Trek crossover. The very first year, we talked about it. Then Star Trek finally went off air.
"Landing the Tardis on board the Enterprise would have been magnificent. Can you imagine what their script department would have wanted, and what I would have wanted? It would have been the biggest battle."
Davies quits the hit show after this year's four specials, the first of which airs at Easter, and will be replaced by Steven Moffat. Star Trek makes a return to the big screen in May.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, the Doctor Who showrunner said: "I would have loved to have done a Star Trek crossover. The very first year, we talked about it. Then Star Trek finally went off air.
"Landing the Tardis on board the Enterprise would have been magnificent. Can you imagine what their script department would have wanted, and what I would have wanted? It would have been the biggest battle."
Davies quits the hit show after this year's four specials, the first of which airs at Easter, and will be replaced by Steven Moffat. Star Trek makes a return to the big screen in May.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Will "Planet of the Dead" Be Finished In Time?
The first of this year's Doctor Who specials faces an adventure worthy of the Time Lord himself...
Ex-BBC Newsround presenter and uber fan Lizo Mzimba has reported, via Twitter, that the first of this year's Doctor Who specials is still not finished.
Tweeting on the social networking site the BBC presenter said: "No press launch. It won't be finished in time." The press launch for Planet of the Dead was due to take place this week but this is not the first time that a Doctor Who episode has gone straight from the editing room to the screen. Even last year's series finale was not shown to any press before its broadcast on BBC One.
Showrunner Russell T Davies has assured the fans that the episode will be finished in time whilst also adding that the title and a preview of the next special will be shown at the end of Planet of the Dead, airing Saturday 11th April, 6.45pm. It will be repeated the next day on BBC Three and then on Easter Monday on BBC One at 5pm.
As the first special approaches the promotion for Doctor Who hots up with David Tennant and Catherine Tate sitting in for Jonathan Ross on his Radio 2 show on April 11th. John Barrowman is their guest along with The Proclaimers. One-off companion Michelle Ryan can also be seen on Wednesday's edition of the BBC children's programme, Blue Peter.
Ex-BBC Newsround presenter and uber fan Lizo Mzimba has reported, via Twitter, that the first of this year's Doctor Who specials is still not finished.
Tweeting on the social networking site the BBC presenter said: "No press launch. It won't be finished in time." The press launch for Planet of the Dead was due to take place this week but this is not the first time that a Doctor Who episode has gone straight from the editing room to the screen. Even last year's series finale was not shown to any press before its broadcast on BBC One.
Showrunner Russell T Davies has assured the fans that the episode will be finished in time whilst also adding that the title and a preview of the next special will be shown at the end of Planet of the Dead, airing Saturday 11th April, 6.45pm. It will be repeated the next day on BBC Three and then on Easter Monday on BBC One at 5pm.
As the first special approaches the promotion for Doctor Who hots up with David Tennant and Catherine Tate sitting in for Jonathan Ross on his Radio 2 show on April 11th. John Barrowman is their guest along with The Proclaimers. One-off companion Michelle Ryan can also be seen on Wednesday's edition of the BBC children's programme, Blue Peter.
John Simm Returns to Who!!
As the days count down to Tennant's farewell, more faces return - some friendly, some not...
After Bernard Cribbins was spotted on set filming the last of the Doctor Who specials earlier this week, today saw the return of another familiar face, John Simm.
The actor, who played The Master in three episodes of Series 3 of the hit sci~fi show, was seen sporting a newly dyed blonde hairstyle on the grounds of Tredegar House. With Cribbins and Simm now in the bag, all eyes turn to next week when filming returns to Donna Noble's home and a possible appearance from Catherine Tate. She and David Tennant are presenting a BBC Radio 2 show on Saturday 11th from 10am until 1pm.
The last of the specials are due to be broadcast over the Christmas period with the finale, featuring Tennant's regeneration into Matt Smith, airing on New Year's Day. Russell T Davies recently revealed that the second of this year's specials will be broadcast before this period, shortening the gap for Who fans.
Planet of the Dead hits the small screen in the UK on Saturday 11th April on BBC One, 6.45pm with a simulcast on BBC HD.
After Bernard Cribbins was spotted on set filming the last of the Doctor Who specials earlier this week, today saw the return of another familiar face, John Simm.
The actor, who played The Master in three episodes of Series 3 of the hit sci~fi show, was seen sporting a newly dyed blonde hairstyle on the grounds of Tredegar House. With Cribbins and Simm now in the bag, all eyes turn to next week when filming returns to Donna Noble's home and a possible appearance from Catherine Tate. She and David Tennant are presenting a BBC Radio 2 show on Saturday 11th from 10am until 1pm.
The last of the specials are due to be broadcast over the Christmas period with the finale, featuring Tennant's regeneration into Matt Smith, airing on New Year's Day. Russell T Davies recently revealed that the second of this year's specials will be broadcast before this period, shortening the gap for Who fans.
Planet of the Dead hits the small screen in the UK on Saturday 11th April on BBC One, 6.45pm with a simulcast on BBC HD.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Doctor Who – Planet Of The Dead airdate
Saturday 11 April
6.45-7.45pm BBC ONE
David Tennant and Michelle Ryan visit The Planet Of The Dead. When a London bus takes a detour to an alien world, the Doctor must join forces with the extraordinary Lady Christina, in this one-off seasonal special. But the mysterious planet holds terrifying secrets, hidden in the sand. And time is running out, as the deadly Swarm gets closer.
Planet Of The Dead features David Tennant as the Doctor, Michelle Ryan as Lady Christina and Lee Evans as Malcolm. It is written by Russell T Davies and Gareth Roberts.
Planet Of The Dead is also being simulcast on the BBC HD channel – the BBC's High Definition channel available through Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media.
6.45-7.45pm BBC ONE
David Tennant and Michelle Ryan visit The Planet Of The Dead. When a London bus takes a detour to an alien world, the Doctor must join forces with the extraordinary Lady Christina, in this one-off seasonal special. But the mysterious planet holds terrifying secrets, hidden in the sand. And time is running out, as the deadly Swarm gets closer.
Planet Of The Dead features David Tennant as the Doctor, Michelle Ryan as Lady Christina and Lee Evans as Malcolm. It is written by Russell T Davies and Gareth Roberts.
Planet Of The Dead is also being simulcast on the BBC HD channel – the BBC's High Definition channel available through Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
All the april fools for Dr who wrapped in one post lol
The Official BBC Doctor Who website now has a 20 second version of last Friday's new trailer, CLICK HERE to view it.
Due to the massive backlash from fans and Executive Producer Russell T Davies, the BBC have agreed to repeat the Series Four premier at 7:10pm Saturday, postponing "I'll Do Anything" to a later date, CLICK HERE for more details*.
It Ain't Cool News has an interview with Russell T Davies, who claims that when he was reviving Doctor Who the ghost of William Hartnell warned him quote: "You can't rewrite a Steven Moffat script! Not one line!" CLICK HERE for the article*.
*As you may have guessed it's April Fools' Day. Add Derek Jacobi and John Simm to the cast list of The Masters of Luxor.
Torchwood TV reports Elisabeth Sladen will be appearing in Torchwood's third season, CLICK HERE for that.
John Barrowman and Loose Women
BBC News is reporting that the 2009 Easter Special Planet of the Dead has been postponed, CLICK HERE for more details.
The BBC Press Office reports Georgia Moffett has been cast as the companion for Series Five reprising her role from The Doctor's Daughter as Jenny, CLICK HERE for more details from the Press Release.
The BBC Press Office also reports there will be a new mini series starring Derek Jacobi and John Simm called The Masters airing later this month on BBC One, CLICK HERE for more details from the Press Release.
The titles for the remaining 2009 specials have been announced. They are:
War of the Worlds (to air 31 August 2009 on the Summer Wheatley Bank Holiday)
Lost in Time (to air Christmas)
Degeneration (to air 28 December Boxing Helen Day Bank Holiday)
For more details CLICK HERE.
Also the titles of Series Five have been announced, except for episode 12. They are:
About Time (written by Steven Moffat)
The Dust of Stars (written by Neil Gaiman)
Time of the Zygons/Loch Ness Monsters (two parter written by Helen Raynor)
Scherzo (written by Rob Shearman)
Family Reunion (written by Stephen Greenhorn)
Fractured Time/Merlin (two parter written by Steven Moffat) Ice Time (written by Ben Aaronovitch)
The Fans of Death (written by Steven Moffat)
The End of Time (written by David Agnew)
Untitled/The Fool of April* (written by Steven Moffat)
For more details CLICK HERE.
BBC News has released a trailer for the 2009 specials, CLICK HERE to view (only available in Galactic Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha).
Finally, another sequel to Douglas Addams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has been commissioned. It will follow Eoin Colfer's "And Another Thing…" and will be called "One More Thing I Forgot." The author will be Eric Idol, CLICK HERE for more details and HERE for the cover.
Due to the massive backlash from fans and Executive Producer Russell T Davies, the BBC have agreed to repeat the Series Four premier at 7:10pm Saturday, postponing "I'll Do Anything" to a later date, CLICK HERE for more details*.
It Ain't Cool News has an interview with Russell T Davies, who claims that when he was reviving Doctor Who the ghost of William Hartnell warned him quote: "You can't rewrite a Steven Moffat script! Not one line!" CLICK HERE for the article*.
*As you may have guessed it's April Fools' Day. Add Derek Jacobi and John Simm to the cast list of The Masters of Luxor.
Torchwood TV reports Elisabeth Sladen will be appearing in Torchwood's third season, CLICK HERE for that.
John Barrowman and Loose Women
BBC News is reporting that the 2009 Easter Special Planet of the Dead has been postponed, CLICK HERE for more details.
The BBC Press Office reports Georgia Moffett has been cast as the companion for Series Five reprising her role from The Doctor's Daughter as Jenny, CLICK HERE for more details from the Press Release.
The BBC Press Office also reports there will be a new mini series starring Derek Jacobi and John Simm called The Masters airing later this month on BBC One, CLICK HERE for more details from the Press Release.
The titles for the remaining 2009 specials have been announced. They are:
War of the Worlds (to air 31 August 2009 on the Summer Wheatley Bank Holiday)
Lost in Time (to air Christmas)
Degeneration (to air 28 December Boxing Helen Day Bank Holiday)
For more details CLICK HERE.
Also the titles of Series Five have been announced, except for episode 12. They are:
About Time (written by Steven Moffat)
The Dust of Stars (written by Neil Gaiman)
Time of the Zygons/Loch Ness Monsters (two parter written by Helen Raynor)
Scherzo (written by Rob Shearman)
Family Reunion (written by Stephen Greenhorn)
Fractured Time/Merlin (two parter written by Steven Moffat) Ice Time (written by Ben Aaronovitch)
The Fans of Death (written by Steven Moffat)
The End of Time (written by David Agnew)
Untitled/The Fool of April* (written by Steven Moffat)
For more details CLICK HERE.
BBC News has released a trailer for the 2009 specials, CLICK HERE to view (only available in Galactic Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha).
Finally, another sequel to Douglas Addams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has been commissioned. It will follow Eoin Colfer's "And Another Thing…" and will be called "One More Thing I Forgot." The author will be Eric Idol, CLICK HERE for more details and HERE for the cover.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Bernard Cribbins Returns? Is Catherine Tate far behind?
After a short break, a very familiar face is spotted on set - but does this mean someone else is coming back too? There's also some news of a trailer...
Filming on David Tennant's final Doctor Who story has begun today with the return of the actor Bernard Cribbins.
Cribbins, who plays Donna Noble's grandfather Wilf, was last seen in the Series 4 finale, Journey's End and first appeared in Doctor Who in the 1966 film, Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150AD.
The legendary actor was spotted on set in Tredegar House where Who has filmed a number of times, including most recently in The Next Doctor. Next week, the production team are heading to another familiar location - the house used for Donna Noble's home.
David Harewood, currently starring as Friar Tuck in BBC1's Robin Hood, confirmed on Jonathan Ross's radio show that he will also be starring in the two part finale, due to air over the Christmas period.
The first special, Planet of the Dead, is due to air April 12, with the first trailer being broadcast this Wednesday on BBC1.
Filming on David Tennant's final Doctor Who story has begun today with the return of the actor Bernard Cribbins.
Cribbins, who plays Donna Noble's grandfather Wilf, was last seen in the Series 4 finale, Journey's End and first appeared in Doctor Who in the 1966 film, Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150AD.
The legendary actor was spotted on set in Tredegar House where Who has filmed a number of times, including most recently in The Next Doctor. Next week, the production team are heading to another familiar location - the house used for Donna Noble's home.
David Harewood, currently starring as Friar Tuck in BBC1's Robin Hood, confirmed on Jonathan Ross's radio show that he will also be starring in the two part finale, due to air over the Christmas period.
The first special, Planet of the Dead, is due to air April 12, with the first trailer being broadcast this Wednesday on BBC1.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Will Tom Baker make a return to Who???
IT MAY be 28 years since he quit as Doctor Who but Tom Baker could finally be making a late return to the show.
Programme insiders say discussions have taken place about bringing back the flamboyant Baker, 75, for a cameo appearance next year with new Time Lord Matt Smith.Baker’s return could see him re-united with Elisabeth Sladen who played his sidekick Sarah Jane Smith in the Seventies
A BBC mole said: “As it’s Doctor Who, his return all these years on could be explained in all manner of ways.”Baker, most recently the narrator of Little Britain, has previously said that he would be open to the idea of returning, suggesting he could even portray the Doctor’s arch-foe The Master.
Programme insiders say discussions have taken place about bringing back the flamboyant Baker, 75, for a cameo appearance next year with new Time Lord Matt Smith.Baker’s return could see him re-united with Elisabeth Sladen who played his sidekick Sarah Jane Smith in the Seventies
A BBC mole said: “As it’s Doctor Who, his return all these years on could be explained in all manner of ways.”Baker, most recently the narrator of Little Britain, has previously said that he would be open to the idea of returning, suggesting he could even portray the Doctor’s arch-foe The Master.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Catherine Tate: I thought I was the new Doctor Who
ACTRESS Catherine Tate, who played Doctor Who's companion Donna Noble, said that she had been convinced that she would be the next Time Lord.
Speaking on The Justin Lee Collins Show, which was repeated on ITV tonight, she said that she became suspicious because of persistent attention from the press in the days before Matt Smith was announced as the 11th Doctor on January 3.
She said: "For about four days leading up to [the announcement] there was one particular paper that was so adamant that it was me that they kept ringing up and asking for quotes, confirmation, and saying 'Can we just get a statement?'
"I actually thought 'Maybe it is me, maybe the BBC are so stringent that they haven't told me yet'. For a minute I thought it must be me and that they had told all the papers before telling me!"
Tate, who is to star in a big-screen remake of Gulliver's Travels, as I reported earlier, added that her appearance in Doctor Who had put her five-year-old daughter Erin off the programme.
She said: "She was a fan of Doctor Who until I went on it. She really liked it and then I went on it and it was a bit scary for her and she thought her mummy was in danger. She doesn't watch Doctor Who any more, I ruined it for her."
Tate added: "I loved being in the show, I loved it so much. I even have an action figure - that's exciting to get a little plastic doll made of you. But if you look closely, it does look quite like Cher!
"With my own show [The Catherine Tate Show] I said I didn't really want dolls but on Doctor Who, you don't get a choice. They say 'We are going to merchandise you and that's that.' But I'm delighted with it."
Speaking on The Justin Lee Collins Show, which was repeated on ITV tonight, she said that she became suspicious because of persistent attention from the press in the days before Matt Smith was announced as the 11th Doctor on January 3.
She said: "For about four days leading up to [the announcement] there was one particular paper that was so adamant that it was me that they kept ringing up and asking for quotes, confirmation, and saying 'Can we just get a statement?'
"I actually thought 'Maybe it is me, maybe the BBC are so stringent that they haven't told me yet'. For a minute I thought it must be me and that they had told all the papers before telling me!"
Tate, who is to star in a big-screen remake of Gulliver's Travels, as I reported earlier, added that her appearance in Doctor Who had put her five-year-old daughter Erin off the programme.
She said: "She was a fan of Doctor Who until I went on it. She really liked it and then I went on it and it was a bit scary for her and she thought her mummy was in danger. She doesn't watch Doctor Who any more, I ruined it for her."
Tate added: "I loved being in the show, I loved it so much. I even have an action figure - that's exciting to get a little plastic doll made of you. But if you look closely, it does look quite like Cher!
"With my own show [The Catherine Tate Show] I said I didn't really want dolls but on Doctor Who, you don't get a choice. They say 'We are going to merchandise you and that's that.' But I'm delighted with it."
Planet of the Dead Info
Some Facts on the upcoming Doctor Who Easter Special:
The Doctor will be without the Tardis!
The Unified Intelligence Taskforce will return.
Captain Magambo from Turn Left will be back.
ONE of the monsters for the episode are called the Tritovore, they are described as fly-like creatures. More info on them can be read here. A picture of a Tritovore can be seen here (please beware of spoilers!) They are not the only monsters to feature in the episode.
Pictures advertising Planet of the Dead can be found here, here and here.
Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner reveal some secrets for the Easter Special in The Next Doctor Podcast. Click here to listen.
Russell T Davies has quoted that Planet of the Dead and the other 2009 specials will be part of Series 4. So this story will be coded as Series 4 Episode 15 (episode 14 is The Next Doctor).
A trailer for the episode has been shown at the Millenium Stadium during half time at the Six Nations Rugby game. A report on the trailer was made on the trailer and can be read here, but beware of spoilers! The trailer is most likely to broadcast a few weeks before the Planet of the Dead is aired.
The episode will broadcast on 12 April, Easter Sunday, one BBC One and BBC HD. The time has not yet been confirmed, lomst likely to be some time around 7PM.
Filming for the episode started on 19th January 2009.
The episode is written by both Russell T Davies and Gareth Robert and is directed by James Strong. It is also produced by Tracie Simpson, who is taking over from Phill Collinson.
Some pictures from filming can be found here. Videos from Filming can be watched here.
The Team filmed in the Dubai Desert for 4 days. Some snaps shots can be seen here on the Official Doctor Who Site.
David Tennant has recorded video diaries on his time filming for the episode. They are entitled 'The Tannant Tapes'. You can watch them here on the Official Doctor Who Site.
The episode will be shown in high Definition on BBC One and BBC HD.
Michelle Ryan will play the mysterious character, Lady Christina de Souza and Lee Evans will play another called Malcom, who is part of the UNIT force. More info can be read here.
The Bus used for filming in the episode has had an accident while being shipped to Dubai. So Russell T Davies had to change the script a bit for the now damaged vehicle to fit in the story.
The episode will be available on DVD from 11th May 2009.
The Doctor will be without the Tardis!
The Unified Intelligence Taskforce will return.
Captain Magambo from Turn Left will be back.
ONE of the monsters for the episode are called the Tritovore, they are described as fly-like creatures. More info on them can be read here. A picture of a Tritovore can be seen here (please beware of spoilers!) They are not the only monsters to feature in the episode.
Pictures advertising Planet of the Dead can be found here, here and here.
Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner reveal some secrets for the Easter Special in The Next Doctor Podcast. Click here to listen.
Russell T Davies has quoted that Planet of the Dead and the other 2009 specials will be part of Series 4. So this story will be coded as Series 4 Episode 15 (episode 14 is The Next Doctor).
A trailer for the episode has been shown at the Millenium Stadium during half time at the Six Nations Rugby game. A report on the trailer was made on the trailer and can be read here, but beware of spoilers! The trailer is most likely to broadcast a few weeks before the Planet of the Dead is aired.
The episode will broadcast on 12 April, Easter Sunday, one BBC One and BBC HD. The time has not yet been confirmed, lomst likely to be some time around 7PM.
Filming for the episode started on 19th January 2009.
The episode is written by both Russell T Davies and Gareth Robert and is directed by James Strong. It is also produced by Tracie Simpson, who is taking over from Phill Collinson.
Some pictures from filming can be found here. Videos from Filming can be watched here.
The Team filmed in the Dubai Desert for 4 days. Some snaps shots can be seen here on the Official Doctor Who Site.
David Tennant has recorded video diaries on his time filming for the episode. They are entitled 'The Tannant Tapes'. You can watch them here on the Official Doctor Who Site.
The episode will be shown in high Definition on BBC One and BBC HD.
Michelle Ryan will play the mysterious character, Lady Christina de Souza and Lee Evans will play another called Malcom, who is part of the UNIT force. More info can be read here.
The Bus used for filming in the episode has had an accident while being shipped to Dubai. So Russell T Davies had to change the script a bit for the now damaged vehicle to fit in the story.
The episode will be available on DVD from 11th May 2009.
Easter Sunday For First Special
April 12 will have the biggest Easter Egg of them all - the "200th" Doctor Who story, Planet of the Dead.
The listings magazine for Sky customers, Sky Mag, is reporting that the first of this year's Doctor Who specials will be screened on Easter Sunday - April 12.
No specific time has been detailed but the BBC have scheduled Planet of the Dead for Week 15, which takes in April 11-17. Airing the special on the Sunday will ease the potential headache for schedulers as the Saturday night of April 11 will see BBC1's Robin Hood squaring off against ITV1's Primeval.
A trailer for the special was screened in the Millenium Stadium during the half time of the recent Six Nations Rugby game which would indicate that it will hit our screens this weekend, possibly after (or before) the Robin Hood series opener.
Planet of the Dead will also be screened on BBC HD, a first for Doctor Who, and stars Lee Evans (The Fifth Element) with Michelle Ryan (The Bionic Woman). The DVD already has a release date of May 11.
The listings magazine for Sky customers, Sky Mag, is reporting that the first of this year's Doctor Who specials will be screened on Easter Sunday - April 12.
No specific time has been detailed but the BBC have scheduled Planet of the Dead for Week 15, which takes in April 11-17. Airing the special on the Sunday will ease the potential headache for schedulers as the Saturday night of April 11 will see BBC1's Robin Hood squaring off against ITV1's Primeval.
A trailer for the special was screened in the Millenium Stadium during the half time of the recent Six Nations Rugby game which would indicate that it will hit our screens this weekend, possibly after (or before) the Robin Hood series opener.
Planet of the Dead will also be screened on BBC HD, a first for Doctor Who, and stars Lee Evans (The Fifth Element) with Michelle Ryan (The Bionic Woman). The DVD already has a release date of May 11.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Jessica Hynes cameo confirmed
Its been rumored that Jessica Hynes would be returning for a cameo but now it's official, thanks to the set pics on planet galifrey, and I09 . But it's the present day, not pre-World War I England. And Hynes appears to be playing someone named Verity Newman (a play on Doctor Who's creators, who included Verity Lambert and Sydney Newman.) She's written a book called A Journal Of Impossible Things, apparently based on the journal the humanized Doctor left behind. And she's doing a book signing, where the Doctor shows up to have words with her. The Doctor is stern but sad, then he turns and walks away.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Give the gift of Doctor Who
Give the gift of Doctor Who on facebook. I made this application and not really done with it yet will add many more pics as it progresses and when time permits. Add it and send to all your friends thanks :)
Watch all The Hartnell Doctor who episodes for free
Life, Doctor Who and Combom has posted links where you may view the first Doctors', William hartnell, adventures for free online. Click the link HERE to go view them all and be sure to leave a thank you for their efforts :)
Medusa cascade has stills for Planet of the dead
Friday, March 20, 2009
Piper, Tate, Freema, and Simms to return???
BILLIE Piper will return to Doctor Who with ALL the Time Lord’s former companions as part of David Tennant’s final episode.
Billie, 26, will again play Rose Tyler and teams up with other sidekicks Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman).
The trio will join forces to take on the Doctor’s revived arch-enemy The Master, played again by John Simm.
The episode sees the Timelord regenerate into the new Doctor (Matt Smith).
An insider said: “This will be the most exciting episode Doctor Who have ever done. We really wanted to get all the companions back on board as a fitting send-off to David.
“And of all the enemies for him to face in his final episode it makes sense for The Master to be the main one. Getting Billie to agree is a real coup, but she loved working on the show so much it didn’t take much convincing.”
Rose — who left after series two — formed the strongest bond with the Doctor out of the female companions. She returned for a few episodes in the last series where she was reunited with the Doctor.
Rose then returned to Earth with a separate half-human version of the Time Lord.
Since she left Doctor Who, Billie has gone on to star in the raunchy ITV2 drama Secret Diary of a Call Girl. She plays a high-class hooker in the risque show, which is currently on its third series.
We revealed yesterday how her three brothers and sisters are embarrassed about her success.
David, 37, will quit the show after the last of the four specials.
Meanwhile the red London bus set to feature in the first special has been damaged in Dubai by schoolkids.
Billie, 26, will again play Rose Tyler and teams up with other sidekicks Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman).
The trio will join forces to take on the Doctor’s revived arch-enemy The Master, played again by John Simm.
The episode sees the Timelord regenerate into the new Doctor (Matt Smith).
An insider said: “This will be the most exciting episode Doctor Who have ever done. We really wanted to get all the companions back on board as a fitting send-off to David.
“And of all the enemies for him to face in his final episode it makes sense for The Master to be the main one. Getting Billie to agree is a real coup, but she loved working on the show so much it didn’t take much convincing.”
Rose — who left after series two — formed the strongest bond with the Doctor out of the female companions. She returned for a few episodes in the last series where she was reunited with the Doctor.
Rose then returned to Earth with a separate half-human version of the Time Lord.
Since she left Doctor Who, Billie has gone on to star in the raunchy ITV2 drama Secret Diary of a Call Girl. She plays a high-class hooker in the risque show, which is currently on its third series.
We revealed yesterday how her three brothers and sisters are embarrassed about her success.
David, 37, will quit the show after the last of the four specials.
Meanwhile the red London bus set to feature in the first special has been damaged in Dubai by schoolkids.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Doctor Who's David Tennant will fight his last war against Martians
David Tennant will have to fight creatures from Mars in his last days as Doctor Who.
Among those he takes on will be ex-soap actor Peter O'Brien, who played Shane Ramsay in Neighbours and renegade doctor Stitch in Casualty.
He told reporters in Sydney he will appear as a villain in the story.
Glamorous actress Gemma Chan has also been lined up as a baddie.
A source said: "Peter and Gemma's evil characters are some of the final ones David will face before Matt Smith replaces him."
Among those he takes on will be ex-soap actor Peter O'Brien, who played Shane Ramsay in Neighbours and renegade doctor Stitch in Casualty.
He told reporters in Sydney he will appear as a villain in the story.
Glamorous actress Gemma Chan has also been lined up as a baddie.
A source said: "Peter and Gemma's evil characters are some of the final ones David will face before Matt Smith replaces him."
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Here is the first picture of the K9 model that features in the spin-off series currently being filmed in Australia.
The photo - taken on set - gives fans a glimpse of what they can expect to see when the show, called simply K9, airs on Network Ten.
The teaser image comes in advance of a full press photo release, which is due to take place towards the end of March.
Although a precise transmission date has yet to be confirmed, it is believed the 26-part series will be broadcast later this year.
The photo - taken on set - gives fans a glimpse of what they can expect to see when the show, called simply K9, airs on Network Ten.
The teaser image comes in advance of a full press photo release, which is due to take place towards the end of March.
Although a precise transmission date has yet to be confirmed, it is believed the 26-part series will be broadcast later this year.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Hannah Murray for 'Doctor Who' companion?
Skins star Hannah Murray has been tipped to become Matt Smith's companion in the fifth series of Doctor Who.
Murray, who played Cassie in the first two series of the Channel 4 teen drama, is supposedly in secret talks with producers about the role, News Of The World reports.
A BBC insider said: "Hannah did some challenging stuff in Skins and they see her as an up-and-comer."
Other stars reportedly being considered for the role include Georgia Moffett, Lily Allen and Kelly Brook.
Russell T. Davies has confirmed that he does not want to "ruin anyone's chances" of being cast as the fifth series companion by using them in this year's specials.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Doctor Who - More Specials Casting News
A neighbourly Aussie and a model join the Time Lord for the Doctor Who specials. We also find out what planet the finale is set on.
Two more names have been added to the cast of the upcoming Doctor Who specials; model Gemma Chan and former Neighbours actor Peter O'Brien.
Chan was spotted filming on the streets of Newport last week with Lindsay Duncan and David Tennant. According to a casting website, castingcallpro.com, the model will play a character called Mia Bennett in the Christmas special.
According to the Sydney Daily Telegraph, O'Brien has confirmed that he will be filming Doctor Who at the end of this month. The former Casualty actor added that he will be playing a villain in the episode, part of David Tennant's final story, and it will be set on Mars. The Australian has previously worked with outgoing Who showrunner Russell T Davies on Queer As Folk.
So far the BBC has not confirmed the broadcast dates for any of the specials though it is believed that the first, Planet of the Dead, will air at Easter whilst the second will be shown on Christmas day. The very last episode will be screened in 2010, possibly New Year's Day.
Two more names have been added to the cast of the upcoming Doctor Who specials; model Gemma Chan and former Neighbours actor Peter O'Brien.
Chan was spotted filming on the streets of Newport last week with Lindsay Duncan and David Tennant. According to a casting website, castingcallpro.com, the model will play a character called Mia Bennett in the Christmas special.
According to the Sydney Daily Telegraph, O'Brien has confirmed that he will be filming Doctor Who at the end of this month. The former Casualty actor added that he will be playing a villain in the episode, part of David Tennant's final story, and it will be set on Mars. The Australian has previously worked with outgoing Who showrunner Russell T Davies on Queer As Folk.
So far the BBC has not confirmed the broadcast dates for any of the specials though it is believed that the first, Planet of the Dead, will air at Easter whilst the second will be shown on Christmas day. The very last episode will be screened in 2010, possibly New Year's Day.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Doctor Who's nemesis is found in pond
Someone found a dalek head in a pond while dredging it for trash. Read about it and see a few pics HERE
Monday, March 02, 2009
Who will be Doctor Who's new sidekick?
It's been two months since Matt Smith was unveiled as the 11th Doctor, so the casting of his new companion must surely be imminent. Here are the contenders
Emma Rigby
A wild outside punt, but my personal favourite. Rigby plays Hannah in the rebooted Hollyoaks and is one of the best things about it. Her brutal performance in the anorexia storyline broke ground and won awards. Since then, Hannah's matured into a plucky, kooky and confident character, all fine qualities for Tardis travelling. She also looks suitably younger than Matt Smith. Rigby's imminent exit from Hollyoaks will dovetail perfectly with the start of filming for series five. And wouldn't it just annoy all the people who complained that Smith's casting was the "Hollyoaks-ing of Who" in the first place?
Michelle Ryan
For a long time, the obvious choice. Both accomplished actor and BBC household name, she also has sci-fi chops, having starred in the doomed remake of Bionic Woman in the US and Merlin in the UK. She has also worked previously with incoming writer Steven Moffatt – she was impressive in his Jekyll. She would be the perfect companion. So it's rather a shame that she's probably out of the running thanks to having already been cast as posh companion Lady Christina de Souza in upcoming special Planet of the Dead.
Lily Allen
A precocious pop celebutante reinventing herself as a time-travelling girl-next-door in the nation's favourite series? That'll never work! Still, the Sun's random casting generator provided a few seconds of amusement when it claimed that chiefs were "desperate to sign her". If Lily had any notable acting experience to speak of, and if her pop career wasn't flourishing, then this might have been something to think about. But, no. Ridiculous, obviously.
Carey Mulligan
If fans really had any power then this would have been decided months ago. Ever since her one-off appearance as Sally Sparrow in Moffatt's incredible season-three story Blink, fans have been calling for her to return when Moff takes the helm. Sally was the kind of arty and sarky girl that he excels at writing. But the fact that her story was finished, plus Mulligan's own growing reputation, make this another unlikely one.
Zoe Tapper
Don't be surprised to find Tapper – who looks like the kind of porcelain doll who could kick your teeth out – at the top of the most-wanted lists. She was sublime as Dr Anya in the remake of Survivors (a show whose cast overlapped with Who all over the place). Plus she's no stranger to Saturday night telefantasy – her turn as Mina Harker was just about the only thing worth watching in the likely-to-be-axed Demons.
Katee Sackhoff
The BBC cast an American Captain Jack in an attempt to make the show more exportable, but it only half worked, since his spin-off show Torchwood is a bigger deal in the US than Who. An American actor as the main companion would be the next logical step, and sci-fi's favourite daughter right now is Sackhoff, the conflicted kick-ass heroine Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica. Of course, Sackhoff's going to be doing plenty of auditions at the moment.
Freema Agyeman
Agyeman has already as good as admitted that she's probably coming back to ease the transition between the two Doctors. It's unlikely that Martha Jones would step back aboard the Tardis full-time, but she's the only one of Ten's companions who feasibly could maintain a presence in the Whoniverse. This would be Russell T Davies's third attempt to do the character of Martha justice, having wasted her with the unrequited love story in series three and sent her off on solo night missions for most of series four.
Emma Rigby
A wild outside punt, but my personal favourite. Rigby plays Hannah in the rebooted Hollyoaks and is one of the best things about it. Her brutal performance in the anorexia storyline broke ground and won awards. Since then, Hannah's matured into a plucky, kooky and confident character, all fine qualities for Tardis travelling. She also looks suitably younger than Matt Smith. Rigby's imminent exit from Hollyoaks will dovetail perfectly with the start of filming for series five. And wouldn't it just annoy all the people who complained that Smith's casting was the "Hollyoaks-ing of Who" in the first place?
Michelle Ryan
For a long time, the obvious choice. Both accomplished actor and BBC household name, she also has sci-fi chops, having starred in the doomed remake of Bionic Woman in the US and Merlin in the UK. She has also worked previously with incoming writer Steven Moffatt – she was impressive in his Jekyll. She would be the perfect companion. So it's rather a shame that she's probably out of the running thanks to having already been cast as posh companion Lady Christina de Souza in upcoming special Planet of the Dead.
Lily Allen
A precocious pop celebutante reinventing herself as a time-travelling girl-next-door in the nation's favourite series? That'll never work! Still, the Sun's random casting generator provided a few seconds of amusement when it claimed that chiefs were "desperate to sign her". If Lily had any notable acting experience to speak of, and if her pop career wasn't flourishing, then this might have been something to think about. But, no. Ridiculous, obviously.
Carey Mulligan
If fans really had any power then this would have been decided months ago. Ever since her one-off appearance as Sally Sparrow in Moffatt's incredible season-three story Blink, fans have been calling for her to return when Moff takes the helm. Sally was the kind of arty and sarky girl that he excels at writing. But the fact that her story was finished, plus Mulligan's own growing reputation, make this another unlikely one.
Zoe Tapper
Don't be surprised to find Tapper – who looks like the kind of porcelain doll who could kick your teeth out – at the top of the most-wanted lists. She was sublime as Dr Anya in the remake of Survivors (a show whose cast overlapped with Who all over the place). Plus she's no stranger to Saturday night telefantasy – her turn as Mina Harker was just about the only thing worth watching in the likely-to-be-axed Demons.
Katee Sackhoff
The BBC cast an American Captain Jack in an attempt to make the show more exportable, but it only half worked, since his spin-off show Torchwood is a bigger deal in the US than Who. An American actor as the main companion would be the next logical step, and sci-fi's favourite daughter right now is Sackhoff, the conflicted kick-ass heroine Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica. Of course, Sackhoff's going to be doing plenty of auditions at the moment.
Freema Agyeman
Agyeman has already as good as admitted that she's probably coming back to ease the transition between the two Doctors. It's unlikely that Martha Jones would step back aboard the Tardis full-time, but she's the only one of Ten's companions who feasibly could maintain a presence in the Whoniverse. This would be Russell T Davies's third attempt to do the character of Martha justice, having wasted her with the unrequited love story in series three and sent her off on solo night missions for most of series four.
More set pics and Dean Gaffney also joins the cast
The set pics above show the Doctor traveling with three companions, hmmmm, who is the man we can see leaving the tardis also? Might it be ex~Eastenders cast member Dean Gaffney? Looks to be true he has been twittering away about his who experience and he said: "Sorry about the lack of tweets been filming for the new Dr Who."
The second pic shows the familar face of ood sigma popping up and apparently giving the Doctor a fright, whats that about? It is rumored he will show up at the end of the second special and will lead over to the third unfilmed as of yet.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Watch who recons online
recon_mission
Watch reconstruction episodes such as "The wheel in space", "Fury from the deep", and many many more online for free.
Watch reconstruction episodes such as "The wheel in space", "Fury from the deep", and many many more online for free.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Lindsay Duncan to star in second Doctor Who Special of 2009
Acclaimed actress, Lindsay Duncan will guest star in the second Doctor Who Special of 2009 on BBC One.
Lindsay is best known for her roles across stage and screen, including Shooting The Past and GBH and is soon to star as Margaret Thatcher in the highly anticipated BBC Two drama, Margaret.
In Doctor Who she will play Adelaide – the Doctor's cleverest and most strong-minded companion yet.
Lindsay commented: "I'm thrilled to be involved in Doctor Who. I've never done anything like this before and I'm really looking forward to working with David Tennant and the Doctor Who team."
Lindsay joins David Tennant as he continues his role as The Doctor in the second instalment of the four Doctor Who Specials to be screened throughout 2009, which will follow Planet Of The Dead, due to air this Easter on BBC One.
Executive Producer and writer Russell T Davies said: "Lindsay is an incredibly talented actress and I've been an admirer of her work for some time. We are delighted to announce that she will be joining the team and playing the Doctor's most strong-minded companion yet."
The second episode is written by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford.
It is due to go into production in Spring 2009 and will be screened on BBC One later this year.
Lindsay is best known for her roles across stage and screen, including Shooting The Past and GBH and is soon to star as Margaret Thatcher in the highly anticipated BBC Two drama, Margaret.
In Doctor Who she will play Adelaide – the Doctor's cleverest and most strong-minded companion yet.
Lindsay commented: "I'm thrilled to be involved in Doctor Who. I've never done anything like this before and I'm really looking forward to working with David Tennant and the Doctor Who team."
Lindsay joins David Tennant as he continues his role as The Doctor in the second instalment of the four Doctor Who Specials to be screened throughout 2009, which will follow Planet Of The Dead, due to air this Easter on BBC One.
Executive Producer and writer Russell T Davies said: "Lindsay is an incredibly talented actress and I've been an admirer of her work for some time. We are delighted to announce that she will be joining the team and playing the Doctor's most strong-minded companion yet."
The second episode is written by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford.
It is due to go into production in Spring 2009 and will be screened on BBC One later this year.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
New Doctor Who one-shot comic coming this month
IDW will release a special one-shot Doctor Who comic, "The Whispering Gallery," by artist Ben Templesmith and writers Leah Moore & John Reppion.
In "The Whispering Gallery," the TARDIS lands in a mazelike gallery filled with thousands of talking pictures, and the Doctor and Martha discover they've come across a planet where showing emotion has been outlawed. The inhabitants have good reason for their suppression, but it wouldn't be like the Doctor to leave them in fear of truly living.
Married writing team Leah Moore and John Reppion have been fans of Doctor Who and pitched IDW Publishing on their story idea for the classic British sci-fi hero after Leah had a dream about a two-page spread one night.
Moore and Reppion became involved in the project after being approached by artist Templesmith (30 Days of Night), an admirer of their work.
Doctor Who: The Whispering Gallery hits stands on Feb. 25.
In "The Whispering Gallery," the TARDIS lands in a mazelike gallery filled with thousands of talking pictures, and the Doctor and Martha discover they've come across a planet where showing emotion has been outlawed. The inhabitants have good reason for their suppression, but it wouldn't be like the Doctor to leave them in fear of truly living.
Married writing team Leah Moore and John Reppion have been fans of Doctor Who and pitched IDW Publishing on their story idea for the classic British sci-fi hero after Leah had a dream about a two-page spread one night.
Moore and Reppion became involved in the project after being approached by artist Templesmith (30 Days of Night), an admirer of their work.
Doctor Who: The Whispering Gallery hits stands on Feb. 25.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
David Tennant the's best Doctor Who for me, says John Barrowman
JOHN BARROWMAN feels like he's cheated on David Tennant after meeting the new Doctor Who, Matt Smith.
Glaswegian-born John, 41, who plays Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood, has become friends with fellow Scot David, who is quitting as the 10th Doctor at the end of the year.
But John, who is gay, hadn't met Matt until five minutes before our interview, and was clearly a bit giddy at the chance encounter.
He laughed: "I feel like I've had an affair against David because I've met the new guy. I liked him but, David, my heart is always with you."
Read the rest HERE
Glaswegian-born John, 41, who plays Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood, has become friends with fellow Scot David, who is quitting as the 10th Doctor at the end of the year.
But John, who is gay, hadn't met Matt until five minutes before our interview, and was clearly a bit giddy at the chance encounter.
He laughed: "I feel like I've had an affair against David because I've met the new guy. I liked him but, David, my heart is always with you."
Read the rest HERE
New Comics: The Time Machination and Doctor Who Ongoing
A number of new Doctor Who-related comics were announced during the recent New York ComicCon during a panel held by IDW Publishing.May will see The Time Machination by Tony Lee with art by Paul Grist; this is a 22 page issue that the author revealed will involve Victorian London, and will be the first Doctor Who comic to mention Torchwood.From July, a new monthly anthology, also by Lee, will commence; entitled Doctor Who Ongoing, it aims to be a 'season' to portray new tenth Doctor adventures, with all-new companions, through to the arrival of his eleventh incarnation in issue 18 (December 2010). Lee commented: "It’s the best fun I’ve ever had." The first two issues will be set in Hollywood in 1927.
Special Sarah Jane Adventure on red nose day
Legendary comedian, Ronnie Corbett, has been confirmed as a guest star for a special Red Nose Day version of the highly acclaimed The Sarah Jane Adventures.
BBC Wales are recording a one-off mini adventure to air on Comic Relief - Funny for Money airing on Friday 13 March BBC1 from 7pm.
The top rating children's drama comes from the makers of Doctor Who and stars Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith.
Executive Producer Russell T Davies said, "It's an honour to get involved with Red Nose Day, and with Ronnie Corbett, K-9 and an old enemy's return, we can promise Sarah Jane Smith's most extraordinary adventure yet!"
The BAFTA-nominated series sees Sarah Jane and the gang getting caught in a mysterious world of chases, danger, and monsters from outer space. The show has a huge following in its teatime slot on BBC One and the CBBC channel and the BBC Wales team are delighted to be contributing to Red Nose Day for a one-off mini adventure.
Written by Gareth Roberts and Clayton Hickman it also stars Tommy Knight, Daniel Anthony and Anjli Mohindra. A third series of The Sarah Jane Adventures will go into production shortly.
Current Doctor Who lead David Tennant will be presenting on the Night of TV.
BBC Wales are recording a one-off mini adventure to air on Comic Relief - Funny for Money airing on Friday 13 March BBC1 from 7pm.
The top rating children's drama comes from the makers of Doctor Who and stars Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith.
Executive Producer Russell T Davies said, "It's an honour to get involved with Red Nose Day, and with Ronnie Corbett, K-9 and an old enemy's return, we can promise Sarah Jane Smith's most extraordinary adventure yet!"
The BAFTA-nominated series sees Sarah Jane and the gang getting caught in a mysterious world of chases, danger, and monsters from outer space. The show has a huge following in its teatime slot on BBC One and the CBBC channel and the BBC Wales team are delighted to be contributing to Red Nose Day for a one-off mini adventure.
Written by Gareth Roberts and Clayton Hickman it also stars Tommy Knight, Daniel Anthony and Anjli Mohindra. A third series of The Sarah Jane Adventures will go into production shortly.
Current Doctor Who lead David Tennant will be presenting on the Night of TV.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Noel Clarke: 'I won't be in more Who'
Noel Clarke has confirmed that he will not be appearing in any future episodes of Doctor Who.
The Adulthood director made the comment after he praised the choice of new Doctor Matt Smith.
Clarke told thelondonpaper: "He's great - young and dynamic.
"I can sit back and watch it as a fan, as I won't be appearing in any more episodes."
Previously, Clarke had questioned whether he could turn down a return to the show if he was asked by the producers.
Last month, he told DS that he supported Smith 100% and added that he thinks he will win the support of Doctor Who fans.
The Adulthood director made the comment after he praised the choice of new Doctor Matt Smith.
Clarke told thelondonpaper: "He's great - young and dynamic.
"I can sit back and watch it as a fan, as I won't be appearing in any more episodes."
Previously, Clarke had questioned whether he could turn down a return to the show if he was asked by the producers.
Last month, he told DS that he supported Smith 100% and added that he thinks he will win the support of Doctor Who fans.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Torchwood: Children of Earth Official Trailer
Torchwood: Children of Earth - In one epic story told over five nights the new series, to be broadcast on BBC One (UK) and BBC AMERICA (U.S.) later this year, promises to be Torchwood's greatest adrenalin-fueled, high octane adventure yet.
K9 RETURNS TO THE SJA IN 2009
"We've already got 10 scripts at first draft stage, and I can now announce that K9 is going to make a return to Sarah Jane's attic! He's been locked away in that safe, saving the world from a Black Hole, for far too long now. And he's so loved, especially by children, that we wanted him back. Many thanks to his co-creator, Bob Baker, and the estate of the late Dave Martin, for allowing this to happen."
+
She continues, "K9 won't be in every single episode - right now, we estimate he'll appear in approximately six of the 12 episodes. And I can promise that the fun is only just beginning - just wait 'til he gets to meet Mr. Smith properly!"+
The production team are supposedly awaiting to hear from Nicholas Courtney with the intention of his Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart character returning. Also slated for guest spots, but still unconfirmed, are Yasmin Paige, Joseph Millson and Juliet Cowan - aka the Jackson family, in a storyline that wraps up their current character arcs, possibly at the wedding of Chrissie Jackson to current bit on the side Ivan...
+
(That news comes direct from a trusted source, and not DWM)+
Doctor Who Magazine issue 405 also reveals news on the Gareth Roberts/Russell T Davies scribed Doctor Who easter special, "Planet of the Dead" which guest stars Michelle Ryan (of The Bionic Woman, Jekyll and Merlin fame) and comedian Lee Evans. The episode marks the first time that Doctor Who will have been filmed in High-Definition.
+
There's also a neat article on why the general public never seem to remember the many invasion attempts made by alien menaces over the years (including a look back at many classic era Sarah Jane stories, featuring Zygons, Dinosaurs and Loch Ness Monsters!).+
Part time producer Susie Liggat also talks exclusively to Dan Berry about her Doctor Who experiences - but us Smithies will also remember her involvement with the "Invasion of the Bane" pilot episode that helped to launch the SJA back in 2007. Sadly Liggat doesn't discuss the SJA in her interview, which also covers Russell T Davies' 2005 Casanova remount.
+
This month's The Fact of Fiction feature investigates 1975's "Planet of Evil", starring Elisabeth Sladen and Tom Baker - in an adventure recently released onto DVD.+
And finally, Dave Owen reviews the entire second series in a page, calling the Brigadier's return a triumph, and the arrival of the Chandra family as something that needs "a bit of work" in order to perfect the formula.
+
DWM issue 405 is out tomorrow priced a very reasonable £3.99.+
Apparerently there's somebody called Matt Smith on the cover, and interviewed inside...
+
She continues, "K9 won't be in every single episode - right now, we estimate he'll appear in approximately six of the 12 episodes. And I can promise that the fun is only just beginning - just wait 'til he gets to meet Mr. Smith properly!"+
The production team are supposedly awaiting to hear from Nicholas Courtney with the intention of his Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart character returning. Also slated for guest spots, but still unconfirmed, are Yasmin Paige, Joseph Millson and Juliet Cowan - aka the Jackson family, in a storyline that wraps up their current character arcs, possibly at the wedding of Chrissie Jackson to current bit on the side Ivan...
+
(That news comes direct from a trusted source, and not DWM)+
Doctor Who Magazine issue 405 also reveals news on the Gareth Roberts/Russell T Davies scribed Doctor Who easter special, "Planet of the Dead" which guest stars Michelle Ryan (of The Bionic Woman, Jekyll and Merlin fame) and comedian Lee Evans. The episode marks the first time that Doctor Who will have been filmed in High-Definition.
+
There's also a neat article on why the general public never seem to remember the many invasion attempts made by alien menaces over the years (including a look back at many classic era Sarah Jane stories, featuring Zygons, Dinosaurs and Loch Ness Monsters!).+
Part time producer Susie Liggat also talks exclusively to Dan Berry about her Doctor Who experiences - but us Smithies will also remember her involvement with the "Invasion of the Bane" pilot episode that helped to launch the SJA back in 2007. Sadly Liggat doesn't discuss the SJA in her interview, which also covers Russell T Davies' 2005 Casanova remount.
+
This month's The Fact of Fiction feature investigates 1975's "Planet of Evil", starring Elisabeth Sladen and Tom Baker - in an adventure recently released onto DVD.+
And finally, Dave Owen reviews the entire second series in a page, calling the Brigadier's return a triumph, and the arrival of the Chandra family as something that needs "a bit of work" in order to perfect the formula.
+
DWM issue 405 is out tomorrow priced a very reasonable £3.99.+
Apparerently there's somebody called Matt Smith on the cover, and interviewed inside...
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
New Who Figures Celebrate Black-and-White History
Click the pic to read the article and see the figures
Martha, Mickey returning?
Lots of buzz over the last week about a possible return (again) for Dr. Martha Jones, played by Freema Agyeman, in one of this year's upcoming specials. You can find the rumors here, here, here and here. Now, take that with the appropriately-sized grain of salt - I think there were a lot of rumors floating around in the last few months on purpose to keep fans from being completely unsurprised by the announcement of the 11th Doctor.
Torchwood trailer to air this week
UK and US fans of Torchwood can look forward to a sneak preview of the brand new series of the award-winning drama later this week. From 9pm on Thursday 5 February a 60-second trailer of Torchwood: Children Of Earth will be shown on the Torchwood website, bbc.co.uk/torchwood.
The trailer will be simultaneously broadcast at New York ComicCon 2009 - where series star Eve Myles and director Euros Lyn will be taking part in a panel session. The series has proved a big hit with audiences in the US where it is BBC America’s highest-rated series.
The upcoming third series sees a major change of format, telling just one story over five consecutive nights on BBC One.
Torchwood: Children Of Earth finds Captain Jack (John Barrowman), Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) and Ianto Jones (Gareth David Lloyd) still coming to terms with the death of two of their closest friends.
Despite their pain, they have a job to do. This time they are faced with their fiercest threat to date - one which throws the future of Torchwood and the entire human race spiralling into danger…
The trailer will be simultaneously broadcast at New York ComicCon 2009 - where series star Eve Myles and director Euros Lyn will be taking part in a panel session. The series has proved a big hit with audiences in the US where it is BBC America’s highest-rated series.
The upcoming third series sees a major change of format, telling just one story over five consecutive nights on BBC One.
Torchwood: Children Of Earth finds Captain Jack (John Barrowman), Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) and Ianto Jones (Gareth David Lloyd) still coming to terms with the death of two of their closest friends.
Despite their pain, they have a job to do. This time they are faced with their fiercest threat to date - one which throws the future of Torchwood and the entire human race spiralling into danger…
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