Sunday, July 26, 2009

Doctor Who - Waters of Mars Comic Con 2009 Trailer

The brand new trailer for the Doctor Who 2009 special Waters of Mars starring David Tennant and Lindsay Duncan

I09 reports on Who finale

We saw two teaser trailers for David Tennant's very final episodes as the time-traveling hero of Doctor Who, and they revealed some dark times ahead for our Time Lord, including a menacing figure in a hoodie. Spoilers in the TARDIS!

First we saw a trailer for "Planet Of The Dead," the desert planet epic that premieres tonight at 8:00 on BBC America — complete and unedited.

We also saw a trailer for "Waters Of Mars," the following story, which looks to be considerably darker.

We see images of a Martian base, with lots of somewhat primitive Earth tech including flashing buttons. The base is sort of cross-shaped, with modules sticking out at various points. The Doctor says, "Certain moments in time are fixed. Everything else is in flux. Anything can happen. But there are certain moments that must stand." We see images of the people in the Mars base going about their business, and then the weird water zombie thing starts, with people turning into water and getting the scabby reptilian faces. "This time and place on Mars, what happens here, must not be changed," the Doctor adds. And then we see more of the watery monster panic. And then the Doctor, in a different scene, explains that whatever this thing is, it doesn't just hide in water — it creates water. And if the humans take it back to Earth, it's all over. "Any one of us could be infected," says a blonde woman. More scenes of chaos and havoc as the base starts to fall apart. And then the Doctor stands in his orange spacesuit (from "The Satan Pit") with flames behind him. In his most dramatic voice, he says to the blonde woman, "It doesn't end here and now — because I don't hear anyone knocking, do you?" And then there are four brutal, loud knocks. And the titles say "THE WATERS OF MARS."

And then there was the trailer for Tennant's final two-parter, which appears to be called "The End Of Time":

We see the planet Earth from space, with the sun coming out behind it, and Timothy Dalton's voice purrs: "It is said that in the final days of the planet Earth, everyone had bad dreams." And then we see weird laughing faces, followed by David Tennant looking quite perturbed. We see glimpses of Wilf, Donna, Donna's mother, and an African man in a suit, all looking very serious. And there's a scary snake-faced creature. And then there's a figure in a dark hoodie lurking ominously. Dalton narrates: "He returns." We catch a glimpse of Ood Sigma, the Ood who told the Doctor his song was ending. And then the Doctor standing in the background, with the guy in a hoodie in the foreground. And then the hoodie comes off, and it's John Simm with his hair weirdly bleached! His voice comes: "My name is the Master." And then a title comes on the screen: "THE END OF TIME." And the Doctor walks forward with flames in the background, his face looking smoky and serious. And the title says "CHRISTMAS 2009." And the crowd goes wild.

The Doctor Who panel was more fun than informative, as it really should be. David Tennant had a huge standing ovation, and people in the crowd were shouting "WE LOVE YOU!!" at regular intervals. At one point, Tennant responded "We love you too. Each one of you in a slightly different, individual way. We want you to know that."

Russell T. Davies did confirm that Lucy Saxton, the Master's long-suffering wife, will be back in the final episodes, alongside Simms. And the words "He will knock four times" have a great significance.

And Tennant alluded to something bad that happens to the Doctor's jacket in one of the last scenes he shot.

Someone asked David Tennant if the new Who is a reimagining of the old show, and he responded: "It's the same show and the story continues. I'm playing the same man tht William Hartnell was playing. I just have a slghtly different wig."

Someone from the Guinness Book Of World Records presented the show with an award for being the most successful science fiction show of all time, and Davies happily accepted, making jokes about Star Trek. ""Eat that, Supernatural!" He shouted, followed by "Eat me, Supernatural — oh I didn't really say that, did I?"

Someone mentioned that John Barrowman (who plays Captain Jack Harkness) talked about stealing a few items from the Doctor Who set, and asked if Tennant had taken anything as well. Executive producer Julie Gardner quipped, "I think John Barrowman just stole things off the set so he could be strip-searched."

Tennant only has one regret about leaving the show now: "The one thing I leave the show with a great sadness about is, I didn't get to snog Bernard Cribbins. I got to snog all the other ones."

And a fan asked if Professor River Song might come back at some point, and Davies and Gardner made it clear they have nothing to do with the episodes going out in 2010 and have no clue what'll happen. But Davies added: "I think if you go online and do a little search for River Song, you might be very happy."

RTD says FU to fans of Ianto, wow what an ass....

Backlash shmacklash. That's Torchwood creator Russell T. Davies' reaction to the outcry over the shocking death of Gareth David-Lloyd's much-loved Ianto in the BBC America miniseries Children of Earth. "It's not a backlash really," he scoffs. "It's just a few people posting online." Those few people may want to fasten their seat belts, 'cause the unapologetic Brit behind the original Queer as Folk also has some strong opinions about why Ianto had to die, what TV show pissed off fans should watch instead (hint: see headline above), and where Torchwood goes from here.

Question: Why'd you kill Ianto?
RUSSELL T. DAVIES: The threat to the world was just so great it simply would have been unlikely if everyone had survived. Torchwood is an adult show. We have killed off leading members of the cast before. Those have always been the stakes. Poor Ianto was defeated by a greater evil, I'm afraid.

Question: So this wasn't something that resulted from Gareth wanting to leave?
DAVIES: No, it was my decision.


Question: What do you make of the fan backlash?
DAVIES: It's not particularly a backlash. What's actually happening is, well, nothing really to be honest. It's a few people posting online and getting fans upset. Which is marvelous. It just goes to prove how much they love the character and the actor. People often say, 'Fans have got their knives out!' They haven't got any knives. I haven't been stabbed. Nothing's happened. It's simply a few people typing. I'm glad they're typing because they’re that involved. But if you can’t handle drama you shouldn’t watch it. Find something else. Go look at poetry. Poetry’s wonderful.




Question: Can you confirm that Ianto is, in fact, dead?
DAVIES: I’m afraid so. He’s a wonderful actor. I've worked with him before. I’m a big fan of his and I [look forward to] watching his career prosper. But death is death in this case. It would devalue the entire plot if we brought him back.


Question: But it's a risky thing to kill off such a popular character.
DAVIES: Absolutely. There’s a risk that some people won’t come back to watch now that Ianto’s gone. I thank them for watching the show and I recommend they go watch Supernatural, because those boys are beautiful. And don’t tell me they’re brothers. [Laughs] Not in my mind.


Question: One of my readers wondered if you were under pressure to de-gay Torchwood and that's why you killed him off.
DAVIES: I think you can forget about people picking up gay rights as an issue. It's rather like children picking up nursery blocks and waving them in the air but having no idea what it entails. We’re talking about issues in my entire life here, not just one small television program. If they did research they’d go and look at the history of gay and lesbian characters that I have put on screen. They should simply grow up, do some research, and stop riding on a bandwagon that they actually don’t know anything about.


Question: What was Gareth's reaction when you told him you were killing Ianto?
DAVIES: Oh, he’s a lovely, professional man. He completely understood. He’d seen two major characters disappear the year before. It’s a job. It’s a very straightforward process. He loved filming that great big death scene.


Question: With half the cast dead, where does Torchwood go from here?
DAVIES: We don’t yet know about our fourth series, but I’m fairly confident [it will continue] in some shape or form. I will just sit down and invent new stories and characters. That’s what I’ve spent my entire life doing. It’s not difficult at all. I could write the first 10 scenes in an episode right now.



Question: Will Jack continue to be the centerpiece?
DAVIES: Oh, I would think so. I would hope so. He’s absolutely fundamental to Torchwood.


Question: Do you think you'll stick to the miniseries format?
DAVIES: It’s hard to say. It’s been pretty successful. We were the number one show for five nights running [in the UK], which was amazing. Everything’s looking good, but it’s hard to say. We’re in a recession so no one gets easy money to make television. I like continuous story. I like doing new things. In many ways, Torchwood was designed as a digital weapon. It’s kind of multi-purpose, multi-adaptable, shape-shifting weapon that can become anything. I’m kind of excited what we’ll do next.


Question: What about a feature film?
DAVIES: Oh, God. Raising money for that would be harder than a television show. But anything is possible.



Question: Any hints about where the story will go next?
DAVIES: No, it’s literally too soon. I don’t know yet.

SD Comic Con '09

Ianto ‘memorial’ fund helps Children In Need

A FUND set up “in memory” of Torchwood character Ianto Jones has raised £1,800 for charity.

Fans around the world were dismayed when Ianto, a lead character in the sci-fi hit, met an untimely and unexpected demise in this month’s Children of Earth mini-series on BBC1.

A movement to save the character, played by Gareth David-Lloyd, began moments after he was killed off in the series and the resulting website – http://www.saveiantojones.com/ – has had more than 25,000 hits. It urges fans to send postcards and letters to series creator Russell T Davies and to the BBC.

The online donations had last night raised £1,865 for Children In Need. The website, www.justgiving.com/iantojones, says: “Though we, his devoted fans, still hope that he’ll come back (it’s still sci-fi and in sci-fi death can be reversed, can’t it?) we mourn him. In the series, he died saving the children of Earth so it seems fitting to honour his memory by helping the Children in Need.”

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Monday, July 20, 2009

More first day filming pics














































Day one set photos emerge













The Name's Pond. Amy Pond

Details are beginning to emerge about the next Doctor's companion, and the big news is she'll be called Amy Pond.
Back in May we revealed that the new companion will be played by 21 year old Karen Gillan, but until now her character's full name has been more carefully guarded than the Doctor's 'real' name! Amy will travel in the TARDIS alongside the new Doctor, played by Matt Smith, when the next series of Doctor Who begins in 2010.
Amy Pond is another memorable moniker from the new series Head Writer and Executive Producer, Steven Moffat, whose previous creations include Sally Sparrow and River Song. The latest photo which we revealed earlier today indicates Amy will have a laid back, contemporary look. So far we've had no suggestion as to whether we'll meet the new companion's family, or even if she has a family. But time will tell, and we'll be here to bring you Amy's story as it unfolds!

Tom Baker is to return as Doctor Who in five audio specials.

The 75-year-old actor - who played the Timelord on TV from 1974 to 1981, the longest so far of the 10 actors to take the role - will voice The Doctor for the BBC, following his adventures when he moves into a Sussex cottage in 2009 after leaving former companions Leela and metal dog K-9 on his home planet Gallifrey.

Writer Paul Magrs told The Sun: "I can picture the very moment he turned back into the Doctor - one minute it was introductions and actorly chat and then, all of a sudden, he was rehearsing lines.

He continued: "His first was, 'Hello, I'm the Doctor'. It was a very shivery moment."

The Doctor will be joined by companion UNIT's Captain Mike Yates, voiced by Richard Franklin, who played the role on the television show with Tom.

The episodes will also feature Mrs Wibbsey - voiced by Susan Jameson, of TV detective show New Tricks - as the Doctor's housekeeper.

The adventures, with series title Hornets' Nest, are due to air monthly from September 3 on BBC radio.

Matt Smith starts filming 'Doctor Who'





Filming on the new series of Doctor Who with Matt Smith has got underway in Cardiff.

The fifth series sees the newly-regenerated Doctor meet a new companion, Amy Pond, played by Scottish actress Karen Gillan.

"I feel very privileged and proud to be part of this iconic show," said Smith. "The scripts are brilliant and working alongside Karen, Steven and the rest of the crew is an inspiration because their work ethic and passion for the show is so admirable. I’m excited about the future and all the brilliant adventures I get to go on as the Doctor."

New showrunner Steven Moffat said: "And here it is, the big moment - the new Doctor, and his new best friend. And here's me, with the job I wanted since I was seven. 40 years to here! If I could go back in time and tell that little boy that one day all this would happen, he'd scream, call for his Mum and I'd be talking to you now from a prison cell in 1969. So probably best not then.

"Matt and Karen are going to be incredible, and Doctor Who is going to come alive on Saturday nights in a whole new way - and best of all, somewhere out there, a seven-year-old is going to see them, fall in love, and start making a forty year plan..."

Smith takes over from David Tennant in the iconic role at the end of three specials, the last of which airs early in 2010.

Filming on the 13-episode fifth series runs until March 2010 for broadcast next Spring.

source

Is River Song going to return in Smiths first run?

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Davies on atheism, American TV, and five decades of Doctor Who


Source


Consider the crushing dearth of fun in the Star Wars prequels, and you'll have an idea of the success rate in reviving beloved sci-fi franchises. But, when Queer as Folk creator Russell T Davies (he added the "T" to his name, no punctuation) resurrected Doctor Who for the BBC in 2005, his sharp, funny take on the iconic time-traveler (played now by David Tennant) met with great acclaim. It soon spun off Torchwood, a show about a modern team of alien-fighters captained by the enigmatic, possibly immortal, certainly bisexual Jack Harkness (John Barrowman). Torchwood's third season airs as a five-night miniseries starting July 20 at 9 pm, while the one-hour Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead premieres July 26 at 8, both on BBC America. Both shows come out as DVDs on July 28. Davies, on the phone from Los Angeles, talked with me about atheism, American TV, and five decades of Doctor Who.

Why hasTorchwood been such a hit, while earlier attempts to launch Doctor Who in the states failed?
I wish I knew. I think there's a little bit of resistance to Doctor Who in America, because there's such an ancient history of the show. They either think it's a repeat from the '70s or that they have to have watched it all the way from the '70s to follow what's going on, which isn't true of the modern show at all. You can pick it up from scratch. We were able to make Doctor Who work in Britain partly by trading off that nostalgia, but also by rejecting it and getting a brand new audience in.

From what I can gather — I haven't been to many conventions and I don't really go online and read fan stuff because that way lies madness — the sexuality of Torchwood seems to get quite a buzz. I certainly knew from Queer as Folk that gay male stories attract a lot of women viewers. There's a side of that in Torchwood, and Captain Jack having a relationship with the second-in-command. There's a bit of a buzz about that. I don't mean in a prurient way. There's just a fun lightness and enjoyment of it.

How much of what we see inTorchwood about the randomness of existence is your worldview?
A lot. The only way I can write — whether that's good or bad — is to put my worldview into everything. I have to challenge that worldview from time to time, but in terms of the atheism of the show, I find that very powerful. When you come to episode five of this year's Torchwood, you'll really see my worldview coming out very strongly and in a very dark way. It's about how thin life is, how we've got a nice, Western world of comforts, hot water, television, phones, and food, and we think we're much more civilized than the rest of the world but actually that could just snap tomorrow.

Why is it that secret agencies in American movies likeMen In Blackhave billion-dollar budgets, while Torchwood has five employees?
I think you've hit something there. Maybe that's why an American would find the show interesting. There's a fundamental difference between British and American television, it seems to me. This is a great generalization, but as a whole, American television is aspirational, where British television looks towards the working class. If you're on British television, you're more likely to have lead characters who are unemployed or shop workers. Maybe on American television, they're more likely to be running the shop. I admire American television for being aspirational. There's a slight guilt and complex and persecution culture in Britain about moving away from it. In British television, our evening soap operas are all entirely working class, and that's been the dominant voice for 40 years. We're stuck with it. We need to move on. It shouldn't be the only voice. There's a huge contingent of British writers who'll say you sold out and betrayed the whole profession of writing by not writing about the working class, which I find extraordinary and laughable. Nevertheless, perhaps that's where Torchwood's interest comes from. They're a strange little bunch of people living in a sewer.

Doctor Who has been around since 1963. Is there a giant board used to keep track of all the continuity?
The great thing is that there isn't and never has been. That's the most extraordinary part of the history of Doctor Who. Every three or four years, the production team would change. Every few years, the doctor would change. So we'd have this fantastically ramshackle, jammed-together continuity. As a long-term dyed-in-the-wool Doctor Who fan, I'm the historian; I know every single episode ever made. And I love all that, and I'm very respectful towards it, but I have to say, I'd throw all that out for the sake of a good idea

New companion to be scottish?

{From the Mirror so take it with a grain of ye olde salt lol}

The new Doctor Who's companion is going to be called Amy and (drumroll, please) she'll have a Scottish accent!

Played by the lovely Karen Gillan, Amy will be assisting David Tennant's successor Matt Smith - who I reckon is going to be fantastic as the new Time Lord.

Rumours abound that there'll be some hot chemistry between them, just as there was with Rose and David's Doctor.

Steven Moffat, who's taking over from Russell T Davies as the show's boss, is a huge fan of the 21-year-old. He says she's "funny and clever and gorgeous and sexy.

"Or Scottish, which is the quick way of saying it." (He is, too.)

My on-set spy whispers: "Karen's Scottish so it seems reasonable she keeps her accent, even though David didn't."

The first picture of the pair in time-travelling regalia will be revealed on Tuesday... because filming on the new series starts on Monday.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Teagan to return in season 5 of Who?




I was sent an email that detailed that at the Bad Wolf convention in Birmingham Janet Fielding (Tegan Jovanka) announced that she'll be appearing in season 5. God that would so rock!!!

RTD is moving to America?

DOCTOR WHO writer Russell T Davies, regarded by many as the country’s best TV dramatist, has rocked BBC executives by announcing that he is leaving for the US.


The move is a major blow because, as well as revitalising Doctor Who, Davies created two popular spin-offs,Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Torchwood, starring Eve Myles, shifted to BBC1 from BBC2 last week, clocking up huge audiences.

But there is now uncertainty over its future with its creator relocating to Hollywood.

Davies said of his move: “I haven’t planned anything, all my furniture is now there and I’m just going to start writing.

“It will take years to get anything made out there. It’s going to be difficult, so new and so brilliant. I will learn from people and bring it back here one day. It’s a big adventure and a lot of fun.”

Asked about the future of Torchwood, a BBC spokeswoman said: “It’s his show but it’s too early to say whether it will return. We will look closely at all of the ratings.”

Budget cuts are forcing cancellations across the channels.

Family dramas have been worst hit, with ITV’s Primeval and Demons disappearing, along with BBC1’s Robin Hood.

BBC drama is also facing problems over its decision to cancel Judge John Deed. Martin Shaw, the star of the popular courtroom drama which has been officially axed by BBC bosses, is calling for a public campaign to bring it back.

He said: “The BBC have said that they’re not interested in making more Judge John Deed. They might change their minds but we don’t know where their minds are. I fail to understand their reasoning and why nobody’s questioning it. Maybe the public should ask or at least say, ‘Why not?’