Kopic's Doctor Who & Torchwood News

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• Jingle Bells
• First Look at David Tennant as Peter Vincent in Fright Night Remake - Dread Central
• Torchwood: The Game
• Smith: “New Series Madly Inventive”
• So He’s Danny Horn!
• Clark: 'Gatiss penned new Who episode' - Digital Spy
• Colin Baker is Inspector Morse
• Neil Gaiman praises 'Doctor Who' cast - Digital Spy
• Billy Connolly to be next Doctor Who? - stv.tv
• Nick Briggs, Nigel Planer, Matt Smith Set for Doctor Who LIVE Tour - TheaterMania.com
• Paul Cornell’s Pulse is Gone
• In pictures: Doctor Who monsters in Old Market Square - BBC News
• Alex Mallinson: Alive and Interviewed
• Matt Smith: 'New Who is madly inventive' - Digital Spy
• Adios to Amy?
• Imogen Poots ('Bouquet Of Barbed Wire') - Digital Spy
• Doctor Who baddies invade Birmingham - Birmingham Mail
• Watch Dead and Buried!
• Doctor Who tour set to stop off in Liverpool - Formby Times
• Doctor Who tour set to stop off in Liverpool - Ormskirk & Skelmersdale Advertiser
• Mid Season Split Spoiler?
• Doctor Who Tickets at Minimum Rates - SBWire (press release)
• Gatiss Returning for Series 6
• Daleks in Series 6?
• Latest Weekly Podcast
• 2010 Cowal Championships: inspiring Argyll pipe band results - For Argyll
• Amy Shock Twist Planned?
• Doctor Who: Amy Pond to be killed off? - Unreality TV (blog)
• Next Series Of Doctor Who To Be Split Transmission
• Nigel Planer Joins Cast For Doctor Who Live
• Who are you callin' fat? - The Sun
• Double dose of Doctor Who on way - Mirror.co.uk

Jingle Bells Posted: 01 Sep 2010 04:01 PM PDT Having arrived home from Bath at 10pm on Christmas Eve before wrapping my presents I just wanted to say a very Happy Christmas to anyone who is mad enough to want to log on to my blog over the Christmas period!� When I say "mad" - it is a flattering 'madness' that you should even think about me at Christmas!� I have been panto driven for the last two weeks having gone straight from Noises Off, via Chicago, into rehearsals for Jack and the Beanstalk - but I wanted to be sure to thank you all for your support and interest over the last few years and a special thank you to the wonderful, uncomplaining and diligent Rob Cope for keeping this website so informative and interesting even though I am not always that good at keeping him informed. To Rob and to all of you - thanks and have a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS! Come and see me in Bath until the 25th January if you have the chance - it is a fun panto and everyone in it is both good and lovely! More after Christmas - I promise!!! Colin

First Look at David Tennant as Peter Vincent in Fright Night Remake - Dread Central Posted: 01 Sep 2010 11:11 AM PDT First Look at David Tennant as Peter Vincent in Fright Night Remake Dread Central A couple of photos have surfaced of a promotional banner of actor David Tennant (best known to fans all over the globe as Dr. Who) portraying his Peter ... and more��

Torchwood: The Game Posted: 01 Sep 2010 09:28 AM PDT BBC Worldwide looking at developing Torchwood game.

Smith: “New Series Madly Inventive” Posted: 01 Sep 2010 07:35 AM PDT Following news this weekend that the 2011 series will be broadcast in two parts (one in the Spring and the other in the Autumn) to allow for a cataylismic game changing twist to happen, Matt Smith has praised The Grand Moff's ideas. "I'm really looking forward to it. What Steven's [Moffat] got planned is so madly inventive, it really is." Although like the rest of the Whoinverse Smith knows very little about the series or which guest stars will appear in it. "It's funny because I'm in a similar sort of position to the people that watch the show because I literally don't know anything until I get the scripts." Smith is due to get his hands on those sacred pages in the next few days before filming commences soon – and he will also appear at one or all of the Wembley Arena shows of Doctor Who Live: The Monsters are Coming taking place between the 8th and 10th October. For the rest of the tour the Doctor will be interacting with Vorgenson, a new character played by Nigel Planer (The Young One's), who is described as the Greatest Showman in the Galaxy and the Doctors biggest fan, via video recordings. In the production Vorgenson, who has been developed specially for the show by Steven Moffat, will use his incredible invention, 'The Minimiser', to make any Doctor Who character appear on stage as part of his travelling show dedicated to his hero. Daleks, Silurians, Cybermen and many other beasts and baddies will be appearing before audiences across the UK along with a 16-piece orchestra playing music written by show composer Murray Gold. Meanwhile, tickets for Doctor Who Live start at £38.50 while there are cheaper options at £34.50 or £25.00 – ypu can book for any of the nine venues here at Ticketmaster! Hurry, they're selling fast! Matt Smith will next be on our screens as the Doctor in the upcoming Christmas special. (Via BBC Newsbeat)

So He’s Danny Horn! Posted: 01 Sep 2010 06:12 AM PDT Unknown actor Danny Horn has finally been speaking about his up and coming role in the Doctor Who Christmas Special. The 21 year-old from Ilkley, who had just finished drama school before being cast in the show has confirmed that he'll be playing a younger version of Kazran, the character played by Sir Michael Gambon. Unsurprisingly Horn was full of praise for The Singing Detective and Harry Potter star. "Working with Michael was fantastic as he's one of my heroes, and Matt is brilliant to work with – absolutely fantastic." In the episode, based loosely on Charles Dickens' immortal A Christmas Carol, Danny's character spends most of his time with Opera Warbler Katherine Jenkins' character, who, like Danny, is making her dramatic debut in the special, he said: "It was a bit of an alien world to both of us, if you'll pardon the pun We were together for a lot of the episode – let's just say I might be a bit of a hero with the boys." The actor, who has an upcomming role in MI:High is hoping the special can springboard him into bigger and better things. "So far it's going well. I've got a couple of really exciting opportunities ahead. I'm down to the final two for the lead in a big film." (via Telegraph & Argus)

Clark: 'Gatiss penned new Who episode' - Digital Spy Posted: 01 Sep 2010 04:29 AM PDT Clark: 'Gatiss penned new Who episode' Digital Spy A Doctor Who director has revealed that Mark Gatiss has penned an episode for the show's sixth series. ... and more��

Colin Baker is Inspector Morse Posted: 01 Sep 2010 04:22 AM PDT Many actors long to play an iconic character for theatre, television or film. Some don't manage to achieve this dream. Others are able to flex their acting muscles and reach their goals. Former Sixth Doctor actor Colin Baker is the latter. Not only will he always be known as a flamboyant, loud and (these days, thanks to various Big Finish plays) caring Time Lord the Doctor, he is now taking on the mantle of well known Detective Inspector Morse. Colin is appearing at theatres nationwide in "House of Ghosts", a Morse mystery written by Alma Cullen who, incidentally, wrote four of the TV episodes that starred the late and great John Thaw. Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Baker spoke about how he approached the role: "It's a little like taking on the role of Doctor Who, the knack is not to try to follow in the footsteps of the person who has gone before you… I could never fill John's shoes, he was wonderful in the role, but I look different, I am different. "What I had to do was go to the books and find the character for myself. There are certain things that people will recognise and that I have found important to playing him. His meanness, the appalling way he treats women, and Lewis." Baker was cast as the Sixth Doctor when Doctor Who was under severe scrutiny from not only the general public but also BBC bosses as well. However, his feelings on his tenure and also the new series remain greatly positive: "Oh I loved my time on Doctor Who, loved it, for three years it was among the happiest times of my career… I am completely knocked out by the new lot…I'm quite envious of all the things they are able to do, with the special effects and everything and I think Russell T Davies has done a wonderful job as the producer." Baker clearly has no regrets and still continues to wow us with his unique portrayal of the Doctor to this very day. Speaking candidly, he does have one regret which he reflected on: "The thing that I'm most envious of, however, is the care that the BBC takes of it these days. When I was in it, the show was as popular, in terms of viewing figures, as it is today, but it seemed to be something that the BBC was almost embarrassed of. That's the only sadness I have about my time in the show." Colin is never one to pull punches when it comes to airing his views, he has been writing a weekly column for his local newspaper The Bucks Free Press for 17 years now: "It all started when I wrote a letter to the paper 17 years ago and the editor wrote to ask me if I would like to write a column and I've done that, weekly, ever since…I have just written this week's and I've sounded off about student loans and how appalling the system is. Lots of people have to deal with things like that and all they can do is get to the point where they are so frustrated they think their brain will explode – I get to write it down and get it all out. It's a great release valve." Colin Baker always performs to his fullest and his rich and varies acting experience will surely translate well to the stage when he gives us what will surely be a unique portrayal of one of Britain's most famous Detectives. You can call 0844 847 2322 to book tickets for "House of Ghosts" which will be showing at York Grand Opera House from September 16th to 18th.

Neil Gaiman praises 'Doctor Who' cast - Digital Spy Posted: 01 Sep 2010 04:07 AM PDT Neil Gaiman praises 'Doctor Who' cast Digital Spy "The guest... stars will be fabulous, Matt [Smith is] great, Arthur [Darvill is] wonderful and I never got to say hello to Karen [Gillan], who was amazing. ... and more��

Billy Connolly to be next Doctor Who? - stv.tv Posted: 01 Sep 2010 03:13 AM PDT stv.tv Billy Connolly to be next Doctor Who? stv.tv Former Doctor Who star Sylvester McCoy has told STV that he thinks Matt Smith has done "a really good job" - but believes Billy Connolly would be ideal for ...

Nick Briggs, Nigel Planer, Matt Smith Set for Doctor Who LIVE Tour - TheaterMania.com Posted: 01 Sep 2010 01:32 AM PDT TheaterMania.com Nick Briggs, Nigel Planer, Matt Smith Set for Doctor Who LIVE Tour TheaterMania.com ... optical illusions and spectacular pyrotechnics and live performance and will bring such characters and creatures from the series as Daleks, Cybermen, ...

Paul Cornell’s Pulse is Gone Posted: 01 Sep 2010 01:30 AM PDT Bad news for any fans of Paul Cornell (Father's Day, Human Nature/Family of Blood, loads of other stuff) who caught the pilot to his BBC zombie series Pulse; the BBC has decided not to commission it as a TV series. For anyone who didn't catch the one hour horror drama set in a London hospital, it was actually rather good. The characters are "fleshed out" (ahem) before the audience start to realise that a sinister experiment has started to get hideously out of control. It was aired on BBC Three some months ago but nothing has been heard about it until now. The BBC Three controller Danny Cohen said: "The decision about which series to commission was not determined solely by audience numbers. BBC Three looks hard at Appreciation Index responses, how good they thought a series might be… Pulse got an okay AI. "There's a range of reasons. It's about which one you think creatively – instinctively – has the most mileage." At a time when TV is all about branching out into new avenues of entertainment, it's a shame that this did not get turned into a full series. Channel 4's Dead Set proved that zombie dramas can be done and excellently achieved. Overseas, a new ongoing zombie drama called The Walking Dead (based on a comic book series from Image Comics) starring Andrew Lincoln is starting up over Halloween and looks set to be fantastic, the key is that the advertising has been properly arranged. Pulse had little to no marketing and so didn't get the full attention it deserved. With more zombie TV shows on the way, it wouldn't be at all surprising if someone picked up Pulse for a full series.

In pictures: Doctor Who monsters in Old Market Square - BBC News Posted: 01 Sep 2010 01:00 AM PDT In pictures: Doctor Who monsters in Old Market Square BBC News The show's stage manager Dave McEvoy promises the show will have "lots and lots of monsters" including the Ood, Cybermen, Daleks and Silurian. ... and more��

Alex Mallinson: Alive and Interviewed Posted: 31 Aug 2010 11:48 PM PDT Over the past month we've told you about Bernice Summerfield: Dead and Buried, the first-ever CGI adventure starring Benny, the Seventh Doctor companion in the Virgin New Adventures!  We recently engaged in a discussion with the story's animator, Alex Mallinson, who shared with us some wonderful anecdotes about his career thus far, including what it was like putting everyone's favourite off-screen archaeologist… well, on the screen! The roots of Alex's interest in animation stem from the 1980s, "the heyday of the action/adventure film, usually replete with special effects and that certainly inspired me. I'm a bit of a combination of hermit and control freak, perhaps stemming from years of quietly crafting my own, lonely worlds in Lego and I'm sure that the solitary nature of animation appeals on that front. "My biggest two influences are Doctor Who, whose special effects always had that accessible quality which looked like one could aspire to; and a Miyazaki animation called Laputa: Castle in the Sky, which I saw aged about 9 and which utterly blew me away. Epic themes, airborne pirates, robots and explosions. So I suppose it's that love of spectacle and fantasy that drove me to use animation to create the things I could never see." This fascination with the bold and astonishing genre of visual storytelling eventually led Alex, ironically, to the Whovian-treasured audio-play makers at Big Finish, whom Alex admired long before working with them.  "I spent several years working in video games and my last employer was little better than a production line for run-of-the-mill titles. I stumbled across the Big Finish site around that time (remember the old one which stretched down for miles?!) and escaped from the drudgery of work into the Whoniverse. "Once I went freelance as an illustrator I approached them to see if they were interested in my work. There are two very good reasons why they didn't hire me at that time. The first was that my work was very pedestrian (and occasionally still is if inspiration doesn't strike before the deadline) and the second was that I'd rampaged merrily across message boards trailing deeply insulting remarks, never suspecting for a moment that the people involved might read these comments. In my meagre defence, it was largely a way of venting frustration that I wasn't involved. Simple jealousy I suppose." This "simple jealousy" that nearly every Whovian has experienced at some point during his or her fanhood, may have temporarily prevented Alex from his Big Finish debut, but even the Doctor Who audio masters could not stop a zombie outbreak:  "At a Shaun of the Dead signing I met the writer Jim Swallow and got chatting. He introduced me to John Ainsworth, who employed me on his Space 1889 audio range and got me into Big Finish working on the adverts. He then introduced me to Nick [Briggs] and before long, Big Finish was my biggest client, in fact I don't really think of them as clients any more! They're the best bunch I've ever worked for." Alex's "biggest client" allowed him to produce animated trailers for audio stories featuring some of the Doctor's most infamous opposers, including Cyberman.  "It was quite early on in my BF career, I don't think I'd done any covers at that stage and it was another way to get their attention and do work that inspired me. I'd been working on adverts and virals for a while at that point so I felt fairly confident. In retrospect, the Cyberman's chin is too big. They're buggers, those Invasion Cybs, the mask proportions are odd and every time I tweak it, it throws something else out. I had fun with the spaceship designs, which were meant to be utilitarian but ended up looking a bit like lions. The models have cropped up in all sorts since. "Just as you can recognise bits of old BBC spaceships all over Blake's 7 and Doctor Who, so those ships have ended up in Viyran vessels and the whaling ship from Song of Megaptera. There's even a bit of it in the Benny animation."

Matt Smith: 'New Who is madly inventive' - Digital Spy Posted: 31 Aug 2010 11:31 PM PDT Matt Smith: 'New Who is madly inventive' Digital Spy Matt Smith has said that the next series of Doctor Who will be "madly inventive". The actor, who made his debut as the ... and more��

Adios to Amy? Posted: 31 Aug 2010 10:03 PM PDT Some of the first clues from Amy Pond herself Karen Gillan concerning how long the Ginger Scot might remain tag-along to the Bow Tie surfaced last weekend.  Amy will definitely be sticking around for Season 32 (Series 6), which is scheduled to begin filming in "a week and a bit," according to Karen, speaking at an event in Glasgow.  But after that, who knows? You may recall our initial report where, upon being asked, Karen said she wasn't sure if she'll return for a third run: "Who knows? I'm just taking it series by series and I'm just having fun.  So, I don't know.  I have no idea." Some of you have predicted in comments to various articles that the mid-series split will be the end for Amy, and this is the first inkling that you may in fact be correct.  As you'll know if you've been following us during the past week, Steven Moffat considers the episodes in Autumn 2011 to be an entirely separate season from those in the earlier Spring. "We are going to make it two series – seven episodes at Easter building to an earth-shattering climax, a cliffhanger we could never normally do because it would be too long before it came back. An enormous game-changing cliffhanger that will change everything. "The wrong expression would be to say we are splitting it in two. We are making it two separate series." "Two separate series?"  "Game-changing cliffhanger?"  Does Karen know more than she's letting on?  Perhaps her statement last weekend was simply worded to avoid telling a flat-out lie. Naturally, I'm just trying to stir up conspiracy theories.  We're really going to have to wait until Autumn, or even Spring 2012, to know if Pond continues to come along.  I don't like waiting for Who any more than you do.

Imogen Poots ('Bouquet Of Barbed Wire') - Digital Spy Posted: 31 Aug 2010 10:03 PM PDT Imogen Poots ('Bouquet Of Barbed Wire') Digital Spy Matt Smith's a real laugh. He's such a talented actor and it's amazing how he played this part that's the complete antithesis to his role in Doctor Who. ... and more��

Doctor Who baddies invade Birmingham - Birmingham Mail Posted: 31 Aug 2010 09:38 PM PDT Doctor Who baddies invade Birmingham Birmingham Mail An evil Cyberman was joined by a Silurian warrior as they scared schoolchildren and announced their aim to take over the planet. Brothers Oliver and Thomas ...

Watch Dead and Buried! Posted: 31 Aug 2010 08:07 PM PDT After considerable speculation by us, and anticipation by Big Finish fans across the web, the Bernice Summerfield animated adventure is finally released! Bernice Summerfield first appeared in the Doctor Who novel Love and War (by Bernice's creator, Paul Cornell) back in 1993 – since then she has spun off into her own range of books and audio adventures, where she is voiced by Lisa Bowerman (Survival). This new medium gives the character another exciting dimension! Director and animator Alex Mallinson says: To celebrate Bernice's eleventh season, we've pushed the boundaries again and produced Big Finish's first animated feature. It's a ten-minute adventure which acts as an introduction not only to the first play of season 11, Resurrecting the Past, but also to the character herself and the range in general." You can view the 10 minute animation – a prequel to the eleventh series of audio adventures – at www.bernicesummerfield.co.uk, where you can also download a cool selection of desktop wallpapers! Look out for an exclusive interview with Alex later today on Kasterborous!

Doctor Who tour set to stop off in Liverpool - Formby Times Posted: 31 Aug 2010 07:43 PM PDT Doctor Who tour set to stop off in Liverpool Formby Times The new stage show, based upon the BBC's smash hit, award-winning series Doctor Who, promises to deliver a spectacular audio/visual experience featuring ... and more��

Doctor Who tour set to stop off in Liverpool - Ormskirk & Skelmersdale Advertiser Posted: 31 Aug 2010 07:30 PM PDT Doctor Who tour set to stop off in Liverpool Ormskirk & Skelmersdale Advertiser Developed in association with Doctor Who's Executive Producer and show runner, Steven Moffat, Doctor Who Live promises the same excitement, adventure and ... and more��

Mid Season Split Spoiler? Posted: 31 Aug 2010 07:03 PM PDT This article contains serious potential spoilers – read at your own risk! Here's a tricky one for you all – speculation on what will occur at the mid-season cliffhanger to 2011's Doctor Who. Over the Bank Holiday weekend, it was announced at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival that  the 2011 series of Doctor Who would be split in two, with a first batch of episodes in the Spring followed by another batch in the Autumn. Steven Moffat declared "one of the most exciting… cliffhangers and plot twists ever" – something that seems to have been let out of the bag by the press already! Popular red-top The Sun has reported that Amy Pond will die as part of Steven Moffat's devastating plot twist. Of course, we don't know the truth about this at present – and in fact it is unlikely that we will for several months. What is interesting however is that the actress concerned has recently spoken of her wish to do some theatre, "something worlds away from Doctor Who". Perhaps she'll get the chance? (Via Digital Spy)

Doctor Who Tickets at Minimum Rates - SBWire (press release) Posted: 31 Aug 2010 06:31 PM PDT Doctor Who Tickets at Minimum Rates SBWire (press release) A fifth series of the relaunched programme began on 3 April 2010,in which the Eleventh Doctor is accompanied by Amy Pond, portrayed by Karen Gillan. ... and more��

Gatiss Returning for Series 6 Posted: 31 Aug 2010 04:01 PM PDT Mark Gatiss returning to write the fourth episode of Series 6.

Daleks in Series 6? Posted: 31 Aug 2010 01:40 AM PDT Will the Daleks appear in Series 6 of Doctor Who? Maybe not.

Latest Weekly Podcast Posted: 30 Aug 2010 02:57 AM PDT It's the latest weekly podcast. Presented by Nick Briggs, David Richardson and Paul (Good Lorrrrd!!!) Spragg, this is a special preview edition with clips and teases for a brace of our September releases: Cradle of the Snake, Project Destiny, The Book of Kells, Find and Replace. Download or stream, the choice is yours. The means to do either are down and to the left of this item. Either way, it's freeeeeeee.

2010 Cowal Championships: inspiring Argyll pipe band results - For Argyll Posted: 30 Aug 2010 01:45 AM PDT 2010 Cowal Championships: inspiring Argyll pipe band results For Argyll The event this year welcomed Dunoon born former Doctor Who actor, Sylvester McCoy (above, cente), as Honorary Chieftain. In the last major championships of ...

Amy Shock Twist Planned? Posted: 30 Aug 2010 12:45 AM PDT Potential spoilers - Steven Moffat's game-changer revealed?

Doctor Who: Amy Pond to be killed off? - Unreality TV (blog) Posted: 29 Aug 2010 10:07 PM PDT Unreality TV (blog) Doctor Who: Amy Pond to be killed off? Unreality TV (blog) Doctor Who favourite Amy Pond may be killed off in the next series it has been revealed. Stephen Moffat revealed last weekend that the 2011 season will be ... and more��

Next Series Of Doctor Who To Be Split Transmission Posted: 29 Aug 2010 05:32 PM PDT The BBC and Steven Moffat have announced today that the transmission of the next series of Doctor Who, in 2011, will be split into two blocks, transmitting in spring and autumn. The split transmission...

Nigel Planer Joins Cast For Doctor Who Live Posted: 29 Aug 2010 05:02 PM PDT BBC Worldwide has today announced that Nigel Planer (The Young Ones, We Will Rock You, Evita, Chicago) will be joining the cast for the forthcoming audio/visual spectacular — Doctor Who Live. Planer wi...

Who are you callin' fat? - The Sun Posted: 29 Aug 2010 11:17 AM PDT Who are you callin' fat? The Sun DOCTOR Who boss Steven Moffat claims he thought stunning actress Karen Gillan would be "wee and dumpy" until he met her in the flesh. ... and more��

Double dose of Doctor Who on way - Mirror.co.uk Posted: 29 Aug 2010 12:07 AM PDT Double dose of Doctor Who on way Mirror.co.uk There will be a double dose of Doctor Who for the timelord's fans next year. Two separate series of his adventures will be shown with the show's producer ... and more��

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