Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Kopic's Doctor Who & Torchwood News

Kopic's Doctor Who & Torchwood News


Robert Pattinson Beaten By Aaron Johnson GQ Best Dressed Man - Teens Press

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 02:22 PM PST


Teens Press

Robert Pattinson Beaten By Aaron Johnson GQ Best Dressed Man
Teens Press
Other celebrities who managed to make it onto the list include Jude Law, Matt Smith, star of "Doctor Who", major producer Mark Ronson, and, of course, ...

and more »

'Doctor Who' Star David Tennant Engaged to Daughter of Original Dr. Who - Hollywood Reporter

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 01:57 PM PST


Hollywood Reporter

'Doctor Who' Star David Tennant Engaged to Daughter of Original Dr. Who
Hollywood Reporter
Doctor Who star David Tennant is to marry Georgia Moffett, the daughter of actor Peter Davison who played the time-traveling Doctor in the 1980s. ...

and more »

David Tennant: Former 'Doctor Who' Engaged, Universe Weeps - Babble (blog)

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 01:45 PM PST


Babble (blog)

David Tennant: Former 'Doctor Who' Engaged, Universe Weeps
Babble (blog)
David Tennant, the former Doctor Who hunk is engaged, as women all over the weep because he's off the market. My favorite Time Lord is marrying Georgia ...

and more »

Which Harry Potter Death Eater Is Engaged? - E! Online (blog)

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 01:08 PM PST


E! Online (blog)

Which Harry Potter Death Eater Is Engaged?
E! Online (blog)
That would be David Tennant, who as the plum loco Barty Crouch Jr. spent most of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire impersonating Mad-Eye Moody (Brendan ...

Matt Smith hopes that Doctor Who will go on “forever”

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 12:57 PM PST

Matt Smith has revealed that he hopes the writers find a way around the ongoing regeneration limit mystery, as he feels there's no end to the show's "boundless" format. Speaking to The Big Issue in Scotland recently, the Eleventh Doctor actor responded to THAT line as heard in the latest series of The Sarah Jane Adventures, explaining: "That's a Russell question. You'd [...]

Elizabeth Berrington, Adrian Schiller cast in new series

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 12:41 PM PST

It has been confirmed that Elizabeth Berrington and Adrian Schiller will be appearing in this year's series of Doctor Who. Their respective agency profiles have revealed that Berrington (Waterloo Road, A Touch of Frost, Pyschoville) will be playing the role of 'Auntie' in a forthcoming episode, while Schiller (Being Human, The Bill, My Family) will be appearing [...]

'Doctor Who's' David Tennant, 'The View's' Sherri Shepherd engaged ... but not ... - Zap2it.com (blog)

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 12:32 PM PST


'Doctor Who's' David Tennant, 'The View's' Sherri Shepherd engaged ... but not ...
Zap2it.com (blog)
Former Time Lord David Tennant is engaged to Georgia Moffett, who has two "Doctor Who" connections: 1) She's the daughter of the fifth incarnation of the ...

and more »

BBC launches Classic Doctor Who channel on YouTube

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 12:26 PM PST

The BBC yesterday launched an official YouTube channel for the classic series of Doctor Who, with the intention of giving "existing fans and new viewers an opportunity to sample" moments from the show's history! Running alongside the @classicdw Twitter feed, the channel already features over 40 clips, including a selection of classic clips dating back to the very first episode, [...]

55 Science Fiction/Fantasy Movies to Watch Out For in 2011 - io9

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 11:59 AM PST


55 Science Fiction/Fantasy Movies to Watch Out For in 2011
io9
A remake of the 1980s vampire movie — with David Tennant, the Tenth Doctor, as Peter Vincent, the stage magician who helps a teenager who discovers his ...

'Dr Who' Star David Tennant Engaged to Daughter of Original 'Dr Who' - Hollywood Reporter

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 10:41 AM PST


Hollywood Reporter

'Dr Who' Star David Tennant Engaged to Daughter of Original 'Dr Who'
Hollywood Reporter
Doctor Who star David Tennant is to marry Georgia Moffett, the daughter of actor Peter Davison who played the time-traveling Doctor in the 1980s. ...

and more »

'Dr. Who' Star David Tennant Gets Engaged To Georgia Moffett - Huffington Post

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 10:21 AM PST


'Dr. Who' Star David Tennant Gets Engaged To Georgia Moffett
Huffington Post
The Daily Mail is reporting that David Tennant, the 10th Doctor in the long-running British sci-fi series, is marrying Georgia Moffett, who is the daughter ...

and more »

Doctor Who: Shadows Of The Vashta Nerada review is left in the shade - Metro

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 10:03 AM PST


Metro

Doctor Who: Shadows Of The Vashta Nerada review is left in the shade
Metro
And what there is from Matt Smith and Karen Gillan still sounds like it's been recorded by running along after them in a busy BBC corridor. ...

YouTube Channel for the Classic Series Launches; Includes Preview Clips from ... - TVShowsOnDVD.com

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 09:04 AM PST


TVShowsOnDVD.com

YouTube Channel for the Classic Series Launches; Includes Preview Clips from ...
TVShowsOnDVD.com
As we've reported, next Tuesday January 11th sees the North American release of 2 classic-series DVDs: Doctor Who - Story #111: Meglos (starring Tom Baker ...

and more »

The Tenth Doctor to Wed His Young Female Clone - Comics Alliance

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 08:51 AM PST


The Tenth Doctor to Wed His Young Female Clone
Comics Alliance
According to The Sun, former Doctor Who star David Tennant is set to marry actress Georgia Moffett, who is both literally and figuratively "The Doctor's ...

and more »

David Tennant to marry Georgia Moffett, daughter of ex-Doctor Who Peter Davison - Daily Mail

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 08:10 AM PST


Daily Mail

David Tennant to marry Georgia Moffett, daughter of ex-Doctor Who Peter Davison
Daily Mail
That will be exactly two years after the Scottish star made his final appearance as the Doctor before handing the role over to Matt Smith. ...

and more »

Craig Ferguson's banned Doctor Who intro will finally air - The Province

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 07:52 AM PST


Craig Ferguson's banned Doctor Who intro will finally air
The Province
"Finally cleared Dr Who cold open," Ferguson wrote. "I'll broadcast it on CBS Thurs when River Song [Summer Glau] is on the show."

and more »

David Tennant pops the question to his "daughter" - Examiner.com

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 07:22 AM PST


David Tennant pops the question to his "daughter"
Examiner.com
... Messaline left a possible door open for a return. Many fans hope that becomes reality – with Matt Smith as the new Doctor, however, it's highly unlikely.

and more »

SNTV - David Tennant is engaged! - American Consumer News

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 07:15 AM PST


SNTV - David Tennant is engaged!
American Consumer News
David Tennant has announced his engagement to girlfriend Georgia Moffett who played his daughter on Dr. Who series. "SNTV – David Tennant is engaged! ...

and more »

Classic Who on Youtube

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 07:10 AM PST

BBC Worldwide has today launched a new Doctor Who channel on Youtube.

The channel went live earlier and already has more than 40 clips and previews for you to Read more ...


'Doctor Who' thing of the day: TARDIS for squirrels - Flick Filosopher (blog)

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 06:25 AM PST


'Doctor Who' thing of the day: TARDIS for squirrels
Flick Filosopher (blog)
They overstuffed their Dr. Who-themed squirrel box so much that the side door pushed out. Silly squirrels: the TARDIS is only bigger on the inside...

Craig Ferguson's Banned Doctor Who Intro Will Finally Air on CBS - Dose.ca

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 06:20 AM PST


Craig Ferguson's Banned Doctor Who Intro Will Finally Air on CBS
Dose.ca
"Finally cleared Dr Who cold open," Ferguson wrote. "I'll broadcast it on CBS Thurs when River Song [Summer Glau] is on the show."

David Tennant breaks hearts worldwide with news of engagement! - Accidental Sexiness

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 06:03 AM PST


Accidental Sexiness

David Tennant breaks hearts worldwide with news of engagement!
Accidental Sexiness
Tennant took over the role from 2005-2010 when he handed over his sonic screwdriver to the current Doctor, Matt Smith. David and Georgia plan to tie the ...

and more »

Classic 'Doctor Who' YouTube Channel Launches - Geeks of Doom

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 05:35 AM PST


Classic 'Doctor Who' YouTube Channel Launches
Geeks of Doom
The site will also contain new clips from Doctor Who: Meglos, which starred Tom Baker and originally aired in 1980, as well as an exclusive clip previewing ...

and more »

David Tennant and Georgia Moffett Engaged? - Gather Celebs News Channel

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 05:31 AM PST


David Tennant and Georgia Moffett Engaged?
Gather Celebs News Channel
David Tennant played Doctor Who's Tenth Doctor for three seasons before the character regenerated and Matt Smith took over as Eleven for season 5. ...

and more »

Classic Doctor Who channel launched on YouTube - The Doctor Who News Page (blog)

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 05:19 AM PST


Classic Doctor Who channel launched on YouTube
The Doctor Who News Page (blog)
... the new Doctor Who Meglos DVD boxset which will be released by 2entertain on 10th January. Meglos stars Tom Baker and was originally broadcast in 1980.

and more »

More Doctor Who Guest-Stars revealed - ATV Today

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 05:12 AM PST


More Doctor Who Guest-Stars revealed
ATV Today
Already confirmed for the episode is Suranne Jones who previously appeared, in a separate role, in The Sarah Jane Adventures. More recently Jones starred ...

YouTube Sets up Classic Doctor Who Channel - Gather.com

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 05:10 AM PST


YouTube Sets up Classic Doctor Who Channel
Gather.com
Some people may not have gotten into the show until the most recent Doctor (Eleven, played by Matt Smith), and this will give them a chance to learn more ...

and more »

David Tennant, Georgia Moffett to marry next year

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 05:09 AM PST

If this report posted by The Sun earlier today is to believed, there are huge congratulations in order for David Tennant and Georgia Moffett, who have become engaged! According to the newspaper, the Tenth Doctor actor will marry the actress, who played Jenny in The Doctor's Daughter, on January 1st 2012. A source said that the couple are "besotted with each other" and "can't [...]

'The Sarah Jane Adventures' and New TV Shows on DVD, Streaming Online for Jan ... - TV Squad

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 04:39 AM PST


'The Sarah Jane Adventures' and New TV Shows on DVD, Streaming Online for Jan ...
TV Squad
Now she's forging her own strange sci-fi tinged path in the BBC's 'Doctor Who' spinoff 'The Sarah Jane Adventures.' Essentially pitched as 'Doctor Who for ...

David Tennant: Engaged - Big Shiny Robot!

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 04:19 AM PST


Big Shiny Robot!

David Tennant: Engaged
Big Shiny Robot!
And for just a little bit more laughs the episode was written by Steven Moffat. So just to recap, Tennant is engaged to his on screen daughter who is the ...

and more »

Doctor Who: Casting News

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 04:09 AM PST

Two more guest stars have been confirmed online for the Neil Gaiman penned episode three of the next series, directed by Richard Clark.

Spotlight have listed Adrian Schiller as playing the character "Uncle" in the story. Schiller has recently played Noah Zeitler in BBC Series Silk, and has previously appeared in sci-fi/fantasy projects Being Human (Hennessey) and Going Postal (Mr Gryle).

As one might expect, an "Uncle" infers an "Auntie", and that role has been confirmed by United Agents as being played by Elizabeth Berrington. Berrington plays regular character Ruby in Waterloo Road, and sci-fi/fantasy-wise played nurse Nicola in Psychoville; she also appeared over the festive period as Terry in Jo Brand's Christmas Cracker.

The two join Suranne Jones, reported last year as playing the character Idris.

Doctor Who: Meglos - DVD Talk

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 03:22 AM PST


Doctor Who: Meglos
DVD Talk
A story taken from Tom Baker's final season playing The Doctor, Meglos is solid four-part story that stands the test of time fairly well. ...

'Doctor Who' lands on YouTube - Variety

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 02:59 AM PST


'Doctor Who' lands on YouTube
Variety
Among the clips are those from the "Meglos" series, which starred Tom Baker and was originally broadcast in 1980. The series is being released as a DVD box ...

and more »

Doctor Who stars David Tennant and Georgia Moffett to marry - DigitalJournal.com

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 02:51 AM PST


DigitalJournal.com

Doctor Who stars David Tennant and Georgia Moffett to marry
DigitalJournal.com
This isn't the first time that a Doctor Who and his companion, so to speak, have married. In 1981, Tom Baker, the then fourth Doctor, married Lalla Ward ...

and more »

David Tennant Engaged?

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 02:46 AM PST

Congratulations, fangirls, your attempts to woo David Tennant have failed!  Or have they?

According to a highly intelligent report from a 'source' whose name begins with 'S' and rhymes with 'Nun,' the Doctor is going to marry his daughter!  Well, the Fifth Doctor's daughter.  Weeell, Peter Davison's.  Weeell, Peter Davison's AND Steven Moffat's.  Or so her name would make it seem.

In case you've forgotten Series 4 completely, Georgia Moffett, the lady in question who has in fact been Tennant's girlfriend for a while now, originally appeared as the Doctor's daughter in The Doctor's Daughter, in which the Doctor meets his daughter.  I know!  Who'd have thought?  Moffett also contributed her voice to the 2009 animated serial Dreamland, and even made the cover of last September's Fish Fingers and Custard!

Whether Tennant and Moffett are so "besotted" (as The Sun writes) with each other that they're officially planning to tie the not on New Year's Day 2012 really depends on how much you trust the thought-provoking and in-depth coverage you'll find in tabloid newspapers.  If Tennant were really about to be engaged, private as he usually is with such matters, do you really he'd want to make sure The Sun is the the first of the press to know?  Then again, maybe The Sun had an accurate source for once.  There's really no way of knowing.

Ironically, Tennant himself supposedly made a statement that found itself in a different article in The Sun that we're now going to take completely out of context (hey, they probably did too!) to prove our point:

"…everybody tells you things that they're not supposed to – and you're not quite sure what's true and what isn't."

And that sums up The Sun right there.  If you want to know if he's really engaged, keep an eye out for an announcement on a reliable news source.  Again pointing out how Tennant likes to keep his private life private, you probably won't hear about it until he's already married.

(via Contactmusic.com)

Ratings Competition Winners

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 02:07 AM PST

Doctor Who: RatingsBARB have now issued the official ratings for the Week Ending 26 December, confirming A Christmas Carol has a final rating of 12.11 million viewers. Once figures for those watching on HD are factored in, the programme finished fourth for the week, behind EastEnders, Coronation Street and the new Matt Lucas and David Walliams comedy, Come Fly With Me.

Only eight other Doctor Who episodes have ranked fourth or higher in the weekly charts, including Matt Smith's first story, The Eleventh Hour.

Thank you to all those who entered our Christmas Competition.

The standard was high with over 25% of answers within half a million of the correct answer.
The highest guess was an optimistic 15.48 million and the lowest a pessimistic 7.4 million.

Only one person, Peter Hart of Oxford in the United Kingdom, correctly guessed the exact number of 12.11 million.

He wins an Eleventh Doctor Christmas Adventure Set and as a bonus for guessing the exact number we will be sending a DVD of A Christmas Carol.

We have five runners up who also win an Eleventh Doctor Christmas Adventure Set.
  • Chris Chalmers of London(12.10 million)
  • Russell Reinke of Lake Wales, Florida(12.12 million)
  • Kevin James Kirby of Camarillo, California(12.12 million)
  • Lyndsey Robinson of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire(12.08 million)
  • Sharon Vincent of Carterton, Oxfordshire(12.14 million)

Classic Doctor Who Channel Set for YouTube - World Screen

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 01:28 AM PST


Classic Doctor Who Channel Set for YouTube
World Screen
Meglos stars Tom Baker and was originally broadcast in 1980. The channel on YouTube complements the Classic Doctor Who Twitter account run by 2Entertain. ...

and more »

One Hero Meets Another

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 01:27 AM PST

Here's a nice little story to start your new year off with a heartfelt "awwwww". A young little chap by the name of Alfe Game was recently given the Christmas present of a lifetime when he was visited by the Eleventh Doctor himself, Matt Smith.

Alfe's story is a turbulent one for a young child to go through – diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma at the age of five the youngster spent Christmas 2009 in hospital.

The seven-year-old, from Duston, went into remission from the illness in July and has since dedicated hours of his time to helping children in a similar position to him, including collecting toys for presents for children spending Christmas at NGH and designing Christmas cards to be sold to fund presents for two friends who have relapsed with leukaemia.

Whilst a horrible event for any young man and his family to endure, the little nipper was rewarded for his hard work on Christmas Eve when the Northampton Chronicle and Echo newspaper set up a surprise visit for him from actor Matt. Alfe commented:

"Meeting Doctor Who was fantastic. When I heard I was going to meet him I was so excited I was crying inside and when I saw him on my doorstep I was so happy. I've got what I wanted for Christmas. This has been the best Christmas yet."

Now isn't that nice? If only more stories like this could appear day to day!

Steven Moffat Gives Clues For 'Sherlock' Season 2 - Geeks of Doom

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 01:04 AM PST


Steven Moffat Gives Clues For 'Sherlock' Season 2
Geeks of Doom
Writer Steven Moffat spoke with The Guardian about the anticipated returns of two hit BBC shows: Doctor Who and Sherlock. The writer, who took over as show ...

and more »

Classic Doctor Who YouTube Channel Launches: BBC Help - Online Social Media

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 12:02 AM PST


Online Social Media

Classic Doctor Who YouTube Channel Launches: BBC Help
Online Social Media
... Doctor Who will no doubt give us many memories whether it was the first doctor back in 1963 William Hartnell or in 1974 when we saw Tom Baker, ...

and more »

Crucible comeback is highlight of year in arts - Sheffield Telegraph

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 12:01 AM PST


Sheffield Telegraph

Crucible comeback is highlight of year in arts
Sheffield Telegraph
Since then there have been spin-off programmes Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, cartoons, computer games, tons of memorabilia, magazines, ...

David Tennant Engaged to Georgia Moffett? [RUMOUR]

Posted: 03 Jan 2011 11:48 PM PST

tumblr_le06p99YJB1qz4uono1_100.jpg

I hate relaying this kind of stuff reported in The Sun from an unnamed "source."

To quote the source in The Sun, "They (David Tennant and Georgia Moffett) are besotted with each and can't wait to tie the knot." It doesn't exactly say they are engaged though. I would file it under rumour for now until there's some sort of official confirmation.

If it is true, we wish them all the best. Georiga Moffett had just turned 26 this past Christmas (Happy Birthday, Georgia Moffett). We interviewed her last year at Gallifrey 21 in Doctor Who: Podshock 187.

The following is from the article that ran in The Sun:

read more

More Moths ...

Posted: 03 Jan 2011 11:45 PM PST

Back in June actor/comedian/Doctor Who DVD moderator Toby Hadoke reported that his acclaimed show Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf would be drawing to an end.

However ...
Never say never, as Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf seems hell bent on never ending. The show's chronic hysterisis leads it to the following venues, with more to come:

28th Jan - Alleyn's School, Dulwich
4th & 5th Feb - Hull Truck Theatre, Hull
18th Feb - Little Theatre, Chorley
19th Feb - Pound Arts Centre, Corsham

There'll also be another performance in Sevenoaks on the 27th June.
 
Toby's other tour, Now I Know My BBC will also be touring during 2011.

You can find out more details on the shows from Toby's website, www.tobyhadoke.com

'Classic Doctor Who' launches on YouTube - Digital Spy

Posted: 03 Jan 2011 11:38 PM PST


'Classic Doctor Who' launches on YouTube
Digital Spy
... back to Doctor Who's very first episode, including footage from Meglos, the four-part series originally broadcast in 1980 with Tom Baker as the Doctor. ...

and more »

Doctor Who Christmas Ratings

Posted: 03 Jan 2011 11:35 PM PST

A new era of Doctor Who is now upon us, new production team, new TARDIS team, everything different to merely five years ago. Except one thing that is, Doctor Who remains a Christmas ratings winner – pulling in a huge number of viewers A Christmas Carol and helping the BBC to achieve a ratings win on Christmas Day!

ITV tried bravely to battle with its rival and on Christmas Eve they even had the upper hand with an episode of Coronation Street getting the largest audience share of the timeslot. But the crown once again went to the BBC when they had eight of the top ten shows that were viewed on Christmas Day.

According to initial overnight figures, A Christmas Carol received an average of 10.3 million viewers, peaking at a whopping 11.5 million which is pretty huge considering there were no "events" this year, such as a regeneration or Kylie appearing out of the stardust again. (Note that final figures are yet to be confirmed and any speculation on these is premature.)

Other notable shows included new comedy Come Fly With Me, by the writers of Little Britain. This managed 10.3 million also, Strictly Come Dancing got an average of 9.4 million views, which is up on previous years. Ronnie Corbett's The One Ronnie Show got a respectful 7.9 million as he staged a one man show without his late counterpart and finally Eastenders rules the roost this year with an average of 11.4 million viewers tuning in to see the departure of Stacey Branning from the show.

Overall, the BBC's average viewing figures during the peak time slots was 10.2 million compared to ITV's 6.1. In other words, the BBC rocks and they know that a large part of it is due to the magic of Doctor Who!

(PA)

Ambassadors of Death Restoration Gets a Boost!

Posted: 03 Jan 2011 11:26 PM PST

Ambassadors of Death

As reported in Wired magazine the restoration of Ambassadors of Death has gotten a boost due to a new editing computer. 

"Their method is a refined version of that trialled on the 2009 Planet of the Daleks re-release; it is now being deployed on a seven-part 1970 Jon Pertwee adventure, The Ambassadors of Death. "It seemed almost recordings, they didn't filter off the colour carrier [encoded as a 'chroma dot' pattern in each frame], which for the last few decades has been nothing more than an annoyance." Team member Richard Russell used the signal to reverse-engineer raw colour pictures that could be retouched frame by frame. "It's very, very labour intensive -- several hundred man hours' work every episode," says Steve Roberts. Luckily, a new "quadrant editor" is helping them to produce better source material upfront, so they hope to deliver the Ambassadors episodes to the BBC within weeks."

read more

Classic DVD Doctor Who Launch YouTube Channel!

Posted: 03 Jan 2011 11:20 PM PST

BBC Worldwide have announced a Classic DVD Doctor Who Channel, to come today.

Meglos

BBC Worldwide have announced a Classic DVD Doctor Who Channel, to come today.

The Idea is that snippets and trailers are to be released on a regular basis, the official line is this:

"BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, will be launching a Classic Doctor Who channel on YouTube on 4th January.

The new channel, featuring a mixture of classic clips and exclusive previews from forthcoming Doctor Who DVD releases, will appeal to existing fans and give new viewers an opportunity to sample some classic Doctor Who. The channel will complement the Classic Doctor Who Twitter account @classicdw run by 2entertain. 

read more

Tube Talk's Top 25 Shows of 2010 - Digital Spy

Posted: 03 Jan 2011 11:05 PM PST


Tube Talk's Top 25 Shows of 2010
Digital Spy
The Moff took over showrunner reins, Matt Smith and Karen Gillan became the new Doc-Ass combo and the TARDIS got prettified. Not forgetting the SHOCK NEW ...

and more »

Dr Who YouTube channel materialises - C21Media

Posted: 03 Jan 2011 10:46 PM PST


Dr Who YouTube channel materialises
C21Media
BBC Worldwide (BBCWW) has launched a YouTube channel dedicated to archive material from hit sci-fi drama Doctor Who. The new channel, Classic Doctor Who, ...

and more »

The Ambassadors of Death DVD developments

Posted: 03 Jan 2011 10:43 PM PST

Wired Magazine have reported that third Doctor Jon Pertwee's adventure from Season Seven, The Ambassadors of Death is in the process of being completed for DVD.

The story is one of a number that do not exist in the BBC Archives in full colour; though an off-air camera copy exists, this does not provide a good signal for recreating a colour version as seen in the DVD release Doctor Who And The Silurians (details of that process may be read from the Restoration Team's Beneath the Surface article). A new colour decoding strategy was deployed for episode three of the Planet of the Daleks DVD release (see article), and has now reached maturity to tackle the third Doctor's third adventure:

Their method is a refined version of that trialled on the 2009 Planet of the Daleks re-release; it is now being deployed on a seven-part 1970 Jon Pertwee adventure, The Ambassadors of Death. "It seemed almost recordings, they didn't filter off the colour carrier [encoded as a 'chroma dot' pattern in each frame], which for the last few decades has been nothing more than an annoyance." Team member Richard Russell used the signal to reverse-engineer raw colour pictures that could be retouched frame by frame. "It's very, very labour intensive -- several hundred man hours' work every episode," says Steve Roberts. Luckily, a new "quadrant editor" is helping them to produce better source material upfront, so they hope to deliver the Ambassadors episodes to the BBC within weeks.

No other details on the future DVD release is known at present, though a commentary for the story was recorded back in late 2009, featuring members of the cast and crew including Nicholas Courtney (The Brigadier), Terrance Dicks (script editor), Peter Halliday (alien voices) and Derek Ware (stunts/fight arranger).


Follow classic Doctor Who DVD developments on Twitter: @classicdw.

No comments: