Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Kopic's Doctor Who & Torchwood News

Kopic's Doctor Who & Torchwood News


Thursday, Jan. 20: Filming Locations in NYC, L.A., Wilmington & more including ... - On Location Vacations

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 03:18 PM PST


Thursday, Jan. 20: Filming Locations in NYC, L.A., Wilmington & more including ...
On Location Vacations
Torchwood is filming at 200 N Spring St (5:00 PM – 6:00 AM). •Welcome To People, starring Chris Pine, Olivia Wilde, and Elizabeth Banks, is filming at W ...

Movies to Look Out For in 2011 - Observer Online

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 11:19 AM PST


Movies to Look Out For in 2011
Observer Online
... Craig Gillespie ("Lars and the Real Girl") directs a team of witty, talented actors including Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin and David Tennant. ...

Bif Bang Pow! to release new US Collectibles

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 10:23 AM PST

US specialist merchandise designer Bif Bang Pow! are to release a new line of toys and collectibles in America based on Doctor Who.

The new Doctor Who Collection range is expected to be launched in the summer, and will initially feature retro action figures and playsets, along with bobble heads. Created in partnership with EMCE Toys, the figures will stand 8-inches tall and include episode-specific fabric clothing, in addition to multiple points of articulation.

Jason Lenzi, CEO of the company, said:
Bif Bang Pow! is thrilled to bring these brand-new Doctor Who action figures, bobble heads, and collectibles to market. The Denys Fisher range of 9-inch action figures from the 1970s was never released in the United States, and has become one of the most highly sought after toy lines of the past 40 years. Doctor Who bobble heads have never been made for any market, so we have the opportunity to offer these highly desired products to a whole new fan-base that never had the chance to purchase them before. Personally, I've been waiting for this since 1978, so as The Doctor would say, it's about time!
The product line will be unveiled at the New York Toy Fair, from 13-16 February.


Later plans include items like licence plate frames, tin boxes, coasters, magnets, glassware, and other popular collectible merchandise.


Bif Bang Pow! was created by Jason Lenzi in 2005 in answer to a market niche to provide merchanside based upon a fan's perspective - to bring stuff to the marketplace that he himself would want to own. The company aim is to "to provide high-quality action figures, toys and collectibles to the massive cult audience (and kids of all ages) that wishes these toys were already in their collection."

(read the press release for full details)

Radio Times Cover Party 2011

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 10:01 AM PST

The annual Radio Times Covers Party took place at Claridges in London on Tuesday evening, which as usual saw a multitude of stars gather together to celebrate another year's worth of Radio Times covers.

The event was hosted by former Doctor David Tennant, who was also presented with his cover for Single Father (9-15 October); Karen Gillan was there to receive the Doctor Who cover for The Pandorica Opens (19-25 June).



Other guests at the party included Steven Moffat, Rob Brydon, Terry Wogan, Aidan Grimshaw, Jean Marsh, Keeley Hawes, Hugh Bonneville and David Morrissey.

You can find a range of photos from the evening on the Radio Times website, featuring David Tennant, Karen Gillan and Steven Moffat amongst the other guests; evening developments were also revealed live and can be read via Twitter, including further behind-the-scenes photos.

 
The Radio Times have also provided a short video of the evening, featuring sound-bites from various celebrities, including host David Tennant and the current series representatives Karen Gillan and Steven Moffat (1m20s in).


(post a comment about the video on the Radio Times website)




Plus, this week's Radio Times (22-28 Jan) see actress Sinead Keenan talk about the new series of Being Human and playing an alien in Doctor Who:

The third series is "bigger, better and bolder. It's literally bigger, as the new house is huge. The camerawork is more ambitious, too; it's very cinematic. Keenan's character, Nina, became a werewolf after she was scratched by George in the first series. I was thrilled as it meant Nina was there to stay. Then I realised I'd have to 'transform', which means getting naked and spending three-quarters of your working day in the make-up chair. It's not the first time 34-year-old Keenan has suffered for her art. In Doctor Who, she played an alien sporting pea-green spikes instead of hair. For someone who initially told her agent she didn't like sci-fi and the supernatural, I've done a lot of it!
 

Happy Birthday, Tom Baker!

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 10:00 AM PST

Please join us as we indulge in a celebratory packet of jelly babies to mark Tom Baker's birthday! The actor, who, of course, played the Doctor's fourth incarnation from 1971 to 1981, turns 77 today, and we hope he has a wonderful day! He is also well known for his voiceovers on the comedy series, Little Britain. You can [...]

The Claridges Convergence

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 08:27 AM PST

Tell me you felt it? It was as if the previous year had popped out for a pint of milk and never returned.

Suddenly there he was, the Tenth Doctor, the dapper Doctor, arm in arm with his companion of choice, Amy Pond. Cutting a swish through the halls of the great and the good. Nobody was going to make him go. The Time Lord Inebriated with TV's finest.

It was 2010 and 2011 skewering off to create an alternate 2011- alternate to you, me and Einstein.

Or it was a swanky pants Radio Times Covers party at Claridges, London, hosted by one David Tennant and attended by the gorgeous Karen Gillan and the oh so sexy Steven Moffat.

The Radio Times celebrates a year of its uniformly fabulous covers by presenting those chosen few whose faces have graced them with an equally fabulous mounted original copy of them.

Check out the RT exclusive video bellow and pretend like you were there.

As well as hosting the event Tennant also received his cover from the October 9-15 edition 'Is There Life After Doctor Who?' in which he stubbornly refused to be bitter in the slightest about leaving the role. And just to emphasis this point a little more Tennant was also snapped with Doctor Who head honcho Steven Moffat, teasing us a little further with what could have been.

Miss Gillan was there to collect her cover from the June 19-25 issue 'Throughly Modern Amy'

Other stars in attendance in this fan fiction were Floral Dance-master Terry Wogan, X-Factor Finalist Aidan Grimshaw (AID-DEN GRIM-SHAW!), former companion Jean Marsh (Upstairs, Downstairs), Keeley Hawes (Ashes to Ashes, Upstairs, Downstairs), Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey) and David Morrissey (not The Next Doctor as well! All it needed was K-9 tending bar and then, it would have been a temporal tripping party.)

(via Radio Times)

Doctor Who David Tennant and Georgia Moffett will welcome a baby this spring - Examiner.com

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 07:44 AM PST


Doctor Who David Tennant and Georgia Moffett will welcome a baby this spring
Examiner.com
Doctor Who actor, David Tennant, 39, and his fiancee, Georgia Moffett, 26, are keeping it in the Doctor Who family with their announcement of a preganancy ...

New Zealand Airdate for A Christmas Carol

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 06:47 AM PST

Prime TV have now released details on the broadcast of A Christmas Carol in New Zealand; the special, which stars Michael Gambon and Katherine Jenkins alongside the Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith, will be shown on Sunday 30th January at 8:30pm.

(with thanks to the New Zealand Doctor Who Fan Club for reporting the news)

A Look Back at The Best, Completely False, Absolutely Ridiculous 'Batman 3 ... - Film School Rejects

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 06:34 AM PST


Film School Rejects

A Look Back at The Best, Completely False, Absolutely Ridiculous 'Batman 3 ...
Film School Rejects
David Tennant – Again. This might have been really cool. Wait. Are we sure The Riddler's such a bad idea? Johnny Depp – Oh, yeah. This guy again. ...

and more »

Ultimate Regeneration Release Update!

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 06:09 AM PST

We've had quite a few emails recently concerning the whereabouts of Ultimate Regeneration, the first book to be published by Kasterborous.

We've been busy behind the scenes here at K Towers trying to get the book to you in time, but sadly we've so far missed our first and second expected publishing dates. This has been really frustrating for us, as clearly this is our first publishing venture and we wanted to get it right.

Have no fear about the insides of the book – review copies (in PDF format) were sent out to various websites well before Christmas. The problems we have experienced have been with the printing and the design of the final cover.

However I can now confirm that problems with the cover have finally been overcome! As you can see it is flipping marvellous, more excellent work by Anthony Dry.

With the cover resolved, we're once again in talks with our printer to arrange the publication of the book; we'll have a better idea of when the book will be dispatched later this week.

If you are one of the wonderful people that have already pre-ordered a copy, I'd like to thank you on behalf of the team behind Ultimate Regeneration (myself, Brian Terranova, Simon Mills, Thomas W Spychalski and Anthony Dry) for being so patient and I'm sure when it arrives the book will have been worth the wait.

Note that if you ordered a copy of Ultimate Regeneration, you should also have received an email today with full details of the delay and news of when the book will be published. If you haven't ordered a copy already, you can still take advantage of the pre-order price of £9.99.

Blimey! We've learned loads from developing this book, from the initial seed of an idea in 2009 through to the vast amount of work that was required in mining the old Kasterborous website for information through to all of the printing and design issues for the cover – so hopefully next time around things should turn out a bit sooner…

January Podcast 002 - 19 January 2011

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 05:53 AM PST

Did you think we'd forgotten? Of course we haven't! The second podcast for January 2011 is here... and what a corker it might be. Yes, you decide.

Nick Briggs, Paul Spragg and David Richardson present entirely without the aid of guest stars, bringing direct to your ears the following in no particular order... The Feast of Axos, the competition results, emails from listeners, The Crimes of Thomas Brewster, The Piscon Paradox, inappropriate use of the word 'charabanc', some crisps (two crisp alerts), Nick's beard... There are clips, more examples of the wit of Paul Spragg than you would think were possible and David Richardson deploying his unique podcasting style with regrettable panache (moaning about Nick not listening to his productions). And Nick Briggs goes on about his son a bit.

Frankly, it all beggars belief! But there's no better way of finding out what's going on in the Big Finish universe.

Download Podcast Here

Big Finish Catchup

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 05:44 AM PST

Right before we start a brand new year with Big Finish and all the excitement that they have to offer us for the coming year let's have a look at the most recent releases that have been released from the company and the audio adventures that the various Doctors and their friends have been going through.

The Lost Stories

First Doctor Box Set: Farewell, Great Macedon and The Fragile Yellow Arc of Fragrance by Moris Farhi

Doctor Who from Big Finish - Second Doctor boxsetSecond Doctor Box Set: Prison in Space by Dick Sharples and The Destroyers by Terry Nation (US Dalek pilot)

Up first are the Lost Stories box sets featuring the first and second Doctors and these are some real treats. The stories featuring the Doctor are a wonderfully varied mix of a Companion Chronicle, a reading of a Target novelisation and the narration to a lost televised story all rolled into one. The lead narrators are able to effectively read the story whilst acting out the parts with some utterly superb effects.

Music and sound direction are wonderful and theses stories really recapture the feeling of 1960's Doctor Who. The amendments made to the scripts only help to flesh out the visual narrative that we never got to see.

Doctor Who - Relative DimensionsThe Eighth Doctor Adventures

Relative Dimensions by Marc Platt

Following the same structure as televised Doctor Who, this Eighth Doctor audio is something of a Christmas special, it even has a monstrous fish causing trouble for the Doctor, Susan, Jake and Lucie on board the TARDIS. Inviting his nearest and dearest to have an event free Christmas dinner aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor and his friends soon realise that all is not well and things never go quite to plan when a certain Time Lord is involved.

This solidly written piece sees the Eighth Doctor uncharacteristically opening up to a nostalgic side that you didn't think he had, it's a heart-warming play that spends a lot of time exploring the Eighth Doctor's TARDIS with brilliant effect.

Doctor Who - The Demons of Red LodgeThe Demons of Red Lodge by Jason Arnopp, Rick Briggs, William Gallagher and John Dorney

This rather special offering from Big Finish sees four self contained adventures for the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa, the first episode-The Demons of Red Lodge is an especially creepy and atmospheric half hour of audio brilliance that is one to listen to late at night with the light off for full effect. The remaining three episodes The Entropy Composition, Doing Time and Special Features all offer a more lightweight adventure for the TARDIS travellers to endure. Whilst not as well held together as previous Big Finish offerings such as 100 or Circular Time this is still a great listen to get your ears into!

The Companion Chronicles

Quinnis by Marc Platt

Doctor Who - QuinnisMr Platt has been a busy man this month hasn't he? Two audio plays in September is a rarity for Big finish authors but he pulls out the big guns to create yet another solid tale. Arriving on the planet Quinnis, the first Doctor and Susan soon find themselves in all sorts of trouble. But this isn't the Doctor and Susan quite as we know them from the early years of Doctor Who, this is the family before they got stuck in Totter's Lane, before the TARDIS's chameleon circuit had broken and before the names Ian and Barbara would be constantly wailed out by Susan.

This is not only a touching and engaging story but also features yet another fantastic performance by Carol Ann ford as Susan. Somehow, this actress manages to sound exactly the same as she did back in 1963, the same energy and lilts in her voice. This really helps to set the scene for the piece and also bring back the waves of nostalgia for the early years of Doctor Who. It also helps that Platt is a brilliant writer, still way ahead of most.

December Special

Doctor Who - The Four DoctorsThe Four Doctors

The free gift that Big Finish subscribers  get this year is this rather neat little tale involving not only four (count 'em) Doctors but also the Daleks! To prepare you from the outset, this isn't your typical multi Doctor story as in The Three Doctors, there's no scenes of Doctor's six and eight arguing or of five and seven getting to know each other, this is a fast paced and action packed piece that progresses through their various incarnations as the Daleks travel back through the Doctor's timeline. But there are a few close calls along the way which leave the listener hanging onto the edge of their seat!

This is a well executed story that deserves repeat listening as the rewards speak for themselves-a wonderful gift from the Big Finish team.

Short Trips

Volume One by Various

Doctor Who - Short TripsFinally, we have the first in a collection of short stories that have been converted into audio. Again, these are alike to the Companion Chronicles in many ways but the difference here is that the rich and varied offerings all on one CD is a real "lip smacker" for fans. Stories of not include A Stain of Red in the Sand read by David Trougton, The Deep read by Peter Davison and Running Out of Time read by India Fisher.

The pick of the bunch however is the rather brilliant The Wings of a Butterfly which is read and written by old sixy himself Colin Baker. A labour of love, this story is told with a rare charm and elegance that only Colin Baker could bring to the piece. It's beautiful and needs to be heard by all Doctor Who fans everywhere.

So, that takes us up to the newest releases (which we'll be covering soon) that are available to buy or download. If you're looking for recommendations, it's a difficult one to choose as all of these plays have a special quality and none should be ignored. However at a push, Relative Dimensions is such a well told tale with a Christmas glow to it that does make it one of the stand out plays from Big Finish.

You can buy all these adventures on CD or download from www.bigfinish.com.

Host Alex proves she's the One - The Sun

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 03:49 AM PST


The Sun

Host Alex proves she's the One
The Sun
This year's event was hosted by former Doctor Who star David Tennant, who was a regular cover star of the magazine while he was at the helm of the TARDIS.

and more »

Review: Meglos - DVD

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 03:47 AM PST

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: John Flanagan and Andrew McCulloch

RRP: &ound;19.99

Release Date: 10th January 2011

Meglos, despite some of its negative points, is, in essence, a Doctor Who story that was before its time. It is a story that, at its heart, deals with the struggle between religion and science.

As a viewer, you can't help feeling a struggle off-screen as well. You almost feel the tug of war between the writers, the script editor and the director, as they fight it out to gain their own narrative. And what we're left with, through sheer luck, is a melding of the three, that essentially benefits the story in a way that no single party could have done on their own.

Once you get past the dodgy wigs, and the tiresome time loop scenes, there are many elements that make this a rather enjoyable story.

Tom Baker, nearing the end of his tenure as The Doctor, puts in a sterling performance as Meglos, not to mention the welcome return of Jacqueline Hill as Lexa who bookends her Doctor Who career here.

Then there is the truly fantastic make-up which makes the characterisation of Meglos even more villainous and believable. There are also some great FX shots in the story, combined with highly detailed models, that work together using the new Scene Sync technology - yet another example of the story being ahead of its time.

The DVD is rounded off with some excellent features that compliment the story.

The 'Commentary' features Lalla Ward (Romana II), John Flanagan (Writer), Christopher Owen (Earthling / Meglos) and Paddy Kingsland (Composer). John and Lalla seem to take turns guiding, but understandably, Christopher Owen tends to get lost in the background, and doesn't really seem to contribute much until the final episode. Peter Howell (Composer) joins the commentary for Episode Three and offers an insight into some of his cues, as well as providing a refreshing critique to his own work. All in all, a fairly run of the mill commentary, that could have really benefited from Tom Baker's presence.

'Meglos Men' is an 18-minute documentary that follows Writers; Andy McCulloch and John Flanagan as they retrace their steps into the past, into the genesis of Meglos. Checking out their old haunts, through to a modern-day meeting with Script Editor; Christopher H. Bidmead.

It's a fantastic little feature that is written, produced and directed by the fabulous Chris Chapman, who has risen the calibre of Doctor Who DVD documentaries to a whole new level.

'The Scene Sync Story' looks at how the pitfalls and limitations of Chroma Key gave way to research into the newly discovered Scene Sync technology - a process that ties two cameras together to pan in unison.

The eye-opening documentary shows us how Meglos was a test run for the process, which has evolved and can now be seen in many modern day film and television productions. The feature includes Interviews with Peter Leverick and Roger Bunce (Cameramen) and Stephen Drewett (Visual Effects Designer).

'Jacqueline Hill: A Life in Pictures' looks at the life of Doctor Who Actress, Jacqueline Hill (Barbara, Lexa). It's a wonderful tribute to the woman whom we all know from Doctor Who, but paints the wider, and to most of us, unknown picture of her life through to her untimely death. It was surprising to learn that Jacqueline was responsible for Sean Connery getting his first leading role, thanks to a suggestion to her Director husband, Alvin Rakoff. The feature includes interviews with William Russell (Actor), Verity Lambert (Producer), Alvin Rakoff (Director / Husband) and Ann Davies (Friend / Actress).

'Entropy Explained' is presented by Dr. Phillip Trowoga from the University of Westminster, and takes a scientific look at the running theme through Season 18 of Doctor Who - Entropy; the measure of disorder of a system. Picking through the laws of thermodynamics, it breaks down the technical speech into easy to understand explanations and situations.

The 'Coming Soon Trailer' features The Mutants, and isn't as well put together as previous trailers, too many fast cuts and no real energy behind the trailer music leads to it failing to really sell the story.

As with previous releases, there are the usual 'Radio Times Billings', 'Photo Gallery' and 'Production Information Subtitles', as well as an 'Easter Egg' that gives us a clean version of the final Fourth Doctor title sequence.

The extra content that we have here, is certainly of a high quality, but going on past form, it does feel a little feature-light. It was surprising to find no feature on the stunning make-up that gave this story such a visual impact, and Tom Baker's involvement, apart from the story itself is non-existent - despite being a Baker-heavy serial.

It is most definitely worth its retail price, with both 'Meglos Men' and 'Jacqueline Hill: A Life in Pictures' taking the main stage.

John Cooper Clarke lines up Glasgow Arches date - The List

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 02:54 AM PST


The List

John Cooper Clarke lines up Glasgow Arches date
The List
... by the Arctic Monkeys, while a decade back Christopher Eccleston recited the whole of 'Evidently Chickentown' in Danny Boyle's TV movie, Strumpet. ...

Fifth Doctor Quartet for Big Finish

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 02:34 AM PST

Coming this April – a new Big Finish miniseries starring Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Mark Strickson, and Sarah Sutton as the Doctor, Tegan, Turlough, and Nyssa respectively!

You think that sounds great?  Wait'll you hear about the first story in the series – it's called Heroes of Sontar; anyone who's been a Whovian since at least Series 4 of NuWho can guess what that means… it's the Doctor versus the Sontarans!  Believe it or not, this is Big Finish's first Sontaran story.  Ever.  And it's got FOUR classic Who actors in it.  It's a must-hear!

Heroes of Sontar writer Alan Barnes commented to Doctor Who Magazine,

"We thought the obvious thing to do with the Sontarans would be a very '80s, Earthshock-style, 'capture the bridge' action piece.  So rather than that, Heroes of Sontar is quite stripped-back – just the Doctor, his companions and a platoon of seven Sontarans trapped in a deserted alien citadel, fighting to survive."

If that wasn't enough to make you travel forward in time to April and download the tale from Big Finish as fast as possible, maybe the concepts of the second and third stories will.  The May release is Kiss of Death by Stephen Cole, which focuses on the non-Time-Lord male in the time travelling quartet.  Barnes again:

"Kiss of Death came about because Steve Cole and I really rate Turlough.  We thought it'd be nice to give him a sort of romance – and expand on his origins, perhaps…"

June will unleash a Rat Trap (by Tony Lee) on Big Finish listeners.  Apparently it has a lot in common with Edge of Darkness, if Alan Barnes is anything to go by…

"Rat Trap is set on Earth, in 1983.  It's a bit Edge of Darkness-y.  If Edge of Darkness had been all about a bunch of laboratory rats conducting experiments on humans in a top secret government complex, that is."

Actually, that sounds a bit like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

As stated before, this series of audioplays premieres this April.  For more info, head over to the Big Finish website!

Lego Doctor Who (Almost) - Doctor Who TV (blog)

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 02:18 AM PST


Doctor Who TV (blog)

Lego Doctor Who (Almost)
Doctor Who TV (blog)
This new brick based collection includes 3D micro-figures that are brought to life with sculpted facial features making the Doctor played by Matt Smith and ...

and more »

Lego Doctor Who (Almost)

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 02:16 AM PST

A new construction toy range has just been unveiled by toy company Character Options that will see the Doctor, Amy Pond and many of their enemies quite literally take Read more ...


Doctor Who enters the Construction Toy Market

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 01:16 AM PST

Doctor Who: Character BuildingBBC Worldwide has announced a major new deal with Character Options' new Construction division which will see Doctor Who enter the construction toy market for the first time.

The Character Building range will include 3D micro-figures, brought to life with sculpted facial features whilst play sets will be uniquely tailored to Doctor Who. Fans will be able to build their own Doctor Who world with all their favourite characters including the Doctor and Amy Pond with their famous foes the Daleks, Cybermen and Weeping Angels.

Distinctive to the Character Building range will be the use of texture on some of the building blocks, whether it be the sleek and smooth edges of a spaceship, or the rough edges of a rock face. This will be pivotal in recreating each environment, providing a natural look, but still allowing easy construction play. The entire range will be displayed at the Character Options stand at the London Toy Fair with the first products set for release in Spring 2011.

Matt Smith commented on his new figure
It was very surreal and funny coming face to face with a miniature version of myself as the Doctor but I'm glad that the Doctor's trusty Sonic Screwdriver is in his hand, ready to fend off attacks from monsters!
With Karen Gillan adding
I absolutely love these miniature toys of The Doctor and Amy Pond despite the strange sensation of seeing myself immortalised in plastic and miniature and buildable...and dissectible. I'm loving Pond's flaming ginger mane and it's funny to think that The Doctor and Amy are small enough to travel around in someone's pocket.

Richard Hollis, who is Head of UK Licensing at BBC Worldwide said the reason the BBC has chosen to work with Character Options is because of the quality and imagination they put into their toys, with Jon Diver, Character Group's Joint Managing Director, saying the new project represents a major investment and we are delighted to be increasing our Doctor Who portfolio.

Doctor Who complete reviews: The Five Doctors - Shadowlocked (blog)

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 12:57 AM PST


Shadowlocked (blog)

Doctor Who complete reviews: The Five Doctors
Shadowlocked (blog)
Sylvester McCoy has already expressed an interest, and it's a fair bet that Peter Davison, Colin Baker and David Tennant may come on board. ...

It's USA Week!

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 12:43 AM PST

USA! USA! USA! Yee-and indeed-haw! The Doctor is heading stateside and to celebrate the first time his size nines have trod in America soil all this week the BBC website are recalling the shows past brushes with America and looking ahead to season six's  two-part opener.

Donning a Stetson and chugging back a Bud (other American beers are available) the site promises US-themed wallpapers, jigsaws and countless (well, at least 7) clips of the Doctor's previous jaunts to, from and across America.

Including an exclusive (and very silly) sequence featuring Amy and the Doctor shot on location in the Utah Desert  for BBC America.

Tuesday's content featured a clip from the much maligned but actually not that bad Series 3/Season 29 two parter Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks which features the Daleks! In Manhattan! That's actually in America!

And if that doesn't make you want to do an Anthony Hopkins there's also a new series jigsaw to complete whilst you dream of life in the Big Country.

We get all this fabulous content from the USA and in exchange they get Piers Morgan…USA! USA! USA!

Check back on the site tomorrow at 1pm for the next instalment!

Doctor regenerates as mini figure - The Press Association

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 11:35 PM PST


Doctor regenerates as mini figure
The Press Association
Doctor Who actor Matt Smith was delighted with his dinky incarnation. He said: "It was very surreal and funny coming face to face with a miniature version ...

and more »

iPlayer Requests an All-Time ‘Meh'

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 11:00 PM PST

The BBC iPlayer TV-on-demand service grows more and more popular every year.  Christmas of '09 (a week before the death of Doctor Ten) saw the total number of requests for any programme reach 89.7 million.  This Christmas, they were stretched all the way to 145 million.

But it seems that in contrast of last year, when everything broadcast on the BBC starred David Tennant and the nation was caught in a regeneration frenzy, the percentage of Doctor Who requests this Yuletide season were relatively tame – a mere 700,000 people tuned in to A Christmas Carol online, falling short of the 780,000 requests for Matt Lucas and David Walliams' Come Fly With Me and the two Top Gear specials that pulled in 1.3 million each.

An increasing percentage of those who are watching Doctor Who on iPlayer seem to be doing so on a PlayStation 3 console; total requests for any programme on a PS3 in December were up 33 percent from the previous month, at a massive 7 million.

Says the BBC's Daniel Danker,

"In December we saw huge growth of BBC iPlayer on game consoles, connected TVs, and mobiles phones.  We're seeing impressive audience appreciation for our TV and mobile experiences, and I anticipate that growth on these devices will significantly outpace traditional BBC iPlayer use in 2011."

What do you prefer?  iPlayer on the good old-fashioned computer, or on a nice big television screen?  Or perhaps even on the go with a mobile phone?

Back on the subject of Doctor Who iPlayer figures, perhaps popularity of the best show on earth is down on previous years, but we think this is more a case of viewers watching the Doctor Who Christmas special when they're supposed to – live at Christmas.  It just proves that television audiences value Who enough to watch it in real time, rather than play catch-up later.

(via TechRadar)

Time Lord Faces Holographic Spam in New Doctor Who Comic - Wired News

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 10:00 PM PST


Wired News

Time Lord Faces Holographic Spam in New Doctor Who Comic
Wired News
"Which, after David Tennant, was always going to be a problem. Smith was the Peter Davison after Tom Baker. He had to take [the role of the Doctor in] a ...

Doctor Who Character Building

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 08:50 PM PST

Many Doctor Who fans have prayed for years for a range of toys manufactured by a popular toy brick  building company from Denmark – and while this news suggests that it will be a very long time before that happens, a certain other company has the Character to combine brick building with the ethos of Doctor Who!

BBC Worldwide has announced a major new deal with primary licensee Character Options' new Construction division which will see Doctor Who enter the construction toy market!

Wittily titled "Character Building" the range will include 3D micro-figures, brought to life with sculpted facial features whilst play sets will be uniquely tailored to Doctor Who. Fans will be able to build their own Doctor Who world with all their favourite characters including the Doctor and Amy Pond with their famous foes the Daleks, Cybermen and Weeping Angels.

Jon Diver is Character Group's Joint Managing Director:

"This new project represents a major investment for us and we are delighted to be increasing our Doctor Who portfolio. In doing so we will also be supplying a new option to the child constructor who will now have the choice of a construction toy that has all the excitement and appeal that the licences brings with them."

Meanwhile Doctor Who stars Matt Smith and Karen Gillan have already witnessed their minifigs micro-figures first hand, with Matt observing:

"It was very surreal and funny coming face to face with a miniature version of myself as the Doctor but I'm glad that the Doctor's trusty Sonic Screwdriver is in his hand, ready to fend off attacks from monsters!"

Karen's interest seems a little less… healthy, however:

"I absolutely love these miniature toys of The Doctor and Amy Pond despite the strange sensation of seeing myself immortalised in plastic and miniature and buildable…and dissectible. I'm loving Pond's flaming ginger mane and it's funny to think that The Doctor and Amy are small enough to travel around in someone's pocket!

Distinctive to the Character Building range will be the use of texture on some of the building blocks, whether it be the sleek and smooth edges of a spaceship, or the rough edges of a rock face. This will be pivotal in recreating each environment, providing a natural look, but still allowing easy construction play.

The entire range will be displayed at the Character Options stand at the London Toy Fair with the first products set for release in Spring 2011.

We'll have more details when they're available!

Doctor Who Construction Toys Coming Spring 2011

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 07:57 PM PST

BBC Worldwide have sent DWO a press release for an exciting new toy range coming this Spring:

BBC Worldwide is delighted to announce a major new deal with Character Options’ new Construction division which will see Doctor Who enter the construction toy market for the first time.

The Character Building range will include 3D micro-figures, brought to life with sculpted facial features whilst play sets will be uniquely tailored to Doctor Who. Fans will be able to build their own Doctor Who world with all their favourite characters including the Doctor and Amy Pond with their famous foes the Daleks, Cybermen and Weeping Angels.

Distinctive to the Character Building range will be the use of texture on some of the building blocks, whether it be the sleek and smooth edges of a spaceship, or the rough edges of a rock face. This will be pivotal in recreating each environment, providing a natural look, but still allowing easy construction play. The entire range will be displayed at the Character Options stand at the London Toy Fair with the first products set for release in Spring 2011.

Matt Smith and Karen Gillan have already seen their new figures and commented:

Matt Smith: “It was very surreal and funny coming face to face with a miniature version of myself as the Doctor but I’m glad that the Doctor’s trusty Sonic Screwdriver is in his hand, ready to fend off attacks from monsters!”

Karen Gillan: “I absolutely love these miniature toys of The Doctor and Amy Pond despite the strange sensation of seeing myself immortalised in plastic and miniature and buildable...and dissectible. I'm loving Pond's flaming ginger mane and it’s funny to think that The Doctor and Amy are small enough to travel around in someone's pocket!

Richard Hollis, Head of UK Licensing at BBC Worldwide said: “We are delighted to build on our existing relationship with Character Options. We’ve worked successfully with them in the past and the quality and imagination they put into their toys is outstanding. This new venture offers the perfect play pattern for Doctor Who fans and opens up a fascinating and innovative genre. We believe that this is a fantastic new project and we’re really excited to see how popular these toys will become”.

Jon Diver, Character Group’s Joint Managing Director, commented: “This new project represents a major investment for us and we are delighted to be increasing our Doctor Who portfolio. In doing so we will also be supplying a new option to the child constructor who will now have the choice of a construction toy that has all the excitement and appeal that the licences brings with them.”

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

Gemma Fraser: Reinvented classics brought to book - Scotsman

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 07:35 PM PST


Gemma Fraser: Reinvented classics brought to book
Scotsman
... whole new generation of fans thanks to the creative genius of Russell T Davies and the clever casting of Doctors, including Bathgate-born David Tennant. ...

Davies: 'Bosses don't mind gay characters' - Digital Spy

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 07:35 PM PST


Davies: 'Bosses don't mind gay characters'
Digital Spy
According to The Sun, the Torchwood writer admitted that executives used to dissuade him from writing those roles. "If you were a new writer, people could ...
Russell T Davies allowed to write for gay charactersATV Today

all 2 news articles »

Soap Doctor?

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 06:18 PM PST

Cor blimey! Whatcha! Ere, what's going on? Spoilers, that's what, people, bizarre, strange spoilers. Or not. We don't know…

Lucky I have this handy soap-opera-themed issue of Doctor Who Magazine next to my chair, so I can learn all about this strange programme you Brits call EastEnders!

Now, honestly, I don't know much about soap operas, even the American ones, but I think I'm familiar with them enough to know that a TARDIS on the set of a soap – such as the Turpin Road one there snapped on a real-time webcam yesterday – is a bit out of the ordinary.

A TARDIS on an EastEnders back lot?

What could this mean?  Will there be a Doctor Who/EastEnders crossover?  Undoubtedly it would make EastEnders better… but at the same time it would probably make Doctor Who a lot worse.  Is this all just one great big Doctor Who Magazine conspiracy?

As I write this, it's 11 PM by my American clock, which makes it 5 in the morning in Britain.  Every time I hit refresh at the webcam page, the image seems just a tad brighter, but there's no sign of the TARDIS.  Will it be returned to the set today?  We'll have to keep an eye out!

To see the mythical image itself, scroll down, down, deeper and down…

(Thanks to bionic_tangfastic of the Kasterborous forum!)

























Doctor Who in EastEnders? TARDIS in Albert Square?

Stage is set as curtain rises on art for all - TribuneMagazine.co.uk

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 06:07 PM PST


Stage is set as curtain rises on art for all
TribuneMagazine.co.uk
Actors Patrick Stewart and David Tennant have spearheaded schemes that have raised more than £1 million. David Tennant's fan club raised £5000 to sponsor ...

Russell T Davies allowed to write for gay characters - ATV Today

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 05:41 PM PST


Russell T Davies allowed to write for gay characters
ATV Today
Davies revived Doctor Who in 2005 for the BBC but stepped down in 2009 from the role and was replaced by Steven Moffat. However, Davies still oversee's the ...

Who da man? - Bristol Evening Post

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 05:11 PM PST


Who da man?
Bristol Evening Post
Matt Smith; what an amazingly talented performer. A teacher of mine told me she went to university with him and saw him in a play playing a dying man and he ...

Gino: I'll do full monty if I win - The Press Association

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 01:45 PM PST


Gino: I'll do full monty if I win
The Press Association
Doctor Who star Matt Smith will go head-to-head with his terrestrial rival, Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch, at the awards. Both stars, who were thrust into ...

and more »

USA: Day Three

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 10:00 AM PST

Doctor Who: The Adventure Games - Episode Four: Shadows of the Vashta Nerada - Adventure Gamers

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 07:55 AM PST


Doctor Who: The Adventure Games - Episode Four: Shadows of the Vashta Nerada
Adventure Gamers
Matt Smith and Karen Gillan continue to perform their roles as the Doctor and Amy with ease, especially when exchanging their trademark banter with one ...

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