Kopic's Doctor Who & Torchwood News

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• Gordon "loves" watching sports star lover
• Kate Gosselin for dating show?
• Fox: 'Everyone should play a prostitute'
• Flockhart, Ford marry in New Mexico
• Griffin: 'I won't make fun of Bullock'
• DS:BB News Extra - Day 8 #2
• Jillian Michaels 'once weighed 175lbs'
• Corin tells housemates not to be upset
• Ben discusses the "feminist" group
• The Pandorica Opens - BAFTA Screening
• John James and Rachael clash at dinner
• Robert Pattinson: 'I miss playing music'
• Spence turned away from 'Glee' cast
• Palin, Johnston 'turning a new page'
• Jewel 'hurt by weight comments'
• 2nd Bonhams Doctor Who Sale
• Robyn: 'I'm inspired by Lady GaGa'
• Kyra Sedgwick: 'I don't weigh myself'
• Spelling: 'Fawcett's spirit visited me'
• Doctor Who: Children’s Show?
• Housemates ponder eviction details
• Catherine Tate for West End holiday play
• Ife: 'I'll never forget my entrance'
• The Pandorica Opens… Early
• Doctor Who Live! Well, Sort Of…
• Clip: The Pandorica Opens
• The Stonehenge Opens
• New clip from The Pandorica Opens online
• Doctor Who tops May iPlayer figures
• Doctor Who Series 5 Volume 2
• Bloody Great Spoiler?
• Comics on Wednesday and Pulse Script Online
• Karen’s Pandorica Spoilers
• City of the Daleks now available for Mac

Gordon "loves" watching sports star lover Posted: 16 Jun 2010 02:52 PM PDT Former Home and Away star Jodi Gordon says that she is "learning" about her boyfriend's sport.

Kate Gosselin for dating show? Posted: 16 Jun 2010 01:18 PM PDT Kate Gosselin is reportedly in talks to host a dating show in order to find a husband.

Fox: 'Everyone should play a prostitute' Posted: 16 Jun 2010 11:35 AM PDT Megan Fox says that her Jonah Hex character was forced into prostitution.

Flockhart, Ford marry in New Mexico Posted: 16 Jun 2010 11:16 AM PDT Calista Flockhart and Harrison Ford marry in New Mexico where Ford is shooting a new film.

Griffin: 'I won't make fun of Bullock' Posted: 16 Jun 2010 10:58 AM PDT Kathy Griffin says that she admires Sandra Bullock's positive attitude and won't make jokes about her.

DS:BB News Extra - Day 8 #2 Posted: 16 Jun 2010 10:10 AM PDT The latest news snippets and gossip from the house.

Jillian Michaels 'once weighed 175lbs' Posted: 16 Jun 2010 10:06 AM PDT Jillian Michaels says that a troubled upbringing contributed to her weight gain as a teenager.

Corin tells housemates not to be upset Posted: 16 Jun 2010 10:03 AM PDT Corin advises housemates to remain upbeat despite the arguments this evening.

Ben discusses the "feminist" group Posted: 16 Jun 2010 09:43 AM PDT Ben talks about the "feminist" group consisting of Ife, Shabby and Caoimhe.

The Pandorica Opens - BAFTA Screening Posted: 16 Jun 2010 09:38 AM PDT Fans in London were given a special preview of the penultimate episode of the current series of Doctor Who, The Pandorica Opens, at BAFTA earlier this evening. The screening was attended by Steven Moffat, Matt Smith and Karen Gillan who answered questions at the end of the screening. Introducing the episode Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning, paid tribute to the current prodcution team. In a speech which left no doubt to the high regard the series is held in by BBC Management, he paid particular tribute to Steven Moffat saying how no other broadcaster in the UK or the USA had such a brilliant writer producing such high quality family drama. He called The Pandorica Opens a tremendous piece of television. Following the episode a wide range of questions were put to the team. Matt Smith revealed he had had initial doubts about the way he was playing the Doctor and often spoke to his dad for advice. He was delighted when a six year old, dressed in tweed jacket and bow tie presented him with a gift of a picture. Smith revealed he had been to a costume fitting for the next series earlier today and he was looking for something warmer to wear in the future. Steven Moffat was asked about Steven Fry's comments yesterday, where he described Doctor Who as Children's Television. Moffat said Doctor Who always was, and always will be, family television. Designed for that special period when both children and their parents could watch together. When asked about the move of viewers from watching the programme as broadcast to watching later, either on harddisk or via the iPlayer, he called on BBC One controller Jay Hunt who was also in the audience. She confirmed the BBC was aware of the massive reach the programme had and said she didn't mind when they watched it as long as they did. He paid tribute to the classic series, singling out Waris Hussein who was in the audience. Hussein directed the very first episode of Doctor Who, screened in November 1963. Moffat called it a wonderful half an hour of television and urged anyone who had not yet seen it to view it. The Pandorica Opens has its début on BBC One and BBC HD this Saturday evening. http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com

John James and Rachael clash at dinner Posted: 16 Jun 2010 09:33 AM PDT John James upsets Rachael at dinner regarding a comment about appearing in Nuts magazine.

Robert Pattinson: 'I miss playing music' Posted: 16 Jun 2010 09:27 AM PDT Robert Pattinson says that he misses playing music since beginning Twilight.

Spence turned away from 'Glee' cast Posted: 16 Jun 2010 09:23 AM PDT Louie Spence is denied access to the Glee cast while filming in London.

Palin, Johnston 'turning a new page' Posted: 16 Jun 2010 08:59 AM PDT Bristol Palin says that she and Levi Johnston are working together to raise 17-month-old son Tripp.

Jewel 'hurt by weight comments' Posted: 16 Jun 2010 08:24 AM PDT Jewel says that being called "the chubby Renée Zellwegger" made her feel insecure about her body.

2nd Bonhams Doctor Who Sale Posted: 16 Jun 2010 08:07 AM PDT The Above pictured Cyberman Head from the Second Doctors period is one of many Articles going on sale once more at Bonhams in Knightsbridge London.  Other props include Daleks also from this time (Power of the Daleks) K9 and Two Tardis's The most Interesting being the  Tardis from 2005 from 9th Doctor Christopher Eccleston.  This is part of an Entertainment Auction rather than just a Doctor Who specific one.  The Auction will be taking place at 11am on the 23rd of June 2010 and lot numbers are 126 to 142 inclusive.  Lot 126 being an Dalek from The Chase and 142 being the 9th Doctors Tardis.

Robyn: 'I'm inspired by Lady GaGa' Posted: 16 Jun 2010 07:59 AM PDT Robyn says that she is inspired by the popularity of women in music.

Kyra Sedgwick: 'I don't weigh myself' Posted: 16 Jun 2010 07:54 AM PDT Kyra Sedgwick says that she has struggled with eating since losing weight for a 1985 film.

Spelling: 'Fawcett's spirit visited me' Posted: 16 Jun 2010 07:50 AM PDT Tori Spelling claims that the late Farrah Fawcett visited her from beyond the grave.

Doctor Who: Children’s Show? Posted: 16 Jun 2010 07:47 AM PDT Comedy actor and QI host Stephen Fry has remarked in an interview that new television shows are aimed at children and less at adults, resulting in current drama being infantilised. Fry was speaking at BAFTA, giving his annual TV lecture, where he commented: "Infantilism is the problem. It's just shocking. The only dramas the BBC will shout about are Doctor Who and Merlin. They are wonderful programmes, don't get me wrong, but they are not for adults… its children's TV. I'm not saying TV should be pompous and academic, but it should surprise and astonish and say there's a world outside we know nothing of." Stephen went on to comment that the sooner the broadcasters realized that viewers were not all children, the better TV will be, times have changed and it is time to change with them. In some ways Fry is right, television has taken a supply and demand turn in the wake of endless reality television shows with mindless characters interacting with a misguided generation but at the same time when shows such as Luther, Moses Jones and modern retellings of Shakespeare classics are being released you can hardly say that the broadcasters have been aiming solely at children. Fry also commented on people, who complain about TV shows to the related supplier: "The BBC cannot please all of the people all of the time, nor should it…If you get a bad olive in a tin of olives, even a whole bad tin of olives, you throw it away but you don't make that much of a fuss about it. But with the BBC we have this thing: I own it; I pay for it because I have a TV license. I would be shocked if all TV was what I liked. It would be weird." Fry starred as the Minister of Chance for the 2001 Doctor Who webcast drama Death Comes to Time. He was also due to write an episode for series 2 of the new series but has yet to deliver. Come on Stephen; show us how the broadcasters should do it! The full article can be found at the Telegraph online.

Housemates ponder eviction details Posted: 16 Jun 2010 07:46 AM PDT The group weigh up the possibilities of a Thursday eviction.

Catherine Tate for West End holiday play Posted: 16 Jun 2010 07:37 AM PDT Catherine Tate will star in Alan Ayckbourn's Season's Greetings at the National Theatre.

Ife: 'I'll never forget my entrance' Posted: 16 Jun 2010 07:33 AM PDT Ife, Mario and Ben swap stories about launch night as they recall their entrance experiences.

The Pandorica Opens… Early Posted: 16 Jun 2010 05:52 AM PDT Lucky ticket holders have had the chance to see The Pandorica Opens this evening at a special BAFTA preview showing in advance of the penultimate episode of Doctor Who this Saturday. This is the moment in which the press and others get to preview the episode – sadly we won't have the chance to that for the rest of the series, but luckily there are other ways to treat our fans – such as a clip – which devout spoilerphobes might wish to avoid. BBC reporter Lizo Mzimba has interviewed Matt Smith at the event, so get ready to see the results of that online or on TV over the next day or so – meanwhile, the BBC's Official Doctor Who site has a clip of lovely Karen Gillan giving a teaser for the first part of the Doctor Who series 5/season 31 finale!

Doctor Who Live! Well, Sort Of… Posted: 16 Jun 2010 04:16 AM PDT Hartnell-era Doctor Who was given a mention today in the Independent by television writer Mark Ravenhill as part of a campaign to pull in viewers for tonight's broadcast of his live drama, Ghost Story, on Sky Arts 2. Referring to the minimally-edited programmes of the early 1960s, Ravenhill muses, "A few months ago, I got hold of a stack of DVDs of early Doctor Who episodes and Dennis Potter plays, all of them made "as live", and watched them with Will Charles, a hugely experienced television lighting designer who will be lighting my Sky play. We were surprised and impressed. Far from being the world of fluffed lines and microphones in shot that has been created by popular mythology, what we saw was the work of a highly skilled group of people who had developed a sophisticated vocabulary of camera movement, live vision mixing and bold lighting choices." It is true that a vast amount of work was donated (albeit paid) to make the early stories from our favorite show possible, yet occasionally William Hartnell's all-important days as the Doctor are ignored by new-series-only fans who have labeled stories like An Unearthly Child as being appallingly dull because of their lack of action or humor. If you fit that category, I offer you this challenge: watch an episode. Rent it or purchase it or borrow it from a library and watch an episode of Doctor Who from 1963. If you look past the lack of CGI monsters or flashing rainbows of lighting effects every five seconds, and absorb yourself in the story, you may find yourself coming back for more. The Edge of Destruction would be a wonderful place to start. It's short (only two installments), has an engaging plot, and follows the "as live" principle that Ravenhill discussed, so you can appreciate the amount of precision that was required of the cast and crew to pull it off. By the way, if you're interested in television drama where all the actors are doing what you see them do, when you see them do it, tune in to Mark Ravenhill's Sky Arts Playhouse: Live, 'Ghost Story' tonight at 9PM on Sky Arts 2.

Clip: The Pandorica Opens Posted: 16 Jun 2010 01:32 AM PDT Watch an incredible new clip from The Pandorica Opens!

The Stonehenge Opens Posted: 16 Jun 2010 01:18 AM PDT Its construction is surrounded in mystery, its purpose unknown and its site, littered with the remains of the pilgrims who came to either worship there or make a blood sacrifice. No its not the Pandorica; it's Stonehenge. The site in Sailsbury, Wiltshire, features in this Saturdays episode The Pandorica Opens, is one of the country's best known landmarks and joins the likes of The Globe, The London Eye and The Houses of Parliament that have featured in New Who. Stonehenge site director Peter Carson said: "Stonehenge continues to be one of the country's most recognised historic monuments. We're delighted to be a part of one of Britain's best-loved and most iconic TV series, and think it's a great way to introduce Stonehenge to new audiences." What remains of Stonehenge is believed to be the final stage of three phases first built around 3100 BC and altogether took over thirty million hours in labour to construct. The origins and purpose of the site are at the heart of 'the mystery of Stonehenge'. Perhaps most famous amongst these theories are those of the Druids though archaeologists and historians are keen to stress the differences between the Iron Age Druidic religion and the much older monument. It has also be labelled a place of worship, a healing centre and a place to honour the dead. The site has over 800,000 visitors a year though most of them are not permitted to walk amongst the towering ruins. Surprisingly, this is the first time that the Doctor has visited the site in the TV incarnation – however Stonehenge has made its presence felt in the Whoniverse several times over the years… In the First Doctor adventure The Time Meddler, the Meddling Monk claimed to have assisted the completion of Stonehenge with anti-gravity lifts. While the Eighth Doctor and Sam Jones returned to the site again in the Short Trips tale The Peoples Temple. The Seventies were a busy time for Doctor spotting at the Stone Age monument in the Novel Adventures. The Third Doctor defeated the Rags at the site in The Rags while UNIT fought the Vardens on the grounds while the Seventh Doctor was held captive by the Monk in No Future. In 2001, the first Doctor Who webcast Death Comes to Time featured the landmark – the Seventh Doctor tale featuring the vocal talents of Stephen Fry (Qi) John Culshaw (Dead Ringers) and the Brigadier himself Nicholas Courtney, used the site as a landing strip for the invading forces of General Tannis played by John Sessions (The Last Station.) For more information on Stonehenge ("Where the demons dwell – Where the banshees live and they do live well") head over to Stonehenge.co.uk. The Pandorica Opens airs this Saturday at 18:40 simultaneously on BBC1 and BBC HD. (Via Salisbury Journal)

New clip from The Pandorica Opens online Posted: 16 Jun 2010 12:56 AM PDT The official Doctor Who website has today posted a clip taken from part one of the series finale, The Pandorica Opens. If you’re avoiding spoilers at all costs, we recommend that you DON’T watch the scene, as it gives away a bundle of plot details that you may wish to wait until Saturday night for. If [...]

Doctor Who tops May iPlayer figures Posted: 15 Jun 2010 10:38 PM PDT The first four episodes of Doctor Who to première in May, were the top four most requested programmes for the month on the BBC iPlayer according to BBC iStats. Top of the list was episode 7, Amy's Choice, with nearly 1.4 million requests. Episode 5, Flesh and Stone was second, followed by Episode 6, The Vampires of Venice and Episode 8, The Hungry Earth. The four episodes were the only programmes during the month, to have over 1 million requests each. Episode 9, Cold Blood, came in at number 8 despite only being available for the last two days of the month. Overall Doctor Who was the second most requested programme of the month with over 6.5 million requests for one of the nine episodes available. The top programme was EastEnders with over 8 million requests, although these were spread over 33 episodes. Doctor Who had the highest downloads per episode. Episodes of the current series are available in the UK on the BBC iPlayer from transmission date until Saturday 3rd July. http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com

Doctor Who Series 5 Volume 2 Posted: 15 Jun 2010 09:45 PM PDT After what can only be described as a bit of a dream start the new series settles down a tad and heads towards its first two-part story without a second thought for viewers trying to catch their breath. This review is culled from the previews I wrote earlier for Kasterborous. I have not changed my views on each episode, in fact I enjoyed them even more the second time around. The Time Of Angels The Doctor is recruited by Father Octavian (Iain Glen) to track the last of the Angels through the terrifying Maze Of The Dead. This is down to the mysterious River Song (Alex Kingston) who has re-entered the Doctor's life – but can he trust her? With an opening that has touches of James Bond and Raiders Of The Lost Ark, The Time Of Angels is instantly classic Doctor Who. How? Well, there's Amy's frustration at the lack of alien planet action, there's hints of the Doctor's mysterious past, a baddie with a more frightening back-story than you could have imagined, an ever increasing feeling of breath taking claustrophobia and a returning character that doesn't grate. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Back to the story and whispers between River and Father Octavian add another dimension to the story, we know they're up to something untold and the Doctor seems unaware and by the time we're into the Maze Of The Dead (a place littered with weathered statues) the story has gathered quite a pace and we've forgotten there's a secret to be revealed. The plot enters traditional Sci-Fi territory here as we witness a group of soldiers investigating caves where an alien menace is stalking them and taking them down one by one. But here Moffat plays his masterstroke, one of the dead soldiers communicates with the Doctor via a walkie-talkie delivering scenes so dark it does make uncomfortable but truly memorable viewing. Flesh And Stone We left the Doctor, Amy, River Song and various members of a depleted army surrounded by an army of Weeping Angels. The Doctor must escape through this forest of stone and help everyone to safety. As with the first episode this story pounds along and builds with an ever increasing sense of claustrophobia. The Doctor and Amy's relationship grows and matures with a wonderful and emotional scene between the two nearly half way through. Instead of slowing the narrative it adds to it, defining each character with so much emotion it makes you ache for them and their situation. It answers many questions such as the relationship between River and Father Octavian, the crack seen across time and why Amy didn't recognise the Daleks. This plotline of Amy's lack of alien invasion recall is a real turning point which is combined with one of the most tense and thought provoking moments of the series so far. The last 15 minutes of the episode will have you at the edge of your seat, close to the TV set shouting and urging our heroes on. Memorable moments that are injected with small but wonderful levels of humour and heart. Look out for specific clues to the future of the 11th Doctor, there's some subtle hints which are far more interesting than the Bad Wolf arc from 2005. The final moments in Amy's bedroom brings Doctor who into a more mature age. This was a totally unexpected scene and one that for me is truly justified and defines Amy's personality and lust for life. Vampires Of Venice Dessicated corpses, terror in the canal and a visit to the sinister House of Calvierri – the Doctor takes Amy and Rory (Arthur Darvill) for a romantic mini-break, as the TARDIS touches down once again. But 16th-century Venice is not as it should be. The city has been sealed to protect it from the Plague, although Rosanna Calvierri (Helen McCrory) may have other plans… The tone of The Vampires Of Venice is light hearted for much of the story but it does have some rather sinister moments of darkness. This vampiric tale from Toby "School Reunion" Whithouse is a Hammer Studios style romp with nice science fiction touches. The Doctor is in full flow here landing in 1580's Venice and doing his best to impress his new guest. Cue lots of smugness. Matt Smith is hitting perfection here working his body and hands in a way normally reserved for Jeff Goldblum. Supported very amiably by both Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill, playing a couple lost, not in time but with each other. This is not another Rose and Mickey relationship, this is more mature, more grown up and more needy. Directed by Jonny Campbell with more than a nod to those glorious golden days of Hammer (minus the heaving bosoms), the director cranks up the pace to a rather dialogue driven story. There are lovely tunnel shots lit by burning torches, wonderful set dressing with sumptuous costumes. Talking of props and stuff look out for a real neat touch that will have fans whistling in delight. Effects wise the episode is a tad ropey with some obvious CGI taking your eye off the main happenings. The humour doesn't spoil the drama, instead it gives the more serious situations slightly more edge. All the episodes do suffer every now and again by poor "green screen" effects that stand out but the transfers of each story are nice and clear. For those who like to know such things, the teasers for "Next Time" have been removed though the "Previously" at the start of the Flesh And Stone episode is here. Extras Monster Files – From the people behind Doctor Who Confidential, this short 10-minute feature looks at some of the Doctor's most cherished monsters and opponents. This entry concentrates on the Weeping Angels and is far too short to really celebrate these wonderfully scary creations. We do get to see the ladies behind the masks and its good to see how the masks are created. This selection of episodes showed the direction in which the series was heading, things were going to get darker, more mysterious and pretty scary. Oh, but even more wonderful stories were to follow. Doctor Who – Series 5 Volume 2 is out on July 5th, 2010 and can be preordered on DVD from Amazon for £10.93or on Blu-ray for £13.93 .

Bloody Great Spoiler? Posted: 15 Jun 2010 08:20 PM PDT It isn't often the BBC hides a great big spoiler under your nose – but it seems that a key element of The Pandorica Opens has been hiding in plain sight for some weeks on the website of Doctor Who designer Peter McKinstry. What we have below is a very interest concept image of what it seems is the Pandorica itself – but what is much more interesting is what's inside. There is only one way to find out – spoilerphobes, look away now – and that is to click the image above, then catch your dropping jaw. Of course, it could be that we're taking it slightly out of context – perhaps the Doctor is forced into the box – which we assume is the Pandorica – rather than being there already. Whatever the case, this certainly adds an intriguing new element to the much-anticipated season finale… (Note that the images seem to have since been taken down from McKinstry's homepage.) (Via io9.com)

Comics on Wednesday and Pulse Script Online Posted: 15 Jun 2010 08:09 PM PDT Out today in US comic stores, tomorrow in UK comic shops, is Age of Heroes #2, which contains a Young Masters short by me and Mark Brooks. Myself and some of the other writers involved are interviewed about it here. And there's another interview, this time about the forthcoming Spitfire one-shot here. Meanwhile, those of you with an interest in scriptwriting might want to check out the Pulse pilot script, which has been put online courtesy of the BBC Writer's Room here. Cheerio!

Karen’s Pandorica Spoilers Posted: 15 Jun 2010 07:24 PM PDT As well as the Radio Times, Amy Pond actress Karen Gillan appears in the TV Times this week, chatting about the Doctor Who season finale, which kicks off this Saturday night with The Pandorica Opens… Naturally, it's spoilery stuff – and we don't really want to upset anyone who might be trying to look away as far as the spoilers go. While Gillan refused to be drawn on what was going on later in the story, she was prepared to let slip a few details about the beginning of the adventure… "It starts with the Doctor saying he's going to take Amy to the very first planet in existence, but when they arrive there they find a message from River Song. "The message rings alarm bells for the Doctor – and then they find River dressed as Cleopatra. "There's more to it than meets the eye. The two episodes are really scary – it's the Doctor's worst nightmare." It certainly sounds an intrigueing and enticing opening episode to the two-part finale – we'll find out more as Saturday approaches. Catch The Pandorica Opens on Saturday night at 6.40pm on BBC One and BBC HD.

City of the Daleks now available for Mac Posted: 14 Jun 2010 07:14 PM PDT If you’re a Mac user, the time has come for you to officially install the first episode of the new Adventure Games, City of the Daleks! You can download the interactive episode via the official website now, and don’t forget that before, during and after playing the game, you can leave your thoughts in our discussion, here. Enjoy [...]

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