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Doctor Who Is Getting Another Spinoff Show... About School Kids?

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 22:26:00 +0000

Well, this is surprising. With Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures long over, Doctor Who has been a standalone show for a while... until now. Next year, the series is getting a brand new spinoff: and it’s all about the kids at Clara’s school, Coal Hill.

Arthur Darvill and Karen Gillan Mark the Anniversary of Their ‘Doctor Who’ Exit

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 13:13:14 +0000

It was three years yesterday (September 29) that Rory and Amy Pond vanished from Doctor Who. For some fans, this was the single most traumatic event of their Whovian lives, one that still aches to this day.

The post Arthur Darvill and Karen Gillan Mark the Anniversary of Their ‘Doctor Who’ Exit appeared first on Anglophenia.

Under The Lake: Publicity

Chuck Foster — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 19:42:00 +0000

The BBC have released publicity imagery for the forthcoming episode, Under The Lake.

Under The Lake: synopsis

When an Underwater Base comes under attack, the Doctor and Clara must save the frightened crew and defeat an impossible threat. But what is behind these terrifying events? And can they really be haunted by ghosts?

Writer: Toby Whithouse
Director: Daniel O’Hara
Producer: Derek Ritchie

Images feature Paul Kaye as Prentis, Colin McFarlane as Moran, Zaqi Ismail as Lunn, Arsher Ali as Bennett, Sophie Stone as Cass, and Morven Christie as O'Donnell.

Under The Lake: Known Broadcast Details
United Kingdom	BBC One	Sat 3 Oct 2015	8:25pm
United States of America	BBC America	Sat 3 Oct 2015	9:00pm EDT	(2:00am BST)
Canada	SPACE	Sat 3 Oct 2015	9:00pm EDT	(2:00am BST)
Asia Pacific	BBC Entertainment	Sun 4 Oct 2015	10:00am SGT	(3:00am BST)
New Zealand	PRIME	Sun 4 Oct 2015	7:30pm NZDT	(7:30am BST)
Australia	ABC	Sun 4 Oct 2015	7:40pm AEDT	(9:40am BST)
Europe (Benelux)	BBC First	Tue 6 Oct 2015	9:00pm CEST
United Kingdom	BBC Two	Fri 9 Oct 2015	1:15am	(British Signed Language)
Finland	YLE2	Mon 12 Oct 2015	6:05pm EEST
South Africa	BBC First	Sat 24 Oct 2015	7:30pm SAST
Germany	FOX	Thu 10 Dec 2015	9:00pm CET	(dubbed into German)

Doctor Who lead role could be taken by woman, says BBC1 chief

Mon, 28 Sep 2015 23:01:08 +0000

Charlotte Moore insists she will never put a bar on female lead in sci-fi series and says Peter Capaldi has ‘broken the mould’ as the Time Lord

BBC1 controller Charlotte Moore has not ruled out the possibility of the lead role in Doctor Who being taken by a woman.

Moore said current incumbent Peter Capaldi had “broken the mould” but said she would never “put a bar” on its future direction.

Doctor Who TV ratings mauled by England v Wales

Mon, 28 Sep 2015 09:48:19 +0000

Rigby World Cup match on ITV watched by more than 10 million, beating BBC1 sci fi series’ second outing which drew an average of 3.7 million

Doctor Who shed a million viewers in a week, dropping below 4 million on the second outing of its new series, as the BBC1 show was mauled by ITV’s coverage of the Rugby World Cup.

Doctor Who attracted an average of 4.6 million viewers on its return on Saturday 19 September, the lowest series opener since the show’s return a decade ago, suffering at the hands of Simon Cowell’s The X Factor.

Slipknot's Corey Taylor supplies Doctor Who's monster with scream

Mon, 28 Sep 2015 08:23:48 +0000

The metal frontman gives bloodcurdling voice to the Fisher King, the Doctor’s enemy in Under the Lake episode

Slipknot’s Corey Taylor is to make his debut in a BBC drama, but not as an onscreen actor, or even in a speaking role. Instead he will supply his scream to Saturday 10 October’s episode of Doctor Who, Under the Lake.

Taylor has recorded screams for the episode’s monster, the Fisher King, the Mirror reports. However, the monster’s speaking voice is supplied by Peter Serafinowicz, and the character is played on screen by Neil Fingleton, the tallest Briton at 7ft 7ins.

The Witch's Familiar - Press Reaction

Marcus — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 11:08:00 +0000

Press reaction to the second episode of Series Nine is once more overwhelmingly positive.

The Independent felt much of the success of the episode was down to Julian Bleach's performance as Davros. "Steven Moffat’s dialogue was on top form this week, but it shone thanks to Bleach’s superb performance. It’s incredible how much physicality he brought to the role considering how limiting the costume is, utilising body language and facial expressions to maximum effect and pairing them with a powerful vocal performance"

The Guardian also liked the Davros/Doctor dynamic. "Peter Capaldi and Julian Bleach crackled with such warped chemistry", with Radio Times agreeing "Capaldi and Julian Bleach are superb in these moments. There’s a coup de théâtre when, for the first time, the wizened Davros opens his eyes. We’d always assumed he had none. No one but Steven Moffat would have thought to do this."

The Express said you can't help but love the villains."Missy is like a deliciously dangerous cocktail of dry wit laced with a sneaky shot of psychosis. She pulls you in with hers charms and makes you feel comfortable, then the moment you let your guard down or even consider trusting her, she'll have you strung upside down from a tree". The Registrar also loved Michelle Gomez. "Missy once again delivers some of the best lines, such as: "The friend inside the enemy, the enemy inside the friend. Everyone's a bit of both. Everyone's a hybrid.".

TV Fanatic loved the pairing of Clara and Missy "I lost it when Clara mentioned throwing a stone down into the sewers and Missy pushing her in saying. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of The Mistress, but I already can't wait for another team up like this one. " Mashable also loved the duo. "A fantastic comedy double act of psycho and straight person, fighting their way through Skaro towards the Doctor with nothing but a sharpened stick", a sentiment agreed with by 411Mainia. "I know not everyone is in love with Missy, but Michelle Gomez is a highlight of the first two episodes. She is able to have some more wicked fun, which is an important balance since the Doctor is busy being deadly serious"

The Metro loved the pace of the story. This was a thoughtful character piece in which the Doctor saves the day with an act of mercy rather than a simple wave of his sonic. I found that pleasingly old-school, while The Daily Mail loved the fact that Doctor Who can still come up with something fresh. "Seeing the Doctor’s assistant Clara Oswald strapped, trapped, inside a Dalek and only able to communicate like them was ingeniously vivid – palpably claustrophobic and perilous: the fairground ride from hell.".

Not all was positive with TV.com disliking the conclusion to the episode "this climax was dumb. Daleks turning on one another is fine enough, but the sludgey poo of not-quite-dead Daleks attacking their comrades was just... dumb.", while IGN thought the episode a bit of a letdown. "It just can’t satisfactorily resolve some of the bits and pieces showrunner Steven Moffat left dangling last week in the grand first episode."

Digital Spy however thought the episode bleak but rewarding. "Scenes between our effusive hero and a creepily still Davros are dark and uncompromising, they're also utterly scintillating."

You can read Doctor Who News's review of the episode on our reviews site.

Doctor Who series 35, episode two: The Witch’s Familiar

Sat, 26 Sep 2015 19:35:00 +0000

The Doctor and Davros get to spend some quality time together, while Clara and Missy continue their unlikely double act

Speaking at a launch for the series in Cardiff this month, Steven Moffat said that the idea for this two-part opening story had been very simple. The Doctor and Davros, he contended, had never had a scene together that had been anything less than great. Even in the less revered stories, those two in a room together had always, always been electric. There had just never been especially much of it. Even the iconic stuff from Genesis is actually fleetingly brief. So his one-line pitch was: what would happen if you put them in a room together and leave them there for quite a long time?

The Witch's Familiar: publicity photos

Chuck Foster — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 15:43:00 +0000

The BBC have released a number of publicity images for episode two of the new series.

The Witch's Familiar: synopsis

Trapped and alone in a terrifying Dalek city, the Doctor is at the heart of an evil Empire: no sonic, no TARDIS, nobody to help. With his greatest temptation before him, can the Doctor resist? And will there be mercy?

Writer: Steven Moffat
Director: Hettie Macdonald
Producer: Peter Bennett

The Witch's Familiar: Known Broadcast Details
United Kingdom	BBC One	Sat 26 Sep 2015	7:45pm
United States of America	BBC America	Sat 26 Sep 2015	9:00pm EDT	(2:00am BST)
Canada	SPACE	Sat 26 Sep 2015	9:00pm EDT	(2:00am BST)
Asia Pacific	BBC Entertainment	Sun 27 Sep 2015	10:00am SGT	(3:00am BST)
New Zealand	PRIME	Sun 27 Sep 2015	7:30pm NZST	(8:30am BST)
Australia	ABC	Sun 27 Sep 2015	7:40pm AEST	(10:40am BST)
Europe (Benelux)	BBC First	Tue 29 Sep 2015	9:00pm CEST
United Kingdom	BBC Two	Fri 2 Oct 2015	1:45am	(British Signed Language)
Finland	YLE2	Mon 5 Oct 2015	6:05pm EEST
South Africa	BBC First	Sat 24 Oct 2015	6:45pm SAST
Germany	FOX	Thu 3 Dec 2015	~10:00pm CET	(dubbed into German)

Season Premiere Breaks Records in the United States

Marcus — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 23:27:00 +0000

Doctor Who The Magician's Apprentice was Doctor Who's biggest ever première in the states for the key demographic of Adults aged 18-49.

Overall the episode had 2 million watching, with 1.1 million being between 18-49, nearly doubling the S8 average, making BBC America the third most watched channel in that demographic for the timeslot.

The channel beat the big 4 broadcast networks and ranked only behind college football on ESPN and the finale of Sábado Gigante on Univision. Out of 100 returning dramas, Doctor Who is one of just 14 dramas to show any growth from its prior season premiere.

Sarah Barnett, President of BBC AMERICA said

Doctor Who is unlike anything else on television, a storied franchise that is as fresh and contemporary as ever, with brilliant writing and superb performances. We couldn’t be more thrilled that new and returning Doctor Who fans tuned into the live première in record numbers and we look forward to bringing more of the Doctor to this passionate audience.

All tracked demographics showed increases from the season 8 average with the most significant increases seen among the younger viewers.

The episode was the #1 most social drama of the night based on ListenFirst's Digital Audience Ratings for Television. It was the #1 TV brand on Tumblr, the #1 drama on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and the #2 drama on Instagram, following The Walking Dead. It was the #1 most social drama of the week.

TV by the Numbers

The week in TV: Doctor Who; An Inspector Calls; Countdown to Life; The Gamechangers; Frontline Fighting: The Brits Battling Isis

Sun, 20 Sep 2015 06:00:18 +0000

While the Time Lord has us fumbling for our moral compass, an inspector finds his too easily. BBC2, meanwhile has some blinding science…

Doctor Who (BBC1) | BBC iPlayer

An Inspector Calls (BBC1) | BBC iPlayer

Doctor Who recap series 35, episode one – The Magician’s Apprentice

Sat, 19 Sep 2015 19:30:04 +0000

Missy’s back, an ancient enemy has resurfaced and the Doctor is busy rocking out in 12th-century Essex – the series opener is full of Who details to keep fans happy

And we’re back! Did everyone manage to avoid the Davros spoiler? And more to the point, didn’t it used to be the case that these series openers used to be the light and fluffy ones? And yet here we are, 45 minutes in and we’re about to shoot a child in the face.

Doctor Who: is it just for kids?

Sat, 19 Sep 2015 08:00:13 +0000

Like any normal adult with a social life, Filipa Jodelka had never watched Doctor Who. But something odd happened in the space-time continuum…

Anyone with fanciful ideas about a free press need only look to the violent squee that bubbles over when fans of shows like Doctor Who (Saturday, 7.40pm, BBC1) are wronged by an illusion-shattering reality check. To upset a Whovian is a very foolish thing. Say a word against the Doctor and before you know it they’re knitting you death threats and lining up Forbidden Planet’s finest plastic tat – I mean toys – outside your front door to glare menacingly at you when you leave for work. So I’ll tread carefully.

Doctor Who vs real world science: who comes up trumps?

Fri, 18 Sep 2015 15:48:08 +0000

Five science (fiction) reasons why you should get to know Doctor Who.

This piece was first published on The Conversation

The new series of Doctor Who is just about upon us. You’ll either be resolutely uninterested, or jittering with anticipation at the thought. For those who adore it (such as myself), it’s an intrinsic part of Christmas, a long lost friend, a world in which anything might happen. But for everyone else, the Doctor seems to invoke feelings of naffness, as something slightly embarrassing that your younger brother once watched.

Next on Tory TV, the Doctor presents the 10pm news in his time dimension | Viv Groskop

Fri, 18 Sep 2015 15:34:21 +0000

Culture secretary John Whittingdale wants to reschedule the BBC 10 O’Clock News. What else could the party dream up if they had the chance?

Oh dear. This is awkward. The culture secretary, John Whittingdale, has suggested that the BBC should move the 10pm news because of “the impact on its commercial rivals”. “Is it sensible,” he asked, “that its main evening news bulletin goes out at the same time as ITV’s?”

Doctor Who: everything we know about the new series

Fri, 18 Sep 2015 11:10:07 +0000

With The Magician’s Apprentice kicking things off on Saturday, Peter Capaldi talks about the Daleks, Michelle Gomez’s return as Missy and the Doctor’s changing relationship with Clara

We know from the BBC’s Mission Dalek digital initiative that our old chum is nowhere to be found, and now we get an inkling of what he’s been up to.

Jenna Coleman confirms Doctor Who exit: 'It was emotional!'

Fri, 18 Sep 2015 09:31:49 +0000

The actor who plays the Doctor’s assistant Clara Oswald confirmed her decision to Nick Grimshaw on his Radio 1 breakfast show

Doctor Who: everything we know about the new series

In an interview on Nick Grimshaw’s Radio 1 show this morning, Jenna Coleman has confirmed that she’s leaving Doctor Who.

“It was emotional! It’s been in the works for a very long time. Steven [Moffat] and I sat down a year and a half ago and tried to work out the best place to do it, and the best place to tell a really good story – hopefully that’s what we’ve done. I think it’s really cool … obviously we’re not going to give away any details but it will happen at some point this season.”

Jenna Coleman 'quits Doctor Who' for new role as Queen Victoria

Wed, 16 Sep 2015 11:56:40 +0000

Actor to play lead in £10m ITV drama Victoria after three years as Doctor’s assistant

Jenna Coleman will reportedly be “leaving Doctor Who” after snapping up the lead in a new ITV drama.

The actor, who plays the Doctor’s assistant Clara Oswald, will be time-travelling back to the 19th century to play Queen Victoria in a new eight-part £10m drama, according to the Mirror.

Doctor Who needs ‘lots more kissing’, according to Peter Capaldi

Mon, 14 Sep 2015 23:01:01 +0000

Star of BBC1 sci-fi series rules out any romantic storyline between his character and Clara, played by Jenna Coleman, saying it would be ‘completely creepy’

Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi has called for “lots more kissing” in the hit BBC1 show but ruled out any romantic storyline between the Time Lord and his companion.

Capaldi, who will return for his second full series on Saturday, said there was “no romance, but deep love” between the Doctor and Clara, played by Jenna Coleman.

Doctor Who new series prologue – video

Fri, 11 Sep 2015 11:52:34 +0000

An enigmatic prologue to the new series of Doctor Who finds the Time Lord on the planet Karn

“Why do you always assume I’m lying?” The Doctor has an existential discussion on Karn in this prologue to the forthcoming series. But who is the old enemy he’s talking about?

Doctor Who's Peter Capaldi: I'd like David Bowie as a guest star

Fri, 11 Sep 2015 10:19:22 +0000

Actor also says he would also like to see Keith Richards in BBC show, ‘stumbling around the Tardis, knocking out a few chords’

Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi would like David Bowie and Keith Richards to guest star on the BBC1 show.

Bowie is no stranger to extraterrestrial activity, having played an alien in The Man Who Fell to Earth and topped the charts with Space Oddity, while Richards has trod the boards in the Pirates of the Caribbean series of films alongside Johnny Depp.

Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi: 'I absolutely love the BBC'

Wed, 09 Sep 2015 08:16:32 +0000

Actor admits the corporation ‘is not perfect’, but says it is ‘vital’ to have a large-scale public service broadcaster

Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi has come out in defence of the BBC, arguing that it is “vital” that it remains a large-scale public service broadcaster because commercial rivals are no substitute.

Capaldi, who returns in the latest series of Doctor Who on 19 September, admitted that the corporation “is not perfect” but said it contributed a lot to the UK.

Alex Kingston to return as River Song in Doctor Who Christmas special

Wed, 02 Sep 2015 13:31:28 +0000

The wonders of time travel mean we haven’t seen the back of the Time Lord’s on-off wife – so what’s in store for her and new Doctor Peter Capaldi?

Did Christmas just come early? News reaches us today that Alex Kingston is returning to Doctor Who for this year’s Christmas special, and started filming this week. As somebody who always loved her way with a gun and filthy mouth, this is welcome news indeed.

Steven Moffat: 'Only the BBC would have come up with Doctor Who'

Sat, 29 Aug 2015 06:01:07 +0000

Doctor Who’s executive producer says the long-running sci-fi series is a wonderful example of the corporation’s breadth

Doctor Who’s lead writer and executive producer has added his voice to a growing chorus defending the BBC at the Edinburgh international television festival. Speaking after a screening of The Magician’s Apprentice, the opening episode of the ninth series, Steven Moffat insisted that only the BBC could have commissioned something as idiosyncratic as the long-running show, which celebrated its 50th anniversary two years ago.

“It’s fair to say that there’s only one broadcaster in the whole world that would have come up with and transmitted as good an idea as Doctor Who,” he said, offering a mock version of what a contemporary pitch for the Who might sound like. “‘What’s the spaceship going to look like?’ ‘You’re going to love this’ ‘Is he going to be a young dashing hero?’ ‘Sometimes.’”

Doctor Who - The Ice Warriors (DVD Review)

David Bentley — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 23:09:16 +0000

By Gary Young

Doctor Who - The Ice Warriors (RRP £20.42, released August 26, 2013)

With the Doctor Who publicity juggernaut grinding remorselessly towards the 50th anniversary celebrations, the programme's past is being highlighted like never before.

The latest classic story to be dusted off and lovingly restored is the Patrick Troughton epic The Ice Warriors.

With two episodes missing from the BBC archives, previous releases have always been unsatisfying - but the sterling work of the Doctor Who restoration team in animating the missing segments to the surrounding soundtrack result in an effect similar to replacing a missing tooth in a much-loved smile.

Patrick Troughton has always been the Doctor's Doctor - all subsequent actors who have taken on the role seem to fall over themselves to praise his performance.

Following the irascible anti-hero first Doctor William Hartnell, Troughton set the template of the kindly, gentle but morally-driven Time Lord - and introduced us to some of the major characters, baddies and situations that sustain the show today.

UNIT, the Brigadier - the Time Lords themselves - were all introduced on his watch, along with the Ice Warriors.

Troughton's tenure on the show is obviously still resonating with the current production team, with The Great Intelligence and the Ice Warriors both cropping up in the latest season of the show.

And it is the actor's warmth and charisma that light up the screen whenever he is in a scene, making The Ice Warriors such a delight.

As a child I was brought up on the classic Pertwee and Tom Baker episodes, but Troughton was always my favourite Doctor, simply from reading the Target novelisations. The stories seemed taut, imaginative and ambitious in scope, with deft characterisations and classic adversaries. I never dreamed I would be able to watch them - especially with so many episodes missing - all of which makes the current releasing of reconstructed stories such a treat.

It is fair to say though, that to modern sensibilities the Troughton shows are not without their faults. The pace can be plodding, the production values laughable, and the old cliché of endlessly running up and down corridors, screaming assistants and pointless captures and escapes are not without foundation - with the grinding need to create a cliffhanger every 25 minutes.

At six episodes the pace of the Ice Warriors does slacken occasionally, some of the action sequences are positively clunky, and the Ice Warriors themselves are the epitome of the classic Doctor Who villain - men clad in ridiculous, oversized costumes lumbering about slowly with limited visibility, often bumping into the sets and making them wobble.

But these 'faults' frankly add to the charm of the shows - especially when measured against modern episodes with their frenetic pace, sketchy characterization and occasionally over-wrought plotting.

Troughton himself, with his gift for whimsy and slapstick matched only by his sense of kindly integrity and bursts of righteous indignation, keeps the show grounded - and his chemistry with companions Jamie (Fraser Hines) and Victoria (Deborah Watling) is a delight to watch.

The supporting cast is also excellent. Peter Barkworth chews the scenery to great effect as the anti-hero Leader Clent, and Peter Sallis (pre-Last Of The Summer Wine and Wallace and Gromit) gives an unexpectedly gritty turn as the gruff and rebellious scientist Penley.

Bizarrely, the lead Ice Warrior, Varga, is played by the much-loved Carry On stalwart Bernard Bresslaw, who is completely unrecognizable under the mask and shell armour.

And yet under the reptilian hiss the voice is recognizably his, and he manages to invest the faceless creature with a distinctive and dominating character.

The discs come with the usual commentary - provided by Hines and Watling with a selection of supporting cast members and production staff - and extras include a short but satisfying 25-minute making-of documentary, a feature on the animation company, a profile of Fraser Hines and some charming contemporary footage of a Blue Peter design-a-monster competition.

All-in-all, The Ice Warriors is a must-have for any fan of Classic Who.

Rating: 4 out of 5