Homepage
| Doctor Who | Torchwood | The Sarah Jane Adventures | Classic Series | Facts and Info | Who's History
Character Files | Monster and Villain Files | Spacecraft Files | Planet Files | Gallery | Videos | Merry Christmas | Awards

Monday 28 July 2008

Tennant Mobbed After Hamlet Performances


Doctor Who star David Tennant is such a hit playing Hamlet that he can't leave the theatre without being mobbed.

The audience went wild for his performance as the prince of Denmark on Saturday night.

But he has had to tell director Gregory Doran they can't meet in a cafe as he would be besieged by fans.

Tennant, 37, said: "I can't go there now - it just turns into a sci-fi convention."

Dr Who fans mingled with regular theatre-goers for his sell-out run with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon. Dozens of people queued in vain to get tickets on Saturday.

As Tennant left the theatre, hundreds mobbed him.

Others have waited there during the week wanting him to autograph merchandise.

By contrast, former Star Trek actor Patrick Stewart, who plays Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, has been left almost ignored amid all the fervour for Tennant.

Timelord's Assistants' Prize Battle

Doctor Who actresses Catherine Tate and Freema Agyeman will compete for the title of favourite female TV star at Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice awards.

The sci-fi series has netted a record four nominations - and the Time Lord himself, David Tennant, is up for favourite male TV star.

In the family TV show category, Doctor Who faces X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and Harry Hill's TV Burp.

The second UK Kids' Choice Awards take place in London on 13 September.

The Daleks have made it into the favourite baddie award - up against the original "Mr Nasty" Simon Cowell - who last week topped a US poll of reality TV villains.

Battles in Time - Devastator


The 52-issue run of Battles in Time has been extended to 60 issues, and a new set of cards is being released, for series 4! The new set is called Devastator, and here are a few things about it:

Join the Tenth Doctor and face the scariest monsters and vile villains from the latest series of Doctor Who as Doctor Who: Battles in Time launches its latest expansion set covering the fourth series of the massively popular TV show.

Continuing the phenomenal success of Battles in Time’s Exterminator, Annihilator, Invader and Ultimate Monsters sets, the Devastator cards feature 250 brand-new, spectacular images from the fourth year of the TV series.

Prepare to do battle with rabid Ood, lava monsters, the war hungry Sontarans, terrifying creatures that can change time, and Davros, the creator of the dreaded Daleks himself!

The new Devastator set features special holo and lenticular super-rares and ultra-rares, plus a selection powerboosting bonus cards that add exciting new levels to your game-play.

• 250 unique designs based on the 2008 Doctor Who TV adventures, plus the 2007 Christmas Special, ‘Voyage of the Damned’!
• Pack odds: 209 common cards (9 in every pack); 25 rare (1 in every pack); 10 super-rare (1 in every 6 packs); 6 ultra-rare (1 in every 24 packs). Extra to the set is a Golden Ticket card, which is the rarest card of all – there’s only 1 in every thousand packs!

The Devastator Special will be released on the 16th September 2008, and the set on 3rd September 2008.

Sunday 27 July 2008

Music of the Spheres



Here is the original of Music of the Spheres! If you went to see it at the Prom, then it would have been fantastic and incredibly fun! Sheets of music flew out from the side of the Tardis, everybody shouted hello to the Doctor, a pesky Graske escaped from the Tardis and ended up on the stage, (and also tried to kick a musician's cello!) and we heard the orchestra play the brilliant 'Ode to the Universe'!(which quite frankly sounded awful!!!)


Not seeing it at the actual Prom is not the same at all, and does not do it justice,  but I'm sure you've still enjoyed it!!!

Saturday 26 July 2008

Torchwood Soundtrack - Teaser Trailer



This is the new trailer for the Torchwood Soundtrack, which reveals the cover and the back of the CD case!


Here is also the track list (thanks to Tardis and Torchwood Treasures for this!):


1. Everything Changes
2. The Chase
3. Ghosts
4. Sleepers Awake
5. Toshiko & Tommy
6. Into the Hub
7. The Mission
8. Gray's Theme
9. Jack's Love Theme
10. Another Day, Another Death
11. Look Right Then Leave
12. Welcome to Planet Earth
13. The Plot
14. Out of Time
15. The Death of Owen Harper
16. King of the Weevils
17. Owen Fights Death
18. The Woman on the Roof
19. Owen's Theme
20. Pearl & the Ghostmaker
21. Flat Holm Island
22. A Boy Called Jonah
23. Toshiko Sato - Betrayal and Redemption
24. Gwen & Rhys
25. Jack joins Torchwood
26. Captain Jack's Theme
27. I Believe in Him
28. Memories of Gray
29. Goodbyes
30. Death of Toshiko
31. The End Is Where We Start From
32. Torchwood Theme

Christmas Special Trailer Premiere












The Trailer for this years Christmas Special has premiered at the San Diego Comic Con.

Joseph McCabe from FEARnet had the following to say about the trailer:

"Get ready, Doctor Who fans! It may be July, but we were fortunate enough to get a little yuletide cheer this afternoon when we witnessed the Stateside premiere of the trailer for the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas Special. We've got one word to describe this 2008 edition of the chilling annual tradition--Cybermen! Yep, the good Doctor's longtime uber enemies will be back to menace Victorian England come December. Also, based on today's trailer, it looks like that English ice queen Miranda Richardson will play a pivotal role in the new Who Special. But our favorite part of the trailer? What looked like some weird kind of new 'Cyberdog'--a big hairy creature running around on all fours with the familiar metal face of the fearsome foes!"

And here's the trailer! (Sorry about the bad quality!)



Doctor Who Prom - BBC Site

The BBC Doctor Who Site has been updated for the Who prom tomorrow!

It has a nice picture of the Graske, and the Doctor in the Tardis, and the event line up + info

Follow these couple of links:

Doctor Who Adventures 74

Sorry that this was out a couple of days ago, but here you are:



Vote for your favourite Doctor Who story!

What was YOUR favourite Doctor Who episode this year? Doctor Who Adventures wants to know!

In this week’s issue of Doctor Who Adventures you can vote for your favourite story from the latest series of Doctor Who.

Also, meet the Doctor’s secret army – and find out about the Children of Time in a fact file about the Doctor’s friends.

The issue comes with a FREE monster stationery set!

PLUS:
Three brilliant posters: Rose and the TARDIS, Silence in the Library, Dalek Caan.
Tales from the TARDIS: A trip to the Shadow Proclamation.
Potato people: Jackie Tyler gets the spud treatment.
Quiz: How much do you know about the Cybermen?
Who’s where?: Find pieces of the Osterhagen Key aboard the Crucible!
Secrets: Discover more about the Time Beetle on Donna’s back.
Dalek designs: We announce the winner of our hugely popular design a brand-new Dalek competition.
Doctor's Data: Peck the bubbling Hath.
Comic strip: The Doctor and Donna arrive in London in the 1950s…
Time Teasers: Scrambled Donna and Time Line!
Wovenwordsearch!: Find the missing word and win a great Doctor Who CD.
Win: Loads on offer!
Subscription offer: Subscribe and you’ll get a FREE Doctor Who –Creatures and Demons book!
Find out... How to become a Time Agent.
ALL THIS AND LOTS MORE!

DWA Issue #74 goes on sale from Thursday 24th July 2008, priced £2.10.

Comic Con Exclusive Figures




















This years San Diego Comic Con is offering two exclusive Doctor Who Action Figures.

- The Ninth Doctor with Green top
- Time Crash

Friday 25 July 2008

2009 Specials - Writers Announced


Russell T. Davies has revealed his co-writers for the forthcoming Doctor Who specials in 2009.

"I can confirm that after Christmas 2008 there are a total of four more specials to come before the Steven Moffat era begins in 2010," Davies told Doctor Who Magazine. "Two of next year's four will be written by me, One will be written by me and Gareth Roberts and one will be co-written by me and Phil Ford."

Roberts has previously written episodes 'The Shakespeare Code' and 'The Unicorn And The Wasp' for Doctor Who, in addition to co-writing 'Invasion Of The Bane' with Davies for The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Ford has never scripted an episode of Doctor Who before, but is responsible for 'The Eye Of The Gorgon' and 'The Lost Boy' for Sarah Jane and 'Something Borrowed' for Torchwood.

The Sound of Music

This Sunday, Doctor Who comes to the BBC Proms for a very special musical celebration.

To coincide with this exciting event, we'll be updating the site with information about the Prom and links to BBC Radio 3 where you can listen to it live.

You'll be able to see the concert play list, interesting facts and a chance to view the specially filmed scene written by Russell T Davies and starring David Tennant that will be played during the Prom.

Due to rights, the clip will only be made available for a short period of time, so make sure you come back to the website at 11:40am on Sunday to see it.

The Doctor Who Prom 2008 will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 at 11:00am and you can also listen to it on BBC iPlayer after the concert.

News from DWM

Issue 398 of Panini's Doctor Who Magazine was published in the United Kingdom yesterday, and contains several pieces of information of interest concerning the forthcoming special episodes of Doctor Who.

It is confirmed that the title of this year's Christmas episode - which will be 60 minutes long - is not "The Return of the Cybermen", as some has surmised from the teaser trailer at the conclusion of "Journey's End". This was merely a teaser description of the episode. It is also confirmed that actors David Morrissey, Dervla Kirawn and Velile Tshabalala will be guest starring in the episode, with Kirwan playing a character named Miss Hartigan. Andy Goddard directs, with Susie Liggat producing.

Of the four further specials which will follow in 2009, it is announced that Russell T Davies will write two of them solo, with the other two to be co-written with Gareth Roberts and Phil Ford respectively. Roberts penned "The Shakespeare Code" and "The Unicorn and the Wasp" for Doctor Who, while Ford wrote "Eye of the Gordon" and "The Lost Boy" for The Sarah Jane Adventures - the series for which he is now chief writer - and "Something Borrowed" for Torchwood. His work on the special will make him the only writer after Davies to have written for all three shows.

Elsewhere in the magazine, information is given on release dates for the remaining classic series DVD releases of 2008. "The Trial of the Time Lord" comes out on August 18; "Four to Doomsday" on September 15, "The War Machines" on September 29 and finally "Battlefield" on December 29.

Moffat Interviews from SDCC

Steven Moffat found time in his very busy schedule at the San Diego Comics Convention to give interviews with ComingSoon.net, SciFi.com and io9.

In the ComingSoon.net interview, Moffat talks about growing up as a fan of the show, dipping into the Classic Series for ideas, tackling the enormous tasks of merchandising and continuity, and spin-offs. He also confirms that there will be five special episodes before the beginning of Series Five: one at Christmas of this year, and four more after that.

He talked to SciFi.com about the difference between his experience as a writer for the show and the responsibilities he's taking on as executive producer.

And in the io9 interview, Moffat explains why Doctor Who is a children's show and why that's not something adults should be ashamed of:

It's aimed at kids and adults. And why should anyone care about this? If you watch it, then it's for you. It shouldn't matter. I mean the specific thing about it being a children's program, is that it follows the imperatives and narrative rules and the joy of children's fiction. If you watch Doctor Who at 9 pm at night [as you do in the United States] it's going to seem a bit odd. It's energetic. The Doctor walks straight out of the TARDIS and into trouble, and you accept it. The Master becomes Prime Minister of Britain, and you accept it. It's got all the brio and vigor of Harry Potter, Narnia and Star Wars. That doesn't mean it doesn't appeal to adults. Star Wars, the most successful film franchise ever, is explicitly for children, but adults love it. Doctor Who is my favorite thing in the world. If you're in Britain, we'll show you the sticker books [and] the lunchboxes. In the schoolyard on Monday, they're all talking about Doctor Who. That doesn't mean it's childish. It's very sophisticated.

Freema Tortures Torchwood


FUMING Torchwood bosses have been forced to tear up scripts for the show after star Freema Agyeman defected to ITV.

Scriptwriters spent months writing gripping storylines for Freema, 29 — who was a central character in the spin-off show.

But now the former Doctor Who star has been ditched from the five-part BBC mini-series — after agreeing to do ITV’s new British version of US crime series Law and Order.

The move is believed to have annoyed Torchwood creator and executive producer Russell T Davies.

It was him who gave Freema her big break in Doctor Who, playing scientist Martha Jones.

An insider said: “This has really mucked things about. We’ve had to go back and re-edit loads of scripts because she’s not going to be in it.”

The source added that the fact she signed for ITV added insult to injury.

They added: “They’re the Beeb’s bitter rival, so the fact she’s going over there to star in a big new project has not gone down well at all.”

Advertisement

The BBC said in an official statement: “As with any drama in the early stages of production, scripts evolve and change on a daily basis before being finalised.”

Freema — who was plucked from obscurity to be Doctor Who’s assistant in series three — is expected to play a prosecutor in Law and Order: London.

ITV bosses have high hopes for the adaptation of the Five hit — breaking with tradition to order a long run of about a dozen episodes.

They will start filming the show in the autumn with an “enormous cast”.

Thursday 24 July 2008

Playing Davros

Bringing one of the Doctor's greatest enemies back for the Series Four finale is no easy feat. Actor Julian Bleach explains how he approached playing a character with such a legacy.

"That can make it harder to approach it afresh," considers Julian, "but it's more of a problem if you're trying to find a new interpretation of the character. What I was trying to do with Davros was to recreate - and match as closely as possible - a previously established character."

Other highlights of the new Doctor Who Magazine include:
Exclusive interviews with the cast of The Stolen Earth and Journey's End; Russell T Davies reveals exclusively what won't be in Series Five; latest news on the forthcoming Doctor Who Specials and Series Two of The Sarah Jane Adventures and a choice of FOUR covers to collect!

DWM 398 is out on Thursday 24 July 2008, price £3.99.

Doctor Who signing ban at Hamlet!

Doctor Who and Star Trek fans have been banned from having sci-fi merchandise signed by David Tennant and Patrick Stewart while they star in Hamlet.
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) says only programmes and other Hamlet merchandise can be autographed at the stage door.
Tennant and Stewart are starring in the RSC production at the Courtyard Theatre, in Stratford.
The first preview begins later, and the play opens on 5 August.
Hamlet director, Gregory Doran, recently said fans arrive at the stage door with "bags" of Doctor Who merchandise for Tennant to autograph.
Disappointment

In a statement, the RSC said the level of interest in Tennant and Stewart meant "limits" had to be imposed.

Patrick Stewart has two roles in the production
"Due to the huge amount of interest in the RSC's current production of Hamlet, only Royal Shakespeare Company or production related memorabilia will be signed by members of the company," the RSC said.
"It is very flattering that there is so much interest in this production, but the sheer volume of requests means that we need to set some limits which will be as fair as possible for everyone.
"We apologise if this causes any disappointment."
Signs outlining the no autographs policy have reportedly been erected in the window at the stage door.
Tennant's performance in Hamlet has been hotly anticipated, with tickets exchanging hands on the internet auction site eBay for up to £215 each.

David Tennant talked to Andrew Marr in June about his new role as Hamlet

The 37-year-old Scottish actor, who takes on the lead role of Hamlet, made his debut as the Time Lord in Doctor Who in 2005.
His previous RSC credits include Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors.
Stewart is best known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek, but has a string of critically acclaimed stage performances to his name.
He plays two roles in the RSC production of Hamlet - Claudius and the Ghost.

Proms Cutaway - Graske Confirmed

In the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, it has been officially confirmed that the Graske will return, after various rumours that it itself was just another rumour. This is what DWM had to say about the cutaway:


Last Fright of the Proms!
There's one more snippet of Doctor Who to come before the Christmas Special - the 'Proms Cutaway', to be seen by concert go-ers on Sunday 27th July.

Writer Russell T. Davies says, "While the Proms concert can be heard on the radio, we wanted it to be and original theatrical experience for the audience inside the Albert Hall. And with Jimmy Vee returning as the mischievous Graske, there's trouble in store, not just for the Doctor, but for the Proms itself! The concert should also see appearances by some of the Doctor's deadliest foes."

The concert can be heard on BBC Radio 3. More information at www.bbc.co.uk/proms

John Barrowman: The Making of Me

At 9pm BST tonight (Thursday), BBC One will air John Barrowman: The Making of Me, the first part of a series in which celebrities investigate the causes behind their "defining trait". In subsequent instalments, violinist Vanessa-Mae will investigate the roots of her musical talent, and sprinter Colin Jackson will investigate what makes him fast; in tonight's segment, Barrowman will investigate what makes him gay. The programme considers factors both social (Barrowman visits his family and talks about his childhood) and biological (he undergoes brain scans and genetic testing).

Barrowman and his sister Carol have co-written an article about the question for BBC News Magazine. One segment from the programme can be seen on the BBC Magazine page, and another is also available on BBC News' site. Barrowman has also been interviewed by The Guardian in conjunction with the special; the New Statesman also has a review.

Agyeman Cast in Law and Order

In addition to filming the new remake of the Terry Nation series The Survivors, her appearance as Tattycoram in Dickens' Little Dorrit and rumours that she will be appearing in the upcoming third series of Torchwood, it was announced today that Freema Agyeman will be starring in the new ITV production Law and Order: London.

Agyeman will be playing the main prosecutor in the show. Her co-stars include Coronation Street's Bradley Walsh and Battlestar Galactica's Jamie Bamber. According to Bamber, "The show is [with] London judiciary and London cops," said Bamber. "It's got the same premise as the original American Law and Order, same everything, just with a UK production company and UK actors."

Showrunner for the new series is Chris Chibnall, former head writer of Torchwood. Filming is to begin next month.

Doctor Who Magazine #398 - Info

This months Doctor Who Magazine features Davros himself, actor Julian Bleach, talking exclusively about taking on the role of the Daleks' creator.

Is the fact that other actors have played the part in the past a help or a hindrance? "That can make it harder to approach it afresh," considers Julian, "but it's more of a problem if you're trying to find a new interpretation of the character. What I was trying to do with Davros was to recreate, and match as closely as possible, a previously established character." So what’s Julian's take on Davros? Twisted megalomaniac? Mad scientist? Misguided genius? "All of those things, but I'd say the character was very probably originally inspired by Hitler, and I found that to be quite a useful reference point, particularly in some of his more dogmatic speeches!"

It's not just Davros who’s quizzed this issue, DWM features exclusive interviews with David Tennant, Catherine Tate, Freema Agyeman, Billie Piper, John Barrowman, Gareth David-Lloyd, Eve Myles, Penelope Wilton, Jacqueline King, Bernard Cribbins, Noel Clarke, Camille Coduri, Adjoa Andoh, Elisabeth Sladen, Thomas Knight, John Leeson, Alexander Armstrong, Nicholas Briggs, Julian Bleach and Richard Dawkins. Find out which former companion had to have an injection to stop her vomiting. Discover whose bottom to hold onto in a crisis, and whose gave Catherine Tate a shock. Learn which actress is happy to "mug away in the background." And establish who would win in a Dalek Crucible-based wind-breaking competition!

PLUS!
The Doctor and Donna’s battle with the Sycorax reaches its explosive climax in the final part of the latest full colour comic strip The Widow’s Curse.

Showrunner Russell T Davies reveals exclusively what won't be in Series Five.

The chance to vote for your favourites in DWM’s annual Season Survey

The latest news on the forthcoming Doctor Who Specials and Series Two of The Sarah Jane Adventures.


AND... all the latest news, exclusive photos, reviews, previews, competitions and a choice of FOUR covers to collect!

Wednesday 23 July 2008

Fires of Pompeii Figures

A picture has been released for the forthcoming Fires of Pompeii figures, thanks to Character Options!


Here's what they had to say:

'Recreate scenes from the excellent second episode of Doctor Who Series 4 with this amazing Fires of Pompeii deluxe action figure set. 

The gift set includes an 8” Pyrovile creature and a 5” Roman Soldier action figure all ready for action!'

April Novels - Covers!



These covers have just been released by Amazon.co.uk, for the new books out next April!

Possible Series 4 Top Trumps Book Cover


Here is a POSSIBLE (bear that in mind!) cover of the new Series 4 Top Trumps book. This is an extra to the Series 4 cards! I'm sure this cover will change though!

Mike Tucker Praises Weta Range

Visual effects veteran Mike Tucker nods approval of Weta's Doctor Who range.

At the recent MCM Expo in London, Weta caught up with Mike Tucker – British special effects wizard.

Mike was for many years with the BBC and is now in business for himself as Effects Supervisor at the Model Unit, a company he established after the BBC closed their Visual Effects department.

In this line of work, Mike has repeatedly been asked to create visual effects for the new series of Doctor Who and in his long list of creations can be found one that connects him closely with Weta, namely the golden Dalek (from the episode Dalek) that Weta modeled their statue on.

Mike and the Model Unit have been involved in quite a few of the more recent episodes of Doctor Who, modeling anything from 1/6th scale tower blocks on Rose Tyler's estate in The Christmas Invasion (as well as blowing out 111 of its windows) to a barrage balloon for The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.

Mike even commented on the Weta Doctor Who range:

'As a huge fan of the work done by the Weta Workshop I was delighted that one of the props that we made for Dr Who Series One was to be immortalised by David Tremont and the team as a 1/6 scale statue. The final model is better than I could have imagined; the attention to detail is simply staggering. Can't wait to see the rest of the range.' - Mike Tucker, Miniature Effects Supervisor.

Pyramids of Mars - CD Cover & Info

Doctor Who and... The Pyramids of Mars
Featuring: The 4th Doctor

For many thousands of years the Suthekh had waited...trapped in the heart of an Egyptian Pyramid.

Now at last the time had come - the moment of release, when all the force of his pent-up evil and malice would be unleashed upon the world.

The Tardis lands on the site of Unit headquarters in the year 1911, and the Doctor and Sarah emerge to fight a terrifying and deadly battle...against Egyptian Mummies, half possessed humans - and the overwhelming evil power of Sutekh!

Doctor Who and... The Pyramids of Mars is released on 14th August 2008, priced £17.99.

Review - Under the Blue Sky

Presented in three acts and focusing on teachers with three subtly connected love stories, Under the Blue Sky proved to be a thoroughly entertaining 90 minutes of theatre.

Act One, set in a domestic kitchen, introduces us to Nick (Chris O'Dowd) cooking a Chili for his friend Helen (Lisa Dillon). The scene ironically seemed to warm up as the Chili was cooked live on stage, and the two actors subsequently found their pace and chemistry. Their relationship focused on painfully selfish unrequited love, which was played out with great comic timing coupled with genuine heartfelt emotion.

Act Two, set in a bedroom, introduces us to Michelle (Catherine Tate) and Graham (Dominic Rowan). Once again we are exposed to an example of unrequited love, but with a twist. Anger, deceit and opportunism all played a part in making Catherine's character both well-rounded and dislikable. Dominic's performance was both creepy and amiable tempered to perfection. Both actors sparked off each other with great attention to pace, thus providing the most rewarding Act of the show.

Act Three was perhaps the warmest, and kindest of the three relationships presented, as we are introduced to Anne (Francesca Annis) and Robert (Nigel Lindsay) who are deciding on whether or not to begin an autumnal romance. This final act also neatly wraps up the previous two acts with information on the characters destinies.

Under the Blue Sky was both enjoyable and refreshing. If you only watch one piece of theatre this year, then this should be it.

Rating: 4/5

Doctor Who on iTunes in USA!

As reported by The Futon Critic website, BBC America has announced at the ComicCon convention that the first three series of the revival of Doctor Who have now been made available to purchase on the US version of the iTunes download store.

This is the first time that the programme has been available to purchase for downloading.

Tuesday 22 July 2008

Davros joins the Comic Maker

To celebrate the end of Series Four, we're delighted to add the last update to the Doctor Who Comic Maker for the time being.

Joining the Doctor in the Comic Maker are Mickey Smith and former companion, Sarah Jane Smith.

The villainous Davros and fearsome Supreme Dalek have also been added to make your comics even scarier.

For the first time you'll also be able to include Torchwood in your stories, with both an interior and exterior of the Torchwood Hub provided.

We look forward to seeing your new creations featuring the new Comic Maker characters and below is a link to all the Writers' Comics we featured during Series Four.

Davros and Supreme Radio-Controlled!

Character Options is to release 5-inch and 12-inch radio controlled Davros and Supreme Dalek toys on to the market later this year.

The Doctor's ultimate enemy in the last episode of the series, the 12-inch radio controlled Davros has full movement control and utters phrases such as the chilling "Welcome to my new empire, Doctor".

The 12-inch radio controlled Supreme Dalek has automated head and eye movement, a poseable gun arm, as well as intoning a number of well-known Dalek phrases.

Both figures are also being released as 5-inch figures.

David Tennant Rehearses Hamlet


Previews begin on Thursday (24 July 2008) for one of the year’s most hotly anticipated plays, the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Hamlet, with Doctor Who star David Tennant returning to the stage to take the title role. But for those who can’t wait, take a sneak peek at the rehearsal pictures from Stratford-upon-Avon, where the production runs in rep in the Courtyard Theatre from 5 August to 15 November prior to a West End transfer in December.

The production is directed by RSC chief associate Gregory Doran, who also directs the same company in Love's Labour's Lost, the RSC’s first staging of the play in more than 12 years, with Tennant playing the lovelorn Berowne from 2 October 2008.

Tennant said in a recent interview he was thrilled to be teaming up with Doran, who he worked with early in his acting career: “It’s great to be working with Greg again. There’s a great feeling about the company and a real sense of something new and exciting about the RSC at the moment.” He also described it as “very exciting and humbling and terrifying and thrilling” to be rejoining the RSC in Stratford, a town he describes as a “very special place to work” (for more interview extracts, visit www.whatsonstage.com/ midlands ).

Doctor Who Annual 2009 - Cover

The cover for next year's Doctor Who Annual has been released by Penguin books! The annual should be out before Christmas this year.

Monday 21 July 2008

Doctor Who Prom - Event Line-Up and Info

Here is the information and Event Line-Up of the Who Prom! They seem to have picked the best Doctor Who music! Sorry for all of those who won't be able to come!

Prom 13: Doctor Who Prom

Date Sunday 27 July 2008
Time 11.00am - c1.00pm
Venue Royal Albert Hall
Tickets £5 & £10 price band G or Prom for £5
Broadcast To be recorded for BBC One and Live on BBC Radio 3. Available as audio on demand for the following week.

A family concert featuring music from the BBC's Doctor Who series, and including a specially filmed scene, written by Russell T Davies and starring David Tennant.

There's also a selection of classical favourites with a strong flavour of time and space. Join Freema Agyeman (aka Martha Jones), and others from the Doctor Who cast, for an intergalactic musical adventure - with a little help from Daleks, Cybermen and other aliens from the series!

Programme to include:
  • Murray Gold Concert Prologue* (3 mins)
  • Copland Fanfare for the Common Man (3 mins)
  • Murray Gold All The Strange Strange Creatures* (4 mins)
  • Mark-Anthony Turnage The Torino Scale (UK premiere) (4 mins)
  • Holst The Planets - Jupiter (8 mins)
  • Murray Gold The Doctor Forever* (4.30 mins)
  • Murray Gold Rose* (1.30 mins)
  • Murray Gold Martha v The Master* (4.30 mins)
  • Murray Gold Music of the Spheres (including theme original)* (7.30 mins)
  • Wagner Die Walküre - The Ride of the Valkyries (5 mins)
  • Murray Gold The Daleks & Davros* (8 mins)
  • Murray Gold Donna, Girl in Fireplace, Astrid* (4 mins)
  • Prokofiev 'Montagues and Capulets' from Romeo and Juliet (5 mins)
  • Murray Gold This is Gallifrey* (3.30 mins)
  • Murray Gold Doctor's Theme / Song for Freedom * (5.30 mins)
  • Murray Gold Doomsday* (5 mins)
  • Murray Gold Song for Ten* (4 mins)
  • Murray Gold Doctor Who Theme* (1.30 mins)
There will be one interval

Freema Agyeman presenter
with Daleks and Cybermen

London Philharmonic Choir
BBC Philharmonic
Ben Foster* conductor
Stephen Bell conductor
Detailed notes about the music will be available one hour before the concert.

Doctor Who Prom - Cutaway Scene - News

If you are lucky enough to be going to the amazing Doctor Who Prom on Sunday (like me!), then you will see a new short scene, nobody else has seen! A bit of time ago, it said there would be a returning guest to the short clip. Information has now been released that the special returning guest is the Graske (highlight to reveal!) Information has not yet been released into whether this clip will be available on the internet or if it will be shown on TV yet. When there is news on that, I'll keep you updated!

SJA Series 2 - Two New Story Titles!

Two new story titles have been released for the second series of The Sarah Jane Adventures, due to air in the UK in Autumn!


The titles are of the first two storys. Highlight to reveal below, as they contain a few spoilers!

Parts 1 + 2: The Last Sontaran
Parts 3 + 4: Day of the Clown

You can see the new teaser trailer and screencaps in earlier posts, as well as some new info!

Doctor Who Magazine #398 - The BIG Cover

Now, if you're clever enough, you will have worked out that if you put all the covers of this month's DWM together, they kind of fit, and form a nice big picture of everyone! You can see this above! Click to make it larger!

Doctor Who Magazine #398 - Cover 4/4

Doctor Who Magazine #398 - Cover 3/4

Doctor Who Magazine #398 - Cover 2/4

Doctor Who Magazine #398 - Cover 1/4

This month, to celebrate the finale of Series 4, there are 4 collectable covers to collect! This is cover 1. But will you be buying all 4? Well, I know I will be! And no, I'm not made of money! I just seem to have a lot in the piggy bank at the moment!

SJA - Series 2 Teaser - Screencaps

Spoilers!!!

Screencaps from the new teaser trailer for Series 2 of the Sarah Jane Adventures











SJA - Series 2 Teaser - Video

Christmas 2008 Special Title Rumour

There have been rumours going around lately about the title for this year's xmas special. The title that has been speculated to be is 'Ghosts in the Machines'. This would sound like ghosts are inside the Cybermen! Although, this may not be the real title, because last time there was a rumour about the title for episode 12 of Series 4, and it ended up to be completely different! But anyway, there's a little treat, as we've got a long time until Christmas!

Top Trumps Update

Top Trumps recently released information about their upcoming pack of classic Doctor Who cards. Set for release later this month, they will come packaged in a Tardis presentation box. Information about a new set of Doctor Who series three/series four top trump cards can also be found below. Here are some details;

Series Three/Series Four Cards

Travel through time and space once more with Doctor Who Top Trumps! Join the tenth Doctor and his new companion, Martha Jones as they battle monsters from this years new adventures, and last years finale! Would Brannigan beat Novice Hame cat-fight? Is Professor Lazarus more monstrous than the Family of Blood's scarecrow soldiers, or will the Ood beat them both? With all time great monsters like the Cult of Skaro and the Cyber Army up against newcomer the Judoon, you can even joing the deck with last years pack and play an ultimate 60 card showdown! Now thats a time war! Featuring cards from series three and four of Doctor Who.

Classic Doctor Who Cards

The first Top Trumps: Collectors Edition, this pack takes you from Coal Hill School in 1963 through to San Francisco in the 20th Century as we look at the daring escapades of all the Doctor's classic regenererations! No adventure would be complete without companions, and the Top Trumps Tardis has them all, from Susan to Leela to Ace, not forgetting of course the tenacious Sarah Jane Smith. Of course, every adventure needs a villain and this pack has creatures from across the universe - from the Sea Devils, the Zygons and the Kandyman to the Master's and his evil schemes and the wanton destruction of the Daleks and Cybermen.Look out for the Tardis presentation box in your local store at the end of the week, and find out just what your mum and did; hid behind the sofa!

 - Thanks to Tardis and Torchwood Treasures

Who writer denies Tintin row

Scriptwriter Steven Moffat has denied he "quit" a deal to work on Steven Spielberg's forthcoming Tintin trilogy so he could oversee TV's Doctor Who.

A newspaper report that he had "turned down" a two-film deal with Spielberg was "a bit misleading", Moffat said.

He had planned to finish Tintin before starting Doctor Who but was delayed by the US writers' strike, he said.

In May it was announced he would replace Russell T Davies as lead writer and executive producer on Doctor Who.

Mr Moffat told the BBC that "nothing less than Doctor Who could have torn me away" from Tintin, which he described as a "stunning project" he was "proud" to be part of.

But it was "the proper duty of every British subject to come to the aid of the Tardis", he added.
'Very patient'
Clarifying the chronology of the deal, he said he had not accepted the offer to replace Russell T Davies on Doctor Who during the three-month strike, which ended in February.

"In fact it was already in the works," Moffat said.
"The strike just meant that I was unable to finish my work on the Tintin films given my new commitments."

He said Spielberg had been "very patient and understanding about the situation, despite the problems it created".

He also said that, contrary to the report, it was Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson who was a fan of Doctor Who, rather than Spielberg, who just "knows and admires the show".

And he added that "the figures quoted" in the paper about his salary "are also entirely speculative and wildly inaccurate".

Lead role cast
Spielberg and Jackson will each direct one film in the trilogy, which is based on Herge's famous comic book character.

It is expected they will work together on the third film.
The first movie is expected to be released at some point next year.

Mr Moffat had been adapting the tales of a young Belgian reporter and his faithful dog Snowy for the big screen.

The books, which have sold more than 200m copies around the world, are available in 50 languages.

Thomas Sangster, 18, will take the lead role. He is known for playing Liam Neeson's son in British comedy Love Actually.

And the voice of Gollum from Lord of the Rings, Andy Serkis, has signed up to play Captain Haddock.

April Novels - Info

Information has been released about the new novels, which will be on sale in April 2009! Covers will come soon!

Judgement of the Judoon
by Colin Brake

Elvis the King Spaceport has grown into the sprawling city-state of New Memphis - an urban jungle, where organized crime is rife. But the launch of the new Terminal 13 hasn't been as smooth as expected. And things are about to get worse... When the Doctor arrives, he finds the whole terminal locked down. The notorious Invisible Assassin is at work again, and the Judoon troopers sent to catch him will stop at nothing to complete their mission. With the assassin loose on the mean streets of New Memphis, the Doctor is forced into a strange alliance. Together with teenage private eye Nikki and a ruthless Judoon Commander, the Doctor soon discovers that things are even more complicated - and dangerous - than he first thought... Featuring the Doctor as played by David Tennant in the hit BBC Television series.


Prisoner of the Daleks
by Trevor Baxondale

The Daleks are advancing, their empire constantly expanding in to Earth's space. The Earth forces are resisting the Daleks in every way they can. But the battles rage on across countless solar systems. And now the future of our galaxy hangs in the balance... The Doctor finds himself stranded on board a starship near the frontline with a group of ruthless bounty hunters. Earth Command will pay them for every Dalek they kill, every eye stalk they bring back as proof. With the Doctor's help, the bounty hunters achieve the ultimate prize: a Dalek prisoner - intact, powerless, and ready for interrogation. But where the Daleks are involved, nothing is what it seems, and no one is safe. Before long the tables will be turned, and how will the Doctor survive when he becomes a prisoner of the Daleks? Featuring the Doctor as played by David Tennant in the hit BBC Television series.


The Slitheen Excursion
by Simon Guirrier

1500BC - King Actaeus and his subjects live in mortal fear of the awesome gods who have come to visit their kingdom in ancient Greece. Except the Doctor, visiting with university student June, knows they're not gods at all. They're aliens. For the aliens, it's the perfect holiday - they get to tour the sights of a primitive planet and even take part in local customs. Like gladiatorial games, or hunting down and killing humans who won't be missed. With June's enthusiastic help, the Doctor soon meets the travel agents behind this deadly package holiday company - his old enemies the Slitheen. But can he bring the Slitheen excursion to an end without endangering more lives? And how are events in ancient Greece linked to a modern-day alien plot to destroy what's left of the Parthenon? Featuring the Doctor as played by David Tennant in the hit BBC Television series.

New Series 4 Posters


Above are 3 new posters that have been released recently from Pyramid Posters, for Series 4!

The Stolen Earth Figure Set




Above are three new images of the brand new action figure 5 inch set from Character Options. The set includes he Doctor, Davros, Dalek, Supreme Dalek. They are set to be launched this Autumn in all good suppliers across the United Kingdom.

A 5 inch radio control Supreme Dalek and 5-inch radio controlled Davros are ideal for recreating those final scenes of Doctor Who.

Fans of the show will be fantascised by the incredible detailed and life like figures in the set. The set is thought to be quite popular this Christmas.

Davros and the Supreme Dalek will alos be released as Remote Controlled 12 inch toys.


 - Thanks to Doctor Who Mad Online

Torchwood Soundtrack Release Date!

Silva Screen will be releasing the music from the Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood on September 22nd. This long awaited soundtrack features a wide selection of cues written by Ben Foster and Murray Gold from the series. See the Silva Screen website www.silvascreenmusic.com to register your interest for more information and purchase details for delivery on day of release.

SJA - Series 2 Info

SFX


This week SFX had a chat with the new producer of The Sarah Jane Adventures, Nikki Smith (appropriate surname) for a full interview to be published in SFX #174. She confirmed a few rumours that have been doing the rounds and gave us a few new snippets. While we'll keep some secrets for the main mag, with the way info leaks onto the net so swiftly these days we thought we'd give you a few tasters before somebody else does (mild spoiler alert):

Highlight to reveal (spoilers!):

Maria Jackson and her family are only in the first story (episodes one and two). The Jackson family will then move out of their house.

• Moving in will be the Chandra family, with their daughter, Rani. She wants to be a journalist and looks up to Sarah Jane.

• If Rani’s name is an in-joke (the Rani being an evil female Time Lord in the classic Doctor Who series) Nikki Smith knew nothing about it. Which rather suggests that Rani is not eventually revealed as the Rani (bad luck to all you conspiracy theorists).

• A rogue Sontaran will feature in both the first and final stories.

• Mrs Wormwood (from the show’s pilot episode) is back in the final story, once again played by Samantha Bond.

• We meet Clyde’s parents in a mid-season story. They’ll be played by Gary Beadle (of EastEnders fame) and Jocelyn Jee Esien from Little Miss Jocelyn.

• Bradley Walsh plays an alien with three identities.

• The bulk of the FX work is now being handled in-house at BBC Wales with the Mill provided a few of the more complex FX sequences (including the return of the Sontaran spaceship).

• And when asked if the Doctor will make an appearance, all Nikki would say is, ”Watch this space.”

• Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart returns in the final story.

• A DVD of season one is in the pipeline and should be out by Christmas (and if you never saw the series because it was on CBBC, you should take this opportunity to get acquainted)

Torchwood Action Figures Delayed!

The first wave of Torchwood action figures will now be released in mid September and not August as previously announced. This is due to some problems with the figure sculpts being approved by the BBC and the cast. You can still pre-order the Torchwood action figures, and we’ll get them out to you as soon as they come in! Plus, it has been mentioned that due to overwhelming demand for the first wave of figures, a second series is already being planned for the end of the year (we’re told these may turn up in November). More on the range of official range of Torchwood merchandise, and indeed the forthcoming third series (which is going to be quite a TV event) as we have it, in our TORCHWATCH series of features.

'Ello 'ello 'ello once again for the police box?


IT was once a familiar sight on the streets of Britain - although these days it's best-known as the preferred mode of transport for Doctor Who.

But if a Boscombe councillor has his way, Bournemouth could see the return of the traditional Tardis-style blue police telephone box.

Toy replicas of the police boxes can be found in practically every young boy's bedroom in the country, thanks to the success of David Tennant as the Doctor on Saturday nights.

But even when the show began in the 1960s, the boxes were becoming a rare sight on British streets.

Now Cllr Phil Stanley-Watts is calling for them to be brought back to help tackle crime in Boscombe.

It is part of his wider call for more police community support officers on the streets of Boscombe to deter criminals and make the public feel safer.

Cllr Stanley-Watts recently met with Boscombe Inspector Mark Kelly to discuss some of his ideas.

He said: "Apparently there is a shortage of PCSOs. There should be more of a police presence on Boscombe seafront as a precaution in the summer.

"As far as a blue police box goes, I will be pushing for that. I think it is a good idea to have an updated version of the blue police box because people would feel safer," he said.

The traditional blue police box could be used to report crimes as well as providing reassurance, he added.

Daleks speak to all nations!


THE Daleks are taking over the world.

Fiendish cries of Exterminieren! Zgladzic! and Tuhotkaa! are being heard in Germany, Poland and Finland, respectively, as the Doctor Who phenomenon spreads across the Atlantic, Asia, Europe and beyond with numerous translations of the immortal killer line, Exterminate!

Latest figures for the show, shot on locations throughout Wales, reveals 42 countries around the globe have snapped up the rights to broadcast the huge TV hit, which is making the BBC millions of pounds in profit.

John Smith, chief executive officer of BBC Worldwide, which is the corporation’s commercial arm responsible for sales and distribution, told the Wales on Sunday the show was now classed as a “Superbrand”.

He said: “Doctor Who is a huge success story here in the UK, not just on screen but across toys, DVDs, magazines and books, which fans of Doctor Who buy to extend their enjoyment of the show.

“We already sell the TV programme to other broadcasters around the world very widely and now we want to extend that success into other formats abroad too.
“To that end, Doctor Who will become one of a small number of ‘Superbrands’ for BBC Worldwide.
“We’ll be investing in these shows and the merchandise linked to them, also giving them more marketing support to raise their profile internationally, much like US studios do with, say, Heroes or Ugly Betty.
“I believe these Superbrands will be crucial in helping us take the BBC even more successfully to international audiences.”

There is already evidence of an international commercial impact coming full circle, with visitors to the three Doctor Who exhibitions in the UK continuing to pour in.

At the Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff Bay, an average of 8,000 people a month visited the Doctor Who Exhibition in 2007.

Caroline Sims is marketing manager at the four-star Park Plaza Hotel in Greyfriars Road, Cardiff, which sells Doctor Who packages.

She said: “We are getting more and more bookings with more from European tourists. As for Cardiff’s profile, the city could not have asked for a better marketing tool.

“The locations shot in the show have become iconic landmarks fans now look for.”

Hopelessly devoted to Who: £500 is just the ticket for Time Lord Fans


THEY are as tireless as Cybermen, as dogged as K-9 and as indefatigable as a Sontaran attack squad.
In fact, Doctor Who fans are such a determined breed they have persuaded one of the world's biggest and most exclusive television festivals to open its doors to the public for a rare appearance by the man who reinvented the show.

The Edinburgh International Television Festival will, for the first time in its illustrious history, allow entry to non-broadcasting executives next month so they can listen to a masterclass by Russell T Davies, the writer of the show.

Even the eye-watering cost of attending the event – £500 for a three-day pass – will not deter Doctor Who fanatics from heading to Scotland from across the globe.

A spokeswoman for the festival said: "We are absolutely delighted that Russell has agreed to come to Edinburgh. Doctor Who has an extraordinary appeal and his appearance has generated a considerable amount of interest."

Because of this, people outside the broadcasting community will be able to attend, albeit at a cost.

"The festival is not selling tickets to Russell T's Masterclass. Members of the public can attend, but they would need to buy a pass for the three days," added the spokeswoman.

She said that, as things stand, there was no cap on the number of non-industry tickets being sold, but that might change depending on the extent of the interest.

Doctor Who super-fan Jason Lythgoe-Hay is among those planning to stump up the cash. He said: "It is perfect timing for me because I'll be up in Edinburgh that weekend for the Festival Fringe.

"In the past, I have paid to see Doctor Who stars at conventions and it would be great to see Russell speak."

Lythgoe-Hay, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, has created a life-sized Dalek model, which has gone on public display at Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry, and provided illustrations for the DVD release of the 1979 Tom Baker adventure 'City Of Death'.

Antony Wainer, spokesman for the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, said: "Russell is regarded as the man who saved Doctor Who and brought it back after 15 long years off screen.

"Will some fans be willing to pay £500 to see him speak about his time on the show? The answer is a definite yes."

Alexandra Looseley-Saul, who owns The Who Shop in London, also had no doubt that aficionados would snap up passes. "Totally die-hard fans will happily pay £500 to see Russell T Davies.

"It is a large sum of money, but that won't matter to the most dedicated Doctor Who fans. There will be a huge buzz about Russell's appearance in Edinburgh.

"He has that much of a fan base and Doctor Who lovers are desperate to hear what he has to say. The fans have an almost god-like admiration for Russell. They regard him as the person they have to thank for giving the series a wonderful new lease of life."

The festival is one of the most prestigious events in the television calendar, previously attracting speakers such as former US vice-president Al Gore and Jeremy Paxman.

Davies, the outgoing executive producer of the show, will give his hour-long masterclass at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on Saturday, August 23.

The official programme states: "What's the next regeneration of Russell T Davies? Join him as he reveals his influences, his loves and hates about television and his plans for future projects."

The session will be chaired by Boyd Hilton, the TV editor of Heat magazine."

Douglas McNaughton, the deputy manager of the Edinburgh sci-fi toy shop Voga, said Davies' appearance would be a big draw.

"He is seen by fans as creating a miracle, by taking a show that was laughed off the screen in the 1980s and making it into the BBC's flagship drama.

"Davies has had an extraordinary career and has changed the face of television drama through shows such as Queer As Folk as well as Doctor Who."

McNaughton, a member of the Edinburgh Doctor Who Group, said Davies did not court attention.

"He does not do conventions or book signings. I think fans would like access to him so they can put their points of view about the programme across. What is interesting is that some Doctor Who fans confuse being a fan with actually owning the programme.

"For them, the version of the programme that goes on in their head is more real than the one that is on TV.

"They can have a very strong conviction that they know the characters perhaps better than the author himself. Russell is very careful about his public appearances and his contact with fans. I can see why he wouldn't necessarily want it to be an open forum."

Tomorrow, Davies is due to be given an honorary fellowship by Cardiff University.

His revival of Doctor Who in 2005 has proved to be a huge hit with viewers, with last weekend's climatic showdown with the Daleks being seen by more than 10 million viewers.

Davies was unavailable for comment.

Veteran Doctor Tom Baker set to return to the Tardis

Tom Baker could be set to turn back the clock and make a comeback on Doctor Who.

Reports claim that the veteran actor is being lined up to appear alongside David Tennant in the next series of the reborn show.

BBC bosses are believed to have held lengthy talks with Baker, who became an iconic figure when he played the Doctor in the 1970s and early Eighties (pictured below).

A BBC source claimed that it was a "certainty" that the 74-year-old would appear in the 2010 season.

The insider said: "The fans will love this. There have been great reactions when we brought back the Daleks, Davros and K-9, so can you imagine this?

"What hasn't been decided is what role Baker will play – The Doctor or another character."

Paisley-born writer Steven Moffat is taking over the BBC sci-fi classic from Russell T Davies.

Moffat is known to be a huge fan of Baker's boggle-eyed, eccentric incarnation of the time-traveller and it is understood that he is desperate to bring him back.

The revived series is taking a break in 2009, three special episodes aside, so Tennant can play Hamlet in a prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company adaptation.

Earlier this year Baker fuelled speculation of a comeback when he appeared at the opening of a Doctor Who exhibition in Earls Court, London.

Previously, the Liverpool-born actor had attempted to distance himself from his most famous role.

In 1983 Baker rejected the chance to appear in the 20th anniversary epic, The Five Doctors, which saw his predecessors Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee reprise their role alongside the then Doctor, Peter Davidson. BBC bosses used footage of Baker from an unshown episode.

Baker was unavailable for comment.

Who finale completed days before TX


Doctor Who's executive producer Julie Gardner has revealed that the season finale was completed only three days before transmission.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Gardner said: "For 'Journey’s End', the final episode of series four, we delivered the finished programme to the BBC the Wednesday before transmission. That’s how close to the wire it is.”

She also elaborated on the pressures of making the hit science fiction show, which will not return as a full series until 2010.

"It’s been a very intense four years,” she admitted. "Making 13 episodes of Doctor Who is a year-long job. We film from July to March. In between March and July we’re in post-production."

Doctor Who Prom on BBC Radio 3

BBC PROMS 2008
Doctor Who Prom
Sunday 27 July
11.00am-1.00pm BBC RADIO 3
www.bbc.co.uk/proms
Press pack

With a little help from the Daleks, Cybermen and other monsters, this year's BBC Proms family concert should be out of this world. BBC One's hit series Doctor Who and BBC Radio 3 join forces for a concert which also marks the 50th anniversary of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

Freema Agyeman (aka Martha Jones) and other members of the Doctor Who cast join the BBC Philharmonic and London Philharmonic Choir on stage for music inspired by themes of time and space, including: Jupiter from Holst's The Planets; the UK première of Mark-Anthony Turnage's The Torino Scale; and a selection of Murray Gold's music from the TV series. Listeners can also hear The Ride Of The Valkyries from Wagner's Die Walküre and Copland's Fanfare For The Common Man.

Presenter/Sarah Walker, Producer/Mike George

Who gap year is 'marvellous', claims boss

Digital Spy

Doctor Who's executive producer Julie Gardner has claimed that the show will benefit from the two-year gap between the fourth and fifth seasons.

Gardner branded the wait until 2010 for another full series a "marvellous thing" in an interview with the Daily Telegraph.

"Our main motivation for giving Doctor Who a break is that we want the audience to remember how much they love it," she said. "Come 2010, we want people to be cheering its return."

Gardner also revealed transmission details of the special episodes that will bridge the gap between seasons.

She said: "We are making four one-hour specials. The first, which we’ve already filmed, will go out this Christmas. The next will go out the following Easter. The other specials have yet to be scheduled, although one will definitely be on at Christmas 2009."

World War Who


WAR hero Sir Winston Churchill is all set for a new adventure — alongside Doctor Who.
The legend who led the Allies to victory in World War II will help current Doctor David Tennant.

Winnie joins Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie and William Shakespeare as historical characters met by the Time Lord since the series was relaunched in 2005.

Perhaps we can expect a stirring speech of “We shall fight them in the Tardis”.

But no date has been fixed for the cigar-smoking former PM to appear and it is not known who will play him.

Doctor Who finished its latest BBC1 run last Saturday and returns next year for four one-off specials.

A new series begins in 2010 but the Beeb is keeping tight-lipped whether Tennant will be back for that.

Plans to feature Churchill in a new Dr Who novel, Revenge of the Judoon, have been shelved.

Doctor Who is a tonic for BBC


Doctor Who proved a stellar hit for the BBC's commercial arm, helping boost profits by 17 per cent.

The Time Lord's latest series - starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate - has been sold to 41 countries with fans snapping up previous stories on DVD.

It helped lift profits at BBC Worldwide, the broadcaster's business division, to almost £118million in the year to April.

Success selling the Strictly Come Dancing format abroad also boosted takings and there are plans for a Chilean The Office and a Spanish Life On Mars. Money from BBC Worldwide goes back into programme-making.

Daleks more familiar to children than real animals!


Children have become so divorced from the outdoors that they are more likely to recognise fictitious Dr Who monsters like the Daleks than real life animals such as a barn owl, a survey has revealed.

Nine ouf 10 children surveyed correctly identified Daleks, while less than third correctly named a magpie

The online questionnaire for the National Trust found just 53 per cent of youngsters could correctly identify an oak leaf, while half could not tell the difference between a bee and a wasp. One in three children failed to identify a magpie and only 47 per cent correctly named a barn owl.

In contrast nine out of 10 were able to correctly name Doctor Who's enemies the Daleks and a similar number recognised Star Wars' Jedi grand master, Yoda.

The survey is part of a National Trust campaign launched in London aimed at encouraging families to spend more time together outdoors.

Nick Baker, the television naturalist, said: "It's a sad modern phenomenon that has left many of us, and in particular the younger generations, disconnected from the natural world.

"In an age where Nintendos and Playstations compete with tree climbing and pond dipping; the virtual world is winning.

advertisement

"With more kids better able to identify a fictitious alien than our national tree, the Oak, something needs to be done."

The trust says no one living in England, Wales or Northern Ireland is more than 45 minutes away from one of its sites. Starting in London, the trust is taking a flavour of the outdoors to major cities across England in the form of a specially designed garden on the top of a double decker bus.

Entitled The National Trust Bus to Space, the tour aims to remind families that high quality outdoor space is only ever a short journey away, regardless of where they live. In the coming days the bus will visit Birmingham, Manchester, York and Bristol. A range of family events, including bug hunts and safari trails, are being held at National Trust properties during the coming months.

National Trust conservation adviser Matthew Oates said: "Natural beauty and wildlife are vital to us. We are part of nature; we need it, and we need the beauty, wonder and laughter it offers us.

"The more distanced we become from nature, the more difficult it will be for us to survive on this planet."

* A total of 1,651 children aged between 10 and 12 across the UK took part in the online survey, which was conducted by OnePoll on behalf of The National Trust.

Mixed Reaction to Doctor's Finale

The finale of the latest Doctor Who series has been greeted with a mixed response by the show's fans.
Speculation that he would regenerate after being wounded by a Dalek last week proved to be unfounded.
A number of fans wrote on the Digital Spy site's Doctor Who message board that this made it "an anti-climax".
Another fan hailed it as "one of the best things I have ever seen". The episode was seen by an average audience of 9.4 million people on BBC One.

Too rushed, reached no conclusion, and well... after a string of fantastic, brilliant episodes, that was average
Digruntled fan
The fact that the Doctor did not regenerate leaves the way clear for actor David Tennant's return.
A fifth series of the show is scheduled for 2010.
One fan wrote on Digital Spy that the episode was "a total let down for me".
"It felt rushed, sloppy and lacked something vital."
The fan added: "Too rushed, reached no conclusion, and well... after a string of fantastic, brilliant episodes, that was average."
But another wrote: "Tonight I had the same sense of excitement that I had when Tom Baker regenerated into Peter Davison.

We can all rest safe in the knowledge Mr Tennant isn't leaving (yet!)
Doctor Who fan
"And I never thought I'd be saying that 27 years later."
And on the forums of the Ain't It Cool News website, a fan praised "a wonderful finale filled with touching, heartbreaking and downright brilliant moments".
They added: "We can all rest safe in the knowledge Mr Tennant isn't leaving (yet!)"
But, also on Ain't It Cool, another fan described the episode as "ultimately unfulfilling".
"Fair play to [chief writer] Russell T Davies, he's tried but he hasn't quite made it, going for style and bravado over substance.
"My Doctor Who is about storytelling."
Mind wiped
In Saturday's episode, the Doctor was helped by a number of companions to defeat the Daleks and their evil creator Davros to save the universe.
Twists included the cloning of the Doctor.

The episode was written by chief writer Russell T Davies

Current companion Donna Noble, played by Catherine Tate, also absorbed some of his mind to become half-Time Lord.
At the end of the episode, the Doctor left his cloned self - who was half-human and as such will age and die - to live with former companion Rose Tyler, played by Billie Piper, in another reality.
The Doctor also separated from Donna, who had to have her mind wiped of all memories of their time together, before departing on his own in the Tardis.
Tennant will star in the lead role for a number of BBC One specials next year.
A fifth series, which will see writer Steven Moffat take over from current executive producer Russell T Davies, is due in 2010.

The Trial of a Timelord - Cover & Info

The Trial of a Time Lord
Featuring: Colin Baker as The 6th Doctor

This four-disc set features the episodes - "The Mysterious Planet", "Mind Warp", "Terror Of The Vervoids" and "The Ultimate Foe" - that make up the Trial of a Time Lord storyline.

The TARDIS is drawn to a space station where the Doctor (Colin Baker)is subjected to a Time Lord inquiry into his behaviour, presided over by an Inquisitor.

The prosecuting counsel, the Valeyard, presents the first piece of his evidence, which consists of a recording played back on a screen linked to the Matrix. It concerns a visit by the Doctor and Peri to the desolate planet Ravolox...

The Trial of a Time Lord is released on 18th August 2008, priced £49.99.