Doctor Who Fansite

David Tennant wins BBC Audio Award

2012-01-30T10:47:00.001Z

The former Doctor Who actor won the BBC Audio Award for Best Actor, for his performance as “Kafka” in the BBC Radio 4 production of Kafka: The Musical, the score for which was also composed by Murray Gold (Doctor Who’s composer since 2005). David Tennant also hosted the awards ceremony.

Tennant’s fellow award winners included Rosie Cavaliero (Jam and Jerusalem), who scooped up an award in the Best Actress category, for her role as “Ruthie” in Lost Property: A Telegram from the Queen.

Listen to David Tennant’s introduction speech…
#ada audio drama awards intro David tenant (mp3)
Audio courtesy of David-Tennant.com

Andrew Scott was named as Best Supporting Actor. The 35-year-old won the award for his role in the audio play Referee, after having recently come to the wider public attention for his performance as Jim Moriarty in BBC One’s Sherlock (created and written by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss). The BBC Audio Award was presented to Scott by David Tennant and June Whitfield (Absolutely Fabulous, Doctor Who ‘The End of Time’).

Actor Richard Wilson (One Foot In the Grave, Doctor Who ‘The Empty Child’) presented the writer Hugh Hughes with the award for Best Scripted Comedy Drama for Floating.

Best Sound was awarded to the play Bad Memories, directed by Julian Simpson (Doctor Who ‘The Rebel Flesh’/’The Almost People’).

Read the full list of BBC Audio Award winners:

> BBC News

Russell T Davies: Children’s TV is “Endangered”

2012-01-29T17:32:00.001Z

Russell T Davies, the man behind five of Doctor Who most popular years, has given an interview in today’s Observer, in which he explains how he believes today’s children’s television is in danger of disappearing and why he feels he must support it.

Davies explains how the failure of society to recognise the talent of children's writers "allows us to diminish and marginalise their work" and gives further details about Aliens VS Wizards, the upcoming new children's science-fantasy drama created and written by himself and Phil Ford (The Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood).

Davies's heart lies with children's television. His latest project, Aliens Vs Wizards, is being talked about as one of the biggest new dramas for children to come out of Britain. It combines medieval wizardry with alien-fantasy – think Harry Potter meets Doctor Who – and will be screened by the BBC this autumn.

Davies arranged to meet his close collaborator on Doctor Who, the writer Phil Ford, for dinner in a Los Angeles restaurant to talk about new ventures. "When you try like that, usually you never have an idea," he said. But by the time the two men had finished their main course they both knew they had come up with a "really geeky idea, the cleverest of the lot", which taps into the latest film and TV craze, mashing up different genres – as seen in the film Cowboys & Aliens, starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, released last year.

They decided to focus the new drama on two 16-year-olds, Tom and Benny, one secretly in possession of magical powers, the other a super-bright scientific brain, who does not believe in magic. They combine their skills to battle a tribe of aliens, called the Nekross, to save the world. From the dark side of the moon, the Nekross set up a base to scan the earth, looking for magical skills to buttress their power and, naturally, destroying anything that stands in their way.The idea was quickly turned into a first script, then an order for 26 episodes.

Davies said: "Magic and science fiction are never combined. For example, the only thing that could make Harry Potter better, in my view, would be if a big spaceship arrives at the door of Hogwarts, but it never does. It does in ours, in episode one." The wizard teenager is descended from a family of wizards, but he keeps this a secret and attends a comprehensive school. Aliens Vs Wizards will also feature lots of prosthetic monsters, as in Doctor Who, and not just computer generated imagery.

The lavish multimillion-pound series, which starts filming in the Cardiff drama studios of BBC Wales in March, is being financially backed by Fremantle Media Enterprises (FME), to supplement CBBC budgets. In return for the investment, Fremantle, not the BBC, has global sales rights, as well as rights to DVDs, merchandising and book publishing.

> Read the FULL article - The Observer

Aliens VS Wizards will begin filming around Spring to Summer this year and is due to broadcast on CBBC this Autumn.

What are your thoughts on this?
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Being Human – Hal & Tom Prequels

2012-01-29T14:10:00.001Z

POSSIBLE SPOILERS if you haven’t seen the Series 3 finale…
Hal (Damien Molony) is an elderly gentlemen (only a few centuries old!) of the blood-sucker variety. But the late John Mitchell wasn’t unique in his decision to stay off the resist the addiction – Hal is also on the wagon, as it were, and (much like Mitchell) has also lived in a housing arrangement with a ghost and a werewolf, the origins of which we are shown in his prequel.
Those of you familiar with Being Human, particularly the third series, will already know Tom. Tom MacNair (Michael Socha) is a vampire killer, and his on-going hunt may indeed be fuelled now by vengeance, following the murder-by-vampire of his adoptive father. With the introduction of newbie Hal into Honolulu Heights, this doesn’t bode well. So now his wild forest lifestyle has died with his ‘father’, how will Tom fit into society?

Hal’s Prequel

Tom’s Prequel

Being Human Series 4 begins on Sunday 5th February on BBC3 at 9PM and is expected to broadcast overseas later in the year.

What are your thoughts on this?
Please comment.

Being Human – Series 4 Trailers

2012-01-28T22:59:00.001Z

In the run-up to the new fourth series of Being Human, we’re treated to four trailers for the start of a new era in the fantasy-realism “comedy drama”.

As has become tradition with each series of Being Human, each of the main triumvirate have their own individual teaser trailers as well as the main one…

Being Human Series 4 Launch Trailer

Annie’s Teaser Trailer

Tom's Teaser Trailer

Hal’s Teaser Trailer

Being Human Series 4 begins on Sunday 5th February on BBC3 at 9PM and is expected to broadcast overseas later in the year.

What are your thoughts on this?
Please comment.

Being Human – Series 4 Episode Titles

2012-01-28T17:27:00.001Z

With DWF’s new look comes a new variety of posts! From now on, although this is still primarily a Doctor Who-based fansite, we will be also reporting on exciting news elsewhere in TV and film with news of other productions that also interest a great deal of Whovians, including myself!

In the exciting build-up to the fourth series of BBC Three’s hit fantasy-drama Being Human, the full list of episode titles has been released, as well as a few of the early synopses…

1. Eve Of The War (5th Feb) by Toby Whithouse
In an old B&B in a sleepy seaside town, we join Annie, her housemate George and their new friend. They’re reeling from the loss of their best friend Mitchell, Tom’s father-figure McNair and the tragic departure of George’s girlfriend, Nina. But with a newborn baby to look after, it’s never been more difficult to live life under-the-radar as a ghost and two werewolves. There are also the vampires to deal with: lurking in every corner of society, waiting for the Old Ones to arrive and take over the world with brutal force. Can they fight them off? And at what cost? One thing becomes clear – the vampires believe that the child of two werewolves is important in their own mythology. Can this little baby really be the saviour of humanity? And what exactly are Cutler’s ‘alternative’ plans for world domination?
2. Being Human 1955 (12 Feb) by Lisa McGee
Hal, Leo and Pearl – another werewolf, vampire and ghost – turn up at the house. Leo is dying and this supernatural triumvirate believe the secret to saving the old werewolf’s life resides in Honolulu Heights. While Annie is confident that she can channel the power to help him, Tom isn’t so sure. Nor is he best pleased at having the disdainful and arrogant vampire Hal in his home either. But to fulfil Leo’s dying wish, the two are forced on a mission together. A fracas with a pawn shop owner bonds them temporarily, but later when Tom discovers Hal standing over baby Eve’s crib, Hal’s ultimate motives are called into question.
3. The Graveyard Shift (19th Feb) by Jamie Mathieson
4. A Spectre Calls (26th Feb) by Tom Grieves
5. Hold The Front Page (4th March) by Tom Grieves
6. Puppy Love (11th March) by John Jackson
7. Making History (18th March) by Toby Whithouse
8. The War Child (25th March) by Toby Whithouse

Being Human Series 4 begins on Sunday 5th February on BBC3 at 9PM and is expected to broadcast overseas later in the year.

What are your thoughts on this?
Please comment.

Who Wins at the National Television Awards

2012-01-25T21:24:00.001Z

Tonight the annual National Television Awards took place and our favourite show won a couple!

Karen Gillan won the award for Best Female Drama Performance.

Matt Smith won the award for Best Male Drama Performance.

Doctor Who unfortunately lost to Downton Abbey in the Best Drama category.

Coverage:

What do you think of this news?
Please comment.

Confirmed: The Ponds to leave in Series 7

2011-12-15T21:06:00.001Z

It has been announced tonight, at the Doctor Who ‘The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe’ press release, that Amy and Rory Pond will depart in Series 7, and will be replaced by a new companion to adventure alongside Matt Smith’s incarnation of The Doctor.

Doctor Who Magazine’s confirmed the entrance of a new companion in Series 7 earlier this year.

The news broke first through Lizo Mzimba’s Twitter feed (on the ball as always, Lizo!), as he said…

@lizo_mzimba – Lizo Mzimba
Doctor Who announcement - Amy and Rory will leave 'heartbreakingly' during next series and The Doctor will get a new companion #doctorwho

Which was then confirmed by the official BBC Doctor Who tweet…

@bbcdoctorwho – Doctor Who Official
Steven Moffat announces "The final days of the Ponds are coming during the next series. Then the Doctor will meet a new friend"

Followed by Digital Spy soon after…

@digitalspy – Digital Spy
Big #doctorwho news: Rory and Amy leaving mid next series after "heartbreaking end". New companion then introduced, but not yet cast.

We’re also promised that further details of the upcoming companion will be revealed soon!
> DWF – ‘Confirmed: New Companion for Series 7’

Doctor Who ‘The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe’ will broadcast Xmas Day - BBC One/HD at 7PM(UK), and the same day on BBC America at 9/8c (US) and Space (Canada), and UKTV (Australia) on 26th Dec.

What are your thoughts on this news? Are you looking forward to Xmas 2011?

Please comment.

‘The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe’ BBC One Trailer

2011-12-13T17:35:00.001Z

The official BBC Doctor Who website have released the BBC One trailer for this year’s Christmas special ‘The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe’ and, although it re-uses a lot of footage seen in the previous Children In Need trailer, there are some exciting new shots to find in it as well…

What are your thoughts on this news? Are you looking forward to Xmas 2011?

Please comment.

‘The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe’ Prequel

2011-12-06T16:25:00.001Z

The official BBC Doctor Who website have released the prequel for this year’s exciting 2011 Christmas special ‘The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe’ – the first to feature The Doctor fully, and really does precede his own adventure running up to the episode…

What are your thoughts on this news? Are you looking forward to Xmas 2011?

Please comment.

Decorate your room with TARDIS Wallpaper

2011-11-24T23:09:00.001Z

You can now adorn your bedroom walls with the new BBC-licensed wallpaper of the TARDIS walls that featured within the greatest time/-space-travelling machine during the televised years 1977-89. There are two strips of wallpaper to select from – “unbelievably colour matched to a paint sample from the 1983 screen Control Room Set!” – which are the iconic classic-series’ TARDIS roundels (unfortunately does not feature genuine Chameleon Circuit controls), while the other is a strip for the classic-series’ TARDIS columns.

Here’s the TARDIS wallpaper advertisement from the latest Doctor Who Magazine (issue 441)…

The TARDIS wallpaper, for each roll, has a price of £30 each and is available to pre-order from 3D Effects Wallpaper Designs. Manufacturers estimate wallpaper delivery to their warehouse for 15th December 2011. Each roll of wallpaper is 10 meters long and 52 centimetres wide.

> Pre-order from 3D Effects Wallpaper Designs

What do you think of this? Are you going to get this wallpaper?
Please comment.

Series 6 Soundtrack – Cover & Track Listings

2011-11-24T17:12:00.001Z

The cover and full list of track names of the Doctor Who Series 6 Original Television Soundtrack have been released by Silva Screen – the music company who have distributed all of the previous Series 1 – 5 soundtracks. As with all the 2005+ episodes, this series' music was composed entirely b the very talented Murray Gold, and I cannot wait to buy and listen to this soundtrack myself!

UPDATE: The final track - "35. The Majestic Tale (of a Madman in a Box)" is NOT a bonus track or iTunes exclusive, and has now been corrected here accordingly. Murray Gold has said he "hates" iTunes exclusives because, as he says, "they encourage people to buy MP3s, which are not a good way to listen to music."

DISC 1 *The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon:* 01. I Am The Doctor In Utah 02. 1969 03. The Impossible Astronaut 04. Trust Me 05. Help Is On Its Way 06. Another Perfect Prison 07. Greystark 08. Apollo 11 09. Day of the Moon 10. I See You Silence *The Curse of the Black Spot:* 11. You’re A Dead Man 12. Deadly Siren 13. Perfect Reflection 14. All For One 15. The Curse Of The Black Spot *The Doctor's Wife:* 16. I've Got Mail 17. My TARDIS 18. Run, Sexy 19. Locked On *The Rebel Flesh / The Almost People:* 20. The Chemical Castle 21. Which One Is The Flesh? 22. Scanning Me 23. Ransacked 24. Always With The Rory 25. Double Doctor 26. Tell Me The Truth 27. Loving Isn’t Knowing (The Almost People Suite) *A Good Man Goes To War:* 20. River's Waltz 21. Pop 22. Tell Me Who You Are 23. Melody Pond	_____	DISC 2 *Let's Kill Hitler:* 01. Growing Up Fast 02. The Blush of Love 03. Terror of the Reich 04. The British are Coming 05. A Very Unusual Melody 06. When a River Forms 07. Pay Attention Grown Ups 08. The Enigma of River Song *Night Terrors:* 09. Bedtime for George 10. Tick Tock Round The Clock 11. A Malevolent Estate 12. Night Terrors *The Girl Who Waited:* 13. Apalapucia 14. 36 Years 15. Lost In The Wrong Stream The God Complex: 16. The Hotel Prison 17. Rooms Of Your Dreams 18. Fear Enough 19. What's Left To Be Scared Of? 20. Rita Praises *Closing Time:* 21. Stormageddon, Dark Lord Of All 22. Definitely Going 23. Over Your Shoulder 24. Ladieswear 25. Fragrance 26. My Time Is Running Out *The Wedding of River Song:* 27. Tick Tock (Vocal Track) 28. 5:02PM 29. The Head Of An Enemy 30. My Silence 31. Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart 32. Forgiven 33. Time Is Moving 34. The Wedding of River Song Day of the Moon: 35. The Majestic Tale (of a Madman in a Box)

The two-disc Doctor Who: Series Six Original Television Soundtrack is due for release in the UK on 19th December 2011 for £8.99 RRP.

> Silva Screen

> Pre-order @ Amazon.co.uk

What are your thoughts on these listings and the cover?

Please comment.

‘The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe’ Synopsis

2011-11-22T16:45:00.001Z

BBC Press Office have finally released the official synopsis for the Christmas 2011 special - inspired by C.S. Lewis’ Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe – titled ‘The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe’…

It’s Christmas Eve, 1938, when Madge Arwell comes to the aid of an injured Spaceman Angel as she cycles home, in this year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special, starring Matt Smith as the Doctor.
He promises to repay her kindness – all she has to do is make a wish.

Three years later, a devastated Madge escapes war-torn London with her two children for a dilapidated house in Dorset. She is crippled with grief at the news her husband has been lost over the channel, but determined to give Lily and Cyril the best Christmas ever.

The Arwells are surprised to be greeted by a madcap caretaker whose mysterious Christmas gift leads them into a magical wintry world. Here, Madge will learn how to be braver than she ever thought possible. And that wishes can come true…

Madge Arwell is played by Claire Skinner, Lily Arwell by Holly Earl and Cyril Arwell by Maurice Cole.

The episode also stars Bill Bailey and Arabella Weir.
Doctor Who ‘The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe’ is set to air (believe it or not) on Christmas Day, though the exact time is yet to be confirmed.

What are your thoughts on this news? Are you looking forward to Xmas 2011?
Please comment.

Doctor Who: Power of the Heart – Episode Three OUT NOW –– ‘A Voyage To Nowhere’ Part One

2011-11-21T22:36:00.001Z

And here it is – the third episode of the first series of fan fiction from The Doctor Who F.A.N. Project – and the first part of the second story, ‘A Voyage To Nowhere’ in the series Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart. You can read Part 2 of 2 NOW in the PDF file below for free…

Story 1 – ‘A Voyage To Nowhere’ (Part One) – by Emma Lousie & James Gray
Episode 1:
A virus and a murder on a ship that travelled the sea for 6 months. The famous Tin-Vagabond cruise ship is now lost, bound to roam the flooded plains with no destination but the ripples under its prow.

The year is 2200 and Maddy Ramos emerges from the TARDIS to begin her first adventure as a time-traveller. But events aren't so spectacular when the duo find the boat's passengers on deck, shivering and terrified of what prowls in the copper shadows...
Can they save the starving passengers? And what has the fabled Nefaro got do to with the virus?

The Doctor Who F.A.N. Project brings you Part One of the second story featuring The Tenth Doctor(as played by David Tennant) and original companion Maddy Ramos.

We would love to here your feedback! Please do tell us what you think by just commenting below.

Power of the Heart – ‘A Voyage To Nowhere’ Part One Synopsis

2011-11-19T23:59:00.001Z

The third episode in our series of Doctor Who fan fiction – that has the significant series title of Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart – will be available to read in PDF format tomorrow!

Story 1 – ‘A Voyage To Nowhere’ (Part One) – by Emma Lousie
Episode 1:
A virus and a murder on a ship that travelled the sea for 6 months. The famous Tin-Vagabond cruise ship is now lost, bound to roam the flooded plains with no destination but the ripples under its prow.
The year is 2200 and Maddy Ramos emerges from the TARDIS to begin her first adventure as a time-traveller. But events aren't so spectacular when the duo find the boat's passengers on deck, shivering and terrified of what prowls in the copper shadows...

Can they save the starving passengers? And what has the fabled Nefaro got do to with the virus?

The Doctor Who F.A.N. Project brings you Part One of the second story featuring The Tenth Doctor (as played by David Tennant) and original companion Maddy Ramos.

Part One of ‘A Voyage To Nowhere’ – the second story in Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart series – is scheduled for release right here tomorrow, Sunday 20th November at 7:00PM. We’d love it if you could have a read and tell us what you think!

Find out more at: www.dwfanproject.blogspot.com
> Visit the website of The Doctor Who F.A.N. Project

What are your thoughts on this? Are you going to read our fanfic series?
Please comment.

Doctor Who ‘Children in Need 2011’ Sketch HD

2011-11-18T21:23:00.001Z

You can now watch this international video of tonight’s Children In Need 2011 sketch and ‘The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe’ trailer and the moment the title of the Christmas 2011 Special was revealed…

FULL HD Doctor Who - 2011 The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe Christmas Trailer and CiN Skit

Video courtesy of PCJonathan & Doctor Who Media

> Get the latest news on “Christmas 2011”…
> BBC Children In Need

What are your thoughts on this trailer?
Please comment.

1st Christmas 2011 Trailer!

2011-11-18T20:30:00.001Z

The very first trailer for this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special has just premiered on tonight’s Children In Need appeal night, and here it is…

> Get the latest news on “Christmas 2011”…
> BBC Children In Need

What are your thoughts on this trailer?
Please comment.

Christmas 2011 Title Revealed!

2011-11-18T20:26:00.001Z

The title of Doctor Who’s 2011 Christmas Special has been revealed tonight on Children In Need, following the Doctor Who sketch, featuring Matt Smith, for the charity appeal programme. The confirmed title of the Doctor Who Christmas 2011 Special is…

‘The Doctor, The Widow, and the Wardrobe’

So, last Christmas was strongly inspired by Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, can't imagine what this one's based on! Looks set to be another fantastic episode!

What are your thoughts of this title? Got any theories on it?

Please comment.

Christmas 2011 Trailer & Title TOMORROW!

2011-11-17T22:30:00.001Z

Edward Russell, Doctor Who’s current TV Brand Manager, has revealed tonight on Twitter that tomorrow’s special Doctor Who “sketch” for Children In Need night will be followed directly by a trailer of the Christmas 2011 Special as well as a confirmation of the episode’s title.

@edwardrussell - Edward Russell
“Just watched tomorrow night's Doctor Who sketch for CIN. Short but very funny. Matt is brilliant. It's on at about 8.20 tomorrow, BBC one”
17th Nov 2011 - 9:49PM

@edwardrussell - Edward Russell
“...Followed by a trailer for Xmas. At the end of which, we reveal the title.”
17th Nov 2011 - 9:50PM

The Doctor Who Children In Need sketch and Christmas 2011 trailer are due to air between the 8-8:30PM, though Edward Russell specifies it to be around 8:20PM, so that may be the probable time.

What are your thoughts on this?
Please comment.

First 2011 Christmas Special Photo

2011-11-17T17:28:00.001Z

The BBC have finally unveiled the first, exciting photo from the upcoming 2011 Christmas special. You would think their describing of “exciting” might be an overstatement for purposes of hyping up the fans, compared to the first shot released of ‘A Christmas Carol’ last year. But, however, it is actually pretty exciting and intriguing!

Find out a bit more about the Christmas 2011 special in the latest Doctor Who Magazine #441 which is out now!

What do YOU think of this picture?
Please comment.

Doctor Who Magazine #441 OUT TODAY & Details

2011-11-17T16:04:00.001Z

The new Doctor Who Magazine issue #441 – which is out today – takes a first-look peek at this year’s upcoming Christmas special with an “in-depth” interview with Doctor Who’s producer, Marcus Wilson:

It’s Christmas turned up to 12. It’s the most Christmassy Christmas Special we’ve ever seen. It’s a lovely, heart-warming, touching tale. It’s literally magical. It’s full of the usual concoction of things that spew out of Steven’s imagination. You’re going, ‘How can you have that and that in the same story?’ – and yet it works...

Also this issue:

Holding the Baby - DWM talks to Closing Time director, Steve Hughes, who reveals the secrets of turning a department store into a haunted house, giving the Cybermats teeth, and defending the honour of Adric!
Like Father, Like Son - DWM goes behind the scenes of Serpent Crest, AudioGO’s latest series of audio dramas featuring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, and talks exclusively to David Troughton – who joins the cast to take on his father’s role as the Second Doctor!
Here's to the Future! - Executive producer Steven Moffat writes about experiencing Christmas in the snow, his plans for Doctor Who in 2012, and the series’ 50th anniversary, in Production Notes!
School Winners! - DWM joins the crew of Doctor Who Confidential and visits the pupils of Oakley Junior School to meet Matt Smith and watch their winning entry for the ‘Script to Screen’ competition, Death is the only Answer – featuring Albert Einstein and an Ood!
And the Winners Are ... - The results of the DWM merchandise poll for the most popular books, audios, and DVDs of 2010 are revealed at last – along with your views on DWM itself!
Shock Return - The Fact of Fiction is filled with fascinating facts and sinister Cybermen, as it focuses its attention on the much-loved Fifth Doctor adventure from 1982, Earthshock!
Let's have a Party ... or not? - As the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who approaches in 2013, how best to mark the occasion – celebrate the past with a multi-Doctor extravaganza or pave the way to the future with something new, original and completely unexpected? There’s only one way to decide… get debating duo Toby Hadoke and Johnny Candon to argue the toss in A Battle of Wits!
The Child of Time - The Doctor, Amy and Alan Turing face their ultimate encounter with the time-twisting Chiyoko in the thrilling climax to the Eleventh Doctor’s latest comic-strip adventure, The Child of Time by Jonathan Morris with art by Martin Geraghty.
Going Fourth - It’s the season that saw the return of the Daleks, the Cybermen and the Sontarans... and the very first appearance of Davros! Discover more as DWM’s Countdown to 50 looks back at 1974/5’s Series Twelve and the debut of Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor.
It's all been fantastic! - The Time Team shed a tear as they reach the end of the Ninth Doctor era with The Parting of the Ways – what will Emma, Michael, Chris and Will make of the Time Lord’s encounter with the Dalek Emperor and the Bad Wolf?
PLUS! All the latest official news, reviews of TV and merchandise reviews, previews, competitions, a prize-winning crossword and much, much more!

Doctor Who Magazine #441 is available Thursday 17 November 2011, priced £4.50 in the UK at WH Smith, some Tesco & Asda stores, and other good retailers!

Are you going to buy this DWM issue? What do you think of the cover?
Please comment.

Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart – Episode Two DOWNLOAD – ‘The Heart’ PART TWO

2011-11-15T18:37:00.000Z

And here it is – the second episode of the first series of fan fiction from The Doctor Who F.A.N. Project – the second part of the first story, ‘The Heart’ in the series Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart. You can read Part 2 of 2 NOW in the PDF file below for free…

Story 1 – The Heart – by James Gray
Two-Parter.
Episode 2: The Tenth Doctor and Maddy Ramos discover the truth together, as an unlikely union is formed and Maddy must write her own past in order to save the future. The barriers of The Heart fall and the powers that lurk within are uncovered, whilst an infallible plan comes together.
But threatened by the jeopardy of an ‘Inhuman’, a plan goes horribly wrong...

The Doctor Who F.A.N. Project brings you Part Two of the first story featuring The Tenth Doctor (as played by David Tennant) and original companion Maddy Ramos.

We would love to here your feedback! Please do tell us what you think by just commenting below.

David Yates Confirms Doctor Who Movie

2011-11-14T20:50:00.001Z

Before anyone gets too excited or angry, this news has not been confirmed officially yet, though is clearly not just like the usual flow of tabloid 'rumours'.

After years and years of tabloids and fans setting numerous false rumours about a supposed Doctor Who movie, we finally have a confirmation, which has come from somebody I’m sure nobody expected the announcement from, let alone the announcement itself. David Yates – who many of you I’m sure will know as the director of the final four Harry Potter films – has confirmed that he is working with Jane Tranter at BBC Worldwide to produce the feature-length film, which he will be the director of.

“We’re looking at writers now. We’re going to take two to three years to get it right. It needs quite a radical transformation to take it into the bigger arena.” The planned movie will be independent of both the Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat’s eras of the TV series, while Yates described them as “fantastic” but said “we have to put that aside and start from scratch”.

"The notion of the time-travelling Time Lord is such a strong one, because you can express story and drama in any dimension or time," Yates said, and added, "We want a British sensibility, but having said that, Steve Kloves wrote the Potter films and captured that British sensibility perfectly, so we are looking at American writers too."

The move to “start from scratch” seems to have fired up some dark corners of Twitter, as some are already complaining about the move. In fact, the only two previous Doctor Who feature-films released were also very separate from the television episodes. My argument would be, don’t judge the film years before you’ll even see it, and especially do not judge whether it will be good or not on the miniscule, pretty non-existent information we have been given.

I think everyone should keep in mind exactly what Paul Cornell (Dr Who writer) has ‘voiced’ on Twitter:

Paul_Cornell – @Paul_Cornell
All we know about the Doctor Who movie is contained in this sentence. Apart from: that's a great director. There.

Harry Potter fans – or “Potterheads” as some might say – will know that Yates directed the final four Potter films in the franchise, ending last July with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (pictured above directing the main trio for a scene in DH Part 1). If anyone is of a similar mind to me, then they’ll no doubt agree that Yates did a marvellous job with those films, which I personally believe he can bring to a new Doctor Who film. Also, to those who are (to say the least) sceptical about it being set “from scratch”, however much we might like to see one of our favourite Doctors on the big screen, it only makes sense to get a new actor for the part in a film because of the massive differences between the mediums of film and TV.

What are your thoughts on this news? Are you… EXCITED, ANNOYED?
Please comment.

Doctor Who Magazine #441 Cover

2011-11-14T11:17:00.001Z

The bods at DWM Towers have unveiled the cover of the upcoming issue #441 of Doctor Who Magazine, which appears to be following an Christmassy tone as the official magazine gives us a few teasers for this year’s 2011 Christmas special in the form of an interview with producer Marcus Wilson as the main feature.

Doctor Who Magazine #441 is available Thursday 17 November 2011, priced £4.50 in the UK at WH Smith, some Tesco & Asda stores, and other good retailers!

Are you going to buy this DWM issue? What do you think of the cover?
Please comment.

‘The Heart’ Part Two – DELAYED + Synopsis

2011-11-05T17:42:00.001Z

Just a brief post here to let those of you who have been ever so kind as to read our Doctor Who fan fiction series so far – called Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart – that Part 2 of 2 of the first story ‘The Heart’ has had to be delayed. The second episode in the series was due out today at 7PM, but some problem and other commitments mean that we’ve had to delay the release of Part 2 to tomorrow at 7PM instead.

The rest of the stories are going very well, though, so those should be out on time – every Saturday at 4PM, but remember ‘The Heart’ Part 2 will be available RIGHT HERE tomorrow at 7PM on Sunday 6th November!

But in the meantime, here’s the synopsis to tease you with until tomorrow’s release…

Story 1 – The Heart – by James Gray
Two-Parter.
Episode 2:
The Tenth Doctor and Maddy Ramos discover the truth together, as an unlikely union is formed and Maddy must write her own past in order to save the future. The barriers of The Heart fall and the powers that lurk within are uncovered, whilst an infallible plan comes together.
But threatened by the jeopardy of an ‘Inhuman’, a plan goes horribly wrong...

The Doctor Who F.A.N. Project brings you Part Two of the first story featuring The Tenth Doctor (as played by David Tennant) and original companion Maddy Ramos.

> Read Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart – 1.1: ‘The Heart’ Part 1

Are you interested in reading the story? We’d love to hear your feedback.
Please comment.

Tennant, Tate & Barrowman sing ‘Let’s Do It’ for Russell & Julie

2011-10-31T18:16:00.001Z

Just like yesterday’s post, a music video made by the cast and crew of Doctor Who to celebrate the RTD 2005-10 era has been released unofficially online. This one, however, is pretty different as David Tennant, Catherine Tate and John Barrowman sing their own parody version of Victoria Woods’ famous comedy tune ‘Let’s Do It’, and was originally made to be shown only ever at the ‘RTD era’ wrap party at the end of filming on ‘The End Of Time’.

The video, entitled “The Ballad of Russell and Julie”, is a special thank you from the trio (and the rest of the crew) to Russell T Davies (then Head Writer & Executive Producer/Showrunner) and Julie Gardner (Executive Producer), and tells a comic story of how they brought back Doctor Who in 2005.
Those of you who have read Russell’s book The Writers Tale (you should, you know, it’s very good!) will get some in-jokes, such as the Midshipman Frame/Russell Tovey mention, Russell T Davies’ piling up of cigarettes, and the constant upbeat “Keep calm and carry on” attitude of Julie Gardner as the papers gradually build higher and higher on her desk!

Enjoy!

Doctor Who - "The Ballad of Russell and Julie" Wrap Party Special

Please comment.

Cast & Crew of Doctor Who 2005-10 – Wrap Party Video

2011-10-30T18:31:00.001Z

Some awesome human being has decided to very kindly share this fun video with the world, which is set to The Proclaimers ‘500 Miles’ (probably because David Tennant is their biggest fan ever) as the cast and crew of the time dance and sing along to it. The video was filmed and put together especially for the whole cast and crew’s wrap party, shown at the wrap party and given on DVDs to some.

Faces you’ll know in the video marching in pairs alongside David Tennant are… Russell T Davies & Julie Gardner, Billie Piper & Camille Coduri, Freema Agyeman & Noel Clarke, Jacqueline King & Catherine Tate, John Barrowman & Russell Tovey, Bernard Cribbins & June Whitfield, and John Simm & Timothy Dalton (all in the post banner above!).
Other fun bits include The Mill (Dave Houghton & Will Cohen – CGI bods) with shrunken and inflated heads dancing alongside a group of Adipose in their office, and a few jiving aliens such as Ood Sigma, a Slitheen and a Graske.

“Doctor Who - Cast & Crew Special”

Please comment.

Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart – Episode One Download – ‘The Heart’ Part One

2011-10-29T16:25:00.001+01:00

And here it is – the first episode of the first series of fan fiction from The Doctor Who F.A.N. Project – the debut part of the first story, ‘The Heart’ in the series Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart. You can read Part 1 of 2 NOW in the PDF file below for free…

Story 1 – The Heart – by James Gray
Two-Parter.
Episode 1:
A phone call. Death by car-bomb. And a blue box...
Maddy Ramos is just like any other 19-year-old girl, if you ignore her tumultuous past. She has no options in life – no chances, no help, no way out. That’s how she sees things, anyway. Her aspirations are crumbling to dust, but then she meets a pinstripe-suited man called The Doctor...
The Doctor Who F.A.N. Project brings you the first story and introduction of an original companion, as she meets The Tenth Doctor (as played by David Tennant) whilst following the trail of a killer, that can surely only end in her death?

We would love to here your feedback! Please do tell us what you think by just commenting below.

Power Of The Heart – ‘The Heart’ Part One Synopsis

2011-10-28T17:46:00.001+01:00

The first episode in our series of Doctor Who fan fiction – that has the significant series title of Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart – will finally, after months of planning and writing, become available to read in PDF right tomorrow.
We thought it about time we released the synopsis for the first part of this first story, a two-parter…

Story 1 – ‘The Heart’ (Part One) – by James Gray
Episode 1:
A phone call. Death by car-bomb. And a blue box...
Maddy Ramos is just like any other 19-year-old girl, if you ignore her tumultuous past. She has no options in life – no chances, no help, no way out. That’s how she sees things, anyway. Her aspirations are crumbling to dust, but then she meets a pinstripe-suited man called The Doctor...

The Doctor Who F.A.N. Project brings you the first story and introduction of original companion Maddy Ramos, as she meets The Tenth Doctor (as played by David Tennant) whilst following the trail of a killer, that can surely only end in her death?

Part One of ‘The Heart’ – the first story in Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart and Maddy Ramos’ introduction – is scheduled for release right here this Saturday 29th October at 4:00PM. We’d love it if you could have a read and tell us what you think!

Find out more at: www.dwfanproject.blogspot.com
> Visit the website of The Doctor Who F.A.N. Project

What are your thoughts on this? Are you going to read our fanfic series?
Please comment.

Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart – Fan Fiction Story Guide

2011-10-25T20:32:00.001+01:00

For anybody who has missed our gradual info-updates, the series features the Tenth Doctor in time-travelling adventures alongside his new friend Maddy Ramos – an original companion created by us. Maddy is a 19-year-old Hispanic-American girl who lives in the sleepy town of Summerwood. She has only a father and three brothers after her mother disappeared when she was only two, leaving for Maddy a silver-rimmed, emerald-inset necklace. It’s only on her 19th birthday that she discovers the true, when se meets a man in brown pinstripes.

Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart has been spearheaded by myself (James Gray) and created, written & produced equally with Emma Lousie, and we are pleased to tell you that since the previous story guide post in March there are two new additions to our writing team. Our two new writers have come up with two brilliant and exciting plots: Alwyn Ash (who runs his own website Nebula One (News)) has penned a creepy and intriguing story that handles a theme of ‘Time’, while Rob Christie has written a story that evokes a wonderful sense of Urban Gothic in a setting that brings a sense of cautious isolation to one lonely protagonist.

Take a look at the updated story guide…
James Gray –	1.1: The Heart (two-parter)
Emma Lousie –	1.2: The Voyage To Nowhere (two-parter)
Rob Christie –	1.3: Blood Lust (two-parter)
James Gray –	1.4: Vines Of Death (TBC – two-parter)
Alwyn Ash –	1.5: Glimpse and Recoil (one part)
James Gray & Emma Lousie –	1.6: (TBC – three-parter)

Ralf Little on ‘The Gunpowder Plot’ – Part Two

2011-10-18T15:33:00.001+01:00

The official BBC Doctor Who website have released the second part in their interview video with Ralf Little (The Royal Family, Two Pints of Lager…) in the run-up to the release of the fifth instalment of the Doctor Who Adventure Games, ‘The Gunpowder Plot’.

In this Adventure Game, Ralf Little voices the role of the main guest character of the story, Guy Fawkes, who comes across the classic villains who are constantly battling against one another, the Sontarans and Rutans, though have never appeared in any story so far together.

The Doctor Who Adventure Games ‘The Gunpowder Plot’ is released on Monday 31st October for FREE to UK residents. It will, presumably become available to those overseas at a slightly later date with a fee (since overseas customers don’t pay the UK licence fee).

> BBC Doctor Who website

What do you think of this? Are you looking forward to this game?
Please comment.

‘More Than 30 Years In The TARDIS’ 1994 Documentary

2011-10-16T21:30:00.001+01:00

I came across a brilliant BBC Doctor Who documentary online recently called "More Than 30 Years In The TARDIS” that aired on BBC One in 1993 to celebrate 30 years since the series began. An extended 90-minute version was then released on VHS in 1994 and shown on UK Gold in 1997, and I thought I’d share it with those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of watching it yet!

The documentary looks at how the series began, the production, impact of British culture, and talks to the likes of Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Barry Letts, Terrance Dicks, Terry Nation, Philip Hinchcliffe, Douglas Adams, Elisabeth Sladen (alongside daughter Sadie, dressed as Sarah Jane), Nicholas Courtney and many other writers, producers, companions and some critics.

Here’s Part 1 of 9 of the doc – unfortunately (at the time of writing) Parts 4 & 9 have been taken down by the BBC.

Doctor Who - More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS (1/9)

"More Than 30 Years In The TARDIS” is still available to buy online on VHS at…
> Amazon.co.uk – £10.92 (and MUCH lower for ‘Used’)
> Amazon.com – $4.75 in ‘Used’

…although I’m hoping for it to be included as a special extra feature on a classic series 2|entertain DVD.

What are your thoughts on this?
Please comment.

Elisabeth Sladen Autobiography – Cover & Details

2011-10-15T11:04:00.001+01:00

Aurum Press have released further details and the official cover of their upcoming, much-anticipated, book publication Elisabeth Sladen: The Autobiography, no doubt a must-read for most Who fans - I know I'll be buying.

Sam Harrison, editor of the book, said:

"I remember my first meeting with Elisabeth—the hilarious and eye-opening stories she had to tell and my feeling of elation that she wanted to turn them into a book. Having grown up watching her as Sarah Jane Smith it was a personal dream come true.
She was a fantastic person to work with—fun but utterly professional—and it’s incredibly sad that she’s no longer with us. I’m glad she had a chance to share some of her memories in this book. I hope it will make a fitting tribute to a great actress and a wonderful woman."

Kasterborous wrote this, which I present to you as it’s the best few paragraphs I have read about Lis and her career…

When Elisabeth Sladen first appeared as plucky journalist Sarah Jane Smith in 1973 Doctor Who story The Time Warrior, little did she know the character would become one of the most enduring and fondly remembered of the series’ long history.

The years that followed saw Elisabeth traverse time and space alongside classic Doctors Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, whilst a generation of children crouched behind the sofa, terrified but transfixed as their tea-time heroine found herself menaced by Daleks, dinosaurs, Cybermen, Egyptian mummies, extras in Bubble Wrap and even the Loch Ness Monster. By the time she quit the TARDIS in 1976, making front-page news, Elisabeth had become one of the most familiar faces of a TV golden age.

But you don’t just walk away from Doctor Who. Elisabeth was asked to reprise the role many times, appearing in anniversary specials; an ill-fated 1981 spin-off with robotic sidekick K-9; radio plays; and for the BBC’s Children in Need. She toured the weird, wide and wonderful world of Doctor Who fandom and became one of the series’ all-time favourite companions. So when TV wunderkind Russell T Davies approached her to come back again, this time to a Doctor Who backed by multi-million-pound budgets and garlanded with critical plaudits, how could she refuse?

This warm and witty autobiography, completed only months before Elisabeth died in April 2011, tells her remarkable story, from humble beginnings in post-war Liverpool, through an acclaimed theatrical career working alongside stage luminaries such as Alan Ayckbourn, to Coronation Street, Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em, Z-Cars, a long, successful and very happy career in the theatre – and the furthest reaches of the Universe.

A unique, insider’s view of the world’s longest running science fiction series, and of British television yesterday and today, Elisabeth’s memoir is funny, ridiculous, insightful and entertaining and a fitting tribute to a woman who will be sadly missed by millions.

Elisabeth Sladen: The Autobiography is scheduled for release on November 7th 2011 by Aurum Press for the retailing price of £18.99, though you can find it at a discounted price of £10.63 on Amazon.co.uk.

Pre-order on…
> Amazon.co.uk

What are your thoughts on this? Are you going to buy it?
Please comment.

Ralf Little talks The Gunpowder Plot – Part One

2011-10-14T15:04:00.001+01:00

The official BBC Doctor Who website have released a further interview-based video in the run-up to the release of the fifth instalment of the Doctor Who Adventure Games, which has been promised to be the biggest and best of them all. And this time, they’re talking to Ralf Little (The Royal Family, Two Pints of Lager…).

Find out how Ralf Little brought the 3D animation of Guy Fawkes to life in the first of a two part interview talking about his starring role in the Doctor's latest adventure, The Gunpowder Plot.
The new Adventure Game will be released from this site on 31 October but check back soon for the second part of Ralf's interview as well as many more exclusives.

‘Torchwood: Miracle Day’ Episode 1 Script

2011-10-12T15:13:00.001+01:00

The BBC Writers Room mini-site asked their followers on Twitter, recently, what television script they would most like to read. By an overwhelming majority, Torchwood: Miracle Day won out and so the script for the first episode of the fourth series – entitled ‘The New World’, written and supplied by Russell T Davies – has been added to the Writers Room’s long list of television scripts (among which are also Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures episodes).

They said this on their Twitter feed today...

@bbcwritersroom - BBC Writers Room
Brand new script for download - Torchwood: Miracle Day - Episode 1 by Russell T Davies: bbc.in/nSpQ3C #torchwood #scripts

> BBC Writers Room – “New script: Torchwood – Miracle Day: Episode 1”

What do you think?
Please comment.

Emilia Fox stars in ‘The Gunpowder Plot’ Game

2011-10-04T16:10:00.001+01:00

The BBC Doctor Who website have announced the renound British TV and film actress Emilia Fox (Silent Witness, Merlin, Pride and Prejudice, and Steven Moffat's comedy Coupling) as the latest confirmed part in the cast list of the upcoming first instalment of the second series of the Doctor Who Adventure Games, called ‘The Gunpowder Plot’.

We're delighted confirm that Emilia Fox stars in Doctor Who: The Gunpowder Plot, the new Adventure Game that launches on 31 October, 2011.

Emilia is well-known for her roles in popular television series including Merlin and Silent Witness, and films such as the Daniel Craig movie, Flashbacks of a Fool. Emilia plays the mysterious '14th plotter' in The Gunpowder Plot and stars alongside Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Ralf Little as Guy Fawkes, Phil Daniels as the town crier, Dan Starkey and CBBC's Chris Johnson.

2012 Adventure Game – The Gunpowder Plot Preview

2011-10-02T16:13:00.001+01:00

The BBC have revealed details of the 1st instalment in the second series of the Doctor Who Adventures Games, which is set in 1605 and puts a new sci-fi and educational slant on the well-known story of Guy Fawkes (at least to everyone in the UK) with the title of ‘The Gunpowder Plot’, as the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory are confronted with one of the Time Lord’s oldest enemies (first seen in a medieval-set Third Doctor story – hint hint).

The incredible cast includes Ralf Little (The Royle Family), Phil Daniels (Quadrophenia, EastEnders),Dan Starkey (A Good Man Goes to War) and CBBC's Chris Johnson... as well as one of the UK's best-known actresses, whose identity we'll reveal shortly!

Doctor Who: The Gunpowder Plot is set in 1605. Guy Fawkes and his gang are hell bent on blowing up the Houses of Parliament and the Doctor becomes embroiled in their scheme when it emerges he's not the only alien in town... Old monsters return and new threats must be faced... By you, playing as one of the TARDIS time travellers!

‘The Wedding Of River Song’ Prequel

2011-09-24T20:41:00.001+01:00

Following the broadcast of tonight’s exciting twelfth episode in ‘Closing Time’, the official BBC Doctor Who site have revealed the prequel for next Saturday’s series finale episode ‘The Wedding of River Song’, and boy it’s looking promising….

Doctor Who The Prequel to Episode 13 The Wedding of River Song

Doctor Who ‘The Wedding Of River Song’ airs next Saturday 1st October on BBC1/HD at 7:05PM (UK) and BBC America at 8/9c (US).

What do you think of this prequel? Looking forward to the episode?
Please comment.

Sarah Jane Adventures Series 5 CBBC Trailer

2011-09-20T21:11:00.001+01:00

The official BBC website for The Sarah Jane Adventures have revealed the first full trailer for the fifth and final series of the hit CBBC series. The series is being shown on BBC1 and CBBC starting in October in memory of the show’s main star and legend Elisabeth Sladen, following her tragic death in April this year.

The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 5 Exclusive Online Trailer

The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 5 premieres on BBC1 on Monday 3rd October with ‘Sky’ Part 1, with Part 2 of the story to follow the day after.

> The Sarah Jane Adventures – BBC site

What do you think of this? Are you looking forward to SJA Series 5?
Please comment.

Fan Fiction – DW: Power Of The Heart Poster

2011-09-20T20:24:00.001+01:00

It’s been a while since we gave you an update on our fan fiction series – Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart – (created, written & produced by myself James Gray and Emma Lousie) but now, for those of you following the news of it and eagerly anticipating the stories, we have a little teaser for you.

Due to the schedule of the series’ start this October, we thought we should release a brand new poster, especially since the release date isn’t far off now! So here it is, the Tenth Doctor and out original companion Maddy Ramos in the first promo for Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart with a mysterious (and VERY significant to the series arc) scenery backdrop…

Find out more at: www.dwfanproject.blogspot.com
> Visit the website of The Doctor Who F.A.N. Project

What are your thoughts on this? Are you going to read our fanfic series?
Please comment.

‘The God Complex’ Unreleased Music

2011-09-18T12:43:00.001+01:00

TheSkaroRevenger has uploaded a series of tracks of unreleased music from last night’s episode, ‘the God Complex’. From the theme of the “Praise him” speech, to the Ponds’ final fate, you can hear the music all on his YouTube channel DrWhoUnreleasedMusic, and listen to them in this playlist…

Track Listing:
01: Leaving Behind The Ponds
02: The Death of Rita

03: Somebody Hit Me!
04: My Name is Lucy
05: Corridors and Stairs
06: Run Away and Hide
07: This is not Earth
08: Praise Him

> Dr Who Unreleased Music – YouTube Channel

What do you think of this?
Please comment.

John Barrowman talks to Entertainment Wise

2011-09-16T18:03:00.001+01:00

Online entertainment news website Entertainment Wise has conducted an exclusive interview with everyone’s favourite omnisexual, immortal Time-Agent-playing actor and singer John Barrowman about what he’s currently up to tour and singing-wise as well as touching on a possible fifth series of Torchwood…

Q: And looking ahead to future series’ is there anything in particular that you’d like to see Jack do? Any adventures you’d like to see him get taken on?
“I don’t know if I’m making an assumption because we don’t know if there is going to be another series yet, so were still waiting to see. But I’m happy with what the writers write. I like the aspect of that particular job - I’m not a producer, I’m not a writer, I come in and I get the scripts and I do the job, and I bring the character to life and that kind of brings a bit of the pressure off! But I think I’d love to see Jack time travel a little more, and I love going back in time to Jack’s past. I think that’s also nice to explore.”

Q: Jack’s a great character, what do you like most about playing him?
“The fact that he’s a hero and he’s a different kind of hero. He’s not a typical type of hero that you would see in a comic book or in a TV show, and that’s what I love about him. That’s what makes him fun to play. Also he’s a little bit naughty and he speaks his mind, and he’s got conviction with everything he does.”

Here’s the rest of the interview, for those interested….

Q: Your ‘Best Of’ album is out this week. How difficult was it for you to pick the songs that would go on it from three albums’ worth of material?
The ones that I chose from all the albums, apart from the two new ones, were ones that actually meant something to me. I say this in the album sleeve, that each song has a piece of my heart in it. What I mean by that is each one is relative to a specific moment in time – in my career, to a person, or to something that’s happened to me - so they’re all personal songs that I’ve chosen from the past three albums.

Q: You mention the two new songs, and the original one ‘I Owe It All To You’; what was it about that song that made you want to record it?
What appealed to me about it in the first place was I asked them – the guys who wrote the song, Paul Barry and Mark Read, and also the guys form Metrophonic who produced Enrique’s ‘Hero’ – I asked them to produce it because I love the feel of that song; it’s a really, really great ballad. I wanted to say… well the title says it all, ‘I Owe It All To You’, and it’s a thank you to the fans because I do owe it all to the fans, to the people who’ve been around me in my career and continue to stay around me.

Q: You’re going on tour next month, what can fans expect from the show?
Well, you know, 80% of the people who come to the shows are all returning customers! The people that come can expect a great night of entertainment. I have four dancers, I have a nine-piece band, I sing songs that, again, are all relative to me. I tell a story through the show, which is a retrospective look at my life over the past year; I show photographs and videos… it’s an insight into a little bit deeper about who John Barrowman is. It’s really a big variety show on stage.

Q: You’ve picked your collaboration with Jodie Prenger for the Best Of, somebody you helped to discover. Is there anyone else you want to duet with?
Well if I were to have a dream duet, I think this might sound typical but I would love to do a duet with Celine Dion! [Laughs] But I also like that I’m in a position where I’m able to help other people and that’s why I duetted with Jodie Prenger and the other people I’ve duetted with in the past. It’s always been giving them a little assistance in their career because I was given a lot of help in mine.

Q: You’re a man of so many talents, did you find time in the schedule for a summer holiday?!
I did! I’ve been away for three and a half weeks! My partner Scott and I, and my sister and my brother in law, we’ve got a big American conversion van and we drove 3,500 miles around Europe. So I’ve been enjoying myself back on solid ground!

Q: You’ve managed to accomplish so much, is there anything else you’d still like to do?
I’ve accomplished a lot but there’s a hell of a lot that I want to do. I want to get more into production and I want to possibly do some directing. My sister and I have written a series of children’s books that are coming out in February, the first one’s called Hollow Earth and it’s about a brother and sister team, and we’re just really chuffed with it. We’ve already started working on the second book, and we’ll have a big launch for that in the spring. But I’ve also got a TV show that I’ve got in my back pocket that I’ve got the idea for, we’re going to hopefully get that produced and up and running. So there’s many other things I’m looking forward to doing!

John Barrowman’s new album Tonight's The Night: The Very Best of John Barrowman is available now.

> Entertainment Wise

What do you think? Do you want to see a fifth series of Torchwood?
Please comment.

SJA Series 5 - ‘Sky’ Synopses

2011-09-15T19:27:00.001+01:00

The BBC Press Office have today released the two official synopses of the opening two episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 5 – the opening story, ‘Sky’ in the fifth and final series of the hit CBBC series…

‘Sky’ - Part 1 Sarah Jane finds a baby girl on her doorstep and tries to find out who abandoned her. At a nearby nuclear power station, a beautiful woman appears out of thin air and uses alien powers to take control. She's looking for something – and realises that Sarah Jane may just have it.
‘Sky’ - Part 2 Sky has undergone an amazing transformation, but in doing so has triggered a countdown that no one can stop. As Sarah Jane and Sky find themselves trapped between the alien war fought by Metalkind and Fleshkind, Clyde and Rani face a race against time to stop the biggest bang in history.

The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 5 ‘Sky’ broadcasts on October 3rd (Part 1) and 4th (Part 2) on BBC One.

What do you think of these synopses? Are you going to watch SJA Series 5?
Please comment.

Sarah Jane Adventures – Series 5 Premiere Date

2011-09-15T18:23:00.001+01:00

The BBC Press Office has announced the broadcast date of the opening story, the first two episodes, of The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 5. This year, however, there will only be six episodes (three serials) of SJA Series 5, due to the tragic death of Elisabeth Sladen in April this year.

The opening episode of the first story of Series 5, called simply ‘Sky’, will broadcast on BBC One presumably at the usual times on Monday 3rd October and the following episode on Tuesday 4th October.

What are your thoughts on this news? Are you looking forward to SJA Series 5?
Please comment.

Billie Piper in new BBC Three Comedy

2011-09-07T21:56:00.001+01:00

The Stage News has announced that Billie Piper, better known to us as companion Rose Tyler, has been hired to star in an upcoming new BBC Three comedy named Tom and Jenny…

The comedy pilot was announced today at the Edinburgh International Television Festival by BBC3 controller Zai Bennett.
Tom and Jenny has been described by the BBC as “a high-octane comedy pilot about a feuding couple who, despite splitting up, refuse to leave the house they’ve bought together”.

It has been written by Lee Hupfield and is directed by Ben Palmer, who directed The Inbetweeners Movie.

Bennett has been controller of BBC3 for the past five months, and has already announced a new comedy series with Sharon Horgan called Life Story, as well as a comedy about two teenagers called Pramface.

> The Stage – “Billie Piper lined up for new BBC3 comedy”

What do you think of this news?
Please comment.

Sarah Jane Adventures – Series 5 CBBC Teaser

2011-09-07T21:15:00.001+01:00

The first teaser preview of the 5th and final series of The Sarah Jane Adventures is now playing on the CBBC Channel as part of an CBBC Autumn line-up of shows. It includes some exciting shots of the SJA gang united once more, as well as what looks like a cyclops and a young girl with Luke in one shot and in another appears to be entering The Attic for the first time (could she be the rumoured new member of the gang?).

Sarah Jane Adventures Series 5 Teaser Trailer

The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 5 is due to begin this October 2011 on BBC1 with 6 episodes (3 two-parter stories), half the amount of the originally-planned number due to the tragic passing away of Elisabeth Sladen.

What do you think of this trailer? What are your thoughts on SJA Series 5?
Please comment.

Imelda Staunton in ‘The Girl Who Waited’

2011-09-07T17:14:00.001+01:00

RadioTimes television and radio guide has revealed that the BAFTA award-winning and Oscar-nominated actress Imelda Staunton (well-known for her roles in Vera Drake, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and MUCH more) will voice the “Voice of Interface” in Saturday’s upcoming Series 6 Episode 10 ‘The Girl Who Waited’. Also featuring in the episode will be Josie Taylor as “Check-in Girl” and Stephen Bracken-Keogh lending his voice as the “Voice of Handbots”.

Imelda Staunton, is best known for her performance in the 2004 Mike Leigh film, Vera Drake, where she played a working-class woman in London in 1950 who performs illegal abortions. The role won her the BAFTA and Venice Film Festival Award for best actress in a leading role. She was a regular in the Harry Potter film series playing Professor Dolores Jane Umbridge.

The RadioTimes has also confirmed now that actor Simon Callow will be returning to the series in the final episode of the current series, ‘The Wedding of River Song’. Callow last appeared in Doctor Who alongside Ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston, in the 2005 story ‘The Unquiet Dead’, where he played Charles Dickens. No details of his character in the upcoming story have been released.

What are your thoughts of this news?
Please comment.

Confidential: Matt’s New Coat

2011-09-07T16:32:00.001+01:00

Doctor Who Confidential have released a new behind-the-scenes video online, this time focussing on Matt Smith’s new coat (first seen in ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’) and the reactions to it, as well as the usual crazy little banter between the current TARDIS trio, including Matt and Karen also discussing their involvement in Twitter…

Matt's New Coat - Doctor Who Confidential - Episode 10 - BBC Three

What do you think of this? What do you think of the Eleventh Doctor’s new look?
Please comment.

Miranda Hart in Doctor Who?

2011-09-07T15:59:00.001+01:00

Cultbox have reported how successful and popular British writer and comedienne Miranda Hart hinted at the recent event Miranda: A Masterclass, at the Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, that a role in Doctor Who is on the cards.

At the event, Miranda: A Masterclass, host Mariella Frostrup brought up Hart's "aspirations" to star in the BBC sci-fi drama. This seemed to throw the sitcom star somewhat as she audibly stuttered a few times before admitting, "Yeah, I think everyone wants to be in Doctor Who."

Frost retorted with, "But you particularly did, no?" to which Hart became slightly fidgety, stuttering again, "No, no, that's not true." Tellingly, and somewhat evasively, she added after a pregnant pause, "Let's move on," to which the audience erupted in knowing laughter. Sealing the lid on the topic, she added, "Doctor Who would be great."

BBC's Head of Comedy, Mark Freeland, had already drawn allusions with former Who star Catherine Tate (companion Donna Noble) stating that, "... comedy lost someone too soon with Catherine Tate." But it appears that Hart is to explore her acting abilities regardless, having filmed in the upcoming BBC drama,Call The Midwife with Jenny Agutter (Spooks) and Pam Ferris (Little Dorrit).

This is not the first time, or even second, that the award-winning gagster has been connected with Doctor Who. The rumour mill was in overdrive earlier this year when a tabloid newspaper claimed that Steven Moffat had offered her a role only to have BBC Controller Danny Cohen step in, asking her to concentrate on comedy.

So what do you think? Would you want Miranda Hart to star in a Doctor Who story?
Please comment.

‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ Unreleased Music

2011-08-28T12:06:00.001+01:00

TheSkaroRevenger has uploaded a series of tracks of unreleased music from last night’s episode, ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’. From the Melody Pond’s metaphorical penny dropping, to the Tesalecta’s theme, and the childhood flashback into the Ponds’ past, you can hear the music all on his YouTube channel DrWhoUnreleasedMusic, and listen to them in this playlist…

Track Listing:
01: Previously on Dr Who
02: Crop Circles
03: Childhood Secrets
04: Shut Up, Hitler!
05: Mels' Song
06: You Are Unauthorised
07: The Child of the TARDIS
08: Next "Terror" Time

> Dr Who Unreleased Music – YouTube Channel

What do you think of this?
Please comment.

‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ 11 Teasers

2011-08-27T10:00:00.001+01:00

Since it is THE day, finally, that ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ broadcasts in the UK and US, let’s take this last-minute chance to whet our appetites for it with a few teasers! To any spoiler-phobes who may be reading, none of these teasers are very spoilery (if at all) so you’re safe…

“You never said I was hot!?”
The Doctor’s new jacket needs no introduction
Rasputin was green?
Hitler returns the favour
Keep an eye out for Benjamin
“You ***** **** daughter ***** your ********”
The penny drops more than once
“You are not a psychopath!”
“Is killing you going to take all day?”
32 minutes until…
River is armed for shopping

Very excited for today’s opening episode! Let’s hope the hours pass by unbelievably quickly, though something tells me the wait may feel slower than ever.

What do you think of these teasers?
Please comment.

Confidential ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ – Details & Previews

2011-08-26T23:37:00.001+01:00

The BBC Press Office have released the official full synopsis of the Doctor Who Confidential episode to accompany ‘Let’s Kill hitler’, entitled ‘River Runs Wild’…

Achtung! Explosions, vintage bikes, cornfields and time travel make for a mind-boggling start to the second batch of Doctor Who adventures! Confidential is back on set with Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in 1930s Berlin. We hang out backstage with the cast and crew and bring you all the behind-the-scenes action as the series gets back into full swing.

We also bring you ‘Script to Screen’ - the making of a mini Doctor episode written by schoolchildren and brought to life by Matt Smith and the Doctor Who team.

Featuring interviews with Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill and Steven Moffat.

We're going live Confidential - Doctor Who Confidential - BBC Three

We're in Hitler's office - Doctor Who Confidential - BBC Three

Episode 8 of Doctor Who Confidential Series 6 will be broadcast 8pm Saturday 27th August on BBC Three.

Please comment.

Australian ABC1 to air Series 6 Part 2

2011-08-26T22:32:00.001+01:00

News has been announced that the second half of Doctor Who Series 6 will be broadcast in Australia on the channel ABC1 on Saturday 3rd September at 7.30pm, following just one week after the UK and American TV premieres of opener episode ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’.

ABC1 have also compiled a rather brilliant and handy recap video of the important events of part 1 of the series:

Doctor Who | Series 6, Part 1 Recap | Returns 3 September, 7.30pm, ABC1

What are your thoughts on this news, especially if you’re an Australian reader?
Please comment.

A real life Planet Midnight?

2011-08-26T19:06:00.001+01:00

Doctor Who has inadvertently predicted many things, from the iPad in the 80s to a second Earth in ‘New Earth’, but now it something far more interesting has come along. Astronomers have now recently spotted an “exotic planet, that seems to be made of diamond, racing around a tiny star in our galactic backyard”.

As you’ll remember, way back in 2008 there was an episode in Series Four (episode 10, to be precise) called ‘Midnight’, which was set entirely in the future on the planet Midnight – a planet made entirely out of diamond. We all recall how the Tenth Doctor got into a bit of a pickle and almost got thrown out of the tourist buggy into the fatally strong “Xtonic radiation” that would vaporise any unprotected living thing on its surface in a split second!

The new planet is far denser than any other known so far and consists largely of carbon. Because it is so dense, scientists calculate the carbon must be crystalline, so a large part of this strange world will effectively be diamond. The evolutionary history and amazing density of the planet all suggest it is comprised of carbon -- i.e. a massive diamond orbiting a neutron star every two hours in an orbit so tight it would fit inside our own Sun," said Matthew Bailes of Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne.

Lying 4,000 light years away, or around an eighth of the way toward the centre of the Milky Way from the Earth, the planet is probably the remnant of a once-massive star that has lost its outer layers to the so-called pulsar star it orbits. Pulsars are tiny, dead neutron stars that are only around 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) in diameter and spin hundreds of times a second, emitting beams of radiation.

The measurements suggest the planet, which orbits its star every two hours and 10 minutes, has slightly more mass than Jupiter but is 20 times as dense, Bailes and colleagues reported in the journal Science on Thursday. In addition to carbon, the new planet is also likely to contain oxygen, which may be more prevalent at the surface and is probably increasingly rare toward the carbon-rich centre.

Its high density suggests the lighter elements of hydrogen and helium, which are the main constituents of gas giants like Jupiter, are not present. Just what this weird diamond world is actually like close up, however, is a mystery. In terms of what it would look like, I don't know I could even speculate," said Ben Stappers of the University of Manchester. "I don't imagine that a picture of a very shiny object is what we're looking at here."

Let’s just hope they never build a Leisure Palace or set up any shuttle buss tours across this planet then, eh?

> Source – ‘Astronomers discover planet made of diamond’
> ‘Midnight’ on Tardis Wikia

Please comment.

Short List Interview Matt Smith

2011-08-26T16:44:00.001+01:00

ShortList magazine have featured an exclusive interview with Matt Smith inside their latest issue and put it online. I won’t say too much, since it is a fairly long interview to fit inside a blog post, so I shall shut up now and if you want to read the rest of the interview, just click “Read more” (funny that, isn’t it?). Enjoy…

After effortlessly proving the doubters and the ‘Doctor Who?’ headlines wrong, Matt Smith is a man in demand. Not that he likes to boast about it, as ShortList’s Jonathan Pile discovers

Matt Smith is a man to envy. His tenure as the Doctor has been universally lauded, he gets to refer to model Daisy Lowe as “my lady” and, as he proves while leaning casually against an Aston Martin — his chosen motor to front our car special — he looks great in a suit.

He’s also one of a group of young Brits (along with the likes of Sherlock’s Benedict Cumberbatch and Jim Sturgess) with the potential to conquer the acting world. And with this kind of success comes the obvious perks: a constant blur of exclusive parties in exotic locales, surrounded by beautiful people, with expensive champagne flowing endlessly into crystal goblets. But don’t take our word for it. Let the 28-year-old actor himself revel in his decadent lifestyle.

“I’m up at 6am, work all day, get back at 8pm, prepare for the next day, eat hummus and go to bed. I work nine months of the year, and it’s quite solitary in Cardiff.”
Oh. To be honest, that’s not exactly how we pictured it.

Still, he is the star of Doctor Who. And there’s never been a better time to be the Time Lord. Critically acclaimed, the show has also reached unprecedented levels of popularity in the US thanks both to Smith’s portrayal and the stewardship of Steven Moffat — who also wrote the aforementioned Sherlock and co-wrote the upcoming Tintin film for Steven Spielberg. He must see the positives of his new status.

“What’s good? What’s good? People tend to fly you business class. You get a little bed. Now that, to me, is the sort of victory you want. And I try to nab a pair of socks from every photo shoot.”

In fact, he’s swiped two today — one pair yellow, the other purple. But the truth is he knows exactly what a privileged position he’s in, his responses to our questions revealing him to be both a man who values his privacy and one who’s extremely humble.

“I’ve got to sustain it,” he admits. “People often say, ‘You’ve made it,’ but I’ve got another 40 years of trying to be an actor. I don’t know if I’ll ever have as intense a period of work again. I’m very fortunate. But there’s a long way to go.”

Read More...

WHERE IT BEGAN
Then there’s the incongruous normality that you don’t expect from a national — and burgeoning international — star; his first car? “It was my grandad’s now-really-cool-in-hindsight vintage BMW,” he says. “I hated it. But now I look back and think, ‘What an idiot!’”

The conversation moves to Doctor Who, and it’s clearly something he’s immensely proud to be a part of. “It’s clever in the same way as The Simpsons. You watch that with a kid and they’re laughing at stuff you’re not. Or you’re laughing at stuff they’re not. It operates on two levels. People can say, ‘Is is too sexy? Is it too scary? Is it too dark?’ No, no and no. It should be sexy. It should be scary. It should be dark. Because what’s the alternative Unsexy, not scary and light? I mean, that’s just not Doctor Who.”
Since being announced as the Doctor in January 2009, two new women have become big presences in Matt Smith’s life. One is Karen Gillan, his character’s current companion, Amy Pond. The other we’ve been warned not to talk about. The thing is, Smith himself can’t seem to stop. As he’s having his hair styled, he drops Daisy Lowe into conversation. As he’s pirouetting around the Aston Martin, he drops Daisy Lowe into conversation. And as we sit down and turn on the tape recorder, he still drops Daisy Lowe into conversation. It seems as if not mentioning her is a rule made to be broken. Even when the subject of those famous paparazzi pictures comes up: “What are you going to do? Daisy has a nice bum. I enjoy squeezing it. If people choose to photograph it, I suppose that’s the deal.”

And he’s very much aware that the power of the press can be a force for good, too. It was because he mentioned in an interview how attractive he found her that they’re together now. “That’s literally how it happened,” he remembers. “She read it and then one day I got a text out of the blue. From Daisy Lowe! I just went, ‘Yes!’ A friend of a friend knew us both and gave her my number.”

But what of his other woman, herself a one-time ShortList cover star? “She’s a five out of 10,” he laughs. “And you can tell her that I said that. I’ll tell her that I said that.” It’s probably for the best — he’ll certainly see her before we do. “Steven Moffat got that copy of ShortList out when the three of us were on a train together. It’s pretty weird seeing Karen [in her underwear]. Actually seeing she can be sexy is quite weird, frankly, because I just know her as ‘Stupid Face Karen’. Men love her, don’t they? But she’s just so ridiculous.”
Of course, it could all have been very different. Acting was not supposed to be Smith’s destiny. Famously (or not, depending on how much attention you’ve been paying), before an injury to his back ended his career prematurely, he was going to be a professional footballer. Although that’s an often spurious claim, made by a number of celebrities (most prominently Gordon Ramsay) that rarely stands up to scrutiny. So, how good was he?

“I was a decent centre-back. I was in the youth system aged nine at Northampton Town and then I went to Nottingham Forest and then to Leicester. I fell out with the Cobblers [Northampton] — they gave me a real hard time about going to Forest. I was only 12. They gave me all this crap about contracts, but it was actually the end of my contract anyway. As a young boy, you’re going to a bigger club and at that time Forest had the best youth team in England. We didn’t lose for two years.”

Sounds impressive. But Liverpool won the 2005 Champions League with Djimi Traore in their ranks. A team’s success isn’t always a measure of individual talent. Without the injury, would he actually have made it?

“How long is a piece of string?” he ponders. “I don’t know. I like to think I’d have had a go. That first season at Leicester I was captain and I was playing well. But it wasn’t to be. But out of all the clubs that I played at, the only player who went on to play in the Premier League consistently is [Spurs’] Jermaine Jenas. He played in my team for two years at Forest. But that’s one player from a team that were bloody brilliant. So it’s a tough game to make it in.”

He’s fallen out with Northampton Town, that’s been established. But it still doesn’t explain why, when he was born and brought up in the East Midlands, he supports a team based in a post-industrial Lancashire town more than 150 miles away. What was it about Blackburn Rovers (other than Smith’s particularly dubious proclamation that they’re “the greatest club on the planet”) that was so attractive to a Northamptonshire schoolboy?

“My dad’s from there,” he reveals. “You know how it is. Listen — my son is going to be a Blackburn fan whether he’s born in Manchester, London or wherever. When I was a kid, me and my dad would play a lot of Subbuteo together. I’d be Blackburn and he’d be Burnley for the derby. I used to get really upset if I lost, and he’d wind me up. But don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t like Burnley either. It’s war, man.”

No matter how strong his support for the club, he surely can’t be pleased with the way things are going since Indian company Venky’s (which also spends its time producing processed chicken meat and pharmaceuticals) took over 10 months ago. Not least because of the cringeworthy fast-food advert the Blackburn first team were forced to star in.
“It breaks my heart to see foreign owners come in to football clubs, promise all sorts of things and deliver nothing,” bemoans Smith. “They’ve sacked a brilliant manager [Sam Allardyce] and employed someone with no experience. Sorry, Steve Kean, I will probably meet you one day and I’ll shake your hand and all the rest of it, but at the moment I want to scream. Because it matters to me. Football matters.”

SLIDING DOORS
So it does seem you can add a flair for football to the list of reasons to admire/envy Matt Smith. And while his current path has thrust him into the public eye, he’s certainly living a different life than he would have been doing if his contemporaries were Jermain Defoe and Jamie O’Hara. “I’d be in Faces and Chinawhite. I like to have a drink and enjoy myself, but I go down my local.” As he contemplates this potential other life, it stops him in his tracks. “Faces. Oh my God. Wow. That’s my idea of hell.”

However, it turns out that this wasn’t always the case.

“The deep irony of it is, when I was younger, my sister worked in London as a dancer and I used to love going to Chinawhite,” he recalls. “I had a credit card and I’d spend £90 on a bottle of champagne. Because I thought that’s what you did. And that was what I thought was cool. It’s funny, actually -— now that I’m presented with the opportunity of getting in free and not having to queue, I don’t want to go.”

What does he like to do, then? Given the time (which he possibly doesn’t have, due to his schedule) and the money (which he probably does), where would he go? Perhaps unsurprisingly, considering he’s spent much of the past two hours leaning against an Aston Martin Virage Volante, his thoughts turn to road trips: “I’d love to go back to Brazil. I’d probably start in Rio and go down.” Immediately as the words have left his mouth, his particular brand of common sense kicks in: “Although, actually, the roads there are pretty bad.” Concerns about these potential potholes lead him in another direction. “You know what I’d do? I’d go and hang out in New York. Get myself a Mustang. Drive across the US. Take my lady. Get my best friends to meet us halfway. Off we go again. Great.” And if he is stuck doing his annual nine-month stint in Cardiff? “I love Question Time on a Thursday. I love Parliament on a Wednesday. I love the theatre of it — it’s so gladiatorial. I find myself enraptured by it. Like when a dude from Bognor Regis gets up and says, ‘You know, guys, our plants aren’t growing right. Can we get some water?’ Valid point — let’s move on to the big guns.”

Still, eating hummus while listening to the concerns of farmers on Britain’s south coast won’t be a part of his life forever. He understandably doesn’t give an exact expiry date for his stint on Doctor Who, but he won’t still be doing it in 10 years’ time. That point he’s very clear on (“No!”), so what does the future hold for the 11th Doctor?

“I’d love to play a rock star,” he says with a smile, before launching into a stream of consciousness. “I’d love to play Ted Hughes. He’s a poet, but to me it’s the same thing. I’d love to play Ian Curtis. Sam [Riley] did it, but it’s never too late. They might do a play of it. Jeff Buckley’s already been cast, but I can’t sing like him anyway. Tough gig to sing like Buckers. That’s a good album, Grace. I’m massively into rap as well.”

A pause for breath and we’re finally able to get another question in. Can he rap? “Lay down some beats, I’m from the Northampton streets, Can I tell you that when I get home, I’m going to eat a lot of Starmix treats?” It seems the answer is no. Happily, he concurs (“Terrible. Stick to the acting, Smith”). And now we’ve found something he isn’t good at. At last.

ShortList interview conducted &amp; written by Jonathan Pile - Images by David Venni.
With thanks to SL online editorial assistant Nell Block for the heads up!
> The interview on ShortList.com

What are your thoughts on this interview? Any thoughts on how awesome Matt Smith is?
Please comment.

Series 6’s Five Biggest Mysteries

2011-08-26T14:49:00.001+01:00

What are the five biggest mysteries and questions of Doctor Who that are yet to be answered by Mr Moffat? Well, ahead of tomorrow’s Series 6 Part 2 opener, Yahoo TV have put their best Doctor Who fanatic reporter on the case (they have their facts right as well! Take note, Daily Mail). So ye be warned of the spoilers ahead if you have yet to watch ‘The Lodger’ or any of Series 6 (if that applies to you then ye also be damned)…

1. Who killed the future Doctor?
We saw the Doctor from 200 years in the future being killed by an astronaut – but who was inside the spacesuit? The Doctor said he knew and appeared to be expecting to die. Is there any significance to the way he said "I'm sorry" to his friends before being killed? What was he apologising for?

2. Whose spaceship was above James Corden's flat?
In the episode 'The Lodger', the Doctor stayed with a character called Craig (played by James Corden) while trying to figure out what was going on in the flat upstairs. It turned out there was a broken spaceship - with a primitive time engine - trying to fix itself. In 'The Impossible Astronaut' we saw this spaceship again, in a network of tunnels under Florida in the 1960s with the memory-wiping Silence hanging around in it. Is it a time machine? Who built it? Where did it go when it vanished from above Craig's flat? We know Craig is back in the second half of the new series so maybe he'll have some answers.

3. Who is Madame Kovarian?
This mysterious woman with an eyepatch kidnapped a pregnant Amy and replaced her with a doppelganger in order to steal Amy's Time Vortex-enhanced baby... who we now know grows up to be River Song. She says she wants to turn the baby into a weapon for use against the Doctor – but why? Who is she working with? What is her eyepatch for? And why do we see River wearing one in the teaser trailer for the rest of the series?

4. Who was the young girl we saw regenerating?
At the end of 'Day of the Moon' we saw a young, injured girl begin the Time Lord regeneration process, transforming in a burst of orange light. Was this Amy's daughter or a full Time Lord? If it was Amy's daughter, this means River Song can regenerate – and if that's the case, maybe she didn't really die when we first met her during David Tennant's time as the Doctor.

5. Who was the 'best man I ever knew' that River killed?
We know that in the future River is in a maximum-security prison for murder - she says for killing “a good man...the best man I ever knew”. This implies it could be the Doctor, possibly even the future Doctor we've seen killed by the mysterious astronaut. But could the 'good man' actually be Rory, who we now know was River's father? Did the episode title 'A Good Man Goes to War' refer to the Doctor or to Rory, who became a warrior to save his wife and baby?

Yahoo article written by Ed Lomas
> Read the full article

What do you think of this list? Got any theories of how they’ll be resolved?
Please comment.

Murray Gold Interview by Silva Screen

2011-08-21T12:14:00.001+01:00

Silva Screen – the music company who have released all of the Doctor Who soundtrack from Series 1 to present - have posted an exclusive interview they conducted with the composer of Doctor Who himself Murray Gold back in April this year.
Among his answers, Murray talks about his style of music, how it is influenced, how he came up with the ideas for some and who his favourite TV & film composers are, as well as much more…

Murray Gold Interview - April 2011

&amp;amp;gt; Silva Screen

What do you think of this? What do you think of Murray Gold’s music?
Please comment.

Fourth Doctor & Count Scarlioni - Action Figure Set

2011-08-21T12:03:00.001+01:00

A new action figure double-pack set of the classic series 1979 serial ‘City of Death’, widely regarded as one of the best Doctor Who stories not only of the Douglas Adams era but of all time. The double-figure set feature both the Fourth Doctor as played by Tom Baker, and ‘present day’ Count Scarlioni (played by Julian Glover) who also comes with an interchangeable head to replace with that of the Scaroth’s.

The set has been made by Character Options and will be available exclusively to Forbidden Planet International and ForbiddenPlanet.com online, which strangely seems to be becoming common practice for Doctor Who classic series action figures these days, despite their success being sold in normal waves previously.

‘City Of Death’ synopsis:
“While taking in the sights of Paris in 1979, the Fourth Doctor and Romana sense that someone is tampering with time. Who is the mysterious Count Scarlioni? Why does he seem to have counterparts scattered through time? And just how many copies of the Mona Lisa did Leonardo Da Vinci paint?”

The ‘City Of Death’ action figure set is expected to become available from Wednesday 19th October 2011 for £26.99, exclusively to Forbidden Planet in their UK stores and online (only shipping to residents in UK &amp; Ireland).

Pre-order now:
> Forbidden Planet International
> ForbiddenPlanet.com

What do you think of this? Are you going to buy this set?
Please comment.

Series 6 Episode 12 Title

2011-08-20T19:21:00.001+01:00

BBC America have revealed confirmation in a recent press release for Doctor Who Series 6 what the official title of episode 12 is – something previously kept secret by the production crew, possibly since it reveals a great deal about the plot.

In case there are any spoiler-phobes out there, just highlight the text in the box below…

The title of Series 6 Episode 12 is...
'Closing Time'

So, is time messed up again? Who knows?

> Read the full press release

What are your thoughts on this? What do you think the title reveals about the story?
Please comment.

‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ UK Broadcast Time Confirmed

2011-08-18T09:39:00.002+01:00

The BBC have finally confirmed not only the broadcast date of the opening episode of Series 6 Part 2, ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’, but also the time it will be shown as well! The official BBC Doctor Who website have said this in one of their latest news posts:

“The Doctor returns on Saturday August 27th at 7:10pm in Let's Kill Hitler, an amazing adventure which begins a run of six incredible episodes.”

So, we in the UK finally have a date and time set down! The second half of Series 6 of Doctor Who will begin with ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ on Saturday 27th August at 7:10PM on BBC One & HD.

What do you think of this news?
Please comment.

Karen Gillan on Series 6 Part 2

2011-08-17T20:09:00.002+01:00

The official BBC Doctor Who site has released a new video to promote the new start of the second half of Series Six, in which Karen Gillan gives us a few hints and teases about the upcoming series…

Karen Gillan talks about Doctor Who Series 6 Part 2

Video courtesy of Doctor Who Media

> BBC Doctor Who site

What are your thoughts of this?
Please comment.

‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ Introduction

2011-08-17T19:58:00.003+01:00

As part of the run-up period up to the opener episode of Doctor Who Series 6 Part 2, ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’, the official BBC website have today released their obligatory introduction video for the next episode. This time round, the introduction is done by none other than Amy pond herself, Karen Gillan…

Doctor Who Karen Gillan Introduces Let's Kill Hitler

Video courtesy of Doctor Who Media

&gt; BBC Doctor Who site

What are your thoughts of this?
Please comment.

‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ Preview Clips

2011-08-17T19:01:00.003+01:00

Update: videos are now work internationally.
Two exciting new preview clips have been released just today of ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’, the eighth episode of Series 6 and the opener of the second half of the series…

Doctor Who Series 6 ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ premieres on August 27th on BBC One and airs later the same day in the US on BBC America.

What do you think of this?
Please comment.

‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ Promotional Photos

2011-08-16T22:42:00.002+01:00

The BBC have tonight released a set of promotional photos of the first episode of Series 6 Part 2 (and eighth episode of the series) ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’…

Click images to enlarge.

What do you think of these images? What of the episode?
Please comment.

Confirmed: New Companion for Series 7

2011-08-15T22:04:00.006+01:00

Update: Looks like this might be a hilarious (or not) 'joke' of DWM's. Very disappointing if it is. They have been asked by several people on Twitter whether or not it was, and are yet to reply.

Following rife rumours that Amy and Rory Pond would be departing the TARDIS at the end of Series 6, and the confirmation that that would return “at some point” in some kind of “involvement”, news and discussion of whether there would be a new companion or who it might be was bound to come up eventually.
But I don’t think any of us expected it to be so soon, and to be something as solid as a proper confirmation from the current Showrunner, Executive Producer and Head Writer himself Steven “The Moff” Moffat.

After the BFI premiere press screening of ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ earlier tonight, Doctor Who Magazine’s official Twitter account gave this exciting little message…

@DWMtweets - Doctor Who Magazine
“Oh, and a new companion! Yes, confirmed by @steven_moffat tonight! ;)”

Very exciting! And my brain starts whirring and ticking round once more, wondering what on earth the new companion could be like, just as it did before Rose, Martha, Donna and Amy were announced!

> @DWMtweets – read the actual tweet…again

What are your thoughts' on this news?
Please comment.

‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ Prequel

2011-08-15T12:31:00.004+01:00

UPDATE: The video now works internationally

The BBC has revealed the compelling prequel to the eighth episode of Series 6 of Doctor Who and first episode of the second half, ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’, (and sort of sequel to ‘A Good Man Goes To War’). Which you can watch now – 30 minutes before the BBC post it officially!

Thanks to Rob! ;)

What do you think of this?
Please comment.

Arthur Darvill talks Rory in Series 7

2011-08-15T11:39:00.003+01:00

In a new exclusive interview with SFX Arthur Darvill has spoken about his involvement in Doctor Who Series 7, following rife rumours that he and Karen Gillan would be leaving the series at the end of the current Series 6. Karen Gillan has already confirmed she will be returning, but what about Arthur?

When asked point blank, Will you back in series seven?, Darvill replied:

“I will be coming back at some point… There is an involvement in some way.”

So it sounds like there was some truth in the rumours, after all, although they won’t be leaving completely. Maybe they are returning for a couple of stories in Series 7 similar to how River has done so far? Maybe River is going to fill their gap as full-series companion for Series 7?

> Read the full interview
> DWF - Karen Gillan Confirmed for Series 7

What are you thoughts on this?
Please comment.

TW Miracle Day – Episode 5 Preview Clips

2011-08-12T19:09:00.002+01:00

Previews clips of the upcoming Torchwood: Miracle Day episode 5, entitled ‘The Middle Men’, have been released and you can watch them below…

Torchwood: Miracle Day episode 5 ‘The Middle Men’ is broadcast on Starz (US) tonight and on BBC One (UK) next Thursday (18th August).

What are your thoughts on this?
Please comment.

Series 6 Part 2 BBC Launch Trailer

2011-08-04T18:00:00.001+01:00

The very first official BBC launch trailer for the second half of Doctor Who Series 6 has just been released online and is now playing on UK BBC channels between programmes…

Doctor Who 2011 Part 2 - New Launch Trailer - BBC One

What do you think?
Please comment.

Torchwood: Miracle Day – Episode 2 Final Ratings

2011-08-01T17:47:00.001+01:00

The final BARB (Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board) audience viewing figures have been released for Torchwood: Miracle Day episode one, ‘Rendition’, for it’s first broadcast in the UK on BBC One on Thursday 21st July 2011.

> The results found that ‘Rendition’ got a finalised audience rating of 5.75 million viewers.

> The episode was BBC1's 7th most watched programme of the week within the July 11th-17th period (up on last week where it was 8th), beaten only by Casualty, 4 episodes of Eastenders, and New Tricks.

> ‘Rendition’ was also BBC1's 2nd most watched programme of the day, beaten again by Eastenders.

Keep checking back each week for this detailed information for the viewing figures of each episode!

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Starz: Torchwood may not return in 2012

2011-07-29T22:06:00.002+01:00

The CEO at Starz, Chris Albrecht, has said that despite any form of success of Torchwood: Miracle Day, the show may not actually be certain to return next year, regardless of immense popularity. He emphasised – at the TV critics tour event - that much of Torchwood’s future i dependant on writer and showrunner Russell T Davies and whether he can come up with a story for the show that Starz deem good enough.

He said: “Torchwood is not one of the show we went into thinking about a yearly return. It’s about Russell T Davies … he has a lot of things on his plate. If Torchwood is at the top of his list, that will effect the future of Torchwood.”

Let’s hope Mr Albrecht sees sense very soon!

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Torchwood: Miracle Day – Dead of Night TONIGHT (UK)

2011-07-28T18:34:00.002+01:00

Don’t forget, UK viewers, Torchwood: Miracle Day episode 3 airs TONIGHT on BBC One at 9pm.
Take a look at two preview clips that have been released prior to broadcast…

Torchwood Episode 3 Clip by TheDoctorWhoMedia

Torchwood- Miracle Day - Episode 3 Clip by doctorwho-tv

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Karen Gillan on Craig Ferguson’s Late Late Show

2011-07-28T02:08:00.002+01:00

Just the other night on American TV station CBS, Karen Gillan has returned to The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson as part of her US tour to promote Doctor Who, having recently attended San Diego Comic Con 2011. As usual with Mr Ferguson, they end up just having a light-hearted, funny conversation about things like Karen’s time in Los Angeles, thrill-seeking, and of course a bit of Doctor Who…

Craig Ferguson Show - Karen Gillan interview July 26 2011

Matt Smith’s return interview to Craig Ferguson’s Late Late Show was scheduled for last Monday (25th July) but has been re-scheduled to tomorrow (Friday 29th) so you’ll be able to watch that here afterwards as well!

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Sarah Jane Adventures – Series 4 DVD Box Set

2011-07-27T17:58:00.002+01:00

The BBC-produced DVD box set of is now available to pre-order from Amazon.co.uk and Play.com and further details have been released, such as the set’s contents and a general summary of the box set from the DVD company…

The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 4 DVD box set features the episodes:
4.1 – The Nightmare Man
4.2 – The Vault of Secrets
4.3 – Death of the Doctor
4.4 – The Empty Planet
4.5 – Lost in Time
4.6 – Goodbye Sarah Jane

Official release:
Created by former Doctor Who show runner, Russell T Davies, this exciting action-adventure series follows the exploits of school friends Luke, Clyde and Rani, who team up with alien investigator Sarah Jane Smith and her trusty super-computer Mr Smith to examine strange and mysterious events.

This time, Sarah Jane is reunited with another of the Doctor’s former companions, Jo Grant, and they’re joined by the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) in an adventure featuring new vulture aliens and a trip to an alien planet.

The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 4 is released 31st October 2011 for £14.99 on DVD and £17.99 on Blu-Ray.

Pre-Order online…
> Amazon.co.uk
> Play.com

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Please comment.

Matt & Karen: “Arthur Darvill, wish you were here!”

2011-07-27T14:20:00.002+01:00

BBC America have released a new video online of Matt Smith and Karen Gillan at San Diego Comic Con 2011, sending a message via the camera to their co-star and current companion to the Eleventh Doctor, Arthur Darvill (who, of course, plays Amy’s husband Rory Williams)…

Dear Arthur, Wish You Were Here.

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Torchwood: Miracle Day – Episode 1 Final Ratings

2011-07-27T11:14:00.004+01:00

The final BARB (Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board) audience viewing figures have been released for Torchwood: Miracle Day episode one, ‘The New World’, for it’s first broadcast in the UK on BBC One on Thursday 14th July 2011.

> The results found that ‘The New World’ got a finalised audience rating of 6.59 million viewers.

> The episode was BBC1's 8th most watched programme of the week within the July 11th-17th period, beaten only by 4 episodes of Eastenders, 1 episode of New Tricks, and 2 of The Apprentice.

> ‘The New World’ was also BBC1's 2nd most watched programme of the day, beaten only by Eastenders.

Keep checking back each week for this detailed information for the viewing figures of each episode!

What are your thoughts on this?
Please comment.

River Song & Pandorica Chair – Action Figure Set

2011-07-26T18:04:00.003+01:00

Underground Toys have revealed further details and image shots of the very first action figure of an Eleventh Doctor-era River Song alongside a scale-size Pandorica chair, which fits in with the Character Options-produced Pandorica walls that came part of a previous wave.

The River Song action figure comes in her outfit from ‘The Pandorica Opens’ and includes her own gun, while the Pandorica chair is in scale with all the Doctor Who action figure range and even fits the standard Eleventh Doctor figure into it’s clamps (as shown in an image below).

Click images to enlarge…

Here’s the official release by Underground Toys:
Of all the people who have travelled or will travel with the Doctor, River Song is the most enigmatic of them all. She always seems to be one step ahead of the Doctor, even when he’s in her past. Nobody has been able to figure out how River knows the Doctor so well, although there have been plenty of guesses!

Although River is a force to be reckoned with, she sometimes needs the Doctor’s help – whether it’s against the Vashta Nerada or the Weeping Angels, or any of the other foes they have faced, or even will face in future. Confused? It will all become clear... one day...

The River Song and Pandorica Chair action figure set costs £22.99 and is exclusive to Forbidden Planet and is expected for delivery/release on 22nd August 2011.

Pre-Order online:
> ForbiddenPlanet.co.uk
> ForbiddenPlanet.com

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Leela Action Figure – More Pictures

2011-07-26T14:28:00.003+01:00

Since the news recently of an exclusive Leela action figure made by Underground Toys, the toys company have released a further set of promotional shots of the figure in and out of packaging and its scale-size accessories that come with it. Although it doesn’t seem to hold any particular resemblance towards Louise Jameson – the actress who portrayed the popular Doctor Who companion from 1977-78 – the action figure has a good level of detail and articulation to it.

Click any of the images to enlarge…

The Underground Toys-produced San Diego Comic Con 2011 exclusive action figure of Leela, based on her costume from her first Doctor Who story ‘The Face Of Evil’, comes with a crossbow, dagger, staser gun and Janus thorn accessories and an exclusive Louise Jameson signed card insert.
The Leela action figure is available to buy from SDCC 2011 now.

> Leela Action Figure - Photo & Details

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Doctor Who Fansite

David Tennant wins BBC Audio Award

Russell T Davies: Children’s TV is “Endangered”

Being Human – Hal & Tom Prequels

Being Human – Series 4 Trailers

Being Human – Series 4 Episode Titles

1. Eve Of The War (5th Feb) by Toby Whithouse

2. Being Human 1955 (12 Feb) by Lisa McGee

3. The Graveyard Shift (19th Feb) by Jamie Mathieson

4. A Spectre Calls (26th Feb) by Tom Grieves

5. Hold The Front Page (4th March) by Tom Grieves

6. Puppy Love (11th March) by John Jackson

7. Making History (18th March) by Toby Whithouse

8. The War Child (25th March) by Toby Whithouse

Who Wins at the National Television Awards

Confirmed: The Ponds to leave in Series 7

‘The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe’ BBC One Trailer

‘The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe’ Prequel

Decorate your room with TARDIS Wallpaper

Series 6 Soundtrack – Cover & Track Listings

‘The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe’ Synopsis

Doctor Who: Power of the Heart – Episode Three OUT NOW –– ‘A Voyage To Nowhere’ Part One

Power of the Heart – ‘A Voyage To Nowhere’ Part One Synopsis

Doctor Who ‘Children in Need 2011’ Sketch HD

1st Christmas 2011 Trailer!

Christmas 2011 Title Revealed!

Christmas 2011 Trailer & Title TOMORROW!

First 2011 Christmas Special Photo

Doctor Who Magazine #441 OUT TODAY & Details

Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart – Episode Two DOWNLOAD – ‘The Heart’ PART TWO

David Yates Confirms Doctor Who Movie

Doctor Who Magazine #441 Cover

‘The Heart’ Part Two – DELAYED + Synopsis

Tennant, Tate & Barrowman sing ‘Let’s Do It’ for Russell & Julie

Cast & Crew of Doctor Who 2005-10 – Wrap Party Video

Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart – Episode One Download – ‘The Heart’ Part One

Power Of The Heart – ‘The Heart’ Part One Synopsis

Doctor Who: Power Of The Heart – Fan Fiction Story Guide

Ralf Little on ‘The Gunpowder Plot’ – Part Two

‘More Than 30 Years In The TARDIS’ 1994 Documentary

Elisabeth Sladen Autobiography – Cover & Details

Ralf Little talks The Gunpowder Plot – Part One

‘Torchwood: Miracle Day’ Episode 1 Script

Emilia Fox stars in ‘The Gunpowder Plot’ Game

2012 Adventure Game – The Gunpowder Plot Preview

‘The Wedding Of River Song’ Prequel

Sarah Jane Adventures Series 5 CBBC Trailer

Fan Fiction – DW: Power Of The Heart Poster

‘The God Complex’ Unreleased Music

John Barrowman talks to Entertainment Wise

SJA Series 5 - ‘Sky’ Synopses

Sarah Jane Adventures – Series 5 Premiere Date

Billie Piper in new BBC Three Comedy

Sarah Jane Adventures – Series 5 CBBC Teaser

Imelda Staunton in ‘The Girl Who Waited’

Confidential: Matt’s New Coat

Miranda Hart in Doctor Who?

‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ Unreleased Music

‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ 11 Teasers

Confidential ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ – Details & Previews

Australian ABC1 to air Series 6 Part 2

A real life Planet Midnight?

Short List Interview Matt Smith

WHERE IT BEGAN

SLIDING DOORS

Series 6’s Five Biggest Mysteries

Murray Gold Interview by Silva Screen

Fourth Doctor & Count Scarlioni - Action Figure Set

Series 6 Episode 12 Title

‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ UK Broadcast Time Confirmed

Karen Gillan on Series 6 Part 2

‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ Introduction

‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ Preview Clips

‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ Promotional Photos

Confirmed: New Companion for Series 7

‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ Prequel

Arthur Darvill talks Rory in Series 7

TW Miracle Day – Episode 5 Preview Clips

Series 6 Part 2 BBC Launch Trailer

Torchwood: Miracle Day – Episode 2 Final Ratings