Doctor Who

[BBOvenGuy]

Doctor Who swept the three top drama catagories in this year's British National TV Awards, as voted by the British public. The show won Favorite Drama Series, Christopher Eccleston won Favorite Actor and Billie Piper won Favorite Actress.

Details are at the BBC website.

[Feena]

That's Fantastic!!!

[jago]

Looks like I need to invest in digital TV since Torchwood is going to be on BBC3.

[BBOvenGuy]

Location shoot photos! Hot off the press from Outpost Gallifrey.

First, here are two from the Duffryn School, where episode #3 was filmed.

Anthony Stewart Head with some of the students
The return of an old friend

Next, here are two from the opening of episode #5, filmed in London.

Rose and Mickey
Rose and the Doctor

Looks interesting...

[Feena]

Monsters....

Spoiler:

Nice shiny monsters...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/

[jago]

Monsters....

Excellent!

Just like they did with the Daleks they kept the basic design from the classic series.
Don't forget the mini episode during Children in Need next week.

[Feena]

And apparently not just a mini-episode...

From Outpost Gallifrey News page

Outpost Gallifrey has learned the specifics of the Children in Need Doctor Who special airing next week. The special mini-episode is actually 3 and 1/2 minutes long, and will begin at exactly 9:06pm during the telethon (though of course there is always room for slight variation in the timing). Additionally, we've learned that K9 will be in the studio joining the presenters for the evening. As always, this information is subject to change up to air time!

BBC Radio Jersey recently interviewed the director of the special, who said it's set immediately after the end of "The Parting of the Ways," is set in the TARDIS, and is "a real episode that links the last series to the new one and is part of Series Two." The interviewer on Radio Jersey said they filmed it only in the last two weeks in Cardiff: "So I don't know what’s in it, I don't know how long it is but I do know it's a scene between Billie Piper in the TARDIS and it's the moment David Tennant materialised at the end of the last series."


The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine (#363) reveals another stunning development for the series: immediately after broadcast of 'The Christmas Invasion', digital viewers (digital, cable or Freeview) "will be invited to 'press their red buttons' to join the Doctor on a new adventure," meaning an additional special episode for the time period between the airing of the Christmas special and the start of series two. Written by Gareth Roberts and starring David Tennant (who has already filmed scenes for it), the digital feature is directed by Ashley Way and produced by Sophie Fante "in conjunction with the Doctor Who production team". According to executive producer Julie Gardner, "This is being treated as a full-blooded, sophisticated production, with [...] a brand new alien villain [...] and brand new sets [...] Viewers will even be able to use their remotes to fly the TARDIS!"

Meanwhile, the episode also discusses the new Children in Need special, which is written by Russell T Davies and directed by Euros Lynn: "it's a proper piece of Doctor Who - meaning it's not a spoof, or an interview, or a preview of the Christmas episode, or a [...] look behind the scenes; it's genuine new Doctor Who! [...] we've been planning this for months."

Sounds brilliant for people with digital (like me!!) but very frustrating if you haven't

[jago]

Viewers will even be able to use their remotes to fly the TARDIS!

It sounds like a game. I won't be at home on Christmas Day so hopefully it'll appear on The Christmas Invasion or Season 2 DVDs.

[WebWarlock]

Casting spoilers!

Don't click if you don't want to know!

Spoiler:

Billie Piper leaves Who.

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire2005/inde ... 283&type=0

Warlock

[Feena]

On the same subject....

Spoiler:

As of me leaving work on Friday night, she's probably not going.

She's not signed a contract for season 3, but then she only signed her contract for season 2 about two months after they started filming, so don't read too much into that.

We're hopeful we'll get her, but she does have a lot of tempting offers on the table. I think she will be in season 3, but if she's there for the whole thing or just some of it is something way from being decided.

The bit about us already holding auditions for a replacement is bollocks though. We have enough work on without auditioning people eight months before we'd actually want them.

Phazer

http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=86631&st=20

Obviously, no idea how accurate it might be

Spoiler:

The BBC has declined to comment on reports that actress Billie Piper is to leave sci-fi drama Doctor Who at the end of the next series.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4431260.stm

[jago]

The Children in Need mini-episode is going to be available online from 9.30 pm tomorrow.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/appealnight ... cial.shtml

[Feena]

He's wonderful!!!!! And Billie is such a great actress.

Great reactions from both of them..... going away to watch it again now

Just watched it online as well. Any UK people should watch it there too, you'll get to hear DT using his natural accent at the end when they do an appeal for CiN.

[BBOvenGuy]

He's wonderful!!!!! And Billie is such a great actress.

Yes indeed.

David Tennant is much more Doctor-like than Christopher Eccleston was. I felt that way when I first saw the new costume, and now I'm sure of it. Don't get me wrong - Christopher Eccleston is a good actor, but David Tennant is a good actor who knows how to play the Doctor.

And once again, Rose gets to do what all the other companions should have done, but didn't. She gets to have a genuine freak-out over the regeneration. I think Peri's the only companion who's come anything close to that before.

Now I'm really looking forward to Christmas, and the new season after that.

[jago]

He was so good and already well on the way to becoming my favourite doctor. Billie was as good as she's always been.

Unfortunately BBC Scotland did their own thing as usual, only showing the episode itself, and we missed out on any appearances from the cast or crew from the show.

Christmas can't come soon enough for me.

[Alexandra4sm]

i to the special scene on children in need, and i mised christopher eccleston in it as well. hopefully the new series will evolve to be just as good if not better than the last

[WebWarlock]

New Who DVD to hit American shores!!!!

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire2005/index.php?id=33462

Doctor Who Hits U.S. As DVD

The BBC told SCI FI Wire that it will release the complete first season of the new British SF TV series Doctor Who on DVD in the United States on Feb. 14, 2006, offering Americans their first official look at the hit U.K. show. BBC Video will release Doctor Who: The Complete First Series with all 13 of the first-season episodes, starring Christopher Eccleston as the immortal Timelord and Billie Piper as his sidekick, Rose, as well as more than four hours of extras. The DVD set will carry a suggested retail price of $99.98.

The BBC is choosing to release the DVD set in advance of any plans to license Doctor Who for broadcast in the United States.

The latest incarnation of the venerable British SF series debuted on the BBC last May, written by Russell T. Davies (Queer as Folk), Steven Moffat (Coupling) and Mark Gatiss (League of Gentlemen).

The DVD set, virtually identical to one already available in the United Kingdom, will also feature audio commentary by cast and crew, including Davies, Piper, John Barrowman (Captain Jack), Mark Gatiss and Simon Callow; a new Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound mix on all episodes; more than five hours of "making of" interviews and behind-the-scenes footage; a BBC interview with Eccleston; and a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming holiday episode The Christmas Invasion, starring David Tennant as the new Doctor, which premieres this month in the United Kingdom.

Happy Valentines Day indeed!

I know what I am getting.

Warlock

[Sheridan]

The BBC told SCI FI Wire that it will release the complete first season of the new British SF TV series Doctor Who on DVD in the United States on Feb. 14, 2006

Oh lord what will America make of Captain Jack?

[jago]

I started watching the DVDs at the weekend and I'm loving the commentary tracks. Russell T Davies talking about his sister rewriting the end of Love Story to give it a happy ending was priceless, and something I do myself to change anything I don't like (a certain lesbian couple springs to mind ) and it's a very easy way to get rid of the Doctor being half human or any kind of romance between the Doctor and Rose.

[Feena]

The BBC told SCI FI Wire that it will release the complete first season of the new British SF TV series Doctor Who on DVD in the United States on Feb. 14, 2006

Oh lord what will America make of Captain Jack?

You mean because he likes to 'dance' ?

[Sheridan]

You mean because he likes to 'dance' ?

Well not so much the 'dancing' as his taste in partners...

[Feena]

I know only UK people will get to see The Christmas Invasion *cough cough* but this page on the BBC site links to 2 teasers and the 30 second trailer.

THEY'RE FANTASTIC!!!!!

[BBOvenGuy]

Have a good time watching "The Christmas Invasion" today, UK folks!

I'll be looking forward to your comments.

[Feena]

Have a good time watching "The Christmas Invasion" today, UK folks!

I'll be looking forward to your comments.

At the moment all I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!

Fantastic is *so* not big enough a word for it

I'm watching it again when the soaps are over, I'll write more then - But I LOVE DT as the Doctor!!!

[BBOvenGuy]

Just watched it, and... oh wow...

David Tennant is spectacular as the Doctor. Christopher Eccleston may be a good actor in the general sense, but David Tennant knows this role a whole lot better. If he continues to get good scripts, he could be one of the all-time best.

And speaking of the scripts - the Christmas stuff at the beginning was kind of silly, and there was a bit of technobabble-ex-machina with the Doctor's regeneration, but the wicked "Torchwood" twist at the end was phenomenal. I didn't see it coming at all, and now I'm wondering how it's going to affect the Doctor's relationship with planet Earth as the season unfolds - to say nothing of how the Torchwood spinoff is going to go.

And then there were the previews - Sarah Jane! K9! Cybermen! Anthony Stewart Head as a bad guy! This spring is going to be quite a ride.

[jago]

I got home today after staying my parents for a couple of days and the first thing I did was watch Doctor Who. David Tennant was wonderful and he put to bed the worries some fans had about him seeming too jokey in the Children in Need scene, although it's a little strange to have a Doctor who is prettier than his companion, but I think I'll get used to it.

I'm not sure I liked what they did with Harriet at the end, but after what she did she deserved it, and the little dig at Bush and Blair was very welcome.

Did anyone watch/play the red button episode? Was it any good?

[Sheridan]

The show was excellent and the ratings for Xmas day have just come out. Doctor Who was the second most watched show on the day, in a dead heat with ITV's corontation strteet, which is ITV's flagship soap and usually a guaranteed ratings winner for them.
On a totally unrelated note ITV have announced they are doing a sci-fi show which will feature time travel, and monsters...where do they get their ideas from?

[Feena]

I've not played the Graske red-button episode yet, hopefully on Jan 1st.

2006 Preview

Looks like some great stuff is coming up, and ASH looks very scary


eta

The BBC have put a downloadable TCI commentary online

Christmas Invasion Commentary Track (24 Mb) By Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner and Phil Collinson.

[Ben Varkentine]

One good thing about living in Seattle...we get the CBC, which shows Doctor Who. Thought Christmas Invasion was the best regerneration story at since at least Castrovalva, and maybe ever.

Granted, being better than Twin Dilemma, Time & the Rani, and That McGann TV Movie isn't saying a lot, but it was also better than Rose (and I liked Rose).

My requirement list for a Doctor is that the actor be able to play noth humor and darkness, and swashbuckle a bit, so this episode could almost have been made to my specifications.

And I found out just how much of a fanboy I still am (beneath my cool exterior) in the teaser scenes for next season. "Sarah Jane! K-9! A Cyberman!"

[werewolf123]

I thought the doctor's reaction to the prime ministers action was a little too righteous.

Sheridan: I am not so sure i would want the doctor to be the sole guarantor of my exististence. The doctor may believe he can be the earth's protector,he may believe he has deterred the aliens,but he does not have as much at stake as the prime minister. This is the doctor who found it necessary in a big picture sort of way to annihilate his own species to destroy the dalek. I would want a little more say in the matter if the same situation occurred at earth. How responsible is the doctor for the actions of one of his former regenerations/reincarnations?

jago: In a war one side alone cannot surrender, they can offer but the surrender must be accepted.The prime minister did not accept their surrender and it is not illegal, or immoral to shoot a retreating enemy.

[Sheridan]

I thought the doctor's reaction to the prime ministers action was a little too righteous.

perhaps but I think the Doctor is afraid about what it might do to mankinds attitude as it moves out among the stars, the Doctor does have a much bigger picture to worry about. It will also be interesting to see the prospective 'Torchwood' spinoff and see the people who built the big gun.