NEW SERIES CONFIRMED FOR 15^th APRIL 2006

31^st March 2006

Doctor Who Adventures
from Outpost Gallifrey

The BBC Press Office has this afternoon issued a second press release to promote the imminent launch of Doctor Who Adventures, the new children's comic from BBC Magazines. It says that "the first issue will feature a Doctor Who themed 6-piece stationery set and readers will also have the chance to win a life-size dalek. ... Moray Laing, Assistant Editor, Doctor Who Adventures said: 'Doctor Who Adventures is big, bright and bold, like the series itself. There's something exciting on every page for young Doctor Who fans, who will be immersed in their very own time travel adventure. In the first issue there is a cut-out-and-keep guide to the Daleks and fans can make their own Slitheen mask, perfect for scaring friends!'" Of note is the promise of heavy promotion in the shops, with "point of sale merchandise including shelf wobblers, shelfbarkers and posters. The magazine has also achieved strong listings in all of the key retailers, with the launch issue being heavily promoted."

30^th March 2006

BBC Launches "Tardisodes"
from the BBC website

In addition to watching 13 new, gripping and exciting adventures - with David Tennant as the Doctor and Billie Piper as Rose - viewers will be given the opportunity to download 13 60-second mini-episodes via their mobile phones, or stream them on broadband as part of the BBC's TV Plus trials.

The TARDISODES, which are part of the BBC's trials exploring ways of broadening the output of leading brands, offer the audience an exclusive insight into what's going on in the Doctor Who universe that week.

These individual and unique downloads will be available on Saturdays after the main show has gone out.

They will include footage that won't be seen on TV, and back story about the characters and adventures coming up inthe next episode - from meeting the Cat Women who can cure all illnesses, joining Mickey as he discovers some alien activity in a local school, to witnessing the Cybermen upgrade process!

You'll be able to subscribe to the TARDISODES from April 1 by texting TARDIS to 81010. More...
 

30^th March 2006

New Series Press Launch
from the official website

The media descended on Cardiff's Millennium Centre on Tuesday 28 March for the official press launch of the 2006 series of Doctor Who. David Tennant and Billie Piper talked to BBC News about working on the show, and gave a few hints about the exciting new episodes. Click on the links below to watch and read more.

BBC News Report (Warning: Contains minor spoilers!)
BBC Wiltshire report

29^th March 2006

DWM News
from Outpost Gallifrey

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine, #368, has now reached many subscribers and has a large amount of news from the forthcoming second Doctor Who series, including the new titles which we reported on yesterday, and the following items:

Promotion: Producer Phil Collinson confirms that the publicity campaign for Series Two will, like last year, include "posters at specially selected sites" and a "specially shot television campaign". These trailers will comprise exclusive footage of David Tennant and Billie Piper and was due to be shot on 18 March. Meanwhile, Blue Peter will continue its association with the show, beginning on Wednesday 19 April with a "make" and studio guests. Blue Peter editor Richard Marson also promises a film about the Cybermen; a report on a set visit by William Grantham, competition-winning designer of the Abzorbaloff; and a possible visit from K9. There will also be a 'Doctor Who Week' in The Sun, beginning on Monday 24 April, in which Sun readers who can operate a DVD player will be offered a series of specially produced DVDs; these will feature episodes already available from BBC DVD. The Radio Times for 15–21 April will feature "another collector's special … [with] a really original and ambitious cover", interviews and behind-the-scenes material.

Production Updates: Collinson has told DWM that "production is now at full tilt", with 'The Satan Pit' and 'Love & Monsters' nearing completion. The final day of filming is scheduled for this Saturday, 1 April. Editing and dubbing of 'School Reunion' and 'Tooth and Claw' was almost complete as of the start of March, 'The Idiot's Lantern' and 'Fear Her' are "almost ready", and edits of 'Rise of the Cybermen' and 'The Age of Steel' "have been locked". Meanwhile, the production team is now turning to Series Three: "plans have been put in place" for this year's Christmas special and all of next year's scripts "have been commissioned". Russell T Davies' 'Production Notes' reveal that the series has its own new studio, "a dedicated space for both Doctor Who and Torchwood, with room for production, post-production and the actual filming." And they call it Camelot, Davies comparing its size to a Hollywood lot.

Casting: Actor Shaun Parkes joins the guest cast for 'The Impossible Planet' and 'The Satan Pit'; Parkes previously worked with David Tennant on "Casanova" and with Billie Piper in "Things To Do Before You're 30," and he has appeared in "Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)." In the same episodes are Claire Rushbrook and Danny Webb; the latter's extensive credits include "Our Friends in the North" with Christopher Eccleston. The supporting cast will include Ronnie Jhutta and Myanna Buring. Collinson noted that the episodes featuring cameos from various UK television stars "are a bit cleverer than might first appear" from tabloid reports. "The TARDIS absolutely does not land in Albert Square, nor does the Doctor step onto the Trisha show to sort out his relationship with Rose."

Totally Doctor Who: The new children's magazine show now has a confirmed timeslot: from 13 April, it will transmit on BBC One at 5.00pm every Thursday. There will also be a weekly repeat on the digital channel CBBC, each Saturday at 6.30pm, immediately before the week's episode is broadcast. Its two presenters will interview studio guests from previous episodes and introduce "filmed inserts both from the Doctor Who set and the wider world of the series and the children who love it."

Doctor Who Confidential: The content of another hour of the three-hour Doctor Who Night on BBC Three on Sunday 9 April has now been revealed: the Doctor Who Confidential team has been commissioned to make a 60-minute special. Confidential will also soon have its own website. DWM interviews the series producers, Gillane Seaborne and Adam Page, who reveal that they have recorded "even more backstage footage and on-set interviews than last year". As a result, the programmes will rely much less on earlier Doctors and material on the history of the show. The first four editions have been completed. The first, 'New New Doctor', "follows David Tennant behind the scenes" on New Earth and "New New York"; 'Fear Factor' is the second and "looks back at 40 years of Doctor Who's creatures", including 'Tooth and Claw's werewolf and the Sycorax. 'Friend Reunited' concentrates on Sarah Jane Smith and K9, while the fourth, 'From Script to Screen', "follows every stage of the making of 'The Girl in the Fireplace'," from script and tone meetings to read-through and the start of recording.

The Official Website: After each episode's transmission on BBC One, the official Doctor Who website will unveil two hours of extra material, including a full episode commentary for download, Tardisodes, trailers and video diaries by Doctor Who Confidential. The commentary for 'New Earth' is by Julie Gardner, James Hawes and Will Cohen, executive producer, director and visual effects supervisor respectively. The next game to be unveiled will feature K9, "pitting him against a whole host of the new series' most popular creations." A further game is also being prepared. The site will also be resuming its publication of ebooks of out-of-print novels, beginning with Mark Gatiss' New Adventures: Nightshade "later in the year". The interactive game, 'Attack of the Graske' is receiving about 42,000 requests per week on the website. DWM reports that there are plans to make the official website's commentary tracks available as an interactive extra to accompany the BBC Three repeats of each episode. They will also be for download from iTunes.

20^th March 2006

New Series Casting News
from the official website

Two top names join the team.

Highly acclaimed actors Marc Warren and Shirley Henderson have joined the cast of episode 10 of the new series of Doctor Who, working alongside the previously-announced Peter Kay.

Marc Warren is currently back on our screens every Friday night on BBC One as conman Danny Blue in the hit series Hustle. Marc's long and varied career includes TV series Clocking Off, Band of Brothers and State of Play (for which he won a Royal Television Society award for Best Actor).

Also appearing in this superb episode is Shirley Henderson, a renowned Scottish actress who's appeared in TV shows as diverse as Hamish Macbeth and the recent adaptation of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.

Shirley's also appeared in some of the biggest movie hits of recent years, including the Bridget Jones films (as Bridget's emotional friend Jude) and as the toilet-bound ghost Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter series.

Previously announced guest stars for the forthcoming second series of Doctor Who include Pauline Collins, Maureen Lipman, Anthony Head, Sophia Myles, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Andrew Hayden-Smith, Will Thorp and Tracy-Ann Oberman.
 

18^th March 2006

Return of the Green Death
from the official website

BBC Four repeats 1973 story The Green Death

As part of its forthcoming season of programmes looking back at the culture, events and telly of the year 1973, BBC Four is screening a repeat of the Third Doctor adventure The Green Death.

Known by many people who saw it on its first broadcast as 'the one with the giant maggots', this adventure sees the Doctor (Jon Pertwee), his assistant Jo Grant (Katy Manning) and the soldiers of UNIT travel to the valleys of South Wales to investigate the strange death of a coal miner whose body is discovered glowing bright green...

The Doctor and his friends soon discover that the nearby Global Chemicals factory might have something to do with the sinister happenings. But who exactly is the 'Boss' of Global Chemicals? And can the hippy drop-outs at the Nuthutch help?

This adventure is being screened in three double episodes from 7.10pm to 8pm on consecutive nights: Monday 3, Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 April 2006. Don't miss it!

 

17^th February 2006

Aliens and Enemies

Cover artwork for Doctor Who monsters update revealed.

from the official website

BBC Books have released the cover artwork for Doctor Who: Aliens and Enemies.

This fully illustrated guide to the Doctor's evil foes picks up where 2005's Monsters and Villains book left off. Expect to see baddies like the Sycorax, the Gelth and Reapers within its pages.

As well as recent menaces to mankind, Aliens and Enemies also includes classic foes like the Cybermen, Sutekh and the Zarbi.

Facts, figures and images of each monster feature alongside a synopsis of the episodes they appeared in. Plus, behind-the-scenes information gives insights into how these monsters were created and brought to life.

Doctor Who: Aliens and Enemies will be published on 18 May 2006.
 

16^th February

from the official website

BBC Audiobooks have announced new release Doctor Who: The Dalek Conquests, read by voice of the Daleks Nick Briggs. Bringing you everything you wanted to know about Daleks, but were, understandably, too scared to ask, The Dalek Conquests covers every encounter the Doctor has had with his hate-filled nemeses.

Through extracts from their many TV appearances, and linking narration by Nick, The Dalek Conquests finds out where the Daleks come from, who was behind their original creation, and just why they are so bent on universal domination.

Doctor Who: The Dalek Conquests is released on May 1 2006.

>> Go to The Official Website

14^th February

from the official website

Watch the Who star in rom-com on the BBC Film Network.

If you've ever wondered what going on a date with David Tennant would be like, and let's face it, who hasn't, the BBC Film Network has the answer.

They've just published romantic comedy Nine and a Half Minutes on their site. Made back in 2002, it stars the Tenth Doctor actor alongside Zoe Telford. They play Charlie and Heather, a couple who meet on a blind date and then go on to imagine a whole relationship in just under ten minutes.

Warning - the film does contain some very strong language, alongside images of David Tennant pretending to be a crocodile wrestler.
 

>> Watch Nine and a Half Minutes on the BBC Film Network

13^th February

from the official website

Genesis Of The Daleks cover

2entertain have released the cover artwork for their Genesis of the Daleks DVD.

Genesis of the Daleks sees the Fourth Doctor and his companions transported back in time by the Time Lords to the planet Skaro. Starring Tom Baker, the story was voted number one in a Doctor Who Magazine poll of the classic series.

The Doctor's mission is to put a halt to mad scientist Davros' plan to mutate aliens into a breed of killing machines - later to be known as Daleks - and in doing so alter the course of history!

The two- disc set contains over two hours of special features including:

• Commentary with Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen, Peter Miles (Nyder) and director David Maloney

• Genesis of a Classic - cast and crew recall working on the story in this specially shot documentary

• The Dalek Tapes - new documentary narrated by Terry Molloy (who plays Davros in other Doctor Who stories), that tells the story of the Doctor's most iconic villain, including rare footage from programmes such as Blue Peter

• Blue Peter - a March 1975 item looking at a collection of Doctor Who models

• Doctor Who 1976 Annual as a PDF

• Radio Times Billings

• Continuity Compilation

• Photo Gallery

• Subtitle production notes

Genesis Of The Daleks is currently scheduled for released on 10 April 2006.

>> Genesis Of The Daleks episode guide

>> Large Cover Image
 

7^th February

According to "The Mirror" newspaper, Trisha Goddard will appear in the new series of Doctor Who, playing herself, in an episode entitled "I'm In Love With A Ghost". 

>> Go to The Mirror Online

30^th January

from Doctor Who Serendipity website

ITV's South Bank Show awards were broadcast last night, during which Billie Piper won the Times Breakthrough Award for rising British talent, for her role as Rose in the new series. The series itself for once lost out a top position, being beaten in the Best TV Drama category by Channel's 4 adaptation Elizabeth I starring Helen Mirren. 

>>> Times - Doctor Who saves Billie Piper's career
>>> Times - Billie Piper's career revived with help of Doctor Who...
>>> Daily Mail - Elizabeth reigns over Dr Who
>>> Western Mail - Elizabeth I beats Dr Who to TV award Jan 28 2006
 

30^th January

from Outpost Gallifrey

Australia's ABC Network has confirmed in emails sent out to fans today that they at last have negotiated rights to show the series' second season and Christmas special to Australian audiences some time this year. "The ABC has secured the rights to broadcast the second series of the (new) Doctor Who and The Christmas Invasion," says the email announcement. "A broadcast date has not been set. Please check you local television guide on a regular basis for scheduling information." Previously, the network said they were looking into the rights but had not secured them; this is the first indication that they will indeed be showing the second series and special. (Thanks to Adam Kirk, Kerry Hewitt, Brad Truran)
 

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