BBC3 Doctor Who: Greatest Monsters & Villains Weekend

The fantastic foes that have gone up against our time-traveling hero in his first-half century are a huge part of Doctor Who. By turns scary, funny, iconic, thrilling and on occasions charismatic, they help define the show’s enduring appeal and fifty years after the Daleks were created, the monsters of Doctor Who remain an integral part of what makes the series so special. Doctor Who: Greatest Monsters & Villains Weekend will be a marvellous salute to those baddies who have blighted the Doctor’s life and added so much excitement to ours.

Begins 15th November @ 7pm BBC3 

12 Again

This 12 Again: Doctor Who Special travels through space and time to celebrate 50 years of Doctor Who.

Super fans join cast members past and present to share their memories of watching TV’s top Time Lord when they were young. Who was their Doctor when they were a kid? Which aliens had them hiding behind the sofa?

Featuring CBBC’s super fan Chris Johnson, impressionist Jon Culshaw, Tommy Knight (Luke Smith), Warwick Davis (Porridge), Neve McIntosh (Madame Vastra), Dan Starkey (Strax) Louise Jameson (Leela) and the Seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy.

We’ll find out about the Doctor himself, the TARDIS and the famous theme tune as we travel back to a different dimension with our celebrities as they become 12 Again.

 

Date & Time to TBC (CBBC)

Blue Peter

CBBC is celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who with the launch of an exciting new Blue Peter Doctor Who competition and two live Blue Peter specials; a must see for all young Doctor Who fans.

In an exclusive competition, Blue Peter viewers aged between six and 15 will be asked to design new sonic devices for Sontaran Commander Strax, Madame Vastra and Jenny Flint. Their gadgets will feature in the iconic science fiction series. The winner will get the unique opportunity to see their gadget in action on the set of Doctor Who.

On Thursday 21 November and Saturday 23 November, Barney, Lindsey and Radzi will be joined by aliens and monsters in the studio and the audience will be able to design their very own alien live on air.
Blue Peter viewers will have their questions answered by Matt Smith; they will be able to get ready for the 50th anniversary show by making their very own cushion (to hide behind); and we’ll help them to host a Doctor Who party by showing them how to make Dalek cupcakes.

An Adventure in Time and Space

An Adventure in Time and Space

This special one-off drama travels back in time to 1963 to see how the beloved Doctor Who was first brought to the screen.

Introduction

This special one-off drama travels back in time to 1963 to see how the beloved Doctor Who was first brought to the screen.
Actor William Hartnell felt trapped by a succession of hard-man roles. Wannabe producer Verity Lambert was frustrated by the TV industry’s glass ceiling. Both of them were to find unlikely hope and unexpected challenges in the form of a Saturday tea-time drama, time travel and monsters!
Allied with a team of brilliant people, they went on to create the longest-running science fiction series ever, now celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Written by Mark Gatiss
Executive produced by Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat and Caroline Skinner
Directed by Terry McDonough
Starring David Bradley (William Hartnell); Jessica Raine (Verity Lambert); Sacha Dhawan (Waris Hussein); Lesley Manville (Heather Hartnell) and Brian Cox (Sydney Newman).
 

Interview with writer and executive producer Mark Gatiss

What can viewers expect from the drama?
Principally, it's the story of how Doctor Who was created, so we concentrate on the very beginnings and the first few episodes. There are lots of treats for the fans but it's also the story of William Hartnell, the first Doctor and how the part transformed his life.

Why did you want to tell this story?
I'm a life-long Doctor Who fan and the origins of this beloved show have always fascinated me. But, above all, I wanted it to strike a chord on a human level. These were brilliant, complex, talented people making something revolutionary. And, in William Hartnell, we have the very affecting story of a man redeemed by the role of a lifetime who then, sadly, had to let it go. I think we can all relate to something like that in our lives.

What was the casting process like? Did you set out to find such good lookalikes?
I'd had David Bradley in mind for some years but it wasn't simply a question of a good likeness! David is such a fine and delicate actor, I knew he'd find something wonderful in the part. With everyone else, I stressed that we must first and foremost get the right people for the job. But it turned out the right people also bear the most amazing resemblances to the originals! Costume and make-up, of course, played a huge part in that.

Could you explain a little bit about the research process?
Doctor Who is probably unique in terms of TV shows in that its history has been exhaustively researched for years. Happily, this means that there are lots of interviews existing with people who are no longer with us. I'd wanted to tell the story for years – I sort of grew up with it. How no-one wanted the Daleks. About the first episode going out just after JFK was shot. But I wanted to get deeper than just the details of production and find the human story. I conducted new interviews with a lot of the original cast and crew. They were all hugely enthusiastic and very helpful.

Did you uncover any facts or information that you didn’t previously know as a Doctor Who fan?
A few bits and bobs but, as I say, most of it is very well documented now! It was very touching, though, to talk to people about a part of their loves that was often very happy and to discuss people long gone.

There were so many people involved in the show’s beginnings, why did you decide to focus on the four central characters of Hartnell, Newman and Lambert and Hussein?
I had to focus it down. Simple as that. This is a drama, not a documentary, and though it's extremely painful to have to leave out some people who played a huge part, it makes dramatic sense. You simply can't do everyone justice in 90 minutes. For instance, the story of how Terry Nation and Ray Cusick created the Daleks is almost a film all on its own! Jeff Rawle plays Mervyn Pinfield, who was the Associate Producer, and his character sort of absorbs several others including Donald Wilson and the brilliant David Whitaker – the first script editor - whose contribution was immeasurable.

Set in the 1960s the drama brings to life that era through the costumes, hair and make-up and the sets, including the first ever TARDIS console. What was it like being on set?
It was extraordinary. To see the original TARDIS recreated genuinely took my breath away and everyone who came to the set had the same reaction. It was frequently quite uncanny. We used some of the original Marconi cameras and, on the black and white monitors, seeing David, Jemma, Jamie and Claudia was like looking back through Time. Spooky and very moving.

Finally, what do you hope audiences take away from the drama?
This is my love-letter to Doctor Who! In this 50th anniversary year, I hope fans will enjoy and be thrilled by it and all the kisses to the past it's laden with. But my greatest wish is that it appeals to people who know very little or nothing about Doctor Who and see the struggle of talented people (almost) accidentally creating a legend!

Children in Need 2013

The BBC have indicated that there will be a Doctor Who presence on this years annual fundraiser on Friday 15th November. More details to follow. Click above logo to go to the official site.

The Doctor Who Experience.

As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations, The Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff is bringing back the TARDIS tour in the neighbouring Roath Lock studios, between Sat 26th Oct & Sun 1st Nov.

More Details on tickets can be found on the official Experience site here.

Updates

Take a look to the right and you can see a listing of the programming for the 50th anniversary, this will be updated regularly.

Big Finish.

 

Big Finish says:

We’re very pleased to announce that today is the day we’re beginning the release of our 50th anniversary Doctor Who story The Light at the End. We’re beginning with the Limited Edition CD box set.

It's the 23rd of October, one month ahead of the anniversary of Doctor Who on the 23rd of November, and as of today, the digital download releases for all versions of Doctor Who: The Light at the End will be made available. This includes the Limited Edition, the Standard Edition and the Vinyl Edition.

Mailing out of the Limited Edition CD version has begun today.

Nick Briggs, executive producer: ‘The Standard Edition CDs should start to be mailed out this coming Friday, and the Vinyl Edition will start mailing on November 2nd.

‘With the anniversary of Doctor Who imminent,’ continues Nick, ‘and everyone champing at the bit for the celebrations to begin, we thought it only right and proper that our special anniversary full-cast audio should be released a tiny bit early. Our plans for this very nearly went awry when the company responsible for the physical production of our CDs (and LPs!), Key Productions, experienced a series of unforeseeable problems beyond their control. This is what has caused the slight delay on the Standard Edition and the slightly longer delay of the Vinyl Edition. But for all our customers who can access the digital versions of all these releases, they can listen straight away.

‘We know that those customers who favour listening to the CD or the LP rather than downloading a digital version, might find this a little frustrating, but we thought this course of action would benefit the vast majority of our loyal listeners. We offer our sincerest apologies to any customers who find this decision doesn’t suit them, and hope they will understand our reasons for going ahead with the releases now.’

So, for Big Finish Productions, the 50th anniversary has started early. And for any of you who haven't yet ordered your copy of Doctor Who: The Light at the End, it will be on sale at the Dimensions 2013 convention (all tickets now sold) in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctors (Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann) will be making guest appearances.

The Science of Doctor Who.

The BBC have confirmed the broadcast details of  Professor Brian Cox's The Science of Doctor Who. The programme will be shown on BBC2 on Thursday 14th November @ 9pm.


Brian takes an audience, with the help of celebrity guests, on a journey into the wonderful universe of the Doctor, in a specially-recorded programme from the lecture theatre of the Royal Institution of Great Britain.

He reveals the science behind the spectacle and explains the physics that allows Doctor Who to travel through space and time. Fun, but filled with real science, it's a special night for Who fans as well as anyone with a thirst for understanding.

Brian is in the unique position of knowing the Doctor's universe inside out as well as the reality behind the drama. When the TARDIS travels through time and space, he understands the physics involved. And when it comes to life on other planets, Brian knows the real science that could prove extra-terrestrial life might just really exist in our galaxy.

The Forum - Norwich

The Forum in Norwich is holding a Who related themed week until Saturday 26th. You can find out more details here.

An Adventure in Time and Space - Pics

The Day of The Doctor - Cinema Screening Locations

 

 

The Anniversary episode is to be shown in over 400 cinemas in 8 countries

You can find your nearest cinema by searching here

 

50 Years Trailer

50th Anniversary Trailer - Tonight.

A specially created trailer celebrating the last 50 years of Doctor Who will air tonight on BBC One, as an exclusive image is revealed today featuring the 11 Doctors.

Travelling through time fans will be taken on a journey from the very beginning using state of the art technology. The special trailer is set to show all of the Doctors as they first appeared on screen, including William Hartnell in high res colour for the very first time, as celebrations ramp up to the 23 November.

A huge moment for the BBC, the 50th celebrations will culminate with the special episode, ‘The Day of the Doctor’, starring Matt Smith, David Tennant and Jenna Coleman with Billie Piper and John Hurt. A whole range of shows have also been commissioned across TV and radio to mark the anniversary.

The minute long trailer will air after Strictly Come Dancing tonight on BBC One and will be also be available on www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho

This trailer will not be showing any clips from the anniversary special The Day of The Doctor, a trailer for this episode is rumoured to be shown on October 26th or November 2nd.

An Adventure in Time and Space - Pics

 

The BBC have released some promotional pictures from the upcoming docu-drama An Adventure in Time and Space.

The drama will be premiered at the BFI on Tuesday 12th November, with the actual broadcast date to be confirmed

Paternoster Gang

Actress Neve Mackintosh has revealed that the Paternoster Gang will return to help the new Doctor in series 8.

When asked about the often rumoured spin off series Neve replied:

"The sexual themes in Doctor Who should be talked about more and embraced more. It could be edgier and more dangerous. We can do so much in Victorian times, it’s got that steampunk edge to it. Think how freaky that era was with the Elephant Man and all that and just add us into the mix, with time travel and all sorts of weird, wonderful stuff."

Series 8 News

The official BBC site has announced Ben Wheatly as the director for the first two episodes of series 8, which begins filming in December, He has said:

I am very excited and honoured to be asked to direct the first two episodes of the new series of Doctor Who. I've been a fan since childhood (Tom Baker is my Doctor if you are asking). I've been watching the current run of Doctor Who with my son and have discovered it all over again. The work that has been done is amazing. I'm really looking forward to working with Peter Capaldi and finding out where Steven Moffat is planning to take the new Doctor.

It is also rumoured that a colleague of Russell T. Davies, Frank Cottrell Boyce is writing a script for a future episode.

Party at the Palace

A party at Buckingham Palace has been announced to celebrate the 50th anniversary, At present the guest list remains secret.The Countess of Wessex will hold a reception on Monday 18th November

The Name of The Doctor - Promotional Pics

DWM #466

 

Out Now

2 different covers

The Web of Fear - Trailer

The Enemy of the World - Trailer

Missing Episodes - Latest

Although not the rumoured 106 episodes, a substantial 9 episodes of Patrick Troughton's era have been found.

Episodes 1,2,4,5 & 6 of The Enemy of the World being returned, completing this story. While episodes 2,4,5 & 6 of The Web of Fear have also surfaced, leaving episode 3 the only missing episode from this adventure.

That now leaves 97 episodes missing from the archive.

All the episodes have been remastered and including a reconstructed episode 3 for The Web of Fear and are now available for download on iTunes

These stories are to be released on to DVD, below are the exclusive BBC Shop versions with slipcases.

 

 

Amazon Uk The Enemy of the World (25th Nov 2013) & The Web of Fear (24th Feb 2014) available for pre-order.

 

Missing Episodes - Update

It is being rumoured that an announcement on the recently found episodes from the classic series, will be made tomorrow afternoon.

Missing Episodes - Confirmed

BBC News have confirmed that a number of once thought missing episodes of Doctor Who have been found.

Entertainment reporter Lizo Mzimba says:

A number of early episodes of Doctor Who, which were believed to have been permanently lost, have been returned to the BBC.

BBC Worldwide is expected to confirm the find at a press conference in London later this week.

It follows weeks of speculation that some lost episodes had been located.

Details of how fans will be able to watch the recovered episodes are also expected to be revealed later this week.

AudioGo - October Releases

 

AudioGo

EBook

 

 

Featuring the 10th Doctor & Martha

Available 23rd October

Christmas Special

Marcus Wilson @themarcuswilson

So it's goodnight from me, and it's goodnight from him. That's a wrap. Christmas 2013. Thank you all.

11:23 AM Oct 5th 

 

source via twitter                           

Lost Episodes Found.

It is being reported that 106 missing episodes from the classic series have been found in Ethiopia. A formal announcement is expected soon.

The Day of the Doctor - Global Broadcast

From Canada to Colombia, Brazil to Botswana and Myanmar to Mexico, fans in at least 75 countries spanning six continents will be able to enjoy the episode in 2D and 3D* at the same time as the UK broadcast, with more countries expected to be confirmed within the next month. The US, Australia and Canada have also signed up for the simulcast which will be shown in numerous countries across Europe, Latin America and Africa. In addition to Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman, the one-off special, entitled The Day of the Doctor stars former Time Lord David Tennant as well as Billie Piper, and John Hurt. 

On top of the worldwide TV broadcast, hundreds of cinemas in the UK and across the world also plan to screen the hotly anticipated special episode simultaneously in full 3D, giving fans the opportunity to make an event of the occasion and be part of a truly global celebration for the iconic British drama series.  Details about tickets for the anniversary screening will be announced in due course.   

Tim Davie, CEO of BBC Worldwide comments:
“Few TV shows can still lay claim to being appointment viewing but Doctor Who takes this to another level. In its 50th Anniversary year we wanted to create a truly international event for Doctor Who fans in as many countries as possible and the simultaneous broadcast and cinema screening of the special across so many countries will make for a fitting birthday tribute to our Time Lord.” 

Steven Moffat, Showrunner for Doctor Who and Executive Producer of the 50th Anniversary episode adds:
“The Doctor has always been a time traveller - now he's travelling time zones. On the 23rd of November, it won't be the bad guys conquering the Earth - everywhere it will be The Day of the Doctor!”

The free-to-air 3D coverage will be available to those with access to a 3D TV set and to the BBC’s HD Red Button service. This is part of the BBC’s two-year trial experimenting with 3D production and distribution, which has also included selected coverage from Wimbledon 2012 and the London 2012 Olympic Games. 

The 50th Anniversary weekend for Doctor Who in November will also see over 20,000 fans gather at London’s ExCel for the official celebration event which will feature appearances from cast old and new including Matt Smith and former Doctors Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker and Tom Baker. Further information on the event can be found at www.doctorwho.tv.
Since 1963 Doctor Who has been one of the best loved dramas and certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most successful sci-fi series ever. The show has received numerous awards across its 50 years and has seen huge commercial success with over 10 million DVDs and 8 million action figures sold globally. It is also the number one BBC show on iTunes in the UK. BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the UK broadcaster distributes Doctor Who to over 200 territories across the world.

The 50th Anniversary special of Doctor Who will be simultaneous broadcast with the UK in the following countries:
Europe - Germany (Fox), Finland (YLE), Poland (BBC Entertainment), Russia (Karousel and NKS) 
North America - USA (BBC America), Canada (Space)
Latin America (on BBC Entertainment and BBC HD) - Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala,  Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela 
Africa (on BBC Entertainment) - Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde Islands, Central African Republic, Chad,  Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania & Zanzibar, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe. 
Australia (ABC)
Asia (on BBC Entertainment) - Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand