USA Convention Update

In the next few weeks, American fans will have several opportunities to meet Doctor Who celebrities and celebrate the show. Coming up this weekend (February 26–28) in Los Angeles is Gallifrey One, the largest Doctor Who convention in North America. This year's guests include classic series companions Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Deborah Watling (Victoria Waterfield), Anneke Wills (Polly), Frazer Hines (Jamie), and John Levene (Sgt. Benton). From modern Doctor Who and its spin-offs, actors Tommy Knight (Luke Smith), Georgia Moffett (Jenny), and Andrew Hayden-Smith (Jake) will be in attendance. On the production side, guests include costume designer Louise Page, directors Graeme Harper, Colin Teague and Alice Troughton, polymath Nicholas Briggs (voice of the Daleks, actor in Torchwood: Children of Earth, writer and producer for Big Finish Productions), script editor Gary Russell and writers Bob Baker (co-creator of K9 and the new K9 TV series), Phil Ford (head writer for The Sarah Jane Adventures, and writer for Doctor Who and Torchwood), John Fay (Torchwood: Children of Earth), Rob Shearman ("Dalek" and the short story collection Love Songs for the Shy and Cynical) and Paul Cornell ("Human Nature" and Marvel Comics). Pre-registration for Gallifrey One is closed, but on-site registration will be available from Friday morning. Gallifrey One is held at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel.

There are also events coming up for Doctor Who fans on the East Coast. On March 7, Who York will host "A Who York Evening with Russell Tovey" at Cafe 50, 50 W 22nd St, New York. Tovey played Midshipman Frame in the Doctor Who specials "Voyage of the Damned" and "The End of Time", and also stars as the werewolf George in the BBC series Being Human. The Who York event will include a Q&A and an autograph session.

If you want to see Tovey, but New York isn't convenient, you can catch him and Doctor Who legend Nicholas Courtney at a special Pub Night being hosted by Hurricane Who. Courtney, of course, has played Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart for over 40 years. "Hurricane Who: Greyhound One" will be held on March 11 at the Cricketers Arms pub in Orlando, Florida, and will include a Q&A, meet-and-greet, and episode viewings with both Courtney and Tovey.