Symphonic Spectacular - Opens this Weekend

Friday, 22 May 2015 - Reported by Marcus

With Wembley being declared safe the BBC Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular is all set to begin its first UK tour, this weekend.

The London venue had been closed for the past two days, following the discovery of a World War II unexploded bomb on a building site nearby. The bomb, which posed "a genuine risk to life", was removed by members of the British Army's Royal Logistic Corps disposal team, early this afternoon, and will be detonated in a controlled explosion.

The area has now been reopened.

The Symphonic Spectacular features the music written for Doctor Who by Murray Gold, performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Chorus of Wales. The orchestra will be conducted by Ben Foster and hosted by Peter Davison.

The show will enjoy a limited run of thirteen performances in London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle and Glasgow.

Ticket information is on the BBC Events Website.

Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular! - Doctor Who (YouTube)

FILTER: - Music - Peter Davison

Mini Matt Smith Meets The Doctors

Wednesday, 13 May 2015 - Reported by Marcus

MineCartMayhem has secured interviews with each of the surviving Doctors from the original Doctor Who Series.

MineCartMayhem is run by George, an eleven year old who styles himself as a Mini Matt Smith. George obtained interviews with Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy at EM-CON 2015 in March. Last weekend he completed the set with a interview with Tom Baker at Geek Fest held at Folkestone Academy.

Tom Baker Exclusive interview / Exclusive interview with Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker and Peter Davison

FILTER: - Colin Baker - Peter Davison - Sylvester McCoy - Tom Baker

Symphonic Spectacular Homage Album Cover

Monday, 20 April 2015 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular is celebrating its first ever UK tour with a homage to the legendary Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover.

Symphonic Spectacular (Credit: BBC Worldwide)

In advance of the forthcoming Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular which visits six cities across the UK from May 23rd, artwork has been released today to capture the monsters and characters from Doctor Who, alongside the musicians taking part in the tour.

Paying homage to the classic Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover designed by Sir Peter Blake for The Beatles in 1967, the design features a range of characters, past and present, including the Fifth Doctor Peter Davison who will be presenting the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular tour.

The line-up also features a range of fan favourites including the current and last three incarnations of the Doctor - Peter Capaldi, Matt Smith, David Tennant and Christopher Eccleston - as well as their respective companions. Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular’s take on the iconic album cover also features a range of monsters from the show including the Daleks, Cybermen, Judoon and Dream Crabs.

Murray Gold, who scored the Doctor Who music since 2005 also features on the image, along with conductor Ben Foster, Welsh soprano Elin Manahan Thomas and a number of the members of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and BBC National Chorus of Wales taking part in the tour.

The tour visits London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle and finishes in Glasgow. Tickets are on sale online

1. Foretold 2. Martin Bowen 3. Dalek 4. Delphox 5. Ros Butler 6. Margot Leadbeater 7. Katie Littlemore 8. Amy 9. Nicholas White 10. Whisperman 11. Kerry Gordon-Smith 12. Dalek 13. Cybermen 14. Paul Mann 15. Carolyn Hewitt 16. Dalek 17. Judoon 18. Donna 19. Sarah Chapman 20. Sontaran Strax 21. Jaroslaw Augustyniak 22. Teller Guard 23. Martha 24. Cyberman 25. Clara 26. Silurians 27. Rose Tyler 28. Arthur 29. Robot Knight 30. Katherine Miller 31. Vigil 32. Ood 33. David Cowley 34. Danny 35. Cyberman 36. Teller 37. Teller Guard 38. Lucas Suarez 39. Andy McGlasson 40. Rob Plane 41. Ian King 42. Adam Goldsmith 43. Dan Todden 44. Eva Stewart 45. Silence 46. Missy 47. Silurians 48. Silurians 49. Christopher Eccleston 50. David Tennant 51. Matt Smith 52. Peter Capaldi 53. Elin Manahan Thomas 54. Peter Davison 55. Ben-Foster 56. Murray Gold 57. Tom Rees-Roberts 58. Chris Stock 59. Dalek 60. Dalek 61. Sontaran 62. River Song 63. Mr Sin 64. Dream Crab 65. Weeping Angel 66. Auton Doll 67. Peg Doll 68. Dream Crab

FILTER: - Music - Peter Davison - Special Events

Doctor Update

Monday, 13 April 2015 - Reported by Marcus

Peter Davison, who celebrates his 64th birthday today, is currently appearing in London's West End in the revival of the Musical Gypsy.

Davison plays Herbie in the show, which is based upon the memoirs of the stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, and which is currently previewing at London's Savoy Theatre. The cast is led by BAFTA award winning actress Imelda Staunton who was asked to take on the role of Rose by the play's lyricist Stephen Sondheim, after he saw Staunton's performance as Mrs Lovett in the 2012 production of Sweeney Todd.

The show's cast album, featuring Davison, is released on 27th April.

Davison will take time off from the show to host Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular’s UK tour this May.

NB The first London production of Gypsy in 1973, starring Angela Lansbury, featured a 9 year old Bonnie Langford in the role of Baby June.

Fortitude, the psychological thriller television series starring Christopher Eccleston, has been renewed for a second 10-part series.

The series, which also stars Michael Gambon airs in the UK on Sky Atlantic, where the first episode was watched by more than 2.5m people and is the channels most successful original commission.

FILTER: - Christopher Eccleston - People - Peter Davison

Peter Davison to present UK Symphonic Spectacular

Monday, 3 November 2014 - Reported by Marcus

BBC Worldwide have announced that Peter Davison, the fifth Doctor, is to join the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular UK tour.

Davison has presented the tour in Australia and New Zealand in the past and made an appearance at the 2013 Doctor Who Prom Concert. Vision Nine and BBC Worldwide have today confirmed that he will host the UK events in May 2015 as well as the previously announced Australisian part of the tour.

In addition, given the very strong demand for tickets, one additional matinee performance has now been confirmed for Sunday 24th May at the SSE Arena, Wembley.

The Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular, which celebrates the world’s longest running science fiction TV series, showcases the music written by Murray Gold for the series since 2005 and features over 100 performers including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and members of the BBC National Chorus of Wales, conducted by Ben Foster. The first ever UK shows will be staged from Saturday 23rd May 2015 to Friday 29th May 2015.

Looking forward to the tour Davison said

I’m very excited to be hosting the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular in the UK in 2015. Doctor Who fans are an extraordinary, wonderful bunch, who are very passionate about the series. The Symphonic Spectacular has already proved to be a monster hit down under with thousands of fans packing into arenas across the southern hemisphere and the UK’s first ever tour promises to be even bigger. I can’t believe that I will be taking the stage at some of the UK’s biggest arenas like Wembley’s SSE Arena and the First Direct Arena in Leeds. With Murray Gold’s amazing music performed live by the programme’s ‘house band’, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, I’m also looking forward to reuniting on stage with conductor Ben Foster.

Tickets for the additional matinee performance on 24th May 2015 go on sale at 10am on Wednesday 5th November. Tickets for the other performances are on sale now.

FILTER: - Music - Peter Davison - Special Events

Lovarzi adds the Fifth Doctor's jumper to their range

Friday, 31 October 2014 - Reported by Harry Ward

Lovarzi, the makers of officially licensed Doctor Who scarves have added the Fifth Doctor's cricket jumper to their range along with two new scarves.

Maninder Singh Sahota, Director of Lovarzi, says:

We've been overwhelmed and delighted by the reaction our Doctor Who products have garnered; the hard work and attention to detail we put into creating finest quality items is always worthwhile when we see the smiles of fans whenever we exhibit our ever-expanding range. We're extremely proud to see dedicated Whovians indulging in their favourite items, and are sure these three new products will be welcomed into the fandom just as warmly.

Danie Ware from Forbidden Planet added:

We had a huge success with the Seventh Doctor’s knitwear last year, and with the continued rise of the cult status of Doctor Who, this new range is perfect for all fans of the series. The Fourth Doctor’s scarf is one of the single most iconic Who symbols, and the additions of the TARDIS scarf, and the Fifth Doctor’s cricketing sweater will make sure everyone’s wrapped up this Christmas!

Fifth Doctor Cricket Sweater (Credit: Lovarzi)

Fifth Doctor Cricket Sweater
available to order now: (Amazon UK), (Forbidden Planet)

The Only Fifth Doctor Sweater Officially Licensed by the BBC!

Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor is one of the most popular incarnations of the world's favourite Time Lord - and deservedly so! He fought the Black Guardian, Cybermen, Silurians, and Sea Devils before sacrificing himself on Androzani Minor: this fresh-faced man who came and went like a summer cloud always looked every bit the hero.

Following Davison's original cricket whites notion, our officially-licensed Fifth Doctor Sweater is based on his much-loved Season 19 and 20 look. What's more, he also wore it for the 20th anniversary special, The Five Doctors, and 2007's charity short, Time Crash, which featured both the Fifth and Tenth Doctors - the first multi-Doctor story of the revived show!

Fourth Doctor Scarf 18 ft Long Season 16 - 17 (Credit: Lovarzi)

Fourth Doctor Scarf
available to order now: ((Amazon UK), ((Forbidden Planet)

The 18ft Long Fourth Doctor Scarf is warm, comfortable, and great for fans of Tom Baker!

The Doctor's worn cool bow ties, cricket jumpers, and questionably-colourful jackets, but Tom Baker's supremely long multi-coloured scarf is the quintessential Doctor Who accessory. Our replica is based on the 18ft scarf the Fourth Doctor wore throughout Seasons 16 and 17, initially made by sewing the original to the stunt double's!

It's ideal for strolling through Paris, searching for the Key to Time - or simply showing off your Whovian allegiance. Because no matter where you are, whoever you meet, everyone appreciates this iconic design.

TARDIS Scarf
available to order now: Blue & Grey - (Amazon UK), (Forbidden Planet), Blue & Red: (Amazon UK), (Forbidden Planet), Grey & White: (Amazon UK), (Forbidden Planet)

Vworp! Vworp! This exclusively-designed TARDIS Scarf looks great wherever you are in time and space!

We initially set eyes on the TARDIS in the very first episode of Doctor Who, An Unearthly Child, and discovered that it's alive. But what else do we know? Well, it's bigger on the inside, of course. The chameleon circuit allows it to blend into its environment - but it's broken, and has permanently taken on the guise of a blue police call box. The Doctor "borrowed" it.

And the most important thing: it's incredible.

Our exclusive TARDIS Scarf is a celebration of Doctor Who, presented in a beautiful box, topped off with the foil-printed BBC Doctor Who logo.

TARDIS Scarf (Blue & Grey) (Credit: Lovarzi)

TARDIS Scarf (Blue & Red) (Credit: Lovarzi)

TARDIS Scarf (Grey & White) (Credit: Lovarzi)

FILTER: - Merchandise - Peter Davison - Tom Baker

Deleted Scenes from The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot

Monday, 27 October 2014 - Reported by Harry Ward

Peter Davison has released some deleted scenes from The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot on YouTube.

Davison commented on the video:

Scenes deleted from 'The Five(ish) Doctors'. Not much. A couple of Hobbit jokes, and a scene throwing a bit of light on the mystery girl at the lift.

The Five(ish) Doctors) Reboot - Deleted Scenes

He added on Twitter:

For the record: The mystery woman is Jemma Churchill and the scene should have come after 'This will be his agent, I guarantee it'

FILTER: - Online - Peter Davison - WHO50

Doctor Who Celebration: The Regenerations panel full video

Wednesday, 16 April 2014 - Reported by Melad Moshiri

An extended video collating three of the Regenerations panels at the Doctor Who Celebration has been uploaded onto the BBC's 50 Years of Doctor Who website.

Recorded at the Excel arena in London on the 22nd and 23rd November and moderated by Nicholas Briggs, the panel brought together former doctors Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy before the celebratory simulcast broadcast of The Day of the Doctor.

Discussed were the series' 2005 revival, the current TARDIS set, an anecdote from Tom about improvising in The Face of Evil, what Doctor each of them would play discounting themselves and the actors' reactions to regeneration scenes. (also available in a separate YouTube video).

In a string of three days from November 22nd to the 24th at the Excel, the event saw fans from across the globe visiting the celebration, alongside cast and crew, in honour of the show as part of the anniversary weekend.

Acknowledgements: With Thanks to Ed Stradling

FILTER: - UK - Tom Baker - Nicholas Briggs - Peter Davison - Sylvester McCoy - Colin Baker

Adric returns in Big Finish

Tuesday, 25 March 2014 - Reported by Marcus

Matthew Waterhouse makes his Big Finish debut as Adric this summer in The Fifth Doctor Box Set, reunited with Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton for two four-part audio adventures.

Waterhouse first played the role in 1980, joining the series just as the Fourth Doctor was completing his run, staying for 11 stories and 42 episodes.

Producer David Richardson said

I’m very proud of these stories. They are two top-notch scripts, and very different in style, content and tone – yet both of them fit perfectly into Season 19. I think Doctor Who fans are in for a treat…

Psychodrome by Jonathan Morris

Shortly after surviving the perils of Logopolis, Castrovalva and the machinations of the Master, the new Doctor and his new crew could be forgiven for wanting to take a breather from their tour of the galaxy. But when the TARDIS lands in a strange and unsettling environment, the urge to explore is irresistible... and trouble is only a few steps away.

The world they have found themselves in is populated by a wide variety of the strangest people imaginable - a crashed spacecraft here, a monastery there, even a regal court. And not everyone they meet has their best interests at heart.

With the TARDIS stolen, and the very environment itself out to get them, the travellers face a extremely personal threat. They'll have to work as a team if they want to get out alive... but can you really trust someone you barely know?

Guest cast: Rickett (Robert Whitelock), Magpie (Phil Mulryne), Perditia (Camila Power), Javon (Bethan Walker)

Iterations of I by John Dorney

The house on Fleming's Island had been left to rot. Ever since a strange and unexplained death soon after it was built, and plagued with troubling rumours about what lurked there, it remained empty and ignored for decades until the cult moved in. As twenty people filled its many rooms, the eerie building seemed to be getting a new lease of life.

But now it is empty again. The cult found something in its corridors... and then vanished.

Trapped on the island one dark night, the Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa and Adric look into the building's mysteries, its stories of madness and death. Their only chance is to understand what terrible thing has been disturbed here... before it consumes them utterly.

Guest cast: Jerome Khan (Joseph Radcliffe), Robert DeValley (Andrew Macklin), Aoife Dineen (Sinead Keenan), Donal Dineen (Teddy Kempner), Imogen Frazer (Allison McKenzie)

The Fifth Doctor Box Set is out in August.

The five discs include an hour-long documentary with interviews with the cast, in which Waterhouse talks about why he decided to return to Doctor Who.

FILTER: - Classic Series - Peter Davison - Big Finish

Davison Down Under

Wednesday, 29 January 2014 - Reported by Marcus

Fifth Doctor Peter Davison will be making a number of special appearances at ABC shops in the next couple of weeks.

The actor is in the country to host the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular. He will be making a special appearance at the shops, where he will be signing Doctor Who merchandise. Please note the number of items that can be signed will be limited due to time restrictions. See here for further details. Each appearance will be for 90 minutes.

Friday 31 January: 10.30am to 12pm - ABC Shop Chadstone
Tuesday 4 February: 10.30am to 12pm - ABC Shop Brisbane
Tuesday 11 February: 11.30am to 1pm - ABC Shop QVB Sydney
Wednesday 12 February: 11.30am to 1pm - ABC Shop Macquarie - North Ryde

FILTER: - Peter Davison - Australia

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