Doctor RoundupBookmark and Share

Saturday, 20 August 2011 - Reported by Marcus
David Tennant has been talking to The Guardian Weekend as his run in the West End playing Benedick to Catherine Tate's Beatrice draws to a close.

Tennant talks about his career so far, his life growing up in Scotland and his tabloid reputation as a seducer on the Doctor Who set. "I refute that heartily." he says. "Well, I mean I have had some girlfriends, and I did meet some of them at work you know, my bedpost really has very few notches compared with other actors of my erm, erm, pedigree.

He talks about his future plans following the release of Fright Night next month. "I just like to join the jobs up and hope they will be as varied and interesting as possible. So if I can do a film with DreamWorks, then come back and do a little British film, then do something in the West End, then do something for the BBC, that's great. You learn from experience that the things you think are going to change your life probably won't. Not that I'm looking for it to be changed. I'm very happy with what I've got."

Colin Baker joined experts from East Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and Job Centre Plus in the cathedral city of Ely on Friday in a day aimed at helping residents tackle any life challenges that they may face.

The Sixth Doctor was joined by experts in housing, policing, benefits and drug awareness as well as a Dalek, a Cyberman and an Ood. Baker, who is currently touring in Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White, gave his time free for the event.

"I think everyone knows that it has been a difficult time for many people over the last few years and I know a lot of people who have or are struggling to keep their heads above water," he said. "I hope that in a small way I can attract people along who might not necessarily seek help who can then talk to the experts who will be on hand."

Christopher Eccleston is currently filming in the North East of England in a comedy drama about a grumpy pensioner who joins a local choir.

Also staring Gemma Arterton, Vanessa Redgrave and Terence Stamp, Song For Marion by Paul Andrew Williams is a comedy drama about a grumpy pensioner Arthur (Terence Stamp) who is reluctantly inspired by his beloved wife Marion (Vanessa Redgrave) to join a highly unconventional local choir.

Eccleston plays their son James in the Steel Mill Pictures production.
Matt Smith has been snapped in a fetching white sailor's hat with wide-rimmed glasses as he rowed on the Thames while filming for the new BBC Drama Bert and Dickie. Smith is playing Bert Bushnell, one half of the rowing team that won the gold medal in the 1948 Olympics in London for the double scull.




FILTER: - People - Matt Smith - David Tennant - Christopher Eccleston - Colin Baker

Eccleston Expands on Reasons for LeavingBookmark and Share

Sunday, 24 July 2011 - Reported by Marcus
EcclestonNinth Doctor Christopher Eccleston has been expanding on remarks he made in the Radio Times last year as to the reasons he left Doctor Who.

In comments to students at an acting master class in London, and reported by Bad Wilf, he told of how he left the series after falling out with those in charge of the show.
I left Doctor Who, because I could not get along with the senior people. I left, because of politics. I did not see eye-to-eye, with them. I didn't agree with the way things were being run. I didn't like the culture that had grown up, around the series. So, I left. I felt, over a principle. I thought to remain, which would have made me a lot of money and given me huge visibility, the price I would have had to pay, was to eat a lot of shit.

I'm not being funny about that. I didn't want to do that and, it comes to the art of it, in a way. I feel that if you run your career and-we are vulnerable as actors and, we are constantly humiliating ourselves auditioning. But, if you allow that to go on, on a grand scale. You will loose, whatever it is about you and, it will be present in your work.

If you allow your desire to be successful and visible and financially secure – if you allow that to make you throw shades on your parents, on your upbringing, then you’re knackered. You’ve got to keep something back, for yourself, because it’ll be present in your work. A purity or an idealism is essential or you’ll become– you’ve got to have standards, no matter how hard work that is. So it makes it a hard road, really.

You know, it’s easy to find a job when you’ve got no morals, you’ve got nothing to be compromised, you can go, ‘Yeah, yeah. That doesn’t matter. That director can bully that prop man and I won’t say anything about it’. But then when that director comes to you and says ‘I think you should play it like this’ you’ve surely got to go ‘How can I respect you, when you behave like that?’

So, that’s why I left. My face didn’t fit and I’m sure they were glad to see the back of me.


Despite his reasons for leaving Eccleston is still proud of what he achieved in the role.
The important thing is that I succeeded. It was a great part. I loved playing him. I loved connecting with that audience. Because I've always acted for adults and the suddenly, you're acting for children. Who are far more tasteful, they will not be bullshitted. It's either good, or it's bad. They don't schmooze at after show parties, with cocktails.

During the master-class Eccleston revealed that he had recently been informed that he was a victim of phone hacking during his time as the Doctor, and he said will be taking legal action against the parties involved.




FILTER: - Christopher Eccleston

People Roundup (a tale of three Doctors)Bookmark and Share

Thursday, 9 December 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Former Doctor David Tennant joined a number of celebrities (including current James Bond actor Daniel Craig and singer Geri Halliwell) who took to the ICAP trading floor in order to raise money for Prince Charles's charities, Youth Business International and Prince's Teaching Institute.

Having announced having a role in the forthcoming The Hobbit film back in October, the official press conference for the film formally confirms Sylvester McCoy as playing wizard Radagast the Brown; other names in the film include Martin Freeman (who plays Watson in Steven Moffat's other popular show Sherlock), Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, and the return of Cate Blanchett (who played Elven Queen Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings trilogy).

Christopher Eccleston attended a special charity screening of what he has called his most important work, Hillsborough, after which he gave a 30 minute discussion about the film with attendees; the actor had nominated the drama to be shown as part of fund-raising for the Clapperboard Youth Project.

Writer Stephen Gallagher (Warriors Gate, Terminus) will be writing and producing a new drama for Fox Television: The Danger List will be a medical thriller in which a doctor with a complicated past investigates medical abuses, crimes and conspiracies.

The latest star to join the Doctor Who 'family', Sir Michael Gambon (in this year's Christmas special A Christmas Carol), is in the Stage's shortlist for the Greatest Stage Actor; the public poll also includes the likes of Sir Ian McKellen, Sir John Gielgud, Sir Laurence Olivier, Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith.




FILTER: - People - David Tennant - Christopher Eccleston - Sylvester McCoy

It also Travels in TimeBookmark and Share

Sunday, 21 November 2010 - Reported by Harry Ward
RIPT Apparel are offering a Doctor Who t-shirt which will be on sale for today only.

The design features a quote from The Ninth Doctor when he comes back for Rose to tell her that his space ship also travels in time. The t-shirt is $10 (about £6) and is available in men's, women's and children's sizes. Alternatively you can purchase the hoodie version for $38 (about £23).

Previous Doctor Who t-shirts from RIPT include the popular "Whosicle" design.

Available for:




FILTER: - Merchandise - Series 1/27 - Christopher Eccleston

Doctor RoundupBookmark and Share

Monday, 15 November 2010 - Reported by Marcus
Matt Smith has been confirmed as a guest on the Tuesday edition of the CBS chat show, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. On Twitter Ferguson said the show will be a Doctor Who Special complete with Daleks. The show is being recorded Tuesday afternoon in Los Angeles for transmission at 12.35am (ET).

Smith will also be a guest on the Nerdist Podcast, hosted by the comedian Chris Hardwick. The podcast is free to download on iTunes.

Meanwhile Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccleston has been promoting his appearance in the BBC One drama series Accused. In an interview with the Scottish Daily Record, he criticised the desire for fame encouraged by programmes such as The X Factor.
These people are chasing fame for its own sake. That's vacuous. I've been famous and I can tell you there's nothing there. The only thing that's there is the work you do.
Eccleston was asked about his time on Doctor Who and why he left so soon.
The most important thing about Doctor Who isn't that I left but that I did it. Those 13 episodes were a real success and I'm proud of the work. I've never seen it since I left. I'm always out and about on a Saturday night. But I'm very proud of what we did with it. I wanted to do a children's character because all my work had been for adults.

However Eccleston was less willing to discuss Doctor Who when talking to The Daily Telegraph.
I’ve said everything I’m ever going to say about Doctor Who, I have no opinions on anything about it. There are too many opinions about that particular show – it’s just my past. I spoke about it a great deal at the time.




FILTER: - Matt Smith - Christopher Eccleston

New Christmas ClipsBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 29 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
The BBC has released a Drama Showreel showcasing the new drama output coming up on the BBC over the next six months, featuring clips from the 2010 Christmas Special of Doctor Who.



The showreel was previewed at an event marking two years in post for BBC Controller of Drama, Ben Stephenson.

Other dramas featured include performances from the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors:

  • Christopher Eccleston stars in an episode of Accused, a new drama series from Jimmy McGovern for BBC One.
  • David Tennant plays Dave in Single Father coming to BBC One on Sunday 10 October.
  • Matt Smith plays Christopher Isherwood in Christopher and his Kind coming to BBC Two next month.







  • FILTER: - Specials - Matt Smith - David Tennant - Christopher Eccleston - Press

    Series One for 99p?Bookmark and Share

    Thursday, 23 September 2010 - Reported by Marcus
    Doctor Who: See SawVideo on Demand service See Saw is giving fans the chance to vote to see the entire Series One of Doctor Who for just 99p.

    Christopher Eccleston's performance as the Ninth Doctor is up against Grey's Anatomy, Robin Hood and The Hills in a promotion to find the most popular series. Whichever gets the most Facebook 'like' votes by next Monday morning will be made available to watch for the next ninety days for just 99p.

    Votes need to be made on the See Saw website.




    FILTER: - Online - Series 1/27 - Christopher Eccleston

    People NewsBookmark and Share

    Friday, 18 June 2010 - Reported by Marcus
    Ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston will star in an episode of a new BBC One six-part drama Accused, by Jimmy McGovern. Eccleston plays lapsed Catholic Willy in the series which also stars Mackenzie Crook, Juliet Stevenson, Peter Capaldi and Andy Serkis. Meanwhile Eccleston's portrayal of John Lennon in Lennon Naked, will be shown as part of the BBC Four Fatherhood season on Wednesday 23rd July.

    Tenth Doctor David Tennant has been cast in a remake of the 1985 film Fright Night. Tennant will play a character originally portrayed by Roddy McDowall in a Dreamworks production, which will also star Toni Collette and Colin Farrell.

    Fourth Doctor Tom Baker has written the foreword to the new AA book of Haunted Britain due to be published in September 2010.

    John Barrowman is to return in his entertainment series Tonight's the Night. The show will be recording at BBC Scotland's headquarters, at Pacific Quay in Glasgow, over the summer for an autumn transmission.

    Sophie Okonedo been awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. Okonedo, who played Liz 10 in The Beast Below, described the award as 'the cherry on the cake'. It's not known if the award will be presented to the actress by Liz 2.




    FILTER: - People - Christopher Eccleston

    Eccleston talks departureBookmark and Share

    Tuesday, 15 June 2010 - Reported by Chuck Foster
    EcclestonThe new Radio Times features an interview with former Doctor Christopher Eccleston. The article focusses on his role as John Lennon in the BBC film Lennon Naked (BBC4/BBHD, 9:30pm Wed 23rd), but he also discusses his departure from Doctor Who after just the one series:

    I was open-minded but I decided after my experience on the first series that I didn't want to do any more. I didn't enjoy the environment and the culture that we, the cast and crew, had to work in. I wasn't comfortable. I thought "if I stay in this job, I'm going to have to blind myself to certain things that I thought were wrong."

    And I think it's more important to be your own man than be successful, so I left. But the most important thing is that I did it, not that I left. I really feel that, because it kind of broke the mould and it helped to reinvent it. I'm very proud of it.

    The Radio Times (19-25th June 2010) is out now.




    FILTER: - Christopher Eccleston - Radio Times

    News RoundupBookmark and Share

    Tuesday, 4 May 2010 - Reported by Marcus
    The Doctor Who Proms have sold out on the first day of ticket release. The two proms will take place in July at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Tickets went on sale Tuesday morning and the event was sold out by lunchtime. Over 500 Arena and Gallery tickets will be available on the day to members of the public queuing at the Royal Albert Hall. The Saturday Prom will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and recorded for future broadcast on BBC Three.

    Discworld creator Terry Pratchett has questioned Doctor Who's Sci-Fi credentials. Talking to SFX magazine, the best selling author admits he finds the series very, very entertaining, with "its heart in the right place" but thinks "its head is often in orbit around Jupiter". "I just wish that it was not classified as science fiction. Doctor Who’s science is pixel thin."

    Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccleston has said he will like to turn his hand to comedy. Eccleston who has recently completed a John Lennon biopic for BBC4, told the Radio Times he had not worked since last year as he selects his TV roles so carefully. "I'm more slapdash about the film choices I make, whereas I choose my TV projects very carefully. But it's a tough time and I haven't worked since December because I'm choosy. I would actually like to do comedy for the rest of my life and surprise everyone and myself."




    FILTER: - Music - Special Events - Christopher Eccleston - Press