Murray Gold returns to Torchwood

Thursday, 31 March 2011 - Reported by Harry Ward

The BBC Torchwood Twitter account has announced that the current composer for Doctor Who, Murray Gold, will be returning to the series to compose music for Torchwood: Miracle Day.

The announcement was made via Twitter at 9:41pm BST on 31st March:

THIS JUST IN: The 'Doctor Who' veteran Murray Gold will be composing Torchwood: Miracle Day. BRILLIANT.

Gold co-wrote music with Ben Foster for the first two series of Torchwood with the music being performed by the National Orchestra of Wales. He has also composed music for the computer-animated film, Hoodwinked Too! Hood VS. Evil which is due for release on April 29, 2011.

FILTER: - Murray Gold - Torchwood - Production - Miracle Day (Series 4)

Doctor Who Insider Issue 1

Thursday, 31 March 2011 - Reported by Harry Ward

The first ever issue of the Doctor Who Insider magazine launches in North America to coincide with the return of the new series.

In the first issue, there’s an exclusive interview with eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, plus Doctor Who production designer, Michael Pickwoad reveals how he built an entire new world for the holiday special.

Also in this issue:

Return of the Heroes The Fifth Doctor returns in a new trilogy of audio dramas, and in the first story he fights his old enemies, the Sontarans. We go behind-the-scenes to talk to the producers and writers of these brand new adventures and find out what’s in store for the Doctor and his companions.
I was... Chessene (of the Franzine Grig) - Jacqueline Pearce, best known as Servalan in Blake’s 7, recalls playing an alien Androgum opposite Doctors Two and Six – Patrick Troughton and Colin Baker, in 1985’s The Two Doctors.
Nexus Point We take a look at the memorable moment from Pyramids of Mars where the Fourth Doctor shows his companion Sarah what the Earth might look like if the evil Sutekh escapes his imprisonment.
Data File Who’s who and what’s what in the Doctor Who holiday special, A Christmas Carol.
Time Scoop Caught in the Time Scoop this issue are the Sontarans. We present a pictorial guide to the many appearances of the clone warriors over the years.
Merchandise Previews of the latest Doctor Who merchandise, including Kinda & Snakedance on DVD featuring mini interviews with Janet Fielding and Marc Platt; new talking books, The Jade Pyramid and The Gemini Contagion from AudioGO; author James Goss reveals his inspiration for his new novel, Dead of Winter; and we take a look at the latest action figure sets from Underground Toys.
Fan Zone A fantastic selection of pictures of fans posing with some well known Doctor Who celebrities, including Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Elisabeth Sladen. Plus photos of some fantastic Doctor Who inspired fan creations.

Plus the latest official news on the new series, and a giant, double-sided poster of the Eleventh Doctor and A Christmas Carol. Don’t miss the first issue of Doctor Who Insider. On sale in the US: Thursday April 7th 2011, priced $6.99. The magazine will be on sale in the UK on 6th May 2011.

Subscription to the magazine is available now via the International Media Service. UK readers can also subscribe to the magazine here.

FILTER: - Magazines

Competition Roundup (31st March 2011)

Thursday, 31 March 2011 - Reported by Marcus

Here is a list of the currently known open competitions related to Doctor Who:


Cultbox	4 Apr	Win one of five copies of the books 'Ghost Train' and 'Department X'.
SendIt	5 Apr	Win a Cyber Leader voice-changer mask.
Doctor Who News	6 Apr	Win one of six copies of A Christmas Carol Original Soundtrack on CD. Open Worldwide.
Eye of Horus	22 Apr	Win one of ten copies of Planet of the Spiders on DVD (R2). Open Worldwide
DrWho Online	30 Apr	Win one of three copies of Planet of the Spiders (R2) on DVD. Open Worldwide (starts 1 Apr)
DrWho Online	30 Apr	Win one of three copies of the BBC Radio Episodes on CD. Open Worldwide (starts 1 Apr)
BBC Australia	30 Apr	Win a trip for two to visit the Doctor Who Experience! Australian entrants only.
BBC America	15 May	Send in a photo of your home-made TARDIS to win DVDs and a private screening. US entrants only.

FILTER: - Competitions

Karen Gillan to star in BBC Four biopic

Thursday, 31 March 2011 - Reported by Marcus

Karen Gillan is to play Jean Shrimpton, one of the world's first supermodels, in a new biopic commissioned for BBC Four.

We'll Take Manhattan, written and directed by John McKay, explores the explosive love affair between photographer David Bailey and the sixties supermodel which developed during a wild and unpredictable 1962 Vogue photo shoot in New York. The drama brings to life the story of two young people falling in love, misbehaving, and inadvertently defining the style of the Sixties along the way.

The role will be Gillan's first leading role away from the series since she joined the cast of Doctor Who.

Jean Shrimpton is an icon of the Sixties and I am so excited to be playing somebody who had such a lasting impact on the fashion world. I can't wait to take on the challenge of bringing Jean and Bailey's fascinating love story to life. Sixties here I come.

Claire Parker of Kudos Film and Television, says:

In Jean, Bailey found someone that he and his camera fell in love with. We'll Take Manhattan captures the essence of their dynamic affair and how they unwittingly changed the face of a decade. We're delighted to have the opportunity to make another film for BBC Four and are thrilled to have Karen Gillan on board as Jean.

Filming starts in May.

BBC Four has also recommissioned Dirk Gently, the adaptation of the late Douglas Adams novel.

The channel has ordered another three episodes of the drama based on the books by the former Doctor Who author and Script Editor, following the success of the pilot shown on the channel last December.

FILTER: - People - Karen Gillan

Doctor Who Monster Invasion to launch May 2011

Thursday, 31 March 2011 - Reported by Harry Ward

BBC Magazines have announced that the Doctor Who partwork magazine will launch in the UK in early May 2011, to coincide with the return of the new series. As previously reported, the magazine was due for release in April 2011.

Doctor Who: Monster Invasion is a new fortnightly partwork comprising of a magazine with collectable cards aimed at an 8-12 year old audience. Part one of Monster Invasion will retail at a promotional price of £1.50 (normal retail price is £2.60) and will contain: a magazine featuring an episode guide; an A-Z of monsters; an alien slamdown fold-out poster; two packs of cards; and the first section of a three-part giant poster. Parts two and three each come with one pack of cards; the first and second part of a collectable TARDIS storage box; and the remaining sections of the giant poster. Packs of the collectable ‘monster’ cards can also be purchased separately, priced £1.50.

BBC Magazines’ Head of Partworks, Ceri Murray, said:

There is a huge appetite among the pre-teen audience for the Doctor Who brand, as demonstrated by the success of our weekly Doctor Who Adventures magazine. Building on the success of Top Gear Turbo Challenge – our first ever partwork – Doctor Who: Monster Invasion gives fans the chance to learn more about the monsters from their favourite show through ‘collectables’, which are hugely popular with this age group.

The launch of Doctor Who: Monster Invasion follows a successful test in the West Country in 2010. It will be supported by a national TV advertising, print and online marketing campaign, an interactive website with games and point of sale promotions in 3,000 independent retailers.

FILTER: - Magazines

BBC: Be the First to See The Impossible Astronaut

Wednesday, 30 March 2011 - Reported by Marcus

Update (1st April): This competition is now officially closed and all the successful applicants have been contacted. [BBC Doctor Who]

The BBC are offering fans the chance to win tickets to see the fist two episodes of the new series of Doctor Who, The Impossible Astronaut and Day of the Moon at an exclusive screening in London.

Be the First to See The Impossible Astronaut

The new series of Doctor Who begins at Easter but here's your chance to see the opening two episodes before everybody else!

We're giving away 30 pairs of tickets to an exclusive screening of The Impossible Astronaut and Day of the Moon on Monday, 4 April, 2011 at a special venue in Central London. The screening starts at 18:30 so please make sure you can arrive by 18:00. There's even a Question and Answer session following the episodes, so you might get the chance to ask the cast something you've always wanted to know.

You must be 16 years or older to apply but if you're successful and are allocated a pair of tickets, there is no age restriction on your lucky guest. That means if you're under 16 and want to attend you could ask a parent or guardian to apply and if they're successful you've just got to persuade them to take you along!

Neither travel nor accommodation is included so you must be able to safely get to and from Central London. Please do not register your details if you think you cannot attend. You can read full terms and conditions here and we'll contact all successful applicants by telephone on Friday evening.

So what are you waiting for? Simply fill in the entry form and hit send! Only one application will be accepted per person and multiple applications will not be eligible for selection. Good luck!

BBC will only ever use personal details for the purposes of administering this ticket giveaway, and will not publish them or provide them to anyone without permission. Your details will not be retained for more than 90 days. You can read more about the BBC Privacy Policy on: http://www.bbc.co.uk/privacy/

FILTER: - Competitions - BBC

Full length trailer for the 2011 series of Doctor Who

Wednesday, 30 March 2011 - Reported by Harry Ward

The BBC have now released a full length, 60 second trailer for Doctor Who, which is available via their YouTube channel; the trailer introduces a mixture of clips and teasers for the forthcoming series due to commence this Easter.

Doctor Who Trailer, BBC, via YouTube | Also available on BBC's Doctor Who website

The trailer was broadcast on the main BBC channels at 8:00pm in the evening (Wednesday) - however, there was a subtle difference between this and the online version in some regions, indicating that - like the teaser - there are (at least) two versions being broadcast!

In the online version at 24 seconds in, there a clip with the Doctor and crew by the "exploding console"; this was replaced in the broadcast version by a close-up of an alien, believed to be a Silent:

Unfortunately the BBC1 premier, shown just before Waterloo Road, suffered from a technical fault in several regions leading to a blank screen for the first twenty seconds or so.

Shortly after the trailer was released online, an announcement was made on the BBC Doctor Who website for a competition to win tickets to an exclusive screening of The Impossible Astronaut and Day of the Moon in London on Monday, 4 April, 2011 at 6:30pm.

FILTER: - Series 6/32

Andrew Skilleter Website

Wednesday, 30 March 2011 - Reported by Marcus

The artist Andrew Skilleter has launched a new website featuring much of his work on the Doctor Who range during the eighties and nineties.

Skilleter is best known for his prolific body of work on the Doctor Who Target range. Over a fifteen year period he provided cover artwork for around forty nine of the novelizations as well as working on feature books, video releases, calenders and prints.

In 1983 he designed the Radio Times cover for the Twentieth anniversary story The Five Doctors, the image also being used for the video release.

Away from Doctor Who he is an official Star Wars artist and provided a substantial body of work for Gerry Anderson creations, including Thunderbirds. The site features some of Skilleter's work in the new Fantasy, Sc-Fi, Narnia and Ruth Rendell galleries.

The website was set up by Skilleter in December 2010 and contains links to a calendar and archival prints of some of the many Target book covers as well as a section where you can buy original artwork.

andrewskilleter.com

You can also become a fan of Andrew Skilleter on Facebook.

Andrew Skilleter showreel, via YouTube

FILTER: - Merchandise - Classic Series

BBC Australia: Win a trip to the UK to visit the Doctor Who Experience

Wednesday, 30 March 2011 - Reported by Marcus

BBC Australia and Roadshow Entertainment have launched a competition to give fans the change to win a trip to the UK to visit the Doctor Who Experience in the London. Visit bbcondvd.com.au/doctorwhoexperience for the entry form.

Step into the TARDIS and be part of the adventure!

To celebrate the release of Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol on DVD we’re giving you the chance to win a trip for 2 to the UK to visit the Doctor Who Experience!

Join the Doctor as his companion on a journey through time and space, encountering some of the best-loved and scariest monsters. Find yourself at the heart of the action of this fully contained interactive, exhilarating and unique walk-through experience and an awe-inspiring exhibition.

Visit the Doctor Who Experience website for more information www.doctorwhoexperience.com.

Major Prize:

Return economy class flights for 2 to London (departing Sydney or Melbourne only) valued up to $6000
5 nights’ accommodation (3 star twin share) valued up to $1200
2 x tickets to the Doctor Who Experience at London’s Olympia Two valued up to $70
Return airport/hotel transfers up to $300
Travel Insurance up to $200
Doctor Who DVD Prize Pack $500

The major prize is valued over $8000

GAIN A BONUS ENTRY!

Purchase any specially marked Doctor Who DVD during the promotional period
Complete the entry page here, adding your receipt number
You’ve gained a bonus entry! It’s that easy!*

*If you already have a receipt number and are entering for the first time, you’ll automatically receive a bonus entry.

The Competition runs from 01/03/2011 at 12:01am (AEDST) to 30/04/2011 at 11.59pm (AEDST)

Full Terms and conditions [PDF]

FILTER: - Australia - Competitions

Merchandise roundup

Tuesday, 29 March 2011 - Reported by Harry Ward

Two new Maxi Busts have been added to the Doctor Who Masterpiece Collection range by Titan Merchandise plus there are two new Forbidden Planet exclusive Doctor Who costumes t-shirts and new additions to the Dalek action figure collectors set.

Doctor Who Masterpiece Collection Maxi Busts
These are beautifully-sculpted 8" Polystone maxi-busts

These beautifully-sculpted 8" maxi-busts capture Tom Baker's scarf-bedecked fourth Doctor at his mysterious, mercurial, enigmatic best (Release date: 16 October 2011); David Tennant's tenth Doctor in all his slender, sharp-suited dynamic glory (Release date: 26 September 2011) and Jon Pertwee's flamboyant third Doctor incarnation in his velvet-jacketed, bouffant-haired glory. (Sculpt subject to approval)
From the Earthshock story line, there is a beautifully-sculpted 8" maxi-bust of the classic Cyberman design which captures one of the Doctor's most notorious arch-enemies in all his heartless semi-robotic glory. (Release date: 30 July 2011) From the classic Blink episode, the maxi-bust of a Weeping Angel captures every detail of the Tenth Doctor's stone nemesis. (Sculpt subject to approval)

The busts of the eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond and Captain Jack Harkness will be released this summer.

Doctor Who Costume T-shirts (Forbidden Planet Exclusives)
Get started in the fashion stakes with this fantastic Forbidden Planet Exclusive T-Shirt designed to commemorate the Timelord's iconic outfit!

The whimsical seventh Doctor's wonderful waistcoat and the sixth Doctor's patchwork coat, cat pin and question mark lapels an be yours with these amazing printed t-shirts! (Pending license approval & subject to change)
the fifth Doctor's cream-coloured frock coat, cricket jumper and iconic question mark lapels, and the fourth Doctor's waistcoat, frock coat, and, most famously, his amazing multicoloured scarf t-shirts are out now!

Dalek Action Figure Collectors Set
Only available for sale in the UK and Ireland.

The Genesis set includes Davros and 2 variant Daleks along with the fourth Doctor in his dufflecoat. - Release date: 15 April 2011
The Destiny set includes the fourth Doctor, Davros, and two Gray Daleks variants. - Release date: 16 May 2011
The Revelation includes Davros, a Necros Dalek, a Skaro Dalek and the sixth Doctor in his blue mourning cloak. - Release date: 05 April 2011

The Resurrection and Remembrance sets are available to buy now.

(6th Doctor action figure photo courtesy of Luke Williams)

FILTER: - Merchandise - Character

Previous 10 Stories