Greatest Moments – Ratings – The Companions

Saturday, 29 August 2009 - Reported by Marcus
According to unofficial overnight figures, the second installment of Doctor Who’s Greatest Moments was watched by 290,000 viewers. The programme share was 1.5% and it was the sixteenth most-watched programme of the day on multi-channel television. The figure is a drop from last week’s edition, which inherited a much larger base from the previous programme, The Runaway Bride.




FILTER: - Ratings - Documentary - UK

Water on the Lens

Friday, 28 August 2009 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Pinewood Studios have announced a new exhibition featuring images that have been captured of filming at its prestigious Underwater Stage. Amongst the many photographs represented are sets from Casino Royale, The Da Vinci Code, Eastenders and Doctor Who – where it was used in The Impossible Planet for shots of Scooti floating in space.

The inspiring pictures were captured by Phoebe Rudomino, commercial diver and underwater photographer of Diving Services UK. “U Stage provides such a secure and comfortable water filming environment that we're able to produce almost any type of underwater production shoot,” says Phoebe. “From working with horses and fire to the world’s top actors and models, the scenes are truly fascinating to capture.”

The exhibition forms part of The Movieum of London, at the Riverside Rooms, County Hall, on London’s South Bank, and runs from 1st–28th October.




FILTER: - Special Events

Filming resumes in Cardiff

Thursday, 27 August 2009 - Reported by Chuck Foster
After a few weeks away from its now 'traditional' place, filming for the new series of Doctor Who has once again resumed in Cardiff. This afternoon saw recording of scenes take place on the rooftop of Cardiff University's Glamorgan Building, with both Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in attendence. See the spoiler section for details on guests ... and enemies!

Filming today took place at what appears to be a wartime bunker surrounded by barbed wire, and features the return of the Doctor's greatest adversary the Daleks! Only partially seen, it would appear to have a more 'traditional' grey colour scheme to those seen in recent series. As well as the regulars, actor Bill Paterson was also glimpsed during the rooftop scenes.
Matt Smith Karen Gillan
Dalek Bill Paterson
Information and photos courtesy of Scott Frankton




FILTER: - Production - Filming Reports - Series 5/31

People Roundup

Thursday, 27 August 2009 - Reported by Marcus
Mary Tamm's new autobiography First Generation is released on 14th September. Tamm played the first incarnation of Romana alongside fourth Doctor Tom Baker. Colin Baker has written the foreword to the book which is available in two versions: a standard paperback and a special hardback edition. The hardback edition will only be available direct from Fantom Films and is limited to 200 copies, individually numbered, with extra photographs and signed by Tamm.

John Barrowman will be a guest on the Jonathan Ross Radio show, on BBC Radio 2, on Saturday 5 September. Barrowman is preparing to step into high heels when he takes on the role of Albin in La Cage Aux Folles at the Playhouse Theatre, London, for a limited run from 14 September to 28 November 2009.

Astrid Peth, better know as Kylie Minogue has been confirmed as one of the guests in Radio 2's Thank You For The Music concert in London’s Hyde Park on Sunday 13 September 2009, celebrating the Music of Abba. Minogue will perform two Abba hits, Super Trouper and When All Is Said And Done, alongside Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. Tickets are available from See tickets and the concert will be broadcast live on Radio 2.

Finally the outgoing Tardis Team of David Tennant and Russell T. Davies have given a 20-minute "exit interview" to Boing Boing Video.





FILTER: - People - Classic Series

Tate Wins Portal Award

Wednesday, 26 August 2009 - Reported by Marcus

Catherine Tate has won the Portal Award for Best Actress on Television for her portrayal of Donna Noble. Tate beat Mary McDonnell of Battlestar Galactica to the top position in the awards which have run since 1999 and are voted on by thousands of readers. It is the first time Doctor Who has won one of the major acting awards.

David Tennant was runner up as Best Actor being beaten by Jensen Ackles of Supernatural. Billie Piper was runner up in the Best Guest Star Category with Turn Left coming second in the Best Episode category.




FILTER: - People - Catherine Tate - Awards/Nominations

Sarah Jane Adventures – Series Two

Tuesday, 25 August 2009 - Reported by Marcus
The second series of The Sarah Jane Adventures will be released on DVD in the UK on 9th November 2009 and in the US a day later on the 10th November 2009.

The series consists of the stories The Last Sontaran, The Day of the Clown, Secrets of the Stars, The Mark of the Berserker, The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith and Enemy of the Bane. It was first shown in the UK in the Autumn of 2008.

Extras include

    • Interview with cast and crew
    • Season synopses for all stories
    • Investigating Tools – a gadget glossary
    • Quiz with special footage prize
    • Character and alien profiles
    • Photo gallery
    • Audio clips
    • UK TV spots
    • Trailers

Series Three is expected to be shown in the UK this Autumn.


2-entertain have indicated there will be no Doctor Who release in December. The Kamelion box set is now expected early in 2010. The second Doctor story The Dominators is also expected early in 2010 following an brief, unofficial release of a promo for the story on YouTube.

A new series box set consisting of the complete Series 1 – 4 will be released on 26th October.




FILTER: - USA - UK - Sarah Jane - Blu-ray/DVD

Greatest Moments – Ratings – The Doctor

Friday, 21 August 2009 - Reported by Marcus
According to unofficial overnight figures, the first installment of Doctor Who’s Greatest Moments, which was shown on BBC Three on Thursday, 20 August 2009, was watched by 400,000 viewers, making it the sixth most watched programme of the day on multi-channel television.




FILTER: - Ratings - Documentary - UK

Dreamland blog

Friday, 21 August 2009 - Reported by Marcus

Highslide JS
The BBC has launched the new Dreamland blog, detailing the production process behind the six-part animated adventure due later this year.

The story, voiced by David Tennant and written by Doctor Who writer Phil Ford, takes the Time Lord to Roswell, where he stumbles upon a mysterious alien artefact that leads him on a mission to rescue Rivesh Mantilax from the threat of the Viperox and the clutches of the American military.

Commissioned by BBC drama multiplatform, the series will be available on Red Button and on the Doctor Who website. CBBC will then show the entire 45-minute animation on BBC Two this autumn, as will the BBC HD channel.

Rosie Allimonos, drama multiplatform commissioner, said the series ‘presents an amazing opportunity to expand the multiplatform storytelling potential of Doctor Who’.

The Doctor will be joined by a new companion, Cassie Rice, played by Georgia Moffett, who played the Time Lord’s daughter Jenny in Series Four. David Warner stars as the leader of the ruthless Viperox.

In the run up to the animation, fans will be able to visit the Doctor Who website and follow a behind-the-scenes production blog on the making of Dreamland, giving the opportunity to follow the progress of the animation as it develops.

Produced by Brighton-based animation company Littleloud, the animation is being executive-produced by Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner and Piers Wenger. ‘Dreamland is a remarkable project and I'm thrilled with it. Phil Ford is a wonderful writer and promises to send the Doctor into a whole new visual dimension,’ Davies said.




FILTER: - Russell T Davies - David Tennant - Animation

Dalek War Extras

Friday, 21 August 2009 - Reported by Marcus
The Doctor Who Restoration Team have uploaded full details of the extras contained in the Dalek War Box set, released in the UK on October 5th.


Frontier in Space
will feature a commentary with Katy Manning, who played Jo Grant, as well as producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks..

Extras Include:

    • Perfect Scenario: Lost Frontier
    • The Space War, the making of the story
    • Roger Delgado: The Master, a biography of actor Roger Delgado
    • Stripped for Action: The Third Doctor's comic book adventures




Planet of the Daleks also features a commentary with Manning, Letts and Dicks and also includes Prentis Hancock who played Vaber and Tim Preece who played Codal.

Extras Include:

    • Perfect Scenario: The End of Dreams
    • The Rumble in the Jungle, the making of the story.
    • Multi-colourisation, a look at the colour restoration of episode three.
    • Stripped for Action: focuses on the Daleks.
    • Blue Peter.


Full details are on the website.

Fans of Katy Manning might like to know she is currently appearing in her one woman show, Me and Jezebel at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.




FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Blinkbox Deal

Thursday, 20 August 2009 - Reported by Marcus

BBC Worldwide has signed a deal with Blinkbox, a UK online video service, to offer 300 hours of BBC archived content.

Classic episodes of Doctor Who will be available to watch along with shows such as Hustle and Hotel Babylon. The programmes will be free but with adverts. Other programmes, including Top Gear, Gavin and Stacey, and Planet Earth, will be available to buy.

BBC Worldwide director of digital content partnerships Simon Danker said:
'Audiences are demanding a wide variety of options of how to watch their favourite content. 'We’re pleased that through Blinkbox, fans of tv classics such as The Young Ones, Doctor Who and Planet Earth will have another destination to watch these popular shows.'




FILTER: - Classic Series