Karen Gillan won the award for
Scottish Fashion Icon of the Year at this year's Scottish Fashion Awards. On the red carpet beforehand the actress had said:
"It would be a huge honour to win an award like that and really unexpected. I honestly didn’t think I would be nominated for anything wearing the clothes I wear." Talking about her departure from
Doctor Who she said:
"It was so sad. It was this bittersweet thing 'cause I'm really excited to move onto other things, I'm actually going on to do a film in Glasgow which I'm really excited about, but yeah it was so sad 'cause I'm leaving my best friends in a weird way." [STV, 14 June 2012]The actress also made an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival in order to promote her forthcoming film,
Not Another Happy Ending.
Arthur Darvill is to star in the West End production of Jonathan Lewis's award-winning play
Our Boys alongside Laurence Fox (aka the husband of
Billie Piper) and Cian Barry. The play's synopsis:
A candid account of the tedium, terror and tribulations suffered by five young soldiers recovering from injuries incurred in the line of duty. But when their daily routine of TV, lonely hearts ads and banter is interrupted by the arrival of an unwelcome authority figure, their unlikely camaraderie gives way to betrayal, accusations and all-out war. The play opens at the Duchess Theatre on 3rd October, with previews from 26th September.
[Whats On Stage, 15 June 2012]Neil Gaiman,
John Challis,
Jon Culshaw, and
Andrew Sachs are among the star names providing the Voice of the Book for
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy Radio Show Live! which is currently on tour in the UK. The show re-creates the masterwork by
Douglas Adams. Celebrity Doctor Who fan Culshaw is renowned for his impressions of Tom Baker, while Sachs has appeared in Doctor Who audio dramas and was the voice of Skagra in the webcast of Adams's
Shada. For more details on where and when the different voices are appearing, see the
Hitchhiker's Live! website.
Steven Moffat explains how he approaches writing:
"I never make a note of anything, I never even write a plot down. I have a terrible superstition of writing things down. I have to write in sequence and only in sequence." [Entertainmentwise, The Sun, 28 May 2012]John Barrowman will once again take on a role of Jack this coming Christmas - alongside his faithful 'companions' Ian and Janette Krankie in the pantomine
Jack and the Beanstalk! The trio return to the Glasgow SECC for their third 'adventure' together, with managing director of QDos Michael Harrison saying:
"We are thrilled that John, Ian and Janette are returning to Glasgow, where they have received huge audience acclaim. Over the past few years, together with our colleagues at the SECC, we have staged Glasgow’s biggest and most spectacular pantomime and I can promise that Jack and the Beanstalk will be another giant and unmissable show!" The show will run between 15th December and 6th January.
Playbill, 11 Jun 2012]Peter Purves will also be appearing in panto later this year, playing Alderman Fitzwarren in
Dick Whittington at
Harpenden Public Halls from 15th to 22nd December.
Noel Clarke has revealed his favourite Doctor: "
Matt. He just brought something different to it that I like. No disrespect to the others. I'm not going to say them just because I worked with them. Also when Matt got on, the budgets were larger and the show was more ambitious.". Appearing on Channel 4's
Sunday Brunch on 17th June, the actor added that his actual favourite was
Peter Davison who was the Doctor as he grew up.
[Radio Times, 15 June 2012]Janet Fielding handed a petition to Thanet council as part of a No Night Flights campaign to stop plans to allow night flights to take place at Manston airport. The actress said:
"Along with the health and environmental issues surrounding night flights, there are potentially disastrous consequences for Ramsgate's recovering tourism industry which needs to be protected. Who will want to stay in a hotel with planes flying over all night? This needs to be investigated in full." [Thanet Times, 22 May 2012]Bill Nighy revealed how he could have become the Doctor:
"I was offered the role once, I won't tell you when because the rule is that you're not allowed to say you turned that job down because it's disrespectful to whoever did it. I will say that I was approached. But I didn't want to be the Doctor. No disrespect to Doctor Who or anything. I just think that it comes with too much baggage." [People, 3 June 2012]Catherine Tate is to return in the next series of the US version of
The Office, with her character Nellie Bertram from the previous series finale set to be a regular.
[Contact Music, 4 Jun 2012]Lara Pulver commented on recent gossip about her potentially becoming the first female Doctor:
Steven and I have both said we thoroughly enjoyed working together, and then there was me being in Wales so the media put two and two together. (and would it have been amazing?) Yes and no. Not if it meant the end of the Doctor Who franchise because the fans aren’t keen on it. [Standard, 15 June 2012]Veteran cameraman
Jules Greenway has been awarded the
The Guild of Television Cameramen's top award for his work over the last few decades. The recently retired 68-year-old worked on a number of shows in his career, including
Doctor Who,
Z-Cars,
Top of the Pops and
Blue Peter at the BBC, and
Tales of the Unexpected at Anglia. His production team also won a BAFTA for their coverage of the 1998 Derby. He reflected:
"I always favoured the dramas as they were the opportunity to shoot complicated shots. Sports events were exciting to do but very repetitive, the shots are very similar, while with drama you are constantly looking to do something different. Most cameramen’s pleasure is in executing a good shot, doing it well and being pleased with the end result.".
[Eastern Daily Press, 19 May 2012]Concern has been raised over
Richard Gent, who disappeared a number of weeks ago leaving his phone and wallet at home after cancelling plans to meet friends. The actor has appeared in shows such as
Casualty,
Being Human and
Torchwood. Police have asked anyone who has knowledge of his whereabouts to contact them on the missing persons helpline: freephone 116 000.
In Memoriam:
The actor
George Murdock passed away on 30th April. He played a Preacher in the recent
Torchwood series
Miracle Day and has appeared in a number of sci-fi shows including
Battlestar Galactica,
Star Trek: The Next Generation, and
The X Files - he is perhaps best known as playing "God" in the film
Star Trek V - The Final Frontier.
Brian Hibbard passed away on 17th June after suffering from prostate cancer. The actor played the assassin Keillor in the Sylvester McCoy story
Delta and the Bannermen, and appeared in a number of soaps including
Coronation Street,
Emmerdale, and last year
EastEnders. For a different generation, however, he will be remembered as the former lead singer of The Flying Pickets!
[BBC News, 18 Jun 2012]