The Ark In Space Special Edition DVD

Wednesday, 23 January 2013 - Reported by John Bowman

The cover and contents of the forthcoming two-disc special edition DVD release of The Ark In Space in the UK have been finalised.

All four episodes have been newly remastered, using advances in technology and technique, and are supported by an expanded collection of bonus features.

The Ark In Space - Special Edition
Release date: 25th February 2013 (Available for pre-order)

Starring Tom Baker as the Doctor, with Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith and Ian Marter as Harry Sullivan
Written by Robert Holmes
Directed by Rodney Bennett

Broadcast: 25th January - 15th February 1975

The TARDIS arrives on the apparently deserted and deactivated space station Nerva, otherwise known as the Ark, orbiting Earth in the far future. There, the Doctor, Sarah and Harry discover the last survivors of the human race held in suspended animation, Earth having been evacuated thousands of years earlier when solar flares threatened to destroy all life. However, the Ark's occupants face a new threat in the form of the Wirrn - an invading insect life form.

Special Features

Commentary: With actors Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen plus producer Philip Hinchcliffe
A New Frontier: Making The Ark In Space
TV movie version: The 70-minute repeat compilation of the story that was broadcast on 20th August 1975
Dr Forever! – Love And War: A new documentary examining the Virgin/BBC Books range of novels produced during the show's hiatus. Interviewees include Russell T Davies and Mark Gatiss
Scene Around Six: 1978 news footage of Tom Baker's public appearances in Northern Ireland
8mm location footage: Amateur film shot during Tom Baker's first story
Interview: With designer Roger Murray-Leach
Alternative title sequence and model footage
Optional CGI effects
Original BBC trailer
3D technical schematics
Photo gallery
TARDIS Cam
Coming Soon trailer
Production information subtitles
Radio Times listings, Doctor Who Technical Manual, plus Crosse & Blackwell and Nestlé promotional material (Adobe PDF format)
Digitally remastered picture and sound quality

UPDATE: 11th FEBRUARY: The release date - originally set for 18th February - has been pushed back a week to 25th February.

FILTER: - Merchandise - UK - Tom Baker - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD - Elisabeth Sladen

The Sarah Jane Companion: Volume Three

Wednesday, 15 August 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

This week sees the release of the latest Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition, which looks in depth at Series Five of The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Written and researched by Andrew Pixley, the special explores the making of the final three stories to be broadcast, Sky, The Curse of Clyde Langer, and The Man Who Never Was, plus details on the three stories that would have made up the second half of the series, Meet Mr Smith, The Thirteenth Floor and The Battle for Bannerman Road. In The Untold Tales, Russell T Davies and Phil Ford discuss how the series might have progressed into its sixth season, whilst The Stories That Never Were delves into the outlines and scripts that ultimately were never made. Plus, a previously unpublished interview with Elisabeth Sladen which was conducted back in 1993 for Thirty Years in the TARDIS.

The Sarah Jane Companion
Volume Three

The ultimate guide to the exploits of the Doctor's most enduring companion in her own spin-off series - The Sarah Jane Adventures!

Full production guides for the three Series Five SJA stories
Details of the storylines for the unmade Series Five adventures
Further plots and ideas for the stories that never were
The full transcript of a 1993 interview with Elisabeth Sladen

Discover a whole universe of adventure - right here on your doorstep!

Editor Tom Spilsbury also provided a sneak peek into the magazine: "Here's a glimpse inside the new DWM SJA Special - and what would have been the Series Five finale..."

FILTER: - DWM - Sarah Jane - Elisabeth Sladen

Sladen Autobiography To Get Paperback Edition

Friday, 1 June 2012 - Reported by John Bowman

Elisabeth Sladen's autobiography is to be published in paperback next month, it was announced today.

Aurum Press, which brought the book out in hardback last November, said that it would be available from 26th July, but it is likely that it may be out on 1st July. It is available to pre-order here.

With a foreword by David Tennant and published with the support and participation of Sladen's family, Aurum calls the book "a warm and witty celebration of an actress who delighted generations of children and is fondly remembered by fans young and old alike".

When Elisabeth Sladen first appeared as plucky journalist Sarah Jane Smith in the 1973 Doctor Who story The Time Warrior, little did she know the character would become one of the most enduring and fondly remembered of the series' long history.

The years that followed saw Elisabeth traverse time and space alongside classic Doctors Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, while a generation of children crouched behind the sofa, terrified but transfixed as their tea-time heroine found herself menaced by Daleks, dinosaurs, Cybermen, Egyptian mummies, actors in green bubble-wrap and even the Loch Ness Monster. By the time she quit the TARDIS in 1976, making front-page news, Elisabeth had become one of the most familiar faces of a TV golden age.

But you don't just walk away from Doctor Who. Elisabeth was asked to reprise her role many times, appearing in anniversary specials, an ill-fated 1981 spin-off with robotic sidekick K-9, radio plays, and for the BBC's Children in Need. She toured the weird, wide and wonderful world of Doctor Who fandom and became one of the series' all-time favourite companions. So when TV wunderkind Russell T Davies approached her to come back again, this time to a show backed by multi-million-pound budgets and garlanded with critical plaudits, how could she refuse?

This warm and witty autobiography, completed only months before Elisabeth died in April 2011, tells her remarkable story, from humble beginnings in post-war Liverpool, through an acclaimed theatrical career working alongside stage luminaries such as Alan Ayckbourn, to Coronation Street, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and the furthest reaches of the universe.

A unique insider's view of the world's longest-running science fiction series, and of British television yesterday and today, Elisabeth's memoir is funny, ridiculous, insightful and entertaining, and a fitting tribute to a woman who will be sadly missed by millions.

FILTER: - Merchandise - Auto/Biography - Books - Elisabeth Sladen

Death To The Daleks DVD and updates

Monday, 16 April 2012 - By John Bowman and Chuck Foster

By John Bowman and Chuck Foster

The cover and content details for the forthcoming UK DVD release of Death To The Daleks have been finalised.

Death To The Daleks
Release date: 18th June 2012 (Available for pre-order)

Starring Jon Pertwee as the Doctor, with Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith
Written by Terry Nation
Directed by Michael E Briant

Broadcast: 23rd February - 16th March 1974

A power failure in the TARDIS draws it off course and the Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith end up stranded on the bleak planet of Exxilon, where they soon meet members of an Earth expedition in a similar situation.

The humans are searching for a rare mineral, but first they must find out what is draining their power and avoid what's inside another grounded spaceship – the Doctor's oldest enemies, the Daleks . . .

Special Features

Commentary - With actors Julian Fox (Peter Hamilton), Dalek operator Cy Town, director Michael E Briant, assistant floor manager Richard Leyland, costume designer L Rowland Warne and special sounds maestro Dick Mills. Moderated by Toby Hadoke.
Beneath the City of the Exxilons - Cast and crew look back on the making of this story. With actor Arnold Yarrow (Bellal), Julian Fox, Michael E Briant, Richard Leyland, L Rowland Warne and fan and Dalek voice artist Nick Briggs.
Studio Recording - A rare glimpse into the production of a Third Doctor story.
On the Set of Dr Who and the Daleks - Behind the scenes on the first Dalek film in 1965.
Doctor Who Stories – Dalek Men
Radio Times listings
Programme subtitles
Production information subtitles
Photo gallery
Coming Soon trailer
Digitally remastered picture and sound quality

The British Board of Film Classification classified the features on 30th March, revealing that a textless version of the title sequence will be included as an Easter egg:

26:44:24  BENEATH THE CITY OF THE EXXILONS - MAKING DEATH TO THE DALEKS
23:33:11  STUDIO RECORDING - 4 DECEMBER 1973
05:49:04  PHOTO GALLERY
01:26:05  (EASTER EGG) (TEXTLESS TITLE SEQUENCE)
07:47:22  ON THE SET OF DR WHO AND THE DALEKS

Feature Previews:

BBC Worldwide has released a number of clips from the recently released stories Nightmare of Eden and The Daemons on its Classic Doctor Who YouTube channel:

THE DAEMONS

The Daemons on location - The BBC is shooting classic Doctor Who series 'The Daemons' in Aldbourne in 1971, in this rare clip of archive film.
Aldbourne - Doctor Who cast members including Katy Manning and Damaris Hayman discuss their experience of filming The Daemons in Aldbourne in the classic 1971 series.
A great working relationship - Often cited as one of the best of the Third Doctor's storylines, The Daemons owes much of its success to the great working relationship between producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks. In this DVD extra, cast and crew explain the friendship.
A stormy night's sky - Boasting some impressive location filming, the village of Aldbourne was the perfect setting for The Daemons. As the crew reveals, however, attempting a stormy night scene can be quite problematic on a calm night. Journey behind the scenes to find out how the crew managed to ratchet up the atmosphere.
Exit Lines - Actors Richard Franklin and Katy Manning reveal the influence the cast had on the script, and how open Barry Letts was to adding extra dimensions to the characters.

NIGHTMARE OF EDEN

Alan Bromly - Crew members recount their experiences of director Alan Bromly and his old-school techniques.
Drug-smuggling storyline - Bob Baker reveals how his research of drug abuse for the production of BBC police drama series Target, which featured Katy Manning in the role of a drug addict, was to prove invaluable to the writing of the drug-smuggling storyline of Nightmare of Eden. (Target was created by Graham Williams, produced by Philip Hinchcliffe, and written by Baker and Dave Martin, with David Wickes. The theme music was by Dudley Simpson.)

Looking ahead:

The Krotons: Ed Stradling commented on Twitter: "here's an image from my recent feature for The Krotons DVD. It's another long one!«"
The Mind of Evil - Steve Roberts spoke to Radio Free Skaro, during which he indicated that all of the episodes for this story should be released in colour. Episode One (which does not have a print containing the chromadot information used for the recent colour recovery process) will be colourised by Babelcolour, using motion-estimation techniques to aid the process.

FILTER: - Merchandise - UK - Jon Pertwee - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD - Elisabeth Sladen

People Roundup

Saturday, 10 December 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Matt Smith reflects on the cancellation of Doctor Who Confidential: "It's a pity as I think it's a show which can reinvent itself year on year and it's one of the biggest shows on BBC3. But I guess people come in and have new ideas and want to have their own fresh take on it but, hey, some you win, some you lose..." [What's on TV, 8 Dec 2011]

Arthur Darvill was on hand to open a new PlayPod in the playground at Whitehall Infant School, Walsall. Installed by charity Children's Scrapstore, the play area was made with the practical application of scrap material. The actor said: "“It’s simple-looking from the outside, but a world of magic and wonder within. Watching the children playing with all this stuff I wonder how we haven't thought of it before. It's fantastic to see the kids having so much fun with things that would otherwise be thrown away." [Birmingham Mail, 10 Dec 2011]

Elisabeth Sladen has featured in the Top Ten Actresses to trend during 2011 on the social communication network Twitter. The actress, who died in April, was the fifth most discussed of the year, with Elizabeth Taylor topping the trend category. [Twitter Year in Review: Hot Topics, Dec 2011]

John Barrowman has appeared in a video promoting pet travel with Virgin Atlantic, during which he talks about his three dogs and how he feels about the service provided by the airline. [Virgin Atlantic via YouTube, 8 Dec 2011]

Paul McGann will be the subject of In Conversation With ..., to take place at Liverpool's St George’s Hall Concert Room in February. The interview includes clips and photographs of the actor's life and work, and will also see his five favourite songs performed live on stage. The event is rounded off with a Q&A from the audience. McGann said: "I was thrilled to be asked, then bashful terror set in until my mate David Morrissey calmed me down and assured me, having done it himself, that you can’t actually die from talking about your life and work in a beautiful room surrounded by friends and family and your favourite music. Guess I will just have to trust him!" [Click Liverpool, 8 Dec 2011]

FILTER: - People - Arthur Darvill - Matt Smith - John Barrowman - Elisabeth Sladen - Paul McGann

Tom Baker at Elisabeth Sladen Book Launch

Thursday, 10 November 2011 - Reported by Marcus

The Doctor Who Experience is to host a special event celebrating the launch of the recently published autobiography of Elisabeth Sladen.

The event, held at the Experience's current home at Olympia in London, will feature fourth Doctor, Tom Baker talking about his memories of working with Sladen alongside Terrance Dicks, who was Script Editor of Doctor Who when Sladen was cast, and Sadie Miller, Elisabeth Sladen's daughter.

Hosted by TV Choice magazine's Ben Lawrence, the event will be held in the screening room at the Doctor Who Experience at 2.30pm on November 26th. It is free to enter for ticket holders to The Doctor Who Experience, who have an entry ticket for 12.30pm, 1pm or 1.30pm.

Bookings can be made via See Tickets. When selecting the relevant time slot you will be given the option to select Elisabeth Sladen book launch entry.

FILTER: - Tom Baker - Elisabeth Sladen

Elisabeth Sladen - The Autobiography

Sunday, 23 October 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Aurum Press have released the final version of the cover for their forthcoming book, Elisabeth Sladen - The Autobiography, which is due to be published on the 7th November:

When Elisabeth Sladen first appeared as plucky journalist Sarah Jane Smith in 1973 Doctor Who story The Time Warrior, little did she know the character would become one of the most enduring and fondly remembered of the series’ long history.

The years that followed saw Elisabeth traverse time and space alongside classic Doctors Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, whilst a generation of children crouched behind the sofa, terrified but transfixed as their tea-time heroine found herself menaced by Daleks, dinosaurs, Cybermen, Egyptian mummies, extras in Bubble Wrap and even the Loch Ness Monster. By the time she quit the TARDIS in 1976, making front-page news, Elisabeth had become one of the most familiar faces of a TV golden age.

But you don’t just walk away from Doctor Who. Elisabeth was asked to reprise the role many times, appearing in anniversary specials; an ill-fated 1981 spin-off with robotic sidekick K-9; radio plays; and for the BBC’s Children in Need. She toured the weird, wide and wonderful world of Doctor Who fandom and became one of the series’ all-time favourite companions. So when TV wunderkind Russell T Davies approached her to come back again, this time to a Doctor Who backed by multi-million-pound budgets and garlanded with critical plaudits, how could she refuse?

This warm and witty autobiography, completed only months before Elisabeth died in April 2011, tells her remarkable story, from humble beginnings in post-war Liverpool, through an acclaimed theatrical career working alongside stage luminaries such as Alan Ayckbourn, to Coronation Street, Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em and the furthest reaches of the Universe.

A unique, insider’s view of the world’s longest running science fiction series, and of British television yesterday and today, Elisabeth’s memoir is funny, ridiculous, insightful and entertaining and a fitting tribute to a woman who will be sadly missed by millions.

Elisabeth Sladen played Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures. She also appeared in Coronation Street, Z-Cars and Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em among others, and enjoyed a long, successful and very happy career in the theatre. She died in April 2011.

The book is available to pre-order via our Amazon shop.

(with thanks to Liz Somers)

FILTER: - Auto/Biography - Books - Elisabeth Sladen

Doctor Who Magazine 440

Wednesday, 19 October 2011 - Reported by Harry Ward

The new Doctor Who Magazine (out 20th October) celebrates the life of Elisabeth Sladen in a special 100-page issue. Among those paying tribute are Doctors Tom Baker, David Tennant and Matt Smith.

Tom Baker describes Sladen's death in April as "a terrible blow" and remembers being overwhelmed by the public reaction:

Such an outpouring of grief, the spontaneous grief of people, the extravagance of people saying how great and wonderful she was, sprang out of that shock that we’ve lost part of a culture generated by a programme that goes back… well, she was with me in 1974, and she only died this year. She was a piece of television, wasn’t she? A piece of people’s lives, their childhoods…

Also in this issue:

Remembering Elisabeth Sladen: Family, friends and colleagues, including Brian and Sadie Miller, Katy Manning, John Barrowman, Louise Jameson, Sophie Aldred, Richard Franklin, John Levene, Philip Hinchcliffe, Terrance Dicks, Christopher Barry, Graeme Harper and many more, share their personal memories of Lis.
The Doctor's Best Friend: DWM takes an in-depth look at the life and times of Elisabeth Sladen, from her childhood in Liverpool, through to her starring roles in Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
The Final Interview: DWM presents Elisabeth Sladen’s final magazine interview, originally conducted for Radio Times in 2010, and published here exclusively in full for the first time.
Introducing Miss Smith: It was the series that saw the first appearance of Sarah Jane Smith – and the departure of the Third Doctor. DWM looks at a year of Daleks, Ice Warriors and Sontarans as Countdown To 50 reaches 1973/4’s Series Eleven!
The Last Adventures: DWM catches up with Phil Ford, the Head Writer of The Sarah Jane Adventures, and stars Daniel Anthony, Anjli Mohindra and Sinead Michael, about working with Lis and making the final series of the top-rated CBBC spin-off from Doctor Who.
Happy Birthday! Doctor Who’s showrunner Steven Moffat has some confidential thoughts to share exclusively with DWM readers in the 100th edition of Production Notes!
World's End! The Doctor, Amy and Alan Turing are on a mission to stop Chiyoko – and save the human race – in Episode 3 of the latest comic strip, The Child of Time by Jonathan Morris with art by Martin Geraghty.
Game On! The Doctor on Big Brother. Rose on The Weakest Link. And Captain Jack with the makeover from hell! DWM’s Time Team – Emma, Chris, Will and Michael – travels to the year 200,100 and watches the penultimate Ninth Doctor story, Bad Wolf as their mission to watch every episode in order continues!
Wotcha, Sarah Jane! The Watcher uncovers a feast of fantastic facts about everyone’s favourite investigative journalist, in Wotcha!

PLUS! All the latest official news, reviews of TV and merchandise reviews, previews, competitions, a prize-winning crossword and much, much more!

FILTER: - DWM - Elisabeth Sladen

People Roundup

Friday, 7 October 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Matt Smith recently commented on people he would quite like to see act alongside him in Doctor Who: "Whoopi Goldberg would be a great companion wouldn't she? Yeah, she'd be great. Also I'd love Eric Cantona, or Colin Firth. Colin Firth would be great but he would not do it. God, when I think about it there are so many people I would love to get in it." [Bang Showbiz, via Metro, The List, 1st Oct]

David Tennant has recorded a narration for a 50 minute BBC1 documentary, Disabled Parents: Are You Having A Laugh?, which follows comedian Laurence Clark and his wife - both have cerebral palsy - as they prepare for the birth of their second child. It is expected to be broadcast in February. [Chortle, 5th Oct]

The actor is also subject of a petition by fans to have him carry the Olympic Torch in 2012, in honour of his character saving the games in the story Fear Her, with some 25,000 people signed up so far. [Flavor Wire, 3rd Oct]

John Barrowman explains how he wishes to trace his family history in Ireland: "What I'd love to do is a programme researching my Irish roots to see how strong they are. That's as much as I know as my mother has spoken no further about it but I know that my mom and dad have visited (my neice) Clare. I have never visited but it's something I want to do." [RTE, 4th Oct]

A patron of the Dogs Trust, the actor also opened the charity's new shop in Cowbridge, South Wales, which raised more than £1,300 on the day. [Third Sector, 3rd Oct]

Billie Piper (Rose Tyler) provides the voice to a new Autumn/Winter 2011 television campaign by high-street retailer chain Debenhams; the adverts are themed around the strap line "Life Made Fabulous with Designers at Debenhams", where designs are shown from creation to being worn in 'real life'. [Retail Digital, 6th Oct]

Jean Marsh (Sara Kingdom) has had to pull out of the start of filming of the new series of Upstairs Downstairs due to suffering a minor stroke. Recovering well, Marsh said: "Unfortunately I won't be returning to Eaton Place quite as quickly as I had hoped; I am looking forward to spending time with Rose again when I'm match-fit and I miss the cast and crew tremendously." [BBC News, 5th Oct]

Actors Barnaby Edwards (chief Dalek) and Ian Cullen (Ixta, The Aztecs) have both filmed a scene for local Sleaford film Shadows of a Stranger, which also features former Doctor Colin Baker. Says Edwards: "It is ambitious, but they are confident about it. It is exciting to be doing something new, placing traditional actors alongside an entirely imaginary world and it is a cracking story.". Full details of the project can be found the Shadows of a Stranger website. [Sleaford Standard, 30th Sep]

Louise Jameson (Leela), who has recently celebrated her 60th birthday, talked about some of her theatrical idols: "There have been so many people I’ve been inspired by, but mainly the obvious actors such as Vanessa Redgrave, Judi Dench and David Warner. They’re all the people I saw in my childhood at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Of course, they’re only ten years older than me really, and not even another generation, but that’s the kind of era of work that I really admire." [Daily Mail, 5th Oct]

Sadie Miller shared memories of her mother, Elisabeth Sladen, with the Radio Times: "It was lovely that she just sort of fell back into her career. She didn’t really have time to worry about it; she just enjoyed it. And I loved watching her in The Sarah Jane Adventures because there was so much of her in the role." [Radio Times, 3rd Oct]

FILTER: - People - Matt Smith - Billie Piper - David Tennant - Elisabeth Sladen - Colin Baker

Walk for Lis: still time to donate

Friday, 9 September 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Doctor Who and Sarah Jane Adventures Brand Manager Edward Russell has been walking this week from the BBC's Upper Boat Studios in Wales to Television Centre in London, raising money for the Meadow House Hospice who looked after the actress Elisabeth Sladen.

Having battled the inclement weather over the last few days, he has now reached his last resting place before the final push to London tomorrow. You can follow his adventure along the way via the official Facebook group for the walk.

So far Ed has raised just under £14,000 for the Hospice, but hopes to achieve £15,000 upon his arrival. To donate, simply click on the link below.

Donations may be made via Just Giving

FILTER: - Special Events - Charities - Elisabeth Sladen

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