Series Four tops Online Poll

Thursday, 27 October 2022 - Reported by Marcus

In a RadioTimes.com online poll that attracted over 10,000 votes, Doctor Who season 4, David Tennant's last, was voted the best series since the show returned in 2005.

The poll, which ran from 10-20 October, asked fans: What's the best series of Doctor Who? (2005 Revival era) and listed all 13 seasons giving fans a chance to look back on some classic moments and episodes as the show gears up for its 60th-anniversary celebrations.

Season 4 was the clear winner with 24% of votes.

Morgan Jeffery, Executive Editor of RadioTimes.com said:

Despite some stiff competition, Doctor Who's fourth series from 2008 has been voted the best of the modern era in this blockbuster poll, which pulled in votes from thousands of fans.

Starring David Tennant as the ever-popular Tenth Doctor and Catherine Tate as the fiery and fantastic Donna Noble, this series was a perfect showcase of everything the show can do, from the larks of Partners in Crime to the chills of Midnight and the blockbuster thrills of two-part finale The Stolen Earth / Journey's End.

It's also a result that bodes well for the programme's imminent 60th anniversary celebrations, which will see award-winning writer/producer Russell T Davies resume his showrunner mantle and Tennant and Tate both returning for new adventures in time and space.

Full details here

FILTER: - Series 4/30 - Radio Times

#RTWatch: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

Friday, 17 April 2020 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Radio Times are presenting their second Torchwood-oriented Twitter viewing event tonight, this time focussing on the arrival of Jack's former colleague Captain John Hart.

To join in, simply pop in your DVD or Bluray disc of Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, or access a streaming service such as BBC iPlayer, Amazon Video, iTunes or Google Play, and then hit play at 8:00pm BST / 3:00pm EDT / 5:00am AEST / 7:00am NZST and share your viewing experience!

Tweet #TorchwoodIsReady

John Barrowman will be tweeting his thoughts during the viewing alongside co-stars Naoko Mori, Burn Gorman and Gareth David-Lloyd, after which they will be participating in a live Q&A.

FILTER: - John Barrowman - Online Events - Radio Times - Torchwood

Radio Times

Tuesday, 3 December 2019 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The next edition of the Radio Times (7th-13th December) is the latest to feature Doctor Who on the front cover, anticipating the return of the series to television on New Years Day.

The magazine features a preview of the series, with an interview with head writer Chris Chibnall, who discusses how the show has been is life-changing, occupying all his waking hours. Admitting the pressure on his first series was huge, he said the new series will be a step up, with more scale, fun and some new and old monsters:

I really wanted to see Jodie against the Cybermen. There are certain monsters you want to see a Doctor go up against. She met a Dalek in Resolution last New Year. Cybermen feel like an important part of the rogues’ gallery and we’ve done something slightly different with them this year – there was a particular story I wanted to tell. They’re just relentless, the Cybermen. They just don’t stop.

The Radio Times is out now.

FILTER: - Radio Times

Jon Pertwee centenary celebration on BBC Radio 4 Extra

Saturday, 29 June 2019 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BBC Radio 4 Extra will broadcast a special programme celebrating the centenary of Jon Pertwee's birth, presented by his son Sean Pertwee:

The Jon Pertwee Files, presented by Sean Pertwee (Credit: BBC)

A BBC Radio documentary has uncovered previously unbroadcast recordings of the legendary Doctor Who and Worzel Gummidge actor Jon Pertwee. The programme is presented by Sean Pertwee (Gotham, Elementary, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa) and marks the centenary of the birth of his father Jon Devon Roland Pertwee, who was born on the 7th of July in 1919.

In the programme Sean traces his father’s career in broadcasting, which started after being expelled from several schools and then even being asked to leave Rada. In rediscovered interviews we hear his dad reminisce about the time he worked at the circus riding the wall of death with a pet lion, before eventually securing his first contract with the BBC at the age of 18.

Pertwee devised some very memorable characters through his ability to show great vocal range. Many successful years in radio comedy included a lengthy stint in The Navy Lark, which secured his status as a household name. Then with the advent of television he became a recognisable face as the star of Doctor Who in the early 1970s.

Through rare fan recordings made behind-the-scenes at television studios and at the first ever Doctor Who Appreciation Society Convention, we hear previously unbroadcast stories and a very personal insight into the world’s longest running science-fiction show.

The documentary also features the last time Pertwee performed as Worzel Gummidge alongside Una Stubbs as Aunt Sally. This recording was left untouched for over 25 years and was located during the making of the celebration. There are also rediscovered recordings of Pertwee undergoing the complicated make-up process during the making of the series, and visiting a local radio station to take phone calls from enthusiastic children wanting to speak to Worzel.

Presenter, Sean Pertwee said:

I think my father would like to be remembered not just for his cult TV programmes, but for his whole body of work. And most of all, he’d like to be remembered as an extraordinary man, which he was.

The Jon Pertwee Files will be broadcase on BBC Radio 4 Extra on Saturday 6th July at 8:00am, with repeats at 3:00pm and then late evening at 3:00am. It will also be broadcast at 4:00pm on BBC Radio Solent on Sunday (Jon Pertwee was a pupil at Sherborne School in Dorset, and later based at Portsmouth Naval Barracks during WW2)

The show will also be available on BBC Sounds for 30 days after transmission.

Listen to the Trailer:

Listen to a clip:

Media presented courtesy of the BBC

FILTER: - BBC - Jon Pertwee - Radio

Radio Times

Saturday, 8 December 2018 - Reported by Chuck Foster

This week's edition of the Radio Times (8-14 Dec) is the latest in this year's issues to showcase Doctor Who, making it the fourth time in six months that Jodie Whittaker has graced the front cover! Unlike in previous years, however, it isn't the Doctor's Christmas adventure being previewed this time around but her New Year's outing instead.

Inside the magazine is a four page interview with Bradley Walsh, who discusses his career to date and also explains why he wouldn't want to play the Doctor himself:

My style can be as manic as the next person's, but the Doctor has a certain style and, despite regeneration, I think they ostensibly remain the same type of person. And if you don't know the back catalogue and all the jargon, you're up against it. Whereas I ducked out in 1969 (during Patrick Troughton's time as the Doctor) and for me this is brand spanking new. Besides, Jodie is absolutely fantastic.

Another page focusses on Bradley's co-stars, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole, both of whom still enjoy their anonymity, and on the forthcoming New Year's Day special. The issue also, of course, covers the final episode in the current run of the series, The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos, on this Sunday at 6:25pm.

The Radio Times is available to purchase now from retail outlets in the UK, and the magazine's "legendary Christmas edition", covering New Years Day, is also out now.

Radio Times (21-27 Jul 2018) (Credit: Radio Times)

Radio Times (6-12 Oct 2018) (Credit: Immediate)

Radio Times (20-27 Oct 2018) (Credit: Immediate)

FILTER: - Doctor Who - Radio Times - Series Specials

Radio Times Cover

Tuesday, 2 October 2018 - Reported by Marcus

This week's Radio Times features the Thirteenth Doctor, in the person of Jodie Whittaker, who makes her full debut on screens around the world next Sunday.

It's the second Cover as The Doctor for the actress, who featured on the 21st July edition

Inside Whittaker talks about how nervous she was about playing one of the most intelligent characters on TV, and her hopes that the debate on casting women in traditionally male roles will soon be redundant.

I truly hope that in a couple of years casting a woman in a traditionally male role won’t be so exciting – because when it’s not celebrated, it will mean it’s no longer unusual to have this sort of parity. I’m always asked, ‘Do you think James Bond should now be a woman?’ But that’s not the conversation. It’s really – ‘Should every point of view be the same?’ And the answer is no. Stories shouldn’t always be told from the same perspective. It’s a mistake to think that the only heroes are white men.

Whittaker says the rock band Coldplay helped inspire her costume.

I really love the use of colour on Coldplay album covers…Which is where the rainbow came in – nothing evokes a sense of hope in me more than hundreds of rainbows!

Doctor Who returns on Sunday 7th October, showing on BBC One at 6.45pm

Radio Times is now on sale in the United Kingdom.

FILTER: - Jodie Whittaker - Radio Times - series 11/37

Radio Times

Tuesday, 17 July 2018 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The new edition of the Radio Times for 21-27th July 2018 features the new Doctor, Jodie Whittaker on the front cover, and has exclusive interviews with both the actress and new series showrunner, Chris Chibnall.

Talking about the casting of the first female Doctor, Chris said the show would have been behind the times if the new Doctor hadn’t been female and that it was important for the new series to be accessible to all viewers:

I think if we hadn’t done it, we would have been behind the world – and Doctor Who has to be out front leading the world, showcasing all the amazing things out there. So it was never a question in my mind. It was time.

Jodie added that as the first female Doctor there was less pressure on her and it’s an honour play a role that’s attainable to all:

And now it isn’t just attainable for half of the population. The other half can be the Doctor as well. Girls will no longer just think, ‘Oh, I could be a companion.’ Being the first female Doctor and showing children that their heroes in shows don’t always look the same is a huge honour for me.

Chris has hopes that the new era for the show will also introduce a new generation of fans:

If you’ve never seen Doctor Who, or want to introduce your children or family and friends to it, this series is the perfect point to start. It was really important to me that there’s no barrier to entry. You don’t need to know about anything that’s come before. We’ve got a new Doctor, all-new characters, all-new monsters, all-new stories. It’s going to be exciting, emotional and the most enormous fun.

You can read the full interviews in the latest Radio Times, available in shops from today.

FILTER: - Magazines - Radio Times - UK

Radio Times

Friday, 1 December 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster

This year's annual Doctor Who cover for the Radio Times appears on the issue covering 9th-15th December, and features an image of Peter Capaldi in an 'exclusive souvenir issue'.

Inside the magazine there is a six page feature on the show, including interviews with the show's outgoing lead writer Steven Moffat, alternative first Doctor David Bradley, plus an item on Radio Times coverage of the twelfth Doctor's era over the last few years.

Speaking about the arrival of the new Doctor in the form of Jodie Whitaker, Moffat explained why casting a woman hadn't occured when he first took over, even though he had previously introduced a female Doctor in the form of Joanna Lumley in The Curse of Fatal Death:

If we’d replaced David Tennant with a woman it wouldn’t have worked. It was too early. We could have replaced Matt Smith with a woman, given that his Doctor was more sexless and less of a lad, but then I got obsessed with seeing Peter in the Tardis.

Bradley thinks she is a good casting choice:

When I heard it was Jodie I thought, "Well, that's perfect" - because she's got the range and she's funny. They just need to keep that sense of fun and not forget the comic energy.

You can read the full interviews in the Radio Times, on general release in the United Kingdom tomorrow, 2nd December.

The 'legendary' Christmas edition of the Radio Times (23rd December - 5th January) will of course feature Twice Upon A Time, and will be on sale from Saturday 9th December in London and the South East, and nationwide by Tuesday 12th December.

FILTER: - Magazines - Radio Times - Steven Moffat - UK

Access All Areas - Doctor Who Special

Thursday, 23 November 2017 - Reported by Marcus

As the Twelfth Doctor approaches his final story, BBC Radio Two is to broadcast a two hour special documentary looking behind the scenes of Doctor Who.

Broadcast on Thursday 21 December at 8pm, the programme sees Jo Whiley gain exclusive access to the Doctor Who team. She catches up with the stars of the series on the set - including Pearl Mackie, David Bradley, Exec Producer Steven Moffat, and the Doctor himself, Peter Capaldi. She also hears from outgoing companion Matt Lucas, and digs into the BBC Doctor Who archive.

There will be stories from behind the scenes, including how Lucas approaches being recognised by fans; the radical ways in which Mackie's life has changed; Pele’s reaction to signing a Brazil shirt for the Doctor and how Doctor Who has always been with Peter Capaldi - from dressing up as a Dalek as a child to karaoke singalongs to The Killers (all in the name of getting into character).

Plus, Radio 2 listeners will find out which member of the team has a penchant for Chas and Dave

BBC Radio 2 can be heard worldwide via the BBC Radio iPlayer.

FILTER: - Documentary - Peter Capaldi - Radio

Moments in Time - Return of the Cybermen

Thursday, 31 August 2017 - Reported by Marcus

Cover Issues 31 August 1967 (Credit: Radio Times)

Fifty years ago today, on Thursday 31st August 1967, sixpence would buy you the new issue of Radio Times, and for the fifth time Doctor Who featured on the front cover.

Previous covers had marked the start of Marco Polo, The Web Planet, The Chase and Power of the Daleks, but this was the first cover to herald the start of a new season for the programme, returning in the coming weekend for its fifth year.

The focus of the cover was firmly on the adversaries the Doctor would face in the new series. The Cybermen were returning for the third time in less than a year. Inside an article promised new adventures along with a new threat, the Cybermats.

Doctor Who had undergone a complete transformation over the past year. When Season four began in September 1966 William Hartnell was still clinging onto the controls of the TARDIS, along with companions Ben and Polly, played by Anneke Wills and Michael Craze. Now twelve months later there was a completely new team in the ship led by Patrick Troughton, aided by the young Scottish piper Jamie McCrimmon played by Frazer Hines, and the recently orphaned girl from the 19th Century, Victoria played by Deborah Watling.

The risk of recasting the series had paid off and the series had built a loyal following who would await each adventure to unfold on Saturday Evenings. Ratings had stabilized with around 7 million tuning in each week, up from the 5 million the series was getting at the end of the Hartnell era. Audience appreciation was also up by around 10 points to average in the high fifties.

Behind the scenes, change was also afoot. Producer Innes Lloyd was keen to move on having been in charge of the series since April 1966. He was lining up actor and writer Peter Bryant as his replacement.

One loss the production team was having to deal with was the decision of Terry Nation to withdraw the use of the Daleks from Doctor Who and new monsters were needed. Over the next year, viewers would be introduced to The Ice Warriors and the Yeti. As season five launched, the first story of the series was safely on tape, having been recorded at the end of the Season Four production block. After a short holiday, the Team would soon be spending a week in Snowdonia, filming scenes for the upcoming story The Abominable Snowman. Before long they would be back in the comfort of Lime Grove Studio D ready to slip back into the old familiar pattern of 4 days rehearsal before recording each episode on a Saturday evening.

In 1967 Saturday night television looked very different to today. After live sport in Grandstand, Juke Box Jury assessed the hits of the day. Doctor Who then led the BBC 1 Saturday evening schedule, which was still very much dominated by American imports. Match of the Day carried the football highlights and after a talk on the history of the Trade Union Movement, the station closed down and the nation went to bed at 11.15pm.