Doctor Who News, Articles, Cast and Crew Interviews

[BruTak]

Kids are a lot smarter than we give them credit for.

[AtlantisRules!!!]

Because The Doctor is a male Timelord.

Also a lot of kids watch this show. Imagine explaining it to them..

Women have rights so The Doctor can't be a man any more? That's dangerous logic.. Maybe a female Bond as well? Spiderman, Batman, Ironman etc.. have all been men far too long! Women have rights too, make them all women!

If the next Doctor is female, what about the one after that? Would the change start a new line of female Doctors or would he go back to being a man again? Wouldn't people complain about the lack of equal rights after 11 male Doctors and one female Doctor?

Would the new female Doctor need a male companion?

There are mentions of Timelords switching genders. As recently as The Doctor's Wife.

[Pharaoh Hamenthotep]

There are mentions of Timelords switching genders. As recently as The Doctor's Wife.

I know... but it's one of those things that makes people uncomfortable

And I want The Doctor to stay male so Chiwetel Ejiofor can be the next one

[Blencathra]

There is a thread to discuss having a female Doctor HERE if anyone wishes to continue this discussion.

Doctor Who: BAFTA Television Craft Nominations 2013

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2013/03...031319008.html

The nominations for the 2013 BAFTA Television Craft Awards have been announced, and sees Doctor Who represented in two categories:

Composer Murray Gold has been nominated in the Original Television Music section for his work on Asylum of the Daleks; he'll be facing competition from Kevin Sargent for The Hour, Stephen Warbeck for Henry IV (The Hollow Crown), and Ilan Eshkeri and Andy Burrows for The Snowmen and the Snowdog.

Visual Effects designers The Mill have been nominated in the Visual Effects and Graphic Design section; they'll be up against Tom Turnbull for Titanic, Rupert Ray and Benuts for Parade's End, and Robin Nurse, Julian Gibbs and Richard Gort for The Psychology of Winning.

The awards ceremony takes place on Sunday 28th April at The Brewery, in the City of London, hosted by Stephen Mangan.

Gold was nominated once before in 2008 for his music, but lost out to Adrian Johnston for Capturing Mary; The Mill have been nominated every year since 2007, and won in 2009 for The Fires of Pompeii. Other Doctor Who successes over the years have included both the Pioneer Audience Award and Drama Series in 2006, the Writer award to Steven Moffat for Blink, and the Editing (Fiction/Entertainment) award to Philip Kloss in 2009. Last year, Moffat received a special BAFTA award in recognition of his outstanding creative writing contribution to television.

[Blencathra]

Doctor Who comes to Playstation Home

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2013/03...313180008.html

BBC Worldwide have announced a new partnership with Sony DADC New Media Solutions to bring Doctor Who to the millions of fans with Playstation Home. The service will be provided through LOOT Entertainment, DADC’s interactive development group.

The press release stated:

Doctor Who fans can enjoy dynamic features based on the show’s most popular characters and scenery, such as the Eleventh Doctor and River Song costumes, and a TARDIS- themed private space and clubhouse. Users can also visit the Doctor Who-themed LOOT Space Station Theater for additional video content from BBC Worldwide and shop for Doctor Who items - both virtual and real - via LOOT’s Entertainment on Demand system.

Simon Hutson, senior vice president for BBC Worldwide's digital development, said:

We’re really excited to be bringing this much-loved series to social and virtual worlds. Discovering new ways to engage with our fans is incredibly important to us, especially as we approach Doctor Who’s 50th year.

David Sterling, vice president for business development at LOOT Entertainment, added:

We are committed to preserving the spirit and aesthetic of Doctor Who while introducing this historic franchise to PlayStation®Home. It's the same Doctor Who millions have loved for almost 50 years—with a virtual, interactive, and social twist.

Further details from BBC Worldwide indicated:

You can deck yourself out in the Eleventh Doctor’s classic tweed jacket and bowtie outfit, and even accessorise with your very own Sonic Screwdriver. For prospective companions, there’s River Song’s catsuit, complete with PDA accessory – but, please don’t peek at her diary. If you fancy being an alien, you can become a prehistoric Silurian or suit up as an ominous Silent. You can even acquire a Cybermat as a companion that will follow you around PlayStation Home (nanovirus – fortunately - not included).

The expansive TARDIS private space and clubhouse is unlike anything Home fans have seen before and comes equipped with a LOOT Active Camera so you and your friends can capture your adventures and seamlessly upload them to your YouTube account. Fans can catch video content and shop for Doctor Who items - both virtual and real - via LOOT’s Entertainment on Demand system.

In celebration of the series’ 50th Anniversary, additional Doctor Who themed virtual goods, environments and social experiences will be added to Doctor Who on PlayStation Home throughout 2013.

A gallery of images can be seen via their website.

[Teddybrown]

http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/strax-back-...ater-46664.htm
Demons Run: Two Days Later...

Damn, not available in the UK

[Greenee]

Damn, not available in the UK

Thanks for the link. Obviosly the page has been updated. You can watch the clip now directly on the page. And it is lovely, especialy the end.

Oh, and they have some new posters
http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/the-bells-o...ster-46665.htm

[Teddybrown]

Yeah, the page has been updated

http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/radio-times...girl-46685.htm
Radio Times on Doctor Who.

[Blencathra]

'Doctor Who': Neil Gaiman's Cybermen episode gets new title

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s7/do...new-title.html

The title for Neil Gaiman's new Doctor Who episode has been revealed.

The award-winning scribe's second script for the BBC sci-fi drama - which features the return of the Cybermen - will be titled 'Nightmare In Silver', according to the Radio Times.

Gaiman told Digital Spy back in 2011 that he would only return to Doctor Who if he felt he could top his first offering.

"If I ever come up with a plot that is better than ['The Doctor's Wife']… I would absolutely come back to it," he explained.

Who showrunner Steven Moffat revealed to the Radio Times that the chance to write for classic monsters the Cybermen was what lured Gaiman back.

"I slightly worried the great man might not be up for another go," Moffat said. "I should have known better. I only had to whisper 'Cybermen' and he was falling back through the door."

Doctor Who returns to BBC One and BBC America this Saturday (March 30) with new episode 'The Bells of Saint John'.

[Blencathra]

EXCLUSIVE – Matt Smith Talks New Doctor Who Series And 50th Anniversary Special!

http://www.sfx.co.uk/2013/03/25/excl...rsary-special/

With Doctor Who returning to our screens this Saturday, SFX reached for the trusty space-time telephone and buzzed the Doctor himself, Matt Smith. We’re talking Ice Warriors, Neil Gaiman, the big five-o and what it’s like to be a first class kind of chap…

Spoilered for length

Spoiler:

This is a question I’ve never had a chance to ask anybody before: what’s it like being on a stamp?

It’s a great privilege that the nation will be licking the backs of our heads. It’s an amazing thing – I’m really proud to be part of it. It’s cool. it’s something that I can show my grandkids.

Would you feel a bit self-conscious, sticking it on a gas bill?

No, absolutely not. Take that, gas man! And give me some money off!

So the new series – we’ve seen the promo poster of you riding that great big bike. Are you good with bikes or was it a world of terror for you?

It was very exciting. I am innately very clumsy, and my mother has always forbidden me from getting a motorbike. I’ve driven mopeds before, abroad and stuff, without her knowing – well, now she knows. But that’s like a big old Harley looking bike, and I wouldn’t know where to begin… It was amazing filming those scenes. It was on a rig, and we got to sort of travel round London. Car rigs are different because you’re in a car, but being on a bike it’s like you’re on a sort of fairground ride. It was a really crisp, sunny day and we kept going around Waterloo Bridge and Westminster Bridge and Waterloo Bridge and Westminster Bridge and it was just one of those days where you think ‘This is a very privileged place to be for a day at work.’

You’ve got Jenna joining as Clara. What new colours does she bring out of your Doctor?

I think that essentially she allows him to complete his grieving period, as it were, over the Ponds. Not that he’ll ever forget the Ponds but she gives him his mojo back somehow, and his spirit of adventure, and allows him to go right, you’ve got to look forward. Importantly, she gives him something to be curious about, because she is this impossible girl and he doesn’t really understand how or why or what context she exists in. I think she ignites his curiosity. And with the Doctor that’s the thing that keeps him flying around.

Jenna told us you recommended some Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn films for her to watch. Do you see the relationship in that kind of screwball comedy tradition?

If you look at those movies you get a real sense of teamwork on screen, and chemistry, and so much of the show is about teamwork that leads to chemistry. I just thought it was a good point of reference, really. Yeah, I think there is a degree of that screwbally thing – we flirt, we don’t flirt, we love each other, we don’t love each other, I’m strange, you’re in control, actually I’m really in control… it flips and flops around all the time, and I think those movies really land and deliver on the double act thing, and obviously that’s where we needed to get to. It’s a strange process, the whole Doctor/companion thing. Everyone expects you to have this immediate firework chemistry but that wasn’t the case with me and Karen – you work at these things, and it’s the same with me and Jenna. You have to work at these chemistries, and the detail and the layers and everything. And that’s what we did, and it was an enjoyable process. She’s cracking.

Was there a specific moment when the two of you clicked and you found that rhythm?

You might find it twice in a day, you might find it ten times in a day, you might find it fifteen times in a day, you might find it once in a day. It’s the nature of making this show; so much of it moves so quickly, and you just keep trying to prepare as thoroughly and in as much detail that you find the moments of magic. If you take an instance like the kiss at Christmas – there’s a good chemistry to that scene, it has balance and it has an interesting point of view for both of us. It’s just about understanding the story and where you fit into it.

Your costume’s had a bit of a shake-up. There’s a bit of a teddy boy vibe going on there…

Is there? I don’t know… Well, I always said that the costume would evolve, and I always wanted something purple, a la Pertwee. And so now I’ve got purple tweed, and cool purpley boots and a cool purpley waistcoat and a purple bowtie and purple lining. I’ve got my purple wish.

[Not quite catching] Sorry, your purple what?

My purple wish!

I thought you said whisk…

A purple whisk would be even more exciting! Yeah, I’m going to ask for one of those!

That would be brilliant. A sonic whisk…

Yes, a sonic whisk! That’d be great, wouldn’t it? That’s it – chocolate and Guinness cake in a second! Butterfly cakes from space!

So the costume’s evolved…

If you look at it, it has sort of slightly evolved, bits and bobs, each year. With the departure of the Ponds and the new title sequence and all that, we thought why not, let’s shake it up a little. And here we are. Do you like it?

I do like it – I quite like the teddy boy thing. It’s a different silhouette with the longer coat.

Yeah, it is a slightly different silhouette, isn’t it? My big concern with changing the costume is that I didn’t want him to lose the sense of the silly. There’s something silly about tweed and a bow-tie, so I was keen that it never dipped into trying to be too cool. I don’t think he’s someone who dresses to be cool. I think he dresses practically and he just happens to think bow-ties are cool.

The Ice Warriors are back in episode three. What did you make of them?

Well, I was very excited, of course. Being a useless… I don’t even know how to pronounce it… a Whohistorian, or a Whostorian… I hadn’t come across them. I mean I knew what they were, but I hadn’t come across them in any detail.

Did you go back to the original Patrick Troughton stories?

Yeah, yeah, of course – which is great, as always with Troughton. And because it was a Troughton monster I was kind of excited, because I really love Troughton. And then Mark [Gatiss, writer of episode three] was really excited about them because I think Mark really loves Troughton as well. I think it’s always great to get the monsters that the fans love and can hark back to from the classic Who series. It’s always nice to see them have a little revamp. It’s like seeing the car in James Bond. When it comes up you go “Ah, there she is – there’s the Aston!” We meet them on a submarine, which is even more exciting for the five year old in you, because they built the submarine, and they just literally flood it and fill it with water. It was great fun to film.

And quite claustrophobic, I imagine…

It’s a full length submarine, so it was really claustrophobic – and bearing in mind there’s a film crew in there, and an Ice Warrior, played by a guy who’s nearly seven foot tall! You couldn’t swing a cat in there, let alone Jenna-Louise Coleman. And it was filled with water up to your knees, sometimes up to your chest. It was great fun, though. It was a right old laugh.

Is there one monster from the show’s past that you’d like your Doctor to fight?

I tell you what I quite like – I like that sort of big, huge robot. I think it was in a Tom Baker episode. He’s kind of fun. I’d like to meet him. There’s a new monster at the end of this season which I think will be a real classic. I’m always quite excited by the new monsters as well. They always tickle me.

You’ve got Neil Gaiman back, writing episode seven.

Yes!

What do you respond to in Neil’s writing?

His head! The idea. It’s always the central idea which is mad and inventive and brilliant, and you go oh, of course, that’s why he did American Gods and Coraline and all this stuff, and there’s a central idea that is undeniably only ever his. And that’s just wonderful. He’s just got a vast, vivid imagination and it fits the notion of the show and it fits the idea of the character in the show. Yeah, I’m thrilled to work with Neil – and you know what, I really like him. He’s a real good guy. He’s a funny dude. He makes me laugh. I see him in America sometimes. I like Neil, he’s cool.

So, the 50th anniversary special, then. Is Steven still locked in a room writing it? Is he still sane?

Yes, he is still sane – well, as sane as the Moff is, generally. I’ve read the first draft. I think the whole of this season leads brilliantly up to what will be the biggest event in the history of the show. I say that with no hesitation, really. He’s on top form and has delivered a thoroughly exciting, epic, vast science fiction script. It’s really exciting. We start shooting that very soon, and there’ll be a lot of surprises coming your way, let me tell you. A lot. It’s one of those scripts that you read and you go “Whoa, here we go… what’s he done? What has he done with it?” You wouldn’t really want anyone else writing it, would you? He’s a proper fan, and, to my mind, one of the greatest science fiction writers around.

How does it feel to be celebrating the big 50th on your watch as the Doctor?

I feel very proud, actually. It’s about looking back and forward at the same time, a bit like the Doctor does. It’s about celebrating everyone that’s been involved with it, all the wonderful actors that have taken part before me, and it’s also about looking forward and saying “What can we do next? Where can we take it?” I feel in a very privileged position, having had people like David and Chris, Tom, Patrick, Jon, William Hartnell… great, great actors behind me. And to be part of a show that’s still going, that has an audience of about 77 million now worldwide. I love this show, and I’m really honoured, actually, without sounding too [luvvie voice] ‘Oh, how important, what an amazing thing, I am the incumbent Doctor, what a privilege, rah!’ I mean it genuinely. It inspires a humility, I suppose, because it’s about all of us who got it here, do you know what I mean? Yes! Fifty years!

[Blencathra]

If anyone was as disgusted as I was at The Mirror yesterday, printing a picture of Colin Baker along with J-NT on their front page together with their sleazy nasty "journalism", there is now a petition asking The Mirror to apologise to Colin.

http://www.change.org/en-AU/petition...ology-to-colin

It probably won't do the slightest bit of good, but I've seen from tweets made by Colin that he is really upset about it. So I've signed to support Colin, & even if the Mirror don't print a retraction at least Colin can see his fans support him.

[Alan]

If anyone was as disgusted as I was at The Mirror yesterday, printing a picture of Colin Baker along with J-NT on their front page together with their sleazy nasty "journalism", there is now a petition asking The Mirror to apologise to Colin.

http://www.change.org/en-AU/petition...ology-to-colin

It probably won't do the slightest bit of good, but I've seen from tweets made by Colin that he is really upset about it. So I've signed to support Colin, & even if the Mirror don't print a retraction at least Colin can see his fans support him.

Signed.

[Sealurk]

If anyone was as disgusted as I was at The Mirror yesterday, printing a picture of Colin Baker along with J-NT on their front page together with their sleazy nasty "journalism", there is now a petition asking The Mirror to apologise to Colin.

http://www.change.org/en-AU/petition...ology-to-colin

It probably won't do the slightest bit of good, but I've seen from tweets made by Colin that he is really upset about it. So I've signed to support Colin, & even if the Mirror don't print a retraction at least Colin can see his fans support him.

Also signed.

[BruTak]

If anyone was as disgusted as I was at The Mirror yesterday, printing a picture of Colin Baker along with J-NT on their front page together with their sleazy nasty "journalism", there is now a petition asking The Mirror to apologise to Colin.

http://www.change.org/en-AU/petition...ology-to-colin

It probably won't do the slightest bit of good, but I've seen from tweets made by Colin that he is really upset about it. So I've signed to support Colin, & even if the Mirror don't print a retraction at least Colin can see his fans support him.

Signed.

Also signed.

Ditto.

I kind of wonder though, in the Jim'll Fix It pic the Mirror published, what was the point of pixelating out the kid's face when he's probably in his 30s by now.

Just shows how minimal the research they do is.

[Quizziard]

Ditto.

I kind of wonder though, in the Jim'll Fix It pic the Mirror published, what was the point of pixelating out the kid's face when he's probably in his 30s by now.

Just shows how minimal the research they do is.

Because his family and friends will still recognise him. And he may not have been abused.