Doctor Who News, Articles, Cast and Crew Interviews

[BruTak]

Booked my ticket for the "Day of the Doctor" simulcast.

[Blencathra]

'Doctor Who' Steven Moffat: 'John Hurt gives scene-stealing performance'

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s7/do...rformance.html

Doctor Who's Steven Moffat has revealed that John Hurt gives a 'scene-stealing' performance in the upcoming 50th anniversary special.

The actor will play a mysterious incarnation of The Doctor in special episode 'The Day of the Doctor', which will air worldwide on November 23.

Speaking about the 50th special, Moffat told the Radio Times: "It was great fun. You'd have David [Tennant] and Matt [Smith], they'd be leaping around the set and doing every form of physical comedy with each other - and, you know, slightly competing about who could be slightly more insane than the other - and then John Hurt would come along and do this [tiny movement] with his eyes and you go 'That's it - he's got the scene now, hasn't he?'"

The executive producer described 73-year-old Hurt as "delightfully grumpy".

"John was delightful - delightfully grumpy in every single way," he explained. "During our last meal [while filming] he got grumpy about the fact that he liked the wine! "He's not actually grumpy, he's actually a really, really lovely man."

'The Day of the Doctor' - which also stars companions Jenna Coleman and Billie Piper - will be screened in cinemas in 3D across the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada, Germany and Russia.

The screenings will take place at the same time as the UK TV broadcast on BBC One on November 23, with more countries taking part to be announced in the coming weeks.

[Alan]

Doctor Who 50th anniversary cinema tickets sell out
Fans have been left disappointed after tickets for the Doctor Who 50th anniversary cinema screenings sell out on the day of release
By Rachel Moss
6:07PM BST 25 Oct 2013

Cinema tickets for the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special screening sold out today soon after they were released at 9am on Friday.

The 75-minute special, The Day Of The Doctor, which features all 11 actors that have played the coveted role, will screen in a one-off showing in cinemas at the same time as the BBC One TV broadcast to mark the 50th anniversary of the TV phenomenon.

Websites crashed and local cinemas sold out of the tickets, leaving many fans disappointed. The British Film Institute (BFI) in London postponed ticket sales. It is understood that the problem at BFI is now resolved, though, and tickets will be available online to BFI members at 9am on Saturday, with non-members being given their chance at 11:30am on Sunday.

Screenings are limited in the UK, with the programme showing in just 216 cinemas across London, Birmingham, Belfast, Dublin, Liverpool, Cardiff and Edinburgh on Saturday 23rd November.

Some fans have raised concerns that the time of the screenings could raise further problems, as many wish to also attend the Doctor Who 50th celebration at the Excel exhibition centre on 23rd November. However, a BBC spokesman has confirmed to that there are screening plans for fans who are attending the convention; an official announcement on the matter is expected next week.

Celebrations for Doctor Who’s big birthday will reach a global audience, as screenings are set to take place simultaneously in over 400 cinemas across eight countries.

The exact time of the BBC One broadcast, which will run simultaneously with the cinema screenings, is yet to be confirmed.

Link to original article here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/t...-sell-out.html

[Blencathra]

Seems to me that they should get more cinemas involved.


Manchester Goes Doctor Who Mad!!!

http://www.kasterborous.com/2013/10/...es-doctor-mad/

Doctor Who is fifty years old on the 23rd November, 2013 and four of Manchester’s best loved venues are teaming up with a host of events over two weeks to help you celebrate! New drama, live episodes, screenings, poetry and a great big party for Doctor Who’s 50th birthday on Saturday, 23rd November. With more goodies than you can shake a sonic screwdriver at, it’s truly bigger on the inside!

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Spoiler:

THE ART OF WHO kicks things off on Saturday, 16th November with your chance to meet some of the amazing talents behind the Doctor Who comic strip – currently the Guinness Book of Records World Record holder for the longest running tie-in comic strip. You’ll see rare art, chat to the creators and maybe buy some original art if the fancy takes you!

Another key creative, Who at Fifty, is also delighted to welcome is ANDREW CARTMEL who will be in conversation at the Lass O’Gowrie on the 30th November. As script editor during the later years of the original run, Andrew did much to lay the ground for Russell T Davies triumphant return in 2005 and is a key voice in the evolution of the show from ratings also-ran to conqueror of Ant and Dec!

Sunday, 17th November sees a chance to meet the very first director of Doctor Who – WARIS HUSSEIN, one of the men who created Doctor Who in 1963. A BAFTA winner and renowned director, this is the first time Waris has appeared in Manchester and is not to be missed!

Waris will also be present at a very special live restaging of his original debut AN UNEARTHLY CHILD at FAB Café. A full cast, live performance of the very first episode of Doctor Who from 1963 starring Phil Dennison as the Doctor, this unique presentation is being staged in support of the Alzheimer’s Society and is brought to you by Lass Productions and Scytheplays, the team behind 2013 fringe smash hits V for Vendetta and the Ballad of Halo Jones.

An Unearthly Child runs on the 17th, 18th and 19th November and is performed as a double bill with the follow-up, EDGE OF DESTRUCTION on the 23rd November. Edge of Destruction then continues its run on the 24th and 25th November.

The drama doesn’t end there. Who at Fifty also showcases the premiere of AN ADVENTURE IN TIME AND SPACE; 50 YEARS IN 50 RELS – an anarchic and hilarious celebration of everyone’s favourite Time Lord, brought you by our ridiculously talented ensemble and Manchester Theatre Award winning playwright (and lifelong Who fan) Ian Winterton. Other Doctor Who inspired drama not to be missed includes THE PYRAMIDS OF MARGATE, a solo theatre tragicomedy addressing (alien) life, love, dreams and … Tom Baker which wowed the critics at Edinburgh and NEMESIS – a rehearsed play reading from David Agnew, a bittersweet tale of a couple and how the return of Doctor Who to our screens in 2005 makes an indelible mark on their lives.

octor Who has always had a great and British sense of humour at its heart. The programme even had comic genius Douglas Adams as script editor in the late Seventies! With this in mind, Who at Fifty showcases more comedy than you can shake a Perigosto Stick at!

Fringe favourites THE SCOTTISH FALSETTO SOCK PUPPET THEATRE return to the Lass on the 17th November with Socks in Space, their sell-out Edinburgh show with some very special new Doctor Who material to tease us with. They are also joined later that evening by a Doctor Who themed WET FEET special stand-up evening, with Manchester’s biggest Who fan comedians giving their all with MC JOHN COOPER. John is also at the helm for JUST AN EARTH MINUTE – a Doctor Who tinged edition of the Radio Four classic. Stand-up and poet, ROD TAME tells us how Doctor Who makes his life make sense with his sell-out show STRANGE WORLD, ODD PERSON on the 25th November, while fans themselves get to dictate the action in a very special improvised episode of Doctor Who performed by the Comedysportz improve comedy troupe in LET’S SEE WHAT HAPPENS on Saturday, 30th November.

You don’t necessarily need to be an avid fan to take part in the fun? Thursday, 21st November sees a very special Doctor Who edition of the LASS PUB QUIZ, in association with the Manchester Library Service. Hosted by ROD TAME with special guest BERNARD PADDEN, who starred as Tylos in Full Circle – a Tom Baker Doctor Who story from 1980, the quiz promises, fun, clips and other interactive treats to challenge the casual fan and hardcore followers of Doctor Who alike.

t wouldn’t be Doctor Who without a few screenings either, and Who at Fifty has plenty on offer. Monday, 18th November sees a rare 16mm film screening of THIS SPORTING LIFE – the 1963 kitchen sink drama starring Richard Harris and William Hartnell that convinced BBC TV bosses to give Hartnell the role of the Doctor and in doing so, change TV history. The 26th November sees a screening of the David Tennant epic THE STOLEN EARTH while the Lass O’Gowrie will show the big anniversary special – THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR on big screens in HD on the evening of the 23rd and docu-drama AN ADVENTURE IN SPACE AND TIME on the 22nd. Finally, Wednesday THE COBBLES OF DOOM on the 20th at Taurus celebrates the links between Corrie and Doctor Who with an evening of clips and interviews brought to you by the Fiction Stroker and PHIL COLLINSON, the only man to have ever produced both Doctor Who and Coronation Street.

Discussing the programme, Festival co-ordinator Gareth Kavanagh notes;

Doctor Who at Fifty is something we’ve been building up to for years. We’ve had so much pleasure from this wonderful show over the years and Who at Fifty is Manchester’s love letter to Doctor Who. With our links to the show being as strong as they are – ‘beit it from the links between Corrie and Doctor Who or merely as home to Russell T Davies and the place he drew his inspiration from as he plotted the show’s triumphant return to our screens in 2005, it just feels right for our City to give something back to the fans!

Who at Fifty is Manchester’s very own Doctor Who fringe festival, running 16th – 30th November, 2013. Participating venues include the Lass O’Gowrie, FAB Café, Taurus and the Town Hall Tavern. Stay in touch with Facebook – www.facebook.com/events/570519719680069 and look out for the #whoatfifty on Facebook and Twitter.

Tickets for these unmissable events are available on the door (unless sold out) and advance tickets are available from http://www.wegottickets.com/.

[Alan]

'Doctor Who' star to attend Toronto convention
The Canadian Press
Published Sunday, October 27, 2013 10:04AM EDT

TORONTO -- Former "Doctor Who" star Peter Davison says he expects the time-jumping series to shift to a slower, more serious affair with its new star, Peter Capaldi.

Davison, who led the show in the early '80s as the fifth actor to play the other-worldly explorer, says the sci-fi saga is likely in for a tonal change when Capaldi begins his stint as the 12th Doctor.

Capaldi takes over from Matt Smith, who at 26 was the youngest actor to ever play the British sci-fi hero when he took over in 2010.

Davison says the 55-year-old Capaldi, whose credits include "Torchwood" and "In the Loop," should add yet another fresh sheen to the 50-year-old saga.

"I think it'll change the sort of tone of it slightly, you know he's obviously a mature doctor," Davison says in a recent phone interview from outside London.

"Matt to me always reminds me of a sort of irrepressible puppy. I think probably Peter will slow it down somewhat and I think that'll be good for the show."

Capaldi is expected to make his first appearance in a holiday special that will bid farewell to Smith's incarnation of the Time Lord, a humanoid alien who can regenerate his body when faced with what would otherwise be a fatal event.

Before that, "Doctor Who" celebrates its 50th anniversary with the special episode "The Day of the Doctor" on Nov. 23 on Space. The show will air simultaneously worldwide and feature appearances by Smith's current Doctor and his companion Clara, played by Jenna Coleman, as well as the 10th Doctor, David Tennant, and John Hurt as a dark figure in the Doctor's timeline.

Space is currently paying tribute to every incarnation of the Time Lord with the weekly docu-series "Doctor Who Revisited," which looks back at each of the 11 Doctors. Each one-hour special is followed by two classic episodes featuring the Doctor of the evening.

"Doctor Who" director Graeme Harper, whose ties to the legendary series stretch back to his earliest days at the BBC in the '60s but mainly encompass the '80s and 2000s, says he never expected the series to last this long. But he says he understands its broad appeal.

"What's brilliant about 'Doctor Who' is it's universal --anybody can understand that from any country," Harper says in a recent phone call from London.

"It's not totally British. It's out there."

Harper and Davison will be among the "Doctor Who" personalities attending Toronto's three-day Reversed Polarity Convention, beginning Friday. The event also includes an appearance by actor Dan Starkey, best known for playing a Sontaran soldier named Strax.

After that, Davison heads to Halifax for its fantasy and gaming convention Hal-Con, running Nov. 8 to 10. Guests at that more general sci-fi event include Billy Dee Williams of "Star Wars," Jewel Staite of the TV series "Firefly" and its big-screen spinoff "Serenity," and Garrett Wang from "Star Trek Voyager."

Davison says he's looking forward to meeting Canadian fans, noting that "Doctor Who" devotees are unlike any other.

"They are overwhelming, but they're very respectful as well," says the 62-year-old Davison, also known for "All Creatures Great and Small" and "Law & Order: UK."

"There are people who go, 'Oh, crikey, (you) must be working really hard when you do a convention.' In fact, it is hard work, but you are being told constantly over three days how wonderful you are. So it's no real great hardship."

Davison, who was 29 when he was cast as the Doctor in 1981, says Capaldi is a great choice to continue the saga.

"It'll be more challenging for (showrunner) Steven Moffat to write and therefore I think will be another lease of life for the series."

Link to original article here: http://www.cp24.com/entertainment-ne...tion-1.1515439

[Alan]

Published on October 27th, 2013 | by Christian Cawley
Another Missing Doctor Who Episode Due To Be Unveiled?

The unveiling of nine missing episodes from the Patrick Troughton era of Doctor Who (The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear) earlier this month was a classic fan’s dream.

Since the big day, we have been given the impression that there may be something else in the offing, something held back or released a little later to the BFI’s famous Missing Believed Wiped events, the next of which is in December.

Doctor Who Archive have been on the case, and recently spoke to the BFI’s Dick Fiddy as to whether any information was available as to what episode – lost or found – will be made available.

…we’re awaiting word from the BBC as to which episode will be made available and that won’t be known until mid-November time I suspect.

Past Missing Believed Wiped events have had a heavy Doctor Who flavour, with lost clips and episodes aired for the first time in many years. Rumours concerning the next event suggest that 1965?s Marco Polo has been found and will be featured, but please be aware that this is just a rumour, and that no solid information to corroborate this exists.

(With thanks to Paddy)

Link to original article here: http://www.kasterborous.com/2013/10/...-due-unveiled/

[Blencathra]

Doctor Who Children In Need 2013

http://blogtorwho.blogspot.co.uk/201...need-2013.html

The BBC have released some details regarding this year's annual Children In Need appeal. The charity night, which has a had a long association with Doctor Who, will feature the show "lending a hand" to the evening's proceedings. In the past special scenes have been screened, such as Time Crash in 2007, and actors have appeared live on the evening itself, such as David Tennant. Full details will be published soon.

This year's Children In Need takes place on Friday Nov 15.

[Blencathra]

BBC Press Release about An Adventure in Space and Time


An Adventure In Space And Time

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/spacetime/

Spoilered for length

Spoiler:

Introduction

This special one-off drama travels back in time to 1963 to see how the beloved Doctor Who was first brought to the screen.

Actor William Hartnell felt trapped by a succession of hard-man roles. Wannabe producer Verity Lambert was frustrated by the TV industry’s glass ceiling. Both of them were to find unlikely hope and unexpected challenges in the form of a Saturday tea-time drama, time travel and monsters!

Allied with a team of brilliant people, they went on to create the longest-running science fiction series ever, now celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Written by Mark Gatiss

Executive produced by Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat and Caroline Skinner

Directed by Terry McDonough

Starring David Bradley (William Hartnell); Jessica Raine (Verity Lambert); Sacha Dhawan (Waris Hussein); Lesley Manville (Heather Hartnell) and Brian Cox (Sydney Newman).

Interview with writer and executive producer Mark Gatiss

What can viewers expect from the drama?

Principally, it's the story of how Doctor Who was created, so we concentrate on the very beginnings and the first few episodes. There are lots of treats for the fans but it's also the story of William Hartnell, the first Doctor and how the part transformed his life.

Why did you want to tell this story?

I'm a life-long Doctor Who fan and the origins of this beloved show have always fascinated me. But, above all, I wanted it to strike a chord on a human level. These were brilliant, complex, talented people making something revolutionary. And, in William Hartnell, we have the very affecting story of a man redeemed by the role of a lifetime who then, sadly, had to let it go. I think we can all relate to something like that in our lives.

What was the casting process like? Did you set out to find such good lookalikes?

I'd had David Bradley in mind for some years but it wasn't simply a question of a good likeness! David is such a fine and delicate actor, I knew he'd find something wonderful in the part. With everyone else, I stressed that we must first and foremost get the right people for the job. But it turned out the right people also bear the most amazing resemblances to the originals! Costume and make-up, of course, played a huge part in that.

Could you explain a little bit about the research process?

Doctor Who is probably unique in terms of TV shows in that its history has been exhaustively researched for years. Happily, this means that there are lots of interviews existing with people who are no longer with us. I'd wanted to tell the story for years – I sort of grew up with it. How no-one wanted the Daleks. About the first episode going out just after JFK was shot. But I wanted to get deeper than just the details of production and find the human story. I conducted new interviews with a lot of the original cast and crew. They were all hugely enthusiastic and very helpful.

Did you uncover any facts or information that you didn’t previously know as a Doctor Who fan?

A few bits and bobs but, as I say, most of it is very well documented now! It was very touching, though, to talk to people about a part of their loves that was often very happy and to discuss people long gone.

There were so many people involved in the show’s beginnings, why did you decide to focus on the four central characters of Hartnell, Newman and Lambert and Hussein?

I had to focus it down. Simple as that. This is a drama, not a documentary, and though it's extremely painful to have to leave out some people who played a huge part, it makes dramatic sense. You simply can't do everyone justice in 90 minutes. For instance, the story of how Terry Nation and Ray Cusick created the Daleks is almost a film all on its own! Jeff Rawle plays Mervyn Pinfield, who was the Associate Producer, and his character sort of absorbs several others including Donald Wilson and the brilliant David Whitaker – the first script editor - whose contribution was immeasurable.

Set in the 1960s the drama brings to life that era through the costumes, hair and make-up and the sets, including the first ever TARDIS console. What was it like being on set?

It was extraordinary. To see the original TARDIS recreated genuinely took my breath away and everyone who came to the set had the same reaction. It was frequently quite uncanny. We used some of the original Marconi cameras and, on the black and white monitors, seeing David, Jemma, Jamie and Claudia was like looking back through Time. Spooky and very moving.

Finally, what do you hope audiences take away from the drama?

This is my love-letter to Doctor Who! In this 50th anniversary year, I hope fans will enjoy and be thrilled by it and all the kisses to the past it's laden with. But my greatest wish is that it appeals to people who know very little or nothing about Doctor Who and see the struggle of talented people (almost) accidentally creating a legend!



David Bradley plays William Hartnell

Acclaimed actor David Bradley talks here about taking on the portrayal of an actor he greatly admired and transforming himself into the Doctor.

A popular screen star, well regarded by his peers, William Hartnell was born in St Pancras, London in 1908. He appeared in numerous plays, films and TV shows, often playing the ‘tough guy’ role as typified by his character in the comedy ‘The Army Game’, which ran from 1957 to 1961, just prior to Doctor Who.

When he was first approached, Hartnell was widely reported to have been unconvinced by the role of Doctor.

“It has to be said”, explains David, “after some initial reluctance to do something for children’s TV, I think he was quickly convinced that it was the right thing for him to do. He felt quite insecure about it as it was new territory for him, but once he started he embraced the whole idea of the part."

An Adventure In Space And Time tells the story behind the beginnings of Doctor Who and the team of personalities behind it. Known as a perfectionist, Hartnell was widely regarded as cantankerous by colleagues. But as David explains the script for ‘Space And Time’ reveals a full picture of Bill, including the good and the bad.

“I know he had a reputation at times for being cantankerous and rather difficult and one has to play that”, says David.

“It was clear from research and hearing his colleagues talk about him that he was a perfectionist. He demanded a lot of himself and he expected everyone around him to show the same level of commitment.”

Hartnell played the role from 1963 until 1966, creating the template for the character of the Doctor, which has since been played by 10 other actors. He embraced all that embodied the show, as David explains, “He was invited to school fetes in the full outfit and I thought how brilliant and touching that was. It’s clear that he absolutely loved it and found it very hard to let go. That’s an element that Mark Gatiss brings out in the script."

Deteriorating health led Hartnell to finally retire from the role, but as his illness worsened, so too did his relationship with the production team of Doctor Who.

“I think maybe when people joined the show later”, explains David, “different directors and different actors, if they showed a lack of commitment then it would upset him and he would let people know that’s how he felt. There are moments of sadness in ‘Space And Time’ where he becomes aware that he hasn’t got the strength to do it anymore.”

David grew up with the show (“I remember Hartnell, Troughton and Pertwee best”) and recently starred opposite current Doctor Matt Smith. Does he see any of Hartnell’s characteristics in Smith?

“I really admire him as a Doctor”, says David, “he’s got that curiosity and that slight eccentricity that the part requires, not in the same way as Bill Hartnell, but I think some of those characteristics have gone all the way through everyone that's played the Doctor.”

So how would David sum up his experience taking on one of TV’s most iconic roles?

“It’s been one of those great jobs and an experience I’ll always remember. We’re honouring something that’s been part of television history for 50 years and I hope I’ve done justice to an actor that I admire greatly," he concludes.

[Blencathra]

Part Two

Spoiler:

Jessica Raine plays Verity Lambert

Star of Call The Midwife, Jessica Raine takes on the role of Verity Lambert, the first female drama producer at the BBC and the first ever producer of Doctor Who. Here she explains what it was like stepping in to the shoes of such a formidable woman and the importance of making sure they showed the fun side of Verity.

“She was very strong willed, very compassionate and very warm,” Jessica is talking enthusiastically about Verity.

“As the first female drama producer at the BBC she had to be very determined,” she continues.

“She had a real fire in her belly about projects she believed in.”

Verity Lambert began her career at the BBC in June 1963 having followed ABC’s former head of drama, Sydney Newman to the corporation. Lambert oversaw the first two seasons of Doctor Who, eventually leaving in 1965. It has since become the project she is most famed for.

In An Adventure In Space And Time one our first introductions to Verity is at a swinging Sixties house party, which according to Jessica shows the lesser known fun side of the producer.

“We concentrate more on her work, but we do get a little slither of the fun side of Verity,” says Jessica. “Apparently she used to hold these art parties and invite the artist and all of her mates around and have a sort of exhibition, a bit of music and a bit of dancing.”

Well known amongst Doctor Who fans, Sydney Newman once described her as full of ‘piss and vinegar’ and claimed hiring her was one of the best things he ever did.

So what research did Jessica do to prepare for the role?

“For any role I pretty much always go to the script, first and foremost. While I was auditioning I did look for video clips, but they were all from recent years, she explains, but it was interesting to see her. I felt she was very composed, very classy, very warm, but you could see real steel there.

"I also watched the original episode that Verity, Waris and Sydney, to a certain extent, created and I was really struck by how it holds its own," she explains. "It’s eerie, weird, intriguing and it’s incredible that they were able to do that on such a miniscule budget.”

Playing such a formidable character, does Jessica see any similarities between herself and Verity?

“I guess I didn’t quite realise how determined I was to act, I really did plug away for it for a while, so I suppose I am in a way. I like that Verity’s got quite a twinkle in her eye. It would be very flattering if anyone compared me to her.”

Telling the story of the genesis of Doctor Who and the many personalities involved, An Adventure In Space And Time’ sums up a moment in television history and the start of the world’s longest-running science fiction series.

“I think it encapsulates a time in the Sixties when we’re on the brink of this huge change - and it does it really subtly," explains Jessica. "We’ve got Verity Lambert walking in to the BBC, who is a woman. We’ve got Waris Hussein, the first Indian director at the BBC. The stakes are very high and that reflects what was going on in society at the time."

Apart from reflecting the societal changes at the time the drama explores the origins of one of the world's most recognisable monsters, the Daleks.

“I actually do remember being really afraid of the Daleks”, explains Jessica. “I was just terrified of their horrible voice which I always equated with the voice on the tube. We used to go up to London, because I was from the countryside, for a London weekend and the tube voice, 'mind the gap' used to always remind me of the Daleks so it was just a terrifying experience!”


Brian Cox plays Sydney Newman

Taking on the role of the BBC’s head of drama, Brian talks here about working at Television Centre in the 1960s and the colourful force of nature that was Sydney Newman.

Sydney Newman joined the BBC after a successful stint at ABC. Joining the corporation in 1962, his love of science fiction soon led to the creation of Doctor Who as the corporation looked to find a programme to fill a 25 minute tea-time slot.

“Sydney Newman was a formidable force in television,” explains Brian. “He started at ABC and kind of revolutionised drama. I first worked at the BBC in 1965 and did my first ever television play, ‘A Knight In Tarnished Armour’ and Sydney was there and I actually met him very briefly. You could always spot Sydney in the BBC Club because of his brightly coloured cravats and waistcoats. And his personality was the same!”

We first meet Newman in An Adventure In Space And Time as he strides in to TVC, ignoring the security guards calls to show his pass walking away with 'That’s not how we do it at the BBC, sir' ringing in his ears.

But as Brian explains, Sydney was very different to others at the Corporation.

“The BBC was very stuffy, says Brian. There were very good producers and directors, but it was all done by the board and delegation committee, and lots of memos. Sydney had a very different approach, a hands on approach, and I think that’s what made him unique. He brought a breath of fresh air.”

As well as being very passionate about his projects, Newman also had a knack for spotting a hit and delegating. He trusted those he appointed to do the work and gave them second chances. This is evident in ‘Space And Time’ which reveals that despite rumblings of criticisms about producer Verity Lambert’s overspending and hating the first try at the premiere episode of Doctor Who, he gave his team another shot.

“He had them reshoot the whole of the first episode of Doctor Who because he didn’t think it was quite right,” explains Brian. “I think he was very revolutionary, I think he really did create a standard.”

Trying to find a tea-time family show, Newman was clear there should be no ‘bug eyed monsters’. He hated the idea of the Daleks, but as we see in ‘Space And Time’ on seeing their success he was happy to admit he was wrong.

“Ultimately he was a populist,” explains Brian. “He believed in making drama popular. I think he took forward the original Director-General, Lord Reith’s philosophy in wanting to get the best possible drama to the maximum number of people.”

So does Brian see any similarities with Newman?

“I think there’s something very positive about Sydney and he was a force going against the norm of the day. In a sense, I’m very empathetic to him; he’s very much my kind of guy,” he concludes.


Sacha Dhawan plays Waris Hussein

Sacha Dhawan takes on the role of the director of the first episodes of Doctor Who, Waris Hussein. Here he talks about how An Adventure In Space And Time deals with the challenges Waris faced as the first Indian-born drama director at the BBC and using music from the Sixties to get his swagger.

Born in India, Waris Hussein was the first Indian director at the BBC. He directed the premiere Doctor Who story, An Unearthly Child, and returned to the series in 1964. A graduate of Cambridge, Hussein was faced with a number of tests when he joined the BBC and like Hartnell, was not particularly enthused by the idea of directing a show for children.

“There were definitely challenges for Waris at the time, but I think in the longer term it made him a better director,” explains Sacha. “And I think Doctor Who was one of those projects that gave him immense confidence.”

Following on from Doctor Who, Hussein went on to have a long career directing a variety of projects from ‘A Passage To India’ to ‘Shoulder To Shoulder’.

As well as touching on the issues of being an Indian director at the BBC in the 1960s, the drama explores the bond between Hussein and the producer Verity Lambert, who struck up a strong friendship and who became a committed team. He went on to work with Lambert on several other productions after Doctor Who.

To research the role, Sacha spent a lot of time with Waris, first meeting him at a public screening of the episodes he directed.

“He is quite a specific character and I wanted to make sure that I played him as truthfully as possible,” explains Sacha. “He has a particular way of speaking as well, which I really wanted to hone in on.”

“We were a bit kind of weird with each other; we were both studying, looking at one another. He was looking at me thinking ‘You’re watching everything I’m doing aren’t you?’, but we hit it off straight away,” he says.

Hussein attended one of the first scenes Sacha filmed showing Lambert and Hussein in the BBC club. “He started welling up and getting quite moved by it,” says Sacha. ”I hope that was in a good way and not a bad one, but I think he seemed happy.”

Sacha was excited to tackle a period setting he’d never done before. “When I first read the script, it was the era that really excited me. I’d never done anything in this kind of genre. The 1960s is so cool; I love the set and the clothes. As soon as you wear them, you act in a certain way; you walk in a different way.”

And to get in to the right frame of mind Sacha dipped in to his music collection: “I listened to loads of Sixties music on the way to work, to get a certain kind of swagger,” he explains.

So how would he sum up ‘Space And Time’?

“I think it appeals to those who aren’t necessarily Doctor Who fans. I was very moved by the script, particularly William Hartnell’s journey, which I relate to as an actor myself,” he concludes.

[Blencathra]

Blue Peter celebrates Who's 50th

http://blogtorwho.blogspot.co.uk/201...whos-50th.html

Long-running BBC "children's" television programme Blue Peter is to continue its strong association with Doctor Who, with the launch of an exciting new Blue Peter Doctor Who competition and two live specials. Details below:

In an exclusive competition, Blue Peter viewers aged between six and 15 will be asked to design new sonic devices for Sontaran Commander Strax, Madame Vastra and Jenny Flint. Their gadgets will feature in the iconic science fiction series. The winner will get the unique opportunity to see their gadget in action on the set of Doctor Who.

On Thursday 21 November and Saturday 23 November, Barney, Lindsey and Radzi will be joined by aliens and monsters in the studio and the audience will be able to design their very own alien live on air.

Blue Peter viewers will have their questions answered by Matt Smith; they will be able to get ready for the 50th anniversary show by making their very own cushion (to hide behind); and we’ll help them to host a Doctor Who party by showing them how to make Dalek cupcakes.

Blue Peter airs Thursday 21 November 5.30pm on CBBC. Sticking with CBBC, details of their 12 Again: Doctor Who special have also been announced. Details below:

Super fans join cast members past and present to share their memories of watching TV’s top Time Lord when they were young. Who was their Doctor when they were a kid? Which aliens had them hiding behind the sofa?

Featuring CBBC’s super fan Chris Johnson, impressionist Jon Culshaw, Tommy Knight (Luke Smith), Warwick Davis (Porridge), Neve McIntosh (Madame Vastra), Dan Starkey (Strax) Louise Jameson (Leela) and the Seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy.

We’ll find out about the Doctor himself, the TARDIS and the famous theme tune as we travel back to a different dimension with our celebrities as they become 12 Again.

__________

The BBC have also announced Doctor Who: Greatest Monsters & Villains Weekend on BBC Three which begins on Friday, 15 November at 7pm. Details below:

The fantastic foes that have gone up against our time-traveling hero in his first-half century are a huge part of Doctor Who. By turns scary, funny, iconic, thrilling and on occasions charismatic, they help define the show’s enduring appeal and fifty years after the Daleks were created, the monsters of Doctor Who remain an integral part of what makes the series so special. Doctor Who: Greatest Monsters & Villains Weekend will be a marvellous salute to those baddies who have blighted the Doctor’s life and added so much excitement to ours.

[Teddybrown]

http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/50th-pr...gain-54561.htm
More on the above.

[BruTak]

Anyone tried the "make your own Doctor Who 50th anniversary invite" on the offical Doctor Who Facebook page?

http://www.savethedaywhoiscoming.com/invite/c5e4d3

Just me then?

[Alan]

'Oh my god, this is wrong!': Steven Moffat remembers Doctor Who's first ever kiss with a companion
By Hanna Flint
PUBLISHED: 13:37, 30 October 2013 | UPDATED: 13:37, 30 October 2013

While Matt Smith and David Tennant are no strangers to a kiss with their companion, back in the nineties, the romantic gesture on Doctor Who caused quite an uproar.

In an exclusive video ahead of the 50th anniversary special of the BBC sci-fi show, writer Steven Moffat looks back to the eighth Time Lord's incarnation, and talks about why it was such a shock to the audience.

'At the time it was a controversy,' Moffat remembers. 'It was huge, it was on the internet, while we were filming it was released that the Doctor had kissed Grace, and we were all going "Oh my god this is wrong!"'

Paul McGann had just regenerated as the Doctor in the 1996 television film, when he meets Dr. Grace Holloway - played by American actress Daphne Ashbrook.

I was on my way to the UK and I was very nervous because they weren't too happy about that,' Daphne thinks back. 'There were a few things that we did that upset some people.'

Up until the 50th anniversary special, the BBC will be running the series Doctor Who: The Doctor Revisited, where viewers will be taken back in time to relive the most magical moments from its five decade history.

There will be eleven 30 minute special BBC Worldwide episodes and will feature the story behind each Doctor, alongside footage from their era.

From the first Doctor William Hartnell to the most current Matt Smith, each episode includes an introduction by current Lead Writer and Executive Producer Steven Moffat and also features contributions from past Doctors including Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and David Tennant alongside guest stars and writers including John Barrowman, Hugh Bonneville and Neil Gaiman.

Link to original article here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...companion.html

[Alan]

DW 50th: The Day of the Doctor updates!
By Laura Sirikul | October 30, 2013 - 10:49 am | TV

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) revealed more details about Doctor Who’s The Day of the Doctor. There will be a 10 minute behind-the-scenes featurette called “Behind the Lens” that will follow the special screenings and be available on BBC’s website after the episode.

There is a possible new trailer for The Day of the Doctor which includes clips from the actual episode that will be 1 minute and 10 seconds long. It was given a PG (parental guidance) rating.

There is a rumored “minisode” featured on The Day of the Doctor special called The Last Day, which runs for 3 minutes and 57 seconds.

The Day of the Doctor will air on Saturday, 23rd November 2013 on BBC One/America.

Source: BBFC

Link to original article here: http://nerdreactor.com/2013/10/30/dw...octor-updates/

[Blencathra]

The Last Day?! Fingers crossed for the eighth Doctor being in that!


50th Anniversary Radio Programmes Line-Up

http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/50th-an...medium=twitter

Further details and airdates have been announced for several of the BBC’s special radio programmes celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who.


Doctor Who At 50: Doctor Who And The Daleks

Saturday 16 November 6.00-6.45pm BBC RADIO 4 EXTRA

It’s 50 years since the very first broadcast of long-running science-fiction hit Doctor Who. Radio 4 Extra joins in the celebrations with the chance to hear a whole adventure in one go every night this week.

With a special emphasis on the atmospheric 1960s, tonight’s reading from Audio Go is based on the original TV serial from 1963.Nuclear threat looms large in this evocative tale, no more so than in the radiation-ravaged world of Skaro. It’s there the TARDIS heads for the Doctor’s fateful first meeting…Tom and Jerry, Lex Luthor and Superman, Seinfeld and Newman… all great feuds start somewhere. So it is for the Doctor and the bane of all his travels, the Daleks. How did their paths first cross? Were the Daleks always ruthless and evil? How did they come into being?All of these questions are answered in the very first adventure involving the metal-plated meanies. Not only that, but it’s told in the first person by one of the very first companions, Ian Chesterton (as played by William Russell).Expect a very different slant on how the Doctor and Ian met, too, involving Barnes Common and everlasting matches.

Doctor Who At 50: Protect And Survive

Sunday 17 November 6.00-6.45pm BBC RADIO 4 EXTRA

It’s Sylvester McCoy’s turn to time travel, in this brand-new four-part drama.Doctor Who began in the Sixties, but so did the Cold War – and like the Daleks, it came back time and again. Back in the era of Stanislav Petrov, Threads and 99 Luftballoons, the prospect of nuclear conflict never seemed more real. Thank goodness it never happened… Or did it?The Doctor’s young companions Hex and Ace are plunged alone into the late Eighties, where history has gone horrifyingly wrong. Global tension is escalating and the world trembles on the brink of a final, terrible war. What happened to glasnost and perestroika? Why are people actually building fallout shelters?Hex and Ace aren’t too worried – after all, the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) will rescue them… won’t he?Sylvester McCoy has not only played the Time Lord but also appears as a wizard, Radagast the Brown, in the recent big screen adaptation of The Hobbit. He was also part of the Ken Campbell Roadshow.

Doctor Who At 50: Fanfare For The Common Men

Monday 18 November 6.00-6.45pm BBC RADIO 4 EXTRA

Peter Davison is the Doctor in this brand-new four-part drama.The Doctor has been with us for five decades or so – but what about the decade which inspired him – the Sixties? Radio 4 Extra is doing some time travel of its own to evoke that fondly remembered period, and what better way than the Common Men?The Doctor’s young companion Nyssa is unfamiliar with Earth’s musical heritage – so a trip to the formative days of the Fab Four is in order, to show her what all the fuss is all about.But the Beatles are nowhere to be seen – instead their role in history has been taken by the Common Men, a trio whose rise to fame isn’t as wholesome as it first appears.Peter Davison – known and loved for roles in At Home With the Braithwaites, All Creatures Great And Small and A Very Peculiar Practice – takes control of the TARDIS in this tale of thwarted history.Also in the cast is Radio 4 stalwart Mitch Benn, known for his work on the Now Show and as Zaphod in the Hitch Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy stage show, currently on tour.

Doctor Who At 50: Thousand Tiny Wings

Tuesday 19 November 6.00-6.45pm BBC RADIO 4 EXTRA

Late 1963 saw a number of dramatic events – the death of CS Lewis, the assassination of John F Kennedy – and Kenyan independence in December 1963.The Doctor arrives in a remote homestead during this bloody period of history where he is reunited with an old acquaintance, an ex-Nazi called Klein. Of course it wouldn’t be Doctor Who without some alien threat, and it comes in the form of an avian group intelligence.But by employing a strategy of divide and conquer, is the Doctor as bad as those he opposes? Sylvester McCoy once more plays the Time Lord in this full cast audio drama.

Doctor Who At 50: Farewell Great Macedon

Wednesday 20 November 6.00-6.45pm BBC RADIO 4 EXTRA

This unproduced television script is brought to mesmeric life through a combination of performance and narration.Time travel is an odd business – it’s not just about the history you know, it’s the history you don’t.Hardcore Doctor Who fans can tell you when and where the Time Lord has been to on television. What about the adventures we didn’t see? What about the time the TARDIS landed in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the crew met Alexander the Great?Find out as the original team – Ian, Barbara, Susan and the first ever Doctor step out from the time machine into one of the Ancient Wonders of the World, in the year 323 BC. Hear the wit and guile of the very first Doctor Who in action as he thinks his way out of a walk on hot coals – and offers Alexander the Great a way to cheat death through 20th-century means… an iron lung!Featuring stars of the original series Carol Ann Ford and William Russell.

Who Is The Doctor?

Thursday 21 November 10pm-11.30pm BBC RADIO 2

On Saturday 23 November 23 1963, BBC TV broadcast the very first episode of Doctor Who. Fifty years later, the series is the most successful drama on television. In this special documentary, Radio 2 examines the reasons for its longevity and popularity.Featuring new interviews with the cast and crew of the series, the programme looks at the lasting appeal of Doctor Who and asks how much of its continued success can be attributed to its basic formula.With archive clips and the music of Doctor Who composer Murray Gold, Who Is The Doctor? considers the character of the Time Lord across all of his regenerations and revisits the origins of the series with Waris Hussein, director of the debut Doctor Who story, An Unearthly Child.The programme also examines how the franchise survived when the show was off TV, considers the impact of the revival in 2005 and assesses the value of the series to the BBC.

The Blagger’s Guide To Doctor Who

Thursday 21 November 11.30pm-12 midnight BBC RADIO 2

David Quantick takes a look back over 50 years of science fiction at its British best with a quick fire look at all things Doctor Who.He’ll be lifting the lid on some industry secrets and exterminating any myths listeners might have heard about the long-running series, such as: why was William Hartnell replaced as the first Doctor? What was it about the Daleks that drove Jon Pertwee mad? And why was the show cancelled for 16 very bleak years?All this and plenty more, all in true off-the-wall Blagger’s style.

Doctor Who At 50: Human Resources

Thursday 21 November 6.00-6.45pm BBC RADIO 4 EXTRA

Humour has always played a part in the Doctor’s travels – never more so than in this drama from writer Eddie Robson (Welcome To Our Village: Please Invade Carefully).Paul McGann (Monocled Mutineer, Withnail And I) is the Doctor for this wry adventure.Offices can be difficult workplaces – but spare a thought for the hapless humans in this story. They wind up sharing theirs with the Cybermen.Starring Paul McGann as the Doctor, this two-part story explains the on-going mystery of Lucie Miller (Sheridan Smith) – paired off with the Doctor in a witness protection programme.However, one kidnap and random journey to the planet Lonsis later, the Doctor discovers the far stranger truth. It’s connected to odd company Hulbert Logistics, a dogged pursuer called the Headhunter, a very strange crystal, and ultimately the Cybermen. When Lucie learns the truth, all bets are off.Sheridan Smith has recently wowed stage audiences in Hedda Gabler and Legally Blonde, but has also been a smash on TV with roles in Benidorm, Love Soup and Jonathan Creek. The world of film, too, has seen her appear with Dustin Hoffman in Quartet.Also appearing are Nickolas Grace (Brideshead Revisited, Robin Of Sherwood) and Owen Brenman (Doctors, One Foot In The Grave).

Doctor Who At 50: Dalek Invasion Of Earth

Friday 22 November 6.00-6.45pm BBC RADIO 4 EXTRA

Broadcast only 18 years after the end of the Second World War, this classic story addresses a very wartime anxiety… what would Britain have been like as an occupied nation?As this story opens, the Daleks have won. Propaganda broadcasts, regular patrols, collaborators, black marketeers – all of this before the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan have even arrived. When they do, they are separated and find themselves fighting not just for their survival, but that of the entire planet.You can’t keep a good man down – so the Daleks discover when they make the grievous error of invading the Doctor’s favourite planet… but it’s a battle with a life-changing outcome for the Doctor’s grand-daughter, Susan.Read by William Russell, who played Ian Chesterton in the original television serial on which this reading is based.Should you wonder what might have happened next for Susan (and Lucie Miller), answers are forthcoming in Who Made Who, and also two further episodes next week – Lucie Miller and To The Death.