Doctor Who News, Articles, Cast and Crew Interviews

[iiradned]

http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/tantali...-5-8-66791.htm
Tantalising new details for episodes 5 - 8

Spoiler:

Wow, Mummy on the Orient Express must be dark for a later time slot...

http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/dwm-thi...moon-66800.htm
Things will never be the same again after Kill the Moon...

Spoiler:

Just after Amy and Rory got married, and before he left the Doctor was talking on the TARDIS phone about an Egyptian goddess who had been sealed in an obelisk loose on the Orient Express in space. I wonder if this would be that adventure finally happening. Though it was supposed to be with Amy and Rory, somehow the TARDIS sidetracked them as she takes the Doctor where he needs to go.

[Teddybrown]

http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/kill-th...psis-66824.htm
Synopsis for Kill the Moon

[Teddybrown]

Time Heist clip

[Teddybrown]

New clip from Time Heist.

http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/2014-ch...rmed-66888.htm
2014 Christmas Special guest cast confirmed

[Blencathra]

Deep Breath - Live +7

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2014/09...ce=twitterfeed

Doctor Who - Deep Breath has a final Live+7 UK TV audience of 10.76 million viewers.

The Live+7 figure includes not only those who watch the BBC One broadcast and those who time-shift it, but also those who watch the repeats on other UK channels and those who watch the programme on i-Player. The total figure is an estimate of the total number of unique viewers, who have watched the episode on television, within one week on broadcast.

The Deep Breath figure was made up of

6.807 million - Watched Live or by delayed recording on the same day
0.456 million - watched a repeat
2.525 million - watched on Time-shift
0.971 million - watched on iPlayer

66% of the audience watched it Live or on the same day compared with a BBC average of 87%. 22% watched on time-shift where the average is 6%, and 9% watched on iPlayer compared to an average for all BBC programmes of 3%.

The figure does not include those who watched only at a cinema.

Robot of Sherwood has now been confirmed as finishing 10th in the weekly chart. Is the sixth episode in a row to reach the UK top Ten

[rkgardner2003]

This may have already been mentioned, but I read that Matt Smith will be playing Mr. Collins in "Pride, Prejudice and Zombies"...

Also, James Corden, who played Craig Owens in "The Lodger" and "Closing Time" will be taking over for Craig Ferguson.

[Teddybrown]

http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/time-he...sers-66898.htm
Time Heist teasers

[Blencathra]

Time Heist: The Fact File

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/arti...-the-fact-file

The read through for Time Heist took place on Tuesday, 11 February, 2014. Filming started on 3 March and finished three weeks later on 24 March.

Filming locations for the episode included Cardiff’s Oval Basin and Bute Park as well as Uskmouth Power Station, previously used in adventures including The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe and more recently, Into the Dalek.

This isn’t the first time a solar storm has created problems for the Doctor. In The Rebel Flesh he noted that a solar storm had animated the Gangers, in effect giving the ‘almost people’ enough autonomy to launch a revolt. But solar storms are not simply a science fiction construct and are, in fact, a natural occurrence caused by high-energy particles hitting the Earth. You can read more about them in the BBC’s Science & Environment pages.

“Or we could go to Brighton…” If the Doctor suggests a trip to Brighton – watch out! When he tried to take Leela to the coastal resort they ended up miles away, on Fang Rock, facing a Rutan invasion. Later, when he attempted to attend the opening of the Brighton Pavilion he got the time wrong and the place right but the visit still ended in disaster when K-9 was blown up whilst taking a dip on Brighton beach! Check out Horror of Fang Rock and The Leisure Hive to find out more about both adventures.

Remember the memory worms? We first saw one of these strange creatures in the 2012 Christmas Special, The Snowmen. Coming into contact with one wipes away chunks of memory but apparently leaves the ‘victim’ otherwise unharmed.

When Psi attempts to gain the Teller’s attention by stating, ‘every famous burglar in history is hiding in this bank right now in one body!’ we see a stream of villains, each individual appearing very briefly. These include several aliens who have previously featured in Doctor Who such as a Sensorite, a member of the Slitheen family, the Gunslinger, an Ice Warrior and a Terileptil. Although the Terileptils have not had a major appearance since their debut story, The Visitation, in 1982, they were mentioned more recently in The Pandorica Opens and The Time of the Doctor.

Other aliens seen in Psi’s rapid rogues gallery include the Trickster, as he appeared in The Sarah Jane Adventures. Although never seen in Doctor Who, this mysterious menace was referenced by the Tenth Doctor in Turn Left. We also glimpse what appears to be Androvax, a ruthless ‘body snatcher’ seen in two of The Sarah Jane Adventures - Prisoner of the Judoon and The Vault of Secrets.

“You agreed to rob the most impregnable bank in history…” Looks like the Doctor has got over his antipathy towards that adjective! In Robot the Fourth Doctor tells the Brigadier that he, ‘Never cared much for the word impregnable. Sounds a bit too much like unsinkable.’ When his old friend asked what was wrong with ‘unsinkable’, he replied, ‘Nothing, as the iceberg said to the Titanic…’

The Doctor mentions an encounter with Cesare Borgia, the Italian nobleman, politician and cardinal born in Rome in the 1470s. He was the brother of the notorious Lucrezia Borgia and widely regarded as a capable general and statesman, ultimately undone by his reliance on his father - Pope Alexander VI. At one point Cesare employed the Doctor’s old friend Leonardo da Vinci as a military architect and engineer and it’s possible that this is when their paths crossed.

The device that can restore Psi’s memory is called a neophyte circuit. The word neophyte comes from the Greek neophutos with neo meaning ‘new’ and phutos meaning ‘planted’. It’s therefore an appropriately named circuit as it allows Psi’s memories to be newly planted in his consciousness.

The Teller is played by Ross Mullan. You may not recognise his face but he also played a Silent in The Time of the Doctor.

[Blencathra]

Liverpool actor's Doctor Who delight over Christmas special role

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats...elight-7810199

Liverpool actor Nathan McMullen told of his excitement at winning a top secret role in the Doctor Who Christmas special.

The 26-year-old, who is best known for playing Finn in science fiction comedy-drama Misfits, has been cast in the festive edition of the show – the first to feature new Doctor Peter Capaldi.

He said he was relieved he could finally share the news – but is still sworn to secrecy about the character he will play.

Nathan will star alongside actor and screen writer Nick Frost and Michael Troughton, whose father Patrick was the second Doctor Who in 1966.

And he said knowing families will sit down together to watch the episode on Christmas Day made the experience extra special for the whole cast.

Production has already begun in Cardiff and last week the BBC released a snapshot of the three guest stars’ backstage chairs.

Dad-of-two Nathan, whose girlfriend recently gave birth to their second child, said: “My agent’s assistant put me up for it. He thought it would be something I’d enjoy.

“I’m not a die-hard Whovian fan so I did my research, went for the audition and a couple of weeks later I got the call. I was like ‘brilliant!’.

“It’s a bit of a funny one – I literally can’t say anything. I’m sworn to secrecy!

“It’s weird having to keep it quiet. Usually I’m a bit of a loudmouth who tells everyone what I’m doing, but it’s nice having it like that so people can enjoy it at Christmas.”

He added: “Even if you’re not a fan of Doctor Who, it’s part of Christmas Day.

“It’s the first programme I’ve filmed that will be on at that time of year. Even at the read-through there was a jolly vibe because everyone knew that it was going to be on at Christmas.”

As well as the “brilliant” Peter Capaldi, Nathan said he was a big fan of Nick Frost from his days in cult sitcom Spaced – but he says he can’t be starstruck.

He said: “I grew up watching Spaced. That was one of the programmes that made me want to write more and be involved in my own projects.

“And Peter Capaldi is brilliant in anything he does.

“I was excited to be able to work with them. But you’re there doing a job at the end of the day so you can’t be overwhelmed.”

Nathan, who has also appeared in Casualty and Shameless, will make his first post-Misfits TV appearance this week in new BBC drama The Driver with Liverpool-born actor David Morrissey.

He is already a familiar face to ECHO readers, as he was named the ECHO’s Young Comic of the Year at the 2003 Liverpool Comedy Festival when he was just 15 years old.

He said: “I’ve been quite lucky over the last few years and I was on Misfits for the last two series. It was probably the right time to finish in terms of the stories but it was a great programme to be a part of and I was a big fan of it.

“After that I was straight into auditions and the next project I was involved in was The Driver. It’s a great script by Danny Brocklehurst and it’s got a great cast.

“I haven’t got a leading role in it but it was nice to be part of it.”

The Doctor Who Christmas special will be aired on BBC One on Christmas Day.

[Blencathra]

New trailer for The Caretaker

[Blencathra]

New promo pics for The Caretaker. No spoilers if you have seen the trailers.

http://who-natic.blogspot.co.uk/2014...mo-images.html

[Blencathra]

It's a slow news day so here are a few tweets.

David Hewlett - https://twitter.com/dhewlett/status/514779586039906304

Katy Manning - https://twitter.com/ManningOfficial/...11237482647552

https://twitter.com/ManningOfficial/...12140008779776

Scott Handcock (writer/director/producer) - https://twitter.com/scott_handcock/s...68976229199872

[Teddybrown]

The Caretaker clip

Peter Capaldi will be on the Graham Norton show tomorrow too!
http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/capaldi...iday-67129.htm

[Blencathra]

Quick-fire Questions: Gareth Roberts

http://www.doctorwho.tv/whats-new/ar...gareth-roberts

He's written for the Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith on TV, in books and on audio. He's pitted James Corden against Cybermen, and Catherine Tate against a giant wasp. But how would Gareth Roberts - writer of this week's episode The Caretaker - get on when he faced our quick-fire questions?

What inspired you to write this episode?
Steven Moffat and Brian Minchin wanted to show the new Doctor in everyday life in the present day. He’s been in the past and future a lot already this year so it was time to bring him to the here and now. I’d written The Lodger and Closing Time for Matt Smith’s Doctor and they wanted something along similar lines. Peter’s Doctor is still a fish out of water in our world but in a very different way to Matt. He doesn’t have any time for social niceties, or even trying to blend in. He thinks it’ll be easy. Also, Steven had carefully plotted out the story of the Doctor, Clara and Danny across the series, and this episode is a major turning point for them all.

What’s your first memory of Doctor Who?
The trailer for Episode One of The Three Doctors. The image of the Doctor and Jo Grant in Bessie being menaced by a black blob really stuck in my mind. When I saw it again I realised it was a blue blob. But then, first time around, I was watching in black and white.

Describe the Doctor in one word.
Intelligent.

If you had a TARDIS, where and/or when would you go?
London in the far future. I'd like to know what happens next. I don’t understand people who want to visit the past. We know about the past. And what if I needed a tooth out?

Where’s the most interesting place you’ve ever visited in real life?
Skara Brae. A perfectly preserved prehistoric village on the Orkney Islands. It’s mind-blowing but because it’s so hard to get to, most people don’t know about it. The Orkneys in general are so full of history. They make Stonehenge look like Hartlepool bus station.

What scary thing would you least like to encounter in real life?
The thing I’m most scared of would be society breaking down. I really like modern civilization. Except for rollercoasters. Any kind of fairground ride actually. I accidentally went on Space Mountain at Disneyland once, and I’m still recovering.

What’s your favourite memory of working on Doctor Who?
The readthrough for The Lodger. It went down really well, and Matt Smith and James Corden were amazing. It was also the readthrough for Amy’s Choice and I got to read in for Toby Jones. So I was the first incarnation of the Dream Lord.

Are you a passionate fan of anything other than Doctor Who?
So many things it’s hard to narrow it down. Off the top of my head, Marc Almond, Blake’s 7, Herodotus, John Dickson-Carr, The Good Wife, Van Der Graaf Generator, Nurse Jackie, Sparks, Locke & Key... I could go on. At the moment I’ve just discovered a poet called Connie Bensley who I think is amazing, am really enjoying bizarre 60s crime drama The Man in Room 17 on DVD and also last week I went to see Kate Bush live which was one of the most astounding experiences of my life.

Did you take any pictures on set, and could you share one with us?
We’re not allowed. And I couldn’t make to the filming it this time. But I got the rushes sent to me every day and I was punching the air at the performances of Peter, Jenna and Sam.

[Blencathra]

Just a quick reminder that Peter Capaldi will be on The Graham Norton Show tonight on BBC1 at 10:35 pm.