Doctor Who News, Articles, Cast and Crew Interviews

[cosmichobo]

Last episode had the worst viewing figures of all new Who apparently, a drop of 3 million!

Mmm - interesting! I saw the figure (4.88million), but didn't click that it was "that" bad.

I think part of the issue is the huge break between Jodie's first season, and this one... (with just the New Year special in between). Also however after last season - who could blame people for not "saving the day".

There's an annoying poster over on GallifreyBase who insists that even with sporadic seasons, even if they make less episodes, even if they move the time slot around, it all doesn't matter, because the ratings have not been affected by any of it. Well - subject to the rest of the season's ratings.... Here's a great big smouldering lump of proof that the BBC are potentially killing the show off by failing to provide the viewers with consistency...

[Teddybrown]

I also think a lot of people not enjoying last season is a factor, they haven't returned.

[Alan]

Spyfall - Audience Reaction
Friday, 03 January, 2020 - Reported by Marcus

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2020/01...-reaction.html

Audience reaction to the first episode of the new series of Doctor Who is overwealmingly positive with many reviewers praising the story.

The Mirror said it was an epic start to the new series. "the most exciting thing about the episode is the never-ending twists and turns that quite literally left my jaw hanging open."

Radio Times was equally impressed seeing the story as a vast improvement on the previous series. "Part One races along and is slickly directed by newcomer Jamie Magnus Stone. His grandfather was Magnus Magnusson, the broadcasting legend behind the BBC quiz, Mastermind. A clue hidden in plain sight?"

The Telegraph liked the pace "The episode – the first of a two-parter – zipped along, with Whittaker doing her hyperactive thing and her companions (Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill) given generous amounts of screen time."

Den of Geek loved the plot twists "Spyfall, as you might expect from an episode that’s so gleefully borrowing from 007 and his kin, is a globetrotting adventure that barely ever stands still long enough to catch its breath"

inews compared the episode to the thirteenth Doctor's first season. "Whittaker’s debut series established a Doctor Who that had never looked more slick or cinematic, but Spyfall goes even further, with huge, stylish, lavishly shot set-pieces like a frantic, gun-toting motorbike chase through striking Californian farmland."

The series premiered on New Year's Day on BBC One where it recieved an Appreciation Index score of 82

[Teddybrown]

Hoping the good reviews will draw viewers back!

[cosmichobo]

I imagine "most" people who read the reviews, are not the people who have switched off...

This graph doesn't include Whitaker's run, but I think it's fair to say that generally speaking the ratings fall after Ep1 of each season. If that happens this season - the BBC would be mad not to reconsider Season 13...

But - perhaps the only possible saving grace... Whilst Skyfall got incredibly low numbers - for the day it was still 2nd best, and not that far off #1. So - perhaps it was a low-tv-viewing day in the UK... and maybe Sunday night's episode will do a lot better.

[Alan]

2nd January, 2020
Doctor Who Magazine Special 2020 Yearbook

http://merchandise.thedoctorwhosite....2020-yearbook/

Doctor Who Magazine Special 54

The latest Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition is out now, and is packed with all-new exclusive features and interviews.

Highlights include:

• An in-depth interview with Doctor Who’s executive producer Matt Strevens.
• Jodie Whittaker on her second year as the Doctor.
• Mandip Gill, aka Yaz, answers questions from the TARDIS tin.
• Shaun Dooley and Jodie Whittaker recall the making of the charity album Got it Covered.
• Terrance Dicks’ widow, Elsa, and his former Target Books editor, Brenda Gardner, pay tribute to the much-loved writer.
• Twenty years since its original broadcast, Steven Moffat remembers The Curse of Fatal Death.
• Highlights of the Series 12 press day.
• Inside the popular YouTube series Terry Nation Army.
• Digital artist Sophie Cowdrey discusses her work.
• The past, present and future of the Doctor Who Blu-ray collection.
• Behind the scenes of the Doctor Who Figurine Collection.
• The 20 landmark Doctor Who audio releases from Big Finish.
• A look back at the 2019 production of Mission to the Unknown.
• Reviews of the final two Doctor Who: Infinity games and the new independent drama Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor.
• Tributes to Doctor Who luminaries who passed away in 2019.

On sale from Thursday 2 January 2020 £6.99 (UK), $13.99 (US)

[cosmichobo]

Another sub 5m overnight viewing figure...

Well, it was nice while it lasted. 2005 til... 2021? (assuming they give it 1 more year to close out Whitaker)

Wont be expecting another female Doctor for 50 years or so...

[Alan]

Another sub 5m overnight viewing figure...

Well, it was nice while it lasted. 2005 til... 2021? (assuming they give it 1 more year to close out Whitaker)

Wont be expecting another female Doctor for 50 years or so...

Please reserve this type of discussion for the episode threads. This thread is for news, articles, cast and crew interviews. Thank you.

[Alan]

Episode 3 | Next Time Trailer | Orphan 55 | Doctor Who: Series 12
5th January 2020

[Alan]

COMING SOON | Orphan 55 | Doctor Who
7th January, 2020

[Alan]

Series 12 (aka Series 38) Episode Titles Confirmed
Thursday, 09 January, 2020 - Reported by Marcus

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2020/01...confirmed.html

The titles of the next four episodes of Doctor Who have been confirmed in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine.

Episode Three: Orphan 55

Written by Ed Hime
Directed by Lee Haven Jones

Exhausted and wrung out, the Doctor and her friends embark on a much-needed holiday. But it's not the relaxing break they hoped for..

Orphan 55 is written by Ed Hime and directed by Lee Haven Jones. The episode was partly filmed on location in Tenerife. It features actors Col Farrell and Julia Elizabeth Fogle.

Episode Four: Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror

Written by Nina Metivier
Directed by Nida Manzoor

Inventor Nikola Tesla is at war with his rival Thomas Edison. However, there is an even greater threat in their midst.

In Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror we are taken back to 20th Century New York.

The first script by Nina Metivier for the series continues the recent habit of the Doctor meeting famous characters from history. This time it is the scientist best known for his contributions to the design of the alternating current electricity supply system. Telsar is played by Croatian actor Goran Višnji?, best known for appearing in ER. His great rival Thomas Edison is played by Robert Glenister, who last appeared in Doctor Who in 1984 playing Salateen in the fifth Doctor's final story The Caves of Androzani.

It is directed by Nida Manzoor making her debut on the series

Episode Five: Fugitive of the Judoon

Written by Vinay Patel
Directed by Nida Manzoor

Stomping their way into present day Gloucester the Judoon are on the hunt for someone on the run. Who is this fugitive? And why are these alien mercenaries after them?

The return of everybody's favourite intergalactic policemen is in Fugitive of the Judoon.

This is Vinay Patel's second episode for the series after last season's Demons Of The Punjab. It is also directed by Nida Manzoor, and guest star's Neil Stuke and Jo Martin.

Episode Six: Praxeus

Written by Pete McTighe
Directed by Jamie Magnus Stone

The Doctor and her friends split up to investigate multiple mysteries across planet Earth. What will they find will threaten all of humanity...

Written by Pete McTighe who penned Kerblam! for the last series.

It is directed by Jamie Magnus Stone who was responsible for the acclaimed first episode of this series Spyfall, and guest stars include Matthew McNulty and Joana Borja. The majority of the episode was filmed in South Africa.

[Alan]

Doctor Who Magazine: Issue 547
Thursday, 09 January, 2020 - Reported by Marcus

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2020/01...issue-547.html

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, Number 547, is published today and includes an exclusive interview with Bradley Walsh, who plays Graham in the new series of Doctor Who.

Also in the magazine

• The second part of an exclusive, in-depth interview with showrunner Chris Chibnall.
• Interviews with the new writers of Series 12
• Exclusive previews of the next four episodes.
• The untold story of Denis Alan Print, the Doctor Who merchandise company co-owned by Tom Baker.
• Doctor Who’s top ten Master reveals.
• Behind the scenes at the OFFSTAGE Theatre Group, whose Doctor Who plays and comedy sketches were popular at conventions from 2003 to 2013.
• The Fact of Fiction begins an epic exploration of The Daleks’ Master Plan.
• Part Five of Mistress of Chaos, a new comic-strip adventure featuring the Thirteenth Doctor and her friends.
• The answers to DWM’s Christmas Quiz.
• Reviews of the Season 26 Blu-ray box set and the new vinyl edition of The Web Planet.
• Big Finish previews and reviews, news, prize-winning competitions, The Blogs of Doom and much more.

On sale from Thursday 9 January 2020 £5.99 (UK)

DWM 547 is also available as a strictly limited Deluxe Edition, exclusive to WH Smith and store.panini.co.uk priced £9.99.

In addition to the latest issue of DWM, the Deluxe Edition includes:

• An exclusive 76-minute music CD, featuring 22 classic and rare tracks from 1963 to 1989.
• A 32-page supplement, comprising classic comic-strip stories featuring the Master.
• A giant double-sided poster.
• A Series 12 art card.
• Three Big Finish audio dramas to download.
• Big Finish stickers.

[Annoyed]

For those Amazon prime subscribers, Doctor Who (2005 - 20XX) has been removed from Prime. If you want to watch it, you have to purchase seasons or episodes, Prime or not. Looks like HBO is going to steal it for their new paid (14.99/Mo.) streaming service.

[cosmichobo]

I know it would be a bit of an investment compared to using a streaming service (or the good old days of free-to-air), but you can buy most seasons of 2005-x Doctor Who on BluRay these days for about $35/each (or better if you wait for bargains), so for the entire run to date - that's about $300 to $400 including the current S12 when it's released. Spread that over 12 months if you like - 1 per season - it's only about a dollar a day...

Now however - spare a thought for those of us who started buying Classic WHO on VHS back in the mid 80s at around $30 for just one story... 158 stories (less about 13 due to Missing Eps), with some releases being 2-tape packs that typically cost double the money (cos 1 VHS tape couldn't fit all 10 episodes of War Games, after all)... you wouldn't have got change out of $4,500.

(Then - THEN - in 1999 they changed to DVD before they'd even finished releasing the VHS range! But I still had to buy those last few VHS to complete the set, you know...? And not because of my OCD/anal tendencies - who knew when those last VHS titles would actually be out on DVD? If I didn't buy them then, I may have been waiting 15 years for the DVD release.

Fast forward to about 2017, I noted how many Classic DVD titles were becoming scarce, so decided I'd better finish collecting the large chunks of the DVD range that I'd not bothered to collect... resulting in having to buy the last 30-odd titles from both NZ and UK as they weren't all available here in Oz...

And THEN - about 12 months later they announced - CLASSIC BLU RAY BOX SETS!

I gave away my VHS tapes about 4 years ago to a very grateful fan hoping to get their kids into the show... Now I'm giving my DVDs to my brother as they get replaced by the season box sets. So many dollars... all for bloody Doctor Who...)

[Annoyed]

I know it would be a bit of an investment compared to using a streaming service (or the good old days of free-to-air), but you can buy most seasons of 2005-x Doctor Who on BluRay these days for about $35/each (or better if you wait for bargains), so for the entire run to date - that's about $300 to $400 including the current S12 when it's released. Spread that over 12 months if you like - 1 per season - it's only about a dollar a day...

Now however - spare a thought for those of us who started buying Classic WHO on VHS back in the mid 80s at around $30 for just one story... 158 stories (less about 13 due to Missing Eps), with some releases being 2-tape packs that typically cost double the money (cos 1 VHS tape couldn't fit all 10 episodes of War Games, after all)... you wouldn't have got change out of $4,500.

(Then - THEN - in 1999 they changed to DVD before they'd even finished releasing the VHS range! But I still had to buy those last few VHS to complete the set, you know...? And not because of my OCD/anal tendencies - who knew when those last VHS titles would actually be out on DVD? If I didn't buy them then, I may have been waiting 15 years for the DVD release.

Fast forward to about 2017, I noted how many Classic DVD titles were becoming scarce, so decided I'd better finish collecting the large chunks of the DVD range that I'd not bothered to collect... resulting in having to buy the last 30-odd titles from both NZ and UK as they weren't all available here in Oz...

And THEN - about 12 months later they announced - CLASSIC BLU RAY BOX SETS!

I gave away my VHS tapes about 4 years ago to a very grateful fan hoping to get their kids into the show... Now I'm giving my DVDs to my brother as they get replaced by the season box sets. So many dollars... all for bloody Doctor Who...)

Format migration as technology improves is expensive, but in some cases worth it. The jump from videotape to DVD was a significant improvement and was pretty much mandatory. DVD to BD not so much. I've got a lot of DVD content, but with very few exceptions, that doesn't mean I'll run out and buy something for $30 bucks. If I run across a BD of something I already have at a garage sale or some such for a cheap price, I'll buy that, but otherwise, DVD is fine. I"m just not going to bite on excessive greed from content producers, which is what this is really about.

BBC made a deal with Amazon to include the Doctor in it's prime service. It's not like it's "free", I pay for that prime subscription.
Now HBO has apparently offered BBC more $ for exclusive rights for their upcoming pay streaming service. Sorry, BBC, you can take a hike with that.

This is a trend among many content providers. "Star Trek" going to CBS paid service, "The Orville" going to Hulu's paid service and so on.

So right there, for 3 shows, you're gonna end up paying a good chunk of change for 3 separate services. Great for enriching the content providers, but not so great for the consumer.

If people in general don't start refusing to go along with this greedy scam, TV will be too expensive. The ONLY way we can push back is to "Just Say No" as Nancy Reagan taught us back in the 80's.

PS: My current streaming service is Sling. And I DVR'ed Doctor Who S11E1 last April, knowing I would want to rewatch it when S12 started. For some reason, it won't play back. I've been talking to Sling about it, and have been getting the big stall.

Dollars to Donuts this comes down to BBC telling Sling not to allow playback for licensing reasons. Translation: Greed.

If this is what BBC wants to do, they can take their entire network and put it where the sun don't shine.