Doctor Who News, Articles, Cast and Crew Interviews

[Teddybrown]

Not sure if this was reported back in the day but there are official Doctor Who escape rooms (recorded messages from the Doctor and such) around the UK and I got tickets for one for Christmas, just need to book it

[cosmichobo]

We are absolutely sitting smack bang in the middle of The Streaming Wars. One can only hope that Taco Bell emerges victor, otherwise who knows what the future may hold.

[Alan]

John Griffiths 1931-2020
Sunday, 12 January, 2020 - Reported by Marcus

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

The Film Editor John Griffiths has died at the age of 89.

John Griffiths was a member of the team responsible for the first-ever piece of Doctor Who screened, the original opening title sequence.

In 1963 Griffiths was working for the BBC at Ealing film studios when he was introduced to Verity Lambert and Waris Hussein, Doctor Who's first producer and director. They gave him the raw material of a recent studio session where they had filmed the output of an electronic camera looking at its own viewfinder and asked him to edit the material to provide a new title sequence for their new TV Series Dr. Who.

The sequence Griffiths produced, when combined with the music composed by Ron Grainer and realized by Delia Derbyshire, became one of the most iconic title sequences in television history, heralding the beginning of each episode for the next three years.

As film editor, John Griffiths also worked on the 1964 story The Dalek Invasion of Earth, editing the famous footage of the Daleks patrolling a deserted London. As production editor, he worked on the Third Doctor story The Mind of Evil, appearing in front of the camera as an extra in the story.

After retiring from the BBC John Griffiths retired to Worthing. He died on Thursday 9th January.

The Original 1963 Titles | Doctor Who

[Alan]

Season 14 Bluray release
Tuesday, 14 January, 2020 - Reported by Chuck Foster

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2020/01...120080008.html

BBC Studios have announced that Season 14 will be the next instalment in the DOCTOR WHO: THE COLLECTION Blu-ray range, now available to pre-order from Amazon:

Doctor Who fans will be delighted to hear that BBC Studios is releasing Season 14 on Blu-Ray. Tom Baker’s third series as the Doctor will debut on Monday 20th April, and is available to pre-order now.

Doctor Who – The Collection: Season 14:

• THE MASQUE OF MANDRAGORA
• THE HAND OF FEAR
• THE DEADLY ASSASSIN
• THE FACE OF EVIL
• THE ROBOTS OF DEATH
• THE TALONS OF WENG-CHIANG

In 1976, Doctor Who took a dramatic new turn, electrifying audiences with changes in format, companion and appearance of the TARDIS. Season 14 saw the departure of the Doctor’s long-term companion Sarah Jane Smith, and the introduction of Leela. The season contains some of Tom Baker’s most iconic serials, with intrepid investigations in Victorian London, deadly robots in a murderous whodunit, a return to the Doctor’s homeworld, and one of the saddest goodbyes in Doctor Who history.

Producer Phillip Hinchliffe led Doctor Who through a creative high, joined by Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, Louise Jameson as the Doctor’s captivating new companion Leela and guests stars Tim Pigott-Smith, Stephen Thorne, Peter Pratt, Pamela Salem, David Collings, Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter.

With all episodes newly remastered from the best available sources, this Blu-ray box set also contains extensive and exclusive special features which include:

• Immersive 5.1 surround sound - The Deadly Assassin
• Brand new audio commentaries - Tom Baker and Matthew Sweet on selected episodes of The Face of Evil and The Talons of Weng-Chiang.
• Behind the Sofa - New episodes with Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Philip Hinchcliffe, plus companions Sophie Aldred and Peter Purves.
• Our Sarah Jane – Elisabeth Sladen Tribute - A feature-length look at the life and career of Sarah Jane Smith, played by Elisabeth Sladen.
• Whose Doctor Who Revisited - Toby Hadoke meets the producers and grown-up stars of the very first Who Documentary.
• In Conversation - Matthew Sweet chats to producer Philip Hinchcliffe.
• Blu-Ray trailer - Louise Jameson has trouble with her new home assistant.
• Brand new interviews
• Rare archive material
• Convention footage
• HD photo galleries
• Scripts, costume designs, rare BBC production files and other gems from our PDF archive

The eight-disc box set also includes hours of extensive special features previously released on DVD.

[cosmichobo]

I heard a cry.

That was me!

[Alan]

Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror - Pictures
Wednesday, 15 January, 2020 - Reported by Marcus

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

The BBC has released new pictures from the upcoming episode of Doctor Who - Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror.

The story is written by Nina Metivier and directed by Nida Manzoor, both making their debut on Doctor Who.

Written by Nina Metivier
Directed by Nida Manzoor
Starring Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill.

Guest starring Goran Višnji and Robert Glenister.

1903. Who or what is sabotaging Nikola Tesla's generator plant at Niagara Falls? And has this maverick inventor really received a message from Mars?

The episode can be seen on BBC One at 7.10pm next Sunday. North American viewers can see it at 8pm ET, while in Australia the episode debut's is on Thursday at 8pm. In New Zealand, it can be seen at 9am, Monday morning, just a couple of hours after the UK showing.

Full broadcast details can be found here, and ongoing adventures of the Doctor can be found via This Week in Doctor Who.

COMING SOON | Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror

[BruTak]

Not sure if this was reported back in the day but there are official Doctor Who escape rooms (recorded messages from the Doctor and such) around the UK and I got tickets for one for Christmas, just need to book it

I sometimes wonder about the phenomenon of escape rooms, and how many different solutions there are to each one.

What's to stop someone who's solved it going online and posting their solution to Facebook or whatever?

[cosmichobo]

I'm not even going to take the 1 minute it would require to answer that question... (by googling - is there a cheat sheet to XYZ Escape Room)

I'm sure it's been done.

Now, where's the escape button for Orphan 55? I needed it several times...

[BruTak]

It wasn't that bad, I quite enjoyed it - with the exception of the heavy handed "Here's the moral of the story, kids!" at the end.

[Annoyed]

It wasn't that bad, I quite enjoyed it - with the exception of the heavy handed "Here's the moral of the story, kids!" at the end.

That was more than heavy handed.

Reminded me of "Moonlighting", a rom-com back in the mid eighties. They would constantly break the 4th window and talk directly to the nationwide TV audience. (This was a top-rated show in the pre-cable era, Huge audience numbers.)

[cosmichobo]

Anyone who doesn't know Moonlighting needs their eyes glued shut. If nothing else - it gave us Brucey - but there really was some great writing behind that show.

[Annoyed]

Anyone who doesn't know Moonlighting needs their eyes glued shut. If nothing else - it gave us Brucey - but there really was some great writing behind that show.

A lot of folks have never heard of it. Because it only ran 5 seasons, with the last 2-3 seasons basically a train wreck, it never made it in reruns/syndication, so many youngsters have never seen it.

[Alan]

Reminder:
Episode 4 - "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror"
Debuting at 7:10pm on BBC One

[Alan]

Episode 5 | Next Time Trailer | Fugitive of the Judoon | Doctor Who: Series 12 (a.k.a. Series 38)
19th January, 2020

[Alan]

COMING SOON | Doctor Who: Series 12 (a.k.a. Series 38)
20th January, 2020