Tag: DOCTOR WHO

'Dr. Who' Season 7 —13 episodes +

Posted on by Tom Powers

Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat

DOCTOR WHO producer/writer Steven Moffat told The Radio Times that the Seventh Season of the revived series will have at least 14 episodes, counting the Christmas Special.

“We always do 14 because we do the Christmas special as well and obviously we start in the autumn with the Christmas special as part of the run, so it’ll be at least 14.”

Regarding what’s coming up for the 2013 50th Anniversary of the original show’s 1963 debut, the producer (a WHO fan himself)  hastened to assure viewers that special plans are afoot.

“…I promise you,  I promise you for so many reasons I can’t talk about yet, there will never be a better time to be a Doctor Who fan, I absolutely promise that!”

Video of Steven Moffat relating the news can be found at the link above.
Production of Season 7 begins in Cardiff Wales this Feburary.

Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor
Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor

Karen Gillan on leaving 'Dr. Who'

Posted on by Tom Powers

DW_gillanKaren Gillan spoke to Hitflix about her character Amy Pond leaving the revived DOCTOR WHO in its upcoming Seventh Season.

“I feel sad because I am gonna leave, but with any story, it has to come to an end. It was a mutual decision with me and Steven Moffat (the BBC series’ Writer/Producer). We had this lovely dinner and decided when the best time for me to go was, and it’s been decided. So I’m excited and slightly scared.”

Ducking the question of mow many episodes Amy will be in, she stated only: “There’s going to be a few episodes. A few really good episodes.”
Gillan was being interviewed about WE’LL TAKE MANHATTAN, an Ovation TV moive in which she plays 1960’s model Jean Shrimpton. It premeires March 3rd at 9:00 PM (ET/PT) on the cable outlet.

Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and Amy Pond
Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and Amy Pond

'Dr. Who' Actor joins 'Star Trek 2'

Posted on by Tom Powers

Noel Clarke, with Metallic Guest Star
Noel Clarke, with Metallic Guest Star

According to Variety, Noel Clarke, who was the recurring character Mickey Smith on the BBC’s revived DOCTOR WHO in its first two seasons, has been cast in role in Paramount’s next STAR TREK film.
 
A wirter and director himself, he joins a cast that includes Peter Weller (ROBOCOP) and Alice Eve (ENTOURAGE, MEN IN BLACK 3).
The article had no further details, other than the the fact the actor’s role is reputed to be ” a family man with a wife and young daughter”.
STAR TREK 2 is being directed by JJ Abrams from a screenplay by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof.
The as yet un-named sequel is presently scheduled for release May 17th, 2013 from Bad Robot Productions, Skydance Productions, and Paramount Pictures.

'Dr. Who' News — Spoilerific

Posted on by Tom Powers

Amy, The Doctor, and Rory
Amy, The Doctor, and Rory


 The BBC  reports that Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill,  who play the popular couple Amy Pond and Rory on  DOCTOR WHO, will be leaving the series during the bext season.

Writer/Producer Steven Moffat  confiremed the news at a press screening of  this year’s Christmas special.
 “The final days of the Ponds are coming,”  said Moffat, referring to the married couple to travel as the companions of the Doctor (Matt Smith).
“I’m not telling you when or how, but that story is going to come to a heartbreaking end.”
The producer went on to say that the Doctor would new a “new friend”. The BBC indicated that the rolee has likely not yet been cast.  

Star Matt Smith said of his co-stars:
“We had the most incredible journey. We took over the show and we’ve really had to hold hands and help each other through it.
So it’s very disappointing, but one has to remember that this show is about change and regeneration, and that’s what galvanizes it and pushes it forwards.”

In additional news, Moffat and Smith guested on BBC Radio 5’s Live’s Richard Bacon Show, and the producer made the following comments about HARRY POTTER director David Yates’ recent comment about a possible “out-of-continuity” stand-alone DOCTOR WHO feature film.

David (Yates) was talking a little out of turn, there; a very, very brilliant director but no, the film as described by him, of course we’re not going to do that.  A film that contradicts the television series, it would be a heathen thing to do … I would be ‘beheaded’ to do such a thing!
It would be wonderful to do a Doctor Who film, but when and if we did —and hopefully we will be doing it—it will be very much an offshoot of the television series and we’ll be part of it, and it will star the television Doctor, of course—anything else would be heresy!

Via DoctorWhoNews.net

'Dr. Who' Xmas 2011—Trailer

Posted on by Tom Powers

BBC One trailer for the DOCTOR WHO  2011 Christmas Special: The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe.
Written by Steven Moffat and starring Matt Smith and Claire Skinner , The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe premieres  in the U.S. this Christmas Day— Sunday, December 25th at 9:00 PM /8c.

Two Lost 'Dr. Who' Episodes Found

Posted on by Tom Powers

Hartnell_1S
William Hartnell

The UK’s The Radio Times reports that two lost 1960’s episodes of DOCTOR WHO  have been located. A segement of the first Doctor William Hartnell’s serial Galaxy 4 and an episode of second Doctor Patrick Troughton’s The Undersea Menace have sufaced.
Ralph Montagu, the Radio Times’s “head of heritage and a lifelong Doctor Who fan” explained “I occasionally meet up with a group of film collectors and retired TV engineers at a café in Hampshire.  A few months ago I spoke to Terry Burnett, who used to be an engineer at TVS [former commercial broadcaster ITV’s franchise, based in Southampton].
Somehow DOCTOR WHO was mentioned in passing, and Terry said, ‘Oh, actually I think I’ve got an old episode.’
DW_AIRLOCK
Monatgu said “I thought it was bound to be something we’ve got already.   tried not to get too excited, but he came back the next day and brought this spool with him. It had no label, so I had a look at the film leader and it said ‘Air Lock’. I thought, ‘What’s that?’ I checked online and saw that Air Lock was an episode of Galaxy 4 – a missing Hartnell serial. So then I got very excited.”
A couple of weeks later the two met up again, and Montagu relates that Burnett said:  “ ‘Guess what I’ve got.’ It was another episode of DOCTOR WHO! Again not labelled on the can, but it turned out to be The Underwater Menace, part two.”
The Radio Times article points out that for many fans the Underwater Menace segment may prove the more significant  find, being the earilest surving episode starring Patrick Troughton as the Doctor. 
Troughton_DW2Recent U.S. fans should be aware that these are half-hour episodes of longer. multi-part serial adventures. and are not complete stories unto themselves.
Recently screened in England, they will likely become available on DVD collections after some restoration work is finished.
For more details read the article at the link above.

Dr. Who Xmas Trailer & 2012 News

Posted on by Tom Powers

There’s good news and bad news from the world (or is that time-space continum?) of the Doctor.
Here’s the trailer for the 2011 Christmas Special, DOCTOR WHO: THE DOCTOR, THE WIDOW AND THE WARDROBE. It premieres this Christmas on BBC America.

Evacuated to a house in Dorset from war-torn London, Madge Arwell and her two children, Lily and Cyril, are greeted by a madcap caretaker whose mysterious Christmas gift leads them into a magical wintry world.
Starring: Matt Smith and Claire Skinner. Executive Producers: Steven Moffat, Piers Wenger and Caroline Skinner

Looks like fun. However,  in Doctor Who Magazine,  writer/producer Steven Moffat has confirmed that the BBC production will not be back for any new episodes in 2012 until  Autumn. There will be no Easter Special or Spring season. 

“DOCTOR WHO  in the summer? All that running down tunnels, with torches, and the sunlight streaming through your windows and bleaching out the screen? All those barbecues and children playing outside, while on the telly there are green monsters seething in their CGI-enhanced lairs? It’s just not right is it? Be honest.
For me, as a kid, when the afternoon got darker and there was a thrill of cold in the air, I knew that even though summer was over, the TARDIS was coming back! So yes, that’s part of the plan, that’s part of the reason for this little delay. But it’s not the whole story.”
… But a big old anniversary is coming, for all of us, isn’t it? Be assured planning has already started. Very soon now, DOCTOR WHO  is going to enter production for the longest sustained period we’ve ever attempted, and the biggest and best and maddest time ever to be a fan of this wonderful old show is rumbling towards us.
DRWHO_RT_XMAS11
And yes, you got me. We needed a little more time to prepare for everything we’ve got planned. That, above all, is why we needed this little gap. Just be a tiny bit patient, and trust me, we’ll make it up to you. For full and comprehensive details of the spectacle to come, consult your fondest memories in a couple of years time.”

For those not in the know, Moffat is referring to the show’s 50th Anniversary in 2013, which is expected to be marked by special episodes and— fans hope—maybe, just maybe some old familar faces.
Time itself will tell.
(Via BBC America and NME.com)

A Humble Country News Update: Cinefantastique Spotlight Podcast 2:37

Posted on by Dan Persons

Dammit, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a newsreader!
Dammit, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a newsreader!

What can we say? There were no new genre films being released to theaters this week, and Steve and Larry had schedules that prevented them from syncing up for a planned discussion of TWILIGHT ZONE episodes (we’ll try to do that at some other point).
So, instead, Dan sat down with his trusty microphone and a stack o’ news, and brings you up-to-date on what happened in genre in the past week and what’s coming to theaters and home video in the coming week.
Everything will be back to normal next week (relatively speaking). Until then, click on the player, and enjoy!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

'Dr. Who' Season 7 Halfed

Posted on by Tom Powers

DW_Matt_Smith_SurprisedAccording to DoctorWhoTV,  Doctor Who Magazine has confirmed that the Seventh Season of the revived DOCTOR WHO will indeed be cut into two parts. Unlike the Spring and Fall spilt of this year’s (Season 6) 13 episodes, it appears that only half of the  shows greenlit by the BBC will air in 2012.
Production of Season 7 will not begin until February of next year, which would seem to preclude a Spring airing, so Autumn 2012 is likely the earliest we’ll see regular episodes. However, an Easter Special may be in the cards—some comfort for WHO fans.
They predict the following loose schedule.

2012
Easter Special
Autumn – Season 7, Part 1
Christmas Special
2013
Spring – Season 7,  Part 2
Autumn – Series 8
Christmas Special

So 2013, the series 50th Anniversary (from the Original’s 1963 debut)  maybe be a a real feast, after a very lean 2012.