Saturday, July 31, 2010

David Tennant narrates 'Stealing Shakespeare'


David recently narrated a new documentary for BBC One. If you missed it you can catch up on the iPlayer here.

Stealing Shakespeare:
The remarkable story of how a 53-year-old rare book dealer from the North East of England became the centre of a mystery surrounding the disappearance of a long lost Shakespeare First Folio. The film follows bachelor Raymond Scott as he finds himself the focus of a worldwide investigation, involving the FBI, a Cuban fiancee and Durham CID.

Want some 'Decoy Bride' pictures?

Go to http://www.david-tennant.org/album/3ebf7z/. It's well worth a look!

Headway Essex Reach £10,000! [via develish1 & Tennant News]



Lots of good news comes from our friends at Headway Essex this morning!

They have raised an amazing £10,000 so far from the sales of the T Shirts and Pillow Cases designed by David! Thank you to all of you who have purchased one!

And if you haven't got one yet then what are you waiting for?!

And if you're one of our overseas fans then fear not as very soon you'll be able to get your hands on one too. Work is well underway for a new Headway Essex shop and PayPal system, so hang in there!!

And last but not least we've had a few queries about sizings of the T Shirts for kids and as you can see above the T Shirts are a fab idea for the younger fans amongst us too! Little Kurtis looks cool in his and is delighted to be wearing something designed by David!

He's wearing the small male size which is 37-39ins and seems to be the best size for kids to go for.

Seriously, thank you all. I am saving up for one... Funds are a bit tight, but I want to contribute to this cause, and I certainly will!

Friday, July 30, 2010

Your next box set: Blackpool [Guardian]




Perhaps it's the Glee effect, but Blackpool seems less weird now than when it was first broadcast, in 2004. At the time, many viewers balked at a crime drama in which the cast burst into hallucinatory song-and-dance numbers, Dennis Potter-style, at climactic moments. And it's hard to think of any other series that would run to an elaborate staging of the Smiths' The Boy With the Thorn in His Side, complete with a chorus line of twirling policemen, lip-synching tramps and a leering David Tennant.
The six-parter was written by Peter Bowker, with a cast led by David Morrissey, a pre-Doctor Who Tennant and Mistresses' Sarah Parish. Ostensibly a domestic whodunnit, Blackpool is really the portrait of Ripley Holden (Morrissey), a charismatic monster to rival Ashes to Ashes' Gene Hunt. This "prehistoric" Elvis-alike is an amusement-arcade boss intent on transforming the seaside town with his plan for a Vegas-style resort hotel ("It's goldrush time in Blackpool," he announces at one point, "and guess who's shitting golden nuggets?"). When a dead body turns up, Holden is soon butting heads with detective Peter Carlisle (an equally charismatic Tennant), who in turn becomes compromised when he embarks on an affair with Holden's wife, Natalie (Parish).
The real joy of Blackpool is the explosive chemistry between this trio, played out in part via karaoke renditions of pop classics such as Cupid and the Clash's Should I Stay Or Should I Go (indeed, Tennant's absence fatally hobbles 2006's disappointing one-off sequel, Viva Blackpool). But there is much else to savour, including a solid supporting cast (Corrie's Georgia Taylor as Holden's daughter Shyanne; John Thomson and Steve Pemberton as seedy associates), some whipsmart dialogue and a noirish Americana score that surely approximates the music playing inside Holden's head. In the same way, this town of strippers, stag parties and addicts is subtly glossed with an exotic sheen. Blackpool has never looked better: truly, the Vegas of the north.

New 'Decoy Bride' pictures and update

If you want to read the entire article, please go to http://forargyll.com/2010/07/with-david-tennants-decoy-bride-on-location-at-auchindrain/ - it truly is huge and worth a read!





Why certain productions air during Summer... and not later on [Sherlock, Hamlet, etc.]

The premieres of major theatrical productions have also become less sensitive to the weather. David Tennant's Hamlet, an undoubted highlight of 2008, opened in Stratford in August, forcing some critics to interrupt or delay planned holidays. One reason for the summer premiere was Tennant's Doctor Who filming schedule: the TV and film industries generally take a summer hiatus, which often results in big July and August openings in the theatre. David Hyde Pierce, Whoopi Goldberg, Jeff Goldblum and Rachel Weisz have all debuted in the West End in the summer months, a spell that producers might until recently have dismissed as a wasteland.

Read the entire article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2010/jul/28/sherlock-culture-silly-season

Steven Moffat will write five Doctor Who episodes for series six


Doctor Who executive producer Steven Moffat, has revealed that he will write five episodes for the sixth series of the show.

The series, starring Matt Smith as The Doctor, is scheduled for broadcast in 2011 and will have 13 episodes.

Moffat told Den of Geek that he would be writing five of those plus this year’s Christmas special.

He said: “I’m doing the [2010] Christmas special plus five, so it’s the same. Six again.”

“I’m basically following what Russell did,” he confirmed. “Having worked out the sums and worked out how he does it, I thought that’s a perfect way of doing it.”

The 48 year old writer also admitted that between Doctor Who and his new show Sherlock, he hasn’t been enjoying much of a work life balance.

“The last year has been extraordinary,” he claimed. “I’ve had about four days off, and that includes Christmas day. I work every weekend, I get up early in the morning, I go to bed late at night. There is no way of balancing it.”

He added: “It’s extraordinary, but it’s great fun too! Great fun, so long as it doesn’t kill me!”

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Cillian Murphy Joins Retreat


Bio/psychological hazard pic Retreat appears to have claimed its first victim, as, despite being announced back in February, Jason Isaacs may no longer be part of the cast. Deadline reports that Cillian Murphy is now the leading man, playing Thandie Newton’s husband.


Retreat will find Kate and Martin (Newton and Murphy) trying to escape from a recent personal tragedy by going away to an island bolthole. But their attempts to shut themselves off from the world are rudely interrupted when a man (David Tennant, assuming he’s also still attached) is washed ashore bringing word that Europe has been stricken by a terrible, airborne killer disease.

Trouble is, the couple don’t know if the new arrival is even telling the truth. Producer Gary Sinyor is pimping the movie as “a landlocked Knife in the Water meets Dead Calm.” We’re still hoping Isaacs is attached in some way – while we love the Tennant, we’d find Isaacs a lot more threatening as the mystery man. - Have you seen Secret Smile??

Editor Carl Tibbetts is making the leap to writing and directing for this one, and he’s gearing up to film it in Wales this September.

One more hurdle might afflict the movie as it kicks off shooting – the title. There are at least four other movies in various stages of development/production, with Dax Shepard attached to one of them, all bearing the title The Retreat. True, they all have the “The” there, but we’re betting the first film to arrive in cinemas will claim the title.

Look Who visited Largs and Millport!


He might have had the whole of the time and space cosmos to choose from but former Doctor Who star David Tennant materialised in the local area this week to visit some cafes and enjoy an ice cream by the seaside.
Obviously in a bid to put the Daleks and Cybermen off his trail, the 39 year old actor swapped the Tardis for the Cal Mac ferry as he ventured over to Millport for a few hours with his blonde actress girlfriend.
The Scottish celebrity was filming a new movie “The Decoy Wife” in Kilbirnie during the past week but decided to venture to the seaside and have a nostalgic trip to the Isle of Cumbrae where his father is believed to have once owned a house.
The ‘Casanova’ actor was first spotted at Nardini at the Moorings on Largs seafront on Saturday shortly after midday and was served by 21 year old waitress Simone Simpson from West Kilbride.
She said: “He just walked in and was really nice. He just asked for a coffee and an Appeltize. He kept himself quiet, and blew me a kiss. He was dressed very smartly. I would quite happily have been whisked away in his Tardis!”
His next port of call was a visit to the Ritz Cafe in Millport after going on a relaxing walkabout on the Isle of Cumbrae by the harbour.

And it's 'Decoy BRIDE', not WIFE!!

More info on 'Single Father'!




(...) Scotland will become increasingly prominent as a backdrop. As well as hosting BBC3's Lip Service, Glasgow is the location for the BBC1 drama Single Father, which stars David Tennant and examines the dilemmas of a suddenly widowed father of two in his search for a new love. Edinburgh, meanwhile, is the setting for Young James, based on the diaries of James Herriot, and Case Histories, based on Kate Atkinson's stories of a private eye. "I'd like to look back in three years and feel that we've got a greater diversity of drama that reflects different places," says Stephenson. (...)

Martin Freeman: ‘Doctor Who and Sherlock Homes are the perfect fictional team


Martin Freeman has claimed that Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes would make “the perfect fictional team”.

The former Office star appears as Dr Watson in the BBC’s new Sherlock Holmes adaptation. The drama is written and produced by Doctor Who boss Steven Moffat and speaking to What’s On TV, Freeman said:

“I don’t feel as passionate about Doctor Who as Stephen does, but I’ve enjoyed watching it more since being a father.

“We met Matt Smith while filming Sherlock in Cardiff because the Baker Street set is next to the [Who] set. It was strange seeing Sherlock Holmes and The Doctor together. They are the perfect fictional team.”

Sherlock continues this Sunday at 8.30pm on BBC One.


Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Tennant Tuesday: 27/07/2010

'Tennant Tuesday' posts consist of several TV shows, films, audiobooks, etc. I am watching/listening to at the moment or that I've recently watched - DT related, of course. It has been a while since I last posted something related to #TT, so why not?


TV Show: 'Blackpool' (Episode 6)

Radio Play: 'Nebulous (Us and Phlegm)'

Picture:


Song: 'The Gambler', by Kenny Rogers

Neil Gaiman: From 'Doctor Who' to blog to 'Doctor Who'

Neil Gaiman writes just about everything: books for adults, young adults and kids; comic books; film and television scripts; short stories; poetry; posts on Twitter and a lively blog. But lately he's found that he can't write everything at once. In late June, he stopped posting on his blog in order to focus on a couple of scripts. He was writing a screenplay adaptation of his bestseller, "Anansi Boys," and turning in the sixth -- but not quite last -- draft of his script for "Doctor Who." After almost a four-week blog hiatus, Gaiman returned on Friday.

Just as the draft of Anansi Boys was handed in, the word came down from the powers behind Doctor Who that I was going to have to do another draft. The wonderful thing about books and comics is your budget is infinite: it costs the same to draw one thing as another, to write one thing as another. That’s not true of television, where a budget might stretch to prosthetics or CGI, but not both (quick! pick one! now rewrite to make it work) or you might find yourself being told that, no, we can’t make the Undersea Dancing Mermaids sequence work because the underwater cameras would blow the budget even before you factor in the mermaid tails but we already have a bird costume so could you just make all the mermaids into birds instead? And you’re sure you can, you can’t just quite figure out how...

"Doctor Who" has an avid fan base that parses such things, so Gaiman takes care to point out that mentions of mermaids and birds are purely coincidental and they (probably) don't really appear in the script. He's, you know, making a metaphor -- it's a writerly habit.

What's interesting is that while Gaiman's blog went dark, his Twitter feed stayed active. Gaiman has more than 1.4 million Twitter followers. He jokes, answers direct questions, posts links to photos, sends birthday greetings. It's not like he went off the Internet completely to write his scripts -- he just stopped blogging.

Gaiman is more inclined than many authors to engage with his readers, and to write revealingly about whatever he feels like -- including his pets and bees -- online. It's deepened his connection with readers, and has never felt forced or calculated. Nowadays, when publishers urge authors to begin blogging and get on Twitter to promote their work, Gaiman's example is one they hope every author might replicate.

What does it mean that Gaiman stopped blogging but kept the Twitter up? Do blogs detract from the real work writers are supposed to do? Should more writers follow Gaiman's lead and connect through Twitter, setting blogs aside? Or will Twitter's 140-character limit make blogging feel like a luxurious long form, one suited for complex ideas, and multi-part questions?

Cumberbatch turned 'Doctor Who' role down

Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch has revealed he was offered the role of Doctor Who, but turned it down.
Cumberbatch admitted he was given the opportunity to replace David Tennant as the Time Lord when he left last year, but decided he didn't want to be part of such a huge franchise.
Matt Smith was eventually cast as David's replacement, and has become one of the most successful Doctors in the show's history.
Cumberbatch said: 'David and I talked about it but I thought it would have to be radically different.
‘And anyway, I didn’t really like the whole package - being on school lunch boxes.'
The 34-year-old star was offered the role after coming to BBC bosses' attention through his friendship with Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat, who is also behind Cumberbatch's new show Sherlock.
Sherlock stars Cumberbatch as legendary sleuth Holmes, and Martin Freeman as his sidekick Watson.
And thanks to the huge success of the show's debut on Sunday night - gaining 7.5million viewers, more than BBC Two's Top Gear, which featured a race between Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz - bosses are now said to be considering making more than the three episodes of Sherlock originally planned.
A BBC source told The Sun: 'To say the top brass are made up by the Holmes ratings is an understatement.
'They really want to do more, so the question is not really if, but how and when we can do them.'
Talking about his role as Holmes shortly before the first episode aired, Cumberbatch said: 'There are some great chase scenes, the odd explosion, some Kung Fu sequences, and a fight with a Chinese war lord - I shoot a human giant who strangles people with his bare hands, chase a taxi cab through the streets of London, so it's definitely a rollercoaster ride.'


Sunday, July 25, 2010

Doctor Who and the Albert Hall now online

BBC Proms invaded by Silurians, Amy Pond, Vampires from Venice and yes, the Daleks.

For only the second time in history, the music of Doctor Who has been showcased at the BBC Proms. Bringing together the music of the program and sneaking in more classical pieces from Walton, Holst and Orff (like hiding vegetables on a kids dinner plate), the event has been a massive success and is likely to be show over the festive period on the TV.

For now, the BBC Radio 3 simulcast will have to intrigue and excite you and you can picture the appearance of the monsters, and The Doctor himself.

“I think it’s brilliant that kids get to come to the Albert Hall, to witness great musicians playing classically,” bubbles matt Smith, who currently plays the Doctor. “I think Doctor Who is a fun event, and the music really is brilliant and has its own identity.”

And it’s a big music for Murray Gold, the composer chosen in 2005 to score the then gamble of brining back one of Britain’s favourite TV shows. “With all humility, I’m standing in the shadow of giants and I just hope that the music i write can stand in that company,” worries Gold.

The full performance is available online (sadly in the UK, thanks to the geographical restrictions on the iPlayer) until the end of July – part one, the interval, and part two (go to the link below to be able to watch it).


Videos of Matt Smith at the Proms yesterday! [24/07/2010]

I didn't upload any of these videos and they all belong to their rightful owners.



Doctor Who Christmas special at The Coal Exchange on Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff + Eleven's New Jacket!!

I am only going to post one picture, as I don't want to spoil those of you who don't have any desire whatsoever to find out all about the Christmaas special before it is aired. I must warn you, though, that the picture is of the Eleventh Doctor's new jacket.

If you want to see more pictures, click HERE. Thank you.

Here's the Doctor's new jacket!


New David Tennant /Catherine Tate DVD available! (via David_Tennant on Twitter)

The Catherine Tate Christmas Show from Christmas 2009 called Nan's Christmas Carol will be released on DVD on Monday 22nd November.
Based on the story of Scrooge, this episode starred David Tennant as the Ghost Of Christmas Present. It was first broadcast on Christmas Day.
Click here to pre-order the DVD on Amazon (also available from other online retailers). It is currently priced at £8.99.
Many thanks to @Pagecrawler for sending the DVD link.

Four New Releases Give a Glimpse of 'Doctor Who' History [BBC America]

With the latest season of 'Doctor Who' ending, you'll have the rest of the summer to catch up on your 'Who' history. If you're a purist, the best way to do that is to go back to the vaults and watch the show.

BBC America just released four more volumes, covering the First Doctor (William Hartnell, 1963-1966), the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee, 1970-1974), and the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker, 1974-1981).

More than two thirds of the episodes are available on DVD, and the BBC plans to eventually release everything it has. Mind you, some of the earliest episodes from the '60s and '70s were erased to make way for newer programs, but bits of those turn up here and there.

The most recent additions give a decent overview of three of the first four Doctors, and the first two decades of the show. The BBC releases the older episodes in collections representing story arcs, rather than by season, the way we're most used to seeing TV on DVD. They can be a bit pricey, but you can get a bunch of them through Netflix, and sometimes, even the local library.

Read more...

Doctor Who's day at the Proms


Cybermen and daleks have shared the stage with Doctor Who star Matt Smith and a full orchestra for a special concert of the show's music at the Royal Albert Hall.
The Doctor Who Prom features Murray Gold's music from the TV series.
BBC reporter Helena Lee watched some of the show and spoke to fans who were in the audience.


---------------------------------------------------------


'Doctor Who' monsters 'invaded' the Royal Albert Hall in London on Saturday night (24.07.10) at the 'Doctor Who Prom'.


'Doctor Who' monsters 'invaded' the Royal Albert Hall in London on Saturday night (24.07.10).

Daleks, Cybermen, Judoon, Silurians, Weeping Angels and the Vampires of Venice all 'attacked' the historic concert venue as it played host to the 'Doctor Who Prom' - a performance of music from the last series of the BBC sci-fi show.

Fans young and old - many of whom were dressed in bow ties and tweed jackets like their hero The Doctor - gasped in astonishment as the alien invaders walked through the audience looking for their archenemy.

The concert featured music composed for the TV show by Murray Gold as well as several classical favourites, including Gustav Holst's 'The Planets - Mars' and Richard Wagner's 'The Ride of the Valkyries', and was performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales - who record the soundtrack for the series.

The London Philharmonic Choir also accompanied the orchestra on several songs.

Before the musicians played 'Battle in the Skies', from the 'Doctor Who' episode 'Victory of the Daleks', a camouflage painted Ironside Dalek rose from the floor in the middle of the audience was stood and offered fans "a cup of tea".

However, a white Supreme Dalek then made its way onto the stage and ordered its counterpart to "descend or be exterminated" and then ordered conductor Ben Foster to play the "theme of the Daleks or be exterminated!"

The Doctor - played by Matt Smith - also made an appearance to huge cheers after the interval 'saving' everyone in the building from a bomb with the help of a young fan called Ellis.

The concert was hosted by Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill, who play companions Amy Pond and Rory Williams, and Smith also later took to the stage - which the TARDIS had landed on - out of character to introduce some pieces.

The evening was closed by a performance of the show's famous theme song - with Gold joining the orchestra on keyboard - and another 'invasion' by the Cybermen and reptile-humanoids the Silurians.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Blackpool is UP!



David Tennant wins yet another award (via develish1 & David Tennant blog)


David has been named the winner of the Constellation Award for "Best Male Performance In A 2009 Science Fiction Television Episode" for his portrayal of the Doctor in the Doctor Who episode The Waters Of Mars. He scored 23% of the final vote.

Press Release follows:
TORONTO, ONTARIO, FILM/TV AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT--(Marketwire - July 20, 2010) - The winners of the 2010 Constellation Awards, honouring the actors and producers behind Canada's favourite science fiction television series and movies, were announced this weekend at ceremonies held at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel.

In the film categories, actor Karl Urban ("Star Trek") won the trophy for "Best Male Performance", while his co-star Zoe Saldana won in the "Best Female Performance" category - although her win was for her role in 2009's other blockbuster sci-fi film, "Avatar". "Avatar"'s visual effects also took the win in the "Best Technical Accomplishment" category, while "Star Trek" was honoured as "Best Film of 2009".

In the television categories, actress Lena Headey ("Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles") won for "Best Female Performance", while the "Best Television Series" trophy went to the Vancouver-based series "Supernatural", breaking the 3-year winning streak by the popular British series "Doctor Who".

The Canadian flavour of the awards was evident all night, as Quebec-born actor Bruce Greenwood won the evening's feature category "Outstanding Canadian Contribution to Science Fiction Film or Television" for his performance "Star Trek". Meanwhile, Ontario-based science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer accepted the trophy for "Best Film Or Television Script" on behalf of David S. Goyer and Brannon Braga for their script of the pilot episode of the series "FlashForward", which was based on Sawyer's original novel.

The most competitive category of the evening was the award for "Best Male Performance in a 2009 Television Episode", where actor David Tennant ("Doctor Who") nudged out Canadian actor Robin Dunne ("Sanctuary") by a single percentage point in the fan vote. "I felt like Al Gore!" remarked Dunne when interviewed after the ceremonies. Both "Sanctuary" and the CTV co-production "Defying Gravity" were heavily nominated in this year's awards, but they each failed to triumph in any of the evening's categories./For further information: For more information about The Constellation Awards, please visit http://constellations.tcon.ca or email constellations@tcon.caWebsite contains complete voting statistics in all categories.


Manic Street Preachers' Nicky Wire Writing Doctor Who Script



Manic Street Preachers bassist Nicky Wire has revealed that he’s writing a script for Doctor Who.
Wire said the script was based on the Welsh poet and writer Dylan Thomas, who died in 1953.
On a completely different tip, I’ve been trying to write a script for Doctor Who called Do Not Go Gently,” he wrote on manicstreetpreachers.com.
“The idea is centred around Dylan Thomas’ last days in New York. Of course it’s going to have a massive ****ing monster in it too.”
As previously reported on Gigwise, Manic Street Preachers are set to play a one-off secret show in London next month.
It will mark the launch of their new album 'Postcards From A Young Man', which is released in September.

Cumberbatch to appear in 'Who'?




There's a lot of recurrent names in British television. The industry is naturally smaller than American television, and there's a lot of overlapping. Thus, it's no surprise that Doctor Who scribes Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have another show airing during Who's offseason. The show is Sherlock, and I'll give you three guesses as to who it's about.

The series stars Benedict Cumberbatch (Atonement, The Other Boleyn Girl) and Martin Freeman (The Office (UK), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) as Holmes and Watson respectively. And since they've been doing a lot of work with Doctor Who writers on their three-hour miniseries together, it seemed obvious that we'd see crossovers in both directions.

Now, it seems, Cumberbatch is already primed to appear in the next series of Doctor Who. It won't be a one-off role either, he claims.

When asked by Digital Spy whether he'd be appearing in an episode of Doctor Who, he slyly grinned. "Not an episode of Doctor Who," he repeated coyly.

"Do you want to be the Doctor?" the interviewer pressed.

"Maybe," he replied. "We'll see. It's something that hasn't really crossed my radar much, but… not an episode."

Seems to be a bit of a mixed message, and it might just be a bit of humor on Cumberbatch's part. If he wasn't so similar in appearance to Matt Smith (he looks almost like an older version of the twenty-seven-year-old Doctor), I'd be perfectly happy with him being Doctor number twelve. But a recurring role is much more likely (if anything), and I could even see Cumberbatch in a companion slot once Rory and Amy inevitably retire from the TARDIS in the future.

The first of Sherlock's three episodes premieres in the UK on Sunday, July 25. It's unknown when the series will make the jump to the US on BBC America.

'Being Human' creator for 'Who' return?


Being Human creator Toby Whithouse has hinted that he may return to Doctor Who to write a new episode.
Whithouse previously wrote the episode 'School Reunion' in 2006 and returned for the most recent series to script sixth instalment 'The Vampires of Venice'.
The writer recently attended a panel at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. According to SFX, when asked if he or fellow panellist and Who writer Paul Cornell would be contributing to the next series, he replied: “We’re contractually not allowed to say.”
Another panellist, novelist China Miéville, reportedly replied: “We can apply a bit of detective work here. If Toby’s contractually advised not to say anything, that must mean he’s under contract.”
Whithouse refused to confirm or deny the speculation.
It was previously reported that Cornell and former Who writer Tom MacRae may both be returning to the series.

Karen didn't use to watch Doctor Who

DOCTOR WHO star Karen Gillan has admitted she hadn't watched the programme before landing a lead role in it.

The Scottish star, who plays the Doctor's assistant Amy Pond, said: "I was obviously aware of Dr Who and knew what a Dalek was, but it wasn't on TV when I was growing up.

"I had never watched it and I wasn't a follower of the show at all."

Gillan has also defended her raunchy demeanour in the show, saying that her character dresses the same as every young girl her age.

Despite her new-found fame, the 22-year-old, from Inverness, said she is not interested in being a celebrity and would shun showbusiness parties. Gillan prefers having quiet nights in with her long-term boyfriend, Patrick Green.

However, the actress said that she was grateful for her success and did not want to complain about the intrusion into her private life. Speaking on Radio 4's Women's Hour yesterday she said: "I'm not annoyed by it. I'm really not in a position to be annoyed by the attention I get.

"Getting the role of Amy has changed my life in so many ways because it's like no other job in the UK. But my personal life is exactly the same as it was.

"The only difference is that I'm on telly on a Saturday night and people recognise me when I go out. I have a long-term boyfriend, I'm still with him and it just remains the same."

Gillan was chosen from thousands of hopefuls to play kisso-gram Pond opposite the new Doctor, Matt Smith. They are currently filming a Christmas special with singer Katherine Jenkins and veteran actor Sir Michael Gambon.

Doctor Who site invaded by stingers


Dozens of stinging jellyfish were washed up yesterday on a popular beach where Doctor Who was filmed.

Tourists were warned not to touch the sinister-looking moon jellyfish.

James Palmer, 38, who spotted them on Newton Beach, near Porthcawl, South Wales, said: "They looked so unnatural just washed up - especially because Doctor Who has been filmed around here."

The area featured in Doctor Who as a Norwegian fjord and as the site of the planet of the "Weeping Angels".

A Bridgend council spokesman said: "Moon jellyfish can deliver a mild sting although they are not particularly venomous.

"Jellyfish should never be touched with bare hands. If you need to turn one so it can be identified, use a stick or arm-length rubber gloves.


"Anyone who suffers a severe jellyfish sting should seek medical attention."


Doctor Who Adventures Now Available In The US


The BBC-developed Doctor Who adventures have proved rather popular in their native Britain, but were initially out of reach for stateside Who fans.

That's no longer the case however, as digital distribution service Direct2Drive are offering the first two Who episodes (City of the Daleks and Blood of the Cybermen) in a combo-package for just $3.70 USD.

The episodes were created in association with adventure games stalwart Charles Cecil (of Broken Sword fame) and offer a combination of action, adventure and puzzles suitable for players "of all ages."

Doctor Who Treats: 'The Complete Fifth Series' (Blu-ray)


Supplements have now been added to the fifth season of the sci-fi reimagining teleporting to high-definition this November.

As previously reported, Warner Brothers/BBC has just announced 'Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series' for a Blu-ray release on November 9.
In the fifth season run of the show, Matt Smith fills the shoes as the new doctor and Karen Gillan as his new companion.

Specs haven't been revealed yet, but the 6-disc set will include: Commentaries; Two newly-filmed sequences, titled "Meanwhile, in the TARDIS...", available only in this collection; Doctor Who: Confidentials; Monster Diaries; Outtakes; Video Diaries; and deleted and extended scenes.

Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $89.98.

You can find the latest specs for 'Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 9.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Doctor Who BBC prom concert notes online


Concert notes and the official programme for this weekend's Doctor Who BBC prom special are available in full online.

Music from BBC series Doctor Who forms the basis for two proms taking place this weekend as part of the BBC Proms summer schedule.

And the official programme - which costs £3 at the event - including concert notes, biographies of the composers and the hosts, and interviews with cast members can be read online.

Karen Gillan, who plays Amy Pond in the series, is hosting the event with a guest appearance from the Doctor himself, Matt Smith.

Music from composer Murray Gold will be played with the National Orchestra of Wales along with music by Richard Wagner and Carl Orff - all of which feature in the Doctor Who series'.

The Doctor Who proms will be available on radio and TV as well as being streamed live online through the BBC Proms website on BBC Radio 3 on the iPlayer. Each of the shows will be available on the iPlayer for seven days after broadcast, too.

Shades of 'Doctor Who' in 'Sherlock'!


The preview disc from the BBC that dropped through my door today carried a polite request:

“Sherlock ep1 – So as to not spoil the enjoyment of the drama, please do not reveal (insert name)’s character or the part that (insert name) plays.”

As much as I understand Auntie’s reasons for saying this – it did initially frustrate me for two reasons:

One, it made me feel like I couldn’t be trusted to review a crime drama without giving the whole plot away … and two, it has made my job much more difficult, because it’s prevented me from just telling you what happens and giving the whole plot away.

Anyway, I’ve just got over the shock of having to use my brain, so I will begin.

Sherlock is set in the modern day, a rather disturbing modernity in fact – a 21st Century where apparent serial suicides take place in London, and even more worryingly, no one has heard of Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes is, well, I’ll leave it to him to explain:

“I’m a consulting detective, the only one in the world … I invented the job … it means when the police are out of their depth, which is always, they consult me.”

Before we meet Holmes, we’re first introduced to Afghanistan war veteran Dr John Watson (Martin Freeman) who’s got a psychosomatic leg ailment and a lot of bad memories.

His therapist, in an attempt to help conquer his recurring nightmares tells him:

“John, you’re a soldier, it’s going to take you a while to adjust to civilian life, and writing a blog about everything that happens to you will honestly help you.”

Watson replies, “Nothing happens to me.” … but all that is about to change.

When a mutual friend introduces Watson to Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), not only is Watson bamboozled by the amount of personal information Holmes can glean from such apparently insignificant clues (an excellent exposition device for the writer), but immediately he finds a new lodgings in central London … you know where, yep, at 221b Baker Street.

And so it begins – Holmes, a detective genius with a website takes Watson under his wing, and although Watson is warned against an association with the “psychopathic” Holmes by both the police and a mysterious man (of whom we cannot speak), he cannot resist being drawn into Sherlock’s London, an exciting and dangerous place to live.

Written by Doctor Who show-runner Steven Moffat, there are definite shades of Whovian drama, intrigue and humour interwoven into this glossy crime adventure.

Beautiful direction at every turn draws you into a dark world. The cameras glide around the characters picking up flares, effortlessly catching reactions, clues and expression. Scenes melt into one another with delightful eases as the viewer is gently pushed along, never too fast, but without having time to think about becoming bored.

The use of on-screen text to represent both Sherlock’s clues as he finds them and mobile phone messages as they appear is at first a little off-putting, but even this, after an hour an a half (yes, that’s how long episode one is) seem to blend into the overall ‘feel’ of the show.

Cumberbatch plays Holmes with passion and vigour. He’s a petulant child, a mysterious stranger and an adrenalin junkie all rolled into one. His nervous energy explodes onto the screen helping you buy into his ‘tortured genius’ persona, but never fully convincing the viewer that he may not be hiding more sinister motives beneath his crooked veil.

At times, you can almost see Matt Smith appear from nowhere as Moffat gives him a line that he can’t resist but ‘Who-up’: “We’ve got ourselves a serial killer, love those, there’s always something to look forward to …” he excitedly shouts as he runs down the stairs like the ghost of The Doctor, much to the dismay of the ever-worrying (and rather inept) Detective Inspector Lestrade (played by Rupert Graves).

Martin Freeman is the ying to Cumberbatch’s yang – happy in his dead-pan role as the jaded former-soldier, he is the conscience of the operation, asking questions, not getting answers but continuing to bumble along – you get the feeling he has nothing else to live for.

Freeman does not light up the screen with his character, but he is very much the supporting role here. He is strong and steady and does what is required to temper the insanity of Holmes whilst retaining his own and continuing to bridge the gap between Sherlock’s world and the real world in which they live.

This show will undoubtedly be a success, and deservedly so. Moffat has run with classic characters and dumped them in the 21st Century – but what he hasn’t done is lose the magic of the original idea. There will be the critics that say it’s too far from Conan Doyle’s stories – well balls to them – this isn’t about recreating books word for word on the screen, it’s about entertaining people …

… and what Sherlock does is certainly entertain.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Tennant Tuesday: 20/07/2010

'Tennant Tuesday' posts consist of several TV shows, films, audiobooks, etc. I am watching/listening to at the moment or that I've recently watched - DT related, of course. It has been a while since I last posted something related to #TT, so why not?

TV Show: Casanova



Film: Recovery

Audiobook: 'Hairy Maclary'



Picture:  


Song: 'You Do Something To Me', by Paul Weller

Doctor Who star named games chief



Former Doctor Who star Sylvester McCoy has been unveiled as a chieftain for a Highland games event.

The Scottish actor, who played the seventh Doctor in the cult BBC series in the 1980s, said he was "absolutely delighted" with the role for the Cowal Highland Gathering in Dunoon.

The role of the chieftain is ceremonial, with duties including presenting prizes to the winners of the Cowal Pipe Band Championships and the World Highland Dancing Championship. McCoy will also take the salute during the pipe band march past during the event.

How Doctor Who's enemies took over my life



The Cybermen have featured in 22 stories of Doctor Who.

If you really want to wind people up, don't write about budget cuts or school buildings or the world economy. Ask readers to help you compile a list of every Doctor Who villain. Ever. I know because that's what the Guardian's Datablog and Datastore website did last week – with dramatic results.

Doctor Who is made for data. It's the longest-running sci-fi show in Britain, possibly the world. The good doctor has battled monsters and aliens in 769 episodes since William Hartnell's first appearance in 1963. Our project was inspired by a user on the "data visualisation website" Many Eyes. xxnapoleansolo had compiled a list of every Doctor Who villain since the programme was relaunched in 2005. But that wasn't completist enough for us. So we tried asking the BBC for a list. "Good God," a spokeswoman replied. Another press officer came back with the suggestion that, if you really want to get this done, you need to ask the fans. So we did.

I'm not sure the Guardian Datablog has ever had an article re-tweeted on Twitter more than 200 times in 10 minutes before.It spread around the Doctor Who web faster than a Cyber battle fleet; the comments on the article now read like the ultimate distillation of Doctor Who knowledge.

"Being strictly accurate, although they appear, the Ice Warriors don't turn out to be the enemy in the Curse of Peladon," observed @croydonslacker. "Do the Ogrons count as villains in their own right, or because they were always the Big Villain's stooges, are they sort of subsidiary baddies?" piped up @Venebles. "Not that I'm sad, or anything."

The result, inevitably, is still evolving, although no prizes for guessing that the Daleks are number one (32 stories), followed by the Cybermen and The Master (22 stories). As another user noted: "You do realise you will retire with this list uncompleted, don't you?"

Monday, July 19, 2010

David Tennant Talks 'Decoy Bride' on 'Reporting Scotland'

Three new Torchwood characters



As we reported a few weeks ago, the BBC has succeeded in securing extra funding from US cable station Starz Entertainment, resulting in the resurrection of Captain Jack for a fourth series of Torchwood.

It was said at the time that the expanded budget would see Jack's adventures head further afield, taking in locations in the US and elsewhere. And as the new series enters the casting stage, Entertainment Weekly has revealed that Torchwood series four will introduce three new recurring characters, at least two of which will be American.

These are CIA agents Rex Matheson and Esther Katusi (the former described as " a wickedly funny CIA agent born to make waves"), and Oswald Jones, "a convicted murderer and paedophile".

Who will play these roles hasn't been officially announced as yet, but with Russell T Davies still at the helm, the series is still in good hands, and we can't wait to see what he can do with his newly expanded budget.

Torchwood series four is due to air next summer.

John Barrowman asks for 'Glee' role


John Barrowman has revealed he's asked Glee producers if he can play one of Rachel's gay dads.

The Torchwood actor hasn't had any further news about the part, however.

But he told Heat: "I have no idea if I'll be in it, I met with their casting people and I said I'd love to be in it - I'd be good as one of Rachel's gay dads!"

"The ball's in their court, though," he added.

John is hosting BBC1's Tonight's The Night and recently joined the Desperate Housewives cast as Angie Bolen's evil ex-boyfriend Patrick Logan.

Doctor Who materialising at GameCity



Charles Cecil and Anwen Aspden to reveal the making behind Doctor Who: The Adventure Games.

On Friday, July 23, GameCityNights is treating fans to a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Doctor Who: The Adventure Games, a four-part series of episodic games based on the British television phenomenon. Executive producer Charles Cecil and Anwen Aspden of BBC Wales Interactive will be present to answer the audience’s time-bending questions.

GameCity director, Iain Simons, said: “GameCityNights is continuing along a decidedly lunar cycle, and we’re delighted to be welcoming Charles Cecil and the Doctor Who: The Adventure Games team along to deliver a truly sci-fi edge. Most of all though, I’m very excited about not hosting it, as the gorgeous Mr Simon Byron will be taking charge of such formalities. I love him and his ways.”

There will also be the opportunity to win tickets to the now sold out Doctor Who Live tour.

Supporting the night will be several members of the Retro Remakes team, as well as students from Nottingham Trent University’s games development course, with more talented and diverse support acts to follow.

GameCityNights takes place at Antenna, Nottingham, on Friday, July 23 at 6pm. Admittance is £3, over 18s with ID.