Rocking the Time-Space Continuum

Tennant and Tate in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING! Finally!

2011-01-08T20:01:00.000Z

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12134635

David Tennant and Catherine Tate are to appear together on stage in a new West End production of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.

The stars will portray reluctant lovers and constant sparring partners Beatrice and Benedick in the Bard's comedy.

It will be Tate and Tennant's first appearance together since starring in BBC One's Doctor Who.

The play, directed by Josie Rourke, will open at Wyndham's Theatre on 1 June and run until 3 September.

Producers said further casting would be announced shortly.

Tennant is no stranger to the Bard's works, having worked extensively for the Royal Shakespeare Company with appearances in As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

He most recently appeared in Love Labour's Lost and Hamlet in 2008.

His portrayal of the tragic character saw him win the Critics' Circle Award for Best Shakespearean Performance.

But he is best known for playing the 10th incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who.

Tate also starred as his companion in the fourth series of the show.

She is currently appearing in Alan Ayckbourn's Season's Greetings at the National Theatre and was last in the West End in David Eldridge's Under the Blue Sky.

She is also currently seen on the big screen in Jack Black film Gulliver's Travels.

What the Dickens? It's Doctor Who!!

2011-01-04T19:28:00.000Z

You’ve opened your presents, you’ve had your turkey and the Queen has said whatever it is she’s planning to say about the upcoming royal nuptials… now, for millions of Brits, it’s time for the most festive part of the day – the Doctor Who Christmas special. More than one in five of us sat down (with our tissues at the ready) to watch David Tennant’s swansong last year. This year, brand new show supremo Steven Moffat has promised to deliver the most tinsel-laden episode ever. “It’s all your favourite Christmas movies at once,” he vowed. “In an hour. With monsters.”

The responsibility for this Yuletide cornerstone falls on the shoulders of the 11th Doctor, the Gallifreyan’s latest incarnation, 28-year-old Matt Smith. Catching up with The Big Issue while on his way from Cardiff to London, from where he will head over to America to film the Doctor’s first ever scenes on US soil – to screen next year – Smith quickly gets in a very Doctor-ish sort of flap about the fact that for a fair number of people he IS Christmas this year.

“Oh gosh,” he exclaims, the words tumbling out in a desperate dash. “I don’t know about that. Father Christmas is Christmas, and reindeers and turkey. To have an event like Doctor Who is of course a nice thing to celebrate and share but I think Christmas relies on a lot more. If we can add to the spirit and the anticipation of Christmas Day, that’d be a nice thing.”

Mastering Christmas is the last hurdle for Smith before he can properly be the Doctor. It’s a chance to step out of the shadows of his predecessor, David Tennant, whose humour and heart made him the most popular Doctor ever and allowed the show to grow into perhaps the BBC’s most profitable brand.

Smith joins Moffat in promising they have made something very special indeed. “I think it’s bloody brilliant, I have to say. It’s as Christmassy a Doctor Who as we’ve had. I think the spirit of Christmas and the spirit of the Doctor go hand in hand in many ways.”

The trailers reveal a slant on A Christmas Carol, with legendary heavyweight thesp Michael Gambon as the Scrooge figure and also starring angelic Welsh singer, Katherine Jenkins, in her acting debut. Moffat has revealed the plot follows the Doctor’s fiery sidekick Amy and her husband Rory who are trapped on a crashing space liner. The only way the Doctor can rescue them is to save the soul of a lonely old miser.

“Steven again has just tipped a notion on its head with time travel and he’s done it with great inventiveness and craft, as always. I’m personally really proud of it,” says Smith.

Matt Smith was far from universally welcomed when he was revealed as the replacement to Tennant (above) in January 2009. Could this odd-looking gangly youth (he was just 26 at the time) really make us believe he was a 900-year-old Time Lord?

Yet, at the end of series five, as the Doctor saw off almost every enemy he’d ever faced in one massive, mind-melting conclusion that played with the concept of time travel in a whole new way, the doubts were all but quelled.

Smith may not quite have the acting chops of Tennant, but he is a sparkling and witty Doctor. When it comes down to it, it’s just an awful lot of fun to hop aboard the TARDIS with him. The success of the new look was evident at the recent Doctor Who Live extravaganza, which travelled across the country playing to massive crowds, featuring a stupendous number of little boys (and the odd dad) in bow ties and tweed.

“It’s very exciting isn’t it?” says Smith, adding that he’s heard sales of both bow ties and tweed are on the up. “That’s always wonderful to see people dressed up. I love that. I think it’s cool.”

Even still, at the live show, the biggest cheer of the evening came when David Tennant was shown on the big screen. It was a deft bit of emotional theatre but you can’t help but wonder whether after seeing that, Smith feared that he may never escape the last Doctor’s shadow. “I’ve never felt his shadow because it’s such a wonderful role and his version is just the latest,” he insists. “I think if I had ever felt like that it would have been a problem.

“David is just a lovely, lovely man. I’m very fond of him, so I would never really think about him in those terms anyway.”

If Smith was sanguine before he began the role, he will allow that he has lately begun to comprehend just how big the challenge was.

“Of course, I suppose, with hindsight, one can look back on my first couple on months on the show and appreciate the magnitude of taking over from David, who was just brilliant and hugely successful,” he admits, thoughtfully. “But, actually, as soon as you put the bow tie on and the rest of it, the fun takes over and you can only enjoy it. So there is no sense of history.

“Also, it’s not just David – there’s Christopher [Eccleston] and Jon Pertwee and Patrick Troughton. There are 10 other men who are always going to go behind you. The past is always the past and will always be there. I don’t really contemplate it. I think you have to live presently.” Which is a difficult concept for a Time Lord. “Yes, indeed! You’re right!”

Of course, Smith was never alone in his mission to convert the sci-fi fans of Britain. At his side he has been lucky to have fantastic, leggy Scots redhead Karen Gillan, playing the Doctor’s equally amazing companion Amy Pond.

An instant star, she has redefined the role of the companion once again and has set the heather ablaze – whether she’s attempting to have a prenuptial fling with the Doctor or standing alone and terrified in a space-age forest while the petrifying Weeping Angels descend upon her.

Smith says Gillan has been a huge support, on and off the show. Both their lives have changed beyond recognition this year, as they’ve gone from virtual unknowns to two of the most recognisable faces on TV, for whose autographs children and their parents will camp out overnight in the rain.

It’s been an upheaval for Smith, not least because he’s had to move away from London (and his It-girl, model girlfriend Daisy Lowe) to live mostly in Cardiff.

“It would be different being up in Cardiff were Karen not around,” he says. “Karen is a constant source of laughter and bemusement to me. I’m very, very fond of her.”

So does that mean there’s no prick of jealousy when Gillan steals the limelight?

“God no, I’m proud of her,” he says, cheerfully adding he’s sure people tune into the show for her as much as him. “Why would you not?

“She’s drop-dead gorgeous, turning in brilliant performances every week – witty, funny, gangly. She looks like a preying mantis. She’s got all the right things going on.”

Since the viewing public have whole-heartedly agreed with this assessment – well, perhaps not the preying mantis bit – it came as a shock when The Sun (usually a reliable source of Doctor Who leaks) suggested Amy was going to be killed off part-way through 2011. Surely not! Challenged on the point, and with the BBC monitoring our interview, Smith comes over all defensive. “If I told you, I’d have to come and kill you and I don’t want to kill you,” he says, hardly dispelling our fears for Amy’s safety.

In fact, now I think about it, only a couple of minutes ago he was telling me she’d do brilliantly after Doctor Who. “I think she’s going to go on to do great things, not only in this show but I think subsequently she’ll go on and have a very interesting career because I think she’s brilliant, I really do.”

Oh dear. Watch your back Miss Pond.

Like the rest of us, Smith will be sat down around the telly come Christmas afternoon with his family, trying not to ruin the ending for his mum, dad, grandfather and sister, a professional dancer who recently went on tour with Take That. The work doesn’t stop for Smith when he goes home, though.

Since his career started, his loyal mum has been in charge of his fan mail and it’s a role she hasn’t given up, even after the trickle of letters became a flood this year. “She’s always pestering me that I don’t sign enough cards,” says Smith. “God love her, every time I go home she’ll sit me down and say I’ve got to sign all these things. She rules it with an iron fist.”

Winding down from saving the universe means two things to Smith – playing his guitar and football. From his earliest years he was always meant to be a footballer, only turning to acting after a serious back injury. You just need to mention his beloved Blackburn Rovers to waylay him entirely from any train of thought. However, with the clock ticking – Time Lords ironically have very tight diaries – I’ve got to bring him back to the biggest Doctor Who fan controversy he’s yet faced. We’ve all known for ages that Doctor Who was facing a time bomb in terms of the number of times he was allowed to regenerate.

The limit has long been set at 13 incarnations of the Doctor, or 12 regenerations – a number that must have seemed suitably remote when the show started in 1963 – but with the 11th Doctor currently in place, a way out of the accepted rule has become of pressing concern. Whovians waited with bated breath for how they would explain the transition. Would it be something to do with the Time Wars? Or the demise of the High Council of Time Lords?

The possibilities were endless. Then they slipped in a throwaway line in teatime spin-off show Sarah Jane Adventures – flatly stating that the Doctor now had 507 regenerations, with nary a sniff of a faux science justification, and the message boards went wild. How dare they cheat us of an explanation?

“That’s a Russell question…” prevaricates Smith, alluding to the fact it was previous boss Russell T Davies who wrote the offending line.

“You’d have to ask him because he’s better equipped to deal with that. I have no idea. I merely concentrate on number 11. The rest, once they get to 13, that’s their problem to worry about.” Smith hopes they’ll get some sort of explanation to stick, thus allowing Doctor Who to go on far into the future. “I certainly want Doctor Who to go on forever, it’s just wonderful. Why not?

“It’s lasted this long. The format of it allows the storytelling to be limitless and boundless and totally creative from one week to the next and without restraint, so why not? Why shouldn’t it go on?”

He is quite right, of course. Doctor Who to go on forever – given current form, who could argue with that?

http://www.bigissuescotland.com/features/view/460

A post about the most recent news about David Tennant

2011-01-04T19:15:00.000Z

People have been asking me whether this is true or not. The answer is... I have no idea, nor will I discuss his private life in here. I wish them both all the best and I hope their relationship gets even better.

If you still want to read the article, follow this link http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1343909/David-Tennant-engaged-girlfriend-Georgia-Moffett.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

As mentioned before, I won't be discussing his private life in here, but you can certainly post your thoughts about it in the comments area below.

The Tenth Doctor (1st January 2011) [one year]

2011-01-01T22:37:00.000Z

I miss him so much...

'A Christmas Carol' Review [Den of Geek]

2011-01-01T22:35:00.000Z

Now how about that for packing plenty into one 60 minute episode? Taking the basics of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol as its basis, Steven Moffat skilfully wove the well-known and well-filmed tale into a intriguing and layered Doctor Who story. For a Christmas episode, too, it was relatively light on action, as instead, Moffat pooled together the ingredients for a real cracker of a story.

Firing out of the gates with a Star Trek homage, a crashing spaceliner, the continuation of the Rory/Amy relationship and plenty of jokes particularly at the former’s expense, you could have been forgiven at first for thinking that this was going to be a loud, comedic, action adventure.

http://www.denofgeek.com/television/705504/doctor_who_a_christmas_carol_review.html

Yet it wasn’t long before Moffat slowed the pace right down, aided by some terrific, atmospheric direction from Toby Haynes (backed by strong production design). Seemingly effortlessly transporting us into a Dickensian world, we were then soon introduced to the Scrooge of the piece, played by Michael Gambon. Only here, Scrooge goes by the name of Kazran Sardick. And he's more complicated than the average miser.

The central narrative around which the story was built is that Kazran has in his power the ability to save the thousands of people stuck in a cloud of his making, and yet he refuses to do. From there, much of the episode is spent subtlety breaking down the veneer of the character, by, amongst other tools, clever use of time travel.

Moffat’s brilliant at this, pulling little surprises such as the moment when Sardick Junior sees his father, Elliot, in full rant. And that turns into a lovely moment that matters, simply because time has been taken to set the characters up properly. Michael Gambon’s terrific performance shouldn’t be sneezed at, either, evoking real sympathy for Sardick's story. Heck, just look at how still he is as the Doctor first travels back to see the younger version of Sardick for the first time, while the older one watches. It’s terrifically written, well shot, and excellently played.

Katherine Jenkins is no slouch, either. She plays a pivotal role here, and avoids the fear of stunt casting in the process. Thinking back, she doesn’t actually get a great deal of screen time, yet her slow demise, and Sardick’s torment over which day should be her last, is wonderfully done.

The closest comparison we can pull to the casting on Jenkins is the appearance of Kylie Minogue in the fun, bombastic Voyage Of The Damned. Minogue, playing Astrid, was also doomed to not reach the end credits, and yet the emotional resonance of the character of Abigail Pettirgrew seemed much more important. Heck, I was even impressed at how well Jenkins’ singing was weaved into the story.

Jenkins and Gambon did have to do quite a bit of heavy lifting here, though, as A Christmas Carol relegated Amy and Rory to the bench for most of the episode. What time we did get with them firmly established the status quo between the pair, with a lovely, comedic sequence at the start offering ample demonstration of just how Amy views and treats Rory. We can surely expect that strand to be explored a lot further in the upcoming series of the show. That's apparently going to be appearing on the soundtrack CD this coming February, too.

Then there were the fish. These were, I thought, a lovely idea, far different from your average monsters, and very well realised too, allowing the episode its big jump moment, as the Doctor went fishing in Kazran’s closet. It was nicely done, and the fish were generally in keeping with the quite calm tone of much of the episode. They made for decent monsters, too, and as with every foe in the Moffat world, they had their reasons for being as they are.

I suppose if the episode had a weakness (and this is being really picky), it comes with the demands of doing a Christmas special. For I loved the middle of the story, where the story pieces were being gently moved around the board into place, moreso than I did the more action-packed top and tail. That’s not to say the action and the effects were shabby, rather they were the least interesting moments in a strong episode. As I noted in the spoiler-free review, too, given the generally louder and more straightforward Yuletide stories we’ve had in the past, I do wonder if, particularly much younger viewers (even accepting that they have more open minds than most), would have enjoyed A Christmas Carol quite as much.

I certainly did, though, and even now, there are still things that we’ve not talked about that I absolutely loved. The comedy, for starters, was pin-sharp, particularly when the Doctor starts dishing out relationship advice. Matt Smith, and we didn’t talk about this enough last series, is a genuinely impressive comedy actor, and his delivery here was very strong (it was an excellent performance all-round to be fair, too). Moffat’s writing, too, harked back to Coupling at its very best, and half had me thinking that we’d sort of got the Coupling Christmas special that we never had.

I also enjoyed the fun the episode had with the likes of the psychic paper, the sonic screwdriver, the Doctor getting married, and the random introduction of Frank Sinatra. It was gloriously bonkers, and all the better for it. And when you consider just how much got crammed into the hour, you have to conclude it’s some achievement.

A Christmas Carol is, ultimately, a fitting end to one of Doctor Who’s very strongest years. It kicked off with The End Of Time Part 2 on New Year’s Day (and that feels longer than a year ago), and has taken us through a compelling 13-part series five, and now iced the proverbial cake with a rounded, self-contained, extremely-Christmassy yet quietly ambitious Yuletide extravaganza. A terrific one at that, too.

Furthermore, on the basis of the teaser trailer for next year, there are more treats lying ahead. And so you can happily add me to the list of people counting down the days to Doctor Who’s return. For as the Christmas special proves, as if further proof was needed, the show is in exceptionally safe hands.

Doctor Who vs. Sherlock [NTA's]

2011-01-01T22:26:00.000Z

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hP4X3gJ-4UCNCBLlo5e7gIkzAGgA?docId=N0406871293807378077A

Doctor Who star Matt Smith will go head-to-head with his terrestrial rival, Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch, at the National Television Awards.

Both stars, who were thrust into the limelight last year as the 11th incarnation of the Doctor and the quirky detective Sherlock Holmes, have been nominated for best Drama Performance.

Philip Glenister also competes for the title, for his role in Ashes to Ashes, as does five times National Television Awards winner David Jason for A Touch of Frost.

Matt, 28, and 34-year-old Benedict's BBC1 dramas, Doctor Who and Sherlock, have also been shortlisted for best Drama, against rivals Shameless (Channel 4) and BBC1 school series Waterloo Road.

X Factor host Dermot O'Leary will be up for his first National Television Award for best Entertainment Presenter at the ceremony, which takes place later this month.

He will compete against Britain's Got Talent stars Ant and Dec, who are aiming for their record-breaking 10th consecutive win in the category.

Davina McCall, who presented the final Big Brother last year, and Paul O'Grady, the host of Paul O'Grady Live, are also in the running.

Two of Simon Cowell's shows, the X Factor and Britain's Got Talent, are in the running for the Talent Show category against BBC rival Strictly Come Dancing and ITV's Dancing on Ice.

The shortlist and eventual winners of the National Television Awards are voted for by viewers.

The ceremony, hosted by O'Leary from the O2 Arena, will be broadcast live on ITV1 on Wednesday January 26.

Who do you think is gonna win?

Can Fran be back??

2011-01-01T22:21:00.000Z

Maybe... hopefully.
As you all know, I'm in uni now, and I have been working a lot (I didn't have any Christmas holidays, boo), and I have three exams ahead of me, so... yeah. It's all very confusing, really. And tiring. Oh yes.
Anyway, I hope I can post some news every now and again, you know, post some amazing Tennant pictures and review a couple of episodes... Let's see how it all works out. I'm not promising anything, but I'll try.

Fran x

David Tennant treats onscreen 'family' to bowling trip in Glasgow

2010-09-17T14:26:00.000+01:00

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/2010/09/15/former-doctor-who-david-tennant-treats-onscreen-family-to-bowling-trip-in-glasgow-86908-22562558/

FORMER Doctor Who David Tennant has become a single dad in his latest role - and bonded with his onscreen offspring by taking them tenpin bowling.

David, 39, returned to his roots to star in the new BBC Scotland series Single Father, in which he plays a widowed dad-of-four.

And he decided that to make the onscreen family as real as possible, he needed to get close to the youngsters playing his kids.

So David, who was brought up in Renfrewshire, took them bowling in Glasgow, where the series was filmed.

He said: "We all had such a laugh and threw ourselves into it from the off.

"It was a funny one because we were trying to fashion a family bond to try to make the drama feel as real as possible.

"Instead of lengthy rehearsals on set, we just hung out and got to know each other bowling and playing football in the park."

David had to admit to some unfair tactics in dealing with his onscreen kids - played by Natasha Watson, Chris Hegarty, Robert Dickson and Millie Innes.

He said: "I told them I had been Scottish under-17 Tenpin Bowling Champion just to unnerve them - but it didn't seem to work.

"But, at the end of the day, they had bowling bumpers to help them. Not that I'm bitter, not that I'm being competitive against children."

Single Father is David's first starring role since quitting Doctor Who and making his final appearance as the Time Lord on New Year's day.

The four-part series, filmed earlier this year, is the first time in five years David has worked in Scotland. His last work here was starring in Look Back In Anger at Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum theatre.

His last TV acting job in his homeland was A Mug's Game - the story of life in a fishing village - back in 1996.

David added: "It's always great to be back in Glasgow. It's a lovely city - a great city.

"People are so friendly in Glasgow. So it was lovely to stay for an extended period during filming.

David stars with Coronation Street's Suranne Jones in Single Father.

Suranne plays his character Dave's late wife's best friend Sarah, whom Dave starts falling in love with.

The role was also a first for David because Dave is a grandfather through his teenage daughter from his first marriage.

"I've certainly not played a grandfather before, which was a bit of a shock to the system," David admitted.

"I played a dad in Recovery years ago but in Single Father, I have lots of kids. To work that closely for that length of time with so many kids was also new for me."

David is going further afield for his next role. He is in New Mexico filming his first big Hollywood movie - a remake of 1985 vampire movie Fright Night.

David revealed: "I'm playing a character called Peter Vincent, who's a Las Vegas illusionist who also happens to be an expert on vampires. And, as well as some acting, I've spent a lot of time being sewn into very tight costumes."

Single Father BAFTA Screening and Q&A [via develish1]

2010-09-14T17:11:00.000+01:00

(I shall only post the links to it once some of the content is spoilery. You have been warned.)

http://canadian-turtle.livejournal.com/270495.html

http://foxyhlc.livejournal.com/10029.html

Jamie Oram, Daniel Mays and Emma Cunniffe to start in Doctor Who

2010-09-13T15:19:00.000+01:00

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/s7/doctor-who/news/a276320/three-cast-in-new-doctor-who.html

Three actors have been confirmed for guest roles in the upcoming sixth series of Doctor Who.

The site for talent agency Alphabet Kidz reports that child actor Jamie Oram has been cast as Harry in the fourth episode. Oram has previously appeared in a number of commercials, but the part of Harry will be his first role in television drama.

Actor Daniel Mays will also appear in the episode as Harry's father. Mays is known for his role as Jim Keats on Ashes To Ashes and will appear in forthcoming BBC sci-fi drama Outcasts.

Harry's mother will be played by Emma Cunniffe, who has previously featured in episodes of The Bill and Casualty and appeared alongside former Who star Christopher Eccleston in the 2002 show Flesh and Blood.

A casting call on Spotlight describes the character of Harry as "a troubled young boy who has a nervous disposition".

Production on the episode - apparently titled 'What Are Little Boys Made Of?' - is currently ongoing in Cardiff.

Prince Edward in Doctor Who? Never!

2010-09-13T15:17:00.000+01:00

It was a chance for Prince Edward to put his showbusiness ambitions to the test – a starring role in Doctor Who, one of the nation’s favourite family shows.

But the prospect of the Prince on prime-time TV in a story featuring a sorceress, cybermen and some Nazis was a step too far for Buckingham Palace, and Edward’s aides vetoed the idea.

The details of the extraordinary invitation are detailed in newly unearthed letters in the archive of the late John Nathan-Turner, a former Doctor Who producer.

He was keen to get the stage-struck Prince, then 24, to star in a three-part adventure called Silver Nemesis, commissioned to mark Doctor Who’s 25th anniversary in 1988.

Producers thought his involvement would create maximum publicity for the episodes in which he would play himself in a scene where the Doctor – Sylvester McCoy – and his assistant Ace, played by Sophie Aldred, arrive unexpectedly at Windsor Castle.

But in a letter dated March 28, 1988, and written on Buckingham Palace notepaper, the Prince’s then equerry Lieutenant-Colonel Sean O’Dwyer wrote: ‘Thank you for your letter of March 25 in which you invite Prince Edward to take part in a special three-part story of Doctor Who.

Enlarge Polite rejection: The letter from Palace to the producers confirming Prince Edward would not be taking part in filming

‘His Royal Highness was most interested to hear about this and much appreciates your kind thought in asking him. However, Prince Edward regrets that, sadly, it is not possible for him to do as you ask.

‘His Royal Highness is sorry to disappoint you in this way, but hopes that the silver anniversary programmes will be a great success.’The producers were also refused permission to film at Windsor.

In a letter dated March 29, 1988, John Haslam, assistant Press secretary to the Queen, wrote: ‘I am afraid there is a firm, long-standing rule that permission is not given for filming at Royal residences in connection with fictional projects.’The letters are held at the British Film Institute.

In the episode, broadcast in November 1988, the Doctor is confronted by the Queen, played by a lookalike.

They meet at Arundel Castle in West Sussex, which was used as a stand-in for Windsor.

Andrew Cartmel, the programme’s script editor, said: ‘Reading between the lines it appears the Prince wanted to do it but was effectively blocked.’

Prince Edward had already started to pursue his dreams of a career in showbusiness at the time of the approach. In 1986 he joined Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Theatre Company and in 1993 he founded TV production company Ardent.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1311247/Ed-terminate-Or-Buckingham-Palace-vetoed-Prince-Edwards-role-Doctor-Who.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz0zQ2PyP94

Best TV Shows on Television

2010-09-11T18:36:00.000+01:00

Ok, guys, I need some help with this. You all know I LOVE Doctor Who and that I could spend my entire life watching it, but I feel I need some variety. I've recently started watching Sherlock, and I think I'm hooked already (and I've only watched two episodes, although I have watched 'A Study In Pink' 5 times since Tuesday. I know, wow), but I don't really watch much TV apart from those two shows. Sure, I do watch some Torchwood and SJA, but my TV history is pretty, pretty poor. I usually get fed up w/ certain shows easily (specially the ones that focus on romance a lot - 'How I Met Your Mother' being a good example of how not to overdo it, 'cause otherwise I wouldn't really watch it) and I don't follow any other shows apart from DW and Sherlock.

Therefore, I would like to ask you all... What are your favourite TV shows? What show would you recommend for me to watch? Please post a comment below, even if you don't have a Blogger account, and let me know what you think!

Thank you x

Doctor Who Live! (Arena Show) - Preview

2010-09-11T17:45:00.000+01:00

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Doctor-Who-Live-arena-show.6525237.jp

Karen wants Pond to change

2010-09-09T23:11:00.000+01:00

Karen Gillan has described filming Doctor Who as an "emotionally draining" experience.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jy8Ih2xjX4kDLrFTsO5_v0Kxengg

The Scottish actress, who shot to fame as the Doctor's assistant Amy Pond, said she was looking forward to changing her character in the next series of the BBC sci-fi show.

She said: "I think that she's a completely different person at the end of the series to when we meet her, when she's really quite odd and a bit messed up in the first episode."

The 22-year-old added: "I think she's much more kind of in tune with what she understands about herself mostly and the Doctor by the end of the series. And she's been through a lot in the series.

"It's been pretty emotionally draining. Just all the stuff when she was crying and she doesn't know why she's crying - that was quite a challenge. But I think there's a lot more to come in the next series. I really want to just keep on developing her character and I want her to evolve and change lots."

The star was speaking as she signed boxes containing a five-inch version of her Doctor Who character along with posters for more than 200 fans at toy store Hamleys in Glasgow's St Enoch Centre.

Katherine Jenkins talks about her acting skills

2010-09-09T23:09:00.000+01:00

http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/katherine-jenkins-i-wasnt-sure-i-could-act-for-doctor-who/

Katherine Jenkins has admitted that she was worried her acting skills wouldn’t be up to scratch, when she agreed to appear in the Doctor Who Christmas Special.

The classical singer told the Radio Times that she had never acted before and was even more worried when she discovered she would be starring alongside Harry Potter star Michael Gambon.

She said:

“I’ve not done any acting before, so I wasn’t sure if I even could.

“But I read for the part and on my 30th birthday, they called to say I’d got it.”

Katherine added: ” Matt Smith and Michael Gambon have been really encouraging. I can’t wait to see the results.”

“I learned so much from simply watching Michael Gambon, and he was always telling great stories about all the actors he’s worked with. Matt and I would sit and listen to him for hours.”

David Mitchell says Doctor Who is too grown up - Commented News Item

2010-09-09T23:07:00.000+01:00

http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2010/09/09/dr-who-too-grown-up-says-comic-david-mitchell-115875-22547965/

Comedian David Mitchell has criticised Doctor Who for forgetting it is a kids' show.

The Bafta-winning Peep Show star said it was odd the show was so popular [among] adults.

"My parents never watched Doctor Who - it wouldn't have occurred to them to do so," said Mitchell.

"They might have been fond of it, they might have said, 'Oh yes, I used to watch that as a child'. What they wouldn't go on to say was '...and I still do now.'" He added: "These days, a huge amount of stuff seems to be aimed at children, but with the assumption that adults - and not just parents - will consume it too."

Doctor Who boss Stephen Moffat has said the show is meant to be enjoyed by the whole family.

Honestly, why does he care? First we had Fry saying that it was a kid's show, now we have Mitchell saying that is it made, and I quote!, 'with the assumption that adults will consume it too'. Well, of course they want to attract a wider variety of audiences, not just children! Doctor Who proved to be a success among adults right from the get go, ever since William Hartnell! I don't even understand why people go on and on about this...

David Tennant 2011 Calendar

2010-09-08T14:57:00.000+01:00

You can find it on Calendar Club (http://www.calendarclub.co.uk/p-490-david-tennant-2011-wall-calendar.aspx) and Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_14?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=david+tennant+calendar+2011&sprefix=david+tennant+).

Matt wins GQ award

2010-09-08T14:50:00.000+01:00

http://www.atvnewsnetwork.co.uk/today/index.php/atv-today/3821-matt-smith-wins-gq-award

Doctor Who actor Matt Smith has won a GQ Award. The actor picked up the a gong at the GQ Men of the Year Awards. The Black-Tie ceremony was held on Tuesday evening as London's Royal Opera House and the actor himself was at the ceremony to pick up the award - he had come over from Cardiff where he had been filming the new series of Doctor Who earlier in the day. Smith won the GQ award for Best Actor which was presented to him by the artist Tracey Emin.

Also recognised at the GQ Awards was actor Jon Hamm who was named Best International Man at the awards. The actor is best known for his role of Don Draper in the critically acclaimed series Man Men which returns to BBC Four tonight (see here >> ). Gossip Girl actor Ed Westwick, who plays womanising Chuck Bass in the teen-drama, also won an award as did James Bond actress Gemma Arterton. Prime Minister David Cameron was also recognised at the GQ awards and comedian James Corden also picked up a gong.

Doctor Who wins 'Best Family Drama'

2010-09-08T14:47:00.000+01:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8970000/newsid_8975300/8975349.stm

Doctor Who has been named best family drama at the TV Choice Awards, with Glee going away with best new drama.

Karen Gillan, who plays the Doctor Who's assistant Amy Pond, was at the London ceremony to pick up the award.

Britain's Got Talent won best talent show for another year, beating both The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing.

Soap Emmerdale was the big winner of the night, taking home three awards. But it was EastEnders that scooped the best soap prize.

My Introduction to 'Doctor Who' and 'Sherlock' + Watching 'Sherlock' for the first time

2010-09-07T18:49:00.001+01:00

I am amazed. I am so incredibly amazed I don't even know what to say.

It has happened again, guys. I don't usually talk about this, but I know some of you out there already know this, but I think it is worth mentioning it anyways.

As some of you know, I love British television and, to be completely honest, that's pretty much all I watch these days. Not that I don't watch American television or German television (for example, I'm not pinpointing), I just don't get a kick out of it.

One of the most remarkable moments in my life so far happened when, after taking a break from my studying Chemistry, I noticed a show untitled 'Doctor Who' was going to air in a matter of minutes. For some reason, I just knew I had to watch it. I got this strange feeling that what I was about to watch was going to change my life.

It turned out to be 'Army of Ghosts', the Series 2 episode (with David as the Doctor), and within 5 minutes of watching it, I was completely hooked. The whole concept of the show, the Doctor, the TARDIS, the Daleks, I felt like I was never going to let go of that wonderful world that was now presented to me by this wonderful, dashing man who went by the name of 'Doctor'. I felt I knew the show inside out and I knew I had fallen in love with the both the show and the character (and, consequently, with David). Don't ask me how I knew it or how I did it, but I just knew it instinctively. It was bizarre and almost maddening because I had never felt anything like that. I could feel all that love oozing out of every single pore in my body and I ordered the Series 2 boxset the very next day. I am sure some of you are thinking that that could have been a huge waste of money had I been wrong, but I just know when I am going to love somebody or something forever (or, at least, for a long, long, loooong time. With Doctor Who, I felt it was going to be forever). Right after the episode ended, I rushed to my computer and read everything I could possible read about the show and about David, and started saving pictures and downloading the soundtracks off iTunes. My cellphone was, two hours later, a proper TARDIS, a world that would make any Whovian proud. I had the theme tune as my ringtone, the TARDIS as my message tone and the Tenth Doctor as my wallpaper.

Today, my friends, the same thing has happened to me. As I tweeted this morning (@BritparsleyTen), I finally got my 'Sherlock' DVD on the post. Usually, I watch TV after dinner, so I thought I was going to watch it then. I was too excited not to watch it immediately, though. So I grabbed Disc 1 and started watching 'A Study In Pink'.

I cannot say why, but I was incredibly excited. Yes, I knew 'Sherlock' was brilliant but I still had not watched it. Well, I assumed it was brilliant, anyway. Everybody seemed to think so, so I sort of followed that conveyed idea.

Guess what happened: 5 minutes later, I got that same feeling I got 3 years ago with Doctor Who. It wasn't as powerful but it caught me offguard: I wasn't expecting to feel that again. I didn't connect with it on an emotional level, if you will, so that's probably why it wasn't as powerful but I sort of knew I was going to love this show. When Cumberbatch first appeared I was like 'Hell, yeah, you're going to be great' and I still had not seen him talk or anything, I was just assuming. And boy, I was NOT wrong! He was amazing and I fell in love w/ his character... I'm no stranger to 'Sherlock Holmes' and I am actually reading every single one of Sir Arthur's stories about this particular duo of witty characters... and I am loving the book and now I am in love with the show.

Whovians, fear not, I am a Whovian at heart and 'Sherlock' is not going to make me forget about DW or anything, that's never going to happen. I am actually really glad that I've found another show that I actually care about, rather than one that I like to watch and then lose all interest. Don't get me wrong here, but for 3 years DW was pretty much the only show I followed loyally. I would watch this and that but it wouldn't be the same. Now that I have 'Sherlock', I have a feeling that I'm going to follow it as loyally as I do with Doctor Who... and that is great. It makes me feel like there's some great television on the making and that is, quite frankly, uber exciting.

I am absolutely loving Cumberbatch and Freeman's performances and I feel there's so much more that we have yet to see...! I'm super excited now. I truly am. Roll on, episode 2!

Filming for Series 6 has begun!

2010-09-06T22:23:00.000+01:00

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/s7/doctor-who/news/a273479/filming-begins-on-new-doctor-who.html

Filming has begun on the new series of Doctor Who.

The Doctor Who News Page reports that cast and crew returned to work at 8am this morning in Cardiff.

The new series is the sixth since the show's revival in 2005 and will see the return of stars Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill.
The first production block is believed to consist of the third and fourth episodes, both of which will be directed by Richard Clark. Filming will begin with episode three, written by Neil Gaiman, before moving on to an instalment penned by Mark Gatiss.

It was previously announced that the new series would air in two parts, beginning in the spring and returning in the autumn.
Doctor Who will return to BBC One this Christmas for a one-off special.

New pictures of David Tennant (Single Father)

2010-09-05T19:19:00.000+01:00

If you wish to see the remaining pictures go to http://blogtorwho.blogspot.com/

Doctor Who wins 4th Hugo Award

2010-09-05T19:16:00.000+01:00

http://www.airlockalpha.com/node/7777/doctor-who-wins-fourth-hugo-award.html

"Doctor Who" took home its fourth Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation - Short Form, but it's not quite a win for new showrunner Steven Moffat just yet.

The BBC series picked up the award for "The Water of Mars," written by Russell T. Davies and Phil Ford, and directed by Graeme Harper. "Doctor Who" actually dominated the category in the awards, given out at AussieCon 4 through the World Science Fiction Society, that also included "The Next Doctor" from Davies and director Andy Goddard and "Planet of the Dead" with Davies, Gareth Roberts and directing word by James Strong.

Also nominated were the "Dollhouse" episode "Epitaph 1" from Joss Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Jed Whedon and David Solomon, as well as "No More Good Days" from the now-canceled ABC series "FlashForward" from Brannon Braga and David S. Goyer, based on the book by Robert J. Sawyer.

"Moon," written by Nathan Parker and directed by Duncan Jones, took the Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation - Long Form. That beat out stiff competition from the likes of "Avatar," "District 9," "Star Trek" and "Up."

The Hugos were presented at the 68th World Science Fiction Convention, this year known as AussieCon 4 in Melbourne, Australia.

"Doctor Who" has more Hugos than any single television series, and is tied with the complete Star Trek franchise which won two Hugos for the original series ("The Menagerie" and "City on the Edge of Forever") and two Hugos for "Star Trek: The Next Generation" ("Inner Light" and "All Good Things").

"Doctor Who" writer Paul Cornell both presented and accepted the award, reading a speech from Harper, who thanked the "Doctor Who" production team for letting him work on the show.

Author George R.R. Martin -- who has a book series moving to television as "Game of Thrones" on HBO -- presented the Long Form category, accepting the "Moon" award for Jones and Parker. "Moon" received a limited release in the United States, and had a small budget of $5 million, compared to the hundreds of millions of dollars from most of the other nominees, save "District 9."

For the first time in 17 years, there was a tie in the Hugo for Best Novel category. Paolo Bacigalupi and China Miéville won for "The Windup Girl" and "The City and the City" respectively.

Two of the Hugo winners were in their 90s. Writer and editor Frederik Pohl, 90, won the Hugo for Best Fan Writer for his blog, The way the Future Blogs. Jack Vance, 94, won the award for Best Related Work for his biography, "This is Me, Jack Vance! (Or, More Propertly, This is 'I')."

Other winners include "Palimpsest" by Charles Stross fro Best Novella, "The Island" by Peter Watts for Best Novelette, "Bridesicle" by Wil McIntosh for Best Short Story, "Girl Genius, Vol. 9: Agatha Hetrodyne and the Heirs of the Storm" by Kaja Foglio and Phil Foglio for Best Graphic Story, Patrick Nielsen Hayden for Best Editor - Long Form, Ellen Datlow for Best Editor - Short Form and Shaun Tan for Best Professional Artist.

Best Semiprozone when to Clarkesworld, edited by Neil Clarke, Sean Wallace and Cheryl Morgan. Brad W. Foster won for Fan Artist and Seanan McGuire won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.

David Tennant as Peter Vincent - Commented News Item + New pictures

2010-09-03T18:33:00.003+01:00

Yes, yes, I know, I have already posted this picture, but I have yet to share my thoughts on his 'costume' with you all lovely people. As many of you, I was caught off guard and wasn't even sure, when I first saw it, that it was, in fact, David Tennant. However, it took me a split second to realise that it was, in fact, David who was gracing the photo. My initial reaction, as you can tell from my tweets (@BritparsleyTen) was one of mixed shock and well,... love. I was expecting this kind of costume ever since I had seen one of develish1's posts on her wordpress page (develish1.wordpress.com) which contained a description of how his costume was going to be like. For that reason, I was sort of expecting the Criss Angel, Mindfreak look (as somebody pointed out somewhere).

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, they did hide his lovely and gorgeous face, but his stare almost take a life of its own. It's almost hypnotic. But he's supposed to be a wizard, right?, so that sort of makes sense. Anyway, I am REALLY glad we can see his lovely eyes. We can't tell from the picture (well, I can't, anyway) whether he has black contact lenses on or not, but I hope they let him use his normal contacts, not the coloured ones. The world needs to see David's hazel eyes.

Right, now to dissect the image itself...

Oh yes, the eyes are just to die for. The eyeliner around the eyes is reminiscent of Tate's 'Nan's Christmas Carol' (as described on Amazon, although I actually call it 'Catherine Tate's 2010 Christmas Special - but I am not picky), in which he played (yes, you have guessed correctly!) the Ghost of Christmas Present. If you thought his hair was too long back then, well... what can I say? Apart from longer, it looks black with a Sparrow-ish air to it: his facial hair only adds to the mentioned effect. Overall, it looks absolutely amazing. With a moustache and a beard, David looks completely different... but wouldn't be able to fool not even his newest fans.

You can see a bit (that's an understatement!) of flesh in this particular bit, am I am certainly NOT complaining. I actually like the jacket (it looks like leather to me), but it's not the jacket that catches my attention every time I look at this picture... It's David's torso. It looks amazing and although the picture is stylised, I think those muscles belong to our sexy lad. Well, I have seen Casanova a lot of time and yes, David does have his abdominal muscles pretty defined, although you can't always notice them (I am sure you can, though :D). I can tell he is sporting a necklace or a pendant of some sort and rings. And, in case you're still not convinced this is David, look at his hands... those are DEFINITELY David's hands, I could recognise them anywhere.

Oh yes, leather pants suit him. Definitely. I am trying not to comment about his, hum, hairy tummy (although I am pretty sure that bit doesn't qualify as 'tummy'... 'cause I don't you girls to start drooling all over the place. I think I don't even need to say a word, we all know what we're thinking, don't we, ladies?

Now, as for new pictures...

This is from seduff. And yes, you can see the hairy bit I was talking about more clearly... Ahah.

This picture belongs to chabui, http://www.flickr.com/photos/chabui/.

Because of his position his abs are not as defined, but you can still see them. And this is like looking at Jack Sparrow, although (and I have to be honest with you), I find David more attractive than Johnny. I know some people will hate me for saying this, but this is my honest opinion. And the leather pants really, really suit him. If you know what I mean...

Three more pictures from http://www.flickr.com/photos/chabui/...

Have you found any more Peter Vincent photos? Leave me a message below (through meebo) or go to the 'Contact Me' page. Thank you!

First pictures of Tennant in 'Fright Night' [via develish1]

2010-09-02T11:37:00.000+01:00

develish1.wordpress.com

Fans slate David Tennant's US accent - Commented News Item

2010-09-01T23:19:00.000+01:00

David Tennant fans have had their first glimpse of his scrapped US TV show - and they weren't impressed by his American accent.

The Doctor Who star hoped to make it big in the States with Rex Is Not Your Lawyer, a comedy about an attorney too scared to appear in court.

David gave up the chance to film a movie about Edinburgh bodysnatchers Burke and Hare to take his chances across the Atlantic.

But US network NBC dumped the show after a pilot episode failed to win over executives.

And when a clip from the unseen pilot appeared on YouTube, fans panned Bathgate-born David's Stateside drawl.

One said: "That's Tennant's first fail. Come back to Britain, David."

Another said: "That American accent kills me. His natural accent is so lovely. Not a fan of that voice."

And a third added: "My ears are saying this is wrong but my eyes are saying it is soooo right."

More than 64,000 fans have watched the video since it appeared online.

Seriously, I am NOT going to make a single comment about this. This whole situation is getting more and more pathetic as time goes by. I've written a post about this particular subject, please feel free to read it as I've pretty much said it all there. Seriously, it is enough. Stop slating David Tennant, alright? Focus on his acting and not on his accent - I agree accents are important, but that was his FIRST shot at it. That's all I have to say and please excuse my bluntness, but it had to be said.

Here's the link to my 'Rex' post: http://rockingthetime-spacecontinuum.blogspot.com/2010/08/rex-is-not-your-lawyer-and-davids.html

Matt Smith talks about Series 6

2010-09-01T23:06:00.000+01:00

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/s7/doctor-who/news/a270873/matt-smith-new-who-is-madly-inventive.html

Matt Smith has said that the next series of Doctor Who will be "madly inventive".

The actor, who made his debut as the Doctor earlier this year, will return to the role alongside companion Karen Gillan, who plays Amy Pond.

"I'm really looking forward to it," he told BBC Newsbeat. "What Steven's [Moffat] got planned is so madly inventive, it really is."

Smith admitted that he knows very little about the series and which guest stars could appear.

"Hopefully we will get some fabulous actors in. I don't know anything about who they are looking to get," he said.

He added: "I've got a couple of scripts coming to me this week - the first ones that we are going to shoot, so I am excited.

"It's funny because I'm in a similar sort of position to the people that watch the show because I literally don't know anything until I get the scripts."

Over the weekend, it was confirmed that the 2011 series will be broadcast in two parts - with one block shown in the spring and the other in autumn. Moffat teased that this would allow for an exciting mid-series plot-twist and cliffhanger.

Smith will next play the Doctor in the upcoming Christmas special.

Billy Connolly to be the next Timelord?

2010-09-01T23:02:00.000+01:00

http://entertainment.stv.tv/tv/195211-billy-connolly-to-be-next-doctor-who/

We talked to Sylvester at the Cowal Highland Gathering, Scotland’s biggest Highland Games, where the 67-year-old actor was in attendance as honorary Chieftain.

Of the current Doctor, Sylvester said: “Matt is wonderfully strange. He’s got a great, strange look to him, a great face, and his timing is terrific, his concentration and everything.

“And he’s very young! I wasn’t mad about the idea of him doing it, but now he’s done it I think he’s done a really good job.”

Despite globe-trotting, Sylvester still tunes into the show, and said: “I watch it. I’ve been working all over the world so I don’t see it always, but I do dip in now and again. Partly out of duty, but I enjoy the duty, especially because of Matt Smith, I like what I’ve seen of him.

“And David was terrific, you know. I also liked Christopher Eccleston because he was the first real working-class Doctor, I was disappointed in a way that the next one wasn’t equally.

“I would have loved it if someone like Billy Connolly came out, and said [doing Billy impression]: ‘Oh my God, look at that planet, I love it! Bleep bleep bleep, I love it.’ I would have liked more of that, but apart from that it’s good.”

So what does it take to make a good doctor then? Fittingly, Sylvester replied: “Eccentricity, I think. As an actor, I think you’ve got to be slightly off the wall, batty and unusual, slightly. God knows why they gave it to me?”

Not content with one blockbuster role, Sylvester is now being sized up to appear in the blockbuster The Hobbit, which is set to be directed by Peter Jackson and continue the Lord of the Rings franchise.

However, at the Cowal Highland Gathering he was content in his role as honorary Chieftain, which the Dunoon-born actor described as a “great honour” in the first part of our interview - before pulling a knife out on our interviewer!

DW monsters invade... the Old Market Square

2010-09-01T22:58:00.000+01:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/nottingham/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8960000/8960209.stm

Casanova is UP!

2010-08-30T21:31:00.000+01:00

At last!! :D

http://rockingthetime-spacecontinuum.blogspot.com/p/david-tennant-tv-shows-films-etc.html

More pictures of David at the 2010 Emmy Awards

2010-08-30T21:04:00.002+01:00

Source: http://www.david-tennant.com/

David Tennant AT THE EMMY AWARDS!

2010-08-30T15:33:00.001+01:00

Doctor Who gets a shoutout during the Emmy's!

2010-08-30T15:32:00.000+01:00

New 'Single Father' picture!

2010-08-29T22:32:00.000+01:00

A friend of mine sent this to me but I have no idea where it comes from. Can you please help me? I think it was somebody off Twitter that posted it, once I have read tweets about a new 'Single Father' picture, which I am presuming is this. Can you help me?

McCoy talks 'Hobbit'

2010-08-29T22:26:00.000+01:00

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/movies/news/article_1580746.php/Ex-Doctor-Who-Sylvester-McCoy-in-talks-for-The-Hobbit

Ex 'Doctor Who' Sylvester McCoy is said to be in talks for a part in Peter Jackson's upcoming 'Hobbit' movies. The 67 year old Scottish actor who played the popular timelord from 1987-89 told the Argyllshire Standard that he was in contention with one other actor for an important role in the 2 part fantasy epic.

“I am being cast in The Hobbit,” he said. “We’re currently in negotiations – there are two of us under consideration. It’s not the Bilbo role, but could be bigger.”

Lord of the Rings fansite The One Ring.Net is suggesting the role McCoy is likely to be cast in is that of the the wizard Radagast the Brown.

In the meantime the troubled 2 part movies are still yet to get the full greenlight with studio MGM stworking to sort out a takeover. Director Peter Jackson is touted to take over the vacant directorial role left by Guilermo Del Toro.

She's a Bard girl at heart (Karen Gillan)

2010-08-29T22:07:00.000+01:00

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/08/29/she-s-a-bard-girl-at-heart-115875-22521771/

Doctor Who's Karen Gillan is wowing fans as Amy Pond, but it seems she could murder another good part - in a Shakespeare tragedy.

She revealed: "I'm signed up for the next series of Doctor Who so I have no plans for anything else right now, but I would love to get into theatre after this series. I think Lady Macbeth is a character I could really get into - and she's from Inverness like me."

Fortunately it sounds as if the quirky actress and model's new found fame is washing over her like blood off a Scottish murderer's hands.

"It doesn't bother me or change how I dress," she said. "I've always been into fashion so I'm going to wear what I like.

"And I don't exercise or diet or anything. I slouch in front of the TV." Plenty of girls would kill to be able to do that...

Series 6 split into two blocks

2010-08-29T22:04:00.000+01:00

http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/drama/doctor-who-2010/news/double-dose-of-doctor-who-in-2011/10113

Doctor Who fans are in for a treat with two series of the hit show set to screen in 2011.

Speaking at the International Television Festival in Edinburgh, producer Steven Moffat confirmed that a seven-episode series would be shown around Easter, followed by six episodes later in the year.

And he promised that there would be an "earth-shattering" cliffhanger midway through the two.

Moffat added that the Doctor, played by Matt Smith, and his sidekick Amy Pond - aka actress Karen Gillan - would face a "game-changing" moment in the new series.

Looking at the next series I thought what this show needs is a big event in the middle," he said. "I kept referring to a mid-season finale.

"So we are going to make it two series – seven episodes at Easter building to an earth-shattering climax, a cliffhanger we could never normally do because it would be too long before it came back. An enormous game-changing cliffhanger that will change everything."

Oh wow, Gallifrey trainers!

2010-08-28T14:10:00.002+01:00

http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/2010/08/082710doctor_who_thing_of_the_day_pl.html

Famous actors narrate books for iPad

2010-08-28T14:06:00.000+01:00

http://www.booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/28939

Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, The Hunt for Red October) and David Tennant (BBC TV Dr Who) provide the voices for the newest two children's picture books release for the iPad.

Penguin Group (NZ) in partnership with New Zealand company Kiwa Media is delighted to announce that Lynley Dodd's iconic bestseller Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy (David Tennant) and Jamie Lawrence's retold story Flick the Little Fire Engine (Sam Neill) are now both available in the iTunes iPad app store worldwide.

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy debuted at #1 on the iPad apps books chart in New Zealand. This celebrated children's classic, with sales in traditional book form of over 1.5m copies worldwide, is about to reach a new generation of readers.

Flick the Little Fire Engine is a retelling of the classic American 'coming of age' story based on the hit 1946 radio story and includes the original sound track.

The QBook format offers young readers a new way to experience their favourite books on the iPad. This format has some unique features including touchable text to read, sound and spell, record your own voice, sound zones and animation and the ability to colour-in each page.

The release of these titles on the iPad marks another significant move for Penguin NZ as they adapt and embrace digital publishing.

"The iPad offers us a chance to share these wonderful books in a new way.

We can now offer a reading experience that is fully interactive, using all the features the iPad brings to the publishing world, yet we can remain faithful to the original book."

Nicholas Briggs in Doctor Who Live

2010-08-28T13:57:00.000+01:00

http://www.list.co.uk/article/28941-nick-briggs-to-star-in-doctor-who-live/

British actor Nick Briggs is to portray former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the 'Doctor Who Live' stage show.

The actor - who played the wartime British Prime Minister in the episode 'Victory of the Daleks' in the BBC sci-fi series - will reprise his role when the production opens in the UK next month.

Briggs will also voice the parts of several 'Doctor Who' monsters, including the Daleks and the Cybermen.

The actor's alter-ego will be brought to the stage by a unique new character called Vorgenson - who has been dubbed the 'Greatest Showman in the Galaxy' - who can use his magical invention 'The Minimiser' to summon any 'Doctor Who' character.

Vorgenson will be played by 'The Young Ones' actor Nigel Planer, who admits landing the role has made his "boyhood dream come true".

He explained: "I'm incredibly excited to be joining 'Doctor Who Live' and this role is something of a boyhood dream come true. My character Vorgenson, who has been developed specially for the show by Steven Moffat ('Doctor Who' executive producer), is the 'Greatest Showman in the Galaxy' and using his incredible invention, 'The Minimiser' he can make any 'Doctor Who' character appear on stage as part of his travelling show dedicated to his hero. I hope I can survive visiting nine cities in October sharing a stage with eleven 'Doctor Who' monsters and a flying Dalek in tow!"

British illusionists The Twins - who have taught Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt how to perform magic tricks - will also help bring some of the Timelord's most famous foes to life with a dramatic display of stunts and illusions, while Matt Smith will appear as The Doctor in several video scenes.

Other enemies set to appear include Judoon, Silurians and Winders.

The upcoming 25-date stage show kicks off at London's Wembley Arena on October 8, and will visit Sheffield, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff and Liverpool before closing in Belfast on November 7.

Tickets are available via www.doctorwholive.com and through Ticketmaster.

Nigel Planer to star in Doctor Who Live

2010-08-28T13:51:00.000+01:00

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iKzR8JxpJJHSiLeMZjyqQp2eRKag

Nigel Planer - best known for his role as TV hippy Neil in The Young Ones - is to take centre stage in the new live-action Doctor Who tour.

The hit BBC One show is being adapted for the stage in a nine-city arena tour which will begin next month, with Daleks and Cybermen among the evil creatures which will be brought to life.

Now Nigel has been unveiled as the star who will act as the production's lynchpin, starring as a travelling showman Vorgenson. The character journeys the galaxy spreading tales of the Doctor's exploits and using his "minimiser" gadget he can conjure up any of the Time Lord's foes for his audience.

Doctor Who's executive producer Steven Moffat has created the character specially for the touring version.

Nigel - whose previous stage successes include Chicago and We Will Rock You - said: "I'm incredibly excited to be joining Doctor Who Live and this role is something of a boyhood dream come true."

He added: "My character Vorgenson, who has been developed specially for the show by Steven Moffat, is the Greatest Showman in the Galaxy and using his incredible invention, 'The Minimiser', he can make any Doctor Who character appear on stage as part of his travelling show dedicated to his hero."

Matt Smith will appear via filmed sequences which have been made just for the stage show.

Renowned illusionists The Twins have devised stunts which will enable a Dalek to be seen flying during the performances.

Scarecrows, Oods and Silurian are also among show favourites to feature in the live production.

The tour begins at London's Wembley Arena on October 8 with further details at http://www.doctorwholive.com/.

David Tennant's new audiobook! [Just When Stories - The Legend of Earthseasky]

2010-08-25T16:04:00.000+01:00

PRESS RELEASE: August 2010

TOP ACTOR DAVID TENNANT, best known as Dr Who, has teamed up with Hong Kong-based author Nury Vittachi on a new audio tale. The UK-based TV actor has recorded The Legend of Earthseasky, a new story by the popular Asian author.

The pairing is the lead story in a new book and audio-book story collection called the Just When Stories. Other top authors involved include William Boyd, Michael Morpurgo and Hanif Kureishi. Actors on the audiobook version include Romola Garai, star of Atonement, and Martin Jarvis, who was in Titanic.

The Just When Stories is a collection of original stories inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories. That legendary book, which contains classic tales such as “How the Leopard Got His Spots”, was published in 1902. In a bid to raise funds for endangered animals 100 years later, UK-based animal lover Tamara Gray was inspired to commission top authors from around the world to create a new book asking the question JUST WHEN will endangered animals disappear?

The Just When Stories will appear shortly as a book, an e-book, an audiobook and an audio download, with prices ranging from 9.99 GBP to 14.99 GBP.

“The title ‘Just When Stories’ asks the questions: when will the irrational and cruel destruction of wildlife stop, and when will we take action to make it stop?” said Ms Gray. “Estimated at between US$6 billion and US$20 billion a year by Interpol, the illegal wildlife trade has drastically reduced numerous wildlife populations, and currently has some teetering on the brink of extinction.”

All profits from the sales of the book and audio files will be donated to WildAid and the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.

Vittachi said: “We’re lucky enough to live on the most magical rock for a million, million miles. Let’s keep it that way.”

In his story The Legend of Earthseasky, which leads the collection, the animals of planet Earth hold a tense meeting at a secret location to find an answer to the threat of the Two-Legged Terror, a fast-breeding creature that is wiping out all other animal species.

http://www.david-tennant.com/

Updates: Masterpiece Contemporary amongst other things! (via david-tennant.com)

2010-08-25T16:00:00.000+01:00

Masterpiece have announced that David Tennant will be returning as host of Masterpiece Contemporary AND they will be reviewing his new drama Single Father for inclusion in a future schedule (not 2010 unfortunately).
New book about the history of the Dundee Rep has been released and it features memories of David's time at the Rep.
The book, written by Linda Caston, charts the development of the theatre from 1939 to the present day, it has been released to mark the Rep's 70th birthday.
Ms Caston tells The Courier:
"I've had a lifelong interest in live theatre and have been attending Dundee Rep for over 35 years," she said.
"I was aware that a comprehensive history had not previously been written, and thought it would make an interesting topic, combining my interests in local history and theatre."
The book charts the theatre's rise from humble beginnings to become the current centre of Dundee's cultural life.
Copies are on sale priced £6 at the theatre's box office and at Waterstones, Commercial Street, Dundee.

First snap from 2010 Christmas Special

2010-08-25T15:55:00.000+01:00

http://www.denofgeek.com/television/572702/doctor_who_first_snap_from_2010_christmas_special.html

There’s nothing like talking about Christmas in August. So here’s a shot of the Doctor Who Yuletide episode to keep you in a summery mood…

The shoot is pretty much wrapped up now for this December's Doctor Who Christmas special, and as part and parcel of Matt Smith's appearance on The One Show last Friday, the BBC has sent out the first promotional still for the episode.

Granted, it doesn't tell you a lot, other than there will be a Tardis, the Doctor and some snow. But heck, there's nothing like looking at a festive snap in the middle of summer.

YOU CAN WATCH THE PICTURE BY CLICKING ON THE LINK PROVIDED ABOVE.

Cyberman sport Sunderland shirt

2010-08-25T15:45:00.000+01:00

http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/Doctor-Who-Cyberman-spotted-in.6491129.jp

Look who's backing Sunderland's World Cup bid.

Today has been designated Wear Your Shirt to Work Day, to give fans a chance to show their support for England's bid to stage the 2018 World Cup.

And as a Fifa delegation arrives in the region to visit the Stadium of Light and St James' Park, even the cybermen are taking time out to show their support.

The metal meanies are among the monsters on show in the Dr Who exhibition at the Centre for Life in Newcastle.

The delegation flew into the country yesterday, when they were greeted by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at No 10 before going to Wembley Stadium.

They are due to arrive in the region tomorrow by helicopter, before heading off to Manchester.

Doctor Who games to debut on Nintendo consoles

2010-08-25T15:42:00.000+01:00

Asylum Entertainment and Koch Media ready Wii and DS titles based on BBC series.

Two Nintendo video games based on the hit Doctor Who franchise are set to debut at retail.

Developed by Asylum Entertainment and distributed by Koch Media, Doctor Who: Evacuation Earth for DS and Doctor Who: Return to Earth for Wii will launch in the UK, Australia and selected territories across Europe.

"We are incredibly excited to be collaborating with BBC Worldwide on these two new games," said Simon Bailey, MD of Asylum. "It is our firm belief that the franchise has massive potential on the Nintendo DS and Wii formats and it's an honour to be bringing Doctor Who video games to the show's huge fanbase."

http://www.licensing.biz/news/5849/Doctor-Who-games-to-debut-on-Nintendo-consoles

Jones: David Tennant is so humble (not that we didn't know that already!)

2010-08-25T15:14:00.000+01:00

Suranne Jones has described David Tennant as "humble" and "charismatic".

Jones stars alongside Tennant in new drama Single Father and explained that she loved working with him.

"Obviously Doctor Who was massive so I was really excited about meeting David," she told the Radio Times. "He's the funniest, most charismatic, intelligent, humble actor."

Jones also revealed details of the show, saying: "[Tennant] plays Dave, recently widowed and struggling to bring up his children, while I play his widow's best friend. We're brought together by grief, and emotions get complicated.

"What I love about the drama is that it asks: how would you react in that situation? It's wonderfully grown-up and it feels authentic."

Single Father is expected to air on BBC One in October.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a266646/jones-david-tennant-is-so-humble.html

Matt might be staying until 2013 - Commented News Item

2010-08-25T15:11:00.000+01:00

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/195069/Matt-Smith-will-stay-in-Doctor-Who

DESPITE reports that he was set to leave Doctor Who after just one more series, Day & Night can exclusively reveal that Matt Smith is to stay on until the show’s 50th anniversary in three years.

BBC insiders now say moves are afoot to sign up the actor, 27, until 2013.

“The current team believe that Matt is the person to continue taking the show forward over the next few years and want to avoid the prospect of fans having to get used to yet another actor in the role in the near future,” says our show mole.

“Matt has made it clear he’s keen to commit himself to the series for the long-term.”

He took over from the hugely popular David Tennant at the beginning of the year and has won rave reviews.

A spokeswoman for the show says: “From Matt’s point of view he’s loving playing the part and has no plans to quit. We aren’t in a position to provide a comment as to whether he’ll be playing the part in 2013.”

To be honest, it doesn't come as a shock to me: obviously, we are only going to get a few more Doctors, so they better hold on to the lad!

David Tennant goes green(er)

2010-08-25T15:07:00.000+01:00

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=21&art_id=102075&sid=29345544&con_type=1&d_str=20100824&fc=1

British actor David Tennant, best known as Dr Who, and The Standard columnist Nury Vittachi have teamed up to help raise funds for endangered animals.

The pair collaborated for the lead tale in a new audio-book story collection called the Just When Stories, which was inspired by Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories published in 1902.

Britain-based animal lover Tamara Gray commissioned top authors - including William Boyd, Michael Morpurgo and Hanif Kureishi - to create a book asking the question: just when will endangered animals disappear?

The collection urges everybody to take action to stop the irrational and cruel destruction of wildlife.

It will be published this month as a book, an e-book, an audiobook and an audio download. All profits will go to WildAid and the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.

I HAD to post that picture... :)

Watch Dramarama, David Tennant's first role on TV! (via Blogtor Who)

2010-08-24T16:27:00.000+01:00

http://blogtorwho.blogspot.com/2010/08/david-tennant-in-dramarama-1988.html

(via davidtennant.com) Single Father in TV Magazines

2010-08-24T16:25:00.000+01:00

'Hello, this is David Tennant instructing you to put some clothes on'

2010-08-23T20:18:00.001+01:00

This is FABULOUS! What a find!

The 10 best Hamlets [David Tennant bit]

2010-08-23T14:14:00.000+01:00

Sardonic and volatile, David Tennant's Hamlet was so graceful that at times he seemed almost to dance across the stage. The idea of seeing Dr Who in the flesh brought schoolchildren thronging into Gregory Doran's modern-dress production for the RSC two years ago. What they saw was a japester who pushed himself squealing along on a caster chair, a young man sunk in a melancholy dream and a prince of parody, a compulsive mimic who kept becoming someone other than himself. This was a Hamlet who continually played with the idea that wit can look like witlessness. And vice versa.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/aug/22/10-best-hamlets-david-tennant

Internet picks of the week [The Medium is not Enough] (via guardian.co.uk)

2010-08-23T14:09:00.000+01:00

Billing itself as "officially the fourth most popular UK TV blog", there are several whimsical regulars here that could help it climb as high as number three. Our favourites are the clips from Big Train – the brilliantly funny but too short-lived sketch show from the makers of Father Ted, which featured a young, pre-Spaced Simon Pegg in the late-90s – which are being served up in weekly bite size chunks. There's also Sitting Tennant, a series of posts dedicated to David Tennant pictured "sitting, lying down or in some indeterminate state in between"; a possibly unhealthy obsession with Richard Armitage and an analysis of opening credit sequences. All of this, plus TV news and some ahead-of-the-curve (in Britain at least) moaning about Mad Men not being as good as it used to be.

Neil Gaiman posts 'Who' scene online

2010-08-23T14:05:00.000+01:00

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/s7/doctor-who/news/a266081/neil-gaiman-posts-who-scene-online.html

Neil Gaiman has posted a deleted scene from his Doctor Who script online.

The brief preview, cut from the final draft of his forthcoming instalment, features the Doctor and Amy investigating a mysterious bowl of food.

"The Doctor has just been given a bowl of something to eat," wrote Gaiman on his blog. "Something... possibly... alien."

The writer also revealed that the tenth draft of the script was rewritten by showrunner Steven Moffat.

Gaiman said: "Steven Moffat came to my rescue when I felt like I couldn't even pick it up again, and for that, he is a hero."

He added: "It hasn't really changed that much. It just gets tighter and, I hope, more like itself."

He explained that the episode is now nearing the production stage, with a table read through "about ten days away".

The new series of Doctor Who is expected to air on BBC One in early 2011.

Fly the TARDIS in third Doctor Who: The Adventure Games episode

2010-08-23T14:02:00.000+01:00

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/22/fly-the-tardis-in-third-doctor-who-the-adventure-games-episode/

Traveling through time is tough. Unless you were lucky enough to be born as Jean-Claude Van Damme, Doc Brown (or his young companion, Marty McFly) or something, it's pretty much been a crapshoot for most of us human beings. The only other possible option has been to meet The Doctor.

A more realistic alternative than trying to track that dude down is to play Doctor Who: The Adventure Games and BBC has announced that the upcoming third episode -- due to launch on August 27, but only available to UK residents -- will give players an intimate look behind the blue doors of the TARDIS and even let them pilot it. For the unaware, the TARDIS is the it's-a-police-box-but-not-really structure that allows The Doctor and his companion to traipse through time and space. So it would seem that next week Einstein-Rosen Bridge enthusiasts will finally have a viable fix!

Doctor Who fans marry in sci-fi cerimony

2010-08-23T13:59:00.000+01:00

http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2010/08/23/doctor-who-fans-marry-in-sci-fi-ceremony-61634-27118318/

IT was the perfect wedding day – the bride was blooming, the groom was beaming and nobody was exterminated.

Science fiction fans Dr Matthew Peacock and his new wife Linda tied the knot with help from a Time Lord and his nemesis during their nuptials yesterday.

And Linda roped in some extra-terrestrial wedding day witnesses for their official photo-shoot – a Dalek and the other doctor in her life, a David Tennant look-a-like.

They married at Durham Castle, then travelled in a more earthly marital car to the city’s Prince Bishops Shopping Centre as guests of honour at a Doctor Who fun day.

Matthew, a lecturer in Roman history at Durham University, and Linda share a love of the Time Lord and decided to seal their marriage with a mutant robot as well as ringing bells.

“I’m a big fan of the Doctor and we couldn’t miss the chance to have them as guests at our wedding,” said Matthew, 35.

“I used to run a student Dr Who Society at Oxford University and have loved the television programmes ever since. We just wanted to have something a bit more unusual to look back on in our wedding album – and this is definitely it.

Tennant Delights: Casanova

2010-08-20T10:56:00.000+01:00

The 'Tennant Delights' series will consist almost entirely of reviews of his television and film work, as well as audiobooks, documentaries and anything that takes my fancy - Tennant related!

Casanova is a 2005 British television comedy drama serial, written by television scriptwriter Russell T Davies and directed by Sheree Folkson.

Telling the story of the life of 18th century Italian adventurer Giacomo Casanova, based on his own twelve-volume memoirs, the one-hour episodes star Peter O'Toole as the older Casanova looking back on his life, and David Tennant as the younger version. The story is wittily presented as we get to know most of Casanova's mistresses and love affairs, whilst dealing with what's really important for him: Henriette, bride-to-be to another man, Grimani. Eventually, Giac (pronounced 'Jack') gets his reward, his lover, but all his aventures catch up with him and his heart is broken forever... Can this man survive such a heartbreak goodbye to the woman he loves?

Ah, Casanova. I've wanting to write a post about it for ever. It is so witty, so amazingly and deliciously funny - of course it was penned by RTD, who else to write all those wacky scenes? There's a bit of everything in there: drama, romance, comedy, you name it. I understand Casanova doesn't have a clean reputation: he had numerous love affairs, cheated on his mistresses and did stuff most of us wouldn't approve of, but the story presented makes you feel sorry for this wonderful man: despite having all the sex and women we could ever imagine, he doesn't have the woman he loves, and that's devastating for both the viewer and the actual character.

As usual, I have got to praise David's performance in this: he made me laugh, he made me cry and he even left me speechless at times. His versatility is remarkable, and I think that was key to the success that Casanova had: one time he was sad, then he was thrilled and jumping around, then he was devastated and then he was, how to put it... having 'fun', so to speak. Some actors could be caught up with all this tangled web of emotions, but David wasn't and that's why Casanova is so incredibly amazing. Peter O'Toole was fantastic as well as the older version of the heartthrob, delivering, not unlike Tennant, that bittersweet mix of angst and excitement about his life.

It is, obviously, a must-see and, dare I say it, David looks good in it!, even with slightly blonde hair and blue contacts.

DW Christmas Special: More Details Revealed!

2010-08-19T23:28:00.001+01:00

The latest edition of the Doctor Who Magazine has revealed several more cast members for the forthcoming Christmas Special of Doctor Who. Joining the previously announced Michael Gambon and Katherine Jenkins in the festive special will be Micah Balfour, Pooky Quesnel, Leo Bill and Laurence Belcher. Child actor Belcher has had small roles in Little Dorrit and the BBC Four biopics Gracie and Hughie Green, Most Sincerely. Leo Bill most recently appeared in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland as Hamish and his other roles include Ashes to Ashes, Silent Witness, Kinky Boots and Me and Orson Wells.

http://www.atvnewsnetwork.co.uk/today/index.php/atv-today/3656-more-cast-revealed-for-christmas-who

Actress Pooky Quesnel will be familiar to EastEnders viewers for her role of Rachel, the mother of Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements). Her various other roles include True Dare Kiss, Midsomer Murders, Criminal Justice, Five Days and Paradox. Finally actor Micah Balfour is best known for his role as PC Gayle on The Bill which will finish on ITV1 after 27 years at the end of the month.

Filming on the Christmas Special has now concluded and filming on the new season has commenced. Matt Smith and Karen Gillan will be on tomorrow's edition of The One Show - Chris Evan's debut edition - to discuss the Christmas Special and their roles in Doctor Who.

Daleks voted number 1 aliens!!

2010-08-19T23:26:00.000+01:00

The Daleks have exterminated all challengers to be voted the greatest monsters in the galaxy.

Doctor Who's enemies for nearly 50 years topped the poll of sci-fi fans by SFX magazine.

Second place went to the green-faced and horned character Lorne from Buffy TV spin-off Angel.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2010/08/19/daleks-voted-no-1-aliens-115875-22497519/#ixzz0x5qRhR00

Karen meets... Mini Pond!

2010-08-19T23:22:00.000+01:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8920000/newsid_8925300/8925342.stm

Doctor Who star Karen Gillan's not sure what to think as she meets a miniature version of herself.

The actress, who played Amy Pond in the last series, has been pictured with her character's doll for the first time.

She's been a huge success as Matt Smith's assistant on the show. Karen will officially unveil her doll at a toy store in Glasgow on 28 August.

She'll also meet fans and sign autographs at the event. "I can't wait to meet everyone," she said.

Filming's already started on the Christmas special, which also stars Michael Gambon who's Dumbledore in Harry Potter.

Doctor Who will rescue Chris Evans’ first One Show from disaster

2010-08-19T23:19:00.000+01:00

http://entertainment.stv.tv/tv/192698-doctor-who-will-rescue-chris-evans-first-one-show-from-disaster/

Chris Evans’ first One Show appearance looked doomed yesterday when it appeared TV bosses hadn’t booked any celebs. So Doctor Who stars Matt Smith and Karen Gillan agreed to come to the rescue.

Producers will be relieved the Matt and Amy Pond actress Karen were available at the last minute.

A showbiz agent told The Sun: “They've known for months that Chris Evans will be hosting the show this Friday.

"So we were quite surprised they were asking so late in the day if we had anyone who could appear on the show."

"Getting people at short notice in summer is tricky, so it was pretty odd for them to be getting their begging bowl out like that."

Radio 2 breakfast DJ will be presenting The One Show on Fridays with Alex Jones as his sidekick.

A One Show insider, who described the situation as "tense", said: "It was getting hairy. We were running out of time. Chris's first show was looking like being a disaster."

BBC chiefs are reported to be paying Chris £12,000 a show.

'Rex is Not Your Lawyer' and David's American Accent

2010-08-19T23:16:00.000+01:00

Ok, I just felt the urge to write this because, as you all know, I am a sucker for all things David Tennant. If you've been following the latest DT news (or this blog), you might be familiarised with this programme/David's character in it. I've said several times, many on this blog, that I would have loved 'Rex' to be picked up, but the NBC, like my good friend Jenny from FanaticalWho (fanaticalforwho.blogspot.com) said, NBC really does need a wake up call. The show sounded really, really promising and, to be honest, I was devastated when I realised it wasn't going to be picked up.

But that's a whole different story. My point is, ever since this clip was posted on YouTube, there has been a lot of negative feedback because of David's American accent. Honestly, I think his accent sounds amazing for somebody who is Scottish. Sure, he may need to practice more, work on the way he pronounces certain words, but I think some of the comments I've seen up on YouTube are just not fair. I know we're all DT fans and that we think (no, we know!) David is perfect and spotless and we always want the best out of him. There's nothing wrong with it and I think we should expect his best, but I think he is giving it his best shot - 'Rex' was sudden and David didn't have much time to work on his accent. For that reason and with so little time to get it right, I think our lad did it brilliantly.

So David, if you're reading this, you did a great job. Nevermind bad comments or bad reviews. Your acting was excellent, stellar, magnificent. You sounded believable and still like the David we know and love, and we're always going to be there for you. :)

'Letters to the Master' - Fanfiction!

2010-08-17T22:44:00.000+01:00

Despite not being my first attempt at writing fan fiction, it is the first time I write it in the form of letters. I am currently editing my first 'story', and maybe I will be able to upload it someday... when I'm happy with it.

Anyway, these letters are not going to be easy to read. They are going to be filled with angst and suffering, and that's just the way I want them to be. I've been through a lot these last few years and I wanted to turn one of those experiences into something good... to get some closure, I guess. Some of the situations described have actually happened to me, but I won't be saying which for privacy purposes.

I love the Master, I absolutely love the character of the Master, but I love dark fics about how mean he used to be before he and the Doctor reunited, and this is my go at it. I chose not to sign the letters at first because I want to create an element of surprise, but I am not sure if I will be able to...

www.dt08plussteven.deviantart.com

'Sherlock' was never offered 'Who'

2010-08-17T16:37:00.000+01:00

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/s7/doctor-who/news/a262448/cumberbatch-i-was-never-offered-who.html

Benedict Cumberbatch has denied that he was offered the lead role in Doctor Who ahead of current star Matt Smith.

It was previously reported that the actor had turned down the chance to replace David Tennant.
However, the Sherlock star told The Sunday Times that he had never been in the frame to take over the part.

"I'd turn it down anyway," he insisted. "Jumping onto school stages and saying, 'I am the Doctor', it's not where I want to go."

It was recently confirmed that Sherlock would be returning for a second series.
Meanwhile, Matt Smith will reprise his Time Lord role in the forthcoming Doctor Who Christmas special.

Dave Franco to star in 'Fright Night' remake

2010-08-17T16:31:00.000+01:00

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=16209

Dave Franco tells the Playlist he has joined Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Imogen Poots, David Tennant, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Toni Collette for the remake of Fright Night.

Shooting has begun in New Mexico with Craig Gillespie at the helm.

"I play the arrogant asshole-bully," he says. "Anton plays the main kid so I'm his nemesis at school until he runs into Colin who is supposed to be the ultimate bad guy in the movie. Yeah I play the d–k, so it’s fun."

Hmm, I wonder if he gets the bite put on him?

Franco had a run on Scrubs and now appears in Charlie St. Cloud.

'Doctor Who: The Specials' Soundtrack

2010-08-16T16:47:00.000+01:00

Disc One

1. Vale

The Next Doctor

2. A Victorian Christmas

3. Not the Doctor

4. A Bit of a Drag

5. In the Sea of Memory

6. Hidden in the Closet

7. The Wonder of Balloons

8. A Forceful Intelligence

9. The Greats of Past Time

10. The March of the Cybermen

11. Goodbyes

Planet of the Dead

12. A Disturbance in the Night

13. The Cat Burglar

14. Alone in the Desert

15. A Special Sort of Bus

16. Stirring in the Sands

17. Lithuania

The Waters of Mars

18. Letter to Earth

19. By Water Borne ...

20. The Fate of Little Adelaide

21. Altering Lives

Disc Two

The End of Time

1. We Shall Fare Well

2. A Frosty Ood

3. A Dream of Catastrophe

4. All in the Balance

5. A Ruined Gaol

6. Wilf’s Wiggle

7. Minnie Hooper

8. The End Draws Near

9. Gallifrey

10. Final Days

11. The Council of the Time Lords

12. The Master Suite

13. The Ruined Childhood

14. A Chaotic Escape

15. The World Waits

16. A Longing to Leave

17. A Lot of Life Behind Us

18. Dealing with the Menace

19. Speeding to Earth

20. The Time Lords’ Last Stand

21. The Clouds Pass

22. Four Knocks

23. Song for Ten (Reprise)

24. Vale Decem

25. Vale

26. The New Doctor

Rex Is Not Your Lawyer Pilot Clip

2010-08-16T16:41:00.000+01:00

http://tennantnews.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html

Single Father update [from Marie Claire]

2010-08-16T16:37:00.000+01:00

http://tennantnews.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html

Panini awarded world record for Doctor Who title

2010-08-16T16:10:00.000+01:00

http://www.licensing.biz/news/5797/Panini-awarded-world-record-for-Doctor-Who-title

Panini UK has recorded an ABC of 35,375 for the latest period for its Doctor Who Magazine.

The news follows hot on the heels of its award from the Guinness World Records for the longest running TV tie in title. The magazine is currently celebrating 31 years of continuous publication.

"Over the last six years, since Doctor Who returned to television, Doctor Who Magazine's sales have risen significantly year on year," said editor Tom Spilsbury. "I'm delighted that we've gained so many new readers who have liked what they've found in our pages.

"I am sure that Doctor Who Magazine will continue to be published for many more years to come."

With the series returning in spring 2011, plans are being made to give the magazine a refresh.

Meglos nearly returned!

2010-08-13T14:04:00.000+01:00

http://www.atvnewsnetwork.co.uk/today/index.php/atv-today/3563-doctor-who-villain-nearly-returned

A villain from the original series of Doctor Who was nearly revived for the most recent series of the BBC Sci Fi starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. Writer Gareth Roberts, speaking to the Doctor Who Magazine, revealed that while writing the episode The Lodger the first draft of the script included an original series monster - Meglos! The Cactus villain appeared in the 1980 Tom Baker story Meglos with Baker playing the dual role of the Time Lord and the villainous shape-shifting villain - the story isn't exactly highly regarded though.

"I'd been joking about 'Meglos 2' for years but when I sat down to write the first draft of 'The Lodger' it suddenly seemed right." The writer also revealed that: "Meglos survived in my script for quite a long while—but then we saw the Vinvocci in 'The End of Time,' and as the rest of the story was more comedic, we decided the 'villain' had to be as scary as possible." - Gareth Roberts talking to the Doctor Who Magazine

In the end though Meglos was cut from the story but the series did bring back the Silurians from the original series and the two-part finale saw the return of the Daleks, Sontarans, Autons and Cybermen (along with countless other species in cameo appearances). As the next season of Doctor Who gears who production speculation will doubtless begin as to whom the producers may bring back - the Ice Warriors and Yeti's are current fan favourites tipped for a revival.

Jamie Bell is going on Retreat - Commented News Item

2010-08-13T14:00:00.000+01:00

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=28643

Jamie Bell has locked in his next film, signing on to star alongside Cillian Murphy and Thandie Newton in Retreat.

Writer Carl Tibbets is hoisting the megaphone as a first-time director for the movie, which sees a couple (Murphy and Newton) trying to solve their marriage woes by heading to a remote island.

Trouble washes up in the form of a soldier (Bell), who arrives on the beach wearing a biohazard suit and carrying a dire warning about an airborne virus that has wiped out most of Europe and, possibly, the world. The twist, however, is they only have his word on the matter and it’s the start of a weird psychological drama between the three.

While shooting starts next month in Wales, we wonder just what this mean for David Tennant. He was mentioned as attached in earlier reports about the film (and is still listed on the IMDB page, which, sadly, means nothing), but there’s now no mention of him. Fingers crossed he might actually play a part, because he’s had a hell of a time with projects being cancelled or schedules making him miss the chance to appear in movies like Burke and Hare.

Honestly, I don't know what to make of this. David is listed on IMDB, he's been attached to this role for a long, long time but nobody actually has something to say whether this is just another rumour or is true. It's actually quite annoying, since we fans were incredibly excited about 'Burke and Hare'... I won't whine about it, tho. What's the point, eh?

Doctor Who Christmas Special: First clues as to what to expect!

2010-08-11T14:30:00.000+01:00

http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/doctor-who-christmas-special-first-clues-as-to-what-to-expect/

The BBC has hinted at what viewers about what to expect from this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special.

Written by Stephen Moffat, the special will be based on Charles Dicken’s classic tale, A Christmas Carol.

Ben Stephenson, Controller of BBC’s drama commissioning unit said, “Matt Smith and Karen Gillan captivated audiences in their debut series…

“And Doctor Who’s clever twist on the much loved A Christmas Carol will thrill BBC One viewers this year…

“With special guest stars Sir Michael Gambon and singing sensation Katherine Jenkins joining Amy and the Doctor, [it will be] an unforgettable present!”

And Moffatt stated that the special episode will include “a honeymoon” and will be akin to “all your favourite Christmas movies at once”.

While on-set filming for the show, Katherine Jenkins said, “I’m over the moon to be involved in the Doctor Who Christmas special.

“I can’t quite believe it as it’s a part of the family tradition at the Jenkins household.

“I heard the news that I got the role on my 30th birthday and it was the best birthday present ever!”

Filming is expected to end in August and it’s has been suggested that the episode may be called, “Father Who.”

Katherine Jenkins finishes filming on Doctor Who Christmas special/Michael Gambon wasn't a Who fan

2010-08-11T14:27:00.000+01:00

http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/katherine-jenkins-finishes-filming-on-doctor-who-christmas-special/

Katherine Jenkins has revealed that she has finished filming her scenes for the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas special.

The award winning opera singer will star in the installment alongside Harry Potter star alongside Michael Gambon. According to Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning, the episode is a “clever twist on the much loved A Christmas Carol”.

Talking about the experience today, Katherine tweeted:

BTW, I’ve finished filming all my scenes for Dr Who now… Feel really sad as I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would! Lovely people!

As Doctor Who is filmed in Cardiff, Wales and Katherine’s mum lives just forty miles away in Neath, the star took the opportunity to pop home for a quick visit too.

She wrote on Twitter:

Yes Dr Who is filmed in Wales, in and around the Cardiff/Newport area in this case. Managed to see a bit of my mum too – bonus!

Steven Moffat: Michael Gambon wasn’t a Doctor Who fan!

http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/steven-moffat-michael-gambon-wasnt-a-doctor-who-fan/

Steven Moffat has admitted that Michael Gambon wasn’t a huge Doctor Who fan, prior to accepting a role on this year’s Christmas Special.

The 69 year old Harry Potter star will appear on the hit BBC show alongside Katherine Jenkins this December and on how he is fitting in on set, Moffat told Premium Hollywood that it was “exciting” to have him around.

“He’s brilliant,” said Moffat. “Of course he’s brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. What a voice.”

“I didn’t get the impression that he was a fan of Doctor Who, except insofar as everyone in Britain is at the moment,” he explained. “[But] if it’s a good script [and] they’re being offered prime-time on Christmas day… there’s a real chance you can get anyone for that.”

The Christmas special was previously reported to be “a clever twist” on the Charles Dickens classic ‘A Christmas Carol.’

Doctor Who's Matt Smith auditioned for Sherlock Holmes role

2010-08-11T14:20:00.000+01:00

http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/837701-doctor-whos-matt-smith-auditioned-for-sherlock

The actor, 27, was after the role of the detective's sidekick Doctor Watson - a part which eventually went to The Office's Martin Freeman.

Steven Moffat, who produced both Sherlock and Doctor Who, told The Sun that kooky Smith was more suited to the lead role of Holmes.

He said: "We'd already cast Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and the very first person we saw for Dr Watson was Matt, who came in and gave a very good audition."

"But he didn't have a chance in hell of getting it because he was clearly more of a Sherlock Holmes than a Dr Watson."

"There was also something a bit barmy about him - and you don't actually want that for Dr Watson. You want somebody a bit straighter."

"But he gave a very good account of himself and you could feel the effort in him clamping down on his barminess in order to do the audition."

Soon after Smith was cast as the 11th Time Lord in Doctor Who, replacing David Tennant in the iconic show.

Cumberbatch also revealed recently that he was offered the role as Doctor Who before Smith - but turned it down.

The 34-year-old actor said he was being considered to replace Tennant and 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.'

Stone angel flies in to add bite to Doctor Who show

2010-08-08T22:41:00.000+01:00

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/08/07/stone-angel-flies-in-to-add-bite-to-doctor-who-show-91466-27014639/

A WORLD War II Dalek and a stone angel are some of the scary additions to Cardiff’s Doctor Who exhibition.

After filming on Matt Smith’s first series as the Doctor came to an end, a number of props from the Victory of the Daleks and The Time of the Angels episodes have been included in the exhibition to send fans hiding behind their hands in fear.

Filming on the Christmas special, which guest-stars singer Katherine Jenkins and acting legend Michael Gambon, finished yesterday. Filming for the new series gets under way next month.

The Christmas special is rumoured to be a “clever twist” on the Christmas Carol and will feature the honeymoon of lead characters Amy Pond, played by Karen Gillan, and Rory (Arthur Darvill).

Lead writer and producer Steven Moffat said: “I’ve honestly never been so excited about writing anything. I was laughing madly as I typed along to Christmas songs in April.

“My neighbours loved it so much they all moved away and set up a website demanding my execution. But I’m fairly sure they did it ironically.”

The additions to the Red Dragon Centre exhibition also include two costumes belonging to Amy and another for the Winston Churchill character, who was played by Ian McNeice in the Victory of the Daleks episode.

Martin Wilkie, from Experience Design, which runs the exhibition, said: “Since opening at The Red Dragon Centre in December 2005, we’ve had mass interest from fans from across the UK, America and Australia who want to visit Cardiff Bay and see the locations where the series was filmed.

“The exhibition continues to attract thousands of fans each year and we’re sure the new props will see fans flocking to the centre in coming weeks.”

Emma Johnstone, tenant liaison and marketing manager at the centre, said: “The Doctor Who Exhibition has been an enormous tourist attraction for the centre over the past four years.

“We’re delighted to be able to welcome fans back to view the latest products and enjoy all the centre has to offer.”

The Doctor Who Up Close Exhibition Cardiff is open every day from 10am to 6.30pm.

Win Doctor Who Live family tickets!

2010-08-08T22:35:00.000+01:00

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Win-Doctor-Who-Live-family.6462290.jp

EXTERMINATE! Exterminate! The Daleks are about to invade Sheffield - and they are bringing a host of other scary monsters with them from TV's Doctor Who.

But fear not. The TARDIS is also about to materialise on the stage for a live show at Sheffield Arena.

And we have five family tickets to give away - each allowing four people to see the magic.

TV hit Doctor Who will regenerate into a live action musical spectacular for a 25 dates on a tour of nine cities.

It arrives at Sheffield Arena on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 12 and 13.

The Doctor's arch-enemies joining him will be the Daleks, the Cybermen, Weeping Angels, Judoon, Silurian, Smilers, Winders, Scarecrows, Vampires, Clockwork Robots and Ood.

Based on the smash hit BBC TV series, bosses promise a spectacular audio-visual experience with live music, special effects and specially filmed new scenes, featuring new Doctor actor Matt Smith.

Matt and co-star Karen Gillan will not appear live on the stage but they are filming new scenes which will be seen for the first time during the shows, being developed by TV show supremo Steven Moffatt.

Moffatt, who runs the series and is executive producer, told The Star he wanted the live events to have the same excitement as the TV version.

"This is everything I ever wanted since I was eleven. A live show, with all the coolest Doctor Who monsters, a proper story, and brand new screen material for Matt Smith's Doctor," he said.

Doctor Who Live will open in wartime London and finishes with what is billed as "an epic onstage battle".

The action will be set to a live soundtrack by TV show composer Murray Gold, with a 16 piece orchestra live on stage.

The stage show will be the latest in a string of TV hits to get the live treatment, including Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing On Ice, X-Factor and even Top Gear.

It is launched at Wembley Arena, on October 8, 9 and 10. Sheffield is the first regional city to get the show.

Other venues are Glasgow SECC, Oct 14, 15,16 and 17; Birmingham NIA, Oct 18, 19 and 20; Manchester's MEN Arena, Oct 22, 23 and 24; Nottingham Trent FM Arena, Oct 25 and 26; Cardiff International Arena, Oct 28, 29, 30 and 31; Liverpool Echo Arena, Nov 2 and 3; then Belfast Odyssey Arena, November 6 and 7.

For further information and updates visit http://www.doctorwholive.com/ or the link above.

Miller's at it again... - Commented News Item

2010-08-05T18:33:00.000+01:00

(...) Miller's latest diatribe – he admitted he hadn't felt the need to go to see a play in the West End for ten years – follows an earlier broadside against David Tennant. Miller suggested the actor had only been cast as Hamlet a couple of years ago because he was "that man from Doctor Who."

You all know I consider David to be an excellent actor, if not the best actor around (and I'm not afraid to admit it!), so I just can't just lay down and repeatedly read articles about this man saying that he was only cast as Hamlet because he was the Doctor at the time. FYI, Mr. Miller, David has an extensive Shakespeare career, one many should envy - if you had only bothered to check his theatre work BEFORE Doctor Who, you would have acknowledged his talent and all his achievements, theatre-wise, while he was still incredibly young. He works for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and if you're bashing this incredibly versatile actor I can only perceive you are only bashing the Company itself, which is, for somebody "who enjoys theatre plays", as somebody once put it about your "situation", unacceptable. This sort of 'whining' is childish and immature: if you don't want to go to the theatre anymore, fine, that's up to you, but don't blame those who go and, contrary to your opinion, realise how magnificent these productions, their cast included, are. You don't know what you are missing. And that is it.

(I apologise for my bluntness: this is just my opinion and you are free to disagree.)

Noah Wyle is a fan of 'Doctor Who'

2010-08-05T18:21:00.000+01:00

http://www.digitalspy.com/cult/s7/doctor-who/news/a256500/noah-wyle-has-doctor-who-scarf.html

Noah Wyle has revealed that he is a fan of Doctor Who.

The actor - who played Dr John Carter on NBC medical drama E.R. for 15 years - told io9 that his mother had knitted him a long scarf when he was a child, resembling the one worn by the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker.

"I still have [the scarf]," he laughed.

Wyle suggested that he would pass the scarf down to his 7-year old son when he was old enough to watch the BBC science-fiction series.

"He's not quite hip to Doctor Who yet," he explained. "I'm waiting, he's almost ready."

Wyle will next been seen in TNT alien invasion drama Falling Skies.

Lynne Smith talks about managing 'Doctor Who' fan mail

2010-08-05T18:15:00.000+01:00

http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/Matt-Smith39s-mum-talks-about.6458487.jp

AS any Doctor Who fan will know, there is little rest and respite for a world-weary, travelling Time Lord.

and when star of the BBC show Matt Smith pops home to Northampton to spend some time with his family, the hard work does not stop there.

Because his mother Lynne Smith, from Billing, often has more work for him to do in the form of autographs for some of his thousands of fans.

Lynne, who also runs a shop called The Accessory Room in Kingsley, Northampton, uses any quiet moments she has to handle the hundreds of requests sent to Matt. Lynne explained: "Matt is really pleased and proud I have taken this on but obviously it is harder because when I see Matt I usually have a felt tip pen and 1,000 cards for him to sign. Every card that is sent out is personally signed by Matt and I think it is important to have that personal touch."

But what is it like to be on the receiving end of fan mail resulting from such a global phenomenon as Doctor Who?

Post is forwarded to Lynne from fans of all ages from all over the world – amounting to hundreds of letters each week – which must then receive a reply.

She said: "All I do is handle the signed autograph requests, all the fan mail goes to the BBC or his agent and it comes to a PO Box number to be picked up every week.

"I get a sack load every week, we are talking hundreds and now, because there is so much, I'm going through the backlog."

She continued: "Each letter you get has to be read from start to finish because these letters are important and what greater interest in doing it properly would there be other than from being his mother?"

Fan mail received has ranged from little children writing independently or entire school classes getting in some handwriting practice right up to Doctor Who fans in their 90s.

The breadth of ages seems to be a sign of how Matt has been helping win over younger generations to the show, as well as keeping the attention of the older, stalwart Doctor Who fans.

Lynne said: "It is a fan club, so people aren't going to send in derogatory letters, but I have been so happy to see the range of fans who have been writing in.

"I think the older generations perhaps go to the theatre and appreciate his acting skills. But there is a new audience coming along who liked the character and moments such as in the first episode when he has fishfingers and custard."

She added: "He is sometimes sent things and he has had cards for every occasion saying happy Easter or happy birthday or good luck. There are a lot of people who paint portraits for him and send in sketches."

And there are some signs that Matt has already achieved heart-throb status, with many letters coming from young girls aged 15 or 16.

Lynne said: "They say things like 'we think you are cool' and 'we think you are the best doctor'. I think they do think of him as a heart-throb. That makes me smile because to me he's just Matthew.

"A lot of the letters have been really aspirational, a lot of people want to be actors, then you get the letters from five or six-year-olds asking if he can come to their house for tea. He gets lots of invitations to fetes and schools and obviously he can't go to all of these.

"A lot of David Tennant fans have written in to say 'we were really sad when David Tennant left, but we think you are amazing'."

The fan letters are just a sign of the level of worldwide attention that Matt attracted when he took on the Time Lord role. And being suddenly plunged into the spotlight is something that Matt and his family have learned to handle.

Lynne said: "I have been completely surprised by it all. The problem is that, because he is my son, you don't think there will be all these people writing in, but I have been overwhelmed by the support for him.

"I don't mean that to sound silly, that is just how I feel. I have to separate Matthew as Matthew and the Doctor as the Doctor. He is our son, but also the 11th Doctor.

"It does affect you in the way that, when we are out with him, people will come up for autographs and pictures and, from that point of view, our level of privacy is probably different; but it is not me and my husband they are interested in, it is Matthew.

"I have to be honest and say he handles it so graciously and so well. He always has time for people and always gives people an autograph or photo as that is his role. He is proud of what he is doing and knows how to remain graceful and treat people with respect. There is nothing worse than people with stars in their eyes.

Tennant Tuesday: 03/08/2010

2010-08-03T23:05:00.000+01:00

'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: 'Rab C Nesbitt' (Episode 'Touch')

Audiobook: 'From Shakespeare with love'

Picture:

Song: 'The Doctor's Theme', Series 2 Soundtrack (Doctor Who), by Murray Gold

Sky lines up new drama against 'Doctor Who'

2010-08-03T22:52:00.001+01:00

http://www.atvnewsnetwork.co.uk/today/index.php/atv-today/3451-sky-lines-up-new-drama-against-doctor-who

Sky One is reportedly planning to air its planned adaptation of Sinbad the Sailor against next year’s series of Doctor Who. According to The Sun the 13-part series, with a budget of £2million per episode, is being given a modern makeover and will be set in Basra! Sky has yet to cast the drama but is planning to air it against Doctor Who next year. The drama is unlikely to have a major impact on Doctor Who ratings though as ratings for Sky rarely break the 1 million mark.

The move is part of Sky’s ambitious plan to up its drama quota after criticisms it heavily relies on American imports. While Sky has just signed a new deal with HBO giving it exclusive access to the premium American broadcaster’s backlog and future productions Sky is also pumping more money into it’s home-grown dramas and comedies. The channel has reportedly ordered more SAS drama Strike Back and is keen to produce more British drama’s to prove it can produce quality television just as well as the BBC.

"It is by far our biggest show next year. Doctor Who is aimed at one type of family - our show will be for a younger, cooler family who like sexy, cool heroes." Stuart Murphy, controller of Sky One quoted in The Sun

The move is part of Sky’s ambitious plan to up its drama quota after criticisms it heavily relies on American imports. While Sky has just signed a new deal with HBO giving it exclusive access to the premium American broadcaster’s backlog and future productions Sky is also pumping more money into it’s home-grown dramas and comedies. The channel has reportedly ordered more SAS drama Strike Back and is keen to produce more British drama’s to prove it can produce quality television just as well as the BBC.

Report: Doctor Who at GameCityNights

2010-08-02T18:36:00.000+01:00

http://platform-online.net/2010/08/report-doctor-who-gamecitynights/

Creators behind Doctor Who: The Adventure Games dissected the project at Nottingham’s latest gaming session.

If you’re a fan of Doctor Who or video games (or perhaps even both) then the last GameCityNights would have been for you. Unfortunately it’s over, confined to the memories to those who attended. Memories that are, admittedly, a bit fuzzy due to all the Doctor Who cocktails on offer. It’s a good job we’re here to offer you a recap of the event.

Things kicked off with a charming panel consisting of BBC Interactive executive producer Anwen Aspden, writer James Moran and designer of Broken Sword Charles Cecil. The trio discussed The Adventure Games, how they came about, the writing and Cybermen, shepherded by Simon Byron of One Life Left. There were some insights into the processes and procedures that take place around designing games and writing for them. The Adventure Games were developed by UK-based Sumo Digital, their pitch reel was shown. The panel was a bit withdrawn when it came to more specific details, but that was always to be expected.

Then there were the supplementary events. Retro Remakes and Nerf Games were on hand to show off their creations. So we had remakes of Ultimate Bruce Lee and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back as well as AVOID, a slick looking multiplayer game in which you guide a square around. That probably doesn’t do it justice so be sure to check out the companies web pages.

Just when we thought the fun was over we had a team game of consequences. Each person would write a sentence of a story and pass it onto a teammate who had no clue what they had written. This led to a strange variety of lucid and some surprisingly coherent stories that revealed a bit too much of what was going on in some people’s heads. One team had the Doctor hang-gliding off into the sunset, whilst another treated us to a sentence in German. It’s probable that some people may have had a few too many Sonic Screwdrivers at this point.

All in all, a fun night with some pleasant company. If you didn’t make it then don’t despair, more Nights are on the way. Number seven is later this month. Check www.gamecity.org for details. If you can’t make that, or are a little too lazy, then there’s always the festival in October.

Doctor Who dominates '10 Portal Awards!!

2010-08-02T18:31:00.000+01:00

http://www.airlockalpha.com/node/7681/doctor-who-dominates-2010-portal-awards.html

Fans will definitely miss David Tennant and Russell T. Davies. At least those who took the time to participate in Airlock Alpha's 2010 Portal Awards.

Tennant won Best Actor/Television (by a landslide) and Davies picked up the Gene Roddenberry Award for lifetime achievement on this third try as "Doctor Who" walked away with six awards, including Best Series/Television for "Doctor Who" itself.

Tennant had a tough field to compete against in the Best Actor category including the likes of John Barrowman from "Torchwood," Matthew Fox from "Lost," Zachary Levi from "Chuck" and Eddie McClintock from "Warehouse 13." Tennant, however, took 68 percent of the vote with his closest runner-up, Barrowman, attracting just 10 percent of the overall vote for that category.

McClintock, who campaigned heavily for the role -- including a last-minute attempt to get San Diego Comic-Con attendees to get the vote out on the final day of balloting -- finished a very respectable third, pulling in 9 percent of the vote. (VIDEO: The Purple Awards?)

Bernard Cribbins, who played Donna Noble's grandfather (and who played a key role in Tennant's final episodes) won Best Supporting Actor/Television in his first try, beating a field that included Robert Carlyle from "Stargate: Universe," Enver Gjokaj from "Dollhouse," John Noble from "Fringe" and Terry O'Quinn from "Lost." Cribbins took 59 percent of the vote, followed by Noble with 14 percent.

For Best Series, "Doctor Who" attracted 65 percent of the vote followed by "Torchwood" with 11 percent.

"Torchwood" didn't go away empty-handed. "Children of Earth" was critically acclaimed and earned a lot of nominations, however, only Eve Myles -- who plays Gwen Cooper -- received a virtual statue, picking up 38 percent of the vote in Best Actress/Television compared to her runner-up, Karen Gillan from "Doctor Who," who had 26 percent of the vote.

The "Doctor Who" finale "End of Time" won Best Episode/Television, while Alex Kingston won Best Guest/Television for her role as River Song in the "Doctor Who" episode "Time of Angels." Runners-up in those categories were "Children of Earth" and Leonard Nimoy for the "Fringe" season finale "Over There."

Alaina Huffman picked up a Best Supporting Actress/Television award for her work on "Stargate: Universe," and the Syfy series won Best Web Production for its "Kino" outing.

On the movie side, "Avatar" took two awards including Best Movie as well as Best Actress/Movie for Sigourney Weaver. Robert Downey Jr. won for Best Actor/Movie for "Iron Man 2."

The site formerly known as SciFi Wire won for Best Web Site, while Daniel Radcliffe took home his record-breaking fourth Portal Awards, this time for Best Young Actor in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

"Star Trek: The Next Generation" won its first (and likely only) Portal Award, when it was elected as the fourth classic series to join those honored for the Rod Serling Award. It joins charter class winners of "Twilight Zone," "Star Trek" and the original "Doctor Who" for shows that have ended their run at least 10 years ago.

For a complete list of this year's winners, click here.

This was the 11th year for the Portal Awards, which started in 1999 as the SyFy Genre Awards. An international nominating committee spends months generating a list of five nominees for each category, and then over the summer, readers have a chance to vote for their favorites once per day for 30 days.

"Doctor Who" has now picked up seven awards over the years, but is still third to "Star Trek: Voyager" (18 wins) and "Farscape" (eight wins).

Thank you to all of you who voted!!

Karen looks fantastic!

2010-08-01T18:28:00.000+01:00

Doctor Who sidekick Karen Gillan looked a bit of all white when she stepped out in London yesterday.

The 22-year-old redhead, who plays Amy Pond, wore what looked like a white nightie as she enjoyed the sunshine with a friend.

An onlooker said: "She looked absolutely gorgeous, so everybody noticed her."

David Tennant narrates 'Stealing Shakespeare'

2010-07-31T17:12:00.000+01:00

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.

http://tennantnews.blogspot.com/2010/07/stealing-shakespeare.html

Want some 'Decoy Bride' pictures?

2010-07-31T17:00:00.000+01:00

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

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

2010-07-31T16:58:00.000+01:00

www.develish1.wordpress.com

http://tennantnews.blogspot.com/2010/07/headway-essex-reach-10000.html

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!

Your next box set: Blackpool [Guardian]

2010-07-30T18:06:00.000+01:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2010/jul/30/your-next-box-set-blackpool-david-tennant

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

2010-07-30T18:00:00.000+01:00

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.]

2010-07-30T17:51:00.000+01:00

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

2010-07-30T17:45:00.000+01:00

http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/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!”

Cillian Murphy Joins Retreat

2010-07-29T18:34:00.001+01:00

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=28485

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!

2010-07-29T18:31:00.000+01:00

http://www.largsandmillportnews.com/news/largs/articles/2010/07/29/402919-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'!

2010-07-29T18:28:00.000+01:00

Read the whole article: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/agent-provocateur-bbcs-head-of-drama-plans-plenty-of-sex-and-the-return-of-tom-stoppard-2037768.html

(...) 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

2010-07-29T18:21:00.000+01:00

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.

http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/martin-freeman-doctor-who-and-sherlock-homes-are-the-perfect-fictional-team/

Tennant Tuesday: 27/07/2010

2010-07-27T16:06:00.000+01:00

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'

2010-07-27T15:57:00.000+01:00

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?

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2010/07/neil-gaiman-from-doctor-who-to-blog-to-doctor-who.html

Cumberbatch turned 'Doctor Who' role down

2010-07-27T15:20:00.000+01:00

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.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1298040/New-Sherlock-Holmes-Benedict-Cumberbatch-turns-Doctor-Who-role.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz0utOE4ytj