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       Site Editor: Shaun Lyon News Feature Editors: News Editorial Consultant:  Archive of news items from Doctor Who News: 2008
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The Doctor Who News Page is copyright © 2008; all rights reserved. Any duplication or reproduction of items on this page without permission of the editor is prohibited. We accept all news story solicitations about the world of Doctor Who; click here to submit news or contact the editor.
For Earlier News, Visit the Archives Because of the enormous amount of news being posted daily by our news team, additional material beyond the latest batch of news stories is immediately archived. Click the News Archives links at left to read the rest of this past month's archived news or news from earlier months! Stolen Earth - AI figure and Digital Ratings Broadcasting June 30, 2008 • Posted By Marcus Episode Twelve of Series Four, The Stolen Earth has received a record breaking Audience Appreciation figure of 91. This is not only the highest score the programme has ever received, but is one of the highest figures ever achieved for a mainstream television programme.Sunday's football was the most watched programme of the week making Saturday's Doctor Who the 8th in the list. This position may rise when corrected figures, including numbers for those recording the programme, are released by BARB in 9 days' time. Sunday's BBC3 repeat got an overnight audience of 0.78 million viewers. It was a 3.4% share of the multi-channel audience and the most watched programme on all multi-channel TV for Sunday. Saturday's edition of Doctor Who Confidential was watched by 1.13 million viewers. The programme, which had a share of 6.8 %, was the most watched on multi-channel television on Saturday with double the audience of the second placed Poirot. The Sunday repeat had 0.53 million watching. Record Australian ratings for "Voyage" Broadcasting June 29, 2008 • Posted By Adam Kirk Voyage of the Damned has scored the highest Australian ratings ever for Doctor Who in the modern era. According to David Dale 'Voyage' rated 1,248,000 viewers in the five major capital cities. The record breaking Christmas special, starring Australian Kylie Minogue, was only beaten in its timeslot by Channel Nine's 60 minutes which was the top-rating programme of the day with 1.8 million viewers ('Voyage' was the top ABC programme for the day and 7th overall). The previous highest rating Doctor Who episode for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation was 'Rose' which scored 1.1 million Australian viewers back in 2005. As way of comparison, the ABC's top programme for the preceding week was 'Spicks and Specks' which received 1.35 million viewers. The return of Doctor Who has also received some significant media coverage down under. The Sydney Morning Herald gave 'Voyage' its show of the week and their online TV guide also gives the show a positive review while Kylie Minogue's return to acting has also received some local attention. The Sun-Herald gives 'Voyage' four stars saying there 'is a lot to love about this story, which is part Titanic, part-The Poseidon Adventure.' Melinda Houston of 'The Sunday Age' also previews 'Voyage', analysing 'the enduring sex appeal of the ever-changing Time Lord' noting that the Doctor 'loves smart women', is 'mature', 'saves planets', 'maintains a childlike sense of fun, is 'practical and hands-on', 'a man of mystery, and increasingly swahsbuckling' but perhaps 'most importantly, is kind. A little dotty and thoughtless occasionally, but immensely kind. And that, gentlemen, is a quality consistently underestimated by the Mars-dwelling gender, and valued immeasurably by we Venus types.' Ian Warden of 'The Canberra Times', who claims to have seen every series since 1963, says David Tennant 'is the best doctor there's been' even if he says we should 'respect' the show 'for being . . . easily the longest-running TV science-fiction pantomime in the world.' Meanwhile, Crikey TV commentator, Glenn Dyer, also describes 'Voyage' as 'the highlight of the night.' As previously reported, the ABC has also confirmed on its online TV Guide that it is indeed showing Doctor Who Confidential Cutdown on ABC1 after each episode of Series 4 starting with "A Noble Return" on Sunday 6 July 2008. Episode 13 trailer (UPDATED) Broadcasting June 29, 2008 • Posted By Paul Hayes The official BBC Doctor Who website has put online a copy of a new trailer for the final episode of the current series. The trailer was first shown on BBC One television this afternoon, and features a speech from Davros intercut with brief excerpts from the next episode, as well as clips from last Saturday's cliffhanger ending.The trailer is also available to view on the BBC's YouTube channel, here. As with all videos on the BBC's official website and YouTube page, these clips are only viewable by UK internet users. UPDATE, 30 June: The trailer is now available on the BBC's Bebo page, and can be seen by viewers worldwide. Also available on the Bebo page is a clip of the last 30 seconds of "The Stolen Earth", including its cliffhanger; readers who have not seen "The Stolen Earth" should be warned that this contains major spoilers. Stolen Earth - Overnight Ratings Broadcasting June 29, 2008 • Posted By MarcusUnofficial figures show that episode Twelve of Series Four, The Stolen Earth, was watched by 7.4 million viewers, giving it a 38.3% share of the total television audience.The programme was the highest rated on Saturday, beating Casualty by nearly 2 million viewers. BBC1 had a drop of over 3 million viewers when Doctor Who finished. ITV1's highest rated programme of the day was Who Dares Sings with 3.7 million. Doctor Who is currently the 7th most watched programme of the week. Final figures will be released by BARB in ten days time. Fans Take Up the Project of Animating Lost Episodes Missing Episodes June 25, 2008 • Posted By R. Alan SilerThe June 26th edition of The Guardian features an article describing the efforts of a very talented group of fans who have taken inspiration from the 2006 DVD release of 1968's "The Invasion" and are animating lost episodes of Doctor Who.
Garrett Gilchrist is a director and artist based in the US. For the past eight months he has been working on an ambitious project to restore to life an episode of the lost 1967 Patrick Troughton epic, "Evil of the Daleks." "'The Invasion' DVD was such a gift to fans, such a wonderful project," he says. "The first thought in everyone's mind was, 'So, when are you animating the rest of them, then?' " Gilchrist is taking a very loyalist approach to the project. "They (the animations) have to match the original episodes as closely as possible, and feel like the 60s Doctor Who, not updated," says Gilchrist. "Just recreated with new technology. Recreated, not updated." The article includes a 'sample reel' of scenes from various episodes, ranging from "Marco Polo" to "The Wheel in Space" Midnight - Final Ratings Broadcasting June 25, 2008 • Posted By Marcus Final figures released by BARB give episode Ten of Series Four, Midnight, an official rating of 8.05 million viewers. The episode finished in fifth place in the weekly top ten, just beaten by the two main soaps and The Apprentice. The chart position is the joint second highest the programme has achieved in its 45 year history. The highest charting episode was last Christmas's Voyage of the Damned. The only other episode to reach the top five was the second episode of the 1975 Tom Baker story The Ark in Space. The Sunday repeat on BBC3 which was watched by 1.07 million viewers and was the 2nd most watched programme on multi-channel for the week, just beaten by Heroes on BBC3. The Saturday showing of Doctor Who Confidential got 0.59 million viewers, making it the 28th most watched multi-channel programme. Full ratings data, including data for iPlayer downloads, can be found in the Doctor Who Forum. Top Programmes w/e 15 June 2008 1 THE APPRENTICE (WED 2059) - 9.29 - BBC1 2 CORONATION STREET (WED 1930) - 8.36 - ITV1 3 EASTENDERS (TUE 1931) - 8.25 - BBC1 4 CORONATION STREET (FRI 1934) - 8.06 - ITV1 5 DOCTOR WHO (SAT 1910) - 8.05 - BBC1 6 CORONATION STREET (FRI 2030) - 7.79 - ITV1 7 EASTENDERS (SUN 2000) - 7.47 - BBC1 8 EASTENDERS (WED 2000) - 7.06 - BBC1 9 EASTENDERS (MON 1959) - 6.78 - BBC1 10 EMMERDALE (FRI 1903) - 6.67 - ITV1 11 EMMERDALE (THU 1903) - 6.64 - ITV1 12 EMMERDALE (TUE 1859) - 6.53 - ITV1 13 BBC NEWS (SUN 2200) - 6.41 - BBC1 14 CORONATION STREET (SUN 1858) - 6.29 - ITV1 15 EMMERDALE (WED 1859) - 6.24 - ITV1 16 CASUALTY (SAT 2046) - 6.19 - BBC1 17 EMMERDALE (MON 1859) - 6.13 - ITV1 18 EURO 2008 LIVE (MON 1929) - 5.74 - ITV1 19 THE NATIONAL LOTTERY - 1 VS 100 (SAT 1955) - 5.69 - BBC1 20 EURO 2008: MATCH OF THE DAY LIVE (FRI 1929) - 5.58 - BBC1 Top Multi Channel Programmes w/e 15 June 2008 1 HEROES (Thu 2201) 1,233,000 - BBC3 2 DOCTOR WHO (Sun 2032) 1,068,000 - BBC3 3 MARGARET THATCHER - THE LONG WALK TO FINCHLEY (Thu 2101) 1,019,000 - BBC4 4 EASTENDERS (Mon 2202) 913,000 - BBC3 5 EASTENDERS (Tue 2201) 819,000 - BBC3 6 EASTENDERS (Wed 2201) 778,000 - BBC3 7 AMERICA'S GOT TALENT (Fri 2059) 760,000 - ITV2 8 HOME AND AWAY (Wed 1829) 751,000 - Fiver 9 FILM: LOVE ACTUALLY (Tue 2158) 738,000 - ITV2 10 GLADIATORS (Sun 1800) 734,000 - Sky One 11 EURO 2008 LIVE (Sun 1929) 732,000 - ITV4 12 HOME AND AWAY (Tue 1829) 714,000 - Fiver 13 COME DINE WITH ME (Sun 1850) 703,000 - More4 14 HOLLYOAKS (Thu 1859) 680,000 - E4 15 HOME AND AWAY (Mon 1829) 675,000 - Fiver 16 THE QUEEN (Sun 2020) 663,000 - ITV3 17 SUPERNATURAL (Sun 2100) 650,000 - ITV2 18 HOLLYOAKS (Mon 1859) 645,000 - E4 19 60 SECONDS (Mon 2159) 642,000 - BBC3 20 FAMILY GUY (Thu 2306) 631,000 - BBC3 Source BARB The Time Traveller's Almanac Merchandise June 25, 2008 • Posted By John BowmanBBC Books has released details about the forthcoming Doctor Who publication The Time Traveller's Almanac.
Billed as 'The Ultimate Intergalactic Fact-Finder', the hardback book explores parallel versions of Earth, counts sightings of Captain Jack Harkness through history, relives the Doctor's encounters with Charles Dickens, Madame de Pompadour and Queen Victoria, tracks the origins of the Family of Blood, the Chula spacecraft and the Vespiform, and focuses on events such as the First World War, the Great Depression and the Battle of Canary Wharf. From the fall of Troy to the Apollo moon landing, Shakespeare and Agatha Christie to the Gelth and the Reapers, it tracks key events throughout history and includes tales of great lives, explanations of important issues in science, technology and the arts, and retells the stories that have defined each era. Among the features, it also delves into the eruption of Vesuvius plus the mysteries of Carrionite science, takes a look at the eminent artists of the 16th, 19th and 21st centuries, and examines where the Daleks come from. Fully illustrated with photos and artwork, The Time Traveller's Almanac, by Steve Tribe, will be published on September 25, 2008.  Doctor Who Magazine 397 Merchandise June 25, 2008 • Posted By John BowmanJack's back! And he's taking on the Daleks! In the new edition of Doctor Who Magazine, published in the UK tomorrow, John Barrowman talks exclusively about his return to Doctor Who and on working with Elisabeth Sladen.
Click on the spoiler box for an extract from the interview, although be aware that it contains information about the series finale that you might not want to know before it airs. In addition, the spoiler box has details of a magazine feature that reveals aspects of the finale. Also in DWM 397: Plus all the latest news, exclusive photos, reviews, previews, competitions and a free, vintage Target Doctor Who book.    "I'm in love with Lis," confesses John. "The first time that I met her, a year or so ago, she was coming out of an elevator. I grabbed her and said, 'I just want to say what an honour it is to meet you. I am so thrilled! Hopefully, we'll get a chance to work together one day.' "She was very gracious, but after she'd gone I thought, 'John, you idiot, you've embarrassed yourself in front of Sarah Jane Smith!' "When she came on set for these final episodes there was a point when Davros appeared and I grabbed her hand, and we're looking at each other as John and Elisabeth, looking and thinking, this is so surreal! We were part of history that day. We all had to take in the moment, because it will probably never happen again. And our final scene together – oh, it was beautiful." Is Sarah Jane attracted to Jack? "I think Jack finds her sexy." Should he even go there? "There's one bit where we hint at it," John replies, cheekily. "There is an element of flirtation there. I wonder if they've left it in. If anybody can flirt with Sarah Jane, it's Captain Jack Harkness!" Also in issue 397 of the magazine, Elisabeth Sladen reveals all about her encounters with Davros - and why Journey's End could be her last meeting with the Doctor. Clarke's Adulthood top UK-made film People June 23, 2008 • Posted By Marcus Noel Clarke's latest film, Adulthood, has become the number one British film at the UK box office. In the weekend's box office tally, Adulthood is the number four film overall, and has the highest per screen average.Adulthood is written and directed by Clarke who also stars as Sam, released from prison six years after being involved in a killing. The sequel to the 2006 low budget drama Kidulthood, Adulthood is a urban drama dealing with life in the crime ridden slum areas of our major cities. It's set in a location where a life of drugs, crime and violence is often seen as the best choice for youth and where an ever increasing number of teenage lives are lost through the use of knives and guns. Although unflinching in its portrayal of street attitudes and behaviour the film does have a strong message of redemption. The film took £1.2 million in its opening weekend with some of the many cinemas showing it around the country having to move it into bigger screens to meet audience demand, moving out big studio releases like The Incredible Hulk and Sex And The City. Clarke said: "I'm thrilled that so many people both young and old have queued up to see Adulthood on the big screen as it was intended to be shown. This film carries an important message and it is very rewarding to know how widely it is being received." John Fletcher, Pathe Distribution Managing Director, said: "We are delighted that Adulthood has performed so well at the box office. The fact that this British indie sequel is one of the most popular films this weekend demonstrates how well Noel Clarke's powerful drama has connected with audiences across the country." The BBC showing of Kidulthood was the most requested programme on the BBC iPlayer last week, beating Doctor Who into second place. Colin Baker to star in Bath Panto People June 23, 2008 • Posted By R. Alan SilerColin Baker, the sixth actor to star in Doctor Who (1984 - 1986), is set to star in the upcoming pantomime "Jack and the Beanstalk" at the Theatre Royal in Bath.
Baker stars as Fleshcreep, the baddie in the piece. While he is best known for having been the Doctor, he's also famous for other villain roles, most notably that of Paul Merroney in The Brothers from 1974 - 1976. He also portrayed Bayban the Butcher in the Blake's 7 episode "City at the Edge of the World" and first appeared in Doctor Who as Commander Maxil, the Fifth Doctor's executioner, in "Arc of Infinity". "Beanstalk" also features Emmerdale star Susan Penhaligon as the Fairy and 19-year-old singer Lewis Bradley - a finalist in Any Dream Will Do - as Jack. The panto will run from Thursday December 18 to Sunday January 25. To book call the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844. Turn Left - AI and Digital Ratings Broadcasting June 23, 2008 • Posted By Marcus Episode eleven of series four, Turn Left, scored an Appreciation Index of 88, again one of the highest scores of the week and firmly in the excellent category.Sunday's football just edged ahead of Saturday's Doctor Who making Turn Left the 7th most watched programme of the week. This position may rise when corrected figures, including numbers for those recording the programme, are released by BARB in 9 days' time. Sunday's BBC3 repeat got an overnight audience of 0.60 million viewers. It was a 2.7% share of the multi-channel audience and the third most watched programme on all multi-channel TV for Sunday. Saturday's edition of Doctor Who Confidential was watched by 0.77 million viewers. The programme, which had a share of 4.3 %, was the most watched on multi-channel television on Saturday. The Sunday repeat had 0.34 million watching. Last Friday's repeat of Midnight got an audience of 0.29 million viewers. It was the 7th highest multi channel programme. New episode 12 trailers Broadcasting June 22, 2008 • Posted By Paul Hayes The BBC has started running two new trailers for episode 12 of the current series, separate from the "Next Time" trailer seen last night. There is a 10-second teaser trail featuring the Daleks, and a longer 30-second trail containing many elements from the episode, including a malevolent voiceover.UK internet users can view both of the trailers on the official BBC website, or on the BBC YouTube channel. Doctor Who trailers on the ABC - Confidential Cutdown confirmed Broadcasting June 22, 2008 • Posted By Adam Kirk The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has begun promoting Doctor Who with a trailer showing brief excerpts from Voyage of the Damned and the first five episodes of Series Four. The ABC has also put its trailer for 'Voyage of the Damned' on its website.A previous report that the ABC will broadcast each of the cut down editions of Doctor Who Confidential immediately after the broadcast of the corresponding episode of Series Four has not yet been officially confirmed by the ABC although its website indicates a 55 minute timeslot for Partners in Crime on Sunday 6 July 2008. Update 26 June 2008: The ABC has confirmed on its online TV Guide that it is indeed showing Doctor Who Confidential Cutdown on ABC1 after each episode of Series 4 starting with "A Noble Return" on Sunday 6 July 2008. Turn Left - Overnight Ratings Broadcasting June 22, 2008 • Posted By MarcusUnofficial figures show that episode eleven of Series Four, Turn Left, was watched by 7.0 million viewers, giving it a 35.1% share of the total television audience.The programme was the second most watched on Saturday, just being beaten by Euro 2008 on ITV1 which started just as Doctor Who finished. The programme won its time slot, getting double the audience of ITV1's Animals Do The Funniest Things. BBC1 had a drop of nearly 4 million viewers when Doctor Who finished. Doctor Who is currently the 6th most watched programme of the week. Final figures will be released by BARB in ten days' time. Auction Items Fetch Thousands Miscellaneous June 19, 2008 • Posted By John BowmanTwo items from the 1980s era of Doctor Who were sold for more than 3,000 pounds yesterday.
An entertainment memorabilia auction at Bonhams in Knightsbridge, London, saw a moulded and painted foam baby Tyrannosaurus rex in a jar from the 1985 Colin Baker story The Mark of the Rani go for 1,080 pounds, while a Dalek guard costume from the 1984 Peter Davison adventure Resurrection of the Daleks sold for 2,040 pounds. As reported by this site last month, the model T rex had an estimate of 600 to 800 pounds, while the Dalek guard costume's estimate was 800 to 1,200 pounds. The guard costume had 'Rula Lenska' plus a measurement inscribed in ballpoint on the neck and came with a moulded weapon plus background paperwork, including a copy of a note by Lenska, who played Styles, and a signed photo (believed to be of Lenska). David Brierley People June 19, 2008 • Posted By John Bowman The actor David Brierley, who provided the voice of K-9 for four stories, has died of cancer, according to an announcement in the current edition of The Stage. Born in 1935, he appeared in such shows as Z Cars, Arthur of the Britons, The Tripods and Howards' Way, as well as the 1984 BBC drama Threads. Brierley took over from John Leeson as K-9's voice during season 17, which originally aired between September 1979 and January 1980. He also provided the robot dog's voice in an October 1979 edition of Blue Peter. (With thanks to Chris Winwood.) Series 4 End Party in London Special Events June 19, 2008 • Posted By Chuck FosterA special end-of-series party is planned to be held in London on July 5. The free event will be taking place at a gastropub in Clerkenwell.
Says organiser Jason Gorman: "We are planning to screen the series finale, Journey's End, when it is broadcast at 7pm (as currently scheduled!) - we believe it will also be screened just down the road in Trafalgar Square (for Pride London), and we expect many guests to come after that, so the party will just be getting started by 8pm. "There'll be live music - with a Parisian theme - later in the evening, and we're working on some special video screenings later in the evening that we hope will amuse and divert. The party will probably go on well past midnight. "Doors open from 5pm and tickets are free. As there are only 50 left we are limiting them to two per person, and those coming need to be 18 or over." To confirm you want tickets, please contact Jason at the email address finale@parlezuml.com, stating your full name, address (to send tickets to), and contact number (in case the organisers need to contact you urgently). Update 22 June: all the tickets have now been allocated, and should be distributed in the next week. Forest of the Dead - Final Ratings Broadcasting June 18, 2008 • Posted By Marcus Final figures released by BARB give episode Nine of Series Four, Forest of the Dead, an official rating of 7.84 million viewers. The episode saw the series edge back into the weekly top ten, just beaten by the two main soaps and The Apprentice. Doctor Who beat one episode of EastEnders and one episode of Coronation street in the final ratings. The Sunday repeat on BBC3 which was watched by 0.82 million viewers and was the 7th most watched programme on multi-channel for the week. The Saturday showing of Doctor Who Confidential got 0.87 million viewers making it the 5th most watched multi-channel programme. Full ratings data, including data for iPlayer downloads can be found in the Doctor Who Forum. Top Programmes w/e 8th June 2008 1 CORONATION STREET (MON 1932) - 9.16 - ITV1 2 CORONATION STREET (MON 2029) - 9.03 - ITV1 3 EASTENDERS (MON 2001) - 8.70 - BBC1 4 CORONATION STREET (FRI 1934) - 8.69 - ITV1 5 CORONATION STREET (WED 1930) - 8.42 - ITV1 6 CORONATION STREET (FRI 2030) - 8.15 - ITV1 7 EASTENDERS (FRI 1959) - 8.07 - BBC1 8 EASTENDERS (THU 1930) - 8.00 - BBC1 9 THE APPRENTICE (WED 2100) - 7.94 - BBC1 10 DOCTOR WHO (SAT 1900) - 7.84 - BBC1 11 CORONATION STREET (SUN 2003) - 7.75 - ITV1 12 EMMERDALE (MON 1901) - 6.71 - ITV1 13 EMMERDALE (TUE 1858) - 6.61 - ITV1 14 EMMERDALE (FRI 1903) - 6.59 - ITV1 15 EMMERDALE (THU 1902) - 6.44 - ITV1 16 EASTENDERS (TUE 1929) - 6.18 - BBC1 17 EMMERDALE (WED 1859) - 6.06 - ITV1 18 CASUALTY (SAT 2037) - 5.89 - BBC1 19 TRAFFIC COPS (TUE 2100) - 5.64 - BBC1 20 BIG BROTHER (THU 2102) - 5.59 - Chann Top Multi Channel Programmes w/e 8th June 2008 1 EASTENDERS (Tue 2202) 1,270,000 - BBC3 2 HEROES (Thu 2230) 1,080,000 - BBC3 3 FILM: THIS IS ENGLAND (2006) (Mon 2100) 1,005,000 - Film4 4 AMERICA'S GOT TALENT (Fri 2104) 992,000 - ITV2 5 DOCTOR WHO CONFIDENTIAL (Sat 1946) 865,000 - BBC3 6 HOME AND AWAY (Tue 1829) 853,000 - Fiver 7 DOCTOR WHO (Sun 2001) 819,000 - BBC3 8 HOME AND AWAY (Fri 1828) 784,000 - Fiver 9 EASTENDERS (Thu 2200) 757,000 - BBC3 10 EASTENDERS (Mon 2203) 740,000 - BBC3 11 FAMILY GUY (Sun 2224) 738,000 - BBC3 12 HOLLYOAKS (Thu 1900) 730,000 - E4 13 HOME AND AWAY (Mon 1829) 722,000 - Fiver 14 60 SECONDS (Mon 2201) 717,000 - BBC3 15 HOLLYOAKS (Mon 1900) 711,000 - E4 16 HOME AND AWAY (Wed 1829) 708,000 - Fiver 17 60 SECONDS (Tue 2159) 651,000 - BBC3 18 HOME AND AWAY (Thu 1829) 648,000 - Fiver 19 HOLLYOAKS (Fri 1859) 636,000 - E4 20 MIDSOMER MURDERS (Tue 2205) 623,000 - ITV3 Source BARB K9 Series Production Latest Spinoffs June 17, 2008 • Posted By John Bowman Production on the long-awaited spin-off series featuring K9 is due to start in Australia next month, according to the Pacific Film and Television Commission.An article in its June newsletter says that Bob Baker is currently in Queensland, writing the 26-part show. He co-created the character of the robot dog with Dave Martin, who died in March 2007. According to the PFTC, Baker is working on the spin-off - called simply K9 - with Queensland writers Shane Krause and Shayne Armstrong. It is being produced by Simon Barnes, and Richard Stewart and Penny Wall from Brisbane company Stewart Wall Entertainment. A PFTC spokesman told The Doctor Who News Page: "The series certainly is imminent! K9 is in pre-production at present in Queensland. However, exact dates for production have not yet been confirmed." Outpost Gallifrey reported last July that an unspecified amount of funding had been approved by Australia's Film Finance Corporation. TV distribution agent Park Entertainment has said the half-hour episodes, to be made by Jetix Europe, will be live action and CGI. (With thanks to Anacleto.) Doctor Who Adventures 69 Merchandise June 17, 2008 • Posted By John BowmanGet set for the return of Rose Tyler in this week's edition of Doctor Who Adventures.
Issue 69 looks at this coming Saturday's episode, Turn Left, in which Donna runs into the Doctor's old friend. Also in the magazine is a Vashta Nerada mask, and readers can learn about the Doctor's long history with the Sontarans. The free gift is a bumper sticker pack, with 91 different Doctor Who stickers in total, including a set of Dalek stickers, two sets of holo stickers and a sheet for sticking on the front of notebooks and diaries. PLUS: Doctor Who Adventures issue 69 is out on Thursday, June 19.  K9 Tales - Faulty Disc - UPDATE DVD and Video June 16, 2008 • Posted By Marcus2 entertain, the company which produces the classic series DVDs, has confirmed there is an authoring error with the latest release, The Invisible Enemy, out this week as part of the K9-Tales disc set. The error is towards the end of Episode Three and causes the disc to skip part of the episode.
2 entertain will replace all faulty discs and have set up a helpline which will be active from Monday. Customers with faulty discs are advised to either email dvd.support@bbc.co.uk (NOTE CORRECTED ADDRESS!) or call 020 7612 3186. Instructions on what to do are on the voicemail of the phone line and on the auto reply from the email. The current DVD release schedule is listed below. Schedule is not confirmed and may change.
  Midnight - AI and Digital Ratings Broadcasting June 16, 2008 • Posted By MarcusEpisode ten of series four, Midnight, scored an Appreciation Index of 86, once more putting the show firmly in the excellent category. It was the 2nd most appreciated programme on BBC1 and ITV on Saturday after Trooping the Colour.Continuing the general run of low ratings, none of Sunday's programmes were able to beat Saturday's Doctor Who, making it the highest rated programme for the whole weekend and the 5th most watched programme of the week. This position may rise when corrected figures, including numbers for those recording the programme, are released by BARB in 9 days time. Apart from the last Christmas special, Voyage of the Damned, which was 2nd in the weekly list, the highest chart position Doctor Who has ever previously achieved is 5th for episode two of the 1975 Tom Baker story The Ark in Space. Sunday's BBC3 repeat got an overnight audience of 0.91 million viewers. It was a 4.5% share of the multi-channel audience and the most watched programme on all multi-channel TV for Sunday. Saturday's edition of Doctor Who Confidential was watched by 0.52 million viewers. The programme, which had a share of 3.1 %, was the most watched on multi-channel television on Saturday. Last Friday's repeat of Forest of the Dead got an audience of 0.35 million viewers. It was the 6th highest multi channel programme, and the highest rated on BBC3. John Barrowman in Canada Miscellaneous June 15, 2008 • Posted By Mike Doran John Barrowman is in Canada this summer to serve as a judge on the Canadian version of the hit BBC series How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?. The series is being broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and premieres today Sunday June 15th at 8:00pm across the country and at 8:30pm in Newfoundland.Shows in front of a live studio audience will begin in Toronto on Sunday June 22nd. Tickets to be in the live audience are available from the CBC Maria website. On the morning of Monday June 16th Barrowman will be appearing live on Breakfast Television on CITY TV in Toronto. Barrowman is scheduled to be on the show between 7:00am and 8:00am. Midnight - Overnight Ratings Broadcasting June 15, 2008 • Posted By MarcusUnofficial figures show that episode ten of Series Four, Midnight, was watched by 7.3 million viewers, giving it a 37.8% share of the total television audience.The programme was once more the most watched of Saturday, beating the second placed Casualty by 1.5 million viewers. ITV1's highest rated programme of the day was Euro 2008 with 3.8 million. In a week when ratings were down across the board, Doctor Who actually increased its audience over the previous week. As a measure of how well the programme has performed, it is currently the 5th most watched of the week, ahead of editions of Coronation Street and EastEnders. Final figures will be released by BARB in ten days time. Russell T Davies awarded OBE People June 13, 2008 • Posted By Paul Hayes Russell T Davies, the lead writer and executive producer of Doctor Who and the man who has spearheaded the revival of the programme since 2003, has been created an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire - OBE - in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. One of the highest civilian honours available to a British subject, the OBE is awarded by the Queen, on the advice of the Government, and has been given to Davies for his services to drama.The Times quotes Davies as saying: "I'm delighted to accept, and I hope it does the whole industry a bit of good, for the writing of television drama to be recognised." Davies is the second Doctor Who producer to have been accorded the honour - the late Verity Lambert was given an OBE in 2002. According to the Press Association, the BBC has released a statement saying: "We are delighted for Russell - he is one of this country's greatest writers and it is fantastic that his talent has been recognised in this way." The story is covered in many other news sources, including: The Independent, The Guardian, The Scotsman and BBC News. BBC News have also published a profile of Davies. Episode Twelve Title Broadcasting June 13, 2008 • Posted By MarcusThe mystery title of Episode Twelve of Season Four, has been released by the BBC Press Office.
Please don't click on the link if you want to avoid spoilers for the episode. Thanks to Neil Matthews and Jack Martin The Stolen Earth Ep 12/13 Saturday 28 June Earth's greatest heroes assemble in a time of dire need, in tonight's penultimate episode in this series of Russell T Davies's Bafta Award-winning time-travelling drama. But can the Doctor's secret army defeat the might of the new Dalek Empire? With battles on the streets and in the skies, the Doctor and Donna must brave the Shadow Proclamation to find out the truth. However, a fearsome old enemy waits in the shadows. David Tennant plays the Doctor and Catherine Tate plays his companion, Donna Noble. Silence in the Library - Final Ratings Broadcasting June 11, 2008 • Posted By Marcus Final figures released by BARB give episode Eight of Series Four, Silence in the Library, an official rating of 6.27 million viewers. The week was dominated by ITV which had 15 of the top twenty places, thanks to the runaway success of Britain's Got Talent, the final of which is now the most watched programme of the year to date. Doctor Who was the 27th most watched for the week on British Television and the 9th most watched on BBC Television. It is the first time the programme has dropped out of the top twenty since The Empty Child in 2005 and the lowerst position since the series returned in 2005. The rating is the lowest since The Satan Pit in 2006, which got 6.1 million watching. Some of the missing viewers watched the Sunday repeat on BBC3 which was watched by 1.35 million viewers and was the 2nd most watched programme on multi-channel for the week. To date over half a million have also watched it on the BBC iPlayer and the total reach of the programme is over 8.5 million. The Saturday showing of Doctor Who Confidential got 0.57 million viewers making it the 31st most watched multi-channel programme. The Sunday repeat was higher in the chart with 0.63 million watching and number 24 in the chart. Full ratings data, including data for iPlayer downloads can be found in the Doctor Who Forum. Top Programmes w/e 1 June 2008 1 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT FINAL RESULT (SAT 2131) - 13.88 - ITV1 2 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (FRI 2101) - 11.86 - ITV1 3 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (SAT 1849) - 11.52 - ITV1 4 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (MON 2100) - 11.33 - ITV1 5 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (THU 2030) - 10.13 - ITV1 6 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (WED 2031) - 10.03 - ITV1 7 CORONATION STREET (MON 2029) - 9.99 - ITV1 8 CORONATION STREET (MON 1931) - 9.89 - ITV1 9 EASTENDERS (MON 1959) - 9.38 - BBC1 10 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (TUE 2030) - 9.29 - ITV1 11 CORONATION STREET (WED 1929) - 9.23 - ITV1 12 CORONATION STREET (FRI 1933) - 9.09 - ITV1 13 CORONATION STREET (FRI 2029) - 8.96 - ITV1 14 EASTENDERS (FRI 2000) - 7.95 - BBC1 15 EASTENDERS (THU 1929) - 7.46 - BBC1 16 EMMERDALE (MON 1900) - 7.31 - ITV1 17 I'D DO ANYTHING - THE FINAL (SAT 2044) - 7.18 - BBC1 18 MATCH OF THE DAY LIVE (WED 2000) - 7.07 - BBC1 19 EMMERDALE (WED 1859) - 6.99 - ITV1 20 THE APPRENTICE (TUE 2100) - 6.84 - BBC1 21 EMMERDALE (FRI 1901) - 6.68 - ITV1 22 EASTENDERS (TUE 1930) - 6.60 - BBC1 23 EMMERDALE (THU 1858) - 6.37 - ITV1 24 EMMERDALE (TUE 1859) - 6.34 - ITV1 25 BBC NEWS (MON 1830) - 6.32 - BBC1 26 AN AUDIENCE WITH NEIL DIAMOND (SAT 2030) - 6.28 - ITV1 27 DOCTOR WHO (SAT 1902) - 6.27 - BBC1 28 HEARTBEAT (SUN 1959) - 5.70 - ITV1 29 I'D DO ANYTHING - THE FINAL (SAT 1800) - 5.46 - BBC1 30 THE INSPECTOR LYNLEY MYSTERIES (SUN 1959) - 5.30 - BBC1 Top Multi Channel Programmes w/e 1 June 2008 1 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT (Sat 2158) 2,172,000 - ITV2 2 DOCTOR WHO (Sun 2001) 1,345,000 - BBC3 3 LOST (Sun 2101) 1,166,000 - Sky One 4 EASTENDERS (Tue 2201) 1,162,000 - BBC3 5 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT (Wed 2159) 1,150,000 - ITV2 6 HEROES (Thu 2231) 1,141,000 - BBC3 7 EASTENDERS (Thu 2201) 1,122,000 - BBC3 8 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT (Mon 2230) 1,117,000 - ITV2 9 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT (Sat 2027) 931,000 - ITV2 10 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT (Fri 2231) 914,000 - ITV2 11 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT (Thu 2159) 875,000 - ITV2 12 GLADIATORS (Sun 1759) 844,000 - Sky One 13 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT (Tue 2159) 825,000 - ITV2 14 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (Sun 2001) 744,000 - ITV2 15 HOME AND AWAY (Wed 1829) 713,000 - Fiver (was 16 60 SECONDS (Sun 1959) 712,000 - BBC3 17 HOME AND AWAY (Tue 1828) 710,000 - Fiver (was 18 HOME AND AWAY (Thu 1828) 690,000 - Fiver (was 19 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT FINAL RESULT (Sun 2144) 685,000 - ITV2 20 THE SIMPSONS (Sun 2031) 664,000 - Sky One 21 HOME AND AWAY (Fri 1829) 653,000 - Fiver (was 22 HOLLYOAKS (Mon 1859) 647,000 - E4 In 23 HOLLYOAKS (Wed 1859) 636,000 - E4 In 24 DOCTOR WHO CONFIDENTIAL (Sun 2045) 632,000 - BBC3 25 FAMILY GUY (Sun 2202) 630,000 - BBC3 26 HOLLYOAKS (Tue 1859) 630,000 - E4 In 27 HOLLYOAKS (Thu 1859) 611,000 - E4 In 28 DONT FORGET THE LYRICS (Sun 1901) 598,000 - Sky One 29 FAMILY GUY (Sun 2223) 593,000 - BBC3 30 BONES (Thu 2101) 586,000 - Sky One Source BARB Doctor Who Confidential Down Under Broadcasting June 11, 2008 • Posted By Adam Kirk In a comment on their message board the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has revealed that it has, for the first time, purchased the Australian rights to Doctor Who Confidential and will broadcast each episode immediately after the broadcast of the corresponding episode of Series Four.Presumably, these will be the cut down versions which will fill the 8.15-8.30pm timeslot and commence with Partners in Crime on Sunday 6 July. The ABC has also confirmed that, as previously reported, the latest series will start on ABC1 on Sunday 29th June, 7.30pm with Voyage of the Damned. Tom Tomorrow's Tennant and TARDIS Miscellaneous June 9, 2008 • Posted By Josiah Rowe It's not uncommon for British political cartoonists to cast politicians as Daleks or Cybermen, but it's far more rare for Doctor Who to be referenced in American media.However, this week liberal American cartoonist Tom Tomorrow included the Tenth Doctor and the TARDIS in his weekly cartoon This Modern World, by way of making a comment about Barack Obama winning the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. The panel can be seen at right, and the full cartoon can be read at Salon.com. Hamlet: London Dates People June 9, 2008 • Posted By John Bowman David Tennant can be seen in Hamlet in London from December 3 to January 10, 2009, it has been announced.The Royal Shakespeare Company production will be transferring from Stratford-upon-Avon to The Novello Theatre in Aldwych. The news has not been universally well received, though. In an article in today's Times, acclaimed director Sir Jonathan Miller hit out at what he called "an obsession with celebrity" by West End producers. In the interview, Miller referred to Tennant as "that man from Doctor Who". However, Michael Billington, theatre critic of The Guardian newspaper for the past 37 years, has written a rebuttal of Miller's views, claiming that Miller was "ignoring the fact that Tennant has a strong classical pedigree including a first-rate RSC Romeo". Miller's production of Hamlet in Bristol, with Jamie Ballard in the title role, was highly praised but Miller says London producers weren't interested in it without any star names. (Jude Law is also to play Hamlet in London. That particular production will be at the Wyndham's Theatre from May 2009 as part of the Donmar West End season.) Tickets for the Novello Theatre run of Hamlet go on sale to the general public from September 12. Priority booking for RSC members runs from June 16 to September 5. Love's Labour's Lost, in which Tennant plays Berowne, is apparently not transferring from Stratford. (With thanks to Rod Henderson.) |