Be Excellent To Each Other

Speaking of which I'm glad they used a frame cap from the McCoy title sequence on the stamps. I just love that sequence because it was so good at the time and hideously expensive (that is if they had paid full whack, they got a huge discount because the CGI people were so pleased to be working on Who and would also use it as their showreel).

It's cool, but, all I can see when I look at that is shitty composite video chroma or whatever causes the blotchy colour thing.. ON A STAMP.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Release Announced

In November 2013, Big Finish will be releasing Doctor Who: The Light at the End, a very special 100-minute story to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Doctor Who. Tom Baker (1974-81), Peter Davison (1982-84), Colin Baker (1984-86), Sylvester McCoy (1987-89) and Paul McGann (1996) will all reprise their roles as, respectively, the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctors, whose paths suddenly intersect when they face imminent destruction.

“We wanted to do a proper, fully-fledged multi-Doctor story for this very special occasion,” says writer, director and executive producer Nicholas Briggs, “and it’s wonderful that all the surviving Doctors threw themselves behind the project so enthusiastically. That’s not to say the first three Doctors don’t appear – we wanted to pay homage to the whole history of the classic series.”

The Doctors will also be joined by a number of their regular companions: Louise Jameson reprises the role of the savage Leela, Sarah Sutton plays the scientist Nyssa, Nicola Bryant is American botany student Peri, Sophie Aldred is streetwise kid Ace and India Fisher returns as Edwardian adventurer Charley Pollard.

“And that’s not all,” says producer David Richardson, “because Geoffrey Beevers is back to create mayhem as the Master, and there will be a number of appearances from some much-cherished old friends from the TV series…”

Doctor Who: The Light at the End will be released in two different versions. A five-disc limited special edition comes with two hour-long documentaries, plus The Revenants, a Companion Chronicles tale which began life as a free Doctor Who Magazine download. It’s performed by William Russell, who starred in the very first TV story as Ian Chesterton. The special edition comes in beautiful special packaging, and will include a number of exclusive professionally photographed images of the cast.

The standard edition comprises two discs, featuring the two hour-long episodes of the story

Manchester honours the woman behind the pioneering music of Doctor Who

Saturday's Delia Derbyshire Day brings long-awaited recognition to a bright spark who was once told: 'The recording studio is no place for a woman.'

We can confirm that Doctor Who returns to BBC One during the Easter weekend on Saturday, 30 March, 2013.

The Doctor is back in a fantastic adventure written by the show’s lead writer and executive producer, Steven Moffat. The episode - the first in a run of 8 - is directed by Colm McCarthy whose previous credits include Hustle, Spooks and Endeavour.

Later adventures in the run include episodes written by Mark Gatiss (Victory of the Daleks, Night Terrors) and Neil Gaiman.

Steven Moffat has promised us that in terms of Doctor Who, 2013 will be a ‘tremendous’ year and we’ll be bringing you more about the forthcoming adventures soon. But if you can’t wait for the TARDIS to return on 30 March, you can take a brief look now at what’s in store for the Doctor, Clara and some familiar friends… and foes!

The first official notification of how much anniversary flavoured Doctor Who we’ll be getting was on display today. It was printed on display cards at the London Toy Fair.

Here’s a photo of one such card that we were sent by three different Little Bleeders. Its original provenance is unclear but do let us know if you’re the one who originally took it.

So, there it is in… er…. blue and white, with some orange too. There’s one anniversary special and it’s 60 minutes long.

The Mark Gatiss-penned drama about the creation of the show is going to run to 90 minutes, but the actual Doctor Who episode itself, just 60.

Quite what Doctor Who Revisited will be isn’t yet clear. It might be the same thing as, or at least a cut-down version of, BBC American’s talking head specials The Doctors Revisited – there’s an obvious similarity in their names.

Steven Moffat has said that his show would “take over television” for the anniversary. That’s starting to look like something of an exaggeration.

UPDATE: BlogtorWho have laid claim to the picture. They’re pretty good at posting things and then deleting them, it seems…

I don't suppose anyone know's where I can download the recent Christmas episode from, do they?

Thanks Grim... and thanks for not point out the stray apostrophe in my post.

Harry Potter actor David Bradley will play "first Doctor" William Hartnell in a BBC drama about Doctor Who's creation to mark its 50th anniversary.

An Adventure in Space and Time will tell the story of the genesis of the BBC sci-fi drama in the early 1960s.

Bradley, known to millions for his role as Filch in the Potter series, said he was "absolutely thrilled" to be cast.

Call the Midwife actress Jessica Raine and Scotland's Brian Cox will also appear in the BBC Two commission.

Cox will play Sydney Newman, the BBC head of drama credited with the creation of the show, while Raine will play the producer Verity Lambert.

Filming will begin in February at BBC Television Centre, then move to Wimbledon Studios in south-west London.

The script has been written by Mark Gatiss, a regular Doctor Who writer who, like Bradley, has been seen in the show since its 2005 revival.

Gatiss will act as executive producer of the one-off 90-minute drama, alongside Steven Moffat and Caroline Skinner.
'Cultural phenomenon'

"I first heard about this role from Mark while watching the Diamond Jubilee flotilla from the roof of the National Theatre," said Bradley, who played the character of Solomon in 2012 episode Dinosaurs on a Spaceship.

"When he asked if I would interested, I almost bit his hand off! Mark has written such a wonderful script not only about the birth of a cultural phenomenon, but a moment in television's history.
David Bradley in Doctor Who Bradley was seen last year in Doctor Who episode Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

"William Hartnell was one of the finest character actors of our time and as a fan I want to make sure that I do him justice. I'm so looking forward to getting started."

Doctor Who was first broadcast on 23 November 1963 with a four-part adventure known as An Unearthly Child.

Sacha Dhawan, seen recently in Last Tango In Halifax, will play Waris Hussein, director of those initial episodes.

An Adventure in Space and Time is one of a number of programmes that will mark Doctor Who's half-centenary later this year.

Hartnell, who died in 1975, was better known for playing 'hard man' roles prior to being cast as the Doctor, a role he filled from 1963 to 1966.

The first solid details regarding the BBC sci-fi drama's celebratory episode - marking 50 years since the show began in November 1963 - emerged tonight (February 11).

Confirming the news, BBC One's official Twitter account wrote: "As part of the 50th Doctor Who celebrations, we'll be broadcasting the Time Lord and his TARDIS in 3D for the first time!"

Steven Moffat, Who's lead writer and executive producer, said: "It's about time. Technology has finally caught up with Doctor Who and your television is now bigger on the inside. A whole new dimension of adventure for the Doctor to explore."

The 3D special will be broadcast using some of the BBC's HD capacity.

Moffat recently admitted that he is aware of the expectation surrounding Doctor Who's 50th anniversary celebrations.

"I'm mostly excited [about the anniversary], a little bit nervous and aware of trying not to let people down," he said.

Doctor Who returns to BBC One with new episodes on March 30.

50th Anniversary to be in 3d (does anyone really care?)

As part of the 50th Doctor Who celebrations, we'll be broadcasting the Time Lord and his TARDIS in 3D for the first time

If you want to see DiT in "3D" get a camera ND filter and hold it over your right eye. Only downer is the Youtube quality is shit which somewhat ruins the effect:

I remember being 14 years old and feeling pretty excited about Doctor Who being 'back' on telly, even if it was just for a Children In Need special. I also remember how I felt once I had managed to actually sit through it. I certainly remember the experience being awful enough that I've no pressing desire to relive it.

Is that Albert Square in the thumbnail on the video there?

Whoever thought of the idea of a Doctor who/Eastenders crossover needs a firm kicking in the bollocks.

I think I'm done with Doctor Who, now.

I still think the show is better now with Moffat in charge. Is this no longer the popular view?

I liked his first series and all of the individual stories that he contributed to the RTD era, but now the whole shebang stinks of marketing influence and aspirations to ONLY appeal to kids.

Whoever thought of the idea of a Doctor who/Eastenders crossover needs a firm kicking in the bollocks.
(Eastenders: One of the best ways to get me to sod off.)

I still think the show is better now with Moffat in charge. Is this no longer the popular view?

All 'new' Who is basically East Enders with monsters, isn't it?

And that's Lou Beale in the middle.

Who’s who of Doctor Who: BBC to reunite ALL former Time Lords for 50th anniversary special
15 Feb 2013 03:00

Seven of the surviving actors are set to return in cameo roles on the 3D episode to mark the 50th anniversary of the sci-fi favourite




BBC bosses are going to attempt to regenerate ALL the former Time Lords, reuniting them in a Doctor Who special.

Seven of the surviving actors are set to return in cameo roles on the 3D episode to mark the 50th anniversary of the sci-fi favourite.

And chiefs also want to involve the first three Doctors – William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee – who have died since the first episode screened back in 1963.

They would be included in the feature-length special using computer generated images and old footage.

Doctors of old Tom Baker, 79, Peter Davison, 61, Colin Baker, 69, Sylvester McCoy, 69, Paul McGann, 53, Christopher Eccleston, 48, and David Tennant. 41, are thought to have agreed to take part alongside current star Matt Smith, 30.

This week writer and producer Steven Moffat – who is notoriously secretive – admitted: “Getting the other Doctors involved would be very fitting for the anniversary episode, wouldn’t it?”

He is still writing the special, which is due to be filmed this spring.

The plot is a fiercely-guarded secret, but Moffat said the fact the original show was delayed by more than a minute by an extended news bulletin would be referenced.

The first episode with Hartnell as The Doctor was broadcast on November 23 – the day after President Kennedy was shot.

The special episode is likely to provide the exit point for Smith, who is expected to regenerate into the 12th Time Lord.

Smith, set to star in movie How to Catch a Monster, admitted he would love to work with his predecessors. “How amazing would it be to see Tom Baker? Can you imagine seeing him back in the scarf? That would be so cool,” he said.

“Paul McGann is a great Doctor – I say bring back Chris and Dave too.”

If bosses manage to pull off the coup, it will be the biggest gathering of Doctors since 1983, when five were reunited for the 20th anniversary.

Thank goodness there’s plenty of room in the Tardis for all of them...

Taking the source this is probably all junk but :

An actual, intricately-illustrated prop book was created for the filming by artist Kellyanne Walker. Later, Character Options, which held some of the rights to release toys and merchandise based upon the series, issued a faux leather-bound reproduction of the book. The CO journal is not as big as the one in the episode.

I would let out an audible cheer if Paul McGann gets some scenes.

Oh and if you had not been checking - Adventures with the wife in space has started back up after their break with Time and the Rani

http://wifeinspace.com/2013/02/time-and-the-rani/

Sue, pretty much sums up my whole attitude to the McCoy years...which is a shame as when he was announced I remember being excited about what he would bring to the role (after the bitter disappointment at Baker leaving).

Earth Aid

The opening three-part, studio-bound story[148] was to be by Ben Aaronovitch; a space opera featuring a race of samurai insect-like aliens called the Metatraxi.[149] Earth Aid was to open with Ace in the captain's chair of a starship,[149] and the story would concern the politics of humanitarian aid.[149] The Metatraxi were originally conceived as part of a stage play entitled War World.[149] The Metatraxi were later used in Lawrence Miles' spin-off novel Alien Bodies.[150] Earth Aid (a title invented by Dave Owen for his "27 up" article in DWM[151]) was later adapted by Aaronovitch and Cartmel for Big Finish's The Lost Stories range in July 2011. Cartmel is on record as preferring the title Bad Destination.[152]
[edit]
Thin Ice

This four-parter, the second story of the proposed series,[151] was to have been written by Marc Platt and was due to feature Ice Warriors in a London of 1968.[153] It would have seen the departure of Ace[151] to the Prydonian Academy to become a Time Lord.[153][154] The story was to introduce a character with underworld connections who was intended to become a recurring character similar to the Brigadier.[151] The character would have a daughter born at the conclusion of the adventure who would be named by the Doctor.[153] The plot would have featured an Ice Warrior's armour in the London Dungeon[151] and two reincarnated Warriors continuing a long rivalry.[151] Platt also intended to have bikers being controlled by the Ice Warriors (and wearing similar helmets), scenes on a terraformed pastoral Mars, and a more mystical bent to the aliens while deepening their history.[155] Marc Platt has revealed that the name Ice Time was "only ever invented for an article in Doctor Who Magazine" (Dave Owen's "27 up" article).[156] It was later adapted by Platt for Big Finish's The Lost Stories range in April 2011.
[edit]
Crime of the Century

Was to have been written by Andrew Cartmel, and would have introduced a cat burglar/safecracker as the next companion.[153] The character with underworld connections from Thin Ice would be featured as an older individual and the father of the new companion.[153] Crime of the Century (another title invented by Owen for "27 up") was later adapted by Cartmel for Big Finish's The Lost Stories range in May 2011. Cartmel would have preferred to call the story Action at a Distance.[152]
[edit]
Animal

Cartmel had wanted to pen a story of his own.[144] Animal (another title invented by Owen for "27 up") was later adapted by Cartmel for Big Finish's The Lost Stories range in June 2011. Cartmel would have preferred to call the story Blood and Iron.[152]
[edit]
Hostage

Written by Neil Penswick, this was a three-part[157] futuristic thriller in which a group of soldiers are hunting down two shape-changing criminals called Butler and Swarfe.[157] The cliffhanger to part one had Swarfe changing into a monster who then went on the hunt in part two.[157] Penswick later adapted some material from this for his Virgin New Adventures novel The Pit in March 1993.
[edit]
Night Thoughts

Written by Edward Young, this is a horror story set in an isolated house.[144] It would feature a group of university staff, one who was a cripple, trapped in the house during winter.[144] One of the characters would turn out to be a murderer.[144] The story took its name and theme from the poem Night-Thoughts by Edward Young, namesake of the story's writer. It was later adapted by Young for Big Finish in February 2006. The adaptation featured the Seventh Doctor and Ace, as well as Big Finish-original companion Hex.
[edit]
A School for Glory

Written by Tony Etchells & an unidentified writer, this was to be set during the Great War.[145] The narrative was planned to alternate between the trenches and a British country house doubling as an army academy.[145]

I'm hoping some of this stuff ends up on UK Netflix at some point. US Netflix has a ton of old Who, but we've, as far as I can tell, just got the first two Doctors right now.

Recreating the Daleks invasion of London

Ben Aaronovitch has since written a great little (ongoing) series of books about a policeman in London who finds out magic is real.

They're better than that makes them sound!

Dalek Invasion Of The Earth.

Nope, it's:

Daleks - Invasion Earth: 2150AD

Here are a few of the notable plot changes made between the TV version of the story and the film (not including the fundamental differences involving the character of Dr. Who himself when compared to the canonical First Doctor):

Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright are replaced by Tom and Louise.
The Daleks exterminate their enemies using some sort of gas.
Dr. Who breaks out of the cell in the Daleks' saucer using a comb rather than the First Doctor's more advanced form of intelligence test.
In the siege of the Dalek saucer far more Daleks are killed than in "Day of Reckoning"
In this version Dr. Who, Tom, Louise and Susan journey to the mine in different ways. Dr. Who goes with David, Susan travels with Dortmun, and Tom Campbell and Louise use a Dalek ship (in the original, the Doctor and Susan go with David, Barbara travels with Dortmun and Ian uses the Dalek ship.)
In the TV version, David and Susan use the sewers to avoid the Daleks - the only time that a sewer is featured in the film is when Dr. Who and David briefly hide from the pursuing Daleks in one.
In the TV version, the black marketeer endeavours to smuggle Ian out of the camp; the same character in the film is smuggling the Doctor and David into the camp.
The film doesn't feature the Slyther.
In Bedfordshire the Daleks in the film seem to have some kind of building as their HQ rather than using the saucer as was the case in TV: The Dalek Invasion of Earth.
The Roboman rebellion is not the undoing of the Daleks in the film version. In fact, it is dealt with swiftly by the Daleks.
The plot's resolution is slightly different: in the TV version, the bomb is used diverted to the Daleks' ship to destroy them, but in the film it's the Earth's magnetic properties.
In TV: The Dalek Invasion of Earth, robotising a human was an irreversible process; however, in the film, Robomen are seen fleeing from the mine as their regular human selves.
Since Susan is depicted as a child in the film (rather than a teenager as in the TV version), the original subplot of the character's romance with David and being left behind by the Doctor is eliminated.