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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! Eurovision Puts DW On Hold Again General TV Series News May 16, 2008 • Posted By John BowmanThe Series Four run of Doctor Who will take a break for one week on Saturday, May 24 because of the Eurovision Song Contest.
The Radio Times listing for that day shows I'd Do Anything from 6.50pm to 7.50pm, the National Lottery draws at 7.50pm and Eurovision following from 8pm until 11.15pm. Episode eight, Silence In The Library, which is the first instalment of a Steven Moffat two-parter, will air on Saturday, May 31 instead, as confirmed by the BBC Press Office. The same thing happened last year when Series Three episode seven, 42, was pushed back by a week because of the contest. The previous episode, The Lazarus Experiment, was followed by a 'Coming Soon . . . ' trailer to make up for the disappointment. Whether this will happen tomorrow at the conclusion of The Unicorn and the Wasp is currently unknown. Doctor Who Adventures 64 Merchandise May 15, 2008 • Posted By John BowmanThe Doctor and his daughter Jenny are on the cover of the new Doctor Who Adventures magazine, out today.
Issue 64 looks at last Saturday's episode and has a sneak preview of The Unicorn and the Wasp, which airs this coming Saturday. The free gift is a special Doctor dress-up kit, with a pair of glasses, a sonic screwdriver and two badges. Also in the magazine:  Hinchcliffe on New Who PressClips May 14, 2008 • Posted By Paul HayesThis week's issue of The Stage entertainment industry newspaper contains a feature where 1970s Doctor Who producer Philip Hinchcliffe analyses the recent new series episode "Planet of the Ood", and compares the state of the programme now to how it was when he produced it.
The Stage's website has published a preview article for the feature, highlighting some of Hinchcliffe's comments. "It's flipping the familiar sci-fi idea of a people enslaved," he tells the paper. "Here the humans are the masters and the aliens, the slaves. It's a good, clear concept. Obviously it’s been concertinaed and compressed to fit 45 minutes, but it’s still a powerful central story. The print issue is available across the UK from tomorrow. New Torchwood Books Torchwood May 14, 2008 • Posted By MarcusBBC Books have revealed details for three new Torchwood novels due to be published on 2nd October 2008.
   Pack Animals - Peter Anghelides Shopping for wedding gifts with your fiancé is enjoyable, unless like Gwen you witness a Weevil massacre in the shopping centre. A trip to the zoo is a great day out, until a date goes tragically wrong and Ianto is badly injured by stolen alien tech. And Halloween is a day of fun and frights, before unspeakable monsters invade the streets of Cardiff and it’s no longer a trick or a treat for the terrified population. Torchwood can control small groups of scavengers, but now someone has given large numbers of predators a season ticket to Earth. Jack’s investigation is hampered when he finds he’s being investigated himself. Owen is convinced that it’s just one guy who’s toying with them. But will Torchwood find out before it’s too late that the game is horribly real, and the deck is stacked against them? Peter Anghelides wrote the bestselling Another Life for the first series of Torchwood novels. He has written more than a dozen Doctor Who novels, short stories and audio plays. SkyPoint – Phil Ford "If you’re going to be anyone in Cardiff, you’re going to be at SkyPoint!" SkyPoint is the latest high-rise addition to the ever-developing Cardiff skyline. It’s the most high-tech, avant-garde apartment block in the city. And it’s where Rhys Williams is hoping to find a new home for himself and Gwen. Gwen’s more concerned by the money behind the tower block – Besnik Lucca, a name she knows from her days in uniform. When Torchwood discover that residents have been going missing from the tower block, one of the team gets her dream assignment. Soon SkyPoint’s latest newly married tenants are moving in. And Toshiko Sato finally gets to make a home with Owen Harper. Then something comes out of the wall… Phil Ford has written scripts for both Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures for BBC Television, and also wrote the Alternate Reality Game for the official Torchwood website. His extensive screenwriting credits include episodes of Taggart, Bad Girls, New Captain Scarlet and Coronation Street. Almost Perfect - James Goss Emma is 30, single and frankly desperate. She woke up this morning with nothing to look forward to but another evening of unsuccessful speed-dating. But now she has a new weapon in her quest for Mr Right. And it’s made her almost perfect. Gwen Cooper woke up this morning expecting the unexpected. As usual. She went to work and found a skeleton at a table for two and a colleague in a surprisingly glamorous dress. Perfect. Ianto Jones woke up this morning with no memory of last night. He went to work, where he caused amusement, suspicion and a little bit of jealousy. Because Ianto Jones woke up this morning in the body of a woman. And he’s looking just about perfect. And Jack Harkness has always had his doubts about Perfection. James Goss spent seven years working on the BBC’s official Doctor Who website and co-wrote the website for Torchwood Series One. In 2007, he won the Best Adaptation category in the annual LA Weekly Theatre Awards for his version of Douglas Adams’ novel Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. Tennant backs academy campaign People May 14, 2008 • Posted By Marcus David Tennant has joined the campaign to prevent cutbacks at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. The academy has to make £600,000 of savings in the coming year. In a statement Tennant said: "Nothing I have managed to achieve in my career would have happened without my training at the RSAMD. The drama training I received was world class and the idea that the opportunities I got there might be compromised for future generations is deeply upsetting." Other famous alumni include Billy Boyd, Robert Carlyle, Tom Conti, Alan Cumming, Emma Fielding, Denis Lawson, Ian Richardson and Ruby Wax. Full story from BBC News Thanks to Ian Kildin Poison Sky - Final Ratings Broadcasting May 14, 2008 • Posted By Marcus Final figures released by BARB give episode five of Series Four, The Poison Sky, an official rating of 6.53 million viewers. The programme was the 18th most watched for the week on British Television.On multi-channel television, the Sunday BBC3 repeat was watched by 1.09 million viewers and was the 4th most watched programme on multichannel for the week. The Saturday showing of Doctor Who Confidential got 0.61 million viewers and was the 25th most watched programme of the week. Full ratings data, including data for iPlayer downloads can be found in the Doctor Who Forum. Top Programmes w/e 27 April 2008 1 CORONATION STREET (MON 2029) - 10.40 - ITV1 2 CORONATION STREET (MON 1932) - 9.84 - ITV1 3 EASTENDERS (MON 2000) - 9.79 - BBC1 4 CORONATION STREET (WED 1932) - 9.50 - ITV1 5 EASTENDERS (TUE 1930) - 9.23 - BBC1 6 CORONATION STREET (FRI 1934) - 9.13 - ITV1 7 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (SAT 2007) - 9.12 - ITV1 8 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (TUE 1928) - 8.98 - ITV1 9 EASTENDERS (FRI 2000) - 8.72 - BBC1 10 EASTENDERS (THU 1930) - 8.46 - BBC1 11 CORONATION STREET (SUN 1936) - 8.30 - ITV1 12 FLOOD (SUN 2008) - 7.69 - ITV1 13 THE APPRENTICE (WED 2100) - 7.28 - BBC1 14 EMMERDALE (WED 1900) - 7.20 - ITV1 15 EMMERDALE (TUE 1859) - 7.19 - ITV1 16 EMMERDALE (MON 1901) - 7.19 - ITV1 17 WAKING THE DEAD (MON 2101) - 7.06 - BBC1 18 DOCTOR WHO (SAT 1819) - 6.53 - BBC1 19 EMMERDALE (FRI 1903) - 6.52 - ITV1 20 WAKING THE DEAD (TUE 2100) - 6.39 - BBC1 Top Multi Channel Programmes w/e 27 April 2008 1 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LIVE (Wed 1900) 2,486,000 - Sky Sports 2 UEFA CUP (2007- 2008) (Thu 1928) 1,224,000 - ITV4 3 HEROES (Thu 2229) 1,195,000 - BBC3 4 DOCTOR WHO (Sun 2001) 1,086,000 - BBC3 5 LIVE FORD FOOTBALL SPECIAL-MATCH (Sat 1200) 1,051,000 - Sky Sports 6 EASTENDERS (Tue 2201) 1,034,000 - BBC3 7 FAMILY GUY (Sun 2200) 986,000 - BBC3 8 EASTENDERS (Thu 2159) 951,000 - BBC3 9 HOME AND AWAY (Wed 1829) 944,000 - Fiver (was 10 FORD SUPER SUNDAY (Sun 1536) 942,000 - Sky Sports 11 KATIE AND PETER: THE NEXT CHAPTER (Thu 2059) 871,000 - ITV2 12 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT AUDITIONS (Sat 2209) 803,000 - ITV2 13 FORD SUPER SUNDAY (Sun 1259) 798,000 - Sky Sports 14 LOST (Sun 2103) 787,000 - Sky One 15 HOME AND AWAY (Mon 1829) 786,000 - Fiver (was 16 EASTENDERS (Mon 2201) 740,000 - BBC3 17 HOME AND AWAY (Thu 1828) 708,000 - Fiver (was 18 HOME AND AWAY (Fri 1829) 698,000 - Fiver (was 19 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT AUDITIONS (Sun 2107) 688,000 - ITV2 20 EASTENDERS (Fri 2201) 676,000 - BBC3 Source BARB BBC Blocks Fan's Knit Patterns Miscellaneous May 13, 2008 • Posted By R. Alan SilerNews.com.au has reported that the BBC has issued a copyright infringement notice to a fan who has created knitting patterns of Doctor Who characters (including an Ood, Cassandra, the Face of Boe and two others) and shared them - for free - on the internet.
The person behind the Mazzmatazz website stated: "The patterns I created, inspired by Doctor Who, were never for sale - they were shared under Creative Commons licenses, to prevent resale, so that other fans could enjoy and share the fun too." Mazmatazz's case has also been picked up by the Open Rights Group, an online civil liberties organisation. A statement on the ORG website said the BBC should play a role in "stimulating the creative economy" by allowing fans to alter its content in a non-commercial context. "The approach the BBC have taken with Mazz’s knitting patterns demonstrate a distinct lack of flexibility," the organisation said. "It is quite possible that through transforming the characters in Doctor Who into knitting patterns, Mazz may have infringed upon the BBC’s copyright. But it’s hard to see how Mazz’s non-commercial knitting patterns actually damage the commercial interests of the BBC." Various bloggers have expressed disagreement that the infringement notice is in any way valid, as the knitting patterns are not "direct representations of their [the BBC's] characters", and that these patterns should rightly fall into the category of fan art. "They are misplacing their energies pursuing a fan who has done nothing more than to display their love to the show by making a highly original design," said technology law blogger Andres Guadamuz Doctor's Daughter - AI and Digital Ratings Broadcasting May 13, 2008 • Posted By Marcus Episode six of series four, The Doctor's Daughter, achieved an Appreciation Index of 88. Once more one of the highest scores for the weekend on any of the five main channels.With overnights now available for the whole week, Doctor Who is currently the 11th most watched programme of the week. Final figures will be released by BARB in 9 days time. Saturday's edition of Doctor Who Confidential was watched by 0.59 million viewers, according to unofficial overnights. The programme, which had a share of 3.8%, was the 2nd most watched on multi channel television on Saturday. Sunday's BBC3 repeat of The Doctor's Daughter got an overnight audience of 0.65 million, a 3.4% share and was the 7th most watched programme on multi channel TV for Sunday. Doctor Who Confidential got an audience of 0.27 million for the repeat showing. Meanwhile last Friday's repeat of The Poison Sky got an audience of 0.49 million and was the 5th most watched multi channel programme for the day. Doctor And Donna Books Announced Books May 12, 2008 • Posted By John BowmanDetails of the forthcoming first three original, stand-alone novels featuring the Doctor and Donna have been released.
Ghosts of India by Mark Morris, The Doctor Trap by Simon Messingham and Shining Darkness by Mark Michalowski will be published in hardback by BBC Books in September. See below for the synopses.    Ghosts of India: India in 1947 is a country in the grip of chaos - a country torn apart by internal strife. When the Doctor and Donna arrive in Calcutta, they are instantly swept up in violent events. Barely escaping with their lives, they discover that the city is rife with tales of 'half-made men' who roam the streets at night and steal people away. These creatures, it is said, are as white as salt and have only shadows where their eyes should be. With help from India's great spiritual leader, Mohandas 'Mahatma' Gandhi, the Doctor and Donna set out to investigate these rumours. What is the real truth behind the 'half-made men'? Why is Gandhi's role in history under threat? And has an ancient, all-powerful god of destruction really come back to wreak his vengeance upon the Earth? The Doctor Trap: Sebastiene was perhaps once human. He might look like a 19th-century nobleman but in truth he is a ruthless hunter. He likes nothing more than luring difficult opposition to a planet then hunting them down for sport. And now he's caught them all - from Zargregs to Moogs, and even the odd Eternal… In fact, Sebastiene is after only one more prize. For this trophy, he knows he is going to need help. He's brought together the finest hunters in the universe to play the most dangerous game for the deadliest quarry of them all. They are hunting for the last of the Time Lords - the Doctor. Shining Darkness: For Donna Noble, the Andromeda galaxy is a long, long way from home. But, even two and a half million light years from Earth, some things never change . . . A visit to an art gallery turns into a race across space to uncover the secret behind a shadowy organisation. From the desert world of Karris to the interplanetary scrapyard of Junk, the Doctor and Donna discover that appearances can be deceptive, that enemies are lurking around every corner - and that the centuries-long peace between humans and machines may be about to come to an end. Because waiting in the wings to bring chaos to the galaxy is The Cult of Shining Darkness. BAFTA win for Moffat People May 11, 2008 • Posted By Paul Hayes Steven Moffat has tonight been awarded the British Academy Television Award (BAFTA) for Best Writer, for the script of his 2007 Doctor Who episode "Blink". The Award was presented at the annual BAFTA Craft Awards ceremony, which honours those who work behind-the-scenes in the industry. Moffat won the award ahead of Jimmy McGovern (for "The Street"), Tony Marchant (for "The Mark of Cain") and Heidi Thomas (for "Cranford"). Full details can be found on the BAFTA website.One of the highest accolades available to a British scriptwriter, it is Moffat's second BAFTA Award in recent weeks, having also won the BAFTA Cymru (Welsh BAFTAs) scriptwriting category, again for "Blink". Tate In West End Play People May 11, 2008 • Posted By John BowmanCatherine Tate will be appearing in London's West End this summer in the play Under The Blue Sky.
It is being staged at The Duke of York's Theatre, in St Martin's Lane, from Tuesday, July 15 until Saturday, September 20. The play, by David Eldridge, consists of three love stories that are connected subtly. Tate will be appearing with Francesca Annis, Lisa Dillon, Chris O'Dowd and Dominic Rowan. Her previous theatre credits have included Some Girls at The Gielgud Theatre, with David Schwimmer, as well as The 24 Hour Plays at The Old Vic. Doctor's Daughter - Overnight Ratings Broadcasting May 11, 2008 • Posted By MarcusUnofficial figures show that episode six of Series Four, The Doctor's Daughter, was watched by 6.6 million viewers, giving it a 38.4% share of the total television audience. While most programmes have been getting lower figures than the previous week, Doctor Who has increased its audience to bring it back over the 6 million mark. The top rated programme was still ITV1's Britain's Got Talent although its audience was down by a million at 7.5 million. Doctor Who was the highest rated programme on BBC1 for the day and had the biggest share of any programme on Saturday. The programme is currently the 11th most watched of the week, once more beating all episodes of Emmerdale. Final figures will be released by BARB in ten days time. This Week in Doctor Who New Column Posted May 9, 2008 • Posted By Benjamin Elliott The latest installment of This Week in Doctor Who, the weekly guide to Doctor Who on television in the UK, North America and elsewhere, for May 9, 2008 has now been posted. Click here to read it.Doctor Who Adventures 63 Merchandise May 9, 2008 • Posted By John BowmanSontaran stationery is the giveaway with this week's Doctor Who Adventures.
Issue 63 looks back at last week's episode, The Poison Sky, and previews what is happening in tomorrow's adventure, The Doctor's Daughter. Also in the magazine:  Tate was robbed of Comedy Award People May 8, 2008 • Posted By Paul HayesAn investigation by the British broadcasting industry regulator OfCom has found that Doctor Who star Catherine Tate was unfairly denied the People's Choice Award at the 2005 British Comedy Awards, screened on the ITV network. The recipient of the award was to have been decided by a telephone vote from viewers.
BBC News reports that even though Tate won the most votes in the category, the prize was given to presenting duo Ant and Dec. This was done because pop star Robbie Williams had agreed to attend the ceremony and present a prize, but would only do so if it could be for Ant and Dec. As they had not won any of the jury-decided categories, it was decided that they should win the audience award to ensure Williams's attendance. The Times quotes a spokesman for Tate as saying that the actress was an "innocent bystander" in the matter, and had no desire to comment. Ant and Dec have said that they will return their award, which will presumably now be given to Tate. Freema Agyeman cast in BBC One's Dickens People May 7, 2008 • Posted By R. Alan SilerBBC Drama Production today announced the key cast for Little Dorrit, Andrew Davies' major adaptation of Dickens' novel, which will be broadcast on BBC One this autumn (date to be announced). Freema Agyeman, best known to audiences as Martha Jones from Doctor Who and Torchwood, has been cast as Tattycoram, the foundling companion of the Meagles' daughter Pet.
The Dorrit family are joined by a host of colourful characters who they encounter on their way from rags to riches in Dickensian society. When the benevolent Arthur Clennam returns from overseas he is determined to solve the mystery of his father's dying words, "Put it right Arthur. Your mother. Put it right." The 15-part drama series began filming last week (commencing 28 April 2008) and will film throughout the summer in locations in and around London, Buckinghamshire, Kent and Herefordshire. Adapted by acclaimed writer Andrew Davies (Sense And Sensibility, Bleak House) Little Dorrit will play out in soap opera format with 14 half-hour episodes following an initial hour-long episode. Kate Harwood, BBC Head of Series and Serials, says: "We are very proud to be presenting this wonderful line-up of cast who will be bringing to life one of Dickens' broadest range of characters in a gripping, witty and touching script by the inimitable Andrew Davies. Part-murder mystery, part-love story, and wholly entertaining, Little Dorrit promises to be an autumn treat." Sylvester McCoy stars in 'The Mikado' People May 7, 2008 • Posted By R. Alan SilerSeventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy will be playing the lead in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. The production opens at the Sheffield Theatre Lyceum following a successful run in the West End and features the Oscar-winning sets and costumes from Mike Leigh's film Topsy Turvy.
Starring alongside the Professor is Nichola McAuliffe, who will be reprising her role of Katisha from the West End run. McAuliffe previously appeared in Doctor Who as Vivien Rook in 2007's "The Sound of Drums" and was also the voice of James Bond's BMW in 1997's Tomorrow Never Dies. Transporting you to the magnificent Japanese court of Titipu, this hilarious tale of love, marriage, executions and heroics brings to life some of Gilbert & Sullivan's most colourful and popular comic characters from Ko-Ko the Lord High Executioner, Pooh-Bah and Nanki-Poo, to the delightful three little maids. The Mikado plays seven exclusive performances from Tuesday 27 May to Saturday 31 May, 2008. For more information, please visit http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/ Sontaran Stratagem - Final Ratings Broadcasting May 7, 2008 • Posted By Marcus Final figures released by BARB give episode four of Series Four, The Sontaran Stratagem, an official rating of 7.06 million viewers. The programme was the 17th most watched for the week on British Television.On multi-channel television, the Sunday BBC3 repeat was watched by 1.04 million viewers and was the 6th most watched programme on multichannel for the week. The Saturday showing of Doctor Who Confidential got 0.59 million viewers. Also listed is Fridays repeat of Planet of the Ood which got 0.64 million viewers. Full ratings data, including data for iPlayer downloads can be found in the Doctor Who Forum. Top 20 Programmes (w/e 27 April 2008) 1 - CORONATION STREET (MON 2029) 10.81 2 - CORONATION STREET (MON 1933) 10.22 3 - BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (SAT 2005) 9.86 4 - EASTENDERS (MON 2000) 9.66 5 - CORONATION STREET (FRI 1933) 9.41 6 - EASTENDERS (THU 1929) 9.19 7 - CORONATION STREET (FRI 2029) 9.14 8 - CORONATION STREET (WED 1931) 8.87 9 - EASTENDERS (FRI 1959) 8.79 10 - EASTENDERS (TUE 1929) 8.59 11 - UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (TUE 1928) 8.53 12 - MIDSOMER MURDERS (SUN 2002) 7.98 13 - THE APPRENTICE (WED 2100) 7.85 14 - EMMERDALE (MON 1901) 7.49 15 - EMMERDALE (FRI 1902) 7.20 16 - EMMERDALE (THU 1903) 7.15 17 - DOCTOR WHO (SAT 1819) 7.06 18 - EMMERDALE (TUE 1859) 6.77 19 - EMMERDALE (WED 1900) 6.72 20 - CASUALTY (SAT 2057) 6.56 Top Twenty Multichannel Programmes (we 27 April 2008) 1 - UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LIVE (Wed 1900) 1.77m - Sky Sports 2 2 - LIVE FORD FOOTBALL SPECIAL-MATCH (Sat 1200) 1.39m - Sky Sports 1 3 - BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (Sun 1959) 1.19m - ITV2 4 - EASTENDERS (Tue 2202) 1.09m - BBC3 5 - EASTENDERS (Thu 2201) 1.04m - BBC3 6 - DOCTOR WHO (Sun 2002) 1.04m - BBC3 7 - HEROES (Thu 2231) 990,000 - BBC3 8 - FORD SUPER SUNDAY (Sun 1533) 968,000 - Sky Sports 1 9 - BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT AUDITIONS (Sun 2103) 921,000 - ITV2 10 - KATIE AND PETER: THE NEXT CHAPTER (Thu 2101) 876,000 - ITV2 11 - UEFA CUP (2007- 2008) (Thu 1859) 872,000 - ITV4 12 - EASTENDERS (Mon 2200) 810,000 - BBC3 13 - 60 SECONDS (Tue 2200) 807,000 - BBC3 14 - BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT AUDITIONS (Sat 2204) 760,000 - ITV2 15 - HOME AND AWAY (Wed 1829) 710,000 - Fiver 16 - HOLLYOAKS (Mon 1900) 708,000 - E4 17 - HOME AND AWAY (Mon 1829) 706,000 - Fiver 18 - HOME AND AWAY (Thu 1829) 705,000 - Fiver 19 - HOME AND AWAY (Fri 1829) 700,000 - Fiver 20 - HOME AND AWAY (Tue 1829) 694,000 - Fiver Source: BARB Bernard Archard 1916 - 2008 People May 6, 2008 • Posted By Marcus Classic series actor Bernard Archard has died at the age of 91.Archard created two memorable roles in the series. In 1966 he played the role of Bragen, the security chief seeking complete control of a colony of humans on the planet Vulcan, in Patrick Troughton's first story, The Power of the Daleks. He returned to the series in 1975 to create the classic role of Marcus Scarman in the Tom Baker story Pyramids of Mars a story highly rated by fans. Bernard Archard had a long and distinguished career appearing in such series as No Hiding Place (1962), The Avengers (1968), The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes (1971) and Bergerac. A detailed obituary is available in the Independent. Thanks to Trevor Smith The Poison Sky - AI and Digital Ratings Broadcasting May 5, 2008 • Posted By MarcusEpisode five of series four, The Poison Sky, achieved an Appreciation Index of 88. Not only one of the highest scores in the series history, but the joint highest score for the weekend on any of the five main channels.With overnights now available for the whole week, Doctor Who is currently the 19th most watched programme of the week. Final figures will be released by BARB in 9 days time. Saturday's edition of Doctor Who Confidential was watched by 0.58 million viewers, according to unofficial overnights. The programme, which had a share of 3.3%, was the 3rd most watched on multi channel television on Saturday. Sunday's BBC3 repeat of The Poison Sky got an overnight audience of 0.63 million, a 3.1% share and was the 5th most watched programme on multi channel TV for Sunday. Doctor Who Confidential got an audience of 0.32 million for the repeat showing. Meanwhile last Friday's repeat of The Sontaran Stratagem got an audience of 0.39 million and was the 11th most watched multi channel programme for the day. "Sontaran" Director Douglas MacKinnon Interview PressClips May 4, 2008 • Posted By R. Alan SilerToday's Sunday Mail carries an interview with Douglas MacKinnon, director of just-broadcast episodes "The Sontaran Stratagem" and "The Poison Sky".
Having grown up watching Doctor Who as a young man, and remembering the Sontarans' debut appearance in 1973's "The Time Warrior" starring Jon Pertwee and Elisabeth Sladen, directing these episodes was a dream come true for him. "To get a two-parter with Catherine Tate and Freema Agyeman and the Sontarans was just fantastic. I'd personally put the Sontarans third after the Cybermen and the Daleks as big legends in the legacy of Doctor Who villains." MacKinnon, a Scotsman, had nothing but praise for series lead David Tennant: "He's everything people say, generous, kind and, most importantly, a very, very good actor. The thing with Doctor Who is the leading actor sets the pace to an extent and David's enthusiasm for the role is infectious for everyone." But the production was not without incident: at one point during the shoot, MacKinnon managed to break the TARDIS. "During filming I was working on the TARDIS and I managed to break the bit in the middle which goes up and down. I wanted it to go too fast for a dramatic scene and it just stopped working. I couldn't believe I'd broken the TARDIS! Thankfully, we managed to fix it half an hour later but I had this surreal phone call with my nine-year-old son Thomas, who is a massive Doctor Who fan, back home in Fife and said: 'You'll never believe what I did today...' And he shouted to my wife Mandy: 'Mum, dad's broken the TARDIS!'" Doctor Who to Church's Rescue Miscellaneous May 4, 2008 • Posted By R. Alan SilerAs reported in the Telegraph today, leaders at a church conference were encouraged to study Doctor Who and to draw upon the themes that run parallel to Christian doctrine in their sermons as a means of reaching more young people.
Andrew Wooding, a spokesman for the Church Army, which organised the conference, said that its intention was to give vicars new ideas for conveying their message. "There are countless examples of Christian symbolism in Doctor Who, which we can use to get across ideas that can otherwise be difficult to explain," commented Wooding. In sessions with titles like "Meaningful Monsters: Daleks Through the Decades", members of the clergy watched clips of various episodes and discussed the relevance of certain scenes to Christian teachings. The Rev Andrew Myers, vicar at St Aidan’s in Leeds, commented: "We saw the Doctor persuaded to save a family of Pompeians in one of the most recent episodes, surely a reference to Genesis and Abraham’s bargaining with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah." Former Doctor Who producer Barry Letts said it was right to look at the series for religious parables. "I think it’s inevitable because of Britain’s cultural heritage that a long-running programme about the fight between good and evil will have some Christian themes as a backdrop," he said. The Poison Sky - Overnight Ratings Broadcasting May 4, 2008 • Posted By MarcusUnofficial figures show that episode five of Series Four, The Poison Sky, was watched by 5.9 million viewers, giving it a 32.5% share of the total television audience. Although dipping below the 6 million mark, the programme was still the second most watched of the day, being beaten by ITV1's Britain's Got Talent, which got 8.5 million viewers. It was the highest rated programme on BBC1 for the day. The programme is currently the 17th most watched of the week. Final figures will be released by BARB in ten days time. This Week in Doctor Who New Column Posted May 3, 2008 • Posted By Benjamin ElliottThe latest installment of This Week in Doctor Who, the weekly guide to Doctor Who on television in the UK, North America and elsewhere, for May 3, 2008 has now been posted. Click here to read it.Torchwood On iTunes In USA Torchwood April 30, 2008 • Posted By John Bowman US residents can now buy and download Torchwood from the iTunes Store.The Doctor Who spin-off is among the BBC America programming available as part of the strategy of BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, to secure the broadest possible distribution for its TV shows. People can buy single episodes and complete seasons. Also among the programmes available is the comedy series Little Britain, for which Tom Baker provides the narration. Beth Clearfield, the vice-president of digital media and business development for BBC Worldwide America, said: "The BBC is delighted to provide US audiences with the unique ability to purchase and download select award-winning BBC America programming on the iTunes Store." Planet of the Ood - Final Ratings Broadcasting April 30, 2008 • Posted By Marcus Final figures released by BARB give episode three of Series Four, Planet of the Ood, an official rating of 7.50 million viewers. The programme was the 12th most watched for the week on British Television. On BBC1 it was the 4th most watched for the week, behind three editions of EastEnders.On multi-channel television, the Sunday BBC3 repeat was watched by 1.30 million viewers and was the 3rd most watched programme on multichannel for the week. The Saturday showing of Doctor Who Confidential got 0.71 million and was the 26th most watched programme for the week. Full ratings data, including data for iPlayer downloads can be found in the Doctor Who Forum. Top Programmes w/e 20 April 2008 1 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (SAT 2005) - 10.96 - ITV1 2 CORONATION STREET (MON 2029) - 10.75 - ITV1 3 CORONATION STREET (MON 1933) - 10.44 - ITV1 4 CORONATION STREET (WED 1930) - 10.18 - ITV1 5 EASTENDERS (MON 2000) - 10.09 - BBC1 6 CORONATION STREET (FRI 1933) - 9.93 - ITV1 7 CORONATION STREET (FRI 2029) - 9.59 - ITV1 8 EASTENDERS (FRI 2000) - 8.69 - BBC1 9 EASTENDERS (THU 1929) - 8.32 - BBC1 10 FOYLE'S WAR (SUN 2003) - 7.92 - ITV1 11 EMMERDALE (MON 1901) - 7.63 - ITV1 12 DOCTOR WHO (SAT 1819) - 7.50 - BBC1 13 THE APPRENTICE (WED 2100) - 7.43 - BBC1 14 EMMERDALE (FRI 1902) - 7.27 - ITV1 15 EMMERDALE (WED 1859) - 7.26 - ITV1 16 EMMERDALE (THU 1903) - 7.23 - ITV1 17 WAKING THE DEAD (MON 2100) - 7.19 - BBC1 18 WAKING THE DEAD (TUE 2059) - 7.12 - BBC1 19 EASTENDERS (TUE 1929) - 6.92 - BBC1 20 EMMERDALE (TUE 1859) - 6.92 - ITV1 Top Multi Channel Programmes w/e 20 April 2008 1 EASTENDERS (Tue 2200) 1,359,000 - BBC3 2 GAVIN AND STACEY (Sun 2101) 1,354,000 - BBC3 3 DOCTOR WHO (Sun 2000) 1,304,000 - BBC3 4 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (Sun 1958) 1,174,000 - ITV2 5 FORD SUPER SUNDAY (Sun 1539) 1,143,000 - Sky Sports 6 LIVE FORD FOOTBALL SPECIAL-MATCH (Thu 1930) 1,010,000 - Sky Sports 7 FORD SUPER SUNDAY (Sun 1300) 994,000 - Sky Sports 8 KATIE AND PETER: THE NEXT CHAPTER (Thu 2101) 985,000 - ITV2 9 LIVE FORD FOOTBALL SPECIAL-MATCH (Sat 1230) 946,000 - Sky Sports 10 EASTENDERS (Mon 2201) 934,000 - BBC3 11 SKINS (Mon 2159) 853,000 - E4 In 12 HOME AND AWAY (Thu 1829) 841,000 - Fiver (was 13 HOLLYOAKS (Tue 1859) 838,000 - E4 In 14 BIONIC WOMAN (Tue 2100) 819,000 - ITV2 15 60 SECONDS (Sun 2059) 801,000 - BBC3 16 HOME AND AWAY (Wed 1829) 799,000 - Fiver (was 17 HOME AND AWAY (Tue 1829) 798,000 - Fiver (was 18 HOLLYOAKS (Fri 1900) 796,000 - E4 In 19 BRITAIN'S GOT MORE TALENT AUDITIONS (Sun 2103) 772,000 - ITV2 20 EASTENDERS (Thu 2200) 771,000 - BBC3 Source BARB Doctor Who Adventures 62 Merchandise April 30, 2008 • Posted By John BowmanThe new edition of Doctor Who Adventures - out in the UK tomorrow - has the first part of a three-part competition to win a lifesize Ood head.
Issue 62 also promises to prepare readers for a battle with the Sontarans, with a look back at The Sontaran Stratagem and a look ahead to The Poison Sky - this coming Saturday's conclusion to the two-parter. Also in the magazine: Issue 62 comes with a free Doctor Who Adventures keyring plus a set of monster bouncy balls featuring some of the series' creatures.  Classic Series DVD Releases DVD and Video April 30, 2008 • Posted By John BowmanDVD site Zeta Minor has given UK release dates for various classic-era stories later this year. According to its newly updated releases page, they are as follows:
K-9 Tales - box set comprising The Invisible Enemy and K-9 plus Sarah Jane Smith spin-off story K-9 And Company: June 16 The Brain of Morbius: July 21 The Trial of a Time Lord box set: August 18 Four To Doomsday: September 15 The War Machines: October 13 Battlefield: November 17 In addition, Revenge of the Slitheen and Eye of the Gorgon, both from spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures, are slated to be released on one DVD on January 12, 2009. Please note, however, that the information has been gathered from various sources and the dates could change. (With thanks to Tony Clark.) |