Today marks a mere 50 days before audiences are finally
treated to the broadcast of The Day of
the Doctor, the 50th anniversary special episode of Doctor Who to be shown on November 23rd.
Alongside this countdown, BBC Worldwide have recently
announced that the episode will be broadcast in over 75 countries. Such places
include USA, Canada, Australia and various areas of Europe to name a few.
But in case you thought your T.V at home was the only way
you could catch the episode, over 200 cinemas around the UK are simultaneously
showing a live screening in 3D.
Tim Davie, chief executive of BBC Worldwide, said: “In its
50th anniversary year, we wanted to create a truly international
event for Doctor Who fans in as many countries as possible and the simultaneous
broadcast and cinema screening of the special across so many countries will
make for a fitting birthday tribute to our Time Lord.”
So even though the show is so closely tied with British
culture, it’s no wonder that other countries will be able to experience this
momentous occasion.
Now that we find ourselves closer to the 50th anniversary spectacular coming later this year, it comes as no surprise that any news Who-related is met with more excitement than ever. If you ever thought that the BBC were being too secretive in their talk of the programme, fear not, for they have answered. Find below the first of many posters to be released to celebrate the Doctor Who spectacular..
Certainly has the 'block-buster movie' feel about it.
Most notable element to this poster, is the announcement of the episode's title, 'Day of the Doctor'. However, attention should also be brought to the portion taken up by John Hurt's character - surrounded by an explosions of Daleks and repeated prints of the words 'Bad Wolf' - certainly makes you wonder what kind of connection the episode will have with the show's previous storylines. Now that we've caught the first visual tease of the episode, it's seems a safe thing to say that Matt Smith is certainly going to have a memorable exit episode. But more importantly, what do you think? Sound off in the comments below!
If you were lucky enough to be in Cardiff over the weekend,
chances are you may have noticed a slight increase in excitement coming
from the Motorpoint Arena. Thanks to some dedicated fans, a few
kind celebrities and the occasional Dalek, what you stumbled upon was none other than Cardiff Comic-Con 2013.
With a crowd of fans stretching all the way around the building as their favourite hero/villain/Doctor, enthusiasm was at a high from the very beginning. Within seconds, any passer-by would see Spiderman, Doctor Who and Darth Vader in casual chatter and ready to enjoy the day - a day that was undeniably a success.
Yet even with its ridiculously diverse fanbase, Who
still managed to have its own place in the hall, with celebrities and
fans alike sharing their passion for the show in their own special way.
Attending stars from Who included Colin Baker, Frazer
Hines, Kai Owen, Anthony Head, John Leeson, Mat Irvine and Laurie
Goode, all of which were heavily involved in talking to the fans on a one-to-one basis.
Who was also the subject of many cosplayers, dressing as their favourite characters including the uncanny Matt Smith incarnation (found below) and a surprisingly original TARDIS-inspired gown.
The showdown we all want to see.
Candy Jar Books' own Terry Cooper also made his own appearance as everyone's favourite pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow. Having spent Sunday entirely in-character for 10 hours straight, he's certainly a performer worth admiring! Check out his official Facebook page here.
In hindsight, the two-day event was a wonderful way for fans to meet their heroes, as well as to celebrate an ever-growing source of imagination. After all, where else would we see Cybermen dancing with the Doctor if not our television screens?
There would have to be an
excellent reason to be sat in the Royal Albert Hall on the hottest day of the
year and the Doctor Who Proms definitely counts as one. The concert, which saw
Ben Foster conducting the BBC National Orchestra of Wales with the London
Philharmonic Choir, included a mix of music from recent and classic Doctor
Who episodes, and will be screened around the same time as the 50th
Anniversary special this November.
Matt Smith and Jenna
Louise-Coleman made an appearance along with Cybermen and Weeping Angels. Smith
told an excited crowd: ‘One of the great joys of playing this extraordinary,
legendary Time Lord is the support and knowledge and love and brilliance of the
fans - you really make the show what it is.’
He wasn’t the only Doctor in the house
though, as Peter Davison appeared – to a rapturous welcome – to introduce a
medley of music from the show’s classic era, including the pioneering work of
the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Looking out at the thousands of fans, he said, ‘What amazing memories you all have. Even though most of
you weren't even born.’
Joining him onstage was Carole
Ann Ford, who played the Doctor’s first screen companion in 1963. ‘Who'd have
thought this celebration would be happening 50 years on?’ said the actress, now
73 years old. ‘It's amazing.’
The Prom was brought to an end
by the world premiere of a birthday anthem called Song for Fifty,
written by Murray Gold, who has been the show’s musical director since 2005.
11th Doctor Matt Smith took time out from filming Ryan Gosling film 'How to Catch a Monster' to say thanks to the cast, crew and fans for their support during his time as the eponymous Time Lord.
If you've seen the the Season 7 series finale, you might have wondered how Clarence the prisoner came into the possession of the the Trenzalore coordinates. Well, the BBC have come to the rescue, releasing a bonus scene that tells us all we need to know – enjoy!
Sci-fi fans are a passionate bunch, and this was evident last Sunday during the Norwich Sci-Fi and Film Convention on Sunday when rival fans clashed, prompting a visit by local police to calm things down.
The BBC reports that one member of a Doctor Who club, Jim Poole, visited the University of East Anglia to collect autographs from Who actors Graham Cole and Jeremy Bulloch - there for a Star Wars convention. Arriving at the venue, Poole received verbal abuse from a Norwich Star Wars Club member and subsequently called the police.
"I was put in a police car. We were both interviewed by the police and told to stay away from each other," he said.
Mr Poole said two other members of his club, one dressed as the 10th Doctor and the other as Judge Dredd, had waited outside the venue.
"This wasn't a fight between Star Wars fans and Doctor Who fans with lightsabers and sonic screwdrivers drawn," he said.
"It's a bit sad and pathetic. We're all in the same boat. We're not in competition." Thankfully, it seems that balance has been restored to the force and time streams have been re-aligned. Apparently, both clubs were planning to meet up to resolve their differences.
Have you ever experienced any kind of rivalry like this? Shouldn't sci-fi fans all be in it together?
Steven Moffat has confirmed that Doctor Who will return for an eighth series. Speaking at the BAFTA TV Awards at London's Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, he told BANG Showbiz: "Series eight of 'Doctor Who' is absolutely, definitely confirmed. It is real and it's happening." While Matt Smith has previously declared he has no intention of leaving the show just yet, so far there has been no official confirmation that he will return.
Moffat also commented about the various rumours that had been flying around about the forthcoming 50th anniversary episode: "Normally I'm responsible for the disinformation and the rubbish rumours about Doctor Who episodes, but I haven't needed to for the 50th anniversary episode. People are spinning off the most amazing things – it's quite incredible! Some of them are actually quite good ideas, I might use them in the future. There have been some very creative rumours but I can't say which ones I'm actually going to use."
Well, we can't say we're surprised to hear that the Doctor will be returning. Given the appetite for the 50th episode, along with strong ratings for the current series it would seem madness for the Beeb to halt the show. Of course, no show is automatically approved for a new series – even Who has to get clearance!
What do you think about the next series? Do you think Matt with be back? What enemies would you like to see?
Some wonderful new images for the next episode have been revealed by SFX, including this stylistic shot of the Cybermen emerging in a scene very reminiscent of 1967's Tomb of the Cybermen.
Copyright BBC 2013
Tomb of the Cybermen, Copyright BBC 1967
One of the most intriguing images is, however, this shot of the Doctor talking to... the Doctor! One of whom has some sort of cybernetic prosthesis attached to his face.
Doctor Who was the fourth most popular programme on TV last night with 4.61 million viewers. It was beaten by Britain's Got Talent with 9.52 million viewers. This figure will certainly increase when timeshift figures are included. Once again the audience for The Voice remained roughly the same with 7.99 million viewers. To read a review by Richard Kelly click below. http://type40reviews.blogspot.co.uk/
As we draw near
to the end of series seven, DWM takes a look at the final three episodes
leading towards the anniversary adventure coming in November. It seems all we
have left this year are ‘event’ episodes; The
Crimson Horror is the one hundredth episode since Doctor Who returned in 2005, Nightmare
in Silver is the triumphant return of both the Cybermen and author Neil
Gaiman, and The Name of the Doctor is
the big series finale that’s set to shake up the universe of Doctor Who to its very core. Following
these, of course, we have an anniversary and Christmas special to look forward
to.
The magazine
features a wonderful interview with Mark Gatiss where he talks about writing The Crimson Horror, likening it to his
successful Lucifer Box series of
novels, calling it ‘the campest thing I’ve ever written – and that’s saying
something!’ Of course, the high point of The
Crimson Horror is the first appearance of Dame Diana Rigg in Doctor Who. Known to fans as Mrs Peel in
the 1960s television show The Avengers,
she is also well remembered as Countess Teresa di Vicenzo in the James Bond
film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,
the only woman to whom Bond gets married.
After series six’s
award-winning episode, The Doctor’s Wife,
which did more for the TARDIS than any episode has before or since, Neil Gaiman
returns to pen Nightmare in Silver
because, in his words, ‘I set the bar high. But that’s why I came back. Not to
top The Doctor’s Wife, but to at
least come close.’ He promises that the Cybermen in this episode will be
scarier than ever!
One of the most
interesting reveals in this issue of Doctor
Who Magazine is Steven Moffat explaining that River Song who appears in Name of the Doctor is a post-Silence in the Library River, a story in
which she died.In his interview about The
Name of the Doctor, Moffat goes to great lengths to not really tell us
anything. No real spoilers to be gleaned here.
Speaking of
Moffat, there’s a wonderful section in the magazine in which he answers
questions put to him by readers of the mag. One such question ‘how did the
Statue of Liberty make it to Winter Quay without being seen?’ is something I’ve
been debating with people since The Angels Take Manhattan aired last year. His answer is
mostly okay, but the only part worth repeating here is; ‘Also, it tiptoed!’
Quite.
Doctor Who Magazine issue #460, £4.75, now available from all good retailers.
Yesterday we
reported the sad news revealed in DWM that no old Doctors would be returning
for the anniversary special. But, if it makes all you fans who decry this
revelation feel a little better, the old Doctors are also disappointed. Says
Sylvester McCoy, the Seventh Doctor, ‘all of us want to do it, just for the
fans – because that’s what they want’.
So, although it
seems as if the BBC are focussing on celebrating the past EIGHT years of adventures,
audio producers Big Finish are at least planning on celebrating the past FIFTY
years. Their anniversary special, The
Light at the End, will not only features all the past Doctors (Tom Baker,
Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann) but also
companions Leela, Nyssa, Peri, Ace and Charley. On top of that look out for
small ‘kisses to the past’ with cameos by Susan, Ian, Vicki, Steven, Sara,
Polly, Jamie, Zoe, Jo, Tegan and Turlough! A veritable cornucopia of old
Doctors and companions!
Doctor Who was the third most popular programme on TV last night with 4.9 million viewers. It was beaten by Britain's Got Talent with 9.3 million viewers.
This figure will certainly increase when timeshift figures are included. The audience for The Voice has remained roughly the same with 8.0 million viewers. To read a review by Benjamin Burford-Jones click below. http://type40reviews.blogspot.co.uk/
An absolutely superb 'previously on...' trailer for Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, and a celebration of the most amazing timeship in the history of ever...
Doctor Who was the fourth most popular progamme on TV last night with 5.0 million viewers. It was beaten by Britain's Got Talent with 9.7 million viewers.
This figure will certainly increase when timeshift figures are included. Well done to BBC's The Voice with 7.9 million viewers, a substanial increase on last week. To read a review by Richard Kelly click below. http://type40reviews.blogspot.co.uk/
The final episode of series 7 is called 'The Name of the Doctor' and now has its own poster to publicise it. Check it out below:
River Song will definitely feature in the episode since Alex Kingston's name appears alongside Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman. What could that tagline possibly mean?
Doctor Who was the third most popular progamme (again) on telly last night with 5.7 million viewers (slightly higher than last week). It was beaten by Britain's Got talent (10.5 million viewers) and The Voice (6.7 million viewers).
This figure will certainly increase when timeshift figures are included. However, Doctor Who will struggle to beat BGT. To read a review by Andy Frankham-Allen click below. http://type40reviews.blogspot.co.uk/
.jpg)
