Following a few quiet weeks the floodgates have opened with lots of news including the first appearance of Peter Capaldi in his Doctor garb and the announcement of a new recurring character for Season Eight.
There’s also some cool convention goings on and some exciting events in the Big Finish universe.
Buckle up!
SAMUEL ANDERSON JOINS THE CAST
Both the BBC and BBC America were bustling this week about the addition of Samuel Anderson to the cast of Doctor Who as Danny Pink, a teacher at the Coal Hill School.
His character is said to have a recurring role this season. Whether or not he will evolve into a full-scale companion remains to be seen. He also may be a love interest for Clara.
From the BBC America Press Release.
Samuel Anderson (The History Boys, Gavin & Stacey) is set to join the cast of Doctor Who as a recurring character in the new season, which will also introduce Peter Capaldi as the Doctor to millions of viewers. Anderson will play Danny Pink, a teacher at Coal Hill School where companion Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) also teaches when the series returns to BBC AMERICA later this year.
On joining the show Samuel Anderson said: “I was so excited to join Doctor Who I wanted to jump and click my heels, but I was scared I might not come down before filming started! It’s a quintessential part of British culture and I can’t believe I’m part of it. It’s an honor to be able to work alongside Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman and I can’t wait to show people how my character becomes involved with such a fantastic duo!”
While Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer, added: “For the fourth time in Doctor Who history, Coal Hill School is coming to the aid of the TARDIS. In 1963 teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright accompanied the first Doctor. These days it’s the turn of Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald. And very soon now, Sam Anderson as Danny Pink will be entering the world of the Doctor. But how and why? Answers are coming later this year in Peter Capaldi’s first season of Doctor Who!”
The Radio Times speculates! Link: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-02-26/doctor-who-is-danny-pink-claras-new-love-interest—or-is-he-something-more
SEASON EIGHT NEWS
Filming has moved on to Episodes Four and Five with location shoots at The Rest in Porthcawl and Mimosa in Cardiff Bay.
Emmy Award winning director Paul Wilmshurst has been announced as a director for the new season. His previous credits include Law & Order UK and DaVinci’s Demons.
The Doctor’s return to Pompeii seems to be happening. Rumors persist that the story is called The Ghosts Of Pompeii.
The return of The Master and The Timelords could happen at the end of the season.
Veteran character actor Robert Goodman has been named as a guest star for Episode Four.
Jonathan Bailey of Broadchurch and Pippa Bennett-Warner of Death in Paradise are guesting for Episode Five.
Murray Gold is returning as the show’s composer.
CAPALDI IN LIVERPOOL
Peter Capaldi took a break from filming to visit the BBC Worldwide Showcase visit in Liverpool. The four day event is an opportunity for the Beeb to build excitement about upcoming programming.
Capaldi spoke about taking over in the TARDIS.
As a lifetime follower of the show, I’m delighted to see its global success. And I’m looking forward to sharing with the world the very exciting journey the new series is taking us on.
Link: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/doctor-who-star-peter-capaldi-68322
The Radio Times: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-02-25/peter-capaldi-makes-surprise-appearance-in-doctor-who-costume
GRACEPOINT
David Tennant continues to film Gracepoint, the Americanized version of Broadchurch for Fox. Tennant can be seen in a publicity photo released by Entertainment Weekly.
The production team is said to have already filmed two episodes of the drama.
Tennant spoke with Entertainment Weekly about filming the US version of the ITV series.
There is still no word on Tennant’s involvement in the second series of Broadchurch.
Link: http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/02/21/david-tennant-gracepoint-interview/
MCGANN FOR LONG ISLAND WHO
Long Island Who has announced that Paul McGann will be attending their 2014 convention which is being held from November 7-9 at the Clarion Hotel in Ronkonkoma, New York.
Info: http://longislanddoctorwho.com/
COLIN BAKER IN NEW FILM
Colin Baker has been tabbed to star in a new film about the discovery of the remains of King Richard II in a carpark.
Finding Richard, is a short film written and by Rhys Davies and Doug Cubin. Davies will be directing the Cubin produced project.
Baker commented on the his participation in the film.
…When I read Finding Richard, I knew I had to try to find time to play granddad. It’s an impressive, gentle and sensitive script, so I have managed to squeeze the time between trips to the USA and New Zealand and am looking forward to joining the team in Leicester.
GILLAN IN NEW PILOT
After finishing her work on the films Oculus and Guardians of The Galaxy, Karen Gillan is returning to television. The actress has been cast for a possible American series called Selfie.
A pilot for the show will be made in hopes of being greenlit for production.
In the ABC production, based on the musical My Fair Lady, Gillan stars as a social media obsessed woman named Eliza Dooley whose world revolves around getting as many Facebook ‘likes’ a she can. Her opinion of social media changes drastically after a busted relationship leads to an embarrassing viral video of her going online.
From The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/feb/19/karen-gillan-us-sitcom-selfie
TIME OF THE DOCTOR ON DVD
The 2013 Christmas Special, Time Of The Doctor, is slated for release in North America on DVD and Blu Ray on March 4th.
The story marks the end of Matt Smith’s time in the TARDIS while introducing Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor.
Showrunner Steven Moffat commented on the Christmas Special.
It’s his final battle and he’s been fighting it for a while. The Doctor is facing the joint challenge of a mysterious event in space that has summoned lots of aliens to one place and helping Clara cook Christmas dinner. There are also elements from every series of Matt’s Doctor, which will come to a head in this special. Things that we’ve laid down for years are going to be paid off.
Synopsis
Orbiting a quiet backwater planet, the massed forces of the universe’s deadliest species gather, drawn to a mysterious message that echoes out to the stars. And among them – the Doctor. Rescuing Clara from a family Christmas dinner, the Time Lord and his best friend must learn what this enigmatic signal means for his own fate and that of the universe. Orla Brady (Fringe, Mistresses) guest stars as Tasha Lem.
Despite being released in a one disc format there are some wonderful featurettes which compliment the departure of the Eleventh Doctor.
Here is a list of bonus features from the BBC America Press Release.
The Time of the Doctor: Behind the Lens
It’s Christmas! A time for peace and goodwill to all. But hang on, its Doctor Who, surely it can’t be that simple? We take a peek behind the lens on this cracker of a Christmas special. The tinsel is out at the Oswald’s and we meet a familiar enemy in a new form. The Doctor comes face to face with the enigmatic Tasha Lem and makes a new friend. With Matt Smith, Orla Brady, Jenna Coleman, Steven Moffat, Danny Hargreaves, Jack Hollington, Sheila Reid, James Buller and Elizabeth Rider.
Farewell to Matt Smith
Narrated by Alex Kingston (River Song), This compelling, hour-long special looks back at Matt Smith’s extraordinary tenure as the Eleventh Doctor, featuring highlights from the show and copious interview footage with Matt, his cast-mates, writers, producers, guest stars and celebrity Doctor Who fans.
Tales from the TARDIS
A look back at the full, 50-year history of this iconic series. Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith and past Doctors David Tennant, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker, Peter Davison and Tom Baker tell what it was like to be the Doctor, how they got the job and how it changed their lives. With companions Jenna Coleman, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, and more, this truly insightful special offers a unique insight into the world’s longest running sci-fi series.
The extras have some interesting behind the scenes stuff with the cast and crew. If you want more Matt Smith this is for you. Farewell Matt Smith offers lot of reflection of his time on the show going on sublimated with great interviews.
Tales From The Tardis serves as a good overview to the five decades of the show.
What this all means is that Matt Smith’s departure story is somber affair. The DVD of this episode perks things up again with some nice bonus material that make it a great watch for fans.
PHILIP HINCHCLIFFE PRESENTS
Big Finish Audio is putting the band back together. They recently announced that Tom Baker would again be teaming up with Louise Jameson for ten new episodes in a new line entitled, Philip Hinchcliffe Presents.
Hinchcliffe was the producer of Doctor Who from 1975 to 1977. His stories were known for meshing heightened drama with elements of suspense and horror.
These ten episodes (two new stories) have been written by Hinchcliffe and adapted by Marc Platt (who also wrote the McCoy era story, Ghostlight) Ken Bentley directed the episodes.
The line includes two new stories and is due out this September in both a box set and digital formats. A special hour long documentary is also included.
The Ghosts of Gralstead
This new six part Fourth Doctor adventure is set in Victorian England in 1860.
Synopsis
At St Clarence’s Hospital, respected surgeon Sir Edward Scrivener requires the bodies of the dead… At Doctor McDivett’s Exhibition of Living Wonders and Curiosities, miracles are afoot… And in Gralstead House, the ghost will walk again. Mordrega has come to Earth…
Carolyn Seymour and Gethin Anthony lead the guest stars.
The Devil’s Armada
This Four part story again teams Hinchcliffe and Platt for another historica-lish story.
Synopsis
The TARDIS materialise in Sissenden Village in the sixteenth century. Catholic priests are hunted, so-called witches are drowned in the ducking stool, and in the shadows the Vituperon are watching… and waiting…
Link: http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/philip-hinchcliffe-presents-box-set-945
MISSING EPISODES…THE WAIT CONTINUES
Those pesky rumors about the recovery of Marco Polo just won’t go away! It seems like every week there is a new rumor about the Hartnell episode’s recovery. It is maddening!
The general rule of thumb here is don’t believe it until you read it from the BBC.
Against this backdrop is a Radio Times interview with Philp Morris, one of many undaunted fans traipsing across the globe looking for missing episodes of Doctor Who. Morris is the man behind the recovering of ten missing Patrick Troughton episodes last year.
With that in mind the recent comments of intrepid missing episode hunter Phillip Morris shed some interesting speculation on the fate of this lost heritage of Doctor Who in an interview with The Radio Times.
To the fans, never give up hope. Be patient. People are working very hard in lots of very volatile and dangerous corners of the globe, sometimes paying with their nervous systems, which is a hard thing to give. As always, TIEA are out there. Expect the unexpected.
NICOLA BRYANT INTERVIEWED
Nicola Bryant, played Perpugilliam Brown, an American companion who traveled with the Fifth and Sixth Doctors. Bryant was interviewed by the New Zealand edition of Stuff Magazine about her time on the show.
Bryant was in New Zealand for appearances at the Armageddon Expo conventions in Dunedin and Christchurch.
Bryant was asked how she got the role of Peri.
In many ways it was a standard audition. But the process went on for 2 or 3 months. Firstly they were auditioning only genuine American and Canadian actors, as the part was always American. So actors were flying in from abroad. There was a general meeting, then one reading an especially prepared script. The there were 2 or 3 more auditions, culminating in reading the actual script with script editor Eric Seward reading in for Peter Davison. My agent was then told by the producer John Nathan Turner that they had narrowed it down to two actors; another actor who had an equity card and of course me, but I did not have one, having just left drama school. They gave me six weeks to get one!
FRAZER HINES IN JOURNEY BOUND
Frazer Hines (who played Jamie McCrimmon in the Troughton era) has joined the cast of the new Scottish indie comedy Journey Bound from writer and director Ryan Hendrick.
Former Red Dwarf actress and Altered Images singer Clare Grogan also stars in the romantic film about a young lawyer who chases the love of his life with across the Scottish Highlands. When his cousin tags along things get wacky.
Hines discussed his involvement in the movie with The Evening Standard.
I had met Ryan through Doctor Who conventions and when I read that he was doing this film, I said, ‘Oi! What about me?’ I started to read the script and I didn’t put it down…I love doing comedy and I love making people laugh.
Link: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/whats-on/film-news/emmerdale-star-doctor-who-companion-3186192
Journey Bound is scheduled for release in 2015.
MATT SMITH IS AWESOME
Matt Smith has been known to go above and beyond the call of duty to accommodate his fans. However his recent video message to an ailing child is a testament to his basic decency as a human being.
While hanging out in Austin, Smith sent a video message to four year old Jack Robinson, a young boy suffering from an inoperable brain tumor.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATfFvahvz04
Next Time…More on Season Eight, Gatiss in Brazil, Big Finish, The Moonbase and more!
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