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9/29/2006

LONDON (Reuters) - The cult science fiction series "Doctor Who" has won a place in the record books as the longest-running television show of its type, a fitting accolade for the time-travelling adventurer.

The book "Guinness World Records" said on Friday more than 700 episodes of the program, which first aired on the BBC in 1963, had been broadcast, covering 173 story lines and showcasing 10 different actors in the role of the Time Lord. A spokeswoman for the book said the category of longest-running sci-fi series had been newly introduced for the 2007 edition. The latest actor to play the Doctor, David Tennant, told the book he decided to become an actor after watching an earlier incarnation -- *Tom Baker*-- during the 1970s. "I took one look at his Doctor Who and decided it was the job for me. I was convinced that when I was old enough I was going to play the part of the Doctor on TV," he said. While fans of the different series may have their favorite Doctors, the concept has endured and the program attracts more than 7 million viewers in Britain and many more abroad. That the series has lasted so long is partly thanks to iconic villains such the "Daleks" and the Cybermen, and also because the main character can regenerate, allowing the series to keep fresh by bringing a new lead actor. Helping maintain consistency are props such as the Doctor's time traveling machine the Tardis, his companion -- usually young and female -- and his robot dog K-9.

9/25/2006

Dark Horse Comics will publish a new series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics that will pick up the story of the cult TV show and act as a de facto eighth season, Comics Continuum reported.

The new Buffy series is targeted for a March launch, and the first story arc will be a four-part series that will chronicle events after the Buffy television series' finale, which aired in 2003. Buffy creator Joss Whedon will write, with art by Georges Jeanty.

9/25/2006

The complete second season of the BBC's new Doctor Who series will be released on DVD in the United States on Jan. 16, 2007, BBC Worldwide Americas executives told SCI FI Wire. "We're over the moon with Doctor Who," said Megan Branigan, vice president of BBC video marketing, in an interview. "We're really pleased with the results this year. We're very excited to continue the momentum with [season] two as we did with [season] one." (The second season of Doctor Who will air in the United States on SCI FI Channel, starting Sept. 29.)

The six-disc set will feature a lenticular cover depicting David Tennant, who takes over the role of the Doctor from Christopher Eccleston, and Billie Piper as his traveling companion, Rose Tyler. Bonus features will include video diaries from Tennant and Piper, as well as episodes of the behind-the-scenes series Doctor Who Confidential, which ran concurrently with the show when it aired in the United Kingdom. The date of the release, and future releases, was timed to fall on the Tuesday following the airing of the second series finale, "Doomsday," on SCI FI Channel, Branigan said.

The content on the U.S. release will be identical to the version available in the U.K., which is due in November. "It's done that way on purpose, because it really is a global program," Branigan said. "We've agreed with the BBC that our fans in the U.K. would notice tremendously if the content was different, and we did actually do that with some of the classic Whos. And we got some feedback that people were upset because they had already bought the U.K. edition, and then all of a sudden ours got put out, and we had added value. So we decided as a global company to do [just one version]."

Like the program itself, the DVD is designed to appeal to longtime fans of the franchise, as well as to those whose familiarity with the Doctor is limited to the new incarnation. "It's the best of both worlds, because we're appealing to both the core fans and to this new audience," Branigan said. "I mean, the program does that all on its own. And SCI FI does that for us, too. Because it's more mainstream, maybe it brings more of an audience to SCI FI that they didn't have as well. But certainly the people who are watching the SCI FI Channel are a perfect target for the program."

9/14/2006

New McGann radio adventures from Christmas.

BBC7 are launching a season of new Eighth Doctor audio adventures. Produced by Big Finish, the eight 50-minute episodes are bookended with Dalek and Cybermen two-parters.

Joining Paul McGann's Doctor as new companion Lucie Miller is Two Pints of Lager actress Sheridan Smith.

The guest cast is equally impressive: Timothy West, Kenneth Cranham, Anita Dobson, Nerys Hughes, Ian McNeice, Elspet Gray, Ben Silverstone, Stephen Gately, Bernard Cribbins, Julia McKenzie, Nigel Havers, Roy Marsden and Nickolas Grace all feature.

The stories will be aired weekly on BBC7 from New Year's Eve in the following order:

Blood Of The Daleks by Steve Lyons Horror Of Glam Rock by Paul Magrs Immortal Beloved by Jonathan Clements Phobos by Eddie Robson No More Lies by Paul Sutton Human Resources by Eddie Robson

Enhanced versions of the stories will be released on CD by Big Finish later in 2007.

9/14/2006

New CBBC spin-off announced.

Russell T Davies has created The Sarah Jane Adventures, a brand new series for CBBC.

Set in present-day West London, the programme stars Elisabeth Sladen, continuing her much-loved role as Sarah Jane Smith. Yasmin Paige will join her as Sarah's 13-year-old neighbour Maria.

A 60-minute special which will be broadcast in early 2007, with a series following later in the year. In the special, Sarah and Maria form an unlikely alliance to fight evil alien forces at work in Britain, and against the scheming Ms Wormwood, played by Samantha Bond.

"I left Sarah Jane but she never left me," said Elisabeth. "I can't wait to return to Cardiff (where filming is based) to find out what's going to happen to her next."

"Children's TV has a fine history of fantasy thrillers," added Russell T Davies. "I loved them as a kid, and they were the very first things I ever wrote. So it's brilliant to return to such a vivid and imaginative area of television."

Filming on the special, written by Russell and Gareth Roberts, begins next month. It will be directed by Colin Teague and produced by Susie Liggat. The full series goes into production in spring 2007.

9/12/2006

Want to watch season 1 again? BBC America will begin airing the series on November 21 at 10pm. Of course you don't have to wait as series one is available on DVD everywhere.

Season 2 will start on Sci-Fi Channel on September 29 and the DVD will no doubt be available in the US sometime next year.

9/8/2006

At this year's TV Quick awards, Doctor Who won best-loved drama, as well as best actor and actress for stars David Tennant and Billie Piper.

"It was very hard to step into something that had been such a success already," said David Tennant, accepting his award "It was very daunting and because of that, this means a lot."

9/4/2006

Location and guest cast details for episode two.

David Tennant and Freema Agyeman have spent the last few days filming in and around London's Globe Theatre for what promises to be one of the most ambitious and exciting episodes to date.

Set in 1599 in Tudor London, the episode features the Doctor's first meeting with William Shakespeare as he foils a plot to destroy the Earth. The Globe Theatre provided a stunning backdrop for much of the action whilst the Doctor Who special effects team are recreating the look and feel of London's streets from 400 years ago.

Dean Lennox Kelly, best known for his recent role in the BBC One drama Sorted and as Kev in Shameless, guest stars as William Shakespeare.

"The Shakespeare episode is, without doubt, one of our most ambitious projects to date," enthused Russell T Davies. "It's incredible to have a working replica of London's most famous theatre in which to film the new series. Viewers can look forward to Shakespeare giving the performance of his life in order to save the Earth from destruction."

August 31, 2006

Hollywood, Calif. -- STAR TREK is getting a 21st century makeover. CBS Paramount Domestic Television is releasing digitally remastered episodes of the iconic 1960s sci-fi series, with all new special effects and music, to celebrate the groundbreaking series' 40th anniversary, it was announced today by John Nogawski, president of CBS Paramount Domestic Television.

The new episodes also mark the first time in 16 years that the original STAR TREK series can be seen in broadcast syndication. The episodes will begin airing on the more than 200 stations that own the rights to the weekend broadcast syndication window starting Sept. 16 (check local listings for station and dates). All 79 episodes of the original STAR TREK series will eventually be remastered, with the first batch of episodes chosen from a list of STAR TREK fans' favorite shows.

"STAR TREK redefined science-fiction and constantly pushed the envelope with concepts that were ahead of their time," Nogawski said. "By giving the series a digital upgrade using the best technology available today, it will continue to be a leader in cutting-edge television programming as we introduce the series to a new generation of viewers."

The most noticeable change will be redoing many of the special effects, created with 1960s technology, with 21st century computer-generated imagery (CGI). That includes:

• Space ship exteriors -- The space ship Enterprise, as well as other Starships, will be replaced with state of the art CGI-created ships. The new computer-generated Enterprise is based on the exact measurements of the original model, which now rests in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

• Show opening -- The Enterprise and planets seen in the main title sequence will be redone, giving them depth and dimension for the first time.

• Galaxy shots -- All the graphics of the galaxy, so frequently seen through the window on the Enterprise's bridge, will be redone.

• Exteriors -- The battle scenes, planets and ships from other cultures (notably the Romulan Bird of Prey and Klingon Battle Cruisers) will be updated.

• Background scenes -- Some of the iconic, yet flat, matte paintings used as backdrops for the strange, new worlds explored by the Enterprise crew will get a CGI face-lift, adding atmosphere and lighting.

The refurbished episodes also feature higher quality sound for the famous opening theme. The original score by Emmy Award-winning composer Alexander Courage has been re-recorded in state-of-the-art digital stereo audio with an orchestra and a female singer belting out the famous vocals. A digitally remastered version of William Shatner's classic original recording of the 38-word "Space, the final frontier…" monologue continues to open each episode.

The remastered episodes have been converted from the original film into a High-Definition format, which gives viewers a clearer, crisper, more vibrant picture than before, even when viewed in standard definition. Once stations upgrade and start broadcasting HD signals, the episodes will be all ready for viewers to enjoy in HD.

STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES originally premiered on Sept. 8, 1966. Distributed by CBS Paramount Domestic Television, the series was created by Gene Roddenberry. The program stars William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock, DeForest Kelley as Dr. "Bones" McCoy, James Doohan as Scotty, Walter Koenig as Chekov, Nichelle Nichols as Uhura and George Takei as Sulu.

CBS Paramount Domestic Television is a unit of CBS Corp.

August 27, 2006

'The Empty Child'/'Doctor Dances' won the Best Short Form Drama Hugo Award at the World Science Fiction Convention in Anaheim tonight.

Very very well deserved, how wonderful for Steven's fantastic episodes. The awards specify placings, so the other great news is that Rob's 'Dalek' came second, and I got third! Battlestar Galactica's 'The Pegasus' came fourth. The Hugos are the SF Oscars, running since the 1940s, the awards everyone wants to win. This is huge for Who in the SF world. Such a clean sweep has never happened before. I was fortunate enough to be there and share in the celebrations.

TV Series News - April 27, 2006

The new issue of "Doctor Who Magazine" (#369) announces much of the third series writing team. Russell T Davies will himself write the 2006 Christmas special, the first episode of the season and "three or four more" episodes, while he also confirms that the script written by Stephen Fry for this season and announced as moved to next year will be produced then.

Four new names have now been confirmed as well for the third series, including two from previous seasons: Steven Moffat ("The Empty Child," "The Doctor Dances," "The Girl in the Fireplace") will return with "an idea which [he] came up with way back in the planning of Series One" to write "at least another 45 minutes", which he guarantees "will not be as good as 'The Empty Child'"; and Paul Cornell ("Father's Day") is contributing a two-parter story. There are also two new names for the season: the author of several DWM comic strips, a Ninth Doctor BBC novel, BBCi's 'Attack of the Graske' and this year's Tardisodes, Gareth Roberts, will write one episode, while new series script editor and writer for the Torchwood spin-off series Helen Raynor will contribute a two-part story -- Helen promises "BRILLIANT monsters!"

As with Series Two and Torchwood, Russell T Davies says that there have been extra scripts commissioned from other writers -- a total of 16 scripts including 'over-commissions' are currently being worked on, allowing "flexibility … to shape the series" and leaving "material in place for the fourth run", if Series Four is commissioned. On the subject of which, Davies stresses that it's "just a personal hope, absolutely nothing has been decided yet within the BBC."

April 15

David Tennant will take over from departing actor Christopher Eccleston for the second series of "Doctor Who" to be aired in 2006, according to a BBC press release issued Saturday morning. Tennant was originally rumored to be "in talks" to take over the role from Eccleston, who it was announced in late March would not be returning for the second season. As the Doctor, Tennant will be seen in the role in this year's Christmas special, as well as continuing in the role throughout the entire second series (and hopefully, many years to come.) Billie Piper, who plays Rose Tyler, is already signed on for the second year of adventures.

Below is the official press release, issued minutes after midnight UK time, from the BBC Press Office.

David Tennant is confirmed as the tenth Doctor Who, it was announced today by Jane Tranter, BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, following the recommissioning of the second series.
Tennant, whose recent credits include BBC THREE's critically-acclaimed drama series Casanova, BBC ONE's Blackpool and He Knew He Was Right, will star alongside Billie Piper who returns as Rose Tyler.
Julie Gardner, BBC Head of Drama, Wales says: "Christopher Eccleston has given an exceptional performance as the ninth Doctor.
"David Tennant is a great actor who will build on the excellent work already done by Christopher in establishing Doctor Who for a new generation."

David Tennant says: "I am delighted, excited and honoured to be the tenth Doctor!
"I grew up loving Doctor Who and it has been a lifelong dream to get my very own TARDIS.
"Russell T Davies is one of the best writers television has ever had, and I'm chuffed to bits to get the opportunity to work with him again.
"I'm also really looking forward to working with Billie Piper who is so great as Rose.
"Taking over from Chris is a daunting prospect; he has done a fantastic job of reinventing the Doctor for a new generation and is a very tough act to follow."

Executive producer/writer Russell T Davies adds: "Christopher Eccelston's wonderful Doctor has reinvented the role, so that it now appeals to the best actors in the land.
"I'm already writing David's first new adventure on board the TARDIS!
"Regeneration is a huge part of the programme's mythology, and I'm delighted that new, young viewers can now have the complete Doctor Who experience, as they witness their hero change his face!"

A new 13-part adventure and Christmas special begins filming in Cardiff in the summer for transmission on BBC ONE.

It's official! The Daleks are coming back after all. We've received the following press release:
Mal Young, BBC Controller of Continuing Drama Series and Tim Hancock, agent for the Terry Nation Estate announced today (Wednesday, August 4) that the Daleks will return in the new series of Doctor Who which is currently in production for transmission on BBC One in 2005.
Hancock says: "I am absolutely delighted that the Terry Nation Estate and the BBC have been able to reach agreement on terms for the use of the Daleks in the new Doctor Who series. We look forward to working closely with the production team in the forthcoming months."
Young added: "As well as coming face-to-face with a number of new and exciting monsters, its good news that the Doctor will also do battle with his arch enemy, the Daleks in a series which promises to surprise and entertain a new generation."

Starring Christopher Eccleston as Doctor Who and Billie Piper as Rose Tyler, the Doctor's companion, the new 13-part series is currently filming in Cardiff and London for transmission in 2005. Casting also includes Penelope Wilton (Calendar Girls), Noel Clarke (Auf Wiedersehen, Pet), Annette Badland (Cutting It), Camille Coduri (England Expects) and John Barrowman (who is currently in the West End production of Anything Goes).

Doctor Who is produced by Phil Collinson. The writers are Russell T Davies, Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Paul Cornell and Robert Shearman. Executive producers are BBC Controller of Continuing Drama Series, Mal Young; Head of Drama, BBC Wales, Julie Gardner and Russell T Davies.