Christian Cawley's Blog, page 203

Who Might Replace Jenna In The TARDIS?

Jonathan Appleton is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

The launch of Series 8 may be a matter of days away but the book has already opened on who might be travelling with the Doctor in the next series.

Yes, things certainly move quickly in the world of Doctor Who, as evidenced by Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley in Harry Potter films) and Game of Thrones star Rose Leslie being installed as bookies’ favourites to become the new companion.

As every agent in the country with a promising young performer on their books searches urgently for Andy Pryor’s number, it’s worth stressing that, in spite of some seemingly plausible speculation, there’s still been no confirmation that Jenna Coleman is to depart at the end of the impending run of episodes.

And, allowing for the fact that stories like this are more a case of easy publicity for bookmakers than accurate predictors of who may be in the frame, there are certainly some intriguing names in the quoted odds. It’s a mix of the promising (Kerrie Hayes), the good-idea-but-unlikely (Vicky McClure) and the clearly-included-for-a-laugh-on-a-slow-day-in-the-newsroom (Kim Kardashian).

Rose Leslie, recently seen as wildling Ygritte in HBO hit Game of Thrones, is undoubtedly a fine actress and would perhaps bring a touch more steel and assertiveness to the part of the companion than we’ve seen of late (she was chilling in a one-off appearance playing the young Geraldine James in the second series of Channel 4′s Utopia) but has the feel of an early place-holder rather than a serious contender.

Elsewhere on the list there’s the prospect of the Doctor’s Spin Doctor with the inclusion of Chris Addison, newly confirmed for an end of season guest appearance, who was on the wrong end of Peter Capaldi’s foul mouthed barbs in The Thick of It, as well as rumoured for the Twelfth Doctor around this time last year.

Most left-field choice has to be Sandra Dickinson, still best known as Trillian in 1980′s BBC adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and also incidentally Georgia Moffat’s mum. The Doctor’s Mother-in-Law? If the space-time continuum buckled when the Tenth Doctor married the woman who had played his own daughter, just think what would happen if that one came to fruition…

They may be somewhat facetious suggestions but maybe they’ve unwittingly hit on something here? Who’s to say the companion always has to be young and female? Maybe, in this new era with its much heralded change of approach and tone, the producers are ready to try something different when it comes to casting Clara’s replacement?

The most likely bet is surely a newcomer, absent from silly season lists of bookies’ favourites and unknown to all except industry insiders, perhaps with a couple of small but praise-worthy appearances under their belt. Good enough to have been noticed, but not yet registering as star-in-the-making material.

Who do you think should be the new companion? And more to the point, what kind of companion do you think would be right for the show? Young? Old? Male? Female? Human? Alien? Welsh? Share your thoughts below?

 

The post Who Might Replace Jenna In The TARDIS? appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

New Opening Titles: What Do You Think? [SPOILERS]

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Well, this is new. In a completely unprecedented move, the new Doctor Who titles sequence is based on a fan’s idea.

As the Eleventh Doctor might say, it’s all clockey-wockey and not as spacey-wacey as the last one, which only made its debut in 2012′s The Snowmen. There were some of us hoping that Matt’s face would simply be replaced by Peter’s in the very cool, very alien titles used throughout the second half of Series 7. But showrunner, Steven Moffat recently said, “It was the only new title idea I’d seen since 1963… We got in touch with him, and said, ‘okay, we’re going to do that one’.”

The original concept was, admittedly, pretty awesome.

And while things have been changed slightly, the core ideas remain. You can see this from the fan-uploaded video – obviously, don’t watch it if you want a surprise come 23rd August.

It’s caused chaos in K Towers. Some hate it. Some have refused to pass comment. Me? I wanted Peter’s face painted silver like poor Sylv. Some of us think it threatens to undermine the new series’ supposedly-dark theme. Some of us think it’s too fantastic to ignore. And some of us wanted something we hadn’t merely seen on the internet a few months earlier. James Lomond, meanwhile, is parading around, shouting “Red Kangs, Red Kangs, Red Kangs are best.” Editor, Christian Cawley says he’s above such matters so won’t gimme an interesting quote. Cowardly cutlet.

But what do you think? Is this a step too far, pandering to fandom? Does it deserve to be seen by millions on TV? Do you prefer the Series 7 ones?

Let us know by semaphore, or, if it’s easier, by commenting below.

The post New Opening Titles: What Do You Think? [SPOILERS] appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Peter Capaldi Reveals All In Doctor Who Magazine 477!

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

In a bumper-sized 100-page issue, DWM catches up on set with the PETER CAPALDI – the new Doctor Who.

Doctor Who Magazine asked Peter how he has gone about making the part of the Doctor his own…

“Well,” says Peter, “you begin with yourself. You begin with those elements of yourself that you feel would be at home in the role. There’s an old actors’ adage that you don’t become the role, the role becomes you. It’s trying to find those parts of you that will fit with the Doctor, and understand those bits that don’t come so naturally to you, that you have to fabricate. I kept looking for people in my life who I thought had elements of the Doctor about them, and were inspirational in some ways. I composed a list of those…”

“Also, it’s recognising what’s been written,” Peter continues. “My Doctor is written slightly differently from some of the other Doctors, and the Doctor changes quite dramatically from episode to episode. Some demand more of your comedy chops, graver or more serious episodes demand a more sombre creature. All these variations have to live in the same body, in the same face. Putting all that together is tricky…”

ALSO THIS ISSUE:

· Read extensive previews of the first four episodes of the new series – Deep Breath, Into the Dalek, Robot of Sherwood and Listen – as DWM talks exclusively to writers STEVEN MOFFAT, PHIL FORD and MARK GATISS.

· Doctor Who showrunner STEVEN MOFFAT answers readers’ questions and reveals more behind-the-scenes secrets in his exclusive column.

· DWM reunites former Doctor and companion team TOM BAKER and LOUISE JAMESON with their producer, PHILIP HINCHCLIFFE, to chat about the new Doctor Who adventures that they’re working on, and reminisce about the 1970s adventures.

· LOUISE JAMESON writes a very special letter to herself, exclusively for Doctor Who Magazine.

· A brand new comic strip begins: The Eye of Torment written by Scott Gray, illustrated by Martin Geraghty.

· DWM examines the unique scrapbooks of PETER HAWKINS, the man who was the voice of the Daleks in the 1960s.

· The Fact of Fiction takes a detailed look at the 1964 First Doctor adventure, The Reign of Terror.

· Legendary writer TERRANCE DICKS talks about his later work on Doctor Who – and what he thinks of the series today.

· The Time Team face an unknown horror as they watch the 2008 Tenth Doctor adventure Midnight.

· Jacqueline Rayner writes on the perils of watching Doctor Who on a dodgy TV in Relative Dimensions.

· The Watcher extols the virtues of not giving in to temptation in Wotcha!

· Reviews and previews of the latest CDs and books.

· Official news, the DWM crossword, prize-winning competitions and much more!

· PLUS! A giant, double-sided poster, featuring Peter Capaldi as the Doctor!

Doctor Who Magazine 477 is on sale from Thursday 21 August 2014, priced £5.99.

The post Peter Capaldi Reveals All In Doctor Who Magazine 477! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Our Complete Doctor Who Series 8 Preview!

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Doctor Who returns this weekend. How exciting is that?!

We’ve been teased about the Twelfth Doctor’s inaugural adventure for a while now, but what else do we know about the very-secret 12-episode run? Allow us to present to you… Series 8.

Naturally, mild spoilers will follow in our Doctor Who Series 8 preview, but, to paraphrase the Tenth Doctor, we’ve tried to steer you away from major developments.

1. Deep Breath

Writer: Steven Moffat. Director: Ben Wheatley.

Airdate: 23rd August 2014.

When the Doctor arrives in Victorian London, he finds a dinosaur rampant in the Thames and a spate of deadly spontaneous combustions.

Who is the new Doctor and will Clara’s friendship survive as they embark on a terrifying mission into the heart of an alien conspiracy? The Doctor has changed. It’s time you knew him.

Guest-starring: Peter Ferdinando (Half-Face Man); Paul Hickey (Inspector Gregson); Tony Way (Alf); Maggie Service (Elsie); Mark Kempner (Cabbie); Brian Miller (Barney); Graham Duff (Waiter); Ellis George (Courtney); and Peter Hannah (Policeman).

A slaughterhouse restaurant and a buried spaceship lead the Doctor into a confrontation with a long-forgotten foe…

75 minutes in length, this is the longest NuWho episode so far, narrowly besting 2007′s Voyage of the Damned.  It sees the Twelfth Doctor and Clara crashing in the Victorian Era, with the Paternoster Gang (last seen in The Name of the Doctor) – Vastra, Jenny and Strax – supporting their newly-regenerated friend.

Ellis George’s Courtney, a pupil at Coal Hill School, makes an unexpected appearance ahead of her on-screen brother, Danny Pink, played by Samuel Anderson, the latter of whom is expected to become a part-time companion.

Brian Miller is a familiar face for Whovians: not only was he married to the late Elisabeth Sladen, aka Sarah Jane Smith, but he also featured in Snakedance (1983) as Dugdale. He also supplied Dalek voices in Resurrection of the Daleks (1984) and Remembrance of the Daleks (1988), as well as an appearance in The Sarah Jane Adventures story, The Mad Woman in the Attic (2009).

Some may also draw parallels with the naming of Paul Hickey’s Inspector Gregson with the Sherlock Holmes character of the same name. And could Maggie Service’s Elsie be running the local pub, The Rose & Crown?

The British Board of Film Classification has revealed several minor plot points (and a few larger ones, which I have edited out so as not to spoil it for anyone), notably dinosaurs and robots running amok, a sword fight, and talk of robots ‘harvesting’ humans. And it’s getting very good reviews.

2. Into The Dalek

Writer: Phil Ford. Director: Ben Wheatley.

Airdate: 30th August 2014.

A Dalek fleet surrounds a lone rebel ship, and only the Doctor can help them now… With the Doctor facing his greatest enemy, he needs Clara by his side.

Confronted with a decision that could change the Daleks forever he is forced to examine his conscience. Will he find the answer to the question, am I a good man?

Guest-starring: Michael Smiley (Colonel Blue); Zawe Ashton (Lilia Power); and Ben Crompton (Ross).

In the dying days of a bitter war, a beleaguered army has one last hope: a Dalek so damaged it has become good.  But can it be trusted? To find out, a miniaturised team, led by The Doctor and Clara, embark on a fantastic voyage into the Dalek itself…

Phil Ford returns to the fold! Ford previously co-wrote 2009′s The Waters of Mars with Russell T. Davies and became head writer from Series 2 of The Sarah Jane Adventures. “What’s the most dangerous place you put the Doctor, we wondered,” remembers Steven Moffat. “And then we put him there… Oh, it’s a proper blockbuster, this episode. So many explosions that Peter Capaldi came in on his day off to watch the Daleks blowing up. I like a Doctor who revels in the destruction of evil in his downtime.”

A clip released on BBC Breakfast saw the Doctor and Clara (his ‘carer’) striding up a corridor, flanked by Fresh Meat‘s Zawe Ashton (who initially played Donovan in the unaired pilot of Sherlock), and Michael Smiley, who is best known for playing Benny in Luther but has also starred in Ripper Street and Wire in the Blood. This is the second episode directed by Ben Wheatley, who Smiley worked with on the horror film, Kill List (2011). His involvement has led many to conclude that the start of Series 8 will be noticeably darker!

Into The Dalek, riffing off well-known sci-fi ideas previously explored in The Invisible Enemy (1977), is also rumoured to introduce Samuel Anderson as Danny Pink, and, after an intriguing teaser trailer, some think Davros will return…

3. Robots of Sherwood

Writer: Mark Gatiss. Director: Paul Murphy.

Expected Airdate: 6th September 2014.

In a sun-dappled Sherwood Forest, the Doctor discovers an evil plan from beyond the stars. But with Nottingham at stake (and possibly Derby), there’s no time for the two adventurers to get into a fight about who is real and who isn’t – which is probably why they do very little else!

Guest-starring: Tom Riley (Robin Hood); Ben Miller (Sheriff of Nottingham); Sabrina Bartlett (Marion); Trevor Cooper (Friar Tuck); Ian Hallard (Alan-a-dale); Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Master Quail); David Benson; and Rusty George.

Yes, more robots! This time, however, we’re getting the Doctor Who version of Robin Hood, with Tom Riley as the robber-of-the-rich. Moffat described this as Gatiss’ “best Who yet.” Mark’s partner, Hallard, appears as one of the Merry Men, but you may recognise him from An Adventure in Space and Time, in which he played The Daleks director, Richard Martin.

Moffat has said that “it’s about being a hero. The Doctor’s going through a period of his life where he’s worrying about whether he counts as a good man,” as well as describing it as “very, very funny.” A similar vein as The Crimson Horror, perhaps?

Da Vinci’s Demons star, Tom Riley has stated that Capaldi will “completely revitalise the show.” A few years after his comedy partner, Alexander Armstrong, appeared in 2011′s The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, Ben Miller will finally make his Who debut, albeit it hidden behind a rather impressive beard. He joked: “As a committed Whovian I cannot believe my luck in joining the Twelfth Doctor for one of his inaugural adventures. My only worry is that they will make me leave the set when I’m not filming.”

Expect sword fights. And remember: there’s no such thing as Robin Hood!

4. Listen

Writer: Steven Moffat. Director: Douglas McKinnon.

Expected Airdate: 13th September 2014.

What scares the grand old man of time? What horrors lurk under his bed? Ghosts of the past and future crowd into the lives of the Doctor and Clara: a terrified caretaker in a children’s home; the last man standing in the universe; and a little boy who doesn’t want to join the army…

Guest-starring: Robert Goodman (Reg).

When you talk to yourself, what if the person you’re talking to isn’t really you?

Filmed across February, very little is known about this episode – but doesn’t it already sound really creepy?!

Danny Pink returns, perhaps going on a date with Clara before getting accidentally involved with one of the Doctor’s madcap adventures. “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!”said Anderson. “It’s a quintessential part of British culture and I can’t believe I’m part of it.”

Moffat said that it featured “the Doctor having what appears to be a mild nervous breakdown.”

You might recognise guest actor, Robert Goodman from Trial of a Time Lord, in which he took various uncredited roles – notably as an officer on the Hyperion III, and briefly cropping up in Nightmare of Eden, Full Circle and Arc of Infinity. Others will know him from Game of Thrones and Gangs of New York (2002).

Steven further teased that Listen is “a complete departure for me in terms of writing Doctor Who. A tiny guest cast, no CGI… It’s actually quite a scary one. I sometimes wonder: ‘What does The Doctor do when there’s nothing going on? Does he go and find something to poke a stick at?’ Of course he must. Essentially it’s downtime for the Doctor. But don’t worry, it involves a monster.” Certainly sounds promising!

5. Time Heist

Writers: Steve Thompson and Steven Moffat. Director: Douglas MacKinnon.

Expected Airdate: 20th September 2014.

The Bank of Karabraxos is the deadliest bank in the cosmos – only a fool or genius would tempt to rob it. Fortunately, for the Doctor, he’s both. But nothing even the Doctor has encountered can prepare him and Clara for the Teller: a creature of terrifying power that can detect guilt.

Guest-starring: Keeley Hawes (Miss Delphox); Jonathan Bailey; and Pippa Bennett-Warner.

Well, it’s about time Keeley Hawes appeared in our favourite show.

She’s starred in high-profile BBC shows like Line of Duty and Ashes to Ashes, and is married to her Spooks co-star Matthew Macfadyen, so you definitely know her.

“I had such a lovely time on Doctor Who,” she said. “I can’t really call it work; it was absolutely lovely. My favourite part was something I thought I’d never get to do – when the camera shakes… Y’know, that kind of cheap effect! [Laughs] With the new Doctor! With Peter Capaldi – who is brilliant – and the lovely Jenna Coleman. They were so welcoming. It’s quite nerve-wracking going on to a big show like that. They were absolutely delightful.”

Miss Delphox is a banker, and Moffat has called it “a heist movie” with “a cracking monster.”

You may also know Jonathan Bailey from Broadchurch and Pippa Bennett-Warner from The Smoke.

It’s also interesting to note that Moffat has co-writing credit on this episode and the next; he co-wrote Sherlock‘s The Sign of Three with Thompson and Gatiss too, so maybe they’re finding the collaborative process a nicer prospect.

6. The Caretaker

Writers: Gareth Roberts and Steven Moffat. Director: Paul Murphy.

Expected Airdate: 27th September 2014.

Clara has it all under control: her life at school, her life in space; her new boyfriend and her mad old Time Lord. Everything is humming along just fine, so long as everybody never actually meets. And then, one morning, just before assembly, Coal Hill welcomes a new relief caretaker with a Scottish accent.

Guest-starring: Jimmy Vee (Scovox); Edward Harrison; Andy Gillies; and Nigel Betts.

What if the Doctor were the caretaker at Coal Hill School…?

Moffat has brought Roberts back based on his love of The Lodger (2010) – “one of those rare episodes I watch just to cheer myself up,” Steven says – but Gareth’s also written The Shakespeare Code (2007), The Unicorn and the Wasp (2008), and Closing Time (2011), as well as co-writing 2009′s Planet of the Dead. Steven described The Caretaker as “something similar [to The Lodger]. Not that similar, mind – but character-driven, funny, with our hero bumping against the real world.”

As it takes place at the school, Ellis George turns up again as Danny Pink’s sister, Courtney.

Jimmy Vee also returns, having played Bannakaffalatta in Voyage of the Damned, the mermaid-pig in Aliens of London (2005), and the Moxx of Balhoon in The End of the World.

Director, Paul Murphy has had experience with Russell T. Davies’ Wizards Vs. Aliens plus Casualty, Grange Hill, and Trollied. Looks like he’s been in charge of the two funniest episodes this series.

7. Kill The Moon

Writer: Peter Harness. Director: Paul Wilmshurst.

Expected Airdate: 4th October 2014.

In the near future, the Doctor and Clara arrive on a decrepit shuttle making a suicide mission to the Moon. Crashing on the lunar surface, they find a mining base full of eviscerated corpses, spider-like creatures scuttling about in the dark, and a terrible dilemma.

Guest-starring: Hermoine Norris; Tony Osoba; Phil Nice; and Christopher Dane.

“Peter is about to remind you that the Doctor isn’t a hero every day – brace yourself,” Steven Moffat warns.

Partly-filmed in Lanzarote, Moffat teased that the Doctor returns to “the scene of an old adventure” – could this be Sarn, as seen in Planet of Fire (1984), or more simply, the moon?

The red spacesuit, which made its debut in 2006′s The Impossible Planet/ The Satan Pit and further appeared in The Waters of Mars and Hide (2013), is donned by the Doctor once more, but Clara, too, has one… as does returning sometimes-companion, Courtney Pink (Ellis George), who has seemingly convinced the Doctor to take her a trip into time and space!

Steven also said that Kill The Moon features “probably my most single favourite scene in the whole run this year.”

8. Mummy on the Orient Express

Writer: Jamie Mathieson. Director: Paul Wilmhurst.

Expected Airdate: 11th October 2014.

Aboard the most beautiful train in history, speeding among the stars of the future, a legend is stalking the passengers. Once you see the Mummy, you have 66 seconds to live. Clara sees the Doctor at his most deadliest and most ruthless – and finally she realises she’s made the right decision.

Because this is their last adventure: it’s time to say goodbye to the Time Lord.

Guest-starring: Frank Skinner; Foxes; David Bamber; Daisy Beaumont; Janet Henfrey; and Christopher Villiers.

The Doctor is catching up on his phone calls!

Cast your mind back to 2010′s The Big Bang, at the end of which the TARDIS phone rang out. The Doctor answered: “She was sealed into the seventh Obelisk. I was at the prayer meeting… Well, no, I get that it’s important. An Egyptian goddess loose on the Orient Express – in space.” This episode might pick up the plot thread.

Moffat called new writer, Jamie Mathieson a “big old fan – we couldn’t keep him away with guns and sticks.” Mathieson, whose two episodes were filmed in one block, has a great history of both sci-fi and time travel, his first credit to the 2009 comedy film, Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel. He’s also worked on Being Human (created by The God Complex scribe, Toby Whithouse), and Dirk Gently (a series spawned from two novels by the legendary Douglaas Adams).

Director, Paul Wilmhurst’s credits include Strike Back, Da Vinci’s Demons and Silent Witness, and has previously worked with guest star and comedian Frank Skinner.

9. Flatline

Writer: Jamie Mathieson. Director: Douglas MacKinnon.

Expected Airdate: 18th October 2014.

Separated from the Doctor, Clara discovers a new menace from another dimension. But how do you hide when even the walls are no protection?

Guest-starring: Christopher Fairbank (Fenton); Joivan Wade (Rigsy); James Quinn (Bill); John Cummins (Roscoe); Matt Bardock (Al); Raj Bajaj (George); and Jessica Hayes.

Those photos of a tinier TARDIS come from this episode, which sees Clara having to carry the Time-Space Ship – and the Doctor! – around in her handbag after they’re shrunken down to miniature size.

Further photos revealed graffiti people lining the sides of a tunnel, all facing away into the concrete. Spooky…

Indeed, Moffat called it “a horror story. It starts off with a very cute idea and becomes really quite frightening by the end.”

10. In The Forest of the Night

Writer: Frank Cottrell Boyce. Director: Sheree Folkson.

Expected Airdate: 25th October 2014.

One morning in London, and every city and town in the world, the human race wakes up to the most surprising invasion yet: the trees have moved back in. Everywhere, in every land, a forest has grown overnight and taken back the Earth.

Guest-starring: Jaydon Harris-Wallace (Samson); Ashley Foster; Harley Bird; and Abigail Eames.

The last episode to be filmed, concluded earlier this month, In The Forest of the Night takes its name from a William Blake poem called The Tyger. Specifically, from the opening verse:

” Tyger Tyger, burning bright,

In the forests of the night;

What immortal hand or eye,

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?”

The poem questions how God can create something that is so beautiful and yet so dangerous too. In fact, Moffat confirmed that the episode is “boldly beautiful, lyrical and poetic.”

Frank Cottrell Boyce is a new name to the show, but most notably wrote the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony.

This episode is set partly back at Coal Hill School, including Samuel Anderson back as Danny.

11/12. Dark Water/ Death in Heaven

Writer: Steven Moffat. Director: Rachel Talalay.

Expected Airdates: 1st & 8th November 2014.

“You betrayed me. You betrayed my trust, our friendship, and everything I’ve ever stood for. You let me down.”

In the mysterious world of the Nethersphere, plans have been drawn. Old friends and old enemies manoeuvre around the Doctor, and an impossible choice is looming over him.

Guest-starring: Michelle Gomez (Gatekeeper of the Nethersphere); Chris Addison; Jemma Redgrave (Kate Stewart); Ingrid Oliver (Osgood); and Sanjeev Bhaskar.

Danny also returns in this finale, the first proper two-parter since 2011′s The Rebel Flesh/ The Almost People, as does Jemma Redgrave as the Brigadier’s daughter and Ingrid Oliver as UNIT Scientist, Osgood – both of whom were last seen in the 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor.

At the London Film and Comic Con, Moffat revealed that he had more fun writing these scripts than ever before, and hinting that “it’s about Clara and the Doctor and the fact that the way they interact might not be healthy for everyone around them.”

Rachel Talalay oversaw filming outside St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, seemingly recreating that famous scene from The Invasion (1968) – particularly as the Cybermen are back!

So that’s what’s coming up in the next 12 weeks. Series 8 is going to be fantastic. As to what comes next… Christmas, of course!

The post Our Complete Doctor Who Series 8 Preview! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Capaldi & Coleman Talk To The Press Ahead Of Doctor Who Series 8

Danny_Weasel is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

The wait is almost over people, in a mere five days we will all be parked either in front of our TV’s, or for some of us an even bigger screen if you happen to be headed to the cinema to watch Deep Breath, and as such the press have thrown the coverage into overdrive with most of the weekends papers having some kind of coverage of the big event.

This ladies and gentlemen, is that coverage repackaged for your easy digestion.

“Do you happen to know how to fly this thing?”

In one interview this weekend, the Twelfth Doctor went on record as declaring he knew how to fly the TARDIS better than most of the crew.

Reminiscing in The Guardian about surreal on-set moments, he remembers the first few times he filmed in the TARDIS. “I had to be very patient,” he says, with a hint of nerdish derision, “because there were always very nice prop guys telling me how to work the TARDIS, and I was like: ‘I know how to work the TARDIS! I’ve known for a very long time how to work the TARDIS. Probably longer than you. So you don’t need to tell me!’”

This is the kind of news that fans will “woop” for, having a fellow fan back behind the controls of the old girl, and there is no doubting Capaldi is one of us. As a teenager he inundated the production team with fan mail. In the live TV announcement, he was presented with a letter his 15-year-old self wrote to the Radio Times praising its Doctor Who coverage, which Capaldi sheepishly referred to as “the full anorak”.

The Doctor’s Dossier

Capaldi has also revealed this week that before filming began he starting compiling a book of ideas and notes, images and phrases from all manner of sources that have inspired his Doctor. “I won’t name names, because it will be more fun for people to spot them. I have a book though. I started to collect images and quotes from people I thought were Doctor Who-ish. But, I am not taking any chances with it.” In light of the recent leaks of scripts and footage the new Time Lord is keeping the book under heavy guard, just in case.

The secrecy doesn’t end there though: Capaldi revelled in his advance knowledge of the situation, telling the Sunday Post “It was like being allowed inside the Magic Circle… When I was Doctor-elect, before it was announced, I used to go to comic book shop Forbidden Planet in the west end of London and just hang around.” He went on to add “It would amuse me that people wouldn’t know they were standing next to the next Doctor Who. That’s all in the past now. I can’t do it anymore.”

Jenna compares Doctors

Having only just got used to hopping about the universe with Doctor number eleven while also getting to meet(and save) numbers one through ten, spare a thought for poor Clara who now has to wrap her head this latest incarnation, who she says is about as far from Matt Smiths portrayal as possible. “I always thought Matt was so young-looking but had this older, wiser quality about him, whereas Peter is almost the opposite,” observes 28-year-old Coleman in The Independent. “Somehow he has this energy that is younger. Visually, obviously, it is very different.” And the visual side isn’t the only difference, as she goes on to mention with regard to their relationship,  “he brings out the control freak in Clara because she can’t quite pin him down. It’s always an interesting dynamic with the Doctor, anyway; one moment he’s your friend, and in another moment he’s this weird alien, and in another moment he’s being this annoying kind of toddler and you’re the adult, and in the next moment he’s playing the wise old grandfather.”

The Doctor as an annoying toddler? This I have to see.

One other thing that the star let slip may well please the classic Who demographic, while talking about a particular part in one of the episodes she mentions that they encountered something they didn’t really understand “so Peter Googled it and it went back to 40 years ago and one of Jon Pertwee’s episodes.” So there is something in an episode that can be traced back to Pertwee circa 1973: let the speculation begin!

Capaldi hummed theme tune on Musketeers set

In another of the weekend’s big interviews (again in The Independent) Capaldi mentioned that “When I was walking around Prague on my own, I was singing the Doctor Who theme tune to myself.” Upon discovering he had won the part, “I was shooting as Cardinal Richelieu, so my phone had to be off. But I checked it, and I had nine messages. My agent finally got through and said, ‘Hello, Doctor.’ I went into the corner, I couldn’t tell anyone. I had to be very quiet.”

He also brings up the fact that in his younger days he abandoned his collection in favour of wine women and song. “I had a huge collection of Doctor Who books, autographs and pictures, but I threw them all away to go and drink lager and eat curries. That was silly, wasn’t it?” He adds that, “I wish I’d known that one day the geek would inherit the Earth.”

Capaldi also gets deep about the roots of the show and touches on its longevity and constant appeal to new audiences over the years “Doctor Who has within it some of the cornerstones of the human psyche. He dies and is reborn. That’s a potent idea. It’s a show that young people can watch in which they are confronted with death, but in a way which is not grief-stricken.”, while also describing the show as similar to Grimm’s fairy-tales “The Doctor takes you deep into the forest where there are monsters, but he will return you to safety in the end.”

So pick the bones out of that lot then, how excited are you for Saturday? Do you think Series 8 can live up to the hype? What can the 40-year-old Pertwee episode reference be?

Add your musings and speculations below and spark some debate ahead of the weekends festivities.

The post Capaldi & Coleman Talk To The Press Ahead Of Doctor Who Series 8 appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Doctor Who Series 8: Deep Breath Gallery & Interviews

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Thanks to BBC America we have a new selection of images to share with you for Deep Breath, the Doctor Who Series 8 opener that introduces Peter Capaldi to audiences.

Meanwhile, we’ve got a couple of interviews for you too, with Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman. So we thought we’d mix them up…

Interview with Peter Capaldi

Can you describe your emotions on the first day when you stepped on set as the Doctor?

I was frightened and excited. My first proper day was stepping out of the TARDIS into a brand new world, which was exactly what was happening to me. Of course being inside the TARDIS you’re just inside a big box really. It’s not bigger on the inside, it’s just a prop and you’re in there with Jenna and a prop man who you’ve never met before. It was all a bit cozy. But it is frightening because you have to take on the challenge of this role, but at the same time it’s exhilarating because you are getting to step out the TARDIS as Doctor Who, and that’s an iconic role and a great position to be in.

How are you feeling ahead of the new series starting?

Apprehensive, excited, and keen.

What have fans got to look forward to this series?

They can look forward to some scary episodes, and some funny ones, and a Doctor who is difficult to keep up with, and who is more alien than perhaps we’ve seen for a while.

Since the show returned in 2005 have you always hoped the role would come your way?

I was always interested but I never thought they’d come to me. So I was always interested because I liked the show very much, and I loved Chris (Eccleston), David (Tennant) and Matt (Smith). All of them I think have been fabulous. But I was always interested in being in it. I was always hoping someone would call me and say ‘What do you think of coming and being in an episode?’ – but I never thought they would think of me as Doctor Who.

Have you received any advice from any of the other Doctors?

Yes Matt and David. We are often in touch, they have been very good. David did take me for a coffee before it had been announced, and he just pointed out to me that I would become more visible and that my life would change in some way.

You are a big Doctor Who fan. Is that an added pressure or an advantage?

Both. It does add to the pressure because you’re hugely aware of how well the role has been played by previous incumbents, but at the same time you have a sort of relationship with it that that doesn’t have to be acted. It’s a knowledge and a closeness to it that takes you a long way down the road. You almost instinctively know what it is. You can recognize what it is and what it should be, because it’s in your DNA.

Have you tried to take any mementos from on set yet?

No I haven’t, I don’t need any mementos – I’m Doctor Who!

What has been the best thing so far about being the Doctor?

It’s working with all of these gifted people, because the crew, the designers and the cast are all so good at what they do. To be working with people who are so great at their jobs is a wonderful thing, and it’s a highly imaginative place to be in the studio when this is all going on. It’s fabulous from the point of view that you’re doing things you would never have done in other television shows. There isn’t another television show like it, where the central character can be blown up, or materialized underneath the sea or be in outer space. So to turn up every time you start a new episode and be submerged in a totally new world is certainly one of the best things about it. To be able to have the privilege of looking after this character for a while is the best thing about it for me. It’s that you’ve been given this very precious thing, and it’s your responsibility to try and keep him aflame until the next person comes along. You’re looking after the character and it looks after you too.

Has there been a sequence you’ve particularly enjoyed filming?

I’ve just been filming a sequence in which I have to be suspended on wires, 20 feet in the air for a whole day, and people kept worrying about me and saying ‘Are you OK? Are you alright?’ But it was fantastic! It was like being nine years old. To be carted up into the air on wires to pretend to fly, I was Doctor Who and Superman. It was absolutely brilliant. You know you’re safe and everyone is there looking after you. Where else is a man of my age going to be attached to wires and flung around a room? I think being on the wires is great fun.

How do you feel about being the joint oldest Doctor?

I think you learn to pace yourself and you recognize the dangers. Everybody counselled me about how physical the role is, but that’s great! It’s like exercise, you don’t have to go to the gym. You just come and play Doctor Who and run up and down corridors being chased by monsters, and run away from explosions. It keeps you fit, but obviously when you’ve been around the block a little bit like I have, you can actually say ‘I’m not running over that thing over there, that looks too dangerous.’ You can pace yourself more, and that’s what I’ve done. So touch wood we’re nearly there, and I’m surrounded by a great team who look after me. I think too much is made of my age, who cares? Doctor Who is over 2000 years old…

What sort of response have you had from Doctor Who fans so far?

My relationship with fans, either when I’ve met them or when they’ve written to me, that’s all been wonderful and kind and positive. It’s a delightful thing when people are pleased to meet Doctor Who, because Doctor Who is far more interesting than I am. So I get his smiles. The welcome look on people’s faces is because they’re meeting Doctor Who, not me. The fans have been wonderful, those that I’ve met. I’m not a creature of the internet, so I’m not out there finding out what people are saying, but I hope we will meet a lot more people. Especially with the world tour I’m going to meet lots of people. But genuinely the fans I have met have been very positive and a great support to me. That’s lovely. I know what Doctor Who fans are like because I am a Doctor Who fan myself. They’re good people.

Are you looking forward to the audience reaction?

It depends what it is. That’s the truth. It depends if they like me or not. The thing I do know because I’m a fan of Doctor Who is that if there are a lot of people who don’t like me, there will also be some people who really like me, and that’s quite a nice feeling. That’s the nature of the show. People will take sides.

How has it been having Jenna on set to share the experience with?

She’s great. Jenna has been absolutely brilliant. I think she’s wonderful in the show, and she’s my favorite companion. She’s been so welcoming to me and so warm. I couldn’t have wished for anyone better to welcome me to the show. She’s just been delightful to work with, so I hope we can carry on doing that.

Interview with Jenna Coleman

How is Clara feeling about having a new Doctor?

For Clara it unbalances her and throws everything up in the air. She has gone from feeling safe – in moments of danger the Doctor would catch her – and thinking she had it all sussed, then suddenly this new guy has come along who she can’t quite access in the same way. He’s removed, he’s not as patient, and he’s much more alien and enigmatic. It’s really hard for her. Her best friend is a changed person, and it is a very difficult for her to accept that and move forward.

What is Clara’s relationship like with the Doctor?

It’s interesting because it’s a really changed dynamic. It’s very funny, there’s a lot of bickering. There’s no one that can wind her up as much as this Doctor can, because he’s just a loose cannon. He has this mad curiosity. It puts Clara out of her comfort zone and totally out of control, so we see the control freak in her really ramp up.What I think is really good about it is it’s an unlikely friendship. Even if she wanted to leave she can’t, because she’s bonded to him. He absolutely infuriates her. He annoys her. No one else can wind her up quite like it – but she just loves him. The friendship is strange and charming.

Would you say the tone of the show has changed this year?

It feels different. The pace is different, and the tone. It’s definitely darker, but again I think it’s because the Doctor is much more removed and not as accessible to humans. The show feels complex, and the Doctor is complicated. He’s this heroic figure but he can’t quite accept he’s a hero. It’s also the Doctor getting to know himself again as well as the audience, and Clara, getting to know him. There’s definitely this element of beginning again as there always is with a regeneration. He’s much more of a tough cookie, and there’s a fierceness to it now I think. Peter is just so dynamic as well, he’s a firecracker. That is really interesting for Clara, because when they go on these adventures – yes it’s fun and it is full of adventure – but actually it is dangerous as well. The risk-taking is heightened.

What is in store for Clara this series? Do we learn anything new about her?

You see a lot more of her home life. We see how she lives her life, and how she lives a double life. Spending time at home, being a teacher and living a normal life, and then very separately sneaking off and having these mad, wonderful, magical adventures with the Doctor. Actually, it is quite exhausting for her. She’s trying to keep a lid on it, and she arrives back at school soaking wet with seaweed on her shoulder for example, and she has to explain that. It’s a theme throughout the series, lying and why we lie, lying to protect someone you love. It’s this web of lies that she gets herself tangled in.

How have you found working with Peter?

It’s been a joy. He’s so funny and so generous. That’s one of the things from day one on the shoot. He was looking after me on his first day, which I just think is testament to the type of man he is. He is the epitome of grace. He is that kind of man that takes care of all of those around him. Despite all of that, he’s just so skilled and so brave and bold in the choices that he makes, and really clever and dynamic. What I love about him is that he’s so prepped and immersed in the job, but then at a moment’s notice he’s not afraid to abandon any plan and try something else. He’s a really fearless actor that’s very generous to those around him. We just have such a laugh as well. We’ve laughed the whole way through the series together.

Did you find yourself showing Peter the ropes?

There’s silly basic things you can do like “there’s the canteen.” Silly things like that. What I really wanted to do was be as open as possible to change from the start, and also just make him feel supported and that he could try anything. I’d be up for trying anything. It was about being totally open with each other and trying to get that relationship as soon as possible so that we could get the best out of it. Also to allow him to really be able to explore, because that’s the kind of actor he is. He’s very explorative on set as well, so just being as responsive as I could to that so he could explore and find his Doctor. It’s been amazing to watch actually, especially watching episode one, and to see where he’s got to now having just finished the series. It’s a massive growth.

What can you tell us about Clara’s relationship with Danny?

She meets a man called Danny Pink – a teacher – who’s charming and lovely. He’s that perfect boyfriend really and is very supportive, but he doesn’t know anything about this double life she lives. She tries to hide it from him while at the same time falling in love. She becomes very torn between the two. It’s almost as if she’s having an affair, without having an affair, but the lying becomes more and more. Basically she’s trying to manage the two, and have these two men in her life. It becomes quite a hurtful thing and quite a hard thing for her because she’s totally torn between the two, and trying to have both at once without being able to do it successfully.

What’s it been like working with Sam Anderson?

It’s been great. He’s a dream. I think he’s going to be really popular in the show. He’s very laid back, very cool and collected, and he plays the trumpet in-between takes as well on set! He’s lovely. I do feel sorry for his character though, as he’s got this girlfriend who is completely stressed every time she appears after coming back from being with the Doctor.

As you’ll probably know by now, Doctor Who Series 8 hits screens in homes and cinemas on Saturday, August 23rd. Check your local listings for screening times.

The post Doctor Who Series 8: Deep Breath Gallery & Interviews appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Radio Times Offers Digital Doctor Who Special This Week!

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

This week’s Radio Times looks at the new series of Doctor Who, in which Peter Capaldi tells us that he thought he would be overlooked for the show.

Perhaps most exciting, however, is the enhanced digital special issue, available for just 99p!

As well as recalling having a blanket over his head, Twelfth Doctor Capaldi explains how he hasn’t quite found his feet, noting  “I don’t know if it’s quite fallen into place yet. I think it’s a mistake to get it to click, to get into a groove. I’ve tried to avoid finding a way to do it and then just repeating that. I’m trying all the time to see what works and what doesn’t work, though I’m trying to bring back some of the Doctor’s mystery and strangeness, which is hard to do given that the show is 50 years old.”

Features inside the new issue include an exclusive interview and cover shoot with star Peter Capaldi and showrunner Steven Moffat’s unmissable guide to all 12 episodes of the new series. This week’s issue is also a Blippar special with additional Doctor Who content where you see the Blippar logo.

This week’s Radio Times, is on sale Tuesday 19th August 2014 (for listings 23-29 August 2014). 

The digital edition, meanwhile, includes a tablet version of the rare 1973 Doctor Who 10th Anniversary Radio Times Special supplement (it inspired the then 15 year old future Doctor, Peter Capaldi, to write to Radio Times in praise of the special edition), exclusive Doctor Who photo gallery and unique digital edition animated cover.

Among other things, the 10th anniversary supplement features the third Doctor Jon Pertwee on the cover and includes episode guides for the first 10 years, a guide to build your own Dalek and a (then) new Dalek story by Terry Nation.

The Radio Times digital special also features a unique animated Doctor Who cover, only available with the digital edition, featuring Peter Capaldi; plus a picture gallery of the new Doctor from an Radio Times exclusive photo-shoot.

Features inside the new issue include an exclusive interview and cover shoot with star Peter Capaldi; showrunner Steven Moffat’s unmissable guide to all 12 episodes of the new series; an exclusive interview with José Mourinho by comedian and author David Baddiel; David Walliams; James Corden; plus comprehensive TV and radio listings for 23-29 August.

This week’s Radio Times digital issue is available at special summer half-price promotional rate of just 99p. Radio Times is available on the Apple Newsstand every Tuesday, for iPad and iPhone, at £1.99 per issue, £6.99 for a monthly subscription or £79.99 for an annual subscription. The digital issue is initially available on Apple devices and will be rolled out across other mobile and tablet platforms thereafter.

Find out more at www.radiotimes.com.

The post Radio Times Offers Digital Doctor Who Special This Week! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Doctor Who: Legacy Announces Episodic Series 8 Tie-In!

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

In exciting news, the team behind Doctor Who: Legacy has announced that the new update (“The Hunt For Greyhound One”) will offer new weekly content!

Doctor Who: Legacy 2.3 features various incarnations of the Doctor combining efforts to fight the Master, with the Fifth Doctor now joining the action alongside much loved classic ally, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, as well as Rose Tyler, Wilfred Mott, Ace, Idris, the Third Doctor’s trusty car Bessie, and even the Whomobile!

Perhaps most intriguing is the news that when the new series of Doctor Who premiers this weekend, fans will find new content released each week which will incorporate new enemies, allies, costumes, and set backgrounds.

In related news, the game has now been installed over 1 million times across all platforms!

“When we launched Doctor Who: Legacy back in November, we couldn’t have imagined the amazingly engaged and supportive fan community that it would inspire” says Lee Cummings, Creative Director at Tiny Rebel Games. “We are so thrilled and honored at the privilege the BBC has allowed us in supporting the upcoming season of the show with the 12th Doctor and his allies on their new adventures. We can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on with our fans!” adds Susan Cummings, Executive Producer of Doctor Who: Legacy.

In coordination with the release of a new level for Doctor Who: Legacy, a special livestream will take place at 12pm Pacific on Sunday August 24th on Twitch. For joining us on Twitch, viewers will be the first to receive a new costume for Jenny – the very first costume Doctor Who: Legacy will release for Season 8! Viewers can watch the Twitch livestream at 12pm PDT on Sunday, August 24th here: http://www.twitch.tv/theadiposetv

“The Hunt For Greyhound One” is now available globally as an update to the game on all supported platforms including Amazon Appstore, Google Play, iTunes, and on Facebook. Keep up to date with Legacy on Facebook and Twitter.

For more on Doctor Who: Legacy and Doctor Who video games, check the latest issue of Kasterborous Magazine, available now!

The post Doctor Who: Legacy Announces Episodic Series 8 Tie-In! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

A Third Doctor Who Series 8 Episode Leaks Online

Alex Skerratt is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

In news that even the Daleks will be frustrated about, the third episode of Doctor Who‘s eighth season has now been leaked onto the Internet. Titled Robots of Sherwood, the episode is a monochrome rough cut and is reportedly lacking its finished visual effects sequences.

As many of us know, the BBC’s time vaults were infiltrated back in July, when an unprotected ‘shared’ folder – said to contain the first five Series Eight scripts and a number of complete episodes – went public, leading to a mass download of copyrighted material, and every television producer’s worst nightmare. Apparently, the folder had been created for a chap called Marcelo Camargo at Marc Drei Productions, who had been tasked with some sort of subtitling duties for the Time Lord’s latest adventures.

Although the BBC was quick to plug the leak in the good ship Camargo, it appeared the damage had already been done, and within hours, the internet was awash with early episode reviews and high profile spoilers. At first, it seemed that the only video file to have been pirated was the series opener Deep Breath, as nobody appeared to have seen or shared anything pertaining to the other episodes, (other than plot details from the five leaked scripts.)

However, the situation was turned on its head when, out of the blue, Series 8′s second episode Into the Dalek mysteriously appeared on Pirate Bay. And now, this week, we have Robot of Sherwood doing the rounds in the Doctor Who underbelly.

The more this situation develops, I can’t help but think of Judi Dench in 2012′s Skyfall, and her reaction when the identities of government secret agents were uploaded onto YouTube, along with a chilling message: “Five more. Every week. Think on your sins.” Cool and detached as ever, the resilient Dench picks up the phone and says, “Tanner – he’s posted the first five names. Their cover’s blown!”

It may sound a little far-fetched, but the question has to be asked – is someone releasing these episodes periodically for a reason? Could the periodic, but intentional, sharing of these episodes be some sort of attack on the BBC? After all, as TorrentFreak points out, the video files all follow the same naming convention, which suggests that they were all obtained by the same person at the same time. Absurd as the ‘targeted attack’ theory may sound, the idea that so many scripts and episodes could find their way into the public domain is astounding in itself. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the scale of the leak is almost unrivalled in television terms, (although I’m sure there must be a number of similar examples.)

I guess we will have to wait and see how the rest of this sad situation pans out. In the meantime, let’s look forward to this Saturday, when we can watch the Twelfth Doctor for the first time in all his high definition, Crombie-wearing glory!

(Via TorrentFreak)

 

The post A Third Doctor Who Series 8 Episode Leaks Online appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

All of Doctor Who Series 8/Season 34′s Titles Revealed!

Joe Siegler is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

This morning the BBC formally released the titles and directors of all the episodes for Doctor Who Series 8, giving what I believe to be the first formal conformation that the run is one episode shorter than all the others that have preceded it since the relaunch in 2005.   Additionally, I believe these are the first episodes that Steven Moffat has written for Doctor Who where he gets a co-author credit with someone else (at least officially).

Given I’m sure you just want the goods, let’s just get to it:

Episode 1: Deep Breath

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Ben Wheatley

Episode 2: Into The Dalek

Written by Phil Ford and Steven Moffat
Directed by Ben Wheatley
Introducing Samuel Anderson as Danny Pink.

Episode 3: Robot Of Sherwood

Written by Mark Gatiss
Directed by Paul Murphy

Episode 4: Listen

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Douglas Mackinnon

Episode 5: Time Heist

Written by Stephen Thompson and Steven Moffat
Directed by Douglas Mackinnon

Episode 6: The Caretaker

Written by Gareth Roberts and Steven Moffat
Directed by Paul Murphy

Episode 7: Kill The Moon

Written by Peter Harness
Directed by Paul Wilmshurst

Episode 8: Mummy On The Orient Express

Written by Jamie Mathieson
Directed by Paul Wilmshurst

Episode 9: Flatline

Written by Jamie Mathieson
Directed by Douglas Mackinnon

Episode 10: In The Forest Of The Night

Written by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Directed by Sheree Folkson

Episode 11/12: Dark Water/Death In Heaven

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Rachel Talalay

We’ll have a full preview of the series later today!

The post All of Doctor Who Series 8/Season 34′s Titles Revealed! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.