Christian Cawley's Blog, page 270

Why Is This Man Being Linked To A Role In Doctor Who? [POSSIBLE SPOILER]

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.

Following the revelation that former Doctor Who star Sylvester McCoy knows the identity of the next actor to play the Master, Wales Online have today reported that former EastEnders actor Steve John Shepherd is a strong contender.

To accompany this news, they share a set of interesting coincidences concerning the 41-year-old actor, but nothing solid:

After finishing on EastEnders late last year as happiness vacuum Michael Moon, the actor appeared on Daybreak where he claimed to be working on a new role in January but couldn’t “go into the details”.
He’s grown a beard.
He recently uploaded a photo of his head with said beard to an Internet account (see above), with what appears to be a Welsh coast line in the background.
The date of the photo’s upload was January 19th.

These coincidences are flimsy. However, the actor does have the ability to project a very sinister presence, and the beard is certainly striking and a little Victorian, which may or may not make him a shoe-in for any 19th century set episodes of Doctor Who Series 8.

Meanwhile, Charles Dance and Richard Armitage (the latter, interestingly, one of Sylvester McCoy’s Hobbit co-stars) have also been heavily rumoured for the part.

What do you think? Could any of these actors be the Master? He’s certainly a lot younger than Peter Capaldi, but then, do the Doctor and the Master really have to look the same age?

 

The post Why Is This Man Being Linked To A Role In Doctor Who? [POSSIBLE SPOILER] appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Sylvester McCoy Knows Who The Next Master Is…

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.

The Newcastle Film and Comic Con has taken place today, and among the guests were Seventh Doctor Who star Sylvester McCoy, who has some very interesting things to say about the new Master.

It seems as though the presence of the Doctor’s most persistent rival renegade Time Lord is something of an open secret as far as Series 8 is concerned, with or without the confirmation from BBC Wales.

McCoy has, apparently, been told who the next Master will be, adding that he will be ‘Very, very scary.’

We previously reported how Charles Dance has supposedly been cast already as the Master, but there are various other names in the hat that we’ve also been told about.

Who would you like to see step into the big shoes of John Simm, Derek Jacobi, Eric Roberts, Anthony Ainley, Geoffrey Beevers, Peter Pratt and Roger Delgado?

(With thanks to John)

The post Sylvester McCoy Knows Who The Next Master Is… appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

An Adventure in Space and Time US Blu-ray Release Details

Drew Boynton 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.

It’s about time!

An Adventure in Space and Time, that other hour-plus film produced to celebrate Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary, will finally be released on Blu-ray in the USA on May 27th.  The release will be a 3-disc set, including the Blu-ray, a regular DVD version, and a very special third disc.  This final DVD will include not only the original and unaired version of 1963′s An Unearthly Child, but also the other three stone age-set episodes of Doctor Who‘s first story ever.  Extras on the discs include promos, a deleted scene, a “Making of…” program, and an interestingly-titled segment called “Regeneration: Doctors 1, 2, and 3, Re-cast”.

An Adventure in Space and Time was written by Who stalwart Mark Gatiss and directed by Terry McDonough (Peak Practice, Breaking Bad).  Aired last November as part of the big 50th anniversary celebrations, the TV movie chronicled the very beginnings of Doctor Who‘s creation in the early 1960s, and starred Jessica Raine (Call the Midwife) as producer Verity Lambert, Brian Cox (X-Men 2) as creator Sydney Newman, and in an award-worthy performance, David Bradley (Harry Potter films) as First Doctor William Hartnell.

As noted on Blu-ray.com, An Adventure in Space and Time will be available in this great-sounding three-disc set on May 27th in the USA.  There is apparently no word yet on a list price, but stay tuned to Kasterborous.com for further details!

So, American Kasterborites, will you be “Pop-pop-popping” this Blu-ray into your player in a few months?

(Via Blu-ray.com | With thanks to Joe)

The post An Adventure in Space and Time US Blu-ray Release Details appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Mark Gatiss Promises “Thrilling” Doctor Who Debut For Capaldi

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.

Doctor Who writer and actor Mark Gatiss has described this week how new Time Lord Peter Capaldi will appear in a thrilling Series 8 opener.

Talking to Digital Spy with a quote that may well make Private Eye‘s ‘Pseud’s Corner’, he made mention of the difference in the “energy” of Peter Capaldi as opposed to his immediate predecessors Matt Smith and David Tennant.

“He’s older which changes everything – it’s amazing what a change does!

“Matt was sublime and I was very sorry to see him go, but it’s also great to have a change – as it has always been with the Doctor.”

Gatiss continued, referring to how a new incarnation changes the rules by playing with viewer’s expectations about how the character might react in a given situation.

“The Doctor’s always the Doctor – but you can have a lot of fun playing with people’s expectations. Everyone knows how the previous Doctor would react in any given situation – and now you just don’t know!”

We can’t wait to see Capaldi in action. How long is it now…?

(Via Digital Spy.)

The post Mark Gatiss Promises “Thrilling” Doctor Who Debut For Capaldi appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Doctor Who: Legacy Hits Kindle Tablets

Rebecca Crockett 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.

Since its release late last year, Doctor Who: Legacy has quickly become a fan favorite, even being named by UK newspaper The Guardian as one of the 50 best games for iOS and Android. Originally only available on iTunes and Google Play, the game has now been released for the Kindle Fire in the Amazon AppStore. 

For those that haven’t played it, Doctor Who: Legacy is a jewel swapping game where the player forms teams with various incarnations of the Doctor and his companions to defeat enemies old and new from the Doctor’s adventures in space and time. Players can choose from the Eleventh, Tenth, Eighth, Seventh, Sixth, and Third Doctors and companions like River Song, Madame Vastra, Jenny, Amy, Rory, K-9, and even Adipose as they complete the levels in the game and gain new characters with new abilities. So far, the game has included stories across both Seasons 6 and 7 of the new series.

With the game’s release in the Amazon AppStore, a new epilogue has been added to the end of the Season 6 story, and includes another fan favorite character, Captain Jack Harkness, as a guaranteed drop to all those that complete the level. The First Doctor will also shortly be joining the storyline of the game as well.

Word is that a Facebook version of the game playable in your web browser is also on its way, due at the end of March.

And if all this wasn’t enough, there’s more! Get ready for Doctor Who: Legacy Season 5…

As time collapses due to the Sontaran attack, the Master uses the chaos to begin construction of his own empire. All of this leads to the impending launch later this month of Doctor Who: Legacy Season 5, The Return of the Master!

I can’t wait to meet Captain Jack and see how the game will look in Facebook – and the Master!

You can find out more about Doctor Who: Legacy in the forthcoming Kasterborous Magazine #2, which is nearing completion…

The post Doctor Who: Legacy Hits Kindle Tablets appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

BBC Books Unleash the Monsters… Again!

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.

BBC Books are publishing a second run of previously released Doctor Who novels with smart new covers.

The volumes, all of which feature iconic monsters from the series’ past, have been given the 50th anniversary makeover with clean white backgrounds and chunky lettering, with the ‘classic’ logo replacing the new series branding.

The titles in question are Sting of the Zygons by Stephen Cole, Prisoner of the Daleks by Trevor Baxendale, Touched by an Angel by Jonathan Morris, Shakedown by Terrance Dicks (featuring the Sontarans), Corpse Marker by Chris Boucher (featuring the Voc Robots), Illegal Alien by Mike Tucker and Robert Perry (featuring the Cybermen), Sands of Time by Justin Richards (featuring the robot mummies from Pyramids of Mars), and Scales of Injustice by Gary Russell, (featuring the Silurians). 

These exciting adventures are available to buy right now, so clear that 800 year diary and make some space behind the sofa! Which one are you most excited to re-read?

Books from Doctor Who: The Monster Collection Edition series are available in print and Kindle formats on Amazon now.

The post BBC Books Unleash the Monsters… Again! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Doctor Who Web of Fear Breaks Classic DVD Records!

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.

BBC Worldwide reports today that The Web of Fear is the biggest selling classic Doctor Who title in its first week of sales in the UK!

Approximately 15,000 copies were sold in that period, as The Web of Fear replaced Doctor Who: The Enemy of the World at the top of the week one classic Doctor Who charts.

Both of the top two titles were believed lost forever but were returned to the BBC in 2013 sparking celebration among fans of the world’s longest-running sci-fi drama and global media interest. Unseen in the UK for over 45 years, they were discovered in a relay station in Jos, Nigeria by TV archive specialist Phillip Morris, before being lovingly restored by the Doctor Who restoration team in the UK. They were subsequently released on iTunes, and The Web of Fear was released on DVD on Monday 24th.

300 fans gathered to enjoy a marathon screening of the two stories at the Prince Charles Cinema in London to celebrate the release of The Web Of Fear on 22nd February.

Fiona Eastwood, Director of Consumer Products at BBC Worldwide said:

We knew that The Web of Fear would be a popular release; Yetis on the London Underground – need I say more? There’s a real appetite for exploring the extensive back-catalogue of classic stories, particularly following the 50th and we’re committed to continuing that exploration for Doctor Who fans in the future.

These figures continue a successful year for Doctor Who DVDs, with strong sales across the classic range and contemporary releases alike. The 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor achieved the biggest ever week one sales for a Doctor Who title when it was released in December 2013.

The Web of Fear can be ordered now from Amazon, where the £20.42 RRP is reduced to just £13.97 - don’t miss it!

The post Doctor Who Web of Fear Breaks Classic DVD Records! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Doctor Who Joins Radio 4 Character Invasion Day!

Drew Boynton 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.

How do they create the effects that make each episode of Doctor Who so special?

Interested fans and friends can find out on March 29th, as special effects guru Neill Gorton puts on a workshop at the Doctor Who studios in Cardiff. The workshop is a very special event that is tied in to Radio 4′s Character Invasion Day.

A short article in the Radio Times states:

“Neill Gorton, director of Bafta-winning Millenium FX, will provide an insight into how some of the best-loved monsters and aliens from Doctor Who and Russell T Davies’s Wizards vs Aliens are created.”

It sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday!  And if you can’t make it to Cardiff, there are several other Character Invasion Day planned for different cities, although they probably won’t have much to do with our favorite Time Lord.

As the Radio Times says:

“For more information about Radio 4’s Character Invasion Day, including events in Belfast and Glasgow, visit bbc.co.uk/programmes/CharacterInvasion.”

So, Kasterborites, are you going to the Doctor Who studios for a behind-the-scenes look at how the magic is made?

 

The post Doctor Who Joins Radio 4 Character Invasion Day! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Doctor Who Series 8 Episode 5 Writer Confirmed

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.

Steve Thompson has been confirmed as the writer of Doctor Who Series 8, Episode 5!

The Curse of the Black Spot scribe joins showrunner Steven Moffat in forming Block Two of the shooting schedule, consisting of episodes 4 and 5, reports Doctor Who Magazine.

Thompson first wrote for Doctor Who in 2011, and returned last year with Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS. Most first heard of Thompson when he penned The Blind Banker, the second episode of Sherlock, and since, he’s been behind the immensely-popular The Reichenbach Fall and The Sign of Three. His Who stories, however, have been highly divisive – so might we expect the same from his first Twelfth Doctor tale?

Thompson’s story stars Broadchurch‘s Jonathan Bailey and Pippa Bennett-Warner, who you may have seen in a recent episode of Death in Paradise.

Block Two, which introduces Samuel Anderson as Danny Pink, has begun filming, helmed by director, Douglas Mackinnon (The Sontaran Stratagem/ The Poison Sky; Cold War).

Episodes 1 and 4 have been written by Moffat, whilst Phil Ford (The Waters of Mars; The Sarah Jane Adventures) has scripted episode 2. Hide‘s Neil Cross has been confirmed for the upcoming 13-episode run, and both Mark Gatiss and Tom MacRae are expected to return. Doc Martin scriptwriter, Jack Lothian, has also worked on a storyline, originally destined for Series 7… but who knows when we’ll see that.

The post Doctor Who Series 8 Episode 5 Writer Confirmed appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

The PodKast Talks Lego Doctor Who and Even More Horns Of Nimon!

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.

Brian Terranova returns to the podKast this week as we find ourselves – for the third week running – discussing the many pitfalls of watching Doctor Who “classic” The Horns of Nimon…

If you’re not keen on the Nimon, worry not. We’ve got plenty else to talk about, from Matt Smith’s surprise Australian convention withdrawal to Titan’s problem distributing new Doctor Who comic, Peter Capaldi in an old Midsomer Murders and the likelihood of a series of Lego Doctor Who toys.

As ever, there are our recommendations, which include Dark Eyes 2 and Remembrance of the Daleks.

Ready? Click play!

“I’m looking forward to any announcement on the matter” – Brian Terranova

Kasterborous PodKast Series 4 Episode 04 Shownotes

Matt Smith quits convention, event closes
Last week’s podKast, discussing The Horns of Nimon

The Horns Of Nimon on DVD
Big Finish Nimon story, Seasons of Fear


IDW lose Doctor Who comics licence
Titan share sneak-peek of upcoming Doctor Who comics
Peter Capaldi in Midsomer Murders
Titan’s Doctor Who distribution issue
BBC Books The Monster Collection Edition
Lego announces licensing change regarding Doctor Who
The Doctor Who Figurine Collection‘s Dalek Emperor tweet
Recommendations

Dark Eyes 2
Tales of Trenzalore


The Musketeers


Remembrance of the Daleks DVD
Remembrance of the Daleks novelization

The Kasterborous PodKast theme tune is arranged by Russell Hugo.

Listen to the PodKast

There are several ways to listen. In addition to the usual player above, we’re pleased to announce that you can also stream the podKast using Stitcher, an award-winning, free mobile app available for Android and iPhone/iPad. This pretty much means that you can listen to us anywhere without downloading – pretty neat, we think you’ll agree! (Note that it can take a few hours after a new podKast is published to “catch up”.)

What’s more, you can now listen and subscribe to the podKast via our Audioboo channel! Head to http://audioboo.fm/channel/doctorwhopodkast and click play to start listening. You can also comment and record your own boos in response to our discussions!

Meanwhile you can use the player below to listen through Audioboo:

You haven’t clicked play yet?! What are you waiting for? As well as our new Stitcher and Audioboo presence you can also use one of these amazingly convenient ways to download and enjoy this week’s podKast.

Use the player in the top right of the Kasterborous home page, or visit the podKast menu link.
Listen with the “pop out” player above, which also allows you to download the podKast to your computer.
You can also take advantage of the RSS feed to subscribe to the podKast for your media player, and even find us on iTunes!

The post The PodKast Talks Lego Doctor Who and Even More Horns Of Nimon! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.