Christian Cawley's Blog, page 274

Doctor Who Monsters Invade Forbidden Planet!

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.

London’s Forbidden Planet Megastore is the place to be next month for a bumper Doctor Who book signing of the new ‘Monsters Collection’!

The event is in honour of the new series from BBC Books, each featuring a classic monster from Doctor Who, and the Megastore will host authors Trevor Baxendale, Stephen Cole, Terrance Dicks, Jonathan Morris, Justin Richards and Mike Tucker – six of the most prolific of all Who writers.

This series of books includes Trevor Baxendale’s Prisoner of the Daleks, Stephen Coles’ Sting of the Zygons, Terrance Dicks’ Shakedown, Jonathan Morris’ Touched by an Angel, Justin Richards’ Sands of Time, and Mike Tucker’s Illegal Alien, each with a lovely new cover so they’ll look all neat on your shelves.

For those keen to know which incarnation to expect, the titles include the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, their companions, and some of the best-loved nemeses from the series. They’re the very best in terrifying Doctor Who tales!

The signing runs on Saturday 15th March from 1- 2pm at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8JR.

The post Doctor Who Monsters Invade Forbidden Planet! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Philip Morris On Doctor Who Missing Episodes: “Expect the Unexpected”

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.

As the DVD came out on Monday, you’ll no doubt have seen The Web of Fear by now – and isn’t it brilliant?! The man we have to thank for finding both the Great Intelligence-fronted serial and The Enemy of the World, which sees Patrick Troughton shine as both the Doctor and the evil Salamander, is Philip Morris.

Radio Times caught up with the hero of the hour, and discovered that, if it weren’t for Morris’ timely intervention, the film cans might’ve been destroyed forever:

These films were the last survivors of two classic Patrick Troughton tales, which should have been destroyed years ago according to contract… [The Nigerian programme purchaser] informed me he had instructions to burn them. I informed him it was not necessary and the BBC would be delighted to have them back.

Morris continues to search for long-lost gems, not only of Doctor Who, but also The Sky at Night, Dad’s Army, and countless others:

[We're] working in South America, South East Asia, as well as a whole host of other larger and smaller countries. We are also working with lots of private film collectors around the globe transferring lots of old domestic video recordings from old reel-to-reel tapes, Shibaden and Philips 1500/1700 [obsolete videotape formats].

He isn’t, however, quizzed over the ‘omnirumour ‘ – that the two serials found are just a small part of an even greater haul – and in the comments section, writer Patrick Mulkern says he couldn’t see the point in pressing the man for a response to rumours.

The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria refuse to be drawn into the Omnirumour argument!

Ian Levine, who saved The Daleks for us all to enjoy, is also looking for long-lost episodes again, but is growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of news:

He is so clearly dragging it out and playing with us. He’s playing you all – am I really the only one who can see this ???”

Starburst‘s JR Southall provides an upbeat response, though:

With a project like this, you wouldn’t hand things over and release stories until the search is done, otherwise you might end up releasing a story with an episode missing only to be accused of forcing people to double-dip if that episode turns up subsequently (rush releasing two stories for the anniversary notwithstanding). Likewise, if better copies of things turn up, you save yourself a potentially expensive tricky restoration job by only starting work once all your assets are assembled. It really doesn’t make sense to release anything until the assets are all assembled…

Once that’s over, we should find out whether any more Doctor Who has been found (I’d be surprised if the answer was no) and how much… Let’s face it, if it weren’t for Phil Morris, TIEA, and the Project Africa team who got him on the road in the first place, the prospect of seeing *any* of these episodes would stand very close to nil. We’re not losing anything by waiting, but we might be gaining an awful lot.

I’d just like to add my appreciation of the incredible work done restoring the two serials. I was astonished to see how crisp Web now is. I also just searched for images of the storyline and found a few telesnaps. How amazing it was to think that, for over forty years, that’s one of only a few ways we had to enjoy the Great Intelligence’s dastardly scheme!

Morris concludes:

To the fans, never give up hope. Be patient. People are working very hard in lots of very volatile and dangerous corners of the globe, sometimes paying with their nervous systems, which is a hard thing to give. As always, TIEA are out there. Expect the unexpected.

Read the full interview over at Radio Times!

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The Lazarus Experiment Is An Underrated Modern Doctor Who Classic

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.

As with any long-running television show, there are many things that happen behind the scenes and during the course of filming that may not come to light as the episode first airs, but that are later presented as a wonderful look back in the history of the show. Recently the BBC released a few videos about from and about the making of the Series 3 episode The Lazarus Experiment.

In the middle of David Tennant’s second series as the Tenth Doctor, we were told the story of a man who wanted to turn back the clock of human aging and “change what it means to be human.” Richard Lazarus, played by Mark Gatiss, creates a machine that will alter his DNA and cause it to rejuvenate. But, of course, things don’t go as well as he plans, and the situation turns dangerous for the Doctor and Martha, played by Freema Agyeman, the woman he has taken on “just one trip” as a thank you for helping him, as well as her sister Tish, who works for Lazarus, and the rest of their family.

Here we have clips of the Doctor and Martha attempting to escape the monster as well as Martha and her sister luring the monster into the tower of the church while trying to stay ahead of him.

The Lazarus Experiment is one that tends to divide the Doctor Who fandom. Some see it as too reliant on special effects, given that the villain of the episode spends half of it as a fully CGI monster. Some see it as just too far beyond the plausibly believable, which is an element that makes the best science fiction stories as good as they are – they have a basis in some possible reality, even if it is one that is a far off future. This may be especially true given that the episode came right after the 2-part Daleks In Manhattan/Evolution Of The Daleks, which had some rather wild and insane moments. Others however see it for the wonderful, almost over-the-top performance given by Mark Gatiss.

Here we have Gatiss getting into character as the still human Richard Lazarus.

However you feel about it, the episode is an important one in Series 3, as it lays the groundwork for a major plot line for the rest of that series – Martha’s mother’s distrust of the Doctor, their strained relationship, and her family’s involvement in future events. The end of the episode also marks the Doctor’s taking Martha on board the TARDIS as his full time companion.

The post The Lazarus Experiment Is An Underrated Modern Doctor Who Classic appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Peter Capaldi Surprises BBC Worldwide Showcase

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.

Earlier this week BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, descended on Liverpool for its annual four-day Showcase event. The event brings executives from international broadcasters together and provides them with the opportunity to watch new programmes available for international sale.

As a special treat, amidst all the big guns of the BBC such as the boys from Top Gear, Sherlock and Sir David Attenborough the crowd were given an unexpected surprise appearance from new Doctor Peter Capaldi in full costume and emerging from the TARDIS to have a brief chat with host Graham Norton.

As a lifetime follower of the show, I’m delighted to see its global success. And I’m looking forward to sharing with the world the very exciting journey the new series is taking us on

The time is drawing ever nearer for the debut of the newest incarnation of the Time Lord and with the announcement of a new companion, a list of guest stars and regular sightings of filming going on across Cardiff this appearance is just one more turn of the key to wind up fans into a frenzy. Lets hope that it lives up to the hype. How do you feel about all this buzz around the new series, is it too much or maybe you feel it’s not enough, perhaps you think that after the spectacle of the 50th nothing can possibly match the anticipation levels.

Or maybe you have an entirely different opinion, either way we want to know what you think.

The post Peter Capaldi Surprises BBC Worldwide Showcase appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Guest Casting for Doctor Who Series 8 Confirmed

Andrew Reynolds 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.

While all eyes have been on brand new male companion Samuel Anderson (The History Boys) who’ll be playing Coal Hill School teacher Danny Pink – there were a couple of new names added to the illustrious list of guest stars to grace Doctor Who.

As the next block of filming commenced it was confirmed that episode 4 of the new series will co-star Robert Goodman – a one-time London tour guide and magician in the world famous Hamley’s toy store in London’s Regent Street – who’s appeared in the like of Game of Thrones, Ripper Street and, more importantly, various credited roles including Hyperion III Officer, Loader and Crew Member in the Sixth Doctor saga Trial of a Time Lord.

He has also appeared in other Doctor Who serials such as Full Circle, Arc of Infinity and Nightmare of Eden in various uncredited roles, including wearing the Mandrel monster suit.

Two more names confirmed to co-star in episode 5 are Jonathan Bailey – perhaps most famous for his role as Olly Stevens from Broadchurch, who’s also appeared in Five Children and It, Groove High and, more importantly, The Bill – and Pippa Bennett-Warner – who can currently be seen somewhere in The Smoke, and also appeared in this week’s Death in Paradise and, has history in Holby City.

So how are the nerves holding out as time creeps onwards towards Peter Capaldi’s maiden episode? Are we pleased with the new guest stars and a brand new male companion? And who would you like to see staring alongside the Twelfth Doctor?

The post Guest Casting for Doctor Who Series 8 Confirmed appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Foreign Doctor Who Remake Would Be “Dreadful” Says Steven Moffat

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 BBC Worldwide Showcase event took place in Liverpool this week, and among the shows being promoted for sale overseas was, of course, Doctor Who.

Steven Moffat was on hand, and spoke to BBC News about the show (and Sherlock and Coupling too).

Among the many questions he was asked was a topic which we discussed in last week’s podKast – could an overseas version of Doctor Who work?

Says Moffat:

If anyone were to ask me, I’d say it’s an absolutely insane idea.

You couldn’t have more than one Doctor Who in the world. It would just be dreadful.

This is a debate that is already underway here on Kasterborous following the podKast – leave your thoughts and tell us whether you think a US or other overseas version could work or not.

The post Foreign Doctor Who Remake Would Be “Dreadful” Says Steven Moffat appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Whoniverse Con Cancelled As Matt Smith Forced To Withdraw

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 Hub Productions has announced that the Australian Whoniverse event has been cancelled after Matt Smith was forced to withdraw. This comes after Karen Gillan withdrew from the event – which takes place at several locations around the country – last week.

As reported on their website:

We have received devastating news in the last 24 hours. Due to a personal emergency, Matt Smith has advised us he is no longer able to come to Australia at this time. We’ve looked into any and all options with regards to replacements, but unfortunately the only possible replacement we would consider sufficient would be another modern Doctor, and there are none available over these coming weeks. With Karen also unable to attend the second weekend, we feel we have no choice but to cancel the event. We are working to try to bring Matt, Karen and Arthur to future events, but in the meantime, Ticketek will be in touch regarding refunds.

Matt has provided us with the following statement at this time:

I am deeply saddened to have to advise that I will not be able to come to Australia for the Hub Productions’ Whoniverse event. Although I wish it were otherwise, due to a personal family emergency it’s not possible for me to leave England at this time. I truly regret the situation, and the disappointment it must be causing, but I’m hoping to be able to reschedule as soon as possible for the future; I look forward to see you all then.

We understand that many of you will be shattered by this news; please understand that as long-term Doctor Who fans ourselves, we are no less heartbroken.

As noted, Ticketek will be contacting all ticketholders directly in regards to refunds, and if any action is required on your part to obtain your refund. If you have any inquiries regarding your tickets in the meantime, you can contact Ticketek on 13 28 39.

There is no doubt going to be a lot of disappointment. Matt clearly has good reasons for pulling out. But spare a thought for Liam Flanagan.

The post Whoniverse Con Cancelled As Matt Smith Forced To Withdraw appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Coming Soon From Eaglemoss: Doctor Who Figurine Collection Special 2 – Slitheen

James Whittington 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.

Eaglemoss Publications Ltd have released the skinny (ha, ha) of their latest Doctor Who Figurine Collection Special and this time around it’s a Slitheen.

Disguised as members of the British establishment, these aliens from Raxacoricofallapatorius engineer a global panic in order to obtain the codes for Britain’s nuclear arsenal. With the weapons they plan to turn Earth into radioactive scrap and sell it! This member of the Slitheen family is a detailed replica from the 2005 story Aliens in London/World War Three.

Standing 85mm tall, it was recreated using both the costume and computer-generated versions of the Slitheen seen in that memorable Eccleston adventure!

This special hits shelves on March 27th and will cost you £15.99.

The post Coming Soon From Eaglemoss: Doctor Who Figurine Collection Special 2 – Slitheen appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Impressive Variations On The Doctor Who Theme!

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.

Fans of the Doctor Who theme tune, (which I’m guessing is most of us!), will no doubt be aware of the range of remixes and renditions that are currently doing the rounds on YouTube. Ranging from the upbeat to the borderline hypnotic, these off-the-wall orchestrations will thrill, amuse, and surprise you.

For anyone urgently seeking that pulsing bassline and ethereal cry, here’s a quick run-down of Ron Grainer’s finest…

First, we have the classic Delaware arrangement, made famous by its (accidental) broadcast in Australia in the 1970s. Producer Barry Letts had originally considered using this as a permanent replacement to the Delia Derbyshire rendition, but changed his mind at the last minute. Subsequently, some overseas copies of Carnival of Monsters retained this ‘unused’ theme music.

Next we have the version by Orbital, whose variation was used for the 40th anniversary montages in 2003. This video is extra-special, though, as it includes Matt Smith himself on the keyboards at Glastonbury…

Rock / metal fans might also want to consider this rather impressive guitar-led arrangement, with thumping drums and whaling acoustics. I’m not quite sure what makes this version ‘metal’ as opposed to ‘rock,’ but I am musically dense by my own admission! Whatever the genre, it’s a good listen.

Next up is the rather fascinating electronic version by Arc Attack. It’s evocative of the 16bit console music of the early 90s, although it’s worth watching for the visuals alone; the ‘dancer’ expels lightning bolts from his finger tips!

Finally, check out this spooky, hypnotic rendition by thereminist Lydia Kavina and the Radio Science Orchestra. I must confess I have no idea what a thereminist is, but Lydia Kavina appears to be making sounds with a mere wave of her hand, which I find awesome and mind-blowing! [A theremin is used in the theme tune for Midsomer Murders. It also plays a big part in The Beach Boys' Good Vibrations hit from 1966 -Ed]

So there you are – just some of the creative Doctor Who theme arrangements that are available through the magic of YouTube! Of course, I will always be a sucker for the Dominic Glynn version, but that’s between me and my iPod…

Oh, and if you fancy making your own, this handy online guide will tell you everything you need to get started! Let us know if you’ve come across any more unusually striking arrangements.

(Theremin video via www.synthtopia.com)

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Get Essential Weeping Angel Facts In Doctor Who Adventures #340

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 the new issue, out tomorrow, Doctor Who Adventures wants readers to design a Mixed-Up Monster to create the ultimate crazy creature.

Says Editor, Moray Laing:

We want to know what readers think would make the ultimate creature made up from other monster parts. Would the scariest design have the head of an Angel, legs of a Cyberman and arms of a Zygon? We want to know, and can’t wait to see what readers come up with!

Plus:

You’ll find essential facts about the Weeping Angels – one of the Doctor’s deadliest enemies!
Spotted! Pictures of Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman filming new adventures on the streets of Cardiff.
Time travelling quiz – find out if you are more likely to travel to the past or future.
15 mega monster secrets – the truth behind the beasts.
Win Doctor Who playsets and loads of Lego Movie goodies.
An exciting comic strip featuring an unseen adventure with the Eleventh Doctor and Clara – use the free Blippar app to bring the comic strip to life!
Use Blippar for more Weeping Angel scares, too!

All this, plus the latest news, posters, puzzles…

Issue 340, on sale 26 February – 11 March, priced £2.99 which includes an exclusive free gift. Don’t miss it! And if you see a Weeping Angel, remember, don’t blink.

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