Christian Cawley's Blog, page 307

Barry Jackson 1938-2013

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.

British character actor and stunt arranger Barry Jackson has died today, aged 75. Best known for his recurring role in Midsomer Murders from 1997–2011, Jackson also had several Doctor Who roles, most notably as dodgy geezer Time Lord Drax in The Armageddon Factor back in 1979.

Appearing in The Romans in 1965 as assassin Ascaris and later that year in The Daleks’ Master Plan prologue Mission to the Unknown as Jeff Garvey, Birmingham-born Barry Jackson had a string of TV credits to his name, such as A For Andromeda, The Troubleshooters, Doomwatch, The New Avengers, The Professionals and even Coronation Street. Although recognised by Whovians as one of the more unusual Time Lords to appear in Doctor Who, it will probably be as pathologist Dr George Bullard in Midsomer Murders that Jackson will be best remembered. Interestingly, the actor was unavailable for some early episodes in the show’s run (due to being on tour in a Harold Pinter play), resulting in a second character, Dan Peterson, being introduced as a short-term replacement – played by the Dream Lord himself, Toby Jones.

Barry Jackson, who also appeared in the film Ryan’s Daughter and in Blake’s 7, died at his home in north London with his family in attendance.

(Via Toby Hadoke on Facebook)

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New BBC One Controller “very excited” by Peter Capaldi

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.

The Controller has spoken!

BBC One Overlord Charlotte Moore said she is ‘very excited’ by Peter Capaldi’s first scenes on Doctor Who.

Speaking at a BAFTA Session the BBC One Controller promised that The Thick of It and, more recently the Imagine special on Machiavelli (which should be watched for those who want to see a non-sweary snarling Capaldi performance and for the way it kind of feels like a Doctor Who episode; the large fonts declaring the locations, the long coat, the impossible choice to be ‘good’, the refuting, cut and thrust of academic engagement…well maybe not that one) star is “going to be a really fantastic Doctor.” (Blimey, that took some getting to – Ed)

He’s an extraordinary actor with amazing ability and just watching the first scenes come through… I’m very excited.

Addressing the controversy of not allowing the Doctor to regenerate into a female, which show runner Steven Moffat said would cause too much confusion and awkward conversations between the shows younger fans, Moore added:

It was about finding the right person, rather than what gender they might be.  We didn’t go in with any agenda, but when you know you’ve found the right Doctor, you all stick on the right Doctor. I’m delighted that Peter said yes.

Aren’t we all!?

Doctor Who will return in The Time of the Doctor, Christmas Day, 7:30 pm, BBC One.

(via Digital Spy)

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Grab Doctor Who’s 50th Anniversary Celebration DVDs Now!

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.

Two very special releases hit shelves this week – DVDs (and one Blu-ray) of the big 50th anniversary shows: The Day of the Doctor and An Adventure in Space and Time!

Aside from English subtitles for the hard of hearing, audio description and audio navigation, each boasts a lovely little batch of special features too.

The Day of the Doctor DVD is available for just £9.25, while its 3D Blu-ray counterpart is just £11.25 from Amazon. Here’s all you need to know about the Zygon-packed special:

 

The Doctors embark on their greatest adventure in this 50th anniversary special. In 2013, something terrible is awakening in London’s National Gallery; in 1562, a murderous plot is afoot in Elizabethan England; and somewhere in space, an ancient battle reaches its devastating conclusion. All of reality is at stake as the Doctor’s own dangerous past comes back to haunt him.

Written by Steven Moffat, directed by Nick Hurran, executive produced by Steven Moffat and Faith Penhale, produced by Marcus Wilson.

Special features:

The Last Day – exclusive mini episode
The Night of the Doctor – Day of the Doctor prequel starring Paul McGann
Doctor Who Explained
Behind the lens
Early trailer
50 year trailer.

Glad to see The Night of the Doctor included, as well as Behind the Lens. But can we please have The Five(ish) Doctors too?!

An Adventure in Space and Time, Mark Gatiss’ love letter to not just Doctor Who but also the wonderful cast and crew that kicked the show off, and which bought a tear to many an eye across the land, has an RRP of £20.42, and here’s what you need to know:

This special one-off drama travels back in time to 1963 to see how the beloved Doctor Who was first brought to the screen.

 

Actor William Hartnell felt trapped by a succession of hard-man roles. Wannabe producer Verity Lambert was frustrated by the TV industry’s glass ceiling. Both of them were to find unlikely hope and unexpected challenges in the form of a Saturday tea-time drama, time travel and monsters!

 

Allied with a team of brilliant people, they went on to create the longest-running science fiction series ever, now celebrating its 50th anniversary.

 

An Adventure in Space and Time is written by Mark Gatiss, executive produced by Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat and Caroline Skinner and directed by Terry McDonough. David Bradley (Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Broadchurch) plays the lead role of William Hartnell while Jessica Raine (Call the Midwife, The Woman in Black) co-stars as the first ever producer of Doctor Who, Verity Lambert.

 

The stellar cast is joined by Sacha Dhawan (Waris Hussein), Lesley Manville (Heather Hartnell), and Brian Cox (Sydney Newman).

Special features:

Leaflet featuring programme images and an exclusive foreword by writer and executive producer Mark Gatiss
William Hartnell: The Original
BTS: The Making of An Adventure  – narrated by Carole Ann Ford
Reconstructions: – Scenes from An Unearthly Child and the pilot – Regenerations  – Farewell to Susan – Festive Greeting
The Title Sequences
Deleted Scenes  – The Radiophonic Workshop – Verity’s Leaving Party

William Hartnell: The Original was the beautiful little film that followed the 90-minute special and was a wonderful tribute that added a finishing touch to the evening.

Bizarrely, however, no Blu-ray of An Adventure in Space and Time has been released, news which has been met with cries of annoyance from fandom. But don’t let that sour two immensely satisfying, near-perfect celebrations of Doctor Who.

If you don’t want to wait until Christmas, An Adventure in Space and Time is on Amazon for £13.75.

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The Time of the Doctor Preview Images Released

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 Has today released a selection of images from the forthcoming Doctor Who Christmas special, The Time of the Doctor.

Featuring Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman, the new promo pictures give little away, other than the atmospheric wintery setting of what we suppose is Trenzalore.

Hot foot it to our Facebook page to enjoy the image gallery right away!

More images will be released on Saturday!

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Radio Times Showcases Waris Hussein’s Annotated Doctor Who Script

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.

As shown in Mark Gatiss’ excellent An Adventure in Space and Time, Waris Hussein was an invaluable part of Sydney Newman’s “misfit dream team” in the early days of creating Doctor Who. The young Indian director, who was barely 25 at the time, oversaw the production of Doctor Who’s very first story in 1963 and helped to mold it into the show that we all enjoy today.

In a recent fascinating feature on the Radio Times website, 50-year-old original pages from Hussein’s copy of the script for Doctor Who’s second episode, The Cave of Skulls, are shown in full detail.

The director’s notes on the production–in his own handwriting–including ideas on music cues, changes to the script, and even a drawing or two, can be seen. There is no doubt that without Hussein’s guidance on these very early episodes that the show could have turned out quite different.

Waris Hussein went on to direct many film and TV projects over the years, but before he drifted away from Doctor Who for good, he returned in 1964 to direct episodes of the now-lost (cough, cough!) serial, Marco Polo.

Kasterborites, Mr. Hussein seems to still be active and involved in the directing world. Would you be interested in him making a triumphant return to Doctor Who and directing an episode a half-century after his last one?

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The War Doctor Crashes Daleks Into Forbidden Planet!

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.

Let’s face it: we’ve all been waiting for a figure of the War Doctor/Hurt Doctor/8.5th Doctor/9th Doctor (or whatever numbering/naming system you use). Thanks to Forbidden Planet, you can now place your orders for the lost incarnation of the Time Lord.

Equipped with Sonic Screwdriver and The Moment (sans Bad Wolf Girl), the figure conversely comes with an Eighth Doctor head.

We recognise the continuity issues this might create in your private retelling of The Night of the Doctor; it’s out of our hands, yeah? But who cares – IT’S FIVE INCHES TALL, PEOPLE!

The ‘Other Doctor’ is the Doctor’s dark chapter, a hitherto unknown incarnation whose existence he has spent centuries repressing, a secret he wants no one to know of.

 

He is a relic of the past, part of the great Time War, when he spent centuries fighting alongside his fellow Time Lords against the Daleks and made the final decision to end it with a desperate act that cost that incarnation the right to use the name “Doctor”. This haunted and battle-worn Other Doctor is finally forgiven after helping find a new solution to end the war, giving the Eleventh Doctor a new purpose as he heads into further adventures.

Shipping from February 28th, you can place your order for the reasonably priced £14.99 figure at Forbidden Planet now!

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The Day of the Doctor Smashes iPlayer Record!

Nick Kitchen 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.

With all of the numbers finally in for the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor, now in and tallied, it can be called a certifiable hit!

In addition to the accolades bestowed by the Guinness Book of World Records, the BBC has announced that the special has set a new iPlayer record of 1.3 million views within the first 24 hours after the broadcast. This shattered the record previously held by the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games, which had a little over a million views.

BBC Controller of Drama, Ben Stephenson, had this to say:

The Doctor Who 50th was a hugely ambitious event on the BBC and it’s only fitting that it has taken the top spot highest across all channels this year.

At the time of this writing, figures have reached as high as 2.9 million requests on iPlayer. This, of course, should be an early indicator of the kind of staying power the 50th special will have, as will the sales of the DVD and Blu-ray release.

The worldwide reaction to The Day of the Doctor has been incredible, and deservedly so (in the humble opinion of the Kasterborites!). Thus, I’m not really surprised at the repeat viewings; after all, I watched it twice myself here in the States! So, did you get your second (third, fourth, etc.) helping from iPlayer?

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Paul McGann Discusses 50th Anniversary Surprise [VIDEO]

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.

Paul McGann – the much-loved Eighth Doctor – has appeared in a new video from the BBC’s Doctor Who website in which he discusses taking part in the 50th anniversary short The Night of the Doctor.

There’s little else we can tell you without spoiling the far-too-short clip. Basically, you’ll have to click play above and enjoy it.

And then scream “MOOOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRR MCGANNNNNN!!!”

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Return to Doctor Whoville Tee Available Today!

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.

Fans of Doctor Who t-shirt mashups should check this wonderfully named “Return to Doctor Whoville”, available today only from TeeFury.

Delivering all 12 incarnations of our favourite Time Lord into a snowy landscape with a Dr Seuss flavour, the art is by Ian Leino and the tees come in a selection of blues for men, women and children for just $11 plus shipping.

Check the beautiful people below to see how the tee might look on you…

To snap yours up before they all go, head to TeeFury now!

(Thanks to Jason)

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Milk to Provide VFX for Doctor Who Series 8

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.

Those technical wizards at Milk Visual Effects have been commissioned to produce effects for the next series of Doctor Who, which starts production in January.

This will continue a long association with the programme for Will Cohen and his team, many of whom have worked on the programme since its 2005 return. When The Mill closed its film and TV arm the staff set up on their own, their first job being creating stereo 3D effects for the fiftieth anniversary episode. No pressure there, then.

Work on the special comprised some 129 different effects, the most challenging being the 3D Time Lord art at The National Gallery. Says VFX Supervisor Murray Barber:

The script defined it as a normal painting, so we had to come up with a concept to make it look 3D. The other issue is that 90 percent of people would see the episode in 2D. So we had to come up with a solution to creating a 3D object that you see in 2D, which is quite a challenging concept.

Should you wish to know more about an area of the production that sometimes gets taken for granted, an in-depth feature can now be read online.

While we’re on the topic, What was your favourite effect from The Day of the Doctor?

(Via Hollywood Reporter | Thanks to Richard.)

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