Christian Cawley's Blog, page 380

Issue 7 of FANWNAK

Meredith Burdett 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.

If you are yet to order Issue 7 of the Doctor Who fanzine FANWNAK then may we suggest that you do so as quickly as you possibly can because quite frankly, it looks brilliant. The official site where you can purchase a copy details, rather amusingly, the labour of love that went into creating this special issue and the challenges that took place to make the 104 page issue a reality. In issue 7, you can look forward to a celebration of 50 years of Doctor Who, an interview with Steven Moffat, part 2 of the comic strip Let’s Regenerate (which features the return of an old enemy with a seemingly famous face), a look at Peter Cushing as the Doctor, the 10 best Doctor Who CD releases, a celebration of the ups and downs of being a Doctor Who fan and an exclusive reproduction of the Virgin Publishing guidelines that young storytellers such as Mark Gatiss, Paul Cornell, Steven Moffat, Russell T Davies and Gareth Roberts all adhered to in order to get some of their very first Doctor Who work printed as part of the New Adventures range. Of course, this is just scratching the surface; there are plenty more articles to enjoy as well as news and reviews on all things Doctor Who. The full colour Issue 7 of FANWNAK will cost you £7.99 (which includes postage in the UK) or £13.99 (including postage) to the rest of the world. If your purse strings are already stretched thanks to the power of one-click ordering from Amazon then never fear, there is also a black and white version with a full colour cover that will cost only £3.99 – which also means that if you’re ordering from outside the UK that the cost should drop quite considerably for you. To find out more about the issue or to order your copy visit their official site. Remember that FANWNAK is full of adult humour and may not be suitable for children or people with no sense of humour.

The post Issue 7 of FANWNAK appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Louise Jameson Signing at the Lass

Meredith Burdett 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.

Many of you may have felt a tad disappointed that Louise Jameson couldn’t make a signing event at The Lass O’Gowrie pub in Manchester that was previously advertised. This, however, is how hectic an actress’s work schedule can be and sometimes changes have to be made at the last minute.

Never fear however, as Jameson and the good people at The Lass have rescheduled the event and the good news is that the lady herself is due to make an appearance very soon, in fact it will take place this Sunday, 21st July!

Between 2-4pm at The Lass O’Gowrie pub, you can attend this free event where you’ll not only have the opportunity to get an autograph from the lady herself but also attend a QA session where Jameson will talk about her career as well as, we suspect, a little role that she’s played in the Doctor Who universe for well over 30 years now.

For those of you able to attend the event, you’re in for a real treat. Jameson is always a pleasure during Q&A sessions regarding Doctor Who and it’s a little bit difficult not to fall in love with her.

You can find out more about the event as well as any other Doctor Who related matters taking place in The Lass O’Gowrie pub by visiting their website at http://www.thelass.co.uk/whatson.php .

The post Louise Jameson Signing at the Lass appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Review: The Name of the Doctor

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.

There’s an elephant in the room.

Surely every review of The Name of the Doctor starts at the end with that cliffhanger. And this one isn’t any different. The reveal of John Hurt’s Not-Quite-Doctor has the danger of overshadowing the other 40-odd minutes. It’s understandable: he could change all we know about Doctor Who since its return in 2005. Alternatively, he may have no lasting effect come Christmas. Showrunner, Steven Moffat, has to be careful. Doctor Who is precious to so many; to tamper with the lead character is dangerous.

That’s why the episode’s name caused so much controversy. That’s why he did it. He knows what he’s doing.

And what’s important to remember is that Steven Moffat is as much a fan as you or I; perhaps – and this may hurt – even more so.

Those suggesting that ‘The Grave of the Doctor’ or similar would’ve made as much an impact as the episode’s actual title are, I think, missing the point. The Doctor’s real name isn’t what’s important here: instead, it’s what is done in the name of the Doctor. I’m sure in my assertion that Hurt’s inclusion will not make Eccleston the Tenth Doctor, Tennant the Eleventh and Smith the Twelfth. Clara even says, “You’re the Eleventh Doctor” to that bow-tie-wearing alien with the silly hair.

But enough pondering over John Hurt for now. This episode boasts so much to explore and enjoy.

We should, instead, focus on those goosebumps you got when you saw the Citadel on Gallifrey. Then the First Doctor and Susan scrambling into that faulty TARDIS. And then Clara and all those Doctors…!

Because you did, didn’t you? The hairs on your arms stood up, your eyes widened and a chill ran up your spine. The whole episode was worth it for those few moments of pure fan pleasure. The Doctor’s first foray into 2013 might’ve been the brilliant Bells of Saint John, but this is where the 50th anniversary really starts.

This is brave and innovative. This is what no other show ever can do. This is a celebration.

The Name of the Doctor showcases a lot of what’s maintained Doctor Who’s longevity: astonishing ideas, sinister monsters, shocking revelations and deaths, clever red herrings, a helping of continuity references, brilliant visuals, lovable companions, and one hero with many faces. In fact, one of the only things missing was an equal helping of humour to balance out the darkness – something unusual for a Moffat script.

That’s not to say that comedy has been completely abandoned. I love the Doctor’s reaction to being out-smarted by Angie and Artie (“the little… Daleks”) and Strax’s trip to Glasgow, but they’re somewhat undermined by the seriousness of Trenzalore. It’s a bit of a theme that the show gets a little darker when nearing a regeneration, but The Name of the Doctor was screened in the glorious days before we knew that – and here I stifle a tear – Matt Smith is leaving.

The feel-good factor is present, naturally, but only blatantly in the scenes with Clara in the Doctor’s time stream; fittingly, the tone of the episode is one of a funeral. I don’t like to think of the Doctor’s final resting place being on a battlefield. Trenzalore looks like a gloomy, horrible place to Rest In Peace. It makes Tranquil Repose look heavenly. I don’t like to think of the TARDIS being, essentially, ripped apart either, its dimensions pulling and stretching, its window tragically forever cracked and the cloister bell constantly screaming in pain. This isn’t just the Doctor’s grave: it’s also his TARDIS’.

Nonetheless, these are brilliant ideas, perhaps not fully explored. But maybe that’s for the best. Once an idea is fully explored, it becomes stale. It’s better that they’re scrutinised by eager fans: that’s why we’ve never seen all the TARDIS interior.

This is also why I’m sure the Whisper Men will return. They are undoubtedly clever but underused. Frankly, they’re a writer’s dream: sinister, intangible, unlimited in potential – and a great receptacle for clever wordplay. They speak in rhymes! That’s so simple but so ingenious!

They’re the fairytale villains, capable of cropping up in the most desolate and dark places. This is probably my favourite of their lines, though all four verses are lovingly crafted:

The man who lies will lie no more/ When this man lies at Trenzalore.

And I really love Clarence DeMarco’s (Michael Jenn) explanation of them: “in the babble of the world, there are whispers – if you know how to listen.”

I can’t help but think, or hope, that Trenzalore isn’t the Doctor’s End. Moffat always finds a way of cheating death – rather wonderfully, in my opinion – and River Song (Alex Kingston) is a great representative of this. It’s a brave move to revisit her death in the Library (all the way back in 2008!), but is there life left in her yet? I really hope so. Many do not like River. An equal amount, perhaps more, love her. She’s appeared in fewer adventures than an ordinary companion and I think there’s still much to explore. She should’ve faded by now, the Doctor argues, but time is a funny old thing. And as Clara learnt earlier this series, not everything dies. Not love – not always.

(This also applies to Richard E. Grant’s the Great Intelligence. Sure, he’s dead for now – but after re-watching The Bells of Saint John, you can figure out a way of bringing him back, easy-peasy.)

River saying the Doctor’s real name is a neat notion, sidestepping all that messy business of the show’s core mystery. Did we really think Moffat would reveal all? The thing about these little red herrings is that no matter how certain you are of something, there’s always a niggle at the back of your head, daring to consider another possibility. And this acted as great cover for Steven’s guerrilla storytelling, openly stating that the Doctor’s greatest secret would be revealed. Many said that this wouldn’t be his real name, but there’s that niggle again, somehow clouding what’s really going on.

If John Hurt hadn’t confessed in an interview in the week prior to transmission, that cliffhanger would’ve been perfect.

But it wasn’t spoilt. This is still top-notch writing.

The episode’s direction was surprisingly understated too. Whereas Nick Hurran’s direction (in episodes like The Girl Who Waited and The God Complex) is glaring in its beauty, Saul Metzstein is confident in the narrative – enough not to pack in as many nuances as he can, whilst still maintaining great visuals. It’s testament to the show’s inventiveness and the production team’s open-mindedness that both work perfectly. Comparing the darkness in The Name of the Doctor to the clean, Sherlock-inspired Bells of Saint John or the innovation of The Crimson Horror (also directed by Metzstein), you can really see why Doctor Who never gets old.

The Paternoster Gang (Neve McIntosh’s Vastra, Catrin Stewart’s Jenny and Dan Starkey’s Strax) are back after their fun-filled jaunt ‘Up Norf,’ and continue to develop well. Jenny’s death was so affecting thanks solely to The Crimson Horror, and whilst many consider her coming back to life a mistake, I’m very glad the Gang hasn’t been split up. Strax shrugging off the ingenuity of the human heart before Vastra corrects him is a lovely touch.

What’s less effective is Jenny’s disappearance when the Great Intelligence rewrites the Doctor’s history. It would’ve been better to see Vastra’s heartache reflected in Jenny if the Silurian vanished instead.

Starkey’s Strax is as loveable as ever, but the brief instance where he falls back into his Sontaran conditioning is brilliant. Surely there’s potential to see the nurse-turned-butler’s reaction to a Sontaran invasion of Earth next series?

And we cannot forget the newest member of the Doctor’s gang: Clara Oswald (Jenna-Louise Coleman). She’s rather brilliant, don’t you think? She’s far more subtle than any other ‘nuWho’ companion, and that’s to her credit. She’s scared, but she’ll do what needs to be done for her Time Lord friend. She’s got sass, but she’s restrained and bright. Yes, her mystery could’ve been strung out much longer, but this is Moffat proving that he can wrap up arcs whenever he likes; he knows what he’s doing, especially with the longer ones, like the TARDIS blowing up in Series 5 or the Silence’s makeshift time ship. This has come into great criticism lately, but I think it’s largely unfair. Trust him. He does nothing without good reason.

Clara will always be The Impossible Girl, even if we now know why and how. This has been wrapped up so we can focus on the one person that really matters come the 50th anniversary: the Doctor.

What’s left to say about the Eleventh Doctor? Every positive word in the English Dictionary has been used about him since The Eleventh Hour – and then some. He just always amazes me.

The Name of the Doctor is clever and shocking, the narrative surprisingly straight-forward and the emotions raw and beautiful. Granted, it’s full of under-explored ideas, but surely that’s the promise of adventures to come. Doctor who? We still don’t know. We’ll never know. But there is one thing I’m certain of: I’m really going to miss my Doctor, Matt Smith.

The post appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Karen Helps Dad Realise Singing Dream

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.

Karen Gillan: the gift that keeps on giving – not only will she soon be delighting cinemagoers in Guardians of the Galaxy but she’s also paid for her father to record his very own album as a Father’s Day gift!

The former companion grew up listening to her father singing jazz and blues around the house and was sure that he had a particular quality to his voice that leant itself to success.

Karen told The Telegraph:

“I came up with the idea for the album for Father’s Day. He has always sung, rather well I might add, so it seemed an injustice that his voice be confined to the walls of our house. I gave him a blank CD case and told him it was for the album he was going to record.”

John, a day care centre officer, has been a regular singer on the Inverness pub circuit and entertains people with learning difficulties.

After receiving the unique gift from his daughter, he spent a “fantastic” week in a Glasgow studio with professional musicians recording Deep Down Inside, which has now been released on iTunes.

The nine-track mix of jazz and blues has received almost 4,000 views on YouTube and has five-star reviews online.

Karen is understandably impressed by the quality of her father’s debut album:

“They were very up against it time wise so he only got one or two takes on some of the songs, which is scary for anyone.

 

I was amazed he managed it with so little time. People seem to really love it and the comments online have been incredible. Five star reviews! We both shared a moment of real excitement over that.

 

My father looked at this as a project. But as it has gone over so well I would love to see it progress into a music career. I think there is a market for it. Good old fashioned music. Without an autotune in sight!”

Someone else over the moon with the response is John himself:

“The comments have been amazing. I am just astonished at them. People do comment on the quality of my voice and that is the thing which delights me most.”

He also added that he’s not the only member of the Gillan family with a good singing voice: so how far away is The Gillan Goodtime Family Band away from fruition? Well, very, if you ask Karen who said she’d do ‘everyone a favour’ by sticking to acting.

And by far her most exciting upcoming project is Guardians of the Galaxy where she is rumoured to be playing a ‘space pirate’ according to Den of Geek.

Gillan is rumoured to be playing Nebula, who claims to be the granddaughter of the film’s chief bad guy, Thanos – though she was previously said to be playing a bounty hunter named Angela (created by The Doctor’s Wife scribe, Neil Gaiman) in the Marvel Studios blockbuster.

Gillan has joined a cast which also includes Benicio Del Toro, Lee Pace, Glenn Close, John C Reilly, Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana.

The post Karen Helps Dad Realise Singing Dream appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Will Eric Morecambe Be the Doctor?

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.

Bringing fun, bringing laughter and indeed bringing love, Bleeding Cool have backed Eric & Ernie star and former face of BT’s ‘flat 6’ ads Daniel Rigby to be the next Doctor.

Daniel, who recently won a million life points by quitting the BT ads (you can’t advertise telecommunications companies wares if you’re the Doctor, he says stroking his rumour chin), has apparently been the talk of the ‘actor type people’ which has now reached ears of Bleeding Cool’s Rich Johnston. He’s even had a little bet on him!

“He’s basically just the sort of level of actor who you would expect to be chosen to play The Doctor. He’s relatively low profile in the British public’s mind, but a brilliant young talent with great stage experience and is, you know, funny.”

While he may not be as well-known as Lenny Henry but Daniel’s CV is mightily impressive. He recently won a BAFTA for his portrayal of Eric Morecambe in the brilliant Eric & Ernie (beating both Matt Smith and Benedict Cumberbatch no less, he says fondling the beard of spurious intent), has an impressive roster of theatre work including Hamlet, Romeo And Juliet and the One Man, Two Guvnors revival, including the initial London and Broadway cast, and an appearance in Charlie Brooker’s modern anthology series Black Mirror episode, The Waldo Moment.

The one snag to him potentially entering the TARDIS (other than, you know, it being a rumour) is that he’s already signed up for BBC One’s Big School and Dave’s Police Squad-ish Undercover but again as Bleeding Cool points out, these could be limited runs – leaving him plenty of time to pick out an esoteric outfit.

So is he a good choice? Bad choice? Would you like to see him hanging out with a box that isn’t a BT Home Hub?

The post Will Eric Morecambe Be the Doctor? appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Fourth Doctor Limited Edition Figure

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.

Clear your shelves and prepare for the plastic faces of your favourite Doctor Who characters to cast envious eyes as you shower the recently-revealed Fourth Doctor 50th Anniversary 1:6 Scale Collector Figure with the love it rightfully deserves.

The admittedly surprised looking likeness of Tom Baker comes complete with a host of signature accessories including the iconic long scarf and idiosyncratic bag of Jelly Babies, a display base with illuminating Gallifreyan symbol & stand accessories and TARDIS control room printed card backdrop packaging.

The figure also comes with interchangeable hands, sonic screwdriver, Yo-Yo, cravat neck tie and tartan waistcoat.

The Fourth Doctor 50th Anniversary 1:6 Scale Collector Figure from Big Chief Studios is available for priority pre-order now. The Limited Edition figure will cost £169.99 and requires a deposit of £12.50 while the Signature Edition has already sold out.

The post Fourth Doctor Limited Edition Figure appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

PodKast with Colin Baker!

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.

We’re jaw-droppingly delighted to tell you, dear listener, that this week’s Kasterborous podKast (with a “K”) welcomes a very special guest – the Doctor himself, Colin Baker!

Editor Christian Cawley spoke to the Sixth Doctor at York Maze last week at the launch of a new 50th anniversary design to commemorate Doctor Who‘s milestone. A giant maize maze based around the shape of a Dalek and the faces of the First and Eleventh Doctors has been formed (with the help of GPS) and the result is superb!

It’s not all about Colin Baker, however – Christian leaves Brian Terranova and James McLean in the virtual studio to keep you going, dear listener, discussing the Doctor Who Prom 2013, the recent photo from An Adventure in Space and Time and the obligatory discussion about the Sixth Doctor and how his era developed on screen and audio.

Useful links for this week’s podKast:

Kasterborous Series 3 Episode 24 Shownotes

York Maze – It’s a Giant Dalek!
Colin Baker Opens Giant Dalek Maze 50th Anniversary Tribute
Watch the Doctor Who Proms 2013
New photo from An Adventure in Space and Time
The Wrong Doctors

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!

You haven’t clicked play yet?! What are you waiting for? As well as our new Stitcher 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!

Incidentally, if you are listening on iTunes, please take the time to leave a rating and review and help us to bring in new listeners to the podKast!

The post PodKast with Colin Baker! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Help Evil UnLtd Beat Cancer

Meredith Burdett 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.

Very sadly in the sci-fi world, we’ve lost quite a few major players in the last few years. Liz Sladen, Mary Tamm, Caroline John and Iain Banks have all been lost to us through cancer.

But whenever something incredibly sad happens, something positive can come from it as well and so you might want to consider having a look at the Evil UnLtd book series which has been set up to help cancer research.

Writer and creator Simon Forward, who has written a number of Doctor Who novels as well as Big Finish audios, started this series after losing his mother and a fair few personal heroes to this illness and made something a little different where villains are the new heroes:

Sinister supreme genius and super-villain, Dexter Snide, has floated Evil on the stock market and has gathered together a band of fellow villains, whose key challenge now is to ensure that Evil shows a consistent profit.

 

Evil UnLtd: on a mission of indefinite duration, to seek out new evil schemes and boldly go to depths and extremes where no super-villain has gone before.

 

All of the profits from this book series, that’s 100%, are being donated to Cancer Research UK until May 24th 2014, although if the series proves popular it may continue after that.

Evil UnLtd is driven by the authors own passion for Doctor Who as well as other popular science fiction shows and there should be plenty here for everyone to enjoy.

Of course, the more people that get involved with buying copies of the book, the better as it will sustain it through a longer period and help create a more sizable donation so please check out the website of Simon Forward for the Evil UnLtd series where you can order copies of the book for as little as £2.01 for a Kindle device or £8.99 for a paperback version.

The post Help Evil UnLtd Beat Cancer appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Songs for Fifty – The Doctor Who Prom

Matthew Charlton 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.

On a blazingly hot day in London most people would have out in one of London’s many parks. But an army of tweed-wearing and Fez-sporting fans from all over the world were queuing for one of the summer’s hottest tickets: the 50th Anniversary Doctor Who Prom.

Photo Credit: Matthew Charlton

This, the third BBC Prom devoted to Doctor Who, assured an evening packed with tunes from across the decades from the earliest days of the Radiophonic Workshop to Murray Gold’s themes. Gold dominated the night, but also shared the stage with music from Dudley Simpson, Peter Howell, Martin Slavin and some classical tunes featured in the show.

The air was crackling with the possibility of a 12th Doctor announcement that alas, was not to be that day, but there were several other surprises in store. Guest presenters included Peter Davison (“You can call me number 5”), who wryly commented on being father-in-law to the 10th Doctor and probable grandfather to the 15th Doctor and Carole Ann Ford who regaled the audience with tales of rehearsing with the Daleks.

Of course, all eyes were on departing Doctor Matt Smith and current companion Jenna Coleman. Both seemed at ease with presenting to the crowd, even if their participation felt limited. An amusingly brief sketch brought the Doctor and Clara to the Albert Hall (and even explained Matt’s lack of hair!). The bulk of presenting duties fell to Neve Macintosh and Dan Starkey – both in character as Madame Vastra and Strax, Strax particularly providing comedic moments throughout the event vainly trying to teach the orchestra Sontaran ‘battle music’.

The signature tunes hit the sweet spots – much of the audience could be seen tapping their feet to “I am The Doctor” whilst “Rose’s Theme” drew gasps from the audience as footage of Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor dominated the screen. The rousing “All the Strange, Strange Creatures” provided a platform for many of the series monsters to roam the arena including the mightly impressive Ice Warrior and the newly redesigned Cybermen.

Surprisingly moving was a suite from this series’  “The Rings of Akhaten” an episode with a less than stellar reputation amongst fans, but when performed live was an emotive and more much cathartic experience.

The montage of clips of various episodes drew wonder and even tears from the audience. From one little lad’s puzzlement at what the strange silver giants were from “Tomb of the Cybermen” through to a mother’s tears at the climatic scenes from “The Angels Take Manhattan” to the palpable emotion of Rose’s farewell from “Doomsday”, Murray Gold’s scores backed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the London Philharmonic Choir provided an unforgettable night.

For fans of old, a suite of music taking in ‘Space Adventure’ through to Tom Baker’s regeneration and scenes from “The Curse of Fenric” proved to be a highlight. Radiophonic Workshop veterans Peter Howell and Mark Ayres joined the BBC National Orchestra of Wales for this magical medley.

Photo Credit: Matthew Charlton

Less successful was Murray Gold’s celebratory “Song for Fifty”. Not one of Gold’s more successful pieces, it saw over sentimental lyrics drowned in an orchestral mix that left the audience untouched.

The ending ended on a high with a reprise of “Vale Decem” celebrating all 11 incarnations of the Doctor, and of course, the latest reimaging of television’s most iconic theme tune. With standing ovations, parents and children galore left with the biggest possible smiles on their faces. With many of the children in attendance entranced and mobbing conductor Ben Foster afterward, eager to learn more about how the music is performed.

The Proms have made me forget any reservations I might have about the show and instead reinvigorated me with the sheer depth of enthusiasm from the show’s most importance audience – the children. For a fiftieth anniversary event, this is going to be pretty hard to beat.

Those not fortunate enough to attend will have a chance to see the Proms on BBC One later in the year or can listen again on BBC iPlayer.

Read more from Matthew Charlton at thefictionstroker.wordpress.com.

The post Songs for Fifty – The Doctor Who Prom appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

The TARDIS Lands at Heathrow (Again)!

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.

No, it’s not a sequel to The Faceless Ones,  nor is it Time Flight 2 (imagine that!) – instead, it’s a new bit of Doctor Who-flavoured fun from BBC Worldwide…

BBC Worldwide has teamed up with Heathrow to celebrate Doctor Who‘s 50th anniversary, and from today, passengers travelling through Heathrow will be treated to a variety of exciting themed experiences including: appearances from the famous Cybermen, TARDIS photobooths, genuine props and memorabilia, and augmented reality experiences.

To mark the launch of the partnership, on July 16th travellers through Terminal 5 will be able to enjoy special performances by the London Philharmonic Orchestra of music from the iconic BBC Wales produced series.  In addition, novelist Jenny Colgan, author of the recently released Doctor Who: Dark Horizons will also be signing books for fans on the day.

The Heathrow activity comes as BBC Worldwide celebrates Doctor Who internationally ahead of the show’s 50th Anniversary in November.  This weekend the cast of the show, including Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman, as well as showrunner Steven Moffat will be attending Comic Con, a huge entertainment convention in San Diego attended by over 130,000 people across four days.

Amanda Hill is the Chief Brands Officer for BBC Worldwide

In its 50th Anniversary year we want to include fans around the World in our Doctor Who celebrations and this partnership with Heathrow is a fantastic way of capturing the attention of people from across the globe.

 

Susan Goldsmith, meanwhile, is the Operations Director at Heathrow Terminal 5:

I am delighted that Heathrow has been chosen to host this much loved British iconic series.  With visitors from over 180 destinations worldwide, as the UK’s only hub airport, Heathrow offers a fantastic opportunity to bring the Doctor Who experience to an international audience this summer.

Showrunner Steven Moffat was also on hand for comments.

We are delighted to announce another extension to Heathrow’s world-beating facilities – all of space and time in a stylish blue box, complete with phone. Heathrow with time travel – nobody need ever be late again.

Are you travelling through Heathrow soon? If you’re near Terminal 5, look out for Cybermen!

The post The TARDIS Lands at Heathrow (Again)! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.