OK fellow Whovians, this just got real. This awesome behind-the-scenes, image, which was just tweeted by the BBC, will hopefully be the first of many exciting pics from the set of Doctor Who in the coming weeks.
Hopefully April Fool's Day pranks are not popular in the UK, otherwise it would be REALLY wrong to doctor and post a photo in this manner today.
So here we have it, our first look at Doctors Ten and Eleven sharing time, space and watermarked scripts following the table read of the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special.
As we reported over the weekend, BBC announced the big news that David Tennant and Billie Piper would reprise their popular Who roles of the Tenth Doctor and companion Rose Tyler in the landmark half century-in-the-making episode of the iconic British sci-fi series, joining current Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith and companion Clara played by Jenna-Louise Coleman.
Production on the episode beings this week, so fingers crossed for additional imminent pictures, updates and announcements from the set.
Check out this touching prequel short just released by BBC to next weekend's big Doctor Who mid-season premiere The Bells of Saint John. The Doctor (Matt Smith) remains baffled by the mystery surrounding Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) following the events of December's The Snowmen. While taking a break when his search for her turns up empty, the Time Lord gets some unexpected advice in a playground. Even though this short clip clocks in at only about 2:30 minutes, don't think for a second that Who mastermind Steven Moffat wouldn't find time to effectively screw with our heads.
Doctor Who returns this Saturday on March 30th in the first of an eight episode run with The Bells of Saint John at 8PM on BBC America.
The countdown to the next wave of adventures for the Doctor and his new mysterious companion Clara is in full swing. BBC America has released the posters and synopses for the first four episodes in addition to a new teaser trailer that offers much to ponder and look forward to.
Doctor Who is set to return in The Bells of Saint John on BBC America on March 30th at 8 PM.
The Bells of Saint John - Episode 6
The Doctor’s search for Clara Oswald brings him to modern day London, where Wi-Fi is everywhere. Humanity lives in a Wi-Fi soup. But something dangerous is lurking in the signals, picking off minds and imprisoning them. As Clara becomes the target of this insidious menace, the Doctor races to save her and the world from an ancient enemy.
The Rings of Akhaten - Episode 7
Clara wants to see something awesome, so the Doctor whisks her off to the inhabited rings of the planet Akhaten, where the Festival of Offerings is in full swing. Clara meets the young Queen of Years as the pilgrims and natives ready for the ceremony. But something is stirring in the pyramid, and a sacrifice will be demanded.
Cold War - Episode 8
The Doctor and Clara land on a damaged Russian Submarine in 1983 as it spirals out of control into the ocean depths. An alien creature is loose on board, having escaped from a block of Arctic ice. With tempers flaring and a cargo of nuclear weapons on board, it’s not just the crew but the whole of humanity at stake!
Hide - Episode 9
Clara and the Doctor arrive at Caliburn House, a haunted mansion sat alone on a desolate moor. Within its walls, a ghost hunting Professor and a gifted psychic are searching for the Witch of the Well. Her apparition appears throughout the history of the building, but is she really a ghost? And what is chasing her?
So all us Whovians are more than aware of Doctor Who's big 50th Anniversary celebration set for later this year. Exactly what it will entail is still a highly guarded secret. Save for the previously announced made for TV-movie An Adventure In Space and Timewhich will chronicle the show's genesis in the '60s, a set of commemorative Who postal stamps, and a series of eBooks based on each of the Doctor's identities, there has been scant official news from the BBC or show runner Steven Moffat. But just about everyone with a connection to the series, past and present, who has been asked in so many terms if they will be involved or invited to be involved, have claimed absolutely no knowledge of partaking.
David Tennant appeared as a guest on The Jonathan Ross Show and was accordingly grilled on what he knows. As par the course, Tennant revealed zilch about the possibility of reprising his role as the 10th Doctor. "I know nothing," he asserted. But what is more interesting is that he revealed that a rep from the BBC, apparently terrified of leaks, followed the actor backstage and swore him to secrecy regarding the 'nothing' he knows.
Here is what he told Ross:
"I'll tell you how terrified they are. In make-up, this lovely lady from the BBC came in and she said 'I've been sent to say that anything about the Doctor Who 50th anniversary must not be mentioned on television.' That's how scared they are! I don't know anything and they're sending out spies to shut me up from telling you things I don't know!"
All in due time. There have been more denials than anything else, and obviously what are the likes of Tennant going to do when interrogated live on camera while trying to maintain the strict shroud of secrecy that has been typically associated with the show? There is something grand planned, of that we can be certain. And frankly if Tom Baker agrees to put the scarf back on one last time to interact with Matt Smith, David Tennant and Peter Davison, I'd rather be surprised when the 50th Anniversary Special airs on November 23rd than read all about it online first.
We have two new sneak preview clips to enjoy before tomorrow night's annual Doctor Who Christmas Special makes its worldwide debut. The Snowmen is the last new adventure in 2012 for the Doctor and marks the highly anticipated debut of Jenna Louise-Coleman as his new companion Clara in a Victorian-era timeline (which is a far cry from the surprise and baffling appearance she made as Oswin in Asylum of the Daleks set hundreds of years in the future).
In addition, there promises to be an updated title sequence and theme, as well a make-over for the TARDIS, which has sported a very earth toned and worn steampunk look for the past several years. The new aesthetic is a homage to the simpler look of control rooms of the past and reflects darker mood that is hinted to go along with the Doctor's state of mind heading into the second wave of Who's current season and 50th Anniversary.
Also be sure to check out the Doctor Who Adventure Calendar, which has been unlocking a new behind-the-scenes video for each day in December as the countdown to The Snowmen continues.
From BBC:
"Christmas Eve 1892, and the falling snow is the stuff of fairy-tales. When the fairy-tale becomes a nightmare and a chilling menace threatens Earth, an unorthodox young governess, Clara, calls on the Doctor for help. But the Doctor is in mourning, reclusive and determined not to engage in the problems of the universe. As old friends return, will the Doctor really abandon humankind or will he fight to save the world – and Christmas – from the icy clutches of this mysterious menace.
This year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Snowmen, introduces a new companion, a new look for the Doctor, plus a new monster in this movie-scale episode. Starring Matt Smith as the Doctor and introducing Jenna-Louise Coleman as new companion Clara, The Snowmen follows their adventures as they embark on a mission to save Christmas from the villainous Doctor Simeon (Richard E Grant, The Iron Lady, Dracula) and his army of icy snowmen."
Doctor Who: The Snowmen airs here on BBC America on Christmas Day at 9PM.
BBC announced this week there will be a revamped theme, opening titile sequence and teased a new design for the TARDIS when we next see the Doctor in the The Snowmen, the annual Doctor Who Christmas Special set to air on BBC America on December 25th.
We now have a full reveal of the Doctor's new threads and the updated console in the revamped control room of the iconic time machine. Jettisoning the recent crowded and very used steam punk aesthetic, this is certainly a look that pays homage to the TARDIS sets of the past, which seems appropriate with the series heading into its 50th Anniversary next year.
These new images from The Snowmen were also released, showing that the Doctor and his new companion Clara get friendly rather quickly in the episode.
BBC America revealed two new images from the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas Special - The Snowmen, the official poster for the episode and a chilling look at the Jack Frost-esque villains themselves.
Per BBC:
"This year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Snowmen, features a new companion, a new look for the Doctor, plus a new monster in this movie-scale episode. Starring Matt Smith as the Doctor and introducing Jenna-Louise Coleman as new companion Clara, The Snowmen follows their adventures as they embark on a mission to save Christmas from the villainous Doctor Simeon (Richard E Grant, The Iron Lady, Dracula) and his army of icy snowmen. This year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special premieres Tuesday, December 25, 9:00pm on BBC America."
BBC is gearing up big time for the holiday with the Doctor Who Christmas Special set to air on December 25th. We have seen a darker new look for Matt Smith's Doctor, and were treated to the trailer to the annual special, titled The Snowmen.
We also now have a short warm-up in the form of a prequel mini-sode set in Victorian-era England. The Great Detective, which made its broadcast debut during BBC's Children in Need Special, follows the tragic events of October's mid-season finale, The Angels Take Manhattan. The shattered Doctor is dealing with the terrible loss of the Ponds, and to continue on without his companions is not on his priority list. We are witness to a broken Time Lord here, and the darker turn for Smith's eleventh Doctor is not a complete surprise, with heavy hints dropped throughout the last season and a half of his other side.
Whether his old friends Vastra, Strax, and Jenny can convince him to come out of retirement remains to be seen, but its safe to assume the TARDIS will be hopping about again when Jenna-Louise Coleman makes her long awaited debut as the Doctor's new companion Clara on December 25th.
Check out this early Christmas gift for Whovians, which also has a special intro by Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman.
Following the release of the first image revealing the Doctor's darker bow tie-less new look in the 2012 Doctor Who Christmas Special, the title of this year's annual special has been revealed in addition to the full trailer.
Matt Smith and new companion Jenna-Louise Coleman provide a special introduction to the new look at The Snowmen, which is scheduled to air here on BBC America on Christmas Day.
Jenna-Louise Coleman made an unexpected appearance as Oswin in the seventh season premiere, Asylum of the Daleks, and apparently playing a completely different character than Clara, the new companion set to be introduced in the Christmas Special.
Smith and Coleman do not ignore this fact in the fun video intro to The Snowmen's sneak peek. And undoubtedly, these pieces will all fit together perfectly in the grand scheme of the Doctor Who puzzle.
According to BBC: "A new companion, a new look for the Doctor, plus a new monster will all be introduced in this movie-scale episode. Starring Matt Smith as the Doctor and introducing Jenna-Louise Coleman as new companion Clara, The Snowmen follows their adventures as they embark on a mission to save Christmas from the villainous Doctor Simeon (Richard E Grant, The Iron Lady, Dracula) and his army of icy snowmen. "
"The Doctor at Christmas is one of my favorite things - but this year it's different. He's lost Amy and Rory to the Weeping Angels, and he's not in a good place: in fact, he's Scrooge. He's withdrawn from the world and no longer cares what happens to it," said Steven Moffat, Who's Executive Producer and head writer in a press release.
"So when all of humanity hangs in the balance, can anyone persuade a tired and heartbroken Doctor that it's time to return to the good fight. Enter Jenna-Louise Coleman...”
Matt Smith added, “For this year’s Christmas special we have the wonderfully villainous Richard E Grant as Doctor Simeon. As well as lizards, Victorian assassins and deranged warriors from the future, who all return to convince the Doctor that he should board the TARDIS again and save the world. Add to that Jenna-Louise Coleman and so begins the Christmas Special 2012. I hope everyone enjoys it!” The Doctor Who Christmas Special premieres December 25, 9:00pm ET.
Doctor Who fans are in the final stretch leading to this Saturday's much talked about fond farewell to the beloved Ponds, Amy and Rory, in the mid-season finale, The Angels Take Manhattan.
The fifth and final show that is set to air in 2012 was shot on location in New York City last April, and features the return of the popular villains, the Weeping Angels. Fret not, following the annual Who Christmas Special in December, the second wave of Seventh Season episodes are on-deck for 2013 featuring a new companion for the Doctor played by Jenna Louise-Coleman (who was unexpectedly introduced with questions aplenty in the season premiere, Asylum of the Daleks).
I had the opportunity to sit down with Karen Gillan for a roundtable interview last month shortly before the New York City premiere screening of Asylum at the Ziegfeld Theater. At that time I asked her about her impressions of shooting the Ponds' swan song episode of Doctor Who in the Big Apple, and what she recalled about her final moments on the set before the very last 'cut' was called.
After answering questions from some of the other journalist present, I welcomed Gillan back to the Big Apple (she and Matt Smith attended the 2010 screening of her Who debut episode at the Paley Center For Media, which introduced fans to Smith as the newly regenerated 11th Doctor), and asked her what her NYC filming experience was like. Fan and paparazzi pictures from Times Square and Central Park sets popped up online almost immediately.
"It was just the best experience, it really was. And it’s kind of interesting because when we did that Paley Center thing it was kind of at the beginning of introducing it to America for the first time, and then we were saying how much we’d love to shoot there. And actually, my final episode was shot in New York, which is kind of weird. But it was amazing," she recalled.
"We were in Central Park and we started shooting. Then all these people turned up and we didn’t expect it at all, at all. So we didn’t have any sort of security or anything like that, and then more and more turned up to the point where there was just hundreds upon hundreds of people lining Central Park and just screaming. And they were like, 'Sign my TARDIS!' It was just the most amazing thing."
"And then we ran to Time Square and quickly shot this scene and trying to draw as little interest as possible I guess. It was really funny seeing Matt running around Time Square in his bow tie. I was like, 'Am I imagining this? This is so weird!'" she said.
Before the interview wrapped, I asked her what she could share about shooting her final scene on the set of Doctor Who, which appropriately also featured Matt Smith and Arthur Darvill. Obviously they shoot out of sequence, so Gillan's actual final scene was (most likely) not Amy Pond's final scene in context of the show's continuity.
I was curious to hear her reminisce about the moments right before 'cut' was called for the very last time. Perhaps there was a conscious effort to do whatever it took to keep shooting. Did anyone purposely keep blowing their lines?
"Honestly it was the weirdest, most serene feeling on set all day," she recalled.
"And then it was our last scene walking into the TARDIS. And then we did about twenty takes of it though, which was really weird. Maybe the director was delaying it. It was lovely though because then Matt closed the door, and it was complete darkness and we all just hugged in the dark. It was like, 'It’s done!' It was just the most emotional feeling, it really was," she said.
Doctor Who: The Angels Take Manhattan airs on Saturday, September 29th at 9pm on BBC America.
Check out the trailer and some sneak peek images to tomorrow night's fourth adventure from this season's Doctor Who:The Power of Three.
This will be the penultimate episode for 2012, as the fifth episode, the NYC-set The Angels Take Manhattan, will mark the final hour-long adventure of the year, and bid what promises to be a tearful farewell to the Doctor's popular companions, Amy and Rory.
As for tomorrow's episode, here is how the BBC describes it.
"The Doctor and the Ponds puzzle over an unlikely invasion of Earth, as millions of sinister black cubes arrive overnight..."
In some of the accompanying pictures following the trailer below, there seems to be some problems with the Doctor's heart, or at least one his two hearts that is...
Doctor Who: The Power of Three airs on BBC America tomorrow night at 9pm.
The worldwide broadcast premiere of Doctor Who: Asylum of the Daleks, the Series Seven season opener, is finally upon us. I have been posting quite a lot of Who material this week, having attended the U.S. screening at the Ziegfeld Theatre a week ago today.
I am still quite taken aback as a fan regarding that day's worth of events, from interviewing Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and Who Executive Producer Caroline Skinner, to chatting with the eager fans waiting in line outside the theater, to seeing the episode projected on the grand big screen of the Ziegfeld. Then top it all off with the post show Q&A hosted by Chris Hardwick. It was quite a day, and just as important, I'm happy to report that the premiere episode delivers.
I will offer some quick thoughts on what will air tonight, with no spoilers. This will just encourage you to tune in tonight, whether you be a Whovian or not.
First it must be noted how well the episode looked presented in cinematic proportions in New York City's last remaining grand single screen theater. The production value of the show has reached the level that I would be more than happy to watch in geek bliss each 40-odd minute episode in a cinematic setting on a weekly basis. At no point did the directing, cinematography, or special effects scream 'TV show in a movie theater!' It also goes without saying there is something special about watching it with a capacity crowd of enthusiastic Whovians ooh'ing, ahh'ing and laughing in all the right places.
The Steven Moffat-penned episode is a rock solid start as the first of the five new adventures set to air in September before wrapping up 2012 with the Doctor Who Christmas Special.
It's no secret that the fifth episode, The Angels Take Manhattan, will be the last appearance of Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill as the Doctor's popular companions, and tonight's premiere lays firm groundwork to what fans will slowly see unfold in the coming weeks. There is an edgy dark dynamic set here, and it will be interesting to see how it progresses until Jenna Louise-Coleman is set as the new companion by year's end.
The relentless robotic Daleks, perhaps the greatest villains in the Doctor's rogue's gallery, return tonight with appropriate cause and force the Time Lord's hand into an unholy alliance. The episode doesn't quite pick up straight from the Series 6 finale. Time has passed, the Doctor has perhaps been laying low, relationships have changed, and it starts the year off on a cleaner slate with solid work all around from the cast.
Smith has grown well into mixing heroics, humor, and dead-on bravado when called for as the Eleventh Doctor, who shows a noticeable darker side here. Karen Gillan's Amy Pond has toughened up and grown into a true sci-fi heroine who manages to vamp up her look a notch or two as well. Arthur Darvill remains the emotional anchor as the heart and soul for the time traveling trio, as we wait to see what the Ponds fate ultimately is.
Much of the complex arc from last year is not played upon, making this an accessible episode for newcomers, but will make them only want to go back and see what has preceded it. With a feel of an old school Doctor Who adventure, it hits all the right marks for adventure, wit, and emotional curveball plot twists that fans have come to expect from the show.
OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:
"Kidnapped by his oldest foe, the Doctor is forced on an impossible mission – to a place even the Daleks are too terrified to enter… the Asylum. A planetary prison confining the most terrifying and insane of their kind, the Doctor and the Ponds must find an escape route. But with Amy and Rory's relationship in meltdown, and an army of mad Daleks closing in, it is up to the Doctor to save their lives, as well as the Pond’s marriage."
Doctor Who: Asylum of the Daleks airs tonight on BBC America at 9 p.m. REVIEW RATING: ★★★★☆ Directed By: Nick Hurran Written By: Steven Moffat Starring: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill Studio: BBC
In part two of my selections from Saturday's roundtable interview with Matt Smith that preceded the U.S. Premiere screening of Asylum of the Daleks, the actor revealed what he thought The Doctor might do on a night of fun in New York City.
It seemed appropriate to me to maintain a line of NYC questioning given Smith's enthusiastic love for the Big Apple, and I thought it would be fun to hear about the possible things the 900 year-old Time Lord would do with a few hours to burn.
I asked that this was provided that the Weeping Angels, the eerie popular villains in the upcoming The Angels Take Manhattan, were not hot on his tail to spoil all of the Doctor's fun.
"His ideal night in New York?" Smith contemplated about the iconic character for a moment with a grin, before coming up with a bunch of ideas.
"I think maybe go and play some jazz with Woody Allen for a bit," he speculated, and assumed the Doctor might love to partake in an impromptu slow jam with one of New York City's most prominent film directors at a small time club.
"Perhaps grab a steak at Balthazar," having the insight that the Time Lord's palette has now moved beyond fish sticks and custard.
"Maybe go and stand on the top of the Statue of Liberty somehow."
"Take the TARDIS to the bottom of the Hudson see what's down there."
"I think he'd go back to the '40s or the '20s maybe, hang in Brooklyn and play baseball on the street."
But if there was one thing he was certain of regarding the Doctor's big night out, "He'd do it in a brilliant way," he said.
Doctor Who's seventh season premiere, Asylum of the Daleks, is set to air this Saturday at 9pm on BBC America. The Angels Take Manhattan, which took the cast and crew to shoot in NYC for the very first time in the show's near 50-year history, is the fifth episode and final episode of the first half of the season, and will air on September 29th. the Doctor Who Christmas Special picks up the story from there.
Shortly before last Saturday's New York City screening of Doctor Who's fantastic seventh season premiere, Asylum of the Daleks, I was among the lucky select group invited to have an audience with Matt Smith and Karen Gillan for roundtable interviews at the headquarters of BBC America.
Since the Doctor makes few house calls in NYC, it was without question an incredibly exciting opportunity for a Who fan who also happens to run a website like this.
In a roundtable interview, journalists are grouped at a table and take turns asking questions. My group was polite and cordial, and we each managed to get in a question or two in both the time slots we had with Smith and Gillan, who were extremely down to earth and forthcoming.
As a native New Yorker, I was very interested to know what Matt's impressions were of finally getting to shoot Britain's iconic Doctor Who in the Big Apple last April, which was the first time the show did so in its near 50 year history. So appropriately, that was the first question I asked him.
"First and foremost, I want to shoot every episode of Doctor Who in New York,' he said altogether with sincerity, enthusiasm, a big smile.
Shooting the episode. The Angels Take Manhattan, left a lasting impression on the actor. "I love this city. I love filming here. Everywhere you point the camera there is something brilliant to look at. I love this city, I just love it."
He also agreed when it was brought up that NYC can be considered a universe unto itself, "It really is."
Smith's answer on Saturday was a satisfying two years in the making response. I attended the event held at the Paley Center For Media in April of 2010, where Matt's debut episode as the Doctor was screened. Taking the stage in front of press and fans alike in a Q&A following that screening, he was at the time in awe of his very first NYC experience.
"I could live here. I love it here. What a city! You’ve got everything here man. So cool.”
Of course that response lead to the follow up of whether he would want to ever shoot across the pond. "I would love to do an episode here," he hoped. It should be noted that Executive Producer and Who showrunner Steven Moffat (on stage seated next to Smith and Gillan), had a simple more economic solution that night.
"It’s very easy to set us in New York. You know what will happen, you’ll be standing in front of a green cloth," he responded.
Thankfully the phenomenal success of Matt's run as the Doctor allowed them to finally do it, sans dreaded green cloth and all.
It was quite exciting to hear the rumors earlier this year (on the internet of course, where else do people like me get my hot geek gossip from?) that Doctor Who might be bringing production to New York City. Sure they have already been to the States, having filmed some of the sixth season premiere in Utah's Monument Valley, but The Doctor in NYC? That was a whole 'nother thing altogether.
I heard my first real solid confirmation of this at an event in April that 'Alex Kingston's double had arrived in town,' so all the rumors seemed to be coming together. Sure enough, behind-the-scenes pictures surfaced online of the cast and crew shooting in Central Park and Times Square. In this day and age, it's impossible to shoot on location in New York City, or any exterior location for that matter, and not have pics turn up online.
But to see the Doctor actually standing in Times Square was quite exciting. Many additional images of Amy (Gillan), Rory (Arthur Darvill), and the Doctor in Central Park turned up online fairly quickly as well. They revealed very little conveying anything to do with the plot, but it didn't take long before the Weeping Angels had already been rumored/and or leaked as a the villains for the episode.
What also sets the NYC episode apart, scheduled to air in a few weeks, is that it marks the final appearance of the Ponds, the extremely popular husband and wife companions of the Doctor played by Gillan and Darvill. Their departure, from all accounts promises to be a true tear jerker of an episode, will make room for a new companion played by Jenna Louise Coleman, and introduced on the Doctor Who Christmas Special.
And after wishing us a good time at the screening at the Ziegfeld, Matt's thoughts on the season premiere set to air on Saturday at 9pm on BBC America?
"I think its a belter, I really do," he said.
Having seen it, don't miss it.
And to complete my Whovian experience, I was thrilled to shake the Doctor's hand on the way out of the room.
Check back here for what Matt had to say when I asked him what the Doctor would do on an ideal night of fun in New York City, in addition to Karen Gillan's Big Apple memories. Plus I asked her to take us back to her final moments on the set of Doctor Who, shooting the last ever scene with the Doctor, Amy, and Rory in the TARDIS...
