Category: Doctor Who

Next Series to be transmitted in two halves
Speaking at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, Steven Moffat has announced that the next series of Doctor Who will be split in two with a ‘gamechanging’ cliffhanger in episode 7.
“The split series is hugely exciting because viewers will be treated to two premieres, two finales and more event episodes. For the kids it will never be more than a few months to the next Doctor Who! Easter, Autumn, Christmas!!”
The BBC press office describe the split transmission as the result of a request from Steven Moffat to write a new Doctor Who story arc which involves a big plot twist in the middle of the series. “By splitting the series Moffat plans to give viewers one of the most exciting Doctor Who cliffhangers and plot twists ever, leaving them waiting, on the edge of their seats, until the autumn to find out what happens.”

British tabloid says Matt Smith plans to leave Doctor Who
Another unreliable source is saying that Matt Smith may already be on his way out as the new Doctor Who. First U.K. bookies lowered the odds of Smith sticking with the show, and now the British tabloid The Sun says Smith wants to leave the show after he completes filming his second series as the Doctor.
This is what they wrote:
MATT SMITH is ready to quit as Doctor Who as early as next year – to crack Hollywood. And he certainly looks relaxed about his future, judging by his happy demeanour alongside 21-year-old model girlfriend Daisy Lowe.
Matt, 27, has told pals he wants to go after just two series of the BBC1 sci-fi show so he can try his hand at movies. The actor is currently filming this year’s Christmas special with Karen Gillan, who plays his sidekick Amy Pond, and opera star Katherine Jenkins.
He will then go straight into production on the new series, which will air next year.
But a pal said: “Matt plans to quit after the next series.
“He is eager to try new things and thinks Hollywood beckons.”
Also according to The Sun, the BBC has nothing to say about Smith’s role in the show beyond the second series:
The BBC said: “Matt is filming the Christmas special and then goes on to film the second series.
“Beyond that, the BBC and Matt won’t speculate on things.”
On the other hand, Matt has been quoted numerous times saying he loves the role and would like to continue with it for a long time, so hopefully for Who fans these are just rumors.

Top secret Dr. Who script missing
Filming for the Doctor Who Christmas special has been thrown into jeopardy after the top-secret script reportedly went missing.
Executive producer and lead writer Steven Moffat is facing a race against time to create a new draft before filming commences next month, according to Britain’s Daily Star Sunday.
The writer reveals, “It’s a flashback Christmas special.”
Matt Smith currently stars at the Time Lord in the popular British sci-fi show.

Christopher Eccleston talks about Doctor Who exit
Actor Christopher Eccleston quit Doctor Who after one series because he “didn’t enjoy the environment and the culture” of the show.
Eccleston, who is about to star in BBC Four biopic Lennon Naked, took on the role of the Time Lord when Russell T Davies revamped Doctor Who in 2005.
He told the Radio Times he was proud of the show but “wasn’t comfortable” working on it.
“I think it’s more important to be your own man than be successful, so I left.”
Eccleston, the ninth Doctor announced he was leaving after just one series to be replaced by David Tennant.
“I was open-minded but I decided after my experience on the first series that I didn’t want to do any more,” he said.
“I didn’t enjoy the environment and the culture that we, the cast and crew, had to work in.
“I thought if I stay in this job, I’m going to have to blind myself to certain things that I thought were wrong.”
But the 46-year-old said the fact that he played the Doctor – and not that he had quit – was “the most important thing”.
“I really feel that because it kind of broke the mould and it helped to reinvent it.
“I’m very proud of it.”
In an initial statement announcing his exit in March 2005, the BBC said the actor was afraid of being typecast and had found the series gruelling.
The corporation later accepted the statement was incorrect and that it had not spoken to Eccleston before releasing it.
“They handled it very badly but they issued an apology and I dropped it,” he added.

‘Dr. Who’ wants Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga could go from “Fame Monster” to space monster — if “Doctor Who” scriptwriter Gareth Roberts has his way.
The pop star’s penchant for wearing far-out costumes makes her a shoo-in to guest star on the long-running cult British science fiction series.
“She is no stranger to dressing up and would be more than a match for the Doctor,” Roberts told OK! Magazine.
He’s even gone so far as to create a storyline for a potential Gaga guest-starring role, although he has yet to reveal what it would be.
Gaga hasn’t signed on the dotted line, but “It would be a great coup to get her,” Roberts said.
Previously, singer Kylie Minogue guest starred on the 2007 Christmas special episode, “Voyage of the Damned,” playing the Doctor’s companion. The role was written specifically for her.

‘Torchwood’ moves to Starz in 2011
Thanks in part to Starz, there will be another season of “Torchwood” both in this country and in the U.K. next year.
The cable channel announced Monday (June 7) that it’s picked up the U.S. rights to the BBC series and will co-produce a new season of the show to premiere in 2011. Creator Russell T. Davies will return as executive producer and showrunner, and stars John Barrowman and Eve Myles will be back as well.
The show is migrating from BBC America, which aired previous “Torchwood” seasons and got solid ratings from the “Children of Earth” miniseries last year.
Starz promises a “more explosive and global story” for the new season, including possibly pushing the show’s racier elements to the higher levels afforded by premium cable. At least that’s how we read the portion of the press release that says the show will “take advantage of the unlimited narrative opportunities of a premium television service like Starz.”
“We’re committed to programming exceptional television that is entertaining, imaginative and provides a premium TV experience, and by any measure the new concept for ‘Torchwood’ fits that mandate,” Starz president and CEO Chris Albrecht says.
The new “Torchwood” will premiere on both BBC One and Starz next summer.

‘Glee’: ‘Torchwood’ star John Barrowman wants a role
“Torchwood” star John Barrowman will be headed to these shores this week to begin his stint on “Desperate Housewives” — and taking a meeting for a certain other show, a little one about high-school kids in a show choir.
Yep — Barrowman says he’ll be meeting with the producers of “Glee” while he’s in the United States to talk about possibly guest-starring on the show. Seriously, how fun would that be?
“I absolutely love the show,” Barrowman tells London’s Mirror newspaper. “What would I play in it? I’m not sure what kind of character I’d like to play. Maybe I could be a teacher, you know, another teacher who comes in and helps out. That’s me just kind of brainstorming, but the fact that they want to have a meeting with me is really quite nice in itself. It’s so exciting!”
Barrowman will begin filming his six-episode stint on “Desperate Housewives” next week, playing, as he puts it, “the most evil character they’ve ever introduced to the series.” As Zap2it previously reported, his character is a man from Angie’s (Drea de Matteo) past who finds her on Wisteria Lane and kick-starts the conclusion of this season’s mystery story.
His first “Housewives” appearance will likely air in April. As for “Glee”? Stay tuned.

Neil Gaiman ‘has written Doctor Who episode’
Fantasy writer Neil Gaiman has said he is to write a forthcoming episode of Doctor Who.
Gaiman, the author of Stardust and Coraline which were both adapted for the big screen, revealed the news at a sci-fi convention in Sussex.
The episode, with the working title of The House of Nothing, will air in 2011, the writer said.
Gaiman previously wrote the fantasy TV series Neverwhere which aired on BBC Two in 1996.
During his acceptance speech for best comic at the SFX Awards, Gaiman said: “As anyone who’s read my blog knows, I’m a big fan of a certain long-running British TV series. One that I started watching – from behind the sofa – when I was three.
“And while I know it’s cruel to make you wait for things, in about 14 months from now – which is to say, not in the upcoming season but early in the one after that – it’s quite possible that I might have written an episode.
“And if I had, it would originally have been called ‘The House of Nothing’. But it definitely isn’t called that any more.”
A spokesman for Doctor Who would not confirm Gaiman’s announcement.
The next series of the show, starring Matt Smith as the 11th Time Lord, is due to air in the spring.

Fox developing U.S. version of “Torchwood”
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) ñ Fox is developing a version of the hit British sci-fi series “Torchwood.”
A more straight-faced spin-off of “Doctor Who,” “Torchwood” is about a covert group that investigates and fights alien activity. The title is an anagram of “Doctor Who.”
Two seasons aired domestically on BBC America as well as last year’s well reviewed stand-alone miniseries, “Children of Earth,” which broke all ratings records for the network.
Unlike U.S. adaptations that have gone awry, “Torchwood” fans can take comfort that the original producing team is on board, led by series creator Russell Davies who is writing the script. The U.S. version will contain a global story line compared to the more localized sensibility of the BBC version.
Also, some of the current cast — most likely John Barrowman, who plays the immortal Capt. Jack Harkness — might star if the script leads to a pilot order.