Dr Who Specials

[CaptainLewis]

Ryan, Evans for next 'Doctor Who'
Friday, January 23 2009, 00:02 GMT
By Neil Wilkes, Editor

Michelle Ryan and Lee Evans are to guest star in the Doctor Who Easter special, it has been announced.

Former EastEnders star Ryan will play a "mysterious" character called Lady Christina de Souza, who joins the Doctor on a bus trip that takes "a very unexpected detour into danger".

Ryan recently guested on the first series of Merlin and headlined a remake of Bionic Woman. Last week she was rumoured to be in contention for the part of assistant to Matt Smith's Doctor in 2010.

"I'm a huge fan of Doctor Who and very excited to be joining David Tennant and the Doctor Who team," said Ryan. "It is such a fantastic show and I can't wait to get started!"

Meanwhile, Evans will appear as Malcolm, a man "whose life becomes connected to the Doctor's under extraordinary circumstances".

The special episode - titled 'Planet of the Dead' - also sees the return of Noma Dumezweni as Captain Erisa Magambo. Last seen in the series four episode 'Turn Left', UNIT officer Magambo worked with Donna and Rose to help restore the correct universe.

"Michelle is one of the most sought-after young actors in the country and we are delighted to announce that she will be joining the team," said exec producer Russell T Davies, who is writing the episode with Gareth Roberts. "As always the script is being kept strictly under wraps however we can reveal that Lady Christina is a woman with a mysterious past who's going to have a huge impact on the Doctor!"

'Planet of the Dead' is the first of four special episodes airing in 2009 and early 2010 before Matt Smith takes over the iconic role.

[CaptainLewis]

New 'Doctor Who' villains revealed

Doctor Who is to face his most challenging villains yet, according to a show insider.

The Time Lord will be forced to battle the Tritovore, described as a half-man half-fly creature, in the forthcoming Easter special, reports The Mirror.

"They are disgusting and will last long in the memory," said a source, who added that Who bosses hope that the Tritovore would become as iconic as the Daleks and the Cybermen.

"Everyone remembers the Daleks and the Cyberman, but not a lot else if they're honest. The Tritovore will change that.

"Scriptwriters are confident they'll make a huge impact."

The insider added that Who showrunner Russell T. Davies was hoping to use the Tritovore in future episodes, saying: "Russell is telling everybody to expect some real surprises. He wants [David Tennant] to go out with a bang."

Last week, it was confirmed that former EastEnders actress Michelle Ryan and comedian Lee Evans would guest star in the Doctor Who Easter special, titled Planet Of The Dead.

Website: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a14509 ... ealed.html

[CaptainLewis]

Doctor Who filming disrupted as double decker bus wrecked

A classic double decker bus being used for a new episode of Doctor Who has been wrecked during filming.

Executives on the TV show hired two £20,000 double deckers which were apparently central to the plot of the Easter special. One was used to shoot scenes with star David Tennant in Cardiff while the other was shipped to Dubai for filming there.

But a crane operator managed to wreck the second 1980 Bristol VR model while unloading it in Dubai docks.

Russell T Davies, the series producer, is reported to have "exploded" when he heard there was no way of getting a replacement in time.

It is believed that he was forced to rip up the script and write a new plotline.

Only last week he revealed the show revolved around the Doctor taking a "bus trip which takes an unexpected detour into danger".

To ship the bus to Dubai would have cost the BBC around £7,000. And production in the Middle East state is costing an estimated £30,000 a week.

The storyline for Planet Of The Dead sees Lady Christina de Souza - played by ex-EastEnder Michelle Ryan - pull off a jewellery heist and escape on the bus where she meets the Timelord.

The bus has already caused problems with fans disrupting filming in Wales. They kept pressing the buttons at pedestrian crossings, causing the bus to stop.

Website: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvan ... ecked.html

[Blowfeld]

Things have not gone swimmingly well for the controversial Dubai filming.

[Kristatos]

I feel old now - I remember when those "vintage" Bristol VRs were first introduced, replacing the Bristol Omnibus Company's ageing fleet of Lodekkas from the '50s.


Bristol Lodekka

[carl stromberg]

I feel old now - I remember when those "vintage" Bristol VRs were first introduced, replacing the Bristol Omnibus Company's ageing fleet of Lodekkas from the '50s.


Bristol Lodekka

"Get that bus out! Ohhh, I hate you Kristatos.."

Those buses are much nicer than those awful "bendy buses".

[CaptainLewis]

'Doctor Who' to film in high definition

Doctor Who is to be filmed in high definition (HD) for the first time, it has been confirmed.

The upcoming Easter special, 'Planet of the Dead', will be the first episode to be broadcast in the high quality format. Time and budgetary constraints have thusfar prevented Doctor Who from going HD, although spinoff series Torchwood has been shot in the format from the start.

"I'm delighted that the Doctor Who specials are going to be shot in HD," Danielle Nagler, head of BBC HD, told Doctor Who Magazine. "The programme team has consistently tried to push at television boundaries, and to raise the quality bar for our audiences, and I'm glad we've been able to work with them to do so again."

'Planet of the Dead' features guest appearances from Michelle Ryan and Lee Evans.

Website: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a14571 ... ition.html

[CaptainLewis]

Doctor Who 'filming in Dubai'

David Tennant and the rest of the Doctor Who cast have travelled to Dubai to film scenes for the upcoming Easter special.

'Planet Of The Dead' will be the first of four specials before Tennant leaves the show, and will feature guest stars Michelle Ryan and Lee Evans.

Producer Tracie Simpson said: "We rarely take Doctor Who abroad, although we did visit Rome for series four's 'The Fires Of Pompeii', which gave us some spectacular footage.

"The locations in Dubai are a perfect match for writer Russell T. Davies's vision of the episode, and we expect to film some incredible scenes while we are here."

Recently it was confirmed that the special would be the first Doctor Who episode filmed in high definition.

Website: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a14656 ... dubai.html

[CaptainLewis]

Photo's ftrom the set: http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/misc/galleries/

[CaptainLewis]

Lindsay Duncan to star in 'Who'

Lindsay Duncan has been announced as a guest star in the second Doctor Who special.

The Rome actress will play assistant Adelaide in the episode, with producers claiming that she will be the most strong-minded and smartest companion The Doctor has ever had.

Duncan said: "I'm thrilled to be involved in Doctor Who. I've never done anything like this before."

In 2007, Duncan starred on the West End stage alongside future Doctor Matt Smith in Polly Stenham's That Face.

Executive producer Russell T. Davies said: "Lindsay is an incredibly talented actress and I've been an admirer of her work for some time.

"We are delighted to announce that she will be joining the team."

The second of four 2009 specials will be co-written by Davies and Phil Ford, with filming due to start in the spring.

It will be the follow-up to 'Planet Of The Dead', which will air on BBC One at Easter.

Michelle Ryan and Lee Evans have both been confirmed as guest stars in that episode.

Website: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a14717 ... n-who.html

[CaptainLewis]

More photo's from the set: http://the-medusa-cascade.com/gallery/index.php?cat=112 and http://the-medusa-cascade.com/gallery/index.php?cat=113

[Blowfeld]

New trailer!
I think the unofficial airdate is the 11th for PotD

According to BBC journalist Lizo Mzimba on Twitter, the first television trailer for the forthcoming Doctor Who special, "Planet of the Dead", will air on BBC One on Wednesday at 9 pm, just prior to "The Apprentice".

Trailers for the special have already appeared before live audiences at a Wales rugby match and at the "Story of Doctor Who" event at the Celtic Media Festival. However, Mzimba tweets, "You didn't hear this from me. But trailer is a brand new one. It's not the one shown at the Wales V Ireland Rugby or anywhere else."

[Kristatos]

9pm? Is this the first time Dr Who has aired after the watershed on its first showing?

[Blowfeld]

The BBC moved it back to 6:45

The BBC Press Office has stated that the Doctor Who Easter special, "Planet of the Dead", will air on Saturday, April 11 from 6:45 to 7:45 pm. The Saturday date was posted last week on the Press Office's website, and subsequently withdrawn; it has now been reposted.

[CaptainLewis]

I saw the advert, it looked amazing, I can't wait for it.

[Kristatos]

The BBC moved it back to 6:45

The BBC Press Office has stated that the Doctor Who Easter special, "Planet of the Dead", will air on Saturday, April 11 from 6:45 to 7:45 pm. The Saturday date was posted last week on the Press Office's website, and subsequently withdrawn; it has now been reposted.

I figured that was probably a mistake.

[Blowfeld]

Planet of the Dead gets three Easter outings
Broadcasting
April 4, 2009 • Posted By Marcus
The BBC has confirmed that Planet of the Dead will get three transmissions over the Easter Weekend.

As reported the first showing will be Saturday on BBC One at 6.45pm. This broadcast will be simulcast with the BBC HD channel, which is available free to air on Freesat as well as on Sky and Virgin Media. The programme is sandwiched between the Disney film Finding Nemo and the drama series Robin Hood. ITV1 will be showing Primeval from 6.15 - 7.15 clashing with the first half of Doctor Who. The second half is up against New You've Been Framed. On BBC2, Doctor Who faces the natural history series Planet Earth while Channel 4 is showing the News followed by Henry VIII: Mind of a Tyrant.

Planet of the Dead gets a second showing on the digital channel BBC Three at 7pm on Easter Sunday. For this showing satellite and cable viewers will be able to access a Red Button commentary from David Tennant, Julie Gardner and James Strong.

The final showing will be on BBC One on Easter Monday at 5pm. This showing will follow the Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks and will be up against Taste the Nation on ITV1. It will be simulcast on the BBC HD channel which is also showing the HD version of Doctor Who at the Proms on Monday afternoon.

Doctor Who Confidential also gets a number of showings over the weekend with a programme exploring behind the scenes as the cast and crew travel to Dubai. First shown on Saturday at 8.30pm on BBC3, the programme is repeated on Sunday at 4.10am and 8pm.

[Blowfeld]

As we begin the run-up to "Planet of the Dead", the British media has been full of Doctor Who coverage. In a wide-ranging interview in The Times, Russell T Davies and David Tennant talk about the writing and filming of the Tenth Doctor's last adventures. Tennant says that he cried while reading Davies' last script (currently being filmed in Wales), while Davies reveals that he considered a Doctor Who/Star Trek crossover before the last Star Trek series went off the air. Davies is also interviewed by Scotland on Sunday, including some intimate details about the themes which surface in his writing.

The Sun has several Doctor Who stories this week. They started off with an item about Eighth Doctor Paul McGann (who light-heartedly suggests that Matt Smith was cast because of his hair), and followed it up with items on David Tennant (recycled from The Tennant Tapes videos on the BBC's Doctor Who site and quotes from Doctor Who Magazine) and Michelle Ryan (who says that her appearance in "Planet of the Dead" is only a one-off). The latter story was also picked up by the Press Association, while Hello! picks up the Sun's Tennant item.

County Times reports that Theatr Hafren in Newtown, Wales will host a theatrical viewing of "Planet of the Dead" on Good Friday. Newtown is one of three towns where special viewings will be held; according to Digital Spy, the other two are Denbeigh and Newport.

Digital Spy also has an interview with Freema Agyeman, in which the actress primarily discusses her work on Law and Order: UK, but also mentions Doctor Who.

For fans of classic Doctor Who, The Times has an essay by novelist Esther Freud about her role as the Cryon Threst in the 1985 serial Attack of the Cybermen. Freud is married to "The Next Doctor"'s David Morrissey.

Finally, several sources have reported on actors who have been spotted on location during filming of David Tennant's final story. Those who wish to avoid spoilers should not follow these links, or read the text in the spoiler box below. The news of the actors seen on location, reported by Den of Geek (twice), io9 (twice) and Wired, has been largely drawn from set reports in the Doctor Who Forum's Set Reports/Photos thread. The Sun also had a story on the filming, using (without credit) a photograph taken by a Forum member.

Spoiler

The big spoiler news is that both Bernard Cribbins (Wilfred Mott) and John Simm (the Master) have been seen in location filming at Tredegar House, Newport. Simm was not immediately recognized by fans taking photographs on location, as he has dyed his hair blonde and was dressed very casually.

[CaptainLewis]

James Strong ('Doctor Who')

Easter is traditionally a time for family, perhaps a visit to church - and of course, chocolate by the bucketload. But perhaps even more excitingly, Easter is also the time we'll get to see the first of this year's four Doctor Who specials, the ominously-named Planet of the Dead. The one-hour episode sees Michelle Ryan join The Doctor on a bus-trip which takes "a very unexpected detour into danger". Intrigued, we gave Doctor Who director James Strong a call to find out more.

What's the story of Planet of the Dead?
"Well I'm not allowed to give away everything, as you can imagine, but basically it's a modern day story and the Doctor encounters the mysterious Lady Christina de Souza (Michelle Ryan) who is halfway through a robbery, basically. The Doctor is simultaneously tracking a wormhole which may or may not be threatening the Earth and basically they are - by various means - transported through this wormhole into another planet. So then it's working out what's happening and whether they can get back or not."

So this is set in the modern day, then?
"It starts off in the modern day, a contemporary story set in London."

What sort of a companion does Michelle Ryan make?
"It's back to basics – she's probably more of a traditional, romantic kind of Thomas Crown Affair kind of heroine, if you like, whereas Catherine Tate playing Donna was a bit more of a best mate. It echoes to me of Rose, in that there may be a good old fashioned romantic connection between them. She's young, she's beautiful, she's sexy, but whereas Rose was a very ordinary, normal girl, Lady Christina is a lady, she comes from a very privileged, very elite background. She's different to any of the companions we've ever had in that she doesn't particularly want to get caught up with the Doctor. She's got her own thing going on, so she's very much a match for the Doctor and very much an equal. Often in an adventure the Doctor will take control and everyone will do what he says. She's very much in control – the two of them are in a sparring way, battling against each other to get through this adventure."

That romantic interest in each other – it's reciprocal?
"Oh yeah – it's a good old fashioned flirt! It's two very young, sexy people who are thrust together and there's chemistry. They might not actually get on that well to start with but there's definitely something... there's a connection between them."

Is it fair to say this episode is more fun than, for example, the Christmas special?
"Yes – I think it's very fair to say after the more sombre element of the end of the last series and indeed even the Christmas one, which was a quite sombre affair, this is a complete contrast. It's probably the last chance for a bit of fun, excitement and adventure before things start to take a darker turn towards the end of this Doctor's reign as the Doctor. I think it's very much a standalone story. It doesn't really play into anything that's happened before or is going to happen afterwards - it's a very self contained adventure and I think because of that it has a kind of feel of its own which is great. You're not necessarily bound into what's happening before and what's happening afterwards."

You say it's quite contained but we know that Captain Magambo is back from 'Turn Left' – what's her involvement in it? Is it more of a major role this time?
"Basically, without giving too much away, the wormhole is a doorway between this world – our world in modern day London – and this other planet, the Planet of the Dead. But this wormhole is obviously creating a big fuss this side and that side so UNIT are involved in dealing with what's happening on this side of the wormhole, while the Doctor works out what's going on and tries to get back on the other."

What does Lee Evans add to things?
"Well Lee Evans plays a UNIT scientific officer called Doctor Malcolm Taylor, so again there's a relationship between the Doctor and Malcolm, but it's over the phone so there's dualness of the adventure, in that the Doctor's communicating and having a rapport with Malcolm throughout but actually they're separated. They're either side of the wormhole. Both of them need each other to help work out what's going on. Obviously people think he brings comedy and humour, which he does in bucket-loads, but he also brings a tremendous heart and he's also a very fine actor. It's great to have that element in Doctor Who – genuine laughs and genuine moments of comedy in amongst the excitement and the horror and the fear. There are genuine laugh-out-loud moments, which is quite unusual for Doctor Who!"

What was the production timeline on the special?
"It was fairly tight, to be honest. The whole entire production process was incredibly tight because we had to fit in with David finishing Hamlet and then delivering it for Easter so we couldn't start filming until after January. So we filmed it January/February and then a very quick, barbaric post-production schedule which, well, we're just finishing now. It's also quite a CGI-heavy episode as well, which is the stuff that needs the turnaround time but there's legions of men and women in a bunker in the Mill as we speak working away to ensure it's ready."

According to reports in the press a while back you had to make substantial rewrites to the script after your bus got mangled - what's the truth behind that?
"I think it would be fair to say the tabloids added their own spin to that. Rumours of the crisis that gripped the production were quite obviously completely blown out of proportion, I mean yes, we had a bus that was damaged but the reason it wasn't damaged in the first place was because we were told it would be too expensive to do! The irony of the whole thing was that when the bus was damaged on its way to Dubai it took about ten minutes to sort it out. Russell just basically switched around from the draft of the script from before we'd changed it. So although it was a bit of a shock when it happened, actually it fits the story even better. Funny the way these things work out – it worked out eminently for the best so it's all good."

What sort of place was Dubai like to film in and why did you pick Dubai?
"We were looking for a desert really, pure and simple. Somewhere we could be completely surrounded by sand and sand dunes and have that feel of a real desert. We looked at Morocco and Tunisia and determined what was the cheapest option and what was the most efficient option to get our bus to and would be the quickest in terms of time. It really does look beautiful, stunning. It's also a desert that I bizarrely feel like I've not seen before so it looks like an alien planet, which is great."

And this is also the first Doctor Who episode to be filmed in HD. How did that affect production and why now have you moved to HD?
"It was always a hope that we could go to HD. I was always keen because Torchwood was obviously started in HD so it's been going a while. I think there was a feeling with Doctor Who that because of the number of CGI effects involved that actually it was more expensive to render these effects in HD, so it was always a cost thing but now the industry's changed and HD's become the norm – actually the cost parameter has finally shifted into the sense in which it wasn't more expensive and actually price comparisons were the same. Also I think there was a feeling that Doctor Who should be in HD and can now be on the HD channel and I think it can hold its place with everything else that's going around. Also because we were filming in Dubai the HD cameras are better at handling more extreme light and more extreme conditions, so all these things came together and it seemed the logical thing to do."

Is there a clean ending for the episode or do you set up the next one with the first few seconds of the next episode?
"There's a little kind of clue. I wouldn't say we don't give anything out at all – we offer a hint - a suggestion of what is to come. It's quite powerful but it's quite obscure as well. This story very much ends and we're left wondering what the next adventure for the Doctor is."

There's no Catherine Tate in a wedding dress?
"No – nothing like that. Everything ends cleanly. But I think we've got a trail for the next episode after it's finished. There's a trail for the next episode planned but I haven't read that script deliberately. I vaguely know what's going on but I haven't seen it so I don't know what's in that I'm afraid."

Will you be revealing the title of the next special in the credits for this one?
"They might well do, yeah. I don't know to be honest, I honestly don't know what it's called. I don't know what Russell's feeling on that is or whether he wants to keep it secret. They'll probably reveal that on the day but if not it will come out fairly shortly afterwards."

This was your final episode with David – was it a sad occasion?
"Well it was sad and not sad really. It was only really on the last day we were like 'oh I wonder if this is our last time together'. Then the way filming ends – it ends but then there's ADR and then there's pickups. Also who knows, I might be needed to do little bits and bobs, and there's a promo that I'm doing later with them. So it was hard to know when the last day was with David – and I'll be working with David a lot in the future, and Russell and Julie as well."

Have you heard anything about being involved with season five? When does that get locked in?
"Well, the scripting and all that stuff is underway now, so they're very much gearing up. I think what they are doing now is hiring a producer – so really the directors will then come afterwards. I have no idea if they'll want me – they might want to use completely new people and also I've done it for a few episodes now so maybe it's time to move on as well, but then I love the show. To be involved in launching the new Doctor would be a new adventure as well, so there's so many factors that come into play. I think they start filming it all in July/August so they're still a fair way away before they'll be deciding on who's going to be doing it and what they want to do. But they're a brilliant team who're taking it over so whatever they do I'm sure it'll be very exciting!"

Website: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a15085 ... r-who.html

[CaptainLewis]

Cribbins to be new 'Doctor Who' companion

Russell T. Davies has revealed that Bernard Cribbins will play the Doctor's companion in a two-part Christmas special.

The Doctor Who producer told BBC Breakfast that the actor would be back to reprise his role as Donna Noble's grandfather.

Discussing the four Doctor Who specials this year, Davies revealed: "It's a long and huge farewell to David Tennant."

"There's probably [a special] in November, then there's a huge two-part Christmas special," he added. "It's going to be massive, I promise you."

Website: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a15236 ... anion.html

The final special is going to be amazing.