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Tag: Dr Who

  • BBC uses big screens to push ‘Dr Who’ in UK

    BBC uses big screens to push ‘Dr Who’ in UK

    MUMBAI: A trailer of the new series of UK pubcaster BBC One’s Bafta award-winning drama Doctor Who is airing in cinemas across the UK. The show goes on air on the BBC later this year.

    The trailer is part of a BBC test with Carlton Screen Advertising to showcase BBC content.

    The deal, which covers 837 Odeon screens, 736 Cineworld screens and 142 Empire screens, will see a 90-second trailer of the new series shown before some of the most anticipated new releases including Cloverfield, Juno, John Rambo and There Will Be Blood.

    BBC Vision head of marketing Naomi Gibney said, “This is a great opportunity for the BBC to reach new audiences with an exciting preview of the new series of Doctor Who.”

    Actress Catherine Tate is reprising her role as Donna, the runaway bride, and will star as the doctor’s companion throughout the new series alongside David Tennant as the doctor.

    The first episode of the new series will witness Donna tracking down the doctor during an alien emergency in modern-day London.

    The couple are destined to experience a series of wonderful adventures throughout the series run including meeting one of Doctor Who’s popular aliens, the Ood, in a new episode, Planet of the Ood.

    Donna and the doctor will also be travelling through time for an encounter with the legendary murder mystery novelist Agatha Christie and taking a trip to Pompeii.

    Guest stars who have already been confirmed to appear in the new series include Sarah Lancashire, Felicity Kendal, Alex Kingston, Lesley Sharp, Georgia Moffett, Lindsey Coulson, Fenella Woolgar, Tim McInnerny, Peter Capaldi, Phil Davis and Tracey Childs.

    Freema Agyeman who has played Martha Jones, the doctor’s companion throughout the critically acclaimed third series, will also return to the show to join the doctor and Donna mid-series.

  • Piers Wenger is ‘Dr. Who’ executive producer

    MUMBAI: BBC has announced that Piers Wenger is to take over the helm as executive producer for Doctor Who’s fifth series and will become BBC Wales head of drama. Piers is to succeed Julie Gardner who leaves that role in January 2009.

    In India, the show airs on BBC Entertainment, which is available on Tata Sky.

    Piers, who was the producer of Housewife, 49 with Victoria Wood, says, “I’m incredibly excited to be associated with BBC Wales. The success of the drama team there has been extraordinary, and I look forward to taking the team to even greater heights. Working with Julie Gardner on Doctor Who over the next year will provide an invaluable insight into the secrets and success of the series. I couldn’t have a more inspiring leader.”

    BBC Wales controller Menna Richards said, “I’m delighted Piers is joining the BBC Wales team, and I’m confident he can build on Julie’s huge successes. Julie has helped transform drama production – not only at BBC Wales but across the BBC.

    “She is an extraordinarily creative and dynamic leader. I am full of gratitude and admiration for her achievements at BBC Wales, which will of course continue over the coming months. We owe her a huge debt.”

    Gardner said, “I know that when I hand over my sonic screwdriver to Piers for season five of Doctor Who, it’ll be to someone who loves and understands the show.

    “Doctor Who is the most precious TV drama in the galaxy, and I’m leaving it in safe and brilliant hands. I’ve been on the trip of a lifetime in the last five years with the finest writers, actors and crew, and I’ve got another 18 months of time travel to enjoy.”

  • BBC begins filming fourth season of ‘Dr. Who’

    MUMBAI: BBC has announced that the fourth season of Doctor Who has started filming, with Catherine Tate joining the drama series as The Doctor’s brand new companion Donna Noble.

    The season will kick off in the UK on BBC One next year. In India the show airs on BBC Entertainment which is being carried by Tata Sky.

    Tate is reprising her role as Donna, the runaway bride who featured in last year’s Doctor Who Christmas special. The start of the new series will see Donna tracking down the Time Lord during an alien emergency in modern-day London.

    The couple are destined to experience a series of wonderful adventures throughout the new series including meeting one of Doctor Who’s most popular aliens, The Ood, in a brand new episode, Planet Of The Ood.

    Donna and The Doctor – David Tennant – will also be travelling through time for an encounter with the legendary murder mystery novelist, Agatha Christie.

    Agatha Christie will be played by Jekyll star Fenella Woolgar and The Good Life actress Felicity Kendal will star as Lady Clemency Eddison.

    Doctor Who’s executive producer and head writer, Russell T Davies says, “Visiting Agatha Christie has been on my wish-list for ages now and, for the Doctor, it’s a real meeting of minds! Viewers can expect many more ambitious storylines and a whole host of guest stars in 2008.”

    Agatha Christie’s grandson Mathew Prichard says, “What a brilliant idea that Agatha Christie and Doctor Who should meet! Two characters whose contribution to British entertainment is absolutely unrivalled.

    “As far as I know my grandmother, Agatha Christie, never saw Doctor Who, but I am sure she would have been intrigued, excited and above all flattered by all this attention in 2007.”

    Tate says, “I am delighted to be returning to Doctor Who. I had a blast last Christmas and look forward to travelling again through time and space with that nice man from Gallifrey.”

    Freema Agyeman who has played Martha Jones, The Doctor’s companion throughout the critically acclaimed third series, will return to the show to join The Doctor and Donna mid-series.

  • BBC viewers can download tardisodes of ‘Dr. Who’

    BBC viewers can download tardisodes of ‘Dr. Who’

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC has announced that Doctor Who viewers are in for an extra treat when the new series launches next month.

    In addition to watching 13 new adventures – with David Tennant as the Doctor and Billie Piper as Rose – viewers in the UK will be given the opportunity to download thirteen 60-second mini-episodes via their mobile phones, or stream them on broadband as part of the BBC’s TV Plus trials.

    The Tardisodes, which are part of the BBC’s trials exploring ways of broadening the output of leading brands, offer the audience an insight into what’s going on in the Doctor Who universe that week. These downloads will be available on Saturdays after the main show has gone out.

    They will include footage that won’t be seen on TV, and show the characters and adventures coming up in the next episode – from meeting the Cat Women who can cure all illnesses, joining Mickey as he discovers some alien activity in a local school, to witnessing the Cybermen upgrade process.

    BBC director of television Jana Bennett says, “What better way of travelling with the Time Lord than to have a Tardisode come to you on your phone or PC? The Tardisodes are an exciting development, delivering mini-episodes which will let viewers access the vortex and explore new worlds before the Doctor arrives himself.

    “We know that there is a huge appetite for Doctor Who and we want to make the whole experience bigger and better for viewers. These TV Plus trials will continue to help us understand more about the different ways in which viewers want to enjoy Doctor Who.”

    Created by the team behind Attack of the Graske, the Christmas interactive mission, the mini-episodes will have the same high quality elements as the main show.

    Tardisodes co-producer Jo Pearce says, “Our aim, when planning the development of all these projects, is to make the interactive content around Doctor Who series two compelling, exciting and intriguing as well as enticing a broader audience to Doctor Who by positioning it on different platforms.”

    The Tardisodes are part of the BBC’s TV Plus pilots, offering audiences a new way of engaging with BBC TV programmes to enhance their viewing experience. The pilots include preview clips on mobile phones, programme premieres on broadband a week ahead of their TV transmission, and a rich interactive experience on-demand through broadband and digital TV.

    From 1 April 2006, the audience can text the word Tardis to 81010 to subscribe to the service. The user will then be sent a text message with a link to the download (this text will cost between 12 and 15p). They will then be asked to bookmark the link and to come back every Saturday at the end of the Doctor Who programme to see the new Tardisode.

    If the user does not have a compatible handset they will be told before they download the content and asked to go to the Doctor Who website to watch the Tardisode. The BBC does not charge for its mobile content. However, the operators charge for using the internet on your phone and for the text messages to access the service will apply.

    Costs vary from operator to operator. Operators may charge for time spent browsing or amount of data downloaded. Registering for the service is simple, participants will be asked to subscribe via text message and then will receive a weekly alert to inform them that new content is available.