Friday 27 February 2009


Doctor Who actor Noel Clarke has been shortlisted for Bafta's Rising Star Award recognising emerging talent. Noel played popular character Mickey Smith in Series One, Two and Four of Doctor Who and wrote an episode of Torchwood
The Rising Star Award is unique as it is the only award presented at Bafta that is voted for by the British public.
This year Noel also wrote, directed and starred in a critically acclaimed film, which has already earned him prizes at the Dinard Film Festival and the British Independent Film Awards.

Wednesday 25 February 2009


Legendary comedian, Ronnie Corbett, has been confirmed as a guest star for a special Red Nose Day version of the highly acclaimed The Sarah Jane Adventures.
BBC Wales are recording a one-off mini adventure to air on Comic Relief - Funny for Money airing on Friday 13 March BBC1 from 7pm.
The top rating children's drama comes from the makers of Doctor Who and stars Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith.
Executive Producer Russell T Davies said, "It's an honour to get involved with Red Nose Day, and with Ronnie Corbett, K-9 and an old enemy's return, we can promise Sarah Jane Smith's most extraordinary adventure yet!"
The BAFTA-nominated series sees Sarah Jane and the gang getting caught in a mysterious world of chases, danger, and monsters from outer space. The show has a huge following in its teatime slot on BBC One and the CBBC channel and the BBC Wales team are delighted to be contributing to Red Nose Day for a one-off mini adventure.
Written by Gareth Roberts and Clayton Hickman it also stars Tommy Knight, Daniel Anthony and Anjli Mohindra. A third series of The Sarah Jane Adventures will go into production shortly.
Current Doctor Who lead David Tennant will be presenting on the Night of TV.

Sunday 22 February 2009


Following David Tennant's decision to step down at the end of 2009, the team behind Series Five of Doctor Who decided to cast Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith quickly, so that new adventures could be created and scripts written with him in mind.
"The script is where it starts", Matt revealed in a new interview Doctor Who Magazine. "It's always about the words, and luckily we're in the hands of Steven Moffat [Doctor Who's incoming Head Writer], who has this show ingrained in his soul and searing through his blood. It's really born into his whole fabric - and that's the job for me over the next few months, to make this show part of my fibre.
"I think Steven is going to be the main creative source for me, and we're going to discover it together - who the Doctor is in Steven's mind and words, coupled with pockets of my personality, my history, my life, and the man and the human being that I am. I've got a meeting with Piers [Wenger, executive producer] next week to discuss that, but I think we'll start rehearsing and, you know, just sit around Piers' or Steven's kitchen table, read the scripts together, talk about the part. We'll talk about my intentions, their intentions, how we feel it can fly, and sing, and be as brilliant and as Doctor-y and as excellent as it can be."
Matt, who is already fully immersed in the role, will be the youngest actor to take on the identity of The Doctor. Asked what costume his Eleventh doctor might sport, Matt admitted that he was "a big fan of long coats and rather dashing scarves in everyday life, so who knows? For the audition, I rocked up in whatever, so I think they're having to tone down what I wear in real life for the Doctor!
"I am a rather elaborate dresser. That's what's lovely, there are all these exciting things - what's he going to wear, what's he going to do in his first scene with his companion, which monsters will he meet, will he meet the Daleks? This show is so alive, it really is. I can't ever quite forget that I'm the Doctor - which is weird, because it's still so far away. But it's always there in my subconscious, because it's the Doctor! It's like, there's Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, and Doctor Who. It has resonance in our cultural fabric."
Since being announced as the Eleventh Doctor in a special edition of Doctor Who Confidential, Matt has already started to receive fan mail - even before any scenes for the Fifth series have been shot.
Matt says he will make his Doctor "as varied, brilliant, dark, unpredictable and happy and sad as I can." "I'm really going to work my socks off in the next few years and do my best to enjoy it as much as I can," he added. With previous credits including The Ruby In The Smoke' and Party Animals, Matt promises to get to the heart of his new role and its long history. "I'm going to make it my business to do so, and fall into it with as much depth as I possibly can."
Four Doctor Who Specials featuring David Tennant will run from spring 2009 into New Year 2010, after which Matt will take over for Series Five.

The BBC has confirmed that acclaimed actress, Lindsay Duncan will guest star in the second Doctor Who special of 2009.
Lindsay is best known for her roles across stage and screen, including Shooting the Past and GBH and is soon to star as Margaret Thatcher in the highly anticipated BBC Two drama, Margaret. In Doctor Who she will play Adelaide - the Doctor's cleverest and most strong-minded companion yet.
"I'm thrilled to be involved in Doctor Who," said Lindsay. "I've never done anything like this before and I'm really looking forward to working with David Tennant and the Doctor Who team."
Lindsay joins David Tennant as he continues his role as The Doctor in the second of four Doctor Who Specials to be screened throughout 2009. This will follow Planet of the Dead, due to air this Easter on BBC One.
Executive Producer and writer 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 and playing the Doctor's most strong-minded companion yet."
Due to go into production in Spring 2009, the second episode written by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford will be produced by Nikki Wilson and will be screened on BBC One later this year.

The BBC has confirmed that part of the forthcoming Doctor Who Easter special will be filmed in Dubai.
Planet of the Dead, which stars David Tennant as the Doctor alongside Michelle Ryan and Lee Evans, began filming in January in Cardiff and the team are now descending upon the Arabian Gulf to film further scenes for the episode.
"We rarely take Doctor Who abroad," said Doctor Who Producer Tracie Simpson. "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."Bionic Woman and Merlin star Michelle Ryan plays the mysterious Lady Christina de Souza who joins the Doctor on a bus-trip which takes a very unexpected detour into danger. British comedy star Lee Evans also joins the cast playing a character called Malcolm whose life becomes connected to the Doctor's under extraordinary circumstances and Noma Dumezweni returns as Captain Erisa Magambo - last seen helping Rose and Donna save the world in Turn Left.Planet of the Dead is the first of four Doctor Who Specials which will air in 2009. Written by Russell T Davies and Gareth Roberts, the episode is will be screened on BBC One in Spring 2009.