A sequel to Doctor Who: Rose, written by Russell T Davies, has now been released, celebrating 15 years since the transmission of the episode.

 

DOCTOR WHO: Revenge of the Nestene

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Fans around the world will be marking fifteen years since the original transmission of Rose at 7pm UK time today.

The episode was the first Doctor Who adventure for the Ninth Doctor and the first written by Russell T Davies. It was originally shown at 7pm on Saturday 26th March 2005.

The idea comes from Emily Cook of Doctor Who Magazine and follows a similar project where fans watched The Day of the Doctor last weekend.

Former show runner Russell T Davies will be live Tweeting the episode, and has written a prequel, available on the BBC Doctor Who Website. A sequel will be revealed at 7.45pm.

Viewers in the UK can watch on :

• BBC iPlayer
• Netflix

And in the US on

• Amazon Video
• iTunes
• Google Play

Or watch along on your DVD/Blu-ray and follow the #TripOfALifetime

 

Doctor Who rewatch- Rose introduction, 2020

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Doctor Who Series 1 has been named as the most frequently bought drama in the entire 40 year history of BBC Worldwide's Showcase event.

BBC Worldwide is the commercial arm of the BBC, which sells the best British TV shows from the BBC and UK independent producers around the world. Since 1976 it - and its predecessor, BBC Enterprises - has hosted international TV buyers at its own annual sales event, BBC Showcase. The first Showcase took place in a meeting room at The Old Ship Hotel in Brighton on the South Coast, and was attended by 25 buyers. Since then showcase has grown to the world’s biggest single distributor trade fair, regularly attracting more than 700 international buyers.

To celebrate 40 years of Showcase, BBC Worldwide has released the new data based on the number of times a title has been bought rather than the number of territories it was bought by, which shows how series continue to interest broadcasters time and again.

The most purchased drama series has been named as Doctor Who Series 1. Starring Christopher Eccleston as the ninth Doctor and first broadcast in 2005, the series has attracted 629 buyers from countries including Bahrain, Hong Kong, France and Chile.

Doctor Who was one of the titles screened to buyers at the very first Showcase in 1976.

Paul Dempsey, President of Global Markets, said

We are extremely proud of our heritage and back catalogue so it’s fun to look back into the archives and celebrate the enduring appeal of some of our classic shows.

But, at the same time, it’s clear that the priority for today’s audiences is event TV with high-production values so it’s no coincidence that our current best sellers are premium dramas like Doctor Who and Sherlock, high-end entertainment shows like Strictly Come Dancing and Top Gear, and our world-renowned natural history programmes like The Hunt.

The most bought comedy programme is the first series of the classic sitcom Keeping Up Appearances which has been bought 992 times over the forty year period. The most bought natural history title is The Life of Mammals with 958 sales and the most bought factual entertainment series is Top Gear Series 9, broadcast in 2006, which has clocked up 282 sales.

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BBC Worldwide are releasing individual Blu-ray sets for Series 1-4 of Doctor Who in the UK on 31 August 2015. The discs, upscaled to 1080i HD originally formed part of the Series 1-7 box set in 2013. Australia have had the individual Series 1-4 Region B sets since 2013.

Doctor Who News has been informed that the new 1-4 releases are identical in specifications as the 1-7 set. This means the discs will play at 24fps instead of the native 25fps.

Doctor Who - The Complete First Series
Region B Blu-ray
Release date: 31 August 2015 (available for pre-order)

All 13 episodes from the first series of the relaunched sci-fi adventure drama, written by Russell T. Davies and starring Christopher Eccleston as the legendary Time Lord.

In this series, the Doctor meets new companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) while saving her from the living-plastic Nestene Consciousness, before taking her on adventures through time and space, where she meets Charles Dickens (Simon Callow), tries to save her father from dying when she was a child, and helps the Doctor and Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) battle the evil Daleks and save the world.

The episodes are: 'Rose', 'The End of the World', 'The Unquiet Dead', 'Aliens of London', 'World War Three', 'Dalek', 'The Long Game', 'Father's Day', 'The Empty Child', 'The Doctor Dances', 'Boom Town', 'Bad Wolf' and 'The Parting of the Ways'.

Doctor Who - The Complete Second Series
Region B Blu-ray
Release date: 31 August 2015 (available for pre-order)

All 14 episodes from the second series of the relaunched sci-fi adventure drama, starring David Tennant as the latest incarnation of the legendary Time Lord.

In this series, the tenth Doctor takes companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) to New Earth and struggles to overcome the effects of regeneration. In the opening Christmas episode London is deluged by Santa Claus impersonators and Christmas trees intent on malice. Mankind is threatened by a planetary invasion and there's only the Prime Minister to battle it out.

The episodes are: 'The Christmas Invasion', 'New Earth', 'Tooth and Claw', 'School Reunion', 'The Girl in the Fireplace', 'Rise of the Cybermen', 'The Age of Steel', 'The Idiot's Lantern', 'The Impossible Planet', 'The Satan Pit', 'Love and Monsters', 'Fear Her', 'Army of Ghosts' and 'Doomsday'.

Doctor Who - The Complete Third Series
Region B Blu-ray
Release date: 31 August 2015 (available for pre-order)

All 14 episodes from the third series of the relaunched sci-fi adventure drama, starring David Tennant as the latest incarnation of the legendary Time Lord.

In this series, the Doctor is joined by new companion Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) as he encounters old enemies including the Daleks and the Master (Derek Jacobi).

The episodes are: 'The Runaway Bride', 'Smith and Jones', 'The Shakespeare Code', 'Gridlock', 'Daleks in Manhattan', 'Evolution of the Daleks', 'The Lazarus Experiment', '42', 'Human Nature', 'The Family of Blood', 'Blink', 'Utopia', 'The Sound of Drums' and 'Last of the Timelords'.

Doctor Who - The Complete Fourth Series
Region B Blu-ray
Release date: 31 August 2015 (available for pre-order)

All 14 episodes from the fourth series of the relaunched sci-fi adventure drama, starring David Tennant as the latest incarnation of the legendary Time Lord.

In this series, the Doctor is joined by new companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) as the pair venture through time and space, visiting ancient Pompeii and the planet of the Ood while also meeting the mysterious River Song (Alex Kingston).

The episodes are: 'Voyage of the Damned', 'Partners in Crime', 'The Fires of Pompeii', 'Planet of the Ood', 'The Sontaran Stratagem', 'The Poison Sky', 'The Doctor's Daughter', 'The Unicorn and the Wasp', 'Silence in the Library', 'Forest of the Dead', 'Midnight', 'Turn Left', 'The Stolen Earth' and 'Journey's End'.

Related Articles: Complete Series 1-7: Blu-ray details (6 September 2015)

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BBC Worldwide has announced a new collaboration with content distribution service BitTorrent to mark a decade of new Doctor Who.

To celebrate ten years since the series reboot, the file sharing network will be offering a ten story box set featuring specially selected highlights from the modern era of Doctor Who for $12 globally.

The package will include exclusive video content from incumbent Doctor Peter Capaldi who gives his insight into some of his favourite Doctor Who episodes as well as Doctor Who: Earth Conquest – the documentary about the 2014 global tour which saw Capaldi and companion Jenna Coleman travel the world to meet their fans.

Julia Kenyon, Director of Drama Brands, BBC Worldwide comments:

Ten years ago, the Doctor’s journey began anew with Russell T Davies and Rose. The Time Lord continues to evolve and refresh and this innovative deal with BitTorrent allows us to directly reach a huge number of consumers and engage with fans on a global and fast-growing digital platform. Music content has seen tremendous success through BitTorrent Bundles and this deal is the first of its kind for British TV content

Matt Mason, Chief Content Officer at BitTorrent adds:

For over fifty years, Doctor Who has challenged the way we see time, space, and TV — the way we tell stories. A series like this should be part of a versatile platform; one capable of reaching and engaging fans around the world. BitTorrent Bundle is that platform. It’s fantastic that BBC Worldwide is the media organization forward-thinking enough to make a release like this possible. This is an exciting way for fans to celebrate ten years of New Who and we are honoured to welcome the Doctor to BitTorrent.

The ten story box set will be available globally to stream or download from the BitTorrent Website.

The $12 Download / Stream Package includes

• Series 1: Rose
• Series 1: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
• Series 2: The Girl in the Fireplace
• Series 3: Blink
• Series 4: Special - The End of Time (Parts 1 & 2)
• Series 5: The Vampires of Venice
• Series 6: The Doctor’s Wife
• Series 7: The Rings of Akhaten
• 50th Anniversary special: The Day of the Doctor
• Series 8: Listen

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Ten years ago tonight, Christopher Eccleston undertook his only major inteview to promote the forthcoming new series of Doctor Who on The Jonathan Ross Show. The programme saw him reflect on being a fan of the original run, and how he came to be involved in this new, fresh production under the helm of Russell T Davies, and included an extensive trailer highlighting what was to come over the next few weeks.

However, our Moment in Time recalls Eccleston's surprise as, when discussing forthcoming merchandise to tie in with the show, Ross produces the prototype of a toy expected out for Christmas, and he comes comes face-to-face with a 10" version of himself as the Doctor ...

Related Articles: Christopher Eccleston on Jonathan Ross (25 Mar 2005)

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It was ten years ago today that director Keith Boak first called "Action!" to commence filming on a new series for a long-running, award-winning television programme that hadn't been in front of cameras in the United Kingdom for almost fifteen years. With Doctor Who having been confined for many years within literature, audio and online adventures - and one US-based TV movie pilot that had failed to lead to anything further - it wasn't difficult for many fans to feel that the show would never return to full production, even with the assurances from the BBC since 2003 that it would indeed be coming back to television soon - seeing would be believing...

Considering the intense media coverage of the casting of the new Doctor and his companion, filming itself started with minimal fanfare. Its new star Christopher Eccleston was hidden away in the depths of the Cardiff Royal Infirmary out of sight of public scrutiny; however, fandom ensured that even such an inauspicious beginning would be marked, and reports were soon appearing on Doctor Who News (in its earlier, "Outpost Gallifrey" incarnation!) documenting anything and everything to be witnessed from "Day One" ...

Dave Shuttleworth:

After looking at the streets listed as this week's locations on the news page, I popped in to the Cardiff Visitor Centre, in Working Street. I figured there was no harm in asking whether or not they could confirm that Doctor Who was going to be filmed outside their premises and, sure enough, not only are the crew using the street, they're using the visitor centre itself as a location, together with the pub next door (Toad @ the Exhibition).

The two premises are part of the same building - the old city library - and are being used as a police station. I went into the Toad for lunch (not bad and reasonably priced!) and got chatting to the girls behind the bar. They're getting ready to let the Doctor Who crew use half the pub on Tuesday night from 7pm (the rest will be open to the public) and are quite excited about the prospect.

From there I walked out to the old Cardiff Royal Infirmary, which is a wonderfully ramshackle example of gothic decay - a great location! In the area at the front of the building was a group of about eight or ten extras, dressed as soldiers - camouflage gear, red berets and heavy rifles - together with one man dressed in a smart military uniform, with a cap (from the military police vehicle I spotted later, I would guess they might be 'Redcaps' but I didn't recognise the insignia on the berets, which was sort-of T-shaped metal badge - perhaps a figure with arms outstretched?).

There were various film crew types wandering about and an awful lot of lighting/equipment vans and other lorries. Circling the site, there were lots of temporary 'BBC Wales' signs and I asked one of the chaps what was going on (I'm sure my pretence of 'not being all that interested' didn't fool him for a moment!) and he said: "It's the first day of filming on the new series of Doctor Who."

Back round at the front of the building, some set dressing was going on at the hospital gates - a big 'metal' arch, painted black, with 'ALBION HOSPITAL' in gold letters, which were being dirtied down. From the safety of the other side of the road I watched for a while (I was desperate not to run the slightest risk of getting in the way or annoying anyone and it's a very public place, so what the hey?) then went off to the cinema for a couple of hours.

When the film was over I couldn't resist popping back for another look! By this time (around 4pm) there were a handful of police vehicles (basic markings - stripes and lettering, blank insignia - so not a specific force, apart from one that had 'MILITARY POLICE' on its bonnet. Maybe extra decals will be added later?) and the armoured car. Round the back of the infirmary were four extras, dressed as police wearing tactical gear (black combat stuff).

Images: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Photos by Dave Shuttleworth

Paul Mount:

I managed to position myself surreptitiously near the main gates to the Hospital (renamed Albion Hospital) where a scene with a reporter was being rehearsed/filmed. I saw the material being played back on DV Playback equipment (thus ending the film/DV argument, I guess) and it consisted of the reporter uttering dialogue indicating that "Nobody is confirming if the body is alive or dead. Whitehall are saying nothing. The body has been brought here to Albion Hospital, the nearest hospital to the river. The roads are closed, the hospital has been evacuated." There was some reference to a General Asquith, the body being human or alien and then the roads were closed again as a scene of a military police car and an ambulance driving through the gates was recorded. The general area was 'decorated' with London-style bus stops, one of which, I noticed as I walked right past it, was bearing a London street map the familiar red circle-style London Underground symbol.

The area was literally packed with people - technicians, production crew etc, presumably Keith Boak directing from the concourse area inside the gates. There were loads of black-clad police officers brandishing machine guns, the tank had been moved nearer the gates and there were quite a few other vehicles and extras in military uniform. I caught a quick glimpse of the script in the hands of one technician and while I couldn't get close enough to have a good look I could clearly see dialogue and reference to one character speaking - Jackie.

Images: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Photos by Rob Stradling

The scenes above were ultimately for Aliens of London, but a couple of days later the media finally caught up on events with widespread coverage of filming outside Howell's Department Store and Queen's Arcade in the town centre for Rose, including BBC News coverage live from outside the store, and more fans gathering to catch a glimpse of "their" show coming back to life for the 21st Century ...

David Shaw:

The Autons are back! After reading the tip-offs on Outpost Gallifrey (thanks), I travelled the 150 miles to Cardiff yesterday (Tues 20th July) with my 6-year-old daughter, Emma, in the hope of experiencing a bit of the magic of Dr Who's return. We found the Working Street/St. John Street location quite easily, and wandered past the production team vans at 5.30pm. Emma was delighted to spot a familiar group of shop-dummy props in the back of one of the trucks, clearly indicating the return of the Autons! The street was then dressed to resemble 1950s(?) London; props were positioned: a red telephone box, Underground sign, red post box, London bus stop, gaslamps, two industrial metal dustbins and an Evening Standard headline display announcing "Proper rigmarole" (a la Web Of Fear). The sign of the "Sneakers" sports shoe shop was removed and replaced with a fictional "Classic Bride" pink shopfront. Wedding gowns arrived for the dummies as well as "C.B." logo stickers for the shop windows. We were excited to realise that it would be the scene of an Auton breakout, as glaziers arrived to fit temporary glass windows! The exterior of the Toad @ The Exhibition pub was transformed into a police station, with new signs, an information board and a blue "police" lamp. We had followed two traditional 1950s-style London buses from the motorway into Cardiff earlier in the afternoon and were amazed to see them turn up in the Dr. Who street. In fact there was a range of vehicles: fire engine, Royal Mail lorry, Evening Standard van, two black London taxis and the two buses. We tried to keep out of the way and were allowed to wander up and down the street until after 8pm. A few of the workers spoke to us in a friendly manner, and no-one asked us to move away. As darkness fell, the area was closed off by the Police with "do not cross" tape, and some extras dressed as firemen arrived. We heard a few rehearsals and shouts of "Quiet please!" as some minor scenes were filmed. Since it was now 9.30 pm and it seemed likely that the main filming would not take place until the middle of the night, we left. We returned at 5am this morning, however, as dawn was breaking to find the clear-up in full swing. Significantly, there was shattered glass all over the pavement in front of the "Classic Bride" shop, and we watched as the props were systematically removed (all the vehicles had already gone). The Auton shop dummies were piled up in the street and then all props were put back into the trucks. Emma had a fantastic time - Dr Who is definitely back!

Images: 1 2 3 4

Photos by Gareth Price

Anna Roberts:

Just got back from Cardiff city centre. I stayed for about half an hour from 10 pm on. ... When I was there, they were filming outside the entrance to Queen's Arcade using it as the entrance to a shopping centre. Again, it had been dressed to look like London, with an Underground sign by the entrance. It had also been prettified a bit with a couple of new, small iron lamp posts, but otherwise they didn't seem to have changed any of the shop fronts... There were assorted vehicles about the area, including two red London buses (the Routemaster type - one was route 74 to Putney Heath for those who really like their details), a couple of black cabs, an Evening Standard van, post van, and what seemed to be a small fire engine. Plus a massive crane to light the scene. RTD was in attendance and they were filming a couple of scenes with a female actress, who was wearing blue trackie bottoms with what looked like Adidas stripes, a pink top/jumper and a blue denim jacket. She was also carrying a blue, sequined denim handbag, a mobile phone and a white A4 piece of paper/envelope. The scene consisted of the actress (likely NOT Billie Piper) walking across the road talking on her mobile, while a couple of the vehicles drove past and the best part of a dozen normally dressed extras carrying shopping bags milled about. I could hear most of the dialogue, and following a line about where are you, she was talking to somebody she referred to as darling (boyfriend). As best I can remember the dialogue it was "I can't hear you, the signal's breaking up. I'm just going to do some late night shopping." Gripping, huh? A second scene was quickly rehearsed where the same actress ran back out of the shopping centre followed by a tightly packed group of the same extras marching oddly. I have a suspicion that this might have been put on for the benefit of the audience though as the crew then broke for a meal without filming it. Hope that keeps your appetites whetted.

Ten years on, and as filming continues apace on Peter Capaldi's first series there has been no diminishing of fan and media interest in the development of the show, and modern social media services such as Twitter now provide a rich source of both fan and public experiences of the Doctor Who production out and about. The new Doctor's willingness to pose for photos with the public between takes has led to widespread interest whenever they are on the streets - yesterday being no exception when the TARDIS and its usual occupants were spotted on Queen Street, Cardiff during the morning (and duly featured by the Daily Mail). With the expectation of London featuring prominently for filming next week, the popularity of production will no doubt continue unabated (filming last took place in the capital for the 50th Anniversary special, The Day of The Doctor, and Trafalgar Square was 'besieged' by spectators!).

Related Articles: First Day Cardiff Report (19 Jul 2004); Set report (19 Jul 2004); Set Report (21 Jul 2004); Set Report (21 Jul 2004)

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As one of the highest rated shows on television today, and with four (or five!) new Doctors under its belt, it's perhaps hard to imagine a time when Doctor Who was simply one of the thousands of series that had once flourished but ultimately been consigned to the great script book in the sky. But in the mid 2000s this was how the series was regarded by many, and the brave effort by the BBC to bring it back exactly nine years ago was very much a gamble - how would the 'old-school' fans receive it, and what would a 'modern' audience make of a time-traveller in a police box?

Of course, Doctor Who did have an advantage in that it was a show that was still remembered outside of its core fan base, the general public at large were aware of "Dr Who", his iconic TARDIS, and the Daleks. This helped to lend a sense of curiosity at what the new face behind the show, celebrated writer Russell T Davies, would do with the Doctor, who would be played by an established television and film actor in the form of Christopher Eccleston, not to mention the inclusion of the press-attraction of former teenage pop-star turned actress Billie Piper.

A teaser trailer on New Year's Day 2005 formally introduced the return to the general public, but it wasn't until March when the promotional gears were turned up to maximum with a host of trailers ("Do you want to come with me?") and programmes to build up interest in a way not witnessed again until the 50th Anniversary last year.

The three principal names appeared on a variety of news and magazine programmes in the lead-up to the premiere: Christopher Eccleston was a guest on the ever Who-friendly Blue Peter on the 21st March, and then came face-to-face with 'himself' on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on the 25th; Billie Piper appeared on Parkinson on the 19th; and Russell "TV" Davies appeared on the Breakfast couch on the 11th, on BBC2 Wales's On Show on the 17th, and with Phil and Fern on This Morning on the 23rd. The press preview on the 8th March was covered widely in the media, and led to recorded interviews with the stars popping up on Breakfast and GMTV during that week. Special programmes during the period included: Matthew Sweet looking forward with a little trepidation on how the show's return would fit in culturally on The Culture Show on the 17th; Ian Rankin, Bonnie Greer and Professor John Carey discussing the series' merits on Newsnight Review on the 18th; and BBC Radio 2 presenting Project: Who? on the 22nd. Doctor Who wasn't the only programme on the way - Doctor Who Confidential was also to premiere at the weekend on BBC Three, and executive producer Mark Cossey chatted to Rufus Hound on the channel's Destination Three about what to expect from the behind-the-scenes series.

Images: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Then, suddenly, it's the 26th March. As the early evening inexorably approaches, appetites are whetted with a special preview (and countdown) in A New Dimension, an excruciating wait through Graham Norton's Strictly Dance Fever ... and then, at 7:00pm, the BBC One "Tap Dogs" ident commences, with the announcement fans have been waiting over fifteen years for:

Well now, BBC One hurtles through space and time.
Come with us for the trip of a lifetime!
Aliens, you have been warned ...
Christopher Eccleston is the new ... Doctor Who!

45 minutes later and an unprecedented ten million viewers - and 43.2% of the audience - have watched Rose run to the TARDIS and off into adventures with the Doctor; the final figure rose to 10.81m (44.8%) and achieved seventh place in the TV charts, only beaten by the soap juggernauts Coronation Street and EastEnders. A week later, a further series has been commissioned (not to mention a new Doctor on the cards!), and the longevity of a modern Doctor Who is assured ...

Rose meets the Doctor for the first time (BBC Doctor Who on YouTube)
"Is it always this dangerous?" (BBC Doctor Who on YouTube)
Russell T Davies on Doctor Who's return (BBC Doctor Who on YouTube)

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BBC Three finished its countdown of Doctor Who: Greatest Monsters & Villains on Sunday evening with the top three Monsters and Villains as voted for by viewers to the channel.

The format featured a three-minute potted history of the featured villain, followed by the screening of an appropriate episode of Doctor Who. Coming in at number 3 was the Master and a screening of the 2007 story Utopia. The episode had an overnight viewing figure of 0.51 million viewers, a 1.9% share of the total audience.

At number two were the Weeping Angels, the episode the 2007 story which introduced the Angels Blink. It was watched by 0.66 million, a 2.4% share.

Finally for the series, at number 1 were the show's longest-running villains the Daleks. The episode shown was the 2005 story which introduced the menace to a whole new generation of fans, the Christopher Eccleston story Dalek. It was watched by an average 0.69 million viewers, a 2.6% share. BBC Three was the highest-watched digital channel during the transmission of the series.

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BBC Worldwide has announced the release of Doctor Who: The Complete Series 1-7 Box Set on Blu-ray for release in the United Kingdom on 4th November and in North America on 5th November:

The Complete Series 1-7 Boxed Set (Blu-ray) (available for preorder UK/US)
Starring Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith

“Do you wanna come with me? 'Cause if you do, then I should warn you, you're gonna see all sorts of things. Ghosts from the past. Aliens from the future. The day the Earth died in a ball of flame. It won't be quiet, it won't be safe and it won't be calm. But I'll tell you what it will be: the trip of a lifetime.”

- The Ninth Doctor

Fantastic! Allons-y! Geronimo! For the first time ever, the epic adventures of the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors are brought together in high definition in a special Blu-ray release

The set includes the complete adventures of the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston, Thor: The Dark World) and Tenth Doctor (David Tennant, Broadchurch, Fright Night), available in newly remastered Blu-ray versions at full 1080p resolution for the first time ever, sitting alongside those of the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) in this high definition collection

• Doctor Who: The Complete First Series, starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper
• Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series, starring David Tennant and Billie Piper
• Doctor Who: The Complete Third Series, starring David Tennant and Freema Agyeman
• Doctor Who: The Complete Fourth Series, starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate

Also included in1080p Resolution:

• Doctor Who: The Complete Specials, starring David Tennant
• Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series, starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan
• Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series, starring Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill
• Doctor Who: The Complete Seventh Series, starring Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, and Jenna-Louise Coleman

Bonus Blu-ray disc includes:

• “The Doctor Who Ultimate List of Lists” from BBC AMERICA’s The Brit List - BBC AMERICA’s pop culture correspondent, Asha Leo, is joined by special guest John Barrowman (“Torchwood,” “Doctor Who”) to announce the rankings of the “Top Five Companions,” “Top Five Scariest Moments,” “Top Five Best Monsters,” “Top Five Guest Stars” and “Top Five Things You’ll Only See on Doctor Who.”
• Doctor Who at the Proms 2010 - Doctor Who’s own Karen Gillen and Arthur Darvill host a spectacular evening of music from the series played live by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall. Includes video projections, appearances by the monsters and a special guest appearance from 11th Doctor Matt Smith. For the first time, the collection will include the full 90-minute concert and has been remastered in 5.1 Surround Sound.
• Doctor Who: The Best of the Christmas Specials - This previously unreleased special from December 2011 takes an inside look at the very best moments from the incredible Doctor Who Christmas specials that have captivated audiences around the world. A collection of fans from the celebrity, comedy, sci-fi and digital worlds discuss their favorite moments from both David Tennant and Matt Smith era Christmas episodes.

In addition, the North American release will include a bonus gift in the form of the original Doctor Who Universal Remote Control Sonic Screwdriver, three artwork cards featuring the three Doctors, plus an exclusive comic book.

The 29 disc collection contains each series in its own individual Blu-ray case, and it is expected that the four remastered Eccleston/Tennant series will be available individually at a later date.

Acknowledgements: BBC Worldwide, additional North American details thanks to TV Shows on DVD

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September sees the broadcast of ten episodes featuring Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor on Australian and New Zealand television. These screenings are part of the 50th Anniversary season of Doctor Who on the UKTV Australia and UKTV New Zealand channels.

Each Sunday afternoon during September will see a block of two episodes screened from the 2005 series.

The schedule for the month in both countries is as follows:

1 September
Rose - AU: 4:30pm; NZ: 4:50pm (NZ repeat 2 Sep, 4:30am)
The End of the World - AU: 5:30pm; NZ: 5:40pm

8 September
Aliens of London - AU: 4:30pm; NZ: 3:00pm
World War Three - AU: 5:30pm; NZ: 4:00pm (NZ repeat 9 Sep, 4:35am)

15 September
Dalek - AU: 4:30pm; NZ: 4:45pm
The Long Game - AU: 5:30pm; NZ: 5:40pm (NZ repeat 16 Sep, 4:30am)

22 September
The Empty Child - AU: 4:30pm; NZ: 4:50pm
The Doctor Dances - AU: 5:30pm; NZ: 5:40pm (NZ repeat 23 Sep, 4:35am)

29 September
Bad Wolf - AU: 4:30pm; NZ: 3:50pm
The Parting of the Ways - AU: 5:30pm; NZ: 4:45pm (NZ repeat 30 Sep, 4:45am)

The line-up includes all but three of the entire run of Ninth Doctor episodes. The omissions are The Unquiet Dead, Father’s Day and Boom Town.

Related Articles: Doctor Who Revisited Specials 5-8 on UKTV (23 Aug 2013); Doctor Who Revisited Specials 1-4 on UKTV (16 Aug 2013); Doctor Who - The Movie on UKTV (3 Aug 2013)

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Doctor Who has returned to Finland, with all episodes from the first appearance of the Ninth Doctor in Rose through to the 2011 Christmas Special, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe, scheduled for transmission.

The revived series was first shown in 2005 but was not successful despite acquiring a dedicated fan base in the country, and the show was dropped from the schedules after The Christmas Invasion.

The series is now being shown with Finnish subtitles on the YLE TV2 channel, airing at 8pm on weekday evenings. Following transmission, each episode will be available online, but only inside Finland.

(with thanks to Jouni Lahtinen )

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Former Head of BBC One Michael Grade had been talking about Doctor Who, discussing the reasons for puting the show on hold in 1985 and the events leading up to the return of the series in 2005.

In the BBC Radio 2 show, On The Box, Grade tells the inside story of Britain's television industry as seen from his personal viewpoint. In this week's edition, Dishing the Dirt, he talks to key players involved in the decisions about the show, including Jonathan Powell, who was Controller of BBC One when the series was axed and Lorraine Heggessey who held that role when the series came back in 2005.

Heggessey tells of the difficulties bringing the show back, with the rights being held by BBC Worldwide, but how she was determined to succeeed. "I just remembered it as an iconic show" she said, "I wanted popular drama at the heart of Saturday night."

In the programme Grade talks about the dislike he felt for the series in 1985, which he felt was dated and past its prime. He remembers how he was awarded the Horse's Ass award by Doctor Who Fans in America, an award which he still has sitting in his loo.

Also in the programme Grade talks to former showrunner Russell T Davies, BBC executive Jane Tranter and former Executive Producer Mal Young, as well as current showrunner Steven Moffat who talks about the expectations for the show as it approaches the 50th Anniversary next year. "It is a concern to stamp the word 50 on a series because it should be brand new every few years. But its great as it does give you an excuse for a party and an excuse to take over television again."

The programme can he heard Worldwide on the BBC iPlayer for the next week.

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Australian viewers can now see all episodes of Doctor Who Series 1 and 2 and all episodes of the first two series of Torchwood via Yahoo!7's catchup TV service.

Australian PlayStation 3 owners will find a "Plus7" button on their crossmedia bar (same place as the ABC iView button), and computer users can access the site here.

The episodes are available as a result of a deal between BBC Worldwide Australia and Yahoo!7. The ongoing deal will see future quality BBC content air on the service, either in catch-up following transmission on the Seven Network, or as part of PLUS7’s dedicated library of TV shows.

Other shows included are The Catherine Tate Show and Little Britain as well as classic comedy programs like Fawlty Towers and The Young Ones.

Kath Hamilton, Director of Audience, Yahoo!7 said

The deal with BBC Worldwide Australia means that we can deliver even more quality content. I'm confident that shows like Doctor Who and comedy favourites like Fawlty Towers and Catherine Tate Show will have our audience engaged. New and old fans alike will now be able to experience the best of the BBC on Yahoo!7,

PLUS7 is free to access via www.yahoo7.com.au/plus7 and is available across Australia.

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RIPT Apparel are offering a Doctor Who t-shirt which will be on sale for today only.

The design features a quote from The Ninth Doctor when he comes back for Rose to tell her that his space ship also travels in time. The t-shirt is $10 (about £6) and is available in men's, women's and children's sizes. Alternatively you can purchase the hoodie version for $38 (about £23).

Previous Doctor Who t-shirts from RIPT include the popular "Whosicle" design.

Available for:

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Doctor Who has overwhelmingly won the vote held by See Saw and as a result the entire Series One of Doctor Who will be available  to rent from  their website from Tuesday 28th September for 99p. Although the series needs to be purchased today, viewers then have up to 90 days to watch the series.

Because the competition was so popular, SeeSaw, has announced a second Tight Tuesday promotion, just for readers of The Doctor Who News Page.

Voting will be between Doctor Who Series 2, Doctor Who Series 3 and Doctor Who Series 4.
It was intended to have Torchwood as the fourth option, but this has had to be removed due to admin reasons. Instead the three Doctor Who Series are up against Series One of Battlestar Galactica.

Votes need to be made at www.seesaw.com/gallifrey.

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Video on Demand service See Saw is giving fans the chance to vote to see the entire Series One of Doctor Who for just 99p.

Christopher Eccleston's performance as the Ninth Doctor is up against Grey's Anatomy, Robin Hood and The Hills in a promotion to find the most popular series. Whichever gets the most Facebook 'like' votes by next Monday morning will be made available to watch for the next ninety days for just 99p.

Votes need to be made on the See Saw website.

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This article asks: “Is this the Doctor Who general election? And are Labour hoping that some of the popularity of the show will rub off on them?” The forthcoming UK general election and Doctor Who do seem to be becoming evermore interlinked.

The new issue of Radio Times, harking back to its 30 April to 6 May issue from 2005 (opposite), shows the Daleks in the colours (blue, red and yellow) of the three main UK political parties, David Tennant, earlier this year, declared his support for the UK’s Labour Party and Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the party’s current leader. Earlier this week, the Labour Party turned to the Doctor and a son of the Doctor in it’s campaign to win re-election in the contest.

The first party-election broadcast of the campaign premièred on YouTube before airing on UK television channels. In the Labour Party broadcast, The Road Ahead, the third Doctor Jon Pertwee’s son, Sean Pertwee, appeared, while the tenth Doctor David Tennant provided the voice-over.

See our earlier story about this week’s Radio Times and the interview with Brown, who reveals that Tennant is his favourite Doctor, and that he saw him recently in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

In recent months, both Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat have separately warned against David Cameron’s Conservatives winning the election, fearing the future of the BBC would be under threat. Citing Moffat’s comments, the Daily Mirror claimed that Saturday’s episode, The Beast Below, featured a message blasting the Tories:

A livid Doctor says: “Once every five years everyone chooses to forget what they have learned. That’s democracy.”

A source said: “This almost echoes what Labour has been saying about how people should not forget what they learned in the 80s. They think the Tories will drag the country down again and it looks like the Doctor feels the same.”

In February, the Sunday Times claimed that writers wove anti-Tory propaganda into Doctor Who scripts in the 1980s.

As for the Liberal Democrats, their candidate for Blaenau Gwent, Wales, is one Matt Smith!

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December 2, 2006  •  Posted By Benjamin F Elliott

Spanish public broadcaster TVE Clan began airing Series 1 of Doctor Who on its kids oriented digital terrestrial channel TVE Clan on 24 November. Episodes are airing weeknights at 8:15PM Central European Time, with repeats on the weekend.

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June 20, 2006 • Posted By Shaun Lyon

The TV Shows on DVD website reports that Warner Home Video, in addition to their July 4 DVD release of "The Complete First Season" in North America, will issue four individual releases of the first season (in four volumes) in the UMD format, designed for Playstation (PSP) systems. "The Complete First Season: Volume One" through "Volume Four" are also due out on July 4, the same day as the DVD release. (Thanks to David Lambert/TV Shows on DVD)

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