A view from Pearl Mackie on her first day filming, posted by the official Doctor Who feed.

Could the TARDIS garner Steven Moffat another major award?

Doctor Who could make history in the US by earning its first-ever Primetime Emmy Award nomination this year.
With Emmy campaigning reaching a fever pitch, it has been revealed that BBC America has submitted the science-fiction classic to compete for the coveted television awards.

While BBC America – now the show’s co-producer – opted not to put Doctor Who forward in the Best Drama Series category (where it would likely face off with behemoths like Game of Thrones, Homeland and House of Cards), Peter Capaldi is up for consideration as Lead Actor in a Drama.

The dramatic penultimate series nine episode ‘Heaven Sent’ is also being submitted for possible nominations for writer Steven Moffat and director Rachel Talalay.

Moffat is certainly not an Emmy newbie, having won the Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special trophy for the Sherlock episode ‘His Last Vow’.
Nominations for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards are announced in a live telecast on July 14 – with the ceremony itself airing on ABC on September 18.

Doctor Who remains off-air for an extended stretch this year, with no new episodes premiering until the Christmas special in December.

Showrunner Steven Moffat’s final series airs in 2017 – with Pearl Mackie and Matt Lucas joining Peter Capaldi for all-new TARDIS adventures.

Matt Lucas is set to return to Doctor Who for its 10th series.

Having taken part in the show’s 2015 Christmas special alongside Peter Capaldi and Alex Kingston, Lucas will reprise the role of River Song’s former assistant Nardole.
“I’m chuffed to bits that Nardole is returning to the Tardis for some more adventures,” Lucas said.
The star will appear in the opening episode of series 10, which begins filming in Cardiff on 20 June.

Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer, added he was “delighted and slightly amazed to be welcoming Matt Lucas back on to the Tardis – and this time it’s not just for Christmas, he’s sticking around”.
“One of the greatest comedy talents on planet Earth is being unleashed on all of time and space.”

Capaldi will return as The Doctor while Pearl Mackie replaces Jenna Coleman as his new companion, Bill, in her first major television role.
Lucas said he was looking forward to reprising his role in the sci-fi drama because he “loved acting with Peter and I’m excited to work with Pearl”.
Also announced to be joining the series this year is Jekyll & Hyde and Sherlock star Stephanie Hyam.

Doctor Who will return to BBC One with a December Christmas special followed by a new series in 2017.

The Gallifreyan Newsroom is delighted to report that two Doctor Who alumni have been listed in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, which has just been released. We would like to pass on their warmest congratulations, the family of Doctor Who are very proud of you both.

Firstly, Brian Blessed, (King Yrcanos in Mindwarp) Occupation: Actor – Star of stage, screen and TV with other roles in Blackadder, Flash Gordon and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Honour: OBE for services to the arts and charity
Quote: “This is a complete surprise. I am absolutely delighted. It is marvellous that the son of a Yorkshire coal miner should be given such an honour.”

Secondly, Penleope Wilton, (Harriet Jones MP) Penelope Wilton, who becomes a dame in the honours’ list, has been a familiar face on British and international screens since the early 1970s, as well as forging an award-winning stage career. She had a starring role in ’80s sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles opposite Richard Briers, won stage awards for Shakespeare and Terence Rattigan plays, and more recently played the Prime Minister in Doctor Who and Isobel Crawley in Downton Abbey.

STAR of Doctor Who Peter Capaldi has revealed that he’d love to bring back a character from the original series in the 60s – The Doctor’s granddaughter Susan. But what does Carole Ann Ford, who played the part, look like today?

The revival of the BBC series often gives nostalgic nods to the original Doctor Who, which ran from 1963 to 1989. The series – and its spin-off audio plays, novels and TV shows – has even brought characters back to the show once or twice.
And now Capaldi, who plays the twelfth incarnation of The Doctor, wants to bring back the character’s granddaughter Susan, who was portrayed by Carole Anne Ford from 1963 to 1964.

The actress is now 75, and so is in fact older than her on-screen grandfather by nearly 20 years (Capaldi is 58). It’s unclear how this would work if she did make a comeback, given that those from Doctor Who’s family don’t appear to age.
So what has she been up to since? And what does she look like now?

Since appearing on the show as a 24-year-old, the actress has appeared in a variety of theatre roles, on celebrity quiz shows and in films such as The Great St Trinian’s Train Robbery. Her most notable film role was in fact before Doctor Who, when she played Bettina and blind girl in the 1962 movie The Day of the Triffids.

She left the original Doctor Who series in an episode titled The Dalek Invasion of Earth, which saw her cease travelling with The Doctor (then played by William Hartnell) to run off with a resistance fighter from the future. She did return to the role for 1983’s 20th anniversary episode The Five Doctors, and in the years since has appeared in various novels and audio plays in the franchise, as well as the charity special Dimensions in Time. She also took part in the 50th anniversary special, The Five(ish) Doctors.

Her acting roles since the 1970s have been sparse, and she was criticised by fans when she took a role as a prostitute in an episode of a detective series because she had strayed away from the character she played in Doctor Who.

She said in an interview at the time: “I had the most searing letters from parents of small children who had been allowed to stay up late to watch this, because I was in it and they thought it was going to be something akin to Doctor Who. They were saying, ‘How dare you do this? You are a role model.'”

In 2013, the same year of the 50th anniversary, she blamed the show for her lacklustre career. Talking to the Telegraph, she said: “I must say that when I left Doctor Who, I was filled with… not loathing, but I was incredibly annoyed because I wanted to do more television and films and the only thing that people could ever see me in was a recreation of what I had done. A Susan clone. Some kind of weird teenager.

“I wanted to do work that would disconnect me from Doctor Who. That is a very difficult thing to accomplish, as many other actors who have played the companions have found out.”

She went on to out and out claim that the show was solely responsible for ruining her career, saying: “In no small way. Definitely. Nothing shook it off. Nothing.”

In stark contrast, she has recently taken a u-turn with her opinions of the show, now saying she would happily return. During a visit to the set in 2014, Capaldi floated the idea of her returning – something she said she would “love” to do.

“[Capaldi] started saying, ‘Oh, you should come back!’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’d love to come back!’ He was running around the TARDIS saying, ‘She’s got to come back! She’s got to come back’,” said the actress.

Doctor Who returns later in the year.

JENNA COLEMAN bid an emotional farewell as Clara Oswald in Doctor Who just last year, but Peter Capaldi may have let slip that his former co-star will be making a shock return in the highly-anticipated series 10.

Capaldi, 58, seemingly dropped a massive spoiler during the latest Awesome Con in Washington DC where he was joined by Coleman, 30, to shed light on what’s in store for the beloved Time Lord in 2017.

The brunette beauty announced she was bowing out as Oswald last year to play the titular character in ITV’s massive period drama Victoria, while Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time actress Pearl Mackie was confirmed to be stepping in as the Doctor’s new side-kick in April.

Oswald was famously wiped from the time-travelling nomad’s memory in the gut-wrenchingly painful episode Hell Bent. However, if Capaldi’s latest comments are anything to go by, his character may be about to get a fresh reminder of his loyal companion, which could lead to her return next year.

“I’m not sure how successfully Clara was able to wipe his mind,” the British-born actor told fans (via Radio Times), before teasing: “I just… I was about to tell you something I can’t tell you.”

His comments come after he announced shooting for the sci-fi drama’s 10th cycle will begin in just two weeks time.
The Glaswegian broke the news while attending the Dallas Comic Con in Texas alongside Michelle Gomez, 49, and Coleman on Saturday.

A tweet from the annual event’s official social media account read: “We start in 2 weeks. – Peter Capaldi on @bbcdoctorwho’s upcoming filming schedule!”

His comments come after he announced shooting for the sci-fi drama’s 10th cycle will begin in just two weeks time.
The Glaswegian broke the news while attending the Dallas Comic Con in Texas alongside Michelle Gomez, 49, and Coleman on Saturday.

A tweet from the annual event’s official social media account read: “We start in 2 weeks. – Peter Capaldi on @bbcdoctorwho’s upcoming filming schedule!” Elsewhere, Mark Gatiss as appeared to confirm that he’ll be returning to the Doctor Who family as a writer, having penned a number of instalments and appearing in two episodes as minor characters already.

While talking about the first episode he ever wrote for the show in 2005, he let slip to WhoSFX that he’s currently working on another for the upcoming run, explaining: “It seems so natural now (as I write my ninth episode – 10 if you count the un-produced one!) but the 45 minute format took some getting used to.”

Doctor Who returns to BBC One for a special at Christmas.

MARK GATISS has appeared to confirm that he’s among the line-up of writers for Doctor Who’s upcoming tenth season.

The actor and scriptwriter, who first wrote for the programme in 2005, has long been a part of the Doctor Who family, having written a number of instalments and appeared in two episodes as minor characters.

Whilst talking about the first episode he ever wrote for the show, he let slip to WhoSFX that he’s currently working on one for the upcoming series, saying: “It seems so natural now (as I write my ninth episode – ten if you count the un-produced one!) but the forty five minute format took some getting used to.”

The new run is scheduled to begin filming in July, but won’t be on air until 2017, save for the usual Christmas special.

Pearl Mackie was recently unveiled as the replacement for Jenna Coleman as the Time Lord’s companion; winning her most high-profile screen role to date after impressing critics on the West End stage.
Peter Capaldi is also back as the titular icon, although he has remained coy on whether or not he will exit at the end of the next cycle.

It was reported last week by outgoing show runner Steven Moffat that a black actor had previously been offered the part, although he did not disclose who.

However, Radio Times claimed to have heard from show sources that the identity of the performer was Chiwetel Ejiofor, who was allegedly being lined-up to take over from David Tennant.

When a contract could not be reached, Matt Smith was ultimately cast instead.
Meanwhile, former companion Coleman is set to appear as Queen Victoria in a major new ITV drama later this year.

Doctor Who returns to BBC One at Christmas.

A Dalek standing in the foyer of the BBC’s broadcasting building in London was recently found to contain an interesting compound that could be used to solve an ongoing medical crisis.

In an effort to develop new drugs, scientists are searching far and wide for bacteria and other microorganisms that might be used to combat superbugs. Scientists are currently on the hunt for undiscovered critters that may lurk at the bottom of the ocean or in our soil.

Or, as a recent BBC Inside Science episode reveals, on a Dalek standing guard at the reception area of the BBC Broadcasting House.

In what could be an incredible stroke of luck, scientists may have stumbled upon some rather helpful bacteria after conducting a microbial sweep of the London building. The effort is part of a project called “Swab and Send” where people are being asked to take samples of their everyday environments and send them to a lab for analysis. The hope is that some of these microbes might yield new antibiotics that can be turned into new medicines.

Looking to take part, BBC Radio 4 Inside Science host Dr. Adam Rutherford partook in the experiment, taking samples from around the building, including microphones, door knobs—and the eyestalk of the iconic Doctor Who villain. The collected samples were cultured, and the resulting bacterial colonies analyzed.

“We’ve got at least three different types of bacteria from the Dalek that were able to ‘exterminate’ our Micrococcus indicator strain,” added Dr. Adam Roberts, the founder of the Swab and Send project.

Ah, we see what he did there. Nicely done, sir.

It’s not immediately clear why this particular object is home to such potentially valuable microbes. It could be completely random. Or, in direction violation of the sign next to it that says, “do not touch,” visitors are in fact putting their grubby little hands all over it, spreading their germs all over this thing.