Dr Who star Peter Capaldi follows in the footsteps of Ricky Gervais, Sting and Ellie Goulding by joining Jo for “An Evening In“. He’ll be picking his favourite tracks and filling us in on all the latest news from the Doctor Who set.

In addition, Tuesday’s show will be dedicated to “Music from Doctor Who“, including groups such as The Beatles, The Streets and The Chordettes.

Both shows transmit at 20:00 on BBC Radio 2 in the United Kingdom and thereafter will be available to listen to worldwide via the BBC iPlayer.

Fans of Doctor Who are currently gearing up for the long-awaited new series to debut this April, complete with a new companion in Pearl Mackie’s Bill and all sorts of new adventures. Exciting!

However, many viewers may still be holding out hope for a comeback for some more familiar faces, with some fans in particular keen for a return for Maisie Williams’ immortal Ashildr/Me, who jetted off in a TARDIS with Jenna Coleman’s Clara at the end of the last series.

And now, there may be some good news in that department – because Williams herself says she’s still up for returning to the BBC sci-fi stalwart, and sees no reason why her character couldn’t come back.

“Well, it’s wide open,” Williams told RadioTimes.com when asked about the possibility of her return to the TARDIS. “Possibly!”

However, fans of Ashildr shouldn’t start celebrating in the streets just yet – because Williams also said she’d heard nothing from the Doctor Who team about reprising the role any time soon

“They haven’t asked me,” she told us. “Sad times!”

Ah well – the Game of Thrones star has at least not left the world of sci-fi behind, with Williams currently starring in a Netflix film called iBoy alongside Bill Milner. The film tells the story of a young man who gains power over technology – and Williams thinks it has plenty of application to present-day living.

“Whether you like it or not a lot of your information is online,” she told us.

“And not because you’ve posted it to your Twitter account, but actually just because that’s the way the world is going, and it was just really nice that it showed it…just as being powerful, the internet being powerful, technology being powerful.”

“It’s not tryna be a cautionary tale, like ‘watch what you post on your Twitter!’” co-star Milner chipped in. “Without your consent, this information is THERE. That’s what makes it kinda spooky. I kind of like that.”

So there you have it – the perils of the internet truly ARE more terrifying than any monster the Doctor faces. Good to know.

Technically, you’re not even supposed to call John Hurt’s character the Doctor. The ‘War Doctor’, perhaps, at a stretch.

Doctor 8.5 was the Doctor Who incarnation we never knew existed until that jaw-dropping moment in 2013 when he was introduced. It messed with the history – but who cared, seeing as he was played by John Hurt?

Following Hurt’s death from pancreatic cancer at the age of 77, we look back in tribute of his fantastic cameo and examine exactly why the War Doctor – brief as his appearance may be – was so good.

In the first instance, the War Doctor existed partly because of Christopher Eccleston – who was reluctant to appear in the 50th anniversary special, despite a couple of encouraging meetings with Steven Moffat. Stuck for an idea, Moffat suggested ‘an incarnation of the Doctor none of us knew about – played by the most famous actor in the world’.

Doctor Who often does its best stuff when up against a creative wall, and this was no exception. John Hurt was top of Moffat’s list, and amazingly he said yes almost immediately. And the rest, as they say, is history, albeit one of those hidden histories that you never saw coming.

The first glimpse we got of Hurt occurred at the end of The Name Of The Doctor, when the Eleventh Doctor introduces him as ‘the one who broke the promise’, but we didn’t get to see him in action until November, when he strode across the wasteland of Gallifrey to bring about the end of the world (his world, not ours).

It would have been easy to turn the War Doctor into a grumpy, battle scarred veteran or a dark and sinister, almost unrecognisable figure – but he’s neither. Instead Hurt played him like a prospective father-in-law on a stag weekend, with a touch of Midsomer Murders. You could almost picture him poaching rabbits from a nearby forest before seeing something he shouldn’t and winding up face down in a patch of mud, skewered by one of his own bear traps.

But instead, he gets to hang about with two of his successors and out-perform them both. ‘He’s just moving his eyes’, says Matt Smith. ‘And I’m literally climbing off the walls.’ Tennant adds ‘I pull another face, and he’s imperceptibly raised an eyebrow, and you know he’s winning an Oscar right there’.

Nonetheless, many of Hurt’s best scenes are with Billie Piper (herself astonishingly good in this story) – who plays a sort of metaphysical Jiminy Cricket, invisible to everyone but the War Doctor himself. And it’s perhaps the best example of why this Doctor works so well – it gives us a chance to see how the Time Lord was ravaged by the tides of war without ever quite losing himself.

Because Hurt’s Doctor is weary, cynical and downcast (and anomalously bearded) but he’s still the Doctor. He carries a gun, but he’s later seen drinking tea from a china cup in the National Gallery. He’s removed, but instantly recognisable. His story has a beginning, a middle and an end – and it’s an end we finally get to see, even if the regeneration borrows directly from the very first, and is cut slightly short.

It’s also worth noting that Hurt took the role absolutely seriously – insisting to cast and crew on his last day that ‘This really meant something to me, to be the Doctor’ (Moffat’s paraphrasing). ‘He loves the fact that he’s Doctor Who,’ Moffat adds. ‘Only having to stay in Cardiff for three weeks, he gets to be Doctor Who.’

And personally, I think that’s what nails it. When an actor with Hurt’s stature and gravitas lends not only support but outright enthusiasm to a project like this, we feel vindicated. We feel that our obsession with Doctor Who actually means something in the grand scheme of things. This is no longer a silly, inconsequential sci-fi show: it’s something far greater.

Given the actor’s busy schedule, most fans thought 2013 was both the beginning and the end for Hurt’s involvement. But Day Of The Doctor wouldn’t be the last we saw (or at least heard) of this mysterious incarnation, with Hurt lending his voice to a series of Big Finish audio recordings chronicling the War Doctor’s earlier adventures.

It’s such a shame we’ll never get to see him on TV again, but we can revel, at least, in that brief, glorious appearance. The industry has lost one of its finest, most endearing and versatile actors today – a genuine national treasure, so many things to so many people – but to millions of Who fans, he will always be remembered as the War Doctor.

Veteran actor Sir John Hurt has died aged 77, his agent has said.

The Bafta-winning star, known for his roles in Alien and The Elephant Man, continued working despite being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015.

He recently starred as Father Richard McSorley in Jackie, the biopic of President John F. Kennedy’s wife.

US director Mel Brooks described Sir John as “cinematic immortality”, as tributes poured in for the star.

He was given the all-clear in October 2015 but last year pulled out of play The Entertainer due to ill-health.

Sir John decided not to perform as Billy Rice in Sir Kenneth Branagh’s production on the advice of his doctors.

Brooks paid tribute to Sir John, who had starred in his comedy Spaceballs, saying on Twitter: “No one could have played The Elephant Man more memorably.”

He added: “He carried that film into cinematic immortality. He will be sorely missed.”

Stephen Fry praised Sir John for being “great on the stage, small screen and big”.

Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood said: “It was such an honor to have watched you work, sir.”

British actor Alfred Molina said Sir John was “a gloriously talented actor, one of the best, of this or any era.”

Obituary: ‘The mulberry of my mind’

John Hurt was one of Britain’s best-known and most versatile actors.

He was born on 22 January, 1940 in Chesterfield in Derbyshire. Over six decades, he appeared in more than 120 films as well as numerous stage and television roles.

He went to St Martin’s School of Art in London before gaining a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1960.

The death of his character in the film Alien has often been voted as one of cinema’s most memorable moments.

The film critic and historian Geoff Andrew once asked Hurt how he managed to regularly turn in such memorable performances.

“The only way I can describe it is that I put everything I can into the mulberry of my mind and hope that it is going to ferment and make a decent wine,” he said.

“How that process happens, I’m sorry to tell you I can’t describe.”

Sir John was knighted in 2015 for his services to drama.

After his diagnosis the same year, he told the Radio Times: “I can’t say I worry about mortality, but it’s impossible to get to my age and not have a little contemplation of it.

“We’re all just passing time, and occupy our chair very briefly.”

He has performed as the deformed Joseph Merrick in The Elephant Man as well as wand-maker Mr Ollivander in the Harry Potter films.

In 2013 he appeared in Doctor Who as the War Doctor, a hitherto unseen incarnation of the character.  Hurt would return to the role for Big Finish in 2015.

He has been married to Anwen Rees Meyers, a former actress and classical pianist, for 12 years.

Sir John Hurt 1940-2017 – R.I.P

Peter Capaldi was in fine spirits as he filmed scenes for series 10 of Doctor Who in Cardiff alongside Pearl Mackie.

The actor, 58, smiled brightly in between takes outside Cardiff University’s main building on Thursday.

However, once in character as the extraterrestrial Time Lord, his mood changed. He wore a concerned expression as he snuck around with Pearl, 29, who plays his new companion Bill Potts.

Peter’s thick grey hair was wildly styled, before he put on a black coat and pulled up its fur-lined hood.

He and Pearl peeked tentatively around the corner of a building as mean-looking armed soldiers roamed nearby.

As the menacing men approached, the Doctor and Bill exchange worried glances.

The actress kept well wrapped up, covering her ears with furry muffs and sporting a thick winter coat.

Pearl – best known for her role in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time – was announced as the Doctor’s new sidekick during an FA Cup semi-final match, with a special teaser trailer showing her and the Time Lord facing off against a Dalek.

She certainly has a fan in her co-star Capaldi, who recently said: ‘It is a genuine delight to welcome Pearl Mackie to Doctor Who.

Battling the cold: Pearl kept well wrapped up, covering her ears with furry muffs and sporting a thick winter coat.

‘A fine, fine actress with a wonderful zest and charm, she’s a refreshing addition to the TARDIS and will bring a universe of exciting new possibilities to The Doctor’s adventures.’

The show is reportedly set to return to screens in April and will see Matt Lucas return as Nardole, while David Suchet will make a guest appearance as The Landlord.

Little Britain star Lucas previously said in a BBC press release: ‘I’m chuffed to bits that Nardole is returning to the TARDIS for some more adventures. I loved acting with Peter and I’m excited to work with Pearl.’

While executive producer Steven Moffat added: ‘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.’

Yesterday, the nominations for the 89th Academy Awards were announced revealing yet another Doctor Who star up for the famous Oscar statue.

Andrew Garfield, who played Frank in the 2007 two-parter Daleks In Manhattan / Evolution of the Daleks, has been nominated for Actor in a Leading Role for his role in the film, Hacksaw Ridge.

In the film, he portrays a conscientious objector whose commitment to serving on the front-lines as a medic takes him to the Battle of Okinawa during World War II.

Also nominated in the same category are actors Casey Affleck, Ryan Gosling, Viggo Mortensen and Denzel Washington. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – which features a plethora of Doctor Who names – has been nominated for two Oscars.

In 2015, Felicity Jones, Robina Redmond in 2008’s The Unicorn and the Wasp, received a nod for The Theory of Everything whilst in 2010 Carey Mulligan, Sally Sparrow in 2007’s Blink, was nominated for An Education.

Older readers may remember that current Doctor Peter Capaldi won an Oscar for his short film, Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life, in 1995.

The 89th Academy Awards ceremony takes place on Feb 26, 2017.

By now, you probably know that the Doctor Who Experience (DWE) in Cardiff Bay is closing, probably in early summer. While that is bad enough for us fans, its loss to Cardiff’s tourist trade should make it of concern to us all.

For the past few years visitors have been able to explore the TARDIS, and see costumes and props from various series stretching back since the programme first hit (small, black and white) screens in 1963. It’s nothing less than a place of pilgrimage for fans of the series and a significant tourist draw.

Having started life in 2011 in London it soon moved to the Red Dragon Centre and then expanded into the purpose-built grey building in the area now know as Porth Teigr in July 2012. It has brought millions of pounds and millions of people to Cardiff. Many of those visitors would not have otherwise experienced our brilliant city.

There’s a sense in these parts that it’s almost unpatriotic or disloyal to not be a fan of Doctor Who (or the spin-off Torchwood) since they’re made and often shot on location in the city.

As with Sherlock and any TV or film productions shot in Cardiff, I love trying to spot locations and consider myself pretty good at it. It’s a niche hobby and a narrow skillset, I admit. Someone will ask me what’s going on in Sherlock, and I’m like, “Who cares? Look! Charles Street is now off Regent Street!”

“The location is perfect and so is the museum”

Among Doctor Who fans around the world there’s a tangible sense of panic, and increasingly one of frustration among some who have yet to visit the exhibition.

Tony Lloyd, the self-proclaimed ‘Difflomat and a Cardiff tour guide, feels passionately on this issue.

“Sadly, so many visitors focus solely on London. The DWE encouraged tourists to come to Cardiff and finally see, appreciate, and admire our warm and welcoming capital. I hope they return,” says Tony.

“If we are to lose the DWE, I hope we can reinstate an exhibition, at least, like the Red Dragon Centre once hosted, which would also give recognition of the BBC’s presence at Roath Lock. Perhaps one of the empty buildings in Butetown, like the old Post Office, could be refurbished.”

George Baker is a Bristol-based fan who started the Twitter account @SAVETHEDWE. “I hope the petition will make the BBC realise what the experience actually means to fans,” George told me. “Hopefully it may help them to consider relocating.”

There are also at least two ‘Save the DWE’ online petitions. “Everyone deserves to see the museum of their favourite Timelord. The location is perfect and so is the museum,” states Dutch petitioner Steve Van Teeffelen on change.org.

Meanwhile on 38degrees.org.uk a petition created by Bex Ferriday currently has 6,837 signatures.

Another Dutch fan, Jacqueline Lindemulder is organising a group booking for 60 people for the Doctor Who Experience in April.

“The idea for the trip started because many Dutch people suddenly realised the Experience is closing down and they haven’t been yet,” she says. “We will be coming all the way from the Netherlands for one day – sleeping on the bus both there and back – just to visit Cardiff/the DWE.”

However, Jacqueline’s not happy. Her trip is planned for April 8 and yet SeeTickets.com, the official ticket seller, is only selling tickets up to April 7 and has received no further information about selling tickets after this.

“That must be when it ends,” I was told by a representative when I called today.

“All I get is half information, answers that amount to ‘I don’t know’ and nothing else. In short, it is all a big mess,” says Jacqueline.  I asked the BBC.

“Closing dates are still to be confirmed”

“As we’ve previously confirmed, the DWE is due to close in the summer, so will be open at Easter. Closing dates are still to be confirmed,” said a spokesperson.

“We have always sold DWE tickets in seasonal batches and yes, they currently go up to April 7.”

This should placate Jacqueline and her Dutch tourist group. I hope they get to visit and that they have a great time.

The information surrounding the closure has not changed since the official announcement in November: “The land currently occupied by the Doctor Who Experience is owned by the Welsh Government and their development partner, Igloo Regeneration. It was leased to the City Council for five years to enable its relocation from Olympia to Cardiff on a temporary basis.

“It has always been the intention for the site to be developed as part of the ongoing Porth Teigr regeneration project. The agreement was always intended to be for five years only, reflecting the nature of the attraction. The decision to close the Experience at the end of the lease next summer has been mutually agreed by all parties involved, including the operators BBC Worldwide.”

Yesterday a Cardiff Council spokesperson was being pretty tight-lipped on the topic but underlined the fact that the council has always supported the Experience, has done “all that we can to relocate it”, and will “facilitate as best we can” any future retention by the city of elements of the Doctor Who Experience.

I get the impression discussions are ongoing. It’s all reassuring and good to learn. It’s just a shame with only that one official statement from November, up until now we have had to assume that much is going on behind the firmly closed doors of the TARDIS.

The spokesperson also stated that the DWE is “highly unlikely” to be kept in its current format even if relocation is on the cards. And holding all those cards is BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the Beeb and owner of the exhibition.

I know no one’s being obscure and vague on purpose, but some clarity would certainly help thousands of potential visitors to Cardiff looking to visit before the DWE shuts its doors for good.

Like the Timelord himself, Doctor Who exhibitions have tended to flit about the universe (well, England and Wales) since the first opened in Longleat in 1973. There are have also been permanent ones in Blackpool and Llangollen.

While the DWE’s time is up, I’m far from alone in hoping that Welsh Government, Cardiff Council and BBC Worldwide can find a way forward for a Doctor Who tourist attraction to remain and regenerate in a different form in the city where the series is currently created.

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