After initially being announced as appearing in only three episodes of Doctor Who this year (specifically this Saturday’s episode six and the two-part finale), it’s been revealed that Michelle Gomez’s villain Missy will crop up in even more of the sci-fi series.
In an official synopsis of series 10’s eighth episode (called Lie of the Land and written by Being Human creator Toby Whithouse), the BBC have named Gomez as a special guest star, with the Scottish actress joining Peter Capadi’s Doctor, Pearl Mackie’s companion Bill and Matt Lucas’ Nardole as they take on a sinister mass delusion.
You can read the full synopsis below:
The world is gripped by a mass delusion and only Bill Potts can see the truth. When even the Doctor is fighting on the wrong side, it’s up to Bill to convince the Time Lord that humanity is in deadly danger. And if she can’t do that, she may just have to kill her best friend…
The Doctor is played by Peter Capaldi, Bill by Pearl Mackie and Nardole by Matt Lucas. Michelle Gomez guest stars as Missy.
Based on this intriguing summary, it could be that Bill has to enlist Missy’s help when even the Doctor is taken over by the delusion, in the sort of reluctant team-up previously undertaken by Missy and Jenna Coleman’s Clara in 2015 episode The Witch’s Familiar.
Alternatively, we might find out that the former Master actually has a hand in the vast deception, duping even her old friend in her devious schemes.
OR it could be that she just turns up at the end in a brief cameo intended to set up her role in the latter part of the series. Either way, we’re not sorry to get more Missy for our money in this series.
Doctor Who continues on BBC1 this Saturday at 7.25pm
Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce the second free Lethbridge-Stewart short story of 2017
Hot on the heels of last month’s United in Blood, comes a brand new story from Nick Walters, The Runway Bomb!
Nick Walters is no stranger to the worlds of Doctor Who, having written for BBC Books in the 1990s, and penning two spin-off novels, one for the Bernice Summerfield series, and one for Lethbridge-Stewart back in 2015.
It was a hanging thread from Nick’s Lethbridge-Stewart novel that inspired The Runaway Bomb, as Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen explains: “At the end of Mutually Assured Domination, Lethbridge-Stewart considered two soldiers for the Fifth – both helped him fight the Dominators in that book – but we’ve not heard from them since. So, this short story shows us a little of how Lethbridge-Stewart recruits new troops for the Corps. Only one of the two will make the grade, and the winner has a guest spot in Night of the Intelligence, the novel for which this short story is the companion.”
Nick says: “Sergeant Bell and (especially) Corporal Stevens originally had bigger roles in Mutually Assured Domination, so I leapt at the chance of fleshing out the characters a bit more. Stevens is a bit of a loose cannon and quite an intimidating character, whilst Bell is quieter and more reserved, so the two make a good pairing. I wanted to put them in a combat situation to see what happens. Bell, especially, went through the wringer in Mutually Assured Domination, so this story, if you like, is his ‘reward’ for all that he suffered – being tied to that chair for hours on end couldn’t have been nice! As for the titular Bomb of the story, it is based on a fondly-remembered episode of The Six Million Dollar Man entitled Death Probe, which really captured my six-year-old imagination. Older readers (?) may remember this!”
The Runaway Bomb will be sent out free to everybody who purchases (includes any bundles or subscription featuring…) this month’s release, Night of the Intelligence by Andy Frankham-Allen.
Night of the Intelligence not only opens seires four of the range, but also begins the year-long celebration of the Great Intelligence and Professor Travers, characters who first appeared in Doctor Who on September 30 1967 in The Abominable Snowmen by Mervyn Haisman & Henry Lincoln. The celebration continues with a special anniverary bundle – all of which act as prequels to Night of the Intelligence. Buy Candy Jar’s three Great Intelligence novels (The Forgotten Son by Andy Frankham-Allen, Times Squared by Rick Cross, and Night of the Intelligence) and get The Schizoid Earth by David A McIntee for free. So that’s four books for the price of three!
Hannah Haisman, Executor of the Haisman Estate, says: “It’s been wonderful seeing the resurgence of respect for my grandfather’s creations in the last few years, and celebrating two of his greatest characters is a moment of pride for me. Grandad would adore what’s happening now, and especially the way Andy (Frankham-Allen) has tied his characters’ histories together. It’s a wonderful time to be a fan of the Great Intelligence and Professor Travers!”
Throughout 2017 a further three non-Lethbridge-Stewart titles featuring the Great Intelligence will be released. Shaun Russell, head of publishing, says: “We’re very proud to work alongside some great people during the celebration year, and look forward to sharing further titles and information with you as the year goes on. Great things are coming!”
The foreword is written by United in Blood’s Mark Jones. Mark Jones was co-creator of the Jon Pertwee and Patrick Troughton TV project Starwatch.
Night of the Intelligence is available for pre-order now, for £8.99 (+ p&p). You can pre-order it individually or as part of the discounted UK bundle for only £26.25 (including postage), saving £9.72, or an international bundle for only £37.00 (excluding postage), saving £5.97.
The Anniversary Intelligence bundle can be ordered now, for £26.25 (including postage), saving £21.71, or an international bundle for only £47.00 (excluding postage), saving £12.96.
There was an unexpected surprise for the Prime Minister today as she launched the Conservative Party manifesto in Halifax, West Yorkshire. Look carefully at the picture below and you might just notice a familiar figure from Saturday night telly – they’ve even brought their own Theresa May mask all the way from Skaro in an attempt to blend in.
It’s not the first time the Daleks have tried to get into politics, of course. They’ve also cropped up during the 2005 and 2010 general elections, on the cover of Radio Times…
ITV will no doubt now be on high alert for Cybermen at tonight’s Leaders’ Debate in Manchester.
Michelle Gomez drops hints to how Missy will return to Doctor Who – “Pay attention!”
Michelle Gomez returns to BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who this week as longtime villain Missy (formerly known as The Master), and it’s safe to say that this particular (and more-or-less final) reappearance for the Doctor’s nemesis has people even more excited than usual.
You see, this year it’s been revealed that Gomez’ incarnation of the face-changing Time Lord will team up with her predecessor, played by John Simm, who was last seen in 2009 episode The End of Time part 2 and has inspired huge speculation ever since his involvement was announced last month.
Accordingly, it’s not too much of a surprise to find Gomez cagey at how and why her character appears in the new series, with the Scottish actress loth to acknowledge that she even appears in this Saturday’s sixth episode and the two-part series finale in June/July despite her involvement in all three already being announced.
“I don’t know, that depends on how they cut it,” Gomez told RadioTimes.com when asked about her appearances in this series.
Michelle Gomez as Missy in this Saturday’s Doctor Who
“They might have cut all my bits – I never take anything for granted. Last thing I know I think I was in episode 6, I think I made it through to that. But all the other stuff might be on the cutting-room floor.”
Still, the actress did shed some light on her role in this week’s instalment, suggesting that she wasn’t a major part of the episode’s main zombie-monk-deadly-religious-text storyline and instead popping up for a brief appearance only.
“Yeah, you’re just gonna have to pay attention,” she said when asked if it was only a brief appearance for Missy this week. “That’s all I want to say. When you watch episode 6.”
And Gomez went on to offer other clues to how Missy returns to the world of Doctor Who, following on from her last appearance in 2015’s The Witch’s Familiar. In that episode, as fans may recall, Missy was left surrounded by Daleks only to announce that she had a “very clever idea” to get herself out of trouble – and now apparently we’ll find out what that idea actually was.
“We do, and it was a clever idea because I didn’t see that coming,” Gomez told us. “It’s quite exciting.”
And then the star added something that may or may not be a clue for exactly what the idea was, hinting that the line’s delivery (in the style of Michael Caine in the original Italian Job film after he finds himself in a similarly dire predicament) could offer some insight into Missy’s return.
“And can you tell me what accent I was using when I announced ‘I’ve just had a very clever idea?’” the actress asked us.
“I think that needs to go down as some kind of Missy quiz question. ‘What accent did Missy use during that sentence?’
“It’s a big movie star – I’ll give you some clues. It’s a man, a big movie star in the 70s and 80s, and he’s still out there now, doing good work. And there was a robbery, there was a big big robbery – a heist, actually, in the movie where I am using that accent.
“And I’m not just talking unrelatable tangents here. That was a clue.”
Interesting…and if you STILL want more information about what Missy’s been up to since we last saw her, Gomez suggested that times haven’t been kind to this particular Time Lady, as evidenced by her new, slightly messier hairstyle (above).
“She’s definitely changed in the sense that she looks like she’s been dragged through a hedge backwards,” Gomez told us.
“She has had a bit of a time of it, and that is revealed or illustrated by the fact that she’s a bit messed up. She’s not quite as smooth and poised as she was once before. Basically she needs a good wash – she needs a good wash and blow dry.”
Missy on the back foot, having to improvise an escape plan? We’d say THAT kind of return would be well worth the wait.
Doctor Who continues on BBC1 this Saturday 20th May at 7.25pm
FORMER SHOWRUNNER RUSSELL T DAVIES RETURNS TO DOCTOR WHO FOR POETRY BOOK
In time for this year’s National Poetry Day, BBC Books have announced the release of the very first collection of Time Lord verse, Doctor Who: Now We Are Six Hundred.
Written by author James Goss, the book features illustrations by former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies – his first role as an illustrator, using the comic artist skills he developed in his youth.
Doctor Who: Now We Are Six Hundred will be published on September 14, 2017, just two weeks before this year’s National Poetry Day on September 28.
A gentle and humorous riff on the classic Now We Are Six, this is a collection of charming, funny and whimsical poems that celebrate the joys, sorrows and wonders of Time Lord life. Russell T Davies says:
“I’ve been drawing for Doctor Who long
before I was writing it, so it was
like time-travel for me, voyaging back
to that young scribbler who used to
cover his school desk with Daleks!”
Check out the wonderful cover art from Russell T Davies below.
James Goss, who has also novelised the classic stories City of Death and The Pirate Planet, amongst many Doctor Who projects, including the forthcoming The Krikkitmen, adds:
“The poems have been a delight to work on. Who could resist retelling the fiendish Daleks’ Masterplan in verse, or finding bizarre and ludicrous rhymes for monster names?”
Up for a challenge? Try the new Doctor Who game, Time Vortex 360. Move your phone to steer the TARDIS through the depths of the space vortex and avoid hazards from the future and past! (Best played on modern mobiles. Also available on tablet/desktop).
Doctor Who fans can pilot the TARDIS on its most exhilarating journey yet as it careers through the depths of the space time vortex in the BBC’s first ever 360 arcade game, Doctor Who Time Vortex 360.
Fans simply need to visit bbc.in/dw360 using their smartphone or tablet and by physically moving their mobile device through 360 degrees, they will be able to fly the TARDIS within an increasingly turbulent time vortex.
As they speed through time, players will tackle hazards and obstacles emerging from the future ahead of them, but in a unique and literal twist will sometimes need to physically turn themselves to look backwards in time in order to evade threats emerging from the past.
Jo Pearce, creative director, BBC Digital Drama, says: “The beauty of this game is that you can use your mobile phone to fly the TARDIS wherever you are. Digital innovation is at the very heart of Doctor Who – this 360 degree game allows people to navigate the TARDIS through time and space like never before.
“We’ve seen a lot of innovation recently in the 360 and virtual reality space, but the majority has focused on experiential video-based experiences. This game, however, brings together the worlds of casual, arcade-style gaming and 360/VR to create a fun Doctor Who experience that people can easily pick up and play, wherever they are.”
The game is an endless runner, which gets more and more difficult the longer people play, taking them on a visually intense journey through the iconic vortex from the show’s opening credits. Using the device’s accelerometer, the game is controlled by physically moving around, even giving the player the ability to turn around and travel backwards in time.
Designed as a mobile-first experience for the BBC by Goodboy Digital, the game combines cutting edge HTML5 and WebGL using PixiJS v5.0 to create a breath-taking journey that works on a wide range of hardware.
The game is available to play on BBC Taster, where fans can rate the game and provide feedback.
There may be “conflict” between the two Masters in Doctor Who says Michelle Gomez
One of the biggest surprises for Doctor Who series 10 was the reveal that John Simm would be returning to the role of the Master, with the villainous Time Lord (who last appeared in that form in 2009 episode The End of Time) apparently set to join forces with his female regeneration Missy (played by Michelle Gomez since 2014) in future episodes.
And now current Master/Missy Gomez has spoken for the first time about the meeting of the two characters (or rather, one character at different points in their own life), with the Scottish actress suggesting their encounter could be less than cordial.
“Well, you’re going to find out that everything that happens is all a bit odd,” Gomez told RadioTimes.com, adding that it was “exciting” to see the two versions of the evil Time Lord meet on screen.
She also hinted that the two versions of the Master might not initially get on that well, with the Time Lord and Lady finding themselves at odds in keeping with the tradition of the series’ previous multi-Doctor stories (which often saw different incarnations of the Doctor falling out whenever they teamed up).
“Well, it’s not going to be very exciting to watch if there’s no conflict,” she teased, while also expressing her surprise at the audacity of the storytelling in general.
“That’s the thing about [head writer] Steven Moffat – you never know what’s going to happen next,” she said.
“And even when you’ve been in the show – like this has been three years now – there’s no time to ever get too comfortable, or rest on your laurels, because there’s always going to be something. He always pulls the rug from under your feet.
“And he presented John and I with a really exciting acting challenge, which I think hopefully has worked.”
Gomez went on to discuss the process she and Simm faced in portraying the same role on screen, with the pair finding common ground having both played the Master for a number of years.
“What happens is if you’ve both played the same role, then you both have a shorthand about what it’s like to live that, in a way,” Gomez said.
“So that was interesting. We could easily relate to one another because we’ve both been there. “It was nice to be able to have that kind of comfort with each other, even though we’d never worked together before.
“We kind of knew where we were coming from.”
It sounds like no matter how much they may quarrel onscreen, the presence of another Master has encouraged Gomez to up her game – in a way that even she didn’t think was possible.
“I think the dynamic with the fact that there’s sort of two Masters in one brings a weirdness that even I didn’t think I could reach,” Gomez laughed.
“And it really was like John and I were presented with an acting challenge, which was really exciting. You think you know a character and you think you know a job because you’ve been doing it for three years, and then it’s completely up-ended and is changed beyond recognition.
“That brings with it change. And I think it’s good – I think change is good. I don’t think we can ever, when we’re in the realm of telling stories, stay in the same place. I think there’s always something new to say.”
We’d completely agree – especially if that new thing is being said by not one but TWO evil Time Lords with a nefarious plan to carry out.
Doctor Who continues on BBC1 on Saturday at 7.25pm
Michelle Gomez to leave Doctor Who with Peter Capaldi and Steven Moffat
Michelle Gomez has revealed that she’s leaving Doctor Who.
The Scottish star (who has played villain Missy since 2014) has chosen to say goodbye to the BBC sci-fi series due to the departure of lead actor Peter Capaldi and head writer Steven Moffat this Christmas.
“My pals are going so I’m going,” Gomez told RadioTimes.com. “Everybody’s leaving, so I’m going too. I mean, what would I do without Peter and Steven? Who would I be?
“Nah, it’s done now. It’s over. It’s the end of a chapter,” she confirmed.
Gomez first appeared in 2014 episode Deep Breath as the mysterious Missy, who over the course of that year’s series was revealed to be a female regeneration of classic villain the Master (previously played by Roger Delgado, Anthony Ainley and John Simm among others).
So far she’s appeared in nine separate episodes, and is set to return for three more (including the two-part series 10 finale) in Doctor’s Who’s current run, where she’s expected to team up with her predecessor as the Master, John Simm.
And Gomez says there’s plenty she’ll miss about her time in the series, which has seen her become a hit with fans.
“[I’ll miss] the fact that it was probably one of the best jobs I’ve ever had,” she told us. “The fact that I’m a woman of a certain age who’s this ass-kicking action figure.
“I won’t miss the corset because that was agony, and I’m a woman that likes a big lunch. And that’s not fun to wear after you’ve had two helpings and dessert.
“So I won’t miss that. But I’ll miss the amazing, wonderful, incredible Peter Capaldi, who I think is one of the best Doctors we’ve ever had. I’ll miss somebody like Steven Moffat writing me the best lines I’ve ever had in my career.
“I won’t miss the rain in Wales, but I will miss Wales. And the incredible crew that work so hard. It’s not work for them, it’s a passion, and that’s wonderful to be surrounded by. It’s very inspiring and energising.
“Yeah, I’m gonna miss a lot about that job,” she concluded. “It was a great job.”
David Tennant and Billie Piper reunite for three new Big Finish Doctor Who productions…
David Tennant and Billie Piper are reprising their roles of the Tenth Doctor and his companion Rose Tyler in three new Doctor Who audio dramas from Big Finish Productions in arrangement with BBC Worldwide:
David Tennant’s Doctor, portrayed on screen from December 2005 until December 2009, returned in the 50th Anniversary special The Day of the Doctor, with Matt Smith and Sir John Hurt in 2013, and on audio for Big Finish with Catherine Tate in 2016.
Billie Piper portrayed the Doctor’s much-loved companion Rose in 2005 and 2006, returning for a number of stories in 2008. She also appeared as The Moment – which had taken Rose’s form – in The Day of the Doctor. These new stories will be Billie’s eagerly-awaited debut for Big Finish.
Executive producer Jason Haigh-Ellery says: “Getting David and Billie back together was definitely on my bucket list – two wonderful actors who created an era of Doctor Who which is so fondly remembered and brought a different aspect of the relationship between the Doctor and his companion to the fore – love, both platonic and unrequited. It’s great to have the Tenth Doctor and Rose back again!”
The set opens with Attack of the Zaross by John Dorney, in which an alien invasion of Earth isn’t quite what it appears to be – Camille Coduri guest stars as Jackie Tyler.
In the second adventure, Sword of the Chevalier by Guy Adams, the Doctor and Rose arrive in Slough in 1791 and encounter Chevalier D’Eon, an enigmatic ex-spy who has lived his life as a woman. Together they must fend off alien slavers, who have come to Earth to abduct valuable humans.
Finally, in Cold Vengeance by Matt Fitton, the TARDIS arrives on Coldstar, a vast frozen food asteroid in deep space. But there is something sinister defrosting in the network of storage units… the Doctor’s old enemies the Ice Warriors! Nicholas Briggs plays Ice Lord Hasskor and Warrior Slaan.
“It was such a special time for me, working with Billie and David on the TV show,” says Nicholas Briggs, who is the Voice of the Daleks on TV and for Big Finish, “and it is such an honour to revisit it with them on audio.”
Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Adventures – Volume 2 is produced by David Richardson, script edited by Matt Fitton and John Dorney, and directed by Nicholas Briggs. Executive producers are Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs.
“We were thrilled by the response to the first volume,’ says David Richardson. “David Tennant and Catherine Tate were on fantastic form, and it’s so exciting to reunite David with Billie Piper, playing the Doctor and Rose together again after nine years! Their time in the series transformed Doctor Who into a prime-time and international hit, and we’ve worked very hard to live up to the incredible standards of Russell T Davies.”
Doctor Who – The Tenth Doctor Adventures Volume 2 (Limited Edition) is available now for pre-order on Download and CD. This five-disc collector’s edition – limited to 5,000 copies – is available on CD in deluxe bookset packaging for a pre-release price of £35, with a download version for £25.
Official figures released by the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board or BARB, give Doctor Who – Knock Knock an official rating of 5.73 million viewers.
The rating includes all those who recorded the programme and watched it within 7 days.
Doctor Who is the 21st most watched programme for the week, and 7th most watched on BBC One
Top for the week was Britain’s Got Talent on ITV with 11.51 million watching. The main soaps again did well, with Coronation Street dominating the top of the chart. Other drama’s with high numbers included Little Boy Blue with 7.11 million and The Durrells with 5.81 million. Doctor Who just edged ahead of the ITV detective series Grantchester, which had 5.71 million viewers.
