DOCTOR WHO: WILD BLUE YONDER CONSOLIDATED RATINGS

13 December 2023 admin Comments 0 Comment

The second of three specials, titled Wild Blue Yonder, saw the Tardis take the Doctor and Donna to the furthest edge of adventure. To escape, they must face the most desperate fight of their lives, with the fate of the universe at stake.

The second special, had an overnight viewership of 4.83m on BBC One. Consolidated figures released by BARB show that Wild Blue Yonder has consolidated to 7,142,000.

This makes it the ninth most-watched show and third most-watched title of the week across all channels, only behind Strictly Come Dancing and I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

Wild Blue Yonder comes in one place higher than The Star Beast on the weekly charts, largely thanks to the Strictly Come Dancing Results show being reformatted as the public vote was cancelled.

The first special, The Star Beast, had an overnight viewership of 5.08m, which consolidated to 7.6m with iPlayer and catch-up viewing added.

Sid Sutton: RIP

13 December 2023 admin Comments 0 Comment

TITLE SEQUENCES (and a bit about assorted starscapes.) - WATCHING BLAKE'S 7 — Sid Sutton, graphic designer and creator of the Doctor Who titles from 1980 – 1986

Ten Acre Films have reported the sad news that Doctor Who title sequence designer Sid Sutton died in September.

Sid was generous and enthusiastic when contributing to our Adventures in Type and Space project earlier in the year and we’ll be dedicating the magazine to his memory.

Sid Sutton was a British graphic designer most famous for designing the Doctor Who title sequences from 1980 until 1986. The title sequences for Doctor Who were the starfield versions and were used from The Leisure Hive until the end of The Trial of a Time Lord. For 1987’s Time and the Rani, Oliver Elmes designed the titles. Sid Sutton also provided the cover designs for the earliest BBC VHS Video Doctor Who releases, including Revenge of the Cybermen, The Seeds of Death and Day of the Daleks.

Immediately prior to his work on Doctor Who, he had been nominated for a BAFTA for his graphics on the Robert Banks Stewart-created Shoestring that was a precursor to Bergerac, another show for which he provided the titles.

Doctor Who turns the London Eye blue for world premiere

12 December 2023 admin Comments 0 Comment

To mark the highly anticipated arrival of the Christmas special of Doctor Who, the Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson, who plays the Doctor’s latest companion Ruby Sunday, turned the lastminute.com London Eye blue.

Accompanied by Radio One Presenter Yinke Bokinni, the stars set off a bespoke light display before attending the world premiere of the Christmas special at the prestigious British Film Institute alongside Showrunner Russell T Davies and celebrity guests.

The custom Doctor Who inspired light display at the London Eye replicated the blues, purples and golds of the time Vortex – the dimensional plane where the TARDIS travels through time and space. The TARDIS itself also made a cameo appearance to the delight of fans.

The activation is part of Doctor’s Who’s takeover of London’s South Bank, as fans can also visit a bespoke 180-degree interactive sculpture, showcasing David Tennant’s fourteenth Doctor, seamlessly regenerating into the Fifteenth Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa.

Joel Collins, Executive Producer at Bad Wolf said,

“We are delighted to share the first full adventure with this new exciting Tardis team- the phenomenal Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson. This special has all the beauty and scale synonymous with a Russell T Davies script and a Bad Wolf production along with a sprinkle of Christmas magic – lighting up both the screen and the London Eye!”

Sarah Bold, Head of Scripted at BBC Studios said,

“What an incredible way to celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th year and the launch of our brand new Doctor Ncuti Gatwa and companion Millie Gibson. Lighting up an iconic British landmark with an iconic British brand.”

Doctor Who’s Christmas special, The Church on Ruby Road, airs December 25th at 5.55pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, and streams on Disney+ globally outside of the UK and Ireland.

The Goblins are coming for Christmas!

11 December 2023 admin Comments 0 Comment

Here’s Our First Look at The Church on Ruby Road, the Doctor Who Christmas Special 2023

The Goblins are coming for Christmas! Listen to THE GOBLIN SONG from ‘The Church on Ruby Road’ – available to stream now!

‘The Goblin Song’

Doctor Who returns to screens on Christmas Day and, to celebrate, a fiendishly catchy song from the festive special is being released as a single, ahead of the big event.

‘The Goblin Song’ is an original composition created specifically for the Fifteenth Doctor’s festive debut by composer Murray Gold and writer Russell T Davies.

The single’s music video shares exclusive content from the eagerly awaited special as Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa takes his first adventure through time and space in the TARDIS.

“I don’t like these goblins and you won’t either but they have agreed to donate everything from their song to BBC Children in Need so let’s not give up on them” – Murray Gold

The ‘Art of Regeneration’ – The Doctors… made out of regenerated technology

10 December 2023 admin Comments 0 Comment

Backmarket

An interactive Doctor Who sculpture made out of regenerated technology has materialised on London’s South Bank.

To celebrate the return of Doctor Who and as part of the brand’s 60th anniversary celebrations, BBC Studios has teamed up with Back Market – the global online marketplace for refurbished tech – to create a showstopping installation on London’s South Bank. This mind-bending 180-degree interactive sculpture showcases the current Doctor, David Tennant, seamlessly regenerating into the Fifteenth Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa.

The Doctor’s regeneration into a new physical form at the end of each series is an iconic trope of the show. The installation, which acts as a homage to the process, can be seen on London’s South Bank from Friday 8th until Monday 11th December.

Backmarket

The ART OF REGENERATION sculpture is made from hundreds of discarded devices, acting as a physical embodiment of Tennant’s iconic character leaving the show and transforming into Gatwa’s Doctor.

The 7ft by 9ft anamorphic sculpture has been handcrafted by Global Street Art using unused regenerated tech as an artistic representation of the estimated 100 tonnes of e-waste thrown into landfill every minute. Alongside the usual tech you’d find on the B Corp’s marketplace, eagle-eyed Doctor Who fans will spot special devices recycled from the space-time continuum, including the TARDIS, sonic screwdrivers, plus a few additional easter eggs.

There is a wealth of activity happening on the South Bank around the activation:

On Friday 8th the ART OF REGENERATION sculpture will have a very special guest appearance from the TARDIS (10am-2pm only).
On Saturday 9th we are hosting a cosplay event, inviting fans to get dressed up and come down to the pop-up for a photo call at 12pm. So dust off that bow-tie and pull out your tweed blazer to join your fellow Whovians at the South Bank this weekend…COSPLAYERS ASSEMBLE!
On Sunday 10th between 11am and 2pm, fans will also be able to come down and see the Fourteenth Doctor’s sonic screwdriver as well as for the first time, Ncuti’s brand-new Sonic Screwdriver as part of the exhibit.

After the activation, the sculpture will return to BBC Studios’ Television Centre headquarters, where it will live until it’s dismantled, and the tech used to create the installation will be recycled.

For those looking to cash in on old devices before Christmas, Back Market is inviting the public to make use of its Trade-in service by selling unwanted electronics to professional refurbishers. To make the process super easy, Back Market is giving away recycled envelopes to pack with your old device and seal with a pre-paid Back Market postage label generated online, plus exclusive Back Market and Doctor Who merchandise for those who can flex their superfan skills.

Back Market and BBC Studios’ Doctor Who sculpture the ART OF REGENERATION is available for free public viewing from Friday 8th until Monday 11th December at the Queen’s Stone on the South Bank’s bustling Riverside Walkway, next to the OXO Tower.

Doctor Who: The Giggle – Overnight Rating

10 December 2023 admin Comments 0 Comment

According to the BBC’s Lizo Mzimba Doctor Who: The Giggle had an overnight UK audience of 4.62 million TV viewers on BBC One last night, according BARB figures. Strictly was the night’s most watched with 7.56m. I’m a Celebrity got 5.25m. The official consolidated rating will be available in 7 days when it’s expected a significant uplift will be recorded with viewers watching on BBC iplayer and other time shifting platforms.

https://twitter.com/lizo_mzimba/status/1733782921402609763

Part-missing adventure ‘The Celestial Toymaker’ to be completed with new animation

7 December 2023 admin Comments 0 Comment

The Celestial Toymaker

THE CELESTIAL TOYMAKER will be returning as an animation and will be released on DVD and Blu-ray, coming soon.

The two-disc set contains the third season story as well as special features. This classic series stars the First Doctor, William Hartnell and companions Peter Purves as Steven Taylor and Jackie Lane as Dodo Chaplet, with Michael Gough as the Toymaker.

Fans of Doctor Who have long lamented the loss of the original 1966 master recordings of all except one of THE CELESTIAL TOYMAKER. BBC Studios have carefully created an animated presentation of this lost classic story using off-air audio recordings of the missing three episodes.

The Celestial Toymaker sees the Doctor and companions separated when they come up against the Toymaker. While the Doctor plays the Trilogic Game, Steven and Dodo are forced to play seemingly childish but ultimately dangerous games with the aim of being reunited and getting back to the TARDIS.

All episodes have been animated in both colour and black and white and include original film elements which have been fully restored.

Special features include:

Disc One

Episodes 1-4 – Animation – Black and White
Episodes 1-3 – Reconstruction
Episode 4 – Original 1966 Episode newly restored
New Audio Commentaries

Disc Two

Episodes 1-4 – Animation – Colour
Making The Animation
Doctor Who Escape Room – Team First Doctor
Sylvester McCoy Introduction for episode 4 as per the original VHS release
Photo Gallery
PDF Material including camera scripts

For a look at the original episode, head to the Doctor Who YouTube channel.

PRE-ORDER NOW!

DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE 598

5 December 2023 admin Comments 0 Comment

NCUTI GATWA IS THE DOCTOR!

A bumper edition of Doctor Who Magazine including a 32-page mini-mag of the original Star Beast comic strip and double-side poster. The issue also includes a special offer to download a free audio drama featuring the Fifth and Seventh Doctors.

This issue’s features include:

AN IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW WITH NEW DOCTOR NCUTI GATWA.
Exclusive previews of new episodes The Giggle and The Church on Ruby Road with Russell T Davies.
Mum and grandma of new companion Ruby (alias Michelle Greenidge and Angela Wynter) on joining the show in this year’s Christmas Special.
The final interview with much-loved national treasure Bernard Cribbins.
The Diary of the Meep! A minute-by-minute account of the irrepressible Miriam Margolyes’ journey to becoming the Meep.
Further Than We’ve Ever Been Before – DWM’s Emily Cook on the set of Wild Blue Yonder to discover its VFX secrets.
A very special comic strip adventure featuring the Fourteenth Doctor and Donna…
80s director Andrew Morgan remembering his time on Doctor Who.
A glimpse behind the scenes on 60s Doctor Who.
Letter from the Showrunner – Russell T Davies is in the festive spirit, and even lets a few secrets about the next series slip.
Production Diary – script editor Scott Handcock on how production on Doctor Who has reached its busiest point yet!
The Fact of Fiction – all you could ever want to know about the 2015 series finale Hell Bent.
Gallifrey Guardian – all the latest official news.
Other Worlds – the essential guide to new stories in Doctor Who’s expanded universe.

Reviews – The Underwater Menace animation, Frazer Hines’s Evil of the Daleks and action figures!
The fiendishly festive DWM Christmas quiz!

Doctor Who Magazine Issue 598 is on sale Thursday 7 December from panini.co.uk and WH Smith priced £10.99 (UK).

Also available as a digital edition from pocketmags.com priced £9.99.

Doctor Who Christmas special time slot confirmed by BBC

5 December 2023 admin Comments 0 Comment

Millie Gibson as Ruby and Ncuti Gatwa and The Doctor looking at one another in the Doctor Who Christmas special.

Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor in Doctor Who wearing a brown leather jacket

Another exciting announcement involved the casting of Davina McCall as herself, and we can’t wait to see what she’s set to bring to the episode.

Michelle Greenidge will join the cast as Ruby’s mum Carla, Angela Wynter as Ruby’s grandmother Cherry and Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood.

Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies said:

“From day one in this job, I wanted Doctor Who back on Christmas Day. And with Ncuti, Millie, Davina and the Goblin King, I hope it’s a feast for all the family!”

The last Doctor Who episode to air on Christmas Day was 2017’s Twice Upon a Time, the final outing for Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor.

The Church on Ruby Road will air on Christmas Day at 5:55pm.

(With thanks to Radio Times)

DOCTOR WHO: THE STAR BEAST +7 DAY CONSOLIDATED RATINGS REVEALED

5 December 2023 admin Comments 0 Comment

Overnight figures show The Star Beast had an average audience of 5.08m from 6:30pm on BBC One. It was the second most-watched programme of the day across all channels, only behind Strictly Come Dancing.

Posting figures any TV drama could only wish for in 2023, Doctor Who beat ITV’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here and became the biggest drama launch of the year. Overnight figures were posted on Twitter/X by BBC News correspondent Lizo Mzimba.

Consolidated ratings released by BARB show that The Star Beast added over 2.5m to consolidate to 7,605,000 over the following 7-days. This figure is UK viewing only and includes those who watched on BBC iPlayer and on catch-up within the first week of original broadcast.

Doctor Who: The Star Beast was the 3rd most watched title of the week across all channels, the 10th most watched episode of a TV programme of the week (7 episodes of I’m A Celebrity + 2 episodes of Strictly Come Dancing), BBC One’s 3rd most-watched programme of the week and the most watched drama of the week.

The top-10 programmes of the week:

I’m A Celebrity (Mon) – 9,628,000
I’m A Celebrity (Thu) – 9,410,000
I’m A Celebrity (Wed) – 9,322,000
I’m A Celebrity (Tue) – 9,168,000
Strictly Come Dancing (Sat) – 9,069,000
Strictly Come Dancing (Sun) – 8,794,000
I’m A Celebrity (Fri) – 8,645,000
I’m A Celebrity (Sun) – 8,621,000
I’m A Celebrity (Sat) – 8,269,000
Doctor Who: The Star Beast (Sat) – 7,605,000