Moore said “the fact that the Doctor himself regenerates is a great symbol for the whole of the BBC”.
With Jodie Whittaker having just bowed out of Doctor Who as the Thirteenth Doctor, and David Tennant and Ncuti Gatwa both incoming as the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Doctors respectively, the long-running sci-fi show is in a particularly transitional period.
Charlotte Moore: BBC’s Chief Content Officer
As the series ramps up to its whopping 60th anniversary next year, the BBC’s chief content officer Charlotte Moore has stressed the show’s ongoing importance to the broadcaster and noted how excited she is for its upcoming era.
In a wide-ranging interview with RadioTimes.com about the BBC’s centenary celebrations, Moore praised the fact the broadcaster would be airing such iconic BBC programmes as Strictly Come Dancing, Top Gear and Doctor Who, calling them “absolutely critical to the BBC”.
Moore added that she thought that Doctor Who’s “next journey” would be “incredibly exciting” as Russell T Davies takes over showrunning duties from Chris Chibnall.
Moore said: “Doctor Who is one of the most important shows that we have. We’re coming up to [its] 60th year and it’s reinvented itself every year; every series it goes on the next journey.
“It’s the most extraordinary drama franchise and global phenomenon. The fact that the Doctor himself regenerates is a great symbol for the whole of the BBC. Jodie has been such a fantastic first-ever female Doctor Who.”
She added that the series “constantly reinvents itself just like the BBC and it constantly pushes at those boundaries and is ambitious in its storytelling”.
“I’m very excited.”
This comes as the BBC recently announced a new deal with Disney Plus for the streamer to broadcast the show internationally from 2023, while the rights will remain exclusively with the BBC in the UK and Ireland.
On Monday April 20, the BBC will launch a special edition of its education service Bitesize Daily for children who are out of school due the Covid-19 pandemic.
The service will feature an array of famous tutors, including Jodie Whittaker, whose Doctor met renowned scientists Ada Lovelace, Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison as well as literary greats Mary Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron and John Polidori in the most recent Doctor Who Series 12. Jodie Whittaker’s thirteenth Doctor also met activist Rosa Parks and King James I of England in Doctor Who Series 11.
Bitesize will offer daily lessons in all core subjects, tailored for every age group from Year 1 to Year 10. The lessons will be available via television, Red Button and online.
Along with Whittaker’s lessons, Brian Cox will explain the mysteries of the universe, One Direction singer Liam Payne will teach reading skills and football star Sergio Aguero will teach Spanish.
Britbox to showcase Classic Doctor Who This Christmas!
Politically incorrect 1970s TV series such as Love Thy Neighbour and Till Death Us Do Part have been left off BBC-ITV’s new streaming service after being deemed unsuitable for modern audiences https://t.co/t6FBzLw89c
Downton Abbey, Gavin & Stacey, Wolf Hall, Love Island and Broadchurch are among the shows available.
C4 and C5 have come on board after ITV and the BBC announced BritBox as a way to get into the paid streaming market.
The service will cost £5.99 per month and will mostly feature classic series, but will also include new shows, beginning with Lambs of God.
The drama stars The Handmaid’s Tale’s Ann Dowd, The End of the F****** World’s Jessica Barden and Essie Davis from The White Princess as nuns living on a remote island. It was originally shown on Australian TV in July.
Reemah Sakaan, ITV’s group director for streaming, said there was a “whole slate of original programmes” in development for BritBox.
While the service would be a second or third subscription for many viewers, it will be able to rival the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV+, she said.
“It’s got the widest range of UK box sets of any service,” she said. “Ostensibly the other streamers are US-focused so they make dramas for the US market, whereas BritBox is the faces, people and places that you know.”
Some archive programmes that have been on services like Netflix will now move to BritBox, she said.
“For some time we’ve been bringing our shows back home and now that we’ve got a destination in BritBox, that’s something we’ll be doing more actively. We’ll still be working in partnership with Netflix and Amazon and all of the other streamers.”
How does the price compare with other services?
BritBox – £5.99 per month for HD and multi-screen viewing
Netflix – £5.99 for basic package rising to £8.99 for a standard plan, including HD on two screens
Amazon Prime – £5.99 on up to three screens simultaneously
Now TV – £8.99 for entertainment pass, with optional extras – Cinema Pass (£11.99), Sports (£33.99), Kids (£3.99)
YouTube Premium – £11.99
The United Kingdom's answer to Netflix has joined the streaming wars https://t.co/886oKuII1k
Dramas on the service at launch include Cracker, Prime Suspect, Brideshead Revisited and Ashes to Ashes; while comedies include Absolutely Fabulous, Extras, Blackadder and Fawlty Towers.
More than 600 classic episodes of Doctor Who – broadcast between 1963 and 1989 – will be available to stream for the first time by Christmas.
Shows and movies from Channel 4 and Film4’s back catalogue will be available in 2020, and original shows from Comedy Central UK will also feature.
Sakaan said having a big catalogue of classic shows “shouldn’t be underestimated” by those assessing BritBox’s chances of success.
“The new battleground, quite often in streaming, are shows like Friends, which are 20 years old and are the top performers,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Some of the biggest hits of recent years, such as Killing Eve, Peaky Blinders and Bodyguard, will not be on it at first.
This is either because existing deals are in place with other streaming services, or because they are still on the broadcasters’ own catch-up platforms.
Shows are not expected to appear on BritBox until they have dropped off the BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub and All 4, which do not require paid subscriptions. The BBC was recently given permission to keep programmes on iPlayer for one year.
TV critic Scott Bryan said the idea of rival channels teaming up to try to compete with the likes of Netflix was “quite big news”.
“The issue is whether people are willing to pay towards them,” he continued. “And it will be interesting to see which shows end up being on which service.
“Some shows might be a co-production between the BBC and Netflix for example, and that might end up on Netflix.
“So for many of us there’s going to be a lot of confusion trying to work out which show is going to be on which platform.”
On social media, some users questioned why they were being asked to shell out to watch programmes they had effectively already paid for.
“That was the BBC saying, there’s a secondary market – you pay for content after we’ve shown it,” he said. “This is just a modern-day version of that, and an even better version of that, because it used to be infuriating when you’d seen a programme on the BBC and you couldn’t get hold of the DVD.”
Any money the corporation makes will be put back in to programme-making, he said. “I think this is wins all round for the licence fee payers.”
BritBox launched in the US two years ago and has a different catalogue of content, with 650,000 subscribers.
The results are in! The winners and runners up of the Doctor Who Fan Art Competition have been announced, take a look at all of their entries and find out a little bit more about the artists.
Runners Up:
Celeste Madrigal
What inspired your artwork? My artwork was inspired by the energetic and playful layers of the Thirteenth Doctor. The look of wonder in her eyes was important for me to capture. I incorporated the TARDIS as part of her face in three different perspectives to integrate the essence of time travel. I am obsessed with using bold colours in all of my art and in life. I wanted to use colours such as light blue and purple tones to have good contrast and yet still complement each other.
How long have you been a fan of the show? I started watching the show since the Tenth Doctor. There is so much legacy surrounding the show that I really appreciate seeing what each Doctor and companions bring to the show. The new worlds and new times have me hooked.
Who is your favourite Doctor to illustrate? My favourite Doctor is lucky number thirteen. I was over the moon when I heard the announcement of the first female Doctor. I love the fresh take and joy for life that the Thirteenth Doctor brings. I also really enjoy her style and wanted to incorporate that in my artwork. I ultimately chose to create an art piece that was a close up of her face, so I wanted to make sure I got the details in her earrings just right.
What inspired your artwork? My artwork was inspired by the quote from The Doctor’s Wife, “Are all people like this…. So much bigger on the inside” and the idea that the Doctor’s first love is the TARDIS, it is in a way, the Doctor’s heart.
How long have you been a fan of the show? I’ve been a fan of Doctor Who since 2010. I was introduced by some friends and fell in love with the show. I have seen all of the post-2005 seasons so far, as well as classic Doctor Who up through Horror of Fang Rock.
Who is your favourite Doctor to illustrate? My favourite Doctor is the Eleventh Doctor, both to watch and draw. He was my first Doctor and holds a very special place in my heart.
Imogen Newman
What inspired your artwork? My work was inspired by Thirteen’s bounding energy – It was super important for me to try to capture the lovely positivity and vigour that we all love about her. My artwork therefore has a lovely bright palette – I made use of the vivid rainbow tones in her t-shirt and used them in the paint-splattered backdrop. I also illustrated her jumping with a chirpy expression on her face to really try and show off her spirit!
How long have you been a fan of the show? I’ve been a fan of the show since it was revived. My Dad is a super-fan – I remember him sitting down 7 year-old me in 2005 to watch Rose. Fourteen years later, sitting down to watch Doctor Who on a weekend evening remains a valued event in our household. It’s stayed with me through my childhood, my teens, and now my 20s.
Who is your favourite Doctor to illustrate? My favourite Doctor is definitely Jodie Whittaker. She’s also my favourite to illustrate. Jodie is one of my favourite actresses and a big inspiration for me – seeing the Doctor being enriched with fabulous female talent is so refreshing to see. I adore the infectious optimism and relatable awkwardness of her Doctor. Thirteen has a special place in my heart!
What inspired your artwork? I’m most known for my Legendary Ladies Series of paintings depicting strong leading ladies in film and television so it was elementary for me to choose the Thirteenth Doctor for this painting.
How long have you been a fan of the show? I was introduced to Doctor Who only about 5 years ago but I was instantly captivated.
What inspired your artwork? I love the combination of youthful energy and “old soul” that Matt Smith brings to the role of the 11th Doctor. I like to imagine him passing an afternoon of quiet reflection while enjoying the childish fun of flying a kite. A TARDIS kite, of course.
How long have you been a fan of the show? I’m a relative newcomer, but a fast fan. I began watching over my daughter’s shoulder a few years ago, and I got hooked! Now that she is at university, I watch with my husband and compare notes via text with my daughter.
Who is your favourite Doctor to illustrate? My favourite Doctor to illustrate is the Twelfth Doctor because of Peter Capaldi’s wonderful hair. But I have a soft spot for the Ninth, because he is the first Doctor I watched and fell in love with.
The Sixth Doctor comes to Blu-ray for the first time, with the release of The Collection – Season 23 (The Trial of a Time Lord) on Monday 23rd September.
In 1985, Doctor Who was taken off the air for an 18 month hiatus. When it returned, it was with an ambitious fourteen-episode adventure, The Trial of a Time Lord. The epic story saw the Doctor on trial for his life, with the court examining his adventures with companion Peri (Nicola Bryant) and looking to his future escapades with new companion Melanie (Bonnie Langford). This season saw the return of popular villain Sil, along with the Master, the towering robot Drathro and the plant-based Vervoid monsters. With the Inquisitor (Lynda Bellingham) overseeing the proceedings, it was the Valeyard (Michael Jayston) who proved the greatest threat, hiding his own sinister motives for wanting the Doctor’s downfall.
Starring alongside Colin Baker is Nicola Bryant, Bonnie Langford, Michael Jayston and Lynda Bellingham. With guest appearances from Anthony Ainley, Nalbil Shaban, Joan Sims, Christopher Ryan, Michael Craig, Honor Blackman, Tony Selby and Geoffrey Hughes.
With all episodes newly remastered from the best available sources, this Blu-ray box set also contains extensive and exclusive special features which include:
Extended edits – of all fourteen episodes
Terror of the Vervoids – four-part standalone edition with updated Fx
Immersive 5.1 surround sound & isolated scores – on all 14 broadcast episodes
Behind the Sofa – new episodes with Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Bonnie Langford, Mark Strickson, Frazer Hines and Matthew Waterhouse
The Writers’ Room – Eric Saward, Philip Martin, Christopher H Bidmead & Waly K Daly discuss the ‘Lost’ Season 23
The Doctor Who Cookbook Revisited – brave cast members tackle their original recipes from the 1980s official cookbook
The Doctor’s Table – join Colin Baker and friends for dinner
In Conversation – Matthew Sweet chats to companion Bonnie Langford
Plus: unseen studio footage, rare archive treats, convention footage, Blu-ray trailer, HD photo galleries, scripts, costume designs & more in the PDF Archive.
The six-disc box set also includes hours of extensive special features previously released on DVD.
A specially shot announcement trailer has debuted on the Doctor Who YouTube channel, written by new series contributor Pete McTighe (Kerblam!) and starring Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant.
Doctor Who: The Collection – Season 23 (The Trial of a Time Lord) includes the following stories from 1986:
The Mysterious Planet
Mindwarp
Terror of the Vervoids
The Ultimate Foe
Doctor Who: The Collection – Season 23 is available in the UK from the 23rd September and you can pre-order it now from Amazon,
British actor Paul Darrow, best known for his role as Kerr Avon in sci-fi BBC TV series Blake’s 7, has died at the age of 78 following a short illness.
Most recently, Darrow voiced soundbites for independent radio stations Jack FM and Union Jack, where he was known as the “Voice of Jack”.
The character of Avon was second-in-command on Blake’s 7, which ran for four series between 1978 and 1981.
Not #PaulDarrow. He was so good in Blake's 7. 100% committed to his complex characterisation of Avon: a cynical good guy who might also be a psychopath. PD oozed cunning & danger from behind an inscrutable visage. In real life he was an absolute hoot, very entertaining. #RIP
Darrow shared a flat with John Hurt and Ian McShane while studying at RADA.
While best-known for his Blake’s 7 role, he appeared in more than 200 television shows, including Doctor Who, he guested in Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970) as part of Jon Pertwee’s first season and Timelash (1985) from Colin Baker’s season 22, The Saint, Z Cars, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and Little Britain.
Paul Darrow as Captain Hawkins in the serial Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970)Paul Darrow as Maylin Tekker in the serial Timelash. (1985)
The Surrey-born actor also enjoyed a significant stage career, including four seasons at the Bristol Old Vic and roles in the West End.
In the mid-1960s, Paul Darrow married actress Janet Lees-Price, who he met when they co-starred in the popular ITV show Emergency Ward 10.
They were together for 48 years before she died in 2012.
Ian Walker, CEO of the Jack brand, said:
“Paul Darrow has been Jack’s shining star. Over the past 12 years I have had the pleasure of spending countless hours with Paul listening to his life stories and have shared many bottles of his favourite Bordeaux, whilst enjoying his quirky jokes and sense of humour.
“When we first launched Jack in the UK, we cast over 85 voices for the role and we could not have asked for anyone more unique. Paul’s rich tones and flippant delivery style always brought a smile to everyone who knew him and of course heard him on Jack FM and Union Jack radio. I could not have asked for a better friend.”
Tim Parker, programme director at Jack FM, added:
“What an amazing, colourful character Paul was. He has mixed with the greats over the last 50 years and had a story to tell you for every occasion. His voice acting skills were like no other. We will remember and celebrate his character, personality and amazing skills for years to come.”
Maureen Marrs, Darrow’s friend and PA, said:
“Over three decades I have been Paul’s confidante and have had the immense privilege of being part of his life. A star has gone out today; the world will be a darker place without him.”
Two classic Doctor Who television stories that didn’t get past the pre-production stage are being resurrected this year as full-cast audio productions. Peter Davison and Colin Baker return as the Fifth and Sixth Doctors in two fantastic releases by Big Finish Productions in association with BBC Studios.
The iconic British science fiction series of Doctor Who has been running for over 55 years, and it has inspired and nurtured numerous writers, directors, performers and creatives. Throughout the process of producing the TV series, however, many stories didn’t make it to our screens for a variety of reasons. Big Finish Productions is now bringing back two of the stories that were previously abandoned in a production office drawer in the 1980s.
The Ultimate Evil by Wally K Daly The Doctor and Peri’s holiday plans go awry when they cross paths with the slimy super-salesman Mordant and his scheme to start a war.
Nightmare Country by Stephen Gallagher The Doctor wakes up on a planet of relics, a dead world, a hostile world… He has no memory of who he is, or how he got to be here.
He’d better remember soon, because the very structure of reality is at risk and it all has something to do with that strange blue tomb with the light on top.
Wally K Daly tells us more: “I wroteThe Ultimate Evilfor TV in 1984 but sadly it was never made because Michael Grade decided to take Doctor Who off the air. I adapted it as a novel some years later, but am delighted to bring it back now as an audio play. It’s proof that it’s impossible to kill Doctor Who!”
And Stephen Gallagher told us: “Nightmare Country was my detailed pitch for Season 21 and would have been my third story for the show, but for a terse note from the production office that read, ‘You’ve sent us another million-dollar movie and we just can’t do them‘. Some ideas you can recycle, some parts you can reuse; but where do you find another show like Who? So my million dollar movie went into the files and I moved on, until the day my and the Doctor’s paths crossed again. Sometimes, it seems, you just have to stay ready and keep the faith.”
“Wind forward to 2019 and we now have Wally adapting his own script of The Ultimate Evil, which will be released alongside Stephen Gallagher’s Nightmare Country. The latter was brought to me by Guy Adamswho has script edited Stephen’s adaptation, and it’s a wonderful piece of Season 21 mind-blowing fantasy. How brilliant to be able to launch them both in the range’s tenth anniversary year!”
Out for release this November (the month that Doctor Who was first broadcast back in 1963), these two Lost Storiesare available for pre-order now at £14.99 on CD or £12.99 on download each.
Or why not save money and purchase both stories together in a bundle priced at £28 on CD or £25 on download.
News has been coming in this afternoon about the death of actor Stephen Thorne. Stephen will be mostly remembered by Doctor Who fans for portraying Omega in The Three Doctors (1972),
Azal in The Daemons (1971) and…
Eldrad in The Hand of Fear (1976)
Here is how the news broke…
It's with great sadness that Chris Benjamin has just asked me to announce the death of his oldest and dearest friend, actor #StephenThorne He leant his magnificent voice to many productions, and those who knew him, know what a gentle man he was. Many thoughts to his family. RIP pic.twitter.com/QpD3mScGkk
Stephen Thorne (born 2 March 1935) was a British actor of radio, film, stage and television. He was born in London in 1935.
He trained at RADA and after a time in rep he played several seasons with the Old Vic Company and the RSC in Stratford and London including a tour to Russia. He has worked extensively in radio with over 2000 broadcasts for the BBC including Uncle Mort in the Radio 4 comedy series by Peter Tinniswood.
He has recorded over 300 unabridged audiobooks including children’s stories which have earned critical acclaim in both the UK and the US. Awards include a Talkies Award 1996 for Enigma by Robert Harris and several Golden Earphones Awards from Audiofile Magazine.
The fully-interactive Doctor Who VR game ‘The Edge Of Time’ is arriving in September
Following the recent reveal of the animated VR experience Doctor Who: The Runaway, a new cinematic, feature-length Doctor Who VR videogame is coming this September.
Published by PlayStack and developed by Maze Theory, Doctor Who: The Edge Of Timewill transport fans into a globally-beloved world of aliens, mystery and wonder, letting them embark on a brand-new and fully-interactive adventure, inspired by the show’s 55-year history and starring the Doctor’s current incarnation, played by Jodie Whittaker.
See screenshots from the game below:
Armed with the iconic Sonic Screwdriver, players will solve mind-bending puzzles, grapple with classic monsters and encounter new horizons in a quest to find the Doctor and defeat a powerful force that threatens to destroy the fabric of reality. They will face the infamous Daleks and other known faces from the Doctor’s universe plus some brand new never-before-seen monsters as they travel through stunning cinematic environments that truly bring the show to life!
The Doctor has been hurled through time to the end of the universe. A virus that threatens to rip apart reality itself has been unleashed. Players can pilot the TARDIS on a journey across worlds both familiar and strange to recover a series of powerful time crystals that can repair spacetime and ultimately save the universe itself.
Developed by immersive entertainment studio Maze Theory, led by former Activision and PlayStation veterans, Doctor Who: The Edge Of Time will launch on PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, HTC Vive and Vive Cosmos in September 2019.
