As you may have seen, Steven Moffat is writing for Doctor Who again (and I bet Tumblr are glad Cloud servers exist now). According to showrunner Russell T. Davies’ Instagram, he contacted both his successors/predecessors in the role and Chris Chibnall turned the offer down in favour of writing a novel, whereas Moffat agreed and, Davies teases, wrote a series 14 episode in which “a perfectly ordinary word [is] turned into something Terrifying and it’s all in outer space and there’s a woman and Oh My God”.
As we saw during lockdown, Davies and Moffat never really stopped having ideas for Doctor Who stories. While it may seem unprecedented to have a former showrunner return to write an episode, it was fairly common during Doctor Who’s original run. If we take the Script Editor role of the original run as comparable to that of the contemporary showrunner (it...
As we saw during lockdown, Davies and Moffat never really stopped having ideas for Doctor Who stories. While it may seem unprecedented to have a former showrunner return to write an episode, it was fairly common during Doctor Who’s original run. If we take the Script Editor role of the original run as comparable to that of the contemporary showrunner (it...
- 3/21/2024
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Patrick Troughton’s final Doctor Who story The War Games is reportedly next in line to be turned into a colour story.
Of the many treats for Doctor Who fans this month, the colourized re-edit of The Daleks is perhaps the most surprising. Terry Nation’s classic story has been edited from its original seven episodes down to a 75 minute colour feature, that’s going to be debuting on BBC iPlayer next week.
Furthermore, a physical media release for The Daleks In Colour has also been earmarked for next February, and you can pick up a copy of it here.
Now though, we learn that taking one black and white story and adding colour to it might just be the beginning. According to a fresh rumour, a second story is already being lined up.
According to The Mirror, so take it with a pinch of salt, The War Games is...
Of the many treats for Doctor Who fans this month, the colourized re-edit of The Daleks is perhaps the most surprising. Terry Nation’s classic story has been edited from its original seven episodes down to a 75 minute colour feature, that’s going to be debuting on BBC iPlayer next week.
Furthermore, a physical media release for The Daleks In Colour has also been earmarked for next February, and you can pick up a copy of it here.
Now though, we learn that taking one black and white story and adding colour to it might just be the beginning. According to a fresh rumour, a second story is already being lined up.
According to The Mirror, so take it with a pinch of salt, The War Games is...
- 11/17/2023
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
In terms of baseline quality, the Seventies is probably the most consistent Doctor Who has been until the 21st Century. There’s a classic story in nearly every season, and fondly-thought-of stories throughout. The long-list for this one was very long, the certainty of not including someone’s favourite even more certain than usual.
Producer Barry Letts and Script Editor Terrance Dicks took a show with the potential for cancellation and moved it from Quatermass homage to the cosiest of nightmare fuel: a family show on and off-screen with the reassuringly haughty Jon Pertwee ruffling hearts and minds at the head of a regular ensemble cast.
After five seasons the family was breaking up, and the show was revitalised by incoming Producer Philip Hinchcliffe and Script Editor Robert Holmes. Aiming at an older audience (Holmes in The Daily Express in 1977: ‘I wouldn’t let any child under ten see...
Producer Barry Letts and Script Editor Terrance Dicks took a show with the potential for cancellation and moved it from Quatermass homage to the cosiest of nightmare fuel: a family show on and off-screen with the reassuringly haughty Jon Pertwee ruffling hearts and minds at the head of a regular ensemble cast.
After five seasons the family was breaking up, and the show was revitalised by incoming Producer Philip Hinchcliffe and Script Editor Robert Holmes. Aiming at an older audience (Holmes in The Daily Express in 1977: ‘I wouldn’t let any child under ten see...
- 11/27/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
BBC Books has released a new edition of ‘Doctor Who and the Daleks’, David Whitaker’s adaptation of the first Dalek story that was originally published in 1964 (under the title ‘Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks’) and the first Doctor Who novel ever published. The difference with this re-release (there was an earlier one in 2011) is it’s in hardback with illustrations by American artist Robert Hack (who started working on the Idw Comic range in 2008). You may have seen his art in the comics and TV title sequence of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Hack’s approach to the art, which is the really distinctive element here, is a successful fusion of the monochrome TV original, Whitaker’s prose, and the Peter Cushing colourful movie version from 1965. There are some of the same bold colours from Cushing’s movie but usually one colour dominates each painting,...
Hack’s approach to the art, which is the really distinctive element here, is a successful fusion of the monochrome TV original, Whitaker’s prose, and the Peter Cushing colourful movie version from 1965. There are some of the same bold colours from Cushing’s movie but usually one colour dominates each painting,...
- 11/22/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains spoilers for every multi-Doctor story on TV.
Multi-Doctor stories – what they are and what they try to do – are hugely shaped by the context in which they’re made. Very broadly speaking, they can be approached in two ways: ‘The Three Doctors’ and ‘The Day of the Doctor’ are examples of multi-Doctor stories that use the recent storylines of the show as a starting point, and have the story change the existing status quo (with the Doctor being able to pilot the Tardis again after ‘The Three Doctors’ and the restoration of Gallifrey in ‘Day of the Doctor’). By comparison, ‘The Five Doctors’ is a fun but heartfelt runaround of the show’s cliches and iconography.
However, it’s not as simple as that. All of these stories revel in nostalgia, and even the romp of ‘The Five Doctors’ has a twist long-standing character from the Doctor’s...
Multi-Doctor stories – what they are and what they try to do – are hugely shaped by the context in which they’re made. Very broadly speaking, they can be approached in two ways: ‘The Three Doctors’ and ‘The Day of the Doctor’ are examples of multi-Doctor stories that use the recent storylines of the show as a starting point, and have the story change the existing status quo (with the Doctor being able to pilot the Tardis again after ‘The Three Doctors’ and the restoration of Gallifrey in ‘Day of the Doctor’). By comparison, ‘The Five Doctors’ is a fun but heartfelt runaround of the show’s cliches and iconography.
However, it’s not as simple as that. All of these stories revel in nostalgia, and even the romp of ‘The Five Doctors’ has a twist long-standing character from the Doctor’s...
- 3/27/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
It’s rare for someone to like all of Doctor Who. A fan may find some of it to have the occasional redeeming feature, but just doesn’t find it entertaining as a whole. On occasion, a run of stories isn’t what they want from Doctor Who. Fortunately the show has a solution to this: Doctor Who changes.
This has been said often enough that it feels like background noise but it’s worth stressing. Different people have made Doctor Who up as they went along, responding to different contexts as best they can. It’s unlikely you’re going to enjoy all of it, but on the bright side, the show always has been and will be different.
Depending on the role played by the BBC, the transition between production teams can be uneven. The change from producer Philip Hinchcliffe to Graham Williams in 1977 wasn’t helped by...
This has been said often enough that it feels like background noise but it’s worth stressing. Different people have made Doctor Who up as they went along, responding to different contexts as best they can. It’s unlikely you’re going to enjoy all of it, but on the bright side, the show always has been and will be different.
Depending on the role played by the BBC, the transition between production teams can be uneven. The change from producer Philip Hinchcliffe to Graham Williams in 1977 wasn’t helped by...
- 5/14/2020
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Alex Westthorp Oct 1, 2019
Witches, demons and ancient pagan rituals: Alex explores the use of folk horror in the Doctor's adventures...
This article originally ran on Den of Geek UK.
Thought to be a relatively recent term, coined by director Piers Haggard and popularised by Doctor Who's own Mark Gatiss, "folk horror" is essentially horror based on old countryside folklore. It is a sub-genre of occult fiction, which encompasses paganism, witchcraft, superstition, legends and the traditions of the countryside. Often texts will refer to "Green man" rituals, stone circles, Devil worship, disfigurement and the "memories" of the earth.
In the cinema, folk horror is at the fore in films like the 1967 Hammer classic The Devil Rides Out, Terence Fisher's vision of the 1934 novel by Denis Wheatley, Piers Haggard's own 1974 film Blood On Satan's Claw (which incidentally features a terrific cast including a pre-Who Anthony Ainley and a post-Who Wendy Padbury...
Witches, demons and ancient pagan rituals: Alex explores the use of folk horror in the Doctor's adventures...
This article originally ran on Den of Geek UK.
Thought to be a relatively recent term, coined by director Piers Haggard and popularised by Doctor Who's own Mark Gatiss, "folk horror" is essentially horror based on old countryside folklore. It is a sub-genre of occult fiction, which encompasses paganism, witchcraft, superstition, legends and the traditions of the countryside. Often texts will refer to "Green man" rituals, stone circles, Devil worship, disfigurement and the "memories" of the earth.
In the cinema, folk horror is at the fore in films like the 1967 Hammer classic The Devil Rides Out, Terence Fisher's vision of the 1934 novel by Denis Wheatley, Piers Haggard's own 1974 film Blood On Satan's Claw (which incidentally features a terrific cast including a pre-Who Anthony Ainley and a post-Who Wendy Padbury...
- 10/1/2019
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Sep 26, 2019
“Is no one interested in history?!” 40 years on, we revisit Douglas Adams’ hugely influential Doctor Who serial, City of Death.
This article originally appeared on Den of Geek UK.
“Well, I suppose the best way to find out where you've come from is to find out where you're going and then work backwards.”
To this day, "City Of Death" holds the highest viewing figures for any Doctor Who story on UK TV. Due to a technician’s strike that knocked out ITV for several weeks, plenty of programs on the two BBC television channels enjoyed increased ratings, but it’s auspicious that this particular Tom Baker serial wound up being seen by an average of 14.5 million viewers across its four instalments. Completely by accident, this Douglas Adams-penned escapade happens to be the ideal story for introducing new viewers to classic Who.
read more: A Celebration of Tom...
“Is no one interested in history?!” 40 years on, we revisit Douglas Adams’ hugely influential Doctor Who serial, City of Death.
This article originally appeared on Den of Geek UK.
“Well, I suppose the best way to find out where you've come from is to find out where you're going and then work backwards.”
To this day, "City Of Death" holds the highest viewing figures for any Doctor Who story on UK TV. Due to a technician’s strike that knocked out ITV for several weeks, plenty of programs on the two BBC television channels enjoyed increased ratings, but it’s auspicious that this particular Tom Baker serial wound up being seen by an average of 14.5 million viewers across its four instalments. Completely by accident, this Douglas Adams-penned escapade happens to be the ideal story for introducing new viewers to classic Who.
read more: A Celebration of Tom...
- 9/26/2019
- Den of Geek
Andrew Blair Sep 5, 2019
Andrew attempts to put his finger on those moments that make the Doctor incontrovertibly the Doctor...
This article contains spoilers for Doctor Who, including books and audioplays. It originally ran on Den of Geek UK.
You know the description "Doctor-ish," pertaining to the title character in the long-running BBC TV series Doctor Who? It feels slightly nebulous, defined circularly by virtue of literally anything they do potentially matching this description. Yet, I bet we all carry a vague notion of it, a gut feeling that certain acts and ways are Doctor-ish.
Rather than try to define this then find examples to support the definition, I’m going to list examples of behavior from each incarnation that I regard as Doctor-ish then leave everyone to come up with their own conclusions/reiterate their existing opinions. And so…
The First Doctor - The Aztecs - “Yes, I made some cocoa and got engaged.
Andrew attempts to put his finger on those moments that make the Doctor incontrovertibly the Doctor...
This article contains spoilers for Doctor Who, including books and audioplays. It originally ran on Den of Geek UK.
You know the description "Doctor-ish," pertaining to the title character in the long-running BBC TV series Doctor Who? It feels slightly nebulous, defined circularly by virtue of literally anything they do potentially matching this description. Yet, I bet we all carry a vague notion of it, a gut feeling that certain acts and ways are Doctor-ish.
Rather than try to define this then find examples to support the definition, I’m going to list examples of behavior from each incarnation that I regard as Doctor-ish then leave everyone to come up with their own conclusions/reiterate their existing opinions. And so…
The First Doctor - The Aztecs - “Yes, I made some cocoa and got engaged.
- 9/5/2019
- Den of Geek
Terrance Dicks, who was among the original writers of the "Doctor Who" series, is dead. He was aged 84.
Dicks had a long association with the long-running sci-fi show. He wrote episodes from the late 1960s till the early 1980s. He also served as its script editor from 1968 to 1974 and wrote over 60 "Doctor Who" novels.
Also Read:?Is Kristen Stewart all set to star in a Marvel movie?
The official fan site of the show confirmed the news on Twitter.
"Just received comms that legendary 'Doctor Who' writer, Terrance Dicks has died. Genuinely gutted. An incredibly talented man who we had the pleasure of interviewing over the years. He also regularly took part in QandAs on the Dwo Forums. He will be sorely missed!"
He also worked as a scriptwriter for shows including "The Avengers" and produced adaptions of literary classics such as "Oliver Twist", "David Copperfield" and "Vanity Fair".
Chris Chibnall,...
Dicks had a long association with the long-running sci-fi show. He wrote episodes from the late 1960s till the early 1980s. He also served as its script editor from 1968 to 1974 and wrote over 60 "Doctor Who" novels.
Also Read:?Is Kristen Stewart all set to star in a Marvel movie?
The official fan site of the show confirmed the news on Twitter.
"Just received comms that legendary 'Doctor Who' writer, Terrance Dicks has died. Genuinely gutted. An incredibly talented man who we had the pleasure of interviewing over the years. He also regularly took part in QandAs on the Dwo Forums. He will be sorely missed!"
He also worked as a scriptwriter for shows including "The Avengers" and produced adaptions of literary classics such as "Oliver Twist", "David Copperfield" and "Vanity Fair".
Chris Chibnall,...
- 9/3/2019
- GlamSham
Andrew Blair Sep 3, 2019
Without Terrance Dicks' writing, Doctor Who could now well be a thing of the past. Andrew salutes his inestimable contribution...
This article originally ran on Den of Geek UK.
I met Terrance Dicks in Hamilton Library when I was eight. I was holding a copy of The Auton Invasion that I'd bought in a shop in Hereford and could not get the price sticker off. He said it was an early pressing of the first book he'd written for the Target Novelization range, then launched into an anecdote about it. It may not have been this story's first outing but damn it I was paying attention.
I mean, sure, he wrote Warmonger, but can any of us say they haven't on some level "written Warmonger"?
Certainly none of us can say we introduced thousands of children to literature, and not the "Ian McEwan pretends Science Fiction doesn't exist" sort of literature,...
Without Terrance Dicks' writing, Doctor Who could now well be a thing of the past. Andrew salutes his inestimable contribution...
This article originally ran on Den of Geek UK.
I met Terrance Dicks in Hamilton Library when I was eight. I was holding a copy of The Auton Invasion that I'd bought in a shop in Hereford and could not get the price sticker off. He said it was an early pressing of the first book he'd written for the Target Novelization range, then launched into an anecdote about it. It may not have been this story's first outing but damn it I was paying attention.
I mean, sure, he wrote Warmonger, but can any of us say they haven't on some level "written Warmonger"?
Certainly none of us can say we introduced thousands of children to literature, and not the "Ian McEwan pretends Science Fiction doesn't exist" sort of literature,...
- 9/3/2019
- Den of Geek
Terrance Dicks, one of the original writers and long-time contributors to the BBC’s “Doctor Who” franchise, died at the age of 84.
The program’s official Twitter account tweeted out the news on Monday morning.
Born on May 10, 1935, in London, Dicks was first hired to work on “Doctor Who” as a script editor in 1968. He remained on the show until 1983.
Also Read: HBO Max Lands Streaming Rights to BBC's 'Doctor Who,' 'Top Gear,' 'The Office' and 'Luther'
Dicks worked as a script editor on more than 150 episodes of the long-running show, including penning classic serials including “The War Games” and “The Five Doctors.” He also wrote more than 60 “Doctor Who” novels for Target Books.
Breaking News… just received comms that legendary #DoctorWho writer, Terrance Dicks has died. Genuinely gutted. An incredibly talented man who we had the pleasure of interviewing over the years.
The program’s official Twitter account tweeted out the news on Monday morning.
Born on May 10, 1935, in London, Dicks was first hired to work on “Doctor Who” as a script editor in 1968. He remained on the show until 1983.
Also Read: HBO Max Lands Streaming Rights to BBC's 'Doctor Who,' 'Top Gear,' 'The Office' and 'Luther'
Dicks worked as a script editor on more than 150 episodes of the long-running show, including penning classic serials including “The War Games” and “The Five Doctors.” He also wrote more than 60 “Doctor Who” novels for Target Books.
Breaking News… just received comms that legendary #DoctorWho writer, Terrance Dicks has died. Genuinely gutted. An incredibly talented man who we had the pleasure of interviewing over the years.
- 9/2/2019
- by Daniel Kohn
- The Wrap
Terrance Dicks, one of the most prolific contributors to sci-fi series Doctor Who, has died at the age of 84.
Dicks had a long association with the BBC drama and wrote for the series between 1968, when he was hired as a script editor, through to 1983, when he wrote 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors.
He had a close working relationship with Doctor Who producer Barry Letts and also worked on Doctor Who stage plays as well as Doctor Who audio drama Comeback, which was one of the first spin-offs to involve companion Sarah Jane Smith in a significant capacity.
In addition to Doctor Who, he worked on soap opera Crossroads, created BBC sci-fi drama Moonbase 3 and wrote for Space: 1999 before overseeing the BBC strand that produced period adaptations of Oliver Twist and Vanity Fair between 1985 and 1988.
A slew of writers, including those in the Doctor Who universe, paid tribute to Dicks.
Dicks had a long association with the BBC drama and wrote for the series between 1968, when he was hired as a script editor, through to 1983, when he wrote 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors.
He had a close working relationship with Doctor Who producer Barry Letts and also worked on Doctor Who stage plays as well as Doctor Who audio drama Comeback, which was one of the first spin-offs to involve companion Sarah Jane Smith in a significant capacity.
In addition to Doctor Who, he worked on soap opera Crossroads, created BBC sci-fi drama Moonbase 3 and wrote for Space: 1999 before overseeing the BBC strand that produced period adaptations of Oliver Twist and Vanity Fair between 1985 and 1988.
A slew of writers, including those in the Doctor Who universe, paid tribute to Dicks.
- 9/2/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Terrance Dicks, one of the original writers on the cult BBC sci-fi program Doctor Who, has died. He was 84.
The official Doctor Who Twitter account broke the news on Monday, describing Dicks as an "incredibly talented man" who would be "sorely missed."
The British author was originally hired as an assistant script editor on Doctor Who in 1968, when the show — now the longest-running sci-fi series in the world — was just 5 years old. He was promoted in 1969 to script editor, earning his first writing credit on "The War Games," which ...
The official Doctor Who Twitter account broke the news on Monday, describing Dicks as an "incredibly talented man" who would be "sorely missed."
The British author was originally hired as an assistant script editor on Doctor Who in 1968, when the show — now the longest-running sci-fi series in the world — was just 5 years old. He was promoted in 1969 to script editor, earning his first writing credit on "The War Games," which ...
Andrew Blair Jul 18, 2019
The Doctor has been taken down a dark path several times in Who's history. Andrew explores why it's not a sustainable storytelling approach
This Doctor Who article comes from Den of Geek UK.
Iconic sci-fi author Iain M. Banks once said he didn’t want to write Doctor Who because you have to put all the toys back in the box afterward, as it’s written with a view to infinity, to the story never ending. Doctor Who is the answer to the question "What if a game of Consequences never stopped?" But if the show has proved anything over the years, it's that those consequences can never be that severe.
With different writers and creative teams, the show has dabbled in dark, violent stories, occasionally for a sustained period of time. Sometimes this is due to the aesthetic considerations of the creative team, sometimes things just...
The Doctor has been taken down a dark path several times in Who's history. Andrew explores why it's not a sustainable storytelling approach
This Doctor Who article comes from Den of Geek UK.
Iconic sci-fi author Iain M. Banks once said he didn’t want to write Doctor Who because you have to put all the toys back in the box afterward, as it’s written with a view to infinity, to the story never ending. Doctor Who is the answer to the question "What if a game of Consequences never stopped?" But if the show has proved anything over the years, it's that those consequences can never be that severe.
With different writers and creative teams, the show has dabbled in dark, violent stories, occasionally for a sustained period of time. Sometimes this is due to the aesthetic considerations of the creative team, sometimes things just...
- 7/18/2019
- Den of Geek
Alex Westthorp Jun 17, 2019
Not every Time Lord on Doctor Who is as benevolent as our beloved Doctor, and The Master/Missy is only the start.
This article comes from Den of Geek UK.
Fifty years ago this Summer, the landmark Doctor Who story The War Games was transmitted on BBC One. Notable for being the last adventure to star Patrick Troughton as the Doctor, the serial also introduced us to the Doctor's alien race: The Time Lords. We learn the Doctor is a renegade, albeit a benign one. To celebrate this anniversary, Den Of Geek looks at some of the other renegade Time Lords the Doctor has encountered over the years.
The War Lord
Played by: Philip Madoc
Appearance: The War Games (1969)
The War Lord is a sinister-looking bespectacled man, seemingly in control of the various war zones.
read more: Doctor Who Season 12 to Feature Judoon
This role was Philip...
Not every Time Lord on Doctor Who is as benevolent as our beloved Doctor, and The Master/Missy is only the start.
This article comes from Den of Geek UK.
Fifty years ago this Summer, the landmark Doctor Who story The War Games was transmitted on BBC One. Notable for being the last adventure to star Patrick Troughton as the Doctor, the serial also introduced us to the Doctor's alien race: The Time Lords. We learn the Doctor is a renegade, albeit a benign one. To celebrate this anniversary, Den Of Geek looks at some of the other renegade Time Lords the Doctor has encountered over the years.
The War Lord
Played by: Philip Madoc
Appearance: The War Games (1969)
The War Lord is a sinister-looking bespectacled man, seemingly in control of the various war zones.
read more: Doctor Who Season 12 to Feature Judoon
This role was Philip...
- 6/17/2019
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Jan 8, 2018
Now that Steven Moffat's tenure as Doctor Who showrunner has come to an end, we salute all the Moffat era gave to the show...
Steven Moffat has written more of Doctor Who for television than any other writer in history. He's also won more awards for writing Doctor Who than any other writer, which should tell you something about his hit rate.
See related The Simpsons: 50 best episodes 13 great Simpsons Treehouse Of Horror Halloween stories Watch Guillermo del Toro's couch gag for The Simpsons
Like anyone doing a job in this show for an extended period of time, he has his fans and his detractors, but there's no way of overstating his contribution to the show in the last 12 years, and going back before the revival was even on the cards, or forward into the future, with his Target-style novelisation of The Day Of The Doctor coming this April.
Now that Steven Moffat's tenure as Doctor Who showrunner has come to an end, we salute all the Moffat era gave to the show...
Steven Moffat has written more of Doctor Who for television than any other writer in history. He's also won more awards for writing Doctor Who than any other writer, which should tell you something about his hit rate.
See related The Simpsons: 50 best episodes 13 great Simpsons Treehouse Of Horror Halloween stories Watch Guillermo del Toro's couch gag for The Simpsons
Like anyone doing a job in this show for an extended period of time, he has his fans and his detractors, but there's no way of overstating his contribution to the show in the last 12 years, and going back before the revival was even on the cards, or forward into the future, with his Target-style novelisation of The Day Of The Doctor coming this April.
- 1/7/2018
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison May 10, 2017
Over Doctor Who's long history, what prompted the decision to leave for those in the lead role?
All sorts of things have killed off the Doctor. In the last half century, Doctor Who's unique approach to recasting the lead character has seen him fettled by old age, as punishment, by radiation poisoning, falls big and small, dodgy operations and time itself. There are plenty of in-universe reasons for why the Doctor regenerates, and the outgoing Time Lord Peter Capaldi promises that his upcoming demise will be suitably timey-wimey, but what of the behind-the-scenes reasons that the Doctor has to go?
See related DC Comics movies: upcoming UK release dates calendar Batman V Superman: where does it leave the Justice League? Why cinema needs Batman: the world’s greatest detective Zack Snyder interview: Batman V Superman Deborah Snyder & Charles Roven interview: Man Of Steel
“While you're enjoying it,...
Over Doctor Who's long history, what prompted the decision to leave for those in the lead role?
All sorts of things have killed off the Doctor. In the last half century, Doctor Who's unique approach to recasting the lead character has seen him fettled by old age, as punishment, by radiation poisoning, falls big and small, dodgy operations and time itself. There are plenty of in-universe reasons for why the Doctor regenerates, and the outgoing Time Lord Peter Capaldi promises that his upcoming demise will be suitably timey-wimey, but what of the behind-the-scenes reasons that the Doctor has to go?
See related DC Comics movies: upcoming UK release dates calendar Batman V Superman: where does it leave the Justice League? Why cinema needs Batman: the world’s greatest detective Zack Snyder interview: Batman V Superman Deborah Snyder & Charles Roven interview: Man Of Steel
“While you're enjoying it,...
- 5/3/2017
- Den of Geek
Mark Harrison Feb 1, 2017
Ahead of his final series in the role, we look back at how Peter Capaldi has left his mark on Doctor Who and fandom.
“Everything ends, and it’s always sad. But everything begins again too, and that’s always happy.”
Well, it's that time again. Peter Capaldi has confirmed that Series 10 of Doctor Who will be his last as the Twelfth Doctor and before the year is out, we'll be looking at number 13. Speculation about who will be cast as the next Doctor usually begins anew the day after one has been announced, and will only intensify in the next few weeks and months, but let's not forget what Capaldi has achieved in the role so far.
Immediately taking umbrage with his new kidneys at the end of The Time Of The Doctor, the Twelfth Doctor is usually characterised as a grumpier and less cuddly version...
Ahead of his final series in the role, we look back at how Peter Capaldi has left his mark on Doctor Who and fandom.
“Everything ends, and it’s always sad. But everything begins again too, and that’s always happy.”
Well, it's that time again. Peter Capaldi has confirmed that Series 10 of Doctor Who will be his last as the Twelfth Doctor and before the year is out, we'll be looking at number 13. Speculation about who will be cast as the next Doctor usually begins anew the day after one has been announced, and will only intensify in the next few weeks and months, but let's not forget what Capaldi has achieved in the role so far.
Immediately taking umbrage with his new kidneys at the end of The Time Of The Doctor, the Twelfth Doctor is usually characterised as a grumpier and less cuddly version...
- 1/31/2017
- Den of Geek
facebook
twitter
google+
Unit, shape-shifters and the Doctor cosplay. Here are the geeky bits and pieces we spotted in Doctor Who's The Zygon Invasion...
For at least the third time this series, one or all of the characters you care about on this show are dead. So what better way to celebrate than to read through our weekly list of callbacks, allusions, shared themes and generally interesting (if tenuous) nonsense? As ever, feel free to leave your own contributions in the comments below!
The Old-Who Invasion
This is the third appearance of the Zygons in Doctor Who; they first menaced the fourth Doctor in 1975’s Terror Of The Zygons, a story which revealed the Loch Ness Monster to be one of the Skarasen, a race from the Zygon homeworld. Unit also featured in that tale, with Kate’s father Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart revealing his Scots heritage in a fetching kilt.
google+
Unit, shape-shifters and the Doctor cosplay. Here are the geeky bits and pieces we spotted in Doctor Who's The Zygon Invasion...
For at least the third time this series, one or all of the characters you care about on this show are dead. So what better way to celebrate than to read through our weekly list of callbacks, allusions, shared themes and generally interesting (if tenuous) nonsense? As ever, feel free to leave your own contributions in the comments below!
The Old-Who Invasion
This is the third appearance of the Zygons in Doctor Who; they first menaced the fourth Doctor in 1975’s Terror Of The Zygons, a story which revealed the Loch Ness Monster to be one of the Skarasen, a race from the Zygon homeworld. Unit also featured in that tale, with Kate’s father Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart revealing his Scots heritage in a fetching kilt.
- 10/30/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Comic-Con might be the jewel in the crown of the international convention scene, but we’re more fond of smaller, intimate events. As such, we’ve invited Gareth Kavanagh, the man behind the Vworp events (and acclaimed Vworp Vworp! fanzine) and more recent offerings such as An Evening with Waris Hussein and An Afternoon with Terrance Dicks...
The post How to Organise a Doctor Who Convention with Gareth Kavanagh appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
Comic-Con might be the jewel in the crown of the international convention scene, but we’re more fond of smaller, intimate events. As such, we’ve invited Gareth Kavanagh, the man behind the Vworp events (and acclaimed Vworp Vworp! fanzine) and more recent offerings such as An Evening with Waris Hussein and An Afternoon with Terrance Dicks...
The post How to Organise a Doctor Who Convention with Gareth Kavanagh appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 7/9/2015
- by Christian Cawley
- Kasterborous.com
Tumblr
When viewers sit down to watch a new episode of Doctor Who, they never know what they’re going to get. Unlike other programmes, Doctor Who can be set in a different time and place each week and can feature an entirely new supporting cast. Even the main characters change periodically, with companions leaving and the star of the show being recast.
This constant change allows the series to stay fresh and surprising. However, in the face of this ceaseless upheaval, certain elements are deliberately kept the same. Most critically, regardless of the actor playing the Doctor, the central character’s underlying personality traits remain eternal.
As writer and script editor Terrance Dicks once famously said when describing the Doctor’s essential character:
“He is impulsive, idealistic, ready to risk his life for a worthy cause. He hates tyranny and oppression and anything that is anti-life. He never gives...
When viewers sit down to watch a new episode of Doctor Who, they never know what they’re going to get. Unlike other programmes, Doctor Who can be set in a different time and place each week and can feature an entirely new supporting cast. Even the main characters change periodically, with companions leaving and the star of the show being recast.
This constant change allows the series to stay fresh and surprising. However, in the face of this ceaseless upheaval, certain elements are deliberately kept the same. Most critically, regardless of the actor playing the Doctor, the central character’s underlying personality traits remain eternal.
As writer and script editor Terrance Dicks once famously said when describing the Doctor’s essential character:
“He is impulsive, idealistic, ready to risk his life for a worthy cause. He hates tyranny and oppression and anything that is anti-life. He never gives...
- 6/11/2015
- by Mike Morgan
- Obsessed with Film
Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
We’ve brought you a lot of features recently about one-time communist Malcolm Hulke, the classic Doctor Who scriptwriter whose career was the subject of a pamphlet, Doctor Who and the Communist, and an event, “An Afternoon with Terrance Dicks”. Well, this is the last portion. The podKast team takes a break this week so that you...
The post PodKast: Terrance Dicks Discusses Doctor Who Writer Malcolm Hulke (Part 2) appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
We’ve brought you a lot of features recently about one-time communist Malcolm Hulke, the classic Doctor Who scriptwriter whose career was the subject of a pamphlet, Doctor Who and the Communist, and an event, “An Afternoon with Terrance Dicks”. Well, this is the last portion. The podKast team takes a break this week so that you...
The post PodKast: Terrance Dicks Discusses Doctor Who Writer Malcolm Hulke (Part 2) appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 5/12/2015
- by Christian Cawley
- Kasterborous.com
Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
This week’s podKast is a two-part affair. First, we’ve got Michael Herbert offering you a summary of classic Doctor Who writer Mac Hulke’s early career, a great introduction to Michaels pamphlet, “Doctor Who and the Communist” from Five Leaves Bookshop. Watch out over the weekend for part 2, in which Terrance Dicks recalls Mac Hulke,...
The post The PodKast Hears about Mac Hulke at An Afternoon with Terrance Dicks (Part 1) appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
This week’s podKast is a two-part affair. First, we’ve got Michael Herbert offering you a summary of classic Doctor Who writer Mac Hulke’s early career, a great introduction to Michaels pamphlet, “Doctor Who and the Communist” from Five Leaves Bookshop. Watch out over the weekend for part 2, in which Terrance Dicks recalls Mac Hulke,...
The post The PodKast Hears about Mac Hulke at An Afternoon with Terrance Dicks (Part 1) appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 5/8/2015
- by Christian Cawley
- Kasterborous.com
Winston Churchill, Harriet Jones, Harold Saxon... As we all head to the voting booths, how have UK prime ministers fared in Doctor Who?
Incarnations of the Doctor are a bit like British prime ministers. They usually last four to five years in real time and, despite having different faces, a cynic could say that they're all pretty much the same beneath the surface. But that's the stuff of Media Studies dissertations, in fact, Doctor Who has a far dimmer view of the UK executive in the show itself.
Over the course of fifty-odd years, the office of prime minister has been both the target and agent of satire and parody in a show that deals with an onslaught of alien activity on British soil in the past, present and future.
As we're all going to the polls today to pick who we want in Downing Street, here's our look back...
Incarnations of the Doctor are a bit like British prime ministers. They usually last four to five years in real time and, despite having different faces, a cynic could say that they're all pretty much the same beneath the surface. But that's the stuff of Media Studies dissertations, in fact, Doctor Who has a far dimmer view of the UK executive in the show itself.
Over the course of fifty-odd years, the office of prime minister has been both the target and agent of satire and parody in a show that deals with an onslaught of alien activity on British soil in the past, present and future.
As we're all going to the polls today to pick who we want in Downing Street, here's our look back...
- 5/6/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Last week (Sunday 19th April 2015) I headed over to Manchester (following a scenic drive from South Yorkshire) for “Mac and Me: An Afternoon with Terrance Dicks”, in which the former Doctor Who script editor discussed his friend and colleague, Malcolm Hulke. You might have been there yourself, and if so will know that it was...
The post Recalling Last Sunday at the Fab Cafe with Terrance Dicks! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
Last week (Sunday 19th April 2015) I headed over to Manchester (following a scenic drive from South Yorkshire) for “Mac and Me: An Afternoon with Terrance Dicks”, in which the former Doctor Who script editor discussed his friend and colleague, Malcolm Hulke. You might have been there yourself, and if so will know that it was...
The post Recalling Last Sunday at the Fab Cafe with Terrance Dicks! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 4/26/2015
- by Christian Cawley
- Kasterborous.com
Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Doctor Who script editor and novelisation legend Terrance Dicks features in a special Q&A on this week’s podKast, recorded at the Fab Cafe in Manchester on April 19th 2015. Aside from that, the usual team of Christian, Brian and James will be discussing everything from Crossroads to the new Star Wars movie trailer, and all...
The post A PodKast with Autograph Anxiety Plus Terrance Dicks Q&A appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
Doctor Who script editor and novelisation legend Terrance Dicks features in a special Q&A on this week’s podKast, recorded at the Fab Cafe in Manchester on April 19th 2015. Aside from that, the usual team of Christian, Brian and James will be discussing everything from Crossroads to the new Star Wars movie trailer, and all...
The post A PodKast with Autograph Anxiety Plus Terrance Dicks Q&A appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 4/23/2015
- by Christian Cawley
- Kasterborous.com
BBC
When Sydney Newman devised Doctor Who in 1963, there was no way he could have foreseen the global phenomenon his concept would become. He certainly couldn’t have predicted the passion for the series from its ever-expanding fanbase, or the ardent scrutiny with which they view their favourite programme.
Six years later Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke created Gallifreyan lore when introducing the Time Lords, the Doctor’s own people. They might have known they were onto something big, but twenty years later a juggernaut of continuity had been established – one that wound up so cumbersome the home planet was supposedly dust by the time the show returned in 2005. Conventions and online forums buzzed with anger before it was revealed Rassilon and his kind actually survived.
All these events got a dissection of Silurian proportions via devotees of the Whoniverse over the years. Put simply, it isn’t difficult to offend a Whovian.
When Sydney Newman devised Doctor Who in 1963, there was no way he could have foreseen the global phenomenon his concept would become. He certainly couldn’t have predicted the passion for the series from its ever-expanding fanbase, or the ardent scrutiny with which they view their favourite programme.
Six years later Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke created Gallifreyan lore when introducing the Time Lords, the Doctor’s own people. They might have known they were onto something big, but twenty years later a juggernaut of continuity had been established – one that wound up so cumbersome the home planet was supposedly dust by the time the show returned in 2005. Conventions and online forums buzzed with anger before it was revealed Rassilon and his kind actually survived.
All these events got a dissection of Silurian proportions via devotees of the Whoniverse over the years. Put simply, it isn’t difficult to offend a Whovian.
- 3/20/2015
- by Steve Palace
- Obsessed with Film
Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Following on from the news that Terrance Dicks will be chatting with Michael Herbert at a Lass Productions event next month on the topic of Doctor Who writer Malcolm Hulke, Michael will discussing his recent pamphlet, Doctor Who and the Communist, at the States of Independence Bookfair in Leicester this Saturday 14 March at 2pm....
The post Michael Herbert Talks Mac Hulke This Saturday! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
Following on from the news that Terrance Dicks will be chatting with Michael Herbert at a Lass Productions event next month on the topic of Doctor Who writer Malcolm Hulke, Michael will discussing his recent pamphlet, Doctor Who and the Communist, at the States of Independence Bookfair in Leicester this Saturday 14 March at 2pm....
The post Michael Herbert Talks Mac Hulke This Saturday! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 3/13/2015
- by Christian Cawley
- Kasterborous.com
Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Lass Productions, always a great friend of the good ship Kasterborous, is holding a very special event with Terrance Dicks celebrating the brilliant Malcolm Hulke. Held at Manchester’s Fab Cafe on 19th April, Dicks will discuss the work of his friend, Hulke, who is perhaps most famous for creating the Silurians and Sea Devils, but also...
The post Terrance Dicks Discusses Malcolm Hulke at ‘An Audience With…’ appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
Lass Productions, always a great friend of the good ship Kasterborous, is holding a very special event with Terrance Dicks celebrating the brilliant Malcolm Hulke. Held at Manchester’s Fab Cafe on 19th April, Dicks will discuss the work of his friend, Hulke, who is perhaps most famous for creating the Silurians and Sea Devils, but also...
The post Terrance Dicks Discusses Malcolm Hulke at ‘An Audience With…’ appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 3/12/2015
- by Philip Bates
- Kasterborous.com
Missy -> Mistress -> Master. We should've really seen it coming, and to be fair, some of us did.
He's a notorious insatiable fibber, that Steven Moffat, so as soon as Doctor Who's head writer, executive producer and chief keeper of secrets declares an element from the show's past "over" and "done", it's a fair bet that said element will be rearing its head sometime soon.
Just so, Michelle Gomez was unveiled as the ninth actor to play the maniac Time Lord on Saturday night, and the first ever female to take on the part - a game-changing moment in Doctor Who history.
But if you're a series newcomer with no clue who this 'Master' is - or you're only familiar with depictions of the character post-2005 - then Digital Spy has assembled all of the pertinent information you'll need before this week's 'Death in Heaven'.
1971-73
Doctor Who...
He's a notorious insatiable fibber, that Steven Moffat, so as soon as Doctor Who's head writer, executive producer and chief keeper of secrets declares an element from the show's past "over" and "done", it's a fair bet that said element will be rearing its head sometime soon.
Just so, Michelle Gomez was unveiled as the ninth actor to play the maniac Time Lord on Saturday night, and the first ever female to take on the part - a game-changing moment in Doctor Who history.
But if you're a series newcomer with no clue who this 'Master' is - or you're only familiar with depictions of the character post-2005 - then Digital Spy has assembled all of the pertinent information you'll need before this week's 'Death in Heaven'.
1971-73
Doctor Who...
- 11/3/2014
- Digital Spy
Alex pays a fond return revisit to 1960s classic TV series, The Avengers...
Stylish crime fighting, despicable evil masterminds, a bowler-hatted old Etonian gentleman spy and a series of beautiful leather cat-suited, kinky-booted, no-nonsense heroines. The Avengers had all this and more. What began as a monochrome tape series in January 1961 ran the whole of the Sixties, becoming a colourful slice of period hokum, full of flair, wit and sophistication, yet with its tongue firmly in its cheek.
Always the perfect gentleman, John Steed was played by Patrick Macnee. Originally billed second to the late Ian Hendry, Macnee was still playing Steed over 15 years later when he was teamed with the youthful duo of Joanna Lumley and Gareth Hunt for The New Avengers in 1976. In the 1998 film, the role of Steed was given to Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman played Emma Peel. I will say no more about the film.
Stylish crime fighting, despicable evil masterminds, a bowler-hatted old Etonian gentleman spy and a series of beautiful leather cat-suited, kinky-booted, no-nonsense heroines. The Avengers had all this and more. What began as a monochrome tape series in January 1961 ran the whole of the Sixties, becoming a colourful slice of period hokum, full of flair, wit and sophistication, yet with its tongue firmly in its cheek.
Always the perfect gentleman, John Steed was played by Patrick Macnee. Originally billed second to the late Ian Hendry, Macnee was still playing Steed over 15 years later when he was teamed with the youthful duo of Joanna Lumley and Gareth Hunt for The New Avengers in 1976. In the 1998 film, the role of Steed was given to Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman played Emma Peel. I will say no more about the film.
- 10/13/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
With series 8 referencing 'heaven', Nathan traces Doctor Who's varied relationships with atheism and faith...
I was a massive Simpsons fan as a child. And when I say ‘massive’, I really do mean - huge. It’s still one of the more memorable moments prior to my wedding day: emptying out my childhood bedroom with my (now) wife, only for her to discover notebooks filled with minute observations about the show. Obscure number plates, birthdays of secondary characters, dates of key events and much more besides. Having already paid for the reception venue she couldn’t exactly retract her commitment to marry me, although my mind contemplated that possibility when she hyperventilated laughing at ‘little Nathan’, circa 1999.
My point is this: I wasn’t just a fan, I was an über-fan.
You might be asking, “what’s this got to do with Doctor Who?” - trust me, I’m getting there.
I was a massive Simpsons fan as a child. And when I say ‘massive’, I really do mean - huge. It’s still one of the more memorable moments prior to my wedding day: emptying out my childhood bedroom with my (now) wife, only for her to discover notebooks filled with minute observations about the show. Obscure number plates, birthdays of secondary characters, dates of key events and much more besides. Having already paid for the reception venue she couldn’t exactly retract her commitment to marry me, although my mind contemplated that possibility when she hyperventilated laughing at ‘little Nathan’, circa 1999.
My point is this: I wasn’t just a fan, I was an über-fan.
You might be asking, “what’s this got to do with Doctor Who?” - trust me, I’m getting there.
- 9/26/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
“No damsels in distress! No pretty castles! No such thing as Robin Hood!”
So says Peter Capaldi’s know-it-all Time Lord in the trailer for Saturday’s episode of Doctor Who, “Robot of Sherwood.” So how come Da Vinci’s Demons star Tom Riley is playing the British legend in the show? In truth, we didn’t bother asking the actor that spoiler-ific question when EW jumped on the phone with him and episode-writer Mark Gatiss earlier this week. But there were plenty of other matters to discuss, from the apparently fiercesome swordfighting skills of guest star Ben Miller, to...
So says Peter Capaldi’s know-it-all Time Lord in the trailer for Saturday’s episode of Doctor Who, “Robot of Sherwood.” So how come Da Vinci’s Demons star Tom Riley is playing the British legend in the show? In truth, we didn’t bother asking the actor that spoiler-ific question when EW jumped on the phone with him and episode-writer Mark Gatiss earlier this week. But there were plenty of other matters to discuss, from the apparently fiercesome swordfighting skills of guest star Ben Miller, to...
- 9/5/2014
- by Clark Collis
- EW - Inside TV
From The Visitation to Into The Dalek, here's a potted history of the Doctor at his least compassionate and most callous...
"Never cruel or cowardly."
That's the Terrance Dicks line that Steven Moffat referenced in The Day of the Doctor.
"He's on the top layer if you want to say a few words."
That's a line that either Steven Moffat or Phil Ford wrote for Into The Dalek. It's pretty hard to interpret that as a non-cruel statement, but then asking for consistency from Doctor Who is a vague question at best (what people regard as good Doctor Who isn't going to make for a simple Venn diagram).
For the hero of a family show, the Doctor is able to get away with some stupendously caustic and callous deeds. He's an alien genius, he grew up on planet Oxbridge, and he gets stuck into difficut situations. It's not a total shock,...
"Never cruel or cowardly."
That's the Terrance Dicks line that Steven Moffat referenced in The Day of the Doctor.
"He's on the top layer if you want to say a few words."
That's a line that either Steven Moffat or Phil Ford wrote for Into The Dalek. It's pretty hard to interpret that as a non-cruel statement, but then asking for consistency from Doctor Who is a vague question at best (what people regard as good Doctor Who isn't going to make for a simple Venn diagram).
For the hero of a family show, the Doctor is able to get away with some stupendously caustic and callous deeds. He's an alien genius, he grew up on planet Oxbridge, and he gets stuck into difficut situations. It's not a total shock,...
- 9/3/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
We spotted a few fun nods to previous episodes in Doctor Who's series 8 opener. And here they are...
There's a quote we often refer to at Den of Geek when writing about Doctor Who, and it comes from living legend Terrance Dicks about writing the show: 'You need a good strong original idea, but it doesn't have to be your good strong original idea.'
Steven Moffat is obviously aware of this statement, but has interpreted it differently to most. It doesn't have to be your good strong original idea, but it can be, and therefore that doesn't mean you only have to use it once.
On top of callbacks to some of Moffat's previous work, Deep Breath, has references scattered throughout, recalling the show's entire fifty year history. We've done our best to provide an extensive list, and you're very welcome to provide extensions and footnotes. So without...
There's a quote we often refer to at Den of Geek when writing about Doctor Who, and it comes from living legend Terrance Dicks about writing the show: 'You need a good strong original idea, but it doesn't have to be your good strong original idea.'
Steven Moffat is obviously aware of this statement, but has interpreted it differently to most. It doesn't have to be your good strong original idea, but it can be, and therefore that doesn't mean you only have to use it once.
On top of callbacks to some of Moffat's previous work, Deep Breath, has references scattered throughout, recalling the show's entire fifty year history. We've done our best to provide an extensive list, and you're very welcome to provide extensions and footnotes. So without...
- 8/26/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Digital Spy presents Doctor Who Week - seven days of special features celebrating the return of the world's favourite sci-fi series, and the arrival of a brand new Doctor - on August 23.
We've known he was coming since August 2013 - and he's officially been our Doctor since Christmas - but in a mere three days, Doctor Who fans will finally get the chance to size up Peter Capaldi's debut as a new, "more mysterious" Time Lord.
Between 1963 and 2014, the show's had 11 stabs at introducing a new Doctor - so before Steven Moffat's 'Deep Breath' is unveiled to the general public, let's take a look back at those other attempts - from the awesome to the audacious to the seriously misjudged.
The musical world of Doctor Who: From Ron Grainer to The Klf
An Unearthly Child
Aired November 23-December 14, 1963
Doctor Who fans accustomed to David Tennant...
We've known he was coming since August 2013 - and he's officially been our Doctor since Christmas - but in a mere three days, Doctor Who fans will finally get the chance to size up Peter Capaldi's debut as a new, "more mysterious" Time Lord.
Between 1963 and 2014, the show's had 11 stabs at introducing a new Doctor - so before Steven Moffat's 'Deep Breath' is unveiled to the general public, let's take a look back at those other attempts - from the awesome to the audacious to the seriously misjudged.
The musical world of Doctor Who: From Ron Grainer to The Klf
An Unearthly Child
Aired November 23-December 14, 1963
Doctor Who fans accustomed to David Tennant...
- 8/20/2014
- Digital Spy
The Letter, about the early life of Tom Baker, is heading for production soon. Here are some details...
Comfortably one of the funniest autobiographies we've ever had the pleasure is Tom Baker's Who On Earth Is Tom Baker?, which we talked about in the Den Of Geek Book Club (which is a thing), right here.
Now, however, news has reached us, via The Digital Fix, that there's a one-off drama heading to our screens that tells the story of Tom Baker's early life. A casting call for a project called The Letter has appeared online, with the focus on "how a chance letter to the BBC when working as a builder's labourer lead to him becoming the most iconic Doctor Who".
The following roles, lists the casting call, are all required for a single day of filming. Given that contracts are on a "deferred profit share" basis and...
Comfortably one of the funniest autobiographies we've ever had the pleasure is Tom Baker's Who On Earth Is Tom Baker?, which we talked about in the Den Of Geek Book Club (which is a thing), right here.
Now, however, news has reached us, via The Digital Fix, that there's a one-off drama heading to our screens that tells the story of Tom Baker's early life. A casting call for a project called The Letter has appeared online, with the focus on "how a chance letter to the BBC when working as a builder's labourer lead to him becoming the most iconic Doctor Who".
The following roles, lists the casting call, are all required for a single day of filming. Given that contracts are on a "deferred profit share" basis and...
- 8/11/2014
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Andrew traces the influence of a classic Seventh Doctor serial on today's Doctor Who, and looks at what series 8 can learn from it...
Previously on Den Of Geek, we looked at The Ark in Space and its relatively drastic shake up of Doctor Who’s tone following the Pertwee era. This time we’re looking at a different set of circumstances for the show, at the start of its twenty-fifth anniversary season in 1988.
Doctor Who had been in trouble since at least 1985. Cancelled, then reprieved due to the outcry, it hadn’t been helped by the ambitious but flawed Trial Of A Time Lord story/season, which probably didn’t endear itself to the casual viewer with its fourteen-episode narrative and Gallifrey-heavy intrigue. After its trial, the verdict eventually came back from the BBC to sack Colin Baker and make the show more child-friendly.
Script Editor Eric Saward had already departed acrimoniously,...
Previously on Den Of Geek, we looked at The Ark in Space and its relatively drastic shake up of Doctor Who’s tone following the Pertwee era. This time we’re looking at a different set of circumstances for the show, at the start of its twenty-fifth anniversary season in 1988.
Doctor Who had been in trouble since at least 1985. Cancelled, then reprieved due to the outcry, it hadn’t been helped by the ambitious but flawed Trial Of A Time Lord story/season, which probably didn’t endear itself to the casual viewer with its fourteen-episode narrative and Gallifrey-heavy intrigue. After its trial, the verdict eventually came back from the BBC to sack Colin Baker and make the show more child-friendly.
Script Editor Eric Saward had already departed acrimoniously,...
- 8/10/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Andrew argues that Doctor Who series 8 could do worse than look to Hinchcliffe/Holmes story The Ark in Space for inspiration...
4C or not 4C? (Yes, it's a cryptic start, but frankly we don't have enough production code puns on the website). Let us speculate, just for a change, about what series eight of Doctor Who holds in store.
Is Peter Capaldi's Twelth Doctor going to be a less risky version of the Sixth? Initially unlikeable, but with the audience warming to him as he progresses?
Is Clara going to become a more rounded character, with the writers raising their game to reflect the quality of Jenna Coleman's performance?
Will you read a comment along the lines of 'Actually there were twenty six seasons of Doctor Who already, so I don't see why you're referring to it as “series eight”'?
Maybe, maybe, and yes.
For those of...
4C or not 4C? (Yes, it's a cryptic start, but frankly we don't have enough production code puns on the website). Let us speculate, just for a change, about what series eight of Doctor Who holds in store.
Is Peter Capaldi's Twelth Doctor going to be a less risky version of the Sixth? Initially unlikeable, but with the audience warming to him as he progresses?
Is Clara going to become a more rounded character, with the writers raising their game to reflect the quality of Jenna Coleman's performance?
Will you read a comment along the lines of 'Actually there were twenty six seasons of Doctor Who already, so I don't see why you're referring to it as “series eight”'?
Maybe, maybe, and yes.
For those of...
- 7/30/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Andrew examines what it really means for Capaldi era Doctor Who to be described as going 'back to basics'...
Feature
“It seems to me the episodes that we're doing now seem more like classic Who. We're going back to that style.”
So says Ben Wheatley in an interview with io9. The Capaldi era is being styled as a 'Back to Basics' approach (those words being used by Capaldi to describe his costume), with the Radio Times reporting 'a clean slate' of storylines for series eight, and a Doctor who – in the words of Steven Moffat - “is not apologising, he's not flirting with you – that's over.”
Do you have salt ready? Take a pinch. What does 'Back to Basics' mean, anyway, for a show that's fifty years old and is built around regular upheaval? Is Capaldi going to kidnap some teachers in monochrome? Are there bases under siege? Shall we rip off Quatermass some more?...
Feature
“It seems to me the episodes that we're doing now seem more like classic Who. We're going back to that style.”
So says Ben Wheatley in an interview with io9. The Capaldi era is being styled as a 'Back to Basics' approach (those words being used by Capaldi to describe his costume), with the Radio Times reporting 'a clean slate' of storylines for series eight, and a Doctor who – in the words of Steven Moffat - “is not apologising, he's not flirting with you – that's over.”
Do you have salt ready? Take a pinch. What does 'Back to Basics' mean, anyway, for a show that's fifty years old and is built around regular upheaval? Is Capaldi going to kidnap some teachers in monochrome? Are there bases under siege? Shall we rip off Quatermass some more?...
- 7/17/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
James Lomond is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Earlier this week, Airdrie library held a “geek night” mini-convention with guest speaker Terrance Dicks. Dicks was the script editor on Who from 1968 to 1974 before scripting several of Tom Baker’s stories and the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors alongside his own mini-library of Doctor Who novelisations. He is one of the creative
The post Terrance Dicks Describes David Tennant As The ‘Quintessential Doctor’ appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
Earlier this week, Airdrie library held a “geek night” mini-convention with guest speaker Terrance Dicks. Dicks was the script editor on Who from 1968 to 1974 before scripting several of Tom Baker’s stories and the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors alongside his own mini-library of Doctor Who novelisations. He is one of the creative
The post Terrance Dicks Describes David Tennant As The ‘Quintessential Doctor’ appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 5/18/2014
- by James Lomond
- Kasterborous.com
Drew Boynton is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Terrance Dicks, the one man who probably knows more about the Doctor than the Doctor himself, will be speaking at an event hosted by Airdrie Library. The guru-of-all-things-Who will appear on Wednesday, 14 May at 7pm. As stated by the Daily Record: “…the real star of the evening is Terrance who’s had a huge influence
The post Doctor Who Legend Terrance Dicks To Give Talk appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
Terrance Dicks, the one man who probably knows more about the Doctor than the Doctor himself, will be speaking at an event hosted by Airdrie Library. The guru-of-all-things-Who will appear on Wednesday, 14 May at 7pm. As stated by the Daily Record: “…the real star of the evening is Terrance who’s had a huge influence
The post Doctor Who Legend Terrance Dicks To Give Talk appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 5/8/2014
- by Drew Boynton
- Kasterborous.com
Feature Alex Westthorp 9 Apr 2014 - 07:00
In the next part of his series, Alex talks us through the film careers of the second and fourth Doctors, Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker...
Read Alex's retrospective on the film careers of William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee, here.
Like their fellow Time Lord actors, William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker also shared certain genres of film. Both appeared, before and after their time as the Doctor, in horror movies and both worked on Ray Harryhausen Sinbad films.
Patrick George Troughton was born in Mill Hill, London on March 25th 1920. He made his film debut aged 28 in the 1948 B-Movie The Escape. Troughton's was a very minor role. Among the better known cast was William Hartnell, though even Hartnell's role was small and the two didn't share any scenes together. From the late Forties, Troughton found more success on the small screen,...
In the next part of his series, Alex talks us through the film careers of the second and fourth Doctors, Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker...
Read Alex's retrospective on the film careers of William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee, here.
Like their fellow Time Lord actors, William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker also shared certain genres of film. Both appeared, before and after their time as the Doctor, in horror movies and both worked on Ray Harryhausen Sinbad films.
Patrick George Troughton was born in Mill Hill, London on March 25th 1920. He made his film debut aged 28 in the 1948 B-Movie The Escape. Troughton's was a very minor role. Among the better known cast was William Hartnell, though even Hartnell's role was small and the two didn't share any scenes together. From the late Forties, Troughton found more success on the small screen,...
- 4/8/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
BBC
As my previous article demonstrated, and as is fairly obvious, Doctor Who is a show all about the magic of time travel and you just have to look at the Tardis’ milometer to see that this allows the show endless storytelling possibilities. One week it can be an historical adventure featuring the Doctor meeting a famous figure, the next the Tardis could be flung into a distant galaxy to face a chilling alien menace. Yet, Doctor Who still gets itchy feet working within the tiny parameters of the entirety of time and space and occasionally casts the net even wider.
Not content with just going back to the future or the past, the show sometimes goes a little off-the-wall (or out of the vortex) and takes the Tardis sideways in time – into parallel worlds, anti-matter dimensions and even dreams. Some of these ‘sideways’ episodes, those that go somewhere else other than the past,...
As my previous article demonstrated, and as is fairly obvious, Doctor Who is a show all about the magic of time travel and you just have to look at the Tardis’ milometer to see that this allows the show endless storytelling possibilities. One week it can be an historical adventure featuring the Doctor meeting a famous figure, the next the Tardis could be flung into a distant galaxy to face a chilling alien menace. Yet, Doctor Who still gets itchy feet working within the tiny parameters of the entirety of time and space and occasionally casts the net even wider.
Not content with just going back to the future or the past, the show sometimes goes a little off-the-wall (or out of the vortex) and takes the Tardis sideways in time – into parallel worlds, anti-matter dimensions and even dreams. Some of these ‘sideways’ episodes, those that go somewhere else other than the past,...
- 3/20/2014
- by Christian Bone
- Obsessed with Film
If you’re within shouting distance of London, and you collect Doctor Who novelizations and original fiction, you might want to head to Forbidden Planet on Shaftesbury Avenue on Saturday, March 15th, for a signing with a bunch of authors. Forbidden Planet:
Join us for monsters!
To celebrate BBC Books’ ‘The Monster Collection’, each featuring a classic monster from the Doctor Who series, Forbidden Planet are hosting a signing with authors Trevor Baxendale, Stephen Cole, Terrance Dicks, Jonathan Morris, Justin Richards and Mike Tucker, on Saturday 15th March 1- 2pm at the Forbidden Planet Megastore in London.
This series of books includes Trevor Baxendale’s ‘Prisoner of the Daleks’, Stephen Cole’s ‘Sting of the Zygons’, Terrance Dicks’ ‘Shakedown’, Jonathan Morris’ ‘Touched by an Angel’, Justin Richards’ ‘Sands of Time’, and Mike Tucker’s ‘Illegal Alien’,
Each story features an individual adventure across space and time, and the titles include the Third,...
Join us for monsters!
To celebrate BBC Books’ ‘The Monster Collection’, each featuring a classic monster from the Doctor Who series, Forbidden Planet are hosting a signing with authors Trevor Baxendale, Stephen Cole, Terrance Dicks, Jonathan Morris, Justin Richards and Mike Tucker, on Saturday 15th March 1- 2pm at the Forbidden Planet Megastore in London.
This series of books includes Trevor Baxendale’s ‘Prisoner of the Daleks’, Stephen Cole’s ‘Sting of the Zygons’, Terrance Dicks’ ‘Shakedown’, Jonathan Morris’ ‘Touched by an Angel’, Justin Richards’ ‘Sands of Time’, and Mike Tucker’s ‘Illegal Alien’,
Each story features an individual adventure across space and time, and the titles include the Third,...
- 3/3/2014
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
We’re big fans of Quick Reads, an initiative to get people reading, here at Kasterborous Towers, but this year, it appears we’ve been let down. Since 2006′s I Am A Dalek, we’ve had some fantastic little books from Quick Reads; they even tempted the mighty Terrance Dicks into forging new stories about Cybermen and Judoon. But this year,
The post Hey Quick Reads: Where’s Our Doctor Who Book?! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
We’re big fans of Quick Reads, an initiative to get people reading, here at Kasterborous Towers, but this year, it appears we’ve been let down. Since 2006′s I Am A Dalek, we’ve had some fantastic little books from Quick Reads; they even tempted the mighty Terrance Dicks into forging new stories about Cybermen and Judoon. But this year,
The post Hey Quick Reads: Where’s Our Doctor Who Book?! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 3/3/2014
- by Philip Bates
- Kasterborous.com
Jonathan Appleton is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
London’s Forbidden Planet Megastore is the place to be next month for a bumper Doctor Who book signing of the new ‘Monsters Collection’! The event is in honour of the new series from BBC Books, each featuring a classic monster from Doctor Who, and the Megastore will host authors Trevor Baxendale, Stephen Cole, Terrance Dicks,
The post Doctor Who Monsters Invade Forbidden Planet! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
London’s Forbidden Planet Megastore is the place to be next month for a bumper Doctor Who book signing of the new ‘Monsters Collection’! The event is in honour of the new series from BBC Books, each featuring a classic monster from Doctor Who, and the Megastore will host authors Trevor Baxendale, Stephen Cole, Terrance Dicks,
The post Doctor Who Monsters Invade Forbidden Planet! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 2/27/2014
- by Jonathan Appleton
- Kasterborous.com
Feature Andrew Blair 22 Jan 2014 - 07:00
Is the Doctor really "never cruel or cowardly"? Andrew ponders the Time Lord's morality...
Throughout fifty years of storytelling, the Doctor has emerged as an antidote to conventional heroism, using his wits and intelligence to find peaceful solutions, never using violence to save the day. Eschewing guns and fighting in favour of rhetoric and not fighting, in the words of Terrance Dicks, the Doctor is 'never cruel or cowardly'.
It's such a shame that this isn't true.
Still, it sounds better than 'The Doctor is sometimes cruel and cowardly but he means well'.
It's similar to the claims of a popular deity being omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent when reality suggests that any godlike being up there is a bit ditzy, careless and sometimes miscalculates. Maybe the Doctor is a god for rational humanists? We know he isn't real, after all, so that'd save time.
Is the Doctor really "never cruel or cowardly"? Andrew ponders the Time Lord's morality...
Throughout fifty years of storytelling, the Doctor has emerged as an antidote to conventional heroism, using his wits and intelligence to find peaceful solutions, never using violence to save the day. Eschewing guns and fighting in favour of rhetoric and not fighting, in the words of Terrance Dicks, the Doctor is 'never cruel or cowardly'.
It's such a shame that this isn't true.
Still, it sounds better than 'The Doctor is sometimes cruel and cowardly but he means well'.
It's similar to the claims of a popular deity being omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent when reality suggests that any godlike being up there is a bit ditzy, careless and sometimes miscalculates. Maybe the Doctor is a god for rational humanists? We know he isn't real, after all, so that'd save time.
- 1/21/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
One of Doctor Who‘s most enduring classic serials, The Pyramids of Mars, is currently being broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra! Read by Tom Baker, the audiobook adaptation of the novelisation by Terrance Dicks is being aired in nightly installments. New to The Pyramids of Mars? Put simply, the Doctor and Sarah Jane land in
The post Don’t Miss The Pyramids of Mars on BBC Radio 4 Extra! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
One of Doctor Who‘s most enduring classic serials, The Pyramids of Mars, is currently being broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra! Read by Tom Baker, the audiobook adaptation of the novelisation by Terrance Dicks is being aired in nightly installments. New to The Pyramids of Mars? Put simply, the Doctor and Sarah Jane land in
The post Don’t Miss The Pyramids of Mars on BBC Radio 4 Extra! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 1/13/2014
- by Christian Cawley
- Kasterborous.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.