Doctor Who Series 6 in 2 parts

The next series of Doctor Who will air in two parts, it has been announced.

Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival this morning, showrunner Steven Moffat confirmed that the sixth run will start in Spring 2011 and return in the Autumn.

A statement from the BBC explained: "The split transmission is the result of a request from Steven Moffat to write a new Doctor Who story arc which involves a big plot twist in the middle of the series. By splitting the series Moffat plans to give viewers one of the most exciting Doctor Who cliffhangers and plot twists ever, leaving them waiting, on the edge of their seats, until the autumn to find out what happens."

Moffat added: "The split series is hugely exciting because viewers will be treated to two premieres, two finales and more event episodes. For the kids it will never be more than a few months to the next Doctor Who! Easter, Autumn, Christmas!!"

Doctor Who adventure Game 3

The title of the next Adventure Game has been confirmed as TARDIS and it's released on the BBC Doctor Who website on Friday 27th August.

It will feature monsters, terrifying new dangers for the Doctor and Amy and offers an amazing insight into the world's most famous blue box. It's also been announced that the game will give players the opportunity to pilot the Doctor's iconic time machine.

Lead Writer and Executive Producer, Steven Moffat, confirmed, 'Since 1963, kids have wondered what it would be like to control the TARDIS. Now we're handing complete control of the most powerful ship in all of space and time to a generation of children. Everybody duck!' He also told us, 'TARDIS is a brilliant, brilliant adventure. It's funny, touching, terrifying, amazing - everything a Doctor Who episode should be.'

The official press release promised, 'the game allows players to explore the Doctor's wondrous drawing room, featuring treasures and artefacts from his many adventures - a location specially created for the game, which will go on to form part of the Doctor Who canon'.

Matt Smith and Karen Gillan return as the Doctor and Amy and once again the game is executive produced bySteven Moffat, Piers Wenger, Beth Willis and Anwen Aspden (BBC Wales Interactive), alongsideCharles Cecil. Music is by Murray Gold and TARDIS is written by James Moran whose previous credits include Torchwood, Spooks and the Tenth Doctor story, The Fires of Pompeii.

It's the third Adventure Game and will be available at no extra cost to UK households, simultaneously on PC and Mac from the BBC Doctor Who site. Users outside the UK will be able to purchase and download it on its UK release date, 27th August.

TARDIS Stops: The end of the world

THE END OF THE WORLD


Series: one
Episode: two
What happens: The Doctor takes Rose Tyler on her first voyage through time, to the year five billion. The Sun is about to expand and swallow the Earth. But amongst the alien races gathering to watch on Platform One, a murderer is at work. Who is controlling the mysterious and deadly Spiders?


What made it good: The great variety of monsters, and a thrilling storyline.
What made it bad: The main villain being a trampoline
Overall: A grand episode, with a great threat for The Doctor to defeat.



Rating: 4/5

Torchwood: The New world

Torchwood: The New World
News Dated: 8/8/2010
The Hollywood Reporter and USA Today have lifted the lid on the title for Torchwood Series Four (Torchwood: The New World), as well as a few juicy bits of information, courtesy of your friendly neighbourhood Russell T. Davies and Julie Gardner.
The Hollywoord Reporter:

The new story will follow a CIA agent (Rex) and analyst (Ester) who tackle an alien-related global issue.

Torchwood, having been destroyed and disbanded, is "like a legend now ... it's like something that's ceased to exist and is now spoken of only in whispers." Soon, Rex and Ester are on the run and are seeking out the help of Captain Jack and Gwen.

"The two teams coming together is a big part of the story -- are they friends or enemies? There's a lot of sparks and excitement."

"We definitely have a really big story to tell," added executive producer Julie Gardner. "It's absolutely rebooted to welcome in a new audience."

The ten episodes will be very fast paced, telling a self-contained story with the miniseries "Children of Earth" being used as a template.

Being on Starz, the show could potentially take advantage of looser standards for nudity and violence.

"I've always had loose standards and practices," Davies said. "If the story demands intimacy or savagery, we will go there absolutely ... [but] there's nothing better than a great big global thriller that stops for a sex scene -- it's probably hard to make that happen in a thriller."
USA Today:

"New" is the operative word. The team has left Wales for America, as creator Russell T. Davies has left Britain for Los Angeles. The case will tie the two remaining Torchwood members (Jack and Eve Myles's Gwen) to the CIA, and will expand into a world-wide threat. And yet, says Davies, it "will be faithful" to the BBC original.

Davies says this story, which "had been ticking away in my mind for a long while," had not been planned as a Torchwood story at all. "And suddenly I thought, there's a popular show, there's a great story, let's put them together...It felt like it definitely could move forward and become new again."

Though it will be newer and bigger, the tone won't change, says Davies. Barrowman's Jack will still be TV's only bi-sexual hero, character will still be stressed, and humor will still play a large part in the show's make-up.

"I sit there in the editing room saying 'Don't cut that joke! Cut the plot, cut the murder, cut the story, but don't cut the joke.'...It will always be a cheeky show."

In the meantime, two new posters have surfaced online, produced by Starz, and featuring images of both Captain Jack and Gwen, touting the new title and Summer 2011 airdate

Am's history hunt now on Doctor Who site

A new Doctor Who game, entitled 'Amy's History Hunt' is now available to play exclusively on the official Doctor Who website. It stars Karen Gillan as Amy Pond and includes a short story by Paul Cornell, the writer of Father's Day, Human Nature and The Family of Blood.

Instructions

As the Doctor has disappeared and taken his sonic screwdriver with him, you'll need to enter a sequence of digits in order to crack the code that opens the safe. All you have to do is answer questions about friends of the Doctor. If you get all three questions right about a single person you release a digit and move a step further to opening the safe. But Amy explains all this in the video!

Watch her message and then click on 'Start the History Hunt' to begin the adventure! Initially you'll get a choice of three people you can investigate first. After selecting one of them you should click on the 'Find out more about...' icon. You'll be whisked away to another page where you can either plunge straight into the questions by clicking on 'Unlock a piece of the code' or find out more about the person by following links to websites and exclusive videos. All the answers to the questions can be found in there somewhere!

By correctly answering three questions you'll release a digit that automatically registers on the safe's read out. When you've cracked the code you'll have opened the Doctor's safe and find his favourite painting. And as a sign of the Doctor gratitude for your help you'll get an exclusive short story that fills you in in on what he's been up to whilst you've been helping Amy!

Right now there are three people you can investigate and answer questions about - Vincent Van Gogh, Winston Churchill and Agatha Christie. But we'll be adding more at the end of the week.

TARDIS Stops: Rose

ROSE
Series: one
Episode: one
What happens: When Rose Tyler meets a mysterious stranger called the Doctor, her life will never be the same again. Soon, she realises that her mum, her boyfriend and the whole of planet Earth are in danger. The only hope of salvation lies inside a strange blue box.
What made it good: The introduction of The Doctor, the story, and attack of the wheelie bins
What made it bad: The  autons. A new and more exciting enemy should have been used. 
Overall: A brilliant episode, great characters, great storyline, but a bad enemy that gave a plastic performance. (Excuse the well planned pun)


Rating: 4/5

Monster of the week: The Vashta Nerada

The Vashta Nerada


Last seen: Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead
Vashta Nerada were swarming, carnivorous beings. The name meant "the Shadows that melt the flesh".


Reason for Monster of the week: A terifying and creepy monster that left you wondering if the shadows were safe anymore. The truth behind them was so scary, and the skeletons they took over were horrifying. 

TARDIS travellers: Donna Noble

Donna Noble

First met the Doctor on her first wedding day, christmas eve, where she became part of the Racnoss plan to take over Earth. She turned down The Doctor's first offer to travel with him.
After that, Donna spent her life trying to find The Doctor, and by chance did, when they were both investigating adipose industries. 


Donna has appeared in:

Series 2

• Doomsday (introduction; cameo)

Series 3

• The Runaway Bride (leaves)

Series 4

• Partners in Crime (re-joins)
• The Fires of Pompeii
• Planet of the Ood
• The Sontaran Stratagem

• The Poison Sky
• The Doctor's Daughter
• The Unicorn and the Wasp
• Silence in the Library

• Forest of the Dead
• Midnight (extended cameo)
• Turn Left
• The Stolen Earth

• Journey's End (leaves)

2009 Specials

• The End of Time (guest)

Best Donna Episode: The runaway Bride


Best Donna Line: "This isn't my real body? But I've been dieting" Forest of the dead, series 4

Doctor Who Christmas update #1

BBC press office release

Production starts today (Monday 12th July) on the 2010 Doctor Who BBC One Christmas Special in which the thrilling adventures of the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) and newlyweds Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) will continue in a fun-filled and heartfelt festive story.

In the grand tradition of Doctor Who Christmas specials, this year the show has once again attracted stellar guest stars as veteran actor Michael Gambon (Harry Potter, The Singing Detective) and opera diva Katherine Jenkins, in her first acting role, join the Time Lord for what might be his most Christmassy adventure yet!

Arriving on set for her first day of filming, Katherine Jenkins said: "I'm over the moon to be involved in the Doctor Who Christmas Special – I can't quite believe it as it's a part of the family tradition at the Jenkins household. I heard the news that I got the role on my 30th birthday and it was the best birthday present ever!"

About the series, lead writer and executive producer, Steven Moffat, commented: "Oh, we're going for broke with this one. It's all your favourite Christmas movies at once, in an hour, with monsters and the Doctor and a honeymoon and – oh, you'll see. I've honestly never been so excited about writing anything. I was laughing madly as I typed along to Christmas songs in April. My neighbours loved it so much they all moved away and set up a website demanding my execution. But I'm fairly sure they did it ironically."

The Christmas special follows on from Matt Smith's first series as The Doctor, which attracted huge critical acclaim for Smith, his companion, Gillan, and lead writer Moffat, from press and legions of fans alike.
Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning, said: "Matt Smith and Karen Gillan captivated audiences in their debut series and Doctor Who's clever twist on the much loved A Christmas Carol will thrill BBC One viewers this year with special guest stars Sir Michael Gambon and singing sensation Katherine Jenkins joining Amy and the Doctor for an unforgettable present!"

Filming on the Christmas special will continue until August 2010.

Friday: The Doctor's Moment: A look at the Doctors Best moments since the 2005 series.

Doctor: 9th
Series: 2005
Episode: Bad wolf
Moment: The Doctor saying "No" to the Daleks

Into the Vortex: Weekley Features

Since the 5th Series has finished, there will be a slight lack of Doctor Who goodness to post.
So, to past the time until Christmas and the new series, every weekday will have a new themed post, which are as followed:

Monday: TARDIS Stops: A weekly review of the episodes of "New Who", starting with "Rose" from series 1 and ending with "The Big Bang" from series 5.

Tuesday: TARDIS travellers: A look at some of the people that have been in the TARDIS since the 2005 series.

Wednesday: Who New?: Round up of the weeks Who news

Thursday: Monster of the week: Monsters and Villains from the Doctor Who since the 2005 series

Friday: The Doctor's Moment: A look at the Doctors Best moments since the 2005 series.

Normal Doctor Who news will be posted everyday when avaliable. But Wednesday's will be a roundup of all news

MASSIVE final spoilers (from i09)

Look if you dare! You have been warned!

highlight to see

Bluehinter's Doctor Who spoilers

• The "Future Doctor" thing from 'Flesh and Stone' DOES happen, and has been confirmed by people who have seen the scripts.
• The Pandorica has a rather useful feature, in that it keeps you alive... forever. (Which is good, considering what just happened to Amy.)
• Amy has a very special brain because she grew up next to the crack for so long.
• Auton-Rory is responsible for releasing the Doctor, and Amy gets locked inside the Pandorica while the Doctor goes off to find the right "fuel" to bring her back to life, leaving Rory to guard the box. Stuff happens and Rory is left waiting a LONG TIME, hence the "love that lasts a thousand years." He becomes "The Lone Centurion" and is spotted throughout time guarding the box. (and as some fans have pointed out, this actually makes him chronologically older than the Doctor now!)
• Rory doesn't stay an Auton though, and he supposedly ends up human by the end.
• The TARDIS does explode, but it's not how you think.
• There is a wedding at the end, and one person who has seen the episode says that the ending is cheesily reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz.

Finally, there are some pretty strong indications that Omega shows up at the end. (possibly played by Jason Isaacs, aka Lucius Malfoy from the Harry Potter films) He may not be a traditional big bad though, and it's possible that his appearance is just a teaser for bigger events to occur in Series 6.

The main evidence in favor of the evil Time Lord's return come from two independent posters on Gallifrey Base; one who claims to have seen some concept art, and another who says that he was shown a suit of black "armor" with big gauntlets labled as "Omega." As for Jason Isaacs taking over the role, he was seen entering a closed door meeting with Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, and John Simm a few months back (after this episode was filmed, though). This led to much speculation that he could be taking over the role of the Master next year (or possibly just appearing in a future season of 'Sherlock', which Moffat and Gatiss also produce), but considering that another informant has teased that "a Harry Potter actor has a surprise role in the finale," some of that speculation has shifted towards him possibly being Omega instead.

The Big Bang: Introduction

The Countdown to the Pandorica opens beings

The Pandorica Opens

18:40, Saturday 19 June, BBC One
The Doctor's friends unite to send him a terrible warning; the Pandorica - which is said to contain the most feared being in all the cosmos - is opening. But what's inside, and can the Doctor stop it?