News

Alvin Rakoff, the Canadian-born filmmaker who directed Laurence Olivier in A Voyage Round My Father, has died. He was 97.

His death was confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter by his longtime publicist, Nick Pourgourides. He passed away on Oct. 12 surrounded by family at home in Chiswick, a neighborhood in London.

Rakoff as a writer, director and producer of over 100 TV, film and stage productions, as well as novels, directed Olivier and co-stars Alan Bates and Jane Asher in the 1982 TV drama A Voyage Round My Father, a film written by John Mortimer and which earned the director his second Emmy Award.

Alvin and Olivier also worked together on Mr. Halpern and Mr. Johnson and A Talent for Murder, both shot in 1983. The two-time Emmy Award winner also gave a young Sean Connery his first leading role in the 1957 film Requiem for a Heavyweight, and Alan Rickman as a young actor was...

Alvin Rakoff, the veteran Canadian filmmaker best known for pics like the 1982 feature A Voyage Round My Father starring Laurence Olivier, died in Chiswick, London, October 12 surrounded by his family. He was 97.

Rakoff’s former personal agent confirmed the news with Deadline this morning.

Born on on February 6, 1927, in Toronto Rakoff was the third of seven children. After graduating from the University of Toronto with a psychology degree, Rakoff spent time as a news reporter. His first job as a writer was with the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC), which later sponsored Rakoff to visit the UK. Within days of arriving, he sold his first fiction script to the BBC. He was soon invited to join the BBC’s director’s training course and, the following year at the age of twenty-six, Rakoff became the youngest producer/director in the BBC drama department.

As Rakoff once recalled: “I trained at the BBC as a director-producer.

Alvin Rakoff, the Canadian director who made films including Say Hello To Yesterday and who helped launch the careers of Sean Connery and Alan Rickman, has died at the age of 97.

Rakoff died on October 12, “peacefully…surrounded by his loving family in the same, beautiful old house in Chiswick he had bought back in 1971”, according to Nick Pourgourides, a long-time representative of the filmmaker.

Rakoff directed 11 feature films across a near 70-year career, including 1969 crime film Crossplot starring Roger Moore and Claudie Lange; 1970 drama Hoffman led by Peter Sellers; and 1971 romantic comedy Say Hello To Yesterday starring Jean Simmons.

He...

Canadian director, writer and producer Alvin Rakoff, best known for directing Laurence Olivier in “A Voyage Round My Father,” has died at the age of 97.

The cause of death was “old age,” his publicist told Variety. He died on Oct. 12 at home, surrounded by his family.

Over a career spanning more than four decades, which began when television was still only available in black-and-white, Rakoff was involved in over 100 television, film and stage productions as well as writing novels. According to his representatives, he was still working into his ’90s.

Rakoff was the third of seven children born to Sam and Pearl Rakoff in Toronto in 1927. His parents owned a dry goods shop but the director grew up in poverty after the Great Depression hit in 1929. He would later recount the experience in his novel “Baldwin Street.”

After seeing his first film in a theater at the age of 6, his...

As it nears 60 years since Susan Foreman said farewell to William Hartnell's First Doctor, Carole Ann Ford has addressed the potential difficulties surrounding a possible return to Doctor Who. Susan was the Time Lord's first companion, being the Doctor's granddaughter who had joined him on his journey and hid on Earth until she attracted the attention of teachers Ian Chesterton (William Russell) and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill). After almost a year of adventures in the show, Ford left the series in the final chapter of 1966's "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" to rebuild society.

With December 26 set to mark sixty years since the First Doctor left Susan in 22nd century London, Ford opens up to RadioTimes about whether she would still be open to returning to Doctor Who. The actress admits that she has some hesitation about returning, being unsure whether she would be able to handle not...

William Russell, the stage and screen actor who played schoolteacher Ian Chesterton in the original series of Doctor Who, has died. He was 99. He is the father of Harry Potter and How to Get Away With Murder actor Alfred Enoch. The passing was announced in an obituary posted by The Guardian newspaper in the U.K., revealing Russell died on Monday, June 3. A cause of death was not provided. Born on November 19, 1924, in Sunderland, County Durham, England, Russell was involved with acting from a young age, organizing entertainment during his national service in the Royal Air Force and then, after university, going onto repertory theatre. He is best known for portraying science teacher Ian Chesterton in the original two series of Doctor Who, which premiered in 1963. He was one of the four leads alongside William Hartnell as the First Doctor, Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright, and Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman.

Doctor Who offers multiple jumping-on points for new audiences, making it accessible to newcomers. There are key moments in the show's 60-year history that form the ongoing story of the Doctor and their companions. Episodes like "An Unearthly Child" and "The Daleks" are essential for understanding the show's origins and its most iconic enemies.

As a brand-new era of Doctor Who launches on Disney+, viewers may be looking for a road map as to how to navigate 60 years of important stories and mythology. The beauty of Doctor Who is that its very format provides multiple jumping on points for prospective audiences. Unlike other big TV shows, Doctor Who is not anchored to one particular time and place, and so there's the possibility that every trip in the Tardis is someone's first. All that being said, there is a rich tapestry of mythology that ties Doctor Who's six decades together,...

Doctor Who has been on air for 60 years and has a vast amount of content, including TV episodes, comics, novels, audio dramas, and spinoffs. Each of the thirteen Doctors has their own standout stories, showcasing their unique characteristics and storylines. The show has evolved over the years, with different eras offering different tones and storytelling styles, but the heart of Doctor Who remains the same - an adventurous time-traveling hero saving the universe.

As Doctor Who celebrates 60 years in 2023, and accessing the show's history has never been easier, there's no better time to dive into each Doctor's greatest hits. With six decades worth of TV episodes, comic strips, novels, audio dramas, and spinoffs, tackling the Whoniverse can be a daunting prospect for the uninitiated. However, the format of Doctor Who - particularly its classic era - does mean that it's very easy to just dive in, feet first. For the majority of Doctor Who's 60 years,...

Doctor Who editor Benjamin Cook defends creative decisions made during the colorization of "The Daleks" to better fit the narrative intentions and modernize the episode for viewers. The newly colorized version of "The Daleks" will feature new VFX, a newly composed score, and additional scenes, making it a unique viewing experience compared to the original broadcast. While the restoration may not adhere to the original production design specifications, "The Daleks In Colour" will provide a modern perspective on the iconic elements of the episode, making it accessible for viewers accustomed to the format of modern Doctor Who.

Doctor Who editor Benjamin Cook opens up about his work on the colorization of the classic First Doctor adventure "The Daleks", defending certain creative decisions behind the restoration of the 1960s story. "The Daleks" was the second adventure for William Hartnell's First Doctor, when the Tardis materializes on Skaro and brings the...

The Doctor's first encounter with the Daleks will be colorized and re-edited for Doctor Who's 60th anniversary. The Daleks helped Doctor Who grow its audience and established key elements of the series. The Daleks' debut being colorized and rebroadcast is a fitting way to celebrate their significance to Doctor Who.

The Doctor's first-ever encounter with the Daleks will be colorized and re-edited to celebrate Doctor Who's 60th anniversary. The Daleks was Doctor Who's second serial, where William Hartnell's First Doctor, granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford), and companions Ian (William Russell) and Barbara (Jacqueline Hill) are transported to Skaro, encountering the deadly mutated creatures. In addition to receiving positive praise, The Daleks helped Doctor Who grow its audience.

Though the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials will begin airing November 25, two days after the date the series premiered, the official Doctor Who Twitter account and website has revealed that...

Warning: Contains Spoilers for Tales from the Tardis

"Tales from the Tardis" brilliantly reunites Doctors and companions, staying true to their respective eras while adding emotional nuance. Russell T Davies mocks the outdated "no hugging in the Tardis" rule from the 1980s, highlighting the emotional coldness of classic Doctor Who. The breaking of the "no hugging" rule in modern Doctor Who brought realism and emotional impact to the show, making the Doctor-companion relationships feel more genuine.

Doctor Who has mocked a strange and incredibly outdated rule from the 1980s period of the classic series, overseen by producer John Nathan-Turner. The new spinoff Tales from the Tardis reunites Doctors and companions from the classic era to remember their past adventures. The new scenes, written by Russell T Davies, Pete McTighe, and Phil Ford brilliantly stay true to the spirit of each respective era while bringing them more in line with the...

On Monday, October 30, 2023, at 10:00 Pm, ITV will air Season 1, Episode 6 of “The Long Shadow.” In this episode, concerns start to emerge among several detectives involved in the investigation. They express reservations about the direction of the case and the reliability of the evidence they’ve gathered.

As the investigation encounters doubts, West Yorkshire Police takes a significant step by launching a large-scale public appeal. This appeal aims to engage the community and encourage public assistance in identifying and capturing the murderer.

“The Long Shadow” is a factual program that presents the details of a real-life murder investigation. This episode highlights the critical juncture where doubts emerge within the investigative team, leading to a public plea for support.

Viewers can tune in to ITV to watch this episode of “The Long Shadow” and follow the developments in this ongoing murder investigation, as well as the efforts to seek public assistance in solving the case.

The BBC has been blocked from releasing the first Doctor Who story by the son of writer Anthony Coburn due to disputes over the show's rights. The omission of the four episodes comprising An Unearthly Child from the BBC iPlayer's Doctor Who library is a blow to the preservation and accessibility of the show's classic era. Stef Anthony Coburn claims that the BBC disrespected his father's contributions and took the episode's trademark without permission, leading to a decline in his father's health. He blames the BBC for not allowing viewers to watch the episode.

The BBC has been blocked from releasing the first Doctor Who story by the son of writer Anthony Coburn following a vicious dispute over the broadcast rights. Directed by Waris Hussein, An Unearthly Child was the show's debut story, introducing William Hartnell's First Doctor as he, granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford), and schoolteachers Ian Chesterton...

On Monday, October 23, 2023, at 9:00 Pm, ITV will broadcast Season 1, Episode 5 of “The Long Shadow.” In this episode, the police will look back at old attacks to try to find more victims. They hope to identify people who may have been harmed in the past.

Additionally, George Oldfield, a key figure, is quite motivated when a letter arrives from the person responsible for the crimes. This letter stirs up the investigation and the pursuit of the criminal.

If you have an interest in true crime stories and how police investigate cases, this episode is worth watching. Tune in to ITV at 9:00 Pm on Monday, October 23, 2023, for “The Long Shadow: Season 1, Episode 5.” It provides insights into the police work to uncover the truth and sheds light on a historic case that has had a lasting impact.

Release Date & Time: 9:00 Pm Monday 23 October 2023 on ITV

The Long Shadow Cast – Season...

On Monday, October 16, 2023, at 9:00 Pm on ITV, the crime drama series “The Long Shadow” continues with Season 1, Episode 4. In this episode, the detectives investigate a new lead in their ongoing case. Another woman survives an attack, raising hopes that they are getting closer to identifying the perpetrator.

The focus of the investigation shifts to a driver in Leeds, who emerges as the prime suspect in the case. The detectives work diligently to gather evidence and build a case against this individual.

“The Long Shadow” is a gripping crime drama that follows the efforts of law enforcement to solve a series of crimes and bring the culprits to justice. Viewers can expect to see how this new development in the investigation unfolds and if it leads to a breakthrough in the case.

Tune in to witness the latest developments in the pursuit of justice on “The Long Shadow” this Monday evening.

Since Doctor Who's 2005 revival, the Doctor has adopted a fairly lucrative side-line in delivering inspirational and motivational speeches. So prevalent is the big speech in modern Doctor Who, that actors are often handed the dialog at conventions, to provide alternate takes on these rousing speeches. Sylvester McCoy was asked to deliver Matt Smith's Pandorica speech from the Doctor Who season 5 episode "The Pandorica Opens", while John Hurt was given the Twelfth Doctor's observations on warfare from "The Zygon Inversion". In a way, this is slightly insulting to the actors, as it suggests that their Doctors were never given speeches of such magnitude during their own era.

While the big rousing Doctor Who speech is more prevalent in the modern era, many of the scripts from the classic era from 1963 to 1989 are full of words to live by. It's why the BBC published the book Wit, Wisdom, and Timey-Wimey...

While most Doctor Who companions over the past 60 years have been young women, the ages of companions actually varies widely. The first several Doctor Who seasons almost always had a teenage girl as one of the main companions, as an audience surrogate when the series was more aimed at children. The actresses, however, were all over 18.

Modern Doctor Who companions trend a little older, but new Doctor Who companion Ruby Sunday will be the youngest yet. Millie Gibson was just 18 years old when she began filming Doctor Who season 14 last year. Though some companions have been younger in fiction, none of the actors have been younger than 19 until now.

Related: Doctor Who: Every Doctor's True Companion

Susan Foreman

The Doctor's granddaughter, Susan Foreman, appeared to be a teenager when she and the First Doctor appeared in Doctor Who's first episode, "An Unearthly Child." In the "Marco Polo" serial...

Although she had never met them, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) identified exactly who the most important Doctor Who companions were. The much-loved Doctor Who companion made her debut in the 2006 Christmas special "The Runaway Bride", where she and the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) averted a Racnoss invasion of Earth. Grieving the loss of Rose (Billie Piper), the Doctor welcomed the distraction of Donna and the mystery surrounding her wedding day. However, it soon became clear that without Rose, the Doctor was relapsing into the angry and unforgiving Time Lord that brought an end to the Time War.

After Donna stopped the Doctor from committing genocide against the Racnoss (Sarah Parish) and her children, she declined his offer of traveling in the Tardis. However, she did ask that he found a new companion because she felt that he needed someone to stop him. This is obviously a coded nudge to get...

Although Doctor Who is the title character, the First Doctor (William Hartnell) and his granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford) weren't the first lead characters. There's a long-standing fan argument about whether the title of the show is a question, or the Doctor's actual name. Steven Moffat memorably played around with this concept during the 50th anniversary season when he introduced the concept of the "oldest question" - Doctor, Who? Moffat also mischievously suggested Doctor Who was the Doctor's real name, when Missy (Michelle Gomez) effectively role-played as the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi) in "World Enough And Time".

It was always the intention of the show's creators, Sidney Newman, Donald Wilson, and C.E. Webber for the title Doctor Who to suggest the air of mystery that surrounded the character. With such a mysterious and irascible title character, Doctor Who needed audience identification figures as their way into the Tardis. Susan was...

The Daleks are the perfect villain for Ncuti Gatwa's first Doctor Who episode, due to air over Christmas 2023. Ncuti Gatwa's debut as the Doctor will be the culmination of Doctor Who's 60th-anniversary celebrations, with his first proper season due to air later in 2024. The Daleks had been a recurring foe in Chris Chibnall's New Year's Day specials when he was Doctor Who showrunner, but the Doctor's oldest enemies have never featured in a proper Christmas special before.

While it could be claimed that the Daleks would overshadow the debut of Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor, a precedent was set nearly 60 years earlier. The very first story to introduce a new Doctor on-screen, 1966's "The Power of the Daleks" is one of the most acclaimed Dalek stories ever, and also firmly established Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor. There's also another strong case for a Dalek adventure to...

Carole Ann Ford opens up about her time as part of the Doctor Who cast, explaining why she is envious of the modern companions compared to her own experience during the classic era. Ford portrayed Susan Foreman, granddaughter and the first companion of William Hartnell's First Doctor, and debuted in the sci-fi series' pilot, "An Unearthly Child." Alongside Hartnell, as well as William Russell and Jacqueline Hill, who portrayed teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, Ford's character faced the Daleks, prehistoric cavemen, and French revolutionaries, and was shrunk to the size of an insect during their adventures in the Tardis.

With growing hopes to see Susan return to Doctor Who in the show's revived era, Ford opened up about her time as part of the classic cast in seasons 1 and 2 to RadioTimes. Admitting that she felt that Susan's writing left much to be desired, the star explained that she...

Over the years, Doctor Who has featured many actors as companions to the titular Time Lord, but not many lasted a long time on the show. Doctor Who first premiered on the BBC in 1963, quickly becoming one of the most popular shows on television, at least until its 1989 cancelation. After a failed attempt at a revival in 1996, the series came back with a bang in 2005 under the supervision of Russell T. Davies. Fifteen actors have taken on the coveted role of the Doctor, but many more actors have portrayed traveling companions for the alien adventurer, most staying for only one or two seasons before departing.

When the series began, the role of the companion was simply a side character, acting as the audience's eyes and ears as the Doctor splurges information about the various time periods and planets they find themselves in. After its 2005 revival, however, companions have played a...

Vicki, who never even got a surname on screen despite appearing in 38 episodes of Doctor Who, is an underrated companion. Indeed, Maureen O’Brien’s character is significant as the template for the young female lead in the show going forward. She has a strong bond with William Hartnell’s Doctor, who provides a father-figure for her, and is smart, confident and funny in her own right.

Appearing in only nine stories, Vicki’s final story has no surviving footage (though the audio exists) and two more of her stories are only partially complete. Only one of her stories was in the top half of the Doctor Who Magazine 50th anniversary poll, and a few of them are in the lower reaches of the rankings. Her only Dalek story is ‘The Chase’, which is one of the less well thought of. So perhaps there are reasons she’s not often cited...

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Doctor Who: The Power of the DoctorDoctor Who has broken a Guinness World Record in its centenary special “The Power of the Doctor.” The special episode was Jodie Whittaker’s final appearance as the Doctor and, as well as celebrating 100 years of the BBC, it revisited many old faces throughout Doctor Who’s 60-year history. Whittaker’s final episode saw the Master (Sacha Dhawan) force the Doctor to regenerate to erase her from existence for which she needs to use an AI program, taking the form of old actors who played the Doctor, to undo the regeneration.

The old versions of the Doctor were not the only familiar faces, as William Russell returned as Ian Chesterton which broke the Guinness World Record for “Longest gap between TV appearances as the same character”. The previous record was held by Phillip Lowrie as Dennis Tanner,...

The idea of the late Sean Connery being anything other than a cinema icon may be a difficult one to comprehend, but there once was a time when the Scot was a struggling extra looking for work.

It was actually the director Alvin Rakoff who — in 1957 — gave a 26-year-old Connery his first leading role, although, as he admits to The Hollywood Reporter, it was his late first wife Jacqueline Hill who convinced him to do so.

A young Canadian filmmaker who had come over to the U.K. in the 1950s — becoming the youngest producer/director in the ...

The idea of the late Sean Connery being anything other than a cinema icon may be a difficult one to comprehend, but there once was a time when the Scot was a struggling extra looking for work.

It was actually the director Alvin Rakoff who — in 1957 — gave a 26-year-old Connery his first leading role, although, as he admits to The Hollywood Reporter, it was his late first wife Jacqueline Hill who convinced him to do so.

A young Canadian filmmaker who had come over to the U.K. in the 1950s — becoming the youngest producer/director in the ...

Rob Leane Jun 5, 2017

The fate of Class - the Doctor Who spinoff - is still up in the air. If it does come back, it won't be with its creator...

Class, the Doctor Who spin-off created by young adult author Patrick Ness, which is set within the alien-attracting Who location Coal Hill School, has not yet been renewed for a second series.

See related Marvel's Cloak And Dagger: the first trailer

Over the weekend, a major blow was dealt to the show's future: Ness, the creator and head writer of Class, officially parted ways with the series.

He broke the news with a series of Tweets, saying this on social media...

I decided awhile back that, with unbelievable regret, I won’t be writing any more Class, even if a season 2 moves ahead.

It has been the Most amazing experience. I loved it, and I am so proud of...

"A thing that looks like a police box, stuck in a junkyard, can move anywhere in time and space?"

November 23, 2014 is Doctor Who's 51st anniversary - alright, so it's not as big a deal as last year, but all the same, we thought we'd take a look back at the show's very beginnings... and then go even further back than that.

The world's longest-running science-fiction series shot its original 'pilot' episode - in its entirety - on September 27, 1963. But when Sydney Newman, BBC Head of Drama, saw the finished product, he was appalled - demanding that producer Verity Lambert and director Waris Hussein do the entire thing over again from scratch.

But is this first attempt at Doctor Who really as bad as this story would suggest, and how different is it really from the version of 'An Unearthly Child' that we would come to know and love?

Remarkably...

BBC

It would be pretty to think that all those missing episodes of Doctor Who from the 1960s contain nothing but brilliant and exciting moments that we’re all missing out on just because that bad ol’ Beeb went and erased them. But if the existing episodes are anything to go by, that’s just wishful thinking. We all love this show, we really do, but there are times when it’s downright difficult to watch it.

It’s not necessarily the low-budget special effects, or the occasional uncontrolled coughing fit that simply doesn’t justify an expensive retake (anyone else wish they could give Jacqueline Hill a cough lozenge during episode three of The Keys of Marinus?). If we were to judge ’60s Doctor Who on the special effects alone, we’d have a list of cringes for each episode, not just for the decade – even more now that...

New pictures from Doctor Who's next episode 'The Caretaker' have debuted online.

The BBC sci-fi's latest episode - co-written by Gareth Roberts and Steven Moffat - sees the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) pose as a caretaker at Coal Hill School, where Clara (Jenna Coleman) works as a teacher.

The episode's official synopsis reads: "The terrifying Skovox Blitzer is ready to destroy all humanity - but worse, and any second now, Danny Pink and the Doctor are going to meet.

"When terrifying events threaten Coal Hill School, the Doctor decides to go undercover."

Samuel Anderson reprises his role of Danny Pink for the instalment, helmed by 'Robot Of Sherwood' director Paul Murphy.

Coal Hill School was introduced in the first ever episode of Doctor Who back in November 1963.

The Doctor's granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford) originally attended the school, where she was taught by companions Ian (William Russell) and Barbara (Jacqueline Hill...

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.

During the Big Finish Day 5 which took place in Slough on Saturday 13th September, fans learned that original Doctor Who companion Barbara Wright would be recast for a future collection of Early Adventures stories. The actress? None other than Jemma Powell, who played Jacqueline Hill in An Adventure in Space and Time! Who better?!

The post Big Finish Recasts Barbara Wright For Early Adventures! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Peter Capaldi is far from the only Doctor Who actor to appear in multiple roles. Mark talks us through the many others to have done so...

It's been just over a year since the BBC announced that Peter Capaldi would play the Twelfth Doctor. There were rumblings of his casting in the week before the announcement was made, to the point where bookies stopped taking bets on it.

We've spent the last twelve months in anticipation of what seems like dream casting for the Time Lord, but some of us were a little sceptical that an actor of his profile and standing would take the role until it was actually announced, but “he's been in it before” was not atop the list of reasons why we thought it was too good to be true.

Over the course of 50 years, Doctor Who has inevitably reused actors as different characters- there are...

A recording of Sean Connery's first lead TV performance has been found.

The performance, which was thought to have been lost forever, was uncovered in the form of an audio recording by the film's director, after spending 55 years in his attic.

Connery played unfit boxer Malcolm 'Mountain' McClintock in the play Requiem for a Heavyweight, which was broadcast live on the BBC in 1957.

Director Alvin Rakof told BBC News: "He was tall, good-looking and had charisma from the start."

Requiem for a Heavyweight was written for Us television and originally starred Jack Palance in the lead role. Rakof said it was his future wife, actress Jacqueline Hill, who convinced him to hire Connery to replace Palance, despite him just taking extra roles at the time.

He said: "I got a call from his [Palance's] agent who said, 'Jack ain't gonna show'. Something better had come up and he didn't want to come to England.

Doctor Who, “An Unearthly Child”

Written by Anthony Coburn

Directed by Waris Hussein

Originally aired November 23, 1963 on BBC TV

“Have you ever thought what it’s like to be wanderers in the fourth dimension?”

Setting aside how iconic Doctor Who has become, in watching its pilot episode “An Unearthly Child”, it’s stunning how ambitious and magical the episode still feels; it’s not hard to see why the show has lasted 50 years.

Technically speaking, “pilot” was not a term used in British television at the time Doctor Who was commissioned and the version of “An Unearthly Child” that aired was not the first one shot. There were adjustments to the characters, especially the Doctor, who was made to be less cruel (at one point he called Susan a “stupid child”), as well as the technical side of the production. The episode benefited from this tinkering, however, and Doctor Who was born.

Odd List Den Of Geek 18 Dec 2013 - 07:00

We take a look at what to put in the stockings of Doctor Who and Sherlock fans this Christmas...

Obviously we have the latest instalment of the Moffat Christmas Carol to look forward to later this month, as Matt Smith bows out in a flurry of elbows and hairpieces, but Doctor Who doesn't have to stop there. You can artificially extend the experience by virtue of Doctor Who-themed presents.

While you can, of course, give someone the gift of a Wirrrn/Zoe Heriot costume just by giving them a roll of bubble wrap, we all know it's the thought that counts*, and the above thought is weird. If, like us, your brain is currently an addled mass of future tears, you might appreciate some help in assembling your thoughts into something constructive. God knows I would, but he's all busy with his son's birthday.

Regular followers are probably aware that we here are at Sound on Sight are more than a little fond of an obscure British science fiction program that celebrated an anniversary of some kind last weekend. Anniversaries are always an excellent time to reflect upon and celebrate a show’s history and the lead up to last Saturday’s “The Day of the Doctor” saw the entire Whoniverse coming together to share their thoughts on everything from their favourite episodes, most beloved eras, and of course, “their” Doctor. I just love that a top ten list can be the beginning of a good conversation or a great fight, and I find that the most heat, and some of the best light, is generated when Whovians start talking about their favourite Companions. A Companion is more than just our surrogate, they’re a gateway and guide to the series who helps us...

Former Doctor Who star Peter Davison has unveiled a short film in commemoration of the show's 50th anniversary.

The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot takes a humorous look Davison and his fellow former Doctors' attempt to take centre stage for Doctor Who's 50th anniversary.

> Doctor Who 50th: Digital Spy's greatest ever story revealed

> Doctor Who: 11 golden moments from 50 years of the BBC sci-fi smash

This short film is the latest component in the wide-ranging celebration that has spanned the past several weeks.

Mark Gatiss's well-received drama An Adventure in Space and Time dramatised the origins of Doctor Who, with David Bradley portraying the late William Hartnell.

> Doctor Who at 50: 5 shows that tried to fill the sci-fi's slot

'The Day of The Doctor' aired on Saturday (November 23), and featured Matt Smith, David Tennant, John Hurt and a host of other surprises.

Doctor Who originally debuted on November 23, 1963 with...

Former Doctor Who star Peter Davison has unveiled a short film in commemoration of the show's 50th anniversary.

The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot takes a humorous look at Davison and his fellow former Doctors' attempt to take centre stage for Doctor Who's 50th anniversary.

> Doctor Who 50th: Digital Spy's 'The Day of the Doctor' review

> Doctor Who: 11 golden moments from 50 years of the BBC sci-fi smash

This short film is the latest component in the wide-ranging celebration that has spanned the past several weeks.

Mark Gatiss's well-received drama An Adventure in Space and Time dramatised the origins of Doctor Who, with David Bradley portraying the late William Hartnell.

> Doctor Who 50th: Digital Spy's greatest ever story revealed

> Doctor Who at 50: 5 shows that tried to fill the sci-fi's slot

'The Day of The Doctor' aired on Saturday (November 23), and featured Matt Smith, David Tennant, John Hurt and a host of other surprises.

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.

Ever since the missing episodes #omnirumour train started rolling, one serial that has often been mentioned is lost Doctor Who classic Marco Polo from 1964. Even as recently as last week there were rumours that an episode from the seven parter starring William Hartnell, Carole Ann Ford, Jacqueline Hill and William Russell – with Mark

The post Marco Polo Discovery Claim: Recorded By A Fan? appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Join me here on Tuesdays and Thursdays as I explore the earliest seasons of "Doctor Who" -- as a complete newbie to the series. A full explanation can be found here. I'm starting at the very beginning, with "An Unearthly Child" and "The Cave of Skulls."

An Unearthly Child

It's so neat that the DVD set of the first three stories includes both the original pilot and the one that actually aired on Nov. 23, 1963. The differences aren't earth-shattering, so to speak, but they are there.

It introduces us to the four main characters for the First Doctor -- the Doctor (William Hartnell), Susan (Carole Ann Ford), Ian Chesterton (William Russell) and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill).

I actually preferred the way the Doctor and Susan behaved in the unaired pilot than the aired one -- am I alone in this? The Doctor was a bit more angry, more menacing perhaps? It...

Barbara Wright

Portrayed By: Jacqueline Hill

Doctor(s): First Doctor

Tenure: 16 Stories (73 episodes), from An Unearthly Child (Nov, 1963) to The Chase (June, 1965)

Background: Barbara Wright is a history teacher at the Coal Hill School alongside Ian Chesterton. We are introduced to her in the series’ pilot episode as the teacher of Susan Foreman, who is soon revealed to be The Doctor’s granddaughter. Perplexed by Susan’s strange behavior, Ian and Barbara follow her back to her home in a junkyard, where they see her enter a mysterious police box. They follow her in, only to discover the Tardis, the time machine that serves as a home to Susan and The Doctor. Though they promise to keep the secret, the paranoid Doctor refuses to let them leave and instead whisks them off through space and time.

Personality: Barbara is incredibly sensitive and deeply intuitive, often discovering the root of...

Do you fear getting into a situation where your TV-loving partner/friend/relative asks, 'When's show X coming back?' and you're forced to admit you don't know, and as a result they disown you, leaving you a hollow shell of a person?

Well don't you worry, precious flower, because we at Tube Talk are here to bestow you with knowledge and help you avoid tragic telly faux-pas. This week we've got scoop on True Detective, Revenge and more...

I don't think I have ever been more excited for a TV show than True Detective - please tell me it has been picked up by a UK network?

It has! As part of its five-year deal securing all new HBO programming, Sky Atlantic will air True Detective in February 2014... mere weeks after its Us premiere on January 12.

We're chuffed, because Tony Barret is right to be excited - the eight-part series,...

Digital Spy readers named David Tennant as Doctor Who's greatest ever Doctor - now, with less than two weeks to go until the 50th anniversary, DS is embarking on a new quest... to list the top 10 Who stories of all time.

12 days 'til 'The Day of the Doctor' and we've reached our penultimate entry - just missing out on the top spot is a Steven Moffat-penned favourite, beloved by fans and critics alike...

2. Blink (2007) - written by Steven Moffat

"Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And don't blink."

Steven Moffat once remarked that you know you've got a great concept for a Doctor Who story when you think, 'Well, there goes that film idea…'

One of Moffat's greatest ever was 'Blink' - first aired in 2007 and held in high esteem by both Whovians and non-fans ever since, it's a bloody fantastic supernatural horror masquerading as a Doctor Who episode.

We had a feeling that An Adventure in Space and Time would be aired over the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who celebration weekend, but the exact day and time were still to be specified. We have confirmation of that now, November 22nd at 9/8c on BBC America. Wouldn’t want to miss it. Here’s the official press release.

Doctor Who’s First Doctor Regenerated in BBC America’s An Adventure in Space and Time Premiering on November 22 The story of how it all began stars David Bradley, Jessica Raine and Brian Cox

What do you get when you mix C.S. Lewis with H.G. Wells, and sprinkle in a bit of Father Christmas? An alien Time Lord exploring space and time in a Police Box spaceship called the “Tardis” (Time And Relative Dimension in Space). On November 23, 1963, a television legend began when the very first episode of Doctor Who was broadcast on BBC One.

BBC America has released three new images from An Adventure in Space and Time.

The BBC Two drama, written by Mark Gatiss, will chronicle the creation of Doctor Who and the show's early years under original lead William Hartnell.

David Bradley (Broadchurch, Harry Potter) will play Hartnell in the biopic, while Claudia Grant stars as Carole Ann Ford, who played the Doctor's granddaughter Susan.

Jemma Powell and Jamie Glover also appear in the new images, portraying original companion actors Jacqueline Hill and William Russell

An Adventure in Space and Time - also starring Jessica Raine and Brian Cox - will air on BBC Two in November as part of a celebratory slate of programming marking Doctor Who's 50th anniversary.

Classic episodes, documentaries and special editions of BBC programmes will also air on the corporation's major TV channels, on radio and on iPlayer.

> Doctor Who 50th anniversary biopic: New pictures...

News Louisa Mellor 18 Oct 2013 - 11:45

See David Bradley as William Hartnell, Brian Cox as Sydney Newman, and more in new pictures from An Adventure In Space And Time...

Each inward groan elicited by seeing glittery reindeer ornaments and tins of Cadbury's Celebrations in prematurely stocked supermarket aisles this month can be balanced by a tacit 'yippee'; for the closer we come to the end of the year, the closer we come to Doctor Who's fiftieth anniversary celebrations.

A key part of those celebrations is the Mark Gatiss-scripted ninety-minute docudrama An Adventure in Space and Time, chronicling the birth of Doctor Who on the BBC in the period running up to the first broadcast of An Unearthly Child in November 1963.

A clutch of glossy new stills has been released in the lead-up to broadcast, giving us a proper look at just how wonderful David Bradley and co. look as William Hartnell and chums.

Doctor Who's 50th anniversary biopic has unveiled a number of new pictures.

An Adventure in Space and Time, starring David Bradley as the first Doctor William Hartnell, charts the sci-fi drama's early years and has been written by Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss.

Bradley appears alongside Claudia Grant as Carole Ann Ford, who played the Doctor's granddaughter Susan Foreman in one photo.

Jemma Powell and Jamie Glover appear as Jacqueline Hill and William Russell, who were the First Doctor's companions Barbara and Ian.

Elsewhere, Sasha Dhawan stars as director Waris Hussein, while Jessica Raine portrays producer Verity Lambert.

Finally, Brian Cox appears as Sydney Newman, Head of Drama at the BBC in 1963.

An Adventure in Space and Time will air on BBC Two later in 2013.

Watch Gatiss and Bradley talk to Digital Spy about the project below:...

Digital Spy readers named David Tennant as Doctor Who's greatest ever Doctor - now, with just 10 weeks to go until the 50th anniversary, DS is embarking on a new quest... to list the top 10 Who stories of all time.

We kick off with a William Hartnell classic - a sublime character drama set in 15th century Mexico that saw Doctor Who confront the dangers of time-travel and changing history for the first time...

10. The Aztecs (1964) - Four episodes - written by John Lucarotti

Narrowing down Doctor Who's (as-of-writing) 239 stories to the 10 best was an incredibly difficult task, but one serial that was always guaranteed to make it into this writer's own personal 'Best Of' list is John Lucarotti's fantastic jaunt into history, 'The Aztecs'.

William Hartnell's first Doctor struck gold early on - his sixth story is his very best, with a multi-layered and powerful script,...

The 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is right around the corner and, with mere months to go before the celebrations kick off in earnest, Digital Spy wants to know the answer to a very important question - who is your favourite Doctor?

Join us every day from August 28 to September 6 as we take a look back at a half-century of Who and - in a new daily blog - weigh up the merits of each Doctor - from William Hartnell to Matt Smith, before finally revealing DS readers' favourite Doctor of all time on Monday, September 9!

We begin, of course, back in that misty London scrapyard where two inquisitive schoolteachers learnt a shocking truth and met an irascible, enigmatic old man...

10 incarnations later and William Hartnell's first Doctor remains perhaps the most unlikely hero of them all. The man who emerges from the London smog in 'An Unearthly Child'...

Feature Cameron K McEwan 5 Apr 2013 - 07:00

Cameron selects ten tremendous Doctor Who series openers, from Rose to Ribos, and Tomb to Terror...

Over the years, Doctor Who has suffered from what is commonly known as "Sos" or "Season Opener Syndrome". There's been some stinkers like Destiny of the Daleks, Attack of the Cybermen and Arc of Infinity and some mundane instalments such as New Earth, Robot and The Dominators. But there are some genuinely good ones out there too - some damn good ones. So here's ten of the best season openers over the last forty-nine and a bit years of Doctor Who. 

10. Partners In Crime (2008) 

Despite the levity of the episode, and we're talking about the Adipose here, this Russell T. Davies beauty managed a couple of mean feats. Firstly, he re-introduced us all to the mighty Donna Noble again (The Doctor and Donna's meeting through the windows...