News

It's not uncommon for TV shows to take huge risks to keep up with the demands and requirements of the ever-changing landscape of television. When a series throws in a character change, plot twist, or unexpected shift in the formula, it can sometimes throw the entire project off balance. However, when executed correctly, these big swings can pay off enormously and serve to cement the show as a classic. While plenty of formulaic shows are popular and high quality, the pieces of TV that will be remembered for years to come are those that weren't afraid to stand out.

While some of these TV shows shocked viewers with great plot twists many times over, there are other ways for series to branch out other than story choices. A common risk that producers and studios are often hesitant to green-light is budget increases or any type of plot point that would alienate or upset audiences.

Christmas specials are normally a time for TV shows to spread some holiday cheer, although some festive episodes have leaned into the darkest sides of the season. While beloved classics like A Charlie Brown Christmas have become annual viewing for families around the world, other viewers would much rather watch a Christmas special that doesn’t shy away from the challenges of the holidays. While it can sometimes be jarring to watch a particularly dark Christmas special, it’s also important that TV shows don’t lose their individuality just because Christmas is considered a time of joy and togetherness.

Many of the greatest Christmas specials of all time address dark subject matters and aren’t afraid to tackle terrifying themes or produce stories of sad sentimentality. While hopeful holiday specials have their merit, there’s something enjoyable about a Christmas special that pushes back against the conventions of the...

A classic Doctor Who serial has been updated for a new era. Prior to 1978, the BBC did not concern itself with maintaining archives of its shows, which meant that many First (William Hartnell) and Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) episodes were missing. Others, still, have poor audio quality and dated special effects. The surviving episodes from these early seasons are also all black-and-white, which can make it difficult to perceive the nuances of the actors' performances. The BBC previously colorized the 75-minute First Doctor serial, "The Daleks", but no other episodes have received that treatment.

Decades after its release, the BBC has announced that the Second Doctor will be receiving a remaster of his own. The updated serial will feature full colorization, recovered footage that has not been seen since 1969, and updated audio. That means a new soundtrack, improved sounds, and better visual effects. The episodes will be released as a 90-minute special on December 23rd.

Warning: This article contains Major Spoilers for the Doctor Who season 14 finale.

To understand Doctor Who season 14's finale, watching Tales of the Tardis is crucial for context on the Memory Tardis. Tales of the Tardis provides explanations on the purpose and abilities of the Memory Tardis, which the Fifteenth Doctor only briefly touches upon. The Memory Tardis has a significant narrative impact in Doctor Who season 14's finale, amplifying its role beyond the spinoff.

Doctor Whos season 14 finale introduces a concept that will make no sense to viewers who havent watched Doctor Whos newest spinoff show. The last episode of Doctor Who season 14 has finally released, wrapping up a thrilling debut season for Ncuti Gatwas Fifteenth Doctor. Like past finales, the ending of Doctor Who season 14 solves mysteries like the identity of Rubys mother while continuing to build the lore of the Whoniverse.

Sutekhs survival is explained by the...

Doctor Who's bi-generation twist allows for multiple past Doctors to exist, explaining how the Second Doctor had foreknowledge about his companions' fates in "The Five Doctors." Showrunner Russell T Davies revealed that every incarnation of the Doctor splits in two, creating the opportunity for old friends to reunite and for spinoff projects like Tales of the Tardis to exist. The bi-generated Second Doctor theory suggests that he was captured by Borusa and sent to the Death Zone, providing an explanation for his knowledge of Jamie and Zoe and his appearance at the Brigadier's retirement party.

Doctor Who's historic bi-generation could help solve several plotholes, including one from over 40 years ago. David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor bi-generated into Ncuti Gatwa during Doctor Wh​​​​​​​​o's 60th anniversary specials. It was a fresh spin on regeneration in Doctor Who that touchingly enabled David Tennant's Doctor to process millennia of trauma. Doctor Who's bi-generation...

Tales of the Tardis opens up exciting possibilities for future episodes, with various Doctor and companion pairings to explore. Reuniting characters like Jenny and the Tenth Doctor could provide closure and new storylines for Doctor Who fans. Bringing back Martha Jones and the Master would offer more insight into Martha's side of the story from when Harold Saxon took over the world.

Tales of the Tardis opens a whole new universe of Doctor Who, with many tantalizing pairings now possible should future episodes happen. In preparation for Doctor Who's 60th anniversary special, the BBC has released Tales Of The Tardis. The show follows pairings of classic Doctor Who Doctors and companions, and not only involves the actors reprising their roles, but also combines individual older episodes to create new anthology stories.

Tales of the Tardis sees the return of the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) and Tegan (Janet Fielding), the...

Doctor Who's spin-off, Tales of the Tardis, is packed with Easter eggs referencing the Doctor's past, featuring reunions and reminiscing between various characters. The memory Tardis, formed with parts of different consoles, serves as a backdrop for the characters' recollections. Many items in the scenes pay homage to the show's history. Each pairing recalls a classic Doctor Who story and updates each other on the companions' lives post-tardis. References to significant episodes and iconic accessories are scattered throughout.

In preparation for its 60th-anniversary special, Doctor Who has released a brand-new spin-off, Tales of the Tardis, jam-packed with Easter eggs referencing the Doctor's past. Tales of the Tardis is the first Doctor Who spin-off since the return of Russell T. Davies as showrunner, who rebooted the hit sci-fi show in 2005, and served as head writer until the departure of David Tennant's Doctor in 2010. Tales of the Tardis follows several...

Contains spoilers for Tales of the Tardis, ‘Earthshock’, ‘The Three Doctors’, ‘Resurrection of the Daleks’, ‘The War Games’, ‘The Trial of a Time Lord’, ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’, ‘Survival’ and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

It’s not even November 25th and already we’re looking for Easter Eggs. Then again time has no meaning in a Remembered Tardis, the enigmatic location for Tales of the Tardis. What is Tales of the Tardis? I’m glad you asked. There are no stupid questions here, despite the best efforts of the comments section (I’m joking. Probably). Tales of the Tardis (I should probably put that on my clipboard now) is a new series of Doctor Who stories, edited to omnibus length with no episode breaks and bookended by appearances from characters connected to the stories. We went into more detail about it here.

A Remembered Tardis appears to be some...

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who, the spinoff Tales of the Tardis brings back 12 beloved characters, offering closure or new adventures. Younger viewers have a chance to be reintroduced to characters from the old series, each of whom played a significant role in the Whoniverse. The different versions of the Doctor and their companions from the past return in special memory scenes, creating a nostalgic and exciting experience for fans.

Tales of the Tardis features 12 characters from classic Doctor Who episodes as they look back on their adventures. In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the long-running sci-fi series, the BBC has created six episodes of a special series where old faces from the show return. These characters appear in a short scene to open and close the story before one of the classic serials plays out as a feature-length single episode.

The characters featured in the Tales of...

Tales of the Tardis is an official Doctor Who spinoff that combines new scenes with classic episodes, featuring returning actors speaking in-character. The spinoff takes a relaxed approach to canon and may not neatly fit into the Doctor Who universe like previous spinoffs, resembling Marvel's What If...? in terms of being canon-adjacent. Tales of the Tardis marks the beginning of Doctor Who's Whoniverse, hinting at more spinoffs in development, making it the perfect introduction for viewers unfamiliar with the past 60 years of the show.

Tales of the Tardis will officially cut the ribbon on Doctor Who's Whoniverse, but - somewhat predictably, given the show's infamously complex continuity - where the spinoff sits within Doctor Who canon remains murky. With Russell T Davies' return as showrunner, a Disney+ deal in place, and a 60th anniversary celebration on the horizon, an expansion of the Doctor Who franchise looked as inevitable as Rose and Mickey's breakup.

If Doctor Who fans ever felt hard done by during any of the show’s previous big anniversaries then the 60th is here to soothe spirits, hand out cherished gifts, and generally make a bloody big hair-ruffling fuss of the lot of us.

First came news of David Tennant and Catherine Tate’s return in three anniversary specials, then came the ‘roughly 8 million episodes of Doctor Who are coming to BBC iPlayer on November 1’ announcement, then they brought back Doctor Who Confidential under a different name, and now…

…three Classic era Doctors are returning alongside eight former Doctor Who Companions (plus The Sarah Jane Adventures’ Clyde Langer) for new series Tales of the Tardis.

New Scenes, Classic Who Cast

Not a behind-the-scenes documentary, and not standalone adventures, the six-part series will pair up the stars of classic Who acting in new scenes together, in character, wrapped around episodes from six existing serials.

Tales of the Tardis is a great way for new viewers to get a taste of Doctor Who's classic era and understand its influence on the series today. The omnibus-inspired format of the series makes it more accessible to modern audiences who may not be used to the serialized format of the classic series. The newly filmed scenes in Tales of the Tardis offer a chance for familiar characters to return and tie up loose ends, while also introducing new viewers to other parts of the Doctor Who universe.

New Doctor Who spin-off series Tales of the Tardis has been revealed, as previous Doctor and companion actors reprise their roles to reflect on key stories from the show's classic era. The classic era of Doctor Who ran from the show's debut on November 23 1963 with "An Unearthly Child", and came to a close with the third episode of the 1989 storyline...

It’s a good time to be a Doctor Who fan. Over 800 episodes of the iconic sci-fi series will soon be available to watch on BBC iPlayer, and they’ll be joined by a brand-new Doctor Who spinoff series which will reunite classic Doctor Who duos, including classic Doctors and their companions.

Tales of the Tardis will span six-episodes, with each featuring a different duo, with brand new scenes woven together with classic episodes to create feature-length omnibus episodes. Reprising their roles for the Doctor Who spinoff series are; Maureen O’Brien as Vicki and Peter Purves as Steven, Frazer Hines as Jamie and Wendy Padbury as Zoe, Katy Manning as Jo and Daniel Anthony as Clyde, Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor and Janet Fielding as Tegan, Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor and Nicola Bryant as Peri, and Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor and Sophie Aldred as Ace.

Doctor Who's 60th-anniversary specials will feature the return of the beloved organization Unit, with a brand-new headquarters, continuing the show's longest-running joke. Unit's impressive new skyscraper reinforces the recurring joke that despite being an organization with extraterrestrial and paranormal work, they are not very good at keeping their top-secret status a secret. The introduction of Unit's new headquarters in the 60th-anniversary specials raises speculation about a possible Doctor Who spinoff series centered around the organization, similar to Marvel's Avengers Tower in the Disney+ era.

Judging by the brand-new trailer, the upcoming Doctor Who 60th-anniversary specials will continue the show's longest-running joke. The trailer unveiled exciting teases for what the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) can expect in their upcoming battle with Neil Patrick Harris' Toymaker. Alongside footage of the Toymaker's dazzling array of costumes, the trailer also confirmed the return of Doctor Who stalwarts, the military organization Unit.

The most heartbreaking Doctor Who companion exit wasn't Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) or Adric (Matthew Waterhouse), and happened 54 years ago. Donna Noble's tragic ending could get fixed when she returns alongside the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant) in Doctor Who's 60th anniversary specials. However, while it was heartbreaking to see Donna lose all her memories of traveling with the Doctor, she was returned to a vastly improved home life. Her mother Sylvia Noble (Jacqueline King) appeared to become more supportive, while she met the love of her life, Shaun Temple (Karl Collins), both of whom return in the 60th anniversary.

Meanwhile, the death of Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) companion Adric was arguably more heroic than the selfish and petulant young mathematician deserved. However, Adric's noble sacrifice to save the Earth from the Cybermen showed how much he had grown. Adric got a hero's death, while Donna Noble lost her memories...

Exclusive: Indie streamer Cinedigm has picked up all North American rights to Lost at Christmas, a feel-good festival romance, and will release this holiday season.

The film stars Sylvester McCoy (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey), Frazer Hines (Doctor Who) and Clare Grogan (Skins); alongside rising stars Natalie Clark and Kenny Boyle. Based on a short film by director Ryan Hendrick, the story follows an unlikely pair of companions trying to save what appears to be a disastrous Christmas season.

Hendrick also co-wrote the film with Clare Sheppard, as well as taking on the role as an executive producer. Additional executive producers include Graham Reid and Stephen Wright. With David Newman acting as the film’s producer.

The deal was negotiated by Brandon Hill, Manager of Acquisitions, on behalf of Cinedigm and Priscilla Smith at Foxglove Entertainment on behalf of Magic Monkey Films. Foxglove is the sister company of genre sales agency The Coven.

Sweeping into snowy Scottish Highlands at the very start of Ryan Hendrick’s new romcom Lost at Christmas sets the perfect festive scene. Only the coldest of hearts would not be melted by this magnificent sight. The film’s idyllic setting continues to entice throughout the story, with the latter half played out in an isolated inn set within the impressive mountainous landscape – the stuff of picturesque Christmas dreams.

Based on acclaimed 2015 short Perfect Strangers by the same writer-director, the 2020 feature sees two strangers from Glasgow, optimistic and festive Jen (Love Bite and Still Game‘s Natalie Clark) and cynical Rob stranded in the Highlands after both being dumped/duped on on Christmas Eve. They decide to team up to get back to the big city in time for Christmas Day, but have obstacles placed along the way, including the unpredictable weather, that allows for feelings to flourish and Christmas spirit to reign once more.

In a media landscape where it is possible for those with expendable income and a good internet connection to access pretty much any TV they want whenever they want, it’s a unique and interesting dilemma for an episode of television to be inaccessible to literally everyone on the planet. However, this is the reality with which Doctor Who fans must live, as 97 (of 253) of the series’ first episodes continue to be “missing,” a benevolent euphemism for “probably ironically lost to time.” While some of Classic Who‘s missing episodes have been found over the last few decades (and a handful may be held by private collectors), many of of them have not been, leaving 26 of the show’s early serials either incomplete or entirely missing.

Not all is lost. Audio tracks still exist for all of the missing episodes, along with production stills, “telesnaps,” and sometimes short clips from the 25-minute installments.

New sales company takes world rights to romantic Christmas comedy.

New sales company Mrs Smith has acquired worldwide sales rights to Perfect Strangers, an upcoming romantic comedy from Bafta-nominated filmmaker Ryan Hendrick.

It marks one of the first acquisitions for LA-based Mrs Smith, which has been established by Priscilla Ross Smith, a former international sales and acquisitions executive for Clear Horizon and Archstone Distribution.

Mrs Smith will introduce Perfect Strangers to buyers during the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival.

The film centres on two strangers who become stranded in the remote Scottish Highlands after both suffering heartbreak and team up...

New members include filmmakers Lynne Ramsay, Haifaa al-Mansour, Fox Searchlight’s Kate Gardiner and Screen Scotland’s Isabel Davis.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) has revealed its 2019 intake of new members drawn from the film, TV and games industry.

Among the record 558 new members are filmmakers and writers Haifaa al-Mansour (Wadjda), Laszlo Nemes (Son Of Saul), Lynne Ramsay (You Were Never Really Here), Lee Unkrich (Coco) and former Screen Star of Tomorrow Rose Glass (Saint Maud).

New executives on the list include Kate Gardiner (head of Fox Searchlight UK); Jason Maza (Unstoppable), Emma Hewitt (BBC Films...

Exclusive: Ryan Hendrick, the Scottish Bafta-nominated filmmaker, has signed with the UK wing of management firm Zero Gravity.

The news comes as Hendrick heads into production on feature movie Perfect Strangers, a Scotland-set Christmas tale about two strangers who find themselves stranded in the Scottish Highlands on Christmas Eve. Putting aside their own personal turmoil they reluctantly decide to team up to try and get home for Christmas.

The feature is based on Hendrick’s own short film of the same name, which was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA.

Cast includes Natalie Clark (Still Game), Kenny Boyle (Hero Worship), Sylvester McCoy (The Hobbit), Sanjeev Kohli (Stan & Ollie), Clare Grogan (Gregory’s Girl), Caitlin Blackwood (Dr Who), Frazer Hines (Outlander), Karen Bartke (Scot Squad), Nicolette McKeown (Convergence), theater actor Alasdair McCrone and newcomer Alexander Teunion.

The project comes from Hendrick’s own company Magic Monkey Films, which he founded with David Newman.

One of the longest serving companions in Doctor Who history has hit out at the last season of the show. Frazer Hines, who played kilt-wearing, pipe-playing Scottish stereotype Jamie between 1966 and 1969 under the second Doctor Patrick Troughton, has given an interview with Britain’s The Sun (ew) newspaper in which he slated the plots of season 11.

Here’s what he had to say:

“I’m old-fashioned – I don’t want to know about Rosa Parks, I don’t want to know about whether we’d done this we could have changed history and Kennedy might not have been shot. I like bug-eyed monsters. Monster of the week, I want. I loved it when it was episodic. Now it’s all in one – beginning, middle and an end. I liked it when it ended on a Saturday night and then Sunday in the park or on Monday in the school playground you’d be like,...

Kirsten Howard Feb 7, 2018

Classic Doctor Who adventure The Enemy Of The World is heading for a new home release on 19th March. Here are the details...

The Beeb is all set to release the recovered and restored classic Doctor Who adventure The Enemy Of The World on DVD on 19th March, and most dedicated Whovians will be familiar with what they can expect from the string of once-thought-lost or only partially recovered episodes, which are now positively gleaming in this upcoming bit of physical media.

See related Requiem episode 1 review 70 genuinely creepy horror movies Celebrating the chilling ghost stories of M.R. James

For those that need a little memory jolt, though, here's a quick synopsis of the Patrick Troughton-starring arc:

The Tardis lands on an Australian beach in the 21st century. But this is no seaside holiday - within minutes, the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria are under attack. They...

Louisa Mellor Jul 21, 2017

Deborah Watling, the actress behind Second Doctor companion Victoria Wakefield, has passed away...

Some sad news: actress Deborah Watling, fondly remembered for playing Doctor Who companion Victoria Wakefield, has died at the age of 69.

See related  Vikings renewed for season 5

Deborah acted opposite Second Doctor Patrick Troughton in 1967 and 1968, appearing in multiple classic Doctor Who serials including The Tomb Of The Cybermen, The Ice Warriors and many more.

A great deal of her work on the sci-fi drama didn't survive due to the BBC's erasure policy in the 1960s. However, in October 2013, previously missing serials The Web Of Fear and The Enemy Of The World were released by the BBC after being discovered in Jos, Nigeria by Philip Morris.

Deborah and former co-star Frazer Hines attended the launch for the rediscovered episodes, and spoke fondly of her time on the show. One of the recovered serials, The Web Of Fear,...

Here’s the latest episode of the 365Flick podcast, part of the ever-growing podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on Podomatic and Libsyn, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.

365Flicks Podcast – Episode 72: Sci Fi Weekender 8 Pt.2

So we said we had more for all you lovely listeners and here it is. We got a bumper interview episode for everyone so strap in. We kick off with a chat with the Pop Up Puppet Cinema guys who let us know a bit more about what it is they do and how they create there magic. We effortlessly move onto 2 cracking interviews with Fraser Hines of Dr Who fame and Sam Stone author extradoniare and all round awesome lady. We finish up our interviews with two more Dr Who guests in...

Louisa Mellor Sep 7, 2016

An animated version of lost Doctor Who story The Power Of The Daleks will be released in November by the BBC

After its master negatives were destroyed in a 1974 archive purge, no complete recordings existed of First to Second Doctor Regeneration story The Power Of The Daleks.

Until now, that is.

On Saturday the 5th of November, exactly fifty years after The Power Of The Daleks originally aired in 1966, the BBC is to release six newly animated half-hour episodes based on the original cast audio recordings, surviving photographs and film clips.

The Charles Norton-led team behind Dad's Army lost-episode-animation A Stripe For Frazer will produce the animated episodes using character designs from comic book artists Martin Geraghty and Adrian Salmon.

Here's what Mr Norton had to say about the project:

“The Power of the Daleks animation is the most ambitious Doctor Who archive restoration ever attempted...

facebook

twitter

google+

The Yeti attack at Covent Garden in recently recovered Doctor Who episode, The Web Of Fear, is a masterwork. Here's why...

The Web Of Fear was commissioned after a positive response to The Abominable Snowmen by then Story Editor (soon-to-be Producer) Peter Bryant, with the intention that it would close out Doctor Who’s fifth season. Rewrites for Fury From The Deep resulted in it becoming the penultimate story (one of many variables that resulted in Nicholas Courtney playing the role of Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart). Previously available as an audio soundtrack narrated by Fraser Hines, the film of The Web Of Fear was returned to the BBC archives in 2013.

I first experienced The Web Of Fear as a Target Novelisation at some point in the Nineties (I can’t remember if it was in Uddingston Library – so many Targets, so many Asterix books – or my primary school’s...

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.

In the interests of full disclosure – I am a Big Fan of the Big Finish forays into the First and Second Doctors’ eras and their very deliberate recreation of the atmosphere from that part of the show’s history. I’m also a Big fan of the Second Doctor and quite happy with Frazer Hines’s studied...

The post Big Finish Review: The Early Adventures – The Forsaken appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Josh Maxton 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.

The Time Eddy convention is descending upon Wichita, Kansas, and it’s about to land! This weekend (October 2nd – 4th), big names like Colin Baker (the Sixth Doctor), Nicola Bryant (Peri Brown), Andrew Cartmel (script editor for the show in the 80s), Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon), Nev Fountain, and more, will gather together for the first...

The post Get 50% Off Wichita, Ks Time Eddy Tickets! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Josh Maxton 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, we shared that an additional guest would be announced for the Time Eddy convention (October 2nd to 4th) of Wichita, Kansas, and now it is confirmed: Ladies and gentlemen, former companion Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon) is coming to Kansas! Frazer Hines, now voicing Jamie and the Second Doctor for Big Finish, remains...

The post Frazer Hines Added to Time Eddy Line-up! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

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.

Frazer Hines has spoken of his enduring affection for the role that made him a well-known face on British television in an interview for a new tour of an Agatha Christie play. Fresh from his recent visit to the Doctor Who set to meet the current incarnation of the Doctor, Frazer is promoting his forthcoming...

The post Frazer Hines: “Doctor Who Was Such A Happy Time” appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Jeremy Remy 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.

Former companion Frazer Hines recently took some time out of his busy schedule as Sir Fletcher Gordon in Outlander and as Jamie McCrimmon and the voice of the Second Doctor for Big Finish Productions, to visit the current Tardis set. A picture from his visit with Twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi, can be found on his...

The post Frazer Hines Visits the Tardis Set appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Outlander author Diana Gabaldon was lured out of the Spartan employee break room of a Los Angeles Barnes & Noble Sunday with a Diet Coke and an enthusiastic round of applause from the hundreds of fans who had gathered. Some came as early as 6 a.m. to ensure they scored one of the 350 wristbands that secured entrance to her Q&A and signing. Before that, Gabaldon sat down with Vulture to speak about the intense, controversial finale, the disturbing add Tobias Menzies threw in with aplomb, her favorite and least favorite season-one changes, season two, and when to expect the next book. She admitted she still doesn’t know how she plans to end her best-selling franchise. (We have a thought: Maybe don’t?)Caught a nice Easter egg. Outlander was in part inspired by the 18th-century Scot Jamie McCrimmon on Dr. Who, and the actor who played that Jamie, Frazer Hines,...

Alex Fitch 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.

The second of Big Finish’s new series of (download only) Short Trips, Little Doctors is a fun, Gremlins style romp with the classic team of the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe. Frazer Hines narrates, and as ever performs his near pitch-perfect rendition of Patrick Troughton, plus – with Hines also giving different qualities of voice...

The post Reviewed: Little Doctors appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

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.

Into the second half of Big Finish’s “12 Days” promotion, and if you haven’t bought any of their £2.99 reductions yet then this one might just catch your eye. The Queen of Time is a Lost Story conceived by Brian Hayles from the Second Doctor era, and is here performed by Frazer Hines and Wendy...

The post The Queen of Time Is Today’s Big Finish Sale Item! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Stars: Matt Di Angelo, Lili Bordán, Stephen Marcus, Darren Ripley, Velibor Topic, Christian Brassington, Anna Passey, Jeff Leach, Lindsay Armaou, Alan Ford | Written by Darren Ripley | Directed by Ben Pickering

The modern British gangster movies are strange beasts, and I admit I do have a weakness for them. With acting that is often questionable and stories that tend to be on the sillier side of crime thrillers they have a charm that can even survive a Danny Dyer starring role (that was a joke, don’t bite my head off). The Smoke, to be fair, only takes a gentle stroll into the British gangster movie style, though it does feature some actors that you’ve seen in them before, and more bizarrely more than its fair share of soap stars too.

When city lawyer Brad Walker (Matt Di’Angelo) finds himself fired and dumped by his girlfriend it’s fair...

BBC

Over fifty-one years, Doctor Who has developed a long, complex, and beautiful history. Five decades is a long time in anybody’s estimation (except maybe a Time Lord’s) and obviously such a long period of time with so many turbulent moments has given rise to countless little facts. Both the mundane and the surprising. Almost every episode has some kind of story behind it. In fact, some are practically bursting at the seams with them.

And while some of these stories are very well known like the circumstances that gave birth to Regeneration, and Michael Grade doing everything he could to drive the programme into the ground, a lot more are tucked away somewhere. A huge cache of Doctor Who information is waiting to be unearthed by people willing to go looking for it. Which is what we’ve done.

Culled from memos, books, websites, and DVD commentaries...

Kate O'Mara has died at the age of 74 after a short illness.

The acting world has responded to the sad news, and Digital Spy rounds up just some of the tributes below.

Tragic news about Kate O Mara , we had great fun on Dynasty when she played my sister Caress who Alexis insisted on calling Cassie ! Rip

— Joan Collins (@joancollinsobe) March 30, 2014

Oh my goodness. Kate O'Mara is no longer with us. Sad sad news. A delightful, committed and talented lady and actress. We are the poorer

— Colin Baker (@SawbonesHex) March 30, 2014

Just heard that Kate O'Mara has died......a lovely lady.

— Frazer Hines (@WhoFrazer) March 30, 2014

Kate O'Mara is no more. Only 74! I loved every encounter I had with her. Today doesn't seem so sunny.

— graham norton (@grahnort) March 30, 2014

So sad to hear that the wonderful Kate O'Mara has gone. Treasured memories xxx pic.twitter.com/GP4jZX851H

— Bonnie Langford (@bonnie_langford) March 30, 2014

R.

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.

Will a certain companion of the Second Doctor’s soon be making an appearance at a Doctor Who-themed coffee shop? Aye, aye, and aye! Frazer Hines, who played young Scottish piper (not the Billie kind) Jamie McCrimmon in the late 1960s, will be greeting fans at The Dawn of Time, a comic book and coffee shop.

The post Frazer Hines Heads To The Dawn of Time appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Whether you’re into Doctor Who and Star Wars or The Wire and Sherlock, there’s a great line-up of special guests coming to the NEC on 22-23 March for McM Birmingham Comic Con and Memorabilia. Here are just a few of them!

British actor, writer and director Phil Davis has appeared in a host of top TV shows including Whitechapel; Sherlock, Being Human, Merlin and Doctor Who, while his movie credits include Alien 3, Quadrophenia, Notes On A Scandal, Secrets & Lies and Vera Drake, for which he was BAFTA-nominated. Paul McGann – Famous for playing the Eighth Doctor in the 1996 Doctor Who television film – a role he reprised in 72 audio dramas and the 2013 mini-episode ‘The Night of the Doctor’ – and for starring alongside Richard E. Grant in much-loved 1987 black comedy Withnail And I. Clarke Peters – Best known as detective Lester Freamon in acclaimed crime drama The Wire, as well as...

Alex Skerratt 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.

“Oh my word, Jamie!” Former companion Frazer Hines, alias Jamie McCrimmon, has joined the cast of “a new Scots indie romcom road movie.” Entitled Journey Bound, it tells the story of a young lawyer who chases the love of his life through the Scottish Highlands. Hines will star alongside Ford Kiernan from Still Game, and Clare Grogan from

The post Frazer Hines to Star in New Romcom! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Feature Cliff Chapman 11 Feb 2014 - 07:00

Cliff takes us through ten Doctor Who stories still lost, from Marco Polo to Fury From The Deep...

Doctor Who was for the first twenty six years a series of serials, so episodes make up stories or serials, e.g. Power of the Daleks is a story or serial made up of six episodes, rather than ‘an episode’. Around 250 weekly instalments of Doctor Who were shown between 1963 and 1969. As of January 2014, 97 of these are not held by the BBC, or known to survive, and cannot be viewed - although they can be experienced in a number of ways. Although recent returns have massively helped in evening up the scores, you’ll note that there’s a slight bias towards Hartnell against Troughton for completely missing stories. Troughton still fares worse, however as he has fewer fully existing stories, seven complete stories versus Hartnell’s fifteen.

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.

Previously unseen in the UK for 45 years and re-mastered from newly discovered tapes located in Nigeria, the formerly missing Doctor Who classic – The Web of Fear – will be available to own on DVD from February 24th. The following has been sent by BBC Worldwide: Starring Patrick Troughton as the Doctor, alongside Frazer Hines (Jamie) and

The post The Web of Fear DVD Release Date Confirmed appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

The author of the "Outlander" series of books, Diana Gabaldon, has never been shy about the fact that her character Jamie Fraser was inspired by an old episode of "Doctor Who."

The character she took a liking to in particular was second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) companion Jamie McCrimmon (Frazer Hines). She had been looking for a time and place to set her book and when McCrimmon, from 18th century Scotland, made his first appearance on the show in a kilt, it stuck with Gabaldon.

"I thought that was kind of fetching, and I was still thinking about this the next day in church," Gabaldon explained at the TCA winter press tour.

She borrowed the name Jamie from the character and Fraser from the actor to pay tribute to her inspiration, and the rest is history. Who is Jamie McCrimmon, though?

Many modern "Doctor Who" fans might not know much about the show's early history.

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.

The ChicagoTARDIS convention was held on Thanksgiving weekend in the Us, November 29-December 1. The line-up of guests was pretty spectacular, with no less than three Doctors (Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Paul McGann) and many companions (Freema Agyeman, Dan Starkey, Daphne Ashbrook, Frazer Hines, Sarah Sutton, Nicola Bryant, Louise Jameson) and many other guests.

The post ChicagoTARDIS Convention Highlights! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

While ‘An Adventure In Space And Time’ proved a brilliant showcase for David Bradley in the role of William Hartnell – with fans now clamouring for him to be allowed to portray the First Doctor in future audio/TV adventures – we couldn’t help but note that Reece Shearsmith’s cameo as Patrick Troughton was painfully short, though sweet.

So the gist is let’s give the man from the League Of Gentlemen a chance to prove himself worthy of stepping into the Second Doctor’s shoes and indeed bow tie. Both ‘The Light At The End’ and ‘The Hexford Invasion’ showed us that vocal doubles at least work perfectly well, with Frazer Hines and Pat’s son David respectively filling in for the wonderful original cosmic hobo on those occasions.

And with Matt Smith – arguably Pat’s closest successor in spirit and indeed portrayal of the Doctor – soon to vacate...

There was always a risk that ‘The Day of the Doctor’, a special episode celebrating a 50 year old sci-fi show with an inordinately complex history, would devolve into nostalgic navel-gazing. But writer Steven Moffat managed to avoid it becoming too self-referential whilst still working in enough elements of the show’s past to keep hardcore Whovians happy.

However, Moffat seemed to miss a number of prime spots for a craftily-inserted reference that wouldn’t have distracted from the main story and may even have enhanced the mythos. They wouldn’t have required much extra effort behind-the-scenes, nor would they have disrupted continuity.

Here’s what I think was missed…

5. Not Using The Shape-Shifting Zygons To Sneak In Some Cameos

What was top of every ‘Doctor Who’ fanboy/girl’s wishlist for the anniversary special? That’s right – gratuitous cameos!

When I heard that the Zygons would be making a substantial appearance in the episode,...

Though the Eleventh Doctor’s time is almost up, he can at least rest assured that he could live on through the audio Whoniverse or future multi-Doctor TV specials. This in turn raises the intriguing possibility of adventures with his Second self, arguably the past incarnation with whom he shares the most in common ground. Indeed, Matt Smith’s costume and performance for his own take on the role owes much to Patrick Troughton – who he’s acclaimed as his own favourite past Doctor, with ‘ Tomb Of The Cybermen’ his favourite serial. So why not pair them together?

Anyone familiar with classic ‘Who’ couldn’t fail to note that ‘Cold War’ served as Mark Gatiss’s love letter to ‘The Ice Warriors’ either. While these are perhaps obvious lead-ins, we think there are several more ways in which these two particular Doctors overlap. And while its sad that the late,...

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...

Jamie McCrimmon

Portrayed by: Frazer Hines

Doctor(s): Second Doctor

Tenure: 20 stories (116 episodes), from The Highlanders (Dec, 1966) to The War Games (June, 1969)

Background: Jamie is a Scottish highlander, a piper for Clan McLaren, who meets the Doctor, Ben, and Polly in the aftermath of a battle with the English. He decides to join them in the Tardis after their adventure, remaining vocal about and extremely proud of his heritage throughout his journeys with the Doctor.

Family/Friends: We meet some of Jamie’s compatriots in battle in his first story, The Highlanders, but they’re rarely if ever mentioned afterwards.

Personality: Jamie is a fun-loving, lighthearted young man with an eye for adventure who embraces life aboard the Tardis. He is generally carefree, but he’s extremely protective of the Doctor and particularly his fellow Tardis teammates Victoria and Zoe. Much like Steven, to whom he is a clear successor,...