Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...
With Steven Moffat’s final full series as showrunner now just under a month away, we’re going back to where it all began (for him, at least) as we embark on a mission to discover his best series opener to date.
It only feels like yesterday that the Eleventh Doctor was crash landing in Amelia Pond’s garden, but The Eleventh Hour – Steven’s first episode at the show’s helm – will mark its 7th anniversary next month. The episode kick started a whole new era, and it’s safe to say that the Moff’s series premieres have been getting bigger and better ever since.
Where do you even start when it comes to Steven’s series openers? Over the years they’ve taken us to the shores of Lake Silencio in Utah (thus beginning one of the most mind-bending story arcs in Who history), Victorian London and even inside the Asylum of the Daleks itself. Say what you like about Moffat, but he definitely knows how to kick off a new series with a bang, and he is about to do it one more time when the Doctor returns to our screens on 15th April in The Pilot, with his next companion, Bill Potts, in tow. Get in!
Before that, though, let’s get nostalgic as we take a fond look back at his past premieres. Which has been your favourite? Let us know by voting in the poll below (and for the sake of continuity, we’ve included the mid-series premieres too!) and explain your choice in the comments. The results will be revealed ahead of the premiere of Series 10, so get voting…
Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...
The BBC have released a new trailer celebrating some of their most acclaimed dramas and, naturally, it wouldn’t be complete without a nod to everybody’s favourite Time Lord.
Although Doctor Who is only featured briefly (like, ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ briefly!), the trailer is brilliantly fronted by Suranne Jones, who Doctor Who fans will recognise for her praised portrayal of Idris in Series 6’s The Doctor’s Wife, so there’s still plenty of familiar timey-wimey faces to go around. Check it out in the player below and let us know ‘who’ else you spot in the comments!
Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...
Neil Gaiman has confirmed that he won’t be contributing to Series 9 of Doctor Who due to “ridiculous work commitments”.
The writer told Radio Times that, while he can’t fit it into his busy schedule at the moment, he’s still “determined to write for Peter Capaldi “at some point in the future. “As long as Peter is Doctor Who, I will write for him,” he said. “Every time I’m in the UK, I go and see the Doctor Who people. None of us are going to let me go off the boil. But it’s an enormous time commitment. How Steven Mofatt does it and Sherlock, and retains his sanity, I do not know.”
He continued: “I haven’t done an episode set on Earth yet and I also haven’t created a new monster. So there are still boxes left to tick. I don’t think I’ve scared anybody yet either. I’d love to write something that sends adults behind the sofa too and makes them wee a bit…”
Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...
The previous two installments of our #TopTenOfEleven have highlighted the more comedic traits of the 11th Doctor but 8 proves that even a Time Lord knows when to draw the line.
In the mid-Series 6 finale, A Good Man Goes to War, the Doctor, Amy and Rory embarked on their darkest challenge yet as the truth behind River Song was finally revealed.
It all got a bit too much for the Doctor as his emotions were tested and friendships were pushed to their very limits.
Relive the moment a face off with “Colonel Runaway” touched the Doctor’s nerve below!
Follow the latest #TopTenOfEleven developments here and on our Twitter @WhovianNet.
Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...
As part of our Eleventh Doctor festivities this month we are thrilled to be able to bring you our exclusive interview with Nina Toussaint-White!
Nina guest starred in the Series 6 episode Let’s Kill Hitler as Amy’s best friend Mels, but we soon discovered there was a LOT more to her character than first met the eye…
We chatted to the actress about keeping the secrets under wraps and her memories of filming.
Big thanks to Nina for answering our questions. Follow her on Twitter @NinaToussaint!
Q. Hi, Nina. So when did you first realise you were interested in acting?
A. From an early age I attended acting groups like G.Y.P.T. However, although I always loved to perform, I didn’t truly realise it would play such a big role in my life. Taking A-Level drama was the best thing that could have ever happened to me as it kept me grounded and focused, which was something that I’d struggled with in other areas. From then on it was a natural progression on to drama school and, once graduated, signing with an agent. I guess you could say that, rather than realising I had an interest in acting, I was naturally drawn to a career that made me feel the most comfortable and happy.
Q. How did your guest role in Doctor Who come about?
A. Like every other job Ive had, my agent called and told me I had an audition. I went for it and a few days later I found out I’d landed the role.
Q. Were you already a fan of the series?
A. In all honesty, no. I remember being pretty terrified of the Daleks as a child so I never really gave it a chance after that!
Q. What was it about the character of Mels that appealed to you?
A. Her feistiness! It’s so nice to see strong female roles on TV and Mels is most definitely one of them. There should be more roles like this out there for female actresses. I had a lot of fun playing such a cheeky yet tough character.
Q. Mels was revealed to be an earlier incarnation of River Song. How difficult was it to keep this twist a secret?
A. If someone asked me about the part I’d always tell them to watch it and find out for themselves. Nobody likes a spoiler!
Q. How long did it take to film all of your scenes?
A. It was very sporadic. We filmed the last few scenes in March which took a couple of weeks to shoot. All the bits in the corn field were filmed in July. There was a huge gap in between the filming dates because we had to wait for the corn to grow.
Q. What are your favourite memories from your time on set?
A. My best memory of being on set was when I first stepped into the TARDIS. Although I’d never really followed the show before this, it was here where it really hit home to me that I was in such an iconic show.
Q. Doctor Who fans are known for their dedication. What have been your personal experiences of meeting the fans?
A. It has been nothing but joy meeting all the fans. I attend conventions from time to time and I’m actually off to Chicago in a few weeks to do another. They are very full on and you have to meet and greet so many people but you feel nothing but joy throughout the day. There are always so many happy faces excited to be there. My mouth tends to ache once the day is done from all the smiling!
Q. From your own experiences, what advice would you give to any aspiring actors out there?
A. Work hard at your craft, attend acting classes and/or go to drama school. Get a good agent who can open the right doors for you and most importantly never give up. For the majority, becoming an actor is extremely hard. Yes, there are the few who succeed due to luck or who are handed opportunities on a plate but in most/almost all cases it is a very tough and competitive industry and you have to be very thick skinned to take on all the knock backs. So many people say no to you but if you’re truly passionate about your craft and never give up, I believe you will succeed.
Q. Finally, have you got any current or upcoming projects you’d like to tell us about?
A. Yes! I’m currently playing the role of Shelley in the new comedy series Uncle. It will air in January on BBC Three.
2011 was the year of Silence Stetsons and Stormageddon in Doctor Who and fans in the UK can relive it all from tonight!
Matt Smith’s second series as the Time Lord premieres on Watch at 8pm BST in The Impossible Astronaut, the epic Series 6 opening episode in which the Doctor, the Ponds and River Song head Stateside for a mystery at Lake Silencio.
Be sure to see the listings for the latest schedule – will you be tuning in for Watch’s Series 6 repeats? Comment below.
Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...
We are thrilled to bring you our exclusive Q&A with Doctor Who director Steve Hughes!
Steve took charge behind the cameras for the filming of the Series 6 adventure Closing Time in which the Doctor joined forces with Craig Owens to overthrow the Cybermen’s latest attempt at world domination – this time from the shadows of a department store. Only in Doctor Who, eh!?
You can read our full interview with Steve below.
Thanks to Steve for his time – visit his site HERE and follow his Twitter @moviegoblin.
Q) Hey, Steve. So how did your involvement with Doctor Who come about?
A) My agent had sent my showreel off to Beth Willis, the Executive Producer at the time, without my knowledge. I’d mostly directed afternoon dramas like Doctors and Land Girls at that point, so it was a big surprise to be called in for a meeting. Even if I hadn’t gotten the gig, I would’ve still been over the moon just to know I’d been considered.
Q) Have you always been a fan of the series?
A) Yes, very much so. My friends were huge fans when I was growing up and I was quite scared to watch at first – Tom Baker terrified me, but I quickly came around. I wouldn’t say I was an obsessive fan but I know a lot more about the show than most.Q) And when did you first realise you were interested in directing?
A) I’d always been a big film fan but was pursuing a career in graphic design at college. I realised I wasn’t following my dreams, so I did a TV production course in Northumberland, which led me onto becoming a VT editor for the BBC. I was making short films in my spare time and eventually managed to get one into the hands of the then head of BBC drama, who gave me a break on Doctors. I never thought I’d get to do it professionally but I just needed to have more confidence in myself – that’s good advice for anyone!
Q) Are there any directors that have particularly inspired you?
A) I’m a MASSIVE Spielberg fan, but I also love Paul Thomas Anderson, David Fincher, The Coen Brothers, Paul Greengrass, JJ Abrams, Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Edgar Wright, Danny Boyle, Peter Weir, Steven Soderbergh, Christopher Nolan… to name a few.
Q) Drawing from your own personal experiences, what advice would you give to any aspiring directors reading this?
A) Don’t give up. Trust me, if I can do it, you can do it. Be persistent, but know when the door is closed. Try another one.
Q) What was it like to be entrusted with the task of directing the Cybermen?
A) Terrifying! I’ll never forget giving Paul Kasey, the lovely guy who plays the main Cybermen, notes without his mask on and it was fine… but when he put it on, I was genuinely freaked out seeing those dead Cyberman eyes staring back at me.
Q) We often hear stories about the generally great atmosphere on set. Is this something you can vouch for?
A) It is great but there’s also a lot of pressure – not in an unpleasant way. Everybody just wants the absolute best. And with James Corden and Matt Smith on set, there was a lot of laughs.
Q) Doctor Who is becoming progressively more ambitious and movie like. What techniques are used to achieve its stylish ‘filmic’ look?
A) The show is shot with Arri Alexa cameras, which are amazing. Lots of big movies like Skyfall are shot with them too, so the image quality is very high. Plus, the scale of the sets and visual effects are huge… almost as big as Steven Moffat’s imagination! We all work hard to make it look cinematic.
Q) Now that Doctor Who is in its 50th year what would you say is the secret of its ongoing success?
A) I think it’s all down to the Doctor himself, in all his guises. He’s such a fantastic character.
Q) Finally, what projects have you got in the pipeline, Doctor Who related or otherwise?
A) I’m currently directing a few episodes of Casualty, right next door to Doctor Who. I’m also developing a few feature film projects.
BBC Worldwide recently released an interesting video which showcases Doctor Who in five different languages.
As of 2013, the Doctor’s adventures have been sold to more than 200 territories, including the US, France, Russia, China, Germany and Iceland.
The clip’s taken from The Wedding of River Song (2011). It demonstrates just how all the timey wimey action is being enjoyed all around the world. Watch it below!
Fans down under will soon be able to enjoy Doctor Who like never before with a special cinema event next month.
BBC Worldwide has announced they have teamed up with Event Cinemas and Village Roadshow in order to bring their “global exclusive” to fans in Australia and New Zealand.
On Thursday 14th March, for one night only, the Series 6 US two-parter The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon will be screened in select cinemas across the two countries.
The event begins on the day at 7pm, with an added ‘best dressed’ prize at every cinema for the fan sporting the most impressive Time Lord inspired costume – the episodes will hit big screens in HD for what will be the Doctor’s first ever multiple cinema screening.
“We’re building on the concept of ‘event television’ by creating simultaneous Doctor Who experiences on big screens in Australia and New Zealand for the first time.” commented BBC Australasia’s Sharon Wilson. “It’s an opportunity for fans to enjoy the programmes and participate in the whole experience in a way that they’ve not been able to before…”
To view a list of all the participating cinemas and to book your tickets ($20), click here.
Later this year the 50th anniversary’s special 3D adventure will be screened in cinemas.
Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...
The Ponds’ last ever original audiobook adventure will go on sale just in time for the Christmas season.
In Snake Bite by Scott Handcock, the TARDIS trio land in a whole lot of bother when they arrive at a scientific research outpost far in the future, where Doctor Elehri Mussurana and her husband Ernst Wharner watch in awe as their top secret experiment reaches its final, glorious fruition. A wormhole in time and space is being created – but as the fabric of reality is ripped at the seams, will the universe itself tear in two…?
The audio adventure, read by Series 6 guest star Frances Barber, is out 6th December.
WhovianNet is an unofficial Doctor Who fansite. We are not endorsed by or affiliated with the BBC or any other companies connected with Doctor Who and its spin-offs. The official site can be found at bbc.co.uk/doctorwho.
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