Children In Need Special Details

Outpost Gallifrey has learned the specifics of the Children in Need Doctor Who special airing next week. The special mini-episode is actually 3 and 1/2 minutes long, and will begin at exactly 9:06pm during the telethon (though of course there is always room for slight variation in the timing). Additionally, we've learned that K9 will be in the studio joining the presenters for the evening. As always, this information is subject to change up to air time!

BBC Radio Jersey recently interviewed the director of the special, who said it's set immediately after the end of "The Parting of the Ways," is set in the TARDIS, and is "a real episode that links the last series to the new one and is part of Series Two." The interviewer on Radio Jersey said they filmed it only in the last two weeks in Cardiff: "So I don't know what’s in it, I don't know how long it is but I do know it's a scene between Billie Piper in the TARDIS and it's the moment David Tennant materialised at the end of the last series."

New Cybermen Revealed

The BBC today issued a press release announcing the return of the Cybermen for the second season of the new Doctor Who series, along with an accompanying photograph, below. At right is a snapshot of the new design; the official Doctor Who Website has a much larger image posted available for view.



Filming of the eagerly awaited Cybermen adventure is underway in Cardiff. The first two-parter of series two written by Tom MacRae (Nine Lives, School’s Out) sees The Doctor and companions’ battle against a new, more deadly breed of Cybermen who are out to convert humanity into their own kind.

Producer, Phil Collinson says: ‘The villainous Cybermen are as much a part of Doctor Who heritage as the Daleks and so it’s a huge personal thrill to see them back. I hope that the evil silver giants will terrify a whole new generation of viewers as they confront the tenth Time Lord.’

The sinister breed of monsters; second only to the Daleks in their infamy made their first appearance in 1966 and haven’t darkened our screens since 1988. Next year will mark their 40th anniversary.

Originally created by Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis, (also the creators of Doomwatch), the modernised version have been superbly redesigned by Edward Thomas’s design team and Neil Gorton at Millennium FX.

The episodes which will be seen next year in the highly anticipated second series, directed by Graeme Harper, also stars Camille Coduri as Rose’s mum Jackie, Noel Clarke as Rose’s hapless boyfriend Mickey, Roger Lloyd-Pack as the monstrous John Lumic Andrew Hayden-Smith as Jake Simmonds and Shaun Dingwall returns as Peter Tyler, Rose’s dad.

New Series Update and Red Button Episode

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine (#363) reveals another stunning development for the series: immediately after broadcast of 'The Christmas Invasion', digital viewers (digital, cable or Freeview) "will be invited to 'press their red buttons' to join the Doctor on a new adventure," meaning an additional special episode for the time period between the airing of the Christmas special and the start of series two. Written by Gareth Roberts and starring David Tennant (who has already filmed scenes for it), the digital feature is directed by Ashley Way and produced by Sophie Fante "in conjunction with the Doctor Who production team". According to executive producer Julie Gardner, "This is being treated as a full-blooded, sophisticated production, with [...] a brand new alien villain [...] and brand new sets [...] Viewers will even be able to use their remotes to fly the TARDIS!"

Meanwhile, the episode also discusses the new Children in Need special, which is written by Russell T Davies and directed by Euros Lynn: "it's a proper piece of Doctor Who - meaning it's not a spoof, or an interview, or a preview of the Christmas episode, or a [...] look behind the scenes; it's genuine new Doctor Who! [...] we've been planning this for months."

DWM confirms that Block Three of production, directed by Graeme Harper, is under way. Episode 5 is not called 'Parallel Worlds' (the real title is not revealed). Episode 4 ("The Girl in the Fireplace") will feature Angel Coulby as Katherine.

Finally, the new series has debuted in France on the new digital channel France 4. Says the official Doctor Who website, "To celebrate the Time Lord's arrival in France, Executive Producers Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner launched the show in Paris, and have been speaking to everyone from cutting edge trendsetters, Inrockuptibles and Technikart, through to all the national listings weeklies and even French National Radio. Hopes are high for Doctor Who - the French have a tradition for taking such shows to their hearts (they had four Buffy magazines), and it's part of a high-profile launch line up for their trendiest new digital channel." The site also confirms that the series will arrive in Italy later this month.

Children In Need Special To Be Online

The BBC's website for the Children In Need charity event notes that the special Doctor Who mini-episode being broadcast on Friday 18 November after 9pm will be available for viewing on the web for an undefined period at this website starting the same evening at 9:30pm. There is currently a trailer available on the website. This is only the second instance of the new Doctor Who series to be broadcast on the web (the first instance being last April's transmission of the episode "Dalek" as a test for new BBC technologies that was accidentally leaked to the public).

Coincidently I've been listening to some Big Finish audio dramas, I'm pretty disappointed with the DW monthly series itself, but I just finished the Dalek Empire series which was very excellent. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes scifi and radio dramas.

Afterwards I found out Tennant played a major character in the third installment of the series. It's the only performance I've ever encountered from him and he was very good, even though I still think he looks too young to play the Doctor.