Doctor Who, Series 5 and Specials.

[Meds]

Great news for you American fans.

In a turnabout from a previous arrangement, BBC America now has first US broadcast rights for the soon-to-be-aired hour-long specials of Doctor Who, Variety reported today.

The Next Doctor, the show's 2008 Christmas episode, will make its US debut at 9:00 p.m. on June 27, followed by Planet of the Dead in July (date TBA). Specific US air dates will be determined for the subsequent specials after they've aired in the UK.

BBC America - which has to bid for British shows just like any other American broadcaster - will continue its first run deal on Torchwood, airing that show's third season in July.

Other science fiction shows debuting on the network this summer include Being Human (starting July 25) and Survivors, starring Doctor Who's Freema Agyeman (date TBA). The third season of ITV's dinosaur time romp Primeval is currently airing on the network.

Current BBC America president Garth Ancier says that's the network should always have had Doctor Who. "If I'd been here [when the original deal was made]," Ancier said, "we wouldn't have sold it, to be quite honest." For the last four years, the Sci Fi Channel has held first rights, with BBC America holding second rights.

[M-5]

That's great news!  Thanks for the tip! :metallica:

[Geekyfanboy]

Here's more Who news.. some of this has already been posted.

Various "Doctor Who" Updates
By Garth Franklin Thursday May 28th 2009 10:06AM
Various "Doctor Who" Updates

BBC America has taken back The Doctor from the Sci-Fi Channel, today announcing the acquisition of the five "Doctor Who" television specials starring David Tennant in his last adventures as The Doctor.

The deal includes last year's Christmas special "The Next Doctor" which will go to air States-side on June 27th at 9pm. That will be quickly followed by the first of the 2009 specials "Planet of the Dead" which aired this past Easter in the UK and will screen in the US in July. That same month the new five-episode season of spin-off "Torchwood" will also air on the network.

The remaining three specials air November and around Christmas in the UK. No word on the US airdates but they're expected to be much closer to the British airings and will likely air in full - unlike the Sci-Fi Channel broadcasts which notably edited out several minutes of content from key episodes.

'Planet of the Dead', the first "Doctor Who" adventure to be shot in high-definition, will get a Blu-ray release shortly after the US airing.

In other 'Who' news, The BBC has confirmed that Tennant will play 'The Doctor' in a two-part episode of the third season of spin-off series "The Sarah Jane Adventures".

Producer Russell T Davies says this isn't just a cameo either - "this is a full-on appearance" with his episodes going to air sometime in September in the UK.

The press release also confirmed that a script is in development for a 'Who' movie, but it's still early days and could well fall through as has happened before.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Onto the less substantiated, more rumor-oriented stuff. According to My Park Mag, Tennant has just finished shooting his final scenes as The Doctor last week and is "expected to die alone in the TARDIS" in the final special.

There's been rumor of Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) returning but many were wondering how in the world that will fit into continuity considering she's off in a parallel world. The answer is simple: "she doesn't recognise him as he lands in London in 2004 - months before they actually first met". This could also explain the return appearance of The Master (John Simm).

The paper also reports that former James Bond star Timothy Dalton will be playing a villain in the final two-parter. What role specifically is unknown.

[Geekyfanboy]

The Doctor Gets Animated
May 27, 2009 by Michael Hickerson   || Category: TV News

We're down to only three more on-screen appearances by David Tennant as the tenth Doctor.   And while the last three specials aren't scheduled to air until later this year, fans can get a fix of the tenth Doctor in the fall when the BBC's red button service will air the animated "Doctor Who" story, "Dreamland."  The series will be seven episodes long and similar to last year's "The Infinite Quest."

Each episode will run about six minutes and star Tennant as the voice of the Doctor.  He'll be joined by actress Georgia Moffett, Lisa Bowerman and David Warner according to the Den of Geek.

The story is by Phil Ford, the co-writer of the upcoming "The Waters of Mars" with Russell T. Davies.  Ford has also written scripts for "The Sarah Jane Adventures" and "Torchwood."

And in a related "Doctor Who" story, Russell T. Davies is hinting that the tenth Doctor could guest star in an upcoming segement of "The Sarah Jane Adventures."

[Geekyfanboy]

Doctor Who assistant is unveiled

This is Karen Gillan's biggest role yet



Little-known actress Karen Gillan has been unveiled as the next assistant in Doctor Who.

The 21-year-old will star alongside new Time Lord Matt Smith in the new series, to be broadcast next year.

Gillan has already appeared in the drama, having played a Soothsayer in The Fires Of Pompeii in the last run.

"I am absolutely over the moon at being chosen to play the Doctor's new companion. - I just can't wait to get started," she said.

'Incredible actor'

"The show is such a massive phenomenon that I can't quite believe I am going to be a part of it.

"Matt Smith is an incredible actor and it is going to be so much fun to act alongside him," she added.

Head of Drama, BBC Wales, Piers Wenger said she brings "energy and excitement" to the role.

"When she auditioned alongside Matt we knew we had something special," he said.
   
The 2010 series is a crucial one for the programme. David Tennant has been such a big part of the show's success, that expectations for his successor are huge.

So the choice of a relative unknown to accompany the new Doctor in The Tardis is an unsurprising one.

If a well-known actress had been chosen, there would always be the danger that they would overshadow Matt Smith in his first series.

And The Doctor needs to be the main focus of the show, even though the companion role is much more significant now than it was in the classic series between 1963 and 1989.

Writer and executive producer Steven Moffat said they saw some "amazing actresses" but Gillan "walked through the door the game was up".

He described her as "funny, and clever, and gorgeous, and sexy. Or Scottish, which is the quick way of saying it".

"A generation of little girls will want to be her. And a generation of little boys will want them to be her too," he added.

Gillan, from Inverness, developed a love for acting after attending several youth theatre groups and taking part in various school productions.

At the age of 16, she decided to pursue her career further and left school to study acting at Edinburgh's Telford College.

She went on to secure a place at the Italia Conti drama school in London and landed her first role in the Scottish drama Rebus.

Parts in Channel 4's Stacked, The Kevin Bishop Show and James Nesbitt's forthcoming film Outcast followed, but the role in Doctor Who is her first high profile to date.

[Meds]

Oh you beat me to it by two mins ha ha

[Meds]

Bigger photo.

[Rico]

So, are these next season's Daleks?    :wub

[Feathers]

Isn't that the new low budget version?

[Dangelus]

Isn't that the new low budget version?

No it's the 'adult' version.   :ohbaby

[Meds]

Talk aout being sucked in LOL

[Meds]

HUGE SPOILER, DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK IN THE SPOILER TAG IF YOU DONT WANT TO SEE WHO IS IN THE LAST SPECIAL

[spoiler]Ok so here is the link to the photo.
http://io9.com/5291509/your-first-look-at-doctor-whos-next-big-guest-stars
[/spoiler]

[Meds]

THE WATERS OF MARS NEW TRAILER

Doctor Who The Waters Of Mars Exclusive Clip

[Meds]

Looks like Matt Smith's costume for Dr Who is going back to the original. Photograph published today on the internet (can't put one up here as writing via phone but i'm sure someone will pop it up) shows Matt in a white shirt, bow tie, brown tweed suit jacket and black rolled up trousers a bit like a 1950's student in America ha ha. Side parted hair cut as well. So filming has begun for the new series and hopefully I'll have some more reports as i find them.

[Geekyfanboy]

Here's a picture I found..