Could it be Rupert Murdoch, aka Davros, hitting back at politicians trying to thwart his evil plans for world domination. Not yet anyway. Actually it’s the Doctor Who Experience which has recreated a classic Doctor Who story: The Dalek Invasion of Earth from 1964.
Taking place on Westminster Bridge in central London, the photoshoot used four generations of Daleks from the series. The Doctor Who Experience runs at London’s Olympia until November.
Pictures: Matt Crossick/PA Wire
Dominic West looking eerily like Fred West who he plays in Appropriate Adult
Dominic West has recurring “nightmares” since playing serial killer Fred West in forthcoming ITV drama, Appropriate Adult.
The 41-year-old actor portrays the notorious murderer – who along with wife Rose killed at least 12 young women – and admits the role is still haunting him.
He said: “I have this recurring dream where I’m perched on a wall and Fred West is trying to grab me and pull me down but I didn’t let him get to me. I was determined not to.”
Despite the horrific nature of Fred’s crimes, Dominic insists the drama won’t be “sensational” and believes there is an important message to the story.
He added in an interview with Radio Times magazine: “The production team have found a way of telling this story through the eyes of a social worker who was sent to interview West in prison.
“I think it’s effective without being sensational in any way.
“Thousands of people still go missing in this country every year and are never found. Fred West preyed on runaways without being caught for 25 years. We should not forget this case, because there could be others like him.”
Matt Smith is set to star in a drama about the 1948 London Olympics. The Doctor Who actor will portray Bert Bushnell, who, alongside his partner Dickie Burnell, won gold in the double sculls rowing event in the BBC film.
Entitled Bert and Dickie, the show will document how two men from very different social backgrounds overcame class struggles to become champions. A production source told the Daily Mail newspaper: “They were polar opposites.”
While Bert left school at just 14 to become an apprentice with an engineering company, his team-mate Dickie was educated at the prestigious Eton school and later Oxford University.
Matt, who has already finished filming all 13 episodes of his second series of Doctor Who, is reportedly set to go into immediate training to learn how to both row and look like an Olympic gold medal winner by working with experts and enduring strenuous weight training.
After filming Bert and Dickie in August, Matt will return for a third series of the BBC One sci-fi drama, as well as a Christmas special.
BBC One executive Sam Hodges recently tweeted: “‘Doctor Who’ is returning. Fourteen new episodes have been commissioned with Matt Smith as The Doctor.”
Paul Nicholls: Left Waterloo Road after three days
Paul Nicholls has left BBC1 school drama Waterloo Road after just three days on set.
The former EastEnders actor – whose role as PE teacher Jez Diamond in the drama was announced last month – was reportedly behaving “erratically” during filming. And, after being reprimanded twice for being late, bosses took action and terminated his contract.
A source said: “Paul is a lovely guy but he is in a dark place at the moment. We let him go because it wasn’t working out and hopefully some time off now will give Paul the opportunity to sort himself out.”
Another insider added to the Daily Mirror newspaper: “His behaviour on set was very odd. People felt uncomfortable around him. It was clear Paul was having some personal problems.”
Friends believe one of the reasons for Paul’s odd behaviour was the recent death of his beloved grandfather, as he was finding his loss hard to deal with.
The 32-year-old star, who has admitted to having drink and drug problems in the past, has now been replaced by The Bill star Alex Walkinshaw and Paul’s scenes will be re-shot later this week.
A BBC spokesman said: “Paul Nicholls has left Waterloo Road. The show producers, Shed Productions, said the actor’s decision was for personal reasons, following a recent family bereavement.”
Matt Smith: less Doctor Who appearances in 2012
The decision of BBC bosses to split the Doctor Who series in half in 2012 has sparked an angry reaction among its millions of fans
BBC One controller Danny Cohen has confirmed the sci-fi show will be downsized next year, which has led to speculation that four one hour-long specials are in line to replace the 13-part series in 2012.
However, BBC entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba had revealed the season could be split between 2012 and 2013. He tweeted: “Bit of confusion, to summarise: no FULL 13 episode series of Dr Who in 2012. So some episodes will still go out in 2012. Remainder in 2013.
“No idea yet how many episodes in total in 2013. But, hey, it’s still two years away.
“Don’t know how many 2012 eps or what time of year they’ll be broadcast. Just what Danny Cohen said earlier which was no FULL series in 2012.
“No further details about what more’s happening in 2013 yet. But it’s the 50th anniversary, so of course there will be some great stuff!”
An angry Doctor Who fan tweeted: “It’s a huge blow. The Beeb clearly don’t care about the show’s fans. What the hell is the BBC playing at mucking about with one of its flagship shows?”
Last week it was reported that Doctor Who actor was lining up a possible film career in Hollywood. He said: “I have a lot of ambitions. I would like one day to direct and I just want to keep doing quality work. LA is kinda groovy – I really like it out there … Would I get a big part, who knows? Sadly, that is not up to me. That all depends on people in the American film industry and whether they want to put me there.”
Matt Smith has signed up to return to Doctor Who as the Timelord in a run which will include 13 episodes and a Christmas special.
BBC One executive Sam Hodges tweeted: “Doctor Who is returning. Fourteen new episodes have been commissioned with Matt Smith as The Doctor.”
Executive producer Steven Moffat added: “14 eps + Matt DEFINITELY. I’ve got a plan and I’m not telling you what it is. Now hush or River shoots you with her Spoiler Gun. (sic)”
The news will come as a welcome relief to fans after the 28-year-old actor – who shot to fame when he replaced David Tennant as the Time Lord – fuelled speculation he wants to leave the show saying he was planning to pursue a Hollywood career and had even set up meetings with movie bosses in Los Angeles.
He said: “I’m going over to Los Angeles this week to dip my head in the pond. I am going to be having loads of meetings with film people and that sort of stuff. I have a lot of ambitions. I would like one day to direct and I just want to keep doing quality work. LA is kinda groovy – I really like it out there … Would I get a big part, who knows? Sadly, that is not up to me. That all depends on people in the American film industry and whether they want to put me there.”
Doctor Who
Doctor Who writer Matthew Graham believes there is a “masterplan” behind Rory’s ‘deaths’ in the show.
The writer – who has penned this week’s adventure The Rebel Flesh, the first episode of a two-part adventure which concludes next week with The Almost People – is sure Steven Moffat’s penchant for constantly almost killing Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) will eventually be revealed to be significant in the overall story arc of this series.
Matthew said in an interview with SFX magazine: “Does he (Rory) die in every episode? I suppose he does! He does die a lot. That’s a good point. You know what, with any other showrunner I’d say, ‘Oh, I don’t know, they probably don’t know what they’re doing.’ But if anyone has a masterplan about Rory’s multiple deaths, it’ll be Steven. But I will be the last to know.”
The Life on Mars co-creator also revealed his upcoming episodes rely more on traditional plot elements such as frights and questions of morality rather than playing on the time travel element of the BBC One sci-fi series – which stars Matt Smith as the titular Doctor.
He added: “With the story I needed to tell, there was no point in overcomplicating it in terms of structure. I think what’s going to be a lot of fun about this story is that it’s a Frankenstein’s monster tale and complexities that comes out of the story are moral and social complexities rather than timey whime stuff.
“So there didn’t seem to be any point in telling the story backwards, or throwing structural curveballs at the audience. It’s a big enough challenge for writers to just tell a good solid story in real time.”
Sophie Ellis Bextor wants to appear in Doctor Who!
Murder on the Dancefloor hitmaker Sophie Ellis Bextor thinks she has the perfect features to be cast as a foe for the Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companion Amy Pond (Karren Gillan).
She tweeted: “Ambition thought of the day: I would love to play an alien on Dr Who. No prosthetics required!”
Meanwhile, writer Matthew Graham says the two-part story he has penned for the show, The Rebel Flesh and The Almost People should come with a warning, despite the BBC already moving Doctor Who to a later start time this Saturday May 21.
He told website Den of Geek: “I showed it to my wife the other night and there were a couple of images in it where she went, ‘Actually, that’s quite scary. That’s not very pleasant.’ I also notice that that it’s going out a bit later. I wouldn’t be surprised if they put a warning out beforehand.”
The Life on Mars creator also admitted he is hoping to be asked to write more episodes of ‘Doctor Who’ in the future.
He added: “I had such a good time on this run that I would love to come back and do some more. They seem very, very pleased with the episode, so I hope they’d consider asking me back.”
The Silence join Doctor Who Experience
The Silence have become the latest addition to the Doctor Who Experience.
The Time Lord’s deadly enemies, who were introduced to the BBC One sci-fi show earlier this series, are set to join the interactive exhibition at London’s Olympia 2 venue today.
The Silence – who use their psychic powers to control humans – will join a host of other enemies from the programme’s 48-year history, including several different generations of Daleks, a Zygon – who battled Fourth Doctor Tom Baker in 1975 – an Ice Warrior – who clashed with Second Doctor Patrick Troughton – Sontarans and a huge K1 Robot.
Matt Smith, who plays the 11th Doctor, recently revealed The Silence are to become his alter-ego’s defining enemy over the course of the current series, as writer Steven Moffat has made them such an integral part of the story.
When asked whether the monsters would become as iconic as some of his character’s other nemeses, Matt said: “I think they will. The Weeping Angels were my favourite to face but I think The Silents are now, because a) they’re just so clever and b) the way that Steven has just woven them into the whole narrative is just really, really brilliant. They’re a cracking monster.”
As well as an exhibition, the Doctor Who Experience has an interactive adventure which allows visitors to step through a crack in time to become The Doctor’s companions, travel in the TARDIS and battle Daleks and Weeping Angels.
For more information and tickets go to www.doctorwhoexperience.com
‘Doctor Who’ boss Steven Moffat “hates” fans who spoil plots.
The chief writer of the BBC One sci-fi drama – which stars Matt Smith as the titular Time Lord – vented his anger at viewers who reveal secret plotlines, after one fan attended a press launch and then wrote storyline details on the internet before the current sixth season was aired.
He said: “You can imagine how much I hate them. It’s only fans who do this, or they call themselves fans. I wish they could go and be fans of something else.
“I just hope that guy never watched my show again, because that’s a horrific thing to do.”
The 49-year-old producer admitted he finds it “heartbreaking” when his hard work goes to waste, and likened revealing upcoming plots to acts of “vandalism”
Steven added to BBC Radio 5 Live: “It’s heartbreaking in a way because you’re trying to tell stories, and stories depend on surprise. So to have some twit who came to a press launch, write up a story in the worst, most ham-fisted English you can imagine, and put it on the internet.
“The tragedy is you have to work hard at that now. Stories depend on shocking people. Stories are the moments that you didn’t see coming, that are what live in you and burn in you forever. If you are denied those, it’s vandalism.”
Doctor Who’ star Matt Smith was rushed to hospital yesterday (01.05.11) after splitting his head open.
The actor – who plays the 11th doctor in the BBC One sci-fi show – tripped over in his flat while celebrating with his co-stars after they had finished filming the second part of the programme’s current series and had to be taken to the nearby University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff to receive treatment.
A source told The Sun newspaper: “Matt tripped over in his flat and sustained a minor head cut. He went to A&E as a precaution. He is very, very clumsy so nobody will be surprised.”
However, the accident failed to dampen Matt’s mood and he soon went back to his friends to carry on the celebrations.
The source added: “It looked really painful but Matt didn’t seem to care. Luckily they had just finished shooting scenes – if not his bosses would have been fuming because it didn’t look too pretty.”
Matt – who took over from playing The Timelord from David Tennant in 2009 – has often spoke about how clumsy he is and has broken bits off props before as well as admitting to resting his hand on a light only for it to fall on his head.
Lily Cole will play a dangerous seductress when she makes a guest appearance on ‘Doctor Who’ this Saturday (07.05.11).
The 22-year-old supermodel is set to terrorise a pirate – played by ‘Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville – and his crew as she puts them under a spell and lures them away one by one in the BBC One sci-fi drama, only to be stopped by the Time Lord and his faithful assistant Amy Pond when the Tardis lands on top of the pirate ship.
However the Doctor (Matt Smith) is at first unwilling to help the captain who pulls a gun on him, and jokes: “You’re big on the gun thing aren’t you? Freud would say that you’re compensating.”
Lily – who has also appeared alongside Heath Ledger in ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’ – has previously revealed she was delighted to have landed a part in ‘Doctor Who’.
She said: “It’s a great script and a fun character and I am glad to be involved.”
According to one insider, the flame-haired beauty “jumped at the chance” to feature in the series as she’s a huge fan of the show.
The source added: “Lily’s a big fan of the show and jumped at the chance to appear. It’s a real ocean adventure.”
The sixth season premiere of ‘Doctor Who’ has broken ratings records for BBC America.
The sci-fi drama drew in 1.3 million viewers on Saturday (23.04.11) for the US digital channel, breaking the previous record set by the show for the first episode of the fifth series last year by six per cent.
However, in the UK, the show saw ratings fall by 17 per cent compared with the series five opener, drawing 6.5 million viewers.
The two-part episode, entitled ‘The Impossible Astronaut’, was partly filmed in America for the first time and the 1969-set scenes also featured guest stars Stuart Milligan and Mark Sheppard alongside programme regulars Matt Smith and Karen Gillan.
Meanwhile, images from next week’s concluding episode have been released, featuring an aged, bearded Doctor with long hair and tied to a chair, sparking fan speculation as to how he will escape to fight his deadliest-ever enemies The Silence.
Matt – who plays the titular Time Lord – recently admitted he thinks the creatures are one of the scariest intergalactic races his alter-ego has ever battled.
The 28-year-old actor said: “I think they’re very scary. With anything in ‘Doctor Who’ it tends to be the sum of it’s parts, on this one I think the idea behind them is particularly clever and they’re realised very well, so physically they’re brilliant.
“Hats off to all the design team and the production team for making it happen.”
Former ‘Doctor Who’ star Tom Baker says he will always be “grateful” for working with the late Elisabeth Sladen.
The actor – who was the fourth Time Lord – appeared alongside Elisabeth in the BBC One sci-fi series in the 70s as his assistant Sarah Jane Smith, and Tom admits he will always look back on their time together with fond memories.
He said: “Those sweet memories of happy days with Liz Sladen – the lovely, witty, kind and so talented Liz Sladen. I am consoled by the memories. I was there, I knew her, she was good to me and I shall always be grateful. I shall miss her.”
Elisabeth, 63, lost her long battle with cancer on Tuesday (19.04.11), and Tom can’t believe she has passed away.
Writing on his official website, he said: “Sarah Jane dead? No, impossible! Impossible! Only last week I agreed to do six new audio adventures with her. She can’t be dead. But she is. Cancer.
“I had no idea she was ill – she was so private, never wanted any fuss. Now gone. A terrible blow to her friends and a shattering blow for all those fans of the programme whose lives were touched every Saturday evening by her lovely, heroic character, Sarah Jane Smith.”
Elisabeth first appeared in ‘Doctor Who’ in 1973 to 1976 alongside Jon Pertwee and Tom, and in addition to her first run in the series, she also reprised the character following the programme’s return in 2005 starring in the Tenth Doctor story ‘School Reunion’ alongside David Tennant.
She appeared in two-part series four finale ‘The Stolen Earth’/'Journey’s End’ and had a cameo in David’s last adventure ‘The End of Time’.
Elisabeth also played the character in four series of ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’ on CBBC and appeared alongside current Doctor Matt Smith in the show’s episode ‘Death of the Doctor’.
Tributes have been pouring in for ‘Doctor Who’ star Elisabeth Sladen.
The 63-year-old actress – who first appeared as assistant Sarah Jane Smith in the BBC sci-fi series from 1973 to 1976 alongside Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker – lost her long battle with cancer yesterday morning (19.04.11), leaving behind husband Brian Miller and their 26-year-old daughter Sadie.
‘Doctor Who’ writer and creator of ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’ spin-off show – which Elisabeth also starred in – Russell T Davies led the tributes, saying: “I absolutely loved Lis. She was funny and cheeky and clever and just simply wonderful.”
Meanwhile, actor John Barrowman – who co-starred alongside Elisabeth when she returned to ‘Doctor Who’ in 2006 – explained he is “proud” to have worked alongside “such an icon”.
Writing on his twitter page, he said: “Elisabeth Sladen Matriarch of Dr Who I loved my time on the Tardis with her I am proud to have worked with such an icon of the sci fi world. your Dr Who family are very sad and will miss you and your beautiful smile.
“She lived in my Flat in Cardiff when she was filming SJA she was a delight. Cant tell u how sad I am..(sic).”
Elsewhere, Stephen Fry paid his respects to the star, saying ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’ were a part of his childhood.
He tweeted: “What terribly sad news about Elisabeth Sladen – her Sarah Jane was part of my childhood. Deepest sympathy to her family.(sic)”
‘Doctor Who’ writer Mark Gatiss added: “A tear, Sarah Jane?’ Farewell to the wonderful, irreplaceable Lis Sladen. The best.x(sic)”
We’re saddened by the news that Doctor Who icon Elisabeth Sladen has passed away, following her fight with cancer.
The actress, who died last night at the age of 63 was best known for her character Sarah Jane Smith in the Doctor Who series, and she popped in and out of this role for 40 years.
She worked with four different Time Lords and was given her own CBBC spin-off – the BAFTA-nominated Sarah Jane Adventures – in 2007.
A new series of this is due to be screened this year, while her last appearance on Doctor Who was on David Tennant’s final episode in 2010, titled ‘End Of Time.
We’ve put together a gallery to honour the star.
Downton Abbey is to face The Only Way Is Essex in the BAFTA YouTube Audience Award category. The ITV1 period drama and the ITV2 reality show have both been nominated for the prestigious accolade alongside The Killing, Miranda, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding and detective series Sherlock.
The award will be given to the most popular programme of the last year at the upcoming Philips British Academy Television Awards, and it is the only honour voted for by the public.
Jayme Goldstein, UK Marketing Manager from YouTube, said: “The diversity of the Audience Award nominations this year shows it has been a stellar one for TV. YouTube is home to many of the top shows on TV so it’s fantastic that our community is once again able to decide this year’s Audience Award winner.”
Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA, added: “It is fantastic to see such an eclectic list of programmes nominated for this year’s YouTube Audience Award. These programmes have captured the British viewers’ attention and have earned their place on this year’s shortlist.”
From Tuesday 19 May until 5pm on Friday 20 May, members of the public will have the opportunity to vote for the YouTube Audience Award at www.youtube.com/baftaonline
The awards – which will be hosted by Graham Norton – will be held at Grosvenor House in London on 22 May.
‘Doctor Who’ star Matt Smith says The Timelord is not the marrying kind.
The actor – who is the 11th doctor in the BBC One sci-fi series – can’t see his alter-ego ever tying the knot because he’s too much of a womaniser, despite speculation that Alex Kingston’s character River Song is actually his wife.
He said: “He’s too much of a space bachelor. The universe is his mistress and he’s not giving her up for anyone!
“He finds marriage all rather peculiar, I have to say. To him, spending his whole life with someone is an alien concept. Shouold he meet the girl of his dreams and they travel around together? Naaah! He wants to keep them coming. He loves the attention of a beautiful young lady on his arm. The Doctor gets to flirt – he gets all that – he just doesn’t get all the rubbish stuff. He doesn’t have to clean up!”
Matt also revealed how he would like to play The Timelord for the foreseeable future but doesn’t know what’s going to happen.
He told Radio Times magazine: “I take it year by year. I would hope that this year wouldn’t be my last, but you don’t know. I would like to do next year as well, I think. But these matters are unto the gods!”
Linus Roache will star in Titanic mini series
The son of Coronation Street veteran Bill Roache is to head an all star cast in the upcoming mini-series, Titanic.
Linus Roache will star alongside Toby Jones, Celia Imrie and Geraldine Sommerville in the ITV1 drama – which will be penned by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes.
Commissioned to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the historic ship on its maiden voyage in April 2012, the new series will comprise four hour-long episodes and will begin filming in Hungary at the end of April.
It will be told from the point of view of several different characters, with each culminating in a cliffhanger as the ship gets into difficulty.
Laura Mackie, Director of ITV Drama said: “Following the hugely successful Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes has delivered another compellingly written and ambitious drama for ITV1.
“Coupled with exceptional homegrown talent both on and off screen Titanic promises to be the must-see original drama for this landmark anniversary.”
Edvard Munch: The Scream. The inspiration for new Doctor Who monster
Steven Moffat based new Doctor Who monster The Silence on the famous painting ‘The Scream’ by Edvard Munch (pictured right).
The new aliens battle The Doctor (Matt Smith) in the upcoming new series of the BBC sci-fi show and the inspiration behind their terrifying design came from the Norwegian artist expressionist painting, which depicts a bulbous-headed ‘man’ clutching his face whilst shrieking.
The extraterrestrials have the ability to control the human mind and actress Alex Kingston – who plays The Doctor’s companion River Song – thinks this power, coupled with their design, makes them very frightening.
She said: “I think they’re (The Silence) a little bit like the Weeping Angels, they’re creations where you can question whether they do really exist. I think that’s such a clever and frightening concept, especially for children to play with, rather than the classic Dalek or Cryberman. It’s much more psychological and really, really interesting.”
Doctor Who: returns Easter Saturday
Explaining why he based the aliens’ design on the artwork, Steven revealed he wanted to toy with the idea of the creatures being present throughout human history.
Speaking at the launch of the new series at London’s Olympia last night (04.04.11), he said: “The idea is that we’ve been surrounded by these things throughout history – not really, just in Doctor Who – and they’ve appeared in paintings and other things.”
Matt insists the creatures are one of the scariest intergalactic races the Time Lord has ever battled.
The 28-year-old actor said: “I think they’re very scary. With anything in Doctor Who it tends to be the sum of its parts, on this one I think the idea behind them is particularly clever and they’re realised very well, so physically they’re brilliant. Hats off to all the design team and the production team for making it happen.”
The Silence appear in the first two episodes of the upcoming season which is set in 1960s America and features the moon landings, President Richard Nixon and mysterious UFO hotspot Area 51.
Doctor Who returns to screens on BBC1 on Easter Saturday on April 23.
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