On the night before Doctor Who’s 50th Anniversary David Tennant and Matt Smith appeared on The Graham Norton Show.
Nov25
Monthly Archives: November 2013
Nov24
The @dayoftheFishDr Mystery Solved
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdSp3WRDAhY
On 17 November the Doctor Who Mind Robber reported on the mystery of the @dayoftheFishDr hashtag. With the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who has come the resolution of the case and the release of The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot. Written and directed by the Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison, the 30 minute faux reality piece chronicles the endeavours of the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors to appear in the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special. The Fourth Doctor appears in a cameo voice over and the Eighth Doctor briefly indicates his support for the cause.
Although a trailer has been uploaded to YouTube, the feature (which is available on the BBC One Red Button service) can only be accessed by those outside of the UK at the BBC’s Doctor Who website. You can access The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot here.
Vivien Fleming
Nov24
Doctor Who Receives Guinness World Record for “The Day of the Doctor” Simulcast
The BBC has today received the Guinness World Record for the largest ever simulcast of a television drama. Doctor Who TV has reported on this record breaking award:
After a spectacular night of global celebration for Doctor Who’s 50th Anniversary, Executive Producer and Head Writer Steven Moffat was presented with the Guinness World Record for the largest ever simulcast of a TV drama, following a global campaign from BBC Worldwide that saw The Day of the Doctor broadcast in 94 countries across 6 continents.
The award was presented by to Steven ahead of his first panel appearance today at the Doctor Who Celebration, a special three-day event spanning the anniversary weekend at London’s ExCeL. Cast members Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman were also in attendance along with thousands of fans from across the world.
On receiving the award, Steven Moffat says: “For years the Doctor has been stopping everyone else from conquering the world. Now, just to show off, he’s gone and done it himself!”
Tim Davie, CEO BBC Worldwide (the BBC’s commercial arm) says: “We knew we were attempting something unprecedented in broadcast history, not only because Doctor Who is a drama, unlike a live feed event such as a World Cup football match or a Royal Wedding, but because we had to deliver the episode in advance to the four corners of the world so that it could be dubbed and subtitled into 15 different languages. If there was any doubt that Doctor Who is one of the world’s biggest TV shows, this award should put that argument to rest – and how fitting for it to receive such an accolade in its 50th year.”
Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief, Craig Glenday, who presented the award, added: “Who else but the time-twisting Doctor could appear in 94 countries at once?! This outstanding achievement is testament to the fact that the longest running sci-fi TV show in history is not just a well-loved UK institution but a truly global success adored by millions of people.”
In addition to the TV broadcast, over 1500 cinemas worldwide, including in the UK, US, Canada, Latin America, Germany, Russia and Scandinavia, will show the episode in spectacular 3D with over half a million tickets sold.
In the run up to the 50th Anniversary, fans of the show across the world have been out in full force to be part of a global event. In Sweden and Norway where the programme has no client broadcaster, fans successfully petitioned to get their local cinemas to screen the episode. Similarly, fans in Argentina pushed a major cinema chain into showing the special simultaneously. In the US, an initial 10,000 cinema tickets sold out in 28 minutes without any marketing or advertising and in Germany, Cinemaxx, one of the largest cinema chains reported that the special had been the fastest non-movie pre-sale in their history.
Nov23
Happy 50th Birthday Doctor Who!
The day has finally arrived. It’s 23 November and Doctor Who is officially 50 years old! The Doctor Who Mind Robber is endeavouring to stay spoiler free in the lead up to the broadcast of The Day of the Doctor at 7:50 p.m. UK time. Being Australian based, the 50th Anniversary Special is being broadcast on ABC1 at 6:50 a.m. tomorrow (Sunday) morning. The writer, however, is attending a 3D Cinema screening at 11.00 a.m. so will try her very hardest not to touch the internet until her return tomorrow afternoon. Enjoy your celebrations!
Vivien Fleming
Nov23
Is Marco Polo the Latest Recovered Missing Serial?
On 24 October The Doctor Who Mind Robber pondered if Marco Polo had been recovered. It was around that date that it was first revealed that a reconstruction of part of the much sought after serial would appear in Mark Gatiss’ docudrama, An Adventure in Space and Time. Given the amazing coincidence of the Great Intelligence’s return in Series 7 after a 44 year hiatus and the recovery of The Web of Fear, a BBC marketing missing episodes programme could not be ruled out. Was Marco Polo yet another example of the Beeb self promoting its recovered monochrome product?
The Great Intelligence’s return heralded the recovery of The Web of Fear. The Eleventh Doctor )(Matt Smith) with the Great Intelligence (Richard E. Grant) in The Name of the Doctor
On the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who and riding on the extraordinarily positive reviews of An Adventure in Space and Time, now would be the perfect occasion to announce the recovery. Certain external signs are very reminiscent of the days prior to the announced recovery of The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear. Two UK newspapers, the Mirror and The Telegraph, are both reporting the recovery of the seven part serial. The Mirror is claiming the recovery of a fan recorded 16mm cine recording of all the episodes. The silent recording is said to have been made by recording direct from the television screen using then commercially available equipment. As the BBC already holds fan recorded audio of all missing episodes, restoration has involved dubbing this sound to the audio free film.
The Radio Times cover for the missing Doctor Who serial Marco Polo
It was the Mirror which was the first mainstream newspaper to announce the October recovery. Although their facts were wildly incorrect, within a week the BBC had officially announced the recovery of two serials. Is their a kernel of truth in the Mirror’s claims?
Moreover, several prominent Doctor Who fan forums have closed their missing episode threads. This is exactly what happened in the days preceding the October announcement.
The Doctor Who Mind Robber posted this cartoon last time the Missing Episode threads were closed
Will a recovery of Marco Polo be announced on tonight’s BBC3 Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty? Or perhaps it may wait until the British Film Institute’s Missing Believed Wiped event on 21 December? Only time will tell!
Vivien Fleming
©Vivien Fleming, 2013.
Nov21
“The Last Day” Mini-Episode
First day on the front line? Time to attach a Headcam for a soldier’s point-of-view. What could possibly go wrong?
Nov21
Introducing “The Day of the Doctor”
Nov21
ABC Shop Doctor Who Day This Saturday
To celebrate Doctor Who’s 50th Anniversary on Saturday, ABC Shops around Australia are hosting a “Doctor Who Day”. Each local ABC Shop will conduct a Cosplay competition together with trivia and colouring in competitions. Doctor Who prizes will be offered and there will also be specials on selected Who merchandise. Further details are available on the ABC Shop Doctor Who Day Facebook page, which also has a handy store locator.
Vivien Fleming
Nov21
David Tennant and Matt Smith discuss “The Day of the Doctor”
Nov20
Katy Manning Interview with Flicks and the City
Katy Manning, aka Doctor Who’s Jo Grant companion to Jon Pertwee, chats about why Peter Capaldi will be a fantastic new doctor, working with Jon Pertwee, acting with Matt Smith on The Sarah Jane Adventures, voice acting on the Big Finish audiobooks, Paul McGann’s mini-episode The Night of the Doctor & why it was important to have a gap until Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor Who.
The Doctor Who Mind Robber 