TARDIS Scanner

Newsroom Mentioned on the Doctor Who Podshock another Russell T Davies interview plus Captain Jack speaks...

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 07:18 GMT

BBC iPlayer (UK only) has The Sarah Jane Adventures - Enemy of the Bane - Part 1 and Part 2, Sarah Jane turns to an old friend for assistance when a former enemy appears seeking help.

The Whoniverse had added 42 to their Discontinuity Guide.

Gallifreyan Embassy has released Doctor Who: Podshock - 155, review of the first Patrick Troughton story, Power of the Daleks, news, Mike Doran joins us for a Who Party 14 Toronto Report, and feedback including a review of Prisoner of the Daleks (ed: thanks Guy's for the plug I'm 'dead chuffed' and by the way the Rememberance of the Daleks DVD special is the same one included in the Davros box set *cheat*, added to the pods and audio button on the editor's bit).

The Scotsman has a Russell T Davies interview: Feeling regenerated, Davies says he has no regrets about vacating the Tardis. "Not one bit of me thinks, 'Ooh, I've made a mistake, I wish I was doing Doctor Who next year.

Doctor Who Online has released WhoCast episode 127, No one would have believed that in the first years of the 21st century that Doctor Who would ever come back from the timeless worlds of cancellation (ed: added to the pods and audio button on the editor's bit).

Two-minute Time Lord has released 2MTL 36: "Torchwood: The Dead Line" Reviewed, "Now we get to the character-driven episode of the three audio plays. Phil Ford knows these characters and it shows, especially with the meatiest audio role yet for Gareth David-Lloyd — and that helps lift this episode above its standard plot" (ed: added to the pods and audio button on the editor's bit).

Digital Spy has an Exclusive - Captain Jack speaks!, John Barrowman gives us his take on Torchwood: Children Of Earth.

Rich's ComixBlog has Forever Janette - 16, Nick and Nat discuss the possibility of the culprit being alien and she gives him another of her mystery vampire cures. She walks Nick to the door as he leaves to try to get more information and the Doctor returns to the lab. He discover’s Nat’s strange concoction and wonders what she’s up to.

Life, Doctor Who & Combom has Torchwood The Dead Line As YouTube Videos.

david_conner "saturday nights are going to be boring without any "doctor who" to watch this summer"

cartoonmoney "I can see why folks would want a Jago and Lightfoot spinoff. (Which, obviously, they eventually got in the form of a Doctor-less BF CC.)"

catmachine "Didn't expect to find weapons for fighting cybermen in a shop in Brighton"

jamiemallan "Got caught in the downpour! Had to buy a £20 doctor Who brolly - you should have saw the looks I got!"

UKTV >> TORCHWOOD CHILDREN OF EARTH >> COMPETITION

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:56 GMT

UKTV and Visit Wales are giving Torchwood fans the chance to win a trip for two to London and a tour of Torchwood locations in Cardiff. To WIN simply tune into Torchwood: Children of Earth from Tuesday July 7 and collect the codeword.

Enter online or SMS the codeword along with your name, email address and phone number to
199 888 11 SMS cost $0.55 inc GST.

BONUS ENTRIES – participants who enter all 5 codeword’s over the promotional period will receive 5 bonus entries into the draw.

Prize details

2 x return economy airfares to London
3 nights accommodation for two at K-West Hotel, London with daily breakfast
2 x Full Day London Tour Passes
2 x return economy rail passes from London to Cardiff
3 nights accommodation for two at Park Plaza Hotel, Cardiff with daily breakfast
2 x passes to Doctor Who Exhibition
2 x one day Cardiff Hop On-Hop Off Site Seeing Tour Passes

Torchwood Blog

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:09 GMT

With the transmission of the three Torchwood Radio plays now complete, the BBC has published a blog, written by producer Kate McAll, looking at how the series was created. The blog looks at how the programme was cast and how the series was put together. It features several pictures from the recording session. All three of the Torchwood Plays can be heard on the BBC iPlayer and, for the first time listeners in the United Kingdom, can download a permenant copy of the programmes as MP3 files.

War Games Review, Behind the Scene's at Torchwood plus a Pick of the Blogs

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:24 GMT

The TARDIS Scanner has updated the UK TV and Radio Guide for all that 'Whovian' on the box for next week.

TARDIS TV is now showing 017: The Time Meddler, the TARDIS lands on a beach in England. The Doctor, Vicki and new companion Steven discover a Viking helmet, and deduce they have arrived in the past. Whilst Steven and Vicki scale the cliff, the Doctor opts for a far more gentle path...

Dreamwatch - Total Sci Fi has a review of Doctor Who: The War Games, the final serial for Patrick Troughton’s Second Doctor.

Radio Free Skaro has released #147 - Dancing Doctors and Empty Children, with only Torchwood news to bandy about, the second part of Steven Moffat's epic two-parter from Season 1 took center stage for this episode for a shorthanded RFS staff as they discussed the intricacies of one of the first series' masterpieces while simultaneously avoiding any actual discussion of the episode at hand, as per usual (ed: added to the pods and audio button on the editor's bit).

The Telegraph has Torchwood: Behind the Scene, James Moran writes scripts for Torchwood (back this week) and Doctor Who. Here he gives an insight into 'the best job in the world'.

Behind the Sofa has Cathode Worded Hotline, "Later on You And Yours we talk to the residents of South Wales, who’ve been unable to use their telephone service for quite some days with vital services being effected. BT say that they’re doing all they can, but people who’ve contacted us via the internet are furious about the lack of communication they’ve been receiving. “Not even a phone call” says Roxy from Newport …"

Doctor Who Fansite has Billie and Elizabeth Shook Sci-Fi, two of Doctor Who's best-loved and popular companions have been listed in the Total Sci-Fi website's Top 25 Women Who Shook Sci-Fi.

Life, Doctor Who & Combom has ....

Torchwood The Dead Line BBC Radio 4 Drama Full Report/Synopsis,
at 2.15 today, BBC Radio 4 transmitted Torchwood The Dead Line Audio Drama by Phil Ford. It is a play, starring the cast, NOT just a reading of a story!
Download Torchwood The Dead Line Time Unrestricted International Version Here.

Radio Free Skaro - The Chronic Hysteresis has LL5 - The Evil of the Daleks 5, there's a lovely moment in this episode where The Doctor expresses his pride and admiration of how Jamie performed in the Daleks' tests. I mentioned how The Faceless Ones was really Jamie's coming out party, and this story, even though The Doctor and Jamie are apart for most of it, is the first sign of how strong a pairing the duo makes.

in the Darkling Grove, listening with the trees has a Tardis still growing, "Now you can be shocked with me, at how much more… space… the tree of my Tardis has grown. Stretching herself, pushing herself further out into the infinity of the void… I suppose she must be feeding now on the light, the energy out ..."

The Rift has Suzie of the Dead, a review of Torchwood: They Keep Killing Suzie.

the pen is mightier than the spork (James Moran) has Telegraph article by me, "Just a reminder that tomorrow's Telegraph TV Magazine (it comes with the newspaper) features an article by me, all about the Torchwood Children of Earth writing process, with a few other random digressions. I believe it'll be mentioned on the front cover, which is very exciting."

The Radio 4 Blog has "How about one-and-a-half?" Torchwood on Radio 4.

David_Tennant "Photos in video of David Tennant at Wimbledon yesterday: here and here by LuctD from GB."

The Week Ahead (Saturday 04 July 2009)

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:51 GMT

Coming in the next 7 days:

Whos Who Including The Doctor Turn Out For Semifinal (from The Herald )

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:30 GMT

Doctor Who star David Tennant cheered on his fellow Scot, while tennis legends Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver, who won nine Wimbledon titles between them, were also watching. Princess Michael of Kent, Lord Freddie Windsor and Viscount Linley were representing the Royal Family.

Cathode Worded Hotline

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:15 GMT

Later on You And Yours we talk to the residents of South Wales, who’ve been unable to use their telephone service for quite some days with vital services being effected. BT say that they’re doing all they can, but people who’ve contacted us via the internet are furious about the lack of communication they’ve been receiving. “Not even a phone call” says Roxy from Newport …

How many old flames does Captain Jack have? In two out of three of these plays we’ve met some long lost loves, both of them singed by him and Torchwood though it’s good to know they’re not all loonies. So whilst the amnesiac Eighth Doctor was working his way through the twentieth century trying desperately not to offend anybody (depending upon how broad your approach is to canonicity) Captain Jack was shagging anything with a pulse, the cad. Assuming as upcoming revelations suggest he didn’t always love them and leave them, his alimony bill must be ignominious.

Just as these three radio plays look like they’re about to pass on without some kind of Declassified style treatment, the producer, Kate McCall, has posted this useful post at the Radio 4 blog about the production. The main issue seems to have been the availability of the regular cast who were all passionate to take part but found themselves otherwise potentially engaged in other more lucrative projects starring Trevor Eve, with Barrowman recording his section in about two days between between the end of his tv show and the opening of his national tour. Talk about making someone feel guilty...

Today’s edition of Torchwood, Phil Ford’s The Dead Line was apparently the most hit – John’s participation curtailed leading to “a major creative decision” to Jack’s storyline, one of which was presumably led to him being out of action for much of the duration. This eleventh hour rewrite must have had two effects – the building up of Rhys’s part so that he’s effectively a full blown Torchwood member for the duration (when he was clearly otherwise the prime candidate for the temporary vegitative state) and some filler material in the shape of Ianto’s chat with his boyfriend in a coma and as is so often the case in these situations those are the best things about an episode that more than the other two gave the impression of being proper Torchwood, except on the radio.

Like the other two plays, the main story wasn’t particularly strong or original, but here Ford, whose writing has wobbled left and right in the past few years (as viewers of The Sarah Jane Adventures will have endured) milked it for all its horrific potential so whilst the idea of having an appliance that pervades modern life becoming a deadly killer (or in this case non-killer) is something we’ve seen a fair few times before and probably would have worked just as well in SJA with some tweaking, his description of the effects, the stillness, the eyes, the minimal brain activity added reality particularly since that description is equally applicable to the specimen/cretin who sat behind me on the bus the other day listening to Akon through his mobile phone speaker.

This subliminal advert for Skype showed how extraordinary situations can allow couples, in this case Gwen & Rhys & Ianto & Jack, to say what you want to say and sometimes get an answer. In other words that it’s good to talk. Which also makes it a subliminal ad for BT too, I suppose, assuming they're not under the grip of some molevolant force which isn't always certain in the real world if you've ever had to face down the automated system.

Some of Ford’s previous writing has been a bit mechanical (Invasion of the Bane a particular low), but on the basis of The Dead Line I can understand why Davies was happy to collaborate with him on the specials. Given the chance to write for adults (both in the narrative and the audience), his characterisation was top notch, especially the scenes between man and spouse as we heard how the trousers are passed about in that relationship, Gwen now and then sounding like Rhys’s mother desperate to protect him, her needing a loving word and a cuddle and a slap-up breakfast, even if one of you will see it coming back in the other direction later in the day.

Whereas the authors of the previous two plays were description happy, Ford knows that sometimes in audio, offering an impressionistic idea of the world can be even more effective than completely orientating the audience. Notice that in the scene were Gwen and Rhys visit the source of the problem and break through to the room in which the ringing telephone is hiding, all we hear is the sound of whatever they find and their reaction to it; we’re left hanging until some way into the next scene to find out what they’ve discovered and the state it was in, and because our attention is drawn to it, our imagination happily gets lost in the gory details.

If I was an unforgiving mood, I’d rattle something terrible about the climax, a Fanthorpian deus ex machina utilising the sonic screwdriver with a male enhancement procedure that is the Hub and its convenient ability to interface via a PDA with the hospital’s medical facilities but since we can’t be sure if that to was a result of the Bannerman related last minute rewrite, let’s just assume that the original idea was better and with a hope that the upcoming miniseries isn't solved with quite so much ease whatever catastrophe we're about to witness.

Luckily, a quick Twitter survey (and the thoughts in my own head) indicate this play’s probably going to be remembered for Ianto’s speech. In the pre-publicity interviews for the shows, Gareth David-Lloyd talked about how in one of the plays he’d enjoyed working his way through a three page speech that was unlike anything else he’d had to tackle on the series before and what a privelige it was (or words to that effect). That’s understating things a smidge isn’t it?

Though it covered much the same sentiment and ground as School Reunion and dozens of episodes of Highlander and every vampire love story ever written, this was intimate, emotive and cut the heart of the budding relationship between Jack and Ianto, Gareth at his sentimental finest. Compare the moment when he choked back a tear to the severe weather warning waiting to happen in Countrycide and we see a maturing actor who understands what his character is about. Plus, though it's probably redundant to note this, how wonderful that a mature gay relationship can be dealt with such subtely in an afternoon slot on Radio Four. How far we've come.

You can download the play here for the next week at least, and you really should. It's (generally) ace.

Twitter says it made people cry. Good-oh.

Next week: Anything could happen in the next five hours ...

Barrowman learns lines

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:21 GMT

Torchwood star John Barrowman is due to return to our TV screens shortly, but when it comes to learning his lines, he has simple way of doing it...

He told me: "I don't read it way ahead. I read it, I learn the lines and we do it. In the read-through I usually am reading it for the first time."

That's either acting John, or just being plain lazy. Get your homework done, and learn those lines!

*Torchwood: The Dead Line (Available until: 3:02pm Friday 10th July 2009)

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:26 GMT

When a Cardiff hospital is inundated with patients who have fallen into coma -like trances, Torchwood move in to investigate. The trances appear to have been triggered by phone calls, all received on retro phones and made from a number that hadn't been active for over 30 years. Determined to find out who has been calling the unfortunate victims, Jack rings the mysterious number, but the line is dead. But then it calls Jack back.

Download the Play here.

Poll: What did you think of Torchwood: The Dead Line?

Is Andrew Cartmel Working On Torchwood?, Five Things we'd like to see from Torchwood plus This Week In Doctor Who...

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:14 GMT

BBC iPlayer (UK only) has Doctor Who - Series 4:10. Midnight, the Doctor is trapped on the planet Midnight, as the knocking on the wall begins...

Poll: What did you think of Torchwood: The Dead Line?

British Board of Film Censors has DOCTOR WHO - THE TWIN DILEMMA [Additional material, Audio commentary, PARTS 1 - 4] passed U.

SFX has Is Classic Who Scriptwriter Working On Torchwood?, Andrew Cartmel, the script editor for Doctor Who during the Sylvester McCoy years, is writing a script for the fourth season of Torchwood, according to a CV posted on his agent’s website.

Two-minute Time Lord has released 2MTL 35: "Torchwood: Golden Age" Reviewed, when is a return to form also a return to well-traveled territory? When it's the second of this week's Torchwood audio plays. "Torchwood: Golden Age" is energetic and entertaining, but follows the TV show's formula a little too closely after the previous audio play's experiment (ed: added to the pods and audio button on the editor's bit).

Irvine Herald has Office gets a Dr Who makeover, pupils at Irvine Royal Academy are busy working on a project to transform a boring office into a TARDIS.

Mirror.co.uk has news of a Brilliant Free Mag Inside Tomorrow, this 8-page collector's edition features fun, puzzles, a poster and facts about the Time Lord, his adventures and his foes. Plus for the next two weeks we have a further two mini mags - all about the time-travelling Tardis and Children of TIme.

Den Of Geek has Five Things we'd like to see from Torchwood: Children Of Earth, "this new character seemed to owe more to Joss Whedon's vampire with a soul than to anything from Doctor Who, with a bit of Captain Scarlet thrown in for good measure."

Penarth Times has Torchwood star to open summer fete, actor John Barrowman will officially open Sully School's Summer Fete this Saturday (July 4).

The Sonic Newsdriver has Episode 20090703, in this episode: Barrowman Punished?, Torchwood for Sherwood, Behind the BBC Iron Curtain, Believe in Yourself, the Havers and Havers Not, Where's the Doctor Who News, Tabloid Wheeze, Mum is the Word, 26th Most Eligible Smith, and Get Your Sonic Gear, plus more! (ed: added to the pods and audio button on the editor's bit).

Bristol Evening Post has Kai: There has to be more Torchwood, Kai Owen says the final episode of the new Torchwood mini-series is so "phenomenal" there has to be another round of the programme.

SciFi Pulse has Stakes Higher Than Ever For Torchwood Team, as fans are aware Torchwood returns to our television screens on Monday 6 July at 9pm UK and it would seem that the various UK Television listings are as excited as us fans, and have all ran some pretty good copy about the forthcoming Children Of Earth mini series.

The Stage has Torchwood Week: John Barrowman, after yesterday's talk with Eve Myles, Wednesday's conversation with Gareth David-Lloyd and our two-part interview with Russell T Davies on Monday and Tuesday, we've saved the biggest, brashest player till last: John Barrowman.

Gallifreyan Embassy has This Week In Doctor Who - July 3/4, 2009.

Behind the Sofa has Latched Wooed Gorgon.

Radio Free Skaro - The Chronic Hysteresis has LL4 - The Evil of the Daleks 4, it's the Jamie and Kemel show in this episode, after the two adversaries (at the beginning of the episode, anyway) team up towards their common goal - rescuing Victoria. Along the way, as in the previous episode, Jamie narrowly avoids death by booby trap on several occasions, and often only due to Kemel's help.

CleanMind "Just watched a great extra on Doctor Who - Survival about Ace, not my fav companion, but not a forgettable screamer either!!!"

leo9i "I just voted online for David Tennant for the Portal Awards. He's amazing. Sci-fi fans, go here"

Podshock "Karen Gillan will be 'brilliant' in Dr Who says Kevin Bishop, The Press Association"

thumbprints "In the Mission wearing my dalek shirt and ran into a guy with a Doctor Who shirt and we were both happy."

davidjcherry "I've just been through the Doctor Who exhibition - it was excellent! The Weeping Angels!"

David_Tennant "Enough people have Tweeted me to confirm it - David Tennant is at Wimbledon today (watching tennis)."

quantick "Actually, DELETE is a rotten catchphrase. It's like the Cybermen went to a Daleks gig and thought, "EXTERMINATE! Why haven't we got that?"."

Please note that links in this section of the Newsroom can seriously damage your enjoyment of forthcoming episodes and unless you really are a spoiler chaser I do not recommend clicking these links.

Life, Doctor Who & Combom has a link to 500+ Photographs From The Filming Of Torchwood Children Of Earth.

This Week In Doctor Who - July 3/4, 2009

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:46 GMT

This Week In Doctor Who July 3/4, 2009 - Vol 12, No 27 The weekly guide to Doctor Who broadcasts worldwide since 1998. by Benjamin F. Elliott http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/thisweekindoctorwho http://rss.groups.yahoo.com/group/thisweekindoctorwho/rss http://www.gallifreyanembassy.org/vortex?q=twidw Upcoming Premiere Broadcasts: Sunday 5 July: BBC Entertainment Poland 7PM and 11:30PM - The Lazarus Experiment Tuesday 7 July: Ztele Canada 9PM EDT - Journey's End, pt 2 (French version) Wednesday

Torchwood This Week - July 3/4, 2009

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:25 GMT

Torchwood This Week July 3/4, 2009 - Volume 3, Number 27 The weekly guide to Torchwood transmissions. by Benjamin F. Elliott

This Week In Doctor Who Spinoffs - July 3/4, 2009

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:22 GMT

This Week In Doctor Who Spinoffs July 3/4, 2009 - Volume 1, Number 27 The weekly guide to Sarah Jane Smith broadcasts, podcasts, and other matters. by Benjamin

This Week In Doctor Who Western Hemisphere - July 3/4, 2009

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:20 GMT

This Week In Doctor Who Western Hemisphere July 3/4, 2009 - Vol 1, No 27 The Guide to North and South American Doctor Who TV Listings by Benjamin F. Elliott

This Week In Doctor Who - July 3/4, 2009

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:18 GMT

This Week In Doctor Who July 3/4, 2009 - Vol 12, No 27 The weekly guide to Doctor Who broadcasts worldwide since 1998. by Benjamin F. Elliott

Thin Dead Line

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:32 GMT

Right, that's two down - one to go! By now you've no doubt listened to the two brand spanking new Torchwood radio adventures, that have been airing on BBC's Radio 4 station (Wednesday's "Asylum" and yesterday's "Golden Age"). Well, today's there's one final story to round off the series - "The Dead Line" and from the sounds of things, it's a corker!

Don't forget, ahead of Children of Earth next week various media outlets are running stories regarding the series. SFX Magazine, for example, have published a lengthy interview with the show's creator, Russell T Davies (who, as ever, positively shines during it). Digitalpy have also been previewing the series, and here's just one example of their coverage.

The DVD and Blu-Ray release of CoE has been pushed forward a couple of weeks, to July 13th - meaning that there's an ever so slight chance some fans who have pre-ordered the release will get the boxset ahead of transmission for Friday's finale (depending on when the discs are shipped - there may well be an embargo for even shipping releases until, say, Thursday afternoon).

The Blu-Ray release of series 2 has also hit UK stores, and those across Europe.

More developments surrounding CoE over the weekend, and across next week.

BFS Open Night featuring Torchwood!

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:13 GMT

Everyone's going Torchwood mad this week, and the BFS is no exception: on Friday night (July 3) a team of gorgeous Torchwood novelists will be investigating anomalies at our Open Night!

And before that Sam Stone will be launching her new book, Futile Flame.

The excitement begins at 6.30 pm.

Latched Wooed Gorgon

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:30 GMT

“Hello and welcome to Excess Baggage with me Sandi Toksvig. Today, India and slightly different view of the subcontinent with our guest Ianto Jones of Torchwood. Ianto, hello.”

“Hellooo.”

“So Ianto. Tell us about your visit to India.”

“I can’t reeally. It’s classified.”

“Oh. Um, okaaay. So what did you do while you were there?”

”I can’t tell you that either. That’s classified too.”

“And yet we invited you on.”

“I knoow. Strange that. Can I have cup of coffee?”

In its somewhat random history, Torchwood has had a tricky time coping with how to approach it’s own mythology. Not aided by a symbiotic relationship to the mother series and to some extent its younger sister, it’s had to be cautious when establishing anything just in case it interferes with the plans of either Doctor Who or The Sarah Jane Adventures (something us continuity wonks will be fixing our beady eyes on next week). So it’s generally looked inward offering glimpses of earlier Torchwood both in Cardiff and across the world and James Goss’s Golden Age or Torchwood Flies The World, with its excursion to Delhi, is another example of that and crucially in comparison to yesterday afternoon’s story, actually making the most of its radio format to deliver places which would not necessarily be available on the current budget for the show.

Lord knows what the typical audience for this timeslot made of it. I offered the same point in my review of Lost Souls, but do people just tune in every day at 2.15pm no matter what’s on, a continuity heavy blast of sci-fi adventure, or as they may have heard on Tuesday a drama about assisted suicide? Either way, it’s to the good that Goss didn’t attempt to explain everything from the off, preferring to alienate potentially unaware listeners whilst keeping us happy (even hurling in a squee worthy mention for some silver balls) and delivering a fun, sometimes intriguing story that made me laugh on at least a couple of occasions even if ten minutes before the end I realised I was listening to the Soylent Green Corporation doing a cover version of City of Death. And said so. Out loud. With a contraction then a swear word in front.

It took a while, but all of the elements which sounded a bit familiar and niggled throughout began to coalesce. Instead of Scarlioni/Scaroth we have The Duchess, or Charley Pollard’s sister Cecelia with a game face. An old colonial mansion for the chateau. Space age wi-fi rather than the now retro seeming micromeson scanner. General odd-jobber Mr. Mahajan for mad old Dr. Kerensky. And a time bubble designed to recreate a previous status quo. There are only seven stories in the world, or twelve, or two or however many they’re currently teaching in creative writing classes right now and this paragraph belabours the point, but I’m just relaying the experience of listening to the play and once again it was somewhat spent decoding where in the franchise an iteration of this story had appeared before.

Still it its impressive to hear the series reach into thematically complex territory in talking about overpopularion though I can't quite believe that these multitudes could disappear in India without someone noticing (unless they were seeding the water with retcon). A colonial Torchwood is a neat idea, however, and having them previously bruised by Captain Jack following establishment orders underscores the kind of man he became to survive after being plopped in the 19th century first time around as well as demonstrating how this kind of organisation, if it did exist, would clearly be buffeted by world events. Just a pity it's another example of him atoning for another previous fuck-up, this time leaving just the right kind of alien tech in the wrong hands for maximum levels of catastrophe. Also, why Torchwood India not Torchwood Delhi if Torchwood Cardiff is Torchwood Cardiff not Torchwood Wales?

A larger than life character in the spirit of Captain John, The Duchess (who probably looks like Kiera Knightley) proves a decent foil though the chemistry between Jasmine Hyde and the Barrowman was rather low, the latter often sounds uncomfortable without a camera lense to relate to. You'd also think these two would have more to reminisce about than proper dancing, though no doubt the timeslot was a factor in this and we were supposed to read between the lines or childish giggles, an extended version for the cd could feature the untransmittable stuff perhaps using the soundtrack from Elvira Madrigan. Or whatever. Not that I've thought too much about it. Then again, having had to sit through a similar conversation in real life ("Do you remember when we went to that hotel with the broken springs on the bed etc") perhaps Goss stopped short at the just the right moment.

Eve and Gareth are well served by the material continuing the dynamic we saw in the Doctor Who orgasmo-finale, suggesting a less buttoned up Sarah-Jane and Harry, especially in that lovely moment when Gwen was awakening in captivity and Ianto broke their predicament to her ‘gently’. As lovable as Tosh and eventually Owen were, this new trimmed down configuration seems to work rather better in story telling terms, subtlely fleshing out the remaining characters. Ianto still remains a slightly weird figure though. He's not quite gotten over the cry baby image of the first tv season especially the Cyberwoman thing, or the oddness with watching Paul O'Grady in a crisis much later. 4oD is fabulous but was that the right time? Already worked your way through the whole of Press Gang? Disappointed that Pob isn't available?

I'm babbling now (it's the heat) so I'd best end with this: I spent this past weekend watching some of the BBC’s productions of Shakespeare’s history plays from the 1980s. They’re very good, all the generational skullduggery of I, Claudius except rewriting our own history. Brenda Blethyn plays Joan of Arc like she's just stepped out of a Mike Leigh drama. The Idiot’s Lantern’s Ron Cook does Richard III as a kind of northern spiv. Most of these things are three or four hours long, but none of them feel like it because between the text and the direction it runs like the clappers with battle after unceasing battle spilling across the space as the crown is relayed between successive camps.

By comparison, the first half hour of Golden Age feels twice as long because we;re essentially waiting for the villains to reveal their plan to Torchwood, essentially delaying the inevitable verbally in the case of The Duchess or through a guided tour from George, our heroes not really discovering the horror for themselves. I’m no writer (obviously) but I think I would have probably had the team break free much earlier than that and discovering it for themselves. But with forty-odd minutes worth of drama to fill and a limited cast, what are you going to do?

Tomorrow: "Hello? Hello? I'm in Torchwood. It's ...."

The Oncoming Storm and More Golden Age for Torchwood

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:33 GMT

More TARDIS Newsroom Banners needed please, if your a budding graphic artist then please send in your banners to either the message boards or email me a link to it and see it periodically on your favourite 'Who' site for all to see.

Poll - What did you think of Torchwood: Golden Age?

Broken Sea has released Doctor Who: The Oncoming Storm (B2E7), All his life, he has wandered, wandered across the known Universe, in search of answers. He has learned many things… dark, forgotten arts of myth and power. In a Nexus linking 18th Century Old Earth to the Distant future on New Earth, The Doctor (Mark Kalita), Olivia (Adriana Melendez), and Francois Rakoczi (Stephen Kilcullen) encounter tainted Spectrox, Mind Control, and the true secrets of Immortality (ed: added to the pods and audion button on the editor's bit).

Life, Doctor Who & Combom has.....

Torchwood Golden Age BBC Radio 4 Drama Full Report/Synopsis, At 2.15 today, BBC Radio 4 transmitted Torchwood Golden Age Audio Drama by James Goss. It is a play, starring the cast, NOT just a reading of a story!
Download Torchwood Golden Ago Time Unrestricted International Version Here.
Torchwood Golden Age As YouTube Videos

TV Lover has My Review of Doctor Who's 2x13: "Doomsday".

Radio Free Skaro - The Chronic Hysteresis has ....

LL1 - The Evil of the Daleks 1, this episode is full of tantalizing mysteries. Why is the TARDIS being hauled away on a flatbed truck? Who is Bob Hall, and why is he so shifty in his dealings with The Doctor and Jamie? Who is Kennedy, and why is Bob Hall working for him? Who is Kennedy working for?,
LL2 - The Evil of the Daleks 2, the Doctor and Jamie are still in full on sleuthing mode as Episode Two begins.
LL3 - The Evil of the Daleks 3, there's a fantastic scene in this episode where an angry Jamie confronts The Doctor about what the latter has in store for him, and that The Doctor is conspiring with Waterfield, Maxtible,

The Torchwood Institute has a Discussion of Torchwood: Golden Age- An exercise in fabulous.

ajstratford "listening to radio 4 now, feel very mature even if it is just to listen to the Torchwood radio play"

SnarkandFury "So if we ring Torchwood India now, will anyone answer the phone or will we put on hold for 45 minutes?"

drwholocations "SJA filming today on Paget Place, Penarth"

*Torchwood: Golden Age (Available until: 3:02pm Thursday 9th July 2009)

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:03 GMT

The Torchwood team are led to Delhi on the trail of a dangerous energy field. As the field grows, they witness the simultaneous disappearance of hundreds of people. Jack discovers that the field centres on an old colonial mansion, Torchwood India.

Shocked to find that Torchwood India is still going strong after he shut it down himself over 80 years ago, he is even more surprised to find that its members, including his old flame the Duchess, haven't aged a day.

Download the play here.

Poll - What did you think of Torchwood: Golden Age?

BBC - Press Office - Network TV Programme Information BBC Week 29 Tuesday 21 July 2009

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:20 GMT

Mastering musical film and television scores is this week's challenge and Ben Foster, composer for Torchwood and Doctor Who, is on hand to give the two teams a master class. The teams are shown a Doctor Who clip and have to record a score to accompany it using their instruments. Liz Sladen from The Sarah Jane Adventures also drops by to help judge the teams.

Consumerist - Mobile Bakery Has A Sticky Time Finding A Sweet Spot To Park In Midtown Manhattan - Healthy competition

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:35 GMT

Shared by Dave the Doctor
(ed: love the Dalek sweets, want some)

Street Sweets is a mobile bakery that runs on bio-diesel fuel and offers free-trade coffee along with a menu of cupcakes, muffins, and create-your-own-filling croissants. But its arrival on the corner of 55th Street and Sixth Avenue has created an all-out war amongst the established eateries and various food carts/coffee vendors/building owners on that block.

Movie to be announced at Comic Con?, Eve on Torchwood Gwen's fast life plus a Pick of the Blogs

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:24 GMT

The Whoniverse has added Dead Romance to their Discontinuity Guide.

Coventry Telegraph has Doctor Who movie to be announced at Comic Con?, speculation is continuing to materialise, in true TARDIS style, that a new Doctor Who movie starring David Tennant is soon to be announced, many fans are expecting the news to come at this month's San Diego Comic Con.

Two-minute Time Lord has released 2MTL 34: "Torchwood: Asylum" Reviewed, "Here's my spoiler-free review of the first of the prequel audio plays to "Children of Earth." "Torchwood: Asylum" is a departure from the show's format in more ways than one, and for the most part it works especially for supporting actor Tom Price and guest star Erin Richards" (ed: added to the pods and audio button on the editor's bit).

Yorkshire Post has Eve on Torchwood Gwen's fast life, Eve Myles has said her character Gwen has no time to stop and think in the new action-packed five-part series.

The Stage has Torchwood Week: Eve Myles, "and so, as we enter into the home straight of our Torchwood Week here on TV Today, we follow up yesterday’s interview with Gareth David-Lloyd with a sit-down with Eve Myles, who plays Gwen Cooper."

Life, Doctor Who & Combom has the YouTube version to Listen & Download To Torchwood Asylum Here.

daleks in manhattan has IDW Doctor Who Classic Series Released Today, IDW has released preview images for its Doctor Who: Classic Series 2 #8, continuing the adventures of the 5th Doctor. The Doctor, vacationing in Stockbridge, uncovers a mystery involving a quarry and his TARDIS. This issue covers the first three chapters of “The Stockbridge Horror” written and illustrated by Steve Parkhouse, with inks by Paul Neary and new colors by Charlie Kirchoff.

Behind the Sofa has Clamorous Dot Why, four stories beginning with some specially recorded radio prequels/useful merchandising opportunities because last year’s Large Hadron Collider episode was so well received (well I didn’t think it was that bad).

planetzogblog has Torchwood 2RP.1: Asylum review, "the water that “Frieda” arrives into with a splash is actually one of the more interesting elements of the play, a motif that runs through the story in a subtle way, much more subtle than some of the clunky elements."

Monster Scifi Show Blog has Talkshoe Instructions for Live Torchwood Podcast, on July10 at 8:00pm Eastern, join me and others to discuss our thoughts and passsions about Torchwood. Follow some instructions and rules of conduct and you join in on the fun.

Rich's ComixBlog has Forever Janette - 15, the Doctor slips out to do an analysis at the lab. Nick and Schanke show up to see what Nat’s got. They deduce that there are probably other miniaturized victims and Schanke heads out to start searching for them. Nick stays behind to see if Nat knows of any possible supernatural causes for the death.

The Rift has Toshiko Take A Bow, a review of Greeks Bearing Gifts .

Hello, I'm the Doctor has Kangawhos (ed: made me smile).

Angry Who Fan has How do you save Torchwood?, "ahead of next week's gun-toting, child-screaming, Capaldi-hamming version of Torchwood, we ask that with Chibnall now gone and the creative freedom once more available, how would YOU save Torchwood?".

Shawnay_Nay "I actually brought up Dr Who in my ethics class. The TARDIS can translate other languages. We're talking about communicating with a Samurai."

myjealousheart "seriously just saw a big truck hauling dalek heads."

xanister "Torchwood - Asylum audioplay was pretty good, not very action packed but good."

CatCranston "Listening to Torchwood Asylum radio play - good to have the gang back"

skytones "It's been so long since I've watched Torchwood that I forgot how sexy Gareth David Lloyd's voice is."

Zardoz67 "Doctor who restoration team website vandalised by #virgilioanderson"

ghost_buster "I only just found out that "Torchwood" is an anagram of "Doctor Who"...how rubbish am I?"

Clamorous Dot Why

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:22 GMT

Burning. Burning. Open the window. Close the fabric flaps. Download. Download. Head speakers on. Hear. Noise. Welsh. Imaginary domesticated animal. Loud music. Lots of heavy breathing before wordage. Bevattna. Bevattna. Tired, so tired. Boredom. Depression. Irritation. Indignation. No – no – no! Off! Off!

Spoilers ahead.

Torchwood’s back then. Eight episodes, ten days, four stories beginning with some specially recorded radio prequels/useful merchandising opportunities because last year’s Large Hadron Collider episode was so well received (well I didn’t think it was that bad). John Barrowman said recently in the Radio Times that he thought that the reduction in editions felt like a punishment (as well he might having had to sit through Something Borrowed). At a time when the license fee is being crunched, he should be pleased that the show’s still being made at all, let alone in this truncated state. Primevil’s not even being gifted a tv movie to close out its cliffhanger (at least Hannah won’t be out of work, S Club are touring again). The BBC simply can’t justify spending thirteen episodes on any sci-fi series in this climate unless it has the letters d, o, c, t, o, r, w, h or o in the title. Obviously.

Anyway to the asylum, sorry, Asylum by Anita Sullivan, in which the Torchwood team met a refugee from a Woman’s Hour drama, internal monologue intact, and helped her get her life sorted out. That’s an over-simplication of course; she was an alien from the future who’d been dragged through the rift by a future version of the institute with an elastic understanding of temporal mechanics, in the pricess making a point about how Torchwood treats visiting aliens, that they’re not all bug eyed monsters hell bent on global destruction, some of them just want a place to kip with state benefits. In other words, like another ‘very special episode’ this time constructed around a Daily Fail baiting (this time non-existent) day of programmes about a hot topic with the usual constraints about having to make a point about something sacrificing proper drama in the process.

Generally underwhelmed, I kept expecting it to tip over into something more involving, a twist which set everything on its head. Nothing. For hardy fans of the franchise, an amnesiatic sixteen year old girl babbling in a strange language being arrested for shop lifting is clearly either going to be an alien or from another time. Or both. Fans of Skins would obviously have another opinion. Given that Asylum was supposed to launch a new short series of radio plays and signal the return of Torchwood to our screens, Sullivan’s play was hardly the slam-blam-creepy-glorious adventure we know this corner of the franchise is capable of (for better or worse) and something which sounded like it could have been put together for television on the average budget of an episode of The Bill.

Brave perhaps, then, to tell a small story in these circumstance, but with just three episodes to play about with, why not take advantage of our imagination and do something really spectacular, something startling, rather than 'show' us the interior of a safe house, some terraces and a lake? The future language was nicely developed, and well done to Erin Richards for wrapping her larynx around that, and the form could only have been done on radio, but it just -- wasn't -- enough. Usually in these reviews I like to write about individual scenes, what worked, what didn't, but just hours later I can't think of anything specific. Nothing especially bad, I suppose, just ...

I know this was being made for Radio Four in the afternoon which would hardly be the place for a Day One, but does have to be a rerun of the tepid Out of Time (to the point of referencing that exercise in romantic witlessism mid-stream)? I'm not really criticising the writer in this -- well alright perhaps a little -- but she was simply comissioned to write the story in this way -- and given the ideas she's produced on radio and in theatre before (detailed here) and she's talked recently (in the Radio Times too) of giving Cardiff loads of ideas to choose, I simply wonder what fell by the wayside. Sullivan clearly grasps what Torchwood was about. She captured the individual character voices beautifully, especially Gwen. She even picked up the television series's habit of moving the plot forward by having a Torchwood member leaving their keys in a motor vehicle.

There were still some entertaining elements. We love PC Andy and it was fun to finally hear him reacting to what Gwen’s been doing with her life since she left the police force, Tom Price almost channelling Jason Mewes in Dogma when he was trying to comprehend the existence of aliens (though with less swearing) and presumably setting something up for next week. After some initial deep inhale acting (“inhale … my name’s Gwen … inhale … I’m hear to help … inhale … would you like a coffee?”) Eve Myles stepped away from the microphone slightly to deliver her dependably down to earth performance. Neither Barrowman or Gareth were given very much to do though the scene in the Torchwood Love Machine with the toy gun/remote control/Cardiff traffic management bothering device was sweetly played and surprisingly clean (even if the bike love did make me want to chew through the arms of my chair).

Tomorrow: The hitherto unmentioned Torchwood India. Oh.

[Torchwood: Asylum can be download here for the next week. If you're living in the UK.]

IDW Doctor Who Classic Series Released Today « daleksinmanhattan.com Blog

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:27 GMT

IDW has released preview images for its Doctor Who: Classic Series 2 #8, continuing the adventures of the 5th Doctor. The Doctor, vacationing in Stockbridge, uncovers a mystery involving a quarry and his TARDIS. This issue covers the first three chapters of “The Stockbridge Horror” written and illustrated by Steve Parkhouse, with inks by Paul Neary and new colors by Charlie Kirchoff.

New TARDIS Digest Out Now

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:08 GMT

TARDIS Scanner

July's edition of the TARDIS Digest is now online.

Eve Myles unsure of future

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:37 GMT

Torchwood star Eve Myles has revealed to me that she's unsure about her future on the sci-fi spin-off show.

She explained: "We will see how well the third series goes out and that will determine whether we'll get another series, just like any other series - but it's so popular."

Eve, we'll keep our fingers crossed for you, but with beefcake Barrowman still on board, Torchwood looks safe to us.

TORCHWOOD: 'Children of Earth' Viewing Party - The NYC British Film & Telly Meetup Group (New York, NY) - Meetup.com

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:02 GMT

Thanks to our friends at Doctor Who New York (http://dwny.org...) we will be able to watch all five segments marathon-style!

NB: Please be aware that Children of Earth is 5 Hours Long!! There will be breaks between each episode for people to stretch their legs, and buy food and drink (on the premises, Upstairs at Professor Thom's / www.professorthoms.com). It is suggested that you bring a pillow or cushion to assist with comfort during the event!

The meetup is scheduled for Sunday, 12 July from 3pm-9pm -- 8 DAYS BEFORE THE OFFICIAL US PREMIERE ON BBC AMERICA!

More Digressions now shipping, "X-Files" book slated for August

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:00 GMT

Mad Norwegian Press has announced that More Digressions: A New Collection of But I Digress Columns by Peter David is now in stock. Copies should be available through Amazon.com by end of week, and through mainstream retailers next week or shortly thereafter. Also, Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The ....

Got a question for 'Torchwood' star John Barrowman? - Pop Candy - USATODAY.com

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:36 GMT

I'll be chatting with star John Barrowman soon, so if you have any questions, please send 'em my way. Barrowman, of course, plays the brave and invincible Captain Jack Harkness. When he's not busy fighting alien life forms, he has been known to record a few albums.

Feel free to submit your questions via the comments or e-mail. Stay tuned for the full Q&A.

Timelord and his Tardis are visiting USA - Daily Express

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:35 GMT

In support of BBC America’s premiere of four Doctor Who specials, Paisley’s famous doctor, pictured right, will appear at this year’s ‘Comic-Con’ in San Diego.

He will take part in a Doctor Who panel discussion at the conference for fans of sci-fi comics in the Californian city.

David will travel to Comic-Con fresh from the Doctor Who set, having shot his final scenes as the tenth Timelord.

Altered Vistas twentieth animated release, More from the Stage and a whole lot of Torchwood Asylum...

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:27 GMT

Poll - What did you think of Torchwood: Asylum?, (ed: also the play is available on our pods and audio button).

Altered Vistas has reached its twentieth animated release and to mark the occasion, they have revisited their very first production, Genesis of Evil, and created a brand new, fully animated version.

The Whoniverse has updated their Discontinuity Guide with The Mary-Sue Extrusion.

TARDIS Television has The Time Awards- Its Time To Vote (ed: oh god this is getting embarrassing....but in a way I love it lol).

The Stage has Torchwood Week: Gareth David-Lloyd, As part of our ongoing week of interviews and features about BBC1 science fiction drama Torchwood, today we interview Gareth David-Lloyd, who plays Ianto Jones (ed: spoilerific), and Torchwood on radio: What did you think of Asylum?, regular radio reviewer, Moira Petty, freely admits that she's a fan of neither science fiction in general, nor Torchwood in particular.

The Press Association has Barrowman on Torchwood success, John Barrowman has said he would love to play Captain Jack in sci-fi drama Torchwood for the rest of his career.

The Medium is Not Enough has Review: Doctor Who - 120 - The Magic Mousetrap, "apologies for the delay in reviewing this one: I simply couldn't face listening to the first of two Sylvester McCoy stories after having to sit through the Key 2 Time season", and Review: Torchwood - Asylum.

Life, Doctor Who & Combom has Torchwood Asylum BBC Radio 4 Drama Full Report/Synopsis, at 2.15 today, BBC Radio 4 transmitted Torchwood Asylum Audio Drama by Anita Sullivan. It is a play, starring the cast, NOT just a reading of a story!

The Ultimate Doctor Who Site has Doctor Who DVD Files - Issue 13.

robbuckley "Desperate to hear Torchwood Asylum - download it as an MP3 from the BBC"

esoteric_vae "I have a DAB radio! I'm listening to Torchwood! This makes me happy at work."

hope2259 "Listening to Torchwood Radio Play in Front of Mermaid Theatre"

LadyRazzle "Torchwood radio dramas are so much lol. Oh, Janto, you are such dorky love."

Tmckinnin "is listening to the torchwood radio play on BBC R4 Asylum good story so far very fast paced and got humorous parts radio plays are more ..."

brianclegg "Wisdom from Radio 4 [Torchwood] play. 'If you didn't feel alien some times, you wouldn't be human.' Deep, man, deep."

Milesstephen "Enjoyed Torchwood now off for a swim"

Retroactiveness "Radio 4 is fast becoming my favourite radio channel. Asylum was amazing. Now listening to a show with Russell T Davies on it. It's great."

AdamJPurcell "Torchwood: Asylum: not the most gripping of stories, low key really. Good nonetheless & radio is perfect medium for such thoughtful stories."

Tarcey_Unger "Been a Doctor Who fan since the 70s(I know, I'm a geek). Seen episodes of all 7 of the classic Doctors although mostly saw the Tom Baker era"

*Torchwood - Asylum (Available until: 3:02pm Wednesday 8th July 2009)

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:28 GMT

When PC Andy arrests a teenager for shoplifting, he thinks it is going to be a routine case. Then he sees the weapon she is carrying and decides to call in the Torchwood team. Under questioning from Gwen, the girl remembers her name but little else, and when she speaks it is in a strange mix of English and Scandinavian, but with a Cardiff accent. Then the girl's blood tests come through and the team is faced with a dilemma.
Poll - What did you think of Torchwood: Asylum?

Takin' Over the Asylum

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:32 GMT

Right now, at the very second I'm writing this, the first of three new Torchwood radio adventures is about to go out to listeners in the UK. It's called "Asylum" and it's by award winning playwright Anita Sullivan, and stars John, Eve and Gareth - reuniting them with Tom Price as the returning PC Andy Davidson.

The official synopsis:

When PC Andy arrests a teenager for shoplifting, he thinks it is going to be a routine case. Then he sees the weapon she is carrying and decides to call in the Torchwood team. Under questioning from Gwen, the girl remembers her name but little else, and when she speaks it is in a strange mix of English and Scandinavian, but with a Cardiff accent. Then the girl's blood tests come through and the team is faced with a dilemma.

I'm hearing a little time travel is involved...

You can download the episode over the next 7 days on BBC's iPlayer service, and after that it'll be available through iTunes and on CD release sometime over the next few months.

***

Don't forget that the latest issue of Torchwood: The Official Magazine is out now - with previews of Children of Earth, as well as interviews with the cast and crew, and various pieces of original fiction. You can pick it up from all good newsagents, priced £4.99.

Issue 5 of Vortex and Torchwood Stars At The SFX Weekender...

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:19 GMT

Torchwood Newsroom has In the latest issue of TV & Satellite Week.

Dreamwatch - Total Sci Fi have reviews for Doctor Who: Prisoner of the Daleks; The Slitheen Excursion; Judgment of the Judoon.

Big Finish have released Issue 5 of Vortex (also available in pdf).

Unreality SF have reviews of Doctor Who: Worldwide Web, Doctor Who: Zodiac, Doctor Who: The Angel of Scutari, and Doctor Who: Beautiful Chaos.

Doctor Who Online has released WhoCast episode 126, in this episode Marty and Trevor look at the stories that made up the beginning of Series 1 of New Who, the companions, the villains and the monsters (ed: added to the pods and audio button on the editor's bit).

Torchwood Newsroom has John Barrowman - Wales Online - Talking about TW: CoE.

Tennant Cast has released #7 - I’ll Show You Mine, "we at Tennantcast are going to discuss and review in depth every one of David’s characters, starting with Barty Crouch (ed: added to the pods and audio button on the editor's bit).

Digital Spy has When Owen Shot Captain Jack, relive a classic moment from Torchwood's first season finale.

SF Universe asks Do You Have a Question for Gareth David-Lloyd?, he's Torchwood's primo concierge, providing everything from delicious hot coffee, to Weevil retrieval, to a rousing game of strip hide and seek.

SFX has Torchwood Stars At The SFX Weekender, Captain Jack and Captain John reunite at the SFX Weekender! Yes, the live SFX experience returns and this time it'll be the evolution of the convention.

Radio Free Skaro - The Chronic Hysteresis has KK5 - The Faceless Ones 5, in which the tables take a dramatic turn in favour of our heroes, and all thanks to the Chameleon version of Air Traffic Controller Meadows, and KK6 - The Faceless Ones 6, that "Meadows" actually seizes his chance to escape the clutches (and that term is used very loosely) of The Doctor in this episode is a bit of a disappointment.

planetzogblog has Torchwood 2RP.X: Lost Souls review, after the “pre-credits” (e.g. before the “and Torchwood is ready” speech from Jack) the first three minutes are effective introduction to Torchwood for a Radio 4 audience who might not know of Torchwood – the team chasing a weevil round a Cardiff nightclub (the very essence of Torchwood), then Martha Jones phones up Jack.

joelidster "My Nan just phoned me for Torchwood spoilers."

shamrox "& I just learned that the TARDIS "vworp" is made by swiping a key along a piano string & reversing the sound. FASCINATING."

ImpossiblePod "Have had a tipoff that BBC will be filming in Cardiff Uni's Psychology building next week. Sarah Jane? Or the start of Doctor Who filming?"

_llamaface "Woo! Torchwood Audio Play today!"

cartmantul "The First Doctor is amazingly pleasant in The Space Museum."

AdamJPurcell "Looking forward to the new Torchwood play on Radio 4 this afternoon, at 14:15. Not sure I'll be back from lunch in time... MP3 download!"

Please note that links in this section of the Newsroom can seriously damage your enjoyment of forthcoming episodes and unless you really are a spoiler chaser I do not recommend clicking these links.

Whats On TV has John Barrowman reveals Torchwood's new secrets.

Barrowman speaks to Radio Times

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:46 GMT

The new issue of Radio Times features a special fold out cover of Torchwood promoting Children of Earth which starts next Monday. Inside is an interview with John Barrowman in which he criticises the BBC for cutting the series to five episodes following its move to BBC1. Barrowman said "We were the most successful show on BBC3, ever. We moved to BBC2 because the ratings were so good, the ratings were great again and we were beating shows that had been on BBC2 for a long time. The decision was

Blog of the Month, Win a set of Torchwood novels and a Pick of the Blogs..

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:14 GMT

My greatest thanks to everyone who voted for me at The Key to Time awards site, who has once again awarded the TARDIS Newsroom Blog of the Month for the second time in a row, "Voting is over and the results are in; the TARDIS Newsroom has done it again.Votes have been flying in from all angles with Life, The Universe & Combom taking an early lead, which was stolen by Doctor Who fansite- Emma and then finnally taken by TARDIS Newsroom yet again to clinch the win. A very well deseved win for the TARDIS Newsroom."

Torchwood Newsroom has Torchwood: Children of Earth UKTV Australia Trailer 3.

The Stage has Torchwood Week: Win a set of Torchwood novels, "three new novels have just been published to coincide with the
broadcast of Children of Earth and we have two sets to give away to lucky TV Today readers!"

SFX has Russell T Davies talks Torchwood, in this exclusive Q&A, writer/creator Russell T Davies discusses how the shift to BBC One has changed the series, how the loss of two members has affected the Torchwood team.

The Stage has Torchwood Week: Russell T Davies, part 2, as before, do beware: more so than yesterday’s interview, this interview does contain spoilers about the events in Children of Earth.

Radio Free Skaro - The Chronic Hysteresis has KK4 - The Faceless Ones 4, the Faceless Ones evolves so gradually, yet it never seems slow. At the end of Episode One, we see the aliens. Only at the end of episode three, halfway through the story, are we finally let in on the secret that something sinister is happening on Chameleon Tours flights when all the passengers disappear while a shocked Inspector Crossland is watching.

Behind the Sofa has We Don't Want To Lose You, But We Think You Ought To Go, a review of 'The War Games'.

knett "Wish that I was going to San Diego Comic Con to meet David Tennant and John Barrowman!!!! :("

cartmantul "Terror of the Vervoids view #9 notes - Tardis looks green, creature head very naughty, Mel evil."

moryan

"Just talked to Russell T Davies, EP of Doctor Who and Torchwood. May be most fun phone interview I've ever done""BBCAmerica airs 3 final David Tennant specials in US around UK dates (Nov, Christmas, New Years). Last Tennant-early 2010"
"Re final D Tennant #DoctorWho eps: there's "enormous amounts of fun" & "comedy" with aliens but "everyone knows death is coming"-RT Davies""David Tennant's final episodes are "his finest hour by a million miles." Eps will "make you ache." - Russell T Davies"
"Russell T Davies expects new Doctor Who season with Matt Smith to air at "usual time of year," i.e. spring 2010, in UK."
"Last bit: RT Davies still working on #Torchwood & SarahJaneAdv but his next project will not be genre, "dying to write a 9 pm" BBC drama."

scrapyard_ "is watching one of the original Doctor Who. wow its not only in black and white but has a guy in a kilt."

prisoner06 "The HR website for my hospital has a Doctor Who quote on its front page. Mind is seriously blown here!"

angrywhofan "We're back and it's about Torchwood"

Please note that links in this section of the Newsroom can seriously damage your enjoyment of forthcoming episodes and unless you really are a spoiler chaser I do not recommend clicking these links.

Fanatical For Who has Children of Boe: A spoiler & silly speculation post.

Radio Times: Torchwood cover

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:39 GMT

Radio Times: Torchwood cover
News Dated: 30/6/2009

Radio Times have sent DWO the cover and details for their next issue featuring Torchwood.

The magazine includes exclusive quotes from John Barrowman, creator / lead writer Russell T Davies, executive producer Julie Gardner, Eve Myles and Gareth David-Lloyd talking about the new series of Torchwood.

Plus Radio Times did its own exclusive photoshoot for Torchwood – see our special open out ‘gatefold’ cover.

This issue of Radio Times can be purchased from all newsagents as well as the WhoStore:
http://www.whostore.co.uk/magazines-radiotimes.htm

[Cover available on the DWO News page]

[Source: Radio Times]

Discuss this news in the DWO Forums:
http://www.drwho-online.co.uk/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1246375163

They Punish the Earth Defenders

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:36 GMT

John Barrowman is interviewed inside the latest edition of the Radio Times, which is out today. He talks about his disappointment at having Torchwood's third series cut down from thirteen to just five episodes: "I'm going to get a little political and I'll probably get into trouble for it," he says, "but... we were the most successful show on BBC 3, ever. We moved to BBC 2 because the ratings were so good; the ratings were great again and we were beating shows that had been on BBC 2 for a long time. The decision was made to go to BBC 1 - and then we were cut."

He goes on, "The five episodes, the miniseries as I call it, are incredible - I have no doubt about that - but personally, I felt like we were being punished. Other shows move from BBC 3 and 2 to 1, and they don't get cut. So why are we? It felt like every time we moved we had to prove ourselves."

It's a good point. Have the BBC an agenda against the series? What form will series 4 take (if commissioned...)? And just how will Russell T Davies move to America - as he confirmed to Mark Lawson during an interview with Front Row last night - have upon the series' future?

Torchwood: America anybody...?

The Radio Times also has a complete production rundown, that begins January 2008 with the initial scripts being planned, to the completion of post-production earlier this month.

Buy the listings magazine for £1.10. Most of the week's other television and radio periodicals contain information about the show, with interviews with various members of the cast and crew.

***

In day two of its Torchwood: CoE preview, DigitalSpy talks with Kai Owen.

We Don't Want To Lose You, But We Think You Ought To Go

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:13 GMT

The War Games

Due to be Released: 6 July 2009

Produced by 2Entertain

(This review contains spoilers. But come on...it was made 40 years ago.)

Here it is at last. The War Games has long been recognised as one of the most important Doctor Who stories ever made, and you can make a shopping list of the things it introduced to the series, from the naming of the Time Lords and the first sighting of their home planet, to the trial of the Doctor and his eventual, slightly odd, exile: "You will be sent to a new kind of series, made in colour, with a bit of ITC and Quatermass thrown in, but you'll get much longer holidays". It's also a story that set the parameters for a number of massive arguments that raged around fandom, the most persistent of which maintains that the series went downhill from the moment that the Doctor was identified as a Time Lord and saddled with a backstory that could only ever go on to provide diminishing returns.

This line of thinking holds that the Gallifreyan hairdressers' waiting rooms and potted plants of Arc of Infinity were an inevitable consequence of the moment when Edward Brayshaw's Security Chief recognised the Doctor in Episode 4, and this view of the Time Lords as a bad thing seemed to be reinforced when Russell T Davies brought the series back and only waited until the second episode before revealing that the Time Lords had been wiped out. Of course, this was slightly undermined by the fact that the new series subsequently went on to mention the Time Lords in virtually every other episode, until by Series 4 whenever the Doctor got dewy-eyed and started to mention the Time War you could almost see the other characters rolling their eyes in the same way that Del Boy and Rodney did whenever Uncle Albert started telling his war stories. The point is, that you can extrapolate all of these controversies from The War Games, and chunter on about them for months, but the story itself gets little attention. If there is any consensus, it's that the adventure is a crashing bore, a tedious runaround, only redeemed by the last episode-and-a-half of beautiful, myth-making fanwank. Well having watched this sumptuously produced DVD set, I can say to people who hold that belief that, in the words of Chris Morris, you're wrong and you're grotesquely ugly freaks.

you're wrong and you're grotesquely ugly freaks

Don't get me wrong - I was one of the grotesquely ugly freaks as well. I hadn't seen The War Games for years, and I'm a sucker for an easy life, so assumed that my memory of being a bit bored the last time I watched it would remain my definitive judgment. Within just a few minutes of watching this DVD release I realised that I was wrong. Now, there are obviously certain things about the story that are undeniable - there are an awful lot of instances of the TARDIS crew being captured, escaping, and being recaptured, in fact the first capture happens about five minutes in, and the escape one minute later is actually a recapture. So criticisms that the story is repetitive may well be justified, but repetitive is not the same thing as boring - there's a crucial distinction. And it's worth taking a step back and considering what this story is about - there are lots of wars separated into time zones on an alien planet as part of an experiment to develop a fearsome and resilient army. Now leaving aside the fact that this is quite barmy (this is Doctor Who after all) it is evidently going to be the case that each war zone is going to exhibit the common characteristics of warfare - treatment of the enemy, military justice, etc - so it's fairly obvious that when crossing the time zones the Doctor and company are likely to get more than their fair share of deja vu. One of the most interesting things about The War Games is that there is no attempt by Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke to maintain an air of mystery around the events. Some writers may have chosen to wait an episode or two before revealing that an alien presence is responsible for the weird behaviour witnessed by the Doctor and his companions, but Dicks and Hulke reveal that General Smythe is an alien roughly ten minutes into Episode 1. This immediately means we are aware that the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe are the only free agents (until they start gathering a resistance group) in a nightmarish world of amnesiac puppets, where every moment they seem to make progress is foiled by an alien donning a pair of Mr Magoo spectacles and returning them all back to square one. Repetition is part of the point.

And yes, I'm aware that the length of The War Games was a consequence of a number of production disasters that led to the loss of both a six-part and four-part adventure, and that Dicks and Hulke had to knock out the scripts faster than Target novelisations of Tom Baker stories, but to me that makes the story even more remarkable. It's all very well for Dicks to talk about the use of "return loops" (i.e. padding) within each episode, but the fact is that the central idea of the story was a stroke of genius as it gave narrative justification for an expanding number of similar episodes. And just because you employ return loops doesn't mean that they can't individually be interesting in their own right. Being recaptured by General Smythe is very different from being recaptured by the War Chief and his cronies. The continuing development of the alien's own narrative is particularly engrossing. The infighting between the War Chief and the Security Chief is fantastic, and their antagonism evolves throughout the story, not least when the Doctor arrives which sends the War Chief into a scheming frenzy, and the Security Chief into an even deeper pit of paranoia. And all of this before the arrival of the War Lord, surely one of the most sinister characters to appear in the programme, made even more memorable by the resolute lack of a back story for him or his race. But maybe I just enjoy thinking about a planet where Nehru-jacketed men with bottle-bottom glasses walk around flanked by gimps in rubber suits and bathing caps. Imagine how weird it must look when they're all at the local supermarket. Another positive side-effect of the production problems is that this story got the equivalent budget of two stories, which consequently means that the relatively few sets here get more money lavished on them and it shows. The alien set looks great, and David Maloney's direction gets the best out of it, with the famously grim Brighton rubbish tip also setting an appropriate tone.

gimps in rubber suits and bathing caps

Even though I consider any boring moments to be few and far between, my attention was always sustained by some wonderful acting performances throughout the cast. David Savile (Carstairs) and Jane Sherwin (Lady Jennifer) are solid and believable goodies, as is Graham Weston as Russell the Boer War refugee. There's an immaculate turn by Noel Coleman as the repellent General Smythe who first alerts us to the genuine nastiness of the aliens, which is later bolstered by David Garfield doubling up as equally unpleasant German and Confederate generals. But it's the trio of alien leaders who really hold your attention. James Bree and Edward Brayshaw put in arresting performances as the Security Chief and War Chief respectively, with Bree out-Daleking the Daleks with his staccato delivery, and Brayshaw going large with his florid depiction of a megalomaniacal traitor. And then Philip Madoc enters the scene as the War Lord, and things go to another level entirely. His performance is outstanding, and from the sharp lines of his stubble down to his soft voice and scary spectacles, he is immaculate. Even when his character is dematerialised, he continues to underplay it merely intoning "No, no" in a way that makes his death even more disturbing.

As usual, the regulars give it their all, with Patrick Troughton excelling over the final couple of episodes when the Doctor is increasingly frazzled and desperate as he realises events are beyond his control. The consequences of his eventual solution lead us to the justly famous final episode, which ironically features about three attempts to escape and is probably more padded out than any of the previous nine installments. This doesn't detract too much from the final impact however, as it's an impressively grim conclusion to a notably serious piece of work. Zoe and Jamie depart with a proto-Donna Noble mindwipe, with Jamie deposited back straight into an unequal pitched battle with an armed Redcoat, while Zoe ends up on the most boring space station in the universe. The latter features a wonderful, but heart-rending performance from Wendy Padbury, as Zoe struggles to remember her time with the Doctor but eventually says "I thought I'd forgotten something important, but it's nothing". As if this wasn't angst-ridden enough, the Doctor is then catapulted into some kind of existential netherworld, spinning around like Descartes' mind before fading into echoing darkness. And in this singular way ends one of the most remarkable of the Doctor's adventures, which here, in this stunningly restored version, should cause everyone to view it again with wonder.

Extras

The restoration on The War Games is so good that it would justify the release on its own, but there are also a large number of high-quality extras, even down to those regular features that are often taken for granted. The production notes by Martin Wiggins are easily the best I've seen so far. They are unobtrusive and clear even though they have a very complicated production history to convey, and this is all achieved within the very fiddly logistics of matching the notes to the screen while giving viewers enough time read them. If that's not enough, Wiggins also manages to be witty, and there's a note about Zoe and spanking during episode 5 that was just one example that had me sniggering. These production notes don't get enough praise, as when they're done well (as they are with bells on here) they add to the viewing experience tremendously.

Kubrick would have been shaken

Commentaries are another de facto extra, and one that I'm a bit more wary of for a whole host of reasons. The commentary participants here are numerous, as you'd expect for a such a long story, and the full line-up is Frazer Hines, Wendy Padbury, Terrance Dicks, Philip Madoc, Derrick Sherwin, Graham Weston and Jane Sherwin. There are some incidental moments of humour - the word bouffant is mentioned but not in relation to Pertwee; Dicks and Sherwin went to see 2001: A Space Odyssey when on location and hated it (Kubrick would have been shaken) - and occasional moments of interest, such as Derrick Sherwin refreshingly still remembering Troughton's awkwardness on set during the period, and Philip Madoc explaining (when you can hear him over the others) how he decided on the characterisation of the War Lord. But the overwhelming impression you get from the commentaries, in spite of Frazer and Wendy being as jovial as ever, is of a lot of half-remembered anecdotes from a group of people who have varying degrees of success in covering up their boredom. This is fair enough and understandable, but if you're in a good mood and enjoy the story then treat with caution. On a lighter note, the definite highlight is when Derrick Sherwin launches into an enthusiastic description of Wendy Padbury's bum in the famous scene in The Mind Robber. He gets so into it ("you could make out every twitch of the cheeks") that you feel like shaking him and saying "Come on man, this isn't even the commentary for The Mind Robber stop slavering like a fanboy". Priceless.

you could make out every twitch of the cheeks

There are so many feature extras that it's hard to know where to start. I happened to watch them on the same day that Mark Gatiss's Radio 4 tribute to Target Books was transmitted, so it's probably not surprising that Marcus Hearn's On Target: Malcolm Hulke really stood out. Maybe the impact of this feature depends on how much of a Hulke fan you are, but as I'm a paid-up member of the Doctor Who and the Doomsday Weapon Appreciation Society it really hit the spot for me. There are readings from Hulke's work by Peter Miles and Katy Manning, and some lovely contributions from the various talking heads, with Gary Russell in particularly fine form as he nails the reasons why Hulke was so good. This is a gem of an extra, clearly put together with great affection for the subject, and probably because of the general outpouring of Target-y goodness recently, I was actually quite moved by it. On a lighter note, James Goss's Talking About Regeneration is a successful blend of humour and insight from various commentators on the subject of regeneration. Amongst others, Rob Shearman (gorgeous as ever in maroon shirt), Joe Lidster and Kate O'Mara (!), make some very funny comments about the perils of turning into Colin Baker, and the importance of Bonnie Langford's death when trying to achieve a really convincing regeneration. You also get to find out what Clayton Hickman considers to be the most pleasurable experience you can have. Clayton - you really should get out more.

Other features include Steve Broster's War Zone, a 'making of' which contains some very good interview contributions from the late David Maloney, and a great anecdote from designer Roger Cheveley about MichaelJohn Harris and his big bag of explosives. Paul Cornell crops up as well, and he seems to be very enthusiastic about Zoe's coat. It probably says more about me, and not about him, that I tend to find Cornell a little bit irritating on some extras. There's nothing wrong with what he says, indeed I nearly always agree with him, but I keep thinking about a phrase my grandma used about some people: "If he was a lollipop he'd lick himself". Still as Auden almost said "Time will pardon Paul Cornell, Pardon him for writing well". But it's an illuminating extra, as is another episode of Marcus Hearn's Stripped for Action where Gary Russell (on top form again) and others talk about the crazy comic strips of the Troughton era, and as a result I spent several days thinking about the logistics of skiing Cybermen. Imagine what a ski resort for Cybermen would look like. It'd be like The Pink Panther film only in metal, and with hardly any aloof countesses or David Niven.

Of the remaining features I found a couple slightly underwhelming but that's probably just me being picky. The Dudley Simpson and Sylvia James interviews were informative shorts but a little bitty. More significantly, I think that the Shades of Grey feature probably emerged from a very laudable desire to contextualise early Doctor Who within the wider environment of the other programmes that were being made at that time. This is close to the heart of archive television fans, many of whom were introduced to the world of 1960s/1970s television through their interest in Doctor Who, and it's nice to think of any new fans of the series coming to this DVD and similarly becoming inspired by the knowledge that there is vast range of old programmes waiting to be explored. But purely as a standalone piece of work, I thought the feature was a bit of a hotch-potch with only the early part of the piece genuinely concentrating on the aesthetics of working in black and white, whereas the latter part used the phrase "black and white" as a synonym for "old television". The final section of the piece entitled "The Sound of Black and White" being a case in point - the fact that a programme was in black and white had nothing to do with what the sound was like - it's all about the era rather than the aesthetic. But that section is fine if only because it includes the clip of Brian Hodgson being interviewed by a woman who is clearly in love with him - watch her face throughout - she is completely enraptured. Wonderful.

a bottle of wine. Or two

Of the other major extras (yes there are more) there is a piece entitled Time Zones which features some historians filling in the background to the various battles featured in The War Games. I find it hard to be objective about this, as within two minutes of the piece starting I was confronted by Dr Martin Farr, who I've shared the odd pint with over the years through a mutual friend followed swiftly by Lindsay Allason-Jones who I've also encountered a number of times at various business meetings. This Newcastle University connection (see the recent Manchurian Candidate extra on The Deadly Assassin DVD) is getting too close for comfort. But this is an informative extra, with the experts' combined efforts to understand which war David Troughton's character was supposed to be from, and their thoughts upon The War Games itself being particularly interesting. From another planet entirely is fan film Devious, an attempt to bridge the gap between the end of The War Games and the start of Spearhead from Space which is particularly notable for featuring the last performance of Jon Pertwee. I'm a bit of a fan film virgin, and genuinely don't know if this is at the good or bad end of the spectrum, but I do know that it was perfectly palatable when washed down with a bottle of wine. Or two. And the commentary (yes there's a commentary) is also amusing, probably for the wrong reasons, but it's there if you fancy it.

I think I've banged on about this release for long enough now, but I hope appropriately so. It's one of the best DVD releases of the range so far, and lives up to all the expectations that have been heaped upon it. If I have one regret, it's that the planned feature on Patrick Troughton fell through for logistical reasons, but you can't have everything, and this release is more than enough unless you're really greedy. The sum of its parts would be impressive enough, but the whole is outstanding. Buy it.

Oh and there's a great Easter Egg on Disc 2. Exile?

Doctor Who Adventures 122 Cover and Details

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:37 GMT

TARDIS Message Boards - Calendar

In this weeks Edition...
Amazing 3D Issue with Free 3D Glasses and Poster
10 Huge 3-D scares Inside
Top Ten Spaceships
TARDIS Tales - Planet of the Dead
Comic Strip - Flight of the Giurgeax
Packed with Fun, Facts and Monsters
On sale 2nd July

Children of Earth Audio Clip 2, Rhys speaks and Barrowman blasts BBC...

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:18 GMT

Torchwood Newsroom has Torchwood: Children of Earth (Audio Clip 2), and the New Australian Torchwood Trailer.

The British Board of Film Censors has the following....

DOCTOR WHO - ENLIGHTENMENT [Re-edited version, Special Edition] passed PG
DOCTOR WHO - ENLIGHTENMENT [Additional material, Audio commentary, Episodes 1-4] passed PG
DOCTOR WHO - MAWDRYN UNDEAD [Additional material, Audio commentary, Episodes 1-4] passed U
DOCTOR WHO - TWIN DILEMMA - DVD EXTRAS [Additional material, DR WHO TWINDILEMMA EXTRAS] passed U

Digital Spy has an Exclusive - Torchwood's Rhys speaks!, it's day two of Torchwood Week here on Tube Talk - and about time to start hearing from the cast themselves.

Radio Free Skaro has released Radio Free Skaro #147 – Dancing Doctors and Empty Children, with only Torchwood news to bandy about, the second part of Steven Moffat’s epic two-parter from Season 1 took center stage for this episode for a shorthanded RFS staff as they discussed the intricacies of one of the first series’ masterpieces while simultaneously avoiding any actual discussion of the episode at hand, as per usual (ed: added to the podsa nd audio button on the editor's bit).

Tin Dog Podcast has released TDP 094: The War Games (ed: added to the podsa nd audio button on the editor's bit).

The Stage has Torchwood Week: Russell T Davies, part 1, the first of a two-part interview with series creator Russell T Davies, who returns to writing duties on the show for the first time since 2006’s premiere episode, Everything Changes.

Coventry Telegraph has John Barrowman blasts BBC for Torchwood cut, John Barrowman, who plays Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood, said a decision to make just five episodes for the new series felt like a punishment.

BBC Doctor Who News has a review of The Darksmith Legacy: The Vampire of Paris, a"Triumph" or a monumental mess?

Rich's ComixBlog has Forever Janette - 14, the 8th Doctor and Nat look at the body and evidence at the Coroner’s Lab. Nat can’t get over how everything’s been compressed, body, clothes, objects… and the Doctor notices a tiny matchbook with the Raven club logo in the victim’s purse. It is suggested that an alien being may have done this.

Charlie Kirchoff has posted Doctor Who: Black Death/White Life, "If you’ve seen IDW’s solicitations for September , you may have seen a one-shot entitled “Doctor Who: Black Death/White Life”. If you did see that you may have noticed that I wrote it."

Radio Free Skaro - The Chronic Hysteresis has....

JJ4 - The Macra Terror 4, "As I mentioned in the last post, it is significant when Medok, the Colony's only dissenter at the beginning of the story, dies in Episode Three."
KK1 - The Faceless Ones 1, this episode marks a change in direction for the Troughton era, a change that will be seen over the course of the next three episodes.
KK2 - The Faceless Ones 2, the next step in the normalizing of the Patrick Troughton era - updating the theme music.
KK3 - The Faceless Ones 3, with Ben and Polly, for all intents and purposes, out of the picture, Jamie is now the main companion in Doctor Who.

Doc Oho's Reviews has Unnatural History by Kate Orman and Jonathan Blum, embarrassing bits: The scene where Sam gives the Doctor a back rub and tries to get him into bed is probably the most up chuckingly horrible pieces of writing in the Doctor Who prose universe.

Looking To The Stars has got Two Doctor Who Comic Reviews.

Life, Doctor Who & Combom has Torchwood Children Of Earth Radio Times Scans.

Doctor Who 63 has Dr Who Q&A on Twitter, "last Tuesday (23rd June) we had a Question and Answer session on our twitter page."

planetzogblog has Torchwood 1.13: End of Days review.

rogueanomaly "OMG, the RadioTimes Torchwood photoshoot is incredible. I so want that as a poster!"

David_Tennant "Portal Awards voting, you can vote once per day per email address. David Tennant, CT, BP & Turn Left all nominated"

peachcakes "My David Tennant Poster Fell on My head. That's a sign that he's thinking of me. Of course."

Remembrance of the Daleks (Special Edition DVD) Cover and Details

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:54 GMT

TARDIS Message Boards - Calendar

London, 1963, and the Doctor returns to Coal Hill School with his new companion Ace, where he has unfinished business. His oldest foes, the Daleks, are on the trail of Time Lord technology - an artefact the Doctor himself left behind on Earth. Enlisting the assistance of the local military, the Doctor must protect the Gallifrey an secret of time travel as two opposing Dalek factions meet in an explosive confrontation, with the fate of the entire Universe at stake!

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:
• Commentary by Sylvester McCoy (The Doctor)and Sophie Aldred (Ace)
• Back to School - Cast and crew talk about the making of the story, accompanied by rare behind-the-scenes material. Featuring Simon Williams (Gilmore), Karen Gledhill (Alison),writer Ben Aaronovitch, script editor Andrew Cartmel and director Andrew Morgan
• Remembrances - Cast and crew discuss the influences and references to other Doctor Who adventures that are spread throughout the story
• Extended and Deleted Scenes - Unused scenes, introduced by Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred
• Outtakes - Bloopers and gaffes from the recording of the story
• Multi-Angle Sequences
• Digitally remastered picture and sound quality
• 5.1 Mix A new Dolby 5.1 surround mix, specially produced for this DVD
• Photo Gallery • Radio Times Billings(DVD-ROM PDFs - PC/Mac)
• Production Information Subtitles
• Trailers & Continuity & Isolated Music Track

Synopsis
In this 1988 installment of DOCTOR WHO, the seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) faces off against the ever-troublesome Daleks. However, things get even more complicated when opposing Dalek factions meet in an explosive battle.

Order from the TARDIS Shop due for release on the 20th July

Should Torchwood star John Barrowman be stripped? | Media | guardian.co.uk

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:21 GMT

Loathe as I am to use the words John Barrowman and stripped in the same sentence, for fear of what fresh horrors may be unleashed, the Torchwood star's row over the show's truncated run on BBC1 – where it will be stripped over five consecutive nights instead of 13 episodes – raises questions that go beyond Barrowman's ego.

Daleks prevent cruelty - Northumberland Today

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:07 GMT

Employees from Northumbrian Water showed their support during a month of fundraising activities in May, which included an afternoon tea, raffle for a limited-edition bottle of champagne signed by Alan Shearer, tombola and even a dalek auction.

Russell T Davies Interview

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:55 GMT

Outgoing showrunner Russell T Davies has given an interview to BBC Radio Four's Front Row. He talked about Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. The programme can be heard on the BBC iPlayer for the next six days.

A Little Slip

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:01 GMT

Before you read this, you may want to sit down... We'd like to inform you that SARAH-JANE.tv will not hold themselves responsible for any squee-related injuries our readers suffer as a result of reading the following news.

Sitting comfortably? Good. So, Russell T. Davies is currently doing his rounds to promote the exceedingly creepy Children of Earth, which kicks off on BBC One next Monday. Yaay! On one of his interviews for Radio 4, he spilled the beans on some SJA tidbits you may find of interest!

Interviewer, Mark Lawson, suggested that where the original Doctor Who was just a TV show, Davies' version [with multiple multimedia spin-offs] is an example of what happens in modern TV. A hit can become an entire industry!

'It's not cynical to talk about it as an industry,' Davies quips. 'All this support stuff keeps Doctor Who afloat, keeps it at the front of everyone's agenda, keeps it funded. So actually, it's very very healthy for the mothership. But it's the way we work now. Sarah Jane's the highest-rated programme on CBBC, Torchwood was the highest-rated drama on BBC3 and it's now the highest-rated drama on BBC America. I've turned into this digital man! Dunno how that happened!'

Lawson went on to enquire if Davies saw the spin-offs as 'his', as opposed to Doctor Who - which he equates to buying someone else's house.

'Yes! I was the landlord! I'm moving on from Doctor Who now, but I'm not from The Sarah Jane Adventures or Torchwood. We've just started working on series four of Sarah Jane yesterday, actually. [Fandom: *UBER-SQUEE!!!*] It's not so much that they're mine, because they're written by teams of people. But I feel I've made a commitment to the cast, so I feel honour bound in a way to stay. Of course I'm going to look after it!'

Davies also talks about the BBC's falling budget: 'I don't think there's a lot of fat to be cut, I think it's going to get very tough for people....I've been so lucky to be working on a show like Doctor Who that, frankly, has a lovely budget." He elaborates on SJA's budget in an interview with The Stage:

'Money’s always a problem with The Sarah Jane Adventures, but actually we’re about four weeks into filming [Season 3] on a new schedule, a slightly different way of making it, to save money. And it’s working. That’s brilliant. I thought it’d fall apart, personally. I shouldn’t say that, should I? But it’s really working. We’ve found a way to make it look just as good for slightly less money, so that’s looking promising. It could just run and run. I can’t say yet, but we’re getting very encouraging signs from the Children’s department, who love it.'

He goes on to clarify that: '[A fourth series] is not definite, but it’s really promising. More than four, actually, if we can. But we’ll see.'

Which basically means they're planning the next series, before the third has even aired - let alone finished filming! Huzzah! A green light from the Beeb is all but definite, especially when the ratings skyrocket with the Doctor's appearance on the show. I've heard vague whispers of some major changes taking place in the potential fourth series, not all of them for the better in my humble opinion. But SARAH-JANE.tv live in hope that should the show continue, these changes are overshadowed by a brilliant writing team and an exceedingly brilliant cast! We already have both, so it's pretty win/win, eh? Roll on Series 4!

Wales Comic Con, Where Angels Fear Discontinuity, Radio Times Torchwood Cover plus War Games review...

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:47 GMT

Gareth David-Lloyd Site has Wales Comic Con, Gareth will be appearing at Wales Comic Con in Wrexham, North Wales, at Glyndwr University, Wrexham on Sunday September 27th, 2009 alongside Katy Wix (Rhiannon, Ianto's sister) from Torchwood: Children of Earth.

The Whoniverse has added Where Angels Fear to their Discontinuity Guide

TARDIS Television has Dr.Who - Barking Mad (spoof), warning adult content.

Torchwood Newsroom has the Radio Times Torchwood Cover for next week

Den Of Geek has Doctor Who: The War Games DVD review, Patrick Troughton's final story as Doctor Who arrives on DVD. Can this 10-episode epic stand the test of time?

SFX has Cybermen - Del-eat! Del-eat!, Def-eat-ing the Cybermen is a piece of cake if you live in Linlithgow in West Lothian. This brilliant Cybercake, created by a shop called Truly Scrumptious were spotted by SFX reader David Todd who sent us the snaps., and Michelle Ryan Is The Doctor (sort of), … and a whole load of other characters on the latest Original BBC Doctor Who Audiobook, “The Rising Night”.

Big Finish has Bernice Summerfield: The Inside Story, even before Big Finish began making Doctor Who adventures, one woman was already making her mark: Bernice Summerfield. Created by Paul Cornell, the space archaeologist first appeared in the Virgin New Adventures novels alongside the Seventh Doctor, and it was from these novels that her first few audio adventures were culled, helping to fill the gap when there was no Doctor Who on TV.

Nothing Tra La La? (Simon Guerrier) has Inside out!, "Big Finish have announced that my book, Bernice Summerfield - The Inside Story, will be out in August. Pre-order it NOW and get your copy signed by me and Lisa Bowerman."

Radio Free Skaro - The Chronic Hysteresis has JJ3 - The Macra Terror 3, In which poor Medok, the rebel of the society who The Doctor was so fond in helping at the beginning of the story, meets his end at the end of a Macra claw. This turns out to be a noteworthy development, as we will see by the end of the story. Medok is the only person, at the beginning, who speaks out about what is going on in the Colony. Once he dies, it's now only left to the strangers (The Doctor and co.) to rise up against all that is wrong.

alun_vega

"A car that looks like Sarah Jane's is parked outside the museum, dressed as the Intl Gallery again"
"Extras dressed as schoolkids and police have just come out. No sign of principal SJA cast."
"Looks like lunchtime. Actors playing Luke, Clyde, Rani & Rani's dad just left."
"Entrance hall of the museum (where MR did her catburgling in POTD) is
lit for filming. But SJ car and IG sign suggest exteriors too."

*Front Row (Available until: 12:00am Thursday 1st January 2099)

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:14 GMT

Arts news and reviews with Mark Lawson, including an interview with
Doctor Who writer Russell T Davies, as the spin-off series Torchwood
returns to TV and radio.

Watch the second BBC One trailer for Torchwood: Children of Earth.

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:06 GMT

The Black Guardian Trilogy - DVD cover and details

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:04 GMT

The Black Guardian Trilogy - DVD cover and details
News Dated: 29/6/2009

2|entertain have sent DWO the cover & details for The Black Guardian Trilogy DVD release.

The Black Guardian Trilogy
Featuring: Peter Davison as The 5th Doctor

Mawdryn Undead

Earth 1983. The mysterious Black Guardian hovers over the shoulder of English public schoolboy, Turlough, determined to enlist his aid in his deadly scheme – the assassination of the Doctor.

Meanwhile the TARDIS is trapped inside a huge space ship in perpetual orbit, a permanent resting place for the miserable Mawdryn and his eight fellow scientists, all condemned to a state of perpetual regeneration. Only the Doctor’s life force can free them, but at a deadly cost – the price of his powers of regeneration.

With Nyssa and Tegan stranded in the time zone of 1977, and the Black Guardian closing in, the Doctor faces a terrible dilemma...

Special Features:

· Commentary - with actors Peter Davison, Mark Strickson and Nicholas Courtney, script editor Eric Saward.
· Who Wants to Live Forever? - cast and crew look back at the making of the story. With actors Peter Davison, Nicholas Courtney, Mark Strickson, David Collings and Lucy Benjamin, director Peter Moffatt, script editor Eric Saward and plastic surgeon Dr. Simon Withey. Narrated by Floella Benjamin.
· Liberty Hall - a new drama. Journalist Philip Clarke (Simon Ockenden) travels to Brendan School to interview Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart.
· Deleted and Extended Scenes
· Film Trims - film trims from the location filming, including clapperboards and cast and crew setting up and performing various takes.
· Out-takes - the producer's blooper reel.
· CGI Effects
· Continuity
· Photo Gallery
· Set Photo Gallery - set design photos from the story.
· Isolated Score - option to watch the story with the isolated music score.
· Coming Soon
· Programme Subtitles
· Subtitle Production Notes

Terminus

Thanks to the combined efforts of the treacherous Turlough and the Black Guardian, the Doctor and his companions are in terrible danger. The TARDIS is breaking up and the outside world has begun to break through.

Can the TARDIS’ fail safe mechanism save them all by docking with another ship? It seems unlikely when the nearest vessel is a carrier of plague victims destined for the infamous Terminus, the time-bomb planet ticking at the centre of the universe...

Special Features:

· Commentary - with actors Peter Davison, Mark Strickson and Sarah Sutton, writer Stephen Gallagher.
· Breaking Point - cast and crew look back at the making of the story. With actors Peter Davison, Mark Strickson, Sarah Sutton and Martin Potter, director Fiona Cumming, writer Stephen Gallagher, designer Dick Coles, camera supervisor Alec Wheal and sound supervisor Scott Talbott. Narrated by Floella Benjamin.
· Origins of the Universe - Sir Patrick Moore and, Dr. John Mason take a look at the science behind the Big Bang and the origins of the universe.
· Original Storyboards - production storyboards for the spaceship sequences, plus how the shots were realised on screen.
· Unused Model Shots - a selection of unused takes from the model effects shoot, taken from a timecoded production tape.
· CGI Effects
· Photo Gallery
· Isolated Score
· Coming Soon
· Programme Subtitles
· Subtitle Production Notes

Enlightenment

The White Guardian warns of impending danger and directs the TARDIS to what appears to be an Edwardian sailing yacht, the SS Shadow, but is actually one of a number of spaceships taking part in a race through the solar system. The first prize is Enlightenment – ultimate wisdom to gain one’s heart’s desire - and some of the more devious crews will stop at nothing in order to claim it. But as the Black Guardian’s evil mesh draws tight, it looks as though the Doctor might not live to cross the finishing line.

Special Features:

· Commentary - with actors Peter Davison and Mark Strickson, writer Barbara Clegg and director Fiona Cumming.
· Winner Takes All - cast and crew look back at the making of the story. With actors Peter Davison, Mark Strickson, Janet Fielding, Keith Barron, Christopher Brown and Leee John, director Fiona Cumming, writer Barbara Clegg, costume designer Dinah Collin and camera supervisor Alec Wheal. Narrated by Floella Benjamin.
· Casting Off! - an actor's view of working on Doctor Who. With Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Mark Strickson, Keith Barron, Christopher Brown and Leee John, with director Fiona Cumming.
· Single Write Female - writer Barbara Clegg looks back on her career and the writing of 'Enlightenment'.
· The Story of the Guardians - the Guardians have appeared in Doctor Who as far back as Tom Baker's era… but who - or what - are they? With Robert Luckham (son of the late White Guardian, Cyril Luckham), Sarah Leppard (daughter of the late Black Guardian, Valentine Dyall), Doctor Who Magazine editor Tom Spilsbury and Doctor Who Adventures editor Moray Laing.
· Storyboards - a dual-angle feature, in which visual effects supervisor Mike Kelt uses the original storyboards to explain how he went about planning and shooting the model effects sequences for the show.
· Photo Gallery
· Isolated Score - option to watch the story with the isolated music score.
· Coming Soon
· Programme Subtitles
· Subtitle Production Notes

The Black Guardian Trilogy is released on 10th August 2009, priced £39.99.

PREORDER this DVD on Amazon, for just £29.39:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002ATVDBY?tag=doctowhothere-21&camp=1406&creative=6394&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B002ATVDBY&did=033F8NG9BDV77QR4R0F8&

PREORDER this DVD at the WhoStore and get £5 off with the 'SUMMERSAVER' coupon code!
http://www.whostore.co.uk/dvd-5thdoctor.htm

[Cover available on the DWO News page]

Discuss this news in the DWO Forums:
http://www.drwho-online.co.uk/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1240144923

T Minus 7 Days!

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:27 GMT

It's only a week to go now until Torchwood: Children of Earth debuts on British television - and the good news for Australian fans is that the episodes show Down Under the exact same day (8:30pm on UKTV, don't you know). In the build up to launch, the BBC have released another trailer for the serial, that has been running inbetween a hell of a lot of post-watershed programming.

Tomorrow's edition of the Radio Times is expected to have a Torchwood themed cover, and will have interviews with the cast and crew. Check back here tomorrow for a full report on what you'll find inside it.

After that, Wednesday/Thursday/Friday see (well, not technically...) the three brand spanking new Torchwood audio adventures air on Radio 4. They are:

Asylum (Weds @ 2:15pm)
Written by Anita Sullivan, directed by Kate McAll.

When PC Andy arrests a teenager for shoplifting, he thinks it is going to be a routine case. Then he sees the weapon she is carrying and decides to call in the Torchwood team. Under questioning from Gwen, the girl remembers her name but little else, and when she speaks it is in a strange mix of English and Scandinavian, but with a Cardiff accent. Then the girl's blood tests come through and the team is faced with a dilemma.

Jack ...... John Barrowman
Gwen ...... Eve Myles
Ianto ...... Gareth David-Lloyd
PC Andy ...... Tom Price
Freda ...... Erin Richards
Security Guard ...... Matthew Gravelle
Policewoman ...... Sara McGaughey
Dog Walker ...... Dick Bradnum
Girl ...... Isabel Lewis

Golden Age (Thursday @ 2:15pm)
Written by James Goss, directed by Kate McAll.

The Torchwood team are led to Delhi on the trail of a dangerous energy field. As the field grows, they witness the simultaneous disappearance of hundreds of people. Jack discovers that the field centres on an old colonial mansion, Torchwood India. Shocked to find that Torchwood India is still going strong after he shut it down himself over 80 years ago, he is even more surprised to find that its members, including his old flame the Duchess, haven't aged a day.

Jack ...... John Barrowman
Gwen ...... Eve Myles
Ianto ...... Gareth David-Lloyd
The Duchess ...... Jasmine Hyde
Mr Daz ...... Amerjit Dew
Mahajan ...... Ravin J Ganatra
Gissing ...... Richard Mitchley

The Dead Line (Friday @ 2:15pm)
Written by Phil Ford, directed by Kate McAll.

When a Cardiff hospital is inundated with patients who have fallen into coma -like trances, Torchwood move in to investigate. The trances appear to have been triggered by phone calls, all received on retro phones and made from a number that hadn't been active for over 30 years. Determined to find out who has been calling the unfortunate victims, Jack rings the mysterious number, but the line is dead. But then it calls Jack back.

Jack ...... John Barrowman
Gwen ...... Eve Myles
Ianto ...... Gareth David-Lloyd
Rhys ...... Kai Owen
Stella ...... Dona Croll
Jan ...... Eiry Thomas
Bob ...... Matthew Gravelle
Tyler ...... Brendan Charleson

Also, don't forget to check out the new series of Torchwood original fiction novels from BBC Books - which include The House that Jack Built, Bay of the Dead and Into the Silence. Amazon currently has them for around a fiver, or alternatively you can pick them up in Waterstones' current summer 3 For 2 offer. (Thanks to Katie from eBury for this, and apologies it's taken so long for me to report!)

Finally, a sneaky ten hints as to what to expect from next Monday night onwards.

More from us throughout the week!!

Monday's Sitting Tennants from Ms Rullsenberg, Sister Chastity and Ms Jaradel - The Medium is Not Enough TV blog

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:44 GMT

It's Monday, so Sitting Tennant reverts to "Ooh!" mode. Enjoy three pictures, one each from Ms Rullsenberg, Sister Chastity and Ms Jaradel.

Television - News - Ross criticises Norton, Barrowman shows - Digital Spy

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:02 GMT

Jonathan Ross has criticised the standard of weekend television in the UK, specifically the shows hosted by Graham Norton and John Barrowman.

Speaking on his BBC Radio 2 show, the presenter said that Norton's new programme Totally Saturday was poor enough to make Barrowman's Tonight's The Night look good.

BBC - BBC Radio 4 Programmes - Front Row, 29/06/2009

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 05:59 GMT

Arts news and reviews with Mark Lawson, including an interview with Doctor Who writer Russell T Davies, as the spin-off series Torchwood returns to TV and radio.

Restoration Team on The Black Guardian, Who at the Fab Cafe 2 plus a Pick of the Blogs

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 05:32 GMT

The Doctor Who Restoration Team has details of The Black Guardian Trilogy - DVD, comprising three linked stories - 'Mawdryn Undead', 'Terminus' and 'Enlightenment' - 'The Black Guardian Trilogy' arrives on DVD as a feature-packed four-disc boxset, including an all-new edit of 'Enlightement' overseen by the story's director, Fiona Cumming...

TARDIS Message Boards has news of Who at the Fab Cafe 2, November event in Manchester.

TARDIS Television has...

The Doctor Who Dance, Quite possibly, the craziest piece of footage that you will ever see. All 10 Doctors in a music video to Tight Fit's 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'.
The Doctor's Diary 28 June 09, Torchwood series 2 in a nutshell, Robin Hood: the rant, and a few hellos!

TSV has an Interview with Dick Mills, he was an original staff member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, whose special sound design included uncredited effects on the classic 1958 SF thriller Quatermass and the Pit, Major Bloodnok's stomach for The Goon Show, and of course Doctor Who, for which he provided sound effects, credited and uncredited, from the original pilot episode in 1963 through to the final classic series story, Survival, in 1989, interviewed at the National Media Museum in Bradford, UK, to discuss his Radiophonic career.

Cadmium2 has released 052 Doctor Who (The Gunfighters) (ed: added to the pods and audio button).

Digital Spy has news that Aussie 'Torchwood' screenings to follow UK, the new series of Torchwood will air in Australia within hours of its UK broadcast.

Fanatical For Who has More quotes from RTD.. Doctor & companions and Face of Boe.

Cathode Ray Tube has CLASSIC DOCTOR WHO - The Edge Of Destruction Part 1 and Part 2, An article recently published in the Doctor Who Appreciation Society's magazine, Celestial Toyroom, issue 371, as part of a tribute to Verity Lambert and here reproduced for your delight and edification.

planetzogblog has Torchwood 1.12: Captain Jack Harkness review, with this episode Jack and Toshiko are trapped in the past, where they meet someone strangely familiar. Can they get back from a 1940s dancehall to the present?

Crafty Tardis has believe it or not a TARDIS-Shaped Dog Bed.

David_Tennant "Today is the official release date for the DVDs of both Secret Smile and Doctor Who Planet Of The Dead, both starring David Tennant."

mklopez "Just finished Doctor Who's "The Next Doctor". Cheesy, weird and all sorts of fun... I'll miss Tennant as the Doctor!"

geekmum "Finally watching Doctor Who: The Next Doctor. Love the steampunk feel of this episode."

cartoonmoney "Doctor Who budget drastically slashed!!"

zombiescout "Good Doctor Who episode last night on BBCA - "The Next Doctor". Though I'm happy that David Tennant didn't regenerate yet into Matt Smith."

Doctor_No1 "Cyberman Rocks OK"

JohnSimmSociety "John Simm in "The Lakes" tonight 29 June on ITV3 (UK) 11:10 pm."

drwholocations "SJA Filming at the Museum in Cardiff again today."

Sarahbear9789 "I also want a sonic screwdriver and a Tardis... My sister wants a Tardis key."

darlt774 "The Doctor Who theme song: analog electronica « Ethan Hein's metablog: She was buddies with Paul McCartney"

Please note that links in this section of the Newsroom can seriously damage your enjoyment of forthcoming episodes and unless you really are a spoiler chaser I do not recommend clicking these links.

Digital Spy Forums has some Torchwood Teasers.

Digital Spy has Ten 'Torchwood' teasers, the third series of Torchwood finally airs on BBC One next week as an explosive, five-consecutive-days event broadcast. To celebrate, we're going Torchwood-crazy this week on Tube Talk - as well as hints on what to expect.

Life On Mars star John Simm takes the stage to be near his children| Showbiz | This is London

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:26 GMT

Life On Mars actor John Simm is returning to the theatre to spend more time with his children.

Simm, who also plays The Master in Doctor Who, will go from detective on TV to detective on stage in a thriller, Speaking In Tongues.

BBC - BBC Two Programmes - Torchwood, Children of Earth, Day One

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:55 GMT

Captain Jack Harkness

John Barrowman

Gwen Cooper

Eve Myles

Ianto Jones

Gareth David-Lloyd

Rhys Williams

Kai Owen

John Frobisher

Peter Capaldi

Clement McDonald

Paul Copley

Brian Green

Nicholas Farrell

Bridget Spears

Susan Brown

Alice Carter

Lucy Cohu

Mr Dekker

Ian Gelder

Lois Habiba

Cush Jumbo

Johnson

Liz May Brice

Colonel Oduya

Charles Abomeli

Rupesh Patanjali

Rik Makarem

Rhiannon Davies

Katy Wix

Director

Euros Lyn

Producer

Peter Bennett

A Little Bit of Cardiff in America

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:38 GMT

So, dear readers, I have returned out of the ether to add the Yank's view of Torchwood, and I came across a great opportunity for anyone to learn a little bit more about Wales, home to Torchwood amongst many exciting artisans and craftspeople.

The attendants have all been chosen by the Welsh Assembly to showcase the creativity and ingenuity of the Welsh people. From organic farmers, to animators, one of the common subjects discussed is that Americans have become more curious to learn about Wales because of the airing of Torchwood here in the United States.

So I wondered, "WWCJD?" (What would Captain Jack do?) Since I was with my family, randomly snogging aliens seemed right out, so I found myself befriending a pint of Cwrw Braf, while enjoying some smoked ham and Y-Fenni. (My new favorite I may add.)

The Folk Life festival is FREE all you need to do is come to Washington DC between now and July 5th and stand physically somewhere between the United States Capitol Building and the Washington Monument to experience a little bit of Wales for yourself. Oh, and while you're there, tell the artisans how much you love Torchwood! (They love to hear that you've been watching, they are proud of their show!)

Enjoy!
-Tremas

Black Guardian Trilogy DVD Box Set Cover and Details

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:19 GMT

TARDIS Message Boards - Calendar

Mawdryn Undead
Earth 1983. The mysterious Black Guardian hovers over the shoulder of English public shcoolboy, Turlough, determined to enlist his aid in his deadly scheme - the assassination of the Doctor.

Meanwhile the TARDIS is trapped inside a huge space ship in perpetual orbit, a permanent resting place for the miserable Mawdryn and his eight fellow scientists, all condemned to a state of perpetual regeneration. Only the Doctor's life force can free them, but ast a deadly cost - the price of his powers of regeneration.

With Nyssa and Tegan stranded in the time zone of 1977, and the Black Guardian closing in, the Doctor faces a terrible dilemma…..

Extras on Mawdryn Undead:
* Commentary - with actors Peter Davison, Mark Strickson and Nicholas Courtney, script editor Eric Saward.
* Who Wants to Live Forever? - cast and crew look back at the making of the story. With actors Peter Davison, Nicholas Courtney, Mark Strickson, David Collings and Lucy Benjamin, director Peter Moffatt, script editor Eric Saward and plastic surgeon Dr. Simon Withey. Narrated by Floella Benjamin.
* Liberty Hall - a new drama. Journalist Phillip Clarke (Simon Ockenden) travels to Brendan School to interview Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart.
* Deleted and Extended Scenes
* Film Trims - film trims from the location filming, including clapperboards and cast and crew setting up and performing various takes.
* Out-takes - the producer's blooper reel.
* CGI Effects
* Continuity
* Photo Gallery
* Set Photo Gallery - set design photos from the story.
* Isolated Score - option to watch the story with the isolated music score.
* Coming Soon
* Programme Subtitles
* Subtitle Production Notes
Terminus
Thanks to the combined efforts of the treacherous Turlough and the Black Guardian, the Doctor and his companions are in terrible danger. The TARDIS is breaking up and the outside world has begun to break through.

Can the TARDIS' fail safe mechanism save them all by docking with another ship? It seems unlikely when the nearest vessel is a carrier of plague victims destined for the infamous Terminus, the time-bomb planet ticking at the centre of the universe….

Extras Terminus:
* Commentary - with actors Peter Davison, Mark Strickson and Sarah Sutton, writer Stephen Gallagher.
* Breaking Point - cash and crew look back at the making of the story. With actors Peter Davison, Mark Strickson, Sarah Sutton and Martin Potter, director Fiona Cumming, wrtier Stephen Gallagher, designer Dick Coles, camera supervisor Alec Wheal and sound supervisor Scott Talbott. Narrated by Floella Benjamin.
* Origins of the Universe - Sir Patrick Moore and, Dr. John Mason take a llok at the science behind the Big Bang and the origins of the universe.
* Original Storyboards - production storyboards for the spaceship sequences, plus how the shots were realised on screen.
* Unused Model Shots - a selection of unused takes from the model effects shoot, taken from a timecoded production tape.
* CGI Effects
* Photo Gallery
* Isolated Score
* Coming Soon
* Programme Subtitles
* Subtitle Production Notes
Enlightenment
The White Guardian warns of impending danger and directs the TARDIS to what appears to be an Edwardian sailing yacht, the SS Shadow, but is actually one of a number of spaceships taking part in a race through the solar system. The first prize is Enlightenment - ultimate wisdom to gain one's heart's desire - and some of the more devious crews will stop at nothing in order to claim it. But as the Black Guardian's evil mesh draws tight, it looks as though the Doctor might not live to cross the finishing line.

Extras on Enlightenment:
* Commentary - with actors Peter Davison and Mark Strickson, writer Barbara Clegg and director Fiona Cumming.
* Winner Takes All - cast and crew look back at the making of the story. With actors Peter Davison, Mark Strickson, Janet Fielding, Keith Barron, Christopher Brown and Leee John, director Fiona Cumming, writer Barbara Clegg, costume designer Dinah Collin and camera supervisor Alec Wheal. Narrated by Floella Benjamin.
* Casting Off! - an actor's view of working on Doctor Who. With Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Mark Strickson, Keith Barron, Christopher Brown and Leee John, with director Fiona Cumming.
* Single Write Female - writer Barbara Clegg looks back on her career and the writing of 'Enlightenment'.
* The Story of the Guardians - the Guardians have appeared in Doctor Who as far back as Tom Baker's era… but who - or what - are they? With Robert Luckham (son of the late White Guardian, Cyril Luckham), Sarah Leppard (daughter of the late Black Guardian, Valentine Dyall), Doctor Who Magazine editor Tom Spilsbury and Doctor Who Adventures editor Moray Laing.
* Storyboards - a dual-angle feature, in which visual effects supervisor Mike Kelt uses the original Storyboards to explain how he went about planning and shooting the model effects sequences for the show.
* Photo Gallery
* Isolated Score - option to watch the story with the isolated music score.
* Coming soon
* Programme Subtitles
* Subtitle Production Notes.
* Enlightenment special edition
* dvd-soontwin
* Other places of interest…
* BBC Black Guardian Trilogy guide.
* BBFC classification information
* Wikipedia entry.
* Doctor Who locations guide
* Doctor Who Restoration Team
* Brendan Sheppard Trailers/showreals

Order from the TARDIS Shop due for release on the 10th of August

Torchwood on Radio

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:58 GMT

Torchwood comes to BBC Radio Four this week with a specially commissioned series of three plays occupying the long running Afternoon Play slot. Starring John Barrowman, Eve Myles and Gareth David-Lloydthe 45 minute plays will be transmitted at 2.15pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Once transmitted they can be downloaded from the BBC iPlayer for a period of 1 week. Asylum Wednesday 1 July 2009 When PC Andy arrests a teenager for shoplifting, he thinks it is going to be a routine case. Then

Who is the greatest ever Doctor Who?, Indefinable Magic and The Threat From Beneath...

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:05 GMT

Dave.uk.tv has Who is the greatest ever Doctor Who?, "so far there have been ten official Doctors. But which actor has best encapsulated the spirit of the TV Time Lord?"

A Podcast of Impossible Things has released Big Finish Special - Indefinable Magic, from the Fifth Crusade to the new Star Trek movie, our new podcast is every bit as varied as its subject matter - the new Short Trips collection from Big Finish, featuring a story by our very own Caleb Woodbridge! (ed: added to the pods and audion button on the editor's bit).

Inky Adventures in Time and Space has The Threat From Beneath - Episode 1, the Daleks return to Earth in a saucer that hides itself on the sea bed, but not before it destroys a number of surveillence satellites. This threatens to trigger an international crisis, as East and West suspect each other are responsible for the attack. The Doctor is called to Whitehall by General Sanders in the hope that he can figure out what really happened out in Earth's orbit...

The Vervoid has Hartnell-a-Thon, Sarah Hadley's new episode by episode commentary, and The Mind Robber DVD, Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with Fiction

Rich's ComixBlog has Forever Janette - 13, Schanke shakes Nick and Janette out of their flashback. Nick pleads with Janette to stay out of the investigation. Janette pleads with Nick to stop pushing his vampire family away. But he turns his back on her and walks off.

whoviavortex has Doctor Who Adventures Issue 3, the free Doctor Who Adventures "Scary Angels", exclusive to the Daily Mirror, was released on Saturday.

the pen is mightier than the spork (James Moran) has Gallivating around, "I'll be popping up in various places here and there over the next few months, so let's try and do them all in one big post"

alun_vega

"Film cameras next to the water tower in Roald Dahl Plass, like old times... "
"The Plass is full of people singing hymns. It's just started raining, but nobody cares. Now a sponsored bike ride is coming thru. So random!"

fastfinger "Checked out a couple of eps of Torchwood yesterday. Not quite up to par with Dr. Who... yet..?"

Eviethekillers "good morning, The doctor Who movie has to have david tennant in it, not an american movie star."

SFcrowsnest "John Barrowman talks about Torchwood Children Of Earth"

ananyah "Feet sore just spent 4 hours walking around museums in Glasgow & the Doctor Who exhibition :)"

Angelfish42 "woo hoo i just saw the tardis! oh ok it was hendon police training college police box...... dont spoil my illusion LOL"

No_Wei_News ""I only ever really wanted to be Doctor Who," admits BBC business editor Robert Peston."

Torchwood: Children of Earth Broadcasting - Updated 28 June

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:52 GMT

A roundup of news for the broadcast of Torchwood: Children of Earth around the world. United Kingdom (BBC1, 6th-10th July) BBC Press Pack The Radio Times website has now listed Torchwood as being broadcast from Monday 6th July from 9:00pm, and will be broadcast over consecutive nights.The Guardian used Children of Earth's broadcast as the basis for an article on the role of the story-arc in science fiction.The Examiner reports on the soundtrack for Children of Earth to be released in the UK on

How good is the new 'Torchwood'? and Elisabeth Sladen's Husband to Appear in SJA...

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 05:30 GMT

Digital Spy has How good is the new 'Torchwood'? Find out!, "We give our spoiler-light verdict on the first three hours of Torchwood: Children Of Earth."

The Daily Kos has BBC America just ran the new installment of Doctor Who. "David Tennent is so well suited to the role of The Doctor (and to think that I did not like him very much at first, since Eccleston was so good) that one actually believes that he believes that he is The Doctor."

Two-minute Time Lord has 2MTL 33: Fans Rate Doctor Who Episodes; Journey's End vs. Transformers 2, "I recently posted a link to my collection of the "Rate This Episode" poll results from the former Outpost Gallifrey/Doctor Who Forum's episode-by-episode threads, I take a look at some of the interesting things I found within these fans' reactions to the episodes (ed: added to the pods and audio button).

Dennis's Diary of Destruction has Who's On First?, "Sophie and I have been languishing in this dungeon for nearly a week, no food, the only water what little drips from the cracks in the ceiling....."

in the Darkling Grove, listening with the trees has found out by the TARDIS Press!, (ed: the scanner looks everywhere, no one is safe from its prying subwave network sensors).

SJA News has Elisabeth Sladen's Husband to Appear in Sarah Jane Adventures, It has recently been reported that Brian Miller, Elisabeth Sladen's long time husband will be making an appearance in the Sarah Jane Adventures series three when it airs in Autumn 2009!

The Rift has Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes, "as far as opening episodes go Everything Changes is up there with the best of them. Like Rose before it, it takes an ordinary girl and places her in extraordinary situations", and Rat Jam, Torchwood: Day One.

planetzogblog has a review of Torchwood 1.11: Combat, with this episode Torchwood find out that some other shadowy group know about the Weevils and are abducting them from the streets: but why?

qmuser "Ewwwwwwww! Why did they have to have the Cybermen's brains showing?"

amccaf1 "BTW, David Morrissey would have been a good Doctor..."

GothixHalo "did anyone else watch the special Dr Who tonight? it was really good i like David Tennant as the Doctor"

lomeinie "Darn it I wish "Torchwood: Children of Earth" didn't look so good during the preview tonight on BBCAmerica."

dpfeif "I still prefer the old school Cybermen to the new generation from the alternate reality. The two really need to meet up"

FemaleSpock "One of my tweets got put on TARDIS newsroom!" (ed: whoops happened again lol).

Please note that links in this section of the Newsroom can seriously damage your enjoyment of forthcoming episodes and unless you really are a spoiler chaser I do not recommend clicking these links.

Fanatical For Who has some SJA 3 Filming clips.

RTD talks 'Torchwood' and, um, that other show

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:43 GMT

Another day, another Who-related interview pops up. But for a change, this one isn't with John Barrowman! (pause for the audience to gasp dramatically!)

In a piece published the other day, American TV critic Alan Sepinwall spoke to our main man Russell T. Davies about both 'Doctor Who' and 'Torchwood: CoE'.

Even though the article was written as a tie-in to the American premiere of a DW special, the article contains a surprising amount of Torchwood talk. RTD speaks about the possibility of a fourth series (and what format it could take), his own use of the word "epic", and whether or not Jack really is The Face of Boe. (Answer: C'mon, it's RTD!)

The full article is found online here.

New Podshock and This Week In Doctor Who plus Fancy Going To The Timelord Academy?

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 10:10 GMT

BBC iPlayer (UK only) has The Sarah Jane Adventures - Series 2, The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith - Part 1 and Part 2, Sarah Jane cannot resist going back in time to meet the parents she never knew.

Colin Baker Online has Midsummer mutters, "I have been enjoying the summer at Baker Towers - a rare experience for me as I am usually dashing around on tour somewhere."

The Whoniverse has added Beige Planet Mars to their Discontinuity Guide.

Big Finish has The Stealers from Saiph, and Doctor Who: The Angel of Scutari available for download.

TARDIS Television has Doctor Who Convention - No 1, "Today I went to this convention near Yeovil, Somerset "

Gallifreyan Embassy has released Doctor Who: Podshock - Episode 154, has a n interview with Charlie Ross, news, and feedback (ed: adde to the pods and audio button on the right), they also have This Week In Doctor Who - June 27, 2009, by Benjamin Elliott

The Key To Time has Fancy Going To The Timelord Academy?, the Timelord academy was a place where Timelords could go to further their education, in similar way to us going to college or university. Children as young as 8 began their learning process at the Academy.

The TARDIS Key has July Awards, "site Owners - If you would like to be entered in this month's wards then please comment on this post with your site name and address."

Crafty Tardis has Mini Calendar(s) - 1/6 scale (barbie), "I'm making more printables for my Mini!Ianto and thought I'd share... Latest obsession: Mini Calendars."

Further Steps Out of Phase has Doctor Who roleplayers on Twitter.

brett_thomas "Very impressed with the Torchwood trailer. Looks epic. It's got Peter Capaldi in too! Good to have a trip to the Whoniverse once in a while."

Girl_WithNoName "Postman just arrived with Torchwood novels for me - I know what I'm going to do this weekend :)"

rockstarsister "Torchwood Children Of Earth UKTV Australia July Seventh 2009"

David_Tennant

"Portal Awards voting, David Tennant is nominated. Have to vote in 9 categories & enter email address 1 vote per day"
"Examiner.com about Doctor Who premiere on BBCAmerica tonight in an article called "David Tennant A lion in winter""

nqr "A bus just drove by with a Torchwood: Children of the Earth banner. I can't tell you how excited that just made me!"

auntieflo "Parcel has been posted :) Torchwood mag arrived in the post today :D *gets even MORE excited!*" (ed: mine came today too...squee).

This Week In Doctor Who - June 27, 2009

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:06 GMT

This Week In Doctor Who June 27, 2009 - Vol 12, No 26 The weekly guide to Doctor Who broadcasts worldwide since 1998. by Benjamin F. Elliott http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/thisweekindoctorwho http://rss.groups.yahoo.com/group/thisweekindoctorwho/rss http://www.gallifreyanembassy.org/vortex?q=twidw Note - next week's edition will go out on Friday July 3. Upcoming Premiere Broadcasts: Saturday 27 June: BBC America USA 9PM and Midnight and 3AM EDT/6PM and 9PM and Midnight PDT - The Next Doctor

Torchwood This Week - June 27, 2009

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:32 GMT

Torchwood This Week June 27, 2009 - Volume 3, Number 26 The weekly guide to Torchwood transmissions. by Benjamin F. Elliott

This Week In Doctor Who Spinoffs - June 27, 2009

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:28 GMT

This Week In Doctor Who Spinoffs June 27, 2009 - Volume 1, Number 26 The weekly guide to Sarah Jane Smith broadcasts, podcasts, and other matters. by Benjamin

This Week In Doctor Who Western Hemisphere - June 27, 2009

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:26 GMT

This Week In Doctor Who Western Hemisphere June 27, 2009 - Vol 1, No 26 The Guide to North and South American Doctor Who TV Listings by Benjamin F. Elliott

TARDIS Scanner

Newsroom Mentioned on the Doctor Who Podshock another Russell T Davies interview plus Captain Jack speaks...

UKTV &gt;&gt; TORCHWOOD CHILDREN OF EARTH &gt;&gt; COMPETITION

Torchwood Blog

War Games Review, Behind the Scene's at Torchwood plus a Pick of the Blogs

The Week Ahead (Saturday 04 July 2009)

Whos Who Including The Doctor Turn Out For Semifinal (from The Herald )

Cathode Worded Hotline

Barrowman learns lines

*Torchwood: The Dead Line (Available until: 3:02pm Friday 10th July 2009)

Is Andrew Cartmel Working On Torchwood?, Five Things we'd like to see from Torchwood plus This Week In Doctor Who...

This Week In Doctor Who - July 3/4, 2009

Torchwood This Week - July 3/4, 2009

This Week In Doctor Who Spinoffs - July 3/4, 2009

This Week In Doctor Who Western Hemisphere - July 3/4, 2009

This Week In Doctor Who - July 3/4, 2009

Thin Dead Line

BFS Open Night featuring Torchwood!

Latched Wooed Gorgon

The Oncoming Storm and More Golden Age for Torchwood

*Torchwood: Golden Age (Available until: 3:02pm Thursday 9th July 2009)

BBC - Press Office - Network TV Programme Information BBC Week 29 Tuesday 21 July 2009

Consumerist - Mobile Bakery Has A Sticky Time Finding A Sweet Spot To Park In Midtown Manhattan - Healthy competition

Movie to be announced at Comic Con?, Eve on Torchwood Gwen's fast life plus a Pick of the Blogs

Clamorous Dot Why

IDW Doctor Who Classic Series Released Today « daleksinmanhattan.com Blog

New TARDIS Digest Out Now

Eve Myles unsure of future

TORCHWOOD: 'Children of Earth' Viewing Party - The NYC British Film &amp; Telly Meetup Group (New York, NY) - Meetup.com

More Digressions now shipping, "X-Files" book slated for August

Got a question for 'Torchwood' star John Barrowman? - Pop Candy - USATODAY.com

Timelord and his Tardis are visiting USA - Daily Express

Altered Vistas twentieth animated release, More from the Stage and a whole lot of Torchwood Asylum...

*Torchwood - Asylum (Available until: 3:02pm Wednesday 8th July 2009)

Takin' Over the Asylum

Issue 5 of Vortex and Torchwood Stars At The SFX Weekender...

Barrowman speaks to Radio Times

Blog of the Month, Win a set of Torchwood novels and a Pick of the Blogs..

Radio Times: Torchwood cover

They Punish the Earth Defenders

We Don't Want To Lose You, But We Think You Ought To Go

Doctor Who Adventures 122 Cover and Details

Children of Earth Audio Clip 2, Rhys speaks and Barrowman blasts BBC...

Remembrance of the Daleks (Special Edition DVD) Cover and Details

Should Torchwood star John Barrowman be stripped? | Media | guardian.co.uk

Daleks prevent cruelty - Northumberland Today

Russell T Davies Interview

A Little Slip

Wales Comic Con, Where Angels Fear Discontinuity, Radio Times Torchwood Cover plus War Games review...

*Front Row (Available until: 12:00am Thursday 1st January 2099)

Watch the second BBC One trailer for Torchwood: Children of Earth.

The Black Guardian Trilogy - DVD cover and details

T Minus 7 Days!

Monday's Sitting Tennants from Ms Rullsenberg, Sister Chastity and Ms Jaradel - The Medium is Not Enough TV blog

Television - News - Ross criticises Norton, Barrowman shows - Digital Spy

BBC - BBC Radio 4 Programmes - Front Row, 29/06/2009

Restoration Team on The Black Guardian, Who at the Fab Cafe 2 plus a Pick of the Blogs

Life On Mars star John Simm takes the stage to be near his children| Showbiz | This is London

BBC - BBC Two Programmes - Torchwood, Children of Earth, Day One

A Little Bit of Cardiff in America

Black Guardian Trilogy DVD Box Set Cover and Details

Torchwood on Radio

Who is the greatest ever Doctor Who?, Indefinable Magic and The Threat From Beneath...

Torchwood: Children of Earth Broadcasting - Updated 28 June

How good is the new 'Torchwood'? and Elisabeth Sladen's Husband to Appear in SJA...

RTD talks 'Torchwood' and, um, that other show

New Podshock and This Week In Doctor Who plus Fancy Going To The Timelord Academy?

This Week In Doctor Who - June 27, 2009

Torchwood This Week - June 27, 2009

This Week In Doctor Who Spinoffs - June 27, 2009

This Week In Doctor Who Western Hemisphere - June 27, 2009

UKTV >> TORCHWOOD CHILDREN OF EARTH >> COMPETITION

TORCHWOOD: 'Children of Earth' Viewing Party - The NYC British Film & Telly Meetup Group (New York, NY) - Meetup.com