Ep 4 Filming Photos and Season 7 Update

(Photo courtesy of Cozycot.com)
The latest DWM - Issue 449 - has some intriguing snippets of casting information for the later episodes of Season 7. Jessica Raine - star of the BBC's "Call the Midwife" - will join Dougray Scott in the as yet unnamed episode 11. Mark Gatiss returns with a "massive adventure story" - this is rumoured to be an almost all studio based Submarine episode - which will star Liam Cunningham - currently starring in "Game of Thrones" and previously seen in the BBC's underrated sci-fi drama "Outcasts". David Warner - "The Omen", "Tron" and "Titanic" - will also star in the Mark Gatiss episode which will be directed by Douglas MacKinnon.

More filming photos have emerged from yesterday's episode 4 pickups. They certainly seem to be having issues with this one. Photos below are courtesy of Cozycot.com:

Filming - Episode 4 - "Cubed"

(photo courtesy of Mugim0e)
The crew were out filming pickups today for episode 4, "Cubed". Also, according to a tweet from Steven Moffat they also had a readthrough - presumably for the Christmas episode. All indications point to studio filming for the last three weeks but hopefully this is the start of another batch of outside filming.

Mugim0e has some great photos of Matt filming in a children's playground today and you can find the photos on Mugim0e's flickr stream

DWM 449 - On Sale from Thursday

The new issue of "Doctor Who Magazine" is out on Thursday 28 June 2012 and, ahead of release, DWM have released the rather stunning cover.

The magazine is packed with all the usual features and also includes a "sideways look at Doctor Who in 49-Up" and a "Fact of Fiction on Dalek" with Robert Shearman. Issue 449 also includes an interview with casting director, Andy Pryor and Production Notes from Chris Chibnall.

Issue 449 is in the shops from Thursday priced £4.50.

"Asylum of the Daleks" - BFI Screening - More details

The BFI have released a few more details about the preview screening of "Asylum of the Daleks" on Tuesday 14 August 2012. Their preview reads:

The Doctor’s back! He’s joined by his trusted companions, the Ponds, and the three find themselves in an extremely precarious situation, where they come face to face with the Doctor’s oldest and most dangerous enemy… the Daleks. Catch the exclusive screening of the explosive new episode followed by a Q&A with writer Steven Moffat – recent recipient of the BAFTA Special Award – and members of the cast and crew. (Final panel to be confirmed).

So, we definitely get the Moff at the Q&A. The ticket office opens at 11.30am on 10 July 2012 for non-members and tickets cost £13.80, concs £10.30 (Members pay £1.50 less).

"Asylum of the Daleks" - BFI Screening Event

Once again, the BFI Southbank will be screening an episode of "Doctor Who" prior to its airing on the BBC. The first episode of Season 7 - "Asylum of the Daleks" - will be screened on Tuesday 14 August 2012 and will feature a Question and Answer session afterwards. Guests to be announced.

Non-members can book tickets from 10 July 2012 and the box office telephone number is 020 7928 3232.

Please note date change above - we initially heard it was the 18th August.

"Bert and Dickie" - New Promo Pics

Courtesy of BBC America, here are a few new promos featuring Matt Smith in "Bert and Dickie" (please note the title in the US is "Going for Gold - The 48 Games"):






Thanks to "Angie" for sending these to me.

Photos - 11th Hour Convention - Matt Smith

Matt Smith was the headline guest at the "11th Hour" convention in Birmingham last weekend. Organised by Starfury Conventions, Matt attended on Sunday 17 June 2012. The following photos are courtesy of Annie Garone - please credit Annie as the source if reposting - and hopefully a convention review from Annie will follow once she returns from holiday:

"Bert and Dickie" - Q&A Transcript - Ian Wylie

Ian Wylie has posted a transcript of today's question and answer session with Matt Smith, Sam Hoare and William Ivory at the press launch of "Bert and Dickie".

You can read the whole transcript at "Bert and Dickie": Matt Smith but some highlights are:

Aches and pains?

Matt Smith: Yeah. It got us fit, didn’t it? And I thought I should buy an ergo (indoor rowing machine) for my flat. But I haven’t as yet. Those guys…there were four rowers really who helped us. Two particularly. And how they row at that level for six minutes is extraordinary. It’s like your body is just a lever, really. And it’s a mechanical process almost. But the courage and the will and the barrier of pain that you have to get through, which I hope is all present in the film, is wonderful. And that is what our story was about.”

Matt – presumably there’s only a short space of time in each year when you’re not filming Doctor Who? Do you have to pick and choose your other projects more carefully?

Matt Smith: “Oh, yeah, I mean there’s loads to pick from. I’m inundated. (smiles) Yeah, of course, you have to be selective. But I love Bill’s writing. He’s got a great filmic history and I responded to the script. It’s made by people I know at the BBC and people that are of great repute. And that’s important. There was a good director attached and I always thought it would get a good, strong cast. But it just has to start with a script and I guess I just responded to that.”

Can only do one other project a year?

Matt Smith: “Kind of, yeah. Because we shoot for nine, ten months, really, all in all. And you get about a month to do something else.”

Matt…Doctor Who…how long are you staying?

Matt Smith: “Forever. 50 years. I’m loving making it. I think we’ve got one of our strongest seasons yet coming up. I really do. We go into the 50th year all guns blazing. And I’ll be around. So…that’s it, really.”

Definitely worth following Ian Wylie on twitter - he comes up with a lot of interesting stuff.

"Bert and Dickie" - Matt Smith: The Rowing Gets Tough

More from this morning's press launch as Vicky Frost from The Guardian posts another article about the Olympic drama:

Spam salad, homemade shorts and billeted spare rooms – the BBC's tale of British Olympic rowers Bert Bushnell and Richard "Dickie" Burnell is a far cry from the branded tracksuits, athletes' village and nutritionally balanced diets of London 2012.

The story of how a mismatched pair brought together at the last moment triumphed against the odds to win gold in the double scull at the 1948 London "austerity Games" is a reminder of what the event is really about, said the drama's writer, William Ivory.

"It's interesting that there are so many parallels really; the austerity of then and the austerity of now. Personally I'm hoping [the 2012 Games] will do a similar job – there will be a similar coming together of people and a uniting of spirit," he said.

The BBC1 drama stars Doctor Who's Matt Smith and Sam Hoare as the titular Bert and Dickie, with the pair almost literally thrown in the deep end as they tried to conquer the basics of sculling in just one week.

"It was a crash course really. I think I fell in three times at least – and we definitely fell in once in front of the camera crew, which was mildly embarrassing," said Hoare at a screening of the show on Monday.

Smith added: "Just even to stay in the boat is a very hard skill because it's all about balance, which is what the film is about – if you're not a team then you're dead.

"The moment one of you tips you're dead and buried, or the moment one of you breaks the rhythm of the stroke then you've lost a length, two lengths. Me and Sam had to really develop on all of those ideas."

The Doctor Who star, who recently served as a torch bearer for the 2012 Games, said that training was one of the most enjoyable parts of the process, but it did require determination. "Even to get halfway down the course is terribly hard," he said.

And having trained alongside some of this summer's Team GB rowing hopefuls, the pair are now desperate to watch them. "If ever there was an opportunity, me and Sam would love to go to the rowing!" said Smith, ruing his lack of tickets for the event.

The film paints a fascinating picture of a ruined postwar Britain in which London was still peppered with bomb sites and the population – and athletes – were still rationed to one egg a week, desperately trying to put on an event it could ill afford.

With no money to kit out the British team, athletes' mothers and wives sewed their shorts by hand, competitors cycled home after competitions and etching and poetry were introduced as cheap Olympic categories to replace more costly events.

The drama was filmed last summer, in a break in filming for Doctor Who, which takes up Smith's time for nine months a year. And this Doctor says he has no intentions of regenerating just yet.

"I am loving making it, I think we have one of the strongest seasons yet coming up, I really do. We go into the 50th year all guns blazing and I'll be around," said Smith, joking that he wanted to continue in the role "Forever! For 50 years!"

Bert & Dickie will broadcast on BBC1 in mid-July

"Bert and Dickie" - Matt Smith wants Olympic Rowing Tickets

The Press Launch for "Bert and Dickie" took place this morning and the first article has come from the BBC:

Filming a BBC drama about the 1948 Olympics has left Matt Smith desperate for London 2012 rowing tickets.

The Dr Who actor plays Bert Bushnell, with Sam Hoare taking the part of Richard Burnell in the drama Bert and Dickie, which tells the true tale of the pair winning double sculls gold at the so-called "austerity Games".

Smith said a crash course with elite rowers for the film had left him with a taste for the sport.

"Me and Sam would love to go to the rowing but the guys we were training with who were in the Olympics said they only get one ticket each for their families."

"If anyone's listening, if there's any opportunity" he joked while talking to the media about the drama.

The pair filmed Bert and Dickie on the Thames near Henley - the site of the 1948 rowing contest - last year.

Bushnell and Burnell were both accomplished oarsmen but had never sculled together and had only five weeks to train for the Games.

The 1948 Olympics was the first since the war, the Treasury was bare and Britain still had rationing, leading to politicians and the press wondering if it should be cancelled.

By the time the Games began, the event was seen as a huge morale boost.

Asked if he thought the London 2012 Games might have a similar effect, Smith said: "I think the Olympics for Britain is brilliant."

"The build up to it and seeing the city transform and uniting people, I think is wonderful."

"Some people say it's going to be really busy - so what?"

Making the film has not been Smith's only brush with the Olympic Games.

He carried the torch through Cardiff in the first week of the relay which he said was "a wonderful experience".

"I've bought it - I'm going to get it mounted on my wall," he said.

Video - "Bert and Dickie" - More Clips

The BBC have released two more clips from Matt Smith's new drama, "Bert and Dickie".

In the first, Bert and Dickie test each other's endurance on their first row together:


In this second clip, Dickie is taken aback by Bert's manner when they meet for the first time:

Rare Convention Exclusive Matt Smith Maxi-Bust with Jammie Dodger - For Sale by The Who Shop

The Who Shop have placed the above Limited Edition Convention Exclusive Matt Smith maxi-bust with Jammie Dodger for sale on ebay.

The bust features Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor in "Victory Of The Daleks" holding a Jammie Dodger. Only available from the Official Convention in Cardiff in March 2012. Very Rare and no longer on sale. Perfect and never been opened. Bought from the convention itself.

"This beautifully-sculpted 8" Eleventh Doctor maxi-bust perfectly captures Matt Smith's performance as the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor. Every physical nuance of the Doctor has been brilliantly sculpted in this astonishingly detailed three-quarter length maxi-bust."

To bid simply go to Matt Smith Limited Edition Maxi-Bust.

For further details contact The Who Shop on 0208 471 2356.

Arthur Darvill to star in new West End play

Arthur Darvill will join Laurence Fox and Cian Barry in a new production of "Our Boys" at the Duchess Theatre later this year. Previews start from Wednesday 26 September 2012. Opening night is Wednesday 3 October 2012 and the play runs through to Saturday 15 October 2012. Tickets are £20 and £45 or £10 and £35 for the previews. Tickets can be booked via the "Our Boys" website.

The press release reads:

Based on the author’s own army experience, OUR BOYS is both searingly honest and explosively funny.

Five young soldiers are killing nothing but time as they recover from injuries incurred in the line of duty. Suddenly, their daily routine of TV, lonely hearts ads and banter is shattered by the arrival of a young officer. The camaraderie of this unlikely band of brothers is soon jeopardised by a dangerous incident and an act of betrayal.

With charges of misconduct looming, accusations fly – and the fighting really starts. Fired by anger at the neglect of our wounded heroes, OUR BOYS remains as relevant now as was in 1993, when it won a Best New Play award. This first West End production comes from the creative team behind international hit Journey’s End.

OUR BOYS plays the West End’s intimate Duchess Theatre for a strictly limited 12-week season this Autumn, with performance starting 26 September. Tickets, from just £10, and are on sale now.

The cast of six includes Laurence Fox, Arthur Darvill and Cian Barry.

Videos - "Bert and Dickie" - Matt Smith and Sam Hoare interview plus writer William Ivory

In another behind the scenes vidoe from the BBC, Matt Smith and Sam Hoare explain their characters and describe the challenges of playing Olympic gold medal winners Bert Bushnell and Dickie Burnell.



And an interview with writer William Ivory:

Video - "Bert and Dickie" - Matt Smith and Sam Hoare fall into the river...

The BBC have released a short, behind the scenes interview with Matt Smith and Sam Hoare who talk about how many times they've fallen into the water...then proceed to show them doing just that:



More of these please, BBC.

3rd Official Image of Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman

The Official BBC Doctor Who site have released the third image of Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman on set - click for wallpaper size version:

Video - Matt Smith and Arthur Darvill Pick Their Sexiest Brits

BBC America will be airing "The Brit List: 20 Sexiest" tonight at 10/9c and, ahead of this, Matt Smith and Arthur Darvill picked their "sexiest Brit":

Matt Smith Talks About "The Eternity Clock"

The UK Playstation Website has an interview with Matt Smith regarding "The Eternity Clock":

Matt Smith has played the 11th Doctor, a roving Time Lord, in the BBC's hugely popular TV series, Doctor Who, since 2010. Now, in Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock on PlayStation 3, you'll be zipping through wormholes that link the Middle Ages with a near-future London in an adventure full of all the humour and excitement of the TV show.

Here, Matt explains how he managed to park the TARDIS inside PS3 and turn a little corner of PlayStation Store into the Doctor's home planet, Gallifrey.

How did acting in a video game compare to other work you've done?

I enjoyed working on the game. The people I worked with were very thorough, very detailed and very nice. It's a bit like doing Automated Dialogue Recording for a television project, where you re-record some lines after filming. It's a technique I've used before and one that I enjoy.

What did you enjoy most about conveying the Doctor in video game form?

Doing the motion capture was really interesting. It's something I've always been intrigued by and wanted to learn about; you get to add the voice and see it all come to fruition. Seeing yourself as a computerised character is one of those rare moments that only happens when you're involved in a show like Doctor Who.

What were the most challenging parts of the role in digital form?

You've got to make the voiceover and the character on screen match somehow. Obviously you're not moving as you speak and so you've got to apply your voice to the movements of a motion captured character, which can take a couple of attempts sometimes. But it's a rewarding challenge.

If you could swap places with any other Doctor Who character, which one would it be and why?

Amy Pond. So I could experience what it's like to have ginger hair and be Scottish for a day.

Where would you land the TARDIS to mark the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, which is coming up in November 2013?

I would land it in the middle of the Wembley football pitch just after England's victory in the 1966 World Cup final and shake Sir Geoff Hurst's hand for scoring his famous hat-trick. Then I'd leap forward to Euro 2012 and just park the TARDIS right in front of the England goal in our first match so that our opponents, France, couldn't score.

Which PlayStation games rank among your favourites?

Resident Evil was my favourite game of all time, on the original PlayStation. I absolutely loved it. Also the FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer series – all of the football games are incredibly playable, I find. But Resident Evil was always the game for me.

Can you reveal any spoilers about the new series of Doctor Who for eu.playstation.com?

Absolutely not. My lips are sealed!

While you wait for Series 7 of Doctor Who to air, why not check out Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock on PS3 and see Matt Smith and his companion in action? It's available to download from PlayStation Store now.

I'm with him on "Resident Evil" - loved that game ... even though I had major issues getting past one bit near the beginning...

2nd Official Image of Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman

There it is - the 2nd official image of Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman released by the BBC. Click for the bigger version.

EDIT: Now available as a wallpaper (click for large version):



A third image will be released on Wednesday.

"Bert and Dickie" Teaser Trailer - Now on Youtube

For those living outside the UK, you can now watch the teaser trailer for "Bert and Dickie" via youtube courtesy of Lifeline75:

First Official Photo of Matt and Jenna

Courtesy of the BBC here is the first official photo of Matt and Jenna in costume for Season 7. More photos will be posted over the coming days (click for bigger version):



The statement on the website reads:

We caught up with Matt Smith who told us, ‘It [filming on the new series] is going well. Jenna brings a really different energy to the show – one which I think is very interesting.’

Shooting is well-underway for the Doctor’s latest adventures and the second read-through featuring Jenna-Louise Coleman as the new companion took place earlier this week at the BBC’s Roath Lock Studios.

We’ll be bringing you more news and photographs next week!

I love Matt's new costume - especially the waistcoat.

Filming Pictures - The Plan Cafe - 7 June 2012

More pictures from today - this time from "The Plan Cafe" early this morning. Unsure as to which episode this is but it seems to be one of the early Season 7 episodes.

Pictures courtesy of CardiffTimelord - please credit "CardiffTimelord" if reposting.

Filming Pictures - Season 7, Episode 4 - 7 June 2012

Well, it seems the crew were back filming scenes for episode 4 today - "Cubed" - and Matt was back in the tweed.

The following pictures are courtesy of Ryan Farrell - please credit Ryan if reposting.