Big Finish - River Song and more feature in new Audios

Big Finish announced today that Alex Kingston will be stepping into the audio world as River Song in a new range of boxsets.  River will meet the Eighth Doctor, Paul McGann in "Doom Coalition 2" and then return in "The Diary of River Song" - the final part of which also features Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor.

Ian McNeice returns as Churchill in "The Churchill Years" and, rather wonderfully, the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctors will face off against creatures from the New Series in "Classic Doctors, New Monsters".  The Fifth Doctor taking on the Weeping Angels is my personal favourite.

Big Finish is proud to announce a new range of boxsets, featuring heroes and monsters from the New Series of Doctor Who. 

Leading this new wave of adventures is Alex Kingston as River Song, the beloved Time Lord archaeologist who first appeared in 2008's Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. 

River will be stepping into the era of the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) for Doctor Who: Doom Coalition 2, alongside Liv Chenka (Nicola Walker) and Helen Sinclair (Hattie Morahan). But how can River help her husband if, in this incarnation, she must never actually meet him? 

“The idea of River meeting previous Doctors was actually proposed by Steven Moffat,” says producer David Richardson, “and it's just irresistible, isn't it? Alex embraced the idea of returning to the role, and so she will be starring in no less than two box sets next year. And yes, we are still pinching ourselves!” 

River will then return later in 2016 in Doctor Who: The Diary of River Song, an epic four-hour adventure that takes River across space and time, seeking out the secret rulers of the universe. Paul McGann will reprise the role of the Eighth Doctor in the final instalment. 

The New Series adventures will continue in Doctor Who: The Churchill Years, in which Ian McNeice returns as the indomitable Winston Churchill. In the four-hour saga, Winston relates a number of encounters with the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors in his memoirs, battling alien incursions, metamorphosing creatures... and a Dalek! The stories are told by Ian McNeice, supported by a full cast of guest actors, including Danny Horn as Kazran Sardick, in a story taking place within the 2010 special A Christmas Carol. 

“Ian has played Churchill in just four episode on TV, and yet it feels like it was many more,” says executive producer Nicholas Briggs. “It was such a brilliant, definitive performance, and how wonderful that we will be continuing Churchill's adventures with the Doctor on audio.” 

Finally, the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctors will face a new generation of monsters in Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New Monsters, a brand new, four-story run featuring creatures from the New Series. Peter Davison takes on the Weeping Angels, Colin Bakerencounters the Judoon, Sylvester McCoy will meet the Sycorax... and Paul McGann will face a new clone batch of Sontarans on the edge of the Time War.... 

“It's the ultimate mash-up,” says executive producer Jason Haigh-Ellery, “and we have some great scripts lined up for these landmark stories. There is no doubt that 2016 is going to be a brilliant year for Big Finish!” 

All four boxsets will be released across 2016, and are available to pre-order today from the Big Finish website. Doctor Who: Doom Coalition 2 will be released in February, and is available as part of a special bundle of all four Doom Coalition boxsets. 

Doctor Who: The Diary of River Song, Doctor Who: The Churchill Years and Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New Monsters can be pre-ordered for just £20 each on CD or Download, and are also available as part of our Doctor Who New Series bundle.

Doctor Who Festival Goes to Australia...

BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand is delighted to announce the first ever official Doctor Who Festival in Australia, which will take place in Sydney at the Royal Hall of Industries & the Hordern Pavilion on Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd November 2015. The Doctor Who Festival will be attended by the Twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi and lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat with more talent announced in due course. Fans of all ages will be able to celebrate the heritage and magic of the show with exclusive access to props, costumes and talent from both in-front-of and behind the camera.

A week after the Doctor Who Festival in London, Australian fans will have the chance to hear from key cast members in a series of onstage talent Q&A’s, with limited photo and autograph opportunities available. A series of interactive workshops with Doctor Who’s resident creative team will give visitors the chance to learn about the television production process and what it takes to be a Doctor Who monster. Fans can also test their knowledge for the chance to win some great prizes in the ultimate Doctor Who Quiz, and get some exclusive Doctor Who merchandise.

This festival is a must-attend for Doctor Who fans, with more exciting announcements to come.

And in a first for New Zealand fans, Peter Capaldi will then head to Auckland, New Zealand on the24th November for an intimate evening with fans. Venue and ticket details for this will be announced in due course.

Peter Capaldi says:

Being unveiled as Doctor Who in Sydney at last year's world tour, and meeting the fantastic Australian fans was such a cosmic, life changing experience that I'm thrilled to be coming back for a full weekend of Time Lord mania.

The Festival includes:

Q&AS -see the writers and cast from the series as they talk about how to make an idea become reality on a series as big and bold as Doctor Who.
PHOTO AND AUTOGRAPH OPPORTUNITIES – A limited number of opportunities for photos and autographs with selected talent.
WARDROBE DEPARTMENT – a fantastic exhibition of costumes and props.
DOCTOR WHO QUIZ –Hosted in a traditional themed setting, fans will have the chance to test their knowledge for the chance to win some great prizes.

DAY TICKET PRICES:

General $195.00
TARDIS $365.00
Concession General $99.00
Concession TARDIS $265.00(all tickets are subject to a processing fee of 1.95% + transaction fee)

The general ticket includes one day entry to the festival, access to three separate theatre shows to see the cast and writers, festival lanyard, show planner and all of the above. TARDIS tickets will have all inclusions of a general ticket plus best seats in house for theatre sessions, exclusive access to TARDIS lounge with two free drinks and a Doctor Who goodie bag with merchandise to the value of $110.00.

To sign up for pre-sale tickets, or for further information head to: https://www.doctorwho.tv

Tickets can be purchased at Ticketek
Twitter: #DWFestAu

Pre-sale tickets available from 11am on 1st July
Tickets on general sale from 11am on 6th July

SDCC: Screen Gems Panel features Matt Smith with footage from "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" and "Patient Zero"

Screen Gems has confirmed that it's Saturday July 11 panel at San Diego Comic-Con (12.15pm in Hall H) will debut the first footage from "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" and "Patient Zero".

The panel will feature the "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" cast including Matt Smith, Lily James, Sam Riley, Bella Heathcote, Douglas Booth and Jack Houston together with director Burr Steers and author Seth Grahame-Smith.  "Patient Zero" guests will also feature Matt Smith as well as Natalie Dormer, director Stefan Ruzowitzky and writer Mike Le.

"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" opens on 6 February 2016.  "Patient Zero" does not have a release date yet.

Photos - Matt Smith attends Vogue and Ralph Lauren Wimbledon Party

Matt Smith, together with Lily James, attended the Vogue and Ralph Lauren Wimbledon Party tonight - the photos below are courtesy of zimbio.com, farfarawaysite.com and lucire.com - larger versions are in the Who-Natic Gallery.

Matt Smith cast in Netflix's New Drama "The Crown"

Matt Smith will play Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh opposite Claire Foy as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix's new original series "The Crown".

The 10 part series is a decades-spanning drama about Queen Elizabeth II and the Prime Ministers who shaped post-war Britain.  John Lithgow will play Winston Churchill and the series is written by Peter Morgan.

The series is scheduled to debut in all Netflix territories in 2016.

Screencaps - Doctor Who Extra - Flatline

A large batch of screencaps from the Doctor Who Extra episode for "Flatline" have been uploaded to the Who-Natic Gallery. Samples below - right click and open in new tab/window for larger versions - please feel free to take and use:

More at the Who-Natic Gallery.

Steven Moffat Receives OBE in Queen's Birthday Honours

Steven Moffat is to receive an OBE for "Services to Drama" in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

The Moff said: "I never thought I would get something like this. I'm astonished and more thrilled than I ever thought someone like me would be. I'm not the least bit cynical, or the least bit trying to be cool about it. I'm just really, really happy."

The BBC have a breakdown of the Awards on their website which includes an interview with the Moff about the award - the video is not embeddable so you'll need to go HERE to view it.

Congratulations, Steven Moffat!

BBC Announce Fan Event in Germany with Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman

BBC Worldwide have announced that Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman will visit Germany for a "one-time-only Fan Event live in Berlin on Friday 17th July 2015".

The trip will offer German fans the opportunity to see the stars of the world’s longest running television sci-fi series, for the first time in Germany. 

This visit follows on from last year’s successful fan events across the globe during the Doctor Who: The World Tour where Capaldi and Coleman visited seven cities, in 12 days including Seoul, New York and Rio de Janeiro.

Details of the forthcoming event will be available on www.facebook.com/doctorwho in due course. 

Commenting on the forthcoming trip Peter Capaldi said: “So many German fans have already reached out to me about the show and I'm delighted to be travelling to their country to find out first hand why they love Doctor Who.” 

Isabelle Helle, Director, German Speaking Europe, BBC Worldwide says: “Doctor Who is continuing to rise in popularity in Germany so we were especially keen to bring the stars of the series, Peter and Jenna over. We’re thrilled to offer this unique opportunity for fans to see, for the first time, the leading cast members of the series and have a truly memorable experience.” 

Doctor Who Series 9 will premiere on Fox Channel Germany later this year. Previous series are available on Netflix, Maxdome and Amazon as well as on DVD through Polyband.

Filming Photos - New Jacket for the Doctor

Twitter and Tumblr practically went into overload today as filming took place for Series 9, episode 10 (written by Sarah Dollard) in Cardiff City Centre.  Why?  Because Peter Capaldi unveiled a particularly gorgeous new jacket.  Somewhat reminiscent of Jon Pertwee, Peter Capaldi sported a red velvet jacket.  The photos below are from the BBC, Wales Online (there are more photos on their site) and the Daily Mail:

Check the Who-Natic Gallery for current and previous filming photos/event photos and screencaps.

Sources:

Wales Online

Daily Mail

Joivan Wade returns as "Rigsy" in New Episode Written by Sarah Dollard

He was spotted in filming photos this morning (check out the #DWSR hashtag on twitter if you don't mind spoilerish pics) but the BBC have now confirmed that Joivan Wade is returning as Rigsy ("Flatline") in episode 10 of Series 9 which is written by Sarah Dollard ("Being Human", "The Game"):

Filming has begun on episode 10 of the new series of Doctor Who and Joivan Wade, who played Rigsy in last year’s Flatline, is back! The episode is directed by Justin Molotnikov and written by Sarah Dollard whose previous credits include Being Human and the BBC’s acclaimed spy drama, The Game. 

Sarah commented, ‘Getting to play in the Doctor Who toy box is a dream come true. It’s a total honour to contribute to a show that has brought me such joy as a fan. However, writing for Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman has presented a serious problem: some days I've been too excited to actually sit down and type!’ 

The episode sees the return of Joivan Wade as Rigsy, the young graffiti artist who helped save the world in Flatline. He’ll be reunited with the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Clara (Jenna Coleman) in this new adventure although how and why he finds himself mixed up with the time traveling heroes is currently under wraps! 

The guest cast for the new series includes Maisie Williams, Michelle Gomez, Rebecca Front, Rufus Hound, Paul Kaye and Jaye Griffiths.

Big Finish - Ingrid Oliver Joins Jemma Redgrave in "UNIT: The New Series" - Full Cast Reveal

Big Finish have announced the full cast for "UNIT: The New Series" and the great news is that Ingrid Oliver will join Jemma Redgrave in the audio series.  Kate and Osgood reunited again.

Ingrid Oliver returns as Osgood, who joins Kate Stewart and a new UNIT team in UNIT: Extinction, coming this November from Big Finish. 

Announced in February, UNIT: The New Series is Big Finish's first range set in the world of the revived Doctor Who TV Series, starring Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart. 

Kate is the daughter of the legendary Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (portrayed by the legendary Nicholas Courtney), and the Head of Scientific Research at the Unified Intelligence Taskforce, which investigates and confronts alien attacks on planet Earth. 

At her side will be the immensely popular UNIT scientist Osgood, played by Ingrid Oliver, who has appeared in the 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor, and the Series Eight finale Death in Heaven. Both Jemma and Ingrid will be returning to the Doctor Who TV series for its upcoming Ninth Series in the Autumn. 

"We're so happy to have Kate and Osgood joining us at Big Finish," says producer David Richardson. "This team has been so captivating to watch on TV, and we're looking forward to throwing some deadly challenged in their paths in these kinetic new episodes." 

Also confirmed for the audio series is a new character Lieutenant Sam Bishop, an international trouble-shooter for UNIT who is sent the world's most dangerous hotspot. Playing this action role is Warren Brown, whose many leading TV roles include the BBC dramas Luther, By Any Means and Good Cop. Warren can soon be seen in the feature film Captain Webb, and a new drama series X Company. 

"We've worked with Warren several times before," says David, "and even though he's one of the busiest leading men around, he's said he'll be there for Big Finish. So we've created a principle role in UNIT especially for him, and he'll be am essential member of the global team." 

The ensemble is also enchanced with the casting of Ramon Tikaram as Colonel Shindi. Ramon is well known for many recent TV series inclusing Stella, Fortitude, Game of Thrones and Happy Valley, and films including Jupiter Ascending and Dragonfly. 

"Ramon also is busy on so many great things, but we've tempted him to the ranks of UNIT! He's a lovely man to have around, and an extraordinary actor." 

Finally, the role of loose cannon UNIT officer Captain Josh Carter is plated by James Joyce, who has appeared in many Big Finish productions including Charlotte Pollard, as well as TV shows such as Downton Abbey, The Musketeers and Holby City. 

"James has done so much brilliant audio work for us, he's earned his place in UNIT!" says David. 

In UNIT: Extinction, Kate and her team confront an alien invasion by the Nestene Consciousness and its army of plastic Autons. The box set is release in November 2015 and is available for pre-order; three further UNIT releases will then follow as six monthly intervals. 

You can pre-order the sets today, with extra savings available with the UNIT: The New Series 1-4 Bundle, which features free UK postage. All pre-orders including UNIT: Extinction also recieve a downloadable copy of The Nicholas Courtney Memoirs - A Soldier in Time.

Rebecca Front to Guest Star in "Doctor Who"

Rebecca Front - probably best known for co-starring with Peter Capaldi in "The Thick of It" - will be joining Series 9 as a guest star in the as yet un-named 2 part Zygon story:

The BAFTA award-winning Rebecca Front joins the guest cast of the new series of Doctor Who. 

Rebecca will guest in an adventure that sees the return of the Zygons, although her role in the show is currently closely guarded – possibly by UNIT who also appear in the action-packed two-parter! 

Rebecca is well-known for regular roles in The Thick of It, Inspector Lewis and more recently, the BBC Four sitcom, Up the Women. In the BBC’s Death Comes to Pemberley she took the role of Mrs Bennet, mother of Lydia Wickham, played by Jenna Coleman. 

It’s Rebecca’s first appearance in Doctor Who and she’ll be seen alongside Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman who return later this year as the Doctor and Clara. She’s also joining Ingrid Oliver (Osgood) and Jemma Redgrave (Kate) who return in the two-parter written by Peter Harness. 

Other members of the guest cast for series 9 include Maisie Williams, Michelle Gomez, Rufus Hound, Paul Kaye and Jaye Griffiths. 

The BBC Cymru Wales produced drama will return to BBC One this Autumn with further casting to be announced in due course.

Official UK Doctor Who Festival Announced

BBC Worldwide have announced details today about the "Official Doctor Who Festival" to be held at the ExCel Centre in London on Friday 13th, Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th November 2015.

The Doctor Who Festival will be attended by the current Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi, and series show runner Steven Moffat. The Festival will offer fans an exclusive glimpse into how the inimitable world of Doctor Who is created.

Get inside the adventure; find out how to develop the latest hide-behind-the-sofa monster and explore the series 8 & 9 Doctor Who sets and props! Fans of all ages will be able to discover the inspiration behind the Doctor’s recent adversaries, the imagination required to create whole new worlds and the ingenuity that goes into designing and making the beautiful backdrops that give Doctor Who its unique look.

Visitors will be given access to the Festival which will include an exciting array of backstage areas including theatre shows where they can come up close and personal with key talent, Interactive Workshops where you can learn the television production process as well as the ultimate Doctor Who shopping village for the collectors merchandise and photo opportunities. This Festival is a must-attend event for die-hard Doctor Who fans, with many, many more exciting announcements to come!

Peter Capaldi says, “If having the world's favourite Time Lord back on screen every week isn't enough for you (and it's not for me) then The Doctor Who Festival in London is the place to be. I'll be heading there in November to join the fun and if it’s anything like the 50th anniversary event, then prepare yourself for total Time Lord mania."

Steven Moffat added, “I can’t believe we’re going to give away our secrets! This is the closest you could possibly get to finding out what happens on set and how this magical show is put together.”

DAY TICKET PRICES
• Standard ticket: £65
• Standard child ticket: £30
• Standard family ticket: £165
• TARDIS ticket: £110
• TARDIS child ticket: £50
• TARDIS family ticket: £285

• THEATRE SHOWS – exclusive access to the writers and cast from the series as they talk about how to make an idea become reality on a series as big and bold as Doctor Who.

• ON SET PHOTO–photo opportunities on one of the current filming sets.

• WARDROBE DEPARTMENT – an exhibition of costumes and props from the series.

• COSPLAYERS SHOWCASE - where fans can showcase their impressive Doctor Who-themed outfits.

• THE FAN CHALLENGE! –Fans young and old can battle it out in the ultimate test of Doctor Who knowledge in order to be crowned the ultimate fan.

• DRAMA SCHOOL - the techniques and secrets that the cast learn when filming Doctor Who.

• OFFICIAL MERCHANDISE - the ultimate fan shopping experience.

• PRODUCTION VILLAGE – a chance for fans to explore a day in the life of the production team and crew.

• PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES - an opportunity for fans to purchase an individual photograph with the current cast members appearing.

The ticket price includes day entry to the Festival, access to three theatre shows, lanyard, floor planner and all of the above. TARDIS tickets to include the above plus brochure, lounge access, front block theatre show seats and a Doctor Who goody bag! Tickets, further information and monthly newsletters are available from the Doctor Who Festival Website.