Report - Matt Smith Cast in Star Wars Episode IX

According to a report in "Variety", Matt Smith has joined the cast of "Star Wars Episode IX".

Further details - such as the character he'll play, whether he'll be on the side of the Rebels or the Empire - are unknown...

If this is true - and "Variety" do have a terrific track record - then it's great to see Matt just going from strength to strength.

"UNIT Revisitations" - Jemma Redgrave - Synopsis and Pre-Order Details

Big Finish have released the synopsis for "UNIT Revisitations" which is due in November:

Over the years, UNIT has faced hundreds of extra-terrestrial threats. The Black Archive holds relics of many such encounters, and UNIT’s files are filled with reports of strange and dangerous aliens. 

And sometimes, they come back. 

7.1 and 7.2 Hosts of the Wirrn by Chris Chapman
After the world’s strangest interview, UNIT’s latest recruit, Shana Siddiqui, hits the ground running to help Osgood with her latest assignment.
The Master left UNIT a parting gift – something alien and deadly. The Wirrn have come to Earth, and now they are free…

7.3 Breach of Trust by David K Barnes
An alien vessel arrives on Earth, its occupants seeking refuge, and Osgood takes them in.
But there is reason to mistrust this cry for help. The files show that UNIT has faced the Kalvyri before. What else they reveal will set Kate at odds with her most trusted friends.

7.4 Open the Box by Roy Gill
In the years since the Stangmoor Prison incident, Captain Chin Lee found a new calling. She now heads up an international organisation, dedicated to meditation and ‘mental fortitude’ training.

But there is a menace deep inside the Pandora Institute. And Kate, Osgood and Josh must face their darkest fears…

Deploying November 2018 

Directed By: Ken Bentley 

Cast
Jemma Redgrave (Kate Stewart), Ingrid Oliver (Osgood), James Joyce (Captain Josh Carter), Ramon Tikaram (Colonel Shindi), more details to follow 

Producer David Richardson
Script Editor Matt Fitton
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

This boxset can be pre-ordered from Big Finish for £23 for the CD and £20 for the digital download.

Big Finish to Celebrate 20 Years of Audio Releases with Epic Boxset

Big Finish will celebrate 20 years of creating Doctor Who Audios with a quite epic boxset.  "The Legacy of Time" will see crossovers between Classic and New Who.  River Song meets Berenice Summerfield and, rather wonderfully, Kate Stewart travels back in time to Classic UNIT and meets the Third Doctor and Jo Grant.  "The Legacy of Time" is available to pre-order now, priced £45 on CD and £40 for download:

In 2019 Big Finish will celebrate 20 years of creating Doctor Who stories on audio, and it’s doing so in style with The Legacy of Time – the biggest audio crossover event ever! Six hour-long stories see characters from the entire history of Doctor Who crossing paths – some for the very first time – Classic and New Series Doctor Who will collide! 

Professor River Song (Alex Kingston) meets her predecessor, another time-travelling archaeologist, Professor Bernice Summerfield (Lisa Bowerman). Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) travels back in time to classic UNIT and meets the Third Doctor (voiced by Tim Treloar) and Jo Grant (Katy Manning). 

As 2018 is also the 30th anniversary year of their first appearance in Remembrance of the Daleks, the Counter-Measures team will be reunited with the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred). And the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker) and his companion Charlotte Pollard (India Fisher) once again meet Detective Inspector Patricia Menzies (Anna Hope) in a police procedural like no other! 

Plus we go to Gallifrey, and elsewhere we enter the Time War. Doctors will meet, and there will be Easter Eggs aplenty. 

Time is collapsing. Incidents of temporal chaos and devastation are appearing throughout the many lives of the Doctor and his friends – fallout from one terrible disaster. 

The Doctor must save history itself – and he will need all the help he can get. 

1. Lies in Ruins by James Goss
2. The Split Infinitive by John Dorney
3. The Sacrifice of Jo Grant by Guy Adams
4. Episode four by Matt Fitton (to be confirmed)
5. The Avenues of Possibility by Jonny Morris
6. Collision Course by Guy Adams 

The truth is revealed, and it will take more than one Doctor to save the day! 

Executive Producer and one of the founding members of Big Finish, Nicholas Briggs told us about this exciting new release: “The Legacy of Time will probably go down in Big Finish history as our biggest, most exciting production, ever! Celebrating 20 years of Doctor Who at Big Finish, it expertly pulls together all the strands from our many and varied Doctor Who ranges." 

“This is down to the brilliance of script editor Matt Fitton and producer David Richardson. They epitomise the creative strength, organisational expertise and leadership of the company. Quite simply, this is going to blow people’s minds! It’s got everything!” 

“How do you celebrate 20 years of Doctor Who at Big Finish?” questions the producer assigned this epic task, David Richardson. “How do you celebrate something that has meant so much to all of us who work here – the friendships, the freedom to be creative, the glory that is Doctor Who itself? That was the challenge facing myself and Matt Fitton, but once I’d had an idea for what this six-hour epic would be about (spoilers!) it was then relatively easy to start assembling the huge team of characters and actors who would take us on the journey."

“The Legacy of Time is quite possibly the biggest Doctor Who story we have ever told at Big Finish. It’s been so hugely satisfying to make – I hope everyone finds it just as satisfying to listen to!” 

Chairman and Executive producer of Big Finish, Jason Haigh-Ellery, “In July 1999 we released The Sirens of Time. In July 2019 we're releasing The Legacy of Time. Those two decades have been so fulfilling for us at Big Finish - a chance to work with so many great and talented actors, writers, production crews and all of our friends at the BBC. This is a celebration of it all, with lots of surprise returns and references. Think of it as one massive Doctor Who party - and everyone is invited…” 

Doctor Who: The Legacy of Time will be available from www.bigfinish.com on download and, as we're one of the last audio producers and distributors still making CDs, released in an eight-disc CD set with a limited edition of just 4,000. 

Doctor Who: The Legacy of Time will be released in July 2019, marking the 20th anniversary of Big Finish’s first Doctor Who release, The Sirens of Time. 

Doctor Who: The Legacy of Time will be priced at £45 on CD or £40 download, rising to £60 on CD or £55 on download on its general release. 

Or you can save in a bundle with Big Finish's special 50th anniversary of Doctor Who release, The Light at the End. Get the special editions of The Light at the End with The Legacy of Time, priced at £75 on CD or £65 on download.

Video - Matt Smith Interview - The Crown, Emmy Awards...

A new interview with Matt Smith - lasting almost 15 minutes - has been released by GoldDerby.  Matt talks about his first Emmy Nomination, "The Crown" and, of course, "Doctor Who"...

Merchandise Review - 10" 13th Doctor Adventure Doll

Well, this is certainly a lot better than I was expecting - sometimes the larger figures lose something in translation so to speak, unless, of course, you happen to be Big Chief Studios.  However, for an "Adventure Doll" that retails at £19.99, Character Options have done a bang up job.

The doll is packaged extremely well - with the figure held in by plastic tags.  Like most things now, it's not the easiest to get into - you'll end up taking a scissors to it (just be careful!).  There's a Tardis effect to the background and one side of the box has one of the Tardis doors printed there.  This is where my first grumble comes in (it's fine - I only have 2 tiny grumbles about this figure).  Look at the Tardis door on the side of the box:

"Assitance"?  Really?  As this is a review sample, then I hope this is changed prior to public sale.

The figure itself however, is truly excellent.  A really good likeness of Jodie Whittaker with care being taken over every detail - literally from the hair to the boots.  The hair has the "untreated roots" effect, the earring is there - and if you pull the coat aside, the gold braces are there too.  I think the coat is removable - but it's not easy - I actually got it about halfway off and decided to leave it as I didn't want to damage it. 

As for articulation - the head moves from side to side, the shoulders, elbows and arms all rotate.  The figure sits quite comfortably - and the knees and ankles are fully articulated too.  Unlike some figures, the 13th Doctor doll stands very well - probably due to the boots - and, on a bit of a wobbly shelf of mine, happily stayed firmly upright.

My 2nd tiny grumble - and honestly, I'm being really picky now because the figure is just SO good - is the Sonic Screwdriver.  It's all silver. - the orange crystal effect just isn't there.  See?  Told you I was being picky.

Essentially though - this is a cracking figure and £19.99 is, I believe, a very reasonable price for this.  Children will love it - and I honestly think collectors will too.

The 13th Doctor Adventure Doll is released in August - and you can pre-order it now for £19.99 from The Who Shop.

Thanks to Character Options for the review sample.

Video - Series 11 Trailer Released

Images - Series 11 - First Official Images

The BBC have released a small batch of images from Series 11 - full size versions in the Who-Natic Gallery.  Images courtesy of farfarawaysite.com.

Video - "Patient Zero" Trailer - Matt Smith

Now THIS is what I call a trailer.  Our first look at "Patient Zero" starring Matt Smith which is released on Digital and VOD on 14 August 2018.  We've been waiting long enough ... and we get another burst of Matt's American accent...

Video - First Look at Series 11

Emmy Nomination for Matt Smith...

In one of those "it's about time" moments, Matt Smith has received an Emmy Nomination for his role in "The Crown".  Specifically, he's been nominated for "Supporting Actor in a Drama Series".  Congratulations to Matt - but he's facing some stiff competition:

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Game of Thrones

Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Mandy Patinkin, Homeland

David Harbour, Stranger Things

Matt Smith, The Crown

Joseph Fiennes, The Handmaid’s Tale

"The Crown" has received a nomination in "Outstanding Drama Series"; Claire Foy has been nominated in "Lead Actress in a Drama Series" and Vanessa Kirby received a nomination in "Supporting Actress in a Drama Series".

The winners will be announced on 17 September 2018.

Merchandise - Character Options’ new 10” Thirteenth Doctor Figure

Character Options is delighted to unveil its brand new Doctor Who figure, the first 10” figure of the Thirteenth Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker.

The new, highly detailed 10”/26cm fully articulated, collectible figure comes dressed in real fabric high-waisted culottes, rainbow striped dark blue shirt and coat.  The figure also comes with the Doctor’s essential Sonic Screwdriver accessory. 

Alasdair Dewar, Character Options’ Director of Product Development commented:  “The new 10 inch Adventure Figure is a fantastic addition to the range. Made even better by the use of 3D scan data. The likeness is absolutely fantastic and along with the scaled fabric clothing kids and collectors alike will enjoy this bigger sized figure to play without display ... and ... it’s by sheer chance perfectly in scale with our 2006 12 inch Doctor Who range”

Rikesh Desai, Licensing Director at BBC Studios, says; “As the UK Master Toy Licensee for Doctor Who, Character Options consistently produce great toys for the brand. The new Thirteenth Doctor figure is no exception; the attention to detail, real clothes and quality of the product make it a great collectible for fans of all ages.”

The new figure will be available from August, for more information go to www.character-online.co.uk 

UPDATE:  You can now pre-order the figure from The Who Shop.

"Patient Zero" Starring Matt Smith To Finally See the Light of Day...

Remember all the talk about "Patient Zero"?  The Screen Gems film starring Matt Smith, Stanley Tucci and Natalie Dormer was completed back in 2015 ... yet kept being dropped from the release schedule.  Well, it appears we will finally get to see it - in October 2018 as, according to a report on bloody-disgusting.com, "Patient Zero" will get a dvd and Blu-Ray release then.  It's also likely it will hit the VOD platforms (Netflix or Amazon Prime).  It's about time.

If you can't remember much about "Patient Zero" then the synopsis is below - and also check out the filming photos in our Gallery:

“An unprecedented global pandemic of a super strain of rabies has turned the majority of humankind into highly intelligent, streamlined killers known as ‘The Infected.’ One victim, Morgan (Matt Smith), who is asymptomatic and can communicate with the infected, leads the last survivors on a hunt for Patient Zero and a cure.”

Being a bit of a fan of Zombie films, I honestly can't wait.  "Patient Zero" was written by Mike Le and directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky.