Doctor Who Feeds

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Doctor Who is back for Christmas day, and the 15th Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) arrives and meets his new companion – Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson). Not a creature was stirring except for mythical and mysterious goblins.

Doctor Who Christmas Special 2023, Goblins, BBC Studios 2023

This Christmas, we meet Ruby Sunday for the first time.  Little is known about the Doctor’s newest companion.   She was abandoned on Christmas Eve as a baby and now lives with her mum, Carla and grandmother, Cherry.   But her world is about to be turned upside down as she is about to meet the Doctor…

Doctor Who Christmas Special 2023, Picture Shows: Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), BBC Studios 2023

Also guest starring in the episode is Davina McCall, who will be playing herself. Millie’s mum, Carla,  is portrayed by Michelle Greenidge and Angela Wynter is Ruby’s grandmother Cherry. Also included in the cast is  Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood.

Davina said:  “It is beyond an honour to be asked to appear in not only Doctor Who but also Ncuti’s first episode as the new Doctor. It was such an extraordinary experience, and Russell has written you all a Christmas delight! Now I  just can’t wait for everyone to see it!”

Doctor Who Christmas Special 2023: Davina McCall, BBC Studios 2023

Russell T Davies, Showrunner adds, “From Day One in this job, I wanted Doctor Who back on Christmas Day! And with Ncuti, Millie, Davina and the Goblin King, I hope it’s a feast for all the family!”

Episode Summary – The Church on Ruby Road

Long ago, on Christmas Eve, a baby was abandoned in the snow. Today, Ruby Sunday meets the Doctor, stolen babies, goblins and perhaps the secret of her birth.

Doctor Who Christmas Special 2023,The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson),BBC Studios 2023,Photo by Lara Corne

Doctor Who returns this Saturday at 1830 on BBC One and iPlayer with Special Two: Wild Blue Yonder featuring David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate as Donna Noble.

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The Doctor Who 60th Anniversary specials will be out on DVD, Blu-ray and Steebook only days after finishing on TV

 

Following the Fourteenth Doctor’s TV specials to celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th Anniversary, all three episodes will be available for fans to add to their home entertainment collection in December 2023. The release will feature all three anniversary special episodes: The Star Beast, Wild Blue Yonder and The Giggle.

The three-disc release will be available for fans to own on Steelbook, Blu-ray and DVD from 11th December with pre-orders available today. It will include additional material from across the behind-the-scenes extras airing in parallel to the main show, as well as extras exclusive to these home video releases.

As well as David Tennant starring as the Fourteenth Doctor and companion Catherine Tate returning as fan-favourite Donna Noble, other guest stars include Neil Patrick Harris, Yasmin Finney, Miriam Margolyes, Jemma Redgrave and many more.

Fans can pre-order the 60th anniversary DVD, Steelbook and Blu-ray through most online retailers.

 

Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Steelbook (c) BBC Studios Additional content
Exclusive to the 60th Anniversary specials release:

• Rachel Talalay’s Scene Breakdown
• Chanya Button’s Scene Breakdown
• Tom Kingsley’s Scene Breakdown

Special Features:

• The Fourteenth Doctor Reveal
• David and Catherine’s Flashbacks
• Behind The Scenes Fun with David and Catherine
• Designing the Fourteenth Doctor
• Video Diary with David Tennant’s Stand-in
• TARDIS Set Tour with David Tennant and Phil Sims
• The Star Beast – Behind The Scenes Trailer
• The Star Beast Behind The Scenes
• The Star Beast In-vision Commentary
• Yasmin Finney Introduces Rose Noble
• Set Tour with Yasmin Finney
• Ruth Madeley Introduces Shirley Bingham
• Wild Blue Yonder – Behind The Scenes Trailer
• Wild Blue Yonder Behind The Scenes
• The Cast Introduce the Villains in Wild Blue Yonder
• The Giggle – Behind The Scenes Trailer
• The Giggle Behind The Scenes
• The Giggle In-vision Commentary
• Neil Patrick Harris Introduces the Toymaker
• Becoming the Toymaker
• 60th Specials Recap with David Tennant

 

Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary DVD. Cover by Lee Binding (c) BBC Studios Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials

Get set for three epic adventures where the Doctor and Donna will come face to face after all these years but just how, and why, is about to be revealed.

 

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The Star Beast provides Doctor Who with the UK’s biggest drama launch of the year! All hail the Meep!

 

The Star Beast has landed! Doctor Who’s return proved to be one of the highlights of the year, while also giving insight into how much the ratings landscape has changed since the last time David Tennant was in the TARDIS. The initial overnight viewing figure for first of the three 60th Anniversary specials is 5.08m. That’s up 1.04m (25.7%) from previous episode The Power of the Doctor. As these specials form a loose mini-series, it’s probably also worth comparing to the last series premiere. It’s up 0.65m (14.7%) from Flux: The Halloween Apocalypse’s 4.43m. Indeed, it’s the biggest overnight audience for Doctor Who since the 5.15m for 2019 New Year’s Special, Resolution.

This makes Doctor Who already one of the big hits of 2023 so far. In fact, it’s the biggest drama launch of the year in the UK, with no scripted drama beating that overnight on any channel. It also beat last night’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, with 4.83m. This meant it was second for the night overall, behind BBC One’s other landmark Saturday night show, Strictly Come Dancing, with 7.67m.

On top of all that, the episode, which introduced Donna Noble’s daughter Rose in an adaptation of Doctor Who Weekly comic strip The Star Beast, achieved an Audience Appreciation Index (AI) of 85 – the highest since World Enough and Time’s score of 85 in 2017. Viewers are clearly loving the resurrection of the Doctor-Donna. With such strong word of mouth we can probably expect an equally impressive catch up in the +7 results.

 

The Doctor (David Tennant) in The Star Beast BBC Studios / Bad Wolf / Disney Plus – 2023 Photo by Alistair Heap The fact that Doctor Who is one of the biggest shows of the year at half Tennant’s former audience underlines the importance of its new international streaming deals

The result’s a lesson, however, in just how much things have changed since, by Donna’s reckoning, David Tennant could legitimately wear a suit that tight. The Star Beast’s 5.08m overnight is down 5.32m (51%) on Tennant’s last regular episode, The End of Time Part 2. It’s also down 3.12m (38.0%) on the previous unveiling of a new Doctor in Jodie Whittaker’s The Woman Who Fell to Earth. In fact, overall, it’s the lowest overnight viewing figure for the launch of a ‘new’ Doctor in the 21st century, lower than Peter Capaldi’s 6.8m by some margin, and a far cry from Christopher Eccleston’s record setting 9.94m. Most notable, perhaps, is that first time around, David Tennant’s Christmas Invasion debut scored an overnight of 9.4m.

The fact that both things can be true at once – Doctor Who is one of the biggest shows of the year and its overnight audience is a little over half what it was at its height speaks to the brave new media world we’re living in. Throughout the Whittaker era viewing figures steadily declined, but crucially they did so at a significantly slower rate than the rest of British television around it. The Star Beast’s performance, especially relative to the competition, largely validates that observation.

Arguably, it also validates the BBC’s new approach to the show, teaming with Bad Wolf and Disney. With traditional television audiences falling, this British television giant may well be wise to begin embracing an international audience, and the world of online streaming, with more gusto than ever before.

 

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials,Wild Blue Yonder, Episode 2,The Doctor (DAVID TENNANT), Donna Noble (CATHERINE TATE) ,BBC STUDIOS 2023 ,Zoe McConnell and Alistair Heap Doctor Who continues on Saturday with Wild Blue Yonder at 6.30pm GMT on BBC One in the UK and Ireland, and at simultaneously on Disney+ worldwide

 

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Doctor Who’s Matt Smith stars as Bunny Munro in Sky’s adaptation of Nick Cave’s tragi-comic novel of failure and grief

Sky announced today that BAFTA and Emmy-nominated former Doctor Who Matt Smith  will star in and executive produce a Sky Original adaptation of Nick Cave’s darkly comic novel The Death of Bunny Munro in the titular role. Somewhere Boy’s Peter Jackson has adapted the six-part series while  Isabella Eklöf (Industry, Holiday) directs. Cave also serves as Executive Producer.

Following his wife Libby’s suicide, sex addict, door-to-door beauty product salesman and self-professed lothario Bunny Munro finds himself saddled with a young son and only a loose concept of parenting. Together with nine-year-old Bunny Junior he embarks on an epic and increasingly out-of-control road trip across Southern England. Over the course of the journey, the two struggle to contain their grief in very different ways.

Bunny bounces from one sales pitch to the next, trying to seduce any woman he meets. Meanwhile Bunny Jr kills time talking to the ghost of his mother. He also deals with the dawning realisation that his dad isn’t just fallible, he’s an absolute mess. As Bunny Sr starts to unravel, he realises he must do something to rescue his son from his own outdated notions of what it is to be a man. The Death of Bunny Munro is a darkly comic and unflinching modern-day parable. But it’s also a tender portrait of the relationship between father and son.

 

Former Doctor Who Matt Smith (c) BBC Radio Matt Smith calls Bunny Munro “a brilliant exploration of love, grief, and chaos”

The search for an actor to play the young Bunny Junior is already underway, with the hope of uncovering an exciting new talent.

Blogtor Who readers will naturally best know Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor. Since then he’s starred as Prince Philip in The Crown, and most recently in the folk horror film Starve Acre with Morfydd Clark. He’s also currently Prince Daemon Targaryen in HBO’s hugely successful House of the Dragon. It’s as Daemon that he received a Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Critics Choice Award nomination, along with the show winning a Golden Globe for Best Television Series.

Matt Smith said: “To work alongside Nick Cave on The Death of Bunny Munro feels like a great honour. It’s a brilliant exploration of love, grief, and chaos. At its heart a deep, difficult, and tender story about a father and son, coping with loss and change. Clerkenwell Films and Sky feels like the perfect home to make such a bold story and Pete has delivered such wonderful scripts, both funny and heart breaking in equal measure. I can’t wait to collaborate with Isabella and begin the journey with everyone at Clerkenwell.”

 

Nick Cave at a reading of The Death of Bunny Munro Photographer: David Shankbone Nick Cave says he “can think of nobody better than Matt Smith to play” Bunny

The author himself was quick to praise Smith’s casting. “Finally, someone with the courage to take on this unholy tale,” he said. “I am thrilled that Sky and Clerkenwell Films are bringing Bunny to life, in all his flawed glory, and I can think of nobody better than Matt Smith to play him.”

Petra Fried, Managing Director, Clerkenwell Films said: “We’re so excited to be working with Pete, Matt, Nick, Isabella and Sky on The Death of Bunny Munro, a timely tale about masculinity, dark and twisted but also full of humour and humanity. Pete’s scripts brilliantly capture Nick’s creation, and we can’t wait to see Matt bring this singular anti-hero to life.”

The Death of Bunny Munro is produced by Clerkenwell Films, who are wholly owned by BBC Studios, in association with Sky Studios. Commissioning Editor, Manpreet Dosanjh, is Executive Producer for Sky Studios. Petra Fried, Ed Macdonald and Emily Harrison are Executive Producers for Clerkenwell Films. Matt Smith, Nick Cave, Pete Jackson and Isabella Eklöf also serve as Executive Producers. The Producer is Matthew Mulot (Ghosts).

The series will begin filming in Spring 2024 across the south of England and will be available on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the UK. NBCUniversal Global Distribution handle international sales of the series on behalf of Sky Studios.

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Between them a Making of documentary, a podcast, and a commentary mean that this year Doctor Who behind the scenes coverage really is Unleashed

Back in the very early days of planning for this brand new Doctor Who era, Russell T Davies promised “lots of content,” and he certainly wasn’t lying. Each episode is now accompanied by Doctor Who Unleashed. It’s a brand new series in the vein of the old Confidentials. Hurrah! But there’s more! There’s also the Official Doctor Who Podcast where Davies spills some of his secrets about the writing of the episodes. And there’s even an in-vision commentary, available the same night. There, David Tennant and the producers share their memories and thoughts as they watch along with us. Blogtor Who has watched them all, and selected some of the best, most interesting tidbits for you. If you’re an international viewer without access to iPlayer, or just want the TLDR, this is the place to be to find out what’s up behind the cameras on The Star Beast.

 

Cristel Dee, Juno Dawson, and Tyrell Charles present the Official Doctor Who Podcast after every episode (c) BBC The Official Doctor Who Podcast debated questions posed by Russell T Davies himself as he gave insight into earlier drafts

Possibly the most fun revelation came via the Doctor Who Podcast hosted by Cristel Dee, Juno Dawson, and Tyrell Charles. Russell T Davies revealed to them that in early drafts the Meep’s evil wasn’t a secret from the audience. Rather, in the style of House of Cards, the Meep would regularly turn to camera to pronounce things like “Soon I shall feast of the blood of these human fools!” before innocently trilling “Meep! Meep!” when Rose asked if the Meep had said something. The change came about after he received notes suggesting to keep the secret going for as long as possible so that the audience find out with the characters.

Of course the Meep is a glorious creation, both as a character and a no doubt very expensive piece of equipment. So much so, it’s hard not to guess we might yet get to see that approach in a future sequel.

 

Crew help get Cecilia Fay ready for another take as the Meep ,BBC Studios,Sally Mais Doctor Who Unleashed looked under the cutesy exterior to discover just what an astonishing achievement the Meep is

Speaking of how wonderful the Meep is, Unleashed reveals some astonishing details into how it was brought to life. Although it’s lightly augmented with CGI to add dilating pupils and the occasional ear twitch, it’s almost entirely a practical effect. Yes, in the grand tradition of Cybermen, Ood, and even Godzilla, the Meep uses the Man-in-Suit approach. Or rather, woman in suit.

Because the woman in this furry suit is Cecily Fay (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Prometheus). It’s an extraordinary performance from the trained ballet dancer, whose body language, through a costume that makes her almost entirely blind and deaf, is a core part of what makes the whole creature work. She’s teamed with puppeteer Brian Herring who operated the animatronic head. Herring also lip synced the two heads (one sweet, one sour) to his live vocal performance. That voice track then acted as a guide to Miriam Margoyles’ ADR work as the Meep. The Unleashed team captured the moment the Meep was reunited with its original comic strip creators, Pat Mills and Dave Gibbons, and it’s astonishingly lifelike, even without any CGI enhancements at all.

Plus, let’s give a shout out to familiar face Paul Kasey. Well, maybe not actually a familiar face as he’s usually buried behind the masks of Cybermen, Judoon, and, way back to the very beginning, Autons. This time he was on hand to help Fay work through her movements and navigate her surroundings blind. What a pleasure to see Kasey still on set all these years later!

 

Sound recording on The Star Beast BBC Studios,James Pardon Thanks to host Steffan Powell, Unleashed quickly established its own identity as it investigated some key crew roles

We also got a taste this week of exactly how Doctor Who Unleashed would differ from the old Confidential. And the format is rejigged quite a bit with the new incarnation. It’s understandable too. After all, filming technology may have come a long way in the decade or so since Confidential ended, but at the end of the day there’s only so many ways to hold a boom mike. So it enlivens things considerably to have new host Steffan Powell getting involved directly. It looks like part of each episode will see him joining in to help out a different department like a work experience hire.

So this week when we get an insight into the sound team, it’s through Powell having a go at it himself. He winds up scoring a solid 4/10 at holding a boom mike. Powell’s turn  comes during the final scene of the new Doctor and Donna heading into the TARDIS. Fortunately he manages to avoid recreating one of classic Who’s most common foes – the boom mike slipping into shot.

He also learns the best way to practice at home (hold two tins of beans above your head all day) and that code “10-1” means someone needs a wee and code “10-2” means… well, you can guess.

 

Doctor Who – In-Vision Commentary – Star Beast – Phil Collinson (Producer), David Tennant, Vicki Delow (Producer) – BBC Studios / Bright Branch Media David Tennant himself led a discussion of The Star Beast as the producers had as good a time watching it as we did

Thanks to the in-vision commentary we also learn that that departure scene features the family of series producer Vicki Delow as supporting artists. The commentary came from Delow, fellow producer Phil Collinson and the man himself, David Tennant. They also confirmed that the new TARDIS set would remain into Ncuti Gatwa’s era. Though we could have guessed that purely from how expensive it must have been to put together, it’s nice to have confirmation.

Which circles us back to the Podcast and Davies explaining his inspiration for the new console room. Since his last time on the show, he’d rather fallen in love with the use of the classic Hartnell console replica introduced in An Adventure in Space and Time. Since then different takes on the traditional gleaming white console room had appeared. From Me’s TARDIS in Hell Bent, to a reimaging of the original in Twice Upon a Time, the Fugitive Doctor’s and more. Upon his return to the show, Davies began to ponder if it was pure nostalgia that made them appealing. Could an updated version of the white room work in 2023?

 

Steffan Powell,watching filming of The Star Beast,BBC Studios,Sally Mais Wild Blue Yonder is Doctor Who’s most mysterious episode in years. So what on Earth went on behind the cameras?

There will be more insights and fun facts to come, as Unleashed, the Doctor Who Podcast, and the in-vision commentary continue next week!

 

 

Doctor Who Unleashed continues on Saturday, the 2nd of December at 7.30pm GMT on BBC Three. The Official Doctor Who Podcast can be found the same time wherever you get your podcasts. And the commentary will be exclusive to iPlayer.

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Doctor Who is off to a great start with this latest reboot. Star Beast was a sensational success, with 5.08 million UK viewers tuning in live to watch the programming.

We are now onto the next special – Wild Blue Yonder. We have almost no information for this show. Even the three guest stars are noted as REDACTED, REDACTED and REDACTED. We can say that the episode was written by Russell T Davies and directed by Tom Kingsley.

The Official Synopsis

There is a glimmer of information in the trailers and the synopsis.

Wild Blue Yonder: The TARDIS takes The Doctor(David Tennant) and Donna ( on a journey to a faraway, mysterious place and then abandons them in the middle of Hostile Action.

Doctor Who Magazine provides a little more on how the Doctor and Donna lost the TARDIS with an episode quote that expands on the main trailer. The scene will likely be included in a preview clip later in the week.

DOCTOR … There’s one hope. A mechanism on board the TARDIS called the HADS, Hostile Action Displacement. If the TARDIS is in danger, it goes away.

DONNA: Goes where?

DOCTOR: Anywhere.  And it only comes back when the danger is gone. I turned it off years ago. I mean, I’d never land anywhere. Once spent three years in orbit. I thought, oh, turn off the HADS. But if the TARDIS is rebuilding itself, maybe it clicked back on.

DONNA: But that means we’ve landed in Hostile Action.

DOCTOR: Yeah.

DONNA: There’s something so bad the TARDIS ran away?

DOCTOR: Yes

DONNA: Then we go kick its arse!

Donna is definitely back!!

New Photos

There are some stellar photos provided by the BBC but little information other than they are rather stunning. Indeed, more money is being spent on the programme.

Doctor and Donna

Presumably, the aftermath of the coffee fire. Coffee is terrible for your health.

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials – Wild Blue Yonder, Episode 2, The Doctor (David Tennant), BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/Disney+ Photo by James Pardon Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials – Wild Blue Yonder, Episode 2, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/Disney+ Photo by James Pardon

The Doctor 

A real screwdriver? What happened to the fancy one?

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials – Wild Blue Yonder, Episode 2, The Doctor (David Tennant), BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/Disney+ Photo by James Pardon Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials – Wild Blue Yonder, Episode 2, The Doctor (David Tennant), BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/Disney+ Photo by James Pardon

The Doctor

Lost in Space

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials – Wild Blue Yonder, Episode 2, The Doctor (David Tennant), BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/Disney+ Photo by James Pardon Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials – Wild Blue Yonder, Episode 2, The Doctor (David Tennant), BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/Disney+ Photo by James Pardon Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials – Wild Blue Yonder, Episode 2, The Doctor (David Tennant), BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/Disney+ Photo by James Pardon

The Doctor and Donna

We are presuming this is the “don’t worry, I will get you back” speech.

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials – Wild Blue Yonder, Episode 2, The Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/Disney+ Photo by James Pardon

The Doctor and Donna

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials – Wild Blue Yonder, Episode 2, The Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/Disney+ Photo by James Pardon Air Time

The second of the three Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials will air on 2nd December at 6.30pm GMT on BBC One in the UK and Ireland.   For the rest of the world, the episode will be released simultaneously on the streaming channel Disney+.   The North American time is 1:30 pm EST / 10:30 am PST.

 

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Last night, Doctor Who returned with the first of the 60th Anniversary Special – The Star Beast.  The Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant) was reunited with his former companion, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), in an exciting new story that will delight both old and new fans.

Russell T Davies, known for his storytelling prowess, once again demonstrates his ability to anchor narratives in themes of family and love, irrespective of the diverse forms these connections may take. With The Star Beast, Russell T Davies addresses gender identity and weaves it into the plot with respect, love and support, adding another layer to Doctor Who’s accepting narrative.  The Star Beast’s plot lies in the intricate interplay of emotions and characters woven into the fabric of the story, elevating the viewing experience to a level that resonates with the essence of Doctor Who’s enduring appeal.

The narrative of “The Star Beast” draws inspiration from the 1980 Doctor Who comic of the same name.  Much of the storyline faithfully adheres to the original work penned by Pat Mills and Dave Gibbons, to the extent that both are duly credited as writers for this television adaptation of The Star Beast. Russell T Davies pays homage to their creative legacy by incorporating their designs for the TARDIS and the extra-terrestrial Meep while also preserving critical characters like Fudge (Dava Lall), the Wrath Warriors, Sergeant Zogroth, and Constable Zreeg.

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials,25-11-2023,The Star Beast, Episode 1, The Wrath, BBC Studios / Bad Wolf / Disney Plus 2023, Photo: Alistair Heap

This episode, like Davies’s previous pilot, Rose in 2005, is a re-boot.  Perfect for anyone without any knowledge of Doctor Who to join the fandom.   It starts with the Doctor and Donna breaking the 4th wall to set the stage for the audience.  The Doctor and Donna’s past relationship and the importance that she does not recover her memories of the Doctor and her adventures with him are clarified for the views.

The doctor lands in Camden Market, London, at the start of Christmas celebrations and immediately runs into his former companion, Donna Noble, and her transgender daughter (Yasmin Finney).   A spaceship crashes to Earth before the Doctor can recover from the meeting.  As the Doctor seeks to investigate, he meets the reconstituted UNIT team and its latest Scientific Advisor, Shirley Anne Bingham (Ruth Madeley).

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials,25-11-2023,The Star Beast,Episode 1 – Shirley (Ruth Madeley) and The Doctor (David Tennant), BBC Studios / Bad Wolf / Disney Pluse – 2023 Photo by Alistair Heap

Director Rachel Talalay keeps the story moving rapidly and dynamically yet still supplies the needed time for the relationships that are key to the plot.  While the story is simple, it provides a canvas for Davies to re-establish the winning dynamic between the Doctor and Donna.  Tennant and Tate seamlessly slip back into the comic banter that worked so well 13 years ago. Davies also enriches Donna’s character through interactions with her family, highlighting her loving and supportive relationships, especially with her daughter Rose. This mother-and-daughter relationship becomes pivotal in saving Earth from destruction.

The Doctor’s Old Face

David Tennant’s return as the Doctor is a nostalgic embrace of the familiar.  From the voice to the accent, energy, quirks, and expressions, all scream a comforting return to the well-loved Tenth Doctor. Even his signature “Allons-y” makes an appearance.  Yet small nuances reveal a subtle departure from the Tenth Doctor. While retaining Ten’s essence, the Fourteenth Doctor exudes a softer, more fragile demeanour and an openness to his best friend and her family. Gone is the tendency to decide for his companions; instead, he respects Donna’s autonomy, acknowledging and respecting her decisions. A poignant illustration of this newfound dynamic is evident when he accepts Donna’s decision to sacrifice herself for her daughter, family, and planet.  His feelings and love are expressed in words, reflecting a Doctor who has evolved beyond his previous iterations.

Doctor Who – The Power of the Doctor & Star Beast Episode 1 – The Doctor (David Tennant) , BBC Studios / Bad Wolf / Disney Plus – 2022 – Screen Shot Donna Noble Descending

Donna Noble has something missing, as she states throughout the episodes.  Her memory loss has been attributed to a breakdown, but she retains the growth and confidence that she developed during the time with the Doctor.  She can cope and ignore her mother, Sylvia’s (Jacquline King) negative comments and is fiercely protective of her daughter, Rose.  Rose receives the support and love that enables her to be herself.  Donna still identifies as nobody to the Doctor, but this is a stronger, more confident Donna thanks to the glimmer of memories that remain.

ASIDE: I loved the Temple-Noble family dynamic.  As a woman who retained her last name after marriage and a mother of a non-binary daughter with my last name, not her father’s, I was thrilled that my daughter could watch a programme with me that acknowledged some of their experiences.

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials,25-11-2023,The Star Beast,Episode 1 – Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and Sylvia Noble (Jacqueline King), BBC Studios / Bad Wolf / Disney Plus – 2023 Photo by Alistair Heap The Importance of Being Rose

Rose Noble is not the first transgender character on Doctor Who but the first to hold such a prominent continuing role in the series.  Davies has already acknowledged that Rose will return and interact with Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor.  She is played brilliantly by Yasmin Finney, a highly talented performer.

The Star Beast pivots around Rose throughout.  It is Rose who finds Meep and cares for him.  Rose saves her mother through her inheritance of the meta crisis.  She remembers the TARDIS and the creatures, and she’s non-binary like the Doctor, who is male and female—neither and something more.

Doctor Who. Redefined for a new era.

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials,25-11-2023,The Star Beast,Episode 1 – Picture Shows: Rose (Yasmin Finney), BBC Studios / Bad Wolf / Disney Pluse – 2023 Photo by Alistair Heap The Meep, Sonic Screwdriver and the TARDIS.

Doctor Who has had a massive infusion of money due to its partnership with Disney+. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the effect department.  The Meep is a marvel of animatronics and puppeteering.  Watch the Doctor Who: Unleashed episode to view the technical complexity and talent of people needed to operate the Meep.  The Meep has a myriad of expressions and movements, permitting it to interact with the cast and the surrounding environment.  Combined with the voice acting of the incomparable Miriam Margolyes, the Meep comes alive.  The Sonic Screwdriver has not only been reconfigured but has also been redefined.  It has a force field generator, a teleporter, and an iPad. Love it.  The TARDIS is just beautiful.  Huge, clean and beautiful.  It harkens back to the 1980s and even the first Doctor’s console.   Our question is, is this for three episodes, or does it transform again for Ncuti Gatwa?

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials,25-11-2023,The Star Beast, Episode 1, The Meep (Voiced by Miriam Margolyes), BBC Studios / Bad Wolf / Disney Plus 2023, Photo: Alistair Heap Moving into the Wild Blue Yonder

This episode is a precursor to the remaining two specials – Wild Blue Yonder and The Giggle – and probably the new series.  It re-introduces two beloved actors/characters who are both older and wiser.   But more importantly, it is another reboot.   Davies sets the audience up for another twist with David Tennant’s Doctor that will impact Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and all to follow.

The Star Beast marks the return of Doctor Who to our screens. It is a skilful blending of nostalgic homage to the show’s rich history alongside a forward-looking celebration of its future. Combining the creative genius of showrunner Russell T Davies with the return of David Tennant and Catherine Tate seamlessly rekindles the enchantment of the Doctor and Donna. It provides a refreshing start to the series.

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials,02-12-2023,Wild Blue Yonder, Special 2,The Doctor (DAVID TENNANT), Donna Noble (CATHERINE TATE) ,BBC STUDIOS 2023 ,Zoe McConnell and Alistair Heap

Doctor Who Returns next Saturday, 2nd December.  The second 60th Anniversary special, Wild Blue Yonder airs on BBC One and Disney+ at 6:30 pm GMT.  Don’t miss Doctor Who: Unleashed on BBC Three  and The Official Doctor Who Podcast on BBC Sounds that are available immediate after the programme concludes on

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The new Doctor’s adventures are coming to Titan Comics this May!

 

Free Comic Book Day is a by now traditional and well loved event in the comic book calendar. Every year people are encouraged to drop into their comic book shops in person, with the promise of comics that are both exclusive to the event and completely free. Titan Comics has been a mainstay of the event for years. In fact, their Doctor Who FCBD issue has become a tradition all its own. And this year’s Titan slate for the event again includes a new issue of Doctor Who Comic, free from your local comic book shop! It also marks the debut of the Fifteenth Doctor and will lead into a new title featuring Ncuti Gatwa’s incarnation of the Time Lord.

“Doctor Who Free Comic Book Day marks the first appearance of the Fifteenth Doctor in Titan Comics and I’m so excited,” says series editor, Jake Devine. “It feels like we’ve been waiting for this new era forever!

“We’ve got an incredible story to tell from a fresh creative team with a spectacular vision. I can’t wait for fans to get stuck in!”

Exactly who that “fresh creative team” are remains unknown for now. But it does suggest a parting of the ways with Titan’s regular Doctor Who writer Jody Houser. We also don’t know exactly how long after this free issue the new series will follow. But with there being every sign Gatwa’s first season will appear on BBC One and Disney+ in the spring, it likely won’t be long.

The event takes place at comic book shops every year on the first Saturday of May. With over two thousand stores and several comic book publishers participating, the event gives readers a chance to grab a free comic and meet fellow comic readers. Readers can find their local participating store here.

 

The Fifteenth Doctor era at Titan Comics begins this Free Comic Book Day (c) Titan Comics Doctor Who: Free Comic Book Day 2024

Available exclusively in-store in participating comic book shops on the 4th of May 2024

 

 

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A beloved Doctor returns, fighting his very best enemies in the Daleks’ answer to The Five Doctors

From the moment Doctor Who Magazine announced it, it was clear that Liberation of the Daleks was going to be quite the feather in their fez. Russell T Davies’ long standing musings about letting DWM handle a regeneration story finally came to pass. Almost 20 years after the original suggestion that they cover McGann’s regeneration into Eccleston prior to his TV appearance, the Fourteenth Doctor’s very first adventure belongs to the pages of DWM. But, of course, not just those pages now. The 14 part epic has been collected together in their trade paperback just in time to bridge the gap to The Star Beast (though you may need to be quick down to the shops before this evening.)

The first thing that strikes you about Liberation is how confident it is in its place in Who history. There’s no hint of this being an alternate and parallel view of this new Doctor. Indeed, it fits into the wider narrative as snugly as a jigsaw piece. From the opening moments, the new Doctor standing atop Durdle Door, still bewildered by the return of this old face, to its closing scene explaining how the TARDIS happened to crash land on ancient Skaro, it provides the perfect explanation of what the Doctor was up to since those ’60 minutes ago’ when he ‘was a brilliant woman.’

 

Liberation of the Daleks picks up moments after the end of The Power of the Doctor. Art by Lee Sullivan (c) Panini Liberation is filled with creative energy in a fun celebration of six decades of Who, Daleks, and comics

What a wild explanation it is, too. Liberation of the Daleks manages to simultaneously be too huge, too packed, and too plain weird to be on TV, and perfectly in tune with that RTD aesthetic. The new Doctor’s very first landing sees him visiting the 1966 World Cup final. But he’s just in time to see the teams exterminated by the Daleks, followed shortly by the entire Earth exploding. It’s the ultimate “What? What? WHAT?“ cold open and only the beginning of the adventure.

Soon, the Doctor has escaped into a theme park based on the Daleks, each themed land populated by murderous pepperpots who don’t know they’re not real. It’s an audacious way to embrace six decades of Doctor Who and their greatest enemy. More than that, it does it while bringing the comics into the group hug too.

The very thought of David Tennant’s Doctor going head to globe with the Golden Emperor from the TV Comic era is pure bliss. But it’s enhanced greatly by writer Alan Barnes making sure the Emperor retains all its tetchy brittleness. Its personality is more like a grumpy office manager than the typical Dalek. The Doctor’s sparring with it, roguish jester versus uptight neurotic, is a joy. Almost every weird, outlandish variant on the Daleks ever created for any medium are represented here too, in one form or another. It adds to the celebratory feel of a story that’s essentially the Daleks’ answer to The Five Doctors.

 

Realities collide as the Doctor finally meets the Golden Emperor! Art by Lee Sullivan (c) Panini Collecting the fourteen chapters together exposes a few logical lapses, but they hardly matter when it’s all such fun

There are other parallels to The Five Doctors too, notably that there’s nothing too profound or complicated going on here. Despite its epic length by DWM strip standards, it dashes from one action set piece to the next, cliffhangers tumbling one into the other. Taken as a single graphic novel, it makes for some undeniably staccato storytelling. The Doctor does a lot of running about in Liberation, yet it takes him an awful long time to get anywhere in terms of progressing the plot.

Collecting the storyline together in this format also exposes some of its logical lapses. These include a resolution to all the theme park’s problems which depends on a piece of equipment working completely differently than we were told just pages (but originally months) before. Meanwhile, there’s a quick bit of dialogue to patch over the oddity of the same thing happening twice in quick succession.

Not that such nitpicking ultimately matters. It’s a beloved Doctor back once more, fighting his very best enemies in an adventure like no other. And all delivered through the vibrating energy of Lee Sullivan’s art and his visible love of these psychopathic old blobs.

It’s wonderfully appropriate that the Doctor Who’s TV and comic book universes crash together in Liberation of the Daleks. After all, what is tonight’s Star Beast episode but the same in the opposite direction? What a wonderful time to be a Doctor Who fan. But moreover, what an incredible to time to be a Doctor Who comics fan.

 

Doctor Who: Liberation of the Daleks. Cover by Lee Sullivan (c) Panini Doctor Who: Liberation of the Daleks

You can order Doctor Who: Liberation of the Daleks now at the official Panini store, priced £12.99

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Today’s the day!

Doctor Who is Back!! It is Back on Saturday!!

Russell T Davies is Back!! David Tennant and Catherine Tate are Back!! Jane Tranter, Julie Gardner and Phil Collinson are back!! Murray Gold’s Brilliant Soundtracks are Back!! Cardiff is Back!! The In-vision Commentaries are Back!! Doctor Who Confidential has Regenerated into Doctor Who Unleashed!! Even Beep is Making a Return!!

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Most Definitely Something Blue!!

Everything Everywhere, All At Once!!

We got everything going today, all at once. It is going to be a great ride, so hold on.

First Up:

Doctor Who: The Star Beast – BBC One and Disney+ at 6:30 pm GMT

Catherine Tate and David Tennant return to the TARDIS as Donna Noble and the Fourteenth Doctor to set off the first episode of 60th Anniversary Specials.   The Doctor hasn’t seen his best friend for thousands, if not billions, of years.   Donna was made to forget the Doctor, and if she remembers, she will die.   But fate and destiny are drawing them together, not the least by Donna’s daughter, Rose (Yasmin Fenney).

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials,25-11-2023, The Star Beast, Episode 1 – The Doctor (David Tennant), Shaun Temple (Karl Collins), Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and Meep (voiced by Miriam Margolyes), BBC Studios / Bad Wolf / Disney Plus – 2023 Photo by Alistair Heap

Another spaceship crashes in London with an adorable-looking furry character, the Meep (voiced by Miriam Margolyes). The Meep has found Rose Noble.

Doctor Who: Unleashed – BBC Three & BBC iPlayer at 7:30 pm GMT (immediately after Star Beast)

Doctor Who Confidential has regenerated and become Unleashed. Doctor Who: Unleashed, the new behind-the-scenes, all-access show, provides fans an unmissable glimpse into the making of Doctor Who.  Hosted by BBC Gaming Correspondent Steffan Powell hosts the show that will air after every new episode of Doctor Who on BBC Three or iPlayer.

Doctor Who Unleashed host Steffan Powell with David Tennant during filming of The Star Beast (c) BBC Studios Doctor Who: In-vision Commentary – BBC iPlayer at 7:30 pm GMT (immediately after Star Beast)

The In-vision Commentaries air immediately after The Star Beast concludes. No more waiting for the DVDs. The Fourteenth Doctor himself, David Tennant, is accompanied by producers Phil Collinson and Vicki Delow, who provide a running commentary on the episode. Fans will hear all about Meep, Rose, and, of course, the reunion between Donna and the Doctor from the people who made the show happen.

Doctor Who – In-Vision Commentary – Star Beast – Phil Collinson (Producer), David Tennant, Vicki Delow (Producer) – BBC Studios / Bright Branch Media Doctor Who: In-vision Commentary – BBC Sounds, Youtube and other Podcast Sites at 7:30 pm GMT (immediately after Star Beast)

Last but not least, the BBC has announced that Doctor Who will have its own official podcast that will air immediately after each episode on BBC Sounds. Hosted by Christel Dee, Juno Dawson, and Tyrell Charles, The Official Doctor Who Podcast team discusses the latest episode and catches exclusive insights from showrunner Russell T Davies.

It is going to be a long evening.   Enjoy!!

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