Nicholas Briggs recounts the Doctor's emotional last day
Poor Peter Capaldi. One day you’re ‘Doctor Who’. The next, you’re just ‘Who?’
Capaldi has always had a wry view of his own lifespan on the show – he used to joke with journalists about eventually having the ‘Hartnell conversation’ and being shown the door. That self-deprecating side was on full display during his last day of filming.
“Peter is a very level-headed sort of chap,” Nicholas Briggs – who voices the Daleks and many other monsters– told Doctor Who Magazine...
“He was lots of fun all day, saying things like, ‘And tomorrow, I’ll just be a nobody again.’”
Nevertheless, not everyone could contain their feelings, with Briggs himself bursting into tears watching the rehearsal. He spoke for many fans when he reassured Capaldi “that would never happen. Not once you’ve been the Doctor. You’re the Doctor forever.”
And by the end of the day, even the Doctor himself would have been overwhelmed with emotion.
“It was only after the final take on the final shot, when all of us just went onto the set and crowded round him that he showed his emotions. As he thanked us all, there was a slight in his voice, which he steadfastly bore down on and eliminated. We had a huge hug.”
Via Radio Times
Jared Garfield will play a classic Doctor Who companion in the Christmas special
It looks as though a familiar face has been cast in the Doctor Who festive special, as a character from the show's 1960s era.
Jared Garfield – best known for playing Nathan Nightingale in Hollyoaks – is listed as playing Ben Jackson in the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine.
The character of Ben – a Royal Navy seaman – was a companion to the first Doctor (William Hartnell) and the second (Patrick Troughton) and was played by the late actor Michael Craze from 1966-67.
David Bradley is playing the first Doctor in 'Twice Upon a Time' – and his companions Ben and Polly will also appear in the episode.
Garfield will play Ben, while Lily Travers (Kingsman: The Secret Service) will replace original actress Anneke Wills as Polly.
'Twice Upon a Time' will revisit the end of the first Doctor's era, as he encounters our current Doctor (Peter Capaldi) as both near their own regeneration.
For the first Doctor, that means becoming Patrick Troughton's second Doctor... and for the 12th, it means Jodie Whittaker's first female incarnation.
As series boss / writer Steven Moffat explained: "It's the 12th Doctor saying to Number One, 'Listen, you have to [change] or all of this stuff won't happen!' and the 1st Doctor saying, 'Well, what about you?' – they go off on a crazy adventure with Mark Gatiss and Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) and decide whether or not they're going to carry on... which of course, they are!"
Doctor Who will return to BBC One and BBC America this Christmas for Capaldi's (and Moffat's) swansong, before returning with a new Doctor and a whole new team in 2018.
Doctor Who Magazine issue 516 is out this week.
Via Digital Spy by Morgan Jeffery
Jared Garfield – best known for playing Nathan Nightingale in Hollyoaks – is listed as playing Ben Jackson in the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine.
The character of Ben – a Royal Navy seaman – was a companion to the first Doctor (William Hartnell) and the second (Patrick Troughton) and was played by the late actor Michael Craze from 1966-67.
David Bradley is playing the first Doctor in 'Twice Upon a Time' – and his companions Ben and Polly will also appear in the episode.
Garfield will play Ben, while Lily Travers (Kingsman: The Secret Service) will replace original actress Anneke Wills as Polly.
'Twice Upon a Time' will revisit the end of the first Doctor's era, as he encounters our current Doctor (Peter Capaldi) as both near their own regeneration.
For the first Doctor, that means becoming Patrick Troughton's second Doctor... and for the 12th, it means Jodie Whittaker's first female incarnation.
As series boss / writer Steven Moffat explained: "It's the 12th Doctor saying to Number One, 'Listen, you have to [change] or all of this stuff won't happen!' and the 1st Doctor saying, 'Well, what about you?' – they go off on a crazy adventure with Mark Gatiss and Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) and decide whether or not they're going to carry on... which of course, they are!"
Doctor Who will return to BBC One and BBC America this Christmas for Capaldi's (and Moffat's) swansong, before returning with a new Doctor and a whole new team in 2018.
Doctor Who Magazine issue 516 is out this week.
Via Digital Spy by Morgan Jeffery
Russell T Davies says Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor Who casting makes him “look old-fashioned”
The news that Jodie Whittaker has been cast as the first female Doctor in Doctor Who has been welcomed around the world, with many fans praising the show’s new direction as a progressive and interesting way to refresh the series.
And a lot of the credit for the move is going to new series boss Chris Chibnall, who has taken a step apparently never considered by his predecessors – a fact that former showrunner Russell T Davies is happy to acknowledge.
“I simply didn’t think of it,” the screenwriter (who rebooted and ran the series from 2005-2010) explained in a new interview with Doctor Who magazine when asked whether he thought of adding a female Doctor to his notably progressive era on the series.
“We did a very, very good job in 2005 but it was a different world back then.
“What Chris Chibnall is brilliantly doing is making me and Steven Moffat look old-fashioned. We look like the past. And that’s exactly what we are – we are the past.”
And Davies said that he felt very positive about the show’s bright new future, with Whittaker impressing him in her TV appearances thus far.
“I don’t know Jodie, but whenever I’ve seen her interviewed on breakfast TV or whatever, she’s been really funny and vivid, not just spouting PR lines,” he said. “And that’s rare. That excited me.
“Someone who’s got an incredibly strong self is going to fit the Doctor perfectly.”
We’d say that’s quite the seal of approval from ‘Doctor Who’s past’ – and to think, it didn’t even need a TARDIS to get here.
Via Radio Times by Huw Fullerton
-----------------------------------------------------------
Former Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies says casting a female Doctor isn’t a “big political strategy”
Hearing that the BBC sci-fi series was bringing in the first female Doctor, they suggested the move was an attempt to tick boxes and be politically correct rather than for genuine storytelling purposes, and they signalled their disapproval to incoming series showrunner Chris Chibnall (who cast Whittaker) accordingly.
However, one of Chibnall’s predecessors has now poured cold water on such claims, with Russell T Davies (who revived and ran Doctor Who from 2005 to 2010) refuting the idea that there was some grand conspiracy behind the move.
“This isn’t some big political strategy by the BBC,” Davies said in an interview for the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (now on sale).
“This is one man, Chris, moving into the big chair and deciding that’s what he wants to do.”
Imagining the excitement that will generated by the upcoming change from Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor to Whittaker’s incarnation, he added: “There will be some kids sitting down on Christmas Day who don’t follow the news – and the Doctor will change into a woman and they won’t know.
“For those kids it will be as mysterious and as exciting as it was in 1966 when William Hartnell changed into Patrick Troughton. The programme has never been that original since.”
And considering all the other callbacks the Christmas special is including from that first regeneration story, we’d say it’s a legacy Doctor Who fans are very aware of. Fingers crossed Jodie Whittaker makes just as big an impact this December as Troughton did back in 1966 – even if a few fans do take a while to get used to it.
Via Radio Times
And a lot of the credit for the move is going to new series boss Chris Chibnall, who has taken a step apparently never considered by his predecessors – a fact that former showrunner Russell T Davies is happy to acknowledge.
“I simply didn’t think of it,” the screenwriter (who rebooted and ran the series from 2005-2010) explained in a new interview with Doctor Who magazine when asked whether he thought of adding a female Doctor to his notably progressive era on the series.
“We did a very, very good job in 2005 but it was a different world back then.
“What Chris Chibnall is brilliantly doing is making me and Steven Moffat look old-fashioned. We look like the past. And that’s exactly what we are – we are the past.”
And Davies said that he felt very positive about the show’s bright new future, with Whittaker impressing him in her TV appearances thus far.
“I don’t know Jodie, but whenever I’ve seen her interviewed on breakfast TV or whatever, she’s been really funny and vivid, not just spouting PR lines,” he said. “And that’s rare. That excited me.
“Someone who’s got an incredibly strong self is going to fit the Doctor perfectly.”
We’d say that’s quite the seal of approval from ‘Doctor Who’s past’ – and to think, it didn’t even need a TARDIS to get here.
Via Radio Times by Huw Fullerton
-----------------------------------------------------------
Former Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies says casting a female Doctor isn’t a “big political strategy”
Hearing that the BBC sci-fi series was bringing in the first female Doctor, they suggested the move was an attempt to tick boxes and be politically correct rather than for genuine storytelling purposes, and they signalled their disapproval to incoming series showrunner Chris Chibnall (who cast Whittaker) accordingly.
However, one of Chibnall’s predecessors has now poured cold water on such claims, with Russell T Davies (who revived and ran Doctor Who from 2005 to 2010) refuting the idea that there was some grand conspiracy behind the move.
“This isn’t some big political strategy by the BBC,” Davies said in an interview for the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (now on sale).
“This is one man, Chris, moving into the big chair and deciding that’s what he wants to do.”
Imagining the excitement that will generated by the upcoming change from Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor to Whittaker’s incarnation, he added: “There will be some kids sitting down on Christmas Day who don’t follow the news – and the Doctor will change into a woman and they won’t know.
“For those kids it will be as mysterious and as exciting as it was in 1966 when William Hartnell changed into Patrick Troughton. The programme has never been that original since.”
And considering all the other callbacks the Christmas special is including from that first regeneration story, we’d say it’s a legacy Doctor Who fans are very aware of. Fingers crossed Jodie Whittaker makes just as big an impact this December as Troughton did back in 1966 – even if a few fans do take a while to get used to it.
Via Radio Times
Doctor Who Magazine 516
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH JODIE WHITTAKER IN ISSUE 516 OF DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE!
Jodie Whittaker shares her feelings about becoming the Thirteenth Doctor…
Jodie says: “Chris [Chibnall] wouldn’t have cast me as the Doctor because he wanted me to repeat anything that had gone before. And I think as a fan you don’t want to watch something that’s an imitation of something that’s gone before. Or what would be the point of recasting?”
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE…
CASTING JODIE
DWM asks what the arrival of Jodie Whittaker means for the future of Doctor Who.
MONSTERS INC
We go inside the workshop of Millennium FX, with previously unseen designs and photographs from the making of the 2017 series.
NOW WE ARE SIX HUNDRED
Former showrunner Russell T Davies talks about his illustrations for BBC Books’ collection of Doctor Who poetry.
NICHOLAS BRIGGS AND THE CYBERMEN
Nicholas Briggs reveals the secrets of giving voice to the Mondasian Cybermen.
HANK MARVIN
Legendary Shadows guitarist Hank Marvin discusses his surprising links to the Doctor Who theme.
THE AZTECS
Take a fresh look at the 1964 classic The Aztecs in The Fact of Fiction.
TREVOR BAXTER TRIBUTE
We pay tribute to the late Trevor Baxter, who played Professor Litefoot in 1977’s The Talons of Weng-Chiang, with contributions from Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Christopher Benjamin, Lisa Bowerman and more…
THE PARLIAMENT OF FEAR
A brand-new comic strip adventure continues for the Doctor and Bill.
TRAIL OF A TIME LORD
An exclusive extract from Red, White and Who, the forthcoming book about the history of the series in the United States.
PLUS! Previews, book and audio reviews, news, the Watcher’s column, prize-winning competitions and much, much more.
Doctor Who Magazine 516 is on sale from Thursday 24 August, price £5.99.
Jodie Whittaker shares her feelings about becoming the Thirteenth Doctor…
Jodie says: “Chris [Chibnall] wouldn’t have cast me as the Doctor because he wanted me to repeat anything that had gone before. And I think as a fan you don’t want to watch something that’s an imitation of something that’s gone before. Or what would be the point of recasting?”
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE…
CASTING JODIE
DWM asks what the arrival of Jodie Whittaker means for the future of Doctor Who.
MONSTERS INC
We go inside the workshop of Millennium FX, with previously unseen designs and photographs from the making of the 2017 series.
NOW WE ARE SIX HUNDRED
Former showrunner Russell T Davies talks about his illustrations for BBC Books’ collection of Doctor Who poetry.
NICHOLAS BRIGGS AND THE CYBERMEN
Nicholas Briggs reveals the secrets of giving voice to the Mondasian Cybermen.
HANK MARVIN
Legendary Shadows guitarist Hank Marvin discusses his surprising links to the Doctor Who theme.
THE AZTECS
Take a fresh look at the 1964 classic The Aztecs in The Fact of Fiction.
TREVOR BAXTER TRIBUTE
We pay tribute to the late Trevor Baxter, who played Professor Litefoot in 1977’s The Talons of Weng-Chiang, with contributions from Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Christopher Benjamin, Lisa Bowerman and more…
THE PARLIAMENT OF FEAR
A brand-new comic strip adventure continues for the Doctor and Bill.
TRAIL OF A TIME LORD
An exclusive extract from Red, White and Who, the forthcoming book about the history of the series in the United States.
PLUS! Previews, book and audio reviews, news, the Watcher’s column, prize-winning competitions and much, much more.
Doctor Who Magazine 516 is on sale from Thursday 24 August, price £5.99.
Steven Moffat has seen Jodie Whittaker’s first scenes in Doctor Who – and he had an unusual reaction
If you think you’re excited to see new Doctor Jodie Whittaker in action, you’ve got nothing on departing series showrunner Steven Moffat.
In fact, the writer (who departs the BBC sci-fi series this Christmas after seven years at the helm) is so pumped to see the new Time Lord take to the skies that he’s been going over all the released information like the most fanatical of fans – albeit with slightly better show connections than your average Whovian.
“Jodie Whittaker – what an amazing, thrilling, brand new choice,” Moffat says in the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine, on sale from Thursday.
“Like all of you, I’ve been poring over every picture, examining every performance, searing her into my brain. I see her face when I close my eyes. I now think she’s been the Doctor for 20 years!
“Remember that little announcement film? Fills me with nostalgia.”
However, being part of the Doctor Who family for a while longer (as well as the man in charge of Whittaker’s debut episode, Christmas special Twice Upon a Time) Moffat also has a better inside track that the rest of us – including a sneak pick at Thirteen’s newly-filmed introductory scenes.
But surprisingly, the screenwriter was keen to keep his mind unspoiled, deciding that interfering in new showrunner Chris Chibnall’s new era was very much not the Done Thing.
“Her very first performance as the Doctor is in the can,” he said. “And here’s the thing. The rushes were sent to me! The new Doctor in action for the very first time. Oh, the temptation.
“But I steeled myself,” he went on. “Not my Doctor, not my show, not any more. Strictly Chris’ business. It was time to be an industry professional, respectful of his colleagues, not a drooling fanboy. Never, in all my years, has me self-discipline been so tested.”
Moral superiority confirmed, Moffat added: “She was great, by the way.”
Well, that’s very good to hear – and if we’re honest, who among us in his position wouldn’t have sneaked a peek themselves?
----------------------------------------
Via Radio Times by Huw Fullerton
In fact, the writer (who departs the BBC sci-fi series this Christmas after seven years at the helm) is so pumped to see the new Time Lord take to the skies that he’s been going over all the released information like the most fanatical of fans – albeit with slightly better show connections than your average Whovian.
“Jodie Whittaker – what an amazing, thrilling, brand new choice,” Moffat says in the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine, on sale from Thursday.
“Like all of you, I’ve been poring over every picture, examining every performance, searing her into my brain. I see her face when I close my eyes. I now think she’s been the Doctor for 20 years!
“Remember that little announcement film? Fills me with nostalgia.”
However, being part of the Doctor Who family for a while longer (as well as the man in charge of Whittaker’s debut episode, Christmas special Twice Upon a Time) Moffat also has a better inside track that the rest of us – including a sneak pick at Thirteen’s newly-filmed introductory scenes.
But surprisingly, the screenwriter was keen to keep his mind unspoiled, deciding that interfering in new showrunner Chris Chibnall’s new era was very much not the Done Thing.
“Her very first performance as the Doctor is in the can,” he said. “And here’s the thing. The rushes were sent to me! The new Doctor in action for the very first time. Oh, the temptation.
“But I steeled myself,” he went on. “Not my Doctor, not my show, not any more. Strictly Chris’ business. It was time to be an industry professional, respectful of his colleagues, not a drooling fanboy. Never, in all my years, has me self-discipline been so tested.”
Moral superiority confirmed, Moffat added: “She was great, by the way.”
Well, that’s very good to hear – and if we’re honest, who among us in his position wouldn’t have sneaked a peek themselves?
----------------------------------------
Via Radio Times by Huw Fullerton
Is Bradley Walsh the new Doctor Who companion...?
News is going out that Bradley Walsh is the next companion, as yet not confirmed but here's the latest news starting with the Mirrors post as they started it all
A former soap star has been revealed as the new Doctor Who companion Doctor Who fans react to the alleged casting Bradley Walsh Doctor Who: Is Bradley Walsh the new companion? Bradley Walsh in Doctor Who? It's not the end of the universe Doctor Who fans react to the alleged casting Bradley Walsh People Are All Having The Same Reaction To Rumours Bradley Walsh Is The New 'Doctor Who' Assistant Have Doctor Who bosses cast Bradley Walsh as Jodie Whittaker's new companion? Is Bradley Walsh really joining Doctor Who? Bradley Walsh will be Doctor Who's next companion Bradley Walsh to be revealed as new Doctor Who companion Doctor Who: The rumour that EVERYONE is talking about - CBBC Newsround Doctor Who: Is Bradley Walsh leaving The Chase or Cash Trapped for the BBC sci-fi series?
Rachel Talalay talks about the end of a Doctor Who era, and what comes next
Den of Geek talked to director Rachel Talalay about the end of a Doctor Who era, and what comes next.
Rachel Talalay is one of the most exciting directors working in TV tonight — on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The Canadian-based American director has helmed episodes of Sherlock, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow, but we have seen her pop up the most often behind the camera on Doctor Who.
Talalay has been the director for the two-part finales of Doctor Who Season 8, Season 9, and Season 10. She will be returning for what will be Peter Capaldi and Steven Moffat's final episode (at least for now): the 2017 Christmas special.
We talked to Talalay, a long-time Whovian herself, about her Doctor Who legacy, the differences between directing on The CW vs. on Doctor Who, and her excitement about Jodie Whittaker as the next Doctor.
What is it about Doctor Who that has made you want to come back to direct so many times?
Talk to any kid dressed in a bow tie, fez, duster, velvet jacket, or pointing a sonic screwdriver, ready to take on the universe. That's the lure of the Doctor. For 53 years and 5M more.
Can you talk about the differences between directing an episode of Doctor Who vs. directing an episode of The Flash or Supergirl? It seems like you might have more creative freedom in the former.
I very much enjoy and appreciate the CW shows (I've done Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and The Flash) but they are not like Doctor Who mini-films. The whole process is so different, I work on a CW episode for about 20 days. On Doctor Who, I am involved for months through the final broadcast show.
Doctor Who creates a new world every episode, be it comedy, horror, past or future. The CW shows strive for some consistency through the episodes. Doctor Who excels in variety. As a director, the variety makes returning more exciting.
I have tried to give each episode a different style that worked with the script. For instance, the Doctor Who episode "Heaven Sent" was Citizen Kane meets German Expressionism.
In Harry Potter, "the Wand chooses the Wizard;" in Doctor Who, the "words and worlds choose the style."
Jumping off of that, you have directed some of the most important episodes of the Capaldi-era of Doctor Who. Episodes that were not only visually-impressive, but helped inform larger Doctor Who mythology — i.e. the workings of the confession dial or the genesis of the Cybermen.
Can you talk about what it’s been like to make such meaningful contributions to the 50+-year history of Doctor Who, a show of which you yourself are a fan. How do you hope Doctor Who fans will remember your contribution to the Capaldi era?
Epic. I'm making Doctor Who — those are shiver-y words.
I can't really talk about how I will be remembered, I want to do a great job and make inspiring episodes.
Michelle Gomez reminisced during our roundtable interview at Comic Con about you, Peter, and her all starting in Doctor Who on the same run. What was it like to be able to follow through on the Doctor/Missy, a relationship that you helped form, in “The Doctor Falls” and “World Enough and Time”?
Gomez and I created a bond on S8, so it was delightful to get back with her and finish her (if indeed she really is done, which is never a fait accompli in Doctor Who mythology).
I adored working with both Masters as unpredictable mirrors of each other in Season 10. I delighted in their complexity, humor and even cruelty.
Gomez is just brilliant, she always has her unique spin on the work. We have a shorthand, which includes her raising her hand, which means 'let me do it again because I know what it needs.' And then she hits every beat that I was going to speak to her about. But if I want her to try other things, she will and that will blow my mind as well. That’s awe.
She and Peter love to experiment and to challenge each other. Every version is magnificent but completely different. I add a few thoughts, but it’s mostly them. With actors this brilliant, I try to give them the space to do their best work and let the sparks ignite.
Read the full interview by Kayti Burt on the Den of Geek site here
Rachel Talalay is one of the most exciting directors working in TV tonight — on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The Canadian-based American director has helmed episodes of Sherlock, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow, but we have seen her pop up the most often behind the camera on Doctor Who.
Talalay has been the director for the two-part finales of Doctor Who Season 8, Season 9, and Season 10. She will be returning for what will be Peter Capaldi and Steven Moffat's final episode (at least for now): the 2017 Christmas special.
We talked to Talalay, a long-time Whovian herself, about her Doctor Who legacy, the differences between directing on The CW vs. on Doctor Who, and her excitement about Jodie Whittaker as the next Doctor.
What is it about Doctor Who that has made you want to come back to direct so many times?
Talk to any kid dressed in a bow tie, fez, duster, velvet jacket, or pointing a sonic screwdriver, ready to take on the universe. That's the lure of the Doctor. For 53 years and 5M more.
Can you talk about the differences between directing an episode of Doctor Who vs. directing an episode of The Flash or Supergirl? It seems like you might have more creative freedom in the former.
I very much enjoy and appreciate the CW shows (I've done Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and The Flash) but they are not like Doctor Who mini-films. The whole process is so different, I work on a CW episode for about 20 days. On Doctor Who, I am involved for months through the final broadcast show.
Doctor Who creates a new world every episode, be it comedy, horror, past or future. The CW shows strive for some consistency through the episodes. Doctor Who excels in variety. As a director, the variety makes returning more exciting.
I have tried to give each episode a different style that worked with the script. For instance, the Doctor Who episode "Heaven Sent" was Citizen Kane meets German Expressionism.
In Harry Potter, "the Wand chooses the Wizard;" in Doctor Who, the "words and worlds choose the style."
Jumping off of that, you have directed some of the most important episodes of the Capaldi-era of Doctor Who. Episodes that were not only visually-impressive, but helped inform larger Doctor Who mythology — i.e. the workings of the confession dial or the genesis of the Cybermen.
Can you talk about what it’s been like to make such meaningful contributions to the 50+-year history of Doctor Who, a show of which you yourself are a fan. How do you hope Doctor Who fans will remember your contribution to the Capaldi era?
Epic. I'm making Doctor Who — those are shiver-y words.
I can't really talk about how I will be remembered, I want to do a great job and make inspiring episodes.
Michelle Gomez reminisced during our roundtable interview at Comic Con about you, Peter, and her all starting in Doctor Who on the same run. What was it like to be able to follow through on the Doctor/Missy, a relationship that you helped form, in “The Doctor Falls” and “World Enough and Time”?
Gomez and I created a bond on S8, so it was delightful to get back with her and finish her (if indeed she really is done, which is never a fait accompli in Doctor Who mythology).
I adored working with both Masters as unpredictable mirrors of each other in Season 10. I delighted in their complexity, humor and even cruelty.
Gomez is just brilliant, she always has her unique spin on the work. We have a shorthand, which includes her raising her hand, which means 'let me do it again because I know what it needs.' And then she hits every beat that I was going to speak to her about. But if I want her to try other things, she will and that will blow my mind as well. That’s awe.
She and Peter love to experiment and to challenge each other. Every version is magnificent but completely different. I add a few thoughts, but it’s mostly them. With actors this brilliant, I try to give them the space to do their best work and let the sparks ignite.
Read the full interview by Kayti Burt on the Den of Geek site here
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