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BBC Three boss confirms Doctor Who spin-off Class is done

It's been an open secret for a while, but BBC Three controller Damian Kavanagh has now confirmed that Class won't be returning.

The Doctor Who spin-off launched in late 2016, with creator/writer Patrick Ness announcing in June that he wouldn't be "writing any more... even if a season 2 moves ahead."

Speaking today (September 7) at a BPG (Broadcasting Press Guild) event, Kavanagh said: "No, [we're not bringing it back]. There was nothing wrong with it – I thought Patrick did a great job, he explored an amazing world.

"In honesty, it just didn't really land for us on BBC Three. Things sometimes don't, and I've got to make decisions about what we're going to do from a drama point of view.

"There's always times when you do something and you have to decide that it's not going to come back. Class is just one of those things."

Series star Greg Austin – who played Charlie – had previously told Digital Spy that there was story potential for more Class.

"There's a long way for these characters to go," he said. "By the end of the series, there's some big choices that have to be made... that leave a lot of room for a lot of big consequences. That's all I'm going to say!"

It is, of course, a period of transition for Doctor Who – showrunner Steven Moffat and current lead Peter Capaldi will exit the show this Christmas, to be replaced by Broadchurch writer Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker, the first female Doctor, in 2018.

Via Digital Spy by Morgan Jeffery

Louise Brealey has “asked a million times” for a Doctor Who role

Let’s be honest – many an actor would love a guest spot in Doctor Who, saving the galaxy and travelling with the Doctor for an episode or two and then basking in the glory of their Tardis data core wiki entry for the rest of their careers.

But one might assume a Sherlock star with a direct line to departing Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat (he writes both series) would have a better chance than most in securing themselves such a part, especially considering how many stars of the BBC detective series (including Rupert Graves, Russell Tovey, Bertie Carvel, Lindsay Duncan, Phil Davis, Gemma Chan and frequent Who writer Mark Gatiss) have popped up in the Whoniverse over the years.

However, according to Louise Brealey (who plays pathologist Molly Hooper in Sherlock and stars in new Channel 4 comedy Back tonight), her association with Moffat and Gatiss hasn’t managed to land her a ticket to the Tardis – despite her very best efforts.

“I’ve asked them a million times!” Brealey told RadioTimes.com when asked if she’d consider a Doctor Who role. “Absolutely.

“I’ve said ‘Look, I’ll be a Dalek….nothing. Absolutely nothing. Furious,” she joked, hilariously. “Not asking any more.”

And indeed it could be that she’s now missed her chance, with her direct connection to Doctor Who management – in the form of Sherlock co-creator Moffat, who has been Doctor Who showrunner since 2010 – set to end in this year’s Christmas special.

“I know, he’s gone!” Brealey agreed. “Blown it. Who’s the next one? I’m gonna start currying favour with them.”

However, before she got Chris Chibnall on speed dial Brealey went on to make clear that there were no hard feelings over her Whoniversal rejection.

“Please don’t say I’m absolutely furious that Steven hasn’t given me a part on that show,” Brealey laughed.

“If you put it, you have to say ‘she joked, hilariously.’ (And we obliged…)

“I asked to be [in it], just because, you know – it’s Doctor Who,” she concluded. “But it’s OK. I’m not losing sleep over it.”

We’d say this is the perfect opportunity for Chris Chibnall to finally right a terrible wrong, and allow Louise Brealey the Doctor Who role of her dreams. After all, if she can’t get herself onto the Tardis data core, what hope is there for the rest of us?

Via Radio Times by Huw Fullerton

Peter Capaldi had a VERY nerdy complaint about the return of the Mondasian Cybermen

We all know pretty well by now that Peter Capaldi is a massive Doctor Who fan, with the current Time Lord known for his membership of fan clubs, love of obscure classic series trivia and habit of writing letters to Radio Times about the sci-fi series decades before he was ever cast in it.

So when one of his favourite foes from the 1960s, the original design for the cyborg Cybermen known as the Mondasian Cybermen, was brought back for the two-part finale of the latest series, you’d expect Capaldi to be thrilled.

Instead, however, the actor apparently had a very nerdy complaint related to design differences in the new Mondasian Cybermen when compared to their 1960s counterparts, obsessively nitpicking in a manner that only further confirms his Whovian credentials.

“Steven and Peter both feel strongly about how they remember these things,” Rachel Talalay, who directed the two-part finale featuring the Cybermen, explained to the This Week in Time Travel podcast. “So they were both involved and had thoughts.

“Peter called me after the first Mondasian incident and said, ‘Why is it they have gloves on their hands, when one of the great things about them was that they had bare hands?’”

And if you look closely at photos of the two types of Cybermen, you can just about see he’s right – the original Mondasian Cybermen do indeed have some very human hands when compared to the surgical gloves of the new versions.





But as Talalay went on to explain, there was actually a very good reason for the change – and apparently, it all comes down to the fact that they had to turn companion Bill (aka Pearl Mackie) into a Cyberman for a large portion of the two-part episode.

“I explained that the Pearl Mondasian, we would have an issue with skin colour,” Talalay recalled.

“And therefore that given in the [original series] black-and-white version you couldn’t really tell if they had skintone gloves, it seemed like we could get a scarier feel and something more artificial by putting the gloves on them.

“But it was partially an issue because of skintone,” she concluded.

Talalay, who also revealed in the interview that they had to change the look of the partially converted “patient” Cybermen at the last minute due to their chest units looking like breasts, went on to discuss her interest in reviving parts of the classic series, which required some re-watching due to her lack of familiarity with the classic series.

“I didn’t live in the UK!” she said. “I was aware of it and we were there in the UK a couple of times. When I was 14, 15 and 16 we lived in the UK and I had a Tom Baker period. But I wasn’t weaned on it.

“So a lot of the passion of it has been to go back and actually learn the things [Capaldi and series showrunner Steven Moffat] grew up with. Because I had Star Trek growing up in America.”

Clearly, based on the triumph of World Enough and Time and the Doctor Falls, Talalay’s homework was time well spent.

Via Radio Times by Huw Fullerton

Peter Capaldi drops huge BOMBSHELL about return

The 59-year-old actor hinted that this could be it for his Doctor and that fans may never seen him returning again in a possible special - much like the 50th anniversary special which saw David Tennant reprise his role as the 10th incarnation of the Gallifreyan.

Speaking at San Francisco Comic Con recently, the Scottish star was asked if he would ever considering going back to the role of the time traveller after his official last episode Twice Upon A Time.

“I think when you should go, you should go,” the Thick of It actor said, he went on to say: “Even when I was a kid I believed [the Doctor] was this weird and wonderful thing, so if he kept showing up all the time in Big Finish or in multi Doctor stories he was more available.”

He added: “I don’t know. Maybe. But not for a while.”

While it seems that he hasn’t ruled it out completely, Peter’s word seemed to be pretty final about playing the Doctor.

Peter will be departing the TARDIS on Christmas Day but not before he embarks on an adventure with David Bradley, who will portray the original Doctor in the festive episode that will take the Time Lord back to the beginning.

The Yuletide instalment will also see Jodie Whittaker make her debut as the first female Doctor and the 13th Time Lord.

There has also been speculation about the new companion after it was revealed that Pearl Mackie would be leaving as plucky assistant Bill Potts.

Some reports suggested that The Chase host Bradley Walsh could be taking on the part, however the rumours have since been quashed.

Via the Express by Neela Debnath

Peter Capaldi hints Jenna Coleman may return to Doctor Who after all

For the last few months rumours have swirled that erstwhile Doctor Who companion Jenna Coleman will be making a guest turn in this year’s Christmas special, with the Clara Oswald actor (currently portraying the titular queen in ITV’s Victoria) apparently set to cameo as part of the farewell to Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor.

Since then, RadioTimes.com has learned that Coleman was at least approached to consider to such a cameo – and now Capaldi himself seems to have hinted that his former companion could be returning for his final bow. This is getting very interesting…

Speaking at San Francisco Comic Con this weekend during a special Doctor Who panel, Capaldi was asked by a young fan if viewers would ever see Clara again – and rather than shrugging the question off, Capaldi appeared to judge his words carefully, before replying: “I think you may.”



Pausing to collect his thoughts, he went on: “I’LL see her again. You may see her again too. But I won’t tell. It’d spoil things.

“You may see her. She’s still there. Everyone in Doctor Who is still there.”

Of course, it could be that Capaldi was speaking generally, and not ruling out a return for Coleman at some point far in the future. He could even have been speaking about the emotional connection all actors have to the long-running BBC sci-fi, and not about a particular actor’s return at all.

But given the context and content of his comments, we’d say it’s not too big a leap to think that he was dropping hints for eager fans that they might have even more to look forward to in this December’s special. Watch this space (and time)….

Via Radio Times by Huw Fullerton

Whooverville 9 - The Videos


The event featured guests, photo opportunities, cosplaying, a dealers room and autographs.

Here's a selection of videos taken at Whooverville 9 in Derby

Videos courtesy of  Tim Dury 








Jacob Dudman narrates the Tenth and Eleventh Doctor Chronicles for Big Finish

Due for release in April 2018, actor and impressionist Jake Dudman will be taking the reins and narrating tales from the Tenth Doctor’s time. Allons-y!
 
Announced on SciFi Wales this weekend, the new narrator of the Tenth Doctor Chronicles may already be familiar to YouTube Doctor Who fans.



Jacob Dudman, known online for his impressions from the world of Doctor Who amongst others, will be breathing life into the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors in Big Finish’s Tenth Doctor and Eleventh Doctor Chronicles. You can see Jake’s take on Matt Smith’s Doctor (with Jon Culshaw playing the Curator) below: 



The first of the Chronicles will be released in April 2018, with Jake narrating adventures from David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor era.
Co-starring with him is Jacqueline King, reprising her role as Sylvia Noble, and he will also be reunited with partner in crime, Jon Culshaw.
The first two adventures directed by Helen Goldwyn, are:
Back Track by Matthew J Elliott
Wild Pastures by James Goss
Further details on other adventures coming soon. 


We chatted to producer Scott Handcock about these exciting upcoming tales: “As the Short Trips range has demonstrated, there’s plenty of room for narrated stories alongside the full-cast releases, so we’re thrilled to be tackling the Tenth Doctor era in the latest set of Chronicles releases – and with a new narrator in the form of Jacob Dudman!

“Fans may already know Jake from his impressions of the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, which of course he’s great at, but we also really put him through his paces in the audition. Audiobooks generally require a very specific set of skills – far more than just capturing a single voice – and we’re thrilled to say Jake’s performance blew us away. He developed an instant rapport with director Helen Goldwyn, and executive producer and Ninth Doctor narrator Nicholas Briggs felt more than confident in handing over the reins for the next few sets! We’ve got a really exciting variety of tales in store for both the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, and I can’t wait for everyone to hear Jake and Helen’s work.”

You can pre-order these adventures now at £23 on CD or £20 on download. Or you can save money with a bundle. Order the Tenth Doctor Chronicles, the Eleventh Doctor Chronicles and the Ninth Doctor Chronicles (narrated by Nicholas Briggs) as a bundle for £55 on download or £66 on CD. Each CD purchase unlocks a download exclusive which works with the Big Finish app.

Via Big Finish

Steven Moffat drops hints about Jodie Whittaker’s first Doctor Who scenes: “She’s given us the Doctor we’ve always known”

While we’re still just under four months away from seeing Jodie Whittaker’s debut as the Thirteenth Doctor in Doctor Who, a select few have now seen her Time Lord in action after she filmed the regeneration scene a few weeks ago.
Based on the reaction of outgoing showrunner Steven Moffat (who will be replaced by Chris Chibnall this December) we have plenty to look forward to, with the screenwriter dropping hints about what to expect in a short commemoration video message given to digital artist and colourist Stuart Humphryes (who works restoring classic Doctor Who episodes among his other work).

“Doctor Who has an amazing future, and I’ve seen part of it,” Moffat said on Humphryes’

“I’ve seen Jodie’s first scene as the Doctor, and trust me we are in for a thrill ride. She is already brilliant.

“In such a tiny moment, she’s given us the Doctor we’ve always known, but in, to say the least, a new way. We are in for a very exciting run.”


However, Moffat was also keen to stress that we had plenty to enjoy BEFORE then too, with Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi’s final episode Twice Upon a Time currently in postproduction.

“Doctor Who has a very exciting present, because we’re still working on the CHRISTMAS present that is… that’s a very bad joke isn’t it? That is the Christmas special, where David Bradley returns as the First Doctor,” he said.

“He exquisitely recreates William Hartnell’s wonderful performance from all those years ago. A recreation of such beauty and precision that it would be worthy of Babelcolour itself.

“And of course you’ve got Peter Capaldi in his very last go as the Doctor. He’s going to break your heart! Your heart is going to be in pieces by the end of this.

“Only Jodie Whittaker will be able to cheer you up again,”
he concluded.

Sounds like a very sad and very happy 25th December awaits us.

Via Radio Times by Huw Fullerton