Image Credit: BBC Worldwide
Well, the bread has been broken, the wine has been spilled, and the gifts have been exchanged, so now what? It’s time for a full day of TV marathons! You still have the option of watching Christmas specials so we’ll tell you what’s available for your viewing pleasure, but for those of you interested in some non-festive programming, here are our top six picks. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Adrian Rogers/BBC
Forget about what appears under the tree Christmas morning. The present many sci-fi fans are looking forward to on Dec. 25 is the new Doctor Who Christmas special airing that night at 9pm on BBC America. And to get everyone ready, we brought our resident Doctor Who expert, Clark Collis, onto the InsideTV Podcast to give his take on the episode. Clark has seen the installment — titled “The Snowmen” — and he’ll explain why the episode brought him to tears. We also put Clark on the spot and ask him to name his favorite of the recent Doctors. Will he choose Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, or Matt Smith? Listen in by clicking on the audio player icon below and find out! (The Doctor Who discussion begins at 4:30.)
Then, we welcome EW TV critic Ken Tucker to dissect and debate his Best & Worst of 2012 list. Does he stand by his number one selection of Homeland, even after what some felt was an uneven last month of the season? Did he include Parks and Recreation just because of his recent shot-out on the NBC comedy? And will he survive a blistering attack from Jessica Shaw for ranking The Good Wife above Parenthood? It’s Ken Tucker unleashed! (The Best & Worst discussion begins at 19:00)
But we start things off with a quick discussion on the Survivor: Philippines finale and reunion. Did Jonathan Penner go too far by outing Lisa Whelchel’s past on The Facts of Life? We discuss that as well as some behind the scenes nuggets I can reveal from my interviews with the final four.
To join in the fun, just click on the audio player icon below. Or, since we’re on iTunes, you can subscribe for free and take the podcast with you. No iTunes? No problem. You can also download the entire podcast right here. And to send a question to the InsideTV Podcast team, follow us on Twitter @InsideTVPodcast. But first let us know what you think: Who is your favorite of the post-reboot Doctors? What’s your number one TV show of the year? And did Penner go too far by outing Lisa’s past on the Survivor finale? The message boards are open for business!
Image Credit: Adrian Rogers/BBC
Even by the standards of a show whose central character travels through time and space in a craft disguised as a ‘50s era British police phone box, 2012 has been an interesting year for Doctor Who, the BBC sci-fi series that stars Matt Smith.
Back in March, executive producer Steven Moffat announced that the Doctor’s new assistant (or “companion”) would be played by Jenna-Louise Coleman and that the British actress was set to make her debut in this year’s special Christmas episode, which BBC America is screening on Dec. 25 at 9 p.m. So Who fans were taken by surprise when, this September, Coleman appeared in “Asylum of the Daleks,” the first episode of the current season of Doctor Who, which also starred the Time Lord’s now (dearly) departed companions Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill).
More bewildering still, Coleman didn’t seem to be playing the role of the Doctor’s new companion — whose name we now know to be Clara — but rather a character named Oswin Oswald who had been converted into one of the dreaded Daleks and who seemingly died at the end of the show.
In the new issue of ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, Coleman talks, exclusively, about keeping her role in “Asylum of the Daleks” a secret and when fans might get some answers with regards to the Oswin/Clara conundrum. Below, the actress, whose previous credits include the Julian Fellowes-penned Titanic miniseries, ruminates further on these subjects — as well as discussing the forthcoming Doctor Who Christmas show and revealing where Karen Gillan recommends you should eat next time you’re in, uh, Cardiff. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: BBC America
Things are heating up in the world of Doctor Who ahead of this year’s special Christmas episode — even as they are cooling all the way down.
The BBC recently debuted the trailer for this very chilly-looking adventure, called “The Snowmen,” and Who exec producer Stephen Moffat has dropped a few hints as to the show’s plot. We’ve also seen photos from the episode, including one of what we assume to be the titular, fanged, monsters and another of guest star Richard E. Grant.
Now, Who fans can check out the official poster for the Christmas special, which will feature the “proper” introduction of the Doctor’s new assistant Clara, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman. Coleman, of course, made a very surprising appearance as a character named Oswin in the premiere episode of the current season of the now 49-year-old British sci-fi series. That show raised a lot of questions about Ms. Coleman’s place in the world of Who, which may or may not be answered in the Christmas special. Meanwhile, looking at the new poster, here’s what we want to know: What on earth are the TARDIS’s heating bills like?
The Doctor Who Christmas special is airing on BBC America Dec. 25 at 9 p.m. You can see both the poster and the trailer below — and check back later in the week for an exclusive interview with Jenna-Louise Coleman herself. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: LucasArts
The Doctor is learning the ways of the Force. Actually, he’ll be teaching the ways of the Force to a group of Jedi younglings in Saturday’s episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. David Tennant will voice Huyang, an ancient droid who specializes in the construction of lightsabers. “When I heard the Doctor himself, David Tennant, was a fan of Star Wars I knew I had to find a way to get in contact with him to see if he would perform on Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” said Dave Filoni, the cartoon’s supervising director. “I thought David was perfect for the part and he did not disappoint. He delivered a performance which impressed even the Master himself, George Lucas.”
Click below for a preview of Tennant as Huyang, a much more competent C-3PO. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Everett Collection
Whovians are in for a treat in 2013.
BBC has announced that acclaimed author Neil Gaiman (The Sandman, Coraline) will return to pen another episode of Who, which is slated to air next year as part of the show’s eight-episode spring run. Another reason to get excited? The episode will feature the Cybermen, the menacing cyborgs that have plagued the doctor since 1966!
Warwick Davis, Tamzin Outhwaite, and Jason Watkins are set to co-star in the hour-long episode, alongside Matt Smith and new companion Jenna-Louise Coleman, who will make her debut in the upcoming Christmas special. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: BBC/BBCWW
Tomorrow is a big(ger on the inside) day for Doctor Who fans. Why? Because at 9 p.m. ET, BBC America is broadcasting the show’s New York-set mid-season finale, “The Angels Take Manhattan,” which, as every Whovian knows, sees the departure of the Time Lord’s companions, Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill).
Will the pair become victims of the Weeping Angels? Sucked into another dimension? Deposited, like former companion Sarah Jane, in a leafy suburb which may (or may not!) be South Croydon?
I have absolutely no idea. But I do know that at 8 p.m., fans’ appetites well be whetted by a documentary, Doctor Who in the U.S, and that you can exclusively see a clip below in which Gillan, Darvill, Matt Smith and Doctor Who exec producer Steven Moffat, discuss filming the Ponds’ final show. READ FULL STORY »
Way to go Doctor Who!
The Brit sci-fi series just delivered its most-watched telecast ever on BBC America for its latest season premiere. The Saturday telecast was seen by 1.6 million viewers, which is both a time period high and a series best for the show since it started airing on the network in 2009. Not bad for a program that’s nearly 50 years old (if you count its various incarnations). Doctor Who, which also recently enjoyed an Entertainment Weekly cover story (not that we’re taking credit or anything), was up 23 percent from its 2011 premiere.
The debut was accompanied by the third episode of BBC America’s new drama Copper, which is delivering about a million viewers.
Image Credit: Bob D’Amico/ABC; Erik Heinila/TNT; Chris Haston/NB
Happy three-day weekend, gang! Hope you enjoy these end-of-week offerings before you retreat to your caves. (Just me? Ok…)
Remember to keep sending in your questions — @EWSandraG via Twitter or spoilerroom@ew.com. I’ll be able to knock out a few more next week and hopefully have a treat or two for loyal askers who have been waiting so patiently. READ FULL STORY »
We’re just four days away from the debut of the new season of Doctor Who on BBC America.* But to whet your appetite for time-traveling galaxy-spanning shenanigans, the BBC has put together a short-short video series called Pond Life. The first minute-long episode of Pond Life just hit the internet, and finds The Doctor having all kinds of exciting adventures. Watch below: READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Todd Antony/BBC
BBC America has announced that the new season of Doctor Who will debut on September 1 at 9 p.m. ET, EW has confirmed. The network will broadcast five episodes of the 49-year-old British science fiction show this fall, starting with season premiere, “Asylum of the Daleks” and ending with an episode which will feature both the Weeping Angels and the departure of the Doctor’s companions Amy and Rory. The second half of the season is set to be broadcast next year.
“We have, I think, our biggest range of stories EVER,” Doctor Who executive producer Steven Moffat said in a statement. “We’ve got the return of the Daleks AND the Weeping Angels — both of them poll-topping Doctor Who adversaries — in cracking new stories, we’ve got ‘Dinosaurs on a Spaceship’ (it’s what you’ve always wanted), we’ve got a glorious western with a Cyborg Gunslinger, the most unusual invasion Earth story EVER, and location shooting in New York for the Pond finale.”
BBC America has also released a new Doctor Who trailer, which you can see below. READ FULL STORY »
The BBC has announced it will mark the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who with a one-off TV movie detailing the real-life origins of the science fiction show, which was first broadcast on Nov. 23, 1963.
The film will be penned by regular Doctor Who writer Mark Gatiss. “I’ve wanted to tell this story for more years than I can remember!” Gatiss said. “To make it happen for Doctor Who‘s 50th birthday is quite simply a dream come true.” Meanwhile, current Doctor Who executive producer Steven Moffat said, “The story of Doctor Who is the story of television — so it’s fitting in the anniversary year that we make our most important journey back in time to see how the Tardis was launched.” READ FULL STORY »
Richard E. Grant (Withnail & I) and Tom Ward (the British crime series Silent Witness) have been cast in the 2012 Doctor Who Christmas special, which starts filming this week in Cardiff, Wales. This is not Grant’s first experience in the Who universe. The actor previously played the time-traveling Doctor himself in the 2003 animated series, Scream of the Shalka (while his Withnail & I costar Paul McGann essayed the role in a 1996 TV movie.).
As previously announced, the Doctor Who Christmas special will introduce the Doctor’s new “companion,” played by Jenna-Louise Coleman. The special has been penned by Who executive producer Steven Moffat and will be directed by Saul Metzstein, who has already overseen several episodes of the forthcoming season of Doctor Who. That new season will debut on BBC America later this summer with Matt Smith continuing in the role of the “Eleventh Doctor” and Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill playing his companions.
Read more:
‘Doctor Who’: ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ creator Shonda Rhimes talks about her ‘psychotic’ love for the Time Lord
‘Doctor Who’ trailer: Daleks, cowboys, and dinosaurs on a spaceship
‘Doctor Who’ exec producer Steven Moffat talks Time Lord film rumors: ‘That was all some weird fantasy’
11 Faces of ‘Doctor Who’
James Hibberd
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