Category: Doctor Who (franchise)

Verity Lambert, Doctor Who producer, dies

Verity LambertVerity Lambert, the original producer of Doctor Who when it launched in 1963, dies at the age of 71. When she took the reins of the still-in-development series, she was 28, the youngest BBC producer at that time, and the only female producer at the BBC at the time. Though she frequently butted heads with Doctor Who creator Sydney Newman, including commissioning the first Dalek story over his objections that the show should feature “no bug-eyed monsters,” he ultimately relented and gave her free rein. She remained with the series for a year and a half, going on to produce a string of other shows, including Adam Adamant Lives!, John Cleese’s Clockwise series, and Jonathan Creek. Following stints at the BBC, Thames Television and EMI, she founded her own production company, Cinema Verity, which at various points was again attached to Doctor Who during the abortive attempts to turn the series into a film franchise in the 1980s and early ’90s.

Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles – Helicon Prime

Doctor WhoBig Finish Productions releases the sixth Doctor Who audio drama in its Companion Chronicles range (short stories performed audiobook style with one or two actors). Frazer Hines and Suzanne Procter star. Read more

Doctor Who: Return To The Web Planet

Doctor WhoBig Finish Productions releases a bonus Doctor Who audio drama starring Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton. (This title was initially exclusive to Big Finish’s subscription program, as an incentive for those whose subscriptions included The Girl Who Never Was.) Read more

Doctor Who: Voyage Of The Damned

Doctor WhoThe 740th episode of Doctor Who (the 42nd since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. This Christmas-themed episode guest stars pop star Kylie Minogue and Russell Tovey (Being Human), with a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo by Bernard Cribbins in his first appearance as Wilfred Mott (later revealed to be Donna Noble’s grandfather). At over 70 minutes, this is the longest Doctor Who special since the revival of the series. Read more

Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles – Old Soldiers

Doctor WhoBig Finish Productions releases the seventh Doctor Who audio drama in its Companion Chronicles range (short stories performed audiobook style with one or two actors). Nicholas Courtney and Toby Longwirth star. Read more

Torchwood: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

TorchwoodBBC2 airs the 14th episode of Russell T. Davies’ science fiction series Torchwood, a more adult-themed spinoff of Doctor Who. This episode kicks off the second season, and picks up the first season’s plot thread of Jack having gone missing (via TARDIS). James Marsters (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) guest stars. Read more

Torchwood: A Day In The Death

TorchwoodBBC2 premieres the 21st episode of Russell T. Davies’ science fiction series Torchwood, a more adult-themed spinoff of Doctor Who. Freema Agyeman reprises her Doctor Who role as Martha Jones. Richard Briers guest stars. The episode marks the TV writing debut of Joseph Lidster, whose first professionally published Doctor Who-related work had been a script for a Big Finish audio play submitted during a Big Finish “new talent” contest in 2002. Read more

Sarah Jane Adventures action figures

Doctor Who action figuresBritish toymaker Character Options releases a wave of three action figure double-packs from the Doctor Who spinoff The Sarah Jane Adventures. Made in scale with the company’s popular range of Doctor Who toys, the spinoff characters do not sell well enough to justify the manufacture of a second series of figures. Read more

Torchwood: Exit Wounds

TorchwoodBBC2 airs the 26th episode of Russell T. Davies’ science fiction series Torchwood, a more adult-themed spinoff of Doctor Who. James Marsters guest stars. This episode wraps up the show’s second season, and is the final appearance of two of Torchwood’s long-standing members, Toshiko Sato and Owen Harper. Read more

Doctor Who: Partners In Crime

Doctor WhoThe 741st episode of Doctor Who (the 43rd since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. Kicking off the fourth season of the revived series, this episode brings back Catherine Tate’s character from The Runaway Bride (2006’s Christmas special episode) as the Doctor’s new companion. The season’s running theme – the return of Rose – is also introduced in this episode with a cameo appearance by Billie Piper, though fan sites have already reported her presence at location filming. Read more

Doctor Who: The Fires Of Pompeii

Doctor WhoThe 742nd episode of Doctor Who (the 44th since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. Peter Capaldi and Tracey Childs guest star, and future series star Karen Gillan makes an appearance (though not in the later role of Amy Pond). Read more