Tuesday 31 August 2010

Gatiss Writing For Series 6?

Richard Clark, who has signed on to direct for series 6 has tweeted this evening about a readthrough for a Gatiss penned script.

So far, Gatiss had not been confirmed as writing for the new series, but with this information it seems we will be getting another of his efforts.


He previously wrote Victory of the Daleks, The Idiots Lantern and The Unquiet Dead.

Are you happy with the thought of him being back on board? Let us know below.

To. Be. Continued!!!

With news that next years series will be split in half, with fans left on a cliffhanger for the months in between, our latest poll has been to find out if you think that this is a good thing, or if the stories should be wrapped up while the show is on hiatus.


35% of the people who voted said that ended the series on a cliffhanger would be a mistake and that they would like to have the stories neatly tied up for when the show goes off the air.

But 65% of the people who voted said that ended on a cliffhanger is a great idea, with it more likely to keep fans interested and wanting more, therefore more likely to tune in to the second half of the series in the Autumn.

Are these results what you expected? Let us know below.

Doctor Who Bloopers

The BBC aired a special bloopers show a wee while ago, and the guys over at Blogtor Who have compiled the Doctor Who sections into one place and uploaded it to Youtube. If you fancy a giggle, then have a watch of this:


Propping Up The Schedules

Some media outlets have been reporting what we all expected in regards to the split in the next series. That the BBC told moff it was happening, rather than him going along to tell them its what he wants.

What they are also saying, however, is that the BBC wanted to move the show, to help boost the ratings of Strictly Come Dancing, which last year too a hammering in the ratings.


While if this is fact, we will never officially know, it does bode well for the show that the BBC trusts its popularity enough to shift it around the schedules in an attempt to boost the ratings of other shows. Let's just hope that they see sense and move it back if the newer time slot doesnt work

Monday 30 August 2010

The Brand New Forum

In the last 2 months, this site has gone from strength to strength, and I want to keep making it bigger and more interactive for everyone, so today I have opened a brand new forum.

So far it has a number of sections, sub sections and threads, and there are 6 moderators in place, ready with batons and guard dogs. But now we want members too. This is where you come in.

Come and sign up, start some threads and topics, chat in the existing ones, and help us to make it grow and grow until it takes over the interweb.

Come and sign up at THE DOCTOR IN THE TARDIS and help make it huge

Changes To The Site

Since this blog started, it has been updated on a regular basis each day, but as of next week I will be changing jobs and so this won't be possible anymore with the exception of weekends. I mostly work through the wee hours, and so have been able to update throughout the days without any problems.

As most of you will know, I run the site single handedly. Because of the this, and the fact that I want to keep the site going and as updated as possible, it means all updates, polls, Hot Topics and quizzes will now be taking place in the evenings, rather than throughout the days as I have been doing up to now.

You will still get all the same great stuff that you have come to expect, except there won't be any updates throughout the day. I hope this won't mean that you will start looking elsewhere for your fix of Who news, but I thought it only right to let you know that it will now be a little quieter around here during the days.

The first change will start today. Our daily polls usually run from 1pm - 1pm, but because of the change, starting from this evening the polls will now run from 7pm - 7pm.

I want to keep this site running, and keep making it bigger and better, so please stick with it while we go through the change.

Also, a big thank you to everyone who checks the site out every day, chats to me on Twitter and keeps coming back for your Doctor Who updates.

The Split Debate

I have written the word 'split' more times in the last 24 hours than I have written my own name, and it doesnt seem like it will be stopping any time soon. The latest poll has been to find out what you all think about the idea, and you voted in the masses on this one. Here are the results:


15% of people who voted said that they are concerned that splitting the series in half (or cutting it down as we now know it to be) is a sign that all is not well behind the scenes on the show.

23% of the people who voted said that they dont like the idea of splitting the series in half, and would prefer to see a full run of 13 episodes, like previous series'.

29% of the people who voted said that they dont care how the episodes are shown, as long as they get the same amount each year.

But surprisingly, 33% of the people who cast a vote said they thought that splitting the series in half and showing it over a longer period was a good idea, and they would prefer that to one run of 13 episodes.

So there we have it. Are the results what you expected? Let us know below.

When Is A Split, Not A Split?

I literally just posted an article about how all may not be as it seems with this split series, but I already have an update. It seems despite what we are being told, series 6 is not being split in half, it has been cut in half. 2011 will play host to two half series of Doctor Who. Moffat had this to say:
“I kept referring to a mid-season finale. So we are going to make it two series – seven episodes at Easter building to an earth-shattering climax, a cliffhanger we could never normally do because it would be too long before it came back. An enormous game-changing cliffhanger that will change everything.

“The wrong expression would be to say we are splitting it in two. We are making it two separate series.”

So with that in mind, how does two shorter series as apposed to one long, split series sound?

More Series 6 Updates

Many news sources are jumping on the fact that at yesterdays television festival, Moffatt referred the second set of episodes shown next year as series 7.

Talking about the the cliffhanger at the end of the first set of episodes to air, Moff said that it would not be resolved until they came back for series 7, putting more fuel to the rumours that the series six hasnt been split in half, but has been halved itself. If this is true, it could mean that from 2012 we could be getting just one series of 6 or 7 episodes.


In other news, Moffat hinted that we wont be seeing the Daleks next year, as has previously been rumoured, saying, "There will be a Dalek story when we've got a good idea for a Dalek story. When that happens, there will be lots of different kinds of Daleks."

It has previously been rumoured that the Daleks will be absent from Series 6 and held back until the 2011 Christmas Special.

We've Won An Award

The site has been up and running for less than two months but it seems we are making waves and getting noticed because yesterday we won our first ever award.

The guys over at Tardis Travels hold an annual awards event to honour Doctor Who related blogs. There are usually 4 awards handed out each time, and this site was given the award for Most Updated Site. We didnt win the big one for best blog, but once I have had the owner of that winning site killed, it should be in the bag for next year.

Sunday 29 August 2010

The Day That Changed Series 6

The news that series 6 is to be split in to two halves seems to have caused a lot of debate amongst the fans, and with the amount of messages I have received so far, I thought it best to address it in a post rather than squeezing all the pro's and cons into 140 characters.

The main concerns people seem to be having is worries that the show may be suffering behind the scenes. We have been assured that the decision was Moffats and that it is part of a larger plan to make Series 6 even bigger and better, but is this really the case?

Doctor Who has handled so many cliffhangers over the years, but putting a 4 month gap between them was never needed. We will no doubt never find out the real reason behind the split, but the news that Moffat just trundled up to the head honcho's over at the BBC and said he wanted to split the series in two for the sake of a cliffhanger just doesnt seem to sit right.

It has been rumoured for a while now that the BBC want to move Doctor Who to an Autumn schedule, and this move could be paving the way and testing the waters, and see how it works in a new slot at a later time of year, but is it really needed? Or for that matter, is it really wanted?

Todays poll is to find out what people think about the split, but so far the comments I have been receiving are not reflecting the votes. It seems most people who have tweeted me are worried about what is going on behind the scenes, and they could have good reason.

After series 5 aired, the press were quick to jump on the show and say it was failing. Ratings took a mid season dip, as they have done every year since the show came back, but what they werent so keen to report on was the record braking HD and iPlayer ratings, which saw episodes of Doctor Who become the highest viewed show on both platforms, evening out the ratings so that they were on par with the rest of the series'.

Most fans were disgruntled with the show constantly jumping around the schedules and felt that that had a detrimental effect on the show. It also faced stiff competition from the Rugby, World Cup and Britains Got Talent. But would moving it to the Autumn mean it is more readily available to a wider audience? Taking into account the BBC usually runs Merlin in its Saturday Autumn slot, with X Factor dominating the ITV weekend schedules, is there room for Doctor Who in the Autumn?


But what about the fans? What do we get out of a split series, Spring/Autumn slot, that we dont already get? The pros to this, as Moffat has stated, is that we never have to wait more than a few months before we get a fix of new Who. The plans so far, as I understand it, are that the show will air April-May, September-October and then at Christmas. We arent losing out on the number of episodes that we get to see overall, and we have less of a wait between episodes. That has to be a good thing.

The worry with this though, is that many people are feeling that this will pave the way for an eventual cut of the series down to 6 episodes. There is so much talk recently of license fee cuts, BBC takeovers and whatever else, that perhaps the integrity of the show and the quality of the episodes can only be maintained in the long run with shorter series runs? Obviously if that happens it wont be until at least 2012, but it is something that fans are worrying that this is being set up for.

Another downside to the split series is that Moffat seems to have a major plot line in mind that will obviously need to be addressed in shorter spaces of time. Does this mean then, that we will lose those great mid season adventure episodes such as Vincent and the Doctor, that don't fit directly into the overall series arc? Is this a compromise worth making? Should Doctor Who become more like Children of Earth in format? Of course there is nothing stopping the team putting in these stand alone episodes, but in a series that will comprise of 7/6 episode slots, would they just stick out like a sore thumb?

But what of the pros? Doctor Who is one of the BBC's flagship shows, and also one of its biggest earners, both domestically and abroad. It is unlikely that they are planning on putting this cash cow out to pasture just yet. Despite the 'official' reasons that have been given, I have every faith that for whatever reason the BBC and Moffat have made this choice, it is to secure the future of the franchise.

An Autumn move could see a considerable rise in figures, and in turn revenue for the show. Darker nights and higher audience shares in the Autumn/Winter slots are common, and if the BBC can avoid a scheduling disaster this could prove to be a winning move for the show which means we get to keep it on our screens for even longer. The BBC dont advertise, so they dont make money off of the number of people who watch, but a higher audience share means that overseas sales and merchandise income is likely to rise along with it. if this is the case, then the BBC will want to keep it going for as long as possible.

Many people have felt that a split series will keep the show fresh. Keeping interest and momentum running for 13 weeks among general viewers is no easy task, but cutting the series in half and showing it twice in a year is an easy way of keeping the fans wanting more. Little and often, as they say.

Whatever the split series means for the show, and whether it will be a one off, happen every year or just there to ease a transition to an Autumn slot, for now I think it is safe to say that the show is in no danger. Tides can turn quickly and circumstances change often, but with production on series 7 already in the pipeline as well as the move to the new BBC Drama Village in 2012, it would seem that in whatever format, the show is here to stay for at least another few series. What format and schedule that may take though is anyones guess. It is worth asking though to those who are unsure or unwelcoming of a move to the Autumn or a split series, if it is worth the hassle if it means that we all get to keep our favourite show on the air that little bit longer into the future.

Children In Need First Showings Poll

In years gone by, the Children In Need event has been host to specially filmed mini episodes and trailers that have seen all us Who junkies through until Christmas, but this year so far there has been no news that we will be getting either, so in our latest poll we have been asking you whether you would prefer to see a specially filmed insert, or a first look at the Christmas trailer. Here are the results.

6% of people who voted said that they would like to see a trailer for Xmas. Last year we didnt get the trailer, but we were privvy to a special screening of the first few minutes of The End Of Time.

44% of the people who cast a vote said they were happy to see either, just as long as they got to see something.

But just heading up the poll, with 50% of the votes were the people who said that they would like to see a specially filmed scene or mini episode screened at the event this year.


As yet nothing has been announced that we will get either, but we can live in hope. Two specially filmed scenes have been made to be featured on the Series 5 box set however.

Moffat Talks Season Split

Talking this morning to the Edinburgh International Television Festival, Steven Moffat had this to say about the news of Series 6 airing in two parts in the UK.
“The split series is hugely exciting because viewers will be treated to two premieres, two finales and more event episodes. For the kids it will never be more than a few months to the next Doctor Who! Easter, Autumn, Christmas!!”

The main point of this is to highlight his mention of a Christmas Special. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the later transmission could have meant that we no longer got a special, but it seems that plans are still afoot.

Moff is usually quite coy about releasing any information before he absolutely has to, so for him to mention a Christmas Special next year could possibly mean it has already been commissioned, which of course would be great news if true.

Karen GIllen Talks Christmas Specials and Beyond

While at the signing of her very own action figure in Glasgow yesterday, Karen Gillen gave little hints about her future in the show and what to expect from the Christmas Special this year.

Speaking of the Christmas episode she said:
“We’ve finished the Christmas special so that’s all in the can and it’s a good one. It’s really funny but it’s also heartbreaking and you get a glimpse into Amy and Rory’s honeymoon, which is an interesting one.

“There’s a really, really scary monster in the Christmas special.”


And when probed on whether she will be on the show beyond series 6, she added:
“Who knows? I’m just taking it series by series and I’m just having fun. So, I don’t know. I have no idea.”

Doctor Who Series 6 Split In Half

It has been announced this morning that the next series of Doctor Who is to air in two seperate parts throughout 2011.

After speculation that the show will be returning in the Autumn rather than the Spring, Steven Moffat this morning revealed it will be on at both times.

The BBC released a statement saying
"The split transmission is the result of a request from Steven Moffat to write a new Doctor Who story arc which involves a big plot twist in the middle of the series. By splitting the series Moffat plans to give viewers one of the most exciting Doctor Who cliffhangers and plot twists ever, leaving them waiting, on the edge of their seats, until the autumn to find out what happens."

So far, there is no word about whether or not the BBC themselves had any hand in the decision, and it is as yet unknown where this would leave a possible Christmas special for 2011, though it is rumoured that this split season is to ease us into a full transition to Autumn scheduling for 2012.

What do you think of this idea? Is it a good one, or does it make you worried? Let us know below.

Saturday 28 August 2010

The SJA Poll

With the newest series of The Sarah Jane Adventures about to debut in the next few weeks, we have been asking you to vote and let us know if you will be watching. The results are in, and here they are.

4% of people who voted said that they hated the show and would be watching under no circumstances.

6% of people who voted said that they would wait until they are able to buy or download it before they watched

12% of people said they would view it if they catch it, but would not go out of their way to sit down and watch

30% of people said that they will probably tune in for the story featuring the Doctor and Jo Grant, but no others

But 48% of voters said that they love the show and can't wait for it to start, saying they never miss an episode if they can help it



The new series of The Sarah Jane Adventures starts this autumn on CBBC.

Doctor Who Goes International

In news that will no doubt excite Doctor Who fans around the world, BBC Director General Mark Thompson has spoken at the Edinburgh International Television Festival and revealed that the corporation is aiming to launch an international version of the BBC iPlayer within the next year.

The plans will have to get the go ahead from the BBC Trust, but if approved it would allow viewers around the world to watch BBC programmes, including Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, within a week or so of their transmission in the UK, instead of waiting up to 6 months in some countries.


Obviously a downside to this is that with it being available online so soon after original transmission, there could be a decline in veiwership around the world when it airs on television, so some restrictions may apply.

How do you feel about this news? Let us know below.

Friday 27 August 2010

Classic Baddie Figures

Forbidden Planet have some great new classic baddies for you to play with. Or leave in the box while glaring scarily at anyone who dares to touch. This time we have a Mummy from The Pyramids of Mars, Morbius from The Brain of Morbius and Cybers from Revenge of the Cybermen.



The Cybermen are available to preorder now priced at £29.99 and the other figures are available straight away at £8.49 each.

Taking Over Tesco's

As promotion for the upcoming live tour of Doctor Who, the BBC has teamed up with Tesco for a monster extraganza which could see you being deleted while shopping for your beans. Visitors to selected stores will be able to see the Cybermen, Ood, Silurian and Clockwork Robot roaming around the isles.


If you happen to shop at any of these stores then you might just get a surprise. Alternatively, if Tesco isnt your supermarket of choice, go there anyway to see the mosters, but just dont buy anything.

31st August - 4-6pm
Redditch Tesco Extra, Coldfield Drive, Redditch, Worcestershire

1st September - 4-6pm
Nottingham Tesco Extra, Nottingham Top Valley, Top Valley Drive, Nottinghamshire, NG5 9DD

2nd September - 4-6pm
Chesterfield Tesco Extra, Lockeford Lane, Chesterfield, Derbyshire

3rd September - 4-6pm
Stockport Tesco Extra, Tiviot Way, Stockport, Great Manchester, SK1 2BT

4th September - 4-6pm
Southport Tesco Extra, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 5JH

5th September - 2-4pm
Glasgow Silverburn Extra, Barrhead Road, Glasgow, G53 6QR

7th September - 4-6pm
Knocknagoney Road Tesco Extra Knocknagoney Road, Belfast, Co Antrim, BT4 2PW

TARDIS Review

After two brilliant games released over the last few months by the BBC, TARDIS had a lot to live up to. The thought of a game set entirely in the Doctors Time Travelling machine was one that got many people excited, and knowing it was being written by James Moran, who wrote episodes for the series including The Fires of Pompeii upped the anti even more. So it pains me to say that TARDIS is a MASSIVE dissapointment.

After a big build up, and with all the promise and story that could be used, TARDIS was both thin on plot and pretty nonsensical. I will start with an overview of the game, then explain my reasoning.

TARDIS starts off with the Doctor being sucked out of the tardis in a riptide in time and space. You start the game off playing as Amy, who needs to find her way to the Drawing Room to find components for a tractor beam that will bring the doctor back on board. While on her hunt, she breaks a vase containing The Entity, who plans to feed on Amy's history in order to survive.

After rescuing the Doctor, a burst of energy seperates the Doctor and Amy, meaning they are both inside the TARDIS, but a thousand years apart. It is at this point that you take over as the Doctor to find components that will help get a message to Amy in the future, in order to get her to push a button to bring them back together.

Flip back to playable Amy where you have to answer a Doctor Who themed quiz in order to activate the message left by the Doctor in the past. Once the button is pressed and Amy and the Doctor are back together, The Entity appears. The Doctor reasons with it to stop feeding on Amy, to which it eventually obliges, and you then have to start the TARDIS and dematerialise.

The end of the game sees you land in the 23rd century after the Great Flood of London. The Doctor and Amy are in a tunnel, akin to those at Sea World, where an alien like whale swims by before it cuts to the credits. This is probably, though not deffinately, a lead in to the fourth and final game.

James Moran wrote the script for the game and it seems he had a potential good idea before deciding to make it as plain and unexciting as possible. Instead of writing a plot that would make sense and draw the player in, he stuffed it full of technobabble and gumph in what appears to be a thinly veiled attempt to disguise the fact that the plot made no sense at all and offered little in the way of gameplay. It seems that his idea for the villain was potentially a great one, but with no idea how to introduce it and with no attempt to tell us anything about it, he wrapped a nonsensical story around it just for the sake of having it appear. You dont even get to interact with it as a player. No fighting or outsmarting. Nothing. The only interaction is during movie mode where the Doctor has a bit of a chinwag with it.

The Entity, as it is known, is a glowing orange orb that eats a persons history. But that is all we know. Don't get me wrong, a little bit of mystery is always a good thing, but for the main protagonist of the game, something that is coming from inside the TARDIS itself, we should at least know where the Doctor got it from, why he had it, how long for etc. Add to that the fact that all it really does is make Amy glow a little bit, and the whole point of it becomes, well, pointless. You dont even get to outwit it or fight it or anything. The Doctor just talks it into not sucking Amy's history away. Yippee! We win!

As for the bits in between, well they don't really add to the game and they dont do anything for the plot. Having several ideas for a plot and then hammering them together does not a good game make. The usual puzzles are there, but nothing that we havent already seen before, and the few weak ideas that are in place do nothing for proper game play. Nothing to fight. Nothing to work out. Nothing to keep you awake. You literally run between two rooms for 90% of the game picking up objects and setting them back down somewhere else, and the bits of the game that could have been really interesting, were played out for you in movie mode.

I felt myself becoming frequently frustrated by the small scale of the game, and running around only to find myself back where I started. Unlike the previous games where the plots were constantly advancing and you were in and out of rooms, avoiding attacks and taking out bad guys, this game seemed more suited to very young children. The biggest adventure either character has is matching up the blue and yellow wires on the console.


I cannot begin to tell you how dissapointed I am with the whole interior of the TARDIS. I realise games like this arent cheap to make, but the whole thing was small and squashed as compactly as possible. We are offered at least 4 different stairways to adventure down, but only one actually takes you somewhere. The rest lead right back to the console. I would have been happy with a broom cupboard. Anything else, but they let a great opportunity pass them by.

The Drawing room is nicely realised, and it is full of artifacts that the Doctor has picked up across many years and incarnations, but there is so little to do in there that it makes the additional room seem a little pointless. Depsite the Doctor giving Amy directions to and from it, you just appear in the room without so much as a hint of corridor to explore, which is very frustrating (moreso when you go up and down the wrong stairs and end up back where you started).

The controls this time around seemed harder to navigate than before. This is made worse by the fact that there is hardly any room to move. The area around the console is so tightly packed that it is hard to get around it, which is more of a pain when you are on a timed challenge to start the TARDIS. The characters this time though seemed more clumsy. Despite how softly you try to manouvre them, they still bumped into things, went faster/further than they should etc. This wouldnt be so bad if the camera angles wouldnt switch at the slightest movement, making interaction with objects that much more difficult.

The challenges within this game are pretty much the same as the others. You have a coloured wire one (again), an electrical maze (again) and one where you move levers (again), though at least the levers are on the TARDIS, which makes it look a little different.

One new challenge in this game however is the quiz. Ten questions covering the TV series from 1963 through 2010. Unless you have reasonably good knowledge of the show, it is worth going around and reading all the trivia, because they hold all the answers to the questions. The questions themselves are pretty basic, but people without knowledge of the classic series could get stuck here, and if you get an answer wrong it sends you back to the beginning and you have to start all over again, though its the same questions every time.

The final challenge is a timed one. The Doctor has only 60 seconds to launch the TARDIS and you have to guess the right buttons to press and levers to pull. Its relatively simple but for the fact that with the squashed in space it is hard to run around to the different areas of the console, and the moving camera angles mean that even if you are stood in the right place, it might not register that you need to use the console and so you have to move around to get it just right. It took me three tries before I could finally do it.

There arent many collectables this time around. I picked up 4, but I could have missed some. Captain Jack, The First Doctor, Nasreen and a licorice jellybaby were the ones I found.

TARDIS dissapoints on so many levels, which in itself is really disspointing. Unlike its two predecessors, this game lacks the adventure, excitement and mystery that made the others so fun. The plot is so thin it could tear at any minute, and by the end of it I felt quite cheated. It was done and over with in 25 minutes, which is considerably shorter than the other games, and by the end I was left wondering why I had bothered. There was no sense of achievement in it at all. I really hoped that I would be writing a glowing review that would make people want to play, but the most exciting thing about this game was the lead in for the next game, which filled up 30 seconds at the end. The story was weak, the TARDIS was wasted, the enemy was pointless and the whole thing seemed like a rushed, jumbled mess that a fan could have made, and done a better job of. James Moran lets himself down with a barely there plot, excess techno babble and a bad script. I only hope that the next game delivers more in the way of gameplay and enjoyability because I doubt I would play this one again. TARDIS gets 3/10 from me.

Introducing The Doctor

Over the last 47 years there have been eleven Doctors, all with distinct personalities and varying degrees of popularity. But all of them had to start somewhere and so our latest poll has been to find out who has the best introductory story. Here are the results:

The Twin Dilemma got 0% of the votes (Sixth Doctor)
Time and the Rani got 0% of the votes (Seventh Doctor)
Robot got 1% of the votes (Fourth Doctor)
The Power of the Daleks got 2% of the votes (Second Doctor)
Spearhead From Space got 4% of the votes (Third Doctor)
Doctor Who TVM got 6% of the votes (Eighth Doctor)
Castrovalva got 7% of the votes (Fifth Doctor)
Rose got 12% of the votes (Ninth Doctor)
An Unearthly Child got 13% of the votes (First Doctor)
The Christmas Invasion got 15% of the votes (Tenth Doctor)

But winning this round, with 40% of the total votes cast is The Eleventh Hour, the first story of Series 5 which introduced the Eleventh Doctor.


The Doctor has regenerated into a brand new man, but danger strikes before he can even recover. With the TARDIS wrecked, and the sonic screwdriver destroyed, the new Doctor has just 20 minutes to save the whole world - and only Amy Pond to help him.

TARDIS Trailer

For those of you not downloading the game yet, or unsure if it is worth it, here is a trailer for you to have a gander at.


Thursday 26 August 2010

TARDIS Extras

TARDIS, the third of the Adventure games is being released tomorrow, and those lovely people over at the BBC have released some goodies to tide us over until then.


First up is a mini story written by James Moran. You can find that HERE

Then once you have had a read through that, you can have a nosey at these SCREENSHOTS, one of which is above.

And if after all that you still havent filled up on Who, then wrap your peepers around these wallpapers.

That's your lot though. Santa's sack is empty for now.

Doctor Who Awards


There is still time to put your nominations forward for our first ever Doctor Who Awards. Below is information about the catagories and how to put forward your votes.

What we are doing?
On September 15th 2010 we will be holding The First Annual TARDIS Spoilers Doctor Who Awards. This is mainly just for fun, but it is great to get all the readers involved, and because the winners of each catagory will be chosen and voted for by you, it is your chance to make your winners shine. Who needs a BAFTA, when you have one of our awards?

The Awards
There are 11 basic catagories to vote in. Some of these have been split into sections between New Series and Classic Series as some people felt that the new series was at an unfair advantage and it gives the chance for people who are specifically Old/New fans to have their say and get the results they want.

The catagories are:

Best Doctor (New)
Best Doctor (Classic)
Best Companion (New)
Best Companion (Classic)
Best Story (New)
Best Story (Classic)
Best Guest/Recurring Character
Best Villain
Best Spinoff
Best Audio Story
Best Book (Fiction/Non Ficton)

We have had over a hundred responses so far, but we still want more. Voting will close on September 13th and you can vote by either emailing your choices to

thedoctorinthetardis @ hotmail.co.uk

or by DMing your choices to me via Twitter. Don't waste time, get those votes in now.

The Big Old Movie Debate

After lots of recent rumours of Hollywood movies it seemed only fitting that we do a poll to find out whether the fans as a whole would be down with this. The results arent what I expected, but were interesting nonetheless. Here they are:

11% of the people who voted said that they would like to see a Doctor Who Movie made, but would prefer to have it done with a cast different to the one currently starring on the show. Eccleston and Tennant were both mentioned, as were Hollywood stars such as Ewan McGregor and Orlando Bloom.

34% of people said that although they would be happy with a movie being made, they would only really want to see whoever the current cast is starring in it. No old Doctors, not big Hollywood names, just whoever the current Doctor and companion is when making it.


55% of you however, said that it doesnt matter who makes it, writes it, or stars in it, it just shouldnt be made. the majority of people who tweeted us said that they were happy with the TV show and that that was enough, with a film not needing to be made. Many also felt it would just be a money making operation and would compromise the show.

Do you agree with these results? Let us know below!

Some Series 6 Casting

According to her online CV, Sophie Cosson will be appearing in an episode of Doctor Who for Series 6, though as yet we have no idea which one or what it will be called. How helpful is that, eh?


Up to now, Sophies work has been mainly stage and radio, and she has appeared in The Archers, Much Ado about Nothing and Tie A Yellow Ribbon. She will be appearing in a Richard Clark directed episode as a character names Julie

Revisitations Cover Art Details

2|entertain, via their twitter feed @ClassicDW, have revealed the cover art for the Revisitations boxset, due for release on October 4th. It is different from any that has come before it, but as I am awful at describing things, you should see and decide for yourself.


For a full outline of what to expect from the set check out our earlier article.

It has also been announced that there are two more Revisitations box sets scheduled for release starting next year, featuring more re-released and remastered classics.

The Mara Tales 2011

A few people have asked me about a release of Kinda on DVD, so here is some information. Not much is known so far other than a release is expected in early 2011.

The release of Kinda will be in a boxset called The Mara Tales, and it will be accompanied by its later sequal, Snakedance. At the moment there is not much more to be known, but there is a trailer that has been released which you can watch here.



The video belongs to @ClassicDW so credit to them.

Doctor Who Live Actor Revealed

It has been announced that Nigel Planer, who is probably best known to most people as Neil the Hippy in The Young Ones, is to take the main role in the new live-action Doctor Who tour.


Planer will play a character called Vorgensen, a travelling showman who carries the story. The overall plot of the shows has been revealed also.

The character apparantly journeys the galaxy spreading tales of the Doctor's exploits and using his "minimiser" gadget he can conjure up any of the Time Lord's foes for his audience.

The tour begins on October 8th at Wembley Arena. Do you like the sound of this? Let us know below.

Wednesday 25 August 2010

Directors Revealed For Series 6

Michael Pickwoad, the new production designer for series 6 of Doctor Who has updated his online CV, and perhaps mistakenly, revealed two of the directors for the forthcoming series of the show.

The first is Adam Smith, who recently directed The Eleventh Hour and Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone.

The Second, Richard Clark, will be returning to the directors chair for the first time since Series 3, where he directed Gridlock and The Lazarus Experiment.

To check the CV of Michael Pickwoad click HERE and to check out where I found this information, check out RADIOFREESKARO

Matt & Karen Talk About Their Prefect TARDIS

Following on from the short clip released earlier featuring Karen Gillan talking about TARDIS, the BBC have released another video, this time including Matt Smith talking about their perfect TARDIS and what they would like to see in it.

Thanks to @hannahcole93

Doctor Who TV Movie Gets North American Release

Dan Hall, who works for 2|entertain, has announced today that the 1996 TV Movie, starring Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, will be released on DVD in North America "within 12 months".


It has taken a while, but the rights to the story have now been secured for home release in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, who will be getting the updated version of the movie, with extras, that will be released on the Revisitations Box Set next month in the UK.

The Doctor Who Proms Given Air Date

Lots of you have asked me about when the Doctor Who Proms will be shown on TV, and in news that should excite the masses, the Radio Times now have it listed.


Doctor Who at the Proms 2010 is due to shown accross the UK on Monday 6th September at 8:30pm on BBC3. The show will run for one hour and will be repeated on Tuesday 7th September 2:45 in the morning on BBC3.

Christmas Special Teaser Trailer

It is only a fan made trailer, but the quality is excellent and it got me all kinds of excited for the Christmas Special, so I thought I would share it with you all.



What do you think? Does it get you excited for the Christmas Special? Let us know below.
Thanks to TardisNewsroom

The Viewing Habits Poll

For the last 24 hours, we have been asking you whether or not you are an avid viewer of Doctor Who as a whole, or whether you are only a fan of the revival series. Many people felt that the bias towards new Who was as a result of people not being familiar with the classic series, so in an attempt to find out who watches what, here are our resutls.

38% of people who voted have said that they are only really fans of the shows revival, with many people tweeting us to say they either werent born, or were too young to remember the original series, and despite loving the revival, arent too bothered about catching up on the older stuff.

62% of the people who have voted however, say that they are fans of both the classic and new series, with most people tweeting to say they regularly watch both, and lots also claiming that they prefer the classic series on the whole.


So there we have it. Do these results surprise you? Let us know below.

Karen Gillan Talks TARDIS

The official BBC website has been updated to include a (very) short video of Karen Gillan explaining what is to come with the newest release in the Adventure Games line.

In it she describes a little about the game, what to expect and what the player can do. I cant say much more because the video is so short that it wont be worth watching if I give it all away.



TARDIS is available to download from Friday.

Tuesday 24 August 2010

Nintendo Games Update

After I posted yesterday about the game releases and names, I have finally found some more information, so here we go.

The games will have different names, but they will be totally different games, as apposed to the same plot as first thoguht. The DS game, Evacuation Earth has the following full synopsis:
The Doctor and Amy arrive at the Lake District to watch the humans leave the planet. Suddenly the TARDIS gets lifted from them and bolted onto the evacuation ship. They have to make their way onto the ship before it leaves.

As the ship launches it has technical problems and they realise the Silurians have built a ship underneath. The Doctor finds a solution to make the ship work.

Suddenly the Dalek ship smashes into the human one and splits the Silurian half off. It’s the Dalek ship that chased the Time Axis into the sun – they weren’t destroyed, they actually made a random jump several hundred years into the past.

The Daleks are pleased that they can exact revenge on the Doctor but first they make him fix their ship. The Doctor goes along with their plan but tricks them into bolting the TARDIS onto their ship, which he promptly jumps into and uses to fling them into the nearest black hole.

The synopsis posted in yesterdays article HERE is the one for the Wii game.

The Russell T Davies Poll

With Russell T Davis back at the helm of Torchwood Series 4, and having completed his script for The Sarah Jane Adventures, in our latest poll we wanted to know if you would like to see him return to pen a story or two of Doctor Who. Here are the results.

13% of people said that they dont care who writes the stories, just as long as they get some more great episodes of the show. Many people on Twitter said there were usually unaware of who wrote each episode.

36% of the people who cast their votes said that they felt that Russell T Davies' time had been and gone, and would not like to see him return for a stint on the show any time soon.

51% of you however, said that you would love to see him return to write a story for the show, with many people claiming that his stories and characterisations are far superior to what we have seen recently, while others made no comparisons but said they simply love his work


Moffat has previously stated that he has asked RTD to write a story on several occasions, and although he has always refused, hopes he will do it at some point in the future.

So do you agree with these results? Let us know below.

Meglos Coming to DVD

The guys over at the BBFC who classify and give ratings on movies and tv shows, have added onto their website the Doctor Who season 18 serial Meglos.

As yet, there is no release date for the serial, but with the classification it is safe to say that we will be seeing the release sometime in the next few months, hopefully in time for Christmas.


Meglos was the second story of Season 18, and was first broadcast between 27 September and 18th October 1980. Alongside Tom Baker as the Doctor it stars Lalla Ward as Romana and John Leeson as the Voice of K9. The story also saw the return of the actress who played Barbara Wright, one of the original companions in Doctor Who, Jacqueline Hill, who played Lexa in the story. It is the last Season 18 story to make it onto DVD.

Monday 23 August 2010

Doctor Who Comes To The Nintendo Wii & DS

Information about the brand new Doctor Who games that will be available on the Nintendo Wii and DS has finally been released.


The game, although the same on both platforms, will go under the name Evacuation Earth on the DS and Return to Earth on the Wii. Here is a synopsis:
The Doctor and Amy arrive on a human colony ship returning to Earth after is was rendered uninhabitable by solar flares. Withour Provocation, they are attacked by the ships maintenance robots and become seperated in the struggle.

The Doctor is led to the ship's HQ where he discovers a Cyber Leader has connected himself to the ships AI and is blackmailing it into doing his bidding, or else he will kill the crew. Meanwhile, Amy is ambushed by the Cybermen that were hiding in the ships.

Doctor Who: Return to Earth will be avilable on both formats from October 29th with an RRP of £34.99

This comes from The Ultimate Doctor Who Site, and they dont have a source, so take it with a pinch of salt in case it is completely fabricated. I only say this because I cant find anything else mentioned anywhere, but thought it was worth mentioning just in case.

The Return of the Daleks Poll

With the rumours that the Daleks may be rested for the duration of Series 6, then used for the 2011 Christmas Special, our latest poll was to find out whether you would like to see this put into practice. For the last 24 you have been voting and here are the results.

9% of people who voted said that they thought the Daleks should make an appearance every year, and would hope that they are also appearing in series 6.

19% of people said they didnt mind either way, and were happy to have them or not have them in the next series.


But a massive 72% of the people who voted felt that the Daleks had become tired and resting them for series 6 would be a good idea. Most people felt that the impact they used to have has been undermined by their constant reappearances.

Do you agree with these results? Let us know below

Doctor Who Awards


There is still time to put your nominations forward for our first ever Doctor Who Awards. Below is information about the catagories and how to put forward your votes.

What we are doing?
On September 15th 2010 we will be holding The First Annual TARDIS Spoilers Doctor Who Awards. This is mainly just for fun, but it is great to get all the readers involved, and because the winners of each catagory will be chosen and voted for by you, it is your chance to make your winners shine. Who needs a BAFTA, when you have one of our awards?

The Awards
There are 11 basic catagories to vote in. Some of these have been split into sections between New Series and Classic Series as some people felt that the new series was at an unfair advantage and it gives the chance for people who are specifically Old/New fans to have their say and get the results they want.

The catagories are:

Best Doctor (New)
Best Doctor (Classic)
Best Companion (New)
Best Companion (Classic)
Best Story (New)
Best Story (Classic)
Best Guest/Recurring Character
Best Villain
Best Spinoff
Best Audio Story
Best Book (Fiction/Non Ficton)

We have had over a hundred responses so far, but we still want more. Voting will close on September 13th and you can vote by either emailing your choices to

thedoctorinthetardis @ hotmail.co.uk

or by DMing your choices to me via Twitter. Don't waste time, get those votes in now.

Your Very Own Matt Smith and Karen Gillan

Forbidden Planet are offering you the chance to wake up to Matt Smith every morning with your very own life size cut out of the Doctor. And if you dont fancy that, then how about a life size Amy Pond instead?


The cutouts can be purchased from the Forbidden Planet Website for £29.99 and are available now.

K-9 Is Coming

As many of you may know, after a bust up with Sarah Jane Smith over who should clean up the doggy mess left in her back garden, K9 packed his bags and moved to Australia, where after falling in with a bad crowd and a few Tequila's too many, he had a facelift, liposuction and implants before finding himself a backstreet agent and eventually getting his own show.

Reaction has been mixed to the new look, the stories, the actors, the acting and just about everything about the show, but that wasnt enough to put off Channel 5 who bought the rights to show it in the UK, and now that Series One is over, you can now buy the set on DVD.


The set is available from September 29th with an RRP of £24.99

Sunday 22 August 2010

Your Series 5 Ratings

It's been two months since the end of Series 5. Its gone so fast. But after all that time for viewing after viewing after viewing, in the latest poll we wanted to know how the series was holding up and how you rate it, so here are the results.

1/5 Such a massive dissapointment - 2% of the people who voted went with this option and feel that series 5 didnt live up to the hype surrounding it.

2/5 A few good bits, but mainly dissapointing - 11% of the people who voted went for this option. Main highlights from some tweeters included Vincent and the Doctor

3/5 Not bad, not great - 9% of the voters chose this option, feeling that there was little consistency within the series.

4/5 Very near to perfection - 50% of all voters felt that this series was very near perfection. The Daleks and River Song seemed to be the downpoints for many viewers.

5/5 Best new series so far - 28% of voters gave series five full marks and said that it was the best series since the show was revived in 2005/


So it seems that the majority of people were really happy with series 5, despite press reports which would have you believe that the fans hated it and were switching off in their millions. Thank goodness we held this poll to put things straight.

Do you agree with the results? Let us know

A Rest For The Daleks?

There are some whispers from various people that The Daleks will be missing from the entirity of Series 6, to stop them feeling overused.

The Daleks, which have appeared at least once in every series since the shows return, underwent a makeover for series 5 which caused many fans to speak out to say they hated the new look and were tired of seeing them so often.


It seems though that perhaps the production team are feeling the same, because if rumours are to be believed we won't be seeing them again for over a year, when they return in explosive style for the 2011 Christmas Special.

As always, if I dont have proof of something then I advise you to take these rumours with a pinch of salt for the time being, but with all this in mind, how would you feel about a Dalek-less Series 6? Let us know below or via Twitter.

More TARDIS Updates

Yesterday we revealed to you about the release of the newest game in the Adventure Games range, which is to be called TARDIS, and today courtesy of the BBC we can give you another little teaser about the plot.
With the TARDIS stuck in a riptide, and the Doctor sucked into space, Amy Pond must explore the secrets of the time machine in order to restore normality. The adventure will uncover the secrets of the TARDIS, unveil two brand new monsters - and allow players to pilot the TARDIS themselves.


It sounds like we the players, will be exploring the TARDIS as Amy and seeing things together for the first time. We know there will be at least one other room to explore, but there are whispers of there being several more.

The game is available from August 27th.

Saturday 21 August 2010

Series 6 Script Extract

Neil Gaiman has announced via his BLOG that the readthrough for his episode of series 6 will be taking place next Tuesday 31st August, and as a little teaser he has posted an extract of the script. The sad news however, is that it has been cut. It's better than a kick up the backside though, eh?
AMY
Is it something people can eat?
(to Doctor)
Shouldn’t you scan it with your screwdriver or something?


THE DOCTOR
Why would I scan food with my screwdriver?


AMY
See if it’s safe?


The Doctor leans over, dips his finger into his bowl, tastes it.


THE DOCTOR
Some unusual trace elements, smidge too much background radiation, but, yeah, very yummy.


Amy is about to try some of his food... he stops her.


THE DOCTOR (cont’d)
No. Don’t put it in your mouth.


AMY
Not for humans?


THE DOCTOR
Not for you. Tastes like Marmite on socks.

Interesting conversation. How does that sound to you? Let us know below

SJA Series 4 Novelisations Announced

BBC Books have announced the release of two brand new novelisations based around two serials of The Sarah Jane Adventures Series Four.

The first book is called The Nightmare Man, which will be the first serial in the new series. It is written by Jospeh Lidster, who also scripted the episodes.

The second book is called Death of the Doctor and is novelised by Gary Russell (Russell T Davies wrote the episodes). This book features the Doctor and Jo Grant and is based around the third story of the new series.


The books are due for release on 4th November and have an RRP of £4.99 each. The new series is expected to start next month on CBBC

The Adventure Games Poll

With news of the release of the third in the Doctor Who Adventure Games yesterday, our daily poll was to find out which of the previous two was the most popular. I have to close this poll a little early today, but the votes have been counted, and here are the results.

35% of the votes went to the first game in the range, City of the Daleks.

But 65% of your felt that the second game, Blood of the Cybermen, was the best of the two.


The third game in the range, TARDIS, will be made available from 27th August in the UK.

Friday 20 August 2010

First Picture From The Christmas Special

Earlier this evening, Matt Smith and Karen Gillen appeared on the BBC's The One Show, and the the main body of the interview was spoiler free, we now at least have our first picture from the Christmas Special. Ive been trying to post it for an hour, but something has been up with the site and I couldnt get on. Anyways, better late than never.


What do you think then? Excitement levels raised?

Jago & Litefoot Series 2 Comfirmed With Titles

Big Finish has announced that the second series of Jago and Litefoot will be released in January 2011 and will be featuring four brand new adventures, in which the duo investigates more goings on in Victorian London.

Christopher Benjamin returns as Jago with Trevor Baxter as Professor Litefoot. Also starring is Conrad Asquith as Sergeant Quick and Lisa Bowerman as Ellie, while David Collings joins the cast as Gabriel Sanders.
“Jago and Litefoot have gone their separate ways!” announces producer David Richardson. “And Jago isn’t happy about this at all…

The first in the series is called Litefoot and Sanders and is written by Justin Richards. In it, Professor Litefoot teams with new sleuthing partner Gabriel Sanders, as they pursue the perpetrator of a number of sinister murders.
“When we came to cast the third part of this friendship triangle, we considered a number of great character actors. We set our heart on David Collings - and we were thrilled when he said yes.”

The second story called The Necropolis Express by Mark Morris, which centres on strange events in a remote graveyard. Renowned actor Vernon Dobtcheff guest stars as Reuben Mord.


Next up is The Theatre of Dreams by Jonathan Morris, a surreal tale in which Jago secures a new act for the Palace Theatre – but it’s one that could prove fatal to the audience...

The series concludes with The Ruthven Inheritance by Andy Lane, in which the excavated bones of the aristocratic Ruthven family reveal a terrible secret. Simon Williams plays Lord Ruthven.

And if that wasnt good enough news, a third series has also been commisioned.
“And it doesn’t end there,” continues the producer. “A third season has already been commissioned – and it will be a rather interesting change of style…”

Series 2 is available for pre-order now from Big Finish

The Master of all Masters

We have polled just about everyone else, and it seemed a shame to leave him out, so for the last 24 hours we have been asking you to vote and let us know which incarnation of the Master has been your favourite. The results are as follows.

1% of the votes went to Peter Pratt (The Deadly Assassin)
2% of the votes went to Geoffrey Beevers (Keeper Of Traken)
3% of the votes went to Eric Roberts (Tv Movie)
4% of the votes went to Derek Jacobi (Utopia)
14% of the votes went to Anthony Ainley (Various serials 1981-1989)
16% of the votes went to Roger Delgado (Various serials 1971-1973)

But winning this round, with 60% of the final votes is John Simm who played the master from 2007 to 2010.


Making 5 appearances in the new series of Doctor Who, the Master returned after an 18 year absence from tv screens, with the exception of the Television Movie. After having his Time Lord memory restored and regenerating, the Master made his way to Earth where he become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. After a long reign and the imprisonment of the Doctor, the Masters world began to crumble around him, and after being shot by his wife, and refusing to regenerate, he was cremated by the Doctor. However, after being resurrected the Master creates the 'Master Race' and has one final showdown with the Doctor (cutting a very long story, very short here) gets sucked into the Time Locked Gallifrey, and we havent seen him since.

More TARDIS Interior for Series 6?

As you all know by now (if not, check two posts down) the new adventure game will be released next week, and will be set within the confines of the TARDIS.

While describing the game, and what they player will be able to see and do, a piece of information caught my eye.
'The game allows players to explore the Doctor's wondrous drawing room, featuring treasures and artefacts from his many adventures - a location specially created for the game, which will go on to form part of the Doctor Who canon'

It has previously been speculated that during series 6 we will be seeing a lot more of the TARDIS and the rooms within it, so could this be a possible hint as to what we may get to see?


At the moment this is mainly speculation on my part, but it would seem to tie in, especially with the bit about it going on to become canon, and it is always fun trying to guess whats coming up on the show.

What do you think? Clutching at straws or a possibility? What other rooms would you like to see within the TARDIS? Let us know below or on Twitter.

The Angels Are Coming

Forbidden Planet are releasing three new Angel figures in their 2010 villains range, with two available to buy immediately, and one available for pre-order.




The see-through figure is the one on pre-order and they can all be purchased for as little as £7.98 from ForbiddenPlanet.com, though have a usual RRP of £8.99

Adventure Game 3 Announced!

The title of the next Adventure Game has been confirmed, and as I revealed a few weeks ago, it is to be called TARDIS. The best part of this news though is that it's released next Friday, 27th August.

Featuring all new monsters, the Doctor and Amy will face many new dangers, but it has also been promised that the third game in the range will give players the opportunity to pilot the Doctor's iconic time machine.


Lead Writer and Executive Producer, Steven Moffat, confirmed,
'Since 1963, kids have wondered what it would be like to control the TARDIS. Now we're handing complete control of the most powerful ship in all of space and time to a generation of children. Everybody duck! This is a brilliant, brilliant adventure. It's funny, touching, terrifying, amazing - everything a Doctor Who episode should be.'

The official press release said this:
'the game allows players to explore the Doctor's wondrous drawing room, featuring treasures and artefacts from his many adventures - a location specially created for the game, which will go on to form part of the Doctor Who canon'.

Once again, Matt Smith and Karen Gillan will return as the Doctor and Amy. TARDIS is written by James Moran whose previous credits include Torchwood, Spooks and the Tenth Doctor story, The Fires of Pompeii.

The game is the third in the range of Adventure Games from the BBC and is available to UK users, free of charge from August 27th. It will be released worldwide a few weeks later.

Thursday 19 August 2010

Third Doctor Sonic Screwdriver

I was sure I already posted this somewhere before, but I cant seem to find it and I just had it mentioned to me again, so for possibly the second time, I present to you the Third Doctor's Sonic Scredriver.


The screwdriver is the first of the Classic range to be released. It was premiered last month and will be available from September 10th 2010. You can, however, pre order it now from Forbidden Planet priced at £19.99.

Fourth Doctor and K9 Figures

Forbidden Planet have revealed the newest model in their Classic Doctor Who range, and this time it is the turn of the Fourth Doctor and K9.


The figures are available to pre-order from their site for £19.99 and will be available from September 30th.

The Returning Villains Poll

After so many people sent us Tweets and messages regarding their thoughts on the Silurians, the poll for the last 24 hours has been to find out whether or not it is time to stop bringing classic villains back in the new series.

3% of everybody who voted said that the returning villains are getting worse and worse, and that the Silurians should be the last race to return from the classic series.

17% of everybody who cast a vote said that they have loved all of the returning villains so far, and would hope to see many more return in the future, with Ice Warriors, Yeti and Zygons some of the favourites among the fans.


An enormous 80% of people who voted however, feel that the returning villains have been a bit hit and miss lately, and would only want to see more return if it is worth it for the story, and if they are done properly, otherwise it is best to let them rest.

Do you agree with todays results? Let us know by leaving a comment below or on twitter @TardisSpoilers