Review: Eighth Doctor Audio - Dead London

The TARDIS lands in London. But which one? The Doctor and Lucie find themselves trapped in a maze of interlocking Londons from Roman times to the present day.

But they are not alone in this labyrinth: a killer is on their trail.

So whats good about it? Dead London is the perfect opening audio to what is a brilliant second season. The story, while fast paced and spread out among many different areas of the one location, never allows you to get lost along the way and is full of action and suspence. Dead London really is a romp of a tale with a great script and perfect casting in all the supporting roles, though Rupert Vansittart who plays the villain of the story, The Sepulchre, manages to upstage absolutely everybody. Dead London is a brave choice for an opening story because it drops you right in there and isnt like any that have come before, but it holds up well and the risk pays off and is nice to see rather than just playing safe. Sheridan Smith and Paul Mcgann are also spot on with their roles. The detail and 'audioscape' are described and detailed brilliantly and you can't help but bring it to life in your head as you listen and the Doctors dig at the Sixth Doctors outfit got a laugh out of me.

But whats wrong with it? Dead London finds the Doctor and Lucie seperated for what feels like forever and while the story moves along nicely you kind of start picking up on missed opportunities throughout the story where they would have worked better as a team rather than seperately and the seperation doesnt itself feel as though it needed to be part of the larger story. Elements of the story have obviously been borrowed from other Doctor Who stories, both televised and on audio, and while some people may not notice or care, it made me start thinking of the other stories and my took me out of the story somewhat.

The Verdict: Dead London is a brave and exciting opening for the second series of the EDA's with a brilliant cast and a rich and interesting story. The current TARDIS team have really found their groove together and possibly even tops the Eighth Doctors pairing with Charley Pollard.

Dead London gets 4/5 TARDIS's   
 
Extras: The audio is 50 minutes long and comes on a single disc with extras. Its currently at the bargain price of £7.69 on Amazon

This audio was reviewed by Peri-Peri on our forum. You can follow her on Twitter HERE and read her full review plus user comments on our FORUM

We're Going Through Changes

As promised a few weeks ago, the news site is undergoing some changes and some of those will be taking effect straight away.

Starting from today you will see the return of the reviews, starting mainly with the audios but then extending to DVD and other merchandise releases along the way. When the site first launched reviews and discussion topics were almost as popular as the spoilers, so it is about time they were brought back.

We will also be running our daily polls again  to give everybody the chance to get involved with aspects of the site. The first, starting today and running for 24 hours will be launched this afternoon so keep your eyes peeled for that.

More changes will be anounced over the coming weeks so keep checking back and thanks for sticking with The Doctor In The TARDIS.

Miracle Day Updates

Filming on Miracle Day is well underway and there have been lot's of updates, so here they are in bitesize chunks.

First off, Jane Espenson has confirmed that all the episodes will have individual titles, putting paid to the rumours that they will be called 'Day 1' or 'Hour 1' as people had previously expected.

Filming commenced in Cardiff yesterday at the airport. John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Kai Owen, Tom Price and Dichen Lachman were all in the area filming on episode two, which it has been revealed will be directed by Billy Gierhart.

From a set photo tweeted by Tom Price, it would seem that Andy has now been promoted to Sergeant...

In other news, several of the writers slots have now been revealed, they are as follows.


Episode 1 - Russell T Davies
Episode 2 - Doris Egan
Episode 3 - Jane Espenson
Episode 4 -
Episode 5 - Jane Espenson
Episode 6 - John Shiban
Episode 7 - Jane Espenson
Episode 8 - Jane Espenson & Ryan Scott
Episode 9 -
Episode 10 - Russell T Davies

Filming in Wales, althoguh expected to last 2 weeks has been extended to at least 5 weeks and we now know that it will run until at least the 21st February, causing Tom Price and Kai Owen to have to drop out of a planned convention.

Filming is set to move to The Gower this week to film scenes possibly from episode one when Gwen and Rhys are living in seclusion on a cliff top.

Jane Espenson has also confirmed that the scenes that are being filmed in Wales are not just for one or two episodes or blocks, but will in fact be spread throughout several episodes and we will see events throughout the course of the series taking place on both sides of the pond.

For even more Torchwood updates, check out our brand new Miracle Day section of the forum by clicking HERE

Who's The BabyDaddy?

UnrealityShout is reporting that the mid series cliffhanger of series 6 will see Amy fall pregnant, causing a babydaddy drama in the TARDIS.

According to the site, when Amy excitedly tells Rory that she is pregnant he will accuse her of an affair with the Doctor and even Vincent Van Goch.

While this sounds a bit crazy, especially given that after the story sounds very tacky and that after the Big Bang Amy was technically reborn and so couldn't be pregnant by Vincent, the have been rumours of a pregnancy flying around for a while, as well as the email we recieved at 'TARDIS Spoilers' a few months back from a girl saying that her baby twin brothers had been seen for the part of a baby on the show.

For now, I would say that the majority, if not all of this story is made up, but we thought it should be shared nonetheless.

Please Hold For The Time Lords

It was months ago now that Neil Gaiman first said that we should expect to see 'something or someone not seen since The War Games' within his episode and it has left fans guessing who or what it could be. A few days ago over on the forum, Exterminate posted what has turned out to be a very interesting theory:

Neil Gaiman said that his episode (ep4) will contain something or someone not seen since the War Games. How about if it was the Time Lords Communication Box? Here it is in The War Games

And here is something from the trailer which could be the same thing....?

 
Could it be that somehow the Doctor recieves a message from the Time Lords? Maybe it is one sent before they are wiped out, or it could be from Idris (Suranne Jones) the 'old aquaintence with a new face' or maybe even some Time Lords in hiding? Or maybe it is a trap and someone other than a Time Lord uses it to comminicate with the Doctor. Also, if you look at Amy and Rory in the background, they are wearing the clothes from the filming of Gaimans episode, so it is safe to say that the glowy box belongs in that story, even if it isnt the communicator device.
 
So that is what Exterminate thinks, but what about you lot? Let us know below

Who-Athon 6: The Long Game

Don't forget that the Sixth event in our long running marathon of Doctor Who Watchathons is upon us and will be taking place at the weekend. This time around it is the turn of The Long Game.

The watchathon will be taking place on January 22nd at 8pm GMT, 3pm EST and 12pm DST over in the appropriately named Long Game section of the forum, which you can find HERE.

For more information, check out the forum or contact either myself or @Blue_Rose_ for details about the latest watchathon.

Return Of The Sontarans?

A photo from last weeks shoot of episode 7 at LaFarge Cement, orginally from Gallifrey Base, then posted onto our forum by Sandiwich11 at first glance shows nothing of particular interest other than the TARDIS, but on closer inspection it would seem that slap bang in the middle of the photo is a Sontaran.

Unless being filmed as some sort of flashback/scene insert, it would seem that the cliffhanger episode of series six will see The Doctor once again facing off against the famous Sontar clones.

New Running Order For Series 6

This months Doctor Who Magazine doesnt come with as many revelations as I would have liked, but Steven Moffat has taken a moment to reveal that he has decided to change the running order of the series with Mark Gatiss' dollhouse story now moving into the Autumn section of the series.

The story was originally to have taken the slot of episode four, but Neil Gaimans episode will now move from episode 3 to episode four and a new script by Steve Thompson will take over the empty slot for episode three. Thompson has previously co written episode two of Sherlock with Moffat.

Moffat has played down the changes and said they are only in place to balance out the look of the series because of worries in the production team that there was "not enough outside" in the first half of the series.

Doctor Who Magazine #430 Cover Art

The Cover of DWM Issue 430 has been revealed today, and here it is....

Following on from last months offering, this issue comes with another 3 free collector cards as well as all the usual interviews reviews and comic strip. Issue 430 is out on Thursday.

Become A Forum Moderator

Hot on the heels of gaining 3 new roleplay moderators, we are now on the lookout for two new additional moderators to join the core moderating team and help us behind the scenes with the goings on and general running of the forum.

As most of the current team will tell you, it isnt very hard work but you do get to keep a watchful eye over sections of the forum and get to read and post lots about Doctor Who and it's spinoffs, which is never bad, is it?

The Doctor In The TARDIS is entering its fifth full month of operations and the continued rate of growth has meant that the current moderating team is also expanding. This is your opportunity to put yourself forward for a position and to help moderate the day to day posting as well as to help expand and shape the forum to make it bigger and better for all of our members, both current and future.

The opportunity to become a moderator is open to everyone and all applicants will be considered. The level is always very high though so make sure you tell us exactly why you would be the best person for the job. It doesnt matter if you have been posting here for a day, since we opened or are signing up specifically for the opportunity. Everyone will be considered. What is most important is that you understand the ethos of the forum and are willing to learn and participate whilst also undertaking the responsibilities of a moderator.

The current moderating team will review every application and the new moderators will be decided upon as a team. If you want the (unpaid, yet very rewarding) job, then send me a PM on the forum with a reason why you think you would be a good moderator for The Doctor In The TARDIS plus any experience you may have. You must put yourself forward for the position no later than Monday 24th January, and the new moderators will be announced Friday 28th January.

The Doctor In The TARDIS Team

CLICK FOR FORUM

A Christmas Carol - The Poll Results

For a while now you have been voting to rate the latest episode of Doctor Who, A Christmas Carol. You came out in your hundreds to vote which was great to see, and here are the results.

1% of voters gave the episode 1/5 calling it shockingly bad
4% of voters went with 2/5 saying that they were not impressed with the story
19% of voters were neutral, saying it wasn't great but it wasn't bad either
31% of the voters said it wasn't perfect but still was very good

But 45% of the people who placed a vote gave the episode full marks calling it absolutely amazing. Comments that came in via Twitter praised the episode for it's story, christmasy themes and acting, while many also complimented the production and direction.

How do these votes fair up to your experience of the episode? Let us know below.

Is Miracle Day Rooted In Greek Myth?

The premise of Miracle Day sounded a little familiar when I first heard it and despite seeing a similar premise on an episode of Xena, you may be interested to know that the story is actually an old one. Thousands of years old in fact. Over on the forum, Roranicus has summed up the Greek Myth brilliantly, so I will hand you over to her:

In Greek Myth there are a few instances where this occured. Most famous is probably Sisyphus who was forced to push a boulder up a hill and then watch it roll back down for all eternity.

Sisyphus was a bit of a troublemaker and Zeus decided to have him banished to the underworld. When Thanatos (sort of a modern day grim reaper) came to claim Sisyphus for the underworld, he knew he would not be taken easily, so he took with him a pair of handcuffs in order to chain Sisyphus, however Sisyphus played the fool and pretended like the handcuffs were the most amazing and intriguing thing ever and asked Thanatos to show him how they worked. Thanatos was obviously not too bright because he tested them out on himself. Sisyphus then locked Thanatos in his house for days and in this time nobody could die. Soldiers in battle who were mortally wounded stayed wounded and dying but didnt pass over. The elderly and the sick the same. The general populace just thought that a miracle had happened and the gods were smiling down on them, but gradually it came to be not such a great thing and the storehouses and winery's all quickly ran out of resources and there wasnt enough room for all the people. In the end, Ares became frustrated that his wars were becoming boring and so freed Thanatos in order for him to take Sisyphus to the underworld.

So as you see, the premise, if not the whole story, is very similar and with the Grim Reaper and incarnations of the Devil having previously made cameos, this could very well be how Miracle Day happens. What do you think?

Forum Downtime

As many of you may have noticed, we have been experiencing some technical issues with the forum over the last few days.

I have been in constant contact with the provider who has assured me that normal service will resume as soon as possible but at the moment there are errors on the main server which means that our forum and about 800 others are going down quite frequently and only accessible for short periods of time.

My last correspondence with the host company was a message telling me that the forums should be back to full working order today so I think for now the best course of action will be to check back later this evening or tomorrow and hopefully we will be back up and running.

In the meantime I will be updating this news page as often as possible with the latest information and if you have any questions then please contact me via Twitter. I offer all of our members and guests my sincere apologies for the inconvenience but please stick with us and normal service will hopefully resume shortly.

Torchwood: Miracle Day Character Profiles

The names and background of several of the characters in the upcoming series of Torchwood have changed, including the controversial paedophile backstory of Oswold Jones, who is now named Oswold Danes. Esther's surname has also now been changed to Drummond. For more changes and info, check below.

Captain Jack Harkness played by John Barrowm - He looks like a hero, handsome, witty and subversive with a killer smile. But theres a reason for that glint in his eye, his dashing style hides a secret - Jack Harkness is immortal, the only one of his kind. He once ran the Torchwood Institute, a British organization dedicated to fighting Aliens and the bizarre. But Torchwood closed down, and Jack disappeared, to start yet another of his many new lives. When a new, epic danger affects the whole planet, Jack finds himself back at the center of events, fighting not just for his own life, but for everyone on Earth.


Gwen Cooper played by Eve Myles - She once lived the ultimate double life - the funny, salty, earthy woman who loves home and family, combined with the tough, ruthless warrior, who loves the thrill of the fight. She was the heart and soul of an organization called Torchwood. She was a defender of the human race. But now she lives in seclusion, with her devoted husband Rhys and baby Anwen, knowing that one day trouble would come calling again. When events surrounding Miracle Day push Gwen to the limit, she'll need to call on resources she never knew she had and make the most terrible decisions, on behalf of all mankind.

Rex Matheson played by Mekhi Phifer - He is the golden boy, the embodiment of the American dream and has been all his life. Harvard education, Rex is destined for success and could make a fortune in Wall Street or Hollywood, but he chose the CIA because he believes in justice and will fight for it. He can talk his way into anything, then charm his way out, fast. This may be just what he needs as he joins forces with Jack and Gwen to fight a global mystery behind Miracle Day that has them racing from one crisis to another, dodging assassins, blackmail, corruption and conspiracy, from Washington to Wales and the slums of Shanghai.

Esther Drummond played by Alexa Havins - An innocent, in a world of assassins, liars and zealots. She got where she is with the CIA through diligence and application. Hard work keeps Esther focused but she still dreams of active duty as a field agent serving her country. The dream is going to happen faster than she thinks and in no time at all, Esther finds herself running alongside Jack, Gwen and Rex, living off the grid, gun in hand, fighting a global conspiracy against enemies ranging from big business to the state. Its a tough, brutal, hard lifestyle where survival is hard won and life-changing choices have to be made.

Oswald Danes played by Bill Pullman - Well-educated and a former school teacher, Oswalds a convicted child killer, both guilty and unrepentant. But when Oswald survives his own execution, he is given a whole new life. The most infamous man in the world, he becomes the most provocative figure in modern media. Hes a flare, reviled yet mesmerizing, whose very existence embodies how the world changed on Miracle Day.

Doctor Vera Juarez played by Arlene Tur - An attending surgeon in Washington DC, shes smart, fast talking and hard working, Vera is on the frontline of medical care on Miracle Day. As the world crisis grows, Veras surgical and ER experience sees her recruited to advise on government think-tanks until she has to make a moral choice of enormous consequence. Sexy, confident and passionate, Veras life is soon inextricably tangled up with Rex's.

So there we have it. How do you feel about this little set of characters? Let us know below.

New Torchwood Title And Plot Revealed

Russell T Davies has finally given us some news about Torchwood: The New World, the first part being that it is no longer called The New World.

In a press release earlier today, reported by InsideTV the new title and plot details were announced. Firstly, the show will now be called Torchwood: Miracle Day

And RTD has said that the plot will go a little something like this:

“The premise is a miracle happens in the world. One day, on Earth, no one dies. The next day, no one dies. The day after that, no one dies. The dying just keep dying … but don’t actually die. The possibility of death ceases to exist. Which is great for some people. But it’s an instant overnight population boom. The earth relies on people dying … What is society going to do now? Some of the answers are beautiful and brave. Some of the reactions are terrifying.”

It has also been anounced by Jane Espenson that several characters names have now been changed, though there is no word yet on which ones or what to.

So how does this sound to you? Let us know below.

Alex Kingston Sexes Up The Late Late Show

Last night Alex Kingston filmed a segment on the Late Late Show to promote Doctor Who and while we were all hoping she would slip up and reveal something spoilery she managed to remain relatively tight lipped throughout. She did however mention that she is currently back and forth between the US and UK on a month by month basis filming for the new series and seeing how she was in the UK in December it looks like she may be back filming in February.

The conversation gets sidetracked somewhat away from Doctor Who and on to the topic of sex and vibrators but its a funny interview and well worth a watch if you are a fan of Alex and Doctor Who.

Torchwood Air Date Confirmed

***EDIT*** This has apparantly now been denied by the BBC.
Yesterday some news sources were reporting that the date of airing had been leaked as July 1st 2011 on both BBC and Starz, but now the Official Facebook Page has updated to confirm the rumours.

According to the page, Torchwood: The New World will premier at 9pm on BBC1 and BBC1HD on July 1st. This date falls on a Friday so make sure you put it in your diary. Time for the Starz broadcast is as yet unconfirmed.

Classic Doctor Who Launched On YouTube

BBC Worldwide are today launching their Classic Doctor Who channel on video sharing website, YouTube. The BBC Press Release had this to say.

The new channel, featuring a mixture of classic clips and exclusive previews from forthcoming Doctor Who DVD releases, will appeal to existing fans and give new viewers an opportunity to sample some classic Doctor Who. The channel will complement the Classic Doctor Who Twitter account @classicdw run by 2entertain.

Classic Doctor Who will launch on YouTube with over 45 clips dating from the first episode, along with new Meglos clips and an exclusive clip previewing the new Doctor Who Meglos DVD boxset which will be released by 2entertain on 10th January. Meglos stars Tom Baker and was originally broadcast in 1980.

If you are a fan of the classics, or looking for a way to check them out before buying, then make sure you check out the new offering from today

Download The End Of Time For Free

As part of it's Twelve Days Of Christmas festivities, iTunes UK is offering Doctor Who: The End Of Time Part One as a free download until midnight tonight.

To get your free copy of the story, just click HERE and download from iTunes.

Is The Doctor Held Captive In Area 51?

Over on the forum, Exterminate, who is one of our members, has pointed out something interesting he spotted in the background of a photograph which may indicate that the Doctor is indeed being held inside Area 51 at some point during the opening two parter.


Click for larger image!

 The MIB to the left of the picture means we can definately link this photo to the opening two part story that was filmed in the US. In the middle, albeit faintly, we can see a chained up bearded Doctor and then on the back wall we can see 'A51' written quite boldly. It doesnt take an enormous leap of logic to assume that the Doctor is being held inside the famous containment unit, but as Exterminate speculated on the forum, could this also have something to do with the 'little green man' in a suit that we see at the end of the Series 6 trailer?

What do you think?

Vote Doctor Who At The NTA's

Doctor who is once again in the running for 'Best Drama' at this year's National Television awards and to top things off, the awards are voted for by the public, so you could have a hand in making the show win it's sixth consecutive award at the ceramony.

Also up for an award is Matt Smith for 'Best Drama Performance' which has also been taken home each year by the actor playing the Doctor since the show returned in 2005.

If you want the show to continue its unbroken run, then get your votes in by clicking THIS LINK as soon as possible.

Series 6 Filming Continues

One of the many filming fan reporters who keeps me updated with news from various locations has sent me a tweet this morning to say that filming on series 6 is to resume from tomorrow.

It seems that this filming will be a continuation of all the castle filming they were doing before Christmas in Cardiff, Caerphilly and Chepstow, but tomorrow they move to St. Donats Castle, a stunning medieval castle near to where I grew up. I knew I shouldnt have moved away!

If any set reporters are in the area then get yourselves down there to have a look and see if you can spot some of the cast.

A Christmas Carol Official Ratings

The official ratings for A Christmas Carol seem to have come in early this time around and it is a figure I am sure everybody involved will be happy with.

After airing on Christmas Day, the special managed an impressive overnight figure of 10.3 million but a timeshift of nearly 2 million viewers has seen the figure soar to 12.11 million.

The figure exceeds last years effort for The End Of Time Part 1 and makes A Christmas Carol the third most watched Christmas special since the show returned in 2005, coming behing Voyage of the Damned and The Next Doctor respectively.

Jimmy Vee Returns To Doctor Who

Jimmy Vee, probably best remembered as Bannakaffalatta from Voyage of the Damned, though who has also played characters such as a Graske and the Moxx Of Balhoun, has confirmed in an interview with The Evening Times that he will be returning to Doctor Who in the next series. Unfortunately for us though, no information about his character, whether it be new or returning, has been mentioned and it is as yet unknown which episode he will star in.

The Search Is On...

Finally out of the planning stages and onto the main forum, tonight we have opened our brand new section dedicated to RolePlaying. Its all there and waiting to be used, but now we need you to help us out.

The section will be moderated by three new team members, whose sole responsibility will be to oversee the smooth running and rule adherence of this area of the forum. One of the moderators has already been chosen, but that leaves two positions still to fill and this is where you come in. First though, here is a little about the role.


The new moderators will be looking after the entire section which has been given the umbrella title 'The Myth Makers'. So far there are three sections to govern, one for Doctor Who, one for Torchwood and one for general RP's that take place outside of the Whoniverse. This may be expanded upon request though, so the role my grow. As a moderator you will be responsible for making sure that all RPers adhere to the section and overall forum rules. You will have access to modification tools to fully moderate topics, threads and individual posts and will need to make sure that all the relevent scenarios are kept within their relevent section and move, edit or remove any that aren't. You will also have to act as a point of contact for all players to make sure that they are given any help that they may require when within the section. It is also important that you keep the section ticking over and make sure that users have everything that they need while using it.

If you think that you can cope with all of that then we are one step closer to finding our new moderators. This is what we are looking for from you. We need people with experience for starters. Though you don't need to be actively involved with RP, we do need people who are familiar with it and able to monitor it closely enough to moderate it successfully. Experience of RP is a massive bonus too and those willing to get involved and join in as well as just moderating over the section will stand a far better chance. We want to give people who use the section the best experience possible and this will be easier to do with a moderating team who know exactly what they are doing and what the players will expect from them.

If you think that you are the person for the job then put yourself forward today. You don't need to currently be a member to apply for the position but you will need to sign up in order to put yourself forward and people who are familiar with the ethos of the forum and how we currently work stand a stronger chance, though ultimately the two people who are best for the role will be chosen. If you want to moderate the brand new section and help steer its success then drop me a PM on the forum detailing your experience and why you think you are the best for the role and the new moderators will be announced on Sunday January 9th. The last date you can put yourself forward will be midnight (GMT) on Friday January 7th.

The Long Game Watchathon

The Sixth event in our long running marathon of Doctor Who Watchathons is upon us and this time it is the turn of The Long Game.

The event will be taking place on January 22nd at 8pm GMT, 3pm EST and 12pm DST over in the appropriately names Long Game section of the forum, which you can find HERE.

For more information, check out the forum or contact either myself or @Blue_Rose_ for details about the latest watchathon

Join Our Doctor Who Forum Today

If you haven't already done so, then today is the day you should pay our Doctor Who forum a visit and get signed up for all the latest news, spoilers and gossip from the worlds of Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

As well as offering all the latest on all the upcoming series', we have broad sections dedicated to merchandise, fanfiction, audios, books, dvds, character galleries and even an entire section for chat about anything not related to the Whoniverse, as well as links to other sites and all the latest Doctor Who games, reviews, quizes and episode watchathons. It's all free. You just need to choose a username and password.

There is no better way to kick start 2011 and your Doctor Who obsession and if you still arent convinced then here are another 15 reasons why should get involved today.

And Now For Some Exciting Speculation...

Ok, so the last article brought to you all the latest news from the Whoniverse that has so far been confirmed, but there is a whole lot more that is so far just speculation, so with that in mind this is what we know. Kinda.

DOCTOR WHO

• Amy becomes pregnant, leading her and Rory to leave the show. This could be potentially backed up by an email I recieved about 2 months ago from a girl claiming her baby twin brothers had been seen for the part of a baby. Perhaps the Doctor pays them one last visit after its born?
• River will die in series 6 in an alternate timeline (and so ignoring the events of Silence In The Library)
• The Cavaliers and Nazi's seen in the trailer are the passengers of a SIDRAT, last seen in the second Doctor story The War Games. If true, this could be what Gaiman was alluding to when he said we would see something in his script not seen since the above story.
• There will be a lady wearing an eyepatch in the opening story. Some have speculated this may actually be Amy
• CNN report that Series 6 will be aired simultaneously in the UK and USA
• River Song's name is actually fake and her real name will be revealed in series 6
• The Doctor will be cloned in the opening story
• Amy Joins the MIB
• DoctorWhoSpoilers, via Digital Spy, have hinted that Edgar Wright may direct for series 6
• One of the episodes may have a medieval setting (probably speculated because of the castle filming)
• Mondas Cybermen will make a return in an Egyption set episode
• The TARDIS library and swimming pool will make a brief appearance before the Doctor jettisons them off into space in order to gain power for the TARDIS
• The astronaut seen in the trailer for series 6 is part of the crew of Apollo 10.5
• Finally, you can't have a serious article about speculation unless you include the following. River is:
• The Rani
• Donna
• Amy
• Romana 1
• Romana 2
• The Master
• Anyone else who has ever appeared in the show

TORCHWOOD

• Mekhi Phifer has been cast as Rex Matheson (At the moment unconfirmed)
• Den Of Geek state that Bill Pullman has been cast as Oswald Jones (At the moment unconfirmed)
• Tom Price has hinted that he will return as PC Andy in some American filmed scenes
• Ausiello report that Jack will have a one night stand with a 20something guy called Brad
• Episodes will air in the UK from the second week of July
• Jack will get a new costume

THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES

• There will be a 'companion of the week' throughout series 5 (though this was also said of series 4 and so might be rubbish)

All of the above speculation, unless stated in the individual bullet points comes from members of the forum or messages sent to me via the news page. As always with speculation I advise you to take it all with a pinch of salt until confirmed or proven untrue.

Latest News Roundup From The Whoniverse

Its been a quiet few weeks on the news page and in that short time a lot of information regarding new episodes of Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures has come to light. It's a bit late to give them all individual articles, but for those who may have missed anything, here is a roundup of what we now know:

DOCTOR WHO

• Some more interior of the TARDIS will be seen in series 6, though probably only in the form of hexagonal shaped corridors rather than actual rooms.
• Early December saw filming taking place in castles in Cardiff, Caerphilly and Chepstow
• Toby Whitehouse has been confirmed to be writing an episode
• A leaked set report confirmed that the Silence are actually The Silent's, giving rise to speculation that they are actually a group or collective.
• Castings for various episodes include Marshall Lancaster, Sarah Smart, Elizabeth Berrington, Ricky Fearon, Adrian Schiller, Mark Griffin, Jeff Marsh, Nancy Baldwin and Henrietta Clemmett
• The trailer for series 6 was revealed and can be seen below:

• As well as a specially filmed trailer for BBC America:



• From the trailer we learned that:
• The Doctor is held prisoner long enough to grow a substantial beard in what appears to be Area 51
• Men In Black (possibly the same ones from Dreamland and The Sarah Jane Adventures) make an appearance.
• Nazi's and 17th Century Cavalliers will appear (Check out the following speculation article for more on this)
• The TARDIS from The Lodger will return
• A green eyed Ood will be in one of the episodes
• River and Amy both share the same tally markings on their body
• The Doctor wears a Stetson now, and they are apparantly 'cool'
• An astronaut is seen during a clip for episode two, possibly relating to Moffat's potential spoiler about Apollo 10.5
• The closing clip of the trailer appears to be a blurry shot of a 'little green man' wearing a suit, with some speculating that it may be a 'Silent'
• Peirs Wenger has stated that no old monsters will return, though this is contradicted by the sighting of the Ood in the trailer

TORCHWOOD

• John Barrowman has confirmed that Starz are planning to make seven series of Torchwood, though this would obviously depend on its year by year success.
• Previous casting news about Mekhi Phifer and Bill Pulman has apparantly been disregarded as rumour, though nothing official to confirm it either way has so far come to light.
• Jane Espenson, who is writing three of the ten episodes has confirmed that she will also be producing her episodes.
• Filming is to begin in Wales next week for 2 weeks before shifting to Los Angeles for 6 months
• Jack returns to Earth because of his 'unspoken love for Gwen'

THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES

• Tommy Knight will return to full cast status for at least the opening story
• Filming on the final 3 episodes of series 5 is due to start in the spring. The first 3 episodes of the series were filmed alongside series 4 and are complete.
• The Parrot from 'Lost In Time' will return in series 5

So that is what we know so far. There is a whole load more information that at the moment is purely speculative and will be updated later today.

A Christmas Carol Ratings Roundup

It has been a week since it first aired now and A Christmas Carol has been shown in various places around the globe. Here is a roundup of its initial overnight ratings:

United Kingdom - In the UK, A Christmas Carol managed a brilliant 10.3 million viewers according to overnight figures. 1.3 million of those came from BBC HD, giving it one of its highest ever ratings. The show got an audience share of 39.8% and an AI of 83. The official (and no doubt increased) figure should be released on Monday assuming the bank holiday doesnt interfere with their publication.

United States - Overnight figures for BBCAmerica show that A Christmas Carol was watched by 727,000 viewers on initial airing, over a hundred thousand more than tuned in to last years Christmas Special.

Australia - A Christmas Carol aired Down Under on Boxing day to an overnight audience of 880,000 viewers, winning its timeslot for the day.

In other news, a repeat of the Sarah Jane Adventures story, Death Of The Doctor managed a whopping 1.4 million viewers at 9am on Christmas Day. Repeats of previous Christmas Specials aired throughout the last week have also rated highly in their timeslots. The Runaway Bride achieved 1.5m. Voyage Of The Damned managed 1.4m and The Next Doctor pulled in 1.3m viewers.

A Christmas Carol Reaches Number 1

It's hard to believe that it has already been a week since the first airing of A Christmas Carol, but it seems that fans just can't get enough.

In the past 7 days the episode has reached the number one spot on iTunes in the US and Australia, as well as reaching the top ten in Canada and the UK, where it also reached the top spot on BBC iPlayer.

Latest Torchwood News

The Official Torchwood website has been updated with a new bulletin and though the information uploaded is largely what we have already been told, there is an interesting piece of information regarding Jacks return to Earth.

According to the site the reason behind Jacks return is due to 'his unstated love for Gwen'. Whether this is a platonic love or something that runs deeper is unclear, but reports have suggested recently that Jack will have a new boyfriend in the upcoming series. Little is known about the character at the moment though he is said to work in a bar.

What do you think? Would you like to see Jack and Gwen's relationship develop into something more or should they stay as friends? Let us know below.

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The page is full of news, reviews and spoilers and is updated regularly to include all the latest articles from here and the forum.

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In My Mind, You Are Starlight

For the last month or so over on the forum we have been holding a fanfiction competition for our members. After reading through all the entrants, with the moderating team choosing a final 3, the forum members then voted for their favourite and here it is, by Adribetty394.

He holds her image behind these new eyelids. He sees her; she is an eternal battle of dark roots in blond hair, edible ball bearings, and the Universe shinning out like a sun from every pore.

He follows a heart beat like a road map and knows that in finding him he will find her. He wonders if---sensing him in their world--- he is holding her tighter, asking her to run and not look back

He doesn’t want to interfere or interrupt; he only wants to see her… because he can. Because it very possibly doesn’t matter anymore.

The heart beat in his mind is only a wall away now and he sits across the street, eyes on the bright blue door --- like a protest against the relentless white that surrounds it.

The door clicks open and his head snaps up, three figures on the threshold. She makes a grab for her keys as she is unceremoniously shoved out the door.

“A walk? What do you mean a walk? What are you two going to do in there…”

A little boy with crazed brown hair and clever eyes asks questions with the tilt of his head and jumps up and tugs on her shirt.

“Jack, is that your father’s screwdriver? Doctor,” she sighs looking up at the figure in shadows urging her out the door, “I thought we said you wouldn’t let him play with it. I don’t need a walk…”

He finally succeeds in pushing her out the door and for a second their eyes meet across the street. The man with the single racing heart stands, shoulders squared with annoyance and trace amounts of fear. He only spares a glance for him, crouching pathetically on the pavement; he turns back to her with a grin.

“Rose,” the voice sends a shiver down his spine; tinged with ginger wit, morphed, changed. Still familiar, “He isn’t playing, he’s helping me with a posotronic entigator and you most definitely need a walk.”

The little boy is sitting on his hip now and their identical grins make her shoulders ease, she bounces on the balls of her feet, she kisses them both.

She whispers something in his ear and his face shifts--- he’s been caught--- clever clever Rose. She smiles at the boy, “When I come home, the toaster better be in one piece.”

He smirks at the boy, they share a secret thought, “Dog’s not going to build itself is it?”

The little boy’s face lights up at the prospect and they melt away into the house. Distractions gone, he jumps in with both feet and takes in the whole sight of her. She still hasn’t got any time for the roots of her hair and her shirt looks like it’s seen many football games and nights of dancing and warm deserts on galaxies too far away to name.

Now she is marriage bands and bedtime stories and unreachable adventures.

She doesn’t look both ways when she crosses the street, but she makes it through just fine. He briefly wonders how she’s made it this long without the most basic safety precautions, as if life with him weren’t dangerous as it was… and then she’s there.

She doesn’t see him, that is, she smiles and says good morning and bounces away and is ageless and glorious and too happy to care.

“Rose?”

She turns ---not slowly as one would see on silver screens in black and white--- she turns in a flurry dropping purse, phone, and keys. She runs to him, she’s nineteen again. She’s never heard his voice before but she’s heard her name sound like a prayer before --she’s heard it not a minute ago-- and here he is now, only he isn’t, only he is.

She clings to him and she still smells of the stars and cherry. The sun may or may not have set and risen before they let go.

His voice is like a whisper, may she never hear this voice shout, “The world broke again, Rose.”

She smiles and he knows she won’t ask; she doesn’t want to know. She’d always wanted to know, but there are bigger things now, “His first word was Doctor.”

There was no space in his huge ancient brain for Mother Rose, “It’s cracked to a million bits.”

“He still won’t call you dad,” she laughs, and she has things she needs to say to him, things he no longer understands, “mum hates it… and I think you love it.

He finds himself begging, “The Silence is chasing me.”

“He has your eyes,” she begs back.

She’s still the one thing in existence he won’t resist, “Not mine.”

“But they are,” she holds this face and studies it; “they’re old and bright.”

This Rose, she has finished running. Her Universe has shrunk. He thinks he is happy for her, so he has to let her know, “The Silence is coming here too.”

He doesn’t want to see her cry, so he closes his eyes as she pounds against his chest, he lets her cling to his tweed lapels but he won’t see her cry. He can’t help but hear it in her voice, “Will you fix it for him?”

His Rose isn’t here. This woman before him, she is an impossible man’s wife; she is a brilliant little boy’s mother. She once saved worlds and kissed stars and she is magnificent and her name is Rose--- but she’s not his Rose.

“Yes,” he promises, because this life of hers is precious, more precious to him (he must admit) than it probably should be.

Because she needs him to, he doesn't let the Silence take him, “Yes Rose, I’ll try and save you.”


*~*~*


The Universe is healing now and he thinks he deserves this. He thinks he’s earned this much. He wants to see her because he can.

Right now, she is all roots; her dark pigtails fly up like sparks on rusted estate swings. She is hard cherry candies, sticky fingers, and swinging up up up.He watches from a bench, subtle as he can, careful not to give off ‘stalker vibes’ as Amy often warns. The little boy that runs up to her has adoration in his eyes. She asks to be pushed higher and he sends her as far as his little arms can.

When it isn’t enough, Rose jumps. She grabs at the wind with her sparkling finger tips. This is his Rose.

Happy New Year

Hello everyone and Happy New Year to you all. Its been a quiet few weeks on this little news page for various reasons, but it's a new year and a new start and I am back with all the latest news and reviews for you all starting from today.

Coming up is some new Torchwood info, the winning entry from our FanFic competition, a roundup of all the news that came out (and wasnt updated on here) from over Christmas as well as all the latest news from series 6, merchandise releases and a whole heap of new things to join in with.

Before I crack on with the updates, I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone for sticking with this news page and forum while I have been out of action and a big hello to all the new followers we have aquired since I last updated. Keep coming back for more and leaving your comments on the articles. Its great to get feedback and know what everyone thinks.

Have a great 2011 and stick with The Doctor In The TARDIS