UK Miracle Day - Thursday 14th July

Den of Geek have just announced that they have confirmation from the BBC that Torchwood: Miracle Day will start on BBC One on Thursday 14th July at 9pm.

While it is good to finally have a confirmed date, this still leaves the UK getting the show six days after the US. BBC ratings are quite likely to take a hit as some fans will refuse to wait that long. One of the main reasons fans are already citing is having to avoid spoilers for almost a week. Although not impossible to do, this can prove quite tricky especially on places like Twitter & Facebook.

So, now we know when Miracle Day comes to the UK, how do you feel about the wait?

The Series 6 Poll Results

For the last week you have been voting in your masses to tell us what your favourite story of series 6 has been so far, so without further ado here are the results.

2% of the votes went to The Curse Of The Black Spot, taking last place out of the 5 stories. Curse Of The Black Spot saw the Doctor land on board a pirate ships seemingly under attack by a Siren.

4% of the voters chose The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People as their favourite story, putting it into fourth place. The end of this story saw the reveal that Amy had been 'Flesh' throughout the series.

21% of the votes went to the opening two parter, The Impossible Astronaut/The Rebel Flesh, making it the third most popular story of the new series so far.

27% of people who voted chose the mid season finale, A Good Man Goes To War as their favourite. This episode saw Amy give birth to a baby who was revealed to be River Song

But picking up nearly half the votes with 46%, the most popular story from series 6 so far have been The Doctor's Wife which saw the Doctor land on an asteroid outside of the universe where he was faced with the personification of the TARDIS in the form of Idris. The story was penned by Neil Gaiman and aired fourth in the run.

To find out what people thought of all these stories, check out our series 6 section on The Doctor In The TARDIS Forum

Torchwood on the radio

The BBC Press Office has announced that from Monday July 11th to Wednesday July 13th three Torchwood audio dramas will be aired on Radio 4 at 2.15pm. Each drama will be approximately 45 minutes long.

Set before the events of 'Children of Earth', the dramas will see John Barrowman, Eve Myles & Gareth David-Lloyd reprise their roles as Jack, Gwen & Ianto.

They have also provided the following information about the three dramas:

In the first of three Torchwood stories, when Rhys's elderly Uncle Bryn has a heart attack while listening to the shipping forecast, it seems like another routine death at Ivyday Nursing Home. Until Gwen's suspicions are roused by another elderly resident ...

In Tuesday's story, a distress signal lures Jack, Gwen and Ianto to the deepest part of the ocean – the Mariana Trench – and they find themselves trapped with a hungry alien.

In Wednesday's Torchwood, it's the last night at the House Of The Dead, the most haunted pub in Wales, and Mrs Wintergreen is holding a seance. Then the ghosts start arriving, and all hell breaks loose.

The three stories have been given the umbrella title of Torchwood: The Lost Files.

Episode 10 will be 'unusual'

Coming up in the second half of the latest series of Doctor Who is an episode penned by Tom MacRae. MacRae, who also penned the double episode 'The Rise of the Cybermen'/'The Age of Steel' for series 2, recently spoke to The Telegraph about his involvement with the Punchdrunk theatre company's 'The Crash of the Elysium.' During the interview he was asked about his upcoming story:

"I’ve written episode 10 which I think is my most accomplished piece of plotting ever. There’s a break in the series, so it will be coming out later. What’s interesting is that the requirements of the script meant that for various reasons nothing has gone out about it at all. We didn’t do much location filming, and the way the guest characters work is unusual, so no one knows anything about my episode. There’s speculation about it which is wrong - some bright spark has put the title of the episode on IMDB as The Green Anchor - it has never been called that! I’m amazed we’ve kept it this secret because there’s a really big surprise in it. All I will say is that it’s an unusual episode and it’s really great."

While it's clear he's not about to give anything away, it's still nice to see the second half of the second half of the series being talked about. And, I have to say, the 'really big surprise' has got me intrigued - I'm sure there will be much speculation about that!

Doctor Who Monster Invasion Issue #4

Issue four is available now and comes with more trading cards for your collection. If you subscribe to the magazine you also should get a magazine box file and swaps box with your delivery. Also in this issue:

Vortex manipulator
Top 10 plans to destroy Earth
Kazran Sardick V The Doctor
The Doctors Wife
Where’s The Doctor – Forest of fear
Shape up
B is for Blathereen and much more

Doctor Who Insider Issue #4

On July 7th 2011, issue #4 of Doctor Who insider will become available in the US and UK. The main focus of the latest issue is a full spread and feature with Alex Kingston who plays River Song, but also featured is:

• OF HATCHES AND PATCHES: Frances Barber talks exclusively to Doctor Who Insider about playing wicked Eye Patch Lady, Madame Kovarian and tells us why baddies are best.
• SARAH JANE SMITH: To mark the recent loss of Elisabeth Sladen, we take a look at the amazing life and times of the character she created: Sarah Jane Smith.
• I WAS… STRAX: Actor Dan Starkey has played three separate Sontarans in Doctor Who and he talks exclusively to Insider about what it’s like to be inside the suit and body of a clone warrior.
• NEXUS POINT: We look back at the moment that the Doctor’s arch enemy, the Master, came out of hiding.
• DATA FILE: The First Doctor and his companions are trapped in a nightmarish world of deadly toys, games and nursery rhymes when the Celestial Toymaker lures them to his realm.
• TIME SCOOP: Ensnared in this issue’s Time Scoop is Davros, the crippled, evil genius who created the Daleks.
• MERCHANDISE: Previews of the latest Doctor Who merchandise, including The Awakening and The Gunfighters on DVD; we speak to stars of the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie, Daphne Ashbrook and Yee Jee Tso about their new roles as UNIT officers in the Tales from the Vault audio drama; and authors James Goss and Steve Tribe tell us all about their new Dalek Handbook and we print an exclusive ‘missing chapter’ from this essential tome.
• STORE INSIDER: A round‐up of some of the latest Doctor Who merchandise, including a new range of mugs and some very dapper Doctor Who clothing.
• FAN ZONE: A selection of photographs sent in by readers of themselves with well known Who celebrities and their own costumes, props and art inspired by Doctor Who.

And as if that wasn't enough, you can also bag yourself a giant, double‐sided poster of River Song and The Celestial Toymaker!

Torchwood Spoiler Video

This video fom Starz doesnt give away a lot that we didn't already know but there are a couple of spoilers in there and hundreds of new never before scenes

Starz Studios - Torchwood by pfyrestorm

New books out today

Borrowed Time
by Naomi Alderman

‘You want more time Mr Brown, of course you do. We all want more time. Let me make you an offer…’

Andrew Brown never has enough time. No time to call his sister, or to prepare for that important presentation at the bank where he works.

The train’s late, the lift jams. If only he’d had just a little more time. And time is the business of Mr Symington and Mr Blenkinsop.

They’ll lend him some – at a very reasonable rate of interest.

Detecting a problem, the Doctor, Amy and Rory go undercover at the bank. But they have to move fast to stop Symington and Blenkinsop before they cash in their investments.

Touched by an Angel
by Jonathan Morris

‘The past is like a foreign country. Nice to visit, but you really wouldn’t want to live there.’

In 2003, Rebecca Whitaker died in a road accident. Her husband Mark is still grieving. He receives a battered envelope, posted eight years ago, containing a set of instructions with a simple message: “You can save her.”

As Mark is given the chance to save Rebecca, it’s up to the Doctor, Amy and Rory to save the whole world. Because this time the Weeping Angels are using history itself as a weapon.

Paradox Lost
by George Mann

‘The Squall feed on psychic energy. They spread like a plague and if they are not stopped they will strip the Earth clean…’

London 1910: an unsuspecting thief finds himself confronted by grey-skinned creatures that are waiting to devour his mind.

London 3189: the remains of an ancient android are dredged from the Thames.

When reactivated it has a warning that can only be delivered to a man named ‘the Doctor’.

The Doctor and his friends must solve a mystery that has spanned over a thousand years. If they fail, the deadly alien Squall will devour the world.

These all new adventures feature the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the BBC series.

Published by BBC Books, these books are all available in hardback as from today. You can find them at all good book shops.

Review: I, Davros - Purity

Following on from Peri's review of part one, I, Davros - Innocence, today we bring to you the second part of the series, Purity.

The Daleks have listened to Davros's story and dismiss him as just an inferior child, but he believes he was more of a man than those who surrounded him. The Council of Twelve, busy passing their judgements in the House of Congress, never saw what was coming because they were too scared of his intelligence, aptitude and determination. It would be many years before the Supremo, that weak, spineless individual who believed he ruled the city, would finally enable Davros to realise his potential. Until then it was only Davros's mother who believed in him. The rest of them feared him, and they were right to do so...

This story isnt a direct continuation of the first story, though it does tie in nicely with previous events. First off I am going to say that if you havent listened to the first then this is ok to listen to and understand but there will be things in it that you probably wont get because they reference the first audio as apposed to stuff you may have seen on screen.

So we rejoin Davros as he get nearer to his 30th birthday. Miserable in the Kaled military he is longing to join the Science Corps in a bid to extend his works and use his knowledge for the good of the Kaled/Thal war. When Davros is summoned before the Supremo he initially begins an egotistical rant about how he is better than most of his superiors and is being unfairly held back from helping the war effort in a more scientific way, but the Supremo surprises him by saying that his work has actually been monitered in a very close way and that he wants Davros to undertake a secret mission that could help the Kaleds win the war against the Thals. He won't reveal what the mission is but says that Davros's position in the Science Corps will be pretty much secured if he accepts, albeit within the recycling division. Davros accepts straight away but the Supremo tells him to sleep on it before agreeing.

When Davros goes home he encounters his sister and after a conversation about genocide and extinct races as casualties of war, his sister becomes more wary of him and convinced that he is becoming a psychopath who will bring disaster and distruction because of his beliefs that the Thals should be iradicated. His sister tries to explain that the Thals and Kaleds once lived together in peace and could do so again, but Davros is convinced she is lying and dismisses her as needed therapy. When his mother arrives home she stirs up the pot by saying that the recent peace is a bad thing and the Thals, being a lower class as she considers, should be wiped out, fuelling Davros' fire. There is also a hint that his family think he may be gay as up to now he has refused to get a wife, which his family needs to happen so they can have access to the family trust fund which is currently held in his name. When Davros accidently lets slip about his secret mission, the family is torn about the best interests of him and their lifestyle. He realises though he has said too much and refuses to say anymore.

Im skipping a fair bit here which is mainly character stuff and fastforwarding to this: Davros accepts the mission and along with his team makes his way over enemy lines. When they happen upon a weapons factory, Davros and anothermember of his group break inside and take pictures and evidence. They realise the expense that went into the factory and that just destroying it would cripple the Thals, but they are soon captured and one of the Thals knows Davros by name. Before any questioning can take place though Davros' Major shoots the Thals and saves them. While on their way from the Thal city they are attacked by snipers and Varga Plants and very few of their number are left surviving. Davros works out that the whole mission has been a set up and demands to know whether the intention was to have him killed. When they are backed into a corner by a group of scavengers, two of the four remaining soldiers are killed and it is left to Davros and his friend Reston to make their way home. (Ive missed out a big spoiler here that links back to the first audio). When they reach the home lines, Reston is badly wounded by their own defense systems and begs Davros to end his life. Davros at first is reluctant to kill his friend but then becomes so enraged that this man doesnt want to live at absolutely any cost, that he angrilly takes his pistol and kills him anyway.

We cut to Davros in the hospital after being rescued and where he is being visited by his mother. At first he is convinced that it was she who betrayed his mission, but after being persuaded otherwise and ruling out the Supremo, he decides that it must have been his sister. His mother fuels this belief and agrees to sort the situation. She returns home and finds his sister in the pool and tells her that Davros has died over enemy lines. She convinces her that if she gave the game away about his mission then she is now safe to admit it. His sister admits that she was scared of Davros and only wants peace and so mentioned it to some of her Peace Treaty friends but never wanted him dead. His mum accuses her of being a threat to Davros' greatness and proceeds to drown her in the pool. When she next visits Davros she tells him that she found her daughter drowing in the pool and that her last words were that she loved her. They agree to put word out that she has been murdered by rebel Thals.

At the end of the story Davros is standing over the body of his dead sister preparing her autopsy. He leans in and tells her corpse that despite her hatred of science she will make a great contribution. He cuts into her body and plans to combine her genetic makeup with that of a Thal and a Varga Plant to make the greatest weapon the planet has ever seen....

Ok, this story is brilliant. There isnt a whole lot more that I can add. Ive cut out a massive section of it to keep it spoiler free but the gist of it is there. At 70 minutes this story is absolutely jam packed with story and quite honestly could have been split into two. For those of you who like it dark, this is possibly the darkest audio adventure I have ever listened to. At times spine tingling, at times just down right creepy, this story goes to places you wouldnt expect of a DW related release but is pure brilliance. Whether you are a fan of Davros or not, you cant fail to be taken in with this story and its even better if you have listened to part one as well. The back story of the Varga Plants which I have largely left out of this review, is also really unnerving. Get this! Thats all I have to say.

For more merchandise news and reviews, check out The Doctor In The TARDIS Forum

Miracle Day UK Transmission Information

Earlier this week PopRockGeek brought you the news that the airing of Miracle Day had been pushed back so that we would be seeing it in the UK after at least the US and Canada, with the BBC only confirming that it will air 'later in the summer'.

Today there is still no official date, but the BBC have updated with their scedules until July 15th with still no sign of Torchwood, so unless they show it on a Saturday or Sunday, which is pretty unlikely, it is now safe to say that we will be at least ten days, or at least 2 episodes behind the USA and Canada.

Some fans are already threatening to find other means of watching it without waiting until it is broadcast in the UK, and several sources are speculating that we may not get it until it has completed it's American run, in which case I think the BBC might find themselves with a slump in ratings.

Many fans have been left feeling as though they have been left in the cold by the BBC despite supporting the show for the first 3 series in the UK. This lack of announcement comes at a time when the BBC is under fire from many fans for their apparant disrespect towards the Whoniverse franchise as a whole, after they made several gaffs in the release of information regarding series 7 and the filming of it.

At this point in time it is still unclear when the show will air, though hopefully an anouncement will be forthcoming soon. How do you feel about Torchwood being left off the schedules until so late in the day? Let us know below or by posting at The Doctor In The TARDIS Forum

Miracle Day Episode Breakdowns

Starz have released a synopsis for the first 7 episodes of Torchwood: Miracle Day. We are assuming that the last three are just too spoilerific to even hint at, though they may come at a later date.

Ep 1: THE NEW WORLD
When death itself comes to a halt, the whole world faces its greatest danger yet. CIA agent Rex Matheson has only one clue - Torchwood.

Ep 2: RENDITON
As the Torchwood team is reunited, Jack realizes he's the most vulnerable man on Earth. A flight to the United States turns into a desperate battle for survival.

Ep 3: DEAD OF NIGHT
Torchwood goes on the run and finds a new enemy, but as they launch a raid on PhiCorp headquarters, Jack must confront the mysterious Oswald Danes.

Ep 4: ESCAPE TO L.A.
The fight against PhiCorp takes the Torchwood team to California, where a trap is waiting. Meanwhile, Oswald and Jilly find themselves with an enemy of their own.

Ep 5: THE CATEGORIES OF LIFE
Torchwood goes undercover and discovers the terrible truth behind the Miracle. The enemy is closing in, and death is about to make a shocking return.

EP 6: THE MIDDLE MEN
With Gwen, Rex and Esther trapped on both sides of the Atlantic, it's a race against time as Jack goes straight to the heart of the conspiracy.

Ep 7: IMMORTAL SINS
Gwen must fight to protect her family and takes a terrifying journey, covering both miles and decades, as the long history of the Miracle is revealed.

For more information, news and spoilers about what to expect from Miracle Day, check out our Torchwood section on The Doctor In The TARDIS Forum

Doctor Who Magazine Issue #436 Cover

Here is the cover for issue 436. It is available from June 30th. I'd say it's pretty special.

Join our forum today

I could tell you all the reasons why I think you should join the Doctor in the TARDIS forum, but first up I've decided that I'm going to let our members have their say. Why? Because they are the people who know the forum best. They are the people who will give you an honest opinion. And, if you listen to what they have to say, you could soon be getting to know them as well as I do.

Its a lot smaller that other forums that are out there, but it is still packed with all the latest updates as well as a brilliantly fun atmosphere with all the games and tournaments. Size means nothing because this is the best Doctor Who forum I have ever been to and I have been welcomed with open arms. If you aren't a member yet then you are honestly missing out, and if you are a member but you are lurking like I did, then step forward and join in. You won't regret it. (Twisted-Sister)

It's lovely to be able to share opinions with people who accept what you have to say, and it's just such a friendly place here. It's nice how it does feel like we're all part of the family. (hannahcole93)

What's even better is that this place isnt just limited to Doctor Who. Although that is the main body of the site, there are so many other great areas for the spin offs and the merchandise and even a section that we can all chat about stuff that has nothing to do with the show.
I found a great place here and I am an even bigger fan of the show now because I did. (Tardis-Console)

I've had such a warm welcome and had lots of fun in the various sections. It's worth signing up and joining in for those reasons alone and I intend to stay for a long while yet. (TheDoctorDonna)

You can see more testimonials from some of our other members HERE

Ok, if they haven't convinced you then it's my turn.

Our main rule is that no one fan is more important than another - it doesn't matter if you've been watching since November 1963, or just discovered the show this year. Every opinion is valid and welcomed.

So, if you are a fan of Doctor Who, Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures or even K-9, then give us a try. You'll find plenty of like minded people ready & willing to talk about pretty much anything to do with the Whoniverse & beyond.

Signing up to the forum is completely free and takes less than two minutes. Once you are a member you will receive perks around the forum as well as news and spoilers not reported on this news site. We run games, competitions, polls and quizzes on a daily basis, so there is always something to join in with and with the second half of Doctor Who Series 6 still to come & Torchwood Miracle Day (hopefully) just around the corner there is always something to talk about.

What are you waiting for, come & join us today.

The Doctor in Torchwood? RTD says no!

Will we ever see the Doctor in Torchwood?

That's probably a thought that has passed through the mind of many a fan since Torchwood was launched in 2006. It's certainly been discussed in the past on our forum. After all, various members of Team Torchwood have appeared in Doctor Who, former Doctor's companion Martha Jones has been in Torchwood, and the Doctor has appeared more than once in the other popular Doctor Who spin off The Sarah Jane Adventures - if he can cross over to that, he can cross over to Torchwood can't he?!

Well if you have ever wondered, wonder no more. We have an answer.

The question was posed of Torchwood creator & former Doctor Who show-runner Russell T Davies at the launch of the latest series of Torchwood at the BFI on Monday. This was his response:

"No, because actually the Doctor's never gone into Torchwood, it's always been the other way round, Torchwood's gone into Doctor Who, which I think is correct because there's a big child audience for Doctor Who and I think that would demand if we took the Doctor into Torchwood it would be a clash of styles.”

So there you have it. While Torchwood remains part of the Whoniverse, the Doctor will not be making an appearance because the shows are too different, Torchwood being much more adult themed than the family orientated Doctor Who.

Personally I agree with RTD on this, but what do you think?

10 Teasers for Miracle Day Episode 1

Cult Box have put together 10 teasers using dialogue from the first episode of Torchwood Miracle Day. If you are intending to avoid knowing anything about the show up front you might want to look away now.

01. ‘It’s not “touch wood”; it’s Torchwood.’

02. ‘Warfare’s even worse when the soldiers refuse to die.’

03. ‘How do you investigate something that isn’t happening?’

04. ‘The Founding Fathers had me in mind when they wrote the Constitution, don’t you think?’

05. ‘What are you feeding her – lard?’

06. ‘They brought me in as an expert, but I don’t know what the hell it is.’

07. ‘Don’t follow us. Don’t even try. We just want to be left alone.’

08. ‘What if you detach the head? Would he stay alive without his head?’

09. ‘Anyone who worked for Torchwood was killed in action – and they died young.’

10. ‘Owen Harper, FBI!’

Choose Your Favourite Story From Series 6 So Far

Don't forget that our series 6 story poll is still open for another 3 days, so maker sure you to tell us which of the series 6 stories that have aired so far has been your favourite by voting in the poll over to the right of the page.

There are five stories to choose from and the poll will remain open until Saturday so get voting and make your favourites win.

Eleven Doctors Character Building Set

 

The latest Character Building set sees the release of an Eleven Doctors set. Up to now the only Doctor that had been made available was Eleven, but from next week you can own them all.

The full set is available online from places such as Forbidden Planet and most good stores. It currently has a retail price of just £19.99 for the whole set.

For more merchandise reviews and releases, check out The Doctor In The TARDIS Forum

Review: The Power Of The Daleks Audio

Todays forum review comes courtesy of VampyrosAdric and covers the missing story audio, The Power Of The Daleks.

 

In many ways I'm being a bit naughty with this review. It is (for the time being) out of production and is only available second hand (at least on Amazon). It is, however, a wonderful sparkling debut performance by the Second Doctor. So on with the show and the bumpf from the back of the box so we're all on the same page!

The first Doctor becomes the second in this exclusive recording of Doctor Who s original regeneration story, starring Patrick Troughton, with linking narration by Anneke Wills I ve been renewed...without it I couldn t survive. Before the astonished eyes of his companions Ben and Polly, the Doctor s whole body has apparently been transformed. Now they are confronted by a stranger who claims to be their old friend but how can they know whether to trust him? The TARDIS s arrival on the swamp planet of Vulcan brings its own problems; the Doctor is mistaken for an official come to solve the Earth colony s in-fighting, and soon he and his companions are embroiled in political wranglings. However, a far more serious threat lurks within the colony. The scientist Lesterson has discovered a crashed space capsule, within it a group of inert metallic creatures which the Doctor identifies as Daleks. Refusing to heed the Doctor s warnings, Lesterson supplies power to the Daleks and revives them. The awakened Daleks claim to be faithful servants of humanity but could such a thing ever be possible? By covert means they seek an increasing level of energy, but for what? By the time the Doctor and his friends discover the Daleks true plan for the colony, it looks as if it might already be too late to stop them...Anneke Wills, who plays Polly in the story, narrates this debut story for the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, first broadcast in 1966 and long since missing from the television archives

It is difficult for us who are familiar with (and excited by) the concept of regeneration to contemplate just what a crisis the decision of Bill Hartnell to leave the show was. The show was still popular so they decided to recast - but them came the next question, how to explain the appearance of a new actor. Thus was born the brilliant concept of regeneration. A concept so infused with genius that it kept the show fresh for decades. This story, important alone as a historical curio, gains even more mythical status by remaining impenetrably and entirely missing from the BBC Archives. Some stories (Tomb of the Cybermen etc) have popped up. But this one, remains resolutely lost.

Some things, like urinary tract infections, when they go missing you don't really miss them. Others, like Ice Cream, are very much missed and you welcome them back like an old friend. But some things are so precious, like good nights out or a particularly funny joke, that are magical and mystical and you know they'll never come back. Power of the Daleks is one such thing. It is a wonderful tale - written not (as you might expect) by Terror Nation, but instead penned by former Script Doctor, David Whittaker. Unusually for a Whittaker script, it is based on a relatively straightforward premise - Daleks pretending to be nice to get hooked up to the mains so they can reproduce. Yet it works on so many layers. Instead of trying to hoodwink an audience not used to regeneration, the script actually plays on the discomfort of not knowing this apparent impostor. Added to this, "The Doctor" takes on the identity of "The Examiner" to further obfuscate and mislead.

This story is a triumph for Troughton. He sparkles like a cosmic sprite, the dialogue is (unusually for a BBC script of the time) snappy and witty. Both Michael Craze and Anneke Wills provide good support and the ensemble players all have great fun snarling at each other. The missing recording has two different versions. The early one (only available on cassette tape) has linking narration by Tom Baker (which is frankly bizarre but hugely enjoyable). This one, though, has polished links provided by Anneke Wills and together with some clever knob twiddling by the restoration yoda, Mark Ayres, this recording is about as close as we're going to get to capturing the magic of the very first regeneration story.

For more reviews and merchandise news, be sure to check out The Doctor In The TARDIS Forum