Doctor Who: Difference between revisions

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[[Image:10dr19.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The ten faces of the Doctor. <small>Clockwise from top-left: [[William Hartnell]], [[Patrick Troughton]], [[Jon Pertwee]], [[Tom Baker]], [[Peter Davison]], [[Colin Baker]], [[Sylvester McCoy]], [[Paul McGann]], [[Christopher Eccleston]] and [[David Tennant]]</small>]]<!-- FAIR USE of 10dr19.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10dr19.jpg for rationale -->
[[Image:10dr19.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The ten faces of the Doctor. <small>Clockwise from top-left: [[William Hartnell]], [[Patrick Troughton]], [[Jon Pertwee]], [[Tom Baker]], [[Peter Davison]], [[Colin Baker]], [[Sylvester McCoy]], [[Paul McGann]], [[Christopher Eccleston]] and [[David Tennant]]</small>]]<!-- FAIR USE of 10dr19.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10dr19.jpg for rationale -->


In ''Rose'' the viewer is introduced to what appears to be a leather-jacketed man of action, mid-way through a conflict with a creature known as the Nestene. It becomes clear that he is not a human being, and that he travels in time and space in a machine disguised as a 1950s police telephone box; one which is nevertheless fantastically bigger on the inside. This story also reveals that he is also the last of his own people, who were otherwise destroyed in a great battle known as the 'Time War'. Throughout this season of adventures, it is emphasised that this individual is "damaged"<ref>In Russell T. Davies's words.</ref> by his experiences, which make him somewhat unpredictable.
In ''Rose'' the viewer is introduced to what appears to be a leather-jacketed man of action, mid-way through a conflict with a creature known as the Nestene. It becomes clear that he is not a human being, and that he travels in time and space in a machine disguised as a 1950s police telephone box; one which is nevertheless fantastically bigger on the inside. This story also reveals that he is also the last of his own people, who were otherwise destroyed in a great battle known as the 'Time War'.<ref>See Wikipedia articles on the '[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_War_(Doctor_Who) Time War]'.</ref> Throughout this season of adventures, it is emphasised that this individual is "damaged"<ref>In Russell T. Davies's words.</ref> by his experiences, which make him somewhat unpredictable.


The Doctor's physiology is rather different from humans; the first series reveals he has two [[heart]]s, for example, and he is also capable of physical and mental feats beyond those of an ordinary human. The most spectacular of these, as shown at the conclusion of the final story of the new ''Doctor Who'''s first year, is his ability to regenerate - what he calls a trick for "cheating death". His body fatally injured in the course of saving his companion Rose's life, she and the viewer witness a tremendous burst of energy released from his body, and his features melt into those of a new individual - the Doctor's present incarnation, portrayed by [[David Tennant]].
The Doctor's physiology is rather different from humans; the first series reveals he has two [[heart]]s, for example, and he is also capable of physical and mental feats beyond those of an ordinary human. The most spectacular of these, as shown at the conclusion of the final story of the new ''Doctor Who'''s first year, is his ability to regenerate - what he calls a trick for "cheating death". His body fatally injured in the course of saving his companion Rose's life, she and the viewer witness a tremendous burst of energy released from his body, and his features melt into those of a new individual - the Doctor's present incarnation, portrayed by [[David Tennant]].
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==Companions==
==Companions==
''Spoilers!''
[[Image:Marthajones.jpg|180px|thumb|[[Freema Agyeman]] appears as the Doctor's newest companion, [[Martha Jones]].]]<!-- FAIR USE of Marthajones.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marthajones.jpg for rationale -->
[[Image:Marthajones.jpg|180px|thumb|[[Freema Agyeman]] appears as the Doctor's newest companion, [[Martha Jones]].]]<!-- FAIR USE of Marthajones.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marthajones.jpg for rationale -->
The Doctor almost always shares his adventures with up to three [[:Category:Doctor Who companions|companions]] (the only exception in the original series being ''The Deadly Assassin'', in which he travels alone). The idea of the companion is to provide a [[audience surrogate|surrogate]] with whom the audience can identify and to further the story by asking questions and getting into trouble. The Doctor regularly gains new companions and loses old ones; sometimes they return home or find new causes — or loves — on worlds they have visited. Some have even died during the course of the series. For further details, see the notes in [[List of Doctor Who supporting characters]].
The Doctor is initially travelling alone, but former London shop assistant Rose Tyler ([[Billie Piper]]) joins him at the close of the opening adventure, with others appearing later. It becomes clear that the Doctor's new friends were not the first to join him in the TARDIS, but so far only two of his 'companions' from the past have appeared,<ref>Wikipedia: ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_Reunion_(Doctor_Who) School Reunion]'', 2006.</ref> and others have not been discussed. Though the relationship between the Doctor and Rose is initially rocky, they come to trust and rely on each other through experience; her departure in 2006's ''Doomsday''<ref>Wikipedia: ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomsday_(Doctor_Who) Doomsday]'', 2006.</ref> seemed to affect the Doctor deeply.


Despite the fact that the majority of the Doctor's companions are young, attractive females, the production team for the 1963–1989 series maintained a longstanding taboo against any overt romantic involvement in the TARDIS: the 2005 series played with this idea by having various characters think that the Ninth Doctor and Rose (played by [[Billie Piper]]) were a couple, which they vehemently denied (see also [[Doctor (Doctor Who)#The Doctor and romance|"The Doctor and romance"]]).
In terms of programme-making, the idea of having a companion is to provide a [[audience surrogate|surrogate]] with whom the audience can identify and to further the story by asking questions and getting into trouble. Any kind of intimate relationship is out: the series played with this idea by having various characters think that the Doctor and Rose were a couple, which they vehemently denied.
 
One former companion, [[Sarah Jane Smith]] (played by [[Elisabeth Sladen]]), together with the robotic dog [[K-9 (Doctor Who)|K-9]], appeared in an episode<ref>Wikipedia: ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_Reunion_(Doctor_Who) School Reunion]'', 2006.</ref> of the 2006 series more than twenty years after their last appearances in classic series.


From the beginning of the 2007 series, [[Freema Agyeman]] will play [[Martha Jones]], the Doctor's next ongoing companion.<ref>{{cite press release | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/07_july/05/agyeman2.shtml | title = Freema Agyeman confirmed as new companion to Doctor Who | publisher = BBC |date= [[2006-07-05]]|accessdate = 2006-07-05}}</ref> Apart from her name, the casting of family members and the information that she will be a medical student, no details are currently available about her character.
From the beginning of the 2007 series, [[Freema Agyeman]] will play [[Martha Jones]], the Doctor's next ongoing companion.<ref>{{cite press release | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/07_july/05/agyeman2.shtml | title = Freema Agyeman confirmed as new companion to Doctor Who | publisher = BBC |date= [[2006-07-05]]|accessdate = 2006-07-05}}</ref> Apart from her name, the casting of family members and the information that she will be a medical student, no details are currently available about her character.
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:''See also: [[List of Doctor Who monsters and aliens]], [[List of Doctor Who villains]]''
:''See also: [[List of Doctor Who monsters and aliens]], [[List of Doctor Who villains]]''
[[Image:Daleknew.jpg|thumb|180px|The [[Dalek]]s are perhaps the best-known adversaries faced by the Doctor.]]<!-- FAIR USE of Daleknew.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Daleknew.jpg for rationale -->
[[Image:Daleknew.jpg|thumb|180px|The [[Dalek]]s are perhaps the best-known adversaries faced by the Doctor.]]<!-- FAIR USE of Daleknew.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Daleknew.jpg for rationale -->
When Sydney Newman commissioned the series, he specifically did not want to perpetuate the cliché of the "bug-eyed monster" of science fiction. However, [[list of Doctor Who monsters and aliens|monsters]] were a staple of ''Doctor Who'' almost from the beginning and were popular with audiences. By 2005, it had been revealed that the Doctor's people, the [[Time Lords]], had been destroyed by one such adversary in the frequently-mentioned 'Time War'.<ref>See Wikipedia articles on the '[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_War_(Doctor_Who) Time War]' and the 2006 episode ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalek_(Doctor_Who_episode) Dalek]''.</ref>


Notable adversaries of the Doctor include the [[Auton]]s, the [[Cyberman|Cybermen]] and the [[Slitheen]]. Of all the monsters and villains, the ones that most secured the series' place in the public's imagination were the [[Dalek]]s. The Daleks are deadly mutants in tank-like mechanical armour from the planet [[Skaro]]. Envisaged as representing the [[Nazis]], their best-known characteristic is frequently screaming ''"exterminate!"'' at anything un-Dalek. They Daleks have appeared several times in the new series, the most recent instance being ''Doomsday''.<ref>Wikipedia: ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomsday_(Doctor_Who) Doomsday]'', 2006.</ref>
In Doctor Who, the universe is a dangerous place. A frequently occurring theme is that of various alien races attempting to conquer the Earth or otherwise threatening the human race,<ref>A new, enforced guideline for the new series so far is that all stories must involve humanity in some way.</ref> only to be foiled by the Doctor. Perhaps the best-known example of this in the new series concerns the attempts of the Slitheen family to take over the planet and sell it for scrap.<ref>Wikipedia: ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens_of_London Aliens of London]'' and ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Three_(Doctor_Who) World War Three]'' 2005.</ref> Other villians appearing include the [[Auton]]s (''Rose''), the [[Cyberman|Cybermen]] (in the 2006 series) and Cassandra, the last human being alive five billion years in the future.<ref>Wikipedia: ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_the_World_(Doctor_Who) The End of the World]'', 2005; ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Earth New Earth]'', 2006.</ref>
 
Of all the monsters and villains, the best-known in the series and wider UK culture are the [[Dalek]]s: deadly mutants in tank-like mechanical armour from the planet [[Skaro]]. Envisaged as representing the [[Nazis]], their best-known characteristic is frequently screaming ''"Exterminate!"'' at anything un-Dalek. They Daleks have appeared several times in the new series, firstly in ''Dalek'',<ref>Wikipedia: ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalek_(Doctor_Who_episode) Dalek]'', 2005.</ref> where it appears that only one individual had survived a previous encounter with their nemesis, the Doctor (known in Skaroene lore as 'The Oncoming Storm'<ref>Wikipedia: ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Parting_of_the_Ways The Parting of the Ways]'', 2005.</ref>).




Revision as of 22:01, 1 January 2007

Doctor Who
File:Doctorwho-taxicablogo-temp.jpg
Current Doctor Who series logo[1]
Format: Science Fiction; Drama
Country: United Kingdom
Channel: BBC One
First Aired: 23 November 1963 (original series)
26 March 2005 (current series)
Creators: Sydney Newman
C. E. Webber
Donald Wilson
Russell T. Davies (current series)
Starring: David Tennant; Freema Agyeman
Picture format: 720x576 16:9 (2005–)
See also: Doctor Who (classic series)

Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television programme (and 1996 television movie) produced by the BBC about the adventures of a mysterious time-traveller known as 'the Doctor', who explores time and space with his companions, righting wrongs. His time machine, the TARDIS, is famously disguised as an old British police box and is bigger on the inside than out; some well-known adversaries include the Daleks - mutants inside pepperpot-shaped casings - and the Cybermen. The programme has lasted so long partly because the Doctor, as an alien, is able to regenerate his body when badly injured, allowing the lead actor to be recast.

The programme is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running science fiction television series in the world[2] and is also a significant part of British popular culture.[3][4] It has been recognised for its imaginative stories, creative low-budget special effects during its original run and pioneering use of electronic music (originally produced by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop). In Britain and elsewhere, the show has become a cult television favourite on a par with Star Trek and has influenced generations of British television professionals, many of whom grew up watching the series. It has received recognition from critics and the public as one of the finest British television programmes, including a BAFTA Award for Best Drama Series in 2006.

The programme originally ran from 1963 to 1989. A television movie was made in 1996, and the programme was successfully relaunched in 2005, produced in-house by BBC Wales. (Some development money for the new series is contributed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), which is credited as a co-producer, although they do not have creative input into the show.) Doctor Who has also spawned spin-offs in multiple media, including the current television series Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

The relaunch of the programme has seen Christmas Day special episodes broadcast between series, the most recent being The Runaway Bride.[5] Series three of the programme, starring David Tennant as the Doctor and Freema Agyeman as his companion Martha Jones, will follow in spring 2007 on BBC One.

History

Following the programme's 1989 cancellation and failure of a 1996 American-backed movie to secure a new series, as a television programme Doctor Who remained dormant until 2003. In September of that year, BBC Television announced the in-house production of a new series after several years of unsuccessful attempts by BBC Worldwide to find backing for a feature film version. The new series retained the TARDIS and other key featurss of the original, rather than being a fundamentally new spin-off.

The new incarnation of the series is executively-produced by writer Russell T. Davies and BBC Wales Head of Drama / BBC Television Controller of Drama Commissioning Julie Gardner. Davies had contributed to a range of Doctor Who novels published in the interim years, so brought a love of the programme to the new series as well as considerable television scriptwriting experience.

The new series debuted with the episode Rose[6] on BBC One on 26 March 2005, and the show has since been sold to many other countries (see Viewership). Due to an initial lack of interest by United States networks, it only debuted on the Sci Fi Channel on 17 March 2006, one year after the Canadian and UK showings. The BBC subsequently commissioned more series and Christmas specials. Series 2 in the UK was followed by The Runaway Bride in December 2006. Series 2 began airing in the US on the Sci-Fi Channel on 29 September 2006, followed by the CBC on 9 October.


Public consciousness

The Doctor

For more information, see: Doctor (Doctor Who).


The Doctor is the main character in the series: the newest episodes reveal various aspects of his character and past, but much remains mysterious. He was first played by Christopher Eccleston for one series, followed by David Tennant.[7]

Spoilers!

File:10dr19.jpg
The ten faces of the Doctor. Clockwise from top-left: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant

In Rose the viewer is introduced to what appears to be a leather-jacketed man of action, mid-way through a conflict with a creature known as the Nestene. It becomes clear that he is not a human being, and that he travels in time and space in a machine disguised as a 1950s police telephone box; one which is nevertheless fantastically bigger on the inside. This story also reveals that he is also the last of his own people, who were otherwise destroyed in a great battle known as the 'Time War'.[8] Throughout this season of adventures, it is emphasised that this individual is "damaged"[9] by his experiences, which make him somewhat unpredictable.

The Doctor's physiology is rather different from humans; the first series reveals he has two hearts, for example, and he is also capable of physical and mental feats beyond those of an ordinary human. The most spectacular of these, as shown at the conclusion of the final story of the new Doctor Who's first year, is his ability to regenerate - what he calls a trick for "cheating death". His body fatally injured in the course of saving his companion Rose's life, she and the viewer witness a tremendous burst of energy released from his body, and his features melt into those of a new individual - the Doctor's present incarnation, portrayed by David Tennant.

It is quickly established that this new person is the same character, physically different and with some new personality quirks, but still the same intensely curious and highly moral adventurer, who would rather solve problems with his wits than through violence.

Other aspects of the Doctor's life remain less clear. There are suggestions of romantic feelings towards both Rose and others,[10] but the his personal relationships are never humanlike. Though in the 2006 episode Fear Her,[11] it is revealed that he was once a father, this series reveals nothing more of what family he may have had.

Companions

Spoilers!

File:Marthajones.jpg
Freema Agyeman appears as the Doctor's newest companion, Martha Jones.

The Doctor is initially travelling alone, but former London shop assistant Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) joins him at the close of the opening adventure, with others appearing later. It becomes clear that the Doctor's new friends were not the first to join him in the TARDIS, but so far only two of his 'companions' from the past have appeared,[12] and others have not been discussed. Though the relationship between the Doctor and Rose is initially rocky, they come to trust and rely on each other through experience; her departure in 2006's Doomsday[13] seemed to affect the Doctor deeply.

In terms of programme-making, the idea of having a companion is to provide a surrogate with whom the audience can identify and to further the story by asking questions and getting into trouble. Any kind of intimate relationship is out: the series played with this idea by having various characters think that the Doctor and Rose were a couple, which they vehemently denied.

From the beginning of the 2007 series, Freema Agyeman will play Martha Jones, the Doctor's next ongoing companion.[14] Apart from her name, the casting of family members and the information that she will be a medical student, no details are currently available about her character.

Adversaries

See also: List of Doctor Who monsters and aliens, List of Doctor Who villains
File:Daleknew.jpg
The Daleks are perhaps the best-known adversaries faced by the Doctor.

In Doctor Who, the universe is a dangerous place. A frequently occurring theme is that of various alien races attempting to conquer the Earth or otherwise threatening the human race,[15] only to be foiled by the Doctor. Perhaps the best-known example of this in the new series concerns the attempts of the Slitheen family to take over the planet and sell it for scrap.[16] Other villians appearing include the Autons (Rose), the Cybermen (in the 2006 series) and Cassandra, the last human being alive five billion years in the future.[17]

Of all the monsters and villains, the best-known in the series and wider UK culture are the Daleks: deadly mutants in tank-like mechanical armour from the planet Skaro. Envisaged as representing the Nazis, their best-known characteristic is frequently screaming "Exterminate!" at anything un-Dalek. They Daleks have appeared several times in the new series, firstly in Dalek,[18] where it appears that only one individual had survived a previous encounter with their nemesis, the Doctor (known in Skaroene lore as 'The Oncoming Storm'[19]).


Music

For more information, see: Doctor Who theme music.


Template:Sample box start variation 2

Gnome-mime-audio-openclipart.png
Doctor Who theme excerpt

[click here to play]

An excerpt from the theme music to Doctor Who
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Template:Sample box end For the new series in 2005, Murray Gold provided a new arrangement which featured samples from the 1963 original with further elements added. A soundtrack CD of Gold's music for the new series was released on 4 December 2006 by Silva Screen Records.[20][21].

Viewership

File:3doctardis.jpg
The image of the TARDIS is iconic in British popular culture.

Doctor Who has always appeared on the BBC's mainstream BBC One channel, drawing audiences of many millions of viewers. The BBC One broadcast of Rose, the first episode of the 2005 revival, drew an average audience of 10.81 million, third highest for BBC One that week and seventh across all channels. The 2005 series had an average audience of 7.95 million viewers, and the 2006 series achieved an average audience of about 7.71 million in the context of declining year-to-year viewership for all television channels. The episode Rise of the Cybermen managed sixth place in the charts across the week with 9.22 million viewers.[22]

The revived series has also been shown on ABC and UK.TV.


A wide selection of serials is available from BBC Video on VHS and DVD, on sale in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. Every fully extant serial has been released on VHS, and BBC Worldwide continues to regularly release serials on DVD. The 2005 series is also available in its entirety on UMD for the PlayStation Portable.

As of October 2006, the new series has been, or is currently, broadcast weekly in Australia (ABC), Belgium (één), Brazil (People+Arts), Canada (in English on CBC and in French on Ztélé), Denmark (Danmarks Radio), Finland (TV2), France (France 4), Hong Kong (ATV World), Hungary (RTL Klub-owned COOL TV), Israel (Yes Weekend), Italy (Jimmy), Japan (BS-2, a channel of NHK), Malaysia (Astro Network), the Netherlands (NED 3), New Zealand (Prime TV), Norway (NRK), Poland (TVP 1), Portugal (People+Arts), Russia (STS TV), Spain and Latin America (People+Arts), South Korea (KBS), the United States (Sci Fi Channel and BBC America), Greece (Skai TV), Style UK (part of Showtime Arabia) for the Middle East, North Africa, and the Levant territories. The series has also been sold to, but not yet shown in, Germany (Pro 7), Sweden (SVT) and Romania (TVR). A special logo has been designed for the Japanese broadcast with the katakana "ドクター・フー" (romanised as Dokutaa Huu).[23].

The 2005 series episodes aired in Canada a couple of weeks after their UK broadcast, a situation made possible by the cancellation of the 2004-2005 National Hockey League season which left vast gaps in CBC's schedule. For the Canadian broadcasts, Christopher Eccleston recorded special video introductions for each episode (including a trivia question as part of a viewer contest) and excerpts from the Doctor Who Confidential documentary were played over the closing credits; for the broadcast of The Christmas Invasion on December 26 2005, Billie Piper recorded a special video introduction. CBC Television began airing the 2006 series on October 9 2006 at 8:00 p.m. local (8:30 NT), shortly after that day's Canadian Football League (CFL) Thanksgiving doubleheader in much of the country. The first series is currently being rebroadcast late Tuesday nights/early Wednesday mornings at midnight. Old episodes of Doctor Who are shown nightly on the Canadian station BBC Kids.

Series 2 is currently being broadcast on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States, starting with The Christmas Invasion on 29 September 2006. Series 1 is also being repeated in the US, this time on BBC America. The re-run began on November 21, 2006.

Series 1 is currently being broadcast on BBC Entertainment in Asia.

Format

Each series consists of thirteen 45-minute, self-contained episodes (60 minutes with adverts on commercial channels overseas). This includes three two-parters and a loose story arc per season whose elements are brought together in the season finale. Like the original serial format, two-part episodes have separate titles. From series two, the regular characters have been largely absent from one episode so the leads can concentrate on filming others; this led to criticism of the first 'Doctor-lite' adventure, 2006's Love and Monsters.[24]

Doctor Who, having already completed 724 episodes, will surpass the number of individual instalments of the Star Trek franchise (726 episodes over five programmes) during the 2007 series.

The current series is filmed in 576i25 DigiBeta widescreen format and then filmised to give a 25p image in post-production using a Snell and Wilcox Alchemist Platinum.


Fandom

For more information, see: Doctor Who fandom.

Template:Unreferencedsect

Doctor Who has amassed a large number of fans from all over the world. For example, The Doctor Who Forum at the website Outpost Gallifrey is ranked within the top 300 most active message boards on the Internet[25]. The series is more a mainstream part of popular culture in its native UK, where it is regarded as a family show and is shown on the main public service broadcasting channel, BBC One.

The term Whovian, (similar to Trekkie for Star Trek) is used by the press to refer to Doctor Who fans, although the term is not often used by fans themselves.

Celebrity fans include comedians Jon Culshaw, David Walliams[26], Mitch Benn, Peter Kay, Mark Gatiss, Stewart Lee and Matt Lucas, cricketers Mike Gatting and Graham Gooch, actors David Hewlett and Eric McCormack[27], singer and actress Toyah Willcox, Cedric Bixler-Zavala of the Mars Volta, singer Meat Loaf,[28] Simpsons creator Matt Groening, graphic novelist and fantasy writer Neil Gaiman, horror novelist Brian Keene, and science-fiction writer and critic Harlan Ellison. William Rees-Mogg, editor of The Times newspaper from 1967 until 1981, publicly declared his enjoyment of Doctor Who on an edition of the BBC's current affairs series Panorama in 1980.[29] Prompted by this, the actor and dramatist Emlyn Williams admitted in the pages of The Times that he too was a keen follower of the series.[29]

List of episodes and serials

For more information, see: List of Doctor Who serials.


Adaptations and other appearances

Spin-offs

For more information, see: Doctor Who spin-offs.


Following the success of the 2005 series produced by Russell T. Davies, the BBC commissioned Davies to produce a 13-part spin-off series titled Torchwood (an anagram of "Doctor Who"), set in modern-day Wales and investigating alien activities and crime. The series debuted on BBC Three on 22 October 2006.[30] John Barrowman reprises his role of Jack Harkness from the 2005 series of Doctor Who. It was shot in Summer and Autumn 2006.[31] Eve Myles, who was in the 2005 Doctor Who episode The Unquiet Dead, also stars.[32]

A new K-9 children's series, K-9 Adventures, is in development, but not by the BBC.[33]

The Sarah Jane Adventures, starring Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, has been developed by CBBC; a special aired on New Year's Day 2007, and a full series will follow later in 2007.[34]

Charity episodes

File:Curseoffataldeath.jpg
Rowan Atkinson as the Doctor and Julia Sawalha as Emma in the parody The Curse of Fatal Death

In 1993, coinciding with the series' 30th anniversary, a charity special entitled Dimensions in Time was produced in aid of Children in Need, featuring all of the surviving actors who played the Doctor and a number of previous companions. Not taken seriously by many, the story had the Rani opening a hole in time, cycling the Doctor and his companions through his previous incarnations and menacing them with monsters from the show's past. It also featured a crossover with the soap opera EastEnders, the action taking place in the latter's Albert Square location and around Greenwich, including the Cutty Sark. The special was one of several special 3D programmes the BBC produced at the time, using a 3D system that made use of the Pulfrich effect requiring glasses with one darkened lens; the picture would look perfectly normal to those viewers who watched without the glasses.

In 1999, another special, Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death, was made for Red Nose Day and later released on VHS. An affectionate parody of the television series, it was split into four segments, mimicking the traditional serial format, complete with cliffhangers. (The version released on video was split into only two episodes.) In the story, the Doctor (Rowan Atkinson) encounters both the Master (Jonathan Pryce) and the Daleks. During the special the Doctor is forced to regenerate several times, with his subsequent incarnations played by, in order, Richard E. Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant, and Joanna Lumley. The script was written by Steven Moffat, who contributed two scripts to the 2005 series and one for the 2006 series.

As noted above, on November 18, 2005, an untitled 7-minute "mini-episode", set in the immediate aftermath of The Parting of the Ways and leading directly into The Christmas Invasion, was shown as part of the Children in Need telethon.

Spoofs

For more information, see: Doctor Who spoofs.


In the comic Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #10—in a storyline dealing with time-travel and alternate universes—the words “Bad Wolf” can be seen written on the wall.


Merchandise

For more information, see: Doctor Who merchandise.

Since its beginnings, Doctor Who has generated many hundreds of products related to the show, from toys and games to collectible picture cards and postage stamps. These include board games, card games, gamebooks, computer games and action figures.

Many games have been released that feature the Daleks. See Dalek computer games.

Awards

The revived series has received particular recognition from critics and the public. In 2005, at the National Television Awards (voted on by members of the British public), Doctor Who won "Most Popular Drama", Christopher Eccleston won "Most Popular Actor" and Billie Piper won "Most Popular Actress". The series and Piper repeated their wins at the 2006 National Television Awards, and David Tennant won "Most Popular Actor".[35] A scene from The Doctor Dances won "Golden Moment" in the BBC's "2005 TV Moments" awards,[36] and Doctor Who swept all the categories in BBC.co.uk's online "Best of Drama" poll in both 2005[37] and 2006.[38] The programme also won the Broadcast Magazine Award for Best Drama.[39][40] Eccleston was awarded the TV Quick and TV Choice award for Best Actor in 2005; in the same awards in 2006 Tennant won Best Actor, Piper won Best Actress and Doctor Who won Best-Loved Drama.[41][42]

Doctor Who was nominated in the Best Drama Series category at the 2006 Royal Television Society awards,[43] but lost to BBC Three's medical drama Bodies.[44]

Doctor Who also received several nominations for the 2006 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards: the programme for Best Drama, Eccleston for Best Actor (David Tennant was also nominated for Secret Smile), Piper for Best Actress and Davies for Best Writer. However, it did not win any of these categories.[45]

Several episodes of the 2005 series of Doctor Who were nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form: Dalek, Father's Day and the double episode The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. At a ceremony at the Worldcon (L.A. Con IV) in Los Angeles on 27 August 2006, the Hugo was awarded to The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.[46] Dalek and Father's Day came in second and third places respectively.[47]

The British Academy Television Awards (BAFTA) nominations, released on March 27 2006, revealed that Doctor Who had been shortlisted in the category of Best Drama Series. This is the highest-profile and most prestigious British television award for which the series has ever been nominated. Doctor Who was also nominated in several other categories in the BAFTA Craft Awards, including Best Writer (Russell T. Davies), Best Director (Joe Ahearne), and Break-through Talent (production designer Edward Thomas). However, it did not eventually win any of its categories at the Craft Awards.

On Sunday May 7 2006 the main BAFTA award winners were announced, and Doctor Who won both of the categories it was nominated for, the Best Drama Series and audience-voted Pioneer Award. Russell T. Davies also won the Dennis Potter Award for Outstanding Writing for Television.[48]

On April 22 2006, the programme won five categories (out of fourteen nominations) at the lower-profile BAFTA Cymru awards, given to programmes made in Wales. It won Best Drama Series, Drama Director (James Hawes), Costume, Make-up and Photography Direction. Russell T Davies also won the Sian Phillips Award for Outstanding Contribution to Network Television.[49]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Known by some fans as the 'taxicab logo' to distinguish it from earlier versions.
  2. ↑ Dr Who 'longest-running sci-fi', BBC News, 2006-09-28. Retrieved on 2006-09-30.
  3. ↑ (2006-09-14) "The end of Olde Englande: A lament for Blighty". The Economist. Retrieved on 2006-09-18.
  4. ↑ ICONS. A Portrait of England. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
  5. ↑ Wikipedia: The Runaway Bride (Doctor Who), 2007.
  6. ↑ Wikipedia: Rose (Doctor Who), 2005.
  7. ↑ Other actors have also played the Doctor, though rarely more than once (see the list of actors who have played the Doctor for details).
  8. ↑ See Wikipedia articles on the 'Time War'.
  9. ↑ In Russell T. Davies's words.
  10. ↑ e.g. Reinette in the 2006 adventure The Girl in the Fireplace, (Wikipedia).
  11. ↑ Wikipedia: Fear Her, 2006.
  12. ↑ Wikipedia: School Reunion, 2006.
  13. ↑ Wikipedia: Doomsday, 2006.
  14. ↑ BBC (2006-07-05). Freema Agyeman confirmed as new companion to Doctor Who. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-07-05.
  15. ↑ A new, enforced guideline for the new series so far is that all stories must involve humanity in some way.
  16. ↑ Wikipedia: Aliens of London and World War Three 2005.
  17. ↑ Wikipedia: The End of the World, 2005; New Earth, 2006.
  18. ↑ Wikipedia: Dalek, 2005.
  19. ↑ Wikipedia: The Parting of the Ways, 2005.
  20. ↑ Who soundtrack soon. bbc.co.uk (2006-07-17). Retrieved on 2006-08-04.
  21. ↑ Silva Screen announces Doctor Who CD release date (2006-11-01). Retrieved on 2006-12-04.
  22. ↑ Spilsbury, Tom (2006-09-13 cover date). "Public Image". Doctor Who Magazine (373): 8.
  23. ↑ Turning Japanese (30 June 2006).
  24. ↑ Wikipedia: Love & Monsters
  25. ↑ BigBoards.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-01.
  26. ↑ Doctor Who. davidwalliams.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-20.
  27. ↑ Sean, Neil. War on Terror: In It to Win It? (near bottom of page), Fox & Friends, Fox News, 2006-09-13. Retrieved on 2006-09-13.
  28. ↑ MEAT LOAF TO HIT THE TARDIS?. contactmusic.com (2006-08-13). Retrieved on 2006-08-16.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Williams, Emlyn. "Personal Choice", The Times, 1980-11-22, pp. 9. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
  30. ↑ Torchwood programme information, BBC Three listings. Retrieved on October 15, 2006.
  31. ↑ Doctor Who spin-off made in Wales, BBC News, 2005-10-17. Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
  32. ↑ Team Torchwood. bbc.co.uk (2006-02-24). Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
  33. ↑ Doctor Who dog K9 gets spin-off. BBC News (2006-04-26). Retrieved on 2006-07-26.
  34. ↑ BBC (2006-09-14). Russell T Davies creates new series for CBBC, starring Doctor Who's Sarah Jane Smith. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-09-14.
  35. ↑ Dr Who scores TV awards hat-trick, BBC News, bbc.co.uk, 2006-10-31. Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
  36. ↑ 2005 TV Moments. bbc.co.uk (December 2005). Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
  37. ↑ Drama Best of 2005. bbc.co.uk (December 2005). Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
  38. ↑ Drama Best of 2006. bbc.co.uk (January 2007). Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
  39. ↑ Doctor Who wins Broadcast Award. bbc.co.uk (2006-01-26). Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
  40. ↑ 2006 Winners. Broadcast Magazine (2006). Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
  41. ↑ Street is best soap at TV awards, BBC News, 2005-09-06. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
  42. ↑ Doctor Who lands three TV awards, BBC News, 2006-09-05. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
  43. ↑ RTS Programme Awards - Nominations, The Guardian, 2006-02-21. Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
  44. ↑ Bleak House wins TV drama award, BBC News, 2006-03-15. Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
  45. ↑ Broadcasting Press Guild Awards 2006. Broadcasting Press Guild (March 31 2006). Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
  46. ↑ Hugo and Campbell Awards Winners. Locus Online (2006-08-26). Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
  47. ↑ Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. 2006 Hugo Award & Campbell Award Winners (2006-08-26). Retrieved on 2006-08-28.
  48. ↑ Doctor Who is Bafta award winner, BBC News, 2006-05-08. Retrieved on 2006-05-08.
  49. ↑ Doctor leads Bafta Cymru winners, BBC News, 2006-04-22. Retrieved on 2006-04-24.


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