Important news on the New DrWho series.

[Iain]

Christopher Eccleston will become the ninth Doctor Who
Shallow Grave actor Christopher Eccleston has been named as the new Doctor Who to front the cult BBC sci-fi show when it returns next year.
Eccleston, who starred alongside Nicole Kidman in the horror movie The Others, will be the ninth TV Time Lord to control the Tardis in a 13-part series.

The 40-year-old has starred in Flesh and Blood, The Second Coming, and TV series Our Friends in the North.

The BBC said the Salford-born actor would take "a fresh, modern approach".
It signals our intention to take Doctor Who into the 21st century, as well as retaining its core traditional values - to be surprising, edgy and eccentric."

Executive producer and writer Russell T Davies said: "Christopher was our first choice.
"His casting raises the bar for all of us. It's going to be a magnificent, epic, entertaining journey, and I can't wait to start."

Previous Time Lords

William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann

The hugely-popular Doctor Who show ran for 26 years from 1963 and the new series will be filmed in Cardiff later this year.

He first came to public attention with his portrayal of Derek Bentley in the film, Let Him Have It before notching up a wealth of TV and movie credits.

He was then snapped up by Hollywood and was cast in David Cronenberg's eXistenZ with Jude Law, and Gone in Sixty Seconds with Nicholas Cage.

He trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London.

[Iain]

Companion announced


Billie Piper will play new companion Rose.

The 21-year old actress has been officially confirmed to play Rose Tyler, it was announced today by Julie Gardner, Head of Drama, BBC Wales.

The former singer who made her acting debut last year in the critically-acclaimed BBC One drama serial Canterbury Tales: The Miller's Tale, will star alongside Christopher Eccleston in the forthcoming 13-part drama series which returns to BBC One early next year.

Julie Gardner says: "Billie is beautiful, funny and intelligent. We needed to find a unique, dynamic partner for Christopher Eccleston, and Billie fits the bill perfectly. She will make an extraordinary Rose Tyler. Doctor Who has his new assistant!"

Piper, who also received critical acclaim for her role in Bella and the Boys, a one-off drama for BBC Two, is currently starring opposite Hollywood actor Orlando Bloom in The Calcium Kid.

"Doctor Who is an iconic show and I am absolutely thrilled to be playing the part of Rose Tyler," says Billie. "I am also looking forward to working with Christopher Eccleston and writer Russell T. Davies."

Executive producer/writer, Russell T Davies adds: "The Doctor's companion is one of the most important and cherished roles in the history of TV drama. I'm delighted that someone of Billie's talent is coming on board the TARDIS, to travel through time and space."

[hushicho]

If only Russell Davis had written anything decent up to now that wasn't utterly painful to sit through, I'd have more hope for the new series. Although I have to say, seeing Billie, she really does look the part of the companion even though Eccleston doesn't at all look like a Doctor. Time will tell though...

Love!
Hushicho

[Iain]

Not sure how 'important' this news is on the new series, it could just be an internet joke too, but I thought I'd share it anyway for its possible amusement factor.

Beckham To Do Battle With The Doctor

The Doctor is going to face an enemy even worse than the Daleks - David Beckham

In The new series, aliens intent on conquering the earth use the waxworks at Madame Tussauds to terrorise The Capital (does this sound familiar to you?)

A lifelike dummy of David Beckham will lead a horde of modelled celbs in a raid on Downing Street. These could include Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Harrison Ford and even Madonna.

Becks, the leader of the army, will blast everything in his path with a gun hidden in his hand.

The waxworks, who appear in an episode called "Aliens of London", are under control of a deadly extra - terrestrial race known as the Autons (The Autons originally appeared in Spearhead in Space and Terror of The Autons - Both Jon Pertwee Stories).

A BBC insider revealed "They plan to replace leaders like Tony Blair and George Bush with lookalikes from Tussauds but it fails so they bring a host of celebrities alive to attack Parliament".

Also revealed, that The Daleks WILL be back, but they will have been updated.

Perhaps the new Doctor will be equipped with a few Red[/color] cards to deal with mr Beckham.

[hushicho]

Autons?!

Now I really AM interested.

I hope they're handled decently. I'd love to see the Autons again! They were always a favourite of mine.

Love!
Hushicho

[Iain]

Dalek veteran makes comeback bid.


Veteran Dalek actor John Scott Martin who played Daleks alongside seven Doctor Whos has offered to step into the costume again for the 2005 Doctor Who series.
The 77-year-old, who played the Doctor's arch villains from 1964 to 1980, said he would be happy to reprise the role if asked.

"I really enjoyed doing it before," he told BBC News Online. "I would happily run around as a Dalek again."

The Daleks will return to the BBC One series after negotiations with the estate of sci-fi writer Terry Nation.

Scott Martin, who has also appeared in I Claudius, Little Shop of Horrors and Ali G Indahouse, was one of four longstanding actors to play Daleks. The role required them to squeeze into a wooden or metal costume, then scuttle around to simulate the Dalek gliding on three caster wheels.

Actors spoke the Daleks' lines in rehearsal, but their famous robotic voices were usually dubbed onto the scene after filming was complete.

We had to believe that the Dalek was not a human being, yet it was still a being. That's not to say it wasn't really nasty. "The device that changed my voice was obviously at the front of the costume, so if a scene required another actor to stand close to the Dalek, their voice would also sound robotic," said Scott Martin.

The heat of the costume meant that inside the Dalek's terrifying shell you would find the actor dressed in only a T-shirt and swimming trunks. "It could be difficult at times and I'm not as fit as I used to be, but I'm sure I could do it again," Scott Martin said.

A BBC spokeswoman said Doctor Who producers had yet to decide whether Daleks would be fully automated or operated by actors in the forthcoming series. "As we have just secured the rights to use the Daleks we have not begun work on the episodes in which they will appear," she said.

Nevertheless Scott Martin said: "I always thought playing a Dalek was as interesting as playing a cow in a pantomime - there was potential to put some personality into it. "We had to believe that the Dalek was not a human being, yet it was still a being. That's not to say it wasn't really nasty."

And despite enjoying playing Daleks alongside Doctor Who actors from William Hartnell to Sylvester McCoy, Scott Martin refuses to name a favourite. Instead, he adopts a Dalek voice and says: "There is no favourite. The Doctor must be exterminated." (source BBC online news)


Cool stuff, frankly I am delighted if a little suprised that John Scott Martin was still around, he is a true Dalek veteran from the classic days. At least if they use him, I'll know the Daleks at least move well.

[hushicho]

That is VERY neat. I hope they are able to get him back, even if it would be just to teach the new Dalek operators how to do it! Although I'm sure they could get back some others from Dalek serials, surely the ones from 'Remembrance' and 'Revelation', et al are still working?

Anyway, exciting news but I'll wait to see how it really goes.

Love!
Hushicho