Doctor Who series 11 to feature characters and monsters from the classic series?

Doctor Who fans are expecting a bold reinvention of the BBC sci-fi series when it returns later this year, but that doesn't mean that some old favourites won't resurface.

AdoroCinema quotes BBC Sales Director David Hanomo as saying that elements from "the classic series" will appear in Jodie Whittaker's first episodes.

"I cannot say much, but I think the audience will be very happy to recognise elements, characters and monsters from the classic series that will be back," he's quoted as saying.

Exciting, right? (Though we'd advise a little caution: Hanomo's quotes are translated from the original Portuguese, so there is the potential for some miscommunication.)

Chris Chibnall – who's replacing Steven Moffat as showrunner for the new series – previously indicated that he wouldn't be playing it safe in the upcoming series 11.

"What the BBC was after was risk and boldness," he said in June 2017.

Can we have risk, boldness and appearances from the Daleks, the Autons and the Wirrn?

There are a few months to go yet before we find out exactly how serious an overhaul Doctor Who is getting, with series 11 expected to launch on BBC One in October.

A trio of companions – Yasmin (Mandip Gill), Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) – will be joining Whittaker's new Doctor for adventures in time and space.

Credit: Digital Spy

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Doctor Who: Series 11 to revisit US civil rights movement

New Doctor Who boss Chris Chibnall is keen to make the show as educational as it is entertaining – just as it set out to be in the 1960s.

With that in mind he has embarked on a mission for the Doctor’s new friends Ryan and Yasmin to be transported back in time to witness historical events that are particularly relevant to their own ethnic backgrounds.

The teens, played by former Hollyoaks stars Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill, have already filmed with Doctor Jodie Whittaker in Cape Town, South Africa which doubled as 1950s America.

In the plot the Time Lord comes face to face with American civil rights activist Rosa Parks, who in 1955 famously refused to give up her seat on the bus for a white passenger, sparking the beginning of the end for segregation.

Thanks to the TARDIS, the time travellers will witness Alabama bus driver James F Blake telling Rosa to give up her seat, and her brave refusal.

And that’s not all.

The production is now heading off to India, where the gang will find out more about the country’s past and perhaps Yasmin’s own family heritage.

One source said: “The Doctor has all of space and time to explore so it’ll be fascinating to see the gang from 2018 having a good rummage around in big, important events which have changed the course of history.”

When it launched in 1963, Doctor Who was intended by creator Sydney Newman to be an educational series for children.

During the William Hartnell years, viewers learned about Marco Polo, the Aztecs, the crusades, the French Revolution and the Romans, but the practice ended in Patrick Troughton’s era.

Previous foreign filming locations on Doctor Who included Paris, Amsterdam and Lanzarote for the original series.

Since the reboot the various Doctors have visited New York, Rome, Dubai and Fuerteventura while Paul McGann’s TV movie was shot in and around Vancouver.

The next series of 10 episodes, which hits BBC1 in the autumn, will see three stories set in the future, three in the past, and the rest in the present day.

Bring. It. On.

Source: Daily Mirror

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Arthur Darvill joining the West End cast of Once?

Rumours are swirling that Arthur Darvill is set to join the cast of hit musical Once, taking over the role of 'Guy' when Declan Bennett leaves in March.

Whovians will be excited to hear that Darvill, who played Rory Williams in the television series Doctor Who, will be returning to the West End after playing Parry in the WhatsOnStage Award nominated Our Boys in 2012.

Since then the Midlands born actor has been seen as Reverend Paul Coates in the ITV crime drama Broadchurch and more recently as 'Guy' in the Broadway production of Once.

Once, which is also nominated for a handful of WhatsOnStage Awards, has a book by award-winning Irish playwright and screenwriter Enda Walsh. Based on the 2007 motion picture written and directed by John Carney, music and lyrics are by Academy Award-winning Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová who won the Oscar for Best Original Song for "Falling Slowly".

The production has recently extended at the Phoenix Theatre, where it opened in April last year, until 4 July 2015.

Source: WhatsOnStage

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Summer Broadcast for Doctor Who Series 8?

Is Series 8 of Doctor Who going to air slightly earlier than originally thought?

Previous reports have pointed to an Autumn air date but Ben Wheatley, director of the first two episodes of Series 8, might have indicated that the show could be back sooner

In a recent interview with Uproxx Wheatley briefly mentions Doctor Who stating:

“I’ve got two more weeks shooting Doctor Who, which hopefully is going to go in July.”

Of course his wording is a little open to interpretation and scheduling frequently changes, but let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later.

Source: Doctor Who TV

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Hayley Atwell to lead Marvel TV spin-off Agent Carter?

I'm not sure how reliable this is but...

Hayley Atwell has allegedly signed up for a Marvel TV spinoff.

 The British actress is said to have agreed a deal to lead the cast of a US TV series titled Agent Carter, according to The Mirror.

The alleged series would be based around her character Peggy Carter, who first appeared in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger.

 Marvel has yet to officially confirm the story, but an Agent Carter spinoff was said to be on the list of five potential new TV projects announced back in October.

 Last year, Hayley Atwell told Digital Spy that she would "definitely" sign up for a potential Marvel TV series, after appearing in the One-Shot film Agent Carter.

"The one-shot was so successful, the fanbase were like, 'We want more of Peggy!'," she said.
"I think Marvel probably take that very seriously, and it's certainly something I would be a part of doing. I'd be interested to show different sides of Peggy."

Atwell will reprise her role of Peggy Carter in the upcoming Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which will arrive in US cinemas on April 4 and in the UK on May 2.

Sources: Digital Spy & The Mirror.

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Digital Doctors For Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Show?

DOCTOR Who bosses have boldly gone and copied Star Trek in a bid to bring back all the old Time Lords for the show’s 50th anniversary special. 

 Viewers will see Matt Smith, 30, mingle with all the actors from the previous BBC series, including the late William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee.

 TV chiefs came up with the plan, thanks to fellow sci-fi smash Star Trek. In 1996, the cast of spin-off series Deep Space Nine had an adventure with the original Enterprise crew Captain Kirk and Mr Spock (William Shatner, 82, and Leonard Nimoy, 82) as they looked in the 1960s. The show used hi-tech wizardry to digitally insert the young stars from Deep Space Nine into old footage from an episode called The Trouble With Tribbles, which aired in 1967. 

 Now BBC bosses plan to do the same. In November’s TV special to mark 50 years of Doctor Who, fans will see the current Doctor come face to face with all of the former Doctors who include Tom Baker, 79, Colin Baker, 69, and Peter Davison, 62. He will be “placed” into clips from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s to make it look as though he is really there and interacting with his old Time Lord selves. 

 Ex-Doctor Who star David Tennant, 42, is the only actor who will appear in the flesh in the episode. And former show writer Robert Banks Stewart has let slip that as well as bringing back The Zygons, fans will see a carnival of monsters including Daleks and Cybermen.

Sources: Daily Star  and David-Tennant.com for the title!

What do you think? could this be possible? I mean it is the Daily Star! facts are not the strong point...

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'Heroes' to be revived by MSN, Xbox?

Heroes may return as part of a new programming initiative by MSN, a report suggests.

The cult drama could be revived, with MSN looking to launch original programming via its Xbox entertainment studio, according to TVLine.

The revamped Heroes would focus primarily on new characters, with the original cast - which included the likes of Hayden Panettiere and Milo Ventimiglia - potentially making cameo appearances.

Talks regarding the revival are currently said to be in the early stages.

Heroes originally premiered on NBC in September 2006, airing four seasons before drawing to a close in February 2010.

Following the show's cancellation, there were rumours of a possible TV movie or mini-series to wrap up storylines, though no such project ever materialised.

Series creator Tim Kring currently works on the Fox drama series Touch starring Kiefer Sutherland.

Source: Digitalspy.co.uk

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