It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of New Series Doctor Who Actor, W. Morgan Sheppard.

W. Morgan Sheppard featured in the opening episode of Series 6 ('The Impossible Astronaut') as Canton Delaware III. His real-life son (Mark Sheppard) played the younger version of the character in the series.

It may surprise some fans to learn that he (along with his son) was actually born and raised in London, England. Both actors nailed the American accent for Doctor Who!

W. Morgan's long career includes the following credits; Z Cars, Shogun, Max Headroom, Star Trek (Movie & TV series) & Biker Mice From Mars (to name just a few).

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to W. Morgan's family and friends.

[Source: DWO]

The first episode of this year's Doctor Who, 6.1: The Impossible Astronaut, was the most recorded TV event of all time, according to Kantar Media.

An analysis of BARB data shows that record-breaking numbers of viewers recorded the programme. A total of 8.9 million viewers watched the programme, making it the sixth most viewed show of the week.

Within that figure, 4.1 million viewers chose to time-shift the show by watching a recording of the show either later that day or in the following week.

The figure easily beat the previous record holder, the 2010 Christmas day episode of Come Fly With Me.  Other shows likely to have viewers reaching for the record button to ensure they are not missed include reality TV shows like The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent, along with comedy favourites like The Royle Family, according to Kantar.

Dalia Gereis, commercial director at Kantar Media Audiences, said:  "With the continued growth of hard drive recording devices like Sky+, it's no surprise that all the episodes of these top 10 recorded shows come from the last three years.

"Increasingly viewers are using their own 'time travel' abilities to watch TV shows when they want them - this particularly applies to dramas and 'must see' reality shows. Given that these figures do not include data from online catch up services like BBC iPlayer and ITVplayer, it is clear that judging a show's performance just by looking at it's overnight viewing figures is unlikely to give the full picture."

[Source: MediaTel]

DWO have seen 6.1: The Impossible Astronaut and have put our spoiler-free preview together:

The wait is over! Series 6 gets off to a flying start with the curiously titled, 'The Impossible Astronaut' - a story that is unlike anything we have seen, or even imagined, before.

It's a real knotty one to describe as so much of the plot is spoileriffic, not to mention complex. Complex is good though! It's so easy as a viewer to simply vegetate and accept everything you see on screen without challenging you or making you think.

Steven Moffat really makes you work as the many strands that bind The Impossible Astronaut, and no doubt the rest of Series Six, weave their way through a thoroughly entertaining 45 minutes.

Doctor Who feels a little more grown up now, but at the same time, a little more childish in places. The beautiful locations, the grim locations, some of the subject matter and plots just make you feel that the stakes have risen higher than ever before.

We start off the episode with five minutes of fun, taking us from a royal court (where The Doctor is getting up to mischief again) right through to a Laurel and Hardy movie (more Doctor-y mischief). Three TARDIS blue envelopes are delivered to their recipients and a fourth to a mystery man. All of the recipients are summoned to an exact location at an exact moment in time, but why, and by whom?

Then, get ready to have the rug pulled from the very fabric of your being as Steven Moffat delivers the first course of what will play out to be one of the greatest story arcs to date.

Throw in a big dollop of President Nixon, the FBI, the scariest monsters ever to have appeared in Doctor Who (hands down), and a cracking cliffhanger to boot, and you have yourself a truly unmissable televisual masterpiece.

The only problem is we have a whole 7 days until we find out what happens next...

Rating: 9/10

Five things to look out for...

1) "I won't be ______ ___ again, but you'll be ______ me"

2) The Doctor's special fizzy straw.

3) Joy in the bathroom.

4) "River, make her blue again!"

5) Amy has two secrets The Doctor doesn't know about!

[Source: DWO]

The BBC have confirmed that 'something suitable is being planned' for Saturday Night to mark the recent passing of Doctor Who Actress, Elisabeth Sladen.

DWO contacted the Doctor Who PR department who confirmed this, and although no further information can be given currently, it is understood that it will take the likely form of a textual tribute on screen at either the beginning or the end of 6.1: The Impossible Astronaut.

The BBC have also confirmed that the CBBC channel will air an Elisabeth Sladen tribute titled 'My Sarah Jane: A tribute to Elisabeth Sladen', and had the following text to accompany the announcement:

Elisabeth Sladen created one of Doctor Who's best loved and most enduring characters, Sarah Jane Smith. For over 35 years she brought the feisty, compassionate journalist to life, creating a figure that was adored by audiences of all ages - truly a heroine whose appeal had no boundaries.

This 15 minute programme is both a tribute and a celebration of Elisabeth Sladen. It brings together stories from friends and colleagues and draws on a rich archive of material to remind us of Sarah Jane's journey, from companion to the Third Doctor to the central character in CBBC's award-winning The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Produced by Gillane Seaborne and Brian Minchin, My Sarah Jane: A Tribute to Elisabeth Sladen is on CBBC on Saturday, at 6.45pm, straight after the end of The Impossible Astronaut.

+  Click Here to read Elisabeth Sladen tributes from DWO visitors and Doctor Who related Celebrities.

+  6.1: The Impossible Astronaut airs on BBC One this Saturday at 6pm.

[Source: BBC]

Ian Wylie has sent us details of his report from last night's Series 6 Doctor Who Press Launch.

Episodes one and two of season six provide the darkest – and scariest – opening ever to a Doctor Who series.

Ninety minutes of sometimes quite astonishing television containing secrets that cannot yet be told.

Gathered at London’s Kensington Olympia, current home of the Doctor Who Experience, we were shown the two-part opener – The Impossible Astronaut and Day Of The Moon.

Followed by a 30-minute on stage Q&A with writer and showrunner Steven Moffat, Matt Smith, Karen Gillan (Amy Pond), Alex Kingston (River Song) and Arthur Darvill (Rory), chaired by the Daily Telegraph’s Neil Midgley.

To read Ian's full review of the series opener, together with the full Q&A with the team, visit his blog, here.

[Source: Ian Wylie]

The BBC Doctor Who website have uploaded a new promotional image for Series 6 of Doctor Who.

The image shows Amy, The Doctor and Rory reflected in an Astronauts helmet - a theme that has been running throughout this week's promos on the BBC Doctor Who website.

[Source: BBC Doctor Who website]

The BBC Doctor Who website have now uploaded a prequel video for 6.1: The Impossible Astronaut.

The two-minute clip features non other than President Nixon in the Oval Office, and introduces us to the new threat that The Doctor will be facing in the episodes to come.

Watch the clip below:

Stay tuned as the BBC Doctor Who site have confirmed that a new promo image will be released at 12:01am Tonight!

[Source: BBC Doctor Who website]

The BBC Doctor Who website have uploaded a 15-second teaser trailer for Series 6 of Doctor Who.

The teaser, which can be seen below, features The Doctor, reflected through an astronaut's helmet as it approaches the TARDIS. Further teasers will begin airing on the BBC channels from 9pm this evening.

As well as the teaser, the BBC Doctor Who site have also uploaded a teaser trailer for the upcoming prequel to 6.1: The Impossible Astronaut (below), which can be seen on the site from 4pm on Friday:

[Source: BBC Doctor Who website]