Doctor Who star Matt Smith and Lead Writer Steven Moffat created their own piece of Doctor Who history today during their first visit to the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff as the their hand prints were immortalised in cement, which will be displayed permanently at the new attraction. Matt Smith is the first Doctor to be immortalised in this way, while the fingers of the show’s Lead Writer will also be set in stone.

The casts were in addition to the unveiling of several new exhibits of the most iconic monsters and props from the recently broadcast series including the dress worn by new companion actress Jenna-Louise Coleman (Oswin’s dress and boots from Asylum of the Daleks), Grayle’s Chained Weeping Angel and The Cherub Angels (The Angels Take Manhattan) and the Robots and costumes of Solomon and Nefertiti (Dinosaurs on a Spaceship). 

Matt Smith says:

“It’s fantastic that the Doctor Who Experience has been given its very own purpose-built home here next to the studios and it feels like a bit of a spiritual home for Doctor Who. It’s been great fun unveiling some of the Doctor’s most fearsome adversaries from Series 7 and with the Christmas special and more episodes next year, there’ll be plenty more props to come down the line.

I’m honoured to have made my own little piece of Doctor Who history today. It’s a show with so much tradition over nearly 50 years, so to be the first Doctor to take part in something like this is really special”.

Steven Moffat says:

“I’m very excited and honoured to have my hands preserved forever. And quite relieved they came back out of the cement! I now know, for all my future crimes, that my fingerprints are readily and permanently available.”

The Doctor Who Experience is the only interactive Doctor Who attraction in the world. It welcomed over 230,000 visitors during a one-year stay at London’s Olympia before moving to Cardiff in July 2012. Since opening in July, over 40,000 fans have passed through the TARDIS doors and taken part in their very own Doctor Who adventure. 

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

Twitter was ablaze last night with three words constantly cropping up in the trending list; 'Sarah Jane Adventures', 'Tommy Knight' and 'Waterloo Road' - which can only mean one thing...Tommy Knight's first episode of Waterloo Road has now aired in the UK!

Tommy, who previously played the role of Luke Smith in The Sarah Jane Adventures, has been cast as pupil Kevin Skelton in Waterloo Road, and is set to be a series regular going forward.

In a recent interview with Digital Spy, Tommy describes his character:

"Kevin is a foster child, who's been through many families and been to many different schools. He's constantly moving about all over the place, and it seems that he's been let down a bit in his past, so his expectations when it comes to things are incredibly low. He doesn't really expect much out of life. 

At the same time, Kevin is incredibly intelligent, but he's almost shy or ashamed of it, as if he's been bullied in the past. So he hides that away to start off with - it's not something that he's proud of, so he doesn't answer any of the questions in lessons. He also winds up the teachers and stuff like that. But later on, you find out he's a bit of an intelligent chap."

+  Read the full interview, here.

+  Tommy's episode of Waterloo Road is available to view on BBC iPlayer, here.

[Sources: BBC; Digital Spy]

Last weekend, DWO were kindly invited to take part in the BBC Worldwide Fandom panel at the 2012 RomaFictionFest in Rome.

Conducted by Philip Fleming (Head of Communications, Global Brands, BBC Worldwide), the panel looked at the importance of entertaining and engaging the audience beyond the TV screen, with Doctor Who, Sherlock and Misfits as case studies.

A field of questions were asked to the panel which included Matt Jarvis (Executive Producer Online, Misfits), Francesco Barbarini (Head of Digital, Fox International Channels Italy), Harriet Newby-Hill (Commercial Director for New Brands, BBC Worldwide) and Sebastian J. Brook (Site Editor, Doctor Who Online).

Topics included; The difference between a fan and a super fan, Second Screen Apps, The best ways broadcasters have been able to attract fans and what the motivation is for running a fan site. The floor was then opened up to questions from audience members.

DWO would like to extend our thanks to RomaFictionFest for their unmatched hospitality, and the fantastic Press, Publicity & Comms team at BBC Worldwide.

The majority of the panel can be viewed below:

[youtube:llRr5rSxfFE]

[youtube:huxR0tJR5Y0]

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[youtube:R_eHdRh_pSs]

[Source: DWO]

Our friends over at Harkable have sent DWO a rather smashing infographic for Doctor Who Companions.

It's goodbye Amy Pond after Karen Gillan left in the tear-jerking mid-season finale, The Angels Take Manhattan.

But how will Amy be remembered in the pantheon of the best and worst Doctor Who companions? Did she hit the lofty heights of Rose Tyler or Sarah Jane Smith?

Take a look at the amazing infographic to the right and make up your own minds whist learning all there is to know about the Doctor's TARDIS co-travellers...

[Source: Harkable]

We’ve just had a creepy communiqué from our fearsome friends over at GrimmFest, Manchester’s International Festival of Horror and Cult Films. They’d like to remind you all that this year’s festival is almost here, and invite you to join them for a cornucopia of cinematic chills, chaos and carnage. The Festival commences on Wednesday October 3rd at the Plaza Super Cinema in Stockport with a special Preview Night Double bill of the critically-acclaimed chiller SINISTER and the much anticipated AMERICAN MARY, then runs from Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th at the decadently art deco Dancehouse Theatre in Manchester. Even if blood and gore are not your thing, Lord and Lady Grimm inform us, there are a few film screenings in this year’s programme that should have a particular appeal to the Doctor Who Online community. 

The festival’s Opening Night Gala, on Thursday October 4th will be a double bill of London-based horror. First up, there’s the world premiere of COMEDOWN, the gritty new urban slasher movie from Mehnaj Huda, director of KIDULTHOOD, which marked the feature film screenwriting debut of Mickey Smith himself, Noel Clarke. Mehnaj will be there for a Q&A following the screening.

Second on the bill will be the riotous geezer gorefest COCKNEYS VS ZOMBIES, starring such genre-familiar faces as Richard Briers, Honor Blackman, Dudley Sutton, Alan Ford, Harry Treadaway, and sometime Eastender and Bionic Woman, Michelle Ryan, who also got to show off her Lara Croft chops as aristocratic cat burglar Lady Christina De Souza in the “Planet of The Dead” episode of DOCTOR WHO. COCKNEYS VS ZOMBIES, is written by James Moran, a rising star of British horror cinema, responsible for both TOWER BLOCK and SEVERANCE, as well as the forthcoming SILENT NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, which teams up gore sfx guru and horror legend Tom Savini, The League of Gentlemen’s Reece Sheersmith, and one of the leading figures in the new wave of US independent horror cinema, character actor AJ Bowen (House of the Devil, A Horrible Way To Die, etc). But James is equally well known for his TV writing. He wrote the classic “Fires of Pompeii” episode of DOCTOR WHO, which marked the first appearance of Karen Gillan in the show as a Roman Soothsayer - presumably a distant ancestor of Amy Pond’s - and the “Sleeper” episode of TORCHWOOD, featuring Nikki Amuka-Bird as a tormented “sleeper” agent from an alien invasion force. He was also co-writer of the 5-part TORCHWOOD: CHILDREN OF EARTH mini-series.  James will be attending the screening, so this will be a fine opportunity to pick his brains about his writing career and the various projects he’s worked on. 

There’s more WHO-connected horror on Sunday October 7th, in the festival’s closing film, STITCHES, a bloody black comedy in which a killer clown comes back from the dead to avenge himself. The film stars lugubrious Geordie comic Ross Noble, whose deadpan delivery has dominated many an episode of HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU, and Tommy Knight, who follows his droll and oddly touching performance as Sarah-Jane Smith’s otherworldly adopted son Luke with something rather darker. Ross and Tommy will be there, along with the film’s director and co-writer Conor McMahon for what promises to be an entertaining and informative Q&A.

Both screenings will be followed by aftershow parties, too, so there will be a chance to mingle. In short, it’s a hell of an opportunity to see some fearsome features, meet some creepy celebrities, and discover some of the darker places in the universe. The Grimm Team are waiting for you. Don’t you dare disappoint them, now...

[Source: GrimmFest]

There have been a handful of last minute guest announcements for the Entertainment Media Show, including the wonderful Matt Smith from Doctor Who!

Our friends at Showmasters have also announced James Cosmo from Game of Thrones, Highlander and Sons of Anarchy, Vaughn Armstrong of Star Trek fame, the great British actor Joss Ackland, and Anime voice artist Vic Mignogna amongst others.

Photo shoot tickets are now available on the online shop, and for Matt Smith they have also added autograph tickets which can be bought now online with tickets exchanged for an in-person autograph on the day.

The online shop closes for UK orders this Saturday, however tickets will still be available to buy at the event. The online shop can be found here.

And for those of you who can't make the event but still want autographs, Showmasters have a pre-order service. You can find more details on the pre-order website here.

Convention Details:

The Entertainment Media Show
6th-7th October 2012
Olympia Grand Hall; London; UK

Early entry from 9am - £12 (all ages).

Standard entry from 11am - £6 adults, £3 children (aged 12 and under).

Under 4s go free when accompanied by a paying adult.

Doors open: 9am to 6pm both days. Last admission 5.30pm.

[Source: Showmasters]

It’s been an exciting couple of years for our friend Oliver McNeil over at www.legend-photography.com, not only has he managed to get both sci-fi icons, Tom Baker and Blake’s 7's Paul Darrow to agree to appear in the special one off stage show 'Tales of Mystery & Terror' (12th October 2012, The Stable Theatre, Hastings, East Sussex) but he has, along with both of these iconic actors, worked along side them to produce some very special exclusive portraits. 

Tom Baker first came across Oliver’s unique fantasy portrait service, two years ago when he was shown some of this work by a close friend. Not knowing the he was also a huge Doctor Who fan, even having built his own TARDIS for outside his studio, the two of them started to work on some new portraits in preparation for the 50th anniversary.  Since then they have become quite chummy, which led to the collaboration in this stage show. 

“It’s going to be an unique evening themed around a Victorian spiritualist show. We have Tom reading an never heard self penned story and Paul Darrow performing a Edgar Alan Poe tale. We also have magic by Richard Bellars and music. I’m not sure the last time Tom acted on stage, but he’s really looking forward to it. It’s fantastic to also get Paul Darrow, He’s a wonderful story teller we are looking to do a special lunch with him for those who book early. It also comes at time when we might be seeing a new version of B7 coming back to our screens.

The second half of the show will be a Q&A with Tom, with myself and fellow organiser Steve Corke asking “interesting” questions. It’s not going to be like any other Q&A you have seen before”  warned Oliver.

Legend Photography’s story is an interesting one in itself. Formed 10 years, Oliver who comes from a theatre & film background, started shooting fantasy themed portraits for the general public. Using mostly props, costumes and practical lighting effects he quickly became a leader in his field, with many celebrity clients and many people traveling and diverting holidays just to have one of his portraits. Winner of a Brian Froud and bizarrely a RHS design award, Oliver now offers vampires and mermaids amongst his sessions of magical Fairy, wizard & knight images. 

Whats next for Legend Photography, Tom Baker and Paul Darrow, well with so much planned for next year it would be silly not to keep an eye out.

To get news on the 'Tales of Mystery & Horror' and any other collaboration, you can follow Oliver https://twitter.com/Legend_Studios or http://www.facebook.com/TomBakerPortraits.

[Source: DWO]

DWO have been sent the first glimpse of Sylvester McCoy (The 7th Doctor) as 'Radagast the Brown' in the upcoming The Hobbit movie.

The image (pictured-right), comes from The Hobbit 2013 Calendar, and features McCoy as the brown wizard.

Below is the official synopsis for the movie:

The Hobbit follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever … Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

+  The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is in cinemas from 14th December 2012.

[Source: Paul Lockwood]

The BBC today announced that a special BBC TWO drama has been commissioned to mark the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who next year.

An Adventure In Space And Time will tell the story of the genesis of Doctor Who since its first broadcast on 23rd November 1963. Exploring all aspects of the longest running science fiction series to date, the special one-off 90-minute drama will also look at the many personalities involved in bringing the series to life.

Written by Mark Gatiss, it is executive produced by current Doctor Who showrunner, Steven Moffat, and Caroline Skinner. The single drama was commissioned by Ben Stephenson Controller, Drama, and Janice Hadlow, Controller of BBC Two.

Mark Gatiss said: "This is the story of how an unlikely set of brilliant people created a true television original. And how an actor - William Hartnell - stereotyped in hard-man roles became a hero to millions of children. I've wanted to tell this story for more years than I can remember! To make it happen for Doctor Who's 50th birthday is quite simply a dream come true."

Steven Moffat, Executive Producer, said: “The story of Doctor Who is the story of television - so it's fitting in the anniversary year that we make our most important journey back in time to see how the TARDIS was launched.”

The production and transmission schedule will be confirmed next year, along with casting.

[Source: BBC Media Centre]

Next month Massive Events is launching their new Doctor Who fan convention. And their first confirmed guest is non other than David Tennant!

This September fans have the chance to hang out with some of their favourite companions, villains, heroes and not forgetting The Doctor himself at The Lords Of Time.

As well as the multi-talented David Tennant they have just confirmed Lachelle Carl, who’s name might not be well known but who’s face is instantly recognisable as newsreader Trinity Wells of AMNN. As well as 9 episodes of Doctor Who she has also appeared in several episodes of Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. And keep watching the website for many more guest announcements coming over the next few weeks.

The weekend-long convention is the perfect place to meet up with other fans of Doctor Who in the safe and relaxed atmosphere of a convention, take part in intimate group meetings with the guests, collect personal keep-sakes to treasure at the autograph sessions and professional photo shoots, and listen to on-stage talks and even ask the actors a few questions yourself!

And in the evenings you can party the night away at one of the great themed parties or chill out in the bar. (Parties to be announced soon) So dig out your best costumes and get ready to join in the fun!

For more information and the latest announcements check out the website: http://massiveevents.co.uk/

Convention Details:

The Lords Of Time
7th – 9th Sept 2012
The Hilton Metropole hotel, Birmingham NEC

Weekend tickets from £88 (includes autographs and entry to all parties and talks, etc). Tickets available to buy online now.

[Source: Massive Events]

Speaking to reporters at the screening of his latest BBC One Drama; Bert and Dickie, Matt Smith admitted he is 'selective' about the roles he chooses.

"Because we shoot [Doctor Who] for nine, ten months, all in all, you get about a month to do something else. Of course, you have to be selective, but I responded to the [Bert and Dickie] script. It's made by people I know at the BBC and people that are of great repute. And that's important. There was a good director attached and I always thought it would get a good, strong cast. But it just has to start with a script and I guess I just responded to that."

+  Bert and Dickie airs on Tonight (25th July) at 8.30pm on BBC One.

[Source: Gabriel Torrens]

The Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff opened its doors today, and DWO's Will Brooks was there to report on the event.

This reporter visited the Doctor Who Experience - billed as an ‘interactive journey’ and a ‘spectacular adventure through time and space’ - during its stay in London last year, but I’ve been chomping at the bit to take a look inside its brand new home at Porth Teigr in Cardiff; right next door to the Doctor Who Studios. 

Housed in a specially constructed building - TARDIS blue, of course - the experience is set to stay in Cardiff for the next five years, meaning you’ve got plenty of chances to come down and meet the monsters. 

While outside, the waiting crowds are kept entertained by Daleks, Cybermen and Silents, Doctor Who Online has been given special access to all the exhibits - a real chance to get ‘up close’ to some of The Doctor’s greatest foes. 

The Experience, much like it’s previous incarnation at the Olympia in London, is comprised of two separate sections. The first is an interactive walk-through, which puts you at the heart of a Doctor Who adventure. Featuring specially filmed material of Matt Smith as The Doctor (who’s managed to get himself locked up in the Pandorica… again!), the half-hour journey sees you pilot the TARDIS, a fantastic replica of the TV series’ current console room, battle with Daleks, avoid the clutches of the Weeping Angels (absolutely no blinking allowed…) and more - which I’ll leave for you to find out! 

Obviously tailored toward it’s younger visitors, the interactive journey aspect of the Experience manages to walk that very specific line that the show itself pulls off - the kids will be enthralled, while us ‘older children’ will be loving the ride, too.

It was a bit of a shame too see that the walk-through hasn’t been changed since it’s London debut, as it’s very much written for a post-series 5 audience. That’s a minor quibble, though, and for people who didn’t visit the London version, it’s still going to be amazing. 

Where the Experience does cater for those of us who’ve been before is in the exhibition hall. Those who have visited the Experience before will recall a smallish section toward the end that housed several costumes and props from across the years. Now in its own purpose-built space, these items have real room to breathe.

The starting point being a display of all the eleven Doctor’s costumes should be a hint that you’re in for a real treat; the Experience makes no distinction between ‘classic’ and ‘new’ - it’s all just a part of Doctor Who. Given more space to breathe than was possible in London, the exhibits fill a huge space, and cover a real vast selection of things.  

Obvious ‘key’ areas are the Ninth and Tenth Doctor’s TARDIS console room - the original one - and also a console room for the Fifth Doctor, featuring the Five Doctors version of the console. You can get up close with the Eleventh Doctor’s TARDIS exterior, and they also have the Police Boxes from Tom Baker’s last season, and David Tennant’s run, too. While I was there, a screen above the 80s console was playing Timelash – say what you want, but I love that a whole audience are queuing up to see Colin’s Doctor! 

Upstairs is a whole new area of magic. You’ll find something to fascinate any fan of the show in here, from recent creations like Series 6’s Peg Dolls and Silents to The Giant Robot from Tom Baker’s debut, an Ice Warrior, a Zygon, the Empty Child and more. For a child discovering the classic series for the first time - this place is an absolute gold mine. It’s completely up to date, with the wooden king and queen from last year’s Christmas special happily throned in the centre of the large hall.

There’s plenty here that wasn’t on display in London - or at least wasn’t when I visited last July - which makes it possible to come back for a second visit if you’ve been before. Speaking with one of the – extremely friendly! – members of staff, they described it as ‘Doctor Who coming home’, and there really is a sense of that here.

After the Exhibition section, of course you’ve got a little shop! Filled to the rafters with Doctor Who goodies; this is the perfect chance to pick up DVD’s you’ve not seen, grab hold of the latest action figure, or get a commemorative T-Shirt.

So after all that, we’re just in time to head back outside - into sunshine! It’s a perfect day to open. The crowds are in high spirits - many in costume or waving sonic screwdrivers! There are people here who’ve come from all across the world – there’s fans from Australia, Canada, Scotland… and more than one or two from Wales!

Undaunted by looming Cybermen and Daleks, spirits really couldn’t be higher within the crowds. Anna (an English visitor!) said she’d been to the London version, "but there’s no way I was going to miss the opening of this one!"

11:30am, and it’s opening time. To cut the ribbon, three children have been selected from the waiting masses. All in costume, the ribbon is cut by a miniature Doctor (complete with fez!), and assisted by Amy Pond and a Blue Dalek!

I’ll leave them to it as the first group of ticket holders make their way into the big blue building - they’re off on the adventure of a lifetime, and they won’t be disappointed!  

The Doctor Who Experience really is a place any fan of the show has to visit. The perfect blending of the show’s current status with its rich and varied history alone makes it the best exhibition of its type ever held. Throw into that the interactive experience, the great atmosphere and the knowledge that just about a hundred feet away, they’re making actual, real Doctor Who for us to enjoy on TV next year… absolutely magical!

+ Get your tickets to the Doctor Who Experience via the official website.

** With thanks to BBC Worldwide for arranging everything for us.

[Sources: DWO; Will Brooks]

Every Thursday DWO spotlight a Doctor Who related YouTube video. This week we look at Designworks' "Winston Churchill Action Figure Creation", which is a truly awesome video looking at the entire process of making a Doctor Who action figure.

Check out the video below:

[Source: Designworks]

Doctor Who star, Matt Smith, is to become a patron of the National Youth Theatre.

The actor trained with the National Youth Theatre as a teenager and this week visited rehearsals to surprise the 140-strong NYT cast as they put the final touches to their Olympic and Paralympic Team Welcome Ceremonies.

National Youth Theatre’s Artistic Director and CEO Paul Roseby, who knew Smith when he was training as a teenager said:

“We’re all thrilled at the National Youth Theatre to announce that Matt Smith is the latest recruit to our illustrious list of Patrons, as we get ready for our Olympic and Paralympic performances. Matt is a perfect role model for the latest generation of brave new talent."

Smith joined the National Youth Theatre in 2002 and won critical acclaim for his performances as Thomas Beckett in their production of Murder in the Cathedral at London’s Southwark Cathedral and Basoon in The Master and Margarita at the Lyric Hammersmith.

On becoming a Patron, Smith said:

“I think from my experience the thing about the NYT is that you learn through practice. You’re out there on a stage, you’re doing a play, you’re being directed, you’re turning up for rehearsals every day and working as you would work in a professional rehearsal room. It completely transformed my life. No understatement. I’m proud to be part of it still and proud to be the organisation’s newest Patron, as I care very deeply about it.”

[Source: The Telegraph]

DWO get sent countless awesome videos from our visitors, and we don't always get a chance to share them all on our news page, but this latest one from Jeremiah McDonald is simply amazing...

The video, titled 'A Conversation With My 12 Year Old Self' sees Doctor Who fan Jeremiah (aged 32) interacting with a video recorded by his younger self (aged 12), in an incredibly timey-wimey way.

Check out the video below:

[youtube:XFGAQrEUaeU]

** Please note - this video contains some swearing.

[Source: James Foster]

Matt Smith will carry the Olympic Torch in Cardiff on Saturday, the official Doctor Who Twitter account has confirmed.

Smith, who is currently filming the seventh series in Cardiff with new companion, played by actress, Jenna Louise-Coleman, said:

"To carry the Torch is an honour, one I thought I'd never get. I'm very excited!"

The news will come as consolation to fans who have been campaigning for David Tennant (The 10th Doctor), to be the official lighter of the Olympic Flame. An online petition has acquired over 37,000+ signatures from fans wishing for the scene from the Series Two adventure; Fear Her, in which The 10th Doctor lights the Olympic Flame, to become reality.

[Source: Official Doctor Who Twitter]

Tom Baker is back at 79 Strand for the first time in over a year on Thursday May 24th, and is joined by Mark Gatiss, who as well as writing for and appearing in Doctor Who has of course written and starred in Sherlock to great acclaim. 

Ian McNeice who appeared in Doctor Who as Churchill and alongside Martin Clunes in Doc Martin will be joining Tom and Mark and it all kicks off at 10am and will last until mid afternoon. To meet the guests you will need to purchase a qualifying item from the range of Official Fletch Prints and Licensed covers that are on offer. Prices for a single signed item start at £15.

Also available will be a range of Exclusive Classic Action figure sets, the new TARDIS Teapot and a great array of Whovian memorabilia.

Don't worry if you cant get there. It's all available online from scificollector.co.uk.

[Source: SciFiCollector]

Doctor Who Showrunner and Sherlock co-creator Steven Moffat is to receive a special prize at this year's BAFTA TV awards, organisers have announced.

Recognising his "outstanding creative writing contribution to television", the award will be presented on 27 May at London's Royal Festival Hall.

Previous recipients include Russell T. Davies, who preceded the 50-year-old Scot as Doctor Who's head writer.

"Blimey! A special award!" said Moffat, "I didn't even know I was ill."

The accolade follows the writing prize he received at last Sunday's BAFTA Craft Awards for A Scandal in Belgravia, the first episode of Sherlock's second series.

The Paisley native won his first Bafta in 1991 for Press Gang and was further recognised for his work on Doctor Who and Sherlock in 2008 and 2011 respectively. Moffat said he was "so thrilled" to be recognised again, "especially after two years of [working on] my two favourite shows ever".

Bafta chair Tim Corrie described him as "one of the finest exponents of his craft" and said the special award - presented in honour of Dennis Potter - was "very well deserved".

Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch is up for the best actor prize at this year's awards, which will also see his co-stars Martin Freeman and Andrew Scott go head to head in the supporting actor category.

[Source: BBC News]

BBC Worldwide have sent DWO another video for the upcoming Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock video game, focusing on the monsters featured in the game, introduced by Simon Harris (Executive Producer) and Nick Dixon (Design Director).

The Eternity Clock launches on 23rd May for PS3 and 13th June for PS Vita on the PlayStation Network.

[youtube:OOc7ULEuoVk]

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

We regularly get requests from our visitors wanting us to post some Top 10 lists, so we thought we'd get the ball rolling with one that can only be described as the stuff of legend; Steven Moffat's Hair!

DWO therefore proudly present:

10 Things Inspired by The Moff's Hair!

Thing #1 - The Portugese Water Dog

Perhaps the biggest influence The Moff's hair has ever given was to that of the Portugese Water Dog. The breed formally known as 'Poodle' decided to take the next step in its evolutionary path, after a chance viewing of Dogtor Who Confidential way back in 2005. The breed, which no-one has ever heard of until now, is also the dog of choice in the Obama household!

Thing #2 - Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Up until 2005 all we had was green Broccoli, sure it tastes good, but we can all agree it was lacking something - that was, until The Moff arrived on the scene. Suddenly, TV chefs everywhere, up and down the country were using a suspiciously new variety touted as the 'purple sprouting broccoli'. This lead to the Vegetable Patch craze (known as 'patching') that swept the country in 2006, where fans (believing they had sighted The Moff) arrive en-masse to allotments and vegetable patches in the hopes of a sneaky autograph. Alas, Anthony Worrall-Thompson was made the scapegoat, and blamed for stealing the regular green varieties (from Tesco), painting them a dark purple, and planting them nationwide.

Thing #3 - The Health Lottery

2011 saw the arrival of The Health Lottery - complete with Moff-hair-wearing mascots. The principle behind the scheme was that for every £1 spent, 50 pence will go to the Hair & Make-Up department at BBC Wales to ensure the future preservation of The Moff's hair. The other 50 pence is channelled directly into the NHS to fund patients looking to recreate their icon's famous bounce. Winners who correctly matched all 5 numbers win £100,000 as well a curling iron made out of pure gold, laser signed by The Moff himself.

Thing #4 - James Nesbitt in Jekyll

In the year of our Moff, 2007, Steven Moffat approached the BBC with a pitch for a brand new series based on the story of Jekyll and Hyde. Having seen Steven's recent Doctor Who episodes, they jumped at the chance and so casting began. James Nesbitt was the actor of choice for The Moff, but despite being offered the role flat out, Moffat was thrice turned down by the actor owing to Nesbitt wanting to emulate Moffat's hair in the role as it "just felt right". Moffat finally agreed and production was fast-tracked for the June air date.

Thing #5 - The Microphone

In 1876, Emile Berliner invented the first Microphone, but history forgets that it was his partner Douglas McBarnet Moffat (great-grandfather of The Moff), that actually inspired the design. Carrying the same genes transported through time in what can only be described as a 'timey-wimey' transference, Douglas passed down the famous follicles, and in 2012 they are just as inspirational today as they were all those years ago.

Thing #6 - Black Tennis Balls

You heard it here first! Back in 2008, the Duchess of Kent - a huge fan of The Moff, tried to pass a bill through to the Wimbledon Board of Governors to allow the use of Moffat-inspired Black Tennis balls. Deemed as "too radical" and "too distracting to one's eye", the bill was sadly not passed, and the image above is the last surviving reminder of what we believe could have changed the face of Tennis as we know it.

Thing #7 - Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons

Cast your mind back to 1990 and you will remember the appearance of the villainous Sideshow Bob in The Simpsons. Matt Groening, creator of the show, was a huge fan of Moffat's work and after watching his ITV production of The Devil Wept in Leeds, he wanted to immortalise The Moff in his own show. Although the hair colour may not be the same as Moffat's (save, that time in the summer of '69 when The Moff experimented with Lemon juice), the texture of Sideshow Bob's hair was identical, and thus a popular recurring character was born.

Thing #8 - David Tennant's new look

In 2008 David Tennant took a short break from Doctor Who to perform his now famous portrayal as Hamlet for The Royal Shakespeare Company. Tennant had a few months before he had to return to the show, and wanted to try out some new hairstyles. The Moff was top of his list for inspiration and paid a whopping £5000 on achieving the new look. Unfortunately the RSC were not very happy with his new locks and ordered him to wear a beanie [pictured] until it grew out a little longer.

Thing #9 - River Song

2008 also saw the first appearance of River Song, as played by Alex Kingston. Having being asked to return to Series Five with new Doctor, Matt Smith, Kingston had a few 'requirements' to settle before signing the contract. Having been good friends with James Nesbitt and seeing his success in Jekyll, Kingston wanted to emulate the same hairstyle (originally inspired by The Moff). Once more Moffat reluctantly agreed. Kingston was keen on knowing how Moffat achieved his legendary look, to which Moffat replied "I will tell you when we begin production on the next series, but you can not tell anyone, not a soul, not even Matt, Karen or Arthur - at least not until Episode 7."

Thing #10 - The H Bomb

Bit of a controversial one, but it is a known fact that the first H Bomb was exploded in 1952 - just 9 years before The Moff was born. Coincidence? Well...yes, actually. But you gotta admit, the shape of the explosion is almost identical to that legendary do! 

[Source: DWO]

Karen Gillan made a surprise appearance at Cannes Film Festival yesterday, sporting a breathtaking new look.

The Doctor Who star, who has just completed her final scenes on the show, was pictured wearing a etherial white mullet dress with bright neon yellow-heeled shoes. Gillan was also spotted with a new hairstyle, which DWO are dubbing 'The Edinburgh Fringe'.

Karen was in town to promote her first major film, 'Not Another Happy Ending', which you can help fund here.

After sharing the released image [pictured right] with our @DrWhoOnline Twitter followers, we were deluged with comments from fans whose breath was literally taken away by the stunner from Inverness.

[Sources: DWO; Cannes Film Festival]

John Rylands Library in Manchester are hosting a Doctor Who themed family adventure sleepover this Friday!

Join in on their first ever sleepover, and take part in a Doctor Who adventure night! Dare you stay in the Library overnight?

Programme of Activities:

-  Watch two fantastic Doctor Who episodes - Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead.
-  Make your own Journal of Impossible Things.
-  Take a torch-lit tour of the Library.
-  Solve the mystery of the missing TARDIS.
-  Sleep in the Historic Reading Room - if you can!

Come dressed up as your favourite Doctor Who character- the best costume will win a very special prize. Who will you be?!

Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Suitable for families with children aged 8-14. A picnic area will be available in the cafe, no food or drink is allowed in the Historic Reading Room.

Booking is essential - to book a place for this event please contact the Customer Services Team on 0161 306 0555 or jrul.events@manchester.ac.uk.

+  The sleepover begins on Friday at 7:00pm-9:00am.

[Source: BBC]

In Bournemouth, police are drawing up plans to reintroduce police boxes to Boscombe.

The plan is for a modern police-style contact point to be erected in the town precinct, giving police a permanent presence there. This 'hub' would give members of the public easy access to the police and, it is hoped, discourage any anti-social behaviour.

According to the Bournemouth Echo, PC Will Martindale outlined their plans, saying, “The Inspector would like to put a ‘TARDIS’ outside McDonalds [which] hopefully we will be able to staff fairly regularly.”

PC Martindale added that they hoped local businesses would apply for sponsorship of the “TARDIS”.

It is understood that designs for the “TARDIS hub” are currently being drawn up and will be presented to council planners in due course. Two council members, Cllr Jane Kelly and Cllr Phil Stanley-Watts, have already given their support to the proposals. Kelly, who is the council member for the Boscombe West district, told the Bornemouth Echo, “I think having the ‘TARDIS’ there will deter any anti-social behaviour by giving the police a permanent presence.”

Cllr Stanley-Watts, who represents Boscombe West – is a long-time advocate of the reintroduction of police boxes to British streets. He first raised the idea with Inspector Mark Kelly back in 2008, believing that updated versions could be used for reporting crime and would make the public feel safer in their community.

[Source: Digital Journal]

UK newspaper, The Telegraph have just posted a recent interview with Doctor Who Actor, Christopher Eccleston, regarding his new play Antigone, and why the theatre means so much to him.

Below are a few excepts from the interview, which can be read in full here:

“I’ve neglected theatre,” he says, quiet certainty matched by emphatic vigour, his Salford accent pressing flinty personality into the words. “That’s a shame. It’s why I went to train as an actor. And for the next 20 or 30 years I’m going to do more and more of it. That’s the plan. I’m determined!”

Some of his facility for comedy was evident in the grinning eccentricity he brought to Doctor Who. But that only lasted a series. And puzzlement continues as to why he left before he had a chance to own the role.

When prodded to speak further about this, he is amicably terse. “I know what went on and the people who were involved know what went on – that’s good enough for me.”

He half-smiles, half-grimaces. “My conscience is completely clear. I’ve lived my life, particularly my working life, on the basis that I have to be able to look at myself in the mirror about the way I behave. It wasn’t a bold move, it was an entirely natural one. I’m hugely grateful to the children who to this day come up and talk to me about the show.”

+  Antigone previews at the National’s Olivier Theatre (020 7452 3000) from 23rd May.

[Source: The Telegraph]

White-hot Doctor Who scriptwriter and writer/creator of hit Comedy Central sit-com Threesome, Tom MacRae and superstar actor Russell Tovey (Being Human, Sherlock) come to Kapow! to talk about the relationship between writing sci-fi drama and television comedy by asking the question: How much is creating a joke like constructing a high concept narrative?

Joining them on the panel will be stars of the sit-com Adam Garcia (Threesome, House), actress and comedy writer Lucy Brown (Primeval) and comedian Tom Allen. 

In addition to comic-book panels with Marvel, DC, Image and Millarworld, other events taking place include An Audience with Nick Frost, Noel Clarke Q&A with exclusive footage from Storage 24, the creative team behind Batman: Arkham City from Rocksteady Studios, British writer and director Gareth Evans talking The Raid, two of Britain’s biggest comedians as Jimmy Carr interviews Frankie Boyle live about his love of geek culture plus the much loved TV personality and comic-book writer Jonathan Ross talking America’s Got Powers.

Live interviews with huge film, TV and comic stars will be taking place all weekend at the Total Film, SFX and Comic Heroes stage plus the massive cosplay competition. 

Tickets for Kapow! are only available in advance and through the website www.kapowcomicconvention.com. Tickets for Kapow! 2011 sold out ahead of the event, so get your tickets now.

+  Kapow! takes place from 19th-20th May 2012 at the London Business Design Centre.

[Source: Kapow!]

BBC Worldwide today announced the official opening date for their multi-award winning attraction the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff, the home of the BBC One show. Doors will open to the public on the 20th July with tickets going on sale at 10am on the 14th June.  Paula Al-Lach, Head of Exhibitions and Events at BBC Worldwide formally accepted the keys to the Experience’s distinctive new home in Cardiff Bay this afternoon and the first exhibits are already being moved in.

Philip Murphy, Managing Director of BBC Worldwide Live Events said:

“The Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff is going to be just minutes away from where the BBC Wales television series is made which I’m incredibly excited about. The Experience sets out to engage visitors’ imaginations from the outset immersing them in the world of Doctor Who and what better place to do this than in Cardiff the home of the show.”

The Doctor Who Experience is the first ever interactive Doctor Who exhibition that invites visitors to star in their very own Doctor Who adventure. Arriving at the venue they will step through a crack in time to become the Doctor’s companion, taking on the challenge of reuniting the Doctor with the TARDIS whilst fending off threats from some of his most fearsome foes - entering a Dalek spaceship and finding a way through a maze of Weeping Angels. Featuring a replica of the Eleventh Doctor’s TARDIS which visitors get to fly themselves the interactive walk-through culminates in a stunning 3D finale that sets the scene for fans entering the exhibition.

The exhibition presents fans with the world’s most extensive collection of original Doctor Who costumes and artefacts stretching back almost 50 years to the very first series of Doctor Who.

The content of the exhibition is updated constantly with new items from the television series to ensure it is ever changing offering fans the chance to get up close to the incredible sets, costumes and props that feature in their favourite show.  New items to be shown to the public for the first time in Cardiff include the Doctor’s cradle seen in A Good Man Goes to War; the Silence spaceship and Matt Smith’s sonic cane from Let’s Kill Hitler with many more items being kept under wraps until the doors open.

[Sources: BBC Worldwide]

Matt Smith and Jessica Hynes are among the cast of British stars that will narrate a second series of poetry shorts for Disney Junior UK.

Previous Doctor Who supporting actors; Richard Briers and David Walliams will also support A Poem Is... which features poetry set to classic animations including Dumbo, Cinderella and Snow White.  

Disney UK’s general manager, Boel Ferguson, said: “Combining timeless poetry with imagery from some of Disney’s most beloved animations is a fantastic way for young children and their parents to enjoy the beauty of a poem well read.”

The 12-part series, produced in-house, is designed to introduce young children to poetry and will begin later this month.

[Source: Broadcast Now]

Scientists claim to have invented their own version of the sonic screwdriver as seen in Doctor Who.

Researchers at Dundee University have created a machine which uses ultrasound to lift and rotate a rubber disc floating in a cylinder of water.

It is said to be the first time ultrasound waves have been used to turn objects rather than simply push them. The study could help make surgery using ultrasound techniques more precise, the physicists said. Surgeons use ultrasound to treat a range of conditions without having to cut open a patient. The ability to steer ultrasound waves to the precise spot where they are needed could make those treatments even more effective.

The ultrasound waves could also be used to guide a drug capsule through the body and activate it, for instance right inside a tumour. Ultrasound waves could already be made to push objects and scientists believed they could also turn them - but the Dundee University team claims to have now proved it.

They used energy from an ultrasound array to form a beam that can both carry momentum to push away an object in its path and, by using a beam shaped like a helix or vortex, cause the object to rotate.

Dr Mike MacDonald, of the Institute for Medical Science and Technology (IMSAT) at Dundee, said:

"This experiment not only confirms a fundamental physics theory but also demonstrates a new level of control over ultrasound beams which can also be applied to non-invasive ultrasound surgery, targeted drug delivery and ultrasonic manipulation of cells. The sonic screwdriver device is also part of the EU-funded nanoporation project where we are already starting to push the boundaries of what ultrasound can do in terms of targeted drug delivery and targeted cellular surgery. It is an area that has great potential for developing new surgical techniques, among other applications, something which Dundee is very much at the forefront of. Like Doctor Who's own device, our sonic screwdriver is capable of much more than just spinning things around."

The results of the sonic screwdriver experiment are published in the American Physical Society's journal Physical Review Letters.

The research also forms part of a UK-wide Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council project known as Sonotweezers, which aims to bring dexterity and flexibility to ultrasonic manipulation, allowing applications in a wide range of topics including regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, developmental biology and physics.

[Source: BBC News]

Doctor Who Actress, Georgia Moffett is starring in an upcoming proudction of Joe Orton's play; What The Butler Saw.

The actress, who previously starred as The Doctor's Daughter in the 2008 episode of the same name, will be playing the role of Geraldine Barclay and will be starring alongside fellow Doctor Who actor, Tim McInnerny (Mr.Halpen in 4.3: Planet of the Ood), Samantha Bond (Ms.Wormwood in The Sarah Jane Adventures), Omid Djalili, Nick Hendrix and Jason Thorpe.

Previews for the production begin from 4th May 2012, and ticket prices begin at just £15.

Show Synopsis:

When psychoanalyst Dr Prentice instructs his new secretary to undress, little does he expect to be interrupted by his wife, her blackmailing lover, a meddling government inspector and an inquisitive policeman. But hiding a naked woman is the least of his worries, as libidos run riot, identities are swapped and social decorum is buried. Madness and mayhem mock morality, and laughter reigns supreme. What the Butler Saw is the last and arguably the finest work of one of this nation's most celebrated playwrights. A gloriously witty and shockingly hilarious comedy, you'd be mad to miss it!

A trailer for the production can be viewed below:

[youtube:IpdU8dyEPBg]

+  Book Tickets for What The Butler Saw via the Nimax Theatres website.

[Source: Vaudeville Theatre]

Doctor Who Script Editor, Author, Ex-DWM Editor and Ex-Big Finish Producer, Gary Russell will be taking part in a signing at Cardiff's Comic Guru store this Saturday.

The event, which kicks off from midday on Saturday 21st April, will be held at The Comic Guru, 13 Wood Street, St.David's House, Cardiff (Next to the Millennium Stadium).

The Comic Guru team have also recorded a 9-part video interview with Gary Russell, the first video of which can be viewed below:

[youtube:QcLHmF0zlso]

+  Check Out The Comic Guru website.

[Source: Andy Frankham-Allen]