Oooooh, shiny!

As the new broom continues its sweep through the corridors of BBC Wales’  Upper Boat studios, this morning sees the launch of the new Doctor Who logo exclusively on the show’s offical homepage (and copied above) A thousand bloggers will incorporate it in to their themes and merchandisers around the world will try and work out how to replace the now familiar “taxi cab” symbol on their products. I guess we won’t start to see it on the shelves before 2010 as we build up to the end of the RTD/Tennant era but it’s another sign of things to come. Change is afoot. For what it’s worth I think the “DW” in the shape of the TARDIS is something appraoching genius, and the old style words are pretty good too. More importantly, what do you think?

Tags: BBC, Logo, Stephen-Moffat, TARDIS

On The Sofa, Not Behind It

20th July 2009 is a day to remember! Is it because it is the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landings? Not exactly, no. Is it, perhaps, because Freddie Flintoff has become some kind of cricketing deity by taking five wickets during England’s  historic victory over the old enemy at Lords? No. (Well, may be a little bit). Or is it because filming is now underway on the newest incarnation of the adventures of our favourite Time Lord? Could be.

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Tags: Apollo 11, Benjamin Cook, Cricket, Flintoff, Karen Gillan, Lizo Mzimba, Matt Smith, Moon, Series 5, TARDIS, Tom Baker

We interrupt this quiet Friday in the office with “Breaking news”.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8073734.stm

At 1pm this afternoon, BBC news announced that Karen Gillan will be the new Doctor Who companion.  Who fans on DWF and Twitter let out an initial. … “Who’s that?” However, in Moffat we trust.  Welcome to the big time, Karen!!

Tags: Companion, Doctor Who, Karen Gillan, Matt Smith, TARDIS

Show Me The Way

I guess that we have all become familiar with Doctor Who’s format over these last few years, with a 13-episode series running in the spring along with a smattering of extra bits and bobs like Children in Need specials and musical concerts throughout the year, with the jewel of these bits/bobs being an hour-long Christmas extravaganza of varying quality.  There has been much hot air expended throughout fandom over the alleged “gap year” between Series Four in 2008 and Five in 2010. Most of this outcry I have been happy to dismiss in

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Tags: bbc hd, David Tennant, Michelle Ryan, Planet of the Dead, Russell-T-Davies, TARDIS, The-Mill, Tritovore, UNIT, Upper Boat

4×11: “Turn Left”

In much the same way that Martha Jones’ arrival in Torchwood for three episodes heralded the begining of a trilogy of stories based on Owen Harper, we have now seen the hotly anticipated return of Rose in a story focussing heavily on the new companion, Donna.  Many will argue that this is all just and proper given the tour de force that Catherine Tate delivered in this, the 11th episode of Series Four. The same people will be

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Tags: Bad-Wolf, Billie-Piper, Catherine-Tate, Donna, Martha-Jones, Neil Gorton, Rose, Sarah-Jane, TARDIS, Turn Left

4×01: Partners In Crime

Season premieres from year’s past have all been thematically similar.  Russell T Davies pens a tale that introduces the audience to the new dynamic of Doctor/Companion that serves to set the scene for what’s to come over the next 12 weekends with the story generally seeming of secondary importance to character.  In 2005, Rose kicked off the new era as the very first story (re)introducing us to the mythology of the show through the wide eyes of the eponymous,

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Tags: Bernard Cribbins, Billie-Piper, Catherine-Tate, David Tennant, New Earth, Partners In Crime, Phil-Collinson, Premiere, Rose, Russell-T-Davies, Sarah Lancashire, Smith-and-Jones, TARDIS, The-Runaway-Bride