TV Gold

No doubt you've all heard the news announced yesterday http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2007/09/03/48471.shtml regarding the future of the new series. Apparently we'll get a full thirteen episode fourth season run in 2008, but the fifth season thirteen episode run will not be seen until 2010. The intervening 2009 'gap year' apparently will serve us up with only three feature length specials so that David Tennant will have the opportunity to play 'Hamlet' at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

My thoughts regardin the 'gap year' are more surprise, and possibly a sense of relief (full on high impact dramatic stories over a thirteen week run is rather exhausting viewing for me despite obviously enjoying it) than any thoughts of sadness.

A bit of a restbite with only three feature length specials in 2009 may just be 'what the Doctor ordered' to help actors and writers 'recharge their creative batteries' on what has been a consistent production treadmill over the four years that this franchise has existed in its revived form.

I'm sure that David Tennant will indeed be absolutely excellent playing 'Hamlet' for the Royal Shakespeare Company next year but as to whether he may be persuaded to return for that fifth season in 2010 I think, and I could always be proved wrong about this, its a strong possibility that he'll be passing the TARDIS key to another actor after 2009's three 'feature length specials'

Anyone got any thoughts about this???

The new Christmas/New Year double edition of Radio Times is now out and available, as they say, at all good newsagent stockests and shows that "Voyage of the Dammed" is on BBC1 on Christmas Day with a transmission time of 18:25pm - 20:00pm, so we are being treated to seventy minutes this time around!

News from yesterday about the future of the franchise in 2010... http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/05_may/20/who.shtml

I guess I'm not alone in echoing the thoughts of Jane Tranter, Controller of BBC Fiction in saying that 'The TARDIS couldn't be in safer hands'!

As reported in today's 'The TImes' newspaper, the second of this years new specials entitled 'The Waters of Mars' is due to be transmitted on BBC1 at 7.00pm on Sunday 15th November 2009

NB(7th Nov 2009) Since I initially posted this the transmission date and time has been further confirmed, by the BBC, via the 'Radio Times' website http://www.radiotimes.com

Although we are almost a week on from 'Waters of Mars' just wanted to say I really enjoyed the story which showed a particluarly disturbing aspect to the central character (shades of classic series 'The Valeyard' perhaps). A great premise that of the Time Lord arriving at a landmark point in history, a disaster that he cannot, in fact must not alter. I thought Lindsay Duncan was well cast as the captain of the base, the establishment which for me seemed well realised. I liked the 'gadget, gadget' robot, especially the Doctor and the Captain using it to escape the (well realised) water transformed crew plus operating the TARDIS controls.

Looking forward to the epic two-part tenth Doctor finale next month!

I'll let the first part of 'The End of Time' slip me by with out comment but I thought I'd come back and say this about part two...

I was 'by and large' well impressed with David Tennant's finale yesterday evening. I thought what marvellous casting to get someone of the calibre of Timothy Dalton to play the Time Lord president, very chilling in his portrayal. Catherine Tate's reappearance as Donna was a complete blind alley, I was expecting more. 'He will knock four times' say the Ood and I guess most of us thought it would have been either the Master or the Time Lords. I for one certainly didn't initially see whom it actually turned out to be. A great performance from Tennant and Bernard Cribbins (Cribbins in the gun turret on the spacecraft was quite entertaining). A great final line for Tennant, summing up the tortured sole that his character was feeling throughout this two parter. Touchingly poigniant the way he revisited all his former companions and friends (don't know who the booksigner lady was(?)). I liked Martha Jones new hairstyle.

So destruction of the TARDIS, a new Doctor, the Time Lords banished and the fate of the Master left rather unclear.

Seems like the new series team have a few things to sort out when they return later this year. With Steven Moffat at the helm it should (fingers crossed) be good!

Anyone else got any thoughts about David Tennant's final story???