Doctor Who - Easter Special 2009

The fantastic Easter special of Doctor Who is just over - and what a feast of television it was! The only sad thing was seeing the gorgeously nice David Tennant reminded me his days as the Doctor are so very sadly limited. What a bloody pity!

The Doctor and a group of unwitting, accidental travellers were on the Number 200 bus, heading to Brixton. In reality, they were in Cardiff Bay heading for the Bute tunnels which constantly close due to maintenance requirements. But let's not dwell on detail! How I kicked myself for not seeing that being filmed. I use the Bute tunnels every day, and can remember an odd closure, but never guessed what was happening!

As if by magic, and the immense special effects trickery of BBC Cymru / Wales and The Mill, the bus is dragged thru a wormhole and ends up on a planet on the far side of the universe, otherwise known as Dubai. The planet is made totally of sand, an odd sort of sand, but sand non the less.

Strange fly-like creatures soon emerge from the sand, but they're not the baddies: these are a swarm of rayfish-like creatures which roam from planet to planet, stripping things bare and taking the minerals, etc with them. It turns out that when they've finished with a planet - they leave it as desert, create a wormhole & head off to wreak havoc elsewhere.

Michelle Ryan plays a fanatastic role as a jewel thief, caught accidentally on the bus. Would be nice to see her as a companion, but who knows! In the end, she escapes into space on the Number 200, turbo-charged with anti-gravity clamps. I think she'll be making a return. Hope so!

Lee Evans plays Malcolm, a mad scientist with UNIT who helps the doctor to save the day. Great to see  Lee in the show, shame his Welslh accent was so awful! It was good to to see him professing undying love for the doctor at the end of the action! Also good to see UNIT for the first time in Doctor Who or Torchwood since the original show went off air in the 1980s. They'll be back in Torchwood later this year too.

The ending was a bit bleak - with a gifted soothsayer warning the Doctor his days are numbered, and 'his song is nearly over' David looks worried. Indeed, David Tennant will appear in three more shows in 2009, ending with this year's Christmas special. Filming continues in Cardiff throughout July with David working on the rest of the specials.

The uninspiring and sexually-unattractive Matt Smith takes over as the 11th Time Lord in Series 5, which films this summer, and which airs in 13 parts in the UK during 2010. Can't wait. Meh.

Overall, a GREAT show today. More familiar faces & stars than you can shake a stick at, a fantastic musical score written as ever by Murray Gold and performed by the National Orchestra of Wales, loads of fun, a number of in-jokes, a few thrills and quite a clever plot, co-written by the lovely Russell T. Davies.

I really loved it - and it was AWESOME to watch the show in FULL 1080 HD! Wow.. what a difference full high definition made!!

The uncertainty is over! Torchwood will return with a mini-series, later this year.

In one epic story told over five nights the new series, to be broadcast for the first time on BBC One THIS SUMMER, promises to be Torchwood's greatest adrenalin-fuelled, high octane adventure yet.

Torchwood: Children of Earth re-joins Captain Jack (John Barrowman), Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) and Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd) who are still coming to terms with the death of two of their closest friends. Despite their pain, they have a job to do.

This time they are faced with their fiercest threat to date - one which throws the future of Torchwood and the entire human race spiralling into danger. They battle against the odds but do they stand a chance of saving mankind?

Sure, it's only a 5-episode mini-series, and perhaps it'll be their last adventure, but it does provide some televisual excitement for the summer!!

If you're in the UK, check out Torchwood's website for exclusive clips & information!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/torchwood/

The Chris Torchwood Guide: Credit Crunch Cardiff - Three days not to make you broke!

Some tips if you fancy visiting Wales' Number 1 city!


Cardiff Bay is clearly a must, as it's the main location for Torchwood
and features frequently in many episodes of Doctor Who. Also, all Bay locations are within easy walking distance from each other.

The Bay is highly attractive, and is a great place just to wander, and take in the atmosphere. It has been describe as one of the UK's most iconic locations, and attracts hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of Welsh, UK and international visitors each year.

Within the Bay, there's Plas Roald Dahl, and of course the Millennium Water Tower (Torchwood Hub) plus the Millennium Center, used as the Cat Nurse Hospital in the New Earth episode of Doctor Who. This is well worth a visit, and a great place to have a coffee, or a meal.

Mermaid Quay is the heart of the Bay, with an incredible number of international restaurants, including The Bosphorus (Turkish) where Doc who took Margaret Slitheen for a 'final' meal. There are also trendy & more comfortable bars, great for a refresher, or a drink in the evening.

There's also the Welsh Assembly Senedd & Pier Head Building, all which you can visit, free of charge. On a nice day, you can walk round the Bay, past St. David's Hotel and via a boardwalk to a saltmarsh nature reserve, complete with birds & attractive views. This is approximately a 20 minute round-trip on foot from the Senedd.

If you're feeling more adventurous, you can walk past the Norwegian Church Gallery & Cafe (worth a photo or two) and the Cardiff Bay Museum (looks like an alien space pod, and worth a 20 minute 'look' and it's free) and along the new route, thru Cardiff Docks to Cardiff Bay barrage. The Barrage featured in Torchwood, and is a spectacular structure of locks & machinery with fantastic views back to the Bay, and across the Bristol Channel. On a good day, you can see the Severn Bridge, and Weston-super-Mare.

You can walk across the Barrage to Penarth Marina, again, worth a pic or two, and then either get the Aquabus back to Mermaid Quay (£2) or onwards to the Millennium Stadium in the heart of Cardiff city.

This walk & Aquabus trip would probably take an hour, plus any 'lingering' time, and would be well worth it. If you had less time – you could take a return boat trip (£4.50) from Mermaid Quay to the Barrage, and either come straight back on the same Aquabus, or break your journey in Penarth and come back on the next bus.

Near to Cardiff Bay (5 mins walk) is the Red Dragon Center. It's all under cover, with inexpensive restaurants and bars, bowling, cinemas and.. the Doctor Who museum. This is not a big place, be warned, and it does cost a fiver to get in, but for Doctor Who groupies & officianados, like me, it's probably worth a visit, though half an hour and fifty photographs will probably see you out & ready for coffee!

Cardiff City is not walkable from the Bay. You'd need to take a bendybus or Aquabus to get you there easily. In the city, there are obviously lots of shops, and a couple of decent malls. More interestingly, there are loads of Victorian shopping arcades, mostly off the High Street & The Hayes. These are attractive, eccentric and just great places to soak up the atmosphere of Cardiff and its history. There's also Cardiff Market - typical & traditional, and near some very good pubs & eateries! Try a pie at the Cornish Pie Shop!!

There's Cardiff Castle, it costs to get in, but you can walk in the park around it free of charge. It's in the center of town, so easy to see. There's also the National Museum of Wales (free) set in a beautiful park, and surrounded by majestic buildings. I hate museums, but this one even gets me interested, and would be a great place to spend an hour or longer, and then to have a picnic in the park outside. Everybody does it!

Car parking is expensive in Cardiff city, so it's best to come in on foot, by train or by bus.

For a longer stay, or if you want to wander, there is...

1. Penarth – 4 miles. Cosy Victorian seaside town with small pier & sea front!

2. Barry & Barry Island – 6 miles. Seaside town with good sands but too many chavs. Some nice walks though, and it's very cheap & cheerful!

3. St. Fagan's museum of Welsh life & heritage (free) – 3 miles. Fantastic place to spend half a day. Massive site, buildings from all ages moved from their original locations and moved to St. Fagan's. There are also displays & reinactments and lots of Welsh is spoken. It's a must if you have the time!

4. Rhondda heritage park – 15 miles (£4) Built on the site of an old coal mine, your chance to explore life as it was in the Valleys. You get a guide too. Well worth a couple of hours too, if you have the time.

Further afield, Swansea & Gower (awesomely spectacular) – 50 miles are great locations for your next trip to South Wales!

Finally, accommodation in Cardiff center can be very expensive, but it's cheaper in the suburbs and in Penarth. I can't really recommend, cuz I've never used hotels and B&B here, but I am told that even expensive hotels offer bargain deals if you book in advance, or more easily, via places like expedia.com or lastminute.com.

I've heard that the Big Sleep is OK and reasonable, and I know more reasonable places are found in Roath & Canton, but I'd definitely want to see pictures & read reviews before I booked.

I think if you're prepared to look around on the internet, you'll pick a decent room up for perhaps £45, but that would involve availing of offers & deals. However, a day is too short, and if you have the cash to stay, it may be worth investing in a night or two's accommodation so as too make the most of our great City!

 

Roald Dahl Plass in Cardiff Bay. Spectacular by day and by night!

Torchwood is Back.. .. Soon'ish!!

Torchwood fans in the UK will be given a sneak preview of the brand new series of the award-winning drama on Thursday!!

 

From 9pm on Thursday, February 5 a 60 second trailer of Torchwood: Children of Earth will be shown on the Torchwood website - bbc.co.uk/torchwood. 

The trailer will be simultaneously broadcast at New York ComicCon 2009 - where Eve Myles and director Euros Lyn will be taking part in a panel session.


Torchwood has proved a big hit with audiences in the U.S and is BBC AMERICA's highest rated series.

In one epic story told over five nights the new series, to be broadcast for the first time on BBC One later this year, promises to be Torchwood's greatest adrenalin-fuelled, high octane adventure yet.

Torchwood: Children of Earth re-joins Captain Jack (John Barrowman), Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) and Ianto Jones (Gareth David Lloyd) who are still coming to terms with the death of two of their closest friends. Despite their pain, they have a job to do.

This time they are faced with their fiercest threat to date - one which throws the future of Torchwood and the entire human race spiralling into danger. They battle against the odds but do they stand a chance of saving mankind?

Torchwood is executive produced by Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner. The producer is Peter Bennett (Doctor Who).

Torchwood is written by Russell T Davies, John Fay (Clocking Off, Coronation Street) and James Moran (Doctor Who, Torchwood) and directed by Euros Lyn (best director in BAFTA Cymru TV Awards, Doctor Who, George Gently).

Torchwood: Children of Earth is of course a BBC Wales for BBC Drama production, and is entirely made here in Wales!!

Check out bbc.co.uk/Torchwood for further info!

Doctor Who's new Asssistant revealed!!!

Ryan and Evans appear in Doctor Who!

 

 

Michelle Ryan and Lee Evans will guest star in the Doctor Who Easter Special named Planet of the Dead.
Bionic Woman and EastEnders star Ryan plays the mysterious Lady Christina de Souza, who joins the Doctor on a bus trip which takes a "detour into danger", the BBC said. 

Funnyman Evans plays a character called Malcolm, whose life becomes connected to the Doctor's under extraordinary circumstances.

Ryan said: "I'm a huge fan of Doctor Who and very excited to be joining David Tennant and the Doctor Who team. "It is such a fantastic show and I can't wait to get started." There has already been speculation that Ryan could be cast as the Doctor's new assistant, starring opposite new Doctor Matt Smith.

Planet of the Dead is the first of four Doctor Who Specials which will air in 2009. David Tennant will bow out as the Doctor at the end of the year. Noma Dumezweni returns as Captain Erisa Magambo - last seen helping to save the world in the episode Turn Left. 

Executive producer and writer Russell T Davies said: "Michelle is one of the most sought after young actors in the country and we are delighted to announce that she will be joining the team. 

"As always the script is being kept strictly under wraps however we can reveal that Lady Christina is a woman with a mysterious past who's going to have a huge impact on the Doctor."

Who's who? - Well, now we know!

Well, after months of feverish speculation where red herrings flew thru the air like manic lemmings at a suicide convention, BBC Cymru has finally announced that it's new megastar in the making, The Eleventh Timelord... the 'new' Who... was to be little-known Northampton actor, Matt Smith.

The BBC Wales smoke machine certainly clouded the air and led us all up a very wrong path, with wild allusions hinting teasingly about the prospects of every possible actor, and even actress who was allegedly in the running for the ultimate role on UK television. We were led to believe the new Doctor was to be a woman, with Catherine Tate (Ew!), Glenda Jackson (Eeeww!!) and even Billy Piper (Yumm!) supposedly lined up in pole position!

However, a woman was never really in the running. Though some of our politically-correct twitterheads thought this may be the way to go, BBC producers quickly shied away from the idea after wondering how embarrassed parents would explain the sex change to their young & innocent offspring. It was thought that relationships too would be a problem... how would we get our heads round the idea of the Doctor, a man, loving Rose Tyler, a woman... now being a woman... still loving Rose Tyler! See where I'm going?

Other actors supposedly in the frame never stood a real chance... though John Simm, Alan Davies, James Nesbitt, and even Stephen Fry would have made excellent Doctors, they are all busy actors with many offers and much demand upon their skills. How long would they have committed to a role, which the BBC ideally would like a 3 to 5 year commitment on? Also - the 'tradition' of Doctor Who is that the Time Lord is always played by at least a relatively unknown profile, and none of these guys come close to this essential ideal.

So.. what of Matt Smith?

Christopher Ecclestone I didn't like at first. Too distant, a bit mechanical. When he left - I was shocked. Gutted and let down. He was perfect - how could anyone be better? Then David Tennant, who I instantly liked. Loved. From day one.. the perfect replacement. He soon became my favorite ever Time Lord. Attractive, warm, witty, funny - yet steely, and an awesome foe to his enemies. Absolutely the best Who ever, and by far the most human.

One more year, four shows and he's gone, and Matt grabs the keys to the Tardis.

Young, perhaps too young. Not that attractive, but not ugly. Sounds a bit posh, and looks like a slightly-spoiled 'rich kid' student. My first impression is that he'll lack the gravitas to carry off the role effectively, and I'm more than a tad disappointed.

However, like with David, I'll give him a chance, and will hope to be proved wrong! Watch this space!

Torchwood, Cardiff.

The Eleventh Doctor is.. .. .. to be revealed!

BBC News has announced that the identity of the actor who will play the Eleventh Doctor, succeeding current Doctor David Tennant, will be announced tomorrow.
 

The news will come in a special edition of tie-in documentary series Doctor Who Confidential, which is being transmitted on BBC One tomorrow evening at 5.35pm. The episode will also be shown at the same time on BBC Big Screens in town centres across the UK. 


The actor was confirmed in the role over the Christmas period and will begin filming for Series Five this summer, for transmission in 2010. New executive producer Piers Wenger is quoted as saying: "We believe the actor is going to bring something very special to the role and will make it absolutely their own. I just can't wait to tell everyone who it is - it has been a nail-biting Christmas trying to keep this under wraps!" 


The release from the BBC Press Office confirms that the Confidential episode has been retitled "The Eleventh Doctor" (it was formerly advertised as "The Ten Doctors"), and will feature the actor concerned giving his or her thoughts on having been cast. The press release also suggests that the last of David Tennant's episodes as the Doctor will be broadcast in the New Year of 2010.


The BBC have created a special trailer for the Doctor Who Confidential episode, which is also available to British internet users on their official YouTube page.