K9Official have announced plans to take K9 to the big screen:

"Move over R2D2 and C3PO"......

K9, the World's most famous robot dog traverses the dimensions of space and time to become the latest robot star of the big screen!

Having made his TV debut nearly forty years ago in the 1977 Doctor Who TV serial "The Invisible Enemy" K9 went on to become one of the most iconic characters from the BBC series.

A new look high tech K9 for today's cinema is being prepared for film stardom.

The film "K9-TIMEQUAKE" has been written by one of K9's original creators; Bob Baker, a renowned writer of classic Doctor Who serials. Bob went on to co-write with Nick Park the Oscar and Bafta winning Wallace & Gromit series of film shorts as well as the feature film Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

The new K9 will be appearing in a Multi-Million Dollar movie which promises to be a great action adventure set in deep Space. The film will be full of dashing heroes and heroines, Androids, monstrous Aliens and an ultimate foe who will also be familiar to Doctor Who fans everywhere; the megalomaniac OMEGA.

The film is to be a UK co-production with exteriors filmed overseas and studio work planned for the UK.

K9 is the perfect character to star in a movie with a whole new bunch of action heroes making this a home grown Star Wars come Guardians of the Galaxy style cinema must see film.

The film is currently slated for release in 2017 which will be K9's fortieth birthday!

The producers told Doctor Who News:

Bob and Paul are very excited about the project and having Omega in the Movie will bring a great new dimension to both characters as K9 faces his greatest challenge. The names of the Director and principle cast will be released in the new year. Regular updates will be posted over the next few months.

Competition

To be in with a chance to win a copy of the book The Essential Book of K9, courtesy of the authors, simply answer the following question:

In the television series, who was the original creator of K9?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-k9essential@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Affirmative!". The competition is open world-wide, closing date: 8th November 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

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Colin Baker is to star in a new horror/comedy feature film by Amber Pictures. Baker's character is described as "an ancient Demon intent on bringing about the apocalypse". The film also stars Suzanne Shaw and Chris R. Wright, with more cast members being announced over the coming months. The film is expected to be released in Autumn/Winter 2016.

On the brink of divorce from his wife Joanna, selfish slob Simon Fisher reluctantly agrees to attend a Halloween supper with his snobby next door neighbours, Phil and Pam. When Simon and Joanna arrive they meet the fifth guest, a mysterious old man. The stranger, is in fact a demon, intent on imprisoning them in the house until midnight, when he will decide which one of them to possess for the next one hundred years. A horror comedy that plays on the prejudices we have for the people next door. Best get to know your neighbours as you may need them some day.

Updates on production of the film can be found on the Neighbours From Hell Twitter and Facebook pages.

(with thanks to James Eaves / Amber Pictures

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Doctor Who took a stunning $4.8 million at the US box office on Monday, equivalent to 3 million pounds, making The Day of the Doctor the number two movie of the day.

The nationwide 3D screening took place in 660 theatres across the country, selling 320,000 tickets in total. Only The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ranked higher. This screening was in addition to the live simulcast with the BBC on Saturday which was shown on limited screens and took around $204,000.

To put the achievment into perspective, Entertainment Weekly reports the take is roughly as much as The Wizard of Oz in 3D made during its entire run earlier this year, and more than indie favourite Much Ado About Nothing.

Soumya Sriraman, Executive Vice President of Home Entertainment and Licensing, BBC Worldwide North America said

It’s incredible that Doctor Who has made history once again, setting record numbers across the board on BBC America, in social media, and now in theaters. It’s a testament to the fans and their dedication for Doctor Who

As reported earlier, the 50th Anniversary story also took £1.7 million in the UK, £0.87 million in Australia and 0.095 million in New Zealand over the weekend. The total currently stands at over £5.8 million ($9.4 million) with screenings across Europe, Canada and Latin America yet to be included.

Related Articles: US Ratings - Day of the Doctor (26 Nov 2013); The Day of the Doctor box office success for Australia and New Zealand (26 Nov 2013); The Day of the Doctor makes UK box office top 3 (26 Nov 2013)

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The BFI is to show the BBC's long-lost behind-the-scenes report on Daleks - Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. that was recovered last year.

The feature, lasting about five minutes, was originally included in the edition of teen culture programme A Whole Scene Going broadcast on 16th March 1966 and will be shown on the big screen at BFI Southbank on Wednesday 3rd July during a compilation of reports from various productions.

The BFI event is entitled The Location Report and is itself part of the wider Broadcasting The Arts: Television Looks At Film strand being run by the organisation. Tickets go on sale to the public on Tuesday 11th June.

Although the master tape was wiped by the BBC, a copy of this particular edition of A Whole Scene Going ended up as part of a Welsh villager's collection of films that was eventually sold on. A timecoded and watermarked extract from the programme is available to view via the Tim Disney Archive, with the Dalek film report excerpt starting at 1 min 16 sec.

Related Articles: Dalek Documentary Discovered (6 June 2012)

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As part of the celebration of the two Peter Cushing movies, Dr Who and The Daleks and Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD being released in high-definition on Blu-ray on the 27th May, Studio Canal have arranged a number of presentations of the films on the big screen in the United Kingdom, in association with the Independent Cinema Office.

Cinema Screening Schedule:

11th May	1:00pm	Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD	Edinburgh Filmhouse
11th May	1:30pm	Dr Who and The Daleks	Chichester Cinema
11th May	2:00pm	Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD	Curzon Community Cinema, Clevedon
12th May	2:00pm	Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD	Curzon Community Cinema, Clevedon
12th May	1:00pm	Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD	Edinburgh Filmhouse
12th May	1:00pm	Dr Who and The Daleks	Exeter Picturehouse
14th May		Dr Who and The Daleks	City Screen York
14th May		Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD	City Screen York
16th May	1:00pm	Dr Who and The Daleks	Exeter Picturehouse (Silver Screen showing)
18th May	2:00pm	Dr Who and the Daleks	Electric Picture House, Wotton-under-Edge
19th May	2:00pm	Dr Who and the Daleks	Electric Picture House, Wotton-under-Edge
19th May	1:00pm	Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD	Harbour Lights Picturehouse, Southampton
23rd May	1:00pm	Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD	Harbour Lights Picturehouse, Southampton (Silver Screen showing)
26th May	3:00pm	Doctor Who and the Daleks	Aldeburgh Cinema
26th May	1:00pm	Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD	Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge
26th May	2:00pm	Dr Who and The Daleks	Riverside Studios, London (DWAS)
26th May	3:50pm	Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD	Riverside Studios, London (DWAS)
27th May	1:00pm	Dr Who and The Daleks	Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge
27th May		Dr Who and The Daleks	Mareel, Lerwick
28th May		Dr Who and The Daleks	Mareel, Lerwick
2nd June	3:00pm	Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD	Aldeburgh Cinema
2nd June	1:00pm	Dr Who and The Daleks	Harbour Lights Picturehouse, Southampton
6th June	1:00pm	Dr Who and The Daleks	Harbour Lights Picturehouse, Southampton (Silver Screen showing)
15th June		Dr Who and The Daleks	Eden Court Theatre, Inverness
15th June		Daleks's Invasion Earth 2150AD	Eden Court Theatre, Inverness
16th June		Dr Who and The Daleks	Eden Court Theatre, Inverness
16th June		Daleks's Invasion Earth 2150AD	Eden Court Theatre, Inverness
7th July	2:45pm	Dr Who and The Daleks	Little Theatre Cinema, Bath
19th July	9:45pm	Dr Who and The Daleks	Barn Cinema, Totnes
20th July		Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD	Barn Cinema, Totnes (Outdoor Cinema)
20th July	9:45pm	Dr Who and The Daleks	Barn Cinema, Totnes
20th July	9:45pm	Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD	Barn Cinema, Totnes (Outdoor Cinema)
11th August		Dr Who and The Daleks	Derby QUAD (Fantastiq Festival)
11th August		Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD	Derby QUAD (Fantastiq Festival)
16th August		Dr Who and The Daleks	Number 8 Community and Arts Centre, Pershore

The two films have been digitally remastered and repackaged for both DVD and Blu-ray, with both released individual and as a limited collectors edition of the two together.

DR WHO AND THE DALEKS Directed by Gordon Flemyng With Peter Cushing, Roy Castle, Jennie Linden, Roberta Tovey Directed by Gordon Flemyng and now fully restored, DR. WHO & THE DALEKS (1965) was the first big screen film adaptation of British TV's most iconic sci-fi hero, and the first time Doctor Who was ever seen in colour. British film legend Peter Cushing plays everyone's favourite Timelord, and having invented the TARDIS, a strange machine capable of travelling into other dimensions, the Doctor and his three young companions set forth on a quest through time and space. Their journey takes them into the dark, undiscovered depths of the universe and to the planet of Skaro. A primitive world devastated by nuclear war and populated by two warring species, a peaceful tribe known as Thals and a life form heavily mutated by radiation, encased in protective machines. A merciless force of destruction known as The Daleks Extras: Audio Commentary with Roberta Tovey and Jenny Linden / Dalekmania / Restoring Dr. Who And The Daleks (new) / Interview With Gareth Owen (new) / Stills Gallery / Trailer DVD Tech Specs: Cert: U / Region 2 / Total Running Time: approx. 79 min / Colour / Feature Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 / Feature Audio: Mono 2.0 / English Language / Catalogue No: OPTD2529 Blu+ray Tech Specs: Cert: U / Region B / Total Running Time: approx. 82 min / Colour / Feature Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 / Feature Audio: Mono 2.0 LPCM / English Language / Catalogue No: OPTBD2529

DALEKS' INVASION EARTH 2150A.D. Directed by Gordon Flemyng With Peter Cushing, Bernard Cribbins, Roberta Tovey and Jill Curzon Directed by Gordon Flemyng and now fully restored, DALEKS' INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D. (1966) stars Peter Cushing in his return to the big screen as British TV's most iconic sci-fi hero, Doctor Who. The earth of 2150 AD is a desolate and hostile ruin of a planet, crumbling at the edge of civilisation, slowly disappearing into the darkness of space. For the future of planet earth now belongs The Daleks, a destructive arm of alien invaders who have turned the human race into cowering slaves. Meanwhile deep within the London Underground a group of resistance freedom fighters are planning an attack. But there's only one man who could possibly help them succeed in destroying their extra terrestrial enemies and take back control of planet earth. A man of mystery, a man of time and space, a man known only as. The Doctor. Extras: Restoring Daleks. Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (new) / Interview with Bernard Cribbins (new)/ Interview with Gareth Owen (new)/ Stills Gallery / Trailer DVD Tech Specs: Cert: U / Region 2 / Total Running Time: approx. 80 min / Colour / Feature Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 / Feature Audio: Mono 2.0 / English Language / Catalogue No: OPTD2530 Blu+ray Tech Specs: Cert: U / Region B / Total Running Time: approx. 84 min / Colour / Feature Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 / Feature Audio: Mono 2.0 LPCM / English Language / Catalogue No: OPTBD2530

Competition:

Thanks to Studio Canal we have three copies of the boxed set for readers in the United Kingdom to win. To be in with a chance, simply answer this question:

In Dr Who and The Daleks, what is Ian Chesterton's lucky number?

Please send your answer along with your name, address and where you saw the competition to comp-movies@doctorwhonews.net with the subject line "Thal play!". Only one answer per household can be accepted. Please note that this competition is only open to UK residents only, and closes on 26th May 2013.

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Steven Moffat has spoken a little more about how he feels about a big-screen version of Doctor Who:

The thing that I would find intolerable is that you get a film instead of the TV series because the TV series is more important. And I don't think any showrunner or future showrunner of Doctor Who would tolerate the idea that David Yates was talking about, of rebooting it and having a second continuity. That's just nonsense. Absolutely insane and a straightforward insult to the audience. We'd never, ever do that. The question would be how could we do it without delaying or harming the TV show?

I think it could be incredibly exciting to see that TARDIS fly on the big screen. It would just be how do we arrange it? And how do we make sure we have … no offense, but you suddenly take American money and they expect to tell you what to do and all that. I wouldn't be happy with that. But it will happen someday, I'm reasonably confident.

The full interview can be read at Vulture.

Related Articles: Movie Updates - 30 Mar 2012, 22 Jul 2012

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Matt Smith has ruled himself out of appearing in a big-screen version of the show. Speaking to Collider at last week's Comic-Con the actor explained:

For my money, whoever is playing the Doctor should be in the movie. I don't think there should be two Doctors. I think it would take four or five years to get something like that off the ground, and I don't anticipate that I'll be playing the Doctor then. My skin and the aging process couldn’t take it. But, I don't see any reason why it couldn't work. I think they should get Steven to write it because he’s the best.

Meanwhile, Steven Moffat re-iterated that any film version of Doctor Who will not be a separate entity to the current television series. Speaking to Airlock Alpha at the same event, the show's lead writer commented:

There will not come a time when there's a separate kind of Doctor Who. What was talked about there was that there would be a separate Doctor and a different continuity. Of course it won't. That would be silly. Everyone knows that's silly. The BBC knows that's silly, and is not going to do that.

The likelihood of an alternative film version of the show was promoted by director David Yates back in November when he told Variety that BBC Worldwide Productions were undertaking the project and writers were being considered for a version that "would start from scratch".

Related Articles: Movie Update (30 Mar 2012); Film in the Works? (14 Nov 2012)

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Material from a long-lost documentary featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the 1966 film Daleks - Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. has been discovered in a private collection in Wales.

The recovered edition of the 1960s teen culture show A Whole Scene Going contains a sneak-peek into the making of the big-screen Doctor Who adventure. The brief clip shows movie Doctor Peter Cushing preparing to battle the Daleks. The black-and-white footage, taken on the set of the movie, also captures director Gordon Flemyng behind camera as he talks with stunt-men and plans out the movie's climactic final scenes.

Interspersed with the footage is an interview with Flemyng — who died in 1995, aged 61 — revealing that he preferred making "entertainment pictures" as opposed to more high-brow films, but "didn't take them any less seriously".

Although the BBC wiped the master-tape of A Whole Scene Going, a copy of the magazine show was made and found its way on to the collectors' circuit. Classic TV organisation Kaleidoscope, which recovered the 16mm film print in conjunction with the Tim Disney Archive, said the find would "delight" Doctor Who and vintage music fans alike.

Chris Perry of Kaleidoscope said:

A Whole Scene Going is an exciting TV find. For Doctor Who fans there's a fascinating glimpse into the making of feature film Daleks - Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D., showing Peter Cushing as the Doctor on the set along with director Gordon Flemyng and lots of Daleks. For music-lovers there are priceless performances by classic British beat band the Spencer Davis Group as well as American singer/songwriter Judy Collins. Sixties pop shows were routinely shown live or wiped after transmission so it's great to find one that slipped past the eraser's magnet!

Tim Disney of the Tim Disney Archive said:

How this print came into existence or found its way to a Welsh village, we'll never know. However, one theory is that it could have been film-recorded by BBC Wales from the network feed down the line from London for transmission at a later date.

A Whole Scene Going also features a rare interview with the Spencer Davis Group, who perform their chart-topping single Somebody Help Me.

Kaleidoscope and the TDA — which bought the film print privately from the collector — are currently in the process of returning a digital copy to the BBC Archive. However, fans will get the chance to see the recovered footage for the first time in more than four decades at Kaleidoscope's next screening event, taking place in Stourbridge, West Midlands, on Saturday 9th June.

Tim Disney of the TDA added:

Doctor Who was not the primary draw for us in recovering this programme, but the content of the programme as a whole — the exciting period of popular culture it reflects and its place in the history of British television. Thankfully, after the collector discovered he had a unique TV recording he was keen to ensure it would be returned to the BBC archives, turning down silly money offers to deal instead with Kaleidoscope and the TDA.

A clip from the recovered show can be seen at the Tim Disney Archive.

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David Yates has been in the UK as part of the Warner Bros promotion for their new Harry Potter studio tour; during interviews afterwards, he was asked about the status of the proposed Doctor Who film by Bleeding Cool's Hannah Shaw-Williams, to which he clarified that the production was still very much in the early stages:

Yes, I'm definitely doing a Doctor Who movie, but I think where everyone got confused was that we're not making it for five years, or six years – it's a very slow development. I've got projects backed up between now and about 2015, and it's something I'm very passionate and excited about.

Speaking about the existing series under Steven Moffat, he said:

Steven’s a genius. I love his work, I think he’s incredibly clever. I love what he's done with Doctor Who, love his Sherlock Holmes. He's such a gifted man. But this is something that's a very slow burn and I'm hoping to sit down with him at some point and have a chat. It's just something that we’ve been talking about for a little while. (and on the continuity issues raised) That's all to be discussed. Because it's five or six years from now. It's weird because … what will the series be like in five or six years? But I'm very excited about it, very excited about that world.

The full interview can be read at Bleeding Cool, or video versions can be watched via YouTube from SnitchSeeker and LeakyNews.

Related Articles: Moffat discusses Movie development (15 Dec 2012); Doctor Who film in the works? (14 Nov 2012)

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Steven Moffat appeared on BBC's Breakfast this morning to chat about his two festive 'blockbusters', Doctor Who and Sherlock. Speaking of the Doctor at Christmas, he said:

It's the right and proper thing, he's the ideal hero for Christmas Day, he's as close as a hero can come to actually being Santa Claus!

Talking about the storyline for the Christmas Day special, he said:

There's a slight flavour of Narnia in this one, yes - it's not the same story at all by any means. Last year we pretty much did A Christmas Carol beat-for-beat, but this time it's just a sort of flavouring of that really.

The Doctor ends up in debt to someone, his life is saved by someone, and a few years later he returns to save their Christmas because these children have just lost their father - of course being the Doctor he just endangers them terribly, but that's sort of what he's like.

Inevitably the movie came up, to which he re-iterated:

It's an imaginary film. David Yates - a very brilliant director - was talking off the cuff and slightly off-message. We're not going to do a film of the nature that he described, which would be rebooting the story and having a different Doctor and being in a different continuity - that would never happen, that would be insane and that would be insulting to the audience. I hope one day we will do a film, maybe even soon, but it will be very much an offshoot of the television series with the same Doctor and all that. (and you doing it?) Yes.

The interview is available to watch via the BBC Breakfast site until the 27th December.

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Meanwhile, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe guest stars Bill Bailey and Arabella Weir talk about their experience filming the episode in the latest BBC behind-the-scenes clip:

Bill Bailey and Arabella Weir, BBC, via YouTube (also via BBC Doctor Who Adventure Calendar)

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Steven Moffat was a guest (alongside Matt Smith!) this afternoon on BBC Radio 5 Live's Richard Bacon Show, during which the question of the potential "reboot" film being made came up; he responded:

David (Yates) was talking a little out of turn, there; a very, very brilliant director but no the film as described by him, of course we're not going to do that - a film that contradicts the television series, it would be a heathen thing to do ... I would be 'beheaded' to do such a thing!

It would be wonderful to do a Doctor Who film, but when and if we did - and hopefully we will be doing it - it will be very much an offshoot of the television series and we'll be part of it, and it will star the television Doctor, of course - anything else would be heresy!

The complete interview with Matt and Steven - which covers the first hour of the programme - can be heard on the BBC iPlayer for the next seven days.

Related Articles: Film Update (2 Dec 2011); Film in the works? (14 Nov 2011)

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You can also watch a video of the interview in which Matt discusses how Doctor Who got him into science.

Matt Smith discusses science, Richard Bacon show, via the BBC Radio 5 Live site (may not play outside United Kingdom)

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Meanwhile, the Express suggests that David Tennant is set to return to the role of the Doctor for the movie:

Tennant, who has proved fans' most popular Doctor during the programme’s modern era, is set to make a "cameo appearance" in the new movie with recent Harry Potter director David Yates at the helm.

"It's felt it would be very fitting to have David involved after everything he’s done for the show," said an insider.

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Director David Yates attended the BAFTA Los Angeles 2011 Britannia Awards on Wednesday evening, where he was awarded the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing in recognition of his work on the Harry Potter series of films.

Speaking after the ceremony, Yates responded to questions about his involvement and fan interest with the potential Doctor Who film, telling MTV News:

I can't really talk about that because its such a long way away. We're principally looking for a writer, and we'll start with that. Everything has to start with a great script, so that's more important than casting.

I've lived with (fan) pressure for so long. What's pressure? I don't know anymore! It's fine, it's good. It's such a wonderful character and such a wonderful world. It's exciting.

It's a long journey and we're going to take our time with it. Right now I'm looking forward to a vacation, frankly!

David Yates talks to MTV News, via MTV - may not play outside the United States

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Doctor Who's lead writer Steven Moffat has responded to the comments made by Yates via Twitter, saying:

To clarify: any Doctor Who movie would be made by the BBC team, star the current TV Doctor and certainly NOT be a Hollywood reboot. David Yates, great director, was speaking off the cuff, on a red carpet. You've seen the rubbish I talk when I'm cornered.

Related Articles: Doctor Who film in the works? (14 Nov 2011)

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Since the announcement by director David Yates on the development of a movie version of Doctor Who, the casting of an actor for the role has attracted speculation through the media.

The Radio Times suggests a variety of potential Doctors, ranging from young popstar Justin Bieber through to another sci-fi stalwart William Shatner! Other names include Hugh Laurie, Colin Firth, Ricky Gervais, Lady Gaga and Morgan Freeman.

IGN ran a poll in which some 7000 readers voted Hugh Laurie as their favourite choice, with the runners up being Gary Oldman, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Ewan McGregor. Entertainment Editor Chris Tilly said: "As one of the UK's most celebrated TV characters of all-time, fans are thrilled about the prospect of a 'Doctor Who' movie, with talk immediately turning to who should play the lead role. And with his combination of wit, intelligence, charm and eccentricity, Hugh Laurie was the runaway winner of our poll, with fans believing the Brit to be the perfect man to play the Time Lord on the big screen."

Betting firm William Hill have placed David Morrissey as their favourite - in the lead-up to 2008's The Next Doctor the actor was the firm favourite to take over from David Tennant as the eleventh Doctor; another contender for the role as the announcement of who would replace Tennant in early 2009 was Chiwetel Ejiofor who is currently William Hill's second favourite.

IndieWire also offers up Chiwetel Ejiofor as a potential big-screen Doctor, with other suggestions including Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Kebbell, Tom Hardy and Andrew Garfield.

Movie odds aren't a new thing, of course; back in 2010 Paddy Power were offering 2/1 on Pirates of the Caribbean actor Johnny Depp as becoming a movie Doctor!

Related Articles: Doctor Who film in the works? (14 Nov 2011)

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Variety have reported that preparation has begun to turn Doctor Who into a feature film, to be helmed by director David Yates (Harry Potter) in association with BBC Worldwide Productions under the auspice of Jane Tranter (VP of programming and production).

Yates told Variety:

We're looking at writers now. We're going to spend two to three years to get it right. It needs quite a radical transformation to take it into the bigger arena. The notion of the time-travelling Time Lord is such a strong one, because you can express story and drama in any dimension or time.

Russell T. Davies and then Steven Moffat have done their own transformations, which were fantastic, but we have to put that aside and start from scratch. We want a British sensibility, but having said that, Steve Kloves wrote the Potter films and captured that British sensibility perfectly, so we are looking at American writers too,

Tranter has commented on the potential of a Doctor Who film before; asked about the possibility when outlying her plans for BBC Films back in 2007, she answered: "I would not rule out a film version of Doctor Who, no."

The BBC confirmed development via their Doctor Who Facebook presence:

There's been a lot of talk today about the possibility of a Doctor Who movie - a feature film remains in development with BBC Worldwide Productions in Los Angeles. But, as of yet there is no script, cast or production crew in place.

 

Perhaps the most famous attempt to produce a film occured in 1992 with the BBC Enterprises project The Dark Dimension, aimed to be released during the show's 30th Anniversary the following year. Others include Doctor Who Meets Scratchman, an attempt by then Doctor Tom Baker and Ian Marter to take Doctor Who to the big screenin the 1970s, and a long-term project by the Daltenreys group (aka Coast to Coast) in the late 80s/early 90s.

Related Articles: DW Tops Film Hopes Poll (25 Aug 2008); Tranter on Who film and future (3 Oct 2007)

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What a busy couple of weeks its been. Despite Series 5 of Doctor Who having finished, hardly a day goes by without some sort of Who-related news popping up.

For a fuller round-up, remember to look in on Doctor Who in the Media, but, to whet your appetite, here's a summary.

On Sunday, BBC 1 premiered the long-awaited first episode of Sherlock (see our earlier story), Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss's updated version of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes, Martin Freeman as Dr John Watson and Rupert Graves as Inspector Lestrade. Cumberbatch has created a bit of a stir in the last few days by suggesting, first, telling Digital Spy that he may well be appearing in several episodes Doctor Who, and, then, according to the Sun that he considered becoming the eleventh Doctor before Matt Smith was cast in the role.

Again, according to the Sun, Matt Smith is eager to leave Doctor Who to pursue a career in Hollywood. However, this has been denied by both Moffat, to BBC News, and Karen Gillan, during her visit to Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup Final at Cowdray Park Polo Club! For a less sensational take on this, see this story and this story on Digital Journal.

Nicky Wire, of the Manic Street Preachers, caused a bit of a stir when he blogged on the band's website that he was writing a Doctor Who script. He's since clarified on Twitter that it's fan fiction and not a BBC commission.

Russell T Davies has been speaking to SFX about the fourth series of Torchwood and has also dealt with the rumours surrounding a Johnny Depp as the Doctor Hollywood movie! This story covers the original "exclusive" and RTD's debunking of it.

Finally, there was plenty of press coverage surrounding the start of filming of the 2010 Christmas special (see this Gallifrey Base story), guest-starring Sir Michael Gambon and Katherine Jenkins, including here, here and here.

Happy times and places!

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TV/Movie CD publisher Silva Screen have released details on a new CD covering the music from the two 1960s Aaru films Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150AD.

The restored soundtracks feature the scores composed by Malcolm Lockyer and Bill McGuffie, with additional sounds from Barry Gray; the CD will also feature contemporary single releases, plus a 20 page booklet covering production notes and memorabilia.

The CD is due for release on 5th October; track details below.

Dr. Who and the Daleks

1. Fanfare And Opening Titles
2. TARDIS
3. The Petrified Jungle
4. The Petrified Creature And The City
5. Four Return To TARDIS
6. The Medicine Box And The Climb To The City
7. City Corridors
8. Captured By The Daleks
9. Susan Leaves The City
10. The Jungle At Night
11. Susan Returns To The City
12. Escape From The Cell
13. The Trap
14. The Swamp
15. The Mountain
16. The Cave
17. The Jump
18. The Thals Approach The City
19. The Countdown
20. The Countdown Stops
21. Finale And End Titles

Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.

22. Smash And Grab
23. TARDIS Departs (Sound Effects)
24. Opening Titles
25. TARDIS (Sound Effects)
26. London 2150 A.D. (Music And Sound Effects)
27. Daleks And Robomen
28. Message To Grandfather And The Dalek Saucer Takes Off (Music
And Sound Effects)
29. The Mine Workings And The Cottage
30. Preparing The Bomb Capsule (Music And Sound Effects)
31. Smash And Grab (Reprise) And End Titles

The Singles

32. The Eccentric Dr. Who
33. Daleks And Thals
34. Fugue For Thought

Dr. Who And The Daleks - Bonus Tracks

35. Fanfare And Opening Titles (Soundtrack Version With Effects)
36. TARDIS Effects
37. Dalek City Effects

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Posted By John Bowman

Doctor Who has been named the show that people would most like to see adapted for the cinema.

A Radio Times online poll in July and August saw some 2,300 readers take part, and they put the revamped series top of their movie hopes. Torchwoodcame ninth.

A breakdown of the figures isn't revealed but Friends came second, Red Dwarf third, Heroes fourth, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation fifth, Spooks sixth, 24 seventh, Lost eighth and The Prisoner tenth.

Star Trek was voted the show that had made the most successful move to the silver screen, and Helen Hackworthy, the editor of radiotimes.com, said: "While Trekkers have had a number of big-screen delights, Who fans are hoping that the success of the new incarnation of Doctor Who will see it make the jump to a cinema near them."

The news follows comments made by incoming showrunner Steven Moffat at the Edinburgh International Television Festival at the weekend in which he said he had no objections to a Doctor Who film - but it would have to be "great and fantastic".

Giving cautious backing to the notion, he emphasised that if it did happen filming should not interfere with the series.

In the BBC News report, Moffat said: "I'm not against it. I don't think it's the most important thing for Doctor Who.

"A movie is one 90 minutes a year. So yes, so long as it never gets in the way of the show. If it gets in the way of the show that's appalling.

"It's been in the cinema, with Peter Cushing. It would be good to see it in the cinema so long as it's great and fantastic."

At the festival, Moffat also ruled out having an older actor play the Doctor as and when David Tennant leaves. "It's a practical issue. This is a show that's hard for even the young, super-fit David Tennant to keep up with. It might kill someone over 60," he said.

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October 4, 2007 • Posted By Jarrod Cooper

Rumors are circulating through the media of a forthcoming Doctor Who movie. Billie Piper, rumored to be set to return as Rose for series four, is now being cited as starring alongside current Doctor David Tennant in the film. "It's all been hushed up ... but yes, it's definitely happening," a source reportedly told the Daily Star. "David and Billie were a superb combination on the small screen, so it seems only right that they appear in the film."

These reports are coming out following a statement made by BBC Head of FictionJane Tranter,who recently told Media Guardian that she is keeping the possibility of a Doctor Who film open. Tranter is quoted as saying, "I would not rule out a film version of Doctor Who, no." There has been no announcements regarding the return of Piper or a forthcoming film released by the BBC.

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October 3, 2007 • Posted By Josiah Rowe

Media Guardian reports that Jane Tranter, BBC Head of Fiction, is keeping the possibility of a Doctor Who film open. Tranter is quoted as saying, "I would not rule out a film version of Doctor Who, no." The article also discusses the future of the television series for the next several years, as previously revealed; however, Tranter suggests that David Tennantmay remain in the role for Series Five in 2010.

Ms Tranter also hinted that actor David Tennant, who plays the current Doctor, was likely to return to the role for a fifth series, even though he has agreed to play Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company next year.

His decision means that the fifth series will not be shown until 2010, two years after the fourth series airs next year, effectively creating a "gap year" filled by three Doctor Who specials starring Tennant and overseen by head writer and executive producer Russell T Davies.

Ms Tranter also refused to be drawn on speculation that Steven Moffat was being lined up as a replacement for Davies - who is believed to be on the verge of leaving the show - or that actor James Nesbitt was being lined up take over from Tennant.

"All we can say is that David is a fantastic Doctor and that he is doing Hamlet," she said.

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August 30, 2007 • Posted By Jarrod Cooper

Following rumours that a movie was in the works featuring the Eighth Doctor, Paul McGann has denied that he is to reprise his role.

Speaking to SyFy Portal's Alan Stanley Blair at the recent Collectormania show, Paul officially denied the rumours with the following statement:

"I've heard as well, yeah I've heard,". "Well they haven't called me, but often you hear it first through rumour. But you know... yeah I'd go back and do it ... as long as I don't have to wear a wig."

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