A brand new conclusion to The Sarah Jane Adventures, Farewell Sarah Jane, has been written by series creator Russell T Davies and will be released on Sunday.

The episode will be released at 5pm on the BBC Doctor Who YouTube, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram accounts. Later that evening the latest #DoctorWhoLockdown event will be a rewatch of the final two episodes of Series Four The Stolen Earth and Journey's End. Fans around the world will simultaneously watch the episodes along with twitter commentary from Russell T Davies, David Tennant, Catherine Tate, Freema Agyeman, John Barrowman and director Grahame Harper.

The Sarah Jane Adventures ended in 2011 after the death of Elisabeth Sladen, who first appeared alongside Jon Pertwee in 1973. The mini episode was made with the support of Sladen's family.

#DoctorWhoLockdown is organised by Emily Cook of Doctor Who Magazine. It's aim is to bring fans around the world together during the current lockdown through their shared love of Doctor Who.

SUNDAY 5pm! Farewell, Sarah Jane. The final Sarah Jane Adventure. Made with the blessing of Lis's family; come and say goodbye. Available on Doctor Who YouTube, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram, and both the global https://t.co/pmPrh61ial and BBC Doctor Who sites #FarewellSarahJane pic.twitter.com/vSqARz6XJ6

— Russell T Davies (@russelldavies63) April 18, 2020

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BBC Worldwide have issued a press release indicating that the entire catalogue of Doctor Who related shows will be made available in China via Shanghai Media Group Pictures, which includes a first look at Doctor Who up to its fifteenth series!

BBC Worldwide today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with leading Chinese media company, Shanghai Media Group Pictures (SMG Pictures) that will see expansion of the Doctor Who brand in China.

The MOU was inked yesterday evening at a signing ceremony at BBC Worldwide’s Television Centre in London, with Mr Chen Sijie, GM of SMG Pictures and Jaclyn-Lee Joe, Chief Marketing Officer, BBC Worldwide. Madam Wang Jianjun, Director General President of Shanghai Media Group, Tim Davie, Chief Executive of BBC Worldwide and Kelvin Yau, GM, Greater China, BBC Worldwide witnessed the event.

The agreement will see BBC Worldwide working with SMG Pictures to increase the Doctor Who fan base in China, exploring future opportunities as well as exchanging expertise between the two teams.

The MOU comes on the back of a content deal that BBC Worldwide also signed with SMG Pictures yesterday evening. The deal will see the entire catalogue of Doctor Who including spin-offs, Torchwood and Class available on popular TV channels and on-demand platforms all over China.

The deal not only covers Showrunners Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat’s Series 1- 10, but also incoming Showrunner Chris Chibnall’s yet-to-film Series 11, well as a first look for Series 12-15.

Jaclyn-Lee Joe, Chief Marketing Officer, BBC Worldwide, said:

This marks the start of a longer and even more fruitful partnership with SMGP,” said . “Doctor Who already has a substantial fan base in China. Now, Chinese fans will be able to access the entire catalogue of Doctor Who and its spin-offs thanks to this agreement. The MOU is an affirmation of both parties’ commitment to build the Doctor Who brand and grow its fan base in China.

Chen Sijie, General Manager, SMG Pictures, said:

China is going through a time of tremendous growth and rapid market development. Everyone here is curious about popular cultures around the world. At the same time, they want to share their Chinese culture and values. Doctor Who, with its long television history and iconic place in popular culture, is a great representative of British pop culture. We hope that this partnership with BBC Worldwide will enable both parties, as well as Chinese and British fans to share and exchange ideas and learnings to grow the universe of Doctor Who in China.

BBC Worldwide and Oriental Pearl Group previously worked together on the theatrical release of Sherlock – The Abominable Bride as well as the upcoming launch of One Amazing Day a co-production with SMG Pictures. The entire catalogue of Top Gear, Top Gear UK and all the UK specials, as well as five series of Top Gear USA, six series of Top Gear Korea and both series of Top Gear China has also recently launched on BesTV, SMG’s linear television service. There has also been a CBeebies programming block on BesTV since 2014.

• Shanghai Media Group Pictures is the film business unit of Oriental Pearl Group, held by Shanghai Media Group.
• Doctor Who is a BBC Studios production for BBC One and a BBC AMERICA co-production.

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Today marks the Tenth anniversary of the transmission of the first episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures.

The Doctor Who spin-off, starring the late Elisabeth Sladen, made its debut on BBC One at 4.51pm on New Year's Day 2007, with a special 60 minute special written by Russell T Davies and Gareth Roberts called Invasion of the Bane.

Also starring Samantha Bond, Yasmin Paige, Tommy Knight, Porsha Lawrence-Mavour and the voices of John Leeson and Alexander Armstrong, the episode led to a full series being comissioned, which was screened later that year. The Sarah Jane Adventures would run for five series, only ending after the death of star Elisabeth Sladen during the making of series five.

To mark the Anniversary a special Celebration video has been released on YouTube by The Attic, the group organising a reunion event for the series in Cardiff this summer.

Guests will include Tommy Knight, Daniel Anthony, Yasmin Paige, Anjli Mohindra as well as Elisabeth Sladen's husband and daughter, Brian Miller and Sadie Miller.

The day will raising money for Ty Hafan, a children's hospice based in Cardiff.

Full details on The Attic Website.

Celebration Video.

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The actor/comedian Ronnie Corbett has died, aged 85.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, he started his acting career after National Service, initially playing a number of schoolchild roles owing to his height, before migrating into comedy on television with the likes of Dickie Henderson and Jimmy Tarbuck However, it was in during The Frost Report in 1966 where he was to first meet and work alongside Ronnie Barker, leading to their successful partnership in The Two Ronnies, running between 1971 and 1987 plus specials, and the show that made him a household name.

His other major television role was as Timothy Lumsden in Sorry!, which ran from 1981-1988. In later years he appeared in films including Fierce Creatures and Burke and Hare, and on television in shows like The Ronnie Corbett Show, game show Small Talk and Ronnie's Animal Crackers, and also made appearance as 'himself' in both Extras and Little Britain.

Though not directly related to Doctor Who, he "inherits" the TARDIS from a 'Doctor' of sorts played by Ronnie Barker in their 1983 Christmas Special sketch, The Adventures of Archie. He was later to appear in The Sarah Jane Adventures universe, playing an ambassador that later turned out to be a Slitheen in the 2009 Comic Relief segment From Raxacoricofallapatorius with Love.

Outside of his career, Corbett was a keen golfer, and was also president of the Lord's Taverners cricketing charity in 1982 and 1987. He received an OBE in 1978 and then a CBE in 2012 for services to entertainment and charity.

He was married to actress and dancer Anne Hart, with two daughters who also act, Emma and Sophie.


Ronald Balfour Corbett, 4th Dec 1930 - 31 Mar 2016

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Bonhams' latest entertainment memorabilia sale will once again include items from Doctor Who, with Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures also featuring.

The sale - taking place at the showroom in Montpelier Street, Knightsbridge, London, on Wednesday 25th June from midday - consists of some 367 items, with lots 94 to 121 being of particular interest to DW, TW and SJA fans.

They include an original rehearsal script for The War Machines episode 2 (which is given the story title Doctor Who and the War of the Machines on the front page) as well as sets of draft and rehearsal scripts for all six episodes of The Abominable Snowmen and a set of four camera scripts for The Time Warrior, plus a screen-used panama hat signed by Sylvester McCoy. Items from The Sarah Jane Adventures include the costume worn by Elisabeth Sladen for Invasion of the Bane and her wedding dress from The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith, while the Torchwood lots include costumes worn by Eve Myles.

Full list of DW, TW and SJA auction items

Doctor Who:
Lot	Description	Estimate (£)
94	Original rehearsal script for The War Machines episode 2	250-350
95	Complete set of six rehearsal scripts for The Abominable Snowmen	1,000-2,000
96	Complete set of six draft scripts for The Abominable Snowmen	2,000-3,000
97	Set of five rehearsal scripts for The Web of Fear	1,000-1,500
98	Original handwritten postcard from Patrick Troughton to Henry Soskin (Henry Lincoln)	300-500
99	Three rehearsal scripts for The Dominators	500-700
100	Set of four camera scripts for The Time Warrior	500-600
101	A Time Lord robe from The Deadly Assassin	2,000-2,500
102	An original costume design for Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor	4,000-4,500
103	A collection of scripts from the Sylvester McCoy era plus light and floor plans	600-800
104	An original screen-used panama hat signed by Sylvester McCoy	800-1,200
105	An original control panel from Remembrance of the Daleks	300-500
106	A Haemovore head from The Curse of Fenric	250-300
Torchwood:
Lot	Description	Estimate (£)
107	James Marsters' costume from Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang	300-500
108	Bryan Dick's costume from Adam	250-300
109	Nikki Amuka-Bird's costume from Sleeper	250-300
110	Camilla Power's costume from From Out of the Rain	300-500
111	Eve Myles's costume from Adrift	250-300
112	Gareth David-Lloyd's costume from Day Two and Day Three	250-300
113	Eve Myles's costume from Day Five	250-300
The Sarah Jane Adventures:
Lot	Description	Estimate (£)
114	Elisabeth Sladen's costume from Invasion of the Bane	300-500
115	Tommy Knight's costume from Eye of the Gorgon	200-300
116	Yasmin Paige's costume from Warriors of Kudlak	250-300
117	Daniel Anthony's costume from The Last Sontaran	250-300
118	Anjli Mohindra's costume from Prisoner of the Judoon	250-300
119	Elisabeth Sladen's wedding dress costume from The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith	300-500
120	Elisabeth Sladen's costume from The Nightmare Man	300-500
121	Sinead Michael's school uniform costume from Series 5	250-300

A PDF of the catalogue can be downloaded here. Viewings are being held on 22nd June from 11am to 3pm, 23rd and 24th June from 9am to 4.30pm, and from 9am to 10am on the day of the sale itself.

Related Articles: Bonhams Auction December 2013 (13 Dec 2013)

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