News

Doctor Who star Peter Purves played Steven Taylor, the companion of William Hartnell's First Doctor, for almost 50 episodes between 1965 and 1966, during the first run of the very, very long-running sci-fi series. As someone who's been there from the start, there aren't many people who know more about the show's evolution as the decades have passed.

The 'Whoniverse' has undergone some of the biggest changes in its esteemed history over the past few years. With the arrival of Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor, the show saw an investment from Disney, meaning new episodes air on Disney+ as well as on the BBC. With backing from the House of Mouse, the show now has a significantly larger budget, allowing for more extravogent stories than the BBC could never accommodate. These changes have yielded mixed results. The new seasons have been very hit and miss.

Purves recently weighed in on the newest season airing right now,...

Former Doctor Who star Peter Purves has complained that the modern version of the Disney+ show is "too sophisticated." Purves played companion Steven Taylor between 1965 and 1966.

Purves' character was a memorable part of the First Doctor era of Doctor Who, before much of the mythology behind The Doctor had been developed. For example, the concept of regeneration had not yet been introduced during Steven's travels with the First Doctor, nor had there been much exploration of the Time Lord race.

Peter Purves Shares His Complaints About Modern Doctor Who

According to BBC News, Purves shared his thoughts on the current version of Doctor Who while attending an unofficial exhibit for the show at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery. He called modern Who "far too sophisticated for [his] simple brain."

"We used to have stories that were very simple, you went from there to there, you had a cliffhanger at the end of an episode,...

Doctor Who has paid tribute to classic series cast member Jean Marsh following her death at age 90. Marsh played The First Doctor's companion Sara Kingdom in the 1960s.

BBC News reported that Marsh's friend, the director Sir Michael Lindsay-Hogg, confirmed that Marsh died "peacefully in bed looked after by one of her very loving carers" on Sunday (April 13). Doctor Who later published its own tribute to Marsh on X, saying it was "sad to report" news of the former companion's death.

We're sad to report the passing of Jean Marsh, who played multiple roles in Doctor Who over the years including companion Sara Kingdom, Joan of England and the sorceress Morgaine â¤ï¸â¤ï¸Read more here âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/31gID2TOCqpic.twitter.com/LEhWIpgCln— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) April 14, 2025 Jean Marsh Dies at Age 90

The actress first appeared in Doctor Who in a minor role in 1965's First Doctor serial "The Crusade,...

The lost Doctor Who story The Savages, first aired in 1966 and starring William Hartnell, will be animated for release in 2025.

We’re edging ever closer to a time where we’ll be able to watch every missing Doctor Who story in animated form. The most recent release was 1966 story The Celestial Toymaker, which broke the mould by using a surrealist, 3D animated style befitting the Toymaker’s aesthetic.

The BBC’s sticking with the William Hartnell era for its next animated reconstruction, as the corporation has confirmed that the 1966 story The Savages will be the next episode to be animated.

The official description reads as follows:

In The Savages, the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his travelling companions, Steven (Peter Purves) and Dodo (Jackie Lane), arrive on an unnamed planet where they encounter two distinct people – the Elders and the Savages. They soon discover the Elders are the evil, draining the...

While the episode's original footage may be lost, the '60s Doctor Who story "The Savages" is set to be brought back to life as the next classic animated recreation for the sci-fi series. The long-running BBC sci-fi series was first led by William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966, who portrayed the first incarnation of the Time Lord in the first series. A number of its earliest Doctor Who episodes were lost due to past practices, leading to a concerted effort by officials of the organization and fans to reclaim any surviving footage for preservation.

Following the partly-animated recreation of "The Celestial Toymaker" being released on home media, the official Doctor Who website has confirmed that another story from Hartnell's tenure will be brought back to life with a four-part animated reconstruction of "The Savages." The official Doctor Who YouTube channel also uploaded a trailer. Check it out below:

Airing in May...

Doctor Who is one of the longest-running shows in the history of British television, and as a result, many famous actors have appeared on it at one point or another. And sometimes, those actors are so good in their roles that they return to the show as another character.

Eagle-eyed fans will notice that some actors who play Doctors and Companions have appeared on the show in tiny roles before returning triumphantly as a main character. Sometimes, this recasting is even explained away in the show itself. Spotting the reused actors adds an extra level of entertainment to an already entertaining show.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on November 20, 2024: A show that has been on for as many decades as Doctor Who is bound to have certain actors who star in multiple roles. However, Doctor Who fans might be surprised to see just how many major actors (including Doctors and...

Warning: contains spoilers for Doctor Who episode “73 Yards”.

Doctor-Lite stories have so far been very good, which raises the possibility that the thing that′s really holding back Doctor Who is Doctor Who.

As you may know, Ncuti Gatwa was finishing filming his last series of Sex Education for Netflix while “73 Yards” was being filmed, and so the episode was pushed onto the array of ′Doctor-Lite′ stories (put simply: ones in which the Doctor doesn′t appear very much). The idea of doubling up the filming of episodes and balancing the cast accordingly has been in place since the show returned in 2005, with it formally being named as a budget-saving strategy in 2007 with “Blink”. They may also be referred to as “double-banking” episodes where two episodes are filmed simultaneously and so the regular cast can’t substantially appear in both.

Doctor Who often gave its leads a holiday in the 1960s,...

The BBC will release partially lost Doctor Who story The Celestial Toymaker on DVD and Blu-ray, complete with animated episodes, in June.

The animation of 1966 William Hartnell Doctor Who story The Celestial Toymaker was confirmed in December last year, just before David Tennant’s 14th Doctor went up against Neil Patrick Harris’ version of the character.

The BBC has now released the artwork for the DVD and Blu Ray, which you can see here.

Thanks to Amazon, we also know that it will be released on the 10th of June.

The story, written by Brian Hayles with rewrites by script editor Donald Tosh, saw First Doctor William Hartnell and his companions Steven Taylor (Blue Peter icon Peter Purves) and Dodo Chaplet (Jackie Lane) battle the titular Toymaker, plsyed by Michael Gough, as he forces The Doctor to play the impossible Trilogic Game. Meanwhile, Steven and Dodo must work their way...

As you may have seen, Steven Moffat is writing for Doctor Who again (and I bet Tumblr are glad Cloud servers exist now). According to showrunner Russell T. Davies’ Instagram, he contacted both his successors/predecessors in the role and Chris Chibnall turned the offer down in favour of writing a novel, whereas Moffat agreed and, Davies teases, wrote a series 14 episode in which “a perfectly ordinary word [is] turned into something Terrifying and it’s all in outer space and there’s a woman and Oh My God”.

As we saw during lockdown, Davies and Moffat never really stopped having ideas for Doctor Who stories. While it may seem unprecedented to have a former showrunner return to write an episode, it was fairly common during Doctor Who’s original run. If we take the Script Editor role of the original run as comparable to that of the contemporary showrunner (it...

"The Celestial Toymaker" is the latest classic Doctor Who story to receive an animated reconstruction, allowing new and old viewers to see the complete story. The upcoming release will include both color and black-and-white versions of the reconstruction, as well as telesnap reconstructions and bonus features. The animated reconstruction offers a new visual experience, allowing viewers to see the Toymaker's powers in a way that the original serial couldn't achieve.

Ahead of the Toymaker's (Neil Patrick Harris) return for Doctor Who's final 60th-anniversary special, the villain's original 1965 debut story "The Celestial Toymaker" is the latest classic era story to receive an animated reconstruction. The original story saw Willian Hartnell's First Doctor and companions Steven (Peter Purves) and Dodo (Jackie Lane) transported to the Toymaker's realm to play a series of twisted games. Harris is set to take on the role for the character's long-awaited return in "The Giggle", as...

The BBC will release partially lost Doctor Who story The Celestial Toymaker on DVD and Blu-ray, complete with animated episodes.

This Saturday will see David Tennant’s 14th Doctor come face to face with The Toymaker, played by Neil Patrick Harris, in final 60th anniversary special The Giggle.

The character hasn’t been seen onscreen since his debut appearence in 1966 story The Celestial Toymaker, where he was played by Michael Gough.

The story saw First Doctor William Hartnell and his companions Steven Taylor (Blue Peter icon Peter Purves) and Dodo Chaplet (Jackie Lane) battle the titular Toymaker, as he forces The Doctor to play the impossible Trilogic Game. Meanwhile, Steven and Dodo must work their way through a series of childish games which turn out to be deadly.

Currently, only the fourth episode The Final Test exists in the BBC archives. You can watch it on iPlayer.

BBC Studios have...

Tennant praises Neil Patrick Harris' portrayal of the Toymaker as truly unique and filled with gusto and brio. Harris surprised Tennant with his portrayal, diving into the role with enthusiasm and skill. Tennant and the Doctor Who team were excited when Harris accepted the role, as he brings the necessary entertainment and acting abilities required for the Toymaker character.

David Tennant gives a glowing review of Neil Patrick Harris' Toymaker portrayal ahead of Doctor Who's 60th anniversary, praising the actor for what he brings to the 1960s-era villain. The actor will take on the role of the powerful celestial being first portrayed by Michael Gough opposite First Doctor William Hartnell in the 1966 story, "The Celestial Toymaker." Harris previously worked with returning showrunner Russell T Davies on his acclaimed 2021 drama It's A Sin as tailor Henry Coltrane before joining Doctor Who's 60th-anniversary specials.

As Doctor Who's first 60th-anniversary special,...

Tales of the Tardis opens up exciting possibilities for future episodes, with various Doctor and companion pairings to explore. Reuniting characters like Jenny and the Tenth Doctor could provide closure and new storylines for Doctor Who fans. Bringing back Martha Jones and the Master would offer more insight into Martha's side of the story from when Harold Saxon took over the world.

Tales of the Tardis opens a whole new universe of Doctor Who, with many tantalizing pairings now possible should future episodes happen. In preparation for Doctor Who's 60th anniversary special, the BBC has released Tales Of The Tardis. The show follows pairings of classic Doctor Who Doctors and companions, and not only involves the actors reprising their roles, but also combines individual older episodes to create new anthology stories.

Tales of the Tardis sees the return of the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) and Tegan (Janet Fielding), the...

Tales of the Tardis is an official Doctor Who spinoff that combines new scenes with classic episodes, featuring returning actors speaking in-character. The spinoff takes a relaxed approach to canon and may not neatly fit into the Doctor Who universe like previous spinoffs, resembling Marvel's What If...? in terms of being canon-adjacent. Tales of the Tardis marks the beginning of Doctor Who's Whoniverse, hinting at more spinoffs in development, making it the perfect introduction for viewers unfamiliar with the past 60 years of the show.

Tales of the Tardis will officially cut the ribbon on Doctor Who's Whoniverse, but - somewhat predictably, given the show's infamously complex continuity - where the spinoff sits within Doctor Who canon remains murky. With Russell T Davies' return as showrunner, a Disney+ deal in place, and a 60th anniversary celebration on the horizon, an expansion of the Doctor Who franchise looked as inevitable as Rose and Mickey's breakup.

If Doctor Who fans ever felt hard done by during any of the show’s previous big anniversaries then the 60th is here to soothe spirits, hand out cherished gifts, and generally make a bloody big hair-ruffling fuss of the lot of us.

First came news of David Tennant and Catherine Tate’s return in three anniversary specials, then came the ‘roughly 8 million episodes of Doctor Who are coming to BBC iPlayer on November 1’ announcement, then they brought back Doctor Who Confidential under a different name, and now…

…three Classic era Doctors are returning alongside eight former Doctor Who Companions (plus The Sarah Jane Adventures’ Clyde Langer) for new series Tales of the Tardis.

New Scenes, Classic Who Cast

Not a behind-the-scenes documentary, and not standalone adventures, the six-part series will pair up the stars of classic Who acting in new scenes together, in character, wrapped around episodes from six existing serials.

Tales of the Tardis is a great way for new viewers to get a taste of Doctor Who's classic era and understand its influence on the series today. The omnibus-inspired format of the series makes it more accessible to modern audiences who may not be used to the serialized format of the classic series. The newly filmed scenes in Tales of the Tardis offer a chance for familiar characters to return and tie up loose ends, while also introducing new viewers to other parts of the Doctor Who universe.

New Doctor Who spin-off series Tales of the Tardis has been revealed, as previous Doctor and companion actors reprise their roles to reflect on key stories from the show's classic era. The classic era of Doctor Who ran from the show's debut on November 23 1963 with "An Unearthly Child", and came to a close with the third episode of the 1989 storyline...

It’s a good time to be a Doctor Who fan. Over 800 episodes of the iconic sci-fi series will soon be available to watch on BBC iPlayer, and they’ll be joined by a brand-new Doctor Who spinoff series which will reunite classic Doctor Who duos, including classic Doctors and their companions.

Tales of the Tardis will span six-episodes, with each featuring a different duo, with brand new scenes woven together with classic episodes to create feature-length omnibus episodes. Reprising their roles for the Doctor Who spinoff series are; Maureen O’Brien as Vicki and Peter Purves as Steven, Frazer Hines as Jamie and Wendy Padbury as Zoe, Katy Manning as Jo and Daniel Anthony as Clyde, Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor and Janet Fielding as Tegan, Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor and Nicola Bryant as Peri, and Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor and Sophie Aldred as Ace.

A fanmade trailer for Doctor Who's 60th-anniversary specials explores the history of the Toymaker, a returning villain portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris. The Toymaker, originally played by Michael Gough in 1966, is known as an immortal being with a fascination for challenging and endangering people with his games. The Toymaker's reappearance after 57 years raises questions about his motives and suggests he will continue to use humanity as his plaything in the upcoming specials.

A fanmade Doctor Who trailer revisits the Toymaker's first appearance in the franchise ahead of Neil Patrick Harris' portrayal in the show's 60th-anniversary specials. Doctor Who will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a three-episode special that begins on November 25. The specials will blend the franchise's past and present as it brings back David Tennant and Catherine Tate but paves the way for Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor to take over. While the specials will mark Harris' debut in the franchise,...

The new trailer for the Doctor Who anniversary specials has dropped, and with it the reveal that Neil Patrick Harris is going to be playing the specials’ Big Bad – The Toymaker. Many fans had already guessed this was coming, because Doctor Who fans have a sixth sense for determining precisely which camp villain in an elaborate outfit has trapped the Doctor in an elaborate mind game of his own devising.

But for those of us who can’t take one look at Neil Patrick Harris in a top hat and tails and immediately determine that he isn’t the Mind Robber or the Dream Lord or the War Lord or the Meddling Monk or a gender-flipped incarnation of the Rani or whoever Jinkx Monsoon is playing next season, a bit of explanation might be in order.

A bit of explanation and a lot of saying ‘Obviously, Doctor Who is 60 years...

Doctor Who announces the return of the iconic villain, played by Neil Patrick Harris, after 57 years. David Tennant is back as the Fourteenth incarnation of the Time Lord, joined by Catherine Tate, Jacqueline King, Bernard Cribbins, and Karl Collins. Miriam Margolyes, Yasmin Finney, and Ruth Madeley join the franchise as new characters. The show continues to expand its talented cast, promising fresh and engaging storylines.

Doctor Who confirms the return of the iconic 57-year-old villain played by Neil Patrick Harris. The three specials will see the return of David Tennant as the mysteriously familiar Fourteenth incarnation of the Time Lord. Tennant will be reunited with Catherine Tate, Jacqueline King, Bernard Cribbins, and Karl Collins, while Miriam Margolyes, Yasmin Finney, and Ruth Madeley will join the franchise as new Doctor Who characters.

Following the debut of an all-new Doctor Who 60th-anniversary trailer, the official Doctor Who Twitter account has shared several...

While most Doctor Who companions over the past 60 years have been young women, the ages of companions actually varies widely. The first several Doctor Who seasons almost always had a teenage girl as one of the main companions, as an audience surrogate when the series was more aimed at children. The actresses, however, were all over 18.

Modern Doctor Who companions trend a little older, but new Doctor Who companion Ruby Sunday will be the youngest yet. Millie Gibson was just 18 years old when she began filming Doctor Who season 14 last year. Though some companions have been younger in fiction, none of the actors have been younger than 19 until now.

Related: Doctor Who: Every Doctor's True Companion

Susan Foreman

The Doctor's granddaughter, Susan Foreman, appeared to be a teenager when she and the First Doctor appeared in Doctor Who's first episode, "An Unearthly Child." In the "Marco Polo" serial...

Tom Kingsley, the director of Doctor Who's second 60th anniversary special has provided a tease for his episode that supports a theory as to the identity of who Neil Patrick Harris is playing. Later in 2023, three feature-length episodes of Doctor Who will celebrate the show's 60th anniversary by pitting David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor against Neil Patrick Harris' enigmatic antagonist, and fan-favorite comics monster Beep the Meep. The first special is directed by Rachel Talalay, who directed some of Peter Capaldi's most acclaimed episodes, with Tom Kingsley and Chanya Button on directing duties for the second and third entries, respectively.

The three directors were interviewed in Doctor Who Magazine #589, where they gave a great deal of insight into how they approached these hotly-anticipated special episodes. Director Tom Kingsley described receiving and almost rejecting Russell T Davies' script for the second special, because he was unsure how he could...

This week, the BBC announced the latest Blue Peter presenter – wheelchair racer Abby Cook – making her the 42nd presenter in the 65-year history of this wholesome children’s entertainment show.

Blue Peter is famous for being the longest-running children’s TV programme in the world, as well as for its iconic badge, and its notoriously disastrous time capsules.

But in amongst the strange craft projects, ‘fun’ facts and sometimes controversial competitions, Blue Peter had some real geek gems:

Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill Met a Tortoise and Ate Star Wars Stew (1980)

Through a 2023 lens, this seems like a fever dream, but against the odds it all actually happened. To celebrate the release of The Empire Strikes Back, the Blue Peter team treated us to an appearance from R2D2, a strangely silent C3P0, ‘hairy old Chewbacca’ and Darth Vader.

Then the real fun happens: Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill...

Vicki, who never even got a surname on screen despite appearing in 38 episodes of Doctor Who, is an underrated companion. Indeed, Maureen O’Brien’s character is significant as the template for the young female lead in the show going forward. She has a strong bond with William Hartnell’s Doctor, who provides a father-figure for her, and is smart, confident and funny in her own right.

Appearing in only nine stories, Vicki’s final story has no surviving footage (though the audio exists) and two more of her stories are only partially complete. Only one of her stories was in the top half of the Doctor Who Magazine 50th anniversary poll, and a few of them are in the lower reaches of the rankings. Her only Dalek story is ‘The Chase’, which is one of the less well thought of. So perhaps there are reasons she’s not often cited...

Hanks plays the cherished Us children’s TV star Fred Rogers in this surprisingly moving drama about his transformative encounter with a hardbitten reporter

Has anyone in Britain ever heard of Fred Rogers? He was an American children’s TV presenter whose folksy show for toddlers, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, ran from 1968 to 2001 and made him a national treasure in the Us, much admired for the way he encouraged children (and adults) to talk and think about their feelings. But unlike Sesame Street, it was not shown in the UK and so Rogers, played here with extraordinary Zen self-possession and force by Tom Hanks, may be unfamiliar. The equivalent would be showing Americans a biopic of Blue Peter’s John Noakes. (To cast this imaginary Bafta-winner, I suggest Jamie Bell as Noakes, Erin Doherty as Valerie Singleton, Daniel Radcliffe as Peter Purves and Meryl Streep as Biddy Baxter.

While fans are waiting patiently for the new season of Doctor Who, the BBC is providing us with some new old Doctor Who. A painstaking live-action recreation of a lost episode of the classic series will be released for the first time on the show’s official YouTube channel next week.

1965’s “Mission of the Unknown” is a unique entry in Who canon. As a prelude to the 12-part epic “The Daleks’ Master Plan,” it doesn’t feature the Doctor or his companions. Instead, it follows Space Security Agent Marc Cory as he attempts to warn Earth of the Daleks’ secret plans for universal conquest. Though an audio recording survives, no footage has been available for decades.

Earlier this year, however, a hard-working team of students, graduates and staff at the University of Central Lancashire in the UK restaged the entire episode, with the involvement of original stars Edward de Souza...

Here’s the latest episode of the 365Flick podcast, part of the ever-growing podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on Podomatic and Libsyn, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.

365Flicks Podcast – Episode 72: Sci Fi Weekender 8 Pt.2

So we said we had more for all you lovely listeners and here it is. We got a bumper interview episode for everyone so strap in. We kick off with a chat with the Pop Up Puppet Cinema guys who let us know a bit more about what it is they do and how they create there magic. We effortlessly move onto 2 cracking interviews with Fraser Hines of Dr Who fame and Sam Stone author extradoniare and all round awesome lady. We finish up our interviews with two more Dr Who guests in...

Den Of Geek Apr 6, 2017

We've been asked to give a quick plug for this weekend's Doctor Who convention in Bedford. Happy to do so...

A quick word from the organisers of a Doctor Who convention in Bedford this coming weekend...

Bedford’s third Doctor Who charity convention is coming up on Saturday 8th April. Bedford Who Charity Cons are fairly new on the convention scene, but it’s worth saying that they’ve established a fine reputation as fun, relaxed, friendly and informal events, with audiences and guests equally strong in their praise.

This year, Maureen O’Brien will be coming; Maureen’s very seldom able to make Doctor Who conventions and this is a rare opportunity to meet her. Organiser Simon Danes wants to stress, though, that there’s no sense in which any guest is more important than any other; they’re all equally welcome! Joining Maureen will be her contemporary,...

Mark Harrison Oct 14, 2016

With the question of who's playing James Bond in James Bond 25 unresolved, we look back at the casting conundrums 007 has faced before.

Since 1962, fewer men have played James Bond than have walked on the moon. Despite the relatively long turnaround of the role, the subject of who might follow in the footsteps of Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig in the future has fuelled many column inches and tabloid splashes.

It feels as if speculation about the seventh 007 in Eon Productions' long-lived spy franchise has been at fever pitch since this time last year, when Craig was doing the promotional rounds for Spectre and commented that he would rather “slash [his] wrists” than play Bond again. It's only after a year of constant reports on the subject that his far more optimistic comments at last weekend's New Yorker Festival...

Josh Maxton is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Time Eddy, the convention run by fans for the fans, is returning in 2016 after a successful event at the Best Western North Wichita this October. Over 1,100 fans packed in to meet a host of stars from the shows’ past and present including Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Peter Purves, and Ellis George. The venue will remain...

The post Time Eddy Convention Returns in 2016 appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

America’s newest Doctor Who convention will return in 2016 by popular demand. Over 1,100 fans packed into the Best Western North Wichita this October to meet a host of stars from the shows’ past and present including Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Peter Purves, and Ellis George. The venue will remain the same for next year’s convention but the vendor’s area will be expanded, the events line-up enhanced, and beer and wine will be available for the over 21 crowd.

Other exciting additions include a Doctor Who musical extravaganza, a sci-fi mystery dinner, and more participatory events involving guests and attendees. You can save $25 on three day passes and vendor tables by entering the discount code K9 on the registration page. This huge discount is only available until Thanksgiving 2015. We are assembling an amazing array of guests and events so don’t delay, buy your Time Eddy II tickets today.

Between...

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Taking place in Wichita, Kansas from 2nd – 4th October 2015, the Time Eddy event has a great collection of stars attached to it! Sixth Doctor and Peri pairing Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant are the headliners, with classic series companions Peter Purves, Katy Manning and Deborah Watling joining them. From modern Doctor Who, Ellis George (The Caretaker, Kill...

The post More Guests Announced for Time Eddy Doctor Who Convention! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

50 years ago this weekend, Doctor Who changed forever when the very characters who we followed into the Tardis, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, finally made their way home, back to London in 1965. Leaving the Doctor with Vicki (Maureen O’Brien) and a stowaway Steven Taylor (Peter Purves), the final episode of The Chase sent...

The post Doctor Who Changes Forever: Ian and Barbara Leave in The Chase appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

From the Queen Vic to the Tardis. As Eastenders prepares to mark its 30th anniversary, we look back at its encounters with Doctor Who...

Back in the mid-eighties an actor who played "Third Assistant" in a Doctor Who story called The Savages (1966) and the director of another Doctor Who adventure, The Underwater Menace (1967), came together to create one of the BBC’s most successful television shows.

And when they got together, it was murder. Well, not quite. (Though the first episode did feature a victim who would later die, fact fans.) But what they did create was Eastenders.

Broadcast on February the 19th 1985 (in between episodes one and two of The Two Doctors), this creation of Who alumni would go on to share numerous links with the long-running science-fiction for years to come. Even its time-slot owes much to the adventures of everyone’s favourite Gallifreyan.

In an interview in...

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

The new Doctor Who Magazine is out on Thursday, and along with all of the stuff you’re about to read concerning Paul Wilmshurst, Steven Moffat’s monthly Q&A with the readers, a chat with Waris Hussein about Marco Polo, Toby Hadoke’s tribute to Bernard Kay and the second part of the Peter Purves interview, look out...

The post Exclusive Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart Short Story in Dwm 483! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Fans of the popular television show Doctor Who — as seen on PBS, BBCAmerica and Sci-fi Network — will descend on Wichita, Ks for a celebrity convention on 2 – 4 October 2014. Stars from the series will be signing autographs and participating in Q & A sessions. Guests include Peter Purves, Deborah Watling, Andrew Cartmel and Daphne Ashbrook. Advance tickets with huge discounts are already on sale at www.kansasdoctorwho.com.

Fans will also participate in costume contests, games and memorabilia sales. Additionally, Wichita native Mc Peter Pixie will serve as host while a special guest from the University of Wichita will deliver a lecture on the realities of time travel. Tickets are on sale. The event website is www.KansasDoctorWho.com. It is being organized by the non profit Kansas Doctor Who Corporation and is the first major Doctor Who fan event to attract foreign-based guest stars since 1988. The event is expected to attract over...

Nick Kitchen is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Big Finish has announced this week that former Doctor Who star Peter Purves, who played First Doctor companion Steven Taylor, is back in the studio recording two brand new installments of the Doctor Who: Short Trips range! The stories, Flywheel Revolution and Etheria, are set during the First Doctor era and are read by Purves. For those

The post Peter Purves Set For Big Finish’s Short Trips! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Whether you’re into Doctor Who and Star Wars or The Wire and Sherlock, there’s a great line-up of special guests coming to the NEC on 22-23 March for McM Birmingham Comic Con and Memorabilia. Here are just a few of them!

British actor, writer and director Phil Davis has appeared in a host of top TV shows including Whitechapel; Sherlock, Being Human, Merlin and Doctor Who, while his movie credits include Alien 3, Quadrophenia, Notes On A Scandal, Secrets & Lies and Vera Drake, for which he was BAFTA-nominated. Paul McGann – Famous for playing the Eighth Doctor in the 1996 Doctor Who television film – a role he reprised in 72 audio dramas and the 2013 mini-episode ‘The Night of the Doctor’ – and for starring alongside Richard E. Grant in much-loved 1987 black comedy Withnail And I. Clarke Peters – Best known as detective Lester Freamon in acclaimed crime drama The Wire, as well as...

Feature Cliff Chapman 11 Feb 2014 - 07:00

Cliff takes us through ten Doctor Who stories still lost, from Marco Polo to Fury From The Deep...

Doctor Who was for the first twenty six years a series of serials, so episodes make up stories or serials, e.g. Power of the Daleks is a story or serial made up of six episodes, rather than ‘an episode’. Around 250 weekly instalments of Doctor Who were shown between 1963 and 1969. As of January 2014, 97 of these are not held by the BBC, or known to survive, and cannot be viewed - although they can be experienced in a number of ways. Although recent returns have massively helped in evening up the scores, you’ll note that there’s a slight bias towards Hartnell against Troughton for completely missing stories. Troughton still fares worse, however as he has fewer fully existing stories, seven complete stories versus Hartnell’s fifteen.

When watching An Adventure In Space And Time, I noticed one feeling dominated all others. It wasn’t excitement at seeing early Doctor Who recreated in high definition colour. It wasn’t admiration in the playing of the lead actors (all wonderful), nor even some fannish desire for accuracy (I let several anachronisms of speech and behaviour slip by, suspending my disbelief in the spirit of the piece).

The overwhelming feeling I had was one of protectiveness. I felt protective towards Verity Lambert, Waris Hussein, even Sydney Newman, the old so-and-so. But I felt especially protective towards William Hartnell. As an actor his reputation is pretty much intact, despite a few swipes at his memory from those too ignorant to know better. But as a man I felt that he had been much maligned, and An Adventure In Space And Time could either support the myths, or set the record straight.

BBC Two is to air a mini-documentary tonight (November 21) about the life of Doctor Who star William Hartnell.

Five-minute film William Hartnell: The Original will explore what happened to the actor after he left his role as the first Doctor in 1966.

The documentary - not previously included in tonight's TV listings - will air at approximately 10.25pm, immediately following the Mark Gatiss-penned drama An Adventure in Space and Time.

Charting Doctor Who's origins and early days, An Adventure in Space and Time stars Game of Thrones actor David Bradley as Hartnell.

William Hartnell: The Original will feature rare archive footage and brand new interviews with Hartnell's Doctor Who co-stars, including Carole Ann Ford (Susan) and Peter Purves (Steven).

Matt Smith, Peter Davison, Hartnell's granddaughter Jessica Carney and Doctor Who's original director Waris Hussein will also feature.

> Mark Gatiss on An Adventure in Space and Time...

Steven Taylor

Portrayed by: Peter Purves

Doctor(s): First Doctor

Tenure: 10 stories (45 episodes), The Chase (June, 1965) to The Savages (June, 1966)

Background: Steven is a human from the 23rd century who has been stranded on the planet Mechanus for two years when the Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Vicki stumble across him while fleeing the Daleks and the Mechanoids. Rather than being invited aboard the Tardis, Steven stows away, but he quickly becomes part of the Tardis team, picking up the slack for the just-departed Ian in the Male Action Hero role.

Family/Friends: We know almost nothing about Steven’s family and friends before his time in the Tardis.

Personality: We do know, however, that Steven is a brave, action-oriented man quick to make friends with his compatriots in battle. A pilot and veteran of a lengthy war, Steven is decisive and quick to act and has a dry, sarcastic sense of humor.

Do you fear getting into a situation where your TV-loving partner/friend/relative asks, 'When's show X coming back?' and you're forced to admit you don't know, and as a result they disown you, leaving you a hollow shell of a person?

Well don't you worry, precious flower, because we at Tube Talk are here to bestow you with knowledge and help you avoid tragic telly faux-pas. This week we've got scoop on True Detective, Revenge and more...

I don't think I have ever been more excited for a TV show than True Detective - please tell me it has been picked up by a UK network?

It has! As part of its five-year deal securing all new HBO programming, Sky Atlantic will air True Detective in February 2014... mere weeks after its Us premiere on January 12.

We're chuffed, because Tony Barret is right to be excited - the eight-part series,...

New details of BBC Worldwide's Doctor Who 50th Celebration have been announced.

Peter Davison is the latest star to be added to the guest-list for the three-day event, which takes place at ExCeL London from Friday, November 22 to Sunday, November 24.

The fifth Doctor actor joins Matt Smith and former Doctors Tom Baker, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy in attending the celebration.

It has also been confirmed that 50th anniversary special 'The Day of the Doctor' will be screened, in 2D and free of charge, on the evening of Saturday, November 23.

The screening will have limited availability and tickets will be allocated on a first come first served basis, with Saturday attendees due to be e-mailed shortly with details about how they can reserve a seat.

The full guest list for all three days is as follow:

Friday, November, 22:

Waris Hussein, Anneke Wills, Kate O'Mara, Richard Franklin, Matthew Waterhouse,...

Some of the latest releases from the BBC in their classic Doctor Who episodes are well timed, as they feature characters which made a reappearance this season. The Ice Warriors is a Troughton episode which feature the classic monster that made its return in Mark Gatiss‘ Cold War.

The Ice Warriors is one of the early adventures with missing episodes, specifically episodes two and three. In addition to the usual stellar job of restoring the existing episodes, the missing parts are here recreated with animated footage, tied to existing soundtracks. The restoration team provides alternative style commentary tracks for the animated episodes, presenting archival interviews with Bernard Bresslaw and writer Brian Hayles, and readings of transcribed interviews with other cast and crewmembers.

Extras include new two new mini-documentaries on both the making of the original adventure, and the new animated adventures. Commentary tracks are featured on the full episodes with with the cast and crew.

Review Andrew Blair 14 Oct 2013 - 10:26

Andrew checks William Hartnell's final story, newly released and restored, The Tenth Planet...

This review contains spoilers.

The Tenth Planet, Mondas, is a vampire. So are its inhabitants. This vaguely supernatural aspect of the Cybermen is promptly never mentioned again. Author Dr. Kit Pedler – co-creator of Doomwatch – had begun Doctor Who's glorious tradition of turning scientific theories into fantasy yarns, the pseudo-science in the background just as motivated by narrative necessity as before.

Compared with the titular entity, there's a lot that's grounded about the final First Doctor story. Set on an Antarctic Base in the distant future of 1986, the space programme is in full swing, and it's a multi-national organisation (courtesy of the script and good casting decisions by director Derek Martinus). Sexually frustrated men of all creeds and colours gather to supervise routine probe flights. It's like a British version...

Well, here we are. A few days into October and we’re finally getting my review of the September releases for Big Finish. Sorry about the delay! I’ll try to be more timely next month. Anyhow, on with the show!

The Companion Chronicles 8.03 – “Upstairs”

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

When the Tardis lands in a dilapidated attic, the Doctor, Vicki and Steven discover they are on Earth, in London… in Number 10 Downing Street.

However alien forces are at play here, affecting the very fabric of the building… and adjusting the very essence of history itself.

This is an odd little tale. It’s hard not to get a little creeped out when your primary antagonist is a fungus, and the setting, the attics in Number 10, is quite an interesting one. The way it’s used as a setting is quite fascinating, too. I honestly can’t say that...

Doctor Who fans got a special 50th birthday treat last night, when it was revealed that nine episodes of the BBC sci-fi drama originating from the late '60s, and once thought lost forever, have been returned to the BBC archives.

1967/68's 'The Enemy of the World' - which sees Patrick Troughton play both the second Doctor and his villainous double, the ruthless dictator Salamander - is now available to watch in full, while 1968's classic 'Yeti-on-the-underground' adventure 'The Web of Fear' is also all but complete, with only the third episode still missing - and you can download both stories right now via iTunes.

And while we're thrilling that these two Troughton tales are now available to watch for the first time since original transmission, we now can't stop our Whovian brain from wondering... what else might still be out there?

> Doctor Who missing episodes: Which classics do you want to see?...

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Colin Baker and Peter Purves are to appear in Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. The actors, who played the Sixth Doctor and companion, Steven Taylor, respectively, were paired with antiques ‘experts,’...

The post Are Baker and Purves Antiques Experts? appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Waris Hussien, who directed 10 Doctor Who episodes back in the William Hartnell days tells Telegraph the series has lost its focus in the new age. When compared to the classical series he says that The Doctor has become "too sexy" and the storyline is "too complicated." His comments were in reference to the ongoing sexual tensions between The Doctor and his companions in general, but more specifically a recent episode. Be warned the following statement could be somewhat seen as spoilerish, but not so much in terms of plot or if you haven't been watching the current season. "The intriguing thing about the original person was that you never quite knew about him and there was a mystery and an unavailability about him. Now we've just had a recent rebirth and another girl has joined us, a companion, she actually snogged him." Hussien went on further to say that the Doctor should be that platonic,...