Kopic's Doctor Who and Torchwood News

RIP Elisabeth Sladen

2011-04-19T22:38:00.000+01:00

Such sad news, Elisabeth Sladen, known and loved by millions as Sarah Jane Smith, has passed away aged 63. Reports from the BBC's Lizo Mzimba say that she had been suffering from cancer for a while. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time.

She will be sorely missed.

Follow Us On Facebook!

2010-12-07T16:09:00.000Z

You can now follow Kopic's Doctor Who News on Facebook! Head on over here and then click the "Like" button. You can also use the box to the right of this page to follow us.

I've been a bad blogger...

2010-12-06T13:10:00.000Z

Hello! I've been naughty - I hope Santa will forgive me! I haven't blogged since January and I feel very guilty. I have been very busy with work for the past six months but am now coming out of that heightened busy state to a more normal "business as usual" way of working so I want to get back to updating the blog and maintaining the news feed more regularly.

On the subject of Doctor Who, I just want to say how great Matt Smith is as the 11th Doctor. Quite easy to understand what the producers saw in him at the interview waaay back in the middle of 2008. Wasn't that a long time ago? And doesn't David Tennant seem like a distant memory now that Smith has stamped his personality all over the role?

The Sarah Jane Adventures continue to impress me more with each series. I am convinced that Clyde would make an excellent companion to The Doctor. Maybe when Amy and Rory move on, he should fill their shoes?

I have high hopes for Torchwood S4 with it being co-produced by Starz - who brought us the fabulously gory and rather rude Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

Don't forget to check out the superb "Ultimate Regeneration" book from the nice folk at Kasterborous. It is a compilation of news, reviews and articles covering the first five years of the return of Doctor Who to encompass the RTD area. 50% of the book is new material to put all the varied articles into context - with some of those articles written by yours truly. Check it out here...

WhoNews iPhone App

2010-01-12T12:16:00.000Z

Paul Gee has created a WhoNews app for the iPhone and included Kopic's blog feed as one of the sources. You can find it by searching for "WhoNews" on the app store or by using this link. Thanks Paul!

Ooh! Only a few more days!

2009-12-22T21:57:00.000Z

Oh, boy! I can feel the excitement running down my legs, already. The teaser that is now being run that opens with the shot of the earth, I have already seen as I was lucky enough to have been invited to a party to celebrate the end of the run of the Darksmith Legacy books and it was shown as a sneaky exclusive to all the prize winning kids that were there. That reminds me, I owe Kasterborous an article to cover the event if it's not too late!

A brief interlude into my personal life now... I've been very busy with work and also contending with several bouts of flu and coughs and colds and I'm desperately hoping I'm well enough to enjoy the 1st episode of the Doctor Who 2-part special on Christmas Day at 6pm - after our family Christmas dinner at the local Harvester restaurant. None of that messing about with cookers and pots and pans for us since we discovered the delights of having someone else do it for you! So, in my rambling but hopefully endearing way, this explains why I've not been around here or on the Kasterborous forum much in the past month or two.

I am currently watching the Doctor Who special version of "Never Mind The Buzzcocks" for a second time. Jo Whiley was a revelation as a Doctor Who fan! Who'd have thought? Cribbins is still a comedy genius and Catherine Tate proves how much she doesn't know about Doctor Who... or anything else, actually! But I still love her anyway. Looking forward to "Nan's Christmas Carol" with guest shots from David Tennant, Ben Miller and Roger Lloyd-Pack.

I think the week between ep1 and ep2 of "The End of Time" is going to be the longest week of my life!

In case I don't post again before the big day, Kopic wishes you all...

...A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Waters of Mars

2009-11-14T17:56:00.001Z

I don't know about Mars, but my waters are certainly flowing! Can't wait to see what happens tomorrow. Those of you listening in to the Christian O'Connell Breakfast show on Absolute radio this week would have heard guest host David Tennant reveal a little teaser about WOTM - he said that after a really big explosion The Doctor does or says something really out of character. We know The Doctor is aware of his impending doom and regeneration so this must be some of that angst working it's way out.

If you missed the shows, why not download the podcasts?

Enjoy!

P.S. NASA has announced that they HAVE found water on the Moon. I am unusually and rather strangely excited by this news!

Oops

2009-11-07T08:43:00.002Z

Having technical difficulties with Kopic's news'bots right now so I will work on a workaround until it gets around to working. The problem is that the news feed isn't getting updated with the latest news on a regular basis. Sorry for the inconvenience!

In the meantime, you will see a different version of the news in a scrolling window thingy.

Apologies

2009-10-19T10:51:00.000+01:00

Kopic sincerely apologises, especially to younger readers, for any unwholesome content that has been picked up by Kopic's news'bots recently. It seems that "Torchwood" is now a word that they use in their attempts to get past filters and to be picked up by otherwise innocent online searches.

Kopic is attempting to improve his filtering mechanisms to compensate.

Sarah Jane Adventures!

2009-10-14T21:23:00.001+01:00

Tomorrow (Thu 15th Oct) sees the return to our screens of the fabulous Sarah Jane Adventures - and with two episodes per week shown on Thursdays and Fridays that means you can record them both and sit down to watch them in on sitting. Preferably on a Saturday tea time surrounded by the family with the cold winds blowing outside and curtains shut to keep out the dreary real world. In other words, the traditional time and place for Doctor Who! Not on a sunny summer's day when you've all been out for the day or are round at a friend's house having a barbecue.

"Prisoner of the Judoon" this week. Should be interesting, but I can't wait for "The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith" where we get to see HIMSELF take part in the story, not just a cameo. Read more about this at Kasterborous

Wicked!

For a chance to see a BIG SCREEN preview go to Liverpool ONE cinema which is hosting a Sarah Jane Adventures themed weekend event as reported by Whoviannet and SarahJane.tv

BARRY LETTS (1925-2009)

2009-10-10T08:45:00.002+01:00

How incredibly sad that the great man should die at the time his autobiography is published. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends at this time.

Update: And now Stephen Gately has been found dead in Majorca. As well as being a member of the hugely popular boy band Boyzone, he appeared in the 8th Doctor audio adventure, "The Horror of Glam Rock". He was only 33. Again, thoughts and prayers go to his friends and family.

New era - new logo! New Kopic!

2009-10-06T08:03:00.001+01:00

It's here! The all new shiny logo! Love it, retro and just the way it should be. Hooray!

Kopic has also taken this opportunity to launch the all-new looking Kopic's Doctor Who and Torchwood News site! Enjoy!

Too! Many! Exclamation! Marks!!!

Change my dear...

2009-09-10T16:36:00.008+01:00

Kopic's Doctor Who and Torchwood News blog/news site is about to regenerate! With the relationship between Kopic's news'bots and the good folk at Kasterborous developing and maturing into a thing of beauty we came to the conclusion that we should move closer together and explore our synergies in a more intimate way. So to speak.

Basically, this site is going to be refreshed soon to look like a close relative of Kasterborous. After that, Kopic's news'bots will move in to Kasterborous Towers and start rearranging the furniture and making themselves at home.

Simples!

The Eleventh Hour Approaches

2009-07-28T08:19:00.004+01:00

Wow! Four months since my last blog. How time flies!

Speaking of Time, with a capital T, I've just seen the trailer (as premiered at Comic Con) for "The End of Time" - this year's two-part Christmas special and... David Tennant's last regular outing as The Doctor! And man, does it rock! Even through the shaky-vision camera style and the muffled sound it looked fab. It was sooo good it almost made me stop thinking about Series 5 next year with Matt Smith and the delectable Karen Gillan.

The Eleventh Doctor's costume was a bit of a surprise at first and, I must say, I am hugely disappointed that the Beeb didn't release a proper publicity shot ahead of the papparazzi shots we got on the day of filming. A nice shot of Matt and Karen in costume standing in front of the newly redesigned TARDIS exterior wouldn't have gone amiss. However, that candid first picture of the two of them sharing a laugh whilst sat on the steps of a trailer IS very good - it captures the chemistry between the two nicely. So good in fact that a close up of their faces now adorns my computer desktop, and accompanies this post.

Critique-wise, the Doc's costume grew on me rapidly - it reminds me of a cross between Patrick Troughton and Indiana Jones' professorial outfit. It also reminds me of how a friend of mine used to dress twenty years ago - yes, he was a big Dr Who fan!

So, it's all looking good for the future of Dr Who with some excellent looking specials coming up to cap the Tennant/Davies years and some good casting and design decisions for Series 5 and beyond!

Noooo! Not again!

2009-03-20T19:00:00.003Z

News (unsubstantiated rumour?) leaked today by the bastion of truth and justice that is The Sun, reveals that not only is The Master returning (again played by John Simm - yay!) but La Piper will return and will be accompanied by Catherine Tate and Freema Agyeman.

So, what was all that tosh about the boundaries between universes not being traversable and never again will Rose and The Doc meet??? Never let the established facts or a previously good story stand in the way of another wacky idea, eh, Russell? Doomsday had a corker of an ending which is increasingly watered down by repeated returns of the one who could never return.

Anyway, it'll be great to see John Simm return as The Master, maybe toned down a notch from the manic megalomaniac madman of Last of The Timelords. And it will be wonderful to see Donna return one way or another - the only new series companion that I actually DO want to see again. Freema was fab as Martha, but I think her story really has been played out and she voluntarily left - several times!

Anyhoo... bring it on, this fan boy can't wait to see how 10 meets his end and how 11 will pick the weighty mantle of Britain's most popular icon! :-)

Reactions to the casting of Matt Smith

2009-01-06T15:08:00.005Z

Kopic is happy. Its not some piece of stunt casting. Its not a woman (nothing against women - its just supposed to be a male character!).

Its "relative unknown" Matt Smith. With expressive hands and face. And weird hair. Ideal! Under the tutelage of Steven Moffat with tips from David Tennant this young lad could go far. I can't wait!

Go see what other people make of this casting announcement

Matt Smith IS the new Doctor!

2009-01-03T16:12:00.003Z

Announced during the special edition of Doctor Who Confidential tonight, Matt Smith, most notably from Party Animals and the Philip Pullman Sally Lockhart mysteries (Ruby in The Smoke, Shadow in The North), IS THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR!

http://www.kasterborous.com/news.asp?ac=11&id=2028

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-25T00:05:00.002Z

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy Doctor Who Day!

Doctor Who @45 Competition!

2008-11-19T22:25:00.001Z

23rd November sees the 45th anniversary of the first showing of Doctor Who and to celebrate this wondrous event the nice people at Kasterborous.com are offering a few choice items as free giveaways to those people lucky enough to have their names drawn from a proverbial hat. I say "hat" because I don't know yet what the actual receptacle will be for collecting the names that are sent in via email. Head on over to Kasterborous.com for your chance to win a copy of "The Time Traveller's Almanac" and/or Lance Parkins' "History of the Universe" and/or some pretty exclusive art prints from Anthony Dry - Kasterborous' own art director whose work has also adorned the pages of Doctor Who Monthly, the Complete 3rd Series box set and numerous Big Finish productions.

Good luck!

The Darksmith Legacy

2008-11-11T22:23:00.001Z

Yours truly was privileged last week to be invited to the press launch of this new series of Doctor Who books from Penguin. The Darksmith Legacy will be a series of ten books (the first two to be published in January) accompanied by a website providing many opportunities to explore this new saga in print and online. The books will have puzzles and clues that enable the reader to unlock different locations on the website in order to help them complete a quest... The graphics on the website are superb and the preview of the first book, "The Dust of Ages" by Justin Richards, leads me to believe this will be a big hit.

You can read my full account of the launch event over at Kasterborous...

Musings...

2008-10-07T14:36:00.001+01:00

The Sarah Jane Adventures have got off to a flying start with a story about the last surviving Sontaran from the doomed invasion fleet from the two-part Doctor Who S4 story "The Sontaran Strategem". Commander Kaargh demonstrated some new tricks from the tactical armoury of the Glorious Sontaran Empire, including a rather cool Predator-style invisibility shield and a not-so-cool foldaway helmet which looked rather lame and was rather unconvincing. Story-wise, we had a simple plot with Kaargh wanting revenge on the human race and using a remote radio telescope observatory as a base to try and take over the world's satellites to launch all out nuclear war. He is thwarted in the end by a stiletto shoe. I think that sort of resolution only really works on British kid's TV - and work it does, due to the character of Chrissie being given something to do for a change and relishing the chance. Where else in the world would you find a finale like that, eh???

Rumours abound on the Doctor Who front, with David Morrisey playing "the other Doctor" in this year's christmas special, entitled "The Next Doctor". Make of it what you will, but this "other Doctor" has a companion named "Rosita". My theory is that David Morrisey is in fact playing an alternate universe version of the 11th Doctor that David Tennant would have regenerated into during "Journey's End" if he hadn't aborted the process early.

More rumours have Patrick Stewart (I think he played someone in a Star Trek series, or something...) playing The Meddling Monk in a two part Dalek story next year. The Monk is another Time Lord, last seen in the 60's era of the show as played by Peter Butterworth. So, it seems that there's another Time Lord that escaped the Time War. So much for it being time locked. Thanks to Dalek Caan for messing that up! :-)

What else is on Kopic's radar at the moment? In non-Who stuff we have the excellent Fringe which started on Sky1 this weekend. Most enjoyable modern take on The X-Files, from the very talented JJ Abrams. Which reminds me... only a few more months (alright seven...) until we get JJ Abrams' version of Star Trek with the superb Zachary Quinto as Spock. Which further reminds me of a renewed and rejuvenated Heroes which has also just started airing on the BBC. Straight back in with a bang, new characters and some intriguing glimpses of heroes-turned-villains and maybe villains-turned-heroes? Who knows? Can't wait to see how this unfolds!

Journey's End...and what a journey it's been!

2008-07-15T11:01:00.000+01:00

Love it or hate it, you can't deny that the series finale was a ratings hit, can you? Kopic thought it was fantastic with some great character pieces from Tennant , Tate and Cribbins (dear god, why doesn't Cribbins have a knighthood?!?!?). OK, the the story was a little weak towards the end with yet another example of how the daleks get totally wiped out...again... but it felt good with lots of multi-series arcs coming to a seeming close and neatly underlining the RTD era. I hope that the specials next year are free of the last four years baggage and take the Doctor to new places and times. Would be nice to see a lot less of Earth and more exotic alien environments - or how about a nice space saga with battle fleets and politics and guerilla warfare and resistance movements and...and... just something NEW!

While you're here, why not go over there... to Kasterborous for Kopic's latest Newsround...

Wowzer! Love it or hate it, the finale sure had an impact on viewing figures after the regeneration cliffhanger at the end of The Stolen Earth which achieved 8.8m viewers. Unofficial figures put the total at 9.8m (count them!) for Journey's End which is on a par with last Christmas' Voyage of The Damned. So, whether you felt cheated by the resolution to the cliffhanger or not, the fact remains that it added around 1m viewers to the total that might not have otherwise watched. Clever RTD! For more fun with facts and figures, try Broadcastnow where they reveal that the average figure for Doctor Who over it's 13 week run was 7.3m. Now that's a healthy figure!

Russell OBE Davies

2008-06-14T12:49:00.001+01:00

Congratulations to RTD on his being awarded an OBE for his services to TV drama!

Check Google news for widespread coverage

Don't Blink!

2008-05-20T16:21:00.002+01:00

The Gaurdian has announced that Steven Moffat will take over as Doctor Who lead writer and exec producer from 2010 (series 5) when Russell T. Davies steps down.

Yay! Congratulations, Steven!

Kopic's Newsround

2008-04-19T08:23:00.001+01:00

Yay! Week three already and its "Planet of the Ood" tonight. This looks like being a corker if everything I've read is to be believed. Look out for an important prophecy or two...

The latest edition of Kopic's Newsround is now up and about and looking for victims at Kasterborous.com. Here's an extract to entice you over to read more...

Nice article from The Daily Mail which talks about the ratings success of Partners In Crime and has some pictures of "The Fires of Pompeii", but what's most interesting about this article is the background it gives on Georgia Moffett (Fifth Doctor Peter Davison's daughter) who appears in episode six, The Doctor's Daughter. It reveals that she became pregnant at 16 during her GCSEs and was too scared to tell her father. Most bizarrely, though, she was best friends with sixth Doctor Colin Baker's daughter at school. How spooky is that???

The excitement builds to fever pitch!

2008-04-04T10:37:00.003+01:00

The latest edition of Kopic's Newsround is now online at Kasterborous.com and here's a preview...

Wahey! At last the media feeding frenzy has begun! Tuesday evening saw the press preview and Doctor Who was all over the papers and the interweb the following day with some mixed reactions, but mostly positive.

Mind you, what amused me most was the fact that a few Doctor Who stories got published earlier on that day. That day being 1st April, I hasten to add. First up, we had the revelation (mentioned in the last Newsround… because it amused me so) that Sarah Jane Smith and Captain Jack would be getting it on in the next series of Torchwood! Thanks to Torchwood.tv’s mysterious correspondent for that wonderful wind-up!

The 3rd and final part of the Kasterborous Round Table 2007 should also be on line today for your perusal. Go visit. Read more articles. While you're there, why not join the forum and join in with the debate amongst a bunch of fans with a more mature view of the world than some other forums. When I say mature, I mean fans that are constructive rather than destructive towards the show they profess to love.

K.

Kopic's Newsround

2008-04-01T12:04:00.001+01:00

I am now writing a regular feature for Kasterborous.com entitled "Kopic's Newsround" just in case you hadn't already realised... :-)

Here's the start of today's bulletin:

Series 4 news is still thin on the ground, but some lucky son-of-a-gun from TV Scoop has seen the first two episodes at a press screening recently and reckons that Catherine Tate as Donna "did a good job (or certainly a better job than I was expecting)".

I’m not sure what to make of that, personally. Is "better than I was expecting" a glowing recommendation? Apart from the first episode, Partners in Crime, which seems to be another one of those lame-ass comedy efforts like New Earth (read the article if you dare), the second episode, Fires of Pompeii, seems to have impressed the author who says that it "was just dynamite" and goes on to say... READ MORE

Don't forget to read Part 2 of the Kasterborous Round Table 2007, also written by me.

That's it. Shameless self-publicity over now!

Torchwood Ends! Doctor Who Returns!

2008-03-31T14:24:00.001+01:00

I haven't posted any more reviews of individual Torchwood episodes... I kinda lost the impetus and didn't get fired up enough to write anything. What does that tell you? Torchwood has great "moments" but the bits in-between tend to leave one feeling cheated. Go and read Lawrence Miles' blog for an excellent summary so far. I wonder what tricks they can pull out of the hat for the season finale this week that'll make people actually WANT to watch more?

As for Doctor Who... Wow! The latest trailers look good, don't they??? Hope the show lives up to the promise. Only a few days away now. Head on over to Kasterborous.com and you'll see yours truly writing a semi-regular news roundup over the coming weeks.

Torchwood: Meat

2008-02-08T10:10:00.000Z

An excellent episode, IMHO. Two in a row. I don't have any quibbles with this one, so if they can keep up this standard then it will all have been worthwhile! :)

I thought Kai Owen gave an outstanding performance as Rhys and gets my award for "The Most Appropriate Use In Character Of The F Word In An Episode Of Torchwood" for that wonderful shouting match with Gwen. Great drama. Did anyone notice that the louder they got the more Welsh they sounded? So, kudos to Eve Myles and Kai Owen for bringing fantastic drama to Torchwood.

There were no cringe moments for me this week. Even Jack's joke about eating alien meat was funny.

This gets a definite thumbs-up and a 9 out of 10.

As an aside, to anyone out there who wonders why we people who write about Doctor Who and Torchwood criticize the shows we profess to love, I say this... We genuinely love these shows and what they stand for, but there's always room for improvement and open and honest debate. This is true for every aspect of life, not just our TV shows. That's why we become involved in politics, become school governors, do voluntary work, join discussion groups, etc...

Torchwood: To The Last Man

2008-01-31T16:55:00.000Z

Definitely the best of three so far, by miles. Touching performances from the Tosh, Owen and Tommy characters. It felt at times a little like classic Sapphire and Steel... and then Ianto and Jack ruin it all with that big snog. ENOUGH! WE GET IT! Jack'll shag anything with a pulse and Ianto is a love-sick puppy. Can we have at least one story where this element isn't shoved down our throats?

I'd give it 8 out 10.

BTW, I liked the rift key thing. As a plot device, it was just another 'magic wand', but as a lovely piece of Victorian/Edwardian brassware objet d'art... I love it! I want one to go with the fob watch in a display case with a copy of the Doctor's journal :-D

Torchwood: Sleeper

2008-01-24T09:53:00.000Z

Hmmmm. Not sure about this one. Ianto was starting to annoy me, sounding like a naughty/petulant schoolboy most of the time. The story itself was a bit bleh - a bit "Terminator", a bit "Battlestar Galactica". Glad to see there were still no F words in the dialogue, though. Good!

Probably not one that I'll choose to rewatch. I'll watch Ep 1 again to see the masterful Marsters in action.

5 out of 10 for this one.

RIP Heath Ledger

2008-01-23T09:51:00.000Z

Nothing to do with Doctor Who... but I couldn't let his sad death pass without comment. He was such a talented young actor, with a bright future. So sad that he should leave us so soon and in such a tragic manner. Watching the next Batman film will be so poignant - I hope it's a massive success that showcases his talent. I've only seen a few of his films - Knight's Tale, Sin Eater, Brothers Grimm - but I'd class myself as a fan. Sin Eater was excellent, but not one of his biggest movies. Brokeback Mountain, while not my cup of tea, obviously impressed "the establishment" as it earned him Oscar, Golden Globe and Bafta nominations.

Nice obituary over at the BBC News site.

Article on Kasterborous.com

2008-01-20T10:28:00.001Z

Head on over to Kasterborous.com and read part one of a series of Round Table articles I've written for this esteemed organ. The knights of this round table are Brian Terranova (associate editor of Kasterborous.com), Christian Cawley (master of the web and chief writer for Kasterborous.com), Nick Brown (a vocal member of the Kasterborous forum and article contributor to Kasterborous.com), Anthony Howard (known to many as "captainjackharkness" from the Torchwood.tv and SJA.tv blogs), Matthew (editor, webmaster, head cook and bottle-washer from the wonderful EyeOfHorus website) and Steve Preston (another forum member, article writer for Kasterborous.com and half of the dynamic duo behind The Black Scrolls ‘zine).

Enjoy!

Torchwood: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

2008-01-17T08:23:00.000Z

Overall, I'd say 8 out of 10. An excellent start to the new series and not an F word in sight. Or hearing. Loved James Marsters as Spike as Capt John. His British accent is getting better, for sure. :-D

[Some very slightly spoiler-tinged info ahead]

Only two things that detracted from the overall experience :-

1. We know Capt Jack is 'omnisexual' but why do they have to underline it and add exclamation marks to this fact by having him indulge in gay kisses? I am not a homophobe, but I do find this whole 'gay agenda' thing a bit overwhelming. I feel as though this is just a vehicle for RTD to write his gay drama under the guise of a gritty sci-fi action drama. Enough with the kissing, already! A short aside into Dr Who speculation... If Donna and the Doctor snog then I'll be sorely tempted to switch off until someone else takes over running the show.

2. More cases of 'deus ex machina'. It really annoys me when they come up with some techno-babble and a magic wand to 'move the plot along'. What was that rubbish Tosh spouted about triangulating on where a mobile phone HAD been used??? And what about that bomb thing that homed in on the DNA of whoever killed that woman??? How does that work? Is it psychic? Can it read DNA halfway across the universe for an event that happened in the past (or future)?

Anyway, those points aside, it was truly a great start to the second series. The old lady at the beginning was funny... "Bloody Torchwood," she mutters and shambles off. So much for them being a top secret organisation, eh!?!? :-)

So, keep up the good work and Go Team Torchwood!

Torchwood

2008-01-16T11:03:00.000Z

At last! After waiting for at least 28 years since the last series finished a year ago (I think my perceptions have been overfiltered there!) Torchwood returns to UK screens tonight. Woohoo!

I find that I am looking forward to this much more than Dr Who's return this springtime. The Dr Who previews after Voyage of the Damned left me in no doubt that Donna Noble will carry on her relentless shouty barrage. I hope I'm wrong! We must trust that RTD knows what he was doing when he cast Catherine Tate.

Whereas, Torchwood is now into it's second year and has hopefully toned down all that unneccessary swearing - it just distracted from the storylines. Most criminal in that respect was Owen's comments about being a ".... buddy" in that out of time story (whatever it was called). Who actually speaks like that???

Anyway, as long as the swearing is toned down and the characters get proper development beyond the cyphers they already are but not at the expense of the storylines... then we'll have a winner.

Go Team Torchwood!

Dalek Art

2008-01-03T10:38:00.000Z

Happy New Year!

Sorry - haven't posted in a while, what with real life crashing in with a new job before christmas and then illness over the christmas period itself. Anyway, now that mind and body are functioning again, I'm back in the saddle and ready to go.

I want to start the year by showcasing some nice Dalek pics created by my talented brother-in-law, known by the mysterious moniker of "Lycanart".

Download! Enjoy! Tell your friends!

Rose Returns!

2007-11-27T15:03:00.001Z

News has broken (as you probably already know) that Rose Tyler (as played by the luvly Billie Piper) will be returning for a few episodes in S4.

So, with Jack back, we can now assume that for the series finale we will have Donna, Martha, Jack and Rose teamed up with the Doctor to defeat some menace so huge that it threatens multiple universes, not just our own, and the Doctor has to bridge the gap to involve Rose. Maybe she's needed to look into the heart of the Tardis again and become the Bad Wolf to save us all?

I reckon that this story arc will be Russell T. Davies' swan song and that he wants his reign as supremo to end with a bang. A good one. Pulling out all the stops and bringing back all the characters that he created and/or revived. Expect to see The Master teamed up with Davros, both using the Daleks to fight the Cybermen and lure the Doctor into a trap that involves the destruction of both universes. I expect it will be set on New Earth with a cameo from Cassandra. Capt Jack will meet The Face of Boe and there will be an innuendo overload resulting in massive disturbances (or "cracks", fnarr-fnarr) in the time/space continuum. The Toclafane will once more descend (or "go down") upon the population of the earth and wipe them all out, leaving a molten pile of radioactive space rock for the Slitheen to scavenge and sell off for a profit to the Sontarans to fund their space war with the Rutans who are in league with the Ood. And those robot santa things.

Highs and Lows

2007-11-23T18:54:00.001Z

Mixed feelings today...

It started off on a high by celebrating Doctor Who's 44th Anniversary. Yay!

And then news broke that one of the creators of Doctor Who waaaaaay back in 1963, Verity Lambert, died yesterday at the age of 71. Add to this that Peter Haining, author of various Doctor Who reference works, died earlier this week, and we have a very confused day.

Kopic and friends send condolences to the families and friends of Verity and Peter.

The podKast Five!

2007-11-21T12:50:00.002Z

Well, here it is... podKast (with a K) number five!. Filled with the usual eclectic mix of views delivered in the unique K style! Special guest this time is a larger than life visitor from another universe and someone is unwell...

This is an ideal time to thank Christian and the guys at Kasterborous.com for their support and encouragement over the last few years. Keep checking their site for more reviews and articles over the coming months, including a special something from yours truly... :-)

Time Crash

2007-11-19T14:53:00.001Z

Gosh, wasn't that good? Peter Davison has always been one of my favourite Doctors and to see him back in his "crickety cricket" costume was... well... fantastic! I can see what people mean now when they compare the youthful energy of these two incarnations. Story was simple but effective and neatly slips into canon without upsetting anything or anyone. My inner fan boy got all tingly towards the end during the goodbye bit - nicely played by the pair of them. Some great lines, too. "Brave choice - stick of celery. But fair play to you, not many men can carry off a decorative vegetable!". In how many TV programs are you likely to hear dialogue like that, hmmm?

Not long now until the Feast of Kylie... I mean Christmas and the Voyage of the Damned! I can't wait...

Children in Need - Dr Who Scene

2007-11-16T09:55:00.000Z

Don't forget to watch the special Dr Who scene written by Steven Moffat, entitled "Time Crash", on the BBC's Children in Need charity bash tonight!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/onthenight

Google / Hertford Museum Exibition

2007-11-14T22:41:00.000Z

Google
Wow. Stunned. When I started collecting sundry Doctor Who News into one easily accessible portal type page I had the crazy ambition of getting my site listed in the top 10 results on Google when anyone searched for "doctor who news". Guess what? Today and totally at random, on the off-chance, I thought I'd check again and it's happened! I have achieved one of my goals after two and bit years. Feel free to go and check it for yourself and click the link :-)

One caveat that I'll add is that it's the blog version of Kopic's Doctor Who and Torchwood News - I recently switched from hosting my own pages to moving the content full time over to my existing blog. This move may have had something to do with the move up the rankings - maybe Google reckons that content on blogspot is more worthy of higher rankings. Hmmm... don't Google own blogspot....? :-D

Hertford Museum
I also want to point out that a local (local to me, anyway!) museum in Hertford is running a Doctor Who exhibition from 28th November to 12th April to celebrate "local people's passion for all things Doctor Who". Jeff Cummins' (Target book illustrator) artwork is featured as he lives nearby in Ware and will be judging the results of a drawing contest when the exhibition finishes in April. Go and have a look!

podKast (with a K) Goes Fourth!

2007-10-08T15:58:00.000+01:00

If you've never been to the Kasterborous.com site or the forum and not heard the PodKast (with a K) then you're missing a rare treat in Dr Who fan circles - it's informative AND funny!

"It's all here girls and boys featuring:
Our special guest Scaroth the Jagaroth reviewing Series 3 episodes 42, Human Nature/Family of Blood and Blink
A few thoughts and opinions on the return of Catherine Tate in series 4 as Donna Noble..."

The Return of The Sontarans

2007-10-02T11:21:00.000+01:00

The Sun is reporting today that Christopher Ryan (most famous as Mike from The Young Ones) will be playing a Sontaran in Series 4 of Doctor Who. I think this is fantastic news - I've always liked the Sontarans and their simple militaristic view of the universe and I'd like to see them get a makeover much like the Klingons did in Star Trek: The Next Generation and onwards. Let's have an insight into what makes them tick, let's see Sontar (their homeworld) itself. Let's have some story and not just some gimmicky inclusion for the sake of it (like the Macra suffered in Gridlock).

So, bearing in mind this is a Sun story, let's hope it's true. It has the ring of truth as they are actually quoting Christopher Ryan himself, and they wouldn't make that up. If it was made up they'd be quoting "sources at the BBC".

Check out some video clips to get some background on the Sontarans.

Fingers crossed!

Sarah Jane Adventures: Ep 1

2007-09-28T15:41:00.000+01:00

Considering it was squarely aimed at the schoolboy humour segment of society I think Revenge of The Slitheen showed promise for what could be quite an entertaining series that the whole family can site down and watch together (once it's been recorded on your Sky+ box for viewing at a sensible time when mum and dad are home from work!). Lis Sladen was as good as ever as Sarah Jane and the child stars show great promise. The story itself was fairly simple (not seen part two yet...), but it was good to see the Slitheen where they belong, on kid's telly! Maria's mum is going to annoy me, I know she is... Overall I'd give it 7/10

Visual Previews of External Links

2007-09-19T16:47:00.000+01:00

As I'm always looking at ways to improve your news reading experiences I just installed a nice little tool called Snap Shots that enhances links with visual previews of the destination site, interactive excerpts of Wikipedia articles, MySpace profiles, IMDb profiles and Amazon products, display inline videos, RSS, MP3s, photos, and more.

Sometimes Snap Shots bring you the information you need, without your having to leave the site, while other times it lets you "look ahead," before deciding if you want to follow a link or not.

Should you decide this is not for you, just click the Options icon in the upper right corner of the Snap Shot and opt-out.

Enjoy!

Series 5 Delayed...

2007-09-04T10:47:00.000+01:00

OMG

My first reaction to the BBC's announcement that S5 would be delayed until 2010 and we would only get three "specials" in 2009 was "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

...and then I started to think about it while reading more commentary here on the Kasterborous forum. This blog post of mine is an expansion of my own comments on that thread.

There's a number of considerations and almost certainly at least four factors coming into play with this decision.

1. I think RTD is probably ready to move on soon but wants to make the handover a gradual process.

2. Maybe whoever he wants to hand over to has other commitments until 2009/10? I know Steven Moffat is a busy man and needs to plan well in advance...

3. DT wants to stay on a bit longer but feels the need for a break. Don't we all at some time or other? I enjoy my job but would love to take a month out to do other things and generally chill...

4. Spring 2010? Maybe this is a way for the BBC to move DW to it's rightful place over the winter months whilst not leaving us fans/viewers out in the cold with an enforced sabbatical for over a year? Maybe it will return in January/Feb 2010? I hope so! I'm a fervent believer that DW belongs on cold dark Saturday evenings, when there are no distracting barbecues or other holiday type things around. This would BOOST RATINGS in my opinion.

I do agree that the announcement from the beeb is insulting, though. Treating us like idiots and thinking that telling us we'll be happy will actually make us so. I am disappointed that we won't get a full season in 2009, but at least the beeb are committed to keeping it going with the full S5 returning in 2010. Maybe the specials could be a set of two-parters shown on Sat/Sun evenings. This could keep people in front of BBC1 for two nights in a row instead of just one.

One thing to remember. The announcement says that RTD will be on board as Head Writer - it doesn't say that he will be writing all the specials or even that he will be exec producer. This could be an excellent opportunity for him to gracefully bow out, helping to lay the foundations for the next five years. I think the standout episodes of new-who have been written by others (count the Hugo Awards, for starters...), but there's no denying the huge debt of gratitude we owe to this man. So full of ideas, drive and ambition. You can't please all the people all the time, as they say!

Time will tell...

Kopic's News Round

2007-07-24T13:43:00.000+01:00

A bit late, I know, but did you notice that I was writing news round-ups for Kasterborous.com for the past two weeks? No? Oh, well. Maybe I should have blogged about it sooner rather than later! Keep watching, I may be doing it again sometime later this year...

Anyway, the series came to a climactic end since my last post here and I can't help feeling that although it was great, visually exciting entertainment with some squee-worthy fanboy moments they somehow dropped the quality ball in a murky puddle. Don't get me wrong, "Utopia" was brilliant (well, the last 15 minutes anyway) and it was mind-blowingly fantastic to see John Simm as a mad psychopathic Master, but what was all that add-100-years-to-The-Doctor stuff about? He's a Time Lord for heaven's sake! Surely he should have just gone a bit grey at the temples (and put on a few pounds) and not turned into Dobby the House Elf. Something else that jarred with me was the bomb in Martha's flat - funny that it should be timed to go off just as they are there and Mr Saxon makes his broadcast. Right on cue. Looked good, though. Oh, and were the armed police trained by the A-Team? Martha's car should have been a sieve within seconds.

And Martha? Why oh why have they shipped her off to Torchwood?!?!? She turned out to be a great companion and what's her reward? Send her off to a show with lower ratings that can't be watched by the massive fan-base of children that she's acquired? I know she'll be back, but why couldn't we have 13 more weeks of Martha instead of the dubious Donna Noble as played by Catherine Tate? Unlike some, I don't think the return of Donna is such a bad piece of news - towards the end of The Runaway Bride she showed definite potential for the emotional range needed of a new series companion and I'd much rather see some continuity rather than introduce ANOTHER new character, BUT (and this is the point I'm getting too) this should only have been done if Freema had wanted to leave the series. However, we're not privvy to production team discussions and for all we know Freema requested a sabbatical to catch her breath. As for the new dynamic towards the end of next series - I can't really see Donna and Martha getting along. Maybe the Doctor's role will be as peacekeeper... Could be good. Finger's crossed, eh?!?!

Blink...and you're dead

2007-06-11T09:12:00.000+01:00

Wow, wasn't that fantastic? Trying to find fault with it but I can't, as everything worked so well. This was so scary that my 7yo daughter hasn't slept since she saw it. We have now had to ban her from rewatching it (after third viewing yesterday!) until she's a bit older. So, finally, (New) Dr Who delivers on it's promise to make children watch from behind the sofa (or raised cushions in our case because there's no room behind the sofa!). It didn't help with a song in "Any Dream Will Do..." afterwards containing the line "Walk like an angel..." - thanks Elvis. ;-) For sheer creeps, the weeping angels easily beat the scarecrows this series.

I still can't believe how good this series has been. A fast paced opener with Smith, Jones and Judoon on the Moon followed by a spook-fest of Shakespearean witchery topped off with layers and layers of smog-bound cars locked into a grid with a bad dose of crabs. Muppets (sorry, "Daleks") in Manhattan playing the DNA strings accompanied by Professor Lazarus on the sonic wave manipulator who was drowned out by The Doctor's power-boosted organ before we plunged headlong into boiling plasma. We then discussed the nature of being human whilst twisting more DNA into strings and have ended up here, where the angels weep for their loneliness... Next week we travel further into the future than even the Time Lords travelled and yet again discover the remnants of humanity clinging to life - more Dystopia than Utopia, methinks. And then the finale. A crescendo of drums to herald the arrival of "The Last Time Lord." Last? I think not!

Lies, Darned Lies and Headlines!

2007-05-31T11:37:00.000+01:00

I'm starting to think we should be boycotting The Sun newspaper. For the simple reason that this week it has printed two blatant lies about the show. The first was that Freema Agyeman had been sacked and the second, today, that the show itself would be cancelled after series 4. Neither of these stories are true. In my opinion the second story is a reaction to the rebuttal by the BBC and various fansites - a purely spiteful jibe at the program. The second story about cancellation probably has the tiniest grain of truth at the centre (like all good lies) in that it's quite possible that Russell T Davies could/would be leaving then but there's almost certainly no truth in the cancellation of the show - it's a ratings/earnings hit for the BBC that they haven't seen the like of for ages and they'd be completely barking mad to cancel it while it brings in the revenue and viewers that it does.

The Sun is quite clearly not interested in reporting the truth and are merely looking to sell newspapers based on sensationalist lies. The real problem with reporting lies like this is that a lot of people will believe them based purely on the false premise that "if it's in the papers then it must be true".

This is all somewhat of a shock to me because The Sun has always been a big supporter of the show through the years with various populist campaigns to save the show itself, K9, daleks, etc.

So, let's join the fabulous fansite freemaagyeman.com in boycotting The Sun, shall we?

See also Freema NOT Sacked for an excellent round-up of reaction to the earlier story.

Daleks In Manhattan

2007-04-26T09:57:00.000+01:00

Why do I keep thinking about Muppets when I hear that title?
This was not bad. Not bad at all. Nice to see a little more exposition and plot development that the 2 part format allows. Really enjoyed the romantic balcony scene between Diagoras and the Dalek. It was refreshing to hear a dalek holding a conversation for a change rather than the usual shrieking back and forth. Tallulah could've made a good companion in the traditional running-around-screaming-and-asking-questions mould, she was quite interesting and I actually cared about what happened to her, along with her unfortunate pig-faced boyfriend... Who then got turned into a half-pig/half-human hybrid ;-)

Looking forward to part two. Hope it lives up to the promise of part 1!

Want to be the envy of all your Who Fan friends?
Try this nice little auction on ebay for a unique number plate - WH05 A DR - it's my birthday next week in case anyone was looking for the ideal present to buy me!

Wowser! S3 so far...

2007-04-16T18:50:00.000+01:00

I can honestly say that, IMHO, S3 is shaping up to be the best of New-Who so far. Our return visit to New Earth this week knocks spots off the previous visits. Anyway, down to business...

3.1 Smith and Jones
The Judoon were pretty cool and the FX were fantastic. One quibble is about the H2O scoop thing... How did the electricity keep running when the hospital was disconnected from the mains? Maybe it had a generator, but aren't they usually in separate buildings? Freema shone as the new companion and showed excellent promise for being able to keep the doctor in check.

3.2 The Shakespeare Code
Another great outing for Mr Smith and Miss Jones. Loved Shakespeare's "Hey nonny nonny!" exclamation when he first saw Martha. Made me laugh out loud! Anyone remember Blackadder? The witches were pretty good in a classic hook-nose cackling sort of way as you would expect from 16th century england. The "you can use that line" joke wore a bit thin after a while but recovered well with the "that's one of mine" punchline. Medieval london was stunning to look at even if the populace were a bit nonchalant about the strangely attired visitors.

3.3 Gridlock
Interesting look at how our traffic problems will evolve... and how a classic series monster will devolve ;-) The production team certainly seem to have got to grips with new Who now and know how to write for DT's doctor who has given a slightly toned down performance from the last series and is more believable for it. I won't spoil what happens with Boe or the message he gives, but I think we're in for some cool stuff in the rest of the series. Daleks next week, and I can't wait...

Other News
Check out episode 2 of The podKast (with a K) from Kasterborous.com and while you're at it, join us over there in the forums for some lively but friendly debate.

Nearly there...

2007-03-30T17:01:00.000+01:00

Only one more day and I'm fit to burst in an explosion of gooey excitement! The news is just flooding in... mainly interviews and pics of Freema and the rumour mill abounds with wild stories of returning old enemies (and friends). I'm sure that the fantastic FreemaAgyeman.com is going to go into overdrive now trying to keep up. Head on over there and have a good look around at the comprehensive news coverage, as well as background info on the good lady herself.

Speaking of the fabulous Freema, Kopic wishes her all the best for her future with Doctor Who and looks forward to maybe meeting her one day at a convention! :-)

Seen the extended trailer on the BBCi red button, yet? You can also watch a tiny, jumpy, blurry version on the BBC Dr Who web site. Go check it out and marvel at the sheer creepiness of John Simm's biiig smile at the end. Spooky. Getting him involved in Doctor Who was a masterstroke.

I might not have time to post again before the first episode has aired... so enjoy!

Finally, for now, if you like to also have a chuckle whilst listening to podcasts about Doctor Who then check out the very first podKast (with a K) from Kasterborous.com

4 Days To Go!

2007-03-27T14:13:00.000+01:00

Dr Who
In the news today we have the final story title announced, "Last Of The Time Lords". This is the second part of the season finale begun with "The Sound of Drums". This two part story will also star John Simm as the mysterious Mr Saxon. Now, what could "Last Of The Time Lords" mean? Do we think it will mean The Doctor finally finds proof once and for all that he is not the last of his people? If so, who could this mysterious other Time Lord be? A truly masterful question. For my money I reckon The Face of Boe will deliver his four word message to The Doctor in Episode 3,"Gridlock", and the message will be "You Are Not Alone", and then we wait until the season finale to find out what Old Facey Boy was on about.

BAFTA for Neill Gorton's Millennium FX?
Good luck to Neil and the gang having just been nominated for a BAFTA for their work on The Catherine Tate Show! :-) For those who don't know, Millennium FX have been heavily involved in the resurrection of Doctor Who supplying such fantastic prosthetics/make-up as the new cybermen, the clockwork androids and the ood and won a "Welsh BAFTA" last year for their work on the series. Neill is a multi-award winning prosthetic make-up artist who has been in the business for over 20 years. Go Neill!

Feedback
As ever, I really do appreciate any comments or suggestions you have on Kopic's DWTN, so feel free to email me anytime and I promise to reply to all emails that I receive.

9 Days To Go!

2007-03-22T10:57:00.000Z

Dr Who Series 3
Wow! I don't remember feeling this excited about the start of series 2. Maybe I have new enthusiasm due to a new companion and the possibility we might see more of other planets apart from the Earth (or New New New New New New Earth....). Well, the moon is a step in the right direction, I suppose. Maybe in series 4 (yes, it HAS been confirmed) we'll get as far as Mars (Ice Warriors, anyone?) or as far out as Pluto (Sun Makers, anyone?). We know the Beeb can do alien planets - I just luuurve the opening shots of Doomsday (or Army of Ghosts - whichever episode it was) with Rose and the Doc on that planet with the alien birdy things in the distance. Here's hoping...

There's a whole shedload of coverage for series 3 in the media now following yesterday's press launch. Be very careful out there on the web if you want to avoid spoilers. Most of the regular Dr Who sites will hide spoilers so that you have to actively do something to read them, but the same can't be said about other news sites - particularly the tabloids. So you have been warned!

Life On Mars
Changing subject now. Isn't "Life on Mars" just getting better and better? The opening scenes of this week's episode with the Camberwick Green sequence were sheer genius. "Where's DCI Hunt? Oh, there he is. Kicking in a nonce." Brilliant! Isn't John Simm a fine actor, eh? Wonder what he'll be doing once LOM is finished...?

Red Nose Day / New Content

2007-03-14T14:43:00.000Z

You probably noticed the addition to the site of a little feature offering you the opportunity to buy a choccie picture of Doctor Who with a portion of the proceeds going towards Comic Relief's Red Nose Day appeal. So go buy some chocolate, stuff your face and feel content in the knowledge that you helped to improve the quality of life for some poor unfortunates while at the same time wishing you hadn't eaten so much chocolate...

I've also added some BBC regional sites (Wales, Norfolk and Somerset) into my news gathering because they have regularly updated features on Doctor Who where it relates to their region, e.g. filming locations, local celebrities, etc.

20 Days and Counting!

2007-03-11T10:08:00.000Z

Doctor Who
Hoping for more consistent high quality stuff this year. Cut the Boomtown and Love 'n' Monsters type stories out and I'm sure the average perceived quality of the show will go up! Of course, this is subjective and purely my own humble opinion. :-)

On another note, RTD was interviewed in The Telegraph and hinted that S4 might be his last as show runner. Whilst I applaud everything that he has done for the show I do think that some fresh blood at the helm would be a "good thing". I hope that means we can get away from Earth a little more often. Really away... not just visiting different times or New Earths. The TARDIS can travel in time AND space, after all. So, let's have a bit more of the latter, eh?

Web Awards
...and if you haven't already voted for Kopic's Doctor Who and Torchwood News in the Herts24 Web Awards, then I would be eternally grateful if you could! Please? Pretty please? :-)

Vote 4 Kopic!

Expansion

2007-03-06T09:11:00.000Z

I'm expanding my blog to cover all my news sites. You've probably noticed that line at the top of each page which links to them all. This is part of my efforts to bring it all under the one umbrella of "Kopic's News Network"

Not Dr Who

2007-02-24T11:49:00.000Z

Nothing to do with Dr Who. I just wanted to post this picture!

VOTE AND WIN!

2007-02-23T17:25:00.000Z

Vote for Kopic's Doctor Who and Torchwood News in the Herts24 web awards and you could be in with a chance of winning balloon flights or a "website in a wallet"!

What does Kopic get out of your vote? The biggest reward I could get is publicity. The shortlist of the most popular in each category will be published in all the local newspapers in Hertfordshire. Money can't buy that sort of publicity. Actually, it can... but not the tiddly amount of money I have to spend! :-)

So... please vote, dear reader, and I would be eternally grateful!

Kopic thanks you.

--Simon.

Some Random Thoughts

2007-02-19T20:40:00.000Z

Wow! Two months (near enough) since my last post. Only ten more months until next Christmas! :-D

Well, it's looking quite promising for a March start for the new series, a break from the new recent tradition of starting at Easter. However, I'd be more than willing to wait 6 more months so that we could watch it over the winter months... as it should be watched. With lights burning low, fierce winds howling through the trees and cups of hot choccie steaming on the coffee table. None of this "summer" nonsense for me!

Some random thoughts...

I sure hope the rumours of John Simm appearing as The Master turn out to be true. I'm sure he could turn his quality acting talents towards a peerless portrayal of the maestro of malevolent mischief. Derek Jaboi, as well! The talent ratio keeps going up! I'm hoping that the habit of casting ex soap stars doesn't bring the ratio crashing back down.

Daleks in Manhattan, eh? Why do I keep hearing the Muppet theme tune in my head when I think about that wonderful title? Hope it changes before broadcast.

Don't forget to VOTE for Kopic's Doctor Who and Torchwood News in the Herts24 Web Awards! This is a new award for websites owned and operated by people who live in Hertfordshire. I would be eternally grateful for your support!

Anyway, enough for now. Please don't forget that I will read and respond to all emails you send me, so don't be afraid to let me know what you think of the site!

TTFN

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-25T15:39:00.000Z

Merry Christmas and a Happy Who Year from all of us (that's me and my news'bots) to each and everyone of you out there. Thankyou for visiting and supporting Kopic's Doctor Who and Torchwood News over the past year. Stay with us over the next year and see Freema Agyeman's debut as Martha Jones, see Liz Sladen return as the fantastic Sarah Jane. Maybe we'll see K9's promised cartoon debut? Maybe we'll see Ice Warriors in Dr Who? Maybe it will be Sea Devils? Maybe we'll learn just who Capt Jack really is...?

One thing's for sure... Whatever the news is, Kopic and his news'bots will be here to scavenge it from around the universe and bring it directly to you!

Here's to 2007 and beyond!

--Simon.

Dalek Nativity Scene!

2006-12-21T13:23:00.000Z

Courtesy of The Guardian...

Picture 1 and Picture 2

You see, even the most evil beings in the universe need to believe in something!

Toy DALEK could cause child deafness

2006-12-12T13:27:00.000Z

Thanks to Eye of Horus for bringing this to our attention. Read their story here.

Deafness Research UK has found that the CHARACTER OPTIONS DALEK BATTLE PACK (£29.99) could potentially damage your child's hearing. More info...

Note that this is only one of many other toys that pose this risk. It's not like the Daleks are trying to invade by making future generations deaf or anything!

RTS Award Win for Neill Gorton's Millennium FX

2006-11-21T18:44:00.000Z

The Royal Television Society Design & Craft Innovation Award goes to Neill Gorton and the team behind the prosthetics for Little Britain and Dr Who!

The following is quoted from http://www.rts.org.uk

“This winning team have worked across many genres in our industry but in the past year have been particularly responsible for two quite different and highly successful shows.

In 2004, the producers of the comedy show Little Britain came to the prosthetics team with the challenge of coming up with a convincing Fat Make-up for Matt Lucas to play the part of Bubbles de Vere. This resulted in the hilarious fat suit that was such a success in series 2 of Little Britain. For 2005, the bar was raised even higher. Not only did the suit have to be taken off and put on again the next day, but, learning from the previous year's experience, it had to be ventilated so that Matt could wear it all day long without collapsing from heat exhaustion. Our winners designed a system of running iced water to cool Matt down which worked very successfully. But this was just the beginning. It was decided that Bubbles de Vere would be joined by a new character called Desiree to be played by David Walliams. She would be as fat as Bubbles, but twice as tall...and black. Many of you will have seen the results on screen and I am sure will agree that the challenge was more than adequately met.

In the same year a BBC drama was being shot in Cardiff which also required significant input and innovation from the prosthetics team. The fabulous creations designed and produced by our recipient are a major contribution to the successful return of Doctor Who to our screens. Our team, with their amazing imagination and consummate skill were the perfect choice to realise the weird and wonderful creatures encountered by The Doctor. Millions of children across the world owe their nightmares to our recipients - a fact which we suspect they relish!

Doctor Who is a relentless machine, as a show it eats people’s creativity - in the last three years we have pushed this team to their limits and they have never let us down. The Doctor Who producers tell us that they are delighted that this talented, hardworking genius of a team are being recognised tonight.”

Congratulations to Neill and his team!

Torchwood, Dr Who and GEOS

2006-11-15T15:58:00.000Z

I received the following email today regarding the Global Episode Opinion Survey...
--- The Global Episode Opinion Survey (GEOS) is a worldwide episode survey of nearly 90 current and classic genre TV shows. The aim of the survey is to determine the average score of each episode for a series as determined by fans. There are currently over 11,000 registered voters participating in the survey. Results are also broken down by season, as well as different demographics such as age of each GEOS member, sex, and country of origin. It is known to us that writers and producers of the shows often use GEOS to gauge how storylines have been received by fans. Torchwood (and the new Doctor Who) is a recent addition to GEOS, and while fan interest is high, participation in the survey has been slow to gain momentum. A message of support and a link to us on your web site would encourage fan participation and ensure the Survey results have some meaning. The URL is: http://www.geos.tv/ We appreciate any support you can provide Torchwood in the Survey. ---
So, go and check out the Doctor Who and Torchwood pages and remember to vote! I know I will...

http://www.geos.tv/index.php/index/tor
http://www.geos.tv/index.php/index/dw2

Any moment now...

2006-11-10T18:02:00.000Z

The new version of Kopic's Dr Who and Torchwood News Service is almost ready for launch. Any time now... As soon as I've done some backups and final tweaks! You'll now see Amazon UK _and_ Amazon US shops as well as a new eBay page which shows you the latest Doctor Who and Torchwood items that are up for sale on eBay UK. This will expand soon to include eBay US. I will also be working on shops and eBay listings for other countries in the not too distant future and also plan to have a "find the best DVD prices" search page.

It's all change around Kopic Towers! :-)

Site makeover/language filter

2006-10-26T11:04:00.000+01:00

It's been at least a few months since the last redesign and what with Torchwood coming along... Everything Changes! :-)

Actually, it's just a small tidy-up and change of colour. I think the orange piping effect is a bit too "in your face" so I'm toning it down to a smaller pipe and making it red in honor of the Torchwood logo. Also making sure that the page will be no more than 800 pixels wide so that people with smaller screen resolutions can view it better. I recently discovered that just over 12% of visitors use the 800x600 resolution which came as a bit of a shock, so to ensure those people can still get their regular dosage of Kopic's Dr Who News Service I am cutting some of the fat out of the window!

I've also implemented a very simplistic filter to try and mask out some of the bad words that people use in their blogs. If you find any links get broken as a result of having *'s inserted please let me know. Thanks!

Torchwood Desktops

2006-10-13T10:53:00.000+01:00

A couple of Torchwood desktops I created for fun. If you want full sized copies (1280x1024) then please email me. My address can be found on doctorwhonews.kopic.net

Added DWIN Blog to BlogWatch

2006-09-29T13:59:00.000+01:00

Those chaps over at the Dr Who Information Network (www.dwin.org) have a nice little blog going... So I've added it into the mix.

Dr Who Script on Antiques Roadshow

2006-09-22T17:06:00.000+01:00

Kopic recommends that you (if you live in the UK or receive UK TV) watch BBC1 at 6.45pm on Sun 24th September where they will be featuring a Dr Who script which was (I think) found in a filing cabinet which was bought at auction.

http://www.radiotimes.com/ListingsServlet?event=10&channelId=92&programmeId=49006127&jspLocation=/jsp/prog_details.jsp

Kopic's Dr Who Shop!!!

2006-09-17T20:53:00.000+01:00

It's long been coming, but you can now do your Dr Who related shopping right here on this web site. Take a look now... you know you want to... ;-)

http://doctorwhonews.kopic.net/shop.php

Added Doctor Who Blog @ unitnews to BlogWatch page

2006-06-28T16:18:00.000+01:00

Added Doctor Who Blog @ unitnews to BlogWatch page

http://www.unitnews.co.uk/blog
http://doctorwhonews.kopic.net/blogwatch.php

Added "Behind The Sofa" to BlogWatch page

2006-06-09T09:56:00.000+01:00

"Behind The Sofa" is a collective blog dedicated to Doctor Who written by a number of people on the TachyonTV website. Insightful, humorous and sometimes just plain weird! Go on, take a look...

http://tachyontv.typepad.com/waiting_for_christopher/

By the way, Kopic's BlogWatch page collects all the best Dr Who and Torchwood blog postings and indexes them nicely for you to pick and choose what to read...

http://doctorwhonews.kopic.net/blogwatch.php

Series 2 Vol 2 Low Price - £8.89

2006-06-05T08:46:00.000+01:00

...and free delivery, too, from Sendit.com!

http://www.sendit.com/video/item/7000000112251

New Look Coming Soon!

2006-05-31T14:53:00.000+01:00

Another makeover for Kopic's DWNS is coming your way! This time I wanted to make it lighter, more friendly and easier to read. I think I've achieved it!

Go to http://doctorwhonews.kopic.net/index2.php for a sneak preview of the work in progress (bear in mind that it IS a work in progress and might look broken at times while I'm working on it)

SERIES 2 VOL 1 - NEW LOW PRICE - £8.99

2006-05-02T10:37:00.000+01:00

£8.99 From Amazon Jersey (look for the "Buy for less...from Amazon Jersey" link for more info)...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000ESSTB0/202-3148460-8891053

or follow this link to look up other places to buy it...

http://www.find-dvd.co.uk/BBCDVD1960.htm

Added Kasterborous Blog to BlogWatch! page

2006-04-19T16:43:00.002+01:00

The Kasterborous blog has now been added in to Kopic's BlogWatch! page...

http://doctorwhonews.kopic.net/blogwatch.php
http://kasterborous.blogspot.com/

Dr Who Online in The Mix

2006-04-05T14:49:00.000+01:00

Doctor Who Online now offers an RSS feed for latest news and updates and is now included in Kopic's Doctor Who News Service.

http://www.drwho-online.co.uk

So Much News!

2006-03-31T07:57:00.000+01:00

WOW! So much news over past couple of days that the 100 latest news items that Kopic lists only cover two days! That's definitely a first. :-)

Series 2 Vol 1 - Best Prices

2006-03-28T09:46:00.000+01:00

Head on over to http://www.find-dvd.co.uk and search for your favourite Dr Who DVD or follow this link to go to the list of best prices for Series 2 Vol 1 -
http://www.find-dvd.co.uk/BBCDVD1960.htm

Can you beat the £9.95 (free delivery) from ChoicesUK???

Donate to the NSPCC the easy way

2006-03-22T11:22:00.000Z

This is not Doctor Who related and I make no apologies for that. Mind you, you could use this to search for that elusive bit of Doctor Who news you were after...

If you go to http://www.clickscount.co.uk/ and perform a search on that site (it's actually run by MSN Search) then the NSPCC gets cash. Simple. Do it. Thankyou!

"Every search carried out on this special MSN Search charity site makes a direct donation to the NSPCC. It doesn't cost you anything. All you do is search as normal, but using the special charity search engine. So get clicking and get everyone you know clicking too! Together, we can raise thousands for children that desperately need help."

Teaser Trailers and Episode 10 Title

2006-03-11T10:33:00.000Z

Two juicy updates from the nice people at Doctor Who Online. See http://www.drwho-online.co.uk for more detail...

:: Teaser Trailers to air this weekend?!

DWO have been informed by our contact at the BBC that some trailers are due to air this weekend on BBC ONE, to start the promotion for Series Two of Doctor Who. We are not saying that they will, but we are saying that they are due to air.

Our contact added that they will be short teaser trailers, and that a longer 30-second trailer is due within the next couple of weeks, just like last year.

:: S2 - Episode 10 Title?!

The Bolton Evening News, has confirmed to the This is Lancashire website, that the title for Episode 10 is Love and Monsters.

http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/lancashire/bury/news/BURYNEWS19.html

Peter Kay Casting in Series 2 - Press Release

2006-03-08T10:48:00.000Z

See http://www.drwho-online.co.uk for more detail...

"The BBCi Press Office has issued a press-release to tie-in with Peter Kay's casting in Series 2.

Peter will play the part of Victor Kennedy in Episode 10 of Series Two.

We have the full press release on the site along with the link"

Doctor Who Online Update

2006-03-07T11:26:00.000Z

See http://www.drwho-online.co.uk/ for more details...

"Joining us in the DWO Forums, we are proud to announce Doctor Who Actor JOHN LEVENE. John played the part of SERGEANT BENTON throughout the 3rd & 4th Doctors reign in The Classic Series.

Post your questions to him to do with his time in Doctor Who!

We still have such acclaimed guests as NABIL SHABAN (SIL), YEE-JEE TSO (CHANG LEE), PAUL PARSONS (AUTHOR), CRAIG HINTON (AUTHOR), DEZ SKINN (CREATOR OF DOCTOR WHO WEEKLY). If you havn't already done so, post your questions to them now!

Do you have any friends who are Doctor Who fans? Tell them about Doctor Who Online!"

IT'S HERE!

2006-03-07T09:40:00.000Z

Today sees the relaunch of Kopic's Doctor Who News Service. A new, lighter look with the option to switch colour styles between "Metebelis Blue", "Green Death", "Bessie Yellow", "Stones of Blood" and "Kandy Man". Take a look at the top left of the page banner for the choices. Your choice of style will stay in effect until you change it again due to the magic of cookies (if you allow them on your computer, that is).

We also now have the fantastic BlogWatch! page which watches the best (well, the best that I've found so far!) blogs related to Doctor Who and Torchwood. Please let me know if you find a blog that you think should be included.

Enjoy! And please let me know what you think!

--Simon.

SITE RELAUNCH!

2006-03-03T12:15:00.000Z

In the next few days, Kopic will be releasing Version 3 of the DWNS. A new look, new links and a new page to watch all the best Doctor Who and Torchwood blogs! We will also be experimenting with a new eBay page to find those latest Doctor Who related bargains!

For a sneak peak of the new site and the new Blogwatch page try http://doctorwhonews.kopic.net/blogwatch.php

Breaking News: Series 2 Episode Titles

2006-02-27T10:25:00.000Z

Kopic's DWNS has heard that Episode 8 will be entitled "Planet 14" whilst Episode 11 will be "The Eyes that saw Forever".

See Production News at http://www.drwho-online.co.uk/ for details

Torchwood: Eve Myles to play Gwen!

2006-02-24T11:03:00.000Z

It's official! Eve Myles who played Gwyneth in The Unquiet Dead will be Gwen opposite John Barrowman in Torchwood. Gwen/Gwyneth - spooky, eh...?

For more details...
BBC News
BBC Dr Who Site
Outpost Gallifrey
drwho-online
Torchwood.org
Torchwood.tv
addict3d.org
Digital Spy

We'll Always Be Together...

2006-02-22T10:29:00.000Z

It had to happen. Davros finally gets a love interest!

Go see this heart-warming tale at http://www2.b3ta.com/hawking/

Doctor Who Theme - The Metal Mix!

2006-02-15T22:14:00.000Z

As I am also a Metallica and Iron Maiden fan, I found this version of the theme absolutely mind-blowing! Download and enjoy... http://whomix.trilete.net/?wmid=subreadremixreviews&remixid=138

Speaking of Metallica - they're playing the Download Festival in the UK in June. Rock on!

Interesting Statistics

2006-02-14T18:02:00.000Z

Kopic's DWNS lists the last 100 news items it has found and I've always known that this works out to between one and two weeks worth of news. Currently we're at 10 days, so this means Kopic's DWNS shows on average 10 new items EACH AND EVERY DAY! Isn't that something to be proud of??? :-)

Welcome to The Gallifreyan Embassy!

2006-02-12T22:38:00.000Z

Kopic is pleased to announce that the news feed from The Gallifreyan Embassy (home of "Doctor Who: Podshock") has been added into the mix.