Tom Baker Voices The Doctor For Audio Dramas
After nearly 30 years away from the part, Tom Baker is returning to Doctor Who! Baker has recorded five audio dramas that will be released by the BBC starting in September at a rate of one a month. While I’m sure we’d all love to see Baker on the new television series, audio is really the more logical choice given Tom’s age and health. Tom Baker’s Doctor will be joined by former Who cast member Richard Franklin reprising his role as Mike Yates.
Here are the descriptions of each CD:
Doctor Who: Hornets’ Nest – The Stuff of Nightmares
‘Wanted: retired army Captain for light household duties and fireside companionship. Must tolerate mild eccentricity and strong scientific advice. Knowledge of Giant Maggots, Super Intelligent Spiders and Prehistoric Monsters a positive boon.’ Responding to an advert apparently worded for him alone, Captain Mike Yates (retired) is reunited with a ghost from the past. But why has the Doctor, that mysterious traveller in Time and Space, sent for his former UNIT acquaintance? Trapped by a horde of vicious creatures in an apparently innocuous English country cottage, the two old friends are on the brink of an enormous adventure. As the Doctor relates his recent escapades, it becomes clear to Mike that they – and the Earth at large – are facing an enemy of unimaginable power and horrific intent. The nightmare is only just beginning… With Tom Baker as the Doctor, Richard Franklin as Mike Yates, Susan Jameson as Mrs Wibbsey and Daniel Hill as Percy Noggins, The Stuff of Nightmares is the first of five linked stories written by the acclaimed Paul Magrs.
Release Date: September 3, 2009
Doctor Who: Hornets’ Nest – The Dead Shoes
What is so special about a pair of ballet shoes on display in Cromer’s Palace of Curios? When the Doctor meets Ernestina Scott there in 1932, they discover the horrific truth together. The second of five linked stories written by the acclaimed Paul Magrs, The Dead Shoes also features Susan Jameson, Clare Corbett and Christian Rodska.
Release Date: October 8, 2009
Doctor Who: Hornets’ Nest – The Circus of Doom
In Blandford, 1832, ringmaster Antonio exerts a strange influence on the townsfolk. When the Doctor steps into the ring, he discovers that Antonio has some familiar demons of his own… The third of five linked stories written by the acclaimed Paul Magrs, The Circus of Doom also features Michael Maloney, Jilly Bond, Susie Riddell and Stephen Thorne.
Release Date: November 5, 2009
Doctor Who: Hornets’ Nest – A Sting in the Tale
In a bleak midwinter, an order of nuns protect their Mother Superior from ravaging dogs. But something is very wrong here indeed – and the Doctor is about to get badly stung. The fourth of five linked stories written by the acclaimed Paul Magrs, A Sting in the Tale also features Clare Corbett, Susie Riddell and Rula Lenska.
Release Date: December 3, 2009
Doctor Who: Hornets’ Nest – Hive of Horror
The Doctor and Mike must face their enemy in a final battle. They have an unwilling accomplice – and loyalties are about to be tested to the limit. The fifth of five linked stories written by the acclaimed Paul Magrs, Hive of Horror also features Susan Jameson and Rula Lenska
Release Date: December 3, 2009
Click here to read an interview with Paul Magrs over at Outpost Skaro where he covers writing the scripts and meeting Tom Baker. Paul Magrs has written several Doctor Who novels and audio dramas, and was a great choice as the author of these stories. Magrs adventures tend to be large in scope and feature fantastical elements – very Tom Baker-esque stories.
A few online retailers are already taking pre-orders on these CDs. For those of you here in the United States, I recommend Who North America for all your Doctor Who needs. I’m not sure if they are taking pre-orders yet, but they have the best customer service of any online retailer hands-down. You can visit their site by clicking here. If you can’t find something you are looking for, drop them an e-mail. They are very accommodating.
Strangely enough, there hasn’t been much press around Tom Baker’s return to Doctor Who. Given his long-lasting popularity, you’d think there would have been more news already. I suppose there will be more publicity as they get closer to the September release date.
On a personal note, I’m really psyched about this! I can’t believe that after all these years Tom Baker has finally agreed to return to the part. I can’t wait!
Introducing the Eleventh Doctor…Matt Smith Named New Dr.Who
January 3, 2009 by tcgames · Leave a Comment
The BBC today announced that Matt Smith has been cast in the role of the Doctor in the iconic BBC series Doctor Who.
Smith will be the 11th Time Lord and will take over from David Tennant who leaves the show at the end of 2009. He will be seen in the forthcoming fifth series that will be broadcast in 2010.
The fifth series will also have a new lead writer and Executive Producer in the form of the BAFTA award-winning writer Steven Moffat, who is taking over from Russell T Davies.
Moffat will be joined by Piers Wenger, who will be the new Executive Producer for BBC Wales making the show.
Following David Tennant’s decision to step down at the end of 2009, the team behind the new series set about casting the new Doctor so that new adventures could be created and scripts written with Matt in mind.
The identity of the new Doctor was revealed on a special edition of Doctor Who Confidential that was broadcast on BBC One today (3 January) at 5.35pm (17.35 GMT).
In it Smith revealed his initial reaction at taking on such a legendary role and his thoughts on what direction the Doctor might now be going with him playing the part.
Matt Smith said of his new role: “I’m just so excited about the journey that is in front of me. It’s a wonderful privilege and challenge that I hope I will thrive on.
“I feel proud and honoured to have been given this opportunity to join a team of people that has worked so tirelessly to make the show so thrilling.
“David Tennant has made the role his own, brilliantly, with grace, talent and persistent dedication. I hope to learn from the standards set by him.
“The challenge for me is to do justice to the show’s illustrious past, my predecessors, and most importantly, to those who watch it. I really cannot wait.” Read more
DVD Review: Robin Of Sherwood – The Complete Collection
October 11, 2008 by tcgames · Leave a Comment
The story of Robin Hood has been a staple of movies and television for decades. From Errol Flynn’s flawless Technicolor romp through the backlot in The Adventures of Robin Hood, to the edgy new adaptation currently on BBC, the story has been a perfect way for a filmmaker to stamp a unique vision on the story. Some, like Kevin Costner’s horrific take, are destined to be forgotten, but most have been well-received. One of the most acclaimed takes on the legend was a short-lived BBC series from the early 1980s. Robin of Sherwood, filmed on location in England, is a gritty, action-packed version that takes an almost mythical stance, evoking pastoral imagery.
Michael Praed, known to ’80s American-TV watchers as Prince Michael on Dynasty, stars as Robin of Loxley, the legendary Robin Hood. His character dies after the 13th episode, and he’s replaced by Jason Connery, son of Sean Connery. Sean had previously played Robin Hood in the 1976 movie Robin and Marian. Jason’s character is Robert of Huntingon. The transition between the two actors is well handled, and Connery is up to the task at replacing Praed. Ray Winstone (The Departed, Sexy Beast) plays that villain of villains, the Sheriff of Nottingham. It’s right up there with Alan Rickman’s portrayal. Read more
Time Travel TV Series ‘Primeval’ Stands On Its Own
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Primeval Is No Who Clone
The creators of Primeval, the British time-travel series coming to BBC America, told SCI FI Wire that they are trying to shake off any comparisons to the wildly popular Doctor Who.
“It’s the one question I’ve been getting asked about the most: people comparing the show to that Doctor,” Douglas Henshall, who stars as an evolutionary zoologist who deals with creatures from the past and the future, said in an interview at the Television Critics Association’s press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif., this week.
Henshall has instead been comparing the show to The A-Team. “I was mainly trying to avoid the comparison of the show we don’t want to mention, and so I picked something very different, and our show is more of an ensemble like that show was,” he said. Read more
