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Little-known actress Karen Gillan has been unveiled as the next assistant in Doctor Who.
The 21-year-old will star alongside new Time Lord Matt Smith in the new series, to be broadcast next year.
Gillan has already appeared in the drama, having played a Soothsayer in The Fires Of Pompeii in the last run.
“I am absolutely over the moon at being chosen to play the Doctor’s new companion. – I just can’t wait to get started,” she said.
‘Incredible actor’
“The show is such a massive phenomenon that I can’t quite believe I am going to be a part of it.
“Matt Smith is an incredible actor and it is going to be so much fun to act alongside him,” she added.
“When she auditioned alongside Matt we knew we had something special,” he said.
Writer and executive producer Steven Moffat said they saw some “amazing actresses” but Gillan “walked through the door the game was up”.
He described her as “funny, and clever, and gorgeous, and sexy”.
“A generation of little girls will want to be her. And a generation of little boys will want them to be her too,” he added.
Head of Drama, BBC Wales, Piers Wenger said she brings “energy and excitement” to the role.
Gillan developed a love for acting after attending several youth theatre groups and taking part in various school productions.
At the age of 16 she had decided to pursue her career further and left school to study acting at Edinburgh’s Telford College.
She went on to secure a place at the Italia Conti drama school in London and landed her first role in the Scottish drama Rebus.
Parts in Channel 4′s Stacked, The Kevin Bishop Show and James Nesbitt’s forthcoming film Outcast followed, but her Doctor Who role is her first high profile to date.
David Tennant has signed up to reprise his stage performance of Hamlet for a 180-minute screen production for BBC Two.
The Doctor Who star will be joined by Patrick Stewart and other major cast members from the award-winning theatre run.
BBC Two controller Janice Hadlow said: “It’s a wonderful opportunity to bring one of the great stage successes of last year to a wider audience.”
Oliver Ford Davies, who played Polonius in the play, previously revealed that the TV adaptation would not be a “full feature film” but would be more than just a record of the stage production.
At BBC America, the Doctor is finally in. The net has acquired the five “Doctor Who” specials that will finish showrunner Russell T. Davies’ run on the venerable Brit sci-fi franchise that starred David Tennant as the Doctor.
“The Next Doctor,” the series’ Christmas special, will air at 9 p.m. June 27, and the next spec (“Planet of the Dead”) is set for July. Dates and times for the final three shows are to be determined, but the next incarnation of the show is already in the works, with Steven Moffat (who worked on the Davies version) as showrunner and thesp Matt Smith as the Doctor.
“Doctor Who” has aired on Sci Fi for four seasons, with BBC America preeming Davies’ spinoff series “Torchwood” (which will continue) and running the parent show a season late. “Torchwood” will air as a five-episode cycle this year, as well, starting in July.
Due to a quirky international sales arrangement, BBC America will continue to air the U.S. preems of ITV’s dinosaur-filled sci-fi adventure series “Primeval” — “Doctor Who’s” chief ratings rival in the U.K., recently optioned for a bigscreen feature by Warners.
The net’s “Who”-centric summertime launches will segue into the rest of its sci-fi heavy lineup, which includes the previously announced fantasy series “Being Human” (six hourlongs, produced by Touchpaper TV and BBC America, starting July 25) about the relationships among three characters: a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost. The net has already made a deal for the not-yet-aired second season of the show.
Also on the sked: “Survivors,” which follows the last members of the human race after a deadly virus has wiped out 99% of the population.
BBC America doesn’t have a traditional upfront — the net acquires comparatively short seasons of Brit programs and airs them year-round, sometimes combining them to make a U.S.-length season. Because of the way BBC Worldwide is funded, BBC America has to outbid any interested Stateside nets, even for programming that appears on its sister network in the U.K. The unique structure has occasionally resulted in a success story for BBC America that has turned into a success story for another net when the time came to renew the show.
For “Doctor Who,” the reverse would appear to be true. The net has back a quintessentially British show that BBC Worldwide America prexy Garth Ancier wishes had always been on BBC America (he came onboard after the deal was made).
“If I’d been here,” Ancier said, “we wouldn’t have sold it, to be quite honest.”
David Tennant will make a guest appearance as the Doctor in the new series of The Sarah Jane Adventures, it has been confirmed.
The Time Lord will reunite with his one-time companion Sarah Jane Smith, played by Elisabeth Sladen, for a two-episode stint in the upcoming third series of the kids spinoff.
“Viewers thought they may have to wait until November for the next full episode of Doctor Who, but this is an extra special treat,” said Russell T Davies, executive producer on The Sarah Jane Adventures. “And it’s not just a cameo from David – this is a full on appearance for The Doctor as he and Sarah Jane face their biggest threat ever.”
Sladen added: “When I heard the news that David was going to be joining us I was absolutely over the moon. Not only has it made my day but it will also make the viewers’ day. It’s fantastic news that Sarah Jane is going to spend some time working with The Doctor again and is testament to just how successful this CBBC series is.”
The 12-episode series, airing on CBBC in the Autumn, also features new reptilian race The Veil and enemies The Judoon, as well as an alien girl with the ability to make people play games against their will.
As previously reported, robotic companion K-9 will also return for the new series.
Tennant’s stint – in episodes five and six – will come before his final three episodes playing the Doctor in the parent show.
And, as if that news just wasn’t enough, we have a promotional image for the third series of The Sarah Jane Adventures in the gallery, featuring Sarah Jane and the Doctor!
Torchwood star John Barrowman has confirmed that he is to join the West End production of La Cage aux Folles from September.
Barrowman announced to fans attending his UK solo tour in Birmingham last night that he would be taking over the role of Albin
from Roger Allam from September 14. It is understood that he is due to play the role until mid-November.La Cage aux Folles is currently running at the Playhouse Theatre. Earlier this year, the show featured Graham Norton, Barrowman’s colleague on BBC series such as Any Dream Will Do and How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?.
Full details are expected to be announced soon.
New Doctor Who star Matt Smith is “loving” the glamour of the Cannes Film Festival.
The 26-year-old actor – who is due to take over from David Tennant as the Time Lord next year – is at the star-studded South of France event to promote his short film Together.
Matt told the BBC: “It’s rock and roll – I’m loving it, I’m loving how decadent it is – it’s ridiculous.”
The TV hunk lapped up the attention as he strolled down the red carpet at the screening of Fish Tank, the gritty family drama starring Michael Fassbender and first-time teenage actress Katie Jarvis, which is in the running for the coveted Palme d’Or award.
As the 11th actor to play one of TV’s most popular roles, Matt can soon expect to be mobbed every time he walks down the street in the UK, but in Cannes he’s just another pair of shades.
He said: “I don’t know what to expect – at the moment I can pass by unnoticed, which is quite nice.”
And Matt has his sights set on a return to Cannes, saying: “That would be great – to actually direct a film and have it here. That’s where my interest in film is going to take me eventually.”
David Tennant is the new host of PBS’ “Masterpiece Contemporary.”
Tennant will make his debut on the long-running public TV anthology this fall, its producing station, WGBH, announced Wednesday.
The 38-year-old Scottish actor, who follows past “Masterpiece” hosts such as Alan Cumming and Laura Linney, played the title role in the long-running BBC sci-fi series “Doctor Who.” His screen credits include “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”
“Masterpiece Contemporary” returns on the Public Broadcasting Service in October with “Endgame,” a drama about the final days of apartheid in South Africa starring William Hurt and Jonny Lee Miller. It premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
The “Masterpiece” series began as “Masterpiece Theatre” in 1971, and now also encompasses “Mystery!” — a public TV fixture since 1980.
On the Net:
Television shows including Doctor Who are causing children to have nightmares, according to a new survey of parents.
More than 70 per cent of parents with children under the age of seven said programmes like Ben 10 and the Power Rangers led to their children having bad dreams.
Parents blamed broadcasters for being too lenient about what is shown on children’s television, claiming many of the programmes are too violent and aggressive.
Two thirds of parents said that they find it difficult deciding which programmes are suitable for their children and admit their children often watch television with their hands over their eyes.
But parents agreed that so-called family entertainment shows such as Doctor Who, Primeval and Robin Hood should be shown after the watershed.
Doctor Who is considered by some parents to be too dark and sinister for under seven-year-olds, whilst Primeval is considered too frightening.
A spokeswoman for www.TheBabyWebsite.com, which conducted the poll of 3,000 parents with children under the age of seven, said: “All children suffer from nightmares at some point during childhood.
“But there is no doubt that viewing unnecessary violence and hostility on television contributes to this. There is a great uncertainty about what to allow children to watch – on the one hand you want them to be accepted by their peers and be able to join in conversations, but on the other you want to protect them from growing up too fast and suffering with nightmares.”
Some parents said that Power Rangers was too violent with fast paced action which can make children hyperactive.
Ben 10 received criticism for inducing nightmares, being unpleasant and aggressive.
Parents also expressed fears that the programme Hannah Montana encourages children to grow up too quickly and prompts too many questions.
Britannia High, which is aired at tea time on CITV, is another programme which glamorises growing up, encouraging children to wear make up and dress beyond their years.
More than half of those polled agreed that as well as inducing nightmares, much of children’s television encourages bad behaviour.
Three quarters of parents would welcome more guidance from television broadcasters, and age certificates being shown before a programme is aired.
Two struggling British film-makers will compete for the critics’ prize in Cannes after securing the services of Doctor Who actor Matt Smith for just £500.
Film school graduates Zorana Piggott and Eicke Bettinga paid Smith the Equity minimum wage to appear in Together, which was made on a minuscule £40,000 budget.
The film was shot in November last year and costs were so squeezed that Smith, then a little-known actor, flew to the location in Germany on a budget airline from Luton Airport. Three weeks later, he landed the part of the next Doctor Who, signing a five-year contract said to be worth £1 million and instantly becoming one of the hottest names in television.
The duo who cast Smith cannot believe their luck after Together was selected for International Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival, which begins on Wednesday. They had struggled for a year to raise the funding for the film.
Piggott, who co-wrote and produced the film with Bettinga as director, said: “We had been following Matt’s career for some time because we had seen him in the West End and in the BBC Two series Party Animals. We sent him the script and he said yes – it was pretty straightforward. The budget was very, very modest. We had to put Matt on a 6am budget flight from Luton and the filming conditions were difficult but he never complained.
“After the shoot he said he had to get back to England for a couple of auditions, but he never said what they were for. I thought nothing more of it. Three weeks later I turned on the TV and saw he was the new Doctor Who. I know he will be brilliant because he is such a fantastic actor and he has done an amazing job in our film. It is very much a performance-based piece and Matt carries the entire film. He is a unique performer able to define every role.
“It was a big surprise to be selected for Cannes, we weren’t expecting it, but it is a great honour.”
Together is the only British entry for the critics’ prize, which runs in tandem with the main competition for the Palme d’Or. Smith plays a young man visiting the family home a year after the death of his older brother. Piggott and Bettinga, who is German-born but lives in Britain, met at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, Bucks. The short film was part-funded by the UK Film Council.
Smith, 27, will travel to Cannes this week to promote the film. He was a surprise choice for Doctor Who and the youngest actor to play the role. His first appearance as the 11th Timelord will be next year, when David Tennant bows out. The BBC reportedly offered him a three-year contract worth £600,000, with the option to extend for a further two years. Film school graduates Zorana Piggott and Eicke Bettinga paid Smith the Equity minimum wage to appear in Together, which was made on a minuscule £40,000 budget.
The duo who cast Smith cannot believe their luck after Together was selected for International Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival, which begins on Wednesday. They had struggled for a year to raise the funding for the film.
Piggott, who co-wrote and produced the film with Bettinga as director, said: “We had been following Matt’s career for some time because we had seen him in the West End and in the BBC Two series Party Animals. We sent him the script and he said yes – it was pretty straightforward. The budget was very, very modest. We had to put Matt on a 6am budget flight from Luton and the filming conditions were difficult but he never complained.
“After the shoot he said he had to get back to England for a couple of auditions, but he never said what they were for. I thought nothing more of it. Three weeks later I turned on the TV and saw he was the new Doctor Who. I know he will be brilliant because he is such a fantastic actor and he has done an amazing job in our film. It is very much a performance-based piece and Matt carries the entire film. He is a unique performer able to define every role.
“It was a big surprise to be selected for Cannes, we weren’t expecting it, but it is a great honour.”
Together is the only British entry for the critics’ prize, which runs in tandem with the main competition for the Palme d’Or. Smith plays a young man visiting the family home a year after the death of his older brother. Piggott and Bettinga, who is German-born but lives in Britain, met at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, Bucks. The short film was part-funded by the UK Film Council.
Smith, 27, will travel to Cannes this week to promote the film. He was a surprise choice for Doctor Who and the youngest actor to play the role. His first appearance as the 11th Timelord will be next year, when David Tennant bows out. The BBC reportedly offered him a three-year contract worth £600,000, with the option to extend for a further two years.
Torchwood star Eve Myles has announced that she is expecting her first child.
The 31-year-old Welsh actress decided to try for a baby after filming a new five-part special of the Doctor Who spin-off, Children of the Earth, which airs on BBC1 later this year.
“I’ve wanted to do this for such a long time, but I kept getting job after job after job,” said Eve, who plays former police officer Gwen Cooper in the cult series.
“I thought, if I put this off any more I’m going to be 65. My partner and I decided this year was going to be the year, and we were blessed that it happened so quickly.
“It’s the best thing that ever happened to me – we’re over the moon.”
Eve, who is three and a half months’ pregnant, joked about the fact that her character Gwen gave birth in series two – to an alien.
“We went for a scan and my mum was there,” she recalled. “And my mum went: ‘No, it’s not a Nostrovite! It’s a real Welsh human!’ But of course it crosses my mind – I hope it’s not an alien!”
Eve added that motherhood will not make her quit her role in Torchwood.
“I hope we get a new series,” she said. “I’d really like to play Gwen as a mother. It’s not like I have to really save the world – I just have to sit in make-up!”
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