“Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series” Blu-ray review
Matt Smith and Steven Moffat each settle in more comfortably in their second seasons on “Doctor Who,” the science fictional BBC production about a time-traveling benevolent alien. He traverses time and space in the TARDIS, a ship that’s bigger on the inside than the outside, and that looks from the outside like a 1950s police call box.
Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) are the Doctor’s main companions for this series. He also frequently crosses paths with River Song (Alex Kingston), who has a connection to all of the principals, and whose meetings with the Doctor occur in jumbled chronological order.
Moffat took over as executive producer from the much-acclaimed Russell T. Davies. His main push seems to have been giving the seasons more of an arc, which is in full effect this season. The Doctor, played by Smith, is faced with his upcoming death in the season’s first episode, and while the season has its detours, clues and movements key to the overall arc are seen throughout.
Doctor Who premiere scores big ratings for BBC America
River Song (Alex Kingston), Rory (Arthur Darvill), The Doctor (Matt Smith), and Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) in the "Doctor Who" series 6 premiere.
BBC America has announced that the premiere of series six of “Doctor Who” delivered the highest ever Live + Same Day ratings for BBC America. Announced today, the figures indicate almost 1.8 million viewers tuned in for “The Impossible Astronaut.”
The anticipated episode “The Doctor’s Wife,” written by Neil Gaiman (Coraline, The Sandman) airs this Saturday on BBC America.
- Matt Price
Click past the cut for the full news release.
Steve Rogers’ return as Captain America; Milo Ventimiglia cast as animated Wolverine; Neil Gaiman writes Doctor Who
STEVE ROGERS TO RETURN AS CAPTAIN AMERICA
Marvel has announced Steve Rogers’ return as Captain America in “Captain America” No. 1, the first issue of an all-new ongoing series premiering in July. The writer is Ed Brubaker, joined by artist Steve McNiven.
“Captain America and Bucky,” another series from Brubaker and Marvel, will pick up the “Captain America” numbering with No. 620.
FORMER ‘HEROES’ TO VOICE IRON MAN, WOLVERINE
Marvel’s Head of Television Jeph Loeb announced casting for two of the company’s much anticipated anime
The anime version of Wolverine
Milo Ventimiglia (Gilmore Girls, Rocky Balboa, Heroes), takes on the title role in WOLVERINE, as Logan claws his way through Japan’s criminal underworld.
“Adrian and Milo are perfect as Iron Man and Wolverine,” said Loeb. “It’s extremely exciting to see these talented guys take on two of the most iconic Super Hero roles of all time.”
DOCTOR WHO RETURNS TO AMERICA ON APRIL 23Doctor Who delivered record ratings in 2010 and now returns to BBC AMERICA on April 23 for the first block of the new 13 episode season, which opens in with a two-parter set in the U.S.
The premiere episode is written by Neil Gaiman (The Sandman). Doctor Who premieres Saturday, April 23, at 9/8c.
REVIEW FILE: Axe Cop #2, Nonplayer #1, Fear Itself #1, Superman/Batman Annual #5
Comics read in 2011: 532. Still to go: 1479.
DVD review – Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol
The “Doctor Who” Christmas special starring Matt Smith as the Doctor comes to DVD. While it’s not exactly the time of year for a Christmas story, this is nonetheless a charming episode that mixes the Charles Dickens tale with the science-fiction zaniness of “Doctor Who.”
X-Men: First Class reveals a villain; Tron: Legacy goes stop-motion; Christmas comics and Doctor Who
BRING THE BACON
Kevin Bacon tells Philadelphia Style that he will play mutant villain Sebastian Shaw in “X-Men: First Class.”
TRON STOP-MOTION DEBUTS
For his latest stop-motion animation project, NewsOK videographer Kyle Roberts tackled “Tron: Legacy.” Shooting more than 800 photographs in the dark, co-host Kyle Roberts used light-painting to make his subjects — the light cycles from “Tron” — race.
CHRISTMAS COMICS
Comic art from “The Great Treasury of Christmas Comic Book Stories.”
Craig Yoe, who previously edited and designed “The Golden Collection of Krazy Kool Klassic Kids’ Komics” has collated another collection that should delight young and old alike. “The Great Treasury of Christmas Comic Book Stories,” includes John Stanley (“Little Lulu”), Walt Kelly (“Pogo”) and Richard Scarry (Little Golden Books). Read more in this Friday’s Weekend Look.
DOCTOR WHO GIVEAWAY
Find out the winners of our Doctor Who DVD and Blu-ray giveaway!
Doctor Who giveaway, The Crow Author’s edition in the works, more The Walking Dead coming and Batman takes a European vacation
DOCTOR WHO GIVEAWAY
As the 11th Doctor comes to DVD for the first time, we’re giving away a set of the fifth series! Leave a comment on 
this post with your favorite Doctor to be entered for a chance to win.
The fifth series of “Doctor Who,” which stars Matt Smith as the eleventh Doctor, and Karen Gillan as his companion Amy Pond, is on sale now. The DVD contains all 13 episodes of the fifth series, along with hours of extras.
WIZARD WORLD AUSTIN/THE CROW
Stephen Norrington (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) is reportedly out as director of “The Crow” reboot. Mark Wahlberg is rumored for the lead. Creator James O’Barr hasn’t had much to do with the films after the original 1994 film starring Brandon Lee, but he is prepping a new, “Author’s Edition” of the graphic novel. He’ll be in Austin this weekend for the Wizard World Comics convention, along with Adam West, Burt Ward, Michael Golden and many more.
WALKING DEAD GETS SEASON TWO
The zombie horror survival series The Walking Dead, based on the comics by Robert Kirkman, is coming back for a second season.
“BATMAN LIVE” HEADING FOR EUROPE
It was announced today that the “Batman Live” world arena tour is kicking-off next summer.
It will tour the UK and Europe, beginning in summer 2011 and arriving in North America by summer 2012.
REVIEW FILE:
Matt and Kyle review Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #6, Ant-Man and the Wasp #1, and Amazing Spider-Man #648, kicking off the “Big Time” storyline.
David Tennant: Nerdage’s #12 actor
David Tennant in "Doctor Who"
The former Doctor, David Tennant of “Doctor Who,” takes the No. 12 position in Nerdage’s list of actors with geek appeal. This is primarily due to Tennant’s appeal as the Doctor in the BBC sci-fi series. Tennant’s final episode as the Doctor aired in the U.S. on Jan. 2, 2010. The final episode broke BBC America viewership records. This month, Tennant’s replacement, Matt Smith, began his run as the Doctor.
Tennant and Patrick Stewart starred in PBS’ modern-dress adaptation of “Hamlet,” which aired last night. You can see it on the PBS web site now, and it arrives on DVD on May 4.
- Matt Price
Doctor Who interview: Executive producers Piers Wegner and Beth Willis
The BBC provided Nerdage with this interview with new “Doctor Who” executive producers Piers Wenger and Beth Willis. Read on for their take on the new era.
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EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS INTERVIEW
Piers Wenger and Beth Willis have taken on Executive Producer duties, alongside Steven Moffat, from the outgoing Doctor Who team of Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner. Here they reveal the challenges they have faced with taking on such a hugely successful series and why it’s so important for Doctor Who to evolve.
“It has definitely been a big challenge taking on this show because we love it so much and why tinker with something that has been as popular, successful and brilliant as it has been?” says executive producer Beth Willis. “But at the same time we are terribly aware we have to look forward and work out how the show is going to survive in the future. In 2005 the team looked at what was fresh and new then and we have to do a bit of that ourselves. Looking at the episodes we’ve filmed so far we’re starting to see the impact of those changes; what the team has managed to achieve is pretty thrilling.”
Fellow Executive Producer and Head of Drama for BBC Wales, Piers Wenger, agrees and adds; “The thing which is most important to us is telling a good story at the end of the day; that’s always the thing the audience is going to be most demanding about. Beyond that, any changes we have made have been motivated by giving the show the best production values money can buy. It’s the nation’s favorite, and that means it deserves the best.”
Doctor Who interview: Karen Gillan
Karen Gillan (BBC)
The BBC provided Nerdage with this interview with new “Doctor Who” co-star Karen Gillan. Read on for her take on her audition, Matt Smith as the Doctor, and more.
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The regenerations of the Doctor are a staple part of the mythology of Doctor Who, but across the past five decades there has been another constant in the series; the changing faces of his companion. Now Karen Gillan, born in Inverness, Scotland, becomes the latest actress to join the Doctor in the TARDIS. Here she discusses landing the enviable role, the production team’s continued use of secret anagrams (Torchwood was an anagram used for labeling Doctor Who tapes on older seasons) and making her mother cry…
“It was one of the strangest experiences ever; it was a really weird feeling,” exclaims Karen Gillan about her casting as Amy Pond. “I found out on the day of my second audition with Matt, so at least I didn’t have a really long wait. It just didn’t feel real, and I couldn’t believe it!”
But auditioning for Doctor Who is unlike any other audition for the excitable, down to earth actress: “I knew that the audition was for the part of the Companion, but I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone about it. They even had a code name for the role because it was so top secret. The code name was ‘Panic Moon’; an anagram of Companion which I thought was really clever.”
Doctor Who interview: Matt Smith
Matt Smith as the Doctor. (BBC)
The BBC provided Nerdage with this interview with new “Doctor Who” star Matt Smith. Read on for his take on the first day of filming, the fans, the TARDIS and more.
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It may be the eleventh time an actor has taken on the iconic role of the Doctor, but Matt Smith hasn’t let that stand in his way of creating his very own vision for the character. Here he explains what it was like to land the role and talks about his dream trip in the TARDIS.
“It was quite weird news to receive,” says Matt Smith, the youngest actor to play the title role of hit show Doctor Who. “I mean at that point it was a piece of information I couldn’t share with anyone so it didn’t feel tangible, but needless to say I was very pleased.”
“I actually ended up walking around London listening to Sinatra on my iPod,” laughs the 27 year old as he
Matt Smith as the New Doctor
tries to explain the moment he found out he had won the much coveted role of the Doctor. “Funnily enough my mum had texted me to say she thought I should play the Doctor a week before my agent asked me to audition so she was delighted I got the part. I was also abroad when it was announced on the BBC and my phone went mad – the bill was enormous!”
