Saturday 31 August 2013

Animate The Crusade for DVD release




The Crusade, like many stories from the 1960s, is incomplete in the BBC's archives. This four-episode adventure, first broadcast in 1965, is a victim of the BBC's junking of many Doctor Who episodes in the 60s and 70s - which has left 106 still missing.

Luckily, audio recordings were made by a handful of fans at the time of transmission, so while the original moving pictures of episodes two and four of The Crusade are gone, the soundtracks survive.

If you're a collector of the BBC's classic Who DVDs, you will have noticed a few stories with animated episodes springing up. The latest is The Ice Warriors, which has been released in the UK this week.

Some fans have launched a social media campaign to support a DVD of The Crusade, with its two missing episodes completed with the same technique. But why single out this story? Ian Redman, one of the fans behind these efforts, explained to The Doctor Who Bar:

Over recent months, we've heard that the budget for a classic Doctor Who DVD release can accommodate two animated episodes to fill the gaps of an incomplete story. (It would be great if that one day becomes three, but time will tell!) We're at the point now where almost all of the stories with one or two episodes missing have either been released, or announced for release, with animation used to complete them.

The only two stories which have not yet had such an announcement made are The Underwater Menace and The Crusade - both of these are four-part stories with two episodes missing. We know that The Underwater Menace will be receiving its own DVD release, but there has been no official word on plans for the two missing instalments. My gut feeling is that they will be animated, though - it seems very likely.

The Crusade, on the other hand, is looking like it might be running out of luck. The Doctor Who Restoration Team have said that they have not been commissioned to do any work for that story. This doesn't necessarily make it impossible for animation plans to be getting into motion in other quarters, but it's really not looking good. This is sad, because we are facing the very real possibility that The Crusade might end up being the one and only story with two episodes missing, that does not receive a DVD release with animation.

That brings us to the campaign. I'm really hesitant to call it a 'petition', and I would probably reject that description if anyone tried to apply it! What we are doing is attempting to politely demonstrate that there is support for the idea of animating The Crusade's two missing episodes. The Restoration Team themselves have recently encouraged people to write to BBC Worldwide to express support of further classic DVD releases.

But at the end of the day, I think this is one of those things that might just do some good, but it can't really do any harm. (Or a DVD might come out, but with this campaign having had nothing to do with it... but we wouldn't complain!) We're not standing outside the BBC's headquarters with pitchforks (not a petition, remember!), but if it gets thoughts ticking over in the mind of someone in the commissioning loop (and Worldwide do know about the campaign), then you never know! Of course, in the event that all this has no effect (and I'm not going to sugarcoat it - that's the most likely outcome!), we have done nobody any harm. We shall see!

Facebook:

Twitter:
#AnimateCrusade

Friday 23 August 2013

this mondays duke box

after being unable to host the duke box last monday (19th) i am going to host a session on monday the 26th instead.
for this story we are going to listen to one of big finish's numerous outputs.
august release (so its a new one guys).
starlight robbery 
starring sylvester McCoy. this infact will be a new story for me as i have as of yet not been able to listen to it, however reliable sources tell me its a bit on the good side.
hope you can join us in the bar from 8.00pm monday for this story. and if you don't have it yet then scurry on over to bigfinish's site and spend your pennys on it.
http://bigfinish.com/releases/v/starlight-robbery-7144
look i've even posted the link to where you can buy it either as cd or as download. because i'm nice like that :)
hope you can join us for this session and also don't forget to join us tomorrow for captain void's and simon's excelent new run through of the sarah jane adventures.
all the best 

Tuesday 20 August 2013

The Sarah Jane Adventures.


Following on from her successful return to Doctor Who in 2006 for the episode School Reunion.  Elisabeth Sladen was given a second chance at her own Spin-off show.

The Sarah Jane Adventures had its pilot episode air on New Years Day 2007 and it was a hit, unlike K-9 and Company.

With a couple of tweeks a series of 10 episodes began airing in September that year.  A second series of 12 episodes was commissioned and aired from September 2008 this series sadly (in my opinion) saw the departure of Yasmin Paige who played Maria Jackson.

Series 3 containing 12 episodes aired from October 2009, this series had a guest appearance by David Tennant as The Doctor, the first time The Doctor had appeared in a spin-off show.  In October 2010 a 12 episode 4th Series began and this series had a guest appearance of Matt Smith as The Doctor.

A 5th series of 12 episodes was commissioned however sadly Elisabeth Sladen died in April 2011 whilst this series filming was underway.  Due to the way the filming to date had taken place, the first 2 stories along with the final story of the season had been completed.  These were screened in October 2011.

The reason for this article is not just to praise Elisabeth Sladen (although if it were I doubt many would object), it is to announce that The Doctor Who Bar Saturday sessions will be The Sarah Jane Adventures.  This will start this coming Saturday (24th August) with Invasion of the Bane and Revenge of the Slitheen.

We will continue to watch 2 stories (that is 4 episodes) every Saturday until the 16th November.  On that Saturday we will watch the 3 stories (6 episodes) that made up the final series.

I know primarily The Sarah Jane Adventures was children's show but I and I know many other Doctor Who fans enjoyed it.  This is a big step for The Doctor Who Bar to show this spinoff and I want to thank Captain Voidy :) (aka Via_The_Void) a bar founder for his faith and willingness to allow me (SimonGa) to put on and host these sessions.  I hope as many of you as you can will join me for these sessions.  As I would like to remind you that everyone is welcome to join in our sessions, even if you have never joined a session before or if you haven't joined in a session for a while you are welcome to join us.

In closing on behalf of myself as 2nd in command of The Bar and David (Via_The_Void) as a founder of it, thank you for all your support.  We really appreciate it.

Monday 19 August 2013

the duke box not on tonight

Hi guys I know this is very late in the day but i am unable to host tonight's session of the doctor who bar duke box.

Had a bit of a hectic few weeks recently with stuff going on so not really been able to put the time into planning. 
However the session in 2 weeks will be held by SimonGa, and its power of the Daleks
"its a good one that" :)
Anyways guys once again I'm sorry but do continue checking back to the site for sessions etc etc 
Take care all and hope you will join us in future duke box sessions also in regular bar sessions.


Monday 12 August 2013

The Dukebox Continues

The trial session of the Dukebox will continue.  We decided to try a couple more over the course of the next month.

Next Monday (19th August) will see us have a Big Finish Audio (To be confirmed) hosted by Legion Henderson.

Then on Monday 2nd September I (SimonGa) will be hosting the session and we will have the The Power of the Daleks.  This sadly missing serial from the BBC Archives is of course Patrick Troughton's first full story as The Doctor.  You can join in this session with either the BBC/AudioGo audio or if you have it the Loose Canon reconstruction.

I hope you can join us for either one or both of these sessions.

Sunday 4 August 2013

The Next Doctor Announced


After all the speculation the time has finally arrived and moments ago on BBC One in the UK and simulcast in the USA on BBC America, Space in Canada and in Australia on ABC 1, The Next Doctor was announced.

When Matt Smith bows out at Christmas Peter Capaldi will take over the TARDIS as the Twelfth Doctor.


For those who may be unfamiliar with Peter he may be best known to British TV Viewers as being Randall Brown in The Hour or Malcom Tucker in The Thick of It.   To Doctor Who fans he will be known as playing Caecilius in The Fires of Pompeii during David Tennant's third series.  He also appeared as John Frobisher in the Torchwood: Children of Earth serial. 

Obviously not all fans will be pleased with the choice and I hope those who have threatened to boycott the show if someone they did not approve of got the role, do not boycott it.

I will give him a chance as I have with every other Doctor.  Aside from Peter Davison and now Peter Capaldi, I had not heard of any Doctors before they were cast (of those cast in my lifetime) Davison coincidentally being the first and I knew him as the guy I liked on All Creatures Great and Small.

I know there will be (as always) people wondering how long he will stay.  The question that will need answering, either during Capaldi's reign or when the Thirteenth Doctor is cast, is will these be the final two incarnations of The Doctor.  I am sure there are many ways the production team can get around the twelve regenerations/thirteen live's situation.  However I guess that is a question for another time.

In the meantime on behalf of everyone at The Doctor Who Bar I would like to welcome Peter Capaldi to Doctor Who as The Twelfth Doctor.

Saturday 3 August 2013

Dukebox 4 (Possibly the last one)

Monday could be your last chance to join in a Dukebox session.

If you have not heard of it before, we either listen to a BF Audio or BBC/AudioGo Missing Story release. Of course you also can watch the Loose Canon recons if you have them for the Missing Story sessions.

In this session it is going to be The Moonbase. We open at 7:45pm and Play at 8pm BST

Episodes 2 & 4 of this 4 part story are in the archives and are on The Lost In Time collection and like the Hartnell story The Crusade on the same release (unless you have the R1 separate releases) the 2 missing episodes have the audio version as well.

The plan will be as follows: 8pm we play episode 1 audio (or again watch the Loose Canon recon of it if you have it). We will take a few minutes break after each episode to allow you navigate to the next one.

Please do support the Dukebox on Monday if you want it to stay. Barfleet Command are making a decision on the future of it after Monday's session.

SimonGa will be the host with the most for this session and everyone both old and new are welcome to join us in the #DWBar for this or of course any of our sessions.

Friday 2 August 2013

The Twelfth Doctor to be announced on Sunday




The wait is almost over for all the Doctor Who fans, as the identity of the next actor to play the Doctor is to be announced in a special one-off programme called Doctor Who Live, to be broadcast on BBC One this Sunday August 4 at 7pm.

In front of a live studio audience, host Zoe Ball will unveil and interview the next actor to play the lead role,  which is one of the most coveted roles in British television.

The programme will feature Doctors old and new, companions, special guests and celebrity fans, all taking place against the backdrop of a swirling vortex with Daleks and the TARDIS appearing in the studio.

Earlier in the week the BBC had cleverly disguised the show in the TV listings, scheduling a fake ‘Celebrity Mastermind’ in the 7.30pm-8pm slot.

Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor  will finally end months of speculation over who will be taking over from Matt Smith, who departs at Christmas.  Peter Capaldi, Ben Daniels, Ben Whishaw and David Harewood have all been linked with the role, though an unknown actor is perhaps far more likely.

Executive Producer Steven Moffat said : ‘The decision is made and the time has come to reveal who’s taking over the TARDIS. For the last of the Time Lords, the clock is striking twelve.’

Moffat and Smith will both give interviews during the show, commenting on the role and what they believe it takes to play the iconic role of the Doctor.

Fans in America will be able to watch the unveiling live via simulcast on BBC America.

Charlotte Moore, the Controller of BBC One said: ‘BBC One is the home of big live events and this special live show is the perfect way to reveal the identity of the next Doctor and share it with the nation. The Doctor is a truly iconic role and I’m more than excited about the booking.’

Ben Stephenson, the Controller of BBC Drama Commissioning meanwhile, revealed how they have been using the codename Houdini for the actor.

He has said: ‘We can’t wait to unveil the next Doctor with everyone live on BBC One on Sunday night. Amongst all the speculation and betting, there has been lots of fun and intrigue at work as we’ve been using the codename Houdini as a decoy! It’s the biggest secret in showbiz, even those working with the new Doctor on other projects at the moment have no idea they are in the presence of the Twelfth incarnation.’

Rory Kinnear had also been tipped as a possible Doctor, but after insisting that he won’t be joining the show his denial was compounded by his signing up to the ITV drama Lucan, which films at the same time.  Also mentioned as a possible contender for the role was Domhnall Gleeson, son of Brendan Gleeson, who played Bill Weasley in the last of the Harry Potter films.