Doctor Who: The End of Time (episodes 4.17 and 4.18)

So its not long now until the two-part Christmas special which will see David Tennant bid us adieu and introduce Matt Smith. If you didnt manage to catch the 3min scene from Children in Need Night last Friday then you can view this via the web-link below:-

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

And as a further taster to whet our appetites, I have also provided a brief preview from the BBC Press Office: (minor spoilers ahead:)


Doctor Who – The End Of Time: Part One

It's the Tenth Doctor's final journey – but his psychotic nemesis the Master has been reborn, on Christmas Eve. With both determined to cheat death, the battle ranges from the wastelands of London to the mysterious Immortality Gate, while the alien Ood warn of an even greater danger approaching, as a terrible shadow falls across the entire Universe.


Doctor Who – The End Of Time: Part Two

The Doctor faces the end of his life as the Master's plans hurtle out of control. With the sound of drums growing louder, and an ancient trap closing around the Earth, the Doctor and Wilf must fight alone. But sacrifices must be made, and the deadly prophecy warns: "He will knock four times."

David Tennant stars as the Tenth Doctor and guest stars include John Simm, Bernard Cribbins, Catherine Tate, Timothy Dalton, David Harewood and June Whitfield.

The End Of Time – is written by Russell T Davies and directed by Euros Lyn. The producer is Tracie Simpson.

Gosh I've got lots of Dr Who news for you today. First up are the confirmed broadcast dates and times for the Doctor Who Christmas Specials!!!

Part one of The End of Time will be shown from 6pm to 7pm on Christmas Day. Part two follows from 6.40-7.55pm the following Friday, New Year's Day.
If you're also interested in seeing David Tennant'a acclaimed performance in Hamlet, (with Patrick Stewart) then you can catch this on BBC2 on Boxing Day.

The latest edition of the Radio Times also confirmed some additional casting news for The End of Time. Joining the guest line-up of Timothy Dalton, John Simm, Bernard Cribbins, Catherine Tate, and June Whitfield - will also be renound actors, Clare Bloom and Brian Cox (playing the Elder of the Ood), so looks like we've got one hell of a guest-cast!

For those of you who missed the x6 episodic broadcasts of the animated Dr Who feature Dreamland last week, you will have a chance to catch up and view the complete episode on Saturday 5th December at 10:00-10:45am on BBC2.

Oh and before I forget - I now know what Special Project 3 is. If you recall from an earlier posting-thread I mentioned that RTD had 3 special-projects planned for Dr Who this year - the first two of these were the animated feature Dreamland, and the Doctor Who/Sarah Jane Adventures crossover.....although the 3rd project has been held tightly under wraps until now. I can now finally reveal to you that 'Special Project 3' will be the BBC's Christmas idents which will all be Doctor Who themed. Apparently RTD got the idea for this after watching the Wallace and Gromit BBC idents last Christmas and persuaded the BBC to film a series of Doctor Who themed idents with David Tennant, Reindeer and the TARDIS!!! Expect to see these on TV very shortly!!

Not long to wait now.......

Sounds like the period between Xmass and new years day will seam a hell of a lot longer this year....

Myke

Yeah it will bound to feel like an eternity waiting between episodes 1 and 2, especially if they pull-off some surprise cliffhanger to make the wait all the more agonising!!! This is pure speculation on my part, but whats the betting that the 1st episode will end with the 10th Doctor finally being confronted with someone 'knocking 4 times' which will then leave us in suspense for a week as to who / or what is responsible for the knocks?

I always thought it was the Master who is the knocker, i`d like to see the doctor Killed at the end of part one,
and then part 2 is told in flashback from Matt Smith`s point of view....That would be fun.

Myke

Ok guys if you want to see the 'Special Project 3', Doctor Who themed BBC Christmas idents just follow the web-link below to watch them, (there are 4 to choose from).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/features/videos/adventure_091204

Just goes to prove that the Doctor really is Father Christmas!!! Lol

Just finished browsing through the Christmas edition of the Radio Times and came to the conclusion that the whole festive period appears to have been single handedly taken-over by the marvellous David Tennant who manages to make nearly 40 appearances on TV and Radio between 10th December and 1st January, (and that excludes the BBC's festive Doctor Who idents in which he also appears). So here for your perusal is a fairly exhaustive list of everything David Tennant/Doctor Who related over the next few weeks:-


Thursday 10th December 11.00-11.30pm BBC Radio 4 - Chain Reaction David Tennant interviews Richard Wilson (Repeat)

Saturday 12th December 5.15-6.00pm CBBC - Doctor Who - Dreamland (Repeat)

Wednesday 16th December 10.00-10.30pm BBC2 - Never Mind The Buzzcocks David Tennant hosts, Cribbins and Tate guest

Saturday 19th December 10.00-10.45am BBC2 - Doctor Who - The Infinite Quest (Repeat)
Saturday 19th December 5.15-6.00pm CBBC - Doctor Who - Dreamland (Repeat)

Monday 21st December 6.50-7.00pm CBeebies - Bedtime Stories David Tennant reading
Monday 21st December 10.35-11.20pm BBC1 - The Graham Norton Show - Best Of (featuring David Tennant's appearance)

Tuesday 22nd December 6.50-7.00pm Cbeebies - Bedtime Stories David Tennant reading
Tuesday 22nd December 7.00-8.00pm BBC3 - Doctor Who – The Next Doctor (Repeat)
Tuesday 22nd December 9.30-10.00pm BBC2 - Never Mind The Buzzcocks (Repeat)

Wednesday 23rd December 6.50-7.00pm Cbeebies - Bedtime Stories David Tennant reading
Wednesday 23rd December 7.00-8.00pm BBC3 - Doctor Who – Planet of the Dead (Repeat)

Thursday 24th December 6.00-9.25am ITV1 - GMTV - David Tennant interview
Thursday 24th December 9.30-10.15am BBC1 - Doctor Who - Dreamland (Repeat)
Thursday 24th December 6.50-7.00pm Cbeebies - Bedtime Stories David Tennant reading
Thursday 24th December 7.00-8.00pm BBC3 - Doctor Who – The Waters of Mars (Repeat)
Thursday 24th December 10.00-10.30pm BBC1 - QI David Tennant panellist

Friday 25th December 11.15-12.10pm BBC1 - The Sarah Jane Adventures - The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith (Repeat)
Friday 25th December 6.00-7.00pm BBC1 - The End of Time - Part One (Also on BBC HD)
Friday 25th December 7.00-8.00pm BBC3 - Doctor Who Confidential (Also on BBC HD)
Friday 25th December 10.30-11.20pm BBC1 - Catherine Tate: Nan's Christmas Carol David Tennant guest-stars

Saturday 26th December 10.00am-1.00pm BBC Radio 2 - David Tennant and Catherine Tate - sitting in for Jonathan Ross
Saturday 26th December 5.05-8.10pm BBC2 - Hamlet - David Tennant stars

Sunday 27th December 11.15am-12.00pm BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs - David Tennant
Sunday 27th December 6.50-7.00pm Cbeebies - Bedtime Stories David Tennant reading
Sunday 27th December 4.45-7.45pm BBC HD - Hamlet - David Tennant stars
Sunday 27th December 7.00-8.00pm BBC3 - The End of Time - Part One (Repeat)

Monday 28th December 6.50-7.00pm Cbeebies - Bedtime Stories David Tennant reading

Tuesday 29th December 5.00-6.00pm BBC Radio 2 - Who On Who? David Tennant interviews Russell T Davies
Tuesday 29th December 6.50-7.00pm Cbeebies - Bedtime Stories David Tennant reading
Tuesday 29th December 10.20-11.20pm Channel 4 - Alan Carr: Chatty Man David Tennant and Catherine Tate guest
Tuesday 29th December 10.55-11.40pm BBC1 - QI David Tennant panellist (Extended Repeat)

Wednesday 30th December 6.50-7.00pm Cbeebies - Bedtime Stories David Tennant reading

Thursday 31st December 6.50-7.00pm Cbeebies - Bedtime Stories David Tennant reading
Thursday 31st December 2.00-3.00pm BBC HD - Doctor Who at the Proms (Repeat)

Friday 1st January 12.55-1.55pm BBC1 - The End of Time - Part One (Repeat)
Friday 1st January 6.40-7.55pm BBC1 - The End of Time - Part Two (Also on BBC HD)
Friday 1st January 7.55-8.55pm BBC3 - Doctor Who Confidential (Also on BBC HD)
Friday 1st January 8.55-9.30pm BBC3 - Doctor Who Greatest Moments - The Doctor (Repeat)


Finally if you fancy a trip to the cinema this Christmas, why not pop in to see the new St Trinians movie which co-stars.....yep you guested it....David Tennant. Phew...that man gets everywhere!!

Yep its me again.......(I know Im a tad enthusiatic - but just endulge me as it's Christmas afterall, Lol). Anyway here's the Radio Times preview (minor spoilers) for parts 1 and 2 of The End of Time:-

The End of Time Part 1:-
Preparations for Christmas are in full swing, but menace enfolds the Earth. Its inhabitants are haunted by strange dreams of an unknown man's insane laughter, and Wilfred (the splendid Bernard Cribbins) in particular is suffering - seeking peace in a church, away from his daughter and grand-daughter, the Doctor's former assistant Donna (Catherine Tate).
Its a quiet start to the first of David Tennant's two valedictory episodes, but then in so many ways this isn't, of course, any 'ordinary' Doctor Who, because we know that the Doctor's death is coming. Russell T Davies's thoughtful story is thus suffused with melancholy as the Doctor struggles to come to terms with his mortality.
There's a lot of introspection as the Doctor prepares for his final great battle, after an Ood tells him "something vast is stirring in the dark". It's The Master (John Simm). He's back and he means to enslave us all! (Alison Graham)

The End of Time Part 2:-
Tonight's a night where we ring out the old with the ending of 'Gavin & Stacey' and, on a more epic scale, we bid a last farewell to the tenth Doctor in what will doubtless be one of the defining moments of 2010 television. Yes it's only 1st January, but lets face it, regenerations featuring beloved TV characters dont happen that often.
As Russell T Davies's story concludes, the tenth Doctor (David Tennant) faces the end of his life as the Master's insane, terrifying plans spin out of control.
With the sound of drums growing ever louder, and an ancient trap encircling the Earth, it's down to the Doctor and faithful, redoubtable old soldier Wilf (Bernard Cribbins) to fight on alone. But there have to be terrible sacrifices as the prophecy "He will knock four times" finally comes to pass. You will cry your eyes out. (Alison Graham)

OMG only 1 more day to go before the Christmas Doctor Who....can hardly contain my excitement now...squee!!!

I think technically you're not containing your enthusiasm but we'll let you off as it's christmas

Damn you RTD, this is going to feel like a very long week waiting to see how they resolve that cliffhanger...

Well if you're like me and now chomping at the bit for more teasers from next week's episode, then just follow the web-link below to the BBC's website where you can view a trailer and watch an exclusive scene from episode 2 - which hints at epic things afoot as we delve into ....The TIME WAR (squee)!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/episodes/S0_09

I think you should blame RTD, But the BBC schedulars for this cruel and unusal treatment, and to think we pay our licence fee`s to be treated like this...........disgraceful i shall be complaing to my MP.

Myke

did i see a touchwood gauntlet ???

Kevin said:

did i see a torchwood gauntlet ???

Well, the Time Lords always seem to have had a penchant for naming things after themselves so I suppose we should now christen Rassilon's glove as; "The Gauntlet of Rassilon", (of the "Mitten of Rassilon" - ), which can now be added to his other technological feats/artifacts such as; The Sash of Rassilon, The Rassilon Imprimatur, The Crown of Rassilon, The Key of Rassilon, the Coronet of Rassilon, The Harp of Rassilon, The Ring of Rassilon, and the Black Scrolls of Rassilon. Maybe it was indeed one of a similar pair that we saw previously in Torchwood?

Loved the episode btw, cried buckets as Doctor 10's regeneration loomed-ever nearer whilst he quietly visited and said goodbye to his friends, and when he said his final words came, "I dont want to go", I was thinking that there must have been millions of viewers (myself included) sobbing to themselves "yes I dont want you to go either". Then - Wham - the new Doctor arrived amidst an exploding console room ("Legs, I've got legs!") - and I quickly forgot about Tennant (im so fickle like that), as I marvelled at the new guy and then having seen the preview-trailer for the 2010 series I was thinking - gosh cant wait to see the Moffat/Smith era which then left me on a huge high for hours afterwards!!

well i thought i'd put forward my thoughts about this years doctor who fest of christmas 09

First off overall i enjoyed the 2 episodes although i have to say i felt with part 1 it was more of a torchwood episode with the storyline being convoluted making it difficult for the kids to follow and therefor enjoy as much as they have done on some of the other episodes.

highlights for me
the return of galifrey : particularly liked the special effects of the war damage to the dome
Rassilon : played very well by timothy dalton
The ending of david tenant as the doctor with his travelling to his companions was extreamly well done , and to mirror chris's views you certainly ended up feeling for the doctor
the new doctor : a good entrance , i will be interested on what kind of things he will bring to the part , im thinking a slight crazyiness , fast pace.


a good couple of episodes although not my favourites

Ben

for me it should have ended with Tennant walking in to the glass box, to save Cribbins.

But i get the need to draw a line under the tennant/T Davies era so could stomach the LOTR ending, but he should have told Jack to return home and rebuild...Torchwood or tell him to find Torchwood 3. i may have passed out if that would have happened.

The Capt Jack scene was a really nice touch - it was like the Doctor Who equivalent of the Star Wars Cantina in Mos Eisley, (and Im tempted to replay the scene-mute with the Cantina-Band music playing on my stereo to accompany it now - Lol). Maybe after flirting with Alonso, Jack will now feel a bit perkier (!) and ready to return home to restart Torchwood series 4!