The BBC has released the first trailer for it’s new World War I set drama called Birdsong.

Eddie Redmayne (My Week With Marilyn, Richard II) and Clemence Poesy (28 Days Later, Harry Potter) star as the passionate young lovers Stephen and Isabelle, brought together by love and torn apart by the First World War, in BBC One’s adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’s modern classic, Birdsong.

It will air on the BBC soon and has been picked up by PBS in the USA.

Preview of New BBC World War I Drama – Birdsong is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Derek Jacobi (The King’s Speech; Borgias; My Week With Marilyn) and Anne Reid (Upstairs, Downstairs; Marchlands) lead the cast in a new romantic comedy series, Antony And Cleopatra, made by Red Production Company for BBC One.

Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid lead cast in new romantic comedy series, Antony And Cleopatra is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Five new dramas reflecting the strategy for drama on BBC One were announced by Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning, at the Broadcasting Press Guild lunch today (Wednesday 11 January).

BBC Commissions Slate of New Dramas – One about the War of the Roses! is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Herein lies a special review: Taylor’s immediate reaction to her first viewing of the new Sherlock.

I am thoroughly prepared to eat my words upon second viewing but this reflects my initial thoughts.

~Warning. Spoilers abound and post is sorely unedited or proofread~

I feel like there are two reviews I want to write regarding the newest Sherlock episode ‘A Scandal in Belgravia’. The first is a glowing review of the superb cast, lovely direction, and interesting story line. The other is a bit of a canon related lament, which I honestly feel guilty about given the treatment of Irene Adler characterwise.

Perhaps I went into things with my expectations too high, but I honestly was not all that impressed.

However, I wouldn’t want the more casual viewer to get the wrong impression. The episode was quite a joy, the character development that was brought in felt like a special treat. I was particularly happy with new glimpses we get at the relationship between the Holmes brothers. The combination of fine acting and subtle writing perfectly struck a balance between the lack of emotion shown by the brothers and the level of care and concern they each feel for each other.

Other stand out moments certainly included:

• Sherlock’s concern for Mrs. Hudson and the particular brand of payback he dishes out to her attacker
• John’s ugly jumpers, the real reason I watch anyway
• The list of cases at the beginning of the episode and the way the harken back to the canon stories, particularly fond of the The Speckled Blonde
• Sherlock’s stealing of an ash tray from Buckingham Palace
• In fact, all of the scenes at Buckingham Palace. The playful banter between Sherlock and John is simply shining
• Sherlock’s shamming at being a priest who has been attacked
• Sherlock sincerely apologizing to Molly

I’m sure I’ll think of much more but I’ll leave it at that for now, as this review is intended to be an immediate reaction, and I should like to move on without thinking about it way too much.

Now, for the bad. Actually, I don’t think bad is the correct word. Disappointing might be better. I am so very happy that Irene Adler was not treated as a love interested and was shown as an equal to Sherlock. However, the show once again fell into two traps I’m not particularly fond of:. 1. Irene, while she does get the best of Holmes momentarily, does not come out of it completely victorious. It seems as if for the sake of storyline and fan we once again have a case of, Sherlock can’t be defeated fully. and 2. Despite proving her self a strong and intelligent character, Irene is not only working for Moriarty, but vulnerable to many different agencies of higher up bad guys.

Again, this does not detract from the episode itself, but for me, as a person who has been nothing but thrilled with the canon plausibility of the the series as a whole, I had really hoped that we would see an Irene who was working for herself, not involved in a larger plot, and ultimately victorious over Sherlock completely.

I would most certainly suggest that everyone watch it however. Even if you’re a die hard Sherlockiana, the departures from canon do little to impact the magnificence of the shows writing, acting, and directing. Feel free to send us your comments on twitter @BakerStBabes and maybe we’ll have time to address them in one of our Sherlock reaction episodes in the coming weeks.

Sherlock: Series 2 Episode 1 – A Baker Street BabeTalks BBC’s Sherlock – A Scandal in Belgravia is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Happy Holidays to everyone in Anglotopia land!  May the holidays and Boxing Day find you well and in good health!

Who fandom is very excited about the Christmas Special this weekend. It will indeed be good to see Matt Smith again for the first time in what seems like ages. The Christmas Special seems entrenched as a DW tradition so lets all hope this one is fantastic.

I really enjoyed last years and can only hope Team Moffat lives up to the hype.

As the year closes Doctor Who remains a huge ratings phenomenon on both sides of the Atlantic. Matt Smith’s Doctor has achieved a great deal of love and fondness from fans of the show and he’s one of the reasons why the show has really become the juggernaut that it is.

As we move into 2012 we’ll see the show change and reshape itself once more. Hopefully it’ll remain awesome and innovative and continue to draw new fan engagement. One thing is for sure, it s not going away anytime soon.

The success of Doctor Who this year is a staggering achievement in the history of the program. It has never been this massive or this epic in scope and scale.

Changes are coming next year for the show, but fear not, it should still remain the cultural institution and an innovative television show that it is now.

But it will be interesting to see where all of this is going…

THE DOCTOR THE WIDOW & THE WARDROBE UPDATE

The UK DVD cover has been released by 2 Entertain along with information on the DVD release of this year’s Christmas Special.It will be released in North America on February 14, 21012.

The DVD will feature the Christmas Special along with the Prequel video and three forty five minute documentaries, Best Of The Doctor, Best Of The Monsters
and Best Of The Companions.

I think the three docs were the ones screened on BBC America.

SPOLIERY BITS AND REVIEWS

It is set in 1941

There are trees in it

The Outer Space Park Patrol is on the job

Amy and Rory are in a teeny weeny bit of it

The Doctor wears a space suit

Yes it is Christmassy

References are made to Eccleston and Davison era stories

Some early reviews from people who have already seen it think that Matt Smith is terrific in it

Opinions vary on the pacing of the show with some saying it is convoluted and others saying it is dull

Bill Bailey is said ot be very funny in it but underused

Holly Earl is amazing in this as Lily and said to be companion material. Hmm……

Despite all of this I am looking forward to seeing it and hoping so much that is does not suck as it is the last we’ll see of The Doctor for quite some time. Sigh.

HARTNELL AT CHRISTMAS

Something remarkable happened during Episode 7 of The Daleks’ Master Plan (titled, the Feast of Steven).

William Hartnell broke character to wish the audience at home a Merry Christmas. Although the video has been lost, the moment has been reconstructed on You Tube with existing  audio! The episode aired on Christmas Day, 1965.

This is the only time the show has broken down the invisible wall with the audience and it is a shame that no video of it exists. At the time that it occurred it was said to be pretty amazing.

TOMB OF THE CYBERMEN DVD EXTRAS

The Revisitations 3 Box Set in the UK is featuring an all new, fully remastered version of Tomb of The Cybermen. This version will still have audio commentaries from Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling along with some nifty extra features, including two new documentaries.

Here is a list o f the new extra features:

The Lost Giants-Making of Tomb of the Cybermen

The Curse of the Cybermen’s Tomb

The Magic of Vidfire

Cybermen-Extended Edition

Sky Ray Advert

Photo Gallery

Easter Egg

THE THREE DOCTORS DVD EXTRAS

Another release in the Revisitations 3 Box Set is 1973′s, The Three Doctors which was the 10th anniversary special for the program. The DVDS in the box set will be released as separate titles as well. Each DVD will also include the original DVD extras from their debut release.

The Three Doctors has three new features attached to it as extras:

Happy Birthday To Who

Girls, Girls, Girls-The 1970s

Was Doctor Who Rubbish?

Girls, Girls, Girls looks at the show’s female companions of the 1970s. Happy Birthday to Who focusing on the hoopla of the show’s 10 year anniversary.

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE

Another nifty 11th Doctor graphic novel is out from IDW publishing. This one sees The Doctor, Rory and Amy in a completely new, non-TV adventure. Tim Lee has again recreated the feel of the show in the pages of his comics.

From the publisher:

Join the Doctor and his companions, Amy and Rory, as they travel to the far reaches of space-a vacation planet built on a rift where multiple alternate adventures overlay each other-and the distant past-where our heroes must face Vikings to save their friend and the future of Britain! This book collects issues #5-8 of the ongoing series, written by Tony Lee with art by Mark Buckingham (Fables) and Matthew Dow Smith, and cover by Tommy Lee Edwards (Turf).

FOURTH DOCTOR AUDIO NEWS

Big Finish has released the tiles for for stories in the next round of 4th Doctor audio adventures. These stories, slated for release in 2013, will reteam Tom Baker with Mary Tamm as the first Romana. John Leeson will also be back as the voice of K-9. The titles of the final two stories will be announced at a later date.

Here are the titles:

The Auntie Matter by Jonathan Morris

The Sands of Life by Nicholas Briggs

War Against the Laan-by Nicholas Briggs

Phantoms of the Deep by Jonathan Morris

The Sands of Life and War Against the Laan are one continuing story by Nicholas Briggs. With Hayley Atwell, Toby Hadoke and David Warner as guest stars this looks to be epic!

Former Borg Queen, Alice Kriege guest stars in Phantoms of The Deep.

Julia Mckenzie (Miss Marple) guest stars in Auntie Matter.

BAKER IN JAGO & LITEFOOT AUDIO

(photo courtesy of Big Finish & Tom Richardson)

Tom Baker will also guest star in the Jago & Litefoot audio series, reprising his role as The Doctor in their season five audio The Justice of Lalxar. Jago and Litefoot were introduced in The Talons of Weng Chiang.

THE OSEIDON ADVENTURE

The final release in the first season of The Fourth Doctor Adventures has been announced by Big Finish.

The Doctor is in it pretty deep as he battles both the Kraals and the Master in thrilling climax to his first season of audio adventures. The Oseidon Adventure is penned by Alan Barnes and features the return of Geoffrey Beevers as The Master and Louise Jameson as Leela.

It is scheduled for release next month!

This should be fun since The Kraals were last seen onscreen in The Android Invasion and fans have long been clamoring for their return.

For information on all things Big Finish visit: www.bigfinish.com

DAVID TENNANT READS CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

Former Tenth Doctor David Tennant was hand picked by the Ian Fleming estate to voice the audio sequel to Ian Fleming’s book and film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

(picture courtesy of Ianfleming.com)

Tennant’s voice can be heard on the audio adaptation of Frank Cottell Boyce’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again, a sequel to Fleming’s book.

He spoke with The Guardian earlier this week and called the story, ‘very clever, slightly surreal and hugely readable.’

Hear the interview here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/audio/2011/dec/21/david-tennant-chitty-chitty?newsfeed=true

Download information for the story is here: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-flies/id469400803?mt=11

Next time…More DVD News, XMAS Special Wrap Up, The Other Season 7 and more!

Doctor Whooligan: 2011 Doctor Who Christmas Special, Christmas With The First Doctor, DVDs, David Tennant, Graphic Novels, The Kraals Are Back, Big Finish Audio News is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The BBC has released a series of 4 trailers for Sherlock Series 2. We thought it was kind of lame they were released individually and only 20-30 seconds long making it a pain to watch them all, so we took them and combined them into one big video which is over 2 minutes of Sherlock Holmes series 2 goodness.

Check it out below:

Sherlock season 2 airs on the BBC starting January first and in the USA on PBS in May.

Sherlock: BBC Releases 4 Sherlock Series 2 Trailers For Your Viewing Pleasure is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Doctor Who and Sherlock Showrunner Stephen Moffat appeared on BBC Breakfast today talking about the Doctor Who Christmas Special and the New Year’s return of the hit show Sherlock.

Check it out below:

Doctor Who: Steven Moffat on BBC Breakfast talking about Doctor Who and Sherlock is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The BBC has released two new preview clips from their upcoming adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations starring Gillian Anderson.

Pip Returns to Satis House – Great Expectations – BBC One

Pip returns to Satis House a young gentleman. He is reunited with Miss Havisham and Estella. Miss Havisham has great hopes for their future.

Miss Havisham Interrogates Pip – Great Expectations – BBC One

Miss Havisham asks orphan Pip about his dead parents and siblings as Estella listens in. She suggests that perhaps if Pip has been spared, he might be meant for something special.

Great Expectations: BBC Releases Two Clips from New Dickens Drama is a post from: Anglotopia.net

When QR codes were first developed in 1994, few people thought they would ever catch on – they were often dismissed as another weird Japanese trend. It’s hard to believe that it took a full 15 years for these nifty techno gadgets to become mainstream, but today they can be seen everywhere – even on television.

What are QR codes?

QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes that can be read by a cell phone that has a camera. When scanned, the code links the phone to an online destination. QR barcodes provide a means by which items in the real world can link cell phone users to sites on the internet. The emergence of QR codes means that label specialists, like South East Labels (www.southeastlabels.co.uk), now have a host of new clients who want to tap into the potential of using QR codes for advertising.

Growing Popularity

Today, QR barcodes can be seen in every major city. They are generally used in missing puzzle-piece advertisements, which only make sense when the QR barcode is activated. Subways, billboards and bus stops are all being decorated with QR adverts on huge custom printed labels. In recent months the QR fad has been so successful that television shows are also starting to incorporate them.

BBC Experiments

The BBC has been at the forefront of experimentation with QR labels in television. They have used QR labels in several shows, and techno-junkies have been flooding online forums with discussions dedicated to the use of QR labels on television – some bloggers have gone as far as saying that QR labels might feature on all television shows in the near future.

Cooking Shows

A common complaint lodged against cooking shows is that there isn’t enough time for viewers to write down the recipes in order to replicate the show’s featured meal at home. BBC has provided a solution to this problem by introducing QR barcodes on their cooking shows. A QR code, which links to the featured meal’s recipe and procedure, was first used on BBC at the end of the first episode of Simon Hopkinson’s ‘The Good Cook.’

Time issue

The use of QR barcodes has created a small logistical issue for BBC, because it’s still unclear how much time viewers need to scan the code. The QR code used in ‘The Good Cook’ was onscreen for only 7 seconds, and some viewers felt that this wasn’t quite enough time to get out their phones to activate the link.

The Fades Series

The innovative creatives at Red Bee Media found a way around the time issue by superimposing a cut-out of a QR code over the trailer for BBC’s ‘The Fades’. The trailer, which ran for 32 seconds, featured the QR code for its full duration. They also added the enticing tagline “scan to reveal” in order to pull in the public.

What this means

Media linking through QR codes is thinning the line between the real and virtual worlds. Today, a member of the public simply needs to scan a billboard to enter a company’s online store. The use of QR codes on television simply means that QR codes are an important part of modern media and they are likely to hang around for a while.

Guest Post: The BBC Experiments with QR Codes is a post from: Anglotopia.net

On January 3, Jamie Oliver (@JamieOliver) returns to BBC AMERICA with a new six part series, Jamie’s American Road Trip. In a country as diverse as the United States, Jamie has found an opportunity for the ultimate food trip – a chance to explore places, ingredients, food culture and traditions. This epic journey takes Jamie to the heart of America: its people, culture, music and most importantly, its food. Jamie’s American Road Trip premieres on Tuesday, January 3, 10:00pm ET/PT.

With the intent of unearthing the heart of great American food, getting past the junk and super-sized portions, Jamie set out on what he knew would be an inspiring trip. Jamie’s instincts were right on. From New York to New Orleans, the dynamism of Los Angeles to the big skies of Wyoming, he found what he was looking for – some of the most diverse and delicious recipes he has ever come across.

Jamie delves deep into American society to uncover fascinating personal stories, try real American food and meet the most interesting but unsung chefs and food producers the country has to offer.

On a journey of discovery into parts of this vast country that few visitors rarely see, Jamie meets cowboys in Wyoming, an alligator-hunting grandmother in Louisiana, ex-gang members in LA and high-society ladies in Georgia. He finds Native Americans fighting to preserve their food culture in Arizona and experiences New York’s ‘melting pot’ of street food.

Jamie Oliver first debuted on BBC AMERICA with his series The Naked Chef in 2007. Jamie’s American Road Trip is a Fresh One production that is distributed internationally by FremantleMedia Enterprises.

SYNOPSES

Episode 1 – Louisiana

Jamie touches down in Louisiana just weeks after Hurricane Gustav has wreaked havoc in New Orleans and the surrounding area. On a quest to understand why people continue to live in a place that keeps getting battered by hurricanes, Jamie finds a state full of people who use food as a way to celebrate life and keep the party going through adversity. In New Orleans he meets ‘gumbo queen’, Leah Chase, whose Creole restaurant is finally back on its feet after Hurricane Katrina. He also meets local jazz star, Kermit Ruffins, who is famous for his street barbecue and knows the city inside out. Jamie journeys into Cajun country where he spends time with an alligator-hunting grandmother, Sydney Mae Durand. He tastes and cooks his way through the Cajun and Creole staples before coming across a restaurant where the party has abruptly stopped. McGee’s Landing has been destroyed by the recent hurricane; the roof and kitchen ripped away. Can Jamie help put the Louisiana spirit back into McGee’s and get the party going again? Episode 1 – Louisiana -premieres on Tuesday, January 3, 10:00pm ET/PT.

Episode 2 – New York

Even though Jamie has been visiting New York for over 10 years he has never ventured out of Manhattan. This trip takes him away from the high-end restaurants and 5-star hotels he’s used to and drops him in the middle of the world’s most ethnically diverse area: Queens. Jamie uncovers things he’s never imagined: a restaurant run in a family’s living room and another making home-cooked Colombian food for illegal immigrants. He also stumbles across an ‘anti-restaurant’ scene, where people open their homes to strangers; provide them with restaurant quality food for wallet-friendly prices and send them away happy. These are known as supper clubs. After exploring the Egyptian, Peruvian & Szechuan communities in Queens, Jamie decides to host his own supper club, with a menu that pays homage to New York’s eclectic mishmash of food cultures. Episode 2 – New York -premieres on Tuesday, January 10, 10:00pm ET/PT.

Episode 3 – The Navajo Reservation

With no experience in backpacking or roughing it, Jamie finds himself in unknown territory during the harsh Arizona Winter. He leaves the tourist trail to spend time with the Navajo Indians on the largest reservation in America. Staying with Mayor Elect Roy Kady, who also happens to be a sheep farmer, Jamie witnesses Navajo traditions up close: from butchery, to overnighting in a hogan, and cooking with elders. He also gets a crash course in Navajo spirituality. It doesn’t take long before Jamie realizes that, despite being the original American people, Native American’s are in danger of losing their food culture completely. Isolated from the rest of the country and with no mobile signal, Jamie ventures into some of the most unchartered terrain in the US. Episode 3 – The Navajo Reservation -premieres on Tuesday, January 17, 10:00pm ET/PT.

Episode 4 – Georgia Road Trip

Jamie goes in search of the best cheap food in America. He starts his journey in Georgia, one of the country’s poorest states and the birthplace of the civil rights movement. Despite the recession, Jamie finds a hopeful nation following the election of President Obama, and a people determined to make the best food possible with limited finances and ingredients. His journey becomes an exploration of communal dining: pot-luck church dinners, street parties, ladies’ tea parties and family roasts. Edging down the Georgia coast, Jamie hears about a huge barbecue competition in Florida. With a team of people he’s met along the way he decides to try his luck against some of America’s most experienced barbecue cooks. Episode 4 – Georgia Road Trip -premieres on Tuesday, January 24, 10:00pm ET/PT.

Episode 5 – Los Angeles

Los Angeles is synonymous with glitz, glamour and the American dream. But, just a few miles east of the Hollywood sign lives America’s largest concentration of Mexican immigrants. Jamie isn’t in LA living it up; he’s living the LA lifestyle for real. East LA is notorious for gangs, drugs and violence, but alongside these problems Jamie discovers a community proud of its food, committed to family and striving to make the American dream a reality. Episode 5 – Los Angeles -premieres on Tuesday, January 31, 10:00pm ET/PT.

Episode 6 – Wyoming

The ultimate boy’s trip. Jamie wants to see if the clichés of Hollywood westerns are all they’re cracked up to be. He’s always wondered what life as a cowboy is like and in Wyoming, he finally gets to find out. His trip begins in Sheridan, where Annie Proulx conceived the idea for her novel, Brokeback Mountain. Jamie visits a rodeo before heading into the wilds upstate to see if he can cut it living and working on a real American ranch, and cooking for proper cowboys.Episode 6 – Wyoming -premieres on Tuesday, February 7, 10:00pm ET/PT.

This post was republished from the BBC America Press Feed

Jamie Oliver Returns to BBC America on January 3rd with his American Road Trip is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Big news today in the cable news realm – the 24 hour BBC World News Network is making a nationwide rollout to Comcast subscribers, starting this year.

According to the New York Times:

The BBC will announce on Tuesday a first-of-its-kind deal for Comcast to carry the BBC World News channel, opening the door to wider distribution for the channel within the United States.

The carriage agreements come nearly a year after the BBC charted a new course for expansion in the United States, where it believes that viewers’ appetites for international news are not being satisfied by the likes of CNN, Fox News and MSNBC.

“We’re a global news organization for a globalized world,” Peter Horrocks, the BBC’s director of global news, said in a phone interview Monday.

The channel also believes that the United States can be a crucial component of its commercial revenue going forward. While the BBC is subsidized by British taxpayers, BBC World News is commercially supported through ads and distribution fees, just like its bigger sister channel in the United States, BBC America.

Until now, BBC World News has been available in just about six million United States homes, mostly in New York City and Washington.

In the deal with Comcast, the nation’s largest cable provider, it will be available by the end of the month in some — but not all — of the Comcast homes in Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, Minneapolis and other markets. It will come on in some of the company’s markets next year, for a total of nearly 15 million homes by the end of 2012, Mr. Horrocks said.

Source.

This is fantastic news (we’re Comcast subscribers) and can’t wait until we start getting the channel. If you’re sick of American-style cable news networks, this channel will be the antidote to that.

Will you watch this new channel?

Big News – BBC World News 24 Hour News Network Coming to Comcast is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Big news today direct from the BBC. Two long lost episodes of Doctor Who have been recovered by the BBC and will be released on DVD in due course.

From the BBC:

Episode 3 of the William Hartnell adventure “Galaxy 4″ and Episode 2 of Patrick Troughton’s “The Underwater Menace” were purchased by film collector Terry Burnett at a village fete near Southampton in the early 80s. He had been unaware that the canisters contained material missing from the BBC.

Thanks to the kind loan by Mr Burnett, the classic footage has been shown today at the British Film Institute’s annual “Missing Believed Wiped” event at the National Film Theatre in London. Host at the event was Doctor Who writer and actor Mark Gatiss who said: “Christmas has come early for Doctor Who fans everywhere. It’s always wonderful when a missing episode turns up but it’s been years since the last one so to have two is just brilliant. Add to that a proper bit of action from the legendary Chumblies (and the horrifying Rills!) plus the utterly mesmeric Patrick Troughton on great form. Well, what more could we all ask for?”

Over 100 episodes of Doctor Who from the 1960s still remain missing. The tapes were routinely wiped once the rights to repeat them had expired. It seems unfathomable to us today, but before the advent of DVDs and iPlayer, grainy black and white material was thought to no longer be of interest to the television audience. However, many film prints sold overseas have since been returned. These latest discoveries are the first complete episodes to have been located since 2004.

The BBC released a couple clips which you can watch below:

Clip from Galaxy 4, Episode 3 – We’re delighted to present a clip from the recently discovered William Hartnell episode, Galaxy 4, Episode 3

Clip from The Underwater Menace, Episode 2 – We’re delighted to present a clip from the recently discovered Patrick Troughton episode, The Underwater Menace, Episode 2.

Here’s a photo gallery of stills from the lost episodes:

Doctor Who: Two Lost Episodes Recovered by the BBC – Videos and Pictures is a post from: Anglotopia.net

A few days ago we posted a great interview with Gillian Anderson about her upcoming role in the BBC’s new version of Great Expectations. Now we have the first trailer preview.

Check it out below:

Lavish adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens novel in which orphan Pip becomes a gentleman when his life is transformed by a mystery benefactor.

Great Expectations Trailer – BBC One – Gillian Anderson Starring is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Our highly competitive, sharp-witted and passionate news trio will be joined by a host of new characters in BBC Two’s first original British returning drama series since The Cops.

Peter Capaldi, Hannah Tointon and Tom Burke join all-star cast in second series of The Hour is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The BBC has released a series of trailers to promote their Christmas 2011 Christmas Special lineup.

BBC One Christmas 2011 – Christmas Feast

A taste of BBC One’s Christmas line up for 2011 featuring EastEnders, Lapland, Absolutely Fabulous, The Royal Bodyguard, Doctor Who, Frozen Planet, Mrs Brown’s Boys, Winter Wipeout, Strictly Come Dancing, The Borrowers, Great Expectations, John Bishop’s Britain, The Graham Norton Show, The Gruffalo’s Child, The Michael McIntyre Comedy Roadshow and Lost Christmas with appearances from (amongst a festive host of others) Jennifer Saunders, Sir David Jason, Sue Johnston, Sir David Attenborough, Matt Smith, Joanna Lumley, David Suchet, Christopher Eccleston, Ray Winston and Stephen Fry.

BBC One Christmas 2011 – Comedy and Entertainment

BBC Christmas Comedy featuring Outnumbered, Absolutely Fabulous, The Royal Bodyguard, Strictly Come Dancing, The Graham Norton Show, John Bishop’s Britain, The Michael McIntyre Comedy Roadshow, Winter Wipeout, Lapland, Mrs Brown’s Boys.

BBC One – Christmas Drama 2011 Trailer

Clips from Great Expectations, Doctor Who, Sherlock and more!

BBC Christmas: The Beeb Releases Video Previews of their Christmas 2011 Specials is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Toby Jones will play Alfred Hitchcock in a single film which, for the first time, tells the full story of his obsessive relationship with Tippi Hedren played by Sienna Miller.

Toby Jones and Sienna Miller to star in BBC Two Hitchcock drama The Girl is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Sir David Jason stars in a brand new BBC One comedy series for the first time in 20 years, since the last series of Only Fools And Horses. The series will start screening on Monday 26th December at 9.30pm.

The Royal Bodyguard follows the escapades of Captain Guy Hubble (Sir David Jason), an ex-guardsman who saw action in Cyprus and Northern Ireland. Now Head of Security at Buckingham Palace car park, he is surprisingly appointed as Royal Bodyguard after saving the Queen’s life in an act of bravery on the day of the State Opening of Parliament.

This is much to the frustration of Hubble’s boss Colonel Dennis Whittington, who is desperate to see the back of Hubble and knows only too well about his relentless mishaps. Hubble takes his new role very seriously but soon manages to upset foreign ambassadors, his colleagues and members of the public as he haphazardly carries out his security checks and takes on personal rescue missions for the Queen and her family. Hubble manages to endanger Royal security repeatedly and on a colossal scale, yet somehow comes up smelling of roses every time.

The series also stars Geoffrey Whitehead (Worst Week Of My Life, Little Dorrit), Timothy Bentinck (Doctors, The Thick Of It, The Archers) and Tim Downie (The King’s Speech) with a special guest appearance by David Walliams (Little Britain, Come Fly With Me).

The series was commissioned by Danny Cohen, Controller, BBC One and Cheryl Taylor, Controller, Comedy Commissioning.

Danny Cohen comments: “I am absolutely delighted to welcome David Jason back to a leading comedy role on BBC One. David is a hugely talented performer and much loved by British viewers. When I read the script I knew he would be perfect for this role.”

David Jason (Touch Of Frost, Only Fools And Horses, Open All Hours) plays Captain Guy Hubble, the walking disaster who has the fate of the Royal Family in his hands.

Sir David says: “I am really enjoying working with the very talented producer Jimmy Mulville, and working on a great comedy project with the BBC. It’s good to have a laugh again!”

Jimmy Mulville comments: “When Cheryl Taylor got behind this brilliant script by Mark Bussell and Justin Sbresni, creators of The Worst Week Of My Life, and Danny Cohen suggested David Jason for the starring role, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven!”

Cheryl Taylor adds: “I couldn’t be more thrilled that one of our most celebrated and talented comedy actors will be entertaining audiences again on BBC One. Mark and Justin have written a brilliant vehicle for David Jason and I can’t wait to see the finished product.”

The Royal Bodyguard is written, directed and produced by Mark Bussell and Justin Sbresni. Produced by Hat Trick Productions and Busby Productions for BBC One, it is distributed internationally by Hat Trick International.

This post was repurposed form the BBC Press and Media feed.

Sir David Jason is The Royal Bodyguard in new Royal Themed BBC Comedy is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Do you remember this classic Office moment?

It’s finally happened The Office Special Edition is now available. The show that started the  world wide comedy phenomenon can be yours to watch whenever you want, you can own it on DVD. The entire UK series is included in this edition. The New York Times wasn’t lying when they called The Office, “pretty much the funniest show ever.”

All 12 episodes are included in this fantastic edition, with all of the hilarious moments once again brought the small screen.  The beloved two-part holiday special is also included, which is particularly fun to watch during this festive time of year.  The set also includes the pilot episode, which is really fun to watch. Every season one episode has a special recorded introduction by Ricky Gervais and Stphen Merchant. Another special feature of this edition is the awesome and super funny documentrary called, Comedy Connections: The Office, which traces the history and production of the show.There are also wonderful interviews with the cast.

I loved all of the extras included in this set. I was able to laugh even more watching the behind the scenes extras, making the episodes new again to me. I adore the dry humor of Ricky Gervais. I can totally see why this series won  two Golden Globes. My favorite part of this set was the holiday episodes, they are too funny.

You can own this awesomely hilarious set yourself on November 22. The Office Special Edition would make a wonderful holiday gift for that special person in your life. Make sure to pick one up for yourself, or win a copy here! That’s right, we are giving away a copy of The Office Special Edition to one luck winner. All you have to do, is tell us your favorite scene from the show and why. One winner will be picked at random to win this special set.

This contest is only open to those in the USA. November 29,2011 is the last day entries will be put into the drawing. Good luck!

Brit DVD Review and Contest: The Office Special Editon is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Are words like Dalek, TARDIS and The Doctor, common vocabulary in your home? Chances are that you have a major Doctor Who, fan  in your house! So with the holidays right around the corner, what are you going to get that very special Doctor Who, fan? Well if you aren’t sure, take a look at our ultimate Doctor Who, guide. There is sure to be something that is just perfect for that special person in your life. Happy Holidays!

Doctor Who Levitating TARDISWe imagine that if The Doctor were stranded on Earth for a long period of time without his real TARDIS, he’d appreciate having a smaller model to play with and admire. It’s like being a kid (of any age!) and having a collection of matchbox cars. You may not have a real Maserati, but this miniature one sure is sweet! Zoom zoom! Oh wait, that’s the sound a Mazda makes. We’re obviously not experts in such things. Anyhoo, we think a TARDISless Doctor would really love this matchbox model of his time-traveling ride. The Levitating TARDIS uses the magic of magnets (how do they work?) to make the blue police box hover inside the black base unit. With a little practice, you can gently flick the TARDIS and set it spinning. The best part? We were so excited about this… go to the nearest vending machine and purchase a bag of Skittles. Use the Skittles to create an epic battle between the Doctor and the new Daleks! As each Dalek dies, toss it in your mouth and taste the rainbow. Delicious. Product Specifications TARDIS floats like magic in mid-air with the power of magnets Spin it around and it might travel through time Hack it to fix the chameleon circuit (hey, you can TRY…) Dimensions: approx. five inches tall Requires 6AA batteries (not included)

Doctor Who Dalek Projection ClockThere you are, cozy in your PJs dreaming about a new season of The Doctor, when it hits you – you are not alone. Looming out of the dark and nebulous reaches of reality you can hear them as they float towards you, giant toilet plunger manipulator appendages at the ready, gunsticks aimed for you. It’s them. They’re here. You run, but you can’t escape. Just as fear and panic put an icy grip on you, you sit bolt upright in bed, eyes glued to the ceiling, awake. You can still hear them. You can hear their hovering bodies approach, the sound of their gunsticks firing, that dreaded cry of “Exterminate!” Etched in glowing blue above your head is the time. Your alarm clock has done its job. Maybe the Red Shiny Robots of Vortis are a myth too. But for some of us, the constant threat of death by alien robots is what keeps us going from day to day. Start your day the Dalek way – because nothing wakes you like the threat of extermination! The Dalek Alarm Clock projects the time onto your ceiling and cycles through three sound effects – hover, exterminate, and gunstick – to try to wake you from your slumber. It’s the alarm clock Davros would use if he required an alarm clock. Product Specifications Cycles through three sound effects (hover, exterminate, and gunstick) Projects time onto your ceiling! Snoozes for ten minutes when depressed Speech indicators on head flash white Requires four AA batteries (included) Approximately 9.8″ x 5.1″

Doctor Who Ride-in DalekWhen we were kids, we wanted nothing more than Power Wheels. Or an ATV. But our moms said no because they are meanies. (Hi Moms. We really don’t mean this. Okay, we did mean it when we were five, but what did we know?) Once we get our hands on the TARDIS, we’re going to have The Doctor go back to the 80s, buy a Power Wheels car, and drop it off on our front doorstep with a bow and a little gift card. Then everything will be right with the world. Until then, we’ve found the ultimate thing for the wee geeks we love in the present time: the Doctor Who Ride-In Dalek. This Red Dalek is made from a mixture of ballistic nylon and laminated rubberized polyvinyl, which is soft to the touch but extremely durable and tear resistant. While it is inflatable, this is more the quality of a snow tube, not a beach ball. A 6v battery powered motor gives 360 degree steering and a maximum speed of nearly 2 mph! It won’t hover or fly up stairs, but hey, we’ll put in that suggestion for version 2.0. A soft bumper around the edge of the Dalek will protect your walls and furniture. The steering wheel has buttons which trigger ten authentic Dalek phrases so your wee geek can let people know that their extermination is at hand. And because we know you’ll ask, no, we haven’t found one in adult sizes yet. We’ll keep looking. NOTE: Because this is imported from the UK, it will require a UK outlet adapter (not included) to be able to charge in an outlet in the USA. Product Specifications For Ages 3 – 6 years old or small older kids Maximum weight: 65 lbs Ride-in Dalek lets your wee geek exterminate their foes Red Dalek body made of extremely durable and tear resistant nylon/polyvinyl 6v rechargeable battery powered motor 360 degree steering and a maximum speed of nearly 2 mph Flashing lights give an eerie Dalek technology glow 10 authentic Dalek phrases can be triggered on the steering wheel Soft bumper on the edges protects your walls and furniture Comes in 2 parts: motorized base and inflatable body section Easy to assemble, just over 4 feet tall when fully assemble. Unfortunately, it does not hover. We hope v. 2.0 does. We checked and no, it does not come in adult sizes. Sorry! NOTE: Because this is imported from the UK, it will require a UK outlet adapter (not included) to be able to charge in an outlet in the USA.

Doctor Who TARDIS 4 Port USB HubI seek audience with the ThinkGeek Consciousness under peaceful contract, according to Convention Fifteen of the Shadow Proclamation. This is the vehicle of the Time Lord. TARDIS, or Time And Relative Dimension In Space has its chameleon circuit broken, so it’s stuck looking like an old British Police box from Earth year zero-point-five-slash-apple-slash-five-zero, or 1950 by local reckoning. That, and it’s become a 4 port USB hub a mere 11 centimeters tall. This little blue box, really an immense multi-dimensional starship capable of ludicrous speeds, sits benignly on your desk, acting as a mere conduit of digital information for your computer. 480 megabits per second of data are shared amongst its four USB 2.0 ports along the base. Press the panel on the face, and the blue-glowing light pulsates and the Tardis’ engine fires up. Don’t worry, while the engine grinds away, we’ve time-locked the Tardis so it stays put – we don’t want any accidental paradoxes, thank you. It’s not every day you can have your own piece of the Untempered Schism right there on your desktop, so be careful how you use it. The Bad Wolf is watching. Features The official Doctor Who TARDIS Hub. A 4 port USB hub replicating the 1950s Police phonebox TARDIS from the show. A flashing lantern on the TARDIS’ roof. A time-travelling sound effect. The light and sound effects are triggered when a USB device is plugged into the port. Sound effects are optional and are controlled via an on/off switch. No software required. Suitable for both PCs and Mac. Suitable for ages 8 years+. TARDIS: 11 x 6 x 6cm USB Cable: 140cm.

Doctor Who: Stone Dalek Figure Set with Exclusive Underhenge Drone DalekIncluding Stone Dalek, Roman Auton, Stone Roman Auton, Amy Pond, Sontaran and a Drone Dalek.

The Brilliant Book of Doctor Who 2011Find out everything you need to know about the Eleventh Doctor’s first year in this lavish book.

Doctor Who: TARDIS Talking Cookie JarThe TARDIS Cookie Jar stands just under 11″ tall. This TARDIS features light and sound effects activated by either pushing down on the lamp or closing the lid.

Doctor Who Insider MagazineSatisfy your thirst for fascinating facts and behind-the-scenes stories about the phenomenally popular British sciencefiction series, from first Doctor William Hartnell in 1963, through 11th Doctor Matt Smith and beyond! In each issue: star interviews, character and monster guides, news, photographs, in-depth looks at the latest Doctor Who episodes, fold-out poster and more!

Doctor WHo: TARDIS iPhone4 CaseThis stylish and cool TARDIS hard cover is designed for the new iPhone 4.

Doctor Who: Pandorica Figure and CD CollectionThe Eleventh Doctor, trapped by an alliance of his greatest foes, was imprisoned with the mysterious artifact known as the Pandorica in the penultimate episode of the fifth season of Doctor Who . The Pandorica Action Figure and CD Collection brings fans detailed 5″ action figures from the fifth season, and comes with a special Doctor Who audio CD and interlocking CD tray. The figures include the fez-wearing Eleventh Doctor, Roman Auton, Angel Bob, Cyberman Pandorica Guard, Amy Pond and the Silurian Warrior .

Doctor Who: TARDIS PlaysetThis TARDIS Play set is a reproduction of the console room of the new Eleventh Doctor’s time machine. This will make any adventure with your 5″ action figures come to life!

Doctor Who: The Masters Fob WatchBased on the Masters Fob Watch from popular BBC TV show Doctor Who. Gallifreyan engraving covers the outside of the zinc alloy case which opens to display the polished face of this iconic time-piece which again is engraved with Gallifreyan symbols. The watch also has a built-in light, which illuminates the face with a blue glow.

Doctor Who: TARDIS HoodieFeel warm and look cool while you travel through time and space in intergalactic style. Zip-up grey sweatshirt with deep kangaroo pockets, drawstring hood and levitating TARDIS design.

Doctor Who: Series 1-4 plus Specials Collection Savings SetBuy all Four Series and the Specials Collection and save!

Doctor Who 2012 Wall CalendarTake daily delight in fabulous color photos of the eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companions Amy, Rory and River Song. Scenes from their most exciting adventures in Series 5 and 6 will inspire and energize your new year.

Gift Guide: The Ultimate Doctor Who Holiday Gift Guide is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Exciting news today for audiophiles and fans of the BBC. The BBC is working on digiziting it’s entire historical radio archive so that it can be placed online in a new ‘Audiopedia.’

According to the Telegraph:

The service is being developed for launch “within the next 12 months”, said Tim Davie, director of BBC Audio and Music. “Audiopedia”, its working title, may yet become its formal name, he added.

“The BBC is working on how best to present Audiopedia at the moment but most people will probably access the new on demand content via other pieces of related content they are already listening to across the BBC website,” he explained.

The website will represent the biggest release of BBC programming on demand since the iPlayer was introduced in 2007.

As well as searching and listening to the archive, “Audiopedia” users will be able to share programmes with their friends.

The BBC is in the process of digitizing its audio and TV archives. Currently around 20 hours a week of Radio 4 archive is being added to “Audiopedia”. Davie the process was being run at a “small cost to the tax payer” and that the website will be “porous” to other broadcasters’ content.

Source.

This is awesome news! When we have more details, we will let you know!

BBC Working on Digitizing it’s Entire Radio Archive and Releasing it Online is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The topic of this post concerns a press release put out by BBC America recently that jubilantly proclaimed that ratings rose 55% year on year to the channel.

They attribute this to the success of their new Comedy and Drama TV blocks as well as the growing American popularity of Doctor Who.

We’ve often been critical for BBC America and it’s shortcomings but it’s nice to see them finally acknowledge that if they simply aired more actual British TV – instead of say Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica – then the ratings success will follow.

Have you watched BBC America more lately? I know we have.

From the press release:

BBC AMERICA registered the highest ratings growth in prime time among television networks for September 2011, up 55% year on year*. The channel also recorded its best ever quarter in Q3 prime and total day, up 18% and 23% respectively**.

BBC AMERICA General Manager, Perry Simon, said: “We’ve recorded best ever ratings three straight quarters in a row and introduced new drama and comedy destinations Dramaville and Ministry of Laughs. These results underline the sheer quality and strength of the programming we’re delivering to viewers, which will continue to grow as we add original programming to our slate in the coming months.”

The channel’s top-rated shows in Q3 included iconic sci-fi series, Doctor Who, and the world’s biggestcar show,Top Gear. It also won acclaim for 1950s conspiracy thriller The Hour and powerful detective series Luther.

BBC AMERICA airs its first unscripted original series next month, panel show Would You Rather? with Graham Norton, premiering November 5 as part of the Ministry of Laughs.

Source.

BBC America Starts Airing more Actual British TV and Surprise – Their Ratings Go Up is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Earlier this year we brought news that the BBC was planning to release a GPS device with the voice of Jeremy Clarkson in time for Christmas. The device is already on the shelves – but in an embarrassing turn around – the BBC will have to withdraw from doing such a thing again.

According to the Guardian:

The BBC has been forced into an embarrassing U-turn after it was revealed that a deal to make Top Gear satnavs voiced by Jeremy Clarkson breached its own editorial guidelines.

About 54,000 of the devices had already been made, and many of them delivered to shops, before the blunder became apparent.

The BBC’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, will now will now donate all proceeds from the sales to Children In Need to bypass rules that prevent the show’s presenters endorsing motoring products.

The Top Gear satnav features Clarkson giving instructions in typically sardonic style – amusing for Top Gear fans, no doubt, but it may begin to grate on the 100th journey.

“Keep left – if you’re not sure which side left is you really shouldn’t be on the road,” he tells drivers.

“After 700 yards, assuming this car can make it that far, you have reached your destination, with the aid of 32 satellites and me – well done.”

The corporation’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, said no more of the Top Gear satnavs, made by TomTom, would be produced.

A plan to allow existing TomTom owners to download Clarkson’s voice to update their models has now been dropped.

A BBC Worldwide spokesman said “launch plans were too advanced to prevent the physical product going on sale in retail outlets” by the time the problem was identified.

The spokesman added: “In order to avoid any perception of a conflict of interest in the minds of viewers, BBC Worldwide and TomTom have agreed that all monies that would have been due to BBC Worldwide will be paid to BBC Children in Need, together with an additional charitable donation by TomTom.”

Source.

That’s a real shame. I bet the ones that made it to the shop will become a collector’s item!

Top Gear: Jeremy Clarkson Voiced Sat-Navs (GPS) Breached BBC Guidelines is a post from: Anglotopia.net

With Summer Coming to end and most of us recovering still from our stint at Dragon*Con we thought it would be a perfect time to review how we did with our Summer Movie predictions, and then talk about what new fall TV shows we are looking forward to this year. Then, we take a look at this week’s episode of Doctor Who, ‘The Girl Who Waited’. You would think that would be enough for one week episode but then we will be talking about the final episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day, did it live up to our expectations? We will have to see.

Join us for yet another episode of The Earth Station One Podcast we like to call: The Summer’s Over & Torchwood is Done, What’s Next??

Table of Contents
0:00:00 Intro / Welcome
0:04:29 Rants & Raves
0:27:58 The Geek Seat w/ JD
0:48:51 Torchwood
1:27:17 Doctor Who
1:50:27 Fall 2011 TV Preview
2:37:00 Summer Movie Wrap Up
2:46:54 Kahn Report
2:53:16 Shout Outs
2:58:03 Show Close

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If you would like to leave feedback or a comment on the show please call the ESO feedback line at (404)963-9057 (remember long distance charges may apply) or feel free to email us @ esopodcast@gmail.com

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Earth Station One Episode 77

Earth Station One Episode 77: The Summer’s Over & Torchwood is Done, What’s Next?? is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The BBC has released a trailer/showreel for all their big shows coming this fall and winter.

Check it out below:

Can’t wait for them all!

Video: BBC Releases Fall Showreel – First Sherlock Footage is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The British TV Podcast with Chrissy & Ryan Show 96 has a feature on the UK career of Stephen Moyer before he found fame on HBO’s “True Blood.” It’s not the first time he’s played a vampire you know. Plus reviews of “Beaver Falls,” “Trollied” and “Jennifer Saunders: Laughing at the 90s.” In the news, Starz and BBC Worldwide form a partnership, the new younger Inspector Morse is cast, and BBC3 axes “Ideal” after seven seasons. Ryan also has a rant about those who willfully spoil themselves.

Listen to Show 96

British TV Podcast Show #96 – Stephen Moyer is a post from: Anglotopia.net