Doctor Who & Torchwood - Changes Coming??

[Geekyfanboy]

Take this with a grain of salt... maybe some of our UK friends can give us more insight.

Huge Changes Coming To 'Doctor Who,' 'Torchwood'?

By MICHAEL HINMAN
Source: Sci Fi Pulse
Mar-04-2008

This story contains possible MAJOR SPOILERS for upcoming seasons of "Doctor Who" and "Torchwood." This story also contains rumors that have not been independently corroborated by SyFy Portal, so treat them as you would any rumor.

Like "Torchwood" the way it is now? Like its original source show, "Doctor Who"? Well get ready for some changes.

Despite the fact that "Doctor Who" and "Torchwood" remain two of the most-watched scripted programs on British television, it appears that BBC is getting ready to make some wholesale changes to both shows, including the replacement of both stars.

According to "Dr. Phibes," a source for British genre site Sci-Fi Pulse, both David Tennant and John Barrowman are set to leave their respective programs, along with a number of other cast members.

Tennant, who is about to premiere in the show's fourth season on BBC later this spring, will apparently work through the 2009 specials leading up to the annual Christmas episode, where he will regenerate and be replaced by actor Robert Carlyle, who may be best known for his work in "The Full Monty."

According to Sci-Fi Pulse, filming for the "Doctor Who" specials in 2009 is already under way, with a wrap planned for as early as the end of this month. While Carlyle is not signed to play the role as the 11th Doctor, Dr. Phibes says that the BBC is in negotiations to sign the actor.

It won't just be "Doctor Who" getting a makeover, however. Remember that experiment BBC Two was doing where it was watering down episodes of "Torchwood" to make it more family friendly? If Dr. Phibes is correct, then it seems that they were warming up audiences to a new version of the show which will launch in the third season. So far, only five episodes have been commissioned out of the standard 13, and gone are actors Burn Gorman (Owen Harper), Naoko Mori (Toshiko Sato) and Capt. Jack Harkness' John Barrowman. In, however, is former "Doctor Who" companion Freema Agyeman, who will join the show full-time in Season 3. Eve Myles, who plays Gwen Cooper, is expected to return as well, and Barrowman is reported to be making guest appearances in the third season.

The show itself will lose some of its adult-themed content, and will be geared more toward "Doctor Who" style audiences. The goal is not to have two different series running at the same time, but instead to work as sort of a filler series for off periods of "Doctor Who," which only films a handful of episodes each year.

With the changes, "Torchwood" will move to a Saturday timeslot where "Doctor Who" currently airs.

If true, these would be some very significant changes to the Whoniverse by BBC, and a bit head-scratching as ratings for both shows in their current formats have been phenomenal.

Sci-Fi Pulse stands behind its source on this, saying he has been accurate in his reports in the past, but even that site warns this is nothing more than rumor, and should be treated as such.

"Torchwood" is currently airing on BBC Two and BBC America, while "Doctor Who" is preparing to premiere its fourth season in the spring.

[Geekyfanboy]

Carlyle Responds To Doctor Who Rumor

Written by: Michael Hickerson (SoSF Staff Journalist)

British actor Robert Carlyle says that while he'd be open to the role as the Doctor, no one from the BBC has contacted him about taking the role. Carlyle officially denied the rumored reports.

Just as we have had some misgivings about our reporting on these unsubstantiated rumors, the website Dark Horizons has also chimed in and calls into question the SciFi Pulse originated rumors that next year's specials have begun filming as production on the final episode of series four concluded just a few weeks ago, or that major shifts in "Torchwood" casting is in the making.

The other actor linked to the role should Tennant be exiting (which we must strongly re-iterate has not been confirmed by any offiical sources) would be James Nesbitt, who is best-known for his work on the BBC's mini-series "Jeckyl."

In other news, the BBC is upset with British tabloid "The Sun" for a leak of story details on the upcoming series four two-part story by Hugo-winning writer Stephen Moffatt. Moffatt wrote "Blink" and "The Girl in the Fireplace" as well as the first series two-parter "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dance."

The fued between the BBC and the Sun is nothing new. The tabloid has routinely published SPOILERS and stories about the new series, whether they're confirmed or not.

[Geekyfanboy]

"Doctor Who" & "Torchwood" Updates
By Garth FranklinMonday, September 1st 2008 12:03am

The News of the World reports that two of the upcoming "Doctor Who" TV specials will reportedly be filmed in America next year.

With the full season being replaced by at least two specials next year, word now comes that these tele-movies will include not just a U.S. setting but a U.S. assistant as well.

Showrunner Russell T. Davies "is determined to go out with a bang and the specials will be explosive - we're spending much more money on them than normal".

Meanwhile the BBC have announced that "Torchwood" will have an unusual schedule next year. As previously reported, the third season will be cut from twelve episodes to just five.

Now its reported that these episodes, operating under the moniker 'Children Of Earth', will be shown over five consecutive nights on BBC One sometime next spring.