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Finally! U.S. airdates for Tennant's last Who specials
BBC America finally announced its broadcast schedule of the final episodes of David Tennant's incarnation of Doctor Who, starting in December with "The Waters of Mars."
There are three specials left to air before Matt Smith takes over as the 11th Doctor. Following is BBC's full press release. Power up the TARDIS!
October 30, 2009 -The BBC today announced the imminent arrival of the final Doctor Who episodes starring David Tennant as the Doctor. Television's longest running science fiction series, shot in HD, has just three episodes to go before a new Doctor arrives on screen next year.The next special, Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars airs on BBC AMERICA, Saturday December 19, 9:00pm ET/PT. It stars Tennant and British stage and screen actress Lindsay Duncan (Rome, Langford) as Adelaide, his cleverest and most strong-minded companion.
All will be revealed as the Doctor and his companion Adelaide face terror on the Red Planet in one of the scariest adventures yet. Peter O'Brien (Casualty, Neighbours) guest stars as Ed, Adelaide's second-in-command at the base.
The Waters of Mars is written by Russell T Davies (Torchwood, Queer as Folk) and Phil Ford and directed by Graeme Harper. The executive producers are Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner (Torchwood, Life on Mars).
The remaining episodes, starring Tennant, will air over the holiday season as a two-part special. Airdates will be released in early December. Tennant shot a total of four specials before exiting the role - Planet of the Dead was the first one to air, last July, on BBC AMERICA.
The BBC will release The Waters of Mars and the two-part finale on DVD and Blu-ray, Tuesday, February 2, 2010. Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead is already available on DVD and Blu-ray. Releasing on February 2 are:
* Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars - DVD SRP: $14.98/BD SRP: $19.89
* Two-part special (2-disc release) - DVD SRP: $24.98 / BD SRP: $29.99
* Doctor Who: Specials Collection (5-disc release) - DVD SRP: $49.98 / BD SRP: $59.99 - contains The Next Doctor, Planet of the Dead, Waters of Mars and the two-part finale
The iconic sci-fi series originally aired on the BBC from '63 - '89 and ran on over 400 PBS stations in the '80s. This slick re-imagination of Doctor Who, created by Russell T Davies puts a fresh spin on the adventures of the iconic Time Lord and his feisty companions - who travel across the universe to protect Earth from dangerous aliens and terrifying monsters.
Doctor Who has received 67 awards in total - two BAFTAs, including Best Drama Series in '06, three Hugo Awards for Best Dramatic Presentation: Short Form in '06, '07 and '08 as well as the Saturn Award for Best International Series in '08. Doctor Who has two hit spin-off series - Torchwood, which gets its name from an anagram of Doctor Who, and one for children, The Sarah Jane Adventures.
BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). BBC Worldwide, America, with headquarters in New York and Los Angeles, brings together all of BBC Worldwide's businesses in the U.S. The company exists to maximize the value of the BBC's assets for the benefit of the UK license payer, and invests in public service programming in return for rights. The U.S. company has six core businesses: Channels, Sales and Distribution, Content and Production, Home Entertainment, Digital Media and Magazines. Under these businesses fall two key brands in the U.S. - digital cable channel BBC America and a bi-coastal production arm responsible for the smash hit Dancing with the Stars for ABC.
By divephotog at 3:49 PM ON 10/30/09
About time... Now, if they just don't mess up the series with this next Doctor.... I have watched all of the other incarnatuions of the Doctor and loved them, but the next one is a bit iffy, and a big question mark until we see the product. -kh
By sjc1963 at 4:08 PM ON 10/30/09
This new "Doctor" will be the second to last regeneration for the character. Timelords are only suppose to have 12 regenerations.......
By FarscapeOne at 4:16 PM ON 10/30/09
I think they will find a way around the 13 regeneration limit. The original series did it with The Master.
And here is how I think they will handle it.
Remember the first season finale, "THE PARTING OF THE WAYS"? The Doctor took on the emergy of the TARDIS that Rose absorbed. Now, Rose, with a thought, was able to bring Jack Harkness back from death, and made him basically immortal. Now, if the power of the TARDIS can do that for a human, imagine what it could do to a Time Lord?
I think the energy he absorbed will allow him to either have infinite regenerations or reset his "regeneration meter" back to zero.
In any case, dollars to donuts, I'll bet you that will be how they get around the 13 regeneration limit for The Doctor.
By David Dvorkin at 4:19 PM ON 10/30/09
Has the 12 regeneration rule been mentioned in the current revival of The Doctor? If so, I didn't notice it.
In any case, good ratings trump series mythology.
By KatsuKaze at 4:52 PM ON 10/30/09
They should get Rasalon to reboot his regenerations...
By Overquoted at 5:04 PM ON 10/30/09
*crying* Only three more episodes! My poor Tennant. *sobs in grief* I WANT MY SKINNY FOP BACK!
By wordwitty at 5:06 PM ON 10/30/09
why isn't the latest seaon on Sci-fi? how could sci-fi let them get away?
By Commander Taggart at 5:34 PM ON 10/30/09
This Doctor Who isn't a "re-imagination." It's a continuation. That Skiffy crapfest masquerading as "Battlestar Galactica" was a "re-imagination." It's gone (thankfully), while the well-crafted continuation lives on.
By ReTardis at 5:47 PM ON 10/30/09
Of course they will find a way for the good Doctor to carry on. If they don't then the Daleks win. EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!
By Omen at 6:53 PM ON 10/30/09
At last!
Strap into the TARDIS & lets ride.
Gonna miss David.
I'll put him 2nd to Tom Baker,
By SpacecatX at 7:03 PM ON 10/30/09
BBC worldwide offered the first run rights to BBC America first this time. If anyone blame them. You can equally blame them if Syfy doesn't get second run rights.
By kungfudalekman at 8:13 PM ON 10/30/09
First of all I think they will come up with a way around the 13th regeneration. How they do it oughta to be interesting. Let's also not forget the doctor's daughter, there is a possiblity of a spinoff series from that as well. Now I want to know what makes the doctor turn evil, as was in the case in the trial of the timelors, by colin baker. Will he become dark, or will he still be a hero, in his last regenration that's the real question.
By Casey4147 at 8:49 PM ON 10/30/09
Thing is, Tennant technically regenerated into Tennant already - in the final episode of this season. Right? So Tennant is the first actor to play two separate Doctors? The tenth and eleventh? Or are they going to explain that away somehow? Like how Romana tried on so many bodies before settling on Lalla Ward?
By Telraven at 9:12 PM ON 10/30/09
Actually I believe that the regeneration limit was imposed by the Time Lord council. There was a story in the classic series where they offered more regenerations to the Master in exchange for helping them with something.
There also has been no mention whatsoever of a limit to regerations in the new series. So I think that since the Time War and the fact that the Doctor is the last Time Lord left, (as far as anyone knows) there isn't a limit on regerations anymore.
By Timexlord at 10:00 PM ON 10/30/09
Let him regenerate into Tom Baker! I loved that guy. He was my introduction to Doctor Who on PBS in the 80s. He is and always will be the best incarnation of The Doctor.
By Chayne Lightning at 10:49 PM ON 10/30/09
David has 2 more appearances as the Doctor besides the three remaining specials.
1) airing this weekend in the UK is the Sarah Jane Adventures 2 parter - The Marriage of Sarah Jane Smith, guest starring David Tennant!
2) Dreamland, the latest animated story, (not the same animation house as the infinite quest, i understand its airing in 6 or 7 6 minute section.
By Richard at 10:52 PM ON 10/30/09
Tom Baker is still #1 in my book as well. But Eccleston & Tennant have done well and helped revive the show. Crossing my fingers Mr. Smith will be up to the challenge.
By Gaff at 2:01 AM ON 10/31/09
remember that the offer to the Master for a new series of regenerations in "The Five Doctors" was because at the time the Master had taken possession of a mortal body in "The Keeper Of Traken." If the Time Lords could convert a mortal into a Time Lord with a regenerative cycle, the technology should exist to do the same with a Time Lord, it just "wasn't done" in the society of the old series.
I always thought Susan was a mortal rescued by the Time Lords who considered the Doctor her "honorary grandfather," as we also saw an older Susan in "The Five Doctors." Perhaps the Time Lords don't reproduce but instead recruit mortals that they convert into Time Lords. Certainly looked like Dr. #7 was grooming Ace for Something Important (in the extras on one of the discs--might be "Delta And The Bannermen"--McCoy mentions that part of the idea for his proposed 4th season would be to induct Ace in the Time Lords).
By DaveBradley at 2:42 AM ON 10/31/09
Over at SFX we've seen The Waters Of Mars at a special preview screening in London, England, with Russell T Davies and David Tennant! Here's our (90% spoiler free) preview at the URL.
By The Face at 3:31 AM ON 10/31/09
Silly SciFi Wire staff....everyone knows the TARDIS is always powered up!
On another note, happy to see this special coming to America finally. :)
By Salamar at 3:39 AM ON 10/31/09
Actually, you'll find that the 13 regenerations were never mentioned at all - ever - until The Deadly Assassin. Bob Holmes wanted a good reason to bring back the Master, and invented it for this story! Everyone seems to forget that the Master - John Simm - mentions that the Time Lords brought him back to life during the Time War. I'm guessing that now the Time Lords are gone, there will *be* no limitations!
By landshark1215 at 9:06 AM ON 10/31/09
why isn't the latest seaon on Sci-fi? how could sci-fi let them get away?
wordwitty, the producers of Doctor Who decided to take a break in 2009. No full series was produced, only five specials, which I imagine will probably air eventually on Sci-Fi
By 3456 at 11:29 AM ON 10/31/09
Again, this is on BBC America which I don't get. When is the Syfy
channel going to get it which I do get???
By boyo at 12:08 PM ON 10/31/09
Back to regenerations...wasn't that a rule of the Time Lords? Not a limitation, but a law? Gallifrey is (supposedly) gone and The Doctor is (allegedly) the last Time Lord..so hasn't he become a law unto himself? Wouldn't that be a (logical) way around the 12 regeneration rule?
By antodav at 1:53 PM ON 10/31/09
I would love to watch these but I have a lot of catching up to do. I stopped watching after Rose ceased to be a regular character.
By Dr. Boo at 3:34 PM ON 10/31/09
I kinda stopped watching after Rose left also. I thought she was hot, and I'm a sucker for an accent. Would like to catch up on The Doctor myself, though. Always been a good show with a good original premise. Long live Tom Baker!
By RoseWho at 8:58 PM ON 10/31/09
If you liked Rose (Billie Piper) download the series Secret Diary of a Call Girl. You get to see all of Rose.Yum!
By KrazyJoe at 1:48 AM ON 11/01/09
"Tennant shot a total of four specials before exiting the role - Planet of the Dead was the first one to air, last July, on BBC AMERICA."
Planet of the Dead was the 2nd special. There are 5, not 4. 'The Next Doctor' was the first. 'Planet of the Dead' was 2nd. 'Waters of Mars' will be 3rd.
By BenRoethig at 8:20 PM ON 11/01/09
Great if you're one of the five people who actually gets BBCA.
By Joe B. at 2:04 AM ON 11/02/09
That's nice...I don't get BBC America and I don't know anyone that does...so why should we even care?
By Sheep Farm at 3:00 AM ON 11/02/09
I think everyone is forgetting something here about the regenerations. Most of us know that RTS is going to restore the Time Lords, potentially to the point that the Time War never happened. Believe me, Gallifrey will have no problem giving the Doctor extra lives for bringing them back. In fact, since the limit has never been mentioned in the new series, I am thinking that somehow, it no longer exist. Maybe the 8th Doctor found mortality or something. Either way, the Doctor is destined to go beyond twelve regenerations. Also, the Master did mention that the Doctor would exceed twelve in "The Trial of the Time Lords" when he said ". . . somewhere between your 12th and final regeneration."
By nic at 5:36 AM ON 11/02/09
For those who are talking about the Dr regenerating and the 13 limit - I speculate that it will be the 'Dr Donna' who regenerates for the 1st time not David T
By nilus at 9:25 AM ON 11/02/09
Wait does this mean I will actually be able to see this years Doctor Who Christmas special near Christmas without bootlegging a torrent.
That would be nice. Glad BBC America is showing these now, Always thought it was dumb that Sci-Fi channel would air the Holiday specials in March.
By JBHypno at 4:53 PM ON 11/02/09
I think The Doctor is expecting a 13 regeneration limit. In The Next Doctor he said, and I am paraphrasing here, "You are the next doctor or the next but one". This implies 2 more regenerations after DT. If you take into account the partial regeneration after getting shot by the Daleks then 2 is all he has left without some sort of outside intervention.
By rtavi at 4:55 PM ON 11/02/09
I Get DISH network just so I can get Supernatural on CW and Who on BBCA. I originally moved to it when I had to follow Buffy to the old WB network and have kept it ever since
By rtavi at 4:57 PM ON 11/02/09
Also Who is better on BBCA than SYFY cause they dont cut the episodes as they do on SYFY
By akaKJB at 5:54 PM ON 11/02/09
The reason SyFy (ugh) didn't get the most recent series of specials is because they go after them hard enough. This is the same network that was offered the first season of the new series and passed more than once until it started to become a huge hit everywhere else and viewers demanded it. I don't blame BBC America (which is not operated by BBC, btw) for going after the series as hard as it has. WHO is very closely identified with BBC and as such, they can use it to great advantage, such as using the series (and TORCHWOOD) to kick off their HD service. Helps get viewers to press cable operators who don't carry the channel or only have it in a higher priced package to pick it up.
By rodee at 8:11 AM ON 11/03/09
Finally, I have been waiting for this news for the longest.
I still in tears, because these are David's last shows. I hope that his exit is as spectacular as Christopher's,
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rodee:
Finally, I have been waiting for this news for the longest. I still in tears, because these are David's last sh...More »