BBCA Channel
Doctor Who
Newsletter
Two of the biggest sci-fi titles of all-time — Doctor Who and Star Trek: The Next Generation — will join forces in their first officially commissioned comic-book crossover. Released by IDW Publishing, Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 will launch in May. In the eight-issue series, the Doctor and his companions will team up with Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise against an unholy alliance between the Borg and the Cybermen. Scott and David Tipton, the authors behind Star Trek: Infestation, will be assisted by Doctor Who writer Tony Lee, with artwork by J.K. Woodward.
Here’s the cover:
How disappointed will the Doctor be when he discovers the U.S.S. Enterprise is not actually bigger on the inside?
Here’s what else is going on:
• Doctor Who is set to return to production on February 20, but Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith has kept busy in the off-season. Matt, a product of the stage, is giving back to the Royal Court Theatre that gave him his first professional acting job back in 2004: he’s been named patron of the Royal Court’s Young Writer’s Festival, a showcase of new playwriting talent from around the UK.
As we love listening to this guy talk about the stage, here he is talking to The Guardian’s Andrew Dickson. Notably, at the end of interview, he talks briefly about the upcoming season of Doctor Who:
• Matt also revealed, in a recent interview with the Sunday Mirror, that he’s a big fan of the director Steve McQueen, whose recent film Shame featured fellow Who alumnus Carey Mulligan, alongside Michael Fassbender: “I think Shame was brilliant and Michael magnetic in it. One day I would love to do something similar and maybe work with Steve McQueen.
And here’s the reason we’re telling you this. Matt continued: “Of course I would get naked for a role. I’ve got naked on stage so why not on screen?”
• And now, a romantic bit for Valentine’s Day: an entirely different Mr. Matt Smith proposed to his girlfriend at the Doctor Who Experience in London, in front of a waxwork model of his namesake. The marriage offer, which Matt had been planning for weeks (with some help from BBC Worldwide), came as a complete surprise to his girlfriend who was under the impression she was visiting the capital for a shopping trip. Here’s the video:
• And of course, romantic types won’t want to miss our smoochy Who gallery, taking a trip aboard the TARDIS of love.
• The Doctor Who Facebook page has celebrated reaching 2 million fans with a message from Matt Smith: “Doctor Who facebookers!!! All 2 million of you, thank you for your support!!!! I hope you enjoy the new season!!! We start filming very soon!!! Will keep you posted on Facebook!!!! The monsters are coming!!!!”
• We’ve heard many renditions of the Doctor Who theme. This one, from YouTube user KenneThermic, is particularly inventive. Instruments he used include ukulele, stylophone, Jewish harp, keyboard, violin, electric guitar, and kazoo.
• Sega America have released a “making of” video for the game, Doctor Who: Worlds in Time. Doesn’t matter if you’re a gamer or not: this video will warm the cockles of your Whovian heart(s).
• Here’s a DVD extra from The Three Doctors release, in which producers discuss William Hartnell‘s cameo in the 10th anniversary special that aired in 1972 and 1973, bringing together all three of the actors who had played the Doctor to date. Apparently, Hartnell, who played the First Doctor from 1963 to 1966, was in such declining health that producers didn’t know if he could appear, but he powered through it with some help from the crew and some script changes. (He sadly passed away in 1975, at the age of 67.)
• This week’s companion is Harry Sullivan, the action man doctor who struggled to keep up with the action man Doctor.
• Speaking of companions, here’s three of Doctor Who‘s most popular ’70s female pinups/sidekicks – Caroline John, Katy Manning, and Louise Jameson – Liz Shaw, Jo Grant and Leela – reminiscing about old times and expressing their gratitude to the series.
• And while we’re on Louise, here she is on her own: “The thing I remember most about Robots of Death is nearly killing a cameraman…”
• Second Doctor companions Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling – Jamie and Victoria – chat about goofing off on-set and causing mayhem with some ab-libs during live filming:
• And bringing the reminiscences right up to date, here’s Eve Myles speaking about wild times on the Torchwood set with “the big Barrowman”:
• And let’s end with something a little exciting. BBC America is looking for a few good Whovians in the Austin, Texas and New York City areas for “a series of short documentary pieces about a few extraordinary Doctor Who fans. Ideally these Whovians should have an interesting job/life/handcrafted TARDIS and be willing to be filmed for a day or so.”
If you fit the bill or know someone who does, email DoctorWhoDoc@gmail.com.
20 Comments
Will the DW/Star Trek mag be available in the US or just UK? If yes for the US, can you pls post where it will be available? Dr. Who mags are very difficult to find here!
Thanks!
This has the worst sound I’ve ever heard ! Somebody’s mobile phone at this event ? Echo and crowd noise make it almost unintelligeable. Why post this ? There’s no pleasure in watching it.
Hey, Amy… I find Doctor Who Magazine at my local Barnes & Noble (Woodinville, WA). Can’t say they’re at every B&N, but I’ll bet you could ask your local to order it.
WHAT? NO YOU CANNOT DO THIS. THIS IS BLASPHEMY OF THE HIGHEST ORDER. MOFFAT WILL NO BE HAPPY! MAY MOFFAT TAKE YOUR SOUL!
Amy – it’s a comic, so it should be available at any comic-book store.
If anything, it’ll be more difficult to get a hold of here in the UK…
The Doctor and Q need to meet.
The Borg and Cypermen very similar (they are both cyborgs) Im suprised they haven’t allied before and that the inventors of the races haven’t noticed when they first appeared in the TV shows. Cypermen might have an advantage due to them less exposed flesh but the Borg are made up of different alien species whislt the Cybermen just use human brains as far as I know.
I agree Toby.
Oooh… I’d love to be a part of BBCA’s short pieces but it sounds like they want.. super super fans… DX And while I do LOVE DW, I sadly do not have a handcrafted TARDIS.
Hey, Amy! You can order directly from the publisher (http://www.idwpublishing.com) when available.
I think a certain redhead Trekkie is going to be very excited to see herself aboard the Enterprise. Even if its only in a cartoon.
And to the DW crew: Why not gather Patrick Stewart, Gates McFadden, Matt Smith and Karen Gillan/Arthur Darvill for a little photoshot? It will make many geeks very happy/furious. We want some blasphemy between Captain Picard and Amy. Or between Doctor Crusher and Amy.
Ed Cummings, re Cybermen using just the brain. Nope, that was just the parallel universe Cybus Cybermen, the originals had a person in them (or what was left of one after having his organs replaced and augmented with machinery) and in that respect were very borg like. Though I think the primary characteristic of the Borg is the collective consciousness even above and beyond that, but they both want to assimilate everybody else. I can see it now;
Cyberman; “You will be like uzzzzzz”
Borg; “No, you will be assimilated, resistance is futile”
Cyberman; “Bugger off we zaid it firzzzzt”
Can we please have the video sub-titled. I couldn’t understand most of it. Sound quality was dreadful. Looks like what they say is very funny. Please, please, please add sub-tittles.
Re: the Eve Myles interview question – I quite agree that it is a terrible video with poor sound quality. I couldn’t understand more than a few words but I gather they were commenting on Barrowmans” “junk”? It looked like it took Eve Myles by surprise. Just a side note; I’m Canadian and sometimes don’t catch every word on the regular shows anyway. I just can’t understand the thick accents sometimes. I’m not trying to be insulting, that’s just the way it is.
Re: The Doctor Who/Star Trek crossover – I have a hard time putting the two together. DW seems more historical and closer to factual whereas ST is strictly fantasy, in my mind anyways. The Doctor meeting up with The Captain and “Number One” would imply that the Star Trek scenario is a true part of our history in the future. Which is kind of neat, I guess. Just for the record, I realize that DW is also just fantasy but the story lines don’t seem to mix, to me. I guess what I’m getting at is that American Sci Fi is a different style than the British Sci Fi with neither one better than the other, just different. We witnessed this difference with the Torchwood collaboration!
I’d like to see a “face off” between the Dr.’s granddaughter Zoe, the Dr. and his latest love interest.
Zoe: “Granddad, what the… You’re in your what? 11th regeneration? You only have one more!”
Dr.: “Well, I am like the “Cougar” of Time Lords.”
Zoe: “Uh, huh…”
I thought the doctors grandaughter was Susan, the one in “an unearthly child” the first eposode.
Hope the Doctor doesn’t get any Trek taint on him. He deserves better.
After dealing with Q, you’d have to wonder if Picard’s already had his fill of time travellers.
I think its a bad idea, to many veriables and fans will start to wonder where was the doctor when this happened and why wasn’t the enterprise at this or that? Doctor Who and Eureka crossover? yes, that would be awsome
I run a comic shop, and I can tell you that if IDW is publishing it, any US shop should be able to carry that comic! I’m so happy to see and talk to all these new Whovians that have started from Eccleston and on!