Planet of the Dead 'confirmed' for Easter Saturday (UK)

[Bob The Skutter]

^^ I'm not clear, what's a not sets or FX episode? Just the actors? Is that what we'll get? Thanks and sorry about the diversion from Doctor Who!

Mr Awe

Apparently the No sets no FX episode was going to be the actors in a room with an audience, playing out fan favourite scenes as a treat for the fans, but what we're getting instead will be a third part to the Back To Earth story because Doug Naylor had 70 minutes of story even after cutting it down, and there was no way he could get it down to 50 minutes for it to fit 2 parts.

 

[diankra]

^^ I'm not clear, what's a not sets or FX episode? Just the actors? Is that what we'll get? Thanks and sorry about the diversion from Doctor Who!

Mr Awe

Apparently the No sets no FX episode was going to be the actors in a room with an audience, playing out fan favourite scenes as a treat for the fans, but what we're getting instead will be a third part to the Back To Earth story because Rob Grant had 70 minutes of story even after cutting it down, and there was no way he could get it down to 50 minutes for it to fit 2 parts.

Doug Naylor, not Rob Grant, surely? Rob dropped out of writing Red Dwarf in favour of novels after season six, and hadn't actually heard about the Dave specials until they were mentioned at a book launch party late last year.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

^^ I'm not clear, what's a not sets or FX episode? Just the actors? Is that what we'll get? Thanks and sorry about the diversion from Doctor Who!

Mr Awe

Apparently the No sets no FX episode was going to be the actors in a room with an audience, playing out fan favourite scenes as a treat for the fans, but what we're getting instead will be a third part to the Back To Earth story because Rob Grant had 70 minutes of story even after cutting it down, and there was no way he could get it down to 50 minutes for it to fit 2 parts.

Doug Naylor, not Rob Grant, surely? Rob dropped out of writing Red Dwarf in favour of novels after season six, and hadn't actually heard about the Dave specials until they were mentioned at a book launch party late last year.

Oops, yeah, you're right. I meant Doug Naylor. I always think Grant Naylor when I think Red Dwarf, so Rob Grant is always the first one who comes to mind.

 

[diankra]

Apparently the No sets no FX episode was going to be the actors in a room with an audience, playing out fan favourite scenes as a treat for the fans, but what we're getting instead will be a third part to the Back To Earth story because Rob Grant had 70 minutes of story even after cutting it down, and there was no way he could get it down to 50 minutes for it to fit 2 parts.

Doug Naylor, not Rob Grant, surely? Rob dropped out of writing Red Dwarf in favour of novels after season six, and hadn't actually heard about the Dave specials until they were mentioned at a book launch party late last year.

Oops, yeah, you're right. I meant Doug Naylor. I always think Grant Naylor when I think Red Dwarf, so Rob Grant is always the first one who comes to mind.

Easily done.
Rob Grant's non-Red Dwarf SF comedy novels are worth checking out, btw - Colony is a vaguely Dwarf-like SF novel about a generation ship gone wrong; Incompetence is set in a near future where anti-discrimination laws have reached the point where it's illegal to stop you getting a job just because you wouldn't be any good at it; and Fat has the seriously overweight forced into a televised Celebrity Fit Club-meets-Big Brother, in the lethal style of the Bad Wolf Corporation (hey, a Who reference to bring the post back on topic!).

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Every time I see one of his books I think about buying it, then remember I have Colony but never got round to reading it.

 

[diankra]

Every time I see one of his books I think about buying it, then remember I have Colony but never got round to reading it.

I've not read Colony since it came out, but I remember it being the weakest of the three, so if you get round to it and don't like it, give the others a try anyway.
Fat has a really nice sense of blinding comic anger against Big Brother, and also ticket gates which some people just can't get through, which works very well.

This really ought to be in the New Red Dwarf thread over in general SF, I guess... [Mod, does that let us off?]

 

[Jim Steele]

I think I'll be procuring it in hd after broadcast.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I think I'll be procuring it in hd after broadcast.

That just sounds wrong... Doctor Who in HD. I'll definitely watch in HD.

 

[wamdue]

just think the production staff are going to have to work extra hard to make that green painted bubble wrap look threating.

 

[Demonland]

Wow! It's here already. Can't wait for some more new Who. Woo Who!

 

[Garibaldi O'brien]

It's so good there is a Doctor Who episode on Easter, in the TV SF desert we're heading into fall. I hope they work in a cute, and fuzzy bunny, that will bite your head off! Sounds like a house pet on the Planet of the Dead to me.

 

[ATimson]

do we know when the BBC Radio 4 Torchwood episdoes will be yet?

They haven't even been officially announced--there's listings for a CD release, but no confirmation or actors.

hell do we know when Torchwood: Lost Children will be yet?

No, but the current rumors are c. June.

 

[diankra]

hell do we know when Torchwood: Lost Children will be yet?

No, but the current rumors are c. June.

Unless the 'five episodes in one week' idea's been abandoned, it doesn't look as if it can be much earlier, as The Apprentice starts a 12 week run in one of the BBC1 9pm slots this coming Wednesday.

 

[Brendan Moody]

The BBC Press Office listings confirm once more that "Planet of the Dead" will air Easter Saturday. Hard to believe it's only a little over two weeks away.

The description is mildly spoilery but doesn't reveal anything new:

Spoiler: premise of PotD

When a London bus takes a detour to an alien world, the Doctor must join forces with the extraordinary Lady Christina, in this one-off seasonal special. But the mysterious planet holds terrifying secrets, hidden in the sand. And time is running out, as the deadly Swarm gets closer.

 

[StCoop]

The BBC Press Office listings confirm once more that "Planet of the Dead" will air Easter Saturday.

Maybe. Or maybe not.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/2009/wk15/unplaced.shtml#unplaced_doctorwho

Saturday alread has Barrowman's latest piece of reality TV crap, Robin Hood and the Lottery show all to get in before 9pm.

 

[Brendan Moody]

Interesting. The Sun did claim that PotD would air on Easter Sunday, and for a one-off there's no reason it has to be Saturday.

Edit: someone at the Doctor Who Forum claims to have access to a BBC Previews Unit list that also places it on Saturday the 11th.

Edit again: PotD has disappeared from the Saturday listings, and now appears only on the "unplaced" page.

 

[Chris3123]

Images of the new PotD alien have been released. Here's the Tritovore:

Spoiler: Tritovore

 

[Mitty]

Hm, is it just me or does it look a tad lame? Hopefully it looks better on screen...

 

[StCoop]

Hm, is it just me or does it look a tad lame? Hopefully it looks better on screen...

Have you seen Doctor Who before?

 

[The]

No, Mitty's right, it does look weaker than normal for the modern era of Doctor Who. I would imagine The Mill will "polish" them up for the screen...