If you’re close enough to the border that you can get CBC Television and you’re a Doctor Who fan then you’ll be happy to hear that they’ve put up an official press release and show schedule for the new series:
EXCLUSIVE NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF DOCTOR WHO, A NEW 13-PART SERIES ON CBC TELEVISION, APRIL 5
Acclaimed British actor Christopher Eccleston stars as DOCTOR WHO in the new BBC series, making its North American debut on CBC Television, Tuesday, April 5 at 8 p.m. Billie Piper, who starred in the critically acclaimed Canterbury Tales: The Miller’s Tale, plays the Doctor’s companion, Rose Tyler.
DOCTOR WHO is a smartly written, contemporary, full-blooded drama that embraces the original series’ heritage and introduces the characters to a modern audience.
Travelling through time and space, the Doctor and Rose come face to face with a variety of new and menacing monsters, as well as battling with the Doctor’s arch-enemy, the Daleks. The series features a number of high-profile guest stars including Penelope Wilton, Simon Callow, Richard Wilson, John Barrowman, Noel Clarke, Annette Badland, Camille Coduri and Simon Pegg.
Russell T. Davies, executive producer of DOCTOR WHO, said, “Eccleston’s Doctor is wise, funny and brave; an adventurer who travels through time and space. His detached logic gives him a vital edge when the world is in danger, but when it comes to relationships, he can be found wanting. That’s why he needs Rose. As they travel through history and across the universe, the Doctor shows Rose things beyond her imagination. She starts out an innocent girl, fettered by earthly concerns. But she ends up an adventurer who, by the end of the series, can never go home again.”
Slawko Klymkiw, executive director programming, CBC Television said, “Bringing back the hugely popular DOCTOR WHO series to fans-new and old alike-was an exciting opportunity for CBC. We are pleased to be working closely with the BBC to bring Canadians this exceptional new series.”
DOCTOR WHO is a BBC Wales Production for BBC One and is written by Russell T Davies, Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Paul Cornell and Robert Shearman. The executive producers are Russell T. Davies, head of drama, BBC Wales, Julie Gardner and Mal Young.
Here in the Detroit area most of the cable companies carry CBC due to the fact that we can normally get it without cable. This will be like old times for me as I’d catch the series alternately on the local PBS affiliate or on the CBC on those occasions when they carried the series.
Interestingly enough, rumor has it that the BBC may have leaked the first episode in Canada intentionally in order to stir up interest among North American fans and perhaps get one of the American networks to consider picking up the series. It’s just speculation on the part of fans, but I wouldn’t be surprised as it’s something I’d consider doing.
Found via the DWIN.
Well, fart-knocker!
I’m just a wee bit far from the Canadian border down here in Texas, so there’s certainly no CBC for me. I must admit that I’ve never been a fan of “Dr. Who”; not because I dislike it, but simply because I’ve never really seen it. I’ve just not had a chance to become A Dr. Who fan.
When I first heard about the new version I was excited because I figured that would be a good opportunity to get in on the series on the “ground floor”, so to speak. That’s exactly what happened with the new Battlestar Galactica (I never really watched the original series [plural]), but I’m absolutely in love with this new series.
Unfortunately, so far at least it looks like I’m not going to get a chance to do the same thing with this new Dr. Who. Let’s hope that changes.
Incidentally, I finally saw “2 Days Later” last week and I was very impressed. It wasn’t really much horror at all; it was far more sci-fi than I was expecting. I mention it, of course, because it had Christopher Eccleston in it and I hadn’t seen him before (that I recall).