The tour will give fans of the show a chance to get up close and personal with their favourite monsters who will be appearing at local landmarks in the morning before heading off for further adventures at local Tesco stores in the afternoon.

From 10am each day, monsters including Cybermen, Scarecrows Ood, Silurian and Clockwork Droids will invade a different city centre and revelers are encouraged to get down early to catch them all!

With an out-of-this-world set, Doctor Who Live will feature special FX, optical illusions and spectacular pyrotechnics building to an epic finale. Specially edited video clips, drawn from the TV Programme will be shown on a massive screen and accompanied by the music of longtime Doctor Who composer Murray Gold. These iconic scores will be brought to life by a live band on stage.

Doctor Who Live has been conceived as a fully immersive music and monsters spectacular and promises the same excitement, adventure and suspense that viewers have come to expect from the TV programme.  Please note that actors from the TV series will not be appearing live on stage.

Press: Taylor Herring PR 0208 206 5151

The new stage show, based upon the BBC’s smash-hit, award-winning series Doctor Who, promises to deliver a spectacular audio/visual experience featuring live music, special effects and appearances from the show’s most popular monsters.

Taking in nine cities and 25 dates, Doctor Who Live kicks off in London at Wembley Arena on 8th October, and will visit Sheffield, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff and Liverpool, culminating in Belfast on the 7th November.

Developed in association with Doctor Who’s Executive Producer and show runner, Steven Moffat, Doctor Who Live promises the same excitement, adventure and suspense that viewers have come to expect from the TV programme and will feature specially filmed new video scenes.

Steven Moffat said: “This is everything I ever wanted since I was eleven. A live show, with all the coolest Doctor Who monsters, a proper story, and brand new screen material for Matt Smith’s Doctor! I’ll be writing scenes for it, and probably attending every single night!”

Opening in wartime London and concluding in an epic onstage battle, audiences should expect the unexpected as the The Doctor’s arch-enemies the Daleks are joined by some of the best-loved and most terrifying monsters from the TV series including the Cybermen, Weeping Angels, Judoon and Oods to name but a few.

With an out-of-this-world set, Doctor Who Live will feature special FX, optical illusions and spectacular pyrotechnics building to an epic finale. Specially edited video clips, drawn from the TV Programme will be shown on a massive screen and accompanied by the music of longtime Doctor Who composer Murray Gold. These iconic scores will be brought to life by a 16 piece orchestra live on stage.

Murray Gold said: “The live element always adds something extra, but these will also be brand new arrangements for a new band of very talented musicians. It’s very exciting.”

Doctor Who Live has been conceived as a fully immersive music and monsters spectacular. Please note that actors from the TV series will not be appearing live on stage.

Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 21st May 2010.

www.Doctorwholive.com

Press Contact: Taylor Herring PR, 0208 206 5151

Edinburgh is the first stop on the media calendar following the general election, and BBC Director General Mark Thompson’s MacTaggart will set the agenda for the weekend in what promises to be a pivotal year for the BBC. The festival weekend will feature sessions examining what the new government will mean for media, and what role television had to play in the most unpredictable election in recent memory.

BAFTA award-winning screenwriter and producer Paul Abbott will deliver the Alternative MacTaggart Lecture entitled The Truth About Long-Term Thinking.

Abbott commented: “I’m thrilled to be giving the Alternative McTaggart Lecture because I believe it’s an exciting time to comment on the British TV industry’s reaction to, and performance since, the credit crunch.”

Mark Austin interviews former ITV executive chairman, Michael Grade while new Doctor Who showrunner, Stephen Moffat and award-winning producer, Andy Harries will both deliver Masterclasses. Channel Four’s newly appointed Chief Executive David Abraham is also confirmed to attend the festival.

And don’t plan to leave early – tabloid star Katie Price will be revealing what makes her tick in a revealing, live interview on Sunday.

New regime, new reality. The BBC has already laid out plans for major changes, but will more savage cuts be coming their way? What should they cut, and what deserves protecting? The Festival audience will decide in a session entitled Build Your Own BBC, chaired by Jeremy Vine. There will also be a special, Edinburgh edition of Question Time which will feature those new to power, and in opposition.

For the first time, MGEITF delegates will be able to pose their questions via Twitter to channel controllers who will be revealing their priorities and looking ahead to 2011. Controllers who have already confirmed to take part include Jay Hunt (BBC One), Janice Hadlow (BBC Two), Peter Fincham (ITV1), Julian Bellamy (Channel 4), Richard Woolfe (Five), Danny Cohen (BBC Three), Richard Klein (BBC Four), Stuart Murphy (Sky1), Paul Mortimer (E4), Zai Bennett (ITV Digital), Hamish Mykura (More4) and Matthew Littleford (UKTV).

MGEITF’s opening session will embrace the dance fever that is sweeping the nation by staging a festival version of the Sky 1 HD show, Got To Dance. Six teams — from one solo tap dancer to a 20-strong dance crew — from channels and leading independent producers will perform an array of dances from hip hop to jazz and ballet to street. Each performance will be critiqued by the judges Ashley Banjo, Kimberley Wyatt and Adam Garcia who will award those iconic red and gold stars – with the winner decided by a live audience vote.

In a landmark year for British soaps, MGEITF are celebrating 50 years of Coronation Street and 25 years of EastEnders. For Coronation Street – festival goers will be taken on a trip down memory lane. Masterclass line-up includes writer and creator Tony Warren, actress Kate Kelly and journalist Nancy Banks Smith. Producers will reveal how potent plots and sizzling storylines continue to excite and engage audiences young and old. Discover the secrets of writing, producing and directing and learn how Eastenders skillfully tackles social taboos time and time again, helping to create defining moments of television. And find out how this year, the production pushed the boundaries even further ’simply’ by keeping a secret, and producing its first ever live episode, watched by 17 million people.

Millions watched the debates and the election night shows live on TV whilst tweeting and following online – it brought social media out of teenage bedrooms and into the living room. MGEITF will reveal how can broadcasters and producers harness the social power of Twitter and Facebook to drive deeper engagement and build bigger audiences in a session chaired by prolific tweeter @richardpbacon.

There will also be the unique chance to grill some of Fleet Street’s most prolific TV pundits including Ally Ross and Ian Hyland in a Meet The Critics session chaired by Endemol’s Tim Hincks.

With 3D TV now a reality in the UK, MGEITF will be dedicating a number of sessions to the subject which will explore different genres and budgets, a step-by-step guide on how to produce in 3D, a debate on how 3D could change and reinvigorate the popularity of various genres, plus a showcase of the latest 3D content and kit.

MGEITF has teamed up with the UK’s leading games conference, Edinburgh Interactive, so delegates can swap ideas with leading figures in the games industry. In How To Get Into Games gaming commissioners will be pitched ideas by TV producers and TV commissioners will be presented with ideas from games producers in order to learn what each thinks is important in a good entertainment proposition.

The Channel of the Year Awards will be jointly selected by the Festival’s Executive Committee and a live vote during the ceremony, hosted by top funny man Jack Whitehall on Saturday, August 28 at The Festival in Edinburgh.

Bringing a bit of light comic relief to the closing session of the festival is The Last Laugh – a talent search for the funniest person in the TV industry. MGEITF will pair up some of the biggest names from behind the camera and some of the funniest people behind the scenes, with the nation’s top comics. Which top execs will join Jon Snow in trying their hand at stand up? Comedians who have agreed to mentor TV industry talent include Shappi Khorshandi, Russell Kane, Sarah Millican, Mark Watson, Steve Amos, Pete Johanssen and Kevin Bridges.

Deborah Turness, 2010 MGEITF Advisory Chair and Editor of ITV News, said: “In keeping with our times this year’s Festival will be a coalition of agenda-setting content that will shape the direction of the industry and inspirational, creative stimulation. With the Conservative/Murdoch Alliance now in Number 10, Mark Thompson’s MacTaggart could not be more timely. The big question: will David Cameron demand “savage” cuts at the BBC, and is radical change coming our way? While the festival is about addressing key industry issues, it is also about celebrating and learning from our top creative talent and we are delighted that Paul Abbott has agreed to deliver the Alternative MacTaggart Lecture.”

Tim Hincks, MGEITF Executive Chair and CEO of Endemol UK, added: “When it comes to media events in 2010 Edinburgh is convincingly first past the post yet again. The best producers, celebrities , channel controllers and broadcasters will all be there , making it absolutely unmissable. Miss once, regret for an eternity.”

This is just a taste of the amazing line-up for 2010, with many more sessions still to be announced.

The MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival is a delegate entry event which annually attracts over 2000 delegates from all sectors and levels of the industry. To find out more, and to register, please visit www.mgeitf.co.uk

MGEITF Press Information: Taylor Herring PR Tel: +44 208 206 5151

LONDON, Friday 30th October 2009; Doctor Who will return to BBC One on Sunday 15th November for The Waters of Mars – the second of four specials airing throughout 2009.

Starring David Tennant as The Doctor and guest starring the acclaimed British actress Lindsay Duncan, best known for her roles across stage and screen (Margaret, Lost in Austen), The Waters of Mars is set to be one of the most terrifying episodes of the series to date.

Lindsay Duncan stars as Adelaide – the Doctor’s cleverest and most strong-minded companion yet. She and The Doctor face terror on the Red Planet as they battle against a mysterious alien living within the terrarium of life on Mar’s surface which infects its victims using a water compound it creates.

Neighbours, Flying Doctors and Casualty star Peter O’Brien also guest stars as Ed, Adelaide’s second in command at the base.

The Waters of Mars is the second of four specials which will air throughout 2009.

The Waters of Mars is written by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford and is directed by Graeme Harper. Producer is Nikki Wilson.

Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars, Sunday 15th November at 7pm on BBC ONE

For Further information contact: Taylor Herring PR 0208 206 5151

Starring David Tennant, in what will be his last appearance as The Doctor, the four specials are set to be the most explosive and emotional Doctor Who episodes yet.

Michelle, best known for her roles as Zoe Slater in EastEnders, and Jaime Sommers in the recent remake of Bionic Woman, will play the mysterious Lady Christina de Souza who joins The Doctor on a bus-trip which takes a very unexpected detour into danger. One of Britain’s best loved and biggest comedy stars, Lee Evans, will also be joining the cast playing a character called Malcolm, whose life becomes connected to the Doctor’s under extraordinary circumstances.

For interview requests and further information, please contact; lesley.land@taylorherring.com

the new doctor who

The BBC has announced that Matt Smith has been cast in the role of the Doctor in the iconic BBC series Doctor Who.

Smith will be the 11th Time Lord and will take over from David Tennant who leaves the show at the end of 2009. He will be seen in the forthcoming fifth series that will be broadcast in 2010.

The fifth series will also have a new lead writer and Executive Producer in the form of the BAFTA award-winning writer Steven Moffat, who is taking over from Russell T Davies.

Moffat will be joined by Piers Wenger, who will be the new Executive Producer for BBC Wales making the show.

Following David Tennant’s decision to step down at the end of 2009, the team behind the new series set about casting the new Doctor so that new adventures could be created and scripts written with Matt in mind.

The identity of the new Doctor was revealed on a special edition of Doctor Who Confidential.

In it Smith revealed his initial reaction at taking on such a legendary role and his thoughts on what direction the Doctor might now be going with him playing the part.

Matt Smith said of his new role: “I’m just so excited about the journey that is in front of me. It’s a wonderful privilege and challenge that I hope I will thrive on.

“I feel proud and honoured to have been given this opportunity to join a team of people that has worked so tirelessly to make the show so thrilling.

“David Tennant has made the role his own, brilliantly, with grace, talent and persistent dedication. I hope to learn from the standards set by him.

“The challenge for me is to do justice to the show’s illustrious past, my predecessors, and most importantly, to those who watch it. I really cannot wait.”

Lead writer and Executive Producer Steven Moffat said: “The Doctor is a very special part, and it takes a very special actor to play him. You need to be old and young at the same time, a boffin and an action hero, a cheeky schoolboy and the wise old man of the universe.

“As soon as Matt walked through the door, and blew us away with a bold and brand new take on the Time Lord, we knew we had our man.

“2010 is a long time away but rest assured the 11th Doctor is coming – and the universe has never been so safe.”

Piers Wenger, Head Of Drama, BBC Wales, added: “With two hearts, a ferocious mind and over 900 years of experience behind him, it’s not every 26 year old actor who can take on a role like the Doctor but within moments of meeting Matt he showed the skill and imagination needed to create a Doctor all of his own.

“It’s just the beginning of the journey for Matt but with Steven Moffat’s scripts and the expertise of the production team in Cardiff behind him, there is no one more perfect than him to be taking the TARDIS to exciting new futures when the series returns in 2010.”

Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama, added: “I am delighted to see Matt take on this iconic role. It will see him continuing his relationship with the BBC following his performances in Ruby In The Smoke and Party Animals, and his upcoming role in Moses Jones.

“The combination of Matt, Steven and Piers will, I know, take Doctor Who onto new and even dizzier heights.”

Jay Hunt, Controller, BBC One, said: “Matt Smith will be a mesmerising 11th Time Lord, true to the spirit of the show.

“He is a worthy successor to David Tennant who has been utterly remarkable in the role and promises to continue to be in next year’s four special episodes.”

Doctor Who Confidential – The Eleventh Doctor can be seen on BBC iPlayer until 10 January 2009.

There will be four Doctor Who specials featuring David Tennant that will run in 2009 into New Year 2010 (dates to be confirmed).

An extended interview with Matt Smith can be seen at bbc.co.uk/doctorwho

Biography

Matt Smith, 26, grew up with his family including one sister in Northampton. He was head boy at Northampton School For Boys where he excelled at sports, music and drama. Initially, Matt wanted to be a professional footballer and played for Northampton Town Under-11 & 12s, Nottingham Forest Under 12, 13 & 14s and Leicester City Under 15 & 16s before a back injury forced him out of the game. Following his injury, and with the encouragement of one of his teachers, Jerry Hardingham, Matt decided to join the National Youth Theatre. It was during this time that Matt first gained attention at the Royal Court Theatre when he was cast in the play Fresh Kills, directed by Wilson Milam, whilst still at the University Of East Anglia where he was studying Drama and Creative Writing. Already a stalwart of the National Youth Theatre, his performance at the Court led to a variety of theatrical experiences at the National Theatre: in the award-winning History Boys (directed by Nick Hytner), On The Shore Of The Wide World (directed by Sarah Frankcom) and also in the acclaimed trio of plays Burn / Citizenship / Chatroom (directed by Anna Mackmin). These pieces were followed by the lead role of Danny in the BBC Two series Party Animals, the brilliantly observed drama set in the world of young politicians. In a dazzling return to the Royal Court in 2007, Matt played Henry in Polly Stenham’s award-winning first play That Face, opposite Lindsay Duncan. His performance gained Matt an Evening Standard Best Newcomer nomination and a year later the play had a second life in the West End at the Duke of York’s Theatre. In between the two runs, Matt played Guy opposite Christian Slater’s Buddy in Swimming With Sharks, Mike Leslie’s searing West End adaptation of the 1994 Hollywood film. In this time he also played a lead role in the BAFTA winning BBC One series The Street, opposite Gina McKee and Lorraine Ashbourne. Matt has recently completed work on Moses Jones for BBC Two, directed by Michael Offer, in which he plays the lead role of Dan Twentyman, alongside Shaun Parkes in the title role. These roles led to Matt’s first outings on the small screen, alongside Billie Piper in Phillip Pullman’s period detective stories, The Ruby In The Smoke and The Shadow In The North (both BBC One), where he played Jim, right-hand man to Billie’s detective heroine Sally Lockhart.