This Week in Doctor WhoThis Week in Doctor Who

BBC America


Press ReleasesBBC America

Last updated 18 June 2023

Notes


List:
07 Sep 2015The Countdown is on: Twelve Days till Doctor Who!
08 Nov 2013BBC AMERICA HOSTS DOCTOR WHO 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION IN NOVEMBER
12 Aug 2013Torchwood: Miracle Day Comes To BBC AMERICA

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON: TWELVE days till Doctor Who!We're kicking it off by looking back at some of last season's best bits. What was your favorite moment?

Posted by BBC America on Monday, 7 September 2015
LinkCredit: BBC America on Facebook 
 

BBC AMERICA is the #1 destination in the U.S. for a year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of global phenomenon Doctor Who. On November 23, 1963, a Time Lord known as the Doctor landed on the BBC�s airwaves, forever changing storytelling on television and how the world viewed the inside of a British police box. In honoring the legacy of the longest-running and most successful sci-fi series in history, BBC AMERICA presents new programming dedicated to the iconic series, culminating in a groundbreaking television event � the global simulcast to more than 75 countries of Doctor Who�s 50th anniversary special, Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor on November 23. Written by lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat (Sherlock), the special stars the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith (How to Catch a Monster), the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant (Broadchurch), companion Jenna Coleman (Dancing on the Edge), with Billie Piper (Secret Diary of a Call Girl) and John Hurt (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alien). The global simulcast will air Saturday, November 23 at 2:50pm ET. BBC AMERICA will encore the special in primetime at 7:00pm ET with exclusive Inside Look interviews with Matt Smith and David Tennant.

Announced today, BBC AMERICA will present a week-long Doctor Who Takeover starting Monday, November 18, at 9:00am ET with marathons of favorite Doctors leading into new specials including a look into the science behind the iconic series with rock star-turned-physicist Professor Brian Cox (Wonders of the Universe, Wonders of the Solar System). The primetime specials will roll out throughout the week with Doctor Who: Tales from the TARDIS premiering Monday, November 18, 9:00pm ET followed by The Science of Doctor Who with Brian Cox at 10:00pm ET, Doctor Who Explained on Friday, November 22, 8:00pm ET, and a look back at Matt Smith�s time on the iconic series, Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited � The Eleventh Doctor on Sunday, November 24, 8:00pm ET.

In addition, BBC AMERICA will premiere the new film An Adventure in Space and Time on Friday, November 22, 9:00pm ET. From Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss and directed by Terry McDonough (Breaking Bad), the film starring David Bradley (Game of Thrones, Broadchurch), Jessica Raine (Call the Midwife), Sacha Dhawan (After Earth) and Brian Cox (The Bourne Identity, X2: X-Men United) tells the story of the genesis of Doctor Who and the unlikely production team behind the series.

Doctor Who Takeover Schedule

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18

Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited Marathon � 9:00am � 9:00pm ET
The First through Tenth Doctor

U.S. Premiere: Doctor Who: Tales from the TARDIS � 9:00 �10:00pm ET
An all-new special, Doctor Who: Tales from the TARDIS, features the series� actors and producers sharing their experiences and memories of the world�s longest-running sci-fi show. The special features exclusive interviews with principal cast members from the show�s 50-year history, including actors who have played the Doctor: Matt Smith, David Tennant, Tom Baker, and Peter Davison, actors who have played companions: Jenna Coleman, Karen Gillan, Freema Agyeman, and William Russell, as well as the current lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat. The discussion includes how the actors got cast, how the roles changed their lives, how a �regeneration� is recorded, and how filming the show in the 60's compares to today.

U.S. Premiere: The Science of Doctor Who with Brian Cox � 10:00�11:00pm ET
A former rock star and Britain�s popular TV physicist, Professor Brian Cox explores the universe of the world�s favorite Time Lord when he takes the audience on a journey into the wonderful universe of Doctor Who, with the help of celebrity guests. In this exclusively recorded special from the lecture theatre of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, Brian reveals the science behind the spectacle and explains the physics that allows Doctor Who to travel through space and time. Fun, but filled with real science, it�s a special night for Who fans and anyone with a thirst for understanding.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19

Doctor Who � The Ninth Doctor Marathon � 10:00am �11:00pm ET

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20

Doctor Who � The Tenth Doctor Marathon � 2:00am �11:00pm ET

>THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21

Doctor Who � The Eleventh Doctor Marathon Part I � 9:00am � 11:00pm ET

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22

Doctor Who � The Eleventh Doctor Marathon Part 2 � 9:00am � 8:00pm ET

U.S. Premiere: Doctor Who Explained � 8:00pm � 9:00pm ET
An all-new special, Doctor Who Explained, explores the mysterious and two-hearted alien who is the Doctor. Through exclusive interviews with principal cast members from the show�s 50-year history, including actors who have played the Doctor: Matt Smith, David Tennant, Peter Davison, and Tom Baker as well as actors who have played companions: Jenna Coleman, Karen Gillan, and Freema Agyeman, viewers get an insight to what happens behind-the-scenes of the award-winning sci-fi show.

U.S. Premiere: An Adventure in Space and Time � 9:00pm ET
What do you get when you mix C.S. Lewis with H.G. Wells, and sprinkle in a bit of Father Christmas? An alien Time Lord exploring space and time in a Police Box spaceship called the �TARDIS� (Time And Relative Dimension in Space). Written by Mark Gatiss, the BBC AMERICA co-production, the film stars David Bradley (the First Doctor, William Hartnell), Brian Cox (BBC Head of Drama, Sydney Newman), Jessica Raine (Producer, Verity Lambert) and Sacha Dhawan (Director, Waris Hussein). An unlikely trio of misfits set out to create a genre series that all ages would love. William �Bill� Hartnell, displeased with his career, was presented with a chance to break out of the hard-man roles he�d become known for. And with the instincts of first time producer, Verity Lambert and first time director, Waris Hussein, the Doctor was born. As the success of the show grew, William went from unhappy curmudgeon to beloved television star who relished his career resurgence and found a new lease on life. But all good things come to an end. How will Bill face leaving behind the part that has made him a hero to millions of children? And can the show survive without him? Journey back fifty years through space and time to witness the exciting beginning and untimely end of the First Doctor in this touching drama.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23

Doctor Who � The Eleventh Doctor Marathon Part 3 � 1:00am � 2:00pm ET

World Premiere: Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor � Global Simulcast � 2:50pm ET
The centerpiece of BBC AMERICA�s celebrations is the global simulcast of Doctor Who�s 50th Anniversary special, Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor, written by Steven Moffat. The Doctors (Matt Smith and David Tennant) embark on their greatest adventure across space and time. In 2013, something terrible is awakening in London�s National Gallery; in 1562, a murderous plot is afoot in Elizabethan England; and somewhere in space an ancient battle reaches its devastating conclusion. All of reality is at stake as the Doctor�s own dangerous past comes back to haunt him. Starring Matt Smith, David Tennant, Jenna Coleman, with Billie Piper and John Hurt. Last seen as the Doctor on January 1, 2010, this will be the first time David Tennant has reprised his role as the Tenth Doctor. During his reign as the Time Lord, Tennant appeared in three seasons as well as several specials. He was first revealed as the Doctor in the 2005 season finale, The Parting of the Ways. Meanwhile Billie Piper, who played companion Rose Tyler for two seasons following the reboot in 2005, will appear in the show for the first time since featuring in David Tennant�s last episode, The End of Time in 2010. The special is directed by Nick Hurran, executive produced by Steven Moffat, Faith Penhale and produced by Marcus Wilson.

Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor encore primetime broadcast � 7:00pm ET.
BBC AMERICA will premiere exclusive Inside Look interviews with Matt Smith and David Tennant during the broadcast. The special will be followed by the premiere of new fantasy-adventure series Atlantis at 9:00pm ET.

U.S. Premiere: The Graham Norton Show with guests Matt Smith and David Tennant � 10:00pm ET
Doctor Who stars Matt Smith and David Tennant make their first appearance together on BBC AMERICA�s hit talk show The Graham Norton Show. Emma Thompson, singer Robbie Williams and comedian Jimmy Carr will also be guests.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24

Doctor Who � Matt Smith Countdown � 9:00am � 8:00pm ET
BBC AMERICA counts down the top 11 episodes from the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, as voted on by fans.

U.S. Premiere: Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited �The Eleventh Doctor � 8:00pm �10:30pm ET
BBC AMERICA celebrates the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, in a new special of Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited. Matt Smith first stepped into the TARDIS in 2010 and, after starring in the 50th Anniversary Special on November 23, will regenerate in the Christmas special. The Doctors Revisited begins with Matt Smith, Jenna Coleman (companion Clara Oswald), Karen Gillan (companion Amy Pond), Arthur Darvill (companion Rory Williams), lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, among others, examining the human side of this Doctor and taking a look at how his extraordinarily long life has affected him. The special is followed by the Eleventh Doctor two-part story, The Impossible Astronaut and Day of the Moon, in which a strange summons reunites the Doctor, Amy (Karen Gillan), Rory (Arthur Darvill) and River (Alex Kingston) in the middle of the Utah desert and unveils a terrible secret the Doctor's friends must never reveal to him. These were the first Doctor Who episodes to be filmed in the U.S.

Credit: BBC America 
 

Doctor Who spin-off makes its cable television debut

Marathon of Torchwood Season Two and Torchwood: Children of Earth
kicks things off Friday, September 13

New York – August 12, 2013 – Members of the Torchwood team have fought aliens, cyborgs and time travelers, but now they face their biggest threat – humanity. Team leader and Doctor Who companion, Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman, Arrow) and former Torchwood agent Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles, Doctor Who) are joined by newcomers Rex Matheson, (Mekhi Phifer, Divergent) and Esther Drummond (Alexa Havins, Grey’s Anatomy), when the supernatural miniseries, Torchwood: Miracle Day, makes its cable television premiere on BBC AMERICA Saturday, September 14 at 9pm ET/PT. Leading up to the premiere, BBC AMERICA will air a marathon of Torchwood season two and Torchwood: Children of the Earth beginning Friday, September 13, 11:00pm ET/PT.

Imagine a day when no one dies. The world is captivated when they watch convicted murderer, Oswald Danes (Bill Pullman, Independence Day), walk away from a lethal injection, and a suicide bomber continue to move after his head has been severed from his body. By all appearances it seems like a Miracle. But when the miracle repeats itself everyday thereafter, it is clear there is something more at play. Enter CIA Analyst Esther Drummond (Havins) and her partner CIA agent, Rex Matheson (Phifer). As they investigate the series of bizarre events, they stumble upon a clue that might hold the key – the mysterious British organization, Torchwood. They’ll team up with Captain Jack Harkenss and Gwen Cooper to fight the greatest threat to humanity – mankind itself.

Torchwood, a spin-off of BBC AMERICA’S highest-rated series, Doctor Who, premiered on BBC AMERICA in 2007 and was the channel’s most watched program of the year. Torchwood: Children of Earth was also BBC AMERICA’s highest-rated series in 2009. Torchwood: Miracle Day, produced by BBC Worldwide Productions for STARZ, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Worldwide, originally aired on STARZ in 2011. The series was created by Russell T. Davies and executive produced by Davies, Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter.

EPISODE ONE – THE NEW WORLD – SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 9:00PM ET/PT

When everyone in the world stops dying, the CIA stumbles upon a possible lead – a single word: Torchwood. Agent Rex Matheson is impaled in a car crash, and miraculously survives, while his Analyst, Esther Drummond, sets out to discover what Torchwood is. Far away, in Wales, Gwen Cooper lives in hiding with her husband Rhys and daughter Anwen – she’s the last surviving Torchwood member on Earth, and is determined to stay hidden. In Kentucky, convicted murderer Oswald Danes survives his own execution. And Esther encounters the mysterious Captain Jack Harkness, while assassins threaten to wipe out the Torchwood team once and for all.

EPISODE TWO – RENDITION – SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 9:00PM ET/PT

Rex takes the Torchwood team back to the USA. But when Esther reveals to her Section Chief, Brian Friedkin, that she’s part of Rex’s team, she finds the CIA turning against her, and is forced to go on the run. Oswald tries to enjoy his newfound freedom, and meets the mysterious Jilly Kitzinger. Rex’s surgeon, Dr. Vera Juarez, joins the Washington D.C. medical panels to investigate the Miracle, where the scientists discover that mankind is immortal but still aging. And when Jack is poisoned on an airplane, it’s a life or death struggle to save the one person who can still die – but who can be trusted?

EPISODE THREE – DEAD OF NIGHT, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 9:00PM ET/PT

The new Torchwood team of Jack, Gwen, Rex and Esther swings into action – and discover that an international pharmaceutical company called PhiCorp had advance warning of the Miracle. When the team splits up, Rex turns to Vera for solace, while Gwen finds out more about Esther’s family history. Oswald succumbs to Jilly’s charms and is taken in to meet the PhiCorp executives – at the same time Gwen enters the building on a secret mission. And Jack’s focus on Oswald leads him towards a deadly meeting.

EPISODE FOUR – ESCAPE TO LA – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 9:00PM ET/PT

The Torchwood team arrives in California to plan a major raid on PhiCorp headquarters. But a lethal stranger known only as the Gentleman is following them. Oswald finds his freedom threatened by a new media rival as Ellis Hartley Monroe’s ‘Dead is Dead’ campaign gains strength. When Esther intervenes in her sister’s life, she sets in motion a chain of events which threatens to expose Torchwood, and puts Jack and Gwen’s lives in danger, as the Gentleman takes immediate and violent action.

EPISODE FIVE – THE CATEGORIES OF LIFE – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 9:00PM ET/PT

Vera travels to Los Angeles to join the Torchwood team as governments across the world swing into action with the new Category System for classifying stages of life. Gwen flies home to the UK to save her father and infiltrate the UK healthcare camp, while Rex, Vera and Esther go undercover at the San Pedro facility. But a deadly trap is closing around them all, and while Jack tries desperately to make Oswald Danes change his message to the world, the other members of Torchwood discover the awful truth behind the Category System.

EPISODE SIX – THE MIDDLE MEN – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 9:00PM ET/PT

Gwen is trapped in the UK Overflow Camp, with her father’s existence hanging in the balance. Across the Atlantic, Rex is determined to get his secret out – but when Colin Maloney’s men capture him, only Esther can save him from a fate worse than death. When Jack tracks down and confronts PhiCorp’s Chief Executive, he discovers that the conspiracy is more vast and complicated than he ever imagined.

EPISODE SEVEN – IMMORTAL SINS – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 9:00PM ET/PT

Gwen is faced with a terrible decision – she must choose between her family and Jack. When the assassins strike in the UK, taking Rhys and baby Anwen hostage, their demand is simple: Bring us Jack. Gwen has no choice but to deceive Rex and Esther, and make Jack her prisoner. She then travels through the night with him, on a long, dark journey of the soul, during which both have to face terrible truths about themselves. But if these events have something to do with Jack, what part of the Captain’s long life holds the key?

EPISODE EIGHT – END OF THE ROAD – SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 9:00PM ET/PT

In a mansion in Montana, the Torchwood team makes an amazing discovery. But as Olivia Colasanto explains her family history and the origin of the Miracle, the CIA is closing in – with Brian Friedkin determined to stop Rex before he can expose Brian’s corruption. In Texas, Oswald Danes finds that his media empire is short-lived as Jilly activates Category Zero. And the Montana mansion swiftly becomes a trap – when Section Chief Shapiro arrives, Gwen finds herself thrown out of the USA, leaving Jack alone and in terrible danger.

EPISODE NINE – THE GATHERING – SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 9:00PM ET/PT

As stock markets collapse, the world is plunged into recession, and the Torchwood team is splintered, defeated and scattered across the world. In Wales, Gwen must take fierce action to fight for her father’s survival, while far away Jack and Esther are in hiding, preparing their last, desperate weapon. Rex uses the might of the CIA to fight the Three Families, but the team soon realizes that Oswald Danes holds all the cards. A terrible alliance begins, which will send them all on a final mission to save the world.

EPISODE TEN – THE BLOOD LINE – SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 9:00PM ET/PT

The battle lines are drawn. As Torchwood take their places in a final attempt to find the mysterious Blessing, the enemy is waiting for them. Traitors take action at the CIA to leave Rex stranded and alone, while Jack and Gwen must make a deal with the devil in order to survive. But as Jilly Kitzinger rises in the ranks of the Three Families to discover the truth behind Miracle Day, it seems that the Torchwood team will have to make a terrible sacrifice for the sake of the entire human race...

LinkCredit: BBC Worldwide