The Friday News Roundup: The It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like the Holidays Edition
Happy Friday, Telly Visions
As an FYI, a few of this week's links have spoilers for certain plot or casting elements of upcoming series. These are clearly marked so that those of you who don't want to know anything about what might be about to happen on your favorite shows can easily avoid clicking on them, but do keep an eye out if that's something you're concerned about. For those of you who want to know everything immediately, have at it.
British-born author, literary critic and journalist Christopher Hitchens has passed away at 62, after a battle with cancer.
Two long lost Doctor Who episodes have been recovered by the BBC. The 1965 and 1967 episodes feature William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton, or Doctors One and Two, respectively.
In other Who news, there are big casting spoilers out there for Series 7. [Click that link with caution if you don’t want to know anything.] Look for a lengthier post about this later on, and what it might mean for the show’s upcoming 50th anniversary.
But, in happier links, you can watch three new clips from the Christmas special, “The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe.” And, for the die-hard Whovians out there - did you know there's a legitimate Christmas song that's Who-related. Oh, you mean you've never heard I'm Gonna Spend My Christmas with a Dalek? Well, now you can.
There’s a video preview for David Tennant and Catherine Tate’s Much Ado About Nothing, and it’s fantastic! You can pay-to-download a digital copy of the entire performance, which is extra wonderful as it doesn’t appear that this will be released on DVD any time soon (and maybe not ever).
A Sherlock soundtrack is finally going to be released! Joy!
Speaking of Sherlock, Benedict Cumberbatch says that playing the part has caused him to start thinking a bit more like Holmes in his regular life.
Russell Tovey talks about Series 4 of Being Human, and also dishes a little bit about his appearance in Series 2 of Sherlock.
What would a song from the Gavin & Stacey musical sound like? Well, now you know.
A great interview with Absolutely Fabulous’ Joanna Lumley, in which she talks about her career, the upcoming return of AbFab, and her current theater work as Eleanor of Aquitaine.
A full trailer for the Downton Abbey Christmas special has been released, but I’d say just bookmark this and file it away for future viewing, because it has some huge spoilers for Series 2 in there.
This isn’t really news, well, it is I suppose, but also it made me laugh quite a bit. So: a clip from Stephen Spielberg’s War Horse involving Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston and a competitive cavalry charge.
Russell Brand to do a six-episode late night series for the FX network here in the U.S.
Star Colin Firth gets a wax version of himself at Madame Tussand’s in London.
Britain’s Got Talent’s most famous contestant, Susan Boyle, is blogging over at the Huffington Post UK site.
In Royal news, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are planning a five month “four corners” tour of the UK to mark next year’s Diamond Jubilee. The rest of the royal family, including Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Duke of York and the Princess Royal will visit 15 countries on overseas celebratory trips to mark the occasion.
