The Friday News Roundup: The Catching Up Edition
Click through for tidbits and goodies on a variety of programs, including Doctor Who, Sherlock, Merlin, Hunted, Twenty Twelve, Red Dwarf, Parade’s End and more, as well as news of upcoming series Hunted, The Bletchley Circle and Good Cop.
Neat read: Sixty ways around the UK to enjoy the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year – careful, it will make you want to visit!
Silk writer teases Series 2 of the courtroom drama. (Series 1 will air here in America later this year, it looks like.)
Watch the trailer for the (sort of dodgy looking) sci-fi film Clone, which stars Doctor Who’s Matt Smith from back before he was the Doctor.
So awesome: Daleks race for charity!
Torchwood star John Barrowman says Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith also wants his character Captain Jack Harkness to return to Doctor Who for the 50th anniversary specials.
Steven Moffat says that the Companion is the “main character” in Doctor Who . (Also this article has more great photos of the Who cast filming in NYC.)
Several guest stars have already been announced for Merlin Series 5 .
ITV announces code-breaking thriller The Bletchley Circle. The murder mystery series will star Doc Martin’s Julie Graham and South Riding’s Anna Maxwell Martin.
Virgin Media pulls their advert featuring former Time Lord David Tennant, which the BBC had argued was too like Doctor Who.
From the hilarious what-might-have-been files: Before he became the Eleventh Doctor, Doctor Who’s Matt Smith auditioned for a role on Footballer’s Wives.
IT’S REAL: Scottish scientists invent a sonic screwdriver. Sort of. Just like Doctor Who!
Former Master John Simm squashes rumors that he’s returning to Doctor Who.
Interesting read on why Doctor Who is so popular in America right now.
The first poster has been revealed for Hunted, BBC One’s new contemporary spy series with Melissa George.
Channel 4 has commissioned a new six-part drama series from the producers of MI-5, called Utopia.
First look at the Parade’s End poster featuring Benedict Cumberbatch. (As this only tells part of the story, I’d expect there will be more of these in the coming weeks!)
Olympics mockumentary Twenty Twelve is set to air in the US, will premiere on BBC America in June.
Take a first look at Luther star Warren Brown in BBC One’s Good Cop.
Being Human’s Russell Tovey is set to star in ITV1’s new sitcom The Job Lot.
The approaching Sherlock Series 2 premiere means escalating press around the show’s cast and producers – here are a couple of lovely interviews with star Benedict Cumberbatch talking about Sherlock, Star Trek and that meme that went around a while ago comparing him to otters.
In case you missed it: BAFTA TV nominations were announced this week. BAFTA TV Craft nominations were also announced and Great Expectations scored seven nods in behind-the-scenes categories.
First image released from the new series of Red Dwarf, slated to air in the UK this Fall. The tenth series has also officially finished filming, by the way.
The Cutty Sark, a clipper ship that is one of Britain’s great maritime treasures, reopened to the public this week for the first time since 2006.
Aiden Gillan, better known to many as Petyr “Littlefinger Baelish on HBO’s Game of Thrones, will star in the BBC thriller Mayday alongside Sophie Okonedo, Peter Firth and Leslie Manville.
Downton Abbey star Elizabeth McGovern caused a little bit of a brouhaha when the papers reported that she said the series’ second season wasn’t as good as it’s first. McGovern has since stated that her comments were misinterpreted and that she was “horrified” that anyone would think she meant to criticize the show.
BIG BIG Downton Abbey spoilers courtesy of the Telegraph. Avoid if you don’t want to know.
Love this: 10 Life Lessons from Downton Abbey’s Dowager Countess.
This week marks a year since Prince William married Kate Middleton.
The cast has been announced for Russell T. Davies’ new children’s program Wizards vs. Aliens.
ITV has canceled Wild at Heart following its seventh series.
Torchwood writer Jane Espenson says she’s “very proud” of its recent Miracle Day season. (I’m sure I don’t know why, exactly, but okay.)
Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller once again shared Best Actor honors for their performance in Frankenstein, this time at the Olivier Awards.
