DOCTOR WHO celebrates its 60th anniversary

Doctor Who has turned sixty years old. The BBC's longest-running drama series aired for the first time on 23 November 1963. Sixty years, forty seasons, exactly 300 stories, 871 episodes, fourteen Doctors and 57 (ish) companions later, the show is still going strong, with a trio of anniversary specials due to start airing on Saturday, seeing David Tennant return to the role of the Doctor.

Doctor Who was created by a team at the BBC, consisting of Sydney Newman, Donald Wilson, Alice Frick, Donald Bull, Anthony Coburn, C.E. Webber, David Whittaker, Mervyn Pinfield and Verity Lambert, who became the show's first executive producer and effective showrunner. The show was designed to fill a Saturday evening gap that had opened between the sports and a music show, with the BBC reasoning they needed a show that could hold the attention of sports fans and ease younger viewers into the pop show.

After incoming Head of Drama Sydney Newman expressed a wish to develop a science fiction idea, the BBC realised it could draw upon a pre-existing stockpile of sets, props and costumes developed for various historical shows over the years, to be used in a time travel series. The production team realised they could also alternate historical and educational stories with science fiction "fun" episodes. Although the development team came up with various aspects of the show, Newman is usually credited as the show's creator for coming up with the name, the premise and the idea of a time-travelling machine larger inside than out.

Ron Grainer and Delia Derbyshire developed the show's distinct music, whilst Bernard Lodge and Norman Taylor created the show's distinctive title sequence, echoes of which can be found in more modern versions.

The original cast. From left to right: Ian Chesterton (William Russell), the First Doctor (William Hartnell), Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill) and Susan (Carole Ann Ford).

For the cast, veteran British film actor William Hartnell was cast as the role of the Doctor, a mysterious alien from another world in possession of a TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space), a machine capable of travelling anywhere and anywhen. He was accompanied on his travels his granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford). In the very first episode, An Unearthly Child, Susan's schoolteachers Ian Chesterton (William Russell) and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill), become mystified by Susan's incredible brilliance in certain areas but shocking ignorance at others, and decide to travel to her address to talk to her grandfather. However, the address is for a junkyard. They find the TARDIS disguised as a police telephone box, but soon stumble inside and are stunned at its far larger interior dimensions. The Doctor, panicking at the unexpected discovery, launches the TARDIS but loses control of its navigation systems, which are apparently malfunctioning. Over the course of many adventures, the Doctor attempts to return Ian and Barbara to their home time safely. On their travels, they journey to ancient Rome and the court of Marco Polo, are shrunk to the size of insects and encounter their most persistent foe, the Daleks of Skaro.

The show's gruelling production schedule (producing over 40 episodes a year back in those days) took a toll on both cast and crew. Within just three years, the last person left standing from the show's launch was Hartnell, and he was suffering from increasing ill health. When he decided to quit the show early in its fourth season, it was assumed that would be it: you can't have a show called Doctor Who without the Doctor, can you?

Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor (1966-69).

However, the production team hit on the idea that, since the Doctor was an alien, he could perhaps "die" but then be reborn in a new, younger body. Hartnell was consulted on the idea and he gave it his approval, even suggesting his own replacement: Patrick Troughton. Troughton was duly cast and the Doctor changed his appearance for the first time at the end of the classic serial The Tenth Planet, which was also notable for introducing the Cybermen.

The reign of the Second Doctor was more consistent - he was joined by Highlander Jamie McCrimmon (Frazer Hines) for almost its entire length as his companion - but saw some changes in the format. The historical stories, which had never been hugely popular, were quietly dropped. The Doctor would still continue to visit historical periods but now would encounter science fiction threats there. There was a renewed focus on monsters, and the Second Doctor's reign saw the introduction of the Ice Warriors, Macra and the Great Intelligence, all of whom would return in the modern era of the show. Towards the end of the Second Doctor's run, he visited Earth in the near future and encountered a military organisation known as UNIT (United Nations Intelligence Taskforce), ironically inspired by the various times the Doctor had defeated alien incursions with the help of local military or government forces.

Troughton decided that three years was the optimal time to remain on Doctor Who without being typecast; the so-called "Troughton Rule" of each Doctor staying for three years or three seasons would be followed by seven succeeding Doctors, with three staying for an even shorter period and only two for a longer period. With his departure at the end of the sixth season, airing in 1969, the BBC decided to revamp the show by making it in full colour, which came at the cost of reducing the episode count to a more modest 26 episodes a year.

Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor (1970-74).

Inspired by faster-moving US SF productions like Star Trek, not to mention the gadgets and action of the James Bond movies, there was a shift to more action. To save on costs, the TARDIS was grounded, with the Third Doctor, now played by Jon Pertwee, exiled to Earth by his own race, the Time Lords, for breaking their rules on non-interference. The Doctor joined UNIT as its scientific advisor and gained not just new companions but also a whole set of new allies, led by the formidable Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney). The Doctor also gained a nemesis, in the form of the evil Time Lord known as the Master (Roger Delgado). Their Holmes-and-Moriarty-like banter and bickering became a hallmark of the Third Doctor's reign. This era also saw the first multi-Doctor celebration in The Three Doctors (1973), where Pertwee, Troughton and Hartnell's Doctors are united by time travel to face the threat of the insane Time Lord known as Omega. Pertwee stayed in the role for five years (1970-74), electing to leave after Roger Delgado's death in a tragic car crash.

Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor (1974-81).

For the Fourth Doctor (1974-81), the BBC decided to cast the relatively unknown Tom Baker in the role. Baker's eccentric mannerisms, deep booming voice and idiosyncratic humour soon won him legions of fans, and his run on the show would generate many of the best-regarded Doctor Who stories of all time: The Ark in Space, Genesis of the Daleks, Pyramids of Mars, The Talons of Weng-Chiang, The Deadly Assassin, The Robots of Death, City of Death and more. Under Baker's reign, the show hits its highest-ever audience figures of over 16 million, and achieved its first breakthrough in the United States, with Baker stories airing on PBS creating a small but devoted following (including future Simpsons creator Matt Groening).

Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor (1981-84).

Baker stayed in the role for seven years, still a record, and may have stayed for longer, but incoming new producer John Nathan-Turner was keen for a revamp, feeling the show needed to be revitalised for the 1980s. For Baker's last season a new, more electronic theme tune and title sequence was developed, younger companions were introduced and Baker's tendency to adlib dialogue and improvise on set was heavily reigned in. Baker quit at the end of the eighteenth season and was replaced by the younger Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor (1981-84). During Davison's tenure it became clearer that the show's low budget was becoming extremely problematic in keeping the show relevant, and viewers interested, especially in the face of increasingly stiff competition from big-budget, glossy American shows. However, generally strong scripts ensured that Davison's reign was remembered fondly.

Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor (1984-86).

Davison was succeeded by Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor (1984-86), with the plan being that Baker's Doctor would be unpredictable and unstable, even dangerous, before evolving into a more civilised version of the Doctor. Unfortunately, this simply made him unlikeable out of the gate. Incoming, new BBC executives disliked the show and tried to kill it, but viewing figures remained reasonable. After an eighteen-month hiatus after Baker's first season, the show was brought back with a drastically cut episode count (to just 14 half-hour episodes) and a shift to a midweek timeslot opposite Britain's most popular show, Coronation Street, carefully designed to make the show unviable.

Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor (1987-89, 96).

Baker was also fired and replaced by Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor (1987-89), a comedian best known for an act involving putting ferrets in his trousers. Against the odds, McCoy played his Doctor as a master-manipulator and cunning instigator of plots, developing a formidable bond with his companion Ace (Sophie Aldred), a teenager from a rough London estate who thrives when taken on adventures in time and space. McCoy's era generated several classic stories and was on a creative and critical high when the BBC decided to "rest" show after its 26th season in 1989.

Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor (1996).

Doctor Who spent sixteen years in the wilderness, with only a single TV special in 1996 starring Paul McGann as the short-lived Eighth Doctor. The show continued to generate considerable income for the BBC through VHS and, later, DVD sales, toys, models, video games, comic books and a vast range of novels and short story collections (including stories by Russell T. Davies, Steven Moffat, Paul Cornell and Mark Gatiss, amongst many others). The BBC kept trying to relaunch the show as a big-budget movie, but could not attract significant Hollywood interest.

Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor (2005).

Finally, the BBC resurrected Doctor Who in 2005. Russell T. Davies, one of the hottest British TV writers in the business and a lifelong Doctor Who fan, picked up the reigns after the success of his dramas Queer as Folk, The Second Coming and Casanova. He returned the show to Saturday night primetime and recruited Christopher Eccleston to the play role of the Ninth Doctor, with former pop star Billie Piper playing his companion Rose. The new show shared continuity with the old, but was softly rebooted, with a new premise which saw the Doctor as the last survivor of his race after they were annihilated in the Great Time War against the Daleks.

David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor (2005-10).

The show saw impressive viewing figures on its return, with young children particularly swept up in its charm. The show started shifting vast amounts of merchandise, and picked up steam on BBC America in the US. There was an early hiccup when Eccleston quit after just one season due to creative differences with one of the directors, but he was quickly replaced by David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor (2005-10). Tennant's performance came to be regarded as iconic, on a par with that of Tom Baker for the classic show, and his popularity was impressive. He did three full seasons as the Doctor and a series of specials. During Davies' run he also extended the franchise's reach to other shows, with the adult-focused Torchwood (2006-11) and the kid-friendly Sarah-Jane Adventures (2007-11) both launching on his watch.

Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor (2010-13).

Tennant's departure coincided with that of Davies, and the immensely popular writer Steven Moffat picked to succeed Davies. He brought in Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor (2010-13), who brought a younger energy to proceedings. Under Smith's sure hand, the show experienced arguably the zenith of its appeal and fame, achieving a major, breakthrough success in profile in the United States. The 50th anniversary special, Day of the Doctor, aired in cinemas worldwide and saw huge viewing figures achieved.

Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor (2013-17).

The reign of the Twelfth Doctor (2013-17), played by Peter Capaldi, was critically acclaimed, particular for the episode Heaven Sent, but saw complaints about convoluted plotting. The show also experienced budget problems during this time, airing increasingly intermittently and dropping its episode count. There was also speculation that Moffat had stayed too long (eight years, only one less than John Nathan-Turner in the 1980s); he departed alongside Capaldi.

Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor (2017-22).

Capaldi was succeeded by Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor (2017-22), the first actress to play the role. Chris Chibnall, who had been writing for the show since the Russell T. Davies era, became showrunner off the back of his hot detective show Broadchurch (2013-17). The show became more filmic during this period, with most sophisticated effects and expansive location filming in South Africa. However, the budget continued to be squeezed, with the show dropping to just ten episodes per season and extremely long gaps between seasons (not helped by the COVID pandemic). The show also moved from Saturday to Sunday nights, and the Christmas Special was dropped in favour of a New Year's Special that attracted far less attention. The show's critical acclaim dropped to its lowest level since its return in 2005, with criticism of the overlarge cast (which sometimes left the Doctor with little screen time), leaden pacing and a curious decision to retcon the Doctor's origins. Viewing figures also fell significantly during this period.

David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor (2022-23).

Despite early discussions about a five-season run and story arc, Whittaker and Chibnall decided to leave after three seasons and a series of special episodes; ironically, their very last episode as also their best, and best-regarded. In a shock move, the BBC was able to recruit Russell T. Davies to return to the show. Davies had gained international stature after leaving Who in 2010 through a series of prestige dramas, including Years and Years and It's a Sin. Davies used his return to leverage impressive results: Doctor Who would return to Saturday nights, the Christmas Special would return, the entire Doctor Who archive would be made available via the BBC iPlayer, the show would move to an independent production company (Bad Wolf, founded by Davies' former friends and coworkers from during his original tenure on the show) and Disney+ would co-fund the series and distribute it internationally on its streaming platform. For the show's 60th Anniversary, Davies would also bring back Tennant, albeit playing the distinctive Fourteenth Doctor rather than the return of the Tenth.

Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor (2023-??).

It would be confirmed that Tennant's return would be limited, with Scottish-Rwandan actor Ncuti Gatwa cast as the Fifteenth Doctor, to debut in the 2023 Christmas Special. Gatwa is already filming his second season as the Doctor months before his first is due to air.

The appeal of Doctor Who is fairly obvious: the show can go anywhere in space or time. Despite a gradual accumulation of lore, backstory and story arcs over six decades, the show is mostly focused on standalone stories than anyone can enjoy. The show has always been aimed at family audiences, as Davies once said, to appeal to everyone from eight to eighty. The show features action, but the Doctor is reluctant to kill or use violence, preferring thinking and negotiation. The concept of regeneration, as well as the revolving door of companions, constantly allows the show to refresh itself every few years, with constant media interest in the next actor to take on the role.

That Doctor Who is still being made after sixty years is incredible. Hopefully it will go on at least sixty years more.

WARLORD CHRONICLES TV series to air in August

The Winter King, the TV adaptation of Bernard Cornwell's acclaimed Warlord Chronicles trilogy, will start airing on August 20th this year.

The show was only commissioned last September and was put into rapid turn-around, with Bad Wolf Productions (A Discovery of Witches, His Dark Materials, Doctor Who) prioritising the project which they'd been developing since 2015.

The novels take the form of a historically-inspired take on the legend of Arthur, with armour, weapons and military tactics based on real 5th/6th century sources. The books are narrated by Derfel Cadarn, a relatively junior member of the Knights of the Round Table. In the novels, Arthur is not a king but a warlord, a mercenary commander who is chosen to act as regent for the true heir to the throne, Prince Mordred. Britain at this time is a seething morass of competing religious, political and cultural influences, divided between the Roman occupiers whose time is fading, the native Britons and the invading Saxons. Arthur has the unenviable task of forging these forces into a coalition to ensure peace in the islands, aided by Merlin, in this version of the story a lecherous high priest.

The series stars Eddie Marsan (Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell) as King Uther, Iain de Caestecker (Agents of SHIELD) as Arthur, Ellie James (I May Destroy You) as Nimue, Nathaniel Martello-White (I Hate Suzie) as Merlin, Stuart Campbell (Rogue Heroes) as Derfel, Daniel Ings (The Crown) as Owain, Valene Kane (Gangs of London) as Morgan, Jordan Alexandra (Mammals) as Guinevere and Simon Merrells (Knightfall) as Gundleus.

The series is produced by Bad Wolf and parent company Sony Television, and will air on MGM+ in the United States and ITVX in the United Kingdom.

Disney+ becomes the international home for DOCTOR WHO as part of a major revamp of the franchise

The BBC and Disney+ have signed a major distribution deal for Doctor Who. From late 2023, Disney+ will become the international, worldwide streaming home for the franchise outside of the UK and Republic of Ireland (where the BBC and BBC iPlayer will remain the home for the show). Previously, the show had aired on a number of different local platforms based on individual deals, but the new deal will allow the show to air simultaneously in 150 different markets worldwide.

The deal has been under negotiation since July as part of returning showrunner Russell T. Davies' new vision for the show. Davies wants to return the show to the international phenomenon it was during his initial reign (2005-10) and that of his successor Steven Moffat (2010-17), with the show's popularity peaking in 2013 during its 50th anniversary celebrations. The show subsequently dropped off in profile, something ascribed to a combination of a fragmented transmission schedule (the show aired seven seasons between 2005 and 2013, but only six in the decade since then), a reduced episode count, less merchandising and more inconsistent writing.

Davies' initial plan involves a three-part 60th Anniversary story featuring David Tennant returning to the role of the Doctor. Tennant previously played the Tenth Doctor from 2005 to 2010, becoming arguably the most popular actor in the role (challenged historically only by Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor). He returned for the 50th anniversary in 2013. Tennant is now playing the Fourteenth Doctor, with the mystery of why he resembles a prior incarnation to form the spine of the new episodes.

It's already been confirmed that Tennant's return is short-term, with Ncuti Gatwa to take over as the Fifteenth Doctor in time for a Christmas Special in 2023 and then a full season of episodes in 2024.

Davies also wants to overcome the show's historical budget problems. The show's budget was frozen around 2012 in the wake of major cost cutting at the BBC after the 2008 financial crisis, resulting in a decreased episode count and sometimes 18 months or longer going between seasons. To overcome this issue, Davies has convinced the BBC to move production to an independent company, Bad Wolf Productions, which allows for different accounting so the show's profits can be fed back into it (instead of being used to subsidise other programming). The Disney+ deal hopefully will also benefit the show and allow it to compete with big-budget streaming fare more convincingly.

As part of the new branding exercise, the BBC and Disney+ have also unveiled the return of the classic series' "diamond logo." This logo was used from Seasons 11 to 17 of the original series (1973-1980) and adorned vast amounts of merchandising in that time, as well as being used for most of the show's releases on VHS in the 1990s.

Doctor Who returns to the screens in November 2023.

WARLORD CHRONICLES TV series greenlit by Bad Wolf and ITVX

Bad Wolf Productions have finally pulled the trigger on their long, long-gestating Warlord Chronicles TV series.

Based on the historical-with-a-hint-of-fantasy trilogy by Bernard Cornwell, the series is a "realistic" take on the legend of Arthur, recasting Arthur as a post-Roman mercenary commander or warlord who has to rule as regent of the kingdom of Dumnonia for the young Prince Mordred, and how he deals in a politically complex world divided between the remnants of the Romans (particularly the cult of Mithras), the native Britons and the invading Saxons. The series is notable for its attempts to be historically accurate to 5th and 6th Century Britain, particular when it comes to military, religious and political concerns.

The trilogy consists of the novels The Winter King (1995), Enemy of God (1996) and Excalibur (1997), and is consistently Cornwell's most acclaimed series, helped by its conciseness (his Sharpe and Last Kingdom series, both previously adapted to television, are better-known but considerably longer) and its revisionist take on familiar characters, with Guinevere as a fierce warrior-queen of another tribe and Merlin as a priest whose magical powers are more claimed than demonstrable.

The 10-part first season, which will adapt The Winter King, will debut on the streaming platform ITVX in the UK. Bad Wolf Productions are currently looking for an international streaming/distribution partner. They have good relations with HBO and the BBC, with whom they produced His Dark Materials (which returns for a third and final season this year). Kate Brooke and Ed Whitmore are writing, whilst Otto Bathurst will direct.

Bad Wolf originally optioned the series in 2015, at the same time as His Dark Materials, but wanted to complete work on that show before moving to a new project.

Bad Wolf are also producing Doctor Who for the BBC, with Russell T. Davies in charge. Production appears to be complete or almost so on a series of three specials due to air in 2023 for the show's 60th anniversary, which will see David Tennant reprise his role as the Doctor, and they are about to start production on the fourteenth series, which will see Ncuti Gatwa take on the role.

Russell T. Davies confirms his DOCTOR WHO comeback will be the 60th anniversary episode in November 2023

Russell T. Davies, the writer-producer who brought Doctor Who back from the abyss in 2005, has confirmed that he will be staging his big comeback to the show in just under two years.

Davies was the showrunner of Doctor Who for almost seven years, beginning work on the show in 2003 when BBC Drama commissioner Janet Tranter ordered its return, and his last episode aired on New Year's Day 2010. He was succeeded first by Steven Moffat, who ran the show from 2010 to the Christmas Special in 2017, and then Chris Chibnall, who has been charge since. Davis is credited with making Doctor Who one of the most popular drama shows on British television, enjoying ratings of over 12 million at its peak, figures not seen since the original show's heyday in the late 1970s. Doctor Who also became an international phenomenon under Davies's leadership, although its US profile did not peak until a couple of years into Moffat's run.

Davies has resisted returning to the main show, preferring to let his successors get on with their jobs, but did contribute scripts to spin-off shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, which both ended in 2011. Since then he has worked in original drama, particularly A Very English Scandal (2016), Years and Years (2019) and It's a Sin (2021), all of which been highly critically acclaimed. Davies got an Emmy nomination for A Very English Scandal and a Welsh BAFTA win for It's a Sin.

It was announced in September that Davies would return to Doctor Who after Chibnall and current star Jodie Whittaker both announced they would be leaving the show after a series of specials to air in 2022 (these recently wrapped filming). It was unclear if Davies would return with a full season first and then address the 60th anniversary event in November 2023, or handle the anniversary first and then a full season. It now sounds like the latter will be the case.

Work is starting on Davies' new era of the series, with auditioning for the role of the Fourteenth Doctor underway and the first production meetings having taken place. It is as yet unclear if Mandip Gill and John Bishop will be continuing their role as Yaz and Dan into the new era, although I suspect it's most likely there will be a soft reboot of the series with a whole new production team coming on board.

Davies's return is not the only huge shift for the series. For the first time ever, production of Doctor Who has been outsourced to an independent production company. Bad Wolf Productions, recently acquired by Sony Television (which is not expected to have an impact on production), will helm the show starting with the fourteenth season. Bad Wolf's deal over production and merchandising sounds like it could result in a steep budget hike for the notoriously cash-strapped show, which in recent years has dropped from 14 to 13 and then 10 episodes a season to save money, to the dismay of fans. The most recent season, produced amidst the COVID pandemic, was only able to produce six episodes.

Doctor Who's ratings have seen a marked decline since the Davies era, with recent seasons lucky to break 5 million viewers on initial broadcast. To some extent this is a natural progression for all British live-broadcast shows, with the BBC iPlayer and time-shifting adding a lot more views after they are counted. The show's profile has also declined, particularly abroad, with the days when the 50th anniversary special aired in cinemas all over the world feeling very long ago indeed. The BBC is banking big on Davies being able to restore the show to its former glories.

Doctor Who's next episode is Eve of the Daleks, which will air on New Year's Day. It will be followed by another special, possibly to air at Easter, and then a grand finale episode to air as part of the 100th birthday celebrations of the BBC, which falls on 18 October 2022, although the episode may air later, at Christmas or New Year.

It sounds like Davies' Doctor Who comeback will air the week of 23 November 2023, to celebrate the show's 60th anniversary, although the 23rd is a Thursday, so it's unclear if the episode will air then or on the following Saturday or Sunday. More news as we get it.

Russell T. Davies made DOCTOR WHO becoming an independent production a condition of his return

In a startling piece published by The Times (paywall), it has been reported that Russell T. Davies made his return to Doctor Who conditional on the show becoming an independent production (via Bad Wolf Productions), allowing him complete creative control with no interference from the BBC.

Russell T. Davies and fellow Doctor Who producer and now-Bad Wolf executive Julie Gardner in 2017.

Since its inception in 1963, Doctor Who has been produced inhouse at the BBC: first at the BBC drama department from 1963 to 1989, then a one-off co-production with Universal Studios in 1996 and most recently (2005-2022) at BBC Wales. This has allowed the BBC close control and oversight over the making of the show. However, this arrangement has had drawbacks, particularly related to how the show is funded and how it is remunerated. As a BBC production, the show cannot benefit from the immense amount of profit it generates from book, media and merchandising sales, with profits from those endeavours instead going back into the general BBC budget. As a result, Doctor Who and other big BBC shows, like Top Gear and various David Attenborough documentaries, are often said to subsidise other, less popular and more niche BBC shows and services as part of the broadcaster's public service remit.

This has become more problematic since 2010, when Doctor Who's budget was effectively frozen in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. In real terms, Doctor Who has seen an inflation-driven budget cut for almost every year since then (with an exception for the 50th anniversary in 2013). To accommodate these cuts, the show has slashed production from 13 episodes (plus a special) to 10 episodes every year, and to six episodes this year (though this was also driven by restrictions and limitations resulting from the COVID pandemic). However, it is clear that the show is no longer able to keep pace with American SFF shows. When the revived Doctor Who started in 2005, it was able to comfortably go toe-to-toe with contemporary American network shows like Star Trek: Enterprise and Stargate Atlantis, but today, when its competitors are the likes of Foundation and The Expanse, it has clearly been left behind.

Outsourcing production to an independent company means a revamping of the way the show is funded, allowing Bad Wolf to bring in more investment, as well as striking a deal to allow the production to benefit more from profits generated from the show. This combination will hopefully allow the show to gain production value and once again look like a modern genre TV series. With The Times reporting that the BBC is giving up some $40 million in profits which could be put back into the show instead as an independent production, the show's budget could perhaps as much as quadruple under the new regime.

A happy by-product of this is that, although the BBC still have some say in the series via their contract (so certainly don't expect graphic violence or sex or anything unsuitable for the show's timeslot), they will not have day-to-day oversight of the series. Davies will have complete creative control and freedom to do what he wants with the series. As related in his book The Writer's Tale, Davies found his work on the series was sometimes compromised by having to adhere to the BBC's vision and guidelines, and as the show became a massive hit more and more people at the BBC wanted to get involved with it, creating a sometimes stressful working environment. It sounds like this new arrangement will mean that will no longer be a concern and he can make the show he wants to without being as beholden to BBC corporate politics. Davies will likely also be relishing the opportunity to work once again with Julie Gardner - his former Doctor Who co-producer - and Jane Tranter, the former head of BBC Drama who greenlit Doctor Who's return in 2003. And of course, the very name "Bad Wolf" came from Doctor Who in the first place.

The current production paradigm will remain in place for this year and next, however, with Chris Chibnall and BBC Wales overseeing both the current 13th series and a series of three specials to air in 2022. Russell T. Davies' second stint on Doctor Who will commence in 2023.

Sony to acquire SFF-focused production company Bad Wolf

Sony Pictures Television is to acquire independent production company Bad Wolf, noted for its slate of SFF programming.

Bad Wolf was founded in 2015 by ex-BBC Drama head Jane Tranter and former Doctor Who producer Julie Gardner, and took its name from a story arc on Doctor Who. Headquartered in Cardiff, Wales, the company's first project was The Night Of for HBO and the BBC, which was a massive international success. A Discovery of Witches for Sky, based on the Deborah Harkness fantasy trilogy. They have since added Philip Pullman's trilogy His Dark Materials as a project for HBO and the BBC, and are currently shooting the third and concluding season. It is possible they might consider adapting the Book of Dust sequel/prequel project, and have incorporated elements from that trilogy in the existing TV series.

Bad Wolf will partner with the BBC in 2023 to produce the fourteenth season of the rebooted Doctor Who, and potentially further seasons beyond that. As well as Gardner being a former producer on the show, Jane Tranter was the person who formally commissioned the Doctor Who revival during her time at the BBC. Their former producing partner Russell T. Davies is returning to helm at least one season and the 60th anniversary celebrations, but may stay on beyond that.

Bad Wolf's other projects include Beddgelert, Industry and I Hate Suzie, the latter of which which will re-team the production company with former Doctor Who star Billie Piper. They are also developing a series based on Bernard Cornwell's acclaimed Warlord Chronicles trilogy, a more realistic take on the Arthurian legend.

Sony's acquisition of the company will give Sony a strong production partner based in the UK, which is rapidly becoming a boom location for shooting. Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon is currently shooting in the UK, and production of Netflix's The Witcher transferred to the UK from Eastern Europe for its second and subsequent seasons. Amazon is also in pre-production for Anansi Boys, Season 2 of Good Omens and Season 2 of its Lord of the Rings Second Age project, all rumoured to shoot in Scotland. Sony have reportedly committed to keeping Bad Wolf's headquarters in Cardiff and maintaining the UK as its primary production base.

Sony acquiring Bad Wolf does not mean they have acquired Doctor Who, of course. Bad Wolf are producing the show to-order for the BBC, which retains ownership, all related copyrights and trademarks. Bad Wolf will be producing the show on behalf of the BBC in a deal which the BBC can amend as required. However, it is likely that the deal gives Bad Wolf (and hence Sony) a slice of overseas profits, which may allow them to invest more heavily in the show; Doctor Who has famously been on a very tight (and stretched beyond breaking point) budget since the BBC effectively froze its production budgets after the financial crisis of 2008. 

His Dark Materials: Season 2

Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry, both citizens of Oxford but in different worlds, meet in an abandoned city alien to them both. They find respite from their individual travails, but their journey is not yet done. Destiny guides them to an encounter with the mysterious Subtle Knife, which has the power to change the fates of universes, but the Magisterium and the enigmatic Ms. Coulter are on their trail.

The first season of His Dark Materials was a reasonably solid adaptation of Philip Pullman's novel Northern Lights (retitled The Golden Compass in the US). It took advantage of its eight-hour running time to deliver a more in-depth, thoughtful and resonant version of the story than the perfunctory 2007 movie, although it may have also had a little bit too much time, with some issues with pacing. The season also suffered from a surprisingly subdued performance by Dafne Keen as the spirited Lyra (a problem of direction, not the actress, it should be emphasised) and a distinct lack of daemons in scenes which should have had lots of them in evidence.

Season 2 is an improvement on every single level. With seven episodes to adapt the second book in the trilogy, The Subtle Knife, the pacing is punchier and works better. Keen is more energetic and more in keeping with the Lyra from the books, and the show is positively awash with daemons when necessary. HBO came on board the project whilst the first season was filming, so it looks like their cash injection helped the second season overcome some of the budgetary constraints that were a little more evident in the first season (despite reports of this being one of the most expensive BBC dramas ever made). 

The second season is also more expansive. As well as the main story being more evenly split between Lyra and Will, there's also hefty storylines for Lee Scoresby, the witches, Ms. Coulter, the Magisterium leaders back on Lyra's world and dark matter scientist Dr. Mary Malone. The sense of scope and scale is matched by the production values, which convincingly depict multiple worlds and the action transpiring in them, and the superb set design for the city of Cittagàzze.

Some complaints may be unavoidable ones from the book: the abrupt jettisoning of much of Season 1's supporting cast feels a little jarring (especially the near-total absence of Asriel), and Pullman's intellectual approach and thematic ideas sometimes makes this a story more told from the head than the heart. But the escalating tension and increasing ruthless streak (especially from Ms. Coulter) also make the season more tense and unpredictable, at least to those who have not read the books.

The second season of His Dark Materials (****½) improves over the prior outing on almost level, being more epic, better-written and more impressive in scale and scope. It is available to watch via the BBC iPlayer in the UK and HBO in the United States.

A third season, depicting the final book in the trilogy, The Amber Spyglass, is in the planning stages but has not yet been greenlit.

WARLORD CHRONICLES TV series goes into active development at Epix

American cable network Epix has teamed with Bad Wolf Productions, the company behind His Dark Materials, to develop The Warlord Chronicles novel series by Last Kingdom creator Bernard Cornwell for television.

The Warlord Chronicles consists of three novels: The Winter King (1995), Enemy of God (1996) and Excalibur (1997). The Warlord Chronicles are a "realistic" take on the legend of King Arthur, set during the 5th and 6th Centuries in a Britain riven by religious and political turmoil. The Roman Empire has collapsed, but some of the Roman settlers and armies remain. The native Britons are trying to re-establish themselves, but the first waves of Saxons are starting to invade from the east. Roman religious cults and the newly-arrived religion of Christianity are struggling against the native pagan druids and other old faiths. It's a time of great danger, enhanced when King Uther Pendragon of Dumnonia dies and the protection of his infant son and heir Mordred falls to Uther's bastard child Arthur. Unable to ever become king, Arthur instead takes on the mantle of Warlord. Arthur's stewardship sees Dumnonia - rendered "Camelot" by later chroniclers - become a great power but it is sore-pressed by both internal and external pressures. The story is also notable for being told from the point of view of Derfel Cadarn, a very junior member of Arthur's circle, rather than from one of the better-known characters of the legend. The whole story is being related in exacting detail by Cadarn to some monks. To his horror, they start "sexing up" the stories with magic swords and ladies in lakes, forming the legend as we currently know it.

The Warlord Chronicles is often cited as Bernard Cornwell's strongest work, and the most successful version of the Arthurian legend of recent decades.

Epix is a relatively obscure American cable network, although it his scored some hits with the likes of Godfather of Harlem, Perpetual Grace LTD and Pennyworth. Their plan is to adapt the series under the title The Winter King. So far the project is only in development and has not yet been given a pilot order.

Bad Wolf optioned The Warlord Chronicles in 2015, but has delayed work on the show whilst they were getting The Night of, A Discovery of Witches and His Dark Materials underway.

HIS DARK MATERIALS confirms actors for Iorek and the dæmons

The BBC and HBO have announced more of the cast for their adaptation of His Dark Materials, the first season of which is due to air in the autumn. This time around they've focused on the voice actors for the various CG creations in the show.

Joe Tandberg has been confirmed as the voice of Iorek Byrnison, an armoured bear of the north. Cristela Alonzo is playing the voice of Hester, Lee Scoresby's dæmon. Kit Connor is playing Pantalaimon, Lyra's dæmon. Veteran British actor David Suchet is playing Kaisa, the dæmon of Serafina Pekkala. Brian Fisher is playing the Golden Monkey, the dæmon of Ms. Coulter.

Season 1 of His Dark Materials is expected to air in October or November this year on BBC1 in the UK and on HBO in the United States.

The BBC unveils a new trailer for HIS DARK MATERIALS

The BBC has unveiled a full-length trailer for His Dark Materials, their new multi-season adaptation of the Philip Pullman fantasy trilogy.

The first season, made by Bad Wolf Productions, is based on Northern Lights (published as The Golden Compass in some territories), the first novel in the series, and depicts the adventures of Lyra (Dafne Keen), a young girl who is swept up in the machinations of Lord Asriel (James McAvoy) and Ms. Coulter (Ruth Wilson) in a parallel universe version of Oxford.

The book was partially adapted for film in 2007 as The Golden Compass, although the movie was not successful and the second and third novels (The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass) were not adapted. This time around, the BBC and HBO plan to adapt all three books. Season 2 has already been greenlit and is in pre-production. Early reports suggested that they were looking to adapt the trilogy across five seasons, but the new trailer suggests that the first season may adapt the entirety of the first novel instead.

Season 1 is set to be released in the autumn, with some reports suggesting it may debut around the time that Pullman's next novel in this universe, The Secret Commonwealth, is published (on 3 October). HBO will air the series in the United States.

New HIS DARK MATERIALS trailer reveals the daemons

The BBC and HBO have dropped a new teaser trailer for His Dark Materials, their TV adaptation of the Philip Pullman trilogy of the same name.

The new trailer shows off the daemons (animal familiars) of the main characters for the first time. It also confirms that the armoured bears will appear in Season 1. With the show planned to adapt the three books over five seasons, it was unclear if the bears would be included in the first season.

The trailer also shows scenes that appear only at the very end of the first novel in the series, Northern Lights (retitled The Golden Compass in the USA for no readily apparent reason), suggesting that perhaps they have rethought the five-season strategy and might be considering a shorter run.

His Dark Materials has already been renewed for a second season, which is expected to enter production soon. Season 1 is expected to start airing in October or November this year.

First HIS DARK MATERIALS teaser trailer

The BBC has released the first teaser trailer for His Dark Materials, the new TV adaptation of Philip Pullman's novel series of the same name.

Season 1 of His Dark Materials will air late this year on the BBC in the UK and on HBO in the USA. A second season has been greenlit and is already in pre-production.

The teaser trailer features Dafne Keen as Lyra, Ruth Wilson as Ms. Coulter, James McAvoy as Lord Asriel, Clarke Peters as the Master of Jordan College and Lin-Manuel Miranda as Lee Scoresby. Notably absent are the daemons, although given we are still likely 7-8 months from transmission this is unsurprising as they may not have even been created yet.

BBC renews HIS DARK MATERIALS before the first season even finishes shooting

The BBC has renewed their TV adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials for a second season, which is impressive as Season 1 is still shooting and may still be a year away from airing.

The BBC, Bad Wolf Productions and New Line Productions are working on the project, which is envisaged will span five seasons of eight episodes apiece. The TV series is apparently one of the most ambitious in the BBC's history, with the cost of the daemons cited as a major issue. Although the show isn't in the Netflix/HBO band (usually around $6 or $7 million per episode for a new show), it's apparently not far off and shows a new ambition by the BBC to compete with American studios in terms of scale, at least for certain signature shows. Whether this means they're going to give Doctor Who a much-needed budget increase after years of starving their most successful drama series of funds is another question.

His Dark Materials will continue shooting through the end of this year and will air on the BBC in the UK in the second half of 2019. American broadcasters HBO and Netflix are still competing for the US rights. The early renewal means that production should be able to roll into the second season and allow the BBC to air the seasons more closely together than has been the case for some of their recent shows.

Cast list for HIS DARK MATERIALS: Season 1 released

Bad Wolf Productions and the BBC have released a cast list for Season 1 of His Dark Materials, which is now shooting in Wales. The cast is as follows:

• Dafne Keen (Logan) as Lyra Belacqua
• James McAvoy (X-Men, Split, Shameless) as Lord Asriel
• Ruth Wilson (Luther) as Ms. Coulter
• Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) as Lee Scoresby
• Clarke Peters (The Wire) as the Master of Jordan College (aka Dr. Carne)
• Georgina Campbell (Black Mirror, Krypton) as Adele Starminster
• Ariyon Bakare (Rogue One, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell) as Lord Boreal
• Ian Gelder (Game of Thrones) as Librarian-Scholar Charles
• Will Keen (The Crown) as Father MacPhail
• Anne-Marie Duff (Shameless) as Ma Costa
• James Cosmo (Braveheart, Troy, Game of Thrones) as Farder Coram
• Geoff Bell (Kingsman: The Secret Service) as Jack Verhoeven
• Lucian Msamati (Game of Thrones) as John Faa
• Simon Manyonda (Whitechapel, Doctor Who) as Benjamin de Ruyter
• Matt Fraser (American Horror Story, The Fades) as Raymond Van Gerritt
• Richard Cunningham (The Royals, Rogue One) as Gustaf
• Philip Goldacre (The Bill, The Canterbury Tales) as Sub Rector
• Lewin Lloyd as Roger Parslow
• Daniel Frogson as Tony Costa
• Tyler Hewitt as Billy Costa
• Archie Barnes as Pantalaimon

• Jack Thorne (The Fades, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) is the writer
• Tom Hooper (The King's Speech, Les Miserables) is directing Episodes 1-2
• Dawn Shadforth (The Trust) is directing Episodes 3
• Otto Bathurst (Robin Hood, Peaky Blinders) is directing Episodes 4-5
• Directors for Episodes 6-8 have yet to be announced

It should be noted that the voice actors for the armoured bears are not listed. Whether this is because Season 1 won't reach their introduction to the story (with five seasons and forty episodes to adapt three books, the conclusion of Book 1 won't be reached until partway through Season 2) or because, as voiceovers, they will not be cast until post-production remains unclear.

Production of the BBC's HIS DARK MATERIALS series begins

Production is now formally underway on the BBC's His Dark Materials TV series, a planned five-season adaptation of Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy.

The BBC, Bad Wolf Productions and New Line Cinema are collaborating on the series,which will air on the BBC in the UK and on a still-to-be-decided American network (reportedly, Netflix and HBO are both in the running to secure the first-run rights). The plan is to adapt the three novels - Northern Lights (aka The Golden Compass in some territories), The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass - across five eight-episode seasons. Of course, if the show is a massive hit then we may see interest in also adapting Pullman's in-progress sequel/prequel trilogy, The Book of Dust (consisting of the published La Belle Sauvage, the completed-but-still-unpublished The Secret Commonwealth and a forthcoming third book).

James McAvoy stars as Lord Asriel, with Ruth Wilson as Ms. Coulter, Dafne Keen as Lyra Belacqua, Lin-Manuel Miranda as Lee Scoresby and Clarke Peters as the Master of Jordan College. The series is expected to start airing in late 2019.

HIS DARK MATERIALS TV series casts James McAvoy as Lord Asriel

The BBC and Bad Wolf Productions have tapped James McAvoy to play the role of Lord Asriel in their upcoming adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.

Asriel is one of the main antagonists of the novel series (although that's probably simplifying his role too much). He was played by Daniel Craig in the unsuccessful 2007 movie version of the first book.

Also joining the project is Clarke Peters, who is best-known for playing Lester Freamon on The Wire. Peters will be playing one of the masters at Oxford who raises Lyra.

As previously announced, Dafne Keen (Logan) is playing the role of Lyra and Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) is playing Lee Scoresby.

The BBC and Bad Wolf Productions are collaborating on the series, which they envisage as unfolding over four eight-episode seasons. Netflix and Apple TV are reportedly in a clash for the international streaming rights.

HIS DARK MATERIALS casts Lyra and Lee Scorbie

The BBC adaptation of His Dark Materials has added two high-profile actors and announced the director for the first season.

Playing the lead and central role of Lyra Belacqua is 12-year-old Dafne Keen, riding high after her starring role in last year's hit X-Men movie Logan. The role of Lyra was previously played by Dakota Blue Richards in the 2007 movie misfire The Golden Compass. Keen was critically acclaimed for her role in Logan and has been tipped as a star of the future.

Playing the role of balloonist and adventurer Lee Scoresby is Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda is also riding high after creating, co-writing and co-scoring the hit musical Hamilton. Miranda is also producing, scoring and working in other roles on both the Kingkiller Chronicle movie adaptation trilogy and its TV spin-off for Showtime. Sam Elliott played the role in the 2007 movie version.

Tom Hooper, the director of The King's Speech, Les Miserables and Elizabeth I, will adapt the first season, which is expected to cover the bulk of the first novel in the series.

His Dark Materials, based on Philip Pullman's trilogy of the same name, will adapt all three books - Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass - over five seasons (and not one, as some alarmist reports have said). Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, The Fades, Skins) is writing the scripts for the series.

The BBC is producing alongside Bad Wolf Productions and New Line Cinema (under the Warner Brothers aegis) and are looking for an American distribution and production partner, with Netflix expressing strong interest in the project.

Pre-production begins on the HIS DARK MATERIALS TV series

Bad Wolf Productions today confirmed that shooting is complete on their first project, a TV version of Deborah Harkess's novel A Discovery of Witches for Sky TV, which is interesting in itself. However, more exciting for many will be the news that Bad Wolf are rolling straight into working on their TV version of His Dark Materials, the Philip Pullman novel series.

His Dark Materials consists of the novels Northern Lights (retitled The Golden Compass in the United States for no immediately discernible reason), The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. One of the biggest-selling YA fantasy series of all time, it's also controversial (mostly in the US) for its depiction of religion and criticism of dogma and fundamentalism. A previous attempt to adapt the series with a movie version of The Golden Compass in 2007 was a box office disappointment.

Writer Jack Thorne is working on the new version, which will adapt the three books as five eight-episode seasons. The BBC is funding and co-developing the project with Bad Wolf, New Line and Warner Brothers. Bad Wolf also has an American co-development deal with HBO (they are collaborating on Industry, a drama about the global financial crisis) which may see the show end up on HBO in the US, although this has not been confirmed.

Bad Wolf are also developing a TV series based on Bernard Cornwell's fantastic Warlord Chronicles novel trilogy, although it sounds like this may be on the backburner for now.

His Dark Materials will probably air in late 2019 or early 2020, assuming that they start shooting this year.

The BBC's HIS DARK MATERIALS TV series inherits SANDMAN writer

A couple of weeks back the Sandman movie project suffered a double blown when producer Joseph Gordon-Levitt and writer Jack Thorne left, citing "creative differences" with New Line. Thorne has his new gig already lined up, as he has joined the BBC's adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials as head writer.

The BBC and Bad Wolf Productions announced a few months ago that they were going to be working on His Dark Materials, adapting the three novels (Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass) as five television seasons of eight episodes each. Bad Wolf is a new production company formed by ex-BBC producers and executives Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner, whose biggest previous success was the resurrection of Doctor Who in 2005. As well as His Dark Materials, they are currently working on a TV version of Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles trilogy, although that appears to be at a much earlier stage of development.

Thorne has been on a bit of a roll recently. He wrote and created the hugely-acclaimed The Fades for Channel 4, and was a leading writer on the popular drama series Skins. He was nominated last week for three BAFTA Awards, for The Last Panthers, This is England '90 and Don't Take My Baby. He's also the co-writer - with J.K. Rowling and John Tiffany - of the upcoming stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

The Dark Materials TV series will be completely unrelated to the 2007 movie The Golden Compass, starring Daniel Craig, which was based on the first novel in the series but was not a major box-office success.