Piers Wenger to Leave BBC

The BBC Doctor Who website has confirmed that Piers Wenger, currently one of three executive producers on Doctor Who, is leaving the BBC.

Wenger commented:

It is with great sadness that I say goodbye to Doctor Who and BBC Wales, and all of the extraordinary people who work on its shows. But Film4’s output, with its ethos of encouraging film-makers to produce their most authored and original work, could not be closer to my heart.

He replaced Julie Gardner as Head of Drama for BBC Wales in January 2009 and in July of that year became executive producer of Doctor Who and took a central role in the casting of Matt Smith as the eleventh Doctor. His other executive producer credits on Doctor Who include The Adventure Games and Doctor Who Confidential. Away from Doctor Who, he worked on Ashes to Ashes, Christopher and His Kind and Upstairs Downstairs.

In March 2011 Wenger stepped down as Head of Drama but remained at BBC Wales to continue as a creative developer. His position will be filled by Faith Penhale from Kudos in June.

Wenger is leaving the BBC to join Film4 in September, where he will become the senior commissioning executive under Tessa Ross, Channel 4 controller of film and drama, who commented:

(he is) a hugely talented executive who will bring to Film4 real vision at a time when we are embarking on an exciting new phase in our development.

His successor as executive producer of Doctor Who will be filled in the coming months by head writer Steven Moffat and the BBC’s controller of Drama Commissioning, Ben Stephenson, who said:

I will be very sad to see him go. He’s been a fantastic colleague and friend - but I know that film is a huge passion of his and this is a great new role for him.”

Torchwood Update

The BBC have released details on the new series of Torchwood - which has now been renamed from The New World to Miracle Day.

The release introduces the plot of the new story, plus cast and character details.

The principal guest stars which have been mentioned in the news over the last couple of months are now formally confirmed, with a couple of character name changes. As reported last month, the principle role of CIA operative Rex Matheson will be played by Mekhi Phifer (most recently seen as FBI agent Ben Reynolds in Lie to Me), whilst protagonist Oswald Danes will be played by Bill Pullman (Independence Day). Alexa Havins (One Life to Live) will play field agent Esther Drummond, whilst Arlene Tur (Crash) plays Doctor Vera Jaurez.

Though launching in the United Kingdom (BBC1) and the United States (Starz), BBC Worldwide plan to distribute the new series around the world. Torchwood has previously been seen in countries like Korea, Japan, Italy, Spain, Israel, Russia and across Latin America.

Torchwood: Miracle Day will premiere in July.

Character bios and a plot description follow. Warning: Some of the information may be considered spoilers!

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS

REX MATHESON (Mekhi Phifer)

He’s the golden boy. The embodiment of the American dream and has been all his life. Harvard education, Rex is destined for success and could make a fortune in Wall Street or Hollywood, but he chose the C.I.A. because he believes in justice and will fight for it. He can talk his way into anything, then charm his way out, fast. This may be just what he needs as he joins forces with Jack and Gwen to fight a global mystery behind “Miracle Day” that has them racing from one crisis to another, dodging assassins, blackmail, corruption and conspiracy, from Washington to Wales and the slums of Shanghai.

CAPTAIN JACK HARKNESS (John Barrowman)

Jack looks like a hero. He’s handsome, witty and subversive with a killer smile. But there’s a reason for that glint in his eye. His dashing style hides a secret. Truth is Jack Harkness is immortal, the only one of his kind. He once ran the Torchwood Institute, a British organization dedicated to fighting the strange and bizarre. But Torchwood closed down, and Jack disappeared, to start yet another of his many new lives. When a new, epic danger affects the whole planet, Jack finds himself back at the center of events, fighting not just for his own life, but for everyone on Earth.

GWEN COOPER (Eve Myles)

Gwen once lived the ultimate double life - the funny, salty, earthy woman who loves home and family, combined with the tough, ruthless warrior, who loves the thrill of the fight. She was the heart and soul of an organization called Torchwood. She was a defender of the human race. But now she lives in seclusion, with her devoted husband Rhys and baby Anwen, knowing that one day trouble would come calling again. When events surrounding “Miracle Day” push Gwen to the limit, she’ll need to call on resources she never knew she had and make the most terrible decisions, on behalf of all mankind.

ESTHER DRUMMOND (Alexa Havins)

Esther is an innocent, in a world of assassins, liars and zealots. She got where she is with the C.I.A through diligence and application. Hard work keeps Esther focused but she still dreams of active duty as a field agent serving her country. The dream is going to happen faster than she thinks and in no time at all, Esther finds herself running alongside Jack, Gwen and Rex, living off the grid, gun in hand, fighting a global conspiracy against enemies ranging from big business to the state. It’s a tough, brutal, hard lifestyle where survival is hard won and life-changing choices have to be made.

OSWALD DANES (Bill Pullman)

Well-educated and a former school teacher, Oswald’s a convicted child killer, both guilty and unrepentant. But when Oswald survives his own execution, he’s given a whole new life. The most infamous man in the world, he becomes the most provocative figure in modern media. He’s a flare, reviled yet mesmerizing, whose very existence embodies how the world changed on “Miracle Day”.

DR. VERA JUAREZ (Arlene Tur)

An attending surgeon in Washington D.C., she’s smart, fast talking and hard working, Vera is on the frontline of medical care on “Miracle Day”. As the world crisis grows, Vera’s surgical and ER experience sees her recruited to advise on government think-tanks until she has to make a moral choice of enormous consequence. Sexy, confident and passionate, Vera’s life is soon inextricably tangled up with Rex’s.

The plot of Torchwood: Miracle Day takes place over the course of the ten episodes of the series:

One day, nobody dies. All across the world, nobody dies. And then the next day, and the next, and the next, people keep aging — they get hurt and sick — but they never die. The result: a population boom, overnight. With all the extra people, resources are finite. It’s said that in four months’ time, the human race will cease to be viable. But this can’t be a natural event – someone’s got to be behind it. It’s a race against time as C.I.A. agent Rex Matheson investigates a global conspiracy. The answers lie within an old, secret British institute. As Rex keeps asking “What is Torchwood?”, he’s drawn into a world of adventure, and a threat to change what it means to be human, forever.

Bill Pullman to join cast of Torchwood

Hot on the heels of news about Mekhi Phifer being cast yesterday, today Deadline reports long-time Hollywood actor Bill Pullman will be joining the cast of Torchwood: The New World. He will be playing one of the lead roles in the series, that of the psychotic Oswald Jones.

Like Phifer, Pullman was born in New York (1953). Starting out in the theatre, he made the move to the big screen in the 1986 film Ruthless People (with Bette Midler and Danny De Vito); he quickly rose to lead role status the following year in the Mel Brooks sci-fi spoof Spaceballs, and he has since been involved in a number of successful films, including Sleepless in Seattle, While You Were Sleeping, and Casper. However, his sci-fi credentials are probably best represented in what is possibly his highest profile role, portraying President of the United States Thomas Whitmore in the Will Smith/Jeff Goldblum blockbuster, Independence Day.

On television, he is best known for playing Harvard scientist and astrophysicist Bill Massey in the supernatural thriller series Revelations.

OSWALD JONES

Oswald Jones is dangerously clever, a psychotic, convicted murderer and paedophile. He escapes his lifelong prison sentence on a technicality and quickly becomes a media sensation.

Genuinely repentant yet boiling with lust and rage, Oswald gets caught up in a terrifying worldwide crisis.

Doctor Who Available Online in Australia

Australian viewers can now see all episodes of Doctor Who Series 1 and 2 and all episodes of the first two series of Torchwood via Yahoo!7’s catchup TV service.

Australian PlayStation 3 owners will find a “Plus7” button on their crossmedia bar (same place as the ABC iView button), and computer users can access the site here.

The episodes are available as a result of a deal between BBC Worldwide Australia and Yahoo!7. The ongoing deal will see future quality BBC content air on the service, either in catch-up following transmission on the Seven Network, or as part of PLUS7’s dedicated library of TV shows.

Other shows included are The Catherine Tate Show and Little Britain as well as classic comedy programs like Fawlty Towers and The Young Ones.

Kath Hamilton, Director of Audience, Yahoo!7 said

The deal with BBC Worldwide Australia means that we can deliver even more quality content. I’m confident that shows like Doctor Who and comedy favourites like Fawlty Towers and Catherine Tate Show will have our audience engaged. New and old fans alike will now be able to experience the best of the BBC on Yahoo!7,

PLUS7 is free to access via www.yahoo7.com.au/plus7 and is available across Australia.

More Details on ‘A Christmas Carol’ Released

The BBC Press Office have released more details on the forthcoming Christmas Special, A Christmas Carol.

It’s the deepest part of winter, the exact midpoint, Christmas Eve – halfway out of the dark. Amy and Rory are trapped on a stricken space liner that’s plummeting through banks of thick icy fog to the surface of the planet below.

Only one man has the power to save them; only one man is in possession of a machine that can clear the fog and let them land safely.

That man is Kazran Sardick, a rich but lonely old miser who rules Sardicktown with a sky-mast of iron.

The Doctor’s only chance of rescuing the ship’s four thousand passengers is to save Kazran’s soul and show him that life is worth living. For this he needs to go back, way back, to when Kazran was a boy with a life full of promise.

But can the Doctor put a song in Kazran’s heart and love in his life, in time for Christmas? Can he bring him out of the dark?

Matt Smith (the Doctor) said:

I’ve always wanted to be part of the Christmas Doctor Who experience, and I think this is certainly one of the most Christmassy and inventive Doctor Who stories so far. Steven just keeps getting even more imaginative and the great thing about this episode is that when Doctor Who and Christmas are put together you combine the spirit of both those things; it’s a fun old yarn and the Doctor simply loves Christmas.

It was a real privilege to work with Michael (Gambon). I had a great time with him and he was really naughty! He’s so crafty and when I asked him about working with iconic actors such as Olivier and Bates he said the one thing they all had in common was they were naughty – and he’s exactly the same. He was very mischievous, constantly telling jokes and getting into the spirit of play.

With Katherine I was astounded by her professionalism. Considering it was her first acting experience I thought she handled it with real craft and diligence. It’s exactly the type of casting we want; someone fresh, exciting and new.”

Katherine Jenkins (Abigail):

I had the most amazing time; I must admit I was very nervous and I felt out of my comfort zone because I hadn’t done any acting before. However, when I arrived on set the whole team was so welcoming and supportive. They made me feel like I could do it. It certainly felt very Christmassy when we were filming it in July! The story is very emotional which I hope is going to touch people.

I do get to sing though which was nice and I had a really good laugh with Matt between takes. He kept mucking around and singing to me but you know people should hear his voice; I think he’s got a great bass voice!

Steven Moffat, writer:

Oh, we’re going for broke with this one. It’s all your favourite Christmas movies at once, in an hour, with monsters. And the Doctor. And a honeymoon. And… oh, you’ll see. I’ve honestly never been so excited about writing anything. I was laughing madly as I typed along to Christmas songs in April. My neighbours loved it so much they all moved away and set up a website demanding my execution. But I’m fairly sure they did it ironically.

Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning:

Matt Smith and Karen Gillan captivated audiences in their debut series, and Doctor Who’s clever twist on the much loved A Christmas Carol will thrill BBC One viewers this year with special guest stars Sir Michael Gambon and singing sensation Katherine Jenkins joining Amy and the Doctor for an unforgettable present!

Executive Producer Piers Wenger Interviewed

One of the executive producers of “Doctor Who” gives us a glimpse of the Christmas special and the upcoming sixth season!
by Blair Marnell
Nov 30, 2010

Piers Wenger may not be a house hold name here in America, but as the current Head of Drama at BBC Wales, Wenger has an important role in shaping British television. Earlier this year, Wenger and fellow “Doctor Who” Executive Producer Steven Moffat successfully finished their first season together on the show while introducing a new Doctor (Matt Smith), new companions Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill).

With the fifth season of “Doctor Who” currently out on DVD and an all new Christmas special airing next month on BBC America, Wenger recently spoke with CraveOnline about his earliest experiences with “Doctor Who,” his favorite moments of the fifth season and what’s coming up in the “Who” Christmas special and the brand new season six starting next spring.

CraveOnline: What is your earliest “Doctor Who” memory?

Piers Wenger: My earliest “Doctor Who” memory was watching the show during the Tom Baker era. He was my first Doctor. I vividly remember being scared by the creatures.

CraveOnline: Do you have a favorite Doctor, a favorite companion or a favorite villain?

Piers Wenger: Well, when I was a kid - my favorite Doctor is Tom Baker - but when I was a kid it was still Tom Baker. I didn’t really have a favorite companion. I wasn’t as much into the companions as I was for the Doctor, but I did love K-9. And I was utterly terrified of The Master. I thought that the idea of this body-snatching [villain] after the Doctor was [frightening]. 

CraveOnline: You started working on “Doctor Who” back in 2009, right?

Piers Wenger: That’s right, yeah. I actually started working on it during 2008. We started filming in 2009 but from September 2008 we were prepping the scripts.

CraveOnline: Why did you decide to work on “Doctor Who”?

Piers Wenger: I didn’t pick it, it picked me. I was offered the job by Jane Tranter, who was the controller of BBC of fiction at that time. She knew I was an avid “Doctor Who” fan. And of course I completely jumped at it. 

CraveOnline: For season 5, what were your favorite moments?

Piers Wenger: Well, I guess “The Eleventh Hour,” which I just love the first ten or fifteen minutes which [reintroduces] the Doctor. I love the scene where [Amy] saw the Tardis. There was a [Weeping Angels] two-parter that I just find so compelling and it takes “Doctor Who” to a new place. But my happiest moments were watching the finale, the final two-parter at Stonehenge and seeing the Doctor really drop his [defenses] and say goodbye to Amy. They both felt very connected and they were both the focus of the series up to that point.

CraveOnline: What can you tell us about the “Doctor Who” Christmas special coming out in December?

Piers Wenger: It’s called “A Christmas Carol” and you know Steven [Moffat’s] obsession with timelines to drive a story is very well documented. It’s based on the iconic Christmas story that does that. It’s very much a “Doctor Who” “Christmas Carol.” He meets a character named Kazran Sardick played by Michael Gambon who is similar to Scrooge and the Doctor appears to him as the Ghost of Christmas Past and takes him back to his childhood and tries to show him the error of his ways while trying to save Amy and Rory who are trapped on a [space] train.

CraveOnline: After the Christmas special, what’s coming up in season six?

Piers Wenger: Well, season six… you know we’ve got the pressure up after the success of the last season. We really have to raise the bar. Steven has written a two-parter, which will be the first season opening two-parter since the series came back in 2005 and it’s all set in the [United States]. The [production] went to the states to film the American locations for that two-parter. I’m particularly dying to see that one. I think it’s going to be the most ambitious season opener that “Doctor Who” has seen for the last five or six years.

CraveOnline: Are we finally going to learn who River Song is in that two-parter?

Piers Wenger: No. We’re probably not finding that out quite yet, but stay tuned. I think you’ll get really great clues in the coming season.

CraveOnline: Will “Doctor Who” be shooting anywhere else besides Britain and the U.S. in the upcoming season?

Piers Wenger: Not currently. Although, we are nothing if not opportunistic. If an opportunity to do so would arrive, we would probably take it. Or if it would bring something new to an episode and give it a completely new landscape. We’re open to that because we’re always pushing it.

CraveOnline: What was the rationale for splitting season six into two parts next year?

Piers Wenger: I think it was basically driven by the story that Steven had in his head. It had a big [story] in the middle of it and I think [Steven] spoke to the drama commissioner of the BBC about that where he figured “why not build a [structure] that really built to it?” It was an excellent opportunity to really get the audience hooked by making it an end of season cliffhanger. We get a three month hiatus between the first part and the second part in the U.K.

CraveOnline: So, it’ll be seven episodes in the spring, with six episodes and the 2011 Christmas special in the fall, right?

Piers Wenger: That’s right, yes. You’re never more than three months away from the next “Doctor Who.”

CraveOnline: Will that be the schedule going forward even beyond this year?

Piers Wenger: We don’t know that yet. As I said, it was driven by a story thing, by a two-parter from Steven.

CraveOnline: Can you tell us about any guest stars coming up in season six?

Piers Wenger: Well, we tend to do it on a rolling basis when the scripts are ready. But we’ve got some really exciting negotiations going on at the moment. We’ve got Alex Kingston returning for several episodes this year. But at the moment, there’s no one I can actually reveal other than Alex.

CraveOnline: What about the writers for season six? I know that Neil Gaiman has been announced.

Piers Wenger: That’s right, Neil Gaiman, Mark Gatiss and Toby Whithouse, who did the vampire episode last year is back. Matthew Graham who has created “Life on Mars” is writing a very exciting two-parter which plays a pretty big part in the whole season arc.

CraveOnline: So, are there two two-parters in the first half of season six?

Piers Wenger: That’s right. Steven’s writing the first two-parter, then Matthew’s writing the other. We’re still working the rest of it out.

CraveOnline: How will the new season deal with Rory and Amy’s marriage?

Piers Wenger: That’s all part and parcel of the [storyarc] of season six. I don’t want to say too much about that other than Steven’s got more dastardly complications to throw at them than anyone else on the planet.

CraveOnline: When the season is split, will the second half be re-branded as season seven?

Piers Wenger: I think it will probably… we’re thinking of them as two different seasons. But I think for the purpose of DVD box sets, it will be two parts of season six. But we’re treating them as two separate seasons.

CraveOnline: Are there any classic “Doctor Who” creatures making their return in season six?

Piers Wenger: No, we’re bigger fans of new monsters. That’s where we are. I think Steven’s written the best new “Doctor Who” monsters in a long time in the [season] opening two-parter. That’s where our energies are focused, really.

CraveOnline: Any chance of the Weeping Angels showing up this year?

Piers Wenger: You’ll have to wait and see.

CraveOnline: As a long time “Doctor Who,” I want to ask: have you ever considered bringing Paul McGann back as the eighth Doctor, either as a one-off or to explore the Time War?

Piers Wenger: No, that’s something that’s never occurred to us and I think that’s quite unlikely. As far as we’re concerned, meetings of the Doctor’s previous regenerations require very special circumstances indeed. That’s not planned at the moment, but who knows what fate has in store? But the circumstances are not something we’ve discussed.

CraveOnline: Well, as fans, we love our multiple Doctor stories.

Piers Wenger: I’m not saying that would [never happen]. Steven’s written “Time Crash.” He has flirted with that idea before but I think he’s yet to come out with plans for approving that idea yet.

CraveOnline: Do you have any closing thoughts on the upcoming season?

Piers Wenger: I think we’ve covered most of it. Of course, we’re constantly trying to raise the bar on what’s been there before. And I think we’ll probably be scarier, especially as the relationships between the characters become darker and more complex. I think that will be the big difference between the two season. Season five was all about getting to know Amy and Rory and getting to understand their relationship and getting to know a little more about River.

I think season six will be more about testing those relationships, making them more complicated as the Doctor faces a particularly sadistic challenge.