Doctor Who

Jodie Whittaker and cast of Trust discuss new BBC One thriller

Trust  is made by Nicola Shindler’s Red Production Company and stars Jodie Whittaker as a nurse, who, out of desperation, steals the identity of her friend, a former hospital doctor, and starts afresh, working in Edinburgh. But she lives with the constant threat of being discovered, not only by her colleagues but by someone else hot on her trail.

This week's top TV: 26 June - 2 July

Monday: Growing Up With Cancer

BBC One, 7.30pm

The lives of three young cancer patients are explored in this documentary as part of BBC One’s Our Lives series.

Growing Up With Cancer looks at the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit Unit in Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Children where young people find a retreat at one of the most difficult times of their lives.

Chris Chibnall: The man who reinvented the cliffhanger

Most people, asked to identify the show that changed the career of Chris Chibnall, would point to his ITV crime trilogy Broadchurch. But, for Chibnall, the show that altered everything was, unusually, a flop: Camelot, his king-and-wizard drama for the US cable network Starz, which struggled to the end of one season in 2011.

BBC Worldwide and Skype launch interactive Doctor Who experience

The Doctor Who Bot offers a unique interactive digital experience called The Saviour of Time, in which players are given the chance to become the Doctor's companion on an exciting adventure through time.

The interactive experience immerses the new companion in a special six-part Doctor Who adventure that is centred around the hunt for a mysterious artefact known as the Key To Time, which has been scattered into fragments throughout time and space.

John Simm's The Master returns to Doctor Who

John Simm will be returning as The Doctor’s nemesis The Master in the upcoming series of Doctor Who.

The Master was last seen on New Year’s Day 2010 when The Doctor foiled his plans for world domination before sending him back to the Timelords’ home planet of Gallifrey.

John Simm (Mad Dogs, Life on Mars) said, “thanks to the power of time travel I’m back. It’s always a pleasure to work with this great team of people and I can’t wait for you all to see what The Master gets up to in the next series.”

Sherlock named world's favourite BBC character

Played by Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock has been named the favourite BBC TV character by a third of TV viewers surveyed.

The research was conducted in the lead up to BBC Worldwide Showcase. Over 7000 people aged 18 to 64 from Australia, France, USA, Germany, India, Japan and Mexico were asked to take part in the survey, which identified the most popular BBC TV character and most memorable scene from BBC television.

Visual effects aid creativity, say TV craft gurus

A panel of experts discussed the use of visual effects in TV – both real and CGI – and argued that, used responsibly, they aid creativity.

Visual effects have moved on apace over the past two decades. Graeme Harper first directed Doctor Who in 1984, although as a floor assistant at the BBC in the 1960s he worked on the series when Patrick Troughton was the Time Lord.

“The Doctor Who [series] of the 1980s were great because the stories were great – we all forgave them that the sets creaked,” said Harper.

Peter Capaldi's best bits from Doctor Who

Doctor Who, TARDIS, Pearl Mackie, Peter Capaldi

The upcoming series will be Capaldi’s last as the irascible Twelfth Doctor. He said “From our brilliant crew and creative team working for the best broadcaster on the planet, to the viewers and fans whose endless creativity, generosity and inclusiveness points to a brighter future ahead. I can’t thank everyone enough. It's been cosmic."

The upcoming series will also be the last for showrunner Steven Moffatt who is giving up the mantle to Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall. 

Jane Tranter: Give Wales a Chance

Jane Tranter (Credit: Bad Wolf)

Before 2005 and the production of Doctor Who in Cardiff, Wales was always seen by the BBC – including me – as the “problem child”. But, just as with a “problem child” in a classroom, alarmingly, the problem is more often with the teacher/adult than the child; invariably, “problem children” are the most interesting in class and mature into the best of adults.