Latest news with #Doctor
India Today
a minute ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Simbu-Vetri Maaran film not shelved, film to begin shooting in mid-September
Filmmaker Vetri Maaran's much-anticipated film, starring Silambarasan TR aka Simbu, is officially set to begin shooting in mid-September. The project, tentatively titled 'STR 49', had been subject to speculation regarding possible shelving due to financial hurdles and external pressure. However, these rumours have been dispelled by a source closer to the production. India Today has exclusively learnt that the film's production is on film, under the direction of Vetri Maaran, is linked to the universe of his iconic film 'Vada Chennai', which starred Dhanush, Samuthirakani, Ameer and Aishwarya Rajesh. This connection excites fans and promises a continuation of the gritty cinematic world previously to the intrigue, director Nelson Dilipkumar will play a cameo in the film. Known for directing 'Doctor' and 'Jailer', he brings additional star power to the project, alongside confirmed cameos by actors Kavin and Manikandan. Despite the financial rumours, production is moving forward with Silambarasan TR opting for a unique remuneration model. "Silambarasan TR has opted for a profit-sharing model instead of upfront remuneration," said the source. Earlier, a promo teaser was shot, and it may release theatrically with 'Coolie' on August 14. Produced by Kalaipuli S Thanu's V Creations, the film promises to maintain the quality and storytelling depth associated with Vetri Maaran's previous works. The presence of returning cast members Andrea Jeremiah, Samuthirakani, and Kishore, who were part of 'Vada Chennai', further strengthens the continuity and depth of the the team's dedication, the film remains on schedule, with preparations for the regular shooting phase underway. The excitement surrounding 'STR 49' is palpable, with its continuation of a beloved cinematic universe and the promise of innovative storytelling.- Ends
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Unlikely star could be next Doctor Who as fans call on producers to give BAFTA winner role
Doctor Who fans have suggested an unlikely face could be the right fit for the future of the show, with the BAFTA winner seemingly interested in taking on the role An unlikely TV veteran could be the next Doctor Who should producers listen to fan requests. The BAFTA winner has since confirmed he would be interested in the role, and would want to bring a "working class" background to the long-running television character. Fans were delighted when familiar face Billie Piper appeared as the next iteration of the Time Lord. Her casting as the titular Doctor follows on from Ncuti Gatwa's departure from the series. But a new star for the role could come from a BAFTA winner whose work on EastEnders, as well as films like The Football Factory and Run For Your Wife. Whether Danny Dyer 's wish of portraying the Doctor is granted is yet to be seen, but fans are hopeful the star will be given the chance. Dyer said: "It's such an iconic thing to do. It's almost – not on the same level – like James Bond. It gives you an opportunity with Doctor Who, because of the nature of the work, to bring something left-field, something a bit mental, a bit stylised, which I love. I love the idea of it." Fans seem to be on board for the "incredibly working-class Doctor Who" Dyer would bring to the screen. A post to the r/DoctorWhoNews Reddit page saw fans discuss the possibilities for the actor. One fan wrote: "Honestly, I dig it. It could never happen as the BBC and Bad Wolf need to save face but I'd love a series of Comic Relief /Children in Need sketches where they put a variety of ill-judged castings in the role and they all smash it. "You could make a solid comedy about the weird choices and misjudgements of the last few years of the show." Another user suggested people forget Dyer is a credible actor, and that his CV of roles fits the bill for what producers may want from a future Doctor Who star. They wrote: "People have forgotten he's actually a bl**dy great actor, really watchable. Let's not forget one of the most celebrated British playwrights, Harold Pinter, thought Dyer was so unbelievably talented he continuously cast him in all his productions. That's a glowing seal of approval. "Now's he's just won a BAFTA for Bigstuff (a part written for him by Luke Rattigan from series 4). He's absolutely sensational in Rivals with David Tennant. I honestly can't see why he wouldn't be a brilliant fresh bit of casting. "Any other actor with cult hits and accolades like that we'd be clawing for." Not everyone was convinced by Dyer in the lead role, with a few detractors sharing their kneejerk reaction was a "no" to the suggestion. But even they have warmed to the idea of Doctor Dyer. One fan wrote: "He's not the best actor, but Doctor Who isn't Shakespeare. Maybe this wouldn't actually be that bad." Another viewer added: "F**k it, why not?"
Metro
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
The 7 most disturbing Doctor Who episodes of all time
For six decades now, Doctor Who has disturbed and delighted audiences around the world with terrifying tales of evil aliens and malicious monsters. From devious Daleks to sinister Cybermen, the Whoniverse is crawling (sometimes literally) with horrors beyond most people's imagining. Yet the question is, what are the most disturbing Doctor Who episodes? Well, there are plenty of chilling tales from the Tardis that have forced audiences to hide behind the sofa. There are stories like The Satan Pit, The Ark in Space, and who could forget Blink? Honestly, I could spend days curating this list, so to make things easier, I've done things a little differently I've limited myself to the revived era (starting in 2005) and chosen one story (some of these are two-parters) from each Doctor's run. That means there's one entry for every Doctor from the Ninth to the Fifteenth, so you get as comprehensive a list as possible. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. So what are you waiting for? Here are the seven most disturbing Doctor Who episodes! The first truly scary episode of the revival era, this two-part story sees the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Rose (Billie Piper) track a mysterious ship through time to London during The Blitz. While there, however, the pair learn there are things far more dangerous than German bombs awaiting them as a strange gas mask-wearing child prowls the ruins of the city, desperately searching for his mummy. There's a long history of body horror in the Whoniverse, but this was the first episode to marry those old ideas with modern effects. This leads to arguably the most chilling scene in all of Christopher Eccleston's run, where Doctor Constantine (Richard Wilson) painfully vomits up a gas mask as he loses his mind and body to the Empty Child's strange curse. Combine that with a genuinely creepy atmosphere, a razor-sharp script from Steven Moffat and some superb acting, and you've a recipe for a truly sinister story. Is it any wonder these two episodes won a 2006 Hugo Award? Only the Tenth Doctor (or any of the Doctor's incarnations, actually) could go on the sci-fi equivalent of a coach trip and end up in a life-or-death situation. Yes, it might sound ridiculous, but this terrifying tale sees the Last of the Time Lords go on a solo adventure where he comes face to face with an impossible creature that slowly turns a coach-load of tourists against the Doctor (David Tennant). People may be surprised to see I've listed Midnight here and not Blink, but honestly, I think this is the scarier story. Why? Well, Midnight is a story where the Doctor's most powerful weapons, his wit, words and wonderful brain are all turned against him. As the mysterious creature grows in power, it takes more and more of him, leaving him an empty husk. It's only through sheer dumb luck that he manages to save the day, and it's a story that demonstrates in a universe full of Daleks, Cybermen, and Weeping Angels, there's no creature more dangerous than a frightened human. An underrated gem, The Girl Who Waited begins with the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) landing on the resort world of Apalapucia. What should be a relaxing break becomes a nightmare, though, when Amy is trapped in a faster time stream and the Doctor and Rory are forced to watch Amy grow older and older with no way to help her. What makes The Girl Who Waited such a disturbing episode isn't its villain or the monster. It's that it uses time travel to tell a really effective story about Amy's fears and anxieties while exploring a moral dilemma that even the Doctor can't talk his way out of. Indeed, the final moments of the episode, where our hero betrays and kills Amy (although not the one we know… it's all a bit timey wimey), is one of the darkest moments in the series' history. When the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi), Master (Michelle Gomez) and Bill (Pearl Mackie) investigate a distress call in deep space, they discover a ship trapped in the event horizon of a black hole. That might sound dangerous enough, but things take an even darker turn when the crew gun down Bill, and she's taken away by mysterious patients who claim they heal Bill… more than that, they can make her better than new, whether she likes it or not. I'll be honest, I never found the new Cybermen that scary. They looked too much like robots, so it was easy to think of them as cybernetic automata. This two-parter, however, exposes the sheer horror of Cyber conversion by letting you see the human under the steel, a powerful and terrifying reminder that Cybermen are people who have had their humanity ripped away from them. This, coupled with the revelation that the Cybermen are and always have been the Mondasians (and potentially humanity's) ultimate destiny, is such a horrifying reveal that it gives me chills just thinking about it. The Power of the Doctor is the Thirteenth Doctor's (Jodie Whittaker) final story and sees The Daleks, The Cybermen and Rasputin (yes, really) team up to defeat the Doctor once and for all. Okay, I thought long and hard about which of Jodie's episodes to include, and it really came down to two episodes: this and Village of the Angels. Ultimately, though, I decided that there' something far more disturbing about this story for one specific reason. You see, so often the Doctor's enemies just want the Time Lord dead… or as dead as an immortal alien can be. Here, though, the plan is to change the Doctor permanently by forcing her to regenerate into The Master, effectively trapping them in their own body for all eternity. That's such a horrifying thought to have – not to mention the subtext of a man taking a woman's body without her permission – that I thought it had to be included on this list even if it's not as 'scary' as the other stories I chose to include here. After Donna (Catherine Tate) spills coffee on the Tardis controls, she and the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant… again) are flung to the edge of the universe, where they encounter an abandoned ship. As the duo explore the mysterious vessel, however, they quickly learn the ship might not be as abandoned as they thought. Wild Blue Yonder is a deliberately weird episode that makes brilliant use of the uncanny to unsettle viewers and leave them reaching for a sofa cushion to hide behind. Arguably, though, what makes this episode so effective is that we learn almost nothing about the 'Not-Things' that haunt the ship, with even the normally borderline omniscient Doctor baffled by where they came from and what they wanted. After all, what's scarier than the unknown? When the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) accidentally steps inside a fairy circle, he mysteriously disappears, leaving his companion Ruby (Millie Gibson) all alone. Well, not quite all alone. More Trending Everywhere Ruby goes, she's followed by a strange woman who's always 73 yards away and seems to terrify anyone who talks to her. The Fifteenth Doctor's era leaned into the supernatural and mystical more than other seasons of New Who. It's fitting then that its scariest episode is effectively an old-fashioned ghost story that relies more on an unsettling atmosphere and haunting visuals than big, bombastic scares to frighten you. Doctor Who is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: Major stars and Hollywood icons who've appeared in Casualty from Tom Hiddleston to Kate Winslet MORE: Doctor Who legend takes swipe at 'grumpy old fans' of BBC series MORE: Ncuti Gatwa reveals real reason why he was replaced at Eurovision 2025
Daily Mirror
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Billie Piper reveals major change for Doctor Who two decades after her debut
Billie Piper was 'revealed' as the next Doctor when the latest series ended in May - and is set to reprise her role as Rose Tyler in a new audio drama series Billie Piper has said making Doctor Who now would be 'completely different' to when she first appeared on the BBC show 20 years ago. The 42-year-old joined as Rose Tyler, the companion to Christopher Eccleston, back in 2005. She remained on the show for another series in 2006 and returned for a special cameo appearance in 2010. Though details have yet to formally be announced, it's thought she will be the next Doctor if a new series is made. It comes after Ncuti Gatwa's shock exit during the finale of the latest series when his character regenerated into Billie in his final episode, which aired in May. If she is, Billie will make history as the second female actor ever to play the Doctor. So far, Jodie Whittaker is the only female to take on the iconic role. But before that, Billie is set to reunite with former Doctor Ecclestone for a new audio drama titled The Ninth Doctor Adventures. Speaking to Doctor Who magazine, Billie reflected on their previous time working together and said: "If we just made the Doctor Who that we made 20 years ago now, it would feel slightly disingenuous, because things were so different then, even 20 years ago, to what we're experiencing, what we've seen, what we've been exposed to since. "God, we were so much more positive then. People have been profoundly affected by the material they see on social media. And it's been so normalised; everyone is a lot more heavy-hearted." She added: "It's not to say that we don't have a capacity for joy, because I think we absolutely do, but to ignore where we are right now... it's a completely different experience." Instead, The Ninth Doctor Adventures audio series will feature the Doctor and Rose. Set within the timeline of their original season together from 20 years ago, fans will be treated to 12 new stories. And it might not be long before Billie is back on TV screens. Appearing to confirm she is the new Doctor, she said in a statement last month: "It's no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse, as I have some of my best memories there. So to be given the opportunity to step back on that Tardis one more time was just something I couldn't refuse." Asked if she would ever make a comeback in an interview filmed weeks before the news was officially announced, she said: "Yeah I would… I would come back. What's funny is that I never feel like I've left Doctor Who, because there is this huge Doctor Who afterlife." She continued: "Obviously people still really want to talk about it, it's a massive fandom, so we do conventions and we meet lots of the fans, and there's always features. It's always on the TV on some channel, and a new generation pick it up, so it never feels like it's over, like it does with all the other jobs I've done." It's been reported that the 10th Doctor, played by David Tennant, could also return to the TV show. A source told The Sun: "The BBC brought Doctor Who back in 2005 and there is talk about a possible one-off project to celebrate the 20th anniversary. "David and Billie were a hugely popular partnership and he brought in a golden age of Doctor Who. With the anniversary of the reboot this year there have been some ideas floated about, with the thought of maybe bringing David and Billie back together for one last hurrah. 'It wouldn't be beyond the realms of imagination for him to return with Billie as Rose for a one-off special to celebrate not only their partnership, but the anniversary of BBC bringing back Doctor Who."
The Guardian
16-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Kids, don't look to me for career inspiration. Look to your electrician instead
Life. Work out what you want to do with it, what kind of job you want. And then find that job. Hopefully, it won't be something that it's thought AI will do better. And, hopefully, it's a job with meaning, with a point to it. It must be great to be a doctor. What do you do? Oh, I'm a doctor. And what's the point of that? Well, I try to keep people alive. And with that the question of the point of your life is answered. Nobody, I suggest, ever expresses doubt about the purpose of doctoring. Just like nobody asks a broadcaster and writer what the point of their work is. They should. We get too much credit for what we do. Not long after I started presenting television programmes, I was invited back to my old school's speech day to give a talk. This was barely 10 years after I'd left the place, and so many of my teachers were still there. That evening remains one of the proudest days of my life. As I shook hands with the students collecting their prizes, I thought about what they'd go on to do with their lives. And then I thought about some of the wonderful things many of my own cohort were achieving. And then I thought about what I was doing here rather than any of them. Medics, engineers, aid workers, lawyers, builders and so on. Yet I was the one who'd got the nod. Don't get me wrong, I was proud of where I'd got to in my life, yet even then it felt as if my line of work conferred upon me an elevated status it didn't quite warrant. As I said, a bit too much credit. Here's why I feel this way: I'm often recognised on the street, in a pub, at a football match or wherever, and asked about my work, in the most generous of tones. I blather on for – I hope – not very long, before returning fire and asking the person what they do for a living. Their response is as interesting as it is disappointing. First, they doubt my sincerity in asking the question. They think I'm just being polite, but they are quite wrong. I am always genuinely interested. Occasionally, by the way, there's even a bit of mind-your-own-business in their response, which is a bit rich given they started the conversation. Anyway, on we go. I'm all ears. And when I do get my answer – and this is the disappointing bit – I would say that nine times out of 10 I get an apologetic shrug and a sentence that typically begins with something like, 'Oh, I'm just a …' Accountants, bless them, are particularly apologetic about their work. But, whatever the person does, it's as if it couldn't possibly compare to what I do. Nothing, in my estimation anyway, could be further from the truth. I've had some extraordinarily high-status jobs shared with me in that dot-dot-dot slot. Doctor, barrister, airline pilot etc. This is daft. But nowhere near as daft – and sad – as teachers and nurses, who don't seem noticeably proud of what they do. And then there's all the trades, the people who do useful – actually, crucial – things with their hands, such as plumbers, scaffolders, carpenters, bricklayers, electricians, heating engineers and so on. When I get to observe them at work, it's akin to seeing something like closeup magic performed. I look on in wonder, seriously. And I think the status of jobs is going to change, thanks to AI. It looks as though white-collar jobs are vulnerable. Recruiters of graduates are holding back from hiring. Even the likes of doctors, broadcasters, barristers and airline pilots could find some of their work being done for them. But, as far as I can see, no form of AI is going to fix your toilet, wire your house or build you a wall. Plumbers, electricians, bricklayers – I wish more than ever that I had your skill sets rather than my own. Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster, writer and Guardian columnist Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
