Blog Posts by Ben Skipper

After replacing ‘GMTV’ with the catastrophe that was the original ‘Daybreak’, ITV bosses were hoping to revive appalling ratings with a new look show, with Aled Jones and Loraine Kelly now on presenting duties.

In their new, very orange studio and with nerves jangling, the pair ploughed through their first show together, but viewers were less than impressed and of course voiced their opinions online.

Twitter was abuzz with chatter of the new show, which trended all morning.

User @JoanneMurs said, “Hmm.....don't you think daybreak is looking more & more like GMTV?” She wasn’t the only one switched off by the new look. “It looks like set for a dodgy 90's Argos catalogue shoot,” said @PieSliced.

Even the Telegraph’s review was headlined, “Daybreak review: everything was orange”.

“The on-screen graphics were orange,” the review reads. “The walls were orange. The cushions were orange. The newsreader had an orange mug. Even the lead newsRead More »from New look Daybreak leaves viewers unimpressed

A new batch of posters for upcoming episodes from the seventh series of ‘Doctor Who’ seem closer to big budget Hollywood prints than what you’d expect of the humble British sci-fi.

The ‘Doctor Who’ posters, using a different font for each title and varying levels of silliness, aim to sell the upcoming episodes of the cult series as movies of the week, rather than the sprawling series-long storyline of the Doctor’s last outing.

[Related story: Doctor Who Christmas special set pics hit web]
[Related story: Doctor Who 'could last forever']

Check them out below...

Head writer Steven Moffat recently revealed plans for the series to have “a blockbuster every week” as well as confirming there would be no two-parters this series.

“No two-parters. Every single week is going to be a blockbuster and let’s not have the cheap episode. Let’s not make one. Let’s just make them all huge.”

Rumours have been circulating all week about ‘Doctor Who’, in particular about Matt Smith’s future as the star and Read More »from New blockbuster Doctor Who posters released

Eighteen years since slapstick classic ‘Bottom’ last graced the airwaves, the comic creations of Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson are set to return in a spin-off series for BBC2 titled ‘Hooligan’s Island’.

Stemming from the pair’s 1997 stage show of the same name, the basic plot sees their characters Richie Richard (Mayall) and Eddie Hitler (Edmondson) marooned on a desert island with only each other and various instruments of pain for company.

Speaking of the return Mayall said: “How much am I getting paid? Are there any birds in it? And that horrific a***-brained Edmondson’s not in it again is he? Oh, God help me!”

Edmondson was similarly enthused at the prospect, saying: “It’s been a while since I last worked with that complete b****** Rik Mayall and I’m very much looking forward to bashing him about the head with various blunt objects. It’s the only language he understands.”

The comic duo started their career as The Dangerous Brothers before working together on ‘Filthy, Rich and Catflap’

Read More »from Bottom to return after 18 years

‘Doctor Who’ returns to BBC One at 7:20pm on Saturday 1 September.

The series seven premiere’s air date was announced on the Radio Times website, less than two weeks before the show hits screens.

‘Asylum of the Daleks’ was a hit with critics who saw an early screening of the episode on 14 August.

Yesterday set pictures from the show’s Christmas special hit the web, giving us an early glimpse at the Victoria era adventure.

Watch the series trailer below.

Read More »from Doctor Who air date confirmed

Photos from the set of this year’s ‘Doctor Who’ Christmas special have emerged online, giving us a taste of what to expect from the ratings winner.

Currently shooting in Bristol, which has been turned into 1890s London for the episode, the pictures show Matt Smith as the Doctor and Jenna-Louise Coleman as his new companion.

Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman in Victorian get-up (Credit: WENN)

Richard E. Grant - playing the episode’s villain - wasn’t on set, but his involvement is still highly anticipated by fans of the show.

The special represents the mid-point of the upcoming seventh series, which has been split between this year and next. By this point, the Doctor will have departed ways with Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill). They are set to leave the show later this year.

How they leave isn’t yet known, but the loss is bound to affect the Doctor as he adventures onward.

The special will be Read More »from Doctor Who Christmas special set pics hit web

Sir David Attenborough and Icelandic pop star Bjork are teaming up for a Channel 4 music documentary.

With the working title ‘The Nature of Music’, the show will look into the evolution of music and how it may continue to evolve as technology progresses.

The news doesn’t mean we’ll be hearing Attenborough talk us through the everyday lives of the common pop star however, he’ll still be very nature-focused.

Sir David will talk about the music of songbirds and blue whales, as well as his own love of music.

Bjork’s contribution is born out of her 2011 project ‘Biophilia’, for which she created special new instruments and recorded them on her iPad using a series of apps that allowed listener input and interaction.

Executive producer Lucas Ochoa said: "Pulse Films are incredibly excited to be working on this remarkable film with Bjork and Sir David Attenborough.

"Born from Bjork's revolutionary music project, it is Read More »from Sir David Attenborough to team with Bjork for new music doc

The Daleks are back in a dramatic new trailer for the upcoming seventh series of ‘Doctor Who'.

[Related story: First image of new companion Jenna-Louise Coleman]

A new promotional image has been released too, starring a battle-worn Doctor (Matt Smith) holding assistant Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) in his arms. It's an image more akin to a Hollywood blockbuster than the British sci-fi series.

Opening episode ‘Asylum Of The Daleks’ promises more of the classic sci-fi villains than we’ve ever seen before and the return of some fan favourites like Special Weapons Dalek, who can be seen in the middle on the left.

That episode will be followed up with adventures featuring the return of the Weeping Angels and a curiously bonkers episode titled ‘Dinosaurs On A Spaceship’, something the Doctor is very excited about in the trailer.

The 90 second trailer is going to be broadcast on television tonight (2 August) at around 8pm on BBC One. 
Read More »from Dramatic new Doctor Who trailer hits web

'Doctor Who' actress Mary Tamm has died at the age of 62.

She appeared alongside Tom Baker’s Doctor between 1978 and 1979, appearing in a total of 26 episodes of the cult TV show.

Her agent confirmed that she died this morning (26 July) after an 18 month long battle with cancer.

Speaking to Press Association, her agent Barry Langford said: "She had a great zest for life. She was a fantastic actress - she played stage parts of such range, parts that would take your breath away. She could play any role, and do so wonderfully.”

Tamm’s other screen credits included ‘The Assassination Run’, ‘The Treachery Run’ and ‘Agatha Christie: Poirot’ – she also played Penny Crosbie in ‘Brookside’ between 1993 and 1995.

More recent roles included ‘Heartbeat’, ‘The Bill’, ‘Jonathan Creek’, ‘Doctors’ and ‘Eastenders’.

She leaves behind her husband Marcus Ringrose, her daughter Lauren and grandson Max.

Read More »from Doctor Who actress Mary Tamm dies aged 62