Written by: Michael Hickerson (SoSF Staff Journalist)
The BBC has released the first publicity shot from December’s “Voyage of the Damned” Christmas special for “Doctor Who.”
The photo shows series star David Tennant along with pop-star guest-actress Kylie Minogue. This year’s holiday special will be written as usual by series producer Russell T. Davies and will be set on board the Titanic.
Filming on the Christmas episode kicked off the first block of filming for series four of the hit series earlier this week. Davies said the episode would be “ambitious”.
Minogue follows in the footsteps of comic actress Catherine Tate, who starred in the Christmas special last year.
“It is an incredible thrill to be joining David and the entire Dr Who production for this year’s Christmas special,” Minogue said. “Doctor Who enjoys a unique history and it is going to be very exciting to be a part of that.”
Davies said he was “delighted and excited” about the singer’s participation in the special. Minogue’s appareance has long been rumored on the series. Thankfully rumors about pop-star Britney Spears landing a guest role on the show have, so far, proved to be just rumors.
The BBC report also confirms casting details for the special, classic series veterans Geoffrey Palmer (who plays the Titanic’s Captain) and Clive Swift. Additional actors in the episode are Gray O’Brien, Debbie Chazen, Clive Rowe, Russell Tovey, George Cost igan and Jimmy Vee, previously seen in the programme as the Moxx of Balhoon in series one.
“Voyage of the Damned” will air in the UK on Christmas Day.
-=Doug=- says
Well, as far as I am concerned, Kylie is a great way to end Dr Who…
Yes, I know Season 4 is coming, but unfortuantel, I probably won’t be watching it. This is due to having Britain’s least talented idiot staring in it : Catherine “Freak” Tate…
Such a shame…
-=Doug=- says
Er, somhow the word “unfortunately” somehow got mis-typed… It must be a fault with my keyboard!
What the hell is “unfortuantel” anyway?!
Paul Ecchi says
Personally I have never seen Catherine Tate play a character I like, so I am very disappointed that she is returning to Dr Who (her character in the Christmas special being one I particularly disliked). However to call her “Britain’s least talented idiot”, Doug, is ignorant. She may have played a lot of rubbish, but she can act, in fact she is one of the best character actresses in the business. Still I guess your prejudice show with the line ‘Catherine “Freak†Tate’, you find her unattractive, so she must be talentless!
Grow up.
Dan says
Well I PErsonally Think That Catherine Tate Will BE A Good Companion for the doctor…… besides… she was good in the last years xmas episode…. also the next series will be good because Freema and Tate will share the limelight
x_ MIL _X says
personally i think doctor who is 1 of the best proggrams ever made and i think that cathrine tate is good in her own series but she will ruin the theme to doctor who.I hope david tennant stays the doctor 4eva cos he is the best.!!.
Nick says
on “the Runaway Bride” my favorite Catherine Tate line is
“STOP Bleepen Me!!”
HER VOICE IS ANNOYING tho
I dont like her
rich scales says
people get confused with actors and characters
Ill be honest, unless it was a sad crying scene, Billie Pipers acting was TERRIBLE, sometimes totally laughable. And the close ups of her bad skin made me want to throw up.
BUT the Rose Tyler CHARACTER was so strong that it got her through. It will depend on how strong they make Catherine Tates character
also dont forget, Freema will also rejoin half way through the series
as far as Im concerned, non can top the best companion actress in the history of doctor who, Elisabeth Sladen
rich scales says
Besides Tate may be what the show needs, get rid of silly teenagers flashing their eyelids at every male on the show from the doctor, mickey, jack hawkins etc the list goes on. AKA Rose Tyler
gawd that got so old and boring
Lucy Fraser says
“personally i think doctor who is 1 of the best proggrams ever made and i think that cathrine tate is good in her own series but she will ruin the theme to doctor who.I hope david tennant stays the doctor 4eva cos he is the best.!!.”
yes i totally agree, tate is good in her own series, she will ruin doctor who theme. hope she only does 1 episode. hope they get captain jack back too. i hope david tennant stays as doctor for at least couple more series, they better not kill him off….well you know what i mean regenerate him into another crap actor like christpher eccleston. now he was rubbish at playing the doctor, david tennant, freema, and john barrowman are the best plz keep them going and get rid of catherine “crap freak” tate. thank you kindly. bye bye
margarita says
i think doctor who is one of the best tv programmes on the planet.
david tennant as the doctor acts brilliantlly as the doctor but catherine tate as the doctor’s assistant ruins the whole concept of the tv programme. catherine tate ruins doctor who altogether.
margarita says
kylie makes the end of doctor who fantastic.
she makes the xmas special look really good to watch with the family.
i think doctor who is one of the best tv programmes ever made because david tennant plays the doctor brilliantlly.
catherine tate is good in her own tv show but she ruins doctor who by the theme and the actual programme.
junaid says
*SPOILER ALERT*davros,the sontarans and possibly the 5th doctor and the rani return in series 4 WOOOOOOOOT!THE Porg are the villains in the xmas special according to the SUN tere is a pic aswell.*SPOILER ALERT*
junaid says
DAVROS AND THE SONTARANS ARE DEFNITLEY RETURNING
junaid says
TATE IS SERIES 4 COMPANION
Christoph says
Well, I cried for a month when Bonnie Langford became the Doctors companion, what a terrible decision that was…yet comparing her to catherine tate, would be similar to comparing a luxury Yacht with a dog turd.
junaid says
IT SAID IN DR WHO ADVENTURES SONTARANS RETURN I THINK IN 3rd OR 4th EPISODE
holly says
I totally agree that doctor who is one of the best tv shows.
Catherine Tate isn’t exactly the ideal companion for the adventurous doctor.
I think that Kylie will wreck the christmas episode though. she cant act.
liljimyosmand says
Hey leave Christopher Eccleston alone he was working with what he had. Remember it had been more than 9 years since anybody had even scene a doctor. And that one was a pilot for a FOX TV show Paul McGann #8. The man basically had nothing to go on but Sylvester McCoy #7. “Who”
sarita radia says
omg i cant belive dat doctor who is cumin bak!!!
holly says
does any one know when the next doctor who is out in Australia?
junaid says
sontarans episode 5 5th dr back old news lol
Sam says
Yes it is….did you look at the date of this article? July 2007.
holly says
what date is it going to air in Aus? not on pay tv.
holly says
does anyone like Kylie? she isn’t the best actor
junaid says
I heard dalek caans back
holly says
he has to be back
its not dr who without daleks
junaid says
yeh dr who aint same without em but u seen voyage of the damned Axons look like they back and Davros is awesome
he shud be back
Lisa says
Not being from the UK, I don’t recognize all the actors and, frankly, I think that’s better. It ruins the illusion when its an actor that you know from somewhere else. I think I’d puke if Brittany Spears or one of her clones suddenly became a companion. Find good actors- unknowns, and they will Become the characters. No more pop stars, please.
ohyeh says
i think that one about dalek caann is true cause if you watch the last episode of the 2nd series before the christmas one , one of the daleks says somethin and turns invisible a think this was him hidin so he wouldnt go into the void
so a think hes still ther oOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhhhh
plopman says
Also Rose Tyler is coming back
plopman says
By da way John Simm is the next doctor ! It’s weird because he played the master! If u r wondering where i got that from,i got it from a newspaper.
plopman says
What do u like better toast or flannels. Get back to me
plopman says
Theres rumors that the ood r back
junaid says
I think The TIME WAR will be in series 4, john simm not next doctor its harry loyd who is in human nature/family of blood who plays son of mine/jeremy baines and The SEA DEVILS,AXONS,SONTARANS,ICE WARRIORS,DAVROS, WILL BE IN A DR WHO MOVIE.PS,IVE SED SONTARANS ARE CUMIN BACK SO DONT SAY IT AGAIN LOL
junaid says
I found this *weird?*……Doctor Who Series 2008 – Season 4
40S. Time Crash. A Children in Need Special starring Peter Davison as the 5th Doctor and David Tennant as the 10th Doctor.
161107 Approx. 15 minutes
Special by Steven Moffat
Two Tardises crash in the vortex and the 10th Doctor finds himself face to face with the 5th Doctor when he goes to get the driver’s license for the time insurance company.
40X. Voyage of the Damned
192. 251207 – 40X 1h Christmas Special by Russell T Davies
The Titanic crashes into the TARDIS just as it is dematerialising. The Doctor finds that time is being manipulated by some spikey aliens called Porgs and he gets the help of a young waitress named Astrid Perth aboard the Titanic. It is about to leave on its maiden voyage so the adventure will probably continue until the ship strikes the iceberg. Hmm. Does this mean that the iceberg was really a space ship or that the invasion of these aliens actually caused the ship to crash? Astrid reveals her true nature at the end of the episode by vwoorping off into space. (Have you worked out the anagram of Astrid yet?)
[Stars Hugh Grant as a Villain and Kylie Minogue as the Doctor’s companion. Kylie Minogue is currently in Cardiff. Filming began in June 2007.]
401. Fires of Vulcan II
193. 220308 by Russell T Davies
Donna Noble encounters an alien emergency in London and there’s only one person she knows of that can help her. But what has ancient Rome got to do with anything? A quick trip to Pompei when Mount Vesuvius is about to explode. Can they save all the people?
402. Mind War
194.290308
Donna and The Doctor visit Agatha Christie, played by Fenella Woolgar, and together they investigate a strange murder.
403. Planet of the Ood (Title in a news report)
195. 050408
A trip to the far future. The Doctor remembers his eighth incarnation and knows that a storm is coming. Something he’d forgotten. Something to do with Davros. Something buried in the bowels of the Ship, Chesterfield. Donna has to deal with some Ood.
404. A Deadly Past
405. Axonite (Part 2)
196. 120408
190408 By Terrance Dicks
Something has taken control of the TARDIS. Something that has been trapped in a timeloop in geostationery orbit above Britain for 30 years. The Axons are back!
406. Sapphire Avenged
197. 260408
Joanna Lumley takes on the role of the Master, while John Simms reprises his role as the Master’s spirit. The Doctor and Donna track the Master down in the year 100 trillion.
407. Shock of the Sontarans
198. 030508
A strange signal is being received from Mars and a retired Brigadier is asked to help decipher it. He calls on the Doctor for the first official meeting of Earth and the Ice Warriors. But there’s another race with time travel capability that doesn’t want this to happen. Maybe Martha Jones can help?
408. Eternal Triangle
409. Destruction of the Daleks
199 100508
170508
Time continues to change. The rupture caused by the Axon, Ice Warriors and Sontarans is starting to pull the Doctor back into the Time War. He knows he destroyed Davros but now he’s back (Played by Ben Kingsley!) And what do the Eternals have to do with things?
More flashback scenes of the 8th Doctor during the timewar, including the moment when Davros kills him. Martha and Donna get on really well in this story!
410. Time War Part 1
411. Time War Part 2
412. Time War Part 3
413. Time War Part 4
200. 240508
310508
070608
140608
It is confirmed that this final story will feature Rose, Mickey, Pete, Jackie, Sarah Jane, Captain Jack, Martha Jones and K9 as well as Donna and the Doctor. It’ll also feature Davros though whether he’ll be played by Ben Kingsley, Patrick Stewart or Terry Molloy is currently unknown. It is likely to feature Sontarans and Daleks in a war as well as other aliens in a final gobsmacking battle.
This would also be story number 200 and worth a celebration in itself.
40X2. The 4 Doctors
201 231108 By Terrance Dicks
Rumoured that an extra special story will be written for the 45th anniversary to be broadcast on the 23rd November 2008 starring Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant with special appearances by other guest actors.
junaid says
I just got a rare krillitane figure yay!!!!!!!!!
plopman says
Who is a better doctor 9 or 10 ?
plopman says
Has anyone seen the trailer to the christmas special.The flipping tianic is in space!
cheeseaholic says
Kylie is not in the christmas special!
cheese says
Kylie will not be in the christmas special
plopman says
sorry about that something strange just happened
cheeseaholic says
Kylie is not in the christmas special everyone knows that.
plopman says
u dont know what your chatting about
cheeseaholic says
i do no what im talking about your wrong
plopman says
can someone back me up here and tell cheeseaholic that is completly wrong
Mashup says
cheeseaholic is obviously winding you up!
junaid says
kylie is in the Christmas special look at the pic
Sam says
Yes, she is in the Christmas Who special, has been cast since before production began.
junaid says
whoever thinks the sea devils,ice warriors and axons should return say “AYE”!!!!!!!!!
cheeseaholic says
YEAH I was doing it to wind plopman up !!! (ho,ho)
plopman says
Did anyone know the christmas special will be 71 mins long!By the way cheeseaholic why did u want to wind me up?
andreweya07 says
i cant figure out what the anagram of astrid is can any1 tell me??????
andreweya07 says
how do you know that astrid dematerializes at the end of the episode… do you have the video proof if you do post the link please!!!
junaid says
Astrid means TARDIS and Plopman:1
Cheeseholic:0
who watches YOUTUBE POOP TYPE IT IS ON YOUTUBE OBVIOUSLY VERY FUNNY PS NO OFFENSE PLOPMAN
junaid says
IF U WANT THE LINK ANDREWYA07 GO ON YOUTUBE AND TYPE IN DR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL TRAILER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT AND IT WILL BE ON THERE
ANDREWEYA07 says
lol thanx
i soo cant w8 4 series 4 rose cums back in the final episode where according to other chatrooms they face thier greatest enimy yet… DAVROS
junaid says
ASTRID DISSAPEARS AT THE END AND THERE IS A DR WHO TOP TRUMPS GAME OUT
junaid says
ASTRID DISSAPEARS AT THE END AND THERE IS A DR WHO TOP TRUMPS GAME OUT…NOT YET!!!!LOL
andreweya07 says
junaid Says:
December 19th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
ASTRID DISSAPEARS AT THE END AND THERE IS A DR WHO TOP TRUMPS GAME OUT
it looks like when the sycrax leader took harriet jones off the earth up to thier ship if you look at it closely.
i dont think that the anagram was intentional
junaid says
Really!LOL U seen THE DR WHO WEBSITE IT HAS AN ADVENTure calendar(advent!)the anagram was intentional cos ASTRID dissapears in the trailer watch it again and You’ll see SHE DISSAPEARS.
DAVID TENNANT SED THAT THERE IS SOMETHING BEHIND THE MASKS
OF THE ANGELS.
plopman says
Did anyone know torchwood was an anagram of doctor who
cheeseaholic says
Hi im back online!Imagine if Davros DID come back what an awesome finale that would be!
andreweya07 says
yes every1 knew torchwood was an anagam of torchwood
junadid, thanx i looked at it again and u were right lol
i reely wanna know what is behind those masks… it cant be enything we have met before… could it? 🙂
andreweya07 says
if you look closely, the halo’s that the angels have one of them takes it off and then throws it and thats when the doctor and astrid hit the halo with the swords!
there is sumfink fishy wid those angels!!!!! 😕
andreweya07 says
how do u add a picture to a comment on here???
do u put the html??
plopman says
In the next series theres going to be Ood
andreweya07 says
yer very one knows dat it was confirmed by bbc 3 MONTHS ago!!!!!! does any one know how u add a picture to a comment on here???
junaid says
The angels take off there halos right,when they do it look like develish horns.Captain Jack is in series 4,Well he said and…………….go on wikipedia and type in Sontaran and u will see the new design and….I don’t know how to add a picture on the comment
junaid says
I know!!!!!!!!!!!!I think that in the Rome episode there will be a Phoenix(Pheonix) come out the Volcano
Billie_Piper_Girl says
This might be completely beside subject
but has it uccured to anyone that ASTRID Perth(the part kylie plays) is an anagram of TARDIS….?
lol and aperantly Perth means part in welsh
and the dr.who people have confirmed that she is
infact a TARDIS and warps of into space in the christmas special (or possibly the last episode)
for more precise details have a look at sylvestermcoy.com
(i hope thats ho\w you spell it!)
LOL!
Billie_Piper_Girl says
*MERRY CHRISTMAS*
junaid says
THE SERIES 4 TRAILER AND VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED LOOKS AWESOME
andreweya07 says
omg astrid wasnt a tardis omg u set us up into a false sense… it was a teleportation thingy.
bobby says
i say that ut was sad because astrid fell she was good she fell because she heard the doctor and the commander of the host max talking so astrid took a krane and pushed max but max pushed her in the fire with his krane so that is why i think last nights poformence was sad.
bobby says
OMG
junaid says
series 4 trailer was great Sontarans vs UNIT=AWESOME
plopman says
The trailer for series 4 was awesome
plopman says
In the series 4 trailer the doctor says “I just want a mate to Donna” and then Donna says “Well your not going to mate with me sunshine”
That cracked me up !!